After spending a few days in Ohio last week, Nestor welcomes his legendary Cleveland radio pal and Lucky’s Cafe breakfast companion Mark “Munch” Bishop back onto the show to discuss Rock Hall music history, the legend of rocker Michael Stanley and this weekend’s first-place Guardians and Orioles series.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cleveland, people, love, orioles, michael, years, call, give, listening, baltimore, stanley, guardians, play, bullpen, baseball, shipwreck, feels, game, bro, city
SPEAKERS
Nestor J. Aparicio, Munch Bishop
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home we are W N S, T, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are. We’ve been out on the road the last couple of days is a baseball trading deadline. It’s been crazy. A wild series of events around my mom’s birthday last week and a wedding anniversary and my wife and I getting out to some concerts and not getting to some other concerts and her having a broken ankle at one point earlier this summer doing much better. But we made some shows. Some other show we didn’t make the Foo Fighters we didn’t make Pat Benatar which broke my heart. But not my wallet, we did get to see the great Chrissy Hind of Akron, Ohio. And we did get out and we got a chance to Sammy Hagar and Loverboy who I love a lot. But I made my way out to Ohio, in a car, courtesy of royal farms. Thank you for gassing me up out and Hagerstown royal farms. We need to add more of those up Breezewood whatnot. But I went out to a place called blossom Music Center. It’s a place that’s been on my radar for many, many, many, many years. I almost saw Gloria Estefan there many, many years here, there’s just a lot of things that could have happened. I wish I would have seen the Michael Stanley band there, but I never made it there. And I finally made it there because Thomas Dolby my good friend Baltimorean by choice, the good professor invited me but also I had friends out there and Sammy Hagar and my dear friend Bernard McKinney, and this guy, Cleveland Sports Radio legend much Bishop every time we get together, I really screwed up I should have called right guy to like, always tell him I’m gonna say Dude, he
Munch Bishop 01:45
would have joined us in a second.
Nestor J. Aparicio 01:46
Jai why why now? Michael? God. I got to try back now. Back here. Much bishop has been on the air what? 40 50 million? How many years? How many years?
Munch Bishop 01:56
August 15. will be my 45th anniversary dog. All right, 45. That’s older than you just what are yours and your age? Well, you
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:04
know, one day I’ll get you back here for a crab cake on the Maryland crab cake presented by the Maryland lottery. I’ll give you a gold rush sevens dollar. I’ll give you a raven scratch off. I’ll do that all for you. Also, our friends at Liberty pure solutions at Jiffy Lube put us out on the road. You’re exactly the kind of guy that I would love to have. And I bring this up because I invited you to dine with me. You switch schedules, you move things around. I said look, I can only really do this Monday morning. I’m coming into the city. I drove in, literally to be with you and to have breakfast, but I was gonna go to the Rock Hall. Like that was my thought happened. I just got tired. I mean, I know the drive. And I had a really good seat for Sammy Hagar and I know the energy that I bring to that kind of show. And I just want I took an eye when I pulled the curtains in my hotel room out and a stove or wherever I was. And I nap for about three hours. I got 330 I showered was raining sideways. I was so glad I didn’t get lawn seats. And then I went and I party what your people I was out in God’s country there in the Cuyahoga forest out with mosquitoes and and, and like real Cleveland rock and roll fans man like I had to grant an 80s experience on Sunday night with an intimate gathering. And then it was a mob scene with Van Halen and rock and rollers. But I want to tell you about breakfast with you because he would bring a crab cake here. And
Munch Bishop 03:27
I want to ask why. Wait, hold on. I had people when we posted photos of us at breakfast and little stories. People from your great city from Annapolis asking Nestor had to bring you a crab cake right? And I said no, I got to come there and get him fresh hot off the grill. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 03:43
here’s what I did. I took you to my favorite place and it’s place you notice by spot Lucky’s cafe. It’s in Srimad very close to where the Christmas story houses you can see downtown beautifully outlined from there. It’s a lovely community. It’s right off the highway. So you know I came and found you I got a parking spot. It’s crazy on Saturday morning. I mean I’ve stood in line getting free coffee for an hour and a half to get in there to get to get a shipwreck right so you and I you got to spot but they have this beautiful bakery and I just want to give you some love because like I don’t know what you get. I don’t like mustard enough for you to get me stadium mustard, or some stupid chili sauce that they put on something out there some bronze swag or like, mustard Brown. I don’t eat that. No. But this is the best stone I’ve ever had in my life. And it came from trimaran in Cleveland and love it. Oh, I have two of them. I have the pistachio tart cherry. Which my wife’s like, it’s not pistachio, enough from him, like give it to me. And then she’s like, but that blueberry coconut that I should have scored. I was expecting to get 51% of that. I’m gonna get about 24% of that. And I have a little piece of it right here. So I’m just telling you, I don’t know what you could have taken where you and I will have to take you to Costa Is Coco’s fate Lee’s pap I’m gonna take you over the whole tour everywhere. I’m happy to take you everywhere in town and get you crabcakes everywhere but you did me right at Lucky’s because I could never have better breakfast or better scones to bring home to my wife. But I love our conversations, man. I mean all these years of doing this crazy crap where we take react phone calls from knuckleheads on trade deadline day, the day after trade deadline you and I can have a scone and a crab cake and make nice after all we’ve been through right i mean come on. Fernandez Benitez we stole your football team you
Munch Bishop 05:34
know I’m saying on and on brother without without any remorse you stole our football team you and
Nestor J. Aparicio 05:41
I I mean we are peace for what’s going on in Gaza for what’s going on Ukraine. We can make peace Cleveland and Baltimore when there’s no doubt we can make peace
Munch Bishop 05:51
there’s no you know, I just came back from Poland and Slovakia visiting the roots and it’s interesting when you’re right there how staunch the polar Slovakian people are, you know and things that we believe in to for freedom because it’s right there but we’ve got it made at a big big way. And you know what’s interesting is that soon as I came back from breakfast, the wife is like Okay, whenever we go in this week so tomorrow’s the Mrs. Mrs. Much nice day at Lucky’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 06:18
