Addison Russell on his GRAND SLAM in Cubs' World Series, Heyward’s EPIC G7 speech | Ross & Rizzo

Welcome back to another episode of The Lovable Reunion Podcast.
This episode, we are have the pleasure of sitting here
with our shortstop Addison Russell, young twenty two year old
at the time in sixteen, got called up in twenty one.
In twenty fifteen, had a monster postseason for us. Cannot
wait to relive these memories. Addie, how you been.
I've been good man. I appreciate you guys having me.
Just seeing you guys's face bring back so many memories.
Just excited to be here.
Bro, your world traveled, Korea, Mexico, where else as an
aged has not aged. I feel like we walk out like,
wait a minute, all of us have got except for ADDIE's.
Let's get right into it, Bro. Twenty fourteen, we stink cubs.
We're here and we make this trip for a young
shortstop and it too and we trade Jeff Samarga, who
is one of our biggest leaders on the team, and
Jason Hammill for you and I know we got a
couple of urs Billy McKinney in that trade. But when
we made that trade from on our side of it,
we knew that was the end of us being bad
and we were going to be good soon, and you
kind of were the end of all of our woes.
I don't know if you know that or not, but
did you know what you were getting into after you
got trade? I mean, You're coming from Oakland to you know,
one of the best organizations in the world.
Yeah, I mean absolutely not. I didn't know what was
happening on the other end. All I know is, you know,
I was with the A's and I was climbing ranks
pretty quick.
I had earlier that year.
The second game of the season, I pulled my hamstring
and I was out for a little bit. I came
back for like a week after about a two month
you know, stanton rehab. I came back for about a
week and July fourth, you know, that was the date
that I got traded. But it's funny because that day
it was my day to sit because I'm on this
rehab program but still playing, and I remember like looking
around the dugout and like no one was talking to me,
and I'm like like, like why am I you know,
no one's talking to me. So I went into my
locker and I'm never on my phone during the game.
Like that was That's just religion for me. And I
get a text from Alberta Mora. He goes, hey, how
do you welcome to the team.
I'm like, shit, what's going on? What's going on?
And I started replying back, and Joey Gallo was calling
me and like hello, Joey's up.
He's like, you just get traded? Like, I don't know.
So I ended up clicking in on those guys. And
then I walked back out to the dugout and I'm
sitting at the end of the dugout and one of
the pitching coaches never said a word to me since
I've been there since, down right next to me and
the and she goes, but I tell you what I
remember the first time I got traded.
Oh my start, I's tew you.
So that's how you found out, That's.
How I found out.
Oh shit, wow.
July fourth, twenty fourteen, I was twenty.
How what what were you? What was going through your head?
I was just kind of like dizzy, you know, I'm thinking,
you know, I've worked so hard, you know, to solidify
spot here at you know, Double A, and and now
I'm going off to another organization. So hop my phone,
I'm looking at you know, who's all on the squad.
I see, you know, see Starling, see a couple of
other guys see you, and I'm like, dude, you know
these are stars. These are stars, Like I think I
think Cashtrow was maybe a two time All Star by then,
whenever you know, and and they're like, you know you're
gonna play middle infield. I'm like, all right, I've I've
never played second base, never played second base.
So I was just who called you?
Call you?
I can't really remember who called me, but I remember
going into a meeting with my manager with the rock Hounds,
New Koula was his name, and he said that, you know,
the Cubs are making a strong push for young guys.
They said that you're going to be a centerpiece for
these young guys, and you know, don't look at this
as a negative way, but look at it as another
opportunity and big market group. So so after that, and
you know, I let the dust set a little bit
and I was ready to go.
Bro.
We were so excited. I remember even going into twenty fifteen.
We signed Joe, We're getting all the piece and place
Lester signed. You sign right, and then I don't think
you broke with the team that year, did you I
did it right? You came up early April.
Yeah, I think KB and I we worked really hard
that that spring.
And you know I thought that.
I thought that, I know, you know, there's yeah, there's
a good shot. You know, there's a good shot.
And and you know, both of us kind of sent
down the last week or half week or whatever, and
I had to work way back up.
Speaking of Starlin, you get called up, you're playing second base, right,
What was your relationship with him? Because Starlin was my boy.
Starlin taught me so much about my in my early
career that I translated to my whole career. So how
was that relationship with him? He's, like you said, a
couple time All Star to multiple two hundred hit seasons,
and now you're playing side by side with him.
Yeah, you know, it was you know, I can't lie.
It was kind of intimidating at first, but you know,
once I kind of talked to him and you know,
got to know him a little bit, we knew why
we were there. You know, we wanted to win.
We wanted to win.
And as the season went on, I got to see
Starlin go through his ups and downs, and I remember
one specific conversation. He was like, Addie, you have to
bet on yourself. You have to bet on yourself. You
can't you can't expect, you know, the coaches to tell
you anything like you you have to go out and
you have to make make your life the way that
you want it to be.
Wow.
