1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: But he also just wanted to be one of the guys. 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: He just wanted to be a baseball player. He just 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: wanted to come to the park, be grade at a job, 4 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: and go home after the game. 5 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 2: Welcome into North Side Territory, The Foul Territory Networks Cubs Podcast. 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 2: I'm Sahadev Sharma with my co host Patrick Mooney, where 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 2: your Cubs beat writers at the Athletic. Patrick, we have 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: a special guest this week due to the Ryan Samberg 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 2: statue ceremony. Ryan Samberg, one of the greatest Cubs of 10 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 2: all time, finally gets his day to honor him out 11 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 2: in the Gallagher Way. 12 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, and there's no better person to talk about kind 13 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 3: of Ryan Samberg's legacy at Wrigley Field, his impact on 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 3: the Cubs franchise, Like what really drove this guy and 15 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 3: it's Barry Rosner. He spent about forty years at the 16 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 3: Daily Herald. He was a Cubs beat writer, a long 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 3: time columnist, so he covered all sports in Chicago and 18 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: was really plugged in to every franchise. And he also 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 3: did a ton of work on TV on six seventy 20 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 3: of the Score. Just like a guy who had great 21 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 3: just common sense in a way to explain what was 22 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 3: going on. He surprisingly didn't curse during our conversation with him, 23 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 3: But I think we both came away from it thinking, like, Man, 24 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 3: I could listen to Barry tell stories for like the 25 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 3: next seven seven hours. We kept it tighter than that, 26 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 3: but I think you'll come away with a really good 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 3: understanding of like, who is this guy kind of underneath 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 3: the statue, and like why the Cubs are doing this 29 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 3: this weekend? 30 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: All right, Patrick, Let's get to our guest. Barry Rosner 31 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 2: covered the Cubs for the Daily Herald for a very 32 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: long time. Let's put it that way. Barry thirty seven 33 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: years at the Daily Hair World first sidebar on the 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: Cubs in nineteen eighty five. I won't embarrass Barry and 35 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 2: tell you how old I was at that time, Barry, 36 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: but I was alive, so hey, I'm not one of 37 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 2: those young, annoying reporters, you know. 38 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: So. 39 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,239 Speaker 2: And I did get the Daily Herald at my house. 40 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 2: That was, we did not get the Tribune of there sometimes. 41 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: I grew up reading the Daily Herald my teenage years. 42 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: I read a lot of Barry Rosner beat writer from 43 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety for a decade and then a columnist, Barry. 44 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 2: We got Ryan Samberg retire not retirement ceremony statue coming 45 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 2: up on Sunday. I mean the statue is better than 46 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: any retirement ceremony of the number. In my opinion, you 47 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: get a statue that you're among the elite. I'm gonna 48 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 2: tell a quick little story. Nineteen ninety for me was 49 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 2: the year that I went from Mets fan to Cubs fan. 50 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 2: Long story why I was a Mets fan. I won't 51 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: get too much into it. Obviously I'm not a Cubs 52 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 2: fan anymore as a beat writer, but it was because 53 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: of Ryan Samberg's I was collecting baseball cards with my dad. 54 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 2: Ryan Samberg's rookie card was on fire that year because 55 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 2: he just kept hitting home runs every day. I remember 56 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 2: my dad shushing me when we were trying to buy 57 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 2: Ryan Samberg rookie cards and someone said he's got twenty 58 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: something homers. I was like, no, no, he has twenty four. 59 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: He just hit two last night. My Dad's like, shut up, 60 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: what are you doing. We're trying to buy cards here? 61 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 2: And you also, before we get to Samberg, I want 62 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: to start with this. You covered in a different era 63 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 2: of covering baseball and you also were around when it 64 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: all transitioned and changed and was very like I just 65 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 2: I can't imagine what it was like covering baseball back then. 66 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: Can you kind of tell us what you saw change 67 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: from eighties nineties to present day? 68 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: Well, you guys can speak to today certainly better than 69 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: I can. I saw it, you know, in bits and 70 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: pieces the last few years when I was still working. 71 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: Obviously did not like what I saw. But I can 72 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: tell you this. When I started covering baseball, first of all, 73 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: when you walked in that room, it was an adversarial relationship. 74 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: You were not part of the team. You were there 75 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: to do a job. And I mean and there were 76 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: legendary baseball beat guys that you would run into and 77 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: every single press box you went into, and you felt 78 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: the responsibility to do the job and to do it well, 79 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: and to cover the team hard and to be fair, 80 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: but to not be part of the team. You certainly 81 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 1: were not part of the group. You were there to 82 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: uncover as much as you could, and you have the 83 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: opportunity to do that. And this is what I think 84 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: is so vastly different. You guys will be shocked to 85 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: hear things like I used to go sit in don 86 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: Zimmer's office for hours before a game. The clubhouse was opened, 87 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: I think three and a half or four hours before 88 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: a game. And when you walked in that room, everybody 89 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 1: was in there. Okay, everyone was in front of their lockers. 90 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: Imagine that. And that was a tiny That was a 91 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: tiny clubhouse. That wasn't the palace that the that the 92 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: Cubs has. Now you know there there weren't you know, 93 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: ten or eleven different rooms they could go hiding. There 94 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: was nothing, There was no There was essentially no kitchen. 