- 2 days ago
Kevin Frandsen stops by the show to preview the first home game of the Nationals season.
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00:00Opening day in Washington, and we're very excited to be joined by Mr. Kevin Franson from the broadcast, Nationals TV.
00:07Franny, how are you, dude?
00:08I'm good, I'm good. I'm in a suit, which is like, I don't know. I'm not all in on the
00:13suit thing.
00:13The suit will make sense once you're inside and on television.
00:16No, no, it doesn't, though, because, like, does a suit make you smarter on air?
00:19They make me wear them, so I get it.
00:21Right, but, like, I just wonder, I'm like, how is that possible on it?
00:24So, no, I'm fired up. Look, it was a good first week, and like you said, it's the home opener,
00:30so they've been through it a little bit. There's an excitement for the players, but more for the fan, right?
00:34Like, this is, like, a home opener is a fan thing.
00:37Totally.
00:38And it's, the worst part is when you're a player and you get three.
00:41You go to three opening days, you've got two on the road, and you've got one at home, and you're
00:44like.
00:44Was it Philly's opening day, too?
00:46Yeah, no, no, no, no, but that was only two, but, like, I had, like, I think three times in
00:50my career where we did three.
00:51Three?
00:51There's a lot.
00:52There's a lot, because there's a lot that goes around it.
00:55Like, for, yeah, and you want to respect, you know, for the opposing team and their fans and all the
00:59whole thing.
00:59But, like, yeah, nothing better than a home opener.
01:02In other sports, you worry about the weather sometimes.
01:05This today, does it affect anything?
01:07No, because, you know, like, being a NorCal guy, like, this is NorCal weather.
01:11Like, this is, this is.
01:12For the Dodgers, they might feel at home for a little bit.
01:15You know what I mean?
01:15Because it's going to burn off.
01:17It's going to burn off.
01:18It's going to be hot.
01:19Yeah.
01:19I mean, I think by first pitch, they're saying 75, but it should be pretty perfect, right?
01:24Are we complaining about this?
01:25Are we complaining about this?
01:26It's a little chilly.
01:26Let's be honest here.
01:28Let's be honest here.
01:29Two months ago, not even that, a month ago, it was frozen ice out here, right?
01:33I mean, we had that late, late stuff.
01:35So, what I know is that this is, this is good.
01:39This is good hit weather.
01:40Well, dude, I want to talk a little baseball because I think the opener was so much fun.
01:46And I think they've been feisty.
01:48And we're seeing a new operation.
01:50We're seeing a zillion different lineups.
01:52We saw an opener.
01:53I feel like that maybe has never happened in Nats history.
01:56I think Jags and Coco were talking about this, Dave Jagler, about maybe once.
02:04Yeah.
02:05Maybe once.
02:05And it was Matt Grace back in 19.
02:07I think he was the one that was the opener.
02:10But other than that, look, what Paul Tabone is, but maybe Terry is exactly who they were in their opening
02:17pressers.
02:17Like, first with Paul and, like, going to the tee, like, genuine, unbelievable, like, just a great human first.
02:24And then you see structure and direction.
02:27And that stuff is real.
02:29So, when I look at the way that they played the first week, that's the baseline.
02:35Yeah.
02:36That's the baseline.
02:37Well, and if they're able to achieve that, that's 500 ball.
02:41You know what I mean?
02:42Like, look, maybe it's not win-loss.
02:43No, no, no.
02:43So, it isn't.
02:44For me, it's truly, like, people are, like, laughing at me.
02:46And they're, like, oh, it's not that win-loss.
02:48I'm, like, no.
02:48I want to see direction, true direction for the players and where they're going and who's getting better.
02:53But who's consistently staying on top of it, right?
02:56Like, there's a lot of things that we look at with, you know, last few years.
03:00There was a lot of dumb mistakes that were made.
03:01But were they corrected?
03:02Yeah.
03:03No.
03:04Right.
