Ohio Cup Heads South

Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network. Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance.

Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardian's Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse along with you. We join you from Seattle, Washington. Guardians playing the Mariners to open this road swing with three here in Seattle, then three in San Francisco, and three more in Sacramento. Coming up on our show in a little bit, we'll hear from catcher Bone Naylor as well as Luis Ortez

Run, two and one to count on the Jose Ramirez, who won the years third in the American League in batting third, in ops, fourth and hits fourth and steals. The pitch swung on hit pretty well deep left field, headed toward the porch. It is off the top of the nineteenth football hitting third, coming home David Fry in the second Jose Ramirez. It's one nothing Cleveland, and Jose Ramirez missed a home run by inches. That nineteen foot

And then it was another milestone on the base pass for Jose.

Here's the two to one runner, goes pitches outside corner strength, throw the third not in time, head first slide got him in ahead of the tag of Espinol and there's Hosey again. He steals when it matters, his twentieth steal. There aren't many guys you can say this about, but Jose Ramirez himself is worth the price of admission. Jose Ramirez with that steal of third, it's his twentieth. As

And then what a bottom of the third inning is? It was not only for the Guardians, but also a couple of lucky local listeners.

So the bases are loaded for Carlos Santana and we've got a chance to give away a brand new Hyundai. It's the Hyundai Grand Slam Giveaway inning, and Edward Moss of Cleveland, you're going to get a brand new Hyundai from your Northern Ohio Hunday dealers if Cleveland can unload. Here's Santana badding right handed, popped up his first time, he swings and sends it deep right center field.

This ball is goode.

Carlos Santana his first home run of the year right handed, a grand Slam right center, a five nothing Cleveland Lee, a brand new Hyundai for Edward Moss Cleveland, and four brand new Bridgestone tires to Mike Marks of Wandsworth from Conrads and Santa promising a pony to all of you kids in Northeast Ohio. Five nothing Cleveland on Santana's Grand slammed al right center.

The Hyundai Grand Slam giveaway inning and Carlos Santana won a brand new Hyundai for our lucky listener. And onto the fourth inning, Cincinnati and they got on the board with a solo home run from Elie de la Cruz Been at the bottom of the inning. The Guardians answered with two men on and Cole Manzardo off the bench to pinch hit. Here's the three to two pitch, swung on drill down the right field line, fair ball into the corner. It goes one run is in as Nunya

Here's the one O pitch swung on hit pretty well to right deepen toward the corner. Joe on the run, Joe in the corner.

This ball is gone, three run home run. It just did clear the thirteen foot wall in that right field corner. And the Guardians with a grand slam from Santana. And now a three run home run right down the right field line by Lane Thomas, and it's a four spot in the sixth and Cleveland now with an eleven.

To two lead, and in the ninth Emanuel classe, just needing a little work was on to finish things up. Two out two on here's the one two pitch to counter Joe swimming, and I'm asked Baugi closs A after the first two gets on, then wipes out the next three, and the Guardian salvaged the finale eleven to two, And then the Guardian started the road swing here in Seattle on Friday night, seven to two win for the Mariners. Take a time out, come back here from Boat Naylor and others. That's next.

When you bundle renters and auto with Progressive, you can save while protecting your most valuable possessions, like your really expensive limited edition sneakers and your new suit for your cousin's wedding. Except you never actually bought the suit because you can't stop buying sneakers, so you show up to the wedding looking like you're going grocery shopping.

But hey, at least your sneakers will look.

Good in the pictures until you're cropped out of every last one of them. So go ahead and get progressive so you can save while protecting the things that matter to you. Progressive Cattalt Insurance Company and affiliates and other insurs not available in all stages situations.

Welcome back, Guardian's weekly jimmers and als back with you from Seattle, Washington. Bou Naylor has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Guardians back to back games, with a home run last week during the home stand, and he talked about the key to this good stretch at the plate.

I think it starts with just having, you know, a long term mindset, not letting you know, at back to a kind of determine how I'm feeling, and really just understanding that it's a long season. You know, there's there's a lot of that best to be had, and you know, the more I can stay even keeled and keep my mind in a good spot, the better off I'm going to be throughout that whole time at back to a bat, just to be able to go out there and get my swing off.

