March 19, 2025 • 48 mins
We just want this all to be over with, but it seems that the Rays and team ownership have other ideas in mind because this stupid stadium saga continues, so far without a true resolution.
We spoke about that and more with WFLA Sports Anchor/Reporter Kenny Morales, now a return guest of the podcast!
Thanks so much for listening! You can follow RTR on social media @RaysTheRoofTB and be sure subscribe to the podcast!
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As always, Rays Up!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:12):
Welcome to this latest spring training episode of Raise the
Roof. I'm your host Alex Murphy.
With me as always my Co host Evan Gibson Gibby.
How we doing today? We're doing pretty good.
I definitely did not wake up forthe season opener today, so I
missed that. But yeah, we're doing pretty
good. Alex.
(00:34):
Things are going. Spring training is nearly, I
mean, about two weeks out from starting this season.
I mean, 10 days out from starting this season.
Yeah, that's pretty close. It's getting close.
So yeah, it's a lot of excitement in there, Alex.
It's. Getting very, very close, which
is a great thing. I'll say that for sure.
Plenty of excitement happening there.
As Gibby alluded to, today was the unofficial official opening
(00:57):
day of the Major League Baseballseason.
The Dodgers and Cubs are playingA2 game series in Japan and the
Tokyo Dome. So first game happened today.
Dodgers won four one. I don't know if I'm going to get
this out before Game 2. So if not, then they played a
second game. So stay tuned for that.
Yeah. So plenty of something going on.
We do have a special guest who I'm going to introduce right
(01:19):
now, friend of the podcast, someone who we've had on before,
current sports anchor and reporter for WFLA, Kenny
Morales. Kenny, it's been a bit, but
happy to have you back on. How you doing?
Oh man, great to be back on withyou.
Doing well just like you guys, man.
Ready for the season to start, right?
Been a couple of weeks now, Spring training got a little
taste of it, but ready for the real thing to get going.
(01:42):
Yeah, what I wanted to start offwith just because it has been
news at least in the Tampa Bay area.
Kenny, did you get a chance to cover?
Did anyone from WFLA cover the Bananas game couple days ago?
Yeah, so I think one of our newsreporters did because the game
was on Saturday and so Saturday we're we're a bit of a sparse
crew. You know, it's just me sports
(02:03):
wise. So I have to, I was gonna be the
station to anchor. So I, I was not able to go, but
I think our one of our news reporters went out there and
said it was awesome. I mean, the atmosphere looked
amazing and it certainly did when I watched it.
I, I didn't even know they broadcasted the game.
We had it going in our studio and I was like, this thing's
being broadcasted. This is awesome.
It looked really, really cool. Man, I I love that.
(02:24):
I think Savannah Bananas are great for baseball.
You know, like the Harlem Globetrotters basically, right.
Just an opportunity to grow the game, get young fans involved,
get kids, you know, you know, interested in the game at a
young age and that's the kind ofstuff you need.
It's a family friendly, you know, environment.
You know, I think that was this.Is this the second time they're
in Tampa? I think they were here a couple
years ago. They've been.
(02:45):
A couple times I know, but because the rest of them Brenner
Steinbrenner. Yeah, I know my buddies, a
couple of my buddies who are a little younger than I am, in
their late 20s, they went to theone at Steinbrenner.
They said they loved it. I think that they think of that
one, John Cena came up and took an ad.
Yeah, yeah. Like, yeah.
That's awesome, man. That's great.
I, I love the bananas. I I think that's a really cool
(03:05):
thing, what they're doing. And I hope they come back
because I'd love to see them in person at least once.
Gabby, I don't know if you got tickets or knew anyone that
went, but did you get a chance to watch the game at all?
I did watch it a little bit and I drove past it while the game
was going on. That stadium was full.
It was packed. I mean, it's kind of crazy
(03:26):
because I you don't even see that really during most Bucks
games. Honestly.
I'm, I'm going to be honest, like people are clearing out of
like the third deck, but that wasn't the case here.
It was it was like full to the brim the whole time.
So obviously that's great for baseball.
And I mean, and it was just it it was it was just fun to watch
(03:47):
with the dimensions of the stadium and how how how like
some semblance of baseball worked inside of it.
It it was funny. It was fun for sure.
I don't and I also don't like hate towards towards banana ball
at all. Like it's a bunch of adults.
It's a bunch of adults complaining about it too.
(04:08):
It's like, first of all, it's not really for you.
It's for like your kids, you know?
And also it's kind of fun for everyone.
Let's be honest. It's like if you don't like it,
you kind of just hate fun almost.
It's it's not everything has to be for everybody.
Just because it's not something you like doesn't mean the other
person down the road is going tohave the same opinion as you.
And you're exactly right, it's for your kids.
(04:31):
It was chaotic. I mean it went to for anyone
that didn't see the game went past 9 innings and they did this
like showdown type thing and theshowdown went like 4 rounds.
So basically how the showdown works is it's I think it's
position player, pitcher batter.So one position player, the
pitcher and the batter, and thenyou try to get the guy out.
(04:52):
Then it's just pitcher batter. So basically like if any guy
gets a hit, the pitcher's got togo run for it.
And then I think after that it'spitcher position, player,
batter, bases loaded. That's that's awesome.
Man, that's so chaos. None of it made any sense.
Yeah, I mean, they broadcast their games on YouTube for free.
(05:14):
OK. That's what it was.
OK, I was wondering. Yeah.
And they have like, I think their YouTube channel is closing
in on 2,000,000 subscribers. So like, people tune into the
games, people watch the games. Like it's a big deal.
They have a really good production value.
The guys that are the broadcasters for the team.
Like they do legitimate, you know, research and information
(05:34):
on the sport, which is crazy considering just how, like,
random it, you know, like how both baseball and not baseball
it is at the same time. But yeah, I mean, the production
value's fantastic. Yeah, when I was watching the
broadcast, I was like, hang, this is like a really?
This is what you'd see from likeI would say it's a little bit
better than ESPN Plus, so I mean.
Yeah, no, it was very good. It was very solid.
(05:57):
Yeah. So from the excitement of that
to the less excitement of what happened last week, as much as
we don't want to talk about it, literally like the last podcast
that we put out, the 1st 15 minutes was us talking about how
there was prospective buyers forthe Rays and how it looked like
Major League Baseball and Rob Manfred.
(06:18):
We're pressuring Sue Sternberg into selling the team.
Now. I that is still the case.
You know, none of that's changed.
It's just the things that have happened after that have changed
because Stu put out a statement last week that the Rays would
not be progressing forward with their current, the current deal
(06:39):
that was put in place in Saint Pete, which means that over six
or $600 million of public funding was left on the table as
a result of that. I just, you know, I don't want
to spend too much time on it because again, I think that as
much as people want to know what's going on and what takes
on what's going on, it's also just like mind numbing at this
(07:00):
point how long it's been going on for.
I mean, literally the, the firststadium plans that happened of
any sort of some, what's happened in like 2008, 2007 and
it's 2025 now and we're still essentially in the same place as
we were then. So Kenny, starting with you,
what were your thoughts about Stew's comments?
And like where? Where do we go from here
(07:21):
logically? So when I first saw the
comments, you know, disappointedobviously, I think was the first
thing that came to mind. But then also not surprised like
this is this is what we're used to.
Unfortunately for Ray's fans, this has become a little bit of
a wash, rinse, repeat situation.And it stinks.
You mentioned it. The first stadium plans that
(07:43):
came out for this franchise werewhat, 2007?
I was, I think a junior in high school or something, maybe a
sophomore. I'm 34 years old now, married
with a mortgage. So it's been a hot minute,
right? Like this is when are we
actually going to get to an actual stadium rather than just
talking about plans? Look, I, I think like you said,
(08:03):
you wanted to spend too much time on it.
I think the longer that that dragged out that situation, it
felt like this was going to be the end result.
The writing was on the wall, Stuand then we're not going to go
through with this plan. And honestly, like now I am a
little hopeful and this is me being the, you know, a little
bit of a hopeless optimistic that now that there are
prospective buyers and investorsthat are interested in buying
(08:25):
the team, I hope a sale happens.I know Stu and them said that
that the team is not for sale, but that's just because they
haven't heard a number that theylike yet.
That's the only reason. Like if a, if a number comes up
to them that they they like and they can agree on, I guarantee
you they'll start the wheels will start churning and say, OK,
well, maybe, maybe we could do asale here.
(08:46):
I think that'd be the best logical choice.
I, I think look Stu, for all thenegatives of the stadium issues.
Obviously the team has had pretty good success over his
tenure, 2 World Series appearances, a couple AL
pennants, one of the best farm systems year after year.
But the problem is with this shoestring budget, with this
(09:06):
ownership group that they've hadfor years, it's hard to develop
a fan base when you you can't keep any of your star players.
Like you can develop and and have this unbelievable eye for
talent, young talent as maybe the best of baseball, but it
really doesn't help if you lose that talent right as they're
(09:27):
hitting their prime year after year after year.
It's hard for fans to buy jerseys in a Rose Arena jersey,
a Tyler glass now jersey, and I know he wasn't, you know, there
you go. I know he wasn't, you know, a
prospect that there's, but he traded for him And and then you
can go. You can go down the list of all
these guys that like race man. Do you want to buy a jersey and
know you can keep it for at least 5678 years and you can't
(09:51):
you can't with this franchise and that stinks.
All right, so I think it's time.Logically, I think the next step
is to move on to a new ownershipgroup and I I hope that happens.
I don't know when that would happen.
You know, I'm not filled in likesome of the guys that are a
little more plugged in like Topper, obviously.
But yeah, I think that's got to be the next move here because I
I just think it's been almost 20years, man.
(10:14):
Let's let's just cut the cord. Yeah, give me your thoughts
about everything again. It's like, it's just, it's just
like a, it's like a never endingstory.
It feels like. Yeah, I mean, it's been
happening since, you know, forever.
It, it feels like to me at least, you know, my probably my
memories start about 2005. So you know, it, it's, it's
(10:36):
been, it's been my, my entire life has been the the situation.
So, but like, yeah, I mean, justechoing what what Kenny said,
like when when when March was nearing its end, even at the
beginning of March, it's like you kind of we kind of knew that
it it wasn't going through, especially with like what they
said in December where like theytrying to like, hey, let's
(10:58):
really pivot. Let's pivot to just fixing the
trop for now. And maybe and and they're, I
mean, they're already trying to back out of the deal then.
So I mean, it was, it was a lot.It was logical that this was
going to happen. Yeah, but it it and it does
really suck for us as a whole. But, you know, I think Tampa Bay
sports will survive. I think this too shall pass.
(11:22):
And I just echo what Kenny said.I hope maybe there's new
ownership. I hope, I hope Steve gets the
number maybe he wants or or Stu gets the number he wants.
So that's all I'll say. No, I completely agree.
