1 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to The Favorites, the podcast from the Action Network. 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: I am Chad Millman. I will be joined today by 3 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: Sean Zarrillo, our lead baseball writer, and a very special 4 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: guest from the baseball world with some incredible stories. If 5 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: anybody has been following at Don August thirty eight on 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: Twitter for the past few days, you would have seen 7 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: something very special because Don is a former Major League 8 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: baseball player who, once his major league career was over, 9 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 1: traveled around the world playing baseball, and he has been 10 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: sharing strings of stories on Twitter at Don August which 11 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: are both frightening and hilarious and feel like they are 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: straight out of Bull Durham or Ball four. Don August 13 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: is on the phone from Milwaukee, discovered by our producer 14 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: extraordinaire Matt Mitchell, also from Milwaukee. Don, thanks for coming 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: on the Favorites Man. How are you doing good? Thanks 16 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,839 Speaker 1: for an introduction? Sounds good. How is your quarantine going, 17 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: how are you spending it? Are you with family? What's 18 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: your situation? Well, I'm at home. It's just me and 19 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: the wife. My son has come up to visit us. 20 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: We've been seeing here for the last couple of weeks. 21 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: And uh, you know we're making do so I mentioned 22 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: off the top you have a Twitter feed at don August. 23 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: You started telling some stories recently. Before we get into 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,759 Speaker 1: the stories, what compels you to even think about, Hey, 25 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: I want to start sharing some of these things. Well, 26 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: actually I'm in the process of writing a book sharing 27 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: all of these stories. My son kind of like my 28 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: pr gut. I guess he just thought, hey, won't we 29 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: just throw a few stories on Twitter and just kind 30 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: of see what happens. And I think tonight we're gonna 31 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: we're gonna put out another one too. From Dominican Republic. 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: I do have some questions about your major league career 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: and your college career, because not only did you play 34 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: the majors, you won a silver medal at the Olympics 35 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: in four talk about what that experience is, like, what's 36 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: it like to pitch for your country and then actually 37 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: win a medal? But it's it's a great honor, you 38 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: hear people always kind of say that, and that's truly 39 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: what it is, you know, as a as a young kid, 40 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: I grew up in southern California, and I watched the 41 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: Dodgers in the Angels, I followed them. I played baseball, 42 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I went to a little small 43 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: college out there in southern California called Chatman University. It 44 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: was a D two school, and I always watched all 45 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: the Olympics that I can remember being a kid, you know, 46 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: maybe be the summer and the Winter Olympics. So I 47 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: had kind of dreamed like that as a kid. Then 48 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: going into my junior year of college, there was gonna 49 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: be baseball in the Olympics and that we're in l 50 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: att So I went for the tryouts and I placed 51 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: second in the trout which was held at kel State Fulkton. 52 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: I came number two out of a hundred and sixty 53 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: something guys. Shane mac out of u c l A 54 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: with the number one guy, So they kind of put 55 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: your name on a list and kind of waited for 56 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: the season to come und and I had a great year, 57 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: and you know, we went on this big long Olympic 58 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,839 Speaker 1: tour tryout beforehand, starting out with thirty one players had 59 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: to be turned down to the final twenty. I made 60 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: that and I was able to pitch in the Olympics. 61 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: And I mean, what an experience coming out of a 62 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: little Chinese dinky chatten in college too you know, playing 63 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: in a full house of Dodgers, say him in a 64 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: in the Olympics. So it was a great experience. It 65 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: helped me and I know helped my teammates do but 66 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: helped me kind of take into that next step to 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: get to the major leagues and kind of play in 68 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: atmosphere and crowd like that. I'm playing at that big 69 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: league level, you know, playing against so many great players, 70 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: future Hall of famers, some of them teammates and years 71 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: some of them. You know, guys you're playing against. You 72 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: struck out Joe Carter a bunch of times. I think 73 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: you struck about more than you did any other player. 74 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: What batter you know when he got in the box, 75 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: would you say it just kind of had a different 76 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: field than anybody else You would face the guy that 77 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: I'm going against that I didn't like coming up to 78 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: play with George Brett. So I'm not the only guy. 79 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: But you know, the first time I was facing I 80 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: mean already he was, you know, a major league legend. 