Longtime Orioles public relations executive Rick Vaughn tells Nestor every Brooks Robinson story that will make you cry and remembers all of the building blocks of Orioles Magic. He’s also quite excited about the 2023 Orioles after spending two decades in Tampa Bay trying to build a winner there with Joe Maddon.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
brooks, years, orioles, week, palmer, game, baltimore, play, rick, baseball, pitchers, give, kid, stadium, brooks robinson, tampa, win, love, ravens, story
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Rick Vaughn
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Come home. We are wn st Towson, Baltimore. Baltimore positive. We have our 25 year crab cake cupcake out on the front. We’re doing the Maryland crab cake tour from my 55th birthday on next weekend. It’s the lucky day. It’s Friday the 13th could be a game five Talk brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. We can await some ravens scratch offs. We had some lucky winners at Coco’s last week as well. We’ve been moving the show around but this whole playoff madness and What time’s the game and who are we playing? And what’s happening to Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks and how are they gonna get the Ravens game into it? I don’t know any of this. But I do know that baseball is sort of burning our ears during Pittsburgh week here. The ravens are in first place winning football games and it’s it’s just all orange. Our friends a curio in a foreign daughter gave me this great Baltimore orange shirt to wear. And then last week, we lost Brooks Robinson and I reached out to some folks in the aftermath and thought man, we got playoffs and we got by week and we got things happen and and clinch miss and all of this. And this week is the week that I’m going with my Oh geez. So Charles Steinberg and I had a long visit a Doug the sensei is going to check in this week, Rick Dempsey checked in, amongst some others, but this guy is at the top of the list because we might be playing Tampa this weekend, or maybe not who knows? He sort of left here like 30 years ago just disappeared right around the time of the Angelus family took over and had his own problems down there at Tampa. He now works with Joe Maddon and Joe Madden’s foundation. He’s a great baseball guy. He’s great baseball name, a baseball movie. It’s almost been like major league around here this year winning despite the owner who announced the lease that isn’t really a lease. It’s the strangest thing. Rick Vaughn, how are you? How’s the original wild thing? Man? Are you you’re watching this from the other side on the Tampa and you’re saying they’re still trying to win a World Series to get a stadium built down there. Right.
Rick Vaughn 01:52
Good to see you, man. I’m doing great. Everything’s good. Yeah, a lot. A lot of drama going on in both cities right now. You know, with all of that stuff. I don’t know what’s going to happen here. They made a similar announcement here last week, saying they had a deal. And honestly, they don’t have a deal. They don’t have the votes yet, but I’m not exactly sure why they would have announced it when they did. But they technically do not have an agreement yet to build a stadium here so we’ll see how that goes. And I’ve been kind of following from afar what’s going on in Baltimore? I’m so excited about the ballclub though. Man. I’m, I think I watched about 100 games this year. And I love this team so much, you know? Well,
Nestor Aparicio 02:30
I mean, you’re independent these days, right? Like Joe ran off to the Cubs and then ran off, you know, to LA and like, and you’ve you’ve got a couple hats and your claws including Washington football hat as well. Yeah.
Rick Vaughn 02:44
But this the shirt I’m wearing says Oriol alumni baby. And the other thing is, I mean, I grew up there you know in the in the business and you’re that’s to me, that’s where your heart My heart belongs to Baltimore. I’m rooting for the Orioles to win the whole thing. Not even close. It’s so good to see the ballpark fill, you know, filled most of the time and I love what they’re doing with the garden hose and all that stuff. And you know, there’s so many memories come flooding back and then Brooks passes last week, and that’s just so much emotion going on. Now watch the memorial service. And I know I know there’s just so much emotion going on in that city right now. It’s it’s I’m I’m so sad. But I’m also so I’m exhilarated for what’s going on on the field? You know? Well, Rick, you’re in
Nestor Aparicio 03:35
the communications or as we would say PR flack back in the day many many moons ago. I don’t give me your entry point because Charlie Steinberg came on I have no choice 30 years but I and I sort of knew he was around in the 70s and he and Eddie and Cal and you know Brooks’s exit but you’re trying to told me this great story about coming in in the beginning and Brooks his last two years and 76 and 77. And the picture with all the gold gloves, setting it up add on third base that we’re all familiar with, and the Rockwell painting I was at thanks, Brookstone and 77 And I tell the story of meeting Brooks at East Point mall at the Brooks Robinson store. My last name is Aparicio. I’m a little adopted Latin kid with missing a finger I’m five years old. Third base is my home Brooks signs it left handed, you know and I have the book still signed from the Herschel cones and he’s point Mall. That was my entry point with Brooks and all the kids in the neighborhood love Brooks but like I love Tom show pay and Murph rentman You know what I mean? Like I never loved the star players I always thought was easy to learn. I thought it was boring to like Brooks in 1974 7576 and I was there for thanks Brooks day and then after that, I had the pleasure of just being a guy around town with a press credential that you gave me a Bob Brown gave me 1986 8788 89 Brooks is up there getting a crab cake from Helen same as me and and Brooks was on the present during that period. When you were the PR director, and Brooks was trying to get nachos moved from Texas to Maryland, so we could all eat them because that’s the first time I’d ever heard about nachos and cheese was when Brooks was eating with Bill O’Donnell and Chuck Thompson in 1978 and 79. And they finally brought the nachos to Memorial Stadium because nobody knew what the hell they were. That’s literally a true story as a kid, a 10 year old kid.
