Pitch And Moan: Catching Up With The White Sox

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Yeah, there should be some passion, this doesn't have to be boring.

White Sox picture, Tanner McDougal, welcome to the show.

How are you doing?

Good.

are a Vegas native, correct? Yes. So I always find this interesting just because there's so much

talk of Vegas right now with their expansion teams coming over there. Obviously the Aggs are

coming over there. How do you think as a Vegas native, a baseball team is going to do in a city like

Vegas? Yeah, I think it'll be interesting. Obviously the dome is important. It gets really hot in

the summers. Yes. 82 home games is a lot or 81 home games. Sorry, there's a lot. So it'll be

interesting to see if they can consistently fill seats, but I hope the best for the city.

The sports seems that have come up in great the nights. I'm a huge hockey fan now, so hopefully we

can create more of a sports culture in Vegas. That's actually a good point. You're a huge hockey fan

now, so you didn't grow up a hockey fan. I wouldn't say so. I mean, I watched it. We played

NHL growing up on video games, but I never had like a team. I guess the team that I would root for

was the Black Hawks for whatever reason. It was just, I like their jerseys and stuff, so I rooted

for them when I was growing up. But yeah, it's nice to have someone and a team to call ours.

And do you think, I mean, you've made an 81 games, right? That's it. It might be a challenge to

fill seats for 81 games and a team that is sort of a tourist town, right? I mean, do you think,

well, I mean, Vegas, they the Golden Knights are really well, right? So it could be hit or miss,

but it'll be interesting. Yeah, the only difference with the with the with the Knights is that

it's our team. It's Vegas's team. It was an expansion team. It wasn't like a relocated team.

You'll see it with the Raiders too. It's it's usually like 70, 30 or 80, 20 for the other team at the

game. So, you know, it'll depend. I think the A's are trying to, you know, spend some money and

get a good group of young guys to come in and hopefully win as soon as they get to Vegas. Because

if they win when they get to Vegas, it'll help a lot more than obviously if they lose.

It's a very it's a very good point. You mentioned being a Black Hawks fan. Have you been to a Black

Hawks game yet? No, I haven't. I want to go obviously at some point once I get up to a Chicago.

I'll have to stop by. Well, you definitely will have to. It is an experience to say the least.

But let's get into your season a little bit. Obviously, you are a highly talked about

prospect within the White Sox system right now. You have an opportunity to pitch with Hagen Smith

and Noah Schultz. Have you guys discussed it all? What it might be like to come up to Chicago

together? I mean, is there any discussion on that? Well, no doubt really. I think it's always

obviously a thing. Obviously, we think about it. Obviously, we've been together for the last,

you know, two and a half, three years. So, you know, it'll be cool. I don't think it's something

that we necessarily like talk about constantly. I think it's obviously it's in the back of our minds,

but it's not necessarily something that is, you know, a point to conversation a lot of times.

What is something that you have worked on this off season? Let's take you to the next step.

Yeah, I mean, I think just consistency within the strike zone and stuff like that. Like,

my biggest thing is just getting out early in counts and not not getting super deep in my

pitch count early and innings so I can pitch deeper in games. Well, I remember seeing on social media

early, you know, when you hit a hundred miles an hour this already in spring. How are you feeling

with that? Yeah, yeah. It's kind of like it's kind of weird to tell people I kind of only have one

speed. I don't necessarily know how to back off. And I feel like when you try to back off or

something like that, it just causes more problems than not. But my body feels great. I was a little

slow the first two weeks, but I'm kind of catching up with my body now and we're all good to go.

Is there a pitch that you're most working on the most or that you're excited about the most?

I wouldn't say so. I'm just looking for more consistency with consistency with my change up.

Other than that, though, nothing crazy, just kind of trying to do the same thing that I did last

year and continue to have success on the mound. What is a goal for the 2026 season?

I haven't been obviously the big one to debut at some point, but it's just to be, you know,

where my feet are all year and just produce and help whatever team I'm on win.

So everyone talks about the kind of the grind of spring training, right? We've already in

early March. What is a as a young player? What is an experience from spring training that has

stood out to you the most? I think just being here, being around the guys, talking to guys that

have done it, that have been around. Obviously, we haven't been in the big leagues yet. We're striving

for that. So it's nice to have those guys to bounce questions off of us, questions off of,

and ideas to help us, you know, make that next jump. And I think this group is really good about

it. I think they're also like, they're very helpful where I think some groups you might tend to run

into are kind of abrasive at first just because it's like, oh, you're trying to take my job,

where I feel like here, everybody's pushing on the same, or pulling on the same rope, where I've

heard, you know, some places are a little different. So who is a guy that you've leaned on the most?