95 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, Yosha had a room where you could, 96 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: you know, make yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 97 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: That was the kitchen. There was a trainer's room, if 98 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: you want to call it a trainer's room. Your bedroom 99 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: at home is probably bigger than that. So there was 100 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: no place for them to hide. And when you walked 101 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: in there was at least twenty five guys. There was 102 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: a room full of coaches. There was a manager in 103 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: his room. You could walk into his room anytime you wanted. 104 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: But when you walked in the clubhouse there were hall 105 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: of famers all over the place, and there were conversations 106 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: to be had all over the place, and there were 107 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: professionals everywhere you looked, and after a game, when you 108 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: walked in, there were all those same guys. They were 109 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: all there again, and especially if something bad happened, if 110 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,239 Speaker 1: if it was a bad day or if a player 111 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: had done something, he was standing in front of his 112 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: locker waiting for you. And you know, there there were 113 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: truly some honorable guys. You know, there were guys who 114 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: There were guys like Samberg and Dawson and Maddox who 115 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: when they did something well, didn't really think there was 116 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: anything to talk about. And sometimes on those days they 117 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: were a little harder to find. But if they were, 118 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: if they were the player that gave up the big 119 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: hit or or made an error or struck out with 120 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: the bases loaded, they were always there waiting for you 121 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: because they knew that was their responsibility. Plus they're trying 122 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: to teach the kids in the room what their responsibility is. 123 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: And so I just used Samberg as an example. I 124 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: remember one time he made an error which happened what 125 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: a couple times a year, right, and and it broke 126 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: some one hundred and eighty game errorless streak or some 127 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: ridiculous and he was always on some sort of hundred 128 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: game errorless streak. It you know, you just you lose track. 129 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: It's hard for me to remember now, but I remember 130 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: he had made an error and we came in afterward 131 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: and one of the beat guys said, oh, you know, 132 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: we we didn't think it was an error, you know, 133 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: we were fighting for you. And I was like, what's 134 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: this wee stuff. You know, I'm I didn't have anything 135 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: to do with that, you know, I'm not the official scorer. 136 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: Official scorers got his job. He might suck at it. 137 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: He usually did suck at it, depending on I mean, 138 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: I'm thinking specifically of Los Angeles and Houston. Those guys 139 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: were terrible. You know, sometimes they were bad. But the 140 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: fact is is it's their job. They make the call. 141 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: If the team wants to fight for him, fine, But 142 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: we walk in and another guy says, yeah, we we 143 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: we fought for you on that one, and I just 144 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: I shook my head and Samber goes, it was an error, 145 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: that's all. Yeah, yep, that was it. That was the 146 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: whole conversation, and it probably wasn't, but that's not the point. 147 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: The point is just eat it, you know, take responsibility, 148 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: eat it and move on. I can't even imagine that 149 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: happening in today's game, you know. And that's not I'm not, 150 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: you know, trying to sound like everything was better than 151 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: I know everybody hates that, and that's not my intention here. 152 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: It's just I think we live in a different world 153 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: where accepting responsibility is more difficult to come by. But 154 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: being a beat guy was both incredible and terrible, as 155 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: you guys know, as beat guys, I think it's you know, 156 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: I think it's the worst job at a newspaper. I 157 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: really do. I think it's the hardest job at a newspaper. 158 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: It's also the most rewarding because it's so hard. Like 159 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: anything else that's hard, there's great reward in it. You guys, 160 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: you know, might not feel that today because you don't 161 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: have the kind of access that we do. That we did, 162 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,719 Speaker 1: you don't have the kind of opportunity to to fill up, 163 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: you know, sixty or eighty or one hundred inches of 164 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: copy every single day because there was so much opportunity 165 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: to just write until your fingers were bleeding. I mean 166 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: there were days where there I had days where it 167 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: was a six or seven or eight day story, and 168 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,719 Speaker 1: you know, days like when Don Zimmer was fired at 169 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: Shay Stadium. That that, you know, that's one that sticks 170 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: out in my mind. But there there were days like 171 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: that and you could but you could dig, and you 172 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: could break stories, and you can and you could. You 173 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: could really do a job. And while the eight month grind, 174 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: which then turned into ten and eleven and twelve as 175 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: it is now, was brutal, physically demanding, mentally difficult, and 176 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: you know, from a relationship standpoint, you know, impossible. Nevertheless, 177 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: it was it was I think the maybe it wasn't 178 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: the very top of the profession in terms of beat 179 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,959 Speaker 1: writing at that moment. Maybe that had come a few 180 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: years before that. Maybe it was more like, you know, 181 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: I think if you were to look back at the 182 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: greatest who ever did it, you'd probably look back to 183 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: maybe the mid to late eighties. So I didn't miss 184 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: it by much. But it certainly was a great job 185 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: and also at the same time the most miserable work 186 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: you could possibly be doing. And I know I'm preaching 187 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: to the quarter because Patrick just said before we started 188 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: recording that he's got to get on the plane and 189 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 1: fly to San Francisco, and I, you know, would rather 190 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: be you know, stabbed in the eye with a knife 191 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: than even ponder that possibility right now. Well, that was 192 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: part of our deal of coming on. 193 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,559 Speaker 3: There'd be absolutely no talk about the current state of 194 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,839 Speaker 3: the Cubs, which, speaking for Sahata, were very much good 195 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 3: with that because you can say the same thing over 196 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: and over. So I wanted a little history lesson because 197 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 3: I'd seen I forget if it was an act, just 198 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 3: one group shot or just three different photos on Twitter, 199 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 3: which has melted my brain obviously, but it was kind 200 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 3: of like Michael Jordan, Walter Peyton, and Ryan Sandberg and 201 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 3: obviously Michael Jordan's global icon Walter Peyton left us too soon. 202 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 3: But can you explain like what it was like to 203 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 3: be in Sandberg's orbit at that time and who was 204 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 3: the guy that you got to know because of the 205 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 3: access back then was completely different than it is now. 206 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: Well, I mean that list is really long. I mean 207 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: when I can remember doing both sidebars in the eighties 208 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: and you had access to Michael Jordan, I mean think 209 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: about that. I mean you could just walk up to 210 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan in the locker room and talk to him. 211 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: I mean, very it's a very long time ago, very 212 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: different world. But in terms of Sandberg's orbit, you know 213 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: his life changed dramatically in nineteen eighty four. You guys 214 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: all know the story. Everyone who's interested in hearing me 215 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: talk about it knows the story. So I won't go 216 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: into it. But those two home runs off of Bruce 217 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: Souiter dramatically changed his life, and from that day forward 218 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: he went from I mean, he was having that magical 219 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: season in eighty four, a MVP season, but that day 220 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: changed his life. That day because it happened to be 221 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: on national TV, and because of who he because of 222 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: who he hit those two home runs off of, and 223 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: the situations in which he did it, to tie a 224 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 1: game twice late, once late, once in extras, it changed 225 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: his life. And every day moving forward he had to 226 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: come to the ballpark prepared to be a superstar. And 227 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: this is a guy who had worked extremely hard. Baseball 228 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: was not easy for Ryan Samberg. Maybe it looked like it, 229 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: And maybe there are guys for whom baseball is easy. 230 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:54,439 Speaker 1: I can't understand that, because the game is so hard. 231 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: I can't understand it. I mean, maybe maybe for Bryce 232 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: Arbert's easy. I don't know, Uh, maybe for Junior Griffy 233 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: it was easy. I don't know, but I know for 234 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: ninety nine percent of guys, it's really really hard, and 235 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: I know for Samberg it was extremely difficult. But he 236 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: worked so hard to get to that point, and from 237 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: that day forward he had to work twice as hard. 238 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: So it changed his life because of the responsibility he 239 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: felt to come to the park every day to be 240 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: that guy for the people who were buying tickets. And 241 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: that was an incredible burden for this shy kid from 242 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: Spokane who you know, thought he was going to college 243 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: to play to play football. You know, he was an 244 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: All American quarterback in high school, signed to play football 245 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 1: at Washington State, and here he is now in Chicago. 246 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 1: Pretty big market, even though it may not feel like 247 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: it sometimes, it was a pretty big market, you know, 248 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: in the in an era of Walter Payton and Michael 249 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: Jordan and Mike dick uh and and Ryan Samberg. It 250 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: was a it was a big place to be and 251 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: that responsibility was a huge burden for him, and so 252 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 1: he worked extremely hard. And I think I think one 253 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: of the things that you talked about being in his orbit, 254 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: one of the things I think back on now is 255 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: the guy that I know now is very different than 256 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: the guy I knew then. And I think probably, like 257 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: a lot of guys, I know, Frank Thomas said this once. 258 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: I think he probably wishes he had had more fun 259 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: playing baseball. And maybe that's not on you. Maybe we 260 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: all think that, you know, maybe we all look back. 261 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: Maybe I should, you know, look back on my time 262 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: being around you know, Maddox and and and Dawson and 263 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: Samberg and Suckcliffe and Austen Macher and by Lecky and 264 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: Grace and Dunson and all, you know, these amazing professionals 265 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: and and and think about those times more. Finally, but 266 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: you're just grinding so hard, right And I think Samberg 267 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: was grinding so hard that I don't know that generally speaking, 268 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: he was having fun in the moment. You know, like 269 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: to most guys, winning is fun. That's that's that's why 270 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: you play, right, It's winning. That's you know. I