Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone, & Michael Wacha @Royals Camp

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hey, we're here with the past. Watch Minnie pass Quintino here at Royals camp. And you've been here for three weeks, as he waves to MIKEL Garcia right there in the star Pine for the entire first half. Yep, to make the All Star team. You got here? What'd you say three weeks ago?

00:00:21
Speaker 2: Three weeks ago? Yeah?

00:00:22
Speaker 1: Because why?

00:00:23
Speaker 2: Two reasons?

00:00:24
Speaker 3: One WBC two trying to learn how to hit in April, so I figured getting outside in warm weather would be would be a way to do it.

00:00:31
Speaker 1: Is there any trash talking between Team Italy and Team USA in your locker room?

00:00:35
Speaker 2: Not yet.

00:00:35
Speaker 1: You and Winter have a running back and forth.

00:00:38
Speaker 3: No, we live together, so we uh haven't had too much yet. I'm sure as we get closer we will, but no, not yet. I don't know if that's a massive rivalry.

00:00:48
Speaker 4: Do you guys?

00:00:49
Speaker 1: You guys are both in Houston, right, Yeah, we're both together Houston like you and Jack and Jack and.

00:00:55
Speaker 3: I will fly together. Bob can take care of himself. No team Itdaly, we're flying All team, which would be good. So we've we've got a workout on March second. We've got a game against the Cubs March third, a game against the Angels March fourth, and then we head out, so it's getting close.

00:01:10
Speaker 1: Oh wow, Yeah, you can start games win here.

00:01:12
Speaker 3: Uh well, the first real game is like March seventh, but then no, no, no, I meant Friday, Friday, Yeah, Friday.

00:01:20
Speaker 2: But I've been here for three weeks, So.

00:01:24
Speaker 5: Does that matter? Does that matter that you've been there for three weeks? Like have you been getting the work in or you like I should have stayed at home, like I need my time at home.

00:01:32
Speaker 3: No, it's it's been good because the weather Nashville, the weather got so bad right before I left. It was good motivation to get out, so it was.

00:01:39
Speaker 2: Uh.

00:01:39
Speaker 3: I think I've gotten fourteen at bats so far, which has been nice. So just try to get as much live pitching as humanly possible, get off the trajector machine, do whatever we can to get some timing down, and then see what happens once.

00:01:51
Speaker 2: The game start.

00:01:53
Speaker 1: Different.

00:01:53
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know it's different, especially with no reports guys are working on stuff.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: It's definitely different. But you gotta do something. You got to make.

00:02:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's still like, I don't know. I always like spring training. It was either really good or really bad. There's no in between, and then the season started and it was like everything you worked on, everything just completely went away, and.

00:02:10
Speaker 2: You're just like, all right, I gotta get it's true. It is.

00:02:12
Speaker 3: It is insane how much different it is when pitchers are trying to get you out.

00:02:16
Speaker 2: Versus just working on bats.

00:02:18
Speaker 1: Have you broken in those fourteen.

00:02:20
Speaker 2: Zero I'm not a massive bat breaker?

00:02:22
Speaker 1: Are you a tracker?

00:02:24
Speaker 2: No? I swing, I'll swing.

00:02:25
Speaker 3: I haven't swung at the first pitch yet, but we've gotten some good swings off and no broken bats just yet. I've been rotating three bats in get them all broken in, and yeah, I like.

00:02:34
Speaker 2: I like that. There's no broken ones yet.

00:02:36
Speaker 5: So you didn't answer. You didn't answer the fourteen at bats. How have you done? Because that's I mean, people are making their fantasy draft picks right now. How have you done? Because either way, the Royals pitching either sucks or they're nasty and you're gonna have a great season.

00:02:51
Speaker 3: It's been good, it's been good. I've gotten beat a few times. I've I've done some damage a few times. So I'm not giving you an to their crafts. Nice try.

00:03:01
Speaker 2: Our pictures are awesome, but but so are our hitters.

00:03:04
Speaker 1: When you get a hit. This is the sasquatch come out of like the field out there and walk around.

00:03:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's in spring training too, so he's got to get to work on his game. He's gonna get into shape. So although it's not as hot so it's it's probably more comfortable for him right now, especially if the temperature could stay where it's at today.

00:03:19
Speaker 1: No kidding, no kidding. We saw Michael Garcia walk by. Is he different now that he's rich.

00:03:24
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:03:25
Speaker 3: He just got here, so we're uh, oh, he just got here like now, like three or four days ago, so we're still testing those waters. But he's been he's been awesome. You have to buy spreads because the problem is is, uh, Bobby's got a larger one, so it's still on Bobby.

00:03:42
Speaker 2: Uh.

00:03:42
Speaker 3: It was actually smart by mikel to do it for that amount of money because then Bobby still takes care of everything.

00:03:47
Speaker 2: At least we make him take care of everything.

00:03:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, so Bobby complained though, but Lugo is actually the bread winner of the clubhouse this year, so really, so it's going to be on Lugo to take care of everybody.

00:03:57
Speaker 2: I'm sure he's excited about that.

00:03:58
Speaker 5: Oh wow, yeah, whoa whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. I mean, don't don't act like everyone else is getting paid like this is this is royal family. You got broke off a little bit of something too, now, huh.

00:04:12
Speaker 3: Yeah I did, Yeah, I did. So we didn't have to go into a room. That was cool. Being able to get a two year deal done, that was uh, that was good. So we're happy about that. And yeah, it's nice to be uh nice to be off the rookie rookie contract.

00:04:25
Speaker 2: But we're worried about winning ball games.

00:04:28
Speaker 6: Now.

