WEBVTT

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Okay, welcome once again to the Dan Time podcast.

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I'm your host, Dan McCardle, and my guest today

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is Dan Winkler, a right -handed pitcher who went

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9 -5 with a .398 ERA as a relief pitcher across

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seven big league seasons with the Atlanta Braves

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and most recently with the Chicago Cubs. Also

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known as Wink or D -Wink on the diamond, Dan

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has pitched professionally. from 2011 to 2022.

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Playing for Modesto in 2013, Dan was named the

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California League Pitcher of the Year. He grew

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up in Effingham, Illinois, earned four varsity

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letters as both a pitcher and outfielder for

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St. Anthony High School. Following his senior

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year, Dan enrolled at Parkland Junior College

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in Champaign, Illinois, where he led the Cobras

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to an NJCAA national title. Dan was selected

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by the Chicago Cubs in the 43rd round of the

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2010 MLB draft. He elected not to sign and instead

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transferred to the University of Central Florida

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for his junior season. Now Dan's the second former

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Golden Knight to appear on the Dan Time podcast

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following quarterback Vic Penn. His standout

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performances at UCF, which we'll talk about in

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this episode, led to him being drafted by the

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Colorado Rockies in the 2011 amateur draft. This

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time, he signed and reported to rookie ball in

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Casper, Wyoming. There, his story in professional

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baseball began, and we cover the dramatic highs

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and lows of Dan's career, including a torn UCL

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in 2014 that required Tommy John surgery. Now,

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at this stage, Dan was pitching for a double

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-A Tulsa club that included future big leaguers

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John Gray, Eddie Butler, and Tyler Anderson.

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And Dan was arguably the best pitcher on the

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staff. A few months later, in the Rule 5 draft,

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the Braves selected Winkler and he made his first

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major league appearance in September 2015. A

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fractured elbow just a few games into the 2016

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season with the Braves sidelined Dan until late

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2017 and led to a change in his pitching mechanics.

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He then emerged as one of the better set -up

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men in baseball in 2018. We talk about Dan signing

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with the Cubs in the following offseason coming

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out of the bullpen and being a big part of some

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magical moments at Wrigley Field. During his

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time in Chicago, Dan brought his hard hit rate

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to its lowest percentage since 2017, and his

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ground ball percentage was the best of his career

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during his time with the Cubs. Dan talks about

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his faith, his family, his new career with ADP,

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and so much more. Alright, let's get to it. I

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know you're ready. Here we go, folks. It is Dan

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Winkler time. I am just super excited to welcome

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a former Major League Baseball player that played

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for one of my, well, not one of my favorite teams.

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One of the teams he played for is my favorite

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team. Dan Winkler is my guest tonight. Dan, thanks

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so much for making time for this podcast and

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thanks for being the next Dan on the show. How

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are you doing tonight? I'm great. Thanks for

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having me. This is a great concept. Us fans got

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to stick together. I love it. Yeah, Dan Harrison.

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I always like to put a plug in for Dan Harrison.

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He's a Singer -songwriter from Nashville great

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guy and he said there are Dan's doing great things

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out there There's a lot of people doing great

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things, but sometimes Dan's I don't know we we

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feel like we maybe get left out sometimes or

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maybe that's just a What they call it a complex?

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anyway Dan Winkler, just to keep it on in silly

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season here for a minute. Dan, you really hit

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the trifecta, if I understand correctly. You

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answer to, or have in the past, answered to Daniel,

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Danny, and Dan. Is that correct? That is correct,

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yes. My wife calls me Danny professionally, probably

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known as Dan. I don't get too many Daniels anymore,

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but maybe I should go back to the old Hebrew.

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You know, Daniel. But yeah, I go by it all. Yeah,

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I've had some older folks in the past that I'll

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introduce myself as Dan and the handshake is

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complete. And they just insist on calling me

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the biblical Daniel, which, you know, Dan is,

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and I've never gotten a clear answer, but Dan,

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one of the 12 tribes of Israel, I don't know

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if it's actually pronounced Dan or if it's...

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There's only a couple other ways you could say

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it, but... Yeah, I've wondered the same thing.

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Yeah, that is one of the 12 tribes of Israel

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I've noticed that too, but Daniel in the lines

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then it seems a lot cooler than Maybe it's not

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I mean having your own tribe. That's pretty cool

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You're the leader, right? I always like to take

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my guests back to the early days Their childhood

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there, you know in your case sports career definitely

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want to touch on the And maybe you haven't been

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asked about it a long time the UCF days because

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I had a guest early in this project Vic Penn

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former CF Golden Knight quarterback right now

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2 ,000 99 2 ,000 time period But yeah, take me

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back to those early days and I understand you

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grew up a st. Louis Cardinals fan Your grandmother

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was a cub fan. So you got some exposure to the

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WGN Harry Carrey stuff How was it being a little

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kid and realizing that? And I kind of like this

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baseball thing. Yeah, you did your homework.

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I'm impressed, honestly. So yeah, I grew up small

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town, honestly, about 10 ,000 people. We grew

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up 90 miles from St. Louis and about 300 from

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Chicago, but it's very split where I'm from Cubs

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Cardinals. You know, I just grew up. because

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we could go to the St. Louis games. I watched

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Ozzie Smith and Ray Langford and Steve Klein.

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Actually, Steve Klein was a coach of mine, which

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was pretty cool. But yeah, so, you know, Mark

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Maguire, those guys were, they were my heroes.

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But my grandma, huge Cub fan. Like, she'd pick

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me up from school. She'd have AM radio. She'd

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have the Cubs game going. And she's like, come

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on, hurry up. We got to get out of town. Because

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she lived out in the country, and she didn't

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get as good a service in town. So she's like,

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hurry up. We got to get out of town. I don't

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want to miss my Cubbies. So yeah, the die -hard

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Cubby, it believed. My grandfather, actually,

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he was also a huge Cub fan. They don't miss a

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Cub to this day. My grandma had to get marquees

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specially so she could watch the Cub games. That's

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the only thing, the game show network and the

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Cubs game, Marquis, the only two channels she

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wanted. But yeah, so I actually grew up being

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in Illinois. I grew up a big, I thought I was

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going to play in the NBA. I loved basketball.

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I loved everything about basketball. I thought

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I was going to go to University of Illinois,

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get drafted in the second round, you know, because

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I'm humble and play for the Bulls like every

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Illinois kid. But then I realized my senior year,

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you know, I was getting recruited my junior year

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to play baseball. And then my senior year, I

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averaged four points playing basketball. So I'm

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like, all right, maybe baseball. But I always

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had this like love for baseball, playing in the

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backyard, playing with a ball, you know, all

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that kind of stuff. And yeah, and then I went

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to junior college, had some division one offers.

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small division ones, I just felt like I wasn't

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ready for that. I always tell kids nowadays,

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you know, for me, it was kind of like that ladder,

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like that stepping ladder. And junior college

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was a great transition for me from a small, small

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high school. We had 60 kids in my graduating

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class. So we're playing other small schools.

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And then it was good for me to just go to Parkland,

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my junior college. We had four other big leaguers

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from my junior college, so it wasn't like the

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talent wasn't there. And then, yeah, and then

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I transferred to UCF. And I got drafted by the

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Cubs, actually, my sophomore year in the 43rd

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round, so they don't even have that round anymore.

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That's how late it was. So it was an obvious

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kind of thing for me to just, again, I wasn't

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ready. I felt like I needed to go another ladder,

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another step, and Division I going down to UCF

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was Great. You know, is that a tough call when

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you realize, uh, and you, you know, who lets

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you know that, Hey man, the cubs have drafted

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you and you got to sit and think about it for

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a minute. Was that a tough decision or were you

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pretty much set that? Yeah, it was tough. Um,

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you know, I was, I was in the Northwoods league,

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so I was in Minnesota and I remember I was on

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the bus and I got a call from the scout, Dan

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Zelinski who passed away, unfortunately recently,

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Stan Zelinski, sorry. He called me and he was

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like, hey, we just took you. We just drafted

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you. And I was like, what? And he goes, yeah,

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we just drafted you. And I didn't even know what

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to say. I was like, thanks. I'm like, awesome.

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I was really excited. So I called my parents.

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We had some phone calls. And then that realization

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was like, am I ready for this? Am I ready to

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get on a bus and get paid? play baseball like

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my dream is to play in the big leagues. But am

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I truly ready to take that next step and compete

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and show that I belong the big leagues? And for

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me, you know, I maybe it was I was pretty mature

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for being 20, but I was like, I don't think I'm

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ready, you know. And so we had that like that

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back and forth. And, you know, you always have

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a number. It's the draft. So I had a number and,

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you know, the clubs were like, we're not going

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to meet that. And my college coach, she was really

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good about that too. Just kind of talking me

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through things like, hey, I think there's some

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seasoning that you probably need to do. So I

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kind of leaned on a lot of people as I did throughout

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my career. And honestly, my new career, like

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just lean on other people, their experiences,

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some wisdom, and really what feels right. So

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that's kind of, it was a hard decision, but it

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was obviously the right one. Yeah, I like how

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you say that lean on other people I had a quote

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here if I could find it where I think even as

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a college athlete at Central Florida You're saying

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look. I try to learn from my coaches. I try to

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learn from people in general and just draw from

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other people's experiences and Sometimes you

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you agree with what they're saying. Sometimes

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you feel inclined to challenge what they're saying

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Yeah, that's probably a good good advice for

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young athletes Well to yeah get those second

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and third opinions and I realized that I think

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I mispronounced your hometown F I may have said

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effington at Effingham Yeah, it's a funny name.

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Let's just leave it at that Get it a lot you're

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from I think where that's what I hear a lot yeah,

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I Didn't want to go there, but I figured you

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know if you if you wanted to mention it that

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would that be fun. Yeah Yeah, it's yeah, it's

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great. It's a great town. It is So Dan at playing

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for the Golden Knights a special season there

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probably a lot of personal growth and growth

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as an athlete and You probably made some some

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people some friends with people that you still

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keep in contact with today I grew up in the Birmingham

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area. So I'm a UAB graduate Okay, I'm gonna pull

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something just out of obscurity here for you.

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See if you remember this game May 14th 2011 This

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is at UAB, I believe. And you guys are scoreless

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into the 10th inning. And the bats explode for

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nine runs capped off by a grand slam, Eric Kempi.

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And I believe you and Nick Sissio combined for...

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Don't let me say this wrong. Is this a no -hitter?

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No, I don't believe so. I think it was a combined

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shout out. I would have remembered a no -hater,

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but it was probably one of my better games. Maybe

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my best game in college. Yeah. I had a roller

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coaster season at UCF for sure. But yeah, that

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was one of my better ones for sure. I definitely

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remember. So Eric Hempe was my roommate and I

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definitely remember him hitting the grand slam

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because he's let everybody know he hit a grand

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slam. He's just one of those guys. Now you did

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have an 11 strikeout game because at this time

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you're starting pitcher for the Golden Knights

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so against Is it Houston? Yep Yep, I did a little

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bit of research here I wouldn't say I did it

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as cleanly as I would like but I did want to

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draw some attention to your career and before

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You decide to sign with the Colorado Rockies.

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So at this at this point You're ready for that

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call. Do you have an idea of which round you

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might be selected in at this point? Yeah, so

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you know, going back to my UCF season, it was

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a I was a Friday night guy and you know college

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baseball. That's like a big deal. I was our season.

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I was our opener opening day starter and I had

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some ebbs and flows. I started out well and then

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I just hit like this rough patch and actually

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I gave up eight runs. in the second inning against

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Southern Miss, my worst, maybe one of my worst

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games of my career. And I remember walking off

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and being like, I'm never getting drafted. I'm

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not playing professional baseball. I'm coming

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back my senior year, because at this point, you

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know, I've been talking to scouts and things

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like that. And my parents are at the game. And

00:14:35.230 --> 00:14:37.649
I remember just telling them afterwards, like,

00:14:37.750 --> 00:14:39.990
just plan on me coming back next year, you know.

00:14:40.389 --> 00:14:43.789
And it was something in that, like, the peace

00:14:43.789 --> 00:14:48.129
of being like, down the dumps and just just kind

00:14:48.129 --> 00:14:51.409
of brought me back and you know I got I got moved

00:14:51.409 --> 00:14:54.350
to the bullpen and then you know I came out of

00:14:54.350 --> 00:14:57.409
the bullpen pitch five innings the next two weeks

00:14:57.409 --> 00:15:01.149
and scoreless and it was kind of like that like

00:15:01.149 --> 00:15:04.549
redemption and I came back and that's when I

00:15:04.549 --> 00:15:07.230
pitched against Houston I pitched against UAB

00:15:07.230 --> 00:15:09.230
I think I pitched against UAB twice I pitched

00:15:09.230 --> 00:15:12.200
against Florida State Memphis was another one,

00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:14.519
another good games that I had, and I just kind

00:15:14.519 --> 00:15:17.620
of like built this momentum and I was getting

00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:19.679
the scouts were telling me, you know, like we

00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:23.000
really like you. We see you in like the third,

00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:27.340
the fifth round no later than the 7th or 8th.

00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:29.139
I was like great, you know, like that's where

00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:31.279
I felt like, you know, obvious, maybe a little

00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.480
conceited of me, but I felt like that's where

00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:37.259
I should go. And I remember draft day sitting

00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:41.480
so we were cleaning up my apartment. And my girlfriend

00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:44.740
is my wife at the time. She was coming down because

00:15:44.740 --> 00:15:46.980
her grandma had just passed away. So we were,

00:15:47.220 --> 00:15:49.720
I was going to fly home for the funeral. But

00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:52.759
I remember with my laptop up and just listening

00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:55.379
to all the picks and getting the third and the

00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:57.360
fourth and the fifth. She's like, all right,

00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:59.460
you know, like maybe the eighth and the sixth

00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:02.279
and the seventh. Here's some familiar names like,

00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.779
oh, you know, like guys I played against. I thought,

00:16:05.059 --> 00:16:06.740
you know, I'd be around them. Then the eighth

00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:09.240
and the ninth and the tenth. And then it just

00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:11.139
kept going and kept going and kept going and

00:16:11.139 --> 00:16:15.039
kept going. And I was like, you know, all right,

00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.480
like I just shut my computer off and like I'm

00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:21.620
done. Like, we'll see what happens. And then

00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:24.220
the Rockies called me in like the 18th round.

00:16:24.539 --> 00:16:27.299
And I hadn't even talked to the Rockies. I think

00:16:27.299 --> 00:16:30.299
I had like one or two conversations with John

00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:33.259
Cederberg, who's their scout at the time. And

00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:35.259
he calls me, he's like, hey, we want to take

00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:37.710
you. I was like, yeah. He goes, what's your number?

00:16:37.789 --> 00:16:42.230
And I was like, just draft me. And so like 10

00:16:42.230 --> 00:16:43.950
minutes later, he's like, hey, we just drafted

00:16:43.950 --> 00:16:47.110
you. And I was like, great. I'm ready to go.

00:16:47.490 --> 00:16:51.490
At that point, I felt like I had went through

00:16:51.490 --> 00:16:54.190
it. I felt like I was so mature. I felt like

00:16:54.190 --> 00:16:59.330
I was ready to go. And then I was like, I'm signing.

00:16:59.629 --> 00:17:02.429
And honestly, there was very little negotiation.

00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:05.079
we negotiate they are like here we're offering

00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:07.740
you this I'm like they're like there's not much

00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:11.759
it was $25 ,000 I mean it was like nothing you

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.720
know and actually I spent most of it on a ring

00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:19.660
for my wife so that's all I needed the money

00:17:19.660 --> 00:17:24.299
for but yeah so it was uh it was the best thing

00:17:24.299 --> 00:17:29.500
that happened to me because going into pro ball

00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:32.890
I was like I'm making the big leagues I'm going

00:17:32.890 --> 00:17:35.769
to prove to everybody that I belong to be in

00:17:35.769 --> 00:17:37.910
the big leagues. And I had this like chip on

00:17:37.910 --> 00:17:41.309
my shoulder. And I remember this probably getting

00:17:41.309 --> 00:17:44.049
into a little bit, but I remember my first full

00:17:44.049 --> 00:17:47.589
season, or my first season, went to Casper, Wyoming,

00:17:48.190 --> 00:17:50.230
pitched well, and then I went to Instructional

00:17:50.230 --> 00:17:51.990
Leagues. And it was kind of like, Instructional

00:17:51.990 --> 00:17:53.250
League was a big deal. It was like where all

00:17:53.250 --> 00:17:56.529
the prospects went. And I remember the seventh

00:17:56.529 --> 00:17:58.509
and eighth and ninth rounders were all there.

