WEBVTT - A Bronx Bomber 0:00:02.200 --> 0:00:05.680 If you thought four hours a day, minutes a week 0:00:05.800 --> 0:00:09.200 was enough, I think again. He's the last remnants of 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:12.880 the old republic, a sole fashion of fairness. He treats 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.760 crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:19.799 pill poppers in the penthouse. The clearing House of Hot 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.560 takes break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:29.200 Ben Maller starts right now that it does a special 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:34.680 furlough edition of the podcast, The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller. 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:38.880 As we are back at it again because four hours 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:42.040 are not enough. In the middle of the night, we 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.040 are doing this eight days a week. Well, actually not 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:46.640 this week. It's not eight days a week. More on 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:49.519 that in a different podcast. But this of course a 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:52.839 spin off. As you know, you've downloaded the podcast of 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:56.320 the Ben Mallory Radio Show, and as you also know, 0:00:56.400 --> 0:01:01.080 it's only available in the podcast format wherever you get 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:05.480 your podcast, powered by the I Heart Podcast Network, number 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:09.360 one for podcasting and for better or worse yet again, 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:14.600 joined by David Guest, Yes in the house and happy 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:19.800 to report that even Apple iTunes has featured sports podcasts. 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:23.000 The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallor is front and center 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:25.720 amongst the masses too. How nice is that? Yes, I 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:29.240 saw that and I thought, no way, there's no way. 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:33.520 I mean, jeez, there's a billion podcast. But we actually 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:37.520 got some some feature love, which makes it seem like 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:39.760 it's kind of worthwhile. But' coming to do this crap? 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.560 So uh that's uh, that was that was pretty cool. 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.080 Now this is an interview podcast. This can be what 0:01:45.120 --> 0:01:47.440 our interview podcast where we are not really like we're 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:49.920 hanging with friends. We'd like to call it hanging with friends, 0:01:49.960 --> 0:01:52.280 not really interview. That's very formal and all that. But 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:53.680 I'll tell you who we're gonna talk to you in 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:57.800 a minute before we do that. Shameless promotion. Shameless promotion. Uh, 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:01.200 if you've not signed up for a cameo, what are 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.160 you waiting for? I'm on cameo. You can get a 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:06.920 special personalized video message. Not free, not very much. I'm 0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:10.680 cheaper than everyone else. Uh that matters, Uh Fox anyway, 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:13.200 Uh so cameo dot com and then just type my 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:15.520 name in Ben Maller and uh I would love to 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:17.040 do that. I did a couple of last weekend for 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:21.079 Father's Day. Uh did several for for p One's big 0:02:21.120 --> 0:02:22.960 fans of the show, which was pretty cool. I also 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:30.000 did my first personalized message guests. Somebody wanted me to 0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:34.600 just do my nicknames somebody on camera and I tried 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:35.799 to point out. I was like, you know what, I 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:38.360 can do that for you. I can run down the nicknames, 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.440 but we don't have the sound effects. You know, I'm 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.200 in my home studio. I don't have access to the 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:44.639 sound effects. But that that was kind of eat and 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:47.120 we've got some really positive reviews. People really seem to 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:50.000 enjoy the cameo things. So check that out and and 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:53.200 just follow follow me on Twitter, Ben Maller on on 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:57.800 that and Instagram, Ben Maller on Fox, and please click 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:01.200 on those videos I link out. Some video was sporadically 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:03.639 from monologues, little clips. You can get to see what 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:06.760 it's like when we're making the hot dogs and get 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:09.680 those views up. Share them with your friends those videos, 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:12.639 tell them to watch. It does help us out as well. 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:16.480 And then Facebook Ben Mallard Show, Ben Mallor Show, and 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:19.080 how can people reach you a Gascon? Same thing on 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:22.040 Twitter at David JA Gascon. I need to crack the 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.320 egg with cameo, So cameo at David J Gascon. You 0:03:25.360 --> 0:03:29.760 need someone to pop your Chariot Virginize. I will say 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:32.600 I got some inside intel that you also did a 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:37.080 special birthday video on camera on cameo. I cannot talk 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.320 about that. The cameo thing is a private thing between 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:42.600 me and the fans, and I can't get any further 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:45.640 than that. So I'm on there as well, and then 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.560 on Instagram Att and Dave Gascon. But yeah, I think 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:50.839 I think the biggest reason that we were on front 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.640 and center with the podcast on alp iTunes is the responses, 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:57.680 the reviews and the ratings from from you the listeners. 