WEBVTT 1 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.960 Hello and welcome to Batflips and Nerds, the Baseball podcast 2 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:16.839 with a British twist. 3 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:18.399 I am your host this evening. 4 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:23.160 Russell lieson and if we have another interview for you 5 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.160 today and another one with some Slate Red Sox connection, 6 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:29.280 but somebody who also has a massive connection to this podcast, 7 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.200 someone who has been a guest. I think we're now 8 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:36.320 on episodsumber five times that they've joined us on this podcast. 9 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.240 Definitely a record as the set records all around baseball 10 00:00:40.280 --> 00:00:42.679 with what they're doing right now. Delighted to be with 11 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:47.200 Liam Carroll, who is now the manager of Hi a 12 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.880 Greenville Drive, who has obviously also been part of the 13 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:52.640 Salem Red Sox in the past couple of seasons as 14 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.960 well as the gb national coach, as well as many 15 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:59.280 of things in British baseball with the London Mets or 16 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:02.600 Bracknell or Bournemouth and many of other places in between. 17 00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:05.439 Liam, Welcome, it's a pleasure to have you once again. 18 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:07.120 Thanks us. 19 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:08.680 Well, it's crazy to be back. It's been too long, 20 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:10.120 so we really looking forward to the chat. 21 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:14.319 Yeah, so for our long time listeners, most of you 22 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:15.879 will know Liam, but I think it is kind of 23 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:19.400 worthwhile doing a whistle to stop tour of since we've 24 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.560 probably last had you up to two thousand and four. 25 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:26.280 So Liam, like you were, obviously he'll have an American dad, 26 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:28.920 a British mum brought up in like the UK, but 27 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.239 baseball was still something like that you wanted to do 28 00:01:31.319 --> 00:01:33.280 even though you had very little access to it. 29 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:39.920 Yeah, no doubt, just incredibly fortunate with there being enough 30 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:43.079 British baseball where I was, and also my dad getting 31 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:46.599 involved in various British baseball circles. 32 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:49.239 And I mean really cutting to the. 33 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:53.239 Chase, it was the British baseball giants, the likes of 34 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.239 Kevin Marshall, Alex Malahoudis and Nick Carter who inspired me 35 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:59.879 to want to go and play in the States. Went 36 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:04.879 Delta Community College, where Nick and Gavin went. Realized soon 37 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:07.439 into my coaching all my playing career that I wasn't 38 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:10.439 cut out to be very good at playing, so by 39 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:14.360 the end of my college career had begun to coach effectively, 40 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:18.840 and rather than finishing my collegiate eligibility as a player, 41 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:22.560 took an opportunity to join the coaching staff at UNLB 42 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:26.719 spent in all five seasons there that ended in twenty ten. 43 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.560 There's national team involvement throughout this part of my career 44 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.800 twenty ten to the last until COVID basically national team, 45 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:41.439 BSUK Academy, High Performance Academy, some London Mets as you mentioned, 46 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:46.919 and then just incredibly fortunate, largely through relationships built to 47 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:48.919 have had the opportunity. 48 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:49.240 To join the Red Sox. 49 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:54.080 This is now my third season after two in Salem. 50 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:57.120 Excited this year as you mentioned, to move up to 51 00:02:57.240 --> 00:02:59.400 Hi A and join the Greenville Drive. 52 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:04.560 So yeah, obviously let's start with Salem then, like that 53 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:07.879 is this something that you obviously we know I took 54 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:09.319 to you personally. It is something you were very much 55 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:12.479 aiming for as a possibility. You wanted to push as 56 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.599 far as you could in this coaching and this managerial 57 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:18.680 world within baseball. But for how long did you think 58 00:03:18.680 --> 00:03:21.199 it was a realistic target to be like, to get 59 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:22.960 into like my league baseball. 60 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:28.759 Really only the two or three seasons proceeding getting hired. 61 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:32.199 It was something I never thought. 62 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:36.479 Was possible, as the walls of professional baseball were pretty solid, 63 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:39.199 and if you hadn't had a professional playing career, it 64 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:42.280 was rare that a coach got a look in and 65 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.400 that certainly changed dramatically in the last decade or so. 66 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.759 Andrew Wright is our director or our field coordinator. I 67 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:54.479 met Andrew at the ABCA convention a few years back 68 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:58.080 while he was still a college coach. Then he got 69 00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:03.080 in with the Yankees invited to apply there, so for 70 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:05.639 the next two or three years applied but. 71 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:10.000 It never really went anywhere. So, okay, this is cool. 72 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.520 It's nice to have a conversation and interview. And then 73 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:15.080 suddenly he moved. 