WEBVTT - MLB Network's Alanna Rizzo 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:02.600 This is cut to It with Steve Smith Senior at 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:08.879 production of The Black Effect and I heart Radio. I'm 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:11.680 Steve Smith Senior and I'm a little John and this 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:15.960 is cut to it. Good do it, Good do it. 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:19.520 They's getting down to do it. Good do it. We 0:00:19.560 --> 0:00:22.880 asked the questions you always want to know, but no 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:29.040 one ever asked, let's cut to it. You ain't heard 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:35.080 about it, then we're about to let you know. It's all. 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:40.879 I don't know if you know, but there's a looming 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:45.239 lockout happening major League Baseball, Major League Baseball, and so 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:48.240 we had a great opportunity to talk to someone who 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:53.559 is pretty well in the know. She works for MLB network, 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:56.400 a lot of Rizzo. I got an opportunity to ask 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:58.280 you some questions. You asked a few questions who you 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:01.680 were pretty I was pretty shock how much baseball you 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:04.080 really knew. But I also know you have your laptop up. 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:07.039 Never you never boxed a brother in YEP while I 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:09.520 boxed you, and I apologize. Let me see, I think 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:12.120 I got a nickel for them, So all right, but 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.759 I just it was cool to hear her talk about 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:19.320 baseball here talk about ethnicity, the lockout, how baseball really 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:21.440 is when you talk about each year old who played 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:25.120 twenty eight years of his professional career. And then Ozzie 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:29.000 News Ozzie not knew something, the former general manager of 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:32.360 the Baltimore Ravens. But Ozzie Smith shortstop, he used to 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:35.680 come out and backflip and second base and backflip to 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.080 come on that out on the field. Not I just 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:41.400 remember as a kid, or Ricky Henderson, just all those 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:45.440 players that really turned baseball into exciting sport. Now baseball 0:01:45.480 --> 0:01:48.480 has changed and all these different things that are going on. 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:51.520 So um, you know, she gave us an opportunity to 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.280 really talk about that stuff. So this is usually we 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.800 do evergreens things, but this one actually is not evergreen. 0:01:57.840 --> 0:01:59.760 We got as the whole this is an as and 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:03.800 and and we both saw this as an opportunity. Mareth 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:09.359 Carter and Brian Balta chevis producer, producer crew extraordinary. Yes, 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.640 do a great job in helping us. And we got 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:15.480 an opportunity. So we were able to um. Usually we 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:19.040 say squeeze the lemit brother, we didn't squeeze no limit. 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:22.840 We got straight lemon aid out this thing. So we 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:25.040 got that. We got that a one. But yeah, without 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:26.920 further ado, we got a line of result on the 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:29.800 cut to a podcast with a wealth of knowledge about 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:37.560 the game of baseball. We're gonna do this section and 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:41.680 want to talk ball. We have the advantage. You know 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:47.560 baseball through and through. Backstage, Joe knows baseball through and through. Okay, 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:51.880 these two idiots over here me, I might know a 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:55.799 little bit someth about baseball. You Liah, do you I 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:59.120 might might yes or might not. Let's get into the interview. 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:04.520 Let's just so we have disadvantage. I've been through a 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:11.800 lockout work, Uh, you know strike whoever? Depending on who 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:16.919 you're listening to, is how is work? Right? Before you 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:19.240 talk about that? Where do you believe the state of 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:25.760 baseball is right now? I think that baseball actually, despite 0:03:25.800 --> 0:03:27.920 the fact that there's a workstoppage, isn't actually in a 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:31.400 very healthy place. Um you think so? I do. I 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.920 do think that in terms of and you just look 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:39.520 at the numbers in terms of merchandise and those types 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:42.720 of things and fan interest there up. Um I have 0:03:42.880 --> 0:03:45.119 all the faith in the world that they will come 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:48.720 to an agreement prior to spring training. UM. I think 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:51.440 right now, no one's paying attention because of your sport 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:54.000 because of the NFL, and they're not supposed to be 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:58.040 baseball right now anyway, if this starts creeping into spring training, 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:00.000 when the Super Bowl is over, I believe the Super 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.080 Bowl is the thirteenth of February. When the Super Bowl 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:06.440 is over, that's and and there's still you know, the 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:09.480 weather started to heat up. Spring training, you know, starts 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.960 to get on people's minds, and there's still nothing going on. 