Kyle Schwarber’s WILD journey to 2016 Cubs World Series roster, amazing Game 7 story | Ross & Rizzo

David Ross, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber. Welcome back to another
episode of Level of Reunion, David Ross and I with
a very special guest, Kyle Schwarber, World Series Hero twenty
sixteen short Welcome to the show.
Thanks for the great introduction.
Yeah, I mean I can go on and on, but
what you did in twenty sixteen was incredible.
We'll get to that. But to see you developing your.
Career over the last ten years is insane.
Can you believe it's been ten years?
No, No, not at all.
I mean you can look at my hair and get
ready said I did, I'm gray, and yeah, no, it's
it's been I mean thinking about how even just the
reunion when we all gott and it everyone's there and
we're all having conversations, it felt like it was yesterday.
I thought that was a cool thing, right, But.
I think that just the way it's been going in
my career, and I'd just been lucky, blessed, whatever it
is that I have that opportunity to keep playing and
trying to play at a high level.
But no, I don't believe it's been ten years. This
wild it's been crazy.
Man, You're a lot richer now than he used to
be somebody else.
I remember you getting drafted out of Indiana and they're
like taking this he'said there, Like I remember THEO talking
about it's the best power in the draft.
Was it thirteen two thousand and yeah, twenty fourteen draft?
Fourteen draft or you're a legend in my hometown with
Talentassey Florida went in there.
I think he had like four home runs in the regional.
Hit I hit a far one there, had national chatty champs.
It was a great. Yeah.
This past year the off season, wow, great off season.
I'll tell you what you know, contract baby Hoosiers reunions.
A damn you're awesome. I mean I was. I was
thinking about this well. I was just going over some
stuff before the interview, and I was like, dude, this
could be literally your whole year like this. You could
roll this right into championship and then another world.
Serve you guys got juiced there feeling nothing better, nothing
better to do that like, and we got that team.
You know, we just for us and Philly where we
even we just locked up Lizardo. That was a huge.
You know, we got some some young guys coming up
to which I think could be really exciting.
Crawford painters going to become dude.
I think he's painter in twenty twenty when he's in
high school.
Still like you're just doing.
The guy punched my ticket like six different times, and
who the fuck it off? He wasn't that good, And
I was like.
Are we allowed to customer the same whatever we want? Okay, good,
we want good?
I said, with all respect, yeah, respect.
But yeah he's nasty, bro, but I'm broke. Let's go
to fifteen when our first spring trained together. You were
a catcher, right, didn't break the big leagues first big
league camp yep, and YouTube probably got closer quicker than that.
We had.
We got to hang out a lot and catching and
obviously you know the bat is speaks for itself and
the power, but he was grinding.
And catching early on grinding. We had me you, Maggie
Wellie Welly.
Uh Man, who else? I think the Taylor t Garden.
Yeah, a bunch of guys just bring training.
Raffy Lopez too.
Oh yeah, we had a good we had a good
catching court.
Yeah.
It was like, I don't even know if you guys
have this story, but I don't even think, you know,
we need it's to this day. So first big League camp,
I'm staying at the team hotel that's you know, that's
right behind the complex, and you know, catchers are there.
First thing in the morning. We work out. You know
you'd be working out in the morning too when the
catchers were there. We work out.
Then we go early work and it's still he was
like drilling you guys, and the and the season, you know,
or the sun hasn't come up, so you know, and
it's like week two and I you know, he has
served mister sirry whatever you guys need hers right, Like
that's what I'm doing.
Yeah, like this.
So I go to sleep, alarms are set everything. I
wake up and the sun's out. No, I go, what
the fuck just happened? And I'm panicking and I go
to touch my phone and it's dead.
The plug came out of the wall.
Oh my god.
I and oh yeah, I don't want you to know.
I did not want him to know. So we were
lockermates too.
Yeah, so I charge get my film just charged turns on.
I got tuxt with Boresy from couz uh you know
who was our minor League catcher guy going where are you?
Where are you?
Blah blah, and I so I call him right away
they pick up. I'm like thinking, it's because it's almost
time for bullpens and they go, hey, we covered for you.
We told you know, Rossy biggie, and these guys are
asking where you were. They said, you got to source
sore shoulder, you wouldn't.
Sell the doc.
You wouldn't sell the doc, and uh, you just got
to take it a little easy for today.
But think about how different psychologically your career could have
been if you would have found out like that's.
I mean, that's like my worst nightmare is being late,
being late.
Do you ever have dreams of like you're late for
your first at bat?
I had dreams of being after we won the World Series.
I had dreams that I was like running up the
concourse and going to our locker room. For some reason,
I don't have my cleats on it, Like I can't
find my cleats, can't find my cleats, Get my cleats.
Finally on they got lesser and Lackey eat and chicken
right there looking at me like what the hell are
you doing? And then I run all the way back
down and then I like, the first thing I see
is the Cleveland scoreboard and Wilson Contraras's face is on
the scoreboard and he's hitting behind me, and I turned
left and nose right there. Just give me the handshake,
A hey you're done, you wake up, nough.
I was.
I was happy if they didn't give me mine bad.
I don't want to bunch out speaking of Cleveland. When
that was, that was your debut getting called up.
So that was the first start.
So actually debut was in Wrigley because Meggie got thrown out.
In the eighth.
That's right, first start.
We got thrown out the eighth. So I get caught up.
So I'm in double A and carom Go called it
from double A because Hobby broke his thumb. Somebody went
Hobby broke his thumb, and they were doing that. They
were like saying that, hey, they're going to call someone
up for Inner league play whatever it is.
And I get a random call from an agent.
It's like, right when Hobby broke his thumb, they're going,
He's like, hey, don't there, Hobby got hurt.
They might think about calling you up, so this don't
be shocked.
But I was like huh okay, like didn't whatever a
couple of days past and think about it, and I'm
in Double A and I think we're playing Jacksonville, and uh,
Buddy Bailey, Buddy, Buddy Bailey.
He called Hey Griz. He called me Gris because he
couldn't say Schwarber. So hey Gris, come come my offish.
So go in and it's like him J Mack, uh
you know, some other front office and like Desie Wilson,
who's our hitting coach. And they tell me I got
the call the big leagues and they I'm you know,
get goosebu. I'm still thinking about it. But uh, they
were like, hey, this is the plan. We got five
days inner league. You're gonna come up. You're going to
start the five games in ear league, but you're going
to go to Chicago, watch the game, and uh, then
you'll start.
We go to Cleveland the next day.
So you know, I show up the Wrigley and you know,
all juiced uff ready to sit. You know, catchers report
sitting like just reading them, you know, looking at looking
at Rossi and you know, trying to figure out what
the catchers are doing. I think Maggie's catching that game
and he's explaining some things to me, and then like
it's I always tell the story too, So it's like
the sixth inning and I'm just like, well, like someone goes, hey,
let's go take some swings. Six this is what happens, right,
like guys might get loose for a pinch hit whatever
it is. So you know, obviously the old the old
regular where the bullpens were on the side of the
fields and the cages were out where the bullpens are now.
So there's a there's the flip net that you dropped
down them in the locker room, so flipping that you
put the piece of supply with down over the TV,
and you know, I start putting balls onto you start
and here comes many Ramirez flipping me.
Some some side flips. Man. I think was like the
he played the triple A and like just doing what
he wanted to do. Get ready to down, like yeah, coach,
and he'd come up to the big leagues help some
dudes out, and I'm like, this is awesome.
I'm in the big leagues.
Flipping baseballs like and uh, you know, to sit down there.
Then I think Cleveland was kicking the ship out of
us and Niggie got thrown out and the eighth inning
and they go, hey, you're getting at bat I'm like, oh.
Yeah, I get up there.
You know, great first of bat marks and chimpsky left
handed specialists.
Sacred slider.
Uh yeah, I'm like, I just remember there was you know,
people started leaving, but then the people that were still there,
they get up on their feet. I'm like this, I'm
getting all right, calm down, deep breath. I'm gonna take
the first pitch. See one right down the right, down
it right down the middle, right, all right, get ready.
I thought it was a heater. That's a slider in
the other battles strike too. And then I'm all right,
come on, getting bring a little bit closer. He goes
back door. Sacred strike three. You just shut down. I'm like, oh,
I stink. I'm a bust I stink. But you know, luckily,
then we go to Cleveland next day, get the start
at d H.
And uh that was number one.
Yeah, I got number one, Sean Markham never forget it.
That was the best part about it, too, was the boys,
the good stories for the people.
Uh. First ship was a triple in the big leagues. Yours. Yeah, same.
Yeah, bro, Well that was the first punch out too,
so we can relate.
To that was a punch out. Second about triple.
Yeah, so punchy triple and it definitely I hope that
they can't change. I don't think they can challenge anymore
that long ago, but definitely probably should have been a air.
It went right through the right through the legs of
Santana at first base and triple you know, excited. Fun fact,
all my hits that year so double A, triple A
and the big leagues all my first hits.
At that level were triples.
Damn wow.
