The Wild Card round begins today with Baltimore and Kansas City locked in a Best of Three Game series to advance to a American League Divisional Series. First team to win two games moves on so mathmatically, winning Game 1 is crucial. Stan the Fan from PressBoxOnline.com lays out what he expects to see beginnning at 4:05pm at Camden Yards today.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You know, we have to talk to Stan the Fan today.
This is a big day first time and has it
really been twenty seven years since the O's went back
to back two years in a row in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm too old to remember.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It like it.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I mean, I remember Baltimore, I remember twenty fourteen, but
we just did it that one year there.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
So you got to go back to you got to
go back to the nineties or what. I don't even know.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
What ninety six, ninety seven I remember.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So yeah, Davy Johnson man, I loved him when he played. Anyway,
Stan the Fan, let's get going Tonight's the night and
the way I look at it is, you got to
win two out of three in this wild card, so
it's really important we get off to a great start Game.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
One, no question about it. They acquired Corpy and Burns.
Of course, the pitch thirty plus starts this year, but
he's the type of picture you want for a moment
like this, and he can be a difference maker. We're
up against a very tough customer on the other side,
a left handed pitcher that Kansas City was able to
(01:12):
coax the Rangers into trading them last year. Were our
robbers Caapman. It turned out pretty good for Texas. They
won the World Series with Tapman. But Cole Reagans is
a very good left handed pitcher.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So with all of that being said, I'm going to
put you on the spot right now. What is your
gut stand the fan for Game one? What do you
think is gonna happen?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well, my gut is that we will get to Reagan's
for a few runs. And I'm seeing like a ford
to one something in that in that ballpark, I think
we'll get to Reagans, get him out of the game
in the fifth or sixth inning, had a couple more runs,
and I see it four or five to one something
(01:58):
like that.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
What I what I want worry about is what happens
in the field. I don't know it.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
For some reason, it seems like the fifth inning has
been where we've had trouble.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Uh you know what I mean. So we'll see if
he can go. Well, what do you think?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well with Burns on the mound, the way he's pitched
the past month, I think we're in for a stellar
performance by Burns today, if not all all on both
the series and But I've got that much confidence in Burns.
The one aspect that I talked to him about yesterday
(02:35):
I talked to Brandon Hyde about it was controlling the
running game of the Kansas City Royals. They ran wild
on us back here in Baltimore in April and in
Kansas City. Burns was really terrible at holding base runners
on until he seemed to pay attention to it, which
(02:56):
was in September, and he's been very good at it.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
He has the last couple of outings, the last couple
of boundings is really watching first base.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
You can see him.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
So yeah. He talked about the fact that he's worked
with Drew French a little bit on changing his cutter
a little bit. That's the pitching coach, Drew French, and
he's changed his cutter release and it's quickened them up
at the plate to the plate, so everything's a little faster.
And he's got clearly he's got paying attention now to
(03:27):
that because you've got to give the catchers a reasonable
chance of throwing somebody out. And Corbin threw from April
till the end of July really wasn't very good at that,
I'm sorry, end of August, right, but in September he's
been much much better at changing his pace, throwing over
(03:49):
stepping off the mound, something that disrupted them from just
simply taking off.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
All right, listen, stand the fan with pressboxonline dot com.
I know you are you're really a baseball expert. I
know you pay a lot of attention to the players.
But let me ask you this, because I haven't heard
you really talk about it. The umpiring is really you know,
there's there's such a wide range. You got your you
got your umps. Who are calling you know, low strikes,
(04:17):
high strikes? Are we at least going to have a
consistency in this uh in this wild card round?
Speaker 4 (04:26):
In your opinion? Are you watching?
Speaker 2 (04:27):
That's a that's a great question. I won't be able
to tell until I get to the ballpark and see
the scorecards. You know that they hand you with the
lineups right, and see who's umpiring this game. There's no
question there are some guys that are much better behind
home plate. Ye give you consistent strike zone. There's some
(04:49):
and and let's not kid ourselves, there's a very difficult
job to pick up. You know, we're watching the replays
right flow motion with a box there exact, they don't
have the box but that's why it's high time to
get this right. From pitch to pitch, the strip there
needs to be consistent. That's when they changes, when they
(05:11):
change these rules real quick. MJ to to having a
video on stolen bases and you see a guy steal
a base and he just gets up for a split second,
he's off the bag. That's not what video was supposed
to clear up, supposed to clear up reagious mistakes. And
(05:32):
then they're gonna fine tune that to get a guy
that just off the bag. But from pitch to pitch,
it's up to the umpire's discretion. What was a stripe
and what was the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
With you?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And this is what drives me nuts when you especially
with a pitcher like we're going to see for the
Orioles today, because he has an incredible sinker. I mean,
it's like he can throw that ball and you watch
it in slow mo, I mean, and it just drops
off the plate. He is so good at that. And
but there's got to be consistency with what is a strike,
(06:10):
especially on the bottom of the strike zone.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
In my opinion, I.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Think you're onto it. And I think with the price
that the amount of money that pitchers make Why would
I want a pitcher that can get through a game
in seventy five to eighty five pitches have to throw
twenty twenty five extra pitches because the guy missed a
call in the fourth inning exactly and you end up
having a long ding. One guy got six foul balls,
(06:37):
the other guy got thrip and all of a sudden,
you got your pitch count up. The pitcher's arms are
two valuable.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Let's get a uniform strike zone.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
The thing that's befuddling to knee MJ. Is that I
can't find other than Dave Johnson and maybe Palmer a
little bit. Most X players or players that are currently.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Playing don't agree with me on this.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Wow. Really, I think it's nonsense. I think a predictable
strike zone allows a picture to truely be an artist.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
I'm so with you. So one more thing. We only
have a couple of minutes here.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
The reason I am praying that the O's can find
a way to go deep this year is because of
Tony Tater, Because because I'm worried that he may not
be an.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Oriole next year.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And I feel like the window, if there's a window
open for us right now We've got a guy who
can really hit. You have any gut on how his
offensive approach is going to be today? Is he going
to be you know, solid? And do you have any
feeling at all about Santandeer.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Well, he's pretty arm solid. He'll be batting obviously against
Reagan's a left handed pitcher. He'll be batting from the
right hand side of the place, exactly. I have confidence
that Santander will have a real decent postseason. I'm keeping
my fingers crossed, and I wouldn't rule out his being
an oriole beyond.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
This year, A new day with new ownership.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, well, I just really hope that we don't go
through what we've gone through in the past. We've lost
a lot of good guys and I really love I
think he's a good team a good teammate, a good
guy in the clubhouse from what I see, And it's
been a lot of fun watching him this year.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So he's definitely he's definitely a leader on this team.
And it was really neat. There was a picture a
shot of him on Sunday when they beat the Twins,
and he and Gunner Henderson were really having a moment,
you know, hugging and talking to each other and smiling.
And it was really great to see because so much
(08:48):
there's the player movement, and you know, trans transition from
team to team is far too great for what really
makes great teammates and which mate baseball so special when
teams can stay together.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Yeah, and Adley's the other guy I'm thinking about. I'm
hoping that his back gets hot because we could use that.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I'll tell you one thing, If Rutsman and O'Hearn hit,
we will win because the other guys will hit. Yeh Heerson,
Santander Westburt will hit. O'Hearn and Rutchman are two keys
in this series.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
And and you know what, I know you and I
have talked about this, but e Murius has really gotten
even I've mentioned you how.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Strategic I think he is at the plate.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
He just continues to just hit the ball when he
becomes a hitter, no matter what the pitch is. I
see him well turning things into hits. I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Well. He's done a really good job since he's come back,
and he was doing he was doing pretty well the
three weeks before he got hurt. Yep, And I'll tell
you what it's really, if you had asked me two
months ago, well, we're gonna have this guy, Emmanuel Rivera
on your postseason rochter, exactly, I would have never guessed
it in a million years. He's on the roster and
(10:08):
he deserves to be. Yep, there's one interesting there's one
interesting thing before we go. Yep, MJ. Albert Suarez is
not on this series roster, and the reason is they've
got him lined up from having pitched six innings against
the Twins on Sunday. Don't be surprised if he's not
the opening pitcher against the Yankees. If we're fortunate enough
(10:32):
to move to the next to the next series, a
guy named Colin Selby on the roster. He's purely there
in case there's an emergency.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Gotcha.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Only twelve pitchers, fourteen position players that could change next series.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, this is a little different because it's the best
of three. So I mean, we just gotta we got
to come out hot and we got it. We gotta
win today and then we got to win to marw
I mean, we've got the home field and manage obviously
it's on Baltimore. But you don't want to you don't
want to lose Game one in a three game series period.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah yeah, so go I did my I did my
MLB Power rankings for the postseason. I've got the Orioles
the fifth best chance to win the World Series. I
got Kansas City as the twelfth best chance to win
the World Series. But last year I had the Orioles
of Perman in Round one. Texas is my number twelve, right,
(11:29):
and they want they won the World Series? So where
do I know?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
All Right, Well, we're gonna keep watching you and listening
to you and checking you out with pressboxonline dot com.
