1 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,159 Speaker 1: Well, hey Angel fans, Welcome to Halo territory. I am 2 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: Mike di Giovanna, former La Times Baseball writer and host 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: of the show. Well, as most fans know, there is 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: a labor war looming between Major league owners who want 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: to impose a salary cap and the players' union, which 6 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: is strongly opposed to a cap, and there's a good 7 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: chance owners will lock out players on December first. 8 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 2: Now, the sides will still have four. 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: Months from that point to hammer out a new collective 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: bargaining agreement, but if they don't, baseball could lose regular 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: season games for the first time since nineteen ninety five. 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: I remember that year well because it was my first 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: year in the Angels beat. It was also the first 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: and no doubt last time baseball tried to field teams 15 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: with replacement players, a spring training that my guest describes 16 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: as a bleeping disaster. That would be former Angels general 17 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: manager Bill Bavasi, who joins us to talk about that debacle. Bill, 18 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: how you doing, Welcome to the show. 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 3: Thanks for having me. I'm doing great. I'm retired, having 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 3: a good time, and it's great to see you see 21 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 3: him here. 22 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: So Bill was the Angels GM from nineteen ninety four 23 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: to ninety nine. He was also the Seattle Mariners GM 24 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: from two thousand and three to two thousand and eight, 25 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: and he worked a number of years at the Major 26 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: League Baseball Scouting Bureau before retiring in twenty twenty. Now, 27 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: there was a two hundred and thirty two day work 28 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: stoppage three decades ago that brought us this replacement player 29 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: spring training, But that actually began in nineteen ninety four 30 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: when players walked out on August twelfth because of disputes 31 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: over shocker, a proposed salary cap and revenue sharing. That 32 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: strikeforce cancelation of the nineteen ninety four World Series and 33 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: dragged into the winter when owners came up with a 34 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: brilliant idea to feel they replacement player teams in spring training. Bill, 35 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: when did the Angels start assembling their replacement player team? 36 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: And what what was that process like? 37 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 3: It wasn't it wasn't terribly uh clean, let's put it 38 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 3: that way. 39 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: But the. 40 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 3: That that process really was taken by Bob Fontaine and 41 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 3: Ken Forsch and Jeff Parker. You know, we were we 42 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 3: used that time, Marcel Latchman and I used used that 43 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 3: time to kind of get ourselves together on the major 44 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 3: league level, kind of thinking that hey, this is going 45 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 3: to settle eventually, right, and we're gonna have to play, 46 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 3: so we we might see use this time to get ready. 47 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 3: So we we we put the time to get use 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 3: that way. But Ken and Ken and Bob and and 49 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 3: and Jeff just they really just kind of put out 50 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 3: feelers for anybody who was wanting to take a shot 51 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 3: and and play, and we tried to stay as I recall, 52 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 3: we tried to stay away from anybody that we thought 53 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 3: could possibly play in the big leagues again, could or 54 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 3: or could or was a prospect and could get get 55 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 3: to the big leagues. And so we were pretty careful 56 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 3: with the with the players in our camp. I'm not 57 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 3: even sure if we let any of them cross over. 58 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 3: And if we did, they they were folks that that 59 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 3: we had already had had come to the reality that 60 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 3: they weren't going to get get to the big leagues otherwise, 61 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 3: Uh so we'd give we'd give them a shot at this. 62 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 3: But generally speaking, those were the kind of players that 63 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 3: were in our camp, were players that that that they 64 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 3: felt they weren't going to get to the big leagues 65 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 3: and they were going to take a shot at it. 66 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: Do you remember I remember a tryout camp at cal 67 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: State Fullerton, and as I recall, there were almost like 68 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: a thousand players showed up. Were you at any of those? 69 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: Do you recall that? 70 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 3: No? I was not, but I but I do know 71 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 3: that the uh you know, Bob, Bob Fontete kind of 72 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 3: uh shepherd of that he he was. He was looking 73 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: at that because he had done that so many times 74 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 3: as a scout and a scouting director. He had he 75 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 3: had done so many tryouts over his life lifetime. He 76 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 3: knew what to do. But you know, we just had 77 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 3: too many kids. It just were there were there were 78 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 3: there were so many young guys that showed up and 79 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 3: older guys too, and it was one of those real 80 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 3: rough camps. It was a tough thing for these kids 81 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 3: because the first thing you do is run run the sixty. 82 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 3: And if you don't run the sixty in a certain 83 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 3: certain time, you leave. And so that that thousand players 84 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 3: gets knocked down to about two hundred and fifty pretty quickly. 85 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 3: And so that and that's real tough on the on 86 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 3: those seven fifty who get who get tossed aside, that's 87 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 3: that's a real tough thing who who knows where where 88 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 3: they came from, you know, And so those tryouts are 89 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 3: double edged swords. They're they're real nice for your for 90 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: your community. 91 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 2: You know. 92 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 3: I don't mean for the replacement player but I mean 93 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 3: general open tryout camps. When the Dodgers and all the 94 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 3: clubs used to hold tryouts at spring training open tryouts, 95 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: they were great for your fans. But not this one. 96 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 3: This one was this one was It was just different 97 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: because of replacement baseball. 98 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 99 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: Now, the Angels did eventually assemble a team, And here's 100 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: what I wrote in a twenty nineteen story looking back 101 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: at that spring. 