The magic of Orioles baseball and musical friendship

Serendipity followed our WNST 25th Anniversary celebration as local sports cartoonist Ricig gifted a surprise visit and local musician Ed Lauer joined Nestor at Costas Inn for a winding discussion about a quarter of a century of lousy Orioles baseball, the Bob Irsay dummy and the dream for another orange parade in Baltimore.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

dummy, flanagan, signs, bought, gave, mike flanagan, game, bob, stadium, joe, team, orioles, day, baltimore, years, beanie, yankees, radio station, super bowl, mike

SPEAKERS

Ed Lauer, Nestor Aparicio, Mike Ricigliano

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

What about wn St. Towson, Baltimore, Baltimore positive we’re positively a cost this during our 25th anniversary, I’m not worn out yet. We’re gonna do a whole second day drug city on Friday, August 3 1998. We came into existence and all these 25 years later happen to be sponsored by the Maryland lottery. We are out here giving these Wan Olympiad winners yet we’re looking for some winners from our Maryland lottery 50th anniversary scratch offs. Homer riches is out there. Our friends at window nation also put us out on the road at 866 96 here and Eddie Lauer’s here as part of Eddie Eddie. Big Weekend. I’m gonna get your bobblehead this weekend courtesy row. Don’t make me to the stance the other you’re doing it right now what shirt you wear today. You got to add the shirt. So Rockstar Eddie Lauer’s here Microsoft Liana was here, Dennis Colossus was tardy. He’s here he’s eating crabcakes Mr. stadium’s old worn out tired, took the piano out. He’s over learning just once by Quincy Jones right now. We’re going to do a song and dance a little bit later. So we’re sick. I forgot my window nation hat today. Oh, my floppy hat. So you made this hat for me. Right. You know, Ed, Ed knows you say neighborhood I am

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Mike Ricigliano  01:13

at head. I mean, this is the great the bet our favorite musician in Baltimore

Nestor Aparicio  01:18

is my favorite musician. Yeah. And you and I. We will be sequestered during the plague. We used to watch Eddie play up on the roof on a second. Yeah. pictures together. You’re in? Oh, we are selfies of us watching you on 100 degree day during the plague. It was something that was

Ed Lauer  01:36

the only time that I had hypothermia. And hyper isn’t Hypertherm I’m not a doctor. But you know, I had I had the cold and the hot. And my one of my managers said thanks, pandemic you gave Ed Lauer the you know hyperthermia and the hyperthermia. I think that’s brutal is doing no this is great news. This is dog Yeah. This is awesome. Yeah, you like

Nestor Aparicio  01:59

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that? Like that, Eddie?

Mike Ricigliano  02:03

Eddie looks great in it. Yeah,

Ed Lauer  02:04

we’re sick is one of the best artists and I’ve been following him for years such a fan and fan of the nasty Nester show. How long have I been calling in brother 25 years? Seriously?

Nestor Aparicio  02:16

Well 32 You were calling back pepper Steve before I knew you before we had the station back you remember the day I opened it? Yeah, yeah. You’ve been around longer

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Ed Lauer  02:23

and Smithereens and seeds Smithereens on Friday night we hung out at lead betters and all night. Great play. Beatles songs

Nestor Aparicio  02:30

were saved. Beatles songs are patented as yoga for no more.

Ed Lauer  02:32

Come on. You gave me one.

Nestor Aparicio  02:33

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That’s good time. So I have artist and musician. You guys know each other. You both came to me before we did the segue because I didn’t play in this. And you guys were like talking about the signs in this really reverent way. Okay, and I just want to say this. It’s our 25th anniversary. Joe Enoch, one of my dear friends gave me this idea. He said you should do the 25 greatest moments in the history of wn St. Some of the signs predate NST like this sign that you love, which is the Spanky yanks. I love this isn’t 1996 Oh, that’s why it exists. Yeah, okay. Yeah. So I mean, the promotion on it says, listen to me on the Budweiser sports form and am 1360. and AM 1313. Habit, Grace. Earlier,

Ed Lauer  03:18

I have that memorabilia with all my other Oriole members.

Nestor Aparicio  03:22

Crossing the wire to wire 97 You brought me he said he didn’t want a gift. He wants this. I was at games. Yes. I was in Seattle. I was in the locker room when they were

Ed Lauer  03:31

popping champagne. You know, you probably lost that if you ever had it. Why don’t

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Nestor Aparicio  03:35

you just never had it. I just really have a memory like Mary Lou and at least what I have and what I did.

