Latest / Foul Territory / FT at A’s camp: Manager Mark Kotsay, Mason Miller

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FT at A’s camp: Manager Mark Kotsay, Mason Miller · Foul Territory

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You know, there's no way to sugarcoat a Triple A stadium,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: but you know we're gonna take pride in that that's
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: our home stadium and go out there and play for
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the city and play for the fans as we always do.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: All Right, I'm excited for this one.
• 0:15
  Speaker 3: Mark Kotze is the skipper of the A's and sitting
• 0:18
  Speaker 3: next to his buddy A. J.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Perzinski right now. Great, thank you for the time.
• 0:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah for one more teammates.
• 0:27
  Speaker 5: Last time we were together, he was burning my bats
• 0:29
  Speaker 5: down the left field line and.
• 0:31
  Speaker 6: We're hitting them.
• 0:33
  Speaker 5: That's right, hitting those backs we're talking about.
• 0:39
  Speaker 7: I'll tell you how tight we are. So Aldo, what
• 0:42
  Speaker 7: was what is? He was bench coach? What does he know?
• 0:45
  Speaker 5: You know, he's assistant hitting coach and and uh, you know,
• 0:48
  Speaker 5: I mean he's been on the staff since Bomo was here.
• 0:51
  Speaker 5: So he's just he's a guy that I loved, enjoyed
• 0:55
  Speaker 5: being around.
• 0:55
  Speaker 7: Yeah, So he was he was our something in Saint
• 0:57
  Speaker 7: Louis a coach. He was a coach and we used
• 0:59
  Speaker 7: to hang out after the games. And so I went
• 1:01
  Speaker 7: up to Aldo and I said.
• 1:03
  Speaker 6: Hey, Aldo, how's it going.
• 1:04
  Speaker 7: He goes, man, he goes you know, not long ago,
• 1:06
  Speaker 7: you text Cots and Cotts didn't know who it was,
• 1:08
  Speaker 7: so he asked me and I had to go through
• 1:10
  Speaker 7: my phone and so I got the one Soto new
• 1:13
  Speaker 7: number who dis from from Kotse. So from now on,
• 1:16
  Speaker 7: I'm going to make sure I tag my last time name. Yeah,
• 1:19
  Speaker 7: we're so tight, I'm gonna have to make sure that
• 1:21
  Speaker 7: I put my name. If I text you, like when
• 1:22
  Speaker 7: you sign another extension or when something happens, I'll be like, AJ, yes,
• 1:27
  Speaker 7: I can't just put J because you've been around too
• 1:29
  Speaker 7: many people so you might think it's someone else.
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: Well, I mean, I do appreciate the embarrassment. Right now,
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: it's all.
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: All right, Yeah, it's all good, kot We'll let you
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: gush about your team now. So you know you've been
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: here for a minute. Is this the best group that
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: you've been given?
• 1:49
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think this group.
• 1:51
  Speaker 5: As you guys know, in twenty two when I took over,
• 1:53
  Speaker 5: there was a little bit of a transition in the roster.
• 1:57
  Speaker 4: You know.
• 1:58
  Speaker 5: Prior to my first team meeting as the manager, we
• 2:00
  Speaker 5: traded medals and that was literally like two hours prior
• 2:03
  Speaker 5: to the meeting. So the messaging is a little different.
• 2:05
  Speaker 5: The expectation is obviously much different than it has been
• 2:09
  Speaker 5: in the past three years. We used the word opportunity
• 2:11
  Speaker 5: a lot here over the last two three years, and
• 2:15
  Speaker 5: I think that we're seeing now guys that took advantage
• 2:17
  Speaker 5: of that opportunity, and some of those names that you
• 2:20
  Speaker 5: saw this off season signed to extensions in Britt Rooker
• 2:23
  Speaker 5: and Lawrence Butler and others. So it is definitely a
• 2:27
  Speaker 5: great group. We still have a lot of work to do.
• 2:29
  Speaker 5: We only won sixty nine games last year, so even
• 2:32
  Speaker 5: though the expectations are higher, we still know we have
• 2:36
  Speaker 5: a lot of work in front of us.
• 2:38
  Speaker 8: Yeah, I think I think that's really great. We talked
• 2:40
  Speaker 8: to two of your guys. We talked to Brent and
• 2:43
  Speaker 8: law As I've figured out didn't know the nickname now
• 2:46
  Speaker 8: is Nicknamon's Law. I want to they've gotten extensions, They're
• 2:51
  Speaker 8: doing great. They've talked about you know, we asked them
• 2:54
  Speaker 8: questions about how do you guys feel about this year?
• 2:56
  Speaker 8: You know, what are your expectations, and they confidently said, hey, playoffs, playoffs,
• 3:01
  Speaker 8: getting the division. Do you feel your team is right
• 3:04
  Speaker 8: there to go knocking on the door of getting back
• 3:06
  Speaker 8: in the playoffs and knocking on the door of winning
• 3:08
  Speaker 8: this division.
