November 24, 2025 • 37 mins
Are Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee getting the job done? How will Rafael Devers respond to new manager Tony Vitello? Does Patrick Bailey need to stop switch hitting or is he on the right track? And how are things looking at second base with Casey Schmitt?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
It's another episode of splash It. It's your friends, f
Pe Santangelo and Susan Slusser. Susan, it's Thanksgiving week. Happy Thanksgiving.
It's good to see you again. Thanks for coming on
the show.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
My pleasure. Always willing to hop on and talk Giants
baseball with UFP as.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
You know that's great.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I mean, do they have Thanksgiving in London where you're at.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I'm going to ridiculous My sol life right now sounds ridiculous.
I come back for the winter meetings and then all
this nonsense is over. I'm going to Paris for Thanksgiving
because I've got American friends there. Well, actually she's French,
so the best of both worlds. Hang with some Americans
and then get a French meal for Thanksgiving and wine.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Wow, so I'm gonna have turkey. You're going to have snails.
That sounds amazing.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Before we get go and we got to take care
of some business.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You guys have been so great that the podcast is
getting great feedback from Giants fans. But we're always going
for more subscribers, right so subscribe to splash Hit Territory.
Our next goal is three thousand subscribers. Check out the logo.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Isn't that cool.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
We're gonna have some merch too made up with the
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have to subscribe first, so hop on there.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's pretty easy.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
You got a click subscribe, and we're thankful for everybody
for watching this.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
It's we already got a lot of subscribers, so keep
it up. You guys are great. All right, the lineup
for today, we're gonna talk.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
About Buster Posey and what he said about meat on
the bone with current position players. We're gonna talk about
some outfield defense, Rafael Devers and some other things. We'll
get to what you're thankful for maybe this week as
a Giants fan, but we'll start off with like Buster
Posey was talking about the current roster and he said,
with some certain players, there's still some meat on the bone.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And we kind of want to break down.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
What meat on the bone means with a few players
Jung Hu, Lee, Elliott Romos, Patrick Bailey in you know,
the seasons they had and where they're at in their
career and maybe what those guys can do internally the
players that Giants already have on the roster.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Because we've talked about free agents, we've talked about who
they're picking up, but we want.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
To talk about the current roster right now. So maybe
touch on some players Susan that I mentioned. And what
does meat on the bone mean?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, well, I mean as a former player, I think
you have the better sense of what meat on the
bone player? This is like the more ceiling is that
kind of how you take it a little more ceiling there?
Because it tends to be guys when Buster Posey says
this sort of stuff. It tends to be guys like
Elliott Ramos, Jung Hu Lee, who obviously has a very
short major league career so far, Patrick Bailey, who you
(02:43):
know has shown is still quite young and has shown
signs of improvement here and there. What do you take
that actual phrase to me, meet on the bone?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, that they can improve in certain areas, all of them,
and there's more left in the tank.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Jung Hu Lee. The outfield play in center field was
less than aggressive at times.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
You know, he goes and gets the ball, but would
he would veer off and let Elliott Ramos take a
ball in the gap. The center fielder's a captain out there.
It's probably the position I played most in the big leagues.
If the ball's on the left field line and you're
the center fielder and you call it, it's your ball,
You're the captain out there and you have to take charge.
You're a lot like a short stop in the infield.
The center fielder's the captain in the outfield, So maybe
(03:28):
be a little more aggressive and assertive. Defensively, it's not
so much he got a great arm, he hits the
cutoff man. He's fundamentally sound. Everything is solid with Junghu.
The one thing that stands out to me with him
is he had ten stolen bases this year. He got
caught three times, so that means he only tried to
steal thirteen times all season long.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I'm sure Buster would love for him to be.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
More aggressive on the bases this year, where I think
if he asserts himself and has more confidence in that
at that he can steal thirty bases. But base stealing
Susan is a lot like hitting. You have to have
confidence in it, and when you're in a rhythm and
you get a good jump and you have the green light,
and you steal on your pitches and you start to
(04:14):
look at what count it is, who's hitting, what they're
going to throw to this guy, and you pick the
off speed pitches and you get a tell on the pitcher,
and all of a sudden, you start to get those
good jumps. Base steiling his confidence and he never looked
like he was confident in stealing bases this year.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
But maybe he's a true leadoff hitter and he's a guy.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I think that could that's the meat on the bone
for me and Joung Hu Lee And maybe I've talked
about this on the broadcast before, like add a bunting
to your game. His hero is it Itchi Row is
one of the best base at bunner, Susan. You remember
when he was in Seattle and playing the A's.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
He would just get down there and just boom and.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Lay it down and be safe and he would get
really remember when he bunted, he would be four steps
on the infield grass because he'd be running to the
pitcher and he would almost like a banana route the
first base. But he's one of the best basic bunners ever.
And I think if Jung who added that to his game,
that there is a lot of meat on the bone
for him.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
You know what, I'm in sort of two minds about
Jung Houley, which sounds like as usual. I'm like, oh,
I see both sides. I'm startling de fence. You know what,
He's making a lot of money. This was not one
of Buster's signs, but Buster Posey really does believe in
Jung Huley.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I believe.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
For me, the biggest issue is the defense. He was
twenty seventh defensively among big league outfielders center fielders. That's
that's especially in that ballpark. That's just that. That's not okay.
His range is not good. The Giants range in the
outfield in general was terrible. They were last in the
(05:47):
majors in range by far, you know, right at the
top among and errs. We don't look at hers that much,
but people who watch the Giants consistently know we saw
a lot of really bad, inex lickable errors, things that
shouldn't be made. Now, new coaching stuff, you can be
sure this is the first thing that they're going to address.
But with Jung Hu Lee, they know what kind of
(06:09):
player he was in Korea, and he was assertive. He
was a more assertive player. He certainly was stealing bases.
He now has And this is what Buster keeps saying.
Last year really was his first big league season. He's
learning the pictures, obviously, that's so important. He's got a
better idea of what pictures are trying to do with him.
They need him to be that high contact guy like
(06:31):
you were saying, like Ichiro, who I think I saw
more than any other player while I was covering Ba's
I think I've seen him more than any opposing player
ever me personally, and that guy was that you know,
he needs to get back to watching Nietro. Now. Obviously
Pturo was a magician, but you've got to if you're
a contact guy, you've got to find ways to get
(06:51):
on base. And now he has an idea. He's not.
He didn't come in and set the world on fire
the way Eachiro did, but he's got to figure out
a way to get going. I still like him if
he can get on base regularly. I still like him
as a leadoff man. I mean, he really profiles is that.
But he's really not as fast as I think we
thought he would be. And he's coming off. You know,
when they signed him. He was coming off a significant
(07:13):
ankle injury, and I'm still a little unclear on why
the previous administration didn't like a Carlos Korea ankle injury
from his minor league days, and he had then played
great since versus one essentially the previous year before being
signed to the major leagues and coming over to a
new league. But he I don't know how they do that,
(07:33):
but they need him get They need to improve his range,
they need to improve his speed. I think if those
things happen, he can be a good, if not maybe
all star level player, at least a good, better than
replacement level outfielder, which is absolutely what they need. But
that outfield in general, we've touched on it a few
(07:54):
times with when we talk about you know what free
agents might they go on, you look at right field.
Right field right now is kind of a big question mark.
But the two guys that are coming back are not
good enough defensively. And I talked to Elliott Ramos at
length about this right at the end of the season,
and he said, Wow, you know, I felt like the
previous year, you know, he'd done so much better, he'd
(08:17):
really improved, and he had and he took a step
back last year, and he said that was a matter
of focus and he knows what he has to do.