Ed Lauer  03:41

Okay, good. So keep it I have it. Let

Mike Ricigliano  03:43

me just say this about the sign. Yeah, you know, the signs. I mean, Nestor was like ahead of everyone on this stuff. The signs were popping up everywhere. And it’s just it was just such a great connector and like, just fun thing for fans. No matter what it was the dump Trumpy stuff, you know, when when

Nestor Aparicio  04:04

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President Trump he should get one. Grab the dump property.

Mike Ricigliano  04:07

I want everybody

Nestor Aparicio  04:08

to dump Trump. This was October of 96 I’m Trump two years before

Mike Ricigliano  04:14

just like can I cover up cover up the why on that? Yes. Sorry. I’m sorry for the criminal now I appreciate Ness for for for all the signage that he’s he did additional is this beautiful man great radio works great. Fine. Look at this

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Ed Lauer  04:37

after you’re done. I mean, I looked at it but it is artwork is just insane. Why appreciate

Nestor Aparicio  04:41

so people been coming in all day taking books taking shirts. Terry your wife was saying is as as the wn S T sweatshirt. Yes, he needed it. Oh, look at that. I think I think that was because it fits you. Did you take a shirt or anything? got this all right for one thing that was my shirt Okay, that’s yours

Ed Lauer  05:03

can I have can add all yours I brought I

Mike Ricigliano  05:05

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had to take this one because I was part of the free the bird thing so I mean yeah always remember that moment has

Ed Lauer  05:11

but here’s the thing I used to wear this shit I had that when I first start listening to your station I have me and my dad God rest his soul. We he wouldn’t call in but I call in I think he called in a couple of times didn’t

Nestor Aparicio  05:24

I came in to sing with you upstairs at your place over Belair Edison. Yeah,

Ed Lauer  05:27

man your dad. Yeah. That’s right. That’s right. I

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Nestor Aparicio  05:30

had Tom Pearson earlier and I may I dropped your name. He’s from classic five golf. They have Clifton Park. Yeah. As one of their part. Did you go up there hit golf balls. I put spear Street.

Ed Lauer  05:40

Here’s the thing about I hit very few golf balls, but I played baseball at the end of Blair road. I always say Belair road because I don’t wanna say Blair lair

Nestor Aparicio  05:51

play right. And I say Blair, Blair

Ed Lauer  05:55

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road. And at the end, there was a fence and there was a baseball field. It was carved out of St. Baseball. So it was carved out by the by the you know neighborhood so long story short, Jim Hanuman wrote a story about people playing streets on on a playing baseball in the streets of Baltimore. And he added that that field in his little article, very cool. Yeah. So so it legendary it really isn’t. So I never played literally, but I did play street ball where Jim Hanuman. Hanuman I know me too. And

Nestor Aparicio  06:28

he said to my colleague in 90 days exactly. Scarred here. Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah. Boss here. We told some stories, I’m sure.

Ed Lauer  06:36

Oh, he mentioned a few baseball fields. But the fact that he mentioned Clifton Park meant so much to me, because that was my neighborhood. And that’s where I played

Nestor Aparicio  06:44

Absolutely. Well. They’re part of classic five top years was here. I mean, it’s really bad sponsors that held this together and even the signs every time I look at the signs, I see Robbie’s first base I you know, I see Ameche I see Bella rose yeah remember to pay cafe

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Mike Ricigliano  07:01

I miss you know you know that the earth a dummy ended up at the bay. Do

Nestor Aparicio  07:05

you have a new way or say sign did you get one of those? I didn’t get one. Can I get it? No way or say sign?

Ed Lauer  07:10

Not your mama? Yes. That was that was I didn’t I don’t know if that was one of the sponsors. But the first thing

Nestor Aparicio  07:18

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that was gifted by me Oh, I didn’t know that. So you want the story? Oh, yes, I do. Will you tell him the story about Tommy the

Mike Ricigliano  07:26

dummy was you know an original the original Tommy was was brought to a game and veteran stadium when the when the Colts came to play the Eagles and we I made this paper mache dummy a lot of people that listen to you know about the Earth

Nestor Aparicio  07:43

December 8, you need to take the night off. It’s a Friday night. December 8. Terry, December 8, Dennis December 8. I need you both of you teach everybody December 8 Friday night, your mind. So we’re gonna go to see Dan Roderick. We’re gonna go see Dan’s Baltimore show. I’m buying. I’m buying. It’s my gift. It’s my Christmas gift to all of my loved ones and friends. You’re in the show.