played 271 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: hockey for forty years, I I and I remember losses 272 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: more than I remember wins. You know, It's that's what 273 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: sticks with you. I think I think probably he wouldn't 274 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: have had more fun. 275 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 4: If the cops it becomes a won bok, you know, 276 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 4: they just there just wasn't a lot of winning during 277 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 4: those years, but he he never, like I don't think 278 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 4: he allowed himself to realize how big a star he was. 279 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: He was huge in this town. He was a monster 280 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: in this town. But there were some things he did 281 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: specifically to try to make his life more livable. One 282 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: was he was out in public. He wasn't. He did 283 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: not you know, if Walter walked down Michigan Avenue, certainly 284 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: if Michael walked down Michigan Avenue at the height of 285 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: their powers, it would have been a mob scene. Was 286 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: Samberg was always walking down Michigan Avenue and I and 287 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: I'm not comparing his stardom to theirs, okay, but you know, 288 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: but but his stardom was pretty big in this town. 289 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: And he was always walking down Michigan Avenue or or 290 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: down Oaks, you know, by the bike path on Oak 291 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: Street Beach or or down Division or Rush. And so 292 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: he made himself available and I think that that made 293 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: his life more livable by not making it such a 294 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: big deal that he was out somewhere. The other thing 295 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: was he he didn't take any endorsements, something for which 296 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: he was heavily criticized, which I mean he was. He 297 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: was very heavily so hot of I don't know if 298 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: you remember this for you know, maybe maybe you were 299 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: just getting into your wheelhouse then. But he was heavily 300 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: criticized for not doing endorsements. But not only was he 301 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: not good at it, it wasn't his personality, but he 302 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: didn't He just didn't want to. He didn't want to 303 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: take the time, whatever spare time he had, he wanted 304 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,639 Speaker 1: to be with his family because it's just you guys know, 305 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: it's just not very much during a baseball season, and 306 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: he didn't want to spend an off day film filming commercial. 307 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: Yet he was trashed for it. Why isn't he bigger 308 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,719 Speaker 1: in this town? Why isn't he Why isn't he a celebrity? 309 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: Why isn't he doing endorsements? And I would whenever I 310 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: would get that question, my answer would be, what do 311 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: you care? What is it like? What is it to 312 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: you that he doesn't do endorsements. I mean, the man 313 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: just wants to live his life. So he did some 314 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: things that to try to make his life more libabal 315 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: and maybe make you know, it sounds crazy. He didn't 316 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: want to be the things that people wanted him to be. 317 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: He didn't want to be a superstar. He didn't want 318 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: to be universally known everywhere he went. He he wanted 319 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: to be great. There's no doubt about that. He wanted 320 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: to be great. And you know, if if in the 321 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: middle of May, you're still doing the same thing you 322 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: were doing in spring training, which is take ninety ground 323 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: balls every single morning before anybody else is on the field, 324 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: thirty left, thirty right, thirty right at you, I mean, 325 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: obviously you want to be great. He wanted to be great, 326 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: but he also just wanted to be one of the guys. 327 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: He just wanted to be a baseball player. He just 328 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: wanted to come to the park, be great at his job, 329 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 1: and go home after the game. And that was unusual. 330 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 1: You know, that's just not the way most superstars behaved. 331 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: But for my money, one of the most honorable people 332 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,719 Speaker 1: I've ever been around, one of the most genuine people 333 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: I've ever been around, one of the most dignified people 334 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: I've ever been around, and one of the most respectful 335 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: people I've ever been around. It's how he It's how 336 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,239 Speaker 1: he behaved before he got to the park, how he 337 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: behaved once he got to the park, and how he 338 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: behaved after he left the park. He just believed very 339 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: much in respecting the people who came before him, certainly 340 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: the people who sat on that Hall of Fame stage 341 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: behind him when he gave a speech respecting his teammates, 342 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: his coaches, his managers, the fans and that and and 343 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 1: his opponents, and that just meant doing things the right way. 344 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 1: And I find that to be very honorable. And and 345 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: I I think it's I think it's something to be admired, honestly, Barry. 346 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 2: Uh. In my in my for my memory, that ninety 347 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 2: season was just godlike. I had to I always have 348 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 2: to remind myself that he didn't win MVP that year. 349 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 2: He was actually fourth. There was this guy named Barry 350 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:53,679 Speaker 2: Bonds that apparently had a good season. Uh. And but 351 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 2: I don't think he should have been for it. That 352 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,160 Speaker 2: that doesn't matter. But he's he was a number two hitter, 353 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,879 Speaker 2: a second baseman that hit four pready home runs. Maybe 354 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 2: that's normalish now, maybe that doesn't open eyes now, that 355 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 2: was freakish back then, that didn't happen right, This was 356 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 2: before Jeff Kent. The second basement didn't have power hit 357 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,719 Speaker 2: were in power hitters second or power hitters didn't hit 358 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 2: number two in lineups. That just wasn't how it was 359 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 2: back then. Patrick and I covered like a monumental stretch 360 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 2: of play when when kind of Jake Arietta went on 361 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 2: that run. So I think we we've covered something like that. 362 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 2: I feel like, but did it feel like that? Did 363 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 2: it feel stand out to you while you were covering it? 364 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 2: Did you, I believe you said it was your first 365 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 2: year on the beat. Did you realize, like, wow, what 366 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:41,640 Speaker 2: am I covering right here? 367 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: Well? You know if you if you look back that 368 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: you guys are much better at the numbers than I am. 369 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: I don't know what his war was in nineteen eighty four. 370 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 1: It had to be it had to be an absolute 371 00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: monster number. But that year was huge in every statistical category. 