00:00Do you know one of my favorite things about baseball season being backbone?
00:03Hot dogs.
00:04Well, yeah, I do like hot dogs.
00:06The 9-9-9 challenge.
00:09But that's at the very best a close second to being able to talk to
00:13Oriole Hall of Famer Mike Bordick every week
00:15because he is part of our Baltimore Baseball Tonight coverage here
00:18on 105.7 The Phantom.
00:20Bordy, thank you as always for your time.
00:22We appreciate it.
00:24I guess let's start with the Jordan Westberg of it all
00:28and the unfortunate news that he's got the partially torn UCL
00:32and they're going to go PRP.
00:34Now, there's been some success with position players doing this,
00:36but obviously he will not be ready for the start of the season.
00:40Yeah, that kind of sucks.
00:42Thanks for the introduction, though, Ken.
00:43I really appreciate it.
00:44You always have.
00:46And, Tim, the hot dog comment, it comes close to my heart, man.
00:49I'm a meat eater, so nothing wrong with a good hot dog either.
00:53Pickles burgers, too.
00:54Yeah, they're good.
00:56Baby, do I love a Pickles burger.
00:57No doubt about that.
00:59Got to be with no bun, though.
01:00Remember that?
01:01Yeah, yeah.
01:01No carbs.
01:02No fun for Bordy.
01:03All right, all right.
01:04Back to Westberg, man.
01:06I mean, that's too bad.
01:07This poor guy has just been bit by that injury bug once again.
01:13And, man, we're all hoping that one year he'll be able to flip in 150-plus games
01:20just to see what he can do because he really is a beast when he's on the field
01:24on both sides of the ball.
01:27Defensively, I think he could potentially win a gold glove if he could ever stay healthy.
01:31And offensively, golly, he was a force when he came back at the end of last season.
01:39Yeah, it's very frustrating.
01:41It's disheartening to me.
01:43You know, I feel bad, obviously, for his elbow injury, but he started with an oblique.
01:51Yeah.
01:51Of course, Holliday hurt as well.
01:54And once again, and I think every year we continue to talk about the injuries in this
02:00great game of baseball.
02:01And, unfortunately, I just think the training has to be re-evaluated because everything
02:08they do is training for max effort, and they go max effort all the time.
02:14They're trying to increase spin rate.
02:16They're trying to increase how quickly they could develop the hip turn and the power when
02:22they swing.
02:24Listen, the whole idea is to get into spring training healthy and come out of spring training
02:30healthy.
02:31And I'm just concerned, once again, that the training needs to be re-evaluated for these
02:37guys.
02:38Everybody wants to get bigger, stronger, faster.
02:40But if you're not on the field, what good is it doing you, and what good is it doing
02:43the team?
02:45Well, Bordy, the combination of Westberg and Jackson Holliday's injuries, it really presents
02:51a big, big opportunity for Kobe Mayo.
02:54Now, we thought that that third base experiment was over, but he's going to be there soon.
03:00He's a starter at third base to start the year.
03:02It's just, what are you expecting from Mayo?
03:05FYI, Bordy, throwing error today for Kobe Mayo, for what it's worth.
03:09Okay, yeah.
03:10Well, first of all, there is no way you can jump the gun and say he is going to be
03:15the
03:15starting third baseman.
03:17I think Albert is going to be watching him play.
03:20I think there's a track record there of lack of trust.
03:24And that is the most important thing for a major league defender.
03:28The manager has got to trust you out in the field.
03:32And if he doesn't, he's not going to play.
03:35And that's exactly what happened to him in the past.
03:37Now, listen, I think the kid's going to work as hard as he can.
03:39He made himself, you know, an all right first baseman, I thought, last year.
03:45But still, it's the athleticism, how he moves at third base.
03:50And it's ultimately going to be, you know, the manager's call, whether or not he trusts
03:56him out there enough.
03:57Because the Orioles have a pretty darn good pitching staff.
