Giants OF Drew Gilbert joins Splash Hit Territory + Astros OF Jake Meyers joins Crush City Territory

00:00:06
Speaker 1: All right, it's another episode of Splash Hits, and Susan Susser joins us.

00:00:10
Speaker 2: She's nice enough.

00:00:11
Speaker 1: After a long day of writing seventeen articles about the giants that come on and we have a special guest today.

00:00:16
Speaker 3: What are my all time favorites?

00:00:18
Speaker 1: Drew Gilbert, after a long day at the yard, he's still at Scottsdale.

00:00:21
Speaker 3: Stadium, joins the show.

00:00:23
Speaker 2: What's going on?

00:00:23
Speaker 1: Drew?

00:00:23
Speaker 2: How are you?

00:00:25
Speaker 3: How you doing?

00:00:26
Speaker 1: You're not even in the clubhouse.

00:00:27
Speaker 3: I gotta change that, You're.

00:00:29
Speaker 1: Right, They don't know, just leave it the way it is. How's your spring going?

00:00:34
Speaker 2: Dude? Like to fill me in?

00:00:36
Speaker 1: We talked down the other day on the bench.

00:00:37
Speaker 3: But how you doing? No, I'm good, I uh uh.

00:00:41
Speaker 4: You know, it's been fun, I think, uh, you know, obviously a little bit different spring, you know, but being will be around the guys. Get an opportunity to show up every day and have an opportunity to get better is something that you cherish, regardless of your circumstance or you know who you are, right obviously having Tony, you know, it's familiar for me and I think it's been great energy.

00:01:05
Speaker 2: Well what's that like?

00:01:06
Speaker 1: I mean, playing for your your college coach. I was real close to my college coach. I can't imagine playing in the big leagues for I mean, I mean, were you the reason Tony came to San Francisco?

00:01:16
Speaker 4: Oh no, no, that is not you know, I he's got some good jokes, but now he got here because of what he's done.

00:01:26
Speaker 3: And obviously I wouldn't be here without him. But no, he's he's been awesome.

00:01:30
Speaker 1: Man.

00:01:31
Speaker 4: I think, uh, you know, the guys getting to know him and kind of understand what he's all about.

00:01:36
Speaker 3: You know, he's been great.

00:01:38
Speaker 4: You know, he makes things fun, you know, but he pushes us and.

00:01:42
Speaker 3: Uh, you know, he makes us better and he works as good.

00:01:45
Speaker 4: But you know, it's what we need, man, It's what you got to do if you want to win a lot of games in this league, because I mean, everybody's just trying to get a little bit of an edge, you know how it is the margin freyer in this league is minimal, so we're all just fighting to, you know, find that extra edge, and you know, brings an edge every single day.

00:02:01
Speaker 5: Were you surprised when he came to San Francisco? Like when when it first started, like like popped up on your radar where you're like, whoa, there's no way.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:02:09
Speaker 4: I think just your initial human reaction is you know, I don't want to say surprise, but you're like, wow, that that would be you know, like super crazy, right, that's just the natural instinct. But you know, I think the more you think about it, uh, you know, the more it made sense, right, And the more you think about it also you're like, man, this could really work. So obviously we haven't started any you know, regular season games, but I have total belief in him, and I think all the all the guys do as well.

00:02:37
Speaker 1: What's your relationship like with him? I mean, is it like player manager, player coach or could you just be just shoot the s with them about anything? And what kind of influence did he have on you in your career when you were at Tennessee.

00:02:49
Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure, I think, and not even me in particular, just you know, going for any player. He toes the line so well, like having that you know, like player to coach relation while also being like, you know, like if I need to go into his office and talk to him about something to me, whether it's you know, personal or you know, ball related, like he's very easy to go in there and talk to so. But at the end of the day, like he garners the respect of everybody in the team, and you know he's got good presence.

00:03:17
Speaker 5: Uh.

00:03:18
Speaker 4: And you know I've always thought like his ability to you know, like put the switch from like you know, he's he brings the intensity in practice every single day and then he's super cool. You know, it's not like you know, it's not you're walking around eggshells around him, right, But you also respect the hell out of him, and you know you gotta he holds you to a certain standard that you got to bring every single day.

00:03:42
Speaker 1: He's pretty intense. Do you think he's gonna get thrown out of a lot of games this year? I mean, I love the guy, dude, you know him way better than I do. Is he going to show that intensity for one hundred and sixty two games? Do you think there's going to be a difference in the way he coached at Tennessee and manages in the big leagues?

