Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio networking. Guardians Weekly is front to you by Progressive helping Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance. Hi everyone, Jim Rosenhouse with you for Guardians Weekly from Globe Life Ballpark in Arlington, Texas this week, as we join you from the hot of the Dallas Fort Worth area. One hundred and two was the game time temperature outside for Friday
Night series opener. Of course, the roof was closed, so it was a very comfortable seventy four degrees inside, but that's something that the teams will contend with throughout the weekend when they are outside the ballpark. A tough start to the post All Star Break activities for the Guardians. Will get to that shortly, but first look at what's to come on this week's show. Paul Gillespie, who's the senior vice president of Scouting for the Guardians. He'll give
us a complete wrap up on the just completed amateur draft. We'll also hear from assistant pitching coach Joe Torres, and it's another segment of at the Ballpark with Bobby d That's all coming your way shortly, but first to look at the week gone by, and although it was a tough start to play after the All Star Break, big time highlight in a twelve to four loss to Texas on Friday night, the work of the Nailer brothers Bone Nailer in the
third inning got things started. The pitch swung on and blasted hi deep to right way out a here deep into the lord deck has Bone Nailor has his second major league home run, a mammoth towering blast to right and the Guardians have the early two nothing lead. That was majestic and Bone Nailer now two home runs, seven RBIs and it has been quite a week for the Nailor family because the youngest boy, Miles drafted by the Oaklana's and later in the
third a man on and big brother Josh Naylor stepped in. Grams really had to labor this ending. The right hander's ready. Here it comes, swung on, ripped a deep right down the line, It goes, It is go. The Nailer Brothers eight with two run home runs, Josh Naylor right down the right field line makes it a for nothing Cleveland lead, and Josh with his twelfth home run it gives him sixty six Army eyes. And that's the first time the Nailer brothers have had home runs together in not only the
same game, but the same ending. Big brother wasn't going to let little brothers show him up. And those home runs by the Nailer brothers the first time in franchise history that brothers had hit home runs in the same game. How about that. Congratulations to Josh and bow Naylor. But that was it for the Guardians on Friday night. They were up for nothing. Texas won the ball game twelve to four. A tough night for the Guardians. Bullpen,
stay with us, let me come back. We'll draft with Paul Gillespie, the senior vice president of scouting for the Guardians. That's next on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio network. Score pass out of bounds. Those are sports words. Some people hear any sports word and they can't help but listen. Like drive drive is another sports word, and drive vers who switched and save with Progressive could save hundreds. You might say those savings are on par with
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Texas. The Audians and Rangers meeting in the first three game series coming out of the All Star Break. Saturday, a four o five first pitch. Sunday a two thirty five first pitch before the team heads to Pittsburgh for a three games set with the Pirates. Earlier this week, it was Baseball's amateur Draft, and as always, every team so optimistic of how things went.
Paul Gillespie's the senior vice president of scouting for the Guardians. He says it's exciting time for everyone involved, and he says the feeling after the three days concluded about what you expect. A lot of optimism as all the picks were made and it was time to get to work. Yeah, thanks, Rodie. I think it's a It's a great feeling always around the organization.
There's just a ton of excitement around the draft, right like everybody loves the draft, bringing you you know, new young talent into the organization, and I think our scouts have spent in a lot of cases the better part of the year getting to know these players on the field and off the field, and I think, you know, it's an opportunity for them to see a lot of their hard work on display and a lot of their hard work come to fruition as well. It's an all hands on deck sort of initiative when
we prepare for the draft. So we've got members of the front office, members and player development, our analysts, coaches, everyone really pulling on the same rope in the same direction, try to prepare the organization for acquisition decisions. So it is really a sense of in a lot of ways relief because you know, we got through it and we feel really good about it.