0:03:57.720 --> 0:04:01.360 You guys have been active on it, so I appreciate that. Yeah, yeah, exactly. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.360 I mean it seems like the most benign thing, like 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:07.240 who the funk cares about the reviews on a podcast? 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.360 But the people that run podcast networks give up. They 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:14.000 really care. It's a big deal. It's not some harmless thing. 0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:17.440 And so again, if you haven't done that yet, review 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:21.880 review obviously we prefer positive reviews, five stars, that would 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:25.919 that would certainly help us out. But yeah, it is. 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:28.280 It's really cool. I was like, Wow, that's like it's 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.440 like the real podcast, Like people are getting getting promotion. 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:34.320 I think that's more promotion than my radio show has got. 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:40.799 It's more advertising for this podcast, which is a weekend podcast. 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.760 Then we've gotten for the radio show. But but let's 0:04:43.760 --> 0:04:46.120 not see we're playing Grabaus now, Guests, We've got to 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:49.279 get right into it. So this is a conversation with 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:51.200 I'm so excited to have this guy and I met 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:54.719 him several years ago at Dodger Stadium when the Yankees 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:59.599 were in town. John Sterling the voice of the New 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:02.719 York ke Yankees. How important does that sound? How big 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.839 does that sound? John is one of the great characters 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:10.200 in broadcasting. He has tremendous work ethic. He has been 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:14.320 calling games since before I was alive. He started out 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:18.160 in the early seventies calling NBA games for the Washington 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:20.200 Actually was a Baltimore Bulls even before they were in 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:24.520 Washington in the NBA, and he's worked for multiple NBA teams. 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:26.920 He had a stint in Atlanta. He's been a long 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:30.080 time New York broadcaster. He's from New York. But he's 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:35.800 known for his signature home run calls, right, I mean, guys, 0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:39.679 that's what he's known for. Guests and all the trades. Yeah, 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:44.159 and a bomb by Rod you know that kind of stuff, 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:47.280 and I'm so excited to talk to him because, first 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:50.240 of all, I love broadcasters. I'm a radio geek and 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:52.839 know the art of baseball play by play is one 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.039 of the hardest things. You have so much time to kill. 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:57.560 You're not just calling balls and strikes. You have to 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:00.240 fill the time, and there's an art to it. When 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:02.760 it's done right, I feel like it's great. And John's 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:06.080 a wonderful storyteller. But I remember the old days on Fox. 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:08.640 We had Frank Pollock, the late great Frank Pollock, the 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.960 big cod piece may rest in peace, and Frank and 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:14.440 I we had this bit that we worked out together 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:16.200 on the on the weekend show where we would do 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:19.320 the Yankee roll call and whatever the box score was 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:21.719 the Yankee day that get the Yankee game that day. 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:24.240 Frank would go on the archive and pull out all 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:28.680 the different home run calls, Uh, Georgie juiced it or 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:30.880 juiced one or whatever he said, and he go through, 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.719 you know, the gambino and those were the players at 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:37.159 the time, and so I we loved it. It was 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:39.000 a good bit. People liked it that they were listening 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:40.560 to you like positive feedback on that. But that was 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:44.080 John Sterling so we're gonna have a conversation with John 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:48.760 obviously will regain as John, we welcome you in here, 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:51.160 and uh, why don't we start with this? How are 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:55.480 you holding up during the pandemic? Well, it certainly is 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:59.919 the craziest year of any of all lives. Um, you know, 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:01.760 you do what you have to do. When I go out, 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:08.800 