March 19, 2025 • 6 mins
With spring training looking to wind down as the start of the season roughly approaches, yesterday afternoon the Astros took on the Washington Nationals down in Palm Beach in which they fell short in a 4-3 loss final. Following their loss to Washington and roughly going on 2 years of inactiveness regarding surgery and rehab, Lance McCullers Jr. makes his debut return to the MLB with his first live mound appearance since the 2021 ALDS. Throwing only 13 pitches for his first live session in 2 years and receiving a standing ovation after from clubmates and fans, Lance looks to be making his comeback return from his rough tenure away from the league. Starting it out slow rolling, Sean and Dan share their thoughts on what could Lance's future tend to look like moving forward as he ramps up his return with clubhouse this season.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
We're valued.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continues.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I'm waiting for somebody say, well, let me ask you
a question. Well, no kidding. Is that why you asked
me to come on a conversation? Do you when we
hit September and I want straight up, no filter, what
will we be saying about Lance mccollors in September? Your
your your true gut feeling? What are we gonna be
(00:29):
saying about him?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hmm?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I want to say help this team by help the team,
he helped this team immensely or was just a guy?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I mean, I think he's going to be just a guy?
Is that's the gut feeling?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Is? I mean, he hasn't pitched in two years. I
don't know one hundred percent want to think that he's
going to be this season because of that reason. Yeah,
and you got to he's got to prove to you
that he can give you a full season. And we're
getting back to what we talked about yesterday with Laramie
Tunsel to pay. Certain expectations come with that as part
of the concerned that people have haba plants mcculors and
the annoyance that I think some Astros fans have had
with him not being out there. So when you haven't
(01:06):
pitched in a couple of years, I mean, injuries are
a part of it. So I just I think he's
going to be a guy.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
I know what I want for the guy and the
pitcher to have a season, because I I'm a big
I'm big into comeback stories. I am whether it's injury,
rock bottom, whatever it is, I like because understanding haven't
been there when people go through it. And I've been
through both comeback story as a player, shredding my knee
twice and then off the field. You know, when you
(01:35):
come back you say you're, you know, sleeping in somebody's
truck for a hundred days a year, and you come
back and you're doing what you want to do. So
I actually root for that, the comeback story.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I do.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And it doesn't matter if it's an opposing team member,
it doesn't matter if it's a guy you don't like,
it doesn't matter about their politics. I root for comebacks.
I just do. And I'd love to see it for
him because it's you know, all these aths. We have
this feeling about athletes or people that are in the
public eye that they're invincible, and that they don't have
the feelings of that, they don't struggle with those confidence thoughts.
Right right, Oh, I can guarant ask to you the
(02:06):
best of them do the great matter of fact, most
of them are insecure. The best players I've ever been around.
And the people I know, you know why they keep
doing what they're doing and keep it. They're afraid to
death to fail, so they keep at it and keep
at it. Otherwise, when you're seventy five or eighty and
why keep acting? One you love it? Two is you
just told you you keep it's hard to let go
(02:28):
and when you struggle with it. So for me, I
root for the comeback story.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I do. I don't want you to go through.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Everybody's gonna hit whatever their rock bottom is, and hopefully
it's not a severe rock bottom, but everybody's going to
hit that.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Damn.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Can I overcome this moment in their life, whether it's
the loss of a family member, a career change, whatever
it is, or your girlfriend decided you're not going to
you're not staying married or dating anymore. You're gonna hit it.
How you overcome it the rest of it, And so
I root for that. I don't root for them to
get there, because when you're in it and people saying, man,
you're gonna be okay, You're like, get them a horrible
(03:00):
hanging there things. Well, I know the people mean, well,
that's not how you're feeling. But when you get out
of it, you look back and say, and I can.
For me, I'm thinking that's the best thing ever happening
because it actually shaped me and whether it's physical, mental, emotional.
So I do root for it. For Lance mccullors, though,
this is I think in September you're gonna say bullpen
(03:21):
guy helped is never going to be a twenty five
game starter and dominate baseball. I've been on that train.
I've been on that train for the longest time. And
I know that he came out against the whole bullpen
thing early on in spring training. But I think the
question that it comes to him, this is a conversation
Sean Salisbury Theater.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Right here, you're Lance, I'm the front office. Lance. Do
you want to prolong your career? I absolutely do.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Okay, So the way that you're gonna prolong your career
is you're going to go to the bullpen because Okay,
here's my response, here's my response. Sure, you say we're
watching the bullpen. I understand starting there, but my goal
and where I plan on being where I met my
best as the starting pitcher. And then you're going to
come back and say, well, well you haven't proven that
you can stay healthy as a starter. I'm trying to
help you. I'm trying to prolong your career. I'm trying
(04:05):
to find a way. John Smoltz went to the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Lance.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Okay, look John, and look at who John Smoltz is.
