1 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: What's up everybody, James, You're back with another bonus episode 2 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: of the Mets Up Podcast. Bonus very special in you today. 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: You see him, you hear him. It's Howie Rose, the 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: radio voice of the Mets. How We first of all, 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: thank you so much for doing this with us. 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 2: My pleasure, James, bonus huh. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: No extra cost, No, no extra cost, well not for 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: us necessarily, but it can start you off something very difficult. 9 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: We did this with Wayne too, hard hitting questions. Only 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: if you had to have one cup of tea and 11 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: there's one caveat here, it's either hot or over iced. 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:40,639 Speaker 3: What are you reaching for? 13 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: English breakfast bigelow. 14 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 4: Perfect, Not a tea man myself. I know James's a 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 4: little more tea than Meh. 16 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 2: All right, well you could learn. 17 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 3: It's tough. I wake up a little bit later than most. 18 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 2: So that's okay. Caffeine last year, as long as you 19 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: needed too. 20 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 3: I'm caffeany too. 21 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: If you want to start your day off with a 22 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: warm cup of tea or or over ice. 23 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: You guys are stealing my lines. That's all right, though. 24 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 3: James has been listening to you. 25 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 4: I mean I watched TV more just because I'm around 26 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 4: but like obviously we know about the radio. James is 27 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 4: an avid, diehard radio always guy, so he knows it well. 28 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 2: And you never listen to radio. You wouldn't lower yourself. 29 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 3: It wouldn't do that. 30 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 2: All right, he's out of this show. What do you say? 31 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: We got different sense of the game on the radio, 32 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: and that's kind of one of the most beautiful things. 33 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,839 Speaker 1: And you you announced games on the radio, went on television, 34 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: so maybe talk to us about some of the key 35 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: differences between them. 36 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 2: Well, there, you know what, they couldn't be any more different. 37 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 2: And I'll tell you that in all candor, I think 38 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 2: if you polled most TV guys who do baseball now, 39 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 2: assuming they've done both, they would tell you that they 40 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 2: enjoy doing radio more. It's the greatest challenge to me 41 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 2: in sports broadcasting because it obviously moves at a slower 42 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 2: pace baseball does than the other sports. So is the 43 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: play by play announcer. You really have an obligation to 44 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: paint a word picture. That's given that you need to 45 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: do that, but you also need to be able to 46 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: weave in stories and anecdotes and facts and goodness, don't 47 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,839 Speaker 2: get too caught up in statistics because you'll just bore 48 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 2: people to death with that. But the point is that 49 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: you need to be able to do so much more 50 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: to create a vivid image of what's happening on the 51 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: field and also keep the attention of your listeners apart 52 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 2: from ball one, strike one A. Television doesn't allow for that. 53 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,399 Speaker 2: You just basically narrate and punctuate on television. So yeah, 54 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: TV's more lucrative. But I've always enjoyed from a grassroots perspective, 55 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 2: radio more than anything. 56 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 4: You've been a part of. I mean, the Mets have 57 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 4: had historic broadcasters throughout time, and the list goes on 58 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 4: and on. How is it to just be a part 59 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 4: of that group now of just the legendary Mets voices? 60 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: You know, it's humbling at times. We have a picture 61 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 2: in our booth next door which I beg them to 62 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 2: put up for me when we moved in here, and 63 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: that is Lindsay Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner, who 64 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 2: the original Mets broadcasters back then. They alternated each game 65 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 2: between radio and television, and they were in your eyes 66 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: and ears if you were a Mets fan for seven 67 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 2: eight months out of every year, and so they really 68 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: did feel like family, and to be considered part of 69 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 2: that lineage is humbling in itself. But for me to 70 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: have that picture in there allows me, in the midst 71 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 2: of either a bad, slow moving game or a season 72 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 2: that's not been very good to every once in a 73 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: while just glance over at that picture and just absorb 74 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: the fact that I'm doing now what those guys did, 75 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: knowing full well what they meant to me. With the 76 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: perspective from other listeners that Wayne and I and Gary, 77 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 2: Keith and Ron have that same impact on viewers and 78 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: listeners today. It is overwhelming when you really stop and 79 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: think about. 80 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: It, especially since you did jump into that radio booth 81 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: and took the mantle from Bob Murphy directly. It's kind 82 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: of amazing that this ball club has almost had just 83 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: two full revolutions of announcers because it went straight from 84 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: the original to you and you're still going wrong. 85 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: You know. There were different iterations of the Mets broadcast 86 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: booth along the way, But I guess you could say 87 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 2: that Gary and I, between the radio and the TV 88 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 2: have had staying power which some of the others didn't, 89 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 2: apart from of course, Lindsey, Bob and Ralph and that 90 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 2: in and of itself is quite an honor. But you know, 91 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 2: to be part of what's really an extended family of 92 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: Mets fandom is I keep coming back to the same 93 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 2: word humbling. I mean, I'm pretty introspective guy by nature, 94 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: so I think about that from time to time. And 95 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 2: if I really close my eyes and imagine myself back 96 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: in high school at fifteen, which is how old I 97 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: was when the Mets won the nineteen sixty nine World Series, 98 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 2: and fast forward ahead now fifty three years to what 99 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: I'm doing and have done for a long time, it 100 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: just knocks my socks off, it really does. 101 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I feel like we kind of find 102 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 4: ourselves in relatively similar shoes. Obviously radio is a little 103 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 4: bit different than what we're doing here with the podcast, 104 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,239 Speaker 4: but for me and James, we've been lifelong Mets fans 105 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 4: all first memories or with the Mets, So now to be, 106 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 4: you know, associated working alongside with the team, and especially 107 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 4: in a team that's having a great year, it really 108 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 4: is I think like summed up best by saying it's humbling. 109 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: It's such a crazy experience to be a part of 110 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: and something that Wayne talked about a lot. If you 111 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: guys didn't listen to the interview do with Wayne. Make 112 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: sure you check that out. Great interview. He talked about 113 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: pulling a lot from you to kind of grow as 114 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: a broadcaster himself and to ask you to become introspective 115 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: for a second. Where did you find those influences? 