WEBVTT - Alex Cora talks MLB managing future on Ravech’s Dirt From The Dugout 0:00:03.800 --> 0:00:05.840 Let's bring on a guy who said as many journeys 0:00:05.840 --> 0:00:09.040 in a very young career and young life when it 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.600 comes to baseball, and that is my good friend Alex Cora, 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:15.040 Capy Tan, thanks for joining us on Dirt from the dugout. 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:20.120 Well, Captain, we're back together. Let's do it, hey, justin? 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:22.400 How you doing, man? Hey buddy, good to see you. 0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:25.280 Man who knew the circumstances that you and I were 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:27.480 to be back together when neither one of us are 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:29.840 actually going to be working for a little while, but 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:31.600 we'll be working again at some point. 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:34.120 So it's a little interesting and a little strange. 0:00:34.159 --> 0:00:37.560 But I will say justin that the years that I spent, 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:40.120 you know, working with that guy right there and then 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:43.839 covering him were as rewarding as any that I had because, 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.960 as you've seen and Capy Town, We've had Dusty on 0:00:48.040 --> 0:00:50.760 this show, we had Buck Show Walter on the show, 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.800 we had your friend Pete, Dustin Pedroia on the show, 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:56.320 and d Row and Adam Wayne Wright, just a real 0:00:56.640 --> 0:01:00.840 solid list of guests. But I earned as much and 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:04.600 enjoyed as much of any part of my career hanging 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:07.480 out with Alex Boras. So again, thanks for being with us. 0:01:07.520 --> 0:01:12.440 It means a lot now, Like I told you, you know, 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:16.240 October twenty eighth in at Dodger Stadium, right, I never 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:22.640 you know, you meant a lot too to what, to where, 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.840 what we were able to accomplish that year. You know 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:30.920 my years in Bristol, you know, I was an open book. 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:35.360 I still remember the first time I went there, uh 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:41.880 to do my uh my tryout and uh it was 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:46.520 something about it pop up in tropy Ginafield and I 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:50.480 had to explain the fans why the outfielder didn't see it. 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:53.640 And I was still freaking nervous. You know, I had 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:56.000 no idea. I called Rappids. You know, He's like, come on, 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:59.160 you know, this guy's the guy. But uh, you know 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:01.760 you you mean a lot to me. It is now 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:03.160 that you meant a lot to me. You mean a 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:06.120 lot to me, and I'm happy to be here with 0:02:06.160 --> 0:02:07.880 you guys. Okay, great. 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:10.200 So our goal on this show, I think you've seen 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:13.920 it before, is really to share your journey, to help 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:17.640 and inform many of the parents of young kids today, 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:21.360 whether they are like yours, nine, ten, eleven years old 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:24.000 or those going into high school or into college. But 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.360 really just to share what you did on your journey 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:29.760 and maybe they can learn some things. Some roads to 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.400 go down, some roads not to go down. Let's go 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:36.920 back to Puerto Rico and your your first introduction to 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:40.079 the sport, because I know you just came from a 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:42.960 soccer practice or something where your kids were so you 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:48.359 had options. Why did the Cora family gravitate to baseball? 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:54.920 It was very easy. Dad was the founder of the 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:58.200 Little League chapter in our hometown, so you had no 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:03.880 other options. I better play baseball. My two sisters didn't 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:07.040 play because at that point there was no softball for women. 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:12.200 But uh, it's all I know. It's all I knew 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:21.679 growing up. You know, the ballpark is literally seven blocks 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:28.240 from our house. You just walked there, and you know 0:03:28.840 --> 0:03:33.200 people said that you know when when mom was ready 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:35.760 to go, you know, he broke she she broke water. 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:40.080 She was at ballpark. So this is all we know. 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:46.880 Dad was also involved in winter ball with the cows Creoos. 