Our Pikesville-via-Tampa sportswriter and pal Joel Poiley returns from sunny Florida for an Orioles trade conversation as the phones around Major League Baseball heat up for a tepid pennant race full of American League mediocrity and opportunity? How will Mike Elias react?
Nestor Aparicio and Joel Poiley discussed the Baltimore Orioles’ current season, focusing on the team’s defensive and offensive struggles. They highlighted the need for better defense, particularly in the outfield, and the impact of players like Gunnar Henderson and Mayo’s inconsistent performance. Joel emphasized the importance of acquiring a quality hitting outfielder to strengthen the team’s defense and offense. They also touched on the upcoming trade deadline, expressing skepticism about the team’s ability to make significant trades. Additionally, they criticized the organization’s management and communication skills, and discussed the broader issues affecting Major League Baseball, including attendance, labor disputes, and the Hall of Fame’s selection process.
Maryland Crab Cake Tour and Upcoming Guests
- Nestor Aparicio introduces the Maryland Crab Cake Tour, mentioning the event at Costas in Timonium and the Raven Scratch-offs with the Kiss Face Bird.
- Nestor lists upcoming guests, including Buster Olney, Tim Kerch, Janet Marie Smith, and Evan Drellick, focusing on the trade deadline and roster realities.
- Nestor mentions the local issue of the trade deadline, pitching, defense, and spotty offense, and introduces Joel Poiley, a longtime sports writer from Tampa.
- Joel Poiley humorously refers to the season as “the big teas” due to the team’s inconsistent performance and likens it to a rollercoaster.
Joel Poiley’s Analysis of the Orioles
- Joel Poiley discusses the team’s defensive plays, comparing them to little league and highlighting the need for better defense and offense.
- Nestor and Joel discuss the lack of speed on the team, which affects their ability to score runs and steal bases.
- Joel emphasizes the importance of Colton Cowser playing center field regularly due to the lack of other defensive options.
- Joel criticizes Gunnar Henderson’s performance, suggesting he needs a mental break to improve his hitting and overall game.
Gunnar Henderson and Team Performance
- Joel Poiley argues that Gunnar Henderson’s poor performance is affecting the team, both on the bases and in the field.
- Nestor and Joel discuss the team’s reliance on home runs and the need for more contact plays and fewer strikeouts.
- Joel mentions the importance of players like Gunnar and Mayo improving their performance to help the team.
- Nestor and Joel discuss the impact of the team’s defensive mistakes and the need for better fundamentals.
Management and Front Office Issues
- Nestor criticizes the organization’s management, including Craig Albernaz, for their lack of communication and inauthenticity.
- Joel Poiley compares Albernaz to a person having a root canal during press conferences, highlighting his discomfort and inadequacy.
- Nestor and Joel discuss the importance of communication and leadership in sports management, using examples like Brian Billick and Joe Maddon.
- Nestor expresses frustration with the organization’s lack of respect for the media and the fans, comparing it to his own dedication to the game.
Trade Deadline and Future Plans
- Nestor and Joel discuss the upcoming trade deadline, expressing hope that the team will make some moves to improve their roster.
- Joel suggests the team should focus on acquiring a quality hitting outfielder to strengthen their defense and offense.
- Nestor expresses skepticism about the team’s ability to make significant trades, given their current standing in the league.
- Joel emphasizes the importance of consistent performance and the need for the team to improve their fundamentals to succeed.
Hall of Fame and Baseball History
- Nestor and Joel discuss the Hall of Fame inductions, expressing frustration with the selection process and the inclusion of players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
- Joel reminisces about the great players of the past and the impact of their performances on the game.
- Nestor shares his personal experiences and love for the game, including his interactions with other media members and his dedication to covering baseball.
- Joel and Nestor reflect on the changes in the game and the challenges faced by modern players and teams.
Attendance and Fan Engagement
- Joel Poiley discusses the attendance figures, noting that top-tier teams like Boston, New York, and Chicago are doing well, while teams like Oakland, Tampa, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh are struggling.
- Nestor expresses frustration with the team’s inability to engage and retain fans, despite their efforts to improve the game and the stadium experience.
- Joel and Nestor discuss the importance of fan loyalty and the need for the team to provide a consistent and enjoyable experience for fans.
- Nestor emphasizes his commitment to serving the fans and providing quality content, despite the challenges faced by the team.
Future of Baseball and Labor Issues
- Joel Poiley expresses concern about the upcoming labor issues and the potential impact on the game.
- Nestor and Joel discuss the contentious relationship between the owners and the players, and the potential for a work stoppage.
- Joel highlights the need for a salary cap and the challenges faced by both sides in reaching an agreement.
- Nestor reflects on the importance of maintaining the integrity and tradition of the game, despite the challenges posed by modernization and financial pressures.
Personal Reflections and Final Thoughts
- Nestor shares his personal journey and experiences in the media, emphasizing the importance of dedication and passion for the game.
- Joel Poiley reflects on his career and the impact of the great players and media personalities he has encountered.
- Nestor and Joel discuss the future of baseball and the need for continued innovation and improvement to keep the game relevant and engaging.
