1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:24,515 --> 00:00:26,755 Speaker 1: It is hard to believe that the President of the 3 00:00:26,835 --> 00:00:30,035 Speaker 1: United States could give a speech about the domestic threat 4 00:00:30,075 --> 00:00:33,355 Speaker 1: to the continuation of our democracy and it wind up 5 00:00:33,395 --> 00:00:36,435 Speaker 1: not being the most important story of the day. But 6 00:00:36,555 --> 00:00:40,315 Speaker 1: it's not. But that's because the Department of Justice just 7 00:00:40,475 --> 00:00:46,195 Speaker 1: gave Cash Patel use immunity, which gives us tangible evidence 8 00:00:46,195 --> 00:00:49,515 Speaker 1: that they are this close to indicting Donald Trump over 9 00:00:49,555 --> 00:00:53,515 Speaker 1: his nuclear kleptomania and all the stolen classified documents at 10 00:00:53,515 --> 00:00:57,915 Speaker 1: Mari Lago. Patel testified to the Documents Grand Jury last 11 00:00:57,915 --> 00:01:00,675 Speaker 1: month and ran the table. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 12 00:01:00,715 --> 00:01:04,235 Speaker 1: across the board. Whatever he didn't say, whatever they are 13 00:01:04,275 --> 00:01:07,795 Speaker 1: convinced he knows about, is important enough to the prosecution 14 00:01:07,795 --> 00:01:11,235 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump to convince Merrick Garland's team to basically 15 00:01:11,275 --> 00:01:15,155 Speaker 1: give up on prosecuting Cash Patel. And remember last summer, 16 00:01:15,475 --> 00:01:19,755 Speaker 1: Cash Patel boasted about going into the National Archives, stealing 17 00:01:19,915 --> 00:01:23,315 Speaker 1: all the documents there that related to Trump' selection conspiracy 18 00:01:23,315 --> 00:01:27,155 Speaker 1: with Russia, and then publishing them once a day on 19 00:01:27,195 --> 00:01:31,915 Speaker 1: a website. Patel has previously insisted that he knows Trump 20 00:01:32,075 --> 00:01:36,355 Speaker 1: orally declassified all the stolen documents, and clearly they asked 21 00:01:36,395 --> 00:01:38,275 Speaker 1: him about that in front of the grand jury, and 22 00:01:38,315 --> 00:01:41,675 Speaker 1: instead of confirming Trump's far fetched story, he took the 23 00:01:41,715 --> 00:01:46,275 Speaker 1: fifth wouldn't answer because in doing so he might incriminate himself. 24 00:01:46,315 --> 00:01:48,915 Speaker 1: In short, if I tell you the truth here, you 25 00:01:48,995 --> 00:01:52,315 Speaker 1: might be able to prosecute me with it. And they 26 00:01:52,355 --> 00:01:55,395 Speaker 1: do not roll the dice in cases like this. They 27 00:01:55,515 --> 00:01:59,795 Speaker 1: clearly must believe that he is prepared to testify truthfully 28 00:01:59,835 --> 00:02:04,395 Speaker 1: that Trump never declassified anything, and he was just afraid 29 00:02:04,395 --> 00:02:07,355 Speaker 1: to say anything before he got the immunity, because after 30 00:02:07,435 --> 00:02:10,315 Speaker 1: he went before the grand jury, the report was they 31 00:02:10,355 --> 00:02:14,515 Speaker 1: did not ask him only about declassification. There were other 32 00:02:14,635 --> 00:02:18,555 Speaker 1: questions about other topics too, So five will get you ten. 33 00:02:18,995 --> 00:02:20,715 Speaker 1: That they had asked him if he went through the 34 00:02:20,755 --> 00:02:23,835 Speaker 1: classified documents with Trump, or if he helped select the 35 00:02:23,875 --> 00:02:27,275 Speaker 1: documents for Trump, if he read these classified documents that 36 00:02:27,315 --> 00:02:29,555 Speaker 1: he should not have even known existed, and if he 37 00:02:29,595 --> 00:02:33,235 Speaker 1: had answered truthfully to those or similar questions, he would 38 00:02:33,235 --> 00:02:35,675 Speaker 1: have gone to jail. And now he can return to 39 00:02:35,715 --> 00:02:38,515 Speaker 1: the grand jury and tell the truth and nothing he 40 00:02:38,595 --> 00:02:42,235 Speaker 1: answers about can be used to prosecute him. It is 41 00:02:42,275 --> 00:02:46,235 Speaker 1: a virtual get out of jail free card. The one 42 00:02:46,555 --> 00:02:50,515 Speaker 1: uncertainty here would be the possibility that they asked Pateel, 43 00:02:51,035 --> 00:02:55,595 Speaker 1: did you witness Trump orally declassifying these documents? And Patel 44 00:02:55,715 --> 00:03:01,075 Speaker 1: says yes, which would not necessarily kill a case against Trump, 45 00:03:01,235 --> 00:03:04,595 Speaker 1: but would obviously hamper it, because the willingness to grant 46 00:03:04,715 --> 00:03:09,355 Speaker 1: hell Use immunity means this issue of declassification is really 47 00:03:09,395 --> 00:03:12,395 Speaker 1: really important to the Department of Justice, even if the 48 00:03:12,435 --> 00:03:15,395 Speaker 1: reason why is not clear to any of us peering 49 00:03:15,515 --> 00:03:18,915 Speaker 1: in the window. But then again, that same rule applies. 50 00:03:18,955 --> 00:03:21,275 Speaker 1: They do not roll the dice in cases like this. 51 00:03:21,595 --> 00:03:24,435 Speaker 1: They have to have evidence of some kind that the 52 00:03:24,475 --> 00:03:30,395 Speaker 1: Trump declassified everything orally story is provably nonsensical. And if 53 00:03:30,395 --> 00:03:34,675 Speaker 1: Patel says yes, he orally declassified these documents, they then 54 00:03:34,755 --> 00:03:37,235 Speaker 1: indict him for the only thing they could still indict 55 00:03:37,315 --> 00:03:41,235 Speaker 1: him for testifying untruthfully or as we civilians know it, 56 00:03:41,715 --> 00:03:46,555 Speaker 1: lying under oath. And it also cannot be a coincidence 57 00:03:46,595 --> 00:03:49,995 Speaker 1: that the willingness to go this far with Patel follows 58 00:03:49,995 --> 00:03:53,595 Speaker 1: by just five days the news that the Trump documents 59 00:03:53,635 --> 00:03:57,515 Speaker 1: team was joined by David Raskin, the prosecutor who helped 60 00:03:57,515 --> 00:04:02,195 Speaker 1: to convict Acarious MUSSAUI on nine eleven conspiracy charges and 61 00:04:02,235 --> 00:04:05,435 Speaker 1: convicted some of the U S M to SEE bombers. 62 00:04:05,795 --> 00:04:08,755 Speaker 1: Raskin is also considered one of the top prosecutors in 63 00:04:08,755 --> 00:04:13,355 Speaker 1: the country of espionage. If you will recall we walk 64 00:04:13,435 --> 00:04:15,195 Speaker 1: through the timing of all this, the d o J 65 00:04:15,355 --> 00:04:19,035 Speaker 1: does not regain full control of all those documents until 66 00:04:19,115 --> 00:04:22,835 Speaker 1: December six, and even if they work over the holidays, 67 00:04:22,875 --> 00:04:25,595 Speaker 1: the likeliest date of an announcement of a Trump indictment 68 00:04:25,755 --> 00:04:28,395 Speaker 1: would be in the middle or the end of the 69 00:04:28,435 --> 00:04:36,195 Speaker 1: first week of January. Say that Friday, Friday, January six. 70 00:04:37,355 --> 00:04:40,155 Speaker 1: And that is a bigger story than Joe Biden's Democracy 71 00:04:40,195 --> 00:04:43,355 Speaker 1: and Danger speech last night. All these years later, I 72 00:04:43,395 --> 00:04:47,075 Speaker 1: still cannot believe that then Senator Biden took me to 73 00:04:47,195 --> 00:04:50,515 Speaker 1: lunch to ask me for my advice on anything, but 74 00:04:50,595 --> 00:04:56,755 Speaker 1: specifically on how to channel anger into righteous indignation after 75 00:04:56,835 --> 00:04:58,755 Speaker 1: last night. I don't know if my advice was too 76 00:04:58,755 --> 00:05:01,355 Speaker 1: good or nowhere good enough. All of what he said 77 00:05:01,355 --> 00:05:04,155 Speaker 1: in Washington last night was true, and no danger was 78 00:05:04,235 --> 00:05:07,115 Speaker 1: exactly rated. But the President needed to show the same 79 00:05:07,235 --> 00:05:10,955 Speaker 1: kind of controlled rage he seemingly had mastered in his 80 00:05:11,035 --> 00:05:15,475 Speaker 1: similar speech in Philadelphia in September. Sadly, I think Mr 81 00:05:15,555 --> 00:05:17,995 Speaker 1: Biden is still convinced in his heart of what so 82 00:05:18,075 --> 00:05:20,515 Speaker 1: many of us were convinced of in two thousand sixteen 83 00:05:20,555 --> 00:05:23,635 Speaker 1: and two thousand seventeen, that if we just calmly and 84 00:05:23,675 --> 00:05:28,515 Speaker 1: firmly explained to Trump's cultists that he was morally bankrupt 85 00:05:28,635 --> 00:05:31,595 Speaker 1: and emotionally unstable, that enough of them would say, hey, 86 00:05:31,635 --> 00:05:34,315 Speaker 1: you're right. I didn't think of that, and the saga 87 00:05:34,795 --> 00:05:37,915 Speaker 1: of the Emperor's New Clothes would have played out just 88 00:05:37,995 --> 00:05:40,115 Speaker 1: as it did in the story. It took us a 89 00:05:40,115 --> 00:05:44,515 Speaker 1: while to realize that those people wanted morally bankrupt and 90 00:05:44,635 --> 00:05:48,075 Speaker 1: emotionally unstable, just as they now want people breaking into 91 00:05:48,155 --> 00:05:51,275 Speaker 1: democrats homes and trying to assassinate them, or if they 92 00:05:51,275 --> 00:05:55,395 Speaker 1: aren't home, zip tying their husbands and torturing them. The 93 00:05:55,435 --> 00:05:57,755 Speaker 1: people Joe Biden was pleading with last night are no 94 00:05:57,795 --> 00:06:02,075 Speaker 1: longer capable of being reached. I don't know what that 95 00:06:02,155 --> 00:06:04,155 Speaker 1: means about the future of this country or what we 96 00:06:04,275 --> 00:06:08,635 Speaker 1: do with them, but invoking American history and democracy to 97 00:06:08,875 --> 00:06:14,195 Speaker 1: them is meaningless. Biden said. The country is not zero sum, 98 00:06:14,275 --> 00:06:16,555 Speaker 1: where for somebody to succeed, somebody else has to fail. 99 00:06:16,675 --> 00:06:20,315 Speaker 1: That's exactly what it is to MAGA and Q and 100 00:06:20,435 --> 00:06:23,675 Speaker 1: On and Trump and the fascists and the Republican Party, 101 00:06:23,795 --> 00:06:27,235 Speaker 1: and if we don't do something about them, they will 102 00:06:27,315 --> 00:06:30,395 Speaker 1: resume trying to do something about the rest of us. 103 00:06:31,675 --> 00:06:34,955 Speaker 1: The one positive spin that occurred to me about Biden's 104 00:06:34,955 --> 00:06:38,915 Speaker 1: speech was that it might almost be read as a 105 00:06:39,115 --> 00:06:43,675 Speaker 1: last warning, a last reasonable comment from a man trying 106 00:06:43,675 --> 00:06:47,795 Speaker 1: to be reasonable and trying to cure America's ills peacefully, 107 00:06:47,835 --> 00:06:53,595 Speaker 1: un calmly, one last try, one last noble attempt to 108 00:06:53,595 --> 00:06:59,875 Speaker 1: bring us together. Biden's speech was contrasted by the release 109 00:07:00,115 --> 00:07:03,835 Speaker 1: of the message from Stuart Rhodes, the head of the 110 00:07:03,835 --> 00:07:06,915 Speaker 1: Oath Keepers, the one he trying to get to Trump 111 00:07:07,355 --> 00:07:12,115 Speaker 1: on January four, days after the blood