We\u2019re all looking for answers after a hideous sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The Baltimore Orioles\u2019 new ownership can\u2019t like what it\u2019s seeing on the field from the 2026 squad because none of us do. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the future of franchise with Mike Elias at the helm after an embarrassing weekend of baseball at Yankee Stadium for the Birds.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the Baltimore Orioles\u2019 recent performance and future outlook after a sweep by the Yankees. They highlighted the team\u2019s struggles, including a 12-1 loss and a 50-15 run differential since Aparicio\u2019s last game attendance. Jones criticized the team\u2019s poor defense, pitching, and underperforming stars like Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso. They debated the need for organizational changes, including potential roster moves and accountability from manager Craig Albernaz and GM Mike Elias. Aparicio emphasized the impact on fan engagement and revenue, noting the team\u2019s soft schedule and the need for improvement to remain competitive.<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Host\/appear at the Maryland crab cake tour event at Planet Fitness on Thursday (promote the event on Baltimore Positive and bring promotional materials).<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Host\/appear at the Maryland crab cake tour at Faidley\u2019s (Fayette Lee\u2019s) on Wednesday (coordinate event details and promotion).<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Host\/appear at the Fishmonger\u2019s Daughter event in Catonsville on the 21st (attend by reservation and promote on Baltimore Positive).<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Bring Maryland Treasure scratch-off tickets to give away at upcoming events (prepare giveaway stash and distribution plan).<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Organize and run the crab races in advance of the Preakness at Lexington Market \/ Faidley\u2019s next week with Ivan Bates (confirm logistics and promotion).<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Send Luke screenshots (social media screenshots referenced during the discussion) for him to review.<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Consider\/send an email to Mike Elias asking for clarity on accountability within the organization (follow up on accountability concerns described in the meeting).<\/p>\n
Outline<\/p>\n
Orioles\u2019 Recent Performance and Upcoming Events<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio discusses the Orioles\u2019 current slump and mentions upcoming events, including the Maryland crab cake tour and a segment with GBMC about physical therapy and back pain.<\/p>\n
Nestor shares his regret about not attending a Yankees game in New York, where tickets were cheap and the weather was pleasant.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones acknowledges the Yankees\u2019 strong performance and questions the Orioles\u2019 response to recent comments from Craig Albernaz about the team\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke reflect on the Orioles\u2019 poor performance in the recent series against the Yankees, highlighting specific mistakes and missed opportunities.<\/p>\n
Critique of the Orioles\u2019 Management and Performance<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the Orioles\u2019 lack of competence and accountability, particularly from Mike Elias and the front office.<\/p>\n
Nestor expresses frustration with the team\u2019s performance, including poor defense and inconsistent pitching, and questions the future of the franchise.<\/p>\n
Luke emphasizes the need for a shake-up within the organization, suggesting that the current management is not delivering results.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke debate the impact of injuries on the team\u2019s performance and the need for better player development and strategic decisions.<\/p>\n
Fan Engagement and Revenue Concerns<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the importance of fan engagement and the challenges of maintaining interest in the team amidst poor performance.<\/p>\n
Nestor mentions the impact of social media on fan sentiment and the need for the team to be more transparent and accountable.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the financial implications of the team\u2019s performance, including the potential impact on season ticket sales and overall revenue.<\/p>\n
Nestor reflects on the broader implications for the city and the region, emphasizing the need for the team to be a positive force in the community.<\/p>\n
Future Outlook and Potential Changes<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke speculate on potential changes within the organization, including the possibility of firing Mike Elias and making significant roster adjustments.<\/p>\n
Luke suggests that the team needs to make bold moves to turn things around, including trading underperforming players and bringing in new talent.<\/p>\n
Nestor expresses skepticism about the team\u2019s ability to improve quickly, given the current state of the roster and the challenges facing the organization.<\/p>\n
Both agree that the team needs to start winning games and showing improvement to regain fan support and confidence.<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke wrap up the discussion by reiterating their concerns about the team\u2019s direction and the need for change.<\/p>\n
Nestor emphasizes the importance of holding the organization accountable and pushing for better performance and transparency.<\/p>\n
Luke reiterates the need for the team to be competitive and deliver results, both on the field and in terms of fan engagement and community impact.<\/p>\n
Both express hope for future improvements but acknowledge the significant challenges ahead for the Orioles organization.<\/p>\n
SUMMARY KEYWORDS<\/p>\n
Orioles slump, Yankees sweep, Mike Elias, Craig Albernaz, player performance, defense issues, bullpen struggles, fan engagement, revenue concerns, organizational accountability, future outlook, injury impact, team morale, competitive strategy, fan disillusionment.<\/p>\n
SPEAKERS<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio, Luke Jones<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 00:01<\/p>\n
Welcome home. We are W, N, S T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore, positive, positively in the midst of a slump. Or, dare I say, I mean, I\u2019m not in a slump. Dobbin and great crab cakes, we\u2019re gonna be over Planet Fitness this week, on Thursday, then next week, we\u2019ll be at Fayette Lee\u2019s on Wednesday, doing the Maryland crab cake tour and the 21st at the fishmonger\u2019s daughter now open in Catonsville by reservation. And you\u2019ll be glad you went over there and saw them. I know they showed me. They\u2019re like, this is your table in the front. This is where you\u2019re going to do the podcast. And I\u2019m like, okay, that\u2019s where I\u2019m going to be on the 21st so we have great guests all brought to you by Marilyn. The Maryland lottery. I\u2019ll have the Maryland treasures to give away. Our friends at GBMC are giving me Danny umbergoglio to talk about the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, and I actually found my shirt. I it\u2019s going to be great when I have the segment with GBMC. Also did a segment this week about physical therapy and back pain and getting back to form in many ways, also our friends at Farnham and Dermer, who are always informed of the comfort guys, by the way, now that it\u2019s 80 again, your air condition blows up. Call farnin and Dermer, 410, 367777, you should have called them two weeks ago when I told you to. But if you hit click and you hear clack, you know bad things have happened. Luke, do you know how close I came to going to New York to the game on Monday night, not because I thought was gonna be a great game, or I thought that schlittler was gonna throw a no hitter. It\u2019s just fun to say that I wound up at Cooper\u2019s north with a delicious black and nahi tuna wrap. It was fantastic. Orange Crush may be unbelievable. But you know the thoughts of what could have been in the Bronx on a Monday night where there are plenty of good seats available, tickets were 11 bucks at one point on the app. So like I was all ready to take you up, and I said, sweep. I didn\u2019t say which side, although I probably did, and we\u2019ll have fun with it or whatever. But dude, season\u2019s off the rails, man.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 02:10<\/p>\n
How can I say otherwise? I mean, you go to New York and you get swept. I mean, first things first. Let\u2019s get this out of the way. The Yankees look really good, and they were playing really, really good baseball long before the Orioles came into town. So let\u2019s acknowledge that. Get that out of the way. They\u2019re the best team in the American League. Might be the best team in the Bay in baseball. So that being said, Yeah, I mean, I go back to what we talked about the other day coming out of the Sunday loss, and you go back to Albernaz saying it\u2019s a crucial point where, and I quote, What team do we want to be we can fold up and just think that everything will turn around just by itself, or we\u2019ve got to put the work in and really make this happen. Well, his team\u2019s response, first response to that comment, is they lose 11 to one, so or 12 to one. I\u2019m sorry, it\u2019s full disclosure, I actually stopped watching in the bottom of the eighth inning when Lou Trevino came in. And you know, might as well been Lee Trevino pitching. But I mean, it\u2019s for anyone who didn\u2019t watch the game. This was actually a competitive, winnable baseball game until it got to the bottom of the sixth inning, and you go back to how the Yankees scored their first four runs. I mean, very first inning. Shane boss had Aaron judge struck out, and neither he and I put it more on. Adley rushman didn\u2019t challenge again. It\u2019s the first inning. Normally, I would say, Don\u2019t challenge. But when it\u2019s Aaron judge, and there\u2019s a runner on base, and it very much looks like strike three, I think you got to, you got to give it a whirl there, to challenge that so to to nothing for something that could have been avoided right there. It gets to three nothing when they commit an error on a relay throw. You know, ball gets, you know, it\u2019s credited to davaris, but, you know, Gunner Henderson probably has to own that one a little bit more. Runner advances the third they get to third run on a sacrifice fly. Fourth run comes in a wild pitch, so it\u2019s for nothing. And what had actually been a pretty good outing from Shane boss until the very end, where the walks just absolutely killed them. It could have been a lot better, but those are perfect examples of what\u2019s wrong with this baseball team. No, they don\u2019t do the big things well, and they\u2019re certainly not doing the little things well, and it\u2019s just really, really bad baseball. And we\u2019re going to see if they\u2019re going to turn it around, or if this is, this is rapidly going down the path of 2025 all over again. So let\u2019s see what they\u2019re made of. Can they get off the mat and win a series in Miami and and come home and play better baseball against the A\u2019s? And then, oh, the Yankees are coming back into town. Then at this time a week from now, we\u2019ll see. But. It\u2019s not a whole lot to be optimistic about. I mean, they don\u2019t, they don\u2019t pitch. Well, the bullpen has rapidly caught up to the starting rotation in not pitching. Well, they\u2019re hitting. I mean, they had some opportunities. I mean, right, right off the bat. You know, Adley rutsman gets a hit off Camp schlittler. So you\u2019re saying, Okay, there\u2019s no no hit situation, and he\u2019s really good. Sigh of<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 05:24<\/p>\n
relief. Let me tell you what, because I felt like this was a game I was supposed to attend, something weird is going to happen, losing 12 to one, right? But, and a guy named schlittler pitching a ticket\u2019s been 11 bucks, and it being 71 degrees, and like i By the way, it was like 55 bucks to get in on Saturday. And I told my wife, this tells you what a nerd I am not. Maybe you are. I said to her, because we were out like watching the game, I\u2019m having an Orange Crush enjoying myself and watching them get unbaked. But I said to her, they gave Mandalorian something away on Saturday bobbleheads Yankee Stadium<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 06:07<\/p>\n
for Star Wars.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 06:09<\/p>\n
Okay, you\u2019re two through three. I don\u2019t know what that I just said it out loud, like I knew what it was. And she\u2019s like, Yeah, may the fourth should, maybe they should have given it away on Monday night. They\u2019d have more people at the ballpark tonight. And I\u2019m thinking to myself, Okay, I don\u2019t know how all that. I didn\u2019t even know it was a Star Wars reference, but I did think like, all right, you know, can they get up off the mat? They\u2019re going to get swept it would have been interesting had I gone up, just in a general sense, because I wanted to walk around. I wanted to get those little chicken wings. What made ice cream that? Melanie Newman, dude, I was so gonna shock you and just put a picture up post me sitting. I was gonna try to find Melanie, but I probably couldn\u2019t get down to the Bougie seats at Yankee Stadium with my $11 ticket. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s not like Memorial Stadium or old Yankee you just run up past the Usher just be No. I mean, they\u2019re like, you\u2019re quarantined when you\u2019re at these new stadiums from these $700 tickets, where they, you know, they have the lounge the Seinfeld seats. But nonetheless, I like, I wanted to you, I wanted to go, dude, because I\u2019m feeling like the season\u2019s about to go into the slittler and it\u2019s not going to be any fun. I mean, about a year and a half ago, I baked up you and me going to San Diego. Remember that? Maybe San Francisco? And they were so awful, and it was September. You\u2019re like, I got football to do. We didn\u2019t go, like, I have a companion pass, like, I can even take you. It\u2019s like, somewhere exotic, like, I don\u2019t know, St Louis or something, you know. So, you know, someplace fantastic, like Buffalo and drive to Toronto, like we\u2019ve done all of this stuff, but like, the last time I had any fun with you, Arlington wasn\u2019t really fun. I mean, you weren\u2019t fun at all in Arlington. Full disclosure, Mark Viviano is doing the show, by the way, by Planet Fitness.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 07:59<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t I fun in Arlington,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 08:01<\/p>\n
dude, do you remember those first five innings when you didn\u2019t have a clubhouse pass? You were not fun. That was not, we didn\u2019t have fun.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 08:08<\/p>\n
Okay, all right, whatever. I haven\u2019t and<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 08:11<\/p>\n
they didn\u2019t score and they lost.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 08:14<\/p>\n
Yeah?<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 08:16<\/p>\n
Well, we had fun in Colorado. You and I, I think I said, like, that was kind of fun. I got the Getty Lee had it was okay. We had nice sliders in the Cabernet. It was fun. We had to use our passports. I thought that was kind of Neato. So, you know, but like, where\u2019s the fun? Like, I\u2019m just, I\u2019m not being a jerk. I\u2019m being like, this is for Don rovac. This is for Mark fine. This is for Katie Griggs, this is for Rubenstein era Getty, for all of them. For, you know, on behalf of my cousin, Who\u2019s the oldest living Hall of Famer, on behalf of my wife, you know, who watches the Red Sox come to town. Doesn\u2019t even she has hats jerseys. Doesn\u2019t even bug me to come down. We went down to the Astros thing the other day. By the way, I had astronaut, Terry verts on who had an Astros hat in the shot the whole time, even though he talked up the Orioles and democracy and important things. But like, I just want to have fun, man, yeah. Like, and like, I was going to go up there just to look at pretty girls and see dudes with tattoos of Yankees, this and that. And I don\u2019t know, I\u2019ve never really walked around that statue area. I don\u2019t know if you got to pay more or not. Like, like, I like the Jamaican food joint down the street. That\u2019s eight bucks. Maybe it\u2019s 12 bucks now with inflation, shumflation. But like, you know, like, I was just going to tool around New York on a 70 degree day and go to the game, because I looked at the schedule, I\u2019m like, All right, not going to Miami down to that blimp that I dropped you off at at the All Star game. I mean, you and I\u2019ve done most of these trips, right, like, you know, watching minor league ball in Tampa at the ballpark, I guess. I mean, like, if it mattered, if it mattered, we\u2019d be on airplanes in July and August, because, like, we like baseball, least. If one of us does, I let them figure out which one of us it is. But like, this is supposed to be fun, dude, not me writing about how Mike Elias sucks, which I did in my column this but I like, which door do you want? Dude, the pitching the crappy defense and kicking the ball around me screaming at the television at Cooper\u2019s north and my wife saying, You\u2019re being loud. I\u2019m like, course I\u2019m being loud. Of Dundalk, they kicked the ball around. What the hell are they doing? Like I behave like this when I\u2019m at home, which is why they probably don\u2019t want me to press box next to you and malesky, because I\u2019d be too much like you guys. What was your line? I used your line in my column this week about their about the when the ball\u2019s in the air, it\u2019s a mystery. It\u2019s a, you know, I don\u2019t know, dude, like, this isn\u2019t any good, and it doesn\u2019t smell, and I\u2019m not reading last rights or playing taps or, you know, I\u2019m not dramatic about it. I\u2019m dramatic about it because it\u2019s been 43 years, and in addition to their arrogance that I deal with, with Katie Griggs and watching our press box seats sit empty when I\u2019m at the ballpark and I still care enough to even think about getting on a bus for $34.99 plus tax to go to New York and get a slice of pizza and chase the ghost of Action Bronson\u2019s pizza joints around like, like, I want this to be fun for everybody. This is awful, dude. This is terrible.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 11:28<\/p>\n
I mean, it\u2019s to now be staring at a repeat of 2025, directly in the face. It\u2019s a nightmare. I don\u2019t want to dwell too much on the big picture, because we\u2019re gonna have four months to talk<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 11:41<\/p>\n
about. Yeah, I wrote about the big picture. You want to talk about, who\u2019s pitching in the A\u2019s and this? And I won\u2019t hear it all,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 11:47<\/p>\n
but I\u2019ll leave you with the one thing that I absolutely thought watching the the latter innings of Monday night\u2019s game, I thought, for the organization\u2019s sake, boy, I hope they had a lot of people sign up for the season pass for mass and not going month to month because<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 12:02<\/p>\n
wow.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 12:02<\/p>\n
I mean, no, I\u2019m just dead serious. I didn\u2019t<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 12:05<\/p>\n
even put that in my column, but I\u2019m not even thinking about Don rovax, you know, revenue. Dude, I did think about revenue when I got there between the games of the doubleheader the last time they played at home. Dude, they\u2019ve been outscored 50 to 15 since I showed up at the ballpark.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 12:23<\/p>\n
Yeah. I mean, it\u2019s, it\u2019s a franchise record, and I\u2019ll credit Andy Costa Costco for this, but there bit straight loss by five or more runs. That\u2019s the longest streak in franchise history. I mean, we\u2019re talking not just a five game losing streak, but a five game streak of being embarrassed in each game, really embarrassed in a couple of the games. I mean, to the point where we saw Weston Wilson take the hill again and or people who are still watching, as I said, I tuned<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 12:50<\/p>\n
out if we were taking phone calls here in a legitimate if this were 1996 and it were fired, Davey Johnson or fire, Phil Regan or fire, Johnny. I mean, like in a real sports culture where Rosenthal and Litwin and Eisenberg sounds like a law firm<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 13:08<\/p>\n
fired the manager though. I mean, no, look, nobody\u2019s<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 13:12<\/p>\n
even like mad about it, like the way they should be. That\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 13:16<\/p>\n
I<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 13:17<\/p>\n
murder you. What are you maddest about? How about that? The fan in you<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 13:22<\/p>\n
that it\u2019s a repeat of last year, that it\u2019s looking more and more like they need to blow this thing up. And I don\u2019t necessarily mean blow it up in the in the way that they did in 2018 but I mean that you need to blow up your front office and hire a new baseball head, because<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 13:39<\/p>\n
that means a new manager. Well, sure, but, yeah, but, but that\u2019s, I mean, that means these guys are going to be in charge of doling off. You started talking about trading rushman, and you\u2019re not wrong. You\u2019re not wrong, and we\u2019re in that Manny Machado window that they screwed up the first time. I don\u2019t, I don\u2019t know how the new owners are going to withstand that and the television deal, and how labor plays into that. It\u2019s really thick, dude, if they\u2019re not going to have a season and they\u2019re going to play it seven games under 500 for a little while, to get back to three games, to get down to nine games, to get up to four games under 500 if they\u2019re going to play that game from now until we\u2019re going to get Westberg back in holiday, back in August, and we\u2019re going to go to above 500 because we\u2019re going to go on a winning streak before the all star but if, like, if they\u2019re going to play awful and be underwater, and I don\u2019t know how they\u2019re going to get above water right this minute with This lineup as constructed, the way they play defense, just all of the body language of the manager, just he didn\u2019t really know what he\u2019s doing. He\u2019s a rookie manager, he\u2019s middle management, he\u2019s all of this. That\u2019s why I got to push it to Elias. And I don\u2019t think I know. Rubenstein doesn\u2019t know anything about baseball. Hey, that\u2019s very clear and arrogance. He probably thinks. Knows more than he does, probably based on me meeting Priscilla when I met her, like I don\u2019t know where the grown ups walk in the room. That\u2019s not Katie Griggs, although she might get an opinion in this case, and then you really are off the rails if she\u2019s picking the baseball people, but, but nonetheless, I don\u2019t know where they\u2019re going to turn you know what? I mean, like he\u2019s their rock at this point. On the baseball operation side, Rubenstein sat next to him, gave him a vote of confidence. What? Four weeks ago, you were in the room with Rubenstein that day, right? So, like, they\u2019re not going to fire him before the all star break. Are they going to fire him October 3. I mean, they fire him when they get 13 games under 503 weeks from now, if, that\u2019s if this thing really gets pu ish, you know what I mean? Because it doesn\u2019t feel like it has the capability of being the 92 win ace, let alone the 92 win team. They don\u2019t feel like they can play 600 ball over the next month as constructed, they forget seven or eight under where they could catch fire and go on a 12 and three tear. I\u2019m just talking about them holding their own to win series, and even with the Yankees coming next week that they could win a couple of them. You know what I mean? Like it doesn\u2019t feel and I know it\u2019s always darkest before dawn, but I keep looking at the lineup, this isn\u2019t the lineup. That\u2019s holiday westburg We\u2019re waiting on.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 16:29<\/p>\n
I mean, yeah, saying that, but, but we\u2019re continuing to talk about all star players that are underperforming. I mean, by the way, westburg is not coming back. They shut him down on Monday. He\u2019s probably getting Tommy John surgery. So let\u2019s, let\u2019s throw that out. And especially the way this is trending, there\u2019s no reason to mess around with the idea of what he\u2019s going to be the DH, I mean, then what do you do with, you know, getting beside a regular bats when he\u2019s not catching, you know, well, then<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 16:54<\/p>\n
who\u2019s going to play third base?<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 16:56<\/p>\n
Well, they need to, probably need to go get a third baseman. Now that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re going to necessarily go acquire an all star. But can you, can you acquire a Ramon or a kind of guy? You know that that should be a reasonable ask for someone who\u2019s allegedly a baseball genius. So, you know, I mean, it\u2019s, look, I\u2019m not going to sit here and paint an optimistic picture, other than I do think they\u2019ll start playing better than what we saw over this four game series, right? That would put them as the worst team in the history of the franchise, kind of stuff. But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 17:30<\/p>\n
if it\u2019s that way, for the next two weeks, the season\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 17:33<\/p>\n
Oh, of course it is. And then it then it\u2019s up 1,000% a repeat of last year. I mean, this, this is the point last year where they had the free fall, and then Brandon Hyde was fired.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 17:42<\/p>\n
Well, I can\u2019t say much more about free falling when you\u2019ve been outscored. And that\u2019s a Tom Penney song 15, you\u2019re free falling, bro.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 17:48<\/p>\n
You mean a free fall over two weeks, right where you play like this for two weeks. So, well, we<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 17:53<\/p>\n
get set up straight here talking about pitching matchups in Miami and, you know, going down to, you know, Versailles and Kaya ocho and woo hoo. Go win some games in Miami. Okay? They win two out of three. They come back, they\u2019re going to see the A\u2019s, and they\u2019re going to see they\u2019re going to see the Yankees, right? So, like, I don\u2019t know, maybe they win five out of six here. I, maybe I, and then I\u2019m, you know, ripping up my, my lead story from the website, and saying, but I\u2019m not burying them. I\u2019m just trying to hold Elias accountable for the first time in a long time, because, like, we\u2019ve been sitting here talking about this bat and that thing and this bullpen and that defense and this<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 18:30<\/p>\n
philosophy and all of that, you know he\u2019s in charge of all that. I mean, he\u2019s in charge of all that. It\u2019s not look I don\u2019t I\u2019m not going to sit here and say that I know Craig Albernaz is going to be a good manager, or that, I know definitively that he\u2019s a bad manager, but he\u2019s, he\u2019s the field manager. We\u2019ve talked about this. We\u2019ve talked about this for years now. Middle management Craig Albernaz didn\u2019t pick this roster. I\u2019m guessing. He had a little bit of input here and there on certain questions or certain things that he might value, whatever. But it\u2019s Mike Elias. He runs a show. And we can go back to the point I made. I don\u2019t know if it was coming out of Sunday\u2019s game or last week or sometime recently, where I said, when you look at the bulk of this young core, you know whether we\u2019re talking about guys who can\u2019t stay healthy or guys that just haven\u2019t played well and continue to play poorly and continue to make you wonder, like you know, regardless of your top 100 prospect status at one point, is the light bulb going to ever go on? But I made the point where, as more time goes on and we see that group collectively struggle. And keep in mind, Gunner Henderson and Adley rutschman Were not the result of tanking. They were the result of the 2018 team. So I\u2019m talking more cowser, Heston, kerstad, Jackson, holiday, Kobe mayo, like that group, you know, kind of the the second wave of guys that arrived, starting in 2023<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 19:57<\/p>\n
I like how you make a ledger for this. You know what\u2019s on elias\u2019s side? More, it\u2019s not because, I mean, somebody\u2019s got to hold them accountable. It\u2019s not going to be, it\u2019s not going to be the mass and broadcast team. You know what I\u2019m saying.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 20:09<\/p>\n
But those are the players that they picked after Mike Elias said they had no choice but to stay really bad in 2019 and 2020, and 2021, those were the three tanking years. 2029 2018 was not a tanking year. 2018 they signed Alex Cobb right before the season started, which was a ill advised move that the<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 20:30<\/p>\n
basset thing doesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s any better if this thing\u2019s gone off the rails,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 20:34<\/p>\n
although that\u2019s a little bit different. Bassett was the very beginning of spring training. Cobb was<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 20:40<\/p>\n
$19 million dollars. I mean, I felt like it was a difference<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 20:43<\/p>\n
maker,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 20:44<\/p>\n
and I see him in the dugout,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 20:46<\/p>\n
they gave him real money too.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 20:49<\/p>\n
Yeah, I know, but especially for the Angelos group. But in the modern era, it feels like these guys are open for business, that we should have different expectations without the Angelos family running the team, we should, and I don\u2019t need more<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 21:05<\/p>\n
money, Nestor, my issue is not money. It\u2019s competent. My issue is the culture, the organizational philosophies, what they are, what they are prioritizing. From a development standpoint, all of these guys were heralded as great prospects. Now I want to be clear, you don\u2019t hang banners for being having the number one farm system in baseball. And we all know that prospects are suspects, even the best ones, right? We know there\u2019s truly no such thing as a slam dunk. But my issue is not with money being I would say I had an issue with how they approached 2023 but that was also the end of the Angelos regime. So in terms of not augmenting<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 21:45<\/p>\n
and they never function like a normal franchise forever, they never, I mean, they\u2019re still not functioning like a normal franchise in some ways, because they have this television they have the labor at the end of the year, they really don\u2019t have the revenue to match the money they\u2019ve spent at this point, which was my point about walking around there on Thursday and thinking, all right, they\u2019ve done all this with the TVs, and they have the suites, and they have the media and they Yeah, I\u2019m looking around, I\u2019m like, wow, you know where, how is this going to get underwritten? And that\u2019s one of the reasons that I wanted to go to Yankee Stadium, dude, especially on a Monday night, just to sniff out like how much money\u2019s transacting around there. I know it never correlates, but in the grand scheme of things, things need to get better around here. More people need to spend more money. I heard Cal Ripken was out, and I want to get clarity on what Cal is saying to people, but somebody wound up in a Cal Ripken sweet speech thing about civic pride and investing in the Orioles and buying sweets and for businesses and whatnot. And you\u2019re down there a lot more than me. I\u2019ve been down there twice already this year, and I went for afternoon games, and I see it on TV. I see how they sell seats now in that almost like Hollywood, where they, you know, put people in every second, third row and scatter people around. It makes it feel a little bit more full, and it also gives people a little bit more room to have a conversation if they want to, too. And I see that when I go to pick tickets as well. And that\u2019s cool. That\u2019s fine, you know, spread people out. But the reality of whether this is going to be an ongoing civic concern is my overwhelming concern, as much as Elias, or whether these people have any level of competence, competence. I have not seen that in Katie Griggs. I do not know of that from Mark fine. I certainly have not felt that from David Rubenstein, by the way, the whistler needs an NFL gig. I saw this on LinkedIn. He\u2019s trying to get his national anthem whistle into the NFL game. So I want to help him out as well. I don\u2019t sense that they are wowing local business and sponsors and saving the city and breathing life into the city, and filling up hotel rooms and filling up what it\u2019s left of the harbor, or any of these sort of institutional mandates. And every time I\u2019ve ever brought that up, you and the baseball people always say, well, they gotta win. They gotta win, they got a winner. Nobody\u2019s going to come. They got to<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 24:22<\/p>\n
win, right? Everything you\u2019re talking about like they\u2019re not. And now, and the on field part,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 24:25<\/p>\n
and here we go right now, this is where we get into May, and all of that that I concern myself with, you know, in regard to holding them accountable in a journalistic way, which I\u2019ve been doing for 42 years, since Edward Bennett Williams, since we almost lost the team to DC, since we lost the Colts, since we fantastic fans night we built the stadium like all that the franchise is supposed to represent, and that\u2019s for bashati too, and I\u2019ll get to him in season. They\u2019ll have their season begins like Wednesday night, when they kick off and. Rio, if this team\u2019s eight games under 500 next week, when you and I leave each other at fayley\u2019s, which was my fear last week, is that it\u2019s trending. I said they need to be 500 Preakness week. That\u2019s what I said. I said they need to be 500 Preakness week. They need to be relevant. And you\u2019re talking about people cutting their mat your mom cutting their masks in subscription. Instead of giving them 99 bucks, she only gave him 40 and said, Go away June 1. If I want to, I\u2019m not gonna be on vacation in July anyway. And like, that\u2019s the reality of how people consume baseball that aren\u2019t named Aparicio and Jones. Anybody in our audience? Thank you for being here.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 25:40<\/p>\n
Well, it\u2019s there are more consumer choices. I\u2019ve talked about this a lot when we\u2019ve talked about streaming t you know, streaming TV compared to being locked into a two year contract with Comcast or direct TV, or, you know, how things work 25 years ago, right? I mean, that\u2019s it\u2019s not how it works anymore. So you do need to be more competitive in that way. And I hear everything you\u2019re saying, but you have a fan base right now. And look, social media is not everything, but it, it\u2019s, it tells you something. I see loathing. I see disdain for this ball club right now, and I don\u2019t think it.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 26:14<\/p>\n
See you read more than I do. Please tell me about it. Send me the<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 26:17<\/p>\n
screenshot. Just yeah, I think you\u2019re<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 26:19<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t spend my night doing that. I mean, I watched Albernaz After the game, and I took his quotes down like a good reporter, and I\u2019m just sort of like, he looks beaten, dude. He looks beleaguered. They look beleaguered.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 26:31<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t care how much of an Orioles Homer you might be, or a raven\u2019s Homer you might be, or a Yankees Homer you might be, or whatever the team is. I mean, did anyone watch a series? There\u2019s no positive to take out of it, other than it\u2019s over. Finally, so but, but I think I use the example with you a few years back, how I have a text group, you know, with a bunch of my buddies that I played high school football with, you know, going back before high school, even, and we keep in touch. And couple years ago, it was heartening to me that friends of mine, who never really thought of it as big baseball fans, were watching all the time, and they were really excited. Yes, two days ago was the first time since opening day that anyone had mentioned the Orioles, and it was in mocking, making fun of kind of terms people are either too,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 27:25<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve already sent you the Major League, you know, crappy of you know, I\u2019ve already sent that to you on text. So, yeah,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 27:32<\/p>\n
they\u2019re either turned out, tuned out already, or they\u2019re really ticked. I think, I think the die hards are really ticked, and they\u2019ll keep watching because they\u2019re diehards, but they\u2019re really ticked, and I\u2019m guessing they\u2019re not going to be nearly as inclined to go to the ballpark as often as they do, especially depending on who may maybe had 13 game plans in the past or 29 game plans in the past. And we know that that changed<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 27:57<\/p>\n
people like me and lock and fora that are the few truth tellers, and you call it down the middle and, like, there\u2019s not a lot of call it down the middle going on when you\u2019re watching the broadcast and you\u2019re married to that four hours a night where it\u2019s like hostage videos once things go south, like, literally, they\u2019re not last place. They\u2019re in fifth place. You know, you just hear all the verbiage that it\u2019s like Kevin Brown\u2019s at home combing his hair and practicing the things he can\u2019t say. And it\u2019s like this is when finger pointing happens and ugliness happens and bad bad relief pitching happens, and I mean the Pete Alonso boo birds, or whatever that\u2019s going to come off because and then there\u2019s the trade the gunners and the trade the adleys. And we\u2019re really going to let Elias do this, you know, be the one that trades people in July and August, if they\u2019re 13 games under 500 and like I would say, if they\u2019re 13 games under 500 Dude, it almost feels like it\u2019s a win, because it doesn\u2019t feel like they can be 13 above. And that isn\u2019t me being like, nasty or nasty Nestor. That\u2019s me looking at Cade Povich and Brandon young and the bullpen and the way they play defense, and the whole and Colton cows are swing and the, you know, waiting on Tyler O\u2019Neal and believing the Richmond\u2019s going to hit 346, the rest of the year, he\u2019s not. But you know, he\u2019ll, he\u2019ll cool off. Who\u2019s going to eat up? Kobe mayo, Colton cowser, Jeremiah, Jackson, he\u2019s already hot. Yeah, you know, Taylor Ward can\u2019t get any hotter if he gets 74 doubles this year. Like that\u2019s not happening. Also,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 29:40<\/p>\n
also didn\u2019t understand why he wasn\u2019t in the lineup Monday night.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 29:43<\/p>\n
But go ahead. Well,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 29:44<\/p>\n
give him a night off when you\u2019re on the verge of getting swept, and you and you rest one of your best players. I mean, I, I don\u2019t understand it, you know well,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 29:51<\/p>\n
and you\u2019re not the general manager. And this general manager who I would have fired 51 weeks ago when he fired the manager and ID for three. Days has no accountability. Such accountability to me that, you know, maybe I should send him an email and ask him if he really is accountable or not. I mean, he has emailed with me. I mean, I don\u2019t have a press credential. These people, the stadiums freaking empty, and they\u2019re they\u2019re getting flushed down the toilet, like what the Raven schedule comes out in a week, and they\u2019re running the freaking Preakness and Laurel and screwing that up, bro. I mean, like, I wish I were, oh, Trump\u2019s running the country into the ground. Gas is $5 a gallon. And, like, I got a lot of stuff I could be really ishy about. But like, the baseball season, we haven\u2019t had enough around here over the body of work for me to be given hall passes out after they get their ass kicked. 50 to 15 over the last five days since I took my wife to the ballpark, and she put a she, you know what, we got down the ballpark, she\u2019s like, I should have worn my pink Oreo hat. And I It feels like a year since she\u2019s had it on. But guys, you have to have located but like, anybody thinks I hate the baseball team, you know, blood, farts, you know what I mean? Like, I\u2019m tired of this. I\u2019m I\u2019m so tired of it that I can\u2019t even kick and scream. You know what I mean, I can\u2019t do free the birds. There\u2019s only so much shaming to go around when I went out to the temple in Pikesville to meet the owner, only to have him to see the back of his head the minute I met him. I mean, like, it\u2019s people I and I still, I\u2019m not even bullying Luke. I still almost went to the game on Monday night. Like, literally, I still almost went and pulled my credit card out to go see an Orioles game 194 miles away from where we live. I\u2019m the woman Stockholm Syndrome, dude. But I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s hope in this particular season, as I see it right this minute. And I guess the odds in Vegas would have let big Poppy will get his hose out, all phallic. And I could bet, bet, bet. I could bet on it if I want to, but I put them at a billion to one right now based on the body language, the roster, the guys they\u2019re playing, the guys they\u2019re not playing, the guys that are hurt, the guy running the team, all of it. Pu,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 32:22<\/p>\n
so are they going to lose 110 games?<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 32:25<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 32:26<\/p>\n
I mean, I think<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 32:27<\/p>\n
they\u2019re going to lose enough from now on that they\u2019re not going to become interesting. And that\u2019s the part that sucks, yeah.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 32:34<\/p>\n
I mean, that that\u2019s very well possible. That\u2019s<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 32:36<\/p>\n
what I\u2019m saying. Five under, all right? They\u2019ll win a couple here this week. They\u2019ll get to two under. Then the angels will come and bury them, and then they\u2019ll fall to five under, and they\u2019ll be two under, and we\u2019ll talk about this and that, and like, that\u2019s not, I don\u2019t know. You know, they don\u2019t, they don\u2019t catch the ball. I keep going back to that. They\u2019re a nightly enforcement.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 32:56<\/p>\n
I mean, I\u2019ll say this. I mean, you and I misjudged that part of it, because we talked about the defense, but we also kind of just brushed it off, right? I mean, the defense,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 33:04<\/p>\n
so does the general manager,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 33:06<\/p>\n
well, he doesn\u2019t value defense. I mean, you can\u2019t tell me that this organization values defense with the the alignments that they put out there on most nights, and the constant moving guys around the position by position, to think that that that\u2019s easy to do. Dude, I<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 33:21<\/p>\n
had a monkey come in here, a Capuchin monkey, and make picks. And during the NCAA Tournament, Pizza Hut. John from pizza, John Schultz, he put me up to that because he wanted to see me get the living manure scared out of me. I had a colonoscopy that day, right right here in the studio, and I could have a monkey make lineups, just literally, just pick, just give me nine names, pull them out of a hat, and let\u2019s see how we go. Beavers, let\u2019s bat him third. Like I don\u2019t I don\u2019t know what computer they\u2019re spitting this thing out of, but at least have nerds like you understand it. At least sell it in the press box to somebody as understandable, relatable, that you could come on my airways and give me eight minutes, as you do behind the scenes every day, every day, at 233 o\u2019clock, you come together and the computer spits out the way you think your best chance to win is tonight. I would at least love to see some we\u2019re talking about horse races this week. There\u2019s a form. You can look at the form and read it and see why. You know, maybe trainers did things based on distances and weights and weather, and I just commute. They need to communicate better, right? At least to their their the people investing in them, the bird I\u2019m not investing in them. I didn\u2019t give them any money. Well, I did. I bought that heritage Smokehouse sandwich, which was delicious last week, so thank you for that, but I don\u2019t invest in them. I mean, I get my wife suckers me into the cable package, and we have what we have, but like, I\u2019m not deciding to cut them off in 99 bucks one way or another. But like, they really should talk to the people that invest in them, the people that every month. If their credit card sucks out bird land inside or money, those are the people that honestly can be the most angry about all of it, but the lack of accountability. I\u2019m the most angry about that as a citizen, as a taxpayer, as a stakeholder, as an FCC license holder, as somebody that sends you down to the ballpark every night, and as a company, something that we\u2019re invested in, their good fortune, even though they\u2019re too effing dumb to realize. And I could get loud and I could scream, and I could do all of that. I am, you know, I\u2019m 35 years into this. I\u2019m too old to be diving behind the lockers Luke at this point. But it\u2019s, it\u2019s not funny, and it\u2019s tragic for the city, for momentum for these new owners. Just all of it like it\u2019s just, it sucks<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 35:49<\/p>\n
and but I\u2019ll continue to go back and say the issue is not money. Their payroll is, is almost twice as much as Tampa Bay\u2019s right now.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 35:58<\/p>\n
It\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 36:00<\/p>\n
