00:00And just getting word that Sam Kennedy is joining us on the phone not at JetBlue Park this morning. Hey, Sam
00:09Hey, good morning, Greg. Yeah, I'm actually out by the pool looking for you and your speedo. Where are you?
00:14I was assuming that you were you were not going there because I'm not there to sit between you and Curtis
00:22No, we'll be there we'll be there shortly
00:25Well
00:26I'm assuming that maybe once the once the Bregman deal got done. You had a little less anxiety about the
00:3495 90 to 95 win and division title guarantee is that is that true? Yeah. Yeah
00:42All the quotes where there was a guarantee me. I think I've learned my lesson from making any silly bold proclamations
00:48That certainly is a goal
00:50For for this year and and each and every year but we got a lot of work to do
00:57Sam I would just say that the the Bregman signing is much more to me than
01:02Bregman who we got the privilege to talk to yesterday who seems like everything you'd want in a player not about him personally
01:09It's just it felt like the organization backed their words that Cora was brought back on a three-year deal
01:16He got a seat at the table
01:18the organization sees the young players getting ready to add to the big league club this year and that the
01:24Organization was ready to financially support the team to get closer to the playoffs
01:29Well
01:31Listen a lot of this started
01:33With the recruitment and hiring of Craig Breslow as our head of baseball ops and then to your point
01:40Extending Alex Cora and having that stability
01:44And then being able to come to a deal with Alex Bregman
01:48Which absolutely huge for our franchise free agency is really difficult as we've talked about ad nauseam the last
01:55Couple years we were able to match up on a on a deal. And yeah, we're really excited about his arrival
02:02He is a proven winner and he's most importantly he chose us
02:08You know, he had lots of options and he really wanted to be in Boston
02:12he wants to play a Fenway wants to play in front of Red Sox fans and
02:16Really excited to get to Boston. So
02:19Coming into camp with a lot of enthusiasm as you mentioned a lot of young players who are starting to come into their own
02:26So it's it's an exciting time an exciting camp. Obviously, we've been talking about Rafi Devers and his desire to play third base
02:33Yesterday he spoke and said he wasn't sure why it was such a big deal
02:37And the most important thing for him has always been winning
02:41Is is that so is that a softening of the stance from him or is and is that something that you just you feel?
02:47Like we'll work itself out by the by the time opening day gets here. Oh
02:52Yeah, for sure
02:53You know, first of all Rafi
02:55I think if I'm not mistaken is the only player in that clubhouse with a World Series ring from
03:032018 he's a champion here in Boston. He's a
03:08Old school hard-nosed guy who he's played hurt. He's given everything for this franchise
03:14He committed to us for the long term. We committed to him and that was rooted in trying to lock up a
03:21Franchise player for his entire career to win more championships. So
03:26you want guys who are who are
03:29competitive and
03:31State their their position and their their mind and but it'll all work itself out. That's that's an Alex Cora decision
03:39He'll fill out the lineup card as the proverbial saying goes and they've got a great relationship and they'll work through it together
03:47So not not concerned about that
03:49Sam one of the things you talked about recruitment and one of the things that
03:54Trevor story mentioned Bregman mentioned that Alex Cora mentioned just the vibe around here and
04:00players
04:01wanting to come to Boston Trevor story said he wanted to come here and and when you notice the vibe being where you're
04:09putting a
04:11legit contender on the field is
04:14How much does that help when it comes to recruiting players?
04:17Because so many players have this, you know
04:21Passion to want to play for the Red Sox organization because what you guys been able to create over the years
04:29Yeah, I mean we you know that it's truly because of the fans in these contract extension discussions
04:38in the free agency recruiting process a big part of our pitch and our
04:45discussion is the fact that we have these
04:49Incredibly passionate fans who make the environment so special
04:53I mean Walker Bueller is an example of a guy who just can't wait to get going
04:58and pitching a Fenway
05:01just being in that atmosphere and
05:03Garrett crochet got to spend a little bit of time with and he's another one who's just ecstatic to be here
05:09So it's huge but it emanates and comes from the fans in the environment. They create a Fenway
05:15And they want to see a winner and that's a that's a player
05:19environment the players want to be in
05:21Sam when it came to your discussions with Alex Cora heading into the contract extension
05:27He told us yesterday that there were some things that he needed from you guys and you guys had proposals out there for him
05:33What were those those those needs that you guys had to meet for to make sure that he was locked up for another three years?
05:39Well, you know look he's he's been here a long time as a as a player and and now as a manager
05:47He wanted to make sure that there was going to be an environment
05:51Like we've I think created in the past and that was going to continue and that was commitment to the families our players families
05:58How we take care of the kids and player wives and extended families
06:04parents grandparents things like that
06:06Grandparents things like that
06:08Alex is all about family and he sees the Red Sox as his family and and he sees
06:15His kids being a hugely important part of his life. So he was focused on what worked for him what worked for his family
06:23but most importantly
06:24He really just wanted to ensure that we were going to be committed to winning and and like any manager would
06:31And that's been a hallmark of
06:33John and Tom and Mike and our crew at Fenway Sports Group going back to 2002
06:40We've obviously scuffled in in in years
06:43But there's always been that commitment and that desire burning desire to win championships and we share that
06:49with AC
06:50Lucas G Alito faced hitters yesterday for the first time since last March 1st is is he coming along the way
06:57You were hoping the way you expected
07:00Yeah
07:02Alex had a cookout at his house a couple nights ago with a bunch of the veteran guys
07:06And it was great great to spend some time with him. He's he's really fired up
07:11He he you know being out for a year's just brutal
07:15So he's really motivated and focused and so far so good
07:19But I crossed all my toes and fingers when it comes to health
07:23That's the most important thing coming out of camp, but it'll be great to see him get that opportunity to pitch at Fenway
07:29And you know clearly no facial hair restrictions here
07:34No, I I thought that was fascinating that the Yankees changed changed positions there
07:42but
07:43Good for them for for getting into the into the 1900s. Yeah
07:50Speaking of good health the good news for you Sam that you're not near Greg because he has Noro so
07:56Now you're gonna say that to me
07:58He's gonna back away like Mitch did this one
08:04People hear it like it's not like I took an extra day
08:08I got sick Monday, and I very ill I took an extra day to stay here. I'll be down there later tonight
08:13Okay, don't worry your
08:16Still be good. Yeah, I think you're still good invited Greg. Don't worry
08:21I'm flying Ken has booked me a flight via Damascus, but
08:25He'll be there eventually
08:28Sam just just so we because I think it's it's notable and it's deserving of praise that the
08:34Organization is back when it comes to investing
08:37Can we now admit that the last couple years were different that they that the organization did need to bridge that gap?