00:17:58.509 --> 00:18:01.549
And I was like, they were all talking about how

00:18:01.549 --> 00:18:03.329
much, how they're going to spend their signing

00:18:03.329 --> 00:18:07.589
bonus. And that just rubbed me even, you know,

00:18:07.750 --> 00:18:10.369
so much wrong. Like I was like, I'm spending

00:18:10.369 --> 00:18:13.230
my money on a ring for my wife, my, my girlfriend

00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:15.730
at the time. And I was like, I'm, I'm going to

00:18:15.730 --> 00:18:18.910
make it. I distinctly remember being on the bus

00:18:18.910 --> 00:18:21.569
and them talking about their signing bonus. And

00:18:21.569 --> 00:18:24.450
I'm just like, I'm going to be better than them.

00:18:24.450 --> 00:18:26.650
And that's probably, like I said, not a good,

00:18:26.650 --> 00:18:29.049
a great thing, but I'm just, that's kind of where

00:18:29.049 --> 00:18:32.730
it came from. Yeah, some fans may assume that

00:18:32.730 --> 00:18:35.609
a guy gets drafted and gets that signing bonus

00:18:35.609 --> 00:18:38.390
or they maybe assume that a lot of players get

00:18:38.390 --> 00:18:40.269
a large signing bonus and the first thing they're

00:18:40.269 --> 00:18:43.950
thinking about is where they can spend it and

00:18:43.950 --> 00:18:46.769
Yeah, and maybe not imagining a guy like Dan

00:18:46.769 --> 00:18:49.869
Winkler who your your central focus was making

00:18:49.869 --> 00:18:52.930
the big leagues and Not so much of you know,

00:18:53.009 --> 00:18:55.589
what's the continental breakfast gonna look like

00:18:55.589 --> 00:18:58.049
we stand at a two or three star hotel I'm sure

00:18:58.049 --> 00:19:01.089
it was Whatever it was or how long is the bus

00:19:01.089 --> 00:19:03.529
ride? I think I listened to a podcast that you

00:19:03.529 --> 00:19:06.390
That you appeared on several years ago and you

00:19:06.390 --> 00:19:10.369
talked about just the contrast from UCF and and

00:19:10.369 --> 00:19:13.730
usually having to I guess charter a plane to

00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:17.990
away games to You're in Central Florida and now

00:19:17.990 --> 00:19:21.950
you're in Casper, Wyoming taking these half day

00:19:21.950 --> 00:19:25.710
bus trips What's it like on you're taking those

00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:29.220
bus rides and do you? Even if you like the guy

00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:32.519
that you're sitting next to and I mean Do you

00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:34.400
not off a lot? Are you listening to the music

00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:39.180
you like or you how do you pass the times? Cards

00:19:39.180 --> 00:19:43.839
yeah Luckily, you know we had iPads and everything

00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:46.359
like that if it was you know, ten years before

00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:50.039
that all you had was a walk man, I guess Yeah,

00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:52.359
first stories about been a little there was a

00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:56.009
guy Dan Zlotnik who's a recording artist up in

00:19:56.009 --> 00:19:58.650
Westchester County, New York and he played at

00:19:58.650 --> 00:20:02.990
Marist and University of Tampa for a season and

00:20:02.990 --> 00:20:06.329
some independent league ball and I guess in independent

00:20:06.329 --> 00:20:11.450
league on the bus rides, some guys would break

00:20:11.450 --> 00:20:15.230
out into song and start singing and that's something

00:20:15.230 --> 00:20:16.890
else I do want to talk to you about. I understand

00:20:16.890 --> 00:20:19.750
you play guitar just to kind of pique everybody's

00:20:19.750 --> 00:20:21.549
interest here and maybe we'll talk about that

00:20:21.549 --> 00:20:24.799
in a few minutes. So you made the most of where

00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:27.559
you were. It's got to be difficult, I guess,

00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:30.980
and your wife sticking with you through all these

00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:33.240
changes, not knowing what's going to happen next.

00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:36.660
Are you going to get traded? Are you going up

00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:40.559
or down in the system? That takes a special person.

00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:44.000
It really does. We've been together since we

00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:49.359
were 17 and she's like, she's the best. She actually

00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:53.400
joked that she was my sugar mama in the minor

00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:58.200
leagues because I made $6 ,000 my first full

00:20:58.200 --> 00:21:01.220
season before taxes, you know, and it was like

00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:04.700
I wouldn't have emotionally, mentally, and then

00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:06.480
physically, I wouldn't have made it without her.

00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:09.500
So, you know, like everyone talks about, you

00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:12.539
see like the glamour and of, you know, all the

00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:15.180
guys on the big league field, but there's a family

00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:17.779
behind them. There's people that stand by them.

00:21:17.930 --> 00:21:20.130
through all the stuff that they go through to

00:21:20.130 --> 00:21:22.569
get where they're at and then to stay where they're

00:21:22.569 --> 00:21:26.849
at. It is a lot, even in the big leagues, like

00:21:26.849 --> 00:21:30.589
the stress level, the travel, you know, and a

00:21:30.589 --> 00:21:32.470
lot of people have kids. You're older when you

00:21:32.470 --> 00:21:36.049
get to the big leagues and it is just a lot logistically.

00:21:36.990 --> 00:21:40.829
So, yeah, I will brag on her all day long because

00:21:40.829 --> 00:21:43.390
she deserves it. And now she's a nurse practitioner.

00:21:43.589 --> 00:21:47.309
She actually went to during COVID. she went to

00:21:47.309 --> 00:21:50.170
back to school. And so she got a master's during

00:21:50.170 --> 00:21:54.029
COVID and we had two kids, small kids. So she's,

00:21:54.029 --> 00:21:57.710
she's amazing. Wow. That's just, that's just

00:21:57.710 --> 00:22:00.829
awesome to hear. And for you guys, I know that

00:22:00.829 --> 00:22:03.609
your family is very important to you. Being a

00:22:03.609 --> 00:22:06.950
dad is probably the most exciting thing to happen

00:22:06.950 --> 00:22:09.509
to you. I can relate there. Everyone that's had

00:22:09.509 --> 00:22:13.410
children. I hope all men feel this way, but there's

00:22:13.410 --> 00:22:16.200
just nothing better than being a dad. It's a

00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:17.960
great responsibility. Best job in the world.

00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.220
Yeah. It's just the bond that you have with your

00:22:21.220 --> 00:22:25.579
kids that you cannot put a price on it. And that's

00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:30.680
built over time. Yeah. My wife and I were just

00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:32.380
talking about that the other day. Just a little

00:22:32.380 --> 00:22:34.880
story was the best part about the Big Links was

00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.700
getting to share it with my son, my kids. I got

00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:39.400
a picture right over here. I'll show it to you

00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:42.259
real quick. I'm sure you'll appreciate it. This

00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:45.609
is... my son and I and at Wrigley Field in the

00:22:45.609 --> 00:22:49.329
clubhouse and uh he's walking down out of the

00:22:49.329 --> 00:22:52.210
park with me you know like I didn't think anything

00:22:52.210 --> 00:22:56.970
of it at the time but now like I look back and

00:22:56.970 --> 00:22:59.950
you know I'm three years removed from that time

00:22:59.950 --> 00:23:03.710
and like it was that was this the best part about

00:23:03.710 --> 00:23:06.549
it getting to share that with my family for sure

00:23:06.549 --> 00:23:09.789
yeah and uh he'll have that he'll have that photograph

00:23:09.789 --> 00:23:14.309
to treasure for his whole life and Wow. Just

00:23:14.309 --> 00:23:18.589
an amazing dad story, I guess. Yeah. I appreciate

00:23:18.589 --> 00:23:20.589
that. He doesn't think it's cool. He's like,

00:23:20.750 --> 00:23:22.890
why isn't my baseball game on TV? He's like,

00:23:23.269 --> 00:23:25.390
can people watch me on TV? He's like, it wasn't

00:23:25.390 --> 00:23:29.890
that cool. So yeah, it's funny now. So Dan, so

00:23:29.890 --> 00:23:32.930
some things happen and some casual fans are maybe

00:23:32.930 --> 00:23:35.670
not aware of all the procedures in baseball.

00:23:35.750 --> 00:23:38.569
There's a lot of transactions that take place

00:23:38.569 --> 00:23:40.799
where... You might read it or hear about it.

00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:42.619
You're like, I don't know what designated for

00:23:42.619 --> 00:23:44.200
assignment means. I don't know what rule five

00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:48.039
draft means. So your rule five, I guess, is the

00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:52.720
colloquial way to express it. And the brave select

00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:55.160
you in the rule five draft. What exactly, for

00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:56.799
people who've never heard of that, is a rule

00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:02.200
five draft? Yeah, so it's a good thing for the

00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:05.720
players. So instead of being in the minor leagues

00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:10.480
forever, after a certain period, It's four years

00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:13.099
for if you were drafted out of college. If you're

00:24:13.099 --> 00:24:15.319
not on the 40 man roster, which is the big league

00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:18.240
roster, which is that they can take you from

00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:20.880
that roster. If you're not on the 40 man roster,

00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:25.380
you go in a pool and there's a draft called the

00:24:25.380 --> 00:24:29.480
rule five draft and teams can select you from

00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:33.559
that pool and put you on their 40 man roster.

00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:36.759
And at the time I had just had Tommy John surgery.

00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:39.200
which made sense for the Rockies not to keep

00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:42.619
me. But the Braves said, we don't care. We'll

00:24:42.619 --> 00:24:45.799
put you on our 40 -man roster, which was the

00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:48.500
biggest blessing ever. So, yeah, that's kind

00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:52.819
of the procedural thing about it. The rule five,

00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:56.759
it's a great thing for guys like me who, so you're

00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:58.859
not stuck in the minor leagues making six grand

00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:01.819
your entire career. You know, like the Yankees,

00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:04.240
the Dodgers, they stockpile kind of that talent.

00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:07.599
which is their right, but after certain four

00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:10.099
years, if they don't have room on their 40 man

00:25:10.099 --> 00:25:12.079
and they can't put them on or they didn't think

00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:14.420
anybody would come through, other teams can take

00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:17.359
them off of in the rule five draft. So yeah,

00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:20.099
it's a great thing for baseball. Wow. And just

00:25:20.099 --> 00:25:22.039
a few months before, like you said, you, you

00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:26.240
tore your, your, your UCL. Um, how are you feeling

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.759
at that point? It was at your first major sports

00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:32.339
injury that, that sidelined you. Yeah, that was

00:25:32.339 --> 00:25:36.460
the. Yeah, you know, like I rolled my ankles,

00:25:36.619 --> 00:25:38.480
sprained my ankle in basketball, but that was

00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:42.980
the first major injury. And I remember actually

00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:46.720
had a no hitter going in the fourth inning against

00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:49.380
the Springfield Cardinals. I remember just feeling

00:25:49.380 --> 00:25:52.980
like just funny feeling. And then I threw about

00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:55.019
three or four more pitches after that, and I

00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:57.660
just felt like a rubber band snapped. And I was

00:25:57.660 --> 00:26:01.559
like, I knew what it was immediately. Trainer

00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:03.640
came out and he It was like, what happened? I

00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:07.019
was like, I think I just tore my UCL. And he's

00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:08.279
like, all right, we're going to take you out.

00:26:08.299 --> 00:26:10.180
He did tests. And they're like, yeah, it seems

00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:13.759
like it's broken. Or it's torn. Got MRIs, stuff

00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:16.680
like that. And it got confirmed. But honestly,

00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:20.859
I don't know why I felt like this piece. Like,

00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:23.660
I had no control over it. And I don't know if

00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:26.319
it's just because I was pitching well. And I

00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:28.440
felt like I had done everything in my control

00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:31.980
and couldn't really. It was in God's hand. um

00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:35.420
at that point and uh so they make the decision

00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:38.599
this was in june i told my ucl i had july had

00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:42.140
surgery i did my rehab you know didn't really

00:26:42.140 --> 00:26:44.079
think much of it november came around that's

00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:46.160
when they have to make the decision if to put

00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:48.900
you on the 40 man or not got the phone call from

00:26:48.900 --> 00:26:51.619
the assistant farm director i was close with

00:26:51.619 --> 00:26:53.859
he said hey hey wink we're not gonna put you

00:26:53.859 --> 00:26:56.200
on the 40 man i was like that's fine he goes

00:26:56.200 --> 00:27:00.220
really like yeah i understand um he goes well

00:27:00.220 --> 00:27:03.019
you know like Hopefully, you know, you will you

00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:05.140
do have the rule five like we'll see what happens

00:27:05.140 --> 00:27:08.519
with that He's like hopefully for you that you

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:10.880
get taken. Hopefully for us you don't know great

00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:15.700
conversation And then I was working out the rule

00:27:15.700 --> 00:27:17.480
five draft and I was like, I'm not gonna get

00:27:17.480 --> 00:27:19.559
taken Like I'm not even gonna set myself up for

00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:22.059
it. I was just starting to work out I got a phone

00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:25.140
call from my agent. It's like hey Braves just

00:27:25.140 --> 00:27:28.900
selected you I was like what and you know at

00:27:28.900 --> 00:27:30.930
that point I just I was working out of my junior

00:27:30.930 --> 00:27:33.250
college and I was like, uh, I'm not even gonna

00:27:33.250 --> 00:27:35.650
rack the weights. Like I gotta go home and I

00:27:35.650 --> 00:27:38.329
was telling the coach and he's like, yeah, get

00:27:38.329 --> 00:27:40.390
out of here. Congrats. Like whatever, like we'll

00:27:40.390 --> 00:27:43.309
celebrate. So I drove home, told Camille, I was

00:27:43.309 --> 00:27:46.049
like, I just got, the Braves took me and she's

00:27:46.049 --> 00:27:48.890
like, what? And then she started crying and you

00:27:48.890 --> 00:27:51.410
know, it was like, it was a cool moment. Yeah.

00:27:52.410 --> 00:27:55.789
I love it. I, that is just, it's really heartwarming.

00:27:55.809 --> 00:27:57.910
It's really exciting. And I can just imagine.

00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:00.819
You know your drive back home and you just can't

00:28:00.819 --> 00:28:04.680
wait to uh, To just share share the joy with

00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:08.259
camille Yeah, so later you're a late september

00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:11.619
call -up. Is that right in 2015? Yep. Yep. So

00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:14.900
I was uh Yeah, the braves put me on the 60 day.

00:28:14.900 --> 00:28:17.420
So yeah, it was a late september call -up. I

00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:20.420
jotted down that you Correct me if i'm wrong

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:22.319
here because this is just some chicken scratch,

00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:26.180
but the first batter you faced Michael Conforto

00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:30.079
You struck him out. That's correct Yep Incredible

00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:34.480
basketball. I yeah You don't forget that do you

00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:38.599
I will never forget that I will never know the

00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:41.460
best advice I want some of the best advice. I've

00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:43.799
had a lot of good advice Peter Moorland before

00:28:43.799 --> 00:28:46.299
I ran out he's like take this all in you only

00:28:46.299 --> 00:28:49.599
get one of these and You know as I was in city

00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:52.440
field as I was running out I was just looking

00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:56.000
around and that was 2015. So the Mets went to

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:58.849
the World Series that year And I just, like,

00:28:59.089 --> 00:29:02.650
man, it was, I can remember everything, almost

00:29:02.650 --> 00:29:04.190
everything about it. I can remember the dirt.

00:29:04.289 --> 00:29:06.450
I can remember getting on the mound, digging

00:29:06.450 --> 00:29:10.170
in for the first time. Actually, my first pitch,

00:29:11.029 --> 00:29:13.130
AJ Persinski was catching me, and he completely

00:29:13.130 --> 00:29:16.329
whiffed, and it broke the shin guard of the umpire.

00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:19.839
So we had about a five to ten minute delay. Yeah,

00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:23.079
and and Drelton Simmons comes over and he's like,

00:29:23.099 --> 00:29:25.220
what'd you do that for? I was like, this stuff

00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:28.900
only happens to me, you know, like I stand, you

00:29:28.900 --> 00:29:34.539
know, right? Now, are you are you a ball of nerves

00:29:34.539 --> 00:29:35.960
when you're out there on the mound? Are you getting

00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:38.059
loose in the pen and you kind of know, all right,

00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:41.480
I'm about to go in. This is this is going to

00:29:41.480 --> 00:29:44.400
be my first appearance or are you kind of sent

00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:47.089
centering yourself? What kind of zone do you

00:29:47.089 --> 00:29:52.569
get in in that situation? Yeah, I was so excited.

