WEBVTT - Alex Cora Shares His Baseball Future & Best Memories 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:02.520 Hey, everybody, welcome to the latest edition of Dirt from 0:00:02.520 --> 0:00:05.120 the Dugout. Excited about this one tonight we have my 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:09.680 good friend and former Major League manager player, college World 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:13.760 Series participant, overall wonderful person, Alex. 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:14.600 Coor is going to join us. 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:17.360 Of course, Justin Mussel was along for the ride, and 0:00:18.040 --> 0:00:21.000 just another line, another guy in a long line of 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:24.280 tremendous guests, Justin that we've had on Dirt from the Dugout. 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:26.560 Yeah, Rabbi, excited for him. 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:29.880 Man, it's obviously cool a family, you know, baseball family, 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:31.960 So it's what we're all about right at the Parent Dugout. 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:35.479 So it's cool to have this conversation with him and 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:39.000 talk about his upbringing and everything that baseball meant to 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:40.280 them as they grew up together. 0:00:41.159 --> 0:00:43.040 Right, Just a reminder before we bring him in, we 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:46.120 invite everybody to become members join along with us here. 0:00:46.240 --> 0:00:50.440 The Parent Dugout dot Com is our platform, and underneath 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:54.040 that big umbrella we have Baseball Recruiting Confidential, we have 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:56.400 Dirt from the Dugout, we have blogs that are written 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:59.240 by both Justin and myself, and we have all sorts 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:03.640 of questions and opportunities. Ultimately, it allows you to connect 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:05.800 with the people that we have on both Dirt from 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:09.679 the Dugout and Baseball Recruiting Confidential gets you access that 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.520 you otherwise would not get and it is a must 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:15.560 have for your journey. With that being said, let's bring 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:17.440 on a guy who said as many journeys in a 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:21.240 very young career and young life when it comes to baseball, 0:01:21.280 --> 0:01:24.120 and that is my good friend Alex Cora, Capyitan, thanks 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:26.440 for joining us on Dirt from the Dugout. 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:31.520 Well, Captain, we're back together. Let's do it, hey, justin, 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:32.440 how you doing, man? 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:33.800 Hey buddy, good to see you. 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:36.720 Man, who knew the circumstances that you and I were 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:38.880 to be back together when neither one of us are 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:41.240 actually going to be working for a little while, but 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:43.000 we'll be working again at some point. 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:45.520 So it's a little interesting and a little strange. 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:48.960 But I will say justin that the years that I spent, 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:51.520 you know, working with that guy right there and then 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:55.240 covering him were as rewarding as any that I had because, 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:59.360 as you've seen and Capy Town, we've had Dusty on 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:02.120 this show. We had Buck show Walter on the show. 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:05.200 We had your friend Pete, Dustin Pedroia on the show 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:07.720 and d Row and Adam Wayne Wrhight. Just a real 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:12.240 solid list of guests. But I learned as much and 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:16.000 enjoyed as much of any part of my career hanging 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:18.920 out with Alex Boris. So again, thanks for being with us. 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:23.840 It means a lot now, Like I told you, you know, 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.639 Tober twenty eighth in at Dodger Stadium, right, I never 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:33.799 you know, you meant a lot to what, to where, 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:37.240 what we were able to accomplish that year. You know 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:41.919 my years in Bristol, you know, I was an up 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:45.919 and book I still remember the first time I went there, 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:53.960 uh to do my tryout and it was something about 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:58.200 it pop up in tropy Ginaphield and I had to 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:02.600 explain the fans. The outfielder didn't see it, and I 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:05.440 was so freaking nervous. You know, I had no idea 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:07.720 called Rapids. You know, He's like, come on, you know 0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:11.640 this guys is the guy. But you know you meant 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:13.440 you mean a lot to me. He's now that you 0:03:13.520 --> 0:03:15.040 meant a lot to me. You mean a lot to me, 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:18.200 and I'm happy to be here with you guys. 