April 8, 2025 • 10 mins
Astros Manager Joe Espada Talks Early Season and What They Expect Moving Forward
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us from Seattle. Tough loss last night, tough loss
before the game. Skip, It's Matt Ross. Good morning to you.
How are things man?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm doing well, man, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
My Cougar's lost a national championship. Bets on there here
nor there. We'll move on to your squad.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm look, we should be, we should be. We should
be proud of their season. You know we we watched
the last minute and a half during a pitching change. Uh,
they put the last minute on the school board there
and and and you know it, we all felt it.
But I think we need to celebrate their season. You know,
the boys, uh play their their heart out and you know,
(00:38):
as all, the whole entire city of Houston should be
proud of our Cougars.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
You said, you almost said play their ass off. You
could say that sometimes, Joe, you can't set it every time,
but you say, once in a while.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
They did. Man, they did, they did they You know
it was it was incredible to watch them, you know,
come together at the team. They play hard till the end.
And that's that's what us coaches always want from our players,
is just to give everything they are, eveything they have.
(01:07):
You know, no you don't want to You don't want
them quitting. You want them to fight through the end.
And they did that.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
You know it's credible. I'll ask you before we get
to the logistics of your squad. And you know, Calvin Samson,
the coach and the Cougars, was telling us about what
he had to tell the kids. And look, you've only
had to have that conversation once. The manager was last
year against trying the two game wild Card series. I
don't know if you get it, vice or you have
been through as a player or a coach. Those are
(01:34):
gotta be the hardest conversations you can have when you
put in all the hard work from spring training to
a one sixty two game schedule to have a season
abruptly in what however it does. There's no waiting for
you to prepare for that, except that you just have
to kind of just say with your emotions, are you not?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah? There there isn't And you know you when you
have those conversations, you want to be genuine and open
hearted about how you really feel about your team and
and and and your you know and and as a family,
because it's you put so much work into getting ready
(02:10):
for a season. There's the ups and downs, theirs, the
the tough moments that you lean on one another just
to get you through some tough, you know, tough event,
and once you have to say goodbye and and you know,
in college sports sometimes you don't you don't see those kids,
you know again on the court. You know, I have
(02:31):
the opportunity to see those guys the next season. Some
of them, you know, going to free agency. That's more
of a one on one conversation at the end of that,
you know, at the end of that meeting. But it's
it's really really difficult to have them for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I'm gonna let Ross ask about last night in particulars
did not see the game, but I do want to
ask you about Spencer. Explain to the audience what you heard,
did see happen, and then anything in terms of a
medical update about how long he potentially could be out. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
So I did not see what happened, but you know
I heard from our trainers and also from a Spencer
that you know, he was playing catch that ball was
hit during during batting practice of satur Maner's batting practice
and struck him in the uh in that right thumb. Obviously,
and then we learned that he has a fracture. So
(03:20):
right now he flew to Houston today and he's seen
our doctors, and once we hear from our doctors, will
know the extent. Uh. And how long you know we
will have Spencer out for?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
And how much of this is just some crazy freak
thing with Spencer in the wrong place. I mean, this
is just have you ever heard of anything like this?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
No, you know, we has happened where you know, to
this extent, I have never never seen it. And you
know it's a freak accident, but you know, it could
have happened to anyone, and it just sucks to happen
to to Spencer, And you know, we we have to, uh,
(04:11):
you know, deal with this blow right now and and
and and get him healthy and get him ready back
and get him back on the mound as soon as possible.
And uh, this opens the door for someone to, you know,
give us, give us some valuable innings in that rotation.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Yeah, what have the discussions been about for a replacement?
We know that Gusto has been kind of your guy.
