It’s been a rough week in Baltimore. We remain thankful that The Piano Man and the great Stevie Nicks came and sang to us. Even if the traffic was a nightmare.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
game, ravens, billy joel, depeche mode, great, win, throw, watch, strikes, orioles, dancing, ball, concert, stevie nicks, weekend, texas, baltimore, baseball, year, early
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Leonard Raskin
Nestor Aparicio 00:02
W n s t, Towson Baltimore and Baltimore positive celebrating 25 years with our friends from curio wellness education series piece this week and I swear I’m gonna get these 25 stories of glory out we’re stuck at 24 right now but up but I will continue to count down. We’ve just been really busy around here because I’m doing the Maryland crab cakes on Friday come hell or high water it’s my birthday Saturday What did the Orioles are in whether the Ravens were in London doesn’t matter. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery in conjunction with our friends at window nation and Jiffy Lube multi care. We’re gonna be at the upstairs at the tasting room, the whiskey tasting room above the fountain for my 55th birthday. And then on Sunday, we’re going to be Hollywood casino up in Perry Ville doing breakfast brunch early in the morning, proper British breakfast, it’s 30 bucks all you can eat you get to play in the $500 game, you get a $30 There’s a whole bunch of things going on including a wing eating competition. I’m giving away copies preparator to show up hanging out great televisions. You know I’m not too mellow during the games I’m kind of paying attention you know hardcore and sort of tweeting I have my laptop with me because that’s sort of the way I roll in between the French toast and the eggs and bacon but it has been just an unbelievable weekend Luke and I have gone back and forth and forth and back. We are going to be in Arlington Texas for game three potentially for hopefully gonna be back for game five on Friday night after all this madness this weekend. But I need to recap the weekend with with my dear friend Leonard Raskin who dragged me kicking and scratching with four layers on down to the Billy Joel concerts. I just want to publicly pronounce my appreciation and love for letter Raskin, his wife for enduring me and all of my antics at m&t Bank Stadium on Saturday night. It was beautiful. We love we’re going to talk baseball. We’re going to talk football. I just want to talk a little Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks. First thing you dragged me there? You really did. I was in the shower at 615 Shaving off to go to Philadelphia to see John Mayer. And the reason I was going to Philadelphia ticket prices were falling in Philly. But I was afraid that the Orioles were going to win because if the Orioles win, I’m going to Minnesota Houston and I’ll miss John Mayer here next Friday right so I like I really need to see John Mayer one more time. I could sneak this in. And the Billy Joel thing at 52 degrees did not sound appealing even gratis even you’ve been kind enough to make me your your guest for you don’t even drink any beer water. I don’t even buy your pretzel for crying out loud. I owe you some crabs that cost so do it. So Leonard, I just say this to you. It really was a highlight. It was joyous. It was everything the Orioles and ravens word over the weekend. Absolutely. Joe singer Piano Man and scenester tiny restaurant like all that. So I do want to thank you and I just want to point this out at 615 I left to go to the concert Stevie Nicks came on at 715 sharp yep, I was on sharp street sharp and Austin went by my own home. When she started to sing stand back. I heard it coming up Charles Street. And you were in and I was out. And I said to you on text. I’m parking in the car at Mercy Hospital because I saw the backup right when I got to when I got to Mount Vernon and all I saw down Charles Street were taillights and I’m like I’m parking and walk in and I parked and walked I missed one song a bad I missed one song and that’s the veteran and it’s also my good health and fitness and our sponsors and my legs and my back that I could walk at that pace again because two years ago this week I couldn’t move you know that landed I was in bed I miss stones conference and Miss ravens games Chad Steele stole my press pass over me missing ravens games, believe it or not as as as heinous as that sounds, but what you did Saturday night was you brought me some joy and Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks and I just want to thank you publicly for that. Because I almost didn’t go you know, I didn’t want to go. And I had a great time.