And as a team, when you hit where you do in the lineup, it can be so beneficial if you do have some success based on what's going on up top, and do you feel that that that when you're in that spot, that that you can really help the team if you can have some success.

Yeah for sure.

I mean, you know, wherever I'm at, I'm really just trying to do my best to t on base. You know, kind of create some traffic. If you get some slug that's obviously amazing too. But ultimately, you know, give the guys that are hitting after me, you know, letting the lineup roll over, and just to continue to be a part of the traffic and the pressure that's being put on the other team as much as I can.

But let's take the fans inside. Kind of a day in the life of a great baseball family, the Nailer family. You play a game here last night, you'd you hit a home run in a close game that goes the other way, game's over. You have a second cousin who's playing for the Oakland Athletics right now, Denzel Clark, who has made some highlight reel catches. He did it again last night. Where were you when that happened? And did you have a chance to see it?

I was in the recovery room.

Yeah it was you know, them them being on the West coast, you know, they started right when we finished. So me and a couple of other guys were tapped into the game just kind of watching it, and at first I didn't see it because I wasn't paying attention. But you know, I just heard a few screams and then I see him, you know, Chest all the way

And then your brother Josh had a walk off Grand Slam for the Diamondbacks last night, and in years past, you've been right here to to have a bird's eye view of that because you've been teammates had to go last night. As far as trying to follow.

That, yeah, I can say I knocked out a little bit before the game, you know, kind of having to be up a little earlier, but opening my phone, it was the first thing I saw in terms of notifications from the family, and you know that the notification definitely woke me up a lot. You know, I went straight to the highlights and you know, replayed the game in

Is it was awesome.

Quite a night for the Nailers and extended Nailors. Josh, Bo, thanks for coming by. Appreciate it, appreciate it. Thank you. That's catcher Bo Naylor, who has had the good fortune to catch Luis Ortiz during some of Ortiz's best starts of the season, including a solid one for the Guardians in New York last week where he threw five and two thirds innings of shut out baseball, you know, win

And the key was a preparation we're really properly prepared for this game, both physically mentally and being very aggressive from the get go. I felt that he was being able to be aggressive throughout the game, and that's what a me to to have the game that I had.

We've had a chance to see you now in spring training and now about ten major league starts during the course of the regular season. Are you a different picture or improved picture from what you were a year ago with Pittsburgh and coming up through their system and have you made some improvements that you're really happy.

With the life for the answer, and.

There's not a significant difference because at the endges about the work that you put in. I was able to have a rose s last year with Pittsburgh, but it came down from the work that I was able to put in and the ward the Gonzation dig with me for me this year is the same. I've been been able to put in the work that he wanted to do. And you know, obviously he gets a little confusing with a spring break and how even folded, But those are

And some of the best pitching coaches in the game, and Carl Willis, Joe Torres, Brad Goldberg, anything in particular that that's really worked for you, that that they've helped you with since your time.

Here, Oh no, see Glad.

So there's a great group of guys. Obviously, they're very good at what they do, and it's very important for us the way how we involved it and work it throughout, you know, different things on an ongoing basis, and I feel the most important part is the confidence. The confidence that they bestow upon you every time you work, every time you do do stuff. So's he's a lot easier to work towards things when you know they have that confidence on you and being a good picture.

So they are a great group of guys.

Always really like working with them, And as long as we continue having that confidence on each other, that's going to be the key to keep pitching the way we've been pitching so far.

We should coming along great. Thanks a lot for com by, appreciate it. Thank you man Ats Louis Orties with translation help from Augi Rivero. Meanwhile, Shane Bieber continues to make his way back from Tommy John surgery and Shane is

Yeah, I mean being able to talk to guys that have gone through this before, it's hard to find the right words because I almost want to say, like nobody's surprised. Obviously you don't welcome a hiccup or set back, but

And because you're more than a year out, did you kind of feel like, hey, maybe I'm the picture who goes all the way through with no setbacks, and then I'll be the guy who takes them out again.

Yeah, I think you always want to have that confidence, and I've had that since, you know, shortly.

After I got surgery.

I've put in the work.