It\u2019s it\u2019s not doing nearly enough with the resources that you do have. Mike Elias and members of this organization, and those who\u2019ve talked about this organization, and even going back to John Angelos at the end, talking about the types of teams and the types of franchises they were trying to emulate. They talked about Tampa Bay, they talked about Cleveland, they talked about Milwaukee, St Louis as a regional frame. St Louis, to me, was, was the one that was like the vision, the long term vision, right, was to be something like what the Cardinals have been over the last 25 years. That was the North<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 36:36<\/p>\n
Star,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 36:37<\/p>\n
although the Cardinals in recent years, you know, recent years that hasn\u2019t been quite the case, quite as much success. Well, their<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 36:43<\/p>\n
North Star was the Red Sox 20 years ago, with Nesson and the network and a regional team, until Washington took over. Then all of a sudden, it had to be a different kind of vision. And I think that I sometimes struggle with that, because I\u2019m not on the inside. I don\u2019t sit down there and talk to their executives about money in the way that I did with Dick Cass for 25 years, until he threw me out and acted like he didn\u2019t know me, but very competently, I might add, as well. But like their business model has changed in that you could talk about them having the Milwaukee Brewers, but that\u2019s a big state. You could talk about them following these Kansas City that\u2019s a big Midwest that you know, they really are limited from a fan base perspective, with the Phillies and your brother in law, and I know you\u2019re taking your niece to see Nelly. It\u2019s gonna get hot in here. She\u2019ll be asleep by then, hopefully I get, I don\u2019t know, dude, she\u2019s five. Is she ready for Nelly? That\u2019s another we\u2019ll do that later in the week. But for me, with the franchise itself and what they\u2019re trying to do, and trying to finance, and what their North Star really is, Katie Griggs is North Stars. We\u2019re going to get an all star game. Great. We show off great. You know, Don roback\u2019s Trying to find businesses to invest. There aren\u2019t a lot. There aren\u2019t nearly as many as there used to be. They\u2019re not nearly as wide stretch where you could go to Richmond and get them, or, you know, up to Harrisburg and get them like the Philly success is there the Washington market. They\u2019re just a lot of challenges that these guys bought into this. We love the Orioles. I\u2019m from Baltimore. All of that to the realities of 2026, for them, and what it\u2019s going to take the kind of enthusiasm that you and I, quite frankly, are going to have to have, not just the newscasters they pay to wear the Oriole jerseys on opening day and get excited about I had Terry Virts on. He\u2019s an Oriole fan, Joan Jett, whatever, but like to reinvigorate the city in a way that\u2019s way above and beyond you and me and our pay grade, quite frankly, finding people we don\u2019t even know and haven\u2019t met yet to come to Oreo games, not the people we already know who are making fun of them.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 38:57<\/p>\n
I mean, it just but it continues to come back to all the all you just mentioned is a non starter if they\u2019re not going to win and be competitive and be interesting and and make have a chance to make the playoffs and let people dream of winning a World Series. I mean, their payroll 16th in baseball right now. It\u2019s not bottom of the barrel. There are a lot of teams out there that have a way lower payroll than them that are outplaying them by a wide margin right now. So everything you mentioned is completely valid looking at it from a big picture lens, but you\u2019ve got to get in that position again. Like I said, Tampa Bay has half the payroll the Orioles right now. Go look at the standings. Look at what Cleveland spends on an annual basis, and look how many times they\u2019ve been to the playoffs and been in, you know, been in at least the ALCS, let\u2019s say in, in some recent years, where they\u2019ve had a chance, or, you know, at least get into the divisional, you know, Division Series. They\u2019re, if I\u2019m David Rubenstein and I\u2019m Eric Eddy and I\u2019m this ownership group, I\u2019m saying, You. Like Elias, we\u2019ve given you quite a bit of money to spend the last two years. Now it\u2019s not, it\u2019s not top of baseball, it\u2019s not the Yankees and not the Dodgers. Never<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 40:09<\/p>\n
will be, never will be, right?<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 40:10<\/p>\n
But we\u2019ve given you money to spend over the last couple years, way more than John Angelos did. What have you gotten for it? How many? How much has each win cost. What happened to this farm system that was supposed to be this elite talent pipeline that was just going to be a feeder system, and okay, if we weren\u2019t going to sign Adley rutsman and gunner Henderson, that was going to be fine, because we\u2019re going to have guys on their heels a few years later that are going to be ready to replace them, like, what happened to that? You know? I mean, it\u2019s again, you can keep talking about how how great this farm system was. I\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s nails to the on the chalkboard to me at this point, is people talking about how talented they are. Talent supposed to show up at some point, isn\u2019t it? So, I mean, the buck stops with Elias, but I am really starting to question these players too. I mean, like, I question all of it, right? So it\u2019s tough, but it\u2019s tough for me to think about the big picture and revenue and all star games and all that stuff. When they\u2019ve got the worst run differential in the American League right now, they\u2019re, they\u2019re, I mean, they\u2019re on the verge of being in last place, and it\u2019s not even mid May,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 41:24<\/p>\n
but I look at the lineup, and I look at the rotation, and I think feels kind of last place. When I look at the names in the lineup the last five days and say, These are the guys they\u2019re going and playing with, it feels like an outfit.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 41:40<\/p>\n
72 on base percentage. Gunner Henderson has a 272, on base percentage. Pete Alonso needed a really strong last week just to get over 700 for his ops. I mean, I hear you at the same time. I\u2019m not how am I going to sit here and rail on Blaze Alexander or leotiberis, who\u2019s actually been one of their better players when their stars aren\u2019t playing and performing. Go look at the Okay, I get it. It stinks they lost Zach Eflin. It stinks that Dean Kramer is on the Il. Trevor Rogers is on the IL for, you know, the next week or so, you know, another week or so. What\u2019s his era? What\u2019s Kyle bradish\u2019s era? Shane Boz, you know, we talked about it. I mean, Monday could have been a decent start for him, but then it fell apart at the end, and he walked a bunch of people. It\u2019s tough for me to lament. I mean, you\u2019re, you\u2019re doing what, frankly, like you saying that is kind of the apologist way of looking at the Orioles the last couple years. Oh, they\u2019re really injured. They\u2019re really injured. Oh, they\u2019re really injured. Look, the entries are a big part of it. I\u2019m in agreement. But if your stars aren\u2019t going to be stars, at the very least, how am I going to get mad at the guys that are filling in? You know what I mean? Like gunner Henderson\u2019s not playing like a star. Gunner, Henderson\u2019s got a 208 batting average. Pete Alonso, only over the last week, started hitting it all. I mean, like, so it\u2019s tough for me to look at the lesser guys on this roster, if the if the guys that are supposed to be in is aren\u2019t even doing it. So I hear you, but I\u2019m going to continue to push back when, when your stars aren\u2019t playing like stars. Gunner Henderson, supposed to be the aircraft carrier. He\u2019s not playing like an aircraft carrier. Pete Alonso, they