September 24, 2025 • 10 mins
The voice of the Reds Tommy Thrall previews tonight's Reds/Pirates game which features 2 of the best pitchers in the game, Paul Skenes ad Hunter Greene.
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Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Station Sports. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Minutes away from four o'clock. We're at the Holy Grail.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Reds and Pirates. First pitch
is three hours away, which means Tommy Thraw will be
on the air in two and a half hours.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
And I know he has a thousand.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
More important things to do than sit here with me,
but nice enough to give us a few minutes.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's awesome to have you.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Thank you for doing that, absolutely, man, Thanks for wanting
to have me on.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
This is great. This is fun, man, this is it.
This is what it's all about it.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I've sat in that ballpark in September by myself a
lot going, you know, just I want these games to matter.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And last night that crowd was ready to explode. They were.
It was man, that place, it was.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I said it on the air last night, I said, look,
size wise, this isn't the biggest crowd all year. Yeah,
but it's one of the best crowds all year. I mean,
they were into it. You could feel the excitement. They
just never quite got that moment. It felt like every
time the Reds were getting close, they get into a
double play.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
There late, and it's just it's that's tough. That's baseball,
you know. But you know what, we've got something to
root for right now.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
It's awesome we do and like, all right, last night
was worst case because of what happens in Chicago and
in Phoenix. But if there's one thing this team this
season has taught us, it's right, right when they punch
in the gun, right when they get punched in the gun,
they come off the canvas, which is why I expect
them the win tonight.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Tommy.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Look, i mean, what was it September? Was it September sixth?
They were six out. It's it's really hard to make
up six games in September, especially when the team in
front of you has an astronomical payroll and they're the
New York Mets. Well, lo and behold they overcame that.
Now it's it's it's one game at the time. It's
(01:45):
been one game at a time all year, but it
really is. I mean, it's day by day all you
have to do. It takes one win and one loss
by the Mets and then the Reds are right back
in that spot. I mean, it's just it, it's what
it's all about. But that it just shows you that
this team, no matter what kind of blows they take,
they can get right back up. They're gonna come right
(02:05):
back at you the next day. That's what this team's
done all year long. I've told people, I feel like
they've done a pretty good job. I mean, there's still
peaks and valleys, but they're not like they were. I mean,
look at the season. There hasn't been an extended losing streak.
There's been an extended stretch where maybe they've they've lost
several but consecutively. They've just been able to get the
(02:27):
wins here and there, even in a tough stretch, to
keep from stringing together long losing streaks.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Look at the Mets, Yeah, I think I saw today.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
They've had three losing streaks over six or seven games.
There's only been one other team that made the playoffs
that's endured what they have. The Reds haven't gone through that,
they haven't had the long winning streaks, but that they've
played that they stay and remain right there, and that's
what they've done. That's what's put them in this position.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You're more qualified to speak to this than anybody you
spend time with. Terry Francona one on one every day.
To me as an outsider, that's the Francona effect, right,
And the message all season long has been we may
have lost yesterday, fine, what are we doing today? Where
he gets a question about something that may happen the
next series, don't know, Let's win today. That sounds it
(03:15):
sounds cliche. I think with this team, with its makeup,
I think that message has helped.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
It's not just a message, it's the way they go
about it.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I mean it's real. I mean, first of all, it
is real. He said it in his press conference when
he was named manager. Look, I like to wake up
every day and figure out how we're going to beat
that team that day. And that's what he does. He
takes it day by day. All Right, yesterday's done, it's
over with. You can't change it. How do we win today?
Maybe it doesn't look good, but let's figure it out.
(03:47):
Let's figure out how the puzzle fits together so that
at the end of the day it ends with a
Reds win. Look, this guy knows how to handle people
as well as anybody I've ever been around.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
In my life. I mean, this guy is incredible. Tito,
is it to me.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
He is a big reason why this team is in
the position that they're in right now to have success.
