Our Maryland Lottery pinch hitter Seth Elkin joins Nestor to discuss the rare, local get together of two venerable MLB franchises with a checkered history as the Home Run Riches contest get closer to exploding with a huge 50th Anniversary giveaway that could happen this week. When the Orioles hit their 50th homer of the season, someone is gonna cash in.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, game, pirates, years, steelers, promotion, love, win, tickets, baltimore, jersey, week, boonsboro, prize, weekend, ravens, fair, people, playing, cfg
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Seth Elkin
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
What about W en st Towson, Baltimore, Baltimore positive. We’re positively into the spring season around here. We got all sorts of things. Ravens schedule, ravens playing in London now and of course, the Maryland crabcakes. I don’t want to take the Maryland crabcake towards the UK for my 55th birthday, we’re gonna figure it out. So I’m brought to you by the Maryland lottery. The throwback lotteries first ever scratch off is what I’m giving away right now. We’re going to be state fair on Friday from two of the five CFG bank presidents bill we don’t we’ll be joining us talking about the CFG Bank Arena, where I might be seeing Janet Jackson do nasty, nasty boys this weekend as well as Anita Baker. So Happy Mother’s Day to everybody our friends wind donation, also putting the Maryland crab cake tour out on the road. 866 90 nation you buy two you get two free and five years 0% financing. I remind you a better deal than they gave me. This guy always gives me a good deal. Seth Alcon joins us now from the Maryland lottery, John Martin is on is on assignment this week. And you know, and Ross will come and get a crab cake with me. And at some point, she’s gonna bring Greg out. But you guys, you know, you equip me with these tickets to give away? And sometimes I say to Roz, are these the lucky ones? And she said, Oh, no, you know, they’re all the same. We all have a Champions chance. Alright, great. And I’m like, these aren’t like load where I don’t have enough winners, says I got $20 winners $50 winners at $100 winner at one point. So these people really win money when I give them the No wonder I’m so popular when I walk into MC falls oyster real in Essex.
8
Seth Elkin 01:31
Well, you know, it’s always fun when you got some lottery tickets to give away. So I suppose you’re popular wherever you go, when you got our tickets with you.
Nestor Aparicio 01:38
Give me the best story because you’ve been doing this forever. I mean, you look a lot younger than you are. I mean, the Orioles are playing the pirates this week. And that means something to me. I don’t really know if it means something to you. But it means a lot to me. But you’ve been doing this a long, long time. Have you liked seeing somebody scratch? $1,000? Well, like what’s what have you seen because I’m waiting for it. I’ve seen 50 100 A lot of 20s people get excited with 10 People get excited with two they come up there, hey, I got to box great. You know,
Seth Elkin 02:07
I’m not often with the players when they’re scratching and winning, because a lot happens at their home and happens out in the field. And sometimes people will scratch in the store. They tell us that and they get really excited. And they say I gotta get quiet. I don’t want anybody to know. And I want to leave the store and go home and celebrate. But the one I remember seeing was somebody bought a ticket at the State Fair, which is a big deal for us. As you know, we’re set up in the lobby of the exhibition hall. And it’s gonna be a huge promotion. You guys were involved with it? Yeah, for the entire duration of the fair. We all hours, the fairs open, we’re there. And we’ve got a retailer, they’re selling tickets. And somebody several years ago bought a ticket there and won a $10,000 prize, scratch it off right there at the the tables we have set up there at 110 $1,000. So was very excited and want to know, how do I go about claiming this? Well, no, you can’t do it right now. This retailer can’t pay you out? $10,000 You’re gonna have to come to our office. But that was an exciting thing to see to watch the reaction to that. So
Nestor Aparicio 03:02
8well. Yeah. I mean, when people when it is I mean, I’ll just say for me, it’s exhilarating. And you know, and I see. And I want to take a moment before we even begin because you watch baseball to say, Yeah, with mobile, this, you know, it people can get out of hand with this. So, you know, we talk to people all the time, but know your limits with baseball, because it is fun to win. It’s fun to win. It really is. And I see it every single week when I have winners.
Seth Elkin 03:26
It’s something that we obviously emphasize all the time is play within your means and have fun with it and and enjoy it and you know, treat it as a form of entertainment. You know, you would if you’re going to the Orioles game, you would figure out how much you’re going to spend on on Orioles tickets, if you’re going to your form of entertainment is going to be lottery tickets, then figure out how much you want to spend and keep to that and just keep it fun. That’s the way to keep it fun.
Nestor Aparicio 03:48
Well, I’ll tell you what, we’re keeping it fun around here. And one thing that has been fun and listen, your Pittsburgh guy, I’m just going to start with that. So anything that I say from here to the end of the I cannot be used against me in any way. Because it’s been all my life 1979 So the duck 11 From my age so we’ve 1339 You’ve done 3044 years, 44 years, how can it be 44 years since 1979? I have to do the math on this.
Seth Elkin 04:17
I was gonna say I just to make sure you know I am old enough to remember that I was a seven year old second grader in Beaver Pennsylvania when they won that World Series The pirates did it make you feel when they won because I know it was it was special. You know those guys? I
8Nestor Aparicio 04:32
spoil dude, Steelers winning every year and then the pirates when you’re spoiled. And
Seth Elkin 04:37
you Yeah, I think when you grew up in that kind of atmosphere. I mean, think about it what the Steelers won Super Bowl 13 The fall of the year that I was in first grade. And then fast forward to that October the pirates win the World Series and then a couple of months later, the Steelers won the Super Bowl again. So you’ll three championships in a span of 12 months and when you’re impressionable young kid growing up in the Pittsburgh suburbs it, it kind of changes you changes your whole outlook. You know, as a little kid, you expect that to go on forever, which of course, it hasn’t particularly with the pirates.
Nestor Aparicio 05:11
This week, right? Like this is the first time there’s been meaningful baseball between these two franchises. It’s in 44 years right.
Seth Elkin 05:18
8I made the mistake in a meeting here last week of saying that the pirates had the best record of the National League which they did at the time and they promptly proceeded to lose the next seven games they played against Tampa and Toronto. So you know, I those are the pirates that I remember you know, for for most of my lifetime American
Nestor Aparicio 05:34
League is to the tune your circuit no longer I would say from a baseball perspective, though, this homerun riches thing is fun, and we’ll get into it but this pirates Orioles thing before I even go any further with this, like, if devastated me, right. Like I was 11 years old. It was my birthday week is my birthday is in October. My dad scored tickets for one of the angels games, which was a 79 ALCS. So I went that game two, I believe. And then my dad score tickets for game two of the World Series. So I went to the second game. Kevin Eck, his parents got a strip that you know, they won the lottery and whatever my dad went and got line and we wound up going to one game and with the game too, so I mean tickets the old the old deal had my program. It had this sort of Starry baseball on it. 1979 and game seven that night. And look man I’ve talked to Flanagan McGregor Dempsey dour. I’ve had them all on the show. Boddicker wasn’t on a team. He’s in 83 team, but the 79 Orioles man that was my first love. And I don’t wanna say nothing against the Colts and Bert Jones or even the Oilers. But and I look I was it goes to the post. I was at the game when when I was at the Steelers Colts game when you might have been too young to remember that but when the plane went into the upper deck after the playoff game and memorials that you know that image that’s before my time. Little kroner okay 7576 That that era. So I was at those games because I went to games as a as a young person via blue died last weekend, and I remembered that I was at the ALCS game and 74 My dad took me to that game in the catfish hunter gatherer afternoon games, and I was in kindergarten. I totally remember going into those games with my dad. I had a scorecard for that game. So I had these vivid memories but the pirates beating the Orioles. I don’t know man I blubbered when Peyton Manning beat the ravens and oh six, clearly the Billy Cundiff Lee Evans game scarred me, you know what I mean? But as Baltimore baseball fans losing to the Royals get swept, like 10 years ago, like there were some memories in 97 playoffs and Jeffrey Mayer and I was a part of all I was at Yankee Stadium I was 50 feet and Jeffrey Mayer when that happened, so I have memories but the 79 Orioles is something it’s still it’s been my whole lifetime we’ll never get square. And I gotta give you this story. I’m gonna I’m gonna name drop because I know purple. I love it right birth does the show circle me Berg, Minnesota. He’s a broadcaster. Back when I was a real media member. Bert Blyleven and I were walking the streets of Baltimore. After an Orioles twins game in 2005 or six. He’s broadcasting for the twins my bobby buddy Robbie inch McCaskey, who’s been the pirates guy for years and years and years. With root and whatnot. Robbie’s from Philly, Robbie and baldy we’re you know, I’ve known Robbie for 20 Robbie was the Baltimore blast. Pa guy here we Robbie was a worker, right? So Robbie does games with Bert at this point in his life. He’s broadcasting in Minnesota, and we I meet them after the game and we’re going to go drinking beer in Baltimore together. This is 2000 567 in that range. And Blyleven and I are walking down the street. He knows me and knows that I’m an Oreo guy. And he starts twirling his World Series ring, twirling it, like walking down Pratt street after a game, twirling his World Series ring at me. Rant Jackson did this to me too, by the way, God bless Brant. He was a good guy. Other than that, and he played for the Yankees too, but that wasn’t his fault we dealt in their baseball history. Last week I did Earl big Katt Williams and Jim trade or this week I’m doing this one. Ply Levin says to me here you want to wear it? No, no, I don’t want you to have it. I don’t want to see it. I don’t want a memory of it. So the next day, we wind up going to lunch at Saba Tinos, because he loves Sabatini as I tried to take him to a meat cheese, no offense to the Sabatini, those people I was trying to, but he loves Saba Tinos, and there were 15 people. Bert took the whole crew, everybody that was in disabatino. We met him down there for a bookmaker and he started in on me again in front of everybody. I’m in Baltimore. We make great things happen here. Anybody want to wear the ring? No But no, nobody here wants to wear your ring. We hate the pirates will always hate the pirates. Omar Moreno his wife, way over door now star Joe. All of that Dave Parker had Parker on the show a couple years ago. No play no none of them into cov. No.
Seth Elkin 10:19
Melissa, perhaps you don’t want to see my Willie startle jersey.
Nestor Aparicio 10:24
You do this to
8Seth Elkin 10:25
the last time I was on with you. You had your Warren Moon jersey that was your favorite throwback and you emboldened me by by the fact that your favorite throwbacks? Not from a Baltimore team. So I’ve got mine. This is my favorite throwback. Well, we started on number eight. We are family pirates, Jersey, this will always be my favorite. So I will. I will have that on when the Bucs are in town.
Nestor Aparicio 10:46
Tell everybody. Look, man, we’re getting up on this. If we beat the snot out of there, awful pitching, maybe we can move the fence back in as we can get some more home runs. They can hit eight home runs this weekend. Like I would love for a real Baltimore oriole fan to parade around with 50 grand as at the expense of the pirates, as a reparation. You know what I’m saying for what happened back in 79. I mean,
Seth Elkin 11:14
we hope we hope we’re getting there soon, of course, we’re gonna give $50,000 to whoever our contestant of the game is when the Orioles hit their 50th home run and they’re in the low 40s They’re climbing up there. And that whether they’re going to whether they’re going to get there in those three games this weekend against the pirates, I don’t know. But they still got another few against the angels after that. So we think it’s going to be on this homestand before they leave town again, we’re gonna get to a ward that $50,000 And we’ve got the people that we select the contestants in the game a month at a time. So everybody for the rest of the games in May is on the calendar and they’re looking and they’re it’s nailbiting time to figure out