Gwynn & Chris On Demand
9.19.24 Gwynn & Chris 2 pm: Stephen Strasburg joins us in studio!
What's up San Diego welcome into Gwyn and Chris - to Chris Tony Gwyn, Jr. Matt Scrabe in short show today Thursday night football follows We're on with two guys until 4 30. I believe correct Patriots Jets to follow But we'll start with the Padres plus we have a fantastic guests coming on at some point Probably in the next segment Steven Strasburg As tech for life joins us in the next segment, but we must start with the Padres Padres coming off of a Terrific two of three series victory against the Houston Astros It was playoff baseball in September basically that's all the Astros kept saying the entire time they were in town I mean first of all San Diego you guys brought it. It was a sold out capacity each of the three now each of the three days Padres got victories on Tuesday, you know Monday and Wednesday. Sorry. I'm forgetting what day it is And they did it First night it was really no drama Second night little a lot of bit of drama and then yesterday drama from this good drama for the Padres Oh, I thought Manny Machado is is really I think he's really showing why he's the guy on this team right now. He's really started to pick it up and carry this offense and when I say carry I don't literally mean carry because there's a bunch of guys doing good work right now on that offense But as I've said from the very beginning of season when Manny go so does this Padres baseball team and right now there aren't very many better We had a back to back to back to back home run home run situation Tati Machado Donnie barrels capped it off with his with his homer and A lot to like the other season really was lined up to have another complete game Got a little got away. It didn't really get away from him got away from the defense a little bit bogey Kick that ball into the outfield. He just booted into the outfield kind of took its way his chance to have that complete game But nonetheless once again Fantastic time through on the starting rotation Dylan C starts this next time through yesterday's game another brilliant performance And I think straight be the thing that is pretty apparent when the Padres get good starting pitching Games are a lot easier for them. That doesn't mean they won't win the other ones But they win a lot easier when they get good starting pitching I mean They just held the Astros to very few runs and the Astros have one of the best line-ups in the entire base entire major league baseball Like what they did this week was not like something that was lucky They proved that they could go toe to toe with a team like the Astros And I keep seeing out all the talking heads saying that this is the World Series preview Astros and Padres So, you know, let's talk about that because you know, I saw what Manny said and I didn't necessarily take it as Prediction as as everybody else did we should let everybody know what he said. That's a slim plate. Let's play four. Oh, I don't have it Oh, I thought you I thought you said it up like you're about the oh, no, okay Yes, no, he he said that they're gonna see each other again this season He and they were like you should find a sound so we can play it exactly how he said it because I don't think he meant it Like, you know, we're definitely gonna be there again But it was just more of highlighting the fact that that team is is a playoff caliber team and the Padres This isn't the first team They've been able to do that against either by the way I mean, they've played some good teams really throughout this second half at different points and have seemingly come out on top Or at least split in almost all of those cases. So Padres get the victory yesterday. They have the off day today. They'll resume tomorrow Against the Chicago White Sox and I know I've seen it on Twitter There are a bunch of people paranoid that the Padres are gonna take a break as the White Sox come to town with The worst record in baseball now. They won a couple games here as of late. So At least history won't be happening on our watch, you know, they can't lose 120 by the time they get to San Diego or San Diego even with a sweep can't get them there, but It's certainly something that I think is on the on the tops of people mind I think they start thinking Colorado Rockies when all of a sudden the the White Sox show up to town scrape. Yeah, I I'm kind of with everyone. Oh, you're one of those. Yeah, I'm a little nervous about it because it seems like This team's way different as I've been saying the last couple weeks, but it seems like the Inferior teams give them a hard time, but I don't believe that's gonna be the case this time I mean, there's two locked into it. I don't actually think that's the case anyway I think that is your emotions kind of oh, it's definitely my emotions But what happens the Rockies came to town early in the year swept the Padres and then they went to Colorado And then won the parole to give up a bunch of runs. It seems to happen against these teams all okay I'll say this and what a hundred and fifty two games now fifty hundred and fifty three games now Has the Padres not showed you that they can take care of business when they're supposed to yes except against the Rockies Yeah, pretty much they swept the pirates. They took the sweep the Dodgers earlier this year here I think they did it was two game series. I think they swept up. They swept Miami I mean they beat up on with the exception of the Rockies They beat up on