Mike Ricigliano  08:07

I heard that. I missed the first so I heard that the Earth Day dummy made so mad. generis. Yeah, I

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Nestor Aparicio  08:15

have to say that again. So So December 8 is our night we’re gonna have our special Baltimore positive Christmas party

Mike Ricigliano  08:20

southern So yeah, this dummy we brought it in. We weren’t allowed in the stadium. We had to buy a ticket for a paper mache dummy to get into the stadium. A lot of people know this. And we you know, we made a bunch of papers and a bunch of new ESPN. Yeah. Oh. So that was my 15 minutes of fame. And but i was i i mentioned it only because it was auctioned off at the end of the season for charity for RBL. And the end Schaefers pub brought bought the dummy they paid I think it was like $1,200 or $1,400 for the dummy which they hung in effigy at the bars Thomas

Nestor Aparicio  09:00

came down and visited in many set rescues

Mike Ricigliano  09:04

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Thomas used to do an interview

Nestor Aparicio  09:06

with drunk Bob drunk Bob would make football picks Saturday night oh

Mike Ricigliano  09:12

my god that was so fun Chris

Nestor Aparicio  09:13

Thomas you know he really max that he really Max the dummy wound up with Shaffers and he got punched in yeah and punched it broke his jaw right I had to repair it received a new doctor to work on it. Yeah. And then she first like went out of business and like the wn up in the sixth house. Okay,

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Mike Ricigliano  09:29

but it ended up at the Bay Cafe first the owner of the bay Cafe who cracked loose little wheel from the famous colts fan owned the bay cafe at the time he ended up with the dummy then at bay cafe and then event a dummy’s

Nestor Aparicio  09:44

head wound up back with received under repair. Now this this is true now this is 1996 we get the tiza doctor.

Mike Ricigliano  09:53

I have my five I’ve done in

Nestor Aparicio  09:57

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96 when these spank the Yank signs were Well, this is a true story and Tony della Rosewood were totally because he was in Indianapolis with me. Okay. The weekend that the that the Yankees were beating the Orioles in 96 It was after Jeffrey Mayer when the games were in Baltimore, right? We were in Indianapolis because the Colts were playing the Ravens for the very you can look it up October. I remember 1490 96 The Colts played the Ravens the same day the Orioles were playing. Yeah, I was focused on the game. I was well I was too on TV, but I always had an MD But you multitask. So he paid me. He fixed or say his head. He gave it to me on a stick. And I took her SES head. DENNIS You love this. I took her SES head, the dummy on a stick through the streets of Indianapolis in on my birthday in 1996 on my 28th birthday. And I remember this little old lady came up to me in a square and she said it’s been 13 years get over it. So I’m holding her say head up pictures was fun. So the the company comes back and study it Nacho Mama’s had the late grade Sconnie God had his bachelor party that weekend. Okay, good man. So study saw the dummy and said can I get the dummy at Nacho mom okay now and I said I said I said to him what you will be proud of me I said it’s not my dummy it’s your system. It’s not my dummy. I can’t speak for the day I can’t I can’t sound like dummy to give you you know, so the dummy comes home and Scotty wanted it skinny put it in a casket. Yeah, I saw that and it’s in the wall right right. So I have a picture and it’s really weird of skinny wearing this grim reaper outfit with with the with the dummy, right? I found a picture of me and Sconnie scotch whisky Joe’s study was dressed like Elvis at Whiskey Joe’s I had our party. I mean, Scott, he’s like a little bit of an angel and all of this right? So Scotty gets the dummy. Puts it up. And then the Super Bowl was in Indianapolis. And we almost went right we dropped the ball, right? I commissioned him to make another dummy. You made a beanie ba i made a beanie Baba beanie BA.

Mike Ricigliano  12:28

So I made so beanie Bob was like this big smart okay image of the of the original artist a dummy. and it too was on a stick

Nestor Aparicio  12:40

you have as you had little dollar bills. Hey.

Mike Ricigliano  12:43

Everything in miniature form and a stick that I ran through. It’s that I took to the game. And you’ll remember this story Nestor. We were sitting we used to sit near your seat was just when Peyton Manning I think so. Yeah, of course Peyton Manning,

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Nestor Aparicio  12:59

he made a mini Bob.

Mike Ricigliano  13:01

Bob I brought it around. And where I was sitting. It was not a problem. No one gave me any trouble about the dummy. But when I came over to sit with you guys immediately safe

Nestor Aparicio  13:11

management. Dummy safe.

