Luke Jones and Nestor give All Star Game love to Austin Hays and look to the Orioles second half pennant race needs, wants and dreams. We’ve got a real contender for a World Series in Baltimore in July!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, talking, hays, winning, team, baseball, austin, star, feels, young, years, play, thought, mullins, ravens, players, game, city, club, week
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Two, W N st Towson Baltimore. Baltimore positive Have you all star game week everybody? I remember when the all star game used to be relevant, and then it was irrelevant. But one thing I will say and I’m going to begin this segment with this because I was burping this guy back then Luke Jones joins us now. Whenever you want July 13 1993 I know where I was Luke Jones but it is unbelievable that it’s been 30 years since I ran into Geddy Lee at the buffet at the Maryland Science Center at the All Star Gala. I found in looking through all this stuff for our 25th anniversary which we’ll be celebrating with our friends at the Maryland lottery says somewhere around your apple a lot of scratch off I can hold up you know I’m gonna get the whole the whole banana out here I got the the window nation hat that my wife is Washington starts so it actually fits now looks better than that floppy hat there with the Orioles because it’s one color. And of course the Maryland lottery. We’re giving these away Coco’s on Thursday. Next week on Thursday, we’ll be at the Beaumont and Kingsville. Then on August 3, we’ll be at Costas August 4, we’re going to be a drug city. This guy has some old get nasty T shirts in his And where were you on July 13 1993. You your dad, your brother watching on TV? Is that what you were doing?
8Luke Jones 01:13
Yeah, watch it on TV. I can remember back in those days. Of course the homerun Derby was not the spectacle that it’s become over the last a year ago. It was Sunday afternoon
Nestor Aparicio 01:24
hate Fargo Yes.
Luke Jones 01:29
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, tape to lay. And I remember watching the recording of that, that my aunt had kindly recorded for me. I did not have cable when I was 10 years old in 1993. But hey, I remember watching the all star game on TV. I remember Kirby Puckett. And when Yvonne Rodriguez hit one that got stuck in the wall and left field and certainly remember sido Gaston and Mike Mussina warming up in the controversy that that created. But it was just such a phenomenal event as a phenomenal showcase where you and when I was 10. I wasn’t realizing this at the time quite as much. But when you kind of look back at it, when you consider what had happened in Baltimore over the previous decade and losing the Colts and wondering if new ballpark is gonna be built in this jewel downtown. And the fact that Camden Yards was a little over a year old at that point in time. I mean, what a fantastic showcase for the city. And to see all the stars I mean, Michael Jordan was in the celebrity game and everything going on. It was just a magical few days for the city and even
Nestor Aparicio 02:32
810 years here, I took a picture with Bill Murray and a Cubs gear. And Jerry took the picture behind it. That picture is sitting somewhere when the Orioles gets sold the friendly people who actually let me in joining I’m going to ask can I guess go to find the archives of Jerry Walker stuff that you stole from the walker family that Scott Walker had to sue you guys to try to get the pictures back that Jerry took. I never saw the picture by the way. So 1993 chairs like hey, take a picture of Bill Murray I’ll get that to you. And that looks good. I never forgot it so that’s my lost soul. My All Star gala ticket so I have that. And Michael Jordan I met Michael Jordan in the in the National League clubhouse. I remember when he walked in and his white socks, I saw the picture of him and cow floating around cows in the oral black warmup, and I thought that had to be yesterday that I was in the locker room seeing all this No, I remember John Kruk walked in sideways. I asked him to do a bumper for me. He said I don’t speak English man. That’s what he said to me.
