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. Weโre gonna have some new liners around here celebrating our 25th anniversary. Weโre also going to be at Pappas this week in Glen Burnie Iโve never been to the Pappas and Glen Burnie that is Kalasa says itโs just local Pappas. Weโre gonna have some crab cakes. Weโre 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. Itโs all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. And weโre going to be giving away the 50th anniversary scratch offs on our 25th anniversary. Oh theyโre 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 canโt imagine or remember a time and Luke Iโm gearing up for this right like we have our 25th anniversary Iโm doing these 25 stories of glory weโre 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 itโs 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 donโt think thereโs 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. Weโve seen the rays with McClanahan and a number of pitchers that theyโve lost this year. It does happen but when itโs the best closer in baseball this year, when youโre 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 doesnโt look very trustworthy. Itโs a very difficult pill to swallow to lose someone like Felix Batista, but itโs a pitcher, they break. Thatโs why you need as much pitching depth as possible and the Orioles will have to carry on here. Theyโre still going to make the playoffs. Time will tell whether theyโre going to hold off the Tampa Bay Rays. I mean, the reality is itโs been a one two or three game lead since late July. I mean, itโs been that way for a month now itโs kind of been Oreos when arrays when arrays lose Orioles lose, itโs kind of been the way that itโs 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 theyโre going to need a number of individuals to step up on the pitching side and on the offensive side knowing that youโre 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, thatโs not a good sign. I canโt fathom a scenario Nesta Realistically speaking, where weโre seeing Batista pitch again this year. And if Iโm wrong, then Iโll gladly be wrong about that. But when youโre throwing out some degree of injury to a UCL less than 24 hours after it happens, that usually tells you itโs not good. That usually tells you where this is probably hadnโt. So from that standpoint, in the short term, weโve 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 theyโre 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. Theyโre making the playoffs. Theyโre 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. Weโre like Well, maybe theyโre good. And then itโs July and August. And thereโs this pad goes from 20 Games over 500 to 25 games over 500 or 33 games over five at all. Thatโs great. And I, but whoโs going to pitch in October? And I mean, thatโs where the Royals kicked our ass, you know, nine years ago, right? Like, itโs that seventh eighth ninth inning, figuring that out, and having starting pitching, thatโs good enough. Thatโs good enough. I mean, Flaherty was good enough. Most of these guys most days, theyโre good enough like Wayne Shannon Miguel Gonzalez, that theyโre good enough, though. Thereโs nobody in there thatโs setting the world on fire. But theyโre getting you through five or six innings, and theyโre 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? Whoโs going to be there? Whoโs 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, thatโs not an issue in September? Thatโs 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 heโs not going to be back. And again, I canโt fathom a scenario where I mean, I guess I shouldnโt say that. But itโs extremely unlikely that weโre gonna see him again this year based on the fact that right away, they say heโs 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 doesnโt mean
Nestor Aparicio 06:32
heโs out there throwing a bucho. One
Luke Jones 06:36
day, and thatโs the big thing. I mean, even if he tries to come back, because theyโre at a point in the schedule Nestor, if he has to get Tommy John surgery, heโs 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 itโs 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, theyโll probably do that with Batista. least a little bit, I would think unless it just, you know, unless itโs completely, you know, if you ruptured it or itโs almost a full tear, then, you know, theyโre just not announcing it right away. But these next five weeks, these next four weeks are going to be about figuring that out. Letโs say for right now, for argumentโs sake, you and your casino does a pretty good job in the ninth inning. Itโs not Felix Batista, but hey, heโs heโs pitched really well, in August. Heโs 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 theyโll match up a little bit, because Danny columns pitched really well. Weโve seen some other guys that could potentially have that you mentioned DL Hall, theyโre going to have to figure out whoโs going to be kynos role, then, you know, if Canola is going to become Batista, even if itโs not the same exact, extremely dominant pitcher, well, then you need someone to become Cano. So thatโs 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 itโs 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 itโs him, whether itโs Jacob Webb, you mentioned John means theyโre, theyโre stretching out means I think heโs 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 thatโs, you know, the