But we also um there's also a sense of great pride because it is a really big collaborative effort, effort and just a ton of teamwork that's involved to pull something like this off. Well, let's get right to some of the picks. And the first pick the Guardians had was number twenty three overall, which recently that that slot in the draft along to Gavin Williams, and here he is already just a couple of years in to his pro career. He
went with a high school catcher out of southern California, Ralphie Flasquez. Tell us about him, what made him stand out as as someone that you could take in the first round. Yeah, thanks, Leszy. We're really excited about Ralphie. So, Ralphie is a strong body, physical and athletic left handed hidden catcher from Huntington High School out in California. The thanks a standard
about him, Ralphie. Just his ability to senter the baseball consistently, not only the ability to move the ball around to all fields, but the ability to impact the ball for power as well. So we think he has the potential to be, you know that middle of the order run producer in time. You know, feel to hit, ability to control the strike zone. Um, those are the things that stand out about him. He's sort of a mainstay on the Summer Stowcase circuit, so we're able to see him a
lot, see him in a lot of different environments. UM, and he's performed back there. He always performed there, so really great to see him at all the events and just kind of go out and do his thing. UM. Over and over again. UM. He's also UM, he's a catcher, but he also has played in first base, somewhat new to catching. UM. So we're looking forward to to partnering with him to find out how, you know, we want to approach his defense. UM, he
really wants to catch. UM. We really like his his approach to the game. UM, his makeup, he has some qualities and teammate qualities. UM that we cover it. So UM, he's an impressive person both on the field and off the field, and we're super excited to get going with Ralphie. It's interesting Paul high school catchers, that's not the easiest thing to scout and project, but Cleveland's had some success with the former number one pick
is now in the major leagues in bow Naylor. And because you have that that recent body of work to look at, and maybe it doesn't matter at all, but does that make it a little bit easier or at least you have more information on what you're looking for in that type of kid. Yeah, I think that's a great question. I think really every kid is a little bit different, right and with with Ralphie's specifically, UM, you know,
he's he is new to catching. UM. So I think we want to, um, you know, not put the cart before the horse and get him in the organization. And we know that he's he's he's worked at it and we've seen him do it. Um. He's also shown him some versatility. He's played some third base, he's played some first base as well.
UM at his time on the showcase circuit ended Huntington Beach School. So I think we have some options with him, and we're looking forward to the partner with him and getting his thoughts as well to think about one of the best ways UM to sort of hit his development head on. Senior Vice president of Scouting Paul Gillespie joining us. We're talking about the Chess Completed Amateur Draft of twenty twenty three, and Paul, let's go to round two, number
fifty eight. Overall, you picked a left handed pitcher out of Rhode Island, Alex Clemy, and gosh, you look at his numbers and they're ridiculous, But I know you look at much more than that. What stood out to him to pick him that high? Yeah? No, you know, I mean you make a good point. You know, I think it was forty three innings and I think you struck out over one hundred batters this year m at Bishop Hendrick Bishop Hendrick in High School up in Rhode Island. Um,
he pitches his team to the States in my finals this year. So had a really great year. But UM, if things a standard about Alex, I guess i'd start sort of on the field, um. You know, six foot five, six foot six, left hander. UM, just really long, loose, lean body. You know, you can dream on on on guys like this. You know, the way he moves, um. You know, he's got a fastball that's reached nine one miles an hour in the past. He also shows quite a bit of of now stuff with
the with the breaking ball and and with the developing changeup as well. So he's just a steady progression UM. Over the last couple of years in his development. UM, he was UM on the eighteen and under team with t USA, So he's been around, um the big competition and you know, kind of similar to Ralphie, another guy, he's been a sort of a mainstay on the summer showcase circuit. You know, he's been everywhere and he's sort of sort of done everything. UM. So I'm really excited about about
Alex. You know, it's a really nice blend of projection. UM. But also you know, given you know his fastball velocity, there's a lot of things that he does well now too. So really excited to get him UM where we did UM, I think transitioning a little bit to some of the things he does really well off the field. Really intelligent kid. UM, Alex has a really advanced understanding for UM, some of the modern pitching methods. UM. He really understands his body, the way his body moves.