81 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: And one thing I noticed is he stood way off 82 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: the side of the plate, not in the back of 83 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: the batter's box, but to the side, like he's like 84 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: almost out of it. And I thought, there's no way 85 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: this guy can reach an outside pitch, you know, so 86 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: I thought, I feel that little sinker fastball away. He 87 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: jumps out there and reached out and he smoked the 88 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: line drive off the center field fence. Like, oh wow. Well, 89 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: I thought, well, if he's jumping out to get that 90 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: outside pitch, well then I mus with his bucks him inside. 91 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: Then so next up that I come here with a 92 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 1: nice hard inside pitch keeps falling, he goes fast hands 93 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: right on blue and just ripped a line drive double 94 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: down the right field line. So not only has he 95 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: done that to me, he'd done that to a lot 96 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: of other guys. But you know, he was just a 97 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: great player. Of course, you know, padding titles in three 98 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: different decades, so that's a no brainer, I think. Alright, 99 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: so you were on the Brewers in a eight you 100 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: won thirteen games. I think that was your first year 101 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: with the Brewers. You have Paul Molitor, hall of famer. 102 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: You've got Robin Young, hall of famer. You've got Robbed 103 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: Deer not hall of famer. Of all the guys on 104 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: that team, who is the guy who you would want 105 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: to go have a beer with? Oh God, there's a 106 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: bunch of guys back then, very young and single, so 107 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,679 Speaker 1: we had we did have a few beers. The pitchers 108 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: kind of hung out more with the other pitchers on 109 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: the most part, you know, especially if we're starting pitchers. 110 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: You know, we pitched one day, we had three or 111 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: four days off. So the guys on the team back then, 112 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: or Tom Feiler, Chris Bozzio, Mike Birkebeck, Mark Knutson, those 113 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: are some of the pictures that I mostly hung around 114 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: within that in that year. All right, So you were 115 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: in the in the majors for four years, you won 116 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: thirteen games, You won twelve games, a third year you 117 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: only pitching three games. The fourth year you went nine 118 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: and eight, and then you're out of baseball in the majors. 119 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: What happened? Well, you know, like not fully sure, but 120 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: I think just things happened. Uh, there's always those young 121 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: guys coming up behind you. Um, you gotta be good 122 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: all the time, you know, you gotta be consistent. My 123 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: first couple of years I did pretty good. My third 124 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: year I struggled. I didn't pitch that many games in Milwaukee. 125 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: They even sent me down to the minor leagues. I 126 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: went in Triple a which was in Denver at the time, 127 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: so you know you're struggling, you get down and sent 128 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: down to Denver to try to work on your pitching 129 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: of all places. Um the reason why I left the 130 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: Brewers after that last season, and they took me up 131 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: the forty man roster at the end of the year, 132 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 1: which made me a free agent. So I thought I 133 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: had twenty something other baseball teams that would take me. 134 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: I started to deal with the San Francisco Giants in 135 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: that winter, but just before going into spring training, they 136 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: made a trade. They traded Kevin Mitchell, who was an 137 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: All Star at the time for the Giants. They traded 138 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: into Seattle for three pitchers. They got Dave Berba, Bill Swift, 139 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: and Mike Jackson. So they kind of took some some 140 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: opportunities with and then I got released out of spring 141 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: training and it was like a battle after that to 142 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: try to get back to the majors a little bit 143 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: the miners here and there, but then that's some kind 144 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 1: of went well, you know, I started going on this 145 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: international thing and that's how I end up finishing up 146 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: my my baseball career. Yeah, so Donny, you kick around 147 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: the minor leagues for a couple of years, end up 148 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: in Mexican League, which a lot of people I don't 149 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: think realizes unaffiliated Triple A Baseball. It's not actually a 150 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: separate forart and professional league. It's a little weird. So 151 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 1: how do you know, how does it get broached to 152 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: the idea that you're gonna leave the minor league system 153 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: and go play in Mexico or go playing Taiwan? Is 154 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: that something that your agent brings up to you. Is 155 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: that something you hear from you know, former teammates who 156 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: end up taking that route? How does how does a 157 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: player kind of find his way into a different professional league? Well, 158 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: I was hoping to get another deal, at the very 159 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: least back to Triple A with a team here Pitts 160 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: will hopefully make it back to the