all the the bad teams. They went to Tampa did the same thing and I Qualifies this year. Yes, I would agree. We're not talking about last. I have baggage Tony. We've talked about this I got baggage from previous years come on. I mean clearly I was doing postgame on the 21 year where they lost a bunch of games three years ago, bro I know I need to get over it. Yeah, you gotta move on. Yeah, Manny didn't actually there's no audio of it That's why I kind of panic there for a second, but In print so I'm trying to find the exact quote nonetheless. Oh wait, here we go. I think I think you have it right here. I Don't think I do he said we're gonna see them again. Yeah, they're a really good ball club and how we played the last few days I mean, it's a little taste of it. I Don't know that that's a prediction like we're going to the World Series. It's almost like yeah I mean we could see them again Yeah, I don't think it was him proclaiming from the rooftops that the the Padres are gonna be in the World Series But I don't mind this man I don't either. I don't either when he said Manny I'm Manny bleeping Machado People gave him crap for it, but then he ended up turning it around same with this year I am full on Manny Machado mode. Well, I'm glad you decided to Look at the back of his baseball card and realize I was never pan. I'm just saying it seems like you kind of were Fernando Totties Jr Has returned he had his fifth homer in yesterday's game now. We're talking magic numbers now the Padres magic number I believe to get the home-filled advantage via wild card is eight They win knows they win they get to eight that means they will host and they can get there with you know Losses from the Diamondbacks wins from them. You get to you get you gained two on that So this could happen quick. It could it could drag out to the very end That last series of the years certainly could hold even more weight cuz what's also at stake in that series is there is no definitive Tiebreaker on this one to pod they haven't played that series will decide the tiebreaker for the two That's that's also remember. That's a change from a couple years ago. There's no more 100 game 163. You got to finish it When the schedule ends I heard you and Don talking about that yesterday about how crazy it was that there was a one-game Play-off for some teams after a full season of 162. Yeah, it's good one shot It's funny now that we've been in this kind of format the last three years This is the it will be the third year It's really hard to imagine how we ever got to a point where we had a one-game playoff like Play all those games and then one game since you could send you pack in That's that's rough. That is rough. That's rough man, but nonetheless Padres magic number eight Looks like the Mets and D-backs are 12 and the Braves are 15. So There's not that many games Magic number for those guys like that the Mets are really annoying me I just I because they're just like pesky like they were so they were done earlier in the year and then they When I run people said they were done People would not if they went on a run and now they're looking at a wild card spot and they're not going away to Get the brace two games. I believe or three games ahead of the Braves two or three games ahead of the brains I'm not afraid so it may have changed a little bit the Reds were officially eliminated Tony if you needed to know that Yeah, I didn't because I assume that I assume that much there they're a game and a half back right now from the man so That one will continue to Develop here over the next few days as I said the Padres off today. We got Thursday night football jets new England Ah, I don't know how I feel about this game New England. Are they any good? They won they're one in one took Seattle to overtime jets are one in one jets are one-in-one. They beat Will Levis That's not really hard to do cuz you know, you mayonnaise man throwing a ball around I can't I believe that guy drinks his coffee with mayonnaise and that's not a joke. It's not a joke. It's really disgusting So you got that more baseball, but up next we're gonna get to break Steven Strasburg He'll join us to talk a little bit about what he's got going up on the Mesa Talk a little bit of what's happening in Major League baseball would check in with him to see what's going on with him and his fam More going to Chris on the other side 2 17 on the clock Tony good jr Matt Scrabie and now Steven Strasburg joins us here on Gwen and Chris and Steven and I go back a little bit of ways he played for my pops of San Diego State as you guys know, you know what you were supposed to Play the call when when you came in when we came in right there scrape. You know what I was supposed to play the call I got a lot going on right now Baseball the break I'm like this is this is really fun. We play this call often when When Chris is in the building. He's not in the building, but I feel like he would want us to play it for at least one time That's all we have to so we have I told you that We play this all the time because that was when you had the no-hitter and Chris was on the call I'm gonna go find the full call, but it's uh, it's something that Chris loves All that's one of his best memories. So welcome to the show Stephen. How you been man? I've been good Yeah, I just moved back here end of May so kids are getting settled into school and Yeah, it's it's just great being closer to family and you know, I think my heart's always been here in this in