1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,799 Speaker 1: Guessed Brian bogos Sevic of Space City Home Network and 2 00:00:03,839 --> 00:00:07,280 of course, former Astro with us here on the program. 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,599 Speaker 2: Brian, how are things very good? How are y'all pretty good? 4 00:00:12,679 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: I would say things maybe not so good for the 5 00:00:15,199 --> 00:00:18,039 Astros bats, but he at least you scratched enough across 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:22,039 the plate for a win yesterday. But just in general, 7 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,800 because it's kind of funny to me, and it's like 8 00:00:24,359 --> 00:00:28,160 everybody at the same time was kind of slumping except 9 00:00:28,239 --> 00:00:30,679 jose Al Tuve then he kind of goes. 10 00:00:30,559 --> 00:00:31,079 Speaker 2: On his slump. 11 00:00:31,079 --> 00:00:34,719 Speaker 1: What is that like in a clubhouse in the major leagues? 12 00:00:34,799 --> 00:00:37,079 Speaker 2: And I mean, is it like an infectious thing? 13 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: Or these guys where it seems to be hitting what 14 00:00:40,079 --> 00:00:42,039 everyone at the same time? 15 00:00:42,079 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 2: And what's it like dealing with something like that? 16 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 3: You know, it's is it infectious yet? Kind of because 17 00:00:50,679 --> 00:00:54,560 you know, you can see as you know, everybody knows 18 00:00:54,759 --> 00:00:56,359 what the box score looks like at the end of 19 00:00:56,399 --> 00:00:59,679 the game, and everybody knows, you know, when when a 20 00:00:59,679 --> 00:01:02,640 big situation comes up, Oh man, we you know, if 21 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,359 we could, if we could get this base hit with 22 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,799 second and third, this really might you know, be the 23 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,560 tipping point. So everybody's kind of on edge and feeling 24 00:01:09,599 --> 00:01:13,439 that pressure a little bit collective pressure. But it's not 25 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,799 really something that's discussed. You know, nobody talks about, oh man, 26 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:19,959 we're all we're all dying over here. What do we 27 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,200 need to do? Uh? But you know it's also very 28 00:01:24,359 --> 00:01:28,959 important in a situation like this to have veterans and 29 00:01:29,079 --> 00:01:32,760 have guys who've gone things, gone through things like this before, 30 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,319 because you don't want a panic. You do want to 31 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,400 keep a level head and say, Okay, what what can 32 00:01:39,439 --> 00:01:41,319 I take out of this that I'm doing right? That 33 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,040 I need to try to build on what am I 34 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,519 not doing right that I need to fix and not 35 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,280 just be out there scrambling, not just be out there 36 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,359 searching for something. And today you know, I'm trying to 37 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,439 put my hands in this position, or tomorrow I'm going 38 00:01:55,519 --> 00:01:57,239 to open up my stance and that's going to do 39 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,079 it for me. I like, there's got to be some 40 00:01:59,239 --> 00:02:02,640 level headed the and with with guys that have had 41 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,840 success there there's a lot more more of that than 42 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:07,400 there is panic in a clubhouse. 43 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: And let's just go to some of the hitters individually. 44 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: Jord On Alvarez with the rocket yesterday, and he had 45 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,439 some hard hit balls the day before. Looks like he's 46 00:02:16,439 --> 00:02:18,360 starting to wake up, like will expected he will. 47 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good sign. 48 00:02:21,159 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 3: And it's a really good sign that home and that 49 00:02:22,599 --> 00:02:25,039 they hit yesterday was a pitch out over the plate, 50 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,039 like maybe even off the plate a little bit. And 51 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,199 when he's getting extended on those pitches, when he's you know, 52 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,680 staying down and not pulling off a little bit and 53 00:02:33,719 --> 00:02:36,479 mis hitting those pitches, that's a really good sign of 54 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,360 what's to come in front of that. Also, if you're 55 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,159 down a little bit, you know, more so than than 56 00:02:43,319 --> 00:02:46,439 I can really remember in the past, he seems a 57 00:02:46,479 --> 00:02:50,000 little bit more apt to expand the zone, or not 58 00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:52,599 even expand the zone, just to expand what he wants 59 00:02:52,719 --> 00:02:55,599 to really attack. You know, he's been more prone to 60 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:57,759 swinging at pitches on the edge or just a little 61 00:02:57,759 --> 00:03:03,039 bit off early counts. You know, I think he's usually 62 00:03:03,199 --> 00:03:05,639 very very selective, and a lot of that could just 63 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,479 be you know, struggling a little bit, trying to get 64 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,599 yourself going. Some of it could be you know, he's 65 00:03:10,599 --> 00:03:14,039 gotten pitched very carefully with the struggles of guys behind him. 66 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,680 