He has a really good understanding of UM some of the foundations of pitch design. And he's already thinking about oh, UM, really excited about and the draft and I know he's ready to get going. So UM he's he's a great kid. And really to get him and finishing up on that first day of the draft, your sixty second overall pick in the competitive balance round. Uh. He went at least in college, he was a reliever Andrew
Walters out of the University of Miami. So so you go from a high school kid and the pick prior to maybe a little more polished coming out of college. And what are you seeing from Andrew Walters that that has the organization excited? Yeah, Andrew is uh you know, physical rank reliever a University of Miami. UM. You know sort of speaks for itself. His record of success UM, misses a lot of bass throws, a lot of strikes. UM. He gets it done with the fastball that UM sort of sits
in the mid nineties. He's been up to the upper nineties in the past, you know, touching ninety nine. UM. One of the things that he's been working really hard on is developing his slider, and as he's incorporated that, it really given him another weapon and to finish hitters off. You know, the fastball is really unique. UM. He can really pitch with at the top of the zone and get a lot of swing swings and misses
up there. UM. So just thinking about you know, the tracker track record that he has, UM. You know, he's he's really gotten it done. UM in big situations. And you know, the ACC one of the best conferences out there. UM. So the success he's had UM over here career. I think he appeared in uh seventy games out of the bullpen. UM, you know, around a hundred innings, and I think he struck out like one hundred and seventy batters so UM swinging miss stuff with with
Andrew. Um, he comes from an athletic family. UM. You know, both his parents were college athletes. Um. His dad played basketball, his mom played softball. Um. And he also had an uncle who played football, UM for the University of Miami. UM and the Jet. So just an athletic family and super excited about about Andrew. He wants to get going, and you know he's he's worked really hard to put himself in the
position that he's in. And Paul, just to recap the draft a couple of years ago, Holy smokes, it was it was pitching heavy and college pitching heavy if you wanted to find it even further. But it seems like this year a real nice blend of college, high school pitching, position player, outfield, shortstops, three catchers in there, but a little bit of everything by designer. Is it just how it happened to work out based on taking that best player available as each round came up. Yeah, Yeah,
I think it's a it's a great question. Um, every year is a little bit different. UM. So I would say our strategy sort of as a general matter, as a general matter, is just we're just looking to take the best are available at each pick, UM, and we know UM, and I think we've shown that there's talent to be UM in the middle and in the in the back front of the draft. It's just just not the you know, the round one, round two, UM. There's there's a lot of talent to be found, UM at all areas of the draft
this year. I think if you were to go back and look at maybe what some of the UM public that we're saying, I think, you know, people would say, like, you know, this is a really UM deep draft from from the college ranks, and I think, UM, you know, maybe that's a little bit um by the by the players we took, especially on Day two. UM. But at the same time, UM, it's it's it's one of those things. It's it's really hard to predict.
So UM our scouts do a really good job of knowing all players, all of demographics, because I think we have to be the organization that UM is capable of handling. Anybody walks those through those doors. So UM. Yeah, I think in general we're just looking to take, you know, the best player available. So UM, I do like a nice blend, but I can't say it was by by design, just because every year it
is different and it's so hard to predict. Well, I know it'd be exciting to see and follow these young players as they make their way toward the major leagues. Paul as always, thanks for coming by and and get some rest. I know it's been a I'm sure a sleepless several days, but I know a lot of hard work and good feelings around the organization. Thank you, Rosie. I will definitely take you up on some sleep and then and then we'll hopefully get these guys in and then we'll start startling. Twenty
twenty four so um looking and we're looking forward to it. So thank you so much for your time and always always enjoy coming by and chatting with you. That Senior vice president of Scouting Paul Collespie with the rundown on some of the top picks that the Guardians made in this year's amateur draft. Stay with us when we come back. We'll visit with assistant pitching coach Joe Torres. That's next on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Netboard. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly.