I asked him, and I think this, this exemplifies it,
maybe as well as I can put it. I asked
him one day when the energy was a little low,
the team had been dragging a little bit, they were
in a tough stretch. It was one of those long
stretches where it's just exhausting and the season grinds on
(04:27):
you a little bit. I said, all right, in a
stretch like this, because I remember I was beat I
mean I was worn down. I said, if I'm worn down,
they've gotta be worn out. How do you get the
energy up in a stretch like this, because you can't
just walk around and go, hey, let's go get it
doesn't work that way. Like that's that's a tired act.
After a while, he goes, look, I think it comes
(04:48):
down to really pressing upon the coaches. Look, we've got
to have some energy in everything we do, in all
the pregame, in the pregame meetings, in the pregame work.
Just make sure as coaches you have your energy up
and hopefully that permeates the entire clubhouse. That rubs off
on all the players and that just lifts collectively, uh,
(05:12):
the energy of the room. And when he said it,
it's so simple, but it makes so much sense, and
that's that's the way to do it. And I think
that's that's the effect that he has on this organization,
this this team.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I said this to you in spring training.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
You know when when Tito Francona retired, I listened to
every podcast because I just love listening to him talk,
and I'm like, I envy your job. Could you get
a chance to sit in there with them on air
and off every day?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
What's that been?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Like?
Speaker 1 (05:39):
It's awesome. I Mean, first of all, the stories are tremendous.
You get them going about Michael Jordan and just your
jaw hits the floor.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Like wow, I mean he's he's actually close with Michael Jordan.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, and he's got some great stories, stories about his
Red Sox days, interacting with with the just all the
stories that you hear, and then through that you really
just feel his love of the game, his love of baseball,
his love of competing.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
And then you get into all right, how do you
win today?
Speaker 1 (06:10):
And then you get into the weeds that you can't
really do on the air because you only have four minutes,
so it's kind of you start to get into the
weeds and then you just you walk away almost daily
learning something because this guy knows more about baseball. I mean,
he's forgotten more about the game than you'll ever know.
And it's just it's incredible his wealth of knowledge about baseball.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
So it's it's fun. I mean, it is.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
It is everything you hope for in this job to
be around somebody like that decision he's.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Made that's been under the microscope. Is Hunter pitches tonight,
not last night?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Brady Singer?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
He at least gave him length because you know, I'm
thinking in the second ending last night, like, oh boy,
here paradea relievers and then that's gonna catch up to
him over the next six days. So Hunter's gonna pick tonight.
If one sixty two matters, it's gonna be Brady Singer.
Then we'll see how they manage it. Your thoughts on
the way Tito made the decision and how this may unfold.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Look, he talked about it yesterday. He goes, Look, I
can't explain everything.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Sometimes there's elements of decisions that have to be made
that can't necessarily the public I think is the way
he put it, I get it well. First of all,
I think given a hundred an extra day to go
today is good, especially after he went the distance his
last time out. He's battled injuries a couple of times
this year. Make sure he's one hundred percent healthy. And
(07:34):
the advantage of all of it is sure he's not
available Game one sixty two, but he's available game one
of the postseason.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
But again, you have to make But I don't know
that's not one of those things.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Because the pitching has been so good, then I think
you're in a pretty good spot no matter who you're
running out there in Game one sixty two. I mean,
like you said, it's gonna be Brady Singer now, a
little bump in the road yesterday, but look at the
way he's been pitching. He has been brilliant, veteran guy.
