Ben & Woods On Demand Podcast
Jesse Agler Checks In From Texas!
Ben & Woods chat with Padres radio play-by-play man Jesse Agler, as we do each and every Tuesday! Listen here as Jesse joins the show from Texas where the Padres get set to take on the Rangers, and we hear about his experience finally calling a game at Fenway Park, his thoughts on Jackson Merrill being a legitimate All-Star candidate, and more!
- Duration:
- 20m
- Broadcast on:
- 02 Jul 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
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Make smarter decisions in 2024. Follow NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast ad. Nothing is more important than getting a good night's sleep. And when you don't get the rest you need, your whole day is thrown off. That's why it's so important to choose the right mattress. Sleeping on a purple mattress is truly a unique experience, because purple mattresses are made with a gel flex grid. The gel flex grid is an innovative material that moves with your body to relieve pressure in areas like knees and hips, and support in others like your back. It feels soft where you want it and supports where you need it. Purple mattresses instantly adapt when you move. You don't sink in and get stuck like with memory foam. And thanks to over 1,400 air chambers in the gel flex grid, you will sleep cooler on a purple mattress. Purple has a wide variety of mattresses from the original purple mattress to the Restore Hybrid Collection that combines gel flex grid with coils and the Rejuvenate Lux Collection, the height of luxury. With over 112,000 to five star reviews to prove it, visit purple.com to find the perfect purple for you and enter code podcast 10 to get 10% off. So as Jesse joins us from Arlington, Texas, and baseball season, he's working almost every day when the Padres are at home and they have a rare off day. I know he's at home and you know, helping out doing whatever he can. But there is those weird situations during the baseball season where you have an off day on the road. You can't really do anything. No, can't do anything about it. Just kind of it's a day off. It's a day for you. There's nothing you can do at home, Jesse. So how did you spend the off day yesterday in Dallas? I have said for a very long time that the most valuable days on the baseball calendar are the road off days. And it's exactly what you just said. It's like, sorry, you know, I mean, when you're at home and you get an off day, there's family stuff. You know, like a dentist or whatever, like anything you need to catch up on, that's what the home off days are for. And so really the only like, for me, at least the true, true off days are the ones on the road. So it was, it was pretty low key. You know, it's like a billion degrees here. Texas is great, right? Because you combine the heat of Arizona with the humidity of Florida. Very cool. And you put it all into one. It's really amazing. So didn't, you know, get out in a van or anything necessarily, but, you know, worked out, walked over to a place close by for lunch, saw Mike Schilt there. And he was, it seemed like having a very similar day that I was. Why were you a Chipotle for lunch? No, you know, it wasn't. There's no Chipotle within walking business. So, but yeah, it was like, you know, a whole lot of nothing. I think is how he put it. You know, I mean, everybody, I think just trying to rest and recuperate a little bit. So yeah, you know, kind of a low key day recharge here. It's a much, much friendlier schedule in the next month than it was in the last month in terms of, you know, how often they're playing and days off. So, you know, hopefully, you know, you'll see that reflected in the win loss record because, you know, as I'm sure I've said to you guys and Tony and I have talked about a lot too. I think, you know, some of the struggles that the Padres had in the last call at five weeks had to do with the fact that the schedule was just gnarly and those lack of days off. And then you get into a situation where you had a couple starters who weren't regularly going deep into the games. It puts you so far behind the eight ball. But now they're going to be in a position for the next five weeks, really, where they're able to absorb, you know, some more stuff like that. And we'll see how it goes. You know, if I were you, if I was if I was Jesse Agler doing the same role, I wouldn't even call home on those days off on the road. I would not make the. Yeah, that doesn't work now. Well, I shoot a text. Hope you guys are good. I'm going to the JFK Museum right now. See you guys later. Like there's just no way to get my ass kicked every time Jesse Agler, the Incorporated joins us here on a Tuesday. Jesse. Yeah, obviously, you get the chance to go to Fenway Park. We were texting about it a little bit. Pretty incredible, man. Pretty freaking incredible to go. That ballpark is a cathedral. You got to do all the ins and outs. You got to go out and what does it smell like inside the green monster? You know what? It's