Jim Rosenhouse back with you from Arlington, Texas and Globe Life Ballpark,
where the Guardians are taking on the Rangers this weekend. Joe Torres is the assistant pitching coach for the Guardians and we had a chance to visit with Joe recently and talk about some of the young pitching that has been in the major leagues for a good portion of the season now, talking about Tanner Bibi, and also Gavin Williams and soon to be again Logan Allen, who will rejoin the ball club next week for a start in Pittsburgh, and all three throughout
the season. They've talked about the foundation that they received after they were drafted. And bear in mind for Bobby and Williams, it wasn't that long ago, as they were part of the twenty twenty one draft, but they were sent to Arizona, not to a club to play in games when they were first drafted. And Joe Torres says that's part of early development that's so important for young pitchers these days, as especially for newly drafted players their early days
as professionals. It lays the groundwork for future success. I think it's been huge for him. I mean, I think that's something you definitely asked them and they'll tell you the same. So you know, prior, like you know, go back ten years, maybe even five years. Once guys get drafted, it used to be, hey, you get one week and you're
pretty much in an affiliate pitching somewhere or playing somewhere. And I think when COVID came around and we didn't have a season then and we actually had our false season kind of come back again, you know, prior to an instructional league, you know, we started moving forward and saying what can we do
in the future to help onboard guys into professional baseball. And I think as an organization, you know, we actually built a foundations program where we kind of brought guys in and um kind of gave them the landscape of the organization and kind of get give them the things that we value and kind of work through the foundational components before they even got out to playing a season and playing baseball. So I think that's what we're trying to do and trying to take
advantage of. And I think the feedback from players have been really great about that, and because in all three cases they're coming off of college seasons, so their innings had certainly put them at a level where you don't want to pile on innings at that point. So what do they do in Arizona when when these kids come in and they're not going to an affiliate and they're not pitching innings, what are they doing to really set themselves up for future success?
If you actually it's kind of while if you think about they're leaving college and they're almost getting an extension of that, but now it's just baseball focus only, so they're getting a chance to really get into all domains. They're learning, you know, the mental side, the S ANDC side, medical
obviously the fundamental portion. So I mean they take classes, I mean they work through these things and they learn you know the importance of the routines and and and what they have to do to kind of prep themselves and learn themselves best so they can be professional players, you know, not in year one, year two, but you know, hopefully have a long major league career. So, I mean there's a lot of time that goes into it.
We have fantastic people in player development that are they're leading the charge there and
educating these players. And uh and once again, so far as it seems like it's paying off, and the three currently in the rotation William's, Allen and Bobby you saw them to varying degrees early on any surprise at their quick move and how they've performed at the major league level based on what you knew well, I mean when you take each guy like, it's like, you know, Logan and Tanner, both guys were known as um ultra competitors,
ultra strike throwers in college. Um, you know, and then you get into a system, and it was kind of like fine tuning some little things, um, you know. For Tanner, he was able to kind of you know, learn a little about delivery and just how it can translate to velocity and and um, you know, I think overall the game and the industry, you can see that guys are able to pick things up so much
quicker with the technology and the coaching that's out there now. So um, you know, I wouldn't say I'm surprised necessarily, um, but it's definitely a welcome treat to see these guys, you know, move as fast as they are. Joe Torres joining us in the coach's corner. He's the assistant pitching coach and Jo want your second season at this and then you've had some time to kind of survey it and and see how it goes. And um, what have your impression has been in this position for you at this level,
watching young pictures and older pictures developed all on the scene. Yeah, well, I guess I'm fortunate. I get a chance to be Carl every day, and Rigo and you know our priorabul pen coach Byan Sweeney, um and this entire staff, you know. So it's it's the experience that I'm I'm able to be around every day and be a sponge. That's huge for
me. And then the role itself is pretty cool where I I you know, I'm kind of in the middle of everything or or part of everything, and um, so it's a jack of all trades where I can go ahead and support as much as Rigo and Carl need um, and then you know, just be there and be around the players as much as possible. So it's it's fun for me. It's exciting. It's been an exciting time for sure, on the pitching side for Cleveland. Joe, thanks for coming by.
I appreciate it. Yeah, sure, than thanks, Rosie. That's Joe Torres, the assistant pitching coach for the Guardians and State tuned. We'll have one more segment of Guardians Weekly after this short break the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Those are sports sounds, and people have sports so much it makes them pay attention. When I say drivers who switch and save it Progressive save hundreds, and we all know how sports fans feel about big saves.
