- 1 year ago
Fanduel Sports Florida and Marlins Reporter Kelly Saco joins the show to talk Fish!!! Is what we are seeing from the Marlins long-term? The Fish sweep the Yankees, don't trade Sandy and have the player of the month in Kyle Stowers!!! How infectious is this team's chemistry? Kelly also treats us with some stories worth all the GOOSIES!
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00:00From FanDuel Sports, Florida, Miami Marlins reporter, Kelly Sacco, joining us there on the program.
00:05Kelly, thanks for the time. Really appreciate it.
00:06Oh, thanks for having me, guys. Excited to talk about the Marlins.
00:10They're on fire right now. I mean, Kelly, that was an incredible weekend.
00:14Just all of it. I guess just big picture.
00:16What did these three games feel like? Because the atmosphere was incredible.
00:20The guys were, I mean, just up for the challenge.
00:23They've been playing incredible right now. What stood out to you from this weekend?
00:26I think a little bit of everything, really. The way that this young team handled that environment was just bar none.
00:33They saw that, and they saw that as an opportunity to be like, okay, hey, we've got this audience.
00:38Let's show everybody what we've already known all season.
00:41We are a real baseball team. We are a good baseball team.
00:44And now we're going to prove it in front of everyone. That's exactly what they did.
00:48One of the things that I've been loving on the post-game interviews, they're all kind of doing it together.
00:54They kind of got like an OKC Thunder vibe going on to them right now.
00:57Like, they all seem like they're in on it together.
01:00How much have you seen that grow over these last six weeks where they've been getting, just playing great baseball,
01:06the cohesiveness they seem to have as a team?
01:09Yeah, that really is the biggest thing about this team this season.
01:12It's not just one guy that they rely on.
01:15It's everybody. Everyone has gotten in on the action.
01:18And I think it really speaks to the fact that this team, they're so young.
01:21All of these guys are going through a lot of new things all at the same time.
01:26And they've all really united. They're going through it together.
01:28And they really do love each other.
01:30It's got such a great chemistry in there, in that clubhouse.
01:33And you can see it on the field.
01:34And when one guy has a bad day, Jansen Junk, he has been phenomenal for the Marlins in the starting rotation.
01:41Was originally supposed to be a guy out of the bullpen.
01:43Came out on that Friday night game, struggled.
01:45Gave up the six runs against the Yankees.
01:47But his hitters picked him up in that situation.
01:50This is a guy whose pitching had been phenomenal.
01:53And he had picked up the hitters in the first time.
01:55So it's like when one guy has a bad game, there's always going to be somebody new to pick them up.
01:59So again, it's not just the same guy that we're interviewing, we're talking to every single day.
02:03It's really up and down that lineup.
02:05Off the bench, a guy like Javi Sonoha.
02:08Oh my God.
02:09He's 150 pounds soaking wet, guys.
02:12He hit two home runs.
02:14One right down the right field line.
02:15Another one right down the left field line in that big win on Friday.
02:18I mean, it's just, it's somebody different every single day.
02:20And it's really been so much fun.
02:22Again, this is a group that really loves each other.
02:24They support each other.
02:26And that's a really big reason why they're having so much success.
02:29Because, you know, they're really behind each other day in and day out.
02:33Kelly, do you kind of have the feeling that this is going to be like a, not a short term thing?
02:38Because we've seen the Marlins over the years.
02:41As soon as a young prospect or a young player starts to find his way and gets really good,
02:48then we trade them for new prospects.
02:50And the prospects never pan out.
02:53You know, very rarely.
02:54Does this look like a team or organization that says, you know what?
02:58We got some young players.
02:59They're all starting to grow together.
03:01Let's see where this goes.
03:02What you're looking at are the prospects that we got from all the trades that they made last year.
03:08Right.
03:09Right.
03:09And that's speaking, that's speaking towards it.
03:11This is what, this is Peter and his team deserve so much credit.
03:16I understand, listen, everyone understands the fans' frustration.
03:20I was born and raised here in South Florida, in Miami.
03:23So we get it.
03:23We understand that, okay, you're trading everyone over.
