Guards Blank The Bronx Bombers

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Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rose in house along with you from Progressive Field on Town Cleveland. This weekend the Guardians taking on the Houston Astros. Good show lined up for you. Today, we'll have a full Minor league report with Stephen Ostro, the vice president of player development for the Guardians, updating us on the Akron Rubber Ducks,

The pitch swung on driven Hi deep to right. Forget about it. On hell Martinez with a towering two run home run to right and the Guardians jump on top two to nothing two banners into the game. Wow, did he put a charge into that one? On hell Martinez has now hit four home runs, three of them left handed.

Jose Ramirez followed that up with a double, and then Daniel Schneman delivered a big two out hit.

Here's the two to one offering, swung and ripped to right base, hit near the line, It'll go to the wall, It'll score Ramirez schneaming on his way to second base, sliding with a two out RBI double and the Guardians slugging percentage and ending number one Z one is off the charts. Two doubles a home run three nothing Cleveland. So it was an early lead for Luis Orties on the mound, and he responded with another terrific performance. Runner first two down or Tees about to make his twentieth

Ortiz worked five and two third shutout innings before turning it over to Tim Herron, who had some great defense behind him. In the seventh.

Now the pitch swung on, grounded up the middle the second baseman schnemin' the second one, Arius dunsit to first double played in the inning. Well done by Schneeman and Arius and the Guardians keep the Yankees off the board through seven three nothing Cleveland.

Then in the eighth inning, the Guardians added to the lead thanks to Kyle man Zardo.

The bitch swung on hit high deep to right center field and gone. Kyle man Zardo with his eleventh home run, and the Guardians get a big insurance run for nothing Cleveland. Here in the eighth on a two out solo homer to the right center by Kyle man Zardo, and man who had five home runs all of last year with Cleveland, has more than doubled that. That one went four hundred and five feet to the bleachers and right center.

And in the ninth annual class looked unhittable.

Not much of this crowd remains on hand, maybe the only people left for those taking the subway home. Here's the next offering, swinging and a mess got him of the slider. Closse strikes out judge. Now the O two delivery, strike three call out, looking at another wicked cutter at one hundred miles an hour, two down in the Yankee ninth Now the one to two swinging an a miss

Guardians had even up. The series had won went a piece, but the Yankees returned the favorite with a four to nothing shut out win on Thursday night, and then then the series opener against the Astros right here at Progressive Field on Friday night. Houston wins it by a four to two score. Stay with us, we want me come back, We'll hear from outfielder Nolan Jones. That's next the Guardians Radio Network.

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Jim Rose announced back with You Where at Progressive Field, Downtown Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros this weekend, and the Reds coming to town starting a series on Monday night. Nolan Jones Guardians outfielder started slow offensively this season, but he has worked hard to get his season going and it has paid off for the real nice stretch the last couple of weeks. In fact, at one point on Friday night, he was in a stretch where he was

Yeah, I think just sticking with my process and you know, simplifyings and things a little bit, you know, maybe uh, trying a little less hard and just allowing some things to happen on the field, you know, just going out there playing and doing my part and not trying to put so much preussure on myself.

And I heard you mention that trying less uh the other day. How hard is it to do that though, To actually back off a little bit and just let your talent shine through.

Yeah, It's really hard, obviously, this is uh, you know, our lives and we want to go out there. We want to get hits every day and help the team win and be a part. And so I think it's really hard, but you know, I think just trusting in it and trusting in your abilities and knowing that it's in there and you don't have to search for it as you.

From that mental standpoint. Difficult when when you believe in what you're doing but don't necessarily see the results to to kind of get through that.

Yeah, definitely. I mean, like I just kind of talked about, I think it's it's just it's trusting in your work.

Nolan Jones joining us from Yankee Stadium and No, just talking earlier about that process and staying with that, you had people who believed in you and believed in some of the advanced numbers that would say, hey, it's gonna turn quickly. How important is that to have that support from coaches, manager, front office?

Yeah, it's huge.

Obviously looking up at the scoreboard and seeing some pretty disgraceful numbers is not is not easy. But when you're obviously getting that support from you know, the manager and the hitting coaches and you know, telling you to keep going and trusting your process and and not changing anything for results, I think it really helps. And you know, it's still confidence in you.

Teammate wise, maybe not all teams are the same, but this one seems to be a close knit group. Does that help when when you're trying to get to a good place and maybe it takes longer than you hope.

