WEBVTT - The Great Pivot 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:05.440 Boom. If you've thought more hours a day, minutes a 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:09.200 week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:12.879 the old republic a sole fashion of fairness. He treats 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.760 crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:20.160 pill poppers in the penthouse, to clearinghouse of hot takes, 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:24.040 break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:28.200 Maller starts right now. That it does. We are in 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:34.960 the air everywhere. The weekend is underway. This a spinoff 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:38.600 of the Ben Mother Show overnights during the week. We 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:41.360 actually get to talk to people on the weekends because 0:00:41.400 --> 0:00:43.800 it's a it's a it's a podcast you can hang 0:00:43.800 --> 0:00:46.760 out and it's a conversation podcast. We chat with friends 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:51.680 of the show and people that we know, people that 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:54.920 we like, and we do this eight days a week 0:00:54.920 --> 0:00:58.000 because obviously four hours a night on the overnight are 0:00:58.040 --> 0:01:01.320 not enough. We thank you for downloading, some scribing and 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:05.360 obviously listening what you're doing right now, David gascon yet 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:08.600 again back this week good unfortually very years like there. 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:16.319 So it's nice salvation, I guess it's it's nice. Isn't 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:19.800 it so wonderful that you get to drop inside the 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:24.320 Magic Radio Box and on your podcasts, you have a 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:28.640 world class colleague that not only books guests, but presidents 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:33.200 and CEOs and doctors and lawyers. I give you the 0:01:33.400 --> 0:01:39.679 Rose Royce of guests. You know well from your Money 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.480 through Friday show. Take a little bit of advantage of 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:45.080 the fact that there's some people that I know that 0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:48.240 actually went on and became very successful. Not that I have, 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:51.000 but these people have become very successful. So you've taken 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:53.480 advantage of that. And I'd like to let the court 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:59.080 record report show that I I actually know several of 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:02.520 these individuals that we've had on in recent days and 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.960 times and years. Now it's going on what two years 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:09.120 now with this stupid little podcast. Yes, and you wanted 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.639 to cancel the podcast after a month, I think you, well, 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:13.679 I think it's just tradition over the last couple of 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:17.880 years we cancel everything, so I cancel this. Well, let's 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:21.359 not waste time. This is very important. This man. We 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:26.320 actually have one of the longest tenured CEOs in Major 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:29.239 League Baseball, the guy who runs the show for the 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:33.000 Arizona Diamondbacks. He's been doing it for over fifteen years. 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:36.799 His name is Derek Hall. Now Derek Hall has a 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:40.080 very interesting story that's somewhat connected to me a little 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:43.240 bit now. He was he was when I first met Derek. 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:45.519 He was in the PR office for the Los Angeles 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:50.639 Dodgers in the early nineties, and he rose up the 0:02:50.760 --> 0:02:54.919 ranks with the Dodgers and then left. He left the 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:59.320 Dodgers and got into sports talk radio at a station 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:02.359 I were that he was the morning guy. I was 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.919 doing the midday show at Extra Sports eleven fifty in 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:09.880 Los Angeles, which no longer exists, and he also did 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:13.520 the Dodger pregame stuff. I was doing Dodger postgame at 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:16.520 the time, and so we we were around each other 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:19.800 quite a bit in those days. And Derek he had 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:22.280 left that He'd done TV in l A as well. 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:26.800 He left that and then went into private business briefly 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.679 and then ended up as the executive with the years 0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:33.520 on the Diamondbacks. And he's been running that team for many, 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:37.720 many years, as we pointed out, And so we're excited 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:40.560 to have Derek call on the fifth Hour with Ben 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:44.440 Maller and David Gascon and so Derek, why don't we 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:47.000 start with this? Is there ever a day that you 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:53.280 do not regret leaving the lavish lifestyle of sports talk 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:57.960 radio to become a CEO in professional baseball. Fox Sports 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:00.640 Radio has the best sports talk line up in the nation. 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:03.880 Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:06.960 com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f 0:04:07.320 --> 0:04:09.880 s R to listen live. Right, you know, Ben, I 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:11.400 had a lot of fun, But I think if I 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:14.560 had stuck to media or or a personality on radio, 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:16.720 I'd probably be unemployed because I wasn't very good at it. 