RaysUp Junior Caminero - 40 HR & a visit to LLWS with Chris

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: . Welcome to BaseballBiz On Deck. I am Mark Corbett, and with me of course, is Mr.

[00:00:05] Mat Germain. Later in the show, we're gonna have my dear sweet brother Chris, join us and we'll talk a little bit about Little League World Series. But right now let's talk about a team that's earned its way back up to the level of 500, the Tampa Bay Rays , RaysUp. How's it going, Matt? 

[00:00:25] Mat Germain: What a difference a week makes Mark.

[00:00:27] That's nuts. I think we, we sat here last week and wrote them off and I think they were listening and they basically, you know, said, hell no. We're, we're gonna make a charge and we're gonna have some fun with it. So the, uh, the series with, uh, the Mariners has certainly put them back on the map, uh, it seems, 

[00:00:47] Mark Corbett: yeah, here we are.

[00:00:48] It's Wednesday. There's a game going on right now, but at this point, I'm looking at some metrics here. It says what the rays have won eight of their last 10 games. Now the Yankees have done the same right now as well, [00:01:00] but it's been great to see that. I mean, my gosh, you could have flipped those numbers just a couple of weeks ago, man.

[00:01:05] It was just, it was ugly. 

[00:01:08] Mat Germain: It was really ugly and it was just there, there wasn't, uh, any consistency. Everything was hit or miss. Everything was up and down. And, uh, it just seems like right now they're finally finding that groove. And, uh, you know, it, it was after a lot of different changes were made, Joe Boyle was sent down a whole bunch of, uh, lineup changes were made.

[00:01:28] But to me. The thing that clicked was Carson Williams when he was brought up it, it just seemed to really catapult the rays into a more productive mindset. And, and Tristan Gray also chipping in at short stop and driving in some runs and key moments. Uh, Josh Lowes picked things up, over the last 10 days maybe.

[00:01:48] He heard my criticism and he figured, Hey, I wanna be part of the Rays in 2026. Please don't cast me away. , But Mark, it comes down to one man, in my opinion overall that's [00:02:00] definitely put his stamp on the Rays and claimed him as his team. And that's Junior Caminero. 

[00:02:08] Mark Corbett: Amen, brother. I mean, alls I, I woke up this morning and I could see two sets of numbers in front of me.

[00:02:14] One was 40 and another was 100. And last night that game to watch Junior hit his 40th home run for the season, surpassing several other players who've, who've achieved, you know, 39. Uh, I think Carlos Peña is the only one at this point who's had a season where he had more than 40 home runs at this point.

[00:02:36] And let's see, I don't doubt that he's going to supersede, uh, Carlos's record. I think Carlos may have been as much as 49, but what, we'll, we'll see. But to see Junior also get that 100th RBI last night, dude, you know, he got a, what was, I think it was double out of it and it was, it's just fantastic. 'cause I know there have been a few games last week where he was.

[00:02:59] [00:03:00] Not probably at his peak. So it was so great to watch him right now. Now I know the game's on right now for, uh, Wednesday night, and we're looking here at the bottom of the third and the rays are leading. Eight, two zip and one out. So Oh my gosh. 

[00:03:19] Mat Germain: Yeah, I don't know if you watched the game, the, the first couple of innings, but, uh, you know, when, when we, I think we spoke before about Adrian Houser and how he needed to step up because the Rays had invested so much in him and, and kind of, you know, we thought acquiring him had to do with them still wanting to compete this year.

[00:03:37] Well, he threw three pitches in the first and had three outs, , and then you went to, , Kirby, who I think might have been shocked by how quickly he had to go up , and pitch and, and he just basically, , had a really struggled to get the Rays out. Now, mind you, yo de Diaz hit a really tough pitch.

[00:03:53] Brandon Lau hit a really tough pitch. Junior Caminero hit a really tough pitch, and, and so the rays are doing [00:04:00] damage because they're, they're making really strong approaches at the plate and getting lots of production. But overall, I mean, it's just a synchron. You know, the synchronizing of everything that they're doing.

[00:04:11] Yesterday's win was even more impressive because the, the Mariners kept coming back and getting ahead, and then the rays would've to catch up and then get back ahead and, and you know, when you're watching Drew Rasmussen give up three home runs, you know, in one inning you're kind of thinking, oh, well there we go.

[00:04:27] That's the end of the, no. The rays decided to fight back and, and they're, they're, they're showing a lot of tenacity and a lot of grit, uh, at a key part of the season. Now, will it be enough? That is the ultimate question. If they win tonight, which it seems they're on their way to doing, they're going to be two and a half games back of the Mariners.

[00:04:49] Two and a half games, you can make up fairly, you know, quickly, but will other teams that are in between right. Match that or exceed it? That's, you know, [00:05:00] the, the Rangers lost today, by the way. Uh, as another team that's chasing down that. 

[00:05:06] Mark Corbett: Wow, I'm just looking live here at Chandler Simpson and the way that young man can run, he was at pat in his, his to speed.

[00:05:15] I don't know if they clocked that, but his ability to get on base, I mean, once he's there and to steal is just amazing. So. Well, it looks really good, like you're saying. I think we'll do well tonight with this is, it's, uh, it's been interesting to see a lot of the changes you've talked about. And one of 'em this past week was we saw big paycheck, uh, basically being picked up on waivers.

[00:05:41] It's 

[00:05:41] Mat Germain: how Yeah, yeah. Ha-Seong Kim, like I, I think we had mentioned that last week, right? That we thought sometime this off season they were gonna offload 'em. Like we were pretty certain that that was going to, to happen just because of Carson Williams' presence and also, uh, the rays paying. [00:06:00] Have they ever paid a player more than 15 million in a season?

[00:06:04] I don't believe they have. Charlie Morton got the 15 and I don't think they've ever exceeded 15 million. So Ha-Seong Kim was set to make 16 million and so it, it was just, I think the Braves with Austin Riley going on the NCS and il, they wanted to make a push and, and really set themselves well for, for next year as well.

[00:06:26] Um, so they're banking on a little bit of both I think in their case, but that 16 million next year, mark, that's an intriguing, chunk of, of money for the Rays to actually be able to reinvest now. 

[00:06:39] Mark Corbett: Well, I see you advocating on Blue. It's like, let's actually give Junior Caminero some money and keep him here for a long time to come.

[00:06:49] Why not? You know, that what he's achieving right now, his value and what we'd be able to get him for on extension. Yes. Do it today. 

[00:06:58] Mat Germain: Right. So when you look at [00:07:00] Extension guys, right? The guys that have gotten big money in the past, you have Ronald Acuna Jr. 

[00:07:05] Chris Corbett: Mm-hmm. 

[00:07:06] Mat Germain: Fernando Tiz Jr. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Now we're just gonna skip all the names and just go right to Junior.

