With the postseason quickly approaching and the biggest regular season series in the history of Camden Yards coming this weekend against the Tampa Rays, Nestor Aparicio tells Dennis Koulatsos how good it feels to be buying fresh, old-school Orioles swag for October baseball in Baltimore.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
adam jones, ravens, orioles, game, writing, week, win, sit, picture, team, years, night, schedule, wife, road trips, months, love, literally, life, leaked
SPEAKERS
Dennis Koulatsos, Nestor Aparicio
Dennis Koulatsos 00:02
8
Welcome back. My next guest is Nestor Aparicio going to talk all things that are Orioles and ravens probably in that order if I know him, and I know him well Nestor welcome in.
Nestor Aparicio 00:12
Well, Dennis, last week you had me on and I was completely unprepared to discuss Terry Funk and we did 30 minutes on like wrestling and wrestling match. I still can’t find the picture. I found a picture of Harley Race and Ric Flair. And it’s really good picture I find I’ll share it with you before the segments over as sort of a you know chef’s kiss here but Labor Day weekend, football next week, I’ve got great guests on the show. John McClane did a half an hour with me talking about the Oilers wearing their throwbacks and how controversial that’s going to be. I have Dan Passerini. On the show this week, I have nose last print from the E Street Band because Springsteen’s coming to town next weekend. And aside from all this football and baseball and all this stuff, it’s quite a weekend we have next week, we’re in first place, they’re going to be playing West Coast baseball the next week. Yep, pitching spoon. Yeah, you know, like, so. I, this is as good as it gets. I’ve owned the station. 25 years, it’s our 25th anniversary. I’m rolling out the signs this week, which was number 25 on the wn st stories of glory. And then number 24 will be our barn, purple live show legacy of live radio and bringing out athletes in our Donovan. It’s all the stuff that people have forgotten that we did. So the lottery inspired me with their 50th anniversary. Have you done an anniversary? Have you ever planned on it? I don’t mean like wedding parties. barbettes was like a work like a 25th or 50th. Green. We
Dennis Koulatsos 01:42
did, we did back in oh seven, we had our 25th anniversary at this location. Koons has been in his business since 1964 59 years. But the 25 back then here, I’m coming up. I’ve got 18 years in general General Manager here Coons, on the 25th of September. So kind of make it to 20 at least.
Nestor Aparicio 02:03
So you know, 25 years when you did that, and oh, seven, I, you know, I’m sure the coons family was like this, and then we’re going to be out of logo yet. So I’m really trying to like, you know, I mean, I know you think I’m legitimate, but then it’s there are people around town that are that are whispering about me, and I’m not gonna allow that after 25 years, this is a time for me to put the icing on the cupcake and spike the ball a little bit. So I’m going back to these 25 stories of glory. And here’s the reason I use the word glory, right? You remember Memorial Stadium, time, will not dim the glory of their deeds, right? So I thought over all this time, going back to Memorial Stadium with these old pictures and 1998, when we started the station, we’re still in Memorial Stadium at that point, like moving out. And I thought really, this is to your point, gratitude, and all the people like you and all the listeners, and just all the people that made this go, I didn’t do these road trips with no one. I didn’t march in the streets of New Orleans, 50,000 people showed up. So we’ve had all of these people that have made this happen. So I’ve changed the theme to time will not dim the glory of your deeds. So if you guys have powered this place for all these years, and it’s really been a lot of fun. These pictures aren’t about me. They’re about like, who’s in them with me through all of these, and people we’ve lost along the way. You know, I go to these barn pictures and I I see pictures of Tony Siragusa, and yeah, we’re getting there. Yeah, man. And I just I want to appreciate this part of it. And I really get back on the field. I mean, we’re a real pennant race with real implications for buy or no buy home games, or no home games World Series in a World Series. The least thing and we’ve, you and I’ve done hours on John angelos, we’ve done hours on off the field issues with all this stuff. This is Billy would say time