mask and gloves and I'm hanging in there, I'm hanging 0:07:08.839 --> 0:07:11.960 in there. I get to see uh, my kids and 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:16.600 my family, um, every now and then, and now every 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.240 day I talk on the phone to friends and I 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.280 tell him family, and I tell him one thing. If 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:26.320 we don't get the virus, we've won. So so far, 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:28.240 so good, And now it looks like I'll be going 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.160 back to work in a few weeks. Be sure to 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:32.960 catch live editions of The Ben Maller Show weekdays at 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:36.800 two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:40.720 and the I Heart Radio app. That's great, and you've 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:42.640 been been around for a while. Is is there anything 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:44.880 that this kind of reminds you of in your life 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:48.400 experience when you were younger or is this totally its 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:51.120 own entity and it's not close to anything anything that 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:52.800 comes to mind that you said, well, this is kind 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.120 of like what happened, you know, back in the days, 0:07:55.640 --> 0:08:00.560 anything like that. No, Um, I've I've often said that 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:03.640 not only is this the craziest year of our lives, 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.560 and I've got a few years on me, but there's 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:11.320 there's no one nothing in second, there's nothing close. Um 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.160 to think that you can't go out and call up 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:16.360 your friends and family and say let's have dinner at 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:20.720 such at such place and so um, No, this is 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:23.720 this is the wackiest by far. And I don't think 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:26.920 it's over yet. Um. You know, all these sports are 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:30.000 trying to come back, but you know, the minute they 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:35.440 get a few people who have the virus, um, they're 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:39.400 gonna need a tremendous amount of testing. That's the biggest thing. 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:44.920 Testing And if someone tests and positive, they'll be quarantined 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.600 for us as long as it takes. That got read 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:53.640 somewhere where in baseball anyway there. If you test positive, 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:58.360 you quarantine and then you have to test negatively in 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:02.320 two tests before they let you come back. So it's 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:06.000 it's gonna be such a battle and hopefully we can 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:08.560 get through it. Hopefully we we're gonna have the sixty 0:09:08.600 --> 0:09:12.160 game season and the playoffs culminating in the World Series, 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:15.760 and I hope be sure to catch live editions on 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.760 The Ben Maller Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:22.599 pm Pacific. Yeah, well, what is your John, what is 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:24.920 your level of concern? I mean, you're you know, because 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:27.720 you're gonna have to be in the middle of this somewhat. 0:09:27.720 --> 0:09:30.560 I know there's some reports that the broadcasters at first 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.520 are going to travel with the Why don't we start 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:35.120 with it? Is that true? Or have you gotten the 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:37.160 message with it from the Yankees? Are you gonna be 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:39.080 on the road, Are you gonna be doing the games 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:43.920 in a different location. No, as far as I know, 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:49.040 no broadcasters in any sport are going to travel, or 0:09:49.080 --> 0:09:51.880 they try to reduce it as few people as possible 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:55.560 at the ballpark. So we'll do the home games from 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:59.240 Yankee Stadium, which is open and much better for you 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:02.800 than being in a closed studio. And we still have 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:06.280 to work out whether we'll do the away games from 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.880 the stadium off a monitor, which I hope, or if 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:13.960 we'll go to the s studios in um in Stanford, Connecticut. 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:16.760 But then you'd be inside and there's a much greater 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.839 chance to catch it if you're inside. So that that 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:22.680 has to be worked out, and we have we have 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:26.040 about a month to work it out. So we're gonna 0:10:26.080 --> 0:10:28.520 try be sure to catch live editions of The Ben 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:32.040 Maller Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven p m Pacific. 