May 31, 2024 • 10 mins
Former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski joins Dave Softy Mahler and Hugh Millen to talk about the Mariners firing their Offensive Coordinator today, his experience having an issue with a coach, what’s wrong with Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and his future.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Live from the R and R FoundationSpecialists Broadcast Studio. Now back to Softie
and Dick on your Home for theHuskies and the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three
point three kJ R FM. Allright back here on Jimmy's on First Big
Thanks to Doug Baldwin for joining uson the radio show we are efforting to
(00:21):
get. AJ Prazinsky was calling thegame for Fox tomorrow with the MS and
Angels. I saw where our buddyAaron Goldsmith is doing the game with AJ.
So some national pub for our buddyAaron Goldsmith, but hopefully catch up
with Aj Perzenski, the former WhiteSox catcher, as well as other teams
with us in a matter of aminute. Take Hugh before we get to
that. I'm curious about what youthought about what Doug said about Ryan Grubb
(00:43):
when you said, hey, whatare the challenges for him? What will
show you that this guy kind ofknows what he's doing and that this is
going to work at the NFL level? And he talked about his ability to
communicate things to his players. I'mcurious about your thoughts and what you heard
from Doug there last second. Yeah, the first thing he met was he's
kind of so a work ethic.Well, that's that's one of Ryan grubbs
(01:03):
foretastes, and so I think thatthat any veteran is going to be satisfied
on that front. As far asthe idea, Okay, the why.
What Doug was saying, Hey,I need to know the why. I
think that it's it's really really goodfor receivers to understand the game as much
like quarterbacks as they can, sothey understand how the commoncepts walk together.
(01:23):
And we'll talk in that greater detailbecause I know we got AJ here.
Yeah, let's get to it.The former catcher for a long long time
for the White Sox, the Rangers, Boston Saint Louis spent a couple of
years in Atlanta at the end ofhis career. He's now a media superstar
with Fox, him and our buddyGoldie doing the game tomorrow with the Mariners
and Angels. AJ Perzinski joins usright now on the radio show, AJ.
(01:46):
How are you man? I amdoing awesome? How are you all?
We're good? Great to have youon the on the air. Great
to have you back on kJ Rand Seattle. Welcome back to T Mobile
Park. Appreciate you doing this,man, and it's a great day to
have you on because, as youknow, this Mariner pitching staff from a
rotation and bullpen perspective has been amazing. But the offense has been kind of
lagging behind twenty eighth and batting averagetwenty eighth and run scored second to last
(02:09):
in the AL. And they justfired their offensive coordinator and bench coach Brent
Brown this afternoon. So put yourput your player hat on when you find
out that an offensive coach has beenlet go because the offense can't hit and
score runs. What's your reaction asa player when something like that happens.
Well, first of all, Ithought you were saying it was great because
(02:30):
the weather is awesome today. ButI mean, it's not a cloud in
the sky. Mind Seattle or LosAngeles. You're at Seattle, baby,
I about taking a wrong turn herethe uh listen anytime a coach fire starts,
I didn't even know that. Sothat's for the breaking news on me.
(02:50):
They're in first place, aren't theytoo? I'm pretty sure they're in
first place? Correct? You knowyou're a team firing guys in first place?
I had to was there a disagreementbetween Scott Service and between the photo
and have someone else. I don'tknow, but God sucks as the player
because you always look, I wasonly on a team once we fired the
manager midseason, and you're like,you're just still look in the mirror and
you say, gosh, did Ido something? Look that I've done to
(03:12):
keep this guy's job. Because you'vebecome attached to these guys, they become
like your family because you're around themso much so ladies, and then all
of a sudden, somebody disappeared.So that part sucks. But you know
what. Listen, they're trying tofind offense anywhere they can. But I
got a great idea, and whenI really find offense, they can go
out and find a couple of guysin the trade deadline and brings, spend
some money and brings a Cup hitter, and that'd be fun. Well,
(03:32):
we're definitely going to touch on thatpoint, but let's go back one more
piggybacking on Dave's question, you're aplayer, have you ever heard of or
experienced where a hitting coach? AndI guess this is a new term in
baseball offensive coordinator. I thought thatwas the domain of football. But have
(03:53):
you ever had a situation where you'vegot a coach that's asking you to do
something I'll fill the sophically or mechanicallyat the plate where you just don't agree
with that. You're listening to himcoaching. He said, that's that's nonsense.