this city I mean obviously Being that you just moved back. I'm sure you've caught some of the wind of what's going down at Peko Park I mean, you're still you know relatively close removed from from this game But I'm sure you've been able to catch a little bit of it. What's been your thoughts? Watching the Padres do their thing. Yeah, I mean the the energy that's surrounding this town reminds me a lot of 2019 You know one of the one of the amazing things about everything that I was going through at the end of my career is that there Was just it made me realize how impactful that run was to the community and to kind of see You know the excitement see the sellout crowds on TV My nieces and nephews are all like hey turn. Let's turn on the Padres game You know, it's pretty special and you know, I think they're they're right in the thick of it here and you know We were talking earlier. I mean, it's October's already started for him. Yeah, you know, I'm kind of excited to plug in and watch from afar I think you know to your point, you know, you go back to 2019 and you guys go on that run If those who may not remember that year you guys got off to a pretty slow start and it came on late Just talk a little bit about Once it changed over for your guys as a team The energy that begins to build just talk a little bit about that as it and I'm bringing that up because we're watching a Padres team that seemingly kind of has Whatever it is that it factor. They have it right now. Yeah. Yeah. No, I think you know There was other years 2012 Was it 2014 like where we won the division and we had that by and like that was really hard because you weren't you know, we won it and we had regular season to play and then we had a buy and Now with this structure, it's kind of like you're have to be playing your best baseball right to the finish You know when we got the wild card game in 2019, you know, we I mean that rebound really started months earlier and it came to came to the point where we had just great Veterans on the team who really brought everybody together and we just pulled for each other. We were having fun We didn't know what was gonna happen We didn't know if we were gonna get in if we were gonna keep going It was just one pitch at a time and that was the goal It was just are we gonna win pitches? Are we gonna play the game the right way and really looking at that as a way to springboard and then, you know Go figure it takes one bad hop with Grisham, right and then it was like the rest is history So I mean you talk about one pitch, you know at a time I mean that's we pretty much hear that for Mike Schill on a daily basis I think people get frustrated with it But it's really how you have to look at things when you get to this time of year. We'll get to some more baseball stuff You know major league baseball stuff You're gonna be with us for a little bit. I want to talk a little bit about what has your attention now I mean both of us are our proud Aztecs and the college structure in itself is beginning to change a little bit and Just kind of talk a little bit about what? You've got going on what you're passionate about right now because I think it's it's pretty important Yeah, I think all this time, you know being on the east coast and being focused on my own career You know, I took a lot of pride I think one of the things the most often asked questions that I got as a professional from you know fellow teammates was What was it like playing for Tony Gwen? and I think that impact was really on a national stage and then you kind of see, you know the basketball program doing really well and You know, I was you know, there was I played with a lot of guys from SEC schools who showed that kind of pride And I think for me My parents being alumni coming from here getting a chance to play for my favorite player all time There's a desire in my heart to really, you know, help get help the baseball program in whatever way I can and You know, it's it's gonna be a multifaceted approach and I think the NIL Era is has a lot of influence and we'll see how it all shakes up but right now it's just trying to re-engage with the alumni get them back together and Seeing where we can take this thing I I'm firm believer that all the pieces are in place for the San Diego State Baseball to be a national contender yearning you're out Yeah, I mean it's something I think we've all at least thought at some point at while we were there and Since we've been gone because there's no doubt the talent is is is here now Sean Cole is the the head coach at San Diego State We had him on last week to talk a little bit about the decision for the Aztecs to move to the Pac-12 Which we'll start here what 2026. I believe it is. Yeah, twenty six twenty twenty six Have you had conversations with with with with a coach Cole? Yeah, I've had a a lot of lengthy Conversations with Sean and I think his heart's in the right place and you know I really believe that you know He really wants to see this program get to the next level and that's all you can really ask for is Somebody who's committed to the program and that who wants to be there like this is their dream job You know, I know it was Tony's dream job and I think that's what the program deserves You know, as far as as far as my involvement. I kind of just told him. I said, hey, like I'm moving back I got you know three girls and I'm busy with that But if you need me to come down and work with some guys, I'll be there and really for me It's just about