You are you are you all guys thinking about calling
somebody up. Lance mccullor's junior. Also, even if it's independent
of this discussion, he threw fifty pitches over the weekend,
and how do you think he's progressing?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, so Lance progressing well. He's making his next start
this coming weekend in triple A. So we want Lance
to continue to build up and then we're going to
get over you know, we're going to in the next
two games. We're gonna uh go with Valvedad and Brown,
and then we we have that off day to allow
(05:06):
us to readjust and and plan accordingly for that Angels
UH series. So right now we don't have we have
an idea of what we try and what we what
we should do, but we want to really give the
next two days UH an opportunity to win, you know,
even a series today, win a series tomorrow, and then
(05:27):
we we we see where we go from there.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Two hits yesterday's skip in the game and and look,
everybody goes through these offensive doldrums. And I think we
even talked about this a year ago when you first
started about if this happens in the middle of June
or July, it's just a blip on the radar. But
when it's out to the early part of the year,
and now that we've kind of basically in the two
weeks of the season, are you seeing a little bit
(05:53):
of signs. Obviously not the case last night, but the
great comeback against Minnesota and Sunday we had to be
very encouraging. And what does it say about where we
are today with hitters, because look, I would say offense
generally speaking around baseball, with exception of maybe the Yankees
is a little bit down or is down from everybody else.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, you know, I always think that, you know, the
first two weeks of the season, pitchers come out at
screen training. You know they're coming in. They're coming in hot.
You know, they they they they're built up, they've got
the best stuff. We're running. We come into some of
these city you know, the weather, it's it takes hitters
(06:32):
time to adjust and and and get ready for for
the kind of pitching that we've seen in the last
the first nine games, we've seen some really good pitching,
and I think it takes time hitters to to adjust.
I do like the fact that we still grinding and
fighting through through my bats that you mentioned the winning
(06:54):
in Minnesota. I think yesterday we faced one of the
best starting pitchers in the game. We we got them
out of the game in ninety five pitches, five and
two thirds. You know, those are things that we want
to do as an offense. You want to get in
the bullpen early. So we we've seen some positive signs
about our approach and if you continue to do that
(07:16):
throughout the season, those will turn out into positive results.
You start getting hits, you start getting big hits. We're
getting some guys who you know, all two ways out
to a good start. I think Jordanni is starting to
square some balls up, paradits getting on base. You know,
we are doing some things well offensively. We're putting some
bunts down, we're stealing some basses. We're trying to steal
some runs here and there. Uh, those are positive signs.
(07:38):
We just got to give our we got to give
this some time and and our guys will we'll, we'll, we'll,
we'll come through.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Cam Smith not in the lineup for a couple of games.
For you, you're just giving the young guy a couple
of days to clear his head. Then do you plan
on using him today?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he'll he'll play today. Trying to get them,
trying to get them a couple of days to you know,
he's been working on something sweet with our hitting coaches.
You know, very important for us to understand that. You know,
there is a process in plays where a young player
adjusting through the major leagues. It takes time. We have
to help them through that process and help them through
(08:16):
that development process. And my job is to balance both,
you know, help these young player establish himself at the
big leagues and alls trying to win major league games.
So he'll be fine, But if you want to take
some time for him to I just.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
For I let your run skip. And look, I've not
had enough of face to face watching Jose l two
A play left field. You played them yesterday at second base.
Two questions on Jose, and I promise this will not
be a season long conversation piece, but one, how much
balance do you want between the two positions? And two?
What was it like visiting with Jose over the weekend,
(08:51):
playing in a different ballpark, knowing that you prepare for
minute made. It's one thing, but you play an also
theory twenty nine different other major league ballpark.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yeah, and he's going to play it on on on
on on all the major you know, major league ballparks.
He's going to get you know, he's going to get
some playing time in left and he's also going to
go get some playing time in second base, you know
yesterday example, like you know, he allows me to play
some your downing left I could d h DZ trying
to get his back going trying to get an extra
(09:21):
lefty bat in the line. No with Keratini. So I'm
going to have to make those moves to get everyone
in there, trying to put a good offense on the field,
trying to create opportunities for everyone to to play. And
Hosey's open, uh to doin both. And you know, he
played a really good second base yesterday and he'll go
(09:42):
back and play some left field today. I'm not going
to you know, tell you how many games going to
be in left field? How many games going to be
in second base? Is is? You know, I'm going to
stay in the present. We're trying to win major league games,
and Josey is working really hard at both and Hosey
wants to win and A as long as we all
on the same page and PE will continue to move
(10:03):
forward with our with our plans.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Skip great conversation as always enjoyed the rest of your
trip to Seattle. To look forward to seeing you back
when you get home. And thanks for the visitors.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Always all I'm Matt, take care boy.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Thank you. That's h. Manager Joe Spotta
Joining us from Seattle. Tough loss last night, tough loss
before the game. Skip, It's Matt Ross. Good morning to you.