Has that? Has that happened toyou? And and how do you
handle that as a player? Yes, it happened, It happened, It
(04:14):
happens, it happened, But youknow what you also say, it's your
career. Okay, I give usall the time, which is I have
a son that's a junior high school, is going to be a senior,
and you know, he goes tohitting lessons and we talked about hitting and
he says, this guy's telling methis and I'm like, well, listen,
you know what I'm saying isn't workingor if we're trying something different,
that's fine. But at the endof the day, it's your career.
It's your life right as a player. So if you're on out there and
(04:38):
you're three hundred, you're hitting thirtyhomers and you're driving a hundred, just
what the hitting coach doesn't say anythingto you when you're struggling, the hitting
coach is probably going to say somethingto you, and that's that's life,
right. So I think that therewas times where I played and there was
one year in particular, I'm notgoing to name the year, but wait,
a hitting coach. I just didn'ttalk to him. I was like,
I'm gonna do my own thing.I don't agree that it's telling them
new and I went out had agreat year. I didn't even talked to
(04:59):
the hitting coach for like four months. Fine. He also didn't want to
talk to me because he's like,dang, you're raking, so why don't
I want to talk to you.I Paul was struggling. I'd be in
there talking to him every day,but he just let me alone. And
it was a it was just adifference in philosophy, difference in vocabulary,
difference in thought process, whatever youwant to call it. But it worked
for me. But we also anassistant guy, but I go along with
great and I was like, allright, I'm gonna talk to him because
(05:20):
we're talking the same language. SoI understand it. Listen, you also
want to please everybody when you're especiallyas a younger player, you want to
please everybody right, this guy's socoachable. I'll do whatever I say.
There's a some times you got tolook at your coach and say, no,
that didn't work for me, buthe says, oh try this.
You go, yeah, yeah,try try something. You take a good
swing, and then you're like,yeah, that was it, coach thinks,
(05:40):
and then I'll walk away and you'relike you you just do whatever you
want. Well, heyj Perzinski again, the former White Sock catcher is with
us on the air. He's doingthe game tomorrow with Aaron Goldsmith over on
Fox, and I'm curious a jto get your thoughts on Julio Rodriguez.
His numbers are down, his opsis way down, power numbers way down.
Is on pace to strike out aboutone hundred and nine times, which
(06:00):
is way too much, way morethan last year. What do you see
kind of ailing Julio through fifty eightgames. Pitch selection for me is number
one. For him, he's chasingtoo much. If you remember, he
got off to this kind of startlast year and pick it up and that
was when the team picked up,right, So he's got to figure it
out again. For me, itcomes down to pitch selection for me,
he's got to get good pitches inthe zone. He's kind of accept his
(06:23):
walks. He wants to hit.He's a great player, but he's also
got to get pitches in the game. And when he does, then he
makes the pictures come into his zone. That's when he gets does damage.
So I think for him it's justabout pitch selection and let the game come
to him. Sometimes I think he'sso young. We always forget how young
he is because he's been the faceof baseball that the last couple of years.
Time to think contracted the All StarGame last year, and he's going
(06:44):
to take a step back and say, all right, let's let this game
come to me, the pitcher cometo me, and let him make a
mistake. And I think as someonelike Julio, you can see a little
bit he's anxious. He wants togo get the ball instead of just saying
right, I'm gonna let the gamecome to me and see what happens.
He'll be so dangerous as he does. A couple more minutes with AJ Prazinski
and Aja with your background as acatcher, curious your thoughts about cal Raley
(07:06):
and uh Mariners have him locked upfor a few more years, but eventually
you're gonna have to pay a bigbill. What are the aspects that you
say are most important coming from acatcher? Is it more defensive stuff?
And how you relate with the pitchers? Is it equal with offense? Does
offense more important in your mind asyou evaluate catchers? What do you prioritize?
(07:29):
And how does Cal Rawley fit inin that? Well? The first
thing I look at with Cal fortyfive to thirty homers every year, but
he plays every day. He takeshe takes the gear, he puts it
on a splots back there almost everyday. Not every day, and no
one can do it every day,but a lot of the times. And
that's a big thing for me.I was always a big fan of guys
that can do it every day.He does it every day. And when
you do that, you take controlof the pitching staff and you say,
(07:53):
all right, we get into arhythm. I'm catching you know whoever I'm
catching. I'm catching Logan Gilbert andpitching five days when he's gonna throw up
what he'd likes to and just becomeinstinct with guys. When you when you
lose that and you don't get toplay and lose a little bit of rhythm
of your picture and off process andhow you look be in Saint and then
it also gets you into the Bullpenker'slike, all right, guess I know
(08:13):
what you did. All right,we can go back to this in a
big situation. So that's the thingfor me. He plays every day.
He knows how to handle a pitchingstaff. He rolls the pitching staff.
