Latest / Foul Territory / CEO Mark Shapiro, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber @Blue Jays camp

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CEO Mark Shapiro, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber @Blue Jays camp · Foul Territory

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Back him to neeading with Mark Shapiro. What is your title?
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Is it President of Baseball.
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Pident and CEO. No, I'm your CEO. I oversee both
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: the baseball and the business side.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: Wow, you're mostly important.
• 0:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah. No, I'm a legend of my own mind. Yeah.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: No, I'm not that bored. I basically says, I'm I'm
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: not doing anything. Those ross running the baseball organization, Marnie
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: Starkman's running the business organization.
• 0:34
  Speaker 4: I'm just trying to help out whenever I can.
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: Did you fire You're the new Paul Beeston? You're the
• 0:39
  Speaker 3: new Paul Beston?
• 0:41
  Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly the same as beasts.
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 0:44
  Speaker 5: I was dressed about the Blue days in two thousand
• 0:46
  Speaker 5: and two, and Paul Beeston was the guy. I didn't
• 0:50
  Speaker 5: realize he made it. He was there till twenty fifteen
• 0:53
  Speaker 5: and when you took over, Am I correct?
• 0:55
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: He had two different runs. I think he went to
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: the Commissioner's office for a little while in between. Forget
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: what those years were, but yeah, and he's still in
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: the building. Man, the guy still has an office there,
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: still goes to every game. Was the first hire in
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: I think the history of the Blue Jay organization. And
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: this is our fiftieth season, so that's remarkable to think.
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: About how much are you involved in the day to.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Day Not I mean not when it comes to like
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: waiver claims or you know, I think when it comes
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: to our highest leverage decisions like signing Dylan Ceese or
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: something like that. You know, hopefully I can be still
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: be a resource for Ross having done that job when
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: he has to think about tough conversations or big decisions
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: we have to make. I still gravitate towards player development,
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: like Farm director was to me the most fulfilling role
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: that I had in all the different roles that I've
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: had over thirty five years of working in the game.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: And so you know, David Bell, Joe Sclaffani, those are
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: still like the guys. I still love thinking about how
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: to help as many players as possible get to the
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: big leagues and stay in the big leagues.
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: And that's where my passion life.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: I saw David Bell this morning and he said he's
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: assistant GM or.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he's assistant GM and overseeing play focusing in the
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: player development.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: And he had the scrubbing bubbles and towels, and I'm like, man,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: you went from big League manager crafts to cleaning your
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: own shoes.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: He had to scrubbing bubbles with the dirty towels. I'm like, David,
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: do you really David?
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: David's about as humble of it, and you think about
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: like his his resume. You know, he's obviously kind of
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: baseball royalty third generation. There's only a few of the
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: boons and the bells that are kind of you know.
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: That special history.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: Gus the buddy to him and his brother, and then
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: he had a good, great playing career and then he managed,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: you know, for a long time. And when I'm talking
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: to him, the guy is so incredibly humble, I forget,
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: you know, his.
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: Background, and talk guy.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: I remind myself, like, you know, you should be just
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: asking this guy questions, not talking to him about players.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: You need to ask him one question when you see him,
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: just say, you know what happened to you when I
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: go aj broke your foot one time?
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: Just ask him and get the story, all right.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: So he was our assistant hitting coach in Saint Louis
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: and he was flipping to me, oh really, and I
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: smoked him and broke his foot and then he's hobbling
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: around on like, oh yeah, he doesn't like to talk
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: about it.
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: He did, you know, you'd never know because he's a quiet,
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: understated guy. But he did have some of the greatest
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: snaps ever. Because I when I was a young farm director,
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: he was with us in Buffalo and in the Triple
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: and Triple A and just getting into the big leagues,
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: and that guy, you know, I know, you could see
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: his manager he had some of the greatest From a
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: mild matter guy, he could snap, but the best of them.
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: One of the guys I respected the most was Chase Utley,
• 3:37
  Speaker 5: and Chase Hutley respected David Bell more than anybody. So
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: if you say that, if he says that, I believe it.
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: But I want to talk to you about the front
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: offices because you're the guy that kind of sets the
• 3:48
  Speaker 5: groundwork for the front office. You said, these other guys
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: do do the things that you know more day to
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: day and and the and the moves. But how have
• 3:57
  Speaker 5: front offices changed since your time with the Indians to
• 4:01
  Speaker 5: now from a structure standpoint to a communications standpoint all
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: of that.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, shoot, that's a heck of a question.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: And I laughed about it all the time. I remember
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: talking to John Hart when I first started in the
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: game in Cleveland, and John, you know, we would make
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: decisions with scouting reports from the filing cabinet behind his desk,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: and stat books on our laps and scouts raising hands.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: And I think just the magnitude and the level of
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: information that we have that goes into decisions now is
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: just it makes it hard to almost manage. And it
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: does allow for better decisions, understanding why we make good decisions,
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: why we make bad decisions, which does enable you to
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: learn and continue to get better. But the challenge in
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: going from a smaller front office where only a few
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: people had cell phones to the amount of data generated
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: on every single pitch being overwhelming and the front offices
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: ballooning in size. Player development staffs, you know, I laugh
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: all the time. I you know, player developments have are
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: double A and triple A teams have twelve people on
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: a staff. Now you know dietitian, a mental performance coach,
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: two hitting coaches, two pitching coaches, you know, a physical therapist,
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: two strength coaches. When I was a farm director, it
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: was manager, hitting coach, and pitching coach and a trainer.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: And a trainer did just about every job there was
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: to do. I'm sure you coming up that. I think
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: it's it's more to manage, it's.
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: More to lead.
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: To do that, you have to have.
