Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network. Guardians Weekly is front
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everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Jumros inhouse along with you this weekend from
Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where the Guardians are taking on the Philadelphia Phillies
this weekend in interleague play, coming off a win on Friday night in front
of a sellout crowd by a final score of six to five, and that'll
be part of our weekend review coming your way shortly. Coming up later on
in the show, a nice interview with Josh Naylor. We had a chance
to visit with Josh for a while on Friday, and we'll talk to him
about his red hot season. We'd say red hot stretch, but it's really
been most of the season now for Naylor, as he has been among the
league leaders in batting average and runs driven in What a year for Naylor,
and we will hear from him in just a little bit the second half of
our show today, we'll also visit with Tanner Byby and Michael Kelly Byby,
the young rookie starter who will pitch in Saturday night's game against the Phillies.
And then Michael Kelly, the well traveled relief pitcher who has hung in there
in his career and now getting a nice opportunity with Cleveland. But we'll take
a time out when we come back. It's the weekend review after this break
on the Cleveland Clinic. Guardians Radio Network, Progress of knows we're all trying
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insurance company affiliates another introvers Welcome back to Guardian's Weekly Jim rosenhouse along with you
this weekend as we join you from Progressive heel and it's time now for I'll
look back our week in review segment, and when we begin with the series
in Pittsburgh that began on Monday night, we are talking about some runs being
scored for Cleveland as it was back to back games, some of their best
offensive games of the season, and the Monday nighter, the series opener in
Pittsburgh looked like it was going to be a Pictures duel early as the game
was scoreless through three innings. Base hits were hard to come by as Aaron
Savali was going strong for the Guardians and the Pirates starter Quinn Priester was making
his major league debut as he set down the first nine Guardians batters in a
hurry. But that all changed in the fourth inning when Stephen Quan started things
with a walk and then i'm ed Rosario stepped in. Here's the pitch to
him and he swings, and he drives it up the alley and left center.
This one's hit a ton and it is gone a home run. I'm
ed Rosario into the bullpens. The Guardians take a to nothing lead. I'm
ed Rosario with home run number three on the season, and the first base
hit aloud by a Quinn Priester turns out to be a home run and the
Guardians have taken a two nothing lead here in the fourth. In the fifth,
with a runner on, it was bone Nailer coming through. There comes
the one oh pitch from Priester, swung on line tribe left center field,
headed to the gap and it splits the gap all the way up against the
wall four hundred and ten feet away on his way to third, being waved
around and scoring from first. His Brennan on the double from Bonnailer and the
Guardians are in front three nothing. Guardians got right back to it. In
the sixth inning, a runner on for Jose Ramirez. Now the pitch and
it swung on hammered deep bright field. This ball is off the top of
the wall. In the second Ramirez in the score Azorreal them must have just
missed getting out of here that wall twenty one feet high in right and just
barely missed getting out of here. And it goes as an RBI double.
And the next batter was Josh Naylor now the one too, a swinging a
rope to write down the line. It goes fareball. It'll bounce into the
corner in to score. Ramires throw a second Nailer in sliding with an RBI
double and the Guardians now have taken a five nothing lead on back to back
RBI doubles by Ramirez and Nailor. And then Andrey Semennez put a charge into
one the pitch a swinging a long drive to write down the line. It
goes, it has a whole run Andray Siemenez with a BB down the right
field line, and the Guardians have a four spot here in the sixth and
Cleveland with a seven nothing lead. Well in the middle of the lineup was
really cranking on Monday night and also on Tuesday night as well. We'll get
to that in just a bit. But in the seventh inning Monday night,
Naylor extended the lead even further. And we're talking about Josh Naylor in this
case. The pitch swung impounded deep left center field. This ball is gone.
I'll predigious blast to the seats and left center by Josh Naylor, way
over four hundred feet away, and it's nine nothing Cleveland and Josh Naylor with
his thirteenth homer and it gives him three RBIs tonight and gives him sixty nine
on the year. And that is big Boy territory out in left center.
It is four ten to the deepest part of the park in left center,
and he cleared that by plenty one more run for the Guardians in the eighth
inning courtesy of Stephen Kwan. Now the one two swung on line to third
over the head of Triola into left field of a sit in the scorer's bell.
Straw will stop at third and Stephen Kwan makes a ten nothing Cleveland with
an RBI single to left, and the Guardians have scored in five straight endings.
And in the ninth Miles Straw capped off the big night for the Guardians
offense. Now everybody will be running and the payoff pitch hit on the ground
toward first diving back into grab by Joi. The flip to the pitch are
not in time. Straw with an infield hit drives in Tyler Freeman eleven nothing
Cleveland as the Guardians will finish the night scoring in the last six innings of
this game, Guardians snapping a four game losing skid as they had been swept
in Texas over the weekend, so good start to the series. In Pittsburgh
onto Tuesday night, the Guardians didn't waste any time getting started as Stephen Kwan
let off the first inning with a double, and then I'm ed Rosario drove
in the game's first run. The pitch and he bangs one inside the bank
at first, down the rank field line of A's hit. Kwona hits thirties
coming home, Davis throws to second. It's one nothing, Cleveland. What
a start off the nationally goal star Mitch Killer as a meta, Rosario shooting
one the other way as his thirty seventh run batted in. Jose Ramirez followed
with the base hit, and that brought Josh Nailer to the plate. The
pitch and he drives on the deep right center. There she goes for nothing,
Cleveland. How about that, Josh Nailer. A bomb last night to
left center, A bomb tonight to right center and it's for nothing, Cleveland.
And still nobody out here in the first inning. My goodness, what
a year for Nailor. And again, stay with us. We'll hear m
Josh later on in our show today. Later on in the first inning,
Miles Straw drove home another run. Straw looping one to right field, fairball
inside the line of base hit on his way home is Bell into second is
straws. The ball was bottled out there in right field by Henry Davis.
And it's five nothing, Cleveland. So what a start for the Guardians on
Tuesday night. In the third inning, andre C Menez singled and then Josh
Bell extended the lead. Keller's ready, here it comes and it swung on
hit high, hit deep to right away back. God, just Bell has
left the ball park seven nothing, Cleveland. I had asked Josh Bell getting
off the bus today, how many of you hit in the Allegheny River?
He said, eh, I think two on the fly. I think two
bounced him. Boyan, isn't that another key back for the Guardians? If
Bell can keep it rolling? What a difference that would make in the lineup.
Naylor Josh made it eight nothing in the fourth inning with an RBI ground
out and on the mound Logan Allen was enjoying the big lead. Here's the
three two swing and a miss strike three. Another strike out for Allen his
eighth and it retires the side. In the fifth inning, we head to
the sixth Cleveland eight, Pittsburgh nothing. Pittsburgh broke up the shutout with a
run in the sixth that made it an eight to one ball game, and
then in the ninth Josh Naylor capped off another huge day at the plate.
The one one a swing in a one drive. To write down the line,
it goes god, A two run, a homer. What a night
for Naylor. Two home runs, six RBIs and Cleveland continues to maul the
Pirates, all by a score of ten to one, and Nailer with a
multi homer game on top of the six RBIs, his first multi homer game
of the year, his second game with six RBIs. He had six RBIs
at Baltimore on May thirty first, and he's done it here tonight in July
eighteenth. Oh my goodness, Josh Naylor now fifteen home runs, now seventy
five RBIs. So ten to one was the final score. The Guardians had
taken the first two games of the series in Pittsburgh. Wednesday's day game look
good early. The Guardians were up at one point four nothing still led four
to two late, but Pittsburgh put together a late rally and they salvaged the
finale by a final score of seven to five. Thursday was an off day,
and that's set the stage for a new home homestand and a big series
against the Phillies, the defending National League champions coming to town. Red hot,
big crowds all weekend as it was a sellout on Friday night, Saturday
night will be a sellout and tickets are moving fast for Sunday's series finale.
Still some opportunities to pick those up, so I'll go to the ballpark app
for your Sunday tickets if you want to see the Phillies, and of course
the homestand continuing against the Royals on Monday. But back to the task at
hand, the weekend review and Friday night's series opener against Philadelphia. The Guardians
got it going with a two out rally. In the first Jose Ramirez and
Josh Nayler singled and then Josh Bell's hot bat stayed hot as he drove in
the game's first run. Now the set, Now the two old pitch a
swing in a light drive, deep blood field off the wall, extra bases
for Bell in the scores, ramires in the thirds, Naylor Bell with a
r double high off the nineteen football and left and the Guardians have a won
nothing lead. And that was a rifle shot off the ban of Josh Bell.
He has eighteen doubles and forty seven RBIs and all of this coming after
there were two men out and nobody on base, a single, an infield
single, and an RBI double, and the next man up was David fry
the next offering a swing and a shot to short off the glove of Turner
in the left field of a shit in the scores. Naylor Bell stops at
third as Turner goes into left to track it down and a fourth consecutive hit
to nothing Cleveland David Frye with a one hop shot that eight up trade.
Turner at short glanced off his glove and rolled into shallow left and Fry with
his ninth arby and that's why fry is in the lineup. Philly got on
the board with a run in the second, and they were looking for more
in the fourth, but the Guardians defense was up to the task. Here's
the pitch and it swung on Lyne near the middle, past the diving shortstop
Rosario. It's in the center, rounding third heading for home is Boone.
The throw by Straw and time at the plate paint got him at home plate.
Another tremendous throw from Miles Straw cuts down a run and the Guardians remain
in the league. Yeah, I was hit sharply up the middle, just
past a diving Rosario bomb trying to score from second tested the arm of Straw,
but Straw came charging in so he didn't have that long a throw and
it was a perfect one hop throw. Excellent tag by Fry, and the
Guardians remain in front thanks to outstanding defense from Straw and Fry. Then in
the bottom of the four thinning, two men on for the Guardians and another
big two out hit, this time from Stephen Quan. The O two pitch
swung on line, base hit right field. He gets the job done as
Fry comes down the line and scores, and the Guardians take a three to
one lead. Nice work by Stephen Quan, driving in his thirty second run
of the season on an O two pitch. Again it you're down O two
to this guy. That's tough work. The Quan able to find a pitch
to his liking and drove it through that hole on the right side of the
in field. In the fifth, David Fry delivered an RBI ground out that
made it four to one. Philly answered with a run in the top of
the sixth to make it four to two, and then the Guardians had an
answer of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to Ahmed Rosario.
Here's the three one pitch swung on light right base, hit in the
left that'll score straw Quan stop set, third throw goes all the way to
the plate, but the Guardians have taken it to a five to two lead.
I'm at Rosario rifling a single by the drawn in infield to left,
and Rosario with his fortieth ARBI. Two batters later, Josh Naylor came through
again with two outs. The pitch Naylor grounds went back up the middle to
his right, knocked down with a backhand, but Stock can't field it cleanly.
Everybody as safe as Kwanwell's score. Bow was not hit that hard,
but it was hit up the middle. Stock, the second baseman, going
to his right with a backhand, knocked it down but didn't field it cleanly,
and it'll goes an RBI single, and the Guardians make it a six
to two ball game, and Naylor gets his second infield a hit of the
night, which maybe a career high, and he now has six RBIs.
But Philadelphia's high powered offense brought the Phillies back into the game. Back to
back home runs in the seventh made it a one run game, six to
five Cleveland, so it would be up to the back end of the bullpen
and this one. Trevor Stephen came on to get two outs in the seventh
and then shut down Philly in the eighth, and he turned it over in
the ninth to Emanuel Class trying to close things out. The next delivery swung
on Chaper up the middle behind second Rosario clubs throws bogame and the Guardians have
beaten the Phillies in Game one of this weekend series by a final score of
six to five. So what a night Friday night at Progressive Field. Real
nice start to the weekend series and the homestand and again more action on tap
for Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. More on that shortly and also a visit
with first baseman Josh Naylor. That's next down the Cleveland Clinic. Guardians Radio
Network, Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosenhouse back with you from Progressive
Field in downtown Cleveland and has always a lot of different ways you can hear
our show each week. Of course on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio network.
You are affiliate stations who pick it up will air the show usually sometime about
a couple of hours before the game time for the Guardians on Saturday, so
usually late afternoon or soap, or you can pick it up online at cle
guardians dot com. All the archived editions are there, and they're also there
in podcast Forum wherever you download your favorite podcast. That's usually ready a little
bit after the show airs on the radio side, so a lot of different
ways to pick up our show each week. Well, it's a great weekend
at Progressive Field, as Friday night was sold out, Saturday is a sellout,
so another sellout crowd on hand for Saturday nights game and then Sunday tickets
going very well, but there are still seats available for the one forty first
pitch Guardians and Phillies one final time. Just go to the ballpark app or
cle guardians dot com slash tickets and that's a kids fun day so kids can
run the bases after the game. It's also Slider's birthday and the first ten
thousand fans will receive a Guardians baseball card pack courtesy of our friends at Tops,
so some good stuff coming up. Then the Royals come in next week.
The weather is supposed to be nice as the homestand continues Monday and Tuesday
nights seven ten first pitches and then Wednesday is Day Baseball, the getaway Day,
a midweek day game at one ten against the Royals and that is a
Guardians Tumbler Day where they're giving away tumbler's courtesy of Lexus. So some good
stuff coming up and again all your ticket needs at the ballpark app or cle
Guardians dot com. We had a chance to visit with Josh Naylor on Friday,
and what a year it has been for Josh. He has been among
the league leaders in batting average. His batting average at one point last night
at three eleven, and that put him in the top five in the American
League actually the major leagues at this point and now is seventy six runs driven
in as he continue to pick up the RBI's last night Friday night, and
it's just been tremendous what he's been doing. And it's been a huge key
to protecting Jose Ramirez, who has batted right in front of him Josh in
that cleanup spot. And it's made for a real nice combo, as those
two have accounted for a large percentage of the Guardians runs. Now. We
talked to Josh earlier in the season, way back in April late April when
the Guardians were at Yankee Stadium in New York, and numbers wise, it
was just okay, but it seemed like he was swinging the bat well,
just wasn't getting rewarded a lot of hard hit outs, and he said he
wasn't worried about it because he felt he was swinging the bat well. But
when we caught up with him on Friday, he talked about the biggest difference
during this stretch where he's been one of baseball's best hitters. I think the
baseball has just falling now. The beginning of the year, I felt like
I was hitting hard, just kind of right out guys or top spinning in
a little too much or getting under a little too much and flying out.
But I think it all evens out at the end of the year. Just
got to keep consistent with the grind, keep consistent with your work, and
things will be all right. I know. Terry Franconez said he feels there
may be some more in there. And when he says that, what are
you trying to look for that that might even help you along further? I
mean, I just try to gain experience, try to get help when when
I need help up and where you need help. Um, just try to
be the best competitor and best baseball player I can be for this organization,
for this team. UM, just try to have fun out there on the
field. And I think if you do all those things and it just takes
takes pressure off you and then just let's your your abilities play. And a
lot of other hitters in the lineup are starting to come along nicely. What
are you saying up and down the batting order that's been really encouraging. Just
I think we're all putting together professional bats. Um. I think the end
goals in in the World Series. And the only way we can do that
is if we're you know, we're all on the same game plan and we're
all consistently having great at bats and getting the next guy up. And it's
definitely doable with this with this group here. Um. Just we have incredible
talent through and through month through nine, all our pitchers, all our relievers,
uh, you know, players who aren't playing that day. We just
have incredible talent throughout this whole entire, this whole entire team, and I'm
thankful to be a part of it, and I'm thankful to grow with this
team and just to see everyone kind of grow themselves in their own game.
Josh. Everybody works on certain things in the offseason, and it sounded like
a focus for you was against left handed pitching, and what were you able
to do that that's unlocked some things and allowed you to have some more success
against the lefties. I mean, I just just can just try to have
good at bats, just try to see maybe a little more pitches sometimes and
ambush the right pitch, and uh just kind of go from there. I
from the off season, I practice both right and lefties, all all pitches
from both sides, and uh, I just try to get comfortable with everything
with every scenari every pitch that can be thrown possibly and every count. I
kind of worked counts this off season. Two. I put myself in a
different situations, differ accounts, men on base, men not on base,
how many outs, you know. I just I just try to practice everything
that could be thrown. I mean, before the break, you talked about
your teammates and how important they are, and you have one that you've known
longer than anyone else and your younger brother, Bow. What's that dynamic been
like this year as opposed to a year ago when he was just getting his
feet wet in the major leagues, as now he tries to settle into an
every day I mean, it's it's awesome to see him grow as a player.
It's awesome to see him be so loved by all the guys here and
you know, just genuinely just cared for. And then everyone just wants him
to get better, as you know, as ever everyone wants everyone on the
team wants each other to get better. But it's it's cool to see all
the young guys kind of you know, grow together and you know, go
through trials and tribulations and and kind of come out of it stronger. So
it's a it's awesome se no go through it as awesome to see, you
know, Brennan's go through it. The Cody Morris is um all their starting
pitchers or relief bullpend guys that are doing like Zay for instance, he's been
putting a new role this year and uh, he's been thriving through it.
He just whenever whatever his name's called, he's just he's ready to go.
And uh, I think that's it's awesome just to see all the young guys
grow. You had a chance to do something special with your younger brother hit
a home run in the same game and same inning, as it turned out,
What did it mean to you at the time when it happened, and
then maybe when you had a chance to reflect on it afterward, it was
cool. Um again, I just just try to have a good at bad.
We're kind of rolling anything and he started off with a big fly to
right and uh, you know, we kind of started cooking a little bit
and then had a few guys on base and I just try to get a
good picture of hit and rye bad and then thank god it was able to
go out, and yeah it was. It was a really cool moment come
for both of us and our family. And uh yeah, our youngest brother
too. Off the field. So many of the players are doing good things
in the community. Um. One of your initiatives is cooking with nail or
explain what that is and how much you enjoy that. Um. So we
basically go to the rona McDonald house in Cleveland and uh, or sometimes we
can go to Cleveland clinic and drop off meals, but we cook meals there
or prepare meals. They're package them up and deliver them to different families,
um, different kids or if a parents staying back at the Rona McDonald house
will deliver it to them and the sibling of the of the child and uh,
just um, you know, just try to take care of families because
it's it's important to pay it forward and to you know, take care of
brothers and then look after others too. Um. Yeah, I know.
It's it's been going awesome. I think we've done it at three or four
times now. I've met some incredible families and you know, just it's it's
an arm to be a part of. Jos always great tat Jan and thanks
a lot for coming bye, thank you, thank you. One of the
most thoughtful players that you'll ever talk to. In terms of how he feels
about his performance, which he really does not like talking about a whole lot.
It is all in the context of the team and what he can do
to help the team and really enjoys his teammates and it's an interesting dynamic in
that clubhouse with with him and Bow Naylor, his younger brother. What a
great opportunity for that family, which is a very close family, and they've
had an opportunity to be teammates now at the major league level, which is
certainly a rarity. And it was fun to talk to him about a big
night on that last road trip when both he and Bow hit home runs in
the same inning. When you talk about that being a rarity in Major League
Baseball in general, not just for Cleveland. So thanks so much for Josh
for coming by. When we come back, we'll hear from Key Picture Tanner,
Biby and the bed Friend reliever Michael Kelly. That's next as we continue
on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network, Baseball, basketball, pickleball. Those
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continuing from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland. Jim Rosenhouse along with you as we
join you this weekend for Baseball Talk on the radio, and the starting pitcher
on Saturday night will be Tanner Byby. The youngster rookie has been tremendous for
the Guardians, and we caught up with him after another strong start in Texas
last Sunday, when he went six innings left with a lead in a game
that Texas came back to win, but certainly another strong effort by Byby,
and he says he continues to progress as he gets deeper into his major league
career, and he says it's all about adjustments he's made since being called up
in late April. Yeah, I think the difference from me between my debut
and now think of a lot more even keel throughout the entire time, whether
stuff gets thrown at me or something goes wrong, I think I'm way more
capable of sticking to it and kind of sticking to my stuff and being able
to get more outs even when about stuff goes on. Where does that come
from? You think? Is that a coaching thing or a teammate thing?
I think it's just everything thing. I think college definitely helped. I think
Vultune it's a really good at being able to be mentally strong through all that
kind of stuff. I think the pitching, like all the pitching stuff.
The pitching coaches, I think are all really great at being able to help
us do that. Um. It makes it easier with all the guys around
us too. Obviously, you face different types of lineups with each start.
Texas seemed like a handful and you had to really battle it at certain times.
What allows you to get through those situations and still make good pitches and
be aggressive when when maybe it's hard to be aggressive? UM. I think
with those type of lineups you can't change. Because you change, that's when
they really get you. UM. They're obviously had like ten million All stars
on their team, so I think, UM. I think if you stick
to your guns and news, execute your stuff, and you trust it,
UM, I think there's a good chance you can be anyone. But I
think, especially with those guys, you really have to trust what you're gonna
do. You really trust the scouting report, UM and the people behind you.
Tanner is one of those games where you had a lot going on a
ball hit in the foot and another one came came out your head visit to
stay focused when when you have visits to the mound from the training staff and
the manager and pitching coach, sometimes it's tough. I honestly think it wasn't
too bad because I was honestly just really folks, I want to go off
to a good start for the second half. But I think it wasn't too
bad. The breaks, the visits, whatever. But sometimes it can't be
tough, for sure. I know when you first came up, we talked
about how Logan Allen had come up at the same time. Similar situation.
Now Gavin Williams is here so young, pitching in a rotation where unfortunately there's
been some entries. And does that impact you in any way or do you
look at things differently when when you see things like that happening around you.
I mean, I think yes and no. I mean I think definitely,
me, Gavin Logan definitely have to like somewhat step up and kind of take
the places of some really good starting pitchers. I've been here for a long
time and I've really succeeded, so I think it's really um I think it's
really good for us. I think in the long run for us to kind
of almost it feels like we have to be like the veteran guys, like
they're kind of leaning on us to kind of get us through some games.
So it's been it's been good. You ever imagine you'd be in this type
of spot when back in spring training in Arizona. No, no, I
thought I was going to acronut of spring training, And so you look at
and how things are going. Obviously a difficult start to the post All Star
break, but when you when you look at this club and what could be,
Um, how is the feeling in that clubhouse in terms of trying to
stay with it, maybe go through a tough patch, but still be in
the race. I think that. I mean, coming out of the All
Star Break with I mean pretty much three healthy starting pitchers and even being able
to like compete with that good of a team, I mean, we could
have very easily won one out of three, two out of three of those
games. So I think that even though it didn't end up that way,
I think it's um, it's super encouraging to see even though, like I
said, even though it didn't end up with that r way. I think
it's encouraging to see us compete and being very capable to be a team like
that. It's going yesterday. Thanks for coming by, I appreciate it.
Yeah, of course, thank you. It's Tanner Bibie, one of the
bright young arms who has held this starting rotation together in the midst of injuries
to three really good starting pitchers Shane Bieber, Cal Quantrill and Tristan McKenzie,
all of whom had at least thirty one starts a year ago. So you
talk about having to pick up some slack this year as they battle injuries,
Tanner Bibi has been one of those who has done just that well. There's
always great stories throughout the season, and Michael Kelly is certainly one of those.
He was drafted back in twenty eleven as a first round pick by the
San Diego Padres. He did not make his major league debut until last season,
with coincidentally enough, the Phillies, who are in town this weekend.
In the offseason, he signed a minor league deal with the Guardians and started
his season at Triple A Columbus. Did good work there, made progress,
has increased his velocity, his Slider has picked up all of it good and
now he's in the major leagues and he has been terrific since being called up.
And we had a chance to visit with him after his first major league
win, which came in Monday's game against Pittsburgh, and as you might expect,
he was ecstatic with that result. Oh, it was great. You
know, It's something that I'll cherish forever. And to be able to do
that with this group of guys in this clubhouse, it's it's really really special.
For the years you've been in a game, and you were drafted back
in twenty eleven, you've had those those twists and turns to your career,
but you've you've gotten here. Now. What's been the biggest difference since signing
with Cleveland and going through spring training. I think Cleveland does a really good
job at teaching guys, helping them learn what they're good at and how to
use that to their advantage. They really give you all the resources you need
to be the best version of yourself that you can be, and so they
really help guys kind of take their shrinks and use them against these hitters versus
some guys not really having a plan or knowing what they're doing, you know,
just they really make things simple for you. So for you, what's
been the biggest difference that's allowed you to take a step forward? For me,
it's been the usage of my slider that's kind of my best pitch and
using it as a weapon, and then also utilizing my fastball and better accounts
in locations as well, kind of using it up in the zone a little
more. Michael Kelly joining us first major League win on Monday night in Pittsburgh,
and I could look at that and your path to get here were there
are times where it just seemed like it it was too much and you might
want to try something different, and if not, what kept you going?
No, They're definitely were times. Actually, after my little stin in independent
ball in twenty nineteen, my wife and I we bought a baseball facility in
Chattanooga, and I was thinking that that was my next step in the game
of baseball, that I was going to get into the coaching side of things.
And with that, I kind of kept training and kept doing my throw
in just in case something were to come up. And then COVID year happened
and I didn't have a job that year, So I was just at home
and I got to go into the facility every day by myself and train and
kind of do whatever I felt was good for myself and just kind of stuck
with it. And then come twenty twenty one, we were just setting out
video of my bullpens with the data attached to it, and Astros liked what
they saw and they gave me an opportunity, and that was my chance of
getting back into pro ball. Once I got that opportunity again, I just
took it in and run with it. And that's affiliated ball. You mentioned
independent ball. What are the differences that you noticed from that experience there?
You know, the game's still the same. It's Baseball's baseball. There's the
outside things, the clubhouse. Away from the clubhouse, there's a little difference
when it comes down to when you're on the field playing the game. You
know, it's still same, same game of baseball. So this offseason you
end up signing with Cleveland. What led you here? I really liked the
staff here. You know, I got an opportunity to talk with some of
the coaches and the the staff, pitching staff especially, and I just feel
like we kind of jelled We have the same vision, the same mindset when
it came to pitching, so it just seemed like the right fit. And
when you sign, obviously the hope is that this will happen, but it
doesn't right away. What's your outlook at the end of spring training when you
don't make the club right away? But is there that feeling that, hey,
it could happen at some point. Yeah, you know, you're always
optimistic, You're always believing in yourself. It just comes down to staying in
the moment, staying where your feet are, and doing what you need to
do each day to prepare yourself when that opportunity comes. So you get a
win on Monday night, what happens after the game, little celebration in the
clubhouse. Guys get together and we have a good time. Fair enough,
Michael, congratulations, Thanks a lot for come by, appreciate it. Thanks.
That's Michael Kelly, reliever for the Guardians. A great story as someone
who has stayed with it through the tough times and times where it looked like
he might never make it to the main leagues, but he has and I'll
be interesting to see how long he can stick in that Guardian's boltpen. Because
he has been terrific again since being called up from Triple A. That's going
to do it for this week's edition of Guardians Weekly. Thanks as always to
Brian Matzay for all of his help and putting together our show each week until
next week when we join you from Chicago the Guardians taking on the White Sox
next weekend. This is Jim Rosenhouse reminding you that you've been listening to Guardians
Weekly on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Guardians Weekly has been brought to
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