74 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:18.519 To the Red Sox and I ended up with a job. 75 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:23.399 But was really only despite always having the professional baseball dream, 76 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:25.959 it was really only something that became a legitimate goal 77 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:28.079 within the last few years. 78 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:30.199 And I think as the national. 79 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:33.759 Team has success, especially since the advent of the World 80 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:38.879 Baseball Classic and British baseball being under a microscope a 81 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:41.879 little bit more, I think it always seemed inevitable that 82 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:47.279 national teamers would get the opportunity with so many caliber people, 83 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:51.879 and so no surprise really that more recently Drew has 84 00:04:51.959 --> 00:04:54.600 ended up in professional baseball as well, and I expect 85 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.160 and hope that there will be more in the future. 86 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.519 Yeah, it's amazing to see this kind of like can 87 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:04.519 continue to through and because for everybody it's almost in 88 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:06.920 all regards, it's like if you can see someone do something, 89 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:09.720 it becomes a possibility for like, this is something that 90 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:12.360 I can attaint to. We have players who want to 91 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:15.800 be players in Major League Baseball, but for some people 92 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:18.839 who are thinking that like oh my my time is up, 93 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.360 like there's no chance of being involved in this, there's 94 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:24.360 still opportunities for people to continue to grow and develop, 95 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:28.279 and it's amazing to see that. With you kind of 96 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:33.800 coming into like that situation in a ball it was 97 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:36.639 probably quite different to what you've been doing for the 98 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:42.240 last few years with British baseball, where you're effectively chasing 99 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:45.199 I don't know, you know, probably chasing and calling like 100 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.279 two hundred guys to be like, please come play at 101 00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:50.800 this baseball tournament and then actually spending like a week 102 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.720 with some guys, maybe two weeks with some guys and 103 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:56.240 getting to get to work out what do I do 104 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:57.800 with these people? How do I get them to play 105 00:05:57.800 --> 00:05:59.920 the best baseball in like two weeks to being like, 106 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:06.600 oh now I've got like a year to look develop 107 00:06:06.759 --> 00:06:09.680 sort of players. How did that like mentality for you 108 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:12.040 change and how did that style of actually having coaching 109 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.199 impact you in that first year in Salem, you know, it. 110 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:19.040 Was a lot of similarities, but definitely the differences. And 111 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:23.519 one of the things that is fantastic is just a 112 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:27.680 caliber of the player, the depth of talent, and that 113 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:32.439 myself nor any of our other uniform staff need to 114 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:37.439 spend any time worrying about the players where they come from. 115 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:42.120 The scouts that we have are absolutely incredible, and the 116 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:46.480 caliber of players remarkable. That's obviously true across all thirty organizations. 117 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:52.120 Sort of show up every day and have these elite athletes, 118 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:57.079 elite baseball players, really is a privilege. The similarities, I mean, 119 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:02.759 there are still people and and ultimately, while the baseball 120 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:06.480 specifics are fun and of course they're critical, you're building 121 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:11.720 relationships with people from different backgrounds, from different countries, with 122 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.399 different likes and dislikes, different interests and disinterests. 123 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:18.040 So that hasn't changed. 124 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:22.079 That's just the same as running an academy session in Coventry. 125 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:29.319 So I've enjoyed it thoroughly, and I think while the 126 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:33.680 difference of doing it every single day is the biggest difference, 127 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:38.680 planning an academy practice for one hundred and twenty kids 128 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.439 in Coventry or in Milton Keynes and figuring out how 129 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:45.040 it works and working with others, because it takes a village, 130 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:47.800 working with others to figure out how to solve that 131 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:50.480 problem so that the kids in Coventry or Milton Keynes 132 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:53.800 have a great experience that's very similar. And as a 133 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:57.279 minor league manager, while I do have various hats I 134 00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:59.639 need to wear, arguably the biggest one is making sure 135 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:02.160 that this sedule works every day so that our coaching 136 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.399 staff can do their job, so that our players can 137 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:05.879 do theirs. 