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: Some really strong strategies. You have to have values that
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: are crystal clear throughout the organization that connect every function
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: within the organization. And then I think the most important
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: thing is you can't just have all those people for
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: eyewash just to check a box and say you've got them.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: You've got to most importantly be thoughtful on how does
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: that information get to your players and how can players
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: use it and not be overwhelming. So the magnitude of
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: information managed within a decision, you know is is.
• 6:05
  Speaker 4: Is one challenge.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: And then how to make sure people still feel connected
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: and players still get what's important for them to be
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: the best they can be. Those are the biggest challenges
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: with the way everything's changed in the game.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: Did you used to work the John Hart baseball camp
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: back in the day when John.
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: I never worked? I know I did.
• 6:23
  Speaker 6: I went.
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: I was just I was he was a boon, Yes,
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: I was.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: I guess I was a camper and after I got
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: drafted and then I was a counselor John.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: You know why, I was the best assistant for John
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: he could possibly ever have because I'm like one of
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: the only guys in baseball that doesn't golf. So well,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: he loved that about me because John could go out
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: and play golf and he knew I'd be there the
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: early cell phone and he'd be on the driving range
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: and then he like you talking through the lineup with
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: me and like asking me questions about everything.
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: That's amazing.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Okay, So everyone says this, and Toronto has become this place.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: It's kind of la in the National League in Toronto,
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: in the American League place guys want to go.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: How import from NY take it from?
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: When I got there, I think I can tell you
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: how you make it that. But when I got there,
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: you know what I was told was, guys, don't you
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: know you have to pay guys more, give them extra years,
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: Guys won't come to Toronto.
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: And I never really understood that.
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: I mean, I was making a decision after twenty four
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: years in Cleveland to come to Toronto because I thought
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: it was such an incredible city. And I think, you know,
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: you have to do a couple of things. One every
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: little thing matters. So the way we treat players, the
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: way we treat their families. We've built the best clubhouse
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: in Major League Baseball. I think we have the best
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: staff to support players, families, the best family room. Our
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: family rooms like a you know, incredible oasis for kids
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: that are bugging their dads to take them.
• 7:50
  Speaker 4: On off days.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: And so I just think it's recognizing that that you know,
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: from the environment that players walk into, how you feed
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: them to the hovery, you know, modalities that you've got
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: to you know, every single thing, the way you travel.
• 8:06
  Speaker 4: Yes, there are.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Some challenges navigating the border, not that big of a deal,
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: but twenty other little things and a bunch of people
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: that are focused on how to make it the best
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: place to play. You know, we're thinking how to make
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: it the best place to play. From this facility you
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: were in today aj you know, to our clubhouse in Toronto,
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: and then all the people that are around them. We
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: spent a lot of time thinking let's make this the
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: best place to play.
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: When you say that, did you think of the hitters
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: when you moved the fences and made it a pitcher's ballpark?
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: Because I used to go to Toronto, man, I gotta
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: sneak one home ran because it's such a great place
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: to hit.
• 8:43
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: I mean now, all of a sudden, you change everything
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: and now it's become almost new to corporal.
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's funny.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: When we did it, everyone was saying we were making
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: a bambox because we brought the alleys in dramatically made
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: the fences higher, but brought the alleys in. I wish
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: it was a little more of a bambo in Game
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: seven of the World Series, if gass out, you know,
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: kind of a slider hit over the left field in
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: the shortest part of the park. But you know, listen,
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: I think you either want to have a defined ballpark attribute,
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: like absolutely defined like the Green Monster or Yankee Stadium
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: in right field, or you want to have it play neutral.
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: It's hard to build a club to kind of subtle,
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: you know, aspects of a ballpark.
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: We thought it would be a little more hitter friendly
• 9:27
  Speaker 4: when we made the changes, but.
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Tried to keep it as new because we took out
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: a ton of foul territory and brought the alleys in
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: quite a bit. But we also were most importantly just
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: changing it from a multi purpose generic stadium that was
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: just a circle to a ballpark. And I think, you know,
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: everyone that saw it for the first time in a
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: long time, and in the World Series and in the postseason,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: had a chance to kind of see the showcase of
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: the work of so many people that worked hard to
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: make it truly just a baseball focused ballpark.
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: Now I love it.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: I can't I get to go in April for the
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: first time in a couple of years. I can't wait
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: to see the the new place. I'm excited. Mark, thank
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: you very much for joining.
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: Us your time.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: He's got the quarters if he's president, guys, but he
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: still has quarters.
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, the quarters if it's it's the standard attire.
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: Ye standard issue for anyone in the front office. Mark,
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: thank you very much.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: Now joined by another Blue Jay And did you ever
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: pitch in the WBC? Not Bax Scherzer is here with us,
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: who's also we talked about a Hall of Famer where
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: he won't say it, but I'll say it. Another hall
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: of Famer is joining us now here in the Blue
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: Jays Land. You never pitched a WBC? Nope, we you
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: ever asked.
• 10:34
  Speaker 7: In twenty seventeen, I was really contemplating doing it, but
• 10:38
  Speaker 7: I was coming through that fingerspring broke a knuckle situation. Uh,
• 10:42
  Speaker 7: so that prevent me from ramping up on time and
• 10:45
  Speaker 7: then because I was when Jim Leewyn and Jeff jones
• 10:49
  Speaker 7: Uh did it and I was like, Jonesy, tell me
• 10:51
  Speaker 7: how I really respect Jonesy a lot. And I remember
• 10:55
  Speaker 7: he I missed it and I was like, I wanted
• 10:57
  Speaker 7: to do it so bad, and He's like, Max, you
• 10:59
  Speaker 7: gotta really think about not doing this. It's just too early.
• 11:02
  Speaker 5: Uh.
• 11:02
  Speaker 7: You know, these guys are really I mean, these are
• 11:04
  Speaker 7: playoff games, and you're really you know, the guys are
• 11:05
  Speaker 7: really talking about how this is hard on their arms.