00:29:53.230 --> 00:29:57.769
Obviously nervous, but I was excited. I was confident

00:29:57.769 --> 00:30:01.269
in my abilities. I was excited to prove, have

00:30:01.269 --> 00:30:04.450
a chance to prove what I can do and that I belong

00:30:04.450 --> 00:30:09.769
in the big leagues. This was my time. From now

00:30:09.769 --> 00:30:12.630
on, I'm a big leaguer. I can say that forever

00:30:12.630 --> 00:30:16.339
in my life. I was just excited. And I kind of

00:30:16.339 --> 00:30:19.640
like kept going through my head and uh, I was

00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:22.079
like What happened in this game is going to be

00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:24.980
on my baseball reference page forever And it's

00:30:24.980 --> 00:30:26.819
going to be good. You know, it's kind of like

00:30:26.819 --> 00:30:31.839
that I love excitement. So yeah Dan i'm also

00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:34.900
looking at so I have to assume that people who

00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:36.759
listen to this podcast Not everybody's a baseball

00:30:36.759 --> 00:30:39.220
fan, but I want to make sure this is an interesting

00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:41.940
conversation Way back on the trailer. Please

00:30:41.940 --> 00:30:44.039
don't listen to it. I'm not It's the very first

00:30:44.039 --> 00:30:47.240
thing I ever recorded. But I did say that I made

00:30:47.240 --> 00:30:49.579
a promise that you're going to learn something.

00:30:49.660 --> 00:30:51.900
You're going to laugh. Hopefully, we keep delivering

00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:55.000
on that end. But your pitch arsenal at this point,

00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:59.500
you're relying on the four seam fastball, a change

00:30:59.500 --> 00:31:02.859
up slider sometimes, I guess, in that first year.

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:06.200
You haven't introduced the cut fastball until

00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:09.200
a couple of years later. Is that right? Yeah.

00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:13.519
Threw it a little bit, but it wasn't as good.

00:31:13.640 --> 00:31:15.680
Again, we're probably get into this, but you

00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:19.819
know, I changed my mechanics a lot after my second

00:31:19.819 --> 00:31:24.359
injury. Yeah, so really I had a much lower release

00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:27.519
and my four seed fastball as they would call

00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:30.380
it. Now it's the vertical attack angle. Mine

00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:34.500
was super low, so I was. I was really low, so

00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:37.200
the ball kind of didn't drop as much as hitters

00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:41.009
expected, so I. I relied on that four seam pass

00:31:41.009 --> 00:31:44.789
ball up in the zone a lot, especially when I

00:31:44.789 --> 00:31:46.809
later in my career, I definitely, but early in

00:31:46.809 --> 00:31:48.609
my career, especially even when I was a starter,

00:31:48.950 --> 00:31:51.710
I tried to sinker slider being that guy because

00:31:51.710 --> 00:31:53.809
it was Colorado. Everyone at the time, they're

00:31:53.809 --> 00:31:56.450
like, hey, sinkers only work here. But I would

00:31:56.450 --> 00:31:58.490
go sinker slider and I'd get the full count.

00:31:58.569 --> 00:32:00.089
I throw a four seam right down the middle and

00:32:00.089 --> 00:32:02.470
then swing a mess. And it was like almost every

00:32:02.470 --> 00:32:05.549
time. So, yeah, I was I threw a lot of forcing

00:32:05.549 --> 00:32:10.049
and sliders when I. initially came in. Now, Dan,

00:32:10.089 --> 00:32:13.309
I know when you're going up against the other

00:32:13.309 --> 00:32:16.410
team's best, and like you said, it's a 3 -2 count.

00:32:17.150 --> 00:32:19.150
Are there situations in baseball, this has to

00:32:19.150 --> 00:32:22.670
go on all the time, where the batter knows that

00:32:22.670 --> 00:32:24.769
that four seamer's coming, you know you're throwing

00:32:24.769 --> 00:32:29.690
it, and it's just kind of like, let's see if

00:32:29.690 --> 00:32:32.349
you can catch up to this. No better feeling.

00:32:33.150 --> 00:32:35.630
Like that, that's the man versus man. Yeah, they

00:32:35.630 --> 00:32:39.460
know it's coming. It's a no better feeling when

00:32:39.460 --> 00:32:42.240
they swing a miss but it is a terrible feeling

00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:45.440
when they hit it like 450 yards 50 feet yards.

00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:49.660
I'm in golf mode already But yeah when they smack

00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:52.400
that thing and you're like, oh they got me that's

00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:56.000
a Bad feeling too. Yeah. I mean a lot sometimes

00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:58.460
you'll see a pitcher He just knows it and he

00:32:58.460 --> 00:33:00.819
doesn't make that full turn around to watch it

00:33:00.819 --> 00:33:03.500
clear the fence He's just doesn't even look depending

00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:06.460
on the game. That's kind of a Yeah, you tip your

00:33:06.460 --> 00:33:10.559
cap. You're like you got me. All right Yeah gamesmanship

00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:13.319
A little oddball question maybe a little bit

00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:16.779
here that I want to throw in there It's gonna

00:33:16.779 --> 00:33:19.619
happen pitchers who've got good control their

00:33:19.619 --> 00:33:25.579
pitches are gonna hit guys sometimes When it

00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:29.039
happened Do you just I mean do guys give you

00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:31.220
looks do they kind of know all right? That was

00:33:31.220 --> 00:33:33.220
he didn't mean to do that. He just he's trying

00:33:33.220 --> 00:33:35.839
to take that side of the plate. I know I get

00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:38.500
it. Or are there some tense moments where you

00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:44.119
hit guys? There's definitely tense moments. There's

00:33:44.119 --> 00:33:48.500
one vivid one that sticks out. It was 2018. We

00:33:48.500 --> 00:33:51.579
were playing the Nats. Harper was obviously on

00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:56.700
a tear, like always. And I think he had two homers

00:33:56.700 --> 00:34:00.440
in the game. And I came in to face him. I think

00:34:00.440 --> 00:34:04.049
Lee... I don't remember all the details but I

00:34:04.049 --> 00:34:06.690
remember I was throwing the cutter at the time

00:34:06.690 --> 00:34:10.010
and trying to throw a cutter inside and I hit

00:34:10.010 --> 00:34:14.929
him on his back shin and I was like on the mound

00:34:14.929 --> 00:34:17.250
I was like he's gonna be pissed like he's he's

00:34:17.250 --> 00:34:21.190
gonna be upset yeah he's gonna come at me and

00:34:21.190 --> 00:34:23.929
I walked down like pretty close like kind of

00:34:23.929 --> 00:34:26.630
ready and I remember flowers kind of walked out

00:34:26.630 --> 00:34:28.349
too because we were all kind of you could kind

00:34:28.349 --> 00:34:33.059
of feel that And Bryce gets up, and he's like,

00:34:33.059 --> 00:34:36.260
looking around like, oh. And then he looks at

00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:39.159
Flowers. He goes, is that a cutter? And Flowers

00:34:39.159 --> 00:34:41.260
is like, yeah. He goes, that was a good one.

00:34:41.380 --> 00:34:43.880
And then he just ran to first. And I was like,

00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:46.440
that's it? You know? And then there are times

00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:48.920
where you're like, nothing happened. And you

00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:53.199
know, you think, and the batter's upset. You

00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:56.539
know, there's. especially when it gets up here,

00:34:56.639 --> 00:34:59.260
you know, guys obviously start getting upset,

00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:04.219
you know, when it's up, the higher it gets, batters

00:35:04.219 --> 00:35:10.039
get, obviously they should. But yeah, it's not

00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:12.159
comfortable. You don't want to ever hit somebody

00:35:12.159 --> 00:35:14.460
on purpose, but you're also not, you're trying

00:35:14.460 --> 00:35:18.320
to beat them. You know, like if I'm facing Ronald

00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:21.980
Acuna and I know that he can't hit a four seamer

00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:24.280
inside, I'm going to throw four semis inside

00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:26.199
of him as much as I can because I'm trying to

00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:28.059
get him out. He's one of the best in the game.

00:35:28.420 --> 00:35:32.280
Like that's just an example, you know, so yeah.

00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:36.320
So people who have followed your career and we'll

00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:38.340
cover it here. I don't want to go into any more

00:35:38.340 --> 00:35:40.619
detail than you're comfortable with, but the

00:35:40.619 --> 00:35:44.199
elbow injury that you fracture your elbow 2016

00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:48.940
in April 16, the season is just underway. And

00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:50.840
I know you've described that as probably one

00:35:50.840 --> 00:35:54.210
of the darker times, I guess. Now going back

00:35:54.210 --> 00:35:56.050
and we've probably gotten a little deep in the

00:35:56.050 --> 00:35:58.909
episode here. I did want to mention Your faith

00:35:58.909 --> 00:36:03.489
and how that has sustained you this was in a

00:36:03.489 --> 00:36:06.409
really tough time for you Take me through that.

00:36:06.469 --> 00:36:08.650
Did you think I know I remember you hearing you

00:36:08.650 --> 00:36:11.369
say you're going through the clubhouse and why

00:36:11.369 --> 00:36:18.599
is this happening again? Yeah So leading up to

00:36:18.599 --> 00:36:21.739
that, you know, uh, spring training, 2016, like

00:36:21.739 --> 00:36:23.659
I got to make the team. I'm a rule five. Like

00:36:23.659 --> 00:36:26.079
there's some logistics that go into that. Like

00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:29.199
I have to be on the roster. Um, so I got to make

00:36:29.199 --> 00:36:32.320
the team and about halfway through spring training,

00:36:32.460 --> 00:36:35.400
my elbow really starts hurting. And it was like

00:36:35.400 --> 00:36:38.639
every time, like I threw a baseball and you know,

00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:42.780
trainers, we had an image was fine, but there's

00:36:42.780 --> 00:36:46.119
just arthritis from the Tommy John, like it's

00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:48.860
residual from Tommy John. So I was like, I'm

00:36:48.860 --> 00:36:50.920
fine. I'm just throwing through it. And it was

00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:53.440
every single time, but I'm, I got to make this

00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:56.360
team. Like I can't go on the DL. Like I'm telling

00:36:56.360 --> 00:36:58.260
them, don't put me on the DL. Don't put me on

00:36:58.260 --> 00:37:02.400
the DL. And I finally make the team and it was

00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:05.019
the best. And I pitch an opening day and I strike

00:37:05.019 --> 00:37:08.579
out the side and man, it was like, it was the

00:37:08.579 --> 00:37:12.059
last opening day at Turner field. So like, I'm

00:37:12.059 --> 00:37:14.710
so glad that I didn't. and then we're playing

00:37:14.710 --> 00:37:17.090
the Cardinals and I get out of a bases loaded

00:37:17.090 --> 00:37:19.349
jam on Sunday like we're supposed to go to DC

00:37:19.349 --> 00:37:23.230
like I show up in my suit. My stuff's already

00:37:23.230 --> 00:37:28.110
in DC like and then I come out for the next inning

00:37:28.110 --> 00:37:31.230
I get the first two guys out and then I throw

00:37:31.230 --> 00:37:33.909
a slider in the dirt and I'm like oh man that

00:37:33.909 --> 00:37:36.949
didn't like that was a different pain than I

00:37:36.949 --> 00:37:40.670
had been feeling and then next pitch I threw

00:37:40.670 --> 00:37:43.590
a cutter. and it just felt like it just ripped

00:37:43.590 --> 00:37:47.429
like I felt like I broke my elbow up here and

00:37:47.429 --> 00:37:51.389
uh like it just felt like my whole arm kind of

00:37:51.389 --> 00:37:54.769
just broke and I remember like walking off and

00:37:54.769 --> 00:37:57.829
and I don't remember so much pain like you said

00:37:57.829 --> 00:38:02.590
I remember not again please god not again and

00:38:02.590 --> 00:38:05.130
not another elbow surgery I'm finally here I'm

00:38:05.130 --> 00:38:08.449
finally where I'm supposed to be like like I

00:38:08.449 --> 00:38:11.389
finally made it I'm pitching well like I'm pitching

00:38:11.389 --> 00:38:13.190
the seventh and eighth inning like I'm supposed

00:38:13.190 --> 00:38:17.010
to be here and that all hit me and if you watch

00:38:17.010 --> 00:38:20.690
it on YouTube I just like collapsed and like

00:38:20.690 --> 00:38:23.130
that that was the realization it wasn't really

00:38:23.130 --> 00:38:25.989
so much the pain I was just like adrenaline it

00:38:25.989 --> 00:38:29.750
was like when all that realization just hit and

00:38:29.750 --> 00:38:33.070
you know I didn't know the severity of the injury

00:38:33.070 --> 00:38:36.170
but yeah like I was just praying praying and

00:38:36.170 --> 00:38:39.349
praying and you know we thankfully Dr. Anders

00:38:39.690 --> 00:38:42.929
did my surgery like two days later and put a

00:38:42.929 --> 00:38:44.510
screw in there and he's like you're gonna pitch

00:38:44.510 --> 00:38:47.929
again so he kind of put that confidence in in

00:38:47.929 --> 00:38:51.070
the back of my mind my wife says she she watched

00:38:51.070 --> 00:38:53.670
the surgery he's like puts it in and then he's

00:38:53.670 --> 00:38:56.289
like oh he x -rays and he's like it's not perfect

00:38:56.289 --> 00:38:58.829
so you like go back and forth and he said he

00:38:58.829 --> 00:39:01.389
did that like three or four times and he's just

00:39:01.389 --> 00:39:04.929
super meticulous with it and so like like i can't

00:39:04.929 --> 00:39:07.769
put in to words how thankful i am for that man

00:39:07.769 --> 00:39:12.579
for real Um, so yeah, like back in Florida, rehabbing

00:39:12.579 --> 00:39:16.599
again, I'd spent all 2015 on actually 2016. I

00:39:16.599 --> 00:39:18.400
didn't watch any baseball to the world series.

00:39:18.900 --> 00:39:21.460
Uh, I watched, I watched the Cubbies. I watched

00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:23.940
the laugh. I get, watched game six and game seven.

00:39:24.099 --> 00:39:25.679
Those are the only two baseball games I watch.

00:39:25.860 --> 00:39:28.900
And I'm so glad that I watched game seven because

00:39:28.900 --> 00:39:32.500
the best, uh, but yeah. And I'm glad you watched

00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:37.780
too. Um, yeah. Going back to your surgery there.

00:39:37.780 --> 00:39:42.039
I pulled up another article on that time period

00:39:42.039 --> 00:39:46.480
and I'm from the Pensacola area. So I was reading

00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:48.659
this is Atlanta News Journal the night before

00:39:48.659 --> 00:39:52.099
you're sitting in a hotel in Pensacola before

00:39:52.099 --> 00:39:55.780
the surgery just Not really sure how to how to

00:39:55.780 --> 00:39:57.760
process everything probably a little nervous

00:39:57.760 --> 00:40:00.039
pretty emotional wondering if you're gonna pitch

00:40:00.039 --> 00:40:03.559
again before It goes as well as it possibly could

00:40:03.559 --> 00:40:10.070
have yeah Yeah, I vaguely remember I distinctly

00:40:10.070 --> 00:40:13.110
not vaguely distinctly remember that because

00:40:13.110 --> 00:40:16.210
and you know I talked about like going back to

00:40:16.210 --> 00:40:18.590
Florida and it was just so many ups and downs

00:40:18.590 --> 00:40:20.530
and I remember a certain time like I go back

00:40:20.530 --> 00:40:22.989
and get an x -ray and it wasn't fully healed

00:40:22.989 --> 00:40:25.969
I had like a stress fracture a compound fractures

00:40:25.969 --> 00:40:29.900
and it just wasn't healing correctly. and I was

00:40:29.900 --> 00:40:31.820
praying I was doing all the stuff like I was

00:40:31.820 --> 00:40:35.059
I was getting red light therapy I was going and

00:40:35.059 --> 00:40:39.239
doing um dry needling and and all the stuff acupuncture

00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:41.619
like I was doing everything I could to try to

00:40:41.619 --> 00:40:44.280
get this thing to heal um and and thankfully

00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:47.619
there's a great drug that we tried it's called

00:40:47.619 --> 00:40:51.539
Forteo that um helped it actually speed up the

00:40:51.539 --> 00:40:56.059
healing but I remember my last probably like

00:40:56.059 --> 00:40:59.440
the third to last x -ray I got before I was cleared

00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:01.780
and I remember going with Camille to get the

00:41:01.780 --> 00:41:05.360
x -ray and I'm like come out of the x -ray and

00:41:05.360 --> 00:41:08.179
I saw a little glimpse of it and I was like it's

00:41:08.179 --> 00:41:12.000
not healed still it didn't work and I remember

00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.900
falling in the car like just falling like I'm

00:41:14.900 --> 00:41:16.739
never gonna pitch again I'm never gonna pitch

00:41:16.739 --> 00:41:19.500
again like it's never gonna happen and Camille

00:41:19.500 --> 00:41:21.079
was like you're gonna be fine you don't know

00:41:21.079 --> 00:41:24.659
what the x -ray said like just calm down and

00:41:24.659 --> 00:41:28.059
I you know we went back to the house and I got

00:41:28.059 --> 00:41:30.079
the phone call and said, it's healing. Like,

00:41:30.219 --> 00:41:33.980
it was stuck at like 75%. He's like, it's about

00:41:33.980 --> 00:41:38.239
90 % healed. He's like, it's healed a lot since

00:41:38.239 --> 00:41:41.820
then. And I remember bawling again. And then

00:41:41.820 --> 00:41:43.980
about a couple of weeks later, he's like, Dr.

