Former Steelers quarterback and lifer Pittsburgh good guy Charlie Batch gives Nestor some insights and perspective on what has made the team better with Russell Wilson under center. And what makes the Steelers’ defense dangerous for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Sunday at The Confluence.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Pittsburgh week, Ravens game, Lamar Jackson, Steelers defense, Russell Wilson, Mike Tomlin, quarterback competition, Baltimore rivalry, crab cakes, Batch foundation, educational programs, Thanksgiving fundraiser, football preparation, Super Bowl hopes, team dynamics
SPEAKERS
Charlie Batch, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home. We are W, N, S T am 1570 Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore, positive. It’s Pittsburgh week. We’re doing the Maryland crab cake door. Next week in Amsterdam, we’ll be up at in Carroll County, at beautiful green mount station. Eat one of my favorite crab cakes all the brought to you by friends at the Maryland lottery. Have Raven scratch. Also give away. Do give away. Been a pretty lucky batch. Also our friends at Jiffy Lube, multi care, taking us out on the road, taking Luke up to Pittsburgh this week. Um, we’re also eating oysters down here. It’s our 26th anniversary. 26 years of doing Baltimore positive and wnst means 26 oysters in 26 days. All of that. Brought to you by curio wellness and far and daughter and our friends at Liberty, pure solutions, keeping the water running clean. One 800 clean water. Our friends, they do a plumbing, but they also do well water, which I need in my place because of my bucolic suburban state that lock Raven, where the the water let green thing you don’t want to have that happen. This guy’s gonna be shocked that actually own a Terrible Towel. I have admitted to a one time, one time in my life, and there is photographic evidence of me having a real Terrible Towel. And I will tell Charlie batch when that was, because when he entered the National Football League, Charlie batch of Pittsburgh, I have my pink, important catch that was once given to me as they wanted me. And Burt Lawton let me in there, as he did for 28 years. Annual screening saves lives. It’s mining tropes, official, terrible Donald. Charlie batch is our guest. He’s coming from Don Pittsburgh with yinz and that for another big week, a Pittsburgh week, how you Was that pretty decent? Charlie? Was that pretty good? Yeah, that
Charlie Batch 01:37
was pretty good. It
Nestor Aparicio 01:38
wasn’t bad. Was it that was good, right? That absolutely was, I love it. My wife’s maiden name was Ford, and we were long time sponsored by coons Ford security Boulevard, so I don’t mind that either. Um, boy, you and I have gotten together when you’re good, we’re bad, we’re up. There’s upsets, there’s Bettis, and there’s this, and there’s all, you know, Flacco Ray, all of that. This is for first place. This is pretty big pitch for a Ravens game,
Charlie Batch 02:01
huh? It really is. This is typical, you know, obviously, as a player going through this rivalry, this is one of the exciting weeks, especially this time of year. It’s one thing you’re playing early in the year, but this time of year, you know, these games matter, especially you have to play them twice in a matter of seven weeks, eight weeks, whatever that may look like. How
Nestor Aparicio 02:18
does that affect Lamar. And I said this before the Cleveland game, when they were upset by Jameis Winston, preparation is a lot a part of this, and not knowing what to prepare for defenses, and they’re not being very good to begin with, which the Ravens pass defense we you know, we’re going to get into that in a minute, but the Bengals and the Browns play Lamar different. And I gave Jim Schwartz a lot of that credit. I would give some credit as well to defense coordinator in Cincinnati that you see it. You think about it a lot in the off season, when it’s the guy you can’t beat and the guy you know you need to beat, and the games get amped up even more when you’re not as good as they are. But you got to find a way to win. And you don’t have Lamar, you don’t have Derek Henry, or you don’t have whatever you don’t have, maybe Highsmith in your case, or whatever you don’t have. But the notion that the Steelers have done this a few times, and Lamar hasn’t always played in this game, it hasn’t always been our number one against your number one in that way, in the quarterback. I remember when a guy named Charlie batch beat the Baltimore Ravens late in his career as well. So I got to doff Mike after you, but preparing for Lamar and doing it more often. Charlie, he’s like 23 and one against NFC team since he entered the league. If you don’t see it, you can’t stop it.
