00:00:12
Speaker 1: It's time to raise the roof for our latest postseason episode. This episode will have interviews ahead of Game 1 of the ALCS between the Rays and the Guardians. It will include interviews from Rays manager Kevin Cash, Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen, a no-brainer for the Rays, and Griffin Jacks, a right-handed pitcher, appeared in Game 3. It was for the Rays. was able to get some big innings down the stretch. And then Junior Caminero also got some audio from him. So all of those interviews will be included in here. Again, Rays, Guardians. Guardians pulled out Game 5 against the White Sox. Game 1 will be tomorrow, as of this recording, will be tomorrow.
00:01:01
Speaker 2: At 8 p.m.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: 8 p.m. on, I believe it's TBS, TBS Family Network. Same thing as before. 8 p.m. in St.
00:01:10
Speaker 3: Pete.
00:01:11
Speaker 1: Plenty of tickets still available, which we got to get the Trop sold out once again. This is a no-brainer. This is a non-starter. We got to get the Trop filled out for the entire ALCS, however many games the Rays are playing in there. We got to get Trop to over going crazy. Also, we got the yellow rally towels back. So the yellow rally towel thing will continue on. The legacy will continue on. Something that started back in 2019, 2019, 2021, 2023. And now in 2026 with Troptober back again, we have the yellow rally tiles for the ALCS. But again, the order for the interviews as of this recording is Cash, Rasmussen, Jax, and Junior. So we're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back in this latest episode of Raise the Roof.
00:01:58
Speaker 4: Can you give us your starter for game one and went into that decision?
00:02:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, Ras will start. I mean, I think, you know, pretty obvious, easy choice for us. Hopefully he can go and come close to doing what he did in game one.
00:02:16
Speaker 2: Of the DS. That'd be great.
00:02:19
Speaker 5: But I know he's excited to go, and I know the guys are excited to play behind him.
00:02:22
Speaker 2: Go to Adam.
00:02:25
Speaker 6: One more on Raz. You saw the changeup was such a big pitch for him against the Yankees last time out. Considering he didn't really throw that this time last year, just what does that say about his kind of development and evolution here?
00:02:34
Speaker 5: Yeah, I feel like every season he's evolved as a pitcher of getting better with adding a pitch or, you know, whether it's a cutter, the four-seamer. I think when we got him from Milwaukee and he was in the relief mode, it was very much sink or slider for the most part. So to know that he's come this far of having been so successful in adding a pitch, whether it was a foreseam with the carry, the changeup, the bigger breaking ball, and then the cut fastball. It just shows how open and willing he is to continue to improve and understand that hitters are really talented in today's game and they can make adjustments. So it's kind of on him and all pitchers to continue to find ways to make adjustment.
00:03:15
Speaker 2: And he's done as good as anybody.
00:03:17
Speaker 6: And with Cleveland, you mentioned the other day, you always play them tight. They always play you tight. Just what do you expect out of that matchup?
00:03:22
Speaker 5: Yeah, very good team. It's coming in with a lot of momentum right now. It was really remarkable and impressive what they did going down 0-2 and then coming back.
00:03:30
Speaker 2: And I watched game five yesterday. The energy looked incredible.
00:03:34
Speaker 5: What Gavin Williams did and then obviously Jose Ramirez, just a ton of respect for that organization, whether from Steven Vogt to Chris Antonetti, Mike Chernoff, and then All of those players, they play a very solid brand of baseball.
00:03:50
Speaker 7: Two rows back, Kev.
00:03:51
Speaker 8: Melanie?
00:03:52
Speaker 9: Hey Kevin, this is the second time that we get to revisit the rest versus rust discussion for you guys on this postseason run. So what have these couple of days look like for you guys in terms of the scrimmages and just what you're doing to keep them in that mode?
00:04:04
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I like the fact that it was a little bit shorter rest. It was long heading in from the wild card to the DS. We were able to work a five and a half, six inning scrimmage yesterday. Got all of our relievers throwing an inning. We rolled out two lineups to play. We had the stadium noise crowd effect. We had the Walkout songs coming up. We even had the ABS and pulled some umpires over. So you try to replicate it. I know it's not that, but I do think it's good that we're playing tomorrow because I would imagine any more time off and then you start to get antsy. But it was important to get our pitchers in there, definitely our bullpen, to get them facing some hitters. We'll have some more guys facing hitters today from our alt site to let our bats have some timing.
00:04:49
Speaker 2: But it was important to get them in there because.
00:04:51
Speaker 5: You know, between– I know Baker was used a lot. Kelly came in to get some big outs and Boozer. And then the rest, it was, you know, Ian and Griff to come in there and fill a void.
00:05:00
Speaker 7: Other questions?
00:05:02
Speaker 10: Buster.
00:05:06
Speaker 11: Kevin, two for you.
00:05:08
Speaker 12: One, is there any injury ailment situations that we should be aware of? And the second is, tell me about watching the game last night.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: Where did you watch it?
00:05:15
Speaker 10: What was that like?
00:05:17
Speaker 5: There are no injuries, so thankful for that. It was a great day of college football yesterday, so I was kind of flipping back and forth between the Bama-Georgia game and the Cleveland game. I mean, watching that game in Cleveland, I mean, I think I was certainly amazed at Gavin Williams' performance and the power that he showed and the strike throwing. I mean, he limited and got a ton of strikeouts inside the strike zone. That just speaks to how good his stuff was.
00:05:47
Speaker 7: Go to Will here.
00:05:49
Speaker 3: Hey, Kevin, just on Cam Nero, what has impressed you the most, maybe just defensively after maybe the first two months of the season for him?
00:05:56
Speaker 5: Just the confidence that he has in himself and the consistent work that he puts in. You know, the first, well, the first road trip and probably the first month overall was not his best month. And it was very similar to the 2025 season. But Cammy is, for as talented he is, he's that much more motivated to be great on.
00:06:15
Speaker 2: Both sides of the ball.
00:06:16
Speaker 5: He puts the work in just like Walsey does on defense, just like Richie does. And, you know, I think it speaks volumes to him and recognizing that, you know, that first road trip, there were some glaring things that showed up that he was not in tune. And, you know, you can point to different things, WBC, lack of reps in spring training, whatever it was, he didn't make an excuse. He just went to work, him and Brady Williams, and got it ironed out real quick.
00:06:45
Speaker 10: Just on the pitching side, after.
00:06:47
Speaker 3: Rasmussen, are you ready to divulge anything after that, or are you going to wait to see how it plays out?
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, we'll probably have something tomorrow.
00:06:55
Speaker 7: Go to Shai.
00:06:57
Speaker 2: Hey, Kev, two questions.
00:06:58
Speaker 13: First, with your past connections to Cleveland, as you look at the two organizations and the way you guys go about it, do you see a mirror? Do you see some differences between how these two teams approach sort of building clubs, managing players, et cetera?
00:07:14
Speaker 5: Well, first of all, I'm incredibly excited grateful appreciative to everybody over there that that is as solid as a group and the help that they you know provided me in my two years certainly Tito was there but Chris and Cherney I mean they're first class individuals and they run a first class organization I do think there's more similarities than not uh you know most clubs that we're talking about are opposing I feel like Cleveland does mirror us or we mirror them and I say that with the most respect to them the way they develop pitching, the way they think about the game. And even as far as developing, acquiring, there's a lot of similarities and know that we are facing an extremely talented opponent top to bottom of that roster.
00:08:00
Speaker 13: And years past, we've talked about how offense has been the element of this team that's maybe been the toughest year to year to stay consistent with. This year's group, the profiles that you have, why? What has clicked for you guys on the offensive side beyond, obviously, the year the top three guys are having?
00:08:15
Speaker 5: Yeah, the contact, I think, plays a large part of that. You have Yandy, Aranda, and Cammy early on. And then from four, five, six down, it was just a consistent approach of contact and putting pressure on the defense. You mirror that with some team speed. And then how Victor Mesa Jr. really came on early Once he got some opportunities and consistent playing time, and Liam Hicks, the acquisition of Liam Hicks, those two guys really lengthened out our offense.
00:08:49
Speaker 11: Got the fourth row on your.
00:08:50
Speaker 2: Right, Kevin.
00:08:51
Speaker 6: Hey, Kevin.
00:08:52
Speaker 11: Do you have an update on Shane McClanahan, and is he an option for the ALCS?
00:08:56
Speaker 5: Yeah, the update is Shane is done for the season. He's a healthy pitcher. We are incredibly appreciative and grateful for the contributions that he gave us to get us to this point. Felt like with the body of work that he put in, and I give him a ton of credit, I don't think any of us could have envisioned that he was going to get to that 120 inning mark and do it in pretty dominant fashion. I mean, I think he's got to be up there for comeback player of the year with the time that he missed, but felt it made the most sense that his season is over. He's going to go into the season as a healthy pitcher. Right now, he's really focused on being the best teammate, which he does that pretty seamlessly and cheering his buddies on.
00:09:35
Speaker 7: Go to the second row on the right.
00:09:38
Speaker 8: Given the short series of a 3 out of 5 or 4 out of 7, talk about the sense of urgency, urgency of timing, and the heightened emotional environment that.
00:09:47
Speaker 10: The series presents.
00:09:51
Speaker 5: I think there's plenty of urgency. Three games, five games, or seven games. You want to play well at home. We worked hard to get to the have the advantage of being at home to start this series. We did a lot of really good things in the DS. We'd like to see that carry over. Know that this team, this Guardian team, presents different challenges than maybe what the Yankees' challenges were, but we're going to do everything we can to prepare and and play well. Fortunate that we have a guy like Ras to hand the ball to.
00:10:20
Speaker 2: Got a mark right here.
00:10:23
Speaker 4: Kevin, they obviously struck out a record number of batters during that five games. You guys don't strike out very much at all. Is there a tipping point in there to where which one of those prevails? Do you guys have to be?
00:10:34
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't know if there's a tipping point. I mean, I know that we're contact-oriented, and they have a pitching staff that's got a lot of swing and miss stuff, but very confident that our guys will make the necessary adjustments. you know, that they've done all season long. And in the DS, I mean, you're not going to see more strikeout pitching starters than what we saw and felt like we did a good job of adjusting on the fly in those games.
00:10:58
Speaker 11: And then one junior question.
00:10:59
Speaker 4: Do you remember after the trade with Cleveland when you first kind of heard of him coming through the system? The trade was November 21st.
00:11:07
Speaker 2: No, I don't. I'm sorry. What was he, like 16?
00:11:12
Speaker 14: Yeah.
00:11:13
Speaker 7: He got to AA by the next year.
00:11:15
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't remember.
00:11:17
Speaker 6: Sorry.
00:11:17
Speaker 2: A couple more.
00:11:18
Speaker 7: Neil and then Adam.
00:11:19
Speaker 15: Neil?
00:11:19
Speaker 7: Kevin, because the organizations are fairly similar, as you mentioned, what do you see as the most important things to do well in beating a team like Cleveland in this series?
00:11:29
Speaker 2: Prevent runs, secure the baseball, turn outs into outs.
00:11:32
Speaker 5: I think that has been a staple of ours all season long and want to see that continue.
00:11:39
Speaker 6: Kevin, you were there to see a very young Jose Ramirez in Cleveland. What are your memories of him then? And then what's it like to see last night, the admiration, the respect he has in that organization, that city?
00:11:48
Speaker 2: I mean, he's he's incredible.
00:11:50
Speaker 5: And the type of teammate he is, we can all see what he does on the baseball field and how special of a player he is.
00:11:57
Speaker 2: But, you know, hearing voter talk about how.
00:12:01
Speaker 5: He's made the choice to be there multiple times. I think that speaks volumes about Jose Ramirez, and I think it speaks volumes about the organization as well.
00:12:09
Speaker 2: I mean, it's easy to say I want to be.
00:12:10
Speaker 5: There, but with that comes there's a reason why, and I think the comfort that he finds because of the people that are, you know, just everywhere throughout that organization. Jose, as a young player, it was a, you know, shortstop, third base, second base profile, a lot of contact, and I know there were some early struggles, and there was a debate whether, you know, Is he going to be able to stick, this and that?
00:12:34
Speaker 2: He's definitely stuck. And he's a guy that you know.
00:12:37
Speaker 5: Just like you're always watching certain teams with players, where is he lurking in the lineup? And I think you game plan kind of accordingly.
00:12:46
Speaker 7: All right, Kev.
00:12:47
Speaker 2: Thanks so much.
00:12:48
Speaker 12: OK.
00:12:48
Speaker 16: Drew, just leading into this game, what was the preparation like where you're obviously having dual tracks where you've got to worry about the White Sox and the Guardians?
00:12:58
Speaker 10: Yeah, after we won last, what was that, last Wednesday?
00:13:02
Speaker 8: I mean, immediately went into breaking down Cleveland, just in case there was a chance that they didn't get back to Cleveland last night. Get it done, because then I could switch my focus all to Chicago, had Chicago.
00:13:15
Speaker 10: Won one of those two games at home.
00:13:18
Speaker 8: And then, I mean, shoot, I just started Chicago yesterday, but then kind of watching how the game was unfolding, very quickly pivoted back to Cleveland.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Other questions?
00:13:31
Speaker 15: Melody?
00:13:34
Speaker 9: Drew, you've spoken several times about how important it was to come home and how this fan base has reacted to you guys. But especially comparing to where you were at this time last year and having to play out of that stadium, how poignant are moments like tomorrow for you?
00:13:49
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:13:49
Speaker 8: I mean, we got to see it last week, just how much the game of baseball means to this community, but also just their support for us. You know, unfortunately, I think our fan base takes more grief than they deserve. But, I mean, they care. They're deeply invested. And just the way they turned out last week was unbelievable. And, you know, I'm expecting to see the same thing this week.
00:14:12
Speaker 9: We've seen so many amazing classes of pitching that have come through here with Cash Snyder and this whole organization. But what is it about this group in particular that's so different?
00:14:24
Speaker 8: Everybody is unique in their own way, for starters. But then, you know, I do think we have, I mean, shoot, we create a lot of funny angles. You know, you're talking about like how Kevin Kelly delivers the baseball. And I mean, it's just phenomenal stuff out of a weird slot. Seymour, very similar. Just the stuff is off the charts. Probably those two probably don't get the credit they deserve because they.
00:14:49
Speaker 10: Don't throw 100. But that's OK.
00:14:51
Speaker 8: We understand how valuable and just how good their stuff is internally so um but then on top of it we do have power stuff uh probably arguably the guy with the best command in all of baseball is in our starting rotation as well um you know and so i think there's a lot of different ways that we can come out at a lineup and and there's a lot of different looks that we can show them and so i mean it's just one of those things we've got premium stuff we've got premium command we've got premium uh or i guess uh We have different looks that we can throw out of you from a release point standpoint, from extension, from release height, and it just creates a lot of different angles.
00:15:26
Speaker 7: A bit further to your left, Drew Buster.
00:15:29
Speaker 12: Drew, can you talk about where you watched the game last night and how actively were you watching with game one in mind?
00:15:36
Speaker 8: Yeah, I was incredibly invested last night. I mean, beyond, you know, Beyond just wanting to know who it is we were going to be facing, one of my best friends in Major League Baseball plays for the Cleveland Guardians. So getting to watch him do his thing yesterday and, I guess, end up ultimately scoring is the winning run.
00:15:57
Speaker 10: Really cool to see.
00:15:59
Speaker 8: And it's a fun opportunity to get to compete, obviously, at this time of year. But also being able to take in a game like that of that magnitude as a fan is also special. Yeah.
00:16:13
Speaker 2: Adam in the third row.
00:16:15
Speaker 6: Drew, can you just talk about where you're feeling, where you're at coming off the last two starts, about as good as you've been all season, how you kind of hope to carry that momentum into this outing?
00:16:22
Speaker 8: Oh, God, you're going to hate this answer because it's so boring. But, I mean, man, it's preparation and execution. That's what this game is. So right now we're feeling prepared. I guess tomorrow we'll see how well we execute.
00:16:33
Speaker 6: You mentioned last time your heart rate was kind of through the roof in the first couple innings. What did you learn about managing your adrenaline and your emotions in an atmosphere like this?
00:16:40
Speaker 17: Yeah.
00:16:42
Speaker 8: Yeah, you don't necessarily have to try harder just because it's the postseason. I think that was a mistake I've made earlier in my career. I can think about my start in Boston in the 21 ALDS where, you know, you get to the stage and you sit there and you go, okay, now I have to be something more than, you know, something bigger, something better.
00:16:59
Speaker 10: And that's just not true. You know, it's funny.
00:17:03
Speaker 8: I wish I could go back and tell a younger version of me that, you know, you exactly what you've done to get to this point is the exact same thing that'll provide success moving forward. And so, you know, like I said, I think the ultimate lesson that I learned was that you don't have to be anything greater than what you already are.
00:17:21
Speaker 11: Two rows behind, Neil.
00:17:22
Speaker 7: Hey, Drew, since you alluded to it, can you touch on facing Stephen Kwan?
00:17:26
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:17:26
Speaker 2: And also- We're going to.
00:17:27
Speaker 8: See him here in about 27 hours, 28 hours.
00:17:31
Speaker 7: And the respect for Jose Ramirez and the challenges that you faced him many times over the years.
00:17:37
Speaker 10: We'll start with Jose.
00:17:39
Speaker 8: It's crazy that we can probably all acknowledge he's a top 10 player in the entire world, and yet I think he's the most underrated player in baseball. What he can do from both sides of the plate is special. How he plays third base, his ability to run, they're all off the charts. He is a one-of-a-kind talent that definitely... Um, you, you, you know, definitely alarms go off when you're, when you're going into, you know, starting your scouting and that kind of stuff. He's the first person I started with. Um, and you know, you're definitely mindful of where he's at in the lineup. We saw it last night, you know, his ability to change the outcome of a game with one swing. It's, it's phenomenal. Uh, and then Steven, man, there's not enough great things I could say about the kid. You know, he's perfect. He's, he's unbelievable. He's one of the greatest human beings in the entire sport. And, uh, You know, to have the opportunity to compete against him at this level is a ton of fun. But, you know, our relationship and just the opportunity to see him and congratulate him for getting to this stage, it's also special.
00:18:45
Speaker 2: Other questions?
00:18:45
Speaker 14: Mark.
00:18:49
Speaker 4: Risking the preparation execution answer again.
00:18:52
Speaker 10: It's probably coming.
00:18:53
Speaker 4: The fact that you're pitching game one of the ALCS, we've talked about how you guys believed in spring training. You could get deep. many others didn't. Do you have to balance that too? Or do you kind of accept, you know, your four wins from the world series kind of thing?
00:19:08
Speaker 8: Uh, you know, in all honesty, I think counting things down, uh, it's kind of poison, right? Uh, our jobs to go out there and do our job every single day, regardless of what the circumstances are. So, uh, you know, you say we're only four wins away. That sounds like we're counting down, just getting to the world series, but our expectations to go out and play at our highest level every given day. And so, uh, You know, it's not necessarily we're sitting here looking at what this next week or how this next week could unfold. I think in our clubhouse, at least, all we're trying to do is play the best game we can tomorrow. If we can do that five or six times over the next week, I think we'll be satisfied with where the results are.
00:19:52
Speaker 18: You talked about Jose Ramirez being a top 10 player and the most underrated player in the game. A lot of people would say the same about you as a pitcher, top 10 pitcher, most underrated pitcher in the game. Do you feel any of that storyline changing somewhat during this postseason? the way people have been recognizing what you're capable of?
00:20:11
Speaker 10: I mean, I don't know.
00:20:16
Speaker 8: I just go out and I try and do my job to the best of my abilities. You know, that's up for debate outside. I could really care less where people would rank me, right? Like my job is to go out and compete for the Tampa Bay Rays to the best of my capabilities. And, you know, at the end of the day, I can't ever guarantee you outcomes. I can't guarantee you results. But like I said, I'm going to come in every single day, be as prepared as possible. And I'm going to go out there and compete to the best of my abilities and do my best to execute and give our team the best chance to win.
00:20:48
Speaker 12: In relation to your relationship with Stephen Kwan, I mean, you faced him before. How have you handled it when you're on the mound, he's in the box the first time?