Mike Ricigliano  13:16

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Safe management came over. We have to take that that as a weapon. I’m like, it’s not a wet dog. It’s a dummy. And Nestor is insisting he said we’re sick if you give him that dummy, I’m not going to be your friend anymore. Like I say

Ed Lauer  13:31

oh man I want to watch the game that guy broke

Nestor Aparicio  13:34

into a relationship I can’t believe I did he take the

Ed Lauer  13:37

thing out you couldn’t take

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Mike Ricigliano  13:38

it. So this is the funniest part of the story. So at one

Nestor Aparicio  13:43

of my sections nuts it’s 513 and it’s like they’re trying to take your

Mike Ricigliano  13:49

credit people ready

Nestor Aparicio  13:51

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That’s right. And I’m like Philly we don’t have a jail in the stadium so so

Mike Ricigliano  13:55

so this is what happens so again, they’re claiming this is a weapon they make me take the so we disconnect the dummy from from the steak and gave the steak is appointed steak. No, they took the dummy and left me with the point.

Ed Lauer  14:10

Are you kidding me? Oh, that’s the weapon. They

Mike Ricigliano  14:15

they just we will stuck with us. You

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Nestor Aparicio  14:17

know she was dangerous. So I’ll take a beer. You give me a beer. I’ll have a beer. I’ll have a beer. Mr. Costa. We want you to have beer

Mike Ricigliano  14:28

so we get your beer I’m good thank you

Nestor Aparicio  14:35

Dennis Is it bad if you tell a Greek man that you don’t want a beer? They see this

Mike Ricigliano  14:41

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bad luck on some level.

Nestor Aparicio  14:42

Oh look. So here. You’re giving all this great grace to this shop man. This is the real barbers say the dummies in the press bar. Okay. So there it is right there. This is the real barbers. There’s a very young we’re sick very weary with the bills hat on

Ed Lauer  15:00

Yeah, they came they took the steak and gave you the Bob mercy. No,

Mike Ricigliano  15:03

they took the earth and left.

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Ed Lauer  15:05

I mean, it took point. I’m sweating. When I met the verb he started took the barber seeing Thursday, they left the weapon and one object that was art.

Nestor Aparicio  15:15

The macro. I’m thinking

Mike Ricigliano  15:18

I was cracking me up. Crack, same totally

Nestor Aparicio  15:24

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backwards. Backwards. So So here’s the beanie

Mike Ricigliano  15:29

dummy yet the beanie Bob. Yeah.

Nestor Aparicio  15:32

I asked received, if I could take it to Indianapolis. Right for the Super Bowl. Yeah. So we packed it, that Domi sat with everybody in the it was it was the star of Indianapolis because I’m sitting in the ballroom at Radio row for a week. And every day we had a seat for the domain. So I have pictures. I have a picture of Don Shula with the daring

Mike Ricigliano  15:59

Bill send me that. You’ve never

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Nestor Aparicio  16:01

seen this. I don’t think it’s gotta be on my Facebook can look that up, can you? No, no, I’m gonna find

Ed Lauer  16:08

I have a phone. He’s good with this.

Nestor Aparicio  16:10

I have a phone. Okay, so I don’t we don’t have all of our all of our true. There it is right there. Oh, you are kidding. Sorry. Celebrity. Yes. That’s Don Shula and the dummy, and they are doing the show together. That’s very fun, insane. So I actually have Ursa as face with their Super Bowl ring. It was the tight end from their Super Bowl team, whoever was he wrote a book. He was on the show, and he had the ring. Okay. And he put the ring next to Bob’s hand, right? So I have to correct right. So in that week, I had an epiphany that week. So if you want to visit beanie Bob beanie bar, I want to you want to he is eight miles away. Beanie. Bob’s permanent home is at the bar, the back bar at Nacho mama’s

Mike Ricigliano  17:05

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house. That’s awesome.

Nestor Aparicio  17:07

I gifted that we did the crabcake tour there last year. Definitely. And I gifted them. Beanie Bob who had sat in the radio station. He’d been trapped for 15 years. That’s very for the radio station. So BD Bob lives at the back bar, not the side bar. You go into Nacho Mama’s in Towson in the back, there’s room to big sports, which got great stuff. It’s it’s not your motto. No. The beanie, Bob’s there though, if you take a picture with lives back there permanently. I put him right next to the vodka

Ed Lauer  17:39

Scottie would would approve,

Nestor Aparicio  17:42

like a blog. It belongs

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Mike Ricigliano  17:44

I have a photo of the real or original or saved on me with Artie Donovan really sent you that. Post that that is a fun photo arty looking or daring at the dummy. So I know you

