Countdown to the Orioles Home Opener: Pete Alonso, Samuel Basallo, and Craig Albernaz
ALL RIGHT. WELL, THE ROAD TO THE WORLD SERIES BEGINS THIS WEEK AS THE ORIOLES OPEN THE SEASON THURSDAY AT HOME AGAINST THE TWINS. AND JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING WITH THE SEASON PREVIEW IS O’S BROADCASTER BRETT HOLLANDER. HEY BRETT. GREAT TO SEE YOU. GREAT TO SEE YOU, JEN. YOU’RE FRESH COMING BACK FROM FLORIDA. I KNOW YOU’RE EXCITED. WHAT HAS YOU ALL FIRED UP THIS SEASON. WELL IT’S JUST GREAT TO BE BACK IN BALTIMORE AND GET THE SEASON STARTED. THE COUNTDOWN IN EARNEST FOR OPENING DAY HAS BEGUN. TODAY WE HAVE AN EXHIBITION GAME AT CAMDEN YARDS. AND REALLY OUR FIRST CHANCE TO SEE SOME OF THESE RENOVATIONS THAT HAVE US ALL EXCITED. AND THE BRAND NEW SCOREBOARD AND AUDIO SYSTEM, AND A LOT OF OTHER COOL THINGS HAPPENING AT THE BALLPARK. SO TODAY, WITH THE EXHIBITION GAME AGAINST WASHINGTON, IT’S KIND OF LIKE THE APPETIZER AND THURSDAY’S THE MAIN COURSE, RIGHT? AND WE GET TO REALLY SEE SOME OF THE NEW PLAYERS THAT ARE OUT THERE. BUT LET’S START WITH SOME OF THIS LATEST NEWS HERE ABOUT DANE KRAMER GETTING SENT DOWN TO THE MINORS ON SATURDAY. THAT’S A BIG DEAL. IT IS JUST BECAUSE HE’S SUCH AN ESTABLISHED PITCHER AND HE LED THE TEAM IN INNINGS LAST YEAR AND IN MANY WAYS SINCE 22, JEN, HE’S BEEN THE TEAM’S MOST CONSISTENT PITCHER AS FAR AS POSTING UP EVERY FIFTH DAY. AND YOU KNOW WHERE HIS NUMBERS WILL BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. MY GUESS IS IT’S VERY TEMPORARY. THEY HAVE A LOT OF OFF DAYS EARLY IN THE YEAR. SO YOU’RE TRYING TO PLAN OUT YOUR ROTATION A FEW WEEKS AHEAD. BUT THESE ARE BUILT IN OFF DAYS. AND THE REALITY IS IN THE MODERN GAME YOU’LL NEED SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, 12 STARTING PITCHERS TO GET THROUGH THE YEAR. AND RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE SIX GOOD ONES. SO IT’S ONE OF THOSE GOOD PROBLEMS. YEAH. THANK GOODNESS RIGHT. BECAUSE I KNOW WE STRUGGLE WITH THAT AT THE END OF LAST SEASON. AND YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT PITCHING PROBLEMS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. NO, NOT AT ALL. INJURIES LAST FEW YEARS, PARTICULARLY STARTING PITCHERS. IT’S KIND OF A PROBLEM AROUND BASEBALL. SO YOU NEVER HAVE ENOUGH PITCHING. ISN’T THAT THE TRUTH? AND LISTEN, WE GOT SOME BIG FACES THIS YEAR. WE’VE GOT THE POLAR BEAR PETE ALONSO WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN SO FAR AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? WELL HE’S SUCH A PRESENCE IN THE CLUBHOUSE. HE’S SUCH A PRESENCE IN THE LINEUP. HE’S ONE OF THE GAME’S GREAT POWER HITTERS. HE’S ALSO ONE OF THE GAME’S MOST CONSISTENT PLAYERS AND SOMEONE WHO JUST PLAYS EVERY DAY. YOU DON’T SEE THAT IN THE MODERN GAME. THERE ARE NO MORE CAL RIPKEN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT POLAR BEAR PETE ALONSO IS THE CLOSEST THING WE HAVE. SOMEONE WHO PLAYS HIM BASICALLY 162 GAMES EVERY YEAR, BUT HE’S GOING TO HELP THIS TEAM BECAUSE HE’S BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. HE’S BEEN IN A BIG MARKET WITH THE NEW YORK METS, AND HE’S PLAYED IN BIG TIME BASEBALL. HE’S STILL CHASING HIS FIRST EVER WORLD SERIES, AND HE THINKS BALTIMORE IS A GOOD PLACE TO GO GET THAT. SO I JUST THINK HE’S A STAR. HE’S SOMEONE WHO’S GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE AROUND HIM BETTER. AND IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ADS IN ORIOLES HISTORY. ALL RIGHT, LISTEN, WE’VE GOT THE O’S TOP PROSPECTS. SAMUEL BASILE EXPECTED TO MAKE THE OPENING DAY ROSTER. SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN HIS ROLE THIS YEAR? I THINK HE’LL CATCH SOME. I THINK L D H A LOT AND MAYBE PLAY SOME FIRST BASE. BUT HE WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE TWO BEST HITTERS IN SPRING TRAINING FOR THE ORIOLES. SO HE’S SOMEONE WITH EXTREME POWER. IT IS JUST RARE WHEN HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE GREAT HIT TOOL, A REALLY NICE KID AND SOMEONE WITH JUST OUT OF THIS WORLD POTENTIAL, HE COULD WIN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR AND DOWN THE STRETCH OF SPRING TRAINING, HE WAS BY FAR THE TEAM’S BEST