March 14, 2026 • 39 mins
Perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez joins the show to talk about his contract extension and how he's getting ready for the season. Plus, closer Cade Smith and lefty Tim Herrin stop by for a chat about the bullpen expectations for 2026. That's all on this edition of Guardians Weekly with Jim Rosenhaus on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians
fans save hundreds on car insurance.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Him Rosan else along
with you as we join you from Goodyear, Arizona and
Guardians spring training. And we are getting closer to the
end now. If you're tuned to this on a Saturday
morning on the Guardians Radio Network, you know that it's
this weekend and next weekend, and then the team will
(01:12):
leave on the twenty fourth from Arizona for Seattle and
open the season against the Mariners in the Pacific Northwest
on Thursday night, March the twenty sixth, So we are
getting there in a hurry. We have seen several players
sent to minor league camp. There are still decisions to
be made. We should have a lot more on next
(01:33):
week's show when we join you on that final weekend
of spring training. But this week some great interviews with
some of the stars have expected to be this year's
ball club. Certainly Jose Ramirez will join us in the
second half of our show. We'll also hear from Kate
Smith shortly and we'll visit with starting pitcher Joey Cantille
and reliever Tim Herron, who has really looked sharp down
(01:56):
here in goodyear during the spring training games. But first
our interview with Kate Smith. We caught up with him
earlier in the spring. He hails from Canada, and certainly
Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic was hoping to
have one of the top closers in the game finish
out games in the back end of their bullpen, but
Smith declined the invitation, and when we caught up with him,
(02:18):
he talked about why he chose not to accept the
invite with Team Canada to play in this year's World
Baseball Classic.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yeah. I mean, first of all, I was honored to
be invited.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
It's an honor to have the opportunity to wear your
country across your chest and represent it. And so I think,
you know, I had a ton of fun in twenty
twenty three when I was able to do that, and
it was such a great learning experience for me. But
then looking at this year and the timing of it,
and you know, some of the workload played a factor
into it, but I just didn't think that it was
(02:51):
wise for me to take that time away from camp
this year.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
You know, like I said, I had a ton of fun.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
It was such a great an experience to be with
guys from all over Canada and in all the different stages.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Of their career and to learn from them.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
And I look forward to, you know, if I'm if
I'm still healthy in playing next time around, hopefully having
that on or again.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
And I'm guessing it's it's not something you take lightly
or work on on your own. Who were some of
the people who helped you come to that decision and
maybe it just gave you some guidance along the way.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Uh, yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
There's some conversations with with my parents a little bit,
but uh, it was it was my wife and I
talking about that.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
That was that was the most important thing.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
So you're here getting ready for a new season. We're
on radio. Some people can't see you put on some
muscle in the off season, and we set you back
in December, and it seems like even since then you've
you've really I don't want to say bulked up because
that's not not the right word, But why is it
important to maybe put on some some extra way of
(03:55):
muscle for for you and the position that you're in well.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
At the end the season, you know, I sat down
with the strength and conditioning staff and and the data
that they had about tracking me over the course of
the season. They let me know that I had lost
some over the course of the season, and so the
goal of the saf season was just to make sure
I got that back and continue to maintain my movement
quality and then you know, make sure my strength is
(04:19):
where it needs to be. And then now as we
shift closer to the spring, it's that focus on the
power and the speed aspect and getting ready to get
off the mound and be explosive from there.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
So when you get back on the mound and maybe
even as just in your catch play at this point,
what do you notice with the extra work that you
did in the off season.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Yeah, I think the off season is kind of sometimes
tricky because it's easy for some bad habits to kind
of get, you know, make their way into your mechanics
and so but that's part of the reason why we're
down here early, when we're down here for spring trending,
is to get those ironed out and make sure that
we're working as efficiently and effectively as we can so
(05:05):
we can hit the ground running and be ready to
go for opening day.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Kate Smith is joining us. Got a great opportunity to
close games, and we've talked about it before. The excitement
of being able to do that. Does that impact in
any way how you prepare for a season that that
role most likely is yours again at the start of
the year.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
No, it hasn't changed how I prepared.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
I mean my goal with my preparations to make sure
I'm doing everything I can to be the best version
of myself for the guys in the clubhouse with me,
I'm if I'm not working as hard as I can,
I'm letting them down. And so if I were to
take it for granted that my name would be called
for the ninth inning, I would be letting them down
(05:47):
as well.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
So I'm not going to take that for granted.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
I'm going to continue to do everything I can to
work and prepare and make sure that I'm taking advantage
of the resources that Cleveland offers, to have conversations with
staff and just overall make sure that I am the
best version of myself as I can be, and then
to go out.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
There and compete and leave it out all in.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
The field's that's really how my mindset has been this offseason.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's interesting you walk into that clubhouse and you've had
two really good seasons to establish yourself in the major leagues.
It doesn't seem that long ago you were in that
group of lockers with the young guys who were in
major league camp for the first time. Do you ever
look over there and I think that, man, it's gone
by fast in some ways, but maybe not so fast
(06:38):
in others.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
It has absolutely gone by fast.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
I mean someone today asked me about even when I
was when I signed in twenty twenty, and it's like,
that's almost six years ago.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Now, that's that's a crazy thought.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
But it's also cool to see, you know, a lot
of the guys that I came up with, they're making
their way here too now, and so it's fun to
have that aspect of, you know, familiar faces, and it's.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Really a special thing.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Maybe it's too early, but do you feel like a
veteran almost or is that still a little bit ways
down the road.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
No, I think I still got a ways to go.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
I mean, I know our team is young, but yeah,
I don't think I'm a veteran yet.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So along those lines, up young team and that's kind
of tradition for Cleveland to be one of the younger
teams in baseball, but a really good club that has
playoff appearances under its belt. What has it been like
now that the entire group is together.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I mean, it's exciting, like everyone's getting that ith that
it's right around the corner. Games are right around the corner,
and you know, like you said, having some of that
experience in the clubhouse already down the stretch last year
to be large largely the same group then as is
now that decided to buckle down and finish strong and
(07:51):
play with our backs against the wall for the last
month and play hard and play gritty and be resilient
and you know, make it really good run. So that's
an exciting place to be to have a lot of
that group back with that experience and look to carry
on that mentality and that resiliency from opening day onwards.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And closing with Kate Smith, we record the scenery at
the start of camp. The Winter Olympics are still going on.
You're a native of the Vancouver area, which had a
Winter Games not too long ago. What do you remember
about that as someone growing up in that area with
one of the biggest events in the world right in
your backyard.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, it was fun. We got to one of our
days that we didn't have school, we.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Got to go down to Vancouver and my siblings and
I my mom led us around the city and we
were on scavenger hunt for the special Olympic quarters and
going to see some of the decorations and things like that.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So and it was also we got really lucky with
the weather.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
It was beautiful and clear and freshnew in the mountains.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
It was a great time for the Olympics to be
in Vancouver.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And I noticed this morning in the clubhouse that curling
was on, which I feel like is a Canadian sport.
Maybe it's not, but it seems like it. Can you
fill us in on rules and your experience with curling
back in the day.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I'm not the guy to fill you in on rules.
I only had to do it once for outdoor ak
and I was I don't think I was very good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
So you shut that down right away. Yeah, all right, Kay,
great to see it, Thanks for.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Coming by, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
That is Kate Smith, who really came on in the
second half last year when the Guardians needed it. Most
as they were without their closer, Emmanuel Classe for a
variety of reasons that I'm sure you're very familiar with
at this point. But Smith stepped in and did yeoman
work down the stretch in that closer's role for Cleveland,
and he will be the man at the back end
(09:47):
of games to start this season. Well we came back. Well,
Visa was starting pitcher Joey Cantillo making a strong bid
to be in that starting rotation to start the year.
We'll hear from him next on the Cleveland Clinic. Guardians
Radio Network.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
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Speaker 1 (10:08):
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Speaker 3 (10:11):
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Speaker 1 (10:19):
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Speaker 2 (10:21):
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Speaker 2 (10:41):
Welcome back, It's Guardian's Weekly. Jim rosen House back with
you from Goodyear Arizona and Guardians Spring training baseball on
the radio this afternoon. If you're tuned to us on
the radio this morning, the Guardians will take on the
Padres in Peoria with a four to ten Eastern time
first pitch. Tom and I will have the all for
you on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Joey Cantillo
(11:05):
is making a bid to be in that starting rotation
for the Guardians at the beginning of the year, and
he has been terrific this spring. He was outstanding in
the second half a year ago after spending some time
in the minor leagues in the first half of the
season and also working out of the bullpen at the
start of the year. But he was firmly entrenched in
that rotation down this stretch and he's looking to parlay
(11:28):
some of those good thoughts and feelings from a year
ago into a strong start this year. And we talked
to him about some of those challenges that he faced
last season and how he's able to still put together
a solid season overall.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
It was definitely a challenging one for sure. Like you said,
I just I think there were just times during the
season where I wasn't necessarily looking at the right things,
or I wasn't I wasn't just enjoying the game like
I should have been, So I was just putting extra
pressure on myself to do certain things here and there
and picking apart out in which you know, we're always
trying to learn and get better and.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
There's that's the reality of it.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
But you've got to be able to find the good
and the positive and the things and and like you
just said, like there were a lot of things that
I did really well, and it took me a little
bit into the offseason to see that and to understand that.
But yeah, definitely during the season, I wasn't necessarily thinking
like that. And I think taking all those lessons into
this year, it's like, okay, like you know, we're in
a great spot, like feel great, like.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Enjoy enjoy this game.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
For sure, you spent some time in the bullpen early
in the season, What benefit did that give you? Because
when you got back into the rotation. It seems like
that's when you really took off and performed well down
the stretch. Were there benefits to the time and the.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Pen Yeah, there were definitely benefits, I think, you know,
you know, looking back on it now, it obviously wasn't
the most fortunate thing. Like I feel like, you know,
that wasn't my goal out of camp, and it's what happened.
And I was very happy to be on the team,
be with the guys, and I did learn a lot
down there. Like you know, they have a great time
down there, and at the end of the day, you're
getting big leaders out, and any opportunity to get big
(13:03):
leaguers out and to see how your stuff's playing and
to go out there and just compete and help the
team win games.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That was a fun, really fun experience.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
And then I think just when they made the decision
to build me back up, I was like, all right, well,
it's really the same thing. Hey, we're getting big leaders out,
We're just doing it for a longer period of time,
which is what I've done my whole life, what I
want to.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Do, what I know I can do.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
So yeah, that was a good experience and I think
it really was just that added experience of Hey, you're
around the guys, you're getting big leaders out, you're seeing
what your stuff can do, and it's just more reps
like anything else, more experience. And I think, like you said,
like experience really is the best teacher in this game.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And you get an opportunity. There were a lot of
things going on mid season that created some opportunities and
it doesn't matter how you get it, but if you
have that chance, you can take advantage. And how did
you look at things as you got back into the
rotation in terms of trying to be with the club
and really show what you could do the last couple
of months of the season.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
I think I was just trying to help the team
win games. To be honest with you, I think it
was it was a crucial run there in the middle
of Like I think when I got back up there,
we weren't necessarily playing our best baseball and we're in
a little bit of a tough stretch and then obviously
things kind of even themselves out. But no, I wanted
to get up there and keep the message. The message
to me was really simple, like you know, throw the
ball over the plate, and get guys out simplifying it
(14:18):
and I think, you know, talking about all the experiences
of last year going in the pen, starting building back ups,
like let's simplify this.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Game as much as possible.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
But yeah, speaking last year was last year, like you know,
there was you know a lot of good, a lot
of bad. But putting it past me. But yeah, just
more opportunities to learn and grow and win games like
we like.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
We know we can.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Joey Cantello joining us. You get away and for you
home and it is in Hawaii and men, most of
our listeners from the Cleveland area tell us what it's
like to go home to Hawaii and around holiday time January,
these are rough times for folks in Cleveland weatherwise. But
what's it like back home for you? Yeah, that's that's home.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
I mean, it's all I know, you know, getting getting
to go back there every off season is special, and
you know, being on the island and especially this year,
being around family and friends, getting to hang out with them.
But yeah, I mean I get my training done in
the morning and usually just go to the beach all
afternoon or hang out with friends. And I like to
do a lot of hiking. If I'm not on the water,
so just something outside every day and get in surf
(15:23):
and be on the beach and just just hang out.
Like you know, the ocean really is is therapy for
me in a sense. So it's a special place. And yeah,
I mean I can't complain. That's where that's where I
want to that's where I want to be when I'm
not playing baseball. So yeah, it was just a great
off season. I feel like I was a good little reset,
got me to back back where I need to be
feel like myself again. Yeah, I just had a great time.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
And yeah, it uh that mental side of it seems
so important, where you could probably work on your game
to some extent every day of the calendar year, but
how important is it to get away a little bit
and take some time for yourself where you're on the
water or on the beach and uh, just kind of
clearing your head a little bit, being around family.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
Yeah, no, it's everything. I think that that balance is huge,
and I think, you know, it's easy. It's easier to
do in the off season because you're not around the game,
but I mean to be honest, it can be done
in season as well.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
And it's and everybody.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
I think every player in their career finds ways to
do that and with experience, with more years, with more seasons,
understanding what that looks like for them. And I think
that's something I'm excited to dive into just for like, hey,
there's we're baseball players.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
It's it's it's you know, you hear that.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
You know there's a there's an obsession that comes along
with this game for sure, especially how I am and
what I want to do, and but yeah, just finding
that balance and being able to separate two things. And
you know, when you're at the field, you're at the field,
but when you're home hanging out like that, that's the
time to turn it off and find those times. You know,
there's always going to be moments where you're still fine
tuning things and picking apart different things, but you got
to be able to take a step back and release
(16:53):
whatever happened and and enjoy whatever else is going on,
because the reality is there's other stuff going on. And
I think that takes what you're It takes a lot
of maturity and experience just to be able to see
that stuff.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Wise, we see the great curve ball is great change up.
What are you working on this spring that that might
be a little bit different or just refining.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Throwing a new slider grip. BG got me going on
a new slider grip, which I'm a lot more excited
about than the one I've been throwing the last couple
of years. I think it's gonna give me a little
more room at the bottom of the zone. And then
I would like to start mixing and like there's a
there's a couple other things I want to work on,
mixing another fastball and playing around with that. But Joe,
Joe and I sat down to the beginning of the
off season and really spent a long time working doing
(17:35):
some mechanical stuff and diving into my delivery, making sure
not only getting some power back, but staying behind the
ball and helping me free up a little bit of
of of where I'm actually trying to throw the ball.
And you know, it took a lot of time early
on in the off season to kind of get through
some of that stuff. But it's it's felt amazing, and
you know, I'm we really have the best pitching coaches
in the league. It's not even close. Yeah, So Joe
(17:59):
and I got that died in I'm excited to keep
working on that. And yeah, that new slider from BG
is gonna be fun.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
It's left handed Joey Cantillo trying to nail down a
spot and that starting rotation and certainly seems to be
very likely that that will happen for him. Stay with
us when we get back, Jose Ramirez will join us.
That's next time the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Rady Yo Network.
(18:35):
Now the three to one pinch swung on the.
Speaker 7 (18:38):
Trail today, Bright Hallai back. He's done it again and
again and again.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Hose Ronmeres with up Taby down the right field line.
Speaker 8 (18:58):
On game time.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
You run the home run, folks, you need to relish
this guy. You may never see anyone like him again.