03:27Is this actually going to work this time?
03:28Everyone understands the frustration.
03:30But Peter and his team really hit.
03:32I mean, look what they got.
03:33Trevor Rodgers, love him to death, having a good season.
03:36He's starting to turn things around with Baltimore.
03:39We got Kyle Stowers.
03:40We got Connor Norby.
03:42And we got another guy in that trade.
03:44And look at what a big piece.
03:45Connor Norby on the aisle right now, out for the rest of the season.
03:48But Kyle Stowers has meant so much to this team, not just on what he's doing offensively,
03:53but also he's become such a leader in the turnaround.
03:57And these guys see things in these players that you don't necessarily see from the results.
04:03They like to look at things like chase rate, walk rate, a guy like Marcy who came over in the Luis Arige trade.
04:11This guy's been on base in his first three big league games eight times.
04:15He's got three doubles and a triple.
04:18He's walked five times.
04:19I mean, it's incredible.
04:21Those are the things that they say, OK, we see the quality in these guys and we're going to develop those because we believe that these qualities will add up to successful big league players.
04:33And we're starting to see it.
04:34Peter deserves a lot of credit.
04:36This coaching staff deserves a lot of credit.
04:38And of course, the players deserve a lot of credit because they're in there putting in the work.
04:42But again, you ask, is this going to be a long term thing?
04:45Look at their minor leagues.
04:46We've got one of the best pitching staffs right now in Major League Baseball.
04:50That's really that's really what they've been riding on over this last couple of months.
04:54We have even more pitching in the minor leagues.
04:57There's more guys coming up who are doing things that have never been done across Major League Baseball in the minor leagues.
05:02You've got Thomas White.
05:03You've got Robbie Snelling.
05:05Guys who are waiting still for their opportunity, who are dominating at the minor league level.
05:09That's something this organization did not have in the past.
05:12They would have some pieces at the major league level.
05:14They had nothing coming up behind them.
05:16So that's what Peter and his team has really done.
05:18They've stocked up that minor league level.
05:20So this could be a long term thing and not just a short term thing.
05:24What was the vibes like coming into Friday?
05:27Because we get the news that Sandy's not getting dealt.
05:30Edward Cabrera's not getting dealt.
05:31And so there is kind of a level of confidence that comes there from the front office, too,
05:36that they're going to roll the dice on this.
05:38So did you feel like, you know, that meant something to the team that they kept?
05:41I know, you know, Jesus Sanchez got dealt.
05:43But, you know, keeping Sandy, who's such a leader for this team,
05:47and Edward is having such a great season, what do you feel like that did for them?
05:50When you asked me that, I literally got chills.
05:53Because knowing how excited this group was to stay together, like I mentioned, they love each other.
05:59Sandy wants to be here.
06:01Edward Cabrera wants to be here.
06:03There are guys in the past didn't want to be here.
06:06These guys want to be in Miami.
06:08They believe in what they have going on here.
06:10When Sandy came into the clubhouse, he went straight into the offices, hugged all the coaches, hugged everyone.
06:15I have not seen such a happy Sandy Alcantara all season.
06:20He was so thrilled.
06:21He has gone through so much, guys.
06:24He's coming off Tommy John surgery.
06:26This is someone who has worked harder at taking care of his body and at his craft more than anyone I've ever seen.
06:32So coming back the way he did and the struggles he did was really not anticipated.
06:36So coming through that and then knowing in the back of his head all these trade rumors, he told me that the entire day he just had his – he was just on his phone looking at his rumors.
06:46His name key is popping up.
06:47He said once that all ended, he could take a deep breath.
06:50He's going to start today.
06:51He's coming off with two really good starts.
06:53I really do believe that.
06:54Now that that's in the past for him, it's really going to unlock something for him moving forward.
06:59So, again, he was so happy.
07:00We've got video of Edward Cabrera hugging all the coaches too on the mound after his session, his bullpen session that they had, his live session on the field.
07:08These guys are happy to be here.
07:10They want to be here.
07:10They believe in what they have together and they want to see it through.