major leagues. While 161 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: my agent was trying to find me a team going 162 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: into the nine season, no team was given me any chances, 163 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: which I thought was surprising. I mean, at least a 164 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: minor league screen training invite, you know, hopefully know I'd 165 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: like to have gotten a major league invite, but not 166 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: even the minor league invite anywhere. But when my agent 167 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: was talking to the Texas Rangers, they told my agent 168 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: that they have a working agreement with one of the 169 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: Mexican League teams that there would be an opportunity that 170 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: I could go there and play well. Since I didn't 171 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,119 Speaker 1: have anywhere to go for screen training, I I said, Okay, 172 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: I'll I'll do this Mexican League thing. They start there's season, 173 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: like in the guy about the middle of March somewhere, 174 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: so I figured guys would be in spring training, but 175 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: I would be pitching in games and getting paid. And 176 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: then I had my agent, though, make a deal with 177 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: the Mexican League team. If you're to leave the Mexican 178 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: League team, you usually have to be to go to 179 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: a major league team. I got him to get me 180 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: a deal that I could find a Triple A team 181 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: to be able to leave the Mexican you know, the 182 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: team I was in Mexico. So that's what I end 183 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: up doing. So next thing, you know, I'm I'm down 184 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: in Mexico, and that the game pretty much at the 185 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: beginning of my international play and just being an American 186 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: travel around in different parts of the world to play baseball, 187 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: you know, I I accumulated a lot of stories. So 188 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: how do you end up in Taiwan? I had already 189 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: played now a season and a half in Mexico. I 190 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: got an opportunity to go to spring training at the 191 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,839 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Pirates Triple A L major league invite. But that 192 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 1: was the year the there was the lockout. Remember there's 193 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: no nineteen ninety four World Series, and that lingered into 194 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: spring training. So I had a minor league contract, so 195 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 1: I went to spring training with the Pirates. Eventually, towards 196 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: the ind of spring training, the lockout was done and 197 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: the real rate major League Baseball players were back at it. 198 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: And then there's gonna be a lot. It would be 199 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 1: like a little delay because they're gonna late start to 200 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: the spring training and they're gonna expand the rosters and 201 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: do all these things. So I made the Triple A 202 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: team to go start the regular minor league season. Now, 203 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: my old scout who drafted the out of college, he 204 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: kind of informed me. He says, hey, um, I know 205 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: some guys that are agents and there are a pipeline 206 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: to get players to Taiwan. He said, there's actually a 207 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 1: team out there were an owner in Taiwan wants you 208 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: on his team. I'm like, wow, how do they even 209 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: know about me? So I say, I'm doing fine in 210 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: truck way right now. If the Pirates, they say, I know, 211 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: I know, but if something happens, give me a call. Well, 212 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: after the first month of the season, you know, the 213 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: Pirates were and everybody were setting their players down and 214 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: there was crunch time, so the Pirates were least meet. 215 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: So I said, Okay, baseball the messier in the United States. 216 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: I'll go to Asia. Man, let me go to baseball's 217 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: like over there, and then I'll try to get back 218 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: in the States when things are all back under control. 219 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 1: So that's just what kind of happened. And I went 220 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: there for one year. It turned into being five, and 221 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: little did you know that baseball in Taiwan was as 222 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: crazy and potentially messy as it was in the major leagues. 223 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: So tell a little bit about what your experience was there, 224 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: and a very specific story that you shared on Twitter 225 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: that uh is a very good reason why you would 226 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: end up on the Favorite podcast. Okay, Well, I go 227 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: to Taiwan. Don't play some baseball there. The fans love 228 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: baseball there in Taiwan, that's their number one sport. They 229 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: love it. The last year or so when I played there, 230 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: they started building these nicer baseball stadiums when I was 231 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 1: spending in these old kind of old ballparks of some sort. 232 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,719 Speaker 1: Now they were able to hold twelve fifteen up to 233 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: maybe some of these parts eighteen thousand people, but they 234 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: were kind of eat up. They're all dirt infield kind of. 235 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: But the fans there are incredible. Some people I heard 236 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: some people describe as be like Friday night football games. 