April 11, 2025 • 10 mins
Voice Of The Astros Robert Ford Talks About The Start Of The Season
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is eleven oh one here on Sports Talk seven ninety,
Matt Thomas with you from Los Angeles Rockets and Lakers. Tonight,
we'll have the broadcast for you. I believe we're going
to KTRH tonight. I don't even know where ktrich or
seven ninety, I don't know which one it is, but
we're nine thirty. The other station will have the astros on,
and that was where Robert Ford will be. And he's
a longtime friend and we usually have him on Opening Day,
(00:22):
but I was not working Opening Day, and I'm thinking, well,
with Ross being gone, i got to get the voice
on here. Robert Ford, you have already been to Seattle
once you're going on the road back to Saint Louis.
How about do you even know what a lengthy homestand
is at this point?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I do not.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
As a matter of fact, I just started packing after
getting back what Wednesday night. So yeah, that's just the
way it goes sometimes.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, for sure. Hey, I got an interesting question earlier
today and I couldn't answer because I'm not around the
team like you are to the level that you are.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Tell me about the.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Relationship in general with hitting and pitching coaches, about nuances,
about time in the video room, the subtleties, because you know,
I think there's the lowest hanging fruit is if something
doesn't go right, you have to get rid of people.
And I've never believed in that under any circumstance. I
think it's about the player. But you are an opportunity
to see a little bit of that behind the scenes stuff.
(01:18):
So what can you tell us about at a major
league level, the role of pitching and hitting coaches, about
just getting guys out of slump or making subtle adjustments.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Well, I mean those coaches, the hitting and pitching coaches
probably are the ones who are the busiest on any
team in any clubhouse, whether it's hitting coaches with guys
in the cage looking at video, pitching coaches obviously out
there when guys are throwing bullpins, or even when the
pitchers are playing catch before the game, just to see
how guys are feeling. They are constantly in motion and constantly.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
On the move.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And you're right, at the end of the day, it
comes down to the player getting the job done. And
it also comes down to when a player is struggling
to seek out the hitting or pitching coaches or seek
someone out who can help them. I think that's the
part that a lot of people don't understand who may
(02:14):
not be around a team on a regular basis. Is
a lot of times a hitting coach and pitching coach,
or a pitching coach can see what, you know, what's
going wrong with someone, what somebody needs to adjust.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But if that.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Player is not interested in listening to that coach at
that given time, there's not really much that you can
do as a coach in those situations.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You can It's a little easier with.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Younger players obviously than it is with veteran players, but
really with all players, it comes down to they have
to be ready to listen, to feedback and get information.
I always think about something Brent Strom, who of course
was the Asher's pitching coach for a long time, something
he used to say, and I don't think he came
up with it, but I always like this expression. He
(03:00):
always said, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.
And I think that's what it really comes down to
for hitting and pitching coaches.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, that's a good some good insight. Robert Ford, the
voice of the Astros with us here on the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross on seven to ninety. Cam Smith
makes the roster coming out of spring training, wide eyed
and bushy tailed, excited about it. And then the numbers
haven't been great. He's had with three hits in the
last couple of days. What's it like watching him in
the small sample size? And I look Decenzels played some
rightfield as well, but kind of watching him learning and
(03:31):
going through the growing pains right now, at least for
the first twelve games of his major league career.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Well you said it.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I mean it's growing pains, and this is something that
he's never really had to deal with. I mean only
played thirty two games last year after getting drafted. I
mean he was at Florida State, you know, this time
last year. So there's there's a lot that has to
be learned. And then you throw on the fact that
he moved from the infield to the outfield the last
couple of weeks of spring training. So there's been a
lot thrown at Camp Smith, and honestly, he's handled it
(03:58):
all about as well as you you could hope. And
I think when it comes to playing right field, he
looked great out there.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Honestly, he's looked very.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Comfortable and talking with Dave Clark the other day, Ash
was first base coach who works a lot with the outfielders.
