Rickie Ricardo, Yankees & Eagles Spanish Language Radio Broadcaster

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Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Join me in studio, I would say he is a top 5 favorite person of mine in this entire company. And that is the Spanish play-by-play voice of not only the Philadelphia Eagles, but also the New York Yankees. And that is the great iconic, we play his calls all the time, they're better than the calls in English, Ricky Ricardo. Ricky Ricardo, Ricky how are you? Who are the other four? I can't talk too much information. My old man, he's not in the top 5.

What benefit did that touch to me? Wow, I'm higher rated than your old man. Yeah, I love my father, but in terms of this company, it's no benefit to me to have my dad in the top 5. It's a pleasure, Zach's like a nephew to me. You really have become like a nephew to me. I know, I absolutely love your stuff and a lot of times on football, the aftermaths on Monday are big moments like Aaron Judge, we use your calls. Well thanks. And I try to see if I get like two or three words that I understand during those calls.

Do I need decaf and tone it down a little bit or are you okay with the energy level? My favorite one was the Jake Elliott game-winning field goal. Against the Giants. Was that Super Bowl LII season right? 61 yarder. You know the giant decline that season started that game.

The Giants I think were 3-1 that day going into that game. Was that Odell Ping in the end zone? Yeah. And when Ricky Ricardo's screaming, Si Señor! Si Señor!

Si Señor! 61 yarder for Elliott. It's one of the great calls in the history of broadcasting.

Thank you, thank you. So let's start with the Yankees. They win last night up against the Guardians. Garret Cole, he's paid a lot of money as you know, has had a good season, but he's always a point of controversy because this is why they pay him to get it done in the postseason. What you make of what was a really good performance last night for Garret Cole. Well, he's been bothered by the home run all year long. I think he led the American League in home runs allowed.

In the low 30s somewhere, 32-33. Stephen Kwon got him and I said, uh oh. Right there I said, here we go again. But all credit to Garret Cole. He settled in, got into a groove. I thought last night he wasn't as reliant on power pitching. There's a lot of him and Trevino last night were really mixing it up a little bit. The Cleveland hitters, short of Ramirez, aren't known for power.

They're a contact hitting team. So I thought his approach last night was very, very different as compared to what I've seen him against, let's say, Tampa or some of the other big time Yankee opponents. I thought he was much more pitcher than thrower last night. He was still hitting 97-98, but he was really working it last night. I think he left with 101 pitches. Those were 101 pitches. Stress on every pitch on that outing.

So he worked very, very hard last night. It's really the best postseason outing that I've seen Cole have as a Yankee probably. We know the two best teams in the AL are the Astros and then also the New York Yankees. The Astros had that unbelievable comeback yesterday.

It does feel, even though it's only one game in both those series, that it's inevitable they meet up once again in the ALCS. Why can this year be different for the Yankees? Because at times, just living in New York, it seems like, and there were some bad stretches for the Yankees this year, but they were still a heck of a team that it felt like from the reaction, and I get it's New York, that this team at times was like 25 games under 500, which was not the case. Well, the Yankees have had issues with the Astros, number one, because the Astros are convinced that they have no fear of coming into Yankee. They feed off the negative energy at Yankee Stadium.

They feed off the accusations of the cheating. And to me, Dusty Baker is the perfect manager for that particular group of Houston Astros. He's the perfect guy at the right time coming off the cheating scandal, coming off of A.J. Hinch.

Well, he's likable. He's likable, but there's no pressure with Dusty. That Astro team plays pressure-free. You saw it last year in the big series against Boston, after Boston had taken care of business against the Yankees. And every time they come into Yankee Stadium, I go into the clubhouse, I know a few of the guys, Gurriel's a good friend, I know a couple of these guys, and they're worry-free. They come into New York expecting to win, whereas the Guardians, for example, you pop your head in and you can tell right away that there's an intimidation factor with the opponent. The Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros are the two teams that feel at home at Yankee Stadium. Does it always work?

Obviously not. It's a tough team. They're going up against the Bombers.

But they come in with no fear, no intimidation. Best man wins, mano a mano, but the mindset of the Houston Astros. And with the Yankees, it's that last mountain that they have yet to climb since 2017. Do they inevitably meet in this ALCS?

Yes. I thought Seattle, their chance to win that series was yesterday. I think they get steamrolled here, whether it takes three, four, whatever. But Houston, I don't think it'll go five. I don't think they'll go back to Houston. I think the Astros. And there's something to be said here, Zach. I think what we have seen yesterday in these DS series is the teams with the five days of rest.

