En la edición 181 de El Infield Podcast, Robinson Chirinos le cuenta a Freddy Chersia, Carlos Valmore Rodríguez y Efraín Zavarce los pormenores del proceso que lo llevó a ser nombrado coach de banca de los Orioles de Baltimore. El ex pelotero de los Navegantes del Magallanes también habla de su aspiración de convertirse en manager en las Grandes Ligas.
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00:00.
00:13This edition of infield is
00:14presented by.
00:17Boyd.
00:18Logistics look at us when
00:23look at us don't get here as.
00:24Both of baseball
00:26Carlos Balmores Rodríguez, Efraín Zavarze, and Freddy Echercia.
00:30Today we are at José Bernardo Pérez in Valencia,
00:33because we have the pleasure and pleasure of having Robinson Chirino again on the show.
00:40Now, the new coach of the Orioles of Baltimore.
00:43Robinson, welcome to the infield. It's a pleasure to have you here again.
00:47And well, this is your home.
00:49Yes, thank you, thank you for having me again on the show.
00:54I remember we did it for Zoom the last time,
00:58but I'm happy to share with all those fans who follow you.
01:02And nothing, you said Code Banca,
01:06at the time we talked last time,
01:09I was in full retirement doing other things,
01:12but someone who loves baseball,
01:15who at one point thought of returning,
01:19and well, thank God, doing it this way is wonderful.
01:22Robinson, of course, you have had an extraordinary,
01:26broad career, both in Venezuela and in the United States,
01:30but being Code Banca, doesn't it give you a certain fear,
01:36a certain, I don't know, maybe even a desire for spring to come quickly?
01:42How are those feelings in Robinson Chirino?
01:45Yes, look, a lot of responsibility.
01:48I think Code Banca assumes a lot of the commitments
01:52that the manager, for one reason or another, can't,
01:55maybe, dedicate 100% of his time to.
01:58And I said, even in the interviews they gave me,
02:03I was a player who came to be a player coach for my entire career.
02:08I understood the communication with the staff, with the players.
02:15One as a receiver, or at the time when I played,
02:18you know that the receiver is the one who shares with the pitchers,
02:23with the players, someone in the middle,
02:26who can create good relationships on both sides.
02:29I think that's one of the reasons we see so many receivers
02:33in positions like Code Banca, as managers,
02:36because they understand the two worlds that happen in a clubhouse and a dugout.
02:41So, I'm anxious, waiting for the time to come when I can work.
02:46It's a young, athletic team with a lot of expectations
02:51for next season.
02:53I'm happy to be part of the Orioles of Wharton.
02:56Robinson, uniforming yourself, working for a big league team
03:00will always be a great merit.
03:04You will always belong to the elite,
03:07regardless of the role you fulfill.
03:09But I think that one thing is to be a bank coach
03:12for any big league team,
03:14and another is to be a coach for the Orioles of Baltimore.
03:18Have you thought about that?
03:20About the situation, about the players,
03:24about what it represents for the expectations
03:27of the Orioles to be bank coaches for that particular team?
03:30Yes.
03:32I told them, I know them.
03:35The roster can be said to be 60%-70%
03:41of the players I had with them in 2022.
03:44Remember, it was the last team that belonged to the big leagues.
03:48But I think my contribution to the team will be tremendous.
03:56I told them, very humbly,
04:01that I will help them, with God's favor,
04:04to win a series.
04:06First, they haven't been able to do it in the playoffs.
04:09And with God's favor, a World Series.
04:11And that leads to a lot of work,
04:14to create relationships, to build trust,
04:16to help the guys, who are young,
04:19to have that transition,
04:21that they are already players
04:23who have two or three years in the big leagues
04:25and can feel like they are in the big leagues.
04:28There's a lot of work to do,
04:30but I'm happy to do it in that organization
04:32that was special to me in the last year.
04:35And with a tremendous depth in everything.
04:38Because I think we're going to have
04:40one of the best bullpen in the league.
04:42The Pichon-Abridol that there are,
04:44some injuries are going to improve.
04:47They are going to look for some signings
04:49that I think will be very important for the team.
04:51So, I think I closed every interview with them,
04:57because they interviewed me in every department.
05:00And I told them that God would allow me
05:03to have that blessing of being part of the staff
05:07and go out and compete with them.
05:09And with God's favor, win a World Series.
05:11Because I think the time of the Orioles is now.
05:13And that's how each session ended,
05:17or each end of the interviews.
05:20And I really believe it.
05:22Right now is the right time,
05:24as the American says in the organization.
05:27Robinson, I would like you to describe to us
05:30the moment when you found out
05:33that you had been chosen
05:35to coach the Orioles.
05:38Look, it was a long process.
05:42I don't know how many people interviewed,
05:49but I assume it was more than 5 or 6 people.
05:54It all started on the opening day of the league,
05:57on October 11th.
05:59It all started with the manager's intentions
06:05and the whole process of interviews
06:08with all the departments.
06:09Double interviews,
06:11because we did a second round of interviews.
06:13And the manager called me.
06:16We were in Mexico,
06:18playing against Panama.
06:23I think it was around 9 in the morning
06:27in Guadalajara.
06:28And the manager called me
06:30and told me that he was happy
06:32that I was officially the person
06:36that they chose to coach.
06:38And I was happy.
06:39I told him that I was very grateful
06:41that I was going to have someone working for me,
06:45that I think you know me.
06:48And them too,
06:49because they saw with their own eyes
06:51what I was as a player
06:54and what I am as a person.
06:56And I told him that I was going to work hard
06:59to make things happen this year
07:02and ask God for a lot of wisdom
07:04in a new area.
07:06You said a lot of commitment.
07:10At the same time,
07:11something that I already know,
07:13but ask God for a lot of discernment,
07:16direction,
07:17and hope that things go well
07:19and do my job in the best way.
07:47eSport.
07:49ApuestasRoyal.com
07:52We start today with Robinson Chirino.
07:55Robinson,
07:56for mortals like us
07:59who don't have the opportunity
08:01to witness or see this type of interview,
08:04what are these interviews like?
08:07Look, it's very interesting.
08:11One thing that was suggested to me
08:15and also from my own experience
08:18is to be authentic.
08:21And it was something that I kept
08:23throughout the interview process.
08:27It's really responding from the heart
08:29with experiences that one has.
08:32Even, maybe,
08:35not always in accordance
08:37with what they can suggest.
08:39For example,
08:40one of the questions
08:42that was asked to me
08:44by the analytics group
08:46was that if they made a suggestion
08:49to the manager to place a batter,
08:54and I saw that the batter
08:55wasn't at his best,
08:57what would I suggest to the manager?
09:02To make the suggestion
09:03that the analyst is making
09:06or to believe in what one is seeing
09:08as a coach, day to day?
09:10But it's controversial, right?
09:12Because you're asking me the same question
09:14that you're recommending to me,
09:15that I don't place a batter.
09:17Because, well, maybe...
09:18And more than that,
09:19how is the baseball today?
09:20Yes, maybe, you know,
09:21nowadays the analytics are so...
09:25so broad
09:26and they have so much data
09:28to suggest things to you
09:29that there comes in the swing of the player,
09:32the speed,
09:33and maybe the spin of the thrower,
09:36and one with the other,
09:37maybe they're not a good match
09:39and that's where the suggestion comes in
09:41that this swing is very slow
09:43and this thrower,
09:44Gary Cole, throws very hard with a spin,
09:46so he's going to have a bad day
09:49based on that data, right?
09:51So,
09:53that's where the real thing comes in
09:56and truly saying things
09:58as they should be.
09:59So I tell him,
10:01at that moment,
10:02I tell him,
10:03look,
10:04the data is something that
10:06I value,
10:07I used it a lot as a receiver,
10:09I believe,
10:10in the analytics,
10:11but the feel of the game
10:13and what you're seeing
10:14also has a lot of weight and meaning.
10:18Maybe,
10:19since the data is numbers,
10:22you don't see what I can be seeing.
10:24I saw the night before
10:26that he threw three punches,
10:28broke his helmet three times,
10:30he's frustrated,
10:31crying in a corner,
10:32and I can see that.
10:34And you don't see it in your recommendation
10:36and both are...
10:39valid, right?
10:40Because both have strength.
10:42But in my experience,
10:45I would tell Brandon, the manager,
10:47not to put him to play that day.
10:49I prefer to give him a day
10:51and let him rest mentally.
10:53And maybe go to the cage,
10:54work with the hitting coach
10:56because there's something that's not right
10:59and put him to play the next day.
11:01And they would laugh,
11:02maybe sarcastically,
11:05but well,
11:06because it's the reality.
11:07That's something they don't know.
11:09He told me,
11:10Robinson, I didn't play baseball.
11:12I only know the date,
11:14but this is something that's real,
11:16that makes sense,
11:18and that we respect.
11:20So,
11:21the interviews are like that.
11:23They're dynamic, long.
11:24We lasted...
11:27I interviewed with five different departments.
11:29Each department
11:31lasted an hour,
11:33an hour and a half
11:34in each one.
11:37But,
11:38it was very interesting.
11:40I think that
11:42my mom always says that
11:44baseball has been my school
11:46and my university,
11:47she says, and it's real.
11:49Because, well,
11:50everything I was able to experience
11:51and my experience in baseball
11:53led me to be prepared
11:55for such a strong interview
11:57and such a demanding one like that.
11:59But,
12:00it was a beautiful process
12:02and,
12:03well,
12:04I'm grateful to God
12:05for giving me this wonderful opportunity
12:07to return to the major leagues
12:09and be able to have,
12:11if you want,
12:15access to all areas,
12:16which was something that I,
12:18you see, I prayed a lot to God
12:20that I could return to areas
12:22where I could truly impact
12:24the whole team,
12:26not just one area.
12:28Maybe a lot of people don't know this,
12:30but,
12:31the last three years
12:34I've had a lot of offers
12:36to return to the major leagues.
12:38Even in the
12:40offseason of 2021,
12:42when I had just played
12:44a good second half of the season
12:46with the Chicago Pups,
12:48I did well.
12:50I thought I was going to get a contract
12:53for what I had done.
12:55The first calls I had
12:57were to be a coach,
12:59that offseason,
13:00not for a player,
13:01which was interesting, right?
13:03But I had a lot of opportunities
13:05to return,
13:06maybe in other roles.
13:08After I retired,
13:09I wanted to spend some time
13:11with my family,
13:12with my children,
13:13with my wife.
13:14And well,
13:15this opportunity came,
13:16which was how I wanted to return
13:18to the Major League,
13:19and I'm grateful that God
13:21was able to give me this blessing
13:23to do it this way.
13:26Robinson,
13:27when it was known
13:29that you were going to return,
13:31of course,
13:32there was the question
13:33of whether that was going to alter
13:35Robinson Chirino's plan
13:37in Magallanes.
13:38The fact that you are already here,
13:40it was thought that
13:42you were going to deal
13:44more with office matters
13:46than other things,
13:48but I understand that Eduardo Pérez
13:50was very, very interested
13:52in you staying here
13:54in uniform as a counselor,
13:56and I wanted to ask you
13:58specifically about that.
13:59Yes, Carlos, look,
14:01I am someone who
14:03assumes my commitments
14:05and I finish them.
14:06I even,
14:07when Brandon called me,
14:09I told him that I had commitments
14:11with Omar and the team in Mexico,
14:13which was at that time in Guadalajara.
14:15I told him that I had commitments
14:17here in Venezuela,
14:18and my idea is to finish them.
14:20Understanding that there will be times
14:23when I have to go out
14:25for things from the Orioles,
14:26meetings that we have,
14:28for example,
14:2915, 16, 17,
14:31we have meetings that I have to go
14:33to the last,
14:34but you know the love
14:37that I have for this franchise.
14:39It has been worked hard
14:40from the first day I got here
14:42to build the team
14:43that we currently have,
14:45and we hope in God
14:47to advance and have the opportunity
14:49to compete for the championship.
14:51I told Eduardo and Luis
14:53that I don't want to be a distraction
14:57for them,
14:58or everything that is being done.
15:00It may be that maybe
15:02I have a day down here
15:04and other days up there
15:06with Luis and more in the office,
15:09understanding that I have to go out
15:11on the 15th and 16th
15:12so that it is not that I arrived,
15:15I left, I arrived, I left,
15:17and it is not the idea.
15:18The idea is that I remain focused
15:20on how they are doing it,
15:21things are going well,
15:23the team looks healthy
15:26and things are moving forward.
15:28So I want to keep it that way,
15:30I don't want to be a distraction.
15:32So we are going to handle it
15:33in the best way,
15:34wisely,
15:35so that things
15:37continue to go positive.
15:39A brief pause
15:41and we will return
15:42with the final part
15:43of this conversation
15:44with Robinson Chirinos
15:45on the Infield Podcast.
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16:16We continue with Robinson Chirinos
16:18on the Infield Podcast.
16:19Robinson,
16:20you have been part
16:21of Omar López's coaching staff
16:23at Premier 12,
16:25which in this opportunity
16:26served to ensure
16:27that Venezuela had
16:28its best performance
16:29in that tournament.
16:30Omar López is a coach
16:31on the bench
16:32of a great league team.
16:33Did you have the opportunity
16:34to talk about
16:35the nature,
16:37the peculiarities
16:39of your new job?
