Sammy Sosa on Sharing Chicago with Michael Jordan & Ryan Howard Relives The Phillies Glory Days

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Speaker 1: Welcome back, Pump Galla twenty twenty five. It has been a great day, Jack. We got a dugout edition. Yes, back to baseball. Super excited. Seven time All Star, n L MVP, six times Silver Slugger, two time home run Champ, RBI Champ.

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Speaker 2: Sammy Man, welcome to the show Man.

00:00:19
Speaker 3: Appreciate it.

00:00:21
Speaker 1: We get get great.

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Speaker 4: Jeff, I might ask that was me?

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Speaker 3: That was you?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I love it sounds so pretty.

00:00:29
Speaker 1: You know, I think it's athletes. We never really because we're in the moment so much, do we never really when you kind of sit back and think about, like, damn, I was a bad motherfucker. You think that now that you're done?

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Speaker 5: Yes, now now I do, because I mean, like you say, when we're in the field, were just focusing. Yeah, do some damage, get it done.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:00:48
Speaker 1: Recently reunited with the Cubs, breaking over a twenty year drought. Do you mind sharing what the riff was and how is it, you know, being back on good terms with them?

00:00:59
Speaker 4: Well?

00:00:59
Speaker 5: Time for me, I believe in the Lord once again. Time It was perfect for me. Those twenty years that I was out from Chicago. I was traveled around the world, and you know, when you up there. Sometimes you do things that you're not expecting to be the way you want it to be. People sometimes got confused, and also the ego that we cared ourselves sometimes go over the hump and probably make you be intouchable. Then that was my problem. But in that period of the time, I connected with the Lord, and through that the Lord made sure or he already did, to put my feet in the ground. Thing that I see in the past like negative, I was fighting for what was returning whatever it is not anymore. I just let it go because I have peas in my heart. So twenty one to go with twenty twenty one year out of Chicago pretty much was a long time, especially you know all the team that I did in the country. I mean, they see I'm sorry and combat what's incredible, unbelievable, right, couldn't imagine time heal the wound exactly, beautiful thing.

00:02:20
Speaker 3: Born in San Pedro say that for me?

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Speaker 5: Therechy democraty, yes, don't San Pedro democaty.

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Speaker 3: Dominican Republican.

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Speaker 6: I got infamation infamously known as the cradle shortstops. How was it coming up from coming up and growing up there?

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Speaker 4: Oh?

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Speaker 5: I mean and Mike come through, Mike, Tom, you got two things sugar king and baseball players care. Yeah, yeah, one another exactly. So, uh, the thing for us is, you know, I got to be basill players to be my family for the life.

00:02:52
Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 6: We were just talking about that with Dall Strawberry. How baseball there is way more serious because it's it's exactly what you said is either stay here, I'll play baseball and get your family out.

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Speaker 3: Is it still like that today? And was that your mentality growing up?

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Speaker 5: It's still like that today. I remember, you know, and you know, my dad died when I was seven years old. And also I see my mom you a struggle and the only thing that I have, you know, baseball. I never I never liked basebort to tell you the truth, I was faxing for two years. Yeah, and then my brother tell my mom that I, yes, I was. I was backing and I had to quick. And then my brother took me to his friend and have a lettle league and put me in left field and I shreamed Gray. I stream couple of times and I missed when I have my first contact. His friends said we had a chance, we had a chance.

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Speaker 1: I was fourteen, started fourteen too.

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Speaker 5: Yeah.

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Speaker 6: Interesting, Give us some other names of baseball players that come from.

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Speaker 5: Your area all the time walking on do har Pedro, Garetro, George Bell, Raughing, Ramiro me uh, Canon, I mean Ricoccardi.

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Speaker 3: You know what I mean.

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Speaker 5: Our further griefing, I mean, if you're continue I'm not going to finish the night.

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Speaker 6: Too many talk about your training. You took training series. They trained with bottle caps that we see on social media. Now, is it something crazy you did to get your bat?

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Speaker 5: And it was well, bottom coups is one thing, but also what we did was spectacular in the little corner that you eat, you know, we just let him dry and also we just demancl it and then you pick each one of them in pitch.

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Speaker 6: Yeah the oh yeah, the com say they picked them things op to each other.

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Speaker 4: That's crazy, that's crazy.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: And that's how I mean. We tried everything because the situation that he was in the country, especially in my family, you know what.

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Speaker 3: I mean, didn't have balls, and yeah.

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Speaker 5: Anything, I mean my glow was milk to him, so I don't have original glow playing the street with my friends. But you know, other than that, you know, it's nothing that I can say, you know there was there for us.

00:05:08
Speaker 1: Like, now, when did you feel like, at what age did you feel like I have a chance to play baseball at the next level?

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Speaker 5: Well, when I was fourteen. When I'm fourteen, I started playing because my brother you know, helped me out because he was the one to play in the in the house. And two years later I got signed. I feel that feeling two years later, lab it's insane.

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Speaker 3: What was that like?

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Speaker 1: Obviously coming you just said, you know, didn't have much watch your mom struggle, lost your dad at an early age, you pick up a sport and two years later you signed to a professional baseball team, Like, what was that experience?

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Speaker 5: What's good? But you know, the thing is that when I signed, I signed to feel that if affiliate to one of the scouts Sello, he owned the Winner Bowl over there. But the problem is that I signed with it, and also he got a problem with that. You know, we feel like that if you and and feel like if you reject all of us, you know, here we go again. We go back to the free market through the preeiency and then the same year I signed with a Texas Ranger o Maaminaya.

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Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, who are some of your idols that you looked up to growing up, since I mean you started late. Was there anyone once you started playing that you looked up.

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Speaker 5: To, well, you know, because we have our idol was already established. Was George Bell, you know what I mean, he was the theme and do hard twenty game. He was, you know, the big thing. And also we see those those I mean those players like that, but also they show all that that whatever they made, they came back to the town to help the family and helped the family, and all of them do the same things. So pretty much it's like a routine for us.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, it's a lot of players too, Like y'all have leagues growing up, and there's some guys that probably should have made the major leagues in your home country that never didn't. They talk about like somebody things like that, like you always have some stars that never made it.

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Speaker 5: Well, I mean we have a lot of people left out. I mean, no question about it, because I mean not Eve rather going to make it, especially to there. You know, they give you signing one for five million in some of those kids they never made it, but already you know, already have five metre.

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Speaker 3: So they're good don't care.

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Speaker 5: No, that's right, right.

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Speaker 1: So from the Dominican Republic to Texas, was that your first time coming to America?

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Speaker 3: What was that like?

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Speaker 5: Well, it's this funny thing. I came out in nineteen eighty six. That was my first year I came here. I signed eighty six. I came in and I remember came here to Plant City in Florida, and I went there to spin training. We got everything spin table. Everything was okay. But also, you know, never speak England, never did anything like that, so everybody talk about me, donad stuff like that. So like seeing me down it was a big thing for us. So when I went to the heard about me exactly. So I want to do I don't know how to speak England and the lady say can I help? I say, chicken.

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Speaker 3: That's funny because when I went, when I told you, when I went to Dominican Republic, I couldn't speak speaking Spanish.

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Speaker 6: I'm pointing, stuffy, chicken.

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Speaker 1: Did you have any rookie duties when you got up and finally made it to the top.

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Speaker 5: Well throughout minor league a couple of times, I mean the Great Minor League. But you know, my first thing was, you know, make it to the major league. Nineteen eighty nine, I got called by Texas Rangers. And then after that, you know, my first home home run was again Roger Clemen. You know person, Yes, yes, when I say you know, when I hit a home run in Boston, I run the basically running because he stopped looking at me.

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Speaker 4: Jesus.

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Speaker 5: I touched home. And then you know, you know me, I went to the dog guy. I said, Toby, if you hate the home run to this big time big stuff, be careful the rest of them, because yeah, I got the big fishing.

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Speaker 3: I got the big fish.

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Speaker 1: You debuted with the Rangers, but then traded to the White Sox in the same year. I spent three years there before were getting traded to the Cubs. Like, when did you understand that this was a business and how was that movement for you?

