GBag Nation
Texas Rangers Player's Show w/ Rangers Pitcher Cody Bradford
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Tell 'em that your girl Tasha McKeea sent you, the sharpest ride, affordable, sexy, sharp. This podcast is brought to you by Men's Tea Clinic. Men's Tea Clinic is the team I trust with my total wellness optimization, and so should you. Five DFW locations with North Frisco, Eldorado Parkway at Dallas, North Tolway, now open. Call 972-go-men's tea or visit Men's Tea Clinic.com. Dear Autumn Leaves, you won't be covering roads alone this season. Toyota's lineup of cool, colorful vehicles is ready to ride by your side. Take on fall in a trail tackling Tacoma, or go for the powerful Tundra. Head to toyota.com for more info, or visit your local Toyota dealership today. Toyota, let's go places. Yeah, buddy, welcome back, it is the G-back nation on 1053, the fannet is time now for the Rangers player show here on your home of the champs, 1053, the fan segment is brought to you by soda that's stayed in the yard. It's brought to you by the Frankel's Life is Unpredictable accidents happen. If you are a loved one is in an accident due to somebody's negligence, call the Frankel's for a free consultation, it's 214 or 817-333-3333. Jump online to FrankelFirm.com also brought to you by cars for kids, donate today, carsforkids.org. The Rangers player show is presented by Golden Chick and by Globe Life. Everyone has beneficiaries, not everyone has life insurance, Globe Life, who's your beneficiary as Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford joins you now here on the fan. A good afternoon sir, how the heck are you? Hey, thanks for having me. Well, it's great to have you, you know, I think we talked to you in spring training and you start the season 3-0, a 1-4-0 ERA, then your back starts hurting, what were you thinking right then? Yeah, I'm not really sure what to think, you know, it's kind of a weird deal last starting in Oakland. I guess earlier in the year came out, like you all said, it was the third start and woke up the next morning and my back was just totally locked up and turned around and my wife was like, babe, something's wrong, like something, this does not feel like normal day after tightness and went in and got it checked out and kind of just had all the findings of a strained muscle or something in my back and a couple of days went by, didn't get any better, got a MRI the next week, showed some inflammation. So like, all right, let's put a little, you know, steroid shot in there, see if that calms the muscles down, did that a week later, still no, not much progress and kind of we're all, me and the trainers and just scratching our head like, what's going on here? This is kind of weird and got some more imaging done and figured out after all it's a rib stress fracture. How that happens, I have no idea, it's just, I guess, wear and tear from pitching is what I've been told and just kind of a freak deal, but the team doc already said, yeah, all my time in the in baseball, I've never seen this one before. So there you go. A real, a real unicorn there was at the most pain is at the most physical baseball pain you've ever experienced. Um, it's got to be up there. I mean, I broke my nose the kid one time in T ball, I heard pretty bad, but maybe it's because I was about six years old too. Did you, did you ever have like a nasty bat or was it always pitching for you? Um, I was never a great hitter. There was a reason I was a Po in college and then a Po towards the end of high school. I was not gifted to hit baseballs. Were you ever able to identify the moment? You know, the great home run hitter, Sammy Sosa, he suffered a broken bone in his back once after sneezing. Yeah, I heard about that actually, I heard it was a rib or something, I think, and, uh, I don't know. I never felt it on a pitch for say, like there was never a snap or crack or anything. It was really after the game, I felt fine. And then the next morning I woke up and my whole back was locked up. So I don't know if it was I slept weird on it or if it was just something that happened overnight or like, I don't know. I don't know. I don't have answers for that. I guess. Well, you got to be feeling pretty good out there now. Is that all that, all that behind you? Yeah, a lot better and the Rangers did a great job with the medical staff. I went out to Arizona for a month to rehab and I'm getting a good routine out there and then came back and, um, you know, praise the Lord. My body's holding up now and, um, able to help the team out again. As it pertains to your preparation, I hear you're a pretty detailed dude, like, do you keep a journal? Uh, do you take notes of all these different hitters and stuff that you're going up against? Yeah, I do. Um, I mean, I appreciate that. Anytime somebody, you know, recognizes detail oriented, I'm appreciative of that. But, uh, not all of us throw a hundred. So I'm not the