HITTER, JUST POUNDING THE BASEBALL ALL OVER. LAST THURSDAY, HE HIT TWO HOME RUNS AGAINST THE PIRATES. HE DOUBLED AGAINST THE YANKEES THE OTHER DAY. EVERYTHING OFF HIS BAT JUST HAS A DIFFERENT SOUND. AND HE’S ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL PLAYERS THAT WHEN AN ORGANIZATION GETS THEIR ARMS, ALL THOSE GUYS YOU HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE WITH BOTH HANDS, HUGE, HUGE GRIP ON A GUY LIKE THAT. LISTEN, WE ALSO HAVE A NEW MANAGER, CRAIG ALBERNAZ. WHAT ARE YOU GETTING FROM HIM IN TERMS OF A SENSE OF HOW HE’S HOW HE’S DEALING WITH THE GUYS, FITTING IN WITH THE TEAM, MOTIVATING THEM, THAT SORT OF THING. WELL, I THINK WITH HIS STRONG SUIT IS COMMUNICATION WITH THE PLAYERS AND THE MODERN PLAYER. HE TOLD US THIS THE OTHER DAY AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS REALLY INTERESTING. AS YOU GO ALONG IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND YOU BECOME AN ESTABLISHED PLAYER LIKE A PETE ALONSO OR A KYLE BRADISH, YOU EXPECT AND YOU KNOW YOU’LL BE ON THE OPENING DAY ROSTER. BUT CRAIG ALVAREZ SAYS HE TELLS EVERY PLAYER, INCLUDING PETE ALONSO, INCLUDING TAYLOR WARD, THE ORIOLES NEW LEFT FIELDER, GUYS WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND THE GAME AND HAVE HIT FOR BIG NUMBERS HAVE BEEN AN ALL STAR TEAMS. THEY STILL MADE THE OPENING DAY ROSTER. I THINK THAT’S KIND OF COOL TO GIVE THEM THAT MOMENT. ALL THESE YEARS IN THE GAME TO TELL A CLOSER LIKE RYAN HELSLEY THE TEAM. HE’S GOING TO BE ON THE OPENING DAY ROSTER, AND I THINK THAT’S JUST ONE OF THE WAYS HE’S CONNECTED WITH THIS GROUP. BUT I THINK HIS STRENGTH IS THE FACT THAT HE REALLY IS A GOOD COMMUNICATOR WITH YOUNG PLAYERS, AND HE’S GOING TO TRY AND OOZE AS HE POSSIBLY CAN. HE CAME FROM A WINNING CULTURE WITH CLEVELAND. HE WAS KIND OF THE HOT UP AND COMING COACH, NOT TOO DISSIMILAR TO JESSE MINTER, THE RAVENS NEW HEAD COACH, WHERE EVERYONE KNEW AT SOME POINT HE WAS GOING TO BE A MANAGER IN THE BIG LEAGUES, JUST LIKE JESSE WAS GOING TO BE A HEAD COACH SOMEWHERE IN THE NFL. SO HE’S ONE OF THOSE ASSISTANT COACHES THAT EVERYONE SAID. THAT IS A GUY TO KEEP AN EYE ON. THAT IS SO COOL. AND LISTEN, WE ALL KNOW OPENING DAY AROUND HERE IT’S ALMOST BIGGER THAN THE 4TH OF JULY. SO I THINK IT’S A HOLIDAY. IT IS. AND WE DON’T GET SICK OF IT. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL TO YOU? I MEAN, IT’S GOING TO BE PACKED ON THURSDAY. IT’S AMAZING. MY CURRENT ROLE IS A BROADCASTER, BUT I’VE EXPERIENCED IT IN EVERY POSSIBLE ITERATION. I REMEMBER WHEN MY FIRST AND SECOND GRADE TEACHERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERE, LET ME LET US LISTEN TO CLASS. THE GAME, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE COOLEST THING. AND BY THE WAY, FOR ANY TEACHERS WATCHING, PLEASE LISTEN TO US ON WBAL RADIO 98 ROCK AND OPENING DAY. YOUR KIDS WILL THANK YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS WILL THANK YOU FOREVER. SO THERE WAS THAT. THERE WERE THE MOMENTS WHERE I GOT TO GO WITH MY FAMILY TO OPENING DAY, PLAY HOOKY FROM SCHOOL. THOSE ARE MEMORIES THAT YOU TAKE WITH YOU THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK TO THE BALLPARK IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES. I HAD A COUPLE OF EARLY TOURS, BUT TO GET INTO OUR OUR RADIO BOOTH THERE, WHICH IS, AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, HALLOWED GROUND. AND IT’S GOT A BIT OF A FACELIFT. SO I’M EXCITED TO SEE IT AND, AND JUST GET BEHIND THE MICROPHONE TODAY AND THURSDAY. I LOVE IT. BRETT, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU KNOW, IT’S AN EXCITING TIME HERE IN BALTIMORE. AND THIS IS WHEN IT’S ALL POSSIBLE RIGHT. THEY HAVEN’T PLAYED A GAME YET. WORLD SERIES IS ON THE MAP. EVERYONE’S IN FIRST PLACE TODAY. JEN YOU GOT THAT RIGHT.
Countdown to the Orioles Home Opener: Pete Alonso, Samuel Basallo, and Craig Albernaz
Updated: 12:10 PM EDT Mar 22, 2026
Orioles Broadcaster Brett Hollander joins Jennifer Franciotti to discuss what fans can expect in the first days of baseball season in Baltimore.
Orioles Broadcaster Brett Hollander joins Jennifer Franciotti to discuss what fans can expect in the first days of baseball season in Baltimore.