102 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: This is the lead. 103 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: The left hander who works in the car detailing business, 104 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: zipped the fastball into the middle of the home depot 105 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: department manager. And with that, the Angels nineteen ninety five 106 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: spring training camp was in full swing. So I read 107 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: the lead to my first dispatch for Arizona in my 108 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 1: first year as Angels beat writer for the Times, the 109 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: start of a wacky six weeks of replacement player ball 110 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: that was a fantasy camp for participants, an embarrassment to 111 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: coach as an executive so oversaw it, and a gold 112 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: mine a material for baseball writer. Now, bill, uh, what 113 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: stands out the most for you from that spring? 114 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 3: Well, what stands out the most for me in that 115 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 3: spring was that was that lead? Your lead was the 116 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 3: first play. No, it was the first play of replacement baseball. 117 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 3: And and do you remember the do you remember the 118 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 3: prospect that Arizona State had was he was leading off. 119 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 3: I think his last name was Powell. 120 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: Do you remember there was a Chris Powell who was 121 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:31,679 Speaker 1: your replacement center fielder? 122 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, I'm I'm brain cramping. But this, gosh, 123 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 3: I don't think it was. It wasn't. It wasn't McDowell. No, 124 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 3: it was. It was after McDowell. It was, Oh my gosh, 125 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: it was anyway, it was a good a good prospect, 126 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 3: and he was leading off for Arizona State because in TEMP, 127 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 3: part of our lease deal was that we had to 128 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 3: play a charity game every every spring, and so we 129 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 3: played that the day before our regular spring training schedule started, 130 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 3: and the money went to charity for that game. So 131 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 3: it was good. It was a night game, and because 132 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 3: it just worked out that we were the first replacement 133 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 3: game in baseball. Everybody else was playing the next day, 134 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: we were playing that night, and so ESPN and every 135 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 3: other moron who wants to stuff there. 136 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: We had everybody on, yeah and Good Morning, Good Morning 137 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: America was there, ABC World News Tonight and ESPN and CNN, 138 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: and yeah, it was a national story. Is like the 139 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: first replacement game, a replacement player game in like eight 140 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: decades or something. 141 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 2: I do remember that. 142 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, And Pat Murphy was Pat Murphy was managing 143 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 3: Arizona State, and Marcel Lastman was, of course our manager. 144 00:07:54,920 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 3: And the first play was a groundball to shortstop and 145 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 3: he throws to first base, overthrows the first baseman. The 146 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: ball bounces off those bricks behind for first base. The 147 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 3: batter runner sees the ball go by and he rounds 148 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 3: first to head to second, thinks better of it, comes back, 149 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 3: and the first baseman throws the ball to the pitcher covering, 150 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 3: and they tag the guy out. That idiotic play on 151 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 3: everybody's part was the first replacement baseball play ever, And 152 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 3: so I remember that part. 153 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 2: And then. 154 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 3: We beat the daylights out of him. I don't you know, 155 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 3: this This was not This was not This was not 156 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 3: a regular charity game to lead off spring training. You 157 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 3: don't have Tim Salmon getting his one at bat and 158 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 3: then coming out out of the lineup. You don't have 159 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 3: a big, big league club that really doesn't care what 160 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 3: they do with these college kids, right, But in this case, 161 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 3: you had these replacement players who were who were being 162 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 3: who were being embarrassed and attacked in the press every 163 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 3: every day, and so they wanted to put it on somebody, 164 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 3: and they did, and they they absolutely beat the daylights 165 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 3: out of these kids. And when the game was over, 166 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 3: you, you and you're ill went over to the Arizona State 167 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 3: side and you interviewed Murphy and he's just he's ripping 168 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 3: these kids, our kids, he's ripping his kids. Said hey, 169 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 3: you know, in a few weeks time, these guys were 170 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 3: back in the seven eleven or bigg Indigens or whatever. 171 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,839 Speaker 3: It was really disrespectful to human beings. It didn't matter 172 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 3: if they were they were players, if they were replacement 173 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,439 Speaker 3: players were not. He was just being lousy to people, 174 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 3: to fellow human beings. And so that you guys, of course, 175 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 3: being what you are, you took that back to Marcel, right, 176 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 3: So you just gave it to jobs. Hey, yeah, absolutely, no, 177 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 3: I get it. And you said, you said, hey, Marcel, 178 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 3: so Murphy. Murphy said this right, and you give it, 179 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 3: and Marcell just kind of looked at you and said, 180 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,319 Speaker 3: what are you kidding me? I had to turn it off. 181 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,479 Speaker 3: I had to turn off. 182 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: As as they do recall the first play in the 183 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: score book read six wall three or six wall one. 184 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 2: I think that's what you just scored it. 185 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: Hey, we're gonna we gotta take a quick break to 186 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: hear from our sponsors, and we'll be back with more 187 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: Halo territory. 188 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: All right, we got the Warby Parkers. I got the Raiders, 189 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 3: but one thing I upgraded to Polarized. Sorry about it. 190 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, these are good not only for wearing, but also 191 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 4: out in the sun. 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Our listeners get fifteen percent off plus free 203 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 5: shipping when they buy two or more pairs of prescription 204 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 5: glasses at Warbyparker dot com slash foul. That's fifteen percent 205 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 5: off when you buy two pairs of glasses at wa 206 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 5: rby Parker dot com slash foul. After you purchase, they 207 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 5: will ask you where you heard about them. Please support 208 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 5: our show and tell them Foul Territory sent you. Well. 209 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Halo Territory. Our guest is Bill Bavasi, 210 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: former Angels general manager. Now, in nineteen ninety five, not 211 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: everybody had a replacement team. In fact, the Baltimore Orioles, 212 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: who were owned at the time by prominent labor lawyer 213 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: Peter Angelos, refused to feel the team of replacement players. 214 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: Toronto GM Gordash refused to let his big league staff 215 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: work with replacement players. Now, the Angels under mar soul Latchman, 216 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: who was a bit of a second a second year 217 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: managing the team at the time, seemed to take a 218 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: pretty serious approach. Bill, do you sort of have any 219 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: regrets about the way you guys handled the whole thing? 