Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Mariners Catcher Brian O'Keefe Talks Hot Start in Tacoma, Making MLB Debut, Cal Raleigh, and More!

Starting point is 00:00:00 After eight official seasons on the minors, Brian O'Keefe finally got his call to the big leagues on what proved to be one of the greatest days of Mariners history. He joins us here on the Lockdown Mariners podcast to talk about that, what his goals are for 2023 and a whole lot more. Let's get into it. You are Locked on Mariners. Your daily Seattle Mariners podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. It is Wednesday, April 5th, 2023.

Starting point is 00:00:30 This is Tynie Gonzalez for the Locked on Mariners podcast. to you by FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of the Locked On Podcast Network. Make every moment more, visit FanDuel.com slash Lockdown today to get started. Thank you so much for making us your first. Listen, subscribe, like, and turn on alerts if you're watching on YouTube, or subscribe and leave a five-star review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear. And on the show today, I'm joined by Mariners catcher Brian O'Keefe, who's currently playing at AAA Tacoma.

Starting point is 00:00:56 The day before we recorded this interview, he was coming off a massive day against Oklahoma City. We talk about that. And then he tells us a never before told story about Cal Raleigh just moments before he ended the Mariners postseason drought on O'Keefe's first night in the majors. Really fun stuff. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. Here's the full conversation.

Starting point is 00:01:15 I'm joined now by Mariners catcher Brian O'Keefe, who absolutely raked against Oklahoma City on Sunday, four for four with a couple bombs and a double for the rainiers in their third game of the year. Five runs driven in. Brian, thank you so much for hopping on here with me. You just heard me read off the numbers here. Incredible stuff. Take us through your day on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:01:40 Yeah, it's one of the special ones, you know. Obviously, you're going to have some games like that throughout the course of the year and having, I think that was my second game of the season being played. And to have it that early was pretty fun, pretty cool. And definitely one to get on getaway day, it makes it a little bit better. A win would have really put the icing on the cake. But overall, it was a pretty good day yesterday. But I don't know.

Starting point is 00:02:02 I just, you know, it was one of those things where even in the cages earlier in the day, I just felt like I was ready to go. I felt like I was seeing things well and got some pitches to do damage with early. And once I got the first one, it was kind of like I could kind of feel that snowball effect gone. You know, you had the first one and the second one. And then I was like, by the time I came up for my third at bat, I think it was already the fourth inning by the time I came up for my fourth bat.

Starting point is 00:02:23 You know, we were on them early. And just got a good pitch to hit and didn't miss it. After that, I, you know, the last double I thought was, I thought that would have been enough to finish the game off for us. But unfortunately, we lost late. You know, OKC did a great job coming back and keep themselves in the game. So what goes into having a day like that? Like did, did you eat anything different? Did you sleep any different?

Starting point is 00:02:52 Like, what do you got going on there, man? What brought you to? I mean, you got on base five times, man. Like, that's incredible. Like, no matter what level you're playing at five times. in one game on base, that's, that's insane. Yeah, I think, it was funny. I actually slept terribly the night before.

Starting point is 00:03:07 Of course. Awful. I, you know, I think I tossed and turned. I think it was about 2.30 when I finally was able to kind of calm myself down and fall asleep. But I didn't read our group message before the game. I figured we'd have breakfast, you know, for the 2 o'clock start. So I didn't stop and get breakfast. And we were having Chipotle and I was like, I can't do Chipotle for breakfast. So I just had three bowls of frost.

Starting point is 00:03:30 And it was funny our straight coach came up to me. He was like, hey, maybe we should start mixing in cereal in the mornings. There we go. There we go. So is frost and flakes your preferred cereal or like, let's let's do some serial rankings here. Why not? Frosted flakes is definitely up there. All right.