So August comes around and you got to take his spot,
right remember that August seventh, August seventh joke your day office.
Yeah?
Yeah, So so I didn't know how all that stuff
was going to go down. You know, I'm at that point,
I'm kind of wet behind the ears, you know, I'm
just you know.
Where you're working hard to learn second base too, for sure.
Yeah sure, and then you're still level one Joe's five levels,
you're still level one, happy to be here.
Yeah yeah, yeah, you know, and just running off like
the testosterone that I had, and you know, you know,
and waking up hard every single morning. You know, that's
kind of that's kind of how I start my day.
But but yeah, they said, they said, you know, we're
going to transition you to shortstop, and like, you know,
this is unbelievable, you know, and my first thought is,
you know, how starting going to take it you know,
because because you never know really how that is, you know,
how you know how they I guess, you know, look
at things in that way. But he was a complete
pro about it. He was complete pro about it. I say,
from that day we probably even got a little closer,
you know, because he knows that it's not easy. And
I soon figured that out that you know, these guys
don't give you an inch, you know, and it was
nice having him there, you know, on both sides of
the bag to you know, kind of keep me strong talk.
Through some things.
Well.
That middle infield, that infield, especially fifteen to sixteen, was
was one historic defensively in sixteen, but that.
Was a tight knit group as everybody was young.
Bro, Yeah, you know, you were young, but a veteran
in a weird way, you know, directing those guys and
Starlin kind of the same way and taking to nice position.
But then we took off into August sweep the Giants.
You're playing shortstop Starlin, Starlin. I want to just hit
on Starlin real quick. Starlin was one of the best
teammates I ever had. He was so much a part
of that twenty sixteen team. I know, he wasn't there
but I said it at the parade and I still
believe it. So many guys before us were part of
that championship because they were part of the history, part
of the culture put us in that position to win.
And Starlin was that way. And I love him to
death and the fact that he was such a pro
because look, man, he was the face of the franchise.
He was a multiple time All Star, the shortstop. And
now Addie comes up and you're saying, oh, you need
to move a second. He was like, yeah, okay, I'll
move the second. He and he thrived. And that's the
type of player he is. And you're saying about him
teaching you that, And I know Soriano taught him that
and how to play and how to work and how
to always play. So it's just the level of the.
Chain that it follows, right, like the next guy passes
to the next guy. And I'm sure along your career
you've taught someone that same thing of hey, you got
to go out and earn earn your stripes.
Oh for sure, for sure.
You know, you know, being around guys that have done
way more than I have in baseball, you know, and
being able to pick their brains and hearing how they
talk about their business, hear how they go about their business.
You know, I kind of like reflect on how how
how I live, you know, my life and you know,
things I strive to do, and you know, talking to
those guys, they make the world a difference, and I
want to do the same for you know, a younger
generation or you know someone someone in my age, maybe
even someone older. You know, just just having conversation with
these guys, you know, because you know, everyone has people
that have impacted their life. And once you start communicating
about that, I think I think that's where the real
magic happens.
Yeah, what do you think you learned from that that
sixteen ten, fifteen sixteen team, your time here in Chicago,
Like it's there anything that stands out looking back now
and the things you've imparted on other guys.
I think I think a lot has to do with, like,
you know, being part of that team is it doesn't
matter how you're feeling that day, especially here in Chicago
when it's freezing, you know, you you just go out
and both you just go out and you give it all,
give it all you have because you know, for myself
coming up, I really didn't feel good unless unless if
I felt good, you know, like my body has to
feel good, my mind has to feel good to be
able to perform, you know. But as you know, I
transferred over and things were just uncomfortable.
The trade being in you.
Know, Alabama, which is nice, which is nice because my
family got to see you play you know, professional baseball
for the first time. But just being able to be
adaptive on the fly, you know, I think I think
that has a lot to do with it.
I remember, I remember my first impression I talked to
We've got a similar friend. One of your high school
coaches and I played together in high school. And he goes,
make sure Addie does a standing back flip, you know,
just making you do that and s ring trading. Yeah,
just freaking right there. Just y'll be landed. I'm like,
this guy's our shortstop. All right, We're gonna grow.
Over your explosion, man, Like all those plays in the hole.
All I remember there was one Plane sixteen where like
out of nowhere, you caught the ball down the left
field line and like you got up and started showing emotion.
It was like that epic slide was You're like signature
that slide backhand.
Yeah, it's just like crazy, how explosive you were. You are.
So we go into fifteen, we lose. Right, it's your
first year. You have an off season.
But hold on, hold on.
I got one thing that popped in my head. I
want to talk about. We've talked about this. The wild
card game at Pittsburgh. Remember that.
Remember the ball you booted and they made bases loaded.
That ball was one eight off the bat or one seven.
Smoked smoke.
But then we then that that it was the one
out the next pitch, absolutely, because I think about Starling
and how all that went down. You guys turned that
freaking double play to end it and you went nothing.
It was the loudest I've ever heard.
That was so loud.
I've never heard anything louder than that.