will you tell everybody out Lucky’s including cat, our server and everybody there? May Nephi key you know, I drove six hours thinking about this like, you know going so I have a little piece of that I’m going to eat this when you start talking about the trade deadline because we’re going to rev up foreign rev up baseball. I want to rev up Cleveland. And my experiences. I mean, first of all, please do every time I drive in I drive to Twinsburg I had a girlfriend in Twinsburg. I text her a picture. I drive to Parma I had a girlfriend and Parma many many years ago. Basement flats 90s a text her picture said I’m back in your homeland. I reached a Bruno I read I apologized
Munch Bishop 07:00
to people you know he was my producer for the longest time. Tell me about
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:03
Bernard McKinney, the Bernard McKenna. You know,
Munch Bishop 07:06
do you know what Bernard McKenney good people? Big Heart? He he’s, you know, he gets in a tunnel. He’s there but it’s a good thing. And I’ve never had a serious taskmaster producer like him. My shows were so much better when he was behind the window. And when he said reset, brother, I made sure I had a reset or he’d be over during a commercial break gives me that finger saying hey, because he knows what’s the best. But he’s good people. You know what he would give you and you hear this by a lot of people but it’s not true. The shirt off his back if I would call him at five in the morning. Now he does live just one verbose and I called him
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:44
at midnight and almost needed the bed to sleep in Sunday night. So I know about this much, you know, and
Munch Bishop 07:49
he’s like there if you need him. Yeah, Bernard, we love you, man all around them. In fact, it was funny.
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:54
It’s another Cleveland guy. Damn me for talking nice about these Cleveland people. Trying to beat our baseball team this weekend. Now come on. I
Munch Bishop 08:01
talked nice about you too, man. But you want to pronounce this too? Is that when he was producing? And something was coming up with Baltimore when I first started the show at ESPN a 50 Wk and our he’s like, You know what? Let’s get my buddy on from Baltimore. I said What buddy? Not Nestor. That’s my buddy. He goes Oh, that’s my buddy and bingo. So it’s like a proverbial small world.
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:22
Why spend a Sunday night with Bernard out on the hill of blossom. And listen, I’ve been to the Convocation Center. I’ve seen meatloaf there. I’ve been obviously I’ve been to the Gundam million times for basketball. I saw hockey I saw the lumberjacks play there with an old girlfriend who loved hockey in Cleveland. And progressive the mistake on the lake. I think I told you my Johnny Oates story off air about being chased down in the old locker room. And you know, but I’d never been the blossom. And I had heard this is the Rock and Roll capital that women have the throttles there and ply
Munch Bishop 09:00
free Moondog ball. Yeah, I just want to say
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:02
this out loud for anybody in my audience who listens to me loves sports and loves music and likes my take on music and remembers me as a rock critic. If you saw the biopic of your thing, we did all my career, the documentary about how intimate my relationship was at Merriweather in the 80s. For all those concerts and stuff. Blossom was built just like Merryweather and it’s untouched. So it’s like Merriweather, they added flank seating and now you know, okay, Mary weather’s beautiful Mary weather stunning, but it’s modern and it’s all of that blossoms a real throwback to awesomeness and I’ve loved loved my two nights, and I had a guy at the bathroom Phil and water lawyer Majan that at the San Diego show. I hit it off with this guy and his wife were BS in my hairs out and you know where my rocker red rocker stuff which you know about and he’s trying to talk me into staying another night, too. Go see Def Leppard and go see journey. The field or Cheap Trick open the show and add I really know that ahead of time my wife wouldn’t have gotten the car back. She probably gotten stale stones or fresh stones because I would have gone
Munch Bishop 10:12
back to bro and you know, I want to hit you with this on blossom originally, Blossom was built for the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra said that same was Merriweather. Yeah, one of the finest in the world and Kent State University was behind the project. He still have a theater there. But bro, I’m going back home I got 50 plus years to you know, Pink Floyd two nights on Michael Stanley there two nights a Stanley at the old Coliseum. I mean, the shows are just amazing. And they continue to be amazing. Hagar and Van Halen there. And you mentioned before you mentioned of course that Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo Cleveland guy went to Valley Forge High School. I wish he could have seen him so I want you to remember this name. The band opening them on for them on tour called the Vinci’s their Youngstown kids already. They took ticularly love their city so much they took their name to vend these off the now defunct newspaper The Vindicator and bro they will blow you away so you have a shot they come through play a lot of small clubs are touring now with Neil and Pat they saw them they go You gotta come on with those. Remember that name? I know you love music. You love to rock and roll the Vinci’s Yeah,
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:17
man, Neil And Pat, I mean, I love I love you but it priced me out. We just didn’t we just was we couldn’t do a $300 Pap, and it turned out and we saw our last summer and she’s Magic Man. So I need to say this to you. Because you said Michael Stanley’s name a couple of times. And I drive into the world mister driving around Cleveland. I heard Donnie Iris because he’s playing the Akron something something soon. So I was listening to classic rock is it w ne W maybes that sound right? So I’m listening. WMC XONEO 2001 He also that’s when he can MC 20 Oh, when he’s the one okay. Yeah. So, so I’m listening to any W I’m thinking, Oh, Winnie. Like, like, like YouTube one. So, or like Metallica one it could go either way. I’m talking about Cleveland rock guy here like rock and roll. So so I’m driving at Classic Rock on in the car driving around. I stayed in the suburbs. I only came into the city for the hour. I stoned with you and at a shipwreck and a cup of coffee. I literally got my car got back on the freeway and went right out. Because I just I didn’t have the Mojo. I didn’t have the jam as Mick would say to go over to the hall all day and then recharge the batteries or recharge my batteries. But I was in the car lot. A lot. I mean, I drove. I mean, I chose so far I couldn’t get royal farms gas anymore, which picked
Munch Bishop 12:43
me up. So I don’t know, Royal farm. So I apologize. Well, I
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:47
don’t want to know sheet so I apologize. So let me let me so I’m driving. And I literally was leaving Akron in the rain Tuesday morning, listening to this and that and music was on and I got my iPod like put any music I want but I like listen to local radio and see what’s up. And I pulled into Butler, Pennsylvania across the border. And this great station came on and they were playing REO Speedwagon. They play 157 Riverside, but like the 15 minute version of Oh, I love it. Oh, with all of that, right? Yeah, with the rap in it, all of that. And then they play a song. That’s a Michael Stanley band song. Right? And I’m listening to it. And I don’t have a satellite radio or any I don’t I want an am radio. So I’m, I’m a terrestrial creature.
