Bruce Bochy On Kumar Rocker's MLB Debut, Jacob deGrom's Return | K&C Masterpiece

which brings to you our interview with Texas Rangers manager Bruce bochi good afternoon sir good afternoon how's it going there we're doing well hope you are doing good as well I know last night wasn't the desired I got in trouble there uh I know last night wasn't the desired result but I was kind of curious your thoughts about the evolution of Wyatt Langford as a hitter or is it just simply he's a rookie he's naturally going to change things up as he goes right right uh yeah last night which was was and you know we ran in a a really well pitched game we saw what he did last year to us but we found a way to win that game uh he's he's the guy that stays up the barrel and we I think we only hit two balls hard last night and Langford maybe three ler hit two and uh and of course doy hit one there in the ninth uh but getting back to yeah you you're just seen the growth of this kid I mean he's he he didn't get a full year in minor leagues here he is face major league coing and it's only going to get better with him and I you know we talk about his hitting and that's that's just going to get better and better with his knowledge of the pitchers I mean he's got bad speed he's got strength he's got all that so and he's got a good eye at the play but it's just his overall game it just he's fun to watch uh I've said there's many times you know I'd love watching him how hard he goes out there on defense or running the bases he stole two yesterday he he just is a complete baseball player and I got him in a three hole and you know playing around with that a little bit I can see that being a spot for him uh at some point and it doesn't matter to him where he hits he doesn't ever say a word whe whether second third fourth fifth sixth uh he uh he just comes out here and plays hard and you know I know Mikey B uh our our co-host is in Arizona with you guys calling the game for TV and we talk a lot with him about you know the swings for each one of these guys and we've talked about white Langford a lot was there an adjustment at some point uh with his swing or was it more about for me I just felt like he was he got his Pro timing down what is it for you yeah I think more than anything he just got his timing he got a reference of major league pitching velocity to Breaking balls and uh he's you the more you see major league pitching or good fast balls the more comfortable you're going to get it just slows things down when you play college ball to year before you don't see that on a consistent basis you may run into it once in a while you know whether you faces SK or somebody but every night he's seen really good arms and now that's a big adjustment now we threw a lot at him including hit hitting him in the heart of the order and and then he had the injury that set him back a little bit but it's only getting better with him uh he's had a tough year as far as the calls you know he doesn't get rewarded for having a good eye at the plate sometimes when they call that ball just off the plate but he handles that well too he just he's a he's a professional I mean he's not a young man he's a man I know a lot of folks are excited about rocker and deg Grom coming up and I definitely get that but with Bradford Scherzer coming back as well I I'm curious how you guys are going to handle Jack lighter will he continue to start will he bounce back and forth from the bullpen what what's the big picture idea there yeah we're we're talking about it U you know we still like to keep Jack going it could be in the bullpen um don't have him pencell in right now I'm kind of waiting to see how pitchers get through it who may need a day see how Max is doing he's going Saturday so anyway he uh light is going to continue to get some Innings and uh continue to pitch uh and so it's going to be up to us to be creative to to find that work for him because I think he's making progress but we do want to see Kamar throw some here now as we go to next year you know we have a better idea about where we're at you know with is rotation to me that's that's always the priority as you go into season to have that rotation set this this kind of goes into that I'm curious when you talked about about being creative with lighter how how important is it to just get him Innings and see how he does versus like starting the game Innings like how do you differentiate the importance between those two with Jack yes yeah yeah no you know what you never know what his role could be you know whether starting or similar to what Dunning uh uh has done for us I have another guy that could be a a starter or long man I'm not say he's not a guy that could be our our guy in the rotation every fifth day but you know you do want to keep options open there and sometimes that's a great way to develop pitchers that's the old school way make them alone guy get them more and more comfortable and I think with Jack I think we have to keep our options open to see what's what's best for him but you see him getting better his last couple starts they've been better he's getting you know that sense of belonging as we say so we'll have this uh kind of figured out here next few days on what what we do the rest of the of the way I don't see us going to a seven man but I see us going to a six-man these guys pitching every seventh days because of these days off Bo I've always been kind of curious too with uh with with younger pitchers versus older pitchers do you have a different approach on gaining their trust and do you have a different way of like them gaining your trust too well I think you know that's something that has to be earned on both sides you know you want them to know that you believe in them and uh they can trust you and and then you're finding out about them with their with their work how they prepare and everything and as the game goes how they're handling that pitching uh behind or pitching with the lead things like that and you know this comes you know this comes with experience uh getting better at all these things but on my side and I just tried to let them