Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Joining us from the Isotopes Park inAlbuquerque, New Mexico. He is the
voice of the Round Rock Express,the Triple A affiliate for the defending World
Series champion Texas Rangers. Roland Kobra, Roland, I believe you're joining us
straight from the ballpark here on thisFriday afternoon? Is that correct? I
am? You know you should haveopened with Rylean Kobri from Albuquerque, New
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Mexico, home to the twenty secondAnnual Toy Car Collector's Convention, because that's
what's taking place at the hotel rightnow. So I just spent the last
six hours listening to grown men toexchange cars outside my hotel room. You
did that willingly, like you wenton purpose for that. There was nowhere
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to go. It's taking place atthe hotel this week, and so I'm
sitting at my room getting my workdone, and right outside my door they
were trading and selling cars. SoI'll have a lot more intell to provide
you next week on what the bestcars out there, at least hot wheels
that is. Oh man, yeah, I would love to know that.
As a kid. Obviously, asa kid, I was huge in the
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hot wheels and even into like NASCARdie cast, but I did not know
tweet car festivals existed, But thereyou go. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Who knew second annual twenty second anyway? Yeah, yeah, well Round Rock
coming off so far, it's beena good week in Albuquerque. Six of
their last ten have been able towin just three games back from sugar Land
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here in the second half of thePCL, and it seems like Round Rocket
is starting to kind of like Texasmaybe play some good baseball here in the
second half of the season Ryland.Yeah. Actually, it's funny how much
they've matched what the big league clubis doing right now. A ton of
one run wins, some comeback winshere. In the month of July before
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the season started, I kept tellingpeople, I think this team has a
chance to be better than the onein twenty twenty three, and the group
last year nearly won the Pacific CoastLeague. They won the second half,
and a lot of the lineup wasback this year just because of the logjam
of what the Rangers did last season. There was plenty of guys on our
roster last year who probably would havemade their major league debut if it was
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a season like twenty twenty two withthe Rangers. So coming into this year,
the expectations for Round Rock were veryhigh, and it's been just kind
of a clunky season. A bigreason why is because of all those injuries
with the Rangers, so many guyshave had to go up and help out
the big league club and it's affectedus. And then we've also had a
ton of rehabbers, and while rehabbersare great, we've loved having Max Schurzer
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at the ballpark for a lot ofour guys, and that means they're not
on the field that particular day,so it's kind of thrown off their routines.
And I was talking to our managerDoug Davis about it last week and
he just said, it's been aweird year because guys just aren't in their
same routines. This game is soroutine oriented, and so we just really
haven't gotten in any kind of rhythm. And now here in the last three
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weeks, it really has looked likea different team. The offensive struggles of
June are long gone and they've playedmuch better. And now after this three
game stretch with Albuquerque, sugar Landcomes to town this next week. Who
won the first half of the PCL, A fantastic boncle off the Triple A
team for the Houston Astros. Sonext week at Dell Diamond could perhaps go
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a long way intociding who does winthe PCL in the second half. Yeah,
sugar Land completely loaded and they've stayedintact all year that that lineup really
hasn't changed very much, just becausethe Astros have been so great, especially
after their their horrid starts. Sosugar Land's been fantastic. They won the
first half and really their spot issecure in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series.