He said he described Smith to me as a sponge
was the word he used, and he said that you
tell him something once and he's got it and he's
able to implement it. That's what he's seen working with
him on defense. And actually had a conversation with Joe
(04:27):
Spot a few days ago about Cam and I just
asked him.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I was like, hey, what you know, what are you seeing?
And he said, you know what.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
The thing about Smith is, Yeah, he's struggling, but he
hasn't looked like he's overwhelmed. He hasn't looked like the
moments too big for him or anything like that. He's
just just trying to figure it out. But it hasn't
been a situation where he just looks over matter, overwhelmed.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And that's encouraging.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And it certainly seemed like the last couple of days
after sitting for the two days before that, he started
to swing the bat a little better.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Forredyth and Walker were built for a minute, made Park particular,
and they neither have not had a great start offensively.
What are you seeing from those two guys as it
just missed this because I know they and I don't
like this stat, but I hear the XBA is incredible.
But give me your thoughts on why those guys have
not been able to click just yet.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I think the biggest thing with Christian Walker is in
the game on Wednesday in Seattle, he walked twice and
that's after not having walked at all before Wednesday's game
on the season, which was the most glaring thing. I mean,
the strikeouts were up, but to me, the lack of walks.
I mean, you're talking about someone who saw the tenth
most pitches per played appearance of the big leagues last year,
(05:37):
and he hadn't drawn a walk for the first, you know,
eleven games of the season, so I think that's encouraging.
He also and he did strike out in that game
as well, but he worked a count full and you know,
struck out on a pretty nasty pitch. So he's starting
to see more pitches. So I think that's good for
Christian Walker. And he even mentioned in Minnesota about how, yeah,
when you come over to a new team, you know,
(06:00):
especially in his situation as a free agent sign a
big contract. You you know, it's kind of natural to
put a little pressure on yourself. You want to show
what you can do. You want to prove that you
you you're worth what they're paying you. But I think
we saw signs that that Walker may may start to
be figuring some things out. As for Parades, I mean,
he has hit so many loud, foul balls. I mean
(06:22):
he is just missing pitches right now, like just out
in front, still seeing a lot of pitches, still having
very good plate appearances. You know, he was number one,
you mentioned Walker was tenth. Parades was number one in
terms of pitches for plate appearance in the big leagues
last year, and that certainly has carried over. But it
seems like he's just maybe just a click off. And
(06:44):
sometimes with guys like that, it takes it can take
one game, one swing to kind of get them back
to where they need to be. And also, like on
the defensive side, for Parades, I hadn't heard, not that
i'd heard bad things about him, but I had heard
great things about him defensively. But he's he's been He's
better than I thought it would be. Over at third base, honestly,
very sure handed, handles everything, that he can get to.
(07:06):
He's been a pleasant surprise for me on the defensive end.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Visiting with Robert Ford for a couple more minutes here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross here from Los Angeles. Robert,
it was such an even keeled clubhouse for all these years,
never too high, never too low. And look, five and
seven is nothing in the big picture of things. But
you don't have Tucker anymore, you don't have Bregman, you
don't have Presley. I mean this, there are some veteran
(07:30):
influences that are now elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Is have you.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Noticed anybody taking that next step up? Or is that
just kind of going to be organic? And when you
start seeing guys be a little more demonstrative, it's maybe
because the season is a little more impactful and you're
looking for guys to kind of take over and be
know those leadership roles that obviously Breggs and Tucker some
other folks did.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
I've seen some little things. I mean, I think you know,
I've noticed that. You know, Christian Walker has been in
almost every mound meeting when the pitching coach goes out there,
and a lot of times even when it's just a
catcher who goes out there. You know, it's a small thing,
but I think especially for someone who you know, has
a track record but is new to the Astros, it's
(08:10):
certainly noticeable. So, you know, I've definitely noticed that. I
think Peyna probably has stepped it up a little bit.
