Pitch And Moan: Catching Up With The Padres

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Yeah, there should be some passion.

This doesn't have to be boring.

You're doing good for my business.

I don't think the game needs more people like you.

Do I have proof?

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It's looking better than Daniel Barr.

It's TVL here.

It's all to the market.

This is Brock Cole.

Hey, this is John Lester.

Baseball.

Baseball is important.

Welcome to Baseball is important.

It is such a pleasure to finally be in the presence of one of the biggest

pain in the ass piranhas from the Minnesota twins days.

And my good friend Nick Punto.

Nick, how the hell are you?

I'm doing fabulous.

I haven't heard that word in the long time.

Ozzy, Ian, piranhas.

I had to drop that in because I got to say those twins days.

As you know, you guys were giant, giant pains in the asses for the white socks.

Yeah, we had some good years.

They got there.

They had their year at 05.

But we definitely had some good run-ins with them over the years.

Every year, it seemed like it came down the white socks or tigers or twins for all my years there in Minnesota.

Now, I was actually not to bring a bad memories.

But I was present when you, I think you separated your shoulder.

Oh, my gosh.

Do you remember that game?

I do.

Willie Harris.

Yeah.

A little drag month.

Yes.

I need to get with him.

Yes.

And I try to make this common cosy play.

Yeah.

Cellular one.

And, yeah, snap my clavicle.

Oh, and I will say that I was there for that.

And I felt as much as you were pain in the ass.

Yeah.

I'm like, I can't see this.

This is terrible.

Oh, you're a good person.

I try to.

I try to.

I try to spread that around.

You're a great fan and a good person.

I'll see you spread that around.

I was like, that's what I love to hear.

So who were the refreshers, everybody?

Who the piranhas were?

Who just called you guys?

I mean, so Ozzy G syntyn was, you know, we obviously had the meat of our order was incredible

with Joe Mow, or Justin Moreno, Michael Kaddai, and Jason godumn, young.

That's kind of the two through six guys, or seven guys.

And, at the top was Luis Castillo.

You know, just a really good lead-off hitter, got on bass, create a havoc on the basses,

I was hitting in the two hole.

And then eight and nine was Jason dibert.

It was also just a, you know, kid on bass guy, you know, get a hit.

make some plays on the bases and then the nine hole was Jason Bartlett.

So that was our, well I think Ozzy Gams referring to us like the one and two, eight and nine.

That's it.

You got to worry about them, but then the meat of the order and it just so happened,

we played pretty good.

You know, those, those piranhas played pretty good against the White Suns.

So I'm going to put you on the spot here and I don't know if you would know this off the top of your head.

Do you remember what you hit against the socks?

I don't.

Oh man, I've got a lot I should have looked that up before because I know it's something outrageous.

Like, oh my God, you always hurt, always hurt this off.

Yeah, it was definitely probably better than my career records.

Oh, there you go.

There you go.

There you go.

So obviously we're here with the Padres.

You are now currently doing something with the Padres.

Yeah.

What is your role with this team?

This is my second year with pods and really the first year is just kind of getting the mother players,

getting their trust and in their trust.

I worked, I helped out with the infield base running and just whatever they need me.

You know Craig Stamman is using me on the infield side and ask questions about all the games.

So it's a pretty cool role for me.

I love being a part of the team.

I love the guys.

I love that we have the same returners working with a little bit of infield with the pitchers

and just kind of a little bit of everything.

Whatever they need, when they call my number, I'm ready to go.

What are your thoughts on Craig Stamman?

Obviously, young guy, first year manager, not so far removed from his own playing days, right?

What are your thoughts on him so far?

You know, I love that he was teammates with Mary Machado, a crowned worth.

I think there's another one, maybe Musco.

I don't know what he, but the fact that he was teammates with them, they're going to root form.

They know he's got a great heart.

He's into it.

He loves the game.

He loves all the aspects of the game.

He's just going to continue to grow and his leadership has been incredible.

So obviously the NL West is a general not with the Dodgers, right?

I mean, that's always going to be the team to be.

What do you see the San Diego team kind of taking the next step and real?

I mean, they have always competed against them, but they've always just kind of missed out.

Like, how do you see this team getting to the next level?

