WEBVTT - John Smoltz 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.640 My dream would have been to play for the Detroit Tigers, 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:05.320 but my goal was still alive. So once I got 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:07.280 to Richmond, which is triple A, I had to get 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:09.680 moved up because I got traded for a big leaguer. 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:16.360 I realized, Wow, Atlanta's not very good and they could 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:24.400 use some pitching. Hi. My name is John Smoltz, and 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:25.720 I am golf. 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:38.160 Hi everybody, and welcome back to a post Super Bowl 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:42.480 edition of Off the Beat. That's right, no more football, 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:47.000 but it's still me, your host, Brian Baumgartner. Yeah, the 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:52.000 Super Bowl is over. Football season is officially done, but 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:58.280 after winter comes the spring training. Spring training guys get 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:02.520 it here to help us ease into that magical transition 0:01:02.680 --> 0:01:06.720 from football season to baseball season. My guest today is 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:10.399 none other than well he would call himself a hero 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:16.520 of mine, John Smoltz. John, of course, a first ballot 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:20.600 Hall of Fame pitcher, eight time All Star, nineteen ninety 0:01:20.680 --> 0:01:25.120 five World Series champion, who spent twenty years on my 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:29.640 hometown team, the Atlanta Braves. How's this for some perspective. 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:33.280 He joined the Braves when I was in high school 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:36.880 back in Atlanta, and he stayed with the team until 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:41.919 two thousand and nine, which was quite a long time 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:44.600 after I graduated from high school. Let's just put it 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:48.960 that way. Nowadays, John is the lead game analyst for 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:52.919 Fox Sports MLB coverage, including eight years in a row 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:56.400 analyzing for all of us at home the World Series. 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:00.840 John is a renowned golfer as well make king appearances 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:04.600 on the Champions Tour of course, a regular at the 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:07.640 American Century Championship, and he is a two time winner 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:11.920 of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Not to 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:16.040 mention he's a rippin accordion player. I'm gonna stay very 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:20.240 far away from that. So here he is Marmaduke, the 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:24.080 guy I call Smoltzy John, Smoltz. 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:35.000 Bubble and squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeakna Bubble 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:40.040 and squeaker. Cook get every moleft over from the ninety four? 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:58.320 What's up, Johnny? Not a hole lot, Not a hole lot, Smoltzy, Marmaduke. 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:02.359 Where did Marmaduke come from? I just saw that. 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:06.640 Marmaduke came in my first year from Dale. Murphy nicknamed 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:09.720 me Marmaduke and put a huge bone over my locker, 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:12.880 and it had Duke on it, and he said I 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:17.680 reminded him of the cartoon character or caricature of Marmaduke. 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:19.880 I hadn't heard that one before. 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:20.760 Yeah, I like that. 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:24.360 Everybody calls you yeah multi right, that's the one that's done. 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:25.600 In the big leagues. If you can add a why 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:28.320 to anybody's last name, that's usually what happens. You know, 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:30.760 That's what everybody And to be honest with you, that 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:33.120 was the biggest habit I had to break when I 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:36.480 became a broadcaster because I only knew guys by their nicknames. 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:39.720 I had to look up some guys first names because 0:03:40.760 --> 0:03:42.960 because you only know him by your nicknames and the 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:45.240 last names, that's uh yeah, I had to do a 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:45.920 little work on that. 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:50.160 Yeah, all right. I want to talk about you as 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:56.160 the lead analyst on Fox MLB eight world series in 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:58.920 a row. You've now called more world series that you 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:01.360 appeared in, and you appear in a hell a lot. 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:06.160 You grew up in Michigan a big Tigers fan, you were. 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:06.800 Yeah. 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:10.360 Your grandfather, father John, he worked for the Tigers for 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:11.920 a long time, Is that right? 