He's probably a little more comfortable, maybe not necessarily as
a as a big time vocal leader, but I think
certainly leading by example. I mean, he and Altuve to
me are the hardest workers on this team, the guys
(08:30):
at least that I see who are out there. And
not to discount anybody else, but those are the two
guys that stand out for me in terms of the
work they put in. And then you just think about
what Altuve has done. You know, didn't he could have
said you and the Astros approach him about moving to
the outfield. He could have just said no, I want
to say at second base, and that that would have
That's what would what what would have happened. But for
him to be willing to switch to the outfield, be
(08:53):
willing to potentially embarrass himself, be willing to maybe potentially
fail more than he has in the past, I think
that says that speaks volumes. I mean, if that's not leadership,
I don't know what is, all right.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Robert, Lastly, let's get to what it has been like
just being with this team right now. Twelve games end
of the season, mentioned a lot of road trips so far.
We're also talking about a situation where you've got a
lot of young men who are trying to play for
playing time. Brendan Rodgers probably wasn't on the radar even
a month before the start of the season. He's playing
(09:26):
some times at the Central's getting some movement. Are you
as curious about what the starting lineup is every day
at this point or is that a situation where you
think Joe is just trying to kind of figure out
what fits right now?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, I think it's a situation where he's just trying
to figure out what fits, because I mean it's a
combination of things. One, you have a lot more turnover
from last year this year than the Ashers have had
in quite some time, so a lot of guys to
kind of figure out. And then also the team's gotten
off to a slow start offensively, and so not that
(10:00):
you're trying to reinvent the wheel like he's been pretty
consistent with the top four hitters and things like that.
But you're trying to get guys going and figure out
where guys are most comfortable and what works best for
different players in terms of how much they play, we're
in the lineup, they are, things like that. So I
think there's just been a lengthy period of adjustment with
(10:21):
this ball club, particularly on the offensive end, which is
so many new position players compared to years past.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Robert, great hearing you boys, but man, I will be
out at the ballpark when the Rockets are done, hopefully
will not be for a significant long period of time,
And we thank you for joining me on the show today.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Thanks for having me and Bill Rockets
It is eleven oh one here on Sports Talk seven ninety,
Matt Thomas with you from Los Angeles Rockets and Lakers. Tonight,
we'll have the broadcast for you. I believe we're going
to KTRH tonight. I don't even know where ktrich or
seven ninety, I don't know which one it is, but
we're nine thirty. The other station will have the astros on,
and that was where Robert Ford will be. And he's
a longtime friend and we usually have him on Opening Day,
(00:22):
but I was not working Opening Day, and I'm thinking, well,
with Ross being gone, i got to get the voice
on here. Robert Ford, you have already been to Seattle
once you're going on the road back to Saint Louis.
How about do you even know what a lengthy homestand
is at this point?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I do not.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
As a matter of fact, I just started packing after
getting back what Wednesday night. So yeah, that's just the
way it goes sometimes.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, for sure. Hey, I got an interesting question earlier
today and I couldn't answer because I'm not around the
team like you are to the level that you are.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Tell me about the.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Relationship in general with hitting and pitching coaches, about nuances,
about time in the video room, the subtleties, because you know,
I think there's the lowest hanging fruit is if something
doesn't go right, you have to get rid of people.
And I've never believed in that under any circumstance. I
think it's about the player. But you are an opportunity
to see a little bit of that behind the scenes stuff.
(01:18):
So what can you tell us about at a major
league level, the role of pitching and hitting coaches, about
just getting guys out of slump or making subtle adjustments.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Well, I mean those coaches, the hitting and pitching coaches
probably are the ones who are the busiest on any
team in any clubhouse, whether it's hitting coaches with guys
in the cage looking at video, pitching coaches obviously out
there when guys are throwing bullpins, or even when the
pitchers are playing catch before the game, just to see
how guys are feeling. They are constantly in motion and constantly.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
On the move.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And you're right, at the end of the day, it
comes down to the player getting the job done. And
it also comes down to when a player is struggling
to seek out the hitting or pitching coaches or seek
someone out who can help them. I think that's the
part that a lot of people don't understand who may
(02:14):
not be around a team on a regular basis. Is
a lot of times a hitting coach and pitching coach,
or a pitching coach can see what, you know, what's
going wrong with someone, what somebody needs to adjust.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But if that.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Player is not interested in listening to that coach at
that given time, there's not really much that you can
do as a coach in those situations.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You can It's a little easier with.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Younger players obviously than it is with veteran players, but
really with all players, it comes down to they have
to be ready to listen, to feedback and get information.
