When Dennis Koulatsos welcomed Nestor onto his WNST-AM 1570 weekly show (heard each Thursday 3-5p and Sunday 8a-noon) to discuss the biggest Baltimore sports weekend of this generation, the 32-year voice of Baltimore sports radio made it clear this was what was expected all along back in 1996 when the Ravens came to the Charm City. Stadium and parking conflicts in adjoining lots because the baseball team has earned a path to a World Series.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
talked, orioles, lamar, game, steelers, quarterback, team, week, years, nestor, play, hope, fans, dallas, win, ravens, lamar jackson, baltimore, stanley, throw
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Dennis Koulatsos
Dennis Koulatsos 00:02
Welcome back. My next guest is Nestor Aparicio. Here to talk about all things going on in Baltimore. This weekend on Baltimore positive 15 7am wn St. Nestor welcome in
Nestor Aparicio 00:13
I remember when Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks you know the mayor got together and they put the Billy Joel Raven Scherzi up after the Orioles that a couple years that was gonna be the biggest thing in town my birthday week right the Billy Joel concert now all of a sudden it is you know the Queen concert the other night we you know, dogs and cats. I have to I have to book a flight to Arlington Texas. I don’t even like Dallas. You know that right? Now? This is my least favorite place. Probably on Earth and I’m going to find why that why don’t you like Dallas? Just awful place awful people. Nothing to do really, um, other than the barbecue. There’s nothing to recommend Dallas. I mean, honestly, like I’ve been there 100 times. I really? Yeah, I don’t. I don’t like Dallas and I would like to see them lose in football, baseball hockey, tiddlywinks elections.
Dennis Koulatsos 01:03
I went there. I went there a year and a half ago for the first time had dinner next Nick and Sam Steakhouse and set up right across from Zeke Elliott of all people have had a really, really good dinner there. But I’m not saying
Nestor Aparicio 01:15
you can’t get a bad meal. I mean, I’ll take you to Albir knots up there. I hear I there’s a great Venezuelan little diner that, but I wanted to go to Tampa. And that being said, I don’t know that we didn’t get the better pass through. Right. I mean, Tampa would have been tougher Memorial fans were rooting for the Rangers thinking, well, this will be easier. I don’t know
Dennis Koulatsos 01:39
that either. I don’t know. But hidden team, they’re pitching a little suspect, but they can hit the ball. So we’ll see. I think our pitching staff is better than theirs. But anything can happen in any series. We know that it’s not the best of 30 It’s the best of seven, right? So we’ll see how it plays out and gotta gotta win one game at a time just to use an old cliche.
Nestor Aparicio 01:59
Well, I went back and I looked at in 14 at the Royal series with Luke and getting swept. And it feels like it was awful. It was terrible. They were swept they lost by two runs two runs one run and what they lost to Taiwan and Game Three and two to one and game four. So if you want to think about how these games go, and just watching the Phillies win and watching you know Arizona go into Milwaukee and win watching Texas go into that empty blimp down in Tampa. How about that as a story? They’re gonna build a stadium for a franchise that has no fans and has it any fans at 25 years?
Dennis Koulatsos 02:34
Well they’ll have a dome which will make the lb temperature control you know, we could
Nestor Aparicio 02:38
be temperature controlled into a ditch Tropicana. They’ve had a dome there for 40 years.
