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One Leg Up 7-21-24 - The Athletic's Mets Beat Reporter Will Sammon LIVE FROM MIAMI Joins Alex Garrett ! · OneLegUpAlex Media

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Here's your host, Alex Garrett. All right, well on my line right
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now is a very special guest reporting and live from the Mets Marlin series at
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Lone Depot Park in Miami. He's a longtime friend from the Queen's College days
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and Will Salmon. When I saw you were with the Athletic, I said,
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man, I remember when he was reporting at night nude. What a
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jump, What an evolution for you, and now we have you on my
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podcast as a reporter for the Athletic. Thanks for joining. Hey, it's
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good to talk to you. It's been a long time. Then. I
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appreciate that it was not necessarily a direct jump from Queen's College to the Athletic,
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but I'll show if they take it. It's been a fun road,
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all right. Well, you're on the team with the team. You're on
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the road with the team. So just tell us a little bit about covering
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the Mets for those that may want them behind the scenes. What you do
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with the Athletic. We report on your nude all the time. Yeah,
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no, I appreciate it. So I've been covering them since twenty twenty two.
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Before that, I was covering the Milwaukee Brewers. I jumped back to
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the Mets because, as you know, that's my hometown. I grew up
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in Queens, So it's been fun. I cover the Mets pretty much every
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day. I go on the road for a lot of road series, and
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I pretty much cover every home game. So I try to have the pulse
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of the team. You try to have like what's going on as far as
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how the tough house feels. And in addition to just tracking the wins and
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losses and the ebbs and flows of the season, I also break down roster
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movement with trades or pickups, grade and signings, what have you, whatever
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the Mets decided to do. So there's been a busy month, I would
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say, with July as a trade deadline picking up, even though there was
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the All Star breaks. But yeah, it gets a little bit busy this
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time of year. Well I know, and July thirty, first field right
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around the corner. So let me ask you this firstly, though, are
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we going to see a picture with you or have you post a picture with
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the OMG sign. I got to ask you that because that seems like the
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lifeblood of the club us right now. No, no, I did.
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I did catch up with Jose about Jose Glacias about writing the song about a
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month ago when it started to really periculate in the clubhouse and they started to
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play it after games after they won, and that was fun. And I
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had no idea that he would then play multiple concerts, like one after a
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Mets game and then one during the All Star break. So that's been fun.
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But kudos to him, man. That's it's been a long road for
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him as well, to kind of get back to the major leagues and to
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have the impact that he's had on the Mets. It's pretty unprecedented for a
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guy who's on a minor who was on a minor league deal to have this
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sort of impact where no, he's a recorded artist, the Latin pop star.
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But oh, by the way, he's also batting like four hundred for
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this team, so he's had a huge impact in the clubhouse and on the
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field. All Right, Now, I gotta ask you this because you know
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you and I got the chance to talk with Howie Rose in our queen's college
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days. I feel like you got to be around him a lot more now,
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right as a reporter. What's it like interacting with him his fifty year
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radio By the way, Yeah, I have so much respect. I mean,
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obviously I remember, I think it was it was a couple of times,
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but I remember at least one time where he came to Queen's College and
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he's supposed to us, and you know, he probably won't remember that as
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much as we do. I'm sure he does remember it, but he did
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spend some time with us, both of you in particular, uh, just
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because of the radio connection. But yeah, working like alongside him now you
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really get to understand, like why he has had such breath in this industry
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and like his career has taken him everywhere and there's been so many games under
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his ball. It's you know, he's shown he's somebody that's always prepared.
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He's always looking at the game like through such a historical legs, but also
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just the perspective that he brings, and like what questions he asked, what
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kind of thoughts go through his mind. It's always fun like before games to
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see like what's on his mind and like what he has for the manager to
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ask about and what it's caught his attention, because if it's caught his attention,
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chances are it's pretty interesting. Because he's been around the game for so
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long that that has struck a chord with him. You want to know why,
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and so like that's well, that's like an everyday occurrence, especially at
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City Field because he's not on the road as much as he used to be,
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But at City Field, like he's just always prepared, his broadcaster always,
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they remain strong. I feel like it's at the top of his game
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still, which is pretty crazy to say for somebody who's been doing this for
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so long. But yeah, I just have so much respect for him,
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always have obviously when you grow up in New York, but working alongside him
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on a day to day basis, you really see like just how much he
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pulls into it all right. Taking that announcer man you mentioned Milwaukee, and
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I just saw Bob you can celebrate ninety years a life and I know that
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you probably in directed with him when you were covering the Brewers as well.
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Yeah, that's a totally different personality. Has been so different than everybody else
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will come across in baseball, but he's such a beloved character there. It's
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hard to really had somebody who you feel like is that integral to the team,
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because like, yes, there's been some broadcasters obviously, especially in baseball
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that have been around probably decades and decades, but he is such a part
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of that team though, like he was part of the clubhouse in a way
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that other people just aren't. Like he is celebrated there, he's revered,
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but players still connect with him, and I think that's what that's what's kept
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him in the game for so long, and that's what's kind of kept him
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like relevant and afloat and also on top of his game is his ability to
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connect with people. He has like great relationships with, like younger players like
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Freddy Paralta, who I still don't even think is like thirty years old.
