00:00You were drafted the same year as Brett Beatty out of high school.
00:10Did you guys ever meet beforehand or even afterwards?
00:12Did you have any kind of relationship with him?
00:14I had played against him at a couple events, but I never played with him.
00:18And then we both played in the Appalachian League together our first years out of high school.
00:23So I've gotten to know him pretty much just through playing against him over the years.
00:28Okay, Court.
00:29Just turning the trade deadline and just hearing your name kind of be thrown around right there.
00:32How do you feel now that you're still with the Yankees and the deadline has kind of passed now?
00:37Yeah, I mean, it's great to be a part of this team and a part of this organization.
00:41It's the only one I really know and experience.
00:45And there's so many good people, regardless if it's our coaches or teammates or just support staff, anyone like that.
00:51So I don't know necessarily if it was a stressful week just because it's so far out of my control
00:58and all the other guys in the clubhouse.
00:59So we were just enjoying the time together and just trying to go out there and compete every day.
01:04That's kind of the weird thing about it.
01:05There's so much stuff going on off the field, but you're playing every single night.
01:08So that's honestly probably the best part about it is that we always had a game every night
01:12and could focus on stuff that we could control.
01:14Do you have any thoughts, comments about some of the guys that you've played with
01:18that maybe have gotten traded like the ladies and you're involved with Chuck?
01:22Yeah, it's, I guess, super bittersweet and mixed emotions when I do talk to them.
01:26And obviously for all of us, selfishly, they're some of the best guys I've ever gotten to meet,
01:31some really close friends that I feel like I'll have for the rest of my life.
01:35And I want to see them all the time.
01:37I want to see them at spring training, even if we're not playing together,
01:40or see them in Tampa, stuff like that.
01:42So obviously I'm super happy for them professionally and baseball-wise.
01:47And, yeah, I'm super pumped for them.
01:50What is it like getting, I know it's, you know, AA,
01:53so it's not the number four experience of the Subway Series,
01:56but you have this Subway Series here at this level going up against the Mets' AA team.
01:59You know, you see the bigger crowd, you have both fans kind of going at it.
02:02And what has that been like for you guys so far in the last couple days?
02:06Yeah, I think it's been pretty cool.
02:07It's especially cool just because I think I've played against a lot of guys on this team
02:11for the last couple years.
02:12So we kind of got to experience playing in, like, the Appalachian League
02:16where there's, like, nobody there, low A wasn't much people there,
02:20and then last year in Brooklyn and then here.
02:22It's obviously been a really, really cool atmosphere.
02:25Awesome.
02:29I'm just trying to get more consistent at the plate and behind the plate,
02:33catching and hitting.
02:34So I think that's just been the goal.
02:35Less strikeouts and being better throwing guys out
02:39and in general, like, that stuff.
02:42All right, us.
02:43You started off rough first couple days, but then on fire, right,
02:48in the 15-game hitting streak.
02:49Just what's clicked for you since those first couple days here?
02:53Just getting used to the level.
02:54I just think it got my rhythm back after missing time.
02:57I mean, it's a little different going from rehab games to actual games.
03:00So I think it just took me a few games to really just find my footing here
03:04and just haven't really looked back yet.
03:07So I'm interested in this summer in the lonely household.
03:10The minorly experience is usually this sort of lonely, you know, hotels on the road.
03:15You guys are all in one family house.
03:18Describe that for me.
03:18What's that all been like?
03:20Yeah, it's been great.
03:21It's a home away from home, really.
03:23So getting to be at a house, really, when we're at home, has been amazing.
03:28Their family is amazing.
03:29They've been great with us, everyone at the house.
03:32So it's really felt like my family.
03:34So it's been great just having that consistency to go back to.
03:37And the food, how's the food?
03:38Amazing.
03:39The aunts and his mom just cook amazing food, so we eat well there.
03:44How's your relationship like with both of you, just in terms of, you know,
03:47on the field and also off the field?
03:48Yeah, great.
03:49I mean, we push each other to be the best we can be on and off the field, really.
03:54So off days, we're playing golf and being competitive.
03:58And here we're competitive as well, just really trying to get the most out of each other
04:01and just push each other to be great players on the field.
04:05Just to piggyback off the point about catching, I know a couple weeks ago
04:09when we last spoke to you, you talked about getting in rhythm with your pitchers.
04:12How do you feel now, now you've been here for a couple of weeks,
04:15how do you feel your rhythm with the pitchers has been so far
04:17from guys who are starting, guys who are in the bullpen?
04:19I think we've had a great rapport just going back and forth,
04:23guys coming in, guys coming out.
04:24So just having that relationship with them has been really great.
04:29The adjustments that we've made with each other have been solid.
04:32So I think both sides have been happy with where it's gone in the last couple weeks,
04:36and we're just trying to continue to solidify that relationship,
04:40pitcher to catcher, and just go out there with the best plan that we can every day.
04:43Yeah, I mean, he's going to be great to have here.
04:48I mean, big power arm from what we're seeing, big physical presence,
04:51just seeing him in the clubhouse today.
04:52So, you know, looking forward to having him out there on the mound,
04:55just the second hitters.
04:56I feel like just meeting him and just seeing some video,
04:59I think he's going to take on that bulldog mentality when he's out there.
05:02So I'm just really looking forward to him working with Casa here
05:06and our whole pitching department.
05:07But he's somebody with a high ceiling.
05:09He's somebody, obviously, that we like to go after,
05:12and we're really happy that he's part of our team now.
05:14Are we going to see him here this weekend?
05:16I'm not positive if he's going to throw this week,
05:18but hopefully in the short bit here we're going to see him out there,
05:21which will be great.
05:22I count.
05:22Yeah, talk a little about playing in this double-A sub-A series.
05:27I'll be going to talk about it first when it's against the Mets team.
05:29What is it like for you from a manager perspective?
05:31Was it just another series?
05:33Yeah, it's fun.
05:35To go against the crosstown rivals is great.
05:38They have a ton of talent over there.
05:39I mean, earlier in the year seeing Alvarez,
05:42right now on the left side of the infield with Beatty and Ronnie Mauricio,
05:46they just have a ton of talent.
05:47These guys that we saw last year as well,
05:49a lot of these guys were in Hudson Valley.
05:50So to have these guys kind of going up against each other
05:53for a couple of years now has been cool.
05:55And to see both organizations growing, players developing,
06:00it's been great.
06:01And we've played some really good games back and forth,
06:05even this year and last year.
06:06So it's been fun.
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