I mean, I like, okay, ball gets on you, right.
We still got a little bit of leave, but it's
like everybody's on their feet, like let's bring about like.
Chills right now.
That's one of my I think we've talked about this.
I think that's one of my or the Cubs probably
one of the big games in the organization's history, us
winning that game in Pittsburgh of just because of how
we took off in the second half and finished that
Pittsburgh was really hot and then went off obviously going
all the way to the championship series. But tell me
about that, that that wildcard game in your memory of
playing d in.
That so so that was like a kind of like
a full circle moment for me because my debut was
in Pittsburgh and to be back that that postseason, postseason
in the wildcard game was like a full circle moment
to me. But I just remember, I've never seen a
stadium packed out like that. You know, PNC Park has
you know the spiral, the spirals, things that are down
left the line. Yeah, and that was packed and people
hanging banners off that yeah.
And I remember all blocked out, yeah, talking so much.
Yea, it was Pittsburgh Pirates fans were brutal in fifteen.
And then I think it was Marte that hit that
ball that I booted the first time at one o seven.
Never heard of stadium go insane like that, and I'm like,
holy holy shit, these guys are on top of me
right now, just yelling in my hair. So I was,
you know, just gathering my thoughts. And then the next play.
I think I think it was was at the cutcheon.
It may have to check, Yeah, we'll have to check
the table on that, but I remember that that was
like that was I remember.
I remember it's silent. As soon as you call that ball,
it was silent.
I remember feeding it this starling and stolen just grabs it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go ahead.
Sorry, that was in my brain about like your opportunity
came right back to you and being young, things could
have sped up and we just had that group of
like we just kept the guys, just kept showing up
and like what you're talking about just giving your all.
Things. Mistakes would have happened, But I thought that was
such a big play in that moment.
Yeah, bro, that moment changed help shape us into the
lovable losers I'm sorry, the lovable winners expected winners and
the level of losers. Yeah, that inning in itself, that
game in itself transitioned us into what we now are champions.
So a show I'm so excited to see in July
is bon.
Jovi at the Garden. Let's go Slippy when wet out.
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sg in.
The house, we have our hearts broken. In fifteen to
your first offseason to kind of dissect what the hell
just happened. You're an established big leader shortstop of Chicago Hubs.
We signed Jason Hayward that offseason. We're rolling into spring
training for me, I was expecting to win the World
Series for a player a year too. I want to
kind of see what was going through your head. Are
you just trying to establish yourself more? Do you understand
that we are going to win the World Series that
year or bust. Where's your mindset going in the spring?
Well, at that point, I'm just pretty much you know,
what do we got going on? Because I'm just you know,
I'm happy to be there, but at the same time,
I know I should be here, you know. And I
think going into that spring training was I had a
goal of breaking camp with these guys. I had a
pretty good chance of breaking camp. But I didn't know
the motto. I didn't know, you know what we're going
to be trying to stand behind and like put forth right.
How much did Joe mean to you? Playing for Joe,
lending him you know, all what he brought to the table,
What did.
He mean to you?
Think he meant?
You know, think about ninety five percent of it, you know,
he he made it to where the clubhouse.
You know, was not relaxed.
But you know, I felt like he had a good
understanding of everybody. I talked to Joe, you know, personally,
and he made me feel very welcome. He made me
feel comfortable. So and having his background of baseball background,
I'm like, I'm on board with him.
So whatever he's pushing, I'm right behind. Him.
Yeah, who did you lean on with that?
That that especially fifteen we talked about starling and then
it's going into sixteen, like who was your main boys
that you hung with?
It was me and CJ. Is Me and CJ for
the most part. But as far as that, you know,
I kind of was like a lone ranger.
You know.
I tried to get to know everybody, you know, you know,
I just felt like it's kind of my own, you know,
if that makes any sense.
Damn, sorry, no, no, no, Like you like you, you
just have you You're an observer and you're quiet and
always assessing the situation.
So it's like funny now like as we were talking earlier,
just like you know, you're so much older in experience.
You would sit we would sit in the dugouts. Sometimes
you ask me some questions and I'm like I would
be like, damn you saw that, or like you recognize
that or you pick that up and it's crazy. Jason
Domingez is like that from the Yankees now, Like he
would just he sits and observes and he reminds me
just like you where like he'll ask you a question
later on and be like oh shit, like they're watching.
So for me as a leader, like that taught me
even more. Like these young guys are watching it all
the time, So make sure your ship is you're you're
doing it properly with whatever you're doing, whether you're off
the field on the field, make sure you're you're doing
it right because everyone's watching.
Oh for sure. Like I think even you know, my my,
you know the twenty fifteen season, and I think me
and you and KB we made a few dove smash videos.
You know, yeah yeah, the doves smash.
Yeah.
So so having all that, you know, I felt I
felt pretty much at home.
You know, yeah, what what I We haven't told this
story yet, but as the first infielder, we've had Rizzo
the three to zero.
You can't get ready?