Charlie Batch 03:34
That’s exactly right. And those are things that catches people off guard. Is but, you know, it’s one thing to understand what Baltimore is trying to do. But how do you practice against that you don’t have the personnel with on your team to prepare for? So in most cases, you might be using a receiver as Lamar Jackson as a quarterback, and I said running around, trying to do some of the things they do, but then you lose in the passing game because that receiver can’t give your defense a look. So it’s just a different element that Lamar brings to the equation that you just can’t prepare for. But when you get to divisional football, that’s why you build your defense to prepare for who your opponent is going to be. And in this case, the Steelers defense is prepared to defend Lamar Jackson, one
Nestor Aparicio 04:11
of my all time favorites, Charlie batches here from the fighting city of Pittsburgh, once the city of champions trying to be again, it’s Pittsburgh week around here, and please have some of Mr. Rooney’s cookies. You know, that’s the one thing that you have always had going for you, is that ownership and the stability and Mike Tomlins no good my fire. Mike Tomlin, where, you know, Roethlisberger, that era, and everything that happened with after that, trying to find a quarterback, and Russell Wilson wasn’t very good in Denver. Getting a little older, can he be the guy? And all of that, and then even what 20 minutes ago, Mike Tomlin saying. Now, we’re going to change quarterbacks here. I know we’re above we’re going to I, I sort of know a little bit about football. I, you know, I’ve watched Russ play, I’ve watched Russ practice. I’ve seen his rings in his collection. Um, so. Second what he should have gotten, he didn’t get. And he makes this switch. And there’s just something about the way the Steelers do business that should not shock anyone, that it’s another first place game and they don’t have Lamar and they don’t have Derek Henry. Yeah, they got a defense man. When Mika Fitzpatrick and TJ watt and these guys show up. Hey, where these guys show up? You see that you’re still playing steel or football there? Man. No,
Charlie Batch 05:27
you absolutely are. And this is, you know, the other thing you know, Mike Tyler wants to run the football. And of course, you can do the strength of this team is defense, but it was a little shaky because you’re bringing the new offensive coordinator. You don’t know what’s expected. And then he makes, you know, the one thing I love about Mike Tomlin is he doesn’t shy away from the hard conversations, meaning, hey, we know we have a quarterback competition. We know we’re going to let it display and let it, you know, play itself out, and everybody’s going to see how each person is actually preparing and playing at the position. It doesn’t matter if it’s quarterback or another position. So he doesn’t shy away from those hard conversations. So you have the preparation there. Russell separated himself. Then you go through training camp, and of course, he gets injured at the end of camp, as they’re preparing for well week one. And then Justin fields comes in and plays well. And I know it wasn’t a popular decision at that particular point as it relates to bringing back Russell Wilson into the fold, but, man, he looks like a genius right now because of everything that he saw, preparation wise, on the field, but also the leadership that this young offense needed, and Russell provides that.
Nestor Aparicio 06:31
Well, the change in all of this has the backbone of a really good defense, right? And we have been discussing the value of defense. You’re in a way we haven’t, because I There has not been a November 15 that the Baltimore Ravens are 32nd the league in past defense, not from I mentioned Jim Schwartz earlier about Cleveland, from Marvin through Rex Ryan and every incarnation of Mike Nolan’s and Dean peas is and Ray Lewis’s and Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed. This is a different problem, that the Ravens have this leakiness on the back end, the lack of pass rush, all of these issues the Steelers have this defense. And we’re I’ve been trying to figure out the offense for a couple years in a couple of quarterbacks. Now, how did you feel about Russell Wilson, and you were, once the month, the maligned veteran quarterback that maybe was being questioned at that point in your career. And you wound up doing it for a long time, Charlie, for Russell Wilson to come in, lot of money, a lot of fame rings, all that went to Denver that the notion that he would be the answer, that he could be when signed in the off season, a guy who could bring a championship back to Pittsburgh, a guy that could win a Super Bowl again at this point in his career. Kurt Warner, we’ve seen second acts. Peyton Manning, all you know. Tom Brady, right, what Aaron Rodgers was believed capable of doing in New York. Where were you on Russell Wilson, based on what you saw in Denver, based on what the organization you live in Pittsburgh, you played in Pittsburgh, you know what they need. Could it be good enough? I think these first couple of weeks of Russell Wilson, you start to look up and say, Yeah, injuries aside and attrition and those kinds of things and and the Steelers added a couple of guys in the trading deadline that have already helped him, Mike Williams, that may pay more benefits this week as well. This is a team that to me in first place where you are. I don’t know that. I believe the Steelers are of capable of winning the Super Bowl in the schedule came out back in April, and I saw Steelers have all their games back loaded in the division, and Cleveland will probably stink by them, but I didn’t think Cincinnati would be where they are. And certainly a lot of folks bet wrong on betting against Mike Tomlin, betting against the Rooney family, betting against the Steelers, and certainly betting against Russell Wilson, even as recently as your whole fan base three weeks ago.