00:03:57
Speaker 4: No, I don't think it's going to be as big of a differences people think. I mean, I saw him do it every single day for three years, you know, regardless of it who was a game or practice Helly probably was more intensive practice, so and we practiced every single day.

00:04:12
Speaker 3: So I don't I don't see.

00:04:14
Speaker 4: Any reason he's not gonna be able to bring it for one sixty two. Obviously it'll be unique to him because it's the first time he's done it, but that goes for everybody, right Like you know, guy willing, I get the chance to, you know, make the team, it'll be my first time playing one hundred and sixty two games or being a part of one hundred and sixty two games. So I think everybody goes through it's it's the first time he's done something, but that goes for anything in life. The first time you do something, you know it's gonna present challenges that you aren't prepared for because you just haven't done it.

00:04:43
Speaker 2: You know.

00:04:44
Speaker 3: He's a guy that he adjusts really.

00:04:45
Speaker 4: Well with things, so but he also does that well while sustaining true to himself.

00:04:49
Speaker 3: So I see no problems arising.

00:04:53
Speaker 1: Where did you get this pedal to the metal attitude? Because that's why Giants fans fell in love with you, That's why your teammates fell in love you with you last year. That's why I did too, because that's the way I used to approach the game.

00:05:04
Speaker 3: So where did you get this this.

00:05:05
Speaker 1: Pedal of the metal attitude?

00:05:07
Speaker 4: I don't know if it's somewhere like I got it from. It's just kind of who I am. I don't I don't try to be someone I'm not, you know. Uh, it's I try to be organic. I don't want it to be like fake or anything. You know, It's just who I am, you know, And I try to stay true to myself.

00:05:25
Speaker 2: You know.

00:05:25
Speaker 4: I always been a guy who you know, wants to work hard every single day, and you know, maybe that creates a little bit of an edge and just kind of let it out in the field.

00:05:35
Speaker 5: Were you the kid like couldn't sit still in class and it was always running around.

00:05:40
Speaker 4: I do have ADHD, so that that was really tough one to figure that out.

00:05:49
Speaker 5: I just talked about wanting you guys to be a team that other teams don't like, kind of like Tendessee was. Can you see that, like you guys, especially when you got there, you guys kind of show a little bit on the field last year.

00:06:01
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think, yeah, absolutely, I think it's it's.

00:06:07
Speaker 3: More so up and I am. I trying to say this.

00:06:12
Speaker 4: Like when your desire to compete, isn't you just it's not like you're necessarily trying to disrespect the other team. But you also you don't really care for him, right, You're you'll do whatever it takes to beat them. You know, it's not like you're trying to be friends with them.

00:06:26
Speaker 3: You know, we all have friends on other teams. But in between the Lions, it's it's it's not about that.

00:06:32
Speaker 1: You know.

00:06:32
Speaker 4: They all say all is fair in love and war, right, and at the end of the day, this is kind of a war one sixty two.

00:06:38
Speaker 3: So that's how we're going to approach it.

00:06:41
Speaker 4: You know, we've got boys and other team maybe getting dinner after the game, but in between the Lions and I don't, I don't.

00:06:47
Speaker 3: It's not really about that. So yeah, I think it's it's organic.

00:06:52
Speaker 4: You don't want it to be forced, right, It doesn't need to be like this corny like, oh, let's make everybody hate us, but and not that, and not that Buster's saying that. But I think Buster wants it to be intense. That's what he's getting at. And I think that's all what we want.

00:07:06
Speaker 5: You want up with the kind of like this neat relationship with Matt Chatman that I think sometimes fans are like, wait, what's going on? There is Chatman mad? And it was just I thought it was hilarious. How would you describe your relationship with Matt Chatman and how it developed last year the San Francisco Strangler.

00:07:22
Speaker 3: Yes, talk about that.

00:07:24
Speaker 4: No, I think you know, you kind of get you get traded over, and you know, you get thrown into environment where you don't really know anybody. You're kind in the middle of like a playoff race, so it's like, well, I mean he's got to be my best friends right now, so you know, and he's he's been great. You know, he's always been great to me and great tell other teammates and obviously he's a hell of a player.

00:07:47
Speaker 3: But no, I mean, Chatman's the best.

00:07:48
Speaker 4: He's just just an awesome dude, great competitor and got to obviously spend some time with him this off season two because I've moved out here now. He's been great to me and uh appreciative towards him, and god, he's my teammate.