[00:07:14] Gonna get that extension and I don't know what it's going to look like, but I, I. I would dare say it, like ultimately whatever value he gets, like with all the bonuses and everything else added up, it'll be over 250 million. I, I would estimate. And it'll be up to somewhere around three 50. It depends on how much weight the Rays and the agent and everybody else decide to put in how many years, uh, they want to dedicate to this player.

[00:07:44] Because I mean, 21, 22 years old, you could go as far as 10, 12 years. Mm-hmm. And, and be comfortable with that. Right. And the, the thing that's striking me most about Junior Caminero is for a while, people were, uh, kind of resigned to the fact that [00:08:00] he wasn't gonna be a great defensive player. He's turning out to be a well above average, you know, third baseman.

[00:08:06] I would never put him among the elites. And I, you know, I, not yet anyway, but, but he's definitely above average, which when you're combining that with the bat that he has it, it gives you that security to go to that length. Right. Because I think that's what a lot of teams shy away from when they're looking at, let's say the Red Sox with Roman Anthony, right.

[00:08:27] , They gave him that eight year deal just to buy out a couple of, of, uh. Um, free agent years. I, I think there's some trepidation in, first of all, he hasn't proven it as long as Junior has, but also that defensively, you don't know how well he is gonna fit in after those eight years. So, , if he becomes a first basement, we've all seen the first basement value kind of diminish.

[00:08:47] Bryce Harper's kind of been, um, of that mold having to switch to first base and then it limits your other options. Then you have to fill your outfield options with, um, somebody else. Long story short, Junior is gonna get paid. The rays [00:09:00] need to make him the cornerstone of their team, and they need to make that commitment not only for Junior, but also for Rays fans and to make them a more attractive destination for all of the other players that they want to potentially bring aboard.

[00:09:16] Mark Corbett: It has been interesting to watch the games at George Steinbrenner Field. You and I have talked time and again about, you know, what makes this team, and I think Junior being a keystone of that for years to come, is gonna be great. But living here in Tampa and surrounded by all this, the spring training fields and little areas like Bradenton, you know, there, there are gonna be tied in with the, the pirates no matter what.

[00:09:45] I go down, you know, to to Dunedin, it's gonna be all about Blue Jays where they, so when their teams come here to play, they overwhelm. Quite often the stadium. And I noticed watching the Mariners, even though the Mariners, [00:10:00] they're not really around this area. I'm, I'm seeing tridents in the stands. Man, you know, it's, it's, it's blowing my mind.

[00:10:07] But, uh, the, the, the chants are strong from the opposition. One thing I saw in there had me a little conflicted last night. There's a man who just turned 82 years old about a week ago, and he's sitting up there in his stands, and he was been the manager for both the Rays and the Marines. And I'm talking about Sweet Lou, Lou Pinella himself.

[00:10:31] And I don't know if you saw any of that with him out there, but it was good to see him there. One of the things that I didn't realize at first was that the Mariners manager, Dan Wilson had actually played as a Mariner underneath Lou. Oh. So Lou's watching the game. He's wearing, it looked like a, a Mariner blue.

[00:10:51] It wasn't really insignia or anything on there, but it was that kind of color. I guess you could have said it was either team, but it, it was kind of neat to see him. 'cause I know [00:11:00] 82 years old, getting out anywhere is probably a good deal. But did, did you, you saw that part where they shot up to Lou. It was interesting 'cause one of the first things you think of a kind of mercurial nature, he would've sometimes arguing things with the umps and when they went to shoot the photo of him up in the stands, you hear this?

[00:11:18] Noise going down on the field. So they take the cameras back down and there is the man he had mentored as a player, Dan Wilson, the manager, getting into it with the umpire because the umpire had somebody on the Mariner's, uh, dugout, thought they was chattering about calling balls and strikes. Right. 

[00:11:38] Mat Germain: The umpire missed a high and and away call, right?

[00:11:41] Yeah. And I think it was, it wasn't egregious. It was maybe three, four inches off the plate. Like we've seen words from a lot of different umpires. But I think it shows the moment, because the Mariners are feeling that pressure, they're feeling that tension, and they're four and six in the last 10.

[00:11:58] They're not doing as well as they want to. [00:12:00] They're starting to hear the footsteps behind them. And that's a, that's a tough position to be in. So every single call is amplified at that point. And, and I think it was Luke Raley that chipped , at the ump and, and kind of got away with it. And then the manager decided to step in just to protect his players.

[00:12:16] I think. 

[00:12:17] Mark Corbett: Yeah, it, it looked like it was really. And I thought he was even leaving, but then I heard it's Dan Canone. Um, and that rarely actually came, came in to replace him, right? So there was some c you know, curiosity about what was actually going on. And I don't know. I mean, if you're up higher, you're going to hear some chatter and usually how are they gonna pick out which person that dug out was doing it?

[00:12:40] If their eyes supposed to be going onto the ball, they, you know, their focus has to be. But I, I, I found it kinda humorous that, uh, you have meet Ben Oh, yeah. With, with Lou Piniella. But I, I love that man. He's such a icon of baseball around here and I'm was always glad to see him out and about of, I met him a few times at the Tampa Baseball Museum.

[00:12:59] [00:13:00] Perfect, perfect fellow. But, you know, it wasn't just ejection night Here. I'm, I'm gonna step out of George Steinbrenner field for a moment. And you probably saw this whole thing with Rafael Devers and Wi Willy Adames, and I can't remember the name of the picture for, uh, for the Rockies. Endeavors being endeavors.

[00:13:19] He hits that whole room home run, and he just looks and watches that ball. I don't think it looked like it was gonna go foul. I don't think he was waiting for that. I think he was just wanting to soak it all in, babe. You know, just, just see that ball go and, and totally frustrated the pitcher with the Rockies, you know, so, so much.

[00:13:37] So he didn't just say something for the mound. He starts walking toward Devers pointing, saying, walk to first. Hey, come on. You already hit it. Get, get, get to it. Well, the, the thing that kind 

[00:13:48] Mat Germain: of blew me away is in the first inning, like when, do you ever see brawls in the first inning? Like. I've never, you know, maybe, maybe back in the Red [00:14:00] Sox and Yankees days where there were really like tense rivalries.

[00:14:04] Mm-hmm. Damon jumped ship and went to the Yankees and whatever in that timeframe. Sure. Maybe that could happen, or, um, I don't know. Uh, Roger Clemens used to like to, or Pedro Martinez even. Oh, he used to like to, you know, hit somebody. If they hit a home, run off 'em the last time they saw 'em. Okay, well then there's a history.

[00:14:21] There's something there. But here, there was no history that I'm aware of anyway before the, the moment. And, uh, and I mean, you know, are you supposed to have that big of a celebration and that kind of, uh, reaction after a, a home run in a first inning? And I mean, Raphael Devers hasn't exactly been, you know, lights out since he got to the, the Giants.