guy that can just go up there and be like, Hey, I'm going to throw my best two pitches today and roll the dice and see how it goes and dominate. You know, I definitely have to do my homework. And so being the student of the game, taking notes on hitters, um, doing a little bit more advanced scouting, um, all plays a big hand and certainly for me, um, trying to be successful at the big level. Cody, when you talk about your notes, is it one of those things where you kind of sit in the dugout and quietly do it while the game's going on or is it something that you go back and maybe with an iPad, when you're sitting in your hotel room at night and something like that, you go through it then is it, how do you, how do you get to your, uh, to your study? How do you get through it? Yeah. I think it's, it's, it's paying good attention to guys who pitch similar to you, um, before you do. And so for me, I know last year when I was in the bullpen, I would really watch Martin Perez and, uh, Andrew Heaney pitch a lot. And generally speaking, I'd really watch how Andrew through where and how he used his four team and his change up and then Martin, that's how he used his curveball or I guess he calls it a slider and his, um, his basketballs do and just kind of paying attention and seeing what works on other hitters to guys who are similar to you during the game and then after the game, obviously going in and doing some more advanced scouting, um, on my laptop and in the hotel room before games to kind of look through, um, some of the heat maps. I mean, the amount of data that's available on guys today, you can really have analysis paralysis and just get lost in weeds and stuff. But if you find something that works for you, um, that's, that's all that matters. Yeah. I'm interested in this. Do they, with all the detail that you go through, when you go through a scouting report, say maybe the day you're pitching, do they have to tailor it different to you because of the amount of work you do put in? No, I don't, I don't think so. I don't think it's, it's tailored any different from the amount of prep the starting pitcher does. It helps when, um, you know, the player comes ready to the meeting with, um, the pitching coach and the catcher and, you know, they come ready with their notes and I come with my notes and, you know, oh, wow, lo and behold, the notes match up and, you know, this guy is a, you know, struggles on her balls or whatever. It's like, that just gives me more, um, confidence to execute pitches out on the mound. I mean, I think at the end of the day, Mike Maddox tells us what's the hardest thing to do in baseball as a pitcher is to trust your stuff. And so when I'm going through these scouting reports, yeah, I'm trying to pick apart the hitter and see what's going to work, but I'm also trying to be confident. Hey, I know that I can throw my 88, 90 mile on our fastball to this part of the zone and be successful. And that just gives me confidence to execute that pitch when I need to. It's Cody Bradford here with you on your home of the Rangers. Is it that kind of hard work and that that got you valedictorian in high school or was it something else? Um, yeah, hard work does go a long way in high school. Um, you know, we've got, I gave me great parents that helped me along the way and an older sister to kind of, um, cut the tone and she was a really good student, um, in high school. And of course she helped me out too. And so I think, uh, you know, just can move between up and, and, and support you in whatever you do, um, give you the confidence to, to work hard. Cody, I was, I'm not as smart as you are, but does that require a speech? Did you have to give a speech? Yeah, I didn't, I didn't give a speech. I didn't. Did you stress over that? Did you have to stretch over your speech? I did. I'm, I'm not a great public speaker. Uh, so yeah, I, I was pretty nervous. I definitely sweated through my shirt. Big graduation. Now, I've seen some of these valedictorian races go down to the wire. Like, was it were you, were you thinking about this quite a bit there at the end? Or did you kind of win in a landslide? Uh, I'm, I don't really know. I know, uh, the guy who came in second, his name was Austin de Bransky. Me and him were, I know we're, we're up at the top, you know, kind of all the way through high school and, and competing with one another. But I don't know how close it was at the end, but it was definitely, it was definitely a goal. I don't want to, I don't want to, we got our first, uh, transcript back like freshman or sophomore year with class ranks on it. I was so shocked to be number one beside my name. Now, De Bransky sounds like he might be a football player. Yeah. What was De Bransky? What's he doing nowadays? Brainiac linebacker. Yeah. He, he was a, he was a, uh, he was an Aggie. So I don't know. I, I haven't done a good job of keeping up with some of those guys, but I hope he's doing well. I