We'll catch up again tomorrow after the Orioles hopefully have
win number one.
You know, we have to talk to Stan the Fan today.
This is a big day first time and has it
really been twenty seven years since the O's went back
to back two years in a row in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm too old to remember.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It like it.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I mean, I remember Baltimore, I remember twenty fourteen, but
we just did it that one year there.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
So you got to go back to you got to
go back to the nineties or what. I don't even know.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
What ninety six, ninety seven I remember.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So yeah, Davy Johnson man, I loved him when he played. Anyway,
Stan the Fan, let's get going Tonight's the night and
the way I look at it is, you got to
win two out of three in this wild card, so
it's really important we get off to a great start Game.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
One, no question about it. They acquired Corpy and Burns.
Of course, the pitch thirty plus starts this year, but
he's the type of picture you want for a moment
like this, and he can be a difference maker. We're
up against a very tough customer on the other side,
a left handed pitcher that Kansas City was able to
(01:12):
coax the Rangers into trading them last year. Were our
robbers Caapman. It turned out pretty good for Texas. They
won the World Series with Tapman. But Cole Reagans is
a very good left handed pitcher.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So with all of that being said, I'm going to
put you on the spot right now. What is your
gut stand the fan for Game one? What do you
think is gonna happen?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well, my gut is that we will get to Reagan's
for a few runs. And I'm seeing like a ford
to one something in that in that ballpark, I think
we'll get to Reagans, get him out of the game
in the fifth or sixth inning, had a couple more runs,
and I see it four or five to one something
(01:58):
like that.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
What I what I want worry about is what happens
in the field. I don't know it.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
For some reason, it seems like the fifth inning has
been where we've had trouble.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Uh you know what I mean. So we'll see if
he can go. Well, what do you think?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well with Burns on the mound, the way he's pitched
the past month, I think we're in for a stellar
performance by Burns today, if not all all on both
the series and But I've got that much confidence in Burns.
The one aspect that I talked to him about yesterday
(02:35):
I talked to Brandon Hyde about it was controlling the
running game of the Kansas City Royals. They ran wild
on us back here in Baltimore in April and in
Kansas City. Burns was really terrible at holding base runners
on until he seemed to pay attention to it, which
(02:56):
was in September, and he's been very good at it.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
He has the last couple of outings, the last couple
of boundings is really watching first base.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
You can see him.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
So yeah. He talked about the fact that he's worked
with Drew French a little bit on changing his cutter
a little bit. That's the pitching coach, Drew French, and
he's changed his cutter release and it's quickened them up
at the plate to the plate, so everything's a little faster.
And he's got clearly he's got paying attention now to
(03:27):
that because you've got to give the catchers a reasonable
chance of throwing somebody out. And Corbin threw from April
till the end of July really wasn't very good at that,
I'm sorry, end of August, right, but in September he's
been much much better at changing his pace, throwing over
(03:49):
stepping off the mound, something that disrupted them from just
simply taking off.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
All right, listen, stand the fan with pressboxonline dot com.
I know you are you're really a baseball expert. I
know you pay a lot of attention to the players.
But let me ask you this, because I haven't heard
you really talk about it. The umpiring is really you know,
there's there's such a wide range. You got your you
got your umps. Who are calling you know, low strikes,
(04:17):
high strikes? Are we at least going to have a
consistency in this uh in this wild card round?
Speaker 4 (04:26):
In your opinion? Are you watching?
Speaker 2 (04:27):
That's a that's a great question. I won't be able
to tell until I get to the ballpark and see
the scorecards. You know that they hand you with the
lineups right, and see who's umpiring this game. There's no
question there are some guys that are much better behind
home plate. Ye give you consistent strike zone. There's some
(04:49):
and and let's not kid ourselves, there's a very difficult
job to pick up. You know, we're watching the replays
right flow motion with a box there exact, they don't
have the box but that's why it's high time to
get this right. From pitch to pitch, the strip there
needs to be consistent. That's when they changes, when they
(05:11):
change these rules real quick. MJ to to having a
video on stolen bases and you see a guy steal
a base and he just gets up for a split second,
he's off the bag. That's not what video was supposed
to clear up, supposed to clear up reagious mistakes. And
(05:32):
then they're gonna fine tune that to get a guy
that just off the bag. But from pitch to pitch,
it's up to the umpire's discretion. What was a stripe
and what was the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
With you?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And this is what drives me nuts when you especially
with a pitcher like we're going to see for the
Orioles today, because he has an incredible sinker. I mean,
it's like he can throw that ball and you watch
it in slow mo, I mean, and it just drops
off the plate. He is so good at that. And
but there's got to be consistency with what is a strike,
(06:10):
especially on the bottom of the strike zone.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
In my opinion, I.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Think you're onto it. And I think with the price
that the amount of money that pitchers make Why would
I want a pitcher that can get through a game
in seventy five to eighty five pitches have to throw
twenty twenty five extra pitches because the guy missed a
call in the fourth inning exactly and you end up
having a long ding. One guy got six foul balls,
(06:37):
the other guy got thrip and all of a sudden,
you got your pitch count up. The pitcher's arms are
two valuable.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Let's get a uniform strike zone.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
The thing that's befuddling to knee MJ. Is that I
can't find other than Dave Johnson and maybe Palmer a
little bit. Most X players or players that are currently.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Playing don't agree with me on this.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Wow. Really, I think it's nonsense. I think a predictable
strike zone allows a picture to truely be an artist.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
I'm so with you. So one more thing. We only
have a couple of minutes here.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
The reason I am praying that the O's can find
a way to go deep this year is because of
Tony Tater, Because because I'm worried that he may not
be an.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Oriole next year.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And I feel like the window, if there's a window
open for us right now We've got a guy who
can really hit. You have any gut on how his
offensive approach is going to be today? Is he going
to be you know, solid? And do you have any
feeling at all about Santandeer.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Well, he's pretty arm solid. He'll be batting obviously against
Reagan's a left handed pitcher. He'll be batting from the
right hand side of the place, exactly. I have confidence
that Santander will have a real decent postseason. I'm keeping
my fingers crossed, and I wouldn't rule out his being
an oriole beyond.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
This year, A new day with new ownership.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, well, I just really hope that we don't go
through what we've gone through in the past. We've lost
a lot of good guys and I really love I
think he's a good team a good teammate, a good
guy in the clubhouse from what I see, And it's
been a lot of fun watching him this year.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So he's definitely he's definitely a leader on this team.
And it was really neat. There was a picture a
shot of him on Sunday when they beat the Twins,
and he and Gunner Henderson were really having a moment,
you know, hugging and talking to each other and smiling.
And it was really great to see because so much
(08:48):
there's the player movement, and you know, trans transition from
team to team is far too great for what really
makes great teammates and which mate baseball so special when
teams can stay together.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Yeah, and Adley's the other guy I'm thinking about. I'm
hoping that his back gets hot because we could use that.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I'll tell you one thing, If Rutsman and O'Hearn hit,
we will win because the other guys will hit. Yeh Heerson,
Santander Westburt will hit. O'Hearn and Rutchman are two keys
in this series.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
And and you know what, I know you and I
have talked about this, but e Murius has really gotten
even I've mentioned you how.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Strategic I think he is at the plate.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
He just continues to just hit the ball when he
becomes a hitter, no matter what the pitch is. I
see him well turning things into hits. I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Well. He's done a really good job since he's come back,
and he was doing he was doing pretty well the
three weeks before he got hurt. Yep, And I'll tell
you what it's really, if you had asked me two
months ago, well, we're gonna have this guy, Emmanuel Rivera
on your postseason rochter, exactly, I would have never guessed
it in a million years. He's on the roster and
(10:08):
he deserves to be. Yep, there's one interesting there's one
interesting thing before we go. Yep, MJ. Albert Suarez is
not on this series roster, and the reason is they've
got him lined up from having pitched six innings against
the Twins on Sunday. Don't be surprised if he's not
the opening pitcher against the Yankees. If we're fortunate enough
(10:32):
to move to the next to the next series, a
guy named Colin Selby on the roster. He's purely there
in case there's an emergency.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Gotcha.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Only twelve pitchers, fourteen position players that could change next series.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, this is a little different because it's the best
of three. So I mean, we just gotta we got
to come out hot and we got it. We gotta
win today and then we got to win to marw
I mean, we've got the home field and manage obviously
it's on Baltimore. But you don't want to you don't
want to lose Game one in a three game series period.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah yeah, so go I did my I did my
MLB Power rankings for the postseason. I've got the Orioles
the fifth best chance to win the World Series. I
got Kansas City as the twelfth best chance to win
the World Series. But last year I had the Orioles
of Perman in Round one. Texas is my number twelve, right,
(11:29):
and they want they won the World Series? So where
do I know?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
All Right, Well, we're gonna keep watching you and listening
to you and checking you out with pressboxonline dot com.
We'll catch up again tomorrow after the Orioles hopefully have
win number one.
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