1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome back all the smoke baseball. It's been a Bay 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Area heavy day thus far. All this guy played in 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: the Bay He's from Inglewood World Series Chant. One of 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: the most iconic names in MLB history, is it Tree? 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: Your sister said you look like a character on the 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: cereal box and that's how your name stuck. 7 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, something like that. Well, my grandma used to call 8 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 2: me Cole. Okay, sure, and then yeah, the cereal box 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: came in. You know, you're climbing on your siblings. 10 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, she got you know, one of the stuck for life. 11 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,159 Speaker 2: And it's stuck. Well sort of. It was there and 12 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 2: then it went away, okay, and then it came back. 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: Man, welcome to the show, Coco, Chris Man, I appreciate you. 14 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: See why you guys played the same position similar era. 15 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: What stood out to you about the guy sitting next 16 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: to us today? 17 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, we we played on the same team 18 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 4: for a season as well. 19 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 5: And me and Coke in thirteen. 20 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 4: I played in Oakland, Okay for a season and had 21 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 4: the opportunity to get the know Coke on a personal level. 22 00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 5: We ran the streets just a little bit. 23 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, as you suld Oakland, the streets really good. 24 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 4: It was a good time man. But but as far 25 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 4: as a player, it was the defense. It was the 26 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 4: fact that it was an error. Where in today's game 27 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 4: you have center fielders, but a lot of players are 28 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 4: other positions that they start to put in center fielders. 29 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 4: You've seen shortstops move to center field. In our era, 30 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 4: center fielders were only center fielders. Like it was a 31 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 4: specialized position, and Coke was one of the best at it. 32 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 4: We can talk about guys who can run the ball down. 33 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 4: He was out there in a big outfill in Oakland 34 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 4: running them down with the best of them, all the 35 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 4: center fielders. It's a small fraternity of us, and we 36 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 4: all were connected, and we all admired the art, the 37 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 4: art of the craft and how good one person was 38 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 4: able to do it. And the difference is because he 39 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 4: it's a lot of good center fielders, So he's very 40 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 4: different from Adam Jones, He's very different from Michael barn 41 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 4: very different from Matt Kemp. Like it's a whole bunch 42 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 4: of different ranges of us, but it's still an appreciation 43 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 4: for the craft and Coke was one of the best 44 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 4: to do it. 45 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: Who inspired you and were you always just field? Did 46 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: you start off somewhere else where did the hunger for 47 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: center field come from. 48 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 2: I started off as a shortstop, Okay, yeah, start off 49 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: as a short stop, got drafted as a shortstop, played 50 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: in the minor leagues, and apparently I wasn't good enough 51 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 2: to play in the anfield, so they put me into 52 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: the outfield. And that was a journey. You know. I 53 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: was looking back at it, I thought I was I 54 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 2: was pretty good. And then you start seeing some old 55 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 2: film of yourself and seeing the in game film of yourself. 56 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: You start to realize that it takes a lot to 57 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 2: move to a new position like that, and out field 58 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: is not as easy as people think. So I had 59 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: a lot of learning to do being out there in outfield. 60 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: I knew I wanted to be in center field, though 61 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 2: I knew I didn't want to be on the corner, 62 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 2: you know, the best guys sort of, you know, in 63 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 2: the center field or the captain of the field. So 64 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 2: I was like, I just got work to get there. 65 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: Mm hm, you're obviously still are you still tapped into 66 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: the game today? I know you do some announcing, and 67 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: I did. 68 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: I was announcing for a little bit for Oakland, and 69 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 2: then it was was it the MLB Draft League. I 70 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 2: managed there for a little bit and Washington Nationals out 71 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 2: feel based running minor league base run coordinator for them. However, 72 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 2: right now I am a little league coach, so I'm 73 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 2: still tapped in the game. Yeah, just on a personal 74 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 2: le want to I want to. 75 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: I want to get to that because I'm I'm a 76 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: dad coach too. But why I ask was? I mean, 77 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: I'm nine years removed, you're ten years removed. What have 78 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: you seen as far as the change in the game 79 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 1: since you've stepped away from MLB. 80 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 2: Well, just I guess throughout my career is just that 81 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: amount of games as far as kids go, just on 82 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 2: the pro leg well, I mean just the rule changes 83 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 2: and everything like that. The dynamic I think when I 84 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: when I was coming up, when I was playing, it 85 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: was more veteran rookie type of presence. And it's there 86 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 2: are minor leagues, big leagues, like you don't go to 87 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: the big league side if you're in the minor league. 88 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 2: So there's a lot of separation involved, which personally, I like, 89 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: you know, I like, yeah, had to work, I had 90 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 2: to earn it. I had to have the right to 91 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: go over into the big League cage and when I 92 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 2: made it over there, it felt good. Nowadays it's a 93 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: lot more flexibility in there, and there are some good 94 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: things to that as well, like the rookie hazen how 95 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: hard the veterans were on you. I think there's the 96 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 2: too soft and maybe the too hard, and may bridge 97 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: both of them, the new and the old. It can 98 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 2: be a little soft towards the end of my career 99 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 2: a little bit with people getting taking things a little 100 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 2: too personal. But I do think that when a guy 101 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 2: first comes up, to make him feel extremely uncomfortable is 102 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 2: going to hinder his performance. You want to win. So 103 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 2: there could be some still veteran presence and rookie but 104 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 2: there has been a change as far as like the 105 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: pimping home runs and a lot of the things that 106 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 2: the young young people like to do and emulate. Now 107 00:04:55,680 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: that that's kind of like, you know, I was like, 108 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: that's that's rough the watch. 109 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: It's crazy because we're all in a similar position that 110 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: like when you say older, that's who we are. But 111 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: it just feels like yesterday we were the young, like 112 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: looking to see what's happening when you say old head, 113 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: like what what comes to mind? 114 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: Just retired, I mean and soul. I'm still I'm still 115 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: out there just showing people how to steal bases and 116 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 2: moving and racing people and racing people. 117 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, but they fifteen, So okay, that's the hardest market. 118 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: They be talking so much ship to these kids be 119 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: talking so much ship. 120 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 2: Bro. 121 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 3: My kids don't even call me dad. 122 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: They call me og like shut your punks. 123 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, my kids called me. I'm like, bro, I'm your dad. 124 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 3: What are you talking about? 125 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: But coaching? Coaching your kids in little league? I mean, 126 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,359 Speaker 1: how what kind of George does that bring you? 127 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 2: A lot? You know, it's a learning experience for myself. 128 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 2: Coaching other kids can be a little easier at times 129 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: than your own. Even each person has the individual identity personality, 130 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: and you learn over the years how to tailor your 131 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 2: coaching towards them and still be yourself and coach with 132 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 2: your child, your dad, and to separate that dad in 133 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 2: the household to on the field coach. It could be 134 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 2: a little challenging. I'm very grateful for my two youngest 135 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: and my older ones as well. Then though they're out 136 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 2: the game, my two youngest are still in it that 137 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 2: they accept my input still and they well I hear 138 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: from other dads is like, hey, they're going to stop. 139 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 2: It hasn't yet, so I'm still grateful for that. 140 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 3: I still got my kids here. There's seventeen. 141 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: I keep hearing that too, But hopefully, I just think 142 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: it's all about the way you present it and how 143 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: you know when it's dad time and when it's coach 144 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: time or different times, and just understanding, like putting yourself 145 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: back in their shoes. Like I would have loved to 146 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: have my dad coach. He just didn't coach. So I 147 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: think there's certain ways to do it. But your la 148 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: roots they run deep. Pop had a quickly split spot. 149 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 1: Mom was an athlete. Assist was an athlete. Take the 150 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: picture of your upbringing. 