16:41Look,
16:42Omar's work is tremendous,
16:44all the staff's work,
16:46everyone's commitment,
16:48it was really nice
16:50to see him
16:52as we were every day
16:55looking for ways
16:57to give the most information
16:59to the players
17:00so that they were prepared
17:02and went out to compete.
17:04And I really feel proud
17:06to have been part
17:07of that staff,
17:08especially,
17:09as you say,
17:10the first time we advanced
17:11to the Super Ronda,
17:13the games allowed us
17:14to be today
17:15in third place
17:16at the world level
17:17for the first time
17:18in the history
17:19of Venezuela
17:20in that position.
17:21So many positive things.
17:22I told the players,
17:24and I take advantage
17:25of the cameras
17:26so that they understand
17:30that, well,
17:31wearing the Venezuelan jersey
17:34I can say
17:35is even bigger
17:37than wearing
17:38the Magallanes,
17:39Caracas,
17:40in this case
17:41that we play here today.
17:42Because at the end of the day,
17:43before being Magallanero,
17:44Caraquista,
17:45we are Venezuelans,
17:46right?
17:47And I had the opportunity
17:49to be in the formation
17:52of that team.
17:54It was very difficult
17:55to structure the team,
17:57very difficult
17:58because of the permission
17:59of the teams,
18:00because of personal situations,
18:03the players.
18:04So I told them,
18:05at the end,
18:06I told them,
18:07look,
18:08we didn't become champions,
18:09but we advanced.
18:11At the time,
18:12someone was going to be
18:14with the cup,
18:15celebrating the first place.
18:17But it's everyone's job.
18:19That was my message at the end.
18:20It's everyone's job
18:22to tell the players,
18:24their teammates,
18:25the teams where they are,
18:26that this experience is beautiful,
18:28that when they call you,
18:31they all want to jump,
18:32and rather it's difficult
18:34because there are many good players
18:37to structure a team.
18:38And I hope that
18:41is the goal
18:42not only of the federation,
18:44in this case,
18:45or of Omar,
18:46who was in front of the team,
18:50but of all the players
18:52and all of you,
18:53all of us who are part
18:54of this beautiful world
18:55of baseball.
18:56That when we have events like this
18:58that happen every four years,
19:00we can give our best.
19:02And our best version
19:04is to want to participate
19:06and, of course,
19:07put the name of Venezuela
19:08at the top.
19:10Regarding the conversations,
19:12yes, Omar helped me a lot.
19:15He was one of the first people
19:17I called to ask him,
19:19look Omar,
19:20I'm going to interview
19:21for the Orioles' job.
19:23You went through this
19:24last year.
19:25How are the interviews?
19:26What do you think
19:27I should do?
19:28He advised me a lot.
19:30Even every day in Mexico,
19:33he would tell me,
19:34are you ready?
19:35Because, well,
19:36after they tell you yes,
19:39in the case that it was
19:41our second day in Mexico,
19:43which was the game
19:44against Panama,
19:45that Brandon calls me,
19:47well, a background check
19:50comes in,
19:53that everything is good,
19:54that we have to sign a lot of things,
19:56that we have to do
19:57a paperwork,
19:58which is not done officially
19:59until the whole process
20:00is over.
20:01And Omar, every day,
20:03Robin says,
20:04are you ready?
20:05Tell me,
20:06I want to tell the group
20:07and I want everyone
20:08to be happy
20:09about this achievement
20:11that you have.
20:12And in the end,
20:13we did it in Japan,
20:15where everything
20:16had already happened.
20:18And it was done,
20:19well, on Sunday,
20:21on Monday,
20:22the news comes out
20:24that the Orioles
20:26make it official.
20:27But in itself,
20:29Omar announces it
20:31on Thursday,
20:33because it was the day
20:34that the internal official
20:35was made,
20:37and Omar announced it
20:38to the group.
20:39We asked for a description,
20:40which was something,
20:41someone told me,
20:42how did this not leak?
20:44And I took off the hat
20:45with Omar,
20:46all the staff
20:47and the players
20:48who were there,
20:49because it was something
20:50that the Orioles asked me
20:51to share,
20:52but keep it private,
20:55because they wanted
20:56to be the first
20:57to announce it.
20:58And well,
20:59they did it on Monday
21:00and Omar,
21:01tremendous,
21:02we talked about things,
21:03he gave me advice
21:04on how to do things
21:05within that role.