You know, I know that like sincethat point there's been and you
know, we've been part of it too,of of the, you know, the whole,
(11:45):
you know, wanting Stu to sell the team.
Like do fans have legitimate Gabby starting with you?
Do fans have legitimate reason to, you know, say to Stu, we
want you to get rid of this teamregardless of the success
because, again, the success has been there.
Like do they have legitimate reason to say hey sell?
(12:06):
Yeah, I mean, even with the success, I mean just what Kenny
said. I have hand raised jerseys.
Guess how many of them are active.
Just this one behind me, the Clanahan that's about that's
that's all I have. I have my 10 raised jerseys.
They're all old players now. So I mean, I feel what Kenny's
(12:26):
saying with the lack of franchise players, I mean, and
the success has been there, but like there's been years where I
mean, just one or two more guys could have gotten this team a
lot deeper. And like you just feel that year
after year. It's like instead we're getting,
we're selling, which we're getting good guys and, and of
course our farm system's always great, but are you, are you
(12:50):
going to keep, are we just reloading, reloading all the
time? When, when are we going to, you
know, go for it and shoot. And you know, there's been
inklings of that in the past where they've wanted to sign
these big guys and then they just never, they never pulled
the trigger. Like we always heard, heard
these rumors about big guys. They want to sell or, or they,
they, they want to get in the, in the in the mid season, but
(13:12):
they never really go through with it.
But so, yeah, I mean it is almost just time because with
the stadium situation, it's likethe last however many times it's
just not produced and it's been pretty one side, especially this
time it was a pretty one sided affair.
I mean, a lot of other franchises, I mean any other
(13:35):
franchise is going to take that deal and Sprint to the you know,
it's Sprint to the pen and and take it.
So yeah, that's, that's basically the issue.
That's how I feel. I mean, yeah, it's about time.
It's about time, Alex. Yeah, Kenny, same, same feeling
in terms of, you know, just how you, how you know, are like, are
(13:57):
the fans justified? Yeah, I I think so absolutely.
You know exactly what he was just saying.
And I think like I was saying, I'm, I'm cautiously optimistic.
We heard Rob Manfred say that they they want to keep baseball
here in Tampa Bay. Like that's the goal.
That's, that's really good to hear because I think it's been
so long, man, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't have been shocked if,
(14:17):
you know, eventually baseball just wanted to pull the plug and
say, Hey, we're, we're relocating this team.
Look at the a, it's, you know, right, They're playing
Sacramento right now. But I, I just, I have baseball.
There's no way baseball can't work here.
I just I disagree with that sentiment.
I mean, you just look at the Savannah.
Bananas. Look at that.
Look how many people came to seethat.
(14:37):
I look how baseball has ingrained in this community all
the way back to early Ybor City years.
All think of all the great players that have come through
here, all the MLB players, Hall of farmers.
Think of how much talent we pushout every year, Jesuit alone,
like pushes out MLB stars and and D1 college baseball players
(15:00):
and and the all the spring training facilities around here.
Like there's just to me, there'sno way it can't work.
I you can argue, you know, putting it in Saint Peter,
Tampa, that's fine. We can have that debate, but to
me, I think if you, whether you put it in Saint Pete or Tampa,
if you build it a little smaller, I think I don't think
you need a 40,000 C stadium. I think 2530, thirty something
(15:23):
low thirties, 32. I think that would be a lot
better. I think it would be better in
Tampa, but selfishly, I live in Saint Pete, so I wouldn't be
upset if it was put in Saint Pete either.
But it it, it can work. Especially we've seen the TV
ratings, the numbers you put. People do care about the Rays.
I think like we go, it goes backto the point we were just
(15:43):
mentioning. If you have the bright budget to
keep those star players around, I think you can build more of a
generational fan base, right? You got you get the because now
we're at the point now the Rays are 20 something years old now
you have lifelong fans. You have guys like Brett
Phillips, for example, who grew up a Rays fan.
Those guys, those young fans that went to Rays games at the
(16:04):
Trop in the late 90s and early 2000s, they're just now hitting
adulthood now. You got to get rid.
If you can make an adjustment now, this would be the time to
do it. If you're going to sell and and
completely transform this franchise in terms of just its
philosophical view of how it's run and actually spend money on
the roster and have generationalplayers and, and actual talent
(16:26):
stay, this is the time to do it.Because now those adult fans,
they're going to start having kids and they're going to bring
their kids to the Rays games. And how much better would that
be if you could have little Bobby buy, you know, a junior
Caminero jersey and he can have it for eight to 10 years?
That would make a big differencein my opinion.
Yeah, no, 100%. I mean it like it's crazy.
(16:48):
And this is the last thing I'm going to say.
Like it's crazy because or I guess, I guess two things
because people brought up like the whole Savannah bananas
versus the rays thing. And I understand the whole
opening day, like it not being sold out because originally when
we were talking about all this, it was, you know, this is the
time to put up or shut up in terms of coming, you know, going
to games in Tampa. But when tickets are as
expensive as they are, regardless of the capacity of
(17:10):
the stadium, I can 100% understand why people would be
determined for. It's up there with the Dodgers
tickets in terms of price per seat.
I mean so are are we watching a Dodgers quality level team?
Yeah, and they're playing the Rockies.
It's not like they're playing the Dodgers.
The Rockies suck. It's terrible.
It's terrible with it. Like I just I, I, I do not
(17:33):
behoove any race fan that does not want to pay, pay those
prices at all. I didn't want to pay those
prices. I'm only going because I'm
getting it for free as as a media member right like that.
That's ridiculous. Yeah, no, it is a lot.
And now along, you know, so likeI understand or I guess, you
know, the whole Savannah man is like older drew 65 in the race,
haven't done that. Like I get that, but I also
(17:54):
don't get that like they were going to play two games at the
Trop. If the if the if the thing, you
know, if the Hurricanes, then hey, and then we're going to
sell off both games at the trop.Like it was it was pretty much a
guarantee that they were going to sell off both games at the
trop. So like that was already, you
know, set in stone that just happened to go play over at Ray
J. So it's a little bit more
illuminated. And then the other thing is, is
(18:16):
that again, like with the whole timing of this, I think I've
said this before, but like I remember in high school, I got
what was like 2016 when they signed that like memorandum
thing to allow them to go explore other sites, to go look
for new stadiums. This was like right before when
the Ybor City thing happened. Like I was excited as a, as a
senior in high school about all that stuff.
(18:38):
And now I'm like five years removed from college and it's
like, Oh my God, this is horrible that it, that it's been
as long as it is. I'm hoping there's some sort of
resolution, you know, not just, I mean, I would like it so that
we don't have to talk about it anymore.
And also just for people to justnot have to think about it
(18:59):
because it's so it's just I don't know, there's been so
much. But aside from that, because
again, it's not really worth continuing to talk about it.
Still plenty of rays baseball going on.
There's some more spring training games that are going to
happen before opening day, whichis on March 28th.
Again, the Rays are the only team that has opening day on
(19:20):
March 28th. Everyone has the there are other
opening days on March 27th. The race pushed it back because
of the whole they need to switchover stuff.
It's time Brenner, I think Topper someone did a really good
article about how they're going to have like 4 days to really
switch everything over at Steinbrenner, which is going to
be chaotic to see. But along with that, we just had
the spring breakout game. We had Entre Morgan last week.
(19:42):
He didn't play the spring breakout game, but he was there.
There's a video of him being there.
So it still counts and it sucks that he didn't play in the game,
but he was there. I'm talking to those guys.
I don't know if any of you guys saw any highlights from the game
or anyone who did anything, anyone that stood out like
anyone that you guys are excitedabout.
Other than, you know, just like some of the big names or if you
(20:04):
guys are excited about the big names, it doesn't matter to me
because I just I just love the whole spring breakout game idea.
I think that's such a good thingfor baseball to say, hey, you
know, we have like the minor leagues in baseball are the
biggest of anything in terms of pro sports.
And the fact that they've reallyput an emphasis on trying to
showcase these guys, they're going to be the future of the
(20:25):
sport I think is fantastic. Anyone.
I mean, Carson Williams, I mean,he, he did what, you know, he
was signed up to do, you know? Bomb.
Yeah, I like that. Not too shabby, Not too shabby.
But yeah, I mean, off the top ofmy head, I I just, I knew about
(20:46):
it. I saw his home run.
Honestly, I missed most of the game.
I know Cooper Kinney to play pretty well.
Yeah, I know. I remember that Chandler had
that bunt single which. Oh yeah, yeah, that's right of.
Course and someone clocked it unofficially AT36 the time.
I saw, I saw that, which is insane.
(21:07):
Yeah, yeah. If anyone knows the the
craziness of that like it's. Like 4-1.
Yeah, like a top, top top Sprintspeed in baseball is like is
like home to 1st is like a four O or like a four one.
And he's doing that like half a second faster than everyone
else. He's crazy.
He might be my favorite. And he was looking, he was
literally looking at the bunt running down.
(21:30):
He was looking behind him. He might be.
I know people are excited about Carson Williams and rightfully
so, Like I, I he's going to be astud, but that I mean, how can
you not get excited with that kids speed Chandler?
That's that's nuts, man. That's a different level of
athlete. Yeah.
Did you get a chance to? Now, I don't know how often
you've been down to Port Charlotte, but have you gotten
(21:50):
to see him in any game action? I haven't, unfortunately, no,
like I only got to go to the first week of spring training.
Like when pitchers and catchers reported I haven't been down
there for when position players came down and I haven't caught a
game yet. Unfortunately, no.
Like we just, we've been, we're short staffed cause
unfortunately we lost, you know,Dan Lucas who's been on our
(22:11):
station forever. He.
Decided to step away and so it'sbeen a little bit of a shorter,
you know, smaller crew for us. So we haven't got a chance to go
out there. So I've just been watching the
games. We show every game on TV.
We show all the highlights, you know, shout out Chris Tilley.
He's the one that shoots the games and and and provides us
all those highlights. So I've just gotten to see him
from afar. And I mean that kid Simpsons
(22:33):
unreal man. Like he's, and I'll say it was
fun the other day, I think it was a couple days ago, they
played the Orioles and they had a nice little comeback in the
7th inning. They were down like 3 nothing.
They end up winning 6 three. And it was all those prospects.
It was, I think it was Carson Williams.
I think it was Trey Morgan, I think had a home run or
(22:54):
something like, and, and cash talked about it.
He was like, you see why we're excited about these guys.
They're all, they're all super talented and they single
handedly, like there was a groupof four or five of them.
They single handedly, you know, had a, a big comeback against
the OS. That was that was really cool to
see. Yeah.
You know, Kenny, when you were down there though, did cash and
(23:14):
everyone talk a lot? Like did you get a chance to
talk with some of the prospects and did they talk a lot about
the prospects? Because again, like the Rays
made a lot of big moves in 24 tolike get rid of some of the guys
who, I mean, a lot of it was stemming from like, it was like
like like a domino effect from the wander situation.