Let's have this conversation at the All Star break. Fair enough?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Sure, all right, Okay, we can revisit this.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Let's see where it goes and see how I can
extend and how healthy I am. And if I do
prove that to you a chance and go out there
and do it, then then at the All Star Game
we can have this conversation about what you think I'm
bringing to this team. The problem with that is, and
it's a great point by you, is the hardest thing
to do. And I guarantee, and you know you've been
(04:36):
in Atlanta and Smoltz was Smoltz at one point I
had the three best pitches of baseball, and it was
a monster, I can promise you. It wasn't easy for
John Smoltz to say I'm going to go be your closer, right,
yet he excelled at it and became it was good
at it. The key for Lance mcculors is going to
be at because he's not a hold. The key for
him is going to be can can you accept it?
(04:58):
And the problem is if you is your mindset made
up where we accept it already. See if I'm him,
I'm grinding to be a starter, but I'm but in
order to prove to you, I got to dominate in
the bullpen. So I don't want to say I'm oh,
I'm not a starter. Then you piss down your leg
in the bullpen, and then you're no longer a member
of the team.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
They're moving you around. You become a journeyman.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So there's got to be that mindset and you got
to almost split it down the middle and compartmental I say, yeah,
I know where I want to go, but in order
to get where I want to go, I got to
prove to you one I can stay healthy and two
that I'm that guy again. So but the hard part
is is it sometimes when you admit maybe I don't
have it, then you almost you don't want to close
off that yet at his a you know you still
want because he's still parting. He's in that comeback motive.
(05:40):
I'm going to show the world that I can be
a starter again, and I would want him to think
like that. I just don't know. I mean, it's been
a long Even when he was healthy, you weren't getting
twenty five plus starts on a continuous basis.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So the question here is canny.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
And I couldn't root harder for him because it's a
comeback story and a good Lance mc colors makes this
team a lot better. But just from and I hope
that we come back in September and we're saying, boy,
did we miss the boat on that one. Lance mccullors
is a starter and gave you twenty two starts and
is out of his mind. Good right, it looks like
the guy we knew he was. I'm just not sure
for like you said, extending the career for now, it
(06:15):
almost feels like twenty twenty five should be the proving
point and I'll see you as a starter in twenty
twenty six. Would love nothing more, Yeah, it would absolutely
love nothing more. Because yes, nobody wants him to not
do well, and you talked about, you know, career years
out of guys. I mean, if you get that out
of him, then I think you feel even better about
this team this year. So we'll continue this conversation on
(06:36):
the other side seven one three two one two five
seven ninety. One's gonna seveone three two one two five
seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
He's Sean. I'm Dan Tripole, Emmanuel Elmore, Sports Talk, seven
ninety
We're valued.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continues.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I'm waiting for somebody say, well, let me ask you
a question. Well, no kidding. Is that why you asked
me to come on a conversation? Do you when we
hit September and I want straight up, no filter, what
will we be saying about Lance mccollors in September? Your
your your true gut feeling? What are we gonna be
(00:29):
saying about him?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hmm?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I want to say help this team by help the team,
he helped this team immensely or was just a guy?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I mean, I think he's going to be just a guy?
Is that's the gut feeling?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Is? I mean, he hasn't pitched in two years. I
don't know one hundred percent want to think that he's
going to be this season because of that reason. Yeah,
and you got to he's got to prove to you
that he can give you a full season. And we're
getting back to what we talked about yesterday with Laramie
Tunsel to pay. Certain expectations come with that as part
of the concerned that people have haba plants mcculors and
the annoyance that I think some Astros fans have had
with him not being out there. So when you haven't
(01:06):
pitched in a couple of years, I mean, injuries are
a part of it. So I just I think he's
going to be a guy.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
I know what I want for the guy and the
pitcher to have a season, because I I'm a big
I'm big into comeback stories. I am whether it's injury,
rock bottom, whatever it is, I like because understanding haven't
been there when people go through it. And I've been
through both comeback story as a player, shredding my knee
twice and then off the field. You know, when you
(01:35):
come back you say you're, you know, sleeping in somebody's
truck for a hundred days a year, and you come
back and you're doing what you want to do. So
I actually root for that, the comeback story.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I do.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And it doesn't matter if it's an opposing team member,
it doesn't matter if it's a guy you don't like,
it doesn't matter about their politics. I root for comebacks.
I just do. And I'd love to see it for
him because it's you know, all these aths. We have
this feeling about athletes or people that are in the
public eye that they're invincible, and that they don't have
the feelings of that, they don't struggle with those confidence thoughts.
Right right, Oh, I can guarant ask to you the
(02:06):
best of them do the great matter of fact, most
of them are insecure. The best players I've ever been around.