237 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: I mean, they have bands and they're just just like 238 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: half the stadium is one team, the other half is 239 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: the other. They wear the team's colors on both sides 240 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: of the stadium. They both got their bands and they're 241 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: playing music. They got drums, they're banging and the thing. 242 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: They got these classic bat things that they bang pain 243 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: paint too, and they're they're channing, they're singing, they're running 244 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: back and forth with these big old banners. I mean, 245 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 1: it's just crazy and it's just loud the whole game. 246 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: It's a different kind of game. It's more of a 247 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: small ball type of games. You know, there's a lot 248 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: of funding going on it early in the games and 249 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: things like that. But it was it was a difference 250 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: for me to go to another part of the world, 251 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, it's kind of getting my Spanish down, you know. 252 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: And then in Mexico and I played a couple of 253 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: winner balls in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Now a 254 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: lot of people learn how to try to speak Chinese 255 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: to survive. The food is different, the culture is different, 256 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: Baseball is kind of played a little bit differently. But 257 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: you know, I've learned how to get by and survived 258 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: by already playing these different countries. How you learn how 259 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: to find your way around. You learned the key words 260 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: to speak so you you don't starve to death, You 261 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: know how to get from one place to another, and 262 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 1: all that sort of stuff. But then I guess the 263 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,199 Speaker 1: key point we're getting to. I mean, one thing bad though. 264 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 1: As I say, before us in Taiwan, they were starting 265 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: to take some nicer and nicer money. Someone told me, hey, 266 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 1: baseball is really growing to Thailan. You can eventually make 267 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 1: about a million bucks a year there. Okay, let me 268 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: see what that's about. I mean, but the way I 269 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: saw the fans there, and every game is televised throughout 270 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: the whole country, and I thought there's a potential. Well 271 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: then there's the rumblings. It was in my second year 272 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: in Taiwan. That me and some guys, you know Cup, 273 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: another American guy on my team, we started to hear 274 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: that some guys were like fixing some baseball games to 275 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:42,959 Speaker 1: win or lose by certain amount of runs or to 276 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 1: lack you have to lose the game. We started hearing 277 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: about that. So me and my my buddy, we're kind 278 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: of started watching the games more closely to see if 279 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: they can knows that this was really happening or not. 280 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: You know, so we're watching the other teams playing, and 281 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: we're watching our teammates to see if there's any kind 282 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: of goofy going on. So I would really hoping and 283 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: believing that it wasn't true. But at one point during 284 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: the season, you know, the home city I played, it 285 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: was called tai Chung, and then the one of the 286 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: teams from Taipei, which is the capital of capital city 287 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: of Taiwan, the Elephants team was in town playing this 288 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: in a four game series. And then the next day 289 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: we heard this big commotion going on that some of 290 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: the Elephant players ran into these gangsters at a at 291 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: a bar and they took him back to the hotel. 292 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: And the story was there's two sets of gangsters that 293 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: had these elephant players supposed to manipulate a game from 294 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: one group had him to win, the other group had 295 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: him to loop. So the group that that got supposedly 296 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,719 Speaker 1: crossed ran into these guys at that bar, took him 297 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: back to the hotel room, and one of the elephant 298 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: players kind of lipped up to these gangsters and he 299 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: proceeded to pull a gun out and pistol whip them 300 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: across the head. So now that next day at our ballpark, 301 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: we saw this extra security around their dug out and 302 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: at at the field two, and then we saw this 303 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: guy that had a big old bandige wrapped around his 304 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,719 Speaker 1: head and all this kind of stuf. So we kind 305 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,959 Speaker 1: of started hearing the store from that. So then it 306 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: was like, man, there must be something going on with this. 307 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 1: About three weeks to about a month later at this time, 308 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: there's probably about five to six weeks left in the season. 309 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: How much were you making at this point in Taiwan? 310 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:15,839 Speaker 1: I was making over a hundred thousand dollars playing there, 311 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: all right, so you were making a decent especially in 312 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: ninety five, like in Taiwan, and like do they pay 313 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: for your housing? Like what is sort of the financial 314 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: situations a hundred thousand, then you get to put in 315 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: your pocket or you gotta pay for other stuff too. 316 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: I took care of my apartment while I was there. 