(23:34):
But a lot of those guys did haveexpiring contracts, had big, you
know, paydays coming up, and then they reloaded the system
and got a bunch of guys. But it like, was there a lot of
talk about prospects and about the future of this team as much
as there was about the present? A little bit like, I think a lot
of the guys are, you know, obviously they're just excited
about the upcoming season. But they, yeah, they touched
(23:57):
touched on some of those dudes in in, you know, AA and AAA and
just mentioned how the future's bright, you know, that that farm
system is as loaded as any in baseball right now.
And, you know, geez, you want tothink about maybe a year or two
down the line what this lineup, what this team could look like
on an opening day. It's hard not to get excited.
(24:18):
And I think you could see that when you talk to some of those
guys that are there now, whetherit's Shane Mcclanahan or, you
know, any of the position players, some of the younger
guys, we obviously don't know. You know, I know Yandi has
signed that extension, but, you know, he's 34 years old.
How much longer is he to play? But those other guys, they,
they, they see the talent that'sthere.
(24:39):
So it's it's hard not to get a little hyped up and you're like,
all right, you get the, the, theCalvary's coming.
It's going to take a little bit,but it's there.
Yeah, Gibby, the one thing I wascurious about with you and also
Kenny, I want to open it up to you.
The excitement level of this team now compared to a couple
days ago. Like I don't know if you've had
(25:00):
any conversations with friends or anything like that because I
know like after the news early last week, there seemed to be a
lot more excitement about this team.
I don't know if that excitement is still there.
Understanding again, there's still a lot of guys, there's
still a lot of talent on this team.
There's a lot of firepower on this team.
But I don't like has, I guess from, from anyone that you've
(25:21):
talked to, has excitement died down a little bit maybe from
where it was like like a week ortwo ago?
I would say of the the stadium, I mean, the really what sticks
in most people's minds when they're just a casual fan with
the Rays is when the when the stadium deal is is happening.
(25:41):
And that that was the news that I saw that was mostly affected.
But I mean, other than that, people love Chandler Simpson.
I mean, obviously, but yeah, I mean, I, I think there is a lot
of excitement just because everyone knows that the
pitching's there and all the other stuff, but I, I don't feel
like it's really gone one way orthe other.
(26:02):
I feel like there was a little bit more loud around the time
the ownership news dropped. But yeah, there's been, it's
been mostly, you know, good excitement all around, I think.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Team excitement is still there,
Kenny. Is that kind of what you've
seen? Team excitement is still there.
Yeah, I think so. Maybe it was a little bit down
(26:24):
after the stadium deal and everything like that, but I
think for the most part, like Alex mentioned, like that
rotation, man, it's nasty. And whether it's the actual team
itself or fans, I think it's hard not to get excited about
that, especially to see Shane back out there.
I saw him when he, you know, hadhis first bullpen.
Stuff looks great. Looks like Shane, looks like
normal sugar Shane, which is great to see.
(26:45):
And then, you know, you mix in that line up, obviously Junior
Caminero expecting big, big things from him.
I think that kick could be a star.
And then if you could just get acouple bounce back seasons from
a couple dudes. I I think you could make some
noise like whether it's Yandi Diaz getting maybe a little bit
closer back to, you know, two years ago when he won the
batting title, Josh Lowe, You know, if he could stay healthy
(27:07):
and get back to maybe, you know,it was a year or two ago, he was
close to hitting 300. And now that you're in
Steinbrenner, a guy like Josh Lowe and and Brandon Lau, you
know what, what could they produce at the play now that
it's a little a little friendlier for left-handed
hitters, right? I, I forget the dimensions I was
looking at the other day. It's not a ton, but right field
is significant is it is shorter.So you know that that'll help
(27:29):
out a guy like Low and Lau. Yeah, Speaking of B Lau and
Speaking of Sugar, Shane Gibby, I'm disappointed in you that you
didn't get to any of the games this weekend, but we had the
second annual Unofficial Ray's Collegiate Classic between
Maryland and USF 'cause this is the second straight year that
(27:50):
they've played each other in a series.
Last year, B Lau got the edge cause Maryland won the series.
This year, Shane got him back. The USF won two out of three, I
think. That's just one on the last day,
15 to 7. Yeah.
Well, yeah, it was. It was a lot I don't want.
To talk, that's crazy. Cause Maryland's pitching has
been not great this year. But like, I don't know, I just
(28:13):
think that whole thing is cool. I just like it.
I, I like the fact that, you know, both, like both teams
have, you know, raised guys on the roster.
So I thought that was cool. But yeah, Kenny, Kenny, did you
get out to any of those games? I didn't get to go out to that
series. I went as a fan a while back for
(28:34):
US FS midweek game against Florida State.
That was really cool. That was awesome.
It was sold out and it was jam packed.
I mean, obviously a lot of Seminole fans we get a, we got a
lot of Florida State faithful here, but man, a lot of USF fans
as well. And what a what a fun game.
Like Florida State's legit like they are a top five team in the
country. I don't know if you guys knew
(28:54):
this. A friend of mine actually told
me this. Their entire starting rotation,
their three weekend guys, all Jesuit alums, all left handers.
Isn't that wild? Like, isn't that crazy to go
back on How, you know, fertile these these grounds are for
baseball talent in high school? Leading the way is Jamie Arnold,
(29:15):
who's like a nasty, nasty pitcher.
Yeah, he's going to be like a top three pick in the draft this
year or something. Like that he's he's sick like
that. Kids got some great stuff.
But no, it's they, they got a good teammate.
I think the new coach Hannis, like I, I think he's got
something going there. I know they were a little
disappointed with weekend beforethey dropped I think two or
three to Villanova. You never want to see that Like
(29:36):
Villanova's not a very good program.
But you know, they they had a nice win against UCF.
They thought they played tough against Florida State.
And then now this, you know, nice series win against a a Big
10 team in Maryland. Yeah, yeah, definitely a lot of,
I mean, disappointment for me, but you know, looking and and
like I've, you know, I've noticed this over the course of
(29:57):
this season. I think Hannah's was a really
great hire for that, for that, for that program because he took
Indiana State to a team that wasa mid major powerhouse.
And if you can do that same thing at USF, it really makes
them, you know, turn into something I think that's going
to be massive. I know staying with college, I
(30:18):
don't think Florida State, did Florida State have any teams
make the corny either on the women's or men's side 'cause USF
women's team like just stormed through the AAC tournament and
won. So Congrats to Jose Fernandez
and the girls for for getting through that.
But yeah, I did. Did FSU get anyone?
The F floor state women made it.Women made it OK.
(30:39):
They're really good. They're a top 25 team.
I goodness, the name escapes me,but they're they're top scorer.
She's the leading scorer in the country, so she's a.
OK. Well then I'm just blanking up
because I know in terms of like Florida teams or I guess teams
that like people would care about UF men are the number one
seed or an unnumbered country just so happened to be the
(31:02):
number one seed in Maryland sideof the bracket.
So excited for that. There could be a potential Sweet
16 match up there if everything works out.
And it's probably not going to go the way I want to.
But yeah, no NCAA tournaments coming out.
Be sure to fill out your brackets if you guys haven't
women's and men's brackets because, again, great talent on
both sides. Yeah, a lot of excitement.
(31:24):
Tournaments starting up this weekend.
Gibby, are you going to be partaking in any of the bracket
making? Yes, of course, I'll be making
multiple brackets. I'm hoping, you know, I hope, I
hope, I hope Sparty can can shake some things up this year.
Hey. And maybe.
(31:45):
Yeah. Aren't we on the opposite side
of of UF? I I think so.
I know they're not I. Think, did UF?
Yeah, Michigan State played UF in 2000 and I think Michigan
State won. They did, yeah.
Looking at it right now. I I would like, I'd like that
rematch, dude. I think that's a great a great
(32:07):
match. I think they're on the same
side. Oh no, no, they would.
They would play in the Final Four.
They would play. In the Final four, yeah, even a
final Four would be cool. Even if.
They're on my final four. I do have them in my final four.
I'm making, I always make brackets.
So I got I got them two on the left side and then the right
side. I have Duke and Tennessee.
I can't pick Duke. I grew, I grew up a Duke fan, so
(32:29):
like, it's like it kind of ingrained in me and I'm sorry,
man. Like I Cooper flag, he's the
real deal. You might be hurt, though.
You might be hurt, I. Know I know, but it sounds like
he's going to play. It sounds like he should play so
that kids, he's a generational talent and Duke's got some other
really good players too. They probably have like 3
lottery picks with him. Conka nipple and the big man.
(32:50):
I forgot his name, Malawak. I think it's how you say it's a
7 two dude. But I I got Duke in Florida, the
natty. I got Duke Cund on the Nets.
I can't pick for Duke at all. I think my.
My morals will not allow me to. I I I can understand.
I think my girlfriend's actuallygoing to go to the USF game in
Columbus, OH. That's a game there now.
(33:13):
Tennessees it. Yeah.
That's where she lives, yeah. Oh dude, that would be sick
that. 'D be dope, yeah.
Yeah, I know Maryland on the women's side is hosting, at
least I think. What was it, Round of 64 and
Round of 32 games? I think, 'cause they're a four
seed and I think that that's, that's how it was in women's
bracket, right? Top 4 seeds host and then they
(33:34):
go into whatever it is. So yeah, I know that they're at
least going to host in the firstround.
And then from that point, I don't know what else is going to
go on. But yeah, this is like the best
time of the year. We got baseball coming up, we
got the tournament happening. We got spring football coming up
for college football. You know, seasons are are
starting to slow or starting to get to a close regular seasons
(33:55):
for the NBA and NHL. This is just a great time for
sports right now. This is this is awesome.
Like, I'm so excited. Yeah, comparatively to like a
month ago, it's way better sports time, yes.
Significantly, Oh my God, significantly better.
(34:16):
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And let's get back to this latest episode of Raise the
Roof. So to end the podcast, as we
(34:59):
started the podcast, we talked briefly about the start of the
2025 MLB season as the Cubs and Dodgers are currently playing A2
game set or finished up game oneof A2 game set, might have
probably finished the two game set in Tokyo.
Did you guys see anything of game one, get any highlights,
anything of that nature? Saw Shohei Otani be Shohei Otani
(35:22):
Yeah of. Course.
I mean, he's pretty good at doing that.
Yeah, no homers so. Yeah, yeah.
Lack of homers. Lack of homers.
Disappointed. A little disappointing there in
the in the home country, but that's all right. 2 for five.
Not too shabby. Yamamoto, he back home as well.
You know, homecoming for him. He was he was good.
He was nasty. What was it here?
(35:42):
Let me see. I had it.
I just had it pulled up five innings, three hits, one walk,
one run, 4 KS. Not too.
Bad. Yeah, not too bad.