And I don't know how I remember that because I
don't hit probably because I don't hit a lot of triples.
But you know, fat guy and a little coat.
How about when you get when they're in the office
and don't boy and you call your parents?
How cool is that?
Because just quick backstory, I'll plug it. Kyle's parents come
from all police.
Officers, right, yeah, So my dad police officer, mom was
a sister and sister was in the military police officer
where my dad worked at Now.
Growing Up has an amazing foundation Schober's Neighborhood Heroes that
goes back to first responders.
But what was it like calling them and giving them
that news.
It was It's like that's the dream that you think of, right,
Like you know, one you dream of getting the news
and then now you can get that to call your
parents and be like, hey, guys, get your flights the
the Chicago.
I'm going to the big leagues.
And yeah, like nobody can never take that away, I know.
Man, Like, like it doesn't matter, you know, it's and
everyone's got everyone's got their own story, right, But it's
just a special that person.
But so mom and dad come up, my sisters come up.
One of my sisters just had their daughter and like newborn,
like two weeks really, and came to Chicago. They drove
the Cleveland, then they drove the Minnesota, followed us for
the whole road trip. But yeah, it was I mean
just having that call, right because obviously, Yeah, like my
parents put on a lot of work. Like my dad
first responder. He was a police officer forty plus years.
He retired when I graduated high school. My mom, so
she was a dispatcher and then she went to she
was our inn working at hospitals. She went back to
college when we were in school, Like in middle school,
you know, you know, grinding out, still working a job,
going back to school, trying to get her to gets
her degree so that she can take the next step
in her where she wants to go. She gets that done, Uh,
you know, pretty much for me and my sister Lindsay.
Uh you know, my my older two sisters were on
their way on their feet. But uh, you know my
sister Lindsay, who was in the National Guard and now
a police officer, she was big and the horses growing up,
and uh my mom, you know, mom, Dad gave us
every opportunity that we could the follow the dream. And
you know, going to all these horse shows growing up,
going to all the travel baseball games, not like you know,
the crazy ones now, but like just going to Indiana,
going to you know, the big trip, going to Florida
or going to Cooperstown.
Uh, like you know, imagining how much of that could
be a stresser, but like they just gave us every
opportunity that we could go out there and follow it.
And yeah, I got that, got the dream, got the chance,
got drafted.
And to give them that call, it was.
They had a week.
We would tell the story the other day on the
bus when when you were catching and came into that
game late, you got to share that story when we
had such a relationship and obviously the hold gown on
the team.
He's always like, you know, he's what do you got?
What do you got? What do you got? Catch on?
So you story?
So we're playing San Francisco, going on, Yeah, we're playing
San Francisco.
This is a great and it's a story.
I always tell because it you know, and I'm sure
that there's plenty of background on Rossie, but like the
things that he meant to us as the players, the
younger guys and even you know, the the veteran at
the time too, Like you were able to talk to
Rossie and he would give it to you straight, which
that's what you needed, you know, from a player, because
something you know, coming from a player means a lot
from then from more than the coach sometimes, right.
Takes a while for a coach to build up that.
Yeah, exactlyship and peer so.
Much exactly, and you know, your your track record was
phenomenal and uh so.
You know me young Ketchrick Kyle, We're playing San Francisco.
Uh, Buster Posey has the day off and here comes
Brandon Crawford to the plate and Tommy hunters in the
game and.
It's a three run ball game.
I think in the sixth or seventh at regular And
I remember this day, the report was spin it went
in doubt. Spin, it went in doubt spin it. You know,
I called a couple of curveballs. He ball spiked one,
Peter strike curveball ball, you know, like score. I'm like, well,
like we and I can't call it breaking ball. He
doesn't have the breaking balls. And Tommy throws ninety nine
you know, strike two, three two, So I'm like, on
a foul ball, and I'm like, well, I I'm not
going to take another chance with walking this guy because
Buster Posey's got the day off.
I don't, you know, there's something there's I forget who
was hitting behind him.
He could definitely pinch hit here. I'm like, we just
got to take our chances. Called a heater?
What pop backside? Homer? You know, I go. My first
response was oh no, no, no, no, no no.
Then Homer and I go, you know, like drop the
head and we get out of the inning, and.
You know, I got Boz. You know, he's what do
we say, what a Dallas spinning on my I know, you.
Know, and so then ROSSI I get I start to
taking my stuff off, and Rossie just sees me defeated.
He's like, and you know, in his Rossie way of
letting you know, you know, hey, yes, there's.
Eight guys out there looking at you, eight eight of
them because they're all looking at you. No one else
is looking at you, You're looking at everyone else, and
they can see how you're acting.
Wow.
Go He's like, don't ever let anyone know your defeated.
Don't ever let him know. He goes, even if you're wrong,
I'm like, good point.
It was like, gotcha. It was like, well, all you
guys did that. That's that special group that we had.
I feel like, in my salty way and given that
you guys the character bar group that year, everybody took
my negativity or my honesty.
And he walked away feeling better after He's just like,
would just lay into you and then somehow you feel
good about it and you literally just got taken.
A well the thing is the truth, yeah, but.
It's the truth in a loving way.
Correct.
It's not the it's not like the the I'm gonna
you know you say you just screwed up. And I'm
just gonna let you know you screwed up, just to
let you know you screwed up.
That, right, I think about I tell everyone this day.
Like that's one of the biggest There's a lot of
different lessons I've learned from being with you guys in
my you know, young years coming up. I always say like,
I'm so lucky with the group that I got to
come up with, because that's how I want to treat people.
But you know, having people being honest and being able
to tell you that you know, hey, you might have
fucked up, but you know you got
to be better for it, right, And you can't let
people know. Like that's always one thing I always say
to people. I am like, that's like that story you
tell me, I use it in a hitting way now, right,
Like I'm never gonna let the you know, even if
I stink, no one's gonna know that I stink, because
you can never can't let that guy, can't let that
guy know. I can't let my manager. Now, I can't
let anyone know because either that's there's blood in the water,
he's coming after you, or it's giving someone an excuse
to give you a day off, right, Like, like I
don't want that, Like I want to grind. I want
to keep playing and I want and I know and
the greatest words of Reee Hoskins there's always a chance
when you get to the box. There's always a chance.
Just make it to the box. There's always a chance.
So like it's always stuck with me. It's a great story,
like and.
I love it.
It's it's that you were you wanted energy, you wanted feedback,
you wanted like you wanted I'm trying to get better.
What do you got? That was your thing on time?
What do you got? What do you got?
And that's good talking about. I think we were discussing earlier,
like what was that like when you had to give
up catching because you weren't passionate about catching?
And and that's.
A that's a big deal, right and you'd been a
catching your whole.
Life, Uh, looking in retrospect, it was a great idea.
But yeah, like.
The biggest thing coming on Indiana was am I going
to be a catcher? Or am I just going to
be a hitter that displays a position?
I remember you gain out Indiana, like left handed power,
not sure if you can catch. I'm like, oh, fuck,
like this's gonna play first base. I'm like I feel
like I had a solidified job.
And I'm like, all right, but yeah, but you had
you had a cannon for an I thought you always
had a good arm.
Yeah.
It was just like I never knew how to catch, right,
Like I was the reason I got thrown back at
catchers because I have adhd Like I was the kid
out of the outfield picking grass, you know, playing in
the dirt.
Right.
My mom and I are like, we got to put
him somewhere where he pays attention.
But I was, I was always the right fielder.
But so yeah, like you know, I wanted to be
a catcher. I just didn't know how to be a catcher.
And I was telling everyone when I was getting drafted,
I'm like, I just need I want instruction, right like,
And it's not even a shot at like college, it's
just like you know, the big leagues, it's like there's
great instruction and everyone doesn't do it the same way,
right Like, I think, you know, there's another story that
I can get to, but that relates the hitting. But
I just didn't know how to and like I knew
I was rough. I wasn't I wast dumb, right, Like
I was passionate about catching because that's what I did,
That's the position I played as a kid, and that's
what I wanted to do in the big leagues.
And you're a worker and like wanted to be great
at whatever you did.
Yeah.
You know my grandma right, Like she always would be like,
you know, rest her soul, you know, like Johnny Bench.
She's like, we always talked about Johnny Bench. You know,
she grew up watching the Reds. She's like, I want
you to be the next Johnny Bench.
Wow.
And you know, like it stuck with me, and I'm like,
that's what I want to do. And so yeah, like
rough around here. I just for sure to say the least.
But who called you to tell you they wanted you
to get ready for the outfield?
No one.
That was communication.
But it wasn't spring training.
It wasn't.
So I get drafted fourteen, they go, hey, you caught
a lot of innings whatever it is. You know, they
were kind of putting in the works when I got drafted,
like hey, you're gonna play left field twice a week,
catch twice a week. And DH the other three or
whatever it is. And I'm like, okay, fine, So go
to Boise, played five games, played outfield, caught to DH
two gone. The king County had Mark MJ. Mark Johnson,
he was our catcher manager.
Big league catcher, excuse me, but.