I always think about something Brent Strom, who of course
was the Asher's pitching coach for a long time, something
he used to say, and I don't think he came
up with it, but I always like this expression. He
(03:00):
always said, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.
And I think that's what it really comes down to
for hitting and pitching coaches.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, that's a good some good insight. Robert Ford, the
voice of the Astros with us here on the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross on seven to ninety. Cam Smith
makes the roster coming out of spring training, wide eyed
and bushy tailed, excited about it. And then the numbers
haven't been great. He's had with three hits in the
last couple of days. What's it like watching him in
the small sample size? And I look Decenzels played some
rightfield as well, but kind of watching him learning and
(03:31):
going through the growing pains right now, at least for
the first twelve games of his major league career.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Well you said it.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I mean it's growing pains, and this is something that
he's never really had to deal with. I mean only
played thirty two games last year after getting drafted. I
mean he was at Florida State, you know, this time
last year. So there's there's a lot that has to
be learned. And then you throw on the fact that
he moved from the infield to the outfield the last
couple of weeks of spring training. So there's been a
lot thrown at Camp Smith, and honestly, he's handled it
(03:58):
all about as well as you you could hope. And
I think when it comes to playing right field, he
looked great out there.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Honestly, he's looked very.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Comfortable and talking with Dave Clark the other day, Ash
was first base coach who works a lot with the outfielders.
He said he described Smith to me as a sponge
was the word he used, and he said that you
tell him something once and he's got it and he's
able to implement it. That's what he's seen working with
him on defense. And actually had a conversation with Joe
(04:27):
Spot a few days ago about Cam and I just
asked him.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I was like, hey, what you know, what are you seeing?
And he said, you know what.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
The thing about Smith is, Yeah, he's struggling, but he
hasn't looked like he's overwhelmed. He hasn't looked like the
moments too big for him or anything like that. He's
just just trying to figure it out. But it hasn't
been a situation where he just looks over matter, overwhelmed.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And that's encouraging.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And it certainly seemed like the last couple of days
after sitting for the two days before that, he started
to swing the bat a little better.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Forredyth and Walker were built for a minute, made Park particular,
and they neither have not had a great start offensively.
What are you seeing from those two guys as it
just missed this because I know they and I don't
like this stat, but I hear the XBA is incredible.
But give me your thoughts on why those guys have
not been able to click just yet.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I think the biggest thing with Christian Walker is in
the game on Wednesday in Seattle, he walked twice and
that's after not having walked at all before Wednesday's game
on the season, which was the most glaring thing. I mean,
the strikeouts were up, but to me, the lack of walks.
I mean, you're talking about someone who saw the tenth
most pitches per played appearance of the big leagues last year,
(05:37):
and he hadn't drawn a walk for the first, you know,
eleven games of the season, so I think that's encouraging.