Luke Jones 03:34
That’s funny because
Nestor Aparicio 03:38
a punch line from John Kruk
Luke Jones 03:41
Oh, hilarious. Like I said he does the Phillies games today and have a chance to see some of that. As you know my brother in law is a big Philadelphia sports fan and hilarious but so many special memories from that week. Even if you just watched it from afar. I mean, I did not get a chance to go to the All Star Fan Fest or the gala, homerun Derby or the game or anything but it was special even as a 10 year old you could recognize that that was special for the city. So certainly hoping one day hopefully sooner rather than later but we’ve been through that and we’ll continue to talk about that as far as Camden Yards getting another All Star game but to bring it back to the present day. The Orioles having four players that are going to be playing in this game or at least on the roster to appear in this game Adley rutschman doing the Home Run Derby and as we mentioned the spectacle that that is it really is cool. It really is special Austin Hays you know as an injury replacement into the starting lineup. You know after being selected as a reserve. It’s going to be cool to see the Orioles featured and showcased in the way that they are and they and they had some of this 678 years ago they had some teams back then that you know multiple all stars but to have this for it to be young players for it to be there guys so to speak. It’s pretty special and to know that there are more on the way in and guys that have made debuts here recently and others that we’re gonna see in the next, you know, in the coming months and certainly in the coming years, it’s a really exciting time to be an Orioles fan and this all star game, I fully expect over the course of Monday nights that with the Home Run Derby with the All Star Game telecast with all the coverage, you’re gonna be hearing the experts talking about the Orioles? And they’re going to be talking about them in very glowing terms. You know, how could they not when you’re talking about a team with the third best record in baseball at the break. So it’s just really fun in that way. And it’s crazy to think it’s been 30 years since 93. And certainly over the last 30 years, there’s been a lot more bad than good, a lot more bad than good as it pertains to on the field and everything. But this is an exciting time for real fans. And that’s where that’s a night as much as as well as the team was playing. And you don’t want to go into the break when you have a five game winning streak the way that the Orioles took care of business in Minnesota. But it is fun to take a step back for just a few days and and realize it’s been a really fun season. It’s been a really fun calendar year going back to last July. And boy, there’s a lot of exciting baseball ahead here over the next three months.
8Nestor Aparicio 06:15
Do we not talk about Austin Hayes enough? It feels like we don’t right? I mean, it feels like this is a time, I should give you some oxygen because I I don’t know that we talk about him much at all. And I don’t know whether he’s part of the furniture. You know, when I think of great teams, and I think of you know, the Michael Jordan’s when we talk about Pippin, and you talk about the other guys a little bit, but it’s been rutschman show. And he’s gone here earlier and mountcastle is been sort of, you know, not healthy this year. Not right this year, all of that. But But Hayes is he’s the star of the stars for this week. Right? I guess there’ll be a point where rutschman will be the All Star Game starter for years to come and this and that. But but Austin A’s batting 300 Chasing batting credit, like all of this going on in the in this year. Feels like he’s gotten lost in a lot of this at least until the last couple days. And we can talk about him a little bit more. Yeah,
Luke Jones 07:13
I mean, I don’t know if he’s been lost as much as when you’re the guy that’s the elder statesman. And it’s funny to say that right? I mean, not the elder statesman in the way that Kyle Gibson’s the elder statesman for the 2023 Club, per se, but the guy that’s been around the longest, I mean, this guy made his major league debut late and in 17, when you still had Machado, you still had Adam Jones, you still had Jonathan scope, you know, you go down the list of most of the guys that from that era, I mean, the only guy that was really gone at that point was Matt weeders. So he got a cup of coffee at that point in time. And, you know, we’ve talked a lot about Cedric Mullins and what he went through a few years back and thinking back to him being optioned, you know, even down to WA, he had struggled so much in 19. Austin Hays, was it so much that he struggled but just the injuries, right, you can stay on the field, you know, at 2018 at injuries, and, you know, the new regime comes in, and you always wonder what a new front office and a new coaching staff is going to think of a player. So it took Austin Hays time to want he needed to get healthy, and to, to really show that he was going to be a core guy, at least for the time being, you know, I’m not sitting here saying that they’re going to give Austin Hayes a contract extension, and he’s going to be here for the next eight years. But he’s been really, really good. But the one thing I will say and I was even talking about this with another reporter on a recent homestand The one thing I will say is go back and look at what Austin Hays did in the first half last year, you know, obviously Adley rutschman over the second half of the season and the club playing so much better. And Gunnar Henderson coming up and there was so much excitement surrounding all of those factors. But Austin Hays really was their most valuable player in the first half last year. In fact, you can go back and and I wrote about Austin Hays right before I went on vacation in late June, just like I do always do. And was talking about the fact that he was their best player and what happened, he hurt his wrist. And he really struggled over the second half of the season. So now, fast forward to this year, going in so much talk about the young guys. And we’ve already seen Colton Couser and their other guys on the way Heston curse dad could be here before the season’s out, you know, and see where he factors in but, you know, Hayes was one of those guys, you’re kind of wondering is this the year that, you know, he kind of surrenders a starting role, so to speak, because he kind of moved to the background even more so because of some of the young guys and it’s been the opposite of that. He’s been one of their absolute best players. You know, he has led the American League in hitting for a large chunk of June and you know, into July and talking about the potential for a batting title and all that I mean, very few 300 hitters in baseball anymore and the fact that He’s sitting 314 At the break of something, you know, for the kind of years he’s had. But he’s just that guy that it’s it’s funny to say because he’s not this grizzled vet that’s in his 30s. But my goodness, he was around for all the losing of the post show Walter, even the end of the show, Walter era, he was around.
