The first three games for the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx against the first-place New York Yankees showed two franchises headed in two very different directions. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the disgust at brand of Orioles baseball played in The Big Apple over the weekend and how this depleted roster and lineup continue to disappoint across the diamond and into The Warehouse.

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the Orioles’ disappointing performance in New York, highlighting their 3-0 series loss to the Yankees. They noted the poor performance of key players like Gunnar Henderson (.275 OBP) and Pete Alonso (sub-700 OPS), and the struggles of the starting rotation, including Kyle Bradish and Trey Gibson. They also mentioned injuries to Ryan Helsley and Dean Kramer. Despite the team’s $160 million offseason investments, they expressed concern about the overall direction and performance, questioning the organizational philosophy and player development. They concluded with a light-hearted discussion about attending a game in New York.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Host/appear at Planet Fitness event as scheduled (appearance planned this week / on the 7th).
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Host/appear at Fayette Lee’s and Lexington Market event scheduled for the 13th (return appearance).
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Appear at The Fishmonger’s Daughter (planned upcoming appearance after market events).
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Coordinate a possible trip to New York for a Yankees game (invite/plan to go together; call to confirm participants).
• [ ] Do a sports radio segment Monday morning (covering recent team events/discussion).
• [ ] Attend the ballpark over the upcoming weekend (will be at the ballpark during the weekend series).

Orioles’ Performance and Attendance Plans

• Nestor Aparicio discusses the Orioles’ recent performance, mentioning their upcoming events and sponsors.
• Nestor and Luke Jones joke about attending a game in New York, with Nestor expressing enthusiasm and Luke being hesitant.
• Nestor recalls a flippant comment he made to Luke about attending a game in New York, which Luke found amusing.
• Luke admits to not watching the game initially but tuning in after receiving a text from Nestor about the Orioles’ early deficit.

Orioles’ Struggles and Player Performance

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Orioles’ poor performance over the weekend, with Nestor expressing frustration.
• Luke mentions that Trey Gibson gave the best start of the weekend, but Nestor is skeptical due to Gibson’s experience.
• Nestor and Luke debate the performance of various players, including Taylor Ward, Jeremiah Jackson, and Pete Alonso.
• Luke highlights the lack of consistent performance from key players like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.

Injuries and Rotation Issues

• Luke lists the numerous injuries affecting the Orioles’ rotation, including Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, and Dean Kramer.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of these injuries on the team’s overall performance and the lack of depth in the rotation.
• Luke mentions the poor performance of Brandon Young and Kade Povich, who have struggled in recent starts.
• Nestor expresses concern about the team’s overall composition and the lack of quality players in key positions.

Defensive and Bullpen Issues

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Orioles’ poor defensive play, with Nestor expressing frustration over routine plays being made difficult.
• Luke mentions the bullpen’s increased workload due to starters not going deep into games.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential impact of Ryan Helsley’s injury on the bullpen’s performance.
• Luke highlights the need for better defense and bullpen stability to improve the team’s overall performance.

Managerial and Organizational Responsibility

• Nestor and Luke debate the responsibility for the team’s struggles, with Nestor pointing to managerial decisions and Luke questioning the organizational philosophy.
• Luke mentions the importance of player development and the need for better injury management.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential need for organizational changes, including a new manager or front office leadership.
• Luke emphasizes the need for a fresh perspective and new leadership to address the team’s ongoing issues.

Future Outlook and Fan Engagement

• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential for the team to turn things around and the importance of fan engagement.
• Luke mentions the need for the team to start strong and build momentum to regain fan support.
• Nestor expresses frustration over the team’s current state and the lack of progress despite new management and players.
• Luke highlights the importance of player performance and organizational changes to improve the team’s overall outlook.

Personal Reflections and Final Thoughts

• Nestor and Luke reflect on their personal experiences and frustrations with the team’s performance.
• Nestor shares a story about attending a game with his wife and the disappointment of watching the team lose.
• Luke mentions his excitement about watching the Sixers play the Knicks instead of attending an Orioles game.
• Nestor and Luke joke about attending a game in New York and the potential for a fun experience despite the team’s struggles.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Orioles baseball, New York series, player performance, injuries, bullpen issues, defensive struggles, Mike Elias, organizational philosophy, fan engagement, talent evaluation, managerial decisions, team leadership, future outlook, ticket sales, fan experience.

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SPEAKERS

Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio,

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 we were Baltimore, positive we we used to just do all sports around here. Now we do a lot of sports. I got my sport on over the weekend, working on all things we did at Pizza John’s this week, we’ll be at Planet Fitness this week, on the seventh, on the 13th, we’re gonna be back at Fayette Lee’s and Lexington market, and then to the fishmonger’s daughter. All are brought to my friends at the Maryland lottery, GBMC and Farnham and Dermer. They are the comfort guys. I’m wearing that. And I was giving these away freely at Pizza John’s in Essex on Friday. I got a little flippant with Luke earlier, and I said, Look, man, if there’s a sweep on Monday or a chance of a sweep on Monday, we should get out of bed. We should get on the Peter Pan bus at 430 or 520 get up to New York. Eight, 839, o’clock, going to be 71 degrees in New York, in the Bronx, going for the sweep, of course, take our brooms. And Luke didn’t want any part of this. I mean, Luke’s you’re like the brother, like your sister’s the small town girl living in a lonely world. You’re a small town boy like you don’t want to go to the big city. You couldn’t handle me in Manhattan on a 78 degree Tuesday after a sweep, lo and behold, kind of all went to hell, I think in the first inning on Friday night, didn’t it, Luke, that’s pretty much, yeah, from there.

Luke Jones  01:31

Well, I mean, full disclosure, you texted me after they were down early on Friday night, and I’ll openly admit I was not watching the game at the time. I was going to tune in, I was hanging out with the family, and I was going to put it on my phone, and I got your text, and then I put the game one right after that, and I see how it goes. I mean, just, what do you want me to say? I mean, they totally outclassed over the course of the weekend, and

Nestor Aparicio  01:55

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worst nightmare, kind of, sort of like, like in every conceivable category you measure it, especially that starting lineup on Sunday. I mean, great story, sweet kid, nice parents. I mean, I’ll give you all that. But dude, you’re rolling a double A pitcher in the Yankees, Trey

Luke Jones  02:14

Gibson. Trey Gibson gave them the best start they had over the weekend. I mean, I, I understand the point you’re making, but

Nestor Aparicio  02:20

sentiment, of all of it, well, you know, I’m

Luke Jones  02:22

way more tired of the guys that are supposed to be is, is on the you know. And I know I just said is, is, but humor me, the guys that everyone you identify as someone who’s supposed to be an is, how many of them are actually playing well this year? I mean, go down the list. Taylor Ward has been really good. Jeremiah Jackson, relative to expectations, he’s been as good as what Jackson holiday probably would have been if you were healthy, right? At least to this point

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Nestor Aparicio  02:51

as Jackson holiday we leading the team in our bis, I’d give a big thumbs up on that right now, right?