372 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,959 Speaker 1: Eighty five he goes twenty six homers, fifty four stolen bases. 373 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: I mean, there wasn't anything that he couldn't do on 374 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: a baseball field. He was great at absolutely everything you 375 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: could do on a baseball field. He wasn't a stat 376 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: collector because he played in the moment. What needs to 377 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: be done right now? Do I have to make a 378 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 1: great play defensively? Do I have to hit and run? 379 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: Do I have to steal a base, do I have 380 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: to go first to third? He was as good first 381 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: a third as any baseball player who's ever played the game. 382 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: And that wasn't because of I mean, he was a 383 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: very fast runner, but far from the fastest. He was 384 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: just a brilliant baseball player. He wasn't as fast as 385 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: will he Mays, but I'll bet you he could go 386 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: first to home almost as good as at may As 387 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: may As because of how smart he was and how 388 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: good he was at reading a play. So he did 389 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:53,640 Speaker 1: whatever had to be done in the moment. You need 390 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: a three run homer, Okay, then I'm going to try 391 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: and hit a three run homer. But mostly he was 392 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: looking in gaps. Mostly he was looking to drive in runs, 393 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:04,919 Speaker 1: to score runs. He wasn't thinking home run. But then 394 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,879 Speaker 1: in eighty nine he had to carry that team because 395 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: Dawson was they had I mean, the whole team got 396 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: hurt in eighty nine. So Samberg really carried that team. 397 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: So I don't know if he got close to thirty 398 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 1: homers that year. It might be might have had twenty 399 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: five or something like that. I don't know, if you 400 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:23,679 Speaker 1: guys have the numbers in front of you. 401 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 2: So but then sorry, or eighty nine, eighty nineteen, yeah, thirty. 402 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 3: And in eighty four it was he had an eight 403 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 3: point five war season. 404 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: Which is crazy, so good for a second basement, for 405 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,959 Speaker 1: a second basement. And you know, there was no power 406 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:48,120 Speaker 1: in the middle infield in those days. This was extremely rare. 407 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: So you get to ninety and by ninety really in 408 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: the pre steroid era, this is right around the time 409 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: a guy like him should be reaching his power potential. 410 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: It should be ages like twenty twenty eight, twenty Back then, 411 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: twenty eight twenty nine was about when you started to 412 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:12,479 Speaker 1: reach your power potential, so that that felt pretty normal 413 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: twenty eight to thirty three. You know, look at Billy Williams, 414 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: you know, after age thirty five, that's what normally happens 415 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: to a player after age thirty five. What Rockfield Palmarrow 416 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 1: did after age thirty five is not normal. Okay, So 417 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: you look at Samburg's you know, those years, and you go, okay, 418 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: well this is about when, but still he's a middle infielder. 419 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: He hit his thirtieth homer in Houston. I remember being 420 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: in the Astrodome, which is obviously a very hard place 421 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: to hit. Hit his thirtieth homer. I want to say 422 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: in late August, probably around August, maybe thirtieth or something 423 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 1: like that. And I looked at one of the guys 424 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: sitting next to me, and I said, I wonder if 425 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: he could hit forty. And then we get to those 426 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: last three games in Philly, and I think he's sitting 427 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: on ninety eight RBI and thirty nine homers. And these 428 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: were the three games played that had been added on 429 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:13,959 Speaker 1: because of the strike or lockout or whatever it was 430 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: that that was. It was ninety who knows, I went 431 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: through so many workstoppages. I think that one was I 432 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: think that one was a strike. But anyway, so we're Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 433 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,119 Speaker 1: and Philly to end the season, another nondescript CUB season 434 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 1: where they just didn't have enough pitching and and it 435 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: just wasn't very good. And Monday it might have been, 436 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,199 Speaker 1: might have been first inning, I don't know, but Monday 437 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia, with Doug Decenzo on first base, he hits 438 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,879 Speaker 1: a two run homer for his hundredth RBI and his 439 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: fortieth homer, and as he's he crosses home plate, gets 440 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: in the dugout and Zimmer says that's it. You're done 441 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: for the year. That was it. So three so almost 442 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: three full games to play. He's got his forty home 443 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: runs and and now he gets to just sit on 444 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: the bed. That's probably when he enjoyed baseball the most, 445 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: was getting to watch a couple of games and just relax. 