 Any more information on how CeCe bounced back? He's out there stretching today now, and we'll play catch and everything. Just talking to him when he came in, said he felt good, so so far encouraging. What do you need to hear from him? What do you need to see from him for him to be on that roster for the ALCS? I think completing the bounce back today and that he is sound, we'll have some more conversations about it and try and make a good decision one way or the other here over the next 24 hours. And with Hicks, is it just a matter of being healthy, or is it a matter of you thinking he can be effective as well based on the amount of time that he's in? Yeah, it's a combo of both of those and coupled with our roster. The good thing is that he's put himself in this position to make it a decision. Obviously, as good a player as he is, that's exciting. So we'll have some tough decisions here over the next 24 hours as we work this out and what kind of makes the most sense, and we'll try and make a sound one. But he's put himself in that conversation. Kenny and Eric? Aaron, is starting Hicks in game one on the list of options? Could be, yeah. I mean, I would say he could potentially be a starter, be off the bench, not be on. I mean, I think they're all legitimately things we've got to consider and what makes the most sense for us. So we'll try and make it as good an evaluation as we can. Is part of that consideration that if it ain't broke, don't fix that idea, just how good Guardi is with the center, how good the stands at bats, and just all of that. Yeah, I mean, that certainly complicates it a little bit because we've been very successful and the guys that we have are playing really well. So that certainly complicates it and kind of the unknown because Aaron, he hasn't played in games or anything like that, and it's been a while. So the good thing is that he is healthy and put himself in that conversation. Aaron. The decisions with CeCe and with Hicks and then the other final decision is the roster. How much will that be impacted by what happens in tonight's game? It could factor in a little bit. There could be a decision based on the opponent for a spot or two. We're talking about a handful of guys for the final couple spots. And I think opponent will come into play a little bit. Meredith, do you have a question? Brian, over here to the left. Aaron, we've seen you be more aggressive this year with your bullpen. How much of that is a response to any criticism you got last year about sticking with starters too long? I mean, I kind of go into the game and go into series and try and have a blueprint or a plan in place that obviously is always fluid. And you've got to make adjustments on the fly. But just trying to do whatever to what's going to give us the best chance to win. So I don't know if it's a response to anything or just trying to be as prepared as I can be to make sound decisions. And that's ongoing. What did you make of that last year? Make of what? When people thought that you stuck with secondary bat here and persevered on too long. I always talk about baseball that a lot of decisions are gray. And sometimes you make a decision and it works out. And not necessarily the right one. But usually decisions made and certainly in the postseason are always up for debate. And that's part of it. And you kind of know that going in. And all you can do is be as prepared and as focused as you can be to try and make sound decisions to help us win. And so I don't, it's all part of it. You've used DJ at first base. Would you feel comfortable using N. Karnasio in there? Or in your mind is he your DH for the postseason? No, I'd be comfortable with Edwin at first. Feel like he's healthy and sound. Feel like he plays a pretty good first base. So yeah, that's, I would always be comfortable going that way if there was the right situation. Sweetie Passett, behind you to Marley when you're done. You've been asked a lot of questions in the last two weeks about how you have changed or what you've done better. How much are there tangible ways that your team is better than the one you took over? I'd like to think that we are better, that we're a year more mature in a lot of ways from some of our key guys. I've always, from day one that I got to spend with these guys in spring training and really starting to get to know them last year, I've always felt from a makeup standpoint we're really strong and really good. That said, I think there's another level of experience, of focus, and perhaps the biggest thing, hunger. That's one word I've used to describe these guys a lot this year. I feel like they're really hungry. And they've shown that in the most normal of days during the year and continue to show it now when these, when the stakes are really high, obviously. But I think that hunger is something this team has in a big time way. Erin, can you learn anything from watching other managers work in the post-season? Does it have to be a personal experience? I think you probably learn. I watch a lot of baseball throughout the year. Try and pay attention a little bit to what's going on. I'm certainly in the playoffs watching these games. Sometimes you sit down, you watch the whole game. Sometimes you're in and out a little bit. But hopefully you're kind of always growing from your experiences. And that's not always just as a player or as a manager in your own game. I