Interview with Orioles stars Gunnar Henderson & Adley Rutschman | ESPN MLB

Learning from experience so last year we did this kind of around the same time and I joked about being like the school bus driver I'll be honest now it feels like I'm a chauffeur driver because that's where we're at now we're not in the bus anymore you guys are in limos the this this has been a crazy year we'll start with you like that's sort of the premise of this like what a difference a year makes explain that to me yeah um I'm big on uh learning from experience and uh I felt like last year was a great year of experience for me um just going through that struggle early on then learning how to go through it and ultimately using that to help Propel the last half of that year and then um being able to have those experiences to leane on into this year was huge for me experience this is kind of silly though isn't it I mean do you oh I yeah look at what he's doing yeah I know I see it every day I'm just like every time we step up to bat I'm like he's probably going to do something cool here so kind of just sit back enjoy and you know watch from The Dugout it's not normal though no no no it's not it's uh I mean it seems like everything guys throw at him he's hitting right now and I mean on defense it's just next level like I feel like I've got to see him grow up and you know have you yeah just a proud father at this point you know good for you you've raised a good one oh he's yeah grown up where were the edges that needed some polishing I mean that's the thing is I I think gun's always been talented but it's just like Relentless worker you know like I've seen him for the last couple years and the guy just continues to go and go and go and you know like rookie of the year last year could have been satisfied comes out this year and he's even better and like I just don't see him stopping anytime soon you know how big he is in Alabama the man is the man is uh a representative of Alabama and uh like we were talking about earlier man's got two days in his name already what do you mean what do you mean days it's I mean yesterday was gunar Henderson day in in Selma and February 8th is gunar Henderson day in the state of Alabama I think so is that true it is true so how do you handle that I mean it was pretty cool um being obviously born and raised in Alabama so it's pretty special having that just uh I guess your hometown and the state kind of acknowledging that but it's uh yeah it's Enjoying the journey pretty humbling when you grow up in a tiny area like that and S is a well-known City you know I I would like what what does the family think about what's happened to the last name to to the name gunar Henderson yeah it's uh it's pretty cool um I mean obviously they've enjoyed kind of the journey that I've gone on and uh they even the pretty much everybody back home they they're supporting me in every way possible so it's uh it's really cool having that support group just U going through these uh I guess the long baseball season you you know you have a bunch of people in your corner who are supporting you and uh there for you no matter what now I know you don't take a series like this is the most critical series but was there something to dealing with a ranger team that knocked you out of the playoffs cuz when we were sitting here last year we talked to the individuals but the team was doing great great he doing great again yeah I the thing about our team is I think our guys come in with the same mindset every single day and I think that's part of what makes our team like really good and really consistent is just like we take it day by day and obviously we play a lot of good teams um and the Rangers being one of those good teams but our guys like they just they're Relentless and they stick to their process they're going to come out with a good plan and um I think that's just kind of the way we handle business will we will we know how much you learn from the playoff experience prior to the playoffs or will we hear about it assuming you get into the playoffs after the first round second round whatever it may be similar to him saying I I learned a lot that's why I'm better this year do we know if last year's postseason experience has done anything this season do you think so um I think like it's always going to offer good perspective uh I think like playing in front of a crowd like that um understanding just the the atmosphere the preparation uh just kind of the situations that the games presented I think our guys definitely learned a lot from it um and guys are like obviously that leaves a a sour taste in your mouth so guys are I think extra motivated to try and learn from that uh more so than you know if we had some some decent uh success when you look around this Clubhouse and you look at the Double A and AAA level for this organization like what's your what what is the reaction you have because this is so rich in Talent it's crazy yeah um ever since I got drafted the guys that I've been surrounded with just have been all around just great players and it seems like every year they're getting outstanding baseball players but also just better people so it just makes like being at the field just really enjoyable and I felt like that's been ever since I've got in this organization that's how it's been like see guys like rut I mean all the guys that are here now Westy um kers Dad just cowser all the people are just great dudes and we have a great time at the field and then even at the levels below us it's been really awesome seeing them I last you said you you he you roomed you like each other a lot you are you into the music choices still have we we buying everything he's laying down yeah yeah absolutely um I I still haven't gotten on like the Lego train yet U you no with him and cower uh I almost went with them in New York but I couldn't bring myself to do it but on most other things were good I think guns got the we we just got a pop a shot in the uh in the clubhouse and I think guns got the record right now so um uh I did have it and then Dean actually beat me on it so I was just going to lie and say that you had it I had it but I like to have some competition now I did hold it for a couple days but I'm glad what is the record uh now it is 146 I was at I had it at 138 and uh is this a time thing yeah it's like the yeah I know what I get it's yeah 146 and 146 so 30 55 seconds that's is everything a competition pretty much it