03:04And I think.
03:05There's been some dumb mistakes already, and they've been corrected.
03:06Or they've been addressed and in front of us.
03:09And I think that's a new part of it.
03:09They run in the bases way better.
03:11Yes.
03:11Hard.
03:12All the time.
03:13Hard all the time.
03:13Well, and I think some of these young guys, pretty unexpectedly, Weimer, just mashing.
03:20Weimer's mashing the ball.
03:21It's been fun to see, right?
03:23Like, guys are getting opportunities.
03:24I think that's the biggest part is, like, guys getting opportunities, let it run.
03:27So, like, for Joey Weimer, who's had run in the big leagues already, but, like, you know, you know what
03:33you're going to get with him?
03:35And number one is, effort's always going to be there.
03:38Sure.
03:38You're fast.
03:39Like, I never like saying, like, comparing, like, in the sports and saying, like, the guy's body and the, like,
03:45athleticism, he can play football.
03:47Yeah.
03:47By what level, I'm not saying.
03:49Right?
03:50But the whole thing.
03:50But he's built like that.
03:51Built like a football player.
03:53Just absolutely just runs like no other, but had an unbelievable streak that they allowed to let happen.
03:58Yeah.
03:59Because normally, Joey wouldn't be playing against right-handers.
04:01Right.
04:01Right?
04:02In the situations that he was.
04:03But he was hot.
04:04They let him play.
04:05Right?
04:05But they didn't put him at the top of the order.
04:07They put him down at eight and nine.
04:08Take a little pressure off him.
04:09A lot of it, and that to me says a lot more about, like, understanding the human element of the
04:14game and whether or not it works all the time.
04:18It's stuff like that.
04:18They have a lot of different lineups.
04:21Does that help at any way, or does it just confuse the other team, or is it just giving people
04:27opportunity?
04:29It's more based on, like, what's going to give us the most, like, the chance for the most runs.
04:33Okay.
04:33You know, there's not a lot of solidified guys.
04:35It's like a veteran-laden lineup where, you know, James and I would say CJ are, like, the two mainstays,
04:42but CJ's been everywhere, if you recognize that already.
04:46And that, to me, says a lot because, again, CJ's as good of a hitter in this league, like, truly.
04:53But there's these stretches, right, that he runs through these, you know, ebbs and flows of the season, like anybody
04:59does.
05:00It's how can you keep him in the right spot.
05:02And I feel like where they're at right now, will he elevate?
05:05Sure.
05:05But, like, James, he's the one that you want to get the most to bat.
05:08So he's going to be in the leadoff spot right now.
05:09You're giving him that run, and Daylon Lyle is going to be in the four for the foreseeable future, wherever
05:14he may lie.
05:15And, to me, the lineup construction is going to be interesting because we haven't seen different.
05:20Right.
05:21You know, and different's uncomfortable for people.
05:24Yeah.
05:24You know, and they always think, like, oh, this is not right.
05:27This isn't, what are you doing?
05:28It's like, just let it play out.
05:30Like, just, for me, I'm open to change.
05:33I've watched this for the last couple years.
05:35I want to change.
05:36Like, I want to change.
05:37It was just the same.
05:38It was the same.
05:38Yeah.
05:39Over and over.
05:39And you're just up there going, like, I don't see what we're doing.
05:43Right.
05:44You know, a lot of times when you get to the pros in any sport, people automatically assume the player
05:51is going to get it done.
05:52But I think right now, what they're trying, like you stated, they're trying to put people in the right position.
05:57That's why I love Andy Reid so much because he found ways to get guys in advantageous positions.
06:03No matter if you play 15 plays a game, but I got you 15 times where you should win.
06:07Yeah.
06:08And I think that helps.
06:09So, do you see that that's the thing they're trying to do here?
06:11Yes.
06:11Absolutely.
06:12100%.
06:12I think human first.
06:14Right?
06:14Totally.
06:15Human players first.