116 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 3: And I don't know. 117 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 2: The Marv Albert was the biggest by far. When I 118 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 2: was thirteen, which was in the summer of nineteen sixty seven, 119 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: my friends and I started a fan club from Marv. 120 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: He was only at that point doing the Rangers on radio. 121 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: He was about to begin his first season with the 122 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 2: Knicks on radio, and I had fallen in love with 123 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 2: hockey and the Rangers and hockey broadcasting the previous season. 124 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 2: And you know, when you fall in love with something 125 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 2: at age twelve and thirteen, you're in I mean, you 126 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: are completely immersed, as I was. So I was head 127 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 2: over heels for hockey the way I was when I 128 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 2: was introduced to baseball by my dad in nineteen sixty one. 129 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 2: So started a fan club for Marv, and he took 130 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 2: an interest in me because he saw that I had 131 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 2: professional ambitions. So I kept in very close contact with 132 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 2: him over the years, and he would occasionally pass by 133 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 2: my seat. I had season tickets for the Rangers my 134 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 2: senior sorry junior year in high school, first year, and 135 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 2: the booth where they broadcast from then was pretty close 136 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: to where my seats were, and he would pass by 137 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 2: my seats, and sometimes I'd have my tape recorder there 138 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 2: and I would do the game from my seat, And 139 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: when he saw that I would there with my tape recorder, 140 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: he'd give me that night's press notes media notes, So 141 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 2: I knew a little bit more about what I was 142 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: talking about. But as I got a little older and 143 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: into college, he would not only critique my tapes, but 144 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: really give me sound constructive criticism, and he'd say this 145 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 2: is good, or why'd you do it this way? Or 146 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 2: maybe you could think about doing it a different way. 147 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 2: I mean, that's invaluable. And so I've had a lot 148 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 2: of people who have helped me along the way, going 149 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 2: back to my earliest ambitions, but Marv was by far 150 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 2: my biggest most significant mentor. 151 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 4: Was there one piece of advice from Marv that really 152 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 4: has resonated with you? 153 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 2: Additially, Yeah, was find another objective and another line of work. 154 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: You'll never make a kid. 155 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 3: No. 156 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 2: He was very very encouraging because and he's told me 157 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 2: this over the years, and I wrote a book some 158 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 2: years ago, and he was nice enough to do the forward. 159 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 2: He said that I reminded him of himself when he 160 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: was my age, because of how strong my ambition was 161 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 2: and how immersed I was and everything broadcasting and sports 162 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 2: and and so I think he took a bit of 163 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 2: a liking to me just because of that. And I 164 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 2: can never ever think him enough for what he's meant 165 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 2: to me. 166 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 3: This beautiful story. 167 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: And I'm sure everyone out there's pretty familiar Marve Albert 168 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: one of the greatest hope songs You've ever done. 169 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 4: It. 170 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: Now, we're gonna come back to baseball at some point, 171 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: but you mentioned the Rangers. You mentioned hockey. I want 172 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: to ask you about your careers of hockey broadcast, because 173 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure there are a handful of met fans out 174 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: there that don't really realize your affinity for the sport. 175 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: I specifically want to ask you about your most famous call, 176 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four ninety ninety five Eastern Conference Finals. 177 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: Were you even born yet? 178 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 3: We were born the year after that. 179 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: I'm a six years that calls beverage. I'm a diehard 180 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: Ranger fan, though my dad as well my uncle also 181 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: had season tickets through the seventies, eighties, early nineties. 182 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 4: Yep, my mom big Ranger fan as well. 183 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 3: Yes, just yesterday in these hallways, my dad. 184 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 2: You redeem yourself from correct. 185 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 3: Thanks Mom. 186 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: Just yesterday, my dad called that game against the Devil's 187 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: the second greatest game he's ever watched, only behind nineteen 188 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: eighty six Game six against the Red Sox. So can 189 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: you walk us through just dealing with that game and 190 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: then making your call, then even going on to play 191 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: another round of hockey after that. 192 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 2: Crazy Game six against the Devil Game six against the Devils? 193 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 2: Go sorry. Game seven against the Devils was set up 194 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 2: because of what happened in Game six. Of course, against 195 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 2: the Devils, the Rangers were down three games to two. 196 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 2: You have to understand the culture then. The Rangers had 197 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 2: not won the Stanley Cup since nineteen forty. The Islanders 198 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,839 Speaker 2: had come in and won four straight Stanley Cups between 199 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,559 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty and nineteen eighty three, and so Ranger fans, 200 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 2: you know, had had enough headaches from the Islanders over 201 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 2: the years. And now here were the Devils, who moved 202 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 2: from Colorado to New Jersey for the eighty two to 203 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 2: eighty three season, and eleven years later now they're challenging 204 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 2: the Rangers for the Stanley Cup. The Rangers had beaten 205 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 2: them all six times they played in the regular season, 206 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 2: so you know, on one hand, you might have thought, Okay, 207 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 2: this semi final or conference final is going to be 208 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 2: a cake walk, but the Devils weren't that type of team. 209 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 2: Those games during the regular season were pretty close, and 210 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 2: it was very apparent that the Devils were a legitimate 211 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 2: Stanley Cup contender. That series was sick. I mean that series, 212 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 2: every shift was like pulling teeth to find some level 213 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 2: of comfort. I mean you were on the edge of 214 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 2: your seat, you were holding your breath. I can't think 215 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 2: of any other cliches and metaphors, but they would all fit. 216 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 2: The way to sum it up is it was torture. 217 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 2: That series was torture. So now they're down three games 218 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 2: to two, and they've all got all kinds of junk 219 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 2: going on because Mike Keenan looked like he was losing 220 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 2: his control of the bench and there was a lot 221 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:44,559 Speaker 2: of internal strife, but the players stayed together and went 222 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 2: into New Jersey for Game six. Mark Messier on the 223 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 2: back page of the post says, will win to I 224 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 2: know the story by now, I'm sure guaranteed they'd win 225 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 2: that sixth game. Most Ranger fans with any sense of 226 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 2: history felt they had no shot to win that game. 227 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 2: And yet they come from two nothing behind, win the 228 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 2: game and Messier gets the hat trick. It was just 229 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 2: the stuff of legends. There's no other way to put it. 230 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,199 Speaker 2: So now they go to the garden that Friday night 231 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 2: for Game seven, and that one game was a metaphor 232 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 2: for the entire series because it was excruciating from the 233 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 2: opening face off. It was so tight, so well played 234 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 2: by both teams. I think there was one penalty for 235 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 2: each team if I remember properly, I mean it was. Oh, 236 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 2: it was just an incredible hockey game. And Brian Leach scored, 237 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 2: as my broadcast partner Seal Masina called it in the moment, 238 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 2: a Bobby Or goal off, a face off, a little 239 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 2: Spinnerama stuffs it in pass pro door about midway through 240 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 2: the second period, one nothing Rangers, and that's holding up. 241 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 2: It holds up into the final minute third period, It 242 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 2: holds up into the final thirty seconds. It holds up 243 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 2: into the final ten seconds and then there's the puck 244 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 2: comes out of the corner, as I recall, and now 245 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 2: there's a scramble in front, and Valeriezella, who can, takes 246 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 2: two three, wax at it and finally pushes it past Richter. 