This week, the Baltimore Orioles will welcome the next manager since Joe Altobelli to attempt to bring a World Series title to Camden Yards. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the glorious October playoff run and a legendary 2025 World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays – and look to the Orioles offseason with real expectations for the unexpected with money and deals. We’ve got baseball on the brain.
Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the recent World Series, highlighting its dramatic and historic moments, including Yamamoto’s near no-hitter and Otani’s dual role as a hitter and pitcher. They reflected on the series’ theater and the impact of individual performances, such as Vladimir Guerrero’s epic postseason. The conversation also touched on the upcoming Orioles offseason, the new manager Albert Nestor, and the importance of smart hiring and strategic moves to improve the team. They emphasized the need for a fresh start and a strong work ethic from the players and management.
World Series Reflections and Personal Experiences
- Nestor Aparicio discusses the excitement around the NFL trade deadlines and the Ravens’ game against Minnesota.
- Nestor mentions the Maryland crab cake tour and the Maryland lottery’s involvement.
- Nestor talks about his upcoming colonoscopy and the special milkshake he has to drink.
- Nestor and Luke Jones reflect on the recent World Series, with Nestor sharing his experience at Leonard Raskin’s event.
Memorable World Series Moments
- Luke Jones recalls his first memorable World Series in 1990 and 1991.
- Nestor and Luke discuss the 2022 World Series, highlighting the performances of Yamamoto and Otani.
- Nestor expresses his happiness that Marie got to win the World Series.
- Luke shares his nostalgia for the Blue Jays and the Oakland A’s from his childhood.
Theater and Drama of the World Series
- Nestor and Luke discuss the theater and drama of the World Series, comparing it to a Rocky fight.
- Luke mentions the Blue Jays’ long drought and the Orioles’ even longer drought.
- Nestor talks about the impact of the weather in Toronto and the overall quality of the games.
- Luke highlights the individual performances and the contrast between the Blue Jays and Dodgers.
Impact of the World Series on Baseball Fans
- Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of the World Series on baseball fans, including those who aren’t typically interested in the sport.
- Nestor shares his personal experiences of watching the games while traveling.
- Luke mentions the high viewership of game seven and the engagement of people who aren’t regular baseball fans.
- Nestor reflects on the significance of the World Series in his life and the memories it brings back.
Personal Connections and Memories
- Nestor shares his personal connections to the World Series, including his relationship with Ken Rosenthal and John Smoltz.
- Nestor recalls attending various events and games, including a concert and a hockey game.
- Luke and Nestor discuss the modern connectivity that allows fans to stay engaged with the games.
- Nestor talks about his experience at Leonard Raskin’s party and the excitement of watching the game.
Reflections on the World Series Participants
- Nestor and Luke discuss the participants in the World Series, including Vladimir Guerrero and his epic postseason.
- Luke mentions the importance of players like Miguel Rojas and Will Smith in the series.
- Nestor reflects on the significance of the World Series for players like Vladimir Guerrero and their families.
- Luke highlights the contributions of various players and the overall quality of the series.
Hopes for the Orioles’ Offseason
- Nestor and Luke discuss the Orioles’ offseason and the importance of making smart moves and hiring a good manager.
- Luke mentions the success of the Blue Jays as a model for the Orioles.
- Nestor reflects on the importance of the offseason for the Orioles’ future.
- Luke emphasizes the need for the Orioles to spend money and make trades to improve their team.
Expectations for the New Manager
- Nestor and Luke discuss the new manager for the Orioles, Albert Nestor, and his background.
- Luke appreciates Nestor’s roots with the Cleveland Guardians and his experience in the industry.
- Nestor mentions the importance of hiring the best candidate and not relying on reputation or pedigree.
- Luke expresses hope that the new manager will bring a fresh perspective and a strong work ethic to the team.
Final Thoughts on the World Series and the Orioles
- Nestor and Luke reflect on the overall quality of the World Series and its impact on baseball fans.
- Luke mentions the importance of the new manager in turning around the Orioles’ fortunes.
- Nestor shares his excitement for the upcoming season and the potential for the Orioles to succeed.
- Luke emphasizes the need for the entire organization to have a strong work ethic and a focus on winning.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
World Series, Orioles offseason, new manager, trade deadline, baseball, injury report, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Vladimir Guerrero, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Albert Nestor, Baltimore.