Nobody really wants to mess with Jordon, you know, or 67 00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:19,199 really has to mess with Jordon, So that could be 68 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:21,159 a little bit of frustration of just the pitches that 69 00:03:21,199 --> 00:03:24,360 he's getting. But but yeah, it's always a good sign 70 00:03:24,439 --> 00:03:26,639 when he starts hitting the ball out over the plate 71 00:03:26,759 --> 00:03:29,840 into the middle of the field, because eventually off of 72 00:03:29,879 --> 00:03:33,360 that comes everything else and comes, you know, driving the 73 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:34,479 ball on his pull side. 74 00:03:34,919 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: Brian bogas Cevich with us here on a Sports Talk 75 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,120 seven nine, let's go to Christian Walker. Unfortunately, especially relative 76 00:03:41,159 --> 00:03:44,159 to what we've seen from him before, the whiffs are up. 77 00:03:44,199 --> 00:03:46,159 The walk rate did improve, and he had that four 78 00:03:46,199 --> 00:03:48,639 straight game stretch where he was drawing two walks of game, 79 00:03:48,719 --> 00:03:50,759 So it kind of looks like he's. 80 00:03:50,639 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 2: Trying to be a little bit more patient. What are 81 00:03:52,879 --> 00:03:53,759 you seeing from him? 82 00:03:53,879 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: Is he just trying to impress a little bit too 83 00:03:56,879 --> 00:03:59,240 much being here in a Houston Astros uniform. 84 00:03:59,280 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: What does it look like. 85 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 3: You It looks like a guy who's pressing. It looks 86 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,080 like one hundred percent a guy who wants nothing more 87 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,599 than to validate the contract, you know, validate bring brought 88 00:04:10,639 --> 00:04:13,560 into an organization. You know, have the fans say, Okay, 89 00:04:13,599 --> 00:04:15,240 that's why we went and got that guy. We all know, 90 00:04:15,479 --> 00:04:17,720 everybody in the stadium knows what he's done in the 91 00:04:17,759 --> 00:04:19,519 last couple of years and the player that he's been 92 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,399 and the caliber of player that he is, but they 93 00:04:22,439 --> 00:04:25,800 also want to see it here now this year. And 94 00:04:25,879 --> 00:04:28,279 I also wouldn't discount you know, I mean, he knows 95 00:04:28,319 --> 00:04:30,120 what happened here at first base over the last couple 96 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,360 of years with a bray you and he knows that 97 00:04:32,519 --> 00:04:35,319 nobody wants to see that again. So it just looks 98 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,480 like a guy who's who's putting, you know, as much 99 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:40,839 pressure as there is from the outside, there looks like 100 00:04:40,879 --> 00:04:44,839 there's a lot more pressure coming from the inside. But 101 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,120 it does look different now than it did. 102 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 2: At the beginning of the season. You know, there was. 103 00:04:50,319 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 3: Some hard contact involved, not falling in. Now it's kind 104 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,519 of been all or nothing one way or the other. 105 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,519 He's either very selective and working walks or you know, 106 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,040 it looks like there are times when he goes up 107 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:02,480 there and he says, all right, this is the time 108 00:05:02,519 --> 00:05:03,759 I'm going to get a pitch of hit, I'm going 109 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:05,720 to swing, I'm gonna drive it, and then you know 110 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,040 it's a slider down in a way and I swing. Anyways, 111 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,920 that's just a guy who's trying to force it, and 112 00:05:11,079 --> 00:05:14,759 there's really no cure. I mean, his swing looks fine, 113 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,000 His swing looks like it always has. It just looks 114 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,279 like a guy who needs a couple of at bats 115 00:05:22,319 --> 00:05:25,800 of success to relax a little bit. And the only 116 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,480 thing you can do is keep running out there every 117 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:28,759 day until it happens. 118 00:05:29,079 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, that last comment you made, it leads me to 119 00:05:31,319 --> 00:05:33,759 my next question. Like, if you put your manager's hat 120 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,800 on and you're Joe A. Spata and you see the pressing. 121 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,720 He's again in the lineup today. He's played in every 122 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,759 single game. That's what he's brought here to do. But 123 00:05:40,439 --> 00:05:42,079 at what point do you say, maybe just give him 124 00:05:42,079 --> 00:05:43,639 a couple of days off or is. 125 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:44,519 Speaker 2: That just conversation. 126 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: It's a case by case basis, because clearly seems like 127 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:48,560 he wants to be there in the lineup every day 128 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:49,600 and try to work this thing out. 129 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. 