00:08:04
Speaker 5: Were harmed in the dugout at all?

00:08:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, were hard, But talk about that.

00:08:11
Speaker 1: Talk about that for a second, because like back in the day, it was like rookies are seen or not heard, and we had to tiptoe a round until like the veterans accepted us and they brought you right in last year. I mean, you were a shot of energy in everybody's arm. You added life to the ball club, and they just let you do all your stuff. Fans fell in love with you. It seemed like they fell in love with you.

00:08:30
Speaker 3: Talk about that for a second.

00:08:31
Speaker 1: How maybe that's changed a little bit for rookies in Major League Baseball now.

00:08:36
Speaker 3: I think, yeah, I don't know exactly.

00:08:40
Speaker 4: I think there's some of the things, like you know, I think you need guys to be comfortable with who they are to be their best, right, Like when rookie comes up, like if you're on a winning team, like you know, I would want him to feel comfortable so he can play his best so he helped the team win, right, I don't care for twenty third forty, Like, I just want you to be at your best. So whatever really you got to do, you know that that'd be cool with me. Obviously I'm still a rookie, so I don't want to sound like I'm talking like a veteran, but I think maybe that was kind of their mentality and which I can appreciate. And also along the way, behind the scenes, you know, they're helping guys out, you know, teach them.

00:09:17
Speaker 3: The ropes, but also tell them.

00:09:20
Speaker 4: That, hey man, we want you to yourself, you know you, we want you to help us win, which anyone, anybody can appreciate.

00:09:27
Speaker 3: So yeah, it's been awesome. You talked about the trade.

00:09:31
Speaker 5: That's I mean, first of all, get traded with bladdd well, so that's good. You got a buddy come along with you.

00:09:35
Speaker 3: But it's the second time you've been traded in your career. What was that like?

00:09:39
Speaker 5: I mean, you get drafted by an organization and then you're suddenly kind of on the move very couple of years.

00:09:45
Speaker 3: Sure, it's definitely a whirlin. I don't want to sit here and say it's fun.

00:09:49
Speaker 4: Like, you know, I don't think you enjoy packing your life up and getting shipped all over the place, but uh, you know, it's the reality of the business. So uh you know, you don't you don't pop about it. You look at is, look at it as another opportunity and another organization wants you. So super grateful to Buster and Zach for bringing me over here and believe it in me, and hopefully I can prove them right and help Giants win some more games.

00:10:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, then you get traded for Justin Verlander then played with them last year. Was like, dude, I got traded for you.

00:10:23
Speaker 3: You're all a favor for sure. No, Justin he was awesome. We talked about that.

00:10:28
Speaker 4: Obvious, say crazy that that happened, But yeah, whatever a career he's had.

00:10:33
Speaker 1: How's the wing doing, How's how's your arm?

00:10:35
Speaker 2: And how you feeling? Is nice?

00:10:41
Speaker 4: I think as throwers, you know, we throw so much throughout our lives that sometimes we kind of run into some some crud and some crap, but thankfully kind of worked through it and you know, getting pretty close.

00:10:52
Speaker 3: So it should be, uh, should be ready to rock here pretty soon.

00:10:55
Speaker 1: I was looking at the your senior year, you had ninety seven strikeouts and forty nine innings. As a picture like you brought it from the left side right, what ninety five ninety six?

00:11:04
Speaker 2: Where'd you throw? Yeah?

00:11:06
Speaker 3: Yeah around there?

00:11:08
Speaker 1: Did you ever think about being a picture in pro bawl? How did that whole evolution happen?

00:11:11
Speaker 3: Where I'm just going to outfielder?

00:11:13
Speaker 4: Yeah, so I actually went to school as that was a two way, but that was mostly a picture. So when I came out of high like if I was going to get drafted a high school, it was going to be as a picture.

00:11:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, the emergency picture. Yeah you know, the shoulder wants to hang in there. But yeah, yeah, sure they want me to Christian. Yeah, Costs. We gotta get cost Is earning that job.

00:11:38
Speaker 1: All right, last one for me. I don't know if Susan is anymore, but like you missed some time in camp. You're an excitable guy. I feel like that's how I relate to you. Do you feel like I'm trying to make the team in two weeks and I got to get four hits and three at bats, And are you are Do you have that mentality or just going out there and approach it on a daily basis, or are you trying to make up for lost time.