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:21.200 Okay, great, So our goal on this show. I think 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:24.800 you've seen it before. Is really to share your journey 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:28.200 to help and inform many of the parents of young 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:32.160 kids today, whether they are like yours, nine, ten, eleven 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.000 years old or those going into high school or into college. 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:38.280 But really just to share what you did on your 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.080 journey and maybe they can learn some things, some roads 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:43.720 to go down, some roads not to go down. Let's 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:48.120 go back to Puerto Rico and your your first introduction 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:51.120 to the sport, because I know you just came from 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:54.160 a soccer practice or something where your kids were so 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:59.760 you had options. Why did the Cora family gravitate to baseball? 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:06.200 It was very easy. Uh. Dad was the founder of 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:09.440 the Little League chapter in our hometown, So you have 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:15.280 no other options, better play baseball. My two sisters didn't 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.440 play because at that point there was no softball for women. 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:23.600 But uh, it's all I know. It's all I knew 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:33.080 growing up. You know, the ballpark is literally seven blocks 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:39.640 from our house. You just walked there, and you know 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:44.599 people said that, you know when when mom was ready 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:47.159 to go, you know, he broke she she broke water. 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:51.480 She was at ballpark. So this is all we know. 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:58.280 Dad was also involved in winter ball with the Cows creos. 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.440 He was, he was involved in sport words. He was 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:09.279 used to work for two newspapers in the island, one 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:13.400 that is not running anymore, the San Juan Start that's 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:18.680 the English version of the newspaper here, and the other 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:26.080 one in Lueloda. And I still remember coming from the games, 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:29.440 you know, winter ball. I saw call cal Ripken, I 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:33.560 saw Don Maddy Lee and a lot, a lot of 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:37.120 a lot of good players. He'll come back home and 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:41.760 call the newspaper whoever was in charge of the sports section, 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:49.200 and he'll say, for example, Dicky Thon four thousand, Henry 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:54.640 Coto four ten, and I'm like, what is he talking about? 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:58.159 And one day I say that what that means? He goes, 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:05.400 son is four no runs, one hit, no RBIs bro 0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:09.200 I get chills. You're thinking about it. I love my 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:13.000 dad when I was thirteen, and uh, just going back 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:17.000 to that, you know, it was it was, you know, 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:20.040 we we eat breakfast, we talked baseball, we had lunch, 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:23.840 we talked baseball, we had dinner, we talked baseball. So 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:26.800 that's how we started. Yeah, okay, great, oh. 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:29.560 Cool, great, so cool, Alex. I want to I want 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:32.360 to ask you about that. I know it's very personal. 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:33.719 Obviously you lost your dad. 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:34.760 You know. 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:37.280 One of the things we talk about all the time 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:41.080 on this show is just adversity, right and handling adversity 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:45.760 and overcoming adversity. We all have some form of adversity 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:48.320 in our life that comes at us at some point. 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.000 What was that like for you and how did you 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:54.159 pick up the pieces and move forward on such a 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:57.880 tough loss for you know, a father figure that was 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:00.200 so important in your life and to carry forward in 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:01.000 what you were doing. 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:07.679 Joey Cora joycra You know, my brother, obviously, my mom 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:13.320 who's the driving force behind our family, my two sisters 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:18.360 who drove me two games, baseball games, volleyball games, whatever 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:23.920 I wanted to do that were around me. But just 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:30.480 having my brother just leading me. We went to Shaye Stadium, 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:33.240 me and my dad to see Joey in nineteen eighty six, 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:37.600 and dad passed away in eighty eight. That was the 0:07:37.640 --> 0:07:40.360 only time I was able to see Joey playing the 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:44.080 big leagues with my dad. So when that passes away, 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:49.080 you know, Joey becomes not only my brother and my 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:53.280 best friend is my father, you know, my my my mentor. 