00:04:30
Speaker 1: Every time you strike out, some fans gonna yell Vine exactly two your deal, you steak, you're not living up to.

00:04:38
Speaker 3: Imagine when I grounded to some double plates. Exactly if I double plate, it is gonna be insane. But hey, that's okay, I'll take it. I'll take that pressure. Expectations a terrible thing.

00:04:49
Speaker 6: Vinny, Hey, Benny, I want to get your take on the rules that are getting laid out. We've already known about the core of a AS Challenge system, but I want to get your take on any of the intricacies that we're learning. And then also i'd like to get your thoughts on the coaches staying in the box. Let's actually start there. So did you see that rule where the first and third base coaches have to stay in the box. I'm sure the team already probably went over that, or you know what the process is for anything new that the league brings to the table.

00:05:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think I think there's multiple ways to answer this question. It's gonna eliminate. I know pitchers are happy because it's going to eliminate some things that have happened within the game that I don't know, maybe have lent to some areas where coaches are able to tip off pitches and now they have to stay in the box. I've got a pretty good relationship with most of the first base coaches, so I'm really excited.

00:05:50
Speaker 1: You watch this before.

00:05:52
Speaker 3: No, I didn't care, but you would pay attention to, like, Okay, if you're facing a certain team, if the guy starts moving or if he stays still, do I need to like there's different things like that to check some balances, to make sure, Okay, make sure our pictures are protected, that they're not doing anything. Maybe try to talk to him a little bit more, get them, you know, because you kind of know who's doing stuff based off of how much they talk to you. If they're not talking to you at all when there's nobody on base, there's probably something, probably something.

00:06:17
Speaker 2: Going on there.

00:06:18
Speaker 3: So but I'm gonna be all over the umpires be like, hey, make sure he's in the box, which will be fun. So I'm going to more take it as a fun thing. I mean, I never understood why there were boxes if you don't have to stand in them. Anyway, what's the best chirps I ever heard? Were in in rookie ball? It is my first ever professional series. Chris Widger was our manager and he wasn't in the box and the fans in Bristol, Tennessee were letting him have it. It was insane. They were just get in the box, like I mean, it was so funny. There was more that they said that I can't say, wait year, but it was so good.

00:06:50
Speaker 2: And then the ABS, I don't know what are the rules with it?

00:06:52
Speaker 3: Like what do you mean the intricacies with the strike son?

00:06:57
Speaker 5: Just like learning it, Just like learning the abs.

00:06:59
Speaker 2: Who's going to challenge?

00:07:00
Speaker 5: Are you allowed because you don't make as much as wit? Are you going to be allowed to? Can do you know where the upper corners are all that stuff?

00:07:08
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:07:08
Speaker 3: You know. I mean the easiest answer is no, because even on the backfields we have a TrackMan strike zone, which is more of a it's more of a consistent strike zone than ABS. And I don't mean that as ABS is bad. I just mean ABS changes towards your height, but the track man that we have doesn't.

00:07:25
Speaker 2: So I don't know. I don't know how it's going to go.

00:07:29
Speaker 3: It's weird because you would I think you would naturally think older guys should get the challenges, But I think I might have a different mindset of that, where I think guys who have used it before should probably be the ones to challenge because they, I mean, the guys coming up now know the strike zone better than I've ever seen, just because they've been doing this zone for two years now, I think, so they've been training it, so they have the best idea. I think it's similar to when I was coming up the pitch clock was going and all the older guys were complaining about it, and I was sitting there saying, you know, this is going to be amazing. Hear pictures talking about how they're gonna get away from you know the first year with the pitchclock, how pittuers kept trying to do crazy things to try to mess with it, And that's kind of gone away because it's more just okay, we're just playing baseball. Just do it in a more timely manner. I'm hoping that this will happen with ABS, but I just don't feel like I am able to give an opinion on it because I've never done it. We did in spring last year. I think I used it twice. I think I like it in the fact that it takes away the egregious call. But I'll be curious to see how the technology works and making sure you know everything is everything is good.

00:08:33
Speaker 2: But I'm excited about it. I think change can be good. All right.

00:08:36
Speaker 1: A couple of things. One, what'd you measure in at did you get measured?

00:08:39
Speaker 2: I don't know. I think it's tomorrow. Oh okay, But that's one thing.

00:08:42
Speaker 1: Judge is like six seven and then he went down to like six five. So do you like scrunch Are you going to scrunch down a little bit?

00:08:47
Speaker 3: Well, that's what I am confused about, because with two strikes, I squat down more. But I'm assuming my zone won't change there.

00:08:53
Speaker 1: That's gonna be a problem.

00:08:55
Speaker 2: So I so.

00:08:56
Speaker 3: I there's almost a part of me that wishes they would just do a stand strike zone and it's just like you and l twov.

00:09:02
Speaker 2: But I know that would be the thing. It's like, but at least he could train it. He can learn.

00:09:09
Speaker 3: It probably doesn't work, but that's then everybody could train it. If it was one strike zone, it would be the same and it would just be one.

00:09:17
Speaker 2: Of those things.

00:09:18
Speaker 1: Does it go off your batting stance, because like you've got the guy that squats down like Pete remember Pete Rose used to be all start and smaller than.

00:09:25
Speaker 3: I'd love to get the old guys takes on the strike zone like that.

00:09:29
Speaker 2: I'm gonna ask George when I see him, what those guys like? Nothing.

00:09:34
Speaker 3: I think that's just a part of I think it's a part of getting older, as you, like, I can't wait. I mean, I I'll do it with the guys in the minor least be like man like playing in Bristol, Tennessee. You never had to do that. You never had to play a high school field with chicken wire as the locker. So that's that's my old man thing. But yeah, it's good. I think it'll be net positive.