Got around him and he's like, hey, we got to
catch this guy more. And so besides doing that whole rotation,
like I was catching now and I caught for like
pretty much two and a half three weeks there, played
like a couple of games in left field, then went
to Daytona, got called up, finished the year there in fourteen.
They're like, k you're catching.
Once week, Like fine, so get the fifteen now they're like, hey,
you're strictly catcher, Like it's either you're catching and if
there's DH games and you know it's not your day
to catch, you're in DH. Perfect so called to the
big leagues whatever, maybe gets hurt recalled I'm catching and
in the big leagues at fifteen, So it's great, Yeah
we got So the rotation was John Jake, Kyle Hamill,
and it would be like a mix of like.
Clayton Richard Woody.
Like what you would spot start too so Rossi's catching
Lester obviously, and Jake's starting going the run there in
that second half, and they're pretty much there, like he's
got too good a ship for you to catch. So
like you're gonna catch Kyle. You're gonna catch Kyle, and
you're gonna catch Jay, say Hamil, and you're gonna catch Clayton.
And I'm like, okay, perfect right, So I'm raking, you know,
having those two days off, and so then Meiggi's.
About to come back and.
Davy goes, hey, you can played out outfield, right. I'm like, yeah,
I played outfield a little bit. He goes, all right,
Just he goes, come out with me, you know, tomorrow
and we'll do some fly balls and we'll do some
footwork stuff. So I got there the next day. You know,
footwork takes some fly balls. And I'm pretty sure I
was catching this game and someone was beating beating the
Brakes office and they put me out in left field
from catching, and I think you were pitching on my
first fly ball out.
I think you. I think you might have had the pitch.
So there was a very I'm pretty sure it was
Rossie if I remember and get first fly.
That was the game you pitch and then hit the
home run.
Yeah, and I'm pretty positive yeah it was probably the
Phillies because you were beating the Brakes office, I remember.
But uh we got no hit that he by h cold.
Handle handles, no hitter, but uh so, yeah, then I
think I caught one more and then it was Lester's
turn and they activated Miggie and they kept me on
the roster.
I guess supposedly.
Davy always was like he was like, yeah, they were
thinking about pretty much just take send you back to
Triple A. But he's like, you know you're hitting, you
play you see if you can play left field.
You raked you for year when bombs something like that.
Yeah, fifteen or sixteen. But uh so you know out
in left field. Next game is John Lester's game to
get the Rocky. No, no, no, not there yet, not
there yet. We're not there John quite yet.
But uh so he's in there.
I'm chilling out there, having had a fly ball the
whole game, chilling. He's in the I think he's in
the eighth and it's like two.
Outs, guy on second base, one nothing ball game, we're winning.
And I think it was Charlie Blackman, or someone's up
and he just hits me the sky high fly ball
and I'm shiitting my pants.
Out there come you know, two handketch like bang.
I'm like use.
In my head, I'm going yes, but outside, you know,
keep the stoneface. But I'm like, okay, I can do this.
But yeah, like that's where it started. But obviously it
was a journey, you know it was. It was not
ever going to be pretty. I thought i'd be the
first one to tell you that, Like I'll tell you
I'll go try hard. I'm going to keep trying to
learn the best I can and keep trying to make
the adjustments that I need to make. But you know,
if I see a ball that I think I could
get to or what, you know, I might die for.
It might not look pretty.
I might drop more. Oh you've seen good.
I wasn't saying knock in more than you let in,
that's right.
That was the best saying, just driving more than you
let in.
So every time I screw on up out there, someone
would go, hey, drive one, you know, drive to it now.
Try than two now, So I'm locked in. I'm locked
in up at their plate.
But yeah, it was it was interesting, you know, and
it's not the I mean, I think that's probably the
two hardest places to play outfield is in Wrigley and
in San Francisco.
I think those are two hardest places.
To catch fly balls period, just with how the wind
is always messing with the ball.
Heck, I know that we we've been hinting at it.
But like you know, I remember a ball and John
was pitching like Christian Yelich hammers a ball I mean
had to be like one ten off the bat.
But the winds is howling and it's in April. I
go sprinting back and all REALITY had to do. All
I had to do was a stand where I was.
I go sprinting back, you know. Then I find the
ball again. I slammed the brakes on.
That's why you like zoot it like three different times.
There's been a couple of times that I've done that.
You know, I've got it.
I got a double air under my belt in the playoffs.
I got a double air that was with Kantana pitching.
Uh Daniel Murphy line ball clanked it and then going
to pick it up, Yeah, going going to pick it up.
I kicked it field goal was good. Yes, yes, I remember,
and triple and.
They took Q out, kicked it field goal good. They
took Q out and next guy singles. It was like
it was a runnering game. I'm like, just feel the
worst and then you know, I like this was something
that always stop out me too, and like it's later
on that game I get pinchip for it.
Albert came in a pinch.
It for me, your boy.
Yeah, he was my boy boy.
And it's Sammy Sally's pitching, and it's a big spot
in the game, like running on the second base, and
I mean I'm just like pouring.
My heart and soul into him to like will him
to get a hit, you know, right, just the will
this guy to get a hit, and.
You know gets the hit, you know, going nuts, you know,
Like then we go on to win the game in
the playoffs, and like just think like being able to
sit back and look at that through the lens now,
it's like it was a really good lesson for me
because it and it stemmed from you guys, but winning
at the end of the day was way more important
than all the personal aspects of that, right, Like, did
it absolutely sucked that I made a double air. Hell yeah,
it cost q caused q law a win in a
playoff game. Uh does it suck to get pinchip for?
Absolutely stinks get pinchip for Yeah? Right right, I gotta
we gotta coach with the Phillies. Is its greatest line
is you know my name of the big leagues was
now batting for.
Abad. That was his name.
But you were You're not giving yourself a lot of
credit from uh your You're right, you had your trials
and we need to talk about that.
But I remember one of.
The more accurate outfield throwers I've ever played with, and
you made a really big you throw Adrian Gonzales in
a playoff game, ball to left and a big close game.
Yeah, I mean that was.
He had the glimpses. Yeah, I thought you were.
I always said shorte is not bad out there.
It's just there's a couple of plays.
That when they happened with you, you got labeled, right,
And when you get labeled in the big leagues anywhere,
it's literally pop. So every single like play. You can
go one hundred games in a row and there's one
and then it's oh, and then they play a couple
more that like in the past. So it's like I
always just felt like you had labeled as like make
a boat head play, and I was like, that's fucking bullshit,
because you made so many good plays.
There's there was.
You know, obviously, like analytics in the game is huge
now and it's and we were kind of on the
big first waves of it with course, uh you know
where we were going.
You know, obviously Joe was uh.
You know, I loved Joe and but you know, he
he kind of brought in a little bit more analytical
side the things here in Chicago and.
Trying to like get you know, being a young guy and.
Getting labeled okay, right, Like I know I'm not a
left fielder, but I'm trying as hard as I can
to go out there and get the job done, right,
And like the pride of it, the pride of the
player is.
I don't want to be taken out.
I want to go through the high five line, right,
I want to go through that high five line.
Yeah, right, Like that that's the that's like the goal.
You know, you you want to play all nine.
You want to feel like that you did something to
help the team that day. And it doesn't always have
to be at the plate. It can be on any
different aspect, you know. It can be base running, could
be defense, it could be in the.
Clubhouse, whatever it is, right, like game calling, right, that
was game calling right, right.
Cheering if you get pinched of cheering, right.
Just feeling feeling like that you're contributing in a way.
And yeah, like does it piss you off to get pulled?
Hell? Yeah, piss you off. But I'm not going to anyone.
You never let it show. Like That's what I always
remember about you, Like good, bad, or and different.
You were always there.
Yeah, where you're going to be the next day. You're
gonna be doing your same routine. And like what you're
saying too about getting pulled and then pouring your heart
and soul into Albert, which is amazing because you are
kissed off, like Ego's taking a huge hit.
It's a big situation.
But there's nothing better and I always say this than
when you're in the box and you see all your boys,
yeah on the bench right, Like dude, I would go
up and Wrigley and bump bump, bump, and I would
literally like I still see you both, yeah, yeah, like
next to each other. And it was like yeah, I
would just look at in the dugout between pitches. Sometimes
I'd be like, all right, everyone's.
There, and yeah I got this, like that's walkout song
for people that don't know.
But yeah, that's that's. Uh, that's kind of team we.
Had, I think.
And and before we get off this topic, you've got
to tell the John Lester retirement montage last year last year,
twenty twenty, Chicago.
So I was John's guy, John's John's guy, if that's
I was John's guy for about three four years, and
all of a sudden I became Katana's guy for a
little bit.
If you ever saw a highlight in twenty fifteen to
twenty minus sixteen to twenty twenty of Shore, we're fucking
up in the outfail John was pitching so.
And he's not wrong. I remember, uh yeah. John would
always say like, you know, I would give up. He
would give up Homers to the dudes like he's got
his guy like and Suarez right, so like I'll always
remember this with his day.
Where I fucked up a play.
Joey Bado hits me with the jump swing, you know,
front door Cutter hit him, hit him with the jump swing.
Kind of and I'm like said, I mean, this is
twenty nineteen, right, I've seen plenty of five balls now,
Like I got pretty decent reads, and I'm like, ah,
that's a can of shit. And then I'm just kind
of hitting that little jog and then all of a sudden,
it just like hits another gear.
The panic starts and you're like, oh, get back tips,
drop it, get it in.
He when he was following him up, he goes boat house,
hits it off the boat house, and he's already.
Guy.
I'm just like, I'm in the doghouse right now, like
I like and you know, being in the back of
playing with you guys, like you know, we all sit
back there and didn't John didn't even look at me
a single you know, didn't say a single word to me.
I'm like, yeah, I know, I'm in the doghouse.
But so now it's Johnny's last disappointed Yeah that's what
it always felt like. He disappointed dad, right, But uh
so it's twenty twenty. Uh you know, obviously there's a
lot of uncertainty in the air with what's going to
happen in the future, and John's John's going to be
a free agent, and Risk comes up to me one
day he goes, Man, we gotta do something. We gotta
do something special for for John. I'm like, yeah, you know,
like what do you think And he's like, I think
like a video would be cool. And then it was
like this like snap of like aha came over riz.
He goes like, I got it, Like what do you
He goes, we need to make a video you fucking.
Up plays in the outfield.
This is this, And when John's pitching, I'm like, yes,
like let's make like I'll narrate it like, you know,
try to be like, you know, corny, serious.
You know, and all that.
It was all the plays and then you get John's reaction,
so the commentator from like the commentators announcers, and then
it would be go right to John.
It's awesome. Kyle's narrating the whole thing's.
Awesome, you know, Like we start off with like I
start off saying by Jonathan Tyler Lester, and.
I remember that's the song playing on the back of
the entire time.
So we get this video done and.
John having a side session and I guess he had
a really bad side He's coming and all pissed off,
and the whole team's out there kind of like racking,
like we're gonna circle stretch and whatever. Grizlo has got
a chair, pulls out the chair just John, come on,
sit down. And John's like, no, no, no, I'm not
sitting down. So we got to sit down. We play
the video, but it's just me just absolutely clanking balls
out there left and right, and John's throwing his glove down,
you know, or he's going, fuck, it's.
Great, you know.
And there's there's even like one of my most infamous errors,
which I don't even think a lot of people remember.
Uh it wasn't even when he was pitching it. We
made the clip because I'm like this, put my worst
airs on there. It's like there's one it's pouring down rain.
We're playing Milwaukee. It's I mean, it's it's pooping on us.
And I think Pierce Johnson might be making his major
league debut and.
Somebody I think it was what.
Was that guy's name? The VR hits me in the
sky hits the sky high fly ball went talent in
and it's pouring and I come running in. Hobby is
playing short, so I'm running in and Hobby is like
all the way over there, and that ball's gonna land
right there.
I'm like, I gotta call it.
I'm like, I got it, you know, come sprinting in clank,
it rolls onto the infield. So what do I you know,
guy on first base, I go go for the option,
shovel past second.
Throwing in the suit.
Right.
So, I'm a freaking this muddy mess, you know, pissed off,
soaking in my sorrows. And then the best thing that
they could have ever done is to really make you know,
punch it in.
They pulled the tart right after.
All Right, we saw enough, the game's over.
Pull the tarp. Come on, So I go, I'm like.
You gotta be kidding here right now, Like I got
to go into the clubhouse looking like this and just
making a play like that.
So I you know, I'm bad hanging, you know, walking
down the stairs, get sit in my chair. I'm trying
not to look at anyone. I'm embarrassed, right, I'm like, God,
I stink. I stink, like everyone thinks I stink. And
then I finally like turn back around and I get
a peek of Riz and he's just thank god, someone
laugh at me. I'm like, thank god, thank goodness.
Someone laughs because it's like, like that's how I like,
I know that we were talking about John. It's just
like I'm just rolling right now, just like all these
things that when I was there that made me the
player I am now, Like you know, I used to
be that guy that would you know, really beat the
shut out myself, and you know, yeah, I still do,
but like the way that I get over it now,
I was like I just make fun of it.
Yeah, like you can't take it too serious now.
Sure it's easier now than it used to be because
like your experience, you know, you're you got experience.
You know, you're not an arbitration trying to You're not
a free agent.
Level five players. Now the Joe Maddens five levels your
level five. Yeah, you got paid.
You want a World Series?
He's trying to win another trying to win.
But the best thing to do is get it out
in the open and put it on yourself and make
fun of it and like laugh.
That's why.
It's just like he's such a good like he's never
you know, other than his own stuff. Sometimes it's like
he's always making fun of Like, yo, that was embarrassing.
We all saw it.
Hey, I was, I was, you were there.
I remember when I snapped with about compete one time
after I was managing I think it was twenty twenty.
I called a team meeting and I'm I'm I'm going
off on the team about.
I would over riz and like he is a smiling
ear to ear he's right after this, I get through
just road raging.
Comes to my office.
He goes bro it was so hard not to bring
out my phone into fucking videos that, And.
I was like, I would have killed you.
I would have killed it that.
You're a pit because it's easy to keep it light
when you know that people care. Yeah, you know what
I mean, Like the effort when you're doing everything you
can and you're just the results aren't there. Like it's
the worst feeling in the world. From my experience when
I was young, was when you weren't playing well.
This is part of just being a young player.
You felt like you're on an island. And having that
experience when I was young, knowing that you probably felt
like you're an island or someone No, you're not on
a fucking island, Like we're here for one sixty two
plus and it doesn't matter.
Good bad are indifferent, Like.
You're Kyle Schubert, I'm gonna treat you like a human
being whether you're hitting fifty plus homers now or grinding
you know in an oh twenty, it doesn't matter like the.
Efforts there right.
Yeah, it's like like being able to see that young
was just like it's like that kind of like that aha,
It's like yeah, and like why why am I taking
this so serious?
Right?
Like why am I thinking about this the next day?
Why am I thinking about this a week later?
Right? Like like why am I doing this?
And then like you have something like that happen, you're
like all right, like yeah, you put your shoulders, like okay.
Yourself usually having fun when you're out there playing like
a kid.
It is it is, man, It's like the more that
you can realize that you can have fun playing the game, right,
like the game.
It's a game.
It's a game we play and yes, obviously we get
paid a bunch of money to do a job and
do what we need to do, but like we play
so many fun games that you're like, there's an easy
way get on that roller coaster and then all of
a sudden, that downhill. It it doesn't end Yeah, right,
I've been there, doesn't end right, Like it's it's it's
not fun to play the game like that. And now
that like you know, you can enjoy it and you
can laugh at yourself and you know, being older now
being one of the older dudes in the room is
fucking crazy sick. But yeah, dude, I'm like seventy three.
I'm used to like fucking forty year olds in the room.
Like, but you've got such a good around baseball, like
I travel around to TV a little bit, gets such
a good reputation in the clubhouse. You've been in the
leadership that the things you've learned, you're passing on to others,
which is so important and just like you're saying now
would make a little bit of money and taken you
told me the other day, like it's so fun to
take young guys to dinner and be able to pick
up the tab and and and be that guy now
going after Lackey and Lester, the guys that that took
care of us and showed you how it was done.
Now you passing that along.
It's such a a good quality, it's awesome, Like that's
the game, Like that's I always say it, like I
think I've already said before, like just like I'm not
the player I am now without YouTube, without the older
like all of those dudes who stepped in our clubhouse
that sad, you know, Lester Lackey, Heyward. You know, I
can keep naming people, John Jay, you know, like just
go Dexter Fowler. You know, I can go down the
list of how many great freaking human beings we had
in our locker roster for sure that were just amazing,
even like younger dudes, Albert you know, even you know
KB Hobby, right, like.
Just like just having the room that we had and
you know special, Yeah, it was special. Man.
Let's go and take us to the twenty fifteen wild Card, bro.
I mean, we we go in ninety seven, ninety eight
and one hundred wins, we finished third. We're rolling into
Pittsburgh with like honestly with a lot of swack. Yeah, right,
we finished third, but we were we felt like.
Well we finished hot, that we finished hot that September two.
Oh yeah, and so we go in.
We got Garrett Cole on the mound, who is dominant
and not faced, and you go big fly there.
Yeah, well I just remember sitting in the hotel that
night because I know that they were up in the
air between Lariano and Garrett Cole, because I know Larriano
pitched really good against this and Laro's gross, and so
they kind of gave the heads up. The guy's like, hey,
you know, if Cole's pitching, you're in. If Larrano's pitching,
you're out. It's going to be I think it was
seas and man, so news come out Garrett starting.
So I'm like, i can't sleep. I'm like I'm jacked up.
I'm excited to get Jake talking ship on Twitter, you know, like,
let's roll on and uh so yeah, like the first bat,
uh deck's the lead off single steals the first pitch,
I take it and I'm like all I can think about.