Rick Vaughn 05:23
Well, I came along in two with the Orioles in 84. But I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia across the Potomac River, but it was the same feeling. You know,
Nestor Aparicio 05:35
you’re old enough. Yeah, I’m
Rick Vaughn 05:37
older than you. I started, you know, Brooks got on my radar in the early 60s when they would come over and just pound the senators. And, um, I think I first got, I think I was just enamored by his name, you know, and I’m like, I love that name. And then I started learning about him as a kid. And he became my favorite player at a really young age. And from the time I was 10, until I played through high school, I couldn’t wear it in college, they wouldn’t let the pitchers were single digit. I weren’t number five, all those years. From the time I was 11, until I was 19. Playing every summer league, you were
Nestor Aparicio 06:09
that guy, you were the older and I’m like, come on Brooksley get on a train. You know, I
Rick Vaughn 06:16
gotta show you something. This was, was it a senator’s game was probably like 63. So I was probably seven or eight. And my dad, let me stay on after for autographs. Right. So the players are coming out. I was waiting for Brooks and never saw him. So I looked down in the parking lot. And the Oreo bus is filling up with the players. And there’s a big knot of kids at the back of the bus. And they’re all like stretching their arms up into the putting their autograph stuff into the window. It’s the last window of the bus. And I go down there to see who it is. And some kids says it’s Brooks, and I’m like, what? So like, I was like 511 510 at an early age and like I get in there, and I’m stretching my auto, my little red autograph book here, still have a look at this. And I got it up into the window. And after a couple of seconds it disappeared comes back out look, and I don’t know if you can still see Brooks on the back of my autograph book and still have it. And that was like, you know, and then just growing up and we all wanted to be him and we all loved him. And then I got to work with them. And and like I was saying
Nestor Aparicio 07:28
before 84 You get this gig. And Brooks is calling the game. So I approached this Yeah, still young and spry and having a good time and you know being so working for Crown gasoline and Brooks had a lot of life in 1984. Man, Brooks was as big a celebrity as there was in the Bronx and Johnny were everything in 1984.
Rick Vaughn 07:47
Well, and you know what, when we closed Memorial Stadium in 91, and I was involved with Charles and I had a lot to do with most of that stuff. I remember in a meeting I said it, let’s stop right now. And make sure that we got Unitas and Brooks thrown out the last pitch there because it has to be that way. And Johnny will throw a football and Brooks will throw a baseball and that’s exactly what happened. But yeah, Brooks had a lot of energy back then. And, and he was unbelievable. I mean, think about this, and you know, even you know, even before I got the job, and in the late 70s, early 80s were watching the games, the games are on the always on TV in my house, you know, even though we were in Virginia was fuzzy with the you know, the antenna, we were getting Jay Z or BA or wherever they were on or MA R and so I I always had this connection to him and then getting to meet him and to work with him was incredible. I mean, it was unbelievable. And then they find out you know, you meet your idol and he’s he’s even a better person and you go to even think you would never imagine him being as kind and as humble a person as he was he was this isn’t hyperbole he was he was just a he was he got it like few people ever got get it. You know, he knew his his his responsibility to the game and how important that was. And he was always available. He was oh, he never not had time for anybody. You know.
