- 2 days ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Parker Messick joining us.
00:03How's it going, guys?
00:04Thanks for having me.
00:04We are well.
00:06You grew up in Plant City.
00:07Were you a Bucs fan?
00:10I was.
00:11Diehard Bucs fan.
00:13All right.
00:13That's allowed.
00:14You grew up in the area.
00:17Yep.
00:18You played football, too, didn't you?
00:21I did.
00:22All Little League, all high school.
00:25Or not all of high school.
00:27All Little League going in through middle school
00:29and then freshman year of high school
00:30and then baseball first came in,
00:32so I decided to pick one.
00:35You know, I've been told by people
00:37who do pitching for a living
00:39and coaching and everything else,
00:40football and shoulders don't mesh real well.
00:44So maybe a good idea to give it up when you did?
00:47Yeah, typically not,
00:48especially the way that I like to hit people.
00:50I don't think my shoulder would appreciate it
00:52going on later down the road.
00:56Congratulations on your terrific start Monday
00:58against the Dodgers.
01:00That had to be fun.
01:01You're going up against one of the best lineups
01:03in baseball.
01:04There's Shohei Ohtani.
01:05You go six, no runs on five hits.
01:08How do you prepare to face a lineup
01:10that you know can really hurt you?
01:14Yeah, I mean, thank you, by the way,
01:17but it was just a, it was one of those,
01:19like, I kind of just wanted to embrace
01:21the challenge that it was
01:22and be more grateful that I had the opportunity
01:25to do that.
01:26And when I, when I kind of took that mindset,
01:28it took the pressure off
01:30in a way that it's not like,
01:32oh my gosh, I'm facing the best lineup
01:33in the world.
01:34It's more like what an opportunity this is.
01:36Now go show the world what you can do.
01:38And that's kind of just how I wanted to go into it
01:40and just trusted, you know,
01:42Hedges game plan and the coaches game plan.
01:44And, you know, everything I did in spring training
01:46and the off season to prepare me
01:47and, you know, it ended up being a good one.
01:49And hopefully I can build off of it
01:50going into this year.
01:52What's it like to pitch there, Chavez Ravine?
01:54I mean, we, you know, it's, again,
01:56for some of us, it's still kind of
01:57the thought of opening up the season
01:59in LA against the Dodgers seems,
02:01could be a little bit intimidating,
02:02especially against that lineup.
02:04And I love the fact they kept talking
02:06about like this bulldog mentality.
02:07You don't care.
02:08Just let's get through this thing.
02:10But I mean, I know you said it's special,
02:12but is it a little intimidating
02:13going in there to pitch?
02:15I mean, it was loud.
02:17There was over 50,000 people there
02:19and you're facing the best lineup in baseball.
02:21I mean, you know,
02:22I'd be crazy to say
02:23that it's not intimidating,
02:24but like I said,
02:25just tried to take it as a more of a,
02:27like, this is what I've dreamed of
02:29since I was a kid.
02:30Everyone wants to be able to do this.
02:31Now let's make it a good memory
02:33instead of a bad one, you know?
02:34Awesome.
02:35Parker Messick joining us.
02:37Indians, Guardians, left-handed pitcher.
02:39Second round pick in 2022
02:41out of Florida State.
02:42You move through the system pretty quickly.
02:45We've heard forever
02:46about the Guardians pitching factory.
02:48You were obviously highly thought of
02:50as a second round pick
02:51before you became a pro.
02:53But what did you learn along the way
02:55that the Guardians taught you
02:57and helped you become the pitcher
02:59that you are today
03:00with a lot more to go?
03:01Because obviously you're in an organization
03:03with a great reputation
03:04for developing pitching.
03:06Yeah, absolutely.
03:07I mean, as soon as I got in,
03:09you know, they've always had
03:10a clear plan for me
03:11and what they want me to accomplish.
03:12And they've also always taken
03:14into consideration
03:15the stuff that I like
03:16and stuff that I think,
03:17you know, helps me be best.
03:19And they've never made me shy away
03:22from what makes me a good pitcher.
03:24And they've only tried to,
03:26you know, help just add
03:27around the foundation
03:28that I had already built for myself.
03:30And they always were,
03:31you know, really good at communicating
03:33day in and day out
03:35whatever I needed
03:36and whatever they saw.
03:37You know, they would never
03:38force me into anything.
03:40It was always a conversation.
03:41And that's something
03:42as a young player
03:43super helpful
03:44because, you know,
03:45when you get in
03:46and you feel like you have
03:47a bunch of different people
03:48tops about them
03:48telling you a bunch
03:49of different things,
03:50it starts to get confusing.