I mean, I love I just love the the roster and I I like the
season starting or having this this season start in Japan thing
(36:05):
that they got going on now. Yeah, that's pretty cool.
It's pretty cool. Yeah, I think they should do.
I mean, I know it kind of throwsoff the schedule of guys, but I
think it would be cool if like every year they decided to go
play like start the season somewhere internationally.
And it doesn't always have to be.
Tokyo was in Seoul last year, sothat was really cool.
But like if they can find placeswhere it makes sense to go to
(36:30):
and do it alongside all the other international places that
they've gone for games and have scheduled, Like maybe they do
like a mini Puerto Rico series every year or something.
Like that? Or like or like.
They go to the they go to the Dominican from somewhere in
Mexico. Just something like that to
(36:50):
start the year out. It doesn't really matter where,
but just putting it somewhere where I think would be really
cool. I was just thinking that I was
like, if they can get to the Caribbean, that'd be pretty
sweet, like Puerto Rico, the Dr.you saw the reaction of that the
with the Dr. winter league with the Junior Caminero's home run.
Just so that would be crazy. Some big league teams down there
playing like that'd be so cool, even like I know they do in the
(37:12):
mid in the middle of the season.Those across the pond games
where they play over in England.Maybe you do something like that
to open the year. Maybe you play, you know,
reaching the NF LS bad going to Germany.
I think they played in Brazil last year.
That'd be kind of cool. Yeah, I like all those ideas.
Give me how much are you a fan of the of the international
games? Oh, I mean huge fan.
(37:33):
I mean, I felt like I, I just like the, the World Baseball
Classic years cuz you know, there's the World Baseball
Classic and that leads right into the season.
Like because before this, we don't really have much to go off
of an international bet. I mean, obviously there's Junior
Cominero in the Dominican WinterLeague, which kept us very, our
(37:55):
appetite base for baseball very full.
And I hope we get 1% of that celebration at some point in the
Cominero's career, because it would be the best celebration in
MLB at 1% if it was just 1% of what he did.
So yeah, I mean, I love international baseball.
(38:18):
I feel like it just grows the game more and more.
So, yeah, I mean, and baseball is huge in Japan, so it just
makes sense to put it over there.
I mean, it's bigger. It's bigger, almost bigger over
there than it is over here, to be honest.
I mean, like a lot of a lot of the, a lot of there's so much
viewership over there. It's it's, it's insane.
(38:40):
So. Yeah, yeah, they did the for
whatever reason, they pulled outall the stops with the Pokémon
intros this year. Oh yeah, I like that.
There's just like an army of Pikachus wearing Cubs and
Dodgers jerseys, which I don't. I mean, like, it's Japanese, but
like, I don't know what that hasto do with baseball.
I don't know either. I have not seen this.
(39:02):
I am immediately intrigued though.
Yeah, I'll, I'll. Send you a photo of.
It as someone who grew up a Pokémon fan also did you see I
think MLB tweeted out about thislike a couple months ago and
they said they were doing some sort of deal with Pokémon Go
where now the MLB stadiums will have Pokémon in them.
So like I was like, OK, so the Rays stadium, like obviously it
(39:26):
was in the trop, but now I guessSteinbrenner, am I going to
catch some water Pokémon? Like am I going to get like a
Lapras? Like if I go in the right field?
That would be awesome. I haven't played Pokémon Go
since it first came out. Like it's that was a couple of
years ago, but I love that. I think that's so cool.
Anything to I love gimmicky stuff like that.
I do. I'm gonna blow your mind.
(39:47):
Pokémon Go came out 10 years ago.
That's correct. Is that correct?
It feels like 5. Yeah, I know.
Five, I would have believed you,but 10's nuts.
That's how I that's how I feel. I randomly saw what was it like
a couple weeks ago. I was up in like the Arlington
area and I saw a bunch of peoplein a group playing Pokémon Go
and I was like, I didn't realizethat it was still as big as it
(40:09):
is. Yeah, I mean.
Yeah, it had that, like it had that hype over like the first
year or so and then it and then I thought it died down, but
clearly it hasn't. No and they just keep making
games like I think I don't know why I was on like a a Pokémon
like wormhole on YouTube the other day and they just came out
with new games and I don't know if you all know this like I
played the games like Gen. one like red and.
(40:30):
Blue. Yeah, yeah, old.
School. There's 150 Pokémon back in the
day. Yeah, but yeah, there's 1000
thousand. Yeah, there's 1000.
What? Yeah, things have gone nuts, but
I mean literally like they had for and again, I don't I don't
understand it. It's I guess it's it has
something to do with something. But yeah, it was like the full
(40:51):
intro was Pokémon related. They had like the Pokémon music
as the guys came out for like the starter intros like love it.
I don't know, I. Mean love it.
I don't. I mean, it's the most.
To me, but it's probably the most successful brand.
I was going to say entire Japanese thing that they could
have done. Absolutely.
Like, like, like they definitelyfed into that, which I think is
(41:12):
really cool. Yeah, I mean absolutely.
And that's that's. Yeah, that that's like a huge,
that's probably one of the the most heavily viewed thing of the
day. So I mean, yeah, I, I feel like
it was just appropriate at that Pokémon was there.
Yeah, and you have, I believe between the two rosters, you
have 5 Japanese players, cuz youhave, say, Suzuki, Shotay
Minaga, Shohei Yamamoto and RokiSasaki, who's gonna be making
(41:36):
his MLB debut tomorrow or today,I guess whenever this podcast
comes out. So that's a lot like, I, I mean,
it's kind of crazy to think thatso many, you know, Asian players
have progressively moved over into the major leagues.
And the Rays just got Hassan Kimin the offseason.
(41:57):
They've had Ji Manchui before they they got, you know, Yoshi
during, during the 2020 season. So the Rays definitely have, you
know, have have had their fair share of.
Or sockey. Oh yeah, Oh yeah, hockey.
They had Hideki Machsuri for a hot 2nd famously torch bearer at
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, among other things, which I thought
(42:20):
was really cool. I remember putting out something
about that specifically. I was like Oh my God, he's a
raised legend. Even though he played for like
40 games, still counts. Still counts, baby.
Yeah, yeah. Anything else from, you know,
just the start of the season, Like, there just feels like more
excitement for me at least with like, baseball's now officially
(42:42):
back, even though, you know, games are going to be after
tomorrow. It's going to be like another
week until opening day for real,for real.
But like, there's just a lot of excitement right now that I'm
feeling about baseball. Is that kind of how you guys are
feeling? Yeah, you know what I'm most
excited for the pitch challenge.I cannot wait for the regular
(43:02):
season pitch challenge. Like it's gonna, it's gonna
produce some really sassy moments in the MLB.
Like straight up like people aregonna like, they're gonna get
like the player's gonna give theeye like when he gets it right
or, or like the, the, the umpire's gonna be like right
that time. And then they're gonna, they're
(43:23):
gonna give the sass to the player.
It's gonna be it's, it's gonna produce fantastic moments in
baseball. So that's, that's part of what
I'm excited for. It's like a, you know, really
Intuit fan. But I guess for the casual fan
too, there is a lot of excitement as well, just in
general. Yeah, Kenny for you.
I'm in the same boat. Yeah, I'm excited for the start
(43:43):
of the season. Like I, I, I know it's kind of
weird for the Rays with how the schedule is laid out because of
Steinbrenner and everything. Like they're going to play
basically like the first month of the season at home.
But for as a race fan, I'm excited for that because now you
get plenty of opportunities to go see them in action.
And honestly, like, I'm looking at that schedule.
I'm like, OK, you know, they gota chance to like start off
(44:05):
pretty decent here. I mean, the Rockies aren't any
good. You got the Pirates, Rangers,
they had it down here. The Angels.
Yeah, Nope. That should be a win there then.
OK, then you got the Braves. That'll be a good one.
I'm excited. It'll be a fun series.
Red Sox, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Padres.
It ramps up a little bit towardsthe end of the month, but you
(44:25):
gotta the Rays have a decent chance here to at least start
the season. You know, somewhat strong on a
decent foot, which is exciting. Yeah, you're going to need that
for that away series. Oh my God, yeah.
Yeah, exactly right. This is this is their chance.
You got to rack up as many home wins as you can because then,
oh, goodness, what is it like a month, almost a month straight
(44:47):
on the road? That's Yeah, that's a killer.
Yeah, it's going to be not fun for the players and probably not
fun for the fans to see that. But hey, I mean, you have weird
circumstances. You gotta adapt to them.
The rates will certainly adapt to them.
We're gonna see how things get adapted in terms of Steinbrenner
and a couple where actually in like less than two weeks with
(45:09):
all that stuff. So that's very exciting, but and
I think with that being said, it's going to conclude things on
this latest episode of the podcast.
Kenny, thank you so much for coming on.
We want to give you the floor toplug whatever you got going both
on TV and social media. Where can people find you?
Yeah, no problem, man. Thank you guys so much for
having me. I love doing this with y'all.
You guys do a phenomenal job with Raise the Roof.
(45:32):
Keep up the good work as always.And you guys, obviously you can
find us on WFLA News Channel 8. I'm anchoring man.
It feels like it goes all over the place, but usually you can
find me at, you know, Six O'clock 11:00 news and then
online at Kenny Morales TV is all my social media handles.
So Twitter, Instagram, wherever you want to find me.
You usually can TikTok as well. Trying to do a little more on
(45:53):
there but haven't been too consistent.
Hoping to pick that up a little bit.
Yeah, for sure. Well, again, Kenny, thank you so
much for coming on and for everyone listening.
Thanks so much for listening to his latest episode of the pod.
We sincerely appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.
Continue to support us as you guys have been across the board
on Twitter X Instagram and Blue Sky Raise the Roof TV TB, make
(46:18):
sure to follow us there. We've been getting a lot of
support recently on Instagram, so really excited about that.
We're almost at 2K followers, which again, we've been really
pushing on Insta more so give usa follow there.
If you guys haven't for the podcast, continue to support us
as you guys have been. Be sure to like, be sure to
subscribe, hopefully give us a five star review.
Share this with your family, your friend, your family, your
(46:38):
friends, anyone who knows a racefan or a baseball fan that wants
to add a podcast for the podcastfeed.
We'd love to be part of it and ashout out to our sponsors.
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(46:59):
your first purchase there. We also have our in the clutch
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And hopefully we're going to getsome more new designs out
because you know there's some backlog designs of Randy and of
Aflan, some guys that aren't on the team.
So we're going to try to get some new designs of guys that
(47:22):
are on the team. I know there is a Hassan Kim
shirt on there, so if you guys don't have that, and I believe
there's also a Danny Jansen one too.
So if you guys don't have eitherof those, feel free to add
those. And yeah, I mean, again, we
appreciate the support. We're trying to put more stuff
on our YouTube channel. Be sure to follow, you know,
subscribe to us there. And just very excited for the
(47:43):
season. So with that being said, thanks
so much for listening and as always, raise up.