Charlie Batch 08:52
Yeah. And I think you know, when you look at it from from the, you know, outside world, I didn’t know much about Russell Wilson, at least I know him as a player individual. But as far as what happened to details, nobody really knew that. But when I looked at it from the player perspective, I’m like, that’s a monetary decision. That was all financial. They didn’t want to pay what next year’s contract was going to be. So they’re going to now, you know, create this narrative as it relates to who he is as a person. And when you start testing and talking about somebody’s character, it becomes personal that way, right? We understand personal decisions. Tough decisions need to happen, but ultimately, when you make that tough decision, those people in that position have to create the narrative on why certain things happen. And for him, Oh, bad teammate, yada yada yada, hey, all I know is I’ve seen he was over 3000 yards passing. He had over 26 touchdowns, seven interceptions. Okay, great, that that doesn’t cause for a benching to me, but for whatever reason it happened, but when he did get to Pittsburgh, the beauty of this organization is there’s been a lot of people who have come in this organization who has been outcasted for whatever reason. I was one of them. Oh, Charlie couldn’t play. He’s in Detroit, but yet I lasted 11 more years after I left Detroit. Now it wasn’t as a regular starter, but it’s still there. Was a narrative that was created about me when I left Detroit. They went on to become, you know, this different situation now, but those things happen. And when you build relationships to the point where you’re saying, just regarding what everybody’s saying on the outside, I’m a formal relationship ourselves. They’ve always done that within this organization, and it starts with the Rooney family all the way down. They brought Russell in here. They got him a chance. Like, wow. This is nothing that we heard about as it relates to who he is as a person. You bring him in the fold, obviously it was a minimum deal that was brought in here. But obviously, you know, when you look at, you know, the ceiling that could ultimately be provided for what Russell can be and potentially bring to this team. It was a no brainer for them to fit him in. From day one, this guy was a team to a complete teammate. His teammates adored him. They still do so at this particular point. So when you’re doing that, you’re just out of your saying, Why did they do that in that particular manner? But ultimately, a decision was made. Russell now gets the last laugh up until this point because of the success that he’s having, ultimately of where he is. So I just love where he’s at. The teammates love him and man, I love the relationship that him and Justin fields have built that most people outside of the organization will not understand and because they don’t see it on a regular basis. Charlie
Nestor Aparicio 11:13
batch is our guest. He is from the fighting city of Pittsburgh. He once played quarterback in this league for a couple decades, and had some fun doing it as well. Makes his home in Pittsburgh and has the batch foundation. All the cool stuff that he does. He always makes time to come on with us. Sometimes he shares Mr. Rooney’s cookies with us, or those sandwiches with the you know, by the way, I wanted to ask you before I get back to football, because I will get the serious football, but I’m wearing my costume shirt on the air. Pittsburgh guy like you, have you ever opened a legitimate Maryland crab and, like, eat it, clean the crab. Or is that for you guys to put your french fries on your sandwiches in the coleslaw, right on the sandwiches, because you don’t even want to touch the forks or or eat the french fries and do them proper with ketchup. Did you guys eat crabs? I mean, have you ever had crabs?
Charlie Batch 11:55
Well, we always look forward to the Baltimore trip, because there would be, they would always bring the crab cakes in, because a lot of you know, got
Nestor Aparicio 12:02
crab cakes. I need a lot of them. I’m talking about like a real crab, like opening it.
Charlie Batch 12:06
I’ve opened the Dungeness crab. I’ve done that. Oh, man, I
Nestor Aparicio 12:09
had Kenny Maine on this week. That’s the second time I have to defecate upon Dungeness crab. They taste like leather shoes taste like crabs. You’re
Charlie Batch 12:20
right. You’re that absolutely could be the case. Unfortunately for me, I have not had the opportunity. So maybe next time I’m down in Baltimore, you’ll show me how to do it.