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:14.880 He did. He was on the ground crew for twelve 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:17.320 thirteen years, and he worked in the press room and 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:20.280 we went to game after game because he could get 0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:23.680 us in. We would sit in seats till somebody tapped 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:26.320 us on the shoulder and said that those were their seats, 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:31.200 So we moved around till somebody didn't show up. And yeah, 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:34.640 he used to tell everybody when I was twelve, thirteen, 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.000 fourteen years old, go to the games. He goes one day, 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:39.440 my grandson's going to play in the big leagues, and 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:41.599 you know, I was like, Grants, hey, you know, stop. 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.240 But he told everybody that came through the press room, 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:47.400 all the general manager, owners, you know, all the people 0:04:47.440 --> 0:04:50.000 that would come through and lo and behold. You know, 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:50.960 it ended up happening. 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:54.000 Who was your favorite Tiger growing up? 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:58.920 I would say Alan Trammel Lou Whitaker that I had 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:02.760 number three in high schoo and Alan Trammel war number three. 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:05.880 You know. I went to the eighty four World Series 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:07.920 game that they won where Gibson hit the home run 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:11.480 off of Goose Gossage. I was sitting right there. The 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:14.000 best story of all time is that, you know, here 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:17.160 I am. This is I don't know, you know, if 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:19.240 I'm going to get drafted the next year, but there's 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:22.520 a good chance I get drafted, the Tigers win it. 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:25.040 We're in the stands, my dad, my brother and I 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:28.520 And for whatever reason, in Detroit when they won the 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:30.680 World Series, the people went on the field and started 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:35.040 ripping up the infield and started throwing the sod. So 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:37.440 me and my brother went and got the sod and 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:39.719 we planted it in our backyard. We have like two 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:43.640 or three squares of the infield sod, and my dad 0:05:43.680 --> 0:05:48.039 put a tiger statue that overlooked the tiger grass. And 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:51.000 then the next year I get drafted by the Tigers. 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:53.680 It didn't get drafted where I wanted to, but end 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:57.479 up working out. I signed last day. I was going 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.599 to Michigan State on Monday and Sunday, and I signed 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:02.560 with the Tigers. So I started my quest to be 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.039 with my hometown team. Now, fast forward to the trade, 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:10.680 which wasn't setting well with everybody in the hometown, you 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:14.400 know State. I came home that offseason and the tiger 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:16.480 was gone and the grass had been pulled up. 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:19.560 My band wasn't Yeah because I got because the Tigers 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:20.080 traded you. 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:21.200 Yeah. Wow? 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:24.960 When you when your grandfather was telling owners everybody in 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:27.280 the press box that his grandson was going to play 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:31.359 for the Tigers. Were you good at that time? I was, 0:06:31.480 --> 0:06:34.760 Were you playing? You were? You were playing and having 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.800 some success. It wasn't crazy, No, it wasn't crazy. 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:40.680 But the crazy part was like, you know, how would 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:42.600 you know that it's going to be with the Tigers. 0:06:42.680 --> 0:06:46.720 You know there's thirty teams. And when draft time came, 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:49.240 I hadn't signed so early to go to Michigan State. 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:51.880 I think it hurt my draft stock, and so I 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.320 got drafted in the twenty second round, which in that 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.200 day you just you don't go, you don't sign. You know, 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.920 college is worth more. I had a fan fantastic summer. 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:05.640 I played in the three top tournaments, Triple ABA, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:08.760 I played in the Junior Olympics. I unfortunately lost two 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:11.240 to one in the gold medal game to Cuba. But 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:14.080 it was a great summer in My stop kept rising, 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:16.360 so that's what allowed the money to get closer to 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:19.400 first round money. And I literally did sign at the 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:21.840 last minute, so it ended up working out in a 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:22.320 weird way. 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:25.440 Yeah, I read that you were going to go to 0:07:25.680 --> 0:07:32.360 Michigan State. Was jud like, did he specifically recruit you? 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:35.320 Judge said that I could play both sports. You know, 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:38.040 I could come out for basketball and then I played 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:40.760 basketball and baseball. That was one of the things we discussed. 