Nestor Aparicio 10:21
When they show him, he looks more like a man when the ricey Jackson holiday runner looks like a kid looks like he wouldn’t let him in the bar, you know, like, so I see all these young people. He looks like, you know, he looks like he’s at a central casting. It’s Corbin Bernsen, or something. And I don’t know that you and I for six years that we’ve mentioned them all a lot or talked about them all a lot. Because he’s not Adley rutschman. He’s not a one one and all that stuff. But I don’t know that we ever thought he’d be an all star game starter either.
Luke Jones 10:48
8Yeah, I think it’s I think it’s difficult short of a first overall pick are short of a gunner Henderson who became the top prospect in baseball. I don’t know if you anticipate that really for anyone. Unless you’re talking about what the Orioles have been through many times over the last 25 years really where? Well, you have your one All Star Game rep from the entire week and Tim was an all star for the Orioles one time so so beyond that scenario, yeah. I don’t know if you ever thought Austin Hayes was going to be that guy. I’m not gonna sit here and say that I think this is the first of many All Star game for Austin Hays per se. But yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 11:20
to come up with. Did you do that to me? Did you just drop that in here like that?
Luke Jones 11:25
I had to that was the first. That was the first Orioles team I covered back in 2010 to your trembly was canned and you know, Buck camp comes in in August, and they play better lately. You wanted
Nestor Aparicio 11:35
to get you know what I mean? You thought teaching fifth graders was?
8Luke Jones 11:42
Yeah, yeah. So but I mean, it’s awesome. He’s had a great year, and you love to see someone rewarded for that, whether it’s going to be his one time or maybe makes it at another point in time over the next couple of years. But He absolutely has had a fantastic year. And when you consider where the Orioles have been. And this is one of the things that excites me most about this club. And we talked about in a previous segment. You mentioned it Grayson Rodriguez hasn’t gone the plan. DL Hall hasn’t gone the plan this year. Ryan mountcastle hasn’t gone the plan this year. Cedric Mullins gets hurt and misses, what three and a half weeks. It’s not as though everything’s gone perfectly for the Orioles this year. I mean, John means has the setback, and they haven’t had Dylan Tate and Michael Gibbons all year, you know, two guys that you were kind of thinking with Batista might be their three best relievers. You know, when no one was talking about you and your condo back in spring training, right?
Nestor Aparicio 12:31
Well, that’s why we put all this together. And without a trailer, we can move on, you know.
Luke Jones 12:41
No question, no question. But for Austin Hays to do what he’s done in the background of everything else that’s happened. And certainly so many things have gone well, but not everything perfectly for him to stay healthy. And you knock on wood because that’s like I said he had a great first half last year and gets hurt and, and unfortunately really struggled over the second half of the season. So it was good to see him get back on the field. Good to see him at home run on Sunday as part of the blowout winning over the twins. And it’s going to be really cool to see him in the starting lineup in the way that it was two years ago for Cedric Mullins. I mean, these are the guys that, you know, they were not top five prospects in baseball, like some Jackson holiday, or rutschman, Oregon or Henderson, these are guys that struggled. These are guys that got you know, either sent back down or dealt with injuries. And these are guys that really grinded through so many losses, and played with so many other placeholders. And so many guys that were has bins or never was and all of that we know we all we know the names or maybe we’ve forgotten them by now. So for for Austin Hays to get this kind of an opportunity, one to be on a club like this finally, where they better make the playoffs at the very least at this point in time when you’re 19 over at the All Star break. And for him to have an opportunity to be recognized in Seattle this week to be in the starting lineup, even if it’s because of an injury. It’s that’s pretty special. And having talked to him a lot over the last few years. You just said it. He does bring a veteran presence that’s a little beyond his years, kind of because you have to because you’ve had so many young guys, I mean, how can you not you know you need someone to take on that role in a way that I’m not comparing him to him as far as how good he is. But in the way Adam Jones took on a leadership role in his late 20s You know, at a time where Okay, yeah, they’d have Nelson crews come in for a year or they’d have someone like that for a year or two but you know, he became the leader you know, he became one of the veteran presence type guys to go along with Marcus a JJ Hardy you know, Austin Hays has been one of those guys for this current club that still so young at so many different spots, so you have to
Nestor Aparicio 14:50
8be good to be able to see that and Okay, yeah.
