Episode 363 - Will Klein, Seattle Mariners

John and Russell are joined by current Seattle Mariner, Will Klein.   They chat through his debut year in which he was traded twice and moved house 8 times, they talk about pitching development and how it is changed over Will's career. There's also a smattering of Chelsea talk as the boys find out Will is an ardent Chelsea fan.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello, it's John here for another one of our Backflips
and Nerds interview podcasts. I've got Russell with me again.
How are you, big man?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm doing good. Thanks John, good, Thanks. This should be
another entertaining one.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, yeah, I definitely think so. Joining us this week,
we're delighted to be joined by a pitcher who made
his major league debut this year with the Kansas City Royals,
pitching in five games before being part of the package
that took Lucas to Casey from Oakland. He has recently
traded to his third team of the year, the Seattle Mariners.
Welcome Will Klein. Will, how are you.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
I'm good, guys, thanks for having me a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Before we get into all of the shenanigans that has
been your twenty four to twenty five, let's talk about
what you're wearing. You just popped up on this on
this call. Here we're in a Elsie, Jersey and you're
currently you know, tuning in into the background to Chelsea
and west Ham. So that's been a bit of a
bit of an icebreaker for our conversation this evening.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yep, yeah, uncle, uncle and dad have always been in
Chelsea fans named their dog Chelsea. You know, that kind
of ran with them, and you know, when I got
high school age into college, I started to watch them
a lot, and then it's turned into having to watch
every game, even if it means four thirty Pacific time.
So yeah, well you guys get it nice. You know,

(01:33):
twelve thirty one o'clock games. You're like, it's perfect time
you watch watch four dinner, eating lunch, you know, and
I'm like waking up with their brinking down to catch
them play Burnmouth or something at four am.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
You've got the opposite of us, Like, you know, we
we love those one o'clock starts on a Sunday evening.
You know that that that they're the ones we want,
not the ones that you know what one o'clock in
the morning, starting at six o'clock Pacific time or whatever. Yeah,
three o'clock in the morning. Yeah. So yeah, there you go.
We we're bonding over time shifted watching sports. How did

(02:06):
your your did you say, is your dad and your granddad?
How how did they.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Start with Chelsea funds? Yeah, dad and uncle. Yeah, I'm
not entirely sure how my uncle really started. Uh, but
he's been over to London a couple of times, and
I think just he's he's got a bit of the
same I don't know, not like British attitude, but like
kind of a little bit more in in that culture.

(02:31):
And he's been over there quite a few times, and
just I mean he brought that back over over to us,
and you know, being around them for like holidays and
stuff and watching them on like Boxing Day and all that,
and that kind of kind of started for me. And
so it was it was a good go when I
first started watching with with Hazzard and you know, getting
the you know, Champions League in twenty but past previous

(02:52):
year or so has been kind of kind of brutal.
We're back.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, Well it's interesting that, you know, it's just sort
of thinking and thinking there that maybe you're the next
guy in the Dodgers, right with the Chelsea connection, that yeah,
you know, the next guy.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Oh yeah, no, I mean he's treating that's gonna bean.
It's it's kind of the same attitude he said with
with Chelsea is just you know, buying everybody. I want
wonder how much of Enzo's contracted deferred now, but I
don't know.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, the contract deferrals are every Also, the other thing
Will is you're not a seventeen year old Brazilian those
are those are the only players that told Boy signs. Yeah,
aging aging relievers. So you're at the wrong end of
your career.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
And old for his projects.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. It's going to say here your guys,
but you're right out there with with Eaton Hazard.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
I mean, that's that's where we started him, Diego Costo,
like Marcus Alonzo and all all the good and as
Bloquetta and I mean when they had when they had Kepper.
I would much rather have Kepper right now with all
the trouble he gave us over.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
He's doing all right, all right, yea having.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
A pretty dark good year actually.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah yeah, uh yeah. And we were saying just before
we started recording that we were going to ask you
about Cole Palmer. I'm in Manchester right now, so you
know he's the guy, the one that got away from
from City. So yeah, he's your guy right now. Palmer.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, I mean he I'd never seen a guy come
in and just completely you know, change a team like
he has, Like I don't know, I don't know what
he eats for bread. I mean he probably chips for breakfast.
He's got, you know, nothing going on up there, but
sometimes that's what you gotta. That's that's like the right attitude.
It's like your kitchen basketball like there's nothing like attached

(04:43):
to the sport. It's like I'm I'm good, I go
kill it. And then it's like, all right, you know
what am I doing for dinner time or something?

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, he's just thinking about horses.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
In he yeah, alright, ready to go home. Like that,
that's the same attitude. It's it's crazy and yeah, it's
a guys, it's ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
He certainly is living in Manchester. There are a lot
of guys like him here, but they don't have his
talent on the football field. So what it is that
they're doing with their time, who knows. Brilliant. So I'm
sure we might come back to Chelsea. We might not,
but let's how we'll keep us, keep us posted. We're

(05:22):
saying at the start, my team a rubbish football team.
No one wants to hear about them. They creep into
this podcast far too often. A second manager today, So
maybe you can give us a bit more joy on
the football front. And whilst we have this conversation, so yeah, Will,
it's been a it's been an eventful year for you.
We're outlined a little bit at the top, so you know,
started starting with the grand Stand back in April, make

(05:44):
your big League debut. You know, fast forward nine months
and you're you're on your third team. So how how's that?
As a player, that's that must feel like an absolute
rollercoaster to be going through in real time.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, I mean to say the least, I mean kind
of going back to soccer like the last year jal
Felix has had, you know, Barcelona, Chelsea, back to Spain,
back to Chelsea now loan to Milan today, which kind
of sacks I like him. But uh yeah, like I've
been with the Royals since twenty and no like semblance

(06:17):
of like the worst thing I had is like, oh,
am I gonna get like called up to double or
triple A? Or am I gonna like performing poorly? Am
I gonna go back down? Like stuff like that? But
you never, like never once did the thought cross my mind, like, oh,
I'm gonna have to go to a whole new team,
meet a whole bunch of new people, like all the
guys in the system, like all my best friends are here,
so it's like, you know, that sense of comfort and

(06:40):
like haven't had to like move round a whole lot
and then boom, trade dead like comes last day. I'm
like all right, like I haven't done a whole lot,
you know, I'm just hanging out. I got gotten on
the bus to go to Chicago's. We were playing the
White Sox and I got a phone call from JJ
and I look at my phone and like, oh no, oh,

(07:00):
like me and the guy who was sitting next to
you saw his name pop up. More like I just
got traded, and you know, like that kind of turned
turned the season on on its head a little bit.
But uh, I mean it was a good month getting
getting over to Oakland. Got some opportunities up there that
I'm not sure I would have if I had stayed
in Kansas City, just because what they're looking for at

(07:21):
the time and like trying to you know, make a
playoff push and all that. So it was good that way,
and then you know, they give me the opportunity to
go to Seattle. But yeah, like I think my wife
counted we moved eight ish times last year, like debut
back down to Omaha, back up, back down, back up
a third time when they got hurt. Traded then to

(07:42):
Vegas and it's easy. And then now you know, traded
to Seattle. So it's people don't see that that side
of it, how much like movement, movement is going on
behind the scenes and all that. But uh, you know,
it made us realize we got a pack liner this year,
that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
Say you actually got a message from your u GM.
First you didn't find it out via a Jeff pass
and tweet that you were being traded.