curdling climax of 112 00:07:12,155 --> 00:07:17,035 Speaker 1: the Maga madness at the Capitol. Quote, President Trump, you 113 00:07:17,075 --> 00:07:20,035 Speaker 1: can save the Republic by doing your duty as commander 114 00:07:20,115 --> 00:07:25,075 Speaker 1: in chief. Biden is an illegitimate Chinese puppet. He is 115 00:07:25,115 --> 00:07:27,675 Speaker 1: about to get his hands on the nuclear codes and 116 00:07:27,755 --> 00:07:30,995 Speaker 1: command all of our armed forces. You must use the 117 00:07:31,035 --> 00:07:33,635 Speaker 1: Insurrection Act and use the power of the Presidency to 118 00:07:33,715 --> 00:07:37,155 Speaker 1: stop him, and all US veterans will support you, and 119 00:07:37,235 --> 00:07:40,475 Speaker 1: so will the vast majority of military. If you don't, 120 00:07:40,555 --> 00:07:43,995 Speaker 1: then Biden Kamala will turn all that power on you, 121 00:07:43,995 --> 00:07:46,315 Speaker 1: your family, and all of us. You and your children 122 00:07:46,315 --> 00:07:49,275 Speaker 1: will die in prison, and US veterans will die in 123 00:07:49,395 --> 00:07:52,955 Speaker 1: combat on US soil fighting against traders who you turned 124 00:07:52,995 --> 00:07:58,475 Speaker 1: over all the powers of the presidency too. This is 125 00:07:58,475 --> 00:08:03,995 Speaker 1: an American saying this. That is where we were twenty 126 00:08:04,115 --> 00:08:08,395 Speaker 1: two months ago. Guess what, It has not gotten better 127 00:08:08,435 --> 00:08:12,235 Speaker 1: since then. Somebody asked me yesterday, now that the confirmation 128 00:08:12,275 --> 00:08:16,075 Speaker 1: had come that David de Papes is a full fledged 129 00:08:16,075 --> 00:08:19,995 Speaker 1: MAGA Trumpist Q and on Pizza Gate cultist, along with 130 00:08:20,035 --> 00:08:23,035 Speaker 1: his admission that he did not know Paul Pelosi and 131 00:08:23,075 --> 00:08:25,675 Speaker 1: that he planned to torture Nancy Pelosi until she told 132 00:08:25,715 --> 00:08:30,115 Speaker 1: him some truth he wanted. What I was asked was 133 00:08:30,155 --> 00:08:33,475 Speaker 1: how the right wingers still spreading conspiracy theories about the 134 00:08:33,475 --> 00:08:38,835 Speaker 1: assassination attempt slime like Glenn Greenwald and Denish to SUSA 135 00:08:38,955 --> 00:08:42,515 Speaker 1: and Tucker Carlson, how they would now be able to 136 00:08:42,595 --> 00:08:45,875 Speaker 1: explain all that to the sheep who followed them. And 137 00:08:45,915 --> 00:08:50,195 Speaker 1: I said that was easy. They would not explain all 138 00:08:50,235 --> 00:08:53,355 Speaker 1: that to the sheep who followed them. They all lied 139 00:08:53,475 --> 00:08:57,155 Speaker 1: about it, and the lies satisfied those people who wanted 140 00:08:57,195 --> 00:09:01,195 Speaker 1: to be lied to? So why relitigated? If any of 141 00:09:01,235 --> 00:09:04,555 Speaker 1: the true facts somehow leak into the right wing echo 142 00:09:04,715 --> 00:09:10,515 Speaker 1: system nine one tapes, confessions, police evidence, these things can 143 00:09:10,555 --> 00:09:14,235 Speaker 1: be dismissed as a conspiracy, whereas a cover up. Where's 144 00:09:14,235 --> 00:09:18,475 Speaker 1: a body double? Where JFK Jr? Where Jesus said so? 145 00:09:20,835 --> 00:09:23,755 Speaker 1: The last time it was this bad, the country broke 146 00:09:23,795 --> 00:09:27,355 Speaker 1: apart and six of our ancestors died in a civil war. 147 00:09:27,875 --> 00:09:29,635 Speaker 1: I would like to think there is a way out 148 00:09:29,635 --> 00:09:31,915 Speaker 1: to avoid that, but I don't know what it is. 149 00:09:32,675 --> 00:09:35,395 Speaker 1: I do know it is not a speech in which 150 00:09:35,435 --> 00:09:39,395 Speaker 1: President still tries to appeal to the patriotism and honesty 151 00:09:39,435 --> 00:09:42,635 Speaker 1: of those who would vote for monsters like Carrie Lake 152 00:09:43,075 --> 00:09:46,795 Speaker 1: and herschel Walker and Donald Trump, and a president who 153 00:09:46,795 --> 00:09:49,395 Speaker 1: will say the democracy is imperiled but will not name 154 00:09:49,475 --> 00:09:53,515 Speaker 1: the names of those who imperil it directly or stochastically. 155 00:09:53,995 --> 00:09:57,835 Speaker 1: I am all for healing and forgiving, but the first 156 00:09:57,995 --> 00:10:01,595 Speaker 1: rule of forgiveness is that the people doing the wrong 157 00:10:01,675 --> 00:10:04,195 Speaker 1: thing had to stop doing the wrong thing before you 158 00:10:04,235 --> 00:10:08,155 Speaker 1: forgive them. And right now the people doing the wrong 159 00:10:08,235 --> 00:10:12,475 Speaker 1: thing I think Trump has gotten away with everything which 160 00:10:12,555 --> 00:10:15,555 Speaker 1: is why the cash Betel immunity story was far more 161 00:10:15,595 --> 00:10:36,115 Speaker 1: important than President Biden's speech in sports. When I was 162 00:10:36,155 --> 00:10:39,035 Speaker 1: a kid and first read of Don Larson's perfect game 163 00:10:39,235 --> 00:10:41,875 Speaker 1: in the World Series in nineteen fifty six, I was 164 00:10:41,955 --> 00:10:46,635 Speaker 1: actually genuinely angry at my parents for not having me 165 00:10:46,755 --> 00:10:49,835 Speaker 1: until nineteen fifty nine. I mean, the thought of such 166 00:10:49,875 --> 00:10:53,275 Speaker 1: a thing twenty seven men up, twenty seven men down, 167 00:10:53,395 --> 00:10:55,515 Speaker 1: or even a no hitter with a couple of walks 168 00:10:55,795 --> 00:10:59,555 Speaker 1: in the World Series, that was enough to have me 169 00:10:59,715 --> 00:11:02,515 Speaker 1: dreaming of time travel so I could go back and 170 00:11:02,595 --> 00:11:05,835 Speaker 1: see it in person. When my mother told me that 171 00:11:05,915 --> 00:11:09,115 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty six, Don Larson was dating a girl 172 00:11:09,195 --> 00:11:12,195 Speaker 1: who lived on their block in the Bronx, I was 173 00:11:12,275 --> 00:11:16,515 Speaker 1: rendered speechless. When in nineteen sixty seven, at the age 174 00:11:16,515 --> 00:11:19,995 Speaker 1: of eight, I watched as Jim Lonborg of the Red Sox, 175 00:11:20,395 --> 00:11:23,675 Speaker 1: a guy I had not known even existed six months earlier, 176 00:11:24,035 --> 00:11:26,675 Speaker 1: and I watched as his lost World Series no hit 177 00:11:26,755 --> 00:11:28,915 Speaker 1: bid went away with two out in the eighth inning 178 00:11:28,955 --> 00:11:34,035 Speaker 1: of Game two. I was almost in tears. In a 179 00:11:34,275 --> 00:11:36,915 Speaker 1: Yankees Old Timers day, I got to work alongside the 180 00:11:36,915 --> 00:11:39,195 Speaker 1: man who did the play by play of Larsen's perfect 181 00:11:39,275 --> 00:11:43,715 Speaker 1: game on Network radio. Bob Wolf. We did the p 182 00:11:43,875 --> 00:11:46,435 Speaker 1: A announcing for Old Timers Day. It took twenty minutes. 183 00:11:46,715 --> 00:11:49,475 Speaker 1: Even then, when I was thirty nine years old, I 184 00:11:49,515 --> 00:11:52,875 Speaker 1: got chills just working with the announcer who announced that game. 185 00:11:54,995 --> 00:11:58,315 Speaker 1: Last night, Christian Javier no hit the Philadelphia Phillies for 186 00:11:58,355 --> 00:12:01,235 Speaker 1: the first six innings of Game four of the two 187 00:12:01,275 --> 00:12:04,915 Speaker 1: World Series for the Houston Astros, and then they took 188 00:12:04,955 --> 00:12:08,595 Speaker 1: him out. Throwing a no hitter in the World Series, 189 00:12:09,395 --> 00:12:11,715 Speaker 1: you'd only throw ninety seven pitchers. They took him out. 190 00:12:13,115 --> 00:12:16,275 Speaker 1: I know it's old fashioned to talk about this. They 191 00:12:16,315 --> 00:12:20,275 Speaker 1: took him out of a no hitter in the World Series. 192 00:12:21,235 --> 00:12:24,635 Speaker 1: Brian Abreu, Raphael Montero, and Ryan Presley finished up the 193 00:12:24,675 --> 00:12:27,355 Speaker 1: no hitter. The Astros won five ZIP to even the 194 00:12:27,395 --> 00:12:30,195 Speaker 1: series at two games apiece. And this is how meaningless 195 00:12:30,235 --> 00:12:32,715 Speaker 1: baseball has rendered what should have been and would have 196 00:12:32,755 --> 00:12:36,355 Speaker 1: been one of its most spectacular accomplishments ever. Long ago, 197 00:12:36,435 --> 00:12:39,515 Speaker 1: it ruled that the only no hitters that counted as 198 00:12:39,515 --> 00:12:43,875 Speaker 1: no hitters were ones thrown by only one picture. And 199 00:12:43,955 --> 00:12:46,035 Speaker 1: how often do you ever see a game of any 200 00:12:46,115 --> 00:12:50,755 Speaker 1: kind in which one team uses only one picture? So 201 00:12:50,875 --> 00:12:55,115 Speaker 1: that thing last night that was not a no hitter, 202 00:12:55,755 --> 00:13:06,795 Speaker 1: it was a nothing of some sort. Still ahead, Elon 203 00:13:06,995 --> 00:13:11,915 Speaker 1: Musk analogizes the eight dollar fee for Twitter verification to 204 00:13:12,155 --> 00:13:16,515 Speaker 1: spending eight dollars at Starbucks, which only works if the 205 00:13:16,595 --> 00:13:20,075 Speaker 1: Starbucks he goes to hands him a cup of coffee 206 00:13:20,075 --> 00:13:23,315 Speaker 1: and then hands him eight dollars as payment for drinking 207 00:13:23,355 --> 00:13:28,275 Speaker 1: the cup of coffee. Anti Semitism in the NBA, and 208 00:13:28,315 --> 00:13:30,635 Speaker 1: the league that always gets these things right gets this 209 00:13:30,675 --> 00:13:34,635 Speaker 1: one horribly horribly wrong. The league and Kyrie Irving try 210 00:13:34,675 --> 00:13:36,875 Speaker 1: to buy their way out, and for a million dollars 211 00:13:36,915 --> 00:13:39,315 Speaker 1: they didn't even get an apology out of Kyrie Irving. 212 00:13:40,115 --> 00:13:41,915 Speaker 1: And this will be the last edition of things I 213 00:13:41,995 --> 00:13:45,635 Speaker 1: promised not to tell before that World Series ends, even 214 00:13:45,675 --> 00:13:47,795 Speaker 1: if it goes seven games and there are three more 215 00:13:47,835 --> 00:13:49,955 Speaker 1: combined no hitters. So I have to tell you this 216 00:13:50,035 --> 00:13:54,755 Speaker 1: story now. The two thousand World Series. Roger Clemens throwing 217 00:13:54,795 --> 00:13:58,875 Speaker 1: Mike Piazza's broken bat at or near Mike Piazza. I 218 00:14:00,155 --> 00:14:03,595 Speaker 1: interviewing Roger Clemens. I get a piece of the bat. 219 00:14:03,635 --> 00:14:05,915 Speaker 1: Piazza threatens to to me over the piece of the bat. 220 00:14:06,035 --> 00:14:08,915 Speaker 1: Pull up a chair for this one. It takes a while. 