I believe that. I think he has the tools to
do it. But you could see just watching him that
the focus wasn't there. You're a former outfielders, was that
just watching Elliott Romos? Is that kind of what you
were seeing with just the you know, maybe the attention
(08:37):
to detail and the absolute focus.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It gets back to confidence in a game where we
have all these analytics and data for everything. Elliot Romos
had four airs in twenty twenty four. He had nine
ers last year, and that's not even talking about misplays
that we were all scratching our head at. And I
think you would talk to him after a game and
he would say, I'm just not feeling it out there.
I'm overthinking it. I'm paraphrasing. I don't know what the
it's a quotes were, but but but defense is an
(09:03):
attitude and it takes a lot of work, and I
think Elliott, you know, was definitely working at it. But
the best way as an outfielder to get better is
to take balls live off the bat like you got
you gotta put the hay in the barn, and you
got to go out there every single day. And it's
not fungos. It's not shooting the ball in the machine.
(09:24):
It's not a coach hitting them to you. It's during
batting practice. You power shag and you get used to
the sound off the bat. You get used to how
the ball is carrying that day in the ballpark. Because
the Oracle Park changes every day you go on the road,
it changes every day. There's different corners in left field
where the ball shoots around the corner, down.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
The corner, it sticks in there.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
These are all things you got to practice every single day,
and you got to work up a lather. And I
know there's all this load management now and we're trying
to get you through the season, But it doesn't take
a lot of effort every day to go out there
and just bust your tail and take balls lif live
off the bat. Maybe one group a day where you're
just powershagging balls off the bat, and then maybe one
(10:06):
day you just get your first step quickness and if
a ball shit to center field, you take a job
step to center field. If a ball said to the line,
you take a job step, and you're working on your
jumps without actually running after every single ball. But to me,
defense is such an attitude right now in all players,
and I see him working on it. But you really
got to work on it if you're Elliott Romos. And
(10:28):
what you do when you do that is you build confidence.
So when the game starts, I did my work, I'm relaxed.
I got great jumps all day today. I'm seeing the
ball and hearing the ball off the bat, and I
know where it's going to be based on the weather,
the conditions. All right, we got to take care of
some business. So here's a quick ad.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
We'll be right back. Hey.
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Speaker 3 (11:48):
There's something else I want to talk about with Elliott two.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I was watching the playoffs and it was when the
Mariners were playing, and they cut to I think it
was MLB Network. They cut to a shot of batting
practice and they showed Jrod for the Mariners, who's a
center fielder and a really good one, and he was
doing those Ron Washington drills Susan where he was doing
the short hops with his glove in the backhand. He
was doing the short hops this way what you see
(12:10):
Freddie Freeman do on his knees before a game. A
lot of giants guys do it, but it's usually infielders
you say do it. And I remember this year Elliott
bobbling a lot of balls in the outfield, and that
comes with like maybe you start working, like taking ground
balls in the infield and doing those drills, and it's
just it's just putting the hay in the barn and
working every single day. And real quick, back to Jung
(12:33):
who a point I forgot to make, and we're talking
about meat on the bone. He's literally got to put
meat on the bone. He lost a lot of weight
during the season. Remember how jacks he did.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
He was so thin. Yeah, he was so thin even
mid season. He really was losing it quick. Not unusual,
but it was Nosa. At one point I said something
to him and he was like what And I was like, oh, yeah,
much thinner. Yeah, you're right, And you know what, when
we're talking about Elliott and Jung who, Sorry, I got
talk about this topic for all like a ton, Like
(13:02):
the outfield is just fascinating to me. But I'll take
maybe a little not quite the best off defensive player.
If you've got thirty homer pop like Elliott does, if
you're an all star like Ramos was two years ago.
If you're Jung Hulee, you either better be hitting two
eighty two ninety getting on base and scoring a ton
(13:24):
of runs because he's not gonna hit thirty, or your
defense had better be great. And you know, we saw
him forget the number of outs. He also made the
craziest play of the year, you know, catching the ball
between his knees, you know, after losing it. That was greaty, Like,
he's got the skills, but he has to take I
just you know, this is a this is really important position.
(13:46):
And I think everyone he's such a likable guy, really
great for the San Francisco Korean American community, great for
the Giants to have, you know, a foothold in that
market in Korea. Now he needs to do his part
on us.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Yeah, And I think just having a year under his
belt and we all kind of forget, like he didn't
play very many games his first year, so he was
basically a rookie in the big leagues this year, and
the riggers of the travel and the riggers of the
schedule and the mental grind every single day and then
the physical grind every single day, and the new ballparks
and the new pitchers and all of these things. So
(14:23):
with that all under his belt, you know there's going
to be adjustments made. He's going to come in jacked
again and he's gonna have a great I love I
love being around the guy. I love being around his
interpreter justin. Those guys together are hilarious. It's great to
be around him every day. Yeah, and Jung hou Lee
is just one of my favorite people to be around
every single day. So we're rooting for him to have
a big, big season. Let's touch on Patrick Bailey before
(14:44):
we get to Devers real quick and the meat on
the bone with Patrick Bailey and in my opinion, Susan like.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Two twenty two, hit two thirty three and twenty three,
hit two thirty four and twenty four hit two twenty
two this year.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
But for him, the right side of the plate has
always been a big deal. He came on strong at
the end of the season. He does have the clutch gene.
We've talked about that he gets a lot of big hits,
but he's struck out and I have it right here
in my notes. He struck out one hundred and thirty
three times last year, walk thirty he's struck out three
hundred and thirty three times in his career versus ninety walks.
(15:19):
I think with the goal Glove catcher and him being
the best defensive catcher in baseball, maybe he should have.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Won the Platinum Glove this year. That's a whole nother discussion.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
But if he just cuts down on the strikeouts and
there's some sort of spread out two strike approach fight
because there was a time this year when he was
taking a lot of called third strikes.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But you've seen.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Him battle and you know there's more in the tank
there offensively. And I think if there's a platoon situation
where him with the Giants, get like a solid right
handed hitting catcher and just let him hit against righty's
all year. Obviously there's gonna be left handed relievers that
come in the game and he's got to turn around.
But like I think Patrick Bailey could get two fifty
and catch the way he's catching if he just puts
(15:59):
the ball in play a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
That's so easy to say in a podcast.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I'm not facing a guy throwing one hundred and two
with a nasty split, but just a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I think if there's a two strike approach there.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
That's that's the meat on the bone from you with
Patrick Bailey, because I think he can hit a lot
higher average if he wants to.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
This is another guy I could talk about all day.
The thing I really like last year was, you know,
the two previous years he had gone off a cliff
toward the end of the season. Last year he finished strong.
That was his He was hitting better at the end
of the season than he was at any point. You know,
he figured some things out. I really liked seeing that,
And like you're right about the Platinum Glove. He was
(16:38):
the Fielding Bibles Player of the Year. You could argue
maybe next year, with ABS system coming in, maybe some
of that, you know, some of those numbers come certainly
from pitch framing, maybe some of that goes away. But
I don't I don't think so. I don't think that
that's going to affect pitch framing quite as much as
I think a lot of people do. But I think
you could definitely argue that potentially the Giants would benefit
(17:00):
from having an offensive catcher they could platoon with Bailey.
But one thing, and I know we've talked about this
sometimes in the press box, and I've asked Ron Wotis
and some other people about this. What about having him
just hit from one side? Is there a benefit to that?
And yes, I know everyone loves a switch hitter, and
especially a switch hitting catcher. But if it's not working,
(17:23):
maybe you try the other one. Or is that just
too hard to switch at this point in somebody's career.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, I've talked to JT Still a lot about it,
and he was a switch hitter for most of his
career and then he just went straight left. And JT
always says that if you can hit the ball to
the left field as a left handed hitter, you can
hit a lefty.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I was a switch hitter my whole career too.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
There's no way left handed I could have hit a lefty,
but I was better from the right side. So for
the Giants mostly I played against left handers. Marvin Bernard
played against right handers, and we platoons, so I but
switch hitting. That's why what cal Rawley did this year
is so amazing. There's so much work that goes into
switch hitting. You're two different players, you're two different hitters.