Nestor Aparicio  17:57

have to leave. Because it’s gonna bring you beer like, you don’t drink beer. So here’s the deal with these signs. I have and I want both of you. And I want our audience that’s listening. So many people have been so kind through this whole period of time and all the shit that’s gone down with the ravens and God bless you with the Orioles. But what they’ve done to me and my business is wrong. And as an example, just the awareness. Just to give you an example next Thursday, I was playing afternoon game, a pennant race game against the Astros up there. I can’t be there working the Ravens practice that day. I can’t be there work with Luke only Luke’s the only one they’ll let in on a Thursday. I work right. So both teams now are restricting our access. So it’s not. It’s gross. It’s it’s ridiculous. And anybody that knows me knows that. So I asked Joe Enoch, and I asked Greg Landry, who is Harvey Meyers in the Emerald taverns, son in law, and Harvey left me a beautiful note. He’s added Stella Maris, he left me a beautiful note for my 25th and Harvey only emerald taverns when I first sponsors, right, and Bill Cole from coal roofing I asked the three of them about a month ago, I said, Look, my 25th anniversary is coming up. I want to do a show a cost. So I’m gonna get rid of some books and shirts and hats and all I said, but what do you think? If I’m going to brag about something over 25 years? What what’s my legacy? What’s the legacy of the radio station and show Enoch said, Dude, there’s not one thing you’ve been doing this forever. Like, if anybody thinks you’re a one trick pony, you should spike the ball in their ass. Because for 25 years as a station, you’ve run road trips you’ve given access to celebrities you gave you created your competitor. You did these crazy signs you did the barn shows you did the walkout on free the birds you did the New Orleans March. You took Deion Sanders to the barn one night. You don’t I mean, you took Lawrence Taylor to the barn and he took rod Woodson Shannon Sharpe, John Ogden to the barn he took buddy Ryan to the barn You carry the Lombardi Trophy down, you got to Super Bowl winning coach to be your partner, right? You, you know, like, all of these things you’d like. And Joe’s, like you should do the 25 greatest moments in the history. And I said, well, the moments wouldn’t be like, a radio segment. You know, I couldn’t say, Joe Flacco went on our air and said, I don’t think I’m, you know, I think I’m the best. And I’m gonna win a Super Bowl here. You know what I mean? Like all that, Lamar, Believe, believe, believe that. And all that. We did things on these airwaves were Brian Philly, came to town and took a phone call told me he was going to be the next coach of the team. If, if art modell offered him the job. So we’ve done things on the air, none of these moments are about the air, their interest, they’re all about gathering peak experiences and experiences and bringing people together. Yeah. And you know, every time somebody listens to one of the five, seven, the fan, it’s a compliment to me. They’re there because I was here first and being locked out of the Orioles in the Ravens by billionaires. Shame on them, you know what I mean? Like, I’m still here doing my thing. But like, they fear me. And like, I should use that as pride, you know, just as they’re afraid of me, which is bizarre. But nonetheless, these signs have come up several times as their own sort of

Mike Ricigliano  21:18

getting into life of their own. I think the way you chew reacted

Nestor Aparicio  21:22

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to them. I’m only doing this segment with you on you, but I’m doing it because you love the signs. We’ve done a lot of things that missed off to people five, that means a lot to me that if you want to one of my road trips, if you came, if you were sitting here with my mother, and Brian McKinney, we’re sitting here, the week of the Superbowl, or you were in the corner with me and CJ Mosley here, or anything that we we’ve done over 25 years. I’m appreciative and I want to celebrate that you haven’t left because there was a point where this might not have happened. You knew me long before there was any it took a miracle for the team to appear. The fact that we got a football team again was miraculous. Sure, for any of us, right. And, and I, all these years later, I’m trying to over the next six months. So what I’m going to do is to 25 stories of glory. Good. So once a week, I’m going to feature stuff and we’re going to lead up to our it’s going to be countdown like a Casey’s top 25. And it’s my opinion, what do you think the number one thing wn st What do you? I mean, everybody would have an opinion? No, I would have I know what I think our

Ed Lauer  22:32

thing is? Yeah, I have to think about it though, because there’s a bunch but yeah, it’s for some

Nestor Aparicio  22:37

people it’s the trip they went on, it went on, it was the Yankees boss they went on, it was the Foxborough trip, when we beat them and went to the Super Bowl. It was the Pittsburgh trip and we didn’t beat them. But we had a great time. And we threw parties for 1000s of people. And like all of this is in play. There’s some over the next six months. And I want people that are new, or old people like Mr. State and they might not remember. I want them to know what we did. And I want to I want to paint our legacy over the next I’m

Mike Ricigliano  23:07

interested in seeing the list. Yeah, this has got to be on the list the free the bird thing of course, that’s gotta be on on the list.