Do you remember that on a three oh count? So
I'll take you back to it. You remember this when
I when I.
Say it, I just get so mad.
When it was a three oh count and you know
the guy wasn't swinging. I would whistle around the interview.
Yes, I do that to this day. I still do it.
And in the Mexican leu, I'm.
Like, hey, hey, yep, and you would we would statue
as an infield, so three oh count ninety nine percent
chance of the guy's not swinging, I'd whistle and I
get everyone and I would just widen up, not move.
The pitch would be thrown and we don't move, and
I be looking literally at uh. It started with Starlin,
but I was looking at start and be looking at
Addie KB, Zoe Briscott on board, and if someone didn't
do it, we would all get mad. If Hobby would
always do it with us too, but.
Just not getting ready.
It got to the there was a couple of times
where the guy swung, but we never we never got
burnt on it. But it was something that the coaches hated,
but the boys were all part of it, and it
made us close.
No flinching, no flinching, you guys, It just freaking stuck.
And if the old, if the whole info did it,
then we'd get.
Like a little golf Yeah, yeah, we'd give the little
golf clop.
And if one guy didn't do it because they thought
maybe he was swinging, we'd all get pissed at that guy.
I wanted to get that story.
In there because I know I'm like, you're asking us
the young buck over there, it's like, Nope, don't get ready, Bro.
I would do it all. I mean, to this day,
I would do it.
That's still doing it.
Yeah, yeah, I love I love that about baby.
That's right.
You got to make it fun within the grind of
one sixty two and playing every.
Day, and you have your own little your own little
you know.
You got culture exactly things that get you through it.
Whenever it was threell, I couldn't wait for it to
be three. I'd be whistling right away and I'd be
doing it. And then sometimes Kate wouldn't want to do it,
but I'd need to do it.
We give the golf class sixteen twenty one homers. I
think the best stat in sixteen ninety five RBIs I believe, Bro.
I mean you're hitting what six or seventh? That's how
deep our lineup was.
Six.
Yeah, there we go.
I'd get that in for my little bit.
But that year you had such a monster year All Star.
We had the starting infield on the All Star Game
the Chicago Cubs, where you're starting in fielder in San Diego?
What was that experience like in San Diego being around
I mean your second year, but you're around all the
first time All Star. It was it was insane. There's
really so much, so much going on. I couldn't grasp
on to like one thing do. I'm just like who's
over here, who's next to me?
You know, just trying to talk to everyone really, But
it's just something that I'll never forget, like writing a
PJ for the first time over there, you know, the
family eating eating shrims on the.
Way over there, like you guys are we We had
two private planes to the All Star Game in twenty sixteen.
Wow, that was very We get to the playoffs, we're
rowing obviously when one hundred and two or three games,
you and I I remember stunk the first like four
or five games in the playoffs, right, Yeah, it wasn't
until Game three of the CS where you took off
and I think Game four for me.
Or y'all carried us. But I'll never forget.
It was yeah, game three, right, Game three or four
of the CS you went off and had three or
four hits homer, then game four another homer.
What what switched for you? What was that like in
sixteen before the World Series.
I think a lot of it had to do with
like speaking about that that game game three. I think
Joe came up to me at the Turtle while we're
taking VP, and he's like, hey.
How you feeling.
You know, you's just we were grinding.
You're putting together good at bats, but you know the
results aren't there. And like, Joe, I'm right there. I'm
right there, Like have faith, I'll show you I'm right there.
And then and then against I think it was Blenton.
I want to say Blent, and Blent had my number
all year. He had my number all year, and and
I did that and round a second, I looked at
Joe and this pumped and and you know, you know,
it's an awesome, awesome feeling.
I love watching your show emotion too, because you're just
so reserved. It's the fast when you got fire. We
were watching highlights coming in today of some of your games,
and it's just like your special highlights. Bro, when you
get fired up, You're like, it's like st.
But like again, these are the little things that Joe
did as our manager that no one knows about. Right,
that little conversation with you was it was probably everything
for you because your manager's talking to you, just checking
in on you. Where sometimes when you when you stink.
In baseball, you feel like you are on an island
by yourself. And that's probably in life, right, Like sometimes
you feel like you're on island. So when someone just
comes in, especially your manager, and just gives you that
little pat on the ass, like hey, we got this,
you take off, you carried us the rest of the
way through that series and then onto the World Series.
When we turned the double play against Pueague, that was
you right, the little chopper to you, to Hobby, to
me right.
You see remiss he remained it right chest high.
Well, that ball gets hit you or in the ninth inning,
what do you got, Just don't fuck it up.
Oh my gods, that's how I thought, you know, you know,
And and the you know, the playing surface on all
these fields were just amazing, you know. And the way
that the ball hit I think I think I was
kind of used to like having like a little lip
right before the dirt starts in the infilled and I
was expecting it to be like up here, and it.
Just came like just right here.
Just Taylor made throw it and as it bro that
part of that regally was rocking. When we clinched to
go to the World Series facing Kershaw Game six, we
went to Clinch.
