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Carlos Narváez and Sonny Gray Live from Fort Myers, Red Sox Spring Training! ||The Greg Hill Show
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00:00And joining us now to talk catcher to catcher to catcher, Curtis, you may have to sit this one out,
00:07it's Carlos Narvaez.
00:09How you doing?
00:10Awesome, guys. Thank you for having me here. Awesome.
00:15What's Doug doing? Doug's running over.
00:17Doug, you just got to turn him up. Just turn his microphone up.
00:20Yeah, there we go. How you doing?
00:22Awesome, awesome. Thank you guys for having me. It's a way better weather right now.
00:26Yeah, it is a little bit. The weather is a little bit better right now, definitely, than it was yesterday,
00:31certainly.
00:32Alex Gora was just up here, and he was talking about oldest Chapman, Chappie.
00:39I wanted to ask you if he still has the best vehicle here.
00:42Probably. Yeah, probably 100 best and one of the heaviest, too.
00:46The heaviest one. Yeah.
00:47Anybody else driving anything nice down here?
00:50Roman has a good one. Got a Lambo now.
00:53Oh, wait, Roman Anthony has a Lambo.
00:55Wow. How does he fit in that?
00:58I mean, it's a SUV Lambo.
01:00Oh, okay.
01:01He's probably got the Eurus, so that's probably pretty nice.
01:05Sorry, Roman. I just pick up.
01:09No, nothing better than Chapman's truck, though. That thing is $600,000.
01:13That thing is spectacular.
01:14You love that vehicle.
01:15I love that thing.
01:16Absolutely love that vehicle.
01:18Absolutely.
01:19So, the vibe seems really good here.
01:22How do you compare so far this spring to last spring here?
01:27I mean, each one is unique.
01:31I really love the last one.
01:32Of course, for me, it was way different, trying to know everybody.
01:35They, like, got me, like, two weeks, you know, to know everybody, and they know me.
01:42But this one, of course, way different, way more confident on the guys, way more confident,
01:47even on myself.
01:49Like, pretty pumped with the new addition that we have.
01:53I don't know.
01:54If you see, the team is really, really good.
01:58Like, from top to bottom, really balanced.
02:02I don't know.
02:03Like, really love this group, and I know, like, it's going to be fun.
02:09It's going to be interesting.
02:10I'm super pumped for the next three weeks, and then the season starts.
02:15Carlos, you talked about, you know, this being different for you.
02:19As a catcher, you know, you're kind of like the quarterback out there
02:23and making sure everybody needs to be where they need to be.
02:26What kind of role have you taken on this year as far as being more of a leader,
02:31more of a vocal leader, more of a leader in the clubhouse?
02:34Yeah, I mean, definitely.
02:35A little more leadership, of course.
02:39I don't – I'm not a guy like always going to speak up in front of every guy.
02:45But I'm the guy, like, trying to lead from example, trying to –
02:49I lead from my catchers and I lead from the pitching staff,
02:53trying to lead them, you know what I mean?
02:54Like, being really prepared, like, that they can trust me
02:58on whatever I say or whatever I show.
03:01I know, like, Trevor has the infield side, you know,
03:06the outfield is money with all the four guys.
03:08Like, I mean, like I said, the team is pretty balanced.
03:13I'm just looking for my guys, of course, my pitching staff and my catchers.
03:17Like, everybody got to be on the same page.
03:20And that's the only thing different this year.
03:22Like, a little more lead the way.
03:25But baseball staff and whatever defense hitting this,
03:28that always going to keep the same.
03:30But, like I say, we had – last year was super fun.
03:35We had a really good push, especially at the end.
03:37Of course, we didn't finish how we wanted.
03:40But, like I say, as a young group with some veteran guys,
03:44like, that combination is money.
03:47We're more than ready for this year, bro.
03:49Carlos, we had Jason Veritek on yesterday
03:51and obviously a legendary catcher in the organization.
03:55What has he imparted?
03:56What wisdom has he shared with you that's helped you to get to where you are?
04:00A little more examples on the leadership time.
04:03He always takes me, like, bro, I need you to lead the way.
04:05I need you to bring energy to this group or whatever.
04:08And he's always there for everything, you know what I mean?
04:11Of course, like, he's probably the most energy guy in the world.
04:15Like, he doesn't matter what time it is.
04:17He's all got that good energy.
04:19I don't know.
04:20That inspires you too a little bit.
04:23So, of course, I lean on him a lot, like, big time last year.
04:28Every question that I have, every tough moment, good moments.
04:32So, like, he's always there, you know.
04:35And this year is the same, same guy, you know.
04:38So, like, I'm so proud and thankful for having a guy since last year.
04:43This is my new team for me.
04:45Whatever fix experience outside what I was for nine years.
04:49So, he's always was awesome with me.
04:51I just am super thankful.
04:53I call him my second dad.
04:55I said it last year.
04:58I don't know.
04:58It doesn't change.
04:59Like, he's been awesome.
05:00Who's the one Yankee that you would stick your catcher's net into the face of?
05:04Like he did.
05:05Like he did famously.
05:06I don't want to say it right now.
05:09Listen, you got out of there.
05:10You're in a better spot.
05:12You're in a better place.
05:13So, Carlos, it's always like when you look at the role of the catcher
05:20and kind of controlling the game, you got some new guys coming in,
05:23some new pitches that you're going to be working with.
05:25What are some of the kind of conversations that you've been able to learn?
05:28And I know you've been here for some time with some of these new guys
05:31that you think that's really going to, you know, for us fans,
05:35get to see how spectacular this pitching staff can really be.
05:38Yeah, I know.
05:39This, for example, the three new additions so far is three different guys.
05:45Sonny is very, like, he knows what he's doing.
05:48He's doing his own thing.
05:49Like, he got even the pitch come in his glove.
05:53Like, he may – we've been talking a lot.
05:55He may call, like, five pitches in the game, not every pitch.
05:58But he's always thinking on what to do.
06:02Oviedo is more the guy, like, he's going to trust you what you're going to do.
06:06Rankers, he knows his thing.
06:07You know what I mean?
06:08Like, of course, he's been in the league for a while.
06:10He got a postseason experience.
06:12So, like, you talk to him before a game and he's going to execute
06:16and perform how you talk with him.
06:19But, like, this pitching staff, if you see a number from last year,
06:23the pitching staff were money throughout the year.
06:25Like, of course, a little bit ups and downs.
06:27But, like, if you see numbers, it was really good since Crochet
06:31until the last guy in the bullpen, you know.
06:33So, that talks a lot on how the pitching staff is, how's the coaching staff too
06:39because they do an amazing job on the scouting team, on handle every guy.
06:46And, of course, we were really tight.
06:48I mean, like, myself, Connor, Tech, Parker, Bailey, like,
06:53we always talking together before the game and beforehand,
06:57before every series.
06:59It's all about the preparation.
07:02And, of course, the pitchers, like, about the execution
07:04because, of course, you may have the best plan in the world.
07:08But if the guy doesn't execute, like, it doesn't come very well, you know.
07:11But that's all the craze on the guys.
07:14And we're really – we're the workers behind the scenes.
07:18You know what I mean?
07:18Like, we do all the homework, whatever.
07:21And, of course, the guys succeed and they got all the craze,
07:24which is awesome.
07:26The guy's been amazing.
07:27I think that doesn't want to change the issue.
07:29Wiggy was an all-city catcher.
07:31Used to enrage him when a pitcher would shake him off
07:34and want to call his own stuff.
07:36He would lose it.
07:38Absolutely.
07:38I mean, I would.
07:39I get it.
07:40I get it.
07:41Absolutely, he would lose it.
07:42Fastball down and away.
07:43Benito Santiago is the guy I used to watch when I was growing up.
07:46Couldn't get up out of the crouch quick enough.
07:48I could throw guys out like you for my knees.
07:51You're throwing the three down there.
07:52Sometimes it was a two.
07:54I was a quarterback, too, so that's kind of why.
07:57The mound visits lasted 20 minutes.
08:00So, who was a guy for you growing up that you aspire to watch and be like?
08:06Because I feel like the catcher position is so unique when it comes to the positions
08:11that's out there.
08:12Yeah, I mean, a lot of them.