Starting point is 00:03:47 Nice. But they were, it was what best option in the clubhouse. So I went with the frosted flakes. Gotcha. Gotcha. So I want to take it back to this past year. You wrap up the AAA season on September 24th. seems like you're ready for the off season, but then, you know,

Starting point is 00:04:02 Kirk Casalee goes on the paternity list and Cal Raleigh's dealing with the thumb injury and boom, here comes your first call up to the major league level. And lo and behold, you arrive on one of the greatest days of Mariners history, the night they ended the drought, of course. Could you tell us what that whole experience was like for you that day? Because it had to be crazy, right? Yes, it was very crazy. When I found out I was getting the call, the short version,

Starting point is 00:04:29 of it is it was i think about 1130 um in arizona so all my family's back on the east coast try and call them they don't answer finally get a hold of them my wife uh beat me out to seattle she flew first first thing out in the morning because we had a hurricane coming in raleigh so she got an airplane she beat me out to seattle mom and dad got out there um and I was delayed coming out of Arizona, delayed coming into Seattle. So I didn't get, everything was very rushed for me. And obviously with the magnitude of the day, and I knew what was at stake and coming up and, you know, what it meant if we won. So, you know, everything felt really rushed.

Starting point is 00:05:19 I got over to the ballpark. And you could already feel the buzz. You could see people outside as I was pulling up to the ballpark. Like, you could feel the buzz, you could feel the energy, and walking into the clubhouse, you could feel it right away, like, okay, like, this is really cool. Like, I'm here, and it's a really special day. And just being a part of that was awesome. It was really, really special.

Starting point is 00:05:43 I mean, we all joked, they all joked with me. They were like, this is what we do every day in the big leagues. So for that to be my first day in the big leagues was really, really cool. And there's actually a really funny story about that. day. So it was actually the ninth at this point, but I had been underneath in the cages staying loose, moving around, swinging about, you know, you never know when that opportunity is going to come. So trying to be as ready as I possibly could if that opportunity presented itself for me to play, pinch it, play defense, whatever it was, just be ready. And Cal comes

Starting point is 00:06:20 down in the ninth, or I guess in between innings and goes, I'm hitting for Louis. And so I was I was on the machine. He goes, hey, can I get some? I'm like, yeah, jump in here. He's like, I'm only taking five. And I'm not kidding you. It was probably the five worst swings I've ever seen off of me. Horrible.

Starting point is 00:06:45 That's funny as hell because I thought for sure it was going to be like, oh, it was going to be one of those stories where he had the five best swings I've ever seen in my life. And then he went up there and cranked one of the greatest home runs. and Mariner's history. No, it was five of the, probably the worst swings, and he walked out of the cage, and obviously me and him have known each other for a while now, and we have a great relationship, and I looked right at him.

Starting point is 00:07:08 And I, you know, I tend to, um, I'm kind of a ball buster and someone that likes to keep on the lighter of sides. Um, and I looked at him, I go, you're exactly where we need you to be. And there's only,

Starting point is 00:07:24 it was me, Cal, And I see J. Gilman, who was up in the big leagues at the time, who's our minor league hitting coordinator. Those were the only people in the cage that know that story. And like who were there for that story. Sure enough, you know, he goes on to hit the homer and all that stuff. And it was funny as when me and him got a chance to see each other out on the field. I, you know, I kind of, I think I screamed out of my total most.

Starting point is 00:07:49 Like, I told you you you right where we needed you to think. That's amazing. That's amazing. Really cool. There. Dude, that's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that story. What was that celebration like afterwards?

Starting point is 00:08:01 I mean, you guys went pretty hard, I'm sure. And I mean, we obviously had the hangover line up the next day, of course. So what was that like? No, it's funny. It was weird for me in a way. You know, they were amazing. You know, that was my first day in the big leagues. And it made me feel like I had been part of that team for an entire season.

Starting point is 00:08:21 And I think that goes to show you how close of a team we have. and that's been built in that clubhouse now. So I think it's really cool to see. But at the same time, I also understood, like, they did this. You know, I was lucky enough to be a part of this for the very end in the culmination of it, but they did it. And so I tried not to, I tried to give them their moment of, like, you know, I kind of stepped back and, you know, just kind of sat there and watched and enjoyed it.

Starting point is 00:08:51 because, you know, they earned it. And like I said, I was just lucky enough to be there for that day. And then I actually learned my lesson in 21 when we won the whole thing in Tacoma when we celebrated. And we really celebrated when we won that whole thing in 21. And I knew there was probably a good chance that I was probably playing the following day because of the fact that we had clinched. So, you know, I enjoyed it.

