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Speaker 1: The Book of Joe Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.

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Speaker 2: Perry.

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the latest episode of the Book of

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Speaker 1: Joe Podcast with Me, Tom Berducci and Joe Madden. Joe,

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Speaker 1: I always love asking you about your golf game. You

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Speaker 1: got any updates for me, anything new equipment wise, game wise?

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Speaker 2: Just that I shanked a couple yesterday, first time in

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Speaker 2: a couple of years. I had no idea what I

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Speaker 2: did wrong, but we did come in second place. Overall.

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Speaker 2: I played well. No the yeah, the equipment's come was

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Speaker 2: that the GT one is that the new titleist driver.

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Speaker 2: I'm getting it with a shorter shaft right from the factory.

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Speaker 2: I found that by going from a conventional length shaft

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Speaker 2: on my driver to something shorter, I've been able to

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Speaker 2: hit the sweet spot a lot more often and hit farther.

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Speaker 2: So that's the big thing right there. And the other

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Speaker 2: part is just come on, man, stop the shanks.

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Speaker 3: Hey.

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Speaker 1: I love that you got us right to equipment because

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Speaker 1: we have a special guest today, John Wood, caddy on

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Speaker 1: the PGA Tour for a couple of decades and now

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Speaker 1: one of the best golf analysts on TV. You see

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Speaker 1: him on NBC. John welcome to the show. I mean,

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Speaker 1: we've talked a lot on this show about torpedo bats

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Speaker 1: in the next couple of weeks, the last couple of weeks,

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Speaker 1: and I thought it really does dovetail with the golf world.

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Speaker 1: So let me start asking you about innovations in the

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Speaker 1: golf world. We know, as consumers were bombarded with this

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Speaker 1: all the time. Where is the state of equipment in

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Speaker 1: terms of innovations on the PGA tour level.

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Speaker 4: It is so fast developing, it's it's unbelievable. It seems

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Speaker 4: like every week somebody else has a new driver or

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Speaker 4: a new shaft. And the thing about golf is it's

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Speaker 4: it's a great investment for those companies because they get

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Speaker 4: to sell what those pros use. It's not same in

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Speaker 4: wooden baseball bats, and there's not a lot of guys

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Speaker 4: going out, So I don't think the innovation has necessarily

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Speaker 4: been there. But now that they've opened up the can

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Speaker 4: of worms with increasing bat speed and moving the sweet spot,

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Speaker 4: who knows where it heads next. The thing about golf is,

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Speaker 4: I think golf would be in a much better position

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Speaker 4: today had they taken the same tact as Major League

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Speaker 4: Baseball and said no aluminum bats had had golf back

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Speaker 4: in the you know eighties, said no aluminum drivers, It's

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Speaker 4: got to be wood. I don't think we'd have all

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Speaker 4: these discussions about, you know, distance ruining the game.

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Speaker 1: That's a great point. I'm gonna get to the Masters

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Speaker 1: and how that has sort of changed. Of course, the

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Speaker 1: Master's coming up this weekend. I want John's take on that.

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Speaker 1: But is there something you mentioned? All the new equipment,

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Speaker 1: how tailored is it? Because when we heard the stories

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Speaker 1: about a guy like Anthony Volpi who went to the

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Speaker 1: torpedo bat because he was hitting the baseball not exactly

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Speaker 1: the traditional barrel of a wood bat, so they moved

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Speaker 1: the barrel literally down a little bit closer to his hands.

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Speaker 1: It seems to fit him. It's not for everybody. I

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Speaker 1: get that, you know, I know it's highly scientific on

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Speaker 1: the tour. Is it getting even more scientific? Oh?

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Speaker 4: They leave nothing to chance anymore, absolutely nothing. Every every

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Speaker 4: time some new a new driver comes out or new

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Speaker 4: equipment comes out, they will get on a launch monitor

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Speaker 4: and you know, everything is made for them right there.

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Speaker 3: All the trailers are on site.

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Speaker 4: So the club reps really know their players games well

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Speaker 4: and they know if a new shaft comes out, whether

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Speaker 4: it's a possibility or not. They knew when they put

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Speaker 4: a new head out, if it's supposed to have, you know,

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Speaker 4: put more spin on the ball, take spin off, they

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Speaker 4: know whether it will fit. But when they are looking

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Speaker 4: into new equipment, I mean, they will sit on a

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Speaker 4: launch monitor until they have it exactly right where they

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Speaker 4: want it, where they don't have to make adjustments to

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Speaker 4: their swing, hit the shot they want. And it's just

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Speaker 4: it is remarkable, you know. I think when we were

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Speaker 4: growing up playing, you found a perconmon head that looked

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Speaker 4: good to you and you put a stiff shaft in it,

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Speaker 4: or an extra stiff and the way you win it.

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Speaker 4: Now there's just hunt. There's so many thousands of combinations

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Speaker 4: of how you build it, of the head of the

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Speaker 4: shaft that you know players at that elite level, nothing

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Speaker 4: has left a chance.

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Speaker 2: John, you're describing analytics how it pertains to equipment in golf,

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Speaker 2: and my question is I played with Blade Brown during

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Speaker 2: the Doss part a little bit on that Monday, and

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Speaker 2: I really thought I recognize an increased analytics component to

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Speaker 2: just strategy and playing golf. How much has analytics infiltrateed

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Speaker 2: the entire scope of the game of golf, beyond equipment.

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Speaker 3: A ton a ton.

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Speaker 4: I think some guys actually lean on it too much

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Speaker 4: and they lose their feel for the game and they

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Speaker 4: forget to play. A lot of guys will bring launch

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Speaker 4: monitors out there now during practice rounds. Every shot they hit,

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Speaker 4: they're looking at you know, swing angles and spin rates

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Speaker 4: and start lines and club face. And I think guys,

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Speaker 4: some guys are using it too much where you know,

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Speaker 4: you forget how to play the game. You're playing golf

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Speaker 4: swing and not golf. But in terms of the analytics,

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Speaker 4: in terms of how to play, it's really changed the game.

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Speaker 4: You know, guys used to always lay up on par

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Speaker 4: fives if they couldn't reach and wanted a full sandwich.

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Speaker 3: Now analytics and statistics tells.

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Speaker 4: Them, don't lay up, get it as close to the

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Speaker 4: green as you can, and no matter where it is,

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Speaker 4: bunker rough, it doesn't matter. The closer you are, the

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Speaker 4: better chance you're going to have a making a birdy period.

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Speaker 3: So it's brought a new.

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Speaker 4: Aggression to the game, and I think it's taken away

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Speaker 4: some players consistency.

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Speaker 3: But if you want to win, you almost.

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Speaker 4: Have to play that way out there because somebody's going

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Speaker 4: to be doing it and playing well.

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Speaker 2: Three point field goals, home runs, go for the strikeout.

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Speaker 3: Exactly the same thing, exactly the same thing.

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Speaker 1: That does sound familiar, doesn't it, Joe. As John was

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Speaker 1: talking about that, I'm thinking about all these guys in

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Speaker 1: the bullpen with their laptop behind them checking the spin rates,

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Speaker 1: you know, not knowing a good pitch until they actually

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Speaker 1: read the data of it. So, John, my question is

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Speaker 1: if I if I'm a young guy, I'm starting out

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Speaker 1: on the tour. We think of golf as an individual sport.

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Speaker 1: But as you know, these guys all have teams, right

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Speaker 1: and especially as you work your way up the ladder

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Speaker 1: and you have more resources and money, you can have

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Speaker 1: a deeper team. Do I need besides I don't know

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Speaker 1: swing coach, nutritionists. Do I need an analytics guy as

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Speaker 1: part of my team?

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Speaker 3: In my opinion, no, but a lot of guys lean

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Speaker 3: on it.

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Speaker 4: I think good caddies have been analytics guys for their

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Speaker 4: guys for years. Look, last year we did this year,

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Speaker 4: it didn't work out. Let's try a new tact on

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Speaker 4: this hole this year. Because it didn't work in the

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Speaker 4: last couple of years. You might not have had the minute,

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Speaker 4: you know, the minutia, the details, but you knew, you

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Speaker 4: knew the guy tends to miss wright on this hole.

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Speaker 4: You knew the guy tends to hit, you know, come

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Speaker 4: up short on this hole.

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Speaker 3: So I think you can have one.

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Speaker 4: I think that a lot of the information is so obvious,

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Speaker 4: but it gives them something to lean on and if

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Speaker 4: they believe in it, as you guys know, you got

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Speaker 4: to go with it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, the dissimilarities are so scarily similar regarding

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Speaker 2: what you're talking about, and you're almost describing the bench coach.

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Speaker 2: Who's this person on the side that could be able

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Speaker 2: to analyze this independent of a computer or whatever. I

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Speaker 2: just find it really interesting. And the other thing is like, Okay,

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Speaker 2: it's just like no different than our game in baseball.

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Speaker 2: If there was so all this information and it's distributable

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Speaker 2: to every team out there, why are more teams winning

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Speaker 2: at a high level or high rate. I mean, there's

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Speaker 2: a couple, obviously golfers that are dominating the sport, and

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Speaker 2: I guess that's kind of always been the case. I

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Speaker 2: guess if you break it down among the guys that

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Speaker 2: are really like a shuffler of an example, and Shoffley

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Speaker 2: and all these guys that are really at the top

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Speaker 2: of the leader's board on a consistent basis, mclroy whatever,

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Speaker 2: justin Thomas, how many of these guys really do you

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Speaker 2: think rely heavily on this or is it more of

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Speaker 2: the newer generation coming forward, the guys that are used

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Speaker 2: to using their phones and really relying on social media

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Speaker 2: and information to that regard, Is there like a disparate

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Speaker 2: group like this, this somewhat the old school group that

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Speaker 2: really are relatively young, it's compared to even like the

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Speaker 2: Blade Browns of the world just coming up? Is could

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Speaker 2: you see an absolute difference or is it kind of

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Speaker 2: a blurred line right now they're both doing it.

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Speaker 3: It's kind of a blurred line.

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Speaker 4: I would say the best players I think are the

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Speaker 4: best for a lot of reasons, but one is they

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Speaker 4: know when to use it when not to use it.

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Speaker 4: Scotti Scheffer, he mentioned he probably uses less technology than anybody.

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Speaker 4: I mean he rarely you see him on the range

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Speaker 4: looking at a shot tracker, seeing what every ball does.

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Speaker 4: He watches the ballflight, what did that feel like? He

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Speaker 4: can always go back to that, and he does check

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Speaker 4: it every once in a while. But he's probably I

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Speaker 4: think he uses it less than anyone. And I think

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Speaker 4: the established players you just mentioned, justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler

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Speaker 4: or Rory, they know when to use it when to

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Speaker 4: put it away. And that is so huge because I

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Speaker 4: think a lot of the young guys, as I said,

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Speaker 4: they lean on it too much, and all the answers

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Speaker 4: are on this launch monitor instead of playing the game.

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Speaker 4: And as you guys know, it's just a completely different thing.

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Speaker 4: Having a good golf swing, a perfect golf swing that's

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Speaker 4: technically perfect is great, but it's not going to let

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Speaker 4: you shoot, you know, sixty six if you don't know

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Speaker 4: how to play golf.

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Speaker 3: They're two totally different things.

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Speaker 2: Otani equals Scheffler, Scheffler equals Altani. That's what you just

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Speaker 2: said to me right there. Yeah, that's just what you

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Speaker 2: said to me.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I rarely, you know, when Tiger was out here,

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Speaker 4: I rarely saw Tiger with a launch monitor.