for pay in time for play. Boy, this is the time for play for all of them. For anybody who wants to get paid. Hey, go win a World Series Cano, you think you are closer? You just became one. Yeah, five months ago, you’re in AAA trying to figure this out, make the team and now you’re going to be closing the biggest games of your life. And the stadium last Saturday on bobblehead night when it got full. It’s going to be full next month. And it is really disappointing to see it not full and it not be vibrant, but that that’s a reflection of all of it. You know, we can go through the city and this and the crime and parking and pricing and John Angelo’s and the team and it’s easy on TV and all of that. The games will be full in October, it won’t be the same fans because they won’t be able to afford to go Eddie Lauer will not be sitting in that seat on the eighth row every night on the end in the playoffs because that’s that’s gonna be a $600 ticket for real and that’s gonna cost Mr. Kuhn 600 hours if he wants to sit in it, you know, we went
8Dennis Koulatsos 04:51
Sunday and we went Tuesday and yeah, the crowds weren’t. Sunday crowd was looks at what was about half full but Tuesday evening was maybe tend to allow the fans to get
Nestor Aparicio 05:01
choppy based on giving bobbleheads away. You know, you start giving your cars away. There’ll be a line, right? Like literally, I mean, you know, and, and $10 tickets and the squirts. I mean, they have a lot of assets. You know, the first asset is Dennis are really good. They’re really good. You know, and at the end of the day, the freakin shell game and the bird and statues and the food and what? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. The food, the food is the game. And if the game is good, and the team’s good, build it and they’ll come, they’re coming. Right? They’re coming at what price point at at what volume? At what rabidity Who’s coming back, you went twice this week, twice more than I went, I went down Friday night, we didn’t go because we just weren’t in the mood. And I have gotten into, like Ben McDonnell when he does the games, you know what I mean? Like, there’s a thing about it, and a routine about it for me that I fallen into, and I live two blocks away for 20 years. And it’s not like I wish I were down there. Or I would go more if I were down there. I would go more if they treated me better. You know what I mean? That’s literally that that’s my excuse. Now that being said, I give them the same amount of time. And I sit here every night and I watch them and and I really do root for these kids more so than I wrote it for JJ Hardy or Manny Machado guys that I didn’t think were good dudes. And I don’t know whether these guys are good dudes or not. I wish I seem to be they look, they want me to know that they’re good dudes to you know, to buckshaw Walter’s wife who who wrote about me a couple weeks ago. I don’t know them, but they seem like guys, I want to know. And I do feel left out because it would be a time commitment that I don’t. If they invite me back and want to treat me great. I’d love to come back. I’d love to chronicle it. Major League Baseball may credential me next month, we’ll see. haven’t done anything to knocker. But spending time around them as a professional would be wonderful. Spending time around them on the couch right now and watching it all happen, has been really a joyous thing for me at this point in my life, because I it’s not that I can this associated with John Angelo. So the Angelo’s family or their misdeeds, or even the stuff that they’re doing right now to Westmore to the city to the taxpayers. They’re asking all of you all of us for more money. That when the first pitch goes off, and the ball is in play, and it’s balls and strikes, and the fans are into it, this has been a joy. That’s been the been a gift to me. And I wish my father was still alive. And certainly wish my mother was still alive to see it. I wish that everybody were in on it. I wish it were full every night. Because if this was St. Louis or Boston, or all these other north side of Chicago, it would be it would be more vibrant. And that’s Shame on them for not making me feel like I’m welcome to come. I mean, literally, I don’t feel welcome. Certainly I don’t feel welcomed, ever. So and that’s been going on for 20 years.
Dennis Koulatsos 07:56
They’ve been talking about, they’ve been telling people clearly to stay away from you. But you’re not a good. You’re not a good dude. I mean that that came out recently.