07:12Can we stop saying same-o Marlins?
07:16Because it does seem to be like they not only have a short-term plan, but it seems like they have a long-term plan.
07:25And even though they're considered to be a cheap franchise and not spending a lot of money, you can't be disappointed by the product.
07:32You can't like want – you cannot watch the Marlins and be excited and enthusiastic and know that your team has a chance to win every night.
07:42You took the words right out of my mouth.
07:45Look what this team did against the New York Yankees.
07:49Never done it.
07:50They've never – they have the best.
07:52This is a wonderful stat that I got from a radio guy, Jack McMullen.
07:57There's only one team in Major League Baseball who has a winning record at both the regular season and the postseason against the New York Yankees.
08:06That team's the Miami Marlins.
08:09It was great.
08:10And you weren't losing on Jack McKeon Day either.
08:12I mean –
08:13How perfect.
08:14And here's – that's another thing.
08:15It's just like so poetic, right?
08:17Oh, it was so good.
08:18It was – listening to him and Tommy Hutton just chopping up in the booth yesterday, it was so great.
08:24I mean, it was just like – it was almost like the game wasn't even going on, that he was just like reminiscence.
08:29I can't believe at 94 years old how sharp he is and like how much stuff he can still pick up.
08:34It was crazy.
08:35I love it.
08:36I talked to so many guys leading up to it.
08:38I talked to Juan Pierre.
08:39I talked to Don Charles Willis just about the leader that Jack McKeon was.
08:42And they were just gushing about him.
08:44I told the story on air last night.
08:47But Don Charles Willis, he was obviously a pivotal part of that 2003 World Series Championship team rookie of the year.
08:54An all-star.
08:55Finished the regular season with a 3.3 ERA.
08:58Post-season, though, if the fans might not remember, really struggled.
09:02His first four outings gave up 12 earned runs.
09:05He was really down in his luck going into that Yankees World Series.
09:09Jack McKeon came to where he was sitting on the plane and said, hey, listen, we don't win this thing without you.
09:14We don't win this without you.
09:15And Don Charles told me that gave him all the confidence in the world that he can go forward and not be worried that he's going to mess everything up for everyone.
09:23And he went on to pitch three and two-thirds scoreless innings out of the bullpen against that Yankees team, that 2003 World Series Championship team.
09:30Juan Pierre told me that that guy, that Jack McKeon was so much older than this young team.
09:36They used to call him grandpa.
09:37But he had such a way of leading with a stern hand, but loving you just as much.
09:42Holding them accountable, but also putting an arm around them and saying, hey, I got you and I believe in you.
09:48And it was just really, really great honoring him.
09:50It was great seeing them complete the sweep first time in Marlins history, a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees.
09:57And how fittingly so, those 2003 Marlins were 16 games under 500 when they came back and they won that World Series.
10:06This Marlins team, 16 games under 500.
10:11They're now back at 500 for the first time since April 15th.
10:14So it's incredible, like the parallels between those two teams.
10:17There's no team really running away with it, like in years past.
10:22I mean, you look at, I think the best record in baseball was the Brewers.
10:27They were like, what, 66 and 44.
10:29That's only 11 games.
10:33And so although we're sitting here looking like, you know, because normally it takes 95,
10:38like it might not take that much to get into the postseason.
10:41So that's funny that you mentioned the Brewers.
10:44So the Brewers' hottest team in Major League Baseball when the Marlins went into Milwaukee.
10:48Marlins took two of those three games.
10:50Marlins were walked off on that Sunday game.
10:53I have never seen this team angrier after they did not sweep.
10:57The best team in Major League Baseball.
11:01They have a new expectation.
11:03I asked this to clean, and they have now won six consecutive series.
11:06That ties a franchise record from the 1997 team, which was stacked, right?
11:10The 1997 Marlins team.
11:12That team was supposed to win, okay?
11:14They built that team to win.
11:16They tied their franchise record.
11:18I asked Clayton McCullough what changed over these last six series.
11:23He said there's a new expectation that they hold themselves to.
11:26They show up to the ballpark expecting to win baseball games.