(18:02):
I had two different bats, I had two different stances.
I had to work on my left handed swing every day,
and that's what most people work on. But then you
got to turn around and work on your right handed
swing too, so that the maintenance. And you go through
streaks where you don't see a lefty for a while
and you're hitting left handed all the time, and then
all of a sudden, there's a left you and you're like, oh, oh,
I haven't been working on my right handed swing enough,
(18:23):
and Kershaw's pitching today, and now I got a really.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Bared So you're literally two different hitters.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Then you add in being a catcher and also having
to be in charge of the pitchers and the game
plan that day, and knowing all the opposing hitters, you
know that the catcher's workload is extraordinary. Again, cal Rawly, Wow,
what a season. Even more reason, if I'm the Giants,
(18:52):
maybe at some point I might have it maybe in
the past. I mean, I again, I really like the
way Bailey finished the season, So I'm not saying that
this is something I'm necessarily proposing now, but I'm a
little surprised that maybe last year, early in the season,
a previous season and maybe in an off season, they
hadn't considered maybe having him just go from one side
or the other and then really going full board with
(19:14):
a platoon. So but yeah, you had time to work
on both sides FP. Not everybody does.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, that's a great point.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
They just even the workload alone on a daily basis
will be lessened. If he just hits from one side
of the plate and all the meetings he has to
sit into, he'll have more time to work on his crafts.
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Speaker 3 (21:15):
All right, let's talk about Raffie Devers.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Let's uh change gears a little bit and talk about
Raffie Devers and a full year with the Giants said
two fifty two to thirty five home runs, one hundred
and nine driven in Last year combined, uh as a Giant,
he hit two thirty six with twenty home runs, drove
in fifty one, had an eight oh seven ops.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Those are the numbers.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
When we talk about Raffie Devers in a full season
as a San Francisco Giant next year. My my biggest
question isn't like does he play first base? Does he
put up the numbers? It's like, how is he What's
the relationship going to be between the manager and a
guy like Raffi Devers? And I think Raffie gets paid
(21:55):
in such a bad light, like nationally about he's this,
he's that. I even talked to a friend who's in
baseball on the phone the other day and he was
just like, well, I'm like, no, no, no, this guy's fun
to be around. He's a baseball gym rat, He's a
baseball He drinks and sleeps baseball like he lives it
every single day.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
And he loves to hit. He's a professional hitter.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
But like you have a college coach with no major
league experience coaching this guy with a huge contract that
I guess. There's been some things that have happened in Boston.
Not I guess, but we know what's that relationship going
to be? Like how does Tony Vaytello navigate Raffi Devers?
And with the language barrier? Tony's the Dominican and he's
(22:38):
trying to learn some Spanish and that's super admirable and
very valuable as a manager in today's game, But like,
how's that going to go?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Susan?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Well, as you know ed, Devers is basically fluent in English.
I think most people have seen some of his postgame
press conferences, which always kind of baby laugh because typically
with a Spanish speaking player, we'll ask the question of
the one erwinne Garos will then translate for the player,
listen to his answer translate back. With Devers, we asked
(23:07):
a question and he immediately starts answering in Spanish. He
wants to get the words right, which I appreciate. I
think any reporter wants to get exactly what somebody is
trying to get across perfectly, So I like the way
he does it. But there's absolutely no doubt you can
hit chat with him. Like his English is excellent. So
I don't think that's going to be a problem. But
(23:28):
you know, he has not none of them have played
for somebody like Tony Vitello. He's somebody who's come in
relatively new and very high profile. I mean, this is
the biggest name on the roster, and we don't really know.
You know, we've heard from guys like Logan Webb, who
we talked to here, and a few other guys on
the team have weighed in on their thoughts on Vytello,
(23:48):
but we don't yet know what Devers is thinking. And
of course I think everyone is going to say the
right things. But he has not had has not had
Spanish speaking players, He has not dealt with, you know,
a superstar major league player before. He sounds like and
again I still haven't talked to him or met him.
(24:11):
I'm starting to get really sad about that, I know,
but I he he sounds like such a people person, right.
I don't think that this is really going to be
an issue at any point. And I do think that
once you get through spring training, everybody knows everybody every
he's just going to be like this guy, you know,
(24:31):
he's putting my name in the lineup, or he's putting
me here or there, and I know who he is,
and you know he's calling the shots, and let's see
how it goes. I think that goes away. Within any
trepidation anybody has on the team, I think that goes away.
Spring training is so long, that's this is one of
the things that's for is getting to know teammates, getting
to know other coaches, new coaches, everybody, And I think
(24:56):
that's one of the things obviously Devers didn't have last year.
This spring, for many reasons, is huge for him, but
among them getting to know not just by Tello, but
the whole rest of the staff and Jays Tindler speaks Spanish,
so I think he is going to be a real key.
He's been a manager in the big leagues. I think
he's going to be somebody who maybe even could sort
(25:16):
of be the guy for Rafael Devers. But I still
think I think I gave and some people push back
on this. Some fans didnent love this. I gave Buster,
I think an a plus for his work last year,
and this is I'm kissing Buster's butt or anything. I'm
happy to say if a front off isn't doing their job,
(25:37):
or anybody isn't doing their job. But he caught Rafael
Devers out of nowhere, you know, well like a month
plus before the deadline. That's outrageous. This guy is such
a talent, such a talent and the kind of guy
that the Giants have shown time and time again they
cannot sign on the open market. That's huge. He went
(25:59):
and out out and got that guy. So, I you know,
I don't want to overstate this, but Raphael Devers is
really the key for everything for the Giants. That they
are a team that had a subpar offense last year.
They're going to have him for the whole year and
he will be comfortable after a full spring training. So
that's We're gonna be talking a lot about him, but
(26:20):
not too I mean I put too much on him.
He played in Boston, coming to San Francisco, that's no
big thing.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, all you beat writers are soft compared to the
Boston I'm going to name drop right now. I told
Tony about our podcast and he said he wants to
come on. So he's been super busy, but we are
getting I said, I'm doing a.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Podcast with Susan Seluster. Would you call on anytime?
Speaker 1 (26:44):
I'm I'm I'm the biggest Tony Vaytello fan right now.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
I just think he's he's gonna he's gonna have his
his hiccups. It's going to be a learning curve.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
But he's so smart, he's and he's gonna wear it
if he makes mistakes.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
But I think, I think this is a great hire.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Everybody Susan and spring Training's You're best friend and the
nicest guy ever.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
You've been there, like, how how are you?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
How are you in July when you're over your last
twenty How are you when you've lost your last five
starts and your era's over four? How are you as
a manager or a coach when your team has lost
ten in a row. Everyone's gonna lose seven to ten
in a row during the season. It's just part of
one hundred and sixty two games. And I think for
Tony in the relationship and the reason we're talking about this.
(27:26):
I was at my friend's bar the other night shocking news,
and a guy came up to me, a Giants fan.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
He said, how is that all gonna work?
Speaker 1 (27:32):
With Devers in Tony Vaytello, And I said, It's just
gonna work because I think when you have a superstar player,
you just let him do him you just like you said,
put his name in the lineup. I think the challenge
is going to come if Tony's going to implement this.
We play hard, we hustle, we put pressure on the defense,
(27:53):
and Raffi does one of those things where he jogs
to first, which in his defense.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I'll say this about Raffi Devers.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
I've told everydy that guy posts every day he plays
banged up, he plays hurt in today's game. I don't
want to go too far with this. That just doesn't
happen very often. If guys get hurt, they're not sacrificing
their numbers. They're going to take care of it so
that they can help the team full nobody. Not too
many people play through injuries. Yeah, I had a grain.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Thing you know that he was still playing with. But
I think most of the year you know this FP
And I'm not sure this isn't something people write about
or talk about necessarily in the broadcast all the time.