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:45.440 I had probably better offers basketball wise at smaller schools 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:49.320 in the mid Michigan area, but I was really intrigued 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:52.160 with the opportunity to play both sports. It was one 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.360 of the few times that jud Heathcote didn't have a 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.520 true point guard, and I could have helped a lot. 0:07:57.960 --> 0:07:59.640 Don't know how much I would have played because of 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:03.400 the two sports and somewhat of a crossover, but not much. 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:06.440 And that I kind of always think, well, what, you know, 0:08:06.840 --> 0:08:09.560 what would that have been? Like, basketball is my first love. 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:11.280 I played. I played all the way till I was 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:14.320 fifty one, and I think that would have been That 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.640 would have been a tremendous challenge. I would have loved 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:17.960 to see how I could have done. 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:20.320 Do you think you can shoot the rock better than me? 0:08:23.120 --> 0:08:26.840 It wouldn't be It wouldn't be fair if we joke, 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:28.680 if we went in the gym and we shot like 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:30.040 thirty three points. 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:33.920 Let me let me ask you a question. Yeah, have 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:38.360 you ever free throw line extended fifteen footers? 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:39.199 Yeah? 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:42.080 Have you ever made thirteen in a row on national 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:45.319 television because one of us has. 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.960 I have not made thirteen in a row, my but 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:50.319 my record is sixty six in a row. 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:53.800 Sixty six free throws in a row. Yes, Wow, that 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:57.120 would be a challenge. That would that would be a change. 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:03.120 The legs might get a little like get a little Bernie. 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:06.480 Did you take three days? Did you shoot like twenty 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:09.200 two and then the next day shoot twenty two six? 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.720 Yeah? Our coach, our coach had a competition every year, 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:16.040 in every every day in high school on pre throws, 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:20.800 and I got to sixty six? Was was the record? 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:23.360 You know? If I were to go in a gym today, 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:25.520 people ask me all the time, and I haven't shot much. 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:29.280 I think I could make eighty eight to ninety out 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:30.800 of one hundred, just. 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:34.840 Continuous, Okay, all right, we might have to one of 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:37.120 these one of these events. We might have to. We 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:40.200 might find it. Take away, we might find it. We 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:42.760 might find it. Jim, I like that. I got to 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:45.240 find something I can beat you and John. I do 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:49.120 have to mention you talked about being recruited to sports 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:52.320 Michigan State, which again was your was you're you were 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:55.120 a fan, you were a Michigan State guy growing up, 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:57.320 and then you got drafted. But I got to ask 0:09:57.360 --> 0:10:01.640 you because I read this nineteen eighty. It was your 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:05.760 senior season. You played the championship game in high school. 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:09.280 Their heavy favorites. Now I want you to tell me 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:12.960 the story a little bit. There was some requirements about innings. 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.000 You could only pitch a certain number of innings. 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:19.280 No, there wasn't requirements. We were not a great baseball team. 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:23.640 I believe I was thirteen and four, twelve and four, 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:27.160 and we were thirteen and fourteen, Okay. So it was 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:31.240 an invitational tournament that we got invited to, and it's 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:36.280 the top teams in the state usually get picked. It's 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:41.720 a Friday Monday Wednesday tournament. And so I pitched Friday 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:46.800 against my former high school that I transferred from to 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:50.280 political reasons. I threw a no hitter and struck out 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:51.440 sixteen against them. 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:54.720 By the way, that was Lansing Catholic Central School. I 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:56.240 did my research, go ahead. 0:10:56.000 --> 0:10:58.840 Go ahead, and then Monday I pitched and we won. 