317 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: But also what they did in Taiwan, and they paid 318 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: your bonus money for every time you won a game. 319 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: The team page a bonus. You know, if you're the 320 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: starting pitcher and you went nine innings, you've got a 321 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: nice trunk of money. If you were three for four 322 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: or the home run, you got a nice trunk of money. 323 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: Even if you sat on the bench, they gave you something. 324 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: It's like thirty bucks worth of money just by being 325 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: on the winning team. So you have these bonuses that 326 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: you made too. So it's weird to me, like people 327 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: are getting paid pretty well and they're getting these bonuses. 328 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: You've really got to be incentivized. If, like you had 329 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: heard there were gangsters trying to get people to throw games, right, yeah, 330 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: I was kind of surprised that you're getting paid, as 331 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: why would people even want to do it. Gambling is 332 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: a big part of the culture there too, so well, right, 333 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: it just things happened one night after a game, you 334 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: are approached by a buddy. He wants to go sing 335 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: at a karaoke bar, which is a pretty regular thing 336 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,119 Speaker 1: because that's a big part of the culture there in Taiwan. 337 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: They love to sing. There's karaoke bars everywhere. I mean, 338 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: like I mean in the building. There might be three 339 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: different businesses in one building. You look down the street 340 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: used to down the road, you see four or five 341 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: of these things, so they're big. I was asked numerous 342 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: times by friends that I got to know their teammate, 343 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: the Taiwanese people who often want to bring me because 344 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: I could sing the American song. I sung them terribly, 345 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: but they told me I was good. We we need 346 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: your go to karaoke song on Well, first of all, 347 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: I tell my boy can't sing. I'm terrible. Only time 348 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: I can sing if I'm drunk. I mean, I'll tell 349 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: you about within a second, there's a glass of full 350 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: whiskey right in front of my face. So that's another 351 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: part of the culture there too. But my go to 352 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: song was Come Together by the Beatles? How did you 353 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: end up with Come Together by the Beatles? I gotta 354 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: go to karaoke song too. It's I want to be 355 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: sedated by the Ramones, which is basically how people feel 356 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: when they hear me sing I like that song. By 357 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: the way, I was one singing karaoke in a bar 358 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: and the bartender asked one of the people I was 359 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: with to make sure that I didn't do it again 360 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: to story, So I didn't sing good, but they kept 361 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: telling me, and they kept asking me to sing more 362 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: and more. All right, so you get invited to go 363 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: to this karaoke bar by someone you know that's on 364 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: the team. Yeah, he was a guy that worked. He 365 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: was a young kid that worked through the team. I 366 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: like the kid a lot. We often did a lot 367 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: of things together, so it was no big deal for 368 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: him to say, I know some people that want to 369 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: take us out to the KTV tonight. It's all right, 370 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: let's go do it. You know. We go in there 371 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: and we know most of the people people I've seen 372 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: before this or that. We drink, we sing, we eat, 373 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: they bring lots of food in and it's a good time. 374 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: So I thought, Hey, no big deal, done it. Before 375 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: we go as usual, were going a place it's entai 376 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: Kai I know, I remember I basically I think we went. 377 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: I was like on the ten force, so it was 378 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: kind of a little bit taller of the building and 379 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: all those buildings are It's like being in New York City. 380 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: Everywhere it's like just a densely populated place. So anyways, 381 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 1: we walk in the place and normally when we go 382 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: would be like five the six guys that most you know, 383 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: something left laying there. I bet there's like fifteen, maybe 384 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:23,679 Speaker 1: twenty people, and so there before the room was bigger 385 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: than normal, and I walked in. At first I wasn't 386 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: really looking there, but I didn't really recognize anybody, which 387 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,400 Speaker 1: is like, oh wow, a lot of people I don't know. 388 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: Maybe some friends of mine who I will know might 389 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 1: come later or something. So me and my buddy we 390 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: sit down and have a few drinks and listen to 391 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: the music. And then this Taiwan easy lady approached me. 392 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: And she came up and, speaking in English, asked me 393 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: my name. So I told her my name, says what 394 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: are you doing here? I want I'm a baseball player, okay, 395 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: and then just making some little talk. After about a 396 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: few minutes or so wherever it was, then she is 397 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: asking me and then this is where I knew gambling 398 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 1: was for sure going on. She goes done, do you 399 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: know what the untruthed game is, and uh, I just 400 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: kind of looked down, and I mean I immediately knew 401 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: what she was getting at, the untruth game, the faith game, 402 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: the fixing of baseball games. So I'm just sitting there thinking, 403 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: and she's asked me, would you like we can somehow? 