446 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: It was hard for him to really relax because he 447 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,199 Speaker 1: just felt so much pressure all the time. But I 448 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: think that ninety season, or maybe if you go maybe 449 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: if you go to Baseball Reference and you look at 450 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,880 Speaker 1: those averages from say, take eighty nine, ninety ninety one, 451 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: and ninety two, those four years, you're gonna find some 452 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: pretty strong numbers for those four years. Ninety three he 453 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: gets hit in the hand by Mike Jackson in spring training, 454 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 1: and he really wasn't the same. He never really got 455 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: his power back after that. He got hit in a 456 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: very bad spot, broke his hand, came back probably too soon, 457 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: never really got us Although after he retired and came 458 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,119 Speaker 1: back for the ninety six season, he did hit twenty 459 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,159 Speaker 1: five home runs, which was crazy after a year and 460 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: a half off that It just tells you what a 461 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: phenomenal athlete he was and how good he was. But 462 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: I understand your you're watching that that ninety season and 463 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,400 Speaker 1: and being amazed by that. But I would say by then, 464 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: most of us we're pretty used to it. It was 465 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: just kind of, you know, he was just a phenomenal 466 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:27,199 Speaker 1: baseball player. I I don't I wish I could give you, 467 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:33,399 Speaker 1: like some good comp from today. You know, I would say, 468 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: I would say a Rod if he hadn't if he 469 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: hadn't done steroids, you know, might be might be a 470 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: good comp Obviously, that's not that's not a modern guy 471 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 1: to look at. But Ron Sambery was a guy who 472 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: could hit you a home run anytime. Although he was 473 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: not looking to you know, you guys, I'm sure don't 474 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,719 Speaker 1: like batting average, but he was always looking to hit 475 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,479 Speaker 1: three hundred. He felt like he felt like if he 476 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: hit three and scored one hundred runs, he was probably 477 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: going to do the things that year that were necessary 478 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: to help his team win games. They were just sort 479 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: of things in the back of his mind. But he 480 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: could drive in a hundred runs, could score one hundred runs. 481 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: He was great on the basis. He could have stole 482 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: fifty bases any year he wanted to. Oddly, he never 483 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: had a thirty thirty season, because it never occurred to 484 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: him that it was something that he should be doing, like, 485 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: what what does that mean? You know, what does that matter? Right? 486 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,160 Speaker 1: But he had many years. He had years of over 487 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: thirty including fifty four in eighty five stolen bases, and 488 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: he had the years of thirty or more home runs, 489 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 1: but never put those together obviously, you know, and arguably 490 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: when he retired, the best defensive second basement of all time. 491 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: A lot of people would now say Robbie Alamar, but 492 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: when he retired, he had the most power at the 493 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: position ever. He was the best defensive player at the 494 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: position ever, and and he did everything else you could 495 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: ever want to do on a baseball field. I mean, 496 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: he could hit for average. He you know, he had 497 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: a great arm, he could steal bases, and probably it's 498 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 1: something you guys either don't know or don't remember. His 499 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: rookie year, he brought five gloves to spring training because 500 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 1: no one told him what position he was going to play, 501 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: and he played all three outfield positions and third, short 502 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: and second, and obviously Larry bow was going to be 503 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: at short, but he didn't know. He kind of thought 504 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: he was probably going to be the center fielder, and 505 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: with five days to go in spring training, they put 506 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: him at third base, and he wasn't good at third base. 507 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: He was great at third base, having never played the 508 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 1: position in his life. He was a shortstop his entire life. 509 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: Now he's playing third base, completely different position. Probably should 510 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: have won the goal Glove, he didn't have that many errors. 511 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: They gave it to Mike Schmidt because Mike Schmidt, you know, 512 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: had hit a thousand homers again again that year and was, 513 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: you know, major star. But Samber could have won the 514 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: goal Glove at third base. With a week to go 515 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: or maybe a month ago. In the eighty two season, 516 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: they moved him to second base. Pardon me, they move 517 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 1: him to second base, where he had never played before, 518 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: and in his first year at second base he wins 519 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: the goal Glove and every goal glove after that pretty much. 520 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:29,719 Speaker 1: So just an amazing just an amazing baseball player. Just 521 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: kind of for an old school guy like me who 522 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: grew up. You know, really my wheelhouse was really the 523 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: seventies and the early eighties, you know, of you know, 524 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: I graduated from college in eighty four, so you know 525 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: it's really the you know, those ten years probably from 526 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: seventy four to eighty four. Really that's really my will, 527 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: and that was an era of tremendous pitching, great defense, 528 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: great base running in a certain style of game that 529 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: I'm sure doesn't exist anymore, but was really romantic to 530 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: those of us who came from that era. And Ryan 531 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: Samberg was a guy who would have who would have 532 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: fit in any generation, but certainly was also a product 533 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: of watching baseball in the in the sixties and seventies 534 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: and had great admiration for the guys who who played 535 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: the game ultimately the way he played the game. 536 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 3: Arry, you kind of allude to this that Chicago's a 537 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 3: big city that can feel like a small town. And 538 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 3: I've had, you know, kind of friends or contacts who've 539 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 3: alluded to what you said about this stage of Samberg's 540 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 3: life of like he's kind of a grandpa up in 541 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 3: the suburbs who's the way it was explained to me, 542 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 3: it was like, you know, he has maybe some stuff 543 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 3: in his house that eludes to the fact that he's 544 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 3: a baseball player, but he's very much just like he's grandpa, 545 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,800 Speaker 3: Like he's day to day like a presence in their lives. 