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:02.240 When was the championship game, I couldn't pitch, you know, 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:05.160 it would obviously can't do Friday Monday. I mean, it 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:08.880 wouldn't be physically smart and so the championship games on Wednesday, 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.760 there's a ton of people there. We get to the 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:15.080 third inning and there's bases loaded, nobody out, and the 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.760 game is tied now. And I called my coach out, 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:21.000 who was my basketball coach, and he was filling in 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:23.720 for the baseball coach vacancy, and I said, let me 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:26.560 get out of this jam. And he goes, okay, And 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:28.680 then what I said, well, we'll just piece it together, 0:11:28.760 --> 0:11:31.040 but let me get out of the jam. I get 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:34.199 out of the jam. I pitched the fourth, I pitched 0:11:34.240 --> 0:11:37.760 the fifth. It's now the sixth. I'm gassed. It's now 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:41.240 seven innings is what we played. I pitched the top 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:44.760 of the seventh, then an extra innings in the bottom 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:47.600 of the eighth. I hit a walk off home run 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:50.520 to win the championship on my last swing in my 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.880 high school career, and to this day still one of 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:57.400 the greatest moments I've ever had, other than winning the 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:01.040 World Series for Major League Baseball. I don't like in basketball, 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:02.920 I never talked, and in baseball, I never talked. But 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:05.440 when I hit that home run, I was it was immediate. 0:12:05.480 --> 0:12:07.760 I was jumping up and down at home plate, and 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.000 I think at some point the empire goes Okay, now 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:13.360 you got to run around and I ran around the 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:15.640 bases that everybody on the other team kind of gave 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:17.720 me five. And it was It was one of those 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:20.560 things I wouldn't recommend, like in your senior year, pitching 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:23.680 all those innings, but it worked out and you know 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:24.640 we ended up winning it. 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:28.080 Well, I ask you about it because of your future success. 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:32.320 I have I read that you said best on field 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:34.000 baseball achievement. 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:39.079 Yeah, I mean the home run at Branded High School. 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:43.240 But I did pitch Monday and Wednesday. I mean I 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:46.360 did pitch Friday and Monday, complete games, and I was 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:48.240 just thinking I could get out of the jam and 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.880 then we'd figure something out. And I just said, I'll 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:52.720 go one more, and then I'll go one more, and 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.880 I'll go one more, and to hit that home run, 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:57.960 and everybody ran on the field. I think the next 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:00.920 day they might have pushed back exams and we had 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:03.079 a big pep rally and it was pretty cool for 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:06.160 our school. We're not really we're not known for baseball. 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:11.400 That's awesome. You mentioned making the last minute decision to 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:15.480 go to the hometown Tigers. You were about to report 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:19.720 for classes at Michigan State. Was it the money? Was 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:22.800 it that it was your hometown team? Was it you 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:26.800 were just ready to start your professional career? Like where 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:29.560 it came down to the end? What was what was 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:30.600 the deciding factor? 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:33.360 So to tell you how many thousands of years ago 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.880 it was one hundred thousand dollars was first round money 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:41.640 back then? Okay, today obviously it's millions and good for them. 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:45.360 But my high school are my college coach at the time, 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:48.559 Michigan State, Tom Smith, I don't know of many other 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:51.120 people that would have done this well. As he sat 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:52.679 in the room and he said, is that is we 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:54.600 want you to come to Michigan State. If you get 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.360 first round money, you really need to go. You'll be ready. 0:13:58.000 --> 0:14:00.840 And that point it was the perfect scenario. I did 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:03.440 get first round money. It took all the way to 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:06.240 the end to get that because you know, twenty second 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.240 rounders don't get that. And I felt like I was 0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:11.720 ready and I told my dad, he was basically doing 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:15.040 all my negotiations for me. He was a salesman by trade, 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:16.440 and I told him, Dad, if you can get me 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:19.760 first round money, I'll go. If not, I'm ready to 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:22.840 go to Michigan State, and so it was a perfect balance. 