00:09:54
Speaker 1: I played in Bristol by the way, mid pitch the lights went out on the whole field, perfect to cancel the game.

00:09:59
Speaker 3: That's great pitch. I remember walking up to that place for my first game. This is what I signed up for pro ball. Hook to pro ball, all right.

00:10:08
Speaker 1: And the last thing for on the abs for me is did you see where they're not on TV? Because on TV, like we have the little fox box and it puts the dot and it changes colors of.

00:10:17
Speaker 2: Its striker ball.

00:10:18
Speaker 1: They're gonna take that away because they don't want you people in the dugout or and the replay people having the advantage. But I don't understand it's delayed anyway, so I don't understand the advantage or disadvantage to that.

00:10:30
Speaker 3: This is a win for my father, big win. He hates the strike zone on TV. Why because he he just thinks it's dumb because it's and I agree with him in the fact that it's not correct.

00:10:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, there we know that. But still it's cool for the fans like not to strike the ball.

00:10:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's not because then they think you said hold up.

00:10:49
Speaker 6: Yeah, because I think you're teeing it up wrong. Aj. The box is still there. They're just not going to indicate if it's ball or strike.

00:10:54
Speaker 2: Yeah that's what I So the box will still be there. Yeah, yeah, No, I.

00:10:57
Speaker 6: Just don't want many to go down this whole road of his dad being upset.

00:11:01
Speaker 3: But there is I think we played the the Mets a few years ago and they use like a tiny little dot that is not the size of a baseball. So I don't even know how they come up with the sizes of the dots that they use. I know I'm being a jerk, but I just I don't know. Is there even a definition of a strike zone in the rule book?

00:11:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's supposed to be the bottom of the in the somewhere up in here.

00:11:29
Speaker 5: But the thing is that's yeah, and your.

00:11:34
Speaker 3: Hips did you have a big strike zone and live at bats like when you were catching when you strikes.

00:11:40
Speaker 2: But what about what about when you were hitting?

00:11:43
Speaker 3: We always joke around that, like Freddy for me, and who was here last year is with San Diego. Now he he has a massive strike zone when he's catching, but when he's hitting nothing.

00:11:51
Speaker 2: It is a strikerttcher, you know. But now we have the technology.

00:11:55
Speaker 3: Like yesterday, Uh, I was facing Alex laying and it wasn't catching. He was behind me and there was a change up right below the zone and Sally wanted to strike it.

00:12:04
Speaker 2: It was one oh, but the it said ball.

00:12:07
Speaker 3: So I'm sitting there thinking, well, I think I should get rewarded for a good for a good stop and Sal was like, no, it's a strike and said no, that's a ball.

00:12:14
Speaker 2: I go to, what are we doing here? But it's live at bad so it doesn't really matter.

00:12:17
Speaker 1: But we need to have a big thing where you didn't want to wear your pants up because I gave the umpires where your knee was right, because everyone wore right, so that was if you were taller, you wanted to wear longer pants so they couldn't tell where the bottom of the striker was.

00:12:32
Speaker 3: I used to have that theory playing first base that if I wore my pants down and I would stretch for a ball, the umpire would think that I was coming off the base because they see the pant move. I've gotten over that one because I look so bad with my pants up. I look so fat with my pants up. It's actually insane. Yeah, fat people, fat people, should not want to never I did it once or a few times in twenty twenty four. I think last year was the only year I've never not worn my pants up. No wonder, I had a pretty good year.

00:12:57
Speaker 5: Last one. Last time you were on, we discussed the whole striker ball from your pops. How did the live at bats go? Obviously he was my opinion, he was probably wearing you out too much, and that's why you came down to Arizona early because you were sick of getting beat by Pops. But a lot of people want to know how it ended up going the rest of the off season.

00:13:21
Speaker 3: The weather got so bad we never got to do it again, so we weren't able to get outside. So he wins the off season, which is tough for me walking away a loser. But I'll see him in Atlanta for opening series. Maybe we'll get in a cage somewhere and there you'll be there, yer, Maybe you could be the umpire. Oh I was freaking love that.

00:13:39
Speaker 1: I love that.

00:13:40
Speaker 3: I love We have a Fox game to start the season Saturday, Saturday. I'll be there for you the Royals National TV see that opening weekend.

00:13:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, I sure hope.

00:13:52
Speaker 1: So, oh little sale itis.

00:13:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, that looks fun in front of you. I don't know.

00:14:02
Speaker 3: I saw an article that came in front of you. Normally Bobby's been hitting in front of me.

00:14:07
Speaker 1: So just so you know this, Bobby goes deep off sale like the first at bat. So when I caught you when he first came up, if a raighty went deep in the next hitter was a lefty. I had to call slider because the next picture what was because he was so mad that he was just and I'm like, I'm sorry, I just need to know this is gonna just hopefully it doesn't hit you in the head. Yeah, he'd be so mad. I think he's gotten over that a little bit.

00:14:28
Speaker 3: Just hey, anytime you could take your ob pople once you take him. So we have the face guard. Why we have the face guards protect the face. You never know what will happen.

00:14:37
Speaker 6: So what did the article say that you were talking about? They put the lineup out already before you guys had it.

00:14:43
Speaker 3: Q gave an interview and he apparently sighed mentioned that I might hit lead off a few times this year, which would be amazing.

00:14:52
Speaker 2: Obp obp just got to get it up a little bit more. And then we can make it happen. And then walking.

00:15:00
Speaker 6: Wow, go say had a moose. We're gonna let him run, but he's got a busy day. Vinny. Great to see you and great to catch up as always, got chat soon, Thanks.