404 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 1: She said some would you like to do that with 405 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: our group? Have you ever heard of the phrase the 406 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: untruth game before? At that point I might have, but 407 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: when she said it, I knew exactly what she was 408 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 1: getting at. I'm trying to think, now, how am I 409 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,360 Speaker 1: gonna get out of here? Now? Now? As I kind 410 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 1: of looked lift my eyes up and I'm scanning the room, 411 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: I'm realizing these guys are gangsters. Here's right in the 412 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: middle of the whole room is the big the Big 413 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: Boss himself kind of surrounded with some kind of looking guys, 414 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: you know, but you kind of picture in your mind. 415 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: So I'm thinking, man, So she looks, oh, you're looking 416 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 1: so sad, like, Oh no, no, I'm fine. So, hey, 417 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: do you see that girl over there? She points across 418 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: the room. Do you think she's cute? Well, yeah, sure, 419 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: she's cute, just you can have her. Oh okay, then 420 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: I go, you know what, I don't think I'm gonna 421 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: be able to do this. No, just here's what we 422 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: got it, here's what we do. They told me that 423 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,919 Speaker 1: they'll give you ten thousand dollars right now just to 424 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: think about it. And I'm going no, no, I you 425 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: know it, I'm not gonna do this. Go do you 426 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: see that girl over there, that other one? Yeah, you 427 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: can have her too, and there. Tell me we can 428 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: make a lot of money doing this. So I finally said, 429 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: you know it. Go tell the boss. They can bet 430 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: on me to win all they want. But no, I'm 431 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 1: not throwing any games. Tell him no, are you sure? Like? Yeah, 432 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: tell him no right now, because now you know if 433 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: you never you don't do this, you'll never win a game. 434 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: Here again, I said, go ahead, that's fine. So she 435 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: walks off. Fifteen feet away. She goes up to the 436 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: big boss, and she tells him what I said, because 437 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: then so that she has done talking, his head turned 438 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: and met my eye immediately, and he didn't look too 439 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,880 Speaker 1: happy with it. About a couple of seconds he stands 440 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: up and so he yells out loudly in the whole 441 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: place something in Chinese. I and understand it, but like 442 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: then a second or two. The music stopped. It was 443 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: dead silent, and then I guess they're saying, everybody, we're leaving. 444 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: So everybody started standing up and then started making the 445 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 1: way to the door. They come back to me and said, yeah, 446 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:15,719 Speaker 1: you're leaving too. I go, oh, that's right, I'll I'll 447 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: let you guys go. Now let them all leave. The 448 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: off the door and I was gonna say you and 449 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: sneak out of back door. Now I know I'm dealing 450 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: with these gangs. I mean, they pistol with people on 451 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: the heads, and you know they kill people. So I'm like, nah, 452 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: I'll stare. Well, they kind of kind of not grabbed me, 453 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: but they kind of pushed me and shoe me out 454 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,959 Speaker 1: the door. We go and towards an elevator and the oh, brother, 455 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: so maybe I'll wait to be the last one elevator. 456 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: I'll take the stairs down somewhere or something. Not they 457 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: get me on the elevator and I'm the last gay 458 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: in this elevator car. So I means as the door 459 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: shuts right in my face, my back is turned everybody. 460 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: Now I'm getting real nervous. Part I'm getting real nervousness 461 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: is what direction is the elevator gonna go in, it's 462 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: gonna go up or down. If it's gonna go off, 463 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: that's to the roof. I'm getting tossed off the roof. 464 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: My heart was pounding, needless to say, but it's I 465 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: don't know if it's slowed down a little bit. But 466 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: it felt better that we were making our way down 467 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 1: the elevator. Now to go down ten floors took a 468 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: real long time. In my mind, I was literally waiting 469 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: for soa like step something around my neck and choke 470 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: me off from behind and strangle me. We finally make 471 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,719 Speaker 1: it down to the lobby floor, the door, the door opens, 472 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: they got left, I go right. That was when I 473 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: felt like just this great relief. Then I saw the 474 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: guy that Broughatbly there, my buddy. I went up to 475 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: him and I do some some words I won't use 476 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: here on your show, but some of them start with 477 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,679 Speaker 1: the letter up and asked what the blank was going on? 478 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: What is this about? And he and he started apologizing. 