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:02
You welcome home. We are W, N, S T am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore, positive, positively, a big week around here with the NFL trade deadlines and creativity and the Ravens taking off from Minnesota this week. And lo and behold, the season is over. Baseball is done until the winter, trade deadlines and money and all of that stuff. And Alan and Luke and I got together last week on the Maryland craft cake tour and revisited all of that, including the new manager who’s going to get introduced near the Hab and candid yachts. This week, he wants to welcome you all to candid yachts. I’m going to welcome you to Cocos in laurelville on Wednesday for the Maryland crab cake tour. It is all presented by our friends at the Maryland lottery. I’ll have Raven scratch offs to give away. Also our friends at GBMC keeping me healthy colonoscopy, fellas, this is my big month. Gonna be talking about it all month long, the special milkshake they’re making me drink a day or two before. So some of you are nodding your head and saying, it’s not so bad. I know I’m a sissy and all that. That’s why I have gentle, neighborly friends at GBMC to keep me square. Also keep our injury report square. Not a lot of injury report this week, we have trade deadline stuff going on this week. Luke will be on the Hill monitoring all of it, including whether they’re even being honest about the injury report or not. We have trading deadline. We have all sorts of things going on this week. You can find him in Owings Mills, and if you’re on our wnst tech service, you’ll get all the breaking news first, the way you always do, including if the Orioles do something beyond hire a manager, which they’re doing this week, Luke and I are actually going to talk baseball in the middle of a football week here, because that was one for the ages. That’s pretty good World Series, Luke, we didn’t get together every morning and talk about it and do all of the meanderings we used to do when everybody cared about the World Series. I was actually at Leonard raskins event on Saturday night out at Costas in a special function room with dueling pianos and beautiful children and great crabs and all of that. But, like, third inning I was watching on my phone, and I’m like, Leonard, I love you, but I gotta go. And I’m doing a segment with him this week, and I’m like, I gotta go. And I went home, and, you know, it was, it was quite the theater. Is it the theater that of the unscripted that baseball would love to have make more fans of the game.
Luke Jones 02:31
I mean, it was fantastic. I I’m 42 probably the first World Series that I can remember really, really watching and following was probably the 1990 World Series. I mean, I’d seen bits and pieces and you know, but that’s the first one I remember really kind of watching. And I mean, the Reds sweep the A’s, but 91 was the first great world series that I can remember watching, and that’s always been, I don’t know if it’s the top, top one on my list, but it’s certainly up there, and it was great. You had two teams that were worst, the first, the Blue Jays, were worse the first in the American League this year, and the Al east and but you have the Dodgers spending more money than anyone, right? And all that, but it was just a fantastic world series. I mean, when you, you and I have have spent quite a bit of time talking about Yamamoto here, going back to when he was an out away from pitching a no hitter at Camden Yards. You were there that night, right? It was 2131 night, right? Yeah, so and he was literally an out away. Was fantastic. I
Nestor Aparicio 03:46
thought it was bad for you. I still do. I felt
Luke Jones 03:49
bad for him, right? I mean, he came that close, but for him to do what he did, which, okay, Randy Johnson in 2001 with the Diamondbacks against the Yankees, but when you are citing Grover, Cleveland, Alexander in the 1926 World Series, which, anyone who knows me knows that I am a super nerd when it comes to early 20th century baseball. I mean, I just, I love, you know, whether we’re talking dead ball era, the Black Sox Scandal, Ruth, of course, all that, but
Nestor Aparicio 04:19
Luke, I mean, Ken Burns Jones, yeah,
Luke Jones 04:22
I mean, it’s folk hero stuff, you know, to throw 96 pitches and then you come in in and you’re pitching an extra innings for your team to try to win the World Series, you know, I mean, and
Nestor Aparicio 04:34
that’s above and beyond. Otani hitting a couple of bombs, and then coming back and pitching after eight innings and then starting game seven.