00:11:59
Speaker 4: I think everybody has like the natural human thoughts, like, yeah, you want to make the team, but I can't make the team like today, you know, hitting I can't make the team hitting five five hundred foot home runs today. You know, it's just not the reality of it. So I just approached it as like, well, this is just what the situation is. Today's a new day. Regardless of what happened yesterday. I can't know anything about it. So I can't do anything about the fact that I missed a couple weeks. That's over.

00:12:25
Speaker 3: You know, I'm here today and I.

00:12:27
Speaker 4: Have an opportunity to compete and get ready for my season. Obviously, would you like to have results, Absolutely, but at the end of the day, Spring trains about getting ready for your season, so everything kind of sorts itself out, and you know, at the end of the day, I want to help the Giants win games.

00:12:43
Speaker 3: So that's all I that's all I can control.

00:12:46
Speaker 5: Well, the good thing is Europe last year, so the organization knows you really well at the big league level, and then I think the manager knows you.

00:12:54
Speaker 3: So sure.

00:12:54
Speaker 4: Yeah, but I mean my favorite I think one of my favorite things about Tony is like and I'm and this will you guys will see, but like, favoritism isn't his thing, you know. He one of the reasons I even wanted to go play for him was because he told me he didn't guarantee me anything. He said, you'll get what you earn and I always can appreciate that, so that'll be the same thing here and I'll appreciate that as well.

00:13:15
Speaker 1: All right, go shower, go get ready, go bite Robbie Ray or something. We really appreciate you coming on today, dude.

00:13:21
Speaker 2: Take care.

00:13:22
Speaker 3: What's up?

00:13:23
Speaker 2: Everybody?

00:13:23
Speaker 6: Welcome into another edition of Crush City Territory on Chandler Room, joined by Tyler Stafford and everyone's favorite corn Husker and the Astros starting center fielder Jake Myers.

00:13:32
Speaker 2: Jake, what's up, buddy? What's up? Guys? Thanks for having me on.

00:13:36
Speaker 6: Appreciate this a little bit, uh sort of an off day to day for you. I didn't have to make the very very very long bust trip to Bradenton to play against the Pirates. There were some live abs that happened on the backfield. I didn't stick around for all of the live AB's. Did you take any or now?

00:13:53
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think I took five or six. It's nice to kind of start getting AB's every day and try to get into rhythm. Nice.

00:14:01
Speaker 6: Do you facing him?

00:14:02
Speaker 7: I yeah, yeah, and he has some good stuff. It's really fun to to face him and kind of, you know, see how he pitches because he's he's a really good pitcher.

00:14:12
Speaker 8: Tell me, tell me about the slider. What does that thing look like in the box?

00:14:16
Speaker 2: It just is deceiving to your eyes. It just doesn't move.

00:14:20
Speaker 7: I think in today's game, the everyone's fighting for so much movement that it plays did not move. And that's kind of how his slider works.

00:14:30
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's uh, it's been the talk of camp. I didn't know a backup slider could become the talk of camp, but here we are that, uh, that the backup slider has become one of the main talking points. But otherwise pretty boring camp here in West Palm Beach. Not much has happened, which is good, Jake, because you don't want you don't want a ton of news in camp. You don't want things to be happening. You don't want me to have to work. That's that's bad when I have to when I have to work a bunch of camp. Let's uh, let's talk about your season last year. Obviously, on the you bring the glove every day. The defense is never in question. You've distinguished yourself as one of the better defensive center fielders in baseball. But with the bat last year, the end zone contact rate went way up. The on base percentage went up, the whiffs went down. What did you do last year or what did you notice last year that allowed you to have the offensive breakthrough that you had.

00:15:26
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think the main thing is just focusing on what I wanted to hit. I think in this league they really try to get you to think about a bunch of different pitches and chase outside the zone. And I just wanted to set a really good approach, keep it a little bit more simple, and have a lot of really quality abs. And that kind of ended up at the end of the year when I looked at it, I had a lot of quality abs and a lot of quality contact.

00:15:52
Speaker 8: You hit three hundred on off speed pitches last year? Is that real? How did you do that? Why are we so good at off speed pitches last year?

00:16:03
Speaker 7: I think partially because I got him a lot, and so I kind of started to look for him and got comfortable hitting him.

00:16:13
Speaker 2: But I mean, I owe I owe a lot of it to to Troy Snicker as well.

00:16:17
Speaker 7: He I had worked with him for four years and he kind.