Nestor Aparicio 09:14
It’s amazing. All these years later. 50 years later, you’ve done this for a living for 40 years, and how many young ballplayers you’re trying to get them to get it to get it and how many never get it never got it. Guys, it made hundreds of millions of dollars, the stare like all of that, and Brooks was in and every single person I mean, I have broke stories and I was 1000s down on the list for him but he must really like my cousin because he was really I felt like he treated me special. Maybe he didn’t. He treated everybody special. Really no
Rick Vaughn 09:52
and my boss is the same way Joe mad and he makes everybody feel and Brooks was like that too. I mean, I have dozens of stuff. worry that I saw Brooks go out of his way to do stuff that he had absolutely no reason to do. And he went out of his way, I’ll just tell you one. And it was the first one of the first ones that I ever had with him was we were at Memorial stadiums before a game. And I had a father call me during the day from York, Pennsylvania, his son had cancer was in the hospital there. Is there any way I could get Brooks to call? So I get the number. And then I see Brooks on the field before the game, and I give him the piece of paper and explain to him what it was, but in his pocket, and then I don’t see him for like four or five days, for whatever reason. So I see him, and I go, Hey, did you have a chance to call that kid and he goes, You know, I called his daddy. And I decided I’m going up there. So it goes, I went up and visited him, drove up to York to see this kid instead of calling him that, you know, he didn’t know that kid. He didn’t know that bother. But he took the time to drive up to York to meet this kid in the hospital. What? Who does that? And that was very beginning. That was like the first time the light went on for me. And because I was probably like, 85 or 86, maybe? Or maybe it was even 84 or whatever. But that was the first time I realized that this guy was special. And then nothing that he did. You know, didn’t he amazed me all the time. And he was like that? Well, after I left the Orioles. And when I was with the rays, and I saw him at many, many events, and he always came over to me and he was always I mean, the other story I have to tell you was I was at the Hall of Fame. It was in 1997. I’ve been gone from the O’s for three or four years. And he’s we’re at a reception with a bunch of the Hall of Famers, all of them are there. It’s it’s the day before. And he’s and I’m there because that was a special guest to somebody and he’s across the room. And he sees me. And he comes over to me. I didn’t go to him. He comes to me. We talked for a little while he knew I had gotten the right was right after I’d gotten the race job. As VP of Communications. Well, he looks around the room and he goes, Do you know any of these guys in here? And I said, not too many. Because Come on. He took me around the room, basically grabbed me by the arm, took me around the room, we probably met 15 hall of famers in that time. And he introduced me to every single one of them. And he’d say, Hey, this is Rick Vaughn. He’s going to be running that Tampa Bay franchise down here. And I’m Mike Brooks, I’m only going to be the PR guy. He was so proud. You know, he was proud of me. He was proud to introduce me because, you know, I was a part of his past there and a great past. I mean, it was, you know, it was something obviously I’ll never forget. And I was fortunate. He came down to the, the fantasy camp for the Orioles two years ago to spring last not last spring, but the spring before. And Billy Stefka from the Orioles called me and he said Hey, Brooks is going to be here. Do you want to come down? And it was you know, it’s only an hour drives? I clearly, you know, drove down there and I got to spend some time with him. And got you know, we took a picture together. It was the last time I got to see him but even then he was very sharp. He was asking me all the questions about the ballpark and the team and, and I was so glad that I did get to see him. You know, one more time I was praying it wasn’t going to be the last time but I thought it might be and it was
Nestor Aparicio 13:22
you know, Rick, I saw him a couple two years ago at the football stadium. I was coming in by the media entrance this is but way back when I was a media member the 27 years I was a media member. And it was you know 1130 on a game day kind of football game day and there weren’t a lot of people around and Ron Schapiro gets out of a car on the curb, they were dropping Brooks off right at the the area where the VIP lane is. And Brooks gets out of the car with Shapiro. And there were some fans around making a little stint come in and take a Brooksie Hey, you know, and he wasn’t like sign and stuff, but taking pictures greeting people. And he looked up and saw me and he’s like, Nestor, I owe you I owe you. And I said Brooks, you owe me anything. He’s like, no, no, no, you’ve been trying to get me on. I gotta get I gotta get I’m gonna call Ron you know, like, and I’m like Brooks No, it was like for Christmas I think couple years ago, and I’m like, books we’ll get it done. No problem. We never got it done. But that’s okay. You know, I mean, it’s it’s, it’s okay. I feel terrible that I didn’t get that two or three hours to sit down with him at the end. And just like I did Earl Weaver the last interview that we are we’ve ever did, I did with him. But with Brooks, my approach story of kindness is this. He came into the show in the 90s at