- 2 days ago
Tim Kurkjian joined K&C Masterpiece and discussed the Rangers’ season opener. He shared insights on Corey Seager’s health and performance, Wyatt Langford’s aggressive approach, and the potential of young players like Jake Burger and Brandon Nimmo. He also analyzed Andrew McCutchen’s leadership in the clubhouse, team depth, and more.
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00:00ESPN baseball analyst host of this. Is this a great game or what? You know who it is. It's Tim
00:07Kirkjian. Good morning, sir, and happy opening day.
00:12Yeah, same to you guys. This is number 45 for me, and number one, at least as an official beat
00:19writer, was 1982 covering the Rangers for the Dallas Morning News.
00:24So, it's been a long time, and I still love opening day now as much as I ever have, and
00:30I don't care how corny that sounds.
00:32What do you remember about opening day for the 1982 Texas Rangers, or just you personally?
00:42Well, the first three games were supposed to be in New York, and all three of them got snowed out,
00:48and I mean two feet of snow.
00:50So, we finally opened in Cleveland. There were like 75,000 people there on opening day, and the Rangers won.
00:59I think it was 8-3, Charlie Huff pitched. But my favorite story is that George Wright was the rookie
01:05center fielder for the Rangers that day,
01:08and he went three for five, and after the game, I said to George, hey, George, did you have fun
01:13today?
01:13Yeah, I've never been to a major league game before. So, the first major league game he had ever attended,
01:21he got three hits.
01:23Think about that for a second. And then I found out not too long ago that Mickey Rivers, the colorful,
01:31hilarious center fielder for the Rangers,
01:33kind of faked an injury to start the season on the disabled list, so George Wright could make his major
01:41league debut,
01:42and then he made like a several-year career out of it. So, yes, that's what I remember most about
01:49opening day,
01:51George Wright's first major league game, and he got three hits.
01:54So, your memory is astonishingly accurate. I did look up the score. It was 8-3, so you were right
02:04about that.
02:05And, of course, all of the other details check out. What is it about baseball opening day that seems to,
02:11like, by far set it ahead of the other major sports?
02:16Yeah, I think it's in part because it's the greatest game ever. Sorry, I'm hopelessly biased about this.
02:24And when it starts, you know, March now, but usually April, warm weather is starting to come, kids are going
02:31to get out of school,
02:32summer is here, all of that stuff, and we're going to play the entire season within a calendar year,
02:39as opposed to the other sports, which I always get confused. Was it the 84 Mavericks or the 85 Mavericks
02:46or something like that?
02:47Never a doubt about baseball, and I just think it's the best game, and it should be a national holiday
02:54on opening day.
02:55You know, parents take their children out of school to go to opening day.
03:00They still have a parade in Cincinnati every opening day. It's the best day of the year,
03:06and I can't wait to, among other things, get up tomorrow morning and look at all the lineups on opening
03:13days when they really count.
03:15I always say, Tim, that, like, at spring training, hearing the cleats hitting the concrete, hearing the bats is always
03:22one of my favorite sounds.
03:24For us, obviously, we have Chuck Morgan, and, you know, that bellows throughout the entire Globe Live field.
03:30What is that favorite sound that you're like, that's the sound of baseball right there?
03:34Yeah, I know it's corny, but it's the crack of the bat, which we hear in spring training,
03:41and it's just how green the ballpark is when you walk in there.
03:46Like, I am at Camden Yards right now in Baltimore.
03:48I have been here a thousand times, but I stepped on the field about a half an hour ago for
03:56the first time
03:56for a game that actually matters, and it's just so green here.
04:01It's so beautiful here, and amazingly, it's going to be 75 degrees here, not 35 degrees.
04:08So, just walking out on the field.
04:10I've covered a game in 59 different ballparks in my baseball writing career,
04:15and I still step on the field after all these years and say, look at this, opening day,
04:21and I'm at a Major League game.
04:23How spectacular is that new video board they have out there?
04:28Yeah, it's amazing, but they've moved the press box.
04:31I'm not angry about this, but they've moved the press box from right behind the whole plate
04:36to a little bit more on the third baseline.
04:39So, I'm going to check that out now for the first time.
04:42But the video screen, this ballpark, has really, really aged very, very well.
04:50It started the whole process, you know, cozier, you know, old-timey ballparks.
04:56I still love coming here every day.
04:58I know it's been around for a while, or we've seen variations of it for a while,
05:03but how do you feel about opening night?
05:05It still feels wrong to me to have this separated baseball game from the rest of opening day.
05:12Yeah, and again, you're talking to the wrong guy.
05:15I'm almost 70 years old, so I grew up at a time where the season always began in Cincinnati
05:22with a day game, and everybody else played on the same day,
05:27but nothing started until things started in Cincinnati.
05:32We have changed that so dramatically, and it's just, you know,
05:36now I'm just not sure what to call everything anymore, because last night, what was that?
05:41That was opening night, so that's what I'm calling it.
05:44Today is opening day, but not everybody plays today.
05:48Like the game I'm covering this weekend, doing the radio on Saturday,
05:52the A's and the J's in Toronto, their opening day isn't until tomorrow.
05:58So it's a little bit confusing, but I understand it's what we're doing.
06:02It's about growing the game globally.
06:04It's all about money.
06:06We all understand that.
06:07But I enjoyed it more when every team played on the same day,
06:12and almost all of the games were played in the sunshine.
06:16Now looking at opening night last night, it pretty much seems like Aaron Judge is done, huh?
06:23Yeah, I actually got asked today on a radio show, are you worried about Aaron Judge?
06:31Wow, this is unbelievable.
06:33It's five at-bats.
06:35Granted, it's four strikeouts.
06:37A bunch of guys strike out four times in a game now.
06:40He's done it many times.
06:42So I am not shocked.
06:44I am not surprised.
06:45I am not worried.
06:47We're playing 162 games.
06:50This would be like Kyrie Irving, boy, I'm so wrong on these things,
06:55turning it over on the first possession of a game and saying,
06:58can he still handle the ball?
07:01Is he all right?
07:02I don't think we should worry after one game with a talent like Aaron Judge.
07:07And I don't think, none of us are actually worried about Aaron Judge,
07:12but one still superstar name that I am curious about,
07:16what are your expectations for Mike Trout this year?
07:19Because I know injuries have slowed him down,
07:22but even when he wasn't hurt, he's slowed down.
07:24What are we thinking he'll look like this season?
07:28Yeah, I think he'll be a good player this season.
07:32Because as long as he is healthy enough to go out there,
07:35he's always going to be a good player.
07:37But he's obviously not the player he used to be when,
07:42for about seven or eight years there,
07:44people were saying he's the best player they've ever seen.
07:47His body has taken its toll of injuries.
07:51He can't stay out there nearly as often.
07:54You know, he played so hard, stealing bases, jumping into fences,
07:58swinging at, you know, so many pitches that it's worn him down.
08:02But I refuse to believe that Mike Trout,
08:06with that skill, with that talent inside him,
08:09is going to be anything like a subpar player.
08:12He'll be a good player this year.
08:14He just won't be a great player like he used to be,
08:17because age catches up to everyone,
08:20including anyone as great as him.
08:22Well, I want to stick in the American League.
08:24We know Julio Rodriguez is already a big deal,
08:27but is this the season he becomes maybe a megastar AL MVP?
08:31What do you think about that?
08:35Yeah, I think so.
08:37But it's going to take a fast start by him,
08:39and he has been a historically slow starter,
08:43and one of the great finishers we've ever seen.
08:47And there's no explanation for that either,
08:51but he has to get off to a quicker start,
08:53because he's always hitting, you know, 200 seemingly at the end of April.
08:58But he has everything else.
08:59He's really smart.
09:01He understands the game, and his physical gifts are ridiculous.
09:05So, yeah, this is the year I think he really becomes the star, star player
09:10for six months that we expect him to be.
09:12I think in the next, like, six years,
09:15I predicted that Paul Skeens would have four more Cy Youngs the other day.
09:19How unique of an experience is it watching Paul Skeens pitch in big moments, too?
09:26Yeah, he's appointment television.
09:28You could make a case that the day he got to the big league last year,
09:35or two years ago, he was the best pitcher,
09:37and is still the best pitcher in the game right now.
09:40Wow.
09:41You know, he and Dwight Gooden are the two pitchers that I can remember
09:45who had this kind of impact in each of his first two seasons in the major leagues.
09:51Fernando Valenzuela was amazing the first year and the second year,
09:55and he had an amazing start,
09:57but not quite like Paul Skeens has dominated or Dwight Gooden dominated.
10:02We really haven't seen anybody like this in a really long time,
10:06and he's huge, he's strong, he's wildly competitive,
10:10his stuff is absurdly good,
10:13and I think he's going to win multiple Cy Youngs.
10:17He's already won one.
10:18If he wins four, I won't be surprised at all.
10:21Now, to go along with that,
10:23I know he's starting the season in AAA,
10:26but the excitement level for Connor Griffin,
10:28and then expectations for the Pirates in general.
10:32Yeah, things are finally looking up there
10:34with the young kids that they have in the minor leagues.
10:38I saw Connor Griffin this spring.
10:39He's 19 years old.
10:41He has tremendous power,
10:44and this is important.
10:45He has tremendous poise and maturity for a kid that young.
10:50I know he told a coach that I was speaking to one day
10:54that he said,
10:54just make this as difficult as you can for me,
10:59and I will find a way to succeed.