00:16:21
Speaker 2: Of really helped me focus on what I wanted to work on.

00:16:24
Speaker 7: Last offseason, and and going into the season, I was really confident with it, and so it kind of grew on that through the season and you know, kind of kept me in rhythm.

00:16:35
Speaker 6: I'm glad you brought snit up because I want this is a general question because it's one that I get a lot. It's one that Tyler and I have debated on this podcast a good bit because fans or this is just something that keeps coming up, and it's kind of the role of a hitting coach and the role of kind of what a hitting coach kind of does for you guys. So in general, well, you don't have to maybe be specific to Troy, but what what is your ideal hitting coach, Like, what does a hitting coach do for you? And what do you think makes someone good at that? What what is the best thing a hitting coach can do for you?

00:17:15
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:17:15
Speaker 7: Uh, they they can understand kind of how I think and how I talk about hitting and talk me, talk me through some things to help maybe remind me when I'm I'm forgetting about a couple or I'm losing focus on what I'm focusing on, uh, and then also setting up the picture that we're facing, helping me really really dial in how I want to attack that guy but I mean the main thing is is just kind of keeping you on track, keeping you focus on the things that make your swing tick and give you the best chance to compete in the box, because that's that's ultimately us as you know, athletes and baseball players, that's what we're great at, is competing, and I think sometimes we can get outside of it by focusing on some different stuff.

00:18:04
Speaker 6: Josh Reddick will come on here and talk about you know, hitting coaches are kind of like psychiatrists, right, They kind of they're there to really just kind of listen to you guys vent something, because look, you don't get to this level. You don't get to be a big leaguer, an everyday big leaguer if you don't know how to hit, if you don't like know the basics of hitting, and you don't have a good swing, you don't have a good load like things like that. Like when you get here you kind of have it down, pat. Is it more about having a guy that can just listen to you, that you can go vent to, or that you can just kind of talk through things, maybe more than them looking at your swing saying all right, step this way, or do this with your hands or bring your load or do something like that.

00:18:43
Speaker 2: One hundred percent, Yeah, one hundred percent.

00:18:45
Speaker 7: I think I think to your point, it is really about us needing another pair of eyes, you know sometimes, and we'd all love if we could just all do it, you know, do it on our own, which some guys can. Some guys can, you know, they're super talented and gifted, and.

00:19:03
Speaker 2: Like you said, we know how to hit.

00:19:04
Speaker 7: I think just sometimes having someone else, another pair of eyes to help you kind of sort through some things because you know, the pictures are really good too, so you got to make adjustments.

00:19:14
Speaker 8: You know, you mentioned you know, a lot of your success last year. Obviously we talked about just cutting down on swings and misses and things like that, but you went straight back up the middle like ten percent more than you had done the previous two seasons. Was that a every at bad are you walking in consciously thinking I'm trying to stay through the middle here? Is it? Is that a you know, part of a different approach that just led to you hitting it more up the middle or was that really what you were thinking every time up there?

00:19:43
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:19:44
Speaker 2: I think I think it's part of.

00:19:47
Speaker 7: Maybe part of the journey of mechanically what we had worked on is just kind of staying through that the middle of the field and not coming off.

00:19:55
Speaker 2: Of it to the left.

00:19:59
Speaker 7: And so yeah, like, that's that's cool to hear. I didn't I actually didn't know. I stayed through the middle, you know, ten percent more. That's that's cool to hear. Yeah, you were there is there is a conscious effort to try to stay through the middle of the field, and and so it kind of shows more success by doing that.

00:20:15
Speaker 8: Yeah, you were thirty two and twenty twenty three, thirty four, and then last year forty two. Uh so you were I mean straight up the middle almost half the time when you put the ball in the air. So yeah, that's a that's a pretty good way to lead to success.

00:20:29
Speaker 2: I would say, absolutely absolutely.

00:20:32
Speaker 6: That's interesting, Jake, Like, I'm sure you've talked to Korea about Korea is like the guy that is always looking at his baseball savan He's always looking at fangrafts, always looking at all of his advanced stats, knows everything. Like are you a guy that looks at you maybe the underlying metrics a lot. Do you look at your savant page? Do you look at that stuff or do you just kind of try to stay away from that and just kind of play your game.

00:20:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, I try to stay away from it me.

00:20:58
Speaker 7: Like knowing knowing that myself, that's not going to provide me a whole lot of value doing that me personally, and so I just try to focus on every single day what I know works for me, what I know helps me focus on the things I need to focus on and what makes my swing tick and kind of just do that in a routine way and try to get in a rhythm with it every day.

00:21:22
Speaker 6: Let's talk about your defense. Is there one catch in your in your head, Like, do you have in your mind since you've been in the big leagues your favorite catch, like the best or your favorite catch that you've made in the big leagues.

00:21:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's tough. I would have to say probably probably.

00:21:44
Speaker 7: Josh Hater on the mound, a catch at the top of the wall in center field late late in a game like a one run game, that that I make a catch at the top of the field, top of the fence thing two years ago.

00:21:57
Speaker 8: There you go. My hot take is that you do not get enough credit around the league because you get such good jumps on everything that you turn what should be a diving catch for most people into you standing under the ball and just catching it at your chest. Do you feel that, like, can you tell like what how do you get such good jumps on everything?

00:22:21
Speaker 3: First off?

00:22:21
Speaker 2: Like?

00:22:21
Speaker 8: What what what is it that you're doing that other people have not figured out?

00:22:28
Speaker 7: I think I think the big thing, Uh, the big thing for me is that I was so lucky to have my dad, who played minor league baseball all the way up to Triple A.

00:22:37
Speaker 2: He was a center fielder.

00:22:39
Speaker 7: And then I also played for Darren ursad for at Nebraska, and so I was talking about jumps and playing center field. I mean when I was five years old, you know, like that was the that was the first thing that my dad, you know, would taught me how to do. And and I was focusing on that when I was really really young. And so I think just that it being kind of natural to me because I've done it so much that getting those jumps is kind of second nature to me.

00:23:09
Speaker 6: Was your dad as athletic and as gifted of a defender as you are?

00:23:13
Speaker 2: No, no, no way, no. He liked to tell me he was, uh, and I'm sure he.

00:23:19
Speaker 7: I'm sure he was really good because the guys that have put the guys that played with him tell me he was a really really good center fielder and player.

00:23:27
Speaker 2: So I'm sure he was good. But I like to talk smack.

00:23:30
Speaker 1: Well.

00:23:30
Speaker 8: While we're on the subject of Dad, this is uh. You're not gonna get asked this question a lot and interviews. Your middle name is Berkshire. Yep, like Warren Buffett's company. Is that? Is that what you're named after?

00:23:45
Speaker 7: No, I'm not I get that often. Come on, but my my mom's maiden name is Berkshire.

00:23:50
Speaker 8: Really, so you're the heir to the fortune?

00:23:53
Speaker 7: No, no, no, no, uh, no connection at all. My grandpa worked across the hall from Warren Buffett. So but but no connection at all.

00:24:04
Speaker 8: But there it's in Omaha, right, like.

00:24:06
Speaker 2: It's yep, yep, he lives in oh she's a.

00:24:09
Speaker 8: Berkshire from Omaha. And you don't think that you're getting some of that trillion.

00:24:12
Speaker 2: Dollars at some point, man, I don't think so.

00:24:16
Speaker 8: Do a DNA test. You need to file something.

00:24:21
Speaker 6: While we're on the Dad thing, I was thinking about this earlier today. We've had We've had a number of players come on this show since it started last year, and Jake I think you're the first dad. I think you were the first player that we've had that has children that has been Yeah, we've had We've had Hunter, we had Ryan Weiss, we had Nate Pearson.

00:24:41
Speaker 2: I'm going down the list.

00:24:42
Speaker 6: I don't Bryce Matthews, Like, Yeah, we've had all guys that don't have kids.

00:24:45
Speaker 2: You have two kids.

00:24:47
Speaker 6: What is that like like being on the road. I mean, Tyler's over here, Tyler's three kids. But being on the road as much as you guys, as much as ball players are on the road, you know, I think if I remember right, both of your kid have been born in season kind of what has that been like being a dad while also being a big league baseball player.

00:25:07
Speaker 7: Yeah, First of all, I wouldn't be able to do without my wife, Maddie.

00:25:11
Speaker 2: There's there's no way I would be able to do it. She's a she's a superstar.

00:25:17
Speaker 7: She does a great job of bringing them to Houston when we're at home and I get to spend a lot of time with them.

00:25:24
Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean it's I really wouldn't be able to do without my wife. Honestly.

00:25:29
Speaker 7: Uh So that that's really the secret behind it?

