This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jacon Zalis on Fox Sports
fourteen fifteen powered by Nova Insurance Services, Hed Sure your most Prized Possessions,
katz R two SOA and I Heeart Radio Station. Hey, good afternoon,
everybody. Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Towards fourteen fifty.
I'm Steve Rivera. He's Jagon Zos. We have a new intern today,
Sid from Gilbert, the guy who hates a issue. Yeah, yep,
I also hate to you and I'm happy to be here. Good answers.
Wait, Wait, well, I want to mention. We just found out
from Sid that his your uncle and your dad's your dad's friend was was a
very good football player at Arizona in the mid eighties, Gordon Bunch. So
it was nice to hear that. So it's got some it's got some connections
to Tucson, and you was smart enough to come to the U instead of
going today. We had Lamont Hunley yesterday played during that era. Had you
been on yesterday, you could ask him some questions. What's about where you
could? Do you know stuff about La Monta we should know? Uh No,
I actually just met him for the first time on the weekend. So
that was fun though, Okay was it cool for you? Was it cool
for you to be there with him? Oh yeah, meeting Cecil and all
those guys. Hearing the stories, that's great. They never get old,
even if you don't know what the story is, right. Yeah, So
wait a minute, Wait a minute, nineteen eighty five. That's thirty years
ago. Mm hmm. Oh no, but you weren't around to see a
Gordon play. No, I was his sister. We're a big part of
that. Okay, all right, good, all right. I started to
think, wait a minute, you were like nothing, not even born.
Okay, all right, said well, welcome, thanks for being here.
Yeah, well, good, good afternoon everybody. It's Thursday. We like
you guys to call five two oh four one, six seventy four forty number.
Yes, you got it this time us. How long have we had
that number? Years? Yes? Uh? Okay, And lot's going on
around around the n of NBA, NBA everywhere, even locally the aerone.
We got a football commit We'll get that for football. We'll get that for
breaking breaking news. Okay. And today's show in Balls in Bolls we got
at three fifteen, we got jameson Ken don't call me Jason Hackamy, the
head head baseball roach Arizona. For those of you who follow our social media.
Steve told me wrong. Is what is the story that I'm going with?
And I thought Jason Hackamy was coming on? Who's an assistant coach and
it's Ken Hackem's brother. But Ken Hackemy, the head coach, is coming
on. Pima had a really nice run of a really nice winning streak mid
year. They're moving, you know, kind of cruising through the seasons.
We're gonna get an update from Ken on on Pima's baseball. Very few games
left right, who were almost done with the season there, Uh, talk
to him. And then at four fifteen, at four fifteen, Um,
I forgot what who did I get? You got? You got a tennis
tennis? Oh Clancy, she said, memories are bad. Clancy Shields and
men's tennis coasted coach at Arizona. They're closing out their season with them with
a match against a su this weekend. Um, but they're I think they're
in second place in the Pac twelve right now. They're defending champs, so
a lot at stake for those guys. We want to talk to Clancy Shields
ahead of their match against against a SU. But you know, Clancy's obviously
built this into a program that is, uh, you know, one of
the top programs, not only in the PAC twelve but in the country.
Because if you're the best programs in the PAC twelve in tennis, you're one
of the best programs in the country. Yeah, we found that out last
year. But then you get into the tournament you have to continue that that
success r and they didn't do that. Steve's gonna be very grumpy and talk
about the fact that they lost in the first round. We'll talk of the
of the of the national of the NCAA tournament. I'll think about how I
asked question. Be nice, man, We don't want to hang up.
There might be one of the last questions. We don't want to hang up
on us. But they're again, they're they're they're they're having another great year
and uh looking for or to talking to him. They are nineteen and five.
Yeah, they're five and two in the conference. Um, and they
they've got uh, they've got uh a Sue coming up. A sus not
ranked, so they should smack them around the two tents The two teams they've
lost too in the PAC twelve are number twenty four Stanford and number twenty seven
Utah. Both of those were four three losses. They beat USC and UCLA
on the same weekend a few weekends ago, which was a big deal.
Uscas number nine in the country. So, um, they're really good and
so we'll talk to Clancy and we always have fun with him. He loves
coming on the show. Yeah, Okay, there's a lot of things going
on. We can get a caller from one of our callers from last week
about Nazi's event on Sunday. I think it's Sunday, right, is it
the T Mobile team Michael. Michael's gonna call us again just to remind people.
Oh, that's right, that's right. We have bad joinning from him
too. Well, that's the big d nil stuff going on, and whatever
you guys want to talk about. Uh, you have some breaking news.
