Craig Albernaz joins MLB Network at Winter Meetings

Craig Albernaz joins MLB Network at Winter Meetings | Baltimore Orioles

PION ONCE AGAIN LAST YEAR, SO LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK AND BOUNCE BACK QUICKLY. THEIR NEW MANAGER IS CRAIG ALBERNEZ. IF YOU WATCH MLB NOW, THE SHOW THAT I HOST EVERY DAY, WE DO A THING CALLED BASEBALLY PLAYS AND, CRAIG, WOW, YOUR GUARDIANS DOMINATE BASEBALLY PLAYS. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, FIRST OF ALL. >> THANK YOU, GUYS. BRIAN: IF YOU’RE ON THAT STAFF A TEAM THAT’S DOING ALL THE BASERUNNING, THE FIELDING, THE CUTOFFS, ALL THAT, TELL ME SOMETHING THAT IS THE — THERE’S A SECRET OR A MAGIC TO BEING JUST AN OUTSTANDING FUNDAMENTAL BASEBALL TEAM. >> IT GOES TO THE PLAYERS. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLAYERS TAKING OWNERSHIP OF IT AND HAVING PRIDE IN IT AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT’S NEVER GOING CHANGE IN BASEBALL. BRIAN: YOU GUYS IT BETTER. DO YOU SPEND MORE TIME ON THE FIELD WITH RELAY, IS THAT A PART OF EMPHASIS? >> WE DO SPEND TIME, I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE TIME THAN OTHER TEAMS. WE HAVE A POINT OF EMPHASIS IN CLEVELAND AT LEAST WHERE OUTFIELDERS THROW THE BASES, WE TAKE PRIDE IN THAT. RON: IT DOES HELP WHEN YOUR BEST PLAYER IS FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND IN RAMIREZ. >> EXACTLY. CLIFF: THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME. I THINK IT SOMETIMES BECOMES A LOST ART BECAUSE YOU DON’T SEE THE CUTOFFS AND RELAYS. YOU DON’T SEE ALL THIS WORK. BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TEAM IS GIVING UP EXTRA OUTS. YOU’RE GIVING UP THAT EXTRA OUT TO TEAMS THAT YOU CAN’T GIVE IT TO. SO THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT I THINK IS — HAS BEEN SHOWN IN WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND JUST WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS TEAM YOU, NOW, HOW DOES THAT FIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? >> YEAH, TO ME IT’S PLAYING THE GAME OF BASEBALL. OUR GROUP IS BUILT TO GO TOE TO TOE AND SLUG WITH TEAMS. PITCHING IS HARD. THIS GAME IS SO HARD. THAT FOR A 160-GAME SEASON, YOU HAVE TO BE DIVERSE IN HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME. AND, CLIFF, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ANYTHING, YOU CAN’T GIVE ANOTHER TEAM AN EXTRA 90 FEET. YOU HAVE TO PLAY CLEAN BASEBALL SO FOR US, THAT’S A POINT OF EMPHASIS. WE HAVE TO PLAY CLEAN BASEBALL, MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND DON’T SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT. RON: SEEING THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES, WHEN YOU SAW THEM WITH ANOTHER CLUB AND WATCHING THEM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU THOUGHT THEY COULD DO BETTER AND YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE THEM DO IT BETTER NOW? >> YEAH, IT’S SO TOUGH, IT’S A GREAT QUESTION. IT’S SO TOUGH BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW LIKE WHAT THE LEADUP IS TO IT, RIGHT? WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT THEY’RE WORKING ON BEFOREHAND. FOR OUR GUYS, LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR, HEALTH IS A BIG THING TOO, RIGHT? SO IT’S MAKING SURE THAT THESE GUYS ARE PREPARED, THEIR BODIES BUT ALSO BE PREPARED TO GO OUT AND PLAY THE GAME. THE BIGGEST THING THAT STANDS OUT WAS LIKE THE ENGINES. RIGHT? THE FERRARIS OUT ON THE FIELD. FOR US AS A COACHING STAFF, WE HAVE TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THAT. TO ME IT’S GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EVERY PLAYER BUT FOR US WE HAVE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS WITH THE BASEBALL AT ALL TIMES AND PLAY CLEAN BASEBALL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, ONE, SUPPORT OUR PITCHERS, BUT IT ALSO HELPS THE OFFENSE AS WELL. BRIAN: I LOVE THAT DESCRIPTION BY THE WAY. WHEN WE GO FROM THE ANALYTICS WORLD TO WHAT I CALL REAL LIFE ECONOMICS, ENGINE. RIGHT? YOUR DRIVE, YOUR ENERGY, IS THAT A MEASURABLE? >> YES, IT IS. YOU CAN’T ACTUALLY QUANTIFY IT BUT YEAH. IT’S DEFINITELY A MEASURABLE. BRIAN: WHAT’S ITS HORSE POWER? THERE’S GUYS YOU WOULD THINK ROW SAY MA MIR EZ — JOSE ARE A MIR SEZ A 500 — RAMIREZ IS A 500-HORSE POWER GUY. DO YOU HAVE EXTRA TEAM MEETINGS? I WONDER BETWEEN STEVEN KWAN ORO YOU HAVE EXTRA TEAM MEETINGS AND THINGS FOR SMALL POINTS OF EMPHASIS? >> FOR SURE. IF YOU DON’T MEET ABOUT IT, IT’S TOUGH FOR THE PLAYERS TO KIND OF GO OUT AND EXECUTE IT. RIGHT? SO THAT’S WHERE THE COMMUNICATION’S PARAMOUNT AND PREPARATION’S PARAMOUNT. I’M A FIRM BELIEVER IN REAL PREPARATION IS A WAY OF WORKING. IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU CHECK OFF A BOX. RIGHT? SO THE COACHES, YOU WANT TO BE PREPARED BUT THE PLAYERS HAVE TO BE PREPARED AS WELL. WHEN THEY STEP OUT AND GO ON THE FIELD. SO FOR US AS A COACHING STAFF IN CLEVELAND AND WHAT WE BRING TO BALTIMORE IS OUR PLAYERS ARE GOING TO BE PREPARED AND THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A STRONG VOICE IN THEIR PREPARATION BECAUSE THE PLAYERS PLAY THE GAME. KOACHES DON’T, FRONT OFFICE DOESN’T, PLAYER PLAY. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE PLAYERS ARE EQUIPPED. RON: WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT BASEBALL THEY TALK ABOUT DEPTH AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS, YOU HAVE DEPTH AT THE CATCHING POSITION TWO REALLY TALENTED GUYS. GOING INTO SPRING TRAINING, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT PLAYING OUT? >> YEAH. WE GOT — FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE TWO REALLY GOOD CATCHERS. IN THIS ERA IN THIS GAME, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TWO CATCHERS. IT’S TOUGH TO ASK THE CATCHER TO GO OUT THERE AND PLAY 162 GAMES, 150 GAMES. YOU NEED — SOMEONE’S GOING TO TAKE A LION SHARE OF THE REPS AND SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TONIGHT BACKUP OR D.H. OR PLAY FIRST BASE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. BUT TO BE IN A POSITION THAT WE ARE NOW, WE’RE VERY FORTUNATE AND LUCKY TO HAVE TWO GREAT GUYS. BRIAN: YOU COME INTO A SITUATION NOW WHERE A TEAM HAS HAD THE CORE THAT A LOT WAS EXPECTED AND LAST YEAR WAS DISAPPOINTMENT. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MAIN JOB IS? I KNOW IT’S YOUR FIRST BIG GIG. WHAT’S YOUR MAIN JOB WITH THE ORIOLES? >> I GUESS IT’S A BIG JOB. A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. NO, I THINK THE MAIN THING IS WE WANT TO, ONE, GET WITH THE PLAYERS, TALK TO THEM. AND WE WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON WHAT MAKES THEM GREAT. RIGHT? I THINK WHAT GETS LOST IN THIS GAME IS THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF GROWTH, THE WEAKNESSES, WHAT THESE PLAYERS DO WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL. THAT’S SOMETHING WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DIG ON AND GET BACK TO. DEVELOPMENT’S MESSY, RIGHT, IT’S NOT LYNN YARKS IT’S MESSY. FOR YOUNG PLAYERS AND ALSO VETERANS, SO FOR US, WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR PLAYERS THE BEST WAY WE CAN AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE PLAYERS’ INPUT. BRIAN: WE TALKED TO PAUL TOBONI WHO IS NOW PRESIDENT OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS WITH THE NATIONALS, BUT NOW HE’S THE BUCK STOPS WITH HIM. YOU KNOW. SO YOU’RE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION. WE BECOME THE GUY, YOU’VE BEEN IN A LONG-TIME ASSISTANT COACH, BUT NOW EVERYONE GOES, IT’S YOU. HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT AND THINK YOU WILL HANDLE THAT WHEN EVERYONE TURNS AND SAYS, SKIP, WHAT DO WE DO? >> THAT’S THE FUN PART, RIGHT? THAT’S THE FUN PART. FOR ME IT’S WHO YOU’VE BEEN AROUND. RIGHT? AND WHO ARE THE COACHES THAT — AND MANAGERS THAT HELP DEVELOPED ME AND GROOMED ME AND I GOT TO LEARN FROM? I HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE OF LEARNING FROM GREAT PEOPLE. LIKE KEVIN CASH, BILL LEVERS. ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME TO DEAL WITH THOSE SITUATIONS. BUT ALSO YOU HAVE TO LEAN ON YOUR COACHING STAFF. YOU HAVE TO LEAN ON THE PLAYERS IN THE CLUBHOUSE BECAUSE, YES, THE DECISION IS ALSO — COMES ON ME, BUT THERE’S A LOT OF EQUITY STAKE IN THAT CLUBHOUSE. AND I’LL BE A FOOL NOT TO TAKE INVENTORY FROM THE PLAYERS AND COACHING STAFF. RON: HE’S GOT A HEAD START, HE’S FROM FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS. >> MY MAN. RON: HE’S THE ONLY OTHER GUY WHO KNOWS WHAT A BUBBLER IS, A GRINDER. >> YEAH, MY MAN. CLIFF: YOU’VE BEEN HIDING THAT, SEE? >> I’LL BRING IT OUT IN PEOPLE. BRIAN: RONNY TALKS ABOUT HIS HARD SCRABBLE EXISTENCE. QUITE A BIT. WE’RE ACTUALLY THERE. YOU’RE THE THEY NOW. WHEN THEY SAY THEY WANT THIS, YOU’RE THE THEY. >> I AM THEY. BRIAN: THAT IS DIFFERENT. LOOK AT THIS. >> OH, YEAH. BRIAN: THERE YOU ARE. >> I USED TO HIT IN GAG’S BASEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL. CLIFF: THAT’S AWESOME. RON: AND THE REM DOG, OF COURSE. BRIAN: CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. GREAT POSITION TO BE IN. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU. ENJOY THE OFFSEASON. WE’LL LOOK TO SEE YOU SOON. THANK

New Orioles Manager Craig Albernaz joins MLB Network live from Winter Meetings to discuss the Orioles roster, his baseball philosophy, and his outlook for the 2026 season.

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