03:51And the best thing
03:52that they did for me
03:53is just give me clear direction
03:54and almost make it
03:55like an open communication.
03:56Here's what we think.
03:57What do you think?
03:58And how do you want
03:58to go about it?
03:59And they're really good
04:00at partnering with all sides,
04:02whether, you know,
04:02strength, nutrition,
04:04all the way into, you know,
04:05the pitching mechanics
04:06side of things.
04:07So when you kind of pair
04:08all those things together,
04:09it makes it really easy,
04:10especially for a young guy
04:12to go in with a specific plan
04:14and, you know,
04:14execute, you know,
04:15what you're eating that night,
04:17what you're waking up
04:18and eating,
04:18what you're doing
04:18in the training room,
04:19how are you prepping your body?
04:21And then it kind of,
04:22all that stuff
04:23kind of leads its way
04:24onto clean mechanics
04:25and everything that,
04:26that I was able to do
04:28on the field.
04:28And, you know,
04:29they've helped me develop
04:29a couple new pitches
04:30since college.
04:31And, you know,
04:32I can't,
04:32can't thank the organization
04:33enough for everything
04:34they've done to make
04:35the pitcher I am now.
04:36Though they have
04:37some general concepts
04:38with pitching,
04:39it sounds like a real
04:39individual plan, Parker.
04:42Yeah, absolutely.
04:42Each guy in our rotation,
04:45bullpen, everything,
04:46all the way through,
04:46you know,
04:47the minor league system
04:47all throws differently.
04:49And, you know,
04:50they like to embrace
04:51what each pitcher does
04:52that makes them special.
04:53You know,
04:54we like to think
04:54that Carl Willis
04:55has magic
04:56and pulls that off.
04:57But can you tell us
04:58how Carl's affected
04:59your game?
04:59And then, I mean,
05:00Joe Torres is there,
05:01Brad Goldberg is there too.
05:02Can you talk about
05:03the coaches
05:04that affect your game
05:05and help you
05:06become a better pitcher?
05:08Yeah, I mean,
05:09all of them top to bottom.
05:10Caleb Longshore
05:11included in that.
05:12They have all helped me.
05:15Cody Bukel,
05:16AAA coach last year,
05:18big part of it as well.
05:19They've all,
05:20I mean,
05:21just each individually
05:23Carl's that more
05:24old school,
05:24you know,
05:25voice of wisdom
05:25that we have
05:26that kind of teaches us
05:27how to control the game
05:28and, you know,
05:29pitch how we know
05:30how to pitch
05:31and slow the game down.
05:32And then everyone else
05:33just kind of
05:33adds their own special way
05:35into what they do well,
05:37whether it's game planning
05:38or in-game mechanics
05:39or pitch sequencing,
05:40you know,
05:41whatever the case may be,
05:42they've all had a part
05:43to play in my success.
05:45And, you know,
05:45like you said,
05:46they're all insanely good
05:48at what they do.
05:49Parker Messick joining us.
05:50Guardian starter,
05:51came up last year.
05:53You made seven starts last year
05:54and had success, Parker.
05:56What was it like coming up,
05:58especially, you know,
05:59coming up on a team
06:00that was down,
06:02almost out,
06:02and came back like crazy
06:04and you were a big help
06:05down the stretch
06:06going 3-1,
06:072.72 ERA.
06:08What'd you learn
06:09during that time?
06:10Yeah, it was really cool for me
06:12because I got to kind of
06:13experience the losing
06:14and winning side
06:15of a Major League Baseball team
06:16because when I came up,
06:18I think we had lost
06:18like six or seven,
06:20some insane amount
06:22of games straight
06:22and then, you know,
06:23we won an insane
06:24amount of games straight.
06:25So I got to feel
06:26both ends of the spectrum there.
06:28And, you know,
06:29I just wanted to come up
06:29and do my part.
06:30The debut, obviously,
06:31just wanted to make
06:33that memorable for myself
06:34and at the same time
06:35help the team win.
06:36And then moving forward,
06:37I just wanted to,
06:38you know,
06:38once we got on that run,
06:39want to do my part
06:40to, you know,
06:42help us have that
06:44insane historic comeback
06:45that we did.
06:46So, you know,
06:47it was such a special time
06:48for me to be able
06:49to say I made my debut
06:50and be a part of history,
06:52especially Cleveland
06:52Guardians history.