Hooters. We did Bo Eggers on opening day for a couple years and 9798 Every year we kicked it off and I’m coming opening day with you, you know, and he would come by and do but I haven’t had him on the show. And the last tape I found was the day that Rex Barney died strangely enough like longtime I’m ago, so I’m, I haven’t, I didn’t chase Brooks we email back and forth and when I saw him at an event, whatever, we were very pleasant, but I didn’t. I didn’t go all in and bother Schapiro to do this sit down that I really would have loved to have done with him. But my sit down with him was when I was nationally syndicated the turn of the century 99 2000 I never flew out of O’Hare, I always flew out of Midway. It was cheaper further ride to the north side, but cheaper. So I always flew and one time I’m in in O’Hare, and I don’t remember why it was in O’Hare, but I got on one of those big ass planes United playing going. Chicago to BWI was 20 years over 20 years ago, as you know, United still had dedicated gates, all that. And again, on the plane, there’s nobody on the plane. It’s nine o’clock at night, Chicago, I’m just trying to get home on a Thursday or Friday night. And Brooks is sitting in the aisle coach in the back with his he looks up at me and he you know, Brooks with the glasses you Hey, Nestor Where are you sitting? I said I’m I’m in a no you’re not you will sit here with me. We’re gonna ride together. And next thing I know, three and a half hours at the plane was a little delayed as I remember. We had extra time, whatever. And Brooks invited me to sit on a three hour flight home with him. He insisted that I sit with him. I’m like books. I’m not gonna know. It’s not a bother come out, sit down. I learned things when I talk to you. And I’m like, All right, you know. So next thing I know, I’m with Brooks. That’s the sweetest thing Brooks ever did for me. Other than telling me that he owed me the last thing Brooks Robinson ever said to me in his life was I owe you one. You’ve been trying to get me on the show. And I’m like, You don’t owe me anything. And I know Rick, I know. I had my phone and I know I did this I know I took a picture of me and Brooks i I’ll lose my issue when I find it. I’m losing my ish thinking about finding it. Rick Vaughn is here before I start bawling on the air you watch the memorial a doctor since he supposed to be on the show Monday he agreed to come on and then he’s like I’m flying to town I’m gonna be there. People came in and honor Brooks and we all have our stories of third bases my home are the kind things he did the backdrop of this baseball team you watching Memorial and a stadium where they’re gonna play a really big game on Saturday hopefully it doesn’t big games here. The next month on the place you were in it when it was built you probably were there at Brooks Robinson the day it was built. What do you make of this whole Baltimore baseball resurrection to some degree and watching it from afar and and that goes to Brooks sort of the fight is going to be out on the outfield wall the whole time.
Rick Vaughn 17:37
Oh, man, I debating about trying to get up there. You know, because I think it’s going to be magical. I really do you know, if you pardon the expression Oriole magic, but you know from afar, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this team play you know, they’re there they play. And everybody says that about when you know winning teams, but they really play the game the right way. If they make a mistake on the basis, it’s very unusual. And if you watch most major league teams play now they make a mistake on the basis practically every inning and the Orioles just play the game the right way. I love I love gunner and the way he plays the game. And he’s, you know, he’s a rookie going on 40 You know, he plays the game so much like a veteran player and, and refreshments. I think he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame one day. I think he’s such a great player and I don’t care. You know, he’s got good numbers and all he says he’s not going to hit 300. But he’s such a great leader and a great player and, and all of them you know, Cedric Mullins has gotten he hasn’t had the overall year but he’s had some huge hits for him. And now that they’ve got mountcastle back and their pitching has been
Nestor Aparicio 18:48
really good a wreck every night to different stars. That’s the match. No real baseball.
Rick Vaughn 18:53
Yeah, it is. I’m a little worried about the bullpen. You know, but I think we can, we’ll get you know, we can get there. And I just love you know, I was grinding my teeth the last few years that they you know, they weren’t going to ever get this thing turned around. And so I owe Mr. Elias and apology because they not only turn it around, I think it’s built for a long time. I really do. I’m hoping it is. It’s so much fun to watch from afar. I love you know, listening to Palmer and Scott Garceau and Ben McDonald and
Nestor Aparicio 19:24
Ben, you were around when Ben was a one one and Larry and his father and the contract and like the hope of I mean, he he had the weight of the city on issue. There was no there were no cold snow ravens at that time. No, I mean, and for Ben all these year. I love Ben. I always love Ben. I loved Ben as a fan in 8788 89. And then I got to know him and it to God. I think that Ben would want to be a part you know that Ben would sign up to come and be a part of this and fly in for the games and that he would be the general Patients voice in some way. He’s so good at it. He’s so good.