He throws better than people think.He obviously hits a switch hitter. But
he's a stud man. He's he'sThey're gonna have to sign him to a
big money contract at some point orlet him walk. But I'm much other.
See him statement, Yeah, Igive him the deal. Now I
(08:35):
just buy out arbitration and say let'srock and roll. Do you think Scott
Boris would do that? Kel Borisdoesn't usually do that. Do you think
the Mariners would do that? Becausethey don't spend any money then then spend
any money to saft season. God, I love you man, It's great
to have you on the radio show. You are speaking the truth and the
fans all agree. A. J. Prazenski. Hey enjoy the weather tonight
(08:56):
because tomorrow it's supposed to start rainingin Seattle. Great stuff. I will
talk soon. Man. Oh,you got to ruin it for me.
I was in heaven here. Iwas like, this is glorious. I'm
not walking by the water right now. It's great. I love it.
Man, Hey, great stuff.We'll talk to him, buddy. Thank
you, Bell, Thanks chuys allright, JJ Prazinski with us on the
ear That was I just texted Jackson. There was a money quote there from
(09:18):
aj earlier Jackson about hey, howabout going after a couple of hitters,
and then he lays that line onus about going out and spending some money.
This is a national guy that reallyhas no ties to Seattle besides playing
the Mariners a lot when he's witha White Sox, and even he sees
and even his perception is that theseguys don't spend money. Well, it
is what it is. We cansee, right, we can see the
(09:39):
payroll there, what seventeenth eighteenth inthe league. And you know, we
were kind of promised that when theywere going to do the rebuild and get
younger, get rid of the oldbats and what have you, that they'd
then be in a position to goout and spend the money. And until
it happens. I mean they're gonnasay, well, we spent a lot
(10:01):
of money on on who, wespent a lot of money on Castillo,
but you're still at eighteenth in theleague. And so unless unless you increase
those numbers, I think you're gonnabe open to critsism, no question.
All right, We're gonna break alittle fun with audio. Coming next,
we'll chat about everything we heard fromDoug Baldwin, your thoughts on Ryan Grubb
(10:22):
as the OC as well at fouro'clock. Chuck's gonna join us, by
the way, Hew at five andtalk about the Mariners firing Brent Brown,
their offensive coordinator today. And thenAnthony Herron, former Iowa football player now
with a Big ten network, willjoin us at five forty five and talk
you dubbed to the Big Ten comingup live from Jimmy's on a Friday afternoon
right here on ninety three three kJRFM.
Live from the R and R FoundationSpecialists Broadcast Studio. Now back to Softie
and Dick on your Home for theHuskies and the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three
point three kJ R FM. Allright back here on Jimmy's on First Big
Thanks to Doug Baldwin for joining uson the radio show we are efforting to
(00:21):
get. AJ Prazinsky was calling thegame for Fox tomorrow with the MS and
Angels. I saw where our buddyAaron Goldsmith is doing the game with AJ.
So some national pub for our buddyAaron Goldsmith, but hopefully catch up
with Aj Perzenski, the former WhiteSox catcher, as well as other teams
with us in a matter of aminute. Take Hugh before we get to
that. I'm curious about what youthought about what Doug said about Ryan Grubb
(00:43):
when you said, hey, whatare the challenges for him? What will
show you that this guy kind ofknows what he's doing and that this is
going to work at the NFL level? And he talked about his ability to
communicate things to his players. I'mcurious about your thoughts and what you heard
from Doug there last second. Yeah, the first thing he met was he's
kind of so a work ethic.Well, that's that's one of Ryan grubbs
(01:03):
foretastes, and so I think thatthat any veteran is going to be satisfied
on that front. As far asthe idea, Okay, the why.
What Doug was saying, Hey,I need to know the why. I
think that it's it's really really goodfor receivers to understand the game as much
like quarterbacks as they can, sothey understand how the commoncepts walk together.
(01:23):
And we'll talk in that greater detailbecause I know we got AJ here.
Yeah, let's get to it.The former catcher for a long long time
for the White Sox, the Rangers, Boston Saint Louis spent a couple of
years in Atlanta at the end ofhis career. He's now a media superstar
with Fox, him and our buddyGoldie doing the game tomorrow with the Mariners
and Angels. AJ Perzinski joins usright now on the radio show, AJ.
(01:46):
How are you man? I amdoing awesome? How are you all?
We're good? Great to have youon the on the air. Great
to have you back on kJ Rand Seattle. Welcome back to T Mobile
Park. Appreciate you doing this,man, and it's a great day to
have you on because, as youknow, this Mariner pitching staff from a
rotation and bullpen perspective has been amazing. But the offense has been kind of
lagging behind twenty eighth and batting averagetwenty eighth and run scored second to last
(02:09):
in the AL. And they justfired their offensive coordinator and bench coach Brent
Brown this afternoon. So put yourput your player hat on when you find
out that an offensive coach has beenlet go because the offense can't hit and
score runs. What's your reaction asa player when something like that happens.