I don't think that's a bad guy to have out
there in that situation.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Shame of last night's result is if they win that game,
the story last night and today is Ellie Dela Cruz
in the biggest game of the season, in during what
has been a tough last two months for him, shines bright.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, well, look at his numbers.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I mean, I think when you take a step back
at the end of the year and you look at
the numbers that he is put together throughout the course
of a season, you'll be pretty impressed.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
With the year. I mean, it's still gonna look like
a pretty good year.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
But that is despite having a couple of really rough months,
and make no mistake about it, they have been very
unelly like. But we all know that he's capable of
taking off. And if he's if this is the beginning
of him taking off here for the last six games
of the season, he's the type of guy that can
carry a team, and boy, that would be great. Yesterday
(08:53):
was the best he's looked in the last two months
by far. Played like a star, outstanding in the field
at the play, right, I mean, it was great. And
so you know, he gets on the ninth inning and
I'm like, if they win this game, that's what we're
talking about, right, And instead it's a footnote. Yeah, it's
it's too bad, but you know what, like we talked
about earlier, it's a new day. Hopefully that's a good
sign that he's getting going again, because what he did
(09:16):
yesterday in my mind at least, and I'll talk to
Tito about it here in a little bit. But what
he did last night is he re established himself as
a presence in the middle of the lineup. Yeah, you
didn't have to really worry about him much in the
lineup the last couple of months. Now that's in the
Pirate's mind. He's not back up to third, but he's
still hitting cleanup. That's that is a huge asset for
(09:38):
this team to have him in the middle of the
order hitting like that and hopefully backs it up again tonight,
and gosh, it's I think tonight has a chance to
be an incredible environment. Hopefully mother nature cooperates.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
I hope so special pitching matchup a lot of stakes.
I know you have stuff to do, sa'l letcher on.
I can't thank you enough. I know this was short notice,
no no, no worries. He's always kind enough to answer
our call. So to come over here and do this
in person, it really means a lot.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Happy to do it, happy to talk Reds Baseball anytime.
This is this is fun, especially when it matters. I
don't think I've ever called you in September. This is
great Hey, let's make it happy about that. Le's make
it October. You got that right.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
The Great Tommy Thrawll, Voice of the Reds Tonight Reds
Radio Network at six', ten first, pitch six forty down
the hall on seven HUNDRED W. Welwd we are at
The Holy, grail Downtown, cincinnati nine away from four. O'clock
this IS espn fifteen Thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Stage spawn
Station Sports. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Minutes away from four o'clock. We're at the Holy Grail.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Reds and Pirates. First pitch
is three hours away, which means Tommy Thraw will be
on the air in two and a half hours.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
And I know he has a thousand.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
More important things to do than sit here with me,
but nice enough to give us a few minutes.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's awesome to have you.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Thank you for doing that, absolutely, man, Thanks for wanting
to have me on.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
This is great. This is fun, man, this is it.
This is what it's all about it.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I've sat in that ballpark in September by myself a
lot going, you know, just I want these games to matter.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And last night that crowd was ready to explode. They were.
It was man, that place, it was.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I said it on the air last night, I said, look,
size wise, this isn't the biggest crowd all year. Yeah,
but it's one of the best crowds all year. I mean,
they were into it. You could feel the excitement. They
just never quite got that moment. It felt like every
time the Reds were getting close, they get into a
double play.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
There late, and it's just it's that's tough. That's baseball,
you know. But you know what, we've got something to
root for right now.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
It's awesome we do and like, all right, last night
was worst case because of what happens in Chicago and
in Phoenix. But if there's one thing this team this
season has taught us, it's right, right when they punch
in the gun, right when they get punched in the gun,
they come off the canvas, which is why I expect
them the win tonight.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Tommy.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Look, i mean, what was it September? Was it September sixth?
They were six out. It's it's really hard to make
up six games in September, especially when the team in
front of you has an astronomical payroll and they're the
New York Mets. Well, lo and behold they overcame that.
Now it's it's it's one game at the time. It's
(01:45):
been one game at a time all year, but it
really is. I mean, it's day by day all you
have to do. It takes one win and one loss
by the Mets and then the Reds are right back
in that spot. I mean, it's just it, it's what
it's all about. But that it just shows you that
this team, no matter what kind of blows they take,
they can get right back up. They're gonna come right
(02:05):
back at you the next day. That's what this team's
done all year long. I've told people, I feel like
they've done a pretty good job. I mean, there's still
peaks and valleys, but they're not like they were. I mean,
look at the season. There hasn't been an extended losing streak.