06:53And, you know,
06:54I'm super grateful
06:55that that's when
06:56I got to come up.
06:56We thought it was cool,
06:57especially when you
06:58made your debut,
06:59that your family
07:00was around.
07:01Your family's always around.
07:03Yeah, but that's awesome.
07:04I just think it's awesome.
07:05I really do.
07:05Yeah, me too.
07:06And so,
07:07can you just talk about
07:07their role
07:08and how it's,
07:10you know,
07:11how it means something,
07:12I guess,
07:13to have them around?
07:13Because I got to tell you,
07:15I just,
07:15I was,
07:16when you were out there
07:16that first time
07:17we saw your family,
07:18like,
07:18I was so hooked.
07:20And it was just
07:21such a cool story.
07:22Yeah,
07:23they make it
07:24to pretty much every game
07:25that I'm on to my own.
07:26It was killing my dad.
07:28None of the,
07:28none of the spring training games
07:30were televised that I was on
07:31and he was dying back home.
07:33So,
07:34that's a long flight.
07:35So,
07:35he finally was able
07:36to make it out to L.A.
07:38with my mom
07:39and then,
07:39you know,
07:39my fiance's parents
07:40were there as well.
07:41But,
07:41pretty much any game
07:42I have,
07:43I throw,
07:44I have some sort
07:45of family support system.
07:46You know,
07:47I have cousins
07:49coming up for this weekend
07:50as well.
07:50It's just,
07:51I always have someone there
07:52and it's just awesome
07:53to have such a,
07:54such a big family.
07:56You know,
07:56I come from a small town
07:57and they've been
07:57my support system,
07:59you know,
07:59from the time I played
08:00my first T-ball game,
08:01I was probably
08:01the one kid
08:02that had 25 people
08:03show up to this
08:04Little League game stuff.
08:05It's the purpose
08:06of having a bunch of family
08:07in the same area.
08:08But it's always been that way,
08:09you know,
08:09whether it was
08:10an academic achievement,
08:12you know,
08:12like a baptism in church,
08:13whatever it was,
08:14they've always been there for me.
08:15So I'm,
08:16I'm super grateful
08:17for what,
08:18you know,
08:18my family has,
08:20has been to me
08:21and what they continue
08:22to do for me,
08:23even into adulthood.
08:24That's awesome.
08:25They get a lot of camera time
08:26and we enjoy that very much.
08:28I don't know if they do,
08:29but I know everybody else does.
08:31I think my dad loves it.
08:32He eats it up
08:33after every strikeout.
08:34He's more animated
08:35than I am.
08:37You are a little animated
08:38on the mound though.
08:40And I like that.
08:42Yeah.
08:42It's fun to watch a guy
08:44who's into it
08:44and doesn't mind
08:45getting into it.
08:47Have you always done that?
08:49All that.
08:50Yeah.
08:50I kind of have all that energy.
08:52I kind of always want it directed,
08:54you know,
08:55towards my team
08:55and at me,
08:56you know,
08:56I'll never really,
08:57I'm never going to stare down
08:59a hitter.
09:00Very often,
09:00I guess I,
09:01I'm never going to make it about,
09:03you know,
09:03showing up another team.
09:04I always just,
09:05it's just me fired up myself.
09:06If I shoot a good pitch
09:08against a really good hitter,
09:09I'm probably going to show
09:10a little emotion.
09:11I try and keep it contained,
09:12but you know,
09:13I never let the negative
09:14emotion show.
09:15I always try and hold that in,
09:16but you know,
09:17when I get a big out
09:17in a big situation,
09:18I'm probably going to
09:19get the team fired up
09:20in the best way
09:21that I know how.
09:22I got to ask this,
09:24Plant City Strawberries,
09:25overrated or underrated?
09:27Help me.
09:28Underrated.
09:28Best strawberries
09:29in the world,
09:30hands down.
09:30Absolutely.
09:31Because when,
09:32when the Indians were,
09:34back when they were
09:34the Indians,
09:34when they were in
09:35Winter Haven,
09:36we used to drive over
09:37because they would
09:37play the Reds over there
09:38and I'd be like,
09:39okay,
09:39we got to get these strawberries.
09:40We got to get these strawberries.
09:42Pretty special.
09:43Park Sales Farmers,
09:44Mark,
09:44if you ever get a chance
09:45to go and get a strawberry
09:46milkshake from there,
09:47I don't know if you'll ever
09:48be in Plant City again,
09:50but that'll be the,
09:50that'll be the best trip
09:51of your life.