- The conversation concludes with a mutual appreciation for the game and a commitment to supporting the Orioles and the broader baseball community.
Nestor Aparicio 0:01
Welcome home. We are WNST AM 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. All of it brought to you by our friends at the Maryland Lotter. We’re doing the Maryland Crab Cake Tour on Thursday. We will be at Costas in Timonium. Yes, that was me at the bar cracking crabs with my wife. My little, I have my Raskin Global mallet with my beer opener on the other side. We will be at the Costas and Timonium where they ain’t got no crabs, but they got crab cakes, and even more importantly, make me feel like a king. We’ll have some crab imperial. I did see that roast beef come out with the gravy the other day, but it’s a little hot for that. Marilyn Lowry gives me the Raven scratch-offs with my favorite Kiss Face Bird. We’ll be giving these away on Thursday. Luke is going to be joining me. Alan McCallum’s coming by. Zach Dermer, who has dressed me ugly, he’s like you know you guys with Dundalk need a bowling shirt. I don’t know that anybody looks as stupid in a bowling shirt as I do, but I look good because I’ve got the Farnham and Dermer logo here and the American Standard. So 410 367777. You can find them. Zach’s going to come out. We’re going to talk about filters, and there are no filters in our baseball coverage here this week. We’re going right to the top. Buster Olney’s coming on this week. Tim Kerch is coming by. Janet Marie Smith’s going to be here. Evan Drellick’s going to talk labor with me, but we’re still mired in this local issue around here of the trade deadline and sort of really good pitching and lousy defense and spotty offense that isn’t spotty enough for me. This guy’s usually spot on with his Oriole takes. He’s watching all things Oriole baseball from his retirement community in Northern Tampa. He is a Pikesvilleian and a lifetime sports writer in the Tampa area, who likes to come on and yell about the Orioles, but also has a Tom Maddie book. We welcome Joel Poilly, our defending champion, back on. Look, I don’t bug you much in football season. You’re more of a baseball guy. This trade deadline, and you text me, and you’re into it, and we’re trying to get in. We’re they’re two games off the wall call. Like I hear all of that. I don’t know, man. I don’t believe, but I’m watching. That’s all I can say, Joel.
Joel Poiley 2:08
Like I said, I think in our last text, you know, I I think like a journalist, like a newspaper person. So I think in terms of headlines and nut graphs, I’m calling this season the big teas because that’s what this team is. They’ll rope you in enough, like last night, that okay, let’s see what happens the rest of this series, where they’ll probably end up scoring two runs in the next two games, and you know because the league is so bad, they’ll remain in it right till the last week. But I’m with you, and like I’ve said before, I still see things in games. By the way, it’s always great to be on, so thanks for having me on. I still see things in games, even when they win, like last night, that against the better, more competitive teams, like what happened over the weekend against Atlanta, will keep them from making the playoffs. They made some really good defensive plays last night, and they made some little league plays. I mean, well, you’re referring
Nestor Aparicio 3:09
to Monday night’s game, by the way, in case anybody hears this on Wednesday, Thursday. But like, they make little league plays every night. It doesn’t take, and I said to Luke, it’s sort of like speed. It doesn’t take a day off or day off on. If you don’t have it, you don’t. If you’re station to station, you don’t take extra bases. You don’t score from second. You don’t go first. You don’t. You don’t steal bases ever. You don’t. You don’t hit run. You don’t bunt. Like there’s a lot of things when you don’t have speed that you’re like, well, that could get me an extra run for a pitcher, an extra run for my bullpen, or whatever, the defense thing-it’s so glaring when it’s this bad and this glaringly bad that like Colton Cowser needs to be playing center field every night, just because none of the rest of they don’t have anybody else on the team that can do it,
Joel Poiley 3:53
right? Except that he can’t hit enough to stay in the lineup.
Nestor Aparicio 3:56
Same thing with Mayo third base.
