00:00105.7 The Fed, Rippin' it with Ryan every Thursday and Friday from noon to two here on this program.
00:06He's Ryan Ripken. Ryan, first of all, good morning. How are you feeling?
00:10I'm doing well. Yeah, you know, do I want to ask how you're doing, Bob?
00:18Well, since you just...
00:19You sound good.
00:20Well, since the Maryland Lottery, you're part of that. I want to know why I lost $80 in scratch-offs
00:25today.
00:26Nah, I'm just joking. But the Orioles, they've lost three in a row. They're tied for a season-high eight
00:32games out, or below .500, four out of the wild card.
00:36They're trending in a very poor direction. They haven't won a game since Mike Elias met with the media on
00:42Saturday.
00:43Ryan, we talk about it all the time. There's a lot to unpack here, but we're sitting on the last
00:48day of June, and why have things gotten to this level?
00:52Well, they just cannot play a consistent, complete game, you know, in a series, even for that matter, or a
01:05stretch that you need.
01:07And it's so... I don't know how I exactly want to describe this, because when you look at it and
01:16say,
01:16what does this team do well, and you actually go, last night, for example, you know, starting pitching was great.
01:21Shane Boz, you know, gives you seven innings, two earned runs.
01:27And for the most part, starting pitching minus Kyle Braddish's outing on Sunday,
01:34which just was short-lived because of the walks, starting pitching's been good.
01:41But then you look up, and it was a tie game yesterday, and it unravels really quickly.
01:48You go to game two against the Nationals over the weekend.
01:51I was on the call for the series.
01:53Game one, Trevor Rodgers, great.
01:55You do some little things.
01:57Could have possibly hurt you with some base running that stopped the big inning in game one.
02:03But game two on Saturday, you lose a one-run game where you battle back in extra innings,
02:09or to force extra innings, I should say.
02:12But there was a compounding play by Blaise Alexander that was two errors and led to a run,
02:18and you lose a game by one, right?
02:20That's an example there.
02:21And then Sunday, yeah, a lot of walks.
02:24Zach Littell, who's been hit by everybody else in the big leagues except the Orioles,
02:30and you try to battle back, but too little, too late.
02:32So there just seems to be something that just isn't connecting.
02:36Momentum gets stopped, and, you know, I know it's super frustrating for the players
02:44because they're not going out there and having results,
02:46but I know how frustrating and demoralizing it is for the fan base
02:51because you see that the phrase that I've said, you see the talent on this team,
02:57which they have, but at some point now, they are becoming who they are.
03:01They're becoming a team that cannot put together consistent, complete games,
03:07and I can't – it just seems like there's something after another each night.
03:13Now, Mike Elias said on Saturday they still fancy themselves the Orioles as buyers
03:18as he's trying to cover his ass as to, you know, the hot seat certainly starting to percolate for him.
03:25At what point does this become not realistic any longer?
03:29I mean, look, they're a half game ahead of the Red Sox.
03:32I mean, tonight's results, we could be talking on, you know,
03:36a riveter with Ryan Thursday, and the Orioles will be in last place in the division.
03:39When do you go from buyers to sellers to just, you know, throw it in the towel here
03:44in a disappointing 2026 where their record is pretty much what it was a year ago at this time?
03:52Yeah, I mean, the reality is there's so much that can happen here in 30 days now.
03:58Are people optimistic after what's been going on here over the stretch
04:02that they're going to stay in the race and be buyers?
04:06Well, right now, no.
04:07People don't feel comfortable with that.
04:08So when you, in 30 days, you feel like if you're not in it,
04:12you got to make a decision that helps you for the future.
04:17And I hate, and I know people hate that phrase, but that's the reality.
04:20You know, if the Orioles fall and they're seven games back,
04:24is it smart to try to be so aggressive at the deadline?
04:27Probably not.
04:28But we got to see what happens over 30 days.
04:31I mean, you know me, I'm the optimist, and I know how this game works.
04:35You know, you can stay in this.
04:40You're going to have to play better.
04:42The American League still, I really cannot remember a time where it's been like this.
04:50So you can float around here for a while,
04:53and I think if they're within three or four games,
04:56or if they're within four, Bob, at the deadline period,
05:00I think they still will buy.
05:01I think there will be a desperation, too, because it tells you that you're there.
05:08But now with how this wild card is, if the Orioles are four games back, though,
05:14or closer, my guess is a lot of teams are going to be in this mix as well.
05:20So I just, I don't even know what the full buying situation would look like, Bob.
05:26Like, you know, that and then just this pending CBA,
05:31does that change how people want to make moves?
05:33I don't really know.
05:36So, yeah, but I think that you, if you are within striking distance,
05:41I think they should be aggressive.
05:42But if they're not, it's going to suck,
05:45but you're going to have to do what's best moving forward,
05:48and that is, you know, having to sell and ship some guys off.
05:52Now, Albie was talking about noise at the deadline and stuff.
05:58What are the players feeling?
06:00And family members, wives, girlfriend, what are they feeling?
06:04And what's the player feeling when he goes home?
06:06Are we being traded?
06:07You know, what is that noise like for the players?
06:11Well, I think it's actually a good question,
06:14because Albie brought up that as well of just everything about players
06:19just shutting out the outside noise.
06:23You know, the reality for the whole situation,
06:27we're in a day and age where social media is everywhere,
06:29and the current players, most of them are on social media,
06:34or their family is, or their loved ones, whoever may be friends.
06:38And so there are constantly rumors, comments out all the time.
06:44I mean, and as much as great as social media can be,
06:49it can create a lot of stress,
06:51and it can create a lot of negativity too.
06:53So you got to find a balance of that and try to get to a place.
06:58I mean, I know for me, when I was younger,
07:01and I was trying to figure out myself in the minors,
07:04and I really struggled with expectations,
07:09I couldn't look at anything with social media.
07:11So I just removed myself from that.
07:13I think some of the guys need to find the best way
07:17that they can compartmentalize with it.
07:20But the overall stress of a deadline,
07:25I remember talking to O'Hearn about it last year.
07:27I talked to Cedric.
07:28You have this feeling that something can happen.
07:31You can't deny that this isn't going to be a possibility.
07:34But you got to find some way to put it in the back of your mind
07:37and continue to go about your business each and every day
07:42and try to be as okay as you possibly can.
07:46Then when it happens, though, it's a lot of moving parts.
07:51Heck, just think about now,
07:52Helsley, when he went to the Mets,
07:55was saying, you know, we're trying to worry,
07:57then we get traded,
07:57and you're worried about how your family's getting settled.
08:00And then they went to a Mets team,
08:02and they're having a bunch of issues.
08:05So what I'm trying to say is there are so many thoughts
08:08that are going to be running.
08:10The goal or key is how can you stay focused on the task at hand?
08:14Because the task at hand right now is you got to go out and play.
08:17You got to go out and focus on your job.
08:19And if that is limiting social media
08:23or getting to a place where you can take a deep breath
08:27and decompress to do your job,
08:29that's what you have to do.
08:30Because the other side of it,
08:33just the reality,
08:34people want to see results.
08:37And people want to see you play well.
08:38They don't care about the circumstance.
08:40And that's a challenge I think some guys are having right now
08:44with this whole situation.
08:45Ryan Ripken.
08:46Ripping it with Ryan every Thursday and Friday
08:48here on 105.7 The Fan.
08:50And, of course, our colleague on Baltimore Baseball tonight.
08:52Ryan, we appreciate the time as always.
08:54Enjoy the rest of your Turn It Up Tuesday.
08:56And we'll talk to you on Thursday here in studio.
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