I'm like in that bat, I'm like, okay, get him over,
get him over. That's all i can
think about was getting him over. And he throws me
two sliders. I swing over the top of him, and
then he threw me heater away and I poked it
for a single, nothing one nothing. So now we get
the second of bat and I'm like, I'm sitting on
a slider I'm like, I just swung over two of them.
You know, I poke poked a single to left on
my heater. I'm sitting on a slider and you know,
get two. Oh he didn't throw me a slider. Yeah,
you went like heater ball, change up ball.
Uh.
Then he goes heater right down the middle too. Oh,
just swallow it, Like my god, please don't do that again.
Please don't do that again.
I'm looking. You know.
He goes to to one slider and threw a bad one,
which helped, but yeah, got him in that got him
in the river. Like that was like I always I
always tell people. They always go like, what's your favorite
home run. I'm like, it's hard to really point, but
like I think that's probably.
Like my top, like that one your first playoff game. Yeah,
like you're one for one with a single to put
us ahead.
Then you hit a homer and like I think for
people forget how loud Pittsburgh was.
That was the loudest place.
I tell people all the time, like I don't think
you guys realize how loud this place gets because I remember, yeah,
they were a great team, and then like remember the
the someone hit the ball Addie he kicked it, and
then the next dude comes up, same ball. But they
were and I'm playing right field. I'm my pants like
I can't hear anything. My head's shaking. I'm just standing
still and I'm like, what's going on? Like what's going on?
Like I can't, like why is it shaken? And you know,
then we get the double play ball. We end it right,
and obviously we had a good scuffle too.
Oh yeah, everything like that. But I'm sure Rossie's told
that story.
But uh, I remember in twenty twenty one, Fast forward,
real quick, Red Sox Yankees wild card Garrett calling the
mound like swarps.
Taking a gear.
I'm not, I'm not.
I'm literally there the night before my fux sub took
him deep before. I'm like, oh no, and you do
it again, no way.
Same same pitch, different pitch, but same outs.
I remember.
I remember going into the dugout that inning and I
looked at Judgy Femiway Park, Yankees, Red Sox right, and
I look at you like, go, bro, this is fucking awesome.
It's amazing.
He looks at me like, Bro, we're fucking losing out.
We're not We're gonna win this game and we ended
up tying it and you guys ended up winning. But
I was just like to be part of that and like,
I don't know it was entirely but we had the
lead the all time.
But anyways, my bad are bad. Sorry but no, but
I will say that was how cool was that atmosphere too?
Yeah? But that was so we we win that game.
We partied like rock stars. That celebration was like two hours.
Remember the floor was like to beer and Pittsburgh like walking.
In cases here, Sean Casey here with us. I told him,
I go, I go.
I'm still baffled how you ended up in our clubhouse
partying with us in twenty fifteen. I looked over and
you see Sean Casey and Eddie Veder standing read next
to each other bottle case with us in fifte.
Like case, what's up? Man? Like he's I love this guy?
But yeah, just like that was like having that first
like the moment right for personally, uh, it kind of
gives you, like that sense of calm a.
Little bit just for the fact of like no nervous
as ship.
But like when you lock it in, bro, like you're
you're you're focused gamer. Yeah, you're a gamer. Everybody not
everybody can do that, and you've proven over your career.
Twenty three postseason Homers. I don't know if you know
that I do twenty three say that again, twenty three
postseason Homers.
That's insane, homie, that you will Garrett hole that year.
I can.
I think I can do this. Order walka secrets?
Yeah wait, was walking one and went on top of them.
And I'm a little bit.
I'm a little better on that one. But it's not
about and we'll get to Harvey the grom.
Pst season.
Harvey was nasty, He's the Dark Knight.
Was very good.
Anyone ever heard.
Jacob the grum was that kidding me?
But Bro your rookie year?
And then the infamous went off secrets, which is the
short bomb that's still at Wrigley Field. To tell that
story real quick, you want to go into it first time,
Coubbies clinching against the Cardinals, against the Cardinals.
Our division, Rad was in fucking.
And hold on and Riz had a hell of a DS.
You had a really good DS. Yeah you had how
many pumps? I think you two clipped secrets.
The night before.
Yeah, So it's not about your risk every time it say,
isn't about me?
I love it. This is amazing.
Up until that.
Point, honestly, I gotta go back. I had never gotten
really a curtain call at Wrigley, and it always chat me.
It took me to like twenty nineteen, twenty twenty to
ever get my first.
Sir, maybe twenty twenty one didn't tell me that part.
Well, it was only fIF twenty fifteen, so it was
only a few years in. But I had a go.
I had to go ahead Homer right where everyone's celebrating,
then he comes up and hits a fucking shot. Anyone
talks about.
The whole day is about Kyle's coming rounding out.
Like play, hold on, hold on, I.
Bro, you have a ball the most one of the
most iconic stadiums in a shrine. How that's insane.
Yeah, I told him when they I was like, they
told me they wanted to do that, and I was
like absolutely, But I go like, I didn't know if
you're ever going to take down. I want the ball
right like I don't want you guys keep it. I
want it, and I mean for it to still be
up there. It's like for how much, like for how
much history? Is in that ballpark in general, and to
feel like that you're able to, you know, for how
small it is, right, like.
You're able to kind of leave a footprint there. Like
it's awesome.
And yeah, like I remember when we went up on
the we me and Rossi and I forget it might
have been Dino went up there and saw the scoreboard
and like we went up on top of the scoreboard
where they put ball and ship like like I'm like,
this is cool, It's awesome, right, But yeah, they have
that and that postseason I mean special run there where
you know, we felt invincible, you know, then all of
a sudden.
The lobby and the other day.
Clapping everything one knee, one hand.
But and even the like I always talk about like
that pitching, the pitching staff from the Mets were I mean,
that's wholehearted.
We wholeheartedly.
Why I never root for who we who, like I
want to play in the postseason is because they were
playing the Dodgers and then it's the Mets and we
I'm pretty sure that you get you guys swept.
Them that year.
They were all seven games regular season, won all seven
and you know, I just remember thinking like, yeah, the
Mets one. We got them, you know, like we got
the guys who want they love their heaters. We're good
heater hitting team, and all of a.
Sudden, they just flop the script like dropping in breaking
balls this that. I'm like, these guys never do that,
and they're just executing everything.
And then like hindsight right now where I'm at, like
you know, having some tough postseason losses and shit like that,
Like it always comes down to like the pitching aspect,
like like wow, man, Like if you run into some
really good pitching that are just executing, it's hard to
It's it's nearly impossible to get anything going. And like
that's what the Mets did in fifteen against us, Like
you can't get anything. We can't get anything going really,
and they just piled it on and Daniel Murphy just
being crazy.
Well we got we got a taste of I thought
that the best thing that could happen is we gotta
taste of running deep in the postseason after you know,
starting off a little bit slow and really hitting our
stride in August, right, and we go into a deep
run in the postseason. Now everybody's hungry going into the offseason,
and we come into twenty sixteen.
It was like an expectations.
We were that twenty sixteen camp was the funnest big
League camp.
I'll ever be a part of it.
Right.
It was their bus.
He's doing shows, everything's going crazy, my.
Little scooter.
Comes back, Dexter comes back, all the storylines. It's like
we had already won the World Series going into that.
We signed to sign.
As amazing as the vibes were in camp. Right, we
get off to this insane start, like we bull the
doors off the Angels. We started Anaheim two games, boat
race them? What is it the game?
Third game?
Third game, third game of the season. Lackey's on the
mound and Jean Siguara.
Is at the bat. Did you play with him?
I did? I let him.
And there's a ball.
I mean you talked about Australia like you're if there's
a ball, you think you get your going for.
It, and you did.
But you hit a free safety Roaman that took out
your knees and Dexter. But when you went down, I
was literally just watching it. You a cl total construction, bro.
You reached for the ball. I tried to try to
stop that ball and throw it in after blowing your
knee out, which is just like said so much about you.
But when that happens three games into what we believe
is going to be a championship season, how just heartbreaking?
Yeah that sucked.
I mean and you know everyone always asks like you,
like do you like watching the video? I don't care,
right like it happened. It happened to me, but like
it sucked, dude. I just remember always just thinking like
so when it first happened, you know, like yeah, like
plays over with them on the ground, I'm like, my ankle,
I thought I snapped my ankle like this like from
here to here was burning and so funny story. I
don't know if you guys even remember this, but so
they took me out of the game, you know, get
carted off, off, cart off the field, go get the
X ray on my ankle because I'm telling them like
my ankle's on fire, and they go, hey, good news,
ankle's not broken.
Like they go high grade spray and.
Then the Cubs put out like Kyle Schwarver less game
left the game with the with the ankle spring Then
they go, you.
Got card off with the ankle spray.
We were came laughing Like then I so like back
in like the exam room, you know, tell them like
they're like, hey, you said your knees a little sore.
I was like, yeah, they hit you with those tests
or whatever it is, and they're, yeah, you gotta get
m RI. I'm like that's probably not good. They're like,
not great. So uh in the hotel room, like thinking
to running through my head, I'm like, man, like, ankle's
not broken.