546 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 3: And it looked like you kind of met up with 547 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 3: him him recently. Sounds like he's doing a lot better 548 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 3: health wise, but can you explain that ex sale he 549 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 3: seems to have? It is it's amazing to me that, like, 550 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 3: you know, you come from kind of the middle of 551 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 3: nowhere Washington and show up in Chicago and fast forward 552 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 3: you're at a stage of life where your you know, 553 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:16,479 Speaker 3: Grandpap in the suburbs who just kind of wants to 554 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 3: be there for his family. 555 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's there were some stages to go through, right, yea, 556 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: there were few stages. There's the there's the exhale at retiring. Okay, 557 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: you've worked every single day in your life for so 558 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: long to try to be great at something, uh, something 559 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: most of us will never achieve, you know, in any 560 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: in any aspect of life, right, any kind of any 561 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: kind of endeavor, And there's that exhale from being done. 562 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: But then there's the immediate well now what, right now? Now, 563 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: what do you do for some one highly competitive and 564 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,719 Speaker 1: who had been walking that razor's edge for so long? 565 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: Now what? And there wasn't really anything there for a 566 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: bit except for the wait for the hall of fame. 567 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: So that's kind of the next step and so he 568 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: gets in the Hall of Fame, that's the next hurdle, 569 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: and then the big speech, which is a you know, 570 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: which is just also a life changing event for him. 571 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,480 Speaker 1: And then you know, you're still a relatively young person 572 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: at that point. Then what well, then the Cubs are 573 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: going through all these changes, and he starts thinking maybe 574 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: maybe I could manage and the Cubs don't really give 575 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: him the time of day. They throw them, you know, 576 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: they they throw them because of you know, others in 577 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: the organization, probably not Jim Hendry. He gets a chance 578 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,920 Speaker 1: at at Peoria, and most people thought, well, he's not 579 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,239 Speaker 1: going to ride the buses, right, this guy, this guy 580 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: a Hall of famer. You know, Mike Schmidt lasted one 581 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: week at low class A and in Tampa Saint Pete 582 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: he lasted one week and he said, screw this, I'm 583 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: not doing this. But Samberg rode the buses for five 584 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: years and loved every minute of it because it was 585 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: like his journey in the minor leagues. Ran Samberg was 586 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: not one of these bonus babies who was given a 587 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,200 Speaker 1: job in the minor leagues and told, you know, you're 588 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: gonna go from Double A to the majors. In a year, 589 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: which is obviously very common today but was not back then. 590 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: There were some guys, but he was a full four 591 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: year guy player in the minor leagues right, or maybe 592 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: even five, and then there was still no place for 593 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,959 Speaker 1: him in Philadelphia. So he understood the climb. That was 594 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: a big part of his life was the climb, was 595 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: the having to fight every day. So he loved going 596 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 1: through the stages in the minor leagues as a manager. 597 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: So he does that and then he accomplishes his goal. 598 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: He gets to the big leagues as a manager in Philadelphia. 599 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: Workout it was, you know, they gave a guy who 600 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,960 Speaker 1: develops young players a veteran team that didn't want him there. 601 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: So that was not a that was not a very 602 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 1: good situation, that was not destined to work out well. 603 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: But he was glad that he did it. He was 604 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: glad that he accomplished that. And then what he wanted 605 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 1: when that was over was just to be back as 606 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: part of the Cubs family. And he was able to 607 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: do that and and sort of meant, you know, there 608 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: were some fences that need to be mended, not from 609 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:37,720 Speaker 1: his end, but those fences were mended and he became 610 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: part of the Cubs family in time to you know, 611 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: to be part of a World Series celebration. And I 612 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: think you know, that was a point where he became very, 613 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: very satisfied with his life and to just be a 614 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: dad and a husband and a grandfather. And you're right 615 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: about uh, the big, the big baseball room. Like I'm 616 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: sure you've seen pictures in guys houses with with the 617 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: jerseys that that circle the room and all the bats 618 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: and balls and gloves and everything else. He had a 619 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: pretty decent sized room in back in the early nineties 620 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: in Awatuki in Arizona. I remember that. And there was 621 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 1: a lot of hardware around that room, right, all of 622 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: it earned, all of it deserved. It's not very big anymore. 