221 00:14:09,475 --> 00:14:18,315 Speaker 1: It's next This is Countdown. This is Countdown with Keith 222 00:14:18,355 --> 00:14:25,435 Speaker 1: Olberman still ahead on Countdown, Worse Persons and the NBA's 223 00:14:25,475 --> 00:14:27,915 Speaker 1: attempt to buy its way out of the Kyrie Irving 224 00:14:27,955 --> 00:14:32,395 Speaker 1: anti Semitism disaster. And before this world series is over, 225 00:14:32,595 --> 00:14:35,515 Speaker 1: let me tell you of my twenty two year long 226 00:14:35,635 --> 00:14:40,395 Speaker 1: adventure with Roger Clemmens, Mike Piazza and the Mike Piazza 227 00:14:40,475 --> 00:14:44,555 Speaker 1: Broken Bat which Clemmens through and about which Mike Piazza 228 00:14:44,635 --> 00:14:49,835 Speaker 1: threatened me and threatened the owner of the Boston Red Sox. First, 229 00:14:49,835 --> 00:14:51,755 Speaker 1: in each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog and 230 00:14:51,835 --> 00:14:54,275 Speaker 1: need whom you can help. Every dog has its day. 231 00:14:54,315 --> 00:14:56,715 Speaker 1: This time it's Leah from Staten Island. She is a 232 00:14:56,795 --> 00:14:59,315 Speaker 1: sharp pay. You do not see a lot of sharp 233 00:14:59,315 --> 00:15:03,515 Speaker 1: pays in trouble. But first her humans underfed her. When 234 00:15:03,555 --> 00:15:07,235 Speaker 1: she naturally got they threw her from a still moving 235 00:15:07,275 --> 00:15:10,395 Speaker 1: car and drove away. Leah then wandered the streets for 236 00:15:10,475 --> 00:15:13,315 Speaker 1: days until Near and Far Animal Rescue collared her took 237 00:15:13,315 --> 00:15:16,115 Speaker 1: her in. The full recovery is expected, but it won't 238 00:15:16,155 --> 00:15:19,595 Speaker 1: be quick. She's got some profound infections. Near and Far 239 00:15:19,635 --> 00:15:22,075 Speaker 1: as doing a rescue for Leah on Cuddley so if 240 00:15:22,075 --> 00:15:23,995 Speaker 1: you can donate, you can find her there, or she 241 00:15:24,075 --> 00:15:26,835 Speaker 1: will be the pinned tweet on my account for dogs 242 00:15:26,835 --> 00:15:29,915 Speaker 1: in need at tom Jumbo Grumbo. Your pledge will be 243 00:15:29,915 --> 00:15:33,675 Speaker 1: gratefully welcomed, as will your retweet of Leah's story, and 244 00:15:33,755 --> 00:15:48,075 Speaker 1: thank you screwing around with the format. Now the daily 245 00:15:48,195 --> 00:15:51,395 Speaker 1: roundup of the misgrants, morons and dunning Krueger effects specimens 246 00:15:51,395 --> 00:15:57,555 Speaker 1: who constitute today's worse persons in the world. Our bronze 247 00:15:58,395 --> 00:16:02,275 Speaker 1: Elon Musk. Every day you wonder a little bit more 248 00:16:02,355 --> 00:16:04,475 Speaker 1: how this guy can find his way through anything more 249 00:16:04,515 --> 00:16:08,395 Speaker 1: complicated than a revolving door. The Washington Post is reporting 250 00:16:08,395 --> 00:16:12,715 Speaker 1: he will introduce video behind a paywall on Twitter. Within 251 00:16:12,715 --> 00:16:15,355 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks, all users of Twitter will see 252 00:16:15,395 --> 00:16:18,315 Speaker 1: an image or some video, but with a message saying 253 00:16:18,795 --> 00:16:22,955 Speaker 1: pay one dollar to see more. Congrats, Elmo, you just 254 00:16:23,115 --> 00:16:27,675 Speaker 1: invented only fans. And defending his intention to charge eight 255 00:16:27,715 --> 00:16:31,955 Speaker 1: dollars a month to verify a user of Twitter, Musk 256 00:16:32,035 --> 00:16:35,355 Speaker 1: sent out a meme of somebody smiling at an eight 257 00:16:35,355 --> 00:16:37,915 Speaker 1: dollar a cup of Starbucks, but the same person crying 258 00:16:38,035 --> 00:16:40,595 Speaker 1: at an eight dollar price for blue check mark doesn't 259 00:16:40,635 --> 00:16:43,315 Speaker 1: seem to have occurred. To musk that at Starbucks, the 260 00:16:43,355 --> 00:16:48,275 Speaker 1: person who makes the content the coffee gets paid to 261 00:16:48,475 --> 00:16:51,955 Speaker 1: make the content the coffee, But on Twitter, the person 262 00:16:51,995 --> 00:16:56,435 Speaker 1: who makes the content of the site will now have 263 00:16:56,635 --> 00:17:00,595 Speaker 1: to pay to make the content of the site. He's 264 00:17:00,715 --> 00:17:04,755 Speaker 1: just not bright, le Bronze. Shane Goldmacher of the New 265 00:17:04,835 --> 00:17:07,875 Speaker 1: York Times, The White House announced the president would give 266 00:17:07,875 --> 00:17:11,195 Speaker 1: a speech about threats to democracy yesterday morning. It was 267 00:17:11,275 --> 00:17:15,555 Speaker 1: in all the newspapers, including the Times, speech about democracy. 268 00:17:16,075 --> 00:17:19,115 Speaker 1: They then released excerpts a couple of hours before his speech, 269 00:17:19,435 --> 00:17:23,875 Speaker 1: a speech about democracy. As the speech ended, Times national 270 00:17:23,995 --> 00:17:27,555 Speaker 1: political reporter Goldmacher put out this update. Two topics that 271 00:17:27,595 --> 00:17:31,395 Speaker 1: didn't make Brian Biden's primetime presidential speech, the economy and inflation. 272 00:17:31,715 --> 00:17:35,275 Speaker 1: Democracy is clearly what Biden wanted to talk about. No, 273 00:17:35,635 --> 00:17:38,635 Speaker 1: the quality of our news media is just fine. We're 274 00:17:38,635 --> 00:17:42,795 Speaker 1: not short of smart reporters. Why do you ask? But 275 00:17:42,875 --> 00:17:47,035 Speaker 1: our winners, the National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver and 276 00:17:47,115 --> 00:17:50,835 Speaker 1: the Brooklyn Nets. The NBA usually gets it right. I mean, 277 00:17:50,875 --> 00:17:53,435 Speaker 1: they have a great track record, but in this disaster, 278 00:17:53,915 --> 00:17:56,995 Speaker 1: with Kyrie Irving of the Nets and his blatant anti 279 00:17:57,035 --> 00:18:01,195 Speaker 1: semitism in public, they have screwed it up royally. First, 280 00:18:01,275 --> 00:18:05,155 Speaker 1: Irving supported an nanti Semitic book and film. Then, when 281 00:18:05,275 --> 00:18:08,075 Speaker 1: challenged by a reporter, he issued a threat quote, I'm 282 00:18:08,115 --> 00:18:10,275 Speaker 1: not going to stand down on anything I believe in. 283 00:18:10,595 --> 00:18:13,275 Speaker 1: I'm only going to get stronger because I'm not alone. 284 00:18:13,315 --> 00:18:18,395 Speaker 1: I have a whole army around me. The NBA's response 285 00:18:18,435 --> 00:18:20,995 Speaker 1: to this, the league and Kyrie Irving will now each 286 00:18:21,195 --> 00:18:25,515 Speaker 1: donate five hundred thousand dollars quote towards causes and organizations 287 00:18:25,515 --> 00:18:28,475 Speaker 1: that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities, 288 00:18:28,795 --> 00:18:34,315 Speaker 1: and Irving will work in some unspecified way with the 289 00:18:34,355 --> 00:18:38,355 Speaker 1: Anti Defamation League for the end. They're not clear about 290 00:18:38,435 --> 00:18:40,195 Speaker 1: what he's going to do. It's going to be. They 291 00:18:40,235 --> 00:18:44,075 Speaker 1: just throughout the name Anti Defamation League five thousand dollars. 292 00:18:44,075 --> 00:18:48,035 Speaker 1: It's a charitable donation. Kyrie irving salary is thirty five 293 00:18:48,075 --> 00:18:51,115 Speaker 1: million dollars this season. That's a little over one point 294 00:18:51,235 --> 00:18:55,995 Speaker 1: four percent of his salary. Find deductible that will show 295 00:18:56,075 --> 00:19:00,275 Speaker 1: him Adam silver in the National Basketball I got it. 296 00:19:00,355 --> 00:19:04,275 Speaker 1: Let's try to buy our way out of this association today, 297 00:19:04,675 --> 00:19:25,515 Speaker 1: these worst persons and the world. Before the World Series ends, 298 00:19:25,555 --> 00:19:27,835 Speaker 1: I have to tell this thing I promised not to tell, 299 00:19:27,875 --> 00:19:30,115 Speaker 1: because by the time of the next one of these segments, 300 00:19:30,315 --> 00:19:33,155 Speaker 1: no matter how long last, the World Series will be over. 301 00:19:33,235 --> 00:19:35,995 Speaker 1: So here is our number one story things I promised 302 00:19:35,995 --> 00:19:39,755 Speaker 1: not to tell and my favorite topic, me and the 303 00:19:39,795 --> 00:19:41,675 Speaker 1: series will be over, which is more than I can 304 00:19:41,715 --> 00:19:44,795 Speaker 1: say for this story, which is chronologically and in terms 305 00:19:44,835 --> 00:19:48,035 Speaker 1: of storytelling time, the longest one of these I can 306 00:19:48,155 --> 00:19:52,355 Speaker 1: not only imagine having told, but ever telling. It started 307 00:19:52,435 --> 00:19:56,315 Speaker 1: on the night of October twenty two, two thousand and 308 00:19:56,435 --> 00:19:59,155 Speaker 1: it ended well. I'll let you know if and when 309 00:19:59,155 --> 00:20:02,155 Speaker 1: it ever ends. I was enjoying the second night of 310 00:20:02,155 --> 00:20:05,275 Speaker 1: one of my childhood dreams come true. I was the 311 00:20:05,315 --> 00:20:07,995 Speaker 1: host not just of the telecast of the World Series, 312 00:20:08,195 --> 00:20:10,475 Speaker 1: but it was an all New York City series, a 313 00:20:10,595 --> 00:20:14,675 Speaker 1: Mets versus Yankee series, a Subway series. I had literally 314 00:20:14,755 --> 00:20:18,555 Speaker 1: dreamt of it since nineteen sixty seven. The manager of 315 00:20:18,595 --> 00:20:21,395 Speaker 1: the Yankees had been the first person I ever interviewed 316 00:20:21,435 --> 00:20:24,755 Speaker 1: on TV. Fifteen years earlier. I had worked with him 317 00:20:24,795 --> 00:20:27,795 Speaker 1: in TV. He was a friend of mine. I had 318 00:20:27,835 --> 00:20:30,275 Speaker 1: just covered the Mets through their playoff run and knew 319 00:20:30,315 --> 00:20:32,795 Speaker 1: all of their players. My face had been on an 320 00:20:32,835 --> 00:20:36,035 Speaker 1: advertisement in dead Center Field and the Mets Stadium for 321 00:20:36,075 --> 00:20:38,795 Speaker 1: the entirety of the year before, and the players all 322 00:20:38,915 --> 00:20:42,755 Speaker 1: knew me my name. Where we were that night. Yankee 323 00:20:42,755 --> 00:20:45,355 Speaker 1: Stadium was not only where I saw my first baseball game, 324 00:20:45,395 --> 00:20:47,595 Speaker 1: but was about seven eighths of a mile from the 325 00:20:47,635 --> 00:20:50,915 Speaker 1: hospital in which I had been born, and my first 326 00:20:50,915 --> 00:20:56,635 Speaker 1: home was four subway stops away. The night before this event, 327 00:20:56,675 --> 00:20:58,635 Speaker 1: as I hosted the start of the first game of 328 00:20:58,635 --> 00:21:01,715 Speaker 1: this Keith of palooza, I was supposed to introduce the 329 00:21:01,755 --> 00:21:05,355 Speaker 1: public address an ouncer of Yankee Stadium, Bob Sheppard, whose 330 00:21:05,435 --> 00:21:08,475 Speaker 1: voice I had heard nearly every day since I was 331 00:21:08,555 --> 00:21:11,795 Speaker 1: eight years old, so he could then introduce the players 332 00:21:11,835 --> 00:21:14,155 Speaker 1: and this epic world series would begin. And it dawned 333 00:21:14,195 --> 00:21:16,835 Speaker 1: on me in the seconds before I was supposed to 334 00:21:16,835 --> 00:21:20,115 Speaker 1: do this that I literally had the power to stop 335 00:21:20,235 --> 00:21:23,275 Speaker 1: the two thousand World Series from ever happening if I 336 00:21:23,395 --> 00:21:28,835 Speaker 1: just kept talking and never actually said, here is Bob Shepherd. Well, 337 00:21:28,875 --> 00:21:30,835 Speaker 1: I could delay it briefly until they cut my mic 338 00:21:30,915 --> 00:21:33,275 Speaker 1: off and then fired me on the spot. Anyway, this 339 00:21:33,395 --> 00:21:36,755 Speaker 1: was Game two, and now that our pregame show was over, 340 00:21:36,795 --> 00:21:38,955 Speaker 1: and I had waved to my mother, who had seen 341 00:21:38,995 --> 00:21:42,195 Speaker 1: her first game at Yankee Stadium, just who sixty six 342 00:21:42,275 --> 00:21:45,075 Speaker 1: years previously, and she was seated in the family seats 343 00:21:45,075 --> 00:21:48,075 Speaker 1: that were just nine rows up from our on field set. 344 00:21:48,755 --> 00:21:50,995 Speaker 1: I had crawled into the position I would assume for 345 00:21:51,035 --> 00:21:54,275 Speaker 1: the entire game as the dugout reporter. I was hunched 346 00:21:54,275 --> 00:21:57,075 Speaker 1: over on a stool, squeezed between the far end of 347 00:21:57,115 --> 00:22:00,395 Speaker 1: the Yankee dugout and our Fox Sports first base camera. 348 00:22:00,875 --> 00:22:03,955 Speaker 1: A thin chicken wire fence separated me from the dugout 349 00:22:03,995 --> 00:22:06,635 Speaker 1: in self. In fact, it was a formality. I was 350 00:22:06,835 --> 00:22:09,875 Speaker 1: more or less in the dugout players, coaches, and that night, 351 00:22:09,915 --> 00:22:12,035 Speaker 1: as I settled in, my friend, the Yankee manager all 352 00:22:12,035 --> 00:22:16,155 Speaker 1: came over to say hello. Roger Clemens of the Yankees, 353 00:22:16,195 --> 00:22:18,475 Speaker 1: who I had also known since we were both rookies 354 00:22:18,515 --> 00:22:23,755 Speaker 1: in Boston Sports in four he lasted. I didn't. Roger 355 00:22:23,795 --> 00:22:27,115 Speaker 1: Clemens had struck out the first two Mets hitters. Clemens 356 00:22:27,155 --> 00:22:29,195 Speaker 1: was a strange man about whom I had heard a 357 00:22:29,235 --> 00:22:32,795 Speaker 1: strange tale of teammates in a college summer baseball league 358 00:22:33,155 --> 00:22:36,795 Speaker 1: who were all wearing their wallets in their uniform pants 359 00:22:36,915 --> 00:22:40,675 Speaker 1: back pockets during a game, because one of them explained 360 00:22:40,675 --> 00:22:43,075 Speaker 1: to a friend of mine, we have this crazy kid 361 00:22:43,115 --> 00:22:46,995 Speaker 1: Clemens from Texas on this team, and we don't trust him. 362 00:22:47,035 --> 00:22:50,995 Speaker 1: In Boston, I had found him a little nervous, little standoffish, 363 00:22:51,235 --> 00:22:54,035 Speaker 1: but doing his best to be professional. But by now 364 00:22:54,595 --> 00:22:57,955 Speaker 1: there were rumors swirling around Roger Clemens about amphetamines and 365 00:22:57,995 --> 00:23:00,955 Speaker 1: performance enhancing drugs. And you knew not to talk to 366 00:23:00,995 --> 00:23:03,235 Speaker 1: him before or after a game unless you had to, 367 00:23:03,595 --> 00:23:05,955 Speaker 1: and if you had to, you chose your words very 368 00:23:06,035 --> 00:23:08,955 Speaker 1: carefully and then made sure that whatever you did, you 369 00:23:08,955 --> 00:23:12,155 Speaker 1: had to start with something mundane, like the score of 370 00:23:12,195 --> 00:23:15,195 Speaker 1: the game, and if you could let him bring up 371 00:23:15,235 --> 00:23:20,355 Speaker 1: anything controversial or complex, he would then probably do it. 372 00:23:21,235 --> 00:23:24,035 Speaker 1: So now, as this game continued, after two batters had 373 00:23:24,075 --> 00:23:27,595 Speaker 1: struck out, Lee Missilli, the former Mets star now Yankees coach, 374 00:23:27,635 --> 00:23:29,795 Speaker 1: another friend of mine, was on the other side of 375 00:23:30,195 --> 00:23:33,835 Speaker 1: a little fence, and as met superstar Mike Piazza stepped 376 00:23:33,835 --> 00:23:36,035 Speaker 1: in as the third batter of the game, Massilli leaned 377 00:23:36,075 --> 00:23:39,595 Speaker 1: in and said, conspiratorially, let's see if Rog flips him again. 378 00:23:40,435 --> 00:23:43,595 Speaker 1: In Midsummer two thousand, Roger Clemmens had beamed Mike Piazza 379 00:23:43,635 --> 00:23:47,835 Speaker 1: with a fastball. There was a hospital visit involved. Nobody 380 00:23:47,915 --> 00:23:50,555 Speaker 1: was convinced it had not been intentional, or that Clemens 381 00:23:50,595 --> 00:23:52,035 Speaker 1: would not do it again, even though it was the 382 00:23:52,035 --> 00:23:56,075 Speaker 1: World Series, Massili and I leaned forward. Piazza was a 383 00:23:56,115 --> 00:23:59,435 Speaker 1: deeply complicated guy too. During the playoffs, he had walked 384 00:23:59,475 --> 00:24:00,795 Speaker 1: up to me and asked me if it was true 385 00:24:00,835 --> 00:24:02,435 Speaker 1: I was from New York, and then he quizzed me 386 00:24:02,435 --> 00:24:04,995 Speaker 1: about the relative merits of the suburbs, and then wanted 387 00:24:05,075 --> 00:24:07,315 Speaker 1: to know if I had really taken up residence in 388 00:24:07,475 --> 00:24:10,675 Speaker 1: his favorite southern California hotel. And we talked for fifteen 389 00:24:10,715 --> 00:24:13,635 Speaker 1: minutes about that. The next night I saw him smiled, 390 00:24:13,675 --> 00:24:15,675 Speaker 1: said alo, and he looked at me like I had 391 00:24:15,715 --> 00:24:19,595 Speaker 1: just sworn a vendetta against his family. For a long 392 00:24:19,675 --> 00:24:22,275 Speaker 1: time I thought it was me, until about ten years later, 393 00:24:22,515 --> 00:24:25,515 Speaker 1: the great Vin Scully said that Piazza was with the Dodgers, 394 00:24:26,115 --> 00:24:28,435 Speaker 1: and when they were both together there in Los Angeles, 395 00:24:28,715 --> 00:24:31,875 Speaker 1: Vin had had the identical experience with Piazza. Best friends 396 00:24:31,915 --> 00:24:35,035 Speaker 1: on the team bus one day, and then no indication 397 00:24:35,115 --> 00:24:37,915 Speaker 1: Piazza remembered even meeting him. The next I mean that 398 00:24:38,075 --> 00:24:41,955 Speaker 1: was Ben Scully. Clemmens, as it turned out, did not 399 00:24:42,155 --> 00:24:45,195 Speaker 1: throw a baseball at Piazza, but instead pitched him inside 400 00:24:45,235 --> 00:24:48,035 Speaker 1: in on his hands, and Piazza tried to stop his 401 00:24:48,115 --> 00:24:51,115 Speaker 1: swing that was half self defense, but instead the odd 402 00:24:51,195 --> 00:24:54,115 Speaker 1: angle and the force of the pitch shattered Piazza's bat. 403 00:24:54,555 --> 00:24:57,155 Speaker 1: The ball veered to the right, describing a circle into 404 00:24:57,155 --> 00:25:00,435 Speaker 1: foul territory. The head of the bat shot out towards 405 00:25:00,515 --> 00:25:04,555 Speaker 1: Clemens on the mound. A second piece flew briefly into 406 00:25:04,555 --> 00:25:07,595 Speaker 1: the in field. Piazza was left holding just the handle. 407 00:25:07,875 --> 00:25:10,435 Speaker 1: And it looked as foolish as that sounds. But lost 408 00:25:10,475 --> 00:25:12,595 Speaker 1: in this description is the fact that all happened at once, 409 00:25:13,155 --> 00:25:16,075 Speaker 1: and even from our sign angle in the Yankee dug out, 410 00:25:16,115 --> 00:25:18,675 Speaker 1: it looked to massili in Me as if Piazza's bat 411 00:25:18,955 --> 00:25:22,715 Speaker 1: had simply exploded, like it was a trick device of 412 00:25:22,835 --> 00:25:26,515 Speaker 1: some sort. I saw Clemens reach for the baseball. I 413 00:25:26,675 --> 00:25:28,835 Speaker 1: thought it was the baseball right in front of him, 414 00:25:28,915 --> 00:25:30,995 Speaker 1: and then just as quickly he and I at the 415 00:25:31,075 --> 00:25:33,675 Speaker 1: same moment, realized it was not the baseball. Was the 416 00:25:33,715 --> 00:25:36,355 Speaker 1: barrel of the bat, which was slightly rounded, just a 417 00:25:36,355 --> 00:25:38,755 Speaker 1: little darker than a baseball, but could in the heat 418 00:25:38,835 --> 00:25:42,315 Speaker 1: of an instant following a bat explosion, it could be 419 00:25:42,395 --> 00:25:47,795 Speaker 1: mistaken for a ball. So far so good. But right then, Clemens, 420 00:25:47,835 --> 00:25:50,675 Speaker 1: realizing it was part of a bat and not a ball, 421 00:25:50,875 --> 00:25:55,235 Speaker 1: promptly threw that part of the bat at me. Jesus 422 00:25:55,275 --> 00:25:57,715 Speaker 1: mas I said to Missili, why did Clemens throw that 423 00:25:57,755 --> 00:26:01,315 Speaker 1: bat barrel at me? The Yankee coach looked incredulously at me. 424 00:26:01,315 --> 00:26:02,875 Speaker 1: You didn't throw it you, We threw it at me. 425 00:26:04,155 --> 00:26:07,995 Speaker 1: That's what looked like we were lined up perfectly. Roger 426 00:26:07,995 --> 00:26:11,035 Speaker 1: Clemens had thrown the barrel of Mike Piazza's bat, say, 427 00:26:11,115 --> 00:26:13,835 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty feet instead of just six or 428 00:26:13,915 --> 00:26:17,155 Speaker 1: seven feet, he would have hit either me or Lee 429 00:26:17,195 --> 00:26:21,515 Speaker 1: Missilli in the Yankee dugout. As it was, since nobody 430 00:26:21,595 --> 00:26:24,875 Speaker 1: knew exactly what was happening, Piazza had started to run 431 00:26:24,915 --> 00:26:27,795 Speaker 1: down to first base in case the ball was fair. 432 00:26:27,915 --> 00:26:30,355 Speaker 1: He didn't know where the ball was either. For that 433 00:26:30,395 --> 00:26:35,195 Speaker 1: initial split second, you really couldn't tell which flying object 434 00:26:35,355 --> 00:26:38,435 Speaker 1: was the ball, and also whether the ball was fair 435 00:26:38,635 --> 00:26:43,555 Speaker 1: or foul. So Roger Clemens throw certainly looked like it 436 00:26:43,595 --> 00:26:46,995 Speaker 1: was aimed at Piazza. As Piazza went down the first baseline, 437 00:26:47,075 --> 00:26:50,115 Speaker 1: and as Piazza took umbrage, and there was another split 438 00:26:50,155 --> 00:26:52,635 Speaker 1: second of confusion when it looked like Piazza might charge 439 00:26:52,675 --> 00:26:54,755 Speaker 1: out to the mound to try to sock Clements for 440 00:26:54,755 --> 00:26:58,035 Speaker 1: this and for the Midsummer beating. I said to MISSILEI wait, 441 00:26:58,355 --> 00:27:02,675 Speaker 1: did he throw that bat at Piazza? Massilli just shook 442 00:27:02,675 --> 00:27:05,675 Speaker 1: his head. I don't think so. When hell knows he's 443 00:27:05,675 --> 00:27:07,795 Speaker 1: been here two years, I haven't figured out anything he's 444 00:27:07,795 --> 00:27:11,995 Speaker 1: done so far. As the umpires then got involved, Clemens 445 00:27:12,035 --> 00:27:15,835 Speaker 1: repeatedly tapped his own chest, and not in a bragging way, 446 00:27:15,875 --> 00:27:18,555 Speaker 1: but in a kind of what looked like that's on 447 00:27:18,795 --> 00:27:22,555 Speaker 1: me way. Two bat boys collected the three