There's been an extended stretch where maybe they've they've lost
several but consecutively. They've just been able to get the
(02:27):
wins here and there, even in a tough stretch, to
keep from stringing together long losing streaks.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Look at the Mets, Yeah, I think I saw today.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
They've had three losing streaks over six or seven games.
There's only been one other team that made the playoffs
that's endured what they have. The Reds haven't gone through that,
they haven't had the long winning streaks, but that they've
played that they stay and remain right there, and that's
what they've done. That's what's put them in this position.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You're more qualified to speak to this than anybody you
spend time with. Terry Francona one on one every day.
To me as an outsider, that's the Francona effect, right,
And the message all season long has been we may
have lost yesterday, fine, what are we doing today? Where
he gets a question about something that may happen the
next series, don't know, Let's win today. That sounds it
(03:15):
sounds cliche. I think with this team, with its makeup,
I think that message has helped.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
It's not just a message, it's the way they go
about it.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I mean it's real. I mean, first of all, it
is real. He said it in his press conference when
he was named manager. Look, I like to wake up
every day and figure out how we're going to beat
that team that day. And that's what he does. He
takes it day by day. All Right, yesterday's done, it's
over with. You can't change it. How do we win today?
Maybe it doesn't look good, but let's figure it out.
(03:47):
Let's figure out how the puzzle fits together so that
at the end of the day it ends with a
Reds win. Look, this guy knows how to handle people
as well as anybody I've ever been around.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
In my life. I mean, this guy is incredible. Tito,
is it to me.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
He is a big reason why this team is in
the position that they're in right now to have success.
I asked him, and I think this, this exemplifies it,
maybe as well as I can put it. I asked
him one day when the energy was a little low,
the team had been dragging a little bit, they were
in a tough stretch. It was one of those long
stretches where it's just exhausting and the season grinds on
(04:27):
you a little bit. I said, all right, in a
stretch like this, because I remember I was beat I
mean I was worn down. I said, if I'm worn down,
they've gotta be worn out. How do you get the
energy up in a stretch like this, because you can't
just walk around and go, hey, let's go get it
doesn't work that way. Like that's that's a tired act.
After a while, he goes, look, I think it comes
(04:48):
down to really pressing upon the coaches. Look, we've got
to have some energy in everything we do, in all
the pregame, in the pregame meetings, in the pregame work.
Just make sure as coaches you have your energy up
and hopefully that permeates the entire clubhouse. That rubs off
on all the players and that just lifts collectively, uh,
(05:12):
the energy of the room. And when he said it,
it's so simple, but it makes so much sense, and
that's that's the way to do it. And I think
that's that's the effect that he has on this organization,
this this team.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I said this to you in spring training.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
You know when when Tito Francona retired, I listened to
every podcast because I just love listening to him talk,
and I'm like, I envy your job. Could you get
a chance to sit in there with them on air
and off every day?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
What's that been?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Like?
Speaker 1 (05:39):
It's awesome. I Mean, first of all, the stories are tremendous.
You get them going about Michael Jordan and just your
jaw hits the floor.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Like wow, I mean he's he's actually close with Michael Jordan.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, and he's got some great stories, stories about his
Red Sox days, interacting with with the just all the
stories that you hear, and then through that you really
just feel his love of the game, his love of baseball,
his love of competing.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
And then you get into all right, how do you
win today?
Speaker 1 (06:10):
And then you get into the weeds that you can't
really do on the air because you only have four minutes,
so it's kind of you start to get into the
weeds and then you just you walk away almost daily
learning something because this guy knows more about baseball. I mean,
he's forgotten more about the game than you'll ever know.