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:52.080 He was he was involved in sports. He was used 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:58.200 to work for two newspapers in the island, one that 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:02.080 is not running anymore, the San Juan Start that's the 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:07.520 English version of the newspaper here, and the other one 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:14.640 in Lueloda, and I still remember coming from the games, 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:18.000 you know, winter ball, I saw call cal Ripken, I 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:22.120 saw Don't Mating Lee and a lot a lot of 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:25.800 a lot of good players. He'll come back home and 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:30.359 call the newspaper whoever was in charge of the sports section, 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:37.839 and he'll say, for example, Dicky Thon four thousand, Henry 0:04:37.880 --> 0:04:43.240 Coto four ten. And I'm like, what is he talking about? 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:46.719 And one day I say that what that means? He goes, 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:52.200 son is four at bats, no runs, one hit, no 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:57.440 RBIs bro I get chills. You're thinking about it. I 0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:00.320 lost my dad when I was thirteen, and and nah, 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:04.880 just going back to that, you know, it was it was, 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:08.000 you know, we we eat breakfast, we talk baseball. We 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:12.279 had lunch, we talked baseball, we had dinner, we talk baseball. 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:15.760 So that's how we started. Yeah, okay, great, Oh cool, great. 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:22.360 Let's talk Fabletics, shall we? They have apparel for every season. 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.000 We're wearing it as we talk about it. It's soft, 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:27.560 it's comfortable. I wear it on the show sometimes on FT. 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:29.360 What else do you love about it? Krats? 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:32.240 Well, I have it on right now and I'm all 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:35.599 about quality. But you know what you know how good 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:38.480 your clothes are when you're a parent and your kids 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:42.200 keep stealing all of it. My daughter stole the sweatshirt, 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:44.920 my son sole one of my t shirts. So it's 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:45.880 got to be nice looking. 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:49.000 And if it gets a little bit chillier then it's 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.680 layering season and they've got layers for the fall. Shop 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:56.000 now at fabletics dot com slash foul to get seventy 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.800 to eighty percent off everything when you sign up as 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:01.159 a new VIP. Take a quick style quiz and be 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:05.120 sure to select foul when prompted to unlock this offer. 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.159 This is a limited time offer, so do not wait again. 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:13.640 That's fabletics dot Com slash foul for seventy to eighty 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:16.000 percent off everything as a new VIP. 0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:20.360 So cool, Alex, I want to I want to ask 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.279 you about that. I know it's very personal. Obviously you 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:24.159 lost your dad. 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:25.159 You know. 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:27.680 One of the things we talk about all the time 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:31.480 on this show is just adversity, right and handling adversity 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:36.120 and overcoming adversity. We all have some form of adversity 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.760 in our life that comes at us at some point. 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:41.359 What was that like for you and how did you 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:44.560 pick up the pieces and move forward on such a 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:48.279 tough loss for you know, a father figure that was 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:50.560 so important in your life and to carry forward and 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:51.359 what you were doing. 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:58.520 Joycoorra, Joycoorra, you know my brother. Obviously, my mom was 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:03.920 the dry forced behind our family. My two sisters who 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:09.680 drove me two games, baseball games, volleyball games, whatever I 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:14.640 wanted to do that were around me. But just having 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:20.840 my brother just leading me. We went to Shape Stadium, 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:23.640 me and my dad to see joe in nineteen eighty six, 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:28.000 and Dad passed away in eighty eight. That was the 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.760 only time I was able to see Joy playing the 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:34.440 big leagues with my dad. So when that passes away, 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:39.480 you know, Joey becomes not only my brother and my 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:44.680 best friend is my father, you know, my mentor. And 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:47.600 one of the things that I tell people if you 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:52.520 follow our careers, Joy decided to go to college. I 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:56.679 decided to go to college. Obviously. We both got drafted 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.720 high in the draft. Actually he was higher first round 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:04.040 pick and I think it was like eighty five by 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.680 the Padres. I got drafted by Dodgers in the third 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:09.360 round in ninety six. We played in the big leagues. 