main pieces 448 00:27:22,555 --> 00:27:24,755 Speaker 1: of the bat and a bunch of smaller shards, some 449 00:27:24,835 --> 00:27:27,955 Speaker 1: of them smaller than a toothpick. The fox play by 450 00:27:27,995 --> 00:27:30,715 Speaker 1: play man threw it to me in the dugout well, 451 00:27:30,755 --> 00:27:32,595 Speaker 1: I said, I can tell you the Yankee dugout doesn't 452 00:27:32,595 --> 00:27:36,195 Speaker 1: know what happened or why. Joe Massili laughed quietly and 453 00:27:36,195 --> 00:27:37,635 Speaker 1: then hit me in the arm. While I was on 454 00:27:37,675 --> 00:27:40,235 Speaker 1: the air, I postulated that Clemens was looking for a 455 00:27:40,235 --> 00:27:43,035 Speaker 1: ball hit back to him. Instead found the piece of 456 00:27:43,075 --> 00:27:45,355 Speaker 1: the bat and then discarded that piece of the bat 457 00:27:45,355 --> 00:27:47,435 Speaker 1: so we could keep looking for the ball that he 458 00:27:47,555 --> 00:27:50,755 Speaker 1: discarded it kind of where Piazza was running, Might have 459 00:27:50,795 --> 00:27:53,955 Speaker 1: been deliberate, might have been a coincidence. I do remember 460 00:27:53,995 --> 00:27:57,755 Speaker 1: suggesting that if Clemens had really aimed the bat at Piazza, 461 00:27:58,155 --> 00:28:01,235 Speaker 1: that from that distance, with the strength and accuracy of 462 00:28:01,235 --> 00:28:03,475 Speaker 1: a major league pictcher, he clearly would have hit him 463 00:28:03,515 --> 00:28:07,195 Speaker 1: with it. Piazza then promptly grounded out to end the inning, 464 00:28:07,195 --> 00:28:09,675 Speaker 1: and as Clements came back towards the Yankee dugout where 465 00:28:09,715 --> 00:28:12,475 Speaker 1: Massili and I were, he again stopped to talk to 466 00:28:12,515 --> 00:28:15,475 Speaker 1: the umpire, who was Charlie Reliford. Over the noise of 467 00:28:15,595 --> 00:28:18,595 Speaker 1: fifty six thousand fans at Yankee Stadium, I couldn't hear 468 00:28:18,595 --> 00:28:21,035 Speaker 1: a damn thing, but it sure looked like Clemens was 469 00:28:21,075 --> 00:28:24,755 Speaker 1: again saying that was on me. I asked Massili if 470 00:28:24,755 --> 00:28:26,755 Speaker 1: he could find out if that's what Clements was doing 471 00:28:26,755 --> 00:28:29,915 Speaker 1: and happen an inning later, Massili reported that Clemens indeed 472 00:28:29,955 --> 00:28:31,915 Speaker 1: thought for a second it was the ball, and then 473 00:28:31,915 --> 00:28:34,075 Speaker 1: he threw it, and then it was on him, and 474 00:28:34,075 --> 00:28:36,315 Speaker 1: that it was not intentional and it was not directed 475 00:28:36,315 --> 00:28:40,115 Speaker 1: at Piazza. Now I did something kind of stupid. I 476 00:28:40,195 --> 00:28:43,035 Speaker 1: suggested to my bosses that I should go ask the 477 00:28:43,035 --> 00:28:46,075 Speaker 1: Commissioner Baseball who in a World Series game had the 478 00:28:46,115 --> 00:28:49,355 Speaker 1: power to eject any player for any reason, although that 479 00:28:49,395 --> 00:28:52,515 Speaker 1: power had not actually been used since ninety four. What 480 00:28:52,675 --> 00:28:55,755 Speaker 1: he thought of all this, the producer said, yes, and 481 00:28:55,835 --> 00:28:59,435 Speaker 1: I thought me and my big mouth. I now had 482 00:28:59,475 --> 00:29:03,075 Speaker 1: to crawl out of that little space between camera and dugout, 483 00:29:03,075 --> 00:29:06,835 Speaker 1: and I mean literally crawl all hands and knees to 484 00:29:07,035 --> 00:29:10,755 Speaker 1: exit back into the seats via where the groundskeepers kept 485 00:29:10,835 --> 00:29:14,315 Speaker 1: all the extra dirt. I knew where in the stands 486 00:29:14,355 --> 00:29:17,475 Speaker 1: the commissioner was sitting. I went there. I got to him, 487 00:29:17,595 --> 00:29:20,395 Speaker 1: I asked him. He assured me there was no discipline 488 00:29:20,395 --> 00:29:22,635 Speaker 1: coming for Clemmons, and they'd look at the tape of 489 00:29:22,635 --> 00:29:24,635 Speaker 1: the game again that night or in the morning, but 490 00:29:24,675 --> 00:29:26,875 Speaker 1: he really didn't think Clemmons had tried to hit Piazza 491 00:29:26,915 --> 00:29:29,035 Speaker 1: with the bat. Well, they would look at the tape, 492 00:29:29,035 --> 00:29:30,995 Speaker 1: and they decided both that Clemmons did not try to 493 00:29:31,035 --> 00:29:33,835 Speaker 1: hit Piazza with the bat and that he should be 494 00:29:33,875 --> 00:29:37,835 Speaker 1: fined fifty thou dollars for I don't know, not trying 495 00:29:37,915 --> 00:29:40,715 Speaker 1: to hit him with the bat. So I made it 496 00:29:40,755 --> 00:29:43,955 Speaker 1: back to the dugout, reversing my crawl like I was 497 00:29:44,115 --> 00:29:47,955 Speaker 1: recreating the movie The Great escape. As it turned out, 498 00:29:48,315 --> 00:29:51,395 Speaker 1: Piazza's little squib shot that caused all the trouble with 499 00:29:51,435 --> 00:29:54,395 Speaker 1: the exploding bat was about the hardest thing they hit 500 00:29:54,435 --> 00:29:57,715 Speaker 1: off Clemmons all night. Over eight innings, he struck out 501 00:29:57,835 --> 00:30:00,755 Speaker 1: nine Mets batters, he walked none, he gave up only 502 00:30:00,795 --> 00:30:04,155 Speaker 1: two hits, and he only hit one batter. And then, incredibly, 503 00:30:04,155 --> 00:30:07,715 Speaker 1: after Men's left the game, the Yankees almost blew a 504 00:30:07,875 --> 00:30:11,195 Speaker 1: six nothing lead in the ninth inning, a Met outfielder 505 00:30:11,315 --> 00:30:14,355 Speaker 1: named Jay Peyton hit a three run homer off future 506 00:30:14,395 --> 00:30:17,515 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, and the Mets had a 507 00:30:17,595 --> 00:30:20,435 Speaker 1: chance to tie the game or go ahead off Rivera 508 00:30:20,475 --> 00:30:22,595 Speaker 1: in the top of the ninth and then he got 509 00:30:22,595 --> 00:30:23,955 Speaker 1: out of it in the final score with six to 510 00:30:23,995 --> 00:30:26,235 Speaker 1: five Yankees. And with the game over now it was 511 00:30:26,675 --> 00:30:30,675 Speaker 1: Keith interviews Clemens time. I went to the pre arranged 512 00:30:30,835 --> 00:30:33,115 Speaker 1: spot at the other end of the Yankee dugout where 513 00:30:33,155 --> 00:30:36,675 Speaker 1: another friend of mine, the Yankees PR director, had guaranteed 514 00:30:36,715 --> 00:30:38,755 Speaker 1: me he would go and get Clemens and they would 515 00:30:38,755 --> 00:30:41,995 Speaker 1: emerge after Clemens left the clubhouse to do what was 516 00:30:42,355 --> 00:30:48,235 Speaker 1: a contractually obligated interview with Fox and Me. Apparently, Roger 517 00:30:48,275 --> 00:30:50,755 Speaker 1: Clemens started making his way towards me the moment the 518 00:30:50,835 --> 00:30:54,875 Speaker 1: Yankees finally won that game. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, 519 00:30:55,435 --> 00:30:59,395 Speaker 1: security closed the only runway from the Yankee dug out 520 00:30:59,475 --> 00:31:02,475 Speaker 1: to the clubhouse so that a dignitary could use it 521 00:31:02,515 --> 00:31:07,315 Speaker 1: as an exit from his seats. The dignitary was Mayor 522 00:31:07,475 --> 00:31:12,875 Speaker 1: Rudolph Giuliani, noted front running Yankees fan and ticket freeloader. 523 00:31:13,635 --> 00:31:16,555 Speaker 1: And while Fox literally delayed the start of every newscast 524 00:31:16,595 --> 00:31:18,515 Speaker 1: on every one of its stations in the country, even 525 00:31:18,555 --> 00:31:21,035 Speaker 1: on the West Coast, and Joe Buck and Tim McCarver 526 00:31:21,155 --> 00:31:24,395 Speaker 1: kept showing replays again and again and promising my interview 527 00:31:24,395 --> 00:31:29,235 Speaker 1: with Roger Clemens, Rudy Giuliani took his goddamn time leaving 528 00:31:29,275 --> 00:31:33,035 Speaker 1: the field. His idiot son Andrew grabbed some dirt from 529 00:31:33,035 --> 00:31:35,675 Speaker 1: the field. I half expected him to eat it. Instead, 530 00:31:35,675 --> 00:31:39,235 Speaker 1: he stuffed it in his jacket pockets. Giuliani now waited 531 00:31:39,235 --> 00:31:43,515 Speaker 1: for his entire entourage, one of his wives, some of 532 00:31:43,595 --> 00:31:46,875 Speaker 1: his I guess they were friends, assorted political riff raff, 533 00:31:47,675 --> 00:31:51,195 Speaker 1: and as my producers screamed in my ear, where is Clemmens, 534 00:31:51,555 --> 00:31:54,915 Speaker 1: Giuliani waited until they were all together on the field. 535 00:31:55,195 --> 00:31:58,035 Speaker 1: And finally he marched them down into the dugout and 536 00:31:58,115 --> 00:32:01,755 Speaker 1: up through the runway. And after all this delay, Clemens 537 00:32:01,795 --> 00:32:04,235 Speaker 1: came out and finally I could ask him about throwing 538 00:32:04,235 --> 00:32:07,075 Speaker 1: the batch shard at or near Piazza. And at that 539 00:32:07,155 --> 00:32:10,555 Speaker 1: moment I remembered what I had learned about Clemens in Boston. 540 00:32:10,675 --> 00:32:14,235 Speaker 1: If you started an interview with something controversial, he might 541 00:32:14,395 --> 00:32:17,355 Speaker 1: very well walk away. If, on the other hand, you 542 00:32:17,395 --> 00:32:20,835 Speaker 1: did the boring game outcome question, he would answer anything 543 00:32:20,835 --> 00:32:23,555 Speaker 1: you asked, and he might even bring up anything controversial himself. 544 00:32:23,595 --> 00:32:26,555 Speaker 1: But you had to do the stupid game stuff first. 545 00:32:26,955 --> 00:32:30,995 Speaker 1: So which was harder work? Roger I asked eight innings 546 00:32:30,995 --> 00:32:33,875 Speaker 1: of two hit ball or watching the Mets nearly tied 547 00:32:33,955 --> 00:32:36,755 Speaker 1: in the ninth. His answer was not bad, but he 548 00:32:36,755 --> 00:32:38,355 Speaker 1: did not bring up the bat. So I asked another 549 00:32:38,435 --> 00:32:41,795 Speaker 1: question about what he thought of his performance in that game. Well, 550 00:32:41,835 --> 00:32:44,675 Speaker 1: that did it. He started talking about having to overcome 551 00:32:45,035 --> 00:32:48,275 Speaker 1: his emotions in the first inning, and now I could say, well, 552 00:32:48,275 --> 00:32:52,275 Speaker 1: since you brought up the emotions the bat throwing incident, 553 00:32:52,355 --> 00:32:55,395 Speaker 1: did you throw that piece of broken bat at Mike Piazza. 