Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is I on the Ball with Steve Ravera on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on
the iHeartRadio while just search Ie on the Ball.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hey, welcome back to my on the Ball here on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and today is
Hugio Morales and we got one on the queue here.
Now we got a call to is this coach? Is
this Marcus?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
This is Marcus?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Hello?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
How's it going find Marcus?
Speaker 5 (00:27):
Marcus Catolano from Mark He Well, he's he played at
cell Point and Pima College, and he's got like an
extended background in baseballs at the professional level.
Speaker 6 (00:39):
So and he's a barber. Look, it does a lot
of things.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Old Pueblo Tribe. So what's going on with this Marcus?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, so Old Pueblo Tribe is something that me and
my friend Gay we uh.
Speaker 7 (00:56):
We thought we had an approach with, you know, pos
we making a team in a certain league.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
That league kind of fell through and then we were.
Speaker 7 (01:04):
Still going through with it and got advice that we
should probably make it something that guys can get picked up.
And so we agreed, because you know, I've kind of
done a little bit of that might sell for myself
and for some friends and family, and it's about the city,
(01:25):
you know, for the city. I know, there's a lot
of guys in Tucson that.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Got to play you know, some college ball.
Speaker 7 (01:31):
But life, you know, they came back and maybe they
didn't get to experience pro ball, or guys that did
get to the miners and you know, life happens, their
release come and then now they're just working and they
still want to play competitively. So we have a lot
of different variations of guys of even just recently, young
(01:52):
guy in nineteen I was able to get him in
contact with the team out in Kansas City just recently,
so now he's out there before even playing you know,
any real games with us. I was able to get
him and he's playing in the Pacas League right now
and I and it's independent league, and there's leagues, you know,
different independent leagues. There's Mexican leagues, there's leagues overseas. There's
(02:15):
a little bit of everything, as far as it depends
on that that individual and their level and what's next
for them and what.
Speaker 8 (02:24):
They want to do.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
And we're we're not necessarily in.
Speaker 7 (02:29):
A league, but we just try to play competitive games
whenever wherever we can, representing Tucson to ol.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Pueblo, trying to bring some fun back to this baseball community.
I know we have exciting things.
Speaker 7 (02:45):
With the Mexican team coming, and I honestly didn't know
about that before we made the team. So it's it's
it's going to.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Be exciting to see what what can work out in
the future with this team and all the baseball that
we're trying to have out here and you know, professional
baseball two here in Tucson.
Speaker 7 (03:05):
But yeah, I just love baseball and like uh.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Like you said, I'm a barber.
Speaker 7 (03:12):
I do a little bit of this and that, and
I just want to be able to help people, you know,
serve in my community the way that I can with
what I know.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
Now, Yeah, I know that you wanted to make this
kind of a model of like the Savannah Bananas. The
one time you're looking at that, is it more now
just to be maybe a feed or two like the
independent leagues or something another league that maybe you guys
can develop and have these players move on to those
leagues or what what's your mission?
Speaker 6 (03:41):
What's your your vision for this for this team?
Speaker 7 (03:44):
Well, yeah, so the when I mentioned like the Bananas.
I just mentioned the fact that like people share about
them knowing about them because of the social media aspect,
and so that's that was the main.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Like comparison, or at least goal that I was trying
to get to.
Speaker 7 (04:02):
But that's that's similar to like Division one or professional
they're trying to get the word out there about their team, highlights,
things like that. And but as far as our goal, yeah,
I mean there's a possibility we end up playing a
team like the Bananas or something. We're open to anybody,
(04:24):
especially if it's competitive, competitive, especially if it's entertaining. We
are playing you know, old school baseball. We're not necessarily
playing a different rule, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
We we we use.
Speaker 7 (04:38):
Umpires from local you know, a local association, and they've
coached everywhere from major league, minor league spring training, you know,
off to high school tournaments, college, so we have you know,
just from that to the good fields as Reed Park.
We'll get into using Cherry later. We'll be at the
(04:59):
key No Stadium. And the whole goal is to bring
our team and our opponents the field of professional professionalism,
but as well as the chance to get seen, scouted
and just experienced exposure all the above. We we want
(05:21):
to bring that that baseball.
Speaker 8 (05:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Love.
Speaker 7 (05:26):
I'm not saying it's gone, you know, but when the
minor leagues are gone.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
It was kind of just like, you know, we're here
and I played for the twoth on.