00:15:10
Speaker 1: Royals Camp. Here with Jack cagleone the biggest UAB Blazer fan I have met in a long time since he had to wear a Blazer's hat on Saturday, since the Blazers took down Kratz's Florida Gators Friday night in the opening game of the season. So welcome, mister U A. B. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here now. We already talked off the air and everyone that knows I'm a Florida fan. I actually said you should have went one one. I couldn't figure out why you didn't go one one in the draft. I was. I was pumping him off for what two years Cratzy.

00:15:44
Speaker 5: Rightly, so rightly, so I want to hear why he didn't. But anyway, go ahead, go Ada.

00:15:50
Speaker 1: But Friday night, my son caught against his Florida Gators, took him down, and Tolbert had you. I guess you guys had a bet, had you? The pictures were all over the the Graham and Twitter. How did that feel?

00:16:04
Speaker 7: Definitely wasn't my best moment, for sure. He walks in the field, he has a way just hat in his hand. He's like, come on, come on. He put me front my locker, been put the hat on, posting on a story.

00:16:14
Speaker 1: Ah oh well all right, So before we get into it, you went to Florida. We mentioned it. I thought the White Sox are gonna draft you here in Kansas City. Now, why didn't you go one to one? Did anyone tell you? Because I obviously watch every I've done Sully for thirty years, right, Kevin O'Sullivan, the coach of the Gators. All he did was hype you up. I watch everyone your again. My family thinks that I have a crush on you because they think it's hilarious. I even text him, and my daughter just text back, Oh, you won't be able to speak. Krats already got on you before we went on the air. So I couldn't figure it out because I and I know Bridgie, the guy who drafted you, very well, and I talked to him about it. He said, best power I've ever seen. Great athlete makes adjustments. What I mean the Royals are happy to have you, and you ended up in a great place because you got to the big league so quick. But did anyone give you any indication why you I don't want to say slid, but like, no.

00:17:12
Speaker 7: To be honest with you, I had no idea. I mean you, I'm sure you remember the day of the draft, how hectic that was.

00:17:18
Speaker 2: I was different.

00:17:19
Speaker 1: We didn't have MLB network, we didn't have Twitter, we didn't have nothing. We I had a cordless phone. Right, they called and I'm like, hello, Yes, this is the Twins. We drafted you seventieth overall. Okay, Scott will be in touch. He'll call you next week. Thanks. Yeah, cool.

00:17:35
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:17:36
Speaker 7: I mean it was just a lot of back and forth with my idents and everything like that, and you know, it was one of those where it's in God's hands and I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I'm happy to be here with this organization, and you know, they've been nothing but awesome so far.

00:17:49
Speaker 4: So I'm happy with me.

00:17:52
Speaker 2: Sliding.

00:17:54
Speaker 5: I called exactly that, but yeah, slide, sliding, sliding five whole spots down to number six. Yeah, good, good for you. Glad it worked out since we're hitting on this since we're hitting on college. Now that you're here, now that you've arrived in the big leagues, I know you haven't hit as well as you wanted to yet, but you went through a little bit of the minor league stuff. Do you still wish you pitched or do you watch the pitchers and go, oh, man, their lives suck. They don't do anything.

00:18:24
Speaker 7: I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it, for sure. I feel like that was such a huge part of my game, you know, in college and everything like that, I focused honestly more on the pitching side than I did on the hitting side, and I think it kind of freed me up mentally. The not really think when I was hitting so to go through like the first year of pro ball, really just focusing on hitting and starting to break down swing patterns, swing pass and stuff like that.

00:18:49
Speaker 4: It was all new to me. You know. So college is different.

00:18:52
Speaker 7: You know, guys usually just have two pitches you can really just eliminate one of them. And then you get up here and you have guys like Seth Lugo with eight pitches, and you know, it gets a little gets definitely a little a little tougher, but now having guys like Vinnie, the way he breaks down the game, he sees the game a little bit differently. It's been great to work with him and kind of see his insight on it.

00:19:12
Speaker 5: Watch watching how everything that you have to go through in the big leagues, even even in the minor leagues, like preparing for a game. Does it put more does it make you more in awe or just shocked by what Otani can do because your level people don't People might not know you're left handed and you threw one hundred miles an hour left handed. So you sit there and you go, Okay, well this guy should be able to throw in the big leagues. But does it give you a like different sense or is there still just a little bit like I'd like to throw an inning or ten appearances out of bullpen for the boys.

00:19:46
Speaker 1: I saw you pitch, say no, I saw you pitcher last year, say no.

00:19:51
Speaker 7: I can't say no like I Obviously what he does is it's special. I mean, nobody's doing it. That's why he's, you know, one the best players in the world right now, and you know, to have the opportunity to I mean, I've joked with Q a couple of times on the bullpen days, and I was like, hey, if the the bullpen needs it, you know, I used to throw back in the day and was kind of messing around with him and didn't go anywhere obviously, but.

00:20:17
Speaker 1: Finally just go like this and show everybody. I mean, it's it's still there. Yeah, I mean we're good. We're good, Cratzy. Here's what I don't think most people know is he was actually recruited as a pitcher more than a hitter, and then he had to have his arm surgery. So then they were like, hey, why don't you try hitting, like what middle of your junior year, and he just started mashing and then they're like, oh, yeah, you could be pretty good as a hitter. Also, he actually was more of a you were actually more of a pitcher.

00:20:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, slowy.