[00:14:45] Like he hasn't been, you know, an MVP caliber player. So. What, just to me, they kind of, it was comical. It was sort of like that. Okay, what's going on? And then I think Matt Chapman is the [00:15:00] only one that got a, a suspension out of it. Am I right? 

[00:15:02] Mark Corbett: I didn't, I didn't see the suspension. I just saw the ejections he, he might have, 'cause I saw him going straight up to the pitcher.

[00:15:08] And I think Adames got pitched out, uh, more after the initial Bruhaha, uh, because it's, and Adames was telling the pitcher he needed to get off the field. Uh, I love Will Adames man. You know, he's, we've talked about him being the glue guy when, when he was here and the, the passion he can bring and then, uh, spoke or spoke up a team.

[00:15:31] So, but it was, it was a little different than I expect from Willie. 'cause he, he looked very, very incensed about the whole situation.

[00:15:40] Mat Germain: . I will mention one thing about Devers though. Like they, I think we've spoken a lot over the years, or a lot of people have now, does this qualify? So one of the big beats about the Giants is that no Giants hitter had hit 30 home runs while playing for them.

[00:15:59] And since [00:16:00] Barry Bonds basically left them right. So does this year count, even though he played so many games with Boston before he, he got to the San Francisco, 'cause he's at 30 right now, so I don't think that qualifies, I think it has to be a full season or 30 hit while in the Giants uniform. Right?

[00:16:20] Mark Corbett: Agreed. Agreed. I mean, 'cause for one thing, either it's two different home fields, et cetera, that sort of thing. But yeah, no, that, that, that's not gonna count babe. We're not, we're not gonna put that there. It, but it, it was a night of ejections for a former Rays. We, I mean, I didn't, again, I felt, I didn't necessarily expect to see, but I didn't realize Jose Caballero with the Yankees.

[00:16:41] I thought, where'd he go? Oh, that's right. He's with the Yankees and he's there getting into a, a disagreement with the umpire about, oh, whether or not he, he had actually swung or not. At the same time, I think the ball hit the bat, supposedly hit up off the ground, et cetera. And I understand how he may have been a little frustrated, but [00:17:00] evidently this second time, within the last couple weeks that Caballero has been ejected from the game.

[00:17:06] Maybe, maybe it's just not fitting just quite yet. That, uh, New York vibe, uh, for Jose, I don't know. 

[00:17:14] Mat Germain: Maybe that's why they brought him in though. Maybe they want that edge. Right. And yeah, I heard a lot of chatter about how badly, you know, Anthony Volpe has been at shortstop defensively. And I think more than anything, they wanted to bring some competition for him, but also an alternative if, if Volpe doesn't turn it around by the playoffs.

[00:17:32] Like, you don't want to jeopardize your, your performances in the playoffs just because your shortstop isn't showing up defensively. So Anthony Volpe can still, you know, in, in some occasions DH and lead off if they want him to, and then have Caballero at, uh, at short stop and, and hitting ninth or eighth or whatever.

[00:17:52] But, but he's got some fire in him. He always has. And, and remember with the rays, he had hit a triple once or he had slid in at third base. Mm-hmm. [00:18:00] And whoever was at third base had a real problem with how it happened and, and what he did. And there, there's always something seemingly rubbing people the wrong way with Jose.

[00:18:11] And, and a lot of times I'm thinking, what is he saying on the field? Like, what are, we don't get to hear all the, the chatter on the field. Right? So he, there must be a lot of exuberance and a lot of, you know, things that he does and says that rub people the wrong way. That's basically the way it comes down.

[00:18:30] Mark Corbett: Oh, I, no, it's, I wish him well, you know, it's, it's been interesting to watch and I mean, it's, it's, uh, let's see, where are we tonight? Oh my gosh, we are now at the bottom of the four. Still eight to zip, but it is going to be a great night. I, I can't help it. Keep going back to Junior Caminero what you're saying about this young man, he has made this game so exciting.

[00:18:53] We've got so many great new players we talked about last week, uh, that, that are coming up. [00:19:00] And one fellow who came back up also is Richie Palacios. Like you and I were talking last week. I said, who, who's that guy? I don't remember him. Who, who is he? 

[00:19:10] Mat Germain: Yeah, I, there's a reason I mentioned him last week 'cause I saw, you know, the, the bat was coming around in Durham , and you just know that some guys, I mean, Richie, for those that don't know, grew up at a Yankees fan.

[00:19:21] So hit for him, just playing at Steinbrenner Field is a, is an honor. And, and I'm sure he takes it with, , a lot of pride that he gets to play there now, you know, at a full-time basis with a Rays for this season. But, um, he, he's one of those spark plugs. You mentioned that when I mentioned him. Like, he's one of those guys that brings a lot of energy to the field.

[00:19:40] And so when you start looking at the supporting cast that the, the Ray has, so they have Yandy Diaz, Brendan Lowe, and, and they have, you know, maybe a little bit of veteran leadership in, in, uh, Fiducia, but the rest of them are, are very young players and energy. You just freaking fireballs. Really? Uh, Chandler Simpson, [00:20:00] Jake Mangum, uh, Josh Lowe.

[00:20:02] Yeah. Everybody has that energy or that pizazz, like they want to go out there and just leave it on the field. And Junior Caminero is a huge part of that. When he hit that double yesterday and he was pounding on his chest, like just, I, I'm, I'm positive he got back to the hotel that night or at home and, and he was bruised.

[00:20:20] There was a bruise in there somewhere. That's how hard he was. He was hitting and pounding his chest, but he's feeling it. He's, he's going for that energy. And to me, that's why you pay the man. Yeah. And it, and it, it's because when you're showing up in those key moments in, in the pressure situations, chasing a playoff spot, you're young.

[00:20:39] You're, you're the anchor of the lineup in the fourth spot and you're producing, or in the third spot or in the second spot, wherever he is, it doesn't matter. He produces and you never hear anything bad from him. He's always positive. Chris Morel hits a home run. He's the first one to go up and, and congratulate him.

[00:20:56] , He's high energy not only for himself, but for the other players. And [00:21:00] that feeds into the entire team. , So I just see a leadership quality coming from him down the road that is going to be. Very, very, very positive for the Rays overall. , And I, that's what I wanted to speak to in terms of Carson Williams as well, because Carson Williams just seemed to fit like a glove next to Junior ca.

[00:21:21] Like it, it seems like there's a comradery there, a relationship that they built in Durham that kind of works extremely well and, and. Has given Carson Williams a real comfortable home as soon as he arrived at the Rays s. Now the Rays s did wait a long time before they called him up in this season, and, , I think Carson's put in the work to get to where he is, but it definitely has to feel good.

[00:21:45] This, you look at, across the diamond, you've got, , Bob Seymour, and then you look behind you in left field and you've got Chandler Simpson and, you've got Jake Mangum in center field, and you're like, this feels like I'm just back in Durham. This is very familiar to me and, [00:22:00] and not a, uh, a shock to my system.