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Ed Lauer  23:13

Just the signs and whiskey Joe’s

Mike Ricigliano  23:18

just saying this, this this, this made this shook things up. You know, like this was something that took things up, folks, you remember the stories that were written nationally about this movement right here,

Nestor Aparicio  23:29

but it never fixed the team. Maybe I could say you know, take credit for like him getting the hell out of the way never been seen again. And maybe there was a point where do cat in show Walter where they had competence for a period of time. They stunk so bad that they picked a couple of good ballplayers and Machado made a couple of moves me Chris Davis was a great move to they signed him but when he but he was a brilliant move at that point. They got it for nothing. Right Chris Richards you know what I mean? Like so that period of time, Mike Flanagan would have told me that I really changed things and if it meant that much to Mike Flanagan Sure. Mike Flanagan called me the day after free the birds and thanked me.

Mike Ricigliano  24:11

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Ah, so that’s what I’m saying. That’s what I did.

Nestor Aparicio  24:14

That’s a fact. That’s saying like Flanagan called me the next day and thank them

Ed Lauer  24:21

for doing that. I feel really

Nestor Aparicio  24:24

good. It didn’t. He took my press credential and tried to put me out.

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Ed Lauer  24:27

But I’m saying just all

Nestor Aparicio  24:30

good. You know,

Ed Lauer  24:31

Mike, but you had a moment with Mike and we don’t have Mike anymore. No, I

Nestor Aparicio  24:35

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love my man. I think about all the time. I think Mike all the time,

Mike Ricigliano  24:38

one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life. So I

Nestor Aparicio  24:42

was always intimidated by Mike right, like 9092 He was on the team. I was always I always saw him as like, sort of, certainly, but that wasn’t he wasn’t like that. It seemed that way. He was. He was no he was um, I don’t see standoffish. My wife’s in New Hampshire, right? It’s a New Hampshire thing. It’s a little dry, dry. And I was always him and cow senior cow I messed around with I mean cow and I always we’re the same age ish. You know, cow senior, always intimidated by him. I’m talking 9090 Just 2323 military men. At one time. He was sitting the corner chain smoking do his thing. And He was built like a like, like steel. He’s like a little old school. Yeah, old school strong, right. I love him. And and I never I never talked to him and I never talked to Flanagan. So all these years later, Flanagan called me one day out of the blue, my phone rang. He said something nice to one of my employees at the stadium. And I’m like, Mike Flanagan doesn’t know who I am. Like, Mike Flanagan doesn’t know why I’ve never talked to Mike Flanagan. I’m afraid of Mike Flanagan. And Flanagan called me. And no, I ran into him in a press box with his daughter. He stopped me up on the he was doing television. He taught me he stopped me in person. And it was when I was nationally syndicated so it’s not 99 or 2000. He was doing the games. He wasn’t the pitching. But he was in and out of pitching coaching. Right? He was pitching coach broadcast. He did both right. He was a broadcaster at this time. Okay. He saw me at the stadium, himself. But behind the booth, there’s there’s a hallway above the press box. And I remember he saw me his daughter. And his daughter was the this is a daughter that Mary Jack later in life because like it’s been almost 25 years ago now. Um, he’s a long time ago. Mike Flanagan came to me. And then I think about 79 And my dad and Mike Flanagan and my wife’s was hometown the whole deal. Flanagan said to me, Hey, man, I’ve listened to you every day. I’m like,