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:57.120 And one of the things that I tell people if 0:07:57.160 --> 0:08:01.720 you follow our careers. Joey decided to go to college. 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:05.800 I decided to go to college. Obviously, we both got 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:09.040 drafted high in the draft. Actually he was higher first 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:12.720 round pick and I think it was like eighty five 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.080 by the Padres. I got drafted by Dodgers in the 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:18.960 third round in ninety six. We played in the big leagues. 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:23.520 We decided to do the coaching part of it. The 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:28.160 only difference in our careers besides that he was actually 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.840 the better player, you know, he was the better player. 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:36.760 I became a manager and he has never managed, but 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:40.880 he was always there free for me. He was so 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:45.360 cool for me. People ask me, who's your favorite player? 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.079 Roberto Alomar, hands down, that's my favorite player, no hesitation, 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:53.120 and people go like, aw is no Joey. I'm like, 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:56.880 Joey's my brother, you know, Like I don't see him 0:08:57.360 --> 0:09:00.079 as a big leaguer. He was a big league he 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:04.240 was a big league coach. But I see him as 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:09.000 my guy, you know, And whatever my mom cooked for lunch, 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:12.679 my guy was eating the same food as I was, 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:15.800 you know. So just follow his footsteps, you know. And 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.360 he went through a lot throughout his career a lot. 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:25.760 In nineteen eighty six or eighty six, Yeah, I was 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:32.360 in sixth grade, and I still remember my best friend, 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:36.440 Rolando or Rutiner. He actually played basketball. He was part 0:09:36.440 --> 0:09:41.240 of the team that beat a team USA in the 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:45.840 Olympics in Athens. Yeah, he played for that team. Carlos Alroyo. 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:50.280 Orlando was there, Jose Ortiz So, Orlando was in my class, 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:57.079 and Joey was playing in Beaumont, Texas Double A. And 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:02.680 Joey got stabbed after a game, and uh, you know, 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.960 emergency all this stuff, blah blah blah. Nobody told me 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:09.959 anything about it. Of course, you know, I was ten 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:13.920 at that time, and uh, he was in the in 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:17.680 the back page of the newspaper. Joycore gets stabbed. Everybody's 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:19.960 hiding the newspaper at the house. I go to school 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:23.160 and and Roto that's how I call him. He tells 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:26.200 me about it. My mom is the school secretary. So 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:30.120 I get up, I sprint to the office. Climb. You 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:33.840 know what happened to Joey Going back to the question, 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:39.199 that's adversity, right, and just to see him bounce back 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:42.079 from that and actually make it to the big leagus 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:44.800 the next year, with the San Diego Padres. Larry Bow 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:48.000 was the manager, and uh that that was kind of 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.480 like the first lesson. Uh, to play for Larry Bow 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:55.079 too was a big lesson too, you know about adversity 0:10:55.120 --> 0:10:59.520 and dealing with a boy. He was tough and joy 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:04.360 he was very tough, but he is he is, but 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:07.320 he went through a lot, and uh for me to 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:14.280 just lived it right, nobody had to tell me how 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:16.480 to do it. Just I just watch, you know, and 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:18.800 uh that's how I learned. There were a few things 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:23.480 that happened, uh in little league that I still remember. 0:11:25.360 --> 0:11:28.040 I was a little guy onto well I'm still a 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:31.679 little guy compared to others, but I was very small 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:38.280 going into Pony League. That's uh fourteen under or thirteen fourteen, 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:43.679 and uh, all of a sudden that summer, I grew up. 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:48.280 I grew, you know, and I got bigger, not stronger. 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:51.680 I got luck and uh, all of a sudden, I 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:56.679 wasn't able to move. I was rounder. Oh bro, it was. 0:11:56.840 --> 0:12:00.120 It was different, you know, Like the bases were so 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:04.800 far and I was very slow, and I wasn't able 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.000 to make the same place I was making when I 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:15.360 was playing twelve under. And this coach Micki Selano. I still, 0:12:15.600 --> 0:12:18.400 I mean this guy, he actually made me a big leader. 