Jo Adell on the BIG swing reps misconception, AS snub, Pilates FTW

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hey, We've got Joe at Dalla and the Angels joining us on the show. Big smile, Joe.

00:00:07
Speaker 2: This is Kevin Zars style territory hosting debut. Great to have you on.

00:00:11
Speaker 1: Do you feel honored that KP, of all people said I've got the guests I want to bring on and it's you.

00:00:17
Speaker 3: Hey, I'll tell you what, man, We love KP. Man loved him as a teammate. I'm glad to be on here with you, guys.

00:00:22
Speaker 2: This is great love that.

00:00:23
Speaker 1: Hey, KP, you want to intro Joe and how you know him and anything for us?

00:00:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean we were We were teammates last year. Got to know him, you know, really well, spent a lot of time with him in the outfield. Obviously super talented, huge All Star snub in my opinion this year, but just an awesome teammate, human being and wanted to learn so much and just made me feel so welcome, you know, coming in mid season last year, and you know, we had a lot of great conversations and I'd love to say I'm part of the reason he's having more success this year, but that's we're going to get into some of the hard work he's done in the offseason and this year to you know why he's starting to, you know, be the player we all thought he could be.

00:01:10
Speaker 2: Joe, let's actually start. I got my tier runningdumb eyes, right, I know, I like that a lot.

00:01:15
Speaker 1: I'm going to try to level this out just to get to some tough guy beef here before we then get into yeah, the changes and how the season has been great for you and also even for the team to be in contention for a playoff spot right now. But first you saw Aj nodding his head. I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago.

00:01:32
Speaker 2: Just real talk.

00:01:32
Speaker 1: Were you bummed that you didn't get into the All Star Game because you definitely had the numbers to back it up. There's some politics involved, fan voting, player voting, stuff like that.

00:01:41
Speaker 2: I'm sure you were, you know, kind.

00:01:42
Speaker 1: Of checking things to see if there was a replacement option. Did you get a phone call anything like that?

00:01:49
Speaker 3: Yeah?

00:01:49
Speaker 2: I think, yeah.

00:01:50
Speaker 3: I think one of the things for me was, you know, I knew that I had a pretty good chance of the reserve kind of going into it, obviously knowing how the All Star Game is and the voting of you know, fans are going to pick the players that they want to start the game, and we always we know how that is. I know from Louis of Kentucky. I was a Joey Vado fan growing up, so every All Star Game I wanted to see Joey Vado in the All Star Game.

00:02:12
Speaker 2: So I totally understand that. The one thing for me.

00:02:15
Speaker 3: That I was a little kind of questionable about was just the process of the reserve part of the the All Star Game kind of selection. I was kind of confused. I didn't really understand. There's kind of felt like there was three different ways to get in it, and I didn't really totally grasp, you know, how that selection process went down. But for my name, I knew I was in consideration, and for me, you know, being a guy that you know, I know how far I've come and just really grateful to even being consideration for it. So yeah, a little bond that I didn't get in it, and you know, it's just something to continue to work for and the chip on my shoulder to continue to grind and figure this thing out and hopefully be in it next year.

00:03:00
Speaker 1: Jar A Plus Tech team asked if we can try to flip the phone whatever other direction it is. So if it's vertical horizontal, or if it's horizontal vertical, let's at least try.

00:03:10
Speaker 2: It and see. Oh yeah, there we go.

00:03:12
Speaker 1: That does that's a little bit better. I've been told, yes, that is good. Yeah, just get your standard.

00:03:20
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah.

00:03:21
Speaker 1: And while you're doing that, yeah, aj you want to be all right.

00:03:24
Speaker 5: I got a couple quick questions before we dig into the angels.

00:03:26
Speaker 2: And you're.

00:03:26
Speaker 5: First of all, nice, nice to meet you. I've heard great things about you from a lot of people. But first of all, if you're a Joey auto fan, you swing way too much. You gotta go up there and just never swing, and then you'd be more like Joe because he never swung unless he had to. You just go up there and stand and be like, please walk me, Please walk me.