Munch Bishop 13:36
I’m with you. 100%.
Nestor J. Aparicio 13:38
I mean, I’m all over the internet all over the world. And I but I just don’t have satellite radio. So I’m listening. And I’m hearing this song and it’s catchy. And I know it’s Michael Stanley band and I’m like, you know, my town. My town. I’ve never heard that song. I love or hate her. Like, I was pulling into literally a rest stop in the Pennsylvania side because I’m of that age. I gotta use the restroom. But I pulled in I gotta stretch really? I’m stretching in every restaurant six hours. But But I pulled over and I Shazam it and and Shazam. It allowed me literally it’s all my Shazam right there. But you know, my town, Michael Stanley vanishes and 10:48am on the way home, and I now have to have that song. And I want you to tell me about Michael says because I didn’t really know you knew him like that. But I know he was in radio. But like, I remember him as a local rocker and in Baltimore we have kicks we have Mike different John Allen from different local celebrities. He led just a beautiful Cleveland life Michael Stanley. Yeah,
Munch Bishop 14:46
he was Cleveland all the way through. I’m going to start to at the end sadly and work back already is that I knew that Michael was getting near the end. We texted Oh, almost on a daily basis. And he used to tell me do you at all The person is allowed to TextView and over the air because we like the same kind of music. He would have a request our I was on a different station, so he couldn’t take my call. You know what I mean? But I
Nestor J. Aparicio 15:10
would take smarty pants can never take my call channel 30 Yeah, it’s funny
Munch Bishop 15:14
because I would say to Hey, do play this play that and once I said, Well, Brother, I want to hear something by poco. And he went nuts in a commercial break comes out and my phone rings, and it’s identified as Michael Stanley goes to No wonder I love you. You’re a poco guy. I suddenly huge poco guy, he goes to me, he goes, I’d love to play it, but I can’t. So call my PD and tell him that you need me to play some poco I said, dude, bill’s not gonna listen to me a bill Lewis was a dear brother too. I go he’ll listen to your Michael Stanley goes Yeah, but he’s my boss. But the morning Michael Stanley passed away. I was having coffee with my son’s at an entry mount a little coffee shop called civilization. He lived five six doors down. And my phone rang that Yeah, Michael had passed away. The next call came from my program director saying how far are you from the station? This is another company another station? I said 10 minutes? It was like 1030 Because I want you to get on here do his show a tribute show to him for 11 to three Can you do that? I mean this is 40 minutes total airtime no guests or anything I said I’ll be there. He was playing any music you want tell any stories you want to take calls? So I started calling people for guests can here’s what’s touchy had called Donnie Iris. Donnie answered crying was so torn up and torn up to the point this is shows you what kind of heart and what kind of human being he is. Feels much I just can’t go on with you. Because I couldn’t talk you know be crying the whole time as we remembered Mike. Sort of flashback and and you’re ready for this bro? Calls. We’re still lined up when I left four hours later for people to tell stories. Great stories about Michael. I used to drive by wn CX on the way to my station downtown. But an hour before Michael went on the air. And he’d be outside smoking a cigarette, which sadly, led to his downfall. But open the car window and y’all go hey, put that out and he’d yell at me. You’re not my dad. I said no, I’m your big brother. So cut that out. But Michael was amazing. I heard him for the first time as a solo acoustic artist back in the late 60s, early 70s. Then he added a couple of bands. He did a version of The Beatles help that will give you goosebumps. Mike also was a baseball player ready for this brother. He had a d3. They don’t give scholarships, per se but they’ll give you some aid. He had a d3 to Hiram College, east of the city of Cleveland. He was one heck of a baseball player. And so Michael the band just grew he grew interesting was very heavy up until St. Louis and that you know how I don’t understand because some bands you know, have it he had it. But he was happy what he did. He never regretted anything. I mean sold out last some three nights in a row 20,002 nights in a row. The Coliseum sold it out. Back to Back. Just amazing catalog amazing songs. Cool. Thanks.
Nestor J. Aparicio 18:20
Everybody have my air we know he can’t love you like I love you right? Yeah, it was a fun
Munch Bishop 18:25
rally. Why went to grade school with that was his song with a Michael Stanley man. Kevin’s now out west climbing mountains out in the Sierra Nevada, isn’t that but here’s the cool thing too, with Michael Cleveland all the way in from my town. Oh, bro. Not if I get teary eyed because had he been around. Here’s what he would do for you. He did a lot of versions where you know, my town we go Cleveland. It’s all right. I had him do one when I was a club in Columbus. It’s alright. He would have gladly done Baltimore. It’s alright for you did a Youngstown he did a Pittsburgh he did an Erie, Detroit. All the cities around he did those. And you look at the words of that song. It’s amazing. And it’s talks about pride for a city that’s hardscrabble city that has had its ups and downs. But you know, lover hater don’t matter. This town is my town. And we love sharing it with you. So you know Michael just went on always played, you know, three four gigs. I’ve never
Nestor J. Aparicio 19:21
heard that song much. I heard it. It was very clearly Michael Stanley. Yeah, because it has, you know that that Rick Springfield early 80s. vibe. Guards good power chord. Pop music man.