Luke Jones 04:41
Like, it’s just different. I mean, oh, Tani
Nestor Aparicio 04:45
thought Spanky Kirk was gonna hit a double down the line and like in, like, Toronto on fire, like I believed all the way through, but I am kind of happy that Hoffman didn’t win after blowing the kiss and all that. So, you know, Marie got to win. You know, she’s ball. Baltimore, through and through, I saw her on the field. She’s happy. I mean, I feel the worst for Getty, you know, and so, so
Luke Jones 05:07
and just, you know, Blue Jays fans in general, I suppose, although I’ve said this to you over the course of this play, these playoffs, that remember, I was born in 1983 I was 10 years old when the Blue Jays were great. I mean, the Blue Jays were the Yankees for me as a kid. I mean,
Nestor Aparicio 05:23
I was the Oakland A’s, and my first World Series was 72 so 7273 74 it’s a lot of Oakland A’s being the bad guy, a lot of Oakland A’s being the bad so.
Luke Jones 05:32
And you know, not that, not that I sit here and have this disdain for Toronto, but it’s just weird for me to think about them in those terms. It’s weird for me to think about them in terms of this team that had this long drought, right, especially when we’re here in Baltimore, talking about the Orioles having a drought that’s 10 years longer than that even. But I mean, just it was great theater. I mean, you know, even go back to Game Six, you know? I mean, the whole series, the 18 inning game. I mean, it was just, it was a heck of a World Series. And look, I can be as guilty as of being cynical as anyone when it comes to baseball, the business of it, payrolls, the future of it.
Nestor Aparicio 06:09
I was in the same room with Katie Griggs last week, by the way, and you and I talked about it,
Luke Jones 06:13
yeah, but, but at the end of the day, when the players take the field, it doesn’t matter how much money they’re making, right? They’re competing. They’re in, they’re in the arena at that point in time. And, I mean, it was just, it was great theater. I mean, it really was, I mean, you know, from, you know, just the fact that the Blue Jays came home with the series lead, suddenly the as crazy as it is to say it because it’s the Dodgers. The Dodgers are the underdog at that point in time. And you know, for them to win game six, and you force game seven. I mean, how about the fact that the guy who hits the tying home run, I mean, was someone who had been benched because his bat had been so bad. I mean, what Rojas did, you know with one out in the ninth to tie the game? And you know, Muncie hits the home run the inning before that, he hadn’t exactly had a very good sear series. And I mean, it’s just great. I mean, Mookie Betts got the big hit in game six. And Mookie, by his own admission, was, I mean, dressing himself down about how bad he’s had been in the World Series. And I mean, it was just, I mean, there’s so many big names on both sides. I think if you’re an Orioles fan, you take some heart in what Toronto did, because how many times over the last calendar year had I made the comparisons that Toronto was kind of what the Orioles were just a year or two ahead of time? And you think about what Toronto how they fell apart last year, how their previous trips to the to the playoffs, they hadn’t won any playoff games, and then they put it together, and they were that close to winning the World Series. That’s where, if you’re an Orioles fan, you say, Okay, we’ve got to have a heck of an off season, and got to spend money and make trades and make smart moves, and Albornoz has to be a good manager, and they’ve got to hire a good staff. But no one thought about Toronto in terms of being a pennant winning team going into 2025 and look what they did. So it was just a great story all the way around. And it was just, it was a great World Series. I said it to my brother after Saturday night’s game had ended, right before I went to bed, I said to him, I said, I don’t want to be a prisoner of the moment and say definitively that this was the best World Series I’ve ever seen. But it would be, I’d be hard pressed to to not have it in my top three of my lifetime. Just how the drama of it, you know, the both these teams, I mean, like the interesting contrast. I mean, the Dodgers being the defending champs, the Blue Jays coming from last place a year ago.