Starting point is 00:09:22 I, you know, I celebrated with them, but I made sure that, you know, okay, it's time for me to get back to the hotel. Let me get a good night's sleep. Let me try and keep this as regularly as possible. Obviously, they're with a good chance of me having my debut the following day. So I didn't want to get crazy and wake up the next morning feeling hungover. It's a good plan. It's good plan for sure. I remember that game that you played in.

Starting point is 00:09:49 And I remember you getting a pretty nice pop out of the crowd and from your teammates when you got your first major league hit. What was that whole experience like? Surreal in a lot of ways, I think. I think that, you know, to get a standing ovation from a sellout ballpark at my first hit, I think it was just kind of like the icing on the cake. And for a lot of people that I don't know, it took me a very, very, very long time to get to the big leagues. and I'm very proud of how long that I've been able to play this game at a high level and then have the opportunity to do that and get the base hit. And I think to see the support from the team and the fans, you know, was something I'll never forget.

Starting point is 00:10:38 You know, I think in the post-game interview, you can hear me kind of get choked up a little bit, talking about it with my family and, you know, having them there and things like that. because it's not, you know, look, we're the ones that go out there and play, but at the end of the day, there's so many people that help us get to where we are, whether it's family, whether it's friends, whether it's coaches, whether it's training staff, whether it's performance staff. There's so many people that go involved, and especially on the family side, the personal aspect.

Starting point is 00:11:07 I mean, my mom, dad, brother, wife, they've been part of that journey as long as I've been doing it. So, you know, without them, I, you know, without the support of those people. And there's so many tough times coming up through the minor leagues and you know, you're away from your family, your way from friends, you know,

Starting point is 00:11:24 you're hitting 201 in July. And you know, it's in the middle of the Midwest League. It's, you know, it can get lonely at times. So to have them there, you know, obviously it's, it's really special. So did you guys get a chance to celebrate after that game, you and your parents and your wife? Yeah, we did.

Starting point is 00:11:45 My, you know, it was really, cool. My wife's mom and stepdad came up. They flew all the way up. Yeah, my brother flew in. So it was really cool and to have all those people there. So we were able to go out and have a nice dinner afterwards. And my agent flew in. And so it was really, really nice to celebrate that. More from my conversation with Brian O'Keefe in just a moment. But real quick, a reminder, this episode of Lockdown Mariners is brought to you by Fanduel. The NBA playoffs are almost here. and now is the perfect time to download Fandul, America's number one sportsbook,

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Starting point is 00:12:57 I mean, this is, I think this is officially your ninth season and professional baseball because of the COVID year. You've gotten a taste of the major leagues like we talked about. And right now, you know, you kind of seem to be at the front of the line at your position to get a promotion of someone at the major league. league level in Seattle either doesn't perform or unfortunately gets hurt so what's your mindset like right now and what are your goals this year um i think uh you know coming off the last year obviously i had the hand surgery early in the year and i didn't get to i felt like i kind of had a down year

Starting point is 00:13:33 and uh this off season i really went to work um really got after it and i came into camp probably in the best shape probably the most well prepared I've ever been in ready to go. And I think it showed throughout my spring training. I think I had a fantastic spring training. And I think that not only did I prove to other people, but I also think I proved to myself that I belong in the big leagues now. And I think having that little taste last year certainly helped, you know, fuel that. Like, okay, I can do this. I'm capable of doing this. And I think throughout the course of this season, I think it's, you know, it's easy to kind of get distracted at times and, you know, thinking about, oh, where do I want to be?

Starting point is 00:14:17 Oh, where am I going to be here? You know, I'm over my last 10, whatever it is. There's always going to be distractions throughout the season. And I think for me, just being as attached and in the moment as I possibly can, I think that a lot of things are going to take care of themselves. And I found that throughout camp this spring. And I probably had the best stretch of baseball I've had at a very long time. I think it was due to the fact that, you know, I didn't worry about, oh, am I going to be in camp tomorrow? Am I going to, you know, when am I going to get optioned?