Munch Bishop 19:33
You’re a rock as with the NAS bumps, he was playing a venue right downtown across from the ballpark called tower city amphitheater that now has been dismantled because that’s sort of new Cavaliers practice facilities gonna go in that. And I’m there with my three of my four kids. And second row, have somebody tapped me on the shoulder goes, Hey, could you come around with me real quick as well. My kids were like probably 1012 and 14. So it was cool. And I should yeah. Yeah, I didn’t know what he wanted. Takes me backstage. hands me a tambourine, they’ll stay here. They break into my town. Michael Stanley goes, I’m gonna bring out a buddy of mine to join us in on this tune. So I kind of tried to stay to the back. It’s his show, you know what I mean? But hung out with the bass player, the percussionist banging on the tambourine a little bit,
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:21
never get back up with a band on stage,
Munch Bishop 20:23
singing the chorus singing the chorus.
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:26
I was on stage at the Agora in Cleveland singing house that we used to live in with the Smithereens with Jay Scott and attendance. How about that for Cleveland memory.
Munch Bishop 20:36
James Scott was such a special woman. Oh, my, it’s amazing.
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:40
She was at that night. They had
Munch Bishop 20:44
a brown statue of her sitting on a bench with her notepad. And you know what she taught me an early age. She always carried a bag with her to concerts in her bag. She always had water, some snacks, toilet paper, some liquid soap before it was a big thing. She had her concert emergency package and bro, think about this, who who respected her. The Beatles came into town, or probably come to town or in the area Ringo. Gotta talk
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:10
to she is in the middle of this nightclub. She’s 80 years old. She’s got her bag. She’s up in the rail. She knew Pat Well, every band would pay tribute to her when they would come through town got a night the night that we were there the guys from the raspberries they did the other guy you know, I know we’ve talked about this. A Time won’t let me tie surgery.
Munch Bishop 21:33
Grade school with Sunny bro. He ran greaser used to always work me over and hard to come on sunny. We’re in this together brother. You know, it was it was the st. Henry’s 183rd and for Harvard, Harvard Mark, look at all these things coming out. By the way.
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:47
I got something for you. And then we’ll get the baseball much bishops here from the land to cleave. They’re not all bad guys. I mean, we revere crack the sky here and they’re a Pittsburgh band. I mean, John Palumbo wicked there. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, guys, Donnie, Donnie iris and Cleveland. So we have like it’s all Bermuda Triangle. I have my poco belt buckle here. Can you see that? Oh
Munch Bishop 22:07
my gosh. guy too. Well, I’m a belt buckle guy
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:11
but I love Pogo as well. And you know anything with Timothy B. Schmidt touched I’m all about so you know, I’m all for that. So much Bishop is here. By the way. I mean, you Joe Walsh. There’s another Ohio guy. I went saw the pretenders the other night. I mean it Christy’s number going back to Ohio. But we’re going back to Ohio. I’ll come back to Lucky’s and by the way, the more I talked to you the more stone is left for me at the end and I have really delicious royal farms gonna blink off here. I’m good. So I love it. Baseball. Let’s get to baseball because
Munch Bishop 22:44
my wife says what are you gonna talk to you buddy Nestor about a bet shoe. A good portion is gonna be about music and rock and roll. And you know, that’s what sports whackers is all about. Baby. They’re all combined. They’re all one.
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:54
If the weather held up on Tuesday, I’m kind of pissed I didn’t get out of the baseball ballpark. I thought to my myself because I could have spent Tuesday night in Cleveland no problem am I computer I can work through it. But and I really screwed up I showed that a cheap trick open because I’m a cheap trick guy. I would have done it. And I loved as well right? I don’t really concerts in these baseball stadiums. You know, people pitch about Hershey here. And I’m like gimme Hershey any day over Nationals Park to see green day next week. So I mean, oh, hooting the blowfish or any riverspray. Anything that’s going around these football stadiums are terrible for all of that as well. But I feel bad that I didn’t like stay for that and go to the Rock Hall. But if Cleveland pulls me back every time and it’s pulling the baseball teams together this weekend. Look, I can have all this fun. We’re half an hour into this with much Bishop from Cleveland and the baseball teams converging as first place teams trading deadline. It’s its own thing that we don’t need to talk about philosopher Michael Stanley to rock and roll or the Rock Hall or any of that the baseball story for what you and I have been through and you’ve never had a championship there, right? I mean, you’re much older than my lifetime. Yes. Right. I mean, right and I’ve had 83 You know, I remember 79 But we haven’t had a taste of it. You guys cost this that with the Benitez Fernandez thing I remember being in the dugout for all of that stuff. We’re talking three three decades ago, bro. Yeah, so think about that. This is really you’re in the way we’re in the way the Yankees or the way the Astros look like they might be in the way trading deadline. I’ll tell you what, just on a I’ve been up all morning talking to Luke about this I’ll be talking about it for the next
Munch Bishop 24:37
good people you know Yeah, you gotta Jim There you are.
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:39
Thank you He loves you as well. He missed out on the scones I didn’t share with him. And the shipwreck didn’t come you gotta go to click left to come back for play. Oh,
Munch Bishop 24:46
tell him about the shipwreck real quick. You keep mentioning that people are wondering what the hell is a shipwreck? It’s everything basically in one breakfast right?