Nestor Aparicio 08:02
8Well, I mean, you weren’t shocked by it? I’m sure not. You know, here’s the amazing thing. And I’ll go shoot with you right now, because you’re wrestling last week. So I’m writing these letters. And you might even be offended by that. I hope you’re not because it’s all going to be true. And it’s all from the heart and you know that you know I’m incapable of lying about about any of this. Certainly, I’ve just incapable of lying about it for for them or for myself to anybody’s benefited. I’m a journalist, it doesn’t mean no good the lie. It’s not in the it’s not in the code of who I am. But the issue for me writing to the football team, as my wife and I have been boxed out of seats that they can’t give away now, the 51 bucks to get in. They’re gonna win by three touchdowns. We’re all gonna love them that they out in September. Love it, they’re going to be one to know. I mean, John McClane came on here. And he said, they asked her, there’s no chance that the ravens are going to beat the top or Texas. So that’s pretty good. John McLean. But so the thing with the football team, you know, at this point is that this is there’s an engagement period for them now, where the baseball team is going to be in the news for a little while, or you know, the next year or two or three, whether it’s John being stupid, whether it’s they don’t sign Henderson and given money, whether John Christ poor at some point that’s going to die at some point, Mom’s going to have to, at some point, there’ll be a new owner or major league baseball will let John run it, or he’ll move to Nashville or there’ll be there’ll be all of that. But chronicling all of that is going to be white hot fire for the Orioles. And they’re all season is going to be white hot, because they’re either going to take a dive and nosedive. And they’re going to screw all this up one way or another, or they’re going to win the World Series or they’re going to fight hard and losing losing seven games and it’s going to be devastating. But they are going to own the headline show for a little while here. You know, and the Ravens are going to win games, right? I mean, they really are the ravens are going to be by how long the ravens are going to be a playoff competitor,
Dennis Koulatsos 09:56
right as long as the Mark Jackson stays upright. They’ll win games. If Lamar J action goes down just like last two seasons that’s going to be up in the air.
Nestor Aparicio 10:04
Yeah, you know, I guess at the end of this is I root for good people, right? And I’ve met so many good people in sports. I mean, I don’t even I wouldn’t even begin to list them beginning with Jean Newbury Jaco, when I was a 15 year old kid with a notebook, and he took me in like a grandfather, and he’s still in my life and still takes me out to lunch and Catonsville all the 40 years later, that all these people that I’ve collected every Marvin Lewis, every picture you’ve ever seen to me, where it looks like the person likes me, or doesn’t like me, the real sin in this, and this is this is dastardly, it’s devious. Is this, there are ravens people. And I talked to a couple of them a couple of famous players this week, at length about my situation. And one of them said to me, I’m trying to figure out what’s in it for them. Like what’s in it for the Baltimore Ravens to be mean to Nestor or, and his wife and his radio, like what’s in it for the team. So I’ve had all that but the players who are removed text me back call me back treat me like family asked how my wife’s doing. You. We have all these pictures of these purple shows from 100 years ago, whether it’s Mike Flynn, whether it’s Michael McCrary whether just if goose were alive, you know, whether it’s Kim herring, Stoney case, Brandon Stokely, you know, just autumn John Ogden, they’re all in my phone. Brad Jackson just go down the cow Richardson and I talked for an hour last week, like just these are friends of mine. There are people who’ve been in my home, Matt Stover been in my home, you know, like all of these people. And this is the thing that the Orioles did to me. That’s just like, it’s unspeakable from a human situation, especially when my wife was dying. Everyone in the oil organization. After free the birds Flanagan hung on for a few years still inside. And other people in the office is ticket takers. People I’ve known that cell. They’re people that are on my LinkedIn, my Facebook, my Twitter, people that were at my wedding had had to pretend they don’t know me. There’s someone who was at my wedding 20 years ago who has not been allowed to speak to me because they work for the Orioles and I’m me. This is now Owings Mills, the people who sold me hundreds of 1000s of dollars worth of tickets. The