247 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 2: And that was cruel and unusual punishment because for any 248 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 2: level of aggravation that any Ranger fan had gone through 249 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: in his or her life up to that point, that 250 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: was ridiculous, you know, to have that putt and go 251 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 2: in at that time, so close to the final, you know, 252 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 2: it was just it was as deflating as a as 253 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 2: a goal could ever have been. Yet they go to overtime, 254 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 2: and then a second overtime and Stephen Matteau comes around 255 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 2: the net and just wraps it in around bro door 256 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 2: and all heck breaks loose in the booth and on 257 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 2: the ice. 258 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 3: Is that the most emotional call you've ever had? 259 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: Because if you've called a lot of games for teams 260 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: that you love, I've been very lucky. 261 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 3: The challenging of itself. 262 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:54,199 Speaker 2: In particularly, Yeah, you talk, how did you describe the 263 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 2: play the most what? 264 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 3: Now, the most emotional? 265 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was the most overt display of emotion. No, seriously, 266 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 2: but I don't know that it was any less emotional 267 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 2: than when the very quote simple words came out of 268 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,439 Speaker 2: my mouth in Chicago in twenty fifteen, the Mets win 269 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 2: the Pennant, you know, I mean, there's somewhat similar in 270 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 2: that when you win the conference final in the NHL, 271 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 2: you advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, which is like 272 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 2: winning the league pennant in baseball. So the result was 273 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 2: going to produce something very similar. The euphoria of the 274 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 2: moment was completely different because the Mets had that game 275 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 2: in hand in Chicago from the first inning, so we 276 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 2: were just counting the outs down really, but when Matt 277 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,719 Speaker 2: Toast scored that goal, we knew it was an all 278 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 2: or nothing overtime for the entire season. And so yeah, 279 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 2: I mean, the emotion that I let loose when Matt 280 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 2: Toast scored was something I've never done before, probably never will. 281 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 2: It's hard to imagine something topping that. Although if the Mets, 282 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 2: you know, if the Mets want to, you know, hit 283 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 2: a home run at the bottom of the ninth at 284 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 2: City Field to win the seventh game of the World Series, 285 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 2: well I'm ready for it. I'm here for you, But 286 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 2: it probably would take something like that to match that 287 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 2: sort of euphoric delivery. But in terms of just what 288 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 2: I felt inwardly, in terms of the emotions ratcheting up 289 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: within my system, I'd say those two were very similar, 290 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 2: despite how different they sounded on the air. 291 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 4: What would you say the biggest difference you have to 292 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 4: make when you're doing a hockey game versus baseball game. 293 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 2: Is, oh man, they're so completely different. You know, as 294 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 2: I described earlier, In a baseball game, you've got so 295 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 2: much of the agenda that you can set. There is 296 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 2: when the ball is in play. We all wish that 297 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 2: would be a little more frequent, and hopefully next year 298 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 2: it will. 299 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 3: We're going to talk to you about that though. 300 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 2: Worry fine, I got all day for that. But again, 301 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 2: baseball is more of a languid pace, casual delivery that 302 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 2: you have a lot of control over as a broadcaster. 303 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 2: Hockey is a whole different thing all together. You sit 304 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: down to do a hockey game in the broadcast booth, 305 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: you just strap yourself in and the game takes it. 306 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 2: A game takes you for a ride. It's incredible. You 307 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 2: can't set the pace, you reflect the pace, and sometimes 308 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 2: it's frenetic and I'll tell you what. The last year 309 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 2: I did hockey was the fifteen to sixteen season, so 310 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 2: that's six years ago. Now the game is faster today 311 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 2: than it was then. I don't know how you do 312 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 2: hockey on radio. 313 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 3: Anymore, especially an Eastern Conference changed. 314 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness. You know what. One of the things 315 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 2: people don't realize is that the broadcast booths and all 316 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 2: the new arenas in hockey are way up, which is 317 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 2: not all that bad, but they're also way back, and 318 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 2: you strain so hard just to see who's got the pucket. Really, 319 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 2: it's look, I was going to leave when I did anyway, 320 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 2: it was time. But that was one of the things 321 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 2: that helped push me out, because it wasn't fun anymore 322 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 2: to just try and recognize who has the puck just 323 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 2: because the locations of the booths. But as I say, 324 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: the pace of the game is so unique that you know, 325 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: you just you revel in the speed. You just hope 326 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 2: you can keep up. 327 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: This might, in all likelihood be our last hockey question. 328 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: But you did transition from Rangers to Islanders upon your career. 329 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: What was it like calling games on two different sides 330 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: of a rivalry? What was it like to how to 331 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: affect your fandom. 332 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 2: It was great for me because the Islanders weren't some 333 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,239 Speaker 2: secret club that I had no idea of its origins 334 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 2: or anything. The Islanders came into the National Hockey League. 335 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 2: My freshman year of college, I went to Queen's College. 336 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 2: Actually my first semester, I went to Brooklyn and transferred 337 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 2: to Queens. So when I was a freshman in college, 338 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 2: the Islanders public relations department, being a brand new team, 339 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 2: was smart enough to allow certain collegiate media to cover 340 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 2: their games. So now I would bring my tape recorder, 341 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 2: the same one that I brought to Madison Square Garden 342 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 2: as a fan, into the press box at the Island 343 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 2: and sat in a quiet area with a friend of 344 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 2: mine who was a sports writer for the A. Yeah, 345 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 2: in terms of the population, it was not a fully 346 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 2: populated press box in those days, and we did play 347 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 2: by play into the tape recorder as though we were 348 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 2: doing Hockey Night in Canada. I mean, we played it serious. 