• 3:09
  Speaker 5: Well, I can reflect back in seven or twenty seventeen, right,
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: a very similar group, a talented, young group. They finished
• 3:17
  Speaker 5: off the second half really well, and then they showed
• 3:20
  Speaker 5: up in eighteen with a confidence about them that was different,
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: and they made the playoffs. Obviously, Luis Savarino started that
• 3:27
  Speaker 5: playoff game in Yankee Stadium. So I love the fact
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: that that's where their mind's at. We talked about having
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: that mindset. We talked about what it takes to reach
• 3:38
  Speaker 5: that level, the championship level, and I think that unless
• 3:42
  Speaker 5: you create a mindset that you want to be there
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: and that you're going to be there, you know, you're
• 3:47
  Speaker 5: setting yourself up for failure.
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: And I love that. I love where they're at right now.
• 3:53
  Speaker 6: As we talked about we joked about us being teammates,
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: you know for a.
• 3:57
  Speaker 7: While back, but you were always a guy that I
• 4:00
  Speaker 7: I could look at and say, this guy is going
• 4:01
  Speaker 7: to be a manager, just the way you handle yourself,
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: the way you talk to everybody, the way you could
• 4:04
  Speaker 7: get people to come together as a player.
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: Now you're a manager. Is there anything that you didn't expect?
• 4:10
  Speaker 7: What's the biggest thing when you mentioned you took over
• 4:12
  Speaker 7: in twenty two that you have now learned to handle better,
• 4:16
  Speaker 7: that you didn't have any idea it was going to
• 4:18
  Speaker 7: be just tough.
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: As a manager. Yeah, I think you have to realize
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: that you're communicating in the moment and that things change,
• 4:25
  Speaker 5: and I think you have to have an open mind.
• 4:27
  Speaker 5: It's the players, you know, we always know as a player,
• 4:30
  Speaker 5: we wanted what we called the player's manager, and really,
• 4:34
  Speaker 5: you know, thinking through that, what does that mean. I
• 4:36
  Speaker 5: think it means someone that's honest, someone that's transparent, and
• 4:39
  Speaker 5: I and I do that to my best, you know,
• 4:41
  Speaker 5: every day, right, but it always evolves.
• 4:44
  Speaker 4: The situation is always evolving.
• 4:46
  Speaker 5: Things change, So you know, communicating that that this is
• 4:49
  Speaker 5: our decision now, you know, it's really tough. It's tough
• 4:52
  Speaker 5: because you know, I've been in that seat with Terry
• 4:55
  Speaker 5: Francona when he called in the office and you know
• 4:58
  Speaker 5: you've been told you're dosn't for assignment. I've been blessed
• 5:02
  Speaker 5: because you know, even though yes, I had some great
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: years in my career, I had those years of transition,
• 5:09
  Speaker 5: I had those years of failure, and so I think
• 5:13
  Speaker 5: I lean on those experiences more and more in the
• 5:16
  Speaker 5: communication process that try to relate to what they're going
• 5:20
  Speaker 5: to going through.
• 5:21
  Speaker 6: I don't want to listen. I don't want you to.
• 5:25
  Speaker 4: I don't know how you can answer this.
• 5:26
  Speaker 6: But because you're because you don't answer no, no, no, because no.
• 5:29
  Speaker 7: It's important question for me, because is there a manager
• 5:32
  Speaker 7: that's been through more? Because you know, payroll limitations in Oakland,
• 5:37
  Speaker 7: which we all talked about, then guess what, You're not
• 5:39
  Speaker 7: in Oakland anymore. You're going to Sacramento and then you're
• 5:42
  Speaker 7: then you're gonna go to Vegas. So how do you
• 5:44
  Speaker 7: handle this with a team of young guys. It's not
• 5:46
  Speaker 7: like you got a bunch you got a bunch of
• 5:48
  Speaker 7: older guys that you know, we can play anywhere, we
• 5:50
  Speaker 7: can do this or that. But you have to communicate
• 5:52
  Speaker 7: with not only baseball stuff, but off the field stuff.
• 5:55
  Speaker 7: So I mean, I feel like you have, like, if
• 5:57
  Speaker 7: not the toughest job in baseball, one of the toughest jobs.
• 6:00
  Speaker 4: I appreciate that.