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Speaker 5: Well, for me at the beginning, I don't understand pretty much about how it works, how it worked. But also one thing that I said to myself, I can play. I have ability to do damage. And I played too to like that. I mean, two years with the Chicago White Sox and all of a suddenly I had to say that I have one guy. I called him in my guarded angel, which is Larry Hines. He's always he trained me from the Texas Render to Chicago, Chicago, Chicago Cup so putting, he's seeing me something that the rest of us haven't seen it. So and also he was right turned right.

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Speaker 6: The nineties was wild time in baseball history. Tell us about what the locker room environments was like during that time in baseball.

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Speaker 5: Oh my goodness, I mean I made it. I mean the locker room was about about that side you know now, you know, not that big, but you know now the days like this is what.

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Speaker 3: Man beer and cigarettes to the locker room all that.

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Speaker 5: Well, I see, I don't know about that. But also everything else I mean today, like for example, when we're going to have an interview with the major leader. Back then, all the reporter was in the cloud.

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Speaker 3: Not anymore.

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Speaker 5: They have a separate area. You know, if you don't want to stuck to the reporter, you say no, no, I don't want to talk to them. So they just around your locker get away from can't get away exactly. But today it's different, big, big, big difference.

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Speaker 6: So let's go into your mind of you had the plate, what you're thinking like soon as you're getting to play.

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Speaker 3: What do you think? So as you get in that box, what you're thinking.

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Speaker 5: Well, I mean, my preparation was different. I was there for one reason and one song only. I was there. I don't want to be a mediocay player. I worked double our card exactly and normally I was hungry because this I mean to day and age when the Superstars signed the contract, first couple of years when he had the contract, he hopfully he do everything right to get the contract, and soon he had the contract and then you know, layor not me. I don't want people called me and say, hey, you know you got paid in doing you don't do. I had those let's say, I had that empty inside of me, you know what I mean. And everything that I did was hard. I mean I was the first one to get to the I mean to the cage. I was the first one to go out there and do my things I really like and never give up any of our bats.

00:11:19
Speaker 3: Today.

00:11:19
Speaker 5: You know, I see player strike out, they don't care no me if you strike me out, coming back next time.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 6: We talk about this and in all different sports about having veterans, and we call them o gs when we come into the game and give us game and to help us filter through and learn how to be a profession You have any ogs when you came in.

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Speaker 5: I have a lot of them. I mean especially you know Andrew Dawson was there. Man shone down right and they passed away. Yeah, you know, I have Mark Gray and I have you know, the whole thing going there and helped me out sometimes when I you know, when I'm doing that.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 5: Also Billy Willer was there, Fergie Jiskins. So a lot of a lot of veteran and I'm more way looking for, you know, for our vice because they played many years. You gotta you know, get you know, picking more than our brain. Make sure that you do the right thing. So pretty much it worked for me.

00:12:16
Speaker 1: My sophomore, junior, and senior year of high school. Was your incredible late ninety runs against Mark McGuire for the home run titles, particularly nineteen ninety eight. You hit twenty home runs of the month of June, which is still an MLB record. You finished the season with sixty six and he finished with seventy. What was that battle like? In competitive By the.

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Speaker 5: Way, I hit twenty seven fouls, seventh foulds, seventy two beat it.

00:12:49
Speaker 1: But what were those battles? I mean, I remember you guys. To me, it was to me one of the most exciting times in baseball. It was must watch TV every time you guys played. You guys battles against each other and kind of messed around when you guys are both hit the home run. What was that time like for you?

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Speaker 5: Well, for me, it was like you know, you know, everybody always you know, dreaming big, but I mean for me coming from Dominican Republic to this country and they see Mark he was the man and normally myself competing against it, and it was incredible. I had an awesome time.

00:13:22
Speaker 4: I was.

00:13:22
Speaker 5: I was happy. I enjoy every minute. I make a lot of people happy. We shock the word by the way you know me that year and also a lot of people appreciate it because the situation that we had with a strike and baseball other stuff, you know that. I mean, not that many people normally going to the ball party and we bring all those people and uh and a man, I was that was great. One thing that I like is not like we never hate each other like people make Yeah, we're not just competitive competitive exactly.

00:13:50
Speaker 1: What was like life like off the field during that time for you.

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Speaker 5: Oh, man, man, I felt like every pressley go outside and five people around that I got me. I can't even go to to the you know, through the through the hotel. I got ponded. People went for I got to go on the back. I mean, all all the all those service I'm I'm but I enjoyed it, you know. I mean I'm always available to taking care of those people autographing it.

00:14:18
Speaker 1: You know, you were in Chicago at the same time as m J. You guys get a chance to know each other. Did you go in any games? Did he come watch any of your games?

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Speaker 5: Yes, I mean I remember that, you know, me going going, you know, make the world crazy. I mean I bring a lot of people to the I mean to this and he went there also. And J was something incredible. We share you know city. You know, he was the man.

00:14:41
Speaker 3: I was the.

00:14:44
Speaker 1: Person shared city, right.

00:14:47
Speaker 5: Yeah, but what's great man? I mean, and J was you know, the time that was playing together was awesome.

00:14:52
Speaker 1: I thought on when he tried to cross over and play baseball.

00:14:56
Speaker 5: Well, I give him a couple of eyes. I mean, normally the transition that you had to make, you know, it's hard. I mean, and I plugged to him because I mean he went up there and tried for a year or two and he pretty not bad, you know what I mean, coming, you know, coming to be the superstart to play baseball again. It's like a wolf kind of hard.

00:15:16
Speaker 1: Another slugger home run hitter during your era was Barry Bonds battling against him? Uh, you know another five tool guy. What were those battles liking? Did you guys have any personal relationship?

00:15:26
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, we talk in and out ever until we saw each other. Always sea show them any times they spin training, because you know, we have a spin training in Arizona. But also very well, was something else?

00:15:38
Speaker 1: I mean the guy something else?

00:15:41
Speaker 5: I mean I considered myself pretty good hitter, but he was in top. I mean I chased so many bad pitches, but he never chased any bad pitches. He wait for his own pitching. And when when he has his pitch, he never missed.

00:15:53
Speaker 1: What was your one pitch you knew you couldn't lay off of, but you still swung at that ship all.

00:15:58
Speaker 5: The slide and breaking piece outside. I remember I remember a man I remember parking on so say one day that I can never hear breaking pe, not even with a guitar exactly, and I'm making my judgement and then when it's not, you know, when the same breaking said I needed to write for you can say I made a mistake. You can hear now that's right.

00:16:20
Speaker 1: That's the real thing going opposite field, You Bons Maguire, players we grew up watching that were so instrumental and bringing baseball back to life aren't necessarily recognized and respected how you guys should be. How does that make you feel when you look back on everything you've accomplished.

00:16:34
Speaker 5: Oh, it's a blessed I mean not not even we made it to the top, but we never forget where you're coming from. And that's and that is, you know, and that's what makes me more grateful. Thanks to the Lord, they gave me the opportunity ability to do them, especially Mark Bury myself. I mean we we you know, we need something, Like I said, we shut the water in the high level com.

00:16:57
Speaker 1: Must watch TV consistently. You're signature home run hot when you get out of the box, up the first baseline, where'd that come from?

00:17:05
Speaker 3: Swag?

00:17:05
Speaker 5: Yeah that's right baseball, that's right. You know, listen, I was doing so many things for my mom. You know, first one I hated her to touch my you know, my helmet for my money, and I said, I had to find something that she feels great. And also for some reason, one day I was watching under Galla Raga. He did it perfectly. Big, yeah, big, And I'm telling you, every time I do that job, everybody know the anxiety.

00:17:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, there you go. I love that. Two thousand and three Steve Bartman gang walk us through what happened on that left field line.

00:17:39
Speaker 5: Man we should do. I mean, we had we have bopen, we had everything down, and we had everything. I mean, I mean, for some reason we call him Dejabu. I don't believe in that, but Djabu, I guess you know in two thousand and three, I think moist. But I mean he put the hand in. I mean, the poor guy. You know, he's out of the contown. Maybe he's in cool way right now. I don't know. His life never been it's like, never been the same. But also, you know, we could have come back. But I mean in baseball, you cannot give a chance to the opponent.

00:18:11
Speaker 3: When any sport one a quick era.