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:53
Okay. It’s just like a big topic awesomeness of egg and cheese and and and sausage and bacon and a capper all together, and potatoes it’s just all in there. So it’s a thing it’s like it’s like a souffle of stuff. Like you said yeah it’s yeah it’s it’s a quiche of deliciousness but not cashew eggy. So um, so the baseball side of what transpired in the time I was at blossom and the time that Luke evaporated, which adds to the ladder ravens camp because we didn’t have a representative there Monday and Tuesday, and I was representing Lucky’s cafe. The trading thing happened, we get a lot of stuff. You don’t I mean, like from the Orioles perspective, and I know you cover the whole league and you look at it. I don’t know that they did anything that feels like incredibly impactful beyond Eflin and having them next year. But this has been an incredibly act. There’s a lot to talk about with baseball here this week. In regard to the Orioles in regard to the Guardians in regard to who’s going to be in the Al World Series side. It’s
Munch Bishop 25:59
interesting to find out who actually has these deep farm systems that they tell us about because that was one of the reasons the Dodgers were able to make the moves that they made. Now, I do know this for a fact that the guardians were looking at a few other pitchers that they fell short on FeNi from Chicago, they definitely had a huge interest in him however, and I’ve always said before prospects are just that I could talk about Bobby Bradley and Owen Miller okay, but they just didn’t want to part with a couple guys of the ladder is one of them. They look to funny Jack Flaherty’s name came up also came up with the Yankees, you know what, come on. They already tried that last
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:38
year here. I’m out. I’ll pass on Jack Flaherty.
Munch Bishop 26:42
The thing with Jack 32 He’s an LA guy. So where was he going?
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:45
He might beat us in two games of the World Series but I’m still okay with the fact that like ivaldi Last year, like if it happens that way, you put your chips in and out you know the thing I learned on our end make it a try. Yeah, the thing I learned about Elias and if I were writing a column on this and again you’re one of the first people I’ve talked about post all of this at all as I process it all and I haven’t read everything same people have to say or write about it. And I saw major league baseball thought that they should have gone further and oh Tanner Scott who’s somebody that they know if they felt like Dan or Scott was a difference maker for them I think maybe they would have gone that way but the value of the prospects in every case and all the names the crochets the schools all none of those guys got moved around because the price was too high and the the Orioles were considered by far the deepest riches farm system by everybody love and I’ve never been able to say that out loud 30 years around here ever to cut hats off the John Angeles for coming up with Mike Elias and allowing this to happen so I’ll even give John Angelo some love in this piece but not my scones from Lucky’s I would say this the value of all of that and money the orals took on some money which with Eloy Jimenez and stuff which I would stuff we’ve never seen the Rubinstein thing What You See Is What You Get which is scours Norbi these around the edges prospects but curse that Couser holiday Mayo beside to who’s further down and a cat you’re not touching any of those guys I’m not I’m not I’m gonna bring you in I’m gonna pour you bottom shelf and tell you it’s top shelf but you ain’t touching the top shelf because in a touchable and so
Munch Bishop 28:27
the Guardians did exactly did to note no man zardo No the ladder no Brito the part of that would Tanya although I had the shoulder shrugged on him and a couple of the other start know though you know even Josh Taylor who had his ups and downs you know you’re not getting Josh Taylor either an established player and that’s what people were looking for.
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:45
What has made the Guardian so good is we just dive right on into this as to if people are picking up the plot right now into August in first place baseball in the Orioles on the rocks right now making a lot of nothing structural, it was all around the edges right. It’s all about pinch hitters and the relief pitchers and whatever but, but I shouldn’t say that effluence structural SOS Rogers for control for pitching the Orioles made an admission they don’t have enough pitching which was clear to me you never
Munch Bishop 29:13
do. The Braves didn’t win they had three Hall of Famers. But I also questioned
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:17
why the Phillies want to get rid of to relief pitchers when they have to win in October to think
Munch Bishop 29:21
about that. Makes a lot of sense. You know you asked me about the Guardian success. You mentioned one of them. The bullpen has been on unbelievable. Klaus he has his swagger back. It was from from two years ago now pitching like last year, and the starters have just been going it up. You know what it’s like to lose three starters. That’s exactly what the Guardians did and losing beaver for the year and then that’s due to surgery and injury. And also McKenzie and Alan in the minor league style and poor trust and needs to have surgery trying to pull it off. He’s still getting raked pretty hard in triple A. Logan Allen needs to find his control but the core For starters has been just good enough to turn it over to the bullpen right now. You know, you get five six innings I know that makes me cringe first, every given five. If you get five, six, it’s going to be lights out. They run the bases with not what reckless abandon, although there’s times that I see a guy try to score from third when the infields drawn in, scratches my head if I was if I was coaching a little league team and somebody tried to do that, especially with men on first and third or no force play there, I would question it, but they get an infield hit a game because they run hard to first base the proverbial they run to the candidate grass, they steal. They play pretty good defense at times. I’ve seen defense costs in the game at least two games in the last few weeks, but they get just enough hits and and Nestor when you look at the start of the lineup, it was Quan young and hell Martinez and I was laying Thomas, you have Jose Ramirez you have nailer you have fry Oh, I just mentioned for all starts there in the first five hitters. Jimenez not just a platinum lover, but he should be hitting better than he is. I mean, the batch that there’s no reason this team should get shut out or one or two hit at all they have in the last couple of weeks. I believe that you know with the proverbial little break over the all star game I’ve seen some light coming to these guys again, but again, the secret has been in the bullpen.