Nestor Aparicio 12:27
You know, opportunity for relationship building is there because crabs, they only there’s crabs and there’s beer and there’s corn on the cob, and that’s all you need. When you you have crabs, those are the three items on the tape and you need a mallet is all you need. So I you know, I know how to eat the sandwiches with the coleslaw and all that stuff. So I want to get back to quarterbacking here and have some fun with this. Because you obviously were the backup quarterback, the starting quarterback, the bench quarterback, the injured quarterback, the Savior quarterback. You. You played all of those roles at various point you won games, lost games, seeing this kid get thrown out of Chicago come into Pittsburgh, play, play well enough to win. Obviously, there’s some limitations that pro football focus will bring into focus, and guys like you who want to help him out, hanging around the locker room may give him a tip or two, or coaching trying to coach him up, make him better, but the speech that he gave when he was benched, and I’ve been at this a long time, Charlie and I know we’re famous for having Joe Flacco here, and now we have Lamar. We’re geniuses at quarterbacks. Back in your era, there were some years we could have used Charlie batch here as a Ravens quarterback in that era, because we change quarterbacks all the time from Vinnie and Eric zire and Wally Richardson, I was go through stony case. I go through the list of them. I knew them all. Jim Harbaugh still know him. We’ll see him next week. We play the Chargers. So all of these quarterbacks that we had there, we never had the right one in that March of brota era, and Billick was trying to find it. And Chris Redmond, and, I mean, I gosh, like Tony banks, Elvis gurbach Trent do for who won a Super Bowl. So all of the benchings and the are you my guy? Are you my guy? Do I have my guy? Did I draft My guy is Steve McNair my guy? Or are we gonna? Is he gonna get me fired? And that’s the way the coaches think it’s the way all of this happens for that kid to take the mic. And I know they get coached up and have an agent saying, dude, don’t burn down the house. Don’t do what Antonio Brown did. Don’t do what this Jerry Maguire. Go out, say it the right way. Do it the right way. He was applauded through and I don’t know whether it was legit this or that, because I know this, it’s alpha and it’s there’s only one football everybody wants, including your wide receivers, right? But that was really quite a display from that young man at this point in his career. And I’ll have you speak to that, because I don’t know if young Charlie batch, who I like old Charlie batch a lot. I don’t know if how you would have reacted to that, or maybe how you did react to that.
Charlie Batch 14:58
I think. When you look at where I think, when you look at where they are, where they are. And of course, Justin, you know, he took the high road when it happened. But when you when you just look at what happened before the season. Of course, at any point, you know you have to be ready to play when the decision was made at week one that Monday, as they prepared for the over against the Falcons, remembers Mike Tomlin named Russell Wilson the starter. His teammates voted Russell a a captain. So when you have that happen, and then all of a sudden, he gets injured, and you have to fill in. He’s he knows at that particular point I was, I’m the backup, all I can do is go in and do my job and prove to them my new teammates, that I can go out here and get the job done, and by going out there getting the job done, he was able to get him off to a three and zero start. You lose two in a row. You get but either way, you finish four and two in the six game manner that he played. And then yes, he accepted responsive. And maybe, maybe, if I was six or No, maybe this decision changes, that allows me to start, and that’s where it started nationally about who you know, should you keep Justin in? Put Russell in? That’s how the conversation started. But for him, I love the approach he’s saying it I wasn’t good enough. Now I have to fall back into the back of role as Russell was preparing. But I say this to say there’s going to be important time in this season that Justin is going to come back and going to have to get into a game and win a game for this Steelers organization. Again, we don’t know when that’s going to be. I’m not wishing injury on anybody, but that generally is how the season goes. The team right now understands that they have a backup capable of winning in Justin. And I always say this, both of these guys know at the end of the rainbow there is a pot of gold for somebody. They’re both on expiring contracts. They both want to compete. Have they showed enough that they can be a starter. Yes, one person could be paid a little bit more handsomely than the other, but both of these guys are setting themselves up to eventually be a starter, whether that’s in Pittsburgh or elsewhere. That’s why Justin it just kind of takes the course. But to that point, this is why, as a young quarterback, you need a veteran there in that quarterback room to help teach you and show you how to become that professional, because you can lean on that guy. When you have that veteran, it makes it a lot easier. Justin didn’t have it. Now he has that in Russell Wilson, so that’s going to make him a better player. For me, when I was a young player, it worked for me because the backup that I had in the room was actually Frank Wright, so having him in that room and understanding, and I said, Wow, if I was ever in that position, I would do for I would do what Frank did for me as a young guy, and when I ultimately got into the backup position, that’s what I that’s the role that I took on. But ultimately I helped Ben Roethlisberger in that particular manner, because somebody helped me when at a young age throughout the course of my career. So those are things that are all win wins. For a quarterback that has a veteran, veteran quarterback in his room, that’s