8
Leonard Raskin 04:03
We did indeed it was a blast. We had great seats. We had a great time with some family and friends. We went out we we sat in traffic for a little bit we dodged some Baltimore drivers and got into the parking lot got to the show on time. Great seats. Like I said great fun. You know, I saw the who earlier the year down in DC. Now Stevie Nicks and Billy Joe and I’ll tell you what, man, these old people are rocket you know, occasionally I feel old. I feel like I’m getting old. And then you watch these folks on stage 7273 74 rockin like they’re 2324 I saw the crab cake
Nestor Aparicio 04:51
tour right now. You would Pappas eaten a big fat crab cake. I would break out my Fleetwood Mac and my my Roger Daltrey belt buckets. It I was wearing my Fleetwood Mac belt buckle the other night and and this is my doll tree so it’s a fun thing I get to do
Leonard Raskin 05:08
this late and I did not see Stevie Nicks prior I gotta tell you I have not she was but she was great. And I saw I’ve seen Billy Joel a few times you know 30 years ago whatever.
Nestor Aparicio 05:19
8Oh, you had Billy Joel in the modern era at all?
Leonard Raskin 05:22
Yeah, maybe five years ago or so life would have dragged you know she did if your wife
Nestor Aparicio 05:28
you Broadway is right.
Leonard Raskin 05:31
But but man what a show and what a showman just carried on and rock for a couple hours. It was great love Billy Joel too. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely every song is singing every song What’s not to love though you know the best line of the night? His best line I just loved it. And we can’t say exactly what he said here but he said last night but he said blue like Lewis said was what he said was there’s no new songs to listen to. He said the good news is there’s no new songs to listen to that you don’t know and don’t want to hear
8Nestor Aparicio 06:10
and he also said I don’t know if I would have come down here and see me tonight get
Leonard Raskin 06:16
the traffic go crazy the cold weather you know it’s funny because I saw this is like two years ago I went to see Depeche Mode it’s a maybe a year a little over a year ago last two weeks big big dude
Nestor Aparicio 06:29
I’m a huge we’re gonna go to I’m gonna buy Depeche Mode to get here we
Leonard Raskin 06:34
8go. Let me let me tell you this. I did not know you went to the show. He was a mode guy. Leonard Oh, big. Big favorite. Best favorite big favorite. So so went to the show and they started playing some of their new stuff right? So they roll out some new stuff and about four songs in some dude and like the third row I’m in row five, six. Some dude in rows two yells start playing stuff we know.
Nestor Aparicio 07:04
Alright, so I gotta give you my last pitch. Oh, because Luke and I watch baseball later raskins Here he manages money in the American dream. A crab mallet and Billy Joel tickets from time to time in our I guess we’re doing Depeche Mode now without he really fall right in the middle. The American League Championship Series after the Orioles went three in a row here. That’s right. Joel is you know, Ma, and please give your sister my love. She sat eight feet away. Yeah, I didn’t talk to her during Stevie Nicks. I wound up out running around people grabbed me. Howard shear is over in London this week. But Dave rose, ripped it off. I saw friends and I went to get beer and I had to pee and like all this stuff. But when the show started, there was a drunk couple in orange here. That could not stop talking during Stevie Nicks
Leonard Raskin 07:52
is the guy when you when you walked I said, I turned around after the next song. I said to the guy, look, where’s your seat? And he goes, Well, it’s in there. I said, Why don’t you go to your seat? He said, No, we’re good here. I said then why don’t you shut up?
08:06
Yeah, right.