130 00:05:51,639 --> 00:05:54,079 Speaker 3: That's that's having to get to know your player. That's 131 00:05:54,079 --> 00:05:56,680 having to get to know you know what he's going 132 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,600 to be like and do on an off day. Some 133 00:05:59,079 --> 00:06:00,680 guys you can say, I give you an off day 134 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:02,199 so you can get away from baseball and not think 135 00:06:02,199 --> 00:06:04,680 about it. Decompressed and a guy will do just that, 136 00:06:04,759 --> 00:06:06,720 you know, come in, he wanted to put on batting 137 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,279 gloves that day, Skip batting practice, just check out other guys. 138 00:06:11,639 --> 00:06:13,360 They'll go down to the cage and they'll hit for 139 00:06:13,399 --> 00:06:15,040 two hours because that's going to be the day that 140 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,399 they're going to figure it out. And so you know, 141 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,800 you got to know what kind of guy you're dealing 142 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,040 with and if the day off will be helpful or harmful. 143 00:06:23,319 --> 00:06:25,920 And I don't know the answer to that. That's that's 144 00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:29,720 that's a manager. A manager's job more than you know, 145 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,279 deciding who's coming in out of the bullpen and writing 146 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,839 out the lineup every day is learning your players, learning personalities. 147 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:39,279 You know, Walker, you know, from the outside looking in, 148 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,079 seems like a guy who he doesn't want the day off. 149 00:06:42,319 --> 00:06:44,240 I think he just wants to play and figure it out. 150 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,279 But you know, you sit in the manager's seat to 151 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,240 manage people, not necessarily just manage games. 152 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: Brian Bogas seven, continuing with us here on a Sports 153 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,480 Talk seven ninety Have you gotten I don't know if 154 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,160 we've addressed this with you yet this season, Brian, have 155 00:06:58,199 --> 00:06:59,879 you gotten your hands on a torpedo bat? 156 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 2: Uh? 157 00:07:00,519 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: And is to my knowledge Mariso Dubon is the only 158 00:07:03,319 --> 00:07:04,839 one using one for the Astros right now. 159 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 2: Correct, Yeah, as far. 160 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 3: As I know, I know that some guys, I know, 161 00:07:10,439 --> 00:07:13,160 some guys in the minor leagues were you know, hitting 162 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:18,160 batting practice and tinkering with them during spring training. I'm 163 00:07:18,199 --> 00:07:19,959 sure guys have had their hands on them and picked 164 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,279 them up. I mean there's you know, you've been in 165 00:07:22,319 --> 00:07:25,439 clubhouses to see the amount of bats in there and everything. Now, 166 00:07:25,959 --> 00:07:27,480 But yeah, as far as I know, he's the only 167 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,759 one to put one into use during during the season 168 00:07:30,839 --> 00:07:33,600 so far. And actually, you know, you had a pretty 169 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:35,720 pretty good band the first a pulled it out. So 170 00:07:36,319 --> 00:07:38,000 I'm sure a couple other guys are like, yeah, maybe 171 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:38,800 I'll think about that too. 172 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,519 Speaker 1: Yeah, how much of that is I mean, what is 173 00:07:41,519 --> 00:07:43,800 the difference? What is Is it much ado about nothing? 174 00:07:43,839 --> 00:07:44,879 Is it changing things up? 175 00:07:46,199 --> 00:07:50,439 Speaker 3: It's so so the concept is fairly simple, right, It's 176 00:07:50,639 --> 00:07:56,480 you know, there there are limitations to wait and shape 177 00:07:56,639 --> 00:07:59,279 of a bat, and all it is is taking you know, 178 00:07:59,319 --> 00:08:04,360 within those diameters, shifting where the most mass of the 179 00:08:04,399 --> 00:08:07,759 bat is to try to maximize you know, the results 180 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,319 when you hit the ball. So if you're a guy 181 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,439 who you know, hits the ball down towards the label. Often, 182 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,000 you know, they shift the weight from the end of 183 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,560 the bat down towards the middle of the bat and 184 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,040 then have it taper off towards the end. You know, 185 00:08:22,079 --> 00:08:24,360 we're used to seeing bats flare out to their barrel 186 00:08:24,519 --> 00:08:26,519 and then their that size all the way to the end. 187 00:08:26,759 --> 00:08:28,879 The torpedo bat just moves a little bit more of 188 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,199 the mass into the middle and then has another taper 189 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,200 at the end where you don't want to hit the 190 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,600 ball anyway. It's not a different concept to different models 191 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,600 of bats. I mean, there are endless, endless models of bats. 192 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:42,639 You know. Some are thicker in the handle, some are 193 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,080 thinner and have larger heads. Some are cupped at the 194 00:08:46,159 --> 00:08:48,399 end to have more mass in the middle, some have 195 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,120 you know, full ends to keep more mass at the 196 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,919 end of the bat. It's not dissimilar to that. It's 197 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,519 just a more extreme