Yeah, I mean, you do have that juggernaut, but it's all so familiar for me.

You know, we just talked about the piranhas and being the Minnesota twins trying to compete

against the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers who their payrolls were a lot more than ours, let's just say.

So we knew we had to win all the little things.

And that's, that's no different here.

We're going to have to win all the little aspects of the game, play the game hard, play the game right, take extra bases, don't make mistakes, limit mistakes.

But yeah, baseball is the coolest game for that reason, you know?

It's not the biggest, strongest fastest team that always wins the World Series.

It comes down to the who can execute under pressure.

I actually love that.

It is true.

I mean, who can execute under pressure?

And I was actually just having conversation with Tristan Mackenzie in there and he said the exact same thing.

It's always a little things with the game, which is what makes it so beautiful.

Yeah.

I mean, it's rare in that way.

It is rare.

Yeah, if you put two football teams against each other and one's bigger, faster and stronger, that team's going to win every time.

Absolutely, that's very true.

That's not true here.

That's not true in baseball.

So the WBC is going on.

Any predictions I can put you, I mean, the paddy is missing like seven guys.

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's a great time of year.

I love it.

Yeah.

I think the World Baseball Classic is continuing to grow.

It's bringing baseball to the world.

Baseball's in such a good place.

And for us, it's like awesome to watch really competitive, energetic games, especially when you're watching the Dominican Republic versus USA or Dominican versus Venezuela.

Those games, the emotions are just so intense.

It's a worldly thing.

It's a pride thing.

It's fun for the baseball fans and it's fun for us coaches because at the end of the day, I'm still a fan.

So I get a lot of guys.

I get to watch, you know, keeping in touch with Manny and Toddy and Bogey and rooting them on from afar.

One of the coolest things too for me is hearing how boisterous the crowds are, you know, that, I mean, that is really kind of a cool thing.

Like you said, the Dominican or Cuba, you know, they're down in Miami and the crowds are just insane for them.

They are.

Yeah, it's just a different way of being a fan.

I was fortunate to get to play in Mexico and very similar, just a rowdy, wild, energetic, passionate fan.

So I think that's really cool for the fans as well to see what other countries bring.

So another last question for you because you are a veteran.

You've been around a long time.

You've done a lot of these spring trainings.

You know, obviously it can be a grind, right?

Early mornings, long days.

But do you have any memories of your earlier days in spring training, like any fun stories?

I'll tell you what, you know this guy really well, he's in your organization.

I was sharing this the other day.

So my first spring training at Bigley Camp with the Philadelphia Phillies.

We just signed a guy named Jim Tomey.

Oh, I do know him well.

Yes, he do.

And he's one of my dear friends, talked to him often, but he got on, he talked to Larry Boe and he said,

Bo, I'm new to this organization and I want to get to know all the guys.

So put me on the bus is only beyond all the road trips.

And that's, to me, the ultimate leadership because in spring training, especially in Florida,

those bus rides are long and when a veteran comes in and makes that statement,

and you see only him on bus rides, like, you know, obviously there's a couple other

because you have to bring four major leagueers, but that's where we really got to know each other

and what a leader he is and was still is.

I mean, and he's making moves with the White Sox.

I mean, he's a prominent name in that organization.

So, and the young guys love him.

I mean, you kind of said it.

Like, he's really done a lot for the younger guys.

So I love to hear that story.

Jim's a good guy.

Yeah, he is.

He's great.

And the sun can black, land down.

That's right.

That's right.

Well, I always appreciate your time, Nick.

And I was very excited to see you even though you are still a pain in the ass,

as far as I'm concerned.

Well, he's good seeing you, Kurt.

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Tristan McKenzie, welcome to the show, how are you?

I'm doing very well, how are you?

Good, thank you.

I appreciate your time this morning.

So, send them I only deal with the San Diego Padres this year.

What are your goals going into the 20-26 season?

To be healthy, and I hope it's helpful to see what you get here.

So, what prick salmon is a brand new manager for MLB and for the San Diego Padres?

What has been the vibe moving forward so far in the clubhouse and in the camp?

I think he does a great job at keeping everybody together.

As you know, he's recently out of playing.

So, I think he's a player's manager in terms of, I think he understands guys.