04:00And if you don't have guys behind them that can play the defense, which unfortunately,
04:05I feel like the Orioles just don't, you know, pay enough attention to.
04:10I think they just think about big, hairy guys that can hit the ball far, but it's their
04:16defense that's going to take them to the promised land.
04:19So it'll be interesting to see how, I'm glad he's getting an opportunity right now, but
04:24I know for a fact there are butter glove guys that could fill in at third base.
04:29And who knows, maybe even better offensively for this team.
04:34But this is going to be a little experiment as we go.
04:37Talking with Mike Bordick, it's Inside Access here on the fan.
04:39And Bordick, I'm curious, because Bowen brought up Jackson Holiday.
04:42Have you ever had a hammock bone injury?
04:44Like, had to experience what it's like to come back from that?
04:48We had A.J. Pruszynski on the show a couple weeks ago.
04:50He said he had one.
04:51He said you come back pretty quick, but it's just, you stop swinging.
04:55And so it takes a while to get that power back.
04:58Yeah, no, I have never had that type of injury.
05:02And it is unfortunate, but, you know, hopefully when he comes back, he's 100% never has to
05:07worry about that again.
05:09So, yeah, that is the concern.
05:11And same thing with, you know, Westbrook.
05:14Because, you know, how are you going to ramp up?
05:17And when are you going to be ready, you know, to go?
05:19Now, I know one thing about these guys.
05:21They're going to do everything they can to keep their legs strong.
05:25They're going to run.
05:26They're going to train.
05:27So, you know, I think that's important because there is this, you know, effect on your healing.
05:32If you can stay active, you're going to heal a little bit quicker and hopefully a little faster.
05:40But, yeah, it's just going to take some time.
05:42So, you mentioned Mayo over at third base.
05:44Well, this is an opportunity for a lot of guys that were question marks coming into spring training.
05:49Like, what is going to happen with so many guys?
05:53And we see how active, you know, the Orioles have been picking up extra infielders.
05:56So, this is going to be a nice competitive spring training.
06:01And I think with the possibility to add some depth until those two guys come back.
06:07Bordy, Colton Couser was a guy that dealt with a lot of injuries last year.
06:11And when he was playing, it was a rough second season coming off a year in which he finished second
06:17in rookie of the year in 2024.
06:20Are you expecting a bounce back for Couser this year?
06:24Man, I hope so.
06:25Listen, I think a lot of these guys have kind of taken their lumps as far as getting their repetitions
06:33at the major league level.
06:35Couser goes month to month.
06:37Really good, really bad.
06:40Really good, really bad.
06:42In the big leagues, it's all about consistency.
06:44And if he can find any semblance of consistency, he's going to be a star player.
06:50I mean, the guy's got incredible pop.
06:52He covers really good ground.
06:54I'd like him to be more accurate with his throwing out there in the outfield.
06:59But it's just all about the consistency.
07:02And I say yes.
07:04I just think after a couple years of playing, the repetitions are going to help him.
07:09And hopefully he doesn't do some crazy things and get himself hurt either.
07:14So, head first diving into first base.
07:17Or running into a wall full speed.
07:19Yeah, exactly.
07:20Forgetting that there's a wall out there.
07:22Yeah.
07:23Exactly.
07:23Yeah, those kind of things.
07:25He's got to stay on the field.
07:26But he's an incredible talent.
07:29And it's just a matter of finding that consistency.
07:31And I think after a couple years, he should be better this year.
07:35That was a teaching moment, Bordy.
07:36They call it a warning track for a reason.
07:39Yeah, exactly.
07:40Exactly.
07:41You know, it used to be where guys would go out in batting practice and actually work on that.
07:45Yes.
07:46You know, feel the dirt.
07:47Feel the warning track under their spikes.
07:49And, you know, have a sense of where the wall actually was.
07:53So, Bordy, I am curious.