06:16And what is going to put you in the most advantageous role?
06:18Like, that's great coaching, great management on the whole thing.
06:21It's not just throwing it out there because we're giving you this money.
06:23Yeah.
06:24You know, and I think that's a big part.
06:25And, you know, for baseball, more than football, it's an individualized sport, right?
06:30Like, in a team setting.
06:32Yeah.
06:32Football is that 11 on 11.
06:33Right.
06:33Right?
06:33Do your job.
06:34You don't.
06:35Play's blown up.
06:36Yeah.
06:37Right?
06:37In this case, how are you going to put the guy in the advantageous spot?
06:40By not, you know, if he struggles against left-handers or a particular left-hander, don't put him at the
06:45top.
06:46Right.
06:47Yeah.
06:47We're talking with our friend Kevin Franson here.
06:50Nat's home opener, opening day in Washington.
06:52Of course, you can watch Kevin and Coco this afternoon calling the game.
06:57For all our listeners, Kevin looks very dapper, very sharp.
07:00Got a light blue suit with a red check.
07:04Where do you get one of those opening day pins?
07:06That's a good look up there.
07:08I was in the stadium at, like, 730.
07:10They handed it about early on there.
07:13Yeah.
07:13No, I think all the Nat's employees get it.
07:15That's great.
07:16Yeah.
07:16It's cool.
07:16So, we're obviously all pretty excited for this.
07:19One thing I've been pretty excited by, because you know he's got the stuff, I think Cade Cavalli's
07:24looked pretty good now.
07:25I mean, it's a very short sample, but, like, I love when pitchers, when it starts to come
07:32together, right?
07:33Is it fair to say that's what looks like it's happening?
07:36Well, with him, it's based on health, right?
07:38Like, because of one start, hurt, and then it's last year, too, just getting back, I think
07:44was just, you know, the Orioles, you think about it with Kyle Braddish, right?
07:48Right.
07:49Like, he got six starts back last year.
07:50You know how big that was?
07:51That was huge.
07:52Yeah.
07:52Right?
07:53For Cade, getting the amount of starts that he got back last year allowed it to breathe.
07:57And the one thing that I feel like people see with him as emotion, right, and I think
08:03we all, like, we see it matters.
08:06It matters to all these guys, but he's one of those guys that's outward emotion, you'd
08:11love.
08:13Beautiful human.
08:14Yeah.
08:14That guy is a awesome human being.
08:15Anybody that goes with the curly mustache.
08:17Oh, he is amazing.
08:18You got some stuff to you.
08:19No, but he's got it.
08:22You can't explain it, but he's got it.
08:24He's got the fire, the true fire.
08:25The fire, the not talk about, like, oh, I'm going to do this, that.
08:27He's just going to go do it.
08:29Yeah.
08:29He's that type of guy.
08:30When they start to feel comfortable.
08:31Yeah.
08:31Because when you're starting to see that outward emotion, you're telling me I'm comfortable
08:35inside now.
08:36Yes.
08:36I'm comfortable in myself.
08:37Yes.
08:37So I can go out and let it fly.
08:38Well, that's a part of Blake Butera and his staff.
08:41Yeah.
08:41Allowing that.
08:41Like, the other guys on the team.
08:43Allowing it.
08:44Just let it be.
08:45Yeah.
08:45Like, if you're that, show us.
08:48Don't be someone you're not, right?
08:49And he is, I'm not going to ever say it.
08:51He's not, it's not saying emotional, but he's just wound up in the best of ways.
08:56Yeah.
08:56I'm putting everything in this one start, and then we'll move on.
08:59There you go.
09:00So I wanted to ask.
09:01I've been watching, and my days might be a little screwed up because I was traveling.
09:04I was on the West Coast.
09:06But they went to Scottsdale.
09:09It was pleasant.
09:10Well, let's not go West Coast.
09:11Let's go like you're in Arizona.
09:12So you're a Cali guy.