creating this this infrastructure this network and getting these guys back connected That's one thing that you know one thing I looked forward to for years Was that you know season was over whenever it was then I'd come back and I'd be there for the Aztec baseball Golf tournament and I get a chance to see a bunch of guys and then you know a couple years ago I started to hear that I was like, oh, we weren't they're not doing it anymore and so that's that's why I kind of decided to like springboard it myself and you know, we're we're starting one on November 15th out at Steel Canyon and Really just trying to get the community back involved and get give them a chance to know the current program and support that program November 15th you guys heard it that I will certainly be there This is a for for Aztecs out there This is important and I think the thing that you and I have spoke about on a couple different occasions But it spoke about a little bit earlier before we came on. This isn't you're looking for small small dollar donors in this we're not It's not a you know pull out your checkbook and give us whatever give us everything that you got this is This is kind of how some of these NIO programs are built is off of these small dollar Kind of donations correct. Yeah, I mean San Diego stayed. There's 500,000 living alumni and I would like to think growing up here in San Diego. I obviously know how impactful your dad's legacy is and Super special for me to be able to give back and hopefully Get Tony Gwen Stadium in a place that really honors his legacy and that's the ultimate goal for me right now Is to you know have something there to give back to the current players and set them up for success in the long term We'll do our best to get the information out, you know moving forward, but Certainly something I think both of us find important and and we'll keep pushing To try to keep the word going now Let's talk a little bit about your experience at San Diego State because clearly it's it's pretty important to you I think it's part of the part of the reason why you decided to make this move Talk a little bit about your time at San Diego State and and and why it was so Impactful and important to you. Yeah, I mean it was there was a major transfer transformation that happened when I was there You know growing up as a as a kid my dad would always take me to San Diego State baseball game So I mean I remember you know when deets was coaching there. I remember watching you Royce ring and herring all these guys that you just kind of like idolize as a kid and To have that opportunity number one to wear the red and black and number two to play for Your dad who was my favorite player and my freshman year was the year he got inducted in the Hall of Fame You know, it's just it's really near and dear to my heart You know, and I think I think the San Diego community as a whole, you know, they're very much attached to Tony Gwen he's kind of synonymous with San Diego and You know, I think just coming back here. It just shows that you know baseball Like this is a baseball town now. Yeah, you know, I was on the east coast Chargers left and you know, even you know, I played fantasy football now, and it's like, you know I'm not really like a Chargers fan. Even though I like the Harbaugh hire but you know, this is a baseball town and I'd like to think that San Diego State baseball is You know almost like the little brother of the Padres and especially with that connection to Tony talk about your transformation Because I don't think a lot of people know this. I mean, I think a lot of people came on to this scene when you were, you know Sophomore junior and you were making all the noise, but it wasn't easy for you when you got to San Diego State No, and I mean it's it just goes down to the culture that your dad created You know, I was coming as a freshman. I was like 30 pounds overweight I mean, I was I wasn't a terrible high school player. My numbers weren't very good but, you know, I went from 88 to 90. I feel like I could command the baseball command a breaking ball and Just literally got punched in the face week one Never worked out before This is no joke, and it was the easy route would have been like this just isn't for me But you know, I one of the guys that was really influential when I was there was Bruce Billings He was a senior at the time, and I distinctly remember this moment where you know I'm throwing up in the ice plane. I'm not getting through the running and these upperclassmen are They come over and like they're like they're carrying me they're carrying making sure I finish the lap and You know that was really eye-opening to me because that's like the true sense of team Yeah, is that you know, you're only as strong as your weakest link, and I didn't want to be that weak link I wanted to prove to them that I was there for them And I had their back and that's where we're really motivated me to just put in all the extra work And you know those are things that you can control like I can't control that you know that led to me throwing much harder And that you know, but at the same time. It's like you know you have to look back on every single Moment in your playing career and just ask yourself did I do everything that I possibly could right? And if you if you honestly say you did then you can live with the outcome That is is such an interesting thing because even the part after you decide it I didn't want to be the weak link it still was some time in