Joel Poiley 3:58
Yeah, I mean, look-it was nice that he got a couple hits yesterday off right-handers. I mean, we can go down a lot of different rabbit holes here, but I like the angle you brought up about speed, and this leads me into what I was going to say about Gunner. I haven’t seen Luke that fired up like he was yesterday in a long time. I mean, you don’t want to pin a whole season on a guy, but they would probably be in the last wild card spot if Gunnar was hitting 250. And you threw out a lot of numbers yesterday-the poor OPS, the poor, you know, average and everything-and you know how I feel. I’ve said this all season, every time you’ve had me on, that I just think somebody got to him prior to the season and said hit home runs and don’t worry about your average. But I’m going to throw a couple other numbers out there to the fans. He was becoming an elite base stealer. He stole 30 bags last year and was only thrown out five times. This year he’s stolen eight bases. Been four. Thrown out four times and picked off five times. He’s not on
Nestor Aparicio 5:04
first base much, dude. Well,
Joel Poiley 5:05
you you you just continued my thought when you’re hitting 220, and obviously you can’t steal first. That’s another reason he’s hurting the team. He had that great game last Monday against Boston where he hit three doubles to the opposite field, and like Luke said yesterday, when he’s and and look, you know, this is why I don’t believe in Albernaz because he says a lot of stuff, but the players don’t really adhere to any of it. He’s talking about Mayo, he’s talking about Holliday, he’s talking about Gunner. You know, when I see them, this is Albernaz. When I see them hitting the ball the other way, I know that they’re coming out of their slump. Well, that was a beautiful game, even though they kicked that game away with four errors. The game against Boston last week, but like last night, he just looks lost at the plate. I tell you something, bro. If Madden was the manager, this is the type of stuff Joe would do, and and Rick could tell you this. When a guy was in a slump like that, he’d bring mariachi bands into the clubhouse. He would tell the player, “Get lost for a day. Go do something you like to do that’s fun. Spend it with your wife. Go shoot squirrels. Think of the squirrels. Whatever Gunner likes to do, that kid needs a serious mental break because, as we’ve seen, it affects him. His lack of hitting is affecting him on the bases in the field. He’s just not there all the time, and yeah, he’s killing this team. There’s no question about it. Along with all these other problems, now Bradish wasn’t on last night. He’s human. Hopefully that was just a glitch, or maybe he’s trying too hard because he just signed the contract. The offense covered up for him. They still do it mainly with home runs. You know what I liked about last night, and this is against the Tigers. The first three runs were all contact plays. The first two runs came in on groundouts. Warden the first, it was either Jackson or well, they’re not
Nestor Aparicio 7:07
striking out. When they strike out 15 times, they don’t give themselves a chance to win. I
Joel Poiley 7:11
didn’t look at the box at the end of the game last night, but I think they struck out only like six times or something. And then Beavers with that nice line drive single in the third inning, they don’t do enough of that. You know, like you’ve been saying all season. I mean, that’s why it’s the big teas. It’s there. He struck out three
Nestor Aparicio 7:29
times on Monday night. Three.
Joel Poiley 7:31
Yeah, yeah. There you go. Four walks,
Nestor Aparicio 7:34
three strikeouts, 12 hits, and Bradish was. Did they say not sharp would be unfair to sharp? Oh, he was
Joel Poiley 7:45
spraying balls all over. Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 7:47
he and and he only walked one, but man, they swung through three walks. I mean, like they, you know, these guys were jumping out of their shoes to hit the ball, and I’m thinking he ain’t throwing a strike. But the least of their problems has been the pitching, and I think, look, Rubinstein coming out of his shell. And look, you attended a lot of press conferences. By the way, if you’re listening in on radio, Joe Poyley is my guest. Longtime Tampa sports writer has become a bit of an Oriole foil around here from time to time on Monday mornings after a tight, tough series. We haven’t had a whole lot of. I mean, I I’d like to have you around. I mean, you’re older than me, dude. So like, I’d like to at least win for you. You know, at some point, I’d like to bring you on when we’re talking about after they acquire Scouble next week that he’s starting Game One of a playoff game here in October or something that feels ballsy in some way. Not that I’m saying that, but the organization as a whole, let’s forget the game and where they are and the trade deadline-not the trade deadline, but where that
Speaker 1 8:46
is.
Nestor Aparicio 8:47
Rubinstein gives a vote of confidence to a general manager that certainly the fans have not given a vote of confidence to. I’ve watched a lot of baseball. I don’t get the Craig Albernaz thing from a front-facing, not just as a media guy from the ballpark, from the if you’re not on the bandwagon, saying stupid stuff, the accent, the demeanor, just all of it to me has been uninspiring. You know, as a Baltimore baseball fan, as a person that that again, Katie Griggs stood in front of a group of 300 of my peers, business peers, and asked everyone to buy tickets, and then ignored me. So it is what it is. I’d like to be one of the people buying tickets and down there. And Joel, I’ve said this to Luke, and I think I said it to you two weeks ago, and I’ve really started to harp on it a little bit because I’ve talked about it with fans. I was at Costas the other day with for my mom’s birthday in Dundalk, and I was a lady at the bar I’ve known most of my life, Dundalk folks, and she clearly wasn’t up on what’s going. She doesn’t listen to the show, but didn’t know that I don’t go to the game. Like, just didn’t know a lot of things about. She knew about my wife and was concerned, and that’s beautiful, but like. I said, she says, you don’t go to the Oriole games anymore, and I’m like, you know what? To be honest, this year specifically, this year, the box, and the box isn’t new. The box has been there a while, but the box defining a strike and a ball for everybody, and it’s finality, and it’s inarguable, and it’s scientific, and even if the science is wrong, and they measured Freddie Potek a quarter of an inch wrong or whatever, I listen. I I I just it’s made the game better. And McDonald’s great. I Kevin Brown’s a little Pollyanna for me, but also nerdy enough that he teaches me things. So I’m I’m I’m not anti Kevin Brown. I’m anti organizational mouthpiece, which is what he has to be because he works for Greg Bader, but like the presentation of this and where we are and the fact that do I want them to be in the pennant race or not? I like baseball. I’m happy to be watching baseball. Like now, I will miss Monday’s game because Geddy Lee. But but there, you know, there there there there is a point where, like, I don’t want them to sell off. I don’t want Gunnar Henderson to stink. I don’t want Adley Rutschman to be a dick to me again if I get another press pass. So, like, I on and on and on and on and on. There’s a million things I wish, but I wish for the fans, and at least for their their own sanity, that they have games that matter 234, weeks from now. I’m not sure, but you said you you sum the whole thing up, Joel, as an old sports writer can, which is the league stinks, and if the league stinks and they’re mediocre, then mediocre smell. It’s like a braiding on the bell curve. So for me, the fact that they can be a playoff team, and the fact that Money Bags just gave more money to Brads and showed up and voted confidence for Elias and Albernaz is what he is and Pasayo’s hurt and Rutschmann’s hurt and he can tell Rubenstein that Westberg’s hurt and this guy’s hurt and blah blah blah blah blah. Like they might make the playoffs, Joel. I mean they really might. Like I’m not quitting on them, even though I would have fired Elias a year and a half ago.