00:03:41
Speaker 2: Okay, you are and go to first You were Joey fan.

00:03:45
Speaker 3: You didn't get that from him, No, no, no, no, no, I didn't get that from him.

00:03:49
Speaker 2: But it was funny.

00:03:50
Speaker 3: I got the first base in my first spring training a couple of years ago, and I was kind of starstruck. You know, I was a young kid, just got to invite the spring training, and I tapped him on the leg and I was like, Hey, I just want to let you know you're one of my favorite players growing up. I'm from Louisville, and he goes me yeah, So it's kind of kind of a cool moment. But yeah, right up the road and Sincy I would go to games as much as I could.

00:04:14
Speaker 2: So all right, I love it.

00:04:16
Speaker 6: I love it.

00:04:16
Speaker 5: Now let me ask you this. No, Tory Hunter is a good friend of mine. Okay, he's a special assistant with the Angels. So who has done more for you in your career? Tory Hunter or Kevin Palar Who was more influential in your career so far? And it's okay not to say Kevin. I know he's gonna ask the next question, so it's okay to say four.

00:04:34
Speaker 3: I'm gonna be honest with you. I mean, both of these guys have been great. The cool part about Tory coming in is, you know, just having somebody of you know, his stature coming in and kind of overseeing, you know, how we're doing things, and just having that trust and that belief, you know, in my game. And you know, I think it's big, you know, having a minority player of his caliber around the team, and that's big for me. That was a big comfort thing for me when when he came in and was a part of this. And obviously I played with his son coming through the minor league, so me and him already kind of had that relationship before he joined us. But to be totally honest with you, I mean, KP, I know how this organization was, you know, years before you know, KP got in here last year and me and him would sit and talk about the game and talk about certain situations and talk about what we're feeling.

00:05:26
Speaker 2: And I never had that from a veteran player.

00:05:28
Speaker 3: That was just something that you know, I didn't get here until you know, I met KP and he kind of was really able to talk about the game and talked about his approach to different things. He wanted to help and he wanted to make us better. And so you know, had tip to both of these guys, and Kevin, you deserve that fluff for sure, So I appreciate it.

00:05:53
Speaker 1: You know about the best place to buy, sell, trade, or look for that special card in your world, it's called Arena Club and Crats just went through a little slab pack experience and you went big.

00:06:04
Speaker 2: You went for the Ruby Pack.

00:06:05
Speaker 1: I love it.

00:06:06
Speaker 6: I love clicking on the Ruby pack and knowing that I'm going to open something that is going to be epic. Huh. I got a cal Ripkins Junior autographed one of forty two. I'm keeping it right now, but I would love to have it in my hands, so I might even have them send it to me already graded everything taking care for me.

00:06:23
Speaker 2: That's right.

00:06:24
Speaker 1: You want to hang it up and stare at it all day, go for it. But if you're in there to get something else or to sell it away, you can do that. They've got the buyback program, or you can put it on the marketplace yourself. Tons of options. This is where the best cards live. It's arenaclub dot com. Slash foul and use the code foul for twenty percent off your first slab pack, or if you'd like to purchase a card, twenty percent off your first card purchase again arenaclub dot com slash foh u L use code fo u L.

00:06:53
Speaker 6: Hey.

00:06:53
Speaker 4: I had a couple questions for you. One on the physical site because obviously being with you last year, I saw you go down a couple of times with the ob league. Just gonna want to touch on you know what you had sort of changed this offseason. You know, I follow you on Instagram and stuff. I've seen what you've done, but kind of share with us with how you kind of change your off season routine in order to, you know, try to avoid some of those injuries. And then the second part is what sort of swing changes that you made with you know, Washing Lake, because you know, I obviously was in the cage with you a lot, and there was a lot of trial and air and obviously the talents out of this world and I've been intended different organizations I played over ten years. No one hit the ball like you and VP your your your top three four hitter I've ever seen in VP. So it was only a matter of time and you know, the amount of work you put in for you to kind of become the player you always thought you were.