Nestor Aparicio 17:46
probably the hardest thing to ever learn, right? I mean, you know, it’s the last thing that comes to you when you’ve been a starter, you’ve been the star, you’re in the NFL, and now all of a sudden, you’re holding the clipboard for long stretches of time and thinking, I mean, I just think that that I’ve covered a lot of sports back with hockey and opportunity, and to your point, contract year, that is a that that’s why it’s I would say noble, or that I watch it from afar and say, Man, they really have it together there. And that what you just said to me, I believe that, that that’s being preached. And I also would believe that Tom was probably the guy that that week said, Hey, listen, man, I can hear it in his voice. Listen, man, I don’t care if you’re nine, and oh, he’s coming back, and he’s my star, you know, I can hear Mike saying that to him Labor Day, and then coming in and say, Hey bro, you know, you know, four and two, it’s good. You know. Let’s, let’s get at it. Let’s, you know he, it’s Russell’s ball. He’s got the ring. You’re chasing the ring. Let’s go. We, we all want the ring to get I can hear Mike saying that, and I believe it. And I’m around in Baltimore, and I believe it,
Charlie Batch 18:50
right? And both of these guys, they’re, I mean, their resumes are where they are at that particular stage. And when you look at just the body of work that Russell has put together, yeah, it’s easy to follow somebody like that who as a Super Bowl winner should have been two time Super Bowl winner. So if they can get that out of Pittsburgh, he’s happy. But ultimately, the business of with the quarterback decision is going to take care of itself. At the end of the season, all they have is two capable guys. But with all that being said, Hey, as a backup, hey, I’m not sitting here saying that I was content being the backup. Yeah, you want to play the competitive competitor and you wants to play, but there’s no sense of bitching and complaining about it when you understand that this is the role that they put you in. So you can’t go in front of the media and then start complaining in front of your teammate to say, Why ain’t he playing me? I should be playing you don’t want to be that disgruntled, and the other guys going to the Hall of Fame maybe, right? You don’t, yeah, you don’t want to do it’s like, Hey, this is my role. And then ultimately, those decisions happen whenever you come to an expiring contract to see what other opportunities are out there for you. Charlie
Nestor Aparicio 19:47
batch is here. He’s in my hall of fame. He’s in the Pittsburgh Hall of Fame as well, and doing good work up there with the batch foundation. So for my audience, and we only get together once a year, your relationship with Tom and everybody knows I have relationship with Tomlin. I’m going to put the videos up of our event that we did back in 2016 with Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Brian Billick for there goes, my hero. I’m going to re earth that. So if you find that out of Baltimore positive this week, give it a look. Give it a watch and see the respect and see the storytelling that’s there. But you are a part of the Baltimore, Pittsburgh rivalry, for worse, on our side, because you beat us, but you were the guy there with Mike. What makes Mike special? If, if you were to speak about Mike in a public way, for Baltimore fans to say, what allows him to survive, thrive, and you talk about guys going to the Hall of Fame, I had Tony Romo saying that John Harbaugh’s Top 10 all time coach a couple weeks ago, and I’m thinking, well, har ball, Peyton, Tomlin, a couple of these guys are now that next rung under Belichick, not a fistful of rings, and Andy Reid’s got a handful now. But these guys had won championships, Pete Carroll, that have won championships, that Hall of Fame thing. We we start talking about that with all of these guys, but it feels like they’re not near the end. I mean, it doesn’t when they when it’s Pittsburgh week and it’s hardball with a hot shot quarterback, and it’s Mike Tomlin with the system going there. Feels like five years from now, I could be here with you. We’re still talking about it being this way. It’s been this way a long time. Man. Okay,
Charlie Batch 21:12