cool loams itโs nice to have that theyโre going to need that theyโre 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, heโs gotten right handers out to he hasnโt been a lefty specialist per se. He looked that way early in the season, just how they use them. But heโs 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 itโs Batista who cares whoโs coming up. I mean, heโs gonna pitch, but theyโre 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, Iโm not going to sit here and say that itโs the same exact scenario but how the wells finished that rule five rookie year, as theyโre 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. Heโs going to be part of that bullpen picture. I mean, weโve seen Jacob Webb Saturday aside, weโve seen Jacob Webb pitch really well, since they claimed him off waivers from the angels, which I still canโt figure out why the angels gave him up because heโs been pretty good for them. So itโs not as though the cupboards entirely bear. But itโs 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, whoโs the best closer in baseball? Thereโs 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 thatโs where I was even having this debate with some other reporters late Friday night when
Nestor Aparicio 10:57
youโre winning 70% of the time, like theyโve been doing lately. Right. Like they you know, itโs 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, itโs going to be what you do with those leads now when you donโt have to be Alex Batista. So the nice thing for the Orioles and again, Sundayโs loss notwithstanding, they still want to add a three it was just, it was strange to see Ty block Nestor, who Iโm 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 theyโve got a two week period here where the schedule is, Iโm gonna say it soft, because itโs 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 theyโve 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, heโs on the 15th day I L. So heโs at least out for two weeks. But of course, youโre 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, theyโre gonna be in the postseason, you know, theyโre 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 thereโll be in the playoffs. So everything about this month, yes, itโs about winning, continuing to win games because you want to win the division, but youโre 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 canโt 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 theyโre not going to win the World Series. You know what I mean? Like, you know, thereโs, thereโs, thereโs a point, especially if youโre 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 donโt 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 heโs getting carted off and Iโm like they canโt win the Super Bowl without him. And I know the Marlon Humphrey thing for the Ravens. Weโll see how that goes. Youโre more optimistic that heโs going to be running around on my birthday, which is, you know, London Weekend, middle of October. Iโm not in this case of Batista. I think weโre all we donโt believe heโs really going to pitch in October. I mean, I donโt at this point, because I donโt think they do. And to your point, like youโre talking about the ninth inning and me to saying itโs 10 innings. Thatโs a little flippant of me to say itโs 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 donโt play 14 games anymore. So you donโt have that going on anymore where youโd 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. Weโve 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. Weโre like Alright, do they have enough bullpen? Do they have enough? He didnโt mentioned Fuji and I guess you know heโs got this bedwetting propensity in situations where I donโt No, they may have to pitch him in the sixth inning of game three in Houston next month, right? Like theyโre gonna have to, but theyโre not going to want to. And I think thatโs where Paul means wells, these, these guys that arenโt a part of it right now that have not ever been a part of it over the first 130 games, weโre looking at them and saying all right, you know, maybe, maybe this is the spot in September where theyโll try things theyโre gonna have to, right?
Luke Jones 15:29
Yeah. And thatโs what itโs gonna be about. I mean, letโs keep in mind two years ago, Iโm only talking two years ago. So the end of the 2021 season, no one was talking about Felix Batista. Itโs 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 didnโt know what you had until he was in the majors. And suddenly, youโre youโre like, wow, this guy. This guyโs unbelievable. So
Nestor Aparicio 15:59
being old and being a reliever is not such a bad thing, right? Youโre 2728 youโre throwing BS to AAA, donโt bring you up and give you a chance. And maybe itโs turned into Danny Coulomb. Maybe it turned into Lee Smith. I donโt 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 itโs not natural to do it. And at some point all these guys arms fall off. I mean, like, itโs, itโs, itโs 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, itโs I itโs itโs like vapor. Itโs like capturing it while itโs happening while itโs going on. While the guy feels good while heโs throwing strikes. I mean, Fuji is the greatest example that because he might be lights out he might be the answer in October. Heโs good enough to be if heโs consistent enough. But consistency was six foot seven guys, thatโs that was Randy Johnsonโs problem in the beginning, right?
Luke Jones 17:08
Yeah, I mean, itโs just they have like, like weโve 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 canโt 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 canโt just replace that. So this next month? Yes, itโs still about winning games. Itโs not as though Brandon heights going to heโs not going to throw Austin both out there in the ninth inning per se. But theyโre going to be trying some different things. And we saw that with Hall on Saturday night heโs in the eighth inning. DL halls got a great arm. Now heโs another guy that you telling me right now three, four weeks from now that the alcohols closing some games for them? Iโd say okay, I buy it because heโs got that kind of arm. Iโm not saying thatโs the most likely outcome. Fujinami Cano, weโve 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 thatโs 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 theyโve been in your right to for the most part. Theyโve been pretty solid. I mean, they had until Flaherty didnโt get through six on Sunday they had had a stretch where their starters were getting through six they were getting quality starts. Now weโve seen Kyle Bradish look very much like an ace for most of the season really from May on I mean, heโs been that good. Weโve seen Grayson Rodriguez look very good since heโs 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, heโs given them some starts, you know, in some tough spots where heโs 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, weโll 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 heโs finishing up his rehab assignment heโs up to about 70 or 75 pitches per outing so heโs gonna be an option for them. I donโt think weโll see means you know, youโre not gonna see John means pitch in the eighth inning. Itโs 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 theyโre I think theyโre 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 itโs 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
donโt have their best option. It sucks. Yeah, thereโs just thereโs just no way to sugarcoat it.
Luke Jones 20:38
And that doesnโt mean it doesnโt mean they canโt make a run in October, doesnโt mean they canโt 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 thatโs just thatโs the bummer here. And thatโs, thatโs 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 itโs not as though the seat you just say the seasonโs over. And no oneโs suggesting that youโre 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. Thatโs what you have to do. And youโre 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 donโt have quite as many saved scenarios right off the bat, you know, as Iโve joked about all year, well, theyโve
Nestor Aparicio 21:55
been exciting as hell, right? Whether itโs 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 wasnโt about callin Eddie every night. It was some nights, you know, but itโs but itโs not about anyone. Itโs 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 theyโve all been goats to me, Anderson threw the ball in the dugout, the other, you know, that they that heโs 21 years old? You know, I donโt know, it reminds me of Machado coming up from where they were 10 years ago. I think heโs, 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, Iโve seen all of that. But my God, theyโre, theyโre fun. And they deserve this opportunity in October to have a good punch. And I guess thatโs 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 donโt win the World Series will look back and say what if and the same way. You mentioned Mark Akers, Iโll 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, Heโs 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 werenโt 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 donโt remember named McLeod because when you know, and in the case of Batista, I see this to your point is like, well, heโs 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 thatโs 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, youโve got a handful of guys whoโve been in that arena, not many. And even the guys whoโve been in that arena, you know, itโs itโs a Kyle Gibson, pitching a little bit here and there, itโs Jack Flaherty, whoโs done it a little bit, you know, weโre not talking about, you know, itโs 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, itโs like, Oh, my goodness. And, look, we donโt know how he would pitch in October. Yeah, well, letโs be clear, because some people were panicked about him giving up a homerun at the All Star game. Itโs like, itโs an all star game. Itโs not the World Series, but your points well taken, and theyโre gonna need it. Thatโs why I said everyone else is going to have to step up. I mean, itโs, itโs 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 wasnโt 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 OโDay. And you had Brad Brock, and obviously, Zach Britton didnโt even begin the season as theyโre closer that year, and we saw what he became so you never really do know and thatโs 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 weโll 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 Iโm gonna wait for the White Sox to get through. Make sure they donโt 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. Weโre gonna have a little downtime around here, but Iโm going to be at Pappas on Tuesday with an Roanoke county executive Steuart Pittman, weโre 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 youโll remember this September 1 Itโs 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 weโre going to show the signs number 25 And our stories of glory are the legends of the wn S T signs. Iโll be holding them up hereโs 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. Weโre kind of hanging out. Weโre gonna have some cuts here on the WNS D tech service. Youโll 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. Weโre gonna slow things down here a little bit. As we get into Labor Day on Nesta, weโre WNS da and 1570, Towson Baltimore. We never stop talking Baltimore positive