00:41:44.059 --> 00:41:46.199
Andrew wants to see you. And a couple of weeks

00:41:46.199 --> 00:41:49.880
later, I was like getting kind of approved to

00:41:49.880 --> 00:41:52.219
throw and get back. And that's when I went back

00:41:52.219 --> 00:41:55.619
to that same hotel. And it was like the contrasts.

00:41:55.530 --> 00:42:00.389
of, I'm pitching again, I'm coming back versus

00:42:00.389 --> 00:42:02.210
a few months earlier and it's like, I'm never

00:42:02.210 --> 00:42:04.309
going to pitch ever again. And it was just like

00:42:04.309 --> 00:42:09.630
a weird, wild, crazy, just roller coaster, honestly.

00:42:10.309 --> 00:42:13.010
Yeah. And I can just, I can see the emotions

00:42:13.010 --> 00:42:16.230
as you retell the story and how you must've been

00:42:16.230 --> 00:42:19.630
feeling back then, because you're on the upward

00:42:19.630 --> 00:42:22.590
trajectory of your career. You've proven yourself.

00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:25.659
you're in a great organization. I mean, everybody,

00:42:25.800 --> 00:42:29.139
even if they're not an Atlanta Braves fan, everybody

00:42:29.139 --> 00:42:34.260
knows this is just a robust operation with a

00:42:34.260 --> 00:42:36.659
lot of talented people. And Snitker, I think

00:42:36.659 --> 00:42:39.420
that was his first, or when you came in, I guess,

00:42:39.539 --> 00:42:41.679
Freddie Gonzalez was, that was his last season

00:42:41.679 --> 00:42:44.019
as manager, but the team that eventually won

00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:46.400
the World Series was coming into place. I mean,

00:42:47.260 --> 00:42:52.400
the new ballpark. Now, so by August of 2020,

00:42:52.190 --> 00:42:56.250
17 is that right? Yeah, you're back and another

00:42:56.250 --> 00:43:01.969
big moment against Seattle and You come into

00:43:01.969 --> 00:43:06.130
face one batter. It's Robbie Cano Another household

00:43:06.130 --> 00:43:09.909
name and you get him the ground out Again, how's

00:43:09.909 --> 00:43:12.489
it feel just you're back out there again when

00:43:12.489 --> 00:43:15.789
you return after the first injury and now here

00:43:15.789 --> 00:43:20.630
Or after Tommy John and then here again Yeah,

00:43:20.789 --> 00:43:23.619
is there that fear that? this might happen again.

00:43:23.840 --> 00:43:25.099
Am I going to go through something like this

00:43:25.099 --> 00:43:28.199
again? Am I going to have another season -ending

00:43:28.199 --> 00:43:31.280
injury? Does that ever go away, or do you just

00:43:31.280 --> 00:43:34.320
kind of stay in the moment, stay in the day kind

00:43:34.320 --> 00:43:37.079
of mentality? Yeah, you know, I probably should

00:43:37.079 --> 00:43:43.340
have. I don't know. No, I didn't. Yeah, of course,

00:43:43.539 --> 00:43:48.239
I thought I could tear my UCL, but I fell. my

00:43:48.239 --> 00:43:52.139
elbow felt as strong as it had ever been. And

00:43:52.139 --> 00:43:54.500
I don't know, I just was confident. And I tell

00:43:54.500 --> 00:43:57.780
people that it's kind of like I had three debuts,

00:43:58.440 --> 00:44:01.619
you know, 2015, 2016, the opening day was kind

00:44:01.619 --> 00:44:05.380
of one debut, and then 2017 coming back after

00:44:05.380 --> 00:44:07.760
I tore my, or after I broke my elbow. Like those

00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:10.659
were, I remember the feeling of 2017 and getting

00:44:10.659 --> 00:44:14.699
like, I remember Snit saying, like, when he handed

00:44:14.699 --> 00:44:17.110
me the ball, he was like, welcome back. It was

00:44:17.110 --> 00:44:21.170
Robbie, you know, like, so, yeah, I remember,

00:44:21.170 --> 00:44:24.809
like, just feeling so elated again, like I, like

00:44:24.809 --> 00:44:27.550
I had just made another debut. And, yeah, it

00:44:27.550 --> 00:44:32.510
was, it was special to, after all of that promotion

00:44:32.510 --> 00:44:34.809
and roller coaster to finally be back. And like

00:44:34.809 --> 00:44:38.929
you said, I'm in this great organization. I got

00:44:38.929 --> 00:44:42.230
a great, another chance to come back. I'm feeling

00:44:42.230 --> 00:44:45.849
good. I'm feeling healthy. Yeah, it was a, I

00:44:45.849 --> 00:44:49.170
forget about the 2016 a lot. The roller coaster

00:44:49.170 --> 00:44:53.469
just got to focus on the 2017, but you kind of

00:44:53.469 --> 00:44:56.590
forget what you went through to get there. So

00:44:56.590 --> 00:45:00.130
2017, you appear in 16 games. You pitched to

00:45:00.130 --> 00:45:02.590
a 251 ERA for the season. You got to be feeling

00:45:02.590 --> 00:45:06.530
pretty good when that year winds down. I also,

00:45:06.550 --> 00:45:08.510
I want to talk, I always like to talk on this

00:45:08.510 --> 00:45:11.409
show about relationships. Obviously you got your

00:45:11.409 --> 00:45:15.289
teammates. I have to imagine your lifetime friends

00:45:15.289 --> 00:45:18.530
with some of these guys. But pitching coaches

00:45:18.530 --> 00:45:21.909
like Chuck Hernandez, Rick Cranitz, talk about

00:45:21.909 --> 00:45:24.389
some of those guys and the impact that they had

00:45:24.389 --> 00:45:28.650
on you. Yeah, lots of names, lots of guys that

00:45:28.650 --> 00:45:33.110
had super impact. You know, Chuck was big for

00:45:33.110 --> 00:45:37.289
me, especially like 2017, 2018. He was really

00:45:37.289 --> 00:45:41.090
helpful when I was coming back. And like I said,

00:45:41.090 --> 00:45:44.320
I made some mechanical changes. And Chuck was

00:45:44.320 --> 00:45:47.500
really big and helping me make those changes

00:45:47.500 --> 00:45:50.920
and kind of seeing where the stress was and and

00:45:50.920 --> 00:45:53.500
Again, we didn't that they have technology for

00:45:53.500 --> 00:45:55.639
a lot of that now I mean this wasn't that long

00:45:55.639 --> 00:45:58.780
ago But at the time like really wasn't all the

00:45:58.780 --> 00:46:01.599
technology that you the wearable tack and stuff

00:46:01.599 --> 00:46:06.000
And so I leaned on a lot of those people when

00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:08.539
I was coming back trying to make sure I could

00:46:08.539 --> 00:46:12.699
still be successful in the big leagues, but also

00:46:12.940 --> 00:46:18.159
healthy. So yeah, Marty and Chuck and, you know,

00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:22.239
even when my club days, Tommy and CY, Chris Young,

00:46:22.380 --> 00:46:24.840
like those guys are all, you know, I still talk

00:46:24.840 --> 00:46:29.360
to Tommy and Chris Young and Rossi and all those

00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:33.360
people were, I always say, and if kids are listening,

00:46:34.280 --> 00:46:38.380
everybody has something to say. Everybody. You

00:46:38.380 --> 00:46:40.500
might not like everything they say you might

00:46:40.500 --> 00:46:43.219
only like a little bit of what they have to say

00:46:43.219 --> 00:46:46.559
But something somebody has got something that

00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:49.860
you can take and just build on it You know, just

00:46:49.860 --> 00:46:53.199
mold it into who you want to be who you think

00:46:53.199 --> 00:46:57.739
you should be but don't discount anybody Everybody

00:46:57.739 --> 00:47:00.920
has something some wisdom to offer and that was

00:47:00.920 --> 00:47:03.739
the I I don't know who told me maybe my grandpa

00:47:03.739 --> 00:47:07.500
He was a basketball coach forever Maybe I heard

00:47:07.500 --> 00:47:10.579
it from him, but that was the best thing. Every

00:47:10.579 --> 00:47:13.980
coach, any mental skills, any front office, I

00:47:13.980 --> 00:47:17.039
never discounted anybody. What do you have for

00:47:17.039 --> 00:47:21.000
me? What do you think I could do better? So one

00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:24.179
of the best advice I've heard. And ask questions

00:47:24.179 --> 00:47:29.519
of those old guys, those old gorillas. Yep, absolutely.

00:47:30.199 --> 00:47:33.199
Good wisdom from those old guys. So let's shoot

00:47:33.199 --> 00:47:35.440
forward a little bit. Man, I'd love to talk for

00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:40.489
two... couple hours with you but uh so so at

00:47:40.489 --> 00:47:44.269
the trade deadline in 2019 you get the news that

00:47:44.269 --> 00:47:47.630
you've been traded to this is an odd one to the

00:47:47.630 --> 00:47:50.289
san francisco giants i gotta ask you this is

00:47:50.289 --> 00:47:52.710
going back to the some of the terms that people

00:47:52.710 --> 00:47:56.389
may not be familiar with being dfa'd when you

00:47:56.389 --> 00:47:58.610
got the the information i guess from your agent

00:47:58.610 --> 00:48:00.929
that you'd been traded to the giants did you

00:48:00.929 --> 00:48:03.510
know that i guess a day later that they would

00:48:03.510 --> 00:48:07.750
um designate you for assignment I found on Twitter

00:48:07.750 --> 00:48:10.889
that I got traded first of all, so that was great.

00:48:13.150 --> 00:48:16.869
Yeah, you know, I was a little surprised. It's

00:48:16.869 --> 00:48:19.329
2018. I had a really good year. Really good year.

00:48:19.469 --> 00:48:22.710
I felt like in 2019. I had a really good year

00:48:22.710 --> 00:48:26.510
as well. I just had two bad games and you know,

00:48:26.510 --> 00:48:29.110
I've seen in the future like that. That was a

00:48:29.110 --> 00:48:31.489
crypt. My kryptonite was those two or three blow

00:48:31.489 --> 00:48:36.429
up games. You know Cubs that was. three bad games

00:48:36.429 --> 00:48:39.610
and it just you know it happened so fast and

00:48:39.610 --> 00:48:42.269
that's kind of the thing is like it can happen

00:48:42.269 --> 00:48:46.110
so fast and never discount where you are and

00:48:46.110 --> 00:48:48.670
rest on your laurels especially when you're and

00:48:48.670 --> 00:48:51.969
you're playing at the highest level you can never

00:48:51.969 --> 00:48:55.489
relax but yeah so straight in got called the

00:48:55.489 --> 00:48:58.869
next day hey we're gonna designate your for assignment

00:48:58.869 --> 00:49:02.039
so essentially that means I was on the 40 -man,

00:49:02.099 --> 00:49:04.380
I wasn't on the 25 -man roster, so I wasn't on

00:49:04.380 --> 00:49:07.679
the big, big active roster. I was on what they

00:49:07.679 --> 00:49:10.340
would call the reserve list on the 40 -man roster.

00:49:10.840 --> 00:49:13.940
And I was taken off that 40 -man roster for,

00:49:14.079 --> 00:49:16.300
they had to make a move. They just had an injury.

00:49:16.940 --> 00:49:20.099
Obviously I was on the end. They just kind of

00:49:20.099 --> 00:49:23.340
wanted to dump money. And so yeah, that I was

00:49:23.340 --> 00:49:27.039
designated, nobody picked me up and was in their

00:49:27.039 --> 00:49:29.400
minor league system at that point. because they

00:49:29.400 --> 00:49:33.000
still own my rights. So yeah, I played for the

00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:36.260
Sacramento River Cats and we won a AAA championship

00:49:36.260 --> 00:49:39.500
that year. So it was awesome. I loved it. It

00:49:39.500 --> 00:49:43.380
was great for me. Yeah. Like I said, a former

00:49:43.380 --> 00:49:45.599
UCF Golden Knight Vic Penn, he was telling me

00:49:45.599 --> 00:49:48.420
about some of the stops that he made and guys

00:49:48.420 --> 00:49:51.480
that he met in certain places he didn't expect

00:49:51.480 --> 00:49:53.880
that he'd be, teams that he was playing for.

00:49:54.800 --> 00:49:58.320
He said, you're still making friends and And

00:49:58.320 --> 00:50:00.420
he said some of my best friends are from a place

00:50:00.420 --> 00:50:03.300
that I I was playing for six months or I was

00:50:03.300 --> 00:50:07.280
Yeah, that's a great point to have been where

00:50:07.280 --> 00:50:09.039
you were with the Braves and then now you're

00:50:09.039 --> 00:50:13.059
in Sacramento and It's not the Ritz Carlton's

00:50:13.059 --> 00:50:17.039
anymore. You're not flying on a private jet The

00:50:17.039 --> 00:50:19.760
first few days first week first few road trips.

00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:22.179
Is that tough? Or are you just thinking this

00:50:22.179 --> 00:50:25.739
is this where I am and I'm just still blessed

00:50:25.739 --> 00:50:30.260
to be here Yeah, obviously, yeah, you're just

00:50:30.260 --> 00:50:33.000
kind of blessed to have a jersey, you know, like,

00:50:33.500 --> 00:50:37.940
mentally, it was good for me to go back. I just

00:50:37.940 --> 00:50:39.760
put so much pressure on myself when I was in

00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:42.079
the big leagues. I felt like I had to be, you

00:50:42.079 --> 00:50:43.980
know, and maybe that was kind of that chip on

00:50:43.980 --> 00:50:46.460
my shoulder coming back to bite me at the end

00:50:46.460 --> 00:50:49.639
of my career. I felt like I had to be almost

00:50:49.639 --> 00:50:53.500
perfect every time. Another story that I'll quickly

00:50:53.500 --> 00:50:57.190
tell is 2018. I was pitching really well. our

00:50:57.190 --> 00:50:59.190
closer went down and I was our eighth inning,

00:50:59.449 --> 00:51:01.210
seventh, eighth inning guy, depending on the

00:51:01.210 --> 00:51:04.409
matchups. And I had my first save opportunity

00:51:04.409 --> 00:51:07.429
and I blew it. I gave up four runs against the

00:51:07.429 --> 00:51:10.989
Orioles. And I remember I felt like I let the

00:51:10.989 --> 00:51:14.170
entire city of Atlanta down. And I don't know

00:51:14.170 --> 00:51:16.809
why, you know, like it's just how I felt. Like

00:51:16.809 --> 00:51:19.909
I had this pit in my stomach. But yeah, so I

00:51:19.909 --> 00:51:22.369
put a lot of pressure on myself when I was in

00:51:22.369 --> 00:51:25.269
the big leagues. And then going to Sacramento

00:51:25.269 --> 00:51:28.889
was... So good for me. And, you know, you're,

00:51:28.889 --> 00:51:31.190
yeah, you're not staying on in the Ritz -Carlton

00:51:31.190 --> 00:51:34.809
and you're taking five AM flights and commercial

00:51:34.809 --> 00:51:37.489
flights and you're playing in the Pacific Coast

00:51:37.489 --> 00:51:39.750
League. So the ball flies and it's a lot of travel,

00:51:39.750 --> 00:51:46.889
but it was fun again. Like I had fun. I can't,

00:51:46.889 --> 00:51:49.250
I can't say it a different way than it was just

00:51:49.250 --> 00:51:54.139
fun. And, and we were good. But, uh, we didn't

00:51:54.139 --> 00:51:57.019
expect to win it all, but we won it all. And

00:51:57.019 --> 00:52:00.119
we, I don't know. Like you said, I've played

00:52:00.119 --> 00:52:02.159
with some of those guys for two months and I

00:52:02.159 --> 00:52:04.699
still talk to some of them because it was just

00:52:04.699 --> 00:52:07.639
fun again and it was awesome. So yeah, it was

00:52:07.639 --> 00:52:11.139
exactly what I needed. And then the end of 2019,

00:52:11.139 --> 00:52:13.880
I guess, uh, near the winter meetings, December,

00:52:13.940 --> 00:52:17.500
2019, you get an offer from the Chicago Cubs.

00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:19.440
This comes through your agent. Does he give you

00:52:19.440 --> 00:52:21.440
a call and say, this is what's on the table here?

00:52:22.250 --> 00:52:26.449
Yeah, the Cubs were the first team to call. They're

00:52:26.449 --> 00:52:28.489
like, we want to sign you. They were interested.

00:52:28.929 --> 00:52:31.289
The Mets were interested as well. And it was

00:52:31.289 --> 00:52:33.989
early in the offseason. I didn't expect much

00:52:33.989 --> 00:52:37.869
of it. And the Cubs are like, yeah, we want an

00:52:37.869 --> 00:52:40.789
interview. So I talked to Tommy and I talked

00:52:40.789 --> 00:52:43.030
to Craig Breslow, who was there at the time.