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:35.679 So so, Johnneth, let's say like the season starts in 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.480 late July, and then in like sometime in late August, 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:41.400 baseball the powers that be said, okay, we're gonna let 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:45.600 the broadcasters travel. Would you have apprehension about that or 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:50.600 would you be okay with it? Now? I'm a person 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:53.760 doesn't have a lot of apprehension when I go out 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:57.120 in old mask and gloves. And if I don't think 0:10:57.120 --> 0:10:58.760 we have to worry about that, I don't think they're 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:00.280 going to do that. And I think there is going 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:04.720 to be the oddest season. And by the way, I 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:08.640 have no idea how they're gonna play football. And um, 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:11.200 I can only tell you one thing I told us 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:13.880 to a buddy the other day. Are they going to 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:19.440 tell the offensive lineman not to breathe on the defensive lineman? 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:22.880 I mean, these be a moss trying to you know, 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:28.040 destroy each other, you know, six six How can they 0:11:28.040 --> 0:11:31.080 How can they do all that without breathing on each other? 0:11:31.240 --> 0:11:34.360 So and and in basketball too. I mean, you know 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:38.360 you've heard this when you played, I played all my life. 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:40.560 I heard it plenty. Get up at them, get in 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:44.920 his shirt. So I don't know how they're gonna do that, 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:50.640 but um, I guess they can do it. If they're testing. 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.880 That's a lot of testing. But if they're testing a 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:58.960 few times a week works, and someone comes down with 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:01.120 the virus so that they larrantine, I guess that's the 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:03.760 way to do it. Fox Sports Radio has the best 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:06.600 sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:10.120 shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:13.960 I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live. Yeah, 0:12:13.960 --> 0:12:15.640 And the other thing to John about this is we've 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:17.800 seen in college where there's been a bunch of college 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:20.920 football players that have tested positive. They didn't test positively 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:23.480 at practice. It was out, you know, going to clubs 0:12:23.559 --> 0:12:25.800 in the bars and things like that. So which is 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:28.080 you know, you know, you've been around the baseball game 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:31.080 and professional sports, you guys, and the players go on 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:33.480 the road. They like to go out and enjoy whatever 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.440 city they're in. So, and is this going to continue 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.800 where guy's gonna have to stay in their hotels. Are 0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:40.640 they gonna be willing to do that? John, You've been 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:42.560 around a lot of athletes over these you think they 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:46.640 can do it. I really don't know. In fact, I 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:50.760 is funny to bring it up. I read UM something 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:54.400 about basketball that they're going to all go to Orlando 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:57.320 and they're not going to be able to leave the 0:12:57.400 --> 0:13:01.840 hotel and they're gonna find hotels that have dining rooms 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:05.640 and they and they want them to eat in their rooms. Hey, 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:10.080 it's very tough if you're a player, broadcaster, writer, or 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.440 whoever to go to a place and stay in a 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:16.640 hotel and stay there for a couple of months. So, UM, 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:19.760 I guess that's it with a guy. And I have 0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:25.000 not read what the procedure is on baseball, UM, but 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:28.240 I gather it'll be about the same. Um. I guess 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:32.280 they could go out. UM. You know there are there 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:35.120 are a lot of worries, and you guys know that 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:37.400 you hear it and read it and you're on the 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:41.800 air every day. How about the fact that the virus 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:50.319 UH did not attack UM a lot of the states Florida, Arizona, 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:55.200 Texas and now it's hitting them with a force. And 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:58.200 everyone tells me, I'm sure you've heard the same thing 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:02.360 that once the weather gets cold, that the virus is 0:14:02.360 --> 0:14:06.240 going to come back. So I think you guys know 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:09.720 already what we need. We need a vaccine, We need 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:14.800 medicine or a vaccine, and so we can look get 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:18.240 on them with our lives. And I don't know what's 0:14:18.240 --> 0:14:21.640 gonna happen. We've never been through this before, but there 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:29.160 are a lot of health regulations to be enforced if 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:31.680 this thing is gonna work. I think the biggest thing 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:34.760 that was testing. If you test and you find someone 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:39.720 who has the virus, they get quarantine. John, I guess 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:41.840 the one thought behind all this, And you mentioned the 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:44.160 testing with Major League Baseball. I guess it is a 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:48.120 twofold question. But when you see them playing overseas in 0:14:48.200 --> 0:14:51.560 Korea and nothing's being done between the league and the 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:55.400 MLB PA, do you feel like Major League Baseball they've 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:57.800 lost any kind of momentum being the only game in 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:01.600 town with obviously NASCAR are taking the stage, golf taking 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:04.160 the stage, and the UFC man, do you feel like 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.600 Major League Baseball missed the boat on an opportunity to 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:09.760 capture more fans in a in a shorter period of Telly. 