Nestor Aparicio 08:41
Oh, the whole Canada America thing, and I mean that part of stadiums also in the, you know, Washington blue. But more than that, the fact that the weather was good in Toronto. And I say that as a guy who’s froze my ass off at World Series games for years and years and years, there was something about no rain delays, no snow, delays, that the roof was up, it was comfortable, that you got better baseball, I thought, and, and I thought, if I were to say something about it, the stars sort of shined all the way through, you know what I mean? And it went the distance, and it was worth it, and it, you know? And it had Canada versus us like a rocky fight, you know? I yeah, I can’t say enough about it. And even the star stepping up. I mean, the kid Rojas is a hero. At the end of the game, he comes on and seemed like a good like, the kind of guy you want on your team, like, you know what he seemed like. And I always go back to this with a buck Showalter. This is the last press conference I attended at Camden Yards. I went in and they all sneered at me. This is years ago. Were you at the buck Showalter press conference? Are you that old? I was at a lot of Buck Showalter. No, the first one when he got introduced. The first one, yes, yes, I was I was there warehouse, yeah. Well, Buck’s wife alluded to it when she wrote that beautiful status about me on Instagram couple years ago. But that was the day I heard him say. Pile diver, pile. And I’m like, Pile Driver, like, pile pop, like, like a wrestling like, Gordon soley, like a soup play, like, and I’m like, pile diver, no, the guy’s a dive on the pile. When you win a World Series, I’m like, oh yeah. Like, that kind of guy. And there’s only, you only get 25 of those a year, right? That are real pile it’s like, are you going to win the Stanley Cup? Is you’re going to get your name on the cup? It’s that sort of, are you that guy? And you know, both of these teams had those kind of guys in a lot of ways, in a lot of ways.
Luke Jones 10:32
I mean, say what you want about the Dodgers. And yes, they spend so much money, we all understand that they also have won because they’ve had players like that, and Kiki Hernandez and guys of that nature who aren’t making $150 million or $300 million right? They have not just spent a lot of money. They have been very smart in how they put together their rosters, in how they have, at times, duct taped together their rotation like they did in last year’s World Series. Who was the wrestler with, know your role? Who’s that? Know your I mean, the rock said, know your role, know your role. There you go. Yeah, but, but they’ve had that. I mean, yeah.
Nestor Aparicio 11:12
He said, I’m not a superstar player, but I had a chance to help the team
Luke Jones 11:15
win. And that’s cool. And that was the other I mean, look at some of the defensive plays that were made in that ball game. Oh
Nestor Aparicio 11:22
man, all the all the force outs at the plate, right, all the infield in and all all of those drills you’re running in February, when it’s 52 degrees, you know, the backfields and not Vero Beach for the Dodgers anymore, but you
Luke Jones 11:35
know what I’m saying? Oh no. Well, how about in game seven. You, I mean, you had a collision in deep left center field, where almost caused in the World Series. Paj, or I’m trying to anybody placement, yeah. So, I mean, but I joked with someone. I said, Man, if the Orioles were playing in this world series, their defense would have lost it about four times already. But, I mean, it was just, it was great baseball. It really was. I think it had something for everybody. Yes, there were elements of the modern game. And sure there were no there was no shortage of home runs. I mean, how about, I mean, Beau Bichette was shaping up to be hero, this incredible hero. I mean, right about the fact that George Springer manned up and played through pain the last two games of that series with, you know, side, oblique, whatever it was. I mean, the kind of injury that typically keeps someone out three or four weeks and he’s back in a matter of a few days. And I get it, it’s, you know, it’s game six, and it’s game seven, I mean, but you just had so many great individual efforts and performances, whether you’re talking about the stars, as you mentioned, or the unlikeliest of heroes, like, like, you know, like Rojas. I mean, just incredible. It was such an entertaining World Series I didn’t really have going back to what I said about, you know, how I perceived the Blue Jays as a 10 year old compared to all these years later. Now we’re, you know, they’re, they’re trying to end this long drought of a World Series title for themselves that I didn’t really have a strong rooting interest. Like, I know a lot of people were very much like, anyone but the Dodgers, anyone but the Dodgers, and I get that. And in turn, care who won either right? And in turn, there were Orioles fans who said, No, I’m not rooting for someone in the Al East. And that’s fine too. Like I’m okay with either line of thinking. But I just, I was just, I honestly sat back and I was just so entertained by this series. It was just great. I mean, it really was. And, you know, I saw right before you and I began our conversation. I saw on social media like that. It was front office sports. The early indication was, I think, across all Fox platforms, game seven was 26 million people. Whether that’s accurate or not, I don’t know, whatever, but people were engaged. I had people in my life who aren’t one a baseball fans by any stretch of the imagination, and they were completely drawn into the theater.