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We had, but that's one guy that comes to mind that I just know
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that he has a good rapport with a good relationship with and there's so many
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others that he's always talking to in that clubhouse he's always trying to connect with.
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And so that's something that kind of goes a little bit under the radar
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when it comes to Bob Bucker, because like there's so many avenues you can
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go when that name comes up. But for me, like that's always what
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comes to mind, is that he always connects with players regardless of the age
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difference. And I think when you approach certain ages like him, that's not
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always easy. But that's what makes me unique, all right. Well,
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a couple of things mens related, and hopefully when we'll get out to Milwaukee
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at some point to see him before you go. He signed my book a
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wit many years ago, did Bob Uker, So I got to know him
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a little bit. I'll tell you a funny story real quick. I was
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only in the bases at City at Chase Tatum when I was really little.
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I remember my had long hair and I said you were you were in great
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young Fellow or something like that, and I said, I'm a boy because
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I thought I was on me I was a girl. It was kind of
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funny, but I loved interact room Bob Ucher back in the day. Now,
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the couple of things I want to ask you here is did the All
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Star snubs bother you? Was nimo he deserved to be there? Did that
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bother you? Or do you think it's better for this team to focus on
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what they're doing on the field and not get wrapped up in who's going where.
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I could see why I would bother like certain fans and like a segment
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of the fan base, because like you see that those two guys were in
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ted role to the success of the Mets season so far and the way that
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they've turned things around, and they've been keep dogs of it. They've been
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leaders off the field as well, in addition to posting just really consistent numbers
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ever since say around mid May. But at the same time, you know,
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Nimell got off to a slower start due to just mainly being one of
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the most unluckiest players in baseball, I would say, because he was hitting
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a lot of ball as hard, they just weren't going for hits. And
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then Ladora he got off to another slow start for the couple of you four
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weeks in April, and then by the end of April and even by the
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end of May, his numbers were just not looking that great. And even
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like when the voting opened for fans, like that was a time period when
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you know, the Mets weren't playing well and those two those two players in
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particular were not off to hot starts, So I can see why they wouldn't
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have been voted in by the fans totally. But you did think towards the
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end, because the Mets needed somebody to represent them that one of those guys
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would have been chosen, it turns out with Peel loonso they needed some participants
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for the home run derby. He's always been somebody that has been heavily invested
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in that event, so that was no surprise. The only surprise really was
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was neither Nemo nor l Door also was joining him, So it was definitely
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surprising. I wouldn't say it bothered me personally, just because I'm a little
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bit more detached than like the fans are, but I could totally see why
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the fans would the upset guy. All right, well, you know,
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we wake up today and the Mets are really in the thick of this playoff
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race. You know when they had that closed door meeting, did you think
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the result would be about seventeen wins out of the gate of that after that
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meeting and then some Right, So it's been quite a turnaround since that thrown
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glove into the stands and the closed door meeting that followed. That's a turning
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point, right, And I feel like that gets overlooked a little bit.
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Yeah, No, that is the turning point. I think you're You're probably
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right because a lot of people focus on like all like the silly like Shenanigans
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and like the characters yeah right right, or Grimace or you know, some
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dog or whatever it is, right that in the case here, that stuff
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is fun. Don't get me wrong. It's kind of cool, and you
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know, it's something different and makes the me's unique in that sense a little
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bit. But really it comes down to just the players performing well, right,
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Like that's why they've won. And that did start to change after that
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meeting, and I give a lot of credit to Francisco Lindora for initiating it
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and also for really, you know, performing up to like what we expect
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of him, right, because this was a guy who, like I said
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earlier, was struggling to start the year, but he really turned it on.
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And I think when you call a meeting like that, you put a
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lot of pressure on yourself. I mean, he's not gonna say that,
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but you put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform because everybody's looking at
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you after that, like you're the one who called this meeting, and you
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know you're saying that things need to change, and he wasn't the only one
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saying that. But you get my drift where you know you're player and you
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know, you're you're saying, like, look, you know, we got
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to step up here. Well, it starts with him, right, He's
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he's one of the highest paid players in the game at that position, and
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he is a leader on this team, So it starts with him, it
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starts with Brandon Demo, and those guys really stepped up. And I think
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also, you know, Jady Martinez had a really good role in that meeting
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as well, where you know, afterward, they took the pregame hitters meeting
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that all these teams have before games. I don't want to say they took
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up more seriously, but it seems like, and it sounds like I'm talking
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with them, that they're a lot more into it than maybe they were,
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and there's a lot more accountability in that regard, where like they're coming with
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an idea of okay, like here's what I did right, or here's what
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I did wrong yesterday, and here's why. So I thought that was kind
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of refreshing, and I think that kind of when people talk about Jad Martinez
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and the impact that he's had, that's also part of the conversation as well,
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with just a trickle down effect that he's had on some of the other
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players here. I know I'd be only for a couple of minutes. Thank
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you for your time. Today will on the Alex Scaret podcast Network. But
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two big things. Can you assure Met fans and MLB alike that you know
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Alonzo's staying put, You're not hearing anything crazy for the deadline? And what
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would you like to see at the deadline for the Mets? Yeah, I
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think with pe Alonzo at this point, I would I would be surprised.