Raise up baby. Raise up.
Welcome to this latest spring training episode of Raise the
Roof. I'm your host Alex Murphy.
With me as always my Co host Evan Gibson Gibby.
How we doing today? We're doing pretty good.
I definitely did not wake up forthe season opener today, so I
missed that. But yeah, we're doing pretty
good. Alex.
(00:34):
Things are going. Spring training is nearly, I
mean, about two weeks out from starting this season.
I mean, 10 days out from starting this season.
Yeah, that's pretty close. It's getting close.
So yeah, it's a lot of excitement in there, Alex.
It's. Getting very, very close, which
is a great thing. I'll say that for sure.
Plenty of excitement happening there.
As Gibby alluded to, today was the unofficial official opening
(00:57):
day of the Major League Baseballseason.
The Dodgers and Cubs are playingA2 game series in Japan and the
Tokyo Dome. So first game happened today.
Dodgers won four one. I don't know if I'm going to get
this out before Game 2. So if not, then they played a
second game. So stay tuned for that.
Yeah. So plenty of something going on.
We do have a special guest who I'm going to introduce right
(01:19):
now, friend of the podcast, someone who we've had on before,
current sports anchor and reporter for WFLA, Kenny
Morales. Kenny, it's been a bit, but
happy to have you back on. How you doing?
Oh man, great to be back on withyou.
Doing well just like you guys, man.
Ready for the season to start, right?
Been a couple of weeks now, Spring training got a little
taste of it, but ready for the real thing to get going.
(01:42):
Yeah, what I wanted to start offwith just because it has been
news at least in the Tampa Bay area.
Kenny, did you get a chance to cover?
Did anyone from WFLA cover the Bananas game couple days ago?
Yeah, so I think one of our newsreporters did because the game
was on Saturday and so Saturday we're we're a bit of a sparse
crew. You know, it's just me sports
(02:03):
wise. So I have to, I was gonna be the
station to anchor. So I, I was not able to go, but
I think our one of our news reporters went out there and
said it was awesome. I mean, the atmosphere looked
amazing and it certainly did when I watched it.
I, I didn't even know they broadcasted the game.
We had it going in our studio and I was like, this thing's
being broadcasted. This is awesome.
It looked really, really cool. Man, I I love that.
(02:24):
I think Savannah Bananas are great for baseball.
You know, like the Harlem Globetrotters basically, right.
Just an opportunity to grow the game, get young fans involved,
get kids, you know, you know, interested in the game at a
young age and that's the kind ofstuff you need.
It's a family friendly, you know, environment.
You know, I think that was this.Is this the second time they're
in Tampa? I think they were here a couple
years ago. They've been.
(02:45):
A couple times I know, but because the rest of them Brenner
Steinbrenner. Yeah, I know my buddies, a
couple of my buddies who are a little younger than I am, in
their late 20s, they went to theone at Steinbrenner.
They said they loved it. I think that they think of that
one, John Cena came up and took an ad.
Yeah, yeah. Like, yeah.
That's awesome, man. That's great.
I, I love the bananas. I I think that's a really cool
(03:05):
thing, what they're doing. And I hope they come back
because I'd love to see them in person at least once.
Gabby, I don't know if you got tickets or knew anyone that
went, but did you get a chance to watch the game at all?
I did watch it a little bit and I drove past it while the game
was going on. That stadium was full.
It was packed. I mean, it's kind of crazy
(03:26):
because I you don't even see that really during most Bucks
games. Honestly.
I'm, I'm going to be honest, like people are clearing out of
like the third deck, but that wasn't the case here.
It was it was like full to the brim the whole time.
So obviously that's great for baseball.
And I mean, and it was just it it was it was just fun to watch
(03:47):
with the dimensions of the stadium and how how how like
some semblance of baseball worked inside of it.
It it was funny. It was fun for sure.
I don't and I also don't like hate towards towards banana ball
at all. Like it's a bunch of adults.
It's a bunch of adults complaining about it too.
(04:08):
It's like, first of all, it's not really for you.
It's for like your kids, you know?
And also it's kind of fun for everyone.
Let's be honest. It's like if you don't like it,
you kind of just hate fun almost.
It's it's not everything has to be for everybody.
Just because it's not something you like doesn't mean the other
person down the road is going tohave the same opinion as you.
And you're exactly right, it's for your kids.
(04:31):
It was chaotic. I mean it went to for anyone
that didn't see the game went past 9 innings and they did this
like showdown type thing and theshowdown went like 4 rounds.
So basically how the showdown works is it's I think it's
position player, pitcher batter.So one position player, the
pitcher and the batter, and thenyou try to get the guy out.
(04:52):
Then it's just pitcher batter. So basically like if any guy
gets a hit, the pitcher's got togo run for it.
And then I think after that it'spitcher position, player,
batter, bases loaded. That's that's awesome.
Man, that's so chaos. None of it made any sense.
Yeah, I mean, they broadcast their games on YouTube for free.
(05:14):
OK. That's what it was.
OK, I was wondering. Yeah.
And they have like, I think their YouTube channel is closing
in on 2,000,000 subscribers. So like, people tune into the
games, people watch the games. Like it's a big deal.
They have a really good production value.
The guys that are the broadcasters for the team.
Like they do legitimate, you know, research and information
(05:34):
on the sport, which is crazy considering just how, like,
random it, you know, like how both baseball and not baseball
it is at the same time. But yeah, I mean, the production
value's fantastic. Yeah, when I was watching the
broadcast, I was like, hang, this is like a really?
This is what you'd see from likeI would say it's a little bit
better than ESPN Plus, so I mean.
Yeah, no, it was very good. It was very solid.
(05:57):
Yeah. So from the excitement of that
to the less excitement of what happened last week, as much as
we don't want to talk about it, literally like the last podcast
that we put out, the 1st 15 minutes was us talking about how
there was prospective buyers forthe Rays and how it looked like
Major League Baseball and Rob Manfred.
(06:18):
We're pressuring Sue Sternberg into selling the team.
Now. I that is still the case.
You know, none of that's changed.
It's just the things that have happened after that have changed
because Stu put out a statement last week that the Rays would
not be progressing forward with their current, the current deal
(06:39):
that was put in place in Saint Pete, which means that over six
or $600 million of public funding was left on the table as
a result of that. I just, you know, I don't want
to spend too much time on it because again, I think that as
much as people want to know what's going on and what takes
on what's going on, it's also just like mind numbing at this
(07:00):
point how long it's been going on for.
I mean, literally the, the firststadium plans that happened of
any sort of some, what's happened in like 2008, 2007 and
it's 2025 now and we're still essentially in the same place as
we were then. So Kenny, starting with you,
what were your thoughts about Stew's comments?
And like where? Where do we go from here
(07:21):
logically? So when I first saw the
comments, you know, disappointedobviously, I think was the first
thing that came to mind. But then also not surprised like
this is this is what we're used to.
Unfortunately for Ray's fans, this has become a little bit of
a wash, rinse, repeat situation.And it stinks.
You mentioned it. The first stadium plans that
(07:43):
came out for this franchise werewhat, 2007?
I was, I think a junior in high school or something, maybe a
sophomore. I'm 34 years old now, married
with a mortgage. So it's been a hot minute,
right? Like this is when are we
actually going to get to an actual stadium rather than just
talking about plans? Look, I, I think like you said,
(08:03):
you wanted to spend too much time on it.
I think the longer that that dragged out that situation, it
felt like this was going to be the end result.
The writing was on the wall, Stuand then we're not going to go
through with this plan. And honestly, like now I am a
little hopeful and this is me being the, you know, a little
bit of a hopeless optimistic that now that there are
prospective buyers and investorsthat are interested in buying
(08:25):
the team, I hope a sale happens.I know Stu and them said that
that the team is not for sale, but that's just because they
haven't heard a number that theylike yet.
That's the only reason. Like if a, if a number comes up
to them that they they like and they can agree on, I guarantee
you they'll start the wheels will start churning and say, OK,
well, maybe, maybe we could do asale here.
(08:46):
I think that'd be the best logical choice.
I, I think look Stu, for all thenegatives of the stadium issues.
Obviously the team has had pretty good success over his
tenure, 2 World Series appearances, a couple AL
pennants, one of the best farm systems year after year.
But the problem is with this shoestring budget, with this
(09:06):
ownership group that they've hadfor years, it's hard to develop
a fan base when you you can't keep any of your star players.
Like you can develop and and have this unbelievable eye for
talent, young talent as maybe the best of baseball, but it
really doesn't help if you lose that talent right as they're
(09:27):
hitting their prime year after year after year.
It's hard for fans to buy jerseys in a Rose Arena jersey,
a Tyler glass now jersey, and I know he wasn't, you know, there
you go. I know he wasn't, you know, a
prospect that there's, but he traded for him And and then you
can go. You can go down the list of all
these guys that like race man. Do you want to buy a jersey and
know you can keep it for at least 5678 years and you can't
(09:51):
you can't with this franchise and that stinks.
All right, so I think it's time.Logically, I think the next step
is to move on to a new ownershipgroup and I I hope that happens.
I don't know when that would happen.
You know, I'm not filled in likesome of the guys that are a
little more plugged in like Topper, obviously.
But yeah, I think that's got to be the next move here because I
I just think it's been almost 20years, man.
(10:14):
Let's let's just cut the cord. Yeah, give me your thoughts
about everything again. It's like, it's just, it's just
like a, it's like a never endingstory.
It feels like. Yeah, I mean, it's been
happening since, you know, forever.
It, it feels like to me at least, you know, my probably my
memories start about 2005. So you know, it, it's, it's
(10:36):
been, it's been my, my entire life has been the the situation.
So, but like, yeah, I mean, justechoing what what Kenny said,
like when when when March was nearing its end, even at the
beginning of March, it's like you kind of we kind of knew that
it it wasn't going through, especially with like what they
said in December where like theytrying to like, hey, let's
(10:58):
really pivot. Let's pivot to just fixing the
trop for now. And maybe and and they're, I
mean, they're already trying to back out of the deal then.
So I mean, it was, it was a lot.It was logical that this was
going to happen. Yeah, but it it and it does
really suck for us as a whole. But, you know, I think Tampa Bay
sports will survive. I think this too shall pass.
(11:22):
And I just echo what Kenny said.I hope maybe there's new
ownership. I hope, I hope Steve gets the
number maybe he wants or or Stu gets the number he wants.
So that's all I'll say. No, I completely agree.
You know, I know that like sincethat point there's been and you
know, we've been part of it too,of of the, you know, the whole,
(11:45):
you know, wanting Stu to sell the team.
Like do fans have legitimate Gabby starting with you?
Do fans have legitimate reason to, you know, say to Stu, we
want you to get rid of this teamregardless of the success
because, again, the success has been there.
Like do they have legitimate reason to say hey sell?