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:18.880 So it's good to leave it up the pros lift 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:21.560 yourself well. And I mean you did it for a 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:23.760 few years. Obviously you started in baseball and then you 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:27.280 went into sports radio. And I don't think I've told you. 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:30.080 I don't think there's ever been a transformation like that. 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:32.120 You were on TV in l A and you did 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:34.640 this sports stuff in the morning and all that, and 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:37.440 you making us all look bad. What is the secret? 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:41.680 What is the secret to success here? Well, you got 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:43.920 a hit and run. You can't stay somewhere too long, right, 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:46.680 and they figure you out. It was It was a 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:48.360 lot of fun because I had been with the Dodgers 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:51.640 for for many years and we had a few ownership changes, 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:53.840 and then I had the opportunity to go to you know, 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:57.240 the flagship radio station, UM Morning Show. We had a 0:04:57.480 --> 0:04:59.640 ton of fun. We had a blast in the morning show, 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:01.840 and I out to do as you said, some uh 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:05.160 some TV. I did some weekend uh sports anchoring so 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:07.560 in and then I did some pregame shows for the Dodgers, 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:09.320 both radio, I got to do a few on TV. 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:11.880 So for me it was great. I still stayed involved 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:14.960 with sports and with with with the Dodgers, but I 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:17.280 really missed baseball. So when I had the opportunity to 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:19.320 go back to the Dodgers and then and then out 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:22.120 here at Arizona, ultimately it's been it's been a nice 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:24.360 mix of both worlds. And to know both sides I 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:28.159 think is important too. Yeah, as gonna say, because I'm 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:32.240 guessing most of the other CEOs in baseball they have 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:35.000 not lived that life. And none of them have you know, 0:05:35.240 --> 0:05:38.000 both TV and radio from your experience, So when you 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:41.360 when you see crazy stories on on on in the 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:44.680 on the internet and on radio and whatnot in Phoenix 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:46.200 and around the country, You're like, hey, I kind of 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:48.960 know wh I know the other side, right, You're familiar 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:53.200 with it. I do, And I also understand the importance 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:56.440 of you guys having to do your jobs. You know, 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:59.120 that's that's really important to know too. I mean too 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:02.120 often people may may get upset or they have sam skin. 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:04.800 You can't. I mean you have to know that. You know, 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.360 everyone has a job to do. And you know I 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:10.240 I did it as well, right sitting in your in 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:12.800 your chair h for for quite some time. So I 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:14.680 do think it helps. I definitely think it helps. But 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:16.760 I think most of the folks in my jobs have 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:19.239 been they may not have gone up with the ranks 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:22.560 either in media or or on the pr communication side. 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:25.480 Most of them have either been the legal side or 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.560 accounting side. Some actually did a few actually did some 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:31.840 play by play, but for the most part, no, no 0:06:31.880 --> 0:06:34.640 one's had the luxury of being on there as well. 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.800 That's been It was great for me. Yeah. And now 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.640 fun fact here that when you you were doing stuff 0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:43.600 with the Dodges, but when you were named as the 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:48.160 morning guy at Extra Sports eleven fifty, I think it 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:50.000 was because like Steve Mason and got to New York, 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:51.800 somethody they needed, they were looking for someone they and 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:54.880 you were the guy that they went with John Ireland, 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:57.920 as I remember and we we were myself and Dave Smith, 0:06:58.000 --> 0:06:59.600 we were on there. We found out about this and 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:01.720 we talked about it on the air and we got 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:05.719 in so much trouble, Derek for for spilling the beans 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:08.560 on that before it was like generally jumped the gun. 