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:22.880 I'm in the first base doug out after hitting another 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:26.680 ground ball to second, and I'm sitting there and he 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:30.000 turns around and looks at me and he says, you 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:33.600 know where you're playing every day here? Right? I'm like, no, 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:36.360 it's because your brother is a big leader. If not, 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:42.959 you wouldn't be playing. I was like devastated, So whatever 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:47.200 for me to remember this at fifty you know what 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:53.080 he did for me? So long story short, after my 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:56.240 fifth year in the big leagues, I go to this 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:04.560 sports bar here in Kagua's running to Mickey Serrano and he's, hey, Alex, 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:07.839 what's going on? Long time? I see this and that 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:10.280 we have a few beers and I pull him aside 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:12.920 and I say, I may come here. I'm going to 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.000 tell you what you did for me. And he's like, 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:18.240 what are you talking about. He's like, remember when you 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:21.200 were coaching me at fourteen under when I was thirteen, 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:23.520 Well you told me one night and he's like, no, 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:27.720 I don't remember you told me this. And because of you, 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:31.640 I decided to be good and become a big leader. 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:35.760 And I'm a big leader because you the guy was. 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:38.600 He was in shock. He was like, no way, I'm like, yes, 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:41.400 you did that to a thirteen year old kid. Man. 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.800 You know, I was just having this conversation with Chris 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:48.920 today about the things that you remember, like the things 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:52.320 that stick in your mind that are so irrelevant to 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:56.400 so many people, Like it's just amazing and the impact 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:59.400 of coach can have on a kid and that conversation 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.559 and what you believe it did, whether. 0:14:02.320 --> 0:14:04.400 It truly did it or not, but you believe it. 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:06.800 And that's the impact that a good coach can have 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:08.400 on anybody at any age. 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:10.640 That's you know, it was a long story about a 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:13.120 coach or a b but. 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:16.120 There's a valuable lesson, a real valuable lesson in all 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.760 of it. All right, So, Capyton, the best thing we 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:20.720 do is allow our fans to ask questions. 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.360 We'll start with Royce here. He's got a great question. 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:25.480 He said, you played fourteen years in the big leagues, 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:28.360 then became a coach and a manager. What did you 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:32.000 learn about the game after you retired that you wish 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:35.600 you maybe understood as a player. So you're done playing 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:38.040 now you look back on it. Is there something you 0:14:38.160 --> 0:14:40.680 learned after that you wish you'd understood as a player. 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:47.680 Yes, So going to the offseason in two thousand and four, 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:54.320 you know, I had a great season quote unquote, played 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:58.320 good defense for the Dodgers, hit ten homers, hit two 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:02.280 sixties to seventy for a guy that you know, he 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:05.600 was a good defender. So finally he's hitting the ball. Whatever. 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:12.400 December two, Kim Name calls me and tells me that 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:16.800 we're gonna desiginate you for assignment. I was like, what 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:21.200 after what I just did? We made it to the playoff, 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:25.080 we got Adrian Belcher, says stories on myself, this is 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:28.640 a great infield. We're gonna be okay, blah blah blah cool. 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:33.480 Ended up signing with Cleveland in the off season. Late 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:37.560 in the off season and throughout the years, I always 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.280 wonder why, you know, I thought I was, you know, 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:44.200 kind of like becoming a really good baseball player, a 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:49.400 really good part of a championship caliber team. And then 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:54.120 when actually he started in Bristol, just being around the 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:59.800 you know, everybody that goes through the numbers, including our 0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:03.440 friend and Sarah, right like, oh okay, there is a 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:08.280 little bit different conversations with xgms about you know, the 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:13.480 past and how they see the game, and yes, we 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:17.680 