(12:06):
Yeah, I mean, even with the success, I mean just what Kenny
said. I have hand raised jerseys.
Guess how many of them are active.
Just this one behind me, the Clanahan that's about that's
that's all I have. I have my 10 raised jerseys.
They're all old players now. So I mean, I feel what Kenny's
(12:26):
saying with the lack of franchise players, I mean, and
the success has been there, but like there's been years where I
mean, just one or two more guys could have gotten this team a
lot deeper. And like you just feel that year
after year. It's like instead we're getting,
we're selling, which we're getting good guys and, and of
course our farm system's always great, but are you, are you
(12:50):
going to keep, are we just reloading, reloading all the
time? When, when are we going to, you
know, go for it and shoot. And you know, there's been
inklings of that in the past where they've wanted to sign
these big guys and then they just never, they never pulled
the trigger. Like we always heard, heard
these rumors about big guys. They want to sell or, or they,
they, they want to get in the, in the in the mid season, but
(13:12):
they never really go through with it.
But so, yeah, I mean it is almost just time because with
the stadium situation, it's likethe last however many times it's
just not produced and it's been pretty one side, especially this
time it was a pretty one sided affair.
I mean, a lot of other franchises, I mean any other
(13:35):
franchise is going to take that deal and Sprint to the you know,
it's Sprint to the pen and and take it.
So yeah, that's, that's basically the issue.
That's how I feel. I mean, yeah, it's about time.
It's about time, Alex. Yeah, Kenny, same, same feeling
in terms of, you know, just how you, how you know, are like, are
(13:57):
the fans justified? Yeah, I I think so absolutely.
You know exactly what he was just saying.
And I think like I was saying, I'm, I'm cautiously optimistic.
We heard Rob Manfred say that they they want to keep baseball
here in Tampa Bay. Like that's the goal.
That's, that's really good to hear because I think it's been
so long, man, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't have been shocked if,
(14:17):
you know, eventually baseball just wanted to pull the plug and
say, Hey, we're, we're relocating this team.
Look at the a, it's, you know, right, They're playing
Sacramento right now. But I, I just, I have baseball.
There's no way baseball can't work here.
I just I disagree with that sentiment.
I mean, you just look at the Savannah.
Bananas. Look at that.
Look how many people came to seethat.
(14:37):
I look how baseball has ingrained in this community all
the way back to early Ybor City years.
All think of all the great players that have come through
here, all the MLB players, Hall of farmers.
Think of how much talent we pushout every year, Jesuit alone,
like pushes out MLB stars and and D1 college baseball players
(15:00):
and and the all the spring training facilities around here.
Like there's just to me, there'sno way it can't work.
I you can argue, you know, putting it in Saint Peter,
Tampa, that's fine. We can have that debate, but to
me, I think if you, whether you put it in Saint Pete or Tampa,
if you build it a little smaller, I think I don't think
you need a 40,000 C stadium. I think 2530, thirty something
(15:23):
low thirties, 32. I think that would be a lot
better. I think it would be better in
Tampa, but selfishly, I live in Saint Pete, so I wouldn't be
upset if it was put in Saint Pete either.
But it it, it can work. Especially we've seen the TV
ratings, the numbers you put. People do care about the Rays.
I think like we go, it goes backto the point we were just
(15:43):
mentioning. If you have the bright budget to
keep those star players around, I think you can build more of a
generational fan base, right? You got you get the because now
we're at the point now the Rays are 20 something years old now
you have lifelong fans. You have guys like Brett
Phillips, for example, who grew up a Rays fan.
Those guys, those young fans that went to Rays games at the
(16:04):
Trop in the late 90s and early 2000s, they're just now hitting
adulthood now. You got to get rid.
If you can make an adjustment now, this would be the time to
do it. If you're going to sell and and
completely transform this franchise in terms of just its
philosophical view of how it's run and actually spend money on
the roster and have generationalplayers and, and actual talent
(16:26):
stay, this is the time to do it.Because now those adult fans,
they're going to start having kids and they're going to bring
their kids to the Rays games. And how much better would that
be if you could have little Bobby buy, you know, a junior
Caminero jersey and he can have it for eight to 10 years?
That would make a big differencein my opinion.
Yeah, no, 100%. I mean it like it's crazy.
(16:48):
And this is the last thing I'm going to say.
Like it's crazy because or I guess, I guess two things
because people brought up like the whole Savannah bananas
versus the rays thing. And I understand the whole
opening day, like it not being sold out because originally when
we were talking about all this, it was, you know, this is the
time to put up or shut up in terms of coming, you know, going
to games in Tampa. But when tickets are as
expensive as they are, regardless of the capacity of
(17:10):
the stadium, I can 100% understand why people would be
determined for. It's up there with the Dodgers
tickets in terms of price per seat.
I mean so are are we watching a Dodgers quality level team?
Yeah, and they're playing the Rockies.
It's not like they're playing the Dodgers.
The Rockies suck. It's terrible.
It's terrible with it. Like I just I, I, I do not
(17:33):
behoove any race fan that does not want to pay, pay those
prices at all. I didn't want to pay those
prices. I'm only going because I'm
getting it for free as as a media member right like that.
That's ridiculous. Yeah, no, it is a lot.
And now along, you know, so likeI understand or I guess, you
know, the whole Savannah man is like older drew 65 in the race,
haven't done that. Like I get that, but I also
(17:54):
don't get that like they were going to play two games at the
Trop. If the if the if the thing, you
know, if the Hurricanes, then hey, and then we're going to
sell off both games at the trop.Like it was it was pretty much a
guarantee that they were going to sell off both games at the
trop. So like that was already, you
know, set in stone that just happened to go play over at Ray
J. So it's a little bit more
illuminated. And then the other thing is, is
(18:16):
that again, like with the whole timing of this, I think I've
said this before, but like I remember in high school, I got
what was like 2016 when they signed that like memorandum
thing to allow them to go explore other sites, to go look
for new stadiums. This was like right before when
the Ybor City thing happened. Like I was excited as a, as a
senior in high school about all that stuff.
(18:38):
And now I'm like five years removed from college and it's
like, Oh my God, this is horrible that it, that it's been
as long as it is. I'm hoping there's some sort of
resolution, you know, not just, I mean, I would like it so that
we don't have to talk about it anymore.
And also just for people to justnot have to think about it
(18:59):
because it's so it's just I don't know, there's been so
much. But aside from that, because
again, it's not really worth continuing to talk about it.
Still plenty of rays baseball going on.
There's some more spring training games that are going to
happen before opening day, whichis on March 28th.
Again, the Rays are the only team that has opening day on
(19:20):
March 28th. Everyone has the there are other
opening days on March 27th. The race pushed it back because
of the whole they need to switchover stuff.
It's time Brenner, I think Topper someone did a really good
article about how they're going to have like 4 days to really
switch everything over at Steinbrenner, which is going to
be chaotic to see. But along with that, we just had
the spring breakout game. We had Entre Morgan last week.
(19:42):
He didn't play the spring breakout game, but he was there.
There's a video of him being there.
So it still counts and it sucks that he didn't play in the game,
but he was there. I'm talking to those guys.
I don't know if any of you guys saw any highlights from the game
or anyone who did anything, anyone that stood out like
anyone that you guys are excitedabout.
Other than, you know, just like some of the big names or if you
(20:04):
guys are excited about the big names, it doesn't matter to me
because I just I just love the whole spring breakout game idea.
I think that's such a good thingfor baseball to say, hey, you
know, we have like the minor leagues in baseball are the
biggest of anything in terms of pro sports.
And the fact that they've reallyput an emphasis on trying to
showcase these guys, they're going to be the future of the
(20:25):
sport I think is fantastic. Anyone.
I mean, Carson Williams, I mean,he, he did what, you know, he
was signed up to do, you know? Bomb.
Yeah, I like that. Not too shabby, Not too shabby.
But yeah, I mean, off the top ofmy head, I I just, I knew about
(20:46):
it. I saw his home run.
Honestly, I missed most of the game.
I know Cooper Kinney to play pretty well.
Yeah, I know. I remember that Chandler had
that bunt single which. Oh yeah, yeah, that's right of.
Course and someone clocked it unofficially AT36 the time.
I saw, I saw that, which is insane.
(21:07):
Yeah, yeah. If anyone knows the the
craziness of that like it's. Like 4-1.
Yeah, like a top, top top Sprintspeed in baseball is like is
like home to 1st is like a four O or like a four one.
And he's doing that like half a second faster than everyone
else. He's crazy.
He might be my favorite. And he was looking, he was
literally looking at the bunt running down.
(21:30):
He was looking behind him. He might be.
I know people are excited about Carson Williams and rightfully
so, Like I, I he's going to be astud, but that I mean, how can
you not get excited with that kids speed Chandler?
That's that's nuts, man. That's a different level of
athlete. Yeah.
Did you get a chance to? Now, I don't know how often
you've been down to Port Charlotte, but have you gotten
(21:50):
to see him in any game action? I haven't, unfortunately, no,
like I only got to go to the first week of spring training.
Like when pitchers and catchers reported I haven't been down
there for when position players came down and I haven't caught a
game yet. Unfortunately, no.
Like we just, we've been, we're short staffed cause
unfortunately we lost, you know,Dan Lucas who's been on our
(22:11):
station forever. He.
Decided to step away and so it'sbeen a little bit of a shorter,
you know, smaller crew for us. So we haven't got a chance to go
out there. So I've just been watching the
games. We show every game on TV.
We show all the highlights, you know, shout out Chris Tilley.
He's the one that shoots the games and and and provides us
all those highlights. So I've just gotten to see him
from afar. And I mean that kid Simpsons
(22:33):
unreal man. Like he's, and I'll say it was
fun the other day, I think it was a couple days ago, they
played the Orioles and they had a nice little comeback in the
7th inning. They were down like 3 nothing.
They end up winning 6 three. And it was all those prospects.
It was, I think it was Carson Williams.
I think it was Trey Morgan, I think had a home run or
(22:54):
something like, and, and cash talked about it.
He was like, you see why we're excited about these guys.
They're all, they're all super talented and they single
handedly, like there was a groupof four or five of them.
They single handedly, you know, had a, a big comeback against
the OS. That was that was really cool to
see. Yeah.
You know, Kenny, when you were down there though, did cash and
(23:14):
everyone talk a lot? Like did you get a chance to
talk with some of the prospects and did they talk a lot about
the prospects? Because again, like the Rays
made a lot of big moves in 24 tolike get rid of some of the guys
who, I mean, a lot of it was stemming from like, it was like
like like a domino effect from the wander situation.
(23:34):
But a lot of those guys did haveexpiring contracts, had big, you
know, paydays coming up, and then they reloaded the system
and got a bunch of guys. But it like, was there a lot of
talk about prospects and about the future of this team as much
as there was about the present? A little bit like, I think a lot
of the guys are, you know, obviously they're just excited
about the upcoming season. But they, yeah, they touched
(23:57):
touched on some of those dudes in in, you know, AA and AAA and
just mentioned how the future's bright, you know, that that farm
system is as loaded as any in baseball right now.