00:25:33
Speaker 8: Good answer, Yeah, is the is the dad strength real, like the the you know, the day after your kids are born, you get back to the field, like do you because I mean you're just so tired as as you know, you're just but how how is it real? Like do you feel different when you walk in there?

00:25:54
Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, I do. I think it is real.

00:25:56
Speaker 7: I think there's something to it and definitely uh accumulate over a course of maybe a year of holding him.

00:26:04
Speaker 8: I think so too.

00:26:06
Speaker 7: I think that's maybe where it comes from.

00:26:09
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think I think it's a real thing.

00:26:12
Speaker 8: Yeah, he's just walking around with a twenty pound weight on you all the time. You're you're gonna get gains even if you don't know it.

00:26:18
Speaker 6: Absolutely As someone that is such a gifted defensive outfielder as you are, Jake, I wonder what you thought of of the way Cam Smith transitioned from you know, at literally at this time last year, it was when he started his transition to right field. Then he ends the season as a goal glove finalist in right field. For those of us that don't know, like, how difficult is it to do what he did? And what did you think of him defensively playing next to him?

00:26:48
Speaker 2: As much as you did in right field. Yeah, I mean Cam's a special player.

00:26:54
Speaker 7: I mean that that's where I want to start with that, because he's going to be a superstar.

00:26:58
Speaker 2: In my opinion, his transition from.

00:27:02
Speaker 7: Infield to outfield is probably the best I've ever seen, to be honest with you, because I mean, to be a Gold Glove finalist is extremely hard, and to do it the first year you've ever played in a position like that. That says enough to where to to won his work, work ethic and to his his ability out there. I mean, I think I think he will win a Gold Glove out there as he stacks up more experience.

00:27:29
Speaker 2: But I mean, it's just you can just tell it's natural to him and.

00:27:34
Speaker 7: The way he sees the ball off the bat, the way you know he gets jumps and he makes plays out there. He made some huge plays, the ways he the way he backed me up, you know, maybe when I made a mistake or one or two.

00:27:47
Speaker 2: Uh, it's just really special. No one knowing where he needs to be. Uh.

00:27:51
Speaker 7: You know that that accumulates over years, and he was able to do it in a couple of months.

00:27:58
Speaker 6: You You and I talked about this few times last season, but at that point al Tuve Jose was playing left and Cam was playing right. Those are two pretty inexperienced outfielders, and you kind of had to be the You had to be the captain out there. You're the center fielder. You kind of are running the show out there. I guess as Cam kept progressing, did you find yourself having to to yell and shout less and less? Did you find yourself like having to help him out less and less? And how cool was that to watch him kind of grow into his own as an outfielder and kind of not need you or not need like a lot of help out there, to let his athleticism and his instincts take over.

00:28:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was awesome.

00:28:42
Speaker 7: The first maybe the first month or month and a half, you know, I felt like, you know, we would talk through a lot of situations, maybe with a pitching change or you know, stuff like that. We were talking through things in the dugout and practice. But like you said, after a month and a half or so, it was kind of, you know, let it, let it loose, and he got after it and he was he was making some awesome plays and you know, throwing guys out.

00:29:10
Speaker 8: Is is this the first year that you felt like the old guy out there, like what I.

00:29:17
Speaker 2: Felt it a little bit last year. I felt I felt it a little bit like.

00:29:20
Speaker 7: You said, being the guy to maybe talk through some things and defensive practice and stuff like that.

00:29:28
Speaker 2: That was really cool. But it's been really cool for me.

00:29:31
Speaker 7: To, you know, kind of share my experiences and try to help people out because I really enjoy that.

00:29:37
Speaker 6: You maybe more than anyone I've covered. Jake, your name comes up in trade discussions and rumors every off season and every deadline. You and I have joked about this. I think there was one deadline one year where you looked at me and said, Hey, I'm still here. How do you handle that? And have you found like the perfect way to handle it? Because you've had now many many times to to have to confront this, like do you ignore it? Do you reach out to Dana or Joe or whomever's in charge at that time, kind of how do you go about compartmentalizing that, uh and maybe even ignoring kind of what's out there in trade roomers.

00:30:18
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:30:19
Speaker 7: I think over the course of the years, I got a little bit better and better at it.

00:30:23
Speaker 2: Uh.

00:30:23
Speaker 7: I know this is a business, and uh, what's best for the team you know, sometimes could be me getting traded, and so I understand that, but it's it's really out of my control.

00:30:33
Speaker 2: So I try to I.