Nestor Aparicio 14:00
I went home because I just wanted to, like, sit right, and I like John smalls, and obviously Ken Rosenthal and I have a relationship that goes back 40 years, so I have some sense of pride that he doesn’t understand about watching him in the dugout, knowing of this life relationship I’ve had with him, including being in those dugouts, doing games together and And and I brought that up at various points, even with shining a couple weeks ago, that Rosenthal was on my left and Mitch album was on my right when Labor’s hit the bomb at the launching pad in Atlanta that night and shut down the Braves. So like I have these moments of my journey in life that through the World Series marks my birthday every year, marks the end of one year and the beginning of another. As a baseball guy that I’m with you, I I think of, I mean, I’ve been a lot of good World Series, and there’s been some short turds and some duds or whatnot. But, I mean, the Indians in the Marlins going seven, you don’t think about it like that, but the Indians came. This close to having, how many teams came close to having a parade and not got one, or never had one? In some cases, you know, that’s sort of the, the sort of game sevens. And I, yeah, I feel bad for Getty and his grandkid. That’s where I was on it. That’s kind of why I wanted them to win. That was my silly little rooting interest. But there was, you know, some Oriole parts of this, and Sir Anthony Dominguez and the anti Blue Jay sentiment, a guy your age would have, or the anti Dodger sentiment. Anybody who follows economics in modern America might want to have or throw Canadian or anti. But dude, I had nights every night during this. And you know this because I was on the road. I we had the football game on Thursday night, I was at a Cameron Crowe Sheryl Crow symposium in Nashville. Wednesday night, I was at a Brian Adams Pat Benatar concert. So you can imagine, and it was a night that Pierre Robert passed away in Philadelphia, who was little bit of a legend to me. I was a little starstruck The one time I met him and took a picture and and I’m in Philly the night Pierre Robert dies. But more than that, I’m in Philly at the space across from where the Phillies played the Blue Jays in 93 it got me thinking of crashing to Curt schillings house that night, because I did, and he pitched game five. And now I’m in Philadelphia at the hockey rink, and all I’m thinking about is when Lindros got blown up on the ice, and I was there that night and the devils, that was a game seven that I went to with Scotty P and I’m in all of these weird and I’m Oh, I’m in the space where Live Aid was. I’m standing pretty much where Rick o Kasich saying, you know, you know, sang songs in the middle of live eight, and I’m like, in this space, and the dude next to me at a Brian Adams concert is wearing a Canadian flag hat, and he must have thought I was Canadian. Maybe I looked that way my hair, I don’t know. But he started talking to me. He kept giving me updates, dude, it’s four one. It’s six one, you know. And the excitement of and I am, meanwhile, modern guy, I am at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Thursday night, watching the entire first half of the game on Amazon Prime. My kids gonna get 899, a month. I’m so concerned that I I’ve hoodwinked my daughter in law and date 99 a month. But I watched the game while I was at another event like this is the modern connectivity of all of this stuff, of staying a part of it. But baseball goes where you go now we’ll say this game seven, Leonard Raskin had his big party, and there’s crabs as big as my head. He got Costas to do it. So, you know, it was really good. And I’m there and, like, third inning. I’m like, Dude, I gotta leave and and Pete got upset at me. Pete’s like, my bar’s right here. The game’s on. Go up and watch the game. I’m like, I’ve eaten two dinners. I’ve eaten crabs, four giant crabs. I’ve eaten two bowls of soup. I had pit beef. There was an ice cream truck outside that I had, I had wet nuts. Don’t tell anybody, but I got the wet nuts with the butterscotch and I felt like a balloon when I got home on the couch watching the rest of the game, but like I needed to be somewhere to really focus on it concert, I said to Nick and Pete, I said, I don’t want to eat anymore and I don’t want to drink anymore. Why do I want to be a costus at 10 o’clock on Saturday night watching game seven? I mean, I love you, but like, I’m just done eating and drinking, and I really wanted to focus on the game. And I think there was something that was very unforgettable about it, right? I mean, if you watch game seven, and really unforgettable if you made it through 18 innings the other night too, because there really was a there’s a part of it to me again, I will always have been at Brian Adams at game five the night Pierre Robert died sitting next to the Canadian guy who was over the moon. You know about, like, giving me updates on the game, because I got my phone. I’m not looking at the baseball game. Or if I’m Brian Adams, you know, I’m just not, but, um, but everybody’s glued in. We’re all kind of one on it, because it’s the World Series and and, um, it was fun. It was worthwhile. It was it was meaningful.