Yeah, definitely, I think. I mean, I think having guys that are there to pick you up, and obviously, you know, being on a winning ball club and trying to rally through that and support those guys and doing what I can know. Obviously sometimes it's not happening at the plate, but you can make a big play on defense that

In that outing.

Yeah, I think just from the beginning of the game, just mixing the whole time. I mean, first picture of the game was a curveball and that's never really happened before. It kind of kind of got me. But just just mixing.

When you mentioned kurb Baal to start the game, did you not know that when when you took the mound or did both surprise yet.

I mean, I think the coaching staff and Bo they talked about it a little bit before, but apparently I walked off after getting done with warm ups too quick for both to tell, like talk to me about it. So it kind of surprised me. But I mean they had it in the back of their mind, but it definitely surprised me.

Krey Klueber has been around a little bit and a new role for him, and you were mentioning that you've talked to him a little bit, just kind of picking his brain. And when you talk to someone like that, what are some of the things that he's been able to help you with in a very short period of time.

Yeah, I mean, mindset is a thing one of the biggest things and routines, Like with him, he had the same routine every day. He knew what he was going to get doing the same thing every day. I mean, it can it can be boring, but it definitely helps out the long run. So just talking to him, talking to him about that, it's helped out. I've kind of added a few things from him just to do in my daily routine and it's kind of coming into play.

There was only one Corey Klueber for sure. Hey, and then closing an off day yesterday here in New York City. You're from North Carolina. What is it like for you to spend an off day here in the biggest city in the world.

Yeah, it's definitely kind of crazy. Most people I'll ever be around my life' it's it's a nice city. It's a nice city, but definitely not my favorite one. But it's fun. A lot of a lot of stuff to do here.

All right, Kevin, thanks a lot for coming, b I appreciate it.

Yeah, appreciate it.

That's Gavin Williams now searching for that can consistency, seeing he he can back up that great outing last Sunday with another good one here this weekend. Aaron Boone is the Yankees manager. He's been so for eight seasons now and took them to the World Series against the Dodgers a year ago. He's a former Cleveland, Indian who played here back in the two thousand and five, two and six seasons. We've talked to him about his playing days in Cleveland, also a little football, and how he became

Man.

I mean, I've you know, I've got to witness now most of his career and seen his just his hunger to get a little bit better every single year. He's playing so well defensively in right field this year for us, the consistency of his bats day in and day out has just been and it's remarkable, you know. But I got to watch twenty twenty two where he won the MVP with sixty two homers, and he was probably better last year where he won the MVP again, And I don't know if it's better this year yet or not,

We're joined by Yankees manager Aaron Boone, a former Cleveland, Indian. You've done a lot in your career playing wise now managing here in New York broadcasting for a little bit the two years in Cleveland. What was your takeaway when you look back on that in terms of how it was and things you remember.

Yeah, so, just a great organization from from top down at that time, Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti and then obviously Mark Mark moved on. But a lot of life time relationships that I that I formed over there, and it's, as you know, just a lot of great people that

And tonight's the last game of the season series. Who knows if they meet again in the in the postseason. What are you seeing over there or over the games that have been played between these two clubs so far.

Well, Jose Ramirez is still Jose Ramirez, and the underrated is not underrated. I've I got Actually, it's funny you say that. Somebody sent me something because they know I'm a staunch opposition to this overrated narrative on Jose Ramirez. He's just He's a Hall of Fame player that continues to just and he's obviously playing at such a high level right now and comes in here very hot. But you know, you know they're they got platoon options over there,

All Right, we'll finish with this off the field. Born and raised Southern California, but you moved around a lot. You're a staunch Eagles fan, and I know this. Obviously, the playoff run this year is a lot of fun. They go to the Super Bowl and all that, and you had a chance to be at a lot of those games For fans who don't know why the Eagles from where you grew up.

So, born in San Diego, but moved to South Jersey when I was a baby for Philly. My dad played with the Phillies from seventy two to eighty one. I lived in Jersey through through fifth grade. So I was a huge Eagles, huge sixer fan, and that's never changed even when I went back to southern California and went through middle school and high school and went to USC and always been an Eagle fan. And coming back to the East Coast, it's a lot easier for me to

And do you take anything from what they do and think of ways to apply it here? Are you strictly just it's fun to be a fan?

Yeah, pretty much fan. You know, I've although fortunate that I've gotten to meet a lot of people down there. I know Howie roseman the GM, and I know coach and Big Dom who's kind of become famous in himself, so they take really good care of me. I've been to practice and everything. So but that said, I'm more of just a fan and you're always trying to absorb things. But it's been a lot of fun watching watching last year unfold.

