1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: It's the Ray Appleton Podcast from KMJ and kmjnow dot com. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: I mentioned this in the monologue and the number is 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 2: just so deflated. How can anybody make this much money 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 2: in sports? Now, I'm not saying in sports as a putdown. 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 2: You know, it could be selling door knobs and it 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 2: would still be amazing when we're talking about two hundred 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: and forty million dollars. That's the deal with the Dodgers 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 2: and this guy Kyle Tucker, and I mean it's he 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 2: says he was ultimately swayed by the Los Angeles Dodgers championship. Detigrade, 10 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 2: You think you think helping me out on this, because 11 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: you know, I'm not a sports guy unless it's boxing 12 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: or something. I love boxing. But the chief sports advisor, 13 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,959 Speaker 2: extraordinarrator John and Christina, they've let me borrow him. Christopher Gabriel, 14 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: I come in and talk about this and this is 15 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 2: a lot of do dude, a lot of dude doed, 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 2: but dough, jeez, I'm not that tired talking about lack 17 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: of sleep. And then some of the other owners you know, 18 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,559 Speaker 2: are calling for a salary cap. But as you said, 19 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 2: the union ain't gonna let that happen. 20 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: Well, First of all, Ray, thanks for welcoming me. It's 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: always a pleasure to come on your show. Before we 22 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: get to that guy, just I host in this studio, 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: as you know, Monday through Friday six to nine. Now, 24 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: when I come in here for your show, there's a 25 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: taco bar, there's a fresh juice bar over here. You 26 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: got a personal chef. I just should know. I'm impressed. 27 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 2: Has anybody believe that? Come down for lunch right now? 28 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: You know, the the numbers here are unbelievable, and especially 29 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: unbelievable when you look at Kyle Tucker. He's only the 30 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: fourth highest paid player on the Dodgers. He doesn't even 31 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: have the most expensive contract. Wait a minute, wait a minute, 32 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: Oh god, yeah, suh yeah, sho heyo. Tani's at ten years, 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: seven hundred million. I knew that, Yeah, I knew that. 34 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: But then you go to Mookie Betts twelve years, three 35 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty five million, and so on. They've got 36 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: eight players right now that are making over one hundred 37 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: million dollars. And the argument goes back to the nineties. 38 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: Even should Major League Baseball have a salary cap, because 39 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: the NFL has one, the NBA has one. There's a 40 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: hard cap in the NHL and players Ray, It's not 41 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: going to happen in Major League Baseball because the Major 42 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: League Baseball Players Association, the NBPL it is the strongest, 43 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: most powerful union in professional sports, and there's no way 44 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: on God's green Earth that they're ever going to agree 45 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: to that. 46 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: Ray never two hundred and forty million dollars though. Still still, 47 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: what do we know about this guy Kyle Tucker? Now again, 48 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: I'm sure people have heard of him, but I haven't. 49 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: He's a great player. 50 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 2: He's where was he played. 51 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: He's infielder, He's he is. He's a guy that can 52 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: can hit to all fields, he can hit for power. 53 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: He's a great fielder, and he's a great locker room presence. 54 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: You know, he's a good dude. He's just what. He's 55 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: one of these guys that he'll kiss the babies at 56 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: the mall. He is a great pr guy. And he 57 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: is to the Dodgers what the Yankees would do back 58 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: in the George Steinbern, Yeah, we were talking about Yeah, 59 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: you know you and I go back to that Ara, 60 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: your producer does not he's a baby. But the fact 61 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: is this ain't new and the Dodgers have a payroll 62 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: right now, you want you want to talk about numbers, 63 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: right let me give you a number the Dodgers guaranteed 64 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: salary for twenty twenty six. Here it is two billion, 65 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: one hundred and fourteen million, thirty seven thousand, five hundred dollars. 66 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: And they're making that kind of dough. They are making 67 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: that kind of dough. And the Dodgers will tell you 68 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: ray with Kyle Tucker. They'll tell you with Sho Hey 69 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: o Tani, they said, yeah, we signed him to seven 70 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: hundred million over ten years, and we are making a 71 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: return on our investment because of luxury suite sales and rentals, 72 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: because of merchandising, because of network ratings, because of ad ratings, 73 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: because of vendors, you name it. They are thrilled with 74 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: that they're making their money back. 75 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: You are telling me and I probably a lot of 76 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 2: people going to say, Appleton, you didn't know that that 77 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 2: You're in Hawaii and there were Dodger shops. I can't 78 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: believe that. 79 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: Walking down the street down in Honolulu near you know, Wakiki, 80 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: and there was a it was a whole Dodger shop 81 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: and I was inside there and it is Dodger stuff everywhere, 82 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: and there was a guy who would you know here, 83 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: typical guy from Kansas, because I asked him and he goes, 84 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: excuse me to the owner, he goes, do you have 85 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: anything else in there? He goes, it's a Dodger shop. 86 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: Cool. 87 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: No, No, it's all Dodgers. It's like when you go 88 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: to the shop in New York that's just lamps. It's 89 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: just lamps, right, there's nothing else, but yeah, the Dodgers, 90 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: they're they're huge. And of course in Japan, in Hawaii 91 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: you have a very large Asian population, a lot of 92 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: folks who have moved there or who travel there from Japan. 