And, you know, geez, you want tothink about maybe a year or two
down the line what this lineup, what this team could look like
on an opening day. It's hard not to get excited.
(24:18):
And I think you could see that when you talk to some of those
guys that are there now, whetherit's Shane Mcclanahan or, you
know, any of the position players, some of the younger
guys, we obviously don't know. You know, I know Yandi has
signed that extension, but, you know, he's 34 years old.
How much longer is he to play? But those other guys, they,
they, they see the talent that'sthere.
(24:39):
So it's it's hard not to get a little hyped up and you're like,
all right, you get the, the, theCalvary's coming.
It's going to take a little bit,but it's there.
Yeah, Gibby, the one thing I wascurious about with you and also
Kenny, I want to open it up to you.
The excitement level of this team now compared to a couple
days ago. Like I don't know if you've had
(25:00):
any conversations with friends or anything like that because I
know like after the news early last week, there seemed to be a
lot more excitement about this team.
I don't know if that excitement is still there.
Understanding again, there's still a lot of guys, there's
still a lot of talent on this team.
There's a lot of firepower on this team.
But I don't like has, I guess from, from anyone that you've
(25:21):
talked to, has excitement died down a little bit maybe from
where it was like like a week ortwo ago?
I would say of the the stadium, I mean, the really what sticks
in most people's minds when they're just a casual fan with
the Rays is when the when the stadium deal is is happening.
(25:41):
And that that was the news that I saw that was mostly affected.
But I mean, other than that, people love Chandler Simpson.
I mean, obviously, but yeah, I mean, I, I think there is a lot
of excitement just because everyone knows that the
pitching's there and all the other stuff, but I, I don't feel
like it's really gone one way orthe other.
(26:02):
I feel like there was a little bit more loud around the time
the ownership news dropped. But yeah, there's been, it's
been mostly, you know, good excitement all around, I think.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Team excitement is still there,
Kenny. Is that kind of what you've
seen? Team excitement is still there.
Yeah, I think so. Maybe it was a little bit down
(26:24):
after the stadium deal and everything like that, but I
think for the most part, like Alex mentioned, like that
rotation, man, it's nasty. And whether it's the actual team
itself or fans, I think it's hard not to get excited about
that, especially to see Shane back out there.
I saw him when he, you know, hadhis first bullpen.
Stuff looks great. Looks like Shane, looks like
normal sugar Shane, which is great to see.
(26:45):
And then, you know, you mix in that line up, obviously Junior
Caminero expecting big, big things from him.
I think that kick could be a star.
And then if you could just get acouple bounce back seasons from
a couple dudes. I I think you could make some
noise like whether it's Yandi Diaz getting maybe a little bit
closer back to, you know, two years ago when he won the
batting title, Josh Lowe, You know, if he could stay healthy
(27:07):
and get back to maybe, you know,it was a year or two ago, he was
close to hitting 300. And now that you're in
Steinbrenner, a guy like Josh Lowe and and Brandon Lau, you
know what, what could they produce at the play now that
it's a little a little friendlier for left-handed
hitters, right? I, I forget the dimensions I was
looking at the other day. It's not a ton, but right field
is significant is it is shorter.So you know that that'll help
(27:29):
out a guy like Low and Lau. Yeah, Speaking of B Lau and
Speaking of Sugar, Shane Gibby, I'm disappointed in you that you
didn't get to any of the games this weekend, but we had the
second annual Unofficial Ray's Collegiate Classic between
Maryland and USF 'cause this is the second straight year that
(27:50):
they've played each other in a series.
Last year, B Lau got the edge cause Maryland won the series.
This year, Shane got him back. The USF won two out of three, I
think. That's just one on the last day,
15 to 7. Yeah.
Well, yeah, it was. It was a lot I don't want.
To talk, that's crazy. Cause Maryland's pitching has
been not great this year. But like, I don't know, I just
(28:13):
think that whole thing is cool. I just like it.
I, I like the fact that, you know, both, like both teams
have, you know, raised guys on the roster.
So I thought that was cool. But yeah, Kenny, Kenny, did you
get out to any of those games? I didn't get to go out to that
series. I went as a fan a while back for
(28:34):
US FS midweek game against Florida State.
That was really cool. That was awesome.
It was sold out and it was jam packed.
I mean, obviously a lot of Seminole fans we get a, we got a
lot of Florida State faithful here, but man, a lot of USF fans
as well. And what a what a fun game.
Like Florida State's legit like they are a top five team in the
country. I don't know if you guys knew
(28:54):
this. A friend of mine actually told
me this. Their entire starting rotation,
their three weekend guys, all Jesuit alums, all left handers.
Isn't that wild? Like, isn't that crazy to go
back on How, you know, fertile these these grounds are for
baseball talent in high school? Leading the way is Jamie Arnold,
(29:15):
who's like a nasty, nasty pitcher.
Yeah, he's going to be like a top three pick in the draft this
year or something. Like that he's he's sick like
that. Kids got some great stuff.
But no, it's they, they got a good teammate.
I think the new coach Hannis, like I, I think he's got
something going there. I know they were a little
disappointed with weekend beforethey dropped I think two or
three to Villanova. You never want to see that Like
(29:36):
Villanova's not a very good program.
But you know, they they had a nice win against UCF.
They thought they played tough against Florida State.
And then now this, you know, nice series win against a a Big
10 team in Maryland. Yeah, yeah, definitely a lot of,
I mean, disappointment for me, but you know, looking and and
like I've, you know, I've noticed this over the course of
(29:57):
this season. I think Hannah's was a really
great hire for that, for that, for that program because he took
Indiana State to a team that wasa mid major powerhouse.
And if you can do that same thing at USF, it really makes
them, you know, turn into something I think that's going
to be massive. I know staying with college, I
(30:18):
don't think Florida State, did Florida State have any teams
make the corny either on the women's or men's side 'cause USF
women's team like just stormed through the AAC tournament and
won. So Congrats to Jose Fernandez
and the girls for for getting through that.
But yeah, I did. Did FSU get anyone?
The F floor state women made it.Women made it OK.
(30:39):
They're really good. They're a top 25 team.
I goodness, the name escapes me,but they're they're top scorer.
She's the leading scorer in the country, so she's a.
OK. Well then I'm just blanking up
because I know in terms of like Florida teams or I guess teams
that like people would care about UF men are the number one
seed or an unnumbered country just so happened to be the
(31:02):
number one seed in Maryland sideof the bracket.
So excited for that. There could be a potential Sweet
16 match up there if everything works out.
And it's probably not going to go the way I want to.
But yeah, no NCAA tournaments coming out.
Be sure to fill out your brackets if you guys haven't
women's and men's brackets because, again, great talent on
both sides. Yeah, a lot of excitement.
(31:24):
Tournaments starting up this weekend.
Gibby, are you going to be partaking in any of the bracket
making? Yes, of course, I'll be making
multiple brackets. I'm hoping, you know, I hope, I
hope, I hope Sparty can can shake some things up this year.
Hey. And maybe.
(31:45):
Yeah. Aren't we on the opposite side
of of UF? I I think so.
I know they're not I. Think, did UF?
Yeah, Michigan State played UF in 2000 and I think Michigan
State won. They did, yeah.
Looking at it right now. I I would like, I'd like that
rematch, dude. I think that's a great a great
(32:07):
match. I think they're on the same
side. Oh no, no, they would.
They would play in the Final Four.
They would play. In the Final four, yeah, even a
final Four would be cool. Even if.
They're on my final four. I do have them in my final four.
I'm making, I always make brackets.
So I got I got them two on the left side and then the right
side. I have Duke and Tennessee.
I can't pick Duke. I grew, I grew up a Duke fan, so
(32:29):
like, it's like it kind of ingrained in me and I'm sorry,
man. Like I Cooper flag, he's the
real deal. You might be hurt, though.
You might be hurt, I. Know I know, but it sounds like
he's going to play. It sounds like he should play so
that kids, he's a generational talent and Duke's got some other
really good players too. They probably have like 3
lottery picks with him. Conka nipple and the big man.
(32:50):
I forgot his name, Malawak. I think it's how you say it's a
7 two dude. But I I got Duke in Florida, the
natty. I got Duke Cund on the Nets.
I can't pick for Duke at all. I think my.
My morals will not allow me to. I I I can understand.
I think my girlfriend's actuallygoing to go to the USF game in
Columbus, OH. That's a game there now.
(33:13):
Tennessees it. Yeah.
That's where she lives, yeah. Oh dude, that would be sick
that. 'D be dope, yeah.
Yeah, I know Maryland on the women's side is hosting, at
least I think. What was it, Round of 64 and
Round of 32 games? I think, 'cause they're a four
seed and I think that that's, that's how it was in women's
bracket, right? Top 4 seeds host and then they
(33:34):
go into whatever it is. So yeah, I know that they're at
least going to host in the firstround.
And then from that point, I don't know what else is going to
go on. But yeah, this is like the best
time of the year. We got baseball coming up, we
got the tournament happening. We got spring football coming up
for college football. You know, seasons are are
starting to slow or starting to get to a close regular seasons
(33:55):
for the NBA and NHL. This is just a great time for
sports right now. This is this is awesome.
Like, I'm so excited. Yeah, comparatively to like a
month ago, it's way better sports time, yes.
Significantly, Oh my God, significantly better.
(34:16):
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And let's get back to this latest episode of Raise the
Roof. So to end the podcast, as we
(34:59):
started the podcast, we talked briefly about the start of the
2025 MLB season as the Cubs and Dodgers are currently playing A2
game set or finished up game oneof A2 game set, might have
probably finished the two game set in Tokyo.
Did you guys see anything of game one, get any highlights,
anything of that nature? Saw Shohei Otani be Shohei Otani
(35:22):
Yeah of. Course.
I mean, he's pretty good at doing that.
Yeah, no homers so. Yeah, yeah.
Lack of homers. Lack of homers.
Disappointed. A little disappointing there in
the in the home country, but that's all right. 2 for five.
Not too shabby. Yamamoto, he back home as well.
You know, homecoming for him. He was he was good.
He was nasty. What was it here?
(35:42):
Let me see. I had it.
I just had it pulled up five innings, three hits, one walk,
one run, 4 KS. Not too.
Bad. Yeah, not too bad.
I mean, I love I just love the the roster and I I like the
season starting or having this this season start in Japan thing
(36:05):
that they got going on now. Yeah, that's pretty cool.
It's pretty cool. Yeah, I think they should do.
I mean, I know it kind of throwsoff the schedule of guys, but I
think it would be cool if like every year they decided to go
play like start the season somewhere internationally.
And it doesn't always have to be.
Tokyo was in Seoul last year, sothat was really cool.