[00:22:03] So I, I hope the rays do make that commitment. The, what I'd like to see with Carson Williams is to do sort of what they did with Brandon Lowe, remember his deal, the initial one, they basically bought out all of the. Arbitration years and then one or two options, right? That's it. Yeah. Just clean, simple. But it does kind of of say, you know what, this commitment, you're our second baseman in Brandon Lowe's case.

[00:22:27] In this case I'd like them to do the same just to show Carson we're, we believe in you, we're making a commitment to you and you're gonna get paid at least to this amount. I don't know if that happens this year, if they wait till next. I can't remember when Brandon signed his, but I believe it was extremely early in that we were all going, why on earth did they sign him so quickly?

[00:22:51] Because there was a lot of defensive question marks about Brendan Lau at that point. Right, 

[00:22:54] Mark Corbett: right. 

[00:22:55] Mat Germain: And that's the difference with Carson is that there are no defensive [00:23:00] question marks with him. It all has to do with the bat. So each one has their own weaknesses, but I think Junior and Carson signing both of those guys, making them the staple of your, the left side of your infield.

[00:23:10] Having seen what we've seen so far since Carson's been up, I don't see why you wouldn't commit to that for the long term. 

[00:23:20] Mark Corbett: Well, the Rays have got some decisions to make for that future. I mean, we've talked about it last week. We were saying the 2026 Rays but the thing of it is we're looking at going above 500, as you mentioned, just a couple of two and a half games that play behind the Mariners for a wild card spot.

[00:23:37] And yes, there are other teams in between and things can happen, but it's, it's so easy. I mean, at the beginning of the year, you say World Series. World Series. Of course they Yankees do that all the time. And then. You know what we're, we'll, we'll, we're probably gonna with the division, so we'll be at at least somewhere.

[00:23:54] And then you say, well, we maybe, maybe we'll get a spot in there somewhere. We'll, [00:24:00] we'll get a wild card. And that started to slip away. But when you come back in the last 10 games with eight wins, that gives hope to actually being part of the postseason, because last week it didn't feel strong that there's any possibility.

[00:24:17] I mean, not that the doors are wide open right now, but it looks much better than it did a week ago. 

[00:24:23] Mat Germain: I do wanna say that even right now, let's say they don't make the playoffs right, it doesn't matter. To be quite honest, because let, let's just paint the picture. Let's say they do make the playoffs, they play two games, they're out.

[00:24:35] Right? What is the difference between that and all of the games that they're playing right now in September to get there? Yeah, like that to me is still important. The fact that they've done enough to hang around to make these next, you know, 20 games or 15 games or 17, you know, to make those matter. So right now the rays are teaching their young guys how to [00:25:00] play under pressure situations in major league baseball.

[00:25:03] So when, when we sat here last week, I thought it was going to go the opposite. I really did. I thought it was gonna go to be maybe a, a three and seven record over the last 10 games. And then you're looking at the complete opposite where the rest of the games don't really matter. The players turn off, they sort of go into a routine and, and so there's a less, a lesser development is what I would say.

[00:25:28] You're still facing major league pitching, you're still performing in the big leagues, but not in the same mindset. 

[00:25:35] Chris Corbett: Yeah. 

[00:25:35] Mat Germain: As if you're chasing that playoff spot. So that's what I'm excited right now is because the players that are there that are young and that are just learning, are getting the benefit of that.

[00:25:46] And I think that'll pay dividends next year to year after that, , to the point where they actually appreciate what it feels like and what it takes, , to get there. 

[00:25:57] Mark Corbett: I like that better than when you see just [00:26:00] bringing a player up for the last game or two of the season to give them a taste.

[00:26:04] But right now we've got a cadre of, a few players that we see as the components of next year because they're getting several games between now and the end of the season. I, I agree with you a hundred percent there, Matt, because last week I wasn't even feeling any possibility about post-season.

[00:26:20] But now that there's a possibility of it, yeah, that's gonna amp up up those young people that are in the game, these players with the rays. 

[00:26:28] Mat Germain: And that's a great point, mark. I want to link that back to Ha-Seong Kim, who you mentioned before, where the rays put 'em on waivers, that was a high risk placement on waivers.

[00:26:38] They committed to saying. We're done with Haan Kim, we want to see Carson Williams now, and we're willing to pay $20 million to make it happen. That's what the Rays said. 'cause if, if the Braves don't pick up that option or that, uh, that contract, the Rays s are on the [00:27:00] hook for the rest of his salary.

[00:27:01] Salary this year, and they're on the hook for his salary next year. And then another team can sign him for league minimum if he wants, and they're fine. Right. So that's a, if I'm Carson Williams and I'm sitting there, I'm like, wow. Like that's, that's insane that they would actually risk paying a player $20 million to sit at home just to get me playing time on the field like that is, I don't know.

[00:27:25] I've never really thought of it until now in that sense, but that's what they did. And I don't know if they had any insight on whether or not Ha-Seong Kim was gonna get picked up by the Braves. You could argue for that or against, I mean, you may hear rumors, but still to put that pen to paper, convince the owner to make it so, and then, you know, cross your fingers and toes that it's going to happen.

[00:27:48] That's still a significant risk. 

[00:27:51] Mark Corbett: It has been exciting to see that happen too because, uh, I, I, I'm like you, I thought when I first heard they put him on waivers, I thought, really, [00:28:00] really, you're gonna gamble with this? You know, is somebody else gonna just sit back and watch it go? Because right now I can see a lot of reasons where he's not that attracted to pick up that much money or pick up even half of it.

[00:28:13] Just the health. 

[00:28:14] Mat Germain: Just the health mark. Yeah. Like how long has he been on the field? Yeah. So that was a, that was a significantly risky play. And, and the irony of it all is that the Braves who've dealt with injuries from Ozzy Albies, injuries from Ronald Acuan Jr. Injuries from Austin Riley, they decide to pick up another injury pro player to, to kind of try to fix the boat.

[00:28:37] So for the first time in a while, I'm looking at, at Alex Anthopoulos and going, I don't know, man, that, that's, that's filling your boat with a lot of Swiss cheese. Oh, 

[00:28:48] Mark Corbett: Getting back to the game tonight. Uh, it's, it's looking like the rays are going to, to put what they'll have nine of the last 10 games as wins. And I'm excited about that, you know, the, the [00:29:00] energy that that gives a team moving forward. It's just, you know, I, I, it's just, it's just building a momentum and there's a lot of leaderships going on.

[00:29:10] You, we to, we were con, I don't wanna say we concerned, we were wondering whether or not we would see Brandon Lowe and we'd see Yandy Diaz, you know, after the trades. Thankfully they kept them. These men are still performing. These men are still leaders for the other players,

[00:29:27] and I think it's really, , going to work out, for the team, for the rest of the season. 

[00:29:32] Mat Germain: Yeah. I have a question for you, mark, please. So, Adrian Houser has thrown five innings so far. He has allowed one hit, no walks, no runs, thrown 47 pitches. A rays are up eight, nothing does he pitch a complete game.