Welcome back. It's Guardian's Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse back with you
from Goodyear Arizona and Guardians Spring training. Jose Ramirez having
his usual solid spring, just going about his business, hitting
(19:22):
the occasional home run and hitting line drives all over
the ballpark when he is in that lineup as he's
getting ready for another season as the bell weather offensively
for this Cleveland ball club. How Josey goes the rest
of the team goes and they've tried to surround him
with some good young bats. And we caught up with
him earlier this spring along with translator Oggi Rivero, and
(19:45):
he talked about what he works on in camp to
prepare for the long regular season.
Speaker 9 (19:51):
In all your.
Speaker 10 (19:54):
Inks, nothing in particular about finding that consistency through my routines.
Obviously getting my routines and when I do the workouts,
the train and everything related to not just hitting but
also on the field. So when I'm able to achieve,
it's trying to get the consistency that's going to carry
you into the season.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And you are a veteran player now, who knows what
it takes. How different is it preparing for a season
now then maybe when you were just breaking in and
trying to make a club here.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Well, if things very different.
Speaker 10 (20:27):
When you come here, you always you know, you hustle
them for anything, you know, like you have to come
here ready to compete, not yet right now. Like fortunately
I've been able to earn this spot that allows me
the time to just walk on my body to stay
healthy and then be ready for the season. But in
the past I had to come here, you know, ready
to eat dirt day one and just do whatever it
takes to earn the position.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
And this year you come in after signing an extension
that keeps you here for the remainder of your career.
And what has that meant to you? And and is
it any different when you walk in here after the
winter that you had? Uh, you get going for spring training?
Speaker 9 (21:02):
Is the I want to position my whole me am
mental men?
Speaker 10 (21:07):
Yeah, I think it's a big source of comfort. Knowing
that it's going to be here the place where I
would complete my career so mentally allowed me to be
in a better space. But for me, it's the same
the same word, trying to stay healthy, trying to stay
in my best shape, to perform the best way that
I can. And obviously thanks to the organization and thanks
to God for allowing me to have the opportunity to
be able to complete my career here in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
And you're trying to win a World Series in Cleveland. Uh,
it's a young team again. But what has she excited
about some of the young players that you're seeing here
in spring training that have a chance to make this
club and make an impact.
Speaker 10 (21:44):
Yeah, obviously we have a very young group of people players,
but also very talented one. So I'm very excited for
the opportunity to be able to compete with them and
have a chance because the ultimate goal is to win
the World Series, and we're excited that we have a
change one more time to to competency if if we
can achieve it.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Training interesting dynamic. You're in a corner of the locker
room with some some of the good veterans. What do
you enjoy about spring training this time of year when
it can be a little more loose before you really
have to lock in on the season you see.
Speaker 10 (22:15):
INASA, It's always exciting to be at this time of
the year. You know, you spend two three months back
in your house at home with your family, but also
these are the people that also become your families. You're
looking forward to spend time with them and talking to them,
and also the timing of meeting the new people that
come to the team.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
So it's always a good time.
Speaker 10 (22:30):
It's always refreshing from me and exciting to see the
new things and the hopes that we have for a
new season.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
And just then closing for you, consistency has been a
big key anything specific you're working on, whether it's it's
at to play defensively or base running, anything there that
you're trying to maybe take a step forward in or
are you pretty well dialed in on what you like
to do well?
Speaker 9 (22:49):
No, No, I can part.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (22:56):
I don't think there's one particular item. I like to
focus as my whole game as a whole, the run,
in the defense, or the offense. For me, I don't
highlight one thing in particular because for me, every part
of it for me as important as offense, as difference
is everything that we can do in the field.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
OZI great to see it, Thanks for the time, Thank
you you. Aw he's great to visit with jose Ramirez
and thanks to the help of Aggi Rivero on the translation.
And Josey certainly ecstatic with the developments this past offseason,
the long term contract extension that will keep him in
a Cleveland uniform for the remainder of his career in
(23:32):
the outfield for the Guardians this year. It's still taking
shape here at this point in spring training, but George
Valera is certainly a name to keep an eye on
as he's making a bid to be part of that
outfield equation at the start of the year. Last spring training,
different story. He was on the comeback from a major
knee injury and wasn't able to do much in camp,
(23:54):
and he talked about how frustrating that was and how
far he has come in a short period of time.
Speaker 9 (24:00):
I just started running and started jogging honestly around this
time of the year.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
And when you look back on it, you were able
to get healthy enough to play and then make your
major league debut. When you got to the end of
the season, What were some of the thoughts you had
about the season and how far you came and really
what turned out to be a short period of time,
It was a lot.
Speaker 9 (24:23):
Honestly, during the time, I really wasn't thinking about it.
But when the season ended, I kind of sunk in
and it hit me and it was a lot of reflecting,
and it was a blessing the whole year, even in
the things that I didn't want to happen were blessing,
And it was even bigger blessing at the end.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
And not based on any baseball skill, but just from
the injury standpoint. Could you have ever imagined that last
year you would have made your major league debut as
you were sitting here in spring training a year ago.
Speaker 9 (24:51):
To be honest, yes, I would dream about it, and
I would think about it, and I'd have conversation with
guys here doing rehab with me, and we just, you know,
talk about our dreams and things that could happen. Even
though we were in that situation, and we work hard
and we put our mind to it, it could happen.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
George Valerius joining us, you get the call of the
major leagues late in the season, and you become a
key down the stretch and you have good success in
the postseason. What did you learn about life in the
major leagues and having success up here that maybe it
was surprising, maybe it wasn't.
Speaker 9 (25:27):
Honestly, I feel like it was just the same game.
And I felt a lot comfortable because I was around
all those players that I've played with before during the
minor leagues, and a lot of the staff members are
hitting coaches too, I've had them in the minors, So
I felt a lot. I felt very comfortable, and I
just felt like it was another game, staying within myself.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Sometimes it takes a while for a player to gain
the trust of their manager to play in key games
and key spots, but it seemed like you did that
quickly with Steven Vodeen, And what did that mean to you?
That faith that the manager and coaching staff showed in you.
Speaker 9 (26:05):
It was a blessing honestly that they gave me the
opportunity to be the guy that they chose to play,
and honestly, I just didn't want to let him down.
So I'm going to keep doing my best and giving
in my own so we could keep having that happen.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
It's a young team, but a lot of players have
been through the postseason before. For you, though, it was
first time home games against the Tigers, some great games.
What was that like for you, especially coming up with
a big home run at a certain point, It was crazy.
Speaker 9 (26:36):
Honestly, it was a dream come true just being able
to play at home in front of all those fans,
and especially in that series at the end of our season.
It was a crazy stretch and we had to come
out with the win however we could have and it
was working.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
In our favor.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
So this offseason, explain where you spent the off season
and what are some of the things that you tried
to do to make sure that you can be healthy
all year this year.
Speaker 9 (27:02):
So after the season ended, I went to Dominican for
like about a week or two. Hadn't been there in
like over a year and a half since I got surgery.
And then after that I came over here to Arizona
and we were just working on getting my knee as
best as it can be for this upcoming season. Then
after that I went back home to Dominican and we
were just working on the same thing, just making sure
(27:23):
that I can move around so I can play some
outfield and be able to run a lot better.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
And when you look around some good young outfielders on
this team and you fit right into that mix, And
how the excitement factor for that when when you look
and see other good young outfielder is how important is
that to you?
Speaker 9 (27:41):
I mean, we all have the same mentality, you know,
just go out there, have fun, do the best we
can compete, and we all push for each other, which
is the most important thing. You know, winning is everything,
and that's what we have here implanted in our team.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Georgia.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I know a lot of people were excited and happy
for you that you were able to be healthy enough
to play and the major leagues and looking forward to
seeing you this year.
Speaker 9 (28:02):
Thank you thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
And it's George Valera and another hitter who's just been
spraying line drives all over the ballpark so far this spring.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Stay with us.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
We'll shift to the bullpen when we come back and
hear from Lefty Tim Herron. That's after this time out
on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.