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.920 We decided to do the coaching part of it. The 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:18.560 only difference in our careers besides that he was actually 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.239 the better player, you know, he was the better player. 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:27.120 I became a manager and he has never managed, but 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:31.840 he was always there for me. He was so cool 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:36.680 for me. People ask me, who's your favorite player, Roberto Alomar, 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:40.480 hands down, that's my favorite player, no hesitation, And people 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:44.439 go like, Alway is no Joey. I'm like, Joey's my brother, 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:49.000 you know, Like I don't see him as a big leaguer. 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.160 He was a big leaguer, he was a big league coach, 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:56.520 but I see him as my guy, you know. And 0:08:57.400 --> 0:09:01.000 whatever my mom cooked for lunch, my guy was eating 0:09:01.040 --> 0:09:04.520 the same food as I was, you know. So just 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:07.680 follow his footsteps, you know. And he went through a 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:12.880 lot throughout his career, a lot. In nineteen eighty six 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:19.120 or eighty six, Yeah, I was in sixth grade and 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:24.800 I still remember my best friend, Rolando or Rutiner. He 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:28.120 actually played basketball. He was part of the team that 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:33.840 beat a team USA in the Olympics in Athens. Yeah, 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:37.160 he played for that team. Carlos Alroyo, Orlando was there. 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:42.640 Jose Ortiz, So, Rorlando was in my class and Joey 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:48.800 was playing in Beaumont, Texas Double A and Joey got 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:54.920 stabbed after a game, and you know, emergency, all this stuff, 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:59.200 blah blah blah. Nobody told me anything about it. Of course, 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:02.760 you know, I was ten at that time, and uh, 0:10:02.920 --> 0:10:06.040 he was in the in the back page of the newspaper. 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.400 Joeykore gets stabbed. Everybody's hiding the newspaper at the house. 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:12.280 I go to school and and and roto That's how 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:14.720 I call him. He tells me about it. My mom 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:17.920 is the school secretary. So I get up, I sprint 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:21.679 to the office climb. You know what happened to Joey 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.720 Going back to the question, that's adversity, right, and just 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:31.600 to see him bounce back from that and actually make 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:33.360 it to the big leagus the next year with the 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:37.280 San Diego Padres. Larry Bow was the manager, and uh 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:40.760 that that was kind of like the first lesson, uh 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:43.800 to play for Larry Bow too was a big lesson too, 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:49.200 you know, talk about adversity and dealing. Boy, he was 0:10:49.280 --> 0:10:54.480 tough and joy he was very tough. He is his 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:57.400 but he went through a lot, and uh for me 0:10:57.640 --> 0:11:02.200 to just lived it right, nobody had to tell me 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:06.600 how to do it. Just I just watch, you know, 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.200 And that's how I learned. There were a few things 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:13.880 that happened, uh in little league that I still remember. 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.440 I was a little guy onto well I'm still a 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:22.120 little guy compared to others, but I was very small 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:28.680 going into Pony League. That's fourteen under or thirteen fourteen, 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:34.079 And all of a sudden that summer I grew up. 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:38.679 I grew, you know, and I got bigger, not stronger. 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.360 I got luck, and all of a sudden, I wasn't 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:47.079 able to move. I was rounder. Oh bro, it was. 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:50.400 It was different, you know, Like the bases were so 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:55.200 far and I was very slow, and I wasn't able 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:57.280 to make the same place that I was making when 0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:04.800 I was playing a twelve under. And this coach, Mickey Serrano, 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:08.160 I still I mean this guy, he actually made me 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:12.360 a big leader. I'm in the first base dougout after 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:16.240 hitting another ground bow to second, and I'm sitting there 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.480 and he turns around and looks at me and he says, 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:21.760 you know what you're playing every day here? 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:22.040 Right? 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:26.440 I'm like, no, it's because your brother is a big leader. 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:31.800 If not, you wouldn't be playing like I was. Like devastated. 