00:20:47
Speaker 7: I still give him fits for it all the time. He told me I had two way and then when I got to campus had TJ. As soon as I got there, he told me that I was just gonna pitch and and you know, do the hitting progression and stuff with TJ. And next thing you know, he's like, yeah, you shouldn't come on this Vandy trip. Take some VP, start getting into the swing of things, and you know, a week later I was in the lineup and never left.

00:21:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, crass, By the way, I don't mean this mean at all, but I like, I watched you pitcher last year, like just hit you, just hit. I mean you could come in because just hit. I mean, listen, I don't mean that rudely. I couldn't pitch either, But.

00:21:26
Speaker 4: The command will come.

00:21:26
Speaker 8: The command will come at well point what we actually like work on instead of like I was a thrower. I'm not gonna sit here you I was a thrower, but if I actually had like all the data that they have nowadays.

00:21:39
Speaker 1: I mean, you could pitch. I think I could, but you couldn't.

00:21:44
Speaker 4: You can do both.

00:21:44
Speaker 1: You think you think you could do both the big league level.

00:21:48
Speaker 4: I mean we don't know. We haven't tried it yet.

00:21:50
Speaker 5: Yes, don't don't let him, don't let him convince you. Don't let him convince you.

00:21:54
Speaker 9: No, do it.

00:21:57
Speaker 5: You can do it, like trusting in it. Like no nobody throw. Very few dudes throw from the left side like you. Yes, you didn't throw as many strikes as you would like, but you know what, you can figure that out right, exactly.

00:22:11
Speaker 4: Take a little bit off and he'll be ninety five instead of one hundred.

00:22:14
Speaker 1: Hey, listen, I mean he faced the you faced the two handed guy right your angelo.

00:22:20
Speaker 4: Yeah, yes, he only threw righty though, really him, Yeah he.

00:22:24
Speaker 1: Didn't throw both handed. They made him a right hand or they just traded him too. Yeah, I mean you see how hard that is. Now you mentioned Showy. Imagine what Showhy does. He hits fifty homers and he goes out and pitches throws one hundred.

00:22:37
Speaker 4: Yeah, some fourth that the homers is a pretty dang good year.

00:22:41
Speaker 1: I think the rolls would be have if you just hit fifty. What what do you what are you looking forward to this year? Now that you've had some time under your belt. You had some struggles. Everyone kind of nobody comes up here, and the very few I shouldn't say nobody. I mean even Mike Trout had to go you know, I had to go through some growing pains. Everyone kind of goes through a little bit of growing pain when they get to the major leagues. Very few people just get here and just explode on the scene and never never have a little bit of a downtime. What did you learn from what you went through last year because I would assume that's probably the first time in your life you ever had any kind of struggles.

00:23:13
Speaker 7: It was I mean, growing up always was what I'd like to think, one of the better players on the team and stuff like that, as most major league players are.

00:23:23
Speaker 4: But yeah, last year was definitely.

00:23:24
Speaker 2: One of those.

00:23:26
Speaker 7: Not trying to put too much weight into it, to be honest with you, that's good. It's tough in the moment for sure, because you know, everybody wants to come up and have success, but to go through the levels and have really good success and kind of, you know, get socked in the mouth up there, and taking this offseason to kind of take a step back, realize what I've learned, you know, what worked, what didn't. But the biggest thing for me was kind of going back to what got me there. Honestly, feel like I kind of fell down rabbit holes when things weren't going well. Was still hitting balls hard, but had nothing to show for it, and thought it was swing, thought it was a before of other things. And having that offseason to kind of take a step back and recalibrate at the mine right and everything like that kind of opened me up for this.

00:24:12
Speaker 5: Year, How could minor league baseball? Have you have prepared you more for the big leagues, because a lot of people are like, ah, the minor leagues is now, especially in Triple A. You know, it's just not the same competition. I'm not I'm not throwing shade any of those guys. I spent a ton of time in the minor leagues, but it's just not the same level at all. How could you have prepared differently if you were to go back to the beginning of last year when you had to go to the minor leagues, which if people don't know you dominated.

00:24:45
Speaker 7: Honestly, for me, it probably just to be the quality of contact. You know, like Omaha or Triple A. You're clipping balls at eighty four and they're going out to left field. But if you do that at Kaufman, that's sixty anymore.

00:25:02
Speaker 1: Bobby moved in for you guys, not anymore.

00:25:05
Speaker 7: That's a two hundred and sixty foot flyout. So just kind of being more real with yourself rather than buying into like the false results of things, and really just not being so result driven. I think that's kind of also what shot me in the foot. Vinnie said it best last year to me, he was like, it's a it's a processed driven game, but a results based business, so to kind of fall in love with the process more so than chasing stats, chasing numbers. I think that's when you know, kind of like the stars of a line and ball start finding more gaps.

00:25:39
Speaker 1: Wow, that's that's mature for for a guys. True so young, I mean, that's that's a mature, very mature answer. You mentioned Vinnie. Vinnie's Captain Italy. I don't. I don't know what you have Captain America. Bobby's Aaron Judges Captain America. What is Vinnie? What do you call Vinnie for like Captain Pizon or something? There you go, there you go, new nickname for Vinnie, I asked him earlier when we talked to him. There's been some trash talking walk a Bobby, you guys play each other coming up in Houston. Is there trash talking yet? Has it started?

00:26:15
Speaker 2: Not yet?

00:26:16
Speaker 1: Because said he punched your ticket the other day, punched my ticket on three pitches, So yeah, he's starting.

00:26:22
Speaker 7: I took a cookie curveball right down the chuote, not looking for a curveball first pitch from Walker. I was looking for that parachute change, up ended up getting the parachute change up the second pitch, swung right over it and then painted heater on the black away.