absolutely. And I think when you look at Tomlin, you know he’s always the way he communicates, and he doesn’t shy away from hard conversations, and the players adore playing for him. So when you have that relationship, because he genuinely cares about his players. Now, I had the opportunity to play under Coach cowher for five years. I played under Coach Tomlin for six and now that I’m on the media side, I’ve been around Tomlin all of his 18 years. So when you look at where he is, he’s never wavered. He never changed. I thought the only thing that may change and get him away from football. As his kids getting older, he has as old as that Boston College right now, I’m thinking, Okay, that would be the only way, not because he doesn’t love football, because he wanted to spend the time with his family. His youngest is down in Georgia in gymnastics. So when those, when the kids, I’m
Nestor Aparicio 21:54
Facebook friends with Kia. So I see these kids on beams. I see them running around end zones. I see post game. I mean, it, it’s, I’ve known those kids since they were since you’ve known them, you know, like, it’s unbelievable. Man, I used to play catch on the log with David’s five year old boy. Now he’s catching balls up at Boston College. It’s chestnut. It’s beautiful. Man, it
Charlie Batch 22:15
is. And all of his kids, of course, you know, when they were younger, they they ran for our track club. Was part of Best of the batch foundation. So I’ve seen them, you know, grow and and mature and wages. Remember when
Nestor Aparicio 22:25
their hair was bigger than they were? Remember that? I
Charlie Batch 22:29
feel like I’m the proud uncle, right? You know, they’re growing up. But I think ultimately, when you see that, you know the and I think you know, having kids that age allows him to adapt to the younger generation that’s now entering into his locker room, and you’re able to now have those conversations where sometimes it’s a little tougher when you become older, you’re not able to relate, but he’s figured out a way to relate to these guys and meet them where they are, and ultimately, when you get that and trying to now get them to a point of fulfilling their goal, which is horsing that Lombardi trophy. And when bringing another Lombardi Trophy into Pittsburgh. It gets him excited. It rejuvenates him to want to continue to do that every year. So I don’t know I can see him doing this another five years because of the manner of you know where he’s at at this particular point, because the Rooneys adore him, and I know He’s itching by bringing that other, that next Lombardi Trophy, back to Pittsburgh, because it’s been a very long time well, and
Nestor Aparicio 23:18
you start to smell it when you’re good like this in the middle of the season, and you feel like, Hey, maybe I finally have it together, right? And last thing on football, and we’ll get the bash foundation for you. The Lamar Derek Henry thing that the Ravens have done offensively speak to that a little bit, because I don’t know that I would have had you on five, six years ago. I didn’t like that. He ran into linebackers. I guess I hadn’t considered the rule changes that wouldn’t have protected a guy like you 30 years ago, that protect him a little bit more to keep him and all the quarterbacks more upright. But in a general sense, I don’t want to say I’ve been incredibly shocked by anything with him, because I think he has an incredible growth mindset. But I did tweet out famously, year and a week ago that it was a shame that they couldn’t get Derrick Henry in a trade. We’ll never know how good it could be, because I think Derek Henry with Lamar Jackson would make this offense unstoppable. And a year later, it feels like I don’t know about unstoppable, but they only stopped themselves with holding penalties, you know, movement at the line, things drop balls, things like that. They’re pretty good man that they really
Charlie Batch 24:29
are. And I think when you look at that comparison, and one, you know, it fits the the culture of what they look to do down in Baltimore, you understand they’re going to have a very good defense, and they’re running the football. They’re not shying away from it. They’ve always been at the top of rushing under John Harbaugh. So these are things that aren’t going to change, and I just enjoy it, because I’m like, wow, when you have Todd Monken calling these plays and he’s losing sleep trying to figure out how he can create more opportunity for these guys, I love it. And the only reason why I say that because me and Todd Monken go back 30 years. He was at it. We both were at you. Michigan together. He actually was my receivers coach while I was there, so I know that the way he operates, and we laughed about that last year on the sideline when we’re chopping it up before pregame. But to see where he is, man, I’m super proud of Todd, and I love him to death. He’s like an uncle to me. So you know, he’s a really great person to be around. But I think ultimately, when you see where Lamar and you see where Derek Henry is at, as long as they are staying ahead of the sticks, they are a very dangerous team. You know those? Those are things that you know that these guys are going to rush the football. And when that continue to happen, with the success that are happening, guess what? The lack of opportunities are going to happen on the other side, because they’re controlling the time of possession on their end.
