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July 23, 2025 14 mins
Still leading the AL West as we now roll through the midpoint of the season, hearing from someone who's played 24 seasons in the league, mostly between the Guardians and the Mariners, 11-time Gold Glove winner Shortstop Omar Vizquel joins Sean and Chris in talks regarding a couple of takeaways from Today's game of play. Sharing a bit of what he's doing currently, amongst other projects, Omar also shares his take on the MLB's HOF selection and where he sees himself amongst baseball's predecessors. 
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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sports Talk seven ninety. Great to be here and it's
my first chance with our next guest, and I love it.
He's got like more gold gloves than you've had than
any of us have waking days.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Right.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Eleven time Gold Glove Award winner, shortstop All Star and
a potential Hall of Famer, as well as omar Vis Skel.
He joins us now here twenty four years as a
Major League baseball player. Omar Welcome to the show Man.
It's great to have you on with us, and great
to have you a part of it, my friend.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Thank you very much. You know, right now, I'm down
in Venezuela, in my country. I'm doing a lot of
community work down here. I am being a representative of a.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Summer league down here that is about to end this week.
So we kind of easy man.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Venezuela is a beautiful country and we try to enjoy
every little bit of it.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, and quite a few good baseball players from your
country you included. It's omar Vis SkELL thirteen. Go oh ma,
let's hit that real quick. You're doing a lot of work,
and I know you're doing the state side, but also
in Venezuela with clinics and these kids, what's the state
of that And are you enjoying teaching and advancing these
kids' career.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yes, every time that you walk into a baseball field
and you see the happy faces of these little guys
that are trying to go into a different stage of
mind learning the game, learning the fundamental baseball, trying to
figure out what are they going to do when they
get fifteen sixteen and they signed that professional contract. I

(01:37):
think it's a great time for them to prepare for
the challenge. And we're trying to put everything out there
so they can.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
Learn feel part of this game.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
It's so complicated sometime when you get into professional and
the most important thing is just enjoy, have fun and
then try to get the principles of the game right
so when you get to those moments, you feel comfortable
with it.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Omarvis Scale, eleven time Gold Glove winner, All Star, twenty
four year career, joins us here on Sports Talk seven
ninety Sean Salisbury Show. Omar the enthusiasm in your country
in Venezuela, you know, and for it's just it's different.
I mean, we have great baseball here in the United States,
as you well know. Having a twenty four year career.

(02:25):
But I'm always curious, when is that culture just part
of it? You know, the energy and from great bat
flips to celebrations, to smiles on their faces to hoping
for a future. Why is the energy a little bit
different or in some cases a lot different in the
culture from whether it's a South American, whether it's where
you are in Venezuela. Why is it different than there

(02:46):
than here and more accepted? What is it?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Well, is the number one sport in the country, as
everybody know. You know, we got some great representative for
sale two way yeah them, just to see that guy
taking the field make people powerful, you know, the they
smile and and what the Houston Astros represent for us

(03:13):
right down here being power of playoffs and worse serious
and you know.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
You see Louisa Rice, you see Henno Zuarez, all.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
These big players that come out from these communities here,
and I think it's our time to give back to them,
to bring the smile back to them. But the competition
has been great. You know, the academies down here has
been growing like crazy. There is over four hundred academies
all around the country. Everywhere you go there is a
guy trying to teach the kids how to kado hit,

(03:44):
how to swing the bat, how to walk into the field,
how to pitch. So, you know, the competition has been
so great that it's contagious, and right now everybody wants
to play baseball down here, and it's our job to
kind of spread.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
The word and make them feel happy about it.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Omarvis s Gale, eleven time Gold Gold Gold Glove winner,
All Star and twenty four year career in Major League baseball,
joins us here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Omar, how
do you feel about the overall state of Major League
Baseball right now? You know, rule changes, competition, specialization, you know,
the home run swings, guys pitching five and the third innings.

(04:22):
And you were kind of around you've seen both eras were.
You had a long enough career to see some old
school baseball, and now you've been around long enough to
see the new changes that we have. Where is the
state of Major League baseball in your mind?