11:31So when they left Milwaukee, they didn't sweep.
11:33They were angry.
11:34They're like, we should have swept this team.
11:37We're looking at them like, that's the hottest team in Major League Baseball.
11:39Well, Edward Cabrera laughed.
11:41Not Edward Cabrera.
11:41It was Eury Perez.
11:43I was about to interview him, and I was just kind of giving him a little background in Spanish
11:47with what we're going to talk about.
11:48I was like, you know, we're talking about playing against the hottest team in baseball.
11:50He laughed and cut me off and goes, hottest team in baseball?
11:53We're the hottest team in baseball.
11:54I love that confidence.
11:57I was like, Yuri, that's what I like to hear.
12:00That's what I like to hear.
12:01I think the one thing that I love about having Sandy still around, he's still so young.
12:06I'm happy that he's still got Sandy around, Kelly, to lean on.
12:13Because this is going to be a grind for him when he gets down to August, September.
12:18And I just feel like it's important to have somebody to lean on like Sandy.
12:21And it's going to be so beneficial because he's been dealing lately.
12:25It's been very impressive to see what Perez has been doing.
12:27He's got a 2.7 ERA.
12:29People aren't talking about him.
12:31They're talking about Jake Misarowski.
12:33No offense to him.
12:34Again, great.
12:35You've got Paul Skeens.
12:36Again, a couple really young, great arms.
12:38No one's talking about Yuri Perez.
12:40He's younger than them.
12:41And he's coming off Tommy John's surgery.
12:44It's incredible.
12:45It's like they almost forgot about him, which is fine.
12:48And these guys are so fine with that.
12:49They're like, all right, forget about us.
12:50That's fine.
12:51We're okay with that.
12:52We believe in us.
12:53No one believed in us.
12:53We believe in us.
12:54That's all that matters.
12:55And you make a great point, too.
12:57So Sandy has become not just a best friend, a mentor to Eody.
13:02Eody had been wearing Sandy's glove the entire season as a tribute to Sandy because he didn't
13:06know how much longer they'd be playing together.
13:08And he had gone to Sandy and said, hey, I want your glove.
13:11And Sandy's like, wait, I've got a lot of personal messages on this.
13:14He goes, exactly.
13:14He goes, I want something as a tribute to you and what you have meant to me as a teammate,
13:19as a friend.
13:20And the fact that I'm allowed to wear your glove out there with all the personal tributes
13:24that Sandy has to his family members, he goes, that is an honor.
13:27And I want to honor you.
13:28And I don't know how much longer we're going to be playing together.
13:30And that was something that happened in the beginning of the season.
13:32So they all thought he was going to get traded.
13:36Everyone thought he was going to get traded.
13:37Well, Kelly, were you thinking like us?
13:42I'm like, man, Sandy's struggling.
13:44Probably means he's not going to get traded.
13:45I mean, you think, OK, listen, he's I think I was thinking more of the lines of Peter
13:52and his team know what Sandy is worth despite the struggles.
13:57Go ahead.
13:58Despite the struggles.
13:59And they're not going to let the 2022 Cy Young Award winner walk for a bucket of baseballs.
14:06They're not going to do it.
14:08They're not going to do it.
14:09And they're like, OK, you guys are going to say Sandy's struggling and he's not worth this.
14:14Absolutely not.
14:14You believe me now?
14:17You believe me now, Tobin?
14:18I love the fact that you are acting like you're Ken Rosenthal all of a sudden, like you were
14:22in the hot stove of what was going on.
14:25I'm telling you on trade day, everybody was scaring me because they're like, there's
14:29this monster Yankees trades.
14:30They're snooping around.
14:31I was like, oh, man, I'm going to get this news.
14:34And I didn't get relief until like 545 when Mish tweeted out that he wasn't getting traded.
14:38I was I was terrified he was going to get, though.
14:40But here's the difference.
14:41And I think everybody, everybody should understand this.
14:46Here's what I see is the difference is that years past, Sandy would have got traded even
14:51if it was for a bag of donuts.
14:53They would have just because they would have said, OK, we don't want to pay whatever we're
14:58paying.