Aaron, thanks a lot for the time. Appreciate it. Yeah, great fun chat with Aaron Boone, the Yankees manager, and then we thank him for his time while the team was in New York this week. Stay with us when we come back, we will talk minor league system. Joining us next. Vice President of player development Stephen Oster that's next, Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rose announced back with

Yeah, for sure, Austin is someone we we've talked about a couple of times up to this one, and he's continuing to show some of that improved velo that we saw in the early parts of the year as the volumes build up and he's he's sustaining it.

So that's that's been great to watch.

Uh.

You know, like you said, he's stacking.

Up the good outings, uh, controlling controlling counts as as the primary calling card here and throwing strikes and you know, things have.

Progressed really well for him.

I think the emphasis moving forward is is just to continue refining and kneeling.

Down his plan of attack.

You know, some of the things we're working on are you know, limiting big, big misses with the fast one the cutter, and trying to maybe reel in a little bit of the north south execution and part of the zone so that I think hopefully he can continue to move the needle on converting on his strikeout opportunities. You know, he throws a lot of strikes and he has been limiting damage quite a bit over the course of his career.

Standpoint and you know, not chasing.

And you know, this is kind of the level that we have guys like Peterson who controls stuff pretty good to really refine his plan of attack.

And execute the good spots. So you know, he's he's.

Continuing to sharpen his skills on those fronts. And Austin keeps rolling with great start after great start.

And the just numbers wise for perspective for fans ten starts as Era was under a run and a half a game, so at least statistically, he's getting it done along with all that other good stuff. Zane Morehouse another college kid out of Texas not too long ago in the draft of twenty three, and what are you saying from him as he progresses at double A.

Yeah, yeah, he's he's been very good since entering New York for us as a reliever, and you know, the history for him has been an above average strikethrower.

But you know, I was working on some delivery.

Stuff early in the year to maybe access to take more of the velocity, and we think that's something that we we could unlock with him, so you know, and doing that it pulled back a little bit over the last you know, first month and a half of the season more or less, and in the last little bit here he's had a stretch of you know, turning things around from from a strike throwing standpoint, and also seeing the velocity take up alongside of it, so you know, throwing more strikes.

Of ELO's climbing.

It was up to ninety eight recently, which is an awesome sign for him. And the emphasis now is just accessing better zones, you know, with this fastball and his slider and you know, working in the new splitter that's he's been trial running in in the pen a little bit and trying to get that into games, and we think that pitch has a real potential to be a

And another reliever Jake Miller, who has put up some nice numbers from the twenty one draft, a college drafted kid out of the University of San Diego. I feel like there's a lot of stories like this in the system where it seems like he was battling some health things to get going in his career, but now it's starting to fall into place for him.

Yeah, that's right, Rosie.

He's battled injuries for you a good chunk of his time with us, and you know, he's shown flashes of.

A high ceiling. But to your point, he never really had a.

Long runway of health to get some of the consistent reps in that he needs to get to develop the things that he needed to develop. So he's healthy and had a really good offseason and he's been very, very good so far this year. He's got a four pitch mix, you know, a bit of a higher slot and comes out from a plus extension, so he YEA, his primary weapon, I think we believe is to be his splitter.

And makes him really tough on lefties.

You know, he's got just a minute school two fifteen ops against right now. His fastball has been in the mid nineties and he's throwing two sliders for pretty good commands.

So he's not walking.

Anyone at this point and has given up i think, just runs in three of his eighteen outings. Still a lot to work on and you know, getting more comfort, you know, deploying that splitter as his primary weapon.

But you know, we're going to continue to push the.

Ceiling on the Velo and continue to do everything we can to support the in game reps and development for Jake. But he's been a really nice story of a guy who's given himself an opportunity to continue to develop and is performing his tailoff right now.

And we'll stay in the bullpen. One more picture. Zach Jacobs another college drafted kid from twenty two. What do you think from him as he works out of the pen with Akron.

Yeah, yeah, he had a really good year last year in Lake County. You know, they relied on him quite a bit as they won the Midwest League champ being shipped and yeah, he's been one of the better strike throwers in our org since entering it.

You know, his elite zone rates, he can create some very interesting shapes on his secondaries. But he's just been light on the vello. And you know, he had a really good offseason, spent a lot of time with us and committed to adding more to his physical motor and it came back with a.

Nice little love ticking vello. And this is kind of a common theme.