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.080 I think back to my college coach at the time, 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:27.960 I'm like, he didn't have to do that, but he 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:30.800 knew what was best for me at the time. If 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:32.440 that happened and it worked. 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:36.200 Out, you know. I like to look at sort of 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:41.040 defining moments in your life, it specifically in your career, 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:44.960 like do you ever go back and wonder if that 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:48.000 was the right decision, if you were ready, or do 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:50.520 you feel like you it was time for you to 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:51.680 start your career. 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:54.240 I felt like it was the best track to get 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:56.400 to the big leagues. You know. At that time and 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.760 the way that baseball was being played, there were a 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:02.080 lot lot of guys that played a long time, right, 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:05.480 it was more about preparing to play long term than 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:10.760 just what today's world is about exercising the maximum velocity 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.120 and everything they can do. So it got me into 0:15:13.160 --> 0:15:16.520 the system quicker and it allowed me to navigate, and 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:20.080 of course the trade helped big time. But I do 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:23.320 think a lot about what would it have been like 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:26.880 to go play two sports and to play basketball. But 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:32.920 ultimately that decision led to some other decisions that ultimately 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.520 gave me the greatest opportunity with the Atlanta brains. 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:40.320 Your dad rips up the turf, he takes down the 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:45.800 tiger because Doyle Brunson comes to Detroit and you head 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:52.080 across the country to Atlanta. Initially, this is nineteen eighty eight. 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:56.160 Now it's only three years in, by the way, but 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.240 it is three years you spent now three years with 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:02.880 the organization. Were you happy, could you see anything or 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:06.240 were you just like, well, shit, I just I was traded. 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:10.920 I was devastated. I was so My dad was a 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:13.280 jokester and he liked to prank and call me. He was, 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:17.200 you know, always laughing, and I was having a miserable 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:19.800 double a season. I think I was five and eleven 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:23.520 and I was sitting in Glenn's Fall's Stadium and I 0:16:23.560 --> 0:16:29.000 got two notes given to me. One was call home immediately, 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:32.040 or called my dad, and then the next was called 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:35.320 Detroit Front Office. Well, I thought something's wrong with my dad. 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:39.320 So again a thousand years ago, I used the payphone 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:43.520 in the clubhouse and I called my dad and I said, 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.880 is everything okay? And he goes, You've just been traded 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:50.000 to the Atlanta Braves. I said, Dad, it's not funny. 0:16:50.000 --> 0:16:52.840 I'm not having a good year. I promise you I'm 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:56.120 going to come home and this is not funny. He goes, no, 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:58.080 I just heard it. And then I looked at the 0:16:58.120 --> 0:16:59.600 other note and I went, Dad, i'mna have to call 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:02.960 you back. I called Detroit front office and again I'm 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:04.879 just like my head spinning, and they said, You've been 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:08.720 traded for Doyle Alexander to go to Richmond with the 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:13.240 Atlanta Braves. You know, got a report and my manager 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:15.640 was in the office and he said, what is the deal. 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.360 I said, I've just been traded and I was speechless 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:22.440 and again not thinking that somebody wanted me. I felt 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:24.640 like my team didn't want me because I was five 0:17:24.640 --> 0:17:28.119 and eleven, I was a top prospect. Well, when I 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:30.520 made the fourteen hour drive, my dad called and said, 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:32.480 you want me to come with you. I said no, no, 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:35.560 I'm gonna do this myself. I made the fourteen hour drive, 0:17:35.720 --> 0:17:38.159 and in that drive I realized my goal was to 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:40.520 make it to the big news. My dream would have 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:42.640 been to play for the Detroit Tigers, but my goal 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.520 was still alive. So once I got to Richmond, which 0:17:45.560 --> 0:17:47.720 was triple A, I had to get moved up because 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:51.240 I got traded for a big leaguer. I realized, Wow, 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:56.560 Atlanta's not very good and they could use some pitching, 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.320 and so it get kicked in right away. It gave 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.480 me unbelieve opportunities and I look back and go, you know, 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:05.800 there's no doubt. I feel like I would have made 0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:08.679 it with Detroit, but there's no doubt that this was 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.520 the best route for me. And you know the rest 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:12.040 was history. 