Speaker 7 (05:35):
Tomorrow, so it's and it's not like no, no knock
on them, but you know, they do play here three
months of the year and and.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Then they also travel. So that's kind of our goal.
Speaker 7 (05:48):
Our goal maybe is when we're when they're gone, there's
still two some baseball to be watched, you know, and
we're going to try to be here involved in the
city throughout the year as much as we can, and
maybe not so much you know, on holidays November December.
But that's like I said, we're not in the league,
we're not in a season. We're we're open to any competition,
(06:12):
especially if it is good, Like we want to play
college teams, we want to play other independent or professional teams.
We have close you know, friends and people that that
are on our that have their best in you know, know,
our best interests that that they know where we want
(06:33):
to go. They have their connections, they.
Speaker 8 (06:37):
They have their needs as well.
Speaker 7 (06:39):
So we've already kind of talked a little bit about
having guys go certain parts of the country, if not
the world. But yeah, it's exciting, it's it's something that
I'm looking forward to every weekend, you know, my family
looks forward to and you know, and.
Speaker 8 (06:59):
Now that we're involving with the.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Community especially, we want to get.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Involved with youth, running camps, clinics, doing things like that.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Before the season, especially before the fourth of July game,
we want to do a meet and greet, you know.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
Get players to meet up with the team, get involved.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Get players to know the city, city gets.
Speaker 7 (07:20):
To know the players the team, and it's going to
be going year to come.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
We're gonna play a lot of different places other than Arizona.
We're actually scheduling.
Speaker 8 (07:31):
Games and Globe games in No Gallas.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
Games in Yuma and Rocky Playing, and yeah, Phoenix. We
have scenic games in Phoenix next weekend. So that's our
goals to represent Tucson in in uh southern and southern Arizona.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
We might take some trips you know, elsewhere outside of
the state and coming up.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So the league, so there's no real league, like you said,
you said it a couple of times, So now you're
just kind of scheduling in advance to wherever you can
get a game exactly.
Speaker 6 (08:06):
Will you guys open up this Saturday right though against the.
Speaker 7 (08:11):
Yeah, Angels are a local, they're a local men's team,
and then the week after that it's the same kind
of situation. But all these teams that we play have
you know, guys that either played collegeball, ex pro ball,
and so the teams that we're playing up coming up
(08:32):
this this month, and it's.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Not to like, you know, take away anything.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
From those anybody, you know, all of us are you know,
just going.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Out there doing one hundred percent. But we're still establishing.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Imagine this month as like a spring training version and
then our opening day would be like fourth of July.
After that, we're gonna definitely have an establishment of teams
because we'll.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Be doing split squad. We have enough for two teams,
and that's that's.
Speaker 7 (09:06):
The goal, is to get guys reps, get get them
some type of stats, get them video footage of them,
you know, making great plays, good hits, and yeah, it's
it's all kind of like we're all guinea pigging this.
We're all figuring it out as we go.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
We know there's a lot of room for growth and
and learn, you know, things to learn, but the the
main goal is just getting the best.
Speaker 7 (09:34):
Possible quality of baseball on the field, wherever, whenever. And
also with that being said, we have sponsors, uh that
are helping us out that I would like to think
and shout out RCD Demolition, Rolie's Mexican Patio right way,
heating and cooling, We have Edge Barbershop, myself mar Shops,
(10:01):
and then we have ah, we have a few other
people helping us out as far as like not just.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You know, sponsoring partnerships.
Speaker 7 (10:10):
Right so like like Young Mac Films, he's doing a
lot of video work, Jersey plug they're they're helping us
get our jerseys, you know this this first season.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
And and we also have our our coach, Mike Benson,
he has his own brand, Athletes for Equality. They're gonna
he's gonna help us out with merch. So we're we're
still you know, seeking partnerships, sponsorships.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
We need, we need any help we can get, you know,
as far as just getting the word out.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
We do our part Our jerseys.
Speaker 7 (10:47):
Coming up that we just ordered have our sponsors on there.
And so we've gotten a lot of compliments on the
team colors and the jerseys, and from what I've seen
so far, as far as you know, we've been practicing
since April.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
We've had you know, the tryouts. With the tryouts, really.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
We're scrimmages, and so we've been playing games since April
with maybe one or two days off, one weekends off.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
But the team's looking solid.
Speaker 8 (11:14):
We have some really good.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Players that there deserve to be.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
Playing professional baseball, you know, and not necessarily working.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Out here in this Arizona heat.
Speaker 8 (11:25):
You know. I mean, we all got to do what
we got to do.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
But these guys have put in some work, you know,
whether it was college or some other pro ball.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
And well, Marcus, Marcus, we gotta go. We gotta go
to commercial break. We appreciate you luck, but it's going
to be at Repark, you said.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
Okay, yeah, party of five.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Okay, Well, we'll talk more about it once we come
back from the break. Thanks a bunch of Marcus. Good
luck to you.
Speaker 8 (11:47):
Guys, Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Less you have a website, you have a website.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
They don't have a website that I know of, but
I know they play this Saturday at three pm. At
re park Field five Angels. Okay, we'll talk more about it. Thanks.
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This is I on the Wall on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Want to take part in the show Call out steam
now went five to two oh four one six seventy
four forty.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Hey, welcome back to wile about herel Fox Sports fortun
Coofie arn Ski, Riverta and today with me is Jaba
morelest Blom and work on the board. Now on the
phone we have a former you of a baseball star,
Wes Clements and broadcaster. Are you doing?
Speaker 10 (17:09):
What's what's going on? Guys?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
No, We're doing okay. Hey, has you have a figured
a way how to put them put you in their
luggage to take you.
Speaker 12 (17:21):
I don't.
Speaker 17 (17:21):
I haven't got that call and not a chance as
they fit me in a suitcase.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Well, you are kind of a looking charm, right.
Speaker 10 (17:30):
They have done well.
Speaker 17 (17:33):
The last three years when I have done that, worked
their games, there's no question about it, all the way
from three conference tournaments ago in the beloved Pact twelve
where they got to the final against the Oregon Ducks.
Ironically that that ends up being the regional that the
(17:56):
Cats win, and then what they also got the Hope
that year, and then of course last year at the
last final Pack twelve.
Speaker 10 (18:07):
Conference tournament they won that. And then.
Speaker 17 (18:15):
Actually last year though I was at HI Corporate when
they won the Pac twelve regular season championship, had that
three game series against the Beavers which was incredible, and
then of course that's been Eugene this past weekend. So yeah,
it's done.
Speaker 10 (18:33):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
I don't think what was that twelve and one something
like that that they've done when you're broadcasting the games
in the last three years, something.
Speaker 17 (18:44):
Like that, Well, they went to a three of Oregon State.
I don't know how they did in the tournament when
they got to the final against Oregon three years ago.
I know they went through the the other side because
they lost to cal in that in that tournament, but
that could have been the only loss.
Speaker 10 (19:04):
I'm not sure if they were under seated last year
in the tactical tournament.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
It's just amazing.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
You got you got to see them finally this year
up in Eugene very you know, they they were dominant
all phases and pitching, hitting, defense. I mean, they couldn't
play any better. Really, just talk about now, Arizona will
go to the to the World Series.
Speaker 6 (19:28):
If they do what coming up.
Speaker 17 (19:31):
Here against they'll go to the They'll go to Omaha.
Speaker 10 (19:33):
They need to play super regional.
Speaker 17 (19:35):
There's eight super regionals that will start this weekend.
Speaker 10 (19:38):
There's sixteen teams left and the winner.
Speaker 17 (19:42):
Of each of these super regionals will end up in
Omaha to play for a Natty.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
What do you think they have to do against North
Carolina to keep this going? What do what do you
expect out of them?
Speaker 17 (19:53):
Well, and this is no disrespect to the last two
teams that the Cats played in Utah Valley and cal Pally,
but they're going to see some much better starting pitching
and bullpen pitching from.
Speaker 10 (20:11):
The Tar Hills.
Speaker 17 (20:12):
Uh, this is North Carolina team that finished second in
the ACC. There's as hot as the Cats are. They
swept their ACC Conference tournament. They lost one game to
Oklahoma and then turn around and buried them for the
title to get to the Super Obviously, they're going to
(20:33):
have their home crowd with them.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
You know.
Speaker 10 (20:38):
That said the.
Speaker 17 (20:40):
Cats had faced tremendous peach pitching in the Big Twelve
tournament as well. I didn't score a lot of runs
the last game when we won it.
Speaker 10 (20:52):
Did I just say we? I guess I could say weeks.
Speaker 17 (20:55):
I'm not I'm not working with anybody right now, but we.