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So next week we'll go a longway to whether or not we can
kind of sneak in there and getthe second half title done. I will
say we played sugar Land very toughall year, a lot of one run
games there down at Constantly Field,and really the rest of the season,
there's no walks in the park.You've got Albuquerque that'll come back to Round
Rock, and Albuquerque's have the worstoverall record in the PCL. But you
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go on the road to Salt Lake, you go up to Tacoma to finish
the year. You've got a meetingin Las Vegas with the Aviators, so
there's plenty of good ball clubs thatthis Round Rock team will have to face
the remainder of this twenty twenty fourseason. You mentioned the similarities between what
the Rangers are doing and what theExpress are doing. And now Texas they've
won five in a row. Theyjust swept Chicago. I believe they won
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twelve the last sixteen games now goingback to before the All Star break,
and just like that, only twoand a half games back from the Astros,
and I believe just five and ahalf games back Noe, just five
on the dot games back from thewild card spot. And you mentioned a
big part of that is just thestability of getting guys back in the lineup,
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getting guys back in the bullpen,getting guys back on the mound who
had been in in the first half. And I think you and most Ranger
fans knew this was expected that theTexta was going to make a run this
season. It would probably have tobe in the second half because of all
the injuries and all the return fromguys coming off injury like Josh Young next
month, like tick up the groundnext month, like Tyler Molly next month,
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and also the return of guys likeperhaps Max Scherzer and then eventually Evan
Carter. Yeah, you know,before the season, the talk of spring
training was that the Rangers rotation justhad to piece meal things together until really
be All Star break. And thenit turns out it's the offense that has
been the problem. And a bigreason why is Josh Young and Evan Carter
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both go on the injured list.Well, now you think about who they've
got coming back. You've got JoshYoung who's going on a rehabit Simon I
believe it. It starts tonight inFrisco with the Rangers double A squad,
and then Evan Carter is supposedly startingto ramp things up, so he's coming
back, so that'll also help thelineup. And the rotation has really been
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great. They have not been theproblem this year, and now they are
gonna get even more healthy. Soyou've got Dan Dunning who was just activated
off the injured list. Tyler Maalleyis coming back. He was really,
if you want to call it,their big free agent signing of the offseason.
They were expecting him to come inthis year and next year and start
every fifth day, but they knewhe'd be out until the All Star break,
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but he's getting ready to go.And Cody Bradford in his first three
starts this year at a one pointfour era, so you're gonna add him
back. I don't even know whereyou're gonna slot some of these guys in.
I think Bradford might end up havingto go to the bullpen. We'll
see what they do. And ohyeah, Jacob deGrom is still coming back
as well. So the Rangers,while yeah, they probably want to make
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maybe a move here or there atthe deadline, I don't really know what
the move is. The trade deadlinemove might have been that Josh Smith,
who should have been an All Star, is now somebody that you have to
keep in the lineup every day.He didn't have him last year playing like
this, and their opportunity was itthere. So yeah, the Rangers are
all only getting healthier and only gettingbetter. Yeah, you mentioned not sure
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what they're gonna do the deadline.It feels like if they make a move,
it has to be something at theplate, and we've kind of that.
We've you know, heard murmurs ofmaybe Yandy Diaz with the Tampa Bay
Rays. We just saw his teammateget traded to Seattle. But if Chris
Young in Texas, Texas makes amove here for somebody, you would think
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it's offensively correct. Yeah, Ithink you're right. I think that that
was the report I saw as well. I saw Ken Rosenba was talking about
an outfielder DH type and Yandy Diazkind of slots in there. I think
where I have a hard time.And again I'm coming from the perspective of
watching the Triple A Club every night, but there's so many bats here that
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I feel like you have enough depthin the sifstem with the number of guys
coming back to the roster, Ijust don't know if it's worth. I
don't know what you give up toget Diaz. Is it justin Foster,
your former first round pick who reallyjust hasn't had it an opportunity to start
every day? Is it worth gettingDiaz? Where I feel like you've got
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the bulk of this roster now comingback, and you're better than last year
with Josh Smith, like I said, with the way he's playing. So
I don't know. I just don'tknow if you'd be willing to give up
some of these guys at the TripleAAA level. The Rangers want to sustain
this for years and years. Ithink maybe you, you know, stay
set where you're at and just keeprunning it back. But if they get
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Diaz and LinkedIn's out that lineup evenmore. Watch out. Talking with Roland
Cobra, the Triple A broadcaster forthe Round Rock Express joining us from Albuquerque
where the Express will take on theIsotopes tonight, and of course you can
listen to that game right here onAM thirteen hundred, the Zone seven thirty
five, First pitch. Rolin,You've had a chance to call a couple
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rehab assignments this season, and Ibelieve was the last Friday you had a
chance to call a game where ClaytonKershaw was on the mound, and you
Mentionedzer and there's been a few otherguys this season who have played either for
the Express or against the Express.But that has to be a really fun
experience in the broadcast. But eventhough it might be a rehab start,
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and we know some of these guysmaybe don't get the same adrenaline as they
would get in a major league ballpark, but to be able to call a
Clinton Kershaw game, I mean,not many people can say they've done that.