08:14First one, probably, Ivan Rodriguez.
08:17I was too young on that.
08:18Touch.
08:18I watched videos of him a lot of times.
08:21Javi Molina was the guy I always watched.
08:23I loved how he led the way.
08:25Salvador Perez.
08:27Those unique guys, back then, it was a little bit different.
08:31The catching position or whatever.
08:33But how they led the way, that was the most important thing to me.
08:38That's the catcher style that I like.
08:40I don't know.
08:42I'm a quiet guy outside the field or whatever.
08:45Chill.
08:46You always talk to me.
08:47Chill or whatever.
08:47But as soon as the game started, I'm a different, at least on myself, on my mind,
08:52I'm a different type of person.
08:54So that's the thing that I like.
08:56So those three guys, for me, pump me off, especially when I'm a kid.
09:02Of course, I got to say Tech, too.
09:04Right.
09:04Yeah, you have to say Tech.
09:05Yeah, he might be listening.
09:06You're actually obligated.
09:07You like the way things are going when it comes to ABS?
09:10And, you know, I think there was nine challenges in that game the other day.
09:15You like the opportunity to prove the up-needs glasses?
09:19Yeah.
09:20Yeah, I mean, it's going to be interesting, guys.
09:23Like, of course, like, I think to me the most difficult thing is going to be for veteran
09:27guys and for the umpires.
09:30I've been seeing things like, hey, yeah, you don't need to frame anymore.
09:33Yeah, you need to frame.
09:34You need to catch in position.
09:37It's not going to change.
09:38It's going to keep the same because it's only two challenges.
09:41As soon as they're gone, they're gone.
09:44You know what I mean?
09:45It's going to be a normal game.
09:46So that's not going to change.
09:49I think you've got to do the same thing.
09:51All right.
09:51Well, listen, I really appreciate you taking the time.
09:53Good luck this season.
09:54Can't wait for you guys to get going and then get back to Boston.
09:58There's like only 30 inches of snow.
10:00Yeah, I saw it.
10:02Yeah, no.
10:03Thank you, guys.
10:04Thank you for that.
10:04This is awesome.
10:06Of course, like, having good people around is always fun.
10:08All right, man.
10:09Thank you, Carlos.
10:10Good luck, man.
10:10Appreciate that.
10:12All right.
10:12That is Carlos Narvaez.
10:13We are at JetBlue Park and we are on a cavalcade of guests, I believe.
10:19I think Sonny Gray is coming now.
10:21Ken, or you want me to take a break?
10:23What do you?
10:24I can't tell.
10:25Yeah, I mean, it's guest after guest after guest.
10:28Well, Ken is trying to get autographs from all these guys.
10:31Ken's a big baseball guy.
10:33Pud Rodriguez, that's a good one right there.
10:35Oh, 100%.
10:36He was my – that guy was awesome.
10:38100%.
10:40Yeah, and it's so interesting to me on the challenge thing because it's –
10:45you either love it or you hate it.
10:48But catching, I mean, the frame – you saw Wiggs last year.
10:51They're doing – that's the art of the position.
10:53Yeah, they can't get rid of that.
10:55Sonny Gray, how are you?
10:56I'm good.
10:57How are you?
10:57Thanks for joining us here this morning.
10:59We appreciate it.
11:00Mm-hmm.
11:01No problem.
11:02Yeah.
11:03So how are you liking being here so far?
11:07Being here –
11:08Boston.
11:09Oh, Boston.
11:11I like it.
11:12I like it.
11:13Being with the Red Sox, it's been great.
11:19Learning, teaching, competing, getting my body right.
11:25Spring training is awesome, but it's also kind of brutal at times,
11:31and it's kind of boring, but it's also a lot of fun.
11:34You know, I feel like we're at that point in spring where we've been here
11:37for a hot minute, but we've still got, like, a while away from opening day,
11:42so we're kind of in that, like, in that period.
11:47But I am excited to get into a game on Saturday,
11:50and I'm excited to kind of, like, build off of that.
11:52But it's been good overall.
11:54I have enjoyed my time for sure.
11:57Maybe Alex could shorten it to, like, a week or something.
12:02I don't know.
12:02If you asked him.
12:03Maybe a week and a half.
12:04Yeah, I don't know if he – I don't know if he is in a position to –
12:10To do that.
12:11Yeah, I don't think he can mess with that.
12:13So, Sonny, what's that like, you know, because you talk about spring training
12:17and, you know, coming from the world of football, we have training camp,
12:21and it seems like – and I love to be around it because watching all the
12:25little technical things that you guys do,
12:28what do you feel like you really get from spring training?
12:33Me, personally, I get from spring training.
12:35I get my – it's about my body, honestly.
12:42For me, it's about taking care of my body and getting my body into a shape
12:45where I can then go out and perform for the course of the season.
12:51Like, you can do it in the offseason for sure, but then coming to spring training,
12:55for me, it is about, like, creating a system along with, like, the pitching coaches,
13:04the strength coaches, the training staff.
13:08Like, it's like creating a system and having a system in place where, you know,
13:15you're ready to do all these little things to manage and to take care
13:22and to be able to stay on the field for – like, staying on the – at this point in
13:25my career, right?
13:26I'm 36. This is my 14th – this is my 14th season.
13:31Staying on the field is something that has to be at the forefront.
13:35If I stay on the field, if I'm able to stay on the field and feel good out there,
13:39then I'm going to – my numbers are going to be where they're going to be.
13:43I'm going to be – I'm going to be a really, really good pitcher,
13:47and I'm going to have a lot of success.
13:49So that's just kind of, like, where I'm at.
13:52And then I don't remember the question, but I know we were talking something
13:55about spring training.
13:59So also in spring training, I think it's important to develop relationships.
14:05I know a lot of people say that, but I do think it's important for me as a new guy
14:11on the team to get to know everyone, but also for everyone to get to know me
14:17a little bit more and have an understanding of kind of, like, how I work
14:20and what makes me tick and those things.
14:24So I think that's an important part of spring training.
14:29And then also just being able to have some fun, go play some golf with the guys,
14:34go to dinner, go grab a beer, go just kind of, like, you know,
14:38get to know someone off the field so it's not just, like, this one-dimensional,
14:43you know, this one-dimensional just you see me like this.
14:47But you can see, you know, see somebody, some people for all aspects.
14:54So, yeah, it's – I do enjoy spring.
14:58So, you know, that's what we're doing.
15:01You probably haven't had the chance to get out there and play golf with everybody.
15:06Who's the best golfer on this team so far?
15:08So I've played with – not with everybody, but Weisert is very good,
15:14and he will let you know that.
15:16And Trevor Story is just a freak athlete, so I don't think that should be a shock.
15:25They're two – they're both very good.
15:28Who's the worst?
15:30On our show, it's Sean.
15:32But go ahead.
15:33I don't know.
15:34I haven't played with enough people to call someone the worst yet.
15:37Okay.
15:38Nor the best, but they will tell you that – Weisert will tell you that he's the best.
15:44And he may be, but only time will tell that.
15:49So I think I got something.
15:52You're from Tennessee.
15:53Are you a Titans fan?
15:55I do like the Tennessee Titans.
15:56What were your thoughts on Vrabel and his departure?
15:59Are you now sort of – will you root for the Patriots now that Vrabel's the head coach?
16:02I was – I did find myself rooting for the Patriots throughout the playoffs this year.
16:08I had my Boston shirt on, and I would sit in the pool house and watch the games,
16:16and I did find myself rooting for the Patriots.
16:20So I was happy to see what they did.
16:25I think it was good for the city.
16:26I was really rooting for them in the Super Bowl as well.
16:31Unfortunately, that didn't play out – didn't play out.
16:36But I did start – I did start following and rooting for the Patriots.
16:42I was a fan of Vrabel while he was in Tennessee.
16:47It seemed like when he was with the Titans, it was just one of those things of like,
16:52you know, the Titans, you don't really – you know, the grass is not always greener type situation.
17:00So I thought he did a great job while he was there.
17:03And then by then him not being there, I don't know the exact transaction of how that happened.
17:13But then him not being there, I didn't think it was a – you know, I didn't understand it.
17:20I didn't dive too much into it, honestly.