funny. The green monster. So the day I went in was Sunday, the day game. And it was really very warm and steamy outside. And I was like, it's probably going to be pretty gross inside the monster, but it was kind of damp and cool. A little bit like a wine cellar feel almost. Not wine, but you know, like numbered placards and name placards for all the different teams. But it was actually, it wasn't too dang or anything in there. You know, there's, I guess, a fair amount of ventilation because there's all the holes in the slots that go out there. But yeah, it was just, it's really, really neat. I mean, I'd been there only once in my life. It was, you know, summer after junior year, a high school looking at colleges with my dad. And it was before the Red Sox had won. So it was before Fenway was crazy. And we literally, I just remember walked up to the box office, you know, 20 minutes before the game bought two tickets and like, you know, went to a game. That was in the summer, I guess, of 99. And that was the only other time in my life I'd been to Fenway. So, obviously a very, very different experience this time and to be able to kind of have the access that I did and to be able to walk around on the field and go inside the monster and, you know, get there super early on the first day to just sort of walk around and take it in. Special man, it's one of the best parts of this job is like a total baseball geek, you know, to be able to experience those different places and do so in a very special kind of intimate way. You know, the fact that I can just roll up there at two o'clock, you know, before a seven game and almost have the place to myself, right, is is incredible. So, you know, you guys know, I'm a big geek with that kind of stuff. It was very special. And while globe life is not necessarily of the same historic significance as Fenway, this will be my final ballpark to check this series for the Rangers. The two times the more the couple years that the Padres have played here was COVID. So we didn't get the opportunity to come. And this will complete the circuit. So you're done, which I'm excited about. You're done. That's it. Every friggin ballpark. That's incredible. Tell they build a new one. Tell they build a new one. Yeah, it's amazing. Look at you. Jesse, let me ask you because the all-star game is coming up at that very same park in two weeks from today. And I wondered, like a week ago, I could have made a pretty compelling case for Jackson Merrill to be included on the NL team. Now it's hard to make a case for leaving him off. Right. The nationally all-star team. Do you get the sense that word is getting out about Jackson Merrill beyond San Diego and what he is now doing in his rookie season that is pretty incredible now? No doubt about it. You know, he's definitely broken through the West Coast news, if you will, sometimes as we all know that wall is a difficult one to push through. But I think he has. There's been a lot of talk about him. You know, all-star, I haven't taken like a close enough look at, you know, the voting and all that kind of stuff to see, you know, the other names that are involved. He's not in the final vote, but he could certainly be a reserve. He's the, no, he has the best. No, no, no, no, but I'm saying the guy's not any outfielder in the nation might end up as reserves. I haven't looked at the names and the numbers, you know, for all those guys. But look, from a numbers standpoint for him, certainly those are all-star numbers. I don't think there's any doubt about it. And, you know, when you start considering getting a rookie who's going to be a top vote-getter and rookie of the year, if not the winner in the national league, into the all-star game, you know, for MLB, that's a good move, right? I mean, you want to be able to showcase somebody like that, because this is a budding star in the league. You know, I think I said on the year to Tony after the Brewer series, when the nats were in town, I said, you know, it kind of fell to me like in the last week, Jackson Merrill had leveled up, like in a video game, you know, like he had kind of just gotten to that next point. And since I've said that, I feel like he's leveled up three more times. I mean, it's been absolutely incredible watching this guy, exceeding every expectation I had, honestly, you know, in terms of what he'd be able to provide. And he's been a critical piece to the success that this team has had, not just on the field and not just with the numbers, but I think the energy and the intensity and the kind of the personality that he brings is really important to this team as well. And, you know, if you're watching these games or listening to these games or going to these games, you noticed that it would be impossible to miss. So yeah, there's no doubt he's becoming more and more of a national story. And he deserves to be because it's remarkable what he's doing. It really is talking to our pal Jesse Agler here on Ben and Woods this morning. And I got to imagine the last 10 days or so have