I've done everything I possibly can to be at this point and be as healthy as possible. But ultimately, you just can't replicate what it's like to return to game action and the intensity that you kind of put your your body through, let alone a reconstructed elbow. So happy to I'm happy with how my progress has been up to this point. Like I said, I'm a little frustrated,

You pitched in huge games throughout your career, But what was it like getting on the mount in Arizona in a competitive game again? Did did you have some similar jitters to maybe some of the playoff appearances and things like that.

Yeah?

Absolutely, maybe not the playoffs, but I definitely felt it. And you know, it's at eleven am backfield Arizona game, but I still got amped up for it. I just love it, and so I was really enjoying competing. I'm still enjoying competing, and so can't wait to get back out there.

Your family's here with you, You're back in Cleveland. Why is that important at this stage of things.

Cleveland's home too, and so it's important for us to be here. I feel like my time in Arizona has concluded. I've done what I've needed to do there, despite this little hiccup that I'm going through. It's time to be with the team. And when it's time to resume throwing and ramp up, I'll do just that and with the team, And it's nice to just feel their energy and be with the guys.

I know you follow it close. And what are you singing in here that that has you excited about when you do return, that there could be some big games this fall.

Yeah, I'm seeing some some bumps and bruises, and that's part of a long Major league season. But I see a young group that comes ready to play every single day, puts the work in, and you know that shows up whether you're in this clubhouse or or watching from Arizona. So, like I said, just a part of excited to be with this group.

Jane, great to see it, thanks for coming back. Thanks resting and Shane Bieber. Always fun to catch up with him and it seems like he's back on track continuing his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Stay with us. We're back with more after this. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosenhause back with you from Seattle and we take a look at our minor league report now with Stephen Ostro, the vice president of player development for the Guardian single

Yeah, they've played really good baseball so far and the first half is set to be finished in about a week and they're currently in first place playing against the second place team with the Carolina Mntcats. So a lot of success on a team level this year. Really fun to go out and play like very meaningful baseball that hopefully they can continue some of the momentum.

Here and.

Strike up the first half title, so really cool for the Hillcats. Great experience for the young guys to go out and compete in close to playoff baseball and try to capture this thing.

So fun to watch.

And let's start on the position player side this week, and we'll begin with someone who's having a tremendous season stolen base wise, and Tommy Hawk, young man out of wake Forest fifte He stolen bases at last check, which seems absurd, but obviously having a great season in that regard. And what are you seeing from him that dovetails into the obvious speed that he has.

Yeah, yeah, so I think we talked about him last time too. You know, he's still still performing really well for Lynchburg overall, hitting in the leadoff spot and getting on base and as you mentioned, stealing a ton of bags.

I think he had three last night, so he might be up to fifty six at this point, but leading the league and doing those things.

You know, continues to take walks and isn't striking out a ton, so you know, really good from a leadoff perspective, and generally, I think the work is just to try to build the motor as much as he can and you know, over the year and add some fat free masks, gets stronger, try to carry over the you know, maybe some of the good swing decisions in the contact that he's able to do into a little bit more impact of the bats. So, yeah, he's got a ton of speed.

So he's a little bit older player in the Carolina League and shifting to a young kid Welman Francisca, just nineteen out of the Dominican Republican and what has he excited about it? Yet another good infield prospect.

Yeah, super talented player.

I think last time when we talked, he was maybe off to a bit of a slower start. And I think when you have those really young players like welban Is, there's there's a lot of things going on under the hood, from from you adjusting to.

The full season life.

There routines, the daily work and you know, working on English a few times a week, and you know, sometimes struggling early with the young players is really good. It's just an opportunity to hammer home and build strategies to be resilient long term. So you know, he's really performed in the last thirty days, starting to heat up and collect a bunch of hips hit story and you know.

That's that's his identity as a hitter. A guy can go out and hit.

So it's beating up on Unrighty's I think he's his ops in the last month is like nine point thirty against him right now. He's you know, not really swinging through anything. And you starting to steal some bags too in the mid twenties.

So yeah, I think we're we're you.

Know, and need to be patient with the young players, but trying to move the needle long term and let him kind of settle into to the routines and the work and continue to move the needle on you know, the physicality, and you know there's some things in the swing that he's working on and working hard on the defense as well as the shortstop.

So you know, he's young.

You know, we're not expecting development to be a linear thing, but we're we're seeing him to take off quite a bit and carry over some of the exciting things that he did with the bat last year. So far in the last month and a half here too, So really nice progress for Welben and still a lot of work left to go.

