Hedgey Is Back In 2025

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The One Ozer swung on, hit high, hit deep to left. HiT's got a chance.

Gone to the porch.

Austin Hedges gets his first home run. Polante's ready. Here it comes and he bunts it.

Safety squeeze and a beauty that'll score Straw Goldsmith the first basement thirty feet from the plate. Fielded it threw back to first to the second basement, covering boy. Hedges has done that three times this year. The bitch and he sends its guy high foul ground behind the plate near the Twins dugout.

Austin Hedges caught it, fill into the dugout and hung on our goal.

Looks like he wants to go there.

He goes, pitches high, throw it a second perfect tag big.

Buye him in house. Oh what a throw by Austin Hetches.

Welcome back to Guardians Weekly and we are joined by Guardians catcher Austin Hedges back in the fold for twenty twenty five. Signed a contract in the off season and Austin were talking earlier about you coming back and returning to the ball club, and I'm sure you're at a stage in your career where you're looking for the right fit, and it just seems like Cleveland, is that fit for you?

Yeah, So, I mean, obviously you want to as a as a young player, you want to work as hard as you can to try and get a free agency and that's where you know you can you can make the most money, and you can you know, have teams fight over you a little bit, and you know, and you actually get a little bit of leverage. For the first six years of your career, you you really don't have much leverage to to do anything because you're just

Go a different way.

And I think pretty early on in the twenty three season, I think both of us realized we'd probably made a bad.

Decision and.

So and then in re signing this past year and obviously the success that we had it made it it made I think on both ends between our front office and and myself made it just obvious that like, all right, we're not gonna make the same mistake twice, and we got to make.

Sure we run this thing back.

What is it about Cleveland that that works for you? First the team wise and then maybe city wise.

Well, it starts with the personnel. Just the people in our organization. They well, first of all, they believe in me, and that goes a long way. You go to a lot of places and you might just be player a player B who happens to play catcher, and you're gonna go do this, this and this, and that's kind of how we treat you. Where in Cleveland they appreciate the little things that I do, and I take a lot of pride in those little things, and and I think they go a really long way.

And they they seem to have noticed that.

And you know, we talked about like, you know, maybe at a different point in my career it could be a little bit different. But for me, you know, a thirty two year old catcher, you know, been been around

That need to be fixed. That doesn't happen overnight.

You know, that takes serious work in spring training and then throughout the season where you know, I feel like the process really started for us in Cleveland in twenty two where where things started really moving in the right direction. And so it made it, you know, a lot simpler going to this past year because it was basically that whole team back from twenty two and had a and that whole group it had a twenty three season that

So going into this next season, I'm just so.

Excited that we just get to build off of what we've already done and it's not like we have to like go back to the drawing board and you know, try and come up with new ideas. I feel like all the boys have seen the road map and they know exactly how to get there, and now it's just about doing it again.

You mentioned twenty two and you mentioned last season. Very similar seasons and that just solid seasons from start to finish, and then this year a little bit further run in the playoffs under different managers who seem so different in terms of experience. They are Terry Francona in twenty two and then Steven Voda rookie manager this year. But it seemed like you really enjoyed playing for both and the

Well, they're both amazing leaders of men, and that is in what I've noticed in my career.

A true leader of men is what the real role of the manager is.

And that's not just for players. That's that's for coaches, in front office and staff members. You got to be you have to make everybody feel like they are important to helping us win. Today in both Tito and Voter do an amazing job at that if you stop by Voter's office or when Tito is there too, Like those guys are going to make you feel like you are so valuable and are.

Just there to help. And it's just it's it's it's probably the most important thing for a manager to have, and you know, obviously it was. Yeah, it doesn't come as a surprise that Terry Francono.

Is that way with all of his history of success, But for Steven Vote to be a first year managers to already be that poised able to respond difficult situations and to be able to lead an entire clubhouse.

Especially a young clubhouse that we had, it's just.

It's really incredible, and it's so cool for me too, because I just I learned so much from both of them, and uh, probably a really special thing for me this past year was I vocalized to Voter that like I wanted to learn about like some of the things that that he was doing if I could ever possibly possibly take on a role like that in my career someday.

As he is.

Austin Hedges joining US Guardians catcher. Uh, awesome off season for you. We talk so much and maybe it's not fair and the impact you make on a team in the clubhouse, but I know we talked about this in spring training. You still want to get it done on the field. That's important and obviously a big key to coming back. What do you work on this offseason at this stage of your career to try and be the best you can be on the playing field.

Yeah, I each off season tends to be a little bit different as you get a little bit older. It's just it's a little bit more about maintenance and really just staying healthy. But for me right now, I'm trying to I'm trying to come up with as many you know, you know, interesting ways to to enlighten the group, to to push even farther this this next season. Obviously, want to want to always get better at catching and then.

And then it's always it's just really always about hitting for me. So Uh, you know, it hasn't.

It hasn't gone as well as out of hope for my you know, year after year, but every years the new year, and despite my you know, lack of success on the offensive side, you just never know when when when that one year is gonna happen. And you know, as a thirty two year old, there's no reason that my thirty two year old season can't be my best offensive season. I feel like I have a good idea

To work with.

And on that defensive side, obviously, what you bring to the table is second to none. Coaching staff wise, it seems like all it is is catchers and how is that?

How did that go? This season?

Having so much experienced catching help on a daily basis, whether it's Sandy Alamark, Craig Albernez, Steven vote, how helpful was that? Not only for you, but but to help pass along some good things to bow Naylor as well.

Yeah, I mean obviously they helped both so much and they helped me a ton too. Where catchers just see the game different catchers are, it's it's it's wired in you to watch everything and to pay attention to everything. You know, when you're playing the position, you're the only guy looking at everybody else in the field. Everybody else is looking at you for the most part, looking at

The game in that way. One of the.

Biggest things is, uh is just the lessons that they can teach, the things that they notice on a daily basis and just remind you that you just you never have this game figured out everything. You're always learning and that's just such a cool thing that.

You get to always keep learning.

That doesn't ma matter if you've played a thousand games in your career, like you're.

Gonna something new, is gonna happen.

Something's gonna get brought up, You're gonna see something, and it's just gonna open your mind up to so many new possibilities for you know, how to win a ball game today. And all the guys in our clubhouse, you know, especially you know Voter and Albi and Sandy like they just they just want to win. And when when your culture is about caring about people and learning and winning, it just seems that good things happen.

Austin Hedges joining us and he's back in the fold for twenty twenty five. Austin will close with us. The team so close to getting where they wanted to be this past season. U the prior season with Texas, you saw what a team can do to reach the World Series and then win the World Series. How fine a line is it? And what do you see in this team that that can maybe push them over that line to make that last step?

You know, one of really the biggest difference was it was that that Texas team was such a veteran team with so many guys that had played so many big games before, and we just happened to have a group that that hadn't quite played that many big games you know, obviously in twenty two we had gone to the ALDS and then now now we got to the CS.

And each time you you get to.

A new you know, level, a new where you it's the wild card than the DS whatever. You kind of just that that roadmap for how to get to the World Series and win the World Series becomes clearer.

And the stage that it's a big stage.

I mean, you know, the two times that we've lost in the playoffs, you know, two out of the last three years been to the New York Yankees. That is a big Stage's let's just be honest, there's probably not a.

Bigger more hostile environment in all of sports.

You're playing at Yankee Stadium in the playoffs, that is that's the stage and really all of sports. And now we've been there and a lot of guys have been there twice now and so it's so clear that just the little things that we could have done better, but more importantly, we've noticed you know.

That we can hang and that we can win.