Joel Poiley 12:00
Right. Albernaz reminds me of a guy having a root canal when he’s doing these post-game pressers. He just looks so uncomfortable, so out of his element. Dude, it’s part of the
Nestor Aparicio 12:11
job.
Joel Poiley 12:12
He and he’s part of
Nestor Aparicio 12:14
the job. Communicating with the fans, huge part of the job that John Harbaugh got really wrong. I mean, that goofy thing he did. I mean, it it’s not it
Joel Poiley 12:22
is
Nestor Aparicio 12:22
it’s not easy, but there are people I know who made it look easy. You know, Joe Madden on your end, you covered him. Brian Billick, I can’t. It can’t be said. It can’t be said enough by me. People ask me about Brian all the time. Behind the scenes, in a meeting, backstage, front of stage, back of house, women, men, black, white, rich, old, East Coast, West Coast, Republican, Democrat. I never saw anybody communicate better than Brian, and you know why? There was only ever one Brian,
Joel Poiley 12:52
right? I mean,
Nestor Aparicio 12:54
like literally, Brian was Brian all the time, and I feel that way about Madden, and I feel that way that there is a inauthenticity that like that really works. You know that Mike McDonald’s really getting by on that that thing he has in Seattle. That’s a real thing, right? We’re like Gruden. It feels like that performative thing sort of that’s jumped the shark a little bit, hadn’t it, for the young people?
Joel Poiley 13:16
Yeah, I’m going to tell you something. When Manzalino took over last year. You know, I called him a JV manager on your show because I really didn’t know the guy. As the season went on, he impressed me. I mean, he had a difficult job. They tore the team apart. They weren’t playing well. And as we know, I don’t have to go too deep in that. He they played 500 for him the rest of the year after he took over for Hyde, and I liked which they still
Nestor Aparicio 13:45
haven’t done for this guy,
Joel Poiley 13:46
right? And I liked Tony. You know, he was more honest, and I bet one of the reasons why he never even got an interview with Elias. Remember that presser where he came on and was talking about analytics, and he said, “Yeah, the three true outcomes-you know, home run, strikeout, walk-and he said, “Well, how about putting the ball in play once in a while? I bet that one presser alone basically took him out of Baltimore. He was more-I don’t know how anybody
Nestor Aparicio 14:15
stands up in this organization and talks about defense in a meeting, right? Like, I mean, for what is on the field right now, for this the body of work of your best guys in your organization, who there stands up in a meeting and says we should find some guys that can catch the ball or get the guys we have better at catching it and not quit on them, and I guess that’s what playing Holly Holliday’s played three positions since the last time you and I got together, right? Like literally, and Mayo’s playing third. They they’ve got so many guys play. Trump is their catcher, can’t hit. I mean, they have so many guys out of position, and they have these utility utility guys that, as I said, stratomatic would be fours everywhere. I mean, they thought Blaze out. Alexander was a plus defensive player. He was just a guy, but he was better than anything that they have. Which it’s like Kouzer trying to make him out to be like Brady Anderson or something, like who I consider to be an elite fielder. Like, like he’s not. He’s not that.
Joel Poiley 15:16
It’s amazing how we think of like because you kind of pick up on my my thoughts. The best teams that I’m sure you’ve seen, I’ve seen, all the good fans up there have seen. You leave your players in one position to get better. You can’t get better when you’re moving around the diamond because you’re not the the ball. Not to get too technical, but wherever you’re playing, the ball comes at you at different angles, you have to know when to charge it, when to lay back. If you’re an outfielder, it comes off the bat three different ways, and you don’t
Nestor Aparicio 15:48
want to be thinking; you want to be doing.