We might step into your breaking news. Let's do that because we've had you
know, we keep having this conversation about look, you look really good until
you don't. In the NBA, right, the Suns are gonna be really
good until they're not. If Kevin Durant goes out with an injury, and
um, you know he's uh, he's there. People say that as long
as he's there, they have a shot or our favored to win the Western
Division. You know they got The Sun's got beat by the Clippers in the
In the opening game of the series in Phoenix, people are gonnah, no,
watch out. You know the Clippers are really good. The Suns are
gonna be in trouble. Well, now we find out Kawhi Leonard's out.
He's out for the next game. The Sun's guide the series and now they're
going to San Diego or to la And now Kawhi Leonards out his knee.
Ye, he's got a sprain jee how is he? Is it not to
it's not to um loading management right now because he needs everything. It's a
it's a sprain knee. They say it's the same same need that he that
he had surgery on a while back. But they say it's not. I
don't know if it's not the same part of the knee, but they say
it's not related to the surgery. Yeah, but nonetheless, Kawhi Lander's that
guy. It's it's let me ask you this question, okay, And you
might want to champion. Did you play ball anywhere? We'll get you look
like the same brave um. So so we'll talk about Kawhi and we'll talk
about um Um. Golden State guy, God choose Draymond Green. Draymond Green.
Okay, so you're you're a teammate of them? Are you Are you
poed because this Golden State Dreymond? Just control yourself? Are you pissed because
of that? Or you say, okay, we can play without him.
I'm mad. I'm mad at Draymond Drew a teammate. If I'm a team
I'm mad at him. I'm not mad at Kawhi. But I'm frustrated with
Kawa that he can't stay healthy, you know, and maybe it's no fault
of his own, the entrym you know, it's probably real. I'm sure
he wants to play if he can play, but he just is out lot.
This is I'm frustrated with Kawahi. I'm I'm I'm pissed at Draymond.
And this is a time when you can't afford to have any of this because
you better go home. You gotta play, Yeah, you gotta play,
And if you're not playing, you're not helping, right, I think.
Wow. Some people might argue that Draymond being out here helps them, Well,
no, I do. And there's some people who believe in Michael.
Michaels says he's gonna call me out if he does call he's gonna call me
out on that. I said, okay, that's cool, but I I
would rather he's a pain. He's a pain. Sometimes he's not a great
shooter. He's a defender, but still, come on, you know,
you look, you need it, especially at a talent like kids. You're
so much better when he's playing. I mean, he put up thirty points
in each of the first two games. All of a sudden, you don't
have that. Yeah, I think with them though, they could fit in
with other guys. Uh grunge job what's his name's not playing? Umah,
he hasn't played forever. He's getting paid a lot of money now to play.
But you know, but in the instance of a guy like Kawhi Leonard,
you gotta, you know, you gotta have that guy in the court.
They're already short. He's crucial today, he's critical to them, And
well what about last night Moretta didn't play. You think that, Okay,
Lakers are gonna go too and all with the best players and they got crushed.
Would you see did you see the same thing with the with the box
right right right? But Yanna sits out. But you know, Charles Barkins
said a real interesting thing about that. He said, because because um um
uh, where are they playing the Raptors? Said, they playing the round.
They're playing the Raptors the Heat. That's okay, Tyler, yeah,
exactly, Tyler Hero is out. Yeah, okay, well he's out for
good. Uh. Charles Barkins said a really interesting thing, and he kind
of got shock and and and uhn. Kenny Smith just kind of weren't sure
what he was saying. And what he said was Tyler Hero being out for
Miami is more important than Yanni's being out or so, and he said,
and they they were like, what are you talking about. Yannis is like
the best player in the league, he said, But he said, the
Bucks missing Jannis can still beat the Heat. Okay, they're still good enough
to beat the Heat and probably will beat the people. But Tyler Hero being
out or the Heat, they can't beat the Bucks. It's a bigger deal
that Tyler Hero is out and that if he were playing they would have a
chance of beating the Bucks if the Bucks do not have because of what just
because of how much he means to the team, because well, okay,
but you know that that he's more important to the Heat than Janni says to
the Buck. So did they actually agree with him or did they say they
never they're just kind of like, okay, Charles whatever, But you know
Charles is rarely right. Well, but he made a good point though.
You know, a really good team can lose a player and survive, right,
can lose their best player and survive, or another team can lose their
best player and won't survive. And that's like, it's essentially what he was
saying. Well, there's no question that will walk. You will need him
back because it gets differ if they can do. You gotta have the body,
you gotta have the people. Right. It's hard, right, right,
And the Sons are the Sons one of a couple of nights ago,
the Night to do right, a couple of nights ago. They play at
night. They play a night, the Warriors, the Clippers. I think
I don't know, they both play both playing Warriors played at night for sure.
