Okay, welcome once again to the Dan Time podcast.
I'm your host, Dan McCardle, and my guest today
is Dan Winkler, a right -handed pitcher who went
9 -5 with a .398 ERA as a relief pitcher across
seven big league seasons with the Atlanta Braves
and most recently with the Chicago Cubs. Also
known as Wink or D -Wink on the diamond, Dan
has pitched professionally. from 2011 to 2022.
Playing for Modesto in 2013, Dan was named the
California League Pitcher of the Year. He grew
up in Effingham, Illinois, earned four varsity
letters as both a pitcher and outfielder for
St. Anthony High School. Following his senior
year, Dan enrolled at Parkland Junior College
in Champaign, Illinois, where he led the Cobras
to an NJCAA national title. Dan was selected
by the Chicago Cubs in the 43rd round of the
2010 MLB draft. He elected not to sign and instead
transferred to the University of Central Florida
for his junior season. Now Dan's the second former
Golden Knight to appear on the Dan Time podcast
following quarterback Vic Penn. His standout
performances at UCF, which we'll talk about in
this episode, led to him being drafted by the
Colorado Rockies in the 2011 amateur draft. This
time, he signed and reported to rookie ball in
Casper, Wyoming. There, his story in professional
baseball began, and we cover the dramatic highs
and lows of Dan's career, including a torn UCL
in 2014 that required Tommy John surgery. Now,
at this stage, Dan was pitching for a double
-A Tulsa club that included future big leaguers
John Gray, Eddie Butler, and Tyler Anderson.
And Dan was arguably the best pitcher on the
staff. A few months later, in the Rule 5 draft,
the Braves selected Winkler and he made his first
major league appearance in September 2015. A
fractured elbow just a few games into the 2016
season with the Braves sidelined Dan until late
2017 and led to a change in his pitching mechanics.
He then emerged as one of the better set -up
men in baseball in 2018. We talk about Dan signing
with the Cubs in the following offseason coming
out of the bullpen and being a big part of some
magical moments at Wrigley Field. During his
time in Chicago, Dan brought his hard hit rate
to its lowest percentage since 2017, and his
ground ball percentage was the best of his career
during his time with the Cubs. Dan talks about
his faith, his family, his new career with ADP,
and so much more. Alright, let's get to it. I
know you're ready. Here we go, folks. It is Dan
Winkler time. I am just super excited to welcome
a former Major League Baseball player that played
for one of my, well, not one of my favorite teams.
One of the teams he played for is my favorite
team. Dan Winkler is my guest tonight. Dan, thanks
so much for making time for this podcast and
thanks for being the next Dan on the show. How
are you doing tonight? I'm great. Thanks for
having me. This is a great concept. Us fans got
to stick together. I love it. Yeah, Dan Harrison.
I always like to put a plug in for Dan Harrison.
He's a Singer -songwriter from Nashville great
guy and he said there are Dan's doing great things
out there There's a lot of people doing great
things, but sometimes Dan's I don't know we we
feel like we maybe get left out sometimes or
maybe that's just a What they call it a complex?
anyway Dan Winkler, just to keep it on in silly
season here for a minute. Dan, you really hit
the trifecta, if I understand correctly. You
answer to, or have in the past, answered to Daniel,
Danny, and Dan. Is that correct? That is correct,
yes. My wife calls me Danny professionally, probably
known as Dan. I don't get too many Daniels anymore,
but maybe I should go back to the old Hebrew.
You know, Daniel. But yeah, I go by it all. Yeah,
I've had some older folks in the past that I'll
introduce myself as Dan and the handshake is
complete. And they just insist on calling me
the biblical Daniel, which, you know, Dan is,
and I've never gotten a clear answer, but Dan,
one of the 12 tribes of Israel, I don't know
if it's actually pronounced Dan or if it's...
There's only a couple other ways you could say
it, but... Yeah, I've wondered the same thing.
Yeah, that is one of the 12 tribes of Israel
I've noticed that too, but Daniel in the lines
then it seems a lot cooler than Maybe it's not
I mean having your own tribe. That's pretty cool
You're the leader, right? I always like to take
my guests back to the early days Their childhood
there, you know in your case sports career definitely
want to touch on the And maybe you haven't been
asked about it a long time the UCF days because
I had a guest early in this project Vic Penn
former CF Golden Knight quarterback right now
2 ,000 99 2 ,000 time period But yeah, take me
back to those early days and I understand you
grew up a st. Louis Cardinals fan Your grandmother
was a cub fan. So you got some exposure to the
WGN Harry Carrey stuff How was it being a little
kid and realizing that? And I kind of like this
baseball thing. Yeah, you did your homework.
I'm impressed, honestly. So yeah, I grew up small
town, honestly, about 10 ,000 people. We grew
up 90 miles from St. Louis and about 300 from
Chicago, but it's very split where I'm from Cubs
Cardinals. You know, I just grew up. because
we could go to the St. Louis games. I watched
Ozzie Smith and Ray Langford and Steve Klein.
Actually, Steve Klein was a coach of mine, which
was pretty cool. But yeah, so, you know, Mark
Maguire, those guys were, they were my heroes.
But my grandma, huge Cub fan. Like, she'd pick
me up from school. She'd have AM radio. She'd
have the Cubs game going. And she's like, come
on, hurry up. We got to get out of town. Because
she lived out in the country, and she didn't
get as good a service in town. So she's like,
hurry up. We got to get out of town. I don't
want to miss my Cubbies. So yeah, the die -hard
Cubby, it believed. My grandfather, actually,
he was also a huge Cub fan. They don't miss a
Cub to this day. My grandma had to get marquees
specially so she could watch the Cub games. That's
the only thing, the game show network and the
Cubs game, Marquis, the only two channels she
wanted. But yeah, so I actually grew up being
in Illinois. I grew up a big, I thought I was
going to play in the NBA. I loved basketball.
I loved everything about basketball. I thought
I was going to go to University of Illinois,
get drafted in the second round, you know, because
I'm humble and play for the Bