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00:05Good afternoon, sir.
00:09Skip.
00:11Hello, Skip.
00:14Guys, I can barely hear you guys.
00:16Okay, is this, is this?
00:18There we go, there we go.
00:19Okay, all right, here we go.
00:20I was whispering, it's all right.
00:22I'm going to blame my co-host for that.
00:25Now, I wanted to start with kind of a question.
00:28It's sort of about Josh Smith, but it's kind of just in general.
00:31I realize that injuries are always a bad thing, but do you ever think, like, from a mental break perspective
00:38or from, like, being able to just watch the game a little bit more instead of worrying about your next
00:44at-bat
00:44or fielding the next play, do you ever feel like being out for a little bit can be helpful for
00:49a player?
00:50I actually do.
00:52I didn't love it as a player, I'll be honest with you, when I had my breaks.
00:56But because all you want to do is play.
00:58Like, that's what you signed up to do.
00:59You signed up to, you know, be part of the good and the bad in this game.
01:02And sometimes you need that, you know, a coach to tell you that, you know, to sit down and watch
01:07the game a little bit
01:08and not only physical, but mental break.
01:11And it kind of, it just helps you slow the game down a little bit.
01:15And, you know, not have to, you know, stress through four at-bats or making a play or whatever
01:20and realize that, you know, maybe watch some highlight film and remember how good you are
01:24because you're in the major leagues for a reason.
01:26And, you know, we need all these guys to help us win baseball games.
01:30And, you know, one or two games of rest, you know, hopefully can go a long way over 162.
01:36Is there a way that you would suggest to these guys then to take advantage of that kind of time?
01:42Like, when you're injured, what more can you do?
01:44Or do you say do less?
01:47Well, it depends on who you are, right, as a player.
01:50And I think there's, you know, some guys maybe game planning.
01:54And, you know, if you were going to maybe change up your game planning a little bit, what would you
01:58do?
01:58If you're going to change up your work, you know, what would you do?
02:02And today, you know, today's game, there's so much information.
02:06And maybe there is too much information that guys are going up to the plate and, you know, thinking about
02:11too much.
02:12And, oh, by the way, here comes, you know, 96.
02:14So I think there's just trying to find what works for each guy is the goal.
02:19And, you know, when you have these off days, it's just kind of like talking through certain situations throughout the
02:26day on what the work looks like.
02:27And then what would you be doing in this particular situation at the plate also is beneficial.
02:33Are you, whether it's short-term or long-term, what do you think Justin Foscue can do?
02:40And he feels like another great example of when you talk about the clean slate, because he's had a couple
02:45of short opportunities at the majors and struggled just a bit.
02:49So can you tell us some more about that clean slate?
02:51And what do you think Foscue brings to the table?
02:55You know, he's done a really nice job in AAA, making himself versatile as well.
03:00So it's not only is the hit tool attractive, especially against left-handed pitching, but he's also played left field.
03:07He's played second base and played first base.
03:10So the versatility is really going to help us because we got some guys that are a little bit banged
03:14up right now and maybe playing some guys in, you know, some positions that they're not comfortable playing, you know,
03:20every single day.
03:21So we're looking for offense.
03:23That's the bottom line.
03:24Justin has performed in AAA.
03:26We know he can hit up here.
03:28He just hasn't had too much of an opportunity.
03:30So depending on the weather, it's raining right now, but depending on the weather, you know, hopefully he gets a
03:36big at bat today, gets a bullpen arm, and then we'll probably look to start him tomorrow.
03:42I know the losses, since you were talking about the offense, I know the losses all count the same, but
03:47do games like last night where you had multiple opportunities in the 5th and the 8th with bases loaded and
03:53not scoring any runs, does that make the loss feel extra frustrating at all or not so much?
04:00Yeah, I mean, yesterday, you definitely take each loss, you know, tougher than some because of, you know, who we
04:07had on the mound with DeGrom and then who we had, who we were facing, you know,
04:11a rookie pitcher, first time in Yankee Stadium, we scored three runs in the first inning, pitch count almost 40,
04:18where they almost had to go to their bullpen in the first inning, and then you look up in the
04:225th inning and he's still in the game and it's a 3-3 game.
04:25That makes it tough, you know, towards the end because we had him on the ropes, on base, you know,
04:30I know all the numbers, and I really do feel like the dam is about to break.
04:35Like, I truly feel that with our offense, it just takes out, you know, one hit and, you know, everybody
04:40is, you know, ready to roll, but we just haven't had that big hit yet.
04:44And on the other side, you know, they did, you know, they had a bases loaded hit that broke open
04:49the game, we didn't have any bases loaded hits, and, you know, that was kind of the story of the
04:53game last night.
04:54So, you know all the numbers, I won't bore you by going through them, but can you tell us more
05:00about why you feel like the dam is about to break, not only for me, but for Rangers fans, because
05:05obviously we all want to see it.
05:07Yeah, I think if there wasn't traffic on the bases, it feels like almost every single inning, I think it
05:14would be a different scenario, right?
05:15If there's empty inning after empty inning where there's nobody on base, those feel deflating.