• 11:07
  Speaker 7: And uh, I'll never forget that conversation that he really
• 11:11
  Speaker 7: warned me about the dangers of this. And when I
• 11:13
  Speaker 7: had an opportunity maybe in twenty twenty two to do it,
• 11:16
  Speaker 7: I just went with the Mets and it was just
• 11:18
  Speaker 7: kind of fifty to fifty and I just couldn't pull
• 11:20
  Speaker 7: the trigger.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 11:21
  Speaker 7: At that point in time, you know, I realized my
• 11:23
  Speaker 7: dedication was to the organization. I made a decision not.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: To Okay, that's fair, listen to respect you. If you
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: did it, you think of Schoog will get in the heat.
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: I mean, he's got he's a free agent at the
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: end of the year, right it's got a chance to
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: make who knows how much. I mean, he still went
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: out there for one start, He's putting an impossible situation
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: situation here, it's for for everything on table.
• 11:43
  Speaker 7: Every player wants to do it. Thank you, Thank you
• 11:45
  Speaker 7: for saying that he wants to do this. Everybody wants
• 11:48
  Speaker 7: to be out there competing for their country. They're like,
• 11:50
  Speaker 7: full stop, like there's just no argument about that. Everybody
• 11:53
  Speaker 7: wants to It's just you have a risk factor to this,
• 11:55
  Speaker 7: and which you know this is hard on your arms.
• 11:58
  Speaker 7: What I just said, you're walking into playoff baseball max
• 12:01
  Speaker 7: intensity without being properly built up, and so that's a
• 12:04
  Speaker 7: huge risk factor to try to take on. I get
• 12:07
  Speaker 7: what I've been there. I get why you don't do it.
• 12:10
  Speaker 7: I get why people do want to do it. You know,
• 12:13
  Speaker 7: it really takes a narrow band to really be able
• 12:16
  Speaker 7: to be early, to be able to ramp up early,
• 12:18
  Speaker 7: to be able to take on that type of stress early.
• 12:20
  Speaker 7: So you know, that's where I wish this deternament was
• 12:23
  Speaker 7: just pushed back two weeks, you know, if it started now,
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: like if it started now, all right, now, I'm built
• 12:27
  Speaker 7: up to seventy five eighty pitches. Okay, that's a much
• 12:30
  Speaker 7: easier You're you're closer to being to mid season form,
• 12:35
  Speaker 7: so that way you we protect the pictures if you
• 12:37
  Speaker 7: had the proper ramp up time.
• 12:40
  Speaker 5: Do they would they ever listen to that part? I mean,
• 12:43
  Speaker 5: I get it, it bumps it right to the end
• 12:45
  Speaker 5: of spring training, but because you're saying this, a player
• 12:48
  Speaker 5: who has stayed healthy had an incredible Hall of Fame career,
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: and do you feel like they would listen to that.
• 12:55
  Speaker 7: I don't know all the things that I play, but
• 12:57
  Speaker 7: I've advocated for take the first week out of the season,
• 13:00
  Speaker 7: drop from one sixty two to one fifty five or
• 13:02
  Speaker 7: something to that effect, so that way the pitchers can
• 13:05
  Speaker 7: ramp up and then, uh, you know when basically opening
• 13:08
  Speaker 7: day is, you know those are the you know kind
• 13:09
  Speaker 7: of the you know those high intensity games. You're ready
• 13:12
  Speaker 7: for that. I mean, Opening day is a high intensity game.
• 13:15
  Speaker 7: You're ready for that. But you got to be built
• 13:16
  Speaker 7: up for that. So it really just takes two weeks.
• 13:19
  Speaker 7: Two more weeks here and you would, in my opinion,
• 13:22
  Speaker 7: you'd really drop the risk factor for pitchers and I'd
• 13:24
  Speaker 7: see you get everybody to participate. You kind of would
• 13:27
  Speaker 7: lose the uh, you know, everybody, all the teams, you know,
• 13:30
  Speaker 7: kind of micromanaging whether the guys can pitch or not.
• 13:33
  Speaker 7: You know, you would that would fall by the wayside
• 13:35
  Speaker 7: because now you're properly built up.
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: You know why they don't do that though, right I understand,
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: but because because money they'd have to lose the week
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: of the season.
• 13:42
  Speaker 7: Right, But so you know, you know, And but there's
• 13:46
  Speaker 7: two things you can say to that.
• 13:47
  Speaker 6: Is.
• 13:47
  Speaker 7: One, the WC is great, Like everybody's watching, so it's
• 13:53
  Speaker 7: already a great event. Can you imagine if all the
• 13:56
  Speaker 7: players are in, it's even better. You know, you're you're
• 13:58
  Speaker 7: having even better baseball, So ThEC could be even better
• 14:01
  Speaker 7: in in that with that regard. And two, I mean,
• 14:04
  Speaker 7: I know, you know Opening Day is you know, a
• 14:06
  Speaker 7: big day. But outside of that, the games in April,
• 14:08
  Speaker 7: those are not high revenue games, you know, for the
• 14:10
  Speaker 7: league's purpose, so you'd actually be trading out, you know,
• 14:13
  Speaker 7: to make the game better, to make the WBC better
• 14:16
  Speaker 7: and make fans watch baseball, you know, make this even
• 14:19
  Speaker 7: kind of bigger and better. Just have it be right
• 14:21
  Speaker 7: there in April, would you know, to me make the
• 14:24
  Speaker 7: game itself better by you know, like I said, just
• 14:27
  Speaker 7: losing a week.
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: Oh, that's interesting because most people say, oh, move it
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: to the All Star break. That doesn't work because then
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: you have most of the league other than the guys
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: playing that have to sit out for two weeks, like,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: you can't do that, and then you don't want to
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: play games in the middle of July without your best
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: some of your best players, and then you're playing for
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: your pennant, which is at the end of the year
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: is how you get paid, and you're losing half the
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: team and they're gone, right, so there's no and you
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: can't do it after because there's different reasons after.