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:10.680 You went out to early on it. Yeah, we were, 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:13.440 we were like filling in on the morning show and uh, 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:15.400 and we were like this is interesting, you know because 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:18.040 we we've both known you and then uh and then 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.880 we talked about it. Oh my, the management, Oh they 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:22.680 came down. They were very upset with this Terry, but 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:25.440 we were. We were very happy before you. I do 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:28.440 recall that. And it was with John Ireland, who's obviously 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:30.480 a very good friend, and then and then he left 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:32.760 for a while I was alone, and then it was 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:35.720 with you know A and then um, you know, there 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.960 was a time where where I was also with Terry Bradshaw. 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:41.320 He was coming in. He had like the show after me, 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:44.000 so he and I had this crossover show and yeah, 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:46.040 he's still I don't think he ever said my name 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.200 right for the few weeks or months that we were 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:49.760 on together because they didn't know who I was, but 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:52.360 still doesn't to this day. The guy that you got 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:55.080 Terry Bradshaws, because I did the show after Terry. The 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:57.160 benetib Show was after Terry for a little bit. Uh, 0:07:57.240 --> 0:08:01.160 and and Terry did not really want to talk about 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.040 sports very much. It was it was odd. It was 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:05.960 like he wanted like there was one I love Terry. 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:07.600 There was one day he came in and just read 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:09.760 like a Jeff Foxworthy book because he was friends with 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.480 Jeff Foxworthy the comedian back in the day. And uh, 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.720 it was. It was tremendous. But the amazing thing about 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:18.200 that is that that station there, which you worked out 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:20.160 for a few years, and now you've obviously gone everyone 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:24.400 who worked there, almost everyone has gone on and done uh, 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:28.200 pretty cool things, either still in the media business or elsewhere. 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:31.200 You with the Diamondbacks, and you know, we had a 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.760 guy that was like a producer, board op intern, guy 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:38.559 that went on to coach Texas college football. Of all. 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:40.280 I mean, there were a lot of people from that 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:43.520 that kind of a small sports station that went on 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:46.240 and did pretty cool things. I can't believe it's been 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:48.440 that long though. And what what was also great about 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:50.959 that is, you know it doesn't always happen, but I 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:52.599 think we were a pretty good family. It was like 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:56.240 everyone got along and you know, still to this day 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:58.760 we're all good friends and stay in touch. It was 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.360 very unique, you know, for for that setting, for all 0:09:01.400 --> 0:09:04.520 of us to have started something and took pride in 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:06.679 it and still get along to this day. It was 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:10.240 very cool. Yeah, absolutely, And now I also must address 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:12.400 now having you on here today, it's very important. All right. 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:14.480 So when you were working with the Dodgers in the 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:17.640 PR department, with the great Jay Lucas, you both more 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:20.599 lighted as umpires in the media baseball game. Now, this 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.760 was a big event for me. I was morbidly obese 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:27.040 at the time, but one of my great athletic accomplishments. 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:29.440 And I don't you probably don't remember because you've got 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:33.480 much more important things. But I, for some reason, everything 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:35.880 lined up for me, All the plans lined up, and 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:38.480 I connected. I was using unfortunately a wooden bat, not 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.480 a metal bat. Uh, And it was like, actually, I 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.880 remember a Corey Snyder bats or nineties six or something, 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:46.560 but I used a Corey Snyder bat and I hit 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:49.440 a ball that somehow went off the wall at Dodger Stadium. 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:55.280 Now you were the umpire and because of my rather large, 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:59.640 oversized body. I thought the ball was going out, and 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:02.160 then I of course didn't run, and there was a 0:10:02.240 --> 0:10:04.880 play at second. Now I was clearly safe there. You 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:07.880 called me out when you admit, now after all these years, 0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:10.240 that if there had been instant replay, I would have 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:13.160 been safe. You no, no, you you were You were 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:17.839 out that and you were showboating it. I mean you 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:19.719 were watching it. You thought it was gone, and I 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:21.840 do remember it like it was yesterday, and I could 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:24.160 not believe that you wouldn't run the basis. And then 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:26.160 once you realized that wasn't gone, you tried to high 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:28.240 tail it and you were out. You were clearly out. 