• 6:01
  Speaker 5: I mean, every job is different, Every job has its
• 6:03
  Speaker 5: unique circumstances. You know, one of my good friends is
• 6:06
  Speaker 5: Dave Roberts, and you know, people will say, oh, well,
• 6:08
  Speaker 5: he's got a push button team he's got you know
• 6:10
  Speaker 5: this and that, but he's got a different set of
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: circumstances that are also challenging. So my circumstances, you know, Yeah,
• 6:17
  Speaker 5: I think maybe I could become maybe the first manager
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: in the history of the game to have managed in
• 6:23
  Speaker 5: three different cities in three years, right or three years
• 6:26
  Speaker 5: or less. With closing a chapter in Oakland, a great chapter,
• 6:29
  Speaker 5: a historical chapter of fifty one plus years there in
• 6:32
  Speaker 5: that city, then transitioning to Sacramento, and now we've got
• 6:35
  Speaker 5: this bridge gap before we go to Vegas. So you know,
• 6:39
  Speaker 5: you know this that the players want to know as
• 6:43
  Speaker 5: much as possible as to what they're entering. That's all
• 6:46
  Speaker 5: we can do is communicate it, but really prepare them
• 6:48
  Speaker 5: for a baseball season, and that's our focus. Our focus
• 6:51
  Speaker 5: is on, you know, each day and how we prepare
• 6:54
  Speaker 5: to win games.
• 6:55
  Speaker 4: And I'm glad I'd.
• 6:57
  Speaker 5: Love to hear that Rook and Law are of that
• 7:00
  Speaker 5: mindset of like, we need to win every game every
• 7:02
  Speaker 5: day and that's.
• 7:04
  Speaker 4: The focus, right.
• 7:04
  Speaker 5: The focus is on the twenty six guys that are
• 7:08
  Speaker 5: going to be in that clubhouse and what we can
• 7:09
  Speaker 5: do together one to make Sacramento home and embrace it.
• 7:14
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• 7:33
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• 8:16
  Speaker 8: What can you use Sacramento as an advantage for you guys.
• 8:18
  Speaker 8: I mean, I know you guys haven't played or some
• 8:20
  Speaker 8: guys have, but at the same time, you're gonna be
• 8:22
  Speaker 8: playing there a lot more than others. What advantages or
• 8:24
  Speaker 8: maybe even disadvantages you think you guys will have their
• 8:28
  Speaker 8: over other teams.
• 8:30
  Speaker 5: Well, I think the advantages that were, like you said,
• 8:32
  Speaker 5: we're going to have played there prior to any team
• 8:34
  Speaker 5: coming except outside of the Cubs. Right, we open with
• 8:36
  Speaker 5: the Cubs. They're going to come in. Uh, they got
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: an ucharage. They travel large, and they're going to be
• 8:42
  Speaker 5: limited in their space. They're gonna you know, they're gonna
• 8:44
  Speaker 5: step into something that they've never stepped into before, and uh,
• 8:48
  Speaker 5: you know that'll present its own challenges.
• 8:50
  Speaker 4: We'll get our feet on the ground. We're going to.
• 8:52
  Speaker 5: Travel out to Sacramento after the last spring training game.
• 8:55
  Speaker 5: We're going to use that off data kind of get comfortable,
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: to get know our surroundings, and then we'll see Todd
• 9:01
  Speaker 5: how how we can use the ballpark to our advantage
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: and the playing surface and so forth. So, I mean
• 9:07
  Speaker 5: the biggest thing is, you know, the playing surface is
• 9:10
  Speaker 5: the same, right, It's ninety feet it's sixty feet six inches.
• 9:14
  Speaker 5: So I think for us, you know, we'll find out
• 9:18
  Speaker 5: how we can use the ballpark to our advantage. It's
• 9:20
  Speaker 5: obviously going to play differently than than our last ballpark
• 9:23
  Speaker 5: we played in in Oakland. I do know that the
• 9:26
  Speaker 5: PCL it's one of the more fair ballparks in the
• 9:29
  Speaker 5: league from a pitching standpoint, in ballflight. So but until
• 9:33
  Speaker 5: we get in there, until we get our fan and
• 9:34
  Speaker 5: ground experience, that well, you know, I'm not sure how
• 9:37
  Speaker 5: it's going to play to our advantage.
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: Got give me one player that we need to keep
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: an eye on for a breakout this year. I mean,
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: you know, I could probably point to law as that
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: guy for you in the second half of last season.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Who's someone we should look at.
• 9:54
  Speaker 5: I'm excited about Tyler Soderstrom, I think, and he had
• 9:57
  Speaker 5: a year where he started to really figure thing and
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: then the injury happened. You know, he suffered an injury
• 10:04
  Speaker 5: that took away from you know, a good portion of
• 10:07
  Speaker 5: the second half. He rehabbed, he got back, and then
• 10:10
  Speaker 5: those last few weeks with us, I was really impressed
• 10:13
  Speaker 5: with the bats. So this spring training, if you're going
• 10:15
  Speaker 5: to get caught up in. You know, just the number
• 10:17
  Speaker 5: of the batting average, it's not going to look great,
• 10:20
  Speaker 5: but his at bats have been professional. He's hitting the
• 10:23
  Speaker 5: ball hard, taking the at bat that you want to see,
• 10:26
  Speaker 5: and just not getting the results right now.