Speaker 3 (08:07):
No, I got, I got the I got the text,
and then I got oh, I got I got a
phone call, and they're like, yeah, we're getting her seg.
I'm like, oh, I mean that's very he's pretty good.
So uh took my took my butt over to Oakland
and then yep, and then this last one, I mean
the last one was a little more of a shock
because like, obviously I had just gotten traded Oakland. You know,

(08:30):
I thought there was gonna a little more time here. Uh,
you know, just having gotten here and and all that.
But uh, you know it's they they signed Hosey the Clerk,
another good player, you know, one Texas a ring. So
it's like you know they're trying to improve and it's
part of the part of the game. And so hoping
Sattle is the.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Fit we've got, We've got our fingers crossed for you.
So we want to talk a little bit about what
that means for you in terms of the off season
during during the course of of this conversation, but before
we get into how your off seasons being, how you
approach it, and how or whether that's changed with the Mariners,
the place to start with with someone like you Will,

(09:11):
who call up is so recent is is to to
start with that story. It's always like, it never gets
boring listening to big leagues talk about you know what
what what what their particular circumstances were when they found
out that it was the tap on the shoulder for
them today.

Speaker 3 (09:29):
Oh, I'm sure other other people have, you know, cool
like call to the manager's office video recording. You know, hey,
you want to go point the big league story, but no,
we uh, we had had a ten am start for
Paul Skian's day. It was our I think either Tuesday
or Wednesdays. You know, we do uh, we do like
kids' days, and it just so happened. We point the

(09:51):
Indians Triple A in so we're paul skiing, so is
packed out. Kids don't schemes. I think I will intimidate
because he gave his first run. But no, we had
we had ten to nam game done by like one
or two, and so we were just hanging out. I
was playing video games with my roommate, you know, I
was eating eating dinner. I think it was like nine o'clock,

(10:11):
nine nine thirty, eating Chipotle in our apartment, and I
get a call from our manager like, hey, you gotta
go to Kansas City tomorrow. They got a day game.
I'm like, what are you serious. He's like no, I'm
just kidding I but he's like, no, you got to
go to Kansas City tomorrow. They got like a one
o'clock day game. You know they need it. They need

(10:32):
an arm out marsh at the time, it got hurt,
but uh you don't. You don't care how you just
you only care when you get to go up. So
I was like, all right, I'm gonna go. But my
wife had our car, so it's impossible to move around
with two cars. And she was, you know, still back
home in uh In, Missouri, finishing up school. And so
I'm like I don't have a car, Like what do

(10:52):
I do? And so like try to get a rental
car like ten thirty pm and try to get all
that in order. And so I don't don't think I
went to bed until well think I tried to go
to bed until like twelve. I don't know if I
ever did really go to go to bed, but uh, yeah,
it was. It was. I mean the conversation is pretty
funn I won't do my Jersey impression, but it was it.

(11:15):
He yeah, he was just like kind of messing with
me a little bit, and it was but actually you
got to get there by like ten am Tomorrow's like,
oh my god. And it was it was like I
had the whole day to find this out and it's
like ten pm now and it's stressing out about all this,
you know, couldn't couldn't sleep. But uh, like it's not
the in your mind, like you picture like getting called

(11:36):
into the manager's office and like everyone saw like Jackson
Holiday get caught up and and and stuff like that. Uh,
but it's like no, you just get a phone call
from your manager at ten pm and show up the
next day. But uh, it was great. Uh when that
first game ended up being a five inning rain out,
So that was a fun first one to experience. Uh

(11:59):
but uh no, was you know, it was? It was great.
I mean I wouldn't trade that for for anything. But yeah,
it wasn't anything like crazier the ones you see on
social media. But you know, everyone, everyone's different.

Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, I imagine that you came out of the clubhouse
that day on Skien's day, packed out. You probably didn't
think that you were going to be the one of
the two of you. Was he was going to be
on a big league within the next week or so.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
I mean, no, that's a good way to think about that.
That's funny.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, so there you go, right. I mean it may
have something to do with the nickel and diming of
the Pittsburgh Pirates, but but you're a big league before
pol Skien, so you'll always have that.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
I'll hold that over him. Yeah. And it was funny
too because I knew I'm from Indy and that's where
the Indians Triple A is and so I knew a
couple of those guys like they're from my area back
home that I had trained with one. So it's like
and he was starting like two days later, so like,
I mean, I was excited to get to like watch
him start and like you know face one of my buddies,

(12:58):
and it's like, well, I'd rather be going doing this,
but I'm sorry, I'm sorry I missed that. But no,
it was it was pretty pretty pretty sweet.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
I'm sure he wouldn't hold that over you. Yeah, so
you you went into a pretty good clubhouse at that time.
You know that the beginning of last year that was
a smoking hot team, one of the best in baseball.
It must have been a fun clubhouse to be joining
when when that team was was really rolling.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
Yeah. Absolutely. Uh. I mean you had a good group
of like old pitchers like with Lugo Waka Will Smith
in the in the bull and like all those guys
had so much experience. Uh, and then you had like
the young guys with Reagan's Alec marsh Singer and then
all the other guys like with Zipa and some of

(13:46):
the other ones in the bullpen MacArthur and like all
those guys were great to like help on both ends,
like the experience, you know, the youth. But then you're
just going outside and it's just Bobby and he's like
he's like the heart and soul of the team, and you're like,
how is he doing everything that he's like doing at
twenty four to twenty five. It's I mean, it's the
craziest thing you'll ever see on a baseball field. And

(14:08):
I mean I remember one one of those games. It's
it was I think we're playing the Mariners, and we
were down like seven through like the seventh or eighth inning.
We're down seven like the first inning, and then we
came back and it's like where Bobby hits like a
double in the gap and he just like flies and
like it has like that Superman picture of him diving
to third base and end up coming back and winning

(14:28):
like nine to seven with like a walk off hit,
and it's like he kind of gets the whole team going.
And then you get in the clubhouse and he's like
a kid like there's no like he's no like there's
no like uptight, like I'm better I three hundred million
dollar contract like kind of attitude. It's he's having fun
playing baseball, like it's a backyard game for like thirteen

(14:49):
year old kids, Like it's it's great and it kind
of makes you take to have that same attitude too,
which definitely helped like the whole team. Uh, just kind
of having fun with it.

Speaker 1 (15:01):
Amazing to hear, like I was gonna ask specifically about him,
but you sort of beat me to the punch. It's
it's amazing that guy who has that he just has
that aura, doesn't he like he you know that he
is him thing like that that applies to to Bobby Wait,
like he's he's a superstar on and off the field,
but then you know, amazing to hear that he's just
you know, one of the guys just a do for

(15:21):
a kid in the clubhouse.

Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah. Yeah, he's like he's he's so nice and like
he's welcoming and I mean he's just like a friendly
to everyone too, which you don't see all the time
with some of these superstar Like some guys are serious
to keep themselves, which you know works too. But to
have like a guy that you want to be like
the face of your franchise and to also be like
one of the best clubhouse guys in the game, like

(15:43):
that all plays a role in the team's success and
in the future success that they'll have with him.