people who greeted me at the door and said hello to me, greeted me in the hallways on the second floor, secretary’s assistance, scam scouts, salespeople, community relations marketing tickets ops none of them are allowed to speak to me at work communicate with me in any way they’ve I don’t have a friend in the franchise anymore. They’re all scared for their lives to speak to me and not even say look I can’t talk ravens with you. And that would say that that comes from Steve I’ll give you a fun story about why the Ravens deep down hate me and like art modell loved me art was like it like Brian have added you know, have added whatever you’re gonna say, media guy have added you know, and I had John McLean on. Go look at what John McClane writes about the Texans when they’re losing 35 to three at halftime. I mean, it’s brutal, you know what I mean? But it’s the truth to it, you know, we’re unfiltered truth as as, as Brian Billick would would have at it. But the fact that in these other places, the criticism serves to make you better. One of the reasons the Orioles really hate me or hated me was my radio station became a toilet for them. Right? People had a bad experience at the game. They couldn’t call the Orioles, the fan relations to fix the problem. They Hey Nestor, you won’t believe what happened. I called hot dogs, right? warm beer, you know, whatever the complaint would be. That’s what phone calls were here in 2001 23456 when the Orioles weren’t good, right. And the same way of people having a good time with the Ravens experience going on a road trip call me all weeks and had the most fun ever and my tailgate and this and that, you know, like good experiences. But when it comes to the football team and sort of the complaint department for them, there were no complaints for a long, long time. Right. Like, we were just happy to have the team there was the honeymoon period. We won. We won again. We were good. There was Ray Lewis. But you know, we looked the other way on Ray Lewis and Jamal Lewis and jurisprudence and Ray Rice and you know, you just got your new row Quan Smith jersey and your workout I mean, we we love the ravens and it’s all good like that. But the criticism part of them and fair criticism that art modell embrace This is something that did cast when he first got here and was trying to corporatize everything. I always got the schedule first. And this is a tribute to you. And you’re further up. I’m going to honor you as a number because of the tech service. Because I think our tech service is a top 25 story of glory. I hope you would agree being the long term sponsor, you know, like we have broken so much news. I remember one day sitting out in the in the castle. And being there the day the schedule was released. Like literally it was it was happenstance that the liar’s luncheon was the same day. And I remember this being during the Nita marks period. So this was probably Oh, he told me eight 910 Our tech service was very new. Nobody had one right. You sponsored it? You’ve been sponsoring it for? I think we started in Oh, 80708 Yeah, I mean, it’s a minute text became like a thing. Oh, 708, we probably had it. 16 years, you’ve been the only sponsor, and how many of our in our audience 10,000 people, you know, we get it. It’s a there’s news, I was in the castle in the in the cafeteria. And I literally was at my laptop on their Wi Fi. And I had the schedule leaked to me. And I put it out. And I watched every pocket in the room. I watched everybody grabbed their phone at the same time for our text. Right. So this was probably eight 910. But when Cass got here and 567 I broke the schedule on the tech service, we were reading it on the air at 10 in the morning, right? This is before the NFL had a show. This was when they would release it on PIL at five o’clock at night maybe. And the NFL Network was sort of nascent sort of just getting going. And not everybody had it or whatever. It wasn’t that kind of outlet. nfl.com I guess was at that point. But for me, I wanted to get it to book flights for road trips and hold weekends and get hotel rooms in Nashville and whatever. And this is true. When did cast came in, I got the schedule leaked to me. And he thought it came from inside the building. He thought somebody in the building likes Nestor, and to show his might as a manager, its first one of his first acts. He shut down their email and was trying to figure out who to fire. Wow, for leaking. Why no this like for this came from somebody has long gone, but said to me. And as it turns out, the person that leaked it to me called me because we’re not stupid enough to send stuff. But wasn’t even in the organization. It was something wild. I I’m a source journalist. I’m not. I’m not half ass. Like, I’m not really I would have trained to do this. You know. And so, first off, if I’m putting my name next to the schedule, it can’t be what that schedule weaker. Puts out on Twitter every year. That is a joke. I was never wrong on a schedule ever. I always hit every date every home game. I never got the Cincinnati Baltimore games transposed because Marvin wouldn’t let me do that. So but they shut down the building trying to