I would say probably Davis Martin, Shane Smith, Sean Bird, really all the starters just because

I've been around him. I got drafted with Sean. He was my first professional roommate, so I'm known

Sean for a good bit. And then, you know, Davis obviously has been here the longest, so he's always

nice to talk to and he's very much so always very open to questions. He'll let me know, obviously,

if I have any questions to shoot at him or whatever it might be. So I guess those three guys.

What is the vibe of the 2026 White Fox? I was in the vibe is a lot of confidence. I think there's

some flair in there as well as a lot of energy. And I think we're ready to win. Obviously, I think a

lot of people, you know, count us out just because of the trials and tribulations we've been through

the last few years, but I think this team, we're working on a recipe to win and I think everybody's

pulled on the same road. Like I said, you know, at the end of the day, all we want to do is, you know,

put on for the city and stuff like that. So I would just say the vibe overall is just like

come out and be ready to beat the crap out of somebody. That's a perfect way to end the Tanner.

That is awesome. I appreciate your time. Go like the season. Of course. Thank you.

White Fox, pitcher Hagen Smith, welcome to the show. How are you doing?

Doing great. I'm doing well. Thank you. I appreciate that.

Second spring training, right? What has been your biggest adjustment from college ball to

now the pros? I think for me, just really try to focus on my change of right now. It's kind of

last year too. Just really getting out of the throat of hitters and getting comfortable throwing

that in count. And yeah, it's been really good so far. You have your first start on Thursday.

How are you feeling going into that start? That's good. You know, I think it's just one ending

so I go out there and, you know, compete and just attack strikes on. What have the White

Fox helped you develop as far as your stuff is concerned? Really just refining everything.

You know, mechanically last year, they helped me a ton. I mean, I give a lot of credit for what

happened last year. Just the end of the year than towards now. Just feel really good where I'm at.

And yeah, I mean, obviously help my change of a lot. It feels really good.

Shave, really good right now. So give a lot of credit to them on that.

So obviously you have some early experience, but you're going up with guys like Noah Shulls

and Taren McDougall. Has there been any talk between you guys of coming up together for

in Chicago? I mean, you guys joking around about that. I mean, what are your thoughts on that?

There isn't too much to talk about. I think obviously that's the goal. You know, I got there and

played together. Yeah, I mean, super fun playing with those guys. I think I played Taren

a little bit more last year. I'm not exactly sure. I think Noah left literally early.

But yeah, I mean, it was awesome getting out of them on a personal level and just,

you know, talk baseball and see what works for them. What are their cues and some pitches?

And yeah, it's been awesome. Has there been anyone in the White Fox veteran wise? I mean,

I know Davis Marin is considered a long time veteran moving forward here. Is there anyone that's

sort of helped you get comfortable in camp, get comfortable at this level? Yeah, I think Davis.

I mean, we're both from Texas. We can't have, we always talk in the morning. So yeah, I mean,

he's made for really comfortable here. So what is something that you worked on in the off season

that you are proud of in spring training right now that you've been to debut? Yeah, I think my change

obviously mechanics wise just for fine stuff and clean everything up a little bit. But yeah,

I mean, I feel really good at there right now. Change it to the awesome. No one in the lives and

it feels really good. So I'm excited to go out there and game with them. So the White Fox have made

quite a few additions this off season. What has been the vibe moving for so far in early spring

training of this team? It's been really good. Obviously there's a really good energy in the clubhouse.

Everybody's here to win and I think that's the best part. We all want to win even spring training

games as we're trying to win the game. So it's been really fun. So what are your goals for the

2020 six season? You know, I just go out there and compete every start. Stay healthy. Last year,

I kind of a little a little thing and then yeah, just stay healthy for everything and win. I think

where I'm at. Hopefully we win and that's the point is to win wherever I'm at. So I think that's

what it is. Well, I do appreciate your time again and good luck this season. Thanks.

I'm Brian. I work at United Health Care. So Brian, why do you care?

I care because I don't want to leave anybody behind. I oversee one of the biggest resource center

in United Health Care. I see people walk in in my office every day just like my parents.

They have no idea about the health care. I feel like they're my uncles, aunties. I treat

as people, my family. I'm Brian and I'm committed to care.

Sean Burke. Welcome to the show. Nice to see you. Happy spring training.

That's not a spring training. So let's just jump right into it. What was it like for you starting

on opening day last year? I was at school. I think it's an experience that I'll never forget.

It's probably my coolest baseball experience up into this moment of my career.

And for us to get the win, my whole family, friends were all there. So yeah, it was cool.

I mean, you pretty much dominated the angels, right? I mean, that was a hell of an out outing for

you to come out opening day, do what you did like that. That must have been very exciting for

you and your family. Yeah, I mean, I was joking around. I wish I had that outing like June.

I was built up a little bit more because I was probably my most efficient outing of the year,

but yeah, I was good outing. I think it was getting ahead of guys early in the walks and a lot.