been pretty awesome to be in your position. I mean, some really good baseball, like the you got the walk offs, you got the benches clearing, you've got the kerfluffle the next day at home plate. Like, that's good stuff. And I know that you guys run into, you know, the dog days of August, we all do we do cover in the team to where it's like, what a slog it is to watch this game sometimes. But man, you live for like the last 10 games or so. It has been so much fun. And, and you know, like most importantly, obviously, is the wins that have gone along with it. What is it, you know, nine out of 11 now, winning is always more fun. You know, people think we're better broadcasters when the team is winning. I'm sure people think you guys are better at doing your show when the team is winning, how that works, right? But like, yeah, I mean, it's, it's not just that they're winning to your point. It's that they're, they're playing very entertaining baseball. And I've said really all year, they play a very watchable brand of baseball. You know, we're lucky enough, right? We get to see now with the schedule as it is, we get to see literally every team in person. There are a whole lot of teams, even good teams in Major League Baseball that play hard to watch baseball. And, and the Padres don't, you know, they put the ball in play, they strike out less than any other team in Major League Baseball this year. They've got this sort of really interesting entertaining lineup, different guys that can do different things, different ways, you know, they can run when they want to. They play really good defense, generally speaking. It's, it's, it's great because it's not just that they're playing winning baseball. They're playing entertaining baseball, fun baseball. And again, the word I keep using is watchable baseball. Like there are, again, and I'm not naming names, but there are really, really good teams out there that are just bad to watch. They don't play a fun brand of baseball. You know, they just kind of sit around and they just literally bludgeon you and take a bill in pitches and it takes forever. Padres aren't about that. You know, it's just such a different approach than they had last year. And it's really fun to watch. And I tell you what, if more teams sort of committed to trying to play the kind of baseball that the Padres play, I think MLB would be in a better spot around the country because it's, it's, it's noticeably different how the Padres kind of approach things that, that most every other team in league. You don't just live in your home. You live in your neighborhood as well. So when you're shopping for a home, you want to know as much about the area around it as possible. Luckily, homes.com has got you covered. Each listing features a comprehensive neighborhood guide from local experts. Everything you'd ever want to know about a neighborhood, including the number of homes for sale, transportation, local amenities, cultural attractions, unique qualities, and even things like median lot size and a noise score. Homes.com. We've done your homework. Nice. Today's episode is sponsored by Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast. Get your head in the financial game with smart investing and budgeting tips straight from the nerds. Nerd wallets experts will set future you up for success with dependable fact based insights. No financial misinformation allowed. Learn how to save on your summer vacation. Find your next credit card or loan for a big purchase and invest in your next index fund. Make smarter decisions in 2024. Follow Nerd Wallet smart money podcast on your favorite podcast ad. Nothing is more important than getting a good night's sleep. And when you don't get the rest you need, your whole day is thrown off. That's why it's so important to choose the right mattress. Sleeping on a purple mattress is truly a unique experience because purple mattresses are made with a gel flex grid. The gel flex grid is an innovative material that moves with your body to relieve pressure in areas like knees and hips and support in others like your back. It feels soft where you want it and supports where you need it. Purple mattresses instantly adapt when you move. You don't sink in and get stuck like with memory foam. And thanks to over 1400 air chambers in the gel flex grid, you will sleep cooler on a purple mattress. Purple has a wide variety of mattresses from the original purple mattress to the restore hybrid collection that combines gel flex grid with coils and the rejuvenate lux collection, the height of luxury with over 112,000 to five star reviews to prove it. Visit purple.com to find the perfect purple for you and enter code podcast 10 to get 10% off. Talking to Jesse Ackler, he's with us from Texas, pot raise Rangers tonight at 505 here on 97 3 the fan and Jesse, I know you always take a pretty measured approach when it comes to the the trade deadline. What will happen? What will happen? And you know, AJ Preller is always active, but you do hear things. I mean, did you have any