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:37.280 So whatever for me to remember this at fifty you 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:42.559 know what he did for me? So long story short, 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:46.160 after my fifth year in the big leagues, I go 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:50.959 to this sports bar here in Kagua's. I run into 0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:57.079 Mickey Serrano and he's, hey, Alex, what's going on? Long time? 0:12:57.160 --> 0:12:59.800 No see this? And that We have a few beers 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:01.640 and I pulled him aside. I say, I make come here. 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:04.600 I'm going to tell you what you did for me. 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:06.760 And he's like, what are you talking about. He's like, 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:10.839 remember when you were coaching me at fourteen under when 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:13.439 I was thirteen? Well you told me one night and 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:16.040 he's like, no, I don't remember you told me this. 0:13:17.000 --> 0:13:20.960 And because of you, I decided to be good and 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:23.680 become a big leader. And I'm a big leader because you. 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:27.440 That's right. The guy was. He was in shocked. He 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:29.960 was like noway, I like, yes, you did that to 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:33.480 a thirteen year old kid. Man. You know, it's amazing, 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:33.920 isn't it. 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:37.240 I was just having this conversation with Chris today about 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:39.760 the things that you remember, like the things that stick 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:44.080 in your mind that are so irrelevant to so many people, 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.319 Like it's just amazing and the impact a coach can 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.559 have on a kid, and that conversation and what you 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.880 believe it did, whether it truly did it or not, 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:56.200 but you believe it. And that's the impact that a 0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:58.800 good coach can have on anybody at any age. 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:01.800 That's you know, a long story a bad coach or 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:02.160 a bat. 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.360 But there's a valuable lesson, a real valuable lesson in 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:09.040 all of it. All right, So, Capyton, the best thing 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:11.120 we do is allow our fans to ask questions. 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.760 We'll start with Royce here. He's got a great question. 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:15.880 He said, you played fourteen years in the big leagues, 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:18.760 then became a coach and a manager. What did you 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:22.400 learn about the game after you retired that you wish 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:25.560 you maybe understood it as a player. So you're done 0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:28.280 playing now you look back on it. Is there something 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.080 you learned after that you wish you'd understood as a player. 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:38.080 Yes, So going to the offseason in two thousand and four, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:44.720 you know, I had a great season quote unquote, played 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:48.720 good defense for the Dodgers, hit ten homers, hit two 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:52.640 sixties to seventy for a guy that you know, he 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:55.560 was a good defender. So finally he's hitting the ball. 0:14:55.600 --> 0:15:02.440 Whatever December two, Kim Name calls me and tells me 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:06.760 that we're gonna desiginate you for assignment. I was like, 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:10.960 what after what I just did? We made it to 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:14.800 the playoff, we got Adrian Belcher says stories on myself, 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.520 this is a great infield. We're gonna be okay, blah 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:22.720 blah blah cool. Ended up signing with the Cleveland in 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:27.080 the off season. Late in the off season and throughout 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:29.720 the years, I always wonder why, you know, I thought 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:33.280 I was, you know, kind of like becoming a really 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.520 good baseball player, a really good part of a championship 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:42.520 caliber team. And then when actually he started in Bristol, 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:48.560 just being around the you know, everybody that goes through 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:53.440 the numbers, including our friends Sarah, right, like, oh, okay, 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:57.880 there's a little bit different conversations with x gms about 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:00.520 you know, the past and how they see the game. 