where that 50 If homeruns gonna get hit, and we sure open up into real soon. And now we’re looking forward to that and get a chance to award that prize to somebody, it’s a lot of fun. Connected with our 50th anniversary, we don’t normally have a $50,000 prize as part of contestant of the game. It’s a promotion that everybody’s certainly familiar with, because we do it every year. But we added 250 $1,000 prizes to it this year because we’re turning 50 in 2023. So the first one goes to that contestant who is scheduled or the one the schedule for the day when the Orioles hit the 50th home run and then the other $50,000 prize will get awarded to someone in the last drawing of the season. On August 29. We’ll select the winners for all the games in September. And we’ll also draw another $50,000 winner at that time. So plenty of time to still get your entries in. You might have missed out on that first 50,000. But you’ll have a chance at that second one. So listen,
Nestor Aparicio 12:41
8I tell John this all the time because I try to be authentic with what I do with the lottery. Okay, I mean, I’m legit old school or when you’re bringing out all these old logos. You know, I’m that guy, right? That the lottery did a promotion. And I want to say it was an 8382 345 in that range. There was a million dollar home run a Grand Slam. Because it used to be an inning it was an inning and we’re playing for Biff Bemidji and Sykesville and bibs go to win 100 This is back 50 years ago, right? 40 or 50 years ago, only only 35 years. Okay, a long time ago, a long time ago, but a million dollars was like a million it was annuity it was a big deal. But a woman one is I remember it Rennick he came up with the bait. And if it was a Grand Slam, that was sort of the thing, if the special homerun was a grand slam and what would the odds be the only hit three or four or five a year? What would the odds be that would be in this inning in this game? Rennick. He hit it. And I’m telling you if you should research it, because it’s such a great story as part of the 50,000. But I remembered all the every Oriole fan is my age would remember it because it was really a big deal. It was kind of cool when it happened. And now we think this $50,000 thing for sure. Is people gonna remember this right? I mean, and it’s gonna be a big deal on the broadcast, I’m sure,
Seth Elkin 14:03
yeah, it’s gonna be a lot of fun. We’re really looking forward to it. And it’s fun to be able to add these kinds of prizes and these kinds of Second Chance contests. You know, we we always have some kind of Second Chance contests going any part of the year at any given time. We’ve got something but more than usual this year because it’s our 50th anniversary. I think there are six different Second Chance promotions happening right now. So we don’t have to keep them all straight and make sure
Nestor Aparicio 14:29
people to get the app right. Isn’t that like literally the best way to do this
Seth Elkin 14:32
or go to go to our website, there’s a promotions link on the top of the website and you can see all the current promotions there and keep track of everything, not only the second chance contest, but we have other promotions that come up that are bonus prizes on our games. We just finished a keynote sprinkler that is real popular among the keynote players where you can multiply your prizes and we got another one day promotion that’s coming up. I can’t tell you too much about it yet and while some of the details probably starting next week, but a one a promotion for May 24, which is the anniversary of our very first drawing. It was held May 24 1973. So we’re getting excited about that. And we’ll be lots more news coming about that next week
8Nestor Aparicio 15:11
was the very first drawing the big balls with the did they always do it that way? The way they did it on TV?
Seth Elkin 15:17
I, you know, I actually not sure it was a little bit Angel by computer and 73 sure wasn’t by computer I had to be random. And I don’t know what random would even mean. But we had we had tickets. The game was called Twin win. And we actually recently had someone contact us who’s got original twin wind tickets that she saved from that very first drawing. They’re dated. She bought them in May of 1973, when they first went on sale, and they’re dated for the drawing may 24 1973. So a lot of a lot of history there.