have an idea as a player, but no, we always 0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:20.520 believe that we are better than what people say, right, 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:25.440 Like we are better, especially my type of role. You know, 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:27.960 the utility player wants to play every day. That's the 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:30.640 reality of it, you know, like, yeah, you accept your role, 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:32.520 yeah yeah, yeah, but no, no, you want to play 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:36.360 every day. So throughout the years, I always wonder what happened, 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:40.320 and then you know, I get to Houston, I understand 0:16:40.360 --> 0:16:45.040 more about the numbers. I get to Boston and everything 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:49.560 opens up, you know, projections and expected numbers and all that. 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:53.320 And I bet the Dodgers in two thousand and four 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:56.440 they were like, this is it for the kid. That's it, 0:16:56.480 --> 0:17:01.520 this is all he's going to do. And there I 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:06.560 was watching Jeff Kent, uh during his speech in Cooperstown. 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:09.639 I can say that the guy that came in after 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:11.879 me with the Dodgers was Jeff Kent. So they made 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:14.600 a decision. You know, yeah, he's a Hall of Famer. 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:20.480 But that's what I learned. Like, like, I'm not saying 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:24.560 expecting numbers are everything, because at the end, you know, 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:33.960 production matters, but there's certain there's certain information that is 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:39.760 very important for organizations to make decisions, and uh, you know, 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:44.200 I think all that stuff and probably in two thousand 0:17:44.200 --> 0:17:47.000 and four it wasn't obviously it wasn't as deep as 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:49.919 what it is today, but there were a little bit 0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:53.080 ahead of the curve with the Dodgers. That's when Paul 0:17:53.119 --> 0:17:57.840 de Podesta came in in uh in February of four, 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:01.639 you know, and I think that we're looking at stuff 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:04.480 like that, and that's you know, that's why they made 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.200 the decision. But that's something I learned as a coach 0:18:07.200 --> 0:18:11.040 as a manager, Like this is the way they evaluated 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:12.520 Alex as a player. 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:14.640 Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. A good one. 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:19.000 Now I want to touch on that because there's a 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:21.560 chase now for you know, for the metrics, right, I 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:23.440 mean you can go all the way to eight nine 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:27.760 ten year olds chasing metrics and some organizations ranking you know, 0:18:27.920 --> 0:18:30.760 nine year olds, right, I mean, it's it's it's the 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:32.160 chase for the metrics. 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:36.080 If they're ranking the core of Alicianos, they have no 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:41.560 chance right now about to have fun and then go 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:44.160 to uh, you know, go to the store and get 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:46.480 some yogurt after the yeh man. 0:18:46.960 --> 0:18:51.119 So the chase for the metrics, though obviously data metrics, 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:53.000 you know, a big part of my role with the 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:55.840 Brewers was focused on the draft, right. It's a part 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:59.040 of draft decisions, and it's part of you know, free 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:02.160 agent signs and projectability, like you said, and there's all 0:19:02.160 --> 0:19:04.280 of that, and college coaches are. 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:05.640 Using it now more than ever. 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:07.639 But I want to I want to just get your 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:10.880 opinion on this because I think lost in the shuffle. 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:15.240 Here are some of the nuanced aspects of a player, 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:21.360 the makeup, the intangibles, the baseball IQ and and obviously 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:23.159 those are anecdotal sort of things. 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:24.960 But how do you balance that? 0:19:25.119 --> 0:19:28.720 And what is your recommendation for youngsters chasing some of 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:32.160 those metrics instead of just developing their skills and trying 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:34.680 to become the best player. They can be best teammate, 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:37.200 they can be understand the game at the highest level 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:39.840 they can What is your advice to the youngsters on 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:41.800 that one? 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:46.400 Yeah, I can tell you right now, and I see it. 0:19:47.160 --> 0:19:50.119 You know, we just move up to ten under and 0:19:50.440 --> 0:19:56.560 uh yeah, we go to the indoor facility here at 0:19:56.600 --> 0:20:03.200 the Pueri Rico Baseball High School Academy. Son I set up. 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:09.120 They have a hit track, and for how much I 0:20:09.200 --> 0:20:12.399 hate sometimes when hitters hit the ball at the end 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:13.720 the bat of the good damn. 