00:26:37
Speaker 2: And that's just.

00:26:40
Speaker 7: He's Michael Waker for a reason. I'm gonna just tip your setting you up. You know that for WBC? Right, Yes, that's back pocketed.

00:26:47
Speaker 1: If you face him at WBC, you gotta be ready for the first curveball. Right. Oh yeah, so you just got it. That's the process.

00:26:54
Speaker 4: It's it's already logged in.

00:26:55
Speaker 1: Okay, that's good.

00:26:58
Speaker 2: Alright.

00:26:58
Speaker 5: Last year you were a rookie, did you do a good job of singing on the bus?

00:27:05
Speaker 1: Ah?

00:27:08
Speaker 2: Not really.

00:27:08
Speaker 7: I didn't have time to prepare, to be honest with you, And I had to sing Pink Pony Pink Pony Club on the bus song.

00:27:16
Speaker 4: No, I had had had the lyrics, and.

00:27:18
Speaker 1: You have to sing the whole song because I sung.

00:27:20
Speaker 4: Like forty five seconds before they cut me off.

00:27:22
Speaker 1: Wow, I had never even heard that song until he probably he probably doesn't even know what Adam Aman is, But Adam Amin is the guy I work with on Fox all the time, or played by Playgun, and he's also a DJ. And I went and watched him in Chicago and he played that song and I had never heard that song in my life, and it came on and the whole there was probably five hundred people in this little bar we were in. It went crazy. So the fact that you had to sing that, yeah, I wouldn't even know. I wouldn't even know where to start. Even if they gave me the real lyrics, I'd be like, what.

00:27:50
Speaker 2: That's how it went.

00:27:52
Speaker 7: I remember I looked at Lorenzo when I was singing. He looked at me and he was like, don't look at me, looking down on the mic in my hand.

00:28:00
Speaker 1: Any other good bus stories from last Year's a rookie. They put you in the bathroom. Ever, you wouldn't even fit in the bathroom.

00:28:06
Speaker 2: I did me.

00:28:07
Speaker 7: It was me, Noah, and gosh, there's another. I'm trying to remember who else was on our team. We're playing trivia. We're in Seattle, and we ended up losing trivia. It was about Seattle, and I don't know a lot about Seattle. We had about fifteen minutes after the bus ride and there were three of us, and no, it was not a small guy either. So we were just crammed in a bathroom for fifteen minutes.

00:28:36
Speaker 1: You're from Florida. We don't know a lot about Seattle. Florida, Florida, Seattle. You can't get much farther away at all. So when I'm you know I have to fly to Seattle, I'm like, oh, I get my six and a half hours of rest on this flight. Yeah, so yeah, so yeah. In fact, that wasn't fair. Whoever whoever called you up and made you ask answer question about Seattle. That wasn't That wasn't a fair fighter. Right before we let you go, we want to show this for everybody so that we know that I was not lying when I said this. But you have never looked better in your life. And that will forever be on the UAB Baseball website forever. That there is the biggest blaze put that. Of course they did. I should. I should send that to Sully and be like, look, Sully, we've we've converted him.

00:29:18
Speaker 2: That's awesome.

00:29:19
Speaker 4: That's a true genuine smile as well.

00:29:21
Speaker 1: By the way, uh, your favorite volleyball team is it?

00:29:24
Speaker 2: What?

00:29:24
Speaker 1: Atlantata Vibe? Atlanta Vibe? Okay, his fiance played with my daughter in high Schoolcrats. If that makes you feel old or young, however you want to put it. They played together in high school and they're.

00:29:35
Speaker 5: Way older than me. You're way old than me. I'm totally fine with it.

00:29:40
Speaker 1: So anyway, so yes, they played together. Now Ellie is a professional volleyball player, and my daughter has quit volleyball and just decided to go to Florida for the education. So yes, but Jack, thanks for joining us. We appreciate nothing but the best. You have a great season.

00:29:59
Speaker 2: Thank you.

00:29:59
Speaker 4: Thanks for having me.

00:30:01
Speaker 1: In surprise Arizona Surprise. It's my ex teammate and Cardinal great, not Royal great. Michael Walka, what's going on? A? How are you all?

00:30:12
Speaker 9: Good man?

00:30:13
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:30:13
Speaker 1: How's spring training going so far for you?

00:30:15
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:30:15
Speaker 9: No, it's been going really well. Uh yeah, what are we about? A weekend with the Yeah, got my first live in under the belt a couple of days ago. Uh, just one up, but everything's bouncing back good. Uh, feeling strong and any punches one punchy?

00:30:34
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:30:34
Speaker 9: Who was yeah? Uh cag leone? Yeah?

00:30:38
Speaker 1: Is that revenge for the basketball game a couple weeks ago?

00:30:42
Speaker 2: Yeah? For real?

00:30:43
Speaker 9: Yeah, freaking me to a m to finished strong here.

00:30:48
Speaker 1: Let's go all right, Well, when do you when do you pitch in a game? Do you know?

00:30:53
Speaker 9: Uh, I've got another live on Thursday, and then uh it's five days after that, so I guess the next Tuesday you ran from today.

00:31:02
Speaker 2: Since now you're.

00:31:03
Speaker 1: Captain America with Bobby Witt, wait for this plane to go.

00:31:07
Speaker 9: Sorry, right next to the.

00:31:11
Speaker 1: Jeeves by the way, the raptors are flying over.

00:31:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's very sweet.

00:31:18
Speaker 1: But uh, now that you're Captain America, you and Bobby Witt, how do you ramp up for the WBC?

