Latest / Sid & Friends In The Morning / Wally Backman | Staten Island FerryHawks Manager | 06-30-26

Transcript

Wally Backman | Staten Island FerryHawks Manager | 06-30-26 · Sid & Friends In The Morning

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Are you okay, love, I'm just I'm just tired. I
• 0:04
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• 0:10
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• 0:12
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• 0:29
  Speaker 1: of Ireland.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Here he is the manager of our Staten Island Barry Hawks.
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  Speaker 2: The all time met great. I love this guy. Wally Batman, Wally,
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  Speaker 2: good morning, coach, mister manager, how are you.
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  Speaker 3: I'm good that you guys doing today?
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  Speaker 2: Well great, It's great to have you. I want to
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  Speaker 2: get to this team because you know, a couple of
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  Speaker 2: years ago when Edgardo Alfonzo, another great New York met
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  Speaker 2: second basement, just like you, he managed the team. He
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  Speaker 2: managed Brooklyn as well, and he was able to have
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  Speaker 2: a good second half and the team makes the playoffs
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  Speaker 2: even if they had not so great first half wins
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: and losses, but a great second half. Something tells me
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  Speaker 2: that what you're looking at right now with this baseball team.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, we definitely are, you know. I mean, with John,
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  Speaker 3: our owner, giving me an opportunity to come here, and
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  Speaker 3: also Gary an opportunity to give me an opportunity to
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  Speaker 3: come here, I really believe we could turn around. You know.
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  Speaker 3: It's it's been a tough go around the first eleven
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  Speaker 3: games or whatever. We've won a couple of games, but
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  Speaker 3: we've actually made eleven changes already in player personnel, and
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  Speaker 3: we're going to get rid of a few more. We're
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  Speaker 3: bringing in some more quality players to come into the organization,
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  Speaker 3: and I think that I'm seeing a change already. And
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  Speaker 3: you know, the second half starts on the third. I'm
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  Speaker 3: hoping and I believe that we're going to be right
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  Speaker 3: where we need to be to where we can really
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  Speaker 3: perform in the second half. So with the changes being made,
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  Speaker 3: bringing in a couple more big league players, a couple
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  Speaker 3: of guys from Triple A, we have had to get
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: rid of some guys that they had brought in earlier
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  Speaker 3: that were out of the NCAA just too much for them.
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  Speaker 3: So with the new guys coming in and the new
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  Speaker 3: guys that we've already brought in, I think the rosters
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  Speaker 3: is really starting to shape up. It's hard to do
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  Speaker 3: it halfway through the season, but we've been fortunate enough
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  Speaker 3: to bring in eleven different guys.
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  Speaker 2: And you did say in all honesty during that price
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  Speaker 2: confidence that you were going to make changes that in
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  Speaker 2: a little time. You were there at that point, you
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  Speaker 2: saw what had to be changed, and you talked specifically
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  Speaker 2: Wally Backman about the pitching staff, and that's when most
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  Speaker 2: of the changes have been made.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, it is. You know, yesterday there was four releases.
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  Speaker 3: Three of them are pitchers and one position players. So
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  Speaker 3: we've probably added seven pitchers since I've been here, with
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  Speaker 3: more to come. I got a major league guy, Bernardo Flores,
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  Speaker 3: coming in to meet us in Maryland on on Friday.
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  Speaker 3: I brought another kid, Perez. It's just going to meet
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  Speaker 3: us on the bus here in about ten minutes to
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  Speaker 3: go with us. It's was very, very good in Lexington.
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  Speaker 3: It was two and two with four saves, but a
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  Speaker 3: quality arm. You know, we didn't have anybody that was
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  Speaker 3: ninety three, ninety four, ninety five. And you know, I
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  Speaker 3: try to tell the pitchers, the major league fastball right
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  Speaker 3: now is like ninety four point three the average major
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  Speaker 3: league fastball. So if we don't have that you've got
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  Speaker 3: to be able to pitch. So you know, we've looked
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  Speaker 3: for stronger arms, more powerful arms. We've got a few,
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  Speaker 3: but again there's always a chance of more additions, and
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  Speaker 3: you know we're going to try to make it right
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  Speaker 3: and do the right things here to try to make
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  Speaker 3: this team really compete and be able to win.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: But just so you know what you said at the
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  Speaker 2: right top of the conversation, you really feel, because you
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  Speaker 2: don't p s bally, Okay, that's not your style, you
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  Speaker 2: really feel in your autoparts that this team can turn
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: it around in the second half.
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  Speaker 3: I think they can. You know, the first half was
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: pretty ugly, but you know it's a challenge, There's no
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  Speaker 3: doubt it's a challenge that I'm up for the challenge.
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  Speaker 3: And you know, I think with John, you know, the
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  Speaker 3: owner and stuff, and he's letting me do pretty much
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  Speaker 3: what I want to do to try to bring this
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  Speaker 3: team to a very high competitive level. And you know
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  Speaker 3: Gary wants it just as bad and we all want
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  Speaker 3: it and I don't like to lose. I said that
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  Speaker 3: before and an interview. In the end, whatever we have
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  Speaker 3: to do to try to overcome this and win more
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  Speaker 3: baseball games and get ourselves in a position to where
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  Speaker 3: we can make a run for the second half is
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  Speaker 3: pretty important to me and my coaching staff and to
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  Speaker 3: the players that are here now.
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: About three more minutes ago with the Met great Wally Backman.
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  Speaker 2: So I know you focus on Staten Island. You're that
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  Speaker 2: type of guy, Wally. You're not gonna worry about other stuff.
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  Speaker 2: You've got a job right now with John, with us