554 00:32:56,115 --> 00:32:58,435 Speaker 1: There is a freeze frame from that interview in which 555 00:32:58,515 --> 00:33:04,235 Speaker 1: Roger Clemen's eyes are bugged wide open. Well, Glemmen's basically 556 00:33:04,235 --> 00:33:06,355 Speaker 1: confirm what the guys in the dugout had told me. 557 00:33:06,435 --> 00:33:08,235 Speaker 1: He had told them. You can believe him or not, 558 00:33:08,515 --> 00:33:10,715 Speaker 1: but he thought the thing he grabbed was the ball, 559 00:33:11,075 --> 00:33:13,275 Speaker 1: and when it wasn't, he threw it away just in 560 00:33:13,315 --> 00:33:15,395 Speaker 1: case the ball was somewhere else near him and he 561 00:33:15,475 --> 00:33:17,475 Speaker 1: had to have a free hand with which to pick 562 00:33:17,515 --> 00:33:20,315 Speaker 1: it up. He explained the chest taps. He was indeed 563 00:33:20,315 --> 00:33:24,075 Speaker 1: saying to the umpire Umpire Charlie, as Clemens called him, 564 00:33:24,115 --> 00:33:26,715 Speaker 1: accompanying his apologies to the Umps for throwing the bat. 565 00:33:26,955 --> 00:33:29,035 Speaker 1: He said he didn't even know where Piazza was at 566 00:33:29,035 --> 00:33:31,555 Speaker 1: the point he threw the bat. It was as straight 567 00:33:32,035 --> 00:33:35,715 Speaker 1: and nonpartisan, and frankly as informative an interview as I've 568 00:33:35,755 --> 00:33:41,595 Speaker 1: ever conducted. Meanwhile, everybody else in that stadium, everybody else 569 00:33:41,635 --> 00:33:44,915 Speaker 1: in that city, everybody else in the Tri State area 570 00:33:45,035 --> 00:33:48,355 Speaker 1: was convinced of one of only two things. Roger Clemens 571 00:33:48,355 --> 00:33:51,915 Speaker 1: had tried to impale Mike Piazza with a shard of 572 00:33:51,995 --> 00:33:55,955 Speaker 1: his own bat, or the Mets were cry babies who 573 00:33:55,955 --> 00:33:58,275 Speaker 1: could not tell that. Clemments obviously did not try to 574 00:33:58,395 --> 00:34:01,155 Speaker 1: impale Mike Piazza with his own bat. There was no 575 00:34:01,315 --> 00:34:05,595 Speaker 1: middle ground. I found this out specifically the next day 576 00:34:05,635 --> 00:34:07,995 Speaker 1: when the TV sports columnist of the New York Times, 577 00:34:08,075 --> 00:34:10,435 Speaker 1: Rich Sandomir, who was a friend of mine, called to 578 00:34:10,475 --> 00:34:12,875 Speaker 1: interview me about the interview. Why didn't you ask him 579 00:34:12,915 --> 00:34:15,235 Speaker 1: about the bat first? Nobody cared about how he pitched. 580 00:34:15,315 --> 00:34:19,275 Speaker 1: He threw a bat at at Piazza. I said, you're 581 00:34:19,315 --> 00:34:21,675 Speaker 1: a Met fan, and I explained the theory of not 582 00:34:21,795 --> 00:34:24,035 Speaker 1: making Clemens end an interview before he said what you 583 00:34:24,075 --> 00:34:25,675 Speaker 1: needed to know. I went through the whole thing I 584 00:34:25,795 --> 00:34:29,635 Speaker 1: just recited here. It was amazing to see those few 585 00:34:29,715 --> 00:34:33,275 Speaker 1: days how every sports reporter and columnist in New York 586 00:34:33,595 --> 00:34:36,835 Speaker 1: self identified as either a Met fan or X Met fan, 587 00:34:37,355 --> 00:34:39,955 Speaker 1: or a Yankee fan or X Yankee fan. And you 588 00:34:39,995 --> 00:34:42,875 Speaker 1: can still see it today, as this story from twenty 589 00:34:42,875 --> 00:34:46,875 Speaker 1: two years ago is recollected by others. They wrote what 590 00:34:46,955 --> 00:34:52,035 Speaker 1: they felt as kids, Clemens was the victim. Or Clemmens 591 00:34:52,275 --> 00:34:57,155 Speaker 1: tried to kill Mike Piazza like he was a dracula 592 00:34:57,675 --> 00:35:02,875 Speaker 1: and they had the wooden steak to go through his heart. Meanwhile, 593 00:35:03,075 --> 00:35:05,915 Speaker 1: we learned recently from Joe Torre the Yankee manager, another 594 00:35:05,915 --> 00:35:08,435 Speaker 1: one of my friends, that they all hid something from 595 00:35:08,475 --> 00:35:12,195 Speaker 1: us that night, the thing about emotions. After the incident 596 00:35:12,195 --> 00:35:14,235 Speaker 1: in the first inning, Roger Clemens went back to the 597 00:35:14,315 --> 00:35:18,875 Speaker 1: Yankee clubhouse and started to cry. This might have had 598 00:35:18,915 --> 00:35:21,315 Speaker 1: something to do with embarrassment or grief. But since he 599 00:35:21,355 --> 00:35:23,995 Speaker 1: had noted that he had had to check his emotions, 600 00:35:24,035 --> 00:35:26,675 Speaker 1: I always thought, well, he might have been a little 601 00:35:26,795 --> 00:35:33,995 Speaker 1: overamped for that game, naturally or otherwise. Alright, So before 602 00:35:34,115 --> 00:35:36,955 Speaker 1: I present anything else out of chronological order, let me 603 00:35:36,995 --> 00:35:39,275 Speaker 1: go back to the moment. I thank Roger Clements for 604 00:35:39,275 --> 00:35:41,515 Speaker 1: the interview and threw it back to Joe Buck and 605 00:35:41,555 --> 00:35:44,315 Speaker 1: Tim McCarver in the Fox booth, because this is when 606 00:35:44,355 --> 00:35:48,155 Speaker 1: the real trouble started. They were pretty much done for 607 00:35:48,155 --> 00:35:50,235 Speaker 1: the night, but I had another two hours to go 608 00:35:50,395 --> 00:35:53,915 Speaker 1: in a live postgame show on Fox's cable Sports network. 609 00:35:54,315 --> 00:35:56,715 Speaker 1: We had about four minutes until that show started, and 610 00:35:56,755 --> 00:35:58,635 Speaker 1: it suddenly occurred to me that although this was not 611 00:35:58,675 --> 00:36:00,715 Speaker 1: the most important event in the history of the World Series, 612 00:36:00,955 --> 00:36:04,835 Speaker 1: the bat would become part of the iconography of baseball. 613 00:36:05,435 --> 00:36:07,835 Speaker 1: I had been at Yankee Stadium often enough over the 614 00:36:07,915 --> 00:36:11,475 Speaker 1: years to know the two kids who ran the visiting clubhouse, 615 00:36:11,755 --> 00:36:14,195 Speaker 1: and right then they were still packing up the Mets 616 00:36:14,235 --> 00:36:17,075 Speaker 1: bats and equipment and the Met dugout. So I ran 617 00:36:17,155 --> 00:36:20,435 Speaker 1: over and asked the senior of them what happened to 618 00:36:20,475 --> 00:36:24,075 Speaker 1: the pieces of the Piazza bat. The answer to that 619 00:36:24,195 --> 00:36:29,195 Speaker 1: question has haunted me for twenty two years. It resulted 620 00:36:29,235 --> 00:36:32,355 Speaker 1: in me being threatened with a lawsuit by Mike Piazza. 621 00:36:32,635 --> 00:36:34,795 Speaker 1: The owner of the Boston Red Sox said he was 622 00:36:34,795 --> 00:36:38,115 Speaker 1: threatened by Piazza over the same bat. And then came 623 00:36:38,155 --> 00:36:40,955 Speaker 1: the moment during that World Series that Mike Piazza confronted 624 00:36:40,995 --> 00:36:46,075 Speaker 1: me and we talked about restaurants. The rest of this 625 00:36:46,195 --> 00:36:55,475 Speaker 1: crazy story after this, So back to our number one 626 00:36:55,475 --> 00:36:57,835 Speaker 1: story and the countdown and the saga of the night 627 00:36:57,915 --> 00:37:00,355 Speaker 1: in the two thousand World Series and all the nights 628 00:37:00,395 --> 00:37:04,475 Speaker 1: since when the bat of Mike Piazza of the Mets shattered, 629 00:37:05,475 --> 00:37:08,395 Speaker 1: should you be? And Roger Clemens of the Yankees picked 630 00:37:08,435 --> 00:37:10,675 Speaker 1: up the barrel of that bat and tossed it at him, 631 00:37:10,795 --> 00:37:13,435 Speaker 1: or just tossed it away having mistaken it for a baseball, 632 00:37:13,915 --> 00:37:16,515 Speaker 1: or made up a story that he had mistaken it 633 00:37:16,555 --> 00:37:19,155 Speaker 1: for a baseball. And I was in the Yankee dug 634 00:37:19,195 --> 00:37:21,115 Speaker 1: out as the reporter, and I was hosting the game 635 00:37:21,155 --> 00:37:23,875 Speaker 1: for Fox, and I interviewed Clemens afterwards, and then before 636 00:37:23,915 --> 00:37:27,835 Speaker 1: our two hour postgame show on Cable, I went over 637 00:37:27,915 --> 00:37:30,435 Speaker 1: to the Met dugout and asked the clubhouse attendant there 638 00:37:30,515 --> 00:37:34,515 Speaker 1: what happened to the pieces of Pianza's bat well. The 639 00:37:34,595 --> 00:37:37,675 Speaker 1: guy explained that Bobby Valentine, the Mets manager, had asked 640 00:37:38,035 --> 00:37:39,835 Speaker 1: that one of the pieces go to a friend of 641 00:37:39,915 --> 00:37:43,835 Speaker 1: his in the stands, and he, the clubhouse attendant, had 642 00:37:43,835 --> 00:37:46,635 Speaker 1: handed it to the guy. A second piece he believed 643 00:37:46,675 --> 00:37:48,955 Speaker 1: was kept by the Yankees. He wasn't sure about that. 644 00:37:49,195 --> 00:37:52,795 Speaker 1: The third piece, the handle was where was it? Where 645 00:37:52,875 --> 00:37:55,555 Speaker 1: is it? He asked the other attendant. It's here in 646 00:37:55,595 --> 00:37:58,395 Speaker 1: the garbage, the kid said. I did a double take 647 00:37:58,595 --> 00:38:01,675 Speaker 1: the garbage. Yeah, the kid said, under the dugout bench, 648 00:38:01,835 --> 00:38:04,355 Speaker 1: and there it was stuffed in amid all the empty 649 00:38:04,355 --> 00:38:07,995 Speaker 1: bag to sunflower seeds and the crushed gatorade cups. I said, 650 00:38:08,035 --> 00:38:10,755 Speaker 1: what happens to it? Now? Gets thrown out to clean 651 00:38:10,795 --> 00:38:14,195 Speaker 1: out the dugouts first, so I said, look, can I 652 00:38:14,275 --> 00:38:16,715 Speaker 1: borrow it? This would make a great prop for our 653 00:38:16,715 --> 00:38:20,675 Speaker 1: postgame show? And the attendant says sure, and he pulls 654 00:38:20,715 --> 00:38:22,275 Speaker 1: it out of the pile and hands it to me, 655 00:38:22,395 --> 00:38:25,115 Speaker 1: just about seven inches of a baseball bat, and all 656 00:38:25,155 --> 00:38:28,115 Speaker 1: there is Piazza's uniform number thirty one written in magic 657 00:38:28,195 --> 00:38:31,035 Speaker 1: marker on the bottom. Listen. I said, I won't be 658 00:38:31,035 --> 00:38:33,075 Speaker 1: able to bring this back to you for like two hours. 659 00:38:33,075 --> 00:38:34,835 Speaker 1: We're on for two hours. Will you still be in 660 00:38:34,835 --> 00:38:37,515 Speaker 1: the clubhouse? And he said, are you kidding? We have 661 00:38:37,595 --> 00:38:39,715 Speaker 1: to be here at eight He and I'll be out 662 00:38:39,715 --> 00:38:42,195 Speaker 1: of here in ten minutes. And I said, you want 663 00:38:42,195 --> 00:38:44,115 Speaker 1: me to bring it back to you for Game three? 