I mean we were shut out until the ninth inning
until Andrew Kane came up and hit that game time
home run.
Speaker 10 (21:09):
So it is again, you know, I think the weather
might play a part back there. I don't know.
Speaker 17 (21:17):
That's one yard that I have not been to, so
I don't know the wind blows in and blows out.
I know there's a lot of runs scored in every
regional as well, But you know, conversely for North Carolina,
they're gonna have to face our pitching as well. And
(21:38):
I think as good as some of our starters have been,
I don't think they've been consistent speaking of our starting
pitchers week after week after the week. But when each
and every one of our starters has been really really
good at some time or another during this year, our
back end of our bullpen is it's real good.
Speaker 10 (22:03):
And then of course with.
Speaker 17 (22:09):
Smith Bailey, the freshman who started in the game plinter
of the Eugene we just got to hang on to
this kid.
Speaker 10 (22:17):
I mean, he was a special Yeah, he's special.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So you kind of alluded to this just accidentally. But
when you're in the booth, having been a former U
of a guy, is it difficult being not biased when
you cover do I'm sure it is. You do it,
you know, flawlessly, but you know, deep down kind of
maybe is it difficult?
Speaker 10 (22:38):
I got to tell you, you know, it really isn't.
Speaker 17 (22:41):
I guess I've been doing this for over a decade
now for ESPN, and even if I'm not doing an
Arizona game, Arizona's will come up, I mean, scores, whether
it be the Pac twelve games that I did, and
and if unless I'm working with somebody who's going to
(23:02):
bust my chops and talk about my cats or so
on and so on, like Roxy, I'll bust his chops
on because he's a cow guy.
Speaker 10 (23:09):
He went to cal But I really have not run
into that that, I will tell you.
Speaker 17 (23:16):
The only instance where I showed my my colors was
ironically in High Corbett, where I also happened to play
for the Toros there and played triple A ball right
there for the Astra for a couple of years.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
It is.
Speaker 15 (23:33):
That when.
Speaker 10 (23:36):
Who got to hit the right center Xavier? Was it
summer to when the to walk Oregon stayed off two
years ago?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Oh?
Speaker 12 (23:45):
That was.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
That was summer? That was summer Hill, right.
Speaker 17 (23:50):
Yeah, yeah, that's what that was summer. Okay, So when
Mickelacus was at first, I know that and once when
he got hit, and of course the place was electric
at High Corbett. But when that ball hit the gap
and I knew that he was going to score, I
(24:12):
was doing a game with Darren Sutton and I stood
up And that's the first time I stood up and
put my hands up in eleven years of working a game,
and I caught myself. And in this era of social
media where you have cameras everywhere, I put them directly up,
literally straight up, two hands up, and then I put
(24:37):
him down as fast as I could and then looked
around to anybody see me.
Speaker 8 (24:40):
But that seal.
Speaker 17 (24:41):
I mean, that is the only time that I've ever
shown any love for any team in the boots whatsoever.
But it's not, It really isn't, because if you get
locked into what your job is, it's the same thing
with you. Right if you're talking to somebody, or you're
(25:02):
talking to two people, or you're gonna talk to two coaches,
you're not gonna and they're gonna come on and in
the consecutive hours. You're not going to show any bias
towards either of them, because that's professionalism and that's what
you're gonna do. So I'm just gonna tell everybody what
I see on both sides, right, and I'm gonna.
Speaker 10 (25:22):
Go out of my way to make sure that I
do not if I'm gonna give.
Speaker 17 (25:31):
I mean, for instance, when we played cal Pauly to
win it on Sunday, I may I talk probably more
about Larry Lee than Chappelle and and and Trip Couch
until Vanilla and advanced, Uh, just because I mean number one,
(25:54):
he deserves it.
Speaker 10 (25:55):
He's a legend. In college baseball. But it's just you know,
part of the profession, you know.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
West with this uh bananas and the you know, the
the dyeing of the hair and all that and the
fun that this team is having you play for Jerry Kendall.
So let me ask you, what what do you think
Jerry Kendall would have done in this situation with with
these guys?
Speaker 17 (26:21):
All right, so you open the can of worms here.
So here's what I'm gonna tell you. Uh, we see
it all the time. Now we're in a different era
and I and of course social media is so a
part of everything.
Speaker 10 (26:38):
But what I can tell you is that.