00:31:25
Speaker 9: Uh, it's actually gonna be pretty similar. Uh, you know, just talking with Sweeney uh our pitching coach here in Casey, and with Pettit and DeRosa, Uh, what's the USA just kind of what they expect from me. Uh, you know whenever those games start up. We kind of went back and forth on on where I would be and uh, build up wise, and everything's pretty much within a couple of days or so where I was kind of last year building up for the season. So, uh, the ramp up is gonna be very similar. You know, nothing nothing expedited, I guess I would say, uh to get ready for TMSAU. Everything's gonna be kind of on schedule. So I'm I'm excited that it all worked out and uh, you know, excited to get out there with those guys.

00:32:13
Speaker 2: For sure.

00:32:15
Speaker 5: You went back and forth. What does that mean you guys were arguing?

00:32:20
Speaker 4: What was that?

00:32:21
Speaker 5: Oh? I said you guys went back and forth? Does that mean you guys were arguing?

00:32:26
Speaker 2: No?

00:32:26
Speaker 9: No, there was just uh, just conversations with Pettit on uh and DeRosa on what they kind of needed for me, and then finding a schedule and uh ramp up with Sweeney and uh and then yeah, going back to them. But yeah, no, no arguing a lot of support from from the Kansas City guys here, uh, which is awesome. You know you hear of of some some other organizations that don't really support their guys and stuff. But uh yeah, uh, these guys here are great and want us to go out and yeah represent the Oils, represent our country and uh yeah, something that I'm I'm very excited for.

00:33:04
Speaker 5: The Royals have always been good at sending prospects, but also like they always want to support the International Baseball part of it. This is your second time we're in a team USA Jersey. Correct you played in college too, right.

00:33:17
Speaker 2: That's right? Yep, yep.

00:33:18
Speaker 9: I was yep, part of the USA collegiate team as well, but uh yeah it was something very cool there as well, and you know, never could have imagined kind of doing it again in the pros, but uh yeah, excited for the opportunity to, Yeah, put that USA jersey on again.

00:33:37
Speaker 5: Do you still have the other jersey? Well, you have like a we have one next to the other one when you when you're done like framing them side by side or do you have any idea where that jersey is?

00:33:49
Speaker 9: Oh yeah, yeah, that jersey is at my parents' house. It's all framed up, and uh yeah, we'll we'll find a spot for that new one for sure.

00:34:00
Speaker 1: When you so, you said Jack Vinnie or on team Italy you're pitching for us? Do you know if you're starting or are you gonna come out of the bullpenfer for USA?

00:34:09
Speaker 9: I mean, I don't want to give away too much of our strategy and stuff, but yeah, you.

00:34:15
Speaker 1: Said you right, So you guys play here not that long from now, about three weeks Italy plays USA in Houston. Yeah, do you show him your repertoire in early BP before you actually might have to pitch against him when it counts more?

00:34:32
Speaker 2: I know that, No, there was.

00:34:34
Speaker 9: There was definitely a little strategy going into that live because yeah, Vinnie was was part of that live as well. I ended up walking him on yeah four straight uh or maybe five pitches, hit him in a spot where just.

00:34:47
Speaker 1: So he remembers it instead of you know, you don't want to hurt him, just just kind of maybe in the thighre so he has a little mark and you can remember that.

00:34:54
Speaker 9: Yeah, exactly, Yeah, get off my dish type stuff. But yeah, no, it's it'll be cool to see those guys as well. Maybe pass on a few scouting reports to the guys if if I'm if I am not facing those guys.

00:35:06
Speaker 2: I guess if you're not.

00:35:08
Speaker 1: That sounded like a little bit of a I might have been a little bit of a hint there.

00:35:12
Speaker 3: I like it.

00:35:12
Speaker 1: I like it, but today, I mean, I know you're not gonna to get into strategy. But does it matter because it's it's still basically spring training for you as long as you get your innings. Doesn't matter if you do it as a starter or coming out.

00:35:24
Speaker 9: Of the bullpen, right right, I think there's definitely an opportunity where I am piggyback in. Uh, you know another starter schemes or early on. Where can we have one of those guys that are pretty good?

00:35:35
Speaker 2: Right right?

00:35:36
Speaker 9: Yeah, No, it's a it's a stud lineup for sure. It's a it's a it's pretty cool. Yeah, looking at all the guys on the roster and yeah, a lot of talent. Uh, I'm glad I'm not facing our roster our lineup for sure, so it looks like, yeah, hopefully put up a lot of runs.

00:35:53
Speaker 5: Is there a text chain or anything? Is there a group thread going around for Team USA yet?

00:35:58
Speaker 2: Uh?

00:35:58
Speaker 9: Yeah, there's a little group chat. Uh, not too much going on in it, you know, just some a little something here and there, I guess uh on some play in getting to get into Houston and things like that. But uh no, I imagine those things will We'll start getting fired up here.

00:36:15
Speaker 2: Uh pretty soon.

00:36:16
Speaker 1: Does Judge give you his number? Does he you have to you have to go through somebody to get to Judge?

00:36:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, I did not have his number.

00:36:23
Speaker 9: Uh yeah, uh yeah, never met him before, but uh obviously played against him for years now. But yeah, glad, he's glad he's on our squad.

00:36:35
Speaker 5: Is there anybody on the team that you haven't played with? Like like an er Judge that you're like, I kind of would like to see him for like two weeks, not that I want to face him or even if it's a picture, like if there's a guy you're kind of most intrigued about on Team USA, I.