Once again, that's why you're here. The Warriors are are in tonight
because I have some some three team party on that one. Boy, those
games are going on about the same time. But Warriors. The Warriors are
at seven and the Lakers are set. I mean, the Suns are at
seven seven okay, and then you got the kind of a nothing series.
Uh the seventy six ers against the Nets? Right is the first games two
already? Yeah? Yeah, no, it's tough. I mean, how
do you how do you react to the guys being out when you need them
so desperately? Yeah, So, anyway, so you know, yeah,
the Clippers are at home, but I'm sure I haven't looked her up.
I'm sure they're not favored, you know, with uh with with yeah.
Um. So anyways, that was the conversation. But you know, that's
kind of sa But I guess what I'm talking about is guys are important,
and some guys are more important to teams than other guys. And in this
particular case, you lose a guy like Hawaii all of a sudden, you're
you're kind of a shell of what you what you should be. Uh.
And I was right. The Sons are seven and a half point favorites tonight.
Yeah, I'm sure that was maybe again three and a half most when
he was still Warriors, or six and a half point favorites against the Kings.
Uh, the Nets are giving are getting four and a half at home
against the seventy six ers. I think there's a little, a little,
uh a little the three team parlaygoing here. Good good luck. I hit
one last night. I hit a two teamer last night. Hucky. Yeah,
I have chocky I took, but I did the points I got I
had. I had the uh, the Nuggets and the and the Bucks was
sweating out the Nuggets. Did you see that? Yeah, but that's the
fourth quarter. Um. I really like the way the Nuggets are playing.
Nothing it means anything, you know. But the line was eight and they
won by nine. They were up twenty. Yeah. Then and then I
had dinner. I come back to the game and they're and and the uh
uh they were losing, right, What the hell is going? Yeah?
I know, that's so it is. That's what it is. Okay,
don't gamble everybody, no, no, I know, or if you do,
go do bet dollars drift Kings. Bet of dollars that you can come
on the radio and say you did it. Yeah, Yeah, a lot
of stuff. I'm looking on the wire. There's a lot of bricky news
for you at four o'clock because Live Live, really really I did see what's
going on with Live that what's his name Norman is thinking about definitely bringing women.
Oh did have a little women's little women's live tour. That'd be interesting.
Wow. Okay, now, luck if they're gonna offer huge amounts of
money like that, you know, I can see women going to do that
because they don't they don't make the money that the men do. I don't
even know. I don't even know names. I don't even know names.
You follow it, I don't, I do I know some. Um.
The part of it is that a good chunk of the top women's players are
international players, in particular, you know, Asian players. They're just a
ton of them. But there's still some, you know, still some locals
like uh, the Court of Sisters and you know there's a few of those.
But they play great golf. You know, they're really good. So
if they do, if if the women do a live tour, that'll be
interesting to see how that develops. And I, you know, you there's
probably more dissatisfaction with the LPGA Tour. Then there was men's dissatisfaction with the
PGA Tour, a lot having to do with money. They can't make the
money there, you know, and only the really top golfers, you know,
make a decent amount of you know, through endorsements and stuff like that.
There are a lot fewer of them that are making that level of money
than there were in than there are in the PGA Tour. So that will
be interesting to see. I hadn't seen that one, So we'll time about
that maybe a little bit more, all right. So we got uh Ken
hawkmy coming here. We're gonna talk some Peama baseball. We'll we'll see what
he's got to say about his team and how they're gonna wrap up the season
and what they're gonna what they're gonna do, and uh we'll pick his brain
on what he expects from those guys in the in the postseason because they,
um, you know, they got to the postseason last year, but I
think it ended a little early for the right. All right, So we
will be right back. We'll take we'll have Ken Hawk me on the show
and then we'll take your calls after that. Five twos, there a four
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come, first served basis. Streaming live I mean my heart Radio wire This
is I on the Wall with Steve Rivera and Jaken Zalez on Fox Sports fourteen
fifteen. Hey, welcome back to our on the ball you know, Fox
Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jakin's off now info. We
have Ken? How can we the head coach of the pima as Text baseball
team. How are you Ken? I'm doing great? How are y'all good
to find? This is your nitty gritty time in it? It is?
It is. We got six games to play, so yeah, it's down
to the nitty gritty. What do you tell them now? And what do
you guys stand? You're the top two right league? We are in the
top two right now. We're a game. We're a game in front of
South Mountain and a couple of games in front of Arizona Western. So we
just got to finish strong and finish in the top four and we'll be in
the playoffs. All right. So, um, you went through that streak
in the middle of the year, just want a whole bunch of games in
a row. Um, you know, does that does that kind of thing,
I like to use this word momentum last the rest of the year.