00:52:43.550 --> 00:52:47.070
And they gave me a spiel on why they thought

00:52:47.070 --> 00:52:51.760
that they could help me out. Talked about spin

00:52:51.760 --> 00:52:55.679
rate and I was like done. I want to sign I was

00:52:55.679 --> 00:53:00.760
so again blessed to play for two Amazing franchises

00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:03.719
like the the hardest part about getting traded

00:53:03.719 --> 00:53:07.199
and even the Giants was a great franchise but

00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:09.440
The hardest part about getting traded was I loved

00:53:09.440 --> 00:53:12.900
Atlanta. I loved like like you said the organization

00:53:12.900 --> 00:53:16.260
was so cool I got to play with like BMAC and

00:53:16.260 --> 00:53:19.659
Jeff Frankour and I got to meet Tom Glavine.

00:53:19.659 --> 00:53:22.000
I got to meet John Smoltz, I got to meet all

00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:24.500
those guys, like Tripper Jones was all around,

00:53:24.840 --> 00:53:26.719
like Henry Aaron, like Hank Aaron was around,

00:53:26.739 --> 00:53:32.980
like it was so cool. And then to be recruited

00:53:32.980 --> 00:53:36.679
by the Cubs was like, what? Like, again, you

00:53:36.679 --> 00:53:40.199
know, like I always had this like imposter syndrome

00:53:40.199 --> 00:53:42.920
when I was at the Cubs, like I don't belong here

00:53:42.920 --> 00:53:46.139
because I'm playing with Tony Rizzo, like Baez,

00:53:46.300 --> 00:53:49.360
like KB, like those guys are World Series winners.

00:53:49.550 --> 00:53:53.289
You know, and so it was like Jay Hay was, he

00:53:53.289 --> 00:53:55.690
was every time I walk in, he goes, what's up,

00:53:55.829 --> 00:53:58.230
Wink? And it was like, you're still like, you're

00:53:58.230 --> 00:54:00.849
still talking to me. You know, like, yeah, it

00:54:00.849 --> 00:54:05.210
was, uh, it was awesome. I was like, please sign

00:54:05.210 --> 00:54:08.050
me up at that point. I was trying not to show

00:54:08.050 --> 00:54:11.449
my cards, but yeah, I was like, I'm, I'm in.

00:54:12.250 --> 00:54:14.670
I want to just mention this because, you know,

00:54:14.670 --> 00:54:17.909
the Cubs have not reached the postseason since

00:54:17.909 --> 00:54:22.699
that 2020. uh, COVID shortened season. You pitched

00:54:22.699 --> 00:54:25.000
in one of the last games against the Marlins

00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:27.880
in game one of that wild card series, pitched

00:54:27.880 --> 00:54:30.440
the ninth inning, got a couple of strikeouts

00:54:30.440 --> 00:54:33.340
and how did you, how did you feel about being

00:54:33.340 --> 00:54:36.699
a part of that organization at that time, how

00:54:36.699 --> 00:54:39.559
you could contribute and it was an odd season,

00:54:39.559 --> 00:54:42.440
I guess for everybody involved, but. Yeah, it

00:54:42.440 --> 00:54:45.059
was an odd season, but like you, you're talking

00:54:45.059 --> 00:54:47.659
the postseason, it's still the postseason and

00:54:47.659 --> 00:54:49.989
it's still the, you know. playing for the Chicago

00:54:49.989 --> 00:54:53.969
Cubs at Ridley Field. Man, it was, it was wild.

00:54:54.230 --> 00:54:57.929
I tell people like, you know, like the playoffs

00:54:57.929 --> 00:55:00.869
just have that buzz. Like I wasn't on the playoff

00:55:00.869 --> 00:55:05.269
team in 2018, but I was around. And then 2019

00:55:05.269 --> 00:55:07.329
I was on that team, but I was with the Giants

00:55:07.329 --> 00:55:10.989
at the time. But there's this buzz about the

00:55:10.989 --> 00:55:13.769
postseason. And even though there was no fans

00:55:13.769 --> 00:55:18.239
in the stands, you could just feel like this

00:55:18.239 --> 00:55:21.559
is the postseason. I don't know how to explain

00:55:21.559 --> 00:55:24.800
it, other than like just the buzz about it, like

00:55:24.800 --> 00:55:28.179
this is the playoffs. And so to be able to pitch

00:55:28.179 --> 00:55:31.820
in a playoff, you know, is a blessing in itself.

00:55:32.179 --> 00:55:34.920
Whether it was COVID or not, I don't care. You

00:55:34.920 --> 00:55:38.139
know, like it was so cool. It was awesome. I

00:55:38.139 --> 00:55:39.880
wish I could have done it more, especially with

00:55:39.880 --> 00:55:44.210
the Cubs. But yeah, it was a special team. Kind

00:55:44.210 --> 00:55:48.010
of sad that COVID happened because I really think

00:55:48.010 --> 00:55:51.010
that that team probably could have made a run.

00:55:51.230 --> 00:55:54.630
It was a special bunch. Absolutely. This is just

00:55:54.630 --> 00:55:57.230
a Dan time footnote, but I couldn't believe it.

00:55:57.469 --> 00:56:00.690
I'm reading the box score for game one against

00:56:00.690 --> 00:56:04.389
the Marlins. Dan, a couple of the umpire, the

00:56:04.389 --> 00:56:07.989
umpiring crew, the second base umpire, Dan Iasonia.

00:56:08.269 --> 00:56:11.210
and the left field umpire, Dan Bellino. So you

00:56:11.210 --> 00:56:13.690
got a couple Dan's on the officiating crew that

00:56:13.690 --> 00:56:16.550
night. I'm sure that wasn't lost on you. Love

00:56:16.550 --> 00:56:21.769
it. Of course. I was trying to, there's probably

00:56:21.769 --> 00:56:24.710
some Dan's on the other team as well. Dan's all

00:56:24.710 --> 00:56:27.989
over the place. When you think about your time

00:56:27.989 --> 00:56:30.289
in Chicago, Wrigley Field, how about just the

00:56:30.289 --> 00:56:34.369
first time when the fans are back, 2021, and

00:56:34.369 --> 00:56:37.429
you're out there, any great memories? games that

00:56:37.429 --> 00:56:39.670
really stick out to you where it was just a thrill?

00:56:39.889 --> 00:56:45.070
Yeah. Go Cubs, go across the PA. The best. Again,

00:56:45.070 --> 00:56:48.849
I can't reiterate it enough. That is the best.

00:56:48.909 --> 00:56:51.389
I got to close out a bunch of games. Obviously,

00:56:51.449 --> 00:56:54.110
not a save opportunity. We had Craig Kimbrough,

00:56:54.329 --> 00:56:56.710
the best Hall of Famer. And he had one of the

00:56:56.710 --> 00:57:00.489
best years he's ever had. But I got to close

00:57:00.489 --> 00:57:03.150
out a bunch of games. And it was the best going

00:57:03.150 --> 00:57:05.769
through the line here in the Code Cubs, go. And

00:57:06.570 --> 00:57:09.969
21 we started out with like a third 20 % and

00:57:09.969 --> 00:57:12.809
then kind of grew and I got a pitch opening day

00:57:12.809 --> 00:57:16.269
at 21, which is awesome. It's freezing cold,

00:57:16.610 --> 00:57:19.489
but there's fans back in the stands like it's

00:57:19.489 --> 00:57:23.030
special. And then I remember in June we were

00:57:23.030 --> 00:57:25.949
playing the Padres and that was like full capacity

00:57:25.949 --> 00:57:28.690
and I got a pitch in that game and I think that's

00:57:28.690 --> 00:57:31.769
the hardest I ever throw. I was like 96 .4 or

00:57:31.769 --> 00:57:35.079
something, but. One game really sticks out was

00:57:35.079 --> 00:57:37.360
when we were playing the Mets and it was this

00:57:37.360 --> 00:57:39.739
is the first year we had the ghost runner rule,

00:57:39.739 --> 00:57:42.539
which you start with a runner on second and the

00:57:42.539 --> 00:57:45.619
extra innings. And so I'm coming in pitching

00:57:45.619 --> 00:57:49.860
10th inning and just nervous. I, you know, don't

00:57:49.860 --> 00:57:53.059
know why just nervous. This can be facing, you

00:57:53.059 --> 00:57:57.579
know, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, Dominic

00:57:57.579 --> 00:58:02.059
Smith, like the heart of their lineup. And I.

00:58:02.619 --> 00:58:05.059
Struck out the first guy and then walk two guys.

00:58:05.059 --> 00:58:08.380
So I basically loaded and one out and then I

00:58:08.380 --> 00:58:11.440
got Dominic Smith to ground out in the double

00:58:11.440 --> 00:58:15.099
play and I just remember the place just erupted

00:58:15.099 --> 00:58:19.400
and it was like Usually when the place erupt

00:58:19.400 --> 00:58:22.659
I'm on the visiting side and I just gave up a

00:58:22.659 --> 00:58:26.460
big Homer But this was a great erupted and then

00:58:26.460 --> 00:58:29.480
we ended up Jay Hay walked it off the first like

00:58:29.480 --> 00:58:32.239
it was like a fourth pitch Of the next thing

00:58:32.239 --> 00:58:34.460
we walked it off and that was my first couple

00:58:34.460 --> 00:58:38.039
win And so that was that will always be special

00:58:38.039 --> 00:58:41.619
for me that game will for sure And dan I jotted

00:58:41.619 --> 00:58:45.199
this down in the 2020 season nine games at Wrigley

00:58:45.199 --> 00:58:49.460
field you pitched to a 164era You must have been

00:58:49.460 --> 00:58:51.699
feeling pretty good about your stuff that season

00:58:51.699 --> 00:58:55.119
Another thing that I want to point out this is

00:58:55.119 --> 00:58:56.940
kids. Unfortunately, we'll never see this again.

00:58:57.000 --> 00:58:59.599
Maybe it's a good thing without the pitchers

00:58:59.599 --> 00:59:02.039
hitting anymore, but Across your career, Dan,

00:59:02.380 --> 00:59:06.599
you got three times up to the plate. I just got

00:59:06.599 --> 00:59:09.420
to ask you real quick as you know, starting pitchers

00:59:09.420 --> 00:59:11.340
used to get one or two, maybe three at bats.

00:59:12.139 --> 00:59:15.840
Very unusual for a relief pitcher, but not completely

00:59:15.840 --> 00:59:19.420
impossible, unlikely depending on the game situation.

00:59:19.440 --> 00:59:22.980
But as a reliever, like I think there's a game

00:59:22.980 --> 00:59:25.119
where you're pitching two innings against the

00:59:25.119 --> 00:59:27.699
Padres and you're just going to stay in the game

00:59:27.699 --> 00:59:31.719
and grab a bat. What's that? You can't possibly

00:59:31.719 --> 00:59:34.380
be going into that, that day thinking I'm going

00:59:34.380 --> 00:59:37.460
to put on a helmet and grab a bat and stand in

00:59:37.460 --> 00:59:41.719
that batter's box in a few hours. You never think

00:59:41.719 --> 00:59:45.159
that you never, you know, like it never goes

00:59:45.159 --> 00:59:47.139
through. You're trying to get the best in the

00:59:47.139 --> 00:59:49.519
world out. Like that's the last thing. I remember

00:59:49.519 --> 00:59:52.519
my first time I was, I was so excited because

00:59:52.519 --> 00:59:56.360
we were winning by a lot and I was really excited.

00:59:56.780 --> 00:59:59.380
It's just cool. Like my first time I remember.

00:59:59.469 --> 01:00:01.489
You see it from the pitchers now. You know, you

01:00:01.489 --> 01:00:04.090
see the field from the pitch. But now you get

01:00:04.090 --> 01:00:06.489
a stand in the batter's box and see what the

01:00:06.489 --> 01:00:10.010
hitter sees and just seeing the field from you're

01:00:10.010 --> 01:00:13.909
like, whoa, this is this is so much cooler, you

01:00:13.909 --> 01:00:17.150
know, like just little relievers, stuff like

01:00:17.150 --> 01:00:20.590
that. We always talk about. But yeah, I never

01:00:20.590 --> 01:00:23.730
struck out in a major league game. So in my three

01:00:23.730 --> 01:00:26.909
A .B .s, I didn't strike out. So two ground outs.

01:00:27.150 --> 01:00:30.619
But I remember the Cubs won. Gosh dang, I can't

01:00:30.619 --> 01:00:33.159
believe I'm blanking. I can see our bench coach

01:00:33.159 --> 01:00:35.639
at the time. He's like, hey, you're hitting.

01:00:36.360 --> 01:00:38.599
I'm like, no, I'm not. And he goes, yeah, you're

01:00:38.599 --> 01:00:41.800
up first. You're leading off. And I'm like, what?

01:00:42.639 --> 01:00:45.099
I didn't have anything. He's like, here's everything.

01:00:45.280 --> 01:00:47.639
And he's like swinging at the, he's like, he's

01:00:47.639 --> 01:00:51.639
95 % sliders. He's like, expect a slider. I was

01:00:51.639 --> 01:00:53.940
like, okay. So I'm like trying to get out of

01:00:53.940 --> 01:00:56.239
there as fast as possible because it's hot, it's

01:00:56.239 --> 01:00:59.889
June, you know. first picture sees a stinker

01:00:59.889 --> 01:01:03.829
and I like there's a slider no it's not and it's

01:01:03.829 --> 01:01:06.869
right off my knuckles like right back I think

01:01:06.869 --> 01:01:09.710
it was 60 mile an hour but I'm like get me out

01:01:09.710 --> 01:01:12.190
of here and then he bobbled it a couple times

01:01:12.190 --> 01:01:14.489
I'm like no just pick it up and throw it get

01:01:14.489 --> 01:01:18.989
me out you know like get this over with yeah

01:01:18.989 --> 01:01:21.429
exactly I don't want to be on the basis please

01:01:21.429 --> 01:01:24.170
was this all right I wrote it down Austin Adams

01:01:24.170 --> 01:01:28.469
for the Padres It was, yeah. It sure was. Grounded

01:01:28.469 --> 01:01:32.369
back to the pitcher. Yup. In these situations,

01:01:32.809 --> 01:01:34.969
whose bat are you grabbing? Whose helmet are

01:01:34.969 --> 01:01:39.730
you putting on? I think it was Arietta's. I think

01:01:39.730 --> 01:01:44.230
maybe they probably got me the smallest bat and

01:01:44.230 --> 01:01:46.650
made sure, you know, they're like, you know,

01:01:46.690 --> 01:01:49.969
it used to be American League teams when they'd

01:01:49.969 --> 01:01:52.170
play National League teams. If a reliever had

01:01:52.170 --> 01:01:55.349
to hit, they'd hand them a broken bat. and say,

01:01:55.570 --> 01:01:59.170
you're not swinging. But thankfully, Ross, he

01:01:59.170 --> 01:02:00.809
was like, yeah, we want to see what you got.

01:02:00.929 --> 01:02:04.630
So they let me swing. Do you glance over and

01:02:04.630 --> 01:02:07.530
Rizzo and KB, are they hanging over the rail?

01:02:07.809 --> 01:02:09.530
I mean, they're eating this up. They love it.

01:02:10.530 --> 01:02:14.650
They love it. Yeah. I heard it so much, especially

01:02:14.650 --> 01:02:17.530
from Tony. He's like, you're never hitting again.

01:02:17.750 --> 01:02:22.570
You know that, right? I'm like, good. Bring the

01:02:22.570 --> 01:02:28.510
DH please. So a great time in Chicago. Those

01:02:28.510 --> 01:02:31.130
fans, I mean, I just can't imagine. I see it

01:02:31.130 --> 01:02:34.570
on TV. You see the fans on their feet and then

01:02:34.570 --> 01:02:36.409
the excitement when you get that final out of

01:02:36.409 --> 01:02:40.610
the inning. Who are some of the guys on that

01:02:40.610 --> 01:02:44.909
Cubs team that you really clicked with that,

01:02:44.909 --> 01:02:48.130
you know, maybe you still talk to today? Yeah,

01:02:48.130 --> 01:02:53.289
our bullpen was really close. Actually, we set

01:02:53.289 --> 01:02:59.110
a few records that year in 21. But Craig lives

01:02:59.110 --> 01:03:02.909
here in Nashville. He lives not too far outside

01:03:02.909 --> 01:03:05.690
of the Nashville. So I see him every now and

01:03:05.690 --> 01:03:08.110
then. Rex Brother is another guy who lives in

01:03:08.110 --> 01:03:10.710
Nashville. So we had three Nashville country

01:03:10.710 --> 01:03:15.530
boys in the bullpen that year. So I still see

01:03:15.530 --> 01:03:18.630
those guys all the time. But like Keegan Thompson

01:03:18.630 --> 01:03:22.530
and Justin Steele, they were in the bullpen a

01:03:22.530 --> 01:03:25.590
lot. So talk to them every now and then. But

01:03:25.590 --> 01:03:28.829
it was such a close, like I said, I talked to

01:03:28.829 --> 01:03:32.389
Chris Young, the bullpen coach. Chad Noble was

01:03:32.389 --> 01:03:36.449
our catching, our bullpen catcher. So that knit

01:03:36.449 --> 01:03:40.090
right there, like we stick together. So you make,

01:03:40.269 --> 01:03:43.139
it's like a family within a family. you know,

01:03:43.139 --> 01:03:45.280
we'd sit on the back of the plane, all eight

01:03:45.280 --> 01:03:48.360
of us, just, you know, not hanging out with all

01:03:48.360 --> 01:03:51.420
the rich people, you know, we're down, just being

01:03:51.420 --> 01:03:55.380
normal guys. But yeah, the bullpen guys are super

01:03:55.380 --> 01:03:58.280
close. You know, I'm still close with a lot of

01:03:58.280 --> 01:04:02.699
the, like, Javi was great, and Rizzo was, Rizzo

01:04:02.699 --> 01:04:05.960
didn't know a stranger. He's, I think he's still

01:04:05.960 --> 01:04:09.440
that way. And Arietta would always take us golfing.