Maybe you know, banged up, k me not super bad.
Get the m RI.
And then they tell you the news like, hey, you
know you just blow out your A sale and your
l s and like the first thing that came to
my mind, and I'm not I'm not shitting you when
I say this was I go, I'm going to miss
out on the most unbelievable run.
That's the first thing I said. I go, I'm going
to miss.
Out on this.
People we really like we manifested it.
I wasn't.
Yeah, like that's all we were talking about in camp, Like,
you know, one hundred and eight years, Like, it doesn't
roll off any better if you say one hundred and
seven or one hundred and nine.
That sucks.
Good point, that's a great point one.
Hundred and eight rolls off unbelievable.
You know, uh like, did you want to depressed?
That's all I thought, Oh yeah, dude, Like that's all
I thought about, was like, you know, man, I'm going
to miss out because I knew, like obviously from our
previous year, and then we just added all these special
dudes and you know, like I'm going to be on
the shelf for this and uh yeah, I remember just
like I remember you coming up and give me a
big hug.
Like I was like, it's gonna be all right.
And I told people I was supposed to retire.
I told people that might saying to everybody, it's like
the only time that I thought I might come back
and play it.
Was because we didn't get to play with Kyleege Schwarts.
If we don't win the World Series.
I'm coming back because Kyle Schwarb were one of our
best players. Didn't even get to participate the entire year.
Like how many games we win that year?
You guys went over one hundred hundred, over one.
Hundred, that's part of it. I was there hanging out,
but you want we won that game, so you were
three and oh three and oh theree.
You know, but you had a pretty good record that year.
Yeah yeah, you undefeated, Yeah yeah, undefeated every game.
So fast forward now it's starting to get a little
bit of hope. We're hearing in the locker room. We're
at the end of the scene. We're going to the playoffs,
and they're starting to talk. We're going deep into our
playoff front. They're starting to talk. Schwarbs is feeling good,
he's down. We're sending to Arizona where he's gonna he's
hitting in the cage, he's taking live.
You had the they were you were there, fuzz Machine.
They were talking about that from like day one.
I remember like, oh, World Series, and it was like yeah, right,
like yeah, you're not thinking, you're like.
Yeah, but like I remember that.
I remember you being part of our team that year, don't.
You didn't travel with us, but every time we were home,
you were in the weight room grinding, like grinding. So
when all those rumors really started coming to life and
it was like dude, sure we could fucking do this,
we were like there was no like nah, like there's
no point, like he's gonna be It was like no,
let's fun.
Thea would come around and be like Rossie, sure, we
look good. He looks in Arizona. He's looking hard.
Was what was like, how was that?
Like?
What were you How many swings did you actually take?
I remember it was like it wasn't that many. Really. Well,
they tried to like limit me.
I was telling him, like, guys like if I blow
out my oblique, if I blow out what ever because
your knee. Yeah, well they weren't limiting me because my knee.
They were like Doc, Doc was like, oh you're good.
He's like like pretty much they were telling me. The
doc told me, hey, shoot for winter ball, right, then
go do a doctor's check up. Hey shoot for uh,
you know spring training or what was furst spring training?
Then was winter ball.
So I'm thinking I'm gonna go play a winter ball
in Puerto Rico and you guys are playing the Dodgers.
Uh it's that travel day. So we one and two
were in Chicago. There's a travel day in l A.
I remember because I was like when we were in
l A.
Yeah, and I was like I was like I was
a certified cheerleader, like I was you know,
I was the the guy who would be drinking beers
for everyone.
Uh you Arizona.
So you guys went to l A. I saw the
doctor and doc. This hits me with like quick like
you know, testiny. He goes, I know what you guys
got going on right now. He's like, I wouldn't see
any reason why, you know, if there was like pinchhit
or you know, even possible DH like that.
I don't see why.
He goes, you know, everything you're going to do would
be predictable. He goes to unpredictable things or what could
cause you to hurt it again? Yeah, perfectly unpredictable, like
you know, being an outfield and having to like cut
for a ball or whatever it is, because when you
run the bases, you know what you're doing in your head.
He goes, it's predictable running and he goes, unless you
just have to slam on the brakes. He's like trying
to avoid that. I'm like, I'm like, hell yeah, like
let me get jump off the table. I'm like Matt
Johnson's with me, and I'm like I got a call
THEO now. He's like, oh, hold up right whatever.
So they do the whole thing.
We fly to l A, taking hacks, get into LA
late that night, and I took my first first hacks
and got Bussy hung around, you know, till it was
nine thirty at night. I got the videos still on
my phone. Uh, it's like nine thirty at night. Bus
He's still there hanging out waiting for me to get there.
He knows that I'm gonna take some hacks him mert.
So it's supposed to be just tea, but we're already
like full thlrow arming. But so then the next day
they get me in that fall league. So go to
the fall league. Like they tried to limit me because
they didn't want me to blow out anything. I'm like, dude,
like blow out, Like I'm fine, Like if I.
Blow out a blowout the whole off season, yeah, I
got the whole off season. So uh. But like what
we were doing a lot was dude, like we've set
that set up the pack, the big hack.
And this was before the pitch machine. This was before
pitching machines were even really big in.
The game, right.
It was like we were setting that thing up and
I was like, turn that thing off fuzzy, and I like,
all right, if I can't swing, then I'll do stop
the bat drill on it then tell me it stopped.
Bat Dude.
I'm like so many behind the scenes things of like
the dudes there who put so much Dude, we spent hours,
I mean hours.
Just I would track balls.
I don't even think we know how much we knew.
We know how much you did, but we don't really know.
Hours man of being on that field firing balls like
five baskets and then take a breather and go do
three more baskets. I've just tracking balls and then I
have someone behind me in the cage and I tell
them if it's a striker or ball, like we'd be
setting them nasty breakers, you know, things like that, Just
trying to get like strike zone right, like like that
strike that's ball, and like going into the games like, yeah,
I was behind in The funny thing is is that Cleveland.
Was on the fall league team. So like their coaches
are throwing me BP in the volley games. It's amazing,
it's awesome. They're throwing me BP and stuff like that, And.
So I do I think I might have hit maybe
like one or two balls good. I'm like, man, there's
no chance that they're gonna put me on the roster.
I'm like there's no Like that's what I was thinking.
I was like, like, there's probably not a good chance,
Like there was hope in my head. I'm like, and
so it's the workout day for the World Series and
you guys are there. I'm playing in a Fall League
game that day and get done. I think it was
like three at bats and go to my phone, got
a touch some THEO. I still have one on my
phone and it's congratulations, we're putting you on a roster.
You're batting. You're batting fifth tomorrow against Cory goosebump skin
but you know you're bat in fifth, fifth against Corey Klueber.
And I'm like, they go, we got a jet waiting
for you.
I'm like, who's all the goosebumps again? Bro?
Like just just getting to remember it with you guys,
but like, uh so, I'm like, you know, get to
make that call again.
You know, got that call again to the family fan.
Hey guys, there's another injection for us too.
Yeah.
Life, Yeah, Like that was like the one thing I
just always remember and it's just like I didn't know
how it was going to be right, Like, yeah, I was,
I was with you guys, and thank goodness, I was
with you guys that whole year because I always tell people,
if I was just an Arizona rotten away, there's no
chance in hell.
Well, a lot of guys, a lot of guys when
they get hurt, season ending injury, you don't see them
like they'll come in on their own hours at the
field and they'll leave where when we were home, he
was coming in when we came in, and he stayed
for the game and he was part of the boys.
And a lot of time too.
They'll send guys to the spring training complex and they
got rich exactly where we got rehab coordinators exactly, and
thank goodness, you know, we just they just renovated Wrigley.
We had the amazing clubhouse. The training room was stay
of the art, and you know, weight room was amazing.
And they were like, hey, we want you to stay
here and rehab here. I'm like, like, you want travel
because obviously on the road's a little smaller, but you know,
at home, when we're home, we want you here.
I was like, absolutely, like I want to do that.
So that was like the one thing that kept me
going through that whole thing.
Like you know, when you said, like you know, the
whole like negative thought things like yeah, like it was
there tough days, Absolutely, there was tough days.
You know.
I for how many times I thought that I was
never going to have a normal knee again. Uh you
know it assisting ever gonna bend again?
Right? Like am I going to be able to hit normal?
You know? I like it was.
It wasn't a fun and it was funnier, but like
that time was it was tough. You know, Thank goodness,
I had like the support system of you know, my family,
my wife who was my girlfriend at the time.
And uh, you guys right, like that kept me going.
Like my goal when you guys would come into the field,
was my days going to be done? Like I'm done.
I'm not getting in their way at all.
Like that's what I wanted to make sure that I
was not going to be in your guys way because
I knew that there was such a special thing that
we had going on, and I just want to be
here for the ride.
Well that was my memory of you because all the
glass in the weight room, we're getting there in our
street clothes and you're finishing up your last exercises with
Bussy and there guys in there all that all that
rehab stuff I had stuff. I remember you in there
doing all those balancing things on your knee and your agility.