349 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 2: We didn't fool around or anything. Those were my ultimate 350 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 2: audition tapes, and part of that accreditation allowed me to 351 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 2: speak to the players and coaches afterwards. It was only 352 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 2: one coach and most of the time I was doing that, 353 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 2: it was al Arbor, one of the great human beings 354 00:17:55,640 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 2: I've ever met, and so, you know, I got to 355 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 2: know the Islander players from the earliest stages of that franchise, 356 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 2: and by the time I got their TV job in 357 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety five, you know, I'm working with Ed Westfall, 358 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 2: who was my partner, but I'd known him for years, 359 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 2: and the alumni were so welcoming to me that they 360 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 2: really made me feel comfortable on that level. Now, the 361 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,719 Speaker 2: fans were a different story, and I completely understand that 362 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 2: because they wanted no part of me from the beginning. 363 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 2: It was bad timing for them. The Rangers had just 364 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 2: won the Cup. I did one more year after the 365 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 2: Rangers won the Cup, and you know, I didn't have 366 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 2: to be no stra Damis to read the tea leaves. 367 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 2: Sam Rosen was going to be there forever, and Marv 368 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 2: Albert was going to be there as long as he wanted. 369 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 2: I was technically Marv's backup, even though I did about 370 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 2: three quarters of the games. But I was at a 371 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 2: point in my career where I needed to establish myself 372 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:57,719 Speaker 2: on television to expand my you know, broadcast horizons, if 373 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 2: you will, and to just get a gig that was 374 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 2: singularly mine. And when I heard that Jigs McDonald probably 375 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 2: wouldn't be back for the ninety five to ninety six season, 376 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 2: I got a horn. I got on the horn to 377 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 2: my agent and said, get this. And luckily they were 378 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 2: just as interested as I was. And you know, the 379 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 2: first few years, as far as as far as the 380 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: fans were concerned, that was tough for me, because you know, 381 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 2: not only was I coming over from a Ranger team 382 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 2: that had just won the Stanley Cup, but the Islanders 383 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 2: were bad. And it wasn't just that they were bad. 384 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 2: It was and this is the one part that I 385 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 2: didn't really understand until I got there. The acrimony between 386 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 2: the fans and ownership was deep and real and significant. 387 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 2: And from the moment I got there, they were talking 388 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 2: about the need for a new building. But you know, 389 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 2: John Pickett, who was the owner then had seeded control 390 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,719 Speaker 2: of about ninety percent of the team to or let 391 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 2: me rephrase that, he had seated the managing control of 392 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 2: the team to what they called this gang of four, 393 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 2: two of whom went to jail, probably because probably because 394 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: they hired me. That's true, I think in my time 395 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 2: with the Islanders. Let's see obviously John Spano Sonjay Kumar, 396 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 2: Walsh Greenwood, that's at least what four four Islander owners 397 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 2: who went to. 398 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 3: Jail the one guy who like bought the team with 399 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 3: the fake check span. 400 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. 401 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 3: But anyway, but just to figure out a fake check. 402 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, that's how gullible the NHL was. But anyway, 403 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 2: long story short, there was a lot of acrimony between 404 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 2: the fans and the Islanders and bringing me, who had 405 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 2: been so closely identified with the Rangers into a place 406 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 2: a beloved figure and rightly so and Jigs McDonald that 407 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 2: didn't sit well with them. So it took a while, 408 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 2: took took a few years before they came to accept me, 409 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 2: but ultimately they did and I had a tremendous twenty 410 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 2: one years with the Islanders. 411 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 4: Had to be happy that there wasn't Twitter then, right 412 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 4: that Twitter was. 413 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 2: You know, you bring up an interesting point there, because 414 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 2: had there been, I might not have lasted there. Yeah. 415 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 2: I'm very proud of the fact that, as controversial as 416 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 2: my hiring was there, that I lasted twenty one years 417 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 2: to this day. Yeah, I'd have to do the math. 418 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 2: I don't know if Chris King has up to twenty 419 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 2: one years. He might, but at least at the time 420 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 2: I left, I was the longest tenured broadcaster in Islander history. 421 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: And for a guy who wasn't wanted by the fan 422 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 2: base at first, I'm pretty proud of that. 423 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 3: It's a badge of honor to have. 424 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 2: I'm proud of that. 425 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 3: It's almost as long as you've done the Mets games 426 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 3: on the radio. 427 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 2: Well radio, TV and pre and postgame show. Doing this 428 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 2: for a long time with the Mets, and couldn't be 429 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 2: happier about it. 430 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, So what do you are like now that you 431 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 4: know you've been with the Mets for quite some time 432 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 4: here obviously a pretty big Mets fan, I would say, right. 433 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 2: I grew up here just a little since day one. 434 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, So how have you felt like things have changed 435 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 4: in your career from when you start with the Mets 436 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 4: till now in what regard just like your growth as 437 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,159 Speaker 4: a broadcaster, your growth, things that you've learned, you know, 438 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 4: through working. 439 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,239 Speaker 2: Well when I It's an interesting question because when I 440 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 2: started my professional affiliation with the Mets, it was nineteen 441 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 2: eighty seven and they had just won the World Series. 442 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 2: You'll note, by the way, I got here in eighty seven. 443 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 2: They won their most recent World Series the year before. 444 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 2: Just saying, but my job back then was as a 445 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 2: pre and postgame host, and we took phone calls and 446 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 2: it was a very fan driven show. I'm especially proud 447 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 2: of the work that I did with Davey Johnson those 448 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 2: first few years because it became a lot of people 449 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 2: tell me must listen radio for Mets fans. Because Davey 450 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 2: allowed me to approach the interviews with him as you 451 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: would with any other beat writer speaking to a manager, 452 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 2: and so he really really gave us a lot of 453 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 2: stuff and sometimes said a lot of things that would 454 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 2: irk the front office too, which put me in the 455 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 2: middle of it, and I would get caught in the crosshairs, 456 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 2: and that wasn't always comfortable. So, you know, when I 457 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 2: morphed from doing pre and post into doing part time 458 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 2: play by play on radio and then the full time 459 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 2: cable package on television with some of the over the 460 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 2: air games too, and then all of the games on 461 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 2: radio years after that, you know, by then I had 462 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 2: learned that when you're doing play by player, not doing 463 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 2: a talk show, it's a much much different skill set 464 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 2: that you have to bring to the booth. When you're 465 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: doing play by play, you can't make it about yourself. 