Joel Poiley 15:51
And that’s what’s happening with Gunner this year. He’s thinking too much. He’s making those wild throws again, or or like the Boston game. God, man! I mean, I know he had three doubles, but he’s dropping routine line drives that that continued their their inning. That’s why we lost that game. Leoti
Nestor Aparicio 16:09
Taveras in center field. Did
Joel Poiley 16:10
you see that game last night? He turns a single into a triple. I mean, give me a break. And even that ball-it’s
Nestor Aparicio 16:17
demoralizing for the pitcher, man, and for for everybody, really. There’s
Joel Poiley 16:21
no question. Even that ball that that Gunner, not Gunner, that Holiday kicked around at short last night. Here’s something that maybe not everybody sees. Mayo, who shouldn’t be playing at third, as we know, breaks to his left on that ball. When he sees he can’t get it, he stops and then he just turns around and watches Holiday, a guy whose head is in the game and knows the position stops and goes to third. They wouldn’t
Nestor Aparicio 16:47
have thrown him out anyway if Holiday got to the ball. I said, I said to Jen, I’m like, he’s Mayo’s Mayo’s over at shortstop. He’s going the wrong way. Zips were the wrong direction. Right, he wouldn’t have won a foot race to third base at that point. No, I know that, but I’m
Joel Poiley 17:01
just talking fundamentally and mentally being in the game. The only play that Holliday would have had going in the hole and catching it backhanded was to maybe try and get the guy at third. The only play, and probably not. You’re right, but that’s not
Nestor Aparicio 17:15
instinctive for either one of them,
Joel Poiley 17:17
right? And they, and when you keep moving people around, and they’re not moving Mayo around because Alonzo’s at first. I mean, Mayo was okay at first, but look, you’re what 5859, I’m 69. I could play first baseman. I mean, it’s just not as hard a position as the other positions around. And I mean, look, Holiday doesn’t impress me at second. I mean, great game last night offensively. The one thing I’ve noticed with his swing this month, he’s flattened it out. What have I been telling you? None of this stuff. Trying to get the ball in the air. He’s just trying to hit the ball hard. An amazing concept to me,
Nestor Aparicio 17:57
dude. If he’s a guy that could hit 310, draw 98 walks, steal some bases, hit 34 doubles, and hit 14 home runs.
Joel Poiley 18:10
Perfect. He’s
Nestor Aparicio 18:11
going to the Hall of Fame.
Joel Poiley 18:13
Perfect. By
Nestor Aparicio 18:14
the way, Joe Poyley is here. I don’t want to interrupt your mojo on the Orioles and the. I don’t want to go back to the trade deadline. And more than that, listen, man. I’ve got all these rock stars coming on this week. The notion that labor, money, new money, neophyte owners, two owners, one who knows what he’s doing, one who doesn’t1, who thinks he knows what he’s doing. You know, the woman running the team worried more about the All Star game and the bunting around the stadium than anything that’s going on. Their lack of ability to sell tickets, and by the way, Detroit looked pretty sick. Not just the jerseys they wore Monday night; those those softball outfits. But the stadium was empty. I mean, like I’m, you know, I was in Philly two weeks ago for the All Star game since last time we got together. It was you know vibrant in that in that baseball kind of way. Um, and I know you live in a community in Tampa where you’ve been waiting 40 years for you and Rick Vaughn waiting to get it vibrant. It’s never been vibrant. It’s probably never going to be vibrant. But I’m I’m of the mindset with the owners and with what’s going on here with labor and all of this. I don’t. I can’t think of anything about the game financially that inspires me to go to the ballpark, give them more money, stream this, give them feed that Apple TV this, Amazon this that, all of that. But the all the the the All Star game was one thing, and I went there and nobody hit the ball in the game and the home run derby. You know, it is it is it’s a show. It’s fine, right? It’s a it’s still the best All Star game out of all of them, and I will agree with that, and I’ll sign up. But I’m not going to Chicago next year. I hope we get it. I hope it’s awesome. I hope getting these things. But the Hall of Fame, you’re an old fart. You you’re an old fart that might have had a card. Like it’s insane that I don’t vote and that Luke doesn’t vote, being what we do and who we do it for and the way we do it. And the way I was boxed out, and the way I go to the All Star game, and from Tim Kirchin and Tom Verducci and Buster Olney and and Ken Rosenthal and Bob Knighton, just all the way around that some jackwagons voting in the in the for the Hall of Fame, and I’m not is insane given my background in baseball and what we’ve done here. But nonetheless, I looked at the Hall of Fame class. First things first, I like Tim Mead. I like the Hall of Fame people. You know, Josh Rawicz is involved. Like they’ve been great people, and I like my time in Cooper’s 10, and I love being an Aparicio. And my cousin’s there, and it’s a beautiful thing. I the Hall of Fame’s disastrous when I’m running into Barry Bonds at the All Star Game and he’s not allowed in and Clemens and like down the line, but they’re putting guys in and I’m like,
Joel Poiley 20:50
I know
Nestor Aparicio 20:51
there’s never a minute where I thought any of those three guys and look Luke made a hell of a case for Andrew Jones defensively as we’re on the back end of that Beltran’s a cheater and a cheater and a and a cheater, and if you think Sammy Sosa cheated or Barry Bonds cheated or you’re right, but they cheated too. A Rod, throw them all in there. Poppy, the guys they let in, Pudge. I mean, there’s just down the line, like so.