You know, with guys who tap in a little bit more of the physicality and the off season where you know, just like adding horsepower to your car, it takes a little bit of time to gain control again and to feel good about, you know, how you're delivering the ball out of hand. So you know, he came out of the gates, maybe not fully himself from a strike throwing perspective, but the fastball zone rates are back up to the

In the last month. The k rates are back up, the walk rates are.

Down, so you still got a long long ways to go, and we still think there's you know, a lot more sea to gain and work towards on the velocity side. But you know, Zach's been tearing up double a the last month, and you know, it's nice to see him kind of settled back into what we've seen in the last couple of years.

Joined by the Vice president of player Development, Stephen Oster, talking double a Akron this week on the Minor League Report Behind the Dish, Cooper Ingle is one of the good young prospects in the organization and keys for you to look at from a catcher's standpoint and what he may be doing. What would those be most importantly for you guys.

Yeah, I mean for first and foremost, he's he's been tearing it up the last month.

I think last time we talked to him, it was a bit more of a slow start, but now the average has crept up to around three hundred is ops is over nine out that he's crushing the.

Right handers and he's been carrying that Akron offense.

So yeah, I think some of that is just like the adage of hitters are going to hit, but he's also put in, you know, a ton of work into how he loads into his swing and you know the impact that that's had probably on his on his bat speed and uh yeah, some of his bat path refinements. So I think what's what's exciting and all this and the things that he's you know, continuing to work on.

Is uh, you know, the defensive side that I know we talked.

About before, but he's put a lot of time and effort into cultivating good routines around his throwing program and you know, maybe tweaking some of his throwing mechanics.

Uh.

And we've we've seen a lot of that uptick over the last month as well, and may not be showing as much on the surface numbers per se, but a lot of the underlying things that we're seeing, uh, you know, behind the dish, both from a receiving standpoint from a throwing standpoint, have been very much arrow up. So you know, Coop continues to work on and is aware of all.

Of those things that are required of being a really good major league catcher, you know, off the field as.

Well, in terms of preparing, knowing your pitchers, knowing the opponent coming in with a great game plan, and you know has made some strides there. He's done a really a lot of really good work with our catching coordinator, Brian Waltley on that front, the coaches on the ground.

A and I know, an exciting weekend down at Akron because you get a really good prospect back to health and playing on the field. He's put up some tremendous numbers in the lower minor leagues. On hell, hanaw, how's he doing and and what do you look to see from him as he gets back to play.

Yeah, really exciting.

He's said to come back officially from the shoulder spreen he suffered the end of spring training tonight in Akron, So you know, he got through his progression in Arizona, looked tremendous on the field like he always had, but also I think took advantage of his time and shows some real progress in some of the you know, longer term development physical goals that we had for him.

So, you know, we're getting back very talented player who's just just turned twenty one.

You know, switch hitting shortstop and who's really a really well rounded hitter. He doesn't strike out very much. He continues to show advancing impact and talk in the box, which is great. And yeah, I mean it's going to be kind of like spring training for him still with you know, with getting back into games fully and fully up to speed at the right level. But you know,

He's super excited to get back out there and so are we.

Exciting stories as always at Double A Acron Austin. Thanks so much for coming by. Always good to have you on. Appreciate it.

Thanks Rosie.

That is Stephen Aster, the vice president of player development for the Guardians and new to the ball club this year is Jalen Norman, and she has been visiting the different minor league teams throughout the system and providing reports both on social media, various media outlets and now on Guardian's Weekly, and we're happy to have her. She had a chance to sit down with catcher Cooper Ingle of the Rubber Ducks and talk about how his season is

What were some of the biggest differences for you going from college baseball.

To professional Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing is obviously you're playing every day in college, you're playing three days a week, and then you know once once you get drafted.

That's where real development starts.

I think just as a hitter, facing the caliber of pitching the you face here in Double A is you know, a lot better than what you're going to face in college. Not saying that college, you know, isn't good at all, It's just there's so much development in minor league baseball being able to face you know, velocity night and night out, whereas you might see.

It one day a week in college.

How did you settle on Clemson as as a school for you?

Yeah, so, I actually grew up a South Carolina fan, and I was pretty much taught as a kid to hate Clemson and many lee the head coach at Clemson at the time was he was a pretty much like every one of.

My summer ball games, and I was like, I don't know.

There's just something wrong about it because I've been it's been ingrained in me to hate Clemson for my whole life.

But I don't know.