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Speaker 2 (29:11):
Welcome back, it's our final segment of Guardians Weekly as
we join you from Goodyear, Arizona and Guardians Spring Training,
and once again our show can be heard each and
every week on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Great
stations like our flagship station, WTAM, they aired at seven
am on Saturday mornings, so too does Wman down in Mansfield,
(29:33):
WMRN in Marion, and our friends over in Youngstown on WKBM.
They aired on Saturdays as well, and of course you
can always pick it up in podcast form wherever you
download your favorite podcasts. Tim Herron expects to be a
big key for the Guardians. The tall left hander has
some of the best stuff in the game and an
(29:54):
up and down season a year ago that saw him
spend a little bit of time in the minor leagues,
but to even vote, his manager has a strong belief
that Heron has some of the best stuff in the
game from that left side. And we talked to Tim
about some of the highs and lows from last season
and what he learned that could be helpful this time around.
Speaker 11 (30:13):
Yeah, like you said, last year didn't go exactly as planned.
There's a couple ups and downs. But when I did
have to go down and spend some time in Columbus.
I felt like I took that time and like really
worked on some of the things that I needed to
work on to get better. And I thought the end
of the year portrayed more of the pitcher I am.
(30:36):
I thought I felt a lot more confident. It's filling
up his own better, attacking hitters, and that's really something
that I took from the end of the season into
the playoffs and then through the offseason trying to get
back this year.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
And we hear so much about filling up the zone
and attacking hitters, and when you say it like that,
it makes it sound easy, but I know it's not.
Is that a mechanical issue that you're trying to correct
or is it something different that allows you to get
back to that and start filling up its own.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (31:04):
I think a small small part of it was definitely mechanical,
fine tuning some things. Some of it's mental, some of
it's physical. I mean, it has a lot pitching, isn't
It's a lot more complicated than it looks. There's a
lot of things that go into it, and I think
we were able to kind of pinpoint a lot of
the issues I had last year, and we're able to
(31:27):
correct them at least a little bit into the back
half of the season and then work on them this offseason.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
So when you look at at the group, the pitching group,
there's Carl Willis, Joe Torres, Brad Goldberg, Caleb Longshore out
in the pen that you would see a lot, any
of them more than others that really help you click
and get you where you need to be. In terms of.
Speaker 11 (31:50):
Help, Yeah, I think, I mean, they all have their
roles and I think we have probably the best pitching
staff in baseball in my opinion. They're all very knowledgeable.
They really know what they're doing. For me personally, I
think they've all had their impact on me. But the
bullpen coaches who we work with the most. So later
(32:10):
two years ago it was Brad, I worked with him
a lot, and then last year was Caleb, But they
all they all work together to kind of come up
with ideas and kind of help us. So but yeah,
because I worked mostly with the bullpen coach at the time,
I would say like they have the most impact throughout
the season, Like during the season.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Yeah, can teammates be helpful if you're trying to get
back on track.
Speaker 11 (32:36):
Yeah, for sure, I think the biggest thing. So I
play catch with Kage Smith all year like after a
throwing partner, so we think it's important too. For me personally,
it's important to have a throwing partner that you can
trust and that you know that when they see something off,
they can tell you and give you they can give
you instant feedback. That's kind of the biggest thing with
(32:56):
catch play because we as pitchers, we don't throw off
a mount every day. Sometimes woopen guys will go back
to back days, but you're not thrown off a mound
every day. You can't get those reps becuse you got
to get there on a break. So the throwing programs
kind of that point in the day that you have
to work on things and having someone that can give
you the instant feedback, whether you're working on a different
(33:18):
pitch shape or just something feels off and like they
can give you the feedback that they're saying. It's very valuable.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
And just for fans who aren't aware that what Tim's
talking about, say games at seven, you guys should pitch
your stretch at four, say, and then you guys play
catch a lot down the foul line, how do you
end up picking a catch play partner? Is that something
that it's just who's available on a particular day and
then you stay with it.
Speaker 11 (33:44):
Yeah, I mean it kind of just depends on some guys.
Kate and I in twenty twenty four we were kind
of the both the odd man out on catch play partners.
K everyone else had their partners already, so we started
throwing together and then we stuck off of twenty twenty
four and it's kind of just stuck so last year
and then right now on spring turning.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
So so obviously you enjoy throwing to him. I feel
like his stuff really moves. Is that a problem when
you're trying to catch that coming back?
Speaker 11 (34:11):
Yeah, I would say, I would say. The nice thing
about Kate is he can locate it well, so you
know where you at least know where it's gonna go.
But it does move. It moves a lot, so it's difficult,
especially the splitter, the splitters, the the not fun one
to catch, but it's it's it's fun.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Tim Herrin's joining us at Guardian's Reliever. Fun off season
for you as in Indiana, alum uh, your football team
was the talk of college football and I don't know
if anyone ever saw that coming, But what was that
like for you having gone there and and maybe when
they had some rough years.
Speaker 11 (34:47):
Yeah, no, it's very very cool. Not something that I
could have ever imagined growing up, like watching it in
a football they were never by any means of powerhouse,
Like if they made a bowl game, it was a
great season. And then when I was in school, they's
kind of same thing, Like a six to one season
was like that was a great year for them, and
nobody ever thought that it could get much better than that.
(35:09):
So the original hire of Signetty, you're in your head,
You're like, Okay, maybe this guy can get us to
eight nine wins maybe any season, but what he's done
the last two years. And then watching this season, I
got to go to a couple of games, and it's
just it's so so fun to watch because I'm a
big football fan anyway, So having my alma mater be
as dominant as they are, it's a lot of fun
(35:30):
to watch.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
And people think of Indiana as a basketball state.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Has it changed?
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Is it now a football factory?
Speaker 6 (35:37):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
I think we still have a while to go for that.
Speaker 11 (35:41):
Just because of the history with Indiana basketball, but I
would say the football fever in the state of Indiana
has definitely gone up a lot.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Tim Herrin's joining us. You're back here spring training, getting
that rolling fans in Cleveland can relate. You stay home
in Indiana in the offseason, how how much you look
forward to getting out of here and just being able
to play catch outside for a little bit.
Speaker 11 (36:04):
Oh, it's it's amazing. I mean the whole off season
and I'm indoors and turfs don't really get to see
any sunlight. And then it couldn't have come in a
better time.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
This year.
Speaker 11 (36:16):
We had just gotten the big snowstorm and the temperatures
were ten or below every day for like two weeks.
So coming out here to seventy and sunny is it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
And you come back to a bullpen that is very
highly regarded. Some new faces sprinkled in and around the area.
But when you look at that bullpen, how good can
it be this year? And you have a great perspective
because you were part of one of the great ones
a couple of years back.
Speaker 11 (36:42):
Yeah, I mean, I think it can be just as good,
if not better. Everybody kind of taken the next step forward.
I mean everybody, every year you have stuff you want
to work on and get better at, and I think
this off season a lot of guys have really taken
that step and it's I'm excited to see how everyone
kind of performs in spring training, but I think it's
a chance to be a really really good pin.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Well.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Tim, great to see you, Thanks for coming by.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
That is Tim Herron, lefty reliever, expected to be part
of what should be again a very strong bullpen for
the Cleveland Guardians. That's going to do it for our
show this week, Don't forget baseball on the radio on
this Saturday afternoon, the Guardians in Poria to take on
the Padres with a four to ten first pitch. We'll
be on the air around four o'clock and tom we'll
(37:27):
have that first pitch for you at about ten after
four Eastern time, and we'll have a couple of games
for you simulcasting next week night games Monday against the Cubs,
Tuesday against the Reds, both of those start at nine
oh five Eastern, and one more simulcast next week on Friday,
the twentieth, four to five first pitch against the Mariners
(37:49):
before our radio finale against the Reds one week from
tomorrow at three to five Eastern time. So a lot
of good baseball on the radio and also on television
the rest of the way. Thanks as always to Brian
Motsee for putting together our shows each and every week.