And when you when you truly believe that and feel that in experience it, then it just becomes so clear of how to do it. So tr Us going into this year, we know exactly what to do, and a lot of what that is is to do nothing different just to now we have the experience and we get to use that experience, and we also have some heartbreaking failures in those playoffs that we also get to use. And in my experience, it seems like failure teaches you a.

Hell of a lot more than success.

And this group just wasn't satisfied with making it to you know, the final four. Our our goal all year was to win the World Series, not just get there. And I feel like everybody knows how to get there this next year and then ultimately go win the whole thing.

Well, it's great to have you back and a part of that effort to try and get it done in twenty twenty five. Austin Hedges, congratulations on the new contract and thanks a lot for com bye.

Appreciate it all right, Thank you, Robie.

It's Guardians Catcher. Austin Hedges, stay tuned a lot more of Guardians weekly after this.

Are you ready enough?

Get up and count it down and sometimes and sometime we should make it down to us his family and so tund to be from the east to the west sunset, we.

Are we are.

In the sunset.

Found on a beautiful summer night off the shores of Lake You these are the kind of nights you long for in the middle of a blizzard in mid January singing songs.

Welcome back to Guardians Weekly, Jim Rosenhouse along with you as we continue our hot Stove shows on what has been a very cold week. A little break here this weekend if you're in northeast Ohio, but man, it looks bad next week in terms of low temperatures and hard wind chills. But hopefully a little baseball talk on the radio gets you going. And we are welcoming in now. Bob di Biassio, Senior Vice President, to talk about the life and times of Rocky Colavito, who passed away at

Well, happy New Year to you and yours, Rosie. You know my heart still aches at the passing of Rocky, a generational hero, childhood hero. My two older brothers, Danny and Tony, their childhood hero. One thing I can remember, I was only five when he was traded prior to the nineteen sixty season. But my older brother Danny six years older, Tony three years older, and my mom crying their eyes out, and I'm asking them what's wrong, and

With regularity.

Again, the adoration that our fans showed Rocky, he reciprocated. And that's why he said, I'm thankful God chose me to play in Cleveland, and he truly meant it.

And he played for some others, but he came back to Cleveland later on in his career. Who knows how it would have been had he not, But the fact that he was able to come back and the team was able to bring him back at least for some stretches later on in his career. What did that mean? The fans here.

Gave Paul I think truly understood it. The franchise in the mid sixties floundering, just wasn't the club that it was in the late fifties. Looking for a power hitter and looking for a fan favorite, was able to reacquire Rocky, and although he only spent two and a half more seasons with the franchise before being traded to the White Sox in July of nineteen sixty seven, he did ignite a spark back into the franchise.

He was that.

Charismatic, such a dominant figure in the sports scene in Cleveland, and I think it was one of the smarter moves gave Paul ever made.

When you look back at you mentioned traded prior to nineteen sixty. He's coming off a year in fifty nine forty two home runs, one hundred and eleven driven in MVP type numbers. He finished fourth in the voting, behind three members of the White Sox, so obviously had a

You know that's true, don't rightly know? Anytime you got into those kind of baseball conversations with Rocky, and I was so fortunate. You know, how often does a childhood idol become a dear friend, And I was so blessed that that truly happened in my life. And so you'd sit and you'd talk baseball with him, and he only had nothing but phenomenal things to say about Nellie Fox, he never got into the position. Well, I did this, and you know I should have been rewarded with that

Him to the Detroit Tigers.

He had a real disdain for Frank Lane, that's for sure.

Bobby Biassio joining s Guardians, Senior vice president of public Relations. Do I have that right, Bobby D?

What is it?

Yeah?

Absolutely, whatever public Affairs, give me.

Whatever title you need.

Rosie Hey, we're talking life in times of Rocky Colavito born and raised in the Bronx and his tryout comes at Yankee Stadium and Cleveland signs him. Did you guys ever talk about that how that came about?