To go to the World Series. It was like, dude,
we had thought, at least the fans had thought we
had won the World Series right then and there.
When I thought we that was a big one.
I thought from like I was done with my career
after this seat that season, and we had went to
the CS year before and didn't you know, we got swept,
and so I thought that was the next That was like, Okay.
We're going the World Series. It hadn't happened around here.
That was to me. Now, it's just like go play right.
There was no pressure in going to to the World Series,
but I felt a little bit of pressure.
Do you feeling you have a feel?
I thought Joe did a good job of keeping the
pressure out of the clubhouse. I never felt like we
had a lot of like eyes on us from a
you didn't feel one hundred and eight years of not
wait and all the oats and yeah black cats, yeah
and uh Bartman and all that shit.
Yeah that creep into you at all.
Just I try my best to just block everything out,
like literally literally I would. I would go from the
hotel or the apartment wherever we're at off in the car,
drive be at the field and then that's it, like
like I got to come to work. Like I'm not
looking into social media or trying to buy into any
of this because you know, I, you know, I believe
that I was a big part of what's going to
be history, you know.
So I looked at it like that, well and that group.
I thought I had never gotten to the field so
early with a group I think in my whole career
than maybe when I was a rookie, because I loved
going to work. So we would show up really early
and hang out and just do our do our routine
you talked about. I remember sitting on the bench one
day one of your days off, and you're talking about
your routine you got early on with how you ran
through ground balls. You still have that same same routine
from your from your minor league days with the a'es.
It's definitely in there. It's definitely in there. But yeah, yeah,
now that I'm a little older, I assessed my body
and how it feels now and I'm retired, and I
do anything that's according to you know what, what I
know that I need to do to be ready for
the game.
Who who taught your who taught you your routine as
a big leaguer, because I mean routines always are evolving
as a big leaguer. But where did you solidify it
or when do you feel like you solidified it?
I mean, you know, I was just shy of five
years in the show, so you know, I think I
think I was still trying to like learn a lot
of a lot of new things. But it pretty much,
you know, just watching other players and seeing how they
go about their routine. You know, I'm not taking what
makes this guy, you know good, It's just it's just
I see how they go about their business. You know,
if they stop by the gym here for ten minutes
or whatever, then you know, and then they had to
go out and throw. I remember I talked to Chavez
was his name, and he was like, you know, I
go into the game where I feel like I don't
have to stretch that much. You know, I want to
feel like I'm like fifty to sixty five percent limber,
and then and then once I throw pitch ten, now
I'm ready to go.
You know.
Jesse Chavis did it for a long time. Yeah, he
loved loved Shabby in Atlanta loved Coronas, two Coronas. After
every game, Jesse Chavas shout.
Out, So we're going to the World Series, are you
just like on Cloud nine or like, I know we
all were.
What what You've got all the family in Yeah?
Bro, you're from fucking Pensacola, right, I remember you saying
I'm from Pensacola and playing the World Series. No Florida
boys right here and all Florida.
That's right.
These are like the Florida men in the north part
of Florida. The South Florida is a whole different breed.
So true. It stops right after like Orlando.
Yeah, yeah, that's when the normal people are south and
then you get the Florida guys.
James, this is gut. Yeah, so you got your whole
the whole family in World Series. Like what's like? What's that? Like?
I remember I got to go a couple of years
earlier with Boston. I was a freaking nervous wreck. I
didn't even eat lunch before game one and I was starting,
So it was like, what was that?
What was that first game for you?
Like it's a bit of it's a bit of that. Yeah,
for sure, I don't know, man, it was kind of cold.
It was kind of cold Game one, Like, I just
wanted to do anything that would take my mind off
of how nervous I was.
You know.
So I think me and Matt Caesar we threw football.
We threw football, you know, we both have football backgrounds,
and I believe that that loosened me up. And also
like dancing in the dugout too, you know, moonwalking, air
walking in the dugout kind of like loosened me up too.
Best dancer on the team by far, by far, by far,
we move by far. Yeah, we go down three to.
One, even though I did finish second with Dancing with
the Stars. That's what I gets out. Hey, give some
of that.
Yeah, this is interview is about you.
Okay, Okay, did get that?
We go down, we get swept in fifteen? Right, we
go down three to one and sixteen. What what were
you thinking? Did you think we can come back? Why
did you think we can come back? Like? What was
our starting shortstops mentality?
There?
Well?
Well, like I you know, I really didn't come from
you know, much of anything, you know, and like I've
been saying, you know, just to be there was was great.
But you know, growing up, I felt like my back
was always against the wall because my family has sacrificed
so much for me, you know, to put me in
a certain situation so you know, I can live.
Out my dream.
So being down three to one, it was somewhat a
familiar feeling to me. I didn't know how great of
a scale it was, but for me, it felt like
a similar feeling. And and it was just the only
way that you get out of it is if you
start biting.
You know.
I knew that. I knew that.
You know, if we're gonna win, each person's gonna have
to take their bite. Each person have to take their bite.