Joel Poiley 21:15
Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 21:15
I would say the Hall of Fame. They’re not even getting that right, and we’ve lowered the bar on that, like we’ve lowered the bar on kind of everything. Where were? Did you even watch a ceremony? You know what I
Joel Poiley 21:28
look for? I like to see how many old guys show up in the background. I I always look for my boy Kofax, and because those are the icons, those are the ones that when you think of the Hall of Fame, they set the standard. Yeah, you’re right. All three of those guys, it’s like they were, you know, very good players. Yeah, there should be a Hall of very good. I don’t get excited about too many guys going in now because it’s not how old I am. I mean, the players were better. They just were, you know, in in my time, 60 s, 70 s, 80 s, 90 s, and I mean, these guys put up numbers that because the game has changed so much, you know, and it’s home run or nothing, everything gets skewed. I mean, yeah, Andruw Jones, he had some really good years, and I know he hit over 400 homers, and he was a very good defensive player. Out of the three, I’ll agree with Luke; he was marginal. I mean, the other two, Jeff Kent
Nestor Aparicio 22:30
was just a nice ball player. It was, yeah, you know, a little out of position some to some degree. Right,
Joel Poiley 22:37
was a good hitter, but he also had some really bad postseason moments too. Yeah, it doesn’t hold the luster for me anymore. I just like seeing who shows up.
Nestor Aparicio 22:50
Yeah, you know, I hate to be. You and I are the ambassadors for the game, right? Like, so this is the way I felt. I haven’t. Have I talked to you about the All Star Game or Ruchman or any of that? Have we we got to get there before that? Didn’t I
Joel Poiley 23:03
think so? How he kind of I saw the interview. Yeah, I’m not even worried
Nestor Aparicio 23:06
about Ruchman. It’s this isn’t about that. This is about me being out there. It is about Ruchman, so I take that back because but not specifically. I’m out there on that Ashburn Alley,
Joel Poiley 23:18
right?
Nestor Aparicio 23:18
And I found the picture of me when I was a boy, and I pulled this out because of Rush next week. And I’m, you know, I’m kind of inspired to want to write about my my my Rush fandom because of Getty and how inspired I am. I want to show you this picture. It’s a little grainy. I think I have a better version of it. I’ll pull it down. This is a picture of me at Disney at actually Kings Dominion with my dad, and I’m wearing that’s a Phillies hat. That’s a Philly bubble pea Richie. That’s my Rush shirt for moving pieces. 1982, early 82, spring 82, right there. So I’m wearing that shirt. So I’m 13 years old, and I I love the Phillies. So I had a Richie Ashburn Philly said. So I’m out on Ashburn Alley in Philadelphia. It’s 112 blazing degrees. I’m at my my 17th All Star game, whatever it was. I added it up, and I’m there on the media day. And all the players are in their jerseys, the the proper ones, you know, home and away. None of the futurists. Just the Diamondback guy looked like a Diamondback. The Dodgers guy looked like a Dodger. The Brewer looked like a Brewer. The Brave looked like a Brave. You know, Albies. I’m looking. They’re all five feet apart. It’s 150 degrees. All the Japanese dudes are swinging their their the camera heads hit me in the head. You know, Hispanic over here. You know, reporters up. All the new media kids making jokes and running around with their little that little fuzzy mics and what they do, and I’m like a lost old man out there, and I’m looking around, and I’m thinking to myself arrogantly, how many people know as much about baseball as me? Few, I’m thinking that I’m looking around, but I’m also looking around the old farts like you that are still out there running around doing it. Barry Barry Bloom was there. I mean, I saw some. I saw. Lots of people. No offense to any of the old farts. I love them all. I saw. I saw Krasnick. I mean, just you know, a lot of people. Right? There are people there, and I’m thinking to myself, the people that are out here covering this, whether they’re Japanese. I met a guy from Guatemala. I sat next to a guy from Honduras, Venezuelan. Anybody that knows I’m an Aparicio comes up and they start speaking Spanish to me, and I tell them that I’m a poor gringo and no hablo and no speaky. But it’s beautiful. But I’m out and I’m amongst all these people, and and I’m thinking if Luke were with me and not eating all that pizza and wobbled with his niece and his sister, how much knowledge of baseball it takes to be in the media. How much love? I looked at Britt Garoli. I looked at Melanie Newman. I who I still have never met. These young people that cover the team.
Joel Poiley 25:52
I guess I
Nestor Aparicio 25:52
don’t even know their names. Like literally, the young people from the Banner and the Sun, Jacob. Some they introduced themselves to me, and some sort of dude. I am such a black sheep. They’re all afraid of me. They’re afraid of being seen with me because of Grondahl and Bader and all the like that. Something like it was always that way. I’ve been a black sheep for 20 years, but I’m out there and I’m thinking to myself, these media people that have the mics in front of all of these people, they’ve dedicated their life to loving this, knowing it, wanting to know more, wanting to ask questions, wanting to have Justin Verlander just be nice to them when they finally get up on him, you know, for the first time in their life, and they want to ask him a funny question about his wife, about his retirement. What you know, whatever. And I would think the Japanese media is the same thing. All of that. They’ve come, they’ve flown across the water, and they’re living in hotel rooms or squalor over here to run around and chase Itro around for whatever. Like I just looked at it and I thought, man, I love baseball, but it just what it’s become. Like even on those two days of being around there, I love the people I saw. I had Michael Bookdall on this week from Pikesville of talking about the Phillies and the like, but like they have no respect for any of it. Like literally, the people have dedicated their lives to it. It’s just that’s the thing that I gather the most out of all of this when I see Mike Elias and Craig Albernaz and David Rubenstein, who doesn’t know anything about baseball, just bought bought baseball in a box. That they have no his goofy handler. When I started sobbing in front, literally, I got emotional talking about my press pass to this guy who is a dick, and took joy in watching me, and thought I was putting on some act about how much I love baseball. So when Mark Viviana says “f these people, it’s my instinct to say “f these people. But then there’s also the part where, like, they’re in the playoffs, they’re playing every night. I want them to win. I want like it’s that yin. You know, when you get too close to it, you are out there saying like, man, I love baseball, and all these people love baseball. I said to Micah, people are paying $500 to come here and watch an All Star game that nothing’s going to happen. It’s not like going to a Springsteen concert. It’s really kind of benign, all of it. But people love baseball, and I just want them to love it as much as we do. And this whole labor thing’s about to happen, and it’s going to get screwy, right? It is.