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I think a lot of people in the industry would if they were to trade
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him. It seems a little less likely of that happening than it did,
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say like a month or or even like two months ago when I actually asked
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you about it, because it did seem like, you know, the Mets
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where what ten games under five hundred on a couple of instances, And you
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wouldn't have blamed the front office here if they just sold everybody that was able
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to statue a decent return. And you know, pe Alonzo is one of
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those guys. He's on an expiring contract that to be a free agent at
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the end of the season, So that would have only made sense from a
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practical standpoint. But now you know the metroom to think of it. You
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know, they're a team that should be compete for the playoffs. They're in
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it right now. There's a lot of seasons left still, but there's a
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lot to like about them. And by the way, sing is coming back,
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right, what's the latest on him? Yeah, yeah, he is
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coming back. He's scheduled to pitch for the Mets and return on Friday.
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So like things are turning around for this club in some good ways, and
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Peter Lownso is a huge part of that. So I don't really foresee that
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happening. A lot can change though, Like you know, there's still like
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what ten games left between now and the trade deadline, so you know,
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barring and collapse, i'd be surprised if if you didn't stay put here.
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But yeah, you know Sega's back. He'll be back, I should say,
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on Friday against the Braves. That's a huge lift for them. He's
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their top starter. He's been out the whole season, so that should give
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them a lift. And then as far as like what they could do at
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the trade deadline or what I'd like to see them do, and I think
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what fans would like to see them do. They need to just further address
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the bullpen. At the very least. I'm not expecting like major moves here
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for them, but they need to fortify that group. They need to get
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a little bit stronger there for sure, all right. And Carlos Mendoza,
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I never blame him from the beginning of this, because you know, it's
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his first year managing. I think people wouldn't blame him, were right not
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to blame him because look at him. He's he's producing a winter here,
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first year managing the Mets. Yeah. I like Carlos a lot. I
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think he's done a great job here with this team. And I know people
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harp on the fact he's a first year manager and he is, but he
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is somebody that's going to run the game for a long time. At this
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point. You know him well from knowing the Yankees and him being a bench
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coach there. That's not a job where it's like, oh, he was
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just a bench coach of a team for a few years, New York Yankees
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bench coach. That's a big deal. So that adds a little bit of
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cachet to his resume when you look at him, and so he's not just
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like your ordinary first year manager. This guy's been around for a while and
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you could tell. And what I really like about him is like just the
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refreshing honesty, how direct he is, and you could see that that's how
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he is with his players as well, and so his players respect him for
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that. So for me, the biggest thing with Carlosman those are the biggest
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strength that I've noticed, is just his communication skills. I think they are
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really really special. I think it's going to take him a long way,
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and it already has. I mean, like, you do not start a
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season zero to five and then stumble and experience everything at the Mets experience this
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year, and then come out after the All Star break and you're looking at
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seeing a few games over five hundred without having some good leadership in the place.
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And I think it starts with him, And hopefully Brett Baty gets a
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call back up because I think if he gets his thing together, he would
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be a mighty force for this lineup. So we'll see what his progression is
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in the minors. All right, Well, you know you once wrote that
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I was on my game, always on my game at Queen's College. I
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would say, you're always on your game with the Athletic and we gotta have
14:39
a longer conversation on an off a year looking barth to the Subway series,
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I imagine, Yeah, it would be a lot of fun. Haven't been
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to the Bronx of course, slash year. I get the city cope for
14:50
a pretty electric I would say, you know, and you expect nothing less,
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and you know these teams they both have a lot at stake, so
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that makes it even even more exciting. Even though Louis Sipperrino won't get his
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wish and pitch against the Yankees, I still think that there's a lot to
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the table here with two teams that these games matter a great deal. In
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July, it's gonna be fun. And it's the Alonso Judge, you know,
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heated up matchup that we were all waiting for last year before they both
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got injured. So I'm excited to see this reconnect this week. So will
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I know you'll be covering up for the Athletic and come back on you know
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maybe before September. Here you're hearing about call ups possibility for the Mets this
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year. Yeah, that'd be a lot of fun. Him all right,
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Well, Salmon the Athletic and my buddy from college Queen's College. Welumbnight connecting
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here. You're at Lone Depot Park. Thanks for taking the time, appreciate
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Alex. Thanks for having me. Man, you got it well. Salmon
15:43
on the Alex Garrett Podcast Network