00:18:13
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:18:15
Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on the current state of Major League baseball a lot of major changes, like speeding up the game for the fans analytics. As someone who came in kind of an old school era, what are your thoughts on what the new improvements they try to make to the game.

00:18:28
Speaker 5: Well, it's a different era when we play. We don't how you know that, you know social media today today it's about it's about timing, and I think the adjustment that they makes at the right time because they pay enough money for them to do that. I mean one second, two second, probably not going to affect those players. But also they have to do some change it because I mean, uh, that's why they you know, reclaimed. But I don't. I don't want to bout the time when I'm there. I don't. I don't care about you change the time. Don't know. I'm looking at focused exactly.

00:19:03
Speaker 6: Uh.

00:19:03
Speaker 1: Some other legendary outfielders, uh during your era that we wanted to touch on, first of all, King Griff r Oh the kid.

00:19:12
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's also the sweet sweet Oh, my goodness, sweet. I mean, great guy.

00:19:19
Speaker 3: I love it.

00:19:20
Speaker 5: I love it, great guy. I mean the way Also he came onder it also he was he was incredible cash feel hitting man. I asked him. I mean, how do you do it? He's like, right there, sweet sweet swinging left field right for I mean he was, he was amazing. Tony Gwynn, Oh my goodness, the Emperor, I guaranteed to get a hit. My god, my guy, he's just like wow. I mean, it's the crazy. I have an opportunity also to pick his brain.

00:19:49
Speaker 3: You know.

00:19:49
Speaker 5: He was one of the guys that hard. I mean, I mean the work hard every day. Even he goes three for four the night before the next day, he's in the case. Make sure that he continues. Man Ramirez, I meeting the captain. He's good, He's goot me. He's uh, you know what I like about money. You know, he's required, he's away when he goes to that. He set him up pictures. He set him up pictures. So I mean everything he throw these pictures he never meets. But he was one of the great right handed hereter that I that.

00:20:18
Speaker 4: I see.

00:20:19
Speaker 1: What do you think about these young up and coming or not necessarily young, but just younger Japanese players having such a big impact on Major League Baseball these days?

00:20:28
Speaker 5: Remember they're a Japanese but they can play, yes, and that's and that's the tool that you know, let's say this Kyle or the you know, they're major League looking for especially I mean he said Joe old Tany. I mean this guy is he's come for another world, you know what I mean. And also if you have talent, doesn't matter if you're Japanese or they find you.

00:20:47
Speaker 6: But if you a baseball fan, you know that they are always in the runnings for the goal in baseball every year.

00:20:54
Speaker 3: Bro, the team is good every year.

00:20:56
Speaker 5: Yeah, he's good.

00:20:56
Speaker 6: So that's why they have so many players coming over now because they can actually play the game.

00:21:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, lockdown, Yeah, yeah, he saw mister baseball. Was that Tom Selleck former teammates of yours, tell us a little bit about him.

00:21:14
Speaker 5: Carlos Brano, Oh, Man Brano. He was, I mean he was Incrediblebrano. I mean he can teach, but he can hear. And I like every time he was in the mill because I mean he always asked me, you want me to knock somebody down? Yeah, because he was hard. Yeah, he's incredible. Nolan Ryan, No, Ryan, that was another guy that was He was the old school and I remember hit home brown against him and I think it was speech train at the next piech. It was brush you back. Yeah, I was afraid. I was afraid.

00:21:55
Speaker 1: Uh.

00:21:55
Speaker 5: Greg Maddox the guy that changed that guy, I mean it was he was. He was some great email also, you know he was you know, he was one of those guys that also made me chase some pitches. But when I learned my strikes on and they stayed back with a bowl. I remember he threw me a change over there in Atlanta and I hit a home run, right, like.

00:22:12
Speaker 4: What's going on?

00:22:14
Speaker 1: I heard he was a prankster too, off the off the field in the clubhouse. I heard he used to pull a bunch of Oh man, he's pulling on you.

00:22:23
Speaker 5: Ship here. I was the favorite because you know, I was, you know, I was the man that they making with some games. Yeah, bull up here. Frank Thomas incredible. I mean this guy, I mean we played together. I played together a few years with them over there. He just not to the first day that he came out. He just did not throw the power and this up six seven, I mean something pretty good here.

00:22:48
Speaker 1: Carrie would and Mark Pryor tough one.

00:22:50
Speaker 5: Too, Yeah, tough one too. That both was great, but I think carry Wood was a little bit more on it. He was more gamer. Think with Mark gret I mean prior we probably was awesome too, but you know you can see the difference. So carry, would you know, I'll take carry?

00:23:06
Speaker 1: Would Sean Dunstan?

00:23:08
Speaker 5: Oh, my boy, my boy selling he's he's unbelievable, pretty good.

00:23:16
Speaker 1: What is some of the biggest unwritten rules in baseball?

00:23:20
Speaker 4: Uh?

00:23:20
Speaker 1: In your opinion, something that people may not know? What's an unwritten rule in baseball that people may not know?

00:23:26
Speaker 5: Well, I have to say, well, you got me that one. I mean I don't know. It's something that we do with. Look how to keep a secret.

00:23:33
Speaker 1: I guess underwrap don't.

00:23:38
Speaker 3: Strike out?

00:23:39
Speaker 6: No, don't hit a ground ball and said double playing with two hours, one one out we got.

00:23:48
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's right, I don't do that. You don't do that exactly.

00:23:50
Speaker 1: That plays the MLB of the show. And he's over here talking like, I know you do.

00:24:01
Speaker 5: I mean you don't want to do that. I mean, I mean, man on Thurday, I mean, that's your money right there. You don't no, no, no, you got to bring that guy in.

00:24:08
Speaker 1: When you sit back and look all of you accomplished, Like what do you what do you think made it out of the American Republic great baseball player. When you kind of sit back and reflect, like, what are you most proud of?

00:24:19
Speaker 5: I'm more proud of that. Every time I walk in the street, people came through me and say you was a good player. You are You're a great man because of me. I don't want to be a great player and then people hate me. Yeah, I don't want to do that. And normally I'm a likable guy. You know, I make people laugh and this see my gift that God give it to me and I will continue to spread it through the world.

00:24:41
Speaker 6: The best gift athlete, and I mean the best complement the athlete can get is like, you're a great player, but you a better.

00:24:46
Speaker 5: Human being exactly.

00:24:47
Speaker 3: That's one of the best compliments.

00:24:49
Speaker 1: What was your favorite season in your career?

00:24:52
Speaker 5: Well, ye, yeah, which that was? You know, that was the year. That was the year they got me into the through the White House. I mean yeah with a bit of me, mister Bill Clinton. That was the year they got me to the Hero or the Canyo over the New York That was the year that Sammy really really you know, yeah.

00:25:13
Speaker 1: I remember I was in high school. We'll cut cut school, go take bond with and want you go to work.

00:25:18
Speaker 5: Yeah in New York right now, and New York people was watching the taxi, the people taxing New York. They put the number in the car and have to follow. Yeah that's awesome. Yeah.

00:25:32
Speaker 1: Uh is making the Hall of Fame something that's important to you?

00:25:36
Speaker 5: Uh, it's important for every player. I think, you know, looking forward, maybe one day you know things changed. I can been changing recently, and you know myself Barry Bone mar maguire claiming can make it there.

00:25:51
Speaker 3: I deserve it for sure.

00:25:54
Speaker 1: Smartest picture you've ever faced, smartest, slash, toughest, smart, great minded. Okay, I said that, David Justin he said that, or Gary Sheffield who else? Or someone else said it too? With a justice here?

00:26:10
Speaker 6: Best uh, worst ballpark you ever played in in in the Major leagues.

00:26:14
Speaker 5: Worst ballpark the old San Francisco, Yes, right in the water, yes yeah.

00:26:21
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:26:22
Speaker 1: Craziest clubhouse story that you could share with us. You've seen a lot of ships, Sam, give me something.

00:26:29
Speaker 5: It's coming on hand, give me something.

00:26:33
Speaker 1: Come on now, you've seen a lot.

00:26:34
Speaker 5: Of ship Well, I remember in Texas, me and full of Franco. I get to mention hulo Frank they got this bad and I tried wrestling with them and they got me like that, and they came up with all the shade older store and toy to me. I remember how my Gary call that.

00:26:54
Speaker 1: Jerry Carrol Carol love question, where's your Jerry curl?

00:27:00
Speaker 5: Wet or dry?

00:27:01
Speaker 1: That ship dripped or.

00:27:02
Speaker 5: Just high a lunger, buddy, Yeah, it was long. I was creeping.

00:27:11
Speaker 1: He used to shake that ship, that's right.

00:27:14
Speaker 3: I didn't notice.

00:27:14
Speaker 2: He used to jump out the bars ship, used to flip the ship in the home up the box, flipping on him if he was in the game, and the bitch is cleared.

00:27:31
Speaker 3: Name three players that you would want to fight with you who's.

00:27:33
Speaker 1: On your side but was in my side?

00:27:35
Speaker 5: I have some brano color brano was there to uh player?

00:27:40
Speaker 3: I have?

00:27:42
Speaker 5: Let me see you, EDDI yeld it? What's a crazy guy yelling? Yeah, yelling at uh in Chicago?

00:27:50
Speaker 4: And uh?

00:27:50
Speaker 3: Well? What else? What else? I have a well?

00:27:53
Speaker 5: Maybe Frank Thoma, Oh Frank Tom, Yeah, Frank, I'm looking to build my walk hurt.

00:28:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna behind you, behind you, that's right. Who is the greatest player of all time in baseball history?

00:28:11
Speaker 5: In your opinion from my era? Or from this period period period, Well, I had some few. I have to say that bay Rue and I have to say ah and and yeah, and also Roberto Clemente vertical.

00:28:29
Speaker 3: Of course, what are you up to post retirement?

00:28:33
Speaker 6: Any business ventures, anything that you want to tell people so we can get that you get their support.

00:28:38
Speaker 5: Yes, are you? I you have some few business some few a you know, real estate business doing it right now and in the States. Are back at home. No, that one is in Panama. But also we're looking out something here to stay. Oh yeah, and also a couple of financial you know movement.

00:28:57
Speaker 6: I would love to come and hang out with you in d R one day.

00:29:00
Speaker 3: Let me know they love me. There have some kids there to look.

00:29:03
Speaker 5: For your kids.

00:29:04
Speaker 3: I might have a couple of years.

00:29:05
Speaker 1: You're gonna help you look for you Sammy and Stack down the street.

00:29:09
Speaker 5: Kids support coming, Yeah, it's coming.

00:29:16
Speaker 3: Well, well, I was there a long time ago.

00:29:18
Speaker 1: They bout twenty three, twenty Yeah, the statues limitation. Now may your son for the.

00:29:25
Speaker 3: First time.

00:29:29
Speaker 1: My fault, my fault in the current major m LB best player in the league.

00:29:35
Speaker 5: You feel like, right.

00:29:35
Speaker 1: Now, wow, I have some few Maybe I'll maybe him the two or three.

00:29:41
Speaker 5: Yeah, well, you know, I have to say, I'm sort uh it's one running like yeah, these people there are they are going to make the lead, so I know the level. I mean, with the respect of the rest of the players, but this the for do there are corner spec Yeah, and then and I mentioned one solo because nobody will give you seven hundred and sixty five million because you're a nice guy, right ball exactly, you deserve it.

00:30:12
Speaker 1: So god, seven hundred and fifty million, all right.

00:30:21
Speaker 4: Contracts and play themselves.

00:30:25
Speaker 5: Well, I want them to give a billion two billion, You know what I mean, because I remember when I was coming up. Now, I was that I was that much money. But the the vending opened the door for us. So now you know, the baseport is different, new era. People making money, especially when when I play, let's say, play making seven hundred thousand dollars. Now the five and seven million, ten million sit on the bench, so everything changes money for everybody.

00:30:48
Speaker 3: Now, yep, if you can.

00:30:51
Speaker 6: See one Major League Baseball guest on our show, who would it be?

00:30:56
Speaker 3: But you have to help us get your answer on show?

00:31:00
Speaker 1: So who are some of your friends? You think she would be on our show?

00:31:02
Speaker 3: Yeah?

00:31:03
Speaker 5: Well I think send me up Pedro Martinez. Yes, yeah, pretty good. I also Arbor Poolhole.

00:31:14
Speaker 3: We played in the game. Super cool dude.

00:31:16
Speaker 5: Yeah, and you know maybe also he was out here, lady.

00:31:23
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:31:23
Speaker 5: I mean a lot of them. Yeah, you know they can come through your show.

00:31:26
Speaker 3: And you know, are you in Big Poppy cool?

00:31:28
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, Poppy, Yeah, I know.

00:31:33
Speaker 3: Thank you Big you see Big Pop Sammy.

00:31:39
Speaker 1: We appreciate your time, man, you you you feel my childhood with amazing times and just an honor to be able to sit down with you man, and thank you for coming on our show to thank you.

00:31:47
Speaker 5: Appreciate that you thank you.

00:31:52
Speaker 1: That's a wrap, Sammy. So so you can catch us on All the Smoke Productions YouTube and the DraftKings Network. See y'all next week. Peace so he Welcome to another edition of All the Smoke Dug Out Edition. We're here in Atlanta for the MLB All Star Game twenty twenty five. My man sitting to my left put in a lot of work two thousand and five Work of the Year, two thousand and six, MVP, three time All Star home Run Derby Champ World Series Champ with the Phillies in two thousand and eight. Actually recently in the media space now too.

00:32:26
Speaker 3: Man.

00:32:26
Speaker 1: Welcome to the show, Ryan Howard, Sir, appreciate you.

00:32:29
Speaker 3: Man.

00:32:31
Speaker 1: I'm going to jump a little bit because it's something that happened to you. Is heavy in the NBA sport right now. You tore your achilles, yes, Sir, on the last play of the season in two thousand and eleven Alds and obviously pretty much ended your guys' run to say the least. But talk to me about that injury and what the recovery process was like physically. But I also want to hear the mental side, because the mental side, I know, is more draining than the physical.

00:33:00
Speaker 4: Man first and foremost, it was Yeah, as you mentioned the last play in the postseason against my hometown team. I grew up watching man.

00:33:11
Speaker 7: The Cardinals, man, and it was just one of those situations where when I hit the ball and I went down, I just thought I got hit in the back of the leg right and I was like, oh man, what you doing the balls and right field?

00:33:23
Speaker 4: You gotta get up and go got up boom foot and went flat, went down, felt the tingle go up my leg and I was like, okay, something some made right. But it was one of those things to where you know it. Just when it happened the comeback.

00:33:40
Speaker 7: I was like, all right, I'm still young somewhat and I'll be able to come back do all that. It took a lot longer than I had ever expected going into twelve thirteen. It was one of those things for me where you know, as a player, you want to get back faster because you know you're thinking about, hey, me at sixty.

00:34:00
Speaker 4: Percent is better than a lot of dudes got.

00:34:03
Speaker 7: So I'm like, let me just get good enough to be able to get out on the field as opposed to really getting like one hundred and ten percent. And that's what I tell cats now, you know, kind of watching what happened in the pot in the playoffs in the NBA, the first thing I tell guys when they have any kind of injury, bro, make sure you're one hundred and ten percent, not one hundred percent, one hundred and ten percent, because that extra ten percent is that mental.

00:34:27
Speaker 4: Physically you'll feel good.

00:34:28
Speaker 7: But mentrusting was like, yeah, trusting it and just being able to say, oh, the minute you feel something just like a little ache or tweet, you're like, oh shit, there we go again.

00:34:38
Speaker 1: So how long do you feel like physically it took you to get back? And how long did it take you mentally to get back?

00:34:43
Speaker 4: I mean for me, I felt like it took a couple of years because.

00:34:49
Speaker 1: That that next year I toe injury.

00:34:51
Speaker 4: Right, Yeah, well, well that.

00:34:53
Speaker 7: Next year I had to get my left knee scope souse, my left achilles and then my left knee. So really being a left handed hitter, this is my push off side, this is my drive side. So it was tough kind of getting those back and sync.

00:35:08
Speaker 4: So it took a little bit.

00:35:09
Speaker 7: And like even still to this day, like this leg is still a little bit baker, a little different, so I could.