151 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 3: Grew up in. 152 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 2: Anglewood, California during you know, the nineties. It was it 153 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: was hot, you know, it was I was trying to 154 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 2: survive out there. Learning how to walk the streets was 155 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 2: a little a little different, you know. But I'm very 156 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: grateful for for my parents and how they allowed me 157 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 2: to focus my energy into into sports and they're there 158 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 2: every single game. The quick and split part of it 159 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 2: was nice. It gave us that that kind of uh, 160 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 2: not rich and not poor can survive, can still get 161 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 2: bad and gloves if I needed type of thing. So 162 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 2: I'm very grateful for the time that my parents spent, 163 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: uh financial burden that my sister for sure put on 164 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 2: them because the ice skating nights, you know, and and 165 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 2: the thing about her, I was just speak on her 166 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 2: real quick because she was a better athlete than I was. 167 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 2: You know, she was extremely talented, and she ended up 168 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 2: breaking her ankle during I forget it is I forget 169 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: the name of nationals uh. And it just went southward 170 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 2: after that, you know, and I kept going. But she 171 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 2: could have easily been been the one, but Doug breeding. 172 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 2: You know, I'm very grateful. You know, even the environment 173 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 2: that that I was raised in, UH, it was still 174 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 2: very safe paved towards UH specific goal, and that's to 175 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: enjoy basically the game that we wanted to do, whether 176 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 2: it was my sister in ice skating or myself in baseball. 177 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 2: Pretty it's pretty simple and basic for the most part, 178 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 2: just surviving the inglewood thing in the nineties. 179 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: You still got your inglewood curly top though, talking about it, Yeah, 180 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: I know, right, so that's. 181 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 3: Good, But that's what it was. 182 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: That was that was that was the look of the 183 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 1: ninety I remember we came to u C. L A 184 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: and everyone had the edge uth curly top that was 185 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: the l A. Look what does baseball represent for LA? 186 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: And then a kind of a two part question, guys, 187 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: did you play against any guys that ended up going pro? 188 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: And who were some of the guys you looked up to? 189 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: Because LA was a hotbed back of the day for baseball. 190 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean we had There was a lot of 191 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: talented kids in my little league. About six or seven 192 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 2: of us made it to the minor leagues. A few 193 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 2: guys that are underneath me. Brian Barden younger than me. 194 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: Brian Barden, he made it to the big leagues. Brandon 195 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 2: Watson was like a year younger than me, made it. 196 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 2: Samsung's yeah, made it to the big leagues. We're all 197 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 2: in the same little league. And then there was guys 198 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: that were better than all of us. Talk about being 199 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 2: in Inglewood. They chose different life, but just so talented, 200 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 2: so fastless crazy arm, speed and strength, hitting home runs 201 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 2: left and right. But it was it was a lot 202 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 2: of a lot of talent and the inner city playing 203 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 2: baseball back in those days. I don't see it as 204 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 2: much as as I used to, which is unfortunate. And 205 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 2: hopefully with see why and some of the things that 206 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 2: you guys are doing and that I hear about, you 207 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 2: guys are able to bring it back and revitalize baseball 208 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 2: and the inner city Because I played for RBI as 209 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: well during those times, which was a big key to 210 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: a lot of our successes as young black men in Englewood. Yeah, 211 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 2: those programs are huge. 212 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 5: I played. 213 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 4: I played RBI as well living in Houston. It wasn't 214 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 4: my main avenue for baseball, but just the fact that 215 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 4: it could fill those gaps for us, Like you have 216 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 4: to play the other things now as well, you have 217 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 4: to play club ball to an extent now, but having 218 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 4: an inner city baseball program is huge just to go 219 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 4: out there and get exposure. But as I'm thinking about that, 220 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 4: as I talked to a lot of young players, players 221 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 4: want to know the secret of how do you make 222 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 4: it from high school. 223 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 2: Or youth to the big leagues. 224 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 4: And I literally tell them, if I talk to ten 225 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 4: different big league guys, it's ten different stories and everybody's 226 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 4: path is so different, and I want you to dig into. 227 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 5: Your path a little bit. 228 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 4: Because you went to four different high schools like you 229 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 4: you bounced around a lot at the younger level. What 230 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 4: was that challenge for you and how did that prep 231 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 4: you for pro ball when that came around. 232 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, So it's my dad on quick and split. So 233 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 2: I went to Peninsula High School. But I was we're 234 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 2: in We're in my freshman year. So we're in Inglewood 235 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 2: and my dad got robbed. They came down the street. 236 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 2: It was a little shootout and everything like that, and 237 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 2: so we had to move from Inglewood and we moved 238 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: up to Palace Verdices for like they shootout, had a 239 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 2: little shooting, a little shout everything. 240 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 5: But you don't hear me. Little shootouts happened. 241 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. 242 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 6: Yeah. 243 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 2: It was on a Saturday and we had a little 244 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: league game. He picked up Dwight, which was our catcher 245 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,839 Speaker 2: little league catcher. Because my dad would always go pick 246 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 2: up other people that that couldn't get a rise. Pretty amazing, uh, 247 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 2: my father and doing those type of things. And they're 248 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 2: going into the garage at our apartment building in Inglewood. 249 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 5: On King K. 250 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 2: And they just I was, I was upstairs in the 251 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 2: apartment and they're down about to come up. They're getting 252 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 2: some baseball gear out the garage to put in the 253 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 2: trunk and they just came up on him. He had 254 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 2: just made his run because my dad didn't have it's 255 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 2: a family owned business, so you don't have armored cars 256 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 2: coming to pick up your cash. Like they get it 257 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 2: themselves and have delivered it to the bank anyway. So 258 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 2: he's got the money on him and they driving down 259 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 2: or they came down the street and they had the 260 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: guns out. I didn't see it. This is just all 261 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 2: what I was told. And they told him to get 262 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 2: into the garage, and they weren't going in the garage 263 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 2: luckily Dwight. And he's young, he's like twelve. I'm like eleven. 264 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,680 Speaker 2: He was one year older than me. He actually kicked 265 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 2: the hub cap of the car and it distracted him, 266 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 2: just took off running and he's zig zagging up and 267 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 2: down the up and down the street, and uh, you know, 268 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 2: some shots went off and you know, everybody survived. Everybody 269 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 2: was good. We kept all the money, you know, and 270 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 2: then we went and played a little league baseball game. 271 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 2: We won, you know, so you know, shout out to Dwight. 272 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 5: So from now you bounce around. 273 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: Bounce around. So Peninsula High School. That didn't really work 274 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 2: out for me. Out there Academically, it was much different 275 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 2: than I was used to. Culture and everything like. That 276 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 2: was a struggle for me. I wasn't prepared for it. 277 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 2: I came back into Westchester High School, didn't really do 278 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 2: the whole coaching. The coaches there they weren't terrible, it 279 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 2: just wasn't the right fit. So they went over the 280 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 2: same Burner's where my son goes right now. And I 281 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 2: got an F N and Spanish class, which is crazy. 282 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: I think I deserved a D. 283 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 3: But it's okay. 284 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 2: But all my other grades are great. I had all 285 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 2: a's and b's Spanish class anyway, so you can't play. 286 00:13:58,880 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 2: It's a Catholic school. 287 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 5: You can't playing. 288 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 3: They don't play with that with an F, you know. 289 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 2: So then I had a Swisch schools. I end up 290 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 2: going over Anglewood High School and playing with Hirassu Americs 291 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 2: who made it to the big leagues. We had a 292 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 2: good year. So that was my fourth high school. That 293 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 2: was my path. The good thing about that is I 294 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 2: met a lot of people, a lot of different personalities. 295 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 2: Peninsula High School. That was all new to me, going 296 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 2: from black to the kind of white type of thing 297 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 2: you know in the water. So I learned a lot, 298 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 2: you know, and that helped me within in the game 299 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 2: of baseball, being able to communicate with whoever's coming in Dominican, Latin, 300 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 2: and you know, all that type of stuff. 301 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 4: They end up getting drafted from the seventh round by 302 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 4: the Cardinals. How did that prep you for the transition 303 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 4: to the miners, Because the miners, for a lot of people, 304 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 4: it's a shock. 305 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 3: Bro. 306 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 4: When I was young, I thought, you get drafted and 307 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 4: you go to pro ball, and it's just this glamorous lifestyle. 308 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 4: It's about to be dope, is. 309 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 3: The ships and what I've seen on movies. 310 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 4: But you don't know that at the time. You don't 311 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 4: know that at the time. What would the transition like 312 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 4: you So. 313 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 2: I didn't have much knowledge about the minor league system 314 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 2: at all. Anyway, I thought I was going straight to 315 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 2: the big leagues, even at even at eighteen, like you know, 316 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 2: it was. It was crazy. I just didn't know that. 317 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 2: I was just playing the game of baseball that I loved, 318 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 2: and you know, then I got attention. So I had 319 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 2: came from Southern University and I ended up transferring to 320 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 2: Pierce College. Uh, and then I ended up getting drafted 321 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 2: out of there because I ended up in What happened 322 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 2: was I ended up in the wood Back League after 323 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 2: my first year of college and where I in high school, 324 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: I had no scouts, nobody looking at me right, sent 325 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 2: my tapes out to different colleges. VHA, what were your 326 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 2: senior y ninety seven? Yeah, I sent out my tapes 327 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 2: and nothing. Coach Kernard gave me a chance out of 328 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 2: Southern So I went out there legend yep, YEP, gave 329 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 2: me a chance, went out there red shirted because all 330 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 2: those transcripts from every place they didn't come in in time, 331 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 2: so I had to read shirt my first year. I 332 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 2: came back in. I played in the wood Back League 333 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 2: and I didn't get out. I mean I hit inside 334 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 2: the park home run, triple, double single, but literally didn't 335 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 2: get out. Daryl Miller he saw me over there. He 336 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 2: pulled me along the side, and then Riggie's brother, Ye, 337 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 2: Daryl Miller, he signed me too, but I'm enrolled in 338 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 2: a four year at the time, like I said, I 339 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 2: didn't even know there was a big minor league system. 340 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 2: So he signed me to a minor league deal, free 341 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 2: agent deal, ten thousand dollars, which I got to keep. 342 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 2: But he didn't take his cut. I got to keep it. 343 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 2: They had to avoid out that contract because I was 344 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: still enrolled as a non I wasn't twenty one, and 345 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 2: I was still in the university so my junior year, 346 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 2: I was my freshman year, so they had avoid out 347 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 2: that contract. Now all of a sudden, where no college 348 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: wanted me, now, all of a sudden, who did Darren 349 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 2: Miller tried to draft illegally, which it wasn't like that, 350 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 2: it was just nobody really knew. My parents didn't know. 351 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 2: We didn't give him the information that was needed. Maybe 352 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 2: he didn't ask the questions that was needed. I don't know. 353 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 2: But then I end up transferring to Pierce because now everybody. 354 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 3: Wanted to see up Pierce south of the Valley. 355 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 2: And then I do the same thing that I've done 356 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 2: everywhere else, hit over four hundred stone base and home runs. 357 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 2: And now I get drafted, and I get drafted in 358 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: the seventh round by the Cardinals. 359 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 4: And then then pro ball, you get traded to the Indians. 360 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:24,719 Speaker 4: At the time, they weren't the Guardians. 361 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 2: They were the Indians. 362 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 4: Back end of that good run that they had as 363 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 4: the Indians, who were the guys that were still there 364 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 4: the superstar players that were still there though too. 365 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 2: Marvis Scale, Yeah, Jim Tom, which is the nicest guy 366 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 2: him and Sean Casey, right, but Jim Tom is one 367 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 2: of the. 368 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: Nice nice guy He's one of the nicest, nicest, but 369 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: he's biggest ship. 370 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,120 Speaker 3: He's a big, big dude. 371 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 2: Ellis Burks, you know, he wasn't playing. He still wars 372 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 2: Risbrands and suited up. It was about getting the game. 373 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 2: Terry Mahollan on the pitching side, Travis Fryman, Wow, gosh, 374 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:07,120 Speaker 2: I could run through. Matt Lawton was there. But yeah, 375 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 2: there's a lot of people that were still there, that 376 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 2: Hall of Fame kind of caliber people that I was 377 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 2: able to learn from as a rookie. 378 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 4: And as you're finding your way. We all every player 379 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 4: had that one season, that breakout season, that big one 380 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 4: for you was in four What clicked for you that 381 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 4: season if you can, if you can back that far. 382 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 2: For me, I think it happened that the part where 383 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 2: things clicked in two thousand and one for me, that 384 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 2: was in the minor leagues. But I'll talk about the 385 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 2: two thousand and four season. Touch on that if you want. 386 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 2: But in two thousand and four, it was Luis Garci myself. 387 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 2: We had got traded over to the Indians together, and 388 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 2: I was supposed to be on the bench and he 389 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 2: was supposed to start this game. And they're going to 390 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 2: make a decision whether or not or who they were 391 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,359 Speaker 2: gonna because somebody was coming off the d L, who 392 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 2: they were going to send down and who they were 393 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 2: going to keep up. Between us two, we both were 394 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 2: doing crappy, you know, like hitting two twenty at the 395 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 2: time because we're not we used to starting it off 396 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 2: the bens. Being young, you have to learn that actually, 397 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 2: So he ended up scratching that game. He was sick, 398 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 2: something happened. I don't know when I got to start. 399 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 2: I ended up going forward for that game and he 400 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 2: got sent down. So from from that moment, I just 401 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 2: ended up playing every day and playing every day. What 402 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 2: had clicked in and twenty two thousand and one I 403 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 2: just translated up there. I think one of the biggest 404 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 2: things that I learned early on is once Troy Percival 405 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,880 Speaker 2: was my first strikeout, and it was meeting power with power. 406 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 3: So he threw too. 407 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we're Anaheim and he was my first strikeout. 408 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: So I learned from that one that I was overswinging 409 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 2: and just kind of stay within myself and I took 410 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 2: that with what I had in two thousand and one 411 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 2: and just kind of went along with who I was. 412 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 5: Was Was he there then? C? 413 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was his second year. 414 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 5: What do you remember about that? 415 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 4: How many how many brothers was in the clubhouse when 416 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 4: when you went over to Cleveland? 417 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: Oh, I don't even know. Ellis low Dog wasn't there yet. 418 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 2: That's Matt Lawton CC. 419 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 5: He was just the young guy. 420 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 2: Though he was the young guy, but he was CC. 421 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 2: He was still CC. He was still C. 422 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 3: What that means to the fans that don't know he 423 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 3: was still c C as a youngster, he was. 424 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 2: The guy he's I mean, he's the prodigy. He's the 425 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 2: guy in the minor leagues that's gonna come up and 426 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 2: is a no doubter, gonna be a superstar. And then 427 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 2: what happens after that Hall of Famer is to be 428 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 2: seen as we see. But it was a no doubter 429 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 2: or that he's the guy that's gonna come up there 430 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 2: throw one hundred miles prior on the hundreds pits of 431 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: the game, you know, so, but he was up there. 432 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:07,959 Speaker 2: He actually Ellis Burks was supposed to buy me my 433 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 2: first suit in the Big league, but he kept procrastinating, 434 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 2: you know. So see he ended up taking me out 435 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 2: as a second year guy and actually bought me my 436 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 2: first big league super uh No, only a couple of 437 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,479 Speaker 2: years in the league, a couple of years and doing 438 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: it early. And I never wanted already that guy big money, 439 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 2: big money. 