220 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 3: Yeah? I do not, not the way Marcel handled it, 221 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 3: the way the way that I handled it, and you 222 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 3: know that that you know, the the buck stops with 223 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 3: with the GM. But I think from ownership to rich Brown, 224 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 3: to me, we should have handled it differently, or I 225 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 3: wish I had handled it differently. Now now we we 226 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 3: weren't going to take the thee the Peter Angelos approach 227 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 3: because Jackie and Gene Autry we were we're very loyal 228 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 3: to their other owners and to the commissioner, so they 229 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 3: were gonna they were going to participate in replacement baseball. 230 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 3: But I did respect what what Peter Angelos did. But 231 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 3: but I heard after the fact, after it was all over, 232 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 3: what I believe Gordash did, which was he hired the 233 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 3: Blue Jays hired outside their staff. They hired a retired 234 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 3: junior college, college high school coaches. And basically my understanding 235 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 3: is they hired these guys, gave them a ballpark, gave 236 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 3: them a bag of uniforms, a bag of equipment, said hey, 237 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 3: go get them, and that was it. They He didn't 238 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 3: let he didn't let his major league staff touch the situation. 239 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 3: And after replacement Baseball I saw what he did. I 240 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 3: kind of I kind of hit myself on the head 241 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 3: and said, you gotta be kidning, I should have done that. 242 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 3: You know this, This guy had it nail. And by 243 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 3: the way, gord Ash is one of the most underrated 244 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 3: executives I've been I've been around. This guy's really a 245 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 3: smart guy and really he's glutted with common sense and 246 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 3: he's a good person. But that day that he got 247 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 3: my attention and that that's what we all should have done. 248 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 3: That's what really we all should have done. Now, Peter Angelost, 249 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 3: God love him. That was that was probably the best. 250 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 3: But we weren't going to do that. So those of 251 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 3: us that that that had to participate in replacement baseball 252 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 3: should have absolutely done what Gordon did. 253 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 2: Now it there were some laughable moments. 254 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: This is from US A couple of funny quotes that 255 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: were came out of replacement players. Spring asked to predict 256 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: the winner of a replacement World Series. Pittsburgh manager Jim 257 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: Leland said the team that can get the most guys 258 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: out of the whirlpool and onto the field. The Cleveland 259 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: Indians that Spring traded five players to the Cincinnati Reds 260 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: for future considerations. Quote Cleveland definitely got the better on the. 261 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 2: End of the deal. Red's manager Dave Johnson. 262 00:14:53,080 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: Davy Johnson said they didn't get anybody. I remember one game, 263 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: I think we were down in Old Maryvale where the 264 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: Brewers played the Angels, committed four heirs, ran into four 265 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: outs on the bases and missed a bunch of cutoff 266 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: men and a loss of the Brewers. And there were 267 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: some memorable characters that march. You guys signed a guy 268 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: named Lennie Randall who was so old he actually played 269 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: for the Washington Senators in nineteen seventy one. 270 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 3: You remember him, oh, very well, very well, that's a 271 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 3: big personality. 272 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, he had a great He has one of the 273 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: best baseball bloopers of all time where he lays down 274 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: the button, just attacks the pitcher and starts one of 275 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: the biggest brawls I think I've ever seen. 276 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 2: And of course, no recas. 277 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 3: He was also the one he tried to blow the 278 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 3: ball out there. 279 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: That's true. That's true, another great blooper. No recounting of 280 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: replacement players Spring would be complete without the tale of 281 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: John Fischel, a former cal State Fullerton starr who actually 282 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: played on their nineteen eighty four. 283 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 2: National championship team. And Bill, you. 284 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: Want to sort of pick up that story. 285 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 3: No, no, but I will he so, yeah, he he was. 286 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 3: He was. He was a pretty good player. I'm not 287 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 3: saying he's a pretty good player with us, he was 288 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 3: a pretty good player when when he was a kid. Yeah, 289 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 3: And and he was really a nice guy. I will 290 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 3: you know, I didn't. We had no no trouble with him. 291 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 3: He was he was a good, a good guy to 292 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 3: have around. But unfortunately he got arrested on h I 293 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 3: think I think I think they cuffed him in the 294 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 3: clubhouse or they they were they they were kind enough 295 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 3: to wait till he got off the field. And apparently, 296 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 3: as I recall, it was, wasn't it back child support 297 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 3: something like that? 298 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was during the national anthem, after the national anthem, 299 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: I think they waited. 300 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, he owed. Uh. 301 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: I think all he had to do was to not 302 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: be arrested, was to not go to Phoenix. But the 303 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: lure of just you know, another paycheck playing baseball was 304 00:16:59,080 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: so strong. 305 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 2: Uh. 306 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: He owed sixty seven thousand dollars in child support to 307 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: a Phoenix area woman who claimed he had fathered a 308 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: child with her. And yeah, he actually they hauled him 309 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: off to jail. 310 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:13,959 Speaker 3: They hauled him off to jail. I picked him up. 311 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 3: We didn't have our full our full staff there, and 312 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 3: guys were working around around the clock, and so somebody 313 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,479 Speaker 3: had to pick this guy up. And so these all 314 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 3: these folks were working a lot harder than I was. 315 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 3: So I ran out there and got him. And he 316 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 3: didn't say he didn't say that he wasn't guilty. Let's 317 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 3: put that. But but but he just I just don't 318 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 3: have the money. I just I don't have it. And 319 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 3: I don't know how. I don't know how he got 320 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 3: out of that, but we we we bailed him out. 321 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 3: And then then replacement baseball ended, and so I don't 322 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 3: know what happened with that. 323 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and another sign of how certain people took that 324 00:17:58,240 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: spring a little too seriously. 325 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 2: Me being a first year writer. 326 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,199 Speaker 1: I actually went to the Phoenix Courthouse in downtown to 327 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: cover his trial and it didn't last long. 328 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, we we did take it. We didn't. 329 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 3: I'm not sure if taking it serious is the right way. 330 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 3: What I recall is Marcel absolutely refusing to treat these 331 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 3: guys like replacement players. You know, he he he felt 332 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 3: that that these are I said this before, these are 333 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 3: our fellow human beings, No matter what you want to 334 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 3: think of them, and we have decided to go forward 335 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 3: with replacement baseball. And so if you've hired me as 336 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 3: the manager, I'm going to manage these guys. And if 337 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 3: this is what you want me to do, if i'm 338 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 3: if I'm to manage these guys, I want them treated 339 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 3: like big leaders. To do, we need to run a 340 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 3: big league spring training. And so we did, you know, 341 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 3: we we We didn't. They they weren't protected on their 342 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 3: meal money or anything like that, like like you would 343 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 3: be with a with a CBA. They didn't have that. 344 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 3: But we did treat them pretty well. You know, I 345 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 3: think I think we treated him real well. Most clubs 346 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 3: did the same thing as far as the money goes. 347 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 3: But but our our staff coached him and they taught 348 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 3: him and they tried to get you know, get him better, 349 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 3: and they tried to get get them ready, and they 350 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 3: tried to make them better players. And and uh, I 351 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 3: will always respect our staff for that because they didn't 352 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 3: want it. They knew, they knew what they were dealing with, 353 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 3: and they knew they weren't getting big leaguers ready to 354 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 3: play big league baseball. They were doing replacement baseball. They 355 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 3: didn't like it. They didn't like it one bit. And 356 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 3: and that's why I go back to, you know, we 357 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 3: had these we had we had a staff that had 358 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 3: some pretty good big league players on it, you know, Bob, 359 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 3: Bobby kind of up Rod Krut. We had good former 360 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 3: players and they were they were supportive of the Players Association. 361 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 3: So yeah, we just we just put all these people 362 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 3: in just such an awful position that I've beating the 363 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 3: dead horse. But Gord had the right answer. 364 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 1: I give you a perfect example of how serious your 365 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: staff took it. I remember that spring being in the 366 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: clubhouse and sitting in a chair next to one of 367 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: the replacement players who I was interviewing, and Rod Crew 368 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: walks by and he goes, get out of that chair. 369 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: That's a big leaguers chair. And I didn't think he 370 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: was serious at first. I kind of laughed, you know, 371 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: that kind of weird laugh, Okay, And he looks at 372 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,880 Speaker 1: me with those crude eyes. That's a big leaguer's chair, 373 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: and he meant it. And you know, it was my 374 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 1: first year on the beat. Maybe Rod was trying to 375 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: intimidate me a little bit for future considerations. But yeah, 376 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: those guys did take it serious, though. I will give 377 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: credit that replacement player team did make it through six 378 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 1: weeks of spring training. Most of the players, as I recall, 379 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: pocketed their meal money and ate at McDonald's all spring. 380 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: But they did make it to southern California. But by 381 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: then the strike had finally been settled. But the replacements 382 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 1: did agree to play the Freeway Series. One game in 383 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: Dodgers Stadium, one game in Angel Stadium, and I recall 384 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: putting on. It was a good show. 385 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 3: It was the regular It was the regular Freeway Series. 386 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 3: It was there was a third game, but it was 387 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 3: he got canceled. It got canceled, so we were supposed 388 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 3: to go back up to LA for Sundays game. We 389 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 3: played Friday at our place and Saturday at their place 390 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 3: and Sunday at their place. But Sunday morning is when 391 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 3: everything got settled. 392 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. 393 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: I do remember Chris Powell, your center fielder in a 394 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: former slow pitch softball teammate of mine a few years 395 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 1: before nineteen ninety five, making a spectacular catch. He was 396 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: we had a good team. He made a spectacular diving 397 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: catch in the outfield, and at the end of that game, 398 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: your Angel's replacement team got a standing ovation, a pretty 399 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: good standing ovation from the home crowd. Could you sort 400 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: of see at the time, how you know it, with 401 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 1: so much resentment and bitterness towards the striking players, how 402 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: they sort of came to appreciate the efforts of these guys. 403 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 3: Yes, I do, I can see that, and that is 404 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 3: you know, you get that right, that's that is what 405 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 3: what happened. And you know, the Anaheim fan is is 406 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 3: an interesting fan. You know, they're not They they know 407 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 3: the game. They really do know the game. I think 408 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 3: I think for the rest of the nation they don't. 409 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 3: They don't believe that, they don't believe that any anybody 410 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 3: outside of New York or Boston or Chicago knows anything 411 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 3: about anything. But but the Anaheim Angel fan, they know, 412 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,479 Speaker 3: they know what they're doing. But they've also got they 413 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 3: also got heart. You know, they've also got got some heart. 414 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 3: And you know, I think, you know, I don't think 415 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 3: they appreciated replacement baseball any more than you than you 416 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 3: and I did. You know, they weren't, they weren't thrilled 417 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 3: about replacement baseball. But the fans who came out to 418 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 3: the ballpark that night, and it wasn't a tiny crowd. 419 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 3: They came out and they they appreciated the effort. I 420 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 3: think they were surprised. And by the way, those two 421 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 3: games were pretty clean. You know, you know, you mentioned 422 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 3: the game in Mary'sville, those were filthy games. These two 423 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 3: games were pretty clean games, you know, and and and 424 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 3: they kind of looked like they weren't big league games. 