Speaker 1 (15:50):
And he mentioned when I first brought up the clubhouse
guys like Walker, guys like Seth Lugo, Will Smith. It
must have been a of an education for you to
be sharing a bullpen with those guys, to to be,
you know, picking up tips and drinks guys, you know,
particularly guys like like Lugo who totally reinvented themselves. Right,
you must just be signing and watching and thinking, right,

(16:12):
how do I how do I get some of this
through a rebuff on me?

Speaker 3 (16:15):
Yeah? Yeah, I remember I like first couple of days
in camp, like I was, I would play catch with
Lugo and the guy has he had twelve different pitches.
I swear he had two fastballs, two change ups, two sliders,
two curveballs, uh you know, a cutter like it was,
and he would throw them all and they'd all be sharp,
and they'd all be you know, in the general area

(16:37):
he wanted them to be. And I'm like, what, like
how like some some guys, He's like, yeah, well I
just added this one, and you know I added that
one in the pottery that I could just do whatever
I wanted. And so that's and so he started throwing
them all in game, and you know, like what he
would throw to, like what side the hitter, what kind
of hitter, you know, stuff like that, but everyone knows
he's got like just an absolute bang over curveball. So

(16:59):
that was more what I what I talked to him about,
and so I definitely got some some tips and tricks
for that just being around them, but just like how
they prepare, Like I mean, you've seen the picture of
them going over his notebook like post start, like all
the starters in the dugout like going over and it's
like that just kind of attitude, uh, and like what
he brings or what him and like walking other guys

(17:21):
would bring to like scattered port meetings pre series and
stuff like that. Was was really great to see.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
No, I was gonna say, was there any familiar faces
though when you went into there? Was there anybody that
you'd played with at the lower levels that you didn't
feel like you were walking in a room and being like, oh,
like I don't know anybody here.

Speaker 3 (17:41):
Yeah? There were there were definitely some obviously like Massy Vinnie,
like we were all on that high team together. Who
else we have? Mikel was on that team. Uh who
they have? I mean? And MJ was gone, Dyron was there,
Blanco and then like Arthur I'd played with and Triple
the year before, and then like Stettter was Mitch Stetters

(18:05):
end up being the ball coach, had worked at the
complex for a couple of years, and so it's just like, yeah,
seeing those faces and then you know, getting to be
around him and big League camp and stuff and getting
familiar with them there too helped. And so yeah, that
that helped. He definitely be a little less nervous, which
was great because you know, it's it's still the same game,
but there's a lot more pressure at that level. And

(18:26):
so yeah, having having those guys around definitely helped.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
And and it's just circling back back to logo for
a second. Was there anyone that he and Walker? Was
there any any hitter who you like, I don't know
about this guy? What am I doing with this guy?
When when you when you when you were in the
back of Seth's notebook, who was it that you were
trying to get the hit? The tips and anyone that
he had? Those guys helped you get out.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
No, It's it's hard to attack hitters the way he does,
because I mean, I was different you down twelve pitches, right, No,
I'm like I've got fastball, kurbal slider, he's got four
seam sinker cutter, giro sweeper, twelve six slur circle change splitter,
And I'm like, uh and so, no, it was there

(19:14):
wasn't anything like in particular, just kind of like more
how he worked like hitters, like in and out, up
and down, you know, makeing a little triangle like you
want to go up down, love side, down armside, and
just kind of like working kind of working hitters in
those different ways, and you know how he would go
about like just you know, help with help with the
curveball too, because that was a big thing, like just

(19:35):
be on the land it a little more. And so
just hearing him talk about that, uh was was definitely
helped my game when I got up there, and helped
me be a little more like calm and kind of
understanding how to prepare and stuff.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
You mentioned Vinnie Pascantina. I'm assuming that that's you mean
by Vinnie, And I was going to come on to
talk to you about one of your colleagues in Oakland,
but I haven't quite put two and two together that
that you you shared a clubhouse in the same season
with the two great d H slash first basement tweeters
in currentmational Baseball in Vinnie Pascantina and Brent Rooker. Uh

(20:11):
you know that that that is an elite group that
you managed to be in the middle of that ven diagram.

Speaker 3 (20:16):
Yeah, that's uh. Their their social media is what any
athlete aspires. Uh I'm not I'm not a Giant Jets fan,
so I don't get half of any stuff. But uh,
now the whole what the life is is presence has
taken on with you know, with the past watch and
kind of all that. It's really funny and that's I
think that's how like player should interact with fans and stuff,

(20:37):
and you know, like Brent and everything he does on
on Twitter and TikTok and Instagram, and it's all really
really funny and and good to see that those guys
have like that personality and are able to communicate effectively
with fans and fans aren't just giant uh you know,
aren't are interacting with it in like an appropriate way

(20:58):
and not being just rude and stuff towards them, which
is which is good.

Speaker 1 (21:03):
Oh the modern game though, isn't it right? You guys
kind of you know, you're building your brand right. We
were RUSSA and I were fortunate enough to talk to
Tyler Gillham, who's the coach of the Savannah Bananas, And
I think they've had quite a lot of impact on
guys in Major league clubhouses, even even through this sort
of stuff, haven't they.

Speaker 3 (21:22):
Yeah, yeah, that's another topic.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
But you won't push you.

Speaker 3 (21:28):
No, I've got I've got my opinions on on the
Bananas that mainly around one thing in particular. But no,
I remember when I was playing something ball in the
north Woods, like that was one thing that I wanted
to go play for him because you know, like they
weren't quite yet what they are now, but as they were,
they were still a summer ball team, but they like
had they're selling out, they had all this cool gear,
you know, they were doing cool promotions and all that,

(21:50):
and then it's kind of, i mean, turn on its
head and like taking a life of its own, like
with the whole like Harlem Globetrotters like them and the
party Animals thing, which is which is really cool. And
they're selling out stadiums, which is which is cool. And
you know a lot of stuff they do is is
really sweet. And they're just out here in Arizona. And
you know, I saw guys at at Target their day
wearing like Savannah banana shirts like adults. I'm like, oh,

(22:11):
I guess it's not you know, just just for like
young kids and stuff. And and I like what they
do you know with their with their ticket sales and
all that, not letting resellers get ahold of them. And
so they do a lot of good things. Uh yeah,
but yeah, the bananas stuff is how he's turned that
into that kind of businesses just absolutely crazy. But I mean, yeah,

(22:32):
they do a great job on on TikTok too, Like
I see a lot of stuff and they got a
lot of interaction with fans like that's you know, that
kind of works together with what they do in game
and all the all the dances and stuff, and that's
that's really cool to see. At least.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
So you mentioned that you played in the Northwoods League.
I'm really interested in in some co collegiate pool. Like
I think it's just a part of baseball that people
over here in the UK just just don't know, right
if they know if they know it, it's all they
know the cake and that they know it just because
of the tradition out there in New England. But it

(23:06):
really is like super competitive, right, you know, to get
onto these rosters, you've you've got to be a really
strong player, and it's it's an opportunity for for players
like you to hone your skills and to showcase yourself
to professional clubs.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
Yeah, like I was never good enough to go to
the Cape. Would have been cool, but uh my brother
actually had to play in the Cape Cod League, which
was sick. But yeah, like my my first year of
summer ball was just playing like a like the Midwest
League with the Danville Dans and the small town in Illinois,
which is great and you know, it definitely helped me