See what I did there. Save is also a sports word, So save big when you switch to Progressive. Oh that's a golf club, Progressive Casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary. Jim Rose announced back with you from Global Life Field in Arlington, Texas, where the Guardians are taking
on the Rangers this weekend. And we close this week's show with another edition of At the Ballpark with Bobby D. Bob Dibia, Guardians Senior Vice President, the perfectly manicured field, the unmistakable room of a ballpark, hot dog, and the Electricity is celebrating another victory. This is at the Ballpark with Bobby D. The ballpark is home to many stories, many memorable moments,
and colorful personalities. Joining me on this segment of At the Ballpark. We're going to take you away behind the scenes to a gentleman who does some special and unique things for our organization and has done them for almost thirty plus years. More than thirty plus years. His name is John Jakovic. He is an artist and graphic designer. John. Thanks for joining us. Thank you
Bobby for having me. It's fun to be here. You and I first met to do special illustration graphic design for our players to highlight their memorable moments in their careers. The first time. Let's go back to nineteen ninety two. Kenny Lofton. Kenny often becomes the all time americanly Rookie Stolen base champion with sixty six steals back in ninety two, and we come to you and say we want to commemorate, We want to highlight his achievement and do something
special for him and put the sixty six on a base. Could you do that? Yes? I did, And what happened was they provided a base. And one thing about a base, most people don't realize that it's not just a flat base when you look at it, it's a Hollywood base called and it has got a relief in it both east, west, north and south and also on a diagonal, so when you are painting it by hand.
You need to hold the brush steady and not dip in and out and cover all the spots on it, utilizing the right paint helps and the right brush as well. And we loaded up the bases. Kenny Lofton presently holds twelve of those, both for Cleveland and the other teams he played for Texas, Chicago Yankees, and so on. So that's a special way to start our career with you guys. Well, let's continue out with Kenny for a
second. So the bases that you did for him as he moved on through his career, you highlighted the milestones at a hundred, and he reached out to you playing for other teams and wanted to have that in his man cave at his house in Los Angeles. And what was the best one? The final one, yes, the final one of six hundred twenty two basses,
if I remember correctly, was the last one we did for him. He did send me a picture at one point of all of them on his wall in LA and he had him framed and actually made my work look like a million dollars. But it was fun doing him all of them. You and I were connected through an old friend of ours, Carl Horreb. We got a shout out to an old employee of our and chose Carl Horde. For those old timers listening, you might remember the team shop on East twelfth and
Euclid Avenue, across the street from the Statler Hotel. Carl Horde ran that you did signage for that, you did signage for our golf outings, and so that's how we knew one another. And then we went and through a little bit of a curveball through a basse at you. And since that time,
you've done batch, you've done baseballs. I'm sure you've done other items that I'm not even aware of. But tell us about some of the highlights of some of the most incredible things that you've been able to provide our players with an incredible piece of memorabilia featuring a highlight of their career. Some of the other good things that I think I have done for people is Corey Kluber has twenty two baseballs commemorating different milestones in his career as well the presentation of
Jim Tone Me when he was his last time here in Cleveland. All the baseballs I created for his milestones for home runs that were put in the case that was made with the jersey and so on, and I got to go on the field that day to watch it. Recently, the home plate I hand letter for Victor Martinez on his farewell trip to Cleveland and onto the other
cities. Champagne bottle for both CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. CC Sabathia also had shown in one of my pieces of memorabilia for him in his showcase on MTV Cribs, and also it was shown again at another segment of million dollar rooms at his home. So it's been a lot of fun doing that. The bases extra balls for other people too, were very, very fun to
do and satisfying. Charlie Nag I know that we presented Charlie with a plaque with one hundred and twenty nine baseballs that you assisted us with representing the one hundred and twenty nine wins in his career in a Cleveland uniform. I think that still ranks ninth or tenth all time in the history of our franchise. We taxed you a little bit on that one, didn't we you should do.