Dennis Koulatsos 02:43
We better temperature control. How about that 30,000 30,000 fan that will fit then you place as plenty plenty of space for the 19,000 attended the games right or so whatever the
Nestor Aparicio 02:54
would say. And you know so so Major League Baseball doesn’t credential me right like this is I own the place. I’m on the air every day. But they’re they’re full of integrity. They’re fully there. They’re very transparent. Just ask them when you can find John Angeles. So I’m gonna buy a ticket in Texas for game three and four and sit in the stands looks nice abs press credential. So I haven’t been to that ballpark. So when I hit the ballpark tour in 15, it didn’t exist. The Atlanta stadium didn’t exist either. So if you believe in things working out the way they should work out, I’ll wind up in Atlanta later on. So I can see John Angelos the city that he showed Westmore down there and in Atlanta later in the month but I haven’t been to Atlanta haven’t been to Texas. So for me, it’s kind of exciting. I’m gonna see a new ballpark. I you know, which. I feel like I’ve been to all of them. This is a great, believe me. There was nothing that was ever gonna get me to Dallas, Texas to see this ballpark. It’s not a playoff game. Last time I was in Dallas was for you to about six years ago you to play down in the big football stadium down there. And I went down there for that but this is an unlikely matchup Right? Like I don’t know that we spent a whole lot of time talking about playing the Texas Rangers in October, we spend time talking about the Astros, talking about the rays talking about just getting there and what pitchers are going to pitch. As I said to Luke, you’re gonna tell me Bradish Rodriguez and means are going to pitch this week. We would have never have discussed that in June or July in a playoff series. We wouldn’t have discussed the by I mean this team has put itself in a position to resurrect the brand. Get a new lease deal done with this guy that owns the team and create memories for our fans. The way Delmon Young did a decade ago. This is where the memories are made. This is where the juice of having a baby this is why he built the stadium 30 years ago was to have moments like this so and I hope the weather holds up out we open play a long time hope we play a month here. I hope they take all your money and Mr. Coons is money on ALCS tickets and World Series tickets and the city deserves this the city deserves to still be playing baseball next week.
Dennis Koulatsos 05:01
You know what’s wild Nestor is that this is Pittsburgh week and I’ve never I don’t recall the last time it was it felt this quiet in the week leading up to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers now I know that some of the luster has gone from the you don’t have the Heinz ward at reads anymore the relocation or betters, Ben Roethlisberger, etc. But it’s still the Steelers, right? You don’t hear? I haven’t heard much talk about the Steelers this week. It’s been Oreos, Oreos Orioles about 95% of the time.
Nestor Aparicio 05:28
You know what’s amazing is you just said something you said when you talk about the Steelers and the Ravens you think about add read and Hines Ward. And that picture showed up on my timeline of the two of them with the official between them trying to separate them. And I thought, Man Oh, I missed that. I missed
Dennis Koulatsos 05:46
the Hatfields and McCoys. Right. And I I missed I saw that series with a three part series with Kevin Costner, but it is reminiscent of just such a blood feud. It didn’t get any better than that. You know, Park Scott and joy Porter Jr. and Todd heap and man Oh, man, it was just full of storylines. More than that back in the day.
Nestor Aparicio 06:03
Well storyline this weekend might be that the kid plays for the Steelers. I don’t know.
Dennis Koulatsos 06:08
I don’t know. It matters. I don’t think it matters.
Nestor Aparicio 06:10
Why are they high on Kenny Pickett? I mean, if I still had a relationship with Mike Tomlin, I would I would ask him because nobody else was really high on Kenny Pickett. He hasn’t done anything that stands out as sensational. He reminds me of you know, Hoyer, or like one of these backup, you know, case Keenum he just reminds me of a guy like we don’t go into we got Kenny Pickett we’re gonna kick your ass. I don’t know what the Steelers were thinking with that say it’s like they all thought everybody else in the league that they would want this guy instead of Anthony Richardson or getting the lottery pick one of these guys and I don’t think Tomlin has enough juice to make it to the lottery. I don’t think if they go three and 14 this year he’s gonna get fired.
Dennis Koulatsos 06:55
Yeah, maybe. But, but you know what I think pickets a second best quarterback on that team. I think Mitch Trubisky is a better quarterback. I’m more afraid of Trubisky in his arm. At least he can get the ball downfield with accuracy now he also turns it over but the better quarterback to me but the one that passes the eye test is Trubisky but the pic picket and the draft because there was nobody else available they were they were quarterback needy and instead of making the trade we actually did try to trade the trade for Trubisky didn’t work out I just don’t think plus their offensive quarterback Canada he’s under the gun he’s under fire as well. Doesn’t have
Nestor Aparicio 07:30
stupid fan stuff. I you know I’ve been doing this a long time when stupid fans start yelling about the coordinator it means your quarterback sucks it means your team sucks coordinator doesn’t suck
Dennis Koulatsos 07:42
I know I disagree with that I do think yourself to do that.