If you see, especially a big name guy, look like
look like he's jaking it to first, he's usually been
told by the training staff and it's been approved by
the manager. In the front office. If you if you're
(28:40):
hitting it at like a very soft, very easy ground ball,
take it easy, don't bust it. They've been told that,
And then you know, fans go, what's wrong with him?
He's got a bad attitude. That's almost never the case.
If you should see a shot of the dugout and
the manager looks ticked, the guy's jaking it. Otherwise it's
all good. That's that's pretty much. And Devers came in
(29:01):
with a pretty good reputation actually that most of the
people in Boston said, good, look.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
What he did.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Immediately grabs the first of somebody else's glove and starts
playing working out at first base, not even a you know,
not even any pushback at all. So I mean, hey,
some of that maybe was to poke Boston, who knows,
I'll take it, but he and plus he look he
looked really good there. I think he's a guy who
(29:27):
with a little work, you're if you're an okay, if
not great third baseman, you can be a really good
first baseman with some work. And I think he could
be a really good first basement. So we'll resume the
what happens to Bryce Eldridge conversation at all later date.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Yeah, I'm not. I don't even want to.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I don't even know about that right now. There was
a time when Devers was hitting for the Giants this
year that I felt like he's going to hit a
home round every time when he's locked in and he's
lined a line pop. It was pretty exciting to watch.
All Right, should we go to the second base catcher
thing or should we go to what Giants fans should.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Be thankful about? As Thanksgiving approaches, we mentioned a.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Little bit about ketcher. I think the only other kind
of position besides you know, the outfield has got some
questions and obviously you know what maybe what they potentially
could do at ketcher, But second base is that an
area fp where you think that they either need an
upgrade or need to do something or at least add
(30:26):
another option.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
I love Casey Schmitt in his development this year. I
really love him as a baseball player. I think he
can be a dude, I really do. And he played
second base. I mean, when if you can play third,
you can play second. His arm plays at every different
angle at second base, going up the middle, he's got
the cannon to throw back to first to turn.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
A double play flat footed.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I think the bat was hot and cold at times,
a little bit streaky, but like that's.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Every baseball player.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
I'm really okay with him playing second, Like, and I
know there's other guys out there, but if you're talking
about pitching in defense, I don't think it gets better
than Casey Schmidt defensively at any position. I think shortstop
he played there a little bit. But the third base
you know, you didn't see, you saw. I mean, obviously
Chapman's Chapman, but Casey did a great job at third basemen.
(31:17):
Chapman was hurt this year. He did a great job
at second base. He's going to run into one, he
battles you. He's taking more walks.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
Now.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
I know the average probably wasn't where he wanted it
to be, but I think I'm very okay with Casey
Schmidt being the Giant second baseman.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
My son the other day f P.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Junior said, Dad, the Giants have to trade for Bryce Harper,
and Bryce Harper's a second baseman.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
I'm like, Bryce Harper's not playing the second base for
the Giants.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
I go, oh, that's why you're not coming on my podcast, Okay,
because of things like that, but I don't know what's
your thoughts on second base.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
I love Casey Schmidt, and he's also one of the
most pop is not quite quite the right word. People
in the clubhouse love Casey Schmidt. He's kind of fun
and goofy different, just like lovable guy. I mean, I
think he is a real plus in kind of all areas.
And I just you know, hey, the Giants now have
a shortstop and three third basement is essentially what the
(32:11):
infield is, so I don't mind that on a defensive
standpoint whatsoever. So there is room to grow offensively. He
needs to be consistent. If he's not consistent, I think
that that is an area that they're going to have
to address. I don't necessarily think that they're going to
give up on Tyler Fitzgerald, although he's kind of aging
out of prospect territory pretty rapidly. They're turning him into
(32:35):
a utility player. But we saw some real flashes from him.
But Casey Schmid, I think has absolutely the first crack
and gets a pretty long leash, I think in my book.
But yeah, I just wanted to since we were talking
about the regulars, I think that was kind of necessary.
But you mentioned Giants fans should what they might be
thankful for. What I mean, besides some really good pitching,
(33:00):
Gold Glove caliber third baseman catcher. What are your thoughts
on that?
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I mean, at the risk of losing some subscribers, I
think Giants fans are tough. I mean, they're like, it's
hard to find something to be thankful for if you're
a Giants fan because you're used to World championships. So
then because of ten, twelve and fourteen, you've created high
standards and high expectations, and I think everybody that works
(33:27):
on the corner third and King loves that. Like, that's
what you want your fan base, right, you want your
fan base to expect the championship. But that team down
south has kind of got the market corner as we speak.
So for me as a Giants fan and growing up
a Giants fan, I'm just I'm super thankful for the
direction the.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
Organization is headed.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
It's it was super frustrating for me when I came
back from the East Coast and kind of saw a
different brand in philosophy that just didn't feel like the
Giants base ball that I grew up with that I
watched in ten twelve and fourteen that you know, the hardcore,
lunch pale hard hat.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
We're going to scrap and fight and clawe.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
In balue with two strikes and pitch it and catch
it and have parades. And that's what we all got
used to. And then there was just math and line
changes and it was just it was strange.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
The whole thing was strange.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
So I always talk about Buster Posey and Zach Manascim
building a foundation and how that's not sexy. I thought
it was a great foundational year for Buster, Like the
foundation has been laid. Now, we have world champions running
our organization. We have a baseball player, one of the
most iconic baseball players in the future Hall of Famer
as our team president. We have a new manager that
(34:43):
we're all wondering about that we all like so far.
But what's going to happen with that, to me is
the best reality show in the Bay Area that's coming up.
And we're all fans and we're excited about that. So like,
for a Giants fan, and I'm not talking about as
a broadcaster or a former player, talking.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
About as a Giants fan, I'm kind of just thankful
that it, you.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Know, Hobby's back in the organization and it just it
just feels like baseball again, when it felt like a
lot of computers before.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Yeah, Bouchie, I mean, I love that the Giants are
so good at bringing back their guys, but especially now,
I love all of this. Here's one thing, you know,
having spent so long on the other side of the Bay,
They've got resources. This is something that I think gets
taken for granted. And yeah, you could argue maybe they're
not even spending enough. Possibly look at it at the Dodgers.
(35:32):
The Dodgers have more, even more resources, that's insane. But
they've got good, solid resources, and they do seem to
have an ownership that listens to Buster Posey. If he
wants to add something, I think by and large they're
going to go out and get what he wants. So
I think that's something to you know, whatever your feelings
(35:53):
are on ownership or front offices or execs in general,
certainly they have the wherewithal to do some of these
things if they want to, and we can if they don't.
If there's some obvious things and they don't, then I
think you and I will have plenty to talk about
at a later date.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yes, I'm coming to see you on Friday. I'm flying
across the Pond. I think it's a seventy four hour
flight from San Francisco to London, so I'm super excited
about it.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
I'm trying to get it first. Yeah, you're going to
take it.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Yes, JT is coming on Friday with me before I
get on the airplane to come see you. So happy Thanksgiving,
even though you guys don't celebrate it over there or
at the Norm McDonald line, remember that, or as turkeys
call it, murder Day. So happy Thanksgiving and I will
see you in a few days. A great job today,
And like I always say, on the way out, swing
(36:47):
hard in case you hit it.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
I'll see you soon.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Susan
It's another episode of splash It. It's your friends, f
Pe Santangelo and Susan Slusser. Susan, it's Thanksgiving week. Happy Thanksgiving.