Rick Vaughn 20:04
He’s very good. And I love you know, I love that Boog is around and the different generations of players are here and they’ve come back and they want to be a part of it. And it’s, you know,
Nestor Aparicio 20:15
played all weekend cow,
Rick Vaughn 20:16
right cows at games, you know, and it’s so good to see that. And that’s what makes I think that’s franchise, you know, so specialist to see that. I have to tell you one quick bit, Ben McDonald story. Ben was pitching for us. You know, I think it was either 90 or 91. And for young people,
Nestor Aparicio 20:36
for people that weren’t that aren’t our age, if you’re just a 28 year old kid watching the Orioles play, to know what he represented for the franchise.
Rick Vaughn 20:48
It was big. I mean, he was the you know, first pick in the draft. He was the, you know, he was the man. I mean, I remember it very clearly, though. Very, very contentious negotiations between the Orioles and, and Scott Boris and how that went down. It was very ugly,
Nestor Aparicio 21:05
and the stadiums getting built, right. And we’re going through this transition. And the reason he really represented how much we sucked in 88, right, like literally, the badness of 88. He was the prize in the same way. You already mentioned Russia and all these guys. They’re the prize when you’re that bad. And you gotta hope that it works. And with him, that was just, he never felt the pressure. But he was unlike anyone else. He was a star from the minute he was born
Rick Vaughn 21:31
here well, and then coming up in 89. And he did get to pitch for us the final weekend of 89. But here we are. We’re in first place in 1989. The day of the draft, we got the first pick in the draft. And we’re in first place by a miracle we were and so but I have to tell you one story. I love this story. He he was pitching for us was like 91 We were in Seattle. And it was a night game. And so it’s you know, his parents are in Louisiana. Well, but his dad calls me before we left on the road. And he goes, Hey, Rick, are you going on the trip? I go, Yeah, he goes, will you do me a big favor? He goes, we’re gonna be there was no, you know, no way for them to watch or listen to the game back then they were in Louisiana. We’re playing in Seattle, he pitches for the Orioles. This is where you do me a big favor. We’re gonna go into my wife’s place of work. She works at a foundry. Would you if I give you this number? Will you call this number every inning and give us an update on how Ben’s pitching. The phone number was one 800 foundry and I sat in the press box in the kingdom. And every half anyone the inning was over. I called them to let them know how big it was pitching. And he pitched into the ninth inning. And he got the first that I just said, Look, I’m gonna we’re gonna stay on this in the ninth inning. I’m gonna give it to you live. So I’m on the phone with him and he got the first out I’m gonna give up two hits. And they brought me think
Nestor Aparicio 22:54
about that if you wanted to broadcast it for him in 1989 91 whenever it was, it would have been like 28 cents a minute. Right? Like literally like you know, wow, what I rigged that in that
Rick Vaughn 23:08
era. Actually, it was a free call. Was it one 800 free call they’re sitting in her office of the foundry waiting for me to call I can’t I haven’t seen been in years. I can’t wait to tell him that story. Man, especially now because he’s broadcasting you know, so well listen this one right. When was
Nestor Aparicio 23:25
the last you did this ride in Tampa. I was down there for game seven at that red sox Race game. We ravens played Miami. My wife’s a Red Sox fan. We drove a very very fast as I remember back in oh eight when you guys had your run as the race. By the way, Rick Vaughn is our guest the wild thing the originator of PR and give me a press pass back in 1986 when he was with the Orioles longtime with the rays and now running Joe Madden’s Foundation, respect 90. This, this run you go on when you don’t know who you’re playing when you’re playing what time the game is, at least in Tampa. It can’t rain right? To some degree but it might be raised Orioles. And let’s be honest, you were around for the 81 Orioles when we went 100 games when you make the playoffs at 82 When 100 Yankees won 105 Whatever. This wildcard and this whole system. This is a really exciting thing baseball’s done better than a one game that we were part of, you know Zack Britton a decade ago with us but this three game tired pitching us up here rooting for 14th inning games and pitchers to be worn out and all that this is an exciting tournament but man it happens fast and you blink and you lose game one and thanks stack up and I think the fans here there’s a lot of momentum on Game One Saturday including Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks playing in the football stadium. But game one in the first couple of innings it’s this is a whole different area for the fans here to ride this roller coaster. Yeah, it’s
Rick Vaughn 24:55
a it’s a completely different experience. It’s a different game. You know, you You’re right. It’s really important especially when you’re playing the rays to try to score early and get up on top of them early because their bullpen is the Orioles bullpen been tremendous so as the so as the rays pull pin and they’re going to throw their starter five innings if he can he’ll go five and then if they got to lead it’s going to be hard you’re going to see four different pitchers they all throw really good so to me it’s really really important to score early against the rays it’s probably the same way against the Orioles too but I feel strongly about the rays and and the head guys that throw you know their starters glass now starting on tomorrow for the raise against the rangers and I mean he’s going to throw 100 miles an hour for five innings and good luck trying to hit that but if you don’t hit it the next four guys are pretty good too. And you’re gonna you’re only gonna see each one of those guys for one inning
Nestor Aparicio 25:52
to raise to survive this week right you fully expect Saturday we play in the race not the Rangers I think so.