Dennis Koulatsos 18:20
figure out on the found out who the Mole was, what the leak was,
8Nestor Aparicio 18:23
how I got the schedule back in the day, and I fought it for years and I still took a lot of pride and get the schedule out. And now it’s one of those things that’s in the like, the only one that gets it’s that guy Brian that runs the trips because he’s got a leak inside the building that Sashi Browns asleep on and it shows up out on the internet at two o’clock in the afternoon or whatever. But but the but the building, my heart is broken in a lot of ways about all of this. But but having people that have been in my life for 27 years, no longer they they I think ghosted Adam Jones, what did he say that he’s been been cut out? Now he’s cut back in, which is great. I mean, they fixed him and give him a bobblehead and sell some tickets and bring it on me. I love Adam Jones. They never should have let Adam Jones playing Japan’s greatest thing. If I ever had a podcast with him if you ever wanted to upgrade. He and I would sit around and talk about Japan and about how good that was for his life. But how awful it was that they just didn’t give him a couple million bucks and let him be a guy here. Let him be the ray Bork here. Right. I mean, the fact that they couldn’t afford him and let him hang out as long as he wanted to hang out. I mean, they tried to treat him the Philadelphia Independent race. He refused to leave. That’s how badly he you know that he did he wanted to be an Oreo.
Dennis Koulatsos 19:47
Well, then he was all in.
Nestor Aparicio 19:49
Yeah, and I don’t know him, but I owe him if you see Him or know Him and Justin Drummond, from Planet Fitness is coming on next week and I know their friends. Adam Jones wrote me a note eight months sigo the only time I’ve heard from I’ve talked to Adam Jones three times in my life, you ready three times. The first time I talked to him, he was in Steve de Castro’s box. He was inebriated. It was during a football game. We took a really fun picture together. My wife was in the hospital battling for a life. So I look a little wretched. It was December 15. I had a hat. I remember it. So I took a picture with him. The only time I’ve ever spoken to him, and even recognize me, because I just looked like a fan. The only time we’ve spoken, he recognized me. I was on the field at the All Star game in New York at Citi Field. So this was July of 13. Okay, everything’s about my wife’s cancer in my life. It’s kind of strange, like our world changed in March a forecourts to the shore. Oh, in July 13. My wife and I were about to go on our 10th anniversary. And we went to Tahiti we did the South Pacific was the most magical we went to Maria if you’d love someone take them to Maria. Take him to Bora Bora. It was magical. So my 10th anniversary is July 25 2013. is about July 12. Left 10th 11th 12th. The All Star game was in New York. And boy the Orioles were good. Right. the Orioles were finally good. And they had a bunch of all stars. Tillman Jones Hardy, right. I did the the Major League Baseball credentials me. So I’m in New York and I’m working. And I also work the the Washington All Star game where I talked to Machado, in the locker room. Five minutes before he was delta, the Dodgers wherever the hell they sent him for five minutes. So in 12, Adam Jones is playing catch warming up. I’m not sure if it was Monday or Tuesday. I don’t know if it was the workout or or if it was, it had to have been the workout. But maybe maybe not. No, it was the game night. It was game night, because he saw me floating around on Monday and recognize me. And he’s playing catch, like literally playing catch. And I’m out on the field area. And it’s crowded media and they’re trying to make room. It’s like a lot of media. So it must have been game day. It’s 430 in the afternoon. And I’m like flying to Tahiti the next day, like literally, it was my wife. And he’s playing catch and he says to me, Hey, man, why is big guy hate you so much? Like literally, and I looked up and I I remember this is like 520 in the afternoon. And I said to him, I said, Hey, man, how you doing? I said, You expect me to answer that while you’re playing catch. I said I don’t
Dennis Koulatsos 22:53
8casually he wanted. He wanted a casual answer.