Nestor J. Aparicio 31:20
The Orioles were listless for a month, right so much like you know the guardians were struggling getting up on the All Star game and looking around and saying nobody’s coming to get us in the American League ace. It’s different and and I think yeah, trying to fortify pitching and how expensive it is the four to five pitching. I gotta say this though. I was watching the all star game and your representative there and whatnot. And every time I see Ramirez on the back of a Cleveland jersey, I remember going up to Manny Ramirez at Camden Yards 30 years ago and saying hey Manny, any chance I can get you on my show knowing full well he grew up in Brooklyn. He said to me, I don’t speak English. If you said it just like that, right? He said imperfect. I don’t speak. I know that’s Manny man. It’s what he said. That was Manny being Manny and we had Manny Machado here. He was Manny being Manny. This Ramirez really strikes me as a different cat. I saw him at the I just he’s a throwback kind of dude, and for your organization to sort of embrace him. We’re waiting for the first marriage here. Right? Austin Hays gone. Santander Mullens. The guys that were here when the team stumped three years ago rutschman feels like he’s part of the DNA of the thing and Henderson but they haven’t paid anybody and Boris guys Westberg Henderson they’re not signing their Boris guy. So like that’s going to go to the 11th hour no matter what or not that the 13th hour quite frankly, it’s gonna go off the clock. So for the guardians to make investments and I do go back to when Lofton Ramirez by Erica they locked those guys up while they had Martinez and Eddie Murray and her Shai they had these veteran guys, maybe rover, I mean, I was there for all of that. But I think about Austin mocker and the late great and I mean great Jim Poole, who we lost recently, and we gave up a big home run in in tribe lore, but a dear friend of mine but that bullpen was also even 30 years ago, but it was about locking up players 30 years ago when Jacobs field was built about how can you keep your core I don’t think that’s changed at all. And I think it’s even magnified as far as how you figure out your finances and keep your you know your Frankie Lindores as long as you can
Munch Bishop 33:35
be you know cinemas he will lend or because they offered him the same money as the match did for five years. My thought was this Frankie you know what, you ball for five years you’re getting in another tenant what you want. So that one perturbed me up Jose did take a hometown. I’m talking Jose Ramirez to take a hometown discount, but you don’t want Andre not the Bally’s field reporter dear friend, he’s very he’s probably the closest media person to Jose, Mo Jose’s in what the low 20s You know what he has said, he goes, Listen, my family’s back into the Dominican, I take care of my entire family. by that. I mean aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives. I’ve got three houses. I’ve got four buyer boats. I’ve got six cars, I can do anything I want at any time. I mean, what what more do I need? You know, when you look at the cash that’s there, and yeah, could he have gotten more elsewhere? But he’s comfortable in Cleveland. We know that you go other places as Frankie Francisco about the media in New York City. You know, I would think the media in Baltimore is fair that somebody does something wrong, though
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:36
media in Baltimore, there’s literally no criticism. There’s no criticism of how people
Munch Bishop 34:43
in the day have lost my respect and listeners respect.
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:48
I mean, Viviana retired last week, you know, like there is no pressure on the Orioles other than what they see on major league baseball network. They get their pressure when Kevin Brown, you know, gets thrown off the air that pressure You’re always comms externally not internally, because the Orioles have managed to own the message with Mr. Angeles. We
Munch Bishop 35:06
don’t know what happens in this city. That’s the team that plays with the orange helmets. You know, it really is embarrassing. How people I mean most of the media in town, the D pads when they’re reporting on that team and fans are starting to see through that a big, big way. But the bottom line is, I got complaints yesterday about how the guardians are an embarrassment to the city because of the quote unquote, cheap owners. Here’s all I know, the Dolans are good moral people. What happened last year? Well, they brought in Zunino. And when they brought in Josh Bell, you know, spending close to $30 million. Well, they flopped in a big way. So they’re going to be judicious. But if someone’s there that they need to sign they are going to sign him make him more than a fair offer. We just he missed Nestor to see was 23 over 500 Some media people had them winning 65 games. I believe they’re close right now. I mean, one of the
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:57
Chino was perceived and by the way Munch Bishop as our guests here on wn St. in Baltimore positive. If you’re out listening and hear this familiar, Midwestern voice Tito was perceived as you know, the strength of what was going on there and him leaving was probably perceived and it was time for him right he had healthy had a lot of issues, right.
Munch Bishop 36:21
But he had so many health issues. It was it was scary. And he just wanted to get healthy get he didn’t want to be struggling to get up every day and get out of bed. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 36:30
and the thought was what’s going to happen when he’s not a part of I think that would happen to Baltimore after high and Elias aren’t here anymore. We’d say Well, they did a pretty good job who’s you know, like, so far, so good. Oh, who’s next? Now Mr. Rubenstein better be paying them. And you know, well put the stability part of it is something for my pal Mark Schapiro ran your baseball team for a decade, half, right. And now he’s trying to figure it out in Toronto and dealing doing it is he Yeah, that’s right. Well, it’s not easy to do, even when you have a lot of money. And building that kind of an organization where you have the confidence in the system and your plan, or as Ozzy would say, you know, you know, this stuff, let it all play out, you know, you got to just let it let it happen. And for your organization, that’s happened, because they don’t go out and spend a lot of money much to the chagrin of some of their fans. But also, I’m trying to be responsible with the money they do spend, because once you start wasting money on Chris Davis, in Baltimore, it becomes easier to look and say, What’s let’s get this right this time.