Luke Jones 19:11
It was so fun. And another part of this, and I alluded to this because I mentioned Yamamoto and the folk hero status that he gained when you throw 96 pitches in game six, and then you come back the next night and throw two and two thirds, like I said, it’s Grover Cleveland, Alexandria.
Nestor Aparicio 19:27
How many Hall of Famers? Right? Like, 15 years from now, all these guys are going to go to the Hall of Fame. I mean, Scherzer was involved in this series.
Luke Jones 19:34
I know I was getting ready to make the right. I was getting ready to make the point in game seven alone. As much as we all, and I do this, as much as anyone, as much as we all complain about the modern game, as far as how pitching is structured, and the reliance on bullpen arms and max effort, and no one’s going deep into games anymore, and all of that. And look, that still applies, right? That’s not changing. But in game seven, we saw Shohei, Ohtani, Tyler, glass now, Blake Snell, Yamamoto, looking like Grover, Cleveland, Alexander on no day’s rest. Max Scherzer, yes. Savage, who you and I haven’t talked about much, but what a great story. He has been a guy.
Nestor Aparicio 20:22
Then there’s always one of the guys, right? A guy that was always one of the guy
Luke Jones 20:25
that was in single way at the beginning of 2025 and pitching in in the World Series and big time moments, that’s a movie. And even, and even throw Shane, throw Shane beaver in there. You know, another guy for former Cy Young, who was hurt and and we even had a cameo of Clayton Kershaw warming up in the pen at one point in game seven. He didn’t get in the game. I mean, that is just incredible, right there. The names that I threw out there,
Nestor Aparicio 20:52
Mookie, Betts, Freddie Freeman, I was just talking about the pitching, yeah. And then you, I mean, how many of these guys are going to be in the Hall of Fame in a game seven, America versus Canada, like all of that, it really is one for the ages in that way.
Luke Jones 21:05
That’s no doubt. And I will say this, and I will say this with full admission that there have been times I haven’t been as nearly as high on this individual. I still don’t know how his contract is going to age with what kind of player he is and body type position. He plays all that. That said, Vladimir Guerrero had an epic postseason. He absolutely did. And there’s another example, if you’re looking for hope as an Orioles fan, when you’ve seen how these young guys have fallen on their face in their first couple trips to the postseason and all that, go look at what vlad’s numbers were in the postseason prior to this year, and then you see what he did. I felt you mentioned feeling for Getty Lee. I did feel for Vlad, because I get it the Blue Jays backed up the Brinks truck for him, couple Brinks trucks for him, and all that. And he’s gonna be making a ton of money. But when you hear him talk about being a blue jay, being in Toronto, being there, long term, long term. Now there’s a there’s a genuine sound to how he talks about that. I don’t think it’s yes, he wanted to be paid in the way that any great player wants to be paid, right? But I do think there was a genuine feeling of his desire to stay there and for him to play the way that he did, even in a losing effort. I mean, it
Nestor Aparicio 22:27
was his dad never won the World Series. I was looking to say, did his dad ever play in a World Series? His dad played and won in Texas the last year. Yeah, 2010 at the very end. But like, his dad never even played in the World Series, like, till the end of the end of the end. He hit Oh, 71 and 16 at bat, 14 at bat. Yeah, one hit, 14 at bats. Then the Orioles gave him a bunch. Then it was time, then it was time, like Sammy Sosa Palmero the second time, or Eddie Murray the second time around, or Jim Tomi dude. I mean, Katie Griggs doesn’t want to meet me. I’ll say that. I agree. If you have anything more on Guerrero, I just want to do two minutes. On the new manager. Yeah,
Luke Jones 23:05
yeah. No, I just he was a great story. I think Springer coming back to play in the last couple games was a great story. Bo bachette has the big hit. I mean, it’s just there were so many, whether you’re talking about big names and future Hall of Famers, or whether you’re talking about Miguel Rojas and what he did, or, you know, how about, we haven’t even mentioned Will Smith, right? I mean, he had Fresh Prince, yeah. So, I mean, it was just, it’s a great world series. It was great for baseball. It’s a heck of a way to end your
Nestor Aparicio 23:35
season two. Nerds like you, and we’ve talked about this, like 1520 nationally thrown out. There have been so many guys that had a moment like, literally, right? I
Luke Jones 23:43