between that time and the guy you became the following year, correct? Yeah, I mean they you know rusty filter was there and You know it started out. I remember we went up to like Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a three-game series I didn't have a role and You know, we kind of got knocked around up there And then you know Bruce Billings was the closer at the time and then they basically made the choice like he needs to come back in the rotation and Rusty told me he's like hey, I think you're gonna you're gonna be our closer and I don't care like we're not pulling the job from you you go out there and give it everything you have and It really just helped me slowly. I'm not at the time. I didn't understand it Yeah, there's things out there that you can control as a pitcher How you you know, how you go about your business out there, you know your mountain presence? That was a big thing that you know they were working on me with it wasn't just results based right the results were gonna be what they're gonna be and One of the things that I really you know He they harped on me was just keeping the team in the ballgame not trying to be perfect They didn't expect me to go out there and strike out the side every time It was just doing the little things attacking the strike zone all the things that you you can do on a daily basis And then you can just live with the results. Sometimes they'll be good Sometimes they won't but that's that's baseball and you know, that's you know, I guess a thing that really I leaned on You know in 2019 as well. It kind of really stuck with me all those years Stephen Strasburg with us for at least another segment. We're gonna get into more baseball a lot of a lot of new questions about baseball that I haven't got a chance to talk to you about that I want to kind of get your perspective on what talking more Padres a lot more to come here on Gwen and Chris Yes, indeed that was the no hitter thrown by Stephen Strauss, but what year is that? Nine that was my last my last start at Tony Gwen stadium 2009 You know what I remember about that year was I got traded from Milwaukee to San Diego that year and I remember like the first It might so it would have been in May, which I think would have been Post-season for you. I think you guys played Virginia. Yeah, I think we I think you started the day I got my first start as a Padre on the road in Colorado But he had it up on the screen and you know, it was going well when I walked out and he came back I'll never forget I didn't give up not to to my own heart and too much I didn't give up very many home runs in college But one of them my last one was to fill Gosselin in that Virginia game and he like hit the scoreboard on it And I always tell myself like oh that guy made the big leagues like he must have been pretty good Yeah Yeah, Steven Strasburg joins us here just talking a little bit about San Diego State and some of the things he has going and of Course the Padres and everything they have gone Right now in the midst of I think one of their best seasons It may not end up that way in terms of how many wins the Padres end up getting this year I think the the record is 98 or 99 the 98 team. I think has the most wins in franchise history Obviously, you know, they can't get there. I mean, they could if they went out, but I Still think this is gonna go down as one of the better seasons from start to finish Steven you grew up here in San Diego. You obviously spent your entire career with the Nationals Are you torn at all watching these games? I mean, there's I know there's a closet Padre fan in there as there was for me as you because you know you're no longer playing. Yeah, yeah, I think You know when it gets to this time of year you just start to Follow the teams that are kind of like I can I can imagine that they're going through what we went through Yeah, and you know, you pull for them. I mean, I'm always I mean, I was an underdog, you know, I pull for the underdog So I think watching this it just really brings back those really vivid memories and how you know it's it's almost like you remember the feeling but you don't remember anything's any specific thing that happened and you know that that kind of like gets the juices flowing for me just watching these games here and you know, they have a good test coming up and But you know, I mean, that's that's playoff baseball, you know, it starts now and you know, it's all about doing like the little things I think you know from my experience. It was, you know teams change like the top teams the ones who really go far I look back on the you know the Giants when they're making those runs and you know as a pitcher facing them I want to say it was like for 2014 You know, you're facing a really good lineup and it's like, you know, but these guys they do the little things They do they're gonna grind on you every single pitch talk about that a little bit I bring it up often when I'm doing the radio or I'm the chances I get a chance to do the TV games When a lineup is consistently going seven eight nine pitches, not just one guy But four or five guys in the lineup that do it How does what kind of stress does that put on you as a as a pitcher? Well, I just think it's like every every mistake is like compounded, you know as a pitcher You're always gonna leave pitches over the plate It compounds in the sense that like when you're facing hitters that keep the game simple and they're just trying to keep the line moving You