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: That doesn't work.
• 14:51
  Speaker 7: So right, if you take two weeks in the middle season, well,
• 14:55
  Speaker 7: that creates a lot of injury factors for the rest
• 14:57
  Speaker 7: of the league. So you know, to me, where here's
• 15:00
  Speaker 7: the perfect slice here, it's just it's right now. You
• 15:02
  Speaker 7: know it started right now, and that would solve a
• 15:05
  Speaker 7: lot of this.
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: Okay, I love that. I've never heard that. All right,
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: let's get to you a little bit. Are you in
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: the best shape of your life? Because you look good?
• 15:12
  Speaker 7: No, I feel good. No, I've had a great off season,
• 15:15
  Speaker 7: really trained well really uh yeah, put myself in a
• 15:18
  Speaker 7: good position, and you know they hit the ground run
• 15:20
  Speaker 7: as soon as I got back here in the spring,
• 15:22
  Speaker 7: and I feel good, ready, ready to get out there.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: How's your hand? Yeah, thumbs good? Yeah, thumbs good. What
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: did you tell us you did for your thumb last year?
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: You had something you did special for your thumb? Remember
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: your thumb?
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: Yeah, I'm keeping that secret.
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: Okay, Oh yeah, that's fine, that's fine, that's fine. He
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: told us on the show, though, or you just told
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: me when I yeah.
• 15:44
  Speaker 7: I told you.
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: Oh shoot, I apologize, You're good. I didn't.
• 15:47
  Speaker 5: This is why we were thinking any nice things. Well, this
• 15:51
  Speaker 5: is why, this is why I can't gossip because I
• 15:53
  Speaker 5: can't remember. I can't remember what he told me.
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: I was hoping, I actually forgot.
• 15:59
  Speaker 5: What is it that you're looking for in spring right
• 16:01
  Speaker 5: now at your age? Is it how you bounce back
• 16:04
  Speaker 5: when you say you feel good? Or is it how
• 16:06
  Speaker 5: you feel on your second or third up or your
• 16:09
  Speaker 5: third inning of of a four inning out all of it?
• 16:14
  Speaker 7: How you feel during the game, how you how you're progressing,
• 16:16
  Speaker 7: how do you recover out of it? You know, when
• 16:18
  Speaker 7: you get your bullpen, how do you feel in your bullpen?
• 16:20
  Speaker 7: You know, you're just paying attention to all of it.
• 16:23
  Speaker 7: How you're training, you know, for me, Uh so checking
• 16:26
  Speaker 7: a lot of boxes here and uh, you know, finish,
• 16:28
  Speaker 7: finish off spring here and get ready.
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: For the season.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: What have they told you about the season? Are you starting?
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: Are doing six man? Are they doing they? You know,
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: I'm not trying to solve that.
• 16:38
  Speaker 7: I'm not I'm not just pitch when they tell you,
• 16:40
  Speaker 7: pitch when they tell me, you know, tell them how
• 16:42
  Speaker 7: I'm feeling, and uh take the ball on ay too?
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: How how how late was it Toronto or bus for you?
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: Was it Toronto or bus for you? Because I listen,
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: we saw your daughter letter, which was believable, like.
• 16:53
  Speaker 6: In the middle of things.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: For people that have daughters, it's like brings you here
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: to your eyes. Your kids can write something like that.
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: Yep. So was it Toronto or bus for you? Or?
• 17:01
  Speaker 3: Are there are other teams in play that you would
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: have gone to?
• 17:04
  Speaker 7: There were have been a couple of other teams, but
• 17:06
  Speaker 7: I mean, I really wanted to come back to Toronto.
• 17:09
  Speaker 7: I just know in freeingen Syed, things get sideways. I look,
• 17:12
  Speaker 7: I've been in free so many times thinking it was
• 17:14
  Speaker 7: going to break one way and it doesn't break the
• 17:16
  Speaker 7: way that you think it's going to break. And uh
• 17:18
  Speaker 7: so I had to, you know, if I wanted to
• 17:21
  Speaker 7: play this year, I had to have the you know,
• 17:23
  Speaker 7: know that it might not be Toronto and thinking it
• 17:25
  Speaker 7: might not be, but at the end of the day,
• 17:27
  Speaker 7: I wanted it to be.
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: And so.
• 17:30
  Speaker 7: You know, fortunately everything happened the way it needed to happen,
• 17:33
  Speaker 7: and uh you know, I got the call when I
• 17:35
  Speaker 7: needed needed and was able to get a deal done.
• 17:39
  Speaker 5: Last time you were on, I forgot to ask this
• 17:41
  Speaker 5: last year, Clayton Kershaw got his complimentary All Star selection.
• 17:45
  Speaker 5: I think it's a cool thing that Major League Baseball does.
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: Does somebody come to you part way through last season
• 17:51
  Speaker 5: and say, would you like the complimentary All Star selection
• 17:55
  Speaker 5: or is it something that when you accept that, we
• 17:57
  Speaker 5: know that's going to be your last year?
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know. It was the same answer. First.
• 18:03
  Speaker 7: I didn't even get a phone call. But yeah, we'll
• 18:06
  Speaker 7: cross that bridge at a different time. For me, it's
• 18:09
  Speaker 7: just going out there and be healthy and go out
• 18:11
  Speaker 7: there and pitch.
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: What changed in the post season for you? Just health,
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: just a health thing. Yeah, good, you were really good
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: in the postseason and people were like, wow, Max, why
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: is Max? Suers are starting and then and then you
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: go out and they're like, yeah, watch this.
• 18:25
  Speaker 7: You know, month of September got away from me. Ironically enough.