623 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: It's not very big anymore. There's there's not there's not 624 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,319 Speaker 1: a lot, you know. I think we all get to 625 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: that point where you just you start throwing everything out, 626 00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: you know, like what is it? Like? 627 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 3: What is it? 628 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 1: What does it matter? Right? You know? If you like I, 629 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:51,640 Speaker 1: I I had boxes of stuff from when I was 630 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 1: a kid. I I had a ball autographed by the 631 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine Pittsburgh Pirates. Right, we are family World 632 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: Series champs. Nobody wants it, nobody cares. It's like, all right, 633 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: what am I going to do with that? I don't have. 634 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: I don't have Ryan Samberg's uh you know, Hall of 635 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:13,359 Speaker 1: Fame resume and giant boxes full of of all those 636 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 1: awards and stuff. But there's just a point where it 637 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 1: doesn't matter, right, Like it's just it's just stuff, So 638 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: what are you gonna do with it? I think he 639 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: would be thrilled if every one of his grandkids, and 640 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: he has a lot, would want to take something, you know, 641 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: an MVP award, a plaque, uh you know, uh, you know, 642 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: a bat from from his fortieth home run. If I 643 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: think if everybody wanted something, that would be great, and 644 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: I think they will. I think that's how that'll probably 645 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:44,440 Speaker 1: work out. 646 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 2: Barry. I. I could listen to these stories forever, to 647 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 2: be honest, could and I and I wish I would 648 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 2: have taken more advantage of having people like you in 649 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 2: the press box because they're there. I grew up on 650 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 2: the nineties Cubs, which without ninety eight, I would argue 651 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 2: is one of the worst decades of but I'm fascinated 652 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 2: by it, and I you know, it's what made me 653 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 2: fall in love with the game, so so I appreciate it. 654 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 2: So I'd love to hear more stories. We've taken up 655 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 2: too much of your time, but this was. 656 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:18,319 Speaker 1: What what is it you think I have to do? 657 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:27,799 Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm not playing golf until one o'clock. All 658 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: I have to do is stretch so I have two 659 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 1: more hours. 660 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for your time, Barrier. I mean, those 661 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 2: those stories are epic and there. I mean, I feel 662 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 2: like you just are a wealth of knowledge about this 663 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 2: organization and and an era that uh goes underappreciated. But 664 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,320 Speaker 2: obviously I mean ten straight All Star games, I believe 665 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 2: is what what Ryan Sandberg has We don't cover Like 666 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 2: we covered a world series. We don't cover a player 667 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,239 Speaker 2: like that. We just haven't like that. I think that's 668 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:04,480 Speaker 2: that goes overlooked sometimes, just the longevity, the ability to 669 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 2: consistently go in their year after year and produce and 670 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,399 Speaker 2: stick with one team for the majority of the time. 671 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 2: We don't see that anymore, and I'm not sure if 672 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:17,359 Speaker 2: we'll see it ever, but not not very often. You know, 673 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 2: those those players are very rare now, especially with the 674 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 2: way front offices work, because you got to get rid 675 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 2: of that guy before his value goes down. You got 676 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,280 Speaker 2: to get value for him before. 677 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: How about a guy who took basically a fifty percent 678 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: haircut on every contract he ever signed because he just 679 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:35,920 Speaker 1: he didn't want to Not only did he not want 680 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 1: to go anywhere, he didn't even want to negotiate. He's 681 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,919 Speaker 1: just like just basically, I'll sign a contract and stay. 682 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,879 Speaker 1: I just don't want to go through this. I mean, 683 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:46,319 Speaker 1: you picked the right guy. You picked a great year 684 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:48,719 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety, but you also picked the right guy. This 685 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:53,239 Speaker 1: is an extremely honorable, decent human being who if you 686 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 1: wanted your kids to grow up to be like you know, 687 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: and and you were all sitting around a TV watching 688 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: a game together, and you wanted to watch them on 689 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: the field do things, at least in my world, the 690 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,440 Speaker 1: right way and behave the right way in an honorable 691 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:12,800 Speaker 1: and respectful way. Man, you picked the right guy. So anyway, 692 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: happy to come back anytime, boys, And I'm gonna be 693 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,479 Speaker 1: there at the ceremony Sunday, so I will. I will 694 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 1: find my way up to the press box if they 695 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 1: will let me, I will and I will come say hello. 696 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:30,720 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for the all right, take every buddy, 697 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 2: thanks so much for listening to North Side territory. Make 698 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 2: sure to rate, review, subscribe to all those good things 699 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 2: you do. For podcasts, make sure to read my work 700 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 2: and Patrick's work over at the Athletic. We got you 701 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 2: covered on the Cubs beat. Cubs are on a two 702 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:45,839 Speaker 2: game winning streak, which feels like a lot for this team, 703 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 2: won their first series and over a month. We'll see 704 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,800 Speaker 2: if they can continue that against the red hot Mets, 705 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 2: the grimmest fueled Mets. It's going to be a big 706 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 2: weekend out at Wrigley Obviously the Sandberg Statue, it's how 707 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 2: it will wrap up on Sunday. But three games against 708 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,800 Speaker 2: the red hot Mets, we'll have you covered there. Monday. 709 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 2: We'll come back at you with a podcast and hopefully 710 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:10,799 Speaker 2: you will keep listening. Thanks and take care.