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Speaker 3: Rarely.

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Speaker 4: I talked to him at the you know that cool

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Speaker 4: father son at the end of the year, and I

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Speaker 4: talked to him. He said he hates when his son

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Speaker 4: Charlie gets on the launch monitor because he falls in

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Speaker 4: love with numbers and he forgets what the ball's doing.

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Speaker 4: So I think the I think the greats of the

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Speaker 4: game know when to put it away more than the

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Speaker 4: really really good players.

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Speaker 1: Let's say, John, let's explore the training side of this,

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Speaker 1: because we've seen this, and I think it's analogous again

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Speaker 1: in the pitching world, the need for speed, if you will, right,

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Speaker 1: and we know that when we grew up, if you

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Speaker 1: had a good arm, you were just blessed with a

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Speaker 1: good arm. Now we know that you can actually train

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Speaker 1: for velocity and add velocity, and from what I hear,

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Speaker 1: the same thing is happening in golf. Everything is about speed,

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Speaker 1: and we have guys training for more and more speed.

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Speaker 1: Speed equals distance, distance equals lower scores. But isn't there

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Speaker 1: or is there an injury risk, because certainly there is

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Speaker 1: one in baseball with pitching, the harder you throw, the

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Speaker 1: more torque there is on your elbow, and the more

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Speaker 1: injuries it creates. Are we seeing the same in golf.

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Speaker 3: No question about it, no question about it.

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Speaker 4: Like you said, the peak of golf right now I

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Speaker 4: think is better than it's ever been because of those

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Speaker 4: physical limitations that have kind of been removed at this point.

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Speaker 3: All always had to kind of protect yourself in golf.

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Speaker 3: You hear Jack talk about.

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Speaker 4: He never swung more than eighty percent of the driver

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Speaker 4: because the sweet spot was so small, and those persim

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Speaker 4: and heads. Now the driver heads are so big. It's

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Speaker 4: a much, much much bigger sweet spot. It curves less,

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Speaker 4: so they're allowed and encouraged to swing harder, which they

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Speaker 4: never were before. You know, when Jack was playing back

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Speaker 4: with persimon heads, let's say his normal best drive went

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Speaker 4: two ninety. Well, if he missed it a little bit,

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Speaker 4: that was down to two fifty. You know, it was

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Speaker 4: a bit and curving a lot. Now they can miss

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Speaker 4: by much more. It's it doesn't change the shot that much.

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Speaker 4: It's so difficult to curve these drivers and these golf

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Speaker 4: balls compared to the old ones, that they're going at

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Speaker 4: it as hard as they can. And you're right in

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Speaker 4: terms of swing. Coaches and trainers now are working together.

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Speaker 4: Here's what I'm trying to get him do in the swing.

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Speaker 4: What parts of his body do you need to work

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Speaker 4: on to get stronger or more flexible. They're working hand

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Speaker 4: in hand, but to your point, it's such a much

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Speaker 4: more violent move and you're seeing a lot more injuries

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Speaker 4: in everything, not just back but everything. You know, you've

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Speaker 4: already heard about Jack Nicholas or Tom Watson withdrawing from

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Speaker 4: a golf tournament because of an injury.

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Speaker 3: Just didn't happen. Now it's happens all the time.

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Speaker 1: Well and totally. I've heard stories about the wrists especially

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Speaker 1: is at risk with these faster golf swings. Are you

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Speaker 1: finding that to be true?

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Speaker 3: No question.

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Speaker 4: Jordan Speeth is just coming back from that. You know,

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Speaker 4: Xander had the oblique injury, which in any twisting sport,

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Speaker 4: baseball golf is probably the hardest to recover from because

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Speaker 4: you never quite trust it. Scotty Scheffler had that freak

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Speaker 4: injury with his hand, had nothing to do with golf,

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Speaker 4: But yeah, risks, wrists and back. It's just it's so

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Speaker 4: much more stress on it than it used to be,

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Speaker 4: like exactly like you described with baseball pitchers.

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Speaker 2: It's so similar. It's incredible. Having talked about you're talking

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Speaker 2: about the physical side of this whole thing right now.

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Speaker 2: The thing that really intrigues me is the again, the

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Speaker 2: mental side, like for instance, course management and you as

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Speaker 2: a caddie for so many years, would you consider yourself

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Speaker 2: like the in charge of this team. Regarding course management,

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Speaker 2: I'm sure, like you know a Tiger Woods that said,

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Speaker 2: I've heard him speak about it. But how much of

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Speaker 2: this course management component of playing the game, the actual

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Speaker 2: mental side of the game, trying to beat your component,

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Speaker 2: BEATNM with your competitive nature, with your brain, with better execution.

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Speaker 2: To me, it would seem like you, guys, as a caddy,

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Speaker 2: almost like you're like the coach on the field right there.

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Speaker 2: I don't know how often you're willing to give advice

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Speaker 2: or whatever. That would have to depend on the relationship

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Speaker 2: between the two of you, how comfortable you are to

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Speaker 2: say something in a moment. But anyway, course management, how

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Speaker 2: much of that is your responsibility and how much does

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Speaker 2: the player himself take charge of that himself.

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Speaker 4: I think you're right it varies between between the teams.

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Speaker 4: But caddies are more involved now than they've ever been.

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Speaker 4: They have more information, They work harder on the you know,

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Speaker 4: pre round without their player looking at the golf course

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Speaker 4: trying to figure out, Okay, what is the best strategy

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Speaker 4: for my player, because it's not going to be across

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Speaker 4: the board the same way. Players are so different in

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Speaker 4: their strength that you have to find out and figure

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Speaker 4: out let's say I'm working for Matt Kucher, how does

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Speaker 4: Matt Coucher best best play this golf course? And I

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Speaker 4: have to think about wind directions, whole locations because it

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Speaker 4: changes every day. But you know, to your point, I

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Speaker 4: always felt it was kind of like calling pitches. There's

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Speaker 4: never one right pitch. And as a catcher or a

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Speaker 4: bench coach, if you're calling pitches and you call something

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Speaker 4: and the pitcher isn't not feeling that, there's always something else.

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Speaker 3: To go to.

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Speaker 4: So I always thought, as calling pitches, here's what I

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Speaker 4: think we should throw right here. But if you're not

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Speaker 4: feeling that one, we can come up with another option.

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Speaker 4: So that's kind of how I always looked at it.

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Speaker 1: John let me circle to torpedo bats because it was

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Speaker 1: a perfect storm. It was a weekend at Yankee Stadium.

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Speaker 1: The Brewers came in with nine pitchers on the il.

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Speaker 1: They have the least velocity of four seamers of any staff,

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Speaker 1: so they were depleted. They left, you know, ninety mile

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Speaker 1: an hour fastballs over the middle of the plate, and

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Speaker 1: the Yankees in that ballpark hammered them. But of course

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Speaker 1: the focus was on the bats. It was hysteria I

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Speaker 1: think the bats are an interesting innovation, but we still

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Speaker 1: have a major League batting average that's actually down from

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Speaker 1: last April. It's still in the two thirties. There's not

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Speaker 1: widespread acceptance to the bat. I think will help some people.

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Speaker 1: I'm wondering if there has been something in golf, John

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Speaker 1: that you saw as something that was a game changer.

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Speaker 1: Was something in the shafts, the club faces, the ball itself,

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Speaker 1: where there was near universal acceptance that this is the

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Speaker 1: way forward.

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Speaker 3: That's a great question.

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Speaker 4: I would say the last time that happened was when

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Speaker 4: the prov One came out, you know, back in early

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Speaker 4: two thousands. That was such a revolutionary golf ball, going

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Speaker 4: from the era of ballata with the wound rubber bands

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Speaker 4: and softcore to all of a sudden the ball that

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Speaker 4: would spend almost as much when you needed it to,

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Speaker 4: but went way farther. That's the last time I think

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Speaker 4: there was kind of a universal acceptance of that you

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Speaker 4: have to do this, you can't compete without doing this.

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Speaker 4: But like I said, new shafts come out all the time.

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Speaker 4: Iron heads, there's x amount you can.

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Speaker 3: Do with an ironhead.

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Speaker 4: You know, there's there's different looks, but it's not going

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Speaker 4: to change the playability of it. Where the most of

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Speaker 4: the technology comes in golf is is drivers, and that's

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Speaker 4: where most of the money goes. They spend all their

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Speaker 4: money developing that, trying to find a way around the rules,

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Speaker 4: not to cheat the rules. But okay, they've written it

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Speaker 4: like this, but how can we maybe skirt that a

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Speaker 4: little bit or get closer to that line?

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Speaker 3: You know?

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Speaker 4: And there's there's no there's no limit to it, no

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Speaker 4: matter what kind of you know. They're talking about this

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Speaker 4: ball roll back that I think will happen, but guys

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Speaker 4: will adjust. They just always find a way, and I

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Speaker 4: don't think it's going to change scores at all.

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Speaker 2: Interesting.

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Speaker 1: By the way, have you seen any lead tape out

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Speaker 1: there recently?

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Speaker 3: It's funny.

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Speaker 4: Last time I had I always had lead tape in

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Speaker 4: the bag, but I think it was a harding park

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Speaker 4: President's Cup and the greens were really slow and Tiger,

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Speaker 4: Tiger of all people, what have you got.

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Speaker 3: Any lead tape? Because he couldn't couldn't get his much

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Speaker 3: as the hole.

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Speaker 4: So yeah, now they all have wrenches and weights to

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Speaker 4: move around, so not much lead tape anymore.

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Speaker 1: Hey, listen, we're gonna take a quick break here, and

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Speaker 1: I promise you we're gonna talk to John about the Masters,

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Speaker 1: and I'm going to talk to him about his first

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Speaker 1: love as well, which is directly related to baseball. We'll

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Speaker 1: do that right after this on the Book of Joe.

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Book of Joe.

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Speaker 2: Joe.

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Speaker 1: You know that John is a huge San Francisco Giants fan.

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Speaker 1: I mean the commentating stuff just gets in the way

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Speaker 1: of him watching Giants games. His first love is San

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Speaker 1: Francisco Giants. You gotta be feeling pretty good about your team, John.

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Speaker 4: I'm thrilled that. I am absolutely thrilled with this start.

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Speaker 4: They're a fun team to watch. They look like they

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Speaker 4: are together, which is always a fun thing to watch

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Speaker 4: early on, and you know, you have a couple walkoffs

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Speaker 4: early in the year, you almost feel like you're never

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Speaker 4: out of.

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Speaker 3: A ball game.

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Speaker 4: So it's a fun team that Busters put together. We're

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Speaker 4: surprising some people.

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Speaker 2: I think, yeah, I like what I'm seeing so far too.

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Speaker 2: I think even Vera Lander really hasn't kicked it in

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Speaker 2: gear yet. However, his presence alone is going to make

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Speaker 2: a difference within that pitching staff. The team on the

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Speaker 2: feels kind of interesting. Also, I'm a big Wilmer florist guy.

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Speaker 2: I mean, this guy could absolutely devastate left handed pitching.

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Speaker 2: Saw that back with the Mets and then I saw

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Speaker 2: with the Giants. I mean, this guy, to me has

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Speaker 2: been an under radar, under the radar kind of performer

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Speaker 2: for a while and he's really helping get off to

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Speaker 2: this wonderful start web pitch. This is a throwback pitcher.

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Speaker 2: They've always had this throwback gene or chip within them,

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Speaker 2: and it goes back to boaching the boys and Brian Sabian.

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Speaker 2: There's something about I mean, not something obviously, it really

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Speaker 2: appeals to my sensibilities. So I'm kind of a closet

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Speaker 2: fan also, And you know Bomel is the manager Bobby

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Speaker 2: and our friends and was very interesting always to work

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Speaker 2: against him. And I didn't know a Buster Posey Harley

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Speaker 2: at all. Big admirer of his abilities, though. But there's

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Speaker 2: a I think they've created a balance, I guess is

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Speaker 2: what I'm tap dancing around. There's a balance between old

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Speaker 2: and new there that I think is really well done.

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Speaker 2: It seems to fit seamlessly. I think there's these players

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Speaker 2: there know that they have the ability to be themselves

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Speaker 2: like we were just talking earlier. If you need some information,

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Speaker 2: whether it's a analytically inclined or just something good old fashioned,

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Speaker 2: a swing coach or a pitching coach, whatever, I think

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Speaker 2: they got all of that stuff lined up pretty well,

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Speaker 2: and I think that's the right way do things. I'm

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Speaker 2: curious to see how this season plays offer them because

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Speaker 2: I like the way they built it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, me too.

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Speaker 4: I think a lot of from the fan base, I

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Speaker 4: know a lot of us felt like they went too

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Speaker 4: far into analytics in the last few years and kind

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Speaker 4: of lost you know, who they are as a franchise,

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Speaker 4: you know, homegrown talent and playing baseball the right way.

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Speaker 4: And it feels like with Buster moving in, he's kind

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Speaker 4: of leading it back to that.

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Speaker 3: Yes, we still have analytics, I say, week, but you know.

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Speaker 4: It's just it's almost like I was talking about in golf,

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Speaker 4: you forget how to play the game when you just

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Speaker 4: sit there and look at the monitors all the time.

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Speaker 4: And I think it's probably similar in baseball. These guys,

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Speaker 4: these guys are playing baseball again, which is fun.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a great point, John. You look around the game,

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Speaker 1: and I do think the pendulum is swinging back a

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Speaker 1: little bit a correction if you will, where you see

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Speaker 1: like Buster Posey, Craig Breslo and Boston, Chris Young in Texas,

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Speaker 1: Chris Gets in Chicago, you know, giving the keys to

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Speaker 1: the car back into the hands of some players. Not

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Speaker 1: to say it's totally old school, but as you mentioned

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Speaker 1: the Blend, so and talking about Blend, let's talk about

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Speaker 1: Augusta and what wins there. The equipment, John does seem

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Speaker 1: to make the course play differently. I know years and

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Speaker 1: years ago they tried to tiger proof the place. But

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Speaker 1: for me, just looking at the scores in the last

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Speaker 1: seven years, you've got to shoot at least ten under.

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Speaker 1: Ten to twenty under is a winning score. And in

436
00:21:21,958 --> 00:21:26,158
Speaker 1: the first forty years of the Masters, it took forty

437
00:21:26,238 --> 00:21:29,518
Speaker 1: tournaments to have seven times where the score was at

438
00:21:29,598 --> 00:21:33,478
Speaker 1: least ten under. So scores do seem to be going lower.

439
00:21:33,758 --> 00:21:37,198
Speaker 1: Is the course playing differently now because of the equipment.

440
00:21:37,438 --> 00:21:40,478
Speaker 4: Very much so, and they're protecting it differently. They're protecting

441
00:21:40,478 --> 00:21:45,158
Speaker 4: the score differently. Listen, they lengthen holes, and they need

442
00:21:45,198 --> 00:21:48,278
Speaker 4: to because the ball goes so far now. But distance

443
00:21:48,438 --> 00:21:50,998
Speaker 4: is not of great defense for a golf course anymore.

444
00:21:51,038 --> 00:21:53,318
Speaker 4: Because all these guys hit it so far, not only

445
00:21:53,358 --> 00:21:56,358
Speaker 4: their driver. But you know, when I'm growing up, Jack

446
00:21:56,438 --> 00:21:58,638
Speaker 4: Nicholas used to hit a seven iron one fifty. Now

447
00:21:58,678 --> 00:22:00,638
Speaker 4: these guys hit it one to eighty one eighty five.

448
00:22:00,718 --> 00:22:04,198
Speaker 4: So it's not just the driver, it's everything combined. So

449
00:22:04,678 --> 00:22:07,598
Speaker 4: they used to, you know, be able to control scores

450
00:22:07,718 --> 00:22:11,518
Speaker 4: with distance, with rough Now they do it with firm,

451
00:22:11,678 --> 00:22:15,358
Speaker 4: fast greens and hopefully wind. Those are the two things

452
00:22:15,358 --> 00:22:19,998
Speaker 4: that make it scoring tough. If it is windless and

453
00:22:20,078 --> 00:22:23,798
Speaker 4: fairly soft conditions, I don't care what's going on. Somebody's

454
00:22:23,798 --> 00:22:28,598
Speaker 4: going to shoot eighteen under par so excuse me. Augusta

455
00:22:28,638 --> 00:22:30,878
Speaker 4: has that unique ability to you know, they've got the

456
00:22:31,198 --> 00:22:33,518
Speaker 4: subair on all the greens so they can it can

457
00:22:33,638 --> 00:22:35,918
Speaker 4: rain the day before they flip that switch and it

458
00:22:36,078 --> 00:22:38,198
Speaker 4: all the moisture gets sucked out, and all of a sudden,

459
00:22:38,198 --> 00:22:41,838
Speaker 4: it's firm and fast again. So they've gone defending the

460
00:22:41,878 --> 00:22:44,718
Speaker 4: golf course very very differently. If you watch you know,

461
00:22:44,878 --> 00:22:47,718
Speaker 4: old highlights of the Masters in the sixties and seventies,

462
00:22:48,038 --> 00:22:50,278
Speaker 4: you know Arnie's just taking you know, wrist break with

463
00:22:50,358 --> 00:22:51,598
Speaker 4: his putts and hitting them.

464
00:22:51,638 --> 00:22:52,878
Speaker 3: Hard because you had to.

465
00:22:53,358 --> 00:22:56,758
Speaker 4: Now everything is just so fast and so scary around

466
00:22:56,758 --> 00:22:59,798
Speaker 4: the greens that that's how that's how they're defending it.

467
00:22:59,838 --> 00:23:00,558
Speaker 3: So it's different.

468
00:23:00,758 --> 00:23:04,798
Speaker 4: They're hitting shorter clubs in, but it's still it's a

469
00:23:04,798 --> 00:23:07,958
Speaker 4: golf course where the difference between hitting a shot one

470
00:23:08,118 --> 00:23:11,398
Speaker 4: thirty two, which you're trying to and one thirty four,

471
00:23:12,238 --> 00:23:14,318
Speaker 4: which is dead is that's how.

472
00:23:14,398 --> 00:23:16,558
Speaker 3: That's how a razor's edge.

473
00:23:16,558 --> 00:23:18,478
Speaker 4: They can put that golf course on when it's firm

474
00:23:18,518 --> 00:23:21,318
Speaker 4: and fast, and I think after yesterday at rain, but

475
00:23:21,358 --> 00:23:23,078
Speaker 4: the rest of the week's supposed to be dry, so

476
00:23:23,438 --> 00:23:25,438
Speaker 4: I expect one of those fun years where the ball

477
00:23:25,478 --> 00:23:26,238
Speaker 4: is gonna be bouncing.

478
00:23:26,558 --> 00:23:30,358
Speaker 2: I mean, that's that's like every golf course, right, I mean,

479
00:23:30,838 --> 00:23:33,478
Speaker 2: I've been playing at Florida has been so darned windy.

480
00:23:33,558 --> 00:23:35,678
Speaker 2: Oh my god, it's been so darned windy. And I

481
00:23:35,798 --> 00:23:38,798
Speaker 2: just joined the Saint Pete Country Club, Saint Petersburgh Country Club,

482
00:23:38,838 --> 00:23:42,318
Speaker 2: and it's a redone. Gary Coke did the redo on

483
00:23:42,398 --> 00:23:45,518
Speaker 2: this place, and oh nice. Yeah, it's it's really cool, man.

484
00:23:45,558 --> 00:23:49,918
Speaker 2: It's an old school layout nineteen twenty four, twenty five

485
00:23:49,998 --> 00:23:52,558
Speaker 2: something like that. Raymond Floyd won a tournament there in

486
00:23:52,598 --> 00:23:55,278
Speaker 2: the sixties, I believe. But anyway, since they put the

487
00:23:55,318 --> 00:23:58,518
Speaker 2: new greens in. That's exactly what Gary told us from

488
00:23:58,558 --> 00:24:01,278
Speaker 2: the very first day that it's gonna be a little

489
00:24:01,278 --> 00:24:02,998
Speaker 2: bit hard and they're gonna run. They're gonna run away

490
00:24:02,998 --> 00:24:05,838
Speaker 2: from you. And you look at all the undulation and

491
00:24:05,918 --> 00:24:07,918
Speaker 2: it's not playing yet because it's a little bit slow

492
00:24:07,958 --> 00:24:12,118
Speaker 2: to putt. It's like these greens they don't hold when

493
00:24:12,158 --> 00:24:13,718
Speaker 2: you want to when you want them the hole and

494
00:24:13,838 --> 00:24:15,838
Speaker 2: they and they run when you don't want him to run.

495
00:24:15,878 --> 00:24:19,318
Speaker 2: They're just like they're schizophrenic. But he did a wonderful job.

496
00:24:19,358 --> 00:24:22,558
Speaker 2: It's really exciting. But win, my god, it's treacherous anywhere

497
00:24:22,638 --> 00:24:26,438
Speaker 2: right it is. And then the hard green probably two

498
00:24:26,478 --> 00:24:29,158
Speaker 2: of the most difficult things I've attempted to master as

499
00:24:29,198 --> 00:24:30,758
Speaker 2: a real, real novice at this game.

500
00:24:31,038 --> 00:24:32,158
Speaker 3: You're you're not alone.

501
00:24:32,238 --> 00:24:35,158
Speaker 4: That's what really in stalls the elite that those are

502
00:24:35,158 --> 00:24:37,198
Speaker 4: the two things that can stall the elite player.

503
00:24:37,478 --> 00:24:37,638
Speaker 5: You know.

504
00:24:38,038 --> 00:24:42,158
Speaker 4: Indecision when you get that wind swirling around. Yes, it's

505
00:24:42,318 --> 00:24:45,078
Speaker 4: you can't get over the ball with one hundred percent commitment.

506
00:24:45,118 --> 00:24:46,918
Speaker 4: If you can't do that, most likely you're not going

507
00:24:46,998 --> 00:24:49,278
Speaker 4: to make your best swing. But and then firm greens

508
00:24:49,278 --> 00:24:51,438
Speaker 4: where you're kind of decide. All right, am I going

509
00:24:51,478 --> 00:24:53,198
Speaker 4: to try and hit this hard, put it up in

510
00:24:53,198 --> 00:24:54,878
Speaker 4: the air with a lot of spin and stop it?

511
00:24:55,278 --> 00:24:56,558
Speaker 4: Or am I going to take it a little lower,

512
00:24:56,598 --> 00:24:58,918
Speaker 4: take some spin off, skip it back, let it release

513
00:24:58,998 --> 00:25:00,918
Speaker 4: a little bit. So a lot more options.

514
00:25:01,278 --> 00:25:04,758
Speaker 1: So john eighteen years ago, Zach Johnson was the equivalent

515
00:25:04,798 --> 00:25:08,238
Speaker 1: of a guy throwing about eighty seven touch and field

516
00:25:08,398 --> 00:25:12,518
Speaker 1: guy right, and he wins the Masters at one over par.

517
00:25:13,558 --> 00:25:16,838
Speaker 1: I'm not sure what his average length was, but I

518
00:25:16,838 --> 00:25:19,438
Speaker 1: mean he couldn't carry probably some of the holes at

519
00:25:19,438 --> 00:25:24,238
Speaker 1: Bethpage Black. So is that type of player. Certainly that

520
00:25:24,398 --> 00:25:28,438
Speaker 1: score been drummed out of the game because you just

521
00:25:28,558 --> 00:25:31,518
Speaker 1: you just have to in order to compete, you know,

522
00:25:31,558 --> 00:25:33,118
Speaker 1: have almost three hundred yards of carry.

523
00:25:33,918 --> 00:25:37,198
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a great question, and it hasn't completely been

524
00:25:37,278 --> 00:25:40,398
Speaker 4: drummed out, but they're few and far between. I'm thinking

525
00:25:40,398 --> 00:25:42,558
Speaker 4: of a guy like Russell Henley, who's been playing some

526
00:25:42,638 --> 00:25:44,398
Speaker 4: of the best golf of his career the last couple

527
00:25:44,438 --> 00:25:44,798
Speaker 4: of years.

528
00:25:45,918 --> 00:25:47,078
Speaker 3: He's not a long guy at all.

529
00:25:47,118 --> 00:25:50,158
Speaker 4: He's very much into a Greg Maddox mold where he's

530
00:25:50,198 --> 00:25:53,638
Speaker 4: just gonna fool you with speed and controlling his golf ball.

531
00:25:53,678 --> 00:25:56,318
Speaker 4: And be a great putter, but there are fewer and

532
00:25:56,358 --> 00:25:56,918
Speaker 4: far between.

533
00:25:56,918 --> 00:25:59,438
Speaker 3: There used to be quite a few of them, but

534
00:25:59,678 --> 00:26:00,478
Speaker 3: not anymore.

535
00:26:00,598 --> 00:26:03,998
Speaker 4: That's to get out here now, even to be a

536
00:26:03,998 --> 00:26:08,198
Speaker 4: a major amateur or you know, a really good college player.

537
00:26:08,758 --> 00:26:11,758
Speaker 4: These guys are growing up with trainers with the best equipment,

538
00:26:11,878 --> 00:26:14,238
Speaker 4: and everybody when they get out here, hits it a

539
00:26:14,278 --> 00:26:16,758
Speaker 4: long way now. So there's a few hanging on to

540
00:26:16,878 --> 00:26:19,438
Speaker 4: that old school. But I get I expected to be

541
00:26:19,518 --> 00:26:21,038
Speaker 4: fewer and fewer as we go along.

542
00:26:21,638 --> 00:26:23,998
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're looking at you just described. How about the

543
00:26:23,998 --> 00:26:26,238
Speaker 2: other day, Tommy, I got in a phone conversation with

544
00:26:26,318 --> 00:26:30,118
Speaker 2: dal Maxwell for former Cardinals shortstop right he played. I

545
00:26:30,158 --> 00:26:31,358
Speaker 2: don't know how many years he played in the at

546
00:26:31,438 --> 00:26:34,438
Speaker 2: least twelve, thirteen, fourteen. He would even make like a

547
00:26:34,838 --> 00:26:36,598
Speaker 2: Triple A team these days. I mean he would have

548
00:26:36,758 --> 00:26:40,358
Speaker 2: absolutely no chance. I thinking Nelly Fox. More recently, my buddy,

549
00:26:40,758 --> 00:26:44,438
Speaker 2: my man, David Fletcher, Mark Bilandrew with the Orioles. I mean,

550
00:26:44,478 --> 00:26:45,438
Speaker 2: these guys would have like.

551
00:26:45,438 --> 00:26:46,518
Speaker 3: Zero Hoddy Harrol.

552
00:26:46,678 --> 00:26:47,678
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm gone.

553
00:26:47,718 --> 00:26:49,758
Speaker 1: I know these guys had steady jobs too.

554
00:26:50,078 --> 00:26:52,518
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, I'm going a little bit farther back. I

555
00:26:52,598 --> 00:26:56,558
Speaker 2: understand that. But the discrepancy between then and now Billy Ripkin,

556
00:26:56,718 --> 00:26:58,878
Speaker 2: Kyle couldn't even keep him on the team. I mean,

557
00:26:58,918 --> 00:27:02,838
Speaker 2: the discrepancy is incredible, the size of the athlete, the

558
00:27:02,878 --> 00:27:05,198
Speaker 2: strength of the athlete, and so forth and so on,

559
00:27:05,198 --> 00:27:09,158
Speaker 2: And I could argue we're talking about like the ability

560
00:27:09,198 --> 00:27:12,558
Speaker 2: to play the game with the Maxwell of Fox, of Bolander,

561
00:27:12,638 --> 00:27:15,158
Speaker 2: of Fletcher, their ability to play the game was, Uh,

562
00:27:15,798 --> 00:27:19,598
Speaker 2: it's like superstar ability, It's like five data kappus ability,

563
00:27:19,638 --> 00:27:23,718
Speaker 2: it's like graduate school ability. But physically they didn't have

564
00:27:23,838 --> 00:27:27,998
Speaker 2: what the the current modern game requires. So that that

565
00:27:28,878 --> 00:27:30,558
Speaker 2: it bothered me a little bit that I'm talking to

566
00:27:30,758 --> 00:27:33,198
Speaker 2: and I call mister Maxwell, God, what a great conversation.

567
00:27:33,238 --> 00:27:37,358
Speaker 2: I got so lucky. But it's so different, and you

568
00:27:37,438 --> 00:27:40,038
Speaker 2: can't argue that at all, there's no argument. But I

569
00:27:40,038 --> 00:27:42,998
Speaker 2: would love to put their brains or their no how

570
00:27:42,998 --> 00:27:46,398
Speaker 2: our abilities, their sensibilities in regards to playing the game

571
00:27:46,438 --> 00:27:49,398
Speaker 2: into the minds or brains of some of these kids today.

572
00:27:49,398 --> 00:27:54,318
Speaker 2: They're just physical specimens outstanding, but their their gamesmanship, their

573
00:27:54,358 --> 00:27:58,438
Speaker 2: ability to to work the game, see the game, compete

574
00:27:58,478 --> 00:28:02,038
Speaker 2: the game, and in advance of situations. These guys really

575
00:28:02,158 --> 00:28:02,918
Speaker 2: had an edge with that.

576
00:28:03,398 --> 00:28:05,878
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's it seems like what's being asked of baseball

577
00:28:05,918 --> 00:28:07,958
Speaker 4: players now compared to what used to be asked of

578
00:28:08,038 --> 00:28:10,998
Speaker 4: certain positions. It was fine if your shortstop hit two

579
00:28:11,038 --> 00:28:13,318
Speaker 4: ten because he wanted to be a good defender. He

580
00:28:13,438 --> 00:28:16,958
Speaker 4: was fining for second baseman, you know, had no pop whatsoever,

581
00:28:17,278 --> 00:28:18,838
Speaker 4: as I an get a bunt down and run a

582
00:28:18,878 --> 00:28:22,678
Speaker 4: little bit and play good defense. Now every position seems

583
00:28:22,758 --> 00:28:24,958
Speaker 4: like they want the big guy at that position.

584
00:28:25,318 --> 00:28:27,998
Speaker 3: There's not room for the role players as much anymore.

585
00:28:28,118 --> 00:28:30,478
Speaker 2: I used to look at batting orders when I was

586
00:28:30,518 --> 00:28:32,918
Speaker 2: doing this thing, and I'd always look at the number

587
00:28:32,998 --> 00:28:35,158
Speaker 2: seven hitter, and I always thought, you know, from seven,

588
00:28:35,198 --> 00:28:37,118
Speaker 2: eight to nine, it would normally fall off the cliff

589
00:28:37,118 --> 00:28:39,398
Speaker 2: a little bit. It'd be there'd be some outs in

590
00:28:39,398 --> 00:28:40,958
Speaker 2: in an American Leagueland if this was when I was

591
00:28:40,998 --> 00:28:43,278
Speaker 2: with the Angels back in the day, but all of

592
00:28:43,318 --> 00:28:47,198
Speaker 2: a sudden were playing Cleveland and David Justice is hitting seven,

593
00:28:47,278 --> 00:28:49,438
Speaker 2: I thought, here we go, I mean, and then you

594
00:28:49,558 --> 00:28:52,038
Speaker 2: go back to the Baltimore Orioles in the night really

595
00:28:52,038 --> 00:28:55,758
Speaker 2: in the nineties, and Hoyles was hitting ninth for the

596
00:28:55,758 --> 00:28:58,198
Speaker 2: Orioles and he had twenty plus armers. The whole lineup

597
00:28:58,678 --> 00:29:00,838
Speaker 2: had twenty plus armers. I know this is more recent,

598
00:29:00,918 --> 00:29:03,758
Speaker 2: we think, but the advent began back then, and part

599
00:29:03,758 --> 00:29:06,678
Speaker 2: of that was a steroidal area era also where guys

600
00:29:06,758 --> 00:29:09,638
Speaker 2: just where beefy and the ball went farther, et cetera.

601
00:29:10,678 --> 00:29:13,558
Speaker 2: But it's just it's just it's been going on for

602
00:29:13,638 --> 00:29:15,798
Speaker 2: a bit. I think it just we're just recognizing it

603
00:29:15,838 --> 00:29:16,478
Speaker 2: more recently.

604
00:29:16,838 --> 00:29:18,598
Speaker 1: Well, John, I want you to look ahead now of

605
00:29:18,638 --> 00:29:21,478
Speaker 1: the Masters, and you know, I guess you know. You

606
00:29:21,518 --> 00:29:24,438
Speaker 1: look at Scheffler, you look at McElroy, right, Scheffler maybe

607
00:29:24,558 --> 00:29:27,038
Speaker 1: not as locked in as he was last year. But

608
00:29:27,198 --> 00:29:29,598
Speaker 1: if I gave you the choice between the field or

609
00:29:29,798 --> 00:29:33,798
Speaker 1: the Scheffler McElroy combo, would you take the top two

610
00:29:33,918 --> 00:29:35,358
Speaker 1: or you have to go to the field because the

611
00:29:35,398 --> 00:29:38,598
Speaker 1: competition is just it's so deep in today's golf world.

612
00:29:39,278 --> 00:29:41,358
Speaker 4: Last year I would have said, I'll take Sciotti Scheffler,

613
00:29:41,398 --> 00:29:43,558
Speaker 4: but this year I would take the field. I just

614
00:29:43,598 --> 00:29:47,758
Speaker 4: think I feel like this year, yeah, Rory has played great,

615
00:29:47,838 --> 00:29:51,918
Speaker 4: but there's such a monkey on his back at Augusta.

616
00:29:52,118 --> 00:29:54,878
Speaker 4: The pressure on him on Thursday is going to be

617
00:29:54,918 --> 00:29:58,678
Speaker 4: so enormous, knowing he's playing well. But I think I

618
00:29:58,958 --> 00:30:01,438
Speaker 4: think there's eight to ten guys that I would call

619
00:30:01,478 --> 00:30:03,158
Speaker 4: pretty close to even money this year.

620
00:30:04,078 --> 00:30:05,278
Speaker 3: I have a feeling about JT.

621
00:30:05,518 --> 00:30:08,758
Speaker 4: I think he's playing great golf, hasn't won yet this year,

622
00:30:08,798 --> 00:30:11,278
Speaker 4: but that guy plays so good with a chip on

623
00:30:11,318 --> 00:30:13,718
Speaker 4: his shoulder, and I think he's got that little Losing

624
00:30:13,758 --> 00:30:17,478
Speaker 4: that lead at the vus Bar, I think really chapped

625
00:30:17,558 --> 00:30:19,438
Speaker 4: him a little bit, and I expect him to have

626
00:30:19,478 --> 00:30:20,158
Speaker 4: a really good week.

627
00:30:20,198 --> 00:30:22,518
Speaker 3: But you know, you look at Scheffler.

628
00:30:22,158 --> 00:30:28,798
Speaker 4: McElroy, Morikawa, Rom Ludvig, Obert, Shoftley. There's so many guys

629
00:30:28,798 --> 00:30:31,398
Speaker 4: that I wouldn't be surprised to see win this week

630
00:30:31,558 --> 00:30:34,798
Speaker 4: that I don't have a big favorite like Scheffler's been

631
00:30:34,838 --> 00:30:35,758
Speaker 4: the last couple of years.

632
00:30:36,278 --> 00:30:38,558
Speaker 1: That's pretty good to hear. I would agree with you,

633
00:30:38,598 --> 00:30:40,638
Speaker 1: and I think, you know, one of the things that

634
00:30:41,278 --> 00:30:43,878
Speaker 1: I don't like hearing during a golf broadcast is when

635
00:30:43,918 --> 00:30:46,758
Speaker 1: announcers like to say this guy's only one like one

636
00:30:46,878 --> 00:30:49,438
Speaker 1: or two major, hasn't won a major. Man, it is

637
00:30:49,598 --> 00:30:52,838
Speaker 1: so hard to win a golf tournament. I mean, I

638
00:30:52,958 --> 00:30:55,318
Speaker 1: just look at these fields and you just rattled off John.

639
00:30:55,678 --> 00:30:58,198
Speaker 1: You know almost a dozen guys who I have no

640
00:30:58,318 --> 00:31:02,078
Speaker 1: problem seeing wearing that green jacket on Sunday. I do

641
00:31:02,158 --> 00:31:04,758
Speaker 1: think the depth of the field is is better than ever.

642
00:31:04,838 --> 00:31:06,958
Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you would agree with that, but

643
00:31:06,998 --> 00:31:10,598
Speaker 1: it just seems to me looking from Afar that the

644
00:31:10,918 --> 00:31:15,878
Speaker 1: like legitimate guys contenders to win a major. It's deeper

645
00:31:15,878 --> 00:31:17,198
Speaker 1: than it was twenty years ago.

646
00:31:17,678 --> 00:31:20,158
Speaker 3: No question about it, no question about it. I mean,

647
00:31:20,158 --> 00:31:21,998
Speaker 3: you look at the winners this year.

648
00:31:22,118 --> 00:31:25,998
Speaker 4: Any given week, you know, anybody can win a golf tournament.

649
00:31:26,118 --> 00:31:28,478
Speaker 4: That's how good all these guys are. In the separation

650
00:31:28,518 --> 00:31:31,558
Speaker 4: between the best and the you know, the average is

651
00:31:31,798 --> 00:31:35,278
Speaker 4: not that great. Things click one week, you guys gonna

652
00:31:35,278 --> 00:31:37,198
Speaker 4: have a chance to win. But I think, yeah, in

653
00:31:37,318 --> 00:31:40,838
Speaker 4: terms of the elite players post Tiger era, I think

654
00:31:40,878 --> 00:31:43,398
Speaker 4: we're in a point where we've got twelve to fifteen

655
00:31:43,398 --> 00:31:47,478
Speaker 4: guys every week and even more in the majors. When

656
00:31:47,518 --> 00:31:49,878
Speaker 4: you know you get everybody back together live with the

657
00:31:50,038 --> 00:31:54,158
Speaker 4: live players back, I think that is more true than ever.

658
00:31:54,278 --> 00:31:56,518
Speaker 4: That's just like I said, there's to me, there's not

659
00:31:56,558 --> 00:31:59,158
Speaker 4: a favorite this week, there's about ten to twelve of them.

660
00:31:59,358 --> 00:32:01,438
Speaker 2: I love the idea of them guys getting back together.

661
00:32:01,478 --> 00:32:03,998
Speaker 2: I know, y'all, I would imagine you all do. He

662
00:32:04,038 --> 00:32:07,398
Speaker 2: had all those names back in these in these even

663
00:32:07,438 --> 00:32:10,838
Speaker 2: weekly events, not just the majors. I mean, like D

664
00:32:10,998 --> 00:32:14,918
Speaker 2: Chambeau right now. To me, he typifies what the sport

665
00:32:14,998 --> 00:32:17,558
Speaker 2: needs actually be. I mean, Shuffler is a great representation.

666
00:32:17,598 --> 00:32:19,918
Speaker 2: Don't get me wrong. I love the guys in Metronome,

667
00:32:20,238 --> 00:32:23,638
Speaker 2: but D Chambeau and his and his personality I think

668
00:32:23,718 --> 00:32:25,878
Speaker 2: really plays. I mean that the guy works, He's got,

669
00:32:26,838 --> 00:32:30,078
Speaker 2: you know, mad talent kind of a thing, but the

670
00:32:30,118 --> 00:32:33,238
Speaker 2: way he demonstrates his emotion and how he plays with

671
00:32:33,318 --> 00:32:35,918
Speaker 2: the fans, it's it's reminiscent of a past year, I think,

672
00:32:35,958 --> 00:32:39,638
Speaker 2: and I really enjoy it. This guy started out several

673
00:32:39,718 --> 00:32:43,038
Speaker 2: years ago not being that guy viewed in a different way,

674
00:32:43,118 --> 00:32:45,238
Speaker 2: but all of a sudden, he's reinvented himself. And I

675
00:32:45,278 --> 00:32:47,398
Speaker 2: give him a lot of credit because I listened to him,

676
00:32:47,398 --> 00:32:50,758
Speaker 2: I watch him, and I like it. He's enjoying it

677
00:32:50,758 --> 00:32:53,438
Speaker 2: out there. He's having fun with it out there, and

678
00:32:53,758 --> 00:32:56,478
Speaker 2: I think that's why it performs so well in big moments,

679
00:32:56,518 --> 00:32:59,758
Speaker 2: because he takes himself seriously, but not too seriously.

680
00:32:59,798 --> 00:33:02,838
Speaker 4: I think, Yeah, I think reinvention is the perfect word.

681
00:33:03,158 --> 00:33:06,158
Speaker 4: When he came out, he was very different person than

682
00:33:06,198 --> 00:33:08,318
Speaker 4: he is now, and he looks like he's having fun.

683
00:33:08,398 --> 00:33:11,158
Speaker 4: Like you said, he's interacting with the fans. He doesn't

684
00:33:11,158 --> 00:33:15,318
Speaker 4: freak out if somebody happens to cough. He's it's just

685
00:33:15,438 --> 00:33:17,998
Speaker 4: he's fun to watch. I wasn't his biggest fan when

686
00:33:18,038 --> 00:33:19,838
Speaker 4: he came out, to be honest with you, I kind

687
00:33:19,838 --> 00:33:22,518
Speaker 4: of felt like, so all these guys in the last

688
00:33:22,518 --> 00:33:24,798
Speaker 4: one hundred and fifty years didn't know how to play golf,

689
00:33:24,838 --> 00:33:28,478
Speaker 4: but you're you're reinventing it. But he really has reinvented

690
00:33:28,558 --> 00:33:31,718
Speaker 4: quite a few things, and he's fun to watch. I

691
00:33:31,758 --> 00:33:33,518
Speaker 4: love the tournaments and we get to watch him and

692
00:33:33,558 --> 00:33:35,638
Speaker 4: he's he's back competing against these guys.

693
00:33:35,958 --> 00:33:38,318
Speaker 1: Well, John, before we let you go with all our

694
00:33:38,358 --> 00:33:40,438
Speaker 1: guests here, we like to have what we call a

695
00:33:40,518 --> 00:33:44,558
Speaker 1: reading from the Book of Joe. You get to pick

696
00:33:44,598 --> 00:33:47,198
Speaker 1: a number between one and three hundred and sixty five.

697
00:33:47,518 --> 00:33:49,878
Speaker 1: That is the number of pages in the Book of Joe.

698
00:33:49,918 --> 00:33:52,838
Speaker 1: And we're absolutely sure that whatever number you pick, you

699
00:33:52,838 --> 00:33:56,838
Speaker 1: will land on something that's interesting. So it's your choice here.

700
00:33:56,878 --> 00:33:59,358
Speaker 1: You can go anywhere between one and three sixty five.

701
00:33:59,838 --> 00:34:03,158
Speaker 3: Let's go with one oh seven.

702
00:34:03,758 --> 00:34:06,478
Speaker 1: Like the fact that you went triple digits, by the way.

703
00:34:06,478 --> 00:34:10,958
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think last time I took twenty two, which

704
00:34:10,998 --> 00:34:12,878
Speaker 4: was Will Clark's number, it was my favorite.

705
00:34:12,878 --> 00:34:15,438
Speaker 3: But just coming up coming up with something a little

706
00:34:15,478 --> 00:34:16,198
Speaker 3: later this one.

707
00:34:16,318 --> 00:34:18,838
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is interesting. I'm glad you picked this one

708
00:34:18,918 --> 00:34:21,678
Speaker 1: because it's a Joe always likes to call it the struggle,

709
00:34:21,878 --> 00:34:26,238
Speaker 1: right that everybody sees the glory and the championships and

710
00:34:26,278 --> 00:34:30,078
Speaker 1: the winning, but a lot of times the happiness, especially

711
00:34:30,078 --> 00:34:32,238
Speaker 1: looking back on it, comes from the struggle to get there.

712
00:34:32,878 --> 00:34:36,198
Speaker 1: And this was a story Joe tells about Mark McLamore.

713
00:34:36,758 --> 00:34:39,318
Speaker 1: Remember Mac Fluff you called him, by the way, why'd

714
00:34:39,318 --> 00:34:39,998
Speaker 1: you call him fluff?

715
00:34:40,078 --> 00:34:40,318
Speaker 5: Joe?

716
00:34:40,398 --> 00:34:45,478
Speaker 2: Hair do? He had really this really magnificent fro. He

717
00:34:45,558 --> 00:34:48,358
Speaker 2: was seventeen eighteen, coming out of San Diego High School.

718
00:34:48,998 --> 00:34:51,198
Speaker 2: One of the nicest guys I've ever met in the game.

719
00:34:51,598 --> 00:34:55,718
Speaker 2: He came up to Salem, Oregon, and he actually had

720
00:34:55,758 --> 00:34:59,718
Speaker 2: like chicken pox or something like that on top of whatever.

721
00:34:59,878 --> 00:35:02,998
Speaker 2: But anyway, he had a magnificent season. We're still really

722
00:35:02,998 --> 00:35:05,678
Speaker 2: good friends. But anyway, it was all because of this

723
00:35:06,238 --> 00:35:07,718
Speaker 2: fluffy hairdoo that he had.

724
00:35:07,878 --> 00:35:11,398
Speaker 1: Okay, so Fluff is seventeen years old and there's probably

725
00:35:11,438 --> 00:35:13,678
Speaker 1: stories like this on the corn Ferry and other tours

726
00:35:13,758 --> 00:35:17,118
Speaker 1: John where he's miserable, he's homestick, he's a kid away

727
00:35:17,118 --> 00:35:19,878
Speaker 1: from home for the first time, and he goes into

728
00:35:19,958 --> 00:35:23,358
Speaker 1: Joe's office and he wants to go home, he wants

729
00:35:23,398 --> 00:35:28,038
Speaker 1: to quit, and Joe says to him, what you're missing

730
00:35:28,078 --> 00:35:32,398
Speaker 1: right now, buddy, no longer exists. You're missing a memory.

731
00:35:32,878 --> 00:35:35,558
Speaker 1: What you're missing is no longer there. Your friends are

732
00:35:35,598 --> 00:35:38,358
Speaker 1: not the same, your friends are not there, The places

733
00:35:38,398 --> 00:35:40,078
Speaker 1: are not going to have the same allure to you.

734
00:35:40,398 --> 00:35:42,958
Speaker 1: It's just not the same, and you're going to go

735
00:35:43,038 --> 00:35:45,798
Speaker 1: back to something entirely different, and you'll be upset with

736
00:35:45,838 --> 00:35:48,438
Speaker 1: the fact that you've done it. What your mind is

737
00:35:48,478 --> 00:35:51,238
Speaker 1: doing is not giving you good information. It may have

738
00:35:51,278 --> 00:35:54,438
Speaker 1: been true before, but it's not true today. I want

739
00:35:54,478 --> 00:35:56,638
Speaker 1: you to bear down on what we are doing and

740
00:35:56,798 --> 00:36:00,878
Speaker 1: really get reinvested into just playing here and know that

741
00:36:00,918 --> 00:36:03,518
Speaker 1: whatever we miss when we're seventeen, being away from home

742
00:36:03,558 --> 00:36:08,038
Speaker 1: for the first time, no longer exists at home. Mark

743
00:36:08,078 --> 00:36:10,558
Speaker 1: mcklamore mounded up having it. I don't know, at least

744
00:36:10,558 --> 00:36:12,238
Speaker 1: a ten year career in the major leagues, made a

745
00:36:12,238 --> 00:36:12,798
Speaker 1: lot of money.

746
00:36:13,078 --> 00:36:15,638
Speaker 2: Yeah, more than that. Listen, that happened actually in a

747
00:36:15,678 --> 00:36:18,358
Speaker 2: hotel room because my office was the hotel. That was

748
00:36:18,398 --> 00:36:20,718
Speaker 2: so early in the year, and he came in and

749
00:36:21,438 --> 00:36:25,518
Speaker 2: really desponded. And that's a pretty good recap right there.

750
00:36:25,558 --> 00:36:28,398
Speaker 2: The conversation, everything about it is pretty much right on

751
00:36:28,438 --> 00:36:30,038
Speaker 2: the money. And I just knew this kid was going

752
00:36:30,118 --> 00:36:32,958
Speaker 2: to be really really good. On top of that, like

753
00:36:33,078 --> 00:36:38,038
Speaker 2: really this effervescent personality smiled so easily, was he was

754
00:36:38,078 --> 00:36:41,598
Speaker 2: infectious about so many different things, ran well, had a

755
00:36:41,638 --> 00:36:45,758
Speaker 2: great arm, switch hitter everything, and he strong bodied everything

756
00:36:45,798 --> 00:36:49,238
Speaker 2: going for him. So that one moment right there that

757
00:36:49,478 --> 00:36:52,198
Speaker 2: caused me on an annual basis, especially in an a

758
00:36:52,318 --> 00:36:55,318
Speaker 2: ball when it came to be August first, I would

759
00:36:55,358 --> 00:36:57,358
Speaker 2: get the players together and have many team meetings, but

760
00:36:57,398 --> 00:36:59,398
Speaker 2: I used to on August first, and it was setting

761
00:36:59,438 --> 00:37:01,998
Speaker 2: down in the bleachers at our ballpark, and I talked

762
00:37:01,998 --> 00:37:04,358
Speaker 2: to him about those specifics in regards to whatever you're

763
00:37:04,358 --> 00:37:07,358
Speaker 2: missing right now no longer exists because y'all can't wait

764
00:37:07,358 --> 00:37:09,518
Speaker 2: to get home if we have one more month to play.

765
00:37:10,998 --> 00:37:13,398
Speaker 2: You miss your buddies, you miss your spots, whatever it

766
00:37:13,478 --> 00:37:15,358
Speaker 2: might be. I'm here to tell you that no longer

767
00:37:15,398 --> 00:37:17,438
Speaker 2: exists that way, because I was trying to keep them

768
00:37:17,438 --> 00:37:20,078
Speaker 2: motivated for the rest of the season and some were

769
00:37:20,078 --> 00:37:23,278
Speaker 2: going to go to instructional League in Arizona beginning September

770
00:37:23,318 --> 00:37:26,158
Speaker 2: fifteenth through Halloween. So I think that's just a natural

771
00:37:26,198 --> 00:37:27,958
Speaker 2: I mean, happened to me as a you know, I

772
00:37:27,998 --> 00:37:30,478
Speaker 2: wanted to come home after one week at Lafayette because

773
00:37:30,798 --> 00:37:33,118
Speaker 2: it was kind of tough. It was a cultural difference.

774
00:37:33,518 --> 00:37:35,198
Speaker 2: Told my mom I wanted to be a plumber like

775
00:37:35,278 --> 00:37:37,158
Speaker 2: my dad, and she said, no, you're not, No, you're not.

776
00:37:37,198 --> 00:37:41,318
Speaker 2: You're staying right there. So all that stuff I got,

777
00:37:41,318 --> 00:37:43,638
Speaker 2: I could see, like was yesterday, and he had a

778
00:37:43,678 --> 00:37:46,598
Speaker 2: wonderful major league career and he's been a broadcaster with

779
00:37:46,638 --> 00:37:49,198
Speaker 2: the Rangers, et cetera. Anyway, we stay in touch. But

780
00:37:49,238 --> 00:37:50,918
Speaker 2: that's a really good recap Tommy.

781
00:37:51,038 --> 00:37:53,438
Speaker 1: How about you, John, did you have a Mark macklamore

782
00:37:53,478 --> 00:37:56,638
Speaker 1: moment when you started cattying where you're like, I don't know.

783
00:37:57,158 --> 00:37:59,838
Speaker 4: You know, I love that I lucked out and picked

784
00:37:59,878 --> 00:38:01,638
Speaker 4: that page because that was one of my favorite stories

785
00:38:01,638 --> 00:38:04,478
Speaker 4: in the whole book. It's a life lesson much bigger

786
00:38:04,478 --> 00:38:07,958
Speaker 4: than baseball or golf. It's it's life, but Yeah, you

787
00:38:08,558 --> 00:38:12,238
Speaker 4: definitely had those moments in caddying more than I do

788
00:38:12,318 --> 00:38:14,638
Speaker 4: now because now it's more a lot more consistent week

789
00:38:14,718 --> 00:38:17,678
Speaker 4: in week out. But you'd have those stretches where maybe

790
00:38:17,678 --> 00:38:19,998
Speaker 4: your player wasn't playing great or you weren't getting along,

791
00:38:20,638 --> 00:38:21,878
Speaker 4: and you'd start.

792
00:38:21,638 --> 00:38:23,718
Speaker 3: And thinking, Eh, is there something else I can get

793
00:38:23,758 --> 00:38:24,118
Speaker 3: back to?

794
00:38:24,278 --> 00:38:27,478
Speaker 4: And then you know, you just think, no, there's nothing

795
00:38:27,518 --> 00:38:30,638
Speaker 4: as good as this, and you know it's you figure

796
00:38:30,638 --> 00:38:33,758
Speaker 4: it out quickly. But yeah, I think everybody in life

797
00:38:33,838 --> 00:38:37,438
Speaker 4: in general, much less sports, has those moments. But it's

798
00:38:37,478 --> 00:38:40,678
Speaker 4: such a great lesson to learn that that's not there anymore,

799
00:38:40,838 --> 00:38:43,958
Speaker 4: that's it's not the same, and just deal with where

800
00:38:43,998 --> 00:38:44,238
Speaker 4: you are.

801
00:38:44,278 --> 00:38:44,678
Speaker 3: I love that.

802
00:38:45,158 --> 00:38:48,878
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I shortchanged Mark mclare he played nineteen years

803
00:38:49,158 --> 00:38:52,678
Speaker 1: in the period Wow and he made twenty two million

804
00:38:52,798 --> 00:38:56,198
Speaker 1: dollars and the Kicker Joe, and I love this story

805
00:38:56,278 --> 00:38:59,638
Speaker 1: in the book as well, is when he came to

806
00:38:59,678 --> 00:39:02,878
Speaker 1: you and presented you with it was either an iMac

807
00:39:02,998 --> 00:39:05,078
Speaker 1: or a computer when the days were first coming out

808
00:39:05,078 --> 00:39:07,958
Speaker 1: desktop computers as a thank you for what happened all

809
00:39:07,958 --> 00:39:08,678
Speaker 1: those years ago.

810
00:39:09,118 --> 00:39:11,598
Speaker 2: I was sitting in my office in Anaheim Stadium, which

811
00:39:11,598 --> 00:39:14,238
Speaker 2: was a big conference room this is before the game.

812
00:39:14,638 --> 00:39:15,678
Speaker 2: I think it was a Sunday. I think it was

813
00:39:15,718 --> 00:39:17,518
Speaker 2: a day I'm pretty sure it's a day game. And

814
00:39:17,558 --> 00:39:19,278
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, Fluff comes walking in and he's

815
00:39:19,278 --> 00:39:23,318
Speaker 2: got this brand new box with the an Apple computer

816
00:39:23,398 --> 00:39:27,878
Speaker 2: in it, and he said, this is for you, and

817
00:39:27,918 --> 00:39:30,398
Speaker 2: I mean I was I started crying. I mean, I

818
00:39:30,438 --> 00:39:32,878
Speaker 2: really did. Nobody ever did that for me as a

819
00:39:32,918 --> 00:39:35,718
Speaker 2: former player, but that just speaks to the kind of

820
00:39:35,758 --> 00:39:37,918
Speaker 2: guy that he was. I had that for years. I

821
00:39:37,958 --> 00:39:40,038
Speaker 2: gave it to my daughter eventually and my son, one

822
00:39:40,078 --> 00:39:42,238
Speaker 2: of the two got it. But he walked in there

823
00:39:42,718 --> 00:39:46,798
Speaker 2: and he just just absolutely waffled me right there. I

824
00:39:46,798 --> 00:39:47,878
Speaker 2: could not keep it together.

825
00:39:48,278 --> 00:39:50,958
Speaker 1: Great stuff. Well, John, we can't thank you enough. We

826
00:39:50,998 --> 00:39:54,278
Speaker 1: always love talking to you about baseball and the golf world.

827
00:39:54,638 --> 00:39:58,318
Speaker 1: It's a pleasure always listening to you on television and

828
00:39:58,358 --> 00:40:00,678
Speaker 1: we enjoy your commentary so much. But even more than that,

829
00:40:00,718 --> 00:40:02,758
Speaker 1: we love having you on the Book of Joe's Thanks

830
00:40:02,758 --> 00:40:03,118
Speaker 1: for your.

831
00:40:03,038 --> 00:40:05,678
Speaker 4: Time, pleasure, guys, thanks for having me and I feel

832
00:40:05,678 --> 00:40:07,078
Speaker 4: the same about listening to you guys.

833
00:40:07,278 --> 00:40:10,278
Speaker 2: Great to see again, John, outstanding buddy, you too. Right.

834
00:40:10,318 --> 00:40:12,518
Speaker 1: Thanks to John Wood for joining us on the Book

835
00:40:12,558 --> 00:40:16,398
Speaker 1: of Joe always a great listen, fascinating guy. If you're

836
00:40:16,438 --> 00:40:18,918
Speaker 1: a fan of golf, you know about him. If you're not,

837
00:40:19,118 --> 00:40:21,918
Speaker 1: just listen to his commentary on TV. He's one of

838
00:40:21,958 --> 00:40:22,758
Speaker 1: the best out there.

839
00:40:22,998 --> 00:40:24,958
Speaker 2: He is. He's a coach. He's a coach. He's an

840
00:40:24,958 --> 00:40:25,718
Speaker 2: absolute coach.

841
00:40:25,838 --> 00:40:28,118
Speaker 1: Absolutely, it's a great description. I love that.

842
00:40:28,238 --> 00:40:29,678
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a coach. He's a coach.

843
00:40:29,838 --> 00:40:31,678
Speaker 1: Hey, we're gonna take a quick break. We're gonna come

844
00:40:31,718 --> 00:40:33,278
Speaker 1: back and wrap up this edition of the Book of

845
00:40:33,358 --> 00:40:37,678
Speaker 1: Joe with an interesting fact about talking about technology and

846
00:40:37,678 --> 00:40:40,998
Speaker 1: how it's changed baseball and golf. The Tampa Bay Rays

847
00:40:40,998 --> 00:40:45,278
Speaker 1: are doing something that has never been done before. Talk

848
00:40:45,318 --> 00:40:47,678
Speaker 1: about that and wrap up this edition of the.

849
00:40:47,598 --> 00:40:58,558
Speaker 5: Book of Joe.

850
00:40:59,958 --> 00:41:02,318
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Book of Joe. I mentioned the

851
00:41:02,358 --> 00:41:05,878
Speaker 1: Tampa Bay Rays. This has gotten much attention, maybe because Joe.

852
00:41:05,918 --> 00:41:08,638
Speaker 1: They're playing this year at a minor league ballpark in Tampa,

853
00:41:08,638 --> 00:41:12,518
Speaker 1: the Yankee Spring training facility. Their pitching staff is the

854
00:41:12,598 --> 00:41:17,718
Speaker 1: fastest pitching staff ever. Their average fastball velocity is ninety

855
00:41:17,758 --> 00:41:21,998
Speaker 1: five point four, which is amazing. They have nine pitchers

856
00:41:22,038 --> 00:41:26,078
Speaker 1: who are averaging at least ninety five miles an hour.

857
00:41:26,598 --> 00:41:28,398
Speaker 1: So I went back and I looked at your two

858
00:41:28,478 --> 00:41:31,518
Speaker 1: thousand and eight rays and see how much this world

859
00:41:31,558 --> 00:41:34,038
Speaker 1: has changed. It reminds me of Zach Johnson winning the

860
00:41:34,078 --> 00:41:36,838
Speaker 1: two thousand and seven Masters at one over, hitting about

861
00:41:36,838 --> 00:41:40,558
Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty yard drives. Back then, the average

862
00:41:40,638 --> 00:41:43,478
Speaker 1: velocity of your pitchers, Joe, was ninety two. It is

863
00:41:43,558 --> 00:41:46,598
Speaker 1: ninety five point five this year it was ninety two.

864
00:41:46,638 --> 00:41:48,678
Speaker 1: It's not like we're going back to nineteen twenty, folks,

865
00:41:48,678 --> 00:41:51,638
Speaker 1: this is just two thousand and eight, and there were

866
00:41:51,678 --> 00:41:55,558
Speaker 1: only two guys who threw ninety five, Grant Balfour and

867
00:41:55,638 --> 00:42:00,918
Speaker 1: young David Price and Joe. Your staff with ninety two

868
00:42:00,958 --> 00:42:04,478
Speaker 1: mile an hour fastballs through fastballs fifty nine percent of

869
00:42:04,518 --> 00:42:07,118
Speaker 1: the time, and this year is raised. Even though they

870
00:42:07,158 --> 00:42:09,518
Speaker 1: throw harder than any staff in the history of baseball,

871
00:42:09,518 --> 00:42:13,798
Speaker 1: throw only forty two percent fastballs. Man, this game has

872
00:42:14,158 --> 00:42:17,358
Speaker 1: really changed. That's just seventeen years and it seems like

873
00:42:17,438 --> 00:42:18,038
Speaker 1: a hundred.

874
00:42:18,478 --> 00:42:22,958
Speaker 2: Yeah. We used to really emphasize pitching the contact. We

875
00:42:22,998 --> 00:42:26,198
Speaker 2: wanted to get the hitter out within the first three

876
00:42:26,198 --> 00:42:29,438
Speaker 2: pitches of the bat. With that, then I felt that

877
00:42:29,478 --> 00:42:31,878
Speaker 2: we could have our starters pitch more deeply into the game,

878
00:42:31,918 --> 00:42:35,398
Speaker 2: which was still a big concept and I still believe

879
00:42:35,398 --> 00:42:37,718
Speaker 2: it should be. So that was a part of it.

880
00:42:37,838 --> 00:42:41,118
Speaker 2: So you want to elicit early countouts, get ahead in

881
00:42:41,158 --> 00:42:44,478
Speaker 2: the count, locate your fastball down in the way. Was

882
00:42:44,518 --> 00:42:47,878
Speaker 2: always a good gig. Two seemers underneath, brown ball, the

883
00:42:47,918 --> 00:42:49,798
Speaker 2: third whatever it might be, but that was it, and

884
00:42:49,838 --> 00:42:52,798
Speaker 2: then you played your breaking ball off that. Now nobody

885
00:42:52,798 --> 00:42:54,318
Speaker 2: wants the ball to be put in play at all,

886
00:42:54,718 --> 00:42:58,158
Speaker 2: So there's there's why. I mean, even though they're throwing harder,

887
00:42:58,758 --> 00:43:01,798
Speaker 2: they just want to get that that fastball strike to

888
00:43:01,838 --> 00:43:03,638
Speaker 2: speed up the bat. And then all of a sudden,

889
00:43:03,638 --> 00:43:06,158
Speaker 2: here comes a variety of different breaking balls, whether it's

890
00:43:06,158 --> 00:43:09,478
Speaker 2: a slider, the cutter, or the curveball, change up whatever.

891
00:43:09,638 --> 00:43:13,118
Speaker 2: So it's it's a mindset of not having the ball

892
00:43:13,118 --> 00:43:14,838
Speaker 2: put in play at all to where we wanted the

893
00:43:14,878 --> 00:43:17,998
Speaker 2: ball to be put in play in order to defend

894
00:43:18,598 --> 00:43:20,918
Speaker 2: and get a quicker route to keep my starter, our

895
00:43:20,958 --> 00:43:23,038
Speaker 2: starters in the game longer. So you can make all

896
00:43:23,078 --> 00:43:25,078
Speaker 2: the arguments you want to make about all of this.

897
00:43:26,198 --> 00:43:28,878
Speaker 2: You know, in today's game, the third time two the

898
00:43:28,878 --> 00:43:31,718
Speaker 2: batting order is really a big issue. And with that,

899
00:43:32,198 --> 00:43:34,678
Speaker 2: that's empty the tank for the first four or five

900
00:43:34,718 --> 00:43:36,838
Speaker 2: ining so I really don't want you to pitch the

901
00:43:36,878 --> 00:43:39,798
Speaker 2: third time through anyway, so let's really cut it loose,

902
00:43:40,838 --> 00:43:42,598
Speaker 2: spin it at the top of the zone, et cetera.

903
00:43:42,638 --> 00:43:45,238
Speaker 2: Where back then there was more of an artistic component

904
00:43:45,278 --> 00:43:50,198
Speaker 2: of pitching location, changing speeds, making sure everybody's in the

905
00:43:50,278 --> 00:43:53,798
Speaker 2: right spot defensively, which is still obviously a big priority too.

906
00:43:53,838 --> 00:43:58,918
Speaker 2: So just overarching conception conceptually was miss bats as opposed

907
00:43:58,958 --> 00:44:03,238
Speaker 2: to hitting bats and quick outs compared to like, whatever

908
00:44:03,318 --> 00:44:05,278
Speaker 2: it takes then put the ball in play. So there's

909
00:44:05,518 --> 00:44:06,678
Speaker 2: the primary differences.

910
00:44:07,158 --> 00:44:09,598
Speaker 1: By the way the Rays. Also, besides throwing the ball

911
00:44:09,798 --> 00:44:15,518
Speaker 1: really crazy hard, they are averaging five strikeouts for every walk.

912
00:44:15,558 --> 00:44:18,038
Speaker 1: That would be far and away the greatest strikeout to

913
00:44:18,038 --> 00:44:20,518
Speaker 1: walk right in baseball history. So it's not just like

914
00:44:20,558 --> 00:44:24,798
Speaker 1: they're throwing wildly hard and living like that. They're a

915
00:44:24,838 --> 00:44:26,838
Speaker 1: secret in the game right now because not a lot

916
00:44:26,878 --> 00:44:28,918
Speaker 1: of people paying attention to them. I think the schedule

917
00:44:28,998 --> 00:44:31,718
Speaker 1: might catch up with them, because they have a front

918
00:44:31,758 --> 00:44:35,238
Speaker 1: loaded home schedule to make sure they don't run into

919
00:44:35,238 --> 00:44:38,078
Speaker 1: too many weather delays and hot temperatures in the middle

920
00:44:38,078 --> 00:44:39,878
Speaker 1: of the summer. That may catch up to them. But

921
00:44:39,958 --> 00:44:42,718
Speaker 1: right now, keep your eye on the rays and speaking

922
00:44:42,798 --> 00:44:45,238
Speaker 1: of keeping your eye on things, Joe, I got to

923
00:44:45,278 --> 00:44:47,758
Speaker 1: ask you give me your pick for the Masters coming

924
00:44:47,798 --> 00:44:48,438
Speaker 1: up this weekend.

925
00:44:48,638 --> 00:44:49,118
Speaker 3: What do you like?

926
00:44:49,758 --> 00:44:53,478
Speaker 2: Well, that's very cool, man. We just went over that

927
00:44:53,518 --> 00:44:56,238
Speaker 2: obviously with John and he threw out a bunch of

928
00:44:56,278 --> 00:44:59,598
Speaker 2: really good names. Obviously, I've been I watch a lot.

929
00:44:59,638 --> 00:45:02,278
Speaker 2: I watch all these tournaments. I just hang out for

930
00:45:02,318 --> 00:45:05,878
Speaker 2: a bit. I kind of like the one that Eddie said,

931
00:45:06,558 --> 00:45:09,958
Speaker 2: being justin Thomas and I'll tell you why. He lost

932
00:45:10,038 --> 00:45:13,678
Speaker 2: the bows par at the very very end to Hoveland Hoveland,

933
00:45:13,798 --> 00:45:17,718
Speaker 2: and he did something really Thomas did really impressive. They

934
00:45:18,118 --> 00:45:20,318
Speaker 2: I don't remember I was on TV where I caught

935
00:45:20,318 --> 00:45:26,158
Speaker 2: it whatever, but he wished him well, congratulated him, and

936
00:45:26,198 --> 00:45:30,558
Speaker 2: then I'll see you at the Masters. So I thought

937
00:45:30,598 --> 00:45:33,878
Speaker 2: that was pretty hot. I really did. And you know,

938
00:45:33,918 --> 00:45:36,118
Speaker 2: he didn't take it easily. There's a fire that burns

939
00:45:36,118 --> 00:45:39,158
Speaker 2: within that fellow. I really believe you're and you see

940
00:45:39,198 --> 00:45:43,918
Speaker 2: the most focused version of Thomas ever. So I'm really

941
00:45:43,998 --> 00:45:46,718
Speaker 2: curious to see how this all plays out. I like

942
00:45:46,798 --> 00:45:50,718
Speaker 2: his fire. He's not the tallest, biggest, strongest looking guy

943
00:45:50,758 --> 00:45:53,398
Speaker 2: in the world, but my god, he can pieces as

944
00:45:53,438 --> 00:45:55,278
Speaker 2: harder as well as anybody on the tour, So I'm

945
00:45:55,278 --> 00:45:55,878
Speaker 2: gonna go with him.

946
00:45:55,998 --> 00:45:56,238
Speaker 5: Yeah.

947
00:45:56,518 --> 00:45:58,478
Speaker 1: To me, he looks like a very streaky player and

948
00:45:58,478 --> 00:46:01,798
Speaker 1: that he does get on rolls and he's otherworldly when

949
00:46:01,798 --> 00:46:05,318
Speaker 1: he's on one of those good roles. I'll stick with. Actually,

950
00:46:05,438 --> 00:46:08,838
Speaker 1: a similar type player to me is Colin Marikawa. Not

951
00:46:08,878 --> 00:46:10,518
Speaker 1: the biggest guy in the world, but he has a

952
00:46:10,558 --> 00:46:12,598
Speaker 1: solid game all the way around. He's played well in

953
00:46:12,598 --> 00:46:14,518
Speaker 1: this tournament. So that's my pick coming up.

954
00:46:14,718 --> 00:46:14,958
Speaker 2: Cool.

955
00:46:15,238 --> 00:46:17,838
Speaker 1: So now it's the eighteenth hole, Joe. You've reached the

956
00:46:17,878 --> 00:46:19,918
Speaker 1: last hole here. It's time for you to close us

957
00:46:19,918 --> 00:46:21,758
Speaker 1: out as you always do on the Book of Joe.

958
00:46:21,758 --> 00:46:22,718
Speaker 1: What do you have this time?

959
00:46:22,878 --> 00:46:26,038
Speaker 2: Well, actually this pertains to the bats a little bit,

960
00:46:26,078 --> 00:46:27,398
Speaker 2: but it was just I got a little bit more

961
00:46:27,438 --> 00:46:29,878
Speaker 2: than that, and it's actually from the commission and it's

962
00:46:29,918 --> 00:46:33,878
Speaker 2: not necessarily a quote. Again, reading the post yesterday morning,

963
00:46:35,478 --> 00:46:38,038
Speaker 2: there was something that the commissioner had talked about with

964
00:46:38,118 --> 00:46:42,038
Speaker 2: the bats being part of the situation, and then the

965
00:46:42,038 --> 00:46:44,678
Speaker 2: word balance came into and I kind of so I

966
00:46:44,718 --> 00:46:46,838
Speaker 2: just went with the commissioner. So it's a little bit lengthy,

967
00:46:46,878 --> 00:46:49,518
Speaker 2: but stay with me. Players have actually been moving the

968
00:46:49,518 --> 00:46:52,278
Speaker 2: sweet spot around in bats for years, Man, Princess. But

969
00:46:52,318 --> 00:46:55,438
Speaker 2: it just demonstrates that something about the game is more

970
00:46:55,438 --> 00:46:59,078
Speaker 2: important than is captured by television ratings, for revenue or

971
00:46:59,078 --> 00:47:01,638
Speaker 2: any of those things. When you have the discussions and

972
00:47:01,718 --> 00:47:04,998
Speaker 2: debates about it, and I like that, that's the barroom,

973
00:47:05,438 --> 00:47:09,278
Speaker 2: that's that's your buddies, that's bell Hops at the bar

974
00:47:09,358 --> 00:47:13,718
Speaker 2: sitting there watching the Yankees versus Boston whatever on the tube. Man,

975
00:47:13,998 --> 00:47:17,518
Speaker 2: The discussions that it creates, that it keeps everything, keeps

976
00:47:17,558 --> 00:47:20,518
Speaker 2: everybody involved. So just the bat and moving the sweet

977
00:47:20,518 --> 00:47:24,438
Speaker 2: spot on the back created this huge conversation, and that's

978
00:47:24,478 --> 00:47:26,678
Speaker 2: good for the game. And whenever we have a conversation

979
00:47:26,758 --> 00:47:29,838
Speaker 2: about the game, whether I don't, regardless of what it is,

980
00:47:29,878 --> 00:47:31,718
Speaker 2: whether I agree with it or anybody agrees with it,

981
00:47:31,718 --> 00:47:36,438
Speaker 2: doesn't matter. It's entertainment, man, and I really liked that

982
00:47:36,478 --> 00:47:39,638
Speaker 2: he brought that out and really talked about the debate

983
00:47:39,678 --> 00:47:41,958
Speaker 2: and how it's near and dear to our hearts with baseball.

984
00:47:42,038 --> 00:47:44,918
Speaker 2: Then the next page you often hear about the balance

985
00:47:44,958 --> 00:47:47,878
Speaker 2: between pitching and hitting and those sorts of issues. One

986
00:47:47,878 --> 00:47:50,118
Speaker 2: thing we learned through all the research that we did

987
00:47:50,158 --> 00:47:55,158
Speaker 2: with the fans is that athleticism matters the most. Maybe

988
00:47:55,278 --> 00:47:59,678
Speaker 2: more than anything else. Wow, Okay, the heartbeat mattered, the

989
00:47:59,918 --> 00:48:04,518
Speaker 2: athlete mattered, the person mattered more so than daddy information

990
00:48:04,598 --> 00:48:08,038
Speaker 2: and everything else that's proliferating within this game we just

991
00:48:08,078 --> 00:48:10,878
Speaker 2: talked about within golf. So I love the fact that

992
00:48:10,918 --> 00:48:14,158
Speaker 2: the athlete was highlighted and how much that it matters.

993
00:48:14,598 --> 00:48:19,998
Speaker 2: So the debate, the discussion that was created regarding the bats,

994
00:48:20,038 --> 00:48:22,758
Speaker 2: and then the one thing the fans care about more

995
00:48:22,758 --> 00:48:25,798
Speaker 2: than anything is the athleticism of the game based dealings

996
00:48:25,878 --> 00:48:27,918
Speaker 2: back there seems to be more of a we've already

997
00:48:27,918 --> 00:48:30,718
Speaker 2: talked about you're seeing different signs or trends because you

998
00:48:30,758 --> 00:48:33,118
Speaker 2: get to see games more than I do in person, obviously,

999
00:48:33,438 --> 00:48:37,318
Speaker 2: So I love that those two comments to me really

1000
00:48:37,358 --> 00:48:40,558
Speaker 2: at the essence of the game itself. So I kind

1001
00:48:40,558 --> 00:48:44,438
Speaker 2: of dug on that, so I actually copied them, printed them,

1002
00:48:44,438 --> 00:48:47,078
Speaker 2: and I wanted to make a point of that today.

1003
00:48:47,438 --> 00:48:50,318
Speaker 1: That's a great point because people do really not just

1004
00:48:50,518 --> 00:48:53,958
Speaker 1: like baseball, but they care about it. They cherish the game,

1005
00:48:53,998 --> 00:48:56,438
Speaker 1: they want to protect it. I used to have these

1006
00:48:56,438 --> 00:48:59,438
Speaker 1: conversations with the former commissioner Bud Sealing a lot, because

1007
00:48:59,438 --> 00:49:02,078
Speaker 1: he used to complain that the NFL wasn't held to

1008
00:49:02,118 --> 00:49:05,038
Speaker 1: the same higher standard. Like a guy in the NFL,

1009
00:49:05,238 --> 00:49:07,918
Speaker 1: say would be busted for peds, Nobody would say boo

1010
00:49:07,998 --> 00:49:09,878
Speaker 1: the guy wo wind up in the Pro ball wasn't

1011
00:49:09,918 --> 00:49:11,998
Speaker 1: a big deal. They change the rules every year. What's

1012
00:49:12,038 --> 00:49:16,238
Speaker 1: past interference with not past interference? Nobody cares baseball. The

1013
00:49:16,238 --> 00:49:18,758
Speaker 1: minute you suggest any sort of a change, people get

1014
00:49:18,838 --> 00:49:21,118
Speaker 1: up at arms. And I used to tell the commissioner,

1015
00:49:21,598 --> 00:49:25,278
Speaker 1: don't complain about that. That is a feature, not a

1016
00:49:25,318 --> 00:49:29,158
Speaker 1: bug about baseball, because people really do cherish and care

1017
00:49:29,398 --> 00:49:31,198
Speaker 1: about the game at a level that I don't think

1018
00:49:31,278 --> 00:49:33,398
Speaker 1: is as deep in other sports. I'm just saying it's

1019
00:49:33,398 --> 00:49:35,878
Speaker 1: more popular. I'm just saying about the level of care

1020
00:49:35,918 --> 00:49:38,878
Speaker 1: and concern and that is a feature of this great

1021
00:49:38,878 --> 00:49:39,638
Speaker 1: game of baseball.

1022
00:49:40,158 --> 00:49:45,198
Speaker 2: Great pickup, Tommy, that's outstanding, And that's true. So you've

1023
00:49:45,238 --> 00:49:47,038
Speaker 2: heard me mentioned this so many times that that's why

1024
00:49:47,038 --> 00:49:49,718
Speaker 2: I get annoyed when we don't reference our game as

1025
00:49:49,758 --> 00:49:52,638
Speaker 2: a national past time anymore. Maybe we've lost the right

1026
00:49:52,678 --> 00:49:55,078
Speaker 2: to do that. I don't know. But the fact that

1027
00:49:55,118 --> 00:49:58,518
Speaker 2: the explanation you just gave, and that among all the

1028
00:49:58,558 --> 00:50:02,878
Speaker 2: professional sports, the one that's more upward debate than any

1029
00:50:03,038 --> 00:50:06,438
Speaker 2: the one that creates more controversy when there's some kind

1030
00:50:06,478 --> 00:50:10,478
Speaker 2: of tectonic change within it. That's it is baseball. So

1031
00:50:10,558 --> 00:50:14,078
Speaker 2: I so wish that we could get back to referencing

1032
00:50:14,118 --> 00:50:17,358
Speaker 2: our sport is the national pastime because that's what it is,

1033
00:50:17,918 --> 00:50:20,678
Speaker 2: that's what it deserves to be recognized as. And hope

1034
00:50:20,678 --> 00:50:23,638
Speaker 2: we could move back to that point again and in your.

1035
00:50:23,598 --> 00:50:26,758
Speaker 1: Future, cool stuff, Joe. It's always fun to talk baseball

1036
00:50:26,998 --> 00:50:29,038
Speaker 1: and a little bit of golf with you. Right, We'll

1037
00:50:29,078 --> 00:50:31,198
Speaker 1: see you next time in the book at Joe, Thanks Time.

1038
00:50:39,798 --> 00:50:42,998
Speaker 1: The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.

1039
00:50:43,238 --> 00:50:48,198
Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

1040
00:50:48,318 --> 00:50:50,118
Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.