• 18:29
  Speaker 7: It was actually my left side. I'm kind of calling
• 18:32
  Speaker 7: this a Bermuda triangle between like my left shoulder and
• 18:35
  Speaker 7: to my back to my neck, you know, on the
• 18:37
  Speaker 7: left left side. Uh, it was affecting me more than
• 18:40
  Speaker 7: I'd like to admit that I wasn't quite able to
• 18:43
  Speaker 7: get through the pitches in the same way I could
• 18:46
  Speaker 7: take the ball. You know, you're in a playoff hunt.
• 18:48
  Speaker 7: Can you go or not go? I could go, you know,
• 18:50
  Speaker 7: I could go out there and physically throw the ball. Unfortunately,
• 18:54
  Speaker 7: I had lost kind of my effectiveness. It wasn't quite
• 18:56
  Speaker 7: the same arm. And so you know during that time, uh,
• 19:00
  Speaker 7: when I wasn't on the roster, you know, I got
• 19:02
  Speaker 7: a Corson shot there and my upper trap and that
• 19:05
  Speaker 7: you know, freed everything up. So that way, when you know,
• 19:08
  Speaker 7: once on's that tension released, uh and kind of my
• 19:12
  Speaker 7: neck that Uh, then I could go out there and
• 19:16
  Speaker 7: be normal and go out there and get through the
• 19:18
  Speaker 7: ball the way I always can. And I was able
• 19:20
  Speaker 7: to throw the ball really well in the postseason.
• 19:23
  Speaker 5: Do they have all do they have all the things
• 19:25
  Speaker 5: you need here? Everyone talks about like the facilities with
• 19:28
  Speaker 5: the Blue Jays, And does that go into your decision
• 19:31
  Speaker 5: to re sign back?
• 19:36
  Speaker 7: I'd say more Toronto does an amazing job of taking
• 19:39
  Speaker 7: care of the families. I mean, this might be one one
• 19:41
  Speaker 7: in terms of what they do on and off the field,
• 19:44
  Speaker 7: of what they do, uh for all the kids and wives,
• 19:48
  Speaker 7: and uh really makes for a great atmosphere, uh for me.
• 19:52
  Speaker 7: In terms of facilities, yeah, they're great. I mean, look,
• 19:54
  Speaker 7: I can train in great facilities.
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: It's great.
• 19:56
  Speaker 7: But you can also I learned in COVID. You can
• 19:58
  Speaker 7: just give me a couple you know, weights, weaight vests
• 20:01
  Speaker 7: and some bands and I can actually train on my
• 20:04
  Speaker 7: own and be ready for the season. So I can
• 20:06
  Speaker 7: have nothing to be ready, or I can have everything
• 20:09
  Speaker 7: and be ready. It just really comes down to how
• 20:11
  Speaker 7: you train all.
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: Right before before we let you go. We had Chris
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Baston on last week. He came out barefooted. He said
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: he doesn't wear shower shoes, I know, and then he
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: said there was teammates that gave him some grief for
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: not wearing shower shoes. He didn't say who it was.
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to ask you who it was, But
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: did people give him grief? Because that's one of the
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: most I told him to his face. It's one of
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: the most disgusting things I've ever heard.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: I share.
• 20:36
  Speaker 7: I share your sentiment. I played with him in New York.
• 20:39
  Speaker 7: He wasn't doing it then. Oh so this is a
• 20:41
  Speaker 7: new thing, like a new thing. So I came over here.
• 20:45
  Speaker 3: In my bash. What are you doing?
• 20:46
  Speaker 7: You're not wearing shower shoes like this is disgusting. And
• 20:50
  Speaker 7: you know, we had different ways to try to incentivize
• 20:53
  Speaker 7: him to put on shower shoes. Those failed, and then
• 20:56
  Speaker 7: it was just like this guy, what was his reason?
• 20:59
  Speaker 7: I still don't know. I I still don't get it.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: That's that's one of the that's one of the grossest,
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: worst things I've ever heard as a teammate.
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: At some point, you did he get funk? Did he
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: get fun? Good?
• 21:13
  Speaker 7: We were trying to give it to him.
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: Oh my gosh.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: Well back, You're always one of our favorites. Thanks you
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: for joining us. Thank you stay healthy this year. I
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: can't wait to watch you pitch all year.
• 21:24
  Speaker 7: Yeah, appreciate it. Thank you.
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: Get ready we're ready. He's here.
• 21:34
  Speaker 6: You want what's up to?
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: Shane Bieber's here. He asked me before he came on,
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: He said, how what do you guys want me to say?
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: Should I say something really crazy? And I said, well, absolutely,
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: please say something crazy.
• 21:49
  Speaker 6: You said, no curse words.
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: No curse words, Actually, don't curse you can you can
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: say whatever you want.
• 21:53
  Speaker 7: No.
• 21:54
  Speaker 6: I mean, maybe we'll work our way into that.
• 21:55
  Speaker 8: But I heard you guys asking, you know, maybe the
• 21:59
  Speaker 8: difference between the W in the World Series. Obviously there's
• 22:01
  Speaker 8: been a bit of a debate with that, right, But
• 22:03
  Speaker 8: I haven't had the honor and the privilege of of
• 22:06
  Speaker 8: strapping the USA on the chest, So it's hard for
• 22:08
  Speaker 8: me to speak for those guys. But what a tournament, right,
• 22:11
  Speaker 8: And you could see the passion that guys are playing
• 22:13
  Speaker 8: with in mid March, you know, I think it's it's
• 22:18
  Speaker 8: fantastic for the game of baseball.
• 22:20
  Speaker 6: At the very least.
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: Would you do it if they asked if you were healthy?
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: Because Max we had Max on here and he said
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: he was asked one year and he wasn't one hundred percent.