Starting point is 00:14:49 Am I going to get option? Am I going to make the team? You know, none of those thoughts were going. My thought every day was coming to the yard and going, okay, I may have one opportunity today to pinch it late. I may start, whatever it is, like, I'm going to be fully just where my feet are. And a lot of those things took care of themselves. And I think for personal goals, obviously, I would love to, you know, I don't put numbers on things because I think when you start putting numbers on,

Starting point is 00:15:19 I want to hit 20 homers. You start chasing those numbers and, you know, you leave what has made you successful. I think for me personally, obviously, I would like to spend as much possible time as I can in the big leagues. And I want to help the team up in Seattle win a World Series. that's our goal. You know, we didn't shy away from it in camp. We talked about it. And I think it's really cool to see the maturation

Starting point is 00:15:44 and how far we've come in the last two, three years that I've been there where, you know, that is the standard now. Like last year it was like, you know, let's end the drought. Let's get to the playoffs, you know, bring baseball back to Seattle and all those boxes got checks. But I think, you know, now we want to take that next step forward. And I think we are good enough to win a World Series this year at some point. Tell us a bit about the pitching staff you're working with this year in Tacoma.

Starting point is 00:16:11 Guys like Darren McCacken and Taylor Dollar, it's a really interesting staff. What's been your feel so far for those guys? I've known DMAC. I've caught DMAC now, I think, what, three years? Yeah. I mean, he's fantastic. You know what you're going to get every single time the guy touches the mound, which is, you know, he knows exactly. He's been great.

Starting point is 00:16:34 Dollared actually through yesterday. I know he only threw two innings, you know, kind of building back up, but he was, his stuff impressed me. I didn't know he had, you know, I'd seen him in bullpins and stuff like that, but to watch him kind of flip it into another gear when he got to the mound was really cool. And then you got guys like Easton McGee, who, you know, I got to know throughout camp who threw the ball really well the other night. And then you got Tommy Malone, who's been doing this for a very long time at a very high level and is very successful at what he does. there's a reason he's been pitching for as long as he has. So to have Tommy kind of is that veteran presence on the pitching staff for some of these guys to lean on, especially the starters, I think it's huge. I'm sure at some point he'll probably be up in the big leagues getting announced for us this year.

Starting point is 00:17:24 And then our bullpen's loaded with talent. I think there's a lot of talent in our bullpen, whether it's, you know, Topa had a great camp. I think you'll see him up in the big leagues at some point this year. you know, Chef has made that transition from a starter to a reliever. I think, you know, once he kind of finds his groove down there, I think he'll be a huge weapon. Riley O'Brien threw unbelievable in camp this year and looked really sharp the other night when he threw. You got like Spire, you know, Gabe's already back up in the big leagues with Robbie going down. So our bullpen is, I think as a staff, we're going to pitch it.

Starting point is 00:18:01 I think, you know, unfortunately, you know, the first series, you know, you, you look at it on paper and, you know, it's like, you know, the pitching probably fell a little bit short. But, you know, I think that's first game jitters, first time out for guys. I think, you know, don't get into rhythm. And I think as our bullpen starts to kind of solidify their roles, I think you'll see, see some serious weapons coming out of there. And I think you'll see our starters, whether it's DMAC, Tommy, Dullard, Easton, Burn, whoever it may be, I think. think you'll see a lot of those guys, you know, start to hit their stride. I think it'll be a really, it has the feel like it could be like the team that we had in 21 when we won the whole thing. This episode of the Lockdown Mariners podcast is brought to you by Ultimate Baseball GM. Ever dreamed

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Starting point is 00:19:54 There's really not a ton of difference. I would say in the big leagues there's more meetings. There's just more. You get more information up in the big league. So, you know, the attention to detail and some of the meetings that we have are, you know, there's a little bit more up there. But for the most part, it's pretty similar. I mean, you know, we're as a catcher, you know, when the series starts,

Starting point is 00:20:24 You know, I'll probably head in around at first, you know, let's say we're playing at seven through the first game of this series. I'll probably head around noon, you know, get in, watch video, kind of go through their hitters, kind of start to get a game plan together. And then from there, we, you know, it's pretty normal. You got cages, BP, stretch times, you know, guys will lift, pregame meals, and then, you know, we go out and play. When we're done, we hang out in the training room, get food, and get ready again, do it all again tomorrow. Mario League Baseball obviously provides a lot of great stories, and there's a ton of camaraderie, you know, within those clubhouses.

Starting point is 00:21:11 What's a favorite minor league story that you've experienced in your, I mean, near decade now worth of time down in the miners? No one's ever asked me that question. That's a really good question. I mean, there's so many stories that some that definitely cannot be said on here. But I'm trying to think of, you know, whether it's, I don't know, that's a really hard question. I mean, I think just in general, like when you're in the locker room and like you said, the camaraderie, you know, you know, you're. you're with these, it was actually a really cool.