Luke Jones  02:56

So leoti Tavares has exceeded expectations. But who else Pete Alonso has finally, is finally starting to look like he’s hitting more like what you expected, but had an awful first month. Gunner Henderson’s hit some home runs, but he’s got one of the highest strikeout rates in all of baseball. I mean, we’ve talked about kauser, we’ve talked about mayo. Jordan Westberg is hurt. Jackson holidays hurt. Adley right? I’m sorry. I will, I will. Well, be a culpa here. Ali rutsman has been really good. Now. He missed 10 days, obviously, with the ankle, but Adley rutschman has been really good. If

Luke Jones  03:37

it a

Nestor Aparicio  03:38

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market bounced back for a one and it’s been good, all of the physical issues that he clearly has had, that we haven’t talked about on a day to day basis, he’s all the way we do when another player gets hurt, when it’s Ronnie Stanley, we talk about that leg that you know, that thing forever with rushman, whatever His things have been over the last two years. I don’t it feels to me like he he had to have been hurt. That’s all

Luke Jones  04:07

I hope I said for going on two years. I hope that was the case. And I don’t mean that in terms of wishing physical struggles for him, but more so just in terms of what the heck happened to him. I don’t think it was just that. We’ve talked about this. I thought he got a little more full power happy in the first half of 2024 and then I think the problems really started after that, after he got off to a good start that year. But point is getting back to the general point here, not to get into the weeds. They have very few guys that are playing well right now. And I mean, that’s just the offense, the rotation. I mean, Kyle Bradish with another poor start over the weekend. Trevor Rogers is on the i L. Dean Kramer is on the i l, Zach Eflin done for the year. Kade Povich came back and was awful on Friday night. Brandon young, since his. First, you know, where he looked good initially. Last start was awful against Houston. I

Nestor Aparicio  05:05

don’t know what Brandon young and Kate Poe, which, if you told me those cats are starting to Yankees, and

Luke Jones  05:09

that’s part

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Nestor Aparicio  05:09

of the kid on Sunday. I mean, like, what should like, as comprised, as comprised, as comprised. What the hell whatever that was at third base, defensively as comprised. They’re a bad baseball team if they have to play with what they have right now, the rest of the way with whatever it is, even on the best day, even if Alonso turns around and Henderson’s final they’re not very good. They’re just not, I mean, all the way around, they’re not very good if they’re going to pitch with these pitchers, and have Jeremiah Jackson and the ward guy, and the Rodriguez is and no, no offense to Tavares, no offense to to blaze Alexander, but like, but you’re, but you’re, you know, fixating on the lesser players

Luke Jones  06:00

about the guys that are supposed to be good, I keep thinking they’re gonna be good. Like, why? Why am I like? Trey Gibson competed. He was actually one of the few, and look, I’m not, I’m not going to do cartwheels about it or anything like that. It wasn’t anything that special. But he turned in a better performance than Kate Povich, who has way more experience than him, and Kyle Bradish, who is supposed to be your one or your one a right? I mean, at some point in time, yes, I’m in full, I understand the point you’re making, but I mean, cutter Henderson’s got a sub 300 on base percentage. Peter Alonso, only recently, now has an ops over 700 I mean, go on down the list the number of guys that are supposed to be major parts, important parts, of whatever this club was supposed to be this year aren’t doing it. And I just look at this thing and I mean the word that I used late in Sunday’s game on social media, just outclassed. They were completely outclassed over the course of the weekend. I mean, well,

Luke Jones  07:07

they

Nestor Aparicio  07:07

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kicked the ball around like the bad news bears. They

Luke Jones  07:10

don’t do anything Well, they didn’t hit. They had three hits on Friday night. They had four hits on Saturday, they had some opportunities on Sunday, and they had three runs total. I mean, they’re not doing anything Well, and, oh yeah, the bullpen. And we’ve gotten this far into the conversation without even mentioning that Ryan Helsley is on the IL now, it sounds I got that text, bro. It does sound like the imaging, and everything suggests that they don’t think this is a Zac Eflin situation, but it’s certainly not good. And now you’re seeing the bullpen as a result, I think, because of the starters not getting deep in the games, that’s really starting to mount in terms of their workload. Well, double

Nestor Aparicio  07:48

headers don’t

Luke Jones  07:48

help either. Sure, no question. So I mean, it’s, it’s not good across the board right now. And look, I know Craig Albernaz was asked after the game, and I’ll read the quote, Oh, and look, this is straight from the manager, right? This isn’t Luke and Nestor being alarmist. Here we get it. It’s early. May I understand that. But you know, it doesn’t take long for this to turn into what last year was.

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Nestor Aparicio  08:15

Well, you see the Yankees again in a few days too.

Luke Jones  08:17

Well,

Nestor Aparicio  08:17

they’ll be here the end of the week.

Luke Jones  08:19

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Who have they been good against? I mean, like, they win a series against a bad team.

Nestor Aparicio  08:23

But this is where you, like, you fall, 10 games under 599 I mean, you know, the Preakness is two weeks away. They better, dude, go back to last week. You and I roll the tape back. You know, do the old Wayne, you know, from four days ago. And I’m like, they better not be I said, six games under, five under, they’re already there. Now,

Luke Jones  08:44

not there now. I mean, we’re under, let’s let’s be

Nestor Aparicio  08:47

okay. But

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Luke Jones  08:48

I mean, for me, it’s not even that, like at some point in time, you need to start looking like a good baseball team and exhibiting some qualities of a good baseball team. Nestor, I went back and looked at it again, because this is where we start looking at Mike Elias and the big picture. This team from the beginning of July 2022 so this was before gunner Henderson was caught up. This was Adley rutchman, two months less than two months into his major league career, from July of 2022 to through June of 2024 his team was 202 and 129 that is a 99 win pace over close to two calendar years of baseball since then. And this is through Sunday’s action since then. So July 1 2024 through the modern you know today they’re 128 and 146 that’s a 75 and a half win pace. We’re coming up on two calendar years of this team being at best, mediocre and at times, just being plain bad, when, by the way, it was supposed to be the these are the blocks SUPPOSED TO BE THE. Their way? Yeah, these were the blossom years. These were the years where new ownership signing players like Alonzo, having money for the Bassets, having money to address the bullpen, having young players to deal out and deal out of Kyle Stowers to get yourself an opening day starter and Trevor Rogers. So yeah, man. I mean, it’s a mixed bag. It always is, you know what I mean, but it’s been worse than a mixed bag, though, that’s the problem. I mean, not sorry to cut you off, but 2023 that 101 win team. And I pointed this out to you, and other people pointed this out. Go back and look at that, that game one lineup against the Rangers, like who played, who was playing for that team at that point, Gunner, Henderson and Adley rutchman. Westberg was kind of platooning with Adam Frazier at that point. You know, kauser had had his cup of coffee back in July and had been sent down again. That team was way more about as far as the bulk of like, filling it out. I get it, gunner and Adley rutsman were leading the way.