Yeah, we've been very fortunate,fortunate for us, unfortunate for these
guys who have had these injuries.But it's been cool on our end to
see Del Diamond Pact to watch Kershawor Schuzer, and we had that Dallas
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Kichel Max Schurzer matchup back in Juneas well. I was talking with well
last week Alex Friedman, who isthe OKAC broadcaster, and I was asking
him, have you ever seen thismany big name rehabbers, because if you
think about the guys that we've had, the three I just mentioned all of
one of Cy Young Award. Wealso saw Blake Snell and Robbie Ray,
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both say On Award winners when wewere in Sacramento. Mike Trout he was
not playing against us, but he'sin the PCL right now in a rehab
of Simon with salt Lake. You'vegot some of the biggest names in the
game, future Hall of famers thatare are rehabbing right now. This just
doesn't happen very often, so wedon't take it for granted at all,
and honestly, we don't want anymore. But we do know that Jacob
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deGrom is going to rehab at somepoint, so there's a good chance to
get another massive name at Del Diamonddown the road. But obviously you want
these guys to stay healthy while they'rein round. Rock felt. We'll take
care of him and we're glad tohave the fans come out and see him.
Ryland and Andrews. So we weretalking about the trade deadline coming up
for the Rangers and what they canor what they should be doing. Is
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there any concern that the trade deadlinecomes and goes and you don't get that
second half push? Try that onemore time, Andrew, all right,
let's try it again. So Ryland, I asked, are you concern because
the trade deadline is coming up veryquickly for the Rangers, is there any
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concern that you don't make a moveor you stay pat and you just hope
that these arms come back and youget that second half push. Is there
any concern that, Okay, heywe stood pat and it doesn't happen.
Yeah. I think there there's alwaysthat concern. I just it's always crazy.
Like two weeks ago we were talkingabout this team possibly selling and now
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all of a sudden, they they'veplayed good enough baseball to put themselves in
a position to be buyers. AndI think coming off the World Series that
you kind of get a little bitof leeway for not making a move at
the deadline. And and so Ithink, I just don't know if what
you're gonna get and what you're gonnahave to give up is worth it.
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I think you run it back withthis group. Josh Smith can move to
the outfield, you can put himout there. Travis Jankowski was so great
for them last year. Like,I think there's enough on this roster right
now where you keep this group wholeand it's acted ready to go and you
make a run for it. Andlike I said, you know, two
weeks ago they were about to sell. They were talking about getting rid of
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some of these guys. Max Scherzer, they were asking if maybe he would
wave his no trade clause, andhe was the one who said it's not
gonna happen because we're going to makea run. And they're here now,
and like like Cam mentioned, twelveof the last sixteen and right position to
possibly win the American League West afterwhat has really been an abysmal start to
the year. Somehow they're right inthe mix of things. He is Ryland
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Cober, the Triple A broadcaster forthe Round Rock Express. The Express in
Albuquerque tonight seven thirty five, firstpitch, seven to twenty pre game,
a bullpen game to night for bothsquads. Yeah, it's a bullpen game
for us. It looks like it'llbe Carl Kaufman tonight for Albuquerque. Last
time we were here, he hadan ERA north of one hundred and fifty,
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it felt like, so hopefully thenthey can get to him again.
He did not throw it well inhis two outings last time we were here,
so hopefully it should be a bignight for the offense. And then
Stephen Jennings will be the opener tonightfor the Express. Well, Roland,
have a great call tonight, andhave a great call this weekend, and
we'll see you back at Del Diamondssoon. Appreciate the time. I appreciate
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it, guys again. Seven pointthirty five, first pitch tonight, Ron
Rock Express at the Albuquerque Isotopes.Seven twenty is the pre game as they
make the second half push and tryand win the second half of the season.
The Sugarland Space Cowboys taking the firsthalf. An absolutely loaded roster.
The Triple A team for the HoustonAstros thanks to Ryland. Up next,
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we're going to cot do the show. Here's from Charles Barkley and perhaps maybe
more Jerry Jones here on this fireme Up Friday