• 22:28
  Speaker 8: Yeah, yeah, And I think that I think that's what
• 22:31
  Speaker 8: was great about it this year.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Is.
• 22:33
  Speaker 8: You know, guys around the league, it.
• 22:36
  Speaker 6: It felt even more notable.
• 22:38
  Speaker 8: You know, it's been notable in the past as well,
• 22:40
  Speaker 8: but it's gaining a lot of steam.
• 22:42
  Speaker 6: And what a competition.
• 22:45
  Speaker 8: There's so many good teams and players on on quite
• 22:49
  Speaker 8: a big stage. It's a great it's a great I
• 22:51
  Speaker 8: think it puts the game at baseball in a great
• 22:53
  Speaker 8: spot headed into April.
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: For sure. For sure.
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: Is it a weird thing that all you starters, well
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: not all the starters on blue just have to have
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: a funky mustache because Golfman had it.
• 23:03
  Speaker 6: I know, is it bunky or is it just I
• 23:06
  Speaker 6: don't know. I can't see has one me funky?
• 23:10
  Speaker 3: Funky?
• 23:10
  Speaker 7: Has one?
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: Didn't have one in Max doesn't have one. Did they
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: get the pass?
• 23:15
  Speaker 6: Yeah, I guess so. I don't know if it was
• 23:17
  Speaker 6: a team rule. I just had one when I came
• 23:19
  Speaker 6: over last year.
• 23:21
  Speaker 8: I told those guys that it wasn't normal for me
• 23:23
  Speaker 8: at the end of the year, and they're like, what
• 23:24
  Speaker 8: do you mean.
• 23:25
  Speaker 6: You know, when you have a look, people expect you
• 23:27
  Speaker 6: to always look that way. But I like it. It's
• 23:29
  Speaker 6: gaining some traction.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: Okay, his wife like it, Yeah.
• 23:32
  Speaker 6: She loves it.
• 23:33
  Speaker 8: I shaved it for a bit in the off season,
• 23:36
  Speaker 8: and she surprised me and she's like, you gotta.
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: Wow, yeah, wow, Dash Daddy.
• 23:41
  Speaker 6: And Hill and dash Daddy. I like it. Yeah, looks
• 23:43
  Speaker 6: like who is it?
• 23:47
  Speaker 5: Uh?
• 23:48
  Speaker 6: That guy from Tombstone? I tell him all the time.
• 23:50
  Speaker 6: Oh your Huckleberry.
• 23:52
  Speaker 8: Oh oh yeah, yeah, he really looks like him. It's
• 23:55
  Speaker 8: a good look for for Dylan.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: He's got the long white handles, it's untamed hair. Yeah,
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: I've never seen him care like that. Yeah, he looks
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: like you.
• 24:05
  Speaker 5: Look like do you look like a State trooper?
• 24:09
  Speaker 6: I'll take state trooper. I will take Oh my gosh,
• 24:16
  Speaker 6: who's that guy? You gotta.
• 24:19
  Speaker 8: Yep, there it is Cody Ponce gave me tom Selle.
• 24:23
  Speaker 8: I will take that all day.
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: This is a little thicker though, Yeah, no, I trim
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: it down.
• 24:27
  Speaker 6: Maybe I'll let it go. I'll let it go for
• 24:28
  Speaker 6: a bit.
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: You're gonna be running around shirtless.
• 24:30
  Speaker 6: And if you keep calling it because yeah, yeah.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: Funky as probably wasn't the proper terminology. Just maybe more
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the fact that they all have pon. Ponce has the
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: long hair and the whole facial hair thing going to.
• 24:42
  Speaker 8: The Blue Jays have a type I guess huh.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: Yes, like a woman that keeps dating the wrong person.
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: The Blue Jays have a type.
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: And they like they're starting pictures with.
• 24:52
  Speaker 6: Long hairunky, funky, and the wrong person. I'm hearing you.
• 24:55
  Speaker 6: I'm hearing you.
• 24:56
  Speaker 5: All right, no more facial hair. The question is qualifying offer.
• 25:01
  Speaker 5: You accepted it after what you did in the postseason,
• 25:04
  Speaker 5: and you came out and you said how much you
• 25:06
  Speaker 5: loved it. Here explain that like process. To us as
• 25:12
  Speaker 5: outsiders were like, holy crap, this dude's gonna go out
• 25:14
  Speaker 5: and he's gonna be a great pick in the free
• 25:16
  Speaker 5: agency and you go back to where you had so
• 25:19
  Speaker 5: much fun.
• 25:20
  Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, it wasn't the QO.
• 25:21
  Speaker 8: I had a player option, So I'm sorry.
• 25:24
  Speaker 6: Yeah, no worries.
• 25:26
  Speaker 8: Ultimately, like last year was the most fun I've ever had.
• 25:30
  Speaker 8: Obviously it didn't end the way that we wanted to,
• 25:32
  Speaker 8: but the togetherness of that locker room and the bonds
• 25:36
  Speaker 8: that we were able to forge within that locker room,
• 25:39
  Speaker 8: and and honestly the whole organization from top to bottom,
• 25:41
  Speaker 8: I was, you know, pleasantly surprised and and I'd always
• 25:46
  Speaker 8: heard great things about Toronto, but to experience that first
• 25:48
  Speaker 8: and firsthand, not just myself, but my family, my wife
• 25:52
  Speaker 8: and my son, you know, my parents, my brother. We
• 25:56
  Speaker 8: just had the best time and we sat down and
• 25:58
  Speaker 8: we talked about it, and you know, this is a
• 26:01
  Speaker 8: place that we love to be and wanted to be
• 26:03
  Speaker 8: here for for the future. And so you know, obviously
• 26:07
  Speaker 8: it helped getting so close last year and having a
• 26:11
  Speaker 8: little bit of a sour taste in the mouth at
• 26:13
  Speaker 8: the end of the year, and hopefully we're able to
• 26:15
  Speaker 8: go go back and you know, make it one step
• 26:18
  Speaker 8: further this year.