8Leonard Raskin 08:08
I said either either go to your seats you can talk about or somebody else or shut up because I’m here to see a concert not listen to you talk all night. It goes on. And it was cool. What was cool was I was waiting for a fight. You know, I was all ready to fight. And the guy goes, Oh, I’m really sorry. I’m really sorry. And then they shut up. But
Nestor Aparicio 08:27
I was able to come back and hung out. I didn’t know. I don’t see I never tell people to shut up. I don’t. I don’t need a confrontation in the middle of you know, say
Leonard Raskin 08:39
were you saying? Dude, dude, I don’t want to hear you talk all night. You need to stop. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I
Nestor Aparicio 08:46
8don’t mean to be a complete prick. What is it that imply? You implied you
Leonard Raskin 08:51
think you’re at a concert, you’re there to watch the show. You’re not sharing a lot of money
Nestor Aparicio 08:54
in for your family means like, so I said to people I just ate, right? This is my wife off more. Because she’s like, I’m staying here. I’m like, well, then you’re gonna fight with these drunk angels all night. And I’m not I’m gonna go stand in the aisle and dance and sing for the next 90 minutes. Pretend I don’t know these people like and I’m gonna move on. So here’s the funny part I left you and I went a little closer into the Big Island, the back of the front section, and are dancing, singing and getting my bad self off whatever. And this beautiful woman was dancing. She’s very sexy. She’s my age. She was dancing with your boyfriend was really big guy. And he had a while Bill ag thing on and they were dancing and partying. And I’m the one dancing party have a good time. And she’s coming over dance with me party. And she says to me, you look like you’re fun. What do you do? And you know what I said? And in any normal circumstance, and I did say this at the end of the song. I said what do I do? I said I don’t talk during concerts. I said I don’t I you know what I do? I listen to the music is what I do. And then at the end of the song, I’m gonna say listen, I don’t mean to be rude. I just don’t talk during concerts and I sit in a normal circumstance I would talk your ear off I said I just not right now right into the show. And we had a laugh and it was nice and she danced a little bit but didn’t engage me then I had a woman attack me along the left side just jump off. She’s like, jumped up on me like, like Bruno Sammartino and a bear hug. And I’m like, what? Like Lady you gotta get you know I don’t want to dance with you. But wasn’t even like that it but people talking everywhere. It’s crazy. Yeah, every concert crazy. I
Leonard Raskin 10:37
don’t get it. I have landslide
8Nestor Aparicio 10:38
on the video behind talking about albums in the letters here. All right. Let’s get to the bad news. We
Leonard Raskin 10:47
got that bad news. Promising. We did but the most promising promising exciting weekend in Baltimore sports in October and a long time. The O’s are going to go to Texas up to the ravens are going to be so first place four and one over the squealers because they stink. And here we go. So watch game one at home. Watch them lose three to two. Tough game. Tough game game one. Saturday, then I will joy it up with a concert tomorrow be a better day. Sunday. Start with the with the Ravens. Man snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Lamar was on point. Except, of course. And I’m not sure you may know this stat. It seems to me he has fumbled in every game this year.
Nestor Aparicio 11:44
Well, I’m pretty sure he’s fumbled in there’s been a fumble. So yeah, but not
Leonard Raskin 11:47
8all by him. But I think he’s fumbled in every game this year. The man has got to learn how to hold that ball and feel pressure. I don’t know what else to say. But you can you know, you can not give away to play a different game. No, just asking him to hold that ball and when he’s ready to throw that ball, throw that ball but especially when you’re trying to make that comeback at the end. He’s got to hold that ball besides that, throwing that interception in the endzone unacceptable. There was nothing there. He should have never thrown that ball trying to do way too much to satisfy something and seven drop passes. And I counted three four of them as touchdowns. The throw to to Andrews touchdown through his hands. The next road of Bateman. Touchdown, right in his hands, is what you’re paid to do. You have one job your receiver catch the day to day flowers dropped early in the game. Oh, that’s another one. Then down the sideline was that Bateman again on the bomb down the sidelines, dropped the ball. And then who’s who is what was it? Aguilar wide open down the sideline, touchdown. dropped the ball. I don’t understand. He throws a perfect pass five touchdowns, five touchdowns, dropped, and then throws the pick at the end. And he’s trying to do too much to the guy that maybe can catch. But none of his none of his receivers helped them. Hill, Justice Hill again, running the ball doing great, boom, fumble. And after that fumble. They went into a funk, just like they did in in Baltimore against the Colts. And then they came back out of it. They played great ball. Lamar did. Look, I’m not blaming that loss on him at the end for the fumble. I’m just saying he’s got to hold the ball, but he did everything to win that game. They should have been up 28 Nothing on the Steelers who stunk they stunk up that stadium. The only good play in my opinion they made was the safety so the only good play
Nestor Aparicio 13:58
as I said here I’ve been at ravens game in Pittsburgh in the history of the of the franchise. I don’t ever remember the fans really getting down on furniture terrify or Matt Canada thing and like all that terrible. I mean, they had no water as I read No,
Leonard Raskin 14:14
right this week, they had no right to win that game. They had no right to score, that last touchdown should have been like irrelevant. Okay, you beat him 28 to seven or 28 to nine because of the safety. So what? There is no reason they should have won that game. And when I hear hardball after the game, press conference, I listened to it. He said Well, we had some miscommunication. Miscommunication, snapping the ball on fourth down at the end of the half instead of getting the field goal is not miscommunication. It’s bad execution. That’s bad coaching. They’re making mistakes they shouldn’t make as terrible. This is this is game five and they stunk. There is no reason they should have lost that game. And then they did they played like garbage.