425 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 3: But you're watching these players and they actually played the 426 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,959 Speaker 3: game correctly. They did everything right. It's just that, you know, 427 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 3: the ball moves slower, the holes are bigger, you know, 428 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 3: every everything's not big league baseball. And but they put 429 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 3: that effort out and the Anaheim fan appreciates that. Yeah, 430 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 3: I saw that. I saw that again later on a 431 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 3: few years later when we traded for Tony Phillips. The 432 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 3: second time he got he got in some legal hassles 433 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 3: and missed a couple of months, came back, and when 434 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 3: he came back and he went to the plate, they 435 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 3: he didn't get a standing ovation or anything with that, 436 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 3: but his first at batty doubled and they came, they 437 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 3: came to life, and so you know, they'll they'll support effort, 438 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 3: and so that that's what I think they saw. They 439 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 3: didn't see great baseball, but they saw great effort and 440 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 3: I do recall Powell's catch. 441 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: It's a great catch. So the big leaders did return 442 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: that spring. They somehow jammed a six week spring training 443 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,119 Speaker 1: into three weeks, and the nineteen ninety five seasons started 444 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 1: a little late April late April, and what. 445 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 2: A season that was. 446 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: The Angels built an eleven game lead and early to 447 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: mid August and had a pair of nine game losing streaks. 448 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: That lead lost the Seattle in a one game playoff. 449 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,919 Speaker 1: How tough was that to endure after everything that happened 450 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 1: and that lead that you guys had built. 451 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 3: Up, Well, it was real tough, obviously, but you know, 452 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 3: there's there's no getting around that it was. It was 453 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 3: I think I think you had actually asked me, Hey, 454 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 3: you know, where do you think you're going to be 455 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 3: at the end of this season? You know, what do 456 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 3: you think this is? You know, what do you think 457 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 3: is going to happen? I said, and I and I said, 458 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 3: you and I I think we were just bs and 459 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 3: we were just talking, you know, talking. I said, you know, 460 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 3: we're either going to finish this thing the way the 461 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 3: way we should, or I will have hopefully survived a 462 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 3: botched suicide attempt because it was so emotional. It was 463 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 3: so it was so up and down. It was you know, 464 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 3: you had these these you know, eight game you know, 465 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 3: you had these long losing streaks, long winning streaks, and 466 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 3: then you get to where you're really starting to fold, 467 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 3: and it's just it's hard to stop. It's hard. It's 468 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 3: hard to put put the brakes on out of times. 469 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 3: And I know, you know, interestingly enough, we had two 470 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:06,400 Speaker 3: eight game losing streaks I think in that that loss period, 471 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 3: and I think they were both broken by Abbot. I 472 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 3: think at Abbot broke both the eight eight game lose 473 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,239 Speaker 3: losing streaks. But you know, we had a we had 474 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 3: a pretty good club, Mike, but we were way ahead 475 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 3: of schedule. We were, we were I'm not sure I 476 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 3: was even ready for it. I really, you know, I 477 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,679 Speaker 3: wasn't because you know, in not ninety four, you know, 478 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 3: you kind of glossed over the ninety four season that 479 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 3: was a mess too, And because if you look at 480 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 3: the go look at the standings for nineteen ninety four 481 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 3: in the American West, we were about losing record, right, 482 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 3: we were like a billion games below five hundred and 483 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 3: still in it. You know, I'm looking at our club, 484 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,719 Speaker 3: We're just awful. And we had signed Bo Jackson as 485 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 3: a as a kind of a service act, and and 486 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 3: he was fantastic. He actually did a great job for us. 487 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 3: But but you know, we we were I remember trying 488 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 3: to trade for Rick Aguilera and then I'm I'm off, 489 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 3: I'm offering prospects Andy mcphili's just is he's just dragging 490 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:13,679 Speaker 3: me through a tin horn. You just killing me, and 491 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 3: and I'm giving up more and more, and finally we 492 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 3: don't do the deal. But I was just I'm the 493 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 3: whole time I was talking about I just couldn't believe. 494 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 3: I thought, I can't believe I'm I'm trying to get 495 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 3: a player at the trade dead deadline and we're in 496 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 3: the worst division I've ever seen. But we're still in it. 497 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 3: You know, we still have a chance to win, but 498 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 3: we're we're like fifteen games of five hundred. It's just disgusting. 499 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 3: So then so now it during that during that replacement 500 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:45,120 Speaker 3: baseball building the roster, Marcella and I were focused on 501 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:46,879 Speaker 3: the big league club, and so we were trying to 502 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,679 Speaker 3: figure out everything we could make better, and we actually 503 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 3: put together a business plan and followed it, and we 504 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 3: were we really felt we were going to grow the 505 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,719 Speaker 3: ball club. We were just going to keep growing this 506 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 3: on club. That that uh that Buck Rod you know 507 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:07,359 Speaker 3: Buck Rogers, you know he he courageously went with with 508 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 3: young kids. You know, Buck did a great job bringing 509 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:15,360 Speaker 3: Jim Edmonds along for an example. And so we thought, 510 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 3: we're just gonna get better, just keep keep getting better. 511 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 3: And then in spring training, uh, Joe Klein, who was 512 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,199 Speaker 3: the general manager of the Detroit Tigers called me and 513 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 3: and proposed trading Tony Phillips for Chad Curtis. And I, 514 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 3: you know, we we I said, I can't, I can't 515 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 3: do do that. We have Chad on a good contract. 516 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 3: And you're you know, he was paying Tony four and 517 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 3: a half. I was paying Chad too. He said, yeah. 518 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 3: For he said, Tony's on one one more year. I'll 519 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 3: pay his salary. I'll pay I'll pay the difference. So 520 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 3: you'll still have your Chad Curtis salary, but I'll have 521 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 3: Chad you take to take Tony. And so you know, 522 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 3: we're hamming an han over that. And I remember a 523 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 3: lot about this about this trade. And two things. One 524 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 3: Matt ke oh uh, may he rest in peace was 525 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 3: a just one of the hardest working scouts I've ever 526 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 3: been around in my life, and had just got great 527 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 3: information and he had played with with Tony, and he said, Bill, 528 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 3: he said, look, you know, he said, I wouldn't wait 529 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 3: to make this trade. He said, you know, we all 530 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 3: knew Chad was not well liked in the clubhouse, and 531 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 3: we also I also felt he had he had quite 532 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 3: a been a false hustle to him. I just didn't. 533 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 3: I just didn't take to the guy as much as 534 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 3: I thought I I should have. I just he was 535 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 3: tough to tough to. He was tough to be around anyway. 