And when you look at at acquiring players, a lot of the players on this team have been signed as international free agents or their draft picks in recent drafts. But Nick Mitchell was acquired in a big deal in the off season between the Blue Jays and the Guardians, with andre Ci Menez one of the center points there. But Mitchell comes from the Blue Jays farm system and what do you see from him in his first year with Cleveland.

Yeah, that's right.

He was a fourth round pick last year and got a taste of the affiliate life with Toronto, and you know, like you said, we were fortunate enough to get him in the trade with Jimenez and Sandler last year. And you know, we saw him as a pretty good outfielder with a really nice hit tool and unfortunately had had an injury, you know, in preparing for the year in spring training and didn't really get out the gates right away and back just rehappening. So he's played about fifteen

He's not shrinking out.

You know, we'll be looking to continue to build more impact long term, but still really early in getting to know him and you know, getting to support him and build his routines and you know, build those as we to establish the things that he needs to do to move the need a long term across the entire board, but really exciting to have him. You know, he's a good player and you know there's a lot of growth left for him to continue moving forward.

We are joined by Steven oster Or, the vice president of player development for the Guardians, talking single ad Lynchberg in the Carolina League, and we switched to some good young prospects on the mound, including right handed Braylan Doty, drafted player a year ago and gosh, still so young, Austin. And you look at twelve starts, forty three innings. Is that about what you like to see? Is that plenty for a young kid with his experience level at this point?

Yeah, yeah, so it is.

And and we tend to try to work these guys in when they're really young, and especially the high school kids.

Into what professional baseball looks like.

And he's actually done a really nice job of settling in so far to start the years. So yeah, I think we define a successful first year for for these types of players to you know, to build a solid foundation of routines and try to stack daily wins so that they can support like your ability and you know, drive development long term. And you know, there's just so much to adjust to for for a high school match are out in an affiliate, So uh yeah, he's done

Is he's now kind of.

Locked into what professional baseball looks like and can kind of build out a little bit more focus towards.

Some of the fundamental things that he needs to work on.

And you mentioned those things. For a youngster who's out of high school drafted rape Schlessinger might be different. I don't know. As someone coming out of the University of Miami, do you approach a picture like that at a little bit differently as they build up?

Yeah, and again I think it just depends on the picture in the background. So Rafe did come from college, but he didn't start a ton in college, so I think we kind of hear that there's just a lot

So he's got really good stuff.

He's you know, he's throwing some ridiculous changeups as he's worked on that, which is really cool to see the development of that pitch. And I think there's just again still a lot, a lot of meat left on the bone for Rafe, you know, across the entire board as a starter, So we're really excited about what we're seeing.

Guys that we've had in the past.

So just exciting all around and expecting again a really good second half of.

Rafe and another college drafted pitcher, Sean Mattson, will finish up with him out of Harvard twenty four years of age, a little bit older for the Carolina League, But what do you like about what he's doing at that level right now?

Yeah, So he's come out and it's kind of worked his way into taking some starts and more innings as the first half kind of kind of went on with with Lynchburg. And you're right, he's a little bit older, but you know, he's also performed very well, very well

Some good stuff as always, and hopefully it's a fun week for Lynchburg as they try and close in on a first half championship for the Carolina League. DASTI always fun to have you on and we'll catch up with you again soon.

Thanks, Rosie, appreciate it.

That is Vice president of player Development, Stephen Osterer, and she debuted last week. Jalen Norman, who is a part of our Weekly Farm Reports now traveling through the minor league system. Was in Lake County recently with the Captains and she had a chance to sit down with a bright, young outfield prospect by the name of Alfonsin Rosario.

So you joined the Guardians organization in November as part of a trade. What were your first thoughts when you found out you'd be part of this organization.

I mean, I was shocked when I got the news.

I wasn't expecting myself to get traded so fast, so I was like, really, And I remember getting the call and the guy told me, Hey, she's been traded to the Guardians. I wasn't in shocked for like thirty seconds, and I'm like, but like, what Guardians Cleveland Gardens Like He's like yeah, I'm like, I didn't even know Cleveland Gardens was interested in me.

So I was like kind of in shock for a few seconds, and.