26:50

whack because

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Nestor Aparicio  26:51

like, I was like what? He said No, Mike and his daughters you don’t we listen, this is this discovery. Listen to everything. He said, You’re like local, you got the station. You’re Nashi. I listen to your national. I love your national show. He said this to me. And I’m like, Well, I don’t know what to say about that. Like, I’m like, I was flattered beyond belief. And he he he got in touch with me. And he called me one night at the rate the radio station right with Ray Bachman. He’s away this week raising a Roomba he would be here. Ray got injured. We supposed to come two weeks ago Ray would tell the story. RAY looked through the glass. He’s like, Hey, Mike Flanagan’s on the studio line. He wants to talk to you. Before I went on the air. I grabbed the phone. I’m in the studio. And Flanagan says, Hey, what are you doing tonight? I’m like, Well, I’m doing my radio show. I was like, it was literally five minutes for a one on the air. He said I was hoping to catch for you went on the air. I need to get dinner with you. And I’m like, I never. I’d never had coffee with him. He’s like, I need to get dinner with you tonight. And I said, When do you want to do this? He’s like, Well, as soon as possible your round after the show. And I’m like, yeah, so your stations, Towson. Yeah. He said, meet me. Michaels. Michaels in Timonium, right. And I’m like, I said, Ray, I’m like Mike Flanagan wants dinner with me. I don’t know what it’s about. I have no idea what this is. And I don’t know Mike well at all. I mean, I don’t I did not know Mike well, at all sure. Going but Mike, listen to me every day. So this is 2000 in two. So I’ve I’ve known Mike Flanagan three years, but I don’t know Mike Flanagan right. Maybe he did the Haney show or called in or whatever. Because he liked the station. Yeah. There’s no fan at that time. 1300. The ravens are already won the Super Bowl. He called me and I said, I’ll meet you at Michaels. I said, you need to meet me. He’s like, Yeah, it’s important. I really want to have dinner with you. I’m like, okay, so meet him up in Michaels. We go into the side room up there. We order crab cake. And he says to me, he’s like, I’m going to become the general manager, the Oreos. I’m like,

Mike Ricigliano  28:54

what? Wow, no, he

Nestor Aparicio  28:56

didn’t. He had no background. And, oh, of course, he, when I look, he’s like, I’m gonna be. I’m gonna run this with MPD. And we need to fix things with you. As we said to me in 2002, he’s like, what you do? Peter doesn’t understand it, John, the family don’t understand it. We we need to fix things with you. As you know, I’m gonna run the team and I’m going to make things better for you. We’ll make things better for you and your team. You guys all love the team. It’s been like the three of us running a radio station. Like we’d love the team. He understood that. So that year we went down to spring training. And Flanagan used me like a PR direct. He would call me and say we’re about to send Ponsoldt to you know what, and I would know ahead of time so we break news to text service that Danner sponsor, like the whole deal. So that went on that’s why he was there with Lima zili the night we had the nice guy awards that were already done. You were at that event right already. Donovan, all the trophies were there that night. I

Mike Ricigliano  29:52

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was at one of the several of several of them that a nice guy award so that might have been Flanagan

Nestor Aparicio  29:57

did all of this and Then I was that they did business with me and they screwed me out of $30,000 sort of famously, I’ve written about that. John Angelos did not pay $30,000 bill to my radio station, and then sent the bird to assaulting the night that I sold 2000 tickets against the angels. It’s when Vladimir Guerrero didn’t sign with us came back and played right field as the angels. We bought all the bleacher seats my my fans, our listenership WNS. T listeners bought the whole outfield the night before the Preakness. They didn’t pay the bill, and they sent the bird to assault. With the bird duty you fell for the super soak me in the outfield? I didn’t hear back Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, this is all happened. The day after that. Flannagan tried calling me to apologize. And it didn’t go well. It didn’t go well at all. It was there were a lot of F bombs involved. I remember this kind of and for several years, Mike and I did speak and then Mike got fired. MacPhail took over. I started to write to Peter principles at that time. And Flanagan and and Jim BT, used to meet me up at the Panera and Joe fosse met me for a year and a half for coffee to write the Peter principles sounds

Ed Lauer  31:22

like a movie.

Nestor Aparicio  31:25

So I learned everything I have all of Mike Flanagan’s notes from before he died about everything that it’s all my safe. Everything that all the awful stuff Peter did including firing the day after he drafted Matt weeders. Like all of this crazy stuff that happened that I’m that I know about. And it makes it it makes

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Ed Lauer  31:48

learning. So Mike

Nestor Aparicio  31:49

Flanagan is just such a special, special, special, special person in my life, and finding old tapes of he and I talking and old things we did together. It’s just, you know, this, it’s probably the darkest, it’s the low eight of the top 25 Glory moments, I was having to send that text, because I was the one confirming it that night with Baltimore County, like and then his wife and our families and how close we were, you know, like Mike Flanagan is, is very special to me, you know, and I and again, it wasn’t a long relationship. Like I didn’t know him as a player at all. He came to me later on and say, Are you one of my planning?

Ed Lauer  32:29

Let me share my my brief when I was he was doing maths and at the time, and he walked under, under, you know, the walkway right there and looked up Chausson booth booth and I saw him standing up. I’m like, Mike, and he didn’t hear me, Mike. And I’m just like, I just waved up to him. And I said, How you doing? And he said, Hey, you know, so that was my only moment connected with him. But But I was happy that I did that. And when he passed i That moment follows you back right when?