0:15:10.880 --> 0:15:12.760 I think it certainly it was a black mark on 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:16.240 baseball that the owners and the players couldn't come together. 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:19.240 In fact, the thing that I thought would be great 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:22.960 for baseball if they had gone to the new rules, 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:30.000 which they haven't, UM, would have been to have sixteen 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:33.200 teams in the playoffs and in each league you would 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:38.800 have had quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, the championship series, then 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:41.120 the two winners go to the World Series. I thought 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:44.080 it would have been that baseball would have occupied center 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:48.200 stage for that month of October. They're still going to 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:51.600 have the playoffs. Then. I'm not one of those, though, 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:54.400 who jump on this and say, Wow, people are not 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:57.920 gonna come back. They're throw with baseball. They're throw are 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:01.760 the owners, They're throw are the players. Um, Baseball is 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:05.640 fabulous and it's been a fabulous game for over a 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:11.240 hundred years, and it's not gonna stop. The Major League 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:15.880 Baseball has so many young players who have such brilliant 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:19.480 futures and that's going to continue. People are always going 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:21.640 to play it and people are to come out to 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:25.400 watch it. So that that doesn't work me, I'm sorry 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:29.360 though that they couldn't um forget their own problems are 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:31.920 the problems in this country. We've we've had a hundred 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.960 and twenty thousand people die from this virus, and we 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.000 have whatever the number is, thirty forty million out of work. 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:41.520 I wish they had thought of that, but you know, 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.520 it's a business, and businessmen want to make the best 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:48.640 business decisions possible. I guess well, speaking of the business, John, 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:51.280 I guess the one thing that I have in mind 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:53.800 is that even though it's a truncated schedule as opposed 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:55.880 to a hundred and sixty two, we get sixty games. 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:58.880 Um with the way that the season is going to 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:02.320 be a line now, sixty games in seventy days is 0:17:02.360 --> 0:17:06.199 the is the best case scenario Dodgers Yankees in the 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:08.639 World Series? Or do you feel like no matter who's 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:11.239 in the Fall Classic, that's still a win if they 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:12.920 can get back on the field and play at least 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:16.600 the sixty games and get the postseason in um in 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:20.960 long agoray uh. I am the definition of Oscar Hammerstein's 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:24.359 cock eyde optimist. I mean I see the good side 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:29.800 of almost everything, almost and the sixty game season is 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:32.879 going to make the game very important from the start 0:17:32.960 --> 0:17:38.160 of the finish. Um. You know, Washington in their first 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:42.760 sixty games they won the championship. They had a terrible record, 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:45.400 they were well under five hundred, and if that would 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:50.879 happen again, they wouldn't make the playoffs. Um. I received 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:57.440 a very big honor last winner from the Baseball Writers Association. 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:01.359 So I was on the dais and also on the 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:06.800 dais was Uh, it was Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:11.600 who was getting the in National League's MVP Award, and 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:14.480 that we kidded on the dais about, Hey, you know 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:17.160 it would be great Yankees, said, Dodgers in the World Series. 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:20.879 And he said, great, I'll sign up for that. So, um, 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:24.440 you don't know. First of all, I don't know how 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:26.800 anyone could predict a sixty game season, which has never 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:30.480 been played before. You know, that's been always the beauty 0:18:30.520 --> 0:18:35.359 of baseball, day by day, grind through the months and 0:18:35.920 --> 0:18:39.640 changing your lineup and changing players. And with the Yankees, 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.320 you know, players going on the on the d L 0:18:43.680 --> 0:18:47.239 and uh, that's all gone. You better start playing your 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:49.879 best right away, and then the playoffs are going to 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:53.560 be great because their playoffs and people love them. And 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:56.359 you know, one year the Yankees about no, I don't know, 0:18:56.480 --> 0:19:00.480 three or four years ago, the years old blend in. 