How are things man?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm doing well, man, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
My Cougar's lost a national championship. Bets on there here
nor there. We'll move on to your squad.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm look, we should be, we should be. We should
be proud of their season. You know we we watched
the last minute and a half during a pitching change. Uh,
they put the last minute on the school board there
and and and you know it, we all felt it.
But I think we need to celebrate their season. You know,
the boys, uh play their their heart out and you know,
(00:38):
as all, the whole entire city of Houston should be
proud of our Cougars.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
You said, you almost said play their ass off. You
could say that sometimes, Joe, you can't set it every time,
but you say, once in a while.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
They did. Man, they did, they did they You know
it was it was incredible to watch them, you know,
come together at the team. They play hard till the end.
And that's that's what us coaches always want from our players,
is just to give everything they are, eveything they have.
(01:07):
You know, no you don't want to You don't want
them quitting. You want them to fight through the end.
And they did that.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
You know it's credible. I'll ask you before we get
to the logistics of your squad. And you know, Calvin Samson,
the coach and the Cougars, was telling us about what
he had to tell the kids. And look, you've only
had to have that conversation once. The manager was last
year against trying the two game wild Card series. I
don't know if you get it, vice or you have
been through as a player or a coach. Those are
(01:34):
gotta be the hardest conversations you can have when you
put in all the hard work from spring training to
a one sixty two game schedule to have a season
abruptly in what however it does. There's no waiting for
you to prepare for that, except that you just have
to kind of just say with your emotions, are you not?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah? There there isn't And you know you when you
have those conversations, you want to be genuine and open
hearted about how you really feel about your team and
and and and your you know and and as a family,
because it's you put so much work into getting ready
(02:10):
for a season. There's the ups and downs, theirs, the
the tough moments that you lean on one another just
to get you through some tough, you know, tough event,
and once you have to say goodbye and and you know,
in college sports sometimes you don't you don't see those kids,
you know again on the court. You know, I have
(02:31):
the opportunity to see those guys the next season. Some
of them, you know, going to free agency. That's more
of a one on one conversation at the end of that,
you know, at the end of that meeting. But it's
it's really really difficult to have them for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I'm gonna let Ross ask about last night in particulars
did not see the game, but I do want to
ask you about Spencer. Explain to the audience what you heard,
did see happen, and then anything in terms of a
medical update about how long he potentially could be out. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
So I did not see what happened, but you know
I heard from our trainers and also from a Spencer
that you know, he was playing catch that ball was
hit during during batting practice of satur Maner's batting practice
and struck him in the uh in that right thumb. Obviously,
and then we learned that he has a fracture. So
(03:20):
right now he flew to Houston today and he's seen
our doctors, and once we hear from our doctors, will
know the extent. Uh. And how long you know we
will have Spencer out for?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
And how much of this is just some crazy freak
thing with Spencer in the wrong place. I mean, this
is just have you ever heard of anything like this?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
No, you know, we has happened where you know, to
this extent, I have never never seen it. And you
know it's a freak accident, but you know, it could
have happened to anyone, and it just sucks to happen
to to Spencer, And you know, we we have to, uh,
(04:11):
you know, deal with this blow right now and and
and and get him healthy and get him ready back
and get him back on the mound as soon as possible.
And uh, this opens the door for someone to, you know,
give us, give us some valuable innings in that rotation.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Yeah, what have the discussions been about for a replacement?
We know that Gusto has been kind of your guy.