466 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 2: It's the game. When you're doing a show that is 467 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 2: personality driven, then it's about you, but not when you're 468 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 2: doing play by play. It took a while to adjust 469 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 2: to that. I had to learn how to subjugate certain 470 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 2: emotions that I might have about how to present either 471 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 2: criticism of a play or question a decision that a 472 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 2: manager or a coach might have made. You learn how 473 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 2: to do that as a play by play guy as 474 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 2: opposed as a talk show host. That was the biggest 475 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 2: difference for me. 476 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 4: That's great, that's insight. 477 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:58,399 Speaker 3: We definitely love ye. 478 00:23:58,600 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 2: I'm here to help. 479 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: Touched on before all the way at the beginning here 480 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:03,439 Speaker 1: was that you were in the booth with Gary for 481 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,880 Speaker 1: a few years, two years. So that is something that's 482 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: very probably vexing to the modern mess fans because you 483 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: guys have similar roles. You both did to play by 484 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: play TV and radio. So what was it like being 485 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: in the booth together? How was the game delineated? Who 486 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: talked about what when? How did you even each find 487 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: a second together? 488 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 2: Word? 489 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 3: Oh? 490 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 2: It was it was easy because we had sort of 491 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 2: a symbiotic relationship based on our backgrounds. You know, we 492 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 2: knew what we brought to the table and that one 493 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 2: could bail the other out if he was thinking about 494 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 2: maybe a play or a player that was trying to 495 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 2: remember or articulate something about that doesn't quite come to 496 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 2: mind instantly. We kind of felt like we were at 497 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 2: the point where we could complete each other's sentences, you know, 498 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 2: because of our sensibilities around the Mets. But I'll say this, 499 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 2: and this is the greatest thing that I took from 500 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 2: those two years, apart from my friendship with Gary and 501 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 2: just enjoying being in the booth with him every night, 502 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 2: that was special in and of itself. I mean, that's 503 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 2: like I said, with your friend in the upper deck 504 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 2: watching the game together, that's what it was. We do 505 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 2: exactly hang out and you treasure that and you will 506 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 2: down the road when you don't do it anymore, believe me, 507 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,959 Speaker 2: because when you're in the moment, I'm not trying to 508 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 2: make your old time. But you know, when you're in 509 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 2: the moment, you're so consumed by the job. But years later, 510 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 2: even in an off season years, yeah, I hope, so 511 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 2: you know you'll think back and say, man, that was 512 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 2: really cool. That's how I felt about working with Gary 513 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 2: just as a friend, but most importantly, I learned more 514 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,160 Speaker 2: about how to broadcast baseball on radio from being with 515 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 2: Gary in those two years that I did in all 516 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 2: the years before and have it all the years since. 517 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 2: There is so much that goes into describing a baseball 518 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 2: game on radio, and Gary does not miss anything. And so, 519 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 2: whereas you might think as a play by play announcer 520 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 2: that a play ends when let's say there's a base 521 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,880 Speaker 2: that that drives in a run, it doesn't end when 522 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: you report who got the hit and who's on first 523 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 2: base having driven in so and so. It's what's going 524 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 2: on in the dugout, what's the crowd reaction, what's the 525 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 2: opposition looking at what's going on in there? Doug. You know, 526 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 2: there's just so much that goes into making a call that, 527 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 2: if you're going to do it well, transcends just base 528 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 2: hit RBI and watching Gary describe every nuance and every 529 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 2: movement and every play in a way that best positions 530 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 2: a listener to see it with his or her own eyes, 531 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 2: even though they can't. That's what I drew from those 532 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 2: two years from Gary, and that is priceless. You you 533 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 2: can't buy that, you can't read it in the book. 534 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 2: You have to experience it. I experienced his preparation how 535 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 2: we organized the broadcast, which is something I thought I 536 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 2: was pretty haphazard at seriously. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all 537 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 2: evolve over time, and the two years that I worked 538 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 2: with Gary allowed me to evolve to a point where 539 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 2: I would hope I'm a better broadcaster now than I 540 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 2: was before I started with him. Yeah. 541 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 4: I mean, Mets fans, we're so lucky that whether it 542 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 4: be on TV or radio, however you take in the game, 543 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 4: you both of you guys are just what I would 544 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 4: consider to be the best in the business. 545 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:17,120 Speaker 2: I appreciate that. Thank you, Like we're so spoiled. 546 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 4: Do you guys like think of yourselves as like being 547 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:22,640 Speaker 4: the best? 548 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 2: Like is that the best? 549 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 3: The best? 550 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: But do you see, like, just do you guys ever 551 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: take another broadcasts and see Yeah? 552 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh absolutely. I listen and I watch, and I 553 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 2: enjoy listening more than watching because I can relate more 554 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 2: intimately to what's being said in a radio broadcast that 555 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 2: I can on television. Oh, we're all our own worst critics, 556 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 2: of course, and we have favorites elsewhere also, and I 557 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 2: still enjoy listening to somebody I've never heard before do 558 00:27:54,320 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 2: a baseball game because I especially again on radio. I 559 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 2: just feel that we've gotten to a point where I'll 560 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 2: back it up to, let's say, my generation of broadcasters, 561 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 2: and I mean that's covering a lot of years now 562 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 2: because I'm I know, seriously, because I'm sixty eight, Okay, 563 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 2: So I'll say that if I can consider myself part 564 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 2: of a generation of broadcasters, I would say the youngest 565 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 2: edge of that generation that I would identify with would 566 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 2: be Kenny Albert Iron Eagle. You know that that group. 567 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 2: Mike Breen is certainly part of that, Michael Kay. I mean, 568 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 2: we're all contemporaries, but I would say the youngest edge 569 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 2: of that would be Kenny and Iron. And they grew 570 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 2: up aspiring to do radio, learn how to do a 571 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 2: game on radio, whatever the sport, and then transition to 572 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 2: television if the opportunity presents, and it's exactly what happened 573 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 2: to them, That's what happened to me. And I think, 574 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 2: and I even fear that the younger generation of broadcasters 575 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,479 Speaker 2: coming through college today or I'm so focused only on 576 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 2: doing television that there's not enough emphasis placed on what 577 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 2: it takes to be a really, really good radio, in 578 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 2: this case baseball broadcaster. So when I listen to somebody 579 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 2: I haven't heard before, if I hear someone who seems 580 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 2: pretty smooth and pretty as I say, nuanced and pretty 581 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 2: learned in the art of presenting the game on radio, 582 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 2: that tells me that that's going to be a real 583 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 2: good broadcaster. And there are some, there are plenty, and 584 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 2: I love listening to them. 585 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 4: So we know that you've been pretty active on Twitter recently. 586 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 4: It's turned into fun, yes, So that's what I want 587 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 4: to ask you about, because when you started it, obviously 588 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 4: Twitter really wasn't a thing. So how have you been 589 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 4: adapting I guess, your own personal brand and using social 590 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 4: media alongside the broadcast. 591 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,959 Speaker 2: I'll tell you what started it, or the derivation of 592 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 2: my jumping in with both feet to Twitter. It was 593 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 2: something I resisted, as you may know, for all a 594 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 2: long long time. I didn't want any part of it 595 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 2: because I know it can be a cesspool quite frankly, 596 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 2: and I just there were two things I didn't want 597 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 2: to get into that I didn't want to get my 598 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 2: face dirty, you know, wrestling in the mud with things 599 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 2: that didn't need to be wrestled with. And at the 600 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 2: same time, I also thought, you know, I'd to have 601 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 2: a glass of wine or two with dinner, and I'm 602 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 2: just thinking about, well, okay, I've had that second glass tonight, 603 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 2: and something really funny came to mind. I can tweet this, right, 604 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 2: you know what's gonna know? Yeah, And then I would 605 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 2: always say to myself, no, don't, don't, don't go on Twitter, 606 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 2: because you're gonna have that second glass of wine and 607 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 2: you're gonna hit send when you shouldn't. And I've been 608 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 2: very pleased to say that I have learned how to 609 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 2: discipline myself and I frankly don't drink two glasses much 610 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:03,719 Speaker 2: anymore for a lot of reason. But I am happy 611 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 2: with how I've learned to generally stay I don't want 612 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,959 Speaker 2: to say above of the fray, it sounds condescending, but 613 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 2: out of the mud. Yeah, And at the same time 614 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 2: discipline myself as to when to kind of rain myself 615 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 2: in so that that those have been the two challenges. 616 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 4: It can be hard, definitely when you started seeing people 617 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 4: like and I feel like with me at least, it's 618 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 4: like whenever someone tries to tell you you're wrong. That's 619 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 4: like the one you really have to like try to 620 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 4: hold yourself back with h because not that we're no 621 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 4: at all, but we I think all of us have 622 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 4: a pretty good knowledge of what's going on and what 623 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 4: we're talking about. So when someone's here and there, yeah, yeah, 624 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 4: when someone's like getting mad at you over something you 625 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 4: know you're like right about it, it really is tough to, 626 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 4: like you said, pull those reins back. 627 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 2: Well, there are a couple of things that I do, 628 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 2: and I don't know what you guys think, but there 629 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 2: are times that I'll volley with somebody. Of course, if 630 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 2: it's about something that I think will be entertaining and 631 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 2: or perhaps even more so informative, Like if I have 632 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 2: certain information that I put out, I'm never going to 633 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 2: betray a confidence in doing so. But if I know 634 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 2: something that the general populace doesn't and I feel it's 635 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 2: appropriate to put it on Twitter, I will. Now if 636 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 2: somebody wants to argue with me about that, and I'm 637 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 2: coming from a point of knowing internally what this information is, 638 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 2: why are you arguing with them? I'm I'm telling you 639 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 2: the facts, and I get that from people at parties 640 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 2: or get, you know, get together forget about Twitter. You know, 641 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 2: somebody will say to me, how come the Mets did this? 642 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 2: And if I know why, and I'm not betraying a confidence, 643 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 2: I'll explain it. You expect, Oh, okay, thanks. Sometimes somebody 644 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 2: will start arguing with you. It's like, leave me alone. 645 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 2: Will you go bother your wife? Leave me alone? You 646 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 2: know what I don't do? You ask me a question, 647 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 2: I gave you the answer. Don't argue with me. You know, 648 00:32:57,960 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 2: if it's an opinion, that's one thing we can play 649 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 2: with that. So, you know, those are the two things 650 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 2: about Twitter that I've kind of gotten comfortable with, sort 651 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 2: of knowing when, as I say, to pull the reins in. 652 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:11,240 Speaker 2: And sometimes I don't know how about you guys, but 653 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 2: you know, people love to pull your chain and they 654 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 2: love to try to get under your skin. They call 655 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 2: it trolling, I guess, and you know, I I think 656 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 2: I could probably count on one hand the number of 657 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 2: people I've blocked. You know, if somebody, if somebody says 658 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 2: stuff that I think is really inappropriate, and when they 659 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 2: start digging into whether it's your family or some other 660 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 2: personal stuff, that's I don't need to read your garbage 661 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 2: or if it's somebody else that you know is trying 662 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 2: to push your buttons and you feel like, you know, 663 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 2: you want to set them straight. I'll look at their 664 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 2: profile and if they've got like ten followers one of 665 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: my one, am I wasting my time with some ten 666 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 2: follower guy for growth? 667 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 3: Right there? 668 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 4: That's like, that's like a big thing that I feel 669 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 4: like both of us at first, like you want to 670 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:57,959 Speaker 4: reply to everybody and then it's not worth it. 671 00:33:58,280 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 2: No, I want to have fun with. 672 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 3: The positive people. 673 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 1: Yes, the interact with people who are nice, and you 674 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: want to actually have conversations about baseball or about life 675 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: or anything. 676 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 3: That's always it. 677 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: But the negative people, and there's been a lot of negativity, 678 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: like more recently, that's what gets hard. 679 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 2: Well that's hey, imagine now doing a talk showine right 680 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:17,759 Speaker 2: where then you know you don't have the luxury of 681 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 2: saying and I won't answer this one. You know, it's 682 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 2: Twitter is fun when you manage it properly. I've learned that, 683 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 2: I've learned how to deal with it, and if it 684 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 2: ever gets to be a burden, then I'll just you know, 685 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 2: sign off. But for now I feel that it bonds 686 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 2: me even more closely to the fan base, if that 687 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 2: makes any sense. And it all started for me. I think, 688 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,279 Speaker 2: this is my goodness. I talked around your question for 689 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 2: about ten days. I follow we lost that. That's just 690 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 2: my age, you know, I'm fraid. Oh yeah, he did 691 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 2: ask a question, right. It started for me during COVID 692 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty, when we were in spring training getting 693 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,239 Speaker 2: ready for a season, and all of a sudden, we're 694 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 2: dark and now remember we were approaching and it might 695 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 2: have act. Oh I know exactly what day it was 696 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 2: that I went on Twitter. It was opening it getting 697 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 2: close to Opening Day, and I say, you know, I 698 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 2: really feel disconnected. I feel disenfranchised almost from my audience, 699 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 2: the fan base. I really have to think about going 700 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,160 Speaker 2: on Twitter and this, Believe me, guys, this was completely unintentional. 701 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 2: Do you know the day that I sent my first tweet? 702 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 2: And you may now recognize the date, and I wouldn't 703 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 2: expect you to. It was April eleventh, and as it 704 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:32,399 Speaker 2: turned out, twenty twenty, would you believe? And it didn't 705 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 2: hit me until afterwards. April eleventh of nineteen sixty two 706 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 2: was the night that the Mets play their very first 707 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:41,440 Speaker 2: game in the National League. 708 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 3: Wow, and that's just ru coincidence. 709 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, it went Believe me, that was an honest coincidence. 710 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:49,400 Speaker 1: As someone who's listened to you my basically entire conscious 711 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: life on the radio has been a pleasure to link 712 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 1: in the sense of your personality on Twitter, just like 713 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: learn a little b about you and able to like 714 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,759 Speaker 1: fully interact with you. But you mentioned about going dark 715 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 1: with the team. How did that year and a half, 716 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:04,360 Speaker 1: I guess technically of losing contact with the players direct 717 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 1: content or personal contact, How does that affect your ability 718 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: to build relationships And how's the affect your ability even 719 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: now build a relationship with the team that's very much 720 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: mostly of new players in last year. 721 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that's a great question, James. It's been a 722 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 2: challenge and things have happened over the years. I think 723 00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 2: in most clubhouses, certainly US, where we're a little more 724 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 2: sort of sequestered from the players, certainly than when I 725 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 2: started covering games. It can be hard to track down 726 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 2: a player sometimes, and if I really need to talk 727 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:40,400 Speaker 2: to somebody, I'll let somebody in the media relations department 728 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 2: know that something I want to ask so and so 729 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 2: about can you grab them for me or let me 730 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 2: know what a good time would be. But I remember 731 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 2: last year we had very limited access, not to the 732 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 2: clubhouse but just downstairs on the field, and guys would 733 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 2: be coming in and out of the dugout. I'm going, 734 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 2: who's this. That's not the way it's supposed to be. 735 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 2: So when we got to spring training this year and 736 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 2: had clubhouse access, I was like a little kid in 737 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 2: the candy store. I felt, Ah, I'm reconnected with the 738 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,720 Speaker 2: guys that were there before. Now, of course, with new guys, 739 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:21,439 Speaker 2: it's been a little not harder or more challenging, it's 740 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 2: just been, you know, a little more of a project 741 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 2: to get to know them a little bit. You know 742 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,560 Speaker 2: what happens to you introduce yourself to somebody in spring 743 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 2: training and go, hey, I'm Howie rose In, one of 744 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 2: the radio broadcasters with the Mets, and you have a 745 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 2: nice chat with that person for five minutes, and then 746 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,040 Speaker 2: you might not see him for two weeks. They've totally 747 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 2: forgotten who you are. So, you know, it really takes 748 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 2: them seeing you on the planes and around the hotel 749 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 2: before they realize, okay, he's part of our traveling party. 750 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 2: And for me, that's been more challenging this year because 751 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:50,880 Speaker 2: I'm not making every trip anymore. I'm still doing about, 752 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:52,680 Speaker 2: you know, one hundred and twenty five games, which is 753 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 2: a lot and I've needed to, believe me, those breaks 754 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 2: for a lot of reasons. But that makes it a 755 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 2: little more challenging to get to know some of the players. 756 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:06,359 Speaker 4: Definitely the I mean, now with the team being good 757 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:09,919 Speaker 4: and you have access to everybody, how have you felt that, 758 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,399 Speaker 4: like maybe after the COVID season, has there been any 759 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 4: sort of like people are more receptive to talk more 760 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 4: because there was almost that break, that pause, or like, 761 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 4: what do you think has changed the most from that 762 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 4: year till now from your job? 763 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,920 Speaker 2: That's a good question. I don't think that anything's changed 764 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:30,440 Speaker 2: with regard to the people with whom you establish relationships. 765 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 2: Now we have to wear masks in the clubhouse, and 766 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,720 Speaker 2: I don't mind saying point blank, I can't stand wearing 767 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 2: those things anymore. I mean, nobody liked it or likes it. Yeah, 768 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 2: but to me, that's such a barrier between saying myself 769 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 2: and a player i'm talking to, you know, I'll see 770 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:53,800 Speaker 2: them on the around the hotel we're not wearing masks, 771 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:55,400 Speaker 2: or I'll see them on the field, or we're not 772 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 2: wearing masks. But apart from the fact that it's very 773 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,279 Speaker 2: uncomfortable and I'm almost to the point where I feel 774 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 2: it's unhealthy to keep breathing in my own that's a 775 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,440 Speaker 2: whole other issue. And it's not a political thing. It's 776 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,640 Speaker 2: a health oriented thing, you know. I'm just kind of 777 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:10,279 Speaker 2: at the end of my rope of those things. But 778 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 2: I think that's provided a bit of a barrier that 779 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 2: I can't wait to overcome by hopefully not having to 780 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 2: do that next year. 781 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, hopefully that'll be nice. So we have about five 782 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: minutes left here. Thank you again for sure, whatever you mean, 783 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 1: I'm here. This whole conversation has been beautiful, a little personal. 784 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,279 Speaker 1: I love mind is amazing, But I was listening to 785 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 1: broadcast on Friday night and a special treat when Terry 786 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:34,160 Speaker 1: comes in the booth. I know sometimes you still get 787 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,799 Speaker 1: Eddie Coleman into but it's fun to listen to like 788 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 1: you and those guys like pontificate about the game, the 789 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:40,480 Speaker 1: changes of the game where. 790 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:43,879 Speaker 2: We haven't exactly pontific I don't like pontificat an I don't. 791 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:47,840 Speaker 2: It just makes me sound condescending if I'm pontificat. I 792 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:49,840 Speaker 2: hope I don't you know, I might, and if I do, 793 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:50,839 Speaker 2: I apologize for them. 794 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 3: Miss being hyperbolic. This just is for effect here, howie. 795 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 1: But a bunch of rule changes were announced last week, 796 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 1: and you guys spoke at length about them Friday night 797 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,399 Speaker 1: during the game. So there's going to be a pitch 798 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 1: clock on similar to a basketball shot clock. There's going 799 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:04,919 Speaker 1: to be a limiting a pickoff throws, and the big 800 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,160 Speaker 1: one is the shift being banned in a good particular way. 801 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 1: So I think we preview. If you could just talk 802 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,400 Speaker 1: about how you think these new rules will change the 803 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:14,600 Speaker 1: game going forward. 804 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 2: Well, I'll tie it up into one very tidy little package. 805 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:22,040 Speaker 2: I am passionately in favor of anything or things that 806 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:25,200 Speaker 2: will get the ball in play more than it's been. 807 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,839 Speaker 2: We can't go where we're at right now over four 808 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 2: minutes on average between balls in play. It compromises the 809 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:37,239 Speaker 2: entertainment value of the greatest game in the world, and 810 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,799 Speaker 2: there is a recognition of that within the game. Obviously, 811 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 2: because it's been addressed. It's going to take time for 812 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:48,520 Speaker 2: the players to adjust. But one thing that you should 813 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:52,479 Speaker 2: never lose sight of. As great as you think these 814 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:55,880 Speaker 2: players are at what they do, they are a thousand 815 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 2: times better than you can even imagine. Oh yeah, they 816 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:02,319 Speaker 2: are so I mean, and they're almost they're freakish in 817 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 2: just how great they are athletically, and then their ability 818 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,560 Speaker 2: in their ability to let's say, throw and hit a baseball. 819 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,000 Speaker 2: Next time you guys are around home plate, just stand 820 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:16,320 Speaker 2: out there for a second and look at the pictures. 821 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 2: Now that's sixty feet six inches away. Now imagine that 822 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 2: thing's coming at you ninety seven ninety eight miles an hour, 823 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:24,799 Speaker 2: and they're sinking it and they're cutting it and they're 824 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 2: spinning it and they're doing everything else they do with. 825 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:27,880 Speaker 3: It, and it could be a curve ball, could be 826 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:28,320 Speaker 3: a slider. 827 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, And these guys do what they do offensively, and 828 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:36,560 Speaker 2: these pictures do what they do with their arms. They 829 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 2: are so good that they will adjust and there'll be 830 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:43,400 Speaker 2: a lot of crankiness, I'm sure during spring training, and 831 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:46,600 Speaker 2: everybody's going to be looking for loopholes, and everybody's going 832 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,319 Speaker 2: to be complaining about how they can't do what they 833 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 2: used to do. And I would say, at the outside 834 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 2: at the latest, by Memorial Day next year, everyone will 835 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,439 Speaker 2: have adapted and the price will be better, and that's 836 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:02,080 Speaker 2: all any of. 837 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 3: Us want definitely. Yeah. 838 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 4: We talked about a lot on the last episode, you know, 839 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,880 Speaker 4: talking about each rule individually, and as much as we 840 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:10,759 Speaker 4: love the pitch clock because it speeds up the game, 841 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 4: no doubt about that, we were talking about the shift 842 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:14,839 Speaker 4: and how more balls and play will always be great. 843 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 4: I have to assume the shift's got to be the 844 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:18,720 Speaker 4: thing that you're most excited about being eliminated. 845 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 2: Right, Well, yeah, I don't know if I would even 846 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:22,399 Speaker 2: qualify it as the most because I think the pitch 847 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,640 Speaker 2: clock is great. You know the kid that pitched I'm 848 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:27,840 Speaker 2: not sure exactly when this is going to air or 849 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:33,360 Speaker 2: drop or whatever. You cool whatever, you cool kids say, Yeah, okay. 850 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,680 Speaker 2: You know the fellow who pitched the opening game of 851 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:39,840 Speaker 2: We're doing this when the Cubs are in town, the 852 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 2: first game of the Mets Cub series, Javier Asad He 853 00:42:42,719 --> 00:42:44,840 Speaker 2: was taking a lot of time between pitches that he 854 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,080 Speaker 2: will not be able to take next year. And you 855 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:49,960 Speaker 2: realize that less as a fan than you do as 856 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,600 Speaker 2: a broadcaster, because I keep coming back to pace and 857 00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:57,560 Speaker 2: tempo of the game. Sure, but as a broadcaster you 858 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 2: need to maintain a certain pace tempo, and that is 859 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:05,480 Speaker 2: greatly challenged by the slower movements of a lot of 860 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 2: pitchers in particular. I don't mean to single them out, 861 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 2: because hitters take all day in some cases to get 862 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 2: ready in the box. Two. So I just can't wait 863 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:14,680 Speaker 2: for next year's game to see if it has the 864 00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:16,479 Speaker 2: desired effect, and I think it will. 865 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,759 Speaker 1: All right, How last question here, one minute left. We're 866 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 1: getting into a pennant race right now. First, we've had 867 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:24,399 Speaker 1: in a couple of years. You've seen every single Mets 868 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:27,400 Speaker 1: team that's ever played a game of baseball. How does 869 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,279 Speaker 1: the team stack up? And where where are your aspirations 870 00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:31,120 Speaker 1: for the rest of the season. 871 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,600 Speaker 2: Well, my aspiration is to make the call that I've 872 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:37,400 Speaker 2: been waiting to make my entire life, and that is 873 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:40,799 Speaker 2: that the Mets win the World Series. And that is 874 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:44,359 Speaker 2: certainly very realistic this year. I would not be naive 875 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:46,320 Speaker 2: enough to sit in front of a camera or behind 876 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:50,360 Speaker 2: a microphone and promise it. No one can. Dave Roberts 877 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:54,319 Speaker 2: can't do it, you know, Dusty Baker can't do it. 878 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 2: Aaron Boone can't do it. Brian Snicker can't do it, 879 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:00,680 Speaker 2: even though they did it last year. Oh body can 880 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 2: promise that. But I think promise is a very important 881 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:08,480 Speaker 2: word when looking at the twenty twenty two Mets. There 882 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 2: is still a great deal of promise in this team, 883 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:14,440 Speaker 2: and when we've seen them win some games in the 884 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:17,439 Speaker 2: fashion that they did over most of the first five 885 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:19,799 Speaker 2: months of this season. And I know there have been 886 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 2: some speed bumps they've hit in the first couple of 887 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 2: weeks of September, but it's neck and neck. They've got 888 00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 2: the three games with the Braves, and I think we're 889 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:29,400 Speaker 2: in for one heck of a ride the rest of 890 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 2: the way, and I can't wait to see how it 891 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:31,279 Speaker 2: turns out. 892 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:33,320 Speaker 4: I think that's a perfect way to wrap up this 893 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:35,560 Speaker 4: episode on a high note with some good good vibes 894 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:37,400 Speaker 4: for the Mets here as they wrap up the series 895 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 4: of the Cubs. Howie, thank you so much for coming 896 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:41,800 Speaker 4: on with us again. This guy unbelievable. Hopefully get to 897 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 4: talk to you more throughout the year, maybe next year, whatever. 898 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:44,719 Speaker 3: We want to get you back on. 899 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:45,680 Speaker 2: I've enjoyed it. 900 00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:46,480 Speaker 3: Talk more so. 901 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,920 Speaker 2: I'm right next door. Feel free to come by. Let 902 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 2: me know. I'll bring Danish. 903 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:51,480 Speaker 3: All right, there you go. We'll hold you to that. 904 00:44:51,719 --> 00:45:05,400 Speaker 2: Okay, you got it. Take care, assass