Okay? There's a certain amount of rust. It takes a few innings for these teams to get back in the groove. We saw it with Atlanta. We saw it with the Yankees. We saw it with the Dodgers. With all four of those games yesterday, it seemed like the teams that were off for five days, it took them a little while to get their footing back. If you look through a series, as long as you survive early and you don't shoot yourself in the foot too much, you'll have the advantage.

Exactly. I think they caught up to themselves midway through. And late, obviously, for the Astros, with two in the eighth and three in the ninth. But end result, Atlanta's the one that I'm worried about. As far as the favorites are concerned, I think the Phillies are on one of those magic carpet rides. And you're talking Zach Wheeler can easily shut down the Atlanta lineup tonight. You go into Philadelphia, down two games, with Nola pitching game three. And those fans, that's going to be a jacked up house. And Ricky also does radio in Philadelphia with one of his other 9,000 jobs that he has.

Ricky Ricarder here with us. So the philosophy in baseball throughout the years, like when the Mets lost in the World Series, the Royals were a contact team. You look at other ways to win, it's pitching, pitching, pitching, dominance, starting pitching.

You look at these teams that are around here, it's the long ball for the most part. You know, excluding the Guardians. And that Phillies team, they have two really damn good pitchers in Nola and Wheeler, but those bats now are finally cooking.

They started to cook. And Castellanos is the key guy there. Yeah, you're right. Once Nick Castellanos, you got the left side. Oh, I went to the shore this summer. He was getting shredded, Castellanos. Believe me, the calls to life. Tossed, awful, terrible.

He doesn't care. And he was dominant yesterday with three RBIs and also flash to the left. If you get the Castellanos that carried the Cincinnati offense to whatever it got for the last couple of days, and prior to that in Detroit, that's scary. Because Harper, the left side, the left-handed hitters, especially with Shorber, they've been good.

Real Muto has been fantastic. That Phillies team with these two pitchers they've got going in these next two days and having, you know, a Ranger in their hip pocket if there is a Game 5. That, you know, the Atlanta Braves, and Zach, how many times have we seen a defending champion get in, maybe the Braves used all their energy and emptied the tank against the Mets and to catch, they used so much of their, you know, of their fortitude just to win the division, they may be out of gas. I think you bring up a great point, and I said this to Ryan, and maybe our vision is a little bit blurred here because we're both Mets fans.

It was a little bit abnormal. You mean you and Ryan? Yes. Okay. Yeah, not you. Why? Did I include you in the Mets? No, I don't want to be included in that group. Oh, okay.

Yes. But I said it's a little bit bizarre to me, and winning an NLE title is always important, but when you just win the World Series, how not only did you come back, and it was a great comeback, don't get me wrong, the Mets were playing at a good rate, and the Braves just took it to a different level, they were dancing on the grave of the Mets. Not only the current players, but the players of the past, it seemed like that was a World Series type of celebration for a team that has won before that was odd to me. Yeah, it's a crescendo that they hit that might be difficult to stay at that level with the Atlanta Braves. I can't believe I'm saying it.

I was so annoyed by that celebration because I was P.O. with my own team. I'm rooting for the Phillies here. Over the Braves?

Easily. Of course you should be rooting. I'd rather see the Phillies over the Braves. You should be rooting for the Phillies. And then they'll probably get the Dodgers, you think? Dodgers going back to the World Series, right? Dodgers are the best team, I think, in all of baseball.

They've got holes. Kimbrel's not even on the roster. They used Chris Martin, of all people, last night. They were playing Coldplay records.

After every out he got last night, there's a different Coldplay record that they were playing on the organ. So, also, just talking about being left off the roster, Aroldis Chapman didn't show up. They left him off the roster.

Yeah, that's a tough break. I think we've seen the last of him. I was going to ask you, do you think he could come back for the next series if that's over? I doubt it.

I think that ship has sailed. So, he was at his house, what, in Florida? Yes, in Miami. During that layoff from the Wild Card to the Division Series. I know it's been up and down, on and off the field this year for Aroldis Chapman. Was he going to be left off the roster and that's why he just said, bleep it, I'm not coming back?

I think his gut feeling was that he wasn't going to be on the roster anyway, so why bother being at the mandatory... You're getting paid. Well, remember, he's already been paid. Yeah.

Season's over. Yeah, that's true. But you're part of the team.