Speaker 17 (26:42):
The kids and the players will will only.
Speaker 10 (26:45):
Do what they're allowed to get away with.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 10 (26:48):
So their behavior is a learned behavior.
Speaker 17 (26:53):
They're the dudes that these players, current players saw playing
MLB and playing League Baseball. Dance, danced around, they did
pirouettes sometimes around the base, They went into dugouts, they
did some celebrations, they did all these kind of things.
Speaker 10 (27:15):
That's what they grew up with. It's it's their generation
as their era.
Speaker 17 (27:24):
M my honest opinion, and I'm quite certain that players
don't do anything that their coaches don't allow. Players will
get away with whatever their coaches allow. And so I mean, look, ship, Chip,
(27:44):
Chip Hall played for JK.
Speaker 10 (27:47):
He knows.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Look, we were talking to him on an in game
interview during one.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Of the games about that. I was going to ask
you about that.
Speaker 17 (27:54):
And mclacis makes his play. It spends around and everything
it makes it play and and Chip goes.
Speaker 10 (28:01):
Roxy made the call, and and Roxy says good play.
And Chip said, yeah, it's good play.
Speaker 17 (28:08):
No chance would coach Kendall allowed me to do what
he just did because he and then he actually did
a voice over at JA.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yes, how was that was that spot on?
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (28:22):
He again, I said, on broadcast on Friday.
Speaker 17 (28:27):
Night, or excuse me, Sunday night. We didn't understand at
the time why JK Coach Kendall was so.
Speaker 18 (28:40):
Ah.
Speaker 17 (28:42):
He always wanted to concentrate upon thements, no matter what,
he always wanted to do it a correct way. It's
a fundamentally sound way. And it was over and over
and over and over and over again. And we're just players.
Speaker 10 (28:57):
And sometimes we'd talk amongst ourselves like, what's the big
deal we got it out? What's the big deal we
got the out?
Speaker 17 (29:03):
On and on and so, but you don't recognize why
he did what he did until you start to play
the game at a high level. You get into pro baseball,
and you understand that everybody that you're playing against the
very first year that you play in a ball was
the best player on their.
Speaker 10 (29:21):
Team in college.
Speaker 17 (29:23):
So now you got the best of the best, and
those best to the best are going to separate to
go to two A, double A, and the best of
those are going to go to three A and it's
going and the guys that move are going to be
the guys that are fundamentally sound and do everything the
correct way so that they don't have any baggage. And
(29:46):
then when you get into coaching and manage it in
pro ball, then I mean, that's really where it hit me.
And everybody that's manager's ever played for Arizona will tell
you that a part of their coaching came from JK.
(30:06):
And that part of the way they talked to the
players and explain why it's important came from JK.
Speaker 10 (30:13):
Right, he was all the way up to Tito Franklin.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
He was he was straight and narrow, but he also
was affable.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
I remember he would call me Julian Haave or whenever
he approached him for an interview. So I think he
would you would welcome this, and and as long as
the guys were winning, right, if they were winning, they're
playing well, he would be.
Speaker 17 (30:32):
I don't want to say he'd welcome word, but no, no,
he wouldn't embrace it. He wouldn't welcome it. It wouldn't happen.
You know, it just wouldn't happen.
Speaker 10 (30:46):
Listen.
Speaker 17 (30:46):
I mean, I know he's probably looking down and seeing
it all and saying, boy, boy, boy, am I glad
I'm up here?
Speaker 2 (30:54):
How are you allowing this to happen?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Well?
Speaker 17 (30:57):
Yeah, it is kind of like you know, old kind
of those kind of things, and like Chip, I taught
you better than that, And how dare you allow your
players to do the do it the wrong way? But
again it's you have to be as society of alves
(31:18):
and everything else is, including sports. If you're going to
be that dude speaking of a head coach in college baseball,
Now that says, okay, nope, you can't do any kind
of line celebration after a home run in twenty twenty five.
You're you're probably not going to have a lot of
kids and want to come and speak for your very
(31:41):
true and it is what it is. Now do most
probably not like it? Most head coaches probably answers. No,
they probably don't. They probably don't. I'm not big no
matter what on celebrating when you're losing a game, right period.
(32:02):
I mean, there's no the goal is to win a game,
and if you're losing, why are you celebrating?
Speaker 15 (32:07):
Right?