• 10:28
  Speaker 4: But I'm excited for him.
• 10:30
  Speaker 5: I think this could be a year where he figures
• 10:32
  Speaker 5: it out and takes off.
• 10:34
  Speaker 8: All right, real quick, am I on my last question too? Well,
• 10:37
  Speaker 8: you got a couple of Rutgers guys there, my alumni
• 10:40
  Speaker 8: Ryan Lasco and Josh Croda Grauer. You hear about these
• 10:43
  Speaker 8: guys yet any of these guys open your eyes yet?
• 10:45
  Speaker 8: They got little ways to go?
• 10:47
  Speaker 5: Yeah, No, Todd, I brought him over and I'm excited
• 10:49
  Speaker 5: about their futures. I think both of them are super talented.
• 10:52
  Speaker 5: They know how to play the game. So there's not
• 10:54
  Speaker 5: a process where we got to go through to teach
• 10:56
  Speaker 5: him how to do things. So that's a credit to
• 10:58
  Speaker 5: Rutgers the head coach there. Yeah, I think you know,
• 11:02
  Speaker 5: to continue to grow the minor league system, to continue
• 11:05
  Speaker 5: to feed this talent into here. Let him come up
• 11:09
  Speaker 5: and get their feet way here in some spring training games.
• 11:12
  Speaker 5: Get my eyes on them. Yeah, I think they've got
• 11:14
  Speaker 5: some exciting futures.
• 11:16
  Speaker 6: Who's next. You've got an extension. Congratulations, thank you.
• 11:19
  Speaker 7: Paul got an extension, Brooke got an extension, Lange Layers, Wilson.
• 11:23
  Speaker 7: I mean those are changes, right, and then there's a
• 11:26
  Speaker 7: young man in Jason Miller.
• 11:27
  Speaker 4: Young man that's going to start in the minor league's
• 11:29
  Speaker 4: named Nick Kurtz.
• 11:30
  Speaker 5: So you talk about a player that's kind of not
• 11:33
  Speaker 5: here yet but they could have impact. I think there's
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: a lot of excitement about Nick. He was here, we
• 11:39
  Speaker 5: sent him back to the minor leagues to prepare for
• 11:41
  Speaker 5: a season. Professional at bats for a twenty two year old,
• 11:44
  Speaker 5: very mature in his approach, big strong, you know, left,
• 11:49
  Speaker 5: had a hitting first basement, more athletic than he probably looks.
• 11:52
  Speaker 5: Has an understanding of hitting the ball the other way,
• 11:55
  Speaker 5: has power to drive it out the other way, and
• 11:56
  Speaker 5: then the poolside is obviously a plus.
• 11:59
  Speaker 4: But there's some excitement around the youth. I think he's
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: a player.
• 12:03
  Speaker 5: I think Max Munsey, not the Dodger XNI, but you
• 12:07
  Speaker 5: know Max Mountsey, He's had over twelve and or minorly
• 12:09
  Speaker 5: gut bats. He was hurt most of the year last year,
• 12:11
  Speaker 5: so it took away from some of the the development
• 12:13
  Speaker 5: in Triple A, the advanced development.
• 12:15
  Speaker 7: But I see him as another player that could touch
• 12:17
  Speaker 7: our club to all right. Last thing, we just had
• 12:19
  Speaker 7: a rooker in here and we asked him what we
• 12:20
  Speaker 7: should ask you, and he didn't have anything, but I
• 12:23
  Speaker 7: had something for it. I want to know why you
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: bend your hats.
• 12:27
  Speaker 4: It's old school, man, it's old school. There's no more
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: I can't pull off. Had the flatbill, right, I've available.
• 12:33
  Speaker 5: Dog Dove's got some style, you know, I mean yeah,
• 12:36
  Speaker 5: And he's taller, so I'm not as tall, and I'm
• 12:38
  Speaker 5: a little bit more trying to hide the face and
• 12:40
  Speaker 5: there's no way you can hide the dress.
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: I'm impressed with your beard.
• 12:43
  Speaker 5: This is a no Your beard is a no stressed beard,
• 12:46
  Speaker 5: and this beard is a full stress.
• 12:49
  Speaker 7: Trust me, there's a lot of stress that goes in.
• 12:51
  Speaker 7: I'm not managing a major league team. I know what
• 12:52
  Speaker 7: you guys go through. Well I don't, but I can
• 12:54
  Speaker 7: imagine what you guys go through. You do an awesome job.
• 12:57
  Speaker 7: One of my favorite teammates of all time, marcottsee with
• 13:00
  Speaker 7: the bent broom.
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: By the way, Yeah, yeah, appreciate it. Thank you, Kurtz.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Good luck this season. We'll catch it during the year.
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: Appreciate it.
• 13:09
  Speaker 6: Ticking you guys. I'm picking you guys. Let's go.