17:22But I was a fan of him for sure.
17:24You were a pretty good quarterback in high school, correct?
17:26Yes, thank you.
17:27I was.
17:27And an actor.
17:29I was a better quarterback than an actor.
17:32But you were in a high school musical, correct?
17:34Correct, correct.
17:35I was in probably three or four of musicals in high school.
17:39Really?
17:40Yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:41I did do that.
17:42I did do that.
17:42Would you sing for us?
17:44I would not sing for us today, but maybe in the future.
17:46Maybe in the future.
17:47Maybe in the future.
17:48What was your role in high school musical?
17:50Troy Bolton.
17:51Oh, excellent.
17:52Yeah, it was Troy Bolton.
17:54And Wiggy, he was a tight end for the Patriots, won a Super Bowl.
17:57Yeah.
17:58I was a quarterback in high school too.
17:59But I learned something new about you is that you're big into trees.
18:04You like trees?
18:05I like nature.
18:06Nature, got that.
18:07Okay.
18:07I think the root of me liking trees is just enjoying being out in nature.
18:11Okay, all right.
18:11I'm not a –
18:14Triologist?
18:16Yeah.
18:16Thank you for saying that because I don't know if I was going to say something appropriate.
18:22What was the inappropriate thing?
18:24I'm more curious about that.
18:25Well, keep being a little curious because I won't say it today.
18:30I like nature.
18:31Okay.
18:31So I think the root of me enjoying trees is that I enjoy just nature, nature, grass, trees, all of
18:39that.
18:40So I enjoy nature.
18:42But, yes, I do also – I like trees, yes.
18:45Your favorite tree?
18:48If you had to ask me right now, which I guess you did, it would probably be a Japanese maple.
18:54Really?
18:54I think they're beautiful.
18:56That was what you used to.
18:58That's a landscaping tree.
18:59But I also like the ones that get really tall.
19:02Yeah.
19:02The big trees.
19:05Is that like from the Karate Kid, those trees?
19:07The Japanese maple trees are like – I don't know about the Karate Kid.
19:14You ever see the Karate Kid?
19:15Like the little – I'm dead ass.
19:18Who would you have wanted to play in the Karate Kid if you could have as an actor?
19:26To be fair, the only thing I know and remember about the Karate Kid is Wax On, Wax Off.
19:31Danielson.
19:33I mean, he would definitely want to play Danielson.
19:35Of course.
19:36I mean, he would want to be Ralph Macho.
19:38Yeah.
19:38He's a legend.
19:39Yeah.
19:41So let me – because we just had Kalos on, right, and, you know, talking about the relationship.
19:46You're going away from the tree thing?
19:47Well, I didn't know if he wanted to still stay on the tree thing.
19:49That's the most interesting thing I've ever heard.
19:52Listen, he had said the Japanese maple tree.
19:54Is it like a maple syrup thing too?
19:56How do you feel about the palm trees?
19:57We're in Florida.
19:58Are you –
19:59You want to get to the root of this?
20:00I think they're okay.
20:02Yeah.
20:02I like – I think they're okay.
20:08They're different.
20:09Yeah.
20:10Certainly are.
20:11They're very different.
20:12Almost as if this is the first time you've noticed them.
20:14No, I've been looking at them.
20:16Okay.
20:19I have been looking at them.
20:21I don't understand them enough to –
20:24Right.
20:25I haven't – I don't know.
20:26Maybe I'll get into that.
20:27Do you talk to the trees?
20:29Nope.
20:30No.
20:30I just – I don't talk to them.
20:33Just appreciate them.
20:34Yeah.
20:35I mean, they've been here before we've been here, and they'll be here long after we're here.
20:38Yeah.
20:38They've seen a lot more things than we have.
20:40You're right about that, Sonny Gray.
20:41Yeah, I live in organisms.
20:43All right.
20:44I'm getting the signal you've got to go.
20:45Yeah, I would say so.
20:46Good luck.
20:47And we appreciate it.
20:48Thanks a lot.
20:49All right.
20:49Thanks, Sonny.
20:50Thank you very much.
20:51All right.
20:51Have a great day.
20:52That is Sonny Gray.
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