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:06.800 And yes, we have an idea as a player, but no, 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:09.800 we we always believe that we are better than what 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:15.200 people say, right, Like, we are better, especially my type 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:17.200 of role, you know, the utility player wants to play 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:20.120 every day. That's the reality of it, you know, like, yeah, 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:22.280 you accept your role, yeah yeah, yeah, But no, no, 0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:24.880 you want to play every day. So throughout the years 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:28.600 I always wonder what happened. And then you know, I 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:32.360 get to Houston, I understand more about the numbers. I 0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:37.840 get to Boston and everything opens up, you know, projections 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:42.080 and expected numbers and all that. And I bet the 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:45.360 Dodgers in two thousand and four they were like, this 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:47.960 is it for the kid. That's it. This is all 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:52.360 he's gonna do. And the other day I was watching 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:58.320 Jeff Kent during his speech in Cooperstown. I can say 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:00.720 that the guy that came in after me with the 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.159 Dodgers was Jeff Kens. So they made as you know, yeah, 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:07.399 it's a Hall of Famer. But that's what I learned. Like, like, 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:13.840 I'm not saying expecting numbers are everything, because at the end, 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:23.960 you know, production matters, but there's certain there's certain information 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:29.280 that is very important for organizations to make decisions, and uh, 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:34.040 you know, I think all that stuff and probably in 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:36.760 two thousand and four it wasn't obviously it wasn't as 0:17:36.840 --> 0:17:39.960 deep as what it is today, but there were a 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:42.920 little bit ahead of the curve with the Dodgers. That's 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:47.080 when Paul the Podesta interest came in. In UH in 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.800 February of four, you know, and I think they were 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:54.320 looking at stuff like that and that's you know, that's 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:56.680 why they made the decision. But that's something I learned 0:17:57.000 --> 0:18:00.280 as a coach as a manager, Like this is the 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:04.560 they evaluated Alex as a player. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense, 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:05.000 A good one. 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:09.840 I want to touch on that, because there's a chase 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:12.120 now for you know, for the metrics, right, I mean 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:14.000 you can go all the way to eight nine ten 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:18.159 year olds chasing metrics and some organizations ranking you know, 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.159 nine year olds, right, I mean, it's it's it's the 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:22.560 chase for the metrics. 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:26.480 If they're ranking the core of Felicianos, they have no 0:18:26.600 --> 0:18:31.959 chance right now about to have fun and then go 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:35.080 to uh go to the store and get some yogur 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:36.880 after the y man. 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:41.480 So the chase for the metrics, though obviously data metrics. 0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:43.399 You know, a big part of my role with the 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:45.040 Brewers was focused on the draft. 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:45.320 Right. 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:47.879 It's a part of draft decisions, and it's part of 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:51.720 you know, free agent signs and projectability like you said, 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:54.800 and there's all of that and college coaches are using 0:18:54.840 --> 0:18:57.119 it now more than ever. But I want to I 0:18:57.160 --> 0:18:59.800 want to just get your opinion on this, because I 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:02.399 think I think lost in the shuffle. Here are some 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:08.520 of the nuanced aspects of a player, the makeup, the intangibles, 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:13.680 the baseball IQ and obviously those are anecdotal sort of things. 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.080 But how do you balance that and what is your 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:20.959 recommendation for youngsters chasing some of those metrics instead of 0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:23.560 just developing their skills and trying to become the best player. 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:26.480 They can be the best teammate, they can be understand 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:28.800 the game at the highest level. They can What is 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:30.560 your advice to the youngsters. 0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:32.200 On that one? 0:19:32.480 --> 0:19:36.760 Yeah, I can tell you right now, and I see it. 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:42.680 You know, we just move up to ten under and yeah, 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:47.880 we go to the indoor facility here at the puer 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:53.520 Eco Baseball High School Academy. It's an I set up. 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:59.520 They have a hip track. And for how much I 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:02.879 hate sometimes when hitters hit the ball at them the 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:09.040 bat of the good jam all. 