00:35:14
Speaker 4: Still feel it, but you know, it's just continue to try to put that work in, man, get that thing right.

00:35:20
Speaker 1: You've been in the media space for a little bit six one one podcast with your brother Jimmy Rawlins. What made you jump into the the pod space?

00:35:28
Speaker 7: You know what, Jimmy and I just have this rapport and you know, we were like, man, let's let's go on down here and go give the people what they want and uh and getting out here doing the sixty one one podcast. At first, it's it's a funny play because when we came up with the name. We didn't realize what what the extra was to it. So my number was six, Jimmy's number was eleven, and then obviously playing in Philadelphia, well six eleven is like the exit for broad Street, Main Street, and you realize it it was meant to be, all right, Yeah, it's meant to be.

00:36:05
Speaker 1: Yeah, So how has that been? I mean, there's not a lot of ton there's not a ton like I feel like the basketball space has been saturated with them. There's still not a lot of former players in your profession doing what you guys are doing. So you guys are you know, somewhat pioneering this space. But how how how has it been?

00:36:19
Speaker 3: How have you enjoyed?

00:36:20
Speaker 4: It's been great.

00:36:21
Speaker 7: It's been fun, thoroughly enjoying it, you know, trying to come through give like a baseball perspective on different things. But you know, just just as what you guys are doing over here, just touching on the outsides of different things, because I think when people look at baseball in general, they're thinking one thing, and so we're trying to kind of.

00:36:41
Speaker 4: Change the stig narrative, yeah, and change the stigma.

00:36:44
Speaker 1: On retired life. And I've been at it for eight years now, you've been at it to pretty much the same or pretty close. What is retired life for you like these days?

00:36:53
Speaker 3: Man?

00:36:53
Speaker 4: Retired life is good, bro good.

00:36:55
Speaker 7: I mean, first and foremost, always being able to just kind of hang out with the family. My son who was a little bit older, but three girls, you know, ten, eight and five, so chasing them around.

00:37:05
Speaker 1: What's it like being a girl dad? Because I got old boys?

00:37:07
Speaker 4: Man, it's you know what, it's different.

00:37:09
Speaker 1: It's cool because you got an older son.

00:37:11
Speaker 4: I got three girls, yea, so it's different. So dance, so we got we got a lot of dance taking place. So that's it.

00:37:19
Speaker 1: They never they ever get daddy dressing up or going to tea parties with them, anything like that.

00:37:23
Speaker 4: I've done that, done that, gotten the nails painted, the make up, did all that stuff.

00:37:29
Speaker 1: Daddy duty.

00:37:30
Speaker 3: Oh it is it is.

00:37:31
Speaker 4: I'm out numbered.

00:37:32
Speaker 1: I'm a number a lot of female energy in the house.

00:37:35
Speaker 3: That's it.

00:37:36
Speaker 4: I got to pick my battles.

00:37:37
Speaker 1: There you go, born and raised in Saint Louis here from southwest Missouri state becomes how to become one of the greatest power hitters of all time? Out there?

00:37:50
Speaker 4: Man?

00:37:51
Speaker 3: You know what?

00:37:51
Speaker 4: Uh my story there was was interesting, you know, like you said, born and raised Saint Louis, Missouri. Out of high school.

00:37:58
Speaker 7: I was actually rooted by like larger schools and was looking at going to Arizona State to go play.

00:38:07
Speaker 1: But I didn't pass my act And so what was your senior you house go to cut you off?

00:38:13
Speaker 4: Ninety eight, graduated ninety eight.

00:38:15
Speaker 7: So back then that was where you could still not have a scholarship by your senior year and still have an opportunity.

00:38:21
Speaker 4: To get a scholarship. We're here. You got to commit by seventh grade.

00:38:26
Speaker 1: They're paying you to stop your recruiting process exactly.

00:38:29
Speaker 7: So it was it was one of those things where the way I wound up at SMS, which is now Missouri State University, it was funny. So I was kind of, you know, in limbo because I wasn't able to get a scholarship to go to a SU and was looking at a few different schools late and I got to go down to SMS at the time and meet coach Keith Gutting, And what I loved about I loved the campus. I loved g because he was straight up and he just told me he looked me dead in my eye. He said, look, we'd love to have you. You'd be what we would say, it's like a recruited walk on. And he's like, but I can't guarantee you any playtime because you'd be going up against two junior college transfers and me at the time, I looked him dead in the eyes, like, where do I sign?

00:39:18
Speaker 4: So because I wanted. I wanted.

00:39:20
Speaker 7: I wanted the thrill of that competition, because wherever it was that I wound up, I wanted to go to be able to play as a true freshman to see how good I was.

00:39:27
Speaker 1: How did that work out?

00:39:29
Speaker 4: Them two dudes were sitting on a bench.

00:39:30
Speaker 1: Okay, so it worked. How long did it take feet to crack the lineup?

00:39:34
Speaker 7: I mean I made it from from fall camp. So yeah, so from fall camp going into the spring, they're like, all right, you got it.

00:39:43
Speaker 3: We led the.

00:39:44
Speaker 7: Country and home runs. I was fourth on the team and home runs that season with nineteen as a freshman.

00:39:52
Speaker 1: Who were some of your heroes growing up in the in the sport ooh.

00:39:55
Speaker 7: Man, so growing up obviously being a Cardinals fan, we had Willie McGee, Aussie Smith, Coleman, t Pendleton, all those guys, my idols, Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds, King, Griffrey Jr.

00:40:14
Speaker 4: Man, I'd say, Jim Tomay, big stump, big stump in the left.

00:40:19
Speaker 7: And then I gotta throw righty in there. My man, big hurt. I'm being big hurt. Frank Thomas, you got the big my boys.

00:40:30
Speaker 4: My boys used to call me hurt in school.

00:40:32
Speaker 1: Okay, So that's that's dope. Minor league grinds. I know, the baseball grind is unlike any other What was your minor league journey?

00:40:40
Speaker 7: Like, minor leagues was fun, bro. We used to say it all the time. Man, It's like when you get drafted, you going to bushes, going to jungle. Everybody the master your first round or fiftieth round or whatever. Everybody going to bushes. And so I just remember my my journey was a little bit different because my first full season in the minor leagues was two thousand and two.

00:41:03
Speaker 4: I was drafted in OH one.

00:41:04
Speaker 7: The Phillies had just signed Jim Tomy in two thousand and two to like a six year deal. So I was sitting there like, damn man, they just signed Jim Tomy. Like standing me was like, yo, that was dope. Then the player in the organization was like, damn, they just signed Jim told me. So that's when I made up my mind where I was like, man, I just got to do what I gotta do and try to take it out of their hands and try to play my way up to the big leagues, whether it was in the Phillies organization or whether it was.

00:41:29
Speaker 1: Someone else else. How many years did you play in the minors.

00:41:31
Speaker 4: I was in the minors for three years, three and some change.

00:41:38
Speaker 1: And then you come up and what happens with So I came.

00:41:41
Speaker 7: Up, had my call up in four September four, started back in Triple A and five, and then so in Triple A Tommy gets hurt.

00:41:50
Speaker 4: I go up for like two weeks and then he comes back off the.

00:41:55
Speaker 7: Injury reserve DL, and then I go back down to Triple A and then he gets hurt for the rest of the.

00:42:00
Speaker 4: Season in five and I just kind of just did my thing.

00:42:04
Speaker 7: And I remember I remember being asked by the media when they said Tomy was gonna be out for the rest of the season.

00:42:10
Speaker 4: One of the people was like, hey, so, what's it like to, you know, have to fill Jim Tomay's shoes.

00:42:16
Speaker 7: I said, I'm not Jim Tomay, And I said, you know, if I go out and I go do me and I know what I'm capable of, I think we'll be all right.

00:42:26
Speaker 1: Philly fans are a little different.

00:42:28
Speaker 3: They are.

00:42:28
Speaker 1: How did what was what was kind of like you're welcome to the team. When did you know that they were really rocking with you? Man?

00:42:34
Speaker 7: Like when I got called up in September of four, my first big lead at bat. I had a really good year in Double A and Triple A that year going up, and they would always kind of play like the down on the Farm type stuff where they would show you know, what guys are doing on and so everybody was hearing about this kid, and now everybody was ready to see So I remember we were actually playing the Braves in Philly and I was standing on deck circle and I was like nervous as hell, Man, it's less And then they announced my name and the crowd like went crazy, and I was.

00:43:04
Speaker 1: Like, what's that feeling like? Like walk us back? Because I mean, I know, you get chilled. Just what was that experience like that first time they called your name in the whole stadium?

00:43:12
Speaker 3: Man?

00:43:12
Speaker 4: It was it was surreal.

00:43:14
Speaker 7: It was surreal because I was like, Okay, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, Like, let's let's go, let's do.

00:43:21
Speaker 1: It's a dope fifth round pick. Obviously one of the rare guys that spent his entire career with one organization. Is it true at one point you were mistaken for Jimmy Rolins bodyguard?

00:43:32
Speaker 4: This is affirmative. I can affirm that.

00:43:35
Speaker 1: Let me hear that story. I need to hear.

00:43:37
Speaker 7: So I'm a rookie and there was this bar that was attached to the ballpark to the to the stadium there, and it was McFadden's and so like we used to go over there and go kick it like every once in a while after the games or whatever. So I go over with Jimmy and Jimmy's like sitting at the bar and I was just kind of standing next to him, and this girl comes up.

00:43:56
Speaker 4: And she's like, oh my god, Jimmy Rols like and.

00:43:58
Speaker 7: It stopped and like looked up and looked at me and she's like, oh, I'm sorry, are you his security? And I was just standing there like we both looked at each other just started laughing because I had.

00:44:08
Speaker 4: Just kind of burst on the scene.

00:44:10
Speaker 1: So that's funny. Any run ins with any other Philly sports legends McNab man, all of them, really, all of them. Man, what's it like me for the first time?

00:44:20
Speaker 4: Man, dope, little dope dope. But you know he pack a punch. Yeah, come on, man, pack a punch.

00:44:26
Speaker 6: Man.

00:44:27
Speaker 3: He was. He was so cool.

00:44:28
Speaker 7: He was first time I met him, right, So I'm I'm me still kind of making my way up coming into the leagues and stuff like that.

00:44:37
Speaker 4: Ai s Ai and he's like, man, I was like, a I Man, what's up?

00:44:41
Speaker 3: Man?

00:44:41
Speaker 4: He's like, yeah, you that you're that big? You're hitting all them home run I was like, I was like, I was like, what dope.

00:44:52
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:44:53
Speaker 4: So it's like it was cool man.

00:44:54
Speaker 3: That was a really cool yeah.

00:44:56
Speaker 1: I mean again, Philly sports are there, finicky, but they love their players and if you're a good player, they love you to death. What was just the fandom light in Philly getting again being the guy that got a chance to spend his whole career one spot.

00:45:09
Speaker 4: It's dope, man. I put it to people like this who've never played in Philly.

00:45:13
Speaker 7: I mean, obviously as a as an opposing player, they know they know how tough it can be, but being a home player, it could be tough.

00:45:20
Speaker 4: At time too.

00:45:21
Speaker 1: So I say, Santa Claus, they did, they did, but.

00:45:25
Speaker 7: Always tell them, I say, you know, Philly is known as the city of brotherly love. Like you love your brother, you fight with your brother, but like you know, at the end of the day, get along. But at the end of the day, it's like they love you. So I mean, they're just they're just very very passionate fans and it's keeping you honest because it's a blue collar town and all they want is a blue collar effort. So when you go out there and you bust your butt every day and hustle, control the things you can control, like they can respect that.

00:45:55
Speaker 1: They can respect that fastest player to ever hit one hundred home runs three hundred and twenty five game also the fastest to reach two hundred home runs six fifty eight. You get forty five home runs four years in a row from six to nine. Talk about that run right there.

00:46:09
Speaker 4: Man, it was it was unreal. It was like putting up video game numbers.

00:46:14
Speaker 7: And you know, it was one of those things to me whereas like I just knew what I was capable of, and I just wanted to go out every single night.

00:46:22
Speaker 4: And try to do what I could to help my team win.

00:46:24
Speaker 7: Man, just put them on my back and uh whenever, just pick up, Chase, pick up, Jimmy, pick up Shane, pick up all those cats.

00:46:33
Speaker 4: Just go out there and then like looking at it now, right, hell did you do you?

00:46:39
Speaker 1: That's what I wanted. That was my next question is obviously in the moment, we're just in the moment where each you know, each day, each of bat, each game, we're living in that moment. But when you get a chance to kind of sit back, like, yo, forty five plus going straight, I.

00:46:52
Speaker 4: Can't tell you.

00:46:53
Speaker 7: So like two thousand and six was my MVP year and looking back at it now and it's like fifty eight home runs, like one hundred and.

00:47:01
Speaker 4: Forty nine rbises insane, bro, And I'm just thinking to myself, like, how the hell did you? How did you do that? And I remember having a conversation with Jimmy one time where it was like I hadn't hit a homer.

00:47:12
Speaker 7: In like a week or two weeks, and I was like, damn, man, I'm struggling, Bro, I ain't hit a home run and like.

00:47:18
Speaker 4: A week and Jimmy just looked at me like that, like what you talk A week? I think I went out hit like two home runs a night.

00:47:25
Speaker 1: So where was your Where was your where'd you like? And where was your powers?

00:47:29
Speaker 3: On? Where was your you? What?

00:47:30
Speaker 7: I was a guy who I liked the ball middle middle away, and I stood off the plate like away from the plate ext I had.

00:47:39
Speaker 4: Her long back. I had a longer bat.

00:47:41
Speaker 7: My bat was thirty five inches thirty four ounces, and so by me standing off the plate because of how long the arms were with my bat being the extension.

00:47:51
Speaker 4: It made this whole thing look real good at the pictures.

00:47:54
Speaker 7: So anything they threw away was like all right, I got play coverage there. But anything they through middle middle in and they missed on the inner half. For me, I wanted everything to feel like it was away so I could work the middle of the field and if I.

00:48:08
Speaker 4: Pulled it, I pulled it.

00:48:09
Speaker 7: But like I was, basically in a sense kind of setting them up because I wanted everything away so I can get my arms extended and kind of stay up the middle too.

00:48:18
Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember this, because I just remembered it just right now. Jamior Nelson's front is from Philly, and we came out. He used to have this little summer camp in Philly. We came to one of your guys before your game, and we took batting practice on the field, and you gave me your batting gloves. And I had the motherfuckers for like three years because I played traveling softball in the off season. I love softball, but I remember you gave me your your batting gloves, and I was me and one other person were the only ones that hit the home run during batting practice. But I remember particularly you gave me your bat and goes like, damn, that's right, all right there, that's dope, a little fan mom, But forgive me, let me get back to let me get back to business. PD era big numbers. Did you ever get a used or lumped in with people that were well, how was it? How was what was that like? Because again this is kind of pre social media, you know what I mean, so kind of stigmas and this and lies could get stuck on people that aren't.

00:49:13
Speaker 7: Necessarily Yeah, I mean it was tough, man, because it was you know, obviously growing up in Saint Louis.

00:49:18
Speaker 4: I was there my senior year school.

00:49:21
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're all.

00:49:22
Speaker 7: Watching the whole Mark Maguire, Sammy Sosa, back and forth. So it was tough because it was like anybody who put up big numbers kind of outside the ordinary, where especially for me, you know, this is my first full season in the big leagues in two thousand and six, so they're like this kid bursts on the scene his first year and he hits fifty eight home runs.

00:49:41
Speaker 4: Like, oh, he's got to be on something.

00:49:43
Speaker 7: And I remember, like media was asking me that, and I just remember my response was I played at like two fifty two fifty five and I said to the media, dude, I was like, bro, I'll lift my shirt up right now. You ain't gonna see no abs.

00:49:57
Speaker 3: You know.

00:49:58
Speaker 1: So it's like that country boy strength.

00:50:00
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's just like I got a keg right here. Bro, that's it.

00:50:03
Speaker 1: So but you still look like you sa Are you someone that like slims down.