know, that's a single up the metal. That's a single up the metal That's not a, you know trying to trying to hit one in the gap and fly flying out, right? So there's it's it's really like every every inning becomes the ninth I think you see that where you know You can go as a starting pitcher and you can get away with pitches But then it almost seems like the good teams and the good hitters in the ninth They hit like another gear and that's the best way I can describe it is that you know It's it's the ninth inning from the first inning on I always described playoff baseball as pitchers everybody's more focused and so the the you if let's say you're getting a ball in a half of pitches in the middle of a plate during a regular season that goes down to one and and Hit hitters are spitting on pitches that maybe in the regular season. They might offer it But did you notice the same thing in your experience a hundred percent? You know, I mean, it's just it's you know It's so fine-tuned to where it's like you can sit out there and try and be perfect And I think that's the natural tendency and that gets you completely out of like the frame of mind that got you there in the first place And it's like, you know, that's that's the thing. It's like these good teams It's like they know their identity they pull for each other and it's like when it comes crunch time Like you're doing the little things correctly and it's just really simplifying the game as best as you can And not necessarily feeling like there's any added pressure on each pitch It's just hey as you know, I'm going out there and I'm executing this pitch I'm gonna execute this and I know you know if I can do that 70 out of, you know, 95 100 pitches, I'm gonna be okay And if the scoreboard looks bad, then I can live with that one more I know you don't like talking about yourself, but I have a I have a lot of questions about you know, especially that year did Do you hear the noise prior to that last start? Are going into that series against the Astros? You know the noise around Stephen Strasburg has been I will he doesn't even need that willing to step into the fold here When it would it really can't did you hear that and how did you channel that after if if you did at all? Yeah, I think you know that that was kind of something that carried me like through my whole career and I was like, you know, it's there You know, I think it also goes back to just kind of them making the really tough decision when I blew out my elbow To say hey like you're not gonna pitch in the playoffs. I was young I was just kind of like I don't know what's going on But it's like now every opportunity that they're that you're there from a personal perspective It's like it gets magnified and you know, I would say that was kind of like You know a turning point in my career You know, I feel like that there was you know some injuries I was right in the high and the low and then I finally got to this point where it's like I was on it I made it to the end, you know, that was the biggest thing is is like can I be upright in September, right? Right, and you know, I was able to do that, and I just really loved the teammates that I had there Gerardo Para, Annabel Sanchez, you know, we had a young Juan Soto who was great there Throwing the young goams Kurt Suzuki You know those guys just like you want to play for him, right? and I just wanted to go out there and and leave it all out there on the table and You know if it didn't work it didn't work But man those guys like there was so many points in that In that in that playoff run where I got bailed out and you know, they can sit there and say oh world series MVP I was like well those my teammates they helped you to pick you up You know, I would ever have happened if it wasn't for all these I mean how he Kendrick, you know, it's like you look back on all the big hits that he had it's Wouldn't have happened otherwise you brought up one of my favorite guys to watch it in Juan Soto Did you did was it a pretty apparent the moment he got called up that he was gonna be this good? Yeah, I think because he made a jump like he was double a right. I only I think it was high a high a I think you're right he he was tearing it up down there and You know a lot of times when you get a guy called up It's like the game's like sped up, you know, like guys breaking pitches are sharper like there They're hitting their spots better and there's an adjustment period and the thing that I noticed early on with one was just his plate discipline was off the charts and You know, that's that's one thing that you know, you see from the young guys It's like all right. They might be guessing and they might be trying to keyhole you in certain counts But Juan's just seeing the baseball and reacting. Yeah, so that's that's very very special skill. He's very special from that standpoint Here's one it just kind of popped up. I mean Paul schemes kind of reminds me a little bit of what you went through Well, if if if you haven't spoke to him if you had a chance to speak on would you have what kind of advice would you have for him? Yeah, I mean, I think it's funny because I was kind of at the early stage of like the next, you know, let's hype up every prospect, right? Yeah, and I just looking from afar. It's like you don't you know I didn't I didn't really understand what was going on at the time I was young and I was like I didn't I felt really uncomfortable being in the clubhouse and being around these guys that I