But like if they can find placeswhere it makes sense to go to
(36:30):
and do it alongside all the other international places that
they've gone for games and have scheduled, Like maybe they do
like a mini Puerto Rico series every year or something.
Like that? Or like or like.
They go to the they go to the Dominican from somewhere in
Mexico. Just something like that to
(36:50):
start the year out. It doesn't really matter where,
but just putting it somewhere where I think would be really
cool. I was just thinking that I was
like, if they can get to the Caribbean, that'd be pretty
sweet, like Puerto Rico, the Dr.you saw the reaction of that the
with the Dr. winter league with the Junior Caminero's home run.
Just so that would be crazy. Some big league teams down there
playing like that'd be so cool, even like I know they do in the
(37:12):
mid in the middle of the season.Those across the pond games
where they play over in England.Maybe you do something like that
to open the year. Maybe you play, you know,
reaching the NF LS bad going to Germany.
I think they played in Brazil last year.
That'd be kind of cool. Yeah, I like all those ideas.
Give me how much are you a fan of the of the international
games? Oh, I mean huge fan.
(37:33):
I mean, I felt like I, I just like the, the World Baseball
Classic years cuz you know, there's the World Baseball
Classic and that leads right into the season.
Like because before this, we don't really have much to go off
of an international bet. I mean, obviously there's Junior
Cominero in the Dominican WinterLeague, which kept us very, our
(37:55):
appetite base for baseball very full.
And I hope we get 1% of that celebration at some point in the
Cominero's career, because it would be the best celebration in
MLB at 1% if it was just 1% of what he did.
So yeah, I mean, I love international baseball.
(38:18):
I feel like it just grows the game more and more.
So, yeah, I mean, and baseball is huge in Japan, so it just
makes sense to put it over there.
I mean, it's bigger. It's bigger, almost bigger over
there than it is over here, to be honest.
I mean, like a lot of a lot of the, a lot of there's so much
viewership over there. It's it's, it's insane.
(38:40):
So. Yeah, yeah, they did the for
whatever reason, they pulled outall the stops with the Pokémon
intros this year. Oh yeah, I like that.
There's just like an army of Pikachus wearing Cubs and
Dodgers jerseys, which I don't. I mean, like, it's Japanese, but
like, I don't know what that hasto do with baseball.
I don't know either. I have not seen this.
(39:02):
I am immediately intrigued though.
Yeah, I'll, I'll. Send you a photo of.
It as someone who grew up a Pokémon fan also did you see I
think MLB tweeted out about thislike a couple months ago and
they said they were doing some sort of deal with Pokémon Go
where now the MLB stadiums will have Pokémon in them.
So like I was like, OK, so the Rays stadium, like obviously it
(39:26):
was in the trop, but now I guessSteinbrenner, am I going to
catch some water Pokémon? Like am I going to get like a
Lapras? Like if I go in the right field?
That would be awesome. I haven't played Pokémon Go
since it first came out. Like it's that was a couple of
years ago, but I love that. I think that's so cool.
Anything to I love gimmicky stuff like that.
I do. I'm gonna blow your mind.
(39:47):
Pokémon Go came out 10 years ago.
That's correct. Is that correct?
It feels like 5. Yeah, I know.
Five, I would have believed you,but 10's nuts.
That's how I that's how I feel. I randomly saw what was it like
a couple weeks ago. I was up in like the Arlington
area and I saw a bunch of peoplein a group playing Pokémon Go
and I was like, I didn't realizethat it was still as big as it
(40:09):
is. Yeah, I mean.
Yeah, it had that, like it had that hype over like the first
year or so and then it and then I thought it died down, but
clearly it hasn't. No and they just keep making
games like I think I don't know why I was on like a a Pokémon
like wormhole on YouTube the other day and they just came out
with new games and I don't know if you all know this like I
played the games like Gen. one like red and.
(40:30):
Blue. Yeah, yeah, old.
School. There's 150 Pokémon back in the
day. Yeah, but yeah, there's 1000
thousand. Yeah, there's 1000.
What? Yeah, things have gone nuts, but
I mean literally like they had for and again, I don't I don't
understand it. It's I guess it's it has
something to do with something. But yeah, it was like the full
(40:51):
intro was Pokémon related. They had like the Pokémon music
as the guys came out for like the starter intros like love it.
I don't know, I. Mean love it.
I don't. I mean, it's the most.
To me, but it's probably the most successful brand.
I was going to say entire Japanese thing that they could
have done. Absolutely.
Like, like, like they definitelyfed into that, which I think is
(41:12):
really cool. Yeah, I mean absolutely.
And that's that's. Yeah, that that's like a huge,
that's probably one of the the most heavily viewed thing of the
day. So I mean, yeah, I, I feel like
it was just appropriate at that Pokémon was there.
Yeah, and you have, I believe between the two rosters, you
have 5 Japanese players, cuz youhave, say, Suzuki, Shotay
Minaga, Shohei Yamamoto and RokiSasaki, who's gonna be making
(41:36):
his MLB debut tomorrow or today,I guess whenever this podcast
comes out. So that's a lot like, I, I mean,
it's kind of crazy to think thatso many, you know, Asian players
have progressively moved over into the major leagues.
And the Rays just got Hassan Kimin the offseason.
(41:57):
They've had Ji Manchui before they they got, you know, Yoshi
during, during the 2020 season. So the Rays definitely have, you
know, have have had their fair share of.
Or sockey. Oh yeah, Oh yeah, hockey.
They had Hideki Machsuri for a hot 2nd famously torch bearer at
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, among other things, which I thought
(42:20):
was really cool. I remember putting out something
about that specifically. I was like Oh my God, he's a
raised legend. Even though he played for like
40 games, still counts. Still counts, baby.
Yeah, yeah. Anything else from, you know,
just the start of the season, Like, there just feels like more
excitement for me at least with like, baseball's now officially
(42:42):
back, even though, you know, games are going to be after
tomorrow. It's going to be like another
week until opening day for real,for real.
But like, there's just a lot of excitement right now that I'm
feeling about baseball. Is that kind of how you guys are
feeling? Yeah, you know what I'm most
excited for the pitch challenge.I cannot wait for the regular
(43:02):
season pitch challenge. Like it's gonna, it's gonna
produce some really sassy moments in the MLB.
Like straight up like people aregonna like, they're gonna get
like the player's gonna give theeye like when he gets it right
or, or like the, the, the umpire's gonna be like right
that time. And then they're gonna, they're
(43:23):
gonna give the sass to the player.
It's gonna be it's, it's gonna produce fantastic moments in
baseball. So that's, that's part of what
I'm excited for. It's like a, you know, really
Intuit fan. But I guess for the casual fan
too, there is a lot of excitement as well, just in
general. Yeah, Kenny for you.
I'm in the same boat. Yeah, I'm excited for the start
(43:43):
of the season. Like I, I, I know it's kind of
weird for the Rays with how the schedule is laid out because of
Steinbrenner and everything. Like they're going to play
basically like the first month of the season at home.
But for as a race fan, I'm excited for that because now you
get plenty of opportunities to go see them in action.
And honestly, like, I'm looking at that schedule.
I'm like, OK, you know, they gota chance to like start off
(44:05):
pretty decent here. I mean, the Rockies aren't any
good. You got the Pirates, Rangers,
they had it down here. The Angels.
Yeah, Nope. That should be a win there then.
OK, then you got the Braves. That'll be a good one.
I'm excited. It'll be a fun series.
Red Sox, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Padres.
It ramps up a little bit towardsthe end of the month, but you
(44:25):
gotta the Rays have a decent chance here to at least start
the season. You know, somewhat strong on a
decent foot, which is exciting. Yeah, you're going to need that
for that away series. Oh my God, yeah.
Yeah, exactly right. This is this is their chance.
You got to rack up as many home wins as you can because then,
oh, goodness, what is it like a month, almost a month straight
(44:47):
on the road? That's Yeah, that's a killer.
Yeah, it's going to be not fun for the players and probably not
fun for the fans to see that. But hey, I mean, you have weird
circumstances. You gotta adapt to them.
The rates will certainly adapt to them.
We're gonna see how things get adapted in terms of Steinbrenner
and a couple where actually in like less than two weeks with
(45:09):
all that stuff. So that's very exciting, but and
I think with that being said, it's going to conclude things on
this latest episode of the podcast.
Kenny, thank you so much for coming on.
We want to give you the floor toplug whatever you got going both
on TV and social media. Where can people find you?
Yeah, no problem, man. Thank you guys so much for
having me. I love doing this with y'all.
You guys do a phenomenal job with Raise the Roof.
(45:32):
Keep up the good work as always.And you guys, obviously you can
find us on WFLA News Channel 8. I'm anchoring man.
It feels like it goes all over the place, but usually you can
find me at, you know, Six O'clock 11:00 news and then
online at Kenny Morales TV is all my social media handles.
So Twitter, Instagram, wherever you want to find me.
You usually can TikTok as well. Trying to do a little more on
(45:53):
there but haven't been too consistent.
Hoping to pick that up a little bit.
Yeah, for sure. Well, again, Kenny, thank you so
much for coming on and for everyone listening.
Thanks so much for listening to his latest episode of the pod.
We sincerely appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.
Continue to support us as you guys have been across the board
on Twitter X Instagram and Blue Sky Raise the Roof TV TB, make
(46:18):
sure to follow us there. We've been getting a lot of
support recently on Instagram, so really excited about that.
We're almost at 2K followers, which again, we've been really
pushing on Insta more so give usa follow there.
If you guys haven't for the podcast, continue to support us
as you guys have been. Be sure to like, be sure to
subscribe, hopefully give us a five star review.
Share this with your family, your friend, your family, your
(46:38):
friends, anyone who knows a racefan or a baseball fan that wants
to add a podcast for the podcastfeed.
We'd love to be part of it and ashout out to our sponsors.
See Geek. Perfect time now to go get
tickets. If you guys haven't yet, it's
code Raise the roof and all capsto check out Save you.
Opening day tickets available. Yes, opening day tickets are
available. Save yourself 2020 bucks off
(46:59):
your first purchase there. We also have our in the clutch
link. We got some new shirts coming
out, new shirts that are alreadyout again, razor roof and all
caps saves 10% off any purchase anytime.
And hopefully we're going to getsome more new designs out
because you know there's some backlog designs of Randy and of
Aflan, some guys that aren't on the team.
So we're going to try to get some new designs of guys that
(47:22):
are on the team. I know there is a Hassan Kim
shirt on there, so if you guys don't have that, and I believe
there's also a Danny Jansen one too.
So if you guys don't have eitherof those, feel free to add
those. And yeah, I mean, again, we
appreciate the support. We're trying to put more stuff
on our YouTube channel. Be sure to follow, you know,
subscribe to us there. And just very excited for the
(47:43):
season. So with that being said, thanks
so much for listening and as always, raise up.
Raise up baby. Raise up.
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