Nestor Aparicio 07:45
I’m not buying that
Dennis Koulatsos 07:46
I saw Matt Canada Maryland okay I you know I’m glad he’s our coordinator. We’d want it when you think we you think would rent we rent Greg Roman out of Baltimore we run them on the
Nestor Aparicio 07:54
mat Canada after a kid died in the middle of the field the and and the guy who was responsible when running for cover and he had to come in and and I’m not saying on that one the deal or even for a minute you know,
Dennis Koulatsos 08:05
I’m not saying that a good human being all I’m saying is I will see like it’s take him a long time to figure it out. They still haven’t figured out a Jalen Warren Warren is a better one Rebecca Nagi HARRIS I mean seriously,
Nestor Aparicio 08:15
your make Matt Canada really good offensive coordinator Ben Roethlisberger quarterback to a better quarterback. Right and Hines Ward on the outside and Jerome Bettis in the backfield or who was the kid that turned down all the money. I keep forgetting his name. Oh Leveon Bell. levy on Bell. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Levy and Belen. Like that makes that candidate really smart.
Dennis Koulatsos 08:38
Yeah, but look, I think better coordinators enhance talent and amplified talent and worse one is diminished if that’s my opinion. And look, they’ve got some problems that might come and have some problems. Just a big game for the Steelers. They’re one of the three they dropped this one force it go to one and four deep, deep hole into division
Nestor Aparicio 08:56
was a lot of teams built deep holes and division. Bengals are there right. At this point. Brad’s got the week off. Right. For me to go into Pittsburgh here for the Ravens this week. This should be a victory, right like I and the way we feel about the team right now much like the Orioles they’re rounding in the shape. Right. I mean, Humphries back on the field. Stanley might play this week. Obj Bateman and getting these guys back out on the field. A full contingent of this team on the field. Let’s say in Arizona, three weeks from now. I mean, forget Detroit next week going to London. That’s a little bit of a crapshoot, but by Halloween, if they can get all of these bodies on the field, you talked about Williams, you know, obviously Humphrey hasn’t played at all we’re in the middle of October now. Get him on the field. Stanley. Their best players right now. Obj they game $50 million in played two weeks, so like, and he hasn’t played all that well and when they play, the offense only wants to throw the ball 90 until like
Dennis Koulatsos 10:00
in my mind I’m adding that that 15 minute to Lamar contract because he was a catalyst and Lamar Jackson signing so if you’ve never played another down again, I’m okay with it to be frank with you and he made it look he’s got Khemka dash dash I’m gonna sorry a little distracted. I’m not so sure that football is his main priority right now.
Nestor Aparicio 10:21
What would have given you that idea that was a steep shot he talked about his humility and how humble he appeared to be in five minutes. I mean, you’ve watched this guy’s act for 10 years 10 years and then say he’s humble I mean like yeah it takes a billionaire with with an agenda to say that because the demand and interview but of course I’m not allowed to interview Steve shoddy I’m not his air is different than my air
Dennis Koulatsos 10:44
but the best of abilities availability and we just I think the our entire fan base was tired of seeing on available players whether it’s Stanley whether it’s Marcus Williams and that’s that’s the sad thing is these guys a lot of these guys are healthy when they get here and then for the first they get injured for the first time in their career. Really bizarre really odd that that broke on
Nestor Aparicio 11:04
Smith and Patrick clean I know you and I talked about on Monday had the defense’s look at the defense is played I talked about this in August is all the oxygen given to the offense and passing and we’re gonna throw for 6000 yards way over what three seasons Lamar with three seasons is that going to be
Dennis Koulatsos 11:22
I don’t not even to man you’ve listened they don’t want to
Nestor Aparicio 11:25
throw the football I I’ve said this since the minute they drafted the kid they don’t really want to.
Dennis Koulatsos 11:31
They wanted to back over it but that I want to turn it over then that’s that’s the whole thing in the NFL. If you don’t, if you don’t turn the ball over, you win. And they have a running game and they have a defense. And as long as Lamar Jackson and Ro Quan Smith are available, this team has a chance to win every game it’s in.