Idolized these veterans. I mean, I'm throwing the pub draught Riga's as a rookie And it was just weird to me. It didn't really set all the attention was on. You had these beds that been in there for a while it's just you know, it's easy to be you know labeled the savior of the franchise and You know, that's a lot of weight that you have to put on that you could put on yourself but I would say just like you just have to enjoy it like there's going to be highs there's going to be lows and it's all about just Finding those ways to get better every single day like this is just a long career, you know his next start It's not just that start like there's many more starts down the road and just really look at it from the perspective Like, you know, this is going to be a long career And I just want to know at the end of the day that I you know turned over every stone and I gave it everything I possibly could now Stephen you were built up old-fashioned, right? We talked a little bit about getting in the weight room kind of changing your whole body structure really How much analytics did you actually get to? Participate in if you will and how much did you like it or or didn't like it? Yeah, I think that the analytics part especially from pitching You know, one of the things that you know, I had a pitching coach Steve McCatty early on in my career And he would always talk about paralysis by analysis And I think with that when you get young guys, I think it's very easy To have the analytics part change who you are as a pitcher and what makes you successful Um, you know, I would use more so just like the data on a frisk from a scouting perspective. Yeah, um, you know The biggest thing is is that like, you know When you're in college and you only give up like a couple home runs in a three-year career And then you get, you know, clip the few times You're like, oh man, like this is this doesn't this doesn't feel right And so the immediate thing is to like start to tinker and start to change and then you start to Oh, I need to throw 60 pitches in the bullpen in between and then I got to figure it out And you know, when you have a long career, you start to realize that you're going to give up home runs And then you know, when you know, you're going to give up home runs It's how can you, you know, pick out where your outs are in the lineup? Um, how can you stay away from slug? And you know, that's really the thing that that really helped me Um, was just trying to stay away from slug, you know, and it's like really using my Pitches and my sequences to keep keep the ball in the yard And then give it off the give it off the sweet part of the back Yeah, and and you know, but at the same time when you got two strikes like know how to punch a guy out You know, don't don't wait around don't you know mess around. It's like boom put them away You know, you came up you mentioned you came up pretty quickly after you got drafted And you did have a lot of the eyeballs on you and listen having been in club houses I know that that could Rub people the wrong way to to know open to no bad doing on your own Who were like your mentors when you came up like who were the guys that kind of put their arm around you? Yeah, well, I would say, you know, obviously, um Brian zimmerman zim was was great and he's always more like the quiet type and then yeah, you know, but he was he was Always there to keep the include you with a lot of the stuff like, you know away from the field a lot of the team building things um I would say like the the one guy who like we kind of like our personality is like he's got a very dry sense of humor But as i've gotten older i've learned to like accept it and like enjoy it, but jordan zimmerman I can see he is a character and You know, our his his family and my family are still really close They were out out here for 4th of july with us and we're already talking about planning another trip together But uh, you know, he was a guy that like, you know as as a young pitcher I mean he kept it very very simple and it was just he had that bulldog mentality And it was like i'm gonna make you beat me And um, that's something that you know at the end of the day like if you go out there and do that like you can you can take it You know, it's not like, you know, second guess man. I should have thrown that pitch. I saw on that It's like it doesn't matter whichever one you're committed to and you have the most conviction with um Lot of oh scrape you got your hand there. Sorry. I'm sorry Over go ahead. No, i'm i'm in some weird world over there watching a great conversation from in studio, but my question we we talked about Paul skeins and we have a Pretty good chance at rookie of the year here in san diego. I'm not going to ask you to choose who's going to win But what is jackson maryll showed you this year in his rookie year and leading the team playing center Yeah, I mean it's it's a hard thing to do. I I think when you get the first taste of You know going through to the finish line, especially when you come from you know short and minor league season or like with with skeins Like college season and stuff that you know, there's there's going to be some You know, I guess physical breakdown at some point but when you're staying consistent with that and you've kind of proven that You know you belong You know, that's that's one thing that you know, it's it doesn't come along very often and in a way I feel like it's you know, it can be that could be a little bit harder