138 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:08.759 And I think about like some of the conversations that 139 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:12.480 we had between the two of us sat in maybe 140 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:15.160 like pass Yanks or Homer and house where we were, 141 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:18.759 we were coming up with ways for you to analyze 142 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:21.839 the baseball that dB could play with the limited amount 143 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:23.720 of data that we have to work out, like the 144 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.319 if we do everything small right, then we should win 145 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:29.759 more games than like we lose, or we were looking 146 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:33.600 for all of these small statistics. I imagine now some 147 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:36.480 of that still is the same, but you have such 148 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:42.279 a plethora of information at your at your fingertips. Now, 149 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:45.480 how how do you kind of work together with that transition? 150 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:47.759 How do you start to think about, well, what's important 151 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:50.440 and what's not important, even because you now have potentially 152 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:51.279 too much data. 153 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:52.159 Yeah, and I. 154 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:54.559 Think one of the things that we as an organization 155 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.480 do very well is bridge the gap between what's available 156 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:00.840 and what we can crunch, if you will, to making 157 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:03.279 that useful for the player and useful for the code. 158 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:10.519 As you've referenced, like anything imaginable technology wise, data wise, 159 00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:14.440 analytics wise isn't there or being built or at least 160 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:19.399 is an idea. And it was quite intimidating at first 161 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:24.480 having some insight into the new wave of how baseball works, 162 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:28.360 but never having any hands on experience. A little bit intimidating, 163 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:30.679 thrown in at the deep end. But again, we have 164 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:35.039 a great education within the organization, great people that help 165 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.120 bridge the gap. And each year we've got a little 166 00:09:39.159 --> 00:09:42.639 bit better and that's enabled me to be a little 167 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:46.799 bit better ensuring that I can leverage the technology, leverage 168 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:52.080 the data. And we're also we're very clear on what 169 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:56.960 we think is required in terms of being successful as 170 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.480 a big league team, being successful as a big league player. Uh. 171 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:05.240 And because we have that understanding, we can be very specific, 172 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:09.399 very directed, very intentional about how we try and improve 173 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:11.000 those things at the minor league level. 174 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.679 Yeah, and I think the Red Sox as a whole 175 00:10:14.679 --> 00:10:17.679 has had not necessarily like an organizational shift, but with 176 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:20.480 their changing at the top and then they're bringing in 177 00:10:20.519 --> 00:10:23.639 of people like Kyle Body, it feels that like this 178 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:26.559 and was it just a Wilford and a few others 179 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:29.240 to kind of actually bring this ethos across like the 180 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:33.480 whole entire organization of like this is what we're aiming 181 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.480 for and how we're going to do it together. We 182 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:38.600 had Kyle on here a few weeks back, and he 183 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:41.679 really talked about culture being almost like the most important 184 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:44.720 side of that. How have you've seen the culture of 185 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:48.120 analytics or the culture of kind of like within professional 186 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:51.320 baseball like be different to like that maybe that's like 187 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:53.840 culture of coaching at the national team level. 188 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:59.039 Like the biggest difference from my perspective is while, of 189 00:10:59.080 --> 00:11:01.600 course every game we have for play, we want to 190 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:07.000 win it, and we will play to win, but we're 191 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:09.480 not going to do certain things at the expense of 192 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:13.480 player development. At the end of the day, it's a 193 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:18.799 bonus if in Salem we win. I don't think I 194 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:20.840 lose my job if we have a losing season. Then 195 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:22.759 my first season we did we had a losing season. 196 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:26.080 My second season we won more than we lost. Every 197 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:30.480 time that you play a national team game tournament, you're 198 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:34.519 trying to win, and that it is a significant difference 199 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:35.480 now where. 