It's good to see you again. Thanks for coming on
the show.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
My pleasure. Always willing to hop on and talk Giants
baseball with UFP as.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
You know that's great.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I mean, do they have Thanksgiving in London where you're at.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I'm going to ridiculous My sol life right now sounds ridiculous.
I come back for the winter meetings and then all
this nonsense is over. I'm going to Paris for Thanksgiving
because I've got American friends there. Well, actually she's French,
so the best of both worlds. Hang with some Americans
and then get a French meal for Thanksgiving and wine.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Wow, so I'm gonna have turkey. You're going to have snails.
That sounds amazing.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Before we get go and we got to take care
of some business.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You guys have been so great that the podcast is
getting great feedback from Giants fans. But we're always going
for more subscribers, right so subscribe to splash Hit Territory.
Our next goal is three thousand subscribers. Check out the logo.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Isn't that cool.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
We're gonna have some merch too made up with the
splash Hit territory splashit. We're gonna see those sweatshirts and
hats and T shirts all around the ballpark. But you
have to subscribe first, so hop on there.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's pretty easy.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
You got a click subscribe, and we're thankful for everybody
for watching this.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
It's we already got a lot of subscribers, so keep
it up. You guys are great. All right, the lineup
for today, we're gonna talk.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
About Buster Posey and what he said about meat on
the bone with current position players. We're gonna talk about
some outfield defense, Rafael Devers and some other things. We'll
get to what you're thankful for maybe this week as
a Giants fan, but we'll start off with like Buster
Posey was talking about the current roster and he said,
with some certain players, there's still some meat on the bone.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And we kind of want to break down.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
What meat on the bone means with a few players
Jung Hu, Lee, Elliott Romos, Patrick Bailey in you know,
the seasons they had and where they're at in their
career and maybe what those guys can do internally the
players that Giants already have on the roster.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Because we've talked about free agents, we've talked about who
they're picking up, but we want.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
To talk about the current roster right now. So maybe
touch on some players Susan that I mentioned. And what
does meat on the bone mean?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, well, I mean as a former player, I think
you have the better sense of what meat on the
bone player? This is like the more ceiling is that
kind of how you take it a little more ceiling there?
Because it tends to be guys when Buster Posey says
this sort of stuff. It tends to be guys like
Elliott Ramos, Jung Hu Lee, who obviously has a very
short major league career so far, Patrick Bailey, who you
(02:43):
know has shown is still quite young and has shown
signs of improvement here and there. What do you take
that actual phrase to me, meet on the bone?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, that they can improve in certain areas, all of them,
and there's more left in the tank.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Jung Hu Lee. The outfield play in center field was
less than aggressive at times.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
You know, he goes and gets the ball, but would
he would veer off and let Elliott Ramos take a
ball in the gap. The center fielder's a captain out there.
It's probably the position I played most in the big leagues.
If the ball's on the left field line and you're
the center fielder and you call it, it's your ball,
You're the captain out there and you have to take charge.
You're a lot like a short stop in the infield.
The center fielder's the captain in the outfield, So maybe
(03:28):
be a little more aggressive and assertive. Defensively, it's not
so much he got a great arm, he hits the
cutoff man. He's fundamentally sound. Everything is solid with Junghu.
The one thing that stands out to me with him
is he had ten stolen bases this year. He got
caught three times, so that means he only tried to
steal thirteen times all season long.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I'm sure Buster would love for him to be.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
More aggressive on the bases this year, where I think
if he asserts himself and has more confidence in that
at that he can steal thirty bases. But base stealing
Susan is a lot like hitting. You have to have
confidence in it, and when you're in a rhythm and
you get a good jump and you have the green light,
and you steal on your pitches and you start to
(04:14):
look at what count it is, who's hitting, what they're
going to throw to this guy, and you pick the
off speed pitches and you get a tell on the pitcher,
and all of a sudden, you start to get those
good jumps. Base steiling his confidence and he never looked
like he was confident in stealing bases this year.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
But maybe he's a true leadoff hitter and he's a guy.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I think that could that's the meat on the bone
for me and Joung Hu Lee And maybe I've talked
about this on the broadcast before, like add a bunting
to your game. His hero is it Itchi Row is
one of the best base at bunner, Susan. You remember
when he was in Seattle and playing the A's.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
He would just get down there and just boom and.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Lay it down and be safe and he would get
really remember when he bunted, he would be four steps
on the infield grass because he'd be running to the
pitcher and he would almost like a banana route the
first base. But he's one of the best basic bunners ever.
And I think if Jung who added that to his game,
that there is a lot of meat on the bone
for him.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
You know what, I'm in sort of two minds about
Jung Houley, which sounds like as usual. I'm like, oh,
I see both sides. I'm startling de fence. You know what,
He's making a lot of money. This was not one
of Buster's signs, but Buster Posey really does believe in
Jung Huley.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I believe.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
For me, the biggest issue is the defense. He was
twenty seventh defensively among big league outfielders center fielders. That's
that's especially in that ballpark. That's just that. That's not okay.
His range is not good. The Giants range in the
outfield in general was terrible. They were last in the
(05:47):
majors in range by far, you know, right at the
top among and errs. We don't look at hers that much,
but people who watch the Giants consistently know we saw
a lot of really bad, inex lickable errors, things that
shouldn't be made. Now, new coaching stuff, you can be
sure this is the first thing that they're going to address.
But with Jung Hu Lee, they know what kind of
(06:09):
player he was in Korea, and he was assertive. He
was a more assertive player. He certainly was stealing bases.
He now has And this is what Buster keeps saying.
Last year really was his first big league season. He's
learning the pictures, obviously, that's so important. He's got a
better idea of what pictures are trying to do with him.
They need him to be that high contact guy like
(06:31):
you were saying, like Ichiro, who I think I saw
more than any other player while I was covering Ba's
I think I've seen him more than any opposing player
ever me personally, and that guy was that you know,
he needs to get back to watching Nietro. Now. Obviously
Pturo was a magician, but you've got to if you're
a contact guy, you've got to find ways to get
(06:51):
on base. And now he has an idea. He's not.
He didn't come in and set the world on fire
the way Eachiro did, but he's got to figure out
a way to get going. I still like him if
he can get on base regularly. I still like him
as a leadoff man. I mean, he really profiles is that.
But he's really not as fast as I think we
thought he would be. And he's coming off. You know,
when they signed him. He was coming off a significant
(07:13):
ankle injury, and I'm still a little unclear on why
the previous administration didn't like a Carlos Korea ankle injury
from his minor league days, and he had then played
great since versus one essentially the previous year before being
signed to the major leagues and coming over to a
new league. But he I don't know how they do that,
(07:33):
but they need him get They need to improve his range,
they need to improve his speed. I think if those
things happen, he can be a good, if not maybe
all star level player, at least a good, better than
replacement level outfielder, which is absolutely what they need. But
that outfield in general, we've touched on it a few
(07:54):
times with when we talk about you know what free
agents might they go on, you look at right field.
Right field right now is kind of a big question mark.
But the two guys that are coming back are not
good enough defensively. And I talked to Elliott Ramos at
length about this right at the end of the season,
and he said, Wow, you know, I felt like the
previous year, you know, he'd done so much better, he'd
(08:17):
really improved, and he had and he took a step
back last year, and he said that was a matter
of focus and he knows what he has to do.
I believe that. I think he has the tools to
do it. But you could see just watching him that
the focus wasn't there. You're a former outfielders, was that
just watching Elliott Romos? Is that kind of what you
were seeing with just the you know, maybe the attention
(08:37):
to detail and the absolute focus.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It gets back to confidence in a game where we
have all these analytics and data for everything. Elliot Romos
had four airs in twenty twenty four. He had nine
ers last year, and that's not even talking about misplays
that we were all scratching our head at. And I
think you would talk to him after a game and
he would say, I'm just not feeling it out there.