think there's always things to be learned. And I've been in this game my entire life pretty much. And I think all the experiences you have going back to childhood and being around things, hopefully you take with you and you learn from and you grow from and adds to your level of experience. Behind Marley. Erin, defensively, compared to last year's club, do you feel like you've improved overall? And are there any specific players that have taken strides in that area that you've noticed? I do. I think game three was a big reason we won that game was our defense. And you look around the diamond, I think Labor's made huge strides this year defensively. Right now with the lineup we're running out there where you have DJ, a middle and fielder basically playing first base. Obviously a lot of talk about what Gio's meant to our club and how good he's been defensively. I think our outfields played incredibly well. As good an outfielder as Aaron Judge is, I think he's gotten better this year. I think he's had an amazing defensive year. Guardi's been terrific in center. John Carlo coming back from the knee injury, I think it's been sound in left field and then have the ability to go to cam. I feel like we're strong in a lot of ways. Gary, I feel like, continued to make big strides defensively. Didi, and as steady as he is. So I feel very confident in our defense. Feel like it played a role in us having a successful first series. Just a quick, quick follow up to that one. Defensive metrics have gotten better. They're still not great. But do you think that that's one area of the game where the eye test is still just as important as it always was? Or can you quantify it a little bit better with numbers as opposed to in the past? Yeah, I think you can quantify better. The eye test is still important. Context is still important. And those are things you hopefully are always considering when making evaluations or determinations. So we try and look at all those things. But overall, defensively, I feel like we are a better club. Aaron, it seems like young players are having more impact all over the game. And then on the other end of the spectrum, somebody like Brett Gardner playing the best baseball maybe of his career at his age. Just wondering, what have you kind of learned about Guardi just being up close with him for two years as opposed to watching him from afar? Really tough. He's a hard-nosed blue-collar old-school grinded-out player. Despite being 36, is that what he is? I mean, you look at him, he's physically very sound, very fit. Obviously still runs well and is strong and takes care of his body and has shown to be durable. So even though he's been through the rigors and gotten beat up in different ways like everyone does that plays every day, I feel like he's got a younger man's body. And in part of that, that's a gift. He's physically, he's a stud. Over to the left, Anthony and Dave. Aaron, what do you think of the championship belt thing that the players are doing after wins? And is it true, as reported, that you got one after the savages? I love the belt. It's been a team-building thing for us. In a way, it's created some competition. Guys want to fight for it, want to perform for it. It's fun to see teammates talk through it and have to give it out. So I think it's been something that, especially in the course of a long season, is something that adds to the camaraderie of things and even the competition of things. I got one once. I don't know. Dave. Aaron, how difficult is it in this kind of day and age, and I think last night, Dave Roberts was talking about having faith and trusting in players, and to balance that with what your game strategy says and what the numbers say and what your plan is going into the game. You have a loyal to these players, obviously, but at the same time, you have to try to do it as surgically maybe as possible. Is that a hard line to walk? That's part of the job. It's a big part of the job. So I mean, you love your players and you're in it with them. And I try and be as loyal as it comes. But I think when you communicate with people and have a relationship with people, it makes difficult decisions. I don't know about any easier, but it makes them maybe everyone understands it and at least respects it. And hopefully, we have that with this group, and I believe we do. Randy and Joe, we'll take a few more. Can you talk about the challenge that you guys would face if it's Houston that you play? And then also, if it's Tampa, if they win, they would have beaten the big three pitchers in a row. Yeah. I think both teams are great and present serious trouble, competition for us. And I know we'll have to play really well to beat both teams, whoever it ends up being. Obviously, with Tampa being in our division, we know them well. We know what makes them successful. We know how difficult it can be when you go in there. And even though we had some success against them in the regular season this year, you always know how difficult it is and how well we had to play to have that success. Obviously, with Houston, I think a lot of people would look at them as going into this postseason as kind of the odds-on favorite, really a complete team with elite starting pitching and a good bullpen and star players. And we know they're a load. So we're really excited to whoever it may end up being. And we know we'll have our work cut out for