Joel Poiley 28:25
Yeah, and in terms of how people view you, I mean, it’s called respect. I mean, growing up, I couldn’t wait to be Lou Hatter or Alan Goldstein or or Gordon Beard or Phil Jack. Phil Jack is my Oswald, right? I mean, I’m I’m nine years old, bro, and I’m I’m reading Boswell, and I mean, because I’m trying to learn my. I knew what I wanted to do from the time I was nine years old. I was either going to play Major League Baseball or cover it, and I’d read all those guys. I’d get my. What was the first
Nestor Aparicio 28:56
time you got a press pass, Joel? Where where was it? High school game. What did you do?
Joel Poiley 29:00
My first job at I was in Howard County long ago, defunct weekly, Howard County News. It was one of those those fake press passes, where I guess it was Bob Brown sent me two passes that I could get into the game, but I couldn’t get to the locker room or on the field. Complimentary.
Nestor Aparicio 29:21
I have a couple of them. My first school
Joel Poiley 29:23
press pass was when I was with the Carroll County Times, 1985. I remember that was my first opening day. So geez, I was already 20. So you
Nestor Aparicio 29:32
covered the Orioles in
Joel Poiley 29:35
85, 85 and 85. So now
Nestor Aparicio 29:36
you’re in the locker room with Fred Landry. Real
Joel Poiley 29:38
deal, right? Still have it with my mementos. Yeah, I’ll cherish that. So the
Nestor Aparicio 29:43
first time you walk in there, and there’s Flanagan still on the team, right? I mean, a bunch of the 83. I mean, Palmer would Palmer’s gone, but like you know, like you walked in amongst that, and then Robin Yount visited, and George Brett visited, and you know Kent Herbeck, whatever it was at that time. Like there’s something about that that warrants the respect that we gave it then and now that is not remunerated in any way, or like it’s just not. It’s it’s it’s unbelievable how little respect they have for how much time these young people, especially have given to the sport and old people like us that care about it so much that I’ve dedicated my whole life. I bought a radio station. It’s what I love to do. I’m going to talk baseball all week this week at a at a superior level, at a higher level, at a level that Rob Long can only dream about. Literally, literally,
Joel Poiley 30:39
and like you were talking, and Melanie
Nestor Aparicio 30:41
Newman can only dream about knowing as much about baseball as me. I’ll give McDonald and Palmer a pass, and Kevin Brown. But but in a general sense, it’s it’s sort of an insane thing to watch this thing deteriorate the way it is and be here 20 years after free the birds and say they’re a couple games under 500, but the league stinks, and they’re going to trade to get in, and it feels like nobody cares, and that sucks.
Joel Poiley 31:07
Well, you were talking about the haul. Just to go back to that, I pretty I started following baseball in basically late 63, so I was six. I saw a lot of your cousin’s career. If people would look at Louis’s numbers and say, “Well, how did this guy make the Hall of Fame? Because they don’t know the game. They don’t know how he influenced the game. They don’t know how brilliant he was in the field. They don’t know how great he was as a base stealer. They don’t know all the great instinctual plays I saw him make. At least, you know. Well, really, even when he left the Orioles from like ’63, whenever he retired till ’73, and you know, they’ll say, “Hey, you know, career 260 something hitter, whatever. Greatness isn’t always in the numbers, and I don’t think a lot of people that follow the game now and don’t respect the history of the game realize that
Nestor Aparicio 32:01
they put a guy in the Hall of Fame that was beating on trash cans to win a World Series. I mean, what the what the actual f? I mean, seriously. Like I just and I’ll say and I say it all the time. They’ve gotten a lot right: fixing the shift, pitching matchups, you know, quickening the games, pitch clock, the box, the box, the box on television that gives me finality, tells me what’s a strike and a ball, and it’s on the up and up. But the gambling and the lack of defense and the lack of fundamentals and the lack of respect and the people that run this stuff and the people that present this stuff and the people that sell this stuff and put it on Apple TV on Friday night and the people that are about to wreck the whole thing on the labor thing by going to war, which is about to happen, and I see it happening, right? Like guys your age and my age, we’re like, no, stop! Don’t! It’s like the Willy Wonka thing when a kid falls into chocolate. You just know it’s going to happen, you know, literally.