I'm overthinking it. I'm paraphrasing. I don't know what the
it's a quotes were, but but but defense is an
(09:03):
attitude and it takes a lot of work, and I
think Elliott, you know, was definitely working at it. But
the best way as an outfielder to get better is
to take balls live off the bat like you got
you gotta put the hay in the barn, and you
got to go out there every single day. And it's
not fungos. It's not shooting the ball in the machine.
(09:24):
It's not a coach hitting them to you. It's during
batting practice. You power shag and you get used to
the sound off the bat. You get used to how
the ball is carrying that day in the ballpark. Because
the Oracle Park changes every day you go on the road,
it changes every day. There's different corners in left field
where the ball shoots around the corner, down.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
The corner, it sticks in there.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
These are all things you got to practice every single day,
and you got to work up a lather. And I
know there's all this load management now and we're trying
to get you through the season, But it doesn't take
a lot of effort every day to go out there
and just bust your tail and take balls lif live
off the bat. Maybe one group a day where you're
just powershagging balls off the bat, and then maybe one
(10:06):
day you just get your first step quickness and if
a ball shit to center field, you take a job
step to center field. If a ball said to the line,
you take a job step, and you're working on your
jumps without actually running after every single ball. But to me,
defense is such an attitude right now in all players,
and I see him working on it. But you really
got to work on it if you're Elliott Romos. And
(10:28):
what you do when you do that is you build confidence.
So when the game starts, I did my work, I'm relaxed.
I got great jumps all day today. I'm seeing the
ball and hearing the ball off the bat, and I
know where it's going to be based on the weather,
the conditions. All right, we got to take care of
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Speaker 3 (11:48):
There's something else I want to talk about with Elliott two.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I was watching the playoffs and it was when the
Mariners were playing, and they cut to I think it
was MLB Network. They cut to a shot of batting
practice and they showed Jrod for the Mariners, who's a
center fielder and a really good one, and he was
doing those Ron Washington drills Susan where he was doing
the short hops with his glove in the backhand. He
was doing the short hops this way what you see
(12:10):
Freddie Freeman do on his knees before a game. A
lot of giants guys do it, but it's usually infielders
you say do it. And I remember this year Elliott
bobbling a lot of balls in the outfield, and that
comes with like maybe you start working, like taking ground
balls in the infield and doing those drills, and it's
just it's just putting the hay in the barn and
working every single day. And real quick, back to Jung
(12:33):
who a point I forgot to make, and we're talking
about meat on the bone. He's literally got to put
meat on the bone. He lost a lot of weight
during the season. Remember how jacks he did.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
He was so thin. Yeah, he was so thin even
mid season. He really was losing it quick. Not unusual,
but it was Nosa. At one point I said something
to him and he was like what And I was like, oh, yeah,
much thinner. Yeah, you're right, And you know what, when
we're talking about Elliott and Jung who, Sorry, I got
talk about this topic for all like a ton, Like
(13:02):
the outfield is just fascinating to me. But I'll take
maybe a little not quite the best off defensive player.
If you've got thirty homer pop like Elliott does, if
you're an all star like Ramos was two years ago.
If you're Jung Hulee, you either better be hitting two
eighty two ninety getting on base and scoring a ton
(13:24):
of runs because he's not gonna hit thirty, or your
defense had better be great. And you know, we saw
him forget the number of outs. He also made the
craziest play of the year, you know, catching the ball
between his knees, you know, after losing it. That was greaty, Like,
he's got the skills, but he has to take I
just you know, this is a this is really important position.
(13:46):
And I think everyone he's such a likable guy, really
great for the San Francisco Korean American community, great for
the Giants to have, you know, a foothold in that
market in Korea. Now he needs to do his part
on us.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Yeah, And I think just having a year under his
belt and we all kind of forget, like he didn't
play very many games his first year, so he was
basically a rookie in the big leagues this year, and
the riggers of the travel and the riggers of the
schedule and the mental grind every single day and then
the physical grind every single day, and the new ballparks
and the new pitchers and all of these things. So
(14:23):
with that all under his belt, you know there's going
to be adjustments made. He's going to come in jacked
again and he's gonna have a great I love I
love being around the guy. I love being around his
interpreter justin. Those guys together are hilarious. It's great to
be around him every day. Yeah, and Jung hou Lee
is just one of my favorite people to be around
every single day. So we're rooting for him to have
a big, big season. Let's touch on Patrick Bailey before
(14:44):
we get to Devers real quick and the meat on
the bone with Patrick Bailey and in my opinion, Susan like.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Two twenty two, hit two thirty three and twenty three,
hit two thirty four and twenty four hit two twenty
two this year.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
But for him, the right side of the plate has
always been a big deal. He came on strong at
the end of the season. He does have the clutch gene.
We've talked about that he gets a lot of big hits,
but he's struck out and I have it right here
in my notes. He struck out one hundred and thirty
three times last year, walk thirty he's struck out three
hundred and thirty three times in his career versus ninety walks.
(15:19):
I think with the goal Glove catcher and him being
the best defensive catcher in baseball, maybe he should have.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Won the Platinum Glove this year. That's a whole nother discussion.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
But if he just cuts down on the strikeouts and
there's some sort of spread out two strike approach fight
because there was a time this year when he was
taking a lot of called third strikes.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But you've seen.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Him battle and you know there's more in the tank
there offensively. And I think if there's a platoon situation
where him with the Giants, get like a solid right
handed hitting catcher and just let him hit against righty's
all year. Obviously there's gonna be left handed relievers that
come in the game and he's got to turn around.
But like I think Patrick Bailey could get two fifty
and catch the way he's catching if he just puts
(15:59):
the ball in play a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
That's so easy to say in a podcast.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I'm not facing a guy throwing one hundred and two
with a nasty split, but just a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I think if there's a two strike approach there.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
That's that's the meat on the bone from you with
Patrick Bailey, because I think he can hit a lot
higher average if he wants to.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
This is another guy I could talk about all day.
The thing I really like last year was, you know,
the two previous years he had gone off a cliff
toward the end of the season. Last year he finished strong.
That was his He was hitting better at the end
of the season than he was at any point. You know,
he figured some things out. I really liked seeing that,
And like you're right about the Platinum Glove. He was
(16:38):
the Fielding Bibles Player of the Year. You could argue
maybe next year, with ABS system coming in, maybe some
of that, you know, some of those numbers come certainly
from pitch framing, maybe some of that goes away. But
I don't I don't think so. I don't think that
that's going to affect pitch framing quite as much as
I think a lot of people do. But I think
you could definitely argue that potentially the Giants would benefit
(17:00):
from having an offensive catcher they could platoon with Bailey.
But one thing, and I know we've talked about this
sometimes in the press box, and I've asked Ron Wotis
and some other people about this. What about having him
just hit from one side? Is there a benefit to that?
And yes, I know everyone loves a switch hitter, and
especially a switch hitting catcher. But if it's not working,
(17:23):
maybe you try the other one. Or is that just
too hard to switch at this point in somebody's career.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, I've talked to JT Still a lot about it,
and he was a switch hitter for most of his
career and then he just went straight left. And JT
always says that if you can hit the ball to
the left field as a left handed hitter, you can
hit a lefty.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I was a switch hitter my whole career too.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
There's no way left handed I could have hit a lefty,
but I was better from the right side. So for
the Giants mostly I played against left handers. Marvin Bernard
played against right handers, and we platoons, so I but
switch hitting. That's why what cal Rawley did this year
is so amazing. There's so much work that goes into
switch hitting. You're two different players, you're two different hitters.
(18:02):
I had two different bats, I had two different stances.