You are you are you all guys thinking about calling
somebody up. Lance mccullor's junior. Also, even if it's independent
of this discussion, he threw fifty pitches over the weekend,
and how do you think he's progressing?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, so Lance progressing well. He's making his next start
this coming weekend in triple A. So we want Lance
to continue to build up and then we're going to
get over you know, we're going to in the next
two games. We're gonna uh go with Valvedad and Brown,
and then we we have that off day to allow
(05:06):
us to readjust and and plan accordingly for that Angels
UH series. So right now we don't have we have
an idea of what we try and what we what
we should do, but we want to really give the
next two days UH an opportunity to win, you know,
even a series today, win a series tomorrow, and then
(05:27):
we we we see where we go from there.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Two hits yesterday's skip in the game and and look,
everybody goes through these offensive doldrums. And I think we
even talked about this a year ago when you first
started about if this happens in the middle of June
or July, it's just a blip on the radar. But
when it's out to the early part of the year,
and now that we've kind of basically in the two
weeks of the season, are you seeing a little bit
(05:53):
of signs. Obviously not the case last night, but the
great comeback against Minnesota and Sunday we had to be
very encouraging. And what does it say about where we
are today with hitters, because look, I would say offense
generally speaking around baseball, with exception of maybe the Yankees
is a little bit down or is down from everybody else.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, you know, I always think that, you know, the
first two weeks of the season, pitchers come out at
screen training. You know they're coming in. They're coming in hot.
You know, they they they they're built up, they've got
the best stuff. We're running. We come into some of
these city you know, the weather, it's it takes hitters
(06:32):
time to adjust and and and get ready for for
the kind of pitching that we've seen in the last
the first nine games, we've seen some really good pitching,
and I think it takes time hitters to to adjust.
I do like the fact that we still grinding and
fighting through through my bats that you mentioned the winning
(06:54):
in Minnesota. I think yesterday we faced one of the
best starting pitchers in the game. We we got them
out of the game in ninety five pitches, five and
two thirds. You know, those are things that we want
to do as an offense. You want to get in
the bullpen early. So we we've seen some positive signs
about our approach and if you continue to do that
(07:16):
throughout the season, those will turn out into positive results.
You start getting hits, you start getting big hits. We're
getting some guys who you know, all two ways out
to a good start. I think Jordanni is starting to
square some balls up, paradits getting on base. You know,
we are doing some things well offensively. We're putting some
bunts down, we're stealing some basses. We're trying to steal
some runs here and there. Uh, those are positive signs.
(07:38):
We just got to give our we got to give
this some time and and our guys will we'll, we'll, we'll,
we'll come through.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Cam Smith not in the lineup for a couple of games.
For you, you're just giving the young guy a couple
of days to clear his head. Then do you plan
on using him today?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he'll he'll play today. Trying to get them,
trying to get them a couple of days to you know,
he's been working on something sweet with our hitting coaches.
You know, very important for us to understand that. You know,
there is a process in plays where a young player
adjusting through the major leagues. It takes time. We have
to help them through that process and help them through
(08:16):
that development process. And my job is to balance both,
you know, help these young player establish himself at the
big leagues and alls trying to win major league games.
So he'll be fine, But if you want to take
some time for him to I just.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
For I let your run skip. And look, I've not
had enough of face to face watching Jose l two
A play left field. You played them yesterday at second base.
Two questions on Jose, and I promise this will not
be a season long conversation piece, but one, how much
balance do you want between the two positions? And two?
What was it like visiting with Jose over the weekend,
(08:51):
playing in a different ballpark, knowing that you prepare for
minute made. It's one thing, but you play an also
theory twenty nine different other major league ballpark.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yeah, and he's going to play it on on on
on on all the major you know, major league ballparks.
He's going to get you know, he's going to get
some playing time in left and he's also going to
go get some playing time in second base, you know
yesterday example, like you know, he allows me to play
some your downing left I could d h DZ trying
to get his back going trying to get an extra
(09:21):
lefty bat in the line. No with Keratini. So I'm
going to have to make those moves to get everyone
in there, trying to put a good offense on the field,
trying to create opportunities for everyone to to play. And
Hosey's open, uh to doin both. And you know, he
played a really good second base yesterday and he'll go
(09:42):
back and play some left field today. I'm not going
to you know, tell you how many games going to
be in left field? How many games going to be
in second base? Is is? You know, I'm going to
stay in the present. We're trying to win major league games,
and Josey is working really hard at both and Hosey
wants to win and A as long as we all
on the same page and PE will continue to move
(10:03):
forward with our with our plans.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Skip great conversation as always enjoyed the rest of your
trip to Seattle. To look forward to seeing you back
when you get home. And thanks for the visitors.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Always all I'm Matt, take care boy.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Thank you. That's h. Manager Joe Spotta
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.