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: Did your son Your son's young.
• 26:20
  Speaker 6: Right, Yeah, you're young.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Ye, he just turned one, Okay, because he's not writing
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: a letter like Max's daughter No Toronto.
• 26:28
  Speaker 8: Yeah, it was awesome. I didn't know about that until
• 26:30
  Speaker 8: it was posted, right.
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: Well, Max said he sat on it for two months,
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: did he He sat on it for two months?
• 26:35
  Speaker 6: That was cute.
• 26:36
  Speaker 8: And and they're actually I just ran into them and
• 26:38
  Speaker 8: was talking to them for a second. Uh, he's got
• 26:40
  Speaker 8: his kids here and his family here. So yeah, I mean,
• 26:44
  Speaker 8: I think it just speaks volumes to the organization how
• 26:46
  Speaker 8: they take care of not just the players, with the families.
• 26:48
  Speaker 8: And I think you guys have all heard that probably
• 26:51
  Speaker 8: quite a bit from not just myself but the other
• 26:53
  Speaker 8: guys in the locker room. It goes a really long.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: Way when you're People were like, why is Shane Bieber
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: taking this? Why as you're picking up his option, he
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: could be a freezient. And I said, there's something to
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: be said for being comfortable in a place where you're happy,
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: your wife's happy, your family's happy. You like the guys
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: a lot. You guys are winning. It's only you guys
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: finished last last year.
• 27:12
  Speaker 6: Yeah right, Yeah, no, I fantastic locker room.
• 27:15
  Speaker 8: Obviously, Like coming off of TJ right into a Pennant
• 27:18
  Speaker 8: race and going into the playoffs and pitching some pretty
• 27:21
  Speaker 8: high leverage innings, I was, you know, I was advised
• 27:25
  Speaker 8: to maybe take some some time off slow play the
• 27:29
  Speaker 8: build up, which is where I'm at right now. I'm
• 27:31
  Speaker 8: feeling great and getting after it and long toss hopefully
• 27:34
  Speaker 8: touching them out here soon.
• 27:35
  Speaker 6: It kind of all just made sense.
• 27:37
  Speaker 8: But on top of that, like I said, just so
• 27:38
  Speaker 8: many different factors within the organization to be able to
• 27:41
  Speaker 8: want to be here, myself and my family and the guys,
• 27:45
  Speaker 8: I'm happy to run it back.
• 27:47
  Speaker 5: How are you going to be able to or how
• 27:49
  Speaker 5: are you going to know when you're hitting the next step.
• 27:51
  Speaker 5: You said, somebody advised you to say, you know, slowly
• 27:54
  Speaker 5: build that up, which I think is smart. So you're
• 27:57
  Speaker 5: ready for the postseason again, But how are you going
• 27:59
  Speaker 5: to know when you're at a certain point. Is it
• 28:01
  Speaker 5: going to be a feel Is it going to be
• 28:02
  Speaker 5: that bounce back that you kind of talked about last year.
• 28:05
  Speaker 5: Some days it feels good, some days it doesn't.
• 28:08
  Speaker 8: Yeah, I think it's a little bit of everything, right,
• 28:10
  Speaker 8: just trying to know yourself, put yourself in the best
• 28:14
  Speaker 8: position to succeed, you know, for for the team. Really,
• 28:21
  Speaker 8: I'm feeling great. I'm chomping at the bit, but at
• 28:23
  Speaker 8: the same time, like I see how it all went
• 28:26
  Speaker 8: last year. You know, I think we all have a
• 28:29
  Speaker 8: taste for for the playoffs and what that means for
• 28:33
  Speaker 8: not just the organization but or the city of Toronto,
• 28:36
  Speaker 8: but the country, the entire country of Canada.
• 28:40
  Speaker 6: So I'm very hopeful to be able to get back there.
• 28:42
  Speaker 6: And you know, that's what I'm working towards each and
• 28:44
  Speaker 6: every day.
• 28:45
  Speaker 8: It's it's hard to say, like you know what you're
• 28:47
  Speaker 8: looking for, but you know, within my catch play, I
• 28:51
  Speaker 8: feel fantastic. I can't wait to get on the bump
• 28:53
  Speaker 8: and get it rolling.
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: We talked a little bit last year, I think, and
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: you said this, like when you come back from TJ,
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: it's one start and the next start is in, and
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: the next start is good again. It's kind of back
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: and forth with you're almost two years out.
• 29:05
  Speaker 8: Yeah, two years maybe next month. And I think that's
• 29:07
  Speaker 8: when they say, like the graph fully matures. It's not
• 29:10
  Speaker 8: a perfect science, right, But like I said, yeah, pushed
• 29:14
  Speaker 8: it pretty hard last year and was happy to do so.
• 29:16
  Speaker 8: I'd give anything to be in that position again. So
• 29:19
  Speaker 8: I hope to be able to do that.
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: And it feels normal ish, back to where you were
• 29:23
  Speaker 3: before the surgery. Yeah, and what does that mean? Explain
• 29:26
  Speaker 3: to people what that means.
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: Feeling like when the ball comes out of your hand,
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: when you finish your recovery.
• 29:31
  Speaker 3: What does normal feel like for a starting pitcher, just.
• 29:34
  Speaker 8: Not thinking about it right, being able to execute pitches
• 29:37
  Speaker 8: time and time again, locate the zone all four quadrants.
• 29:42
  Speaker 8: I think guys coming off with TJ, you know, some
• 29:46
  Speaker 8: guys have great experiences that first year. Some guys don't,
• 29:49
  Speaker 8: and they struggle for a few years. It's like I said,
• 29:50
  Speaker 8: it's not a perfect science. So you just hope to
• 29:53
  Speaker 8: be able to go out there and compete. And as
• 29:55
  Speaker 8: hard as it is to slow play it right now,
• 29:58
  Speaker 8: I'm doing my best keeping the the long term.