How does that? How do you see that in terms of going on on
a streak like that? Well, I mean it's it's just about collecting wins,
you know, over the course of the year. I mean, it's
a long conference season. We play thirty eight conference games. So every win
that you get, whether it's in the beginning of the of the year,
the middle of the year, the end of the year, they all count
the same. So we we went on, we went on a run,
and we won a lot of games, which put us in a position right
now to um, you know, have a little bit of uh, you
know, a little bit of a lead over some teams. So now we
just got to finish strong and well we'll be right where we want to be.
Do you still have that same type of like to go to Jay's point
that mentality or whatever, because as you close out, you try to hope
to find it again. Right, Yeah, I mean, our guys are
playing well right now. I mean, I'm proud of the way they've they've
played. It's a long season. Uh we won thirty eight games already.
Last year we won thirty eight uh total, and that was the most wins
and you know, twenty years. So the guys are doing a good job
and and and I think they're they're they're they're peaking at the right time.
So it's it's fun to watch. So when you've got a team that's doing
that well, there have to be a lot of things that you guys are
doing well. But what are some of the things that stick out? I
mean, is it pitching, is it heating the defense? A little bit
of everything? What's uh? You know what? What? You know what?
What do you hang your hat on? Right now? Right now?
We're we're we're pretty good on the mound. Um, we have four solid
starters, you know, two that are two that are committed to the U
of A, one committed to as U and one that's going to get drafted.
Probably pretty good. So we've played fifty games, we've started a left
handed pitcher in all fifty games, which is kind of unheard of. But
our our pitching staff has really carried us and kept us in games. And
from the offensive side, you know, we we've done a good job from
one through nine guys just getting key hits and moving runners and scoring guys when
when we have opportunities. So we've been able to play good baseball. I'm
just gonna say, isn't that what baseball is about? Get on moving around,
score some runs. Who are the local kids that have kind of shined.
I mean Andrew Stooki, who went to CDO, has had a great
year. I mean I would say he's going to be up for Conference Player
of the Year. He's really done a great job. He's caught for us,
he's played left field. Um, he's just really really swung the bat
well. Um. And then you know, our short stop with Wescarcia from
South Point has had a has had a great year. He's done a really
good job defensively, and he has has swung the bat and drove in a
lot of runs from in the nine hole, which is great for us.
Um right in Mandu from Sienaga as our second baseman. He also has had
a great year. Uh really played good defense and hitting in the middle of
the order. And then you know on the mound Matt Corney excuse me,
um, Jaden Swanberg from South Point and al A Castro from Push Ridge.
Those are two of our starters, two local guys. So they they've the
local guys have really you know, obviously helped us win a lot of games
with the with the two game sets that you guys play in your series with
with teams, how many starting pitchers were good reliable starting pitchers you need to
have, Well, we gotta have. We we played four conference game of
weeks, so we got to have four starters. So we we play two
doubleheader on Tuesday and a doubleheader on Saturday, so we have we have four
guys that that will that start for us every week. So you're kind of
I don't want to say you're old like us, because you're not old like
us. They're good for you, you know, good for you. But
are you Everyone uses analytics now, everyone kind of gun to that way?
Do you guys do that? There? You know, the huckeb brothers.
Because I'm old school and I understand the numbers and I like the numbers,
but we're not We're not. I mean, don't get me wrong. There's
some some part of baseball that you know, analytics is important, but we're
a little more old school at this level. We're trying to make good contact,
throw strikes, um, you know, put the ball in play,
steal some bases. Just do you know, a little more old school baseball
and not get caught up in launch angle and shift and you know things like
that. Think well, along those lines, what do you make of the
new rules one? And do you think eventually they're going to trickle down?
I do not think they will trickle down. I think that's going to be
a professional deal. I really don't see it coming coming down, uh to
this level. I mean, I don't know. I part of me likes
it, part of me doesn't. You know. It's just one of those
things where you know, I think teams should be able to do whatever they
want to do. And I think, uh, you know, if you
want to play you know, eight guys on one side of the field,
and you feel like that's the best way, uh you can win a game,
then then do it. And it's the other team's uh challenge to to
to play against that and do things to help your team one and make an
adjustment and so I don't know. So they talked tell us a little bit
about the overall strength of the of the league this year. Um, you
know, you always seem to have teams that are you know, great National
league. Uh, you know Central leagues your your league again, I mean,
just talk to us a little bit about what you face weekend and week
out in this league. We face we face really good teams weekend and week
out. I mean, this league is, from top to bottom, is
the best junior college baseball league in the country. And I would argue that
with anybody in the country, and I think all of the coaches in this
conference feel the same. Um, We're facing guys every weekend on the mound
that are that are big time Division one pitchers. You know, guys that
are going to u of A and Nebraska and ASU and TCU, and I
mean, and it goes from you know, from the best Division one junior
college to the best you know, to the worst Division two junior college.