Luke Jones 14:54
Yep. Yeah, yeah, you can’t be the 26 man on the roster and be a leader. Now. You don’t Got to be the best player all the time. But you’ve got to be a good player that’s going to Command some respect, command some attention. He doesn’t that no one sees necessarily even an over the top rah rah kind of guy, but he’s been through he was through the the 110 plus loss seasons, he went through that and he was hurt through some of those times and struggled through some of those times. So when you have a guy like that you have a guy like Mullins, guys like him that those two who have been around, and they were drafted by the previous regime, so nothing was assured of them when they arrived. And we saw that with Cedric Mullins, especially back in 19, with being demoted, they earned their stature within this organization and to see where they are now. You know, Mullins having been doing all star game and probably would have been going back there, you know, if not for the injury, which, you know, it’s kind of derailed him just a little bit here. You know, you expect him to have a good second half. But for Austin Hays, it’s pretty cool. Now it’s so yeah, we’ll talk about rutschman I mean, my goodness, Felix Batista has just been unbelievable. Yen year Cano has been just one of the best stories in baseball. But yeah, let’s not overlook the fact that Austin Hays took a Buck show watcher used to always say this guys took a lot of bullets, guys, it took a lot of bullets from a losing perspective. You know, he talked about that in the pre you know, Dave Trembley era and all that when Buck arrived. Austin Hays is one of those guys that took so many bullets. So for him to get this spotlight for him to be on this kind of club now. You have to feel good for a guy like that.
Nestor Aparicio 16:32
Look, Jones is here. He will be there when the Orioles returned to action here this weekend against the Miami Marlins who are pretty good, by the way, little upside down in the National League and my Padres still stink we’re gonna play all the entire Major League Baseball schedule before it’s all over with your so we’re gonna see everybody American National League. We’ll see them all on Tuesday night. Coach Austin Hays starting for the for the Orioles and the athlete rutschman dad home by the time people listen to this, that will be over with him, whatever. But the fact that Richmond is involved in this and they tried to get the votes and they did all that. I mean, the bottom line is the fan base here is just starting to reawaken a little bit. Especially when you see the Yankees just how many people were in the stands last Monday and Tuesday when they were winning. And Cincinnati coming back to life, right? I mean, what that kid’s doing stealing second third home, the whole thing he was here two weeks ago, you got a chance to play before you went on vacation. This is this is an interesting All Star game to sports had a bit of a renaissance because games get over two and a half hours now. Our team’s good, we’re relevant. Football still on break for a little while. This is these are the good days for the Orioles. And I don’t know how many tickets they’re going to sell or people are going to come down. But this is where that momentum gets going and forget the lease. I’ll get to that in the federal money. I’m not going to bore everybody with that today. But that that’s behind all of this. And whatever this next 90 days is going to be in regard to trades winning injuries, good fortune, bad fortune, they better make the playoffs. I mean, let’s start with that there better be at least a couple of playoff games maybe even if it’s a three and out disappointment, whatever it would be. But this feels like one of those years that we haven’t had a whole lot of in your lifetime or certainly in my adulthood.
Luke Jones 18:20
Right. I mean, it’s been those years have been few and far between I mean, just winning seasons, let alone talking about making the playoffs. I mean, it’s
8Nestor Aparicio 18:30
raining deadlines in the direction where we’re gonna make, we’re gonna win a World Series. I mean, dude, we haven’t had a whole lot all star games at all. I’ve 25 years, and we’ve had to maybe, maybe 14 and 16 and 12. We weren’t talking about winning the worlds where they were barely anything and 12. So I mean, all of these years, this is about all we’ve had since 1997. Literally.