Starting point is 00:22:04 JR, our manager down here said this the other day. You know, you, you know, when the season's over, you get to go home and pick your family. You know, but for these next six months, we're family. Yeah. And, you know, you got guys that are, you know, that you're going to fight with. You got guys that you're going to laugh with. You got guys that you're going to, you know, some guys, you know, there's tears of laughter, You know, guys' careers end, you know, there's tears of sorrow there.

Starting point is 00:22:35 But, you know, it's a family. It really is. And, you know, in the locker room, you know, that's, you know, there's nothing better than I think, you know, everyone kind of says it. But until you get towards the end of your career and you're getting ready to hang it up, you don't really realize it. But like, those are the things that you miss the most, you know, those are, you know, you come in the locker room and, you know, that's to start the day. everyone's smiling, everyone's busting balls and having a good time. So I don't know if I could pick one story. I would really have to think about it in the locker room.

Starting point is 00:23:11 But other than that, I kind of pick one story. It would be tough. I'd have to really think. You talked earlier about, you know, the people that have helped you get here. Who's someone, though, that you have met along the journey that has had a great impact on your life or career um player doesn't matter anyone that you met along along the way here in your career um well if it's if we're going anywhere i would probably say our hitting uh strategist has probably been one of the biggest influential people for my career um was after the rule five

Starting point is 00:23:50 draft uh when i came over 20 um you know obviously it was covid in the alt site and then coming off of that I met Ed Papparela, who is our hitting strategist back in Philly, where I trained at the time, you know, being a Jersey guy. And he was, I think at the time was going to be the fourth coach maybe in Arizona. And then ended up getting the hitting strategy job that offseason. Well, before he got the strategist's job and all that stuff, you know, he was with, you know, I started hitting with him. and we kind of hit it off right away,

Starting point is 00:24:30 and he completely changed how I swung a bat and how I thought about hitting and how without him, I probably am still not playing the game. And, you know, for a full off season, he was with me damn near closed every single day in the cage, you know, working, building out a routine,

Starting point is 00:24:52 and getting something to the point where I was, you know, what I do now is based, off of everything that me and him worked on in 21, and now it's just fine-tuning things, or excuse me, the 20 off-season, and now everything's about fine-tuning it and making it a little bit better and a little bit more consistent.

Starting point is 00:25:07 And if I ever have struggles or, you know, if I'm ever off, he's the first person I text the call. Hey, Ed, I still, every day in the off-season, I call him, when I get done hitting, when I get done with my workout and on the ride home, pick up the phone, call him. He may not answer, but I think I call him. damn near close to five days a week in the off season just to catch up talk we'll talk hitting

Starting point is 00:25:32 talk life all that stuff so uh he's been a huge huge part of my career and uh you know i'm i'm certainly thankful for it that's amazing well brian this has been such a joy to to talk to you this was so much fun thank yeah thank you thank you again for uh taking the time to chat with me good luck this year man keep keep keep going four for four with two bombs and all that stuff keep doing that Keep killing it, man. I'm going to try, that's for sure. Let's go. Let's go.

Starting point is 00:25:59 Thanks so much, Brian. Have a good one. Thanks, Ty. That's going to do it for our show. Thank you so much for joining us here on the Lockdown Mariners podcast. I've been your host, Taday Gonzalez. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter at LO underscore Mariners. You can follow me at Dane Gonzalez.

Starting point is 00:26:13 It's D-A-N-ZL-Z and my co-coast Colby at CPAT 11. That's C-P-A-T-1. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok as well at Locked-on Mariners. That's Locked-on Mariners, one word. You can also find all that stuff. in the description of this episode. And thank you again for making us your first listen. Now for your second listen, check out Locked-on Fantasy Baseball.

Starting point is 00:26:32 When you're league by listening to Matt and Dom every day as they bring you the best fantasy draft strategies. It's free and available wherever you get your podcast just like us, part of the Lockdowne podcast network, your team every day. And with that, have yourself a beautiful baseball day. And we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.

Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Mariners Catcher Brian O'Keefe Talks Hot Start in Tacoma, Making MLB Debut, Cal Raleigh, and More!

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