We'll catch up it again next week. And this is
Jim Rosenhause reminding you that you've been listening to Guardians
(38:13):
Weekly on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Guardians Weekly has been brought to you by Progressive Helping
Guardians Fans Say hundreds on car insurance
Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians
fans save hundreds on car insurance.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Him Rosan else along
with you as we join you from Goodyear, Arizona and
Guardians spring training. And we are getting closer to the
end now. If you're tuned to this on a Saturday
morning on the Guardians Radio Network, you know that it's
this weekend and next weekend, and then the team will
(01:12):
leave on the twenty fourth from Arizona for Seattle and
open the season against the Mariners in the Pacific Northwest
on Thursday night, March the twenty sixth, So we are
getting there in a hurry. We have seen several players
sent to minor league camp. There are still decisions to
be made. We should have a lot more on next
(01:33):
week's show when we join you on that final weekend
of spring training. But this week some great interviews with
some of the stars have expected to be this year's
ball club. Certainly Jose Ramirez will join us in the
second half of our show. We'll also hear from Kate
Smith shortly and we'll visit with starting pitcher Joey Cantille
and reliever Tim Herron, who has really looked sharp down
(01:56):
here in goodyear during the spring training games. But first
our interview with Kate Smith. We caught up with him
earlier in the spring. He hails from Canada, and certainly
Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic was hoping to
have one of the top closers in the game finish
out games in the back end of their bullpen, but
Smith declined the invitation, and when we caught up with him,
(02:18):
he talked about why he chose not to accept the
invite with Team Canada to play in this year's World
Baseball Classic.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yeah. I mean, first of all, I was honored to
be invited.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
It's an honor to have the opportunity to wear your
country across your chest and represent it. And so I think,
you know, I had a ton of fun in twenty
twenty three when I was able to do that, and
it was such a great learning experience for me. But
then looking at this year and the timing of it,
and you know, some of the workload played a factor
into it, but I just didn't think that it was
(02:51):
wise for me to take that time away from camp
this year.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
You know, like I said, I had a ton of fun.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
It was such a great an experience to be with
guys from all over Canada and in all the different stages.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Of their career and to learn from them.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
And I look forward to, you know, if I'm if
I'm still healthy in playing next time around, hopefully having
that on or again.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
And I'm guessing it's it's not something you take lightly
or work on on your own. Who were some of
the people who helped you come to that decision and
maybe it just gave you some guidance along the way.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Uh, yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
There's some conversations with with my parents a little bit,
but uh, it was it was my wife and I
talking about that.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
That was that was the most important thing.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
So you're here getting ready for a new season. We're
on radio. Some people can't see you put on some
muscle in the off season, and we set you back
in December, and it seems like even since then you've
you've really I don't want to say bulked up because
that's not not the right word, But why is it
important to maybe put on some some extra way of
(03:55):
muscle for for you and the position that you're in well.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
At the end the season, you know, I sat down
with the strength and conditioning staff and and the data
that they had about tracking me over the course of
the season. They let me know that I had lost
some over the course of the season, and so the
goal of the saf season was just to make sure
I got that back and continue to maintain my movement
quality and then you know, make sure my strength is
(04:19):
where it needs to be. And then now as we
shift closer to the spring, it's that focus on the
power and the speed aspect and getting ready to get
off the mound and be explosive from there.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
So when you get back on the mound and maybe
even as just in your catch play at this point,
what do you notice with the extra work that you
did in the off season.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Yeah, I think the off season is kind of sometimes
tricky because it's easy for some bad habits to kind
of get, you know, make their way into your mechanics
and so but that's part of the reason why we're
down here early, when we're down here for spring trending,
is to get those ironed out and make sure that
we're working as efficiently and effectively as we can so
(05:05):
we can hit the ground running and be ready to
go for opening day.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Kate Smith is joining us. Got a great opportunity to
close games, and we've talked about it before. The excitement
of being able to do that. Does that impact in
any way how you prepare for a season that that
role most likely is yours again at the start of
the year.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
No, it hasn't changed how I prepared.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
I mean my goal with my preparations to make sure
I'm doing everything I can to be the best version
of myself for the guys in the clubhouse with me,
I'm if I'm not working as hard as I can,
I'm letting them down. And so if I were to
take it for granted that my name would be called
for the ninth inning, I would be letting them down
(05:47):
as well.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
So I'm not going to take that for granted.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
I'm going to continue to do everything I can to
work and prepare and make sure that I'm taking advantage
of the resources that Cleveland offers, to have conversations with
staff and just overall make sure that I am the
best version of myself as I can be, and then
to go out.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
There and compete and leave it out all in.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
The field's that's really how my mindset has been this offseason.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's interesting you walk into that clubhouse and you've had
two really good seasons to establish yourself in the major leagues.
It doesn't seem that long ago you were in that
group of lockers with the young guys who were in
major league camp for the first time. Do you ever
look over there and I think that, man, it's gone
by fast in some ways, but maybe not so fast
(06:38):
in others.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
It has absolutely gone by fast.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
I mean someone today asked me about even when I
was when I signed in twenty twenty, and it's like,
that's almost six years ago.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Now, that's that's a crazy thought.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
But it's also cool to see, you know, a lot
of the guys that I came up with, they're making
their way here too now, and so it's fun to
have that aspect of, you know, familiar faces, and it's.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Really a special thing.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Maybe it's too early, but do you feel like a
veteran almost or is that still a little bit ways
down the road.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
No, I think I still got a ways to go.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
I mean, I know our team is young, but yeah,
I don't think I'm a veteran yet.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So along those lines, up young team and that's kind
of tradition for Cleveland to be one of the younger
teams in baseball, but a really good club that has
playoff appearances under its belt. What has it been like
now that the entire group is together.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I mean, it's exciting, like everyone's getting that ith that
it's right around the corner. Games are right around the corner,
and you know, like you said, having some of that
experience in the clubhouse already down the stretch last year
to be large largely the same group then as is
now that decided to buckle down and finish strong and
(07:51):
play with our backs against the wall for the last
month and play hard and play gritty and be resilient
and you know, make it really good run. So that's
an exciting place to be to have a lot of
that group back with that experience and look to carry
on that mentality and that resiliency from opening day onwards.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And closing with Kate Smith, we record the scenery at
the start of camp. The Winter Olympics are still going on.
You're a native of the Vancouver area, which had a
Winter Games not too long ago. What do you remember
about that as someone growing up in that area with
one of the biggest events in the world right in
your backyard.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, it was fun. We got to one of our
days that we didn't have school, we.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Got to go down to Vancouver and my siblings and
I my mom led us around the city and we
were on scavenger hunt for the special Olympic quarters and
going to see some of the decorations and things like that.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So and it was also we got really lucky with
the weather.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
It was beautiful and clear and freshnew in the mountains.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
It was a great time for the Olympics to be
in Vancouver.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And I noticed this morning in the clubhouse that curling
was on, which I feel like is a Canadian sport.
Maybe it's not, but it seems like it. Can you
fill us in on rules and your experience with curling
back in the day.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I'm not the guy to fill you in on rules.
I only had to do it once for outdoor ak
and I was I don't think I was very good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
So you shut that down right away. Yeah, all right, Kay,
great to see it, Thanks for.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Coming by, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
That is Kate Smith, who really came on in the
second half last year when the Guardians needed it. Most
as they were without their closer, Emmanuel Classe for a
variety of reasons that I'm sure you're very familiar with
at this point. But Smith stepped in and did yeoman
work down the stretch in that closer's role for Cleveland,
and he will be the man at the back end
(09:47):
of games to start this season. Well we came back. Well,
Visa was starting pitcher Joey Cantillo making a strong bid
to be in that starting rotation to start the year.
We'll hear from him next on the Cleveland Clinic. Guardians
Radio Network.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
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Speaker 1 (10:08):
Thanks again for taking me to the game, man, I
can't wait to get in there.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
By the way, what's in the bag?
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I bring my own hot dog in peanuts saves a time?
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Oh sabby?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And what about the beach chairs? Why buy seats when
you can save big and bring your own.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
We can't get in without tickets.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Tickets, what do you think the portable TV is for?