I think he's able to relate to guys very well, and I think he has guys

best interests and heart, and I think he relates to guys well in that regard.

So, you have I think seven guys that are currently in the WBC in this clubhouse,

which is kind of wild to see.

Do you have any predictions or favorites moving going into the tournament or?

I mean, I want USA to win, but I feel like it's very not spready.

Even the person teams that are very good, I think the DR is very good.

I think Japan is very good.

I think Team USA is very good, but I feel like you can't count anybody out of Canada,

Italy, maybe we got guys in here playing for Italy, Venezuela.

I feel like there's a lot of competition across the entire WBC this year.

I mean, I'm looking around like you have Mason Miller, who's our friend,

he'll touch his junior.

I mean, they're just up.

Any machado.

Any machado.

Standard boat guards.

There's a bunch of guys that are out of the clubhouse now.

It was kind of weird to lose him.

Yeah, I feel like there's some major parts of this locker room,

but I also think it shows how competitive the guys in this locker room are.

And that's actually a really good point.

I mean, there's so many representation from the Padres on these teams.

Like, that shows you that these guys are legit.

This is a legit team.

For you personally, what have you worked on this off season

to get you ready for this season?

Uh, I stuck to my same routine and really just trying to focus on my health

and just put my body first.

So, you are actually kind of a veteran now, right?

I mean, you've done a couple of these spring trainings,

which is because you look so young still, you know,

but you've been there, you've done that.

Do you have any, because everyone looks at spring training,

as it being kind of a grind, right?

Because the days are long, you know, it's every day.

Do you have any fun memories of your younger days,

as one of your first spring trainings that you look back on,

and you're like, okay, that was cool, actually.

Yeah, I mean, I didn't pitch in big leagues spring training

until after I made my debut, which was a little weird for me.

Yeah, I would imagine.

My first big leagues spring training was COVID in 2020,

but just being a part of that, just being able to interact with big leaders

on like a regular basis is very different for minor leaders

like myself at the time.

And just seeing how they go about their business,

go about their work, they're very diligent in it,

and I feel like in minor league camp,

it's a lot more structured here, it's a lot more free,

just because guys are very on top of their routines

and stuff that they know is going to help them

be good at when they get out of the field.

Was there anybody early in your career that sort of took you

under their wing, and any veteran presence,

maybe in your Cleveland days, or?

I mean, I tried to take a little bit from everybody.

I follow my catchers a lot, just because I feel like

they're the hardest working guys in my field.

I agree with you.

Her bro Perez, awesome head just when he was there.

I feel like those guys really just put their best foot

for when they come to doing early work,

showing up to the field on time, doing stuff like that.

So one final question for you, I appreciate your time.

I'm going to put you on the spot here, okay?

Why is baseball not boring to you?

The little details.

I feel like people that really watch baseball

and understand baseball realize there's always

something happening on the field.

I feel like people that don't necessarily watch the game

only follow the ball.

And I feel like if you were to pay attention

to the right field or on a ball, hit the third.

You're watching him back up first base.

It's the little thing for me that really make the game beautiful.

It's always the little things.

And I love when you said that make the game beautiful,

I cannot agree more.

Nick Cascianos, welcome to the show.

How are you?

For first couple of weeks with San Diego,

how's the vibe so far in the clubhouse?

Amazing.

Anything that you've seen from Craig Stam

and that's sex out to you?

Or first, how much you've got your spot as players?

How passionate he is about each day?

And I believe his messages to the group are very good.

So you're right next to a Fernando Tatiz Jr.

Who's obviously in the WBC right now?

Do you have any favorites for the WBC?

Or are you just strictly team USA?

Or do you have any predictions?

I think I just want to see a good baseball.

I'm excited to watch.

That's actually going to answer.

So you're kind of your veteran player now.

You've been in spring trainings a long time.

Do you have any fun memories that you want to share

from past spring trainings?

I mean, everyone thinks it's like a gride,

which it is.

But there's been some fun moments, I'm sure, right?

I'd say the funnest moments are just being young

and first being a big league camp.

First time being around veteran players that I would watch

on TV growing up as a kid

and being able to affect the game with them.

Kind of like feeling like you belong a little bit.

What do you think the Padres need to do to take the next step

this season in that NL West Division,

which is obviously very tough?