Nestor Aparicio 15:49
Yeah. Well, I’m when I come to your building, you know, I took that picture. I’m gonna put that maybe may 24. I’ll put that up because I have a picture of me with every promotion because when you get off the elevator over Montgomery park you guys are when I come and get these to give away from you and Roz and Doug and John and everybody in your office. It’s a rich history. And this is a year where you guys are really having a lot of fun with this. What else is going on? I talked to John about this because you mentioned the state fair. I mean, I’m doing I’m going to be at State Fair in Catonsville this weekend. By the way, the restaurant not the fair, doing the Maryland crab cake tour, but part of getting out in the community. And I have Billy del coming out of CFG Bank Arena talking about concerts, ballgames, promotions, stay fair festivals, things that you guys have been doing for generations, right? For 50 years, literally, where do you go out into the community, a lot of that stopped in 2021, planning into 22. It really feels like crossed our fingers. We’re having the most normal Memorial Day. Fourth of July. I even have a normal heritage fair in Dundalk this summer, right? It’s a normal time and you guys get out and do so many of these things. And this is the big banana 50th anniversary, you guys are doing more than you’ve ever done. Yeah,
Seth Elkin 17:01
8this is your right first of all, that we’re back to a normal schedule now, which which feels really good after a couple of years of a lot of uncertainty. But we do probably if you count up the number of days that we are out and set up at some kind of fair or festival or community event or charity event. There are probably 100 days on the calendar that we’re somewhere sports events to we go to Orioles games, we’re at all the Ravens games, we go to Terps game sometimes. So we’re out there and interacting. And it’s a really important part of what we do that you have face to face time with with us from the lottery and you have a chance to spin the prize wheel and win something. And it’s great that you mentioned events because there’s one on the calendar that’s coming this weekend that we’re really excited about we’ve been playing Preakness for that well, that’s in a couple of weeks. We’re gonna be there and we’re also going to be at one in the woods that same weekend. So that’s, that’s an event doubleheader weekend for us when we had
Nestor Aparicio 17:51
one in the woods last weekend, and three, Dan and Merriweather. So I love me some wine in the woods,
Seth Elkin 17:58
but the one we’re really looking forward to is out in Boonsboro. The Quad state pickle fest is I heard about this couple of weeks ago. What’s
Nestor Aparicio 18:06
this thing?
8Seth Elkin 18:07
The quads, it’s all about pickles. And if you don’t like pickles, which I gotta admit, I’m not the biggest pickle fan in the world. So but I’m gonna try to get out there anyway because I can’t You can’t we all can’t resist the idea of this event ever since we started first heard about it. We contacted them and said hey, can we can we come out there and be part of it? And they were they were really happy to have us and we’re a sponsor of the quad state pickle fest. So all kinds of
Nestor Aparicio 18:31
the Boonsboro Don’t look at me like that. I’ve had crabcake in Boonsboro so you know I mean Boonsboro that’s your people. I mean they’re Steeler pipe there are people in Boonsboro right now rootin for the Steelers
Seth Elkin 18:43
Western Western Maryland that’s that becomes Steelers territory out there so I’m happy about that. I gotta I gotta I gotta go out there and for no other reason I don’t want
Nestor Aparicio 18:51
8to say to my wife all the time cuz Look, your people are up there you know exactly what I’m talking about you you drive out 70 Right you pass Frederick mental divide like the old John Belushi movie and there’s a bridge that comes down with the trail it just as you’re going up the hill they’re getting up on a Hagerstown toward before you know before you break off to go to Cumberland or go up to to Somerset and Breezewood and all that. But it says Continental Divide right around there. We give it away everything once you pass there it’s over. It’s all it’s West Virginia mountaineer. It’s all that right? It’s not It’s Maryland and I love it rocky gap big rocky gap fan big. But they’re not right when it comes out there to sports. I mean for me
Seth Elkin 19:39
well, we can agree to disagree on that. That’s where I start to get comfortable. That’s that’s that’s the worst territory right before I
Nestor Aparicio 19:46
throw you out and I hear you’re coming back in two weeks. So I don’t know how this weekend’s gonna go. Whether I’m gonna be wearing my orange throwback, Rick Dempsey, Jersey or whatnot. But I do have something for you because You brought up my Warren Moon jersey. And I want to give thanks to my wife for fetching this for me, but this is my Dan Passerini Wow, dude, Dan doesn’t know I got this and Dan is become a friend of mine and adulthood helped to swap for the bone marrow registry as Mike Tomlin did in front of the Willie Stargell statue. Literally, in 2015, we swapped for the bone marrow registry. And you know, he’s wearing a Starzl jersey that day and taking me to Clemente statue and all that, but I got this Passerini throwback that actually fits me. Just for fun. So I have a Passerini and a moon. As I told Dennis cocoons bottom afford, I’m looking for an oral Campbell, I don’t know whether it’s gonna be white or blue. But when I see it, and I’m like, that’s the one for me. But this was the one for me. So I got a Passerini and I have a moon. And if I could get a Bert Jones, maybe in a white, I might do that. But I’m paying homage to my childhood in the same way. What does that startle Jersey mean to you must mean everything because you want, right?