01:04:09.679 --> 01:04:14.699
So, yeah, it was, Like I said, the 2020 and 2021

01:04:14.699 --> 01:04:17.820
teams, those were special teams, especially earlier

01:04:17.820 --> 01:04:20.440
in the year. Like before we traded everyone in

01:04:20.440 --> 01:04:23.460
21, we were close knit. And we were in first

01:04:23.460 --> 01:04:26.960
going into June, June like 15th or something.

01:04:26.960 --> 01:04:30.219
And then we lost 11 in a row and just the wheels

01:04:30.219 --> 01:04:34.340
fell off. But yeah, it was, those were, I played

01:04:34.340 --> 01:04:37.659
with so many special teams, 2018, 2019, Braves,

01:04:38.400 --> 01:04:40.559
like 18, we weren't supposed to win anything.

01:04:41.070 --> 01:04:44.369
we started the NL East and they've won ever since

01:04:44.369 --> 01:04:49.010
then. So it was, I was very blessed to play with

01:04:49.010 --> 01:04:52.429
some of the teams that I did. Well, Dan, we're

01:04:52.429 --> 01:04:54.769
probably running short on time here. I just want

01:04:54.769 --> 01:04:58.349
to wrap up some of the baseball talk. You signed

01:04:58.349 --> 01:05:01.449
a deal with the Texas Rangers around the spring

01:05:01.449 --> 01:05:06.719
of 2022. Opted out of that deal. by June of 2022

01:05:06.719 --> 01:05:09.159
and then signed with a minor league deal with

01:05:09.159 --> 01:05:13.280
the White Sox. Dan, you're at a place in your

01:05:13.280 --> 01:05:16.199
life now where you've got, you said two kids?

01:05:17.679 --> 01:05:20.760
Three kids now. Oh, three kids. Welcome to the

01:05:20.760 --> 01:05:26.960
club. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's a zoo here. Yeah,

01:05:27.980 --> 01:05:30.840
the gray hairs, they have a way of multiplying

01:05:30.840 --> 01:05:34.969
when you start adding an extra child to the house.

01:05:35.230 --> 01:05:39.010
I don't know. So fast. And they came on so fast.

01:05:39.550 --> 01:05:42.150
Yeah, it was like I had a kid and gray hair.

01:05:42.449 --> 01:05:45.409
Where did these come from? So yeah, definitely.

01:05:46.530 --> 01:05:50.949
But so you elected free agency November 10th,

01:05:50.969 --> 01:05:55.110
2022. At this point, are you wanting to turn

01:05:55.110 --> 01:05:58.829
a corner in your life with your family? How are

01:05:58.829 --> 01:06:01.409
those decisions made where you got to feel like

01:06:01.409 --> 01:06:05.230
I could still play? Maybe we still like to if

01:06:05.230 --> 01:06:09.130
the situation was right, but How because you

01:06:09.130 --> 01:06:11.670
know guys hit those hit those crossroads a lot

01:06:11.670 --> 01:06:14.210
everybody imagines that Major League Baseball

01:06:14.210 --> 01:06:16.309
players, you know play an average of 10 or 12

01:06:16.309 --> 01:06:20.570
seasons and it's it's not Really typical. I mean

01:06:20.570 --> 01:06:24.090
to to even play one or two seasons professionally

01:06:24.090 --> 01:06:28.550
You're in an elite group there. But yeah. Yeah,

01:06:28.550 --> 01:06:32.710
it was Honestly, you know, I was kind of wearing

01:06:32.710 --> 01:06:36.130
me down a little bit. It's just, it's a hard,

01:06:36.289 --> 01:06:40.429
it's a hard job. It's, it's hard. You know, 21

01:06:40.429 --> 01:06:45.150
ended really bad for me. You know, I was pitching

01:06:45.150 --> 01:06:48.389
well. You know, I have a lot more walks than

01:06:48.389 --> 01:06:51.630
I wanted to, but like I was limiting the hard

01:06:51.630 --> 01:06:54.969
contact and I felt like I was pitching. I was,

01:06:54.969 --> 01:06:56.750
I was doing well. I felt like I could have done

01:06:56.750 --> 01:06:59.449
better, you know. going back I put a lot of pressure

01:06:59.449 --> 01:07:02.909
on myself and we traded everyone away and I was

01:07:02.909 --> 01:07:05.949
left there kind of like you know the Will Smith

01:07:05.949 --> 01:07:08.789
meme of him just like I felt like that like nobody

01:07:08.789 --> 01:07:12.150
else is around me and you know I gave up 12 runs

01:07:12.150 --> 01:07:16.469
and only got two outs in a span of a week and

01:07:16.469 --> 01:07:20.269
I got DFA as we talked about earlier and nobody

01:07:20.269 --> 01:07:23.369
picked me up and didn't expect anybody to and

01:07:23.369 --> 01:07:28.590
then we had the lockout that offseason Uh, and

01:07:28.590 --> 01:07:31.489
so I didn't sign until late March with the Rangers

01:07:31.489 --> 01:07:34.889
and Rangers that pitch well and had an opportunity

01:07:34.889 --> 01:07:38.989
to get called up and contractually just, uh,

01:07:39.050 --> 01:07:41.650
we had, I was a veteran player. I had to waive

01:07:41.650 --> 01:07:43.530
some of my rights and I just wasn't going to

01:07:43.530 --> 01:07:46.909
do that and which I don't blame them for, you

01:07:46.909 --> 01:07:49.670
know, doing that at all. Uh, and then I opted

01:07:49.670 --> 01:07:52.690
out and then they had a few guys kept COVID and

01:07:52.829 --> 01:07:55.369
you know and then I went to the white socks and

01:07:55.369 --> 01:07:57.750
I was about to get called up and I blew out my

01:07:57.750 --> 01:08:03.530
back and it was just like a spiral of and at

01:08:03.530 --> 01:08:05.809
this time like I said it was wearing on me I

01:08:05.809 --> 01:08:08.070
had family my wife was pregnant with our third

01:08:08.070 --> 01:08:11.469
when I was playing in Charlotte and she had just

01:08:11.469 --> 01:08:14.170
gotten a job as a nurse practitioner so she wasn't

01:08:14.170 --> 01:08:17.170
traveling with me and you know I was like I don't

01:08:17.170 --> 01:08:20.350
want to give it up because I love it but it's

01:08:20.350 --> 01:08:22.739
just wearing it down like what did I be better

01:08:22.739 --> 01:08:28.260
off doing something else and then I tried to

01:08:28.260 --> 01:08:30.859
play last year in 23 and you know I was throwing

01:08:30.859 --> 01:08:35.239
95 still I went out to tread and Charlotte and

01:08:35.239 --> 01:08:38.880
was working out with them and I felt like I still

01:08:38.880 --> 01:08:41.579
had all the stuff I just couldn't get any interest

01:08:41.579 --> 01:08:45.300
and you know they they slashed some some of the

01:08:45.300 --> 01:08:47.680
minor league jobs which hurt some veterans like

01:08:47.680 --> 01:08:51.329
me I wasn't getting a big league deal, which

01:08:51.329 --> 01:08:55.489
I knew I wouldn't towards the end of my career.

01:08:55.770 --> 01:08:58.449
But I felt like I still had a lot to offer. I

01:08:58.449 --> 01:09:01.449
felt like I pitched really well in 22. It just

01:09:01.449 --> 01:09:04.090
didn't work out for me to pitch in the big leagues.

01:09:04.649 --> 01:09:07.229
And then I just I wasn't going to play any ball.

01:09:07.310 --> 01:09:10.310
I just was not going to go do that. And it's

01:09:10.310 --> 01:09:13.170
not nothing against any ball. I just I had three

01:09:13.170 --> 01:09:15.350
kids. I played six years in the big leagues.

01:09:15.470 --> 01:09:18.270
I had 12 years of professional experience. I

01:09:18.270 --> 01:09:22.350
just didn't have the heart for it. And I think

01:09:22.350 --> 01:09:24.770
if you're going to play any ball, you got to

01:09:24.770 --> 01:09:28.710
have some of that heart and love for the baseball.

01:09:28.890 --> 01:09:31.470
And it just I couldn't be away from my family

01:09:31.470 --> 01:09:36.189
for that. And yeah, I was just kind of it didn't

01:09:36.189 --> 01:09:39.510
hit me all at once that I was done. And then,

01:09:39.510 --> 01:09:42.250
you know, summer last year, I was like, I think

01:09:42.250 --> 01:09:45.649
I'm done. And then I got a job offer to work

01:09:45.649 --> 01:09:50.130
for ADP and sell 401K, which is is awesome. I

01:09:50.130 --> 01:09:53.170
get to meet some cool people, you know. I don't

01:09:53.170 --> 01:09:56.930
really love the cold calling. That stinks. That's

01:09:56.930 --> 01:10:01.449
the worst part about it. Yeah, so it stinks.

01:10:01.710 --> 01:10:03.810
It's the worst part. I didn't think I'd have

01:10:03.810 --> 01:10:06.689
to do it, especially going from everybody wanted

01:10:06.689 --> 01:10:08.630
to talk to me. Now nobody wants to talk to me,

01:10:08.630 --> 01:10:13.890
you know. It's like, come on. But yeah, I get

01:10:13.890 --> 01:10:16.109
to work from home. I get to see my kids. I get

01:10:16.109 --> 01:10:19.989
to tuck them in every night. So and Dan, you

01:10:19.989 --> 01:10:23.729
know, it's hard. Yeah Little and how old is your

01:10:23.729 --> 01:10:26.489
oldest son now? He's six. So he just started

01:10:26.489 --> 01:10:29.489
kindergarten. Okay, I think I think our oldest

01:10:29.489 --> 01:10:35.010
boys are the same age and Okay I don't have to

01:10:35.010 --> 01:10:37.770
tell you this but they love having dad around

01:10:37.770 --> 01:10:41.310
they love having you at home at night talking

01:10:41.310 --> 01:10:45.270
a minute night and You can't put a price on that

01:10:45.270 --> 01:10:48.979
No, you know, there's absolutely People you know

01:10:48.979 --> 01:10:52.619
mothers fathers There's things that are just

01:10:52.619 --> 01:10:55.159
you know clawing at you for you know your ambition

01:10:55.159 --> 01:10:57.119
wants to shoot in all these different directions

01:10:57.119 --> 01:11:00.939
you've got your talents your interests and all

01:11:00.939 --> 01:11:03.119
these things and it you just you know, you're

01:11:03.119 --> 01:11:05.800
just Chopping at the bit sometimes that you want

01:11:05.800 --> 01:11:08.960
to be doing something other than watching blazing

01:11:08.960 --> 01:11:13.460
the monster machines or Whatever that they tie

01:11:13.460 --> 01:11:16.020
you up for a couple hours doing this this stuff

01:11:16.020 --> 01:11:19.260
this but It dawns on you that you don't get these

01:11:19.260 --> 01:11:21.819
moments back and the time that you're spending

01:11:21.819 --> 01:11:25.060
with them, just sitting with them or being at

01:11:25.060 --> 01:11:28.239
a park somewhere with them. No offense to the

01:11:28.239 --> 01:11:31.319
guys that do have kids and they have jobs and

01:11:31.319 --> 01:11:33.600
careers that take them around the country, around

01:11:33.600 --> 01:11:35.760
the world, and then they're back home. Nothing

01:11:35.760 --> 01:11:40.199
against that. But children love having those

01:11:40.199 --> 01:11:44.460
parental figures around. It drives us crazy sometimes.

01:11:45.819 --> 01:11:49.500
Yeah, I always say being a dad's the best job,

01:11:49.680 --> 01:11:52.840
but also the hardest job in the world. But yeah,

01:11:53.720 --> 01:11:57.579
it kills you. It gutted me a lot. And my last

01:11:57.579 --> 01:12:01.300
year was like, my kids, dad, when are you coming

01:12:01.300 --> 01:12:04.220
home? Like, why are you still playing baseball?

01:12:04.300 --> 01:12:06.319
Like, what are you? Like why aren't you here

01:12:06.319 --> 01:12:08.600
and and now of course, they're like, why don't

01:12:08.600 --> 01:12:10.680
you go back to baseball? We'd love to baseball

01:12:10.680 --> 01:12:12.800
Well, no kidding because you got to eat ice cream

01:12:12.800 --> 01:12:15.060
and play in the jungle gym all the time. And

01:12:15.060 --> 01:12:21.260
so right Yeah Well, one other thing uh for people

01:12:21.260 --> 01:12:24.260
listening that follow baseball a relief pitcher

01:12:24.260 --> 01:12:29.020
like you said if you have 16 Sparkling outings

01:12:29.020 --> 01:12:31.840
in a row or close to it and then you have like

01:12:31.840 --> 01:12:36.430
three or four horrendous outings Up against those,

01:12:36.489 --> 01:12:38.989
you know, your ERA all of a sudden balloons way

01:12:38.989 --> 01:12:41.369
out of proportion and it's not really reflective

01:12:41.369 --> 01:12:44.510
of your entire season and a starting pitcher

01:12:44.510 --> 01:12:46.210
well, depending on you are you probably can't

01:12:46.210 --> 01:12:48.369
get away with too many bad starts either but

01:12:48.369 --> 01:12:51.109
Just because of the the innings that you're that

01:12:51.109 --> 01:12:54.170
you're being called on to handle versus five

01:12:54.170 --> 01:12:57.090
or six of the clip Sometimes it's not as reflective

01:12:57.090 --> 01:13:00.970
of the season as a whole. So Yeah, well said.

01:13:01.250 --> 01:13:04.520
Yeah, it's hard to paint the picture of a lot

01:13:04.520 --> 01:13:08.560
of people's years that way. But yeah, and the

01:13:08.560 --> 01:13:11.000
value of release pitchers. I think we're the

01:13:11.000 --> 01:13:14.079
best position, obviously. Who wins the World

01:13:14.079 --> 01:13:17.439
Series? Who has the best bullpens? That's my

01:13:17.439 --> 01:13:21.100
take on it. What's your stance? This is another

01:13:21.100 --> 01:13:24.000
kind of baseball question, but the opener. Some

01:13:24.000 --> 01:13:27.579
teams will employ an opener for that first, second

01:13:27.579 --> 01:13:29.779
inning and then turn it over to the starter to

01:13:29.779 --> 01:13:32.029
try to get you to the seventh or eighth. Would

01:13:32.029 --> 01:13:35.729
you have been down? Yeah, I would have been down

01:13:35.729 --> 01:13:38.649
because I was a start, you know, coming up. I

01:13:38.649 --> 01:13:41.710
was a starter. I loved like the best part about

01:13:41.710 --> 01:13:43.550
starters. You had your routine. You knew when

01:13:43.550 --> 01:13:45.649
you were pitching the worst part about relieving

01:13:45.649 --> 01:13:47.689
is sitting down in that bullpen. You'd be like,

01:13:47.890 --> 01:13:50.789
oh gosh, oh gosh, like when am I going to pitch?

01:13:50.989 --> 01:13:53.229
It's the second inning. Can I pitch this inning?

01:13:53.449 --> 01:13:55.470
So yeah, that would have been great. And plus

01:13:55.470 --> 01:13:58.520
once you got your 1 -2 -3 scoreless any year

01:13:58.520 --> 01:14:00.579
to sit in the clubhouse and hang out the rest

01:14:00.579 --> 01:14:02.899
of the game. So being an Oprah would have been

01:14:02.899 --> 01:14:07.859
great, but I'm unsure how I feel about it. I

01:14:07.859 --> 01:14:11.380
think you don't want to mess with the starter

01:14:11.380 --> 01:14:15.039
routine. For some, you got to know the starter.