It's a good question.

You know, I think that I need more time here

to be, I feel like, to give a more accurate response to that.

But I think that all good baseball teams

what they do is they win the games that are supposed to be won.

I actually like that a lot.

It's a very simple but true answer.

So for you personally, going into this season,

what are your goals for 2026?

I mean, honestly, just to stay healthy all year

and to be available and help this club, however they need to.

Another question I'm going to put you on the spot.

This is the final one.

Why is baseball not born too?

Why is baseball not born?

Yeah.

I say because if you play well and you succeed,

it can provide you with resources that can give you the opportunity

to spend your time in your life doing whatever you want.

That is a tremendous answer.

I love that.

Nick, I appreciate your time.

Good luck this season.

Gavin, she's how are you doing?

Nice to see you.

Still well.

Welcome to the show.

So what are your goals for the 2026 season with the Padres?

Yeah, I think going off will be the last year.

As a team, I think we still need to take that step forward

to get farther in the postseason,

get a World Series to San Diego

and individually building off the success I had last year and moving that forward.

Have you done anything to solve season two?

Kind of take that step forward for the season?

Yeah, I think the nice thing was one few off seasons

where I felt like I was tinkering my swing.

So, able to take things to the next step

and look at the finer details and not as much swing stuff.

But you know, look at some counts,

look at some chase rates, something like that

and they kind of break some stuff down with the swing and the burden approach.

So, Craig Stamman is obviously a new manager

for Major League Baseball and San Diego Padres.

What's the vibe that he's bringing to the clubhouse and the team so far?

It's been awesome.

It's been a great camp.

It's been a focused camp.

It's been all about all about getting individual work

and making yourself a better player.

And I think he's got that player, recent, recent player aspect

and a lot of our new staff does as well.

And you know, they're very easy to work for, play hard for

and it's been a great camp so far.

So, obviously you have a bunch of guys that are playing in the WBC.

Yeah.

Are you partial to any of the teams?

I know you got a lot of guys playing on different teams.

Yeah, we got a lot of guys.

Obviously, Dominican Republic is represented well here.

You know, Mason Miller over in USA

and a much other guys that are playing.

So, I'm partial obviously the USA.

So, USA breaks it home,

but obviously rooting for everybody

out from our organization.

I mean, is that like a goal of yours to maybe play in that one day?

Absolutely.

I think it's setting it's one of the greatest honors you can have.

I think there's, you know,

when the World Series comes first

and then, you know, being able to represent your country

and being the WBC

and trying to win one of those for me would be ultimately great.

So, you originally came from,

well, you originally came from Baltimore, right?

And then you played on Chicago.

What is the difference between the different organizations

that you've been with compared to San Diego?

Now that you're getting more established here.

Yeah, with Chicago in here, I mean,

there's a couple of differences,

but, you know, San Diego's been a home for me

and love the way they do things here,

love the way they go about their business,

the way they, you know,

kind of mix analytics with old school

and allow you to be yourself

and get the best version of you,

not anything else.

So, nothing but great things to say about some recognition.

What are your thoughts on Peco Park?

Hitter friendly, not hitter friendly?

It's a big park.

It's a big park for sure.

But, you know, just the atmosphere there

and the fan base, I mean,

it's hard not to get up every game there.

So, there's no better place to play.

There's no better fan base

and every single night you get to speed up at home.

This is a dream.

So, one final question for you and I appreciate your time.

You've been through a couple spring trainings now.

You're kind of getting that better in presence.

Do you have any fun or good memories

from a spring training in your younger days or even now?

Yeah, and the fun ones, I mean,

just the first time's coming up.

My first daily candy had to be a part of a band

and, you know, we did some fun stuff

over Chicago coming up and,

yeah, you'll never forget that stuff

that you're made to do.

Yeah.

Give an example.

I mean, off on.

Oh.

Unless you don't, unless you don't want to.

You guys have to be band members.

Everybody's coming in with a different instrument

and singing or guys dressing up

and college costumes and stuff.

So, it's fun.

It's good to keep the spring get so long

and sometimes when none is,

it's nice to keep it fresh and have good energy

and you're really bond like that

and get the guys in here on the same page.

Which is a lot of fun.

That's a great answer.

I appreciate it.

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