00:07:45
Speaker 3: Going to be. Nonsuthing first and foremost, I had to limit the swings. That was kind of the big thing I was going into hitting sessions in the offseason even during the season. Are just taking too many swings, And that's just again, at some point, if it's a good day in the cage or a bad day, you gotta draw the line. And so I think for me, just really cutting those swings down overall was probably the number one thing. But also I would just kind of go into, you know, the off season routine of I lifted a little less and off seasons prior I've had those oblique injuries, and I approached this off season to just, hey, I'm gonna back down on the lifting a little bit.

00:08:28
Speaker 2: I'm already built.

00:08:30
Speaker 3: Pretty well, so I'm just, you know, me adding muscle was kind of doing me more harm than good. And I got into pilates. I got into it one of my good buddies, Hunter Green. I've been close with him for years. It's been part of his off season routine for as long as I can remember. And I jumped into it and really kind of got that flexibility to a point where I felt like I could do more.

00:08:58
Speaker 2: I felt like I was looser.

00:09:00
Speaker 3: I felt like my movement patterns when I was swinging weren't as rigid and tight, and so I really kind of implemented that two three times a week to just really strengthen my core and kind of continue to try to be a better athlete. And to this point, I feel great at this point in the season. Years prior to the bleaks, and you know that core was starting to become an issue. But I feel pretty good as of right now. But those will be the two would be cutting down the cutting down the amount of swings and and really just getting in into pilates and and and getting and getting rolling. But as far as you know, you just talked about VP the top three of the of the best vps you've seen. My VP's changed, man, Like you know, I go in, I don't hit VP every day on the field now. I used to hit it every single day. You remember last year I would go and swing, swing, swing on the field. I really just hit VP once or twice a week maybe on the field, but just the cage work and the discipline of like just preparing for the game, feeling what I need to feel, and just getting out.

00:10:09
Speaker 4: Joe, only if someone told you that last year.

00:10:12
Speaker 5: Yes, you know, I love what you just said. By the way, I love that less swings because I used to take minimal swings. I never hit in the offseason. So I know you were doing some changes, but I love what you just said. And I also do pilates. I've done plots for a long time, and I was doing it while I was still playing so everything you just said, I wish more people would listen to.

00:10:31
Speaker 2: You don't have to take a.

00:10:32
Speaker 5: Billion swings every single day. I was a big hid on the field guy, but I didn't take a lot of swings in the cage. So I love to hit on the field just to get outside. But what you just said that was pure gold. So thank you, thank you. It's so nice to hear another player saying, oh, I don't have to take seven because these guys take seven billion swings a day and they're tired.

00:10:50
Speaker 2: Well, also figured it out.

00:10:52
Speaker 4: There's also a point you're not going to necessarily figure everything out in.

00:10:55
Speaker 2: One cage session.

00:10:56
Speaker 4: It's like at some point you just need to and the baseball season and so long, at some point you just need to get in, get your body acclimated, you know, maybe try to feel good, and even if you don't feel good. Like I was always in the mindset and my swing wasn't always going to be great, I wasn't going to fix it in the cage. But I got to go into the game with what I got that day. So I just got to like change my perspective and just say, today's going to be a compete. Dame, my swing sucks. The picture of the mountains really good. I just got to compete, and then there's gonna be some days where I'm like, wow, my swing is dialed in. It didn't matter who was pitching. I felt like I was going to be.