had, I was in church Sunday morning. I must have had five different conversations with people about how great the World Series was. I mean, I just
Nestor Aparicio 23:53
did for me, right? It was just great. Like, from the minute, like Joe Carter and me having been there that night in game six, and all the part that it brings back to me, Kevin Gosman being involved in it, right? Like just that. There were angles all the way through, including, and I’ll drop I don’t think you know this my cousin that have you ever met? My cousin, the tennis player, lives in San Diego. My female cousin, she’s your she’s your age. She may maybe a couple years you older than you, maybe by one or two, maybe 8182. Tennis at the University of Arizona. She’s been a recurring figure in my life. She lives in Carlsbad, California. She’s my San Diego cousin, right? Like that I’ve talked about for 40 years. She went to her senior prom with Mark Pryor. They went to high school together. So every time I see Mark Pryor, I’ll bust her chops about it, right? But like, he’s in the bullpen behind Otani, he’s in the bullpen behind Yama. And to me, he’s Mark Pryor with pinstripes and pitching for the Cubs, and gonna win 300 games and like all of that, like it just, it’s just had so many and then there’s Rosenthal in the dugout and Verducci and the other dugout, and pieces. Of all of it. And I think about John Smoltz, who was always just a gem of a guy with me. Smoltz was a bit of a co host on my show when I was nationally syndicated in 99 2000 2001 Smoltz probably did 30 or 40 hits with me on on the radio, because he was practicing to do this for a living. So he always would say to the sporting news guys, I think they paid him 100 bucks or something to do. It’s with me back in the day, literally, but I had John Smoltz on all the time. So, like all of it, is very familiar to me and some sort of fun way that makes it even more interesting to hear what what Junior, which is what everybody who knows Ken Rosenthal calls him with junior has to say what Smoltz is saying. I just find all of it to just be good, and I’m gonna miss it. And we’re gonna miss it, you know, I’m gonna miss it on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night. And I had dinner with Barry Trotz last week in Philadelphia, amongst all of this other crap that happened. And I had to admit that I haven’t watched the hockey game in seven and a half years. He’s trying to pull me back in. And then I went to Nashville, I saw the predator stuff. And I’m like, I didn’t know stamp Coast plays for you. So I mean, there’s all these stories. And then there was the weird part of a Tony Robbins image showing up in front of Magic Johnson the minute that the the world series ended. So there was still a lot of spooky stuff going on around here, and we have a trading deadline, but new manager, I just want to give you one minute on new manager, any level of expectation, any thoughts, be above and beyond what you and Alan spoke about last week in regard to that, because it’s kind of a momentous beginning for the Orioles, or re beginning rebirth.
Luke Jones 26:38
You hope so. You hope so, right? I mean, I think everything we’ve heard has been positive. Everything we’ve heard has been promising. I think, as we mentioned, and look, I can’t sit here and say with great conviction that I had known a whole bunch about Albert Nestor, other than the fact that his name had been tossed out there, you know, with some other jobs going back to last year even. But Ray’s roots, Cleveland, Guardians roots, I like that, those check boxes for me, because those are organizations, regardless of getting into payroll discussion, which,
Nestor Aparicio 27:11
just like that, they had an honest hiring they went out and they got the best candidate in the marketplace, of course, not several people, and it wasn’t we’re hiring Rick Dempsey. No offense to you, Rick. I love you, or like or Elrod, or any literally within the family, not even hiring Cal Ripken and and Billy’s gonna manage the team like, because they’ve done plenty of that around here, right?
Luke Jones 27:32
They, I mean, not, not Elias, but yeah, in the past, they had done some, in some instances where they’d done that, but, and for me, the other thing was, I didn’t, I like that. They didn’t just go and hire someone with roots with the Astros, right? You know, like someone that they knew, like this, I still have not, I mean, and we’re gonna hear the press conference on Tuesday, you and I can reconvene and we’ll, you know, we’ll see what, what we think, you know, we’ll see if they quote, win the press conference, or, you know, if it’s fine. You know, I didn’t
Nestor Aparicio 28:02
win the video last week. That’s for damn sure. That was a poor, yeah, that was a poor entree.