00:36:50
Speaker 9: Mean I would say there's a lot of guys, you know, I've I've crossed paths with a few guys in different areas, I guess, uh throughout my career and things like that. I think it'll be awesome to yeah see Bobby again out there for sure. But yeah, Judge is one of those guys, uh Harper, Yeah, Scooble schemes, Web. Those guys are're some studs there. Uh cross paths with Joe Ryan and uh Garrett wit Locke. Uh you know, it's uh it's a lot of studs uh out there, and so yeah, just uh excited to talk shop in the in the clubhouse and uh see how everybody kind of goes about their business getting ready for the season and and getting ready for games. Uh, something that you don't normally see uh when whenever those guys are with their normal clubs. So uh yeah, it's uh it's something I'm definitely looking forward to.

00:37:49
Speaker 1: When you see Joe Ryan. If you've watched Stranger Things, just say, man in that life, he turned into the bad guy quickly. I mean, you know, but he came back at the end. So I was proud of Joe Ryan. If you've seen I've never seen it. I think it's season two or three. I think it's season three. When they're in the mall and he looks like one of the main characters.

00:38:09
Speaker 9: It just grew a mustache, okay, and he like, tell he's got a sash every now and then he does you know, you know, he's he.

00:38:15
Speaker 1: Very looks very similar to the guy. I don't know what the guy's name is, but he has a character character talk to him. Very true. You're Kansas City career has been great so far. How proud of you are? After the way it started in Saint Louis right twenty thirteen. You had all the hype as the young kid, the young stud and then you know, some injuries, some things kind of going off the reilis and then here you are. I don't want to say resurrecting, because you never like went away, but you just came here. In these last few years, You've been great for the royal. So how proud are you of all the work you've put in to get to where you are now?

00:38:48
Speaker 9: Yeah, No, it's uh, it's something that yeah, I definitely uh A am proud of you know. Uh, you know, those those early years and Saint Lewis had taught me a lot, uh And I feel like I take a lot of those things that I learned from those guys in in Saint Louis and carry them on till this day. You know, I had a lot of great mentors, a lot of great veterans there, like yourself.

00:39:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, but yeah, the.

00:39:17
Speaker 9: Wayne Rice, the Holiday Yachty Beltron, you know, multiple carpenters. Uh, you know there there was multiple guys that I was able to take stuff from on how to be a better baseball player, how to be a professional on and off the field, and try to try to soaked all that in and yeah, like you said, had some good years. There, had some injuries, some some tough years, but you know, just always stayed true to myself and just kept working my tail off in the off seasons knowing that I could get back to to competing out there the way I know I can, and so just had had some I guess it was kind of a crazy six year stretch there with six different teams. Uh, just kept signing one year deals with different squads, and you know, was able to find a home here in Kansas City and was able to Yeah, this will be my third year here. I've had two pretty successful years here with getting to the postseason in twenty four and then just kind of missing out there in twenty five. You know, just like you said, some injuries type stuff kind of kind of held us, held us from getting where we wanted to be. But building off of these past two years in Kansas City, you know, I feel like we got something special here with with the guys in this clubhouse and looking for a big year here in twenty six, getting back to where we we know we can be.

00:40:42
Speaker 5: You've done well in case, but they're moving the fences in. Did they consult you pictures about that? Because I know some ex Royals hitters who are like what we were saying that for years and now and now they're going to move it in. Like did they consult you guys or are they just like ah whatever, dudes wear it.

00:41:01
Speaker 9: Yeah, No, it was Uh, it was just a message in the in the off season saying that, hey, we've got a got a zoom call with with the whole team and staff, you know, at a certain date. And you know, I thought that was kind of weird. Uh, you know, didn't really know what was going on. And then Bobby kind of sent out a text to the group chat saying, uh that you know, the word is that the fences were moving in. So yeah, there was definitely no consultant on uh, on the picture side of it.

00:41:31
Speaker 1: Uh, Bobby, Bobby has a huge contract, Like, Bobby, you want the fences moved in. The fences in for you, Bobby, no problems.

00:41:39
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.

00:41:40
Speaker 9: Salby was like, hey, I've been telling you all this for how many years?

00:41:44
Speaker 2: To move this?

00:41:45
Speaker 1: By the way, why is Kansas City in Missouri? Anyone ever asked you that?

00:41:49
Speaker 9: I mean, it's just on both sides.

00:41:52
Speaker 1: The main part is in Missouri. I don't think you'd be in Kansas.

00:41:57
Speaker 2: Have you been to Kansas?

00:41:58
Speaker 9: I live in Kansas.

00:41:59
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:42:00
Speaker 9: Yeah, it's kind of like my hometown Textakana, Texa, Canada, Texas, Texagana, Arkansas. You know, there's a there's a state line there as well. So yeah, it's kind of familiar territory for me where I grew up.

00:42:13
Speaker 1: Before I let you go, I asked you you brought up Wayne Right. Did you think that Wayne Wright would end up in TV? And then did you ever think that Wayne Right would end up being my partner on TV?

00:42:23
Speaker 2: I I could see Wayne Right on TV for sure.

00:42:26
Speaker 9: I feel like he talked about it quite a bit on his uh kind of post career, on what he wanted to do. I know he's very talented, you know, just whether it's music. I know he's getting albums out there, releasing albums. H oh, yeah, I haven't listened to a little Hey y'all. You know I've heard that because he plays that all like that just warm up the game. So that's fun. Yeah, you should get yeah, a little show up there every now. But uh yeah, I know it just comedy like s an. I know he would love to host that one day. He always talked about that. But yeah, just very talented guy. I knew that he was. He was he was gonna do some big things, you know after his yeah playing days for sure.

00:43:13
Speaker 1: All right, Michael, thank you appreciate you joining us. Have another great year.

00:43:17
Speaker 2: And let's go here we go. Thanks guys,