Munch Bishop 37:36
And you know, it’s interesting that you said, and this was gonna blow your mind, maybe it won’t. They call them the rabble. Okay, those fans, there are fans that say, even though the Guardians by the way, they are 65, and 42, will say we know what, they don’t spend any money. But in the browns, do we go back 15 years and look at the winning percentages of both teams, you can’t look at the number of wins because 160 to 217 doesn’t compare. But the bottom line is there are fans that will say that, well, I’m not going to say don’t spend money. Yeah, they spent it in the right place. But you know what else? Nestor, I’m gonna not be in cliche and toeing the company line. So they do wish they would have added a stud pitcher they tried. But the bottom line is this so much in baseball, he just said it about Chris Davis. It’s not what you spend a lot of the times it’s who you spent it on. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 38:23
and you know, good investments all the way around. I’m just saying the Ramirez thing that feels like a good investment to me. And it feels very good. One of those happy stories we’re trying to get with our own ballplayers in class
Munch Bishop 38:34
here Lakhta plus eight I mean, another great story. They look at the pieces that identify that are integral and you don’t you mentioned bullpens to flashback not that long ago to 2016. Some of the best bullpen pitching I have seen in my lifetime and you’ve seen it too and Birdland was Andrew Miller turning it over to Cody Allen Andrew Miller was Mariano Rivera like in his roles with the Cleveland Indians a year
Nestor J. Aparicio 38:59
yeah he was again he was a difference maker a difference maker yeah and and we traded away at Robert Rodriguez and watched him pitch for the Red Sox for years coming in here as you know not a top of the rotation guy but Oreos could use a three and they had to go out and spend together three months bishop to your you know, I mentioned Tito in the lawsuit Tito they’re doing okay without him. Right. They have a way of doing things there.
Munch Bishop 39:24
Yes, Stephen Vogt is still some I call it on the job training especially with his third base coach to regrow search or granted he managed double A for years which means he did Coach third base. I see some things like I mentioned at least three times in the last month they tried to score from third with the infield drawn in and they’ll force now you say that’s a contacting so there’s the balls hit but the third base coach also has to remind them the situation vote at times has left a pitcher in one batter too long. At time he’s done a lefty righty thing a little too much Grover was starts with a lefty righty thing, but how could you are With the results losing three starting pitchers and his team is 65 and 42. That’s true. I can’t argue with the results in any way shape or form.
Nestor J. Aparicio 40:09
much pressure was here I will give him now the floor. You know we talked poco we talked Michael Stanley, we’ve talked blossom. We talk guardians we talked Orioles we talked Major League draft we’ve compared coffee and and and most of them by the way, when you were mentioning Michael Stanley giving shoutouts to city names Atlanta How to Pronounce Youngstown and Akron and Canton and, you know, Parma and whatever. I would always call ma s i l o en masse Milan. And I was I was listening to the radio out there. So tell you I was listening to w o ne or web or whatever. It was classic rock and there was an ad on and the girl kept saying Maslen, Maslen man. So now I know it’s masculine but I’ve been getting it wrong for 55
Munch Bishop 40:54
years when Jagger and the stones in the 70s came to the Akron rubber bowl. It was so cool when he came on stage. So you’re in good company. And he came out so so good to be in the area of Akron, Canton. matalon. So maybe your pocket you know, you and Jagger share the same lingo.
Nestor J. Aparicio 41:10
I love that I love that you know my favorite town back when I was a Ravens fan and not just a reporter you know, all the years on the road? Like we’d always take the bus trip in and we would always stop in Canton for the for the football the American Football Hall of Fame yeah love the American football and the little little cap that sat on the side of the road there and it’s now Disneyland right. But on the way in we passed this town called Ravenna, r A v n Na, PIO, baby. So we would always stop there in Ravenna at the fast food joints there and let people get a bite to eat because we thought going into Ohio and putting down the purple flag in Ravenna would be like that’s it’s almost Ravens. It’s feels like raventail Like this is Steeler country. This is ravens country. March I
Munch Bishop 42:01
gotta get out. You put that purple bag and Ravenna. People there do have quite a few guns per capita.
Nestor J. Aparicio 42:06
Yeah, we think they’re going the wrong way. This year. They’re part of the problem in Ohio and Pennsylvania. And so from Yeah, the whole Pennsylvania turnpike’s an ad for a criminal but um, so nonetheless. The foot speaking of criminal, the football team, I want to give you the floor because you and I and by the way, I’ve managed to have a little bit of the scone that my wife thought was just okay, the pistachio cherry that I’m very pleased with and the coconut blueberry, which is maybe the best thing I’ve ever had in my life. I still have three bites of that you can see the blueberries in there. I want to let you go because when you went our dining and I was eating that shipwreck and Lucky’s Monday morning before Sammy Hagar out there. You went off just over breakfast about your departure from the browns and you and I met under tough circumstances are to move the team here 30 years ago, you and you know Kenny Rhoda and Bud Shaw and like all the Cleveland media that we’re all chasing Kevin Byrne here and pisted David and all of that I’ve known you guys a long long time without your team bringing the team back the learner thing all the quarterbacks all the coaches friends of mine like Phil savage and old friends of mine like Jewish people, you know that George trickiness all these people you know through it all, I’m sure to cost that could have come out that run the Browns a couple times and didn’t want to. And Ozzy you know, all of that. Your disdain for the Browns over breakfast. I don’t say it shocked me but I was like Whoa dude. So I want to give you the floor so you can tell my audience how pissed off you are? Because um you know I mean if you have a right to be I mean the Browns have not been good civic partners since art left and you know, literally I mean are pretty decent sorry. You know art every time I hear Cleveland Clinic and a Seville that our art did a lot there and then our left and since then, it’s been worse, a lot worse, a lot worse.