I'm gonna have to take three bytes. Riz might have
to take five bytes, you know. And and that's what's
impressing about this whole thing, because because how like built
up we were as individually as players like you, like
you two guys, Like, what's the pressure like for you
because you are the face of the Cubs and and
you're pretty much, you know, Johnny's guy, and you're making
the clubhouse a better a better environment, you know, Like,
how was it for you guys?
Yeah, it was heavy for sure, right, we were expecting
to win we know we can. For me, I knew
Game five was going to be the hardest game. I
thought we would roll in Game six like we did,
and then Game seven will be a crap shoot. That
was my mentality. So after we lost, I was just
I remember talking to Tim Buss Bussy. I was like,
we're not We're not fucking doing this again. Like the
next day we're putting Rocky on. We had like Rocky one, two, three,
four or five, all of them on all the screens.
We're not fucking going down like this playing Rocky music before.
Just kind of like you said, like you throw the football.
I was just trying to find something else to get
off of baseball. So when I did play and go,
I was able to be locked in right and eliminate
all the noise, and once Game five started, that was
probably our hardest game, right, other than the eighth, ninth, tenth,
and Cleveland, but you hit a twour on homer in
that game. We win three two right. Game five, I mean.
That was my favorite game.
I remember I think after Game four, I don't know
who it was, with my back to my lockers and
they came in and through their glove right like through
and I remember saying Joe reminded me of this that
I was like, hey, don't they may give their left
not to be and.
You said, we've won three games in row so many
times this year. Yeah, He's like, why aren't we going
to fuck it?
And I hadn't got to play since Game one, so
I couldn't wait to start at Wrigley, you know, here
in Chicago. So that was like my like, wait a minute,
this is my dream game, Like this maybe my last
game I'm starting.
I get to catch less.
So I was like already, like I can't wait to
come out with his music, Lester's music playing and do.
All that in front of our home fans. So it's
the same thing.
Like I was nervous for sure, but I couldn't wait
for that moment because I was like, Okay, I'm gonna
get to play in a World Series game in Chicago
and start only game one at Wrigley in however many years.
Yeah.
But where you're saying about everyone taking a bite, that's
what made our team so special is that without literally
everyone from our coaching staff from the lowest level Otis
and his crew to the highest level of Joe's staff
and all the players. Without one of those personnel, we
don't win. Because that's how much every single person meant
to someone on our team. And that's why the team
is so special and we'll be celebrated forever.
We talk about that puzzle. Everybody mattered.
Literally, like you pick out one guy from that roster and.
I'm tagging up yeah, like petronk, Like that is something
that he learned in the minor leagues, right, Like how baseball?
You know, you look at the World Series.
It just happened, and the guy third for Toronto doesn't
get this big secondary and then they you know.
That close, man, I'm that close, you know what I mean?
Game literally literally that's the difference between winning and losing.
And everyone's like, oh, why don't you you know? Hardly
is the win? Right, So we go into game six. Now,
you hit the two run homer in Game five, we win.
We go to Cleveland. Game six, you put on a
display bomb Grand Slam, Grand Slam.
I was a freaking bomb.
World Series Grand Slam. That year you led I don't
want to get this thirteen thirteen RB eyes.
You led the team with thirteen RB eyes in the postseason.
But that year, during the regular season, you led the
league in bases loaded hits. You had nine hits with
twenty four rbiys of the basis loaded.
You know that.
Yeah, all major League baseball.
I'm man in a big spot. In Game six, I
think we were up maybe three nothing or four nothing
at the time you hit a granny. I think you
put up a seven nothing. You know how big that was?
What was going like that moment, World Series Grand Slam
were basically on our way to go into Game seven,
like floating around the bases, well yeah.
Yeah, I mean I couldn't fill my legs. I just
remember just just screaming, man, kind of rounding first base
and you know, kind of like side eyeing the dugout.
To see if they're a HiPE.
Of course they're hive like, and then rounding first base,
I see I see Lindor, I see Kipness, I see Lindor,
and I'm just yelling, like right in front of him, dude,
and like emotions like it was just so sweet, man,
it was so sweet. And I remember I remember like
stepping on third base, I heard like a chime. It
said ding, it said ding, And I was like, dude,
that was sweet. That was really sweet. After I get
done slapping hands with everybody, I go back to that moment.
I'm like and like I'm praying and I'm looking up
at the Lord and I hear like a Dan again.
I'm like, dude, that's not the last thing I'm going
to hear tonight or this series. That's not the last thing.
And I would hear that dan throughout the rest of
you know, from six to seven. Wow, it's pretty cool. Wow,
really cool. We get what a moment. We win game six, right,
we go to game seven. The games is not un
till eight o'clock. So that night took forever or that
day to get down to k forever for me.
I remember, were you part of the Mario Kart crew?
I was.
I was literally like a locker straight looking straight on everyone.
We're playing Mario Kart pre games.
Tony is the theme of that team.