440 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 4: I want to We'll continue on the baseball side, but 441 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 4: just on the personal side. What I remember of you 442 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 4: as the personality of who Coco Chris was. We called 443 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 4: you Coe Belly at the time before you changed your name, 444 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 4: But I remember you were the guy that as far 445 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 4: as a baseball player, you saw this with NBA guys 446 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 4: all the time. You saw this with NFL guys all 447 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 4: the time. Coche, you had two rolls. 448 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 3: Royce's boy was living. 449 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 5: Did you have two one? 450 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 2: I have one? 451 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 5: Just one? 452 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 2: I want? 453 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 4: Yeah, Rose Royce, like you was tied into the LA scene. 454 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 4: You knew all the people at the time. It's like 455 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 4: you were the guy in baseball that still lived somewhat 456 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 4: of a Hollywood style lifestyle, and I feel like you 457 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 4: had all the connections to Hollywood at the time. How 458 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 4: did you get those connections and how much did you 459 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 4: want to bring that lifestyle into being a baseball player. 460 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 2: So so yeah, yeah, yeah, good old days. Yeah, party hard, 461 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 2: play hard. Right, This is how did I get those connections. 462 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 2: So how I got that connection was I was out 463 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 2: at I forget what club was in Hollywood on one 464 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 2: night and it was my cousin's birthday, Big Rob, and 465 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 2: I was like, let's, you know, let's have fun. You know, 466 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 2: this is a credit card, you know, let's have some fun. 467 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 2: We had way too much fun, and not to my knowledge, 468 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 2: like when I got that bill, I could have bought 469 00:22:59,320 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 2: another rose. 470 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 3: Oh I was hot that it hurts. 471 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 2: I was hot. I mean you got champagne flying everywhere. 472 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, cool, this is fun. I'm having a 473 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 2: good time. But man, yeah, so that's how I got known. 474 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 2: Because now all the don't don't don't do this to 475 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,239 Speaker 2: get known. This is an accident, okay, But now all 476 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 2: the promoters or club promoters, they're like, hey, this guy 477 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 2: is spending all kinds of money. Let's make sure that 478 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: he gets in, he gets a table. So it was 479 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 2: a good thing. Is from a good thing. You know, 480 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 2: we had a lot of fun that night. But that's 481 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 2: how That's how it ended up happening to where it 482 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 2: was like over the top where people call me and 483 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 2: then I have their numbers. I'm like, yo, we're coming, 484 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 2: and then we're in like but it was from that 485 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 2: it was stupid. 486 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 3: It was, oh, what. 487 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,680 Speaker 2: A waste of money. I'm talking about Okay, some thousands, 488 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 2: but guys, dog, you put some zeros on that. I 489 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 2: was confus used. 490 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,119 Speaker 5: You know what this sounds like. This sounds like the person. 491 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 3: Who's into uh. 492 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 4: Free climbing or going out their skiing all the time, 493 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 4: and then they go out there and break their leg 494 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 4: and they can't wait. 495 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 5: To get on the slopes again because you didn't stop. 496 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:15,719 Speaker 5: I didn't stop going out. 497 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 2: I did not stop going out. That is very true. 498 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 2: But I didn't have that that was happening. It was 499 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,439 Speaker 2: you know, it was happening, but not like that. Oh 500 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 2: we had to get that there. 501 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,880 Speaker 4: We'll we'll get back to the baseball side. The time 502 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 4: in Boston set the same for us. They Johnny Leeves 503 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 4: from New York. You step into those shoes in Boston, 504 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 4: y'all had a y'all had a really good run for 505 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 4: a couple of years that you were there. Tell us 506 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 4: about the transition to Boston and your experience there. 507 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 2: Well, coming from Cleveland, so it's a smaller market than 508 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 2: a New York or Boston, so there was a huge 509 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 2: transition with learning that lifestyle versus being in Cleveland playing 510 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 2: the game. You go out, they got one street that's 511 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 2: a night life you know, sixth Street or ninth Street. 512 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 2: Talk about nightlife again, right, but there's like one streets. 513 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 2: You go there, it's like four or five bars, maybe 514 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 2: three on one side, three on the other type thing that. 515 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 3: Are good, that approved. 516 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 2: And then you go to Boston and everybody knows everything 517 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 2: about the team, the history of the team, uh, how 518 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 2: the team's supposed to be playing, how you're supposed to 519 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 2: be playing, how all your kids' names, mama names. They 520 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:38,879 Speaker 2: know everything, right, So that was an adjustment that that 521 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 2: I end up welcoming over time you sit down to 522 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 2: eat and people are coming up to you. I'm I'm 523 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 2: not on social media or anything. I'm more of a. 524 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 3: You're not because I look for you the other day. 525 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, yeah, but go out and stuff 526 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 2: like that, but you know, kind of low key sort of. 527 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 2: So that was an adjust just being out and about 528 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 2: in that city. Playing for the team. Baseball is baseball. 529 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 2: The Johnny Damon filling his shoes. I mean Johnny Damon's 530 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 2: obviously had the long hair, he had the iconic everything 531 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 2: going on. I'm coming in with just a name, so 532 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 2: I'm just like, who's this guy coming in? This young 533 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 2: guy coming in to fill johnny shoes? So for me, 534 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 2: I didn't feel no pressure doing that. I was just 535 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 2: gonna come in and play. So unfortunate that early on 536 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 2: it is probably like the first week or something like that, 537 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 2: I ain't a breaking my finger this one right here, 538 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 2: and then that hindered me because I played with a 539 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: broken finger. So I wasn't able to give the city 540 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 2: the healthy version of me, which was tough. But I 541 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,879 Speaker 2: did enjoy Boston. I enjoyed the fan base there. I 542 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 2: enjoyed learning them from Cleveland, learning how to move in 543 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:52,640 Speaker 2: that sitting circle, and then going to Boston and learn 544 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 2: how to play in a big market. 545 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,679 Speaker 4: What's the difference of the Boss experience because you hear 546 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,239 Speaker 4: players speak very differently about their experience in Boston with 547 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 4: the expectations that come with it, especially coming from Cleveland. 548 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 4: You get two thousand and seven, I mean, you leave 549 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 4: off plans center field. That's a lot of responsibility that's 550 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 4: put on you. What was your personal experience of with 551 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 4: the Boston fan base and plan with the organization that 552 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 4: had that much history history. 553 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 2: I guess I was just dumb. I don't know. I 554 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 2: didn't put any pressure on myself. I just went out 555 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: there and tried to be myself. I think that's the 556 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 2: way that I did it everywhere. And I just went 557 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 2: out there and just tried to be who I was 558 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 2: as a human being and as a baseball player, and 559 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 2: the fans liked me. I didn't perform for them, is 560 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,120 Speaker 2: I wish I could have during that time, but they 561 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 2: still showed me love, like they didn't show me any hate. 562 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 2: And I hear guys have the opposite kind of affection 563 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 2: shown to them, and for me, it was nothing belove. 564 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 2: I think what also helped was the fight when I 565 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,479 Speaker 2: got into the Boston you know, for some reason, they 566 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 2: really embraced me. They didn't they they say they were 567 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 2: embracing me, right, and they weren't dogging me for hitting 568 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 2: two sixty or whatever the heck I hit there. 569 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:14,640 Speaker 3: But after that. 570 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 2: Fight, it's like they loved me, you know, And it 571 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 2: wasn't the intention to get into a fight for love. 572 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 2: But you. 573 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 4: Never had something, never had that back down in you, like, 574 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 4: take us through that moment, relived that moment with us 575 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 4: to see it. 576 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 3: I know, we talk us through this. 577 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 2: Is it true? 578 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 6: Your dad was the boxer back in the day. 579 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, my dad. 580 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 4: So yeah, hold on, pauses, why were you so pissed? 581 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 4: Is there any history of that? You tell us the 582 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 4: whole paint the whole picture for us. 583 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 3: Yeah. 584 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 2: So, so the game before this one, I got on 585 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 2: first base and I stole second, or I was intending 586 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 2: to still, so I slow second and Jason Bartlett, he 587 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 2: was playing shortstop for the Rays, and he dropped his 588 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 2: knee in front of the bag and I'm sliding in 589 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 2: head first. So I'm like, I said really nicely. I 590 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 2: was really nice. I was like, dude, like, don't do that. 591 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 2: That's not nice, right, It's exact words. 