from a position player standpoint because You know starting pitcher like you can go out there and be lights out But you're pitching once every five days five six days and you know when you start to like change the rotation around just for a Long-term health perspective like those position players they're they're grinding they're playing through injuries and uh to be able to have that You know professional Sense and like feel to still go out there and perform You know, it's impressive when you see a guy that young be able to do that. Yeah I mean the one thing we haven't had to have had to have a discussion of is health. He's been available every every single game A lot of injuries With pitchers this year some of the some of the best pitchers in our game have missed a year be due to injury. I mean You see it guys are throwing harder than they ever have you can kind of start at that trend as as well um Is there a remedy to to this? I mean there was a time you and I both grew up in an era watching Aces face each other often and it was like the it was like the game to watch We don't have that as much I mean you get a match up like yesterday with fronber and dylan Those seem to be far and few in between it. Is there a remedy for this? I know you've seen some of the conversation about major league baseball. Maybe You know legislating this into the game somehow. I mean, what are your thoughts on it? Yeah, I mean I think The game of baseball like it's in its purest form is doesn't require, you know outside elements to You know control it almost It's tough to say. I mean that's such a hard question to answer. That's the puzzle piece that I've been I looked for in my entire career, you know You know, I think one of the things going up was that You know, I idolize those guys that you know, we're eating innings or innings eaters right and you don't you don't see those guys valued anymore You know one of the guys that you know I got a chance to work with in the off season was james shields When I was coming back here in san diego for the off seasons and You know, I just I just thought that that was one thing where I just like man Those guys are just pitching through everything like they are reliable. They are going out there every five days And they're and they're going deep I don't know if it's analytics, you know, they I did start to see where it's like, oh, you know This guy can't face the lineup the third time through It's it's hard to say if Guys are being rushed to the big leagues because they throw hard and they're dominating Hitters and maybe that they haven't really understood how to pitch and they're more throwers Um You know, it's it's a tough call, you know, I think You know, I think the game's just changed in that aspect and I don't really know if it's wherever you're going to see it again Yeah, I know that's what the league is clamoring for at some point But you're right. Yeah Once it's almost like we say the the toothpaste is out of the tube already It's I don't know that you can put it back in Uh, we run a little short on time. Chris scrap. You got something. I got one more It's about it's about like the pitch clock and all these different Things that have come about after you left the game But like would you have been in favor of a pitch clock because I think at first Many people thought it was going to be awkward. It was going to be weird, but we've all gotten used to it So what are your thoughts on things like the pitch clock? Um, you can be honest. Yeah, I think I think the pitch clock is controversial I think it's one of those things that was like Kind of pointless to me. I think if you know as a pitcher It's like you want to pitch at a fast tempo, you know, the hitter wants to slow the game down but at this like There's been some instances obviously where there's been a pitch clock violation and it's really messed up the outcome of the game And I think that's not right from a personal perspective You know, that's the difference about baseball compared to any other sport. There is no clock. Yeah, and um, that's You know, I think I think if you allow the players as a whole to police it themselves You know, and I think that's where you can't police it yourself anymore But you know for me It's like pitch clock didn't really come into factor because I can you're trying out to To go out there and given this repetitive tempo and that tempo is fast because you want to have the The the hitter almost be on the defensive right not in the offensive You're 100% right. I mean that was the game. It was he's gonna try to go quick I'm gonna try to go slow so I can kind of think this out who's gonna win that that that cat and mouse mark mark burly through Like a two-hour and five-minute complete game against this one time and it was just like rapid fire here it is Hit it sinker sinker ground ball ground ball and I was like man that was a quick game strong. Give us the uh Give us the website. Yeah, it's uh Aztec alumni dot com Sign up sheet is open for the golf tournament on november 15th And uh, yeah, I would love everybody to come out and support the the baseball program Um, you know, I I believe it can go to some great heights here and uh really honor honor your dad You know, he's uh, he's got a special place in my heart and you always will yeah He definitely considered you a second son steven. Uh, appreciate you coming on man. We'll uh, make sure we get the word out for sure - Appreciate it. - Morgan and Chris on the other side. (upbeat music)