Luke Jones 18:52
Well, even in 12. And, look, they won 93 games in 12. So let’s not sell that team too short. But at the All Star break. There was still a sense of is this real? Oh, they played so well in the first half. But is this real? Are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? Now I feel at this point. Maybe there was a little bit of that going on early in the season. Last year they played so well in the second half, but but you still thought okay, it’s they’re young, they didn’t have a great offseason on paper. You know, it’s not as though they made all these great additions. It was more kind of improvements on the margin. So there was still a sense of okay, were they a year ahead of schedule last year, and there’s going to be a market correction, so to speak this year? Look, I’m one of many people who thought that might be the case. I thought they’d be a team that would kind of have a similar record last year, maybe finish a little bit over 500 but not quite be ready for that next step. And boy, they’ve proved me wrong. There’s no question about that. So there’s so much excitement in that regard. And when you look at what the next 90 days plus are going to bring, I mean it’s that’s that’s exciting from the standpoint of at this point now with that haven’t been a calendar year, since they really started playing good baseball. I mean, from the point, you know, early July of last year on, you know, look at what the record is. I mean, it’s not just, oh, it’s pretty good. No, it’s been excellent. It’s been among the the very best teams in baseball, you know, we’re at least a fairly short list, let’s say. So, it’s real. And that doesn’t mean they’re winning the World Series this year. But it’s feeling more and more that this isn’t just a team. To your point, as you’ve talked about the buck era where, you know, it felt like they had a very limited window in order to do something. And hey, 2014, they were in the ALCS, they were four wins
Nestor Aparicio 20:38
in 12. Were up there and 12 Chasing rats as big as my cat up in the Bronx that night. They lost that game five night up there, they could have won the World Series in 12. There probably a beat, you know, I mean, they could have, I would just say this for them in chasing that mountain. At that time. You could make a case well, we have good players, and we have crews, we have all these players, but the Yankees and the Red Sox, the other teams, Tampa, they were all loaded up with future Hall of Famers in many cases, and there was always a, well, we’re not really as good as them and we’re sort of chasing them. We’ve been chasing them for 15 years. It feels much more flat. Now, especially in the ALCS, we’re like, maybe we’re the one with three or four Hall of Famers on the team, all of a sudden, maybe maybe we’ll look back 10 years from now and say, We really were the better team, which is why we won. I can look back at those teams 10 years ago and say, their worlds were good enough. But the other teams were really good. And there were some really good teams that didn’t win as well during that period of time. You’re as being one of them. But we’re getting in on the front. And we’ve never, we’ve never really had this man like I I’ve been here 31 years talking about the origin rate. I don’t remember anything. Even when Machado came in and stuff. It was still like, well, it’s really going to be about Christi, it’s going to be about the other players. No, no, no, here it’s it’s an all young core. And now we’re talking about maybe importing another Kyle Gibson another 30 Something pitcher to come into this. I mean, even the 9697 Orioles. I mean, Pete interview you Todd zeal. All of these guys, Jimmy key they weren’t Oreos. You know what I mean? Literally? David Wells?
Luke Jones 22:13
8Yeah, I think it’s it’s completely backwards from the standpoint of what you just said, at those periods of time. And look, I love the 2014 team. I love the 2012 team, the 9097 team, I mean, 14 year old Luke thought, from the time that they beat the Braves in June, they were winning the World Series, I was convinced you couldn’t have told me anything other than the Orioles winning the World Series that year. So you can imagine how heartbroken I was when they lost the Cleveland in the ALCS. But all of those teams, and really, most of my life, I mean, again, and I was born in 83. That was the end of the glory years for the Orioles over you know, nearly two decades. But over that time when they have been good. It’s always felt like it’s veterans. And can you can you mix a rookie or two or the young guy or two into the mix to help you now it’s the exact opposite of that this team has a core of players, some of them very young, but even Malines and Hayes you know, they’re they’re not 30 Somethings. These are homegrown guys guys that have been around. Nobody’s
Nestor Aparicio 23:15
gotten paid even an Anthony Santander they don’t have anybody here it’s gotten paid.
Luke Jones 23:20
Right, right. Beyond arbitration, right, I mean, it’s yeah, you know, arbitration, you get the bump, you know, over those three years, but, but it really is a case now of you’ve got this core of players and look, they’re not all going to be here forever. Right. And part of that is what’s going to be fascinating is seeing, do the Orioles. model the rays in that way with certain guys. Now you hope you send some right you know, you don’t want this to just be a complete roster turn. But from the standpoint of, you might get to a point where you trade a guy, you might have a year or two a club control lap, but you trade a guy because one you can get a piece to help you somewhere else. And two, you’ve got his replacement waiting in the minor leagues. So there’s going to be some of that. But I think what’s exciting and look, time will tell about payroll time will tell about free agents time will tell about all those different things that they either will or will continue to not do in terms of spending money free agents, all that. But when you have this kind of core in place, and you talked about how it relates to the rest of the Al east, I kind of think back to where the Yankees were in the mid to late 90s. And of course, you know, they had payroll and they spent and they spend even more after that and, and we know that but they had so many young players, they had Jeter, you know, they had Bernie Williams they had Jorge Posada. You know, they had Andy Pettit, you know they had Mariano Rivera. Now these guys
Nestor Aparicio 24:42
you mentioned Rivera last I might have put him somewhere. I mentioned him last because he was a close Chuck Knobloch and bought Cecil fielder and bought Wade Boggs and like and bought anybody they wanted to buy and they brought kids in from Cuba on boats and said here take the ball, you know, I’ll do k like all of that. Right. So They were finding, I mean, it’s not a fair game, Luke. I mean, we’re gonna sit here talk for sure. And a couple of weeks where everybody has the same money and saying about you know, like, baseball is not It’s patently unfair. So for all of these years and especially when you add in really poor ownership, really poor ownership, which fattier we still have poor ownership here. We don’t have a lease. They can’t build anything. So all that being said, this, this is even more joyous. It really is. I mean, like I am, I have enjoyed watching other people have fun with this this year more than somebody said to me who you’re gonna throw. I’m like, I am enjoying you having fun, because you’re the tortured soul. I’ve been thrown out for 17 years. I mean, these people are not my family. They’re not my friends. I don’t know any of them. I you know, like, I think more and more like Adam Jones I I’ve met him three times in my life. Right? So I don’t know Austin Hayes. I don’t know Adley rutschman. But you’re in there every day. And you know, it’s weird to say especially when you go on vacation and they deny me a press credential. I love that. But all that being said, these this is the group you you fall in love with. This is the 66 Orioles. This is Aparicio Powell home, this is the next generation of that. And they better take I’ve said this for months, they really better take advantage of this, because the Kansas City Royals did, but they didn’t. You know what I mean? And I had Jeff Montgomery on a couple of weeks ago was a part of badge Royals teams was there through all of the winning are not all the winning, but a couple of years, they won. And then there’s then it’s flat earth again, that if you you know you win with Christakis and Hans, we win with all those guys, and then they go and then they have nobody comes anymore. And I hope that this lease the city, whatever hoodwinking John’s trying to do to steal federal money to fix the city, I mean, it’s to me, it’s about the city. But the teams place in that the team can’t fix the city when they’re losing 120 games. The team can only be a part of the city when they’re winning, and they’re irrelevant. And when they can recruit people. They haven’t recruited me they’ve done everything. They pissed them i for all my life, but they they they need to recruit people. And people like me that are pissed off. People like Dennis and Leonard that have finally started to go back to the games again. They need to make you feel like you’re a part of this. And I don’t know, maybe discord zone. I don’t feel a part of it. No Friday night when I can’t find the game. Look, I don’t feel a part of it. I’m seriously and like, so they’re there. And half of us don’t when we’re at a bar on the game’s not even on the bar, because the bar can’t get it. So it’s, this is baseball effed up. Now they fix the time of game. They fixed our franchise because we stunk long enough and brought into good baseball people that were good. But this next 90 days, I mean, the ravens are gonna start throwing the football around. And Lamar is down in Florida having his camp, the camp and the teammates are all like we’re getting it. The Ravens take up a lot of oxygen for everybody once they start playing. This is a real baseball growth summer for this franchise. I hope they take advantage of it.
8Luke Jones 28:06
No question. I think it’s very important. Really, I’d say probably the next two to three years are really where this is most important. Obviously, the lease is going to be built into that what’s going to happen with RS NS in general and ins market streaming. So many of these baseball why
Nestor Aparicio 28:21
the game last week and you couldn’t get the game right period?