09:52All right,
09:52we'll do that
09:52because there was a,
09:53there was a place going down
09:55to Winter Haven called
09:55Andy's that was like
09:57legendary for everybody
09:58that would drink milkshakes
09:59at spring training.
10:00I don't know if that's still
10:01around.
10:01Okay,
10:01I'm not,
10:01I'm not sure.
10:02I've never,
10:02I've never heard of that,
10:03but I'm,
10:04I'm sure that any,
10:05any milkshake staying around
10:06there is going to be
10:07phenomenal.
10:07All right.
10:08I was,
10:08I was in Central Florida
10:10a couple of weeks ago
10:11and my buddy lives
10:12in Newport,
10:13Richie,
10:13and I said,
10:14we got to meet
10:14somewhere in between.
10:15And he said,
10:16not going to Plant City
10:17because it's going to be
10:18too crowded.
10:19It's the Strawberry Festival.
10:20Oh yeah.
10:21Don't,
10:22don't go there
10:22those two weeks
10:23unless you plan on
10:24sitting in a couple
10:24hours of traffic.
10:25I live about two minutes
10:26from there
10:27and I'll,
10:27my family hates it every,
10:28they love the festival.
10:30It's,
10:30it's the best time
10:31of the year
10:31for,
10:31for Plant City folks,
10:33but it's,
10:33it's a lot of
10:34unnecessary traffic.
10:36That's awful.
10:37Um,
10:38two things.
10:39You were number 15
10:40at Florida State.
10:4277.
10:43Where,
10:44why,
10:44how?
10:44I love it.
10:46So 15 was always
10:48my number growing up.
10:50Um,
10:50I was a huge fan
10:51of Tim Tebow.
10:52I'm big in my face
10:52and I always loved
10:54what he did,
10:54um,
10:55on and off the field.
10:56So I was a huge,
10:57huge fan of Tim Tebow.
10:59And then getting to debut,
11:00you know,
11:01you kind of just get thrown
11:02whatever number
11:02in the minor leagues
11:03and then debut that's,
11:05you don't really get
11:06to choose your number
11:07when you come up
11:07and they pick 77
11:08and I,
11:09you know,
11:10number seven's
11:11always a lucky number.
11:12So I just chose to,
11:14chose to stick with it.
11:15I pitched good with it.
11:16I made my,
11:16uh,
11:17walkout song sevens
11:18by Brandon Lake.
11:19I don't think you want to.
11:20I don't think you'd win it either.
11:22That one's,
11:23that one's locked
11:23and the 77 looks good.
11:26Parker,
11:26so do the high socks.
11:28I'm just saying.
11:29I appreciate it.
11:30Yeah.
11:30The serves of the,
11:31the old school look for me.
11:33Not changing those,
11:35are you?
11:35I said,
11:36they're staying on.
11:37Nice.
11:38Last question.
11:38Just your,
11:38your thoughts on the fans here
11:40and how they've accepted you
11:41and how much fun
11:42this is to pitch here.
11:44Yeah.
11:45The,
11:45the amount of support
11:46I've received since,
11:47since coming up,
11:47even through the minor leagues,
11:48you know,
11:49as a prospect,
11:49it's,
11:50it's been insane.
11:51And you know,
11:52my,
11:52my home debut,
11:54the,
11:54the welcome I got
11:55from all the people here
11:56that were just excited
11:57to see me throw
11:58for the first time
11:58is it was one of the coolest
12:00things I could ever ask for.
12:01And you can't,
12:02you can't say that
12:03about a lot of fans
12:03and a lot of stadiums
12:04and everyone made it special.
12:06And,
12:07you know,
12:07the,
12:08the playoff games
12:09and everything last year,
12:10they're,
12:10they're the best fans
12:11in baseball.
12:11And it's,
12:12it's so fun to be able
12:13to show up at home
12:14and play for them every day.
12:15I'm excited to see
12:16what this season holds.
12:18Parker,
12:19great to have you
12:20with us today.
12:20Thank you very much
12:21for your time.
12:22We know you're really busy
12:23today with the home opener
12:24and continued success.
12:26Everybody,
12:26everybody here
12:27will be pulling for you.
12:28You're fun to watch
12:29and you're doing a great job.
12:31Thank you guys.
12:32Thanks.
12:32Thanks a lot for having me.
12:33Take care.
12:33Have fun today.
12:35Yes,
12:35sir.
12:36You'll do.
12:37Parker Messick
12:37joining us on the
12:38make it right
12:39call Kyle Wright hotline.
Comments