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: That's that's high praise. It's a lot of pressure we've
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: got as closer. Mason Miller with us. Mason, great to
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: see you, man. How's camp going for you, Especially after
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: the year that you just had, You feel like you
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: can come in here and just be like, calm cool,
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: work on what you got to work on to get
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: ready for the season.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it's good to see you guys too. Appreciate
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: you having me camp. Camp's going great. Just excited.
• 13:34
  Speaker 9: You know, we've had had some buzz around this group.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: So just getting back in the locker room hanging out
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: with the guys again, it's awesome. But yeah, we're excited.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: I mean me personally, I'm ready to get out of
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: here and get this thing rolling here in two weeks.
• 13:46
  Speaker 9: But yeah, I can't complain.
• 13:48
  Speaker 6: By the way. I say this a lot.
• 13:49
  Speaker 7: But he's way bigger than I thought he was in person, Like,
• 13:52
  Speaker 7: he's taller than I thought he.
• 13:54
  Speaker 6: I knew he was tall, but I don't know.
• 13:56
  Speaker 7: You just forget Todd, you know this, Like when you're
• 13:58
  Speaker 7: not around guy guys and you just see you on
• 14:01
  Speaker 7: TV and then I see them.
• 14:03
  Speaker 6: They're like, man, I forget how big you guys are.
• 14:05
  Speaker 6: Take it? Yeah, how is ho cam treating you? How's
• 14:10
  Speaker 6: how's the arm feeling? You ready to rock?
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 14:12
  Speaker 9: Yeah, we're ready to go.
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: I'm trying to trying to take it this year, you know,
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: obviously in years past coming in and trying to earn
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: a spot on the team and trying to kind of
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: keep that same mindset this year, but obviously knowing the
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: things I was able to do last year, able to
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: kind of focus on getting the body feeling right and
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: you know, get things rolling in spring training and preparation
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: for the regular season as opposed to coming in here
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: firing right away.
• 14:35
  Speaker 8: No doubt about it, no doubt about it. Now, I
• 14:37
  Speaker 8: want I want the fans to know a little bit
• 14:39
  Speaker 8: more about you. They know you're a flaying throw, they
• 14:41
  Speaker 8: know how good you are coming in and dominating games.
• 14:43
  Speaker 8: Tell us a little bit about yourself, some hobbies, stuff
• 14:46
  Speaker 8: you like to do in the off season, and uh,
• 14:49
  Speaker 8: you know, any quirks you have, you know, not baseball related.
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not that not that exciting off the field.
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: I love baseball, watching baseball, but golf golf is a hobby.
• 15:02
  Speaker 6: I don't. I don't play as much as I'd like to.
• 15:04
  Speaker 9: But besides that, you know, my wife and I try
• 15:06
  Speaker 9: to get.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: Out and do some stuff in the community. My wife's
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: big with animals, so we have a couple at home,
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: and then she likes to help with some shelters and
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: things like that as well.
• 15:16
  Speaker 9: But yeah, we just we're trying to take the off
• 15:17
  Speaker 9: season hang out at home.
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: We we got our first home this offseason, so get everything
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: situated there and just hanging out with our families.
• 15:25
  Speaker 7: That's about where Sacramento, Pittsburgh. Oh yeah, okay, you play Oakmont?
• 15:30
  Speaker 7: You should join Oakmont so I can play. How's that
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: put it on the list?
• 15:34
  Speaker 6: First golf? Yeah yeah, I mean oakmant Latrobe, Laurel Valley.
• 15:39
  Speaker 6: Yeah yeah.
• 15:40
  Speaker 9: I like the golf in the fall, as long as
• 15:42
  Speaker 9: you can find your.
• 15:42
  Speaker 6: Ball in the leaves. Oakland was US open this year,
• 15:45
  Speaker 6: don't they not.
• 15:47
  Speaker 9: I don't keep up that close.
• 15:48
  Speaker 6: I think they have. I think they have. I wouldn't
• 15:51
  Speaker 6: oh seven or awaight when they had it last time
• 15:53
  Speaker 6: a little while.
• 15:54
  Speaker 9: Since the place looks hard, I wouldn't do too well there.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: We got to keep it straight in there there, you're
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: not finding enough off the fairways.
• 16:03
  Speaker 6: Well, who's the best golfer on the aies.
• 16:06
  Speaker 9: Prior probably JP series? You got a hole in one
• 16:09
  Speaker 9: spring training?
• 16:09
  Speaker 6: Really did he buy drinks everybody?
• 16:12
  Speaker 9: I wasn't with him when it happened, so I don't know.
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: But he's pretty good rooker. I know he just got
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: roasted a little bit by Mooki his golf swing, but
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: I know he's pretty good.
• 16:22
  Speaker 6: He has two kids. I don't imagine he plays as much.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: But we have some good golfers, a lot of guys
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: that can go get around the course in a timely fashion.