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:02.760 I'm sorry, I wish I could pick it out for you. 0:19:02.840 --> 0:19:05.800 But anyway, they didn't make the playoffs. And and the 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:09.320 Yankees have made the playoffs I think two times in 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:13.399 the last twenty five years, which is exceptional in this 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:16.320 day and age where you don't keep the same team, 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:21.000 not close. Um. Anyway, I went home after the last 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:27.080 game and I watched all the playoffs and I was 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:32.480 just amazed in in every stadium it was filled, and 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:35.359 in every stadium that people are rooting from the first 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:39.440 bitch on and I thought, boyd is baseball looked great. So, 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.080 you know, I think we'll see that. Even though it's 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:44.960 a sixty game season, you know, someone's going to get 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:49.240 through the playoffs. And you know, obviously I hope it's 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:51.840 the Yankees, but but we'll find out. But I don't 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:56.640 I think baseball will become completely reinvigorated if they're able 0:19:56.680 --> 0:19:58.679 to play the sixty games and if they're able to 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:01.960 have the playoffs. Well, and John, just the piggyback off 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:03.760 something you said. I know you're aware of this, but 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:05.920 I think it needs to be highlighted the people, and 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:08.440 I I'm upset with the owners and the players, but 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:11.159 I'm gonna watch. Obviously work in sports radio, and so 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:14.359 I I things to talking about. But there were stories 0:20:14.400 --> 0:20:18.560 going back a hundred years ago of columnists writing stories 0:20:18.560 --> 0:20:22.280 about how baseball was dying. And it's like every every 0:20:22.359 --> 0:20:26.320 year somebody, you know, several people make this claim. I 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:29.119 guess it just won't die, John, because people, the writers 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:30.760 have been trying to kill it, some of them for 0:20:30.800 --> 0:20:34.239 a hundred years, literally a hundred years. It's crazy. Well, 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:36.399 of course, nowadays they have nothing else to write, so 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:39.520 they have to write features. And I read the same 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:42.960 things you have, and I don't worry about it at all. Baseball, 0:20:43.400 --> 0:20:46.160 you know. They they also said that when free agency 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:49.400 came in, that would be the ruination of baseball, only 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:53.520 the big teams would win, YadA, YadA, YadA. Well they 0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:57.000 were a hundred percent wrong. It can't be more than 0:20:57.760 --> 0:21:00.320 they were a hundred percent wrong. Since then, base ball 0:21:01.200 --> 0:21:08.359 has um become an eleven billion dollar business. And uh 0:21:08.520 --> 0:21:12.840 so baseball is actually, um, you know, bigger than ever. 0:21:14.040 --> 0:21:18.960 And uh you can't stop the fans, the fans who 0:21:19.040 --> 0:21:21.920 are the game. I love it. And then I gotta 0:21:21.960 --> 0:21:24.280 listen to those writers. I mean, the writers are writing 0:21:24.320 --> 0:21:26.919 for themselves. They have to write something. You might as 0:21:26.920 --> 0:21:32.200 well write a very strong anti baseball column. But it 0:21:32.320 --> 0:21:37.160 doesn't happen. And I was there in where we went 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:43.119 through the same thing. Um, I think baseball if they 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:46.359 ever would give it a chance, if they hope the 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:50.320 players in and management come to an agreement for a 0:21:50.400 --> 0:21:54.040 long contract and then simply build the game. And the 0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:58.800 game has all these fabulous ballparks, all these different ballparks. 0:21:58.840 --> 0:22:06.439 Everyone is um different unto themselves, and um, it's been 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:09.600 a great rebirth I think in in baseball. So you know, 0:22:09.680 --> 0:22:12.600 I'm really not worried about the everlasting effect. You know, 0:22:12.640 --> 0:22:14.960 we have to get rid of the virus, and that's 0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:17.000 that's really the job we have to do, get rid 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:21.280 of the virus and and get on with our lives. John, 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:22.840 speaking of that, I mean, you've done a lot and 0:22:22.920 --> 0:22:26.119 seen a lot. But growing up, was was baseball your 0:22:26.160 --> 0:22:31.040 first love or was it another sport? Um? No, I 0:22:31.160 --> 0:22:37.280 have a great ability. Um, what I like, I absolutely love. 0:22:39.000 --> 0:22:42.359 What I don't like, I totally ignore. It's like I 0:22:42.440 --> 0:22:47.320 put up a wall and it's I guess an emotional 0:22:47.359 --> 0:22:50.439 psychological wall, and what I don't like goes on that 0:22:50.560 --> 0:22:52.680 other side of the wall. And so when I was 0:22:52.720 --> 0:22:58.000 a kid, um, I love basketball, baseball, football, and hockey. 0:22:58.560 --> 0:23:00.960 And now that I've put a little years on, I 0:23:01.000 --> 0:23:05.960 love baseball, basketball, football, hockey, so um. And I love 0:23:06.040 --> 0:23:09.960