14:58But Peter went into it saying this is what he's worth to us.
15:03We're not taking anything less than that.
15:05And if not, we're fine keeping him.
15:07That's a big change.
15:10Absolutely.
15:11I agree.
15:12Peter and his team deserve a lot of credit.
15:14They really do.
15:15In the midst of it, one of his best trades they did make.
15:17You mentioned Kyle Stowers as we're doing this.
15:18It was just announced that he's National League Player of the Month.
15:21Yes.
15:22I had to sit on that one to make sure.
15:25Yes.
15:25I was like, OK, right before we leave, I'll announce that.
15:28But yes, Kyle Stowers.
15:29So deserving what he has done.
15:31It makes it even more impressive, given the struggles that he had coming over from Baltimore
15:38in 2024.
15:41He struggled mightily.
15:42He was very, very open about his struggles, too.
15:45People forget the personal side to this.
15:48He had to move him and his wife, his young guy, over to Miami.
15:52You're learning a new league.
15:54You're trying to find somewhere to live.
15:55You're trying to get your feet under you.
15:57You're learning an entire new team and new coaching staff.
15:59There's so much that goes into it.
16:01It's not easy.
16:03Kyle Stowers struggled mightily during spring training.
16:07And I'm going to tell this story because I think it's phenomenal.
16:09And again, the coaching staff deserves so much credit.
16:12Kyle deserves so much credit.
16:14Kyle was putting so much work in during spring training.
16:16Wasn't seeing the results.
16:17OK, he was he was going through it and he gets a coach.
16:23He gets a call from our assistant hitting coach, Derek Sherman.
16:27And Derek calls him up and says, hey, on an off day.
16:29Hey, how are you doing?
16:30You panicking a little bit?
16:31Kyle's like, I don't know.
16:32I wouldn't say I'm panicking.
16:33But whatever it is you think I feel, I'm probably feeling right now.
16:36And Derek Sherman was like, OK, you know what?
16:37How about this?
16:39Come in tomorrow early.
16:40Come in an hour early.
16:41Before everyone's here, let's work.
16:43Let's do that.
16:43He came in early.
16:4545 minutes he sat down there with Pedro, our head hitting coach and Derek Sherman.
16:49And they instilled their confidence in him.
16:52And they said, we believe in you.
16:53OK?
16:53The results are going to come.
16:55What you're doing in the cages, what you're doing in batting practice, it's showing us
17:00that the results are going to come.
17:01We promise.
17:02And we believe in you.
17:03We don't care about these spring training numbers right now.
17:05We're seeing the work you're putting in.
17:06We believe that you can do this.
17:08Kyle said that changed everything for him.
17:10Knowing that he had them like in their corner, in his corner, really changed like, OK.
17:15And it helped him take a deep breath.
17:16Look what he's done.
17:17He's the National League Player of the Month.
17:20Now, 10 of his 25 home runs have come in the month of July.
17:23He had a three-homer game against his former team.
17:27Heading to the All-Star game.
17:29I mean, how poetic is that?
17:30That team trades you.
17:32You hit three home runs against them.
17:33And then you hop on a plane to your first All-Star game.
17:37He's become a leader.
17:39And just what he has done on the field speaks for itself.
17:42It really does.
17:43And it couldn't happen to a better person, too.
17:45What a good human being Kyle Stowers is.
17:47Kelly, we appreciate it all the time.
17:49What can everybody check out from you this week on the Marlins broadcast?
17:54I will be on radio for these next three games, which we've got where we'll be hosting the Houston Astros.
17:59But I'll be back on the television side on a very long road trip.
18:03We'll have five games in four days from Atlanta.
18:06So hopefully the Marlins can keep things going.
18:08I definitely believe they can.
18:10Well, you do awesome work.
18:11Go check her out on the Marlins broadcast this week on the radio side of things.
18:14And then on FanDuel Sports Florida as well.
18:16You've got Marlins and Astros tonight, Sandman on the Hill.
18:19Kelly, thank you for the time.
18:20Really appreciate it.
18:21Thanks for having me, guys.
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