He was just a very down to earth coach and really helped me with my catching and hitting development.

And he just showed that, you know, he had an interest in me that other schools.

Hitting as much. So I ended up deciding to pursue going to Clemson.

So does your family now do they cheer for Clemson or is it still like you went to Clemson but everyone else is a South Carolina fans.

No, they I mean they love Clemson baseball for sure. My dad's side of the family is still big South Carolina fans. Mom's side of the family all from North Carolina, so they're big tarhell fans. I was also, you know, taught to hate Duke growing up. But no, my my family loves Clemson baseball as a whole, but they choose not to wear the orange, so they wear the purple and white.

And you know, speaking of Duke, we've got quite a few guys who played acc baseball. Alex Mooney is one of them who got cjkthas parkrim as it did You do you have memories playing against any of them in college?

Yeah? I mean Mooney I got the room with him all year last year, and they beat us in a in a series early on in the season when we played them, so I hear about it probably once a week. And then the fact that they got to go to Super Regional and I didn't, so he's always rubbing in my face. But you know it's a good time and then yeah, I mean cafus, he's doing here exactly what he did in college, Like every time he played them, he would have four hits and games he was tough

In minor league baseball school and now as a professional player. What have been some of your biggest learning moments?

And I was a pro catcher, Yeah, I just think the preparation aspect when it comes to like game planning and doing meetings and pitchers and building those relationships and just being able to have the information given to you so that you can prepare for other lineups and ultimately have your entire pitching staff Trusty.

You bat left and throw right. Were you always a left handed batter or how how did that come about?

I think I want to say when I started hitting, I started switch hitting, and then my dad would make me bunt right handed in McCage and I didn't might it, so I'd stopped doing it.

And you also, we're a non roster invite spring training, so what was that experience like for you? What were some of your biggest takeaways.

Yeah, I mean, the ultimate goal of being in big leag camp this year was just to soak up as much knowledge as I could from Bowen and Austin and David and all the catchers that were in there at that point, just so that I could further my development and see what it's like to prepare and play a baseball game at the highest level.

You've had some pretty unique experiences already. You were Midwest League MVP last year. Like I said, you were non roster invite spring training, you were on the spring breakout roster. Looking back at your minor league career, even though it's you know, you're still early on, what do you think is your favorite moment?

For me, it was one hundred percent winning the first half in Lake County last year. We had a special group of guys, a lot of guys that are that are here and coaching staff as well. But it's it's a little different because in minor league baseball you don't

What's your ideal way to spend it?

Off to getting some.

Good sleep, cooking some steak and eggs, probably gaming a little bit with the guys, and I don't know, then we go see a movie or something.

Okay, okay, So are you a good cook?

Yeah, I'm decent. I'm actually just finished all the seasons and Master Show.

Okay, So you're like a professional man.

No, No, I wouldn't say professional, but like I can, I can get my way around the kitchen doing that.

Is Jayla Norman Ard, Minor League correspondent and actor this week talking with Cooper Engle, and we'll hear from Jayla on a regular basis throughout the season. Now on Guardian's Weekly Stay with Us. We'll have some final thoughts after this time out on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio.

At Warriors.

Progressive knows when you're on your boat, you're already on vacation, and vacation you forgets all your worries. Vacation you doesn't even keep track of time and knows that time is a meaningless construct designed to control us man. But regular you knows you don't want to be too far out in the water after the sun goes down, because vacation you doesn't know how to navigate in the dark. Yet, vacation you and regular you really need to get on

Uh too.

Two swung out a weak tamper to third, charged by Ramirez. Clubs on the grass, throw us on the run, got it on a bank bank whay hod Melton, make it close, L tube wide open stands hints one toward third, BA canded and fair territory by Ramirez steps.

Throws double play.

Romez with a tremendous back canded play on the short hop near the line behind third. Ran stepped on third through the first and doubled up L twovey Jose Ramirez putting on a defensive clinic here in the third to keep the game scoreless. The pit swung on chopper to third charts by Ramirez, gloves from the grass, throws just in time. Jose Ramirez can just take the video of this game and put his stake on a gold club at third.

He has been incredible.

Jim Rose anounced back with you a progressive field in downtown Cleveman the Guardian sam the Houston Astros meeting this weekend. If I may plans you had four today and you're hearing this early in the day, come on down to the ball It is a Manuel Classe Jersey giveaway day as the Guardians look to square up this series against Houston at one win a piece. It's a four to ten first pitch, then tomorrow a one forty start on

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