We in game seven a handful of us I know
it is Deck's KB and then the fourth player was
usually Roving. We played Mario Kart because in Cleveland they
had a shout out to Willie. He had an arcade
game system there. We all had Mario Kart playing and
it was that's what we did before games. We didn't
go out. I didn't go out one time for VP
in the World Series because the soap opera of the
media and everything. I just mined my own, played Mario
Kart until about fifty minutes before the game, took a shower,
went down to the cage, got ready to go. That's
how I locked in. How did you lock in for
that game? Other than seeing me dance naked, It's not
about me.
I would just say. I would just say, you know,
I pretty much was just kind of in my locker.
You know, I would throw football. I would throw football
for a little bit. I think I did take VP.
You know.
I tried to take a hot shower. The showers weren't working,
that's right, the showers were cold.
Yeah, they iced us, They tried iceing us. I remember
wearing Wally out about that.
I didn't remember that.
Yeah, I've never seen some shit like that. And then
I started playing in Mexico.
It happens all the time.
But yeah, it was pretty much was you know, football,
you know, just watching the guys, listening to music and
just being in my locker whetherever I was facing out
or facing in, just locking in and visualizing, you know,
visualizing cit scenarios and all that stuff.
So we we were rolling right, we're winning. Let's just
get right to ra hits that home run. What was
going through your head there? Take us through that, and
then take us to the rain delay and how you
felt with all that.
Yeah, So so I remember I was like, there's no
fucking way, There's no fucking way. There's two people on, like,
there's the fucking way, Chapman, dude, Like I think it
was like a low outside fastball and just you know whatever,
and home ern. I'm like, dude, you gotta be fucking
kidding me right now there there is literally no way.
And and and.
Then that's the second separate stadium.
Yeah, first to Pittsburgh. Yeah, you bron the bronze there.
Yeah, I remember that. And and I'm just like, dude,
how does this even happen? Like you you can't write this.
And then and then would go into the delay, and
I kind of remember just everyone like.
Kind of like going throwing the own way.
I already was in the gym because it wasn't far
from where like we had to walk out right there.
And I remember being in the squad rack on like
a medicine ball and uh. And I remember Jay Hey
like pull pulling, pulling people into the gym, and he
said what I had to say to say. And you know,
during that moment, like everyone everyone's kind of filling down.
I don't I mean, I don't care who you are.
Everyone's filling down.
Like everyone were ghosts. We were ghosts. And that ninth inning,
before that rain delay, I remember looking around, everyone was
white as a ghost. Like the fact that Chapman, Ali
said is probably in every episode. The fact that Chapman
got through that ninth inning and didn't give it up
is the unsung moment.
Well, Meggi came in and started spinning a ton and
he dealt.
I remember that. I read like catching. I came out
of the game and Meggie came in and like just
changed the way Chappie was pitched and the whole thing.
He like, I thought that was a big piece.
Come back out after that too, like strapped it on.
You know, that's you know, that's hard, he's gas, he's thrown.
He had an eight out saving game five. He was
in there in game six, probably a little too long.
And he comes in game seven and leaves it on
the line. But during the during the speech. What do
you remember most during it? We're all we're all coming
together in that moment.
It's just Jay Hay's words. Man.
You know, like like you hear when you hear Jay speak,
like you listen because because you're not going to meet
anybody who's as real as Jay.
You know, he's he's.
Been around the block, you know, he he knows some people,
he knows his stuff, and and when he talks like
there's a calmness about him, but there's also you know,
he's holding you accountable, but he's also holding himself accountable,
and he expects the best out of you, just like
you Rozzie and Johnny Leinster, they'll get in your ass,
you know.
Yeah, yeah, j that was that was such an epic,
epic kind of call because like you said that, that's
what I remember is Jay Hay doesn't speak a lot, right,
and when he does, you listen. And when he called
him me and I'm like, oh, I can't wait to
hear what this man has to say, because you know
he doesn't do that a whole lot. You know, he'll
usually do it in private. But I remember him talking
about how many games we won and how we played
for each other and like no other stuff.
And we walked out of that gym and that weight.
Room and I felt like it was it's coming to
me now the speech that Kevin O'shay gave in The
Little Giants about one time.
I walked out of that that weight room feeling like
like the Little Giants like, yeah, we can do this
one time.
And obviously we go to win. What what did winning
do for you in your life? What did it teach you?
How did you celebrate? Who did you think of when
we won? Like take us through all of it.
Just ever since I was a kid man, I had
a dream of winning the World Series.
You know.
I remember were like playing out scenarios in my head
and playing ball on the wall and you know, I'm
playing for Boston and you know I have no more
on first and you know this guy on second. I
got on third and you know we're down two runs,
three runs, and I got to hit a grand slam,
you know, to you know, but I think I think
what what came out most of it was was the
little kid in me, you know, was so proud. I
was so proud of myself of how hard I worked. Uh,
the adversity that I overcame the sacrifice that it took
to get there. I'm I'm a family guy, and and
to be away from my family was was heartbreaking, you know.