479 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 1: He's almost in tears, ready to cry, apologizing, saying he's sorry, sorry, 480 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,920 Speaker 1: says they made me bring you here, and so don't 481 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: you ever have to do that again. I was never 482 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: approached again that season about that stuff at all. Was 483 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: there any moment when that woman approached you and she's like, 484 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: you can have this woman, You can have this woman. 485 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: Just think about it for ten k Was there even 486 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: a second where you're like hesitating, You didn't, you didn't 487 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,639 Speaker 1: oullowed say it, but like, did you run through scenarios 488 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: in your head? No, it was a It was a 489 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: flat not because I was looking. I was upset that 490 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: there could be gambling going on with my teammates or 491 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: or the rest of the players in the league, you know, 492 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: And and I'm glad. I mean, I didn't want to 493 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: do it. And I looked back now and think that, 494 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 1: you know, I couldn't made a lot of money doing it, 495 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 1: but I didn't. I wanted to keep my integrity, you know. Um, 496 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: I didn't want to be a cheater. Um I wanted 497 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: I didn't want to ruin my name and base especially 498 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: after being a major league baseball player, and the last 499 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: major major thing was I didn't want to embarrass have 500 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: my name being an embarrassment with baseball for my son, 501 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: who was a little kid at the time. So I 502 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: had all those things that was just straight out there. 503 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: There's no there's no way I was gonna do it, 504 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 1: don It's such a wild story. I was. So I've 505 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: been thinking about this in the context of why they 506 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: would have preatricy like you. It's one of my favorite 507 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball records is Steve Carlton, the fact that 508 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: he won twenty seven games for Phillies team that won 509 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: fifty nine games. You won fourteen games for a CPBL 510 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: team that won twenty eight games in one season, so 511 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: you were responsible for half of the team's wins and 512 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 1: of their innings pitch for the season. Do you think, 513 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: because you were essentially the workhorse of the league at 514 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: that point, that they saw you as a guy who 515 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: could have more influence on the outcome of these games. Probably? Yeah. 516 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: I mean we're on the last place team. We're a 517 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: bad team. Yeah. We we played a hundred games that 518 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: year and we only won eight. So I won half 519 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,479 Speaker 1: the games. Plus I saved the game that year, So 520 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: I was just consible the wins that year. I think 521 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: I looked back. I think they approached me because we 522 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 1: were last we are losing all the time, and that, 523 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 1: oh well, we're losing anyways, I might as well make 524 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 1: some money doing it. You know, maybe because I was 525 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: a major league maybe I maybe I get pulled off. 526 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,439 Speaker 1: I don't think I could have pulled off either. If 527 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: I wanted to, I would try to rold fall four 528 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: and I fight. I thought it right down the middle 529 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: of the plate, I would try to throw. The game 530 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: would be so obvious that they would just probably arrest 531 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: me right off the field, put me in handcuffs there 532 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: or something, you know, So they must have thought that 533 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: I can pull this off. Now, the funny thing about 534 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: it was they told me I've never won a game. Well, 535 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: my last five games of the season, I had four 536 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,120 Speaker 1: wins and won no decision. So you know, they let 537 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: me be and then you know, I didn't lose any 538 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 1: more games and I played the rest of the year. 539 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: Two years later, after that nineties six season, in Taiwan, 540 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: they formed a second professional baseball league. I joined that one. Now, 541 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: good thing I did that, because when this ninety six 542 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 1: season ended, the gambling stuff came out in the news 543 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: in Taiwan and the fans were deeply hurt. Now not 544 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: only that, but several players in Taiwan got arrested. One 545 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: team had so many guys arrested that they couldn't have 546 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: a team the next year unless unless the other teams 547 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 1: in the league loaned them players for the following season. 548 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: So we moved on, and I moved on into the 549 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: that was called the Taiwan Major League that next year. 550 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 1: Good thing about that was we were a brand new leak, 551 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: so we were cleaned, so we didn't have it again 552 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 1: with the fans that were just truly faithful to the teams. 