Luke Jones 28:07
It’s, it’s whatever. I mean, look, he’s got a he’s from Massachusetts. I’m not, I’m not surprised to hear him say Camden Yards, right? I want to know if he can manage people. I want to know if these guys will be piled divers for him.
Nestor Aparicio 28:19
Better have a sense of humor,
Luke Jones 28:23
but, but he’s he’s known for being like his players really respected him and liked him and played hard for him. And Steven Vogt, who is a manager, a newer manager in baseball right now that I think highly of, you know, replace Terry Francona in Cleveland, thinks the world of him as well. I mean, they’re close, obviously, they had a relationship, but I just, you know, I want someone that’s going to be part of the solution to unlocking this talent that they have and then hopefully bringing in more talent, augmenting with free agents or trades, or whatever they’re going to do this offseason, that they can be the best versions of themselves. I want to see a club whose sum is greater than the parts, whereas last year the exact opposite, right? I mean, the parts didn’t even play well, but at no point did you ever feel like the Orioles were ex, you know, exceeding expert expectations, or overachieving, or anything
Nestor Aparicio 29:23
like, well, the minute they can Brandon Hyde, we knew there was going to be a fresh day. And here is the fresh day, and here’s the start. And, you know, and I’ll say this for this guy and taking the thing over, and this is like the most respect I can pay to anyone as the kid of a broken home and a Venezuelan Dundalk family, who owns a radio station 30 years this guy’s worked hard and come from nothing and come from the bottom up and done it the hard way, and doesn’t do it on the reputation of his name or his pedigree or his batting average at the big league level, or if he’s competing with Albert Pauls, right? You know, as far as lifetime accomplishments in the. Game, and that was always the case for John Harbaugh versus his brother. His brother didn’t play an AFC Championship. You know? I mean, like, like, all of that. And I like that. This guy has risen to the top of his industry, as I talk about Barry Trotz and my relationship with him, or Marvin Lewis, or whatever, he’s done it the hard way, and most of it really good ones, as we talk about the Earl Weaver book, and we talk about anyone that has succeeded coming from a different angle, much respect. And I hope he keeps his accent, and I hope I meet him one day. I hope I’m at a press conference one day. But I’ve the ship’s kind of sailed on that I think I used to always think like that way in regard to what kind of guy, whether I get to ask questions, what kind of sense of humor all those things that Johnny Oates had or didn’t have a Davey Johnson had an abundance, or Phil Regan and Mike Hargrove and I don’t know, Ray Miller, you know, I go back through all of this, Frank Robinson, even, right? That I love those relationships, but I watch it from the outside. And this is going to be a fun ride. It’s new. I think about the day I was there when Mike Hargrove got hired. I think about the day I was there when Lee Mazzilli got hired. You know, all the day I was there when Davey Johnson came out from behind the curtain after they told the Son he wasn’t the guy. So I remember all of these things, but this is where the beginning of a pile diver would be all of these guys that I mentioned. We’re all going to win the World Series here. None of one. Jack, yeah, none of them. None of
Luke Jones 31:28
it. And I’ll go back to my overall prevailing point when we talked about Brandon Hyde’s removal and what was going to come next, whether it was going to be Craig albornez or Buck Showalter coming back, right? I mean, whoever was going to be the manager, I’ll go back to and, and it doesn’t have to be this blunt, but I want him to come in there and say to all these former one ones and first round picks and top 100 prospects and all of that, I don’t care. It’s time to go to work and, like, it can be smoother than that. Like, you don’t have to be a an a hole, but I, I don’t care. Let’s get to work, but you’re gonna earn it back. The last year and a half has not gone well for this organization. It’s time to go to work, and I hope the entire organization has that mindset if they’re truly going to turn things around. He’s
Nestor Aparicio 32:17
Luke, I’m Nestor. Plenty of baseball, plenty of football. We are W N, S, T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, plenty crab cakes, Cocos on Wednesday and the pizza John’s on Friday. My big appreciation to the Maryland Lotter. Can I get a lottery ticket and eat some good food with us this week?