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:10.720 Right, justin we'll get I think we just lost in 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:12.960 for a second. We'll get him back. But I think 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:14.880 he's going to get into a story about as much 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:17.240 as he probably didn't like the idea of seeing the 0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:19.920 ball go square off the bat. Sometimes when you hit 0:20:19.920 --> 0:20:21.480 one off the end and it falls in for a 0:20:21.560 --> 0:20:24.560 hit like that's a good thing. What I'm going to 0:20:24.760 --> 0:20:26.800 what I'd love to get into with him too, is 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:30.240 his impression when he started to talk about learning different 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:34.480 things when he's not a player Moneyball, for instance. I'm 0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:37.160 real curious what he thought of the movie. I forget, 0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:39.199 I don't know what age he was when the movie 0:20:39.240 --> 0:20:42.080 came out, but clearly being in the sport and now 0:20:42.160 --> 0:20:46.679 being actually being exposed to it on both sides, I 0:20:46.720 --> 0:20:50.400 am curious as to what it was that he took 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.240 from that movie, because that is exactly what he was 0:20:53.280 --> 0:20:59.400 getting at about his ability to learn things from a 0:20:59.480 --> 0:21:03.880 management front office perspective that you may not appreciate as 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:07.159 a player, and he had to make those decisions along 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:09.560 with the front office on players that I'm sure you 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:12.960 know he felt were really good players who contributed, but 0:21:13.080 --> 0:21:16.200 somebody could tell you, yeah, but we're missing this component 0:21:16.280 --> 0:21:19.879 on the team, and this particular guy does exactly what 0:21:19.960 --> 0:21:20.320 we need. 0:21:21.200 --> 0:21:22.840 Yeah, and Hunt Revie. 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:25.280 I mean with all the guests we've had on, all 0:21:25.320 --> 0:21:27.640 the people that have been there, managed at a high level, 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:30.560 played at a high level, all of famers like we 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:34.679 you know how many times have we heard though for 0:21:34.760 --> 0:21:39.159 the youth, like have fun, right, don't be focused on 0:21:39.200 --> 0:21:42.879 those things. Just get better, play some baseball, do the 0:21:42.920 --> 0:21:46.080 things that you're going to do, like you said tonight, 0:21:46.119 --> 0:21:47.600 you know, go play your game and then go to 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:49.480 the go to the grocery store and get some yogurt, 0:21:49.520 --> 0:21:52.159 you know, like it's kind of that simple at a 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:56.320 young age, and we're over complicating it. And I don't 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:58.840 think it's beneficial to the players. I don't think it's 0:21:58.840 --> 0:22:03.639 beneficial to the the mental aspect of enjoying a childhood 0:22:03.680 --> 0:22:06.560 and being able to play other sports. And so I'm 0:22:06.600 --> 0:22:09.560 looking forward to hearing his response on that and where 0:22:09.600 --> 0:22:11.280 you know, what he's what he wants to do on 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:13.480 that side of it. But we are hearing that over 0:22:13.480 --> 0:22:15.760 and over right, like you know, enjoy the game, like 0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:18.400 multiple sports, like you know, have fun. 0:22:19.640 --> 0:22:21.480 That's where we're at. That's great. I think I think 0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:26.159 he's back. So yeah, so I live I live it 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:30.840 every day. That's okay. Here we go, we go to 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:34.840 the batting cages, to the indoor batting cages here and 0:22:34.960 --> 0:22:39.960 uh and the boys they do it, you know, like 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:45.119 they hit it and they look back and that's what 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:49.280 everybody does, so I cannot go against it because it 0:22:49.359 --> 0:22:51.680 is the reality of it. You know, we got we 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:55.120 got the technology, and uh we we have to use it, 0:22:55.800 --> 0:23:00.760 but you know, you have to be careful to to 0:23:01.800 --> 0:23:04.560 overdo it, right, Like at the end of the day, 0:23:05.520 --> 0:23:10.760 there's not a better feel like when you hit a ball, 0:23:10.880 --> 0:23:13.800 you know, like you know, I didn't have too many 0:23:13.840 --> 0:23:18.480 of them, but I knew right. And actually I had 0:23:18.480 --> 0:23:23.159 this conversation with Brad Stevens two years ago. It was 0:23:23.240 --> 0:23:27.080 doing our rookie development program. We went to a practice 0:23:27.119 --> 0:23:30.520 facility with the Celtics and Kyle Hudson, who was a 0:23:30.520 --> 0:23:34.600 third base coach for the Red Sox. He asked Brad 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:40.320 about technology and how they use it, especially in the 0:23:40.359 --> 0:23:48.120 practice environment, and Brad very politely said, I know, you know, 0:23:48.359 --> 0:23:53.720 our analysts are gonna hate this answer, but this is 0:23:53.760 --> 0:23:58.760 my sanctuary. And there's nothing better for a shooter. When 0:23:58.800 --> 0:24:02.640 they pure one the net, the sound of the net, 0:24:03.040 --> 0:24:07.600 that's how you know. There's no I don't know, I 0:24:07.600 --> 0:24:10.040 don't know what they use. But in our case track 0:24:10.119 --> 0:24:13.200 man and hit track and all that stuff. Yeah, we 0:24:14.040 --> 0:24:17.240 use that, and I know there's value with it, but 0:24:17.320 --> 0:24:21.199 there's nothing better to square one ball off and you know, 0:24:21.359 --> 0:24:24.480 you don't have to look back the other one. And 0:24:24.520 --> 0:24:29.760 I actually talked to some are the Red Sox pitchers 0:24:29.800 --> 0:24:35.600 this year. So Ranger Suarez throws his first bullpen four myers. 0:24:37.080 --> 0:24:40.840 I think it's the second or third day of early 0:24:40.920 --> 0:24:44.240 camp whatever. You know, they showed up early, and you 0:24:44.320 --> 0:24:47.600 see all these guys throwing hard ninety five ninety six 0:24:47.640 --> 0:24:51.239 and looking back and boom, boom boom getting feedback and 0:24:51.359 --> 0:24:56.960 Rangers throws twenty pitches. They all move to the edges 0:24:57.000 --> 0:25:01.160 of the plate. I can see it on the on 0:25:01.200 --> 0:25:05.160 the monitor. I can see it with a land. Ranger 0:25:05.280 --> 0:25:10.960