(23:41):
for that year. But like their good leagues, like you
got Cape, you got the New England Baseball League, you
have the north Woods, the I don't know what the
one the Savannah Banaz used to be in, but like
there are a couple like top leagues that it's like
all right, like I'm I'm from eastern Illinois and you
got guys from Kentucky like a Bama like LSU, like oh,

(24:02):
we had to play with Ole Miss like all these Arkansas,
like all these top teams and you're like, oh, this
is kind of what that's like, you know, and so
and just summer balls like different, so much different than
college ball, just like you're just on your own, like
no school, like kind of just having fun, which is
a little different, but like just being around getting to
be around like that those like upper level college guys like,

(24:25):
oh shit, like it's a little harder than what I've
what I've been doing, but uh yeah that I mean
playing in the north Woods is I feel like what
really got me drafted after junior year or like got
eyes on me because I might have had like a
one ear a then forty not forty, it's like thirty
innings or something over that summer. And so I was like,

(24:46):
and I gott in call. That's when I started getting
calls from agents or like people to not agents, that's
gonna sound bad. Well, and I also thing now but
uh from people wanting to be my advisor and then
turned into my agent. Like I was, oh, like that's
what this is like now, and you know, like and
then that's kind of what got Scouts started talking to
me in the fall or like at games then and

(25:08):
then that turned into people coming to like spring or
like fall stuff and then spring and then you know
while watching you during the season and that like that's
a huge way to get eyes on you that you
might not get like your small school, like especially for
guys like you would have some D two, D three
and AI guys that are studs, and but you're not
probably getting the same looks as you would be at

(25:29):
like one of those or then in the Ull Star
Game or like in the showcases they have for it,
and so yeah, that's a that's a that's a huge difference.
Like I don't yeah, I don't know if there's really
any equivalent for it in like other sports and stuff,
because like NBA doesn't really have like a we they
have the summer League, but it's not the same, like
you're those already pros. Like I don't know if those

(25:49):
guys go play like collegiate summer basketball and stuff, so
they might actually I don't know, but uh, it's it's yeah,
it's it's something different and gives you a good opportunity
to be exposed other guys and just and it's fun
just to go play. Keep playing baseball year round kind
of gets boring in the summer not doing that.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, so you were playing make Sure in twenty nineteen
before you went in back in for twenty twenty. That
obviously was a very weird and bizarre season for absolutely
everybody involved. I'd just love to hear a little bit
from your perspective of obviously going through that being your
year and then being going into the draft, because I
imagine that that is just a very different experience to

(26:30):
what a lot of players I've come through to kind
of to getting drafted. You probably had like that full
season a bit more of expectation. So how did how
did that come round for you?

Speaker 3 (26:40):
Oh? God, that was Yeah, that was that was crazy.
I mean I like going in the year, like we
opened up at Arkansas, like I had a pretty good start,
you know, like was getting some calls after that, I
was like good, and then yeah, we had three or
four like normal weeks, and then I was in snary

(27:00):
biology class at the time, and so like one of
the topics you're talking about, like the flu pandemic of
the nineteen hundreds, and you're like looking at stuff like
that and you like, oh, like you know, there's a
small little disease run around, you know. That's I was like, Oh,
that's not going to be anything. And then you know,
as we're going, we're seeing like you saw the IVY
leagues they shut down all their sports, and then like

(27:24):
some of these smaller leagues started shutting down, and we're like, oh,
that's not going to affect us. Like no, like you know,
big time we like conferences canceled, like their their sports
for the year, and like we haven't seen a whole
lot of baseball like related cancelations. And so we were
playing Arkansas Pine Bluff, you know, we were on our

(27:44):
fake spring breaks. We our spring break was originally a
week earlier, and then the school moved the actual spring
break back the week so we had scheduled our spring
break trip and so we missed school for like an
extra week before spring break, which was great. But we
were like on the trip to Arkansas, about to go
go play Murray State in conference, and we're stopped at
a Windy's and we get a text from our coach

(28:04):
and it's like, hey, season's canceled. We're going home, and
we're just sitting there like what and yeah, it's it's
like yeah, like a bunch of leagues have made the
decision to you know, can't cancel all games and that's it.
We're going home. We'll let you know if you know,
we're going to keep practicing or if anything will come
about and all that, and so we just just kind

(28:27):
of got on the bus and went home, and no
one like really did anything the whole ride home because
everyone's like the seniors are sad because that just took
away their last year and like a bunch of the
other guys are like like what do we do? And
so got back. Yeah, we just drove back home and
kind of sat around and then like nothing's coming of it,
Come bring back all your gear and you know, we'll
see you guys next year. And it was just like

(28:49):
everything shut down, like you couldn't you couldn't get on
any fields, you can't do anything like for some of
us that we're going to go like into the draft
and stuff, and so it's just kind of like you're
season and boom, you have no resources, like no anything
to like go throw or like anything like that. And
so it was just kind of kind of put you
on your head, especially for like such a such a

(29:10):
big year as as twenty twenty was. And I don't know, yeah,
I don't know how it was over over there. I'm
sure you guys were a little more strict, but uh,
it was still it was still pretty strict on our end,
and we just like literally couldn't get on any fields,
like throwing in parking lots, just just crazy stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
That's actually crazy, it's insane. And then and then in
the middle of that, you were, you know, sorry, Russell,
you just come off the northwards. You had a good
start to the season. You're like, right, I'm just gonna
be building my draft stock. Did you think, particularly when
they had that like five round draft, you must have thought,
well that sam'screwed.

Speaker 3 (29:43):
Yeah, I do. I have a funny one about that too,
Like I had talked to some teams and there were
good conversations, but like I I had, I didn't know
if I'd done enough to get in the top five,
because I mean, top five rounds is a bit different
than forty. It's like forty, I'm like, all right, probably
probably top the ten round guy, but I didn't know
about five. And so, like one of the phone calls

(30:05):
i'd had, I think it was with the Tigers at
the time, They're like, yeah, we have you as like
a sixth round guy right now, and I'm like, there's
there's five rounds, like I don't I don't know how.
I don't know how I fit in that. And they're
like and some guys are like actually asking me like
free agent like stuff, and I'm like, I would rather
just go back to school. And uh, you know, so

(30:25):
luckily the Royals, I know there was there would have
been another phone call after the Royals if that hadn't
happened in the fifth round. But you know, like just
some of those phone calls leading up to that day,
we're we're a little terrifying by hearing you know, I'm
not sure we grade you in the fifth you know,
well free agent talks like stuff like that, and so

(30:45):
going into it was really scary. And then you know,
watching the first day, you're like, I'm not going to
be here, you know. Uh. And so you get to
the second day and you're going around three round four,
you're getting like you're not hearing anything from agent. I
hear them from teams, and I was sitting there like
I was like shaking the whole day because like I mean,
I didn't know my family was there, like they're all nervous.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
And then like the right at right at the end
of the fourth round, like Asian called like, hey, you
might get a call here. If not, you're gonna get
a call like the start of the fifth and I'm like, oh,
thank god. And then then my phone rang from a
from Dayton moor And and Mitch Meyer with with the
Royals and they're like, all right, we're gonna get you,
you know, welcome. I was like, oh, kind of kind

(31:27):
of like felt like a weightlifted there. And then my
ear Yeah, I was gonna say my dad checked the
tracker before any of that to see who actually got drafted,
and he saw my name kind of spoiled it, but
it was it was It was nice. That was That
was one of the most nervous days of my life, though,

(31:47):
just sitting there, you know, sitting there waiting for one
hundred and fifty guys get drafted and hoping you're one
of them.