He also and he did strike out in that game
as well, but he worked a count full and you know,
struck out on a pretty nasty pitch. So he's starting
to see more pitches. So I think that's good for
Christian Walker. And he even mentioned in Minnesota about how, yeah,
when you come over to a new team, you know,
(06:00):
especially in his situation as a free agent sign a
big contract. You you know, it's kind of natural to
put a little pressure on yourself. You want to show
what you can do. You want to prove that you
you you're worth what they're paying you. But I think
we saw signs that that Walker may may start to
be figuring some things out. As for Parades, I mean,
he has hit so many loud, foul balls. I mean
(06:22):
he is just missing pitches right now, like just out
in front, still seeing a lot of pitches, still having
very good plate appearances. You know, he was number one,
you mentioned Walker was tenth. Parades was number one in
terms of pitches for plate appearance in the big leagues
last year, and that certainly has carried over. But it
seems like he's just maybe just a click off. And
(06:44):
sometimes with guys like that, it takes it can take
one game, one swing to kind of get them back
to where they need to be. And also, like on
the defensive side, for Parades, I hadn't heard, not that
i'd heard bad things about him, but I had heard
great things about him defensively. But he's he's been He's
better than I thought it would be. Over at third base, honestly,
very sure handed, handles everything, that he can get to.
(07:06):
He's been a pleasant surprise for me on the defensive end.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Visiting with Robert Ford for a couple more minutes here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross here from Los Angeles. Robert,
it was such an even keeled clubhouse for all these years,
never too high, never too low. And look, five and
seven is nothing in the big picture of things. But
you don't have Tucker anymore, you don't have Bregman, you
don't have Presley. I mean this, there are some veteran
(07:30):
influences that are now elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Is have you.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Noticed anybody taking that next step up? Or is that
just kind of going to be organic? And when you
start seeing guys be a little more demonstrative, it's maybe
because the season is a little more impactful and you're
looking for guys to kind of take over and be
know those leadership roles that obviously Breggs and Tucker some
other folks did.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
I've seen some little things. I mean, I think you know,
I've noticed that. You know, Christian Walker has been in
almost every mound meeting when the pitching coach goes out there,
and a lot of times even when it's just a
catcher who goes out there. You know, it's a small thing,
but I think especially for someone who you know, has
a track record but is new to the Astros, it's
(08:10):
certainly noticeable. So, you know, I've definitely noticed that. I
think Peyna probably has stepped it up a little bit.
He's probably a little more comfortable, maybe not necessarily as
a as a big time vocal leader, but I think
certainly leading by example. I mean, he and Altuve to
me are the hardest workers on this team, the guys
(08:30):
at least that I see who are out there. And
not to discount anybody else, but those are the two
guys that stand out for me in terms of the
work they put in. And then you just think about
what Altuve has done. You know, didn't he could have
said you and the Astros approach him about moving to
the outfield. He could have just said no, I want
to say at second base, and that that would have
That's what would what what would have happened. But for
him to be willing to switch to the outfield, be
(08:53):
willing to potentially embarrass himself, be willing to maybe potentially
fail more than he has in the past, I think
that says that speaks volumes. I mean, if that's not leadership,
I don't know what is, all right.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Robert, Lastly, let's get to what it has been like
just being with this team right now. Twelve games end
of the season, mentioned a lot of road trips so far.
We're also talking about a situation where you've got a
lot of young men who are trying to play for
playing time. Brendan Rodgers probably wasn't on the radar even
a month before the start of the season. He's playing
(09:26):
some times at the Central's getting some movement. Are you
as curious about what the starting lineup is every day
at this point or is that a situation where you
think Joe is just trying to kind of figure out
what fits right now?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, I think it's a situation where he's just trying
to figure out what fits, because I mean it's a
combination of things. One, you have a lot more turnover
from last year this year than the Ashers have had
in quite some time, so a lot of guys to
kind of figure out. And then also the team's gotten
off to a slow start offensively, and so not that
(10:00):
you're trying to reinvent the wheel like he's been pretty
consistent with the top four hitters and things like that.
But you're trying to get guys going and figure out
where guys are most comfortable and what works best for
different players in terms of how much they play, we're
in the lineup, they are, things like that. So I
think there's just been a lengthy period of adjustment with
(10:21):
this ball club, particularly on the offensive end, which is
so many new position players compared to years past.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Robert, great hearing you boys, but man, I will be
out at the ballpark when the Rockets are done, hopefully
will not be for a significant long period of time,
And we thank you for joining me on the show today.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Thanks for having me and Bill Rockets
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