hope he didn't become one of those yellow eaters or something. Yeah. Yeah. False grace for no ranski. Cody, is it, is it annoying at all being a local guy? Uh, is everybody asking you like what's going on with the team or are we going to start winning again? No, it's not annoying at all. I think it's, it's a true honor gas to pitch for the hometown team and it's like I, I didn't even dream dreams this big when I was a kid and, uh, super grateful for the opportunity that this org's given me and, uh, the trust that they give me and taking a starting role for right now. And, uh, you know, when people ask, you used to, not, not too many people ask, any, what's going on with the team weren't, why isn't so and so doing this or that? Why aren't we winning game? When are we going to world, with the world series? And a lot of it's, um, it's just, uh, people love to support and I've been really surprised that all the support that people have shown. Yeah. Just wear your ring and when they ask that question to you, just show them the ring and then move on. You know the kind of a thing? That's would be like, you know, when they ask you questions, just hold up your hand with the ring on and just, and then they go, Oh, okay, I get it. And then you just can kind of move on that buys you, that buys you all the space you need right there. Right. That's right. That's right. So what were you dreaming about? It looks like you went to Baylor and got a degree in supply chain management. What were you going to do, you think? I, to be honest, I don't know what I was going to do. I know what I wanted to do, um, before I wanted to go to college as an engineer. And, uh, first day of summer school, um, when they had the baseball team come in, I was a mechanical engineer at Baylor and, uh, the joke is the second day of summer school. I was a business major. So, uh, switch majors real quick, went into the first class and realized, yeah, I don't know, thought I knew a lot about calculus in high school, but I wasn't near on the level that some of those other guys were in that class. So, um, but I wanted to work at SpaceX, um, coming out of high school, baseball didn't work out. And, uh, hopefully, um, you know, I may, may not get that opportunity and may not need that opportunity, but, uh, God's provided for my wife than I, uh, in baseball right now. And then that's where we're meant to be. So coming out of high school, dominant numbers, how did you not get drafted with? Did you tell them I'm going to college no matter what? Uh, no, I don't, I don't really think getting scouts reached out to maybe one, one guy, maybe from like the eighties or something. But now I popped out at like 87 or 88 in high school. So good numbers, but just, just not the, the wild. The seasons may be changing, but the deals and the sharpest rides are unbeatable as ever. Hey, what's going on? It's your girl, Tasha McKia. And I need you to join the sharpest rides for their fall into savings event, where they're offering incredible prices on their massive inventory. That's right. Everything is on sale now, shot from sleek sedans to rugged SUVs and sporty convertibles. The sharpest rides has the perfect ride to match your fall adventures, plus with their exclusive financing options, getting behind the wheel of your dream car has never been easier. Log on and shop online at the sharpestrides.com right from the palm of your hands, or check other massive inventory in person at the sharpest rides located 2,250 South Sea Home Street in Inglewood. Either way, you will fall into savings. Don't miss out. Head forward to the sharpestrides.com today and explore the deals that make every season better. And tell them that your girl, Tasha McKia sent you, the sharpest ride, affordable, sexy, sharp. Dear Autumn Leaves, you won't be covering roads alone this season. Toyota's lineup of cool, colorful vehicles is ready to ride by your side. Keep on fall in a trail tackling Tacoma, or go for the powerful Tundra. Head to Toyota.com for more info, or visit your local Toyota dealership today. Toyota, let's go places. Hey NFL fans, you can start the season with a big return on FanDool, America's number one sportsbook. So when you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you can check out the latest stats, new live play-by-play and so much more on the same page where you place your bets. You'll get started with $200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place your first $5 bet. That's fandool.com/sportsfan. Never waste a hunch and make every moment more with FanDool, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL. Must be 21 plus and present in Colorado. First online real money weights are only $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued is now a throwable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. Three terms at sportsbook.fandool.com, gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700. But, you know, not the