[00:29:51] Mark Corbett: Ooh. I mean, he could, but will they let him? I, I think they should let him. I, I [00:30:00] don't know that Kevin will. Or that the front office will, 

[00:30:05] Mat Germain: if he's under a hundred pitches, I think he does. If, if, you know, maybe up to 105, uh, anything above that, I think they'll make the change, you know, just because he has allowed that one hit.

[00:30:17] So there's no glory in other than having a complete game stat. Yeah. But I, I also haven't paid attention much to the usage of the pen through this series, uh, and, and known who is, is worn, who isn't. So that's another consideration, right? Yeah. Is, is how. How much of a rest does the pen need? Or does Pete need work?

[00:30:39] Or does somebody else need work, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But I, I honestly think that if, if he does need the rest, the pen, this sets up the next series very well because now you're, you're talking about, you know, this series not only the good feels about sweeping the Mariners, but also moving on to another important series.

[00:30:59] 'cause all of them are important with a fresh pen. I mean, that's gonna be gold for, for Kevin Cash to work with. So, uh, I've gotta tip my hat to all the pitchers. Shane Baz is exceeding my expectations big time. So is Drew Rasmussen, he's been one of the most elite pitchers over the last, you know, month and a half.

[00:31:18] And, uh, I, I know the Ray's committed a little bit of money to both of them, but I think, . With the amount of what they're risking body-wise and, and the amount of, of effort that they're putting into it, I really hope it pays off for them and that they're able to stay healthy, you know, for the rest of this year and next year and beyond.

[00:31:37] And, and because these guys have special talents there is a lot of intrigue when you're looking at the performances recently and what they could do in the playoffs if they actually get there. 

[00:31:48] Mark Corbett: It is an exciting time, Mat. I tell you what, if as far as #RaysUp, I'm, I'm couldn't be happier about what's happening, , this, like I said this past week, I just hope the team's momentum [00:32:00] continues.

[00:32:00] I mean, we're looking over here, like I said, the, uh, oh, here's an interesting statistic over the last 10 games since August 22nd, the Rays have outscored opponents. 60 to 28. I did. Yeah. I didn't realize that. Really. And recorded 40 extra base hits while yielding an MLB low 14 extra base hits the 26 extra base hit gap is the largest positive difference in the majors over that span ahead of the Yankees, but see which were plus 21.

[00:32:31] So man, it's, it is just, that's the kind of vitality you love to see with your team. 

[00:32:39] Mat Germain: Right. And the rays have the same run differential as the division leader leading Blue Jays. So that's for the season overall. Wow, 

[00:32:47] Mark Corbett: wow. 

[00:32:47] Mat Germain: So I mean, the, the rays, they, they, we've seen the potential. Is there, mark, we, we know they're a better team that they've shown all the way through the series, uh, out the series, the, [00:33:00] the se the season, they've had some bad luck.

[00:33:03] They've had guys who were, you were hoping were gonna come back healthy that haven't, uh, guys that got hurt at the wrong times, et cetera. But. I think overall you have to be satisfied if you're a Rays fan, that your team in front office made the right moves to try to improve the team where they needed to.

[00:33:22] All the pen, , improvements, the outfield improvements, everything that they've done, they've tried to do for the better of the team this season and they've committed to this season. I think more than a lot of people thought they were going to. I think there was a lot of people at the deadline that, you mentioned it earlier in the show that thought Yandy Diaz and Brendan Lowe were gonna be gone.

[00:33:42] And it was basically a foregone conclusion. Um, and, and so the commitment, the Rays showed to them, that's gonna help later on. Like, I think that buys cred for the, for the front office to say, you know what, like if you're a veteran, you sign with the Rays now, you know? Yeah. [00:34:00] If you perform, if you do what you gotta do, they're gonna commit to you and they're gonna keep you around if they, if they want to go forward that season.

[00:34:08] , So I, I like to see that, like they, all the commitments they've made this year are very in interesting. A lot of three year, uh, you know, guys that have been brought in. So all the success they're having right now hopefully feeds into 2026 as well. 

[00:34:23] Mark Corbett: Well, let's see. We've enjoyed so much about the Rays .

[00:34:26] We're gonna look a little bit too, uh, a little bit. We talked about the younger players on the team, but I think we're taking a look at some younger players. Those here. Got my brother Chris, coming on the show here just a few minutes after a quick break. And I wanna thank y'all for the Rays up portion of this week's edition.

[00:34:42] And Matt, uh, thank you with that, but uh, look forward to chatting with Chris here and seeing what, where are these great talent, where it actually comes from.

Chris Corbett LLWS - 313 BaseballBiz
313 – Part 2 – LLWS, Williamsport PA – with Chris Corbett

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Good deal. All right. Well, we'll get cracking. Welcome to Baseball Biz on Deck. Matt and I have a very special guest today, and it is my wonderful brother Chris Corbett, who I had the great pleasure of a travel experience with baseball like none other.

[00:00:19] , About a week ago we went to Williamsport PA to see the semifinals in the Little League World Series. Hey, welcome Chris. How you doing today, brother? Great, mark. How are you? I'm doing well. You, you know, I have to say how you doing today brother? And with, I use that word a lot, but with you, it's nice to be able to actually have it.

[00:00:39] You know, I picked that up from old guy Jim Bauer, who was in the sports department at the Courier Journal. He is from up in New York way, and everybody was brother, you know, uh, but anyway, we had a Matt, Chris and I had a great time up there. It was so much fun, the stuff we were able to do, and we went up, let's see, he was on that [00:01:00] Wednesday and.

[00:01:02] Prior to that, Chris had picked me up on Tuesday at the airport, got in the car, drove all the way up to Williamsport, pa, and which was probably about a 10, 11 hour drive before, by the time a couple of stops or so. It was, so we're starting fresh Wednesday morning and it was eight games, you know, full day.

[00:01:24] Nothing but fun. Chris, what do you, what do you remember the most about, those games? 

[00:01:30] Chris Corbett: Oh, well, you know, first off, , we'd driven, as you say, mark 600. Miles, uh, to see this. And it was gonna be the semifinals of both the, the international and for the, uh for the US team. So I was really excited about it.

[00:01:42] And I guess the first thing I remember is we woke up to rain and I thought, boy, this is a long way to go for a couple, , rain outs. And my wife had packed a couple of, , ponchos. I figured we could still watch if the kids were gonna play, but the first thing I remember is being very happy that come one o'clock for the first game that we saw, there was [00:02:00] no rain or negligible rain.

[00:02:03] Mark Corbett: Yeah. It really was, it was really insignificant. I mean, I, I was pleasantly surprised because it stayed overcast most of the time and maybe just a mist of a rain here and there. It kept really great conditions for that. And I, I believe for the players too, on the field, it's wasn't a, a nasty, humid day out there.