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:17.879 So enter into the story. Me I am, I'm in 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:21.840 high school. The Braves are terrible. They have been terrible. 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:26.879 You know, I had birthday parties at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.280 It was really easy to do. As you said, go 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:33.560 just go sit wherever you want to sit, because the 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:36.479 likelihood was no one was going to show up. Yeah, 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:40.280 I was a huge Braves fan. You were there and 0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:46.120 eventually make the big leads and start what is one 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:49.080 of the greatest runs in baseball history, some would say 0:18:49.520 --> 0:18:53.920 the greatest in terms of division titles one. It all 0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:57.840 starts with that worst to first year in nineteen ninety one. 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.840 I feel like, I remember remember this. When I was 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:05.720 looking over this, this came up which I had totally forgotten, 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:08.520 and I would have given you shit over the years, 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:12.359 if I had remembered this, the Braves in ninety or 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:18.080 awful ninety one end up making an improbable and historic 0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:20.879 World Series run ends up being what I believed to 0:19:20.920 --> 0:19:23.720 be is the greatest World Series of all time against 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:27.720 the Minnesota Twins. You started the season two and eleven, 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:32.360 two and eleven, two and eleven. I don't know how 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:35.720 you guys stayed in the in the hunt, and I 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:37.720 remember that was the Dodgers, and it was it did 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:40.920 come down to the very end. But two and eleven 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.520 you saw a sports psychologist. 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:45.760 Yep, and you. 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.960 Finished the season twelve and two. Is this real? I 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:50.360 feel like I remembered this. 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:54.159 But yeah, So I'm coming off of nineteen ninety. I 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.679 had a really good year. I won fifteen games, we 0:19:56.760 --> 0:19:59.119 lost one hundred or close to it. Yeah, and we 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:02.600 get a new gentleman manager, John Schuerholtz, and he implements 0:20:02.640 --> 0:20:06.359 a new system. And I'll be honest, I talk about it. 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:09.600 Sit at my book. I was ticked he renewed my contract, 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:13.360 I got no raise, and I took it personal and 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:16.720 I changed my philosophy. I was a guy that like, 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:19.240 I don't mind digging out of a hole I'm a grinder. 0:20:19.320 --> 0:20:22.040 I learned from the mistakes, but I'm always going to 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:24.359 give you my best. There's no chance, no matter what 0:20:24.400 --> 0:20:26.639 you pay me, I'm not going to give my best. 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:29.880 Well now I'm out to show them and I'm I'm 0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:32.399 gonna win fifty games this Year's like you know what 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:36.440 I'm saying. And I started out, I had my first child, 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:38.720 was ready to get born. It was the perfect storm. 0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:41.800 And I start out two and eleven and it's awful, 0:20:42.040 --> 0:20:44.920 but it wasn't the worst two and eleven you've ever seen. 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:46.760 It was just one bad inning every game. 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:47.480 Okay. 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:49.920 So I'd be pitching really good and then one bad 0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:52.280 inning and I would get frustrated and I wasn't able 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:55.600 to control, kind of like the big inning. So John 0:20:55.880 --> 0:20:59.040 at All Star Break asked me, would you mind see him, 0:20:59.080 --> 0:21:01.520 you know, talking to the sport psychologists. So yeah, no problem, 0:21:01.720 --> 0:21:04.560 you know whatever, I mean. I'm close to getting either 0:21:05.280 --> 0:21:09.359 back in the bullpen or in the minors, and so 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:13.600 I see the sports psychologist. Really easy was nothing. You know. 0:21:13.680 --> 0:21:16.639 What really clicked for me was he put together a 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:19.920 two minute film of all my best pitches. And that's 0:21:19.960 --> 0:21:22.359 all I did. I watched it before every start, and 0:21:22.400 --> 0:21:25.000 it was all my pitches, it wasn't somebody else's pitches. 0:21:25.440 --> 0:21:28.439 And I got into a bad funk mentally, and the 0:21:28.480 --> 0:21:30.760 way that I got out of it was I knew 0:21:30.760 --> 0:21:32.520 I could throw all these pitches, and I knew I 0:21:32.560 --> 0:21:34.840 could be who I was, So I just pulled it 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:37.920 up anytime I needed to, and that was it. Now 0:21:37.960 --> 0:21:40.840 the story gets bigger and bigger and bigger as I 0:21:40.920 --> 0:21:43.439 keep winning, and I don't know what's going on in 0:21:43.480 --> 0:21:46.520 the backdrop. I don't know that he's doing interviews and 0:21:46.520 --> 0:21:48.600