You're part of the team. You know what I mean. What I noticed about him for the last month, and filling in for Sterling, I've been on the charter, so I've been with the team a lot in the month of September. And he's kind of been a little isolated.

He's got the headphones on all the time. In years past, he's been more of a conversationalist. I've seen him kind of go his own way here. And you've done events with him. Yeah, I know him very well. And I've noticed the difference in just the way that he goes about his business in the last month.

So, I think it's probably a parting that works for both sides. There is no one in probably this business other than Kenny Albert or Ian Eagle that flies more than you. Because you live in Florida, you work in New York, you also work in Philadelphia.

You're all over the place. How is life on the Yankees' charter since you said you're on the Yankees' charter? Oh, it's great. What are you getting food-wise on a normal flight there? Oh, it's filet mignon. Oh, jeez. Yeah, you pick your own salad, filet mignon, if you don't want steak and you have the... Chicken or salmon?

Crab cakes for an appetizer? Oh, it's first class. Are you kidding me? If you ever need a spotter in the press box, feel free to invite me when you're doing the Yankees' charter. You or Rich will be the first ones that I reach out to.

If it's free, I'm all in. Ricky Ricardo is to do with us. Let's get to the Eagles.

Go ahead. Oh, the birds. Yeah, so the birds. I thought they were going to win the NFC East when they traded for A.J. Brown at the draft.

I said that on the air when I was at Las Vegas. With that being said, I didn't think they'd be a Super Bowl contender and sitting here at 5-0. How good can this Eagles team be this year? As long as they stay healthy, okay?

Then sky's the limit. Now, my worry is the defense has had a very hard time getting off the field on third down. They're one of the worst in the league in third down conversions against the Super Bowl year with Doug Peterson.

They were the exact opposite. They were great at getting off the field. Time of possession was great as far as the offense, and they got off the field on third down. All year long, Detroit, Washington, they won every game. But still, that defense has had to really work its tail off.

Third and 11, third and 8. I don't know if Jonathan Gannon's game plan defensively so far has really taken advantage of the kind of talent. Slay and Bradbury have been fantastic. T.J. Edwards at linebacker. But still, the rotation on the defensive line has yet to hit its stride.

What worries me more about the Eagles is defensively. And listen, let's face it, that was a kick that should have been made by Amendola. It looked like there was a hand on it that got on it. It didn't.

No, 93. Williams declared today he didn't touch it. He confessed that he didn't touch it. And there's no wind in it. It's indoors. How the heck did that then miss that rise? So they're getting some breaks. Some of the breaks are going their way in Detroit. Three-point game on opening day. And they've had trouble, Zach, they've had big-time trouble scoring in the second half. They've been shut out twice entirely in a second half.

Okay? And before this Sunday, they had not scored in the fourth quarter since opening day in Detroit. So there's still some things to be worked out. This weekend, you're welcoming the Dallas Cowboys. You know that stadium's going to be jumping in Philadelphia. It's Cowboy Week. How do you think that game plays out? I think Cooper Rush will play quarterback. I think the Cowboys are smart enough to know. And they've got a bye next week, if I'm not mistaken.

I know the Eagles do. I think both teams have a bye. So I think Prescott will come back the week after the bye. But I think it's a low-scoring, defensive battle on Sunday night. I'd take the under, okay, for my friends that like to wager a little bit. I see the Eagles winning this, but I think this might be Dicker the Kicker again.

If it's not Jake Elliott. What are you, Gus Johnson all of a sudden? All right, last thing, because we can't have you in here without a Spanish call. Oh. This is one of my favorites. Can you do yours truly, Zach Geld? You could do baseball, football, hitting a home run. I'm not throwing a touchdown.

Maybe catching a tackle eligible or something like that. I've got one for you, all right? Go ahead. I'll give you this, Zach Geld. Para la patada. El gol de campo para ganar el juego.

Geld, le meante el pier. No, señor. No, señor. No, Zach. No, Zach. No, Zach. Geld, fa yo.

Y los eagles, ganar el juego. You just missed the field goal. Oh, I thought I was running the football, and I got stopped because I'm a large man and can't run. No, you blew it at the end. Man. So I'm now aiming goals? Just like you meant. Now you have to bring up the ments.

You come in studio. We have a nice relationship, and you have to bring up those ments at the end. And I'm a Devils fan, too. Oh, how about that?

Look at Ackerman's face after that one. Yeah, the Devils. Geez. What are you? You still living with Danico and all those big dirt? And I'm walking through the door anytime soon.

Sergei Breland, baby. Great to see you. Good to see you.

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