Then I a couple of tears came out. I had a good friendship with my teammates back with the Cups and the coaches.

I feel like we had a really good relationship with everybody.

And how has the adjustment been for you going from the Cups organization and now to the Guardians.

Uh, you know, it's been fun.

I think I'm a fun guy and I make friends really quick, so I'm always talking to the guys kind of getting a feeling of them, like, you know, like, hey you good, good job, you know what I mean. People like that, people like that you are concerned and you like there for them.

At some point.

And I think that's been huge getting together with everybody.

A lot of Guardians fans were first introduced to you and Mark when you played in the Spring Breakout game. What was that experience.

Like for you?

That was fun. It was fun to be there, you know what I mean. And it's always fun to be in the field. As long as I have my bad I think I'll be okay.

So it's a good experience. How would you describe your game?

I'll say preparation, getting the approach and executing it. It's always the best feeling. It's not even the outcome, But what makes the outcome so especial is when you have that approach and you can execute it the way you thought about it. That's what makes it so special.

So you come from a baseball family, your brothers in the Padres organization, and you've got cousins all across the league. How much does that help you being able to have members of your family that kind of relate to this journey.

To me, it motivates me a lot.

I like to compete, and I'm always like texting those guys like, Hey, we're competing.

We're doing this, and we're doing that. When we go back home to we do a lot of games like between each other and we compete against each other. So that's fun.

How many family members do you know, off the top of your head, how many family members you have either in the league who have gone.

Through the league.

I have had a few, but the ones that are active right now is my brother, and I have two cousins playing and me right now that I know. But I've had my dad used to play ball, my grandfather used to play ball. I have another brother plays ball, but he's not even the probably yet. But I have had a lot of family that's been through this. So it's been amazing.

As we've progressed deeper into the season, we've seen you really settle in offensively. How comfortable have you felt during your first couple of months as a Lake County captain?

What gives me that confidence is the hard work I put through in the off season. I think I work a lot to improve my contact and my confidence, also changing my mentality from last year. The mentality that I had last year wasn't the best one I could have. But this year I'm really making the adjustment mentally and physically also, So that's been what's giving me my confidence.

My hard work, you know what I mean.

A lot of young players take time to develop power, but you've seem to possess that throughout your career. How does that come so easily for you?

I believe also did my preparation and hard work. When I was in high school, I was kind of obsessed with lifting. I'll go there twice three times a day because I had that. I had the gym open for me, so I had it available all the time. So I'll go there and I'll pretty much just spending all my day and they're lifting, stretching, doing something. And that's kind of how I grew.

And expand my body a little bit.

And yeah, it's been amazing a lot of explosive exercises really helpful.

You mentioned that you have, you know, family members in the league, but is there anyone that you've modeled your game after and if.

So, why my brother He's been He's been one of the reasons that I've played this game because I've always wanted to play either with him or against him at some point.

And before I let you go, you know, the Captains are the defending Midwest League champs, and we've seen Ralph Alaska has come into the season and pick up right where you left off. We've seen Jose Devers find a stride offensively in Christian Napchick also has come in and really been an asset. How exciting is it for you to come into this organization and play alongside such a talented group.

I love that, you know. I love that my teammates are doing well. That also helps me put some numbers.

As long as I get them on base, I'm there to back them up and do the best that we can to hopefully come back as a champion this year as well.

You know.

That is Jaylen Norman talking with Alfonsin Rosario, who is acquired in the off season in the trade that sent Eli Morgan to the Chicago Cubs for a young outfield prospect. In Rosario certainly off to a nice start for Lake County stay with us. We'll have our final segment after this time out on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.

Progressive Nos. 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 the same page. So bundle your boat with your Homer Auto policy and earn an automatic discount from Progressive and spend the savings on the both of you Progressive Cashale Insurance Company if we has another insurch not available in all states or situations.

Welcome back. It's our final segment of Guardians Weekly. Jim rosen House back with you from Seattle, where the Guardians are playing the Mariners this weekend. They started the series on Friday night, It continues Saturday night with a nine to forty first pitch, and then wraps up on Sunday afternoon with a four to ten first pitch Cleveland Time, and we will be on West Coat Time for the next week as the road trip continues in San Francisco.

Guardians Weekly has been brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance