WEBVTT - Jim Crane 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:08.680 It's the Son of a Butcher podcast. You guys know 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:12.280 the drill. We come to you every Wednesday. This week's 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:15.440 guests the principal owner of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane. 0:00:15.600 --> 0:00:18.200 They just won the World Series and I thought it 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:20.960 would be a good opportunity to talk to a guy 0:00:21.040 --> 0:00:24.319 like Jim about, you know, all the stuff that they've done, 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:26.920 you know, as a as a major league franchise organization, 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:31.600 kind of a building a culture of winning, a series 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:34.040 of excellence and and all the things that they do. 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:37.640 UM at the Astros organization. UM, I've known Jim Crane 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.400 for a long time. He's effectively my boss here at 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.720 Floridian because he owns the Floridian. But UM, I've gotten 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:45.400 to watch his right, I mean, I think my dad 0:00:45.440 --> 0:00:47.240 and I've known Jim for around twenty five years and 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:50.000 gotten to watch his rise not only in business but 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:53.200 also in sports. And UM, he's got some pretty cool 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:55.880 things say. And let me tell you, obviously he owns 0:00:55.880 --> 0:00:58.800 a golf course, so he UM, he loves golf and 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:02.360 is a huge, huge offer. Um. He took over the 0:01:02.440 --> 0:01:04.520 running of the Houston Open on the PGA Tour, so 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:07.840 UM lots to talk about But before we jump in, 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:11.240 let's take a moment to thank for Wellness for supporting 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:13.680 the show. You guys hear me talk about them every week, 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:15.399 and that the reason I do that is because I 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:17.920 drink their coffee every week. 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Again, 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:58.360 that's the code c H three at for Wellness dot 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:02.080 Com slash Podcast. So now let's get to the interview 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:09.720 with Jim Crane Jim. In two thousand fourteen, Ben rid 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:12.640 er Um from Sports I wrote an article um cover 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:14.880 of Sports Illustrated said the astroids gonna win the World 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:18.799 Series two thousand seventeen, which you guys did. But when 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:21.600 that article came out, Uh, did you think he was 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:26.119 crazy for writing it? Did you envision that happening? And then, 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:28.519 I mean, if you think about it, five years later, 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:32.120 you guys have just one another World Series? Crazy? Yeah? No, 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:34.799 I think you know, I think they liked the method 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:36.760 we were going at. The team wasn't very good at 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:39.520 the time, and um, you know, the people we had 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:42.960 under contract weren't producing. So you know, Balloon out stripped 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:45.440 the thing down and got a lot of young players 0:02:45.480 --> 0:02:48.000 and started to develop them, and you knew you'd start 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.000 to win at some point. You just didn't know win. 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.760 And you know we got good and added a few players, 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:55.880 but a little good fortune. But you know the plan works, 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.679 so you have to give him credit. I mean, when 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.720 he wrote that article, you you have had three seasons 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:05.480 in a row. You buy the team in two thousand ten, 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:09.440 two thou eleven, yea, and then you guys lose a 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:13.440 hundred and six games in eleven twelve, you win, you 0:03:13.520 --> 0:03:18.079 lose a hundred seven hundred eleven and that turnaround from 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:23.040 where the team was then versus where it is now 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:26.160 at the as the best team in baseball. Um. I 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:28.840 guess the obvious question Jim is and how do you 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:31.200 do that in such a short period of time. You 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:34.440 mentioned obviously good fortune and you've got to get some 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:36.960 breaks and stuff. But I think people are starting to 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:39.280 see what you guys have built, you know with the 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:43.000 Houston Astros. Um, there's a culture of winning that you 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:46.440 have created. Um, how did you go about doing that? 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:49.080 Because I think a lot of people listening, um are 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:51.320 you know, obviously they're big into golf, they're big into sports, 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:54.680 but creating, Jim a winning culture? How do you go 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:58.960 about doing that as the person at the top. Well, 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:01.520 you know, going back, you know when we started that, 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:05.400 the team was financially uh and you know, losing money, 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:08.520 so you know, the the first part of it was 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:10.640 to stop to bleed him. But once we started to 0:04:10.880 --> 0:04:13.160 turn the team, and we made the playoffs in fifteen 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:15.920 and beat beat the Yankees, so it was a pretty 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:19.120 quick turnaround. The team got competitive. As a team got 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:21.479 more competitive, it got a better following. You win the 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.000 World Series. The economics are a lot better and so 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.680 we had a lot more resources, you know, to bring 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:29.600 in good trainers to bring in good coaches and and 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:33.200 really work with the players. And then once you start winning, um, 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:36.720 everybody's very focused on getting better and better. And so 0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:39.440 they all challenged each other and I think, you know, 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:42.120 some of the core guys like Altuvee and Bregman and 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:45.000 Korea at the time were very hard workers, and so 0:04:45.040 --> 0:04:47.000 when people walk into the locker room, there was an 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.080 expectation that, you know, this is how we're going to 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:50.760 do it, and this is how hard you need to 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:52.719 work if you want to be on this team. And 0:04:52.760 --> 0:04:54.600 so they all led by example, and so once you 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:57.880 got that, it kind of cut contagious, and so everybody 0:04:57.920 --> 0:04:59.840 walks in the locker room, there's an you know, the 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.560 new guy walks in. You know, as as you've had 0:05:02.640 --> 0:05:05.360 new players from seventeen and brought new new kids up 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.600 from the system, the expectation is there that you know, 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:10.760 this is how we this is how we work, and 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:14.160 this is how we play, and everybody gives their best efforts. 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:16.560 So I think that the players kind of developed that 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:19.520 themselves with some good leaders in there, and then the 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.000 economics got better, and you know them when we needed 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.800 to sign another guy or bringing over Land or our 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.120 Grinky or whoever, you know, made the team better down 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:32.120 the stretch. It just got us more consistent as an 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:36.560 owner of a Major League Baseball team. The fans see 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:39.360 it as a sport, but as you mentioned, sports in 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:44.000 two is one of business. There is the sports side 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:46.000 of it and then there is the business side of it. 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:49.479 How do you, as as the guy at the top, 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:52.760 manage those two were looking You're looking at the business 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:56.200 side of things and then there's the sporting element of this. 0:05:56.279 --> 0:05:58.360 I mean, because I think that's a fine line between 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:01.279 you know, the sports and the business. Well, I think 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:04.279 you know, we've we've looked at you know, we've gotten 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:07.320 the revenue up and of course, um, you know, we 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.160 we try to make a profit if we can. You know, 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:13.480 some years in those early years, certainly we didn't with COVID, 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:16.200 we we didn't. Um, I think you balanced it. I 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:19.159 think most of the teams are pretty disciplined. They'll spend 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:22.000 the money they have on players, um, you know, without 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:26.400 you know, going into into losses. No, although it's changing now, 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:30.160 we've seen some teams do some very extravagant and spending 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:34.440 and definitely losing some money. So um, we don't really 0:06:34.480 --> 0:06:36.680 look at it like that. You know, I've got investors 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:39.039 into business, and you know you try to return and 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:41.919 get a return for them, um, but you try to 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.520 balance it. You know, we're in a position now the 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:47.480 Astros were, you know, our revenues are up with with 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:50.440 the four or five biggest teams, and we can compete 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.680 against them, and we can sign some free agents and 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:56.720 we can develop our players well, and we can you know, 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:59.280 you know, sign our guys and arbitration. So we kind 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:01.960 of use a blend model where we keep the rookies 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:04.840 coming in, keep keep ahold of our our our guys, 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:07.159 and then bring in some talent when we need it. 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:09.960 And that farming has worked well. It's kept us very competitive, 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:13.040 and we should be very competitive in two thousand and 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.280 three and compete for another championship. You said to me 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:20.120 once that from a from an owner standpoint, you are, 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:23.160 I think one of the only owners of a mazing 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.560 league baseball team that actually ever played competitive baseball. Central 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:30.000 Missouri from seventy three to seventy six still hold the 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:35.200 single game strikeout record for the Fighting Mules eighteen. But Jim, 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:39.120 do you think it helps you coming from a baseball 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:42.000 background that you played the sport that you played the game, 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:46.200 that you understand not only you've been unbelievably successful from 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:50.560 a business standpoint um, but you played competitive baseball, so 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:52.840 you understand how the game works. Do you think that 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:56.520 helps you and do you think it can hurt other 0:07:56.600 --> 0:08:00.160 owners because they weren't in baseball. Well, you know, I 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:03.400 think it gives me a different perspective. I didn't play professionally, 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:05.960 but played play. I was an All American in college 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:08.240 and pitched a lot, you know, from the time I 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.320 was a freshman all the way through senior and you know, 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:13.440 I know what it is to throw nine innings. I mean, 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:16.120 you know, your your back plags back, you're a little stiff, 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:18.679 your little sore, um. You know the wear and tear, 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:20.560 and you know I can walk into the locker room 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:22.440 because I was in the locker room probably from the 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:25.000 time I was, you know, in high school all the 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:28.040 way through college, so you know how that vibe works, 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:29.760 and you can see it and you can see how 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:33.400 the guys are getting along. So I'm comfortable talking to 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:35.960 the players. I I probably talked to him, you know, 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:37.880 more than some of the other owners, but I'm just 0:08:37.920 --> 0:08:40.079 comfortable doing it. I invite him to dinner. I try 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:42.040 to get to know him. I kind of tell them 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:44.040 if you've got a problem, I got a problem. We 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.600 were able to get uh Jordan Alvarez his family in 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.959 from Cuba, which was no easy feat, Um, but you 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:53.000 know that was something that was really bothering him, so 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:55.240 we put some effort and hired some people to help. 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:59.120 And you know that that gains loyalty with your players. 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.040 And you know, some times it's not down to the 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:03.520 last dollar. It's where they're most comfortable. And that's the 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:06.520 atmosphere we try to create at the Astros and I 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:08.800 think it's worked pretty well. We care about our people, 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:12.160 we care about our players, and we care about our fans. 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:17.480 Two things, Um, that you have pushed heavily into UM 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:22.120 the farm system, developing talent from the ground up that 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:25.760 are part of the Astros organization. And then UM the 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:28.440 second part that I want to get to, the analytics thing. 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:32.559 When you came in and and and and bought the Astros, 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:36.760 UM their farm system. They're developing of talent that were 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:41.000 part of the organization wasn't nearly what it is now. 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.400 And I think you all have had so much success, Jim, 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:47.400 because you've taken young players, put them into the organization 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:50.960 in an early stage. Because it's easy in two to 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:53.560 do what the Mets and the Yankees and the Dodgers 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:56.600 to just go buy superstars. Why was it important for 0:09:56.640 --> 0:10:00.640 you to build from within and and have these players 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:06.440 um part of the Astros organization from a very early age. Well, 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.400 you know, you start with the coaches and the scouts. 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:12.520 The scouts do a good job of selecting the guys 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.160 and not often in the first round, it's the second round, 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:18.200 a third round and identifying that talent. And then once 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:21.479 we have the talent, we make sure we've got the expertise, 0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:25.160 you know to improve that change up are you know, 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:28.280 get more rotation on the spin on the ball when 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:31.319 the guys thrown a slider or you know, developed their 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:34.120 swing better so they make it more contacts. So it 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.120 really is that you know that, you know, first the scouts, 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:39.120 we get the guys in the system, and then we 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:42.400 really try to fine tune them and find something um 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:45.960 that they weren't doing effectively where they were at I think, 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:50.600 you know, we brought in some pictures Derek uh Derek Cole, 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:54.120 and you know we were able to improve his slider 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:56.760 and his his rotation on his fastball and make his 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:00.000 you know, his pitches a little more lively. And um, 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:01.840 you know that that he had, he had a very 0:11:02.000 --> 0:11:04.480 good couple of seasons with us. So I think you 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:06.600 give a lot of credit to the coaches and the 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:09.640 scouts and then you know, then just you know, working 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:11.800 those guys as a team in the locker room, and 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:13.960 you know, you get a good manager. Dusty Baker is 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:16.440 very good with the players. He's he's comfortable in the 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:19.040 locker room. He can talk to the guys, he encourages guys. 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:22.480 He he's a he's a player's coach, and so that 0:11:22.480 --> 0:11:24.960 that type of thing worked very well. Same thing with A. J. 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:28.480 Hinch Um. So just just really fine tuning the players 0:11:28.840 --> 0:11:31.680 and making them better and improving them. They're all good 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:34.280 athletes when you get them. Um, you know, there's just 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:36.400 that edge where some of the you know, in golf, 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:38.920 some of the guys can go to another gear under pressure. 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:41.120 You know. I think the other thing that helps our 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:44.000 guys is they've been in the big games. Um, they 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:46.400 know that kind of pressure and and they perform well 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:48.360 in those big games, as you've seen over the last 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:50.400 five years, I mean last six years, we've been in 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:53.319 the a L Championship, uh six times in a row. 0:11:53.360 --> 0:11:56.240 Hopefully we can do it again this year. But when 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.160 you find these players, I mean, do you think that 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:02.080 again is poor of the culture. That players know that 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:04.840 there's an opportunity for them if they get into the 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:09.160 Astro's system early on, they see the pathways of great 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:13.079 players that have gone from start to finish. Guys like 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:16.280 Jose's Alto has been part of the farm system. You 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.880 guys brought him up, you didn't trade him. He wanted 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:21.840 to stay. Do you think that also helps in creating 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:24.920 that culture around the Astros, Oh, no doubt about it. 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.640 I mean, even the guys that have left, um, you know, 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:31.200 still stay in contact with with our players. They enjoyed 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:36.000 the camaraderie. They were comfortable in the locker room, and 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.800 you know, they develop a culture of winning and they 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:41.679 they expectation was always there if you walk into the 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:44.480 locker room, we expect to win. So um, you know, 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:46.240 the guys, you know, I think it's helped a lot 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.560 of our young players go to another another gear and 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:53.360 really produced Penia this year was remarkable to taking koreas 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:57.760 spot um m VP of the World Series unbelievable analytics 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:01.800 gym in two. I mean, business is everything is is 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:05.200 kind of being driven by analytics. Um. Why did you 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.360 feel it was important early on in in you know, 0:13:08.440 --> 0:13:11.680 the new ownership of the astros to push so heavily 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:15.680 into analytics. Well, we we were. You know that there's 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:18.040 two thousand eleven just there was a lot of teams 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:19.480 that were ahead of us, but there was also a 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:21.360 lot of teams not doing anything, and we felt if 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:25.080 we had good information, you know, from that that analytics, 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:28.559 whether it's bad speed, you know, rotation on the pitches, 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:32.160 you know foot speed, um, you know, closing distance on 0:13:32.200 --> 0:13:35.040 a flight ball, all of those things matter. Those little 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:37.280 things matter. You know, if it's a tick better, if 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:40.240 it's a tick better here, um. So that gives you, 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:43.319 you know, good information to make a decision. Um. Then 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:45.320 once you have that information, you've got to know the 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:47.439 players and you know the makeup of the players and 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:50.079 how they fit in. But you know, I think everybody's 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:51.920 kind of caught up with each other on the analytics. 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:54.200 There's some new stuff coming, you know, there's always new 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.319 new data coming. But you know, we've got good information 0:13:57.360 --> 0:13:59.840 to help make good decisions on the players. Not only 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:02.959 you know, drafting the players, but also once we get 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:05.839 the guys, improving the players. So it works how much 0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:11.560 UM or the players looking at the same information that 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:14.480 you all in the organization are looking at from a 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:16.600 data standpoint. Yeah, we have a team of guys that 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:19.520 work with the players on you know whatever you know 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.640 they're pitching or you know, their release points, all the 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:25.040 various things that that a picture needs to be aware of, 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.520 the spin rate, you know, the location of pitches, um 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:31.840 you know how a certain batter handles a certain pitch, 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:33.920 and I mean they do all their homework on that. 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:36.680 So the players are very engaged on it. Same same 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:38.800 thing on the hitting side, you know, they work you know, 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:41.400 hours and looking at data and looking at you know, 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:44.720 not not only the data of their swing, but also 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:46.840 you know what the night of that game, you know, 0:14:46.880 --> 0:14:49.200 the picture is gonna pitch, They'll go in the video 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:51.720 room and they'll look at what, look, who's gonna pitch 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:53.920 and what kind of movement on that ball and where 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:55.720 they where they think they're going to try to pitch them. 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:58.800 So they're always doing their homework. They have prep meetings 0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:01.680 before the games UM to give them that information and 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.000 now they have you know, the iPads and the the 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.280 dugout they can use and so it's a data driven 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:10.720 business and the information helps. But I remember you telling 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:14.080 me once in seventeen when you guys made your run 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:16.440 for the World Series. You were talking about the manager 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:18.320 at the time, A J. Hince. You were saying that 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:22.600 you were told AJ listen, I played baseball. Um, I'll 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:25.720 never beat you up if you make a baseball decision 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:28.720 that goes against what the analytics are saying. Because A 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:31.160 J played, you played. So how do you have that 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:36.400 balance of the athlete having too much information and being 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:40.440 able to filter roll of that in you can overload them? 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:43.440 I mean I think you know, it depends on the player. Um, 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:45.480 they try to break it down when they presented to 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:48.600 them and make things simple and you know, start one step, 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:50.840 two steps at a time. If they can take more 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:53.400 information they need more information, they're gonna get it. So 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:56.960 I I do think there's there's still the element, uh, 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:00.560 you know, analyzing the situation and a particular uler time 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.320 and who's done what over not just looking at the 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:06.240 at the numbers. The managers has you know, the wherewithal 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:10.000 and has the discretion to make you know, something that 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.600 may not go right by the book, and you know 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:16.480 that's that's what makes a great manager. So, um, you know, 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:18.800 I think sometimes some of the teams are you know, 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.840 got their lineup set and they've got everything set, and 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:24.240 you know, here this guy comes in if this batters up, 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.080 and we're gonna change this guy. And you know it's 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:29.840 pretty pretty orchestrated from the start to finish. But um, 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:31.640 we don't. We don't really do it like that. We 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:34.040 lead to the manager that's on the field and kind 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.240 of you know, looking in the guy's eye like as 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:38.320 he ready to go, and you know, is this the 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:41.600 best move? You know, using that feel along with the numbers. 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:44.440 But they all have the numbers. You won the World 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:48.600 Series in seventeen. Obviously the controversy that followed. Do you 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:54.600 feel like winning another World Series in two is validation 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:58.040 of the organization and the work that you all have 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.640 put in. Well, you know, it brought a lot of 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:03.920 a bad press and and a lot of pressure on 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.960 the team. I mean, certainly what we did wasn't right. Um, 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:09.399 you know, every we've been through that and apologize for 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:14.040 that a hundred times, but um, you know, certainly that 0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:16.919 has been going on in baseball, and in fact, you know, 0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:20.520 for a long time there was teams, two teams find 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:24.200 ahead of us. UM. You know, we took the punishment. UM, 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:26.959 we weren't right and we moved on from it. I 0:17:27.000 --> 0:17:29.959 think it was nice to see the team. You know, 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:32.720 we've been in the World Series the year before and 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:34.600 they're hard to win, you know, if one team gets 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:36.880 hot or the other one doesn't. But you know, we've 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:40.280 been in UM four in the last six years and 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:42.359 you know we've won two of them. So are batting 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:45.280 averages five hundred in the World Series. So that's good. 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:47.240 I mean, just to knock on the door and get there. 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.119 It was great for the city. UM, it proved I 0:17:50.160 --> 0:17:52.840 think that this has always been a very good ball team. 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:55.679 And to win another one UM and and put that 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.320 banner up UM come this spring was gonna be a 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:01.360 lot of fun for the fans and and for the players. 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:04.600 I mean, we get great support in Houston. Without all 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:08.920 the great fans and the attendance and the corporate sponsorships, UM, 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:11.919 we wouldn't have the resources to do the things we do. 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.359 So I really appreciate the support of Houston. One of 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:17.880 the cliches and sports gym is. They always say that 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:21.240 you learn more from defeat and losing than you learned 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:24.440 from winning. You were all the Astros were in the 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.280 World Series last year, you didn't win. What did you 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:31.480 as an organization learned from not winning last year that 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:35.480 you think helped you in two this year? Well, I 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:37.720 think the guys knew, you know, we had a really 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.600 good team this year. I can't put one, you know, 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.160 certain thing that was there. I think just their consistency 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:46.080 of being in the World Series, are being in a 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:49.040 lot of big games, Um that they're not fearful of 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:52.000 those games. A team like the Phillies hadn't been in 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:53.720 the ear and years. There's a little more pressure and 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:56.399 a little more ankst once you don't have that rhythm 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:59.240 and you haven't been in those types of situations many 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:02.520 many times. I think we just had a big edge. Um. 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:05.480 You know, sometimes you win, somebody gets hot, somebody pitches better. 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:07.879 You know, baseball, you lose sixty games in the season, 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:10.440 You've had a really good season, so you're gonna get beat, 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:14.000 you know, and it's a sharp series, so it's fairly random. 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:16.720 You know. The best team in baseball this year the 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:20.480 Dodgers or eleven and they got knocked out, you know, 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:22.720 in an early round. So it can happen to anybody. 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:27.480 They say confidence comes from demonstrated performance, right, you look 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:29.760 at in the past, because everybody says, you know, how 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:32.919 do you gain confidence? Right, You've You've mentioned it a 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:38.000 couple of times already. Because the team keeps getting into 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:42.000 pressure situations, keeps getting to the big games, whether you 0:19:42.040 --> 0:19:45.480 win or you lose, keep getting there has got to 0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:49.440 be huge for the athletes. Yeah, no, I think they 0:19:49.520 --> 0:19:52.440 thrive on that kind of environment. And you know, you 0:19:52.840 --> 0:19:54.760 watch some of the guys that are good at they're 0:19:54.800 --> 0:19:57.720 not always kind of be able to play the expectations. 0:19:57.720 --> 0:20:00.439 But you know, it seems like this year, you know, 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:03.439 big hit a certain time, big play. I mean it 0:20:03.520 --> 0:20:06.560 was just our year. We were smooth with it. Um. 0:20:06.640 --> 0:20:09.120 You know. I play a lot of golf. I kind 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:11.679 of relate to you know, if you're in a you know, 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:14.840