664 00:38:44,435 --> 00:38:47,635 Speaker 1: And he says, garbage. You're gonna bring back garbage, Throw 665 00:38:47,675 --> 00:38:50,915 Speaker 1: it out, keep it whatever, What do I care? So 666 00:38:51,795 --> 00:38:54,355 Speaker 1: I used the bat fragment as a prop in the 667 00:38:54,355 --> 00:38:57,315 Speaker 1: show repeatedly, and I stuck it into my shoulder bag, 668 00:38:57,355 --> 00:38:59,995 Speaker 1: and I thought, I'm not a scrounger, but this is 669 00:39:00,035 --> 00:39:03,915 Speaker 1: a valuable piece of memorabilia and I'd like to keep it. 670 00:39:03,955 --> 00:39:06,995 Speaker 1: So I'll either I'll auctioned off for charity and bid 671 00:39:07,115 --> 00:39:09,435 Speaker 1: against myself for something, or I'll make a donation to 672 00:39:09,475 --> 00:39:11,595 Speaker 1: a baseball charity and I'll keep it. And that was it. 673 00:39:12,275 --> 00:39:15,115 Speaker 1: And two days later, as the World Series shifted from 674 00:39:15,195 --> 00:39:17,355 Speaker 1: Yankee Stadium to Shasee Stadium. I got a phone call 675 00:39:17,715 --> 00:39:19,955 Speaker 1: from one of the PR guys at Fox Sports. Did 676 00:39:20,035 --> 00:39:22,475 Speaker 1: you see the paper? And I said, no, not yet. 677 00:39:22,515 --> 00:39:25,035 Speaker 1: And he says, Piazza told the guy from Newsday that 678 00:39:25,075 --> 00:39:28,955 Speaker 1: you stole his back and he wants it back. And 679 00:39:28,995 --> 00:39:31,835 Speaker 1: I said, what if I hadn't asked about it, it it 680 00:39:31,915 --> 00:39:34,115 Speaker 1: would be on a garbage scout right now being towed 681 00:39:34,155 --> 00:39:36,595 Speaker 1: out to be dumped in the Atlantic Ocean. And he 682 00:39:36,635 --> 00:39:39,555 Speaker 1: says maybe, but Piazza told this John Hayman, he's gonna 683 00:39:39,595 --> 00:39:43,115 Speaker 1: sue you to get it back. So now I go 684 00:39:43,195 --> 00:39:46,235 Speaker 1: to the ballpark with extra excitement on my plate. I'm 685 00:39:46,275 --> 00:39:48,675 Speaker 1: waiting for Mike Piazza to tell me he's gonna sue me. 686 00:39:49,275 --> 00:39:51,315 Speaker 1: So I go out onto the field and I'm wondering 687 00:39:51,315 --> 00:39:53,475 Speaker 1: how long it's gonna be before I run into Piazza. 688 00:39:53,515 --> 00:39:55,275 Speaker 1: And like two minutes after I step on the field, 689 00:39:55,315 --> 00:39:56,955 Speaker 1: I turned around and he's walking towards me, and he 690 00:39:56,955 --> 00:39:59,635 Speaker 1: looks at me and he says, hey, Keith wild One 691 00:39:59,675 --> 00:40:02,435 Speaker 1: the other night, huh say listen, when you lived at Shutters, 692 00:40:02,435 --> 00:40:04,315 Speaker 1: did you ever eat it ivy at the shore in 693 00:40:04,315 --> 00:40:08,955 Speaker 1: Santa Monica? Nothing about the bat we're talking about restaurants 694 00:40:08,955 --> 00:40:11,635 Speaker 1: in Santa Monica, California, And I say, well, yeah, but 695 00:40:11,635 --> 00:40:13,955 Speaker 1: did you ever eat at Shay Jay's And a big 696 00:40:13,955 --> 00:40:16,595 Speaker 1: smile from Piazza, Oh, man, I love Shade Jays. I 697 00:40:16,635 --> 00:40:19,155 Speaker 1: love Jay. Give me your number this winter when I'm home, 698 00:40:19,195 --> 00:40:21,675 Speaker 1: Let's go eat at Ja Ja's. And I said, I'll 699 00:40:21,675 --> 00:40:23,995 Speaker 1: pay for it and I'll order the sand dabs. Now 700 00:40:24,035 --> 00:40:26,955 Speaker 1: we're talking about sand dabs, how to prepare sand dabs 701 00:40:26,955 --> 00:40:29,475 Speaker 1: at a restaurant. And then he says, hey, sorry, I 702 00:40:29,515 --> 00:40:32,915 Speaker 1: gotta go ahead, have a good show. That was it. 703 00:40:33,915 --> 00:40:37,155 Speaker 1: He's in the paper threatening to sue me. We see 704 00:40:37,195 --> 00:40:40,675 Speaker 1: each other on the field, he starts the conversation. No 705 00:40:40,795 --> 00:40:44,515 Speaker 1: mention of suing me, not one word. Next day in 706 00:40:44,555 --> 00:40:47,395 Speaker 1: the paper, more Piazza quotes about how he's gonna assume 707 00:40:47,435 --> 00:40:50,155 Speaker 1: me for stealing his bat. Next night, Game four, the 708 00:40:50,155 --> 00:40:52,235 Speaker 1: World Series, we're just about to go on the air 709 00:40:52,275 --> 00:40:54,595 Speaker 1: at the pregame show, and now Piazza comes over again, 710 00:40:54,835 --> 00:40:56,995 Speaker 1: coming in from the outfield to the dugout and he says, hey, 711 00:40:57,035 --> 00:40:58,875 Speaker 1: this must be really cool to do what you guys 712 00:40:58,875 --> 00:41:01,835 Speaker 1: are doing. Have a great show. And by now the 713 00:41:01,875 --> 00:41:03,915 Speaker 1: only thing I can think of he does not know 714 00:41:04,155 --> 00:41:06,595 Speaker 1: I'm the name Keith ol Room, and he keeps threatening 715 00:41:06,635 --> 00:41:10,315 Speaker 1: to sue. So the World Series ends and the Yankees 716 00:41:10,315 --> 00:41:12,395 Speaker 1: beat the Mets, and if you look for it, there's 717 00:41:12,435 --> 00:41:15,315 Speaker 1: this photo of the traditional postgame awarding of the World 718 00:41:15,355 --> 00:41:18,955 Speaker 1: Series Trophy and the Most Valuable Player award at its 719 00:41:18,955 --> 00:41:21,755 Speaker 1: commissioner Bud Sealig and Derek Jeter, the Yankees and me, 720 00:41:22,395 --> 00:41:24,875 Speaker 1: and just before it happened, George Steinbrenner was the owner 721 00:41:24,915 --> 00:41:28,435 Speaker 1: of the Yankees. He's crying and he leans in and 722 00:41:28,435 --> 00:41:30,395 Speaker 1: I give him a hug and reassure him. And he 723 00:41:30,435 --> 00:41:32,435 Speaker 1: asked me if my mother went to the game, and 724 00:41:32,475 --> 00:41:34,195 Speaker 1: I said, you know my mother, she'd never come to 725 00:41:34,275 --> 00:41:36,595 Speaker 1: Chase Stadium. She hates it more than you do. And 726 00:41:36,635 --> 00:41:39,795 Speaker 1: he says, I love her more than ever before. Now. 727 00:41:41,155 --> 00:41:43,955 Speaker 1: So the series ends, and it's not been that greatest series, 728 00:41:43,995 --> 00:41:46,595 Speaker 1: but it's been exciting, and it was the dream from 729 00:41:46,595 --> 00:41:49,595 Speaker 1: my childhood. And the Yankees have one, and my friends 730 00:41:49,635 --> 00:41:52,955 Speaker 1: are happy. And I've not heard another word about this lawsuit, 731 00:41:53,635 --> 00:41:56,995 Speaker 1: nothing from Mike Piazza. And I told the Fox people, well, 732 00:41:57,115 --> 00:41:59,395 Speaker 1: if I'm not gonna hear anything more from them, it's easy. 733 00:41:59,475 --> 00:42:01,835 Speaker 1: I'm going to keep the bat, and I'm gonna donate 734 00:42:01,835 --> 00:42:06,195 Speaker 1: twenty dollars to this charity, the Baseball Assistance Team, which 735 00:42:06,235 --> 00:42:09,195 Speaker 1: helps X ball players in financial need, because A I'm 736 00:42:09,195 --> 00:42:13,555 Speaker 1: not a scrounger. B it's a great cause. See that's 737 00:42:13,595 --> 00:42:15,675 Speaker 1: actually much more than the bat handle would be worth 738 00:42:15,675 --> 00:42:18,515 Speaker 1: on the open market. And D the acronym for the 739 00:42:18,515 --> 00:42:23,355 Speaker 1: Baseball Assistance Team is B a T bat and that's perfect. 740 00:42:23,435 --> 00:42:27,915 Speaker 1: It's about Piazza's bat, you get it. And then nothing 741 00:42:27,955 --> 00:42:31,395 Speaker 1: for a month, whereupon Fox gets another letter now from 742 00:42:31,395 --> 00:42:35,515 Speaker 1: Piazza's agent fellow named Manson, and he threatens to sue again, 743 00:42:35,795 --> 00:42:38,395 Speaker 1: and that's the end of it. Never heard from him again. 744 00:42:39,275 --> 00:42:41,075 Speaker 1: So now it's the next year, two thousand one, and 745 00:42:41,115 --> 00:42:44,035 Speaker 1: I'm back in New York working for CNN doing the news, 746 00:42:44,075 --> 00:42:45,475 Speaker 1: and I go to a Mets game and I see 747 00:42:45,515 --> 00:42:47,715 Speaker 1: Piazza and I give him a big smile and I 748 00:42:47,755 --> 00:42:49,955 Speaker 1: offer my hand and I say, still of those sand 749 00:42:49,995 --> 00:42:52,435 Speaker 1: dabs from s J. And he just stares at me 750 00:42:52,555 --> 00:42:55,355 Speaker 1: and walks right past me. And I see a cop 751 00:42:55,395 --> 00:42:57,435 Speaker 1: I know who works next to the Mets dugout and 752 00:42:57,475 --> 00:43:00,795 Speaker 1: the cops says, Mike has been asking him about me. 753 00:43:01,195 --> 00:43:03,235 Speaker 1: Is that Keith Alderman, but one who stole my bat. 754 00:43:04,475 --> 00:43:09,035 Speaker 1: So now I'm not just keeping the bat. I want 755 00:43:09,075 --> 00:43:12,995 Speaker 1: to sue Mike Piazza for being a pain in the ass. 756 00:43:13,955 --> 00:43:17,955 Speaker 1: And then eleven happens, and ball players are doing charity things, 757 00:43:18,035 --> 00:43:22,075 Speaker 1: and sportscasters and newscasters are doing charity things, and I think, well, 758 00:43:22,395 --> 00:43:25,355 Speaker 1: this is the time when the baseball season resumes. I 759 00:43:25,395 --> 00:43:27,115 Speaker 1: throw the bad handle in my bag and I go 760 00:43:27,155 --> 00:43:28,875 Speaker 1: out to a Mets game and I go up to 761 00:43:29,075 --> 00:43:31,275 Speaker 1: Piazza's locker before the game, and I pulled a bat 762 00:43:31,355 --> 00:43:34,435 Speaker 1: chart out and I say, take this, Mike, auction it 763 00:43:34,475 --> 00:43:36,475 Speaker 1: off for charity. Let's do some good with this. Or 764 00:43:36,515 --> 00:43:39,195 Speaker 1: if it's too much trouble, you sign it an I'll 765 00:43:39,235 --> 00:43:40,995 Speaker 1: auction it off. We can leave my name out of it, 766 00:43:41,035 --> 00:43:43,515 Speaker 1: whatever you want, however you want to do it. And 767 00:43:43,555 --> 00:43:46,195 Speaker 1: he looks at me like I've just insulted his mother 768 00:43:46,435 --> 00:43:49,275 Speaker 1: and says, no, it's too complicated, and he turns away, 769 00:43:49,915 --> 00:43:54,595 Speaker 1: and I think to myself, this is the strangest athlete 770 00:43:54,675 --> 00:43:58,515 Speaker 1: I have ever met. And just before the season ends, 771 00:43:58,515 --> 00:44:00,835 Speaker 1: I go to another Mets game. Now this time it's 772 00:44:00,835 --> 00:44:02,835 Speaker 1: one of his teammates who takes me aside and says, 773 00:44:03,115 --> 00:44:05,635 Speaker 1: you know, Piazza never stops talking about you stealing his 774 00:44:05,715 --> 00:44:07,955 Speaker 1: bat from the Clemens game last year. He says he 775 00:44:07,995 --> 00:44:11,355 Speaker 1: still wants to sue you. Didn't you trying to give 776 00:44:11,435 --> 00:44:13,635 Speaker 1: him the bat back in the club house to auction off? 777 00:44:13,675 --> 00:44:15,915 Speaker 1: Didn't I see that? And I said, yeah, I did, 778 00:44:16,195 --> 00:44:18,355 Speaker 1: and he refused to take it, And the guy laughs 779 00:44:18,395 --> 00:44:21,755 Speaker 1: and he says, great player, excellent catcher. I love him. 780 00:44:22,155 --> 00:44:25,875 Speaker 1: Strangest player I have ever met. Comes two thousand to 781 00:44:26,435 --> 00:44:30,035 Speaker 1: nothing happens. See Piazza at several Mets games. Nothing happens. 