[00:02:25] Correct. Yeah. 'cause 

[00:02:26] Chris Corbett: You know, I competing in sports. I'd much rather have the, , 75 degrees than the 95 degrees. And it was, , it wouldn't have been uncomfortable for the young guys out there. 

[00:02:36] Mark Corbett: Yeah, Matt, it was something to, I mean, to be able to see all these young players out there, you know, they're, they're playing obviously on a smaller diamond for little League, but what they did with the space was amazing, uh, to, to, but to see, let's see, who was it?

[00:02:51] There was Connecticut, Las Vegas for the us plus who else? The, uh, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and South Carolina team. If we [00:03:00] looked at the international teams, you'd see Venezuela and they were playing against Chinese Taipei, Caribbean had Aruba and Japan with the Joto little league from Tokyo. But each one of these teams, when we would go into that stadium.

[00:03:16] It was exciting to see that they had their own fan base there. And, and Chris, you remember how China, how their, uh, how they were in the stands, China type band? Yeah. They had 

[00:03:26] Chris Corbett: some, , musical instruments and were giving some rhythm there and, , making some noise. And I think maybe they, were the visiting team, so they, , came to bat first.

[00:03:34] I remember your comment is, uh, I hope they don't make that noise for the entire game. Maybe it's just when they're at the plate, but, uh, they were, they were excited and having fun. 

[00:03:44] Mark Corbett: They were indeed, they, that was a, it was a blast. It was a lot of fun indeed to, to catch all that. Now, so I 

[00:03:50] Mat Germain: have to ask the WBC, we saw a lot of that, right?

[00:03:53] Mm-hmm. Where, you know, the international fans had their own chants, they had their own music sections. Do you [00:04:00] think over time that'll rub off on some of the American fans? Like were any of the American teams having that kind of ambiance, I guess, uh, overall, or was it more limited to the international team?

[00:04:12] Chris Corbett: To me it was the international teams, if you remember, mark, the Caribbean team. Uh, they were, they were quite boisterous and having a lot of fun. , But, , Matt, there would be chants, like you'd hear at a game, , for your team, uh, from the American side and, , cheering for the individual kid who was at the plate or maybe who had made a, , a nice defensive play.

[00:04:29] But, uh, we didn't see anything from the American fans, uh, the day we were there. Gotcha. 

[00:04:36] Mark Corbett: One thing, it was a little sad from my perspective too, was with the international team's, Latin American, Venezuela, uh, they, the players were there, but their families weren't able to make it, uh, to some from either customs or some, I guess, uh, political situation going on with Venezuela.

[00:04:53] But there were still plenty of people there to support them. I mean, you'd see folks in the stands with [00:05:00] wearing their jerseys and, and making some noise. But I'd have to say that Chinese Taipei took, took it all when it came to having somebody out there, a leader banging a drum and going the whole time. But, uh, the games, Chris is much better about this than I am, Matt, because he had been following much more closely what was happening with these teams long before we got there.

[00:05:22] And Chris, when you were looking at the teams up and coming, was there one that was standing out to you more than the others? There, 

[00:05:29] Chris Corbett: there really was. , And it was a Connecticut team. I kind of joke caught 'em, uh, greater New York City because I think they're just a little bit, up the, , up the coast, uh, , up the river from, , New York City.

[00:05:39] But they did, they , had a couple of brothers on the team. , their star was not a very large, uh, fellow. I can't remember his name right off the bat. Luca, Luca, someone. , Yeah, I, I particularly enjoyed watching them. And, you know, the day we were there, mark, they, they did some, , strange things with all those, line drives and, , running the bases.

[00:05:58] They were innovative in what they did out there [00:06:00] for, , 11 and 12-year-old kids. 

[00:06:02] Mark Corbett: I was impressed too. And I re I was thinking as far as that one pitcher, I wanna say gallegos, uh, the young blonde pitcher. He was just amazing to watch. And you were talking about the, the two brothers?

[00:06:14] Mm-hmm. They were to see, and, and you would find some of these players mad. You would find 'em playing, um, multiple positions. I mean, because they actually have a pitch count meter, if you will, once a pitcher gets to, what, what is it, Chris? Is it 85 pitches? I 

[00:06:29] Chris Corbett: think it was. Of course if you start with a, uh, with a battery, you can go above that and finish with that batter.

[00:06:34] But they have a series of rules, Matt, and it was 85 for the day, but then maybe 20, you can't pitch the next day. 40, you can't pitch two days. , Something along these lines. But, the coaches were well, well aware of this and it's my understanding that they're all star teams, you know, from different leagues and all.

[00:06:50] So you're gonna grab as many good pitchers as you can. And a lot of times at that age, you know, maybe one of your best players is your pitcher. 

[00:06:59] Mat Germain: Yeah. [00:07:00] The thing that I find interesting 'cause I've dug, dug a little bit deeper into the Little League World Series and I don't think people understand how old it is.

[00:07:08] I don't think people understand exactly, , how old the players are that play it. Like they, you they could, they hear Little League World series, they think, okay, maybe it could be eight year olds, it could be 14 year olds, it could be 15 year olds. But these kids are what, 10 to 12? Right? Right. And and they, uh, they've, this has been going on since 1947, so it's 78 years that the Little League World Series has been going on in, um, in the same location.

[00:07:36] So it's kind of a, an interesting event because it's always held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. So the first question that I have for both you and Mark is how's the spread? Like, are they ready to receive you guys, like, do they have a lot of snacks? Like a lot of, 'cause you gotta feed a lot of people when they're there.

[00:07:52] A lot of families, a lot of teams coming through. So what were you guys eating while you were there? 

[00:07:58] Chris Corbett: Uh, we ate some of the, uh, uh, [00:08:00] typical ballpark food and, uh, uh, you know, Matt, it was a really nice time and everybody treated us very well, and we were saw some amazingly talented young men play ball. But, to tell you the truth, , I know if you saw much on TV with the young ladies that were on ESPN and some of the mac and cheese or macaroni, on top of the burgers, , things, , the, the domestic food, uh, left a little bit to, uh, to be desired, , actually had to go up the hill where they slide, , on the cardboard boxes, to get some of the international cuisine.

[00:08:30] And that was actually a little better for my taste on Matt. Interesting. 

[00:08:35] Mat Germain: So they do represent the international taste buds, which is, you know, that's pretty much what I was leaning towards was 

[00:08:41] Chris Corbett: Yes. 

[00:08:41] Mat Germain: How, how widespread is the, you know, the choice selection. So you've got all these American and, and international fans and families and players mixing out, mixing it up.

[00:08:52] So we, like, we, you guys have alluded to this, like Taipei, Taiwan, you know, related [00:09:00] team won the entire thing. They beat Nevada seven, nothing. So. Like, I don't think people understand how successful that region has been in the Little League World Series. So from 1969 to 1991, they won 15 of those 23 years they won the Little League World Series.