Rick Vaughn 25:57
Yeah, I think they match up with the Rangers pretty well I think the Blue Jays or the Astros might have given them a little bit of an issue because you know, they’re those teams like you don’t you know, those are kind of two teams you don’t really want to have to play you know, I don’t think they’re great teams. But I don’t think you want to play them the Astros have too much experience. You know they have guys that have been there so many times before I don’t think I’d want to you know with Bregman and
Nestor Aparicio 26:23
and what they did last week, like they were falling apart and they wind up winning division and they’re like the Orioles when it didn’t look like last week that was gonna be the case at all right
Rick Vaughn 26:31
PA and the Blue Jays are you know, the Blue Jays are to me, they’re like the Padres you know, they’re not they don’t equal the sum of their parts. They have some really good players. I don’t think they’re a great team. But I wouldn’t want to play them because they have guys that you know could go on a run because they’re great players. So I think the Rangers are a good matchup for the for the race. And I think it’s going to be Orioles race starting next Saturday and I’m going to be very excited for the for the Orioles. i My heart is always going to be in Baltimore. I love Baltimore. I love that. I love the fact that I grew up in that organization and met people like boob Powell and Brooks and cow and cow senior and Frank and all of the people that I fill it so the traveling Secretary Bob Brown, my boss, I mean, those are people that Helicon left over in there to Helen Conklin and you mentioned Helen in the food room, Helen and Hazel. so much a part of my life when I was young and impressionable and they left such a great so much many great feelings about Baltimore.
Nestor Aparicio 27:35
You know, Palmer has been really great. The last couple of weeks, you know, after his illness and the whole Kevin Brown nonsense with the goofy kid that owns the team in his champagne shower. I mean, I’m next PR is going to be issuing out on the stadium. There’s at least sign when there’s not a lease sign in front of the governor, which was just, that’s its own thing, aside from how good all this is. But Palmer said something the other day, maybe two days after Brooks passed and he kind of got a little bit, got his sea legs under him a little bit. He said, You know, last couple days. And he’s flippantly said this last couple of days we’ve been saying around here what would Brooks Robinson do have approached handle this? And I’m thinking to myself, better than any of us. Just a general like if any of us spend time with Brooks Robinson and make time for people and even Pete when we’re pissed off or over the edge or a little frustrated just never never showing that Brooks never had a bad experience with anyone.
Rick Vaughn 28:35
No he didn’t. I texted Jim the the night that night that he spoke about Brooks on the air and he got you know, a little clamp there. And he didn’t speak at the memorial today and I’m sure it’s because I don’t think he could have gotten through it. You know, he loved Brooks and and I love Jim I’ve always been a big Jim Palmer fan and I stay in touch with him. And he’s another one that’s just so much a part of how he stayed here is you know his whole career he’s been here. Well after pitching
Nestor Aparicio 29:02
honored him Friday Rick and we can turn this into the Palmer thing but I did a king of Baltimore sports here years ago. And I can take any one stats and put them on the wall. I mean Brooks had nice stats so to cow had some regular regular guy years 257 years 262 normal guy years when you play 20 years normal guy years, not every year is 330 and 40 home runs and 120 ribbies. Right. You put Palmer’s numbers up against unbelievable it pick Lenny more already. Ray Lewis pick anybody you want. And pop the backup Palmer’s baseball card then say James album Palmer by the way Happy birthday to him because it my birthday is his birthday 14th and 15th next week and we share a midnight birthday on October 14. And I’ve you know love Jim because he’s a Libra. And Jim’s never done my show. 32 years he works for the Angelo’s family mama Angela said the whole deal. Jim’s the greatest athlete to ever wear Baltimore in a shirt hear in the time he wore Baltimore in his shirt, and that’s no disrespect to Edie cow, Frank, epic. anybody you want. Palmer is unappreciated in that way for his greatness, because they talk about Kofax duty they Kofax times three, he had Kofax his career three times, when you consider what and how Cofax is spoken of as a, you know, a deity in that organization. Palmer The reason he’s not because he’s been on every broadcast every night for 35 years. People take him for granted. Like there’s Ben McDonald and Palmer. I mean, both great pitchers. One’s a one one buy, but you know, whatever. Oh, Palmer is just so great that people don’t realize how great he he was. And even last Friday honoring him. I’m getting into fights with Oriole fans about Brooks was better than him. I’m like, now Brooks was nicer than him. Like, but like as far as on the field. Palmer’s underrated if that’s possible. Maybe it’s the underwear ads and his celebrity. But he he was greater than great.