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:20.240 All right, justin we'll get I think we just lost 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:22.399 him for a second. We'll get him back. But I 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:24.240 think he's going to get into a story about as 0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:26.760 much as he probably didn't like the idea of seeing 0:20:26.760 --> 0:20:29.320 the ball go square off the bat, sometimes when you 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:31.000 hit one off the end and it falls in for 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:32.760 a hit, like that's a good thing. 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:35.520 What I'm going to what I'd love to get into 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:36.160 with him. 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:38.879 Too, is his impression when he started to talk about 0:20:38.960 --> 0:20:43.919 learning different things when he's not a player Moneyball, for instance. 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:46.240 I'm real curious what he thought of the movie. 0:20:46.359 --> 0:20:46.760 I forget. 0:20:46.800 --> 0:20:48.800 I don't know what age he was when the movie 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.680 came out, but clearly being in the sport and now 0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:56.280 being actually being exposed to it on both sides, I 0:20:56.359 --> 0:20:59.920 am curious as to what it was that he tore 0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:02.840 from that movie, because that is exactly what he was 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:09.000 getting at about his ability to learn things from a 0:21:09.119 --> 0:21:13.480 management front office perspective that you may not appreciate as 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:16.760 a player, and he had to make those decisions along 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:19.159 with the front office on players that I'm sure you 0:21:19.200 --> 0:21:22.560 know he felt were really good players who contributed, but 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:25.840 somebody could tell you, yeah, but we're missing this component 0:21:25.920 --> 0:21:29.480 on the team, and this particular guy does exactly what 0:21:29.560 --> 0:21:29.960 we need. 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:32.439 Yeah, and Hunt Revie. 0:21:32.520 --> 0:21:34.880 I mean with all the guests we've had on, all 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:37.280 the people that have been there, managed at a high level, 0:21:37.280 --> 0:21:40.159 played at a high level, all of famers like we 0:21:40.880 --> 0:21:44.280 you know, how many times have we heard though for 0:21:44.400 --> 0:21:48.760 the youth, like have fun, right, don't be focused on 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:52.480 those things. Just get better, play some baseball, do the 0:21:52.520 --> 0:21:55.679 things that you're going to do, like you said tonight, 0:21:55.720 --> 0:21:57.240 you know, go play your game and then go to 0:21:57.240 --> 0:21:59.080 the go to the grocery store and get some yogurt, 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:01.760 you know, Like it's kind of that simple at a 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:05.920 young age, and we're over complicating it. And I don't 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:08.440 think it's beneficial to the players. I don't think it's 0:22:08.440 --> 0:22:13.280 beneficial to the the mental aspect of enjoying a childhood 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:16.160 and being able to play other sports. And so I'm 0:22:16.200 --> 0:22:19.160 looking forward to hearing his response on that and where 0:22:19.200 --> 0:22:20.879 you know, what he's what he wants to do on 0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:23.080 that side of it. But we are hearing that over 0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:25.399 and over, right, Like you know, enjoy the game like 0:22:25.680 --> 0:22:28.040 multiple sports, like, you know, have fun. 0:22:29.240 --> 0:22:29.960 That's where we're at. 0:22:30.080 --> 0:22:33.359 That's great. I think I think he's back. Yeah, so 0:22:34.800 --> 0:22:39.520 I live it every day. That's okay. Here we go, 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:42.160 we go to the batting cages, to the indoor batting 0:22:42.160 --> 0:22:48.920 cages here, and uh and the boys they do it, 0:22:49.080 --> 0:22:51.680 you know, like they hit it and they look back, 0:22:52.160 --> 0:22:57.800 and that's what everybody does. So I cannot go against 0:22:57.800 --> 0:23:00.399 it because is the reality of it. You know, we 0:23:00.480 --> 0:23:03.960 got we got the technology, and uh, we we have 0:23:04.080 --> 0:23:08.240 to use it, but you know, you have to be 0:23:08.359 --> 0:23:13.520 careful too to to overdo it, right, Like at the 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:17.840 end of the day, there's not a better feel like 0:23:18.080 --> 0:23:21.679 when you when you hit a ball, you know, like 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:23.879 you know, I didn't have too many of them, but 0:23:24.160 --> 0:23:28.720 I knew right And uh. Actually I had this conversation 0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:33.400 with Brad Stevens two years ago. It was doing our 0:23:33.720 --> 0:23:37.720 rookie development program. We went to a practice facility with 0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:40.600 the Celtics and Kyle Hudson, who was a third base 0:23:40.640 --> 0:23:44.200 coach for for the Red Sox. He he asked Brad 0:23:44.359 --> 0:23:49.919 about technology and how they use it, especially in the 0:23:49.960 --> 0:23:56.480 practice environment, and uh, Brad very politely said I know, 0:23:57.440 --> 0:24:01.679 you know, our analysts are gonna hate the answer, but 0:24:02.960 --> 0:24:07.359 this is my sanctuary. And there's nothing better for a shooter. 0:24:08.119 --> 0:24:12.280 When they pure one the net, the sound of the net, 0:24:12.600 --> 0:24:17.200 that's how you know there's no I don't know. I 0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:19.640 don't know what they use. But in our case, track 0:24:19.720 --> 0:24:22.800 man and hit track and all that stuff, Yeah, we 0:24:23.640 --> 0:24:26.840 use that, and I know there's value with it. But 0:24:26.920 --> 0:24:30.360 there's nothing better to square but one ball off and 0:24:30.400 --> 0:24:33.200 you know you don't have to look back the other one. 0:24:34.000 --> 0:24:38.879 And I actually talked to some are the Red Sox 0:24:38.920 --> 0:24:44.199