200 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:37.000 There's so many layers to that was. 201 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:41.039 It's it's been great how the national team's success has evolved, 202 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:42.759 and one of the one of the reasons for that, 203 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:45.559 I think is having depth at the national team level. 204 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:49.320 Looking at the most recent World Baseball Classic team, you 205 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:53.440 did have options off the bench. You could play matchups 206 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:56.480 a little bit based on the information that you have, 207 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:00.159 and I never really had that privilege. I guess that 208 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.759 depth when I was managing the national team and again 209 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:07.159 peeling back another layer. While there is all of those 210 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:09.600 benefits in terms of depth at the national team level, 211 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:13.000 now you don't necessarily have the data because while. 212 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:15.200 There is more money in the program, there's not. 213 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:19.759 As much money as Boston Redtucks have. Hopefully, with the 214 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:25.279 injection from the UK's four ahead of the LA Olympic cycle, 215 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:29.879 true In his team can really start to leverage technology 216 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:32.799 a little bit more to create those margins because it's 217 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:35.840 difficult to win an international baseball game, let alone one 218 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.039 against Timmy USA or the Dominican Republic or Japan. 219 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:42.600 I think it's really interesting that you talk about the 220 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:45.639 culture of not winning not being important, because I imagine 221 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:47.960 that's also foreign to all of the players that you get, 222 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:50.279 because you've got guys that have been coming out of 223 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:53.120 college where they want to get to that college World Series. 224 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:54.720 They want to they want to get that kind of 225 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:57.000 like that feather in their cap because it'll probably help 226 00:12:57.039 --> 00:13:00.159 their draft capital. But then you get them and it's like, Okay, 227 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.159 this is not as important anymore. Is that a difficult 228 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:07.679 discussion to have? Are there some people that potentially struggle 229 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:10.000 with the fact that, like, winning isn't the beal and 230 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:10.799 end all anymore? 231 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:14.879 Yeah? I think I think everyone gets it. I think 232 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:18.480 there's certain situations that become frustrating. I think a key 233 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:23.519 a key a keynote to address It's not the winning 234 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:27.320 is not important, it's that it's not as important as 235 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:32.320 is something else. A great example, an easy example would 236 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:36.200 be it's let's say it's a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday game 237 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:38.799 middle of the week, which is when you're more likely 238 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:43.240 to give a top prospected day off, and it's a 239 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:46.159 close game, and you know that they're the best bat 240 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:48.879 you have on the bench, and maybe if they pinch 241 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:51.600 hit in the ninth your chances of winning the game. 242 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.080 Improve that priority player. 243 00:13:55.159 --> 00:13:58.039 That prospect is not going to pinch hit in that situation, 244 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:00.320 certainly not in the lower levels of the mind. We 245 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:03.000 have to respect the off day rest is critical to 246 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:08.279 their development. Likewise, if a prospect was going through a 247 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.360 slump and there might be a better option on the 248 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:14.639 bench because someone else is hot, I'm not taking the 249 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:18.279 prospect out of the game. So while in the moment 250 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:21.840 there might be some frustrations in some corners about not 251 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:24.399 pushing those button, Certainly you hear it from the fans, 252 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:28.679 why are you not doing this? From the armchair quarterbacks, 253 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:32.480 everyone in the room, while there might be some frustration 254 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:37.120 in the moment, really does get it. And I think 255 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.240 ultimately we have a strong belief that all of the 256 00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:43.600 things that we believe are important, whether it's driven by data, 257 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:49.039 whether it's a more traditional baseball thing, what we preach 258 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.960 to our players, what we encourage our players to buy into, 259 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:57.360 the reasons we draft and develop different players. Winning will 260 00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:58.360 take care of itself. 261 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.960 Oh yeah, that sounds like a really important thing to 262 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:01.799 get through everybody. 263 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:04.240 The thing that jumps in my mind sometimes is what 264 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.120 things that you have to do manage that other people 265 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:07.759 don't have to do. 266 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:10.919 Is you have to take people on injury assignments. 