Speaker 17 (32:09):
I mean that's something that rubs me the wrong way.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Well, we gotta go, we gotta go take the break now. Hey,
appreciate your time. We'll see what they do this weekend.
Thank you very much. Qus you well, thank god, thank you. Yeah,
Wes Clements, we got to go real quick. We're going
to get ahold of Steve Strong now after this one. Yeah,
if you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's
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Speaker 10 (32:31):
Now.
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This is I on the Ball with Steve Ramera on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on
the iHeartRadio just search Eye on the Ball.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Hey, welcome back to I'm the Ball here on Fox
Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera, and today with me
is have you and Morales now on the phone. We
have Steve Strong, former you of a baseball star and
national title holder back in the day.
Speaker 10 (36:23):
How you doing, Steve good?
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Guys, Yes, yes, I know you've been on the show before.
We have Andy Lopez on tomorrow. And I don't know
why this came over the weekend, just in my mind
because I've covered basketball so long and we know how
difficult it is to win a title in basketball, but
I'm thinking that it's probably more difficult to want to
win one in baseball. I don't know if you want
to agree with me disagree with me, but I'm sure
it's very, very difficult because of all the teams that
(36:48):
you have to go through.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Yeah, long season, multiple regionals, and you're seeing, like you said,
you've got to beat different teams, different pitchers, and with
with baseball, you're you're kind of a different team every
night depending on the starting pitching. So yeah, it's it's
certainly a challenging, challenging task to get to a national
(37:12):
championship title.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
You you won one in eighty six with Chip Hale
as one of your teammates has had a great team
that year. What are your thoughts about how he's been
able to develop the last four years as a head
coach at the college level with Arizona. What what do
you see out of out of his team that you
that you expected that he would be able to do.
Speaker 8 (37:37):
Well?
Speaker 4 (37:37):
You know, I think, like anything, it's a learning process
and ship coming out of a long pro ball coaching career.
Those seasons are one hundred and sixty game schedules and
and you've got a lot longer period to kind of
let things play out. College game the college.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Season shorter, and there's a greater sense of urgency to win.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
So I think that first season he had to kind
of adapt to that mindset of every game means so
much more as opposed to that one hundred and sixty
game pro ball schedule.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
So, you know, that first year was certainly a.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Learning curve for him from that standpoint, and then you
know he's gradually kind of blended the pro ball mentality
of realizing it's a hard game, it's still a long season.
Can't play it like football, where you've got, you know,
one game a week to really ramp up for.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
But also understand that a college game with RPIs and everything,
there's a sense of urgency to win every night and
and you try not to let any games to get
get away from you.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
So let me ask you. I'm not sure it's true,
but I use the adage team's kind of take on
the personality of the coach. If so, what does this
team have personality wise? Having played for Hip, you know.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
Number one, I don't think they give up at all.
Number two, you know they really play together, that this
group gets along, they're you know, they're just really rooting
for each other. And Chip was always that way as
a teammate. So when you're around them, you.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Can see that they like each other.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
You can see that they enjoy playing together, and and
you know, they really feel like they can win every
night out. So you know, they like to compete, and
that was Chip's m o. He was a guy that
loved to compete.
Speaker 5 (39:36):
Now we we asked this question of Wes Clements. He
was just a guest on the on the show about
the you know, the extra extracurricular stuff with the bananas
and the you know, and the dying of the hair,
the mustaches and so forth, and basically just stay loose.
And we asked him if if Jerry Kendall, how he would,
(39:57):
you know, handle that situation. He didn't didn't think that
it would would fly with Kendall. But do you I
think you have a different viewpoint on that, right, How
do you think he would?
Speaker 3 (40:06):
You know?
Speaker 4 (40:07):
I mean, I think West got the nineteen eighty version
of coach JK. We got the nineteen eighty six version
of JK. And just like any coach, you kind of
evolved and and you know, JK was a strict disciplinarian,
wanted to respect the game. But you know, just one
quick story, Tommy Henzo, Dave Taylor would would play and
(40:35):
garmle At would play rock paper scissors. Every day at practice.
They stretched in us one line together and they would
play rock paper scissors to decide who got to stretch
first in the front of the line. And then it
gradually evolved into well, the loser had to go stretch
somewhere and the two guys could send them to the
(40:56):
centerfield or the dugout. Well. As the season progressed and
things were going pretty good. By the time we got
to the National championship game, that tradition kept playing out.