Speaker 1 (31:54):
There you were, and the rest of the rest of
the rest is history.

Speaker 3 (31:59):
Yeah, that, I mean, that feels like it was twenty
years ago. Just I mean because even after that, you
just go back to what you're doing, which was throwing
in parking lot, lifting in a home, lifting in a
gym that I had put in my house and then
eventually like I went, I went back to to Indiana
and started training there for you know, before they had

(32:19):
the Royshale little camp and stuff like that. But for
a while, there was just yeah, home gym and parking
lot throwing and hoping that was enough.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
Wow, it's just absolutely crazy to even think back to
what we were doing then and yeah, we didn't even
have it anywhere near like that. I'm sort of let's
sort of fast forward again to now or or more
recent history. We talked a little bit at the top
of the conversation about that moved to Oakland, and we've
gone from one very bizarre situation you throwing in a

(32:50):
parking lot and working out in your house too, you know, another,
let's be honest, bizarre situation in baseballing terms, where you
moved to a team on the brink of moving cities
and there were no fans in the stadium, Like, how
was that that must have been, like like, hey, this
is COVID again.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
Yeah, that was that was really strange. Obviously, Like I
wasn't there at the start of uh, everything that turned
into the movement that that was Oakland, but uh, you
know the ones that were there, were great. They were
welcoming first day at the stadium, Like I did like
a on air thing with with their broadcast guys and
got to you know call Bingo numbers, which is pretty fun.

(33:35):
But you know, the hardcore fans that we were still
showing up, we really appreciate, you know that they were
great and they were really friendly, and you know, you
could but you could hear the ones that were protesting,
which was kind of funny because there was no one
there and they're just yelling through the entire game. But
uh yeah, it was. It was really weird because you
kind of lose some of that ajournaline, especially when we

(33:55):
played the White Sox and they were on like that
twenty game losing streak and you're like there and you're like,
all right, we just lost to them and broke their
losing streak and there's like fifty people here, like it
just it just it just felt like a high school
game a little bit. Uh yeah, Like there was maybe
like the front, like a couple of seats were full,

(34:17):
like a thousand people maybe, but nothing for this giant
former like NFL Stadium that's like this holds forty thousand people,
like it was yeah, a little a little sad too, honestly,
because you're I mean, you used to having a bunch
of fans and you know, baseball is a great fan
sport and there's no one wants to come watch it.
But it's like, you know, you can't understand the reasons.

(34:38):
But it, uh yeah, definitely felt like fell like covid again.
And then then when we play the Dodgers and it's
ninety percent Dodgers fans and there's like twenty thousand people there,
You're like, okay, we're back a little bit, but it's
it's like all Dodgers fans are like, yeah, screw but
uh yeah, no, that was that was a really weird
situation to kind of get thrown into.

Speaker 1 (35:00):
We keep seeing Will sort of like his eyes just
lighting up. Chelsea's good. I don't think they have no no, but.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
I thought something was gonna happen there. But now, so we.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
Want to talk to you a little bit about about
what an offseason looks like again, a bit like a
bit like the Northwoods League and collegiate summer baseball. I
think it's just something that the average fan sort of
takes a granted, doesn't really think about but what does
it look like for you? You know, you talked a
little bit earlier on about some of baseball was great
because it meant you were playing baseball all the time,

(35:35):
Like are you or are you after a fashion you
know what, what's what's a day look like for you
on on a given week during this part of the year.

Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah, I mean I'll just start at the beginning, like
because when that season, like the last game of the
season hits, like and you go home and it's like, well,
what I like your day life for the last eight
months is not going to happen for the next four
or five months. It's it's like a culture shock, and
you know what happens every year when you get back
into it. Then like when you when you're done, it's like, well,

(36:06):
now we got to wait four or five more months
for another game, Like it's kind of sad. And then
you get in a routine of like training and like
preparing for next year, and like as soon as you
start like getting ready again, like flies by, like I
feel like yesterday was, you know, October first, and now
we're sitting first week of February. Camp starts next week
and you're like, oh, thank god, it's back, but then

(36:27):
the blink of Lilli, it's gonna be gone again. So
it's it's crazy, but uh, you know, like I don't
wally going to train about ten ten thirty, I'll you know,
wake up, make breakfast here and I'm an asy So
I would be closer to Mesa where the A's were,
but luck luckily the Mariners are also in Arizona. Would
have been a kind of a pain trade to a

(36:48):
Florida team after moving out here for the off season.

Speaker 1 (36:51):
Finally nine for you and your wife.

Speaker 3 (36:54):
Yeah part of it. Yeah, I would have been part
of it, but uh yeah, we kind of thought that's
why we've got a flexible apartment in case we had
to move. But uh, you know, yeah, go and train, So,
like I normally just do some I do some static stuff,
you know, get moving around, and then I'll move on
to like bands, get the shoulder ready, and then drive

(37:16):
Line has you know, a list of like fly out
of drills and stuff based on like a motion capture
that you do at the start of the year and
then halfway through which kind of gets your like biomechanical
analysis and can tell you your efficiency is what you
do really well and kind of can go about like, Okay,
we need to attack this with baseball drills, attack this
with mobility. Attack this was its strength and and running stuff.

(37:40):
And so just I would go through probably have normally
like three or four different drills, and you go through
that with a couple of different overweighted underweighted balls. Get
the arm going, you know, you can go play catch whatever,
do your Then they have a series of arm care
stuff like based on that, and so you go do
that and then that's your throwing. And then once you're

(38:01):
done there, I would go, you know, I go do sprints,
red balls like jump pliometric stuff, and then you get
get in the weight room and then normally I'm I'm
done for like two two thirty ish, and I come
home and I'm like what now?

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Uh and hopefully a Chelsea game? Oh yeah, oh no,
I think Russell and I know what's happened.

Speaker 3 (38:27):
Yeah, Jared Bowen, Yeah, he's uh, he's someone else, that guy.
He's such a good player too.

Speaker 1 (38:35):
He's so good, isn't he.

Speaker 3 (38:37):
Oh damn? Oh? Who's Emerson with an assist too?

Speaker 1 (38:44):
Oh no, so Rustle, I'm gonna hand over to you
because like, like I think I think Will's touched on
on some of the things we wanted to to ask about.
Without this would be one of the easiest conversations ever
because you just start talking about things that we don't stop,
and I feel that's a good thing. But I knows Russell.

(39:05):
Russell loves loves the analytics stuff. So I'm gonna I'm
gonna give you the floor, big man. You follow up
on some of that some of that stuff that Will
was saying there.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
Yeah, So it's really interesting because obviously, like you talked
earlier on I think then ry the start where you
talking about getting those tips from from like from logo.
But I really love to be like when you were
at college, like how what was that level of like
using of like track man and those facilities, and then
what real difference did you kind of first find when
you had zero and then when you got to you

(39:32):
got to like the miners, where you then just like, oh,
here's like a completely different way of actually like tracking.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
What you're doing.