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: So all right, Mason, I want to get into this team.
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: So you mentioned how it's not only different for you
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: personally to be able to just kind of go through
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: the motions, not try and worry about making the roster,
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: but the team itself looks like it should be significantly better,
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: and a lot of that, in my mind, points to
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: the arms that we're looking at right now. Luis Severino
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: acquired in the off season with a big signing Jeffrey Springs,
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: who's had a lot of success in the past, among others.
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: So what did you think of the off season for
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: the a's and then what are you seeing especially out
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: of the arm talent?
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: For sure, we were really excited to help we finished
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: last year. You know, we had a talented group, we believed,
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: and we kind of turned that corner a little bit
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: and played some really good baseball down the stretch. So
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: just the confidence of a lot of that group being
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: back and then going out and getting to really bona
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: fide starters and Jeff and Sevy, you know, but also
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: great guys getting to know them this spring, and I
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: think they're going to be huge, not only what they
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: bring on the field, but also what they're able to,
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: you know, help with younger guys and kind of show
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: us what it means to be a big league starter
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: and being able to take over a game and all that.
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: And also signing Jose for the bullpen is going to
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: be huge too, just having another guy with a lot
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: of experience closing out a World Series a couple of
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: years ago, and just adding to the group that that
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: you know, we've we've kind of carved out down there.
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: I think that the bullpen is going to be a
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: strength for us for sure. Obviously I'm a little bit biased,
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: but you know, I think that we had a lot
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: of guys that were doing it last year, and you know,
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: we go out and get another and you know, continue
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: to take steps forward. And then now that we have
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: some starters that are gonna, you know, hopefully get us
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: late in the game on a consistent basis, I think
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: that's going to be a huge thing for us.
• 18:11
  Speaker 8: Your second start, well, I shouldn't say start with appearance
• 18:14
  Speaker 8: in the Cactus League. You threw five pitches over one
• 18:17
  Speaker 8: hundred and two miles an hour. I mean, are you
• 18:20
  Speaker 8: ready to go? I mean that is absolutely incredible. I
• 18:23
  Speaker 8: know you had a lot of time off. Arm must
• 18:25
  Speaker 8: be feeling really nice. And then an interview you joked
• 18:28
  Speaker 8: about reaching one hundred and seven miles an hour. So
• 18:31
  Speaker 8: give me that happy medium. Where are we going to
• 18:33
  Speaker 8: be at this year? One hundred and what four? Is
• 18:35
  Speaker 8: that the happy medium? Talk to me a little bit?
• 18:37
  Speaker 8: How the arm must be feeling absolutely youth right now?
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: Well, that that second start, I came in and greve
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: the heater and just fith took it over the right
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: field walls.
• 18:47
  Speaker 6: I wasn't trying.
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: I wasn't trying to be cruising at one hundred and two.
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: But after that I kind of tried to dial it
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: in a little bit, get some mouths. But yeah, the
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: one hundred and seven thing, I don't know why that's
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: the number everybody's settling on.
• 18:59
  Speaker 9: But you know, you don't put any limitations on yourself.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: But I put myself at one O three eight last
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: year was the high, so I think TV one O four,
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: But I'd like to press one of four for for
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: real when you look at the analytics side of it,
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: so that that's the goal for me, and then you
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: just kind of keep moving from there.
• 19:15
  Speaker 6: The most important thing is getting out. You're a thumber.
• 19:18
  Speaker 7: By the way, there's a guy in Anaheim, Ben Joyce
• 19:21
  Speaker 7: that's making you look bad. If you guys come into
• 19:24
  Speaker 7: a game at the same time, like you're into clothes.
• 19:26
  Speaker 7: Say it's a tie game, you come in and he's
• 19:28
  Speaker 7: in on the other side. Are you guys gonna have
• 19:29
  Speaker 7: like a duel to see who can throw the hardest pitch,
• 19:32
  Speaker 7: or you guys have a duel for the season to.
• 19:34
  Speaker 6: Win the last three outs of the game.
• 19:35
  Speaker 9: He can he can throw the hardest pitch.
• 19:37
  Speaker 6: Okay, I'll make that deal, But do you guys have
• 19:39
  Speaker 6: a deal?
• 19:39
  Speaker 7: Have you guys talked about it, like, Hey, I'm I
• 19:41
  Speaker 7: know I'm gonna hit one oh six, You're gonna I.
• 19:43
  Speaker 9: Think he's got a little bit more in the tank.
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: Really yeah, I mean he he just lays that thing
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: back and it just explodes out of his hands.
• 19:52
  Speaker 6: Pretty jealous that he throws harder than you A little bit.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean had a couple of games last year
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: where I think I I popped at one oh three.
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: I think Philadelphia is one I'm remembering for sure. I
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: hit like my hit or tied my pr for the season,
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: and then we came in and I think that was
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: one of the days he hit one hundred and five.
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: So he was like, watch by one o three doesn't matter.
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: He was like, watch this, Mason, I'm going about do
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: you that is awesome? We're on the streets. You have
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: a change up? Are you going kick change like everyone else?
• 20:20
  Speaker 6: Now?
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: I'm trying the kick change a little bit, but I
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: think for me, the most important thing is just being
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: a competitive offering.
• 20:27
  Speaker 9: So I don't need it to be this nasty kick change.
• 20:30
  Speaker 9: I'd like it to be, but like.
• 20:32
  Speaker 6: One hundred and three hundred four good enough change, just
• 20:35
  Speaker 6: changing and the speed a little bit, just in the eyes.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: So just just playing with a little bit, you know,
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: finding what's comfortable, and there's no substitute for throwing it
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: in a game. I threw it my first spring training
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: and Will Benson hit it like four hundred feet foul.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: So I stayed away from it for a couple after that,
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: but feeling good about it, and you know, it's another
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: another wrinkle that you know, I think we'll give me
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: a little bit of a leg up on these hitters.
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: I'm fascinated about this because almost every camp we go
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: to there's at least one or two guys we talked
• 21:04
  Speaker 3: to that are working on a kick change up. And
• 21:05
  Speaker 3: it's not a pitch that I feel like I remember
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: hearing about up until this spring training. So when's the
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: first time that you heard about it and then started
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: learning it? And are you on board still with us? Like, hey,
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: this came out of nowhere. I know obviously it's just
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: a variation of a change up, but it feels like
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: grips like this kind of pick up steam and then
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: it spreads around almost like a like a rumor around camp,
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: like hey, you should try the script.
• 21:30
  Speaker 9: Yeah, I mean last year it was kind of the splinker.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: Was the craze not as many guys tried that one out,
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: but I think you see it on TV or you
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: see somebody dominating with it, and you think to yourself,
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: you know, why can't why can't I give that a shot?
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: And maybe that's maybe that's going to be the key
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: for me. So yeah, just seeing seeing the ability you
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: guys have to throw that in just the movement and
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: swings that it's getting.
• 21:54
  Speaker 9: You know, obviously, as pitchers were always working on our craft.
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: So having the opportunity to add something like that that
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: generates that kind of swinging miss is you know, really appealing.
• 22:03
  Speaker 8: I want to go back to something you said quickly.
• 22:05
  Speaker 8: You said you threw that kickchain or somebody hit a
• 22:08
  Speaker 8: four hundred feet foul. Isn't it funny how your mindset
• 22:10
  Speaker 8: plays a little bit when you throw one hundred and
• 22:12
  Speaker 8: two plus you can actually when you throw that hard,
• 22:15
  Speaker 8: you can try any other pitch you really want to
• 22:17
  Speaker 8: do because you always have one O two in your
• 22:19
  Speaker 8: back poppet pocket. I should say so that that mindset
• 22:23
  Speaker 8: is pretty incredible. You see how pitcher's mindset is different
• 22:26
  Speaker 8: from a hitter. They just wanted to point that out.
• 22:28
  Speaker 8: But my next question is you're you're playing at a
• 22:31
  Speaker 8: minor league park. Talk a little bit about that Sacramento
• 22:35
  Speaker 8: coming up here. You're not the only team to do it,
• 22:37
  Speaker 8: but you know, have you guys been in conversations. I mean,
• 22:40
  Speaker 8: the season is going to be starting here soon. I mean,
• 22:42
  Speaker 8: you got places to live. Talk to me a little
• 22:44
  Speaker 8: bit about it.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean we're only an hour and a
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: half down the road, so a lot of a lot
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: of the klubs and several several players and staff are
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: from the Sacramento area.
• 22:54
  Speaker 9: So I think we feel pretty good about the housing.
• 22:56
  Speaker 6: Situation up there.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: Like any city, you know, a place to rent where
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: you you know, have kids or family kind of kind
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: of the space you're looking for.
• 23:03
  Speaker 6: So no issues there.
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: A couple of the guys went up in early January
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: to see the stadium, and you know, they had a
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: lot of positive things to say, and especially going down
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: in the community and talking to people. So I think
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: they're they're excited to have us, and you know, there's
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: no way to sugarcoat at Triple A Stadium, but you know,
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: we're gonna take pride in that that's our home stadium
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: and go out there and you know, play for the
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: city and play for the fans as we always do,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: and you know, we're looking forward to it. We have
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: a lot of excitement about the product that's going to
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: be on the field, and I think that's what we're
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: all focused on.
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: Why didn't you go? They didn't because they sent Rooker.
• 23:34
  Speaker 7: I know that they sent Rooker to announce his extension,
• 23:37
  Speaker 7: So they didn't want to send you because aren't shouldn't
• 23:39
  Speaker 7: you be about? They got Lawrence, they got Rook, and
• 23:41
  Speaker 7: now you should be in line for the extension.