[00:09:21] So, just to give you an idea, first of all, how committed they've been of to show up for the tournament right year after year, after year after year. And they take it seriously. Like it. It's not like they just showed up, uh, you know, recently, uh, because of the WBC or yada yada yada. Like this is a long holding tradition for that country of sending a team that's very, very, very well representative of, of that country.

[00:09:46] So it, it, to me, it, it's interesting when you look at that and then you look at the performances that have come since on the WBC and the players that have shown up, uh, you know, the, Yankees had a pitcher from [00:10:00] their, uh, way young Chin, uh, Chan, I can't remember his name. That 

[00:10:03] Mark Corbett: sounds right. 

[00:10:04] Mat Germain: Yeah, so he, he was one of the more prominent names I think that people , would recognize there's been others, uh, but not as prominent as him.

[00:10:12] But from your idea of, of having seen this tournament and paying attention to it as closely as you do, Chris, what are your thoughts on, on these players and what it means to them? Uh, and, and then, you know, going forward, do you think this tournament helps them become major leaguers down the, down the road?

[00:10:30] Chris Corbett: Good questions. I'll tell a little story with the first one. So, when Mark coached baseball with the friend of his, that, uh, gentleman's son is, was a World series, , champion, I mean, won this thing. Mm-hmm. And I don't know, maybe this was 2001 or so when Louisville, uh, won it, but when he talked about the dominance of Chinese Taipei, um, you know, we're in Louisville, we're following these guys like nothing.

[00:10:53] And, uh, you know, our family knew actually the grandparents and Mark knew the parent of the, uh, of the young kid that was on the Valley Sports team out [00:11:00] of Louisville. And when they got to the finals, I, I don't know if they played Chinese Taipei or not, but I just made the automatic assumption they'd get beat because I mean, the internationals are absolutely dominating it.

[00:11:11] So, on that thing, yes, I I was aware through the past that they were very dominant, maybe eighties, nineties, , , something like that. And as far as preparing yourselves, I wouldn't see why not. It, it blew me away how fundamentally sound. These kids were mm-hmm. I'll give one example.

[00:11:27] There were these brothers that played for the Connecticut team and maybe five foot 11 or so, you know, that's pretty tall. , 12-year-old. But the one catcher tagged three runners out at home plate. And I mean, not a one force out. I mean, they were all balls coming, balls coming in from the outfield.

[00:11:43] And I mean, this guy's catching to the left of his, uh, body and swinging to the right and I mean, they were so good. So in answer to your second question, I think these kids practice 40 hours a week in the summer. I mean, it may be a little exaggeration. So they get a little foundation there. And, uh, [00:12:00] obviously some people have graduated from playing over there and playing in the big leagues.

[00:12:04] , It's like a crash course on drilling everything that's important into you at such a young age. 

[00:12:11] Mat Germain: Yeah, I could see that for sure. So I have a trivia question for you guys. I've mentioned before. 

[00:12:17] Chris Corbett: Mm-hmm. 

[00:12:18] Mat Germain: It's been going on 78 years. Mm-hmm. How many players do you believe have won both the Little League World Series and the Major League World Series?

[00:12:26] Chris Corbett: Ooh, 

[00:12:27] Mark Corbett: you wanna try Mark? I'm, this is completely arbitrary. I'm gonna say five. 

[00:12:33] Chris Corbett: I would think lower. I was gonna guess two or three. I guess I'll flip a coin. I'll say, uh, I'll say three. It's actually 15. Oh, good gravy. 

[00:12:43] Mat Germain: Yeah. So, so it's surprising, it's surprising me a little bit. It is surprising. I was like, you know, that's, and, and some of them like are two most recent ones are Michael Conforto and Cody Bellinger.

[00:12:54] And, uh, Cody Bellinger actually I think won it three times and these 

[00:12:59] Chris Corbett: 15 year [00:13:00] olds. Both one, 'em won the entire thing on both levels. Right, right, right. Wow. That is, that really surprises me. Right. And then there's a lot of, you only got about 12 a, you only got about 12 a year that win the whole thing on the local league.

[00:13:13] And there's a lot 

[00:13:14] Mat Germain: of, of Tampa ties or Florida ties to it too. There's Boog Powell, uh, there's Dwight Gooden, who's from Florida as well. Uh, yeah, Gary Sheffield. That's part of it. Um, uh, let's see, who else do we have here? Uh, uh, use me, Petit Lancelin. Jason Veritek. Jason Marquee. Uh, yeah, so a lot of big names and a lot of ties to, to Florida overall.

[00:13:38] But I, I was surprised by that list. I was like, I didn't think there would be that, because that takes a lot of sync. You know? You have to have a strong home team to be able to make it to the, to that level, uh, and, and actually win it all. Like, like you said, against the international products, which are usually, you know, pretty dominant overall.

[00:13:57] And then you have to get on an [00:14:00] MLB team that can actually do the same. Yeah. So I, I think, you know, that's why I looked it up and that's what I was curious about was at first, the question I asked was what, what, uh, how many players in, uh, have made it to MLB who have won the Little League World Series, but this popped up instead.

[00:14:17] And I was like, you know what, that's even more interesting. 

[00:14:20] Chris Corbett: Yeah, that is, I mean, I, I would've definitely guessed less than five. , That's surprising. I, 

[00:14:25] Mark Corbett: I know not the World Series when I'm thinking just locally too. So you mentioned a lot of the names, but Gary Sheffield, as you said, and Kevin Cash. I actually went, I believe, to the World Series with a team from here as well.

[00:14:37] Uh, but no, I don't think they won it. But, uh, nonetheless, it's interesting when you see all those folks, but it was, Chris, you pointed out something to me while we were there and I hadn't really thought about it, is those teams that we were seeing were not teams that had played an entire season together.

[00:14:54] These were all-star teams from their leagues. Is that right? 

[00:14:57] Chris Corbett: , That's what I understand. So when Louisville won [00:15:00] it, they said that what was impressive was it was about a 6 team league, you know, so it was maybe as opposed to pulling from, , 10 or 12 teams with 15 kids, they were pulling from a smaller pool.

[00:15:10] But that's the way I understand it, yeah. Is that you pick an All star team from, valley, , sports Little League, and then they start competing up the ladder, uh, to see what they can do. , In this system. 

[00:15:23] Mark Corbett: Matt, Chris was talking about, uh, the, the twins, the two brothers that were playing.

[00:15:27] Mm-hmm. And they weren't short. So one, one of the things I'm thinking about, I'm looking out there at the field and I look at some of the shorter fellows, maybe on, on the Asian team, and then I look at these two guys and I'm saying, okay, stealing bases, you know, they, they had a, an advantage over 'em.

[00:15:47] What, when you're looking at Little League, what are you looking at? Let's see, uh, you've got 46 and 6 46, um, between the home plate and the, and the, uh, [00:16:00] mount, excuse me. Yeah. And 60 between bases as opposed to the 90 feet that you have in, in regular baseball. So 60 feet doesn't see that much when you see some of these kids who are, you know, closing who are taller than I am.