draft ability and the project ability that guys wanted. How to get in the weight room? Yeah, I definitely needed college to develop physically. I absolutely needed that. Inside baseball here, we have a texture that has shown some love to your elite extension. How much work goes into that for you, Cody, because it is pretty dang impressive. Yeah, that's just kind of, to me, a benign stat that I learned that I somehow have really good extension. My first year pro ball didn't know a lot about analytics and the more I paid attention and watched and asked questions, the sooner I realized, "Wow, the reason my 89-91 on our basketball works is because I have really good extension." So, it plays up. It looks like our least of all close to home plate. 90 miles on our plate is like 92 or 93 or 94. I don't really know, but it appears it gets on the hitter quicker. And, nothing I really worked on, that's just kind of been my mechanics, I guess, through my whole life. But, it's probably also one of the reasons I don't necessarily throw harder is because there's some mechanical things that go into that. And so, actually, it's my belief that if I was able to shorten that up a little bit, probably build the throw a little bit harder, but to sacrifice effectiveness, I don't know if it would be worth it at this point. Cody, is that have to do with flexibility too? Your ability to the way you push off and then get to your plant foot, is that something that plays this guy? Big boy, the yoga guy, right? Is that a play? Yeah. I like to think I'm pretty flexible, but compared to where some other people, I'm definitely not. Sure. You know, I don't know, that's a good question. I don't know if it is a flexibility. I think it's just kind of how the arm naturally unwinds and the motion and how the body works coming home. Yeah. Well, Cody, they say to be a great pitcher in the major leagues, you got to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I got a good feeling I'm going to make you uncomfortable here for a second, but I'd like to play a game with you. I got three seconds of analysis. One of your teammates is being described here, one of your current Rangers teammates. Can you guess the teammate that is being described? Okay, I'm going to play you some sound and then you guess. Okay. All right. Here it is. You know, what he's got working there between the knee and the waist is pretty impressive. Can you play that again? Absolutely. You know, what he's got working there between the knee and the waist is pretty impressive. Oh my gosh. Okay. You want me to name a teammate? Guess the teammate. Guess the teammate. Yes, sir. Yeah. I'm going to say why Langford. Oh my gosh, how do you feel right now? I feel like I just won the lottery. Thanks Cody. Give him hell. We'll be pulling for you. All right. There he is. Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford. He freaking nailed it. That's awesome. He knew who Sam's was talking about and yeah, the Rangers player show brought you by Golden Chick and globe life. Everyone has beneficiaries. Not everyone has life insurance globe life. Who's your beneficiary? Yeah. And we're going to give him some pluckers wings for getting the answer. Right. How about that? $100 gift certificate. Got eight pluckers in the DFW location. So thank you for Cody for making that happen for us today. Eight pluckers and one. Crusty. There you go. Coming up next. Where are we taking it? Yeah, let me talk about some of these guys the Cowboys are looking at and maybe a couple of guys that they put on this wave or why we'll do that next. The seasons may be changing, but the deals at the sharpest rides are unbeatable as ever. Hey, what's going on? It's your girl Tasha McKeea and I need you to join the sharpest rides for their fall into savings event where they're offering incredible prices on their massive inventory. That's right. Everything is on sale now. From sleek sedans to rugged SUVs and sporty convertibles. The sharpest rides has the perfect ride to match your fall adventures plus with their exclusive financing options, getting behind the wheel of your dream car has never been easier. Log on and shop online at the sharpestrides.com right from the palm of your hands or check other massive inventory in person at the sharpest rides located 22 50 South Sea home street in Inglewood. Either way, you will fall into savings. If you miss out, head on over to the sharpestrides.com today and explore the deals that make every season better. And tell them that your girl Tasha McKeea sent you the sharpest ride, affordable, sexy, sharp. Dear Autumn Leaves, you won't be covering roads alone this season. Toyota's lineup of cool, colorful vehicles is ready to ride by your side. Click on fall in a trail tackling Tacoma, or go for the powerful Tundra. Head to Toyota.com for more info or visit your local Toyota dealership today. Toyota, let's go places. 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