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It was hard to watch, the last pitch that Orioles closer sensation Felix Bautista threw before it became apparent that his UCL was agitated. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the loss of the All Star reliever and its impact on the Orioles postseason hopes and pitching down the stretch.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

batista, year, pitch, felix, point, bullpen, orioles, ninth inning, october, good, weeks, season, win, games, play, september, throwing, innings, pitching, signs

SPEAKERS

Nestor Aparicio, Luke Jones

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

What about W en s t, Towson, Baltimore, and Baltimore positive. Weโ€™re gonna have some new liners around here celebrating our 25th anniversary. Weโ€™re also going to be at Pappas this week in Glen Burnie Iโ€™ve never been to the Pappas and Glen Burnie that is Kalasa says itโ€™s just local Pappas. Weโ€™re gonna have some crab cakes. Weโ€™re gonna have a conversation with anaerobic county executive Steuart Pittman, also I think going to be joined by longtime wn S T executive producer Ray Bachman. So you know, I get anywhere near Pasadena I gotta find Bachman. Itโ€™s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. And weโ€™re going to be giving away the 50th anniversary scratch offs on our 25th anniversary. Oh theyโ€™re also doing some big dudes out at the State Fair this week. Got home run riches we got the Ravens scratch offs coming and our friends are weathernation 866 90 nation taking another 10% off here for labor day this week. And certainly a I canโ€™t imagine or remember a time and Luke Iโ€™m gearing up for this right like we have our 25th anniversary Iโ€™m doing these 25 stories of glory weโ€™re gonna be talking about our our signs from back in the day our Go chirp signs are Stomp them Saint signs from back in the day and the old get nasty signs as well as charity and barn shows but 33 games over 500 for the Orioles, the Ravens about to play at home with the superstar quarterback and the superstar wide receiver and they have their own issues with their cornerback missing and everything felt perfect. I mean even Henderson hitting the home run everything felt perfect until the Felix petite the situation the other night and I I mean itโ€™s really kind of cast a pall upon all of this, including the bobblehead the sold out crowds Saturday night, first place, first place, number one seed all of that. This is this is incredibly problematic for the Orioles loop.

Luke Jones  01:50

It definitely is I mean, I donโ€™t think thereโ€™s a way to sugarcoat it beyond the fact that they do finish the weekend 30 to over 500 and they are still in first place. And as Mike Elias noted on Saturday afternoon in the Orioles dugout when he revealed that Felix Batista had suffered, quote, some degree of injury to his UCL that other teams go through this. I mean, the angels are out of it, but Shohei Ohtani torn UCL for him. Weโ€™ve seen the rays with McClanahan and a number of pitchers that theyโ€™ve lost this year. It does happen but when itโ€™s the best closer in baseball this year, when youโ€™re a team that plays close game after close game after close game and we were already talking about the state of the bullpen and whether Mike Elias had done enough at the deadline and you know, Fujinami has looked okay at times other times doesnโ€™t look very trustworthy. Itโ€™s a very difficult pill to swallow to lose someone like Felix Batista, but itโ€™s a pitcher, they break. Thatโ€™s why you need as much pitching depth as possible and the Orioles will have to carry on here. Theyโ€™re still going to make the playoffs. Time will tell whether theyโ€™re going to hold off the Tampa Bay Rays. I mean, the reality is itโ€™s been a one two or three game lead since late July. I mean, itโ€™s been that way for a month now itโ€™s kind of been Oreos when arrays when arrays lose Orioles lose, itโ€™s kind of been the way that itโ€™s worked for the most part, although certainly the arrays gain a game on Sunday afternoon. But I think for the Orioles, it boils down to this theyโ€™re going to need a number of individuals to step up on the pitching side and on the offensive side knowing that youโ€™re not going to have your stud closer in the ninth inning because whether Felix Batista whether this injury, he can avoid Tommy John surgery or not which, you know, when they throw out UCL right away, thatโ€™s not a good sign. I canโ€™t fathom a scenario Nesta Realistically speaking, where weโ€™re seeing Batista pitch again this year. And if Iโ€™m wrong, then Iโ€™ll gladly be wrong about that. But when youโ€™re throwing out some degree of injury to a UCL less than 24 hours after it happens, that usually tells you itโ€™s not good. That usually tells you where this is probably hadnโ€™t. So from that standpoint, in the short term, weโ€™ve seen your kiddo who makes sense all star setup man steps into the closer role. Will he be that guy every single time? Probably not to the same degree that Batista has been, but Well, we

