Windy City Sweeps Away Guards

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Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse along with you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland this weekend as the Guardians on this holiday weekend are taking on the Detroit Tigers. Another game coming up Saturday night at seven fifteen, and then the series and short homestand finale is Sunday at one forty. Good show lined up for you Today. At the tail end, we'll have another edition of at

Of I think I got blessed. You know, has a great career. So I say thank you guys for every day.

For that talent.

But you know, I'm a little bit surprised. And I had the big two name like Moor right and cheaper Jong, and I'm making that, So I think I'm happy for that. Honestly, I don't know that. I don't okay, the four hundred double he's coming, but I don't know that. And I have behind too, you know, the two Hall of Fame player.

And we were talking about switch hitting a little bit earlier and your natural right handed hitter, sixteen years of age you started hitting left handed. How difficult was that transition to start doing that and become a good hitter from that side of the plate too.

He's hard, you know, he's hard.

Especially yet he's hard because you know, you're never one hundred percent to the ball. Said, sometimes you feel good writing, sometimes you know, feel good lefty. Sometimes you go efty and off.

You go write it.

So it's hard, you know, doing the swish it. He's like one player for two different hitting so it's hard. You know, it's hard. You have to working hard. A lot, So, I mean it's hard.

The fans may be able to hear it right outside the indoor cage here, you're going back to working a little bit here. And do you work on both every day or do you kind of give one a break depending on who the picture is.

No, I have to work every day, you know, especially like lefty star but lay in the gang. I had to writy, you know, so I had to soon righty, especially like today, I prepare more right side, more to the left side because the starting but I had to work out both sides because something situation lay in the game. I had to be ready for that.

As a veteran player, the team's going through a top stretcher offensively trying to score more. What can you do as a veteran boys to try and help maybe some of your teammates along as you try and take care of your own game too.

Oh, I mean, you know right now we have a little bit difficulty fore hit.

But you know this is that happened.

That happened.

We had the great, great talent, great teammate, so you know the mentally he's keeping focused and not big head down. It's a long season, but I think you know, can we fight him?

We go.

I talked to with another player a couple of years ago, and you know, and everything is good.

You know.

I try to tell it like befocus positive energy. I mean, keep it fighting, keep it fighting. I tell him, like, look in Detroit last year, I mean in August, they lost, They think about to the next year and they make him playoffs. You know, he's is that happened to the baseball you know what? I know one they think he's fluctuated. Will little bit mean because we try and right now

Carlo is always great to have you on. Thank you, You're welcome.

Thank you.

That's Carlos Santana at the age of thirty nine, still putting together quality at bats and producing. It's been a good start to the month of July for Santana. Jose Ramirez will be heading to the All Star Game this week, not this week, but this month. Later on this month. He found out this week that he would be the American League's starting third baseman, the fourth time that he'll be a starter at the All Star Game, the seventh time that he is going to the All Star Game.

Hey, you one, your mom.

Thankful to God for this opportunity and also for being a healthy way and especially the fans because they voted me into the game. So very special to be recognized this year again.

I know you mentioned yesterday that you're not pleased with it with how the season is going based on your standards, And what do you mean by that? What areas are you you're still trying to get to.

I mean, it's just saying because I feel I need to keep improving in all the areas of my game because I feel that it needs me even more so obviously they need to keep improving and keep improving every facet of my game.

The amount of times that you have gone. For some players, it gets old and it's not as special, but it seems like for you every year it is special.

How comes always the goal every time you start the season. You know, when you start this season, that's like the physical that you can achieve and getting to selected to lost our game because it's important day to celebrate and share with your fans, with your family, especially with very talented players as well.

And historical perspective. One shy about eight appearances. Sandy Alomar and also Kenny Lofton started three times. Now you've started the most. What does that mean to be mentioned in the same breath as those guys who are such a big part of this franchise.

Oh, I didn't know that fact.

It's good to know about that I'm among those players, but you know it's important. It's important for me every time you have those goals to achieve and try to make the All Star Game in particularly in my own goal is to to go to ten All Star Games. Let's see what the health allows and my performance, but that's the goal that I have.