Luke Jones 28:25
i Well, I I couldn’t on what it was Friday night. I had no cell reception either because of a power outage. But But yeah, that’s a baseball wide thing. And that impacts the Orioles and look ownership just like the 30 owners, 30 teams, all those factors. But you’re absolutely right, from the standpoint of with this team now entering the competitive window that it’s in, and it looks like it could be open for quite a long time if they continue to manage this well. And again, how does payroll factor into that? How does free agency How do trades? All those things? How do they factor into not just drafting and developing, which is certainly you know, the foundation of everything that they’ve done and what they are right now. But this is an opportunity for them to not just the lease, you know, not not just make the playoffs but to capitalize on being good. And to build something here that can be sustainable to your point. Look, the Royals are a good example. But let’s let’s not misconstrue they at least won a World Series. There are teams that go through and have a leading period of success, you know, for 234 year, but they don’t win and they don’t even get to a World Series and then it’s over for a long time again. I mean, yeah, the pirates were that way. They were good for a minute about a decade ago. You know, they made a couple, you know, they made a couple postseasons. But you know, we know what they’ve been for 30 years now. So it’s it couldn’t be more important for this franchise for this organization to Yes, obviously the lease is there until it’s not there anymore, right it until it’s not an issue anymore. We’ll continue to talk Talk about that. But we’ve you and I’ve talked so much about not just the least, not just saying, Oh, you’re going to be here, but what position are you going to be in? What position? Is the city going to be in to thrive? With? What actually can amount to legitimate partnership if you want to have one? So yeah, the winning is huge in that in the same way we talked about, you can’t be a leader, if you’re the worst player on the 26 man roster. The Orioles have such an opportunity here to take back a much larger part of passion, juice, Mojo, whatever you want to call it that the Ravens have just owned for such a long time, in part because it’s the NFL and it’s king, but also because they’ve been so much more successful. But they have a great opportunity here. And if you can really continue to play good baseball, make the postseason win a series let’s say, you know, it doesn’t even have to be win the World Series in October, but, you know, get to the divisional round, let’s say, Boy, I mean, that’s not that’s not to say that they’re going to supplant the Ravens because again, the NFL is King anywhere you go, but they can certainly be vying for more attention buying for more of that electricity that we see a win the ravens are at their absolute best. So it’s an exciting time. So this all star week, is going to be a nice little respite, but also a nice showcase in Seattle for everything the Orioles have going well. And when they start the second half of the season with the homestand against Miami and the Dodgers, you know, it’s, it’s gonna be fun. And I mean, this, this team has so much to play for now. And in the coming years, it, it’s really difficult, especially for me, someone who did not live the glory days, I know all about him, because I’ve heard the stories and I’ve read and all that. But the Orioles have never been in a position like they’re in right now where you look at this thing and say, This feels like something that could be special in the coming years. And not just for 234 years. But for a much longer period of time than that if they can continue to make smart decisions. If they get the proper backing financially from from ownership, if met if they can keep everyone happy and hear from a management perspective. You know, because keep in mind when you’re good, as we’ve seen with the ravens, people tend to want people in your front office. So let’s keep that in mind as well. But there is just such a wide open opportunity for this club to be not just good not just make the playoffs but be special. And dare I say talk about winning a World Series at some point here over the next three or four years. Plus, what more can you ask for specially when you consider just how bad just how forgettable it’s been largely for most of the last 40 years if we’re being honest.
Nestor Aparicio 32:45
Here’s Luke Jones. He is Baltimore Loki to follow him out on the social media places in the Instagrams and the LinkedIn should get your threads together yet. Oh, look, you better get your threads together. We’re gonna be threading here. Before it’s threading the needle here and, and tweeting off the tweet. We’re gonna be at Coco’s on Thursday doing the Maryland crab cake tour. I’ll be giving away the enchilada scratch I still have a handful. There’s been a pretty lucky batch. The 50th anniversary we’re gonna get some fresh yeast for August the third this week. We are at Coco’s from two to five on Thursday, the 13th the 20th we’re going to be at the Beaumont and Catonsville next week. I might even have Rock and Roll Hall of Famer joining us there and then August 3, we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary across this and on August 4, we’re gonna go bonus time over drugs city, two chances to stop by grab a get nasty shirt grab a copy of Purple Rain one or two. Steal a lottery ticket from me get a milk shake it up at the fountain that drug city or or get some crab soup or whatnot it cost this I’m gonna have some peach cake before it’s all over with. That is the third and fourth of August celebrating 25 years. If you have memories if you have pictures if you have schwag of any kind, I’d love to see it. So throw me a note NASA Baltimore positive.com You can always find Luke at Baltimore, Luke and Luke at wn St. dotnet. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. And we never stopped talking baseball crabcakes home run derbies and a little bit of Baltimore positive stay with us