I'm sitting there at home, I get a phone call and they want to dump you know, twelve thirteen dozen baseballs on me and say you got a week and a half to do them. I go what, and he said, yeah, you got a week and a half to do them. So everything every statistic on every ball for the score of the win with number win it was who we played against, and sawn was all on every one
of those. We accomplished it again. The Indians made wonderful looking wooden cases for these, and he must have a giant home because those things were huge. John. We've kept you awful busy this year. We've had players their major league debut and one of the ways to commemorate that is your artistry on baseballs. Tell us about some of the fun ones you've done. What's really fun about a body is that seeing the faces of them when I meet them
at some point years later. Or Guardian's Affair, Wahoo Club luncheon where we are blessed to get some great young talent to come and spend an hour and a half with us or so answering questions, signing autographs. And when I come to the table, they meet me and I do tell them who I am, and they're very appreciative, very appreciative. Especially the young and also
the veteran players as well. And you find out that they're giving them to their parents, they're giving them to their girlfriend, they're putting it on the mantel. Grandma likes to look at it. And it's just a wonderful feeling to know that they're appreciated and not just taking it throwing at the bottom of their athletic bag, and you know, getting about it. So tell me what might have been the most unique item that we've asked you to put your
work on. Again, we've done Baseball's bats bass, but anything come to mind is one of the most odd requests by yes to you. Years ago, you provided me with a home plate for Elizabeth Dole when she was in town as she was I think the president or the chapter president of the Red Cross, and you provided me a base to commemorate her coming hair. And it was nice to her to sign a baseball formula that I still have. But yeah, I guess everyone is kind of unique because every person who had
either debut ball, the debut means they had a home run. The debut might mean they had to first strike out, it's their first win, their first save. A lot of guys too, they went the Grand Slam that they hit to commemorate it. I guess all of them are special, all of them are unique, and I'm just thankful to be the guy that's doing it now. Again, think back in part one we talked the many you did for Kenny Loft and the bases and Corey Klumer and C. C.
Sabathia and Charlie Naggy one hundred and twenty nine Baseball. You have any idea how many items that you may have done for us and b have you catalogued? I hope you've taken photos of every thing that you've done for us, so that there is a true catalog of all the incredible things you've been able to assist us with. I have actually all of the items that I do for the players, whether they're still here in Cleveland or have moved on and
come back and ask me to do something for them. I take a photograph of everyone, because of course I do not get to keep these items they're in their trophy cases. I take a picture of them, and if there's an opportunity somewhere along the line to get an autograph of it, I will try to get an autograph on that photograph. So yeah, that is definitely one of the things that I like doing your craft. Is it becoming somewhat
of a lost art with computer graphic design nowadays? I mean you truly do everything by hand, painstakingly detailed as you could imagine, putting the date, the moment, the achievement on a baseball or a bat. All of that is done by hand. So chat a little bit about your craft and is it a dying art of sorts? It definitely is. You just do not find a lot of people handle lettering out there anymore. Everything, like you said, is put on computers or you know, photographically, you put on
balls. And as I've come across a lot of people who appreciate the hand lettering, the old fashioned style and still come to me to do things. You ask me the question about how many you think I've done? Probably at least seven hundred items for the Indians. I'm pretty sure I'm correct or close to that. I've done over a thousand items in my career for colleges and
high schools and so on, little league kids. I really enjoy doing any one of them for anybody, and the statistics we put on are not only would you guys give me to put on, but I go and research the game and add everything up to the temperature of the game. It's kind of crazy to do that, but you know what, some of you'll say, he pitches better in warm weather, or he pitches better in cold weather. So I put it on there for us to know fifty years later what it's
about. John. I'm a half of the Cleveland Guardians organization. Are many many players who you have treated to your incredible artwork. Thank you so very much for all these years again, starting back in nineteen ninety two with Kenny Lofton's Rookie of the Year record of sixty six stolen bases. It started with that base and we're still going strong. As players have made their major league debut this year. We intend to keep you busy, John, and just
thanks for sharing those thoughts with us. Thank you, Byevy. I appreciate you having me and I hope to continue this service to you for many years to come. Here's hoping you enjoyed today's visit with artists graphic designer John Jacobit. We look forward to sharing at the ballpark stories on the Cleveland Guardians Radio network. That's another edition of at the Ballpark with Bobby d And that'll put
a rap on this week's edition of Guardians Weekly. As always, thanks to Brian Matzay for all of his help in putting together our show each week. Until next time, This is Jim Rosenhouse reminding you that you've been listening to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Guardians Weekly has been brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance