Speaker 1: Here he is, Miles. Michaelis joining us right now. I
Speaker 1: don't even know how to introduce you anymore. RBI machine,
Speaker 1: Miles Michaels. We immediately were like, we need to talk
Speaker 1: to Miles about this.
Speaker 2: How you doing, man, I'm doing good. I'm really happy
Speaker 2: to see my man b Rad on the Yeah, oh
Speaker 2: yeah on the mic here.
Speaker 3: First time man, first time, Glad you're coming into that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Brad was there. Brad was there day one for
Speaker 2: me in the big leagues. It's one of my day
Speaker 2: one dudes.
Speaker 4: How was he? I miss Miles.
Speaker 1: It's Miles for also, happy ten years of service here.
Speaker 1: So this is a big week for you doing You're
Speaker 1: standing out this week. So, uh, you're going viral. And
Speaker 1: I actually mentioned the other day I was like, I
Speaker 1: remember interviewing Miles at Winter meetings whatever ten to eleven years
Speaker 1: ago when you were signing your first contract back here
Speaker 1: and yes, then joining up with Brad.
Speaker 4: So how crazy has the ride been?
Speaker 2: It's been I mean from twenty twelve San Diego, Texas,
Speaker 2: all the way to Japan and and back again. It's
Speaker 2: been a it's been a long and winding road, but
Speaker 2: it's been a fun one.
Speaker 5: It's been a good one.
Speaker 3: Hey, Miles, they're showing a picture of you that belt bunkle.
Speaker 3: What's the story behind that? Of course you don't want
Speaker 3: to watch you don't want the stuff. The guys usually
Speaker 3: gave what was what's up with the belt buccan?
Speaker 6: Again?
Speaker 2: I was so so Trevor Williams like as soon as
Speaker 2: like the season started, He's like, okay, like what do
Speaker 2: you want? We have a big conversation. He's like, what
Speaker 2: do you want? We want? You know, I've got all
Speaker 2: the fishing poles and stuff, and I think they have
Speaker 2: like something fishing related that that's kind of on the
Speaker 2: way for me.
Speaker 5: You know, I like the Western dress up stuff.
Speaker 2: I got a couple of horses down in Jupiter. My
Speaker 2: wife rides and stuff. But I might give it a
Speaker 2: shot when I'm when I'm retired. I thought, uh, you know,
Speaker 2: a belt bunk is good thing because, like to have
Speaker 2: a real bell buckle, you have to earn it. Like
Speaker 2: I was talking to one of the other guys at
Speaker 2: the clubhouse, Clayton Veeter from Texas, and they give you like,
Speaker 2: you know, you can go buy a belt buckle from
Speaker 2: a store, but you didn't really earn it, like you
Speaker 2: gotta you gotta get bucked off that Bronco or whatever.
Speaker 2: So I figured the only thing I could really do
Speaker 2: to earn a bell buckle is maybe get get my
Speaker 2: ten years. So, uh, that was that was kind of
Speaker 2: my idea. It'll look good, you know, in a case
Speaker 2: in the office. It'll look good on my belt when
Speaker 2: we go to Texas and we have our little you know,
Speaker 2: cowboy dress up.
Speaker 5: You know something I'm gonna cherish for a long time.
Speaker 7: I want to dive into you're at bat you had
Speaker 7: the other day. I know we were talking a little
Speaker 7: bit about it, but talk to us about that, what happened.
Speaker 7: Give us the whole backstory so all the fans can understand,
Speaker 7: you know, how this developed and what you did it
Speaker 7: took you. It's been a long time since you're had
Speaker 7: in that bat, So explain when the last time it.
Speaker 2: Was too Yeah, I think it's been a twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2: Whenever we pitchers, whenever we stopped hitting. That was my
Speaker 2: last at Batuh. I remember my last at bat was
Speaker 2: a good hard line drive to shortstop, like one ten
Speaker 2: off the bat or something like that, A real missile.
Speaker 2: But I hadn't hit in a while. And the you know,
Speaker 2: the coaches coming to me and they're like, hey man,
Speaker 2: you got to get your cleats on, Like this is
Speaker 2: not a joke, it's not a drill, like you might
Speaker 2: have to do something. Because they started the lefty there
Speaker 2: and then we you know, we had made all our switches,
Speaker 2: so we're we're getting thin on the bench and uh,
Speaker 2: you know, put your cleats on.
Speaker 5: You gotta go take in a bat.
Speaker 2: They said, if there's a guy on third base, we're
Speaker 2: gonna watch you to squeeze bunt or like safety squeeze.
Speaker 5: And I give the position players endless amounts of.
Speaker 2: Trash talking every time they don't get a bunt down
Speaker 2: because I think I got all my bunts down.
Speaker 5: Maybe not all.
Speaker 2: Good bunts, you know, maybe they throw the guy out
Speaker 2: at second base, but I get them all down. So
Speaker 2: when the position players don't get the bunts down, I
Speaker 2: give him tons of shit. So I knew I had
Speaker 2: to get this butt down. I was a little nervous.
Speaker 2: I impressed myself when I took ball one. I took
Speaker 2: ball one low. I was like, that's right, I'm seeing it. Well,
Speaker 2: I got this guy and then I bunted the next one.
Speaker 2: Found I was a little worried. I was like, oh,
Speaker 2: but then he you know, he put it right in
Speaker 2: my honey hole for bunting, that middle in pocket right
Speaker 2: there for bunting.
Speaker 5: Catch it off the label a little bit dead knit.
Speaker 5: It was a good bunt, Myles.
Speaker 3: You've always been the best athlete on every team. You
Speaker 3: let everybody know that too. But I just want to
Speaker 3: go back to getting to ten years, like, have you
Speaker 3: had a chance to take a second just kind of
Speaker 3: reflect on everything, like it's been kind of wild journey.
Speaker 3: I don't think people know you were a strict reliever
Speaker 3: along with meeting the Padre system and all of a sudden,
Speaker 3: now you've pitched how many years as a starter. That's
Speaker 3: just kind of a crazy talk about the journey through
Speaker 3: all of it.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I got to give a shout out to Scott Richmond
Speaker 2: if he's out there listening. He was one of the
Speaker 2: starters in Round Rock when I was in Trip A
Speaker 2: with the Rangers and I had just thrown like two
Speaker 2: or three innings in like a Randolay restart, and they
Speaker 2: come up to me in Round Rock and they're like, hey,
Speaker 2: rich hurt his back. We need a spot starter. We'll
Speaker 2: give you like fifty pitches. So I went out there.
Speaker 2: I want to say I threw like fifty pitches. I
Speaker 2: went like four or five innings and they're like, hey, like,
Speaker 2: you know, it was the year everyone was hurting Texas.
Speaker 2: They didn't have a lot of depth even in TRIPAA,
Speaker 2: and I was on the roster as a reliever, and
Speaker 2: they're like, hey, we're gonna let you start if you
Speaker 2: want to, like, we'll build you up. We'll give you
Speaker 2: like fifty sixty seventy pitches. And I was like, yeah, absolutely,
Speaker 2: you know what reliever doesn't want to be a starter.
Speaker 2: So I jumped at the opportunity. And I haven't really
Speaker 2: been back in a bullpen since. It was one of
Speaker 2: those like weird baseball stories where if Scott Richmond doesn't.
Speaker 5: Hurt his back, I don't really know, you know, where
Speaker 5: my career goes. I don't know if I go to Japan.
Speaker 2: I like to him at It's it's just it's so
Speaker 2: hard to know the way the way life and the
Speaker 2: way baseball is what happens.
Speaker 5: But it's it's Uh, it was wild.
Speaker 2: And when I started in Texas, I you know, I
Speaker 2: had my ups and downs and I didn't really get
Speaker 2: a chance to really sink my teeth into until I
Speaker 2: went over to Tokyo, which was one of the main
Speaker 2: reasons I went there to to get a full chance
Speaker 2: at starting, because I knew that that's what they wanted
Speaker 2: me to do. So to get a full chance at
Speaker 2: like building up innings and like learning how to pitch
Speaker 2: as the starter again, Uh, was huge. And you know,
Speaker 2: came back to the States and just been grinding it
Speaker 2: out ever since.
Speaker 4: Yeah, most definitely.
Speaker 7: But I have to go back to this, this bunt
Speaker 7: Rbi that you got talk to me about the position players?
Speaker 7: What what did they say if they said anything to
Speaker 7: you about this? I mean, there's there's got to be
Speaker 7: some sort of conversation.
Speaker 5: Uh, the position players for us or the position players.
Speaker 2: On the on the Philly like when I was on
Speaker 2: the basis, because they were all kind of yeah at
Speaker 2: me when I was on the basis.
Speaker 4: Yeah, go with the Phillies. And then your guys, why
Speaker 4: not tell them let's.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, Well, I you know, I got on first
Speaker 2: base and I just said, you know, I was talking
Speaker 2: to the first base coach and I was talking to
Speaker 2: Bomb about just like not being on base. And then
Speaker 2: ariahs was laughing at me because I was sweating bullets.
Speaker 2: It was humid, but my heart was beating like out
Speaker 2: of my chest because I hadn't gotten that bat in forever.
Speaker 2: And the guy's throwing like ninety seven, ninety eight or
Speaker 2: whatever was relievers throw too hard nowadays. And then I
Speaker 2: was talking to I was talking to Turner on shortstop
Speaker 2: a little bit, and then I was telling Scott how
Speaker 2: I didn't love being on third base with the rity up.
Speaker 5: I'm like, this is the.
Speaker 2: Scariest thing I forgot how much I don't like it's
Speaker 2: your you know, you're getting your secondary And I'm like
Speaker 2: fifty sixty feet away from Japaro and he's swinging.
Speaker 5: For the moon, and I'm like, but I'm standing right here.
Speaker 5: You know, maybe he shoot something the other way.
Speaker 2: But the position players were just kind of in disbelief.
Speaker 5: They're like, they're like, wow, like, you know, good luck.
Speaker 5: They wanted me to swing. Some of the guys wanted
Speaker 5: me to swing. I had, I had the liberty to swing.
Speaker 2: If I got to two strikes, oh, I was gonna
Speaker 2: pull back and maybe slash. But because they started to
Speaker 2: pull the infield in but uh, you know, you know,
Speaker 2: deep down as a competitor. I just wanted to get
Speaker 2: that run across. You know, I wanna we're on a skid.
Speaker 2: I want to win that ball game. But everybody was pumped.
Speaker 2: I used uh, I used one of J wise bats.
Speaker 2: I just got like a pair of random batting gloves.
Speaker 2: And I used uh Pickney's helmet before he even got
Speaker 2: a chance to use it uh in a game, because
Speaker 2: he was making his debut. He hadn't even gotten that
Speaker 2: bat yet, and I had to steal his helmet from him.
Speaker 2: But I left my magic in there because then he
Speaker 2: hit a home run. His his first hit was a
Speaker 2: home run the next day, just like me, my first
Speaker 2: hit was a home run. So I'm pretty sure that
Speaker 2: it was, you know, some of my leftover mojo helping
Speaker 2: him do that.
Speaker 5: Maybe, but probably not, But I like to think that maybe.
Speaker 3: There you go, so you have a you have at
Speaker 3: least that piece of history of his career from now on.
Speaker 3: So uh, just knowing the competitor you are. What's been
Speaker 3: what's been the biggest struggle this year? And kind of
Speaker 3: is it? Is it just getting tough for getting older
Speaker 3: or is it just kind of what's been what's been
Speaker 3: going on so far?
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I mean it's it's uh, you know, it'd be you know,
Speaker 2: it's cliche to say it's a young man's game these days,
Speaker 2: but I mean I'm looking up at the scoreboard and
Speaker 2: there's kids in the box that were like still in
Speaker 2: diapers when I was in high school, and I'm kind
Speaker 2: of like, oh, man, like, uh, I could technically be
Speaker 2: your dad, but not.
Speaker 5: So it's just kind of you know, guys are swinging.
Speaker 2: Hard at everything, and you know, it is it is
Speaker 2: tough for getting older. But I'm just, you know, i
Speaker 2: gotta be you know, I'm at that point where I
Speaker 2: need to nibble probably a little bit more.
Speaker 5: And I've never been one to like to be a nibbler.
Speaker 2: I'm stelling the duggout, yelling nibbler at the other guy
Speaker 2: when he walks somebody, and then I refuse to like
Speaker 2: walk people. So then I'm just throwing stuff in the
Speaker 2: zone and getting hit around a little bit every now
Speaker 2: and then. So you know, there's there's a lot of
Speaker 2: give and take there, and you know, it's it's it's
Speaker 2: it's trying to evolve and trying to get better mid season.
Speaker 2: But everybody, everybody, the coaching staff, the trainers, the the
Speaker 2: strength coaches here in d c Or are great.
Speaker 5: You know, they're helping me every step of the way.
Speaker 5: It's been Uh, it's been really fun to be here.
Speaker 2: It's been fun to be on such a young team,
Speaker 2: you know, with the young coaches, I feel energized a
Speaker 2: little bit.
Speaker 5: I feel like I'm getting younger every day.
Speaker 3: Yeah, some miles last one here we got. You know,
Speaker 3: trade deadline is kind of the hot topic right now.
Speaker 3: What what what are the Indians getting in Foster Griffin
Speaker 3: with that trade? Do you like, good move for them?
Speaker 3: Or you can play GM, you can play media here,
Speaker 3: you can play whatever you want. But just what you
Speaker 3: got on him moving over to Cleveland.
Speaker 2: No, I mean they're getting They're getting a great pitcher
Speaker 2: and a great teammate. He's the decent card player, you know,
Speaker 2: you know, solid golfer. But but jokes aside. I mean,
Speaker 2: the guys you know, he's he's polished. You know, he's
Speaker 2: got seven pitches. He locates, and I think the thing
Speaker 2: that's great about Foster is he knows exactly what he
Speaker 2: wants to do before he throws that first pitch. You know,
Speaker 2: I sit there in the locker and I I kind
Speaker 2: of you know, watch his his pre star meetings. I
Speaker 2: listened a little bit. I'm eaves dropping. I'm dropping a
Speaker 2: little bit.
Speaker 5: Of Eves there.
Speaker 2: You know, he's got his binder and he goes out
Speaker 2: there and he's calling. I believe he's calling most of
Speaker 2: the game himself with his little pitch com He just
Speaker 2: he knows exactly what he wants to do. He knows
Speaker 2: the guys that he's gonna run that cutter in, and
Speaker 2: you know, he knows his sequences, and it's fun to
Speaker 2: kind of pitch along with him. Like after watching him
Speaker 2: a couple starts, you watch him like, oh, you know,
Speaker 2: cut her in and he.
Speaker 5: Works a big sweeper.
Speaker 2: Then he'll go like that big fading change up to
Speaker 2: that little small split and then he'll sneak a heater
Speaker 2: by a guy and then he can speed him back
Speaker 2: up with that cutter.
Speaker 5: He just he knows exactly where to throw all his pitches.
Speaker 5: He knows how they work.
Speaker 2: And I think that's the reason he's been so successful
Speaker 2: coming back, because not only is he a new look,
Speaker 2: you know, he's essentially a rookie again because he's been
Speaker 2: in Japan for three years and teams are getting their
Speaker 2: first look at him, but he's all ready to pick
Speaker 2: He's he's ready to pick them apart because he knows
Speaker 2: exactly what he wants to do. And I think that's
Speaker 2: and I think he rubs off on a lot of
Speaker 2: the other pitchers on the staff because they see that
Speaker 2: preparation and they see how successful it is. So I
Speaker 2: think they're the Indies are getting a great They're getting
Speaker 2: a great pitcher, a great teammate, and maybe he've been
Speaker 2: like a little bit of a roll model for for
Speaker 2: some of their younger guys. If if they're paying attention
Speaker 2: to what he's.
Speaker 1: Doing, that that's an elite scouting report right there. Miles,
Speaker 1: thanks for joining us. Man, really appreciate the time. We
Speaker 1: love doing this. Hope you do too, and have fun, dude,
Speaker 1: and congrats Brad's first show.
Speaker 4: You got him.
Speaker 1: Hey, this is his first show, first show on FT,
Speaker 1: he does first f T show, So he's got it.
Speaker 1: He's got the chops.
Speaker 2: And a while, I've got a chance, while I've got
Speaker 2: Fraser's here. One of my favorite all time baseball plays
Speaker 2: is the foul ball in the stands the Mets with
Speaker 2: the foam, with the fake baseball. I see that highlight
Speaker 2: that's like my my top top five all time baseball
Speaker 2: play seven the most like Ruth like this is the best,
Speaker 2: this is the best. I'm watching My god, what a
Speaker 2: what a savvy bet.
Speaker 5: Just shows.
Speaker 2: The eve the most heads of play in baseball.
Speaker 4: Very fortuitous.
Speaker 1: That's how was we got lucky there, lucky and sneaky smooth,
Speaker 1: sneaky smooth.
Speaker 4: So thank you, Miles, good catching up man.
Speaker 5: All right, thanks for having me on. I'll talk to
Speaker 5: you guys.
Speaker 8: Letter Aos fans welcome in a special edition of Birdland
Speaker 8: Territory Steve, tim Brad and Chris Davis today as it's
Speaker 8: a big week in Birdland this weekend. Chris, along with
Speaker 8: Storm Davis and the late Scout Jim Russo, going to
Speaker 8: be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame. The big
Speaker 8: luncheon will be Friday the oriel Advocates and the ceremony
Speaker 8: on field ahead of the Orioles Phillies.
Speaker 9: Game Saturday night.
Speaker 8: Oriols dot com they get tickets for either the luncheon
Speaker 8: or the game or both, and we can't wait to
Speaker 8: see our friend Chris Davis in town this weekend.
Speaker 9: Chris, you know what a career you had in Birdland.
Speaker 8: Man, you were crush Davis for all those years, and
Speaker 8: the and the Oil fans couldn't wait to see it
Speaker 8: hit one out. We know there were struggles at the end,
Speaker 8: went through so much ups and downs. You know, when
Speaker 8: you think about this on or now and being back
Speaker 8: this weekend, what thoughts come to mind a little bit
Speaker 8: of relief?
Speaker 6: To be honest with you, I was super excited when
Speaker 6: when Bill called me. I was actually on the on
Speaker 6: the field on a softball field watching or coaching my
Speaker 6: uh my two youngest and and we all know Bill
Speaker 6: Steck is the Oils alumni guy, but we know him
Speaker 6: as the kind of the Hall of Fame guy too,
Speaker 6: So when he called.
Speaker 4: Me, I was like, is it my turn? Is it? Buck?
Speaker 4: Who's it gonna be? So, man, I was super excited.
Speaker 6: You know, obviously there were struggles at the end, But
Speaker 6: when I really think back to the first you know,
Speaker 6: five or six years there and the group of guys
Speaker 6: that we had, and just I think I said it
Speaker 6: to Oda yesterday, being a part of such a story
Speaker 6: franchise and being able to bring winning baseball to that
Speaker 6: franchise made a great deal. And to do it with
Speaker 6: uh with good dudes with good human beings.
Speaker 4: Man, it just it meant a lot to me.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Chris Man, I think back to you know, coming
Speaker 3: over to Baltimore. I don't think I ever even told
Speaker 3: you this, but you were the one that helped really
Speaker 3: make me feel comfortable, just you know, spending times in
Speaker 3: the hot tubs and the cold tubs and stuff like that.
Speaker 3: When when you came over to Baltimore, was there anybody
Speaker 3: that kind of stood out to you that kind of
Speaker 3: helped you feel comfortable.
Speaker 5: Coming to a new organization.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I knew Wheedy.
Speaker 6: I played with Weeders in the high school All American Game,
Speaker 6: so like we we kind of knew each other. And
Speaker 6: by that time, I mean, I had spent parts of
Speaker 6: three years in the Big League, so I knew I
Speaker 6: knew of Mark Cakus.
Speaker 4: We all know Nikki.
Speaker 6: He doesn't talk a ton and he definitely doesn't talk
Speaker 6: between the lines. But I was familiar with some of
Speaker 6: the guys. I knew JJ a little bit. But but
Speaker 6: one of the things I think that helped me so much,
Speaker 6: Brad was having so many guys from the Rangers organization
Speaker 6: the next year, so, I mean, getting traded in the
Speaker 6: middle of the season's kind of it's kind of a
Speaker 6: weird deal because you get thrown right into the middle
Speaker 6: of the mix and you kind of have to find
Speaker 6: your way.
Speaker 4: And for me, I was trying to, you.
Speaker 6: Know, establish myself as an everyday player, so that was
Speaker 6: kind of at the forefront of my mind. But I
Speaker 6: think really the biggest thing that helped me was having
Speaker 6: Oday Tommy and I got traded with tom and two,
Speaker 6: so we kind of both went through that journey together.
Speaker 6: But it was just such a good group of guys,
Speaker 6: you know, this brad like it was. It was a
Speaker 6: lot of There were a lot of guys on that
Speaker 6: team that had been kind of cast excuse me, cast off.
Speaker 6: They had been you know, released, or signed, claimed off
Speaker 6: waivers or traded, and I think that really helped us
Speaker 6: kind of form an identity as a team and and
Speaker 6: helped us win.
Speaker 10: To be honest with you, Chris, you mentioned how special
Speaker 10: it was to bring winning back to Baltimore. You got
Speaker 10: traded in twenty eleven and twenty twelve, the team just
Speaker 10: had fourteen consecutive losing seasons to get back to the
Speaker 10: playoffs and win that first ever wildcard game against the Rangers.
Speaker 10: The Alds it was a madhouse against the Yankees. Just
Speaker 10: how special of a season was twenty twelve for you
Speaker 10: and the organization?
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was huge.
Speaker 6: It was huge for me personally because it was the
Speaker 6: first time that I had really kind of come into
Speaker 6: my own. I think I led the team in home
Speaker 6: runs that year. I hit thirty home runs in the
Speaker 6: big leagues for the first time, which was a big
Speaker 6: deal to me. But I think the coolest thing to
Speaker 6: your point about all the play in game or whatever
Speaker 6: they call it, the Wildcard game, we had like seven
Speaker 6: or eight dudes from that Rangers team that went to
Speaker 6: the World Series the year before, or that was in
Speaker 6: that organization, and we beat them on their own.
Speaker 4: Field, and I thought that was so cool.
Speaker 6: I played right field because Nikki got hit by CC
Speaker 6: and message riss up. But I remember standing in the
Speaker 6: stadium in the ballpark in Arlington, which is where you know,
Speaker 6: I grew up watching Rangers games, and just be feeling
Speaker 6: so proud to be a part of such a like
Speaker 6: a story and a franchise that had such a rich history,
Speaker 6: that has so many Hall of famers, that had so
Speaker 6: many icons in the game of baseball. I remember standing
Speaker 6: in ruckfield and be like yes, like this is awesome,
Speaker 6: and it was just a good group of dudes. Man,
Speaker 6: can't I can't, you know, overemphasize that, Like, I can't.
Speaker 6: I can't emphasize that enough. Those guys were just like
Speaker 6: we were brothers. Brad, You're a part of it, man.
Speaker 6: Like we did stupid stuff like crab races for fantasy
Speaker 6: football picks and team dinners, and I mean we all
Speaker 6: had kids together and our wives were all close.
Speaker 4: It was just a it was just such a special
Speaker 4: group man.
Speaker 8: Chris Davis coming back to Baltimore this weekend for the
Speaker 8: Oriol Hall of Fame, The Oriol Advocates lunch and Friday
Speaker 8: on Field Ceremony Saturday Storm Davis no relation coming back
Speaker 8: part of the nineteen eighty three World Series champs. He
Speaker 8: had a big role when the Ools last wanted and
Speaker 8: Jim Russo, the late scout executive for the Oriols, came
Speaker 8: from Saint Louis when the team came in fifty four
Speaker 8: stayed for over thirty years. This guy signed Jim Palmer,
Speaker 8: Dave Johnson, the second Basement Boom pal many others, and
Speaker 8: was part of scouting the Dodgers for the sweep in
Speaker 8: sixty six. A lot of people credit Jim Russo for
Speaker 8: the advanced reports that helped the Orioles sweep the Dodgers. So, Chris,
Speaker 8: you mentioned that twenty twelve season twenty thirteen is I
Speaker 8: think maybe when Crush Davis was really born set single
Speaker 8: season records for the Orioles to this day that stand up.
Speaker 8: Fifty three homers, one hundred and thirty eight regbies, ninety
Speaker 8: six extra basits. I remember the start of the year.
Speaker 8: I've never seen a player of sixteen RBIs in four
Speaker 8: games to start the year as you did.
Speaker 9: Can you remember did it seemed like a beach ball
Speaker 9: to baseball at that time?
Speaker 4: Yeah? It did.
Speaker 6: And I remember getting seen. The game that I remember
Speaker 6: the most is the opening day game in Baltimore, and
Speaker 6: opening days always special. The stadium's always packed, and I mean,
Speaker 6: obviously I had a soft spot for game of yards
Speaker 6: and the fan base, but I remember seeing a stat
Speaker 6: I was sitting in the clubhouse before the game started
Speaker 6: that day and I had more RBIs than like a
Speaker 6: couple of teams combined, and I'm like, this is a
Speaker 6: good start to the season. And I think probably the
Speaker 6: thing that I remember the most, and I still get
Speaker 6: chills when I think about it. Is hitting the Grand
Speaker 6: Slam to put us ahead off of Tyler Robertson. And
Speaker 6: the reason why I remember it the most is I
Speaker 6: remember going around the bases and just hearing the crowds
Speaker 6: here and like really feeling the energy of the stadium
Speaker 6: for the first time. I got a little taste of
Speaker 6: that the year before in the playoffs when we played
Speaker 6: the Yankees, Tim and so.
Speaker 4: I knew what it could be.
Speaker 6: But I remember going back at looking at the video
Speaker 6: and Nate mccloth standing off their base, going back to
Speaker 6: the bag and had his hands on his head and
Speaker 6: he was saying.
Speaker 9: Oh my god.
Speaker 6: I thought it was hilarious. But we had a conversation
Speaker 6: after the game. He was like, do you realize, like
Speaker 6: how ridiculous this started. I was like, yeah, I'm really
Speaker 6: trying not to think about it. I'm really trying not
Speaker 6: to talk about it. I'm just trying to keep going.
Speaker 6: So it was definitely the hottest I've ever been to
Speaker 6: start a season, and I'm just glad that I had
Speaker 6: guys shared with many hit like ninety six or ninety
Speaker 6: eight doubles that year or fifty something, I don't remember.
Speaker 6: He had an insane amount of doubles, so he was
Speaker 6: always on base. Jonesy and I used to joke like
Speaker 6: many would get on second and Jones he would roll
Speaker 6: over and get him over and I just.
Speaker 4: Drive him in.
Speaker 6: So it wasn't just me. I mean, obviously was extremely hot,
Speaker 6: but man, I had a lot of guys. There was
Speaker 6: a lot of traffic on bases and on the bases,
Speaker 6: and it was it was just really cool to be
Speaker 6: a part of that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, obviously, I mean on the on field stuff speaks
Speaker 3: for itself.
Speaker 4: Unbelievable seasons.
Speaker 3: But I I want to give you a chance to
Speaker 3: kind of talk about the extremely generous gift you and
Speaker 3: Jill gave to the hospital there, and is there a
Speaker 3: backstory to it, and like your relationship with the hospitals
Speaker 3: and everything. I just want to give you a chance
Speaker 3: to kind of to talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 4: No, I appreciate that. Sorry, I appreciate that.
Speaker 6: There is so b rob Brian Roberts took me to
Speaker 6: the children's hospital for the first time.
Speaker 4: I can't even remember.
Speaker 6: What year it was, maybe twenty twelve, but I just
Speaker 6: remember him asking, Hey, do you want to go to
Speaker 6: the children's children's hospital. It's kind of something that you
Speaker 6: know is means a lot to me and Diana and
Speaker 6: I think it'd be cool for your experience, and so
Speaker 6: I said, yeah, for sure, and and so I went
Speaker 6: to the hospital, and I mean, if you've ever been
Speaker 6: in a in a an environment where kids are going
Speaker 6: through the things that they're going through and you get
Speaker 6: to be around them, it's it's hard not to be
Speaker 6: impacted by that, and it's it's really hard not to
Speaker 6: want to get involved in to try to help those people,
Speaker 6: especially when you start to talk to some of the
Speaker 6: parents and you start to understand understand some of the
Speaker 6: struggles that they're going through and just the time commitment
Speaker 6: that it takes for them to be there. So with
Speaker 6: Jill having a nursing background, it was an easy guess
Speaker 6: for us. And I think really the more we more
Speaker 6: time we spent there, the more we really wanted to
Speaker 6: get involved.
Speaker 4: We just didn't know what that looked like.
Speaker 6: And so I basically asked Steven Zen, Who's who's one
Speaker 6: of the doctors that will actually see this week when
Speaker 6: we go up there.
Speaker 4: I just asked him. I was like, what y'all's biggest
Speaker 4: need here? And he talked about the cath lab and
Speaker 4: asked how much he needed, and that's kind of where
Speaker 4: it went, you know.
Speaker 6: And and I didn't I didn't know at the time
Speaker 6: that it was going to be as big of a
Speaker 6: deal as it was because it wasn't about that. But
Speaker 6: it's something that that still means a lot to us.
Speaker 6: I mean, we still talk to him on a pretty
Speaker 6: regular basis and are still going to be involved, you know,
Speaker 6: for the rest of our lives.
Speaker 4: I'd love to see one of the other.
Speaker 6: Guys on the team now start to get involved because
Speaker 6: it is such a unique relationship. And so maybe that's
Speaker 6: a conversation I'll have with somebody when I go up there.
Speaker 4: It's awesome.
Speaker 10: That's that's awesome stuff, Chris, and and you know, a
Speaker 10: lot of the guys, especially of that era, really gave
Speaker 10: back to the city. And Chris, you've mentioned a multiple time.
Speaker 10: Tis now just how good of a group of guys
Speaker 10: it was. And you think of twenty twelve through sixteen,
Speaker 10: especially winning the most games in the American League, but
Speaker 10: it just seemed like you guys were having so much fun,
Speaker 10: right like with all the postgame pies and just all
Speaker 10: the Shenanigans going on, Like it just seemed like such
Speaker 10: a special blend of extremely talented players but also just
Speaker 10: really good dudes that I think this city really embraced
Speaker 10: because of that.
Speaker 4: No doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 6: That's probably one of the things that I hear the
Speaker 6: most about that group of guys from fans is that.
Speaker 4: They we we were relatable.
Speaker 6: They enjoyed coming to the field because we really they
Speaker 6: seem they seem we really seemed like we cared about
Speaker 6: each other because we did. I remember the pie celebration
Speaker 6: was awesome to me. Steve Pierce run that, by the way,
Speaker 6: I just want to I'm gonna I'm gonna throw him
Speaker 6: under the right now. Yeah, Jonesy busted his lip and
Speaker 6: then they were like, y'all can't have positivemore because we're like,
Speaker 6: he's a grown man.
Speaker 4: It's just a busted limb. Let us hour a part.
Speaker 4: But but it was just a good group.
Speaker 6: Of guys, Like I mean, seriously, we we hung out
Speaker 6: together off the field. After I pitched in Boston, I
Speaker 6: always wanted to go to a bullpen dinner and Brocky,
Speaker 6: you know bullpen dinner's about, but I was never invited
Speaker 6: because I wasn't a part of the bullpen. And I
Speaker 6: remember after I pitched in Boston, I told Jim Johnson
Speaker 6: on the flat back home, I said, Hey, I'm going
Speaker 6: to bullpen dinner now, dude. And so I went to
Speaker 6: He's like, you're good, You're good, you go to bulk.
Speaker 6: So we went out to UH.
Speaker 4: We went.
Speaker 6: I went out to a bullpen dinner UH in Anaheim
Speaker 6: and we had a great time. And I'm like, we
Speaker 6: should always do we should do this like it's funny
Speaker 6: because position players don't hang out as much as pitchers do.
Speaker 6: And so for a while, oday Odaiy and I were
Speaker 6: obviously really close. We I was like the only position
Speaker 6: player that would hang out with the pitchers. But we
Speaker 6: just had a good group of guys that enjoyed being
Speaker 6: around each other. We wore each other out, we gave
Speaker 6: each other a hard time, but we really cared about
Speaker 6: each other. And I think that really gives you a
Speaker 6: good on field product because you have that chemistry when
Speaker 6: when things get tough. Man, we had some rough stretches,
Speaker 6: but I think knowing that we had each other's back
Speaker 6: and knowing that we cared about each other helped us
Speaker 6: to get out of those rough stretches.
Speaker 4: Well, Chris, you bring up the.
Speaker 10: Relief appearance that you had in Boston, which is insane
Speaker 10: two innings like now that's out the window with this
Speaker 10: new extra innings for man and the only time you
Speaker 10: see position players, it's the team's getting killed one way
Speaker 10: or another. Just what was it like getting that, you know,
Speaker 10: Buck coming up to you just experience, like did you
Speaker 10: go in with a lot of confidence that you could
Speaker 10: you know, come through.
Speaker 4: There, like absolutely not.
Speaker 6: I'm pissed in six years and I wasn't that good
Speaker 6: when I pused in Collars Man, So I always said,
Speaker 6: you know, coming up for some teams that looked at me,
Speaker 6: I think out of high school and out of college
Speaker 6: as a picture.
Speaker 4: But I was our thrower.
Speaker 6: But I'm thankful that I had Skip Johnson as a
Speaker 6: college coach because he's one of the best pitching coaches
Speaker 6: in the country. And I was literally like, okay, keep
Speaker 6: your front side closed, like don't fly out, like trying,
Speaker 6: and I'm doing it. I think the fact that I'm
Speaker 6: so naive at times really played into my favor because
Speaker 6: I was I remember warming up in the bullpen and
Speaker 6: Bill Castro was our bullpen coach. And he's like, all right,
Speaker 6: what do you got? And my ball, naturally, I think
Speaker 6: just from my arm slot has a has a little sink.
Speaker 6: That's probably why I didn't stay at third base very long.
Speaker 6: And Bill Castro was like okay, and then I threw
Speaker 6: a slaughter and he's like, no, that's not gonna work.
Speaker 6: Well that's you got, And I was like, I threw
Speaker 6: a split because I can't throw a change up and
Speaker 6: he's like, and I threw it.
Speaker 4: He's like, okay, go get him, kid, and I'm like,
Speaker 4: that's it. Like, there's no it was. It was fun.
Speaker 4: Looking back on it, I realized how crazy it was.
Speaker 4: I don't think I think having such a bad day
Speaker 4: at the plate. I was just kind of pissed off,
Speaker 4: you know.
Speaker 6: And I'm like, well, if you know, if it's I'm
Speaker 6: either going to be the complete goat or I'm something
Speaker 6: great is gonna happen.
Speaker 4: Uh. And thankfully Jonesy cut.
Speaker 6: That ball off in the outfield and made an unbelievable
Speaker 6: play to throw.
Speaker 4: It to JJ, and JJ threw through to weeding.
Speaker 6: We got Marlon Bird out at home or else, I'm
Speaker 6: we would have never had the designatory truth. It's crazy, man,
Speaker 6: I will say this, it gave me a greater appreciation
Speaker 6: for being in the center of the diamond with nobody
Speaker 6: else around you.
Speaker 4: I'm like, this is a very very lonely place.
Speaker 6: At least when you're in the batter's box you got
Speaker 6: a couple of people there. But man, you are in
Speaker 6: the center of the diamond and you're holding the ball,
Speaker 6: so it's like everybody's watching you.
Speaker 4: But it was fun.
Speaker 2: Man.
Speaker 6: I give Buck a lot of credit for making that
Speaker 6: call because that really changed our season.
Speaker 4: I mean, we had we we won that series, we won.
Speaker 6: The next series, and we kind of started rolling and
Speaker 6: so that was a that was a big game for
Speaker 6: us to win.
Speaker 4: But man, it was crazy.
Speaker 8: Spend some more time with Chris Davis, who's headed to
Speaker 8: the Oriol Hall of Fame this weekend along with Storm
Speaker 8: Davis and Jim Russo, and you can get tickets for
Speaker 8: Friday's luncheon or Saturday's game in ceremony. Go to oriols
Speaker 8: dot com. The Oil Advocates.
Speaker 9: Put on a great luncheon every year for the Hall
Speaker 9: of Famers, and this money will be special Saturday. A
Speaker 9: lot of your teammates are coming back.
Speaker 4: Chris, you noted a few.
Speaker 9: I think Brad's going to be in town and some
Speaker 9: of those guys.
Speaker 8: And so let's go back to when you were traded
Speaker 8: to the Orioles from the Rangers in Trade Deadline twenty eleven.
Speaker 8: You and Tommy Hunter. You're good buddy for Koji Yuhara.
Speaker 8: Some people remember that trade worked out for you well
Speaker 8: for in Birdland. You've told the story before that the
Speaker 8: two of you had different reactions to that trade.
Speaker 5: Is that correct?
Speaker 6: That is that is we were in two different places,
Speaker 6: and Tommy had started a World Series game the year before,
Speaker 6: and I thought was very much in the mix for
Speaker 6: the Rangers, who ended up going back to the World
Speaker 6: Series again. Here in twenty ten, I was on the
Speaker 6: taxi squad, which basically means I was suiting up to
Speaker 6: sit there and watch the game, but I wasn't available
Speaker 6: unless somebody got hurt or something like that happened. So
Speaker 6: I was grateful to be there and to get to
Speaker 6: experience that environment, but it was really hard to sit
Speaker 6: there and watch the team that you had been with
Speaker 6: for the last couple of years that you had had
Speaker 6: some success with go out and compete in the World
Speaker 6: Series and not get a chance to be a part
Speaker 6: of that, so I was ready to get out of there.
Speaker 6: I think just being a part of that organization. And
Speaker 6: I'm extremely grateful to the Texas Rangers for drafting me
Speaker 6: and giving me the opportunity to play.
Speaker 4: In the big leagues.
Speaker 6: But I think the fact that the farm system was
Speaker 6: so loaded and that there were so many guys there
Speaker 6: was kind of a log jam at first base, and
Speaker 6: so I was ready to get out of there. I
Speaker 6: was willing to do anything, play the outfield, play third
Speaker 6: base base. Signed Beltrade the off season of twenty ten
Speaker 6: going into twenty eleven season, so there wasn't really a
Speaker 6: place for me.
Speaker 4: So I was fired up when I got traded. We
Speaker 4: were in Toronto, I'll never forget.
Speaker 6: I was sitting to my hotel room and Scott Boris
Speaker 6: called me and was like, you got traded, and I
Speaker 6: was like, where.
Speaker 4: Am I going? And before we knew it.
Speaker 6: Was BALTI before I knew it was Baltimore, it was
Speaker 6: either San Diego or Baltimore, and San Diego had shown
Speaker 6: interest in spring training for potentially I think it was
Speaker 6: heat Bell was their closer. The Rangers were trying to
Speaker 6: get it back in Bullpiece, and so I really thought
Speaker 6: it was gonna be San Diego.
Speaker 4: And he said, you're going to Baltimore and I was
Speaker 4: like Baltimore And he's like.
Speaker 6: Yeah, they traded you. They traded for you and Tommy
Speaker 6: for Coach u Are And I was like, man, Coachy
Speaker 6: is an all star, like he's there, and I'm like, okay,
Speaker 6: who's in Baltimore? Buck Kirby, I'm like, okay, I know
Speaker 6: Weedy And I'm like, sweet, I'm gonna get a chance
Speaker 6: to play, Like I'm gonna get a chance to play
Speaker 6: every day.
Speaker 4: And so I was super fired up. I think Tommy.
Speaker 6: Was was discouraged because I think he was kind of
Speaker 6: blindsided by it. But but yeah, I mean it worked
Speaker 6: out really well for both of us because Tommy was coming. God,
Speaker 6: I think he had gotten injured and they put him
Speaker 6: in the bullpen, but he didn't really have a specific role,
Speaker 6: and he was huge for us out of the bullpen
Speaker 6: in Baltimore, as you guys know.
Speaker 4: But yeah, I was fired up. Man. I just wanted
Speaker 4: to play baseball.
Speaker 6: And I didn't know a ton about the Orils organization
Speaker 6: other than Cal and Brady and you know the nostalgia
Speaker 6: of Camden Yards.
Speaker 4: But but I was.
Speaker 6: I was just so fired up when I got up there,
Speaker 6: and I'm thankful that we won. Uh if y'all remember
Speaker 6: to kind of close out the twenty eleven season and
Speaker 6: then and then start up continue to win for the
Speaker 6: next few years.
Speaker 4: So I was just I was just super excited.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Chris, was there anything like when you came over
Speaker 3: to Baltimore? Was it just was it just the fact
Speaker 3: of getting a shot to play every day? Or was
Speaker 3: it a certain coach or was it just like what
Speaker 3: was the what helped you become the player you?
Speaker 4: You obviously were in Texas.
Speaker 3: It just didn't happen there, But like what caused that
Speaker 3: to kind of just kind of you know, happened when
Speaker 3: you got to Baltimore.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it was a number of things.
Speaker 6: I think getting away from home, Like I grew up
Speaker 6: in East Texas, I grew up a Rangers fan. There,
Speaker 6: there was a lot of pressure that I put on myself.
Speaker 6: But I also had a ton of family and friends
Speaker 6: that were always there and I'm thankful for them. But
Speaker 6: it just, as you know, it adds another dynamic and
Speaker 6: it has another element to kind of an already stress
Speaker 6: the situation, and you just you have to get baseball
Speaker 6: your your whole life when you're in it to be
Speaker 6: able to compete at that level. So I think really
Speaker 6: getting out of a place where everybody knew me as
Speaker 6: a certain player and getting a chance to restart with
Speaker 6: a new fan base and a new new team was
Speaker 6: just refreshing for me. The other thing was Buck Show.
Speaker 6: Walter Buckets is gonna I'm gonna give Buck a lot
Speaker 6: of credit. I sat down with Buck and was very
Speaker 6: honest and I said, look, this is this is where
Speaker 6: I'm at. I'm out options, so you can't send me down,
Speaker 6: you know, but I want the chance to play every day.
Speaker 6: And he told me, he straight up said you're gonna
Speaker 6: get the chance, but it's not an open ended ticket.
Speaker 6: He's like, you're gonna have to prove that you can
Speaker 6: play here and he goes, and I think you can.
Speaker 6: And having Kirby there too was big deal because Kirby
Speaker 6: knew me. We had history. He was the field.
Speaker 4: Coordinator, the Roman field coordinator for the Rangers.
Speaker 6: When I was there, So having some familiar faces and
Speaker 6: knowing that I was going to get an opportunity to
Speaker 6: play was really big, and thankfully I was able to
Speaker 6: capitalize on the opportunity, and I think also being able
Speaker 6: to play different positions and being willing to do that
Speaker 6: helped me out a bunch because I kind of moved
Speaker 6: around a lot in twenty twelve. But it was, yeah,
Speaker 6: I mean, just to change the scenery. Man, it's huge,
Speaker 6: It really is.
Speaker 10: Chris, what was it like just being a part of
Speaker 10: lineups that just absolutely mashed? I mean, you guys led
Speaker 10: the majors and home runs for multiple years. It was
Speaker 10: what Nelson, you Trumbo leading the majors and home runs?
Speaker 10: Like there really was no soft spot in that mineup.
Speaker 4: No, there wasn't. It was awesome.
Speaker 6: I've got a good buddy who pitched for the Indians
Speaker 6: for a long time, Cody Allen, and he made his
Speaker 6: debut against us in Cleveland and he was like, dude,
Speaker 6: it's like y'all were rolling out guys that were six three, six'
Speaker 6: five six. Six he was, like your second basement was six'
Speaker 6: Four and i'm like talking about scope, and yeah yeah
Speaker 6: we had some Big boos and, he's like y'all looked
Speaker 6: like a bunch of, professional.
Speaker 4: Wrestlers, and yeah. We did it, was, Fun man like
Speaker 4: we we had such a unique Lineup because we had
Speaker 4: Guys like jonesy who could steal, A base nate who
Speaker 4: could steal. A base nick he could run every now
Speaker 4: and then if you. Wanted to we had guys that
Speaker 4: would get. On base nick was so big.
Speaker 6: For our lineup at the top of, the lineup and
Speaker 6: he was big for me because he was another left.
Speaker 6: Handed BAT so i would kind of that's kind OF
Speaker 6: HOW i, i gauged, you KNOW how i was going
Speaker 6: to attack a picture based off of how they Would.
Speaker 6: Attack nick and so it was huge for me to
Speaker 6: have a left hander at the top of. The lineup
Speaker 6: but then you had Guys, Like, Manny jonesy weedy hit.
Speaker 6: Behind me like there was protection all throughout. The lineup
Speaker 6: and to, your point there were. No breaks anybody in
Speaker 6: that lineup at any time could take. You deep AND
Speaker 6: so i think it put a lot of pressure on
Speaker 6: opposing pitching staffs because there was there was no you
Speaker 6: didn't get a, batter off and so it.
Speaker 4: Was funny we we. Always joked bu would.
Speaker 6: Always say, you know we don't have to live and
Speaker 6: die by the three run, home Run and, i'm like
Speaker 6: it kind of works.
Speaker 4: For Us so i'm Not gonna i'm not gonna stop
Speaker 4: them at.
Speaker 6: Home runs but it was just such a good team
Speaker 6: and and defensively we were. REALLY good i STILL have
Speaker 6: i think it's up here behind me the uh we
Speaker 6: hold the single season fielding percentage record for. A team
Speaker 6: but it WAS just, i mean, You guys many's still.
Speaker 4: Doing IT. Uh jj there were bow gloves all over.
Speaker 6: The field it was just a unique group, of guys
Speaker 6: man AND and i think one of the things that
Speaker 6: really made it.
Speaker 4: Special is there were.
Speaker 6: No superstars like you could Argue that jonesy was a
Speaker 6: superstar because he was under contract and, he was, you
Speaker 6: know The Perennial, all star but he didn't act like
Speaker 6: a superstar like we were just we were. Baseball PLAYERS
Speaker 6: and i think that that made it a lot easier
Speaker 6: for everybody to go out and do their job because
Speaker 6: nobody cared who got the credit as long as we won.
Speaker 4: Baseball games.
Speaker 9: It was a special Time.
Speaker 8: In birdland and your, Guys group Brad and cress and
Speaker 8: and the guys you've set you noted today will never
Speaker 8: be forgotten in this town because you took them from
Speaker 8: losers to Winners to.
Speaker 9: October baseball you guys drinks around us.
Speaker 8: For the rest of your Days in bergland for what
Speaker 8: you guys. Did, now chris you noted in twenty three
Speaker 8: when you came Back for Adam jones, jersey retirement you
Speaker 8: aren't sure how the reception was, gonna go and it
Speaker 8: went great because the fans more remembered the good times than.
Speaker 9: The ending how do you sort all that out now
Speaker 9: when your mind.
Speaker 8: What happened at, The end and is it just an
Speaker 8: anecdote you just flush it away or is it part
Speaker 8: of a?
Speaker 9: Bigger, resume yeah.
Speaker 6: IT'S definitely i definitely don't flush it away because it
Speaker 6: really helps me appreciate the. Earlier YEARS and i think
Speaker 6: it also kind of helps me stay grounded because.
Speaker 4: The struggle was it was, so PROLONGED and i think
Speaker 4: people ask me all the time. WHAT happened i continue
Speaker 4: to try to PLAY when i.
Speaker 6: Shouldn't HAVE and i, always thought, you know your best tool,
Speaker 6: is availability and so THERE were i was.
Speaker 4: In a lot.
Speaker 6: Of pain certain things had kind of started, popping Up and, i'm,
Speaker 6: LIKE man i can't do THAT like i, used TO
Speaker 6: and i didn't, know why and brock you, Know THIS
Speaker 6: like i was always, A WORKER like i, Always thought
Speaker 6: i'll just work my way out. Of it i'll just work,
Speaker 6: Out harder i'll just, Hit more I'll just i'll just.
Speaker 6: Keep going and that's not a good good recipe for success.
Speaker 6: For anybody there are times when you need to take
Speaker 6: a break and you need to address, certain things especially
Speaker 6: if physically your body's. Breaking down and there's no shame.
Speaker 6: In that but, for me it was. REALLY hard i
Speaker 6: FELT like i owed it to the fans to at
Speaker 6: least be, out there EVEN though i wasn't capable of
Speaker 6: DOING what i really wanted TO and i wasn't. Sure
Speaker 6: why but for me, like that that makes the journey
Speaker 6: that much sweeter because it really helps me appreciate those
Speaker 6: years that we were when it was tough to go
Speaker 6: in there, every day when we were and we weren't trying,
Speaker 6: to win, YOU know i think IT was i didn't
Speaker 6: know really how to go. ABOUT it a lot OF
Speaker 6: times i really leaned into my role as as kind
Speaker 6: of the veteran guy in the clubhouse and tried to teach,
Speaker 6: the guys the, younger guys this is the way that we,
Speaker 6: do things this is why.
Speaker 4: We do things.
Speaker 6: This way but it was hard to go from from
Speaker 6: such a, you know several years of success so much
Speaker 6: success to just failure day in and, day out and
Speaker 6: and for me to experience.
Speaker 4: That and kind of go through that with, the fans
Speaker 4: the fans being a.
Speaker 6: Huge deal, to ME and i know every, player feels,
Speaker 6: you know a certain way about, fan bases BUT but,
Speaker 6: I mean i Was in bultimore for, a DECADE so
Speaker 6: i know a lot. OF fans i know a lot of,
Speaker 6: Fans Personally like i've got a couple of them that
Speaker 6: that texts Me that I'm that i'm, you know. Friends
Speaker 6: with so it was hard for me to go through
Speaker 6: THAT because i FELT like i was really letting. Everybody
Speaker 6: down BUT when i came Back for, JONESY'S thing.
Speaker 4: I didn't i didn't know what. To EXPECT so, i mean.
Speaker 4: They didn't they Did what. Birdland.
Speaker 6: Does man they stood up for their guys and they welcomed.
Speaker 6: Me back and one of the THINGS that i want
Speaker 6: to be sure, TO mention i was standing on the
Speaker 6: ondeck circle before we walked out on the field To,
Speaker 6: honor adam and one of the season ticket HOLDERS who
Speaker 6: I know i've seen in spring training leaned down, and, Said,
Speaker 6: hey CRUSH and i turned around and, he, said, hey
Speaker 6: man don't ever forget how much we loved you and
Speaker 6: how much.
Speaker 4: We rooted for you.
Speaker 6: Those years he's Like that you'll always Be crushed davis
Speaker 6: to us and saying for him to say that to
Speaker 6: me in, THAT moment i, was like it's hard not to,
Speaker 6: get emotional, you know because you.
Speaker 4: Think about all the times when you got booed.
Speaker 6: Or whatever but it really it meant a lot, to
Speaker 6: me and it meant it really showed me how much.
Speaker 4: They care so it was it was a special moment. For,
Speaker 4: sure yeah.
Speaker 3: IT'S awesome i just Kind of i'm sure you've had
Speaker 3: time to reflect, on everything and with the weekend, coming
Speaker 3: up what would you say you're most proud of your Time.
Speaker 3: In baltimore is there one? Particular thing is there a multitude?
Speaker 3: Of things is there anything you can kind of put.
Speaker 3: INTO words i know it's probably tough when you're trying
Speaker 3: to yah with something, to.
Speaker 4: SAY but i thought, about THAT and i really appreciate you.
Speaker 4: Asking that. It's hard it's hard because there are so.
Speaker 6: Many, things honestly the THING that i keep coming back
Speaker 6: to is the people man like, you guys, My Teammates
Speaker 6: like i'm so THANKFUL that i had such a good
Speaker 6: group of people to share. It WITH and i think
Speaker 6: about the people at the stadium that took care of
Speaker 6: our wives while we were out. There playing, at me
Speaker 6: you were a part, of, it dude you were a
Speaker 6: big part. Of it we all had like we were
Speaker 6: kind of all on the same spot in. Our life we're,
Speaker 6: all young we were, all married we were started having,
Speaker 6: kids together like we were trying to establish ourselves as
Speaker 6: big leaguers and just figure. It OUT and i think
Speaker 6: that's really what what to me stands out. The MOST
Speaker 6: that i loved being a part of the City. OF
Speaker 6: baltimore i had no CLUE what i was getting INTO
Speaker 6: when i. WAS traded i had Not like i've Been
Speaker 6: to baltimore maybe a handful of times as an opposing
Speaker 6: player and didn't venture out like went to the stadium
Speaker 6: and went back to. The hotel so getting to do
Speaker 6: things like the charity home run derby that we did
Speaker 6: For The, children's Hospital Doing, casey Cares Doing christian, youth
Speaker 6: athletics getting outside of the CITY and, i mean, excuse
Speaker 6: me outside of the stadium and getting into. The city
Speaker 6: that's REALLY what i remember. The MOST and i think
Speaker 6: that's kind of what stuck. With me the baseball is,
Speaker 6: the baseball.
Speaker 4: YOU know, i mean hitting home runs, is great but
Speaker 4: being able to kind of rub shoulders with people that
Speaker 4: you might not rub shoulders with if you didn't do what,
Speaker 4: you did and be a part of something outside of
Speaker 4: the game and feel like you're really a part of,
Speaker 4: the city to me is kind of what lasted the
Speaker 4: most to. This day that's still my. FAVORITE house i
Speaker 4: wish we haven't sold, that house but, BUT yeah i
Speaker 4: think that's probably the THING that i remember the most
Speaker 4: is just, the, people man the relationships that. You make, You, KNOW.
Speaker 10: Chris i did want to go back to, the END
Speaker 10: and i, just think, you know you at the top of.
Speaker 10: The game you're one of the most feared hitters of,
Speaker 10: all time and you get, the CONTRACT and i think
Speaker 10: fans and sometimes people falling the mistake of viewing players almost,
Speaker 10: as robots, like, oh well, you know he's getting a.
Speaker 10: Big contract was it was. A matter but you're an
Speaker 10: ultimate competitor to make. The majors you're an ultimate competitor
Speaker 10: to reach the heights that you did in. Your career
Speaker 10: what was it like from a mental standpoint going through at,
Speaker 10: The end it.
Speaker 6: WAS tough i remember, hearing THAT and i got off
Speaker 6: social media years AGO because i just didn't want to hear.
Speaker 4: THE noise i had enough to focus on without having
Speaker 4: to deal with.
Speaker 6: All THAT and i remember, hearing, that well, Who cares he's,
Speaker 6: still Rich and, i'm like that's, you guys think that's
Speaker 6: what drives us like you if you're if you are
Speaker 6: a rookie in the, big leagues you're making over half a.
Speaker 6: Million dollars like the money IS is i call it.
Speaker 6: Monopoly money it's billionaires. Paying millionaires it's it's that's not what.
Speaker 6: It's about and and so to, Your, point tim when
Speaker 6: you're so competitive and you're not able, to compete and
Speaker 6: you were able to compete at a very high level for,
Speaker 6: several years it is. SO frustrating, I Mean i i've
Speaker 6: told this story to a handful, of PEOPLE but i
Speaker 6: remember one of the nights we WERE in DC and
Speaker 6: i took my hat OFF and i was.
Speaker 4: Stressed out it was it was towards the end of
Speaker 4: the twenty. NINETEEN season i was.
Speaker 6: Stressed out jill and the girls were, back HOME so
Speaker 6: I was i Was in baltimore, by MYSELF and i
Speaker 6: took my hat off on the DUGOUT and i looked
Speaker 6: down and my hair was in, my hat like my
Speaker 6: hair was.
Speaker 4: Going on like that's how.
Speaker 6: Stressed out and aside from THINKING that i was going
Speaker 6: bald in the middle of a big, League game, i'm
Speaker 6: like WHAT do?
Speaker 4: I do?
Speaker 6: You KNOW and i just, felt LOST man I and
Speaker 6: i didn't know what, to do AND and i should have.
Speaker 6: REACHED out i really should have reached out to some people.
Speaker 6: Around ME but i don't KNOW if i, was EMBARRASSED
Speaker 6: if i was. TOO proud i JUST thought i could
Speaker 6: figure it out.
Speaker 4: On, my own AND AND i i wasn't ever. Able to.
Speaker 6: What's really frustrating is going into the twenty, TWENTY season
Speaker 6: i FELT like i had had found had kind of found,
Speaker 6: it again Me and Manny and Scope and selway's joke
Speaker 6: like in the, batting cage like if you, find it
Speaker 6: leave it in there for the. Next guy AND so
Speaker 6: i remember texting Or TELLING scope i. FOUND it i,
Speaker 6: found it, you know and, he's, like oh leave it,
Speaker 6: for me leave it. For ME but i was going
Speaker 6: into spring TRAINING and I was i was, crushed again,
Speaker 6: YOU know.
Speaker 4: I was i was hammering.
Speaker 6: THE ball i felt so good at the, PLATE physically
Speaker 6: i Had gotten i'd kind of put a little bit
Speaker 6: of weight, Back on i'd gotten. Stronger again And then
Speaker 6: i'm getting ready to Go To fort myers in the
Speaker 6: world shuts down And so i'm. Like no and then
Speaker 6: we started back up Again in august and it just wasn't.
Speaker 4: The same by, that time my knee had been.
Speaker 6: Bothering me it was just so FRUSTRATING because i really
Speaker 6: wanted that one last chance to PROVE that i was
Speaker 6: worth the money that they spent.
Speaker 4: On me and so that's.
Speaker 6: It's hard but at the end of, the, day man
Speaker 6: there's no blueprint, for this. You know THAT'S why i
Speaker 6: think it's so incredible Guys like kershaw that that can.
Speaker 4: Go out on their. Own terms it's, so, Hard man
Speaker 4: it is just. So.
Speaker 9: Hard man what Great, stuff chris, You Know and I've told.
Speaker 8: Brad this one of the great things is the media
Speaker 8: guy of that ERA is i knew there are good
Speaker 8: guys In that it's uniforms winning Games.
Speaker 9: For birdland and if it was a, TOUGH time i
Speaker 9: KNEW and.
Speaker 8: I walked, in there you guys would be at your
Speaker 8: locker to answer whatever. We had you never, ducked, it,
Speaker 8: good bad. Or indifferent and we saw that in this, show,
Speaker 8: today man you are very honest with you. Your thoughts
Speaker 8: we can't wait To see birdland honor you again Along
Speaker 8: With storm davis and along with The Late jim russo
Speaker 8: And Lets your mind the. Fans again tickets are available
Speaker 8: orioles dot com slash tickets Both for friday's Lunch and
Speaker 8: saturday's game and ceremony.
Speaker 9: On field tommy going to be introducing you is he's
Speaker 9: so as funny as?
Speaker 4: He was, OH yeah i. CANNOT well i talked to
Speaker 4: him YESTERDAY and i, was, like hey are? You Ready
Speaker 4: and i'm not going to tell you how, he responded.
Speaker 6: Because it's just we, Meet him BUT but, I went,
Speaker 6: I mean, I said i told. HIM yesterday, i said
Speaker 6: whether you like it, Or, not bud we're in this.
Speaker 6: Thing TOGETHER and i told him that from, day one
Speaker 6: like we got. Traded Together and TOMMY and i talked
Speaker 6: more than than probably of my, other teammates. More CONSISTENTLY
Speaker 6: but i cannot wait to hear what he has to
Speaker 6: say at.
Speaker 4: The launch he was, never dull that is for.
Speaker 9: Darn sure got trade worked out great for you two.
Speaker 8: And many And, all, Birdland buddy because twenty twelve through,
Speaker 8: twenty sixteen, three playoffs most wins in, The league buck And.
Speaker 8: The boys it, Was. Special chris thanks for sharing that
Speaker 8: look safe Travels to birdland and we will.
Speaker 9: See you this weekend At the Hall of.
Speaker 4: Fame ceremony. That's good thanks guys for having me on