01:14:15.159 --> 01:14:18.300
You got to know the pitcher. Some guys like John

01:14:18.300 --> 01:14:22.000
Lester never would have been, you know, he had

01:14:22.000 --> 01:14:25.579
his routine, meticulous about it. And that's

01:14:25.579 --> 01:14:27.979
why he was as good as he was like you wouldn't

01:14:27.979 --> 01:14:30.239
want to mess with him and obviously he was a

01:14:30.239 --> 01:14:32.880
veteran He's not a guy you do that with it's

01:14:32.880 --> 01:14:35.619
an interesting concept, but it's definitely a

01:14:35.619 --> 01:14:38.500
pick and choose who you do it with I think Well

01:14:38.500 --> 01:14:42.760
Dan a few questions here. This is just some Let's

01:14:42.760 --> 01:14:45.539
kind of see what's on The question used to be

01:14:45.539 --> 01:14:47.899
what's on your iPod? I guess everyone's got their

01:14:47.899 --> 01:14:50.399
own streaming service now, but it could be Spotify

01:14:50.399 --> 01:14:55.050
whatever but any music you're listening to or

01:14:55.050 --> 01:14:58.090
other podcasts or stuff that you're kind of into

01:14:58.090 --> 01:15:01.409
when you put on the earbuds, the AirPods? I was

01:15:01.409 --> 01:15:06.229
just listening to one of your latest guests,

01:15:06.689 --> 01:15:13.529
the New Zealand, Dan Sharp. Yes. Man, he's so

01:15:13.529 --> 01:15:16.550
good. I was really impressed. I was listening

01:15:16.550 --> 01:15:19.670
to a couple of the podcasts and when his music

01:15:19.670 --> 01:15:22.369
came on, I was like, wow. Being in Nashville

01:15:22.369 --> 01:15:25.630
and playing music, playing the guitar myself.

01:15:26.350 --> 01:15:30.909
I love the singer -songwriter, the soul kind

01:15:30.909 --> 01:15:34.869
of music. But I listen to everything, honestly,

01:15:35.010 --> 01:15:37.409
except rap. When I was younger, I loved that

01:15:37.409 --> 01:15:40.810
stuff. But now I'm like, it's not for me. It's

01:15:40.810 --> 01:15:44.489
not whatever. But we're always listening to Country,

01:15:45.329 --> 01:15:47.069
Christian, podcasts. I'm always listening to

01:15:47.069 --> 01:15:50.439
podcasts. I'm big in fantasy football. I love

01:15:50.439 --> 01:15:52.880
fantasy football. I actually got my fantasy football

01:15:52.880 --> 01:15:56.619
trophy right behind me as well. So a lot of my

01:15:56.619 --> 01:16:00.699
podcasts are fantasy football or market related

01:16:00.699 --> 01:16:04.220
and trying to keep up with selling more 401ks.

01:16:05.359 --> 01:16:08.899
And how about favorite ball players that you

01:16:08.899 --> 01:16:12.579
had as a kid? And maybe I know you've met a good

01:16:12.579 --> 01:16:14.899
a good many of them, but did you your seven,

01:16:14.939 --> 01:16:17.479
eight, nine years old, 10 years old? Who is your

01:16:17.479 --> 01:16:22.239
guy? Mark McGuire, I mean, that was, I remember

01:16:22.239 --> 01:16:26.140
staying up and watching 62 home run when he broke

01:16:26.140 --> 01:16:29.739
the record. I remember watching against the Cubs

01:16:29.739 --> 01:16:33.359
too. I remember watching that. And then we were

01:16:33.359 --> 01:16:36.899
at 69 and 70 that year too. We went to the game.

01:16:37.420 --> 01:16:39.960
We were in like the fourth debt, you know, way

01:16:39.960 --> 01:16:44.289
up there. But I told my dad we couldn't. The

01:16:44.289 --> 01:16:47.109
big we were behind home plate. So we we were

01:16:47.109 --> 01:16:51.310
above Big Mac so But I loved it, you know, like

01:16:51.310 --> 01:16:53.869
I said, you know, I was I was a basketball But

01:16:53.869 --> 01:16:58.189
I was I was a baseball nut to my dad that wanted

01:16:58.189 --> 01:17:01.130
to leave early in that game and I was like no

01:17:01.130 --> 01:17:03.310
like we are not leaving like what if we miss

01:17:03.310 --> 01:17:06.930
it and He came up like an inning or two later

01:17:06.930 --> 01:17:09.770
and he hits 70 and I was like see dad. That's

01:17:09.770 --> 01:17:13.510
why we don't that's why we don't leave So yeah,

01:17:13.810 --> 01:17:16.890
Mark McGuire was, I never got to meet him. I

01:17:16.890 --> 01:17:19.970
guess his son's in the game now. Um, so he's,

01:17:19.970 --> 01:17:22.250
I saw him in a Cubs uniform the other day. I

01:17:22.250 --> 01:17:28.069
was like, he's so wrong. Those are, you know,

01:17:28.069 --> 01:17:30.890
those are some exciting times in baseball at

01:17:30.890 --> 01:17:33.069
that time. I mean, it was a blast. It was, it

01:17:33.069 --> 01:17:36.069
was great TV. It was, if you're at the games,

01:17:36.510 --> 01:17:38.750
you know, a lot of controversy around that time

01:17:38.750 --> 01:17:40.930
period, but I think with the passage of time,

01:17:41.650 --> 01:17:43.750
If you were there for it and you were a younger

01:17:43.750 --> 01:17:46.970
person, I mean I close my eyes and think back

01:17:46.970 --> 01:17:49.890
and just I mean Sammy Sosa I had a blast watching

01:17:49.890 --> 01:17:52.869
him play, you know, I got to see Wrigley Field

01:17:52.869 --> 01:17:56.409
in the mid 90s and One time I was sitting there

01:17:56.409 --> 01:17:58.750
with my brother Travis at a game. This was probably

01:17:58.750 --> 01:18:02.550
like 96 and I said he's gonna hit a home run

01:18:02.550 --> 01:18:07.210
on this next pitch and and it happened so Nobody

01:18:07.210 --> 01:18:09.930
recorded that conversation, but I was pretty

01:18:09.930 --> 01:18:11.430
proud of it. But, you know, Sammy could have

01:18:11.430 --> 01:18:15.449
hit a home run on any given at bat, so. Yeah,

01:18:15.930 --> 01:18:19.770
those guys were like they revived baseball. They

01:18:19.770 --> 01:18:23.270
really did that, you know, and you can't you

01:18:23.270 --> 01:18:26.850
cannot knock them for what they did. Everybody

01:18:26.850 --> 01:18:31.170
was doing it. Baseball wouldn't be what it is

01:18:31.170 --> 01:18:34.989
without that era. And it was a great era. Yeah,

01:18:34.989 --> 01:18:38.420
I don't. Thought those guys are all Yeah, one

01:18:38.420 --> 01:18:40.479
of my favorite World Series. I used to watch

01:18:40.479 --> 01:18:45.579
the DVD over and over was the 2001 Diamondbacks

01:18:45.579 --> 01:18:49.039
Yankees World Series that goes seven years I

01:18:49.039 --> 01:18:51.819
was a big cub fan obviously Mark Grace is on

01:18:51.819 --> 01:18:54.060
the D backs that year and the way he leads off

01:18:54.060 --> 01:18:57.079
the ninth with just this Impossible base hit

01:18:57.079 --> 01:19:01.100
against Mariano Rivera. I watched that over and

01:19:01.100 --> 01:19:04.960
over and over again. Yeah, that's a I love that.

01:19:05.140 --> 01:19:08.840
I just think I remember the Luis Gonzalez hit

01:19:08.840 --> 01:19:12.539
as well. I remember watching that game. And then

01:19:12.539 --> 01:19:17.260
I don't know if you've read Mariano's book, Closer,

01:19:17.520 --> 01:19:20.140
and he talks about the best thing that ever happened

01:19:20.140 --> 01:19:24.779
to him was he was able to turn the page. Because

01:19:24.779 --> 01:19:29.460
he never blew more than three or more than two

01:19:29.460 --> 01:19:32.819
saves in a row. And for him, it was just that.

01:19:32.840 --> 01:19:36.319
New midnight hit he flushed away and he talks

01:19:36.319 --> 01:19:39.020
about in the World Series like going through

01:19:39.020 --> 01:19:42.100
all that and you know It's so cool to hear from

01:19:42.100 --> 01:19:44.840
his perspective and the take that he has I won't

01:19:44.840 --> 01:19:47.479
ruin the book, but it's it's awesome. Oh, I got

01:19:47.479 --> 01:19:51.239
to read it now Yeah, I was it's such a good book.

01:19:51.659 --> 01:19:56.600
I was not a Yankee fan in my younger years It's

01:19:56.600 --> 01:19:59.260
like they were absolutely the enemy and now I've

01:19:59.260 --> 01:20:03.029
got a softer perspective a little bit But I feel

01:20:03.029 --> 01:20:06.350
the same way. Yeah. I mean, I watched the Jeter

01:20:06.350 --> 01:20:09.210
documentary is those guys are legends of the

01:20:09.210 --> 01:20:13.569
game. So yeah, how about do you have a baseball

01:20:13.569 --> 01:20:16.590
movie? Do you get into the sports movies? And

01:20:16.590 --> 01:20:21.689
if so, is there a favorite? Oh, not. I mean,

01:20:21.710 --> 01:20:25.029
all of the baseball movies are great. You know,

01:20:25.069 --> 01:20:29.909
I think just Stan Lott is like timeless. I mean,

01:20:29.909 --> 01:20:32.670
I can watch it. You can watch it wherever, you

01:20:32.670 --> 01:20:35.689
can watch it with your kids. My kids watch Sandlot,

01:20:35.750 --> 01:20:39.289
they love it. You know, I also like the, what's

01:20:39.289 --> 01:20:42.050
the perfect, what's it, Billy Chappell, what's

01:20:42.050 --> 01:20:45.649
he, I like that movie too. It's interesting.

01:20:46.569 --> 01:20:49.930
It's a good type. But I don't, you know, again,

01:20:50.130 --> 01:20:52.229
the three kids, I don't have to watch movies.

01:20:52.710 --> 01:20:55.930
Only movies we watched was that I remember watching

01:20:55.930 --> 01:20:58.170
on a bus when I was on the Miami Leagues, you

01:20:58.170 --> 01:21:00.039
know. Talk about what we would do. That's what

01:21:00.039 --> 01:21:01.899
we would do and watch baseball movies on the

01:21:01.899 --> 01:21:04.840
bus in seven hours. So yeah, that's what we do.

01:21:05.720 --> 01:21:08.100
Um, okay. I do see the Molina Jersey behind you.

01:21:08.199 --> 01:21:10.619
I've seen it the whole episode. Yadi Molina was

01:21:10.619 --> 01:21:13.619
another guy. So being a cub fan, Cardinals are

01:21:13.619 --> 01:21:16.779
the enemy and they still are to me, but I can

01:21:16.779 --> 01:21:20.199
be respectful about it. And, uh, I remember I

01:21:20.199 --> 01:21:24.000
watched Yadi's final at bat and I kind of say

01:21:24.000 --> 01:21:26.239
it was hard not to root for him to get a hit.

01:21:26.520 --> 01:21:28.739
I think that was in the postseason. I've drawn

01:21:28.739 --> 01:21:32.619
a blank on who he was up against, but what a

01:21:32.619 --> 01:21:35.779
career, I mean, for a catcher. Yeah. Yeah. I

01:21:35.779 --> 01:21:39.720
faced Yachty so much. I don't even, maybe he

01:21:39.720 --> 01:21:43.239
might've been one of the higher faced players

01:21:43.239 --> 01:21:46.640
that I faced personally, but growing up a Cardinal

01:21:46.640 --> 01:21:50.319
fan, like Yachty was, like, when he first came

01:21:50.319 --> 01:21:52.359
up, like I was in high school, you know, like,

01:21:52.439 --> 01:21:55.680
so I was a big Cardinal fan. And then for me,

01:21:55.680 --> 01:21:59.600
it's kind of like, When I finally faced him and

01:21:59.600 --> 01:22:02.199
pitched against him, it was like, I made it,

01:22:02.239 --> 01:22:04.560
you know, like there are some guys along the

01:22:04.560 --> 01:22:07.359
way that you're like, I've finally made it. Now,

01:22:07.359 --> 01:22:10.000
like you, you strike those guys out or you pitch

01:22:10.000 --> 01:22:12.220
against them. So I'm pretty proud of that one

01:22:12.220 --> 01:22:15.140
just because I got a Cunha above there too. I

01:22:15.140 --> 01:22:17.640
have a bunch of, I got a bunch of Cubs signed

01:22:17.640 --> 01:22:20.840
jerseys as well. So those are just cool. I hope

01:22:20.840 --> 01:22:24.399
someday my kids think they're cool too. And then

01:22:24.399 --> 01:22:28.140
I got my debut jersey behind me as well. So.

01:22:28.420 --> 01:22:30.359
Oh, man. Well, Dan, I'm trying to cover everything

01:22:30.359 --> 01:22:33.920
here. I guess now being a retirement plan specialist,

01:22:33.920 --> 01:22:37.420
this is something that I wish at 22 years old,

01:22:37.500 --> 01:22:40.500
I had paid more attention to or even 28 years

01:22:40.500 --> 01:22:44.159
old. You must have known a lot of guys in the

01:22:44.159 --> 01:22:47.180
minors in the major leagues, even that the money

01:22:47.180 --> 01:22:49.119
is coming in and the money is just going out.

01:22:49.979 --> 01:22:53.479
But what would you say to young athletes and

01:22:53.479 --> 01:22:56.579
young people listening? that maybe have a pretty

01:22:56.579 --> 01:22:59.300
lucrative career. They've gone to school and

01:22:59.300 --> 01:23:01.079
they've landed a great job. They're a couple

01:23:01.079 --> 01:23:04.039
years in, but they're buying everything that

01:23:04.039 --> 01:23:06.960
they impulsively want to buy and they're not

01:23:06.960 --> 01:23:11.840
really planning for that day where that money

01:23:11.840 --> 01:23:19.520
stream stops. Yeah. The best thing that I did

01:23:19.520 --> 01:23:23.720
was hire a financial advisor. I remember my first

01:23:23.720 --> 01:23:27.369
year Mike Miner was like, hey, you need to talk

01:23:27.369 --> 01:23:30.310
to somebody. I was like, I barely made any money.

01:23:30.470 --> 01:23:33.630
I'm like, why would I? He's like, no, you need

01:23:33.630 --> 01:23:37.729
somebody to help you go through this. So I interviewed

01:23:37.729 --> 01:23:41.649
a few financial advisors and hired the guy that

01:23:41.649 --> 01:23:43.850
I'm still with today. And that was the best decision

01:23:43.850 --> 01:23:47.970
I made. Because not only does he save and help,

01:23:48.090 --> 01:23:51.100
but he's like a financial planner. So he kind

01:23:51.100 --> 01:23:52.800
of lays things out like, this is what it's going

01:23:52.800 --> 01:23:54.460
to look like down the road. This is what you

01:23:54.460 --> 01:23:57.279
need to save. If you want to have this lifestyle.

01:23:58.220 --> 01:24:01.100
So yeah, that was a, and talking on the 401k

01:24:01.100 --> 01:24:04.579
side, I remember specifically that year two,

01:24:04.979 --> 01:24:08.180
filling out the 401k and I had hired my financial

01:24:08.180 --> 01:24:10.899
advisor before that. I was like, how much should

01:24:10.899 --> 01:24:14.260
I put? He goes, max it out, max it out. Like

01:24:14.260 --> 01:24:16.659
just, I was like, well, what if I'm in the minor

01:24:16.659 --> 01:24:18.739
leagues? You know, like I don't want to give

01:24:18.739 --> 01:24:21.420
that. He's like, max it out. He's like, they're

01:24:21.420 --> 01:24:25.500
gonna, they're gonna match essentially. So those,

01:24:25.699 --> 01:24:27.760
whatever years I was in the big leagues, they

01:24:27.760 --> 01:24:30.500
maxed out the highest contributions. So they

01:24:30.500 --> 01:24:34.079
essentially gave you a raise. They gave you an

01:24:34.079 --> 01:24:38.500
extra, at the time it was $40 ,000 a year and

01:24:38.500 --> 01:24:41.899
that was putting my 401k. And so I left the game

01:24:41.899 --> 01:24:47.420
with a very... good sized 401k. And I wouldn't

01:24:47.420 --> 01:24:50.220
have had that without my financial advisor. You

01:24:50.220 --> 01:24:52.140
know, I know a lot of guys are like, I'm not

01:24:52.140 --> 01:24:55.079
giving this money, I might need this money. You

01:24:55.079 --> 01:24:56.659
know, you come from the minor leagues where you

01:24:56.659 --> 01:24:59.260
have nothing, you're like, everything you hold

01:24:59.260 --> 01:25:03.539
close. But, you know, those guys missed out on

01:25:03.539 --> 01:25:09.420
the max, the contributions. So that was the best

01:25:09.420 --> 01:25:12.619
thing for me was hiring a financial advisor because

01:25:12.989 --> 01:25:16.350
I didn't know what I was doing. Like, it's complicated.