00:20:56
Speaker 8: How will you hand it tomorrow? Will you stone face it? Will you nod? Yeah, no, I definitely acknowledge every single time. Usually a little smile gets shot back in my direction. I mean, shoot, I was 19 the first time I faced him in fall ball at Oregon State. So, you know, he, yeah, I mean, I'll definitely acknowledge, I mean, he's too close of a friend to not, you know, he's too good of a human being, you know, and also like the moment is so special that, you know, how could you not enjoy something like that with one of your friends?
00:21:30
Speaker 10: Yeah, still just baseball.
00:21:33
Speaker 2: Across the aisle, Drew.
00:21:36
Speaker 16: Drew, just what's it like when you play against Cleveland? I mean, I know this year you guys were 5-1 against them, but outside of one game, it was, you know, one-run margins, low scoring.
00:21:47
Speaker 10: Remember the one game? I don't know. Was that the final score? My God, was I that bad? Oh, okay. I was going to say, well, you said we were 5-1. I'm pretty sure I started the one day we lost. Yeah.
00:22:05
Speaker 8: In my time here, they're one of the organizations that fundamentally does everything right all the time. They never beat themselves. And so if you're going to win, you're also going to have to do everything fundamentally sound. shoot, I can't remember a whole lot of our outcomes that have been lopsided in one way or the other. So, you know, we're already signing up for close games that are going to come down to the wire. And like I said, it's no different than any other game, right? You just have to out-execute the other team.
00:22:37
Speaker 10: A couple others for Drew.
00:22:40
Speaker 2: I'll finish with Melanie.
00:22:44
Speaker 9: Drew, one more. You mentioned doing what you've done is what got you here already. So do you have any routines or rituals that you bona fides stick to the day of your starts?
00:22:55
Speaker 8: I mean, my routine is somewhat flexible. I mean, but from a macro view, it's pretty simple, right? I'm going to show up to the yard. I'm going to get something to eat. We're going to go through, do our mobility, get the body moving a little bit. We'll do our scouting reports with the catchers. From there, then we'll start to get into our activation, get a little snack, throwing prep, and head on out. Um, the stuff that I do in those individual segments, I guess it is, you know, it changes based on what I feel like I need. But, uh, I mean, other than that, it is pretty similar day in and day out. Uh, no, I mean, you know, I have this conversation with my wife all the time. Um, you know, I think superstitions are dumb. It doesn't matter what shirt she wears. That's not going to change the outcomes. Um, And so, I mean, in all honesty, I just I don't think that.
00:23:56
Speaker 10: I just don't think there's any time for that.
00:23:57
Speaker 17: Right.
00:23:57
Speaker 8: Like you're going to come in, see, address how the body feels, do exactly what you believe is going to get you prepared to go play and then go outside and.
00:24:04
Speaker 10: Have some fun.
00:24:06
Speaker 18: True.
00:24:06
Speaker 11: Thanks so much.
00:24:07
Speaker 17: Appreciate it.
00:24:07
Speaker 10: Yeah, of course. Thank you, guys.
00:24:09
Speaker 16: First off, Griffin, have you given have you been given any indication whether you're going to be a starting pitcher this time around or relief pitcher and just even if you don't want to answer that question, just what was last series like for you, kind of shifting back into that bullpen role and stepping up when your team needed?
00:24:25
Speaker 14: Yeah, I don't think any decisions have been made yet, aside from Drew going tomorrow. So I'm just anticipating a throw in whatever capacity or role necessary. But yeah, it was a lot of fun last series, going back to something I used to do. It's like riding a bike, you know, the adrenaline of a playoff game gets you really excited, kind of makes you realize you don't need all the hours of prep that comes with starting pitching. It's just when your name gets called, you get going. And there you go.
00:24:55
Speaker 7: Five rows back on your left, Buster.
00:24:59
Speaker 12: Griffin, can you talk about watching last night's game? Where did you watch it? What was your experience? And we were talking to Drew about whether or not he actively watched it for himself for information.
00:25:08
Speaker 14: Yeah, I actually didn't get to pitch against the Guardians at all this year.
00:25:13
Speaker 10: So it was two series that.
00:25:16
Speaker 14: I wasn't a part of as a starting pitcher, but had a lineup card for both those teams out watching them with my three-year-old and one-year-old running all over me. So it was a little bit hard to focus, at least until they went to bed. But it's been a while since we played both those teams as well. So they're both two really good ball clubs. I think Cleveland matches up with us really well. Very similar style of ball. They do little things right. Pitching, defense, base running. They're not going to give you free outs. So it's a little bit of a different style there. But, you know, two really good teams. And, you know, at the end of the day, I think it's going to be a really exciting series against Cleveland. I had them in my hand, you know, trying to wrestle these two kids without letting them try to crumple them.
00:26:06
Speaker 2: Third row in the middle, Griffin Adams.
00:26:08
Speaker 6: I'm just curious, with Ras, what have you kind of come to learn and respect the most about him in the time that you've spent around him over the last year and a half?
00:26:15
Speaker 14: Yeah, he's such a good role model for this team. A young player, a veteran player, it doesn't matter. He's the same guy every single day. And with my background, I've always thought that my work ethic and discipline had always been, for the most part, pretty good. And then I come in and I see what he does, and I'm like, wow, I'm nowhere near that. so he's also great for me just to keep me accountable, and when I get to the ballpark in the clubhouse, and I think I'm the first one there, he's already, you know, an hour or two into his day, so it's just great to hold you to just a higher standard, and I think everybody gravitates towards that.
00:26:56
Speaker 7: Two rows behind the last, Melanie.
00:26:58
Speaker 9: Griffin, for as much discussion as there has been for a long time about the Rays outsmarting using analytics to beat people, it's finally coming to the forefront, that there's also this really big emphasis of the person before the player. So what have you experienced just coming over here and how different that's been?
00:27:13
Speaker 14: Yeah, it's a huge pillar of this organization. They want to put all the right people in the room together. And I think that goes a long way. For example, young guys, rookies that haven't had a whole lot of experience in the major leagues, when they get up here, You know, speaking from experience, it's really hard to try to be yourself in the major leagues. And the lights are brighter. The questions are tougher. The pressure is greater. And it's just really hard to kind of open up and just be yourself on a day to day basis. But the Rays do a really good job of just letting you be yourself. And with that, I think, you know, your confidence comes out a little bit quicker. and you're able to just focus on baseball rather than, like, you know, the things that kind of mount up and put a lot more pressure on you when you're trying to first step and be a major leaguer. So I think that's why you get such a large contribution from a lot of our role players. You know, if they were in another club, another organization, another media market, it might not be that way, but here it's just baseball, and you get to focus on that.
00:28:17
Speaker 2: Let's go to the second row, Griffith.
00:28:19
Speaker 15: Griffin, can you talk about how rewarding this season has been for you? You worked yourself up to being a starter again in the big leagues, then you had an IL stint and you came out of that with flying colors. Just how really rewarding it's been for you this entire season?
00:28:34
Speaker 14: Yeah, it's been a really fun and long year. I started this year in the WBC and that was a really fun, really rewarding experience getting to play with some of the best players in the world at at that point, the biggest stage in my career. And then, you know, the season starts and doesn't go necessarily the way I wanted it to or expected it to. And an opportunity came up for me to, you know, look at starting again and just hearing the belief from Kyle and, and, and, and Kashi and Eric just setting me down and explaining and showing me why they believed they could, I could do it. It just gave me a lot of confidence to do it. So, yeah, With the transition, I was happy with it. I think it was a pretty successful one, and I learned a lot, and there's a lot that I want to visit again this offseason to better prepare myself for it again next year.
00:29:29
Speaker 2: Go to Mark Griffin.
00:29:32
Speaker 4: Griffin, baseball is such a routine-oriented sport. I think until we get to games one and two here, you guys want to play back-to-back games for over two weeks, and how have you guys kind of managed the physical part, but also just the emotional and mental part of that?
00:29:46
Speaker 10: Yeah, it's really hard to replicate that.
00:29:49
Speaker 14: I don't know how much you all have seen our scrimmages, but they pump the fake music in or the fake crowd noise. But at the end of the day, I think it is an advantage having this rest. The season is really long, 162 games, not a lot of off days. Bullpen was kind of wearing it towards the end of the year. And I think especially for those guys, with how the ALDS went, not having to rely on them as much as we necessarily did throughout the season was huge for those guys, just to give them a breather. But yeah, I mean, it's an age-old debate. Rest versus rust. And I think any player would rather have the rest there. Just give yourself a breather, like I said, and hit some treatment a little bit harder than you necessarily would have during the season without the time. But I think still at the end of the day, this team is going to be ready. We have all the confidence in the way we prepare.
00:30:45
Speaker 7: Fifth row on your right, Griffin.
00:30:47
Speaker 16: Griffin, have you ever been on a team that's been this selfless? I mean, you and Ian.
00:30:53
Speaker 11: Started most of the year, you shift back to the bullpen.
00:30:56
Speaker 16: You have a guy like Ryan, who doesn't play in the first couple of games, steps up.
00:31:00
Speaker 11: Chandler, who's played most of the season, sits. Happy camper.
00:31:04
Speaker 16: Just what is it like in there for everyone to just know their role and to fall in line and to do what they got to do?
00:31:13
Speaker 10: Yeah, it's a really selfless group.
00:31:15
Speaker 14: A lot of guys are just willing to put egos aside and get the job done. when we had our starter meeting before the series, it was kind of laid out to us like, guys, we don't really know how we're going to anticipate this division series against the Yankees aside from Drew. Does anybody, you know, addressing me, Freddie, Nick, and Ian, the question was, do you guys have any, you know, care as to what you do?
00:31:43
Speaker 10: And the answer was very quick.
00:31:44
Speaker 14: We all said, no, we just want to pitch and whatever that means, whatever that means. And I think that just, you know, speaks to the group as a whole. We have so many solid, consistent role players. It doesn't matter who's starting that day. Guys know they're going to get a chance later in the game, and I think that helps them keep them locked in and rooting for everybody because at the end of the day, we just want to win and go as far as we can.
00:32:05
Speaker 7: Go across the aisle to Neil.
00:32:08
Speaker 2: Hey, Griffin.
00:32:08
Speaker 7: I know you haven't faced Cleveland this year, but being with Minnesota for several years, you saw Jose Ramirez a lot. Can you just speak to the challenges that he poses for Cleveland any team, but maybe you in particular, facing him over the years?
00:32:22
Speaker 14: Yeah, I've had a lot of at-bats against him. He's on a Hall of Fame trajectory. He's an incredible player. One of my favorites to watch, actually. But he thinks along with you, with the at-bat. He knows who he's facing. He knows the tendencies, percentages, count-based stuff that is going to try to help give him an advantage. And I think he's just prepared. And he knows what he's doing. He knows his approach. He's not going to try to do something different. If he needs to slap a single the other way, he's going to do it and then try to steal. Or if he gets a pitch to hit out of the park, he's going to do it. So really, really talented ballplayer and changes that lineup pretty significantly.
00:33:04
Speaker 4: Do a couple more for Griffin.
00:33:05
Speaker 3: Buster?
00:33:08
Speaker 12: You were talking about Jose.
00:33:10
Speaker 11: Thinking along with you, how do you feel that as a pitcher? Yeah, that's a really good question.
00:33:16
Speaker 14: I think Ben Rice does it really well as well with the Yankees, especially with how much he faced us and knowing our pitcher's specific tendencies. You can kind of see it a few games, a few at-bats. And I think, you know, if you're facing a guy, you still need to go with your strengths. And it's kind of strength versus strength there. But you can't just fall in love with that. You've got to still have some level of unpredictability. And at the end of the day, just try to sequence it the right way and put the pitch and execute it.
00:33:48
Speaker 10: Is that just based on his reaction?
00:33:49
Speaker 12: His reaction to a pitch?
00:33:53
Speaker 14: Yeah, I mean, there might be some foul balls. You can kind of tell, like, oh, he was kind of expecting that. And if it's a pitch that you probably expect to swing and miss, you don't get it, you can kind of see that he was thinking along there with you.
00:34:03
Speaker 10: Couple last ones for Griffin.
00:34:05
Speaker 11: All right, Griffin, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.
00:34:15
Speaker 19: What do you remember about when you were with them and when.
00:34:18
Speaker 17: You got traded?
00:34:21
Speaker 20: Yes, I remember that I played a short year with the American team and then they changed me. But we're here to give the best of ourselves and be able to win.
00:34:36
Speaker 21: Yeah, I remember, you know, playing just a short little brief time with Cleveland and then, you know, they traded me. But, you know, that's in the past, right? You know, now we're just here with Tampa Bay and I've loved my time with Tampa Bay. But, you know, we're focused on the series and hopefully trying to, you know, get a handful of wins to move on.
00:34:52
Speaker 19: It was such a short time.
00:34:53
Speaker 6: Did you really have time to even establish relationships with anybody in that organization and the people who might still be there now?
00:34:58
Speaker 22: No, no.
00:34:58
Speaker 20: It was a very short time. We played in the summer and then they changed me. It was something very fast, very short. Yeah, it was short.
00:35:19
Speaker 21: You know, it was essentially just one summer, and then I got traded. But, you know, so to answer your question, no, I didn't really have time to establish many relationships with them. But look, the way I look at it is, you know, they were the first team that signed me. They were the team that made me a professional. So who knows without them, you know, if I would even be here. So At the end of the day, just really grateful for them to, you know, make me a pro for the first time at the beginning, at the end of the day.
00:35:41
Speaker 3: What are your thoughts on just that being the team that is in the way of getting.
00:35:45
Speaker 17: To the World Series at this point? Nosotros?
00:35:48
Speaker 22: Qué sientes que ese es el último equipo que tienes que enfrentar para llegar a la semifinal?
00:35:53
Speaker 17: Sí, sí,¿ sabes? Se siente bien. Es jugar la misma pelota, es jugar la misma pelota.
00:35:59
Speaker 20: No podemos ponerle presión a nosotros.
00:36:01
Speaker 17: He venido jugando tremenda pelota en la temporada.
00:36:05
Speaker 20: It honestly feels the same, right?
00:36:17
Speaker 21: You know, I think, you know, they're a good ball club at the end of the day. You know, they're here for a reason. But most importantly, I just look at ourselves. You know, we don't have to put pressure on ourselves. We just have to play the same style of baseball that we've played all the entire year. And, you know, I look at myself and I just got to keep doing what I do. I do best, so, you know, yeah, we just have to play our brand of baseball and hopefully, you know, move forward with, again, a handful of wins.
00:36:39
Speaker 23: Kind of looking at it the other way, the success you've had here, the relationship you've developed with the fans, with your teammates, how lucky do you feel or fortunate that you got traded here and you've been able to do all these things you've done?
00:36:50
Speaker 17: No, this is my home.
00:36:52
Speaker 20: This team has given me an incredible harmony, an incredible love, and the confidence it's given me, the fans too.
00:37:00
Speaker 17: Yeah, this is home, right?
00:37:02
Speaker 20: You know, this team is, there's been great harmony between me and the organization from the get-go.
00:37:31
Speaker 21: And, you know, the support that I've gotten here has been nothing but love, you know, from the organization, from the fan base as a whole. So, yeah, the entire time that I've been here, I've felt at home. And, you know, they were the ones that made me a major leaguer. You know, just the organization from the beginning of the day has been great.
00:37:47
Speaker 19: So, yeah, they've made me feel at home.
00:37:50
Speaker 6: Do you have much of a relationship with Jose Ramirez and how much do you just kind of respect?
00:37:54
Speaker 20: Yes, we have a very good relationship, especially since we're in the same agency. Yeah, we have a good relationship, you know, and that relationship has kind of.
00:38:08
Speaker 17: You.
00:38:10
Speaker 20: Know, been building for the last couple years because, you know, now we're with the same agency.
00:38:28
Speaker 19: But, you know, he's a heck of a player, right?
00:38:29
Speaker 21: You know, you look at his name and you certainly put it together with Cleveland and you just think of a legend. And, you know, for the last handful of years, ever since he's been pretty much a big leaguer, he's been one of the best third basemans in the league.
00:38:41
Speaker 19: So he's just, you know, a great ballplayer at the end of the day. And, you know, we get along really well.
00:38:47
Speaker 4: Is it fair to say that's exciting when you're a really good ballplayer, he's a really good ballplayer, you know each other and you get to compete at such a very high level?
00:38:53
Speaker 9: Yeah.
00:38:57
Speaker 17: I think he deserves respect and he already has a lot in the league. He's a legend.
00:39:02
Speaker 20: I came to the league now and he's 13 or 14 years old in the league. Respect has to be given to those who have it and he has my respect.
00:39:10
Speaker 17: Everyone respects him in the third base. He's a tremendous player.
00:39:13
Speaker 20: He's one of the best right now and he's going to be the best in the Dominican third base.
00:39:26
Speaker 19: Yeah, he deserves the respect, right? You know, he's already in a state of.
00:39:30
Speaker 17: big leaguer.
00:39:31
Speaker 19: I'm just starting off here.
00:39:32
Speaker 21: In my tenure at the big league level, but he's one that always deserves the respect and has played at such a great elite level for 13, 14 years, whatever it may be now. Credit to him for, again, just doing it on a day-to-day basis and being you know, just one of the best third basemen in the league. And so, you know, I look at myself and, you know, hopefully I'll get there. But he, you know, is already one that deserves that respect from anybody in the clubhouse.
00:39:59
Speaker 17: The way that you speak about Jose Ramirez.
00:40:01
Speaker 3: In Cleveland and how much his name is associated with Cleveland, how much do you want to be kind of that guy for Tampa Bay?
00:40:11
Speaker 17: Tell me.
00:40:12
Speaker 22: The way you talk about Jose Ramirez and how the fans talk about him, do you feel that at some point you want to have that same level of respect here with Tampa Bay? Yes, because we've worked for that, that at some point they can reflect on me like that too, as I'm doing with him.
00:40:23
Speaker 20: For me, you know, this is very beautiful and we try to make sure.
00:40:39
Speaker 17: Yeah, of course. Right, you know, that's what you work towards.
00:40:43
Speaker 20: You know, you work every single day to, you know, hopefully get your name, you know, written in the history books.
00:40:48
Speaker 17: With wherever you're at.
00:40:50
Speaker 20: And I certainly want to do that here with Tampa Bay.
00:40:54
Speaker 19: So, It's super motivating to see Jose do that for himself.
00:41:13
Speaker 21: Again, already so many years that he's done that consistently so well at an elite level. But yeah, hopefully the fan base and the organization remembers my name for a long time to come, and hopefully I produce the results that deserve that respect.
00:41:30
Speaker 3: Thank you.
00:41:38
Speaker 1: And that is going to conclude things on this latest episode of the podcast. We appreciate you guys as always for your support. If you guys don't follow what we have going on on social media, we are at raise the roof TV on social on, on anywhere that you can find us Twitter slash X Instagram and our Tik TOK account. Our YouTube channel is raised the roof. Be sure to subscribe to us there and turn on those posts notifications. So you guys know when new uploads are happening. Uh, uh, as for our podcast, continue to support us as you guys have been, be sure to like subscribe, uh, Leave us a review, hopefully a five-star review, and share this with your family, your friends, anyone you know who's a Rays fan or a baseball fan that wants to add a podcast into their podcast feed. We'd love to be part of it. A shout-out to our sponsors and our partners, JKS Prince and SeatGeek. Be sure to use that code RAYSTHEROOF, R-A-Y-S-THEROOF, in our capture checkout to save yourself some money on some Rays tickets for Game 1 tomorrow, Game 2 on Tuesday, USF tickets, Bolts tickets, Bucks tickets, anything like that. Be sure, and concerts, anything... else, be sure to use that code to get yourself some money off. And then if you want to get yourself some mini-trops, be sure to use that same code for JKS Prints. Our partners with Homage and Lids, we have those affiliate links that you guys can use to get yourself some MLB license, raise merch, so be sure to take advantage of that. With all that being said, thanks so much for listening, and as always, raise up.
00:43:04
Speaker 19: We'll be right back.
Speaker 1: It's time to raise the roof for our latest postseason episode. This episode will have interviews ahead of Game 1 of the ALCS between the Rays and the Guardians. It will include interviews from Rays manager Kevin Cash, Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen, a no-brainer for the Rays, and Griffin Jacks, a right-handed pitcher, appeared in Game 3. It was for the Rays. was able to get some big innings down the stretch. And then Junior Caminero also got some audio from him. So all of those interviews will be included in here. Again, Rays, Guardians. Guardians pulled out Game 5 against the White Sox. Game 1 will be tomorrow, as of this recording, will be tomorrow.
00:01:01
Speaker 2: At 8 p.m.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: 8 p.m. on, I believe it's TBS, TBS Family Network. Same thing as before. 8 p.m. in St.
00:01:10
Speaker 3: Pete.
00:01:11
Speaker 1: Plenty of tickets still available, which we got to get the Trop sold out once again. This is a no-brainer. This is a non-starter. We got to get the Trop filled out for the entire ALCS, however many games the Rays are playing in there. We got to get Trop to over going crazy. Also, we got the yellow rally towels back. So the yellow rally towel thing will continue on. The legacy will continue on. Something that started back in 2019, 2019, 2021, 2023. And now in 2026 with Troptober back again, we have the yellow rally tiles for the ALCS. But again, the order for the interviews as of this recording is Cash, Rasmussen, Jax, and Junior. So we're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back in this latest episode of Raise the Roof.
00:01:58
Speaker 4: Can you give us your starter for game one and went into that decision?
00:02:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, Ras will start. I mean, I think, you know, pretty obvious, easy choice for us. Hopefully he can go and come close to doing what he did in game one.
00:02:16
Speaker 2: Of the DS. That'd be great.
00:02:19
Speaker 5: But I know he's excited to go, and I know the guys are excited to play behind him.
00:02:22
Speaker 2: Go to Adam.
00:02:25
Speaker 6: One more on Raz. You saw the changeup was such a big pitch for him against the Yankees last time out. Considering he didn't really throw that this time last year, just what does that say about his kind of development and evolution here?
00:02:34
Speaker 5: Yeah, I feel like every season he's evolved as a pitcher of getting better with adding a pitch or, you know, whether it's a cutter, the four-seamer. I think when we got him from Milwaukee and he was in the relief mode, it was very much sink or slider for the most part. So to know that he's come this far of having been so successful in adding a pitch, whether it was a foreseam with the carry, the changeup, the bigger breaking ball, and then the cut fastball. It just shows how open and willing he is to continue to improve and understand that hitters are really talented in today's game and they can make adjustments. So it's kind of on him and all pitchers to continue to find ways to make adjustment.
00:03:15
Speaker 2: And he's done as good as anybody.
00:03:17
Speaker 6: And with Cleveland, you mentioned the other day, you always play them tight. They always play you tight. Just what do you expect out of that matchup?
00:03:22
Speaker 5: Yeah, very good team. It's coming in with a lot of momentum right now. It was really remarkable and impressive what they did going down 0-2 and then coming back.
00:03:30
Speaker 2: And I watched game five yesterday. The energy looked incredible.
00:03:34
Speaker 5: What Gavin Williams did and then obviously Jose Ramirez, just a ton of respect for that organization, whether from Steven Vogt to Chris Antonetti, Mike Chernoff, and then All of those players, they play a very solid brand of baseball.
00:03:50
Speaker 7: Two rows back, Kev.
00:03:51
Speaker 8: Melanie?
00:03:52
Speaker 9: Hey Kevin, this is the second time that we get to revisit the rest versus rust discussion for you guys on this postseason run. So what have these couple of days look like for you guys in terms of the scrimmages and just what you're doing to keep them in that mode?
00:04:04
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I like the fact that it was a little bit shorter rest. It was long heading in from the wild card to the DS. We were able to work a five and a half, six inning scrimmage yesterday. Got all of our relievers throwing an inning. We rolled out two lineups to play. We had the stadium noise crowd effect. We had the Walkout songs coming up. We even had the ABS and pulled some umpires over. So you try to replicate it. I know it's not that, but I do think it's good that we're playing tomorrow because I would imagine any more time off and then you start to get antsy. But it was important to get our pitchers in there, definitely our bullpen, to get them facing some hitters. We'll have some more guys facing hitters today from our alt site to let our bats have some timing.
00:04:49
Speaker 2: But it was important to get them in there because.
00:04:51
Speaker 5: You know, between– I know Baker was used a lot. Kelly came in to get some big outs and Boozer. And then the rest, it was, you know, Ian and Griff to come in there and fill a void.
00:05:00
Speaker 7: Other questions?
00:05:02
Speaker 10: Buster.
00:05:06
Speaker 11: Kevin, two for you.
00:05:08
Speaker 12: One, is there any injury ailment situations that we should be aware of? And the second is, tell me about watching the game last night.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: Where did you watch it?
00:05:15
Speaker 10: What was that like?
00:05:17
Speaker 5: There are no injuries, so thankful for that. It was a great day of college football yesterday, so I was kind of flipping back and forth between the Bama-Georgia game and the Cleveland game. I mean, watching that game in Cleveland, I mean, I think I was certainly amazed at Gavin Williams' performance and the power that he showed and the strike throwing. I mean, he limited and got a ton of strikeouts inside the strike zone. That just speaks to how good his stuff was.
00:05:47
Speaker 7: Go to Will here.
00:05:49
Speaker 3: Hey, Kevin, just on Cam Nero, what has impressed you the most, maybe just defensively after maybe the first two months of the season for him?
00:05:56
Speaker 5: Just the confidence that he has in himself and the consistent work that he puts in. You know, the first, well, the first road trip and probably the first month overall was not his best month. And it was very similar to the 2025 season. But Cammy is, for as talented he is, he's that much more motivated to be great on.
00:06:15
Speaker 2: Both sides of the ball.
00:06:16
Speaker 5: He puts the work in just like Walsey does on defense, just like Richie does. And, you know, I think it speaks volumes to him and recognizing that, you know, that first road trip, there were some glaring things that showed up that he was not in tune. And, you know, you can point to different things, WBC, lack of reps in spring training, whatever it was, he didn't make an excuse. He just went to work, him and Brady Williams, and got it ironed out real quick.
00:06:45
Speaker 10: Just on the pitching side, after.
00:06:47
Speaker 3: Rasmussen, are you ready to divulge anything after that, or are you going to wait to see how it plays out?
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, we'll probably have something tomorrow.
00:06:55
Speaker 7: Go to Shai.
00:06:57
Speaker 2: Hey, Kev, two questions.
00:06:58
Speaker 13: First, with your past connections to Cleveland, as you look at the two organizations and the way you guys go about it, do you see a mirror? Do you see some differences between how these two teams approach sort of building clubs, managing players, et cetera?
00:07:14
Speaker 5: Well, first of all, I'm incredibly excited grateful appreciative to everybody over there that that is as solid as a group and the help that they you know provided me in my two years certainly Tito was there but Chris and Cherney I mean they're first class individuals and they run a first class organization I do think there's more similarities than not uh you know most clubs that we're talking about are opposing I feel like Cleveland does mirror us or we mirror them and I say that with the most respect to them the way they develop pitching, the way they think about the game. And even as far as developing, acquiring, there's a lot of similarities and know that we are facing an extremely talented opponent top to bottom of that roster.
00:08:00
Speaker 13: And years past, we've talked about how offense has been the element of this team that's maybe been the toughest year to year to stay consistent with. This year's group, the profiles that you have, why? What has clicked for you guys on the offensive side beyond, obviously, the year the top three guys are having?
00:08:15
Speaker 5: Yeah, the contact, I think, plays a large part of that. You have Yandy, Aranda, and Cammy early on. And then from four, five, six down, it was just a consistent approach of contact and putting pressure on the defense. You mirror that with some team speed. And then how Victor Mesa Jr. really came on early Once he got some opportunities and consistent playing time, and Liam Hicks, the acquisition of Liam Hicks, those two guys really lengthened out our offense.
00:08:49
Speaker 11: Got the fourth row on your.
00:08:50
Speaker 2: Right, Kevin.
00:08:51
Speaker 6: Hey, Kevin.
00:08:52
Speaker 11: Do you have an update on Shane McClanahan, and is he an option for the ALCS?
00:08:56
Speaker 5: Yeah, the update is Shane is done for the season. He's a healthy pitcher. We are incredibly appreciative and grateful for the contributions that he gave us to get us to this point. Felt like with the body of work that he put in, and I give him a ton of credit, I don't think any of us could have envisioned that he was going to get to that 120 inning mark and do it in pretty dominant fashion. I mean, I think he's got to be up there for comeback player of the year with the time that he missed, but felt it made the most sense that his season is over. He's going to go into the season as a healthy pitcher. Right now, he's really focused on being the best teammate, which he does that pretty seamlessly and cheering his buddies on.
00:09:35
Speaker 7: Go to the second row on the right.
00:09:38
Speaker 8: Given the short series of a 3 out of 5 or 4 out of 7, talk about the sense of urgency, urgency of timing, and the heightened emotional environment that.
00:09:47
Speaker 10: The series presents.
00:09:51
Speaker 5: I think there's plenty of urgency. Three games, five games, or seven games. You want to play well at home. We worked hard to get to the have the advantage of being at home to start this series. We did a lot of really good things in the DS. We'd like to see that carry over. Know that this team, this Guardian team, presents different challenges than maybe what the Yankees' challenges were, but we're going to do everything we can to prepare and and play well. Fortunate that we have a guy like Ras to hand the ball to.
00:10:20
Speaker 2: Got a mark right here.
00:10:23
Speaker 4: Kevin, they obviously struck out a record number of batters during that five games. You guys don't strike out very much at all. Is there a tipping point in there to where which one of those prevails? Do you guys have to be?
00:10:34
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't know if there's a tipping point. I mean, I know that we're contact-oriented, and they have a pitching staff that's got a lot of swing and miss stuff, but very confident that our guys will make the necessary adjustments. you know, that they've done all season long. And in the DS, I mean, you're not going to see more strikeout pitching starters than what we saw and felt like we did a good job of adjusting on the fly in those games.
00:10:58
Speaker 11: And then one junior question.
00:10:59
Speaker 4: Do you remember after the trade with Cleveland when you first kind of heard of him coming through the system? The trade was November 21st.
00:11:07
Speaker 2: No, I don't. I'm sorry. What was he, like 16?
00:11:12
Speaker 14: Yeah.
00:11:13
Speaker 7: He got to AA by the next year.
00:11:15
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't remember.
00:11:17
Speaker 6: Sorry.
00:11:17
Speaker 2: A couple more.
00:11:18
Speaker 7: Neil and then Adam.
00:11:19
Speaker 15: Neil?
00:11:19
Speaker 7: Kevin, because the organizations are fairly similar, as you mentioned, what do you see as the most important things to do well in beating a team like Cleveland in this series?
00:11:29
Speaker 2: Prevent runs, secure the baseball, turn outs into outs.
00:11:32
Speaker 5: I think that has been a staple of ours all season long and want to see that continue.
00:11:39
Speaker 6: Kevin, you were there to see a very young Jose Ramirez in Cleveland. What are your memories of him then? And then what's it like to see last night, the admiration, the respect he has in that organization, that city?
00:11:48
Speaker 2: I mean, he's he's incredible.
00:11:50
Speaker 5: And the type of teammate he is, we can all see what he does on the baseball field and how special of a player he is.
00:11:57
Speaker 2: But, you know, hearing voter talk about how.
00:12:01
Speaker 5: He's made the choice to be there multiple times. I think that speaks volumes about Jose Ramirez, and I think it speaks volumes about the organization as well.
00:12:09
Speaker 2: I mean, it's easy to say I want to be.
00:12:10
Speaker 5: There, but with that comes there's a reason why, and I think the comfort that he finds because of the people that are, you know, just everywhere throughout that organization. Jose, as a young player, it was a, you know, shortstop, third base, second base profile, a lot of contact, and I know there were some early struggles, and there was a debate whether, you know, Is he going to be able to stick, this and that?
00:12:34
Speaker 2: He's definitely stuck. And he's a guy that you know.
00:12:37
Speaker 5: Just like you're always watching certain teams with players, where is he lurking in the lineup? And I think you game plan kind of accordingly.
00:12:46
Speaker 7: All right, Kev.
00:12:47
Speaker 2: Thanks so much.
00:12:48
Speaker 12: OK.
00:12:48
Speaker 16: Drew, just leading into this game, what was the preparation like where you're obviously having dual tracks where you've got to worry about the White Sox and the Guardians?
00:12:58
Speaker 10: Yeah, after we won last, what was that, last Wednesday?
00:13:02
Speaker 8: I mean, immediately went into breaking down Cleveland, just in case there was a chance that they didn't get back to Cleveland last night. Get it done, because then I could switch my focus all to Chicago, had Chicago.
00:13:15
Speaker 10: Won one of those two games at home.
00:13:18
Speaker 8: And then, I mean, shoot, I just started Chicago yesterday, but then kind of watching how the game was unfolding, very quickly pivoted back to Cleveland.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Other questions?
00:13:31
Speaker 15: Melody?
00:13:34
Speaker 9: Drew, you've spoken several times about how important it was to come home and how this fan base has reacted to you guys. But especially comparing to where you were at this time last year and having to play out of that stadium, how poignant are moments like tomorrow for you?
00:13:49
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:13:49
Speaker 8: I mean, we got to see it last week, just how much the game of baseball means to this community, but also just their support for us. You know, unfortunately, I think our fan base takes more grief than they deserve. But, I mean, they care. They're deeply invested. And just the way they turned out last week was unbelievable. And, you know, I'm expecting to see the same thing this week.
00:14:12
Speaker 9: We've seen so many amazing classes of pitching that have come through here with Cash Snyder and this whole organization. But what is it about this group in particular that's so different?
00:14:24
Speaker 8: Everybody is unique in their own way, for starters. But then, you know, I do think we have, I mean, shoot, we create a lot of funny angles. You know, you're talking about like how Kevin Kelly delivers the baseball. And I mean, it's just phenomenal stuff out of a weird slot. Seymour, very similar. Just the stuff is off the charts. Probably those two probably don't get the credit they deserve because they.
00:14:49
Speaker 10: Don't throw 100. But that's OK.
00:14:51
Speaker 8: We understand how valuable and just how good their stuff is internally so um but then on top of it we do have power stuff uh probably arguably the guy with the best command in all of baseball is in our starting rotation as well um you know and so i think there's a lot of different ways that we can come out at a lineup and and there's a lot of different looks that we can show them and so i mean it's just one of those things we've got premium stuff we've got premium command we've got premium uh or i guess uh We have different looks that we can throw out of you from a release point standpoint, from extension, from release height, and it just creates a lot of different angles.
00:15:26
Speaker 7: A bit further to your left, Drew Buster.
00:15:29
Speaker 12: Drew, can you talk about where you watched the game last night and how actively were you watching with game one in mind?
00:15:36
Speaker 8: Yeah, I was incredibly invested last night. I mean, beyond, you know, Beyond just wanting to know who it is we were going to be facing, one of my best friends in Major League Baseball plays for the Cleveland Guardians. So getting to watch him do his thing yesterday and, I guess, end up ultimately scoring is the winning run.
00:15:57
Speaker 10: Really cool to see.
00:15:59
Speaker 8: And it's a fun opportunity to get to compete, obviously, at this time of year. But also being able to take in a game like that of that magnitude as a fan is also special. Yeah.
00:16:13
Speaker 2: Adam in the third row.
00:16:15
Speaker 6: Drew, can you just talk about where you're feeling, where you're at coming off the last two starts, about as good as you've been all season, how you kind of hope to carry that momentum into this outing?
00:16:22
Speaker 8: Oh, God, you're going to hate this answer because it's so boring. But, I mean, man, it's preparation and execution. That's what this game is. So right now we're feeling prepared. I guess tomorrow we'll see how well we execute.
00:16:33
Speaker 6: You mentioned last time your heart rate was kind of through the roof in the first couple innings. What did you learn about managing your adrenaline and your emotions in an atmosphere like this?
00:16:40
Speaker 17: Yeah.
00:16:42
Speaker 8: Yeah, you don't necessarily have to try harder just because it's the postseason. I think that was a mistake I've made earlier in my career. I can think about my start in Boston in the 21 ALDS where, you know, you get to the stage and you sit there and you go, okay, now I have to be something more than, you know, something bigger, something better.
00:16:59
Speaker 10: And that's just not true. You know, it's funny.
00:17:03
Speaker 8: I wish I could go back and tell a younger version of me that, you know, you exactly what you've done to get to this point is the exact same thing that'll provide success moving forward. And so, you know, like I said, I think the ultimate lesson that I learned was that you don't have to be anything greater than what you already are.
00:17:21
Speaker 11: Two rows behind, Neil.
00:17:22
Speaker 7: Hey, Drew, since you alluded to it, can you touch on facing Stephen Kwan?
00:17:26
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:17:26
Speaker 2: And also- We're going to.
00:17:27
Speaker 8: See him here in about 27 hours, 28 hours.
00:17:31
Speaker 7: And the respect for Jose Ramirez and the challenges that you faced him many times over the years.
00:17:37
Speaker 10: We'll start with Jose.
00:17:39
Speaker 8: It's crazy that we can probably all acknowledge he's a top 10 player in the entire world, and yet I think he's the most underrated player in baseball. What he can do from both sides of the plate is special. How he plays third base, his ability to run, they're all off the charts. He is a one-of-a-kind talent that definitely... Um, you, you, you know, definitely alarms go off when you're, when you're going into, you know, starting your scouting and that kind of stuff. He's the first person I started with. Um, and you know, you're definitely mindful of where he's at in the lineup. We saw it last night, you know, his ability to change the outcome of a game with one swing. It's, it's phenomenal. Uh, and then Steven, man, there's not enough great things I could say about the kid. You know, he's perfect. He's, he's unbelievable. He's one of the greatest human beings in the entire sport. And, uh, You know, to have the opportunity to compete against him at this level is a ton of fun. But, you know, our relationship and just the opportunity to see him and congratulate him for getting to this stage, it's also special.
00:18:45
Speaker 2: Other questions?
00:18:45
Speaker 14: Mark.
00:18:49
Speaker 4: Risking the preparation execution answer again.
00:18:52
Speaker 10: It's probably coming.
00:18:53
Speaker 4: The fact that you're pitching game one of the ALCS, we've talked about how you guys believed in spring training. You could get deep. many others didn't. Do you have to balance that too? Or do you kind of accept, you know, your four wins from the world series kind of thing?
00:19:08
Speaker 8: Uh, you know, in all honesty, I think counting things down, uh, it's kind of poison, right? Uh, our jobs to go out there and do our job every single day, regardless of what the circumstances are. So, uh, you know, you say we're only four wins away. That sounds like we're counting down, just getting to the world series, but our expectations to go out and play at our highest level every given day. And so, uh, You know, it's not necessarily we're sitting here looking at what this next week or how this next week could unfold. I think in our clubhouse, at least, all we're trying to do is play the best game we can tomorrow. If we can do that five or six times over the next week, I think we'll be satisfied with where the results are.
00:19:52
Speaker 18: You talked about Jose Ramirez being a top 10 player and the most underrated player in the game. A lot of people would say the same about you as a pitcher, top 10 pitcher, most underrated pitcher in the game. Do you feel any of that storyline changing somewhat during this postseason? the way people have been recognizing what you're capable of?
00:20:11
Speaker 10: I mean, I don't know.
00:20:16
Speaker 8: I just go out and I try and do my job to the best of my abilities. You know, that's up for debate outside. I could really care less where people would rank me, right? Like my job is to go out and compete for the Tampa Bay Rays to the best of my capabilities. And, you know, at the end of the day, I can't ever guarantee you outcomes. I can't guarantee you results. But like I said, I'm going to come in every single day, be as prepared as possible. And I'm going to go out there and compete to the best of my abilities and do my best to execute and give our team the best chance to win.
00:20:48
Speaker 12: In relation to your relationship with Stephen Kwan, I mean, you faced him before. How have you handled it when you're on the mound, he's in the box the first time?
00:20:56
Speaker 8: How will you hand it tomorrow? Will you stone face it? Will you nod? Yeah, no, I definitely acknowledge every single time. Usually a little smile gets shot back in my direction. I mean, shoot, I was 19 the first time I faced him in fall ball at Oregon State. So, you know, he, yeah, I mean, I'll definitely acknowledge, I mean, he's too close of a friend to not, you know, he's too good of a human being, you know, and also like the moment is so special that, you know, how could you not enjoy something like that with one of your friends?
00:21:30
Speaker 10: Yeah, still just baseball.
00:21:33
Speaker 2: Across the aisle, Drew.
00:21:36
Speaker 16: Drew, just what's it like when you play against Cleveland? I mean, I know this year you guys were 5-1 against them, but outside of one game, it was, you know, one-run margins, low scoring.
00:21:47
Speaker 10: Remember the one game? I don't know. Was that the final score? My God, was I that bad? Oh, okay. I was going to say, well, you said we were 5-1. I'm pretty sure I started the one day we lost. Yeah.
00:22:05
Speaker 8: In my time here, they're one of the organizations that fundamentally does everything right all the time. They never beat themselves. And so if you're going to win, you're also going to have to do everything fundamentally sound. shoot, I can't remember a whole lot of our outcomes that have been lopsided in one way or the other. So, you know, we're already signing up for close games that are going to come down to the wire. And like I said, it's no different than any other game, right? You just have to out-execute the other team.
00:22:37
Speaker 10: A couple others for Drew.
00:22:40
Speaker 2: I'll finish with Melanie.
00:22:44
Speaker 9: Drew, one more. You mentioned doing what you've done is what got you here already. So do you have any routines or rituals that you bona fides stick to the day of your starts?
00:22:55
Speaker 8: I mean, my routine is somewhat flexible. I mean, but from a macro view, it's pretty simple, right? I'm going to show up to the yard. I'm going to get something to eat. We're going to go through, do our mobility, get the body moving a little bit. We'll do our scouting reports with the catchers. From there, then we'll start to get into our activation, get a little snack, throwing prep, and head on out. Um, the stuff that I do in those individual segments, I guess it is, you know, it changes based on what I feel like I need. But, uh, I mean, other than that, it is pretty similar day in and day out. Uh, no, I mean, you know, I have this conversation with my wife all the time. Um, you know, I think superstitions are dumb. It doesn't matter what shirt she wears. That's not going to change the outcomes. Um, And so, I mean, in all honesty, I just I don't think that.
00:23:56
Speaker 10: I just don't think there's any time for that.
00:23:57
Speaker 17: Right.
00:23:57
Speaker 8: Like you're going to come in, see, address how the body feels, do exactly what you believe is going to get you prepared to go play and then go outside and.
00:24:04
Speaker 10: Have some fun.
00:24:06
Speaker 18: True.
00:24:06
Speaker 11: Thanks so much.
00:24:07
Speaker 17: Appreciate it.
00:24:07
Speaker 10: Yeah, of course. Thank you, guys.
00:24:09
Speaker 16: First off, Griffin, have you given have you been given any indication whether you're going to be a starting pitcher this time around or relief pitcher and just even if you don't want to answer that question, just what was last series like for you, kind of shifting back into that bullpen role and stepping up when your team needed?
00:24:25
Speaker 14: Yeah, I don't think any decisions have been made yet, aside from Drew going tomorrow. So I'm just anticipating a throw in whatever capacity or role necessary. But yeah, it was a lot of fun last series, going back to something I used to do. It's like riding a bike, you know, the adrenaline of a playoff game gets you really excited, kind of makes you realize you don't need all the hours of prep that comes with starting pitching. It's just when your name gets called, you get going. And there you go.
00:24:55
Speaker 7: Five rows back on your left, Buster.
00:24:59
Speaker 12: Griffin, can you talk about watching last night's game? Where did you watch it? What was your experience? And we were talking to Drew about whether or not he actively watched it for himself for information.
00:25:08
Speaker 14: Yeah, I actually didn't get to pitch against the Guardians at all this year.
00:25:13
Speaker 10: So it was two series that.
00:25:16
Speaker 14: I wasn't a part of as a starting pitcher, but had a lineup card for both those teams out watching them with my three-year-old and one-year-old running all over me. So it was a little bit hard to focus, at least until they went to bed. But it's been a while since we played both those teams as well. So they're both two really good ball clubs. I think Cleveland matches up with us really well. Very similar style of ball. They do little things right. Pitching, defense, base running. They're not going to give you free outs. So it's a little bit of a different style there. But, you know, two really good teams. And, you know, at the end of the day, I think it's going to be a really exciting series against Cleveland. I had them in my hand, you know, trying to wrestle these two kids without letting them try to crumple them.
00:26:06
Speaker 2: Third row in the middle, Griffin Adams.
00:26:08
Speaker 6: I'm just curious, with Ras, what have you kind of come to learn and respect the most about him in the time that you've spent around him over the last year and a half?
00:26:15
Speaker 14: Yeah, he's such a good role model for this team. A young player, a veteran player, it doesn't matter. He's the same guy every single day. And with my background, I've always thought that my work ethic and discipline had always been, for the most part, pretty good. And then I come in and I see what he does, and I'm like, wow, I'm nowhere near that. so he's also great for me just to keep me accountable, and when I get to the ballpark in the clubhouse, and I think I'm the first one there, he's already, you know, an hour or two into his day, so it's just great to hold you to just a higher standard, and I think everybody gravitates towards that.
00:26:56
Speaker 7: Two rows behind the last, Melanie.
00:26:58
Speaker 9: Griffin, for as much discussion as there has been for a long time about the Rays outsmarting using analytics to beat people, it's finally coming to the forefront, that there's also this really big emphasis of the person before the player. So what have you experienced just coming over here and how different that's been?
00:27:13
Speaker 14: Yeah, it's a huge pillar of this organization. They want to put all the right people in the room together. And I think that goes a long way. For example, young guys, rookies that haven't had a whole lot of experience in the major leagues, when they get up here, You know, speaking from experience, it's really hard to try to be yourself in the major leagues. And the lights are brighter. The questions are tougher. The pressure is greater. And it's just really hard to kind of open up and just be yourself on a day to day basis. But the Rays do a really good job of just letting you be yourself. And with that, I think, you know, your confidence comes out a little bit quicker. and you're able to just focus on baseball rather than, like, you know, the things that kind of mount up and put a lot more pressure on you when you're trying to first step and be a major leaguer. So I think that's why you get such a large contribution from a lot of our role players. You know, if they were in another club, another organization, another media market, it might not be that way, but here it's just baseball, and you get to focus on that.
00:28:17
Speaker 2: Let's go to the second row, Griffith.
00:28:19
Speaker 15: Griffin, can you talk about how rewarding this season has been for you? You worked yourself up to being a starter again in the big leagues, then you had an IL stint and you came out of that with flying colors. Just how really rewarding it's been for you this entire season?
00:28:34
Speaker 14: Yeah, it's been a really fun and long year. I started this year in the WBC and that was a really fun, really rewarding experience getting to play with some of the best players in the world at at that point, the biggest stage in my career. And then, you know, the season starts and doesn't go necessarily the way I wanted it to or expected it to. And an opportunity came up for me to, you know, look at starting again and just hearing the belief from Kyle and, and, and, and Kashi and Eric just setting me down and explaining and showing me why they believed they could, I could do it. It just gave me a lot of confidence to do it. So, yeah, With the transition, I was happy with it. I think it was a pretty successful one, and I learned a lot, and there's a lot that I want to visit again this offseason to better prepare myself for it again next year.
00:29:29
Speaker 2: Go to Mark Griffin.
00:29:32
Speaker 4: Griffin, baseball is such a routine-oriented sport. I think until we get to games one and two here, you guys want to play back-to-back games for over two weeks, and how have you guys kind of managed the physical part, but also just the emotional and mental part of that?
00:29:46
Speaker 10: Yeah, it's really hard to replicate that.
00:29:49
Speaker 14: I don't know how much you all have seen our scrimmages, but they pump the fake music in or the fake crowd noise. But at the end of the day, I think it is an advantage having this rest. The season is really long, 162 games, not a lot of off days. Bullpen was kind of wearing it towards the end of the year. And I think especially for those guys, with how the ALDS went, not having to rely on them as much as we necessarily did throughout the season was huge for those guys, just to give them a breather. But yeah, I mean, it's an age-old debate. Rest versus rust. And I think any player would rather have the rest there. Just give yourself a breather, like I said, and hit some treatment a little bit harder than you necessarily would have during the season without the time. But I think still at the end of the day, this team is going to be ready. We have all the confidence in the way we prepare.
00:30:45
Speaker 7: Fifth row on your right, Griffin.
00:30:47
Speaker 16: Griffin, have you ever been on a team that's been this selfless? I mean, you and Ian.
00:30:53
Speaker 11: Started most of the year, you shift back to the bullpen.
00:30:56
Speaker 16: You have a guy like Ryan, who doesn't play in the first couple of games, steps up.
00:31:00
Speaker 11: Chandler, who's played most of the season, sits. Happy camper.
00:31:04
Speaker 16: Just what is it like in there for everyone to just know their role and to fall in line and to do what they got to do?
00:31:13
Speaker 10: Yeah, it's a really selfless group.
00:31:15
Speaker 14: A lot of guys are just willing to put egos aside and get the job done. when we had our starter meeting before the series, it was kind of laid out to us like, guys, we don't really know how we're going to anticipate this division series against the Yankees aside from Drew. Does anybody, you know, addressing me, Freddie, Nick, and Ian, the question was, do you guys have any, you know, care as to what you do?
00:31:43
Speaker 10: And the answer was very quick.
00:31:44
Speaker 14: We all said, no, we just want to pitch and whatever that means, whatever that means. And I think that just, you know, speaks to the group as a whole. We have so many solid, consistent role players. It doesn't matter who's starting that day. Guys know they're going to get a chance later in the game, and I think that helps them keep them locked in and rooting for everybody because at the end of the day, we just want to win and go as far as we can.
00:32:05
Speaker 7: Go across the aisle to Neil.
00:32:08
Speaker 2: Hey, Griffin.
00:32:08
Speaker 7: I know you haven't faced Cleveland this year, but being with Minnesota for several years, you saw Jose Ramirez a lot. Can you just speak to the challenges that he poses for Cleveland any team, but maybe you in particular, facing him over the years?
00:32:22
Speaker 14: Yeah, I've had a lot of at-bats against him. He's on a Hall of Fame trajectory. He's an incredible player. One of my favorites to watch, actually. But he thinks along with you, with the at-bat. He knows who he's facing. He knows the tendencies, percentages, count-based stuff that is going to try to help give him an advantage. And I think he's just prepared. And he knows what he's doing. He knows his approach. He's not going to try to do something different. If he needs to slap a single the other way, he's going to do it and then try to steal. Or if he gets a pitch to hit out of the park, he's going to do it. So really, really talented ballplayer and changes that lineup pretty significantly.
00:33:04
Speaker 4: Do a couple more for Griffin.
00:33:05
Speaker 3: Buster?
00:33:08
Speaker 12: You were talking about Jose.
00:33:10
Speaker 11: Thinking along with you, how do you feel that as a pitcher? Yeah, that's a really good question.
00:33:16
Speaker 14: I think Ben Rice does it really well as well with the Yankees, especially with how much he faced us and knowing our pitcher's specific tendencies. You can kind of see it a few games, a few at-bats. And I think, you know, if you're facing a guy, you still need to go with your strengths. And it's kind of strength versus strength there. But you can't just fall in love with that. You've got to still have some level of unpredictability. And at the end of the day, just try to sequence it the right way and put the pitch and execute it.
00:33:48
Speaker 10: Is that just based on his reaction?
00:33:49
Speaker 12: His reaction to a pitch?
00:33:53
Speaker 14: Yeah, I mean, there might be some foul balls. You can kind of tell, like, oh, he was kind of expecting that. And if it's a pitch that you probably expect to swing and miss, you don't get it, you can kind of see that he was thinking along there with you.
00:34:03
Speaker 10: Couple last ones for Griffin.
00:34:05
Speaker 11: All right, Griffin, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.
00:34:15
Speaker 19: What do you remember about when you were with them and when.
00:34:18
Speaker 17: You got traded?
00:34:21
Speaker 20: Yes, I remember that I played a short year with the American team and then they changed me. But we're here to give the best of ourselves and be able to win.
00:34:36
Speaker 21: Yeah, I remember, you know, playing just a short little brief time with Cleveland and then, you know, they traded me. But, you know, that's in the past, right? You know, now we're just here with Tampa Bay and I've loved my time with Tampa Bay. But, you know, we're focused on the series and hopefully trying to, you know, get a handful of wins to move on.
00:34:52
Speaker 19: It was such a short time.
00:34:53
Speaker 6: Did you really have time to even establish relationships with anybody in that organization and the people who might still be there now?
00:34:58
Speaker 22: No, no.
00:34:58
Speaker 20: It was a very short time. We played in the summer and then they changed me. It was something very fast, very short. Yeah, it was short.
00:35:19
Speaker 21: You know, it was essentially just one summer, and then I got traded. But, you know, so to answer your question, no, I didn't really have time to establish many relationships with them. But look, the way I look at it is, you know, they were the first team that signed me. They were the team that made me a professional. So who knows without them, you know, if I would even be here. So At the end of the day, just really grateful for them to, you know, make me a pro for the first time at the beginning, at the end of the day.
00:35:41
Speaker 3: What are your thoughts on just that being the team that is in the way of getting.
00:35:45
Speaker 17: To the World Series at this point? Nosotros?
00:35:48
Speaker 22: Qué sientes que ese es el último equipo que tienes que enfrentar para llegar a la semifinal?
00:35:53
Speaker 17: Sí, sí,¿ sabes? Se siente bien. Es jugar la misma pelota, es jugar la misma pelota.
00:35:59
Speaker 20: No podemos ponerle presión a nosotros.
00:36:01
Speaker 17: He venido jugando tremenda pelota en la temporada.
00:36:05
Speaker 20: It honestly feels the same, right?
00:36:17
Speaker 21: You know, I think, you know, they're a good ball club at the end of the day. You know, they're here for a reason. But most importantly, I just look at ourselves. You know, we don't have to put pressure on ourselves. We just have to play the same style of baseball that we've played all the entire year. And, you know, I look at myself and I just got to keep doing what I do. I do best, so, you know, yeah, we just have to play our brand of baseball and hopefully, you know, move forward with, again, a handful of wins.
00:36:39
Speaker 23: Kind of looking at it the other way, the success you've had here, the relationship you've developed with the fans, with your teammates, how lucky do you feel or fortunate that you got traded here and you've been able to do all these things you've done?
00:36:50
Speaker 17: No, this is my home.
00:36:52
Speaker 20: This team has given me an incredible harmony, an incredible love, and the confidence it's given me, the fans too.
00:37:00
Speaker 17: Yeah, this is home, right?
00:37:02
Speaker 20: You know, this team is, there's been great harmony between me and the organization from the get-go.
00:37:31
Speaker 21: And, you know, the support that I've gotten here has been nothing but love, you know, from the organization, from the fan base as a whole. So, yeah, the entire time that I've been here, I've felt at home. And, you know, they were the ones that made me a major leaguer. You know, just the organization from the beginning of the day has been great.
00:37:47
Speaker 19: So, yeah, they've made me feel at home.
00:37:50
Speaker 6: Do you have much of a relationship with Jose Ramirez and how much do you just kind of respect?
00:37:54
Speaker 20: Yes, we have a very good relationship, especially since we're in the same agency. Yeah, we have a good relationship, you know, and that relationship has kind of.
00:38:08
Speaker 17: You.
00:38:10
Speaker 20: Know, been building for the last couple years because, you know, now we're with the same agency.
00:38:28
Speaker 19: But, you know, he's a heck of a player, right?
00:38:29
Speaker 21: You know, you look at his name and you certainly put it together with Cleveland and you just think of a legend. And, you know, for the last handful of years, ever since he's been pretty much a big leaguer, he's been one of the best third basemans in the league.
00:38:41
Speaker 19: So he's just, you know, a great ballplayer at the end of the day. And, you know, we get along really well.
00:38:47
Speaker 4: Is it fair to say that's exciting when you're a really good ballplayer, he's a really good ballplayer, you know each other and you get to compete at such a very high level?
00:38:53
Speaker 9: Yeah.
00:38:57
Speaker 17: I think he deserves respect and he already has a lot in the league. He's a legend.
00:39:02
Speaker 20: I came to the league now and he's 13 or 14 years old in the league. Respect has to be given to those who have it and he has my respect.
00:39:10
Speaker 17: Everyone respects him in the third base. He's a tremendous player.
00:39:13
Speaker 20: He's one of the best right now and he's going to be the best in the Dominican third base.
00:39:26
Speaker 19: Yeah, he deserves the respect, right? You know, he's already in a state of.
00:39:30
Speaker 17: big leaguer.
00:39:31
Speaker 19: I'm just starting off here.
00:39:32
Speaker 21: In my tenure at the big league level, but he's one that always deserves the respect and has played at such a great elite level for 13, 14 years, whatever it may be now. Credit to him for, again, just doing it on a day-to-day basis and being you know, just one of the best third basemen in the league. And so, you know, I look at myself and, you know, hopefully I'll get there. But he, you know, is already one that deserves that respect from anybody in the clubhouse.
00:39:59
Speaker 17: The way that you speak about Jose Ramirez.
00:40:01
Speaker 3: In Cleveland and how much his name is associated with Cleveland, how much do you want to be kind of that guy for Tampa Bay?
00:40:11
Speaker 17: Tell me.
00:40:12
Speaker 22: The way you talk about Jose Ramirez and how the fans talk about him, do you feel that at some point you want to have that same level of respect here with Tampa Bay? Yes, because we've worked for that, that at some point they can reflect on me like that too, as I'm doing with him.
00:40:23
Speaker 20: For me, you know, this is very beautiful and we try to make sure.
00:40:39
Speaker 17: Yeah, of course. Right, you know, that's what you work towards.
00:40:43
Speaker 20: You know, you work every single day to, you know, hopefully get your name, you know, written in the history books.
00:40:48
Speaker 17: With wherever you're at.
00:40:50
Speaker 20: And I certainly want to do that here with Tampa Bay.
00:40:54
Speaker 19: So, It's super motivating to see Jose do that for himself.
00:41:13
Speaker 21: Again, already so many years that he's done that consistently so well at an elite level. But yeah, hopefully the fan base and the organization remembers my name for a long time to come, and hopefully I produce the results that deserve that respect.
00:41:30
Speaker 3: Thank you.
00:41:38
Speaker 1: And that is going to conclude things on this latest episode of the podcast. We appreciate you guys as always for your support. If you guys don't follow what we have going on on social media, we are at raise the roof TV on social on, on anywhere that you can find us Twitter slash X Instagram and our Tik TOK account. Our YouTube channel is raised the roof. Be sure to subscribe to us there and turn on those posts notifications. So you guys know when new uploads are happening. Uh, uh, as for our podcast, continue to support us as you guys have been, be sure to like subscribe, uh, Leave us a review, hopefully a five-star review, and share this with your family, your friends, anyone you know who's a Rays fan or a baseball fan that wants to add a podcast into their podcast feed. We'd love to be part of it. A shout-out to our sponsors and our partners, JKS Prince and SeatGeek. Be sure to use that code RAYSTHEROOF, R-A-Y-S-THEROOF, in our capture checkout to save yourself some money on some Rays tickets for Game 1 tomorrow, Game 2 on Tuesday, USF tickets, Bolts tickets, Bucks tickets, anything like that. Be sure, and concerts, anything... else, be sure to use that code to get yourself some money off. And then if you want to get yourself some mini-trops, be sure to use that same code for JKS Prints. Our partners with Homage and Lids, we have those affiliate links that you guys can use to get yourself some MLB license, raise merch, so be sure to take advantage of that. With all that being said, thanks so much for listening, and as always, raise up.
00:43:04
Speaker 19: We'll be right back.