• 23:43
  Speaker 6: I hope. So, I hope.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: So there's a couple other guys I think too, But yeah,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: we got a good group of guys, and it's it's
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: really really exciting for us to see you know, ownership
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: and you know, David Force and everybody that kind of
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: believes in us in this group that you know, we
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: obviously believe in ourselves, but to have the validation and
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: you know, start seeing past just this season, you know,
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: and start developing what you know is to come. And
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: so that's exciting as a player. Obviously, we're super excited
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: for Law and Rook to get those extensions because they
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: certainly earned it, you know, and we're going to keep
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: keep fighting out there and keep bat on.
• 24:19
  Speaker 6: Any talks he talks for me.
• 24:21
  Speaker 9: Yeah, no, not yet, okay, okay, all right.
• 24:24
  Speaker 6: I was just going to keep doing what I do.
• 24:25
  Speaker 7: And you know, well, because you were only MLBS second
• 24:28
  Speaker 7: team last year, you know that, right?
• 24:29
  Speaker 6: True? Yeah? Who was first? I don't even I'm assuming
• 24:32
  Speaker 6: I thought about.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: Oh okay, they both had high forties and saves I
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: think too, So I'm going to try to get over
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: that thirty work maybe maybe not sniffing around forty?
• 24:43
  Speaker 6: Is that how you get to the first team?
• 24:45
  Speaker 9: I think saves and saves are cool.
• 24:46
  Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, I would, I agree. Also, uh, you're an
• 24:49
  Speaker 6: eagle scout. Yeah, I was so eagle. What's difference the
• 24:52
  Speaker 6: eagle scout and a boy scout? See scouts like the
• 24:55
  Speaker 6: highest so you.
• 24:56
  Speaker 7: Can tie nots and starting after I can if I
• 24:59
  Speaker 7: have you know, do you remember any of it?
• 25:02
  Speaker 6: I do?
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, life, life survival skills. But in this world
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: we live and there's not really out in the woods, you.
• 25:09
  Speaker 7: Know, so you're not a camera you're not going to
• 25:10
  Speaker 7: go out to like camp back And.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: That wasn't really really my parents. Parents wanted me to
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: have something that you know, Baseball didn't work out, you know,
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: that's a good notch to have in your belt. And
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: uh yeah, I enjoyed it, made a lot of good
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: connections and frowns through it. But yeah, camping, camping and
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: the outdoors and stuff. I could take it or leave it.
• 25:31
  Speaker 6: Is that where you got your service? Your community service?
• 25:33
  Speaker 6: Love of community services the part of it.
• 25:35
  Speaker 9: Yeah, big part of it growing up.
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: And then obviously as I got into college. You know,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: I played Division III baseball, so you know, my my
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: life wasn't really all baseball at that point, but I
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: helped pay my way through my Division III college with
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: community service scholarship.
• 25:52
  Speaker 6: I did a bunch of that's also.
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: A bunch of work with kids through that, tutoring rec nights,
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: things like that. So it's always been something that's been
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: important to me.
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: Last one for you, as we're talking about your youth,
• 26:03
  Speaker 3: when did you know you had it? You know, when
• 26:05
  Speaker 3: did you feel like you have big league stuff or
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: at least realize that you throw the baseball harder than
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: most people around you.
• 26:14
  Speaker 6: Yeah. It's a weird path.
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: The weird path for me because I felt like I
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: had it when I was young. I was like, you know,
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: playing shortstop, pitching, hitting, doing it all like, you know, best.
• 26:25
  Speaker 6: Player on the field a lot of times.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: And then I got to high school and they said,
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: all right, you're gonna be a po and that was
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: a big letdown for me because I loved hitting, but
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: pitched through high school. I was respectable high school pitcher.
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: So I think that that kind of the dream started
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: to fade a little bit. Went Division three, it really
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: wasn't my focus. And then obviously when everything clicked health
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: wise and started dominating, I think that's when you started
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: to get that glimmer hope again. And then you know,
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: it's a weird concept too, because you know, you work
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: so hard to get drafted, and then you get drafted
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: and you go to a rookie ball and you're like, man,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: I still feel so far away from the big leagues.
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: You know, you work for so many years to get
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: to that point to get drafted, and then you know
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: it's back to work again. So just to be able
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: to sit here and play at the highest level is
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: a true blessing, that's for sure.
• 27:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty cool, man. You had an awesome year.
• 27:17
  Speaker 3: Excited for this one too, especially with the team looking
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: even better on paper.
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: Great to see.
• 27:21
  Speaker 3: We'll chat with you during the season too, Mason, thanks
• 27:23
  Speaker 3: for the time man.
• 27:25
  Speaker 6: Absolutely appreciate you guys.