09:13That doesn't count as West Coast.
09:14Hold on.
09:15You're an East Coast guy.
09:16No, no, no, no.
09:16Because I guess it's not the coast.
09:17No, no, no.
09:17It's not the coast.
09:18You went to Arizona.
09:19You went to Arizona.
09:20I was in Arizona.
09:21You went to Scottsdale.
09:22Celebrate that.
09:22That's a great place.
09:23Scottsdale's a hell of a place.
09:25When you're on the coast, you can see the blue water.
09:27You can see the water.
09:28You're good.
09:28Yo, the scenery at Hillstone on Camelback Drive.
09:31Goodness gracious.
09:33It used to be Houston's.
09:34It used to be number one spot to go to.
09:35Let's not go there.
09:36Twin Peaks.
09:40People that have never been to Twin Peaks have no idea what it is, but it's a hell of a
09:44restaurant.
09:44It's a restaurant, yeah.
09:45All right, but I wanted to ask you this.
09:48So, they go to Chicago.
09:49You go to Wrigley.
09:50You take the series.
09:51Vibes got to be high.
09:52You go to Philly.
09:53Win that first one.
09:55Drop the second one, but you're right in.
09:56But they really won it.
09:57And they came back.
09:58Yes.
09:58And they came back on it, yeah.
09:59You were in that clubhouse.
10:01What was the clubhouse vibe after blowing a lead for the first time this season?
10:05Disappointing.
10:06Good.
10:06I want them to be.
10:07Yes.
10:07Yes, they know.
10:08And you know what?
10:09Like, you hate saying it, but it's the truth.
10:13Going into Philly is different.
10:15And, you know, 27 outs and getting them in a lead and taking a series is hard to do.
10:21And they got punched in the mouth on it, but they showed, like, that disappointment.
10:25Now you move on.
10:26Right.
10:26Like, I walked in there already today, and they're not worried about what happened then.
10:30But guess what?
10:30It shouldn't be.
10:31At that moment of right after, yeah, you should be pissed.
10:35Yeah.
10:35Like, it matters.
10:36I'd be mad if it wasn't like that.
10:38Yeah, but see, like, it's such a different thing because the 162 is real, right?
10:43Like, you can't get so wound up on all this stuff, especially six games into the season.
10:48Yeah, yeah.
10:49But those ones are the learning moments.
10:50The stuff that you love about, like, the coaching staff and what they're doing is they address stuff.
10:54Right?
10:55They talk about things.
10:56And what, how can we, like, how did that whole thing happen?
10:59Like, well, errors.
11:00Right?
11:00Stuff that was, for me, like, CJ gets credit with the error.
11:04It wasn't CJ's fault.
11:05Like, yeah, he threw it low.
11:06But, I mean, it's stuff that should be picked.
11:08Pick it, right?
11:08But there's correctable things that go on in losses like that.
11:13And to me, it's just picking the baseball clean and, you know, not walking anybody.
11:18Yeah.
11:19Yeah.
11:19I know.
11:20I look at it a lot of times when you play games and, like you said, there's 162 of them.
11:25And the game is over.
11:26The fans are like, I can't believe this.
11:28Right.
11:28The players are like, man, listen.
11:30I remember my rookie season, we lost a preseason game.
11:34And I'm upset.
11:35I'm pissed.
11:36Because that's the way I was.
11:37But that's how football players are wound.
11:38But Ray McCall was like, yo, bro, we got three more preseason games.
11:42Those don't count.
11:43We got 16 in the regular season.
11:46You can't act like that.
11:47And I didn't understand it.
11:49But then as I got through it, I understood.
11:50Listen, man, you can't lose your mind after one.
11:53Yeah.
11:53But you're saying your rookie season, right?
11:56So you never had one that never counted.
11:58Yeah.
11:58You never played in a game that never counted.
12:00There you go.
12:00There you go.
12:00All your games counted up until that point.