93 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: Show hey Otani and players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a pitcher 94 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: on the Dodgers, very popular and they want to see 95 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: their heroes and they do, and they can get those 96 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: items for a lot cheaper in Hawaii, believe it or not. 97 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: So that's why that's there. 98 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 2: The one thing that would bring me if I were 99 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 2: a player for the Dodgers, just an average player making 100 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 2: half a million dollars or whatever an average player would make, 101 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 2: is when they go on road trips, this guy gets 102 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 2: a hotel suite that's what would piss me off? Yeah, 103 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 2: and now that would I mean the rest of the Cats. 104 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 2: I would be thinking, Oh, geez, can we bunk on 105 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: your floor? Dude? 106 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: That's that caught my attention to because there's got to 107 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: be other guys that are like, woll, how come I 108 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: don't have that deal? You know, going back to your 109 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 1: original premise here, the question becomes who has a stronger 110 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,359 Speaker 1: will in this? Because there's thirty owners and it only 111 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: takes eight right to block a labor agreement. But the 112 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: problem is they're not going to get eight. They're not 113 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: going to get eight. That's exactly right. They're not going 114 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: to get eight. And even if they did, who has 115 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: to sign off on it, the Major League Baseball Players Association, 116 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: and they are not going to do that. 117 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,559 Speaker 2: Well, that's a double dip. Yes, yeah, so this guy's safe. 118 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: And how many players did you say? We're making more than. 119 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: Him in Los Angeles? Eight seven? Well more than him 120 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: three eight overall over one hundred million. They got the 121 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: three guys over Kyle Tucker, who's four years two hundred 122 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: and forty million. You have sho Heyo Tani, Mookie Betts, 123 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: and Yoshinobo Yamamodo. 124 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,799 Speaker 2: That's incredible because when I got this story today from Josh, 125 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: I thought, oh, well, he's, you know, the highest played 126 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 2: payer in creation, but apparently not. 127 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: You know, Ray, there's another component of this story that's 128 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,359 Speaker 1: that's worth mentioning. And this is something that you see 129 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: in hockey, especially you know hockey this year. The hardcap 130 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: this year in hockey is ninety nine point five million. 131 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 1: The floor and this is the key, is seventy point 132 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 1: six million. What a lot of the large market players, 133 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 1: a lot of players in general, are saying, is listen, 134 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: the problem isn't our big salaries. The problem is teams 135 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,799 Speaker 1: like the White Sox, the Miami Marlins, the Tampa Bay Rays. 136 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: They're not spending enough. Chicago is market three. As we 137 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 1: all know, they have a massive amount of money at 138 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: their disposal and their payroll this year. Ray, think about 139 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: the two billion dollars I told you With the Dodgers. 140 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: Their payroll this year is one hundred and two million, 141 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: four hundred thousand, and they have an owner who's got 142 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: more money to burn, literally, and he won't spend it 143 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: because he doesn't believe that's the way baseball contracts should 144 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: be structured. This is the same owner Jerry Reinstorff, who 145 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: owns the Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan fell in his lap, 146 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: and he didn't really want to pay any of them 147 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: as well, until his general manager, Jerry Crouse, said to him, 148 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: here's the problem. 149 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 2: They're gonna leave. Oh, they're gonna leave. You have to 150 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 2: pay them. I mean, you think in Chicago, right for 151 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 2: crying out loud, you know. 152 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: The Cups, I mean, the Cups pay I mean, the 153 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: Cups payroll right now is four hundred and twenty two million, 154 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: five hundred and twenty five thousand. But even that, Ray, 155 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: that is a low number for the city of Chicago, 156 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: for an ownership group there that should be able to 157 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: pay more. It's it's insane. And I listen, we're seeing 158 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: the same thing in college sports now where you have 159 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: a cap now that is going to be instituted starting 160 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: next year that was negotiated where in terms of the 161 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: amount of money that schools can play pairs players, it's 162 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: twenty point five million. It's gonna go up exponentially four percent. 163 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: But that's not where it ends, Ray, because you have 164 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: third parties, local advertisers, businesses and stuff that can pay 165 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: these guys million more. 166 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Because when we're talking about this 167 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: guy making two hundred and forty mil, we're not even 168 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 2: looking at what's gonna come to him on the outside. Ray, 169 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 2: he's guys, he's gonna be. 170 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: Over a billion dollars because of his his shoe deal, 171 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: his clothing deal. He's I think mid twenties, late twenties 172 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: right in there. He's a young he's a youngster, but 173 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 1: a good guy. He's a good Oh, he's a good guy. 174 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: Kyle Tucker helps he is a he's a good guy. Yes, 175 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: it's it helps us. He goes by in his Bentley. 176 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 2: All right, time for you to go home. All right, 177 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 2: thank you so much. I understand a little bit better. 178 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: Now when you when you call, when the ray bat 179 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: light goes up, I'm here, Ray. 180 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 2: Thanks brother, you got it. Christopher Gabriel, Ladies and gentlemen, 181 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: and the story of Kyle Tucker on KMJAY. Let's take 182 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 2: a break and we will continue doing whatever we're doing here. 183 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 2: We're gonna hear from the President next not live stuff. 184 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,319 Speaker 2: We're gonna go to Davos and hear what he had 185 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 2: to say the other day.