267 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.799 Potentially they're coming down from like higher levels or even 268 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:17.279 the highest level that they'll drop down to do that 269 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:19.960 because of the proximity or just the right day to 270 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:21.480 get somebody to play. 271 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:22.200 Did you get. 272 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.919 Anybody like major in either of your couple of years 273 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:25.600 at Salem. 274 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:26.840 Yeah. 275 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.279 We actually had Zach Kelly on a rehab assignment two 276 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:31.919 years ago and it was very cool. 277 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:33.799 It typically wouldn't happen. 278 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:36.279 I think it's it's very rare that a major league 279 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:40.200 rehab assignment happens in low Way. But Nack is from 280 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:44.519 Rowan Oak, which is next door to Salem, and. 281 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:48.440 He specifically requested it. And what an experience that. 282 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:51.960 Was for our players to rub shoulders, which they have 283 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:56.279 some opportunity to do that during spring training, but to 284 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:59.159 spend a week in the fire in the dog days 285 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:03.159 of August rubbing shoulders with a big leaguer and the 286 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.279 chance for the players to pick the brainer, that's incredibly powerful. 287 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:12.000 And while we do have phenomenal coaches with very different backgrounds, 288 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.000 some of which to include professional and big league backgrounds. 289 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:17.720 I think it's a little bit different when a younger 290 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:21.679 player gets to talk to an older player. Incredibly powerful 291 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:24.240 and while of course the primary reason for Zach being 292 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:28.320 in Salem for a series was his own rehabilitation, it 293 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:30.720 was massively impactful for players too. 294 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.879 And everybody surely expects a nice lunch on Zach as well, yeah, 295 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:37.000 or nice dinner. 296 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:40.639 Yeah there was. There was The post game spread was 297 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:41.320 taken care of. 298 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:43.600 And I guess that's something. 299 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.159 Obviously, you've only been part of major league baseball and 300 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:48.759 minor league baseball since a lot of the improvements have 301 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.799 had been had on the minor league side, but you 302 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.799 probably know you've talked to players, you've worked with players 303 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:58.200 who have been in want It's like horror stories of 304 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.159 the past, but like single be I mean, it must 305 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:02.919 be a completely different world to what it used to 306 00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:05.519 be five years ago, let alone ten years ago. 307 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:09.319 No doubt, and the changes were needed, they were arguably 308 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:13.839 over to you and incredibly important. And as you said, 309 00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:17.200 my frame of reference is non existent other than what 310 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.960 you've heard, but it's safe to say that the players 311 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:23.279 are looked after pretty well now, and that makes perfect 312 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:26.519 sense given we want these players to become big leaguers. 313 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:30.319 The hotels are pretty good, about as good as you 314 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:32.880 can expect in the sort of towns that you're staying in. 315 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:37.599 They get fed well, and of course all those things 316 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:39.880 add into increasing the chances that. 317 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:40.960 They can reach their potential. 318 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:44.799 So well, I'm sure there could be some things improved, 319 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:50.920 and everyone continues to look for an edge. The sleeping 320 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:52.880 and the eating arrangements are pretty good right. 321 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.680 Now, Yeah, I guess so. 322 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:57.839 I think one of the questions I have around about 323 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:00.640 to say how your career is, but rest is, like 324 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:03.960 all the things that you're like coaching, is I feel 325 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:07.960 quite unique in certain scenarios. But also then you're doing 326 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:10.960 the same things again and again and again in other scenarios. 327 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:12.759 Like what are you what are you taking from the 328 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:14.960 times that you were running like training sessions in like 329 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.920 the David Beckham Academy, like in London, and now how 330 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:23.279 you're running those sessions in in Salem or in the 331 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.680 spring training as you are are in Florida right now. 332 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:28.480 I think it's it's we we are given a license 333 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:32.160 to be creative. We know what we believe, we have. 334 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:37.319 Certain method method methodological Did they say that right? I 335 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:41.400 don't know certain principles that we're going to adhere to 336 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:43.839 because we believe that that is the best way to 337 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.880 acquire skills and get better at baseball. But within that framework, 338 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:51.160 we're given flexibility. We're given, as I said, license to 339 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:55.160 be creative, which I think is the perfect place to be. 340 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.240 If you were. 341 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.960 Coaching in Great Britain, and all of us who've done 342 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.880 that have needed to be creative because of the space, 343 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:07.119 because of the equipment, because of the the ratio of 344 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:11.599 floor space to people. And then when you apply that 345 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:17.000 creativity where the resources aren't necessarily unlimited, but they're they're plentiful, 346 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:21.240 that's that becomes a lot of fun. Whether that's now, 347 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:25.839 how can we how can we make sure that we're 348 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.920 investigating all avenues to develop a player, whether we're just 349 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.240 trying to because we're one hundred games in keep it fresh, 350 00:19:34.920 --> 00:19:37.200 or when it is when the rain hits and we 351 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:40.160 have to be forced into the cages or spend less 352 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:44.480 time outside. It's been beneficial for me to have that 353 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:48.960 background and British Spaseball, where I would argue that creativity 354 00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:52.440 is a prerequisite for being a successful. 355 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:55.960 Coach in Great Britain. And then that also the Tops 356 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:58.960 push the envelope. We like, I think this is an 357 00:19:58.960 --> 00:19:59.640 emerging team. 358 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:02.759 We believe what we believe to be true in terms 359 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:06.359 of player development and producing winning big leaguers and winning 360 00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:07.200 big league teams. 361 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.400 But that doesn't mean that we're going to be complacent 362 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:12.240 with where we're at. 363 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:14.880 We're always going to try and push the envelope and 364 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.480 find out even better ways to do what we need 365 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:19.759 to do. 366 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:24.160 Without divulging any secrets here, like how bespoke would you think, 367 00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:26.640 like the average person's like weekly training is is it 368 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:29.440 kind of they're all eighty percent, like all of the 369 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:31.799 second basement are doing the same thing, but then they've 370 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:35.400 got like twenty percent of their time doing something that's for. 371 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:38.599 That individual or some sort of other ratio. 372 00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:42.720 It's it's it's bespoke as we can possibly make it. 373 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:44.640 And I think if you were, if you were to 374 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:49.799 watch from the stands, you might not be cognizant. You 375 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:51.920 might think, well, they're all doing the same thing, but 376 00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:57.240 the subtle variation that is driven by the combination of 377 00:20:57.960 --> 00:20:59.960 the data tell us this, you need to work on this. 378 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.079 And then what we as coaches see with their eyes 379 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:05.799 and the conversations we have with different departments, the strength 380 00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:10.200 coaches input, for example, it becomes pretty nuanced. So it 381 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:12.759 often looks like they're all doing the same thing, but 382 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:17.279 the way that we set up their routines and their 383 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:23.480 work on the field is very very individualized. The thing 384 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.319 that kind of adds a layer to it, especially during 385 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:29.920 spring training where you have so many players, is things 386 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.960 will emerge where certain players can be bucketed together. And 387 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:37.160 if you've got a critical massive players that you can 388 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:39.359 group together because they're all working on the same thing, 389 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:42.359 then that becomes makes it a lot easier to run 390 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:46.759 a baseball session, and especially so during spring training. 391 00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:51.599 Yeah, so how much you be seen like that's of 392 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:56.119 impact players that come through with you like to maximize 393 00:21:56.119 --> 00:21:58.599 the potential to go for maybe talking about some Red 394 00:21:58.599 --> 00:22:03.160 Souff examples, things like Campbell, things like just many Garcia 395 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:06.519 and Andike Blake way up, they've all come through and 396 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:09.599 I think as pop kind of like prospects and they're 397 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:13.759 seemingly right now they're still on to be like everything 398 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:15.880 that we thought they like they would be or even more. 399 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:20.640 Yeah, I mean, first of all, great people with strong 400 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:24.720 work ethic, very clear about their vision and understanding of 401 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:28.400