I had to work on my left handed swing every day,
and that's what most people work on. But then you
got to turn around and work on your right handed
swing too, so that the maintenance. And you go through
streaks where you don't see a lefty for a while
and you're hitting left handed all the time, and then
all of a sudden, there's a left you and you're like, oh, oh,
I haven't been working on my right handed swing enough,
(18:23):
and Kershaw's pitching today, and now I got a really.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Bared So you're literally two different hitters.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Then you add in being a catcher and also having
to be in charge of the pitchers and the game
plan that day, and knowing all the opposing hitters, you
know that the catcher's workload is extraordinary. Again, cal Rawly, Wow,
what a season. Even more reason, if I'm the Giants,
(18:52):
maybe at some point I might have it maybe in
the past. I mean, I again, I really like the
way Bailey finished the season, So I'm not saying that
this is something I'm necessarily proposing now, but I'm a
little surprised that maybe last year, early in the season,
a previous season and maybe in an off season, they
hadn't considered maybe having him just go from one side
or the other and then really going full board with
(19:14):
a platoon. So but yeah, you had time to work
on both sides FP. Not everybody does.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, that's a great point.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
They just even the workload alone on a daily basis
will be lessened. If he just hits from one side
of the plate and all the meetings he has to
sit into, he'll have more time to work on his crafts.
All right, we got to take one quick one more
quick break and tell you about the Ridge wallet.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
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Speaker 1 (19:57):
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(20:29):
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Tell them Foul Territory sent you.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
I have one of those.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Oh wow, I've been probably for six seven years, the
Ridge wallet. I wish it would not let me pull
my credit cards out if there was a way where
I couldn't pull this out and then try to lock.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Yeah, because I'm running them all up way too high.
But they're outside the super sleek they fit in my pocket.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
That also sounds like a good Christmas present for people.
All right, yeah, all right, I'm.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
A big fan. And it's got the money clip too
on this side, so if.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I ever have cash, which I never do, you can
put them with the money right there.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
All right, let's talk about Raffie Devers.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Let's uh change gears a little bit and talk about
Raffie Devers and a full year with the Giants said
two fifty two to thirty five home runs, one hundred
and nine driven in Last year combined, uh as a Giant,
he hit two thirty six with twenty home runs, drove
in fifty one, had an eight oh seven ops.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Those are the numbers.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
When we talk about Raffie Devers in a full season
as a San Francisco Giant next year. My my biggest
question isn't like does he play first base? Does he
put up the numbers? It's like, how is he What's
the relationship going to be between the manager and a
guy like Raffi Devers? And I think Raffie gets paid
(21:55):
in such a bad light, like nationally about he's this,
he's that. I even talked to a friend who's in
baseball on the phone the other day and he was
just like, well, I'm like, no, no, no, this guy's fun
to be around. He's a baseball gym rat, He's a
baseball He drinks and sleeps baseball like he lives it
every single day.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
And he loves to hit. He's a professional hitter.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
But like you have a college coach with no major
league experience coaching this guy with a huge contract that
I guess. There's been some things that have happened in Boston.
Not I guess, but we know what's that relationship going
to be? Like how does Tony Vaytello navigate Raffi Devers?
And with the language barrier? Tony's the Dominican and he's
(22:38):
trying to learn some Spanish and that's super admirable and
very valuable as a manager in today's game, But like,
how's that going to go?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Susan?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Well, as you know ed, Devers is basically fluent in English.
I think most people have seen some of his postgame
press conferences, which always kind of baby laugh because typically
with a Spanish speaking player, we'll ask the question of
the one erwinne Garos will then translate for the player,
listen to his answer translate back. With Devers, we asked
(23:07):
a question and he immediately starts answering in Spanish. He
wants to get the words right, which I appreciate. I
think any reporter wants to get exactly what somebody is
trying to get across perfectly, So I like the way
he does it. But there's absolutely no doubt you can
hit chat with him. Like his English is excellent. So
I don't think that's going to be a problem. But
(23:28):
you know, he has not none of them have played
for somebody like Tony Vitello. He's somebody who's come in
relatively new and very high profile. I mean, this is
the biggest name on the roster, and we don't really know.
You know, we've heard from guys like Logan Webb, who
we talked to here, and a few other guys on
the team have weighed in on their thoughts on Vytello,
(23:48):
but we don't yet know what Devers is thinking. And
of course I think everyone is going to say the
right things. But he has not had has not had
Spanish speaking players, He has not dealt with, you know,
a superstar major league player before. He sounds like and
again I still haven't talked to him or met him.
(24:11):
I'm starting to get really sad about that, I know,
but I he he sounds like such a people person, right.
I don't think that this is really going to be
an issue at any point. And I do think that
once you get through spring training, everybody knows everybody every
he's just going to be like this guy, you know,
(24:31):
he's putting my name in the lineup, or he's putting
me here or there, and I know who he is,
and you know he's calling the shots, and let's see
how it goes. I think that goes away. Within any
trepidation anybody has on the team, I think that goes away.
Spring training is so long, that's this is one of
the things that's for is getting to know teammates, getting
to know other coaches, new coaches, everybody, And I think
(24:56):
that's one of the things obviously Devers didn't have last year.
This spring, for many reasons, is huge for him, but
among them getting to know not just by Tello, but
the whole rest of the staff and Jays Tindler speaks Spanish,
so I think he is going to be a real key.
He's been a manager in the big leagues. I think
he's going to be somebody who maybe even could sort
(25:16):
of be the guy for Rafael Devers. But I still
think I think I gave and some people push back
on this. Some fans didnent love this. I gave Buster,
I think an a plus for his work last year,
and this is I'm kissing Buster's butt or anything. I'm
happy to say if a front off isn't doing their job,
(25:37):
or anybody isn't doing their job. But he caught Rafael
Devers out of nowhere, you know, well like a month
plus before the deadline. That's outrageous. This guy is such
a talent, such a talent and the kind of guy
that the Giants have shown time and time again they
cannot sign on the open market. That's huge. He went
(25:59):
and out out and got that guy. So, I you know,
I don't want to overstate this, but Raphael Devers is
really the key for everything for the Giants. That they
are a team that had a subpar offense last year.
They're going to have him for the whole year and
he will be comfortable after a full spring training. So
that's We're gonna be talking a lot about him, but
(26:20):
not too I mean I put too much on him.
He played in Boston, coming to San Francisco, that's no
big thing.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, all you beat writers are soft compared to the
Boston I'm going to name drop right now. I told
Tony about our podcast and he said he wants to
come on. So he's been super busy, but we are
getting I said, I'm doing a.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Podcast with Susan Seluster. Would you call on anytime?
Speaker 1 (26:44):
I'm I'm I'm the biggest Tony Vaytello fan right now.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
I just think he's he's gonna he's gonna have his
his hiccups. It's going to be a learning curve.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
But he's so smart, he's and he's gonna wear it
if he makes mistakes.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
But I think, I think this is a great hire.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Everybody Susan and spring Training's You're best friend and the
nicest guy ever.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
You've been there, like, how how are you?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
How are you in July when you're over your last
twenty How are you when you've lost your last five
starts and your era's over four? How are you as
a manager or a coach when your team has lost
ten in a row. Everyone's gonna lose seven to ten
in a row during the season. It's just part of
one hundred and sixty two games. And I think for
Tony in the relationship and the reason we're talking about this.
(27:26):
I was at my friend's bar the other night shocking news,
and a guy came up to me, a Giants fan.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
He said, how is that all gonna work?
Speaker 1 (27:32):
With Devers in Tony Vaytello, And I said, It's just
gonna work because I think when you have a superstar player,
you just let him do him you just like you said,
put his name in the lineup. I think the challenge
is going to come if Tony's going to implement this.