Speaker 3 (04:37):
Well, it is It is kind of different. You know.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
I have to tell you that some of the things
that I see on TV, you know, is kind of weird.
We are now used to see this kind of evolution
of the game. You know, in a long time, we
have been playing the game a little more conservative, I
would say, and now we don't all these evolution rules

(05:01):
and things that that Baseball has brought in here. There
has been a lot of UH, I would say, talk
about about where the game is heading to. No doubt
that you feel strange on some of this, but I
think the new people that is coming.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Into the game.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
When you bring a family into the game, you were
expecting to see these changes, and according to percentages and
all these UH statistic that we see on papers, it
seems like it's working. So MLB should be feeling happy about,
you know, according the time of the game and their

(05:41):
family enjoying the game.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
You know, they're trying to bring.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
A different attitude to to baseball, and I think they
has been accomplished that. Obviously, for the players, it's a
little bit difficult to asset because.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
We have been playing the game on a different way.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
But right now I think everybody is getting used to
the rule and everything that is going on inside the lines.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
Om are you seeing what dynasties look like through the
course of time right here in Houston and you're familiar
You mentioned Jose al Twove countrymen for you as well
in Venezuela. Is it safe to say that we now
look at the Astros as a dominant team and a
team that can continue. And I don't know if dynasty
means you gotta win three championships in five years or

(06:24):
whatever in baseball, but the last decade they've built something
pretty special here. Do you believe there's still a World
Series team even with all these injuries?

Speaker 3 (06:34):
I believe. So.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
You know, last year when they start talking about getting
Bregnant out of the team and getting Talker out of
the team, it was kind of sad for me because
those guys.

Speaker 3 (06:46):
Put together that.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Team around around them and they feel like they were
part of that dynasty for a long time. My question
was the Houston Astros were gonna go to continue to
win and be part of these lay games and word
series and it seems like they is working great. You know,
it's too bad to see those guys go. But Parete

(07:07):
has been producing very good. Ken Smith came in and
you know, he's been playing great right and the lineup
and the lineup that they have he has been amazing.
They're playing some solid baseball. It looks like the team
is heading into the right direction. Hunter Brown about this,
are doing the thing in the mound, and you know
the bullpen has been very good, so you know they

(07:29):
have a pretty good chance to go all away one
more time.

Speaker 3 (07:33):
And I think the team is he hasn't really changed
their face. You know.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
It still have those guys that you can say, Wow,
the Houston Astros are getting into the playoff again.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
So you know, I'm.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Happy that they they're winning games and they getting that back,
they're winning attitude back.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
That's a voice A twenty four year career pro Omarvis
Scale eleven time Gold Glove winner joints us here for
a couple more minutes, you can go to Omar viscale
thirteen dot com and see all the great things he's
doing with teaching kids and clinics and baseball and his
impact hight Omar, let's have a little bit of fun here.
One is you're at the plate, it's the bottom of

(08:14):
the ninth and you need a hit. Is the Who's
the one picture in your career you did not want
to see? Who would that guy have been?

Speaker 2 (08:21):
I did not want to see Pedro Martinez. I think
Pedro has been Wow, one of the most exciting pitchers
in baseball, not only because he got all the oldest
stuff of the carters and fastballs and sliders and breaking balls.
He was so smart, you know, just the way that
he looked at you when you get into the box.

(08:43):
It's a picture that I really enjoy facing. It was
more than a challenge to get a hit of him.
It was a war of looks and intimidation. So you know,
it was one of my favorite pictures to see.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
And in twenty four years, that's a hell of a
long career that most people don't even sniff. So you
saw a lot of great players, had a lot of
great teammates. Who's the best player of all the teammates
you've ever had.

Speaker 3 (09:07):
I think Ken Griffy Junior. I break in with Ken Griffy.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Junior in nineteen eighty nine when we both made the
debut in Oakland.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
And Kenny was twenty years old. I was twenty one.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
We both came from the minor leagues together and we
made the Seattle Mariners team. And you know, I see
Kenny developed in a way that transformed the game. He
was kind of like the very bonds of the of
the nineties, and it's so excited to play with both
of them, actually because then I end up playing with
Barry in San Francisco. But Kenny always was one of

(09:44):
my favorite players, just because of the way that we
grew up together.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
What if I said, what's your if your career wise,
if I said give me one goal moving forward that
if you could have any job in baseball or outside
of baseball, what would it be?

Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well outside of baseball.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
Either you or if if I said your one career
goal that you would love to accomplish, what is it?

Speaker 2 (10:06):
I would have loved to manage a major League team.
I thing that was one of my goals. When I retire,
you know, things didn't go my way, but I'm so
excited that I was part of that of that spot
for a long time and everything that I learned I
have to give back to baseball. And now that's why
we give it back to the kids and the communities,

(10:27):
because it's a world that is magnificent.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
It's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
You make friends, you see the kids of your friends
grow up and become stars. You know, it's an amazing world.
And I was so happy and fortunately that I become
a baseball player.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
All Right, Well, I'll end with this. Eleven gold gloves
is Hall of Fame stuff. You had a twenty four
year career, durability, longevity, Hall of Fame stuff. We're the
emphasis on offensive baseball. Omar, I'm not telling anything, you know.
You know, we want to see the long ball and
the rest of it. But if I'm the final vote
giver and you're sitting in front of me and you

(11:05):
got five minutes or two minutes to tell me why
you're a Hall of Famer, what would you say to me.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
It's so amazing the way that my career developed. I
never expected to play this game for a long time.
You know, I ended up having Gold Glove and being
friends of the best players in the game. I took
this game seriously. I played this game with all my
heart and passion. You know, I was never involved in

(11:34):
things that it took me away from my focus that
was winning a worst series.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
And I play it with a lot of pleasure.

Speaker 2 (11:42):
You know, I smile on my face. I enjoy every
minute of it. And you know, I try to be
a good example for kids when I was on the field,
So you know, at the end of the day, you
turn back your head and say, wow, I played twenty
four years.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
I felt really proud about that.

Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, and that gloves me. You're teaching some kids here
in Houston had a field like Omarvis Scale. That's got
to be a tough task because that's that's high praise,
my man. But I would imagine you see some pretty
fun ones at an early age that got pretty good
glove work on him too as well.

Speaker 3 (12:14):
Thank you, Sarah, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
I want to take this opportunity to invite everybody to
take a look at my website that I've been working
on for this last three months. I put together Omarviscale
thirteen dot com where you can take a look of.

Speaker 3 (12:28):
All the journey of my career.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
I try to put in there some of my passions
to like art and all the things. So you know,
I feel pretty proud of it and I want to
share it with you guys.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
So take a look when you have a chance.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
Please, great player, great teacher. Again, it's Omarvis Scale. That's
v I Z q u E L. Omarvis Scale twenty
four years, eleven, Gold gloves and a great career. Omarvis
Scale thirteen dot com. See all of his interests, what
he's doing, and that's the easiest place to contact him. Omar,
what a pleasure, my first chance I've had in all
my years to interview you, and I sure as hell
enjoyed watching you play and good luck, and you're always

(13:03):
welcome on this show anytime we can have you. We
appreciate your insight.

Speaker 3 (13:07):
Thank you there very much, and we see you in
the boatpark. You know, I still live in the Houston,
and you know I go to the game.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
Every once in a while, so I'm sure that I
see you guys in the playoff over there.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Well, with all the injuries, they may be asking you
to play shortstop, so be careful.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
Man.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
Hey, I'm sure you could still feel the backhander in
the hole and throw them out at first base. So
hopefully we'll get paying you back, but you never know
when that calls coming. Omar, great stuff. We appreciate you
and we look forward to the conversation again, my friend,
Thank you, thank you. That's you, bet Omarvis SkELL and
he does live here and in VENEZUELA great teacher and
one of the best glove men you know, the Ozzie Smiths,

(13:46):
the Omarvis Scales when it comes to fielding ground balls
and getting people out. He was one of the best
we've ever had at the position. Omarvisscale thirteen dot com.
This is Sports Talk seven ninety headed towards nine o'clock hour,
Dana Brown in about forty minutes right here on the
On Salsbury Show
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