Nestor Aparicio 22:56
Like he wanted me to say, Oh, I did a walk out on him for no good reason at all. I wasn’t the 13 years Alize it wasn’t being on the radio station every day taking every complaint. It wasn’t watching people treated like garbage. Universally, players non play, it didn’t matter who they were, like, all of it, you know, and he wanted me to explain this to him as a young player who just got a $50 million contract, right? And he’s in the All Star game. And he he asked me so I knew he cared. He cared. I mean, most guys wouldn’t care enough, right? He cared. And we had a lot of mutual friends. Jason Pappas was a neighbor of his I know, you know, like, a lot people. I mean, he married he married into the few good family. I mean, she’s you it’s been my home.
Dennis Koulatsos 23:40
Gene and I gene was a customer of mine. And he and I played golf together. And he’s told me about Adam Jones walking around the house with a bat in his hand. That’s how much he loves baseball. That’s what I know about Adam Jones. He loved baseball, never walking around the house practicing swinging, which, you know, probably not good for the house, but good for him.
Nestor Aparicio 23:57
So I don’t know Adam Jones at all. So Adam Jones That day, I said, You know what, here’s my number. If you ever want to get a coffee and sit and talk about it, I’ll be glad to tell you everything. And then I got on the plane. And I started flying. And I’m sitting in Bora Bora. And in Moray, Adam, I have my laptop because I’m a worker. And I came home and it inspired me to write the Peter principles. So when I came home, I just finished writing Purple Rain to remember we won the Super Bowl on January 13. I wrote the book I was in writer writer writer mode, right? And I just finished the book signing the book, my arm hurt from signing the book. It was July, after Father’s Day. I had just done all of this and took my wife to Tahiti as a celebration right? And then she gets cancer six months is awful. But But Adam Jones inspired me to write the Peter principles. So if you see him, Please tell him that I did not take that conversation casually and if I see him or Jerry Coleman sees him or the band or people tell Adam Jones that the Peter principles was written for him for him, so he wouldn’t know why oh man hates me. Because I witnessed all of this. I watched all of this. I was a part of all of this. I watched Ken Rosenthal get, just get completely emasculated. I was a part of it. I called him knows it all. Now he’s a legend, right? He never lied Ken Rosenthal never lie. Peter schmuck never lie. Certainly, Mike Flanagan never lied to me about the inside of all of it. And and Flanagan’s dead at this point by 11. So I felt like writing the Peter principles would answer questions for people and we’re in the middle of of releasing it right now. So it’s a good timing on it. But I the Raven’s thing I’m writing about this week, but really, it’s it’s more like the inside of the organization, people that I would go down and have eggs and bacon at the Blue Moon cafe. There’s a marketing person that works at the ravens, who I’m friends with. Every year, we went and had breakfast together and talked about football, the team marketing the road, like all I don’t know the person anymore. I mean, it’s, it’s insane. And, and they expect me to come on here and talk about it. It’s just not right. I mean, so I could talk about all sorts of things. I can have those often on you and I, but like, I miss going to the games, and I look forward to watching the games. There is a peaceful part of watching it on TV, but I don’t see the game well, at all. I don’t see the game, the way I see it. I’ve seen it from my seats for 26 years. And my wife and I, we mourn that. Yeah, we mourn the loss of shame really is. Yeah, we do we and that’s all said and good. I began this by saying it’s the most exciting eight weeks of sports that I don’t say I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know, I’d have to think about that. You don’t I mean, like really think about both teams having a chance to win. Because certainly 79 and 83. There was nothing like that. 9697 the Ravens weren’t good. Yeah. 12 through 16, there was the chances and but this is different. The baseball, the feeling about the baseball team is different now. And as it should be. They’re really good, man. They’re really good. And they’re, well,
8Dennis Koulatsos 27:11
they’re good. They’re young, they’re energetic, they’re enthusiastic, I don’t think I don’t think they know any better. I think they’re doing things that they’re not supposed to be doing yet at this stage. But it’s a lot of fun watching them grow. And if the pitching can hold up Nestor, who knows they have a bit of a puncher’s chance of bringing home the championship.