Nestor Aparicio 14:57
Let her ask you this year and ratchet global tragedy He’s the American dream we we live the American dream on Saturday like Dusty Rhodes and on the piano man and they even played sometimes a fantasy for me played Viana for me like great was great Stevie didn’t play Sarah but that but that’s the American dream the American nightmares the Orioles weekend right?
8Leonard Raskin 15:17
Then right then the Ravens go off right in time they’re off right in time for first pitch sadly, right in time for first pitch and Grayson just couldn’t throw strikes. And then they throw strikes, they took them out. And then they walked the bases loaded. And then a grand slam and it was nine to two, nine to two. And that was it. It was over. I mean, they’ve come back a lot. And they came really close. I got eight runs. But 910 11 is hard to beat. Hard to beat. And and this Texas team is tough. You know, they’re tough. They don’t swing it balls. And the umpire didn’t help. Not that they were throwing strikes. But it didn’t help that he had a tight zone. Now did. You didn’t go to the game Sunday, either game because I’m open free on the year. And I figured I would stay away and watch it on my TV. And I wouldn’t be two for two. And instead I was over to watching the playoffs. Just as I’ve been Oh in three watching live. So now I’m in the conundrum. Assuming they win the next two. What do I do on Friday when they come back? And have a home game for game five? Do I go? Or do I watch it on TV? back Friday? You’re gonna go Friday, you’re going to come back Friday. I’m
Nestor Aparicio 16:34
going to the game Friday. I mean, it’s my birthday. Sad going the game? Yeah, it’s my
Leonard Raskin 16:38
birthday. When it helps my birthday Thursday.
Nestor Aparicio 16:41
8Well, I’m at the game Tuesday. And I’m at the game Wednesday that I think’s gonna happen. Like, you gotta read them. Texas, Luke and I went through this, like, I think they can survive Tuesday, the thing that I brought up a little bit with Luke is just being played well in front of crowds in front of noise pitchers find in the strike zone, when it gets big, it Fourth of July got big not so good giveaway nights at big crowds and been disappointing. And that’s part of being 2324. In an environment that’s just different.
Leonard Raskin 17:11
These guys are young, they’re young look, everybody said they got here a little early. And we all hoped they would make the playoffs. That was the hope they’d make the playoffs. Then they won the Division and you got bigger hopes you go World Series World Series. And making the playoffs just isn’t enough. Except it is been a hell of a season. A lot of fun. And you hope they get through this round and move on to the next round. If not, you know this, they’re going to learn a big lesson from not making it. And I think whether they win this round or not be super hungry. 2024.
Nestor Aparicio 17:49
All right. To, you know, to the Orioles and to hopes and to where they are. Yeah, I certainly hitting the ball was a problem early on. You see the offense combat? Yeah, it’ll
Leonard Raskin 17:59
be Yeah, five RBIs of the eight. And I think the other
8Nestor Aparicio 18:03
part of this just as a fan, and I’ve experienced this, all of my lifetime is a baseball fan. And just sort of knowing the clock of this. And as I get older, yeah, time kind of changes a little bit. And as I looked at this all summer long, even getting into July and August was very obvious. We’re gonna at least be a playoff team. I said all along. It’s about game one, whether game one was on Tuesday and the wildcard, it’s that sort of momentum that Faceball posts. Have
Leonard Raskin 18:30
the numbers bear that out set. I don’t know about the three game series, those are wacky, and they’re all at home, but you lose them all. You don’t get the third one. But the series the five game series 71% first game winners win the series
Nestor Aparicio 18:48
10 times out of 88 that there’s been a three to come back from oh two. So there’s a little bit of a precedent for it, as opposed to like the Red Sox being the only team ever to come back from
Leonard Raskin 18:59
8go roll. It’s just it’s just really hard.
Nestor Aparicio 19:02
They’ve lost two games, and this team’s never been swept.