00:50:06
Speaker 3: If you don't, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

00:50:09
Speaker 1: Do you feel players that use I mean, how do current excuse me, how do former players look at guys, because you know, we you guys kind of like we knew what was going on our league. You knew what was going on in your league. How do players that didn't use it look at guys that did.

00:50:25
Speaker 7: I mean, there's always gonna be that that little bit of disdain because guys just try to do it and did it the right way. Where guys either did it and and they got paid. A lot of time dudes were doing it. It was a contract year, so it's like, let me go ahead and do this so I can go ahead and get paid. And then where the guy who didn't do it tried to do it the right way, he got screwed. So there's always gonna be that bit of disdain. But I mean, I knew for me, it's like I didn't do it, and I'm like, all right, if you're gonna do it, that's your prerogative.

00:50:57
Speaker 4: But my goal was always beat your ass.

00:50:58
Speaker 1: Anyway, period.

00:50:59
Speaker 4: So it's like, even if you're on PDS, I'm gonna do it the right way. And still trying to.

00:51:04
Speaker 1: Take me through some of your your your teammates Chase Utley, who was a Bruin, talk to me about Chase.

00:51:10
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, Chase, Chase is sneaky man.

00:51:13
Speaker 7: Like people don't get it, like they see the hard nose, like on the field, like when we played, like Chase didn't talk to people, and he didn't really talk to guys on other teams and stuff. That was just kind of the mantra of how it was when we were playing and like always played the game hard, played the game the right way. But like off the field, that dude is like sneaky bro, sneaky man Chase. He can be a little prankster and like put you in some situation. He tried to put me in some situations.

00:51:39
Speaker 1: He tried to put you in the trick bag, try to put me in some situations. Jimmy Rolins Young James Man.

00:51:47
Speaker 4: That that was the young James was was more than the vocal piece he was.

00:51:52
Speaker 7: He was that verbal leader. We had guys that were all leaders in different facets. Jimmy was that vocal guy. I mean where he was, I mean he was. He was the swag. He was the swag of our team and everything. And my man came out two thousand and seven. We hadn't won shit. He came out in two thousand and seven, the Mets had won, the Braves had won, you know, the division. We hadn't won a division. And he came out in two thousand and seven and say, hey, no, we feel like we're the team to beat. So we gathered, we rallied behind him, and you know then we started that little run.

00:52:24
Speaker 4: We went on.

00:52:27
Speaker 1: Roy Holiday.

00:52:28
Speaker 4: Oh man, that dude, work horse, Roy Man, like he was.

00:52:34
Speaker 7: He's one of those guys that on the days he was pitching, like I walked in the clubhouse, I was just like, hey, what's up, doctor, and then kept moving like he'd be so locked in.

00:52:45
Speaker 4: But then on the days he wasn't pitching, he was like a big kid cool. Yeah, he was a big kid.

00:52:49
Speaker 7: I remember one day, our traveling secretary on payday would give everybody their checks, and so he would always try to find some kind of funny way to give me my check. And so he had Roy was always into like toy airplanes and stuff, and so he had Roy fly on his model airplanes and and fly my check and deliver it over to my.

00:53:12
Speaker 1: Locker and bring check. Was it the fly in Hawaiian Is that what they called it?

00:53:18
Speaker 4: Yeah, my man sugar shamee Hawaiian man Shane Victory.

00:53:22
Speaker 7: Never seen him eat a normal plate of food but heat candy sweets. That's why he's bouncing off the walls all the time. That's why they play.

00:53:33
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, just flying all over the place.

00:53:35
Speaker 3: Man. Love.

00:53:36
Speaker 7: He was actually my roommate, and we were roommates in Triple A and Scranton in like four oh five.

00:53:42
Speaker 4: And man, one of one of the greatest guys.

00:53:45
Speaker 7: I mean, like just just just one of those dudes where he just knew how to go about playing the game doing all that good stuff.

00:53:51
Speaker 3: Man.

00:53:52
Speaker 7: But like all these guys man, just great human beings. Pedro Pedro, Pedro Martinez, Oh my god, dude, PDP bro loved him, loved him. He uh, he was one of those guys when he comes in, Man, his whole aura just changes the entire room. Like just one of the most genuine people will ever meet. Great teammate, come out there, go throw, go play. And uh it's funny because my brothers and I used to have a we used to have like this little inside joke and I was told I told Pedro, like, man, Pedro gonna be good.

00:54:25
Speaker 3: Bro.

00:54:25
Speaker 4: He got that you got that curl working to day. Actually you got that extra the day, got that activate.

00:54:32
Speaker 1: Was he someone that you guys could joke with and have fun or was he was Did he talks ship a little.

00:54:37
Speaker 7: Bit like days days that he was pitching because everybody, every starting picture has their own routine and so like days, you know, usually as a position player, you don't mess with the picture that's starting that day. We did have guys that you could talk to like you would have never known they were starting that day, But like Pedro every other day, he's like out there, he's a prankster.

00:55:00
Speaker 3: Love that.

00:55:01
Speaker 1: Uh yeah, I mean you guys went to five straight playoffs, won a World Series, and eight went back in on nine unfortunately lost. What are some of your fondest memories about that run?

00:55:09
Speaker 7: With that that that core of guys, I think the biggest thing was was that we all had one thing in common and that we all wanted to win. We all expected to win, because it was like when we showed up to the field, everybody wants, everybody wants to win, everybody hopes to win. We expected to win. So there's a big difference there and being able to have those runs. We just knew we were better than everybody else. Like even in on nine when we lost to the Yankees, we still felt like we were better than they were. We had gone to New York earlier that season and took two out of three in New York against the Yankees. So I mean I felt kind of like we just we just ran out of games. You know, they just they just got us.

00:55:51
Speaker 1: What do you think the scattering report on you was.

00:55:55
Speaker 3: Run?

00:55:55
Speaker 4: But I think I know what it was. I mean Scott report.

00:55:58
Speaker 7: They were just Everything they would try to do is just give me go on soft away and try to get me to roll over and hit it into the shift at the time which now no longer, So it was just everything kind of soft away, you know, a little bit hard in, but like mostly just try to get everything away so they can get me to try to roll over. If they were if they did come in, like I say, it was gonna be a ball, if they threw like something off speed, hard in, off the plate, jammy and whatnot.

00:56:28
Speaker 3: They just tried.

00:56:29
Speaker 4: They wanted me to try to pull everything and just get me out that way.

00:56:33
Speaker 1: And then on the flip side, when you're stepping in the battle's box, what is your thought process?

00:56:36
Speaker 7: My thought process is I wanted to stay up the middle, so I learned in college. My college coach taught me how to hit the ball to the oppos the field. So out of high school I was a dead dead pool hitter, and so.

00:56:51
Speaker 4: He opened up the entire field to me.

00:56:54
Speaker 7: So he changed my mindset where my foul poles were basically right center and left center to stay up the middle of the field, and so that just kind of slowed everything down for me. So you could take the fastball, and you can take that and go from one hundred and have it be like ninety four ninety five, and then the change ups and all the others pitches like you could see really really well and then be able to stay back and they stay back.

00:57:20
Speaker 4: Up in the middle.

00:57:21
Speaker 1: That's interesting because we asked Garay the same thing, and when he locked in, he said it seemed like everything took maybe five miles an hour off that pitch.

00:57:28
Speaker 4: So that's how it's a trip.

00:57:30
Speaker 7: When you tell people to like way to figure out how to crazy ball down and people are like coming an hour.

00:57:37
Speaker 4: It's just you just got to be looking in the right spot.

00:57:41
Speaker 8: The smartest picture you ever faced, ooh, smartest picture I ever faced. I mean, I probably say the toughest picture I'd ever faced was Sureser Max Shirs.

00:57:57
Speaker 7: I mean, he was one of those guys that he didn't care, he was gonna throw anything in any the times at the Nationals with the time, and it didn't matter what he threw.

00:58:06
Speaker 4: He would throw anything in any count.

00:58:08
Speaker 7: And even if you slapped one of his pitches before, he'll come back with the same pitch like he didn't back down. So that was that was one of those things where smart pitcher, they knew what they wanted to do. He was just able to go out and go execute.

00:58:22
Speaker 1: And there's the difference we wanted to do it and doing it best stuff. Who had the best stuff?