Seth Elkin 21:02
It’s I thought it’s particularly the black
8Nestor Aparicio 21:06
one. I want to see you. I want to patronize you. I can’t come on now put it on. torture me go all in. Go on. Because if the Orioles play the pirates in the World Series, we’re not going to like each other. Well, I promise you look, look at this. Look, look at him. Look at him and all of his glory. I’m gonna put a picture up on the interwebs I swear to God, are we not dealing with this here this morning? We are family. Cheese. He just I love these
Seth Elkin 21:34
things. These they had you know, they had three different versions of the uniform. They had black all black like I love the gold 70s Yeah. And then they had a pinstripe white white, with black and gold pinstripe coffee where the pinstripe hat. It was supposed to be three separate distinct uniforms. It looked like we were selling ice cream, black and Pinstripe and they the players took a liking to the idea of mixing and matching the jerseys and the pants. So you never knew what combination they were going to be in. And some of them were
Nestor Aparicio 22:03
good players took a liking to a lot of things later on that the feds got involved in. But I’m not I’m not gonna you know, I’m not gonna go there. But I just did because it’s factual. This is factual. I’m a journalist, Seth Come on.
Seth Elkin 22:14
8So some of that some of them worked. Okay. But so Dave Parker was on the cover of Sports Illustrated one week in the pinstripe jersey. And the gold pants. It looked like a set of mismatched pajamas. He bought off the discount rack. It was God awful.
Nestor Aparicio 22:27
I want to try to find I’m gonna find that picture of well, he there’s one of him on the cover with Jim rice. Oh, God, this is the one you’re talking about. That is terrible. God, that’s the worst looking thing I’ve ever seen an
Seth Elkin 22:42
autographed version of that one. But
Nestor Aparicio 22:44
do you really? Look at how you know I say these teams were their pajamas these days. Do that is pajamas. That is total $10.39 Of course you know what I’m saying? Right?
8Seth Elkin 22:59
That’s that’s the best way I can describe it. Mismatched pajamas says that
Nestor Aparicio 23:02
even though you love the pirates and the Steelers, I like you. I mean, I get along with Mike Tomlin. People say I can’t get along with people they’ve never met me. You know what I mean? Look at what I’ve allowed you to do here look at what I’ve allowed this to become today.
Seth Elkin 23:14
I’ve littered black and gold all over your show. Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 23:17
8well you know I’d hold the pastor anything up and say if y’all didn’t cheat squirt down the field back in 78 Maybe thanks and also get cheating from the officials. He threw that Pastor Renfro in the corner you know that was a touchdown. History will tell you that was a touchdown.
Seth Elkin 23:32
Well, again we’ll agree to disagree
Nestor Aparicio 23:36
well one thing we know for sure. Pirates 179 World Series I can’t argue with that they won’t game seven sets Alcon is here to torture me about all things Orioles in Pirates. Hey, maybe with the tortured souls out there. We’ll get 50 grand this weekend. And maybe the Orioles would get it against the pirates, which would be lovely to hit eight home runs this weekend or nine home runs this weekend or 11. home runs this weekend and get to that $50,000 Home run home run riches. You can learn more about all of this cool stuff at MD lottery.com. You can learn more about how to win and second chances by coming to find me at State Fair this week. We’re gonna be at the local on the 23rd up in fallston. And I have a very, very aggressive crabcake oyster. And you know what goes with that beer brewery tour ahead in August and September to celebrate 25 years of rock and they’re celebrating 50 years at the Maryland lottery. I’m selling celebrating almost 50 years of having having the Oilers lost to Pittsburgh having the Colts lose the Pittsburgh having the Orioles lose the Pittsburgh and you wonder why I felt so good when the Ravens beat the Steelers. I am Nestor we are WNS da and 1570, Towson Baltimore. And we never stop thinking about 1979 If you brought the whistle, I would have thrown them off. We are Baltimore positive.com