expectations here about what might transpire over the next few weeks? Yeah, I mean, you know, they're going to try and add, you know, this this is this window. Let's call it opening in 2020, you know, officially, like this is this is the heart of the window. You know, you've got guys in their primes. You've got the whole thing set up to make a run, no doubt. And you know, I don't care about how last year went and how disappointing it was. You know, I remember going on with you guys at some point, you know, when we said you have to remember that it's it's always bigger than just the one year. And look at the Rangers, you know, I mean, they they won it all last year. They've got a not good record this year, one of the worst records ever for a defending champion going into the month of July. That doesn't mean they can't be great again next year. You know, think about those giants teams that Bruce Bocey had, right? 2010, they win, you know, on and on, I think in 2013, in between the second and third titles, they ended up finishing like 10 games under 500. So point being that this window is still the window. The window is still open and the Padres are still really, really, you know, having the goal of wanting to win it all. Even with the disappointment of last year, that never changed. And I think a lot of people, you know, around the league and around the country, who weren't paying as close attention as all of us, you know, thought, Oh, they traded one Soto, they're not bringing Blake Snellback, they're not trying to compete. That was never the case. This team still always had World Series 2024 at the top of the to do list. And, you know, now, especially the way they're playing, there's no way that's changing. And that means that they're going to be in a position to try and get even better at the trade deadline. Now, what actually happens, what comes together, who knows, you know, there's there's a billion variables that go into all of that. But you better believe that they're going to be trying to make themselves even better because they believe rightfully, by the way, that this is a World Series caliber team. And that is the goal for everybody involved in this organization. Jesse, let's see. We kind of get to the dog days of summer when it comes to the Incorporators. I'm counting on woods to break us out with a good choice this week. And I don't even know what you've picked. Well, I found this word. Okay. And I'm still looking for how to say it. So I sent it to Paulie for the pronunciation. Go ahead, Paulie. Nudie Estrasian. What? Nudie Estrasian. Nudie Estrasian. Why did you pick someone on the internet who speaks a foreign language? That's just that's just what pops up. Nudie Estrasian. What's the definition? It's a good question. I'm glad you asked that question. Because I am certain I'm looking for right now. Firing on all cylinders. We really are. Nudie Estrasian. Nudie Estrasian. Yeah, it's an adjective. Oh, and that we're relating to the day before yesterday. The day before yesterday. Nudie Estrasian. So it's like the opposite of penultimate. Oh, yes. It's a great word penultimate. So let's see. So Sunday would be today the Nudie Estrasian day to today. Right, but it's an adjective. How do you use that as an interest? That's a good point. Good luck. How could it be an adjective? I don't know. That's just what it says. A.D.J. is adjective. I know that from my English degree. I'm now. This is this is a tough one. This is like the Nudie Estrasian game would be the Sunday game. Look at you. All right. Now he's got it. Now he's got it. We just made it easy for. Yeah, we did. It's never going to be easy to say Nudie Estrasian. And there's there's no way to slip that one past Tony. No, I mean, so here's how here's an example. I saw him Nudie Estrasian. Which would mean I saw you on Sunday. Saw him in the locker. Sounds like it. Yeah, sounds like he saw him. That was close. That's right. Nudie Estrasian. I like that. That's a tough one. I'm trying to make it easy on these. This is what happens when we all text each other while Jesse's on the air with us trying to find a word. Yeah, Nudie Estrasian. Piece of cake, bro. You got this. All right. What if what if next week to mix it up? What if what if I bring the word? Oh, I like that. We like it. We need a mix up for sure. Yeah, we do. Nudie Estrasian. Nudie Estrasian. Have a safe trip back home for the rest of the first time. Check out that JFK Museum. It's really good. The school book depository. Yeah, it's very cool. Actually, if you've ever if you've never been, it's really cool. Dearly Plaza. Dearly Plaza. Am I trying to go over tomorrow morning? All right, do it. Yeah, you'll love it. Jesse Ackler, voice of the pod race. And again, 505 first pitch today. Uh, 405 Eco Water SoCal Pregame Show with Sam Levitt. What kind of programs does this school have? How are the test scores? How many kids do a classroom? Homes.com. Those, these are all things you ask when you're home shopping as a parent. 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