be who they are Mike's one to spend a lot of time with them in the bull ttin and get them ready for a game and all that but I want them to know hey I'm behind them and just give you example You Know Jack we tied the game i' let him go back there back out there in the six to start before you know where's a one run game he went back out there in the six now yeah you could protect him whatever but you know I talk listen um you know that's that's the trust we have in you and he needs to know that oh that's great I I like that part of it you know uh earlier in the season I've always wanted to ask you this throughout the year too I just keep forgetting uh Jared Sandler had one of your former I think it was a former player maybe it was a former guy that coached with you on the pregame show and he said you know the respect is there but there's also this demand uh that bochi has that you can you know the demand is there and I I didn't when he says that is that something that you vocalize or is it just there's a known you got to do your job what is the demand that comes from Bruce Boi well I think any manager has his demands and you know that's to do things right play the game right honor the game with how you go about your business out there and that's going down the line and playing hard uh you know those things uh you know this game's been going on over 100 years that's all I ask is go out there and just just give us your best effort uh and and and do what you can to help us win a ball game it's pretty simple and you know if that's not there then that's that's up to me make a change or pull them or whatever it takes um that's you know the biggest thing I can talk about my demands now yeah there's I I'm a big believer in in culture with the club and uh you I want guys to be a good teammate and that's kind of see why a mant for too when I came here so anyway uh it's all about doing things the right way that's that's all I ask and and these guys have have been great about it one of the players that it feels fits exactly what you would be looking for Marcus Simeon the Roberto Clemente Award nominee from the Texas Rangers I I'm just curious how prestigious it is to be that Club selection let alone perhaps winning the entire award for the league yeah you you always talk about a player's talent and what they can do on the field and those things but you know this is character this this is this tells you who a person is and then this is what stays with you your whole life and so this this is very meaningful and it's it's a great honor they and Market should be honored it's it's just you know shows what uh what the person is about what you know he's just not it's just not about baseball with him he he he wants to you know do what he can in the community help the needy whatever and so this I I I really think is one of the highest Honors that a baseball player can get Bo I'm considering taking a bet up with my co-host Kevin here on whether or notar rocker is going to throw a no hitter on his first timeout what should I take that or no is that a Bad Bet or how would you go about it well I guess you have to give me what what the odds are are they out there yet but no I'll I'll get 300 to one yeah you know if I if I could tell you he go nine then I go go for it but he's not going to go nine so I I don't think that's a good one what do you what do you what do you kind of though like want to see expect out of rocker because what he's done in the miners so far has been very impressive yeah he's been going five innings so you know we can uh uh at least go there maybe a little further see how the Innings go but you look at his numbers what he's been doing he's ear this I mean he forced it because we were thinking okay we'll you know we'll bring in spring training he'll compete for a spot but now with the how he's throwing the ball it's it's unreal so we want him to get a little bit of time up here and you know give him a chance to take away that unknown factor as he goes into spring training you know what it's like up here what it's like to pitch up here and face Major League hitter so I'm looking forward to him do you feel like the general idea is I know he'll only get a handful of starts but you'd like to pitch he'd pitch well enough that you'd be like we could probably put him in the rotation versus he has to win a spot in the rotation like you were talking about in spring training yeah well the way he's throwing the ball I mean you're always going to keep it competitive you can't ever take that away especially with young players you know they don't have a lot of time up here whatever but still you look at the body of work and you go okay you know he's he's ready and you got to you know believe that uh throughout the organization and and I I think and that's how we all feel right now now you go in spring training hopefully carries That Into You know what he's been doing here this year that's including Jack uh you know all these young players you know the Bradford's uh and so you know you go to spring training yeah you have a good idea yeah sometimes you have to J things don't go well and U but I think uh you know this guy's showing that he's ready to pitch up here and that's why he's there Rangers fans are very excited about deg Grom as well same kind of question in terms of you know how long we might hope or expect to see him out there what do you think are the possible expectations for deg Grom on Friday yeah I'd say around five innings somewhere in there of course you know the pitch counts always going to come into play around 60 or so be a little more but he's feels great he's been thrown well obviously when you look at what he's been doing down there so um you know it's uh it's going to be exciting to have Kamar to him to Max the next day you know you see guys you know been nice ahead you know have these guys all year that's feels like the story of the Season at least part right there thank you very much good sir I know yall's game's coming up in just a couple hours we appreciate you making the time with us all right all right let's get some hits and runs today [Music]