Well, first of all, Ithought you were saying it was great because
(02:30):
the weather is awesome today. ButI mean, it's not a cloud in
the sky. Mind Seattle or LosAngeles. You're at Seattle, baby,
I about taking a wrong turn herethe uh listen anytime a coach fire starts,
I didn't even know that. Sothat's for the breaking news on me.
(02:50):
They're in first place, aren't theytoo? I'm pretty sure they're in
first place? Correct? You knowyou're a team firing guys in first place?
I had to was there a disagreementbetween Scott Service and between the photo
and have someone else. I don'tknow, but God sucks as the player
because you always look, I wasonly on a team once we fired the
manager midseason, and you're like,you're just still look in the mirror and
you say, gosh, did Ido something? Look that I've done to
(03:12):
keep this guy's job. Because you'vebecome attached to these guys, they become
like your family because you're around themso much so ladies, and then all
of a sudden, somebody disappeared.So that part sucks. But you know
what. Listen, they're trying tofind offense anywhere they can. But I
got a great idea, and whenI really find offense, they can go
out and find a couple of guysin the trade deadline and brings, spend
some money and brings a Cup hitter, and that'd be fun. Well,
(03:32):
we're definitely going to touch on thatpoint, but let's go back one more
piggybacking on Dave's question, you're aplayer, have you ever heard of or
experienced where a hitting coach? AndI guess this is a new term in
baseball offensive coordinator. I thought thatwas the domain of football. But have
(03:53):
you ever had a situation where you'vegot a coach that's asking you to do
something I'll fill the sophically or mechanicallyat the plate where you just don't agree
with that. You're listening to himcoaching. He said, that's that's nonsense.
Has that? Has that happened toyou? And and how do you
handle that as a player? Yes, it happened, It happened, It
(04:14):
happens, it happened, But youknow what you also say, it's your
career. Okay, I give usall the time, which is I have
a son that's a junior high school, is going to be a senior,
and you know, he goes tohitting lessons and we talked about hitting and
he says, this guy's telling methis and I'm like, well, listen,
you know what I'm saying isn't workingor if we're trying something different,
that's fine. But at the endof the day, it's your career.
It's your life right as a player. So if you're on out there and
(04:38):
you're three hundred, you're hitting thirtyhomers and you're driving a hundred, just
what the hitting coach doesn't say anythingto you when you're struggling, the hitting
coach is probably going to say somethingto you, and that's that's life,
right. So I think that therewas times where I played and there was
one year in particular, I'm notgoing to name the year, but wait,
a hitting coach. I just didn'ttalk to him. I was like,
I'm gonna do my own thing.I don't agree that it's telling them
new and I went out had agreat year. I didn't even talked to
(04:59):
the hitting coach for like four months. Fine. He also didn't want to
talk to me because he's like,dang, you're raking, so why don't
I want to talk to you.I Paul was struggling. I'd be in
there talking to him every day,but he just let me alone. And
it was a it was just adifference in philosophy, difference in vocabulary,
difference in thought process, whatever youwant to call it. But it worked
for me. But we also anassistant guy, but I go along with
great and I was like, allright, I'm gonna talk to him because
(05:20):
we're talking the same language. SoI understand it. Listen, you also
want to please everybody when you're especiallyas a younger player, you want to
please everybody right, this guy's socoachable. I'll do whatever I say.
There's a some times you got tolook at your coach and say, no,
that didn't work for me, buthe says, oh try this.
You go, yeah, yeah,try try something. You take a good
swing, and then you're like,yeah, that was it, coach thinks,
(05:40):
and then I'll walk away and you'relike you you just do whatever you
want. Well, heyj Perzinski again, the former White Sock catcher is with
us on the air. He's doingthe game tomorrow with Aaron Goldsmith over on
Fox, and I'm curious a jto get your thoughts on Julio Rodriguez.
His numbers are down, his opsis way down, power numbers way down.
Is on pace to strike out aboutone hundred and nine times, which
(06:00):
is way too much, way morethan last year. What do you see
kind of ailing Julio through fifty eightgames. Pitch selection for me is number
one. For him, he's chasingtoo much. If you remember, he
got off to this kind of startlast year and pick it up and that
was when the team picked up,right, So he's got to figure it
out again. For me, itcomes down to pitch selection for me,
he's got to get good pitches inthe zone. He's kind of accept his
(06:23):
walks. He wants to hit.He's a great player, but he's also
got to get pitches in the game. And when he does, then he
makes the pictures come into his zone. That's when he gets does damage.