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:31.320 It was I was safe. I I snuck in there. 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:35.079 I'm telling you, I still can't to this day. I 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.600 had the option member because you guys they brought out 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:39.880 they had wooden bats and they had metal bats, and 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:41.800 I was like, well, I'm in the major league ballpark. 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.560 I'm gonna use a wooden bat because I wanna. I wanna, 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:48.800 you know, be like a big league I do. Hopefully 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:51.199 if you had used the limitum, it was clearly over 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:53.719 the wall, it would have been gone. And I think 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:55.760 you still thought you connected you thought you had it. 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:58.360 I did. I did. I mean, that's a big you know. 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:01.120 I I'm used to playing literally fields up until that point, 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.360 but it was pretty cool. Now I have some fun 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:05.920 memories of those those media games. Do you guys do 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:08.120 that in Arizona? Do you have some kind of setup 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.400 like that or is that kind of archaic at this point? 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:13.719 You know it is. It's somewhat our kid, but we 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:15.199 could do it now. We never did it in the 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:17.880 past because we were so worried about our grass. Now 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.000 we don't have grass, you know, We've got our our 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:22.599 synthetic grass, so we probably could bring that back. We 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:24.880 ended up doing it with some legislators here this year. 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:26.760 We used to have an owner's clinic where we let 0:11:26.800 --> 0:11:29.160 people play, but the grass just got chewed up. I 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:31.800 think we should we should bring it here. It is 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:33.959 a fun event and lots of you know, guys like 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:35.760 to get out there and play, and we're just always 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:39.960 worried about the injuries. Yeah, I know, especially a long 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:43.079 time well back in those days. Uh, you know, I 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:45.040 can't believe it's been as long. But remember the late 0:11:45.120 --> 0:11:48.560 great Student Nahan would manage the media game and Stu. 0:11:49.240 --> 0:11:51.920 This was so serious that he would bring in ringers 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:54.480 to beat the writers. He had. Remember one year he 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:56.480 had a kid from Long Beach State that was like 0:11:56.559 --> 0:11:59.440 a player at Long Beach State that somehow snuck finagle 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.559 his way way in there and we were trailing late 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:04.840 and then one of the media games and Stu tried 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:07.720 to have the guy changed jersey so he could bat again. Uh, 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:12.679 there was a lot of shenanigans going on. He was. 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.400 I missed Stu a lot. And he actually would try 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:17.520 and get our BP pictures to go in and face 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:21.199 you guys. He tried to get players to go in disguise. Um, 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:23.520 and he would usually because it's with Tommy too, as 0:12:23.559 --> 0:12:27.080 you recall, yes exactly. And I also remember yeah, because yeah, 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:29.199 Stu felt we had an advantage because there were so 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:32.000 many former players that were working in the media, so 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.880 he wanted to get there. Yeah. Yeah. He always want 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.679 to get Rick Monday to play. And uh, and then 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:40.640 you brought Fernando back and that whole thing. But crazy, 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:43.800 it's all right. So now now you are you are 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:46.000 the CEO of a major League baseball I've been doing 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:49.160 this a long time, and congratulations on your success and 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:51.800 all as we said, but the day to day grind, 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:54.880 like running the Arizona Diamondbacks. How many fires are you 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:59.560 putting out on a on a daily basis? There too many, 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:02.560 that's really these days, you know, with what we're facing. Um. 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:05.719 But but it just depends on what the what that 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:07.600 fire is for the day because there's so many different 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:09.320 areas that we're focused on. I never had to them 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:11.400 in the past when I was there in l A. 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:13.200 But now, I mean, one day it could be government 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:15.640 affairs issue. The next day it could be a pr issue, 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:17.640 the day after that, it could be a community issue. 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:20.199 There's so much and when you have three and fifty 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:23.400 full time employees and and uh, you know, it's it's 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:26.920 a full time organization. Most people wonder, well, what do 0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:28.520 you do in the off season, which we call our 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:32.000 season without games? As you know, um, but it's NonStop 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:35.480 and you have a number of people who who wants 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:38.080 or need your attention, and and uh that I'll tell 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:39.720 you what. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.199 I absolutely love it. But it's stressful, and especially in 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:44.959 a division like like this one where the Dodgers have 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.800 just dominated you know, us and every team really for 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:50.760 that matter, for so long. Um, but it's a it's 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:52.960 a it's a fun division and everything that I learned 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.360 with the Dodgers, trying to bring that mentality over here, 0:13:55.440 --> 0:13:58.679 having worked large market and now a smaller market and 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:01.520 having ownership when I first began at the Dodgers, it's 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:04.839 very similar to ownership here where it's a family and um, 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.319 you know, a lot of emphasis on culture. It's been 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:10.320 it's been great. Yeah. And it's been about a year 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:13.920 since everything went haywire in the world, not just the 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:17.920 sports world shutting down. You guys were in spring training, Um, 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:20.000 you know a year ago at this time when the 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:22.440 news came down that they were shutting everything down. What 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:26.200 what was that like at the time and nobody knew anything, 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:28.640 but you were there and you had to make decisions 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:30.720 and whatnot along with the people of baseball. But what 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:34.520 what was that experience like a year ago? I remember 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.440 watching when you know, the NBA shut down, and I thought, Wow, 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:39.920 that is crazier. They're going too far with this thing. 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:42.400 And I think it was probably two days later because 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:44.520 that was the eleventh, I believe in on the thirteenth, 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.440 we we shut down and and send everybody home. And 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:48.920 I thought it was gonna be a couple of weeks. 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:50.880 I sent a note to all of my staff at 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:53.080 night saying, hang in there, be safe. We'll see in 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:54.640 a week or two when we feel like we can 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.400 open back up. You know, it was a year. I mean, 0:14:57.440 --> 0:14:58.840 it was a year that we weren't in the office 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:00.920 that either Chase Shield or saw River Fields, which is 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:04.160 where our spring training home is. And uh, it was bizarre. 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:06.280 And then to have the the abbreviated season like we 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:09.480 did with no fans and the piped in sound, it 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:12.560 just was sterile. It wasn't real. And I still can't 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:14.760 believe what we've gone through. Yet we've learned so much 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.040 from it, and I think, you know, hopefully we never 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:19.720 encounter anything like this again, but if we do, we're 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:22.960 all going to be better prepared for it for sure. Yeah, 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:25.240 there no fan thing. I know fans are gonna be 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:28.760 coming back now at least a little bit. But you 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:31.360 know what, you got to go to those games. I mean, 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:33.080 you were obviously the CEO the team. What was it 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:35.240 like why I didn't go to any I know in 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:36.800 the media I could have gone here in l A, 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:38.520 but I didn't go. What was it like watching the 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:41.560 Big League game without any any It must have been 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:44.880 just bizarre, right, It's crazy. It was. That's a that's 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:47.960 a great, great word. It was bizarre. And I sat 0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:50.400 there for these games and just I didn't enjoy it. 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:52.680 I mean you could hear, you know, foul balls rattling 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:56.360 off chairs and uh, you know, you could hear every 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:59.920 word said in each dugout. It just it didn't feel right. 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:02.520 It wasn't right because it's you know, our games are 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.680 made for fans. But I think our our crews and 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:07.800 our our stabs did a really nice job of trying 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:09.880 to make it seem like it was normal and like 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:12.680 it was natural. To make sure that the endgame entertainment 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:15.680 was still somewhat there, and they're in our case we 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:18.160 call it dB t V, but your your video board 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:21.280 was still you know, interactive and engaged, and everything became 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:25.360 more virtual. It was it was bizarre, but they did 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:28.480 a nice job making it seem as if nothing was different. 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:30.520 Is that there were fans there, but you knew better 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:32.600 when you were there in the in the ballparking. You 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:35.000 just couldn't wait until the day to get fans back 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.520 through the turnstiles, which fortunately we're going to have this year, Derek, 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.040 I gotta jump into the fray here with what happened 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:43.760 last year with Major League Baseball of the adjustments to 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:46.200 some of the rules, and you being around the game 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:50.520 so long, did you like any of the implementation? You know, runners, 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.400 obviously a doubleheaders things. Did you like any of that? 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:57.560 That's a great question. And I'm a traditionalist and I'm 0:16:57.560 --> 0:16:59.720 a Nation League guy, so I never liked the d H. 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:02.200 I don't like to change the game or mess with 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:04.560 the game. And I have to tell you I liked 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:07.480 every every experimental rule we had, I really did. I 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:10.480 like the expanded playoffs, I like the extra hitting rule, 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:13.400 and I liked the d H. UM. You know, I'm 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:15.560 surprised that that we don't have one so far for 0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:18.399 this upcoming season, but I actually did, and I know 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:20.359 that we're going to try some experimental rules when it 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.879 comes to minor league baseball. I believe in triple A. 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:25.200 I think that's a good thing. You know that if 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:27.639 we just say we can never change this game, you 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:30.639 know we're we're we're not being We're not being wise. 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:33.520 I mean, I think every sport tends to to look 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:36.560 at ways to improve their sport. And ways to protect 0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:38.760 their players from injury. And if all that can be 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:40.399 done in a way that's going to speed it up, 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:44.479 create more interest, more interaction, uh, and more of a following, 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:46.159 we should do it. And I think I think they 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.359 worked pretty well. But do you think the game is 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.840 better because it feels like from from a certain standpoint 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:54.800 that in any league, whether it's Major League Baseball, the 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:57.359 n b A, NHL, and maybe a little bit in 0:17:57.359 --> 0:18:01.360 the NFL, but everyone's drunk on saber metric launch angles, 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:05.080 eggs of velocity as opposed to making contact and going 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:09.200 the opposite way. No, No, that's and that's different, and 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:11.520 I think we'll address that, you know, whether it's uh, 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:13.880 if we're going to address the shifts, or we're gonna 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.680 address you know, the way the baseball has made or 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:20.159 the dimensions of the ballpark, all of that does need 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.959 to be looked at because I think our fans, if 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:25.840 it's just strikeout a home run, you're exactly right, not 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.320 as um not as good as as more action in 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:32.000 the game. And I think all that will be looked 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:34.760 at because we do want more people following the game, 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:38.040 more people excited about the game, and more you know, 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.159 youngsters that are able to play the game and for 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:43.720 a longer period of time. Now day, the samer metrics thing, 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:46.840 this is fascinating because it seems like everyone in baseball 0:18:46.960 --> 0:18:50.840 is doing it to one degree or another. But is 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:52.960 it possible? And you're the perfect guy ask because you 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.760 run a baseball team, is it possible if you had 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:59.560 a team approached things old school too? You know, you 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:02.440 don't come leately forget about saber metrics, but you you 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.000 choke up with two strikes and you you know, hit 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.760 behind the runner, the things, some of the small stuff. Yeah, 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:12.200 maybe occasionally bunt. You know, is it possible that by 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:15.520 playing the what many would say is an outdated style 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:18.200 of baseball that you would actually have some kind of 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:21.480 advantage as opposed to the team's many of them today 0:19:21.480 --> 0:19:23.000 they just try to go up and it's like Beer 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:25.000