592 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 5: Like yeah, exactly. 593 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 2: But he didn't say nothing back to me, and so 594 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 2: I kept saying nice words to him. And then and 595 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 2: I was like, okay, next time, I get on in 596 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 2: my mind, so I'm oh, in my mind, I'm gonna 597 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 2: still again. So I don't care how I get on 598 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 2: walk hit by pitch and I don't even get hit 599 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 2: by pitches and could be in a switch here and all, 600 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 2: and so I ended up getting on. So now in 601 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:50,960 Speaker 2: my mind, I am seeing red. I I'm not sliding. 602 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 2: I'm glad that this ended up happening, to describe it. 603 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 2: But if he would have covered the bag, he didn't, 604 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 2: and it was a similar situation score all that stuff, 605 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 2: So he's spposed to be covering. But I was just 606 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 2: gonna run at him, tackle him like full on. That's 607 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 2: where I was. And it's crazy. Glad it didn't happen, 608 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 2: because this has been disastrous. But I was just gonna 609 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 2: tackle him. Then, you know, everybody, whatever happens, I've been 610 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 2: happening right, That's where I was. But then he had 611 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 2: even more cover And I'm grateful for Bartler for doing 612 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 2: that because it actually saved me, but even more covered. 613 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 2: He was playing second base for the Rays and ended 614 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 2: up being a teammate later on on with me in Oakland. Uh, 615 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 2: And I was still furious, but now I dimmed that 616 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 2: way down. I slid in the second base hard. I 617 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 2: could have been safe, but I was. That wasn't my intention. 618 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 2: My intention was to do harm, which was terrible, you know, 619 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 2: looking back at it, because it's just the truth, competitiveness, 620 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 2: the truth. Because I was like, you try to hurt me, 621 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 2: I'm gonna hurt you. Back to attack anyway. So after that, 622 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 2: Madden comes out and starts japping at Terry Francona and 623 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 2: Tito and and so I get up on. 624 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 3: Top steps so don't talk to him. 625 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,080 Speaker 2: He talked to me, you know, he didn't have and 626 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 2: to deal with it. And now I point at the shortstop. 627 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 2: I was like getting the so we're chirping. Then he 628 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 2: walks back. After the game, get the interviews and they say, 629 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 2: you get hit by pitch yeada YadA. I said, hey, 630 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 2: well things have to be tacked for tactic, you know whatever. 631 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 2: I sitting in an interview. I go up to the 632 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 2: weight room and we both teams work out in the 633 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 2: same weight room, and uh, Carlos Pain is up there 634 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 2: and we're teammates as well, and he's like, Poppy, what 635 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 2: are you doing? They gonna hit you with the ball 636 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 2: like in his accident. I can't go too deep into it, 637 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 2: but he's like, they're gonna hit you with the ball tomorrow. 638 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 2: I was like, all right, this is what is you know, 639 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 2: and we're close, you know. So he's letting me know 640 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 2: what's gonna happen. So I call my dad. My mom 641 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 2: says I called her, but I still believe I called 642 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,479 Speaker 2: my dad. I called him. I said, Dad, tune in tomorrow. 643 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 2: They hit me with this pitch, I'm charging the mount. 644 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 2: He's like, all right, make sure you swing first. 645 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 3: I said. 646 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 2: I said, all right, that's I said, that's real. And 647 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 2: so next next day comes and walk into the first 648 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 2: thing I do is walk into Tito's office and I say, hey, 649 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 2: if they hit me with this pitch, I'm gonna charge 650 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 2: the mount. And he was like, okay. That was That 651 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 2: was pretty much it. I just wanted to make sure 652 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 2: that he knew what was about to happen. He can 653 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 2: have somebody ready because I'm about to get kicked out 654 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 2: the game right now. I didn't think this is my 655 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 2: first plate appearance this day. I didn't think that they 656 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 2: were gonna do it. The first plate appearance. I thought 657 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 2: they were gonna hold over my head, you know, and 658 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 2: last that bad I had me thinking. But I'm like, okay. 659 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 2: My instinct is, if you watch it back, is to 660 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 2: get out the way. I'm always trying to get out way. 661 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 2: But I ended up letting it hit me. And now 662 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 2: my dad says, swing first, but you see James Shilds 663 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 2: breaks his hands. There's no way I could swing first. 664 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, baby, duh oh, and then I proceed 665 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 2: to get my butt whooped underneath the pile. Mister Johnny Goumes, 666 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 2: former teammate, come over there with the hammer fist. Carl 667 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 2: Crawford slides in, grabs some braids. 668 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 5: But the counter right there was nice. 669 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I'll take that. It's been a different story 670 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 2: if it got hit. But you know what, the guys 671 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 2: came in there. Sean Casey came in there, real tough. 672 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 2: I end up buying him. He's really in the ww 673 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 2: E or F or whatever it is, and so I 674 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 2: bought him like a poster. And you know, the guys 675 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 2: came in there to have my back a little bit. 676 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 2: But yeah, it was like, hey, part of the game. 677 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 4: But that gets you love with the fan base going 678 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 4: out there fight for your team, and you think about 679 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 4: the guys that in the clubhouse. 680 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 5: You had, Poppy was in there, You was in there. 681 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 4: Manny Pedroia, and then you mentioned Tito at the top, 682 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,480 Speaker 4: like what was that dynamic because I remember Boston it 683 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 4: was just this gretty like it's a completely different identity 684 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 4: to that team than any other team in the league. 685 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 5: What was that identity of that team? 686 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 2: It was just go out there and play, get your 687 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 2: work in. You're supposed to be a big leader. You 688 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 2: find a time to get your own work in. You 689 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 2: go out there and you play the game. 690 00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 6: You know. 691 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 2: It was a real free, free coaching type of atmosphere. Yeah, 692 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 2: we had drills and fly balls and all those things, 693 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 2: especially in the spring training, but we didn't have no 694 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,360 Speaker 2: team stretch. You go out there and you get ready 695 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 2: on your time, be a pro, be a pro. And 696 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 2: you had a lot of guys Manny, Manny. He'll go 697 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,960 Speaker 2: into I went in to do a like a commercial 698 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 2: and he's in there hitting, you know, to talk about 699 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 2: like the the uh, the Kobe Bryant kind of stories 700 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 2: that you hear all the time about him outworking people. 701 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 2: I didn't even know that was a thing. I didn't 702 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:33,759 Speaker 2: know they opened up a baseball field that early to 703 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,560 Speaker 2: let you in there to hit. But every every morning 704 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 2: he'll be in there hitting. Then he'll come back and 705 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 2: hit VP later. But he was always in there hitting. 706 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 2: I mean, that's why he was so successful and made 707 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 2: him him great. But I didn't know that and that 708 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 2: he was doing that every single day. But that was 709 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:53,800 Speaker 2: the That was the atmosphere there, open up the field 710 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 2: to you get what you need to get done, go 711 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 2: out there and kick some butt, you know, play play hard. 712 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 4: Strong personsonalities of teams that you played for. And going 713 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 4: from Boston and getting to Oakland, where I think most 714 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 4: people relate to you as far as being an Oakland 715 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 4: A that fan base there like very special. Not a 716 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 4: lot of people, but the people that are there are 717 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 4: extremely passionate a word extreme passion because they're not there anymore. 718 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 4: About the Oakland A's what was it about Oakland that 719 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 4: really resonated with you when. 720 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 3: You were there? 721 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 2: Well, Ricky Anderson is my favorite ball player, Griffy On, 722 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 2: Ozzie Smith, and Brett Butler surprisingly is in that mixed 723 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 2: you know, bunting hunting. So I learned a lot from 724 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:42,040 Speaker 2: him when he was at the Dodgers or whatever in 725 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 2: bunting and watching the games. But Ricky was still number one, 726 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:47,439 Speaker 2: and I have a lot of family in the Bay Area. 727 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 2: It's where I hit my first home run. In my 728 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:55,240 Speaker 2: entire life out there Sanla Ball, so just the Oakland. 729 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 2: The city of Oakland for me is his family. I've 730 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 2: been out there a lot and it was special. Not 731 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 2: quite like La because that's my home base, but Oakland 732 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 2: was kind of like my second and so to be 733 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 2: out there and to be able to play for that 734 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 2: team and choose to go there was special. Ricky Henderson 735 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,479 Speaker 2: was there. I got a chance to play cards with him, 736 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 2: talk to him, and just hang out with the guy 737 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,320 Speaker 2: who I idolized, which was very special. The fan base 738 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 2: was electric when we were there because we're winning and 739 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 2: everybody has some pretty cool walk up songs, and the 740 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 2: fans would get into where it was bout four rage 741 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:37,760 Speaker 2: or the careless whisper from Josh Reddick or the old crazy, 742 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 2: the old crazy Bernie Lean that you know Bernie Lean. Yep, yep. 743 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 2: I brought that to the world. The people still doing 744 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:52,439 Speaker 2: it to this day. It's crazy. But it was that 745 00:36:52,600 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 2: atmosphere was more like we're together. Boston was there's they're 746 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:05,200 Speaker 2: very passionate fans, but we weren't. It wasn't like family Cleveland. 747 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 2: You had a couple people in the stands that you 748 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 2: knew and things of that nature. But for me, like 749 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,200 Speaker 2: I knew some of those guys sitting in the bleachers 750 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 2: and go out and you know, have a beer together 751 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 2: or something like that. So that that atmosphere for me 752 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 2: and when I played there, and also being the veteran 753 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 2: guy there was special because of the veteran tag that 754 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 2: I ended up having, but also because it was it 755 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 2: was more intimate, I guess you would say, with the 756 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 2: fans in the field during those those moments, So that 757 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 2: was pretty special. 758 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,479 Speaker 4: Do you feel like that connection with the fan base 759 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 4: was because y'all were such. 760 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 2: Underdogs, like because of the whole Moneyball era and. 761 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 4: The fact that the expectations coming from Boston to Oakland 762 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:50,480 Speaker 4: was very different expectations from the fan base on what 763 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 4: they want to see on a nightly basis. How much 764 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 4: did that play into guys coming closer together? Almost two 765 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,280 Speaker 4: to prove everybody wrong. You know, you're a smaller market. 766 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 2: It's the free agents that you get and the moves 767 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 2: that are going to be made are going to be 768 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:12,919 Speaker 2: a lot different than a Boston. However, with the team 769 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 2: that we had there coming out of spring training, in 770 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 2: the games, whether it's twenty like eleven, twelve, thirteen, something 771 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 2: like that we knew we had, we had players, you know, 772 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,800 Speaker 2: we knew we had we knew we had pitching, we 773 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,359 Speaker 2: knew we had teams what we're going to do when 774 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 2: we got out there, And we had some people that 775 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:34,920 Speaker 2: stepped up, like a Josh Donelson or Reda Hendricks, Reddick 776 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 2: Cyspy end up coming over. So we had guys that 777 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 2: end up just coming in and making a name for 778 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:46,440 Speaker 2: themselves too. But yeah, no, it is much difference, and 779 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 2: you do have much different than like a Boston or 780 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 2: New York or the Dodgers or a big market team. 781 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:57,640 Speaker 2: But for some reason, it was the team chemistry too. 782 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:02,040 Speaker 2: For some reason, we just felt like a team, like 783 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,280 Speaker 2: a team like we're going out there playing hard together, 784 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 2: and we felt like we can win. And I think 785 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 2: a huge part of that is, yes, the fans that 786 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 2: talked about that connection, but fifty winning is lies in 787 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 2: that locker room. And I think we had a strong 788 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 2: bond in there with you coming over at the time. 789 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 2: Then you got I was really big. Oh yeah, you're 790 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 2: a big for me, baby. 791 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, my god, I agree. 792 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 2: Having Bob Melvin there like he was, he was a 793 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:29,080 Speaker 2: great leader over there. 794 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:29,359 Speaker 3: True. 795 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 5: True, you went to the playoffs in twelve. 796 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 4: We went to the playoffs together in thirteen and I'm 797 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 4: getting knocked out by Detroit, like, but that run there, 798 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:38,560 Speaker 4: making it to the playoffs with that team, it felt. 799 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 4: It felt different than making it to the playoffs with 800 00:39:40,239 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 4: any other words. 801 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 1: Such a loyal fan base, particularly when you're winning. I mean, 802 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: there's still some people that are gonna support you when 803 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:48,279 Speaker 1: you're losing. I know how it was with Golden State. 804 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 1: But when you're winning, you're touchable, you're accessible, and you 805 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:53,359 Speaker 1: feel like you're a part of Oakland, Like they really 806 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:55,399 Speaker 1: make you feel like you're at home. And I think 807 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 1: that's across the board in all sports that have a 808 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:58,680 Speaker 1: good run in Oakland. 809 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 6: Sure, for both you were because I feel like that 810 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 6: was probably right around the time where analytics became super 811 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 6: Fountain and the A's were the poster for analytics. To 812 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 6: what did you what in your career to maybe either 813 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 6: manager or coaches kind of tell you two different approaches 814 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 6: or was that prominent in Oakland too? 815 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 2: It didn't really touch my game as much analytics as 816 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:30,640 Speaker 2: far as my career baseball, and I think that sort 817 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 2: of for me ended up happening once I got onto 818 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:35,720 Speaker 2: the coaching side of it, and I had to learn 819 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 2: the analytics side of it as well as still has 820 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 2: that old school mentality. But as far as me personally, 821 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:48,040 Speaker 2: it wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't a part of my journey. 822 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 6: Uh. 823 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 2: During during my career, I hated it. 824 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:52,400 Speaker 5: It was the worst. 825 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 4: It was terrible for me because I remember I was 826 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:58,399 Speaker 4: I was playing in Arizona and I was playing every day. 827 00:40:58,880 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 3: I was planned every day. 828 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:02,919 Speaker 4: End up having an injury in twenty twelve that took 829 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,359 Speaker 4: me off for a significant amount of time. And then 830 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,120 Speaker 4: that offseason I got traded to Oakland and I remember 831 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 4: I got traded to Oakland. 832 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,879 Speaker 2: I looked at the depth chart and I said, well. 833 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 4: They got Coco and center, they got Cesspidis and left, 834 00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:18,800 Speaker 4: and they got Reddick and right, and they're all coming 835 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 4: off of really strong ears. 836 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 5: I'm like, they about to Oakland me. 837 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,160 Speaker 4: I'm like, they're literally bringing me over when I was 838 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 4: an everyday player. You're bringing me over because Coco had 839 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 4: an injury history, and so okay, we'll bring him over 840 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 4: so that if Coco gets hurt, then we'll have. 841 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,359 Speaker 5: You to put in there every day. 842 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 4: But if he doesn't, you turn into a platoon guy 843 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,200 Speaker 4: and you come in and now you'll face lefties, and 844 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:48,000 Speaker 4: now we'll mixmatch you and Coco. We'll mixmatch you in 845 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 4: Reddick from time to time, whatever it may be. But 846 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:51,880 Speaker 4: you kind of got to get in where you fit in. 847 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,319 Speaker 4: After you have that label on you. The toughest thing 848 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:58,000 Speaker 4: in the world to do is get that label up 849 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 4: off you. So it was something that I knew. When 850 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:04,279 Speaker 4: I got traded over there. I called my agent. I 851 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 4: was like, you got to get me out of here. 852 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:08,880 Speaker 4: This is not a good place for me. I do 853 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 4: not want to go there because there's not a spot 854 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 4: for me there. You want to go to a team 855 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 4: everybody wants to play and you go out there to 856 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,879 Speaker 4: the field. You want to go out there and play. 857 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:19,680 Speaker 4: After you get there, we make the best of it. 858 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 4: Me and Coch had a great time. But for my career, 859 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:26,440 Speaker 4: I thought it was terrible from the get go because 860 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:30,480 Speaker 4: I knew the system that they worked in in Oakland tough. 861 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:32,920 Speaker 2: And you just coming off some good yeah. 862 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:34,720 Speaker 4: Coming out really good years and just see an injury 863 00:42:34,719 --> 00:42:36,280 Speaker 4: that took me out for a long time. But injury 864 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:40,719 Speaker 4: was shoulder. The wall made the catch. Fighting with the wall, 865 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 4: you always lose that fight. 866 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, walls and ground and always. 867 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,879 Speaker 2: Lose that fight. They start padding it after after the injury. Yeah, 868 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,359 Speaker 2: that and taking me out too, dang Wall. 869 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:54,760 Speaker 1: So traded back to Cleveland an organization started with fourteen 870 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,719 Speaker 1: years ago, and your final season ended up being a 871 00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:58,560 Speaker 1: really memorable one. 872 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:00,160 Speaker 3: You guys go to the World Series. 873 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:03,719 Speaker 2: Yeah about that, Yeah, it was in Oakland. Then. Just 874 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:07,320 Speaker 2: talked about the injuries going against the Wall, and I 875 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:08,880 Speaker 2: have a scar now, but I ended up having to 876 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,080 Speaker 2: have next surgery after my career. Going in get the 877 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:14,640 Speaker 2: ball changed my whole whole career. 878 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:15,000 Speaker 3: You know. 879 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:17,840 Speaker 2: I was coming off the twenty twenty year and everything 880 00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:19,719 Speaker 2: like that. The next year running to the Wall and 881 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 2: they near paralyzed myself, right, So when from here to 882 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:28,279 Speaker 2: quickly this way, you know, trying to compete against the 883 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:31,239 Speaker 2: best players in the world and you're not at your 884 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:34,640 Speaker 2: peak was tough. So I'm still fighting saying no, I 885 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,400 Speaker 2: need to be out there playing, you know, because inside 886 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 2: I still believe that. But now looking back, I can 887 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,319 Speaker 2: see that I was. I was falling off, you know, 888 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:46,400 Speaker 2: and the organization probably did the right move for the organization. 889 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:51,200 Speaker 2: So towards the end of Oakland, that journey, which was 890 00:43:51,239 --> 00:43:56,280 Speaker 2: a blessed journey. Still, there was some some moving around 891 00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:58,560 Speaker 2: some pieces and asked to be traded, not because of 892 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,279 Speaker 2: the the this more business side of things, right, I 893 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 2: still love Oakland, but I asked to be traded to 894 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,640 Speaker 2: see if I can go somewhere and finish off my 895 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 2: career the way that I felt inside me that it 896 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:17,239 Speaker 2: should be finished. And I'm very grateful that they were 897 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:20,719 Speaker 2: able to do that for me and get me to Cleveland, 898 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,880 Speaker 2: the place where I started in the big leagues at least, 899 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:30,080 Speaker 2: and have that final year, that journey through the playoffs 900 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:31,480 Speaker 2: and making it to the World Series. 901 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:32,160 Speaker 5: You know. 902 00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:34,880 Speaker 2: So that just kind of concluded that I wish we 903 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:35,359 Speaker 2: would have won. 904 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:40,520 Speaker 1: It takes back to that incredible Game seven. Take us 905 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:41,440 Speaker 1: back to that Game seven. 906 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, the first time I'm playing on my birthday. Yeah, 907 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:50,799 Speaker 2: lost on my birthday. Fault, it's my faults. Yeah, no, 908 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:52,880 Speaker 2: it was. It was a crazy game. But prior to that, 909 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,480 Speaker 2: because I had a shoulder injury, I went into and 910 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:59,600 Speaker 2: again told Terry, which he wouldn't have done if I 911 00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:02,520 Speaker 2: wouldn't came in there. Most likely it took me out 912 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 2: the game. That last at bat of of the the 913 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:10,040 Speaker 2: game would have been my bat and uh that year, 914 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:14,319 Speaker 2: I think I led the league in bad average with 915 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:17,359 Speaker 2: guys in the scoring position and clutch situations type of thing. 916 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:20,680 Speaker 2: But I went in there. I said, hey, if there's 917 00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:22,520 Speaker 2: a situation where a guy's on second base, I don't 918 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:24,640 Speaker 2: have a good arm anyway, But now my arm's hurt too. 919 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 2: If there's a situation where you need a guy to 920 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:31,239 Speaker 2: be thrown out and I'm on the field, take me out, 921 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:34,839 Speaker 2: I'm okay with that. Showing off that situation happen, right, 922 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:38,799 Speaker 2: And then I don't get the last It could have 923 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:40,400 Speaker 2: been the same result. Who knows, right, I could have 924 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 2: struck out, could have hit a home run. I don't know, 925 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:47,319 Speaker 2: but but you will never know. It was a great game. 926 00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:50,640 Speaker 2: Rose hit that home run. Mother nature came down and 927 00:45:50,719 --> 00:45:53,240 Speaker 2: changed the dynamic. We had had them against the ropes, 928 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:56,160 Speaker 2: and then mother nature came. They go in there, have 929 00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:58,200 Speaker 2: a little hour rob pep talk, and they get back 930 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,040 Speaker 2: in it, and and they come back and rally. They 931 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:03,080 Speaker 2: did a great job, you know, not giving up. We 932 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:04,799 Speaker 2: didn't give up either, but they just got the best 933 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,000 Speaker 2: of us. You know, we got that second place ring 934 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:11,040 Speaker 2: still better than today. It still looked better than my, my, 935 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:14,839 Speaker 2: my championship ring that I got for Boston. Though it's crazy. Yeah, 936 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:17,879 Speaker 2: a few years have passed. Every year things just get 937 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:21,040 Speaker 2: bigger and bigger, but it's still yeah, it's still second 938 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:22,239 Speaker 2: place and it's still means more. 939 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: Though, when do you know that it's time to go? 940 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:29,040 Speaker 1: The mind may be sharp, but you're also a very 941 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:33,040 Speaker 1: intelligent person. When do you know, like, Okay, maybe it's time. 942 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:35,879 Speaker 2: M hmm. Prior to that injury, I was like, I'm 943 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:36,920 Speaker 2: gonna play till I'm fifty. 944 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 3: How old were you when you got that injury? 945 00:46:40,719 --> 00:46:47,400 Speaker 2: Thirty four? I think thirty four. But I was still 946 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:51,600 Speaker 2: still good. My Lais was good. I was rolling. And 947 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:57,560 Speaker 2: then after the injury and things started turning going downhill 948 00:46:57,600 --> 00:46:59,680 Speaker 2: for me. I did get some offers to come back 949 00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:06,759 Speaker 2: and after the sixteen year and play, but I just 950 00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:10,640 Speaker 2: knew my body. I could have went back, made some 951 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:14,919 Speaker 2: more money. My kids are getting older. I already missed 952 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:17,800 Speaker 2: my older two And that's like the toughest part of 953 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:20,560 Speaker 2: of there's a lot of tough parts of the game. 954 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:23,960 Speaker 2: You go face Pedro Martinez, that's tough, but you don't 955 00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:25,839 Speaker 2: talk about like you watched Naked and Fred or along 956 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:28,919 Speaker 2: the first thing they say is miss my kids, miss 957 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,400 Speaker 2: my family, you know, so people don't talk about that 958 00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:35,160 Speaker 2: part of it and having to sacrifice time spent, you know, 959 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,560 Speaker 2: seeing kids first step and step on video or something 960 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:40,960 Speaker 2: like that. So my younger two, I missed my older 961 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:43,960 Speaker 2: two to an extent, you know, it is there when 962 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:47,040 Speaker 2: I could be there. But then the younger two, I'm like, okay, 963 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:51,160 Speaker 2: you know, my body's felling a little bit now, and 964 00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:54,960 Speaker 2: I got contracts, offers to go back and play, but 965 00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:57,920 Speaker 2: I'm not gonna play. Well, I'm hurt. You know, I 966 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:02,080 Speaker 2: need an elbow surgery, next surgery. You know, I could 967 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:04,719 Speaker 2: have powered through, made a couple more million. Maybe I 968 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:08,319 Speaker 2: don't know, but I chose to step away. And I'm 969 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:12,239 Speaker 2: very grateful that not not a lot of guys get it. 970 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:14,160 Speaker 2: Some guys get it. And I'm one of those guys 971 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:17,880 Speaker 2: that I feel very grateful that I was able to choose, choose, 972 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,840 Speaker 2: you know, instead of getting kicked out. And probably if 973 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:22,520 Speaker 2: I would have took that, if I would have went back, 974 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:26,319 Speaker 2: they probably have gave me. Probably would have gave you know, 975 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:30,880 Speaker 2: they'd be like, okay, kid, you know it's time. But yeah, 976 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:31,680 Speaker 2: you had. 977 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:35,239 Speaker 1: Three different stops. Success with every stop you made. Is 978 00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:36,960 Speaker 1: there one team that you kind of hang your hat 979 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,040 Speaker 1: on that you know that you say that was my team? 980 00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:39,760 Speaker 3: It's tough. 981 00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:42,040 Speaker 2: I would I would say I wouldn't hang my hat 982 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:45,279 Speaker 2: on Kansas City. I had two shoulder surgeries there and 983 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:47,960 Speaker 2: I just didn't spend a lot of time. But the 984 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:50,400 Speaker 2: other three is a toss up. It's a toss up, 985 00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:52,160 Speaker 2: you know. I got my first taste in the big 986 00:48:52,239 --> 00:48:55,480 Speaker 2: leagues with Cleveland. Finished up in Cleveland. It's very special. 987 00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:58,880 Speaker 2: I was able to get some priceless veteran knowledge and 988 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:02,040 Speaker 2: tutorage from on Marvis Scale and Toma and Burks and 989 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:05,160 Speaker 2: guys like that, so it's hard not to put their 990 00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:07,960 Speaker 2: name in the mix. Boston won the World Series. I 991 00:49:08,040 --> 00:49:11,359 Speaker 2: learned a lot being in that type of environment how 992 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:15,800 Speaker 2: to be a veteran, which allowed me to transition hopefully 993 00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:19,279 Speaker 2: be a decent veteran in Oakland, Oakland, Like I said, 994 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,000 Speaker 2: I have roots out there, you know, family ties. Ricky's 995 00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:26,120 Speaker 2: my favorite baseball player, and plan out there was special 996 00:49:26,200 --> 00:49:29,279 Speaker 2: because I was the veteran and we made I was 997 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,400 Speaker 2: a veteran guy and we made runs through the playoffs. 998 00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:37,200 Speaker 2: Uh so those three are are equal in different ways. 999 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:41,120 Speaker 2: You know, so I can't say I can I think 1000 00:49:41,160 --> 00:49:43,279 Speaker 2: all three of those special My journey. 1001 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,360 Speaker 3: Was wass you got any Ricky stories? 1002 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:47,719 Speaker 2: The only one that I have that everybody talks about 1003 00:49:47,719 --> 00:49:49,439 Speaker 2: when he talks about in third person is when we're 1004 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:51,759 Speaker 2: in spring training, because typically he doesn't he or he 1005 00:49:51,840 --> 00:49:54,040 Speaker 2: hadn't with me, like we're playing cards doing certain days. 1006 00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,359 Speaker 2: This is normal. You know, he's the normal guy, which 1007 00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:59,440 Speaker 2: is awesome. But there was one time we're in spring 1008 00:49:59,480 --> 00:50:06,440 Speaker 2: training and and we're running bases and Ricky was gonna 1009 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:10,160 Speaker 2: run some basis saying, hey, rick you shouldn't do that. 1010 00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:12,080 Speaker 2: He ain't got no spikes on Ricky. Look, He's like, 1011 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,759 Speaker 2: we don't need no spike Ricky float. That was the 1012 00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:18,400 Speaker 2: only time, you know, that was the only time that 1013 00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 2: he got. 1014 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:21,600 Speaker 5: Floats. 1015 00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:24,400 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, that's dope, he does and I 1016 00:50:24,560 --> 00:50:28,640 Speaker 2: used that and stuff like. That was his line. But 1017 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:33,200 Speaker 2: he moved, he moved a little bit. But yeah, it's like, 1018 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:37,720 Speaker 2: you know, he don't need spike Ricky float. I love that's. 1019 00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:42,480 Speaker 3: Quick hitters first seem kind of let us know favorite ballpark. 1020 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:47,759 Speaker 2: PNC and worstall park. It was I need the metro Dome. 1021 00:50:48,239 --> 00:50:51,879 Speaker 2: Metro Dome, When did you break in the league. You're 1022 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:54,239 Speaker 2: looking at me like Kevin looked like old boy. It's like, 1023 00:50:54,400 --> 00:51:00,359 Speaker 2: dam it was uh two thousand and two, what mess? 1024 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:02,120 Speaker 3: What city is at? Minnesota? 1025 00:51:02,160 --> 00:51:02,920 Speaker 5: Minnesota? 1026 00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:06,239 Speaker 2: Minnesota? And you tried to dive on that stuff. He 1027 00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:09,160 Speaker 2: was getting burned up, burnt up. I did like a 1028 00:51:09,239 --> 00:51:11,960 Speaker 2: Maggie though, Yeah, but it was tough to see. 1029 00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:13,319 Speaker 3: Get lost a lot, right. 1030 00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:14,760 Speaker 2: The lighting was terrible. 1031 00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:17,600 Speaker 3: What uh baseball mo was there? It was an angel. 1032 00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:21,800 Speaker 2: Kies right, the rookie. 1033 00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:25,360 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, the smartest pitch you ever faced. 1034 00:51:25,480 --> 00:51:29,840 Speaker 2: You know, I probably hmm a lot of options, grinky. 1035 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:31,800 Speaker 2: That's the first thing that came to my mind. You 1036 00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:36,240 Speaker 2: know why I want to follow the dumbest pitches, Natti 1037 00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:39,040 Speaker 2: single pitch. It has to go to my weakness. I 1038 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:43,240 Speaker 2: just say, Weavers change up for me was the nastiest pitch, 1039 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:50,160 Speaker 2: funniest teammates don't be leaning up like I mean, yeah, 1040 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:53,759 Speaker 2: I don't know. I guess you're up there. You go 1041 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:58,440 Speaker 2: back and forth. It was just throwing jabs, taking jabs 1042 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:00,560 Speaker 2: and and just being quick with it. You know, I 1043 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:02,080 Speaker 2: just I'll probably say. 1044 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:04,080 Speaker 1: I got a question because obviously, I mean, I know 1045 00:52:04,120 --> 00:52:06,360 Speaker 1: how it is on the on the basketball side, but 1046 00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:09,319 Speaker 1: you guys are kind of joscelying for like you said 1047 00:52:09,360 --> 00:52:11,279 Speaker 1: you would. They would play games with different pictures with 1048 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:13,319 Speaker 1: Obviously you guys made a friendship better. 1049 00:52:13,360 --> 00:52:13,560 Speaker 3: It was. 1050 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:15,520 Speaker 1: It was there ever some time, Honestly, either you guys 1051 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:17,400 Speaker 1: looked at each other like, man, fuck this dude. 1052 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:19,000 Speaker 4: If it was, it would have been for me to 1053 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:20,520 Speaker 4: be like that to him because he was the every day, 1054 00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:21,520 Speaker 4: because he was the every day. 1055 00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:23,760 Speaker 2: But no, I never did because. 1056 00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:26,760 Speaker 4: It was never the player, like you understand what a player, 1057 00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:28,000 Speaker 4: you understand the competition. 1058 00:52:28,239 --> 00:52:28,600 Speaker 3: It was. 1059 00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:30,239 Speaker 5: It was the organization. 1060 00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:33,480 Speaker 4: And I actually had a great experience in Oakland, had 1061 00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:34,719 Speaker 4: a great experience with the fan base. 1062 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:36,879 Speaker 5: It was before I even stepped in the room. 1063 00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:37,800 Speaker 3: You just need the business. 1064 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:39,600 Speaker 5: I knew the business of it. 1065 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 2: But that never gotten the way of your friend. 1066 00:52:42,160 --> 00:52:44,040 Speaker 4: No, no, no, I was never out there like crashing to 1067 00:52:44,120 --> 00:52:47,960 Speaker 4: the wall like no, that never even crossed my mind. 1068 00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:49,799 Speaker 4: And me and kick me and Coke kicked it hard. 1069 00:52:50,239 --> 00:52:52,880 Speaker 4: I say hard, like it was on the. 1070 00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:56,160 Speaker 1: Side of the San Francisco side, San Francisco side. Yeah, 1071 00:52:56,280 --> 00:52:57,960 Speaker 1: there's a pep Oakland spots though we used to dunk 1072 00:52:57,960 --> 00:52:58,799 Speaker 1: off just a letter story. 1073 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 4: Got a baseball players and know about those spots where 1074 00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:06,840 Speaker 4: were out of tightest clubhouse you talked about your connection 1075 00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:08,120 Speaker 4: tightest clubhouse you were part of. 1076 00:53:08,239 --> 00:53:12,560 Speaker 2: Probably the Oakland clubhouse. Probably probably those guys. Yeah, Kansas 1077 00:53:12,600 --> 00:53:15,360 Speaker 2: City was actually low key. We're pretty close too. We 1078 00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:18,080 Speaker 2: would be sitting down there. That's probably the closest I've 1079 00:53:18,120 --> 00:53:21,440 Speaker 2: been to. The pictures on a ball club usually it's 1080 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:23,920 Speaker 2: just position players. I'm with the position players pictures too. 1081 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:26,080 Speaker 2: You know, maybe in Oakland do little some people, you know, 1082 00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:29,920 Speaker 2: some guys limb but over there, like I was close 1083 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:33,799 Speaker 2: with Grinky and and Dave and we've been playing World 1084 00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:37,640 Speaker 2: of Warcraft in the clubhouse that stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 1085 00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:40,359 Speaker 2: we'll be in their pre game, you know, when it's 1086 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 2: our downtime and we've been there playing World of Warcraft. 1087 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:45,880 Speaker 2: Funny story is, I don't know how funny it is, 1088 00:53:45,880 --> 00:53:50,720 Speaker 2: but it's a unique story. Is after I left Kansas 1089 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:54,160 Speaker 2: City and I'm facing the Grinky, I hit a ball 1090 00:53:54,200 --> 00:53:57,399 Speaker 2: down the line against them, and the umpire called it 1091 00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:01,160 Speaker 2: fair and fould end up being a double right. But 1092 00:54:01,239 --> 00:54:03,840 Speaker 2: during that commotion and when they're trying to figure it out, 1093 00:54:04,239 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 2: Greenky walks down to home plate and he says, hey, 1094 00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:10,799 Speaker 2: I finally got my paullot in the level eighty mid game. 1095 00:54:11,360 --> 00:54:12,920 Speaker 2: I'm like it, call me off guard. I didn't know 1096 00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:17,640 Speaker 2: what to saynds like good and I'm a double off them, 1097 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:22,719 Speaker 2: but a community into warcraft, and I was like, man, 1098 00:54:23,120 --> 00:54:24,760 Speaker 2: we compete right now, brother. 1099 00:54:27,520 --> 00:54:30,080 Speaker 3: Bench clearing brawl. Who do you want in your side? 1100 00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:32,920 Speaker 3: You get three people you could either play with or against. 1101 00:54:33,160 --> 00:54:35,279 Speaker 2: Well, I'm gonna have to get Sean Casey for sure 1102 00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:37,280 Speaker 2: because he was out there. He was like the first 1103 00:54:37,280 --> 00:54:42,440 Speaker 2: person out there during my my brawl. I don't know 1104 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:45,799 Speaker 2: how he'll do, but he big, hurt, he big. I'm 1105 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:49,760 Speaker 2: gonna go with, and then then probably Gary Sheffield. He's strong. 1106 00:54:50,280 --> 00:54:53,680 Speaker 4: Chef has been full of times. Jeff is a common answer. 1107 00:54:56,280 --> 00:54:59,560 Speaker 4: Clubhouse playlist. I know you ran it in Oakland. What 1108 00:54:59,640 --> 00:55:01,600 Speaker 4: was your to in a clubhouse playlist? What type of 1109 00:55:01,640 --> 00:55:02,400 Speaker 4: what type of music? 1110 00:55:02,480 --> 00:55:04,799 Speaker 2: It was mainly hip hop right for the most part. 1111 00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:05,120 Speaker 3: For me. 1112 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:07,719 Speaker 2: I mixed some some alternative type of stuff in there, 1113 00:55:07,719 --> 00:55:11,359 Speaker 2: but it was more like what was hot, Probably some 1114 00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:13,480 Speaker 2: stuff that ain't nobody ever heard of that I thought 1115 00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:15,640 Speaker 2: was hot? You know that I that I throw on 1116 00:55:15,640 --> 00:55:17,880 Speaker 2: there and then next thing, you know, everybody's saying, you know, 1117 00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:20,520 Speaker 2: singing along because I've repeated it all the time, I guess. 1118 00:55:20,520 --> 00:55:24,319 Speaker 2: But but it was mainly like just a hip hop mix. 1119 00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:28,040 Speaker 2: You know, I can't I can't really say any specific. 1120 00:55:28,120 --> 00:55:31,280 Speaker 2: It'd be some random people and mixed in there too. 1121 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:36,960 Speaker 3: One guess you would like to see on All the 1122 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,160 Speaker 3: Smoke Baseball? 1123 00:55:39,600 --> 00:55:40,680 Speaker 2: Who's some characters? 1124 00:55:41,800 --> 00:55:41,960 Speaker 3: Uh? 1125 00:55:42,200 --> 00:55:45,600 Speaker 2: You know, I would. I would say Ramier as many. 1126 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:51,399 Speaker 4: I think he has as he has a he's still 1127 00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:52,719 Speaker 4: working with cool personality. 1128 00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:54,279 Speaker 3: Still you said, I've seen it. 1129 00:55:54,320 --> 00:55:57,960 Speaker 4: He's still it's a young kid that I don't know 1130 00:55:58,000 --> 00:55:59,239 Speaker 4: how young he is, but he looks like a young 1131 00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:01,120 Speaker 4: kid to me is give and like hidden instruction and man, 1132 00:56:01,120 --> 00:56:03,839 Speaker 4: it goes with him and literally locks in and it's 1133 00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:07,560 Speaker 4: genuinely taking advice from him on what he's doing wrong 1134 00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:08,080 Speaker 4: with this swing. 1135 00:56:08,160 --> 00:56:10,120 Speaker 2: It's like, bro, you know you call the. 1136 00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:11,640 Speaker 3: Flamer on the great. 1137 00:56:13,120 --> 00:56:13,720 Speaker 2: It's crazy. 1138 00:56:13,840 --> 00:56:14,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1139 00:56:14,040 --> 00:56:15,759 Speaker 2: Many. The only thing is, I don't know how he's 1140 00:56:15,760 --> 00:56:17,920 Speaker 2: gonna be. I don't know because he's like a parrot 1141 00:56:18,880 --> 00:56:20,480 Speaker 2: his personality. He'll be good. 1142 00:56:20,920 --> 00:56:25,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, you gotta put some oil in the first. Well, Coco, man, 1143 00:56:25,280 --> 00:56:28,280 Speaker 1: we appreciate your time. Congratulations on a long, successful career. 1144 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:28,480 Speaker 3: Man. 1145 00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:30,400 Speaker 2: Thanks, thank you for good Man, Thank you, thanks. 1146 00:56:32,640 --> 00:56:35,920 Speaker 3: Oko, Chris, all the smoke baseball. See you guys next week.