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Speaker 2 (10:41):
Welcome back, It's Guardian's Weekly. Jim rosen House back with
you from Goodyear Arizona and Guardians Spring training baseball on
the radio this afternoon. If you're tuned to us on
the radio this morning, the Guardians will take on the
Padres in Peoria with a four to ten Eastern time
first pitch. Tom and I will have the all for
you on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Joey Cantillo
(11:05):
is making a bid to be in that starting rotation
for the Guardians at the beginning of the year, and
he has been terrific this spring. He was outstanding in
the second half a year ago after spending some time
in the minor leagues in the first half of the
season and also working out of the bullpen at the
start of the year. But he was firmly entrenched in
that rotation down this stretch and he's looking to parlay
(11:28):
some of those good thoughts and feelings from a year
ago into a strong start this year. And we talked
to him about some of those challenges that he faced
last season and how he's able to still put together
a solid season overall.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
It was definitely a challenging one for sure. Like you said,
I just I think there were just times during the
season where I wasn't necessarily looking at the right things,
or I wasn't I wasn't just enjoying the game like
I should have been, So I was just putting extra
pressure on myself to do certain things here and there
and picking apart out in which you know, we're always
trying to learn and get better and.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
There's that's the reality of it.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
But you've got to be able to find the good
and the positive and the things and and like you
just said, like there were a lot of things that
I did really well, and it took me a little
bit into the offseason to see that and to understand that.
But yeah, definitely during the season, I wasn't necessarily thinking
like that. And I think taking all those lessons into
this year, it's like, okay, like you know, we're in
a great spot, like feel great, like.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Enjoy enjoy this game.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
For sure, you spent some time in the bullpen early
in the season, What benefit did that give you? Because
when you got back into the rotation. It seems like
that's when you really took off and performed well down
the stretch. Were there benefits to the time and the.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Pen Yeah, there were definitely benefits, I think, you know,
you know, looking back on it now, it obviously wasn't
the most fortunate thing. Like I feel like, you know,
that wasn't my goal out of camp, and it's what happened.
And I was very happy to be on the team,
be with the guys, and I did learn a lot
down there. Like you know, they have a great time
down there, and at the end of the day, you're
getting big leaders out, and any opportunity to get big
(13:03):
leaguers out and to see how your stuff's playing and
to go out there and just compete and help the
team win games.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That was a fun, really fun experience.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
And then I think just when they made the decision
to build me back up, I was like, all right, well,
it's really the same thing. Hey, we're getting big leaders out,
We're just doing it for a longer period of time,
which is what I've done my whole life, what I
want to.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Do, what I know I can do.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
So yeah, that was a good experience and I think
it really was just that added experience of Hey, you're
around the guys, you're getting big leaders out, you're seeing
what your stuff can do, and it's just more reps
like anything else, more experience. And I think, like you said,
like experience really is the best teacher in this game.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And you get an opportunity. There were a lot of
things going on mid season that created some opportunities and
it doesn't matter how you get it, but if you
have that chance, you can take advantage. And how did
you look at things as you got back into the
rotation in terms of trying to be with the club
and really show what you could do the last couple
of months of the season.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
I think I was just trying to help the team
win games. To be honest with you, I think it
was it was a crucial run there in the middle
of Like I think when I got back up there,
we weren't necessarily playing our best baseball and we're in
a little bit of a tough stretch and then obviously
things kind of even themselves out. But no, I wanted
to get up there and keep the message. The message
to me was really simple, like you know, throw the
ball over the plate, and get guys out simplifying it
(14:18):
and I think, you know, talking about all the experiences
of last year going in the pen, starting building back ups,
like let's simplify this.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Game as much as possible.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
But yeah, speaking last year was last year, like you know,
there was you know a lot of good, a lot
of bad. But putting it past me. But yeah, just
more opportunities to learn and grow and win games like
we like.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
We know we can.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Joey Cantello joining us. You get away and for you
home and it is in Hawaii and men, most of
our listeners from the Cleveland area tell us what it's
like to go home to Hawaii and around holiday time January,
these are rough times for folks in Cleveland weatherwise. But
what's it like back home for you? Yeah, that's that's home.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
I mean, it's all I know, you know, getting getting
to go back there every off season is special, and
you know, being on the island and especially this year,
being around family and friends, getting to hang out with them.
But yeah, I mean I get my training done in
the morning and usually just go to the beach all
afternoon or hang out with friends. And I like to
do a lot of hiking. If I'm not on the water,
so just something outside every day and get in surf
(15:23):
and be on the beach and just just hang out.
Like you know, the ocean really is is therapy for
me in a sense. So it's a special place. And yeah,
I mean I can't complain. That's where that's where I
want to that's where I want to be when I'm
not playing baseball. So yeah, it was just a great
off season. I feel like I was a good little reset,
got me to back back where I need to be
feel like myself again. Yeah, I just had a great time.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
And yeah, it uh that mental side of it seems
so important, where you could probably work on your game
to some extent every day of the calendar year, but
how important is it to get away a little bit
and take some time for yourself where you're on the
water or on the beach and uh, just kind of
clearing your head a little bit, being around family.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
Yeah, no, it's everything. I think that that balance is huge,
and I think, you know, it's easy. It's easier to
do in the off season because you're not around the game,
but I mean to be honest, it can be done
in season as well.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
And it's and everybody.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
I think every player in their career finds ways to
do that and with experience, with more years, with more seasons,
understanding what that looks like for them. And I think
that's something I'm excited to dive into just for like, hey,
there's we're baseball players.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
It's it's it's you know, you hear that.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
You know there's a there's an obsession that comes along
with this game for sure, especially how I am and
what I want to do, and but yeah, just finding
that balance and being able to separate two things. And
you know, when you're at the field, you're at the field,
but when you're home hanging out like that, that's the
time to turn it off and find those times. You know,
there's always going to be moments where you're still fine
tuning things and picking apart different things, but you got
to be able to take a step back and release
(16:53):
whatever happened and and enjoy whatever else is going on,
because the reality is there's other stuff going on. And
I think that takes what you're It takes a lot
of maturity and experience just to be able to see
that stuff.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Wise, we see the great curve ball is great change up.
What are you working on this spring that that might
be a little bit different or just refining.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Throwing a new slider grip. BG got me going on
a new slider grip, which I'm a lot more excited
about than the one I've been throwing the last couple
of years. I think it's gonna give me a little
more room at the bottom of the zone. And then
I would like to start mixing and like there's a
there's a couple other things I want to work on,
mixing another fastball and playing around with that. But Joe,
Joe and I sat down to the beginning of the
off season and really spent a long time working doing
(17:35):
some mechanical stuff and diving into my delivery, making sure
not only getting some power back, but staying behind the
ball and helping me free up a little bit of
of of where I'm actually trying to throw the ball.
And you know, it took a lot of time early
on in the off season to kind of get through
some of that stuff. But it's it's felt amazing, and
you know, I'm we really have the best pitching coaches
in the league. It's not even close. Yeah, So Joe
(17:59):
and I got that died in I'm excited to keep
working on that. And yeah, that new slider from BG
is gonna be fun.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
It's left handed Joey Cantillo trying to nail down a
spot and that starting rotation and certainly seems to be
very likely that that will happen for him. Stay with
us when we get back, Jose Ramirez will join us.
That's next time the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Rady Yo Network.
(18:35):
Now the three to one pinch swung on the.
Speaker 7 (18:38):
Trail today, Bright Hallai back. He's done it again and
again and again.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Hose Ronmeres with up Taby down the right field line.
Speaker 8 (18:58):
On game time.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
You run the home run, folks, you need to relish
this guy. You may never see anyone like him again.