Posey, congratulations, thank you, thank you, Ogi, thanks thank you guys. What a career for Jose Ramirez and he doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

Stay with us.

We'll take a time out and when we come back, we'll hear from relief pitcher Eric Sabowski. That's next the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.

The pit swung out a slow chapter.

The third charge by Ramire's clubs Scoops throws in the dirt pick by Santana. Heck of a play on both ends. Now it's runners on the corners. Is Kuan advanced to third? Ramirez is on it first for Carlos Santana. He swings loops one.

To shallow left that gets down for a base head Juan will score on his way to third is Ramirez. He's in safely and Carlos Santana comes through.

The kick and delivery and it's head high hit deep to right. Heerez track wall leaves gone. That's how you break it over for twenty one skin Jose Ramiro's a towering home run to right is fourteenth, and he continues to absolutely torture the Tigers year in, year out.

A progressive home an ottowuandle can protect you around the clock, but we can't protect you from those painful moments in sports.

Why would we trade our best player?

Well, at least you got to watch him in person when he was here. I named my only son after him, so you'll always remember his name.

Yeah, but what do I do with this Jersey.

Luckily the company has a great return policy.

I warrant for six seasons.

At least your homenauda or protected with a bundle from Progressive Progressive casualt Interns Company. Off you had another Interurvi's not available in THO stags a situations.

Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Jim rosen House back with you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland. Guardians and Tigers meeting in this three game weekend series. Back with the ball club after starting the season on the injured list is left hander Eric Sabrowski, who was a key out of the bullpen for the Guardians down the stretch a year ago and then on into the postseason. And he's looked really sharp in a couple of outings now since returning.

There's always a little bit of apprehension every time you throw, just the nature of being a reliever. But I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you're thinking about that. You know, on the mound warming up the day of I think it's once you get to the ballpark, you leave all those thoughts out of the lay and you just know that you're there to do your job that night and trying to do it to the best of your abilities.

And you go from a rehab assignment where I'm sure it's about building up and feeling good, but stuff, it seemed like it was tremendous and a clean inning and then a really good curveball. It was that surprising at all to you that you had that kind of command and feel.

Probably the command, Yeah, it certainly wasn't there to that extent during my rehab outings. I think my curveball has always been a pretty good pitch just happened to be my best pitch that night.

Eric Sabrowski's joining us back in that Guardian's bullpen, and Eric had a really good stretch at the end of alast year, your first time in the major leagues, And what did you take away from that that that might be helpful as you get deeper into it here this season, Just.

That I have the stuff to belong in this league. Yeah, it was a phenomenal stretch. It went better than I could have ever imagined. But just building off of that success and showing myself that, you know, I have what it takes to pitch in the big leagues on a consistent basis. So now I just need to, you know, keep my body in shape, keep my mind right, and go out there and perform.

And you did have the health set back, and you've had some injuries to work back. From your story, it is certainly inspiring for I'm sure a lot of pictures out there mentally, though, what was that like for you this spring when when you had to just take some time off to get healthy again.

Well, it sucked, you know, especially coming off last year. I thought I had a good shot to make this fall club out of spring and that just didn't happen to be in the cards for me. It's missing time is never fun. But it gave me a chance to work on other things that may may not have been lacking. And I think I'm in a good spot to help this ball club out for the rest of the season.

And you rejoin a really good bullpen numbers. Why some ups and downs this year, But what do you see coming back to it based on what you knew from a year ago.

I think there's still consistently one of the best bullpens in this league. Yeah, we probably no one's had the stretch they wanted to have, but the talents there and the personnel is there to get back to and if not exceed what we had last year.

First time pitching it Wrigley, hopefully in this series. What do you think it'll be fun?

I mean the history here, right, I think second oldest Ballpark's gotten to experience it as a fan a few times, but being on the other side is pretty cool.