08:44Where you were gonna get the farm system to where it was to the where the team was ready to compete and that's what drew
08:50John Henry back to the table and spending at the top of the market for a pre-agent like Bregman
08:56Look free agency Chris has always been part of the strategy as we've talked about
09:01there's been limits in terms of where we've been willing to go and and we take the
09:06Take the bullets for that when we fall short of signing certain free agents
09:11But we're not back until we do it on the field. So we're excited about this season
09:17We think we've got a real competitive group. There's a great vibe down here
09:21We're not back until we're pouring champagne on each other in October
09:26The clubhouse a year with the Red Sox drops on Netflix on April 8th. Have you seen it Sam?
09:32I am one of the few people who has not seen it. I'm too nervous to watch it
09:37We don't have any editorial control or rights over what is included
09:42So I'd rather just sort of not know and and and and enjoy it in real time
09:48Yeah, it comes out in April. We had a great Netflix
09:52Event last fall with the comeback
09:55it was really great to relive that special time for all of us here in New England and
10:00This would be a different flavor of ice cream
10:02This is about the grind for the players over 162 game season really excited as a you know
10:09As a fan to see what what they were able to uncover and all the crazy places they were allowed to go
10:16But no, I haven't seen it yet
10:17But it premieres in April. I'll tell you what Chyme is really excited about and that is Pokemon Day
10:24Wait, there you go and one-piece day on May 3rd. That's gonna be awesome
10:31Come on out I would love to I need to get me one of those one-piece Red Sox jerseys that thing is a loss reserve for
10:36Wiggy Wiggy gets it gets the bag of merch
10:44When you're reasonable on the radio, you know, we treat you well
10:47Sam
10:49last one last one for me because it's interesting I've never been to the this part of the park before like
10:55Behind everything and you talk about like some of the younger guys and newer guys and when you have guys like Pedro Martinez down here
11:03Jim Rice guys who have played for the organization and played at an extremely sick
11:09Oh and our guy Framingham Lou can't forget about him and who played for the organization
11:14At extremely high level helping out these young kids how
11:19Like how important is that to have like some of the older guys here?
11:22I see Pedro working with the pitches like just kind of talking about the organization and what it means to be a Boston Red Sox
11:30It's huge, especially when you're trying to create sort of a connective tissue between
11:36generations of Red Sox teams and a culture of winning
11:42And if you as you say we look around
11:45JetBlue Park and our complex down here you see imagery of Pedro and David and Dustin Petroia and
11:52Johnny Lester and and all the guys that sort of have built this culture
11:57but we go back and we've got living legends like like, you know guys like Pedro who are willing to come through and
12:05We've got Wade Boggs around and and Jim Rice and really the
12:10Guys who sort of built this whole thing. We're missing Louie Tiant this year, which is obviously really tough, but
12:18Understanding that connection to our past is a huge thing for for Red Sox nation
12:22And we're lucky to have so many guys around I saw Dwight Evans at lunch the other day
12:27and it's it's great to have them here to be able to share some of their lessons learned and
12:32And pass it on to this next generation
12:34I saw what you guys are doing with the golf cart for Louie Tiant, which I thought was really cool
12:40Yeah, it's just he was such a fixture down here and and I love Louie would watch with us in the box
12:47You know 20-30 nights a year and the thing I'll always remember is he would just be so upset when guys would come out of
12:54the game after three or four
12:56He said they need to throw more not less, you know
12:59That's the problem and he'd also get really upset when when when pitchers didn't
13:04Brush guys back and and really play the way and his words the game was meant to be played. He was such a
13:10Such a kind sweet soul, but he was an absolute
13:13Maniac on the mound and and I think we need more of that in the game
13:18Lou it looks like Lou is joining. Hi, Lou
13:22Hi everybody Greg we miss you
13:25Yes, Sam. I got a question too
13:29I
13:35Just walk around with break when he just puts a smile on my face
13:38Angry, I'm good
13:40Give it some time to the TV the TV TV star now guys
13:44You got to you know, make sure you roll out the red carpet for him. Oh, we are rolling it out
13:49Well, the man looks he's too good. He's too attractive to be on the radio, right? I've always said that about
13:55No, all right, Sam, well, thanks. Thanks for taking the time
13:58We will see you down there and can't wait to get it all started in in a few weeks
14:04We'll see the team later today and for the stragglers Greg. We'll we'll see you by the pool
14:09All right. See you a little bit later
14:12Sam Kennedy
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