Gar Malay stretched at the top of the Rosenblat Stadium
and left field by himself. That's where they sent him,
(41:19):
and Coach Kinnell was okay with that because that was
kind of part of the tradition. So I think, you know,
Coach Kennell expected us to compete, to win, to be successful,
but he definitely let guys kind of be themselves a
little bit. So, you know, in today's world, the culture
has evolved a little bit in college baseball, and so
(41:40):
you know, he was pretty good at adapting to that.
So you know, I don't think he would love it,
but I think, you know, he would embrace the just
the enthusiasm of the guys and joining the game.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
So two questions, So did he have any superstitions? One
because you know baseball players are notorious for that. And two,
I think that Chip and we all content Chip varying degrees. Uh,
he was getting some heat, probably really undeserved. It's just
your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
Yeah, you mean Chips superstition, you know, a coach coach.
Speaker 6 (42:17):
Coach Kittle and also he has any supersystem.
Speaker 4 (42:22):
Yeah, you know, JK. I think he was just one
that was never going to be. He would never let
us touch the foul line. He always kind of jumped
over that foul line when you go out to Coach
thirty always went and touched the bag before he got
in there the coach's box. I can always just remember
seeing him do that.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
You know.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
As far as Chip, you know, criticism for Chip. You know,
the expectations of Arizona baseball just go all the way
back to the you know, the long success that it's had.
The games kind of evolved with Nil and you know
(43:04):
what's happened.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
With the Southeast Conference and the ACC.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
And the kind of money they have. I think the
expectations for you know, Arizona baseball need to be high,
but the people have to understand that they're going to
have to operate in a different format. Right, They're not
going to buy free agents out there the way Tennessee
and LSU will, and so they're going to have to
(43:30):
evaluate talent and then develop it. And they've done a
great job of it. I mean they've avout They've found
guys like Mason White that get overlooked a little bit
Crampkowski didn't really pitch his senior year, but they saw
something in him. Uh, you know, summer Hill was not
recruited as highly as the kind of guy he is,
but they they saw talent there, they brought them here
(43:52):
and and they've been able to develop that talent. And
I think that's that's what they're going to have to,
you know, operate on.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
As opposed to have enough a large checkbook and buy
free agents.
Speaker 14 (44:02):
And so.
Speaker 4 (44:04):
Sometimes that talent takes longer to develop, and nobody better
at doing that than Chip.
Speaker 3 (44:09):
And his staff.
Speaker 5 (44:12):
You made a good point about that they can't really
the transfer portal. They can't go out and spend money
and bring guys here. They have to, you know, find
diamonds in the rough. And it's and these guys have
really come come, you know, come forward. We saw them
in in Eugene, Oregon. A lot of these the relief
(44:33):
pitchers that nobody probably has heard about the way they pitched.
Just talk about how Chip Hales has been able to
do that, and is that going to be able to
be enough in the long run for somebody, you know,
like let's say another team throws money out of you
of a player and they leave is you know, you
(44:56):
have to walk both lines, right, So how do you
feel like Chip in the long run will fare in
that situation.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
You know, first of all, I think the guys love
playing for him, and you know, he's brought a sense
of urgency, but he's also brought kind of a pro
ball mentality. You know that if you listen to the kids,
they call him Chip, they talk they talked to him
like he's you know, he's a major league manager and
(45:25):
their pro ball guys. So that atmosphere is is a
little bit unique I think in college baseball, and and
guys love being there, They love playing for him, they
love pictures, you.
Speaker 4 (45:37):
Know, really thrive under Kevin and under John and and
and have a great deal of confidence in those guys
in terms of developing in them. So you know, I
think we can maintain and keep guys here because of that.
Clearly we're in a super regional now that just kind
of creates another level of notoriety around the country that
(46:00):
you can come here and you know, Summer Hill probably
goes in the first round this year, which means we're
gonna have three first rounders in the last four years.
So you can come to Arizona and go in the
first round, right, So yeah, I don't think it should
hinder us. It's just there may be periods of time
when we're developing talent and we're.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
Not just gonna buy free agents to fill them in.
You know, where we need a catcher next.
Speaker 4 (46:26):
Year and you know, you go get the kid from
Notre Dame and plug him.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
In or something that's just not gonna happen at Arizona.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
Yeah, no question, Steve, don't mind discussion. What do you
do for a living now?