Nestor Aparicio  11:03

But it was Santander Mullins. It was the group.

Luke Jones  11:05

It was all that, the leftover players from the end of the Duquette era. I mean, that it was Austin Hayes, it was Cedric Mullins, it was Anthony Santander, like Ryan mountcastle, was a much better player at that point in time. I mean, go down the list and part of, if you recall, part of the rationale at that, at that 2023 trades deadline, was what you didn’t want to be too hasty in terms of what you tried to do in terms of Making Moves, because you’ve got this incredibly talented young core of you’re just entering

Nestor Aparicio  11:36

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the Window

Luke Jones  11:37

Right, right? And instead, man, instead, it’s looking more and more and more and more like that was the peak, and it’s not going to get that good again. I mean, we can’t

Nestor Aparicio  11:51

get that good again if Brandon young and Kate Povich and Trey Gibson are going to be starting games over the next six weeks. And I don’t know. I don’t know. I really don’t know. And Bradish doesn’t look very good. Bassett doesn’t look very good. The guys you’re really counting on aren’t there, and all of a sudden, Trey Gibson is trying to bail your ass out of Yankee Stadium, while the lineup, the lineup unto itself. If you just looked at the lineup with no Henderson in it, with this cast of names. If I would have given you that, you would have said, Dude, what are we playing a grapefruit B league game in Bradenton? We’re going to Yankee Stadium against Max freed with these guys, really, it’s amazing. I mean, that’s I text you in the morning on Sunday. It’s like, this was not the plan holiday westburg, just on and on and on all the names that were the plan. But to your point, Tyler O’Neill, right?

Luke Jones  12:54

Tyler O’Neill, I mean, if he doesn’t start doing something, I mean, we’re getting to the point where even me, you know me, I’m way more conservative in nature when it comes to just saying, get rid of somebody. I mean, he’s got to start showing signs of life. I He walked a few times, right? He made a sliding play in the outfield, although we’ve also seen him misplay a number of balls, right?

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Nestor Aparicio  13:19

But,

Luke Jones  13:20

I mean, this is a guy that was

Nestor Aparicio  13:21

can of corn when the ball got hit to Tyler O’Neill over the weekend. I’m like, stop. There’s no like, when the ball gets hit up near to any of these guys. You said he missed playing. I mean, the defense, time the ball goes anywhere, anything is

Luke Jones  13:37

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terrible on this ball club. It is absolutely dreadful. It might be. I mean, we talked about the defense last year and the second half of 2024 and let’s face it, even when they were winning 101 games back in 2023 it’s not as though they had Gold Glove players at every single you know, Cedric Mullins,

Nestor Aparicio  13:55

they made the play, but

Luke Jones  13:56

they

Luke Jones  13:56

made plays. I mean, I said it and I made the point. I tweeted it out. I’ve been saying this as kind of a one liner. I think I used it with you a few days ago. I flat out said, No, team makes routine plays look tough and tough plays look impossible, like the Orioles right now. I mean, it’s it’s awful, but I just, you don’t

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Nestor Aparicio  14:15

want to give that guy a glove, right, let alone a bat. Same thing with mayo at this point.

Luke Jones  14:20

That’s the Yeah, so I think I texted this to you late in the game on Sunday, but I’m really at a point now where I think Michael ice got to make a move of some sort, like you guys shake things up. You’ve got to send a message. I look he’s far from their biggest problem or their only problem, but I don’t know how you can continue to play Kobe mayo on a regular basis at this point, he’s not hitting. I mean, he he had about a five game stretch where he hit a couple out of the ballpark, but he’s back to not hitting again. He

Nestor Aparicio  14:55

looks so damn good in the uniform, though his

Luke Jones  14:57

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defense is his defense. That third base started out okay, early in the year, I feel like we’ve seen him start that’s starting to go sideways.

Nestor Aparicio  15:06

Yeah, it’s you’re not thinking, if the ball’s rolling foul and you’re picking it off, you’re just not thinking. You’re not thinking. And a little league, so that’s a little league play, really, is like, here’s like, the ball’s rolling foul, let it roll foul, your third base. Come on, man,

Luke Jones  15:22

just showing a lack of you’re either trying to do too much, lack of awareness, like a lack of understanding a game situation, whatever it is, or just someone who’s pressing. And I think that’s really what it is. But look, there’s not an ideal replacement right now, but I look at this very simplistic in a very simplistic way, Blaze Alexander is going to give you better defense at third base, and mayo is not hitting anyway. Now, Blaze Alexander doesn’t have the upside with the bat, but you can keep talking about upside. I mean, pub, Mayo has had 400 plate appearances in the major leagues. I’m not ready to close the book on him, whether it’s with the Orioles or someone else, that he won’t become a good player at some point. I think that’s possible, but that doesn’t mean he’s on scholarship, where you just continue to to jot

Luke Jones  16:08

about the

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Nestor Aparicio  16:08

crash out the second season with opportunities, right?

Luke Jones  16:11

So, right? Well,

Nestor Aparicio  16:12

not him. The team is about to crash, and he’s a part of it. But

Luke Jones  16:16

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I, I just look at this thing at this point where it’s all this probably won’t mean a whole lot to you, because I don’t think, I don’t know if you’ve seen Moneyball with Brad Pitt as Billy Bean, but you know, they get to a certain point in the season and just start, he makes a couple trades, like he trades a couple guys, sends a guy down. I mean, it’s, it’s the proverbial shake that, you know, shake up send a message that this isn’t good enough, I mean, and the problem is, and I just mentioned Blaise Alexander, not really anyone at Norfolk right now that is screaming, give me an opportunity. I mean, Enrique bradfield’s on the IL, so it’s the options aren’t great. But if I’m Michaelia, if I were the GM, I’d be going to see if I can go make an Aaron Hicks move. I mean, Aaron Hicks, if you recall, they brought him to Baltimore right after the Cedric Mullins injury. The Yankees adjust jet is in

Luke Jones  17:11

him.

Nestor Aparicio  17:11

Get an outfielder who can play their outfield. Get me an outfielder.

Luke Jones  17:15

Their outfield is just, oh, man, dude,

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Luke Jones  17:18

they

Nestor Aparicio  17:18

can it left handed pitching. They don’t feel I mean, I just, I can throw the book at them today. I mean, and it’s so disheartening for me, right, sure. I mean, 43 years into this, the you know, aside from every Greg Bader and John Angelos and Katie Griggs and Mark fine, I’ve had to deal with as a citizen here, as a fan. I mean, I got a call from Wendy brown fine at a curio wellness and foreign dodder to take these tickets. The other day, my wife and I, my wife played hooky from work. It wasn’t even that nice. It was only like 62 it wasn’t like 80 degrees nice. It was just okay. And we played hooky. We went down there, and I’m like, I want to be optimistic. No, I mean, about all of it I lived at. This was the view of where I lived, losing a quarter of a million dollars in investing in the city with my with the place I call a residence for 20 years of my life, 19 years of my life. So like going down there and parking the car and walking across the parking lot and, you know, seeing people come in and out there in a double header, seeing you seeing friends running into people, you know, I’m trying to get the bigger picture of the value of all of it when seasons are over in early May. And like, it’s not over, it’s not Yeah, but it’s but the guys they have right now, this isn’t going to make it. I mean, like, Come on, dude, if this were opening day right now and this were their lineup, we just looked at it. And don’t tell me why, holidays, not here or westburg or when, but if this is what you got to play with, it’s just not good enough. I mean, it’s just not, I hear you, but

Luke Jones  19:16

this is where we just kind of disagree on like fixating on like you’re fixating on the bottom of the roster, and you’re not wrong, but I need to see more of the guys that are supposed to be like the parts of this team that are actually playing well,

Nestor Aparicio  19:32

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run around and yell about Pete Alonso making money. I mean, we did a little bit of that last week with Chris Davis and Glenn Davis. I don’t you’re not pulling him out of the lineup, freed on the on $600 million shortstop. They don’t even play him because they don’t want him to bat against the left hand. It reminds me Raphael Palmeiro, I can’t get hit against Randy Johnson, you it’ll put me into a slump. So I mean, like Henderson wouldn’t even give it a chance. To hit them, or he hit his way into being a hero at Yankee Stadium on a Sunday afternoon against Max freed, and they got double a pitching in there and and like. And I’m go ahead, you could be down on gun, or Henderson, if you want. I mean, I whatever. We could be up on Rush, man, just all of that. And I just

Luke Jones  20:19

think it’s kind of like we’re just screaming into the wind if we’re going to complain about Weston Wilson and blaze Alexander, when Gunnar Henderson has a sub 300 on base percentage, when Pete Alonso had a sub 700 ops until the last five days.

Nestor Aparicio  20:35

Johnny Oates, I was there that night that he threw all the franks and beans, I just and the barbecue all over the locker room, and he’s yelling, who’s gonna lead us? Who’s gonna lead us? I think he was even pointing to Glenn Davis when that happened. Actually, is about that era, so, yeah, you know, like, I just remember that one. And, you know, I’m not saying Albernaz needs to knock over the prime ribbit,

Luke Jones  20:55

you know, underneath of the stadium, but I don’t know where the shake up is when this is the locker room. To my point is, what do you expect? You throw a double A pitchers out there, triple A pitchers, three out of four days like, what do you expect? I mean, they’re, they’re triple A pitchers. We don’t need to say double A, but again, Trey Gibson gave them a chance on Sunday. They didn’t hit. I mean, and I think the bigger point at work here, and it actually makes it kind of funny that you and I are both kind of saying, it’s this, it’s that.

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Nestor Aparicio  21:31

The problem it’s

Luke Jones  21:33

everything. The problem is it’s everything. I mean, there are very few things you can point to right now that other than a few individuals, that’s going well. Like I said, even the bullpen, which had been better relative to expectations given some of the injuries they had, even that’s starting to fall down the mountain now. And I just I need to see more signs that this is going to get better. And I’m just not sure it is to the and again, that goes back to what I was just saying. I don’t know if that necessarily means they’re going to crash and burn to the degree that they did by the third week of May last year, but they’re closer to that right now than feeling like they’re a team that can contend with the Yankees for first place in the Al east. So how am I to be all that optimistic? But the point I was trying to make just, you know, going back to whether it’s mayo or Colton cows or Tyler O’Neill, at some point, don’t you have to send a message to say this isn’t good enough. This is below the bar, even if I point to Mike Elias, first and foremost, over everything about this club, right? You know what

Nestor Aparicio  22:40

I did? I pointed. I pointed at the score was 10 to nothing in the fourth inning on Thursday, after I begged my wife to take off a work early and we fed the cat, and we ran out of here, we put, I put on some aqua velvet and came down by the head delicious barbecue sandwich from Heritage smokehouse. I want to give them a plug. They’re right on York Road. They’re my friends, family and my wife was sitting around Sunday morning talking about how good the brisket was from Thursday. So how about that? But like, Dude, I walked out, like, I went all the way down there to watch a baseball game, and it’s 10 to nothing in the fourth inning. And I’m like, you know, that was my wife’s experience at the ballpark there, literally, I mean, and I’m thinking to myself, gosh, I mean, I wish this were more fun, dude. And on a side note, with you and me, and I wasn’t kidding with you on Friday, and I wasn’t even doing stick,

Luke Jones  23:32

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yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  23:32

I would love for you and me to have to get up on Monday morning and go up to New York because the game so freaking big that we wouldn’t want to miss it that little Nestor and little Luke, who grew up to do sports radio for a living, one of us being locked out for basically being honest with these creeps that you would be allowed in, I wouldn’t be allowed. And I checked my app. Tickets were 13 bucks. I had a room set up on 62nd Street. It’s going to take you, get you some traditis Pizza. Pizza. John’s is great, but traditis is really good too. It’s New York. You get pizza. It’s in the water. Man, I was going to, like, do up some Korean wings. You and me. I was, like, beer. Like, I was going to have a beer. I don’t know about you, but I was going to offer one. You know, it’s going to be in the 70s. Like, when’s this going to be fun? Dude? Yeah, seriously, you know what? I mean, the last fun we had was going to Arlington, and I got mistreated by Jennifer, whatever her name is. I don’t even matter. Like, I like, when is this going to be fun? I’m on the effing on deck circle on Thursday, dropping my day, leaving Jim Palmer. Palmer’s eating wings, and I’m in a car. I missed it.

Speaker 1  24:49

Grand

Nestor Aparicio  24:49

Slam, another grand slam. I get down there. It’s 10 nothing. They’re getting their ass kicked.

8

Luke Jones  24:54

We’re coming up on two years since it’s been fun. First half of 2024. Was a blast. You. You and I. How many times have we cited us sitting at the bar at Costas on when the Orioles were finishing off a series win in the Bronx, and you know, they’re right there with

Nestor Aparicio  25:10

a bar and watched a ball game together, you and me, you know

Luke Jones  25:16

that it’s been all downhill since then, and nearly a straight line down now, they played better from June on last year compared to where they were the first two months. But still nothing special, right? I mean, a few games over 500 the rest of the way. I mean still nothing you’re writing home about, nothing that you’re short of, the kind of offseason that we thought this looked like, at least to some degree, right? I’m not gonna, I don’t want to make this

Nestor Aparicio  25:45

8

dummy for being optimistic, man, you know what? I mean, sure, well, and that’s why, that’s why, because I’m looking at this now, and I am not optimistic, because look at it. Just look at the players. If they were failing with holiday westburg. I mean, if they had Mayo times four or five, I guess I wouldn’t feel any better about it, but I would make the argument I’m making with you, which is, leave Alonzo and Henderson alone. No hit. They’re

Luke Jones  26:12

not doing their part. They’re supposed to be the stars, and that’s my point. Like you’re wanting more out of Blaze Alexander and guys like,

Nestor Aparicio  26:22

No, I’m not. I’m just throwing my hands up in the air. I’m not expecting any more. Until

Luke Jones  26:26

recently, Pete Alonso hadn’t done anything with the bat, I mean. And again, we’re, we’re talking in circles here. The problem is everything, everything is the

8

Nestor Aparicio  26:37

backlay is Campbell. I’m more excited about that, you know.

Luke Jones  26:40

And I think, I think the other part of this that that’s really frustrating is it’s a new manager, it’s a new coaching staff, other than Drew, you know, the on the pitching side

Nestor Aparicio  26:53

supposed to be progress. Man, defense looks, oh my god, man,

Luke Jones  26:57

8

I’ll tell you the, I’ll tell you the individual that’s looking better and better Brandon Hyde. And that’s not the and that’s not even me saying that Brandon Hyde is the next Earl Weaver. Let me be clear about that Brandon Hyde had his imperfections and things that I disagreed with. But it goes back to the general point that we talked about at the time was the manager is middle management. I’m seeing as more time goes on, I’m seeing a problem with the vision, with the organizational philosophy, with the culture. And I don’t mean culture in the sense of like guys fighting behind the scenes or anything like that, but it just you

Nestor Aparicio  27:38

put pictures on the mound and say, defense doesn’t matter here, right? Sure you’ve said this. Allen has said this. I have said this. Lock and four is barking so much I’m retweeting him at this point, you know? I mean, yeah, I mean, and I don’t want to be that guy, but I mean, for crying out loud, I mean, the freaking race is coming to Laurel in a week and a half, and these people expect me to carry the water for something that’s broken. You know, the horse racing thing here, and the Preakness thing here, especially after the back end of that derby. Female trainer, jockey crying, his brother finishes second place. I don’t know whether the horse is coming here or not, which is its own issue, but how they’ve destroyed horse racing here. Baseball is not far behind. Dude, like, and my wife and I sitting out there on Thursday, like, now they’re gonna, they’re gonna have a labor disagreement at the end of the year. Like, about a way, I’m reading Ken belson’s book about the NFL and the EP Shaw Upshaw and Tagliabue and the union and how the NFL becomes something we talk about next week when they release the schedule. We all care about it, and baseball’s been this deflated thing. They really want to screw it up, go to war with each other. But Luke, I swear to you, man, I walked around that empty ass ballpark on Thursday, and it’s all gray behind home plate, and it’s kind of like they really should have let Janet Marie in. I mean, in a million ways, but I even said to my wife, like going home, and she didn’t even want to hear it. She’s sick of me with this, but I’m like, where are they getting the money? Where’s all the money coming from, like, to pay these players and to grow the game and downtown, and what it’s doing to the hotels and, like, where’s all the where’s the money coming from for all this, I don’t know, man, I mean, that’s what I think when I’m down there and there’s 3200 people running around the second game of a double header, and it’s perfectly beautiful outside. And it was whatever 20 bucks to get in, or whatever I just I worry about all of it, and I worry about it a whole lot more if they’re not going to be any good at all, if this is going to be as good as it gets, if they’re going to tumble down the mountain and. And they’re gonna, I mean, like, you corrected me. I said, I don’t want them to be six under, and they already are. And you’re like, No, they’re four under. And I hear that, and I look at this, and I look at this roster, and I look at where they are, and I look at who’s coming next, and I’m like, they’re going to be sick soon. I mean, they’re, it’s not that they’re spending in the wrong direction. It’s, I don’t see a pathway for a better direction with with with this right now, if you’re going to say to me, Well, how’s Lee be back next week, and we’re going to get Rogers back from the flu, and Alonzo is going to hit 429, over the next 14 games, and Henderson’s going to come in, and he’s going to play against left handers. And by the way, they’re going to start hitting against left hand against left handers, and they’re going to start catching the ball, and the bullpen is going to be fine, and we’re going to organize all of that, and Dean Kramer is going to come back, and he’s going to be fine, and he’s going to settle like I just gave you a whole bunch of unlikely ish that Brett Hollander and Rob long are going to have to pitch to their audience because They work for the team. But I don’t, you don’t. We don’t lock in four dozen. And what difference does it make anyway, if nobody’s going to the games and they’re going to sputter around and be a sub 500 outfit the rest of the way, how are they going to play four above? Tell me when they’re going to get four above 500 to even get back to 500 with this, with what they have right now that that’s

Luke Jones  31:22

all

Luke Jones  31:22

you you just laid out. I mean, they do have a lot of injury so I’ll disagree a little bit with what you just said. The one thing that you said, I will completely, wholeheartedly agree with, they’re not going to play good defense. I mean, they’re just, they’re not a good defensive club. We knew that before the year. I mean, well, then

8

Nestor Aparicio  31:37

they better mash.

Luke Jones  31:38

They were

Nestor Aparicio  31:41

pitchers. They’re going to get constructed more absolutely they

Luke Jones  31:44

8

haven’t matched. I mean, and that’s what I keep saying to you, like, you keep fixating on, like, these lesser players, how about their actual, real players? Start playing better guys. You know, it’s like being mad at, uh, at Daniel fall lay if Lamar Jackson would go out there and throw five picks, you know? I mean, like, what are we doing here? So, but yeah, I mean, you slide out a lot of things that need to go better. And, yeah, they need those things to go better. You clearly thought a lot of those things were going to happen because you picked them to be a 92 win team. I picked

Luke Jones  32:16

them to

Nestor Aparicio  32:17

New York today eating pastries on a 72 degree day with you going to Yankee Stadium for a game that matters, not here, sure on them and send you having you be happy. We’re not going. And me be like, I almost want to go anyway, just because I want to have some fun. You want to go.

Luke Jones  32:39

They’re not fun to watch.

8

Nestor Aparicio  32:41

You don’t want to go.

Luke Jones  32:41

I’ll tell you my it’s funny.

Nestor Aparicio  32:43

You want to go.

Luke Jones  32:45

8

Oh, I don’t,

Nestor Aparicio  32:45

gosh,

Luke Jones  32:47

for one, don’t you know why? You know, I don’t want to go. I want to watch the Sixers playing game one against the Knicks. Because I’m actually happy about the Sixers beating Celtics. That was the sports highlight for Luke Jones over the weekend. My goodness. I mean, that’s, that’s what it’s come to at this point. But I was talking to someone recently, someone who doesn’t cover the Orioles directly, but watches a lot of baseball. And you know what our comment was? And this, this is before the weekend series. You know, this is when they were still right around 500 right? I mean, they fall into four under at the end of the weekend. But we said it at the time, they’re just not they’re not a fun watch, like even when they win. It’s not an enjoyable product. All

Luke Jones  33:30

this

8

Nestor Aparicio  33:30

bird, this and the squirt, Dad, it

Luke Jones  33:32

has nothing to

Luke Jones  33:33

do with that. I don’t care. You’re you’re being an old man complaining about that. That’s that, that’s fine. It’s that they played bad defense. It’s that they don’t run the bases. Well, it’s

Nestor Aparicio  33:43

8

that left field, third base, almost wound up in shock trauma in the Bronx on Sunday, bumping in, running in each I mean, it looks and then the ball goes squirting in the other. I mean, it’s

Luke Jones  33:53

just

Luke Jones  33:54

Follies. It’s like I said, they make the routine plays look tough and the tough plays look impossible. I mean, that, you know, it has nothing to do with the bird bath or the Happy Hands or that look again, that that’s, there’s, that’s not a problem. That’s fine. But

Nestor Aparicio  34:11

did they get Mike? Can I ask you or

8

Luke Jones  34:14

not?

Nestor Aparicio  34:14

Is that meant for

Luke Jones  34:15

I’m trying to think who was asked about it when it first was it rushman that was asked about it, and he said, like, he referenced that someone had mentioned that, but I don’t know if that was actually directly for that, but that’s what I think about. One of my long, you know, long time friend of mine actually messaged me and asked me that same thing. I said, Yeah, it does remind me of Napoleon Dynamite, but, but no, just to get back to my point, like, obviously, it’s about winning, right? You want to win, but don’t have a chance to win. There’s also a way that, and I but I’ll continue to go back to, I think anyone, and I say this even as someone that’s not infatuated with bunting and hit and runs and. Ball, ball, and old school playing baseball. You know, I’m not, but that said, I think there is absolutely a strong correlation with just your overall enjoyment of watching baseball, with how a team plays defense, and their defense stinks, so even the nights where they’re winning games. And you know, they’re not 15 games, they’re not 20 games under 500 they’re not 15 games under 500 they’re but I can envision them being as such. If they’re going to play as comprised, they look closer to that if you’re going to play defense like that and not hit the ball the way that they were allegedly supposed to. Yeah, the other, the other thing that I’m really growing weary of is hearing how talented they are, how many times. And look, you and I are guilty of this too. So I’ll, I’ll throw myself under the bus with this. But Oh man, these guys are so talented and oh they’re 92

Nestor Aparicio  36:00

8

wins on talent, dude, I bought 92 wins on Westberg, rushman, Henderson, Alonso, that’s what I wouldn’t even buy in Ward I was more buying O’Neill would bounce back and hit 21 home runs and hit 232, and at least but be pliable, be able to play in 118 games, you know,

Luke Jones  36:23

but I still go back to the young core. Look, they did not get Adley rutchman and gunner Henderson because they tanked. They got Adley rutchman and gunner Henderson because Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter gave it one last go, trying to be a wild card team and 2018 instead of trading Manny Machado and doing the things that should have been done, you know, at least that at the very least should have been done the previous winter, if not a year earlier. But they got those guys because that 2018 team was historically awful, even though they weren’t trying to be Mike Elias came in and they were, they deliberately stayed awful for 2019 and 2020 and 2021 seven years ago. Wow. What have they netted from those subsequent drafts that you really say? Wow. I love that. We thought Jordan westburg was on his way to being that way, and now he can’t stay on the field. Jackson holiday, even before this hand injury, still had a lot to prove, to prove worthy of being a one. One we’ve talked about Colton cowser, we’ve talked about Heston kerstad, right? I mean, go down to Kobe mayo in the 2020 draft. So this core, this is a, this was supposed to be the fruits of all that suffering in 1920 and 21 and, my goodness, there’s nothing to show for it right now of real, tangible value that, hey, this has arrived even beside who of the young core has so far looked the best out of that group, not, you know, putting gunner and Adley rutchman, you know, because they were a couple years ahead of the rest of the crew. But, you know, bisayo, it’s has really started swinging the bat well over the last couple of weeks. And he’s 21 I have a lot more patience for him than say, Colton kauser, but man, I think a big part of this, and I think this is where you really have to tread carefully as an organization. And if you’re Mike Elias, when you’re talking about this, you sold to your fan base that there was no other way than to stay deliberately bad for the course of three seasons where you didn’t even try to to win at the major league level. You know, the players, players and coaches did, but as far as the roster building, they didn’t even try at the major league level. And it was supposed to be, because you were going to draft all these great young players. And we’re now three years past the 101 win best team in the American League, home field advantage, First Division title since 2014 team. And it’s just it’s going nowhere but the wrong direction. And yeah, they are hurt, and that is absolutely part of this, but that’s another concern I have. What is, what does this team do from a strength and conditioning standpoint, they just had bad luck. It’s that old black cat. You can keep talking about it being back up bad luck and bad luck and bad luck and bad luck, but, man, what are you doing to make sure it’s not bad luck? Are you exhausting every avenue? I mean, say what you want about the Ravens. Look you and I know have critiques and thoughts about various aspects of the organization, but the Ravens just went in and they just went and hired away a. Acclaimed, you know, kind of sports doctor from a rugby a world renowned rugby team because of his philosophies and handling of, you know, injury management and recovery and things of that nature. I mean, you talk about an outside the box idea in terms of trying to curtail injuries. Now, we’ll see if it works. But the point is, is Mike Elias in this organization doing those, going to those kinds of lengths to make sure whatever is happening is not just bad luck and something that maybe is being overlooked, or something that’s being lost, or something you’re not doing right, or are you just saying, Oh, it’s bad luck. It’ll turn eventually. So I mean, that’s just one of many things that I’m questioning about this organization at this point, because there’s just there aren’t nearly enough things. When you look at trend arrows, right, up or down, right, hot, hot or cold, there aren’t nearly enough things right now with this club to feel all that encouraged that they’re going to really start to turn this thing around,

Nestor Aparicio  41:05

that four games under 500 is going to turn into four over 500 sometime soon with this. I mean, that’s, that’s what I’m talking about, like,

Luke Jones  41:16

but they, but that said, like Pete Alonso. They signed him to be Pete Alonso. He’s been a good defensive first baseman who’s hit for a little bit of pop, and I hope over the these last five games, we’re starting to see him really get going, because he’s one of the few guys who swung the bat well over the weekend in the Bronx.

8

Nestor Aparicio  41:37

He’s got to be the leader. So does gunner, and

Luke Jones  41:39

it’s not,

Nestor Aparicio  41:41

it’s not, it’s not going to be Jackson holiday or Jordan Westberg or Kobe mayo or it’s just not rushman, sure. I mean, you know, I mean,

Luke Jones  41:49

8

I mean, here’s, here’s the sobering thought, if this team doesn’t contend, and this team looks closer to last year than what we were hoping was

Nestor Aparicio  42:01

going selling July 31

Luke Jones  42:02

I’ll tell you who the who’s number one at the top of the list. It’s not Gunnar Henderson, Adley rutchman, if he’s going to continue to play the way he has, because Adley rutsman is a free agent after next season. So I don’t like, I don’t even like bringing that up. It bums me out having to bring that up, but

Nestor Aparicio  42:20

that’s a baseball reality.

8

Luke Jones  42:22

I mean, this is, you know, I’ve already had people in my timeline saying, you know, they’re gonna have to blow this thing up again, yada yada yada, couple things. I’m not there yet. And, well, we’re getting there on Elias, but, well, that was gonna be my next point. Yeah, if we are to get to that point, it needs to be a new regime, right? And it would, to me, it would be a scenario where, if this season ends up looking like last year, I think you need to, ownership needs to bring in a new head of baseball ops. You clean house in that way, and then you find, I don’t know, is it someone with Cleveland? Is it someone with Tampa Bay like you know Mike Elias version two? And when I say that, I don’t mean someone that’s an exact clone of him, I mean someone that’s regarded in a similar way to how we viewed Mike Elias eight years ago, and you have that individual and a new front office assess what’s here, and is it a case like we saw with Kyle Stowers, who goes to Miami, and suddenly, you know, they make a couple adjustments, and you know, it’s a fresh start. And then maybe you start to say, oh, maybe these guys, maybe these guys are talented, but the the philosophy and the organization’s really lacking, and they’re, they’re kind of focusing on the wrong things. And, you know, maybe there is a scenario for that, or that that individual deems, no, these guys aren’t it. And then then you are faced with the more sobering starting over, kind of again, man, I it bums me out, even that we’re having this conversation. And, you know, right around Cinco de Mayo, I mean, we’re still it’s still early. The season isn’t over, but this is not trending well. And I we said it a lot during spring training, to me, it was so critical for this team to start off well. And I didn’t mean that it needed to be 25 and five, but I think you wanted to see a team that jumped out to being five or six games over 500 you know, nothing crazy, but just saying, Hey, this is a legitimately good team in the American League, and this is a team that making noise in the Al east, and maybe they wouldn’t be in first place. And look, the Yankees. Since they had their kind of law a couple weeks ago, the Yankees have gone nuts since then, the Yankees are the best team in this division right now, until proven otherwise. You know, Tampa’s been better than expected. Boston and Toronto is right there with the Orioles in terms of disappointing. I mean, those teams have been even more disappointing. It’s why the Red Sox have already fired their manager. So this isn’t I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed you and I aren’t having the many.

Nestor Aparicio  45:00

Dessert, chicken bucket, Yankee Stadium, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, candy, corn flakes.

Luke Jones  45:09

I mean chocolate

Nestor Aparicio  45:09

8

cookie bone 1099, that’s a bargain in the Bronx. Come on, man, you sure you don’t want to go? Who’s pitching?

Luke Jones  45:18

I’m sure I don’t want to

Nestor Aparicio  45:19

go. Why don’t you want to

Luke Jones  45:20

go?

8

Luke Jones  45:22

I already told you why

Nestor Aparicio  45:24

you don’t like bad baseball.

Luke Jones  45:26

Well, it’s not just that. But I, like I said, I want to watch the Sixers on Monday, and I’ll be watching both. Look, I mean, it’s just all, all kidding aside. I mean, they just, they’re not a good product right now, and that, you know, to go more towards your point as far as the big picture and ownership and fan engagement and all of that. Man, this is not what they needed on the heels of last year. And, you know, you fire the manager, you bring in a new manager, all of that, and it’s looking very similar to last year. Wait, that’s not good. I mean, it’s just, it’s not hard to sell. See, I’m not the truest, yeah, club. I’m not even going on. This isn’t Luke trying to make fun of them or anything like that. That’s bad. That’s,

Nestor Aparicio  46:10

8

that’s my job. Yeah,

Luke Jones  46:11

that’s bad news. I mean, it really is. So look like I said it’s one thing to talk they have injuries, and by no means, even if, even if I thought this team was playing well, they’re not in a position right now to be firing on all cylinders. I’ll, I’ll totally acknowledge that I’m not expecting them.

Nestor Aparicio  46:30

They’ve had bad luck. I mean, I literally, I’m not making fun of I mean, literally, they’ve had bad misfortune. When you’re having a bone injuries at the

Luke Jones  46:39

same time that can’t be that can’t give everyone else a pass. I mean, like I said, Gunner Henderson through Saturday. You know, when they lost nine to four on Saturday and Bradish pitched poorly, and gunner Henderson has a 275, on base percentage. Right now he’s striking out. What about 30% of the time? Something? You know, it’s up

8

Nestor Aparicio  47:01

again. He didn’t even play on Sunday. He’s a team leader. The first time

Luke Jones  47:05

he hasn’t played

Nestor Aparicio  47:05

against the left but, I mean, he can’t even give him a chance when it’s like, just sit down and chill out for a day. And I’m not saying that’s a good thing or a bad thing, probably a good thing, but not in the big picture, leadership, and we’re getting our ass kicked. Well, go down the bathroom. I’ll take the ship for a little while. You know, like there is a point where, like, Gunner Henderson hitting two home runs off Max free to save the day is sort of the injection of what this team needs. I mean, you’re to your point. He can’t be the hero if he’s not even in the lineup on a day when, you know they were need of a year they were in the game on Sunday.

Luke Jones  47:45

8

Yeah, yeah. Well, and that, and that’s where you look at it, and say, okay, you know, is that on Albernaz? Is that on Elias? Is that on the front office, who said, Hey, let’s give gunner a day.

Nestor Aparicio  47:55

Well, it’s not a bad day to give him a day. I mean, I’m playing a little sports radio Monday morning on that. But of

Luke Jones  48:00

course, let’s be cool. Let’s be clear. Max Fried’s really good, you know, like, but, you know, you kind of look at this team. I mean, who’s going to step up? I was just compliment Natalie rushman, how he was, oh, for eight in this first two games of the series that he played. I mean, what was good over the weekend, you know? Like I said, Trey Gibson, it’s a low bar. Mind you, he gave them the best chance out of their three starters who went over the first three games. You know, he competed. I’ll say this. He put he pitched well enough that I’m looking forward to seeing him again, whether it’s five days from now or whether it’s a month from now, what you know, whatever they decide to do, but, man, it’s just it’s disheartening to go to New York, and we’re not going to New York. I’m talking about the Orioles. I’m not trying to make this about us, but it’s just

Nestor Aparicio  48:58

trying to have fun with the baseball. There’s

8

Luke Jones  49:00

nothing fun about it right now. You know, it’s just not but to not even look like you belong on the field with with the team that’s in first place in your division. That’s disappointing in

Nestor Aparicio  49:12

May,

Luke Jones  49:12

at least on Sunday. I mean Friday and Saturday, they weren’t really even in the game. I mean Saturday a little bit, but Povich, you know, they give up five runs right off the bat on Friday night. I mean, you’re out of it already. And,

Nestor Aparicio  49:25

8

yeah, I was a believer Sunday when they got back in the game. I’m like, yeah, maybe get a little magic here. Loyal magic.

Luke Jones  49:33

Andrew Kittredge just completely got, you know, completely knocked around. I mean, I don’t know. Hopefully that doesn’t mean it’s an issue with the shoulder, but he was bad and that, you know, you brought him in in that spot in

Nestor Aparicio  49:48

hellsley, things terrible too, right? Sure. I

Luke Jones  49:50

mean, it’s, yeah, I mean,

8

Nestor Aparicio  49:51

and staring down at that before they got into that circumstance after, yeah, you know, came in kind of early. You’re like, all right, who do we have? Oh, we don’t have him. Anymore,

Luke Jones  50:00

yeah, well, and the problem is, I mean, they just got Aiken and Kittredge back, Dietrich ends is back. So, and I’m not, I’m not saying those guys are, you know, the end all, be all. But the point is, you thought you were getting to a point where some phase of your roster, your bullpen was turned

Nestor Aparicio  50:20

down Nunez and Garcia a little bit. Just turn up more the veteran guy.

Luke Jones  50:24

8

I mean, Rico Garcia has been great. Rico Garcia, he’s my closer right now. I mean, by you know, until Elsie is back, he’s been phenomenal. But

Nestor Aparicio  50:33

situation where you can use a close,

Luke Jones  50:35

well, sure they didn’t have that over they didn’t have that problem over the

Nestor Aparicio  50:39

weekend. I mean,

8

Luke Jones  50:40

you saw the Yankees bring in Bednar in the ninth inning because he hadn’t pitched in like five days. He didn’t have, didn’t have a safe situation the first couple nights so but, man, it’s just it’s not a good vibe right now. And I’ll leave you with what Albernaz said after the game on Sunday. And hold on my computer just froze. I wanted to read it word for word, but

Nestor Aparicio  51:02

I’m too busy reading about the vanilla ice cream.

Luke Jones  51:04

But he was chocolate, man, you you love that. But, no, I mean, he was asked about, I

Nestor Aparicio  51:10

8

don’t know if I love it, because you’re not going with me to eat it, and we’re not going to know. Melanie said it was good. So it must be pretty good, you know.

Luke Jones  51:17

But he was asked about where this team is, and he said, and I’ll read you the quote directly. For me, it’s at a crucial point where what team do we want to be? We can fold up and just think that everything will turn around just by itself, or we’ve got to put the work in and really make this happen. I feel with those guys in the clubhouse, I feel it’ll be the latter. These guys will put the work in, and we’ll be better as the season goes on. I hope, I hope. But I feel like Brandon Hyde was saying very similar things a year ago at this time. So either Mike Elias whiffed on the higher to replace the manager, and that’s a michaelias problem then, or the manager in the coaching isn’t really the problem. It’s either the players themselves, which were picked by michaelias or an organ, an overall organizational philosophy that is just not working well.

Nestor Aparicio  52:07

I’d love to ask Michael era Getty about this, or David Rubenstein, but they’re unavailable right now, so

Luke Jones  52:12

I can’t imagine they’re very happy right now, especially after the money they spent over

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Nestor Aparicio  52:16

I would think that Mr. Araghetti is probably very up in arms right now, so Luke and I will be here when the dealings done. We’ll be here when this series are within the birds go to Miami later on in the week. Luke will be at the ballpark over the weekend. I will be at Planet Fitness this week on the seventh, the 13th, we moved to fayley’s at Lexington market. That’s the last game of the Yankee series, and that was my official measurement. If you remember, Luke, we talked about that, and as well, on the 21st we’re going to be at the fishmonger’s daughter in Catonsville, opening a new place. My wife and I had dinner there last week. It was fantastic. You know, if they’re going to stink, I’m going to make you laugh, and I’m going to be funny, and there’s nothing you’re going to do that’s going to stop this and this whole I can’t go to New York because you’re going to watch the NBA. Did you NBA on in New York? You know what? Dude, I totally missed this. Does anybody look? Call me if anybody’s listen. It’s radio station. Why don’t we go to message to our show? Call me, somebody that knows me. Call me. Let’s go to New York. It’s gonna be 78 degrees. Let’s go to New York. Let’s get one of these mini dessert I’m reading about this. I gotta have this vanilla listen, if as long as I believe my wife owns some marvelous is from 37th and sixth, we’re good man, and I’ll take a little ice with me. It’ll be it’ll work out. I can get these pastries home, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, candied corn flakes and a chocolate cookie bone 1099, you know

Luke Jones  53:50

what? I figured it out. We’re gonna go to New York. You can go watch the baseball team. I’ll go to Madison Square Garden. Watch Sixers, Knicks. How about that?

Nestor Aparicio  53:59

They’re playing in New York, you didn’t tell Monday night? Yeah. So what you’re saying is you and I could sit in stout at 33rd and seventh and have some beers, and you’re a block away from Nick’s Sixers. We could, how about this? We go up early. You do pregame. We look like we’re there. We’ll get these ice cream things. We’ll get on a seven. About what time is it? Tip off,

Luke Jones  54:26

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eight o’clock.

Nestor Aparicio  54:30

I’m trying to work this out with you, dude. I mean, I’m trying to figure this out. You would pee your pants, though, if at 628, on Monday night, I’m eating these chicken wing ice cream things in front of and singing Frank Sinatra songs, right? You would be like, That would be funny, wouldn’t

Luke Jones  54:49

it would be funny. It would be funny.

Nestor Aparicio  54:53

It’s gonna be 71 in New York. Well,

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Luke Jones  54:55

by the way, by the way, I just looked at, uh, I looked at what game one. Tickets are as low as $361

Nestor Aparicio  55:03

I’m not taking it to the next Sixers. I’m giving you the ambiance, you know, saying, I mean, you drink it in,

Luke Jones  55:12

yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  55:12

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all right, you still don’t want to go.

Luke Jones  55:15

Do you know

Nestor Aparicio  55:17

he’s Luke. I’m Nestor. We’ll be back tomorrow to talk about another loss or maybe a victory. That’s what

Luke Jones  55:22

makes it,

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Luke Jones  55:22

hopefully a win.

Nestor Aparicio  55:24

Stay with us. We’re we’re W N, S T AM, 1570 Towson, Baltimore, we never stop talking, wanting and waiting. 43 years. Least I can do is get a mini dessert drumstick ice cream out of the damn thing

Luke Jones  55:38

you.