Speaker 2 (39:41):
Or was it still similar in some regards?

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Yeah, in college we had radar guns. I'm not sure.
I can't think we had a whole lot. Else you
might have had a rapsodo. This was before track man.
Track Man's like taking over rapsodo. But this is back
when you know, rap soda was number one and all
of that, and so we we might have had one.
I don't that's pushing it though. Maybe yeah, we definitely

(40:05):
had a raapsode. Didn't we in college? I don't know,
But but the place I would train at UH in Indiana,
we had rapsodo and trackmen and that was kind of
where I first got introduced to like pio balls and
and all that stuff like that. And so my training
in the off season I had used tech and stuff,
but it's not anywhere what it is today. It was,

(40:25):
oh hey, like you're like that was back when the
spin rate was the big thing. It's like, well, your
spin rate sucks, but uh, you throw kind of hard,
so you know it's a trade off. But then yeah,
you think it gets better in pro bawl. But like
the first couple of years with Kansas City, like they
were a little more old school, and so a lot
of it was like not there wasn't any biometric like

(40:48):
drills programmed, or there wasn't a whole lot of use
of tech. There was like a radar gun, but you
didn't have a whole lot of information about like your
movement profiles and stuff like that. And so that kind
of changed with the with the d when they moved
dating out and JJ took over and they hired Redman

(41:10):
I can't remember his first name, but Freeman took over
like the pitching development stuff, and you know, he started
writing programs that were based around like your deficiencies or
your proficiencies and like you know, getting really good atway
you do well and kind of getting less bad at
what you do poorly kind of thing. And you know
he took over and you started that's when in twenty two,

(41:34):
like twenty two maybe, yeah, I think it was twenty
two when he started writing writing programs. You're like, okay,
this is this is better now and you're getting stuff
that's more like designed to you, like tailored made instead
of stuff that was more cookie cutter, you know, in
previous years. And so that kind of took a turn there.
And you know, they were still buying the eat ball

(41:55):
because the Dodgers had been they were not necessarily Dodge,
but like some teams had been you know, doing that
for five ten years, had their labs and stuff, and
so it's like all right, we're playing catch up now,
but it's better than not trying it all. And you know,
it turned out good. Like I liked a lot of
what he had and kind of turned it around for
me in twenty three and you know, just working on

(42:17):
the little things instead of just going out and playing
catch but like having intentional things to work on. But yeah,
like when I first got there, there wasn't a whole
big introduction of here's all this tech, like what to
do with it? How to make it you better? Is
it was not quite anti tech, but there was definitely
a lack of it when I got there. But you know,
then throughout the years they started encompass incorporating a little more.

(42:42):
And then you get up level and they start using
more like high it was like were just how hard
you throw? And you know, oh, here's your movements. And
then you start going up and it's like, all right,
here's how they play off each other. All right, this
is how you can make them better, tweak the movement
and stuff like that. And so like the higher up
you went, like you saw a little bit more introduction

(43:03):
of like more advanced tech stuff.

Speaker 1 (43:07):
And is that something that you've sort of taken on
yourself away from the programs. Is it because you know
this is this is like the sort of the meme
of every off site off season is you know so
and so's at drive line they're working on a new pitch.
Or is it very much prescribed by by by the
club that you're working with at the time, how they
want you to approach any given day.

Speaker 3 (43:29):
I think definitely, like when you're the Miners, like it
was more prescribed, like they tell you what they want.
But I mean, being on my third team in the
last six months, it's like, well, I got I got
to figure out what I need to do in order
to make the team. And so being taken in a
little more of the onus on yourself and how you
go about and what you need to improve. And then

(43:50):
obviously like there are things that like the A said,
recommend it, but it's now like, all right, well, what
are what are the Mariners gonna want? And so I
know they do detailed player plans and what they have
in mind for guys, and so I'm interested to see
what that is when I get when I get in
there for spring and so I'm excited for that and
I know, you know they've done a great job with

(44:11):
some former Royals and just other other pitchers in general,
and have a great track record for that. And they're
kind of on the opposite ends of what I came
into pro ball tech and like pitching wise, and so
it'll be it'll be good to you know, get get
in their lab. I know, yeah, I know they have
a lab and they do a good job with arms,
so that'll be exciting. But uh yeah, it's kind of

(44:33):
been a lot of what I saw last year that
I needed to adjust and work on. One of it
was just like getting getting healthy and stuff like that too,
so that that plays a role, not hurting it's a
big one.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
So sorry, no, I was gonna say, like, obviously then
that gives that do you have that flexibility to work
on a new pitch that maybe isn't being taught to
you or they aren't saying, like, you know what, the
way that you your rob struct raise, the way that
you pronate your wrist like you should work on a cutter.
Do you get a chance to be like you just

(45:05):
had that spit talking about with Seth Lugo, to work
on a curveball or see someone else's grip and be
like you know what I'm going to spend like ten
pitches for the next like two or three weeks just
seeing if I can throw this.

Speaker 3 (45:18):
Yeah, you have that flexibility absolutely, but a lot of
a lot of mine was like I've the shapes and
you know I throw it goes hard and the curveball,
you know, moves. Well. It's just like for me, it's
like doing that over and over and you know, the execution,
being able to execute multiple you know locations, pitches in

(45:40):
a row, and you know, executing for a whole bet
or for a whole any like that's the important part
for me now, not necessarily like some guys like go
revitalize a career out of pitch, but like my whole
thing's always just been throwing more strikes and so that's
that's the big one. And just you know, part of
that's getting rid of some deficiencies, some stuff that makes
it less repeatable and just kind of like smoothing out

(46:02):
and making a little simpler. And so that's what a
lot of that was. And just being more like attack minded,
like go get them in the zone and not being
kind of as timid because you kind of lost that
a little bit, uh through the through the year last year,
and so part of that's been been that and just trusting,
you know, trusting in the zone and you know, knowing
that you're capable of drowing strikes, which everyone is most

(46:23):
of the time. It's it's mental. So it's been a
bit more of that, or and trying to add a changeup,
which was what the A said best for. But now
I have no idea.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
So I was going to say, have they have they
been in touch with you to say what it is
that they want from you? Or are you Are you
sort of waiting until until you get into camp, because
you know you touched on it in a previous answer,
you couldn't really be going anyway better in terms of
maybe Cleveland would be the only other place that would
be on the par in terms of tinkering with pictures

(46:53):
and turning them into you know, mindjet.

Speaker 3 (46:57):
Yeah, Cleveland's done a good job. I know when my buddies,
Timmy Haren was in that bullpen last year, I trained
with him and in Indianapolis in like nineteen and twenty,
and I mean he's counting with him. But yeah, they've
turned out some monsters with him and Kate Smith as
young guys and obviously like Class A and and the
other guys that fill out those roles. But yeah, they

(47:18):
kind of do a good job over there. But no, they,
I mean they it was what the trade was like
a week and a half ago, so they, I mean
they're like, we'll have a player planned ready for you
when you get here in spring, and you know, stuff
we're gonna attack or kind of like what you what
we want you to thinking about and stuff like that.
And so I mean, there wasn't a whole lot of
time left in the off season anyways to really change

(47:40):
the focus that I had had already. So we I mean,
most will just be kind of what adjustments they see
like once I start throwing for him there, And so
I'm not sure what that'll be. Uh, you know, looking
at all their arms, they all have a lot of
them have two different fastballs, so that would be maybe
something had a sinker, something kind of goes right because

(48:01):
all of my stuff goes left, or no, I had
I had worked on the change I had thrown in
twenty three in double A, and so maybe adding one
of those again, but you know, I'm not not too sure.
But you know, whatever it is, I'll just I'll give
a really good old college try and just have faith.
I mean, they know what they're doing and they crush it,
so it makes it a little easier to trust them.