01:25:16.970 --> 01:25:19.250
You know, now that I'm kind of in it, it's not

01:25:19.250 --> 01:25:22.689
as complicated, but there are some really smart

01:25:22.689 --> 01:25:26.689
and educated people that can help others. And,

01:25:26.770 --> 01:25:29.189
you know, I know financial advisors that'll take,

01:25:29.189 --> 01:25:33.109
you know, anybody. So I think that, again, I'm

01:25:33.109 --> 01:25:35.149
not a finance advisor and I would never be a

01:25:35.149 --> 01:25:37.569
finance advisor. I work closely with financial

01:25:37.569 --> 01:25:40.130
advisors, but I think it's the best thing that

01:25:40.130 --> 01:25:45.890
I did, for sure. I love it. It's like you said,

01:25:46.489 --> 01:25:48.810
financial decisions at a young age, if you're

01:25:48.810 --> 01:25:51.630
not talking to the right people, it could be

01:25:51.630 --> 01:25:54.229
kind of confusing the material if you're trying

01:25:54.229 --> 01:25:56.810
to just pour over pages of stuff you don't really

01:25:56.810 --> 01:25:58.770
understand. You don't really understand these

01:25:58.770 --> 01:26:01.369
allocations. And so you just kind of put it aside

01:26:01.369 --> 01:26:03.810
and go on about your life for a few years. And

01:26:03.810 --> 01:26:07.789
you don't take any action. You got money coming

01:26:07.789 --> 01:26:10.210
in, but you're not investing and letting that

01:26:10.210 --> 01:26:15.060
interest compound. getting the max match from

01:26:15.060 --> 01:26:19.520
your employer. Um, yeah, you're exactly right.

01:26:19.840 --> 01:26:22.060
Um, and real quick, Dan, I know that you're coming

01:26:22.060 --> 01:26:24.840
up here on 10 years. I think if I had this correct

01:26:24.840 --> 01:26:29.659
Easter Sunday, was it Easter Sunday, 2014 that

01:26:29.659 --> 01:26:33.260
you really began, uh, taking that walk in your

01:26:33.260 --> 01:26:38.800
faith kind of full on and realize, Hey, I've

01:26:38.800 --> 01:26:42.239
I'm in, I've got I've got somebody on my side

01:26:42.239 --> 01:26:45.220
and I don't want to put the words in your mouth

01:26:45.220 --> 01:26:47.659
here so just I was at dawn I mean I was like

01:26:47.659 --> 01:26:50.140
because I listened to this podcast from uh 2018

01:26:50.140 --> 01:26:54.199
I'm like well we're right up on 10 years well

01:26:54.199 --> 01:26:57.119
that must be a god thing right there because

01:26:57.119 --> 01:26:58.920
I didn't know that either so thanks for pointing

01:26:58.920 --> 01:27:04.039
that out uh yeah uh you know I grew up Catholic

01:27:04.039 --> 01:27:08.340
uh I went to School or I went to church every

01:27:08.340 --> 01:27:11.319
Sunday. We didn't miss a church way actually

01:27:11.319 --> 01:27:13.420
a Catholic school We'd go during the week, too.

01:27:13.420 --> 01:27:16.460
So there's a lot of weeks. I went twice a week

01:27:16.460 --> 01:27:19.779
to church, you know, and then like every kid

01:27:19.779 --> 01:27:24.020
I went off to college and you know, I was still

01:27:24.020 --> 01:27:28.880
would call myself a Christian and Went to baseball

01:27:28.880 --> 01:27:32.300
and that's kind of where I was pursued the most

01:27:32.300 --> 01:27:36.680
like I felt Jesus pursuing me and, you know,

01:27:36.760 --> 01:27:40.000
friends. Why did he line me up with these friends

01:27:40.000 --> 01:27:43.560
that I, you know, had so much in common with?

01:27:43.619 --> 01:27:46.119
And they're also like these crazy who I would

01:27:46.119 --> 01:27:48.439
have called, you know, being the Catholic boy

01:27:48.439 --> 01:27:51.939
with like Jesus freaks, you know, like for lack

01:27:51.939 --> 01:27:56.039
of a better term. And it just was like they kept

01:27:56.039 --> 01:27:58.039
pursuing me and saying, hey, let's go to chapel.

01:27:58.140 --> 01:28:00.140
I was like, well, that's not really church, is

01:28:00.140 --> 01:28:02.399
it? Like, they're like, no, it's chapel. I was

01:28:02.399 --> 01:28:04.420
like, well, do they, you know, how does that

01:28:04.420 --> 01:28:08.640
work? And so, like, I kind of learned the non

01:28:08.640 --> 01:28:12.359
-denominational other denominations of side.

01:28:12.460 --> 01:28:15.000
And then, yeah, we went to church on Easter.

01:28:15.119 --> 01:28:18.199
Somehow we had Easter off in the middle of the

01:28:18.199 --> 01:28:22.420
year, which was on a Sunday, which is never based.

01:28:22.520 --> 01:28:25.380
That's not like baseball at all. Yeah. And then

01:28:25.380 --> 01:28:27.699
I just remember being there and just being like,

01:28:28.000 --> 01:28:30.359
he was like, that was when I was like surrendered.

01:28:30.420 --> 01:28:32.850
Like, my life is yours. And I still struggle

01:28:32.850 --> 01:28:35.909
like, especially like in this transition period,

01:28:36.329 --> 01:28:39.029
like giving what, you know, like, no, this is

01:28:39.029 --> 01:28:43.369
mine, you know, like giving that up to him. But

01:28:43.369 --> 01:28:47.170
I wouldn't, he knew that I needed him at that

01:28:47.170 --> 01:28:50.869
time. Again, like 2014, that's when I blew out

01:28:50.869 --> 01:28:53.130
my elbow. That's when I had Tommy John. And again,

01:28:53.170 --> 01:28:56.090
I talk about the piece, like, I know that's where

01:28:56.090 --> 01:28:59.090
that piece comes from. I was like, I knew God's

01:28:59.090 --> 01:29:01.800
got me. So yeah, I appreciate you bringing that

01:29:01.800 --> 01:29:04.979
up. Absolutely. I don't talk about it on the

01:29:04.979 --> 01:29:08.319
podcast. And I didn't grow up in a religious

01:29:08.319 --> 01:29:11.659
household. It was something that, as my family

01:29:11.659 --> 01:29:14.779
has been, as we're complete now, everybody says,

01:29:14.859 --> 01:29:16.979
are you going to have a fourth kid? No, we're

01:29:16.979 --> 01:29:21.500
not. We're done. I promise you that. Heard that.

01:29:21.800 --> 01:29:24.720
Yeah. In a perfect world, I would have four or

01:29:24.720 --> 01:29:28.359
five or six children if I could. Yeah. I don't

01:29:28.359 --> 01:29:33.630
know. clone myself, but we found a place that

01:29:33.630 --> 01:29:36.289
we like to attend and we've been going for the

01:29:36.289 --> 01:29:41.729
past year. And I was baptized in October last

01:29:41.729 --> 01:29:46.770
year. Nice. Congratulations. I appreciate that.

01:29:46.789 --> 01:29:50.430
Thank you. And I just tell people, you know,

01:29:50.430 --> 01:29:55.069
for me, it works. And it's something that I feel

01:29:55.069 --> 01:29:59.710
like if you open that door, You're not really

01:29:59.710 --> 01:30:01.630
gonna understand, you know what you and I are

01:30:01.630 --> 01:30:04.369
talking about until you have that experience

01:30:04.369 --> 01:30:08.550
Yeah, yeah, I get that You know, we had lots

01:30:08.550 --> 01:30:12.329
of bullpen conversations about things and you

01:30:12.329 --> 01:30:14.489
know I was thick -headed and thinking that I

01:30:14.489 --> 01:30:16.850
can beat it into some people, you know people

01:30:16.850 --> 01:30:19.729
that I really care about and I still do and I

01:30:19.729 --> 01:30:22.930
pray for them often and I'm just You know at

01:30:22.930 --> 01:30:26.010
the point where I'm like, I know God's got them,

01:30:26.109 --> 01:30:29.960
you know I don't know, I cannot explain it. And

01:30:29.960 --> 01:30:33.239
I understand, you know, I try to lead by example,

01:30:33.680 --> 01:30:38.100
and not with words. Words don't work. You're

01:30:38.100 --> 01:30:41.800
not going to beat somebody, you know, with words.

01:30:44.000 --> 01:30:46.800
And, you know, it's funny, you talk, you hear

01:30:46.800 --> 01:30:49.880
a lot of people who have had this surrender.

01:30:50.359 --> 01:30:53.920
And even my example, 10 years ago, I remember

01:30:53.920 --> 01:30:57.420
where I was. I remember the feeling, but I don't

01:30:57.420 --> 01:31:02.800
remember the words of the sermon. I couldn't

01:31:02.800 --> 01:31:06.399
even tell you the pastor's name, but I remember

01:31:06.399 --> 01:31:09.920
where I was and what I realized at the time.

01:31:10.880 --> 01:31:15.920
And so I definitely can relate to how you feel

01:31:15.920 --> 01:31:18.619
about it's going to be all right no matter what.

01:31:19.220 --> 01:31:24.479
That's right. Dan, this has been fantastic. One

01:31:24.479 --> 01:31:26.840
more question. I was gonna ask and this is just

01:31:26.840 --> 01:31:31.439
kind of for my brother here Yeah, right. So The

01:31:31.439 --> 01:31:34.159
cutter was that I mean how many times out of

01:31:34.159 --> 01:31:35.840
ten? Is that gonna be your go -to pitch when

01:31:35.840 --> 01:31:39.340
you got it's a pitchers count Oh and two or one

01:31:39.340 --> 01:31:42.659
and two. What are you doing? I'm up to bat. Let's

01:31:42.659 --> 01:31:46.039
just imagine that I'm Middle of the order hitter

01:31:46.039 --> 01:31:51.399
I can I'm a good gap hitter We got runners on

01:31:51.399 --> 01:31:57.279
Runners on the corners One out, you think you

01:31:57.279 --> 01:32:00.420
can maybe induce a double play here or strike

01:32:00.420 --> 01:32:03.619
me out. What are you throwing me? It's one ball,

01:32:03.659 --> 01:32:08.640
two strikes, and you've got a one run lead. So

01:32:08.640 --> 01:32:11.500
if I hit one in the gap, that runner from first

01:32:11.500 --> 01:32:13.819
is scoring, and now you've given up the lead.

01:32:14.000 --> 01:32:17.020
What are you going to against a guy like me that

01:32:17.020 --> 01:32:20.539
I'm imagining I can play at that level? Yeah.

01:32:22.029 --> 01:32:25.529
With everything nowadays, it's more of what's

01:32:25.529 --> 01:32:27.630
the scouting report say you left -handed or right

01:32:27.630 --> 01:32:30.229
-handed? Because that would matter what how did

01:32:30.229 --> 01:32:35.810
I set you up? So let's say Let's say I've fouled

01:32:35.810 --> 01:32:39.789
off three straight pitches So it's still one

01:32:39.789 --> 01:32:43.130
and two again. This is the beauty of baseball,

01:32:43.430 --> 01:32:46.130
you know, like you kind of like you kind of read

01:32:46.239 --> 01:32:49.000
When you're in this situation, you're reading

01:32:49.000 --> 01:32:51.460
swings, you're reading how you found it off.

01:32:51.699 --> 01:32:55.859
If you're late or if you're early, did I throw

01:32:55.859 --> 01:32:58.800
inside? Did I move some of your feet? How uncomfortable

01:32:58.800 --> 01:33:03.680
are you? It's it's a dance. It really is. And

01:33:03.680 --> 01:33:06.100
maybe that'll help you watch like if you watch

01:33:06.100 --> 01:33:08.899
baseball, you can see the good pitchers. It's

01:33:08.899 --> 01:33:13.600
really like they're like Kyle Hendricks is a

01:33:13.600 --> 01:33:17.600
master at this. He. reads hitters and their scouting

01:33:17.600 --> 01:33:21.720
report so well. But, yeah, one, two, I'm probably

01:33:21.720 --> 01:33:25.520
trying to get you to chase a cutter off if you're

01:33:25.520 --> 01:33:27.840
a right -handed or even a left -handed. I'm trying

01:33:27.840 --> 01:33:30.439
to get you to swing underneath that. Left -handed,

01:33:30.600 --> 01:33:33.319
I'd probably get you a cutter up and in and see

01:33:33.319 --> 01:33:36.479
if I can get you to weekly ground ball double

01:33:36.479 --> 01:33:41.279
play because I'm trying to stay away from damage.

01:33:41.439 --> 01:33:45.439
I have some pitches to play with. So yeah, cutter

01:33:45.439 --> 01:33:47.699
on right -handed, I'm probably trying to get

01:33:47.699 --> 01:33:50.279
you to chase a cutter off the plate. And then

01:33:50.279 --> 01:33:52.140
if you're getting to it, you're not getting any

01:33:52.140 --> 01:33:55.039
damage with it. And then it depends on how far

01:33:55.039 --> 01:33:57.739
that you are a right -hander and you kind of

01:33:57.739 --> 01:34:00.100
get out there a little bit. That's when I come

01:34:00.100 --> 01:34:03.720
back either with that cutter inside, kind of

01:34:03.720 --> 01:34:06.460
get you to move some feet, that foreseam inside,

01:34:06.880 --> 01:34:09.960
depending on the scouting report, foreseam inside

01:34:09.960 --> 01:34:12.760
may not be a great thing to throw to certain

01:34:12.760 --> 01:34:15.489
hitters. But yeah, that's kind of, again, like

01:34:15.489 --> 01:34:17.989
I said, it's, it's such a dance and that's the

01:34:17.989 --> 01:34:20.970
fun when you're locked in and you're in, in the

01:34:20.970 --> 01:34:22.930
moment, you're not worried about what actually

01:34:22.930 --> 01:34:27.229
happens, man, there's no better place to be than

01:34:27.229 --> 01:34:32.689
that. And that position and just me versus you

01:34:32.689 --> 01:34:35.949
competition. Like I said, at the top of the episode,

01:34:36.069 --> 01:34:38.989
always trying to speak to that one guy that's

01:34:38.989 --> 01:34:41.010
listening, you're still driving, man, you've

01:34:41.010 --> 01:34:43.159
been driving for a while and you're still listening

01:34:43.159 --> 01:34:47.560
to this podcast thank you my friend uh dan just

01:34:47.560 --> 01:34:50.579
an incredible episode here this has been a blast

01:34:50.579 --> 01:34:53.840
thank you for for your time tonight dan anything

01:34:53.840 --> 01:34:56.399
else did you want to i feel like we've covered

01:34:56.399 --> 01:35:00.020
almost everything but uh did you like to plug

01:35:00.919 --> 01:35:03.659
No, I mean, I appreciate your time. This has

01:35:03.659 --> 01:35:06.819
been fun. It's always hope it didn't run too

01:35:06.819 --> 01:35:10.659
long. I can talk about myself probably too much.

01:35:10.960 --> 01:35:14.000
Relive the glory days. But no, I appreciate you

01:35:14.000 --> 01:35:17.199
having me on and just being interested in baseball.

01:35:17.539 --> 01:35:22.039
So yeah, it's cool. Absolutely. Dan's story is

01:35:22.039 --> 01:35:28.850
a story of resilience and preparation and Believing

01:35:28.850 --> 01:35:33.010
in himself against all odds It helps to have

01:35:33.010 --> 01:35:37.449
some people in your corner and I love the story

01:35:37.449 --> 01:35:42.609
Dan Everybody Be good to yourself. This is something

01:35:42.609 --> 01:35:46.890
that Dan Slotnick Love his music DZB 2023 one

01:35:46.890 --> 01:35:49.510
plug there. That's a great album to listen to

01:35:49.510 --> 01:35:52.130
be good to yourself It's hard to do but do it.

01:35:52.149 --> 01:35:54.329
Thank you so much, Dan. I have thoroughly enjoyed

01:35:54.329 --> 01:35:56.939
this would love to have you back again Love to

01:35:56.939 --> 01:36:00.239
be back. This is fun. I appreciate it. All right.

01:36:00.420 --> 01:36:03.340
That's it for this episode of the Dan Time podcast.

01:36:03.960 --> 01:36:06.439
We'll see you guys next week. Have a wonderful

01:36:06.439 --> 01:36:07.939
week. Take care of yourself.