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: So what do you say to someone like bout in
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: Francis it just had Tommy John not that long. What
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: do you say to him?
• 30:07
  Speaker 6: I know he was a little frustrated.
• 30:10
  Speaker 8: You know, that's completely normal and understandable. But you know
• 30:15
  Speaker 8: he's in a really good spot.
• 30:17
  Speaker 3: He's except for his hair.
• 30:18
  Speaker 6: You don't like his hair. He's got a stash he does.
• 30:21
  Speaker 6: He fits in so that works. He he fits in.
• 30:26
  Speaker 8: But I think even though it's not a perfect science,
• 30:28
  Speaker 8: they've got these programs, they're very lengthy, right, and you
• 30:31
  Speaker 8: put the work in day in and day out, and
• 30:32
  Speaker 8: you know that you're putting your best foot forward. You're
• 30:34
  Speaker 8: going to be in a good spot and I know
• 30:35
  Speaker 8: he'll do that.
• 30:37
  Speaker 5: How are you able to or what are some of
• 30:38
  Speaker 5: the parallels of your relationship with Tray's Savage moving forward
• 30:44
  Speaker 5: this year and your relationship with Corey Klueber when you
• 30:48
  Speaker 5: first got called up in twenty eighteen.
• 30:51
  Speaker 8: Oh, I'd appreciate to be to be that for Trey.
• 30:55
  Speaker 6: I think in his.
• 30:58
  Speaker 8: From his perspective, he's got a lot of great guys
• 31:00
  Speaker 8: in that locker room to be able to you know,
• 31:03
  Speaker 8: pull from, to learn from. Obviously, like it's hard to
• 31:08
  Speaker 8: put into words what he was able to do last year,
• 31:10
  Speaker 8: the physical and emotional maturity of not even pitching in
• 31:17
  Speaker 8: Big League spring and hitting all those stops along the way,
• 31:19
  Speaker 8: and then to have the postseason that he did was
• 31:22
  Speaker 8: nothing short of amazing. I know he's chomping at the
• 31:25
  Speaker 8: bit to be able to do that again this year.
• 31:28
  Speaker 8: So we're just hopeful to be able to get the opportunity.
• 31:30
  Speaker 8: But always there for him. Obviously, he throws, He's very
• 31:35
  Speaker 8: unique in the in the way that he throws and
• 31:37
  Speaker 8: releases the baseball, and so you know, it takes a
• 31:40
  Speaker 8: little bit of time to learn how how he operates
• 31:43
  Speaker 8: and what makes him tick and.
• 31:45
  Speaker 6: What makes him good.
• 31:46
  Speaker 8: But like I said, lucky for Trey, I think he's
• 31:49
  Speaker 8: got a bunch of fantastic guys with with great pedigrees
• 31:53
  Speaker 8: to be able to pull from within the organization.
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: Were two catchers on this show. You've had a nice
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: run of catchers. Roberto Perez, Heggy was there with you.
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: Now you have Aleandro kurb What makes these guys so
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: special as catchers.
• 32:09
  Speaker 6: I think they're all unique, right.
• 32:13
  Speaker 8: I think they're great receivers of the baseball and they
• 32:16
  Speaker 8: think they put their themselves in fantastic positions.
• 32:19
  Speaker 6: Obviously that's gonna be.
• 32:20
  Speaker 3: Like we forgot.
• 32:24
  Speaker 6: Yeah, yan Jan caught my debut. That was that was awesome.
• 32:29
  Speaker 8: I appreciate all those guys for for everything they've done.
• 32:32
  Speaker 8: And I'm curious what you guys think about the the
• 32:34
  Speaker 8: A B S.
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: But as no pictures are allowed to do it, Oh no,
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: no pictures are as smart as as smart as Max.
• 32:44
  Speaker 6: Thank you. We think everything's a strike.
• 32:46
  Speaker 8: You guys make it look good, right, and you're still
• 32:48
  Speaker 8: going to be doing that this year, and so you
• 32:51
  Speaker 8: try and let the catchers do the work on that end.
• 32:53
  Speaker 6: But I think they're all unique, right.
• 32:57
  Speaker 8: And with Hedgy it was obviously he's got tremendous hands,
• 33:01
  Speaker 8: they all do, but the way he prepares was unlike
• 33:04
  Speaker 8: anybody else. I think he did that not just for himself,
• 33:08
  Speaker 8: but with Bo. Bo's an incredible catcher as well, and
• 33:12
  Speaker 8: all those guys within that organization. Kirk, he's tremendous back
• 33:16
  Speaker 8: there with the way he puts his the way he feels.
• 33:20
  Speaker 6: For the zone.
• 33:21
  Speaker 8: I think he's going to be tremendous with the ABS
• 33:22
  Speaker 8: this year. Obviously, his bat is is incredible and we
• 33:26
  Speaker 8: love to have him up at the plate. But like
• 33:29
  Speaker 8: you said, I think that's just the best way to
• 33:31
  Speaker 8: put I've been blessed with some great catchers.
• 33:33
  Speaker 6: I'm very lucky for that.
• 33:35
  Speaker 3: Always remember thank your catcher.
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: Of course, some storting pictures forget that crotchy as you know, they.
• 33:41
  Speaker 8: Think Gus forget it in between pens too, like, yeah,
• 33:45
  Speaker 8: you always got it.
• 33:46
  Speaker 3: They don't forget. They don't forget. Okay, Well, Shane, thanks
• 33:50
  Speaker 3: for joining us. We really appreciate. We hope you're healthy.
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: We hope you get back, have a great year, and
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: have another deep run into the postseason.