Nestor Aparicio 27:28
Well, you know, if I were the orange bird, like one of my former employees and doing the pre and post game and all I had to say was good things. If I had to only positive muster if that was where I was if all I had to do was shine it up. I mean, I could really talk about Grayson Rodriguez his emergence and him and Bradish him wanting to being as formidable as anybody, you know, if if their arms are right in the innings or right and we’re talking five weeks from now rest winning this division so important. And then where do Hall is and whether John means can be a part of this and where the cavalry is, and we’re Fuji and we’re Cano are because we’re just done talking about Batista, right? Like that’s just looks that’s not saying and
Dennis Koulatsos 28:11
be. Well, you have a taste and Tommy John surgery in the same sentence. It’s not a good thing.
Nestor Aparicio 28:16
8Yeah, between Flaherty and Gibson, and thinking about them both being ready for a game three, right and saying, Where are we in the industry? And Cole Irvin and and who’s going to work out of the bowl, Tyler wells. I mean, you know, maybe you get three great innings in a game three out of him in some way. And it’s more pitch by committee, because the playoffs are pitched by committee anyway. They really are. I mean, I mean, if you had shares where you go seven, and through that quick, good for you, but I don’t think anybody’s expecting that in October, on anything. 180 202 2232 be thinking in those terms. October is a survival thing. Right? It really is. And the youth may serve them well, in a lot of ways in a lot of ways. You know, it’s fun to
Dennis Koulatsos 29:01
talk about and speculate and romanticize What if so, they’re right there and for the first time in many years, we’re talking about the Orioles in September No, no,
Nestor Aparicio 29:11
no, there’s not a what if there’s a what will be now what will be there will be no it’s not what there’s not an IF there. If they don’t make the playoffs? It’ll be a collapse. It’ll be colossal, monumental. It’ll be its own story. If they go for an ATM.
Dennis Koulatsos 29:26
I can’t see that happening. Not at this thing. Nor are they right. Okay, so Miss WEPs the savvy rutschman became the catcher the starting catcher so we’re not imagining that that kind of collapse, but
8Nestor Aparicio 29:38
I believe they’ll make the playoffs. I believe there’ll be formidable when they get there. I hope they don’t have any more incidences of injury right I remember the Marcus thing which Yeah, and Luke and I fought at length this week. You know, amicably Of course, about the 12 and 14 and 16 Oreos and just I thought the 12 team had the best chance to win And now in retrospect, and I hope that I don’t feel that way about this team, because and I think the cautionary tale, the White Sox thought they might be good this year. I had John Martin on this week for the Maryland lottery or you know, our partner and our next crabcake towards the 15th and fadeless, by the way, with our compensate partners, and John Martin, guardians for Cleveland fan, Cleveland baseball fan, and they were supposed to be good and now they’re petering out. Padres I met Tony Quinn, Jersey, and this like monumentally disappointing, a positive, the Mets Mets Mets.
Dennis Koulatsos 30:30
Yeah. Forever you right? You gotta jump through it when you can. That’s what I meant by what if? What if they bring it home? That’s, I mean, that’s, that’s the whole thing. That’s, like, well,
Nestor Aparicio 30:40
and that’s why now is so important. And the Billy Joel song, this is the time right? You know, I would say this, they’re not gonna have Odell Beckham next year, the ravens are going to be on a slight decline in all seasons for what they can do. They’re handcuffed by the quarterback now and they’re handcuffed by other big deals. You know, they’re getting to the end of Ronnie Stanley were you know like figuring that out or whatever, Humphrey they’re in the middle of they better hope that he’s a factor by Halloween. I you know, I mean, and that they can be six and two without him and I think they can you know, fine I mean, but the Orioles and the Ravens being when you and I get together I don’t know which way to go. It’s so weird. Because we used to just we never had the Orioles.
Dennis Koulatsos 31:22
8Always ravens, right. But now Now I know every player on the team. I’m going to games buying jerseys, you name it. I’m all in.