More like I just want to be done.
Bussy would bussy timboss our strength, our strengths out here
would literally a couple of times a week be like
every time we're home, you're fucking your boy. Sharp is
working his ass off. He's gonna he's gonna do this,
and it's like, you know, every April, May June, you're like, yeah, okay,
and then you see him and he's like, oh, ship,
he's starting to move.
Yeah. Yeah, and it was it was like such a
big part too for me.
Of course.
Yeah, keep me saying, bro, there's a lot of dark.
Yeah, when you're hurt again this.
Is another thing just hopefully young kids watching this, But
when someone's hurt, it's so easy to just be all right,
you can't do anything for me. But being hurt later
on in my career, which I never was realizing, how
many of your teammates just kind of like go about
their day and like you feel so bad you can't play.
You can't play. That's the thing. Being around the team.
It's also hard, really hard because you're still invested, but
you can't contribute, can't anything, you can't do anything.
Yeah, and you're like you just feel on an island.
So when anyone's hurt my whole career, I always try
to give him that love because it's like, dude, I wish.
You were playing with it.
Yeah, like that was the big thing that I always
felt like gave me during that time. It was like
I remember, I always remember Pedro stroke goes poppy World
Series like always with.
A smirk, and I'm like on crutches, like yeah, there's
no fucking I.
Remember you getting called out Wrigley on the crutches and
the big.
Yeah that's yeah, yeah, we don't need to go there.
But let me read her. Let me read these twenty
sixteen World Series stats.
Twenty of bats, a four to twelve average, seven hits,
a double, two RB eyes, and one stolen base.
With a broken leg bag in there, go down and
snug that bag. Higher comes up to me, he goes, hey,
you want to steal bag? Yeah, and it's hid your voice.
I'm like, yeah, I want still based game seven. I'll
do anything, And he's.
Like, all right, we got a time on Klueber, right,
here he goes he's gonna and they're not even pulled
me on, like Mikes standing right, Napoli standing right behind me,
and he goes all right when he puts said down
count to one thousand and two and then go, I'm
like god, So he goes, wait one pitch and then
do it so way to pitch so you get the lead.
His one thousand and one, one thousand and two, go
was one thousand. I start taking off, dude, he hasn't
even like. I'm like, oh man, please don't step off.
I'm like, please don't step off and make me look
like here right now, and like I'm halfway to second
base and he lifts his leg up to throw the pitch.
I'm like, oh, thank goodness.
I mean, you know all when they when you steal
and they you go and you're show.
I had a trailer attached onto me, especially during that
sek that.
I mean.
I got thrown out the second base in Game seven
too well, you know, but uh it was like I
was just like, to your goodness, please don't throw me out.
But yeah, like it was so.
You're playing every game d H in Cleveland, think goodness
for the American League game seven. You're in there the
craziness of that game rain delay. What do you remember
about that speech?
Yeah, well, I just remember this, all the emotions in
the room. It was like it was it was interesting.
I mean, like Chappie's crying, you know, Riz is kind
of like shocked and pissed at the same time. Right
like you're you're like scanning the room trying to think
about like, how can you know I remember that? Like,
you know, I'm just thinking, like the rain stopping, I'm
thinking like I gotta get a fucking hit. That's all
I'm thinking about. How the fuck can I get on
base right now? Like I'm not thinking about like anything else.
That's where my mind went to. And then and then
obviously we have the amazing you know moment we had
in the weight room where it does like cleared everyone's heads.
It was like, this is the reality of the situation.
Here we go right like and I can go on
for a long time about Jay and how like how
impressive that was and how that stuck with me in
my career.
Uh, but like, yeah, that's where.
My mind went to, was I gotta get a fucking
hit right now. I gotta get the fuck on base
and it's part of my language for all the kids
that could be watching. But like that's what I'm thinking.
And I remember coming out and you know, Rossi's you know,
remember I remember he's talking. He's thinking, He's like, what
do you got there?
I go, you get your.
I got it? I got it. He goes, you better
fucking got it.
You know, bro, you the look you gave me in
my eyes, you were like so locked in. You're like,
this guy throws me a cutter in want?
Yeah, yeah, it's Brian Shawl, right, who's the cutter guy?
And I'm like, I need a cutter in right here,
because like I'm thinking, like I'm going deep, Like I'm
like I just had that like feeling.
I'm like, dude, I'm going deep. And it in all reality,
it wasn't even the pitch that I probably should have
swung out. It was down and in. I barreled it
and got it pass him and like the bolt.
Was two inches from Kittmus his glove and shallow right field.
He didn't have time to.
Get to it, you know, hit that fist pump going
down the line, because.
Like, yeah, like I did it, Like I got the
job done. And I knew and I and they didn't
even tell me, like pinch runners coming in, like I
already knew. I'm like, I'm out to hiders, trying to hiders,
trying to get my stuff, like a great job. I go,
I go time see and I'm out. You know, here
comes Albert with like the most underrated tag play.
I always say, like, if that was me running in
that time, if that was the league, Yeah, yeah, there's
I'm past it.
I'm on second base or past it and then yeah, right,
like I'm thinking it could be in the gap, or
it could be a double, could.
Be a homer.
There was literally we're filming this right now during the
World Baseball Classic. There's a ball yesterday, Bryce hit the
center field Bobby wits on first. It's either a homer
or now and he was, you know, at second and
then had to go tag. And literally every time I
see that ball, I think automatically think how he rookie
didn't play much in the World Series, had to whereabouts
in Game seven? Full circle moment you get pinch hit
from well, I guess it was the next year, but
like that's your boy, right, Like there's no more excited
for it than Albert. He was such a great team bro.
Like it's it's gosh, but anyways, you know, bumps again.
But like yeah, like I always said, that's the most
underte play. They walk you, like we no offense, Like
we don't know what could happen if they don't walk you. Right,
obviously we all know what happens after they walk you.
We got to shake wait, Patty whack down the third
base line. But but uh, you know, like and then
the rest and then even Meggie with the big another
big hit in the rest history, right like but yeah,
like just to be able to be a part of that,
I mean I never thought.
In my life that one.
Well I did think because you dreamed about as a kid,
like you just got to live out your dream.
And I did it in my.
First It was even I mean I had a half
year and I was supposed to be my first full
year and I got that done right there, and I'm like,
this is the best thing ever, Like just thinking about
the whole you know, how we did it, you know
obviously the personal things for me, the parade, think about
our group, you know, you retiring and how important you
were to all of us, you know, like Riz being
the the anchor of it all on the offensive side,
like yeah, I'm like this is how how does it
get any better?
How does it get any better? And obviously you know
for me personally, yeah, I want to play full season
one one. That's like my goal now.
I want to play full season one, right, Yeah, I
want to play full season one one. And I mean
I play for every year because that's all I know
how to do. Thank goodness for you guys and some
good teams I've been on. I've only missed the playoffs
one time. And you know, like my worst nightmare is
going I said, being late, but also going home on
like September thirty first and your season's done, right, Like,
that's that's my worst nightmare.
But this is how I got brought up. That's what
we did.
That's what we did in Chicago. We set that tone.
You guys set that tone. Lesser Lackey all set that tone.
And you know that's Jay Hay whoever was in that club.
I'll set that tune of this is the expectation. This
is what we're doing, and that's.
All I know. That's all I know how to do.
That's only that's the only way I know how to
play the game, because you know, I don't play it
for I don't play it for the the fame, fortune,
whatever you want it to be. Like, I'm playing the
win World Series because that's the best damn party we've
ever been, Right, that's the best stand party we ever been.
That once you get to that lot, I got that
in Boston, and once you get that, was like, I
don't want anything else.
It's addicting. The winning is winning cures everything.
It cures at all everything in baseball you need cured.
I mean, you guys know how many people keep coming
up to you from two thousand years like twenty sixteen, and.
We're going to get that. We're going to get that
for the rest of our lives.
But you know it, I think it hits even more
for that fact of like how important it was for
the people that we were playing for.
And that's why it's so cool talking about this ten
years later. Yeah, like getting to share these stories, what
really went into you coming back?
You ten years later now just signed a five.
Year deal with I just appreciate you guys.
Your you're after that career, bro, like you just last
year one hundred and sixty two games led the league
one sixty.
Two pretty you know, that's all of them pretty easy.
Fifty six pumps led that National League one hundred and
thirty two. RBIs led the National League. I think you
let the league unless you judge you had you.
I got the I had RB.
I league last year.
Yeah, yeah, nine forty nine to fifty oh ps.
That was It's it's how you, it's how you developed
in your career.
And it's like every step of the way. Because I
had watched you for a far.
From four years, five years, it was like, yeah, that's Shorts,
Like he's.
Doing what he does right.
And in nineteen you had that monster second half. You'd like,
what twenty pumps in the second half. So ended up
with thirty eight thirty eight to thirty nine home runs
And to this day Ian Hat told me this stat.
I don't know if you know this.