I think I feel like the second or third year in a no-base under. So it was just that I had a guy

as an efficient end of the end, probably one of my best outings of the year.

You had another really cool moment in your season last year when you actually

pitched in the Kershaw game, right? Yeah. Didn't you have a moment with Kershaw in the field

where he gave you some advice or he set something to you? Like, I know you guys had that moment

on the field. Can you walk me through kind of what that was like or? Yeah, after the game,

I just, I went out there. I had one of my dad's buddies. I was at the game, so I went out there

to say hi to him in Kershaw. I was on the field too. So just walked over and say, congratulations

to him. He was some of that kind of watch growing up and I try to emulate like, I throw that big

curve ball like he threw. So that's something I always try to add to my game and watch him throw

and just talking to him and, you know, telling us it was cool to be able to compete against him

and, congratulations to that accomplishment. And I said, I look good. Just kind of told me to keep

working and, you know, we talked to you a couple of things, but yeah, it was a cool moment.

So what is something that, so when you were in that Kershaw game and that dad, you're playing

Dodger Stadium, obviously, what kind of atmosphere was that like for you as a young player pitching

in that kind of electric history-making moment? Like, what was going through your head

when that time? It was cool. I mean, even not so I had an opener in that game. So I wasn't

both in the first inning, building up. And I think we scored early and then I think they came back

into home run. So the place was kind of just going in those both ways to start the game. And

then when I ended up going in, I actually gave up a home run in my first pitch that out.

So I felt the environment pretty early in that, but I was able to kind of lock back in and,

you know, throw all the rest of the game. Yeah, I mean, Dodger Stadium was one of the

obviously the Kershaw situation and then pitching in that type of atmosphere. I mean, it must have

been like kind of wild for a young pitcher to go through that. But you know, moment last year,

two where you spent some time in Charlotte. I mean, what did you work on there that maybe you're

taking into this season? What kind of experience was that for you? Yeah, it was tough, honestly.

I mean, I think that nobody wants to get sent down. I think it may make a little bigger of a deal

of it when you start opening day. So it wasn't easy, but I tried to have a compositive mindset with

it and go down there and continue to work on things that we talked about. And yeah, I felt really

good when I got back up to the end of the year. So I think the work I put down there was, you know,

for good, good measuring and it helped me in the long run. Now, you have a very good, well-known

relationship with Mike Vassel and Shane Smith, the Boston boys. How much time do you guys spend

together in the off season? I try to get up there. So I live in Nashville now in the off season,

so I'm not down there. I'm not up there as much as they are. But I try to spend some time back

there with my family and stuff back home in October. So I'll be there for a little bit in October

than holidays. I'll go back up. So I'll try to see those guys whenever I can. But I was with Shane

a little bit, Shane and Mike in October and that's Vassel again around Christmas time. So I try to get

up there and we don't get too sick of each other here. So it's nice to each other in the off season.

I mean, you live with Corey Lee and Tim Alko in Nashville too, right? No, no. So Ken

and lives with Corey and Tim. I live with Colson. I've all lived with him like 10 minutes of each other.

So what is that like? I mean, is that like one big frat house? I mean, what's that?

So being Colson has lived together now for, well, it's 20 for four or five years now in the

off season. So we train at the same place. We get drafted together. So Colson's from my best friend

here with the White Sox and then, you know, Adam, Tim and Corey and Canada come down to school just

because we had another little friend group to hang out with down there. But yeah, we'd come over

watch football all the time. We're going to go out to eat, go do stuff. So it was a fun off season.

So one final question for you and I've asked all of your, your Mike Vassels and your Shane Smiths

of the world. You are Boston native. You're your Patriots, man, right? Huge Patriots, man. Yeah.

Huge Patriots, man. Wonderful. So my question for you, how badly would the Broncos have beaten

the Patriots with Bo Nick's healthy? Same score. Oh, come on now. Wendy, it's too snowy. How do you

do anything on offense? Oh, that's what Shane Smith said, but no. What an added Patriots when

regardless. That's crazy. And I think you know it deep down. One final question for you, Sean,

I do appreciate your time. Why is baseball not boring to you? I think it's exciting. I think that if

you look at the game, kind of how baseball players look at it, there's so much little intricacies in

the game that you get to pay attention to. It's I think as more so in like the last five or six

years or so, I have friends that even like weren't baseball fans that kind of are starting to get into

baseball now just because they kind of see the excitement. I think with, you know, you got teams

like the Dodgers doing what they're doing, then you have underdog teams coming through like the

Brewers last year doing that. And I just think all the playoffs are shaking out, especially like the

World Series last year. Like there's just an excited positive momentum around baseball right now,

which I think is good for the game. And let's hope that next underdog team of the Chicago White

Sox, right? Yes. I appreciate your time, Sean. Go let the season. Thank you. Thank you. Follow

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