has to be right yeah yeah I don't think there's any other way to do it what what is it about men where everything's a competition and nicknames are critical like you ever call anybody by their real name yeah I I don't think so um just a you know massive ego problem in this U but no I our guys are our guys have fun man and uh like it's it's like guys will just kind of get around when someone's doing it and having a good round they you know they're into it so I we try and keep it light and there's a lot of games to play and so our guys do a good job all right just a couple quickly since it's it's now 11,000 degrees out here um just now getting hot how much how much weight will you lose tonight do you think behind the plate probably like 5 lbs yeah and what do you do during a game when it's this warm um can't get enough water is that right you know oh yeah like can to the Hydration Station when you just need water or is that reserved no that's that's reserved reserved um that would be nice we should have like a just a complimentary one you know on on tap but uh just having hanging down from the top of the D yeah just kind of yeah a feeding trough we could call it like the cowser feeding trough or something like that that could be something he adds to it that'd be good we we have numbers everywhere you can see all the statistics you can look up at the giant board and see do do you pay any attention to the numbers and if not how do you avoid what you're doing doing individually uh I mean I just try to have a team based mentality the whole time my number one goal is winning games winning ball games and uh whatever happens happens so is that true like you is that right oh I absolutely I think it's like a like you just you see the passion he play he plays with and I think our guys are super tight-knit and it makes like kind of for that just like that wholesome baseball mentality and like I said with the amount of games that we play like like you kind of if if you're not playing with each other and like it shows and I think our team like it really shows that cuz you were nodding like a real proud dad like I was well it's I mean like there's like part of it that like it sounds really good but like when you hear him say it and you're like yeah I know that like what he's saying is is yeah exactly like it's it has different weight to it but during Henderson to the Home Run Derby the game he's going to announce that he's doing the Home Run Derby good would you like to give him any suggestions switch hitting any dad pitching like what would you suggest right lead to success um gosh that's a that's a tough one cuz I me and we'll do like Home Run Derby competitions against each other like out here like we've done it for the last couple years yeah I'm hoping he wins are you going to do the home h no it's usually r that wins but maybe my uh losing experiences will uh I think I think gun I think sometimes during the Home Run Derby he tries to do too much CU gun's got amazing bat speed he's got plenty of power but I think sometimes he tries to hit the ball 115 you know and which a nice C 103 will do at a good angle you know that's the advice so I'd say for gun he needs to just focus on pulling the ball a little bit more and just nice casual like you know like his kind of like his POA shot stroke it's not you know it's not super fluffy it's just consistent did uh did you have to get used to the left field wall being further back and and what was there a mental hurdle to get over did you need to see the ball go over it uh mean finally got my rut got one over it last year and I finally got my first one this year here so it definitely is cool seeing it go over for the first time so I think there's a little approach like a little different approach you know with it like if you're going to get one over there you got to you got to put your bus bullet out there or else it's a fly out you know so like a little more line drive to left field approach maybe once you do it you feel like I can do it again now I think it was more of a i m hit the ball and luckly enough or I didn't miss hit it I hit it well but at the same time you're wanting to stick to just line drives over there more times than not you're probably not going to headit it out backs side over there that's a see that's a triple though like you go left Center Gap and you get in that little love the triple over there that's a that's a Bermuda Triangle triple for gunny you have phenomenal facial expressions thank you great appreciate A birthday surprise it all right here in honor of your birthday uhoh and uh cupcakes oh and days being named after you this is from the Sunday Night Baseball what we just talking about getting stuff handed to you he does you have any gifts open what do you think that is uh I think Legos Shake yeah sounds like it sounds like a big piece set too a lot of pieces oh another box I wonder if it's like your head like Lego made just your head that'd be cool rip it open let's go it's like a kid Christmas let's go this is a f minute segment this all right all right sorry there we go set that right there come on use that grip strap gun oh it's getting there go just don't let all the pieces just fly out first welcome to the one oh here read it read it out loud all right it says Gunner first welcome to the one of one fam it's an honor I am a huge fan keep crushing it hope you enjoy these Lego one of ones I ran with Marcus at Souls by Sir all right let's check her out well we got a Lego passport and I don't want to break it you can dig in there right yeah I'm just trying not to break the oh okay it's just covering all right here oh yeah I'm the mom the in the about those are sweet whoa those are sweet the Lego guy on the uh Sho I know if I could wear these these might just have to go on display sick gun these are fire wait is that from Under Armour these are Under Armour shoes but the souls Souls by Sir made Souls by Sir yeah and we can take these off we anticipate you wearing those tonight okay we can absolutely wear those tonight all right perfect well I'll wear them tonight then huh take the other one yeah here the people this one's even better got my mustache on there how about that look at that r Wait that's that's you yeah that's me and a Lego head these are awesome these will definitely be worn tonight so stay tuned happy birthday thank Youk thank you guys for doing this shout out to Souls best thank you for the birthday present [Music]