There's only one left handed hitter to ever hit forty
home runs at wrigley Field, Billy Williams. That stat is insane.
Wrigglyfield has been around for over one hundred years. Right,
So looking back now with you getting DFA by Chicago,
which is insane, you know, off the twenty twenty year,
we need to.
Go down and all the and all the adversity. I mean,
there's adversity.
And we were talking about a lot of positives in
your career, but like you've went through some shit too,
with the injuries, the DFA, the change of scenery, going
and kind of go on this journey and taking what
you've learned from your championship team. And you're young, like
you said, given your teammates a lot of credit, but
turning yourself into that guy and having the career that
you're continue to have. But it's pretty If you average
thirty two home runs over the next five years, you'll
have five hundred home runs.
You're currently three forty.
You know that.
You have fifty years. Think about that.
I remember again, I love to put I'll put some
people in a stir.
But I remember saying all the time, I'll never know
my full potential playing at Wrigley Field because how brutal
and psychological that wind is.
You know, it's goods crazy.
I always tell people, I'm like, how many times I've
stood there at the plate looking out there when that
one's tally and I go, where's my head?
Especially with the shift go where?
Yeah?
With the shift, like the great walls out there.
Yeah, I'm not hitting the ground ball of the third basement, Yeah,
down the third base.
Well, when the shift got hard, that's hard to do.
Right when the shift got taken away, I was like,
you're gonna be the number one person to benefit, which.
You have your benefit, it's Scott the first year, I
still hit one ninety somehow with like I'm so excited.
I'm so excited the shift's gone.
Yeah, but you hit fifty that year at intro.
Yeah, I still Yeah, I had a good year like
on the other stuff except the batting average side.
But yeah, it's been like the whole.
I think it's I always tell people like, I would
never change the way that my career as went, Like obviously, yeah,
I always tell people I'm not a minor league grinder,
you know, first rounder, you know, big grinder sign signed
for a lot of money whatever it is. But had
had my challenges and uh, you know, being fielling like
on top of the mountain in sixteen, the being in
Triple A in twenty seventeen.
Right like after I feel like, I like, I just played.
Two baseball games and now I can hit the best
pitching in the World in the World series and I'm
in Triple A, and you know, like I always remember
you to me, Like I got to sit down on
Triple A and Riz is going, he goes, get back
to work, and he goes, We'll see you right back,
like suck with me right now twenty twenty. Uh.
I'll be the first one. I always tell this, I go,
I'll be the first one tell anyone in that I
freaking stunk in sixty games. Yeah, but I stunk. I stunk.
I stunk, And you know you telling me you call
me and going, hey, change the series. Sometimes not a
bad thing. Yeah, hard hard pill to swallow.
Yeah, heart Pill Swallow not released or like I didn't
release it, but like that doesn't work because like your boys,
Yeah that's your boys.
Hard Pill Swallow. But at the end of the day,
it was the best thing that happened in my career. Yeah,
like you know, I you don't know what you don't know.
I don't know what you don't know, right, Like I
knew Chicago, I knew the organization, I knew the people,
I knew the the.
Ins and outs of it, and I knew that you know, you're.
I always everyone always asks about like sixteen and do
you have any regrets about not winning anything more? I'm like,
you're just discrediting the World Series in the first place, Like,
don't discredit it. But second off, like we brought meaningful
baseball there for how many years?
Like we like that group, that group brought meaningful baseball
to Chicago for how many years? So no, there's no regrets.
It's hard to win it. It's hard. It's hard, and
you know, going on the personal side, and it's like, Okay,
I'm out of here.
I'm leaving this organization that all we've done is great things.
I'm going into the great unknown.
And uh, you know, luckily ended up in Washington with
where Davy who was our bench coach, got with a
really good hitting coach and there in k Long who's
still my hitting coach, and uh, you know, like a
lot of different things have happened, and like it just
it changed my career and I needed it, right, I
needed that. And you know, I always it's not like
I'm saying screw you Chicago. You know, like Chicago's at
the base of it all where that's where I learned
how to be the big leaguer, how to you know,
take it on the chin, how to try, how to
bounce back, you know, how to be a champion, how
to be a great teammate, how to be you know,
someone that can be here to listen, or someone that
can you know, give hard love when they need hard love,
you know, or he come up to the room and
let's get some late at McDonald's, right, like whatever it is,
Like that's where I learned it all. And yes, I
went through my challenges and then I've come on on
the other side. I've been better for it, Like I
needed to go through that process. And you know where
that all starts is, Like I said, it's with you guys.
And I can't think all of our teammates that we've
had enough, all of our coaching staff, all of our
uh you know, you know Joe and you know ROSSI
manager where like.
I'm the player I am today a lot.
Of because what I experienced at a young age, and
I can relate, you know, now I can be that
guy that can relate to a lot of different people.
I can relate to a lot of different people.
And I think that's such a big, big thing to have,
is being able to relate to dudes and uh, you know,
feeling like like you said that they're.
Not on an island because I've experienced it.
When that's why we're doing this, is to tell all
these stories and like, personally, I want to thank you
for who you are and it's been fun to watch
and how you've taken off. And we still got the
cock bomp after Games WC, so we get to enjoy
it in the locker, were like.
The guy one of these one of these guys.
Doing but somebody you just said about, well you didn't
get traded, you got DFA, but then you got traded.
You when you got traded or d Faid.
Or whatever it was Faid.
Yeah, you had a similar story coming to Jesus moment
right with THEO.
THEO told me we'll tell that story in Theo's episode.
But it's saying I told me I was a bad teammate,
or that my reputation in Cincinnati, I was a bad
teammate and selfish.
I was like shocked when you told me that, you know,
like it's just you.
Know, but the truth sometimes just like okay, I took
that and and it's on us, right, it's our careers
and you know, I've got DFAI and I'm sitting at
home waiting on those ten days to go buy and
the during the season, it's like, you know, similar, like
but the adversity made me better and I was I
never want to said about me ever again, and so
like that was one of the better moments looking back,
no doubt, no doubt when I wouldn't be the person
just like we said, you wouldn't have the career you
had the same and all all the.
Stuff that that has happened to us, the adversity is
what makes us better.
When I got traded to New York, it was like whoa, right,
and then I'm going to you know, in Chicago, like
fair or not. From basically day one, it was like
I was, I was the guy, right, it was me
and starin Cashow. Sorry was there's a couple other guys.
So I grew up.
Fast with veterans and all this, but you know, guys
were coming into quote unquote my team and we stunk.
So it was like getting traded was I really started realizing,
Holy shit, dude, like these guys, like guys watching every move,
like like the aha moment of like how much I
grew getting traded and then you saying that too with
like what you learned, same thing, what you learned in
Chicago and then taking it has now gotten you to
literally like, bro, I mean, you're on your way. I'll
say for you, you're on the way to being a
Hall of Fame baseball player, which is insane. You post,
you hit home runs, driving runs, you are postseason legend.
You're gonna win another World Series at some point, like
and first w B.
Gold medal. I need, I need, I need some redemptions
what they give out or.
What you do, and your reputation is game like your
blue collar You're in a perfect city. You know, those
fans are so rugged, right, and you just embrace it.
And you're a bait Kyle Schweber baseball player. That's what
you are, like Rinder, put your heart and soul into
everything and everyone around you. And it's so much fun
watching you have all your success.
I appreciate it. And like I always say, like you know,
like you said about Philly, right, like why in the
way I am right? Like you know Philly can be rugged, right,
Like you can tell me I stink, But I'm gonna
be the first one to tell you I stink. You're
not telling me anything. I don't know, right, But I'm
able to do that and I'm able to learn because
of what we all went through and what you guys
gave me the experiences I had, you know, like you
laughing at me, you know.
You give me constructed constructive criticism. Uh, you know, like
it's it is what it is, man. It's just like,
you know, I'm just lucky.
I get to play baseball, you know, I thank goodness
I don't have to play left field that much anymore.
Get to go hit more, go hit baseballs. But uh yeah,
when you say, like you started all one sixty, I'm like,
it's pretty easy as a DH just can't blow anything
out while you're running her swinging. But but yeah, you know,
I I'm forever grateful, uh to everyone that you know,
there's obviously a special you know, there's so many special
people that we.
Had, and you two are two really big people in
my career.
Uh that.
Yeah, man?
Yeah, don't yeah start. Yeah, You're welcome. You're welcome.
Please, thank you. Yeah, And I appreciate the hell out
of you guys. You guys are the best love.
Where we've gone in this talking to a bunch of guys.
Now is like we just talked about how much every
single guy meant to that twenty sixteen roster. Literally, we're
not winning without everyone in that organization. I mean we
can even go to like theo Epstein having the balls
to say yes, you're started, right, like that's a major
decision by the top of the top, right theo Tom
and like without every single one in our organization.
Without you rehabbing the way you did working, we're not
we're not telling. We're not sitting here ten years later
telling the story. So yeah, I love you.
Yes, And that is Kyle Schwarber people, that is a wrap.
Made my ride. I was like, I got my name,
I got my