And the people I know, you know why they keep
doing what they're doing and keep it. They're afraid to
death to fail, so they keep at it and keep
at it. Otherwise, when you're seventy five or eighty and
why keep acting? One you love it? Two is you
just told you you keep it's hard to let go
(02:28):
and when you struggle with it. So for me, I
root for the comeback story.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I do. I don't want you to go through.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Everybody's gonna hit whatever their rock bottom is, and hopefully
it's not a severe rock bottom, but everybody's going to
hit that.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Damn.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Can I overcome this moment in their life, whether it's
the loss of a family member, a career change, whatever
it is, or your girlfriend decided you're not going to
you're not staying married or dating anymore. You're gonna hit it.
How you overcome it the rest of it, And so
I root for that. I don't root for them to
get there, because when you're in it and people saying, man,
you're gonna be okay, You're like, get them a horrible
(03:00):
hanging there things. Well, I know the people mean, well,
that's not how you're feeling. But when you get out
of it, you look back and say, and I can.
For me, I'm thinking that's the best thing ever happening
because it actually shaped me and whether it's physical, mental, emotional.
So I do root for it. For Lance mccullors, though,
this is I think in September you're gonna say bullpen
(03:21):
guy helped is never going to be a twenty five
game starter and dominate baseball. I've been on that train.
I've been on that train for the longest time. And
I know that he came out against the whole bullpen
thing early on in spring training. But I think the
question that it comes to him, this is a conversation
Sean Salisbury Theater.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Right here, you're Lance, I'm the front office. Lance. Do
you want to prolong your career? I absolutely do.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Okay, So the way that you're gonna prolong your career
is you're going to go to the bullpen because Okay,
here's my response, here's my response. Sure, you say we're
watching the bullpen. I understand starting there, but my goal
and where I plan on being where I met my
best as the starting pitcher. And then you're going to
come back and say, well, well you haven't proven that
you can stay healthy as a starter. I'm trying to
help you. I'm trying to prolong your career. I'm trying
(04:05):
to find a way. John Smoltz went to the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Lance.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Okay, look John, and look at who John Smoltz is.
Let's have this conversation at the All Star break. Fair enough?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Sure, all right, Okay, we can revisit this.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Let's see where it goes and see how I can
extend and how healthy I am. And if I do
prove that to you a chance and go out there
and do it, then then at the All Star Game
we can have this conversation about what you think I'm
bringing to this team. The problem with that is, and
it's a great point by you, is the hardest thing
to do. And I guarantee, and you know you've been
(04:36):
in Atlanta and Smoltz was Smoltz at one point I
had the three best pitches of baseball, and it was
a monster, I can promise you. It wasn't easy for
John Smoltz to say I'm going to go be your closer, right,
yet he excelled at it and became it was good
at it. The key for Lance mcculors is going to
be at because he's not a hold. The key for
him is going to be can can you accept it?
(04:58):
And the problem is if you is your mindset made
up where we accept it already. See if I'm him,
I'm grinding to be a starter, but I'm but in
order to prove to you, I got to dominate in
the bullpen. So I don't want to say I'm oh,
I'm not a starter. Then you piss down your leg
in the bullpen, and then you're no longer a member
of the team.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
They're moving you around. You become a journeyman.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So there's got to be that mindset and you got
to almost split it down the middle and compartmental I say, yeah,
I know where I want to go, but in order
to get where I want to go, I got to
prove to you one I can stay healthy and two
that I'm that guy again. So but the hard part
is is it sometimes when you admit maybe I don't
have it, then you almost you don't want to close
off that yet at his a you know you still
want because he's still parting. He's in that comeback motive.
(05:40):
I'm going to show the world that I can be
a starter again, and I would want him to think
like that. I just don't know. I mean, it's been
a long Even when he was healthy, you weren't getting
twenty five plus starts on a continuous basis.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So the question here is canny.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
And I couldn't root harder for him because it's a
comeback story and a good Lance mc colors makes this
team a lot better. But just from and I hope
that we come back in September and we're saying, boy,
did we miss the boat on that one. Lance mccullors
is a starter and gave you twenty two starts and
is out of his mind. Good right, it looks like
the guy we knew he was. I'm just not sure
for like you said, extending the career for now, it
(06:15):
almost feels like twenty twenty five should be the proving
point and I'll see you as a starter in twenty
twenty six. Would love nothing more, Yeah, it would absolutely
love nothing more. Because yes, nobody wants him to not
do well, and you talked about, you know, career years
out of guys. I mean, if you get that out
of him, then I think you feel even better about
this team this year. So we'll continue this conversation on
(06:36):
the other side seven one three two one two five
seven ninety. One's gonna seveone three two one two five
seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
He's Sean. I'm Dan Tripole, Emmanuel Elmore, Sports Talk, seven
ninety
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