07:54We've had a couple weeks, I think, around that of Pete Alonzo's influence in this.
07:59Like, he's chirping every single day.
08:01I saw him and Chris Bassett were going back and forth this morning.
08:04Just how important is this, the finally having a veteran leader in this clubhouse?
08:11I love it.
08:12I really do.
08:13I think this is just what the doctor ordered for this team.
08:17Listen, he comes with a great clubhouse resume.
08:22He's an awesome teammate.
08:24Even though he's not a plus defender at first base, he works as hard as anybody to try to make
08:29himself better.
08:30He holds his teammates accountable, I think, in the right kind of ways.
08:34He's not going to, you know, bury guys.
08:36He's a team player.
08:38And I think it's important.
08:40And I think it's important for every one of these young guys to listen to him, learn from him,
08:46and watch how truly one of the best power hitters in the game,
08:49one of the best everyday players in the game of baseball, which you never see anymore,
08:55goes about his business.
08:57So I think the Alonzo signing was so big for this Orioles organization.
09:03And hopefully these younger players and, you know, everybody on the roster takes it to heart
09:08and learns from the polar bear.
09:11Bordy, we still have our fair share of concerns in this bullpen,
09:14but Mike Elias doesn't sound like he's going to be adding anyone anytime soon.
09:19So we've been looking at some internal candidates who could end up stepping up.
09:23Do you have any faith outside of the locks, of course, of guys that could step up and really claim
09:30one of those spots?
09:31Because it seems like an open competition.
09:34No, it really does.
09:36And I kind of like the depth that they've, you know, created.
09:42So even a starter could fall back into the bullpen if need be.
09:47And I think especially in the early part of the season, you know, the colder weather.
09:54So having some long guys on the bullpen is important.
09:57But I also think it's important to remember that the Orioles need to hold on to optionable pieces in their
10:04bullpen.
10:05So they're not hamstrung by guys that can't get sent down.
10:08They need that type of flexibility if they want to tap into the depth that they're going to have in
10:14the minor leagues.
10:15Because some of these arms they're flipping out there are, wow, are they big arms?
10:19And it would be nice to see them on a more regular basis.
10:23So I think optionability is the key to having a successful bullpen.
10:28And, of course, ironing down the back end is going to be crucial.
10:33You know, you hope that everybody steps up and really takes on a role for the 7th, 8th, and 9th
10:39innings.
10:41Bordy, when's the podcast get started?
10:43Oh, my goodness.
10:44I think it's the 17th.
10:47I think that's what Coleman told me.
10:48So I'm excited about that.
10:50Thanks for asking.
10:51And also, you've got to check out the League of Dreams, man.
10:54We've been doing some great things with the League of Dreams.
10:56And I think I'm going to start a podcast through that nonprofit as well.
11:00So leagueofdreams.org, you've got to check it out.
11:03Has Jerry given you any gift cards yet?
11:09Not yet, because we're still working on some sponsors, brother.
11:14Are you still a big – you mentioned you like burgers but no buns.
11:18Are you still a big egg guy?
11:20Oh, yeah, man.
11:20I've crushed some eggs.
11:22Eggs and steak.
11:22That's about all I eat nowadays.
11:24And also some sardines, man.
11:26Don't forget about those sardines.
11:28Out of a can?
11:28I couldn't believe you telling me during BBT last year.
11:31How many eggs do you eat a day?
11:32Isn't it like eight or something crazy?
11:34You know, six or eight.
11:36Six or eight?
11:36Yeah.
11:37You must have been hurting when the price of eggs went up.
11:39Yeah.
11:40Yeah, I know.
11:41The price of eggs sucks.
11:42That's for sure.
11:43But I limit my diet to a few things, so that kind of keeps the price tag down.
11:48Bordy, you're the best, man.
11:50Thank you, as always, for your time.
11:51We will talk with you weekly now that baseball season is here.
11:54Sounds good.
11:55Looking forward to it.
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