536 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 3: He so he said, he said, look, you know, Tony 537 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 3: is that rare guy who will make other players better. 538 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 3: He will make Edmunds better, he will make Snow better, 539 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 3: he will make Samon better. It just went down the 540 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 3: list to make everyone of one of these guys better. 541 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 3: And that sold me on it. And I don't know 542 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 3: if you were you probably recalled this, but at that 543 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 3: time it looked like the club was going to Peter 544 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 3: you broth. Oh yeah, and I was dealing with Peter, 545 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 3: you broth. Jackie. Jackie and gen Audrey told me, hey, 546 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 3: when Peter calls, treat him like an owner, you know, 547 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 3: give him information, give him what he needs needs to know. 548 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 3: I said, okay, great, and so I did, and those 549 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 3: were some of the most fun months of my career. 550 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 3: I loved dealing with Peter you Broth, and I love 551 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 3: dealing with with with Jackie and Gene Audrey too, but 552 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 3: Peter you Broth was was bringing a different dynamic and 553 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 3: I felt I was going to learn a lot with 554 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 3: this guy. And I really enjoyed myself. But I I 555 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 3: he came in town. He came into Arizona because he 556 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 3: also owned the Double Tree Corporation and they were headquartered 557 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 3: in Arizona, so he was he flew in there to 558 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,479 Speaker 3: do some business. Then then he stopped by by the ballpark. 559 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 3: He says, hey, so what's up. And so I told 560 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 3: him about the Tony Phillips straight and he looked at 561 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 3: me and said, are you kidding me? Because you know, 562 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 3: the reputation Chad in the public was way different than 563 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 3: Chad in the clubhouse. Right the public. Here's this, you know, 564 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 3: we're we're in Orange County and here's this white guy 565 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 3: with a with a with a crew cut and always 566 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 3: jumping on the wall trying to catch that ball. That's 567 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,959 Speaker 3: that's up in the upper deck. You know, he's not 568 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 3: got yere And so so fans kind of think this guy, 569 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 3: this guy is all that. He's just a he's just 570 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 3: a good team player, and he's a hustler. And so 571 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 3: I told Peter, I said, I said, Peter, he's not 572 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 3: the guy you think he is. You know, he's not. 573 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 3: He's not he's a selfish guy. And he's not. He's not. 574 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 3: He really is not the good team player you you 575 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 3: think he is. And so as we talked about a 576 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 3: little bit, he said, he said, hey, go you should 577 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 3: make you should make that deal. You should make deal. 578 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 3: I said, I said, you know, I I know why 579 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 3: I should make that deal. But you know why, why 580 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 3: are you thinking I should make that deal right right now? 581 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 3: And he said, he said Bell, He said, look, as 582 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 3: you're going through life and businesses said. He said, if 583 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 3: you have somebody working for you and you just don't 584 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 3: like him, when you go get your coffee in the morning, 585 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 3: you look at him and think, wow, I'm not sure 586 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 3: I'm not on that guy. If you do, if you 587 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 3: have that dynamic in your company, you're going to fail. 588 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 3: He said, You've got to get rid of get rid 589 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 3: of that person because eventually you're going to shaft him 590 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 3: or he's going to shaft you. So make the move, 591 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 3: make your best, best move. And I kind of lived 592 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 3: by that ever since that I've I've kept that in 593 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 3: mind a long time. And so we made that deal, 594 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 3: and Tony made that club. What you saw he really did, 595 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 3: I think I think it was a big part of 596 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 3: that thing. And I just I think we had we 597 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 3: were still relying on on so many kids that it 598 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 3: just got too much for him. I also regret very 599 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 3: painfully that when we started the year, like I told you, 600 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 3: we were, we were just trying to grow this club right, 601 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 3: and we felt that Damian easily should be left at 602 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 3: second base. And so I said that at the start 603 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 3: of the season. I said, Hey, no matter what we 604 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 3: do as the year goes on, leave Damien at second base. 605 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 3: But there's always this temptation to put him at shortstop tonight, third, 606 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 3: third base, tomorrow, second today, you know, the next day, 607 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 3: because he can do everything. He could do everything. But 608 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,479 Speaker 3: we felt, we all but the consensus was he's not 609 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 3: going to settle in offensively until we find him a 610 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 3: position where he can that can be his his own. 611 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 3: So we put him at second base, and we repledged that, hey, 612 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 3: we're not going to move him off second base for 613 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 3: any reason. Now we trade for Tony and the first 614 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 3: thing I asked him is, hey, do you mind playing 615 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 3: third base? And his eyes kind of got big, and 616 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 3: he said, yeah, I can play at third base. Yeah, sure, okay, 617 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 3: and so so he didn't tell me this until years 618 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,920 Speaker 3: later later. He said, you know, nothing scared me more 619 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 3: than playing third days. He said, I'm scared to death 620 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 3: every day. And you know, you know, Garrett Anderson and 621 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 3: I were talking about it. He was because we moved 622 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,560 Speaker 3: we moved him to third so that we could put Garrett. 623 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 3: We could bring him up and put him in left field, 624 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,319 Speaker 3: and Garrett said, he said, you know, he said, every 625 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 3: time i'd see Tony have trouble at third base, I thought, 626 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 3: oh god, I'm going down to triplet And I told him, 627 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 3: I said, no, we were. We were committed to that too. 628 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 3: Once we brought him up, we felt we're not going 629 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,759 Speaker 3: to send him down. He's gonna he's gonna even if 630 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 3: he struggles, he's going to suffer. Because this year we're 631 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 3: just supposed to We're supposed to grow, We're supposed to 632 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,959 Speaker 3: get better. Well they ended up. There was a time 633 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 3: in like July where we were at we were, we 634 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 3: had we had a better pace than the twenty seven 635 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 3: Yankees or something. 