782 00:44:30,035 --> 00:44:33,435 Speaker 1: Two thousand three, nothing happens. Now. I can't pin the 783 00:44:33,515 --> 00:44:35,835 Speaker 1: year down on this. It's one of the Red Sox 784 00:44:35,995 --> 00:44:39,395 Speaker 1: Yankees playoff series, either two thousand three or two thousand four. 785 00:44:39,435 --> 00:44:42,155 Speaker 1: And I'm leaving the field as they're clearing the media 786 00:44:42,235 --> 00:44:44,595 Speaker 1: off just before the game starts, and I'm going out 787 00:44:44,635 --> 00:44:47,435 Speaker 1: through the Red Sox dugout, literally at the same spot 788 00:44:47,595 --> 00:44:50,835 Speaker 1: where the kid handed me Piazza's bat handle three or 789 00:44:50,875 --> 00:44:54,475 Speaker 1: four years earlier, where the trouble all began, and I 790 00:44:54,475 --> 00:44:56,915 Speaker 1: see the new owner of the Red Sox team approaching 791 00:44:56,915 --> 00:44:59,715 Speaker 1: from the other end of the dugout Keith John Henry, 792 00:44:59,875 --> 00:45:03,115 Speaker 1: nice to meet you. Have you got a minute, And 793 00:45:03,155 --> 00:45:04,755 Speaker 1: I said, well, yeah, they're they're kicking the meat the 794 00:45:04,875 --> 00:45:06,835 Speaker 1: off the field, so and he laughs and he says 795 00:45:06,955 --> 00:45:08,555 Speaker 1: I can take care of that. And he yells at 796 00:45:08,555 --> 00:45:11,075 Speaker 1: the plane clothes cop and he says he's with me, 797 00:45:11,475 --> 00:45:13,435 Speaker 1: and the cop nods and John Henry, the owner of 798 00:45:13,435 --> 00:45:15,475 Speaker 1: the Red Sox, and I sit down on the Red 799 00:45:15,475 --> 00:45:17,875 Speaker 1: Sox bench before the start of a Red Sox Yankees 800 00:45:17,915 --> 00:45:20,235 Speaker 1: playoff game, and there are no other reporters out there, 801 00:45:20,235 --> 00:45:22,635 Speaker 1: and I think, Okay, what did I say about the 802 00:45:22,635 --> 00:45:27,075 Speaker 1: Red Sox? What is he piste off about? Instead, John 803 00:45:27,115 --> 00:45:31,795 Speaker 1: Henry says, can I ask you about Mike Piazza? And 804 00:45:31,875 --> 00:45:36,555 Speaker 1: I laugh and I say sure, what about him? And 805 00:45:36,595 --> 00:45:39,035 Speaker 1: he says, you have part of his bat from the 806 00:45:39,035 --> 00:45:41,795 Speaker 1: World Series with Clemens right, And I said yeah, and 807 00:45:41,835 --> 00:45:44,595 Speaker 1: he says, well, tell me the whole story. So I 808 00:45:44,715 --> 00:45:48,235 Speaker 1: do what you've just heard, and John Henry says, that's 809 00:45:48,275 --> 00:45:51,715 Speaker 1: what I was told, Thank you. I thought it was me. 810 00:45:52,395 --> 00:45:54,275 Speaker 1: So that other piece of the bat that was handed 811 00:45:54,315 --> 00:45:56,635 Speaker 1: to a friend of Bobby Valentine's during that game, that 812 00:45:56,715 --> 00:45:58,915 Speaker 1: friend is a great friend of mine. And after nine eleven. 813 00:45:58,955 --> 00:46:00,875 Speaker 1: He said, wouldn't it be great to get Mike Piazza 814 00:46:00,915 --> 00:46:02,955 Speaker 1: to sign this and then we can auction it off 815 00:46:02,995 --> 00:46:06,075 Speaker 1: for the victims families or the cops or some other charity. 816 00:46:06,395 --> 00:46:07,995 Speaker 1: And he gives me the bat and I call him 817 00:46:08,035 --> 00:46:09,755 Speaker 1: Mets and they approach Mike and they call me and 818 00:46:09,755 --> 00:46:11,715 Speaker 1: they say, Mike loves the idea and I should come 819 00:46:11,715 --> 00:46:13,595 Speaker 1: to one of the spring training games and he'll sign it. 820 00:46:14,275 --> 00:46:15,595 Speaker 1: So the next March, I go to one of the 821 00:46:15,635 --> 00:46:17,675 Speaker 1: Mets spring training games and I go up to him 822 00:46:17,675 --> 00:46:19,555 Speaker 1: in the clubhouse and I introduced myself and he looks 823 00:46:19,595 --> 00:46:22,275 Speaker 1: at me like I'm from Mars, and I say, well, 824 00:46:22,275 --> 00:46:24,595 Speaker 1: I brought the bat, and he says, what bat? And 825 00:46:24,635 --> 00:46:26,835 Speaker 1: I explained that we had arranged to have him signed 826 00:46:26,875 --> 00:46:29,475 Speaker 1: the bat from the World Series for a nine eleven 827 00:46:29,595 --> 00:46:32,235 Speaker 1: charity and he erupts at me, I'm not signing that bat? 828 00:46:32,555 --> 00:46:35,075 Speaker 1: Sure for charity? Do you think I was born yesterday? 829 00:46:37,075 --> 00:46:39,115 Speaker 1: And now I say something to John Henry, owner of 830 00:46:39,115 --> 00:46:41,795 Speaker 1: the Red Sox, like welcome to the club. Did he 831 00:46:41,835 --> 00:46:45,515 Speaker 1: threaten to sue you too? And he laughs and says yes, 832 00:46:45,675 --> 00:46:48,275 Speaker 1: that's the next part of the story. So while we're 833 00:46:48,275 --> 00:46:51,115 Speaker 1: trying to straighten that out. His agent calls me and 834 00:46:51,155 --> 00:46:53,315 Speaker 1: asks if I will give them the bat to auction 835 00:46:53,355 --> 00:46:56,395 Speaker 1: off for charity. And I say sure, and I go 836 00:46:56,475 --> 00:46:59,035 Speaker 1: to another Mets game, and I go to the clubhouse 837 00:46:59,075 --> 00:47:01,315 Speaker 1: and I have the bat again. Now Piazza says, no, 838 00:47:01,755 --> 00:47:05,435 Speaker 1: I can't take the bat because of pending litigation, but 839 00:47:05,515 --> 00:47:07,995 Speaker 1: if I want him to, he'll sign it for me. 840 00:47:08,395 --> 00:47:10,235 Speaker 1: All I have to do is come back a couple 841 00:47:10,315 --> 00:47:13,275 Speaker 1: of weeks later. So this is what I wanted to 842 00:47:13,315 --> 00:47:17,235 Speaker 1: ask you, Keith. Is he the strangest ballplayer you've ever met? 843 00:47:17,355 --> 00:47:21,915 Speaker 1: Or is it just me? There's one more part to this. 844 00:47:22,915 --> 00:47:28,755 Speaker 1: Flash forward to I still have the Piazza bat handle, 845 00:47:28,915 --> 00:47:31,595 Speaker 1: the one I unsuccessfully tried to give back to Piazza. 846 00:47:32,035 --> 00:47:34,755 Speaker 1: The middle portion, the one John Henry unsuccessfully tried to 847 00:47:34,755 --> 00:47:37,755 Speaker 1: get back to Piazza, has been sold, with the proceeds 848 00:47:37,755 --> 00:47:41,315 Speaker 1: going to charity. So where is the third piece, the 849 00:47:41,395 --> 00:47:43,835 Speaker 1: barrel of the bat, the part that Clemmens through at 850 00:47:43,875 --> 00:47:46,675 Speaker 1: Piazza if you're a Met fan or was unfairly accused 851 00:47:46,715 --> 00:47:48,835 Speaker 1: of throwing at Piazza if you're not a Met fan. 852 00:47:49,515 --> 00:47:52,795 Speaker 1: And the answer finally arrives in a sports memorabilia auction 853 00:47:52,835 --> 00:47:55,795 Speaker 1: catalog that year, while one of the visiting bat boys 854 00:47:55,835 --> 00:47:58,035 Speaker 1: was handing the middle part of the bat up to 855 00:47:58,115 --> 00:48:01,075 Speaker 1: a friend of Bobby Valentine and John Henry's in the stands, 856 00:48:01,475 --> 00:48:04,915 Speaker 1: the barrel, which landed near the Yankee dugout, was ouped 857 00:48:04,955 --> 00:48:07,355 Speaker 1: up by the Yankee bat boy, who put it in 858 00:48:07,355 --> 00:48:10,915 Speaker 1: the pile of Yankee broken bats. And as it turned out, 859 00:48:11,035 --> 00:48:13,715 Speaker 1: right at that point, the Yankees strength and conditioning coach 860 00:48:13,795 --> 00:48:17,155 Speaker 1: Jeff Mangold, who was on the bench, said, wait a minute, 861 00:48:17,555 --> 00:48:19,795 Speaker 1: that's the pile of broken bats they're gonna throw out. 862 00:48:19,995 --> 00:48:22,955 Speaker 1: They shouldn't throw it out. Its history. And he grabs 863 00:48:22,995 --> 00:48:25,075 Speaker 1: that part of the Piazza bat and puts it up 864 00:48:25,075 --> 00:48:27,355 Speaker 1: in his home office. And now it's fourteen years later 865 00:48:27,435 --> 00:48:29,835 Speaker 1: and he wants to auction it off for charity. So 866 00:48:29,875 --> 00:48:32,595 Speaker 1: he auctions it off, and I think, well, hell, it 867 00:48:32,635 --> 00:48:34,835 Speaker 1: should be alongside the other piece of the bat. My 868 00:48:35,115 --> 00:48:37,635 Speaker 1: other piece of the bat, the handle, So I win 869 00:48:37,715 --> 00:48:41,675 Speaker 1: the auction. There it is on my wall, complete with 870 00:48:41,675 --> 00:48:44,595 Speaker 1: a baseball card showing Roger Clemens about to throw the barrel. 871 00:48:45,275 --> 00:48:50,195 Speaker 1: Reasons left to your imagination. Two thirds of the famous bat. 872 00:48:51,155 --> 00:48:54,155 Speaker 1: I'll sell it someday I'm sure, but I'll always have 873 00:48:54,235 --> 00:48:58,955 Speaker 1: the memories, my memories and John Henry's memories. And if 874 00:48:58,955 --> 00:49:01,475 Speaker 1: you're wondering, No, Unlike John Henry and I, that Yankee 875 00:49:01,475 --> 00:49:04,475 Speaker 1: strength coach Jeff Mangold never tried to give it back 876 00:49:04,515 --> 00:49:07,075 Speaker 1: to Piazza, or get it signed by Piazza or auctioned 877 00:49:07,115 --> 00:49:09,635 Speaker 1: off for charity with Piazza, which means that, on top 878 00:49:09,675 --> 00:49:13,995 Speaker 1: of everything else, Jeff Mangold is smarter than John Henry 879 00:49:13,995 --> 00:49:30,715 Speaker 1: and I put together. I've done all the damage I 880 00:49:30,755 --> 00:49:33,155 Speaker 1: can do here. Thank you for listening. Followed this podcast. 881 00:49:33,195 --> 00:49:36,635 Speaker 1: If you can tell a friend, tell Mike Piazza. We're 882 00:49:36,715 --> 00:49:41,075 Speaker 1: number one among non news outlet news and political podcasts. 883 00:49:41,075 --> 00:49:43,435 Speaker 1: But I'd like to be whatever is better than that. 884 00:49:44,035 --> 00:49:46,315 Speaker 1: Here are credits. Most of the music, including our theme 885 00:49:46,315 --> 00:49:49,515 Speaker 1: from Beethoven's Ninth, was arranged, produced, and performed by Brian 886 00:49:49,595 --> 00:49:52,475 Speaker 1: Ray and John Philip Chanelle. They are the Countdown musical directors. 887 00:49:52,875 --> 00:49:56,595 Speaker 1: All orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Chanelle. Guitars based 888 00:49:56,635 --> 00:49:59,955 Speaker 1: on drums by Brian Ray and produced by t Ko Brothers. 889 00:50:00,435 --> 00:50:02,995 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by No 890 00:50:03,195 --> 00:50:06,755 Speaker 1: horns allowed the sports music is the Olderman theme from 891 00:50:06,955 --> 00:50:10,235 Speaker 1: ESPN two, which was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy 892 00:50:10,235 --> 00:50:13,795 Speaker 1: of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments courtesy of Nancy Faust. The 893 00:50:13,795 --> 00:50:16,995 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever and our announcer today was 894 00:50:17,035 --> 00:50:21,795 Speaker 1: Tony Kornheiser. Everything else pretty much my fault. Let's countdown 895 00:50:21,795 --> 00:50:24,195 Speaker 1: for this the six and sixty seventh day since Donald 896 00:50:24,195 --> 00:50:27,035 Speaker 1: Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected government of 897 00:50:27,075 --> 00:50:30,035 Speaker 1: the United States. Arrest him now while we still can. 898 00:50:30,795 --> 00:50:32,875 Speaker 1: We'll have a new episode for you tomorrow. Until then 899 00:50:32,875 --> 00:50:36,235 Speaker 1: on Keith Alderman. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. 900 00:50:41,635 --> 00:50:45,235 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olberman is a production of I heart Radio. 901 00:50:45,515 --> 00:50:48,435 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 902 00:50:48,555 --> 00:50:52,915 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.