Rick Vaughn 31:05
Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, he’s been around doing so much for so many years on the air that he does kind of get taken for granted. People need to stop and look, I think if the players look at the his baseball card today, they probably think it’s all made up. It’s not real. I mean, this is this never happened. Nobody ever threw 30 complete games and a year made, you know, pitch 200 inning 250 innings every year. I mean, nobody does that. One
Nestor Aparicio 31:30
thing I can compare it to is like Tony Gwynn from in regard to the greatness of just the baseball card to say you could walk.
Rick Vaughn 31:38
Yeah, Jim. Jim is unbelievable. He was. You’re right, great, great athlete. And he also has a great mind. You know, he still has that mind where, you know, I used to tell and when he when, when I was working there, and I started to get to know him, I realized what kind of he had one of those mines where he could remember stuff you’re not supposed to remember, you know what I mean? Like you could say to him, Hey, do you remember when you give up that home run to Petruzzelli at Fenway in 79 or 78, late in the season, and he’ll go, oh, yeah, three and one, I hung a slider to him. And I would like quiz him on stuff every once in a while not no, not telling him. I was quizzing him. And I would go look up some of the stuff that he was saying. He was spot on. He remembered all that stuff, random stuff. But he had this mind and it made him a better pitcher. And he was a great physical pitcher. But he also could remember situations where he threw what pitch and where it was and what the count was. And, and that stuff all was in the bank, you know, that made him even a better pitcher. I mean, he he’s still got that pretty good mind. You know, like, if you listen to the broadcast, like he’ll say, well, when BU was the was an all star and you know, he gets all the years for those guys, right?
Nestor Aparicio 32:51
He still he still pays attention to what they’re doing here. He will go away for a week, even when he COVID and come back and you know, he knows what Gibson throw in the fourth inning the other night in Detroit. He died. He’s
Rick Vaughn 33:01
still got he’s still got that mind. Yeah, I love staying in touch with him. You know, I text them during the game. Sometimes I texted him the other night and I said, Well, they’re making a big deal out of year anniversary and he was like he was embarrassed by it almost. He was like I’m trying to downplay it. But he deserves it man. He was such a part of all of it really showed
Nestor Aparicio 33:21
this to Charlie Steinberg the other day because Jim Palmer I have wanted the 66 Giveaway jersey that they gave away like 10 years ago Kevin grace, one of my incredible listeners gifted it to me for my 25th anniversary. It’s too big. So I’m going online, trying to find this Aparicio. 69 White Sox blueish gray, the only wore one year really good looking jersey on the 70 baseball card. So I find it and then I put Orioles Aparicio jersey and trying to find a 66 replica. And the 70 late 70s And this was iconic because of Brooks like we they gave away this to every kid. The Crown gasoline was in orange jersey, number five Brooks. And when I was online in August, screwing around trying to because I lost my Oriel white jersey, in my move, it’s misplaced. I don’t know where it is. It’s in a bar. I haven’t found that a year and a half and I wanted to wear it. So I found this online. It’s just gonna freak you out. You’re ready. It’s the Aparicio lettering on the Doug de senseis Glen Gulliver late 70s model it doesn’t have the 11 on the front, I gotta get that. But like, I’ve been wearing this thing the last three weeks and it’s just fun to have them be relevant, so much fun that they’re gonna play these. And I had people a month ago I had to shake or sit down. I had them out for crabcake Well, if they just get to the World Series, it’s good enough. Rick, when you tell people what it’s like to lose the World Series that’s not good enough. That’s not fun. It’s not fun. They like to go on this ride. If we don’t get taken out this weekend by the rays and you start to win. It really start to smell the parade and the disappointment and thinking There’s a next year, and that we’re going to win 103 Games next year, and that the Yankees and Red Sox are going to be awful for like, this is a special time in place. And you know, from 83 You got to cash it in. You got to cash it in this month.