Yes, obviously, he was a New York fan. He was a young man that wanted to be a baseball player, and he would put his father's combat boots on and the park down the street in which he played. He and his brothers would go to the ballpark and playing every day in the summer. But he would get into those combat boots and he'd run around the field with the ankle weights, as he called him, but they were combat boots, and he'd rigs risk weights back in the

I don't know.

My sentiment to both players emotionally thinks they're Hall of famers. The discussion should have lasted longer for both players, and Rocky would just work his tail off to become a prolific player. He had a phenomenal arm. There was a year where he did not commit an air in right field. His fielding percentage as a right field there was one thousand. Think about that, an er and throw, or you die for a ball and miss it and it's an air.

And a member of the franchise Hall of Fame win in back in two thousand and six. What do you remember about that day or weekend if maybe, if it's more appropriate, Yeah, well, it.

Was surreal in one sense that here we have a ton of all Hall of famers on the field, and you know the way Rocky just cried his eyes out coming off the field when we also celebrated his eightieth birthday at the ballpark and Tito was around, and to see those two hug.

And being Tito's office talking.

Was one of the most remarkable things that I experienced. The love affair between those two gentlemen, you know, Rocky and Tito's father, Tito Senor was they were incredible friends, and Rocky was so proud of Tito Junior in his role in our franchise and the consistent, sustained winning culture that Tito helped create here during his eleven year tenure. There was nobody more proud of Tito.

Than Rocky, And obviously that's a big part of his post playing career and willingness to stay around the ball club and not necessarily be involved, but at least follow it, and even to the end still followed the team as close as he could.

Yeah, we talked probably once a month, if not a teeny bit more tiny bit more during the season than in the off season. Probably once a month in the offseason, just touch base and say hello. But during the season he knew all about out our ball club. He followed it religiously, either listening to you and Hammy, and congratulations to Hammy of course and his induction into the Hall

Well, great stuff, bobbyd is always your perspective, and I can't imagine how difficult it was to hear the news based on I mean, at your childhood guy. I mean we all had him and time March is on. But man, that's still a tough one.

No, You're right, Rosie, it is. And as I said, I'm very blessed. But how often does somebody have a childhood hero become a dear, dear friend. And whenever I think a Rocky I'm not going to think about his passing.

I'm going to think about all the joy he gave all.

The baseball fans in the city of Cleveland as a generational.

And while we have you, and we're joined by Guardian Senior Vice President Bopti Piacio.

You alluded to it.

Tom Hamilton will be going into the Baseball Hall of Fame next summer, the Ford Frick Award winner. You were here in the early days and oh yeah, can you think back to that time what allowed the job to open up? And then early impressions of someone that I don't think too many people knew much about.

You know, It's funny.

I always joke with people that when we got Hammy's resume where he talked about doing the four H Club on the farm in the farm area of Wisconsin and he would do play by play, you know, milk cowing. I don't even know if I have the phrase right, but at the State Fair doing all the play by play of people milking cows and doing all those sorts

And you said you talked to him in the morning before the announcement and he was very confident that it would go his way.

Right.

No, of course not, you.

Know, Handy, you know, he's like ah, Dwayne Kuiper Gary Collin. You know, you know, as he said in his interviews, you know, I'm lasht on that list.

I'm not getting it. I was like, yeah, you are. I'm feeling confident that you're You're in.

And then we talked at length, I don't know about ten ten thirty that night, after he had answered like five hundred text whatever, he was sifting through and all the phone calls and having a few libations with you and Curtis at his house, you know, and having a blast. Couldn't be more proud, couldn't be more happy. And we're going to have a party in Cooperstown in July.

Amen to that. Bobby D thanks a lot for coming by. Always great to talk to you. Happy New Year and we'll catch up with you, I'm sure real soon.

Happy New Year to you, Rosie, to you and yours. Thank you, buddy.

That's Guardian Senior Vice President Bobby Biassio. Stay tuned Guardian's weekly continues After this time.

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Welcome back to Guardian's Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse back with you for our final segment on this week's show. Great to have you along as we take you toward the top

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Yeah.