Every every guy, every team has really good guys on the mound and they're
capable of beating you. So uh, there's just really no no days off.
You know, if you don't show up and you don't play hard and
play well, you're gonna lose. You know. So last year you want
thirty eight, Like you said, you're at thirty eight. Now, how
did last year's nice run and you made the playoffs? That's year right.
We did not make the fun We were finished a couple games out, and
that's that's going back to, you know, this league being so good.
I mean, for us to win thirty eight games and not make the playoff,
that tells you a lot about the strength of our conference. Well,
so let me say, how did that motivate you then to play, you
know, a little bit better and probably win more games this year. You
know, it's just it's all about trying to get better, you know.
I mean every every year, we're just trying to get a little bit better.
And we know going into the season how tough the schedule is going to
be and how good the teams are going to be that we play. So
in order to keep up, we got to do a good job recruiting,
We got to do a good job coaching and developing, and and hopefully we
uh, we do things well enough that'll give us a chance and postseason.
So as you again when you've got young guys and who energetic, probably in
great shape and stuff like that, but still you're fifty games into your season.
You got you got six regular season games left. Talk about just things
that you have to keep an eye on, to make sure one that guys
are healthy, that they're rested, that they're ready to go, you're pitching
staff, that the arms are still strong. Just discuss some of the things
that you have to keep an eye on. All of that. Well,
I think right now, just like today, our practice was short and sweet.
I mean, you you you kind of hit the nail on the head.
I mean, we're we're trying to get some stuff done, but we're
trying to make sure our guys are healthy, they're rested. I mean,
it's a long season, and for us to go out and practice for two
to three hours, we would make no sense. Right now, at this
time of the year, it's more about getting out there, you know,
getting some swings in, taking some groundballs, throwing some bullpins, and getting
out and letting them rest their bodies. Yeah nice, even though you know,
well you have six games, right it's all out or nothing. Yeah,
Yeah, I mean we just we just gotta we we gotta finish strong.
Our guys, you know, our our guys put themselves in a good
position, um to, you know, to to make the playoffs. We
just got to do. We gotta do our part here in the last six
games and win some games and we'll be right where we need to be.
So so if in the six I'm sure you probably already looked at it.
What what do you need to do to stay at number two? If you
can, if you can move to number one, but to stay at two,
well, I think I think we we're gonna have to probably finish at
least five hundred in these last six games, you know, go at least
three and three. I mean, we play South next Tuesday, and and
they're they're right behind us. Um so that'll be a big, big matchup.
And you know, I mean, every every every team that we play
is going to be a big matchup. But you know the thing about it
is everybody has to play everybody. So I mean we you know, if
we if we lose a game, you know, there's gonna be some other
people that are playing each other and and somebody's can have to win, and
somebody's gonna have to lose. So, um, you know we're we're we're
in a good we're in good shape right now. We just we just got
to play play our our brand of baseball the last six games and we'll be
we'll be fine. So uh, you're talking a little bit more about your
pitching staff. So you know who's coming up You've got you know, you've
got a doubleheader this week coming up against against Western. You know who who
do we expect to see? You guys are going to Yuma, so um,
who do you who do you expect to see? And then South Mountain
your last home games here next Tuesday? Who's on the mound? What what
do you expect from these guys? So for us on Saturday, uh,
Anthony im Hoff will pitch the first game and l A. Castro will pitch
the second game. And then on Tuesday when we play South Mountain, it'll
be um Jaden Swanberg hit pitch in the first game and Matt Cornelius pitch in
the second game. So um, that's all lined up, and that's been
you know that we've kind of had that planned and processed and the whole year.
So guys know when they're gonna pitch and and we plan bullpens around it
and get them ready to go. You know, we were talking about you
know, analytics all that, guys, Is it based on is your the
way you set up? Is it based on matchups? Where are these guys?
They're in a rotation. It's their turn and they pitch. Yeah,
they're in a rotation. It's their turn and they pitch. So it doesn't
matter who we're playing. We have guys that pitch on Tuesdays, and we
have guys that pitch on Saturdays. And it's the same guys every week unless
for some reason it's there's an injury or somebody sick or something like that.
But um, the same guys have pitched for us on Tuesdays and Saturdays all
year long. It's funny. I played ball baseball halfway decent, But it's
baseball, so routine, right, everybody has a routine. If you're a
Tuesday guy, you're a Tuesday guy. You play the way the way you've
grown up playing. It's kind of it's just the way it is, and
you played it all your life, right Coach? Oh yeah, yeah,
definitely. I mean it is a routine, and uh, you know,
every week is planned out, Uh as far as our pitchers go, and
based on you know, when they're going to throw in a game, and
you know, and we have their bullpen scheduled and they throw a certain amount
on this day and that day, and so uh, you know it's they're
all ready to go on their on their start. So I just got a
message from somebody. So your your last games at home? When are they?
Uh? Next Tuesday? Next Tuesday at West Yes, at West Campus.
It'll be our sophomore day. So we'll have a little uh ceremony before
before the game starts, and you know, recognize all of our sophomores and
then we'll get going. So I should know this already. Coach, how
long have you been there? This is my fifth year. Fifth year.
I was gonna ask you if baseball, if the kids have changed, you
know, in a nil has changed the division one game like crazy, But
has it changed at all in your in your divisions? You know what it
has? It hasn't yet. We were just having that conversation with one of
my assistant coaches yesterday, and I think that you know, it's going to
trickle down into into junior college in certain places. I mean there's gonna be
certain schools. They're gonna have big donors and they're gonna have money, and
they're gonna be able to pay some kids to come and play for him.
So uh, as of right now, I don't think that's a that's an
issue in our league and our conference. I think everybody is just playing straight
up scholarship baseball, recruiting kids like it like it always has been. Now
we've you know, we talked about coaches that have decided they don't like coaching
now because of how things have changed, how the athletes have changed. Um,
you know David Ruby, I mean he's very open, you know,
volleyball coaching Arizoni's very open about the fact that I can't coach these kids anymore.
I can't relate to him, I can't get to him. Something along
those lines. But that's basically what it was in terms of the kinds of
kids you're getting. Where the way kids are on the team and around you
and how they handle their teammate is that kind of the same. Where do
you see that changing or evolving as well? You know, I don't think
it's changed much for us. I mean it could, you know, it
might have a little bit but you know, as a coach, you have
to you got to change yourself a little bit, you know. I mean,
it's just the way culture is. And I mean I'm a I'm a
little old school and guys that play for me understand that there's expectations that,
um, guys do things a certain way. And um, sometimes it's difficult
for certain people, you know, to play for me because they like to
do things a little different and I don't. I don't allow it, so
um. But at the same time, and you know, I've had to
change the way I've coached a little bit just because kids are a little bit
different. And if if you want to if you want to be good and
you want to be able to relate to kids, sometimes you've got to make
some changes as well. Yeah, yeah, okay, coach, appreciate your
time. Good look this next six games, all right, I appreciate thanks
for having me. Yeah, coach Ken hawking me pea another good job.
Another good year. Well you know again, and think about it. They
won all those games last year and I just didn't make you know, they
finished fifth in the league. But they're in second place now, so they
got a chance. And as I said, if they can split these six.
It looks like looking at the standards, look at what they got two
series coming up twelve. Yeah, so that's that's the thirty twelve South Mountains
right behind him, they're also thirty and twelve and they're a game behind.
So they have South Mountain two games next week and Tucsons, so that's gonna
be important. And they've got Arizona Western who's in fourth place. So the
next four games or against crucial against you know, the the third and fourth
place teams in the league. Those ones are hard. They need to probably
need to split both of those series. But what are you saying, yeah
to kind of assure themselves. Okay, let's take off and come back.
All right, let's take our break. We're gonna come back and uh we'll
take your calls five two zero four on talk a little PEMA baseball. We're
here from talks of NBA and Steve and I are all over the NBA su
right, Okay, we'll be right back. I'm a racing. If you're
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This isn't I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen. They welcome back to
I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen. Cookie, I'm ski Remember
he's Jacon's us. Got my boys sit here, sitting in and now we
get some calls. Maybeitely got about eleven minutes, and you want to call
and then you heard so I want to talk about anything? You want to
talk about the NBA as they play tonight, The Warriors gonna pull it off
tonight without Draymond. I think, yes, you think so did didn't have
to. But I saw something on the internet saying that the Golden State's pissed
because he he got suspended. Right, They're right, They're gonna show him
that they could play without him, right, And and they're just upset how
it was handled pretty much. Yeah, you know again how I was handled
by by the end of the NBA because they suspended him and they thought it
wasn't that big of a deal because he got ejected part of a game for
anyways, right correct, right, and and that and that someone us was
kind of part of it too. Yeah, you know, because he kind
of initiated it. I don't know, if you initiate it wasn't that bad
outside of the SAMP I mean, I'm not even sure that he should have
gotten kicked out of the game. Yeah, you know, there's a lot
of people who say he should have. He's Raymond Green, He's always doing
this. You know, you gotta you gotta do something. But when I
first saw it the first I just thought, full speed, I thought,
what was the big deal? You see the slow most you think, okay,
there's more to it, and you know that, they go and review
it like that, look at it all the angles and stuff like that.