05:21You know, quick outs, quick innings, you know, you guys have all seen it.
05:25We've had those innings where there's like, you know, 9, 10 pitch innings, and then you look up and, you
05:30know, our pitchers back out on the mound again.
05:32Those can't happen. When you see, you know, all these guys that are on base and you're, you know, you're
05:38excited that the potential of a crooked number or, you know, kind of a breakout game and it doesn't happen,
05:45you know, that stinks.
05:46But I will say that, you know, you're one hit away and not like, you know, four hits away.
05:51So that part is, that's why I feel like the dam is about to break.
05:54We just have too good of players, you know, or just not to go.
05:58So, and we have some injured players and that's okay, but we have enough to win these games.
06:02How much of a setback is Wyatt's injury for you right now and then also kind of for the team?
06:11Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, there are teams that, you know, some of their superstar players are injured and,
06:16or not, you know, not playing, you know, well or whatever it is.
06:19But, you know, Wyatt Lankford was definitely a big part of, of our, of our future this year and, you
06:25know, going forward and, you know, really not having him, you know, the last week, 10 days.
06:32And plus that quad injury, you know, that was kind of a setback has been challenging.
06:37There's no doubt about it.
06:38I mean, he was so good in spring training.
06:40He was coming off a really good year and he was just now figuring out kind of who he is
06:45as a major league player.
06:46And I felt like this was going to be, you know, just a monster year for him.
06:49So, yeah, it's definitely been, you know, tough to replace, but, you know, that's part of the game.
06:54And, you know, we can't make excuses.
06:56Teams go through the same thing where, you know, they have injured players.
06:59And I will tell you that the game doesn't stop for anybody.
07:02So we have to figure this thing out and without him for right now.
07:06And then, you know, hopefully we get him back sooner than later.
07:09Is there any concern or any realistic idea that he could miss the entire month of May?
07:16You know, I'm not really sure because it's, you know, he we thought he was, you know, OK to go
07:21on a rehab assignment and then, you know, one swing in and he's, you know, kind of had a setback.
07:26So I think we're slow playing it to make sure that we don't have any more setbacks and then reassess
07:32this thing and, you know, probably 10 to 14 days and see and see where he's at.
07:36But it's going to it's going to be at least 10 to 14 days.
07:40Is is we just kind of heard there's a little bit of rain, as you mentioned just a moment ago.
07:44Are you concerned this one's not going to get in today, Skip?
07:48I always plan on playing.
07:51So the last thing that I want to do is be caught off guard and tell our players we, you
07:56know, we might not play.
07:57And then all of a sudden, oh, yeah, we're on and we're playing the Yankees.
08:00So get ready.
08:01I'd rather, like, be ready to roll at game time and plan on playing at game time without, you know,
08:07any hesitation rather than saying, oh, you know, probably not playing.
08:11And then and then try to get these guys going.
08:14So I always I would side on the let's let's get this thing going.
08:17You know, I've always been curious about this, and especially from your perspective, whether it's from managing, whether it's from
08:23playing.
08:23Is there ever a concern about, like, an adrenaline dump in that situation where you're, like, ready to go and
08:29all of a sudden stop?
08:30It's going to be another hour and a half or whatever the case is.
08:34I think the toughest part of a rain delay is the pitching, because they are the ones that are, you
08:41know, trying to get loose in the training room, getting their arm routine going, long tossing outside,
08:46trying to figure out when to get on the mound to get ready to, you know, for the game to
08:50start.
08:51You usually get 35 to 40 minutes of a heads up, but that's not always the case.
08:57And so that that's that's probably the most challenging as far as the everyday player.
09:01I mean, these guys are ready to go.
09:03They've taken a million swings already throughout the day.
09:06They've already done their game planning.
09:07You know, they're playing cards.
09:09You know, they're talking smack to one another, whatever it is.
09:11And then after that, you know, it's just like getting ready for the game.
09:15So I don't think it's too tough on the position players.
09:18There's it is really challenging, though, on the starting pitcher.
09:21I know it's I know there's a lot of dollars invested in these players.
09:25But Skip, take it back to those kids days whenever you were a kid and you're like, you know what?
09:29Nothing better than running around in the rain and sliding in the mud.
09:34Yeah, I think, you know, I said this, you know, before opening day in Philly that let's not forget what
09:41this is.
09:42Right. You get to play in a major league game and even though it's, you know, it's raining or whatever
09:47in New York right now.
09:48Like I am so blessed that I get to drive over to Yankee Stadium in rain or shine and get
09:54to play the New York Yankees and managing the Texas Rangers.
09:57And I think all of our guys that doesn't get lost upon them that they get to play in a
10:01major league game against the Ranger, I guess, the Yankees.
10:03And but, you know, if we're playing, we got to win. Right.
10:07That's it. That's the thing. So it's all fun and games are going over there.
10:10But like the it's only fun when you win after the game.
10:13Well, we want to make sure you can still get transportation over there.
10:17So thank you very much for your time. Good, sir.
10:20You got it. Thanks for having me on, guys.
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