Speaker 2 (48:25):
Yeah, definitely. And so it is it is a week
away from the going out to spring training. Obviously it's
going to be different last this year than last year.
But like, how does that kind of that ramp up
thing actually go Because we we hear like pigeons and
catchers report, and we see some videos of everyone throwing
around for hours, but we kind of don't see like

(48:45):
from from from your mental side, like coming into it.
It's like how quickly do you then build up that
workload from kind of like what you've been doing in
the off season or is it still quite steady for
a while.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
No, it takes a pretty well, like I've been going
like I threw live on I through Live on Friday,
face hitters for the first time, and then I'll face
hitters again this week on Wednesday, and then like it,
I mean games going you fast, like pitt your schedule report,
the twelve full team work out, the eighteenth, and then

(49:19):
games and twenty first and you're like, oh crap, and
so like getting able to face hitters on your own
and then we get there, it'll probably be a bullpen
or two live abs and then boom games. And so
it's like it happens quick and you gotta be ready
for it, especially like guys in my situation, like trying
to make the team out of camp and you know,
just being ready and having your stuff ready to go

(49:39):
fight for those spots and you know, like it's still spring,
guys know, like you're not going to be mid season four,
but having the attitude and you know, thinking like prepping
to be in the right spot to go compete for
a job and so kind of in the off season,
it's all on you. Like I built up with bullpens
since when I start bullpens maybe like early December, mid

(50:03):
December ish, and you're throwing them once a week, and
then you move to like twice a week, and then
you move to like higher intent bullpens. Now you're throwing
all your stuff, be high in tent and then maybe
you're doing one day like spend stuff one day like
location tracker and stuff like that. And so there's different
emphasis emphasis. I don't know how to plural that one works,

(50:25):
but there's there's different like somewhat, Yeah, one of those two,
but there's yeah, there's different focuses, but the like the
back lines the same, like you want to strikes. But
one day, you know, work on like the tracker and
at tracks your average misses and tells you and say,
all right, well work on getting better with those in

(50:48):
the zone. Or sometimes it's just like a light pin
where you're working on spending stuff and I feeling that,
or sometimes like you're working on like your pitch shapes
and all that, but the you do a couple of
those and it's working up and then the intensity starts building.
Now you've got like four like twenty five or thirty
pitch you know, n pans for a couple of weeks
and then you know turning last week, I threw a

(51:10):
bullpen Tuesday and then went live Friday, and then this
week going live Friday and then or live live this Wednesday,
and then taking into camp on Tuesday hoping hopefully they're
own bullpen and some hitters there.

Speaker 2 (51:24):
No, that's amazing, And you talk about if you build
this up and then that's that mental side when you
actually get on the mound and you're actually like playing
in a game, like I play really bad basically baseball
here in the UK as in like it's a little
almost like a level of people that all learned when
they were adults, not like when they were kids or whatever.
And I could throw I don't know, sixty tops and

(51:45):
it's like but you get on the mound and suddenly
I'm like, I play at third base, I can hit
first base. I get on the mound, I can't even
throw it and the catcher's glove. Like just talk a
little bit about that, that mentality that you have to
have when you're on the mound to like just shake
off a bad pitch and get at it with like
the next one.

Speaker 3 (52:03):
Yeah, that's a that's a big one too. You kind
of learn going through the mind. It's like it seems simple,
but a lot of guys don't realize. You just got
to take it like one pitch at a time. Like
there are a couple of times when you go you're
in a game and you go one two and you're
like I'm ahead, and then you don't execute two pitches
and your three two and you're like, oh shit, like
how do I get here? Like that sucks, Like I
can't do that. Instead of being like oh, I'm gonna

(52:24):
excute this pitch and make sure I don't walk them.
Like it's the difference between thinking about the past two
months or thinking about the current one. Uh, and so
like just being like within yourself and like focusing on
each pitch versus worrying about like the outcome instead of
like I'm going to execute or like what if he
hits this, Like you don't. You might not think it,

(52:46):
but that does have a huge outcome like effect on
the outcome of the pitch, Like it might make it
might like you might let off at the end because
you're worried, or like you might try to make it
like too nasty because you're scared he's gonna hit like
your normal one suff and stuff like that. And so
that's a that's a big thing too, especially when you
get to the major leagues, Like there is some of
that that keeps in your mind and you just got

(53:06):
to be able to eliminate it and focus on each
pitch that you're throwing and knowing that you will throw
strikes and you're going to dominate the hitters. And that's
like that mental part of it is probably the biggest
separator at that level. And the consistency, but part of
those two go hand in hand.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
On do you also have like the opposite side, So
like when like you'll remembers like nailing it, do you
can you get like a level of overconfidence and like
just throw something bad or you if you feel like
everything's going well, you're not going to maybe like trying
to think about it as much like every single pitch
you just like, dude, everything is just working today.

Speaker 3 (53:41):
Dude. Ah. I feel like it goes either way because
sometimes you're like crushing or like all right, don't fuck this, Oh,
don't mess this up. Sorry, and and then the second
you think that you mess it up, it's like you're
jinxing yourself. But if you're just like focused, like focus
on your breathing and focused on like executing each pitch
and stead of looking back at like your collective work

(54:02):
you've already done and be like, oh, that's really good,
don't mess it up, or you're like, I'm just going
to make this pitch now instead of like instead of
the don't mess it up thing, And so like if
you kind of go on that second one, you're going
to keep performing and so just being able to get
yourself out of the headspace is a big one because
like it's the whole thing, like guys have thrown like

(54:23):
you're throwing an Immacula inning, or you've got a no
hitter going on, or it's like you come in after
a starter's throwing a no hitter. You're like, oh, don't
mess it up, don't mess it up, don't mess it up,
and then that only leads to you messing it up
and you're like, oh, damn it. But uh, or it's
like I'm just going to go do it. And so
like that, being able to flip the switch of like
thinking about the past or think of like going about

(54:43):
this one pitches does definitely play role in that.

Speaker 1 (54:47):
And was there anyone in the games that you played
with the Royals or the A's last year that you
were on the mound and this guy dug in and
you're like, oh it's him.

Speaker 3 (54:57):
Oh wow, I mean face to the Padres and got machado,
uh tatis and arias and like the same inning, because yeah,
they hit like five singles in the inning and I figured,
I mean I found out I was tipping some stuff
to after. But that was That's a tough one to
get through when it's not going your way, and you're

(55:18):
like yours in Profi hits a perfectly placed back door
curveball for a single down the line, You're like, Okay,
Luca Rias hits a fast ball like one one fastball
like two feet off the plate that should have been
a ball for a double down the line, You're like
all right, uh. And it's just like sometimes stuff doesn't
go your way and you're just getting guys that you're like,
he's that's manny Machado, that's tatist. Like sometimes you do

(55:42):
think about it and you're like, all right, well, you
can't think about it because you know you're playing against
him right now, and so, but there are definitely times
when you think about like, oh, that's not it's not
the right attitude to have. But sometimes it does, you know,
get to you a little bit, not get to you,
but kind of like you realize it in the moment,
but uh, it is it does. I mean your your
face off against them, which is really cool, like you

(56:04):
can look back at it like afterwards, but you got
to get out of the mode of like thinking about
it when you're on on the mound, for sure.