Nestor Aparicio 11:45
Well, defensively, that’s where they win this week is against this kid that can’t play who might be kempty gimpy a little bit and he’ll be
Dennis Koulatsos 11:54
he’ll begin here after the game. I guarantee you that. Well, they gotta get after him. Defense and running game traveled. Well, the Browns found out about that last week. And I’m pretty sure that the Steelers are going to find out about it this week as well.
Nestor Aparicio 12:08
I think it’s unfair to Lamar this week. And for me, I I take all the grief on YouTube about hating Lamar and what Lamar has been incredibly efficient, throwing the football, I had to take care of the football as well as he needs to take care of the football and carrying the football. But I have talked about this when the minute he was drafted that you can talk about all these wide receivers and all the money they’ve spent on Beckham and all that they don’t want to throw the football that you know how many times this year they’re going to throw the football more than 30 times. It’s going to be on a hand they’re gonna run the football when they
Dennis Koulatsos 12:44
fall behind but again, they’re very efficient. He’s he’s completing high percentage passes. And that’s the thing with a Monken offense a quarterback doesn’t have to be super accurate. He’s got to be an area but we’ve seen them the past as a flyer as a touchdown pass to mark Andrews he’s put some dime pieces out there Nestor has put some good stuff on film.
Nestor Aparicio 13:02
There’s no doubt about that. He throws the ball better than you think he throws the ball. But he’s gonna throw the ball less than the offseason would
Dennis Koulatsos 13:10
but that’s as far as that but that’s by design though. There’s still going to be a running team. As you mentioned there they’re built to run their offensive line is built to run.
Nestor Aparicio 13:17
When they run well. They don’t need to pass
Dennis Koulatsos 13:21
the Browns the Browns have an offensive line built a run block for ranch for Nick Chubb. It wasn’t built to pass protect Deshaun Watson and so when your your quarterback goes down as your running back coach start running back goes down. You have to have a contingency plan but the thing with the Ravens is they still have Lamar Jackson upright as long as he’s upright as long as Smith is upright on the on the other side row Quan Smith this team has a champion every game that are in shame they lost a coach game really good. This team should be four I know that a question.
Nestor Aparicio 13:51
Well, and if there were four no right now we’d be we’d be feeling different about their oxygen but there’ll be for one by by Sunday afternoon
Dennis Koulatsos 13:57
rugby should be buddy you know I I don’t know. Mike Tommy might be in trouble here.
Nestor Aparicio 14:03
Well, it’s been a long time. I mean, if Harbaugh had one of these if Lamar didn’t workout, Lamar gets hurt again on October the 21st and doesn’t play the people that give me a hard time that Lamar and I don’t I don’t read all the come especially on YouTube because he people don’t know who I am. But I’m hard on Lamar and Lamar can do no right and like Lamar hasn’t been I can I get a hard time because I say Lamar runs in the linebackers. Lamar hasn’t played a game in December in three years. So it would be like talking about Felix Batista right now, he’s not available. And if you’re not availability, you know, to your point, we talked about Humphrey and Stanley and the guys that have had trouble getting on the field. I mean, Luke took it a step further this week, Ronnie Stanley’s, like they need to draft a left tackle. Of course he did.
Dennis Koulatsos 14:52
You need a left tackle and a cornerback was in the first few rounds with this upcoming draft if they’ll draft the left tackle and a cornerback And then there’s nothing wrong with them.
Nestor Aparicio 15:01
It says something to me that you’re paying 15 to $20 million a year to these two cats. And the first thing you’re talking about and October’s, we need to replace them because they haven’t been on the field. And they’ve won games without them. But they can’t win in January without Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey. They can’t. They can’t Well look to me, let alone Lamar Lamar is the most important part, right? Look,
Dennis Koulatsos 15:23
once this team gets a big lead, such as the one that had against the browns and late when Tyler Huntley came in and Ronnie Stanley was available at that time of course he wasn’t I pulled him off the field to same thing with Humphrey some of these guys I will just pull them off the field, but I’m on a pitch count because I want them healthy when it really counts. And that’s the playoffs. That’s how I would slow roll this thing. Same thing with Rashad Bateman. Bateman I believe him on the bench whatever just want me to just do whatever I want to kit for the playoffs. And we’ll deal with him in the offseason.