Welcome back. It's Guardian's Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse back with you
from Goodyear Arizona and Guardians Spring training. Jose Ramirez having
his usual solid spring, just going about his business, hitting
(19:22):
the occasional home run and hitting line drives all over
the ballpark when he is in that lineup as he's
getting ready for another season as the bell weather offensively
for this Cleveland ball club. How Josey goes the rest
of the team goes and they've tried to surround him
with some good young bats. And we caught up with
him earlier this spring along with translator Oggi Rivero, and
(19:45):
he talked about what he works on in camp to
prepare for the long regular season.
Speaker 9 (19:51):
In all your.
Speaker 10 (19:54):
Inks, nothing in particular about finding that consistency through my routines.
Obviously getting my routines and when I do the workouts,
the train and everything related to not just hitting but
also on the field. So when I'm able to achieve,
it's trying to get the consistency that's going to carry
you into the season.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And you are a veteran player now, who knows what
it takes. How different is it preparing for a season
now then maybe when you were just breaking in and
trying to make a club here.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Well, if things very different.
Speaker 10 (20:27):
When you come here, you always you know, you hustle
them for anything, you know, like you have to come
here ready to compete, not yet right now. Like fortunately
I've been able to earn this spot that allows me
the time to just walk on my body to stay
healthy and then be ready for the season. But in
the past I had to come here, you know, ready
to eat dirt day one and just do whatever it
takes to earn the position.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
And this year you come in after signing an extension
that keeps you here for the remainder of your career.
And what has that meant to you? And and is
it any different when you walk in here after the
winter that you had? Uh, you get going for spring training?
Speaker 9 (21:02):
Is the I want to position my whole me am
mental men?
Speaker 10 (21:07):
Yeah, I think it's a big source of comfort. Knowing
that it's going to be here the place where I
would complete my career so mentally allowed me to be
in a better space. But for me, it's the same
the same word, trying to stay healthy, trying to stay
in my best shape, to perform the best way that
I can. And obviously thanks to the organization and thanks
to God for allowing me to have the opportunity to
be able to complete my career here in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
And you're trying to win a World Series in Cleveland. Uh,
it's a young team again. But what has she excited
about some of the young players that you're seeing here
in spring training that have a chance to make this
club and make an impact.
Speaker 10 (21:44):
Yeah, obviously we have a very young group of people players,
but also very talented one. So I'm very excited for
the opportunity to be able to compete with them and
have a chance because the ultimate goal is to win
the World Series, and we're excited that we have a
change one more time to to competency if if we
can achieve it.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Training interesting dynamic. You're in a corner of the locker
room with some some of the good veterans. What do
you enjoy about spring training this time of year when
it can be a little more loose before you really
have to lock in on the season you see.
Speaker 10 (22:15):
INASA, It's always exciting to be at this time of
the year. You know, you spend two three months back
in your house at home with your family, but also
these are the people that also become your families. You're
looking forward to spend time with them and talking to them,
and also the timing of meeting the new people that
come to the team.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
So it's always a good time.
Speaker 10 (22:30):
It's always refreshing from me and exciting to see the
new things and the hopes that we have for a
new season.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
And just then closing for you, consistency has been a
big key anything specific you're working on, whether it's it's
at to play defensively or base running, anything there that
you're trying to maybe take a step forward in or
are you pretty well dialed in on what you like
to do well?
Speaker 9 (22:49):
No, No, I can part.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (22:56):
I don't think there's one particular item. I like to
focus as my whole game as a whole, the run,
in the defense, or the offense. For me, I don't
highlight one thing in particular because for me, every part
of it for me as important as offense, as difference
is everything that we can do in the field.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
OZI great to see it, Thanks for the time, Thank
you you. Aw he's great to visit with jose Ramirez
and thanks to the help of Aggi Rivero on the translation.
And Josey certainly ecstatic with the developments this past offseason,
the long term contract extension that will keep him in
a Cleveland uniform for the remainder of his career in
(23:32):
the outfield for the Guardians this year. It's still taking
shape here at this point in spring training, but George
Valera is certainly a name to keep an eye on
as he's making a bid to be part of that
outfield equation at the start of the year. Last spring training,
different story. He was on the comeback from a major
knee injury and wasn't able to do much in camp,
(23:54):
and he talked about how frustrating that was and how
far he has come in a short period of time.
Speaker 9 (24:00):
I just started running and started jogging honestly around this
time of the year.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
And when you look back on it, you were able
to get healthy enough to play and then make your
major league debut. When you got to the end of
the season, What were some of the thoughts you had
about the season and how far you came and really
what turned out to be a short period of time,
It was a lot.
Speaker 9 (24:23):
Honestly, during the time, I really wasn't thinking about it.
But when the season ended, I kind of sunk in
and it hit me and it was a lot of reflecting,
and it was a blessing the whole year, even in
the things that I didn't want to happen were blessing,
And it was even bigger blessing at the end.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
And not based on any baseball skill, but just from
the injury standpoint. Could you have ever imagined that last
year you would have made your major league debut as
you were sitting here in spring training a year ago.
Speaker 9 (24:51):
To be honest, yes, I would dream about it, and
I would think about it, and I'd have conversation with
guys here doing rehab with me, and we just, you know,
talk about our dreams and things that could happen. Even
though we were in that situation, and we work hard
and we put our mind to it, it could happen.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
George Valerius joining us, you get the call of the
major leagues late in the season, and you become a
key down the stretch and you have good success in
the postseason. What did you learn about life in the
major leagues and having success up here that maybe it
was surprising, maybe it wasn't.
Speaker 9 (25:27):
Honestly, I feel like it was just the same game.
And I felt a lot comfortable because I was around
all those players that I've played with before during the
minor leagues, and a lot of the staff members are
hitting coaches too, I've had them in the minors, So
I felt a lot. I felt very comfortable, and I
just felt like it was another game, staying within myself.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Sometimes it takes a while for a player to gain
the trust of their manager to play in key games
and key spots, but it seemed like you did that
quickly with Steven Vodeen, And what did that mean to you?
That faith that the manager and coaching staff showed in you.
Speaker 9 (26:05):
It was a blessing honestly that they gave me the
opportunity to be the guy that they chose to play,
and honestly, I just didn't want to let him down.
So I'm going to keep doing my best and giving
in my own so we could keep having that happen.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
It's a young team, but a lot of players have
been through the postseason before. For you, though, it was
first time home games against the Tigers, some great games.
What was that like for you, especially coming up with
a big home run at a certain point, It was crazy.
Speaker 9 (26:36):
Honestly, it was a dream come true just being able
to play at home in front of all those fans,
and especially in that series at the end of our season.
It was a crazy stretch and we had to come
out with the win however we could have and it
was working.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
In our favor.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
So this offseason, explain where you spent the off season
and what are some of the things that you tried
to do to make sure that you can be healthy
all year this year.
Speaker 9 (27:02):
So after the season ended, I went to Dominican for
like about a week or two. Hadn't been there in
like over a year and a half since I got surgery.
And then after that I came over here to Arizona
and we were just working on getting my knee as
best as it can be for this upcoming season. Then
after that I went back home to Dominican and we
were just working on the same thing, just making sure
(27:23):
that I can move around so I can play some
outfield and be able to run a lot better.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
And when you look around some good young outfielders on
this team and you fit right into that mix, And
how the excitement factor for that when when you look
and see other good young outfielder is how important is
that to you?
Speaker 9 (27:41):
I mean, we all have the same mentality, you know,
just go out there, have fun, do the best we
can compete, and we all push for each other, which
is the most important thing. You know, winning is everything,
and that's what we have here implanted in our team.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Georgia.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I know a lot of people were excited and happy
for you that you were able to be healthy enough
to play and the major leagues and looking forward to
seeing you this year.
Speaker 9 (28:02):
Thank you thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
And it's George Valera and another hitter who's just been
spraying line drives all over the ballpark so far this spring.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Stay with us.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
We'll shift to the bullpen when we come back and
hear from Lefty Tim Herron. That's after this time out
on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.