12:02And you're like, wait, what?
12:03Right, right, right, right, right.
12:05Can we talk a little about the opponent today?
12:09The Dodgers.
12:10They're awesome.
12:11Freight train.
12:11Yeah.
12:12What do you think, I mean, a guy that played in the majors as long as you did, and what
12:16the Dodgers, some of it is spending, but some of it for a while there was developing, too.
12:21I mean.
12:21It's amazing.
12:22It's the blueprint.
12:22What they're doing right now is crazy.
12:24It's the blueprint.
12:24It's the blueprint.
12:25And it's like, look, you can spend all the money you want.
12:28Like, Tucker, like, you look at all the guys.
12:29Like, maybe Tanner Scott might be the one that was slightly overpaid, but it wasn't overpaid.
12:33Like, the guy's really, really good.
12:35But you look at, like, their roster, the guys that they've gone after, they're market value.
12:40Right.
12:40Right?
12:41So, and then everyone's, like, talking about the deferred money.
12:43You're going, like, so?
12:44Everyone could do it.
12:45When they pay, they normally hit.
12:48Yeah, but when this team was cooking, they deferred money, too.
12:50Like, you can be mad at people.
12:51And 100%.
12:53And I think people need to understand that.
12:54Is that, like, look, there's ebbs and flows in this whole thing, but being, you know, a giant
12:59in my career and lifelong giant fan, like, I hate the Dodgers.
13:04I respect the absolute hell out of them, what they do.
13:07Dude, that, going in, like, doing the postseason, the last few years for SiriusXM, been around
13:13the Dodgers organization a lot.
13:15And one of my best friends is their hitting coach, been there for a while.
13:18And to me, they just do it perfect.
13:20You see all the, like, the ushers at the games, the way that they are.
13:23They're not like, oh, we're winning today.
13:25It's just grace.
13:25Like, they're grateful for where they're at, what they're doing, and what they're seeing.
13:29And it's a special thing that they have built.
13:31But guess what?
13:32It starts with your internal, right, the development there.
13:36Now, they haven't drafted high since, I think, Kershaw.
13:39Like, you think about it, that's the only top ten pick they've had in the last, like, 30 years.
13:44That was, what, 20 years ago, probably?
13:46Yeah, it was, like, 20 years a day, or this year.
13:48So it's special because they're an attraction, right?
13:52And you see the way that their star players play, they play.
13:57Like, Mookie's going from right to playing short and now turning himself into a gold glover.
14:01He's one of the best, like, people that you're going to watch.
14:04That's the other thing.
14:05It's stuff that you want to build.
14:06They have fun while they're doing it, too.
14:07They have fun, man.
14:09And it helps to have Shohei, right?
14:12You grew up in Northern California.
14:14I'm guessing you love Barry.
14:15I think Barry Bonds is the best baseball player I've ever seen.
14:18Until I saw Shohei.
14:19That's what I was going to ask.
14:20Is it that cut and dry?
14:22I played with Barry.
14:23Shohei does both of them.
14:25He does both of them.
14:25Like, when you're one of the best in the game hitting, and that's all you do is hit.
14:30Oh, and then you pitch, and you're one of the best in the game pitching.
14:33It's different.
14:34Like, anybody, like, you have Chris Russo in the world that, like, brings up Babe Ruth all the time.
14:38You're like, just save it.
14:40You're right.
14:40That was 100 years ago.
14:42That's 100 years ago.
14:43And Babe is not playing, wouldn't play in the talent that Shohei's playing.
14:47No, he's playing against the same guys.
14:49Same eight teams all the time, right?
14:50Like, you look at, like, that's what I always do, too, is, like, you know, doing my SiriusXM show, we
14:55break down a lot of stuff.
14:56And one of them is, like, giving credit, more credit to what these guys have done, right?
15:01So, I take, like, take Gary Sheffield, right?
15:05Is he a Hall of Famer?
15:06Hell yes, he is.