Eric, great to see again, Thanks, Thank you, Hat's relief pitcher Eric Sabrowski. Good to see him back healthy and throwing the ball well. By another pitcher who's thrown it well, left handed starter Matthew Boyd, who's now with the Chicago Cubs after really filling a vital role for the Guardians down the stretch a year ago. He was a key member of the starting rotation and then pitched extremely well

Man, I'm so so grateful.

For my time in Cleveland.

I mean it, you know, I think I got there at the end of June, and you know, but that it was that three plus, you know, four months felt much longer.

You know.

I'm so grateful for the Guardians to give me that shot, from Chris the voter to.

You know, Carl, like I have so much gratitude to everybody there.

That was some of the most most fun I've ever had playing baseball. And my only regrets that we you know, we didn't win more, you know, so, uh it's a.

I just thought that squad.

Was amazing, and it's so fun to get to see the guys in town.

Right now, I was gonna say, baseball being what it is if you're with a new team now, but earlier today you had a chance to visit with some old friends and what was that like catching up with them?

It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun. I mean, we always we stay in contact with the finally they'll you know, see guys, and uh, it's awesome. It's like like you said, we we that playoff stretch and then in the playoffs was such a great time and so time that really brings you together as a team.

That it was just it was really special to.

Actually, you know, to just to share that with them and some of the most fun I've ever had on a baseball field. So to get to to get to see him today has been cool. And it's just like I said, I'm always gonna have a special start in a special place in my heart for Cleveland.

You've had a long career, but that was really that first extended playoff run where you've had several starts and now what do you learn about yourself in postseason when you had great success.

It's one of those things you always learned about doing. So I remember that first one against Detroit. It was finally like I've been waiting for this and it's here, and I got chills as I'm saying it. It's like, Okay, come to do what I've always knew I could do, and it's it was so much fun, you know, And getting to do it again in Game five against de Troy and then getting to do it in the LCS against the Yankees. It was like, this is this is special And again what made a special is the group

And I feel like you're gonna fit in wherever you go. And it seems like you've done that very well.

Here. This looks like a.

Good ball club that could get back, get you back to postseason. What are you seeing here in Chicago that looks really good?

We got such a great group from you know, the front office and and Craig and our pitching staff, you know, and and Tommy leading our pitching staff, and then in the position players. It's it's a it's a great group of guys. And we got guys that just they show up right to win. We love being around each other.

And and and uh.

And it's just a great balance of guys, and we just we have fun being together. We have fun winning together and competing together, and uh, you know, it's it's it's it's a it's a special group. And I'm grateful that, you know, back to back years and I've been had the opportunity to be parts of really special teams.

It is great to see again. It looked like vintage Matt Boyd last night, for sure. And thanks a lot for coming by.

Appreciate it and thank you for having me on.

Brobye. One of the good guys in the game, Matthew Boyd, and great to see him having some success with the Chicago Cubs. There'll be a big key for a team that has big time playoff aspirations. Stay with us when we come back. We'll take it to the minor league side. With our correspondent Jayalen Norman. That's next the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse

Parker, you've started the season off here in Columbus, So first off, how do you just kind of describe what it's like being here in Columbus, kicking off the season here and being a part of this team.

Yeah, it's been really cool. I didn't really know where I was going to start leaving spring training. I was a minor league camp and he didn't know if I was going to be a double or triplay guy. That was kind of out in the air based on how I performed.

So he got lucky enough.

To start here in Columbus. And team's great, coaches.

Great, all the guys are great. I mean, there's a lot of fun and the city's really cool. So it's just been just been a blasbeing here.

What's your favorite Columbus thing so far? Because I've heard the restaurants are good, they're good shops.

What do you so far like the most.

About won this?

Honestly the fans, like with every game that.

We have, even like kind of rainy games like Tuesday time and it'll be packed to night. So it's it's cool that every time you come to a game there's fans in the stand. It makes it worth it makes it fun playing at home.

I think.

So for other than all the you know, cool restaurants, school city, that's probably.

My favorite part in each level, I know brings a different set of challenges. Obviously there's something new that you're learning about yourself, something new that.

You're seeing at each level.

How do you describe the way Triple A ball is different from the.

Other levels you played. Yeah, a lot of the guys in Triple A are are you know, one call away from the big league.

So these are the guys that have big league time or a guy like you know, Vincer has spent a lot of time in the big leagues.

Like they're they're just all different.

Kinds of guys that are messed together and you know, I'm twenty four playing with some of the older guys, So it's just really cool to see like young guys playing against older guys and the different experience levels, and you know, I get to learn from a guy like Vince and then there's still some things that I have to challenge myself with with those kind of guys on the.

Field, like those sort of veteran hitters. So it's cool to see.

Like how I match up versus order veteran hitters that you know, I've had time in the Big League, so.

It's it's been a challenge, but it's been a lot of fun.

Yeah, watching you play, I can see that you're a very energetic player.

Yeah, where does that come from? I kind of always pitch like that. I was like a multi sport.

Athlete, you know, in high school growing up as a kid, I never I wasn't one of those guys that played baseball year round, every every season. With baseball, I played. I played every sport. I played football, basketball, soccer. So I just learned to compete at a young age.

Even with my.

Dad fishing, we like keep score on how many fish we catch, So I just always compete.

So when I'm on the mound. It's just like another thing that I'm competing against.

I just want to I want to yell when I start someone out, and you know, I'm a little mad when I give up a run.

But it's part of the game and it's what makes it fun.

How have you learned to kind of manage that so that you're still being energetic, still showing that emotion, but also staying focused and kind of keeping your pool while you're.

On the mound.

Yeah, it's definitely.

I've always called it a controlled anger since college. I think all the broadcasters found that funny when I phrase it that way in some of the eight CC Network podcasts. But it's just, you know, you can you can ever be too happy or too mad. You can't ride the lows or ride the highs. Like when I give up a home run, you know I can't throw it. You can't throw a temper tantrument on the mound. The same way when you strike one guy out, you can't you know, come in slam your glove all fired up.

Like.

You just have to control different levels of the game. If you're in a big spot and you get yourself out of a jam, that's when you can show a little positive emotion, and you know, you try and really keep the negative emotion off the field. And that comes with just experience and trial and error, and you know there's there's people here that you're trying to make an impression on and you don't want that impression to be

You're still ready to go for the next sending, even though you got yourself out of a big gym.

So yeah, I want to pitch with emotion as much as I can, but I wanted to be in the right spots.

Earlier, you mentioned fishing with your dad, and it's interesting that you bring that up because I was actually an accron last week and someone was talking about how they met your dad and he was so excited to introduce himself as Parker Messe's dad. So can you talk about the support that you've gotten from your family, in particular your dad and what that's meant to you.

Yeah, it beats the world theirs. They come quite often to a.

Lot of names, and you know, I have a support system that goes from a small town. It goes all the way into the route to that small town. Everyone that I played little league baseball with so keeps up with me. My dad enjoys it because, you know, he gets to communicate, Like he'll have people semester him on Facebook that we haven't talked to in twenty years that they've been following me in my entire career, and it's like,

Me that I have a whole town and a whole family supporting me, and.

It just gets bigger and bigger the more that I play.

That is Parker Messica certainly a name to keep an eye on as we get closer to the tail end of this season, it gets deeper into the second half, and certainly we'll be on the radar next spring to be sure, but still on the radar now and a name that there's watching. We'll take another time out and then come back with another edition of at the Ballpark with Bobby d.

That's next.

A Progressive Home and Auto bundle can protect you around the clock, but we can't protect you from those painful moments in sports.

I can't believe they're moving the team to another city.

True, but you'll never forget all the joy they brought into your life. Joy.

They made the playoffs twice in fifty years.

Gosh, those two times were pretty great.

Weren't they.

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At least your homanaud or protected with a bundle from Progressive Progressive Casual Tea terms company up, Billy, have another intur It's not available in those states? Are situations?

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Whoa who?

Welcome back, It's Guardian's Weekly Jim Rosenhouse back with you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where the Guardians are playing the Tigers this weekend. We always like to check in with Bobby d from time to time, Guardians Senior Vice President Bob D Biassio. And here's another edition of At the Ballpark with Bobby D.

The perfectly manicured fields, the unmistakable aroma of a ballpark hot dog, and the electricity celebrating another victory. This is at the Ballpark with Bobby D.

Thank you, Hammy.

Welcome to at the Ballpark, where we hope you enjoy our conversations with those involved in the great game of baseball.

Those who may be behind.

The scenes are the colorful personalities who have provided so many exciting moments and memories. Today we are joined by one of the winningest pitchers in franchise history, a first round draft pick, a member of Team USA, and the Guardians Hall of Fame, mister Charlie Naggy. Thank you Chuck for being with us. Catch us up on the family these days.

The family's good kids are out of the house. Oldest twenty five living in San Francisco, and our youngest is she's a junior at Baylor University.

Empty nesters, unbelievable.

Have to believe consistency is what you are most proud of in your thirteen year career. Wearing that Cleveland uniform. You make your major league debut in nineteen ninety, you become a seventeen game winner in ninety two to an all start, tossing two hundred and fifty innings.

That's a pretty cool way to start your career.

It was.

It was a rapid minor league career. Got drafted boom the Olympics Kinston, North Carolina, and then the following year Campton and getting called up to the big leagues.

And it was just a great moment.

And it wasn't that easy starting your career in college, right You went to Cornell, You went there to play football and baseball, and then there was an issue.

Then you move on to the University of Connecticut.

Tell us a little bit about that, so kids out there understand that everybody has obstacles as they're trying to reach their dream.

Yeah.

I mean I was enamored with Cornell. I went there and it just didn't work out for me, whether I just wasn't ready for it or what not. But still went home and still kept in contact with coach Andy Bailock at the University of Connecticut.

He was recruiting me also, and we made it work.

I had to do some summer schools before I went there, and things went well, and I had two great years there at the University Connecticut. A lot of friends, played with great players, had a really good time. And then and everb we got drafted that year in nineteen eighty eight.

Other than the nineteen ninety three season in which you suffered an injury, you only had nine starts that year. You rebound and enjoy a streak where you post double digit wins in eight of the next nine street seasons, again consistency. You start the last game at Cleveland Stadium. Ever, I think Jason Burray became a friend, right, and that's who.

Was pitching for the White Sox.

You and Jason's were the starting two for the last baseball game ever at Cleveland Stadium. So you pitch that game coming off an injury. But then you don't miss a start again until sometime after eleven starts in the year two thousand.

That's a remarkable streak.

You know, I mean, that's what you strive for every year. I remember Johnny Ferroll my first spring training sat down next to me after a spring training game and we were just talking.

A little bit and he was just you know.

Hey, this is these are goals you should shoot for, you know, make all your starts throw over two hundred innings a year, and I mean, those are the benchmarks that every pitcher should look for. And you know that's after hearing that from him. You know, that's what I

You were a three time All Star, including nineteen ninety nine.

What was it like pitching on that team? That team is the only team.

In our franchise history to score more than a thousand runs. I believe the ninety four team, if the season wasn't averted and had stopped in August, that club probably was on pace to score one thousand runs. But the ninety nine club, where Manly had one hundred and six rebies, Robbie was just going crazy doing his thing. And of course Jimmy Toldy being Jimmy.

Of course, what was it like pitching for that ball club?

It was like every other ball club we had There I mean, we were just known for our offense, you know, scoring runs. If you go out and you know, you give up a few runs in the first standing, as long as you hang in the game long enough, you've got a chance to win this game.

Still.

And you know, you say the ninety four team, and you know, you could actually argue the ninety five team too, because it was one hundred and forty four games and we still had a few obviously twenty some games that we didn't play well.

That team was remarkable to me. You guys clinched a division on September eighth, you end up winning the division by thirty games.

I mean, just people don't.

Understand one hundred and forty four game season. We're one hundred and forty four, we win by thirty games, which is ridiculous. You guys came to the park and the attitude was once we clinched on September eight, was let's get to one hundred.

Yeah, we had to set a goal after that and it was just to continue on winning and getting ready for the postseason. And yeah, we came to win every game. And I know everybody who who came to the other teams, who came into Jacob's Field, and those years just didn't want to be there. They didn't want to the pitchers didn't want to face our lineup.

Let's focus a little bit on one thing that I think is remarkable in your career. There were two occasions in our franchise history where we brought back thirty to forty of our most illustrious alumni. One was the closing of Cleveland Stadium October third of nineteen ninety three, and then on July twenty first, two thousand and one, where we celebrated our one hundredth anniversary. You were on the mound for both of those games, so you had to pitch in front of that crew. So let's talk about

Not so much at that time.

Initially, I was just concentrating on the game because it was my first start coming back, and you know, just hoping everything would go well so I could, you know, peace of mind for the offseason and going into the next season. But then it started to hit me a little bit when you know, you see all the great players that are here and Bob Hope getting ready to sing after the game. I really don't even remember the outcome of the game.

We lost, unfortunately.

I think Mark Lewis struck out as the final out in Cleveland Stadium baseball history for our franchise.

I think that's stuck in my head.

But again, you, j and Jason Barray were the two starters to become friends, both in Cleveland uniforms. But you were coming off an injury, so you but that started your streak. As we talked in segment one about your incredible consistency. But what do you think about that old cavernous place on the lake.

I loved it.

You know, it's my first place being called up to, and I love that stadium. It was a great place to pitch had a good backdrop. You know, it was an older team when I got there, and then it kind of changed as people saw trade a lot of guys away and then we went young and just everybody was gearing up for the next night, you know, for the ninety four season and the new stadium that was being built.

But it was sold out that day.

We had a few sellouts throughout the season. Was opening day July fourth, and the final week, final week in all three games. And just also you know, to be pictured on the tickets with mel Harder, So I get that a lot. I get them in the mail, I get them when I go back to Cleveland or just random people and just want them signed and talking about that day when we broke round for Jacobs Field and it was just a that was That's a memory in my mind that I'll never forget.

The other one is July twenty first, two thousand and one, our one hundredth anniversary. There's forty plus members of the top one hundred roster dotted by some of the greatest pitchers in the history of our franchise, of course, and you're starting that game as well.

Tell me all about that day.

It was a fun day. I mean, I've got to know a lot of those guys that were there. I mean, they've been around before, and I'd been around for a while and it was great to see everybody that was there. But and you know, I still had to remember that I was pitching. And I remember we talked about taking that photo when I was walking in after I warmed up from the bullpen and getting in the photo. And I didn't know how long it was going to take or anything like that. I really didn't care at the time,

Well today, that's not exactly the words you used to be, but it was something like that.

But yeah, I could not let you not be in that photo.

I didn't want it to be like a kindergarten homeroom picture with a little thumbnail in the corner that Chuck was there, but he was pitching that day. You had to be in that photo. So when we took it, but guys like Bob Feller and Louis Tiant and Lenny Barker Sonny Sebert mel Haarder, and Mud, Gary Bell, Sam McDowell. They all came up to Charlie, patted him on the back, said hey, we're really looking forward to see in your throw today.

Go get them.

And you and I just had a nice little conversation as we walked to the dugout about that.

Yeah, about hey, don't screw this up.

But you won that game.

You pitched great, you got into I believe it was through the seventh inning and we ended up winning that one. So two of the most remarkable days in our history as we celebrated our rich history, and you're on the mound for both of them. I just think those are the really cool things that fall in line in the game of baseball. Chuck, it's been a blast catching up. Many thanks, and we hope you enjoyed this trip down

God it's going to do it for this week's edition of Guardians Weekly. As always, thanks to Brian Botsey for putting together our show each and ever. We will join you next week back in Chicago. We were just there. We're going back now to play the White Sox next weekend and that's where our show will originate from next week. Hope you can join us. Then, this is Jim Rosenhause reminding you that you've been listening to Guardians Weekly, the Cleveland Clinic Guardians of Radio on that work.

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