Nestor Aparicio  04:18

have less baseball to theyโ€™re gonna be less decisions to make between here in the end, the real decisions coming October. Yeah, at this point, like, you still think of this team at 32 games over there. Theyโ€™re making the playoffs. Theyโ€™re gonna play big games. So what happens between now and then they might blow a game or two or three, and it might wind up being a game or two or three that cost them a game at the end, where they become a wildcard. But either way, this is about endings in October for me. I mean, I hate to be flippant about it because the Yankees and Red Sox are coming to catch us, you know, so I really do feel like they built themselves. You talked about building that pad back in April when the schedule stunk back in May when the schedule was good. Weโ€™re like Well, maybe theyโ€™re good. And then itโ€™s July and August. And thereโ€™s this pad goes from 20 Games over 500 to 25 games over 500 or 33 games over five at all. Thatโ€™s great. And I, but whoโ€™s going to pitch in October? And I mean, thatโ€™s where the Royals kicked our ass, you know, nine years ago, right? Like, itโ€™s that seventh eighth ninth inning, figuring that out, and having starting pitching, thatโ€™s good enough. Thatโ€™s good enough. I mean, Flaherty was good enough. Most of these guys most days, theyโ€™re good enough like Wayne Shannon Miguel Gonzalez, that theyโ€™re good enough, though. Thereโ€™s nobody in there thatโ€™s setting the world on fire. But theyโ€™re getting you through five or six innings, and theyโ€™re giving you a chance to win. And certainly this team has enough offense to do that. The question for me is, how are you going to get through the backside of the lineup late into the night against quality hitters and big lineups and bright lights? In October? Whoโ€™s going to be there? Whoโ€™s going to take those innings? And maybe you say means maybe you see, oh, maybe these guys are healthy and coming into their own six or seven weeks from now? Because to your point, USDC is not home anymore. And like, to me, thatโ€™s not an issue in September? Thatโ€™s an issue in October. Yeah,

Luke Jones  06:05

I mean, the issue in September is going to be figuring out what that bullpen is going to look like without Felix Batista making the assumption that heโ€™s not going to be back. And again, I canโ€™t fathom a scenario where I mean, I guess I shouldnโ€™t say that. But itโ€™s extremely unlikely that weโ€™re gonna see him again this year based on the fact that right away, they say heโ€™s got some injury to his UCL. Now, does he avoid Tommy John surgery or not? Time will tell on that. I mean, we might find out that doesnโ€™t mean

Nestor Aparicio  06:32

heโ€™s out there throwing a bucho. One

Luke Jones  06:36

day, and thatโ€™s the big thing. I mean, even if he tries to come back, because theyโ€™re at a point in the schedule Nestor, if he has to get Tommy John surgery, heโ€™s out all next year anyway. So and, and even though a lot of people view Tommy John surgery in this day and age so much differently than they did 25 years ago, or 30 years ago. And yes, the return rate is very good, but itโ€™s not 100%. So in many cases, you will go at it from a conservative approach, at least for a little while, and the timing of the calendar for him, theyโ€™ll probably do that with Batista. least a little bit, I would think unless it just, you know, unless itโ€™s completely, you know, if you ruptured it or itโ€™s almost a full tear, then, you know, theyโ€™re just not announcing it right away. But these next five weeks, these next four weeks are going to be about figuring that out. Letโ€™s say for right now, for argumentโ€™s sake, you and your casino does a pretty good job in the ninth inning. Itโ€™s not Felix Batista, but hey, heโ€™s heโ€™s pitched really well, in August. Heโ€™s looked more like the guy we saw in the first half of the season here over the last you can get your three out to two or three run ballgame. Right? Right. Well, but the point is bad teams to mostly. But as we talked about this last year, when they traded Jorge Lopez at the trade deadline, and Felix Batista, everyone said, Well, he can move into the ninth inning. Well, what was the question? Nestor, it was who pitches the eighth inning to get to Batista in the ninth inning. So if Cano can handle the Batista role, and again, is he going to have that role exclusively? I think theyโ€™ll match up a little bit, because Danny columns pitched really well. Weโ€™ve seen some other guys that could potentially have that you mentioned DL Hall, theyโ€™re going to have to figure out whoโ€™s going to be kynos role, then, you know, if Canola is going to become Batista, even if itโ€™s not the same exact, extremely dominant pitcher, well, then you need someone to become Cano. So thatโ€™s why I liked on Saturday, seeing DL haul pitch in the eighth inning, Brandon Hyde thrown right into the fire. And the reason why is itโ€™s got a heck of an arm, you know, he saw me touch 98 miles per hour and was throwing Well, and, you know, you need to see if whether itโ€™s him, whether itโ€™s Jacob Webb, you mentioned John means theyโ€™re, theyโ€™re stretching out means I think heโ€™s gonna be more of a starting option, at least the other thing they

Nestor Aparicio  08:42

have left handers all of a sudden, right, you know, so that thatโ€™s, you know, the cool loams itโ€™s nice to have that theyโ€™re going to need that theyโ€™re going to need matchups

Luke Jones  08:53

really? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they have a little more CNL Perez has been better, certainly over the last few weeks. I mean, Kulon has been so good for them that I mean, heโ€™s gotten right handers out to he hasnโ€™t been a lefty specialist per se. He looked that way early in the season, just how they use them. But heโ€™s another guy that I think could end up closing some games. If you get an A ninth inning scenario where two of the three batters do upper left handed hitters. I mean, so I think Brandon handled play matchups a little bit more than you would when Batista is pitching the night because itโ€™s Batista who cares whoโ€™s coming up. I mean, heโ€™s gonna pitch, but theyโ€™re gonna have to try to figure that out. And, you know, I think the other interesting name, in addition to DL haul to me is going to be Tyler wells. They very clearly are shortening him up in the minors for a one inning, maybe one and a third one and two thirds kind of outings where, and we saw this with him as a rule five pick a couple years ago. I mean, he he actually pits really well, to the point and I know the team was terrible at the time. So you know, Iโ€™m not going to sit here and say that itโ€™s the same exact scenario but how the wells finished that rule five rookie year, as theyโ€™re close Sir before they you know before he got shut down real late in the season, so

Nestor Aparicio  10:04

given him the Gasman role, but without

Luke Jones  10:09

I mean, it might be that right. But they shortened him up. Heโ€™s going to be part of that bullpen picture. I mean, weโ€™ve seen Jacob Webb Saturday aside, weโ€™ve seen Jacob Webb pitch really well, since they claimed him off waivers from the angels, which I still canโ€™t figure out why the angels gave him up because heโ€™s been pretty good for them. So itโ€™s not as though the cupboards entirely bear. But itโ€™s not as simple as just saying next man up and I know fans say that and we talk about that with the Ravens all the time. Felix Batista is not a next man up guy. I feel like Batista is Felix Batista, whoโ€™s the best closer in baseball? Thereโ€™s a reason why he was garnering at least some sayang attention do I think he was

Nestor Aparicio  10:47

he was only going to pitch 10 innings this month. Right? And right, I mean, like, well,

Luke Jones  10:51

right. Well, and thatโ€™s where I was even having this debate with some other reporters late Friday night when

Nestor Aparicio  10:57

youโ€™re winning 70% of the time, like theyโ€™ve been doing lately. Right. Like they you know, itโ€™s another part of this right.

Luke Jones  11:01

Yeah. Well, and I mean, the reality is, I still I fully expect him to continue to have leads in the eighth and ninth inning. I mean, they played that way all year. Why is that going to change now, itโ€™s going to be what you do with those leads now when you donโ€™t have to be Alex Batista. So the nice thing for the Orioles and again, Sundayโ€™s loss notwithstanding, they still want to add a three it was just, it was strange to see Ty block Nestor, who Iโ€™m sure you had no recollection of. He was one of the worst of the worst pitchers that we saw the Orioles have during their the darkest times of the rebuild. He shuts them down. But you look at the schedule. Three was Chicago, three with Arizona who has bounced back and playing better of late. But then they play the angels at Boston, three against St. Louis until the rays come to town for that mid September for game set. So theyโ€™ve got a two week period here where the schedule is, Iโ€™m gonna say it soft, because itโ€™s still major league baseball, and you still have to go out there and pitch well and do the things you need to do to win. But it is a softer schedule, the next couple of weeks, which theyโ€™ve got to figure out some semblance of new roles for everyone in that bullpen. Because we know but he says at least out the next couple of weeks, right? I mean, even the miraculous scenario, heโ€™s on the 15th day I L. So heโ€™s at least out for two weeks. But of course, youโ€™re preparing for the worst at this point in time. So you do have a schedule that sets up for Brandon Hyde to move pieces around. Try some things out to your point. This is about October, theyโ€™re gonna be in the postseason, you know, theyโ€™re Felix Batista being sidelined for the last month of the seasons, not costing them a playoff spot. It might cost them the division might cost him the number one seed but thereโ€™ll be in the playoffs. So everything about this month, yes, itโ€™s about winning, continuing to win games because you want to win the division, but youโ€™re trying to find things out and you want to find out if TL Hall can handle high leverage, you want to find out if Tyler wells can handle high leverage when they want to find out if Cano can truly handle the Batista rule because we canโ€™t and then they have bigger problems with

Nestor Aparicio  13:04

a three game lead because their ninth inning closer blows five saves in the month of September, then theyโ€™re not going to win the World Series. You know what I mean? Like, you know, thereโ€™s, thereโ€™s, thereโ€™s a point, especially if youโ€™re doing that against the Rockies, right? Or, you know, whatever it is your to your point, the series and the Tampa thing is going to be big and the Houston thing is going to be maybe even bigger, you know, but by the time we get there if they back up a little bit, I mean, I donโ€™t know, you know, maybe Houston one of helping Texas, I mean, they would never want to do that. But it does set up to be more as the season got a lot more interesting when he got injured right. From a I think they can win the World Series to same feeling I had when Ronnie Stanley got hurt a couple years ago, I turned to my wife when heโ€™s getting carted off and Iโ€™m like they canโ€™t win the Super Bowl without him. And I know the Marlon Humphrey thing for the Ravens. Weโ€™ll see how that goes. Youโ€™re more optimistic that heโ€™s going to be running around on my birthday, which is, you know, London Weekend, middle of October. Iโ€™m not in this case of Batista. I think weโ€™re all we donโ€™t believe heโ€™s really going to pitch in October. I mean, I donโ€™t at this point, because I donโ€™t think they do. And to your point, like youโ€™re talking about the ninth inning and me to saying itโ€™s 10 innings. Thatโ€™s a little flippant of me to say itโ€™s 10 innings because I think it affects everything after the fifth inning for them every night. And and especially when you start mixing and matching and they donโ€™t play 14 games anymore. So you donโ€™t have that going on anymore where youโ€™d really like rippable pan up or double headers or any of those kinds of weird things that that do that but they do have some arm deficiencies. Weโ€™ve talked about the bullpen all of July right all of June and all of July once can Oh got a little question he around the all star break. Weโ€™re like Alright, do they have enough bullpen? Do they have enough? He didnโ€™t mentioned Fuji and I guess you know heโ€™s got this bedwetting propensity in situations where I donโ€™t No, they may have to pitch him in the sixth inning of game three in Houston next month, right? Like theyโ€™re gonna have to, but theyโ€™re not going to want to. And I think thatโ€™s where Paul means wells, these, these guys that arenโ€™t a part of it right now that have not ever been a part of it over the first 130 games, weโ€™re looking at them and saying all right, you know, maybe, maybe this is the spot in September where theyโ€™ll try things theyโ€™re gonna have to, right?

Luke Jones  15:29

Yeah. And thatโ€™s what itโ€™s gonna be about. I mean, letโ€™s keep in mind two years ago, Iโ€™m only talking two years ago. So the end of the 2021 season, no one was talking about Felix Batista. Itโ€™s in the minors. He, I mean, he had the beginning of 2021. He was in single way. No, and he and he got all the way to triple A and okay, he was kind of sorta on the radar at this point. But my point is, you didnโ€™t know what you had until he was in the majors. And suddenly, youโ€™re youโ€™re like, wow, this guy. This guyโ€™s unbelievable. So

Nestor Aparicio  15:59

being old and being a reliever is not such a bad thing, right? Youโ€™re 2728 youโ€™re throwing BS to AAA, donโ€™t bring you up and give you a chance. And maybe itโ€™s turned into Danny Coulomb. Maybe it turned into Lee Smith. I donโ€™t know. You know, like I but at least you get it you get a chance. I mean, in any organization because they eat arms. And it is an unnatural thing for you to do to pitch for any of us go throw wiffle ball tomorrow and send you like, like, see how your shoulder feels? Because itโ€™s not natural to do it. And at some point all these guys arms fall off. I mean, like, itโ€™s, itโ€™s, itโ€™s astonishing through the history of baseball, how many guys had shoulder problems have show Strasburg retired this week, right? He was going into the hall of wherever he was going and then he fell apart. Pitching man, itโ€™s I itโ€™s itโ€™s like vapor. Itโ€™s like capturing it while itโ€™s happening while itโ€™s going on. While the guy feels good while heโ€™s throwing strikes. I mean, Fuji is the greatest example that because he might be lights out he might be the answer in October. Heโ€™s good enough to be if heโ€™s consistent enough. But consistency was six foot seven guys, thatโ€™s that was Randy Johnsonโ€™s problem in the beginning, right?

Luke Jones  17:08

Yeah, I mean, itโ€™s just they have like, like weโ€™ve said they have some interesting options. Does that mean any of them is going to ultimately be the solution? I mean, Felix Batista was the best closer and baseball this year. Right. I mean, you canโ€™t dismiss that when you look at the strikeout numbers when you look at everything he did for them. Era. Yeah, he blew six saves, but look how many saves and look how many games he he also had the wins in relief, how many times he pitched in extra innings and winning on the road and all of that you canโ€™t just replace that. So this next month? Yes, itโ€™s still about winning games. Itโ€™s not as though Brandon heights going to heโ€™s not going to throw Austin both out there in the ninth inning per se. But theyโ€™re going to be trying some different things. And we saw that with Hall on Saturday night heโ€™s in the eighth inning. DL halls got a great arm. Now heโ€™s another guy that you telling me right now three, four weeks from now that the alcohols closing some games for them? Iโ€™d say okay, I buy it because heโ€™s got that kind of arm. Iโ€™m not saying thatโ€™s the most likely outcome. Fujinami Cano, weโ€™ve talked about Danny Coulomb. I mean, they are Tyler wells. I mean, they have interesting options, at least when I say interesting. That means potential to be good potential to be an answer. But none of them are feel expertise. And thatโ€™s why as I said at the beginning of our conversation, this is going to be a collective effort. Not just in the bullpen, but you need your starters to be more consistent than theyโ€™ve been in your right to for the most part. Theyโ€™ve been pretty solid. I mean, they had until Flaherty didnโ€™t get through six on Sunday they had had a stretch where their starters were getting through six they were getting quality starts. Now weโ€™ve seen Kyle Bradish look very much like an ace for most of the season really from May on I mean, heโ€™s been that good. Weโ€™ve seen Grayson Rodriguez look very good since heโ€™s since he was recalled after the all star break. You know, Dean Kramer is the guy that kind of gets forgotten out of the young guys, because we know he struggled so mightily two years ago. But for the most part, heโ€™s given them some starts, you know, in some tough spots where heโ€™s pitched really well and come through for them. So you have those three was nice to see Gibson bat and bounce back this last start because he had struggled over the last month. Yeah, weโ€™ll see about Flaherty Cole Irvin has quietly pitched pretty well for them since moving into the six man rotation within

Nestor Aparicio  19:35

Flaherty for for the most has been

Luke Jones  19:37

Yeah, he has been right so and you have John means who is at this point looking like heโ€™s finishing up his rehab assignment heโ€™s up to about 70 or 75 pitches per outing so heโ€™s gonna be an option for them. I donโ€™t think weโ€™ll see means you know, youโ€™re not gonna see John means pitch in the eighth inning. Itโ€™s gonna be a matter of does he start doing Maybe use him with another starter in a piggyback scenario, and then under that scenario, I would assume means replaces someone like Austin both in the bullpen. But I think theyโ€™re I think theyโ€™re keeping their mind open to means starting some games for them in September and seeing what that looks like knowing that he has some upside that if John means looks like John means by September 21, maybe he is your fourth starter in your rotation. come October. So itโ€™s nice to at least have a few more options now than they had at any point during the season to your to the point you made a couple of minutes ago, but but they

Nestor Aparicio  20:34

donโ€™t have their best option. It sucks. Yeah, thereโ€™s just thereโ€™s just no way to sugarcoat it.

Luke Jones  20:38

And that doesnโ€™t mean it doesnโ€™t mean they canโ€™t make a run in October, doesnโ€™t mean they canโ€™t win a series and get to the ALCS but it is very difficult to look at this and say, You will imagine a path for them winning the World Series without Felix Batista. And thatโ€™s just thatโ€™s the bummer here. And thatโ€™s, thatโ€™s rough, but I will remind everyone, the Orioles got to the ALCS in 2014. Without Manny Machado without Matt weeders. All year basically, with Chris Davis being suspended in September 2012. It was early September when Sabetha hit Nick Mark Akers son broke his thumb. Marcus had been one of their best players for the second half of the season until that happened. Nate McLouth stepped in, they still made the playoffs. So itโ€™s not as though the seat you just say the seasonโ€™s over. And no oneโ€™s suggesting that youโ€™re disappointed. There was a lot of disappointed guys in that clubhouse on Saturday, believe me, you know, you could tell it was a tough day for that club. But the way they answered and came out and won the game on Saturday night. Thatโ€™s what you have to do. And youโ€™re gonna need guys to step up across the board, you need your offense to be a little bit better, maybe to the point where you donโ€™t have quite as many saved scenarios right off the bat, you know, as Iโ€™ve joked about all year, well, theyโ€™ve

Nestor Aparicio  21:55

been exciting as hell, right? Whether itโ€™s so hard hitting homeruns or, I mean, like it does remind me 79 As as a as a fan, and not so much 97 Were they were loaded with stars and the payroll and all that just sort of like reached our getting a hit or Kiko Garcia getting hit or Jim Dwyer in 83 Getting a hit or Benny a Yalla. Getting, I mean, they just have a team of because it wasnโ€™t about callin Eddie every night. It was some nights, you know, but itโ€™s but itโ€™s not about anyone. Itโ€™s a collective. Everybody here has been a star at one point, McCann, I mean, you name it. I mean, your is Matteo, you know, and theyโ€™ve all been goats to me, Anderson threw the ball in the dugout, the other, you know, that they that heโ€™s 21 years old? You know, I donโ€™t know, it reminds me of Machado coming up from where they were 10 years ago. I think heโ€™s, you know, much more polished human, you know, at this point, and still not without flaws. I mean, I see the team make Miss Young guy mistakes. And I see them have errors in judgment. And I see them run the bases sometimes like Charlie Brown. And I mean, you know, Iโ€™ve seen all of that. But my God, theyโ€™re, theyโ€™re fun. And they deserve this opportunity in October to have a good punch. And I guess thatโ€™s the part. For me, being the wise, old sage guy here was trying to win 40 years later, like everybody else, but you see, this is? Yeah, it could be devastating. And if they donโ€™t win the World Series will look back and say what if and the same way. You mentioned Mark Akers, Iโ€™ll still say 12 Was their best chance to really win the World Series. They went up to New York, they had a one game that they you know, they could have played through they could have gotten to that would have been their chance. Famous Marcus a lot. And I think in the end 10 to 12 years later, you look up now and say, you know, Heโ€™s way better baseball player than maybe in the end when he left he did better things than most any of them. Did. You really for the pedigree he was that that kind of leadership that that would help them that last six, seven weeks. They needed him. Yeah.

Luke Jones  24:02

1414 was a better team than 12. Anyway, well, it

Nestor Aparicio  24:06

was a better chance I thought. I mean, they were in the ALCS it can feel so much better than them by the time they got there.

Luke Jones  24:16

They werenโ€™t beaten up six to one hit the ball. They were they were close games. 14 was way better than 12.

Nestor Aparicio  24:21

I just went back anyway injury later a injury to a two player Mark Acas bad five times and like played, I mean, to your point you mentioned Nate McLouth and whatever we donโ€™t remember named McLeod because when you know, and in the case of Batista, I see this to your point is like, well, heโ€™s gonna pitch 10 innings this month, but where are those leverage points in October? And how do they replace that over the next six weeks? And what will the legend of all this be? Because if they win the World Series without them thatโ€™s been done to?

Luke Jones  24:51

Yeah, I mean, look, there have been teams that have lost players as great as Felix Batista and still play deep in October. I mean, a part of This was also, this is such a young team, not much experience in terms of postseason experience. I mean, youโ€™ve got a handful of guys whoโ€™ve been in that arena, not many. And even the guys whoโ€™ve been in that arena, you know, itโ€™s itโ€™s a Kyle Gibson, pitching a little bit here and there, itโ€™s Jack Flaherty, whoโ€™s done it a little bit, you know, weโ€™re not talking about, you know, itโ€™s not Justin Verlander or max Scherzer. Guys like that. So, so so there was always that question of how this team is going to respond once they get to October. So when you lose a Batista, itโ€™s like, Oh, my goodness. And, look, we donโ€™t know how he would pitch in October. Yeah, well, letโ€™s be clear, because some people were panicked about him giving up a homerun at the All Star game. Itโ€™s like, itโ€™s an all star game. Itโ€™s not the World Series, but your points well taken, and theyโ€™re gonna need it. Thatโ€™s why I said everyone else is going to have to step up. I mean, itโ€™s, itโ€™s a collective effort when you lose someone like that. And I will go back to 14 and say, team 196 games with Manny Machado playing only half the season. Matt Wieters was done for the year in May. Chris Davis wasnโ€™t great anyway, and then got suspended in September. You know, who Steve Pierce was one of the best players on that team and they had a bullpen that stepped up to the point where, you know, you had an Andrew Miller and you had Darren Oโ€™Day. And you had Brad Brock, and obviously, Zach Britton didnโ€™t even begin the season as theyโ€™re closer that year, and we saw what he became so you never really do know and thatโ€™s why you want to see what DL Hall does. You want to see what some of these other Tyler wells does, and some high leverage situations, you hope connote can handle it, but you need some other guys to step up to, to eat up those innings and handle those high leverage spots. So weโ€™ll see how it plays out. Season is not over. But certainly your path to a deep October run. got way more difficult when you lose someone like Felix Batista to suggest otherwise would be a slap in the face to what he did all year for them.

Nestor Aparicio  26:50

Yeah, but looking at this 1969 Luis Aparicio throwback, White Sox powder blue crazy thing they were Iโ€™m gonna wait for the White Sox to get through. Make sure they donโ€™t get in our way here this week. Oreos going on the road playing late night this weekend. Luke has a little downtime from Owings Mills this week. Weโ€™re gonna have a little downtime around here, but Iโ€™m going to be at Pappas on Tuesday with an Roanoke county executive Steuart Pittman, weโ€™re going to be giving away a merely lottery scratch off the 50th anniversary it is our 25th anniversary. I am rolling out our 25 stories of glory number 25 to launch Luke Jones youโ€™ll remember this September 1 Itโ€™s gonna launch because September 1 was the first time we did it get nasty sign, and it was a get nasty dumped Trumpy sign. So weโ€™re going to show the signs number 25 And our stories of glory are the legends of the wn S T signs. Iโ€™ll be holding them up hereโ€™s one for you Luke this will Israel 1996 My friend there you go clobber Cleveland 97 Excuse me 9796 was was a spank the Yanks wacko for Flacco, we got fear the flu, we have all the signs so we will be having some fun with sign signs and more signs. It feels like a Tesla song. He is Luke you can find him in Baltimore. Look you can find me Ness at Baltimore positive.com No football this week. Weโ€™re kind of hanging out. Weโ€™re gonna have some cuts here on the WNS D tech service. Youโ€™ll get that first courtesy of our friends at Coons, Baltimore Ford, and of course our friends at window nation bringing out the Maryland crab cake tour word fade leaves on September 15. That is our next crab cake tour stop. Weโ€™re gonna slow things down here a little bit. As we get into Labor Day on Nesta, weโ€™re WNS da and 1570, Towson Baltimore. We never stop talking Baltimore positive

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