15:07Dude, his bat extents, wagging that bat around.
15:10Tony Gwynn gave him tips.
15:12Right.
15:12I just saw a thing this morning about that.
15:14But the funniest thing with Gary Sheffield is, you know how many different pitchers he faced?
15:191,500 plus.
15:20Because he bounced around, like, league to league.
15:22But they knew that he was a problem, right?
15:25Barry, same thing, but, like, even more.
15:27You look at those guys.
15:28You look at, like, Ted Williams and all those guys, and you go back to Babe Ruth and whatever,
15:31the baseball reference does a great job.
15:33It's like 400 guys they faced.
15:35The same guys.
15:36Yeah.
15:37And so, you look about these numbers.
15:38I mean, like, Shohei's faced so many more guys than everybody else because they bring them in just to face
15:43him.
15:44Yeah.
15:44Totally.
15:44Yeah, totally.
15:46It's interesting.
15:47Getting it back to the Nats, we're here with Kevin Franson, who you can watch this afternoon with Dan Coco,
15:51calling the game on Nationals TV.
15:54Should be a fun season with you and Coco in there and Alexa.
15:58James Wood, can we use sleeping in our own bed, maybe some home cooking mom and dad in the stands
16:03today?
16:04You know what?
16:05But just for Nats fans out there, he feels great.
16:08It's just one of those things.
16:09Like, you go through these breaths or whatever it may be, the swing looks good.
16:13It's just, it's a different beast when you're always the one.
16:16Yeah.
16:17Like, no matter what team, no matter what point in the season you're struggling, you're going hot,
16:22he's going to be always circled because he's a problem.
16:24They're trying to stop you.
16:25He's a problem.
16:26Yeah.
16:26What are you most excited about today?
16:28Like, what is the home opener for you?
16:30Obviously the baseball, but, like, seeing the fans, I don't know, the racing presidents.
16:34What do you got?
16:35The guy's first home opener.
16:37The ones that have their first home opener.
16:40That's my favorite part.
16:41Yeah.
16:42Been there, done that, and it's like, it never leaves me.
16:45Right?
16:45Yeah.
16:45As a former player and understanding, like, look, there's a fight to get to that opening
16:50day.
16:50There's a fight to get to that home opener.
16:51True.
16:52And being able to experience.
16:52So, I love it when it's, like, for me, watching Blake go out there for his first home opener
16:56as a manager.
16:57You know, like, that to me matters.
16:59Yeah.
16:59Because it's like, you don't take those things for granted.
17:02Because you know you went through.
17:03Yeah.
17:03Absolutely.
17:04So, for me, it's that.
17:05That's so cool.
17:06I know you have a very busy day.
17:08Do I?
17:09I don't know.
17:10You've been here since 7.
17:11I don't know.
17:12Thank you for the time, dude.
17:13He's been here since 7.
17:15He's been up since 7.
17:17Where do you live?
17:17Do you live right around here?
17:19I don't know there.
17:20Keep that to yourself.
17:21I'm just saying, I would love to be able to walk to work.
17:24Kev, we really appreciate the time, brother.
17:25Thanks for having me on, dude.
17:26I appreciate you, brother.
17:27You can check them out, Kevin and Dan, this afternoon.
17:30Make sure you're watching on Nationals TV.
17:32Francis joining us.
17:33We appreciate that.
17:35Listen, for all the folks that are out here, come say what's up.
17:37We're going to be here until 1230 when the Nats radio broadcast will take over.
17:41We're Charlie and Dave.
17:42Then Grant and Danny will be here.
17:44We're right outside of Tap 99 Silver Diner.
17:48Kilwin's Fudge.
17:49If you're coming through, come say what's up.
17:51It's going to be a fun day.
17:52If you're just leaving your house now, bring a jacket.
17:54It'll warm up later, but it's a little chilly right now.
17:56You're listening to Be Mitch and Finley.
17:58Nobody go anywhere.
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