And it's just it's incredible his wealth of knowledge about baseball.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
So it's it's fun. I mean, it is.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
It is everything you hope for in this job to
be around somebody like that decision he's.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Made that's been under the microscope. Is Hunter pitches tonight,
not last night?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Brady Singer?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
He at least gave him length because you know, I'm
thinking in the second ending last night, like, oh boy,
here paradea relievers and then that's gonna catch up to
him over the next six days. So Hunter's gonna pick tonight.
If one sixty two matters, it's gonna be Brady Singer.
Then we'll see how they manage it. Your thoughts on
the way Tito made the decision and how this may unfold.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Look, he talked about it yesterday. He goes, Look, I
can't explain everything.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Sometimes there's elements of decisions that have to be made
that can't necessarily the public I think is the way
he put it, I get it well. First of all,
I think given a hundred an extra day to go
today is good, especially after he went the distance his
last time out. He's battled injuries a couple of times
this year. Make sure he's one hundred percent healthy. And
(07:34):
the advantage of all of it is sure he's not
available Game one sixty two, but he's available game one
of the postseason.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
But again, you have to make But I don't know
that's not one of those things.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Because the pitching has been so good, then I think
you're in a pretty good spot no matter who you're
running out there in Game one sixty two. I mean,
like you said, it's gonna be Brady Singer now, a
little bump in the road yesterday, but look at the
way he's been pitching. He has been brilliant, veteran guy.
I don't think that's a bad guy to have out
there in that situation.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Shame of last night's result is if they win that game,
the story last night and today is Ellie Dela Cruz
in the biggest game of the season, in during what
has been a tough last two months for him, shines bright.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, well, look at his numbers.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I mean, I think when you take a step back
at the end of the year and you look at
the numbers that he is put together throughout the course
of a season, you'll be pretty impressed.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
With the year. I mean, it's still gonna look like
a pretty good year.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
But that is despite having a couple of really rough months,
and make no mistake about it, they have been very
unelly like. But we all know that he's capable of
taking off. And if he's if this is the beginning
of him taking off here for the last six games
of the season, he's the type of guy that can
carry a team, and boy, that would be great. Yesterday
(08:53):
was the best he's looked in the last two months
by far. Played like a star, outstanding in the field
at the play, right, I mean, it was great. And
so you know, he gets on the ninth inning and
I'm like, if they win this game, that's what we're
talking about, right, And instead it's a footnote. Yeah, it's
it's too bad, but you know what, like we talked
about earlier, it's a new day. Hopefully that's a good
sign that he's getting going again, because what he did
(09:16):
yesterday in my mind at least, and I'll talk to
Tito about it here in a little bit. But what
he did last night is he re established himself as
a presence in the middle of the lineup. Yeah, you
didn't have to really worry about him much in the
lineup the last couple of months. Now that's in the
Pirate's mind. He's not back up to third, but he's
still hitting cleanup. That's that is a huge asset for
(09:38):
this team to have him in the middle of the
order hitting like that and hopefully backs it up again tonight,
and gosh, it's I think tonight has a chance to
be an incredible environment. Hopefully mother nature cooperates.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
I hope so special pitching matchup a lot of stakes.
I know you have stuff to do, sa'l letcher on.
I can't thank you enough. I know this was short notice,
no no, no worries. He's always kind enough to answer
our call. So to come over here and do this
in person, it really means a lot.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Happy to do it, happy to talk Reds Baseball anytime.
This is this is fun, especially when it matters. I
don't think I've ever called you in September. This is
great Hey, let's make it happy about that. Le's make
it October. You got that right.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
The Great Tommy Thrawll, Voice of the Reds Tonight Reds
Radio Network at six', ten first, pitch six forty down
the hall on seven HUNDRED W. Welwd we are at
The Holy, grail Downtown, cincinnati nine away from four. O'clock
this IS espn fifteen Thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Stage spawn
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