636 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, And you know. 637 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 3: Super superstition being what it is. I got a letter 638 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:16,240 Speaker 3: in August from Charlie Blaney, the farm director for the Dodgers, 639 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 3: and I had known him for a long time. He 640 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 3: sent me a note saying, dear Bill, congratulations on winning 641 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 3: the American League West. 642 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,320 Speaker 2: Oh wow, no, lie, yeah. 643 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 3: Charlie, Charlie Blaint And if I if we didn't have 644 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 3: a home game that night, I would have driven up 645 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 3: to Dodger Stadium and killed him. Because I'm not a 646 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 3: superstitious guy. I tried not to be, but that was 647 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 3: over the top. 648 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,799 Speaker 1: Well, let's let's fast forward four years to nineteen ninety nine, which, 649 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: as angel fans of a certain age will remember, was 650 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 1: a bit of a disaster. A team many picked to 651 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 1: win the division win seventy ninety two, finished last place 652 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 1: season full of turmoil. Terry Collins, the manager, quit in 653 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: early August, Bill Blevasi stepped down, and late September, Tony Taveres, 654 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,479 Speaker 1: the team president at that time, gave new general manager 655 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,560 Speaker 1: Bill Stone on a mandate to blow that team up, 656 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 1: and he didn't. Three years later, a team that you 657 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 1: and Bob Fontaine, the scouting director who you've referenced in 658 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:18,760 Speaker 1: the show, basically put together the nucleus of that team 659 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: wins the World Series. What was that whole experience like 660 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: for you? Was it validation? Was a regret? What do 661 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 1: you think. 662 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 3: You know it was? It was probably a little bit 663 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,279 Speaker 3: of both, but a little bit of everything. You know, 664 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 3: everything goes through through your mind, things like like that. 665 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,239 Speaker 3: But I want to tell you that that team that 666 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 3: won was Bill Stoneman's team. He made He made a 667 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:49,319 Speaker 3: couple of deals that were so impactful and they were 668 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,399 Speaker 3: deals I could have made, you know, but I did. 669 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:58,120 Speaker 3: And the deal for the second Baseman Kennedy was a 670 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 3: big one. That was a big deal. And who was 671 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:03,400 Speaker 3: the big right hand pitcher. 672 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 2: He got Kent button Field. 673 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:09,799 Speaker 3: Button Field. Yeah, he got guys that actually did things 674 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 3: for him and they they that that club grew and 675 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:16,920 Speaker 3: got better, you know, And and so I think that 676 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:21,880 Speaker 3: that the nucleus was a lot of the nucleus on 677 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 3: the position player side was ours. But builded some great things, 678 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:30,200 Speaker 3: built builded some fabulous things. And and that was clearly 679 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 3: his team. And so that's that's why, you know what. 680 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:35,319 Speaker 3: I I appreciate the credit that we get. I do 681 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 3: appreciate it. I believe most of that we got or not, 682 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:42,320 Speaker 3: I don't believe it's most of it. I believe we 683 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 3: got some credit because I was. I think I was 684 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:47,239 Speaker 3: nice to you guys. I think I think we all 685 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:49,480 Speaker 3: got along, right, I mean I really, I really don't. 686 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:54,840 Speaker 3: We got along pretty well. And I think I was 687 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 3: always nice. And so I do think when you're nice, 688 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 3: people give you a break. I think people. I think 689 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,800 Speaker 3: that was that was the media given us a break 690 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 3: and giving us some kudos that whether we deserved him 691 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,160 Speaker 3: or not, it was they were being real nice. I 692 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,840 Speaker 3: will say. One of the crazy things that that happened 693 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:16,200 Speaker 3: was when the Angels won and Michael Eisner was giving 694 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 3: the speech on the field. I don't know if you 695 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 3: remember this. He mentioned my name. 696 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 2: Oh I do not remember he did, he said, he. 697 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:25,239 Speaker 3: Said, he said, look, how can you lose when you 698 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 3: have people like stem In a Vesey putting this thing too? 699 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 3: And I thought, I'm not sure he knows I'm off 700 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:33,440 Speaker 3: the payroll. Maybe he thinks I still work. 701 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:39,760 Speaker 2: So he had a lot of characters on the payroll. 702 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 3: Remember, yes, Bill, Bill invited Bobby and I to the 703 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 3: first game at Anai'm Stadium. I'm not even sure I 704 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 3: was that game one of the series or the first. 705 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 2: Home field. 706 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:00,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, we he invited us to the first first game, 707 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 3: which was super nice thing for him to do. And 708 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,640 Speaker 3: and and I don't know if you've ever heard of 709 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,959 Speaker 3: that done. That's probably doesn't happen very very often yet ever, 710 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 3: But I as I recall what I had heard, is 711 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 3: that is that the idea was put to him by 712 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 3: Kevin Ulick and Tim Mead and his response was, you know, 713 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 3: can can I do that? I didn't. I haven't even 714 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:28,839 Speaker 3: thought thought of that. I'd love to do that. Yeah, 715 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:31,799 Speaker 3: you know. So, so Bobby and I are indebted to 716 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 3: Billy to Bill for doing that. And you know, I'm 717 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 3: old enough to remember Bill Stowman as a pitcher, and 718 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 3: I always admired this guy. This guy's pitching career is 719 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 3: is really really impressive energy to super super big league pitcher. 720 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,440 Speaker 3: So I I just you know, and I always no 721 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 3: matter what position, whether I was on the grounds crew 722 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,280 Speaker 3: or a general manager or anything in between, I always 723 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 3: appreciated big League players. I don't Yeah, I don't care 724 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 3: if they were stars. If you put on a big 725 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:08,160 Speaker 3: league uniform, you're somebody in my eyes. So anyway, he 726 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 3: did a real nice, nice thing that he certainly did 727 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 3: not have to do, and at a time in his 728 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 3: life where he's got other stuff to think about. 729 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,640 Speaker 1: Well, as much as I've enjoyed this trip in the 730 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:23,520 Speaker 1: wayback machine, I do want to bring my last question 731 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,439 Speaker 1: up to present day. As you know, Bill an Orange 732 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,240 Speaker 1: County resident, the Angels are an eleven year playoff drought 733 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 1: with ten straight losing seasons. You're a former GM Baseball liver. 