1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News. 2 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Deal. 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 3: I'm your host, Jason Kelly alongside my partner Alex Rodriguez. 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 3: All right, Alex, you're in Miami. I'm back in New York, 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 3: and we have so much to talk about. We've got 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 3: a great conversation coming up with your friend Johnny Damon. 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 3: He's sort of one of one in the in the 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 3: world of baseball. One a World Series with your Yankees. 9 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 3: Also won a World Series with you know, that other 10 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 3: team that plays up in Boston, and we'll get into 11 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 3: all of that. He's got a new sports drink and 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 3: we're going to talk about a bunch of Yankee stuff 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 3: with him. But I have some things I need to 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 3: talk about with you. Let's start with what blew up 15 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 3: my phone this weekend, so I can't even imagine what 16 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 3: it did to your phone, which is the viral half 17 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: court shot that you hit at buck Nell, Like what 18 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 3: are you doing? 19 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: Like what's happening? 20 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 4: First of all, is a shot that win around the world. 21 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 4: Had more texts and emails than when we won the 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 4: World Series in two thousand and nine against the Phillies. 23 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 4: But what was interesting is there was a lot of 24 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 4: questions that there's no way that was true, that had 25 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 4: to be AI, and I'm like, no, no, look, there's 26 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 4: different angles. So that was really fun. You know, there's 27 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 4: nothing like being back in a college campus. I was 28 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 4: there because my partner Mark Lori, is an alum there. 29 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 4: We have a company called jump In which we're piloting 30 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,919 Speaker 4: at Bucknell, so we double dipped. 31 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: We did a ten am talk. 32 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 4: To the student body at the Business school and some 33 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 4: of the alums, and then the game started on National 34 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 4: TV against Army on CBS, which Jay Wright, the most 35 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 4: famous j Wright, many times world champions with Villanova basketball. 36 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 4: He was doing the panel in the broadcasting and he 37 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 4: obviously mentioned had a lot of fun with it too. 38 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: All right, so how do you end up taking the 39 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: half court shot? 40 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 5: Though? 41 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 4: So basically they've been doing this, I guess for years. 42 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 4: And the athletic director said, look, each one of you 43 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 4: will sponsor one student. My student was owned from Philadelphia, 44 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 4: wonderful young man. And you take as many threes as 45 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 4: you take for thirty seconds, and everyone you make you 46 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 4: get one hundred dollars. And then the winner of Mark 47 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,839 Speaker 4: and I and our other partner, Jeordi I made the most, 48 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 4: so I made three. So then I had one shot 49 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 4: from half court, just one shot, and if you make 50 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 4: that shot, you apply ten thousand dollars to my kid 51 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 4: on to scholarship for tuition. And sure enough, I just 52 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 4: let a rip. I've never made a shot like that 53 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 4: in my life. I'll never make one again, but I 54 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 4: guess it was for a good purpose. 55 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: So it was fun. And the reaction of the kids. 56 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 4: There is something magical of being back in a college 57 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 4: campus with all these kids enthusiasm and the energy, and 58 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 4: the place just went wild. 59 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 3: I mean, I have to say it was like the 60 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 3: real was coming at me from all different directions. I 61 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 3: couldn't escape it. There were like multiple angles. 62 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 2: It was wild. 63 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 3: I mean, I've also seen on your socials you've been 64 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 3: shooting more hoop over the past few years because of 65 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 3: the Timberwolves in the links. I've seen you know, you 66 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 3: like on your court in Minnesota. So it's like practice 67 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 3: pays off, man. 68 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: I guess. 69 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 4: But there's a lot of air balls and the things 70 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 4: that I post. This was actually a genuine thing that 71 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,399 Speaker 4: I honestly could not believe it went in. And boy, 72 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 4: that was fun and I'm never going to try it 73 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 4: again because that's I'm gonna go one and done. 74 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, you're one for one in terms of major 75 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 3: half court shots, like you don't need to be hitting 76 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 3: logo threes. 77 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 2: You did your athletic thing, all right. 78 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 3: Well, speaking of where you played the game, the game 79 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 3: of baseball, ESPN and Major League Baseball a very sudden 80 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: and kind of ugly divorce that happened. I think it's 81 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,839 Speaker 3: fair to say what was your gut reaction, and then 82 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 3: let's talk about what it means. 83 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 4: Well, it's certainly I mean what happened was for the 84 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 4: first time in over three decades, ESPN has had a 85 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 4: marriage with Major League Baseball, as they do with the NBA, 86 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 4: as they do with the. 87 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: NFL and now hockey. 88 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 4: And they basically wanted to walk away because they felt 89 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 4: the five hundred and fifty million dollars they were paying 90 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 4: them annually was too much. And I think this is 91 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 4: a really watershed moment for baseball and for ESPN because 92 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 4: this is, at the end of the day, America's pastime. 93 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 4: And I never would have thought that in our lifetime, Jason, 94 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 4: two organizations as powerful and as blue chip as these 95 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 4: two would have a divorce. But I think this gives 96 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 4: baseball opportunity to huddle up and restack the chips and 97 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 4: go again. So it'd be very interesting to see what 98 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 4: Rob Manford, Tony Clark, head of the Union, Rob Manford, 99 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 4: the commissioner, and obviously Jimmy Petero. Maybe they can rehuddle 100 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 4: and restack it again somehow. 101 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 3: Jimmy Petero, of course to the ceover at the head 102 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 3: of the ESPN. So let me ask you this, as 103 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 3: someone who has been on ESPN playing baseball as well 104 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 3: as been on ESPN talking about baseball, what do you 105 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 3: make of the criticisms, because Manfred came out hot. I 106 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 3: mean he basically was like, listen, they did us wrong. 107 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: They were showing our games. They sort of did the 108 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 3: minimum like that they weren't building that shoulder cond to 109 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 3: you and I talk about all the time on this 110 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 3: show of like how you make a sport culturally relevant? 111 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: Do you buy that? Like, what do you think? 112 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: Well, I think a few things. 113 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 4: I think in Rob's letter, what I think was said 114 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 4: was that ESPN has gone from just since twenty eleven, 115 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 4: from over one hundred million viewers, subs subscribers to you know, 116 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 4: somewhere around fifty a little bit off of fifty, which 117 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 4: which is quite a decline. And of course ESPN's answers 118 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 4: to that is, well, we're building an app to go 119 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 4: direct to consumer, so we're good. And look, ESPN throws 120 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 4: off a lot of cash and is still at the 121 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 4: top of their game. But I think the shoulder programming 122 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 4: is something we talk about and you see it a 123 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 4: lot in the NFL. 124 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: You see it in the NBA. We have Steven A. 125 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 4: Smith, you have the NBA Show, the NFL program, NFL 126 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 4: Live and all of that. And the probably the complaint, 127 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 4: which I think Rob has a fair point here, is 128 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 4: is there enough baseball being spoken about. On the other 129 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 4: side of that is you know what the NFL does 130 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 4: so well is they have dynamics scheduling, so they're always 131 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 4: thinking about entertainment first. They just happen to be playing football. 132 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 4: And I've heard Roger Goodell say this multiple times. We 133 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 4: are an entertainment business that we use football as a 134 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 4: remote when it comes to baseball. I think in this 135 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 4: next week Jason twenty twenty six schedules already coming out. 136 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 4: The challenge with that is how do you know where 137 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 4: the big matchups are? How do you know who's going 138 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 4: to play well. And I think if they can come 139 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 4: together and say, look, we'll do some more dynamic scheduling. 140 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 4: As an example, we had huge numbers for Fox in 141 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 4: the World Series. 142 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: Why we had the Yankees and the Dodgers. 143 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 4: Well, that tells you that you have to chase these 144 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 4: dream matchups and create some of this during the season. Look, 145 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 4: I'm still very bullish on baseball long term. The headwinds 146 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 4: short term continue both at the local level regional sports 147 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 4: network deals having financial issues, and now they get hit 148 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 4: at the macro level with the national TV deal. So 149 00:06:57,680 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 4: I think when you have moments like this, it allows 150 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,559 Speaker 4: you to have to be flexible and change certain things 151 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 4: to make baseball that much better. And by the way, 152 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 4: in fairness to Rob and Tony Clark, the head of 153 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 4: the Union, they've already made some great strides with the 154 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 4: time clock and others. 155 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: I think they should have to continue. 156 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, when I read Manfred's comments, this whole 157 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 3: notion of the other leagues have just lapped MLB in 158 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 3: terms of allowing us to get to know the players. 159 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 3: And we don't know the players. They are not the 160 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 3: cultural icons that they were. Candidly, even when you were playing. 161 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 3: And by the way, that wasn't that long ago. I 162 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 3: mean here I'm treading into some territory, so you know, 163 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 3: like just take it as where one could argue, we 164 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: knew too much about what was going on with you. 165 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 2: But like on. 166 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 3: We don't know anything about Aaron Judge, he's a mystery. 167 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 3: All we know about Shoho Tani is like the trouble 168 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 3: that his guy got into, like gambling with his money. 169 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 3: It's like, we don't know these baseball players. And so 170 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 3: I do like I hear what Manfred is saying in 171 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 3: the sense of we don't have this like deep emotional 172 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 3: connection to the players playing the game, and that is 173 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 3: where a lot of this good content could come from. 174 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 5: Yeah. 175 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 4: Look, I was right in the middle of it, so 176 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 4: it's definitely not self serving for me to say this. 177 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 4: I think a lot of the trust was broken back 178 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 4: when Bud Selig was a commissioner, and you know, I 179 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 4: ran into my issues and other players run in some issues. 180 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 4: So I thought that was again, that was a watershed 181 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 4: moment where fans were going, oh, maybe there's other sports 182 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 4: to go look at. 183 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: So that's one and I think too, I think. 184 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 4: What networks you're looking for they're in the business of 185 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 4: eyeballs and they've got to grow, and they have tremendous 186 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 4: pressure to shareholders quarterly meetings. You look in the world 187 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 4: that's decreasing very aggressively year over year. So if you're 188 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:49,199 Speaker 4: Major League Baseball, you have to say, Okay, what could 189 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 4: we do? Could we create a partnership with NCAA. Right, 190 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 4: we're losing a lot of our great, great talent at 191 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 4: the youth level where you have to like mortgage a 192 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 4: home to go play Little league baseball and the ability 193 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 4: to keep up. 194 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: With the Joneses. 195 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 4: And then on the on the big league side, more 196 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 4: is better, right, And we grew up Jason and less 197 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,719 Speaker 4: is more. They told us you don't want to be 198 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 4: in page six. Obviously I did not listen to that. 199 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 4: But that's a good thing that Aaron Judge and Otana 200 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 4: you're not in page six. However, could we have some 201 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 4: you know, NBA just came out with the starting five? 202 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: Can we come out with the starting nine? 203 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 4: And everyone came out with their content, which has transformed 204 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 4: hundreds of millions of people around the world. Baseball has 205 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 4: that same opportunity, and I think baseball has to have 206 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 4: a new model. 207 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: Fortune favors the bold, and you got to be bold well. 208 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 3: And again, as you said, Yankees Dodgers was unbelievable, just 209 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 3: an unbelievable scene. 210 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: Everybody was talking about it. 211 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 3: And I just take so much from that lesson and 212 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 3: your point. 213 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:49,559 Speaker 2: That was the dream matchup. 214 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 3: All right, So, speaking of the Yankees, before we get 215 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 3: to our guests, you were at training camp. 216 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 2: You put the uniform back on. 217 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 3: You told me off here that was your same uniform, 218 00:09:58,280 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 3: which I'm very impressed by. 219 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 1: I am too. 220 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 4: I was scared that I was going to have to 221 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 4: go up a couple sizes, but actually my thirty six 222 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 4: longs pants pinstrups fit. My number thirteen is still fit. 223 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 4: And boy, I tell you, Jason, I mean, I don't 224 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 4: want to be geek and nerdy here, but it felt 225 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 4: really really good to be invited back by how Steinbrenn 226 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 4: and Brian Cashman first time in about ten years, and 227 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 4: to put that uniform on, to be around the fan 228 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 4: base and to be connected to what I believe is 229 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 4: still the greatest organization in sports around the world. 230 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: It felt awesome. 231 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, we're going to talk about some of the 232 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 3: things that are changing with the Yankees. I'm going to 233 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 3: hold off asking you because I want to ask you 234 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 3: and Johnny. 235 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 2: Together, especially about. 236 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 3: One of the most famous rules that is no longer 237 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 3: a rule for. 238 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 2: The New York Yankees. 239 00:10:45,200 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 3: All right, coming up, Johnny Davin, all right, Joy, This 240 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 3: now is Johnny Damon, a familiar face to so many 241 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 3: of US baseball fans, and you know, former Major League 242 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 3: players like my partner. 243 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 2: He's, of course former. 244 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 3: MLB outfielder, won a couple of World Series with that 245 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 3: team in Boston and our team here in New York. 246 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 2: Really excited to have you here, Johnny. 247 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, thanks for having me. Guys. 248 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 6: It's always great seeing one of my favorites right there. 249 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 6: He is my favorite, Alex Man. It's always great to 250 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 6: see you with a great teammate. Man, And I'm glad 251 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 6: you're doing fantastic brother, Thank you, Thank you. 252 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 3: And I had no idea you guys have not just 253 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 3: a professional history, you go way way back. So, Johnny, 254 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 3: do you remember the first time you met Alex. 255 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 5: Yeah, the first time I met Alex. We were in. 256 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 6: Euclid, Ohio, and Alex was the best in his class. 257 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 5: I believe you were thirteen, or were you fourteen? 258 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: I was a year behind you, so I was like fifteen. 259 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 5: Yeah, So we all go to Euclid, Ohio. 260 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 6: Now we have Todd Helton on the team, we have 261 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 6: Danny Canell. We have an all star team, and we 262 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 6: call out ourselves Bergen Beach. We put together a great team. 263 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 6: And at that time, I mean, Alex, you know, I 264 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 6: was a baller. I was the guy who hit tons. 265 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 6: And it was like I feel like I was coming 266 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 6: into my own and getting ready for the draft and 267 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 6: getting everything situated on my end before my long career. 268 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 6: And here comes Alex and we're staying at Euclid High 269 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 6: School where Robert Smith, Ohio state running back, Minnesota Vikings tailback, 270 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 6: he went to school there. He just broke every single record. 271 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 6: And Alex has a basketball in his hand and he's 272 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 6: doing three sixty dunks, He's doing double punks, he's doing 273 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 6: all this stuff. And I could never jump. I mean 274 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,839 Speaker 6: I put some points stuff for a triple jump when 275 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 6: I was in high school, but I was never a 276 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 6: guy who can leap. 277 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 5: And Alex was. 278 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 6: Absolutely leaping out of the gym that entire trip that 279 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 6: we had. 280 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 2: So he's a year older than you. 281 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 3: You guys are both from Florida or from Miami, and Johnny, 282 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 3: you're from sort of Orlando area, Like, so, what's your 283 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 3: impression of this like slightly older guy who you must 284 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 3: have known about him? 285 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 2: Right? 286 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 5: Oh? 287 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I did. 288 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 4: And he went to Doctor Phillips High School in Orlando, 289 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 4: which is a very famous high school. And Johnny's reputation 290 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 4: preceded himself because once you become a junior in your 291 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 4: head into a senior. He was one year ahead of me. 292 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 4: I mean, one year makes a world of difference. And 293 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 4: when I first saw Johnny, I said, holy smoked. I mean, 294 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 4: Johnny was six foot three, one hundred and ninety pounds, 295 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,959 Speaker 4: like six percent body fat. He ran like a four 296 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 4: three forty and he was just shredded and he was 297 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 4: right when he hit the ball, he looked like Mickey Mantle, 298 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 4: I mean otani. I mean it was unbelievable. But what 299 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 4: always really impressed me by Johnny is what a great 300 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 4: human being he is. I mean, when you think about leadership, 301 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 4: I've always like worried too much. And the reason why 302 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 4: I loved him as a teammate. He would have just 303 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 4: injected with so much confidence. He would be like, dude, 304 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 4: if I had your talent, I would just show up 305 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 4: and play. Well, that's actually what I do anyways, And 306 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 4: I'm great, and you're great, and he goes just stand 307 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 4: up there like batting practice, just I'm gonna be on 308 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 4: base three times today. 309 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: I may be a little hungover, but it doesn't matter. 310 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: I'm still going to be on base four times, and 311 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: just just smack me in smack. 312 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 4: And he always just brought such I honestly say that 313 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 4: as pre Johnny and post Johnny. In New York, when 314 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 4: Johnny came in and he brought a swagger, we were 315 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 4: such an uptight team. We were like a bunch of 316 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 4: Goldman Sacks guys. And I say that in a good way. 317 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 4: We were just really buttoned up. And Johnny'll be like, hey, 318 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 4: let's loosen up. We have a big game tomorrow and 319 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 4: so on, let's go karaoke and let's go have a 320 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 4: good time. We're better than them, so we're gonna win anyways. 321 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 4: So he just always brought like a sincere enthusiasm and 322 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 4: confidence to any room that he entered. 323 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 3: All Right, I love the requisite Goldman Sax reference here 324 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 3: on the Bloomberg Podcast. 325 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 2: I really like that. 326 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 3: All right, Actually, let's take a beat to talk about 327 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 3: what's happening right now because you talked about the Goldman 328 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 3: sacks of it all, Alex, I mean, what two better 329 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 3: people for me to ask about the massive change in 330 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 3: Yankee culture? Then now you can have a beard like Johnny. 331 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 3: What is happening? And it feels like the world is 332 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 3: turning upside down? What did you think when you heard that? 333 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 6: Well, it sure is and I definitely I'm even going 334 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 6: to George Steinberner Field tomorrow to do an appearance. 335 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 5: And what do I do this morning? 336 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 6: I wake up and I shave because I feel like 337 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 6: it's tradition and whatever George Steinberner. 338 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 5: Wanted, I was going to do. 339 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 6: And the biggest thing with the boss, he wanted to 340 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 6: hear that you wanted to be a Yankee. So you 341 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 6: knew what came with being a Yankee. You are automatically 342 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 6: an all star. You already know you're going to shave, 343 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 6: You already know who's going. 344 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 5: To pay you top dollar to have the best players. 345 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 6: So it was never a question for me when I 346 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 6: signed with the Yankees. 347 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 5: I knew what I had to do. 348 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 6: It's a different organization, but then again, we don't own 349 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 6: the team, and I'm not sure how many free agents 350 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 6: they've lost out on over the years because a lot 351 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 6: of times the Yankees going to get the best players, 352 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 6: and the best players understand and the best players have 353 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 6: expect for the game. 354 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 3: So, Alex, what did you think would We haven't really 355 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 3: had a chance to talk about this. 356 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 4: Well, Jason, you kind of have two more perfect guys 357 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 4: to be talking about this. One has the world's greatest 358 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 4: beard in Johnny Damon, and I've been trying to grow 359 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 4: a beard. 360 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: For thirty years and I can, so I don't have 361 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: a choice. 362 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 4: But I think Johnny's right, like, this is really about 363 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 4: honoring the great late George Steinbrenner, And I thought, what 364 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 4: a small price to pay to play for the greatest 365 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 4: organization in sports around the world. 366 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: He's going to pay you the best, Johnny's right. 367 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 4: He's going to surround you with the best resources and talent, coaches, personnel, 368 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 4: you know, folks from the medical department, you name it, 369 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 4: the stadium, everything. So my philosophy always was, if you're 370 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 4: not willing to shave to be a Yankee, then we 371 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 4: don't want you to be a Yankee anyways. But give 372 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 4: how credit. This is a world that's moving very fast. 373 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 4: This generation of young men are very different and if 374 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 4: how who's the general partner and the men in charge. 375 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 4: If he feels is the best for the organization, who's 376 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 4: Johnny and I to question that, we just follow his lead. 377 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, what was it like for you guys to play 378 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 3: together as pros? It's one thing, you know when you 379 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 3: guys are like chopping it up in Euclide, Ohio. But 380 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 3: it's like you play against each other and then you 381 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 3: play together. I mean, like, what was going on there? 382 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 2: What was the vibe? What was the vibe? 383 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 6: Johnny Man, Alex always tried to recruit me whatever team 384 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 6: I was on. I got traded from Kansas City and 385 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 6: went over to Oakland, and that whole year he knew 386 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 6: I was going to be a free agent after the season, 387 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 6: and I have a relationship with John Hart, who was 388 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 6: the GM over in Texas, and he. 389 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 5: Really wanted me. Alex really wanted me. 390 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 6: Unfortunately, you know, Alex made most of the money on 391 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 6: the team. 392 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 2: Players we'd love to pay. We literally have no money left. 393 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, so they had to shift money around. 394 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 6: I know, Carl Everett got traded to Texas for Darren 395 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 6: Oliver and that opened up me going to Boston and 396 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 6: it was that's a great run great four years of 397 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 6: you know, having lots of fun coming into my. 398 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 2: Own So Alex, wait, take us back. 399 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 3: I mean, this is the deal, Like, how did Johnny 400 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 3: fit in from a business and sort of a playing perspective. 401 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, baseball is just like business. It's all about people 402 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 4: and leadership, right, and no one checked the box better 403 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:23,680 Speaker 4: than Johnny in both of those situations. Look, we had 404 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 4: Cesars Sabathia, we had Mark tis Chera and Aj Burnett 405 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 4: come in and they were like a paradigm shift and 406 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 4: talent in our clubhouse. But Johnny was really the missing 407 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 4: piece because Johnny was the one that walked the walk 408 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 4: every single day. 409 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: He had tremendous confidence. He played every day. 410 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,360 Speaker 4: And I've always said, interesting things happens when winners show up, 411 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 4: you win, And that's exactly what we did in two 412 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 4: thousand and and nine. And there's two moments in Johnny's 413 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 4: career that really jump off the page. One was good 414 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 4: and one was bad. For me, I'll start with a 415 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 4: bad one and two thousand and four, you know, Hobby 416 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 4: Vascuz comes in with the bases loaded and Johnny hit 417 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 4: a first pitch grand slam and as I saw the ball, 418 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 4: say over the right field fence and right field at 419 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 4: the Old Yankee Stadium. 420 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: My heart dropped to my ankles and. 421 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 4: I just looked at Johnny and as much as I 422 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 4: love him, I wanted to strangle him when he but 423 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,880 Speaker 4: it was such a conflicting thought. And then the other 424 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 4: one was when we won the title or No. Nine, 425 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 4: two outs, nobody on late late in the game. You 426 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 4: have Lidge on the mound, who's a closer for the 427 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 4: philadelph affilities, and Johnny works one of the most magical 428 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 4: world class at bats that you can ever imagine. Foul off, foul, 429 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,239 Speaker 4: lay off, a pitch, foul, foul, He walks and then 430 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,159 Speaker 4: he goes on and steals two bases, which then they 431 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 4: hit tick sure on the next pitch. And then I 432 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 4: hit the biggest hit of my career, a double to 433 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 4: drive in Johnny. And when I stepped on second base 434 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 4: and Johnny scored the run, Jason, that's when I thought 435 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,400 Speaker 4: We're gonna be world champions. 436 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 5: No way. 437 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 2: Do you feel the same way, Johnny. Was that a 438 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 2: big moment for you? 439 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 6: Yeah, that was a huge moment because Brad Lidge came 440 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 6: into the game and that's woe was the first hit 441 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 6: or he struck him out. Jeter was the next guy 442 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 6: struck gether out, and I actually got a single. Alex like, yes, 443 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 6: I know, Walser. 444 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 1: Field right a short stop, I remember, yeah, yeah. 445 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 6: So I also knew that they came back, had a 446 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 6: big inning against us, and if we didn't score, I 447 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 6: think we would have been in trouble in that game 448 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 6: and possibly for the series. 449 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:32,360 Speaker 5: So I knew I had to. 450 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 6: Be aggressive on the bases, and I always had that 451 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 6: in the back of my head because tike Shara doesn't 452 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 6: like to have guys still bases when he's hitting. It 453 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 6: sometimes confuses him. So I always saw the third baseman 454 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 6: playing really close to second base, so I always had 455 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 6: it at the thought of my head, and I knew 456 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 6: if I ever had that opportunity to take. 457 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 5: Two bags on one play. 458 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 6: The Phillies have strong outfield arms, and scoring from third 459 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 6: base is a lot easier than scoring from second wild 460 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 6: and field single any which way you can draw it up. 461 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 6: So got to third base, and I know after the 462 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 6: game I talked about I'm glad that I had my 463 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 6: track speed still at the age of thirty five at 464 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 6: the time. That's one thing I could always do. I 465 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 6: could always run and people are shocked with the size 466 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 6: that I am. 467 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 5: But it worked out. Alex had a. 468 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 6: Big clutch hit, and you know, maybe because I took 469 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 6: second and third takes away that tough slider that Lidge 470 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 6: was actually thrown. 471 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 5: To the other hitters. So yeah, you'd like to. 472 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 6: Take advantage any situation you can because baseball is tough 473 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 6: as it is, and when you can erase that slider 474 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 6: in the dirt, it kind of helps. 475 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. 476 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 4: Let me add to that, Johnny, because I'm gonna nerd 477 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 4: out a little bit on baseball stuff. 478 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: What Johnny said is exactly right. 479 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 4: So Brad Lidge's best pitch is his devastating slider. Well, 480 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 4: if Johnny, who has walk class speed, is at third base, 481 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 4: now you take that slider away and. 482 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 3: Too dangerous, just to explain, it's too dangerous to throw 483 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 3: because it can get away from the cast because. 484 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: If you bounce it. 485 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 4: Look, the best slider is usually in the dirt. Yeah, 486 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 4: and if you bounce it, there's the ballgame. Right, Johnny 487 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 4: scores and we probably win. But I think he says something. 488 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 4: Johnny says something very very key that I think translates 489 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 4: very well in business, and it's the following you have 490 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 4: to know who your teammates are. So I think there's 491 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 4: a bit of a blind spot in analytics and the 492 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 4: numbers game that they don't understand the continuity of a 493 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:31,479 Speaker 4: lineup is vital. As an example, Johnny hit well, actually 494 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:36,440 Speaker 4: it was Jeter, Johnny, take Shara, Me and Matsui Righty lefty, 495 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 4: righty leftie, and by Johnny saying I knew what Tick 496 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 4: Shera liked and didn't like. Therefore I stold early in 497 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 4: the count to clear the analytics will put the three 498 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 4: of us and they'll just throw us in a box 499 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 4: and blender and whatever comes out comes out, and that 500 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 4: does not work. I think we had a competitive advantage 501 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 4: that we knew exactly who we're going to go to 502 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 4: battle with every day. We knew likes and dislikes, and 503 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 4: therefore we became better as a sum than an individual. 504 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:02,679 Speaker 1: And that's a really important point. 505 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 4: And that type of continuity brought us home the World 506 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 4: Series in on nine. 507 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 6: Yeah, and a lot of this stuff with analytics it 508 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 6: really doesn't bring things out. 509 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 5: Because Geter and I I was one and Jeter was two. 510 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 6: For my first three years I was with the Yankees, Well, 511 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 6: we switched that year when he went to the World 512 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 6: Baseball Classic. And the big reason is Derek's going to 513 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 6: hit into a few more double plays than I will. 514 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 6: I hit into maybe three double plays a season. Derek 515 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 6: gets into more. And Derek also likes to be free 516 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 6: to go up and swing the bat whenever he feels comfortable. 517 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 6: So if these wings at the first pitch makes it 518 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 6: now to whatnot? The team also knows that I'm going 519 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 6: to stand there and foul pitches off work the pitchers. 520 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 6: So the guy's hitting behind me texts and a rod 521 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 6: can see everything this pitcher has for the day. 522 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 5: So that's a lot of stuff that the saber metrics 523 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 5: of the game does not tell people. 524 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, all right, we talked about, you know, the big 525 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 3: facial hair decision, which you know is an important one. 526 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 3: I'll note also the other big Yankee news this week 527 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 3: for fans and maybe for players will be interested in 528 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 3: you guys perspective on this is New York New York. 529 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,120 Speaker 3: It's now only for winners. If you lose, you don't 530 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 3: get New York New York. I have to say, like 531 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 3: watching this, it's like it feels like, you know, these 532 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 3: little textural things that seem insignificant do add up to something? 533 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 3: Is there something afoot with the Yankees that they feel 534 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,639 Speaker 3: like they need to do something different? Like what do 535 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 3: you read from the outside, Johnny? I mean knowing this 536 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 3: and I'll ask Alex the same question, but like, what 537 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 3: do you see going on with the Yankees as we 538 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 3: go into the twenty twenty five season. 539 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 6: Well, it makes you want to hear New York New 540 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 6: York every single night. It gives you incentive to go 541 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,360 Speaker 6: out there and say, you know what, as much as 542 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 6: we've heard this song, we want to keep on hearing 543 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 6: it because that means we're winning. I think the Yankees 544 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 6: are in a great spot. I actually think the Dodgers 545 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 6: and the Yankees are the two best teams in each 546 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 6: league right now. I feel like both of these teams 547 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,479 Speaker 6: can get back to the World Series. And I think 548 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 6: the Yankees are a little bit better. I think they 549 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 6: added more depth. I know, losing Wan Solo, it's very tough. 550 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 6: You lose one of the best players of all time, 551 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 6: and you also add a number of other players who 552 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,199 Speaker 6: can improve your team, and so I think they're going 553 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:26,680 Speaker 6: to be tough. 554 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 2: Alex, what do you think? 555 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, on one end, I agree with Johnny like, look, 556 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 4: there's some nostalgia going on because you want to keep 557 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 4: tradition what it is. But in another way, you got 558 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 4: to tip your hat because hopefully it could be a 559 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 4: microcosm of what baseball needs to do to keep up 560 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:45,679 Speaker 4: with the Joneses. And when the Jones I mean the NFL, 561 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 4: I mean, you know, NBA, WNBA, soccer. There's a lot 562 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 4: of competition and you have to be able to pivot 563 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 4: and move and be able to check the ego and say, okay, 564 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 4: can we get better? And you know, props to the 565 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:00,439 Speaker 4: Yankees because that's what they're going to do. 566 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:01,640 Speaker 5: All right. 567 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 3: There was one more thing that I wanted to ask 568 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 3: you about, sort of it from your era, Johnny, and 569 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 3: I was thinking about it as you guys were talking, 570 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 3: and you mentioned Jeter and you know, when we sat 571 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 3: down with him on this podcast. You know, we talked 572 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 3: about Alex arriving in New York and sort of what 573 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 3: that meant, and obviously there was a position switch and 574 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 3: everything that happened, and getting both Alex and Derek to 575 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 3: tell that story was really interesting tell us about and Alex, 576 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 3: I know knows this, but I and our listeners don't, 577 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,399 Speaker 3: you know, What was the deal that brought you to 578 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 3: New York? Do you remember sort of the contours of 579 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 3: it and sort of what you felt at that time, 580 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 3: because it's like, this is no great surprise to anyone 581 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 3: who's listening. The Red Sox and the Echies don't really 582 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 3: like each other that much. The fans don't really like 583 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,880 Speaker 3: the other team very much. So take us back there. 584 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 3: What was that like? 585 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 6: Yeah, well, it was definitely a very tough decision for 586 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 6: me on being a fan favorite with the Red Sox 587 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 6: winning a championship and buying a new house there because 588 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 6: I was. 589 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 5: Told I was going to be there for a long time, and. 590 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 6: Unfortunately you have young studs coming up, say Jacob Elsbury, 591 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:12,199 Speaker 6: who you know, you can start saving some money with 592 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 6: me and you can add a young player for a 593 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 6: number of years. I think at the end of the 594 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 6: day that Red Sox really wanted me for one, maybe 595 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 6: two more years and let me walk because they are 596 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 6: into the numbers game. So making that move to New York, 597 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 6: I was mostly thinking about the fans and my teammates, 598 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,639 Speaker 6: but I also knew that I had to make a decision. 599 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 6: It's not a popular one, but I wanted baseball to 600 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 6: stay important. 601 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 5: You can't leave the Red Sox and then go sign 602 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 5: somewhere out. 603 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 6: West where people on the East Coast aren't going to 604 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 6: watch you. I respected the way the Yankees played the game, 605 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 6: how they hustled, how they carried themselves, and you know, 606 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 6: it just made too much sense for me. They needed 607 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 6: a leadoff hitter and they needed the center fielder. And 608 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 6: spring training was only an hour away from a house. 609 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:05,480 Speaker 5: So I had six more weeks. 610 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 6: Of spring training that I was thinking about that I 611 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 6: would make that drive every single day. And it's very important. 612 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,119 Speaker 6: I mean, I have a lot of kids, a lot 613 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:16,919 Speaker 6: of young kids. Now I have eight kids, and I 614 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 6: always wanted to have that extra time at home with them. 615 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:23,120 Speaker 5: So the move going to New York was Yeah, I 616 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 5: loved it. 617 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: Johnny. 618 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 4: This is a business podcast, so I do want to 619 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 4: ask you a little bit of the blend of business 620 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 4: and sports for your personal brand. I've never met anyone 621 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 4: that's played with you or that's gotten to know you 622 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 4: that doesn't love you right, because you are really everything 623 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 4: that's right about life and enthusiasm and the way you 624 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,719 Speaker 4: carry yourself. My question to you is for Johnny Damon's 625 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 4: personal brand. Two part question one, How was the business 626 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 4: for Johnny Damon as a Red Sox versus the Yankees, 627 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 4: and from a culture point of view walking into the 628 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 4: clubhouse and dealing with both fan bases, How was that different? 629 00:28:59,160 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: How is it similar? 630 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, those are great questions. I think being a Red 631 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 5: Sox was huge for my brand. 632 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 6: I think once I got over to New York, Well, 633 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 6: you got the King of New York, you got Jeter, 634 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:13,959 Speaker 6: you got the best closer in the world, you got Mariano, 635 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 6: and then you have one of the best players who 636 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 6: ever put on. 637 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 5: A uniform and you. 638 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 6: So the star power wasn't necessarily there for me, Like 639 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 6: I feel like I should have made three All. 640 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 5: Star Games when I was with the Yankees. I've made zero. 641 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 5: And the big reason because. 642 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 6: Of it was we had tons of superstars on the 643 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 6: team and therefore my All Star Game selections or down 644 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 6: to two in my career when I feel like I 645 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 6: should have been seven eighty nine easy and yeah. And 646 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 6: then going to New York, I also understood that I 647 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 6: was going to be a part of a great team 648 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 6: and that whatever I did, I was going to mesh 649 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 6: with the players of the Yankees. I understood it wasn't 650 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 6: my team. I felt like in Boston it was more 651 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 6: so my team until it was not my team, until 652 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 6: they let you become a free agent, and then you're 653 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 6: kind of going, huh, this is weird. And every time 654 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 6: I became a free agent, I always ended up changing teams. 655 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 6: And you always hear about free agency, how they whine 656 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 6: and dine you, how they pick you up at the airport, 657 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 6: now they fly you in private, down they take you 658 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 6: to dinner. 659 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 5: And it was never that for me. 660 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 6: And I love to hear the stories because I'm like, 661 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 6: I wonder if this is a made up in the 662 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 6: media or whatnot. 663 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 5: But it was never for me. 664 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 6: But I also understood that I didn't need it, you know, 665 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 6: I didn't need that pat on the back. 666 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 5: You know. I kind of just went out did my job, 667 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 5: you know, went about my business. 668 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 4: Well, Johnny, I'm going to interrupt you because I'm going 669 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 4: to give you your flowers right now, because I've had 670 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 4: so many people ask me to tell me who's the 671 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 4: best player. Who have some of the best players EVE 672 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 4: ever played with, and very quickly, I think people are 673 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 4: bit so prize when I say one is John o'lude, 674 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 4: two is Johnny Damon, and they're like, well, we'll say. 675 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: More, say more. I said, that's why. 676 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 4: One of the reasons I think you're gonna end up 677 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 4: in the Hall of Fame, where you should be in 678 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 4: the Hall of Fame, is because you're one of the 679 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 4: most undervalued, undappreciated players I've ever played with, because they 680 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 4: don't understand that all you did is win. 681 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: Wherever you went. You made it a. 682 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 4: Better clubhouse, a winning clubhouse, but you really moved the 683 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 4: scale a lot. And I saw both as a teenager 684 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 4: when we were teammates and then of course in New 685 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 4: York when we brought the title together. 686 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: So that was pretty cool. 687 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 5: Thank you, brother, Appreciate you. 688 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 2: All right, So let's talk a little bit about business. 689 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 3: Talk to us about your philosophy sort of moving more seriously, 690 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 3: you know, into business in your post playing career. What 691 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 3: did you think about how do you go about kind 692 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 3: of figuring out, you know, what you want to work on. 693 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 5: Well, you got to try to be like a rod. 694 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 6: They're absolutely crushing it, you know, and I'm very happy 695 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 6: for him. 696 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 5: And you know, right now I have my A game 697 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 5: drink out there. 698 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 6: We're in five thousand stores out there and we're doing 699 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 6: very well. You always have to bring your a game 700 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 6: for every single thing you do. And the best part 701 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 6: of me being chairman and CEO is I'm honest with people. 702 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 6: There's nothing that's going to be a secret with my team. 703 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 6: And it was like that in baseball and it's like 704 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 6: that in my life. I feel like if you're honest 705 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 6: with people, you can get a lot done. 706 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 5: Sometimes you have to do all this stuff. 707 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 6: To make your team succeed, and that's what I've been 708 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 6: doing and we've been doing a great job and I'm 709 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 6: very happy with my team. 710 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 5: Everyone's bringing their a game and yeah. 711 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 6: This is going to be a big year for US. 712 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 6: We have Gary Breca just locked in with US. We 713 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 6: have Tyler Adams, he plays in the Premier League on 714 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 6: the US national team. Bodies with Bourne myth right now, 715 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:04,719 Speaker 6: catub Downs won the national championship. 716 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 5: With Ohio State. 717 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 6: Yeah, so we're moving in the right direction. Bo Jackson's 718 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 6: been part of my team for a couple of years now. 719 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 6: But we are clean or artificial flavors forever. 720 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 5: Chemicals, and that's why we have guys. 721 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 6: Like Gary Brickett very interested in helping change the game 722 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 6: with hydration because every ingredient works for you a lot 723 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 6: of the stuff and other drinks. 724 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 5: They're just not good. 725 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 6: And you see make America healthy again, how they're getting 726 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 6: rid of the red dye for these and all this 727 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 6: unnecessary stuff. And yeah, like I said, we're very clean 728 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 6: and you can check us out at Drinka game dot com. 729 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 4: So Johnny high Level, maybe explain to our viewers what 730 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 4: is the business model? I mean, how much are you 731 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 4: trying to scale this business? You mentioned five thousand stores. 732 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 4: Where do you see this in one, three to five years? 733 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 4: And how do you exit a business like this? 734 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 6: Okay, I would say in a year from now, we 735 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 6: are going to be in about ten thousand stores. 736 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 5: We are rapidly just getting in. 737 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 6: Front of the right People's the toughest thing poll their 738 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 6: beverages up in Wooster Masks. 739 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 5: There are partners and when you have a. 740 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 6: Company that's been around for about one hundred and fifty years, 741 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 6: they know what they're doing. The Crawley family, they're absolutely 742 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,760 Speaker 6: amazing and they're going to help us get to the 743 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 6: next level. I've got a strong team around me that 744 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:21,239 Speaker 6: I trust, They trust me, and there is a lot 745 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 6: of ups and downs in this business. I mean we're 746 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 6: out there working our tails off and there's always another 747 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:32,359 Speaker 6: company every single year who's trying to get better than 748 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 6: the next guy. 749 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 5: And we've created this years ago. 750 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 6: Back in twenty twelve, there were a few kids dehydrated 751 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 6: football players who passed away. 752 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 5: And we do not want to have that. 753 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 6: You know how hot it gets here in the South 754 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 6: during the summer, and we wanted to make sure that 755 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 6: every ingredient that we had. 756 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:59,399 Speaker 5: Actually worked, nothing fought each other off. So yeah, that 757 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:00,359 Speaker 5: was a goal. 758 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 6: My childhood friend created the formula and here we are 759 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 6: now and it's going to be a big year for us. 760 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 3: And so, Johnny, as you look at the competitive landscape, 761 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:13,359 Speaker 3: you know obviously you know, you see Gatorade, you see 762 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 3: power Aid, you see you know body armor. 763 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 2: How do you differentiate? 764 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 3: Is it partially who you recruit to represent you like, 765 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,439 Speaker 3: take us inside sort of your strategy and the things 766 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 3: you think about with your team in terms of, you know, 767 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 3: making sure people know that this is a different sort 768 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 3: of product. 769 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 6: Oh, it's so awesome when you have friends who puts 770 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 6: a post out. 771 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 5: Mark Wahlberg, great friend of mine. 772 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 6: He shot a post with a game and man, instantly 773 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,280 Speaker 6: we had a lot of people check out our site, 774 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 6: purchase our product, but you're right, you have to think 775 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,919 Speaker 6: about all the influencer out there. 776 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,320 Speaker 5: It's a whole different ballgame. 777 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 6: Then when you hit fifty home runs a year, you 778 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:57,040 Speaker 6: know people are paying attention. When someone has over a 779 00:35:57,080 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 6: million likes, that's a big thing right now. Yeah, with 780 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 6: our generation, and so you know, I've got to keep 781 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,760 Speaker 6: talking to my friends, keep going out there and doing 782 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 6: the very best I can do, and just keep on 783 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 6: plugging away. But we do want to try to first 784 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 6: come in and take one percent of the market. We 785 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,280 Speaker 6: know Gatorade, Empower, Raid body Armor, those guys. 786 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 5: Are going to be around. 787 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 6: Then hopefully we take that one percent and rise to 788 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 6: three percent over the next three to five years. 789 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 3: We're gonna wrap it up with our lightning round. This 790 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 3: is five questions alex and Ile bouncing back and forth. 791 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 2: Keep it tight. Just the first thing that comes to 792 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 2: your mind. You're ready, let's go, all right. 793 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 3: What's the best piece of advice you've ever received on 794 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 3: deal making or business? 795 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 5: You have to have your heart in it. 796 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 6: You know, it's being a baseball player if you're not committed, 797 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 6: or even being a manager. 798 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 5: A few people asked me if I wanted to get. 799 00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 6: Back into baseball and with all my kids very young, 800 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,680 Speaker 6: I can't be one hundred percent committed. But what I'm 801 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,239 Speaker 6: doing right now, I'm one hundred percent committed to my 802 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:08,800 Speaker 6: drink and also to my family. 803 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:12,840 Speaker 4: Who's your dream deal make partner? 804 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 5: Oh, you guys know this one. This is Donald Trump. 805 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,319 Speaker 5: You know he's been a guy for over twenty years. Man, 806 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 5: he's the best. 807 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,919 Speaker 6: Glad I could call him my friend of over twenty 808 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,399 Speaker 6: years and his family. Yeah, I always have his back 809 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 6: and he knows how to structure a deal. 810 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 2: What's the most nervous you've ever been? 811 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 5: Probably when I signed with the Yankees. Yeah, that was 812 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 5: a tough one. 813 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:39,839 Speaker 6: My wife was buying a new puppy up in Jacksonville, 814 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:42,520 Speaker 6: and here I am talking to cash man. I'm one 815 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,279 Speaker 6: end of the phone and I'm talking to her and 816 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 6: she's excited about the new dog. 817 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 5: But no, I was. 818 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,279 Speaker 6: I was nervous. I don't think I was nervous about 819 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 6: joining the team, but I was. I have a heart, 820 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 6: and I felt for the fans of Boston that it's 821 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:00,160 Speaker 6: time to say goodbye, and that's. 822 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:00,840 Speaker 5: It's very difficult. 823 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 4: What's your favorite hype song before a big meeting or negotiation? 824 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,919 Speaker 6: Oh, Man, five finger death Punch was always a great one. 825 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 3: American Capitalist, what's your advice for someone listening who wants 826 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 3: a career like yours, which I have to say is 827 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:18,760 Speaker 3: an utterly unique career. 828 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 2: So I don't know what your advice would be, but 829 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:21,400 Speaker 2: we'd love to hear it. 830 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 5: Oh shoot, you have to have fun and everything you do. 831 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,600 Speaker 6: I mean I always carry that smile on my face 832 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:30,080 Speaker 6: when I played the game. 833 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 4: I love it, Johnny. But Jason, real quick, before we 834 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 4: go home, I want to tell you that you and 835 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 4: Johnny have something in common because you've been peppering us 836 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 4: with what we have in common. So Johnny is connected 837 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:46,879 Speaker 4: to our boss, Michael Bloomberg. Okay, no way, So where 838 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 4: you work every day and the great building of Bloomberg. 839 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:53,320 Speaker 4: Johnny was one of the first buyers there at the 840 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:54,240 Speaker 4: Bloomberg Building. 841 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, no way, you lived upstairs, No kidding. 842 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 6: Yes, we lived upstairs and I show Alex it one 843 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 6: night and his eyes lit up and I was like, 844 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:06,879 Speaker 6: we better hurry up and buy this before Alex comes in. 845 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, but I mean that was absolutely amazing. 846 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. You know, Alex and I have filmed promos in 847 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 2: that courtyard. It's his home away from it. 848 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 3: He did the next best thing to buying a place here, 849 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 3: which was he just sort of came to work here. 850 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:23,600 Speaker 3: So you know, we all get in this building whatever 851 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:25,960 Speaker 3: way we can, Johnny, You know, all right, listen, man, 852 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 3: this was really really fun and as promised, I mean, 853 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,919 Speaker 3: Alex and I came into today so excited to talk 854 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 3: to you, and we really really appreciate your time. Best 855 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 3: of luck with a game, and hope our past cross 856 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 3: again soon. 857 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:38,719 Speaker 2: Thank you sounds good. 858 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,680 Speaker 1: Thank you again, Johnny. 859 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 3: The Deal is hosted by Alex Rodriguez and me Jason Kelly. 860 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 3: This episode was made by Annamazarakus, Stacey Wong, and Lizzie 861 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:56,319 Speaker 3: phillipp Amy. Keen is our editor. Our theme music is 862 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:59,880 Speaker 3: made by Blake Maples. Our executive producers are Kelly Laferrier, 863 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,640 Speaker 3: Ashley Honig, and Brenda Newnham. Sat Bauman is the head 864 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 3: of Bloomberg Podcasts. Additional support from Rachel Carnivale and Elena 865 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 3: sos Angeles. Thanks so much for listening to the Deal. 866 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 3: If you have a minute, subscribe, rate and review our show. 867 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 3: It'll help other listeners find us. I'm Jason Kelly. See 868 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:18,279 Speaker 3: you next week.