Rick Vaughn 35:13
Yeah, you do. And we went through it in a way with the race. I mean, it’s easy to say, Well, if we could just get to the World Series, no, but you know what, when you get there, you don’t want to finish second, you want to win the thud. You know, like we when we beat the Red Sox in the ALCS. That year in oh eight. It never dawned on me. We were going to lose to the Phillies. We were going to beat the Phillies. And then when we lost Oh, man, it was like, it was a it was not a good feeling. And as great as that year was going from, you know, worst to first. It was incredible. But man, it left a bad taste in her mouth losing that thing. And we’ve never, you know, they’ve never still not won a World Series there. So you have been
Nestor Aparicio 35:54
25 years. Right? Like, literally, you would have been a baseball 25 years at that time. Yeah. And you’re not thinking when you lose that night to the Phillies. Like we’ll be back next year. Yeah, hope. But you’re like, Man, this was it’s like Kentucky Derby. It’s like the Run for the Roses. Right? It’s
Rick Vaughn 36:11
hard to get there, man. It’s really hard to get there. And once and then what you know, like I said, it’s easy to say, Well, that would be great if we could get to the World Series now. No, no. If you get there, you better win it. Because at that, I think it is quite a thud nobody really cares that you didn’t that you were in the series. You know, they, they everybody loves the winning team. So
Nestor Aparicio 36:28
all right. Winners here.
Rick Vaughn 36:31
I am believing I’ll be watching every frickin pitch. I can promise you that.
Nestor Aparicio 36:36
I promise you if you tell me you’re in Baltimore, you will not want for fade these crabcake downtown and I promise you that. Well.
Rick Vaughn 36:41
I’ll keep you posted. If I come up. I’ll let you know.
Nestor Aparicio 36:45
I’d love that. Yeah, you know, I mean, I’m concerned here about them selling out the stadium at the at the at the price point. I’ve seen the fan base last couple of weeks, there have been people. You know, there’s some fans pissed off at Angelo’s regarding the lease, but I think in the near short term in the next month, none of that affects any of this. But I do think that there’s been a real effect with the Nationals and seeing them trying to rebuy Marty Conway on last week, just like this is the time to build your franchise. You and I talked about that what the lightning have done in your community and the rays have sort of failed to do even getting a stadium built whatnot that even in Cincinnati last week, Rick where they’ve never liked the Bengals tickets for 200 bucks to get in. Because people are buying it there. And I want to see I want to see growth. I want to see a lease I want to see a Super City. I want to see all that. But this next month is what much like Tony Gwynn getting them. The Padres to the World Series. This is what you build from this is. This is a generational build thing for the next couple of years. And I really hope we can do it the right way here.
Rick Vaughn 37:47
Me too, man. I so much want that to happen.
Nestor Aparicio 37:50
Hey, man, for me to you. All right from Baltimore down to Tampa. i Hey, I might get a couch next Tuesday and Wednesday. I you know, I hear st Pete’s really nice. So
Rick Vaughn 38:01
you’re my age. You need a place to stay. You got one. All right.
Nestor Aparicio 38:04
Next Tuesday and Wednesday. I’m trying to get Lucas and identify a First things first. Your race got to take care of these Dallas people.
Rick Vaughn 38:11
I think that’ll happen. I feel pretty good about that. Yeah.
Nestor Aparicio 38:14
I don’t want to go to Dallas next week. I want to go to St. Pete sunny and 82 they say Rick Vaughn is down there somewhere Treasure Island Madeira beach somewhere down there. That big old pink Castle they have at the foot of the beach down there. Don
38:28
Azhar Yeah.
Nestor Aparicio 38:30
How you pronounce it?
Rick Vaughn 38:31
Don says czar? Yes.
Nestor Aparicio 38:35
I’ve never I can’t afford it. So I
38:38
think I can
Nestor Aparicio 38:40
read Wade’s here. He does great things. But Joe Maddon still loves the great game of baseball and every time I think of Major League in the wild thing I think of the other Rick Vaughn down in Florida, I’m Nestor we are celebrating life Brooks Robinson we’re celebrating the fact that we have a baseball game and mid October at least one or two gonna be played here this weekend. We’ll figure Billy Joel out. Figure out the ravens and all that it’s Pittsburgh week as well. Luke is in Owings Mills. Luke will not be in London next week because Luke and I are gonna be down in St. Petersburg trying to figure things out as the Orioles try to navigate October. I’m not sure we are wn St. am 1570, Towson Baltimore. Celebrating 25 years with our friends who carry a wellness and foreign daughter. Make sure you’re checking out our stories of glory at Baltimore positive.com