Leonard Raskin 19:05
That’s right. They’ve lost the first two games a series before and now Now let me ask you this, relative to that streak of never being swept since Richmond showed up if they happen to horribly get swept Does that count against their streak?
Nestor Aparicio 19:21
In my mind? It does. It didn’t get swept the only time it matters, right? I mean, matters. It’s not a dress for the
8Leonard Raskin 19:28
MLB record books. Do they count postseason or they only count regular season and not been swept? Since God knows when? That’s all I’m asking.
Nestor Aparicio 19:36
You know, I mean for you and I and you go back to 79 and 83 with Yeah, about this. Yeah, you have memories of all this. You’re such a big sports fan. You read all the big caps games and the Ravens winning the whiskey Jos 20. Oh, that right? The baseball postseason. It’s so rare for us yet we haven’t had a lot of it. There is an energy level that even the fans brought in A big way, at least on Saturday, that there was the nervous energy on Sunday night. I’m going down to Texas for game three, and I’m fully expecting it to be a football crowd, you know, because, and it’s so different than the sounds of baseball. And I said this to Luke, I don’t want to pretend that Gunnar Henderson or Adley rutschman, who play in the College World Series haven’t been on big stages or haven’t heard crowds, or anything like that. But the game is played almost like golf or tennis. Most of the time baseball is played in this quiet after the crack of the bat, you’ll hear the roar of the crowd, but the two strikes 48,000 people on their feet, that that’s a complete outlier. That could only happen at a Jim Palmer giveaway night on a Saturday night when they quite frankly, they were getting their asses beat on those nights. And they never got the crowds engaged in those big crowds. They’ve only had five of them all year six year yeah, yeah. They really have not played in front of people. And I’m going to continue to bring that up because like that hair you felt on the back of your neck and you’re watching on TV. Getting your wife’s getting ready for Billy Joel and smelling nice. We’re all getting like all stuff we were doing on Saturday afternoon to get ready. And whatever that we all had that feeling when Joan Jett is out singing when you know first pitcher Adam Jones sit behind the plate. Jones jets trying to distract pitchers on Sunday. Like feeling of postseason bass as he gets up here. It’s a different feeling for us. Imagine what it’s like for a 23 year old 20 Rodriguez when he throws ball one and ball two, and it starts to get a little crazy and see they walk sicker five times a bunch
Leonard Raskin 21:36
of strikes. They threw a bunch of first one ball twos, I mean one two strikes and couldn’t get them out. They couldn’t finish hitters off. They were poking balls all over the place everywhere. They weren’t they were hitting run. They were running hit. They were they were doing Texas did everything right. They did everything right. And and they won the first game scratch three to two. They won that second one on Sunday 11 to eight they outscored them and they out Oriole them. They hit with runners in scoring position. They took pitches they walked they played Oreo baseball and beat them.
Nestor Aparicio 22:12
8Well the other part of this is you beat up hardball a little bit and then you got to praise Bruce Bochy, throwing left handers knowing he doesn’t have he doesn’t have his best pitcher Scherzer this that. I mean to Grom none of that. It’s all right. I’m gonna get O’Hearn out of the lineup. I’m gonna, you know, force them to force Anderson to hit a left hander. I’m just and if we lose, we don’t really have many other options, but I’m not going to lose you the right hander. Now ivaldi comes back and may be different it on Tuesday, and certainly, they need to win a game where everybody’s on their feet with two strikes or get the Rangers out. You know, if it’s five one, all of a sudden in the sixth inning when Henderson’s up with two strikes. It’s it’s not a football game. It’s not a rock concert. Right?
Leonard Raskin 22:59
You know, right?
Nestor Aparicio 23:00
I don’t think they perform well, in those circumstances. Gotta
Leonard Raskin 23:02
get up early.