734 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:40,440 Speaker 1: If looking at this franchise right now from the outside, 735 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 1: is there a blueprint that you would suggest for them 736 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: to turn this thing around and return the playoff. 737 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 3: Contention, Nothing you haven't thought of. You know, it all 738 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 3: starts with the bass, you know. First of all, I 739 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 3: will I want to say I'm still a fan of 740 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:03,920 Speaker 3: the Angels. It's still it's still my team. And I mean, 741 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:06,399 Speaker 3: and I think all of us that that that grew 742 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,280 Speaker 3: up with the Angels. I was there for twenty twenty years, 743 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:11,000 Speaker 3: you know, And the only jobs I had in baseball 744 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 3: before that, I was on on a grounds Crew in 745 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:17,919 Speaker 3: San Diego, and so for twenty years that's the only 746 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 3: organization I knew. So I still love the organization and 747 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 3: I got it. I had a great chance to meet 748 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 3: Ardie Moreno early in his in his tenure there, and 749 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 3: what a nice guy. I'm a i'm a I'm a 750 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:34,799 Speaker 3: fan of his and I and i'm i'm i'm I'm 751 00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:37,480 Speaker 3: rooting for him, and I'd love to see him get 752 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 3: a little bit of luck. You know, every every owner 753 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,359 Speaker 3: who wins, who wins, they've got luck on their side 754 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 3: every once in a while. You gotta don't, don't, don't 755 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:48,359 Speaker 3: just discount that. I'd love to see this guy get 756 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,879 Speaker 3: some luck, have some some luck. But beyond luck, I'd 757 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 3: probably be be making sure I invest more and more consistently, 758 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:03,440 Speaker 3: well more and more consistently in scouting and player development 759 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 3: and analytics. I mean, I know you you probably don't 760 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 3: think I'm an analytics guy, and I'm not, but I 761 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:13,399 Speaker 3: do see the need and the value and that that 762 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 3: if you're my competitor and you you have analytics, well 763 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 3: I want to have better analytics. And so you're going 764 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 3: to have to invest in those things and and maybe 765 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:27,840 Speaker 3: maybe back off for a while the big name free agent, 766 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,400 Speaker 3: until you're ready, until you think you're. 767 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:30,919 Speaker 2: Ready for that. 768 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:34,239 Speaker 3: And I'll tell you we can all make mistakes and 769 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:37,200 Speaker 3: think we're we think we're ready, but we're not that 770 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:39,680 Speaker 3: that that that happened to me in Seattle. You know, 771 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,640 Speaker 3: we had we had an edict when I first got there, 772 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 3: you're not gonna you're not going to be able to 773 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 3: go through a five year building plan. And if you 774 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 3: if if you look at the club I inherited, it 775 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 3: was very old and I had to I had to 776 00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:54,879 Speaker 3: turn it over. And this was a very popular ball 777 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:57,719 Speaker 3: club up there, so I was I was definitely the 778 00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 3: devil himself, you know, coming in there and turn turning 779 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:05,640 Speaker 3: these guys guys over. But we did get better, and 780 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 3: that was our art. Edict was almost to get better 781 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 3: every month. Almost they were. They were pretty unreasonable. I 782 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,400 Speaker 3: got some great stories from up up there. But the 783 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 3: we did get better until seven and we won eight 784 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,000 Speaker 3: eighty eight games in a year where where where my 785 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 3: my my manager bailed halfway through the year, but we 786 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,000 Speaker 3: still won eighty eight games. So we were getting better. 787 00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:30,840 Speaker 3: But we lost some RBIs and Hose Jose g in 788 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 3: and so we had to take some chances, and we 789 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:38,839 Speaker 3: took the chances and they didn't work out. We were awful. Man, 790 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:41,040 Speaker 3: I got fired. I should I should have got fired 791 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:43,400 Speaker 3: because you got to take chances, and the buck stops 792 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:45,239 Speaker 3: with you as a GM, it stops with you. If 793 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:47,680 Speaker 3: you don't win, you die, That's the way it goes. 794 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:52,839 Speaker 3: But in uh so, you know, so I look at 795 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 3: this and I think you know that that they're going 796 00:43:55,360 --> 00:43:57,719 Speaker 3: to have to get back to the basics and then 797 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:00,919 Speaker 3: just just hold your powder, keep your hot powder dry 798 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:03,640 Speaker 3: until you're good enough to go out and get that 799 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 3: big free agent to put you over over the top. 800 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:09,560 Speaker 3: I think it's a I think it's bad luck and 801 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:11,120 Speaker 3: a shame. It's one of one of the one of 802 00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:13,840 Speaker 3: the most crying shames I've seen in baseball is to 803 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 3: see see a ball club that has Mike Trout and 804 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:24,879 Speaker 3: uh Otani. When you have Show all Otani and Mike 805 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:27,319 Speaker 3: Trout and you're not in the postseason, that's just a 806 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 3: bummer for everybody. It's I'm not blaming anybody, it's just 807 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,160 Speaker 3: a it's just a bummer. It's it's it's it's a sad, 808 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 3: sad thing. I wish they had a little bit more 809 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:38,640 Speaker 3: luck in those years. And and I I thought I 810 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:42,319 Speaker 3: thought it was coming when Joe got there, when when 811 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:44,839 Speaker 3: Joe Madden got got there. But I guess things had 812 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 3: changed enough where it just wasn't. It just wasn't gonna happen. 813 00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 3: But I I I do, I do. I do wish them. 814 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:55,120 Speaker 3: This is you know when you when somebody tells you, hey, 815 00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:57,880 Speaker 3: I wish you luck. I really wish these guys. I'd 816 00:44:57,960 --> 00:44:59,600 Speaker 3: like to see them get a little bit of luck, 817 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:03,959 Speaker 3: just onet in a while. So so so that's that's 818 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:06,440 Speaker 3: my my. My blueprint is a bad it's not a 819 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:08,160 Speaker 3: real good good one. I'm not sure. I'm not saying 820 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 3: it's bad, but it's not. It's not. It's nothing earth 821 00:45:10,680 --> 00:45:13,040 Speaker 3: chattering that you haven't thought about and all your fans 822 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:16,080 Speaker 3: haven't thought about. Just get back, build, build the base 823 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:16,839 Speaker 3: and work from there. 824 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:19,760 Speaker 1: All right, that's gonna do it for us on Halo 825 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:23,840 Speaker 1: Territory today. Thanks for joining us, Bill Bavasi. Great to 826 00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:27,439 Speaker 1: catch up with you, always talking about the old days. 827 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:30,919 Speaker 1: And please like and subscribe and we'll see you next 828 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:47,759 Speaker 1: time on Halo Territory. 829 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 4: M M 830 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:48,719 Speaker 2: M