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Speaker 2 (29:11):
Welcome back, it's our final segment of Guardians Weekly as
we join you from Goodyear, Arizona and Guardians Spring Training,
and once again our show can be heard each and
every week on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Great
stations like our flagship station, WTAM, they aired at seven
am on Saturday mornings, so too does Wman down in Mansfield,
(29:33):
WMRN in Marion, and our friends over in Youngstown on WKBM.
They aired on Saturdays as well, and of course you
can always pick it up in podcast form wherever you
download your favorite podcasts. Tim Herron expects to be a
big key for the Guardians. The tall left hander has
some of the best stuff in the game and an
(29:54):
up and down season a year ago that saw him
spend a little bit of time in the minor leagues,
but to even vote, his manager has a strong belief
that Heron has some of the best stuff in the
game from that left side. And we talked to Tim
about some of the highs and lows from last season
and what he learned that could be helpful this time around.
Speaker 11 (30:13):
Yeah, like you said, last year didn't go exactly as planned.
There's a couple ups and downs. But when I did
have to go down and spend some time in Columbus.
I felt like I took that time and like really
worked on some of the things that I needed to
work on to get better. And I thought the end
of the year portrayed more of the pitcher I am.
(30:36):
I thought I felt a lot more confident. It's filling
up his own better, attacking hitters, and that's really something
that I took from the end of the season into
the playoffs and then through the offseason trying to get
back this year.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
And we hear so much about filling up the zone
and attacking hitters, and when you say it like that,
it makes it sound easy, but I know it's not.
Is that a mechanical issue that you're trying to correct
or is it something different that allows you to get
back to that and start filling up its own.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (31:04):
I think a small small part of it was definitely mechanical,
fine tuning some things. Some of it's mental, some of
it's physical. I mean, it has a lot pitching, isn't
It's a lot more complicated than it looks. There's a
lot of things that go into it, and I think
we were able to kind of pinpoint a lot of
the issues I had last year, and we're able to
(31:27):
correct them at least a little bit into the back
half of the season and then work on them this offseason.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
So when you look at at the group, the pitching group,
there's Carl Willis, Joe Torres, Brad Goldberg, Caleb Longshore out
in the pen that you would see a lot, any
of them more than others that really help you click
and get you where you need to be. In terms of.
Speaker 11 (31:50):
Help, Yeah, I think, I mean, they all have their
roles and I think we have probably the best pitching
staff in baseball in my opinion. They're all very knowledgeable.
They really know what they're doing. For me personally, I
think they've all had their impact on me. But the
bullpen coaches who we work with the most. So later
(32:10):
two years ago it was Brad, I worked with him
a lot, and then last year was Caleb, But they
all they all work together to kind of come up
with ideas and kind of help us. So but yeah,
because I worked mostly with the bullpen coach at the time,
I would say like they have the most impact throughout
the season, Like during the season.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Yeah, can teammates be helpful if you're trying to get
back on track.
Speaker 11 (32:36):
Yeah, for sure, I think the biggest thing. So I
play catch with Kage Smith all year like after a
throwing partner, so we think it's important too. For me personally,
it's important to have a throwing partner that you can
trust and that you know that when they see something off,
they can tell you and give you they can give
you instant feedback. That's kind of the biggest thing with
(32:56):
catch play because we as pitchers, we don't throw off
a mount every day. Sometimes woopen guys will go back
to back days, but you're not thrown off a mound
every day. You can't get those reps becuse you got
to get there on a break. So the throwing programs
kind of that point in the day that you have
to work on things and having someone that can give
you the instant feedback, whether you're working on a different
(33:18):
pitch shape or just something feels off and like they
can give you the feedback that they're saying. It's very valuable.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
And just for fans who aren't aware that what Tim's
talking about, say games at seven, you guys should pitch
your stretch at four, say, and then you guys play
catch a lot down the foul line, how do you
end up picking a catch play partner? Is that something
that it's just who's available on a particular day and
then you stay with it.
Speaker 11 (33:44):
Yeah, I mean it kind of just depends on some guys.
Kate and I in twenty twenty four we were kind
of the both the odd man out on catch play partners.
K everyone else had their partners already, so we started
throwing together and then we stuck off of twenty twenty
four and it's kind of just stuck so last year
and then right now on spring turning.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
So so obviously you enjoy throwing to him. I feel
like his stuff really moves. Is that a problem when
you're trying to catch that coming back?
Speaker 11 (34:11):
Yeah, I would say, I would say. The nice thing
about Kate is he can locate it well, so you
know where you at least know where it's gonna go.
But it does move. It moves a lot, so it's difficult,
especially the splitter, the splitters, the the not fun one
to catch, but it's it's it's fun.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Tim Herrin's joining us at Guardian's Reliever. Fun off season
for you as in Indiana, alum uh, your football team
was the talk of college football and I don't know
if anyone ever saw that coming, But what was that
like for you having gone there and and maybe when
they had some rough years.
Speaker 11 (34:47):
Yeah, no, it's very very cool. Not something that I
could have ever imagined growing up, like watching it in
a football they were never by any means of powerhouse,
Like if they made a bowl game, it was a
great season. And then when I was in school, they's
kind of same thing, Like a six to one season
was like that was a great year for them, and
nobody ever thought that it could get much better than that.
(35:09):
So the original hire of Signetty, you're in your head,
You're like, Okay, maybe this guy can get us to
eight nine wins maybe any season, but what he's done
the last two years. And then watching this season, I
got to go to a couple of games, and it's
just it's so so fun to watch because I'm a
big football fan anyway, So having my alma mater be
as dominant as they are, it's a lot of fun
(35:30):
to watch.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
And people think of Indiana as a basketball state.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Has it changed?
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Is it now a football factory?
Speaker 6 (35:37):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
I think we still have a while to go for that.
Speaker 11 (35:41):
Just because of the history with Indiana basketball, but I
would say the football fever in the state of Indiana
has definitely gone up a lot.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Tim Herrin's joining us. You're back here spring training, getting
that rolling fans in Cleveland can relate. You stay home
in Indiana in the offseason, how how much you look
forward to getting out of here and just being able
to play catch outside for a little bit.
Speaker 11 (36:04):
Oh, it's it's amazing. I mean the whole off season
and I'm indoors and turfs don't really get to see
any sunlight. And then it couldn't have come in a
better time.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
This year.
Speaker 11 (36:16):
We had just gotten the big snowstorm and the temperatures
were ten or below every day for like two weeks.
So coming out here to seventy and sunny is it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
And you come back to a bullpen that is very
highly regarded. Some new faces sprinkled in and around the area.
But when you look at that bullpen, how good can
it be this year? And you have a great perspective
because you were part of one of the great ones
a couple of years back.
Speaker 11 (36:42):
Yeah, I mean, I think it can be just as good,
if not better. Everybody kind of taken the next step forward.
I mean everybody, every year you have stuff you want
to work on and get better at, and I think
this off season a lot of guys have really taken
that step and it's I'm excited to see how everyone
kind of performs in spring training, but I think it's
a chance to be a really really good pin.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Well.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Tim, great to see you, Thanks for coming by.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
That is Tim Herron, lefty reliever, expected to be part
of what should be again a very strong bullpen for
the Cleveland Guardians. That's going to do it for our
show this week, Don't forget baseball on the radio on
this Saturday afternoon, the Guardians in Poria to take on
the Padres with a four to ten first pitch. We'll
be on the air around four o'clock and tom we'll
(37:27):
have that first pitch for you at about ten after
four Eastern time, and we'll have a couple of games
for you simulcasting next week night games Monday against the Cubs,
Tuesday against the Reds, both of those start at nine
oh five Eastern, and one more simulcast next week on Friday,
the twentieth, four to five first pitch against the Mariners
(37:49):
before our radio finale against the Reds one week from
tomorrow at three to five Eastern time. So a lot
of good baseball on the radio and also on television
the rest of the way. Thanks as always to Brian
Motsee for putting together our shows each and every week.
We'll catch up it again next week. And this is
Jim Rosenhause reminding you that you've been listening to Guardians
(38:13):
Weekly on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
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