8Nestor Aparicio 23:03
If they’re behind three, two in the seventh inning and their last nine at bats come with two strike energy on every pitch because that’s the way it gets when the blood gets in the water
Leonard Raskin 23:14
right for right. So instead, they got to get a score early and take them out, take that crowd out and play their game. They got to take them out and play their game. That’s what they got to get to. They got to take that. And look, this is Game one of the series and you got to win it. That’s all there is to it. And then you got to go to game two and win game two. And we
Nestor Aparicio 23:33
need Depeche Mode. I
Leonard Raskin 23:34
8didn’t know Yeah. Oh, dude. And no, I went to Houston, Texas and saw Depeche Mode row three on this tour, no, 10 years ago. So I
Nestor Aparicio 23:43
almost went to the west coast to see the first show that tour in Sacramento because I had never been to Sacramento in my life. Hey, you got great friends that live there. All my old all the people that sponsored me when I was 15 years old at the news, American all went to work for the Sacramento Bee and I find work with and I was gonna go Spence with and I bailed on it back in like, March or April, and I still haven’t seen the show. They’re on the East Coast in a couple of weeks when New York and Philly. I’m not going to miss Depeche Mode. Like
Leonard Raskin 24:11
I’m all in. It’s fine to date. Let’s make it happen.
Nestor Aparicio 24:15
All right. I like that. Absolutely. The world in my eyes is hey, man, you must say that I had a pretty good time that Billy Joel, you
8Leonard Raskin 24:22
thought you had a great time. Energy rolling in the aisles. Yeah, man.
Nestor Aparicio 24:26
I was I was. I’m really grateful. I mean, I would have had a good time at John Mayer. But the movement seeing the city seeing the city screwed up from predation standpoint,
Leonard Raskin 24:38
admired by I have to tell you the only downside for me was I parked at the Horseshoe Casino.
Nestor Aparicio 24:45
8What time do you get home? Be honest. Sunday.
Leonard Raskin 24:48
Yeah, it took an hour to get out of that garage.
Nestor Aparicio 24:53
So you’re giving me a perfect segue from my Hollywood casino on Sunday. You know there’s ample free parking in the lot there. err, I can get
Leonard Raskin 25:00
out of the garage out of ravens I get out of the BC nobody’s business, I can do it. There was no way to pull around and get out of there. They were blocking it up. They
8Nestor Aparicio 25:12
have a bevy and watch the lamb jacked or what? Yeah,
Leonard Raskin 25:14
I thought I could go in and lose a few 100 That would have been bad after the Oriole day.
Nestor Aparicio 25:19
Well, that was something for me to see this bill Hagee guy in a jersey, having had the worst day of his life having the greatest time ever singing only the good die young. You know what I mean, man, so there was a music heals, Bruce Springsteen. Everybody said music heal. That’s right. It helped heal me a little bit. And it can be the best thing that happened this weekend. Billy Joel was great. And it had more fun and Billy talked with Stevie Nicks was like he’s put it out suddenly. Great,
Leonard Raskin 25:44
8crushed. Great set. I was shocked at how good she was.
Nestor Aparicio 25:49
She didn’t even play Sarah you know what made me come home late at night. And I had a big old salad with a MAC MAC nut chicken on it. And I’m sitting there and I played the songs that Billy didn’t play like I’ve loved these days and honesty and you know some of the television and stuff that I get it right the first time because that’s the main thing the stranger you know, playing some good glass houses deep tracks all for Lena.
Leonard Raskin 26:13
That’s that’s a difference between us because I got home. And I took out some chips oh boy, and a glass of milk and watched the USC football game. The second half of the USC game.
Nestor Aparicio 26:27
I went straight to bed and I got a doubleheader on Sunday letter. I appreciate Billy Joel tickets. Thank you again. Stevie Nicks was fantastic. Too low to me or gave me some love at the concert. I appreciate that. Let’s go get to in Texas and then one in London. You worry about me going to Texas. Am I good luck for them? Are
8Leonard Raskin 26:46
you gonna make it happen? I can’t. I can’t make you’re gonna make it happen. Go do it. Go do it. Let Raskin,
Nestor Aparicio 26:52
Raskin globally, sponsors the American dream and helps people with their money, their taxes, their insurance, their thoughts, ways to save money, waste, invest money and waste just take better care of your money. So that takes better care are you seeing especially Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks and if you’re in good health, you can park at Mercy Hospital and still get there in 18 minutes like I am Nestor we are wn st am 1570, Towson, Baltimore. Luke and I do a tons and tons of coverage will be in Arlington. Follow all our social media channels. See you Friday at drug city and Sunday Hollywood casino in Perryville. Stay with us.