So I think for him it's justabout pitch selection and let the game come
to him. Sometimes I think he'sso young. We always forget how young
he is because he's been the faceof baseball that the last couple of years.
Time to think contracted the All StarGame last year, and he's going
(06:44):
to take a step back and say, all right, let's let this game
come to me, the pitcher cometo me, and let him make a
mistake. And I think as someonelike Julio, you can see a little
bit he's anxious. He wants togo get the ball instead of just saying
right, I'm gonna let the gamecome to me and see what happens.
He'll be so dangerous as he does. A couple more minutes with AJ Prazinski
and Aja with your background as acatcher, curious your thoughts about cal Raley
(07:06):
and uh Mariners have him locked upfor a few more years, but eventually
you're gonna have to pay a bigbill. What are the aspects that you
say are most important coming from acatcher? Is it more defensive stuff?
And how you relate with the pitchers? Is it equal with offense? Does
offense more important in your mind asyou evaluate catchers? What do you prioritize?
(07:29):
And how does Cal Rawley fit inin that? Well? The first
thing I look at with Cal fortyfive to thirty homers every year, but
he plays every day. He takeshe takes the gear, he puts it
on a splots back there almost everyday. Not every day, and no
one can do it every day,but a lot of the times. And
that's a big thing for me.I was always a big fan of guys
that can do it every day.He does it every day. And when
you do that, you take controlof the pitching staff and you say,
(07:53):
all right, we get into arhythm. I'm catching you know whoever I'm
catching. I'm catching Logan Gilbert andpitching five days when he's gonna throw up
what he'd likes to and just becomeinstinct with guys. When you when you
lose that and you don't get toplay and lose a little bit of rhythm
of your picture and off process andhow you look be in Saint and then
it also gets you into the Bullpenker'slike, all right, guess I know
(08:13):
what you did. All right,we can go back to this in a
big situation. So that's the thingfor me. He plays every day.
He knows how to handle a pitchingstaff. He rolls the pitching staff.
He throws better than people think.He obviously hits a switch hitter. But
he's a stud man. He's he'sThey're gonna have to sign him to a
big money contract at some point orlet him walk. But I'm much other.
See him statement, Yeah, Igive him the deal. Now I
(08:35):
just buy out arbitration and say let'srock and roll. Do you think Scott
Boris would do that? Kel Borisdoesn't usually do that. Do you think
the Mariners would do that? Becausethey don't spend any money then then spend
any money to saft season. God, I love you man, It's great
to have you on the radio show. You are speaking the truth and the
fans all agree. A. J. Prazenski. Hey enjoy the weather tonight
(08:56):
because tomorrow it's supposed to start rainingin Seattle. Great stuff. I will
talk soon. Man. Oh,you got to ruin it for me.
I was in heaven here. Iwas like, this is glorious. I'm
not walking by the water right now. It's great. I love it.
Man, Hey, great stuff.We'll talk to him, buddy. Thank
you, Bell, Thanks chuys allright, JJ Prazinski with us on the
ear That was I just texted Jackson. There was a money quote there from
(09:18):
aj earlier Jackson about hey, howabout going after a couple of hitters,
and then he lays that line onus about going out and spending some money.
This is a national guy that reallyhas no ties to Seattle besides playing
the Mariners a lot when he's witha White Sox, and even he sees
and even his perception is that theseguys don't spend money. Well, it
is what it is. We cansee, right, we can see the
(09:39):
payroll there, what seventeenth eighteenth inthe league. And you know, we
were kind of promised that when theywere going to do the rebuild and get
younger, get rid of the oldbats and what have you, that they'd
then be in a position to goout and spend the money. And until
it happens. I mean they're gonnasay, well, we spent a lot
(10:01):
of money on on who, wespent a lot of money on Castillo,
but you're still at eighteenth in theleague. And so unless unless you increase
those numbers, I think you're gonnabe open to critsism, no question.
All right, We're gonna break alittle fun with audio. Coming next,
we'll chat about everything we heard fromDoug Baldwin, your thoughts on Ryan Grubb
(10:22):
as the OC as well at fouro'clock. Chuck's gonna join us, by
the way, Hew at five andtalk about the Mariners firing Brent Brown,
their offensive coordinator today. And thenAnthony Herron, former Iowa football player now
with a Big ten network, willjoin us at five forty five and talk
you dubbed to the Big Ten comingup live from Jimmy's on a Friday afternoon
right here on ninety three three kJRFM.
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