[00:16:12] Not that I'm tall, but I mean, and that makes a difference. But it was, it was fun to watch the action. There was one host sequence I think you both have seen where the. It was, it is like four little pickles in a row of trying to pick somebody off and getting runs in. And part of that was because of the size of some of these players and part of it was because it needed a little extra coaching.

[00:16:35] But those players, they put their whole heart into it. Uh, I wanna commend them too, 'cause good sportsmanship. Matt, you and I talk about this all the time, at least I always kid that the pro should have to go ahead and, you know, say good game, good game, good game to their opponent at the end of it. And, you know, that'll never happen.

[00:16:52] Probably just as well. They fight so damn much anyway. But, , there's a, they actually have a sportsmanship award to C Jack Losch Little League Team Sportsmanship Award, literal League [00:17:00] Baseball World Series sportsmanship award. And I was not surprised to see who was it that actually won to share. They, uh, one, it was one of the Asian teams.

[00:17:11] And forgive me, I don't have it at my fingertips at the moment, but. Chris, you remember when you would see some of these players, they would come up as a sign of respect to the umpire as they walked to the home plate, uh, to bat, you know, they're batting. He would either, they'd bow their head, lili lightly to the umpire and sometimes to the, the catcher as well as a, as a form of respect, man.

[00:17:33] And I thought, what, what a great thing. 

[00:17:36] Chris Corbett: Yeah. I would, I really enjoyed the, uh, the sportsmanship. And I, I think it's very, very authentic. They talk about these kids staying at the same, , place where they're staying overnight and they're playing ping pong and doing things together and enjoying each other's company.

[00:17:48] And, and you see it, you hear on tv, but, uh, it really did seem like it was genuine. And yeah, with the bowing, I think that's more of an Asian thing. If anyone, , listening as a golfer, uh, [00:18:00] when, uh,               Hideki Matsuyama won the, uh, masters, uh, whatever, maybe six, seven years ago when they put the flag in both, or I remember the caddy, uh, bowed to the, uh, course into the crowd and all, and, and, uh, just shows respect.

[00:18:12] Mark Corbett: Yeah. Yeah, I, I think you, you make a good point too, about how the teams gathered together in the dormitories. It wasn't like they were set up exclusively away from one another. So I think there was a comradery even, you know, with, uh, in inner team, if you will. So I was glad to see that. And hopefully, hopefully you had some better food than hamburgers with macaroni on top of it.

[00:18:36] Chris Corbett: Yeah, and, and they, and they, uh, and, and their parents don't stay with them, so they definitely get a, uh, a dormitory type of, uh, fill. 

[00:18:45] Mark Corbett: But it was a great experience. I mean, I, I. I can't thank my brother enough for that. I mean, the one thing too, we, we also went to, there's a museum on the, on the campus there that we went to.

[00:18:55] They, they had all kinds of great history there. There was some s young award [00:19:00] winners, uh, gloves, et cetera. It was all kinds of assortments. They had, , a piece on the girls with game, , across the sports, which is, , which I was always glad to see. I see Maria Pepe up there and I think about how she had to fight and, you know, they didn't wanna let her into one of the teams or coaches did not wanna let her play against them.

[00:19:19] So, uh, but a lot, a lot of good stuff there and Dugout the mascot. Glad to see him running around and kind of a cross between, uh, what, uh. Buc-ee's little looks, a little rabbit beaver. But anyway, a lot of that. Chris, you got any other things on the teams 

[00:19:36] Chris Corbett: well, I, I would leave it with, you know, if you, if you watch the telecast, you hear them say, if you come up here, you won't regret it.

[00:19:41] And I mean, I definitely did not. So we really enjoyed that. The museum was very nice. , Admission is free. , They're not looking to get rich off of you as you're coming up there to attend things. And, , the two stadiums where the international play and the, uh, and the, uh, US teams play are right, next to each other, like a 30 yard walker.

[00:19:59] So from one to [00:20:00] the other. And the other thing to remember, , these kids have to practice now. There's about nine or 10 fields on that complex. I mean, it is, it is a complex. , Matt was very, , accurate at the start. , I'd always heard, uh, Williamsport and there's a little river right there. We stayed just on the north side and it is in South Williamsport.

[00:20:17] But now, uh, I think the town does a very good job and, , I think America really breaks it. Well. We, you, you know this, it's, there's interest in it with how much, uh, ESPN covers it. So 

[00:20:30] Mat Germain: the telltale thing is always, would you do it again? And if so, what would you do different? 

[00:20:36] Chris Corbett: , I can easily answer that.

[00:20:38] Yes. On the first, and on, on what I would do different is, , I would watch one game from the outfield, at, , Lamade. Uh, a lot of chairs are set out there and all, and, and I think we'd watch. Three of the four games we saw, or maybe even the fourth game. And we walked to the top actually to get the food, the international food.

[00:20:57] And it was just such a different view. I really [00:21:00] enjoyed, 'cause you know, you are a section over for the, from the parents, they reserve seats for the parents. And right after that, you know, you can sit wherever you want. So that excitement being in among people who have children out there playing was very good.

[00:21:12] But I would really definitely watch a, one game at Lamade from, a chair in the outfield. 

[00:21:17] Mat Germain: Well, there you go. That's a golden nugget for anybody listening. 

[00:21:21] Mark Corbett: There you go. Indeed. And I gotta tell you, Chris, I can't thank you enough for, putting this together. , Something I probably thought about doing in the past, but you know, I know you were passionate about it and I got so much more passionate about it when I was there with you.

[00:21:33] It's exciting time, you know, an exciting time for those young, uh, kids as well. So, Chris, thanks again for joining us here today on Baseball Biz On Deck. Do you have any, any, uh, final words you'd like to leave with? 

[00:21:44] Chris Corbett: No thanks Mark. I appreciate it. And uh, Matt, it was very nice to meet you. I enjoy listening to all shows and enjoy your input and, uh, hope you guys have a, a good rest of the show.

[00:21:54] Alright. Hello Chris. 

[00:21:57] Mark Corbett: All right, take care, brother. Love you. Bye-Bye. Bye. [00:22:00] Oh man, I tell you what, thank guys, it's fantastic. 

[00:22:05] Mat Germain: I was gonna ask more like brother related questions, but I was like, no, we're gonna focus on the Little League World Series. Like, I wanted to know who is crying uncle and who is doing the Oh, you, when you're teasing each other as kids, 

[00:22:18] Mark Corbett: all that kind.

[00:22:19] Oh, do you? Yeah, he's, he, uh, he is, he's a sportsman. I mean, he's a competitor. He's been a champion in golf tournaments and such over the years. I mean, still continues to enjoy the game. . He, my brother's tenacious with the game when he played as a, as a youngster. And, you know, he still enjoys I think, pretty much any kinda competition.