We're in Pittsburgh with my guy that I predicted would finish in the top three
of National League Rookie of the Year voting, and he's making me look good
so far. And I know that's his motivation on the mound and in between
starts every single step he takes, and that is the one and only Gavin
Stone. Gavin, thanks a lot for the time. Did I feel like
I tapped into your motivation? Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah,
it's good to be on. Thanks for having me again. Hopefully I get
a boom box after this, but yeah, it's going to be. It's
in the mail. Oh yeah, thanks, thanks for shure. I just
need the charger honestly. Okay, we'll get you the charger for the boom
box I gave you last year, courtesy of Travis Matthews. Yeah, thank
you, Travis. Hey, how about this. Not a lot of people
realize back in LA you and Bobby Miller are roommates, and he said he
was a good roommate. After that torturous flight last week from New York back
to LA he was leaving while you were coming home. Yeah, we got
back at like I don't know, it was probably like eight o'clock. Yeah,
and he was going to the field that day. It was our off
day. And I come in and and I eat something, I order some
door dish, eat something, and then Bobby wakes up and it's literally probably
like twenty minutes rot whenever I got home, he left, and then I
went straight to bed after that. How many interactions do you guys have living
together? Oh? Yeah, I mean we see each other all the time
at home, at the field. You know, we're pretty much always together.
It sucks that he's been hurt, you know, this long, because
he hasn't been on the road trips and stuff. But uh yeah, whenever
I come home, like, we're always together pretty much. Can you tell
his demeanor has changed in any way while he's been on the io because he
wants to pitch so badly? Oh yeah, he's itching the pitch. That's
all he wants to do is pitch. I mean, you can tell he's
he's, uh, you know, anxious to get back out there for sure.
But no, he's got a good head on him. Do any of
you cook? Does anybody make a home cook meal? I don't. I
don't cook. Bobby cooks. Bobby likes to cook Bobby. He just got
we have this little pool area and there's a girl downstairs. He just got
a bunch of Kershaws Kershaw's beef. Yeah, so he's been cooking that downstairs.
Have you tried any of the Kershaw beef? Is it what they say
on the package? No curveballs? No, I actually haven't tried it.
Bobby said it's really good though. So Bobby knows his way around the grill.
Yeah, he's a grill master. All right. That's a good roommate
to have a guy that knows how to grill. Oh, I know he
doesn't never cook me anything, but I'm sure he would if I. Gavin
Stone is our guest, just head a first pitch here in Pittsburgh. How's
the season been going for you? Obviously we know things seem to get into
a rhythm, but for you personally, I'm sure you want more. Yeah,
I mean, I'm just trying to win ball games for the club,
to be honest, it's been a lot of fun so far. I don't
get a lot of strikeouts of the defense has helped me out a lot,
sou and they've been great. We've had a great defense all year. But
no, it's been a lot of fun. I'm enjoying it. Still got
a long ways to go, though. On the flip side, strikeout pitchers,
sometimes the guys behind them kind of get bored when they're not doing much
stuff. But it seems like the pace that you pitch at and the way
these guys play behind you, it works that you work fast and you induce
a lot of contact. Yeah. I mean it's always been something that I've
done is just work fast, try and get the guys back in the dugout,
trying and put up more runs, get them off their feet as much
as I can. Do you pay attention to that when people want to poke
holes in your game and say, well, you know, he puts up
zeros, but he doesn't strike out a lot of guys. No, I
don't care. Zeros is it's the only thing that really matters. Do you
feel like you're starting to find pitches that can dial up for you to be
able to get that strike out when you need it. Oh? Yeah,
there's opportunities certain pitches of certain areas. You know, the last couple of
games, I've gotten a couple of strikeouts on fast on heaters up and heaters
around the zone and stuff like that, and then I think that'll open up
my change up. Uh, And the slider has been good too, so
you know, just trying to find ways to open up the change up and
then and then you know, catching them off guard with the other crap.
What's the biggest difference between the way your change up appears and the way your
two seamer appears to hitters because they're both pitches down in the zone. Yeah,
I'm honestly, I mean, I'm not sure. I know two seamen
has more vertical on it obviously, Uh, probably more run too, but
I mean that feels the natural pronation feels good out of my hand. Uh,
And so that's why the two seam works really well. And then and
then the changeup I've had since I got into Pro Bowl, and it's,
uh, you know, it's a it's a pitch where you gotta you gotta
keep making adjustments on week to week. But no, they've been, they've
been, honestly two of my best pitches this year. Gavin. Just hearing
you talk about pitching, it feels like you're constantly learning and you thrive and
trying to to figure out different shapes for these pitches. How much do you
enjoy that part of it. Yeah, when you have multiple pitches that do
different shapes, it's fun to play around with different parts of the zone.
Like a couple of weeks ago, me and Walker and Connor and all,
like Mark was talking about, you know, front hip two seamers to lefties
and stuff like that, and so trying that out in the ball game.
And then you know, backdoor cutters and stuff like that. It's always fun
to just mix it up, mix around the zone and stuff like that and
see whatever, see what holes I can find, to be honest. Gavin
Stone is our guest. Speaking of Walker Bueller, your roommate Bobby Miller talked
about how he's started to become more friends with him. What's the relationship between
the young guys and Buehler, who's really not that much older than you guys.
Yeah, that's funny. He was talking about Jones the other yesterday saying
that Walker was his guy, and Walker's like, I'm not even thirty yet,
no, but he's he's literally just a book of information. He's got
so much stuff that he can lay on you and it's all useful, you
know, It's it's great information. He's been around the League for a while.
He's pitching a lot of high leverage you know games and stuff like that,
and so the information that he gives is you know, it's really really
fun and entertaining to listen to him, especially in his bullpen work, you
know, him talking back and forth to Connor and Mark. You know,
you honestly learn a lot from that. And like he's one of the guys
that likes to, I don't know, throw different shapes in different areas kind
of like I do. And so just watching him and learning learning from him
has been really really helpful. That's awesome to hear. And the one thing
that I love about you and him is that you're able to keep your composure
and your mound presence in different situations. Where does that come from for you?
Because it never feels like you're rattled on the mound. Yeah, that
was something that you know, I'm thankful for UCA whenever I went there.
Coach Arline, he's he was the pitching coach then he's the head coach now.
But he was all about mentality and being strong on the mount and keeping
your composure and having a little heartbeat. And I mean those three years were
that's that was that's where I learned. That was from those three years in
college. And he does a great job and he's got he got the head
job after I left, and so that that program is still flourishing. And
I'm really thankful, you know, from my time there and what he taught
me. That's not just you on the mound, just being around you the
last couple of years. That's the way you live your life. It doesn't
seem like you get too excited or too sad about many things. Yeah,
there's no reason for that. I mean, uh, it's just life,
to be honest. You go through life. Some days are gonna be better
than others. Some days are going to be, you know, worse than
others. Uh. You just have to you know, be the same person.
Really love it. I need to learn that. I'm forty plus and
I'm very emotional. That's okay, That's okay. Some people are some people
are wired different. But right, Thanks a lot for the time, Gavin.
Really appreciate talking to you. And like I've said many times, you're
an easy guy to root for. And we'll certainly uh find that battery for
your boombox soon. Thanks appreciate it. There he is the man Gavin Stone
even when the power goes out, cool as a cucumber,