example, and it's the newest example, 198 00:08:57,559 --> 00:08:59,320 which is why everybody's inn offs about it. 199 00:09:00,879 --> 00:09:02,399 Speaker 1: All right, let's move on. I mean, kind of a 200 00:09:02,399 --> 00:09:04,440 little bit to the pitching side, but not really. Hunter 201 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,759 Brown pretty good yesterday, did get some traffic on the 202 00:09:07,759 --> 00:09:10,639 base pass. But I mean, obviously at this moment the 203 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,600 astros most reliable starter. What is that like for you 204 00:09:13,759 --> 00:09:16,240 as a position player, Like maybe you can remember some 205 00:09:16,279 --> 00:09:18,480 guys you played behind when they were pitching and you're like, 206 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:20,879 you feel like you're just kind of spectating. You're like, 207 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,039 this guy's on the hill today, I'm not doing anything 208 00:09:23,039 --> 00:09:23,519 in the field. 209 00:09:24,639 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 3: It's great, it's great, And there's a difference. It's am 210 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,600 I not doing anything in the field because it's just 211 00:09:30,759 --> 00:09:33,639 ball four ball four ball four nibble, nibble nibble, Or 212 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,480 am I not doing anything in the field because he's 213 00:09:35,519 --> 00:09:37,559 just going out there and shoving it on people and 214 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,799 then we're running back in the dugout to hit. Because 215 00:09:39,799 --> 00:09:41,480 that's kind of what That's what it's been with Hunter, 216 00:09:41,759 --> 00:09:45,360 you know. For it's been about a year ago since 217 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,799 he added that two seamer, and everything has changed. Obviously, 218 00:09:48,799 --> 00:09:51,080 the results have changed and he's been so good, but 219 00:09:51,279 --> 00:09:54,919 just the style of pitching, the aggressiveness in the strike zone, 220 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:59,320 the willingness to challenge people to pitch to contact, to 221 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,120 be efficient with his pitches, just everything has completely done 222 00:10:03,159 --> 00:10:06,000 a one eighty and he's really turned into to the 223 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,200 kind of guy that you love playing behind, you love 224 00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:11,840 hitting on the days that he pitches because it feels 225 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,639 like you're in your dugout all the time, and it's 226 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:17,320 just when you have that guy, I mean, he's he's 227 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:19,759 six innings at a minimum. He's gonna give you a 228 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,879 chance to win, and it's easy to show up. It's 229 00:10:21,879 --> 00:10:24,519 easy to be motivated, it's easy to play hard behind 230 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:25,159 guys like that. 231 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,399 Speaker 1: It's almost like he's just had a flip, a switch 232 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,399 flipped as well to where like he just kind of 233 00:10:30,399 --> 00:10:32,120 gets pissed off out there, you know, like he gives 234 00:10:32,159 --> 00:10:33,519 up a hit, he's like, give me the ball back, 235 00:10:33,759 --> 00:10:35,120 I'm gonna go ahead and clean this up. 236 00:10:36,159 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 3: Well, you know, before before everything turned and he's been 237 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:44,240 this kind of pitcher, it was the exact opposite. It 238 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,360 was almost as if he was standing on the mound thinking, 239 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,279 all right, when's the next shoe gonna drop? When are 240 00:10:50,279 --> 00:10:52,360 things going to fall apart? When are two bloopers going 241 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:53,919 to fall in? And then I'm gonna make a bad 242 00:10:53,919 --> 00:10:55,799 pitch and it's gonna get hit. It was one of 243 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,000 those like when is the sky going to fall? And 244 00:10:58,080 --> 00:10:59,919 now you see him, if he gives up a hit, 245 00:11:00,639 --> 00:11:03,159 it does not affect him at all. It's almost just like, oh, 246 00:11:03,279 --> 00:11:04,919 that was lucky for them. They got a hit, But 247 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,039 like this next guy's not going to and it doesn't face, 248 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,639 and it seems like everything has slowed down to where 249 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,000 he can really diagnose what's going on between him and 250 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,960 a hitter. He can really diagnose what's going on. You know, 251 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,480 did I make a bad pitch and need to fix 252 00:11:20,519 --> 00:11:22,840 it up, or did that guy just you know, hit 253 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:24,759 one off of his hands and it dropped in behind 254 00:11:24,759 --> 00:11:27,120 the second basement, in which case I need to do 255 00:11:27,159 --> 00:11:29,120 nothing different because the next one is going to be 256 00:11:29,159 --> 00:11:32,159 a ground ball double play. And you know, the addition 257 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,559 of the sinker, the ground ball rate that he's getting 258 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,600 now and his ability to get double plays, just the 259 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,759 confidence is off the charts from from a guy who, 260 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,519 you know, one year ago at the start of last season, 261 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,720 looked like his confidence was shaken.