We play hard, we hustle, we put pressure on the defense,
(27:53):
and Raffi does one of those things where he jogs
to first, which in his defense.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I'll say this about Raffi Devers.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
I've told everydy that guy posts every day he plays
banged up, he plays hurt in today's game. I don't
want to go too far with this. That just doesn't
happen very often. If guys get hurt, they're not sacrificing
their numbers. They're going to take care of it so
that they can help the team full nobody. Not too
many people play through injuries. Yeah, I had a grain.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Thing you know that he was still playing with. But
I think most of the year you know this FP
And I'm not sure this isn't something people write about
or talk about necessarily in the broadcast all the time.
If you see, especially a big name guy, look like
look like he's jaking it to first, he's usually been
told by the training staff and it's been approved by
the manager. In the front office. If you if you're
(28:40):
hitting it at like a very soft, very easy ground ball,
take it easy, don't bust it. They've been told that,
And then you know, fans go, what's wrong with him?
He's got a bad attitude. That's almost never the case.
If you should see a shot of the dugout and
the manager looks ticked, the guy's jaking it. Otherwise it's
all good. That's that's pretty much. And Devers came in
(29:01):
with a pretty good reputation actually that most of the
people in Boston said, good, look.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
What he did.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Immediately grabs the first of somebody else's glove and starts
playing working out at first base, not even a you know,
not even any pushback at all. So I mean, hey,
some of that maybe was to poke Boston, who knows,
I'll take it, but he and plus he look he
looked really good there. I think he's a guy who
(29:27):
with a little work, you're if you're an okay, if
not great third baseman, you can be a really good
first baseman with some work. And I think he could
be a really good first basement. So we'll resume the
what happens to Bryce Eldridge conversation at all later date.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Yeah, I'm not. I don't even want to.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I don't even know about that right now. There was
a time when Devers was hitting for the Giants this
year that I felt like he's going to hit a
home round every time when he's locked in and he's
lined a line pop. It was pretty exciting to watch.
All Right, should we go to the second base catcher
thing or should we go to what Giants fans should.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Be thankful about? As Thanksgiving approaches, we mentioned a.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Little bit about ketcher. I think the only other kind
of position besides you know, the outfield has got some
questions and obviously you know what maybe what they potentially
could do at ketcher, But second base is that an
area fp where you think that they either need an
upgrade or need to do something or at least add
(30:26):
another option.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
I love Casey Schmitt in his development this year. I
really love him as a baseball player. I think he
can be a dude, I really do. And he played
second base. I mean, when if you can play third,
you can play second. His arm plays at every different
angle at second base, going up the middle, he's got
the cannon to throw back to first to turn.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
A double play flat footed.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I think the bat was hot and cold at times,
a little bit streaky, but like that's.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Every baseball player.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
I'm really okay with him playing second, Like, and I
know there's other guys out there, but if you're talking
about pitching in defense, I don't think it gets better
than Casey Schmidt defensively at any position. I think shortstop
he played there a little bit. But the third base
you know, you didn't see, you saw. I mean, obviously
Chapman's Chapman, but Casey did a great job at third basemen.
(31:17):
Chapman was hurt this year. He did a great job
at second base. He's going to run into one, he
battles you. He's taking more walks.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
Now.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
I know the average probably wasn't where he wanted it
to be, but I think I'm very okay with Casey
Schmidt being the Giant second baseman.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
My son the other day f P.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Junior said, Dad, the Giants have to trade for Bryce Harper,
and Bryce Harper's a second baseman.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
I'm like, Bryce Harper's not playing the second base for
the Giants.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
I go, oh, that's why you're not coming on my podcast, Okay,
because of things like that, but I don't know what's
your thoughts on second base.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
I love Casey Schmidt, and he's also one of the
most pop is not quite quite the right word. People
in the clubhouse love Casey Schmidt. He's kind of fun
and goofy different, just like lovable guy. I mean, I
think he is a real plus in kind of all areas.
And I just you know, hey, the Giants now have
a shortstop and three third basement is essentially what the
(32:11):
infield is, so I don't mind that on a defensive
standpoint whatsoever. So there is room to grow offensively. He
needs to be consistent. If he's not consistent, I think
that that is an area that they're going to have
to address. I don't necessarily think that they're going to
give up on Tyler Fitzgerald, although he's kind of aging
out of prospect territory pretty rapidly. They're turning him into
(32:35):
a utility player. But we saw some real flashes from him.
But Casey Schmid, I think has absolutely the first crack
and gets a pretty long leash, I think in my book.
But yeah, I just wanted to since we were talking
about the regulars, I think that was kind of necessary.
But you mentioned Giants fans should what they might be
thankful for. What I mean, besides some really good pitching,
(33:00):
Gold Glove caliber third baseman catcher. What are your thoughts
on that?
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I mean, at the risk of losing some subscribers, I
think Giants fans are tough. I mean, they're like, it's
hard to find something to be thankful for if you're
a Giants fan because you're used to World championships. So
then because of ten, twelve and fourteen, you've created high
standards and high expectations, and I think everybody that works
(33:27):
on the corner third and King loves that. Like, that's
what you want your fan base, right, you want your
fan base to expect the championship. But that team down
south has kind of got the market corner as we speak.
So for me as a Giants fan and growing up
a Giants fan, I'm just I'm super thankful for the
direction the.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
Organization is headed.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
It's it was super frustrating for me when I came
back from the East Coast and kind of saw a
different brand in philosophy that just didn't feel like the
Giants base ball that I grew up with that I
watched in ten twelve and fourteen that you know, the hardcore,
lunch pale hard hat.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
We're going to scrap and fight and clawe.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
In balue with two strikes and pitch it and catch
it and have parades. And that's what we all got
used to. And then there was just math and line
changes and it was just it was strange.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
The whole thing was strange.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
So I always talk about Buster Posey and Zach Manascim
building a foundation and how that's not sexy. I thought
it was a great foundational year for Buster, Like the
foundation has been laid. Now, we have world champions running
our organization. We have a baseball player, one of the
most iconic baseball players in the future Hall of Famer
as our team president. We have a new manager that
(34:43):
we're all wondering about that we all like so far.
But what's going to happen with that, to me is
the best reality show in the Bay Area that's coming up.
And we're all fans and we're excited about that. So like,
for a Giants fan, and I'm not talking about as
a broadcaster or a former player, talking.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
About as a Giants fan, I'm kind of just thankful
that it, you.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Know, Hobby's back in the organization and it just it
just feels like baseball again, when it felt like a
lot of computers before.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Yeah, Bouchie, I mean, I love that the Giants are
so good at bringing back their guys, but especially now,
I love all of this. Here's one thing, you know,
having spent so long on the other side of the Bay,
They've got resources. This is something that I think gets
taken for granted. And yeah, you could argue maybe they're
not even spending enough. Possibly look at it at the Dodgers.
(35:32):
The Dodgers have more, even more resources, that's insane. But
they've got good, solid resources, and they do seem to
have an ownership that listens to Buster Posey. If he
wants to add something, I think by and large they're
going to go out and get what he wants. So
I think that's something to you know, whatever your feelings
(35:53):
are on ownership or front offices or execs in general,
certainly they have the wherewithal to do some of these
things if they want to, and we can if they don't.
If there's some obvious things and they don't, then I
think you and I will have plenty to talk about
at a later date.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yes, I'm coming to see you on Friday. I'm flying
across the Pond. I think it's a seventy four hour
flight from San Francisco to London, so I'm super excited
about it.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
I'm trying to get it first. Yeah, you're going to
take it.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Yes, JT is coming on Friday with me before I
get on the airplane to come see you. So happy Thanksgiving,
even though you guys don't celebrate it over there or
at the Norm McDonald line, remember that, or as turkeys
call it, murder Day. So happy Thanksgiving and I will
see you in a few days. A great job today,
And like I always say, on the way out, swing
(36:47):
hard in case you hit it.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
I'll see you soon.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Susan
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