00:58:27
Speaker 4: Oh, best stuff, I would say again Sureser and Strasburg in there. Strasburg was was filthy when he was healthy, nasty, he was a monster.

00:58:41
Speaker 1: How did you get out of slump? So what was your routine to try to get out of a slump?

00:58:44
Speaker 4: For slumps, it just depends on what I was going through.

00:58:47
Speaker 7: So I really just kind of take my time and say, you know what, these next two or three abs, I'm gonna jam myself and try to let the ball get as deep as it possibly can and just track it all the way into the back. Track it all the way because it's easier to work from here this way towards the mount as opposed to working their back. So That's why I was like, if I jammed myself and not worry about what happened, what the result is, then all of a sudden, I'm gonna start getting my timing to be like, Okay, let me get a little little sooner, a little sooner. Boom, I'm back here now, I'm now to do my thing.

00:59:28
Speaker 1: Superstitions, superstitions.

00:59:31
Speaker 7: I didn't really have a SUPERSTI actually, you know what, I just realized this the other day. If I was chewing gum and the other team was hitting, I would chew my gum on the left side, or actually, if it was an out or whatnot, whatever the inning was that started where my gum was and we got an out, I had to keep chewing it on that side until.

00:59:55
Speaker 4: The inning was over.

00:59:55
Speaker 1: There any wild superstitions some of your teammates may have that you can share, old.

01:00:00
Speaker 4: Superstition, Nah, we didn't have any. We didn't. We didn't have any, Joe Booze.

01:00:08
Speaker 7: I mean, I think everybody just kind of had their own, but uh yeah, nothing nothing too crazy.

01:00:14
Speaker 1: Why do you think there's such a drastic drop in black American Major League players?

01:00:21
Speaker 4: You know, I think one it's I mean, you just I think you gotta market more. You gotta market to it more.

01:00:31
Speaker 7: Because I remember growing up man, like I said, the Cardinals, Willie McGee ven's Coleman, Terry Pendleton, all those guys. But you saw on TV and they were being marketed. I think, one, you have to market to the black community and black kids and show them there's another opportunity there too. The other thing about it is to me is like baseball is a very expensive sports.

01:00:52
Speaker 4: It's tough. It's tough. I mean showcases as you know, like coaching coaching kids. Well, right, it's all.

01:01:01
Speaker 7: These different showcases in these tournaments. That stuff costs money along with the gear, along with the travel. Like I mean, it's it's tough to be able to try to get out.

01:01:11
Speaker 3: There and do it.

01:01:11
Speaker 1: But a lot of families are priced out.

01:01:13
Speaker 4: Yeah, all the families are priced out.

01:01:15
Speaker 7: My man Jed Lowry said it you know best, and he was like, you know what you don't want is you don't want baseball to become a country club sport to where you're not getting the best talent.

01:01:26
Speaker 4: You're only getting the best of the best who can afford it.

01:01:29
Speaker 1: You made some cameos always sunny in Philadelphia and entourage, Sir, How those come about? By the way, one of the greatest shows.

01:01:37
Speaker 4: Man, that was so much fun, so much fun. Yeah, just through my agency.

01:01:41
Speaker 7: Man, they hit me up and I was like, man, this would be something outside of mind, my norm, and so I would.

01:01:47
Speaker 4: Love to do it.

01:01:48
Speaker 1: You got to hang with any chase? Was that you got to hang with any chase?

01:01:51
Speaker 3: No, man.

01:01:52
Speaker 7: So when I shot that scene, that was actually in my backyard at my house that I had in Philly. So at that time when Turtle, it was the episode when Turtle was trying to get investors for a that was alcohol.

01:02:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, so he came to you.

01:02:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, so he came to me.

01:02:14
Speaker 1: All right, man, quick hitters. First thing to come to mind.

01:02:16
Speaker 3: Let us let us know.

01:02:17
Speaker 1: You just mentioned that worst ballpark he played in.

01:02:20
Speaker 4: Worst ballpark I played in probably RFK, the Old Mash. Yeah, it was best, best ballpark I played in.

01:02:33
Speaker 3: Man.

01:02:33
Speaker 4: I always loved I always loved playing in Atlanta. Okay, I always loved playing Atlanta. Turner Field.

01:02:39
Speaker 1: Picture that was really good. But you loved to face him?

01:02:42
Speaker 4: Oh a picture? Oh Johann Santana.

01:02:44
Speaker 1: Oh he had his number.

01:02:46
Speaker 5: Yeah, John, I.

01:02:47
Speaker 7: Just remember when they signed him, and they were talking about it and they were like, oh, the Mets because they were already.

01:02:53
Speaker 4: Good, like they just signed Johann Santana. I was like, all right, yeah, we're.

01:02:59
Speaker 1: Gonna see the craziest clubhouse story or or or or just team story you can share.

01:03:05
Speaker 7: Probably craziest clubhouse story was the time that my teammate Kyle Kendrick they played like a massive prank on him that he got traded to Japan for.

01:03:16
Speaker 4: To for Kobyashi, the hot dog eating guy. So, I mean they had everybody in it. They had my man's agent in.

01:03:24
Speaker 6: On it, like.

01:03:26
Speaker 1: Everybody, So tell me about it. Hold on, tell me about that little bit they called him up.

01:03:30
Speaker 7: So he had just gotten called up not too long ago. And Brett Myers was the one, uh that that put everybody up to it. And uh they called him in the office, had the GM, the manager and everybody, and they were like, Kyle Man, Hey, we appreciate everything you've done for us, but uh, you just we just decided that, you know, for the organization, what was gonna be best for us is that we're going to trade you, trade you to Japan for Kobyashi. And uh, he's sitting in there Aaron like if and if you knew Kyle like he's he was very gullible as a young kid there and it.

01:04:05
Speaker 4: Was just like this whole world just ripped up from underneath him. They brought him back. He walks back into the clubhouse. Media is in on it. They come over to his locker and start interviewing them. I mean, they were going all in. He goes.

01:04:19
Speaker 7: He calls his agent, his agents like, he's like, can they even do this? He's like, yeah, unfortunately they can. So I guess you know, we gotta get you on a plane out to Japan and the whole I side.

01:04:30
Speaker 3: Oh god, Bro, like this is crazy.

01:04:32
Speaker 1: So who finally let him know it was Brett.

01:04:35
Speaker 4: Brett came up. Yeah. He was like, Bro, you got traded for a hot dog guy. Bro, Like, think about it.

01:04:43
Speaker 1: That's crazy. You're going to get the bench clearing brawl you plus three former teammates and.

01:04:49
Speaker 4: Three who gets Therebina. He just had that looking like he's nuts. My man, Marlon Bird and I'll probably take Shane.

01:05:00
Speaker 7: Even though he may lack in size, he can get on somebody's back off for just a second.

01:05:05
Speaker 1: He's gonna put some kind of grappling hole on.

01:05:08
Speaker 7: Yeah.

01:05:09
Speaker 4: Yeah, he'll lock somebody up just long enough.

01:05:11
Speaker 1: Who's the goat?

01:05:12
Speaker 4: The goat, it's got to be buried.

01:05:15
Speaker 1: It's got to be very best player in the league right now.

01:05:17
Speaker 7: I mean, it's so Tommy. It's based on what he could do both hitting wise, speed wise. I mean, he's the only player in the history of the game fifty and he didn't even pitch right.

01:05:29
Speaker 1: Crazy. So one player you'd like to see on this show.

01:05:32
Speaker 4: One player I would like to see on this show. Chest chests would be good chat, good show, he'll be good. What's that ooh the goat skipper Man. I'd probably have to say Boshie Boshie Man, Bruce, he's in Texas.

01:05:56
Speaker 1: Yeah, Ryan Man. We appreciate your time, graduation on the law, successful career. Thank good luck on continuing the girl, Dad and your oldest son and uh man, that's the lug.

01:06:05
Speaker 3: What everybody got.

01:06:05
Speaker 4: I appreciate you appreciate it.

01:06:07
Speaker 1: That's right, Maryan Howard. You can catch up on all the slow productions YouTube and the draft Ks Network. See y'all next week.

01:06:16
Speaker 3: M hm

01:06:21
Speaker 5: Mm hmm.