Nestor Aparicio 15:54
Well gotta get him healthy gotta get all these guys healthy for sure. It’s great weekend Dennis. I’m excited. I you know, I mean, my my schedule is and this is you know, as we record this on a Thursday, if you have tickets you don’t even know when they’re playing or who they’re you have no idea what’s going on Sunday like Sunday it’s like well, the Steelers games one I know that the Orioles it for are they three are they at six? Are they at eight? Are we home or Miami? I told everybody Major League Baseball they do what they want. And God bless his Billy Joel concert. I hope we don’t get rain early on. If you’re listening on Sunday morning for the for I hope we win on Saturday and all that. It’s just a big one for us. For all of us who love Baltimore sports, who have hung in whose last names Aparicio, who’s hung in on baseball my whole life, who’s got all the old ticket stuff from 79 and 8396 and 97. And I just I want some good memories this month. And I hope that they they hold their own. I mean, the fans here every Melanie from Dundalk. I know whose love this team her whole life who’s bought season tickets for 40 years 13 game plan, you know, can’t afford playoff tickets because they’re too expensive. I hope everyone gets what they came for. You know, from a baseball standpoint, we’ve all wanted it. We’ve waited a long time. I met the guy that went down there watch them lose 120 games Luke did. Luke went down there to 70 those games for years and years and years for the people that have invested for the people that I see. So excited about the Orioles they have Christmas ornaments on their tree. They consider the Angelo’s family members. I want them the wind for these people I want I want a World Series for everybody not named me. I want it for every Don molar every Oriole fan out there. I want them to win.
Dennis Koulatsos 17:45
And then as my mother Oh 85 years love her this past Monday she said son when other was playing again. Who are they playing? What time? What channel?
Nestor Aparicio 17:53
What can you tell? Mom, I can’t tell you what my
Dennis Koulatsos 17:57
point is. She’s all in she still doesn’t speak English very well doesn’t doesn’t understand doesn’t comprehend English very well, but she loves her Orioles. And she can’t wait to watch one TV and she’s uh she’s just counting on me to tell her when she can turn on the TV set and watch him.
Nestor Aparicio 18:12
What is what they’re not playing concurrently with the Steelers on Sunday. Right? I hope we don’t have
Dennis Koulatsos 18:17
a DVR that’s that’s the beauty of DVR.
Nestor Aparicio 18:21
I can’t DVR and Twitter in real time. I’m a social media maven. You know their status.
Dennis Koulatsos 18:25
Well, you know what I am to some time but I may be fishing I may be taping both games. So we’ll see what happens.
Nestor Aparicio 18:31
You know what the most important thing with you and I have my app right here this is the most important thing for Dennis closers on day off Hold on What Sunday you’re off right Sunday 50% chance of rain 66 degrees that’s not a fishing day that’s not worse it is
Dennis Koulatsos 18:45
of course it is absolutely is despite morn rain. They don’t care they already wet you don’t have sunlight so they’re not blinded by the sun so they’re more active they’re feeding more you don’t you curse sunny days you want overcast rainy days it’s great. Believe me when I tell you that but it’s all good It’s all great whether you’re fishing watching the Orioles watching the Ravens it’s great to be in Baltimore
Nestor Aparicio 19:05
to intellectual with me on the fishing thing I just you know you’re thinking like a fish right now and yeah, I need you to think like like offensive coordinator for the Ravens on Sundays but
Dennis Koulatsos 19:15
I’m a better offensive quarter with Ronnie standard left tackle the Petrova carry that’s for sure.
Nestor Aparicio 19:19
Can you think like a closer they can throw one or two or no hey you know what
Dennis Koulatsos 19:23
Scott back and pray about that. Who would they got one of those guys but he just he’s he’s a little inconsistent and Fujinami but that’s another subject for another day.
Nestor Aparicio 19:31
I can’t have you thrown balls coming out of the bullpen in October. It can’t be bought one it cannot be bought one.
Dennis Koulatsos 19:37
Not at all. This is a show we talked about balls and strikes. That’s how we see in folks. Nestor. I appreciate you as always Stay well. We’ll take a quick break and come back right after this.