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  Speaker 2: to win on Staten Island. But you're also not dead, okay,
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  Speaker 2: And you saw the Mets fired Carlos men Gozo last week.
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  Speaker 2: I know, much like the former teammate god rest is soul,
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  Speaker 2: Gary Carter, you've had your design set on managing the
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: team that you won the World Series with forty years ago,
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: believe it or not, forty year anniversary this year the
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  Speaker 2: New York Mets. Now, why don't they come calling? Because
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  Speaker 2: I don't think David Stearns would do it. I think
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  Speaker 2: David Stearns likes to hire mushy people, not the best
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  Speaker 2: out there what you want. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know,
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  Speaker 2: But are you hoping again? I know Staten Island's your
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  Speaker 2: focus right now, but are you hoping in all honesty
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  Speaker 2: that the New York Mets give you a call and
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  Speaker 2: if they don't, would you reach out to them?
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  Speaker 3: No, I won't reach out to them. I you know,
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  Speaker 3: again said my focus is on Staten Island right now.
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  Speaker 3: You know I'm going to give Staten Island one hundred
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  Speaker 3: percent or what of the knowledge that I have, and
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  Speaker 3: you know it would be nice to be reached out to,
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  Speaker 3: but uh, right right now, I am more concerned on
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  Speaker 3: trying to make this a competitive team, a playoff team,
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  Speaker 3: and you know, go from there, see what happens throughout
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  Speaker 3: the year, and just kind of go from there. I
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  Speaker 3: know there's troubles in New York, but again, I really
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  Speaker 3: want to put a hundred percent of my focus on
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  Speaker 3: this team here on Staten Island and try to help
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  Speaker 3: bring a championship to this city here. That's my focus.
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  Speaker 2: I believe you. But when you go on Craig Carton show,
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  Speaker 2: just you know, he's one of my best friends on
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  Speaker 2: the fan yesterday and he wants you and Joe bo Ningo,
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: another WUP band legend, he was on my show yesterday.
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  Speaker 2: He wants you. I want you and a lot of
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: met bands. I know you shoed to read the news
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: Wally A lot of Met bands. As soon as they
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: fired Carlos Mendoza, they started screaming, Wally Batman, how does
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  Speaker 2: that make you feel? Well?
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  Speaker 3: That makes you feel good? I've heard it before. Nothing's
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  Speaker 3: ever happened. But you know, again, you know, I really
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  Speaker 3: did want to put all my focus on what I'm
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  Speaker 3: doing right now here on Staten Island and try to
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  Speaker 3: get these players out of the community a little bit,
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  Speaker 3: to see the schools and you know, if it's book
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  Speaker 3: reading things or whatever. I don't think they've ever done that,
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  Speaker 3: but try to associate with the community, get closer to
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  Speaker 3: the community, get more fans out here to ballpark, show
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  Speaker 3: them a better product on the field, and go from there.
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  Speaker 3: You know, it's about winning. You know. The Mets thing
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  Speaker 3: is a great thing. It's great the fans. I love
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  Speaker 3: New York. I've always loved New York. You know, to me,
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  Speaker 3: they're the most knowledgeable fans in baseball, the people in
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  Speaker 3: New York. And I've always had a good report with
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  Speaker 3: the reporters and the fans here in New York. And
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  Speaker 3: so you know, what happens is going to happen. But again,
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  Speaker 3: you know, I have to reiterate that my main focus
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  Speaker 3: is to make this team better and try to make
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  Speaker 3: it a championship caliber team.
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  Speaker 2: Final thirty seconds and you have to admit, Wally, that
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  Speaker 2: ballpark out there right on the water on Staten Island,
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  Speaker 2: how nice is that.
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  Speaker 3: It's the most beautiful park maybe in the minor leagues
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  Speaker 3: with the setting and things overlooking the city and things
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  Speaker 3: like that, but the ballpark is a beautiful ballpark. There's
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  Speaker 3: no doubt that. You know, the fans that come out here,
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  Speaker 3: they're going to enjoy theirselves. They got a great background,
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  Speaker 3: the view of the city and things. And the people
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  Speaker 3: here work here from concessions all the way through. They're very,
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  Speaker 3: very nice people and they really communicate good with the
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  Speaker 3: community and people. So you know, it would just be
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  Speaker 3: nice to get these people out, you know, and I'll
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  Speaker 3: say it again, one of John's big things that he's
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  Speaker 3: trying to do is get valet parking to make it
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  Speaker 3: easier for the fans. And you know, we had a
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  Speaker 3: few valets the other day, and so hopefully that continues
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  Speaker 3: to grow and it makes it easier for the fans
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  Speaker 3: to be able to come out here and see some
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  Speaker 3: exciting baseball.
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  Speaker 2: Wally, we love you, We really do it. We're very
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  Speaker 2: lucky to have you with our family here at WABC
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  Speaker 2: and the Yankees and the Staten Island Barry Hawks. Very
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: very lucky, and we want nothing but success. My gut
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  Speaker 2: tells me you and I will talk quite a bit
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  Speaker 2: over the next couple of months as we start to
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  Speaker 2: rack up wins in the great borough of Staten Island.
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  Speaker 2: Wally back then, thank you so.
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: Much, Thank you, Shiit. I appreciate it.
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  Speaker 2: Now. You're great. God bless you. I do love you. Wally,
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  Speaker 2: You're great.
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: Thanks for listening to Sit in Friends in the Morning.
• 8:59
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• 9:02
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• 9:20
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• 9:23
  Speaker 4: so you never have to wonder what the heck
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: Is going on here.