1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Is this a great game? Or what a Hall of 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: Fame bonus edition? And today you're gonna hear from our 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer Tim Kirkchin about the four men who 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: are being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame 5 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: this weekend in Cooperstown. We're gonna break each one down 6 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: so you can get to know them better. Plus this 7 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: weekend we're both gonna be in Cooperstown. We're going to 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: be interviewing a very special guest, Johnny Bench, Hall of 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: Famer and as my dad says, the greatest catcher of 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: all time, no debate. Catch it on the show on 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: Tuesday morning where we recap our weekend with. 12 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 2: Cooperstown is my favorite place on earth, and it is 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 2: just ludicrously charming, especially on Hall of Fame weekend. And 14 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: I believe the greatest father son weekend that you and 15 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: I have ever had was in Cooperstown when we just 16 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: drove up and I worked the Tony Gwynn cal Ripken 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: inductions where you're basically, at age eleven your radio career began. 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,639 Speaker 2: So as always, I can't wait to go back because 19 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 2: we have a great class going in this year and 20 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: the number one one is Adrian Beltray. He is a 21 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 2: first ballot Hall of Famer. He's one of the greatest 22 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 2: third basemen of all time. He had three thousand hits 23 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,479 Speaker 2: and four hundred and seventy seven homers. He's the only 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 2: third baseman ever to have three thousand hits and four 25 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: hundred homers in his career. Plus he won five Gold Gloves. 26 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 2: For me, the five greatest defensive third basemen of all 27 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 2: time are in order, Brooks Robinson, Nolan Arenado, Scott Roland, 28 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: Adrian Beltray, and Mike Schmidt. And the amazing part to me, Jeff, 29 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: is that Adrian Beltray played third bases whole career and 30 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 2: never wore a protective cup, which is stunning to me. 31 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: I asked him, Adrian, how could you possibly do that? 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: Weren't you worried? And he goes, that's what these are for, 33 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 2: meaning his hands are so good, his hands is the 34 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 2: only protection that he needs. He also, Jeff, played the 35 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: game with an energy and a joy like few players 36 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: I've ever seen. He was a tremendous teammate. He started 37 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: his career at age nineteen, and he told me he 38 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 2: did a little ritual before every game. He stood with 39 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 2: his feet on third base, and he looked up at 40 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: the sky just as a little thank you for letting 41 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: me play in another major league game at this position. 42 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: And Brooks Robinson is the only third baseman to play 43 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 2: more games at that position than Adrian Beltray, and that's 44 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 2: one reason why he is a deserved first ballot Hall 45 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 2: of Famer. Another inductee Joe Mauer, Jeff, he did things 46 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 2: that no catcher has ever done in major league history. 47 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: There have been six batting titles won by cas in 48 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 2: the history of the game, and he has three of them. 49 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 2: In two thousand and nine, he won the MVP. He 50 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: batted three sixty five that year with a one point 51 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 2: zero three to one OPS, unheard of basically for a catcher. 52 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: The next year, he got hurt. He comes back off 53 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 2: the injured list with no rehab assignment and is first 54 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: at bat in Baltimore. He takes a ball on the 55 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: inside part of the plate and hits a home run 56 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 2: over the left field fence. Denny Hawking, one of his 57 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: teammates that year, looked at me and said, do you 58 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 2: know how many Major leaguers are even capable of hitting 59 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: that pitch in that spot to that spot in left field? 60 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: He said, maybe three guys are capable of doing it, 61 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: and Joe did it without any rehabit signment and basically 62 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: missing spring training. He does all this, Jeff, because he's 63 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: such a great athlete. He was going to Florida State 64 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: to play football, pretty big program. He was an All 65 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 2: state basketball player in Minnesota, and he was the number 66 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 2: one overall pick in the country in baseball. Tory Hunter 67 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: once told me, I saw Joe Mauer throw a football 68 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: once and he looked like he could play quarterback in 69 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 2: the NFL. He said, I watched Joe Mauer shoot a 70 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: basketball once and I thought he looks like a guy 71 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 2: who could play in the NBA right now. And of 72 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 2: course he's one of the best baseball players we've ever seen, 73 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: one of the great catchers of all time, and another 74 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 2: deserving first ballot Hall of Famer. 75 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: And in no particular order, making it into the Hall 76 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: of Fame this weekend. 77 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: Todd Helton Todd Elton's one of the best hitters I've 78 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: ever seen, one of the best hitters of his generation. 79 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: Lifetime average three sixteen, lifetime on base percentage four fourteen, 80 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: lifetime slugging five thirty nine. He's one of twenty one 81 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,679 Speaker 2: players of all time to have a three hundred average 82 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 2: four hundred on five hundred slugging in two thousand he 83 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: hit three seventy two. He hit fifty nine doubles and 84 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 2: drove in one hundred and forty seven runs. And he 85 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: was a great defensive first baseman. He won three goal gloves. 86 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 2: So Buddy Bell was his manager several years in Colorado, 87 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: and Buddy once told me, Todd understands the competition of 88 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: the game better than any player that I've ever managed 89 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: or been around. And Jeff, when you talk about the 90 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 2: competition of the game that essentially covers everything, nobody was 91 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: more prepared than Todd. Hell, no one cared about winning 92 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 2: more than he did. And when you put that package together, 93 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 2: this is a Hall of famer. He gets heat for 94 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 2: running up his numbers in Colorado, but I'm not subtracting 95 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 2: any points for that. He's one of the best players 96 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 2: I've ever seen and he belongs in the Hall of Fame. 97 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: And last, but certainly not least, joining the Hall of 98 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: Fame in Cooper, said Jim Leland. 99 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: Jim Leland won seventeen hundred and sixty nine games in 100 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: his career. He won three pennants and he won a 101 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: World Series. The first team he managed was the Pirates 102 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 2: and they were in terrible trouble when he took over. 103 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: He revived that franchise and came one out away from 104 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 2: going to the World Series. Then he went to the 105 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: Marlins and won the World Series in nineteen ninety seven 106 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 2: and didn't even get a chance to even repeat because 107 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: they broke up the team. After that, he finished his 108 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 2: career with the Tigers. He took the Tigers to the 109 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 2: World Series twice, which is one reason that the Tigers 110 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: retired his uniform number ten. Jim Leland is an all 111 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 2: time baseball guy. Nobody but nobody ever out foxed him 112 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: in a Major League game. But more important, it was 113 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 2: his touch with his players that he was so so 114 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 2: good at. Dave Hostetler played for the Pirates and he 115 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 2: told me once, he said, I was the twenty fifth 116 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: guy on the team. I was the worst player on 117 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 2: our team, he said. But every day Jim Leland, our manager, 118 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 2: made sure he came up to me before every game 119 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 2: and told me something, Hey, you got a good BP yesterday, 120 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 2: or that was a good pinch hitting appearance last night. 121 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 2: Has looked at me and he said he didn't have 122 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 2: to talk to me. But that's the way that Jim 123 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 2: Leland did everything. He treated the twenty fifth man the 124 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,559 Speaker 2: same way he treated the best player on the team, 125 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 2: and that's one reason that he's going to Coopersown as 126 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 2: a manager. 127 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: We're going to be in Coopersound welcoming these four amazing 128 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: inductees into the Hall, and you can join us at 129 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: great Game or what on our social media is to 130 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: see us in Coopersound, or as Dad and I call it, 131 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: pretty much the happiest place on the face of the earth. 132 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: And on Tuesday, a regularly released episode recapping the entire weekend. 133 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening and as always, thank you for 134 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: being a part of our family.