gave $31 million a year to for the next five years. He hasn\u2019t played like a $31 million player. His defense has been really good, but my gosh, we\u2019re going to talk about his defense. That reminds me of Chris Davis seven years ago where, like, that\u2019s all Madison could talk about, was Chris Davis\u2019s defense because he wasn\u2019t hitting anymore. So I hear you at the same time that that\u2019s a crutch, because that\u2019s implying that it\u2019s all about the injuries. It\u2019s not the guys that they were counting on to be major parts of this have been colossal disappointments. And then when you couple it with the injuries, yeah, you do get a team that\u2019s hovering in last place right now. So sorry, you know, I\u2019m not, I\u2019m just, I\u2019m going to continue to push back on that when Gunnar Anderson has, you know, a 272 on base percentage, when Pete Alonso is batting 215 right? I mean, I get it plays out. You know, Blaze Alexander is not someone you want to be your everyday third baseman. But you know what? He\u2019s better than Kobe Mayo at this point. So at least because for the defense alone. And you know that kind of brings me back to something that you check out at Baltimore, positive.com, I wrote it Monday before Monday\u2019s embarrassing blowout. I\u2019m waiting for a shake up here. No, you\u2019re not going to fire the manager six weeks into his career. And you know that that\u2019s that\u2019s silliness. They\u2019re not firing the manager. I mean, they might fire Mike Elias at some point before the season\u2019s over, but they\u2019re not firing. Manager, but I kind of look at it through the lens of michaelias, you\u2019re responsible for all this. What are you going to do? Are you going to send a message? Is anyone going to be held accountable? I thought, I thought Sunday was a perfect I don\u2019t want to use the term perfect, because that sounds like I\u2019m piling on. I thought that was an opportunity to send a message to your entire ball club after Kobe Mayo had two gaffes in the field, to send him to Norfolk to say, you know one you\u2019re not performing to Kobe that\u2019s below the bar. You got to know when a ball\u2019s rolling foul down the third base line that you got to let it go foul, right? You\u2019ve got to know when the bases are loaded and you make a diving stop at first base, not to throw home. You take you take the shore out at first. Those are, those are plays you learn growing up as a young baseball player. So I thought that was an opportunity right there. If you were trying to send a message, not just<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 45:56<\/p>\n
my dad<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 45:56<\/p>\n
would say, you got your head in the game, but there was a perfect opportunity to me to send a message. And again, I\u2019m not trying to make it about Kobe Mayo individually, although it is to a point, but that was for everyone to see. Hey, like guys, this is this, isn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 46:12<\/p>\n
You can only fail here so long until we have to ask somebody who\u2019s not failing<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 46:17<\/p>\n
like I said, you know, Blaze Alexander, look his his hitting has been worse than Mayo\u2019s, but he\u2019s going to defend. He\u2019s going to play good defense, and I will say, unlike Kobe mayo, go look at what Blaze Alexander did the last couple years with Arizona. Like last year, he had a representative season. He wasn\u2019t a stud with the bat, but he swung the bat like he\u2019s not a complete no hit utility player, but are they going to send a message? Or do you go back to and I\u2019ll leave you with this. You go back to Albernaz. Is point that he made after Sunday\u2019s game, and he said, What team do we want to be? We can fold up and just think that everything will turn around just by itself. Or we\u2019ve got to put the work in and really make this happen. Well, if you don\u2019t do anything, and you kind of, I don\u2019t mean sign Lou Trevino, if you\u2019re just going to maintain the status quo largely, and just think it\u2019s going to turn around by itself. I mean, okay, but you\u2019re rapidly approaching 2025, territory. I mean, they\u2019re staring it right in the face now. So I think a shake up is in order of some sort, whether it\u2019s mayo, whether it\u2019s kauser, who, who actually had a decent night at the plate Monday night, or if it\u2019s at some point here, if Tyler O\u2019Neill doesn\u2019t start showing a pulse, DFA him. And just say it\u2019s a sunk cost, like, you know, you\u2019re not getting that money back in terms of production something. Because, man, this is as this is depressing. I mean, this is absolutely depressing. The way this season has started for them, this is an absolute nightmare for them to be in the position they\u2019re in at Cinco on Cinco de Mayo, and it\u2019s looking just, I mean,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 47:55<\/p>\n
the real thing isn\u2019t just that they\u2019re losing, it\u2019s that they\u2019re bad. They\u2019re not just, it\u2019s not, it\u2019s not accidental that they\u2019re losing. It\u2019s not bad luck. It\u2019s not injuries. It\u2019s not It\u2019s they\u2019ve<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 48:05<\/p>\n
had until the Yankees, they\u2019ve had a relatively soft schedule. They have had one of the easier schedules in baseball these last four days. That\u2019s, that\u2019s, that\u2019s another animal. Like I said, the Yankees are great. I\u2019ll, I\u2019ll crown them right now. They look I think they\u2019re going to run away with the Al East. I don\u2019t think Tampa\u2019s going to continue to play at the clip they\u2019re playing at but, but that said prior to that, they played a very reasonable schedule, and all they were able to do was barely hold their own at a game under 500 that does not bode well for the rest of the season. Let\u2019s just call a spade a spade.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 48:41<\/p>\n
Yeah, you gotta, you know, gotta win. Two out of three, two out of three, two out of three. You know, got to get above 500 got to be eight above 510 above five like they, they don\u2019t feel like they they\u2019re a horse that\u2019s going to be able to get up that hill. Luke Jones is here. I\u2019ll be doing the Maryland crab cake tour at Planet Fitness on the seventh. That is Thursday. The Orioles out of town. We\u2019re waiting on the Raven schedule middle of next week as well. We have that Brazil game in September. Any breaking news happens first in the wnst tech service. That\u2019s all brought to you by Cole roofing and Gordian energy. We\u2019re going to be doing the crab races in advance of the Preakness at Lexington market at faidley\u2019s next week with Ivan Bates. I will have Maryland treasure scratch offs to give away a horse is a horse, of course, of course. And we\u2019ll be also at faidley\u2019s partner, the faidley family in Catonsville, is going to be the fishmonger\u2019s daughter that will be on the 21st of the month. All of it brought to you by GBMC and foreign and Durham. We had so much fun at Pizza John\u2019s. Hope you\u2019re enjoying those chats that we had, I got John Allen out, my buddy Ethan Giffin stopped by John Hoey from the Y political candidates. We had Nick Stewart out running for Baltimore County Executive, as well as Sarah David, who was running for Baltimore County State\u2019s Attorney, and she did a long dissertation on citizenship that I thought was a. Worth listening to, so go listen to it. He\u2019s Luke, I\u2019m Nestor. We are W NSD. Am 1570 to Baltimore, and we never stop talking Baltimore positive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re all looking for answers after a hideous sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":220685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[128,9,24,63,129,131,130],"class_list":["post-220684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-bronx","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}