21:07And well,
21:08as Omar said,
21:09Carlos Mendoza wrote to me,
21:11and many people wrote to me,
21:12right, from the industry,
21:14that, well,
21:15look, here we are,
21:16we are countrymen,
21:17whatever you need,
21:18you can count on me,
21:19and we can support each other.
21:21And it has been nice
21:22to receive all those messages,
21:24those calls,
21:25that they want to
21:28put a grain of sand
21:30and help me,
21:31in this case,
21:32Carlos, Omar,
21:33who have already gone
21:34down that path
21:35that I'm going to start,
21:37to see that they leave
21:40their responsibilities
21:42and everything they have to do
21:43to tell me
21:44that I'm here
21:45and whatever they need.
21:46It fills me with pride
21:49to be Venezuelan
21:50and that Venezuelan people
21:52have that gesture
21:53against me,
21:54it's wonderful.
21:56Last question Robinson,
21:57I wanted to ask you,
21:58how long do you see yourself
22:00as a manager
22:01in major leagues?
22:03Look,
22:04time,
22:06God knows,
22:07I told you,
22:08I remember in that interview
22:09that I would like to be a manager
22:12in the future,
22:13in major leagues.
22:15I understand that
22:17it's not something,
22:18as much as I would like it to happen
22:20tomorrow,
22:21next year,
22:22or in three or four years,
22:23I don't have the power
22:27to tell you that,
22:29but yes,
22:30keep preparing,
22:31keep doing
22:33the best I can,
22:35where God has me at this moment,
22:37which is coach of the bench,
22:38and get the most out of this role,
22:42and when it comes,
22:43it will come,
22:44I think you have to be prepared,
22:46when the opportunity comes,
22:47I was someone who,
22:48as a player,
22:49said,
22:50opportunities don't come to everyone,
22:52the key is to be prepared
22:53for the opportunity,
22:55and in this case,
22:57going back to the coach of the bench,
22:59people think that maybe,
23:03more than anything,
23:04the media in the United States
23:06thinks that I finished playing
23:08and that's it,
23:09I don't have experience,
23:10but the Jordioles know
23:12that I managed 50 games
23:13in the major leagues,
23:14that I'm doing things,
23:17here in Magallanes,
23:20for example,
23:21one of my responsibilities
23:22is to run the foundations
23:24of the team,
23:25I ran the three or four weeks
23:28of the season here,
23:29together with Eduardo of course,
23:31and they,
23:32we did a planning,
23:34but I was in charge
23:35of all those practices,
23:37the organization,
23:38of running all that,
23:39that everything went well,
23:41you know,
23:42I've been able to prepare myself
23:44with Marineros,
23:45and now with Magallanes,
23:47in many of the things
23:48that I'm going to have to do
23:50in the Jordioles,
23:51so,
23:52going back to that question,
23:54to continue preparing myself,
23:55to continue growing in this area,
23:57now as a coach,
23:58and when that time comes,
24:00ask God for a lot of direction
24:02and discernment
24:03to do the best things possible.
24:05And to close this question
24:06with sarcasm,
24:07are you sure
24:08that when they vote for Brandon High,
24:10you're going to run the team?
24:12Look, we hope that...
24:14It's a game, right?
24:15Of course, right?
24:16Yes,
24:17I'm sure,
24:18I'm sure that
24:19I'm going to be there,
24:21prepared and ready
24:22to...
24:24to...
24:27to assume those responsibilities
24:29when that time comes.
24:30Brandon is a...
24:31a calm guy,
24:33last year they voted for him
24:35only once,
24:36so,
24:37if he comes, he comes,
24:38but if he doesn't,
24:39to...
24:40to help this team
24:42to move forward this year,
24:44and with God's favor,
24:45to be the champion,
24:46because we have the talent.
24:49Thank you Robinson
24:50for having
24:51shared with us
24:52once again
24:53in the infield,
24:54and well,
24:55the next time
24:56we talk,
24:57he's going to be
24:58wearing an Oriol uniform.
24:59That's right,
25:00greetings,
25:01thank you very much,
25:02and blessings still,
25:03to Magallanes,
25:04here, support us,
25:05I promise that today
25:06we're going to beat
25:07Caracas,
25:08here in Valencia.
25:09With Robinson Chirino,
25:10we say goodbye
25:11in this edition
25:12of the Infield Podcast
25:13through Baseball Play.
25:14This episode
25:15of the Infield Podcast
25:16was presented
25:17by
25:18Apuestas Royal,
25:20Gerakargo Logistics,
25:22whatever you want,
25:23whenever you want,
25:24wherever you want.