March 31, 2025 • 4 mins
We join Vice President and General Manager of the West Michigan Whitecaps Jim Jarecki to discuss the team's upcoming season!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We don't fire at the old organ very often here
on the program, but it's zapropos. This is West Michigan's
morning news organ. Too, very talented.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
She does it all.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Steve Kelly, Brett, Meikita, Lawrence Smith, Ladies and gentlemen. Vice
president and general manager. Have you West Michigan white Caps,
Jim Jareki, Welcome to this.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Oh man, it's so good to be downtown here with
you guys in studio and obviously April fourth, man, it's
only four four days away. Yeah, we are ready for
baseball out at LMCU Ballpark.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Brett's been talking about changes. We saw you putting footings
in in some construction at the end of last year,
but huge changes out there.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, it's it's gonna be spectacular. I cannot wait to
open those gates on Friday. It's gonna be the wow
or the WOA factor. It's still ELMCU Ballpark that you
know of it, but boy, there are a lot of
new entities there's the environment is going to be just
so unique.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
The first thing that jumps out of you, and this
was mandated by Major League Baseball. They had to move
you know, the pictures used to warm up kind of
on the sides of the field, but they were in
the field of play, and now they're going to be
where the deck used to be in right, So the
deck is gone. There's no more. I didn't know that
the bullpens are going to be the yes right as far.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
From the field standpoint the player safety. But we took
the opportunity with with MLB mandated with some of these
changes that they did for the playing and the player facilities,
we took this opportunity to take ELMCU Ballpark, which we're
going into our thirty second season, and we wanted to
make it new. So the wooden decks are gone. We
got terraces on the first and third base side. The
view of those terraces is going to blow people away
(01:32):
as far as how they're going to experience baseball.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And so is the talent because of the way that
the Tigers have drafted.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
He can't get into specific names yet, but let's just
say we got some good names maybe coming back that
we saw last year or in spring training.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Absolutely, the Tigers will officially release little rosters sometime this
afternoon or tomorrow, but you're going to see some names
and I'm so excited about this. So I've never seen
a more potent lineup that we're going to have with
the West Michigan White Caps. And you've seen some of
these guys in spring training games.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I've got to ask because it's also something people always
think about.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Some of those menu items you're gonna see at LMCU
ballmar We've got two great ones on here, and you know,
when I came down, I thought about you, because that's
the question you ask, and you come to the ballpark
to have fun and calories don't matter. Yes, we've got
the Walking Southern Fried Porgy.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah you do.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It's Fred's pull pork, cole slaw and crispy onions on
top of that. I had it the other day. Yeah,
I know. I was even actually for you guys too,
as you guys I got up there a little bit later.
But eating that and it's gonna be a great That
was our food fan win that we had there. And
then we're also going to have the Devil Dog. It's
devil egg with potato salad on a hot dog. Okay,
(02:43):
it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
It's convenience. He's gonna have all those things.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Anyway, I gotta be honest, it was a little different
for me, but yeah, it works.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
It wanted a comfort zone bad.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I'm looking at your schedule. There is a fridge magnet
that we will put on the fridge here at Wood Radio.
There's a lot of There are a lot of home
games this year and a whole lot of fun for families.
It is just a it's as much fun to watch
kids watch the game as it is to watch the game.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
You know, coming out to the ballpark is so memorable.
The experience that you have. When we look at it,
we're in our third generation of fans, sometimes the fourth
as as we're getting there. So obviously we're getting up
there in the decades. But to come out to the ballpark,
people are having fun, they're smiling, they get out there
and I'll tell you what, positively, with the pitch clock,
the experience of the games in last two and a
(03:29):
half hours net is very affordable, good time and when
you come out there, there's nothing better than the summer
night at ELMSU Ballpark.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
And speaking of that, April dollar days are back, So
if you're not going anywhere for spring break, this weekend
is the opening weekend, but also middle of April, you've
got a nice homestand.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
We do against the South ben Cubs. So the Cubs
we're coming into town, so any Cub fans out there,
I mean, it's a great time to see the prospects
for the Cubs as well. But we'll have those April
dollar days that we've had for many, many seasons when
it comes to either tickets or food items. Come ou
out to the ballpark. But I'll tell you what this weekend,
the weather is looking good. I know Matt Kirkwood is
working at it hard. But we open up on Friday.