Joel Poiley 32:56
It’s going to get so messy, you know, because both sides are so contentious, and you have these billionaire owners that always want everything to be their way, and there’s just there’s there’s too much negativity between the two sides. I mean, everybody knows they need some type of salary cap, but it’s not going to happen. And I mean, I fear for the game. I mean, you know, I don’t like the way the game’s played just on the field right now. But it’s interesting to me too, Nestor, because I look at attendance figures. I know attendance is up, but what I notice is there’s a top tier and there’s a lower tier. You know, if there’s Boston, New York, L.A. Chicago, you know Milwaukee does okay. They’re the ones that are keeping the game afloat, if you’re asking me. Because if you go down to Oakland, Tampa, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, they’re drawing below what they need to break even. So they just do a
Nestor Aparicio 33:58
poor job here, Joel. I I just can’t begin to tell you. Like I live here, I work here, I play here. I I I was sitting at the bar eating crabs and Costas the other day. I’ll be in Timonium. I’m in Catonsville. I’m I’m everywhere. They they the people that love them love them great whatever. And the people that love it can’t sell it to their next door neighbor in any way to get enthusiastic about it because because there’s 160 for a lot of reasons, it’s a long soap opera. They’re not in on it. The history, the game, it moves slow. I’d rather watch the Ravens. I’d rather go shoot Squirrels. I’d rather take a walk in the
Joel Poiley 34:29
woods. Whatever it is, you know
Nestor Aparicio 34:30
what I mean?
Joel Poiley 34:31
Yeah, and you know, and the team is so up and down. I call them disco fans. They’re fad fans. They jump on the bandwagon when the team wins two or three in a row, and then the minute they lose two in a row, oh, I’ll go do something else. They’re not real fans, and we have good fans up there. We’ve
Nestor Aparicio 34:48
serviced the fans for 35 years here far better than the baseball team has serviced the fans.
Joel Poiley 34:53
I like seriously.
Nestor Aparicio 34:54
I mean, as as I turn the corner, it is our 28th anniversary this week. I will stand behind my. Last 28 years is being better than theirs in regard to how I’ve treated every listener, every reader, every bus trip holder, every fan that ever I’ve ever fist bumped with or or run into. So that you know, I’ll stand on that. They should they should think about that. That’s all. They should be thinking about that as the stadium’s empty and as they’re trying to once again, literally through this trade deadline, rally the troops so that you and I get together in three weeks and we’re talking about them three games over 500 and tied for the wild card, which is all they’ll need to do, right? You know what I mean. So we’ll see how they do against the Phillies this week. We’ll see how the trade deadline goes. We’ll see if they get scuble or if they deal Ruchman off. I don’t know, you know, like that. There’s, but I think they’re going to buy. I think they’re going to buy. I think they’re going to get in, and I think, and I don’t think it’s a bad idea. But I also, I don’t know that I believe in it.
Joel Poiley 35:49
I was just going to say, do you have any confidence in Elias? I mean, because I knew we were going to talk about the trade deadline, and he he’ll he’ll bring in you know some guys you never heard of. Maybe he’ll he’ll reinforce the bullpen. We’re not going to get a top of the rotation starter because if you think about it, the way we’re viewed by other organizations, we know our top tier talent isn’t as good as it really is. It’s been trumped up. Pardon the bad pun to be, but tromped up in this
Nestor Aparicio 36:25
case.
Joel Poiley 36:25
Yeah, tromped up. But I don’t think we have the the cachet in our system, and even on the major league team, to really make a big deal. So who augment the bullpen? What I would like to see them do, but I don’t know that he’ll do it. Is get a quality hitting 250, 260 hitting outfielder who can catch the damn ball and hit the cutoff man, and then you can play Kowser in left or right or wherever the big outfields are. So strengthen your defense, get a little more offense, consistent offense, and you’re strong up the middle when Ruchman comes back. You know you you still have to deal with Gunner and Holiday as your DP combination, but that’s what I hope he does. But based on what he’s done in the past, like Jack Flaherty, I I don’t have a lot of confidence. Well, I think they’ll get
Nestor Aparicio 37:18
somebody has years for next year because he thinks that way, and that’s his philosophy. Joel Poili’s here. Written a book on Tom Mattie, longtime Tampa sports writer. My window’s a little short because I got all these guests coming on this week. Always good to see you. Last Man Standing is the book. You can find it out on Amazon, Google. Last Man Standing Poily, P O I L E Y. He is Joel Poilly of Pikesville now of Tampa, and enjoy that summer’s heat down there. I’m going down the ocean, hun. Good having you on, Joel. Always, man. Thanks.
Joel Poiley 37:44
All right, love you, bro. Take care. Got
Nestor Aparicio 37:45
it, Joel Poilly in Tampa. We’re going to be doing the Maryland Crab Cake Tour on Thursday at Costa Sintimonium. I will have the Raven Scratch Alls with the Kiss Face Bird, my favorite bird. Also, our friends at GBMC and Farnin and Dermer, the comfort guys. Zach’s coming out on Thursday. Alan McCallum and Luke are joining me on Thursday as well, and I’m gonna have some crab imperial. I think because I want to feel like a king. I had some crabs last week for the first time at Costas and Dundalk, and they were delicious. Back for more for Baltimore Positive. Stay with