553 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: I mean there was thousands of thousands of people going 554 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: to games. And then in that following season, after all 555 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: came out in the CPBL, sometimes like a couple of 556 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 1: hundred people would come to a game, so it hurt 557 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: them big time. The fans felt cheated. So I moved 558 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 1: on to the Taiwan Major League. Now, in that next year, 559 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: I was out one time and this one guy again, 560 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: this other guy approached me and they wanted to go out. 561 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: And I was a little suspicious something or other, and 562 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,959 Speaker 1: he came in. HEAs, hey, there's this guy. He wants us. 563 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,439 Speaker 1: He wants me to know if you'll if you'll do 564 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: the storm games. I said no, no, no, and he says, okay, 565 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: Because I had to ask the gangsters all know that 566 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: you won't do it, but they wanted me to ask 567 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 1: you anyways, I said, will you go tell night you 568 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,639 Speaker 1: better mean to win? But none of this. So it 569 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,360 Speaker 1: did come back a couple of years later, and man, 570 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: that's just kind of a sort of why why they 571 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: chose me? Well, they thought maybe I could pull it 572 00:25:58,280 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 1: off or to make a lot of money doing it. 573 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: Were you ever scared after they had approached you and 574 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 1: you said no, Once you get out of the elevator 575 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: and we're back sort of in general life, Yeah, I 576 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: was scared. Yeah, I mean I knew I was in 577 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: a room full of gangsters and I'm telling them no 578 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: that big time in the in that in that karaoke 579 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,199 Speaker 1: room was supposed to be a big celebration of me 580 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: joining force with them to make a lot of money, 581 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: and then and then in their face I tell them no, 582 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: so they don't play nice. So I was. I was 583 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: in fear of my life. I mean, I thought I 584 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: would be throwing off of or killed or or something's 585 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: gonna happen to me. So yeah, I was afraid. And 586 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: I thought, who knows in the next few weeks or 587 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: to come, you know, my suddenly is something gonna get 588 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 1: me out of nowhere, So I was kind of looking 589 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: over my shoulder a little bit, but nothing never did. 590 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: You know, he talked a lot about losing with integrity, 591 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: and I think that's certainly something that people could understand. 592 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 1: But when we're coming off of, you know, the the 593 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,439 Speaker 1: entire Astros scandal, and obviously we haven't really seen that 594 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: play out because we haven't had major league games for 595 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: those players to get food yet. But you know, based 596 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: on the era when you played, I'm sure you had 597 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: guys doctor and the baseball stuff like that. How did 598 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 1: you feel at the time about guys trying to gain 599 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 1: an unfair edge, you know, on the field in terms 600 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: of trying to win, you know, unrelated to the gambling 601 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: side of things. That's when I was playing in major 602 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: leagues or even minor league baseball. I mean, guys are 603 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: trying to stuff the ball up a little bit and 604 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: get a little movement, and some guys that loaded up 605 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: and build a little spit ball here and there. I 606 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: mean getting signed. But I think on the field is fair. 607 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: If there's a runner on second, that's why the catcher 608 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: gives multiple signs because guys to look in and I 609 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: think that's part of the game. But how long is 610 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: the guy in the second base? Is he there long 611 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 1: enough to get the signs and then have time to 612 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: then flash into the batter. Yeah, it happens, but it's hard. 613 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: But if you're sitting there with a TV monitor watching 614 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: every single pitch and you break their codes, you know 615 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: what's coming in. You're banging drumps. That's just that's outside. 616 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: That's using technology and and cheating in that way. You know, 617 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 1: I felt that what the Houston Nationals did were was 618 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: definitely wrong. He said, you're writing the book. I want 619 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: everyone to follow you at Don August thirty eight because 620 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: I feel like they're gonna enjoy more and more stories 621 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 1: from the wild and fabulous world of international baseball. Yeah, 622 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 1: I got the rough book already written out. I'm just 623 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: in the process of ending it clean up with. I mean, 624 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: the guy I'm working with is you know, we're trying 625 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: to get an editor a publisher, which is always the 626 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: hardest part. But you know, I think one of the 627 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,919 Speaker 1: reasons why my son, Hey, let's thro some some stories 628 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,640 Speaker 1: up there. If they're good. This thing kind of does 629 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: a hey cam cam hurts. So yeah, alright, Don August 630 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: at Don August thirty eight. Thank you very much for 631 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: coming on the Favorites. Thank you everybody for listening to 632 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 1: the Favorites. Downloaded from Apple podcasts, from Spotify, from Stitcher, 633 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: anywhere you get your podcast. Rate review, subscribe, unsubscribe, re 634 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: subscribe until next time. I Love you, h