Munch Bishop 44:05
You know, as an owner art made some mistakes. All owners make some mistakes. But the bottom line is Yeah, movie The team was dastardly. It was criminal. But that’s true. I want to go back with you. I have been a staunch adamant had been Browns fan. For 65 plus years. I was a little kid at four and five that had his face pressed up against the frosted painted glass on a cold winter day. Waiting for my dad and uncles to come home from a game you are Ralphie is what you’re telling me? Yeah, the kind of neighborhood where you know, everybody kind of lived within a couple of blocks with each other. The old inner city, Cleveland neighborhood some of the families and you know, hoping that my dad, you know, praying that was gonna bring me a program and do some kind of memorabilia from the Browns game. That was me from day one. When the hassles took over. I’m thinking you know what? I don’t like this guy. He’s crooked. Went back to the radio station. We all had a little meeting a teta tat with all the sports reporters Tony Grossie was one of them. Somebody other hosts And they asked me my thoughts. I said a guy’s a crook. And he said, now you’re not sure he just don’t identify that. Well, number one, he didn’t have a tendency orange tie on. Yes, sir. Different shades of orange. So that kind of bothered me. You know, come on, he had enough money or a million multimillionaires if somebody gives you a brown or proper brown style. But number two, shortly after the Pilot Flying J when his company was bilking millions of dollars of clients by saying, Oh, we pump this much gas for you when they didn’t pump that much gas. My assessment was borne out in a big, big way. Just about everything that comes out of his mouth. And he has some smiles, though it is embarrassing to the city. How we got stuck with them is beyond me. We’re not running the front after the Deshaun Watson thing was really lots of thing put me over to others. I
Nestor J. Aparicio 45:46
mean, it’s also I mean, Daniel Snyder putting his wife out in front of that mess. Man, it’s itchy. I mean, all these billionaires are I mean, I’m gonna go into it Labor Day, but man, what a what a what a. I’ve been around these people. And I’ll tell you what, they threw me out because I don’t breed the right air smell the right way. I stepped out on my own. They are you know, it’s really who they are. There’s an arrogance that there
Munch Bishop 46:13
isn’t arrogance. And I got you know, even just personal stories I can tell you that got the arrogance
Nestor J. Aparicio 46:17
that art modell did not have an arrogance that people in sports didn’t have 40 years ago because they felt like you’re right fans. They felt like they
Munch Bishop 46:24
say that in spite of his dastardly deed of of moving his team, but the bottom line is the Watson signing you know what a number one despicable human being just came out wants people to like him, but he’s using unsavory words in his press conference. He will talk about all the BS has gone out. We know he’s the only he’s the biggest BS that’s involved with this football team. Something I’m proud of to not solicited for me. My daughter was involved in the Manhattan Browns backers club, okay. The day they signed Watson, she resigned from her posts and I was so proud of her. showed me a box of all her brown scare her Browns gear ended up where my browns gear did okay at a homeless shelter for people to wear because I have no interest in them anymore. Now when you’re a guy, Joe Flacco came in last year, I still won’t go to games, but I watched listen to the game. Actually, I won’t listen. But I watched games in a big, big way because Joe Flacco is a guy that you could rally around when Joe Flacco departed. By the way, Watson was the one that told Dorsey and Stefanski I don’t want Flacco back. He’s more popular than me if I go down and the fans will rally around him too. But oh, that was just a final straw. And you know what, bro? I’ve got over under talking NFL people, six games for the shame. As I call him this year for all the money they’re paying him. Most NFL people are taking under six. And I feel that Michael Parsons puts him down the first game of the season when they played a cowboy. But right now, you know, with a quarterback, I’m gonna say this. People spend money, you go to games. I’m not going any longer. And you know, at the bars and restaurants and the vendors downtown. That’s another thing has been trying to get the team out of downtown. Downtown needs this football team. You know what? That stadium is fine. There would have been one game last year where they could have used a dome. They’re not getting a Super Bowl. Come on. You know what I mean? They might get one NCAA final for the next 50 years. But the bottom line is the guys that unsavory character. He’s dishonest. He’s immoral. And I can care less about that football team. During Archbishop floor
Nestor J. Aparicio 48:26
hard words. Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, there comes a point where like, when Howard Cosell said I just don’t want to be calling guys giving each other brain damage anymore. That you just say like this isn’t? You know, I have my own issues with the league and head trauma and now 18 games they gotta be. Yeah, like, you know, and covering it. Honestly, as a human being, covering other human beings. I do not miss being in a room with people who thought I wasn’t good enough to share their air. And you know that for me for after investing 30 years of my life in they managed every part of my schedule for training camp for just everything we ever did here as a company. I will be speaking out on that on Labor Day weekend as the season kicks off. Munch is kicking off his panic drive out there. I mean, do you think there’s gonna be a Cleveland baseball parade in your lifetime? I mean, you’ve seen the basketball one, right? I mean,
Munch Bishop 49:29
dude, you know what? I had a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on that. I’m gonna have to shoot you a picture. I have to text you. One is that I jumped up on a float was invited by some of the media people. One of the PR guys came back because we didn’t have the Cavs games. It looked to me put his hands on his hips. And James Jones The Champ put his hand on my shoulder. He goes Go ahead. So I’ll shoot you pictures of me on the float during the Ferris Bueller waving away through the parade. But I do feel I will see a guardians championship Yeah in my in my lifetime now I can’t even adoxa If I play the right cars he goes you get hit by a car leaving the clinic. The bottom line is hopefully I got another 20 years left I’ll see when within that time
Nestor J. Aparicio 50:11
all right well make sure your heart’s beating through it all make sure we get back to Lucky’s and get some of these delicious scones. There is a I’ve been munching on this during this long long segment much Bishop Cleveland legend Orioles in the Guardians getting together this weekend. Rock and roll Michael Stanley Rock Hall blossom and a really good look.
Munch Bishop 50:31
I learned a lot can tell him. I learned a lot every time I’m with you bro. Back to Akron. We
Nestor J. Aparicio 50:36
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