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.080 That's when I think it's going to hurt us. Um. 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.440 I do think that the Union. I have a tremendous 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:20.960 amount of faith and Tony Clark and I have a 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:24.119 tremendous amount of faith in Rob Manfred of the league 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:27.000 to get this done. And I do think that the 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:29.440 Union is probably one of the best unions in all 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.840 of sports. One of the strongest unions in all of sports. 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:34.920 Not one of the best, one of the strongest. See 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:38.880 the best, the best can get a good deal, but 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:42.600 one of the strongest is the United Front that baseball 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:47.080 is that football hopes, we hope and pray to be 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:52.240 one day, and basketball is kind of literally one b 0:04:53.080 --> 0:05:00.520 But football and hockey bottom feeders are feeders in the Union. 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:05.680 When it comes to players versus ownership. It's just it. 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:11.080 It's bar none. MLB has it together. They do. They 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.640 have a tremendously strong union. And again Rob Banfred with 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:18.880 the league has been doing labor law and negotiations for 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:20.760 the better part in two decades. I mean, the man 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:23.960 is very, very smart. So I do think that they 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:25.880 will come to some sort of agreement. I hope so, 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.520 because it happens if they don't, what happens if they don't. 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:32.520 Let's just throw that hypothetical out there because I have 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:35.560 to say that is because I've been through that work 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:39.279 stoppage and it's rough. It's rough. It is rough on players. 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.159 I don't care how much money you have in the bank. 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:46.279 When you have that thought of what you planned on 0:05:47.080 --> 0:05:53.400 receiving at that time and you don't get it, you know, 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:56.920 it makes you a little iffy. It makes you start 0:05:56.960 --> 0:05:59.120 to squirm. It makes you look like you watch the 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:01.520 scary movie. You went to bed and now you have 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:03.560 to go pee and walk across the hall. You you 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:10.480 don't turn um, Yeah, no, it's it's not. You never 0:06:10.520 --> 0:06:12.960 want to have a work stoppage and and it's not 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:15.520 even so much. Of course, it affects the players clearly, 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:19.320 but it also affects, you know, the folks in work 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:21.640 in the concessions or in the ticket office, or the 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:25.320 people that are you know that really, I mean, the 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:27.800 four of us will probably be fine if we have 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.840 to go through a work stoppage because of our careers 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:32.720 and what we've been able to accomplish and just where 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:34.839 we're at in the stage of our lives. But not 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:38.279 everybody is that fortunate to be able to um, you know, 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:43.000 miss a, miss a page for um. You know, I 0:06:43.040 --> 0:06:46.320 think instead of just focusing on the economics of the shortage, 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:48.160 I think we need to, you know, also work on 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:51.520 the game itself and you know, picking up the pace 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:53.679 of play. I mean four and a half hour baseball games. 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:55.400 That's not getting it done, especially if you want to 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.880 attract a younger audience. Kids these days don't have you know, 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:02.480 they have the intention span of a gnat to two 0:07:02.520 --> 0:07:05.400 minutes of fifteen seconds is the most you can run 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:09.400 on the thing we called that snack able content, if 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:13.840 not snack able content down pigeon, he's a shot clout 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:17.640 like in basketball. You laughed at that snack able content. 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.320 You guys have had that conversation. That's that's good stuff, 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:22.920 stackable content. But let me think about the frenzy that 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:26.440 was the signing period before the lockout actually happened, and 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:29.240 how exciting that was. It was so exciting. It was 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:33.240 like the NBA signing spend half a million, half a billion, 0:07:33.280 --> 0:07:36.840 half and half a billion dollars on really two players, 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:41.280 and then if yeah, great, But I mean Marcus Simeon, 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:44.119 who who bet on himself, talking about betting on himself, 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:46.400 didn't get a qualifying offer from the A's bet on 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:48.400 himself and just parlay it into a seven year, hundred 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:50.840 seventy five million dollars That is what I'm talking about. 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:52.760 Who do you think we're some of the early winners 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:57.600 in free agency before the lockout? Well, for sure, Simeon, 0:07:57.920 --> 0:08:01.679 for sure. I am not so prize that Seeger didn't 0:08:01.720 --> 0:08:03.520 go back to l A. I knew for a fact, 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:13.320 make me he had. It's gonna be a big bigger 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:15.119 than I know. It's bigger than a Rod because remember 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:17.720 that a Rod. The Rangers had the A Rod contract 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:22.200 many years ago. First of all, stop with this money talk, 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:27.520 because I am a Dodgers fan and I think about 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:29.640 but think about it though, think about it for a 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.240 hot second, you have to think about the fact that 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.160 that Walker Bueller is going to be a free agent soon. 0:08:35.200 --> 0:08:38.000 You're you're gonna want to keep think. I love Corey 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:41.199 Seeger to death. I was his first interview when that 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:43.400 kid got drafted a billion years ago. I love him. 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:47.480 I love his family North Carolina folks. I love his family. 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:51.719 But apart from a couple of years, he hasn't he 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:55.360 has history. And no, he's a good player. He's a solid, 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:58.319 solid player, beautiful. I mean, like professional at bat all 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:00.240 the time, always ready to step in the box and 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:03.120 take a swing, but like he has to stay healthy. Right, 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:05.480 I don't know that I'm gonna pay him eleven years, 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.840 three million dollars. When you have Trade Turner, who's not 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:12.840 Corey Seeger, but it is a very very serviceable shortstop 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.079 that you can move. Trade Turner is not a second baseman, 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:17.720 so you move him to short, you have him play short. 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:21.560 He can run, he's fast as hell, And you still 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:24.199 have to figure out what you're doing with Bueller, what 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:27.160 you're gonna do with holi Arius. You know, I'm glad 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:29.400 they kept Chris Taylor talked about a versatile player. The 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:31.400 Dodgers are gonna be you guys. They've been to the 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:35.160 postseason eight straight years, nine straight years, like he can't like, 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:37.440 they've been to the World Series three out of the 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:40.199 last six. They should have won in seventeen, so you 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:44.120 gotta have that, you know. I mean, they should have 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:48.360 a tremendous amount of faith in Andrew Freeman. They should 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:50.680 have won a seventeen because they were going to be 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:54.040 playing the Yankees, I believe, and are you had tickets 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.280 they should have They should have won in seventeen because 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:04.080 they didn't cheat that ticket. Hold hold on, listen, I 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:09.040 had tickets for them to play in New York, had 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:11.720 the tickets in my email. That is why during the 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:14.160 World Series, I wanted both teams to lose, because you 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:18.160 got the Astros who yeah, and then the Braves who 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:20.040 beat the Dodge because I'm a Dodges fan as well, 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:21.480 and he had the Braves beat it. So that is 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:24.480 one both teams. I am thrilled for the Braves, though. 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:26.120 I mean, if you had to pick a team like, 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:30.000 I mean, Brian Snicker is lifelong to hank the Hank 0:10:30.040 --> 0:10:36.760 Aaron connections between Dusty Baker Sweet couldn't care less about that, right, 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:39.440 do you? See this, I love it. I've told you 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:41.040 i'd if I could live any word in b l A. 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:43.640 I told you that. So are the Braves back then? Like? 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:45.960 Are they back to those nineties Braves as they are 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:53.560 a crom doll because there's no Glavin Avery Smolts Rocker. No, 0:10:53.679 --> 0:10:56.920 it's not there. One shot deal. I don't want to. 0:10:57.480 --> 0:11:00.360 We can talk, I mean the Braves and at least 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:02.480 is a week division, so I don't I don't know 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:05.840 that the Braves won't be back there next year. Um, 0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:09.200 you know they have decent pitching. It's not the Brewers pitching. 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:11.880 You know. I like the top three with the Brewers, 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:13.480 and they have the back end of that rotation with 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.040 Williams when he comes back after punching a wall. And 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:20.880 Josh Hayter is ridiculous, hater is a beast. Let me 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.599 ask you, though, because you have said something and I 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:28.960 would love to get in this conversation with it and 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:31.760 hear your point of view, because I do believe it's 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:36.000 bias because you are about baseball and I'm biased because 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:39.320 I'm about football. Do you believe that baseball is still 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:44.480 part of America's pastime? Yes, I think there is a 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:48.280 ridiculous amount of popularity when it comes to football, and 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:51.760 I get it. Um, there's only sixteen games in football. 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.400 There's a hundred I'm sorry, apologized, seventeen games in football. 0:11:55.440 --> 0:11:58.080 There's a hundred and sixty two in baseball. So to 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:01.040 have an attention to say over the course of the 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:06.520 whole season for baseball is tough. Um. Football's a passionate sport. 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:08.559 It's a you know, it's a sport where it's it's 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:12.800 appointment television. You're going to, you know, make sure that 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:17.120 you're watching that game an appointment television. But baseball is 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:20.760 a little bit different. I think. I think if you 0:12:20.760 --> 0:12:24.720 think baseball is boring, you're not. It's because you're not smart. 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:30.000 Not you. I'm just saying. I think I think Joe 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:33.200 play baseball. So he's he's loving this. He's like, yeah, 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:35.959 here's what he says. Yeah, tell him stupid, Tell tell 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:39.040 him stupid. I think, especially in the National League, baseball 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:41.199 is a thinking person's game. I don't want the d 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:43.360 H in both leagues. I think it. I think it 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:46.160 cheapens the sport. Um. I love football. I'm a Denver 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:48.760 Broncos fan. I haven't had a team to Tier four 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:51.719 and I cannot believe the attorney von Miller. I understand, 0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:55.319 but I don't like it. I love football, but I 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:58.720 just think they're two totally different types of sports. And 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:01.040 here's my thing about football that I don't like. Everybody 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:03.280 gets into the Hall of Fame. Not everybody gets into 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:05.640 the Hall of Fame. Baseball, I think too many people 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:10.520 get into the Hall of Fame, and football time out 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:14.200 and a technical. Not everybody gets into Hall of Fame. 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:16.920 A lot of people that probably shouldn't be in the 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:18.520 Hall of Fame get into. We have a class of 0:13:19.400 --> 0:13:23.480 finalist Steve Smith, I'm getting close to I'm up this year, 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:25.760 so I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna put my foot 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.440 in my mouth dump. We're not stepping on a white line, right. 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:33.959 You had an amazing career. There's a career that belongs 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:36.040 in the Hall of Fame. There are certain careers and 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.160 off the field crap that doesn't belong in the Hall 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:41.160 of Fame. And baseball has more of like a standard, 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:45.480 perhaps perhaps a character clause. I'm not gonna. I would 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:48.720 like to stay employed, so I'll just know I agree. 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:52.439 I agree with you're saying. I guess the Hall of fames, 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:55.080 like Basketball's Hall of Fame is like souped I would say, 0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:57.200 that's doing it's easy to get into. You know, you 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:58.880 don't have to win championships like some of the people 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.319 they've down the Hall of Fame quick like first ballots. 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:05.440 It's people that you know. Yeah, yeah, so that's more one. 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:07.520 I would say it's a lot easier than the football. 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:09.720 The reason I guess I asked about the past time 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:12.520 is because you know, a lot of now where we 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:15.760 are is about ratings, right, and about how many eyeballs 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:20.400 are watching that no questions, But I think how maps that? 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.600 How much do you believe that's gambling on it too? 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:27.560 I think gambling has increased, right, increased in the last 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:33.240 couple of years. But you look at it, some of 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:35.960 the players don't like Thursday Night. Some of the players do. 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:38.480 But when you look at the holidays and you look 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:41.800 at how things are going, things given now has become 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:46.680 one of those things. How many thirty eight six million? 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:50.120 Where there was like seventeen point five that watched Game 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:56.440 seven of the World Series, right, which brings more advertising 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:59.640 dollars to whoever has more, because whoever has the most 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:03.000 eyeball calls people believe well, but I think I think 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.760 your question was I think your question was, do I 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:09.680 believe it's still pastime versus The question is is it 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:14.600 the most profitable sport? It's not. I mean, baseball is profitable, 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:16.680 but the NFL, and I love how the NFL claims 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:19.440 it's a nonprofit organization. No, they lost their they lost 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.000 their part of the lockout thing is they lost their 0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:24.600 five want three C status, so they're no longer which 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.640 look at him, I used to I actually used to 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:31.520 be player rep. Oh good, I love that. I know 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.640 all about that. And in the lockout, that was one 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:37.480 of the things that they lost, when the subpoenas and 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:39.280 all that stuff where they went before, when we went 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:43.200 before Congress and had some of those conversations, right, they lost. 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:46.920 I believe it was that two thousand ten, two thousand 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:51.480 eight when the lockout started, conversation started happening, that was 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:54.520 brought to the forefront, and because of that, all thirty 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:56.600 two teams were no longer part of that. They started 0:15:56.640 --> 0:16:01.000 fragmenting off and becoming um, you know, the Panthers, Carolina 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:04.240 Panthers LLC, the Baltimore Ravens LLC. So they became ll 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:09.400 c's and became those ten ninety nines w nage versus 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.240 the five on three c's because they were getting a 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.960 little bit told on that you're a billion dollar company 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:21.120 with a five on three C status and nonprofit, but 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:25.120 you're making all this money, so they lost that status. 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:27.800 So but yeah, a lot of people didn't know that. 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:30.880 So thank you, thank you, no, thank you for schooling 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:32.920 me on that. I I you know, I love football. 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.680 Baseball has given me an unbelievable livelihood. So I'm obviously 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:39.200 biased and partial to that because I didn't even when 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:41.880 I first got my When I received my first baseball 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:45.120 job back in two dozen and seven, covering the Colorado Rockies, 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:47.680 I knew the basics. I knew very little. I had 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:53.080 to absolutely learn everything, and now I can't imagine my 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:56.160 life without it, So you know, I'm pretty partial to it. 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:58.640 I punched Todd Hilton the side of the head in 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:02.760 the fight one time. What why you back the question? 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:09.440 Uh so? Uh? Yeah. So I went to Long Beach 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.000 at first, and I may or may not have had 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:14.800 some academic fraud. Um, we don't need to get into 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:19.480 that part. So I had to transfer, had transferred to 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:22.359 an n ai school in Tennessee because you know, back 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:24.639 then age was everything. If you transferred D one, you 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:26.399 had to sit out, and I just didn't want to. 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.480 So I went to a small school in Tennessee called 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:33.960 Cumberland University, which was the destination for every D one 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.080 dropout across the US. We were stacked. We had guys 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:40.320 from University New Orleans. We had, so we're playing Tennessee 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:41.879 when they had did you just try to say as 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:43.359 a whole bunch of brothers on the team that what 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:47.360 you just said? So Atlanta and I continue this cover. 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:51.320 So they had when they had Moses um Yellow and 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:57.320 they had so Helton was on that squad, and they 0:17:57.359 --> 0:17:59.480 came in like ranked fifth in the nation to play 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:01.919 us at our yard, and they were just dog in 0:18:01.960 --> 0:18:04.320 our field because they were the big shots. You know, 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:06.560 they had our a Dicky, They had all those guys 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:10.480 on the team. So we beat them to one play 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:12.960 at the plate, you know, called him out. We win. 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:15.800 So they start running their mouth, so they start shoving. 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:18.760 So our catcher, who's now a cross checker with the Rockies, 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:21.159 who actually is the one that found Walker Bueller. So 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:23.800 his name Scott Corman. He was my catcher. So he was. 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.400 He was locked up with with Helton, and Helton said 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.080 something about he just signed for whatever million, and I 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:31.440 came running. I hit him as hard as I could, 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.200 hit him in the side of the head, and it worked. 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:34.960 He didn't get up, but like, yeah, were was a 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:40.800 full on melee. So yeah, absolutely he didn't get up. 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:43.080 I mean I hear him. Me kept going like, I 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:44.760 wasn't gonna stand over the top of him. You gotta 0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:51.400 hit you ain't smoky, Huh, you got knocked. I didn't 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:55.879 hit him that. You can't be staying. You can't strike 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:59.959 a pose because there, Yeah, we don't have a hell 0:19:00.200 --> 0:19:02.240 on every So you're gonna get hit one way or another. 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:07.679 You're gonna get sidebar. Sorry, I want to go back 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:09.639 to what you said about America's past time. I agree 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:12.399 with you. It is um Baseball has done such a 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:16.679 great job of making adjustments to draw in the younger viewer. 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:18.919 You know, from the seven inning and a double header 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:22.240 to starting a man on second, you know, in extra innings. 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:24.840 You know, we always go back to the purists of baseball. 0:19:24.880 --> 0:19:26.800 You've been around a long time. I've been around a 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.680 long time. How does that make you feel? What there's 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:31.800 part of you. It says we're making adjustments to make 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:34.399 the game better, but then you go to the old 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:37.600 school baseball grind it out. How do you feel about 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:40.240 those changes. It's tough. It's tough to have a balance 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:42.879 with it because I do see the importance, especially you know, 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:46.240 being in television and always wanting to draw that audience 0:19:46.240 --> 0:19:48.960 and those eyeballs and the interests and keep it fresh 0:19:48.960 --> 0:19:52.600 and exciting. It's like, I do understand the need based 0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:54.800 on the way that the world is. If we want 0:19:54.840 --> 0:19:57.439 to attract the younger viewer, you're going to have to 0:19:57.480 --> 0:19:59.239 speed the game up. You're going to have to make 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:01.960 it interesting. I'm not a huge fan of the strikeout 0:20:02.040 --> 0:20:05.760 or home run, uh you know the I do believe 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:08.480 there's importance and value in putting the ball in play, 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:12.159 moving a guy over, learning how to bunt, using you know, 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:14.680 going the opposite way, using the entire field. I think 0:20:14.680 --> 0:20:17.560 that's important. But these four and a half hour games 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:20.000 are crazy, and I understand, you know, them wanting to 0:20:20.040 --> 0:20:21.919 put a d H in the National League to maybe 0:20:21.920 --> 0:20:25.359 sweed up the game, but you're also jeopardizing you know, 0:20:25.400 --> 0:20:29.240 people's jobs. You know, there's there's fewer opportunities and the 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:32.359 one way you look at it. Um. I think there's 0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:37.199 an importance of recognizing places where there is added value 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.760 in change. But I don't like. I don't mind as 0:20:40.800 --> 0:20:43.280 a reporter, I don't mind starting a man on second 0:20:43.280 --> 0:20:45.440 and extra innings because at a certain point I want 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:47.440 to get the heck out of there. But I don't 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:50.480 I don't think that it's it's something that should be 0:20:50.480 --> 0:20:53.720 done in the postseason. I think you know that once 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:59.840 you get to the playoffs, stuff old school needs to 0:20:59.880 --> 0:21:02.879 be back. And you know this whole thing too, with 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:05.840 the with the the opener, you know, and not letting 0:21:05.840 --> 0:21:07.840 guys go deep into the game and you get one 0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:09.920 man on base and people start freaking out, and there's 0:21:09.960 --> 0:21:12.119 all these short hooks, and if you look back in 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:16.680 you can argue that, you know, Kevin Cash's decision to 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:18.760 pull Blake Snell won the World Series of the Daughters, 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:25.239 I would agree with that. I love cut to It, 0:21:25.400 --> 0:21:28.720 and I love it even more when you download us 0:21:28.760 --> 0:21:32.840 and subscribe and you can follow us on social media too. Smithie, 0:21:32.840 --> 0:21:35.879 where where at that's at? Cut to It on Instagram? 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:41.080 What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:45.119 It featuring Steve Smith Sr. What about online? And you 0:21:45.160 --> 0:21:47.600 can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com 0:21:47.680 --> 0:21:50.919 where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:54.040 us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my 0:21:54.080 --> 0:21:58.480 answers questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered. 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:01.680 That's what I'm here for, brother, cut to a podcast 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:06.200 dot com. My son, my six year old son, used 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:10.280 to play baseball right when he was younger. M hell 0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:14.280 of an athlete, right, looking at his gene pool right. 0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:19.960 And the thing that was extremely interesting is as he 0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:24.679 played baseball, my son is a being pole. He's actually 0:22:24.720 --> 0:22:29.840