(04:06):
But Friday, Saturday and Sunday a three games start against
the Dayton Dragons, And you know what, the weather forecast
is good, and get out to the ballpark. In April.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
We're gonna get you back on the program when we're
worried about if it's a super hot day, where should
you buy your tickets so that you're not completely in
the sun. But I don't think we need to cover
that today.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I do have good word though. On Friday it's going
to be seventy two and Sunday at the ballpark.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
So there you go, your lips to God's ear. Jim Jireki,
Vice President, General manager, of the white Caps, best of
luck on another great season.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yep, and I have to tell you LMCU at the ballpark.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Ah, there you go.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
You love that too,
We don't fire at the old organ very often here
on the program, but it's zapropos. This is West Michigan's
morning news organ. Too, very talented.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
She does it all.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Steve Kelly, Brett, Meikita, Lawrence Smith, Ladies and gentlemen. Vice
president and general manager. Have you West Michigan white Caps,
Jim Jareki, Welcome to this.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Oh man, it's so good to be downtown here with
you guys in studio and obviously April fourth, man, it's
only four four days away. Yeah, we are ready for
baseball out at LMCU Ballpark.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Brett's been talking about changes. We saw you putting footings
in in some construction at the end of last year,
but huge changes out there.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, it's it's gonna be spectacular. I cannot wait to
open those gates on Friday. It's gonna be the wow
or the WOA factor. It's still ELMCU Ballpark that you
know of it, but boy, there are a lot of
new entities there's the environment is going to be just
so unique.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
The first thing that jumps out of you, and this
was mandated by Major League Baseball. They had to move
you know, the pictures used to warm up kind of
on the sides of the field, but they were in
the field of play, and now they're going to be
where the deck used to be in right, So the
deck is gone. There's no more. I didn't know that
the bullpens are going to be the yes right as far.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
From the field standpoint the player safety. But we took
the opportunity with with MLB mandated with some of these
changes that they did for the playing and the player facilities,
we took this opportunity to take ELMCU Ballpark, which we're
going into our thirty second season, and we wanted to
make it new. So the wooden decks are gone. We
got terraces on the first and third base side. The
view of those terraces is going to blow people away
(01:32):
as far as how they're going to experience baseball.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And so is the talent because of the way that
the Tigers have drafted.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
He can't get into specific names yet, but let's just
say we got some good names maybe coming back that
we saw last year or in spring training.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Absolutely, the Tigers will officially release little rosters sometime this
afternoon or tomorrow, but you're going to see some names
and I'm so excited about this. So I've never seen
a more potent lineup that we're going to have with
the West Michigan White Caps. And you've seen some of
these guys in spring training games.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I've got to ask because it's also something people always
think about.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Some of those menu items you're gonna see at LMCU
ballmar We've got two great ones on here, and you know,
when I came down, I thought about you, because that's
the question you ask, and you come to the ballpark
to have fun and calories don't matter. Yes, we've got
the Walking Southern Fried Porgy.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah you do.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It's Fred's pull pork, cole slaw and crispy onions on
top of that. I had it the other day. Yeah,
I know. I was even actually for you guys too,
as you guys I got up there a little bit later.
But eating that and it's gonna be a great That
was our food fan win that we had there. And
then we're also going to have the Devil Dog. It's
devil egg with potato salad on a hot dog. Okay,
(02:43):
it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
It's convenience. He's gonna have all those things.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Anyway, I gotta be honest, it was a little different
for me, but yeah, it works.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
It wanted a comfort zone bad.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I'm looking at your schedule. There is a fridge magnet
that we will put on the fridge here at Wood Radio.
There's a lot of There are a lot of home
games this year and a whole lot of fun for families.
It is just a it's as much fun to watch
kids watch the game as it is to watch the game.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
You know, coming out to the ballpark is so memorable.
The experience that you have. When we look at it,
we're in our third generation of fans, sometimes the fourth
as as we're getting there. So obviously we're getting up
there in the decades. But to come out to the ballpark,
people are having fun, they're smiling, they get out there
and I'll tell you what, positively, with the pitch clock,
the experience of the games in last two and a
(03:29):
half hours net is very affordable, good time and when
you come out there, there's nothing better than the summer
night at ELMSU Ballpark.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
And speaking of that, April dollar days are back, So
if you're not going anywhere for spring break, this weekend
is the opening weekend, but also middle of April, you've
got a nice homestand.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
We do against the South ben Cubs. So the Cubs
we're coming into town, so any Cub fans out there,
I mean, it's a great time to see the prospects
for the Cubs as well. But we'll have those April
dollar days that we've had for many, many seasons when
it comes to either tickets or food items. Come ou
out to the ballpark. But I'll tell you what this weekend,
the weather is looking good. I know Matt Kirkwood is
working at it hard. But we open up on Friday.
(04:06):
But Friday, Saturday and Sunday a three games start against
the Dayton Dragons, And you know what, the weather forecast
is good, and get out to the ballpark. In April.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
We're gonna get you back on the program when we're
worried about if it's a super hot day, where should
you buy your tickets so that you're not completely in
the sun. But I don't think we need to cover
that today.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I do have good word though. On Friday it's going
to be seventy two and Sunday at the ballpark.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
So there you go, your lips to God's ear. Jim Jireki,
Vice President, General manager, of the white Caps, best of
luck on another great season.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yep, and I have to tell you LMCU at the ballpark.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Ah, there you go.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
You love that too,
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