00:11:29
Speaker 3: Successful now, sir. So, I mean I have those days where like, I mean, you know this, but you know, you go into a day game and some of my day games are like my best games, and it's it's partly because you know, get to the field. There's not gonna be a whole lot of stuff going on on the field, and it's going to be he get loose, get out here and get this thing going. And sometimes that's what you need. And I found this year that me doing that more often has kind of helped me just not overthink it and just get in there and go to work. I mean, we know what we're looking for, we know what we're trying to do. Get a good pitch. We say, you know, now, you're only as good as a hitter as the pitches that you swing at, and so you know, I think that's something for me. We talk about hitting changes and adjustments. I mean, I've just focused on finding a good pitch. And you know, physically, whatever happens is going to happen. But let that kind of be where my head's at.

00:12:29
Speaker 2: KP. You got yeah, I got one more.

00:12:31
Speaker 4: Hey, Joe, how's the how's the adjustment to center field been?

00:12:37
Speaker 2: You know what, it's been interesting. You know.

00:12:40
Speaker 3: I remember so I got drafted as a center fielder, and that was also thirty or forty pounds ago, you know, so me as a bigger guy now it is a little bit different. I think the bigger thing I'm learning about center field in comparison to right field is just understanding where everybody is. I think that's the bigger thing. In spring training, it was an adjustment. I was trying to, you know, when we had Mike and he was out and right I was trying to, you know, make sure I was, you know, very aware of where he was and trying to not you know, overstep in his area. I'm sorry, housekeeping just came in trying not to get in his area. You know, same thing with Warden left, trying to you know, not overstep where he was. But the thing that I found out is just be aggressive. You know, in every play, I'm trying to be aggressive. And I found that the more aggressive I am left to right going to get the ball, the less times that, you know, we end up standing there looking at each other, you know, at a player under a fly ball.

00:13:41
Speaker 2: So but definitely more room. For sure.

00:13:45
Speaker 6: You're the alpha out there.

00:13:46
Speaker 4: You're the alpha.

00:13:49
Speaker 5: I wouldn't want to run into you.

00:13:50
Speaker 6: I don't care who big.

00:13:52
Speaker 5: So all right, before you go, I got to know that I played in salt Lake for three years. I played a long time. You were right in ninety eight, ninety nine, two thousand, for parts of all three years.

00:14:01
Speaker 6: Okay.

00:14:01
Speaker 5: People ask me all the time, and I know this triple A the best city you ever played in? And I say salt Lake. Salt Lake was unbelievable. And yes, I played for the Buzz before they were the Salt Lake City Bees. Okay, so yeah, a long time ago, right, can you explain how awesome of a place Salt Lake City, at least for me? I don't know, mind have been years, but talk about Salt Lake because I loved playing in salt Lake City.

00:14:23
Speaker 3: Honest say, it was a great experience. They loved the game, The fans were there early mostly most of the games were sold out. I know the park just moved though, so I don't know how. I don't know how the new stadium is now, but the one in the city when you know, when I was there, my experience was great.

00:14:42
Speaker 2: And you know how it is like in Triple A.

00:14:43
Speaker 3: You're trying to be in the big leagues and so it's easy for them a row to get down. But you know, for me, I respected the fact that, you know, you go out on a Saturday night and the place was filled and people enjoyed the game. They were cheering for it. It wasn't like you were getting you know, I call it like minor league hazing, where you have like two guys sitting on the berm just like burning you up, you know what I mean. It was like they these these people enjoyed the game. They brought families out to the game, and I really enjoyed my time there and definitely appreciated the elevation.

00:15:15
Speaker 2: For sure. Don't never go back. Don't say that.

00:15:19
Speaker 6: Don't never go back.

00:15:20
Speaker 5: But no, I don't know the old the news dude, the old Staum had one of the best views in the world. You're catching and you had the mountains out there, and you're.

00:15:26
Speaker 2: Just like, it's fantastic. Oh it was unbelievable. It's fantastic.

00:15:32
Speaker 1: Well, Joe, this was awesome man, Thanks for catching up with us. How did KP do in his hosting as the guy asking questions instead of fielding them?

00:15:41
Speaker 3: And he's fantastic. He's fantastic. He just works out great, So I appreciate you guys having me on you