But to have the family there, you know, at the
World Series, it's like, dude, this is the greatest feeling ever.
Yeah, yeah, it's I mean it changes all of our lives.
Yeah.
And you are You've you've gone on to play in Korea,
to play in Mexico. What did you take being a
champion being overseas? I can imagine a lot of the
Koreans they love baseball asking about what sixteen was like
playing in mex So, I can imagine what was that like?
Talking about that now ten years later, still like it's
like it's yesterday. So how talking to people about it?
Yeah?
And also like your career are you talking earlier? Had
five and a half years in the show, and then
you go through some adversity personally having to carry that
on to I still want to play baseball.
I'm a really good baseball player. Like you, You've.
Run the gamut from first rounder to World Series champion
to a lot of adversity to continue to play baseball
and your family, Like, like you've learned a lot of lessons,
like I think our viewers need to know, like how
how you overcome the greatness, the darkness, the darkness. And
then back to Bro, You've got four kids and like
you had aged a bit and you're you're still playing baseball.
Like that's that's spectacular and.
A lot of a lot of people, I think give
up when things the road gets hard or they hit
some adversity like you did. Bro, you look happier you
walked in that room. Bro, I had seen you smile
that big. It lit me up.
Yeah, I think I think it was a lot about
how I was raised. You know, growing up I had
I had loving parents that that took care of me.
That didn't have much, but they've but they've always sacrificed
for my better future. I think that's what That's what
kind of like I tapped into to get me over
those you know, hurdles. But when guys asked me about
the twenty sixteen team, man like like I may have
the worst day and they asked me about that, and
then I'm just smiling, ear to ear winning change.
We want to do this, That's why we want to
do this.
Now everybody's heard everybody's story and you know, this is
so much fun for us, and like getting back here
and celebrating with the boys is like we we've been
playing this for a little while, and it's like this
is this is our kind of to get back and
just tell all the stories and relive this stuff because
we it's family.
We're all family forever forever.
Well winning does do you have any stories either on
field off field that you remember that it's just like
you laugh about favorite game.
Moment, like yeah, yeah, so after game game five, we're
still home.
I think we fly out November first.
I want to say, yeah, after we wait Tricker Treating?
Yeah, right, it was. It was Halloween. It was Halloween, Jill,
let's go Tricker Treating. We flew out that night.
Yeah, he said, go trick or treat. So I remember
I had a costume. I had a Raphael. I was
Raphael and I was on the Ninja Turtle Ninja Turtles.
I actually was on this street and one of my
favorite places to go to was Sluggers. Yeah, and uh
and me and my buds we rolled over to Sluggers
and I asked the owner, Rich, can I take some
hacks in the cage no hacks in the cage, and
I was in the cage for two hours.
Were intoxicated in my Ninja turtlesya plays?
Yeah that's sick, Branny. No ship did did? People were
fans there? Did they know as you?
Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, so I'm you know, I don't really wait
in the line, but but there was a little line there,
and I had my mask on, but I guess people
knew me from my frame, you know. I guess short
and stocky and yeah, good looking. Yeah, the green skin
and everything and uh and uh kind of kind of
went up and then the cages were upstairs and they're
like that is that him?
Like, yeah, I'm taking taking bad practice two hours.
After game after this, but this is the testament. And
I'm happy you share that because that's how loose our
team was, and that the fact that our second year
shortstop felt comfortable enough to.
Go and do that, Because when you go and do that,
there's stuff in your head.
We're like, well, if this gets out one of my teammates,
but no, because he didn't worry about that, because if
that did get out, we'd be like, oh fuck, yeah,
why didn't you invite us, right, and I'm kind of
pissed it in about us, But uh, you were trick
or treating.
I was sure you have the kids. I was over
with Dead Demp's house trick or treating.
But those are the things where like, that's how loose
our team was. We're down three to one, we.
Win the biggest game of the series at the point
at that time, we go trick or treat and you
go to sluggers and you're hitting the cage. That's and
then amazing and then a Grand Slam next game.
Yeah, that's will I think.
I think it's one of the most important things that
I learned in my career about I came up in
a time where veterans just hammered the young guys, right, hammered, hammered,
And so the fact we had such a young group
that felt comfortable to be themselves in their own skin,
I thought that was a big part of our group.
And something that that taught me.
Is like, no, no, we need KB Schwarbert, Addy Hobby,
we need all these guys out more, all these guys
to feel comfortable to be here, to be themselves, because
we're gonna get the best out of them.
And yeah, I love telling these stories.
Ten years later, we are World Series Reunion, expecting winners.
Clubs are gonna be good again this year. Addie, I'm
happy for you man. You seem like you're in a
great place. Thank you for sitting down with us. We
love you. We're champions forever. No one can take that away.
Thanks for my ring Broye.
I appreciate you, guys.
And you know, one thing that I've always got from
that group is no matter what we're.
Good, we are. That's right, no matter what. Good stuff,
good stuff, good stuff.
A