11:02That's kind of the way he goes about these things,
11:04is set it up to make it hard for me,
11:07as hard as you possibly can,
11:09because that's when I'm at my best.
11:12So they sent him out.
11:13I'm not surprised,
11:15but when he comes up,
11:17and that could be in a week,
11:18it could be in a year,
11:20I don't think he's going to go back
11:21once he gets to the big leagues.
11:23He's that good.
11:24Talk with Tim Kirkson right here on 105.3 The Fan.
11:27There's plenty of hype for Christopher Sanchez,
11:30and rightfully so,
11:32but does it feel like the other half of that pitching matchup,
11:35Nathan Evaldi,
11:36doesn't really get his due on the national stage?
11:40I agree,
11:41and just go look at the season he had last year.
11:44Granted,
11:45I know it was cut by injuries,
11:47but that was an amazing year by,
11:51and I don't want to say an aging pitcher,
11:52but he's thrown a lot of pitches,
11:55and to be that effective after all these years is amazing.
11:58I think this is his fourth opening day start,
12:02and he showed last year he's still got four pitches
12:05that he can get you out with,
12:07and that's so impressive,
12:09and just another reminder
12:11that when you understand what you're doing on the mound,
12:15you have a chance to get hitters out every single night,
12:19and then you add in that his stuff is still really good.
12:23That combination,
12:24a lot of guys have great,
12:26great stuff,
12:26better stuff even than him,
12:28but they're not sure what to do with it.
12:30He has great stuff,
12:31and he knows how to use it with four different pitches.
12:34These Rangers' first four batters,
12:37looks like Nemo,
12:38Wyatt Langford,
12:39Corey Seager,
12:40and then Berger to follow up there.
12:42That group right there could put a lot of runs on the board.
12:46What's your expectation for what those guys can do?
12:50Yeah,
12:50Nemo's going to be a really important guy for them,
12:54and I think he'll have a really good year.
12:56Jake Berger seems to be getting better all the time,
12:59and Corey Seager is healthy.
13:02He's one of the best players in the game,
13:04and Wyatt Langford just fascinates me with that power-speed combination,
13:09and I'm just waiting,
13:11and it's only been a short time for him in the big league,
13:14for him to completely turn the corner and become a great player for 162 games.
13:21I did a bunch of Ranger games during the summer last year when they played in San Diego,
13:26and I did a game from the booth on TV with ESPN,
13:29and so I got a good look at Wyatt Langford for like a week,
13:33and Corey Seager looked at me,
13:35and I said,
13:35what do you make of this guy?
13:37And he goes,
13:38he runs angry.
13:39That's how he put it,
13:41and I love that expression,
13:42because it seems like Wyatt Langford does everything angry,
13:46meaning he's so aggressive at the plate,
13:49in the field,
13:49and on the bases,
13:50and that's what you're looking for from a young player.
13:53And then that last addition,
13:55we saw the Rangers make pretty late in spring training,
13:58but it did happen.
13:59Adding Andrew McCutcheon,
14:00what kind of person comes into that clubhouse,
14:02and how can he help this club?
14:05Yeah,
14:05he's one of the great pros that I've ever met.
14:09He can still hit,
14:10which he's been able to do his entire life.
14:13Yeah.
14:13You know,
14:14he won a batting championship in high school when he was in the eighth grade.
14:19The eighth grade.
14:20He went over to the JV team,
14:23and the varsity coach said,
14:24no,
14:25son,
14:25you're with us.
14:26And he won a batting title in high school as an eighth grader,
14:30which is almost impossible to do.
14:33And Matt Diaz,
14:34former Major League player,
14:35was in AA,
14:36and he got to know Andrew McCutcheon,
14:39age 13,
14:40and Matt told me he worked with Andrew three times,
14:43on hitting.
14:45And finally,
14:46Matt had to tell him,
14:47Andrew,
14:47I can't help you anymore.
14:48You're a better hitter than I am.
14:50And he was 13 years old,
14:52and Matt was a AA player.
14:54That's how advanced he is.
14:56Plus,
14:56he is a great clubhouse guy,
14:59a team leader,
15:00and he can,
15:01he might be the most talented.
15:03If there's a talent show in the Major League,
15:06either he or Stephen Boat's going to win,
15:08because he can do impersonations,
15:11he can sing,
15:12he can do just about anything.
15:13Oh,
15:14this is brand new,
15:15great information.
15:16If you love this conversation,
15:18you can get this,
15:19and so much more on the,
15:21is this a great game,
15:22or what podcast,
15:24that Tim hosts with his son,
15:26Jeff,
15:26man,
15:26thank you so much for the time today.
15:29All right,
15:30fellas,
15:31happy opening day.
15:32Talk to you later.
15:32There you go.
15:33Tim Kirchhen right here on 105.3 The Fan.
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