Nestor Aparicio 25:37
Charlie batch is our guest. He is proudly uh, how many years for the Charlie batch foundation? I know. I mean, it’s a very sad story involving your sister that sort of began a lot of things. I’ll let you go as deep and as long as you want to go into it, because I know this is your time of the year, because you don’t look like Santa Claus right now, but you will soon, I’m from Sure, right? Yes,
Charlie Batch 25:57
we will. We actually, we just celebrated 25 years of Best of the batch Foundation, and we are an educational foundation. We focus on our steam programs. We say steam instead of STEM, because we include the A for arts, and then ultimately, you know, our after school program. So we service 3800 kids annually. We’re in nine counties throughout Southwestern pa so we’re just super excited that, because there are so many people who believe in the mission and vision of the best of the batch foundation. So this, as we approach the holiday season, this is our busiest time of year, we have our annual fundraiser. We actually do a pool, ping pong and poker event that helps raise the funds for our organization. During Thanksgiving, we actually adopt 200 families for for Thanksgiving, and then during the holiday time, we adopt over 400 families. And as equivalent to 18, over 1800 kids. We were able to have to put smiles on kids faces during the holiday season last year, and we continue to do that this year. So we’re super excited about all of that. And if there’s anybody who wants to learn more about what we do, they can go to batch foundation.org, so it’s super exciting to be in this. We celebrated this. We celebrated earlier in the spring, as we went from 5300 square feet to 33,000 square feet. So
Nestor Aparicio 27:03
50 330 feet, what are you doing on a space?
Charlie Batch 27:08
So we actually have, we have cafeteria in the building. We have a dance studio, gymnasium. We have a podcast, video, videography room, sound studio. We have a makerspace, steam lab that’s in the building. And we actually have an actual doctor’s office in our building. So you got
Nestor Aparicio 27:23
a sound studio, and you’re doing this really important show of Baltimore, positive from your offices. I get next time, let’s do it from your sound studio. Let’s go, man, that’d
Charlie Batch 27:32
be it. We could do that. We could do it so and then, obviously, if you get the Pittsburgh you come over for a tour. You always the invitation is all, hold
Nestor Aparicio 27:38
on a second. Let’s order, because we play twice a year, and this is the right I’ve read all the media on this. I know we haven’t played you yet when you come down here that week. Let’s get you back on and maybe do something with the foundation from your place. Maybe get one of the kids or one of your leaders on and and do it with yins in that. And I’ll do the whole segment in my Myron cope voice, if you want me to.
Charlie Batch 27:59
Hey, I appreciate that. It is nothing but love. But, you know, we get excited about it, you know, obviously we love to show it off. And of course, with everything that is inside of our building, you know, we just looking to continue to expand. And we love to collaborate with anyone, because we don’t do all things well. And from there, if we can continue to help these kids succeed and navigate through this thing called life, we’re doing our small part. And if we can continue to do that, man, we’re the sky’s the limit, so we’re super excited about that. And again, it just, we’re just very thankful, and we’re grateful for everybody who believes in what we’re doing. You
Nestor Aparicio 28:29
know, deep down y’all are, like the Yankees, we really want you to suck and be awful and, you know, be be hopeless and all that. But it’s a lot more fun when you’re good. You know what I mean, like, really? I mean, it’s just, you know, we got Cleveland for that. We, you know, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, back on this week. Charlie batch, friend foe. Eat an extra cookie on my behalf. Get the peanut butter ones. I like them a lot. So the oatmeal as well. And he’ll be at the game. Luke will be at the game. All are brought to you by our friends at Royal farms, gassing Luke up and Jiffy Lube, multi care, getting him up there. And Charlie batch you can learn about Charlie batch foundation out on the web, and I hope to have you from the soundches. You’re teaching these kids how to converse with each other in podcast. Maybe we’ll get a touch of civility coming to Western Pennsylvania. We could all be better humans and better football fans. Hey,
Charlie Batch 29:14
we’re trying to so if they, if they’re enjoying it, this is the way that their career path is going to go. We just want to be there in support of ways. So we’re super excited about it. And again, we appreciate all the time that you’ve given us. Thank you. You
Nestor Aparicio 29:25
know, I did this 40th anniversary documentary earlier this year, and Mike tomlin’s in it, on stage with a mic saying about me like he’s like I knew the first time I met Nestor that I liked him and I hated myself for it, and and, you know, it’s mutual. Say that out loud about him. So there. Good luck to you guys this week. We’ll do it twice. So nice. We’ll do it twice. We’ll get back together, keep everybody healthy here for the holidays. Charlie batch up in the fighting city of Pittsburgh, we hope to second place Pittsburgh by Monday morning, we’ll be following foot. All weekend long. I am Nestor. We are wnst. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, thanks winning and Thanksgiving and football. We’re Baltimore positive. Stay with us. You.