Then they decided it was like the Christian Leader thing that was purposely you know,
delivered, And I don't know, I'm not sure again again, I
think I think we've said if it wasn't Raymond Green. He probably doesn't get
Let's also remember that Golden State's pretty good at home, they're not very good
on the road year, so that was not surprised going zero on two.
But now they have to win two at home just to save a save face
because you gotta go to seven. Probably, Yeah, so I don't know.
Yeah, I mean, I'm there's still a lot of people who believe
that that the the Warriors will win this series. Yeah, I'm one of
them. I'm well, I'm not firm on it, but I think that
they still can send the Sacramentos. I think the perception of Sacramento has been
a long time Sacramento. They haven't been this good since Baby was on the
team in him and Chris Member and now here they are. Um, we'll
see, we'll see. I do like Denver, they played really well.
Aaron Gordon's playing really well, um doing what he does well. And I'm
just looking at the at the odds to win and win the championship. The
Warriors are still ahead of the King fourth. The Warriors, Yeah, they
are fifth, seventh, seventh, What sort of the number you've got the
Celtics box who are both under three hundred, The Sons, the Sixers,
the Nuggets. They got the Lakers at plus fifteen hundred and the Warriors at
plus sixteen hundred. Yeah, what are the Nuggets? The Nuggets are eight
fifty. I think you got the middle eleven a small twenty twenty fels whatever.
But I like the numbers. No one's talking about him, so that's
cool. Yeah, you know, I watched pretty much all of the Nuggets
game last night. I know Luca don is different. He's good, really
good. It kind of looks like a fat guy running around that there,
doesn't he guy he's seven seven whatever is he just does so well? Yeah,
but but you're right, he you know, he moves around, he
passes. I'm not saying he's not a good player. I'm just saying you
look at him and you're surprised at how good he is. Stout. Yeah,
let me explain this to Sin because you just new to the program.
Jay likes guys who look good in uniform. Out of him coming off a
bus and said, God, that guy can play. Should we run it
by it? Can we run the argument with him? Okay? When you
put on your baseball, wait, make it good though. When you put
on your baseball when you put on your baseball uniform? Did it have to
be perfect for me? The pants for the must important part, if hands
gotta fit right for me? Okay? But okay, the rest of it.
He's saying that if you dress well, you play well. I'm saying,
put me in a gunny sack. I'm gonna play the same and I'm
gonna play my ass off. Uh. For me, I needed the stirrups.
I was pretty specific. I needed mine. What kind of player?
Would you? Probably? But did you okay? Did you feel like if
everything was just right you felt better on the field? Oh? Yeah,
for sure. I was a big routine guy. Did you play better?
I did, especially since I was a pitcher. Everything was had to be
perfect for me to go out there. So you must have been undefeated.
No, there's point. My point is uniforms don't being much. This town
goes Bizoncres over overniforms. Let me see, everyone's looked pretty good at football
uniforms. They haven't won a whole lot. Now. The uniforms during the
Summlin years were awful, and they were and everything about those years were awful.
If they'd have had better uniforms, they have been better. Did you
know what I'm talking about? Just you put the best players and give them
number with the little T shirt. They'll be fine. They'll be fine.
Did you see what happened yesterday with uh with the guy from Oregon um and
and Lebron? Oh? Uh, Dylan? What a what a pub that?
You know what? What? I get it, I get it,
I get it. But what he's he's trying to and I think it's his
way of giving himself confidence by by kind of downplaying Lebron sing I'm as good
as him or whatever. Maybe that makes him feel better about him. So
did you listen to the comments afterward? Yeah, yeah, that's what you're
talking. Okay. I want to make sure because you got the full context.
He's old, he's blah, Yeah really come on, Yeah, that's
just gonna piss him up. He's talking yourself into not leading him be as
much of a factor as he is because he's really the best player. Well,
I think that Thompson says the best, that this guy should talk a
lot when they're winning. When they're not winning, they sure don't talk a
lot, right, But and you know what he even said, He said,
I like poking the bad people say, don't poke the bear. Get
that, I get that, And he's good at that. He's good at
that. But when they poked back. Yeah, there's a phrase in basketball
and basketball and probably and everything other than other things. Uh, the teams
that press don't like to get pressed, right because they're not used to it.
Right. It's like the bully thing. How do you how do you
take care of a bully? You bully, bully him right back, you
bully the right and they don't know what to do. But think of the
many legendary stories we've heard about somebody poking Michael Jordan, right, polking Larry
Bird the worst thing, Kobe Bryant worst and then where you know, then
Kobe's gonna go for eighty two on you right right, you know, Larry
Bird says, I'm gonna shoot from that spot when when the ball comes out
and you can't stop me, and then he does. Right. But I'm
I'm all for not poking the bear. Yeah, just play, just play.
Although it's go for the bear by beating him, it makes a good
copy and it makes good stories. Good for us. Yeah, sure,
he gave us a couple of minutes there to talk about something, But no,
I I'm a I'm a believer in that. Right. You know,
if you're if you're the team that's you know, two and two and eight
and you're going against somebody who's undefeated, have all the confidence in the world
that you can win the game. But don't go out and say it to
those guys. You just piss no no, no said, So you played,
you pitched. I'm sure there was a time or two that you probably
wanted to hit a batter or two. Yeah, there was. There definitely
a few times in high school those games would get really intention just with everyone
being so close right right, and some of them talked a lot of crap,
right probably, and you say, you know, next time you're up,
watch for the one inside. You're gonna get one in the ear.
Yeah. That we had a sign with that catch yourself. We had that
off figure out. So did you actually I don't know if you want to
admit it, but did you actually punk that guy through behind? I felt
it was more effective. I didn't get a free base. That's the Randy
Johnson exactly exactly exactly. You know, you know, funny story. My
son, I'm old school, So my son was old school in baseball so
we're playing a team. They're beating out, they're up on twenty runs,
okay, and they steal a base. Right my son is playing shortstop.
He starts walking in from shortstop to go tell our picture to hit the guy.
And I'm like, get back in your position. Just let's end this
game. Because he got mad and he was gonna tell our picture to hit
him. And I said, you know, I know what you're saying,
I know what you want to do, but you know what, let's let's
just get out of here, you know, get out of here. Down
you have talked about this while I was, well, you know, we
don't have to go that. Well, yeah, because interesting. But we
had a few of those my last season as a as a head baseball coach.
We weren't very good though, and we had a lot of frustrating games,
and there were some things so and that was one of them. Were
down a bunch and again the guy stole the base, and what are you
doing stealing the base? You're by you know, twenty something in the stats
from the stats Adam wanted. Adam wanted a ball in the guy's ear on
the next pitch, and our poor picture thrown so many pitch. He might
have hit him right and I no, no, because position. But he's
gonna have to aim at the guy. Where that's gonna go. Who knows
where that's gonna go. Man, I saw a pitch the other day.
Uh do you see the umpire He took one in the face. I mean,
and he went down, went off the bat. No, went off
the bat. And we're talking. I mean but just nick the bats so
missed the catcher's glove and I mean square in the face. Think pops up.
He's flopped face down to the ground. He's go. Man, that's
just a that's just a tough job. It's just a tough well. They
may not need him anymore. They're gonna train. Maybe think about going to
it. Yeah, I don't know if you did see that. You know
the max shers are getting tossed yesterday because of the stuff on his hands.
Um, that's happened since they started the checking the hands. They three pitchers
have been tossed from a game for having sticky stuff on their hands this year.
Three years. I think it's two years. That's not only three guys.
All three times it's been the same umpire. Oh. Some people are
saying this guy's got it different than everybody. Doesn't the opposing team have to
request it or no, no, no, once every pitch or once a
game goes in coming off the coming off the mound, before he gets to
the dugout, they checked their hands, they checked their glove and they checked
their hands. Okay, and so they instituted that I think last year.
So in three last years, this year, it's only happened three times that
somebody from getting checked like that has gotten tossed. And all three times there's
the umpire who did it. Yesterday, it makes sense. Did you see
that the ref for the Chris Paul. Yeah, he overcame the Chris finally
beat the Chris Paul finally won a game against that ref. Yeah, twelve
and I think it was. Yeah, But there's really interesting. Max Chers
are still pissed off. He's gonna get a ten game suspension. Yeah.
Yeah. There's also free breaking news of the Diamondbacks and they're one of their
pitch you probably have him drafted. I won't go there until we do.
The breaking news was released today. Oh bum garnery, they let him go.
Bitch thirty four million. They have eating it, eating it well,
I mean he got he got crushed yesterday, he got crushed. And then
while he was getting crushed, he got in a he got in a big
argument with through a tantrum for you know, because you know why, because
he thought the batter swung too hard. I didn't understand that. I don't
understand. He was fifteen and thirty two for the Diamondbacks and all that time.
But he thought he thought the batter disrespected him by swinging so hard that
he kind of stumbled across the batter's box and he and he got mad at
him and started yelling at what's the deal there? There's no deal there?
Right, hessed him do it again? All right, Okay, we're gonna
be right back with breaking news, Steve said, lots of stuff going on,
so stick around for that, and then we're gonna have a fancy shield
on a men's tender. Will be right back m