us. But I think our guys relish that opportunity. Aaron, coming off a sweep, where things are clicking offensively and defensively, as you mentioned, is there a desire to get back out there and play? And how do you deal with this layoff? And anything you do to kind of stay sharp and make sure that momentum carries over? Yeah, I talked about this a little bit yesterday. As a player and even looking back the last couple of years, that would always make me a little nervous, a little anxious. I completely have a different view with these guys of that. Part of the reason we wanted to win game three so bad, or I did anyway, was, man, I look forward having a few days off for these guys. Because I think it really serves them well. It really benefits them. And I think they do a great job. And I think in this day and age, it's easier to stay sharp just with facilities and things you're able to do, whether it's high speed machines and breaking balls, if you want to see that. Or going into the last series, we had some sim game situation where guys that wanted it, bats could get it, bats. So I know our guys will use this as an opportunity to kind of recover a little bit, stay fresh. And I know we'll come out and be focused. And I feel like sharp when that bell rings. Tina. Aaron, you have such a unique roster. And of course, it keeps changing depending on who's coming back and who you're going to select. But when you talk about that hunger, guys have won World Series before. Some are looking to have never been this far in the post-season. Where is that all coming from? That it seems like it's so unified, this hunger that this team has. Yeah. I think that's something that's internal with these guys. I think it's something that our leadership does a really good job of kind of living and instilling. And guys kind of get caught up and swallowed up in the culture, I think. And I think there's always a fine line between, I think we got a lot of good guys in that room that you'd want to go to dinner with or hang out with. But also a healthy dose of an edge that they play with that serves them well in the grind of a 162 game season. But also think here in the playoffs where there's so much riding on every pitch. And it's something I really think those guys have in them which is important. We'll take two more, Mike and Jack. And I guess before we go for planning purposes, Judge and Stanton will speak tomorrow, wherever we are after the workout in the interview room. And then tonight, we will send out via email after the completion of game five media outlines for what we're going to do tomorrow, as far as availability and workout times and stuff. Mike. Aaron, just in terms of the lineup that you guys have had, obviously you're going to be facing tough pitch controllers to what team you play. What kind of elements do you feel like, and Karnas Yon, Lamehue, or Shil have added to your lineup that maybe you didn't have in 2018? I think the strength in numbers that kind of completes our lineup and makes us long, you know, I think, because they're all tough outs, you know, in different kind of ways, I think when you have nine guys that are tough outs that are giving tough quality at bats, I think that's something that's served them all well as a group. And probably over the course of games, you know, eventually leads to some mistakes, eventually leads to, you know, some innings where we've really broken through. And it's not necessarily all just that inning where, you know, we threw up a crooked number or threw up a five or a six spot, you know. That happens sometimes in the innings leading up to that and the toughness and the quality of it bats. And I feel like that's what they have maybe as their biggest strength is the quality one through nine and how that can wear down in the opponent. Last one, Jack. Erin, I think we all understand that arrested bullpen is an asset, but you guys really seem to take that to a higher level with your big four in September. For instance, Chapman through 70 pitches in the month of September. I can't imagine a healthy closer contending for a postseason spot was ever used that infrequently. Can you take us behind the curtain a little bit and describe was there a voice or a series of voices or a meeting where someone said, or hey, we want these guys to be ready for October. Let's plot out the plan at the end of September in this manner. No, it actually just kind of unfolded that way a little bit in September. I mean, we were playing it straight, honestly, so there were games where Chapi's situation that we're pretty disciplined on didn't present itself. So we ended up having to get him into a couple of games just because he hadn't pitched in a handful. We were gonna, all right, he's in there today in some form or fashion. We stayed disciplined to picking a spot where we felt like a guy needed an extra day. We would do that, but in most of those games our guys were available and we were gonna bring them into their normal high leverage situation. Obviously we stay away from, during the regular season, try to stay away from the three in a row and more than three out of four and try and be mindful of that, but we didn't specifically get away from that at all. In September, I think the games just kind of went in that direction that we had some guys down more often because of the daily score of the game or the result of the game sometimes.