Speaker 2 (56:11):
So you mentioned briefly there that you you were tipping
your pitches, like did you like how quickly did either
like you notice or the other team notice, or did
you like until you go some feedback from from your team.

Speaker 3 (56:23):
Oh so I'm not gonna say what it was, but
the Royals, uh, they they talked to me the next stick,
so I like, well, I came up as like was
I tipping? And they're like, yeah, we actually saw something
like here, let's go talk about it. And so, you know,
like just and the well one main one was if
like you're coming set with the guy on second not
showing them inside your glove. Yep, that's a pretty easy one,

(56:46):
especially like you spike a curveball like you can see
the finger and so just closing that off was a
big one. And there there was something else but that.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
One.

Speaker 3 (56:58):
There's another one that just amazed me. I was like,
how does anyone see that? But uh, yeah it was.
It was pretty quick though, which was good. And then
I threw it again against them and it went well.
I was like okay, or face no. I threw against
the Marritors and it went while I was like okay, good,
So it kind of it kind of helps you like

(57:18):
maybe I don't suck. Maybe there was something they're seeing,
you know, But but you know, there are guys on
both teams that are paid to look if they're if
their pictures are tipping, if the other pictures are tipping,
and like how quickly they can figure that out? And
really that and that's a big part of it too.
That's that's changed over the past couple of years as
guys on teams like strictly with that job.

Speaker 1 (57:43):
No, that's a basic as will. You've been incredibly generous
with your time. We're probably gonna let you get off
and hopefully watch the second half comeback of your your
marthless poison play. Well, what one more question for you
before you go? We know you're on the hunt for
your one one MLB draft potch card. How's it going?

(58:04):
Has it come yet? No, you need to put out
an offer. Where's where's the thirty years of home play seats?
Where's where's the meal with Livy done? What's what's what's what's.

Speaker 3 (58:17):
I'll give it. I'll give them a day with my
cats and then they can have that. We'll go to
a Chelsea game together or something. But uh no, I
haven't seen it. I like all the guys that you
know track like on Instagram and stuff, and like all
the one on one trackers, like I've let them know
and they know that I'm looking for it, and I
check eBay and my mom like looks for it and stuff.

(58:39):
And so like when when that set first came out,
we're like, all right, it's gonna pop like in a
week and you know we're gonna get it and we're
gonna be set. And then it didn't pop. Me like,
all right, people are still open it because people wanted
the schemes, and then schemes was found by that eleven
year old and then now you're like, well that's the
biggest chase. A lot of the good ones are gone,
like people are gonna stop opening it as much, and

(59:01):
so like it's just the hopes dwindling, uh that we're
gonna find that, which is sad, but you know, maybe
one day it'll pop. Uh, who knows. I'm still looking
for like my draft like one on one cards which
never showed up either. So I got got a couple
of cards on on the hunt that I'm on the
hunt for.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
But uh, that's a collector somewhere who's just like doesn't
like report any of their stuff, just being like I've
got all of my lovely Will Clyde and stuff.

Speaker 3 (59:30):
I love him. They p s all my cards and
just don't tell anyone that's why they like yeah. But
I feel like the second anyone's pulled one of those,
like the draft cards, it gets posted because I mean,
those are they're sick cards and they're so hard to find.
It's like you have to show that you you found one.
And uh, Like I keep seeing all my friends get

(59:51):
theirs polled and I'm like, oh, here you go, like
you just got pulled, like this is sick, Like go
buy it, and they're like all right, or like check evans,
like guys you played against They're like, oh that's so cool,
Like please sure, but.

Speaker 1 (01:00:05):
Well we'll put the word out here in the UK.
I doubt many of those boxes have made it across
the Atlantic.

Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
But baseball wax being ripped over there.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
There's a few key boys over here, definitely. It's the
thing is generally the sad side is that it's even
more expensive to get it over here because you've gotta
ship it over as well as just buying the boxes, so.

Speaker 3 (01:00:29):
You guys get all the good soccer product that's true.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
That's true, and we and we we have a good
market in trading. I traded a David David Boatie Myrtle
Beach Pelican's boating boat faced bobble head for of all things,
a Wolverhampton Wondrous scuff. So there you go.

Speaker 3 (01:00:48):
Maybe I don't know if I've ever thought those two
things would.

Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
I definitely didn't when they get when when I said,
when I said to the guy, is there anything I get?
I can get you? I was not expecting the text.

Speaker 3 (01:01:01):
That came back to me David Body Myrtle. He was
he's a nice guy. He was in Triple the past
couple of years and they called him back up. But
it's good. But that's great to hear.

Speaker 1 (01:01:12):
I just wanted it because because it has boat you
make boat face, which made me laugh like a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:01:17):
Yeah, that's good.

Speaker 1 (01:01:20):
Well, it's been awesome to chat to you. Thanks so
much for your time. Wishing you absolutely all the best
for camp next week with the Mariners, and we'll be
following your progress, hopefully on the twenty sixth month throughout
the season. If not, if you end up in Triple A,
your catch is going to be our sweetheart. Isn't it us?

Speaker 3 (01:01:36):
Probably?

Speaker 1 (01:01:37):
I would say so Harry Forward.

Speaker 3 (01:01:40):
I met him in the at the Futures Game and
twenty three is really nice guy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:45):
So there you go. That would be a like we
do want you to be in the big league team,
but that would be a fun battery, you know, one
that we definitely have a big rout and interest in
because Harry is Harry is our superstar over here in
the UK. Thanks British his mum and dad both British.

Speaker 3 (01:02:00):
Yeah, oh really he plays.

Speaker 1 (01:02:02):
Yeah, he plays for a place of Great Britain and
played who is the our star in the World Baseball
Classic RUSS which you were there, won't you?

Speaker 3 (01:02:10):
So yeah, it's really cool six Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
He's he's some boy. So I say high to him
for us next week. And if people want to follow
along with your journey Will over the course of spring
training or over the course of this season, where's the
best place to keep up with you.

Speaker 3 (01:02:28):
I've started posting a little more on Instagram, so that's
it's Will climb without all the vowels, so it's just
wl kal then and then I use Twitter a lot
in the off season, but come season I try to
I try to stay off it, so I delete Twitter.
So not a whole lot on there, but that's that
is my name. It's will Cline zero on there as well.
So those are probably the two best spots if you

(01:02:50):
want to see anything, but most of the stuff probably
probably goes on Instagram.

Speaker 1 (01:02:54):
And it's going to be in the same way that
with Finnie Best Contino. It's a lot of Jets. It's
just a lot of Chelsea. So that's what I'm hoping for.

Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
Yeah, a lot of Chelsea, a lot of man Man
you hate, so.

Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
Well, that's that's the right that's the right thing to
say for sure. Well, thanks so much for your time
and hopefully you we'll catch again to

Speaker 3 (01:03:14):
Yep, thanks for having me.