Nestor Aparicio  32:58

8

Games were you there at 79? Where did you go to 70s.

Ed Lauer  33:02

I was too young for that. I actually my dad took me when I was like, kid, but I didn’t go remember the 79 oriels No, I do remember the 79 Oreos, and I went but I didn’t go to playoffs. He didn’t buy the tickets for the playoff. We were meager means we were

Nestor Aparicio  33:15

my dad we were we went to a lot of games to 79 but we didn’t have money to buy strips. My dad got tickets for one of the the angels game series I saw that. I saw one. I think it’s often at a pitch. And then I was a game two of the World Series. I didn’t get to go to any of that. It was 79 Oh no not 7983 I want to 124 and five and miss three good for you. But But I wish one loves the Orioles more than this guy.

Mike Ricigliano  33:44

I know he’s a great fan. Yeah. And

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Nestor Aparicio  33:47

like I love the Oreos.

Ed Lauer  33:49

I love we had this conversation.

Nestor Aparicio  33:51

And there’s nothing better than seeing you guys wearing real stuff right and being in first place right in the Yankee this. I’ve waited my whole life for this right time.

Ed Lauer  34:00

8

Literally Nestor and I, Mike, we had an eye on wittingly. I didn’t insult you. But I said, Why are you doing this? Why are you You know, you don’t you’re like the birds and you’re like, I love the birds. This is why you don’t understand it. And then you talk to me. And I was like, Oh, I’m sorry.

Nestor Aparicio  34:20

I said after the last five years it sucks. Well, yeah, but

Ed Lauer  34:23

you know, the thing is, I I think it’s never good to have a losing team. It’s never good to rebuild. And it’s and there are all kinds of problems that you’ve talked about. It’s

Nestor Aparicio  34:36

an original sin of the sport that everybody has a different amount of money. Yes, that’s just that that’s all Yeah, inherently wood makes baseball difficult for everybody.

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Ed Lauer  34:46

This year so sweet. Exactly. When I

Nestor Aparicio  34:49

asked deep Ashanti why he didn’t own the Orioles because he he was offered a chance to buy the Miami Marlins. He always bought tomorrow. I didn’t know that he almost bought the Minnesota Vikings stuff today. So this is all Preparing to go read preparing to go read the majority to read.

Ed Lauer  35:03

illiterate. I’m just kidding. I’m kidding. No,

Nestor Aparicio  35:05

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go reCAPTCHA. Okay, so our chapter five, actually in the shotty chapter, I just got when I was with the shotty. I said, Why, why didn’t you buy a baseball team? Why wouldn’t you own the Orioles and probably between a puffer cigar he said, it’s not fair. It’s you’re buying into an unfair system that he said I would never be able to compete with the Yankees. It’s just It’s the system screwed up. Like, there’s just really no way to ever have as much money as the Yankees or the Dodgers? What

Ed Lauer  35:35

is your take on this year then?

Mike Ricigliano  35:37

I mean, this is the only way to compete with the Yankees that we learned.

Nestor Aparicio  35:41

And four years from now, if they don’t have more Adley rutschman. And they might or might not because they’re not. Right? This year, when it when it comes time for them to resign their moussaka says in there, and they’re hot summers, they’re gonna have to pick whether they want one or the other, and where they’re going to be and whatever money they’re saving. Now they’re lying to you about it. And that’s the hardest part for me doing my job. Is that like, they’re making hundreds of millions of dollars to say, we can’t afford this or that. And then when it comes time to afford all that money that’s gone in their pocket the last 30 years doesn’t matter. It didn’t matter this week, when they really could have bought some pitching. If they wanted to. They’d have to give things away. Not

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Mike Ricigliano  36:19

a heck of a game right. There

Nestor Aparicio  36:20

you go. We’re here. I mean, we’re rarities in Florida. For real baseball, right? Like there’s a different style. I

Mike Ricigliano  36:26

mean, I love that logic myself,

Ed Lauer  36:28

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so I’m a real magic happen. That’s what I’m excited.

Nestor Aparicio  36:32

Can you play that on the guitar? I can. I gotta go. musicians don’t bring his guitar. I gotta go. We gotta go. Alright, see you bye. Bye. He’s Terry’s think Diane, you were staring she

Mike Ricigliano  36:42

take off. She laughed. He took the car. Oh my god.

Nestor Aparicio  36:48

Somebody’s got to come up and break this down. receipt you can move in with us. Liana Eddie Lauer and Roger Smith things I love. It’s our 25th anniversary low cost is brought to you by the Maryland lottery I’ve lost control the whole program.