Nestor Aparicio 31:29
It’s fun. It’s what it’s about. It’s why it’s 25 years later. It’s honest to god why I’m here it’s not about fighting with Peter Angelos or or or Steve shoddy fight when Manny fight with Raven. I made that clear. I fight with them to fight with me. This week, it might look like I’m fighting with them because I’m telling the truth. But it’s not even defending there is no I don’t have to defend my the facts. What’s in my phone defense itself. You know, like it’s it is what it is so, but I’m really looking forward to football. I’m looking forward to the Sundays the weather changed a little bit. You know, like it feels good. And it feels good to be talking about it with some expertise and an audience and people coming back and, and concerts, we got things open master off kids are going back to school and hopefully, sports is normal kids are no you know, the education is normal. And let’s you know, let’s enjoy this time. Let’s enjoy the good weather. Let’s enjoy having baseball to look forward to every night because like I told Luke and I don’t. I’m not a Debbie Downer about bringing up the match of the pot. I’m bringing up the reality of baseball. I was here for 79 or 80. Smell good. 81 was even better. 82 went down to the lake. And then we finally won an 83 it doesn’t always work that way. Cal Ripken never won again. Right. So, for me, this isn’t a this isn’t a stage rehearsal. This isn’t. This is a real thing. Let’s go. I’m with you. That is his Labor Day weekend. How many labor day weekends are they ever going to be 35 games over 500 in a division where the Yankees in the Red Sox and the Blue Jays have monumental resources to retool to go steal our best players. If there was a car dealership down the street that could steal every one of your best employees every 18 months? Because they just they weren’t offering 100 grand or 150 grand in the bonuses weren’t 10 grand 20 grand. They were Saudi money. Literally. What are you gonna do? Yeah, it’s my mechanic who’s making you know, 150 grand a year. They just offered him 1.8 million a year. What am I going to do can’t compete with that. You just can’t. Well, that’s the business they’re in. And that’s why Steve shot he never wanted to be in the baseball business. Right? You know, like literally, my man. I love coming on your show and I love your my shoot interview now. You’re my Dr. Melfi.
Dennis Koulatsos 33:42
That’s right. It’s okay. Listen, I tell everybody out there that you’re the most knowledgeable person I know. In regards to sports, you have an encyclopedic, maybe PDF worth of knowledge, Encyclopedia Britannica, if you will, and photographic memory and all that good stuff. So
Nestor Aparicio 33:58
like your support for me is implicit, and I appreciate that. But I don’t, I don’t need to kiss your ass or like I said that he did to the governor when he before he was the governor when he sat down with me. Everybody was kissing his ass Wes. Oh, cost this it’s 830 in the morning, like, he’s not the governor yet. And everybody’s just up. Yeah, you know, like all of it. And it’s the stuff when Moeller and I were together. I’m like, Dude, I don’t roll that way. It’s just west to me. And I’ll call him governor in a form, you know, like, whatever. But like I said to him, before we set up the pipe pops on him like, I am not here to kiss your ass. You’re about to become me. You want people to vote for you. You want me to be tough on you. Right? It’ll look better for both of us.
8Dennis Koulatsos 34:37
No hanging curve no softballs down the middle. Well, I
Nestor Aparicio 34:39
mean, there is I just had Ben Cardin on he served our community since 1966. I’m not you know, I’m not holding the proverbial you know, weaponry on him. I’m just, you know, just trying to talk about what it’s gonna be like to not do it when you’ve been doing it since 1966. But I think we talked about you know, anybody wants to my political work or see my community work or anything. I had animal mechanics Get them on. I’ve had the Howard County Executive and an IBO sitting senators, the governor and I’ve been in communication about getting it done. The mayor has been on this week. Nobody runs for me. Nobody hides from me. There’s no reason for them to run for me or hide from me. And I love my work I love you can see the smile on my face and I love what I’m doing. And I will learn to love watching football on television on Sundays because I have been forced to. Hey,
Dennis Koulatsos 35:23
sorry to hear that but I’m glad you’re on the show here. There he goes. Mr. J. Appreciate your 1570 Am wn S T. We’ll take a quick break and come back right after this.