00:30:34
Speaker 7: Try to focus on what I got that day, and you know, if the call comes and I get traded, then you know, I gotta I gotta deal with that. But I absolutely love being here and playing for the Ashros.

00:30:45
Speaker 2: I've been here for five years.

00:30:47
Speaker 7: Now and I've learned a lot, and I absolutely love winning with the Ashros.

00:30:52
Speaker 2: So you know, while I'm here, I'll savor every every day.

00:30:59
Speaker 6: As you look forward to the twenty twenty sixth season, I think I think if I asked you what the team's goals are, I think we know those. We don't need to vocalize those. It's to get back to the playoffs, and it's to win the World Series. That's always individually for you, maybe outside of team goals, what what are your individual goals going into twenty six Whether that's something you'd like to improve upon, something you'd like to you know, get better at, or something you'd just like to maintain.

00:31:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean.

00:31:30
Speaker 7: Going off of kind of what I did last year, of being being a consistent player, staying healthy is at the top of that, I mean, I gotta stay healthy, be out on the field so I can I can help the team win as much as I possibly can. But just have quality abs and and you know, if that's getting on base in a game, so stealing a bag, so you know, Altuve or Jordan or Carlos can hit me in or Christian Walker.

00:31:59
Speaker 2: That's That's when I'm trying and do and but but.

00:32:01
Speaker 7: To grow, maybe slug a little bit more, find find areas to slug, get myself in plus counts, and and you know, maybe maybe let it eat a little bit more. So that that's kind of where where I want to be this year.

00:32:15
Speaker 6: It's one thing you've done a good job of, and you've talked about it in camp or already, is getting getting yourself in leverage counts, getting yourself ahead in the count to where they're going to throw you something you can slug. If you look at two years ago, you were swinging a lot early in the count. You're swinging a lot at the first pitch. You were swinging a lot at one, two or three pitches in the event, because the numbers showed that when you swung at the first pitch of a plate appearance or when you were within the first two or three pitches, that's when you had the most success. So where is that balance between being aggressive when you know you're you're good early in the count, but also wanting to get into account where you're going to force a pitcher to come over the heart of the plate and let you maybe hit for some power.

00:32:58
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think I think it is really dependent on the pitcher we're facing in the situation.

00:33:05
Speaker 2: Yeah. Definitely, early in the early in my career, I.

00:33:09
Speaker 7: Was definitely way more or very aggressive and had success doing that, and I think I do feel comfortable doing that.

00:33:17
Speaker 2: But last year I started to learn how.

00:33:19
Speaker 7: To to see some pitches and and get myself in better leverage counts more consistently. And so now that that had that experience last year, I feel like I can build upon that this year.

00:33:33
Speaker 2: Well, Jake, this was fun.

00:33:35
Speaker 6: We really appreciate this during spring training, taking some time out, and more importantly, before Nebraska plays an interval a very important NCAA tournament game this week. You were the one that informed me that Nebraska has never won an n c DOUAA tournament.

00:33:52
Speaker 2: Game and it's school's history.

00:33:55
Speaker 6: Does that change this weekend. Do the Cornhuskers finally get an NCAA tournament win.

00:34:00
Speaker 7: Look, guys, I'm not gonna lie to you. This is the biggest basketball game in Nebraska history right here, and you know what, I'm feeling good about it. But that doesn't mean that doesn't mean history can't repeat itself. So we're we're gonna be on our toes. We're gonna try and watch it on Thursday. It's at twelve forty. I'm gonna try and lock in. But I'm feeling good about it. I think I think this is the team that's gonna, you know, take us out of the history books in a negative way.

00:34:29
Speaker 8: There you go. Well, I'm just a couple of years older than you, But I went to Texas A and M and grew up in Aggie, so we were yelling at each other without knowing it all all growing up. So got a long history there. So yep, that's that's fun and also not a lot of success. I can relate to that quite a bit of not having that.

00:34:51
Speaker 6: Yeah, Nebraska and Troy Thursday, it's a night game. Asher's playing a night game, So Jake Myers will be locked in to the corn Huskers and the Troy Trojans, Jake, this was great. Thank you very much again. Good luck this season, continued health, and I will see you tomorrow.

00:35:09
Speaker 2: Yeah. Thank you guys. Thanks for having me on. This is awesome. I really appreciate it.

00:35:14
Speaker 3: Thanks Jake, Thanks Jake, Thank you guys,