Speaker 3 (46:40):
I've actually been with Meri Lance for the last thirty years.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Okay, well, I was gonna try to pick you if
you were like a financial guy. We got about two minutes.
How would you solve that problem though? Because you know
what's the problem. SEC is going to buy teams and
talent obviously, but you know, talent doesn't always win the day.
And we're talking to the softball team here, I mean,
how are they going to get better even beyond what
they've been because if you have to find players look
(47:05):
to take the stack, how how is Tucson, little old
Tucson going to do this?
Speaker 4 (47:08):
You a well, I think you know from a baseball perspective.
First of all, Trip Couch is a former major league
scout that is a tremendous talent evaluator. He's a great recruiter.
You know, he was with South Carolina when they had
those great teams.
Speaker 8 (47:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
He's a national guy. So you if you look at
a roster.
Speaker 4 (47:33):
We got guys from you know, Illinois, from Minnesota, not
just traditional Arizona, California.
Speaker 3 (47:39):
So I think they're recruiting nationally.
Speaker 4 (47:41):
They're kind of gone to some cold weather spots where
you know, they've been able to find some guys that
are overlooked, and now they're starting to get a reputation
with Kevin to develop really elite pitching. And you know,
I think if you talk to the parents of these players,
they love playing for Chip and I think they would
(48:05):
endorse any kid coming down here.
Speaker 3 (48:07):
So I think kids, I think they're going to survive on.
Speaker 4 (48:10):
Saying that we can develop pro talent. And that's really
what everybody, all these kids want to do, is they
want to go on to the next level. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
I think that Tommy has that same philosophy. You know,
you'll get some scratch, but you also have to prove yourself. Yep.
Speaker 3 (48:23):
No, absolutely, and you're right.
Speaker 4 (48:24):
I mean you look at the look at the postseason
so far in the regional so not every SEC team, right,
not even half of the SEC teams got through. So
there's a lot of scrappy teams that you know, just
played good baseball and beat up on some of the
big boys that spend a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
So that's good to see. I don't think that will
ever change.
Speaker 2 (48:47):
You can get to this dance and the Pinto, yeah
that's right, but I want to I want to drive
the Mercedes.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
Yeah, it certainly makes it easier.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Right, You look good, all right, appreciate your time, all right?
Speaker 4 (49:07):
Yeah, take care.
Speaker 6 (49:09):
Yeah, my pentos be getting beat up now, so you
get it quite another one. Hey, it's still getting you
from point A to point B.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
That was and that's my point. I mean, if you one,
coaching matters. Coaching matters, right, If there's anything I've learned,
coaching matters. Could you have a good coach? They find
ways to get you to play better, play harder. I mean,
come on, we covered loop for a long time, right. Uh,
he didn't have those a lot of the five stars
ports stars he had starting out, but he put it.
But he put them together to do their roles.
Speaker 5 (49:39):
Yeah, and nobody better than that, right, right when you
think about what he was able to do in the
early years to establish Arizona, the development, you know, and
he was a lot of like Wooden where you know,
how you put your socks on, how you do things,
and his workouts were very methodical. And I guess I did,
didn't kind Kindle did that? Fundamentals? Fundamentals? Yeah, both West
(50:02):
and Steve said it's just the same thing over and
over again. He's very straight and narrow, and he he
expects that from this players sure to be that type
of type of person.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
Also, Yeah, and come on, how do you argue with
the success that they that here's the here's the issue. Okay,
let's assume they don't get past this, maybe get zero
and two.
Speaker 6 (50:24):
Is it a good year? I think so? I'm sorry,
I know, I think I think so.
Speaker 2 (50:29):
Especially to my point of the because women to the
song of the Yeah, I mean, come on, you went
forty eight and thirteen thirteen and it's not a good year.
Speaker 6 (50:38):
Come on, really, and they they haven't gone this foreigner
chip pail.
Speaker 5 (50:42):
Yeah, they they're making that progression, right so that I
think it's already a bonus now.
Speaker 2 (50:47):
Yeah, sure, I totally agree, you totally greeed. We gotta go,
ye Okay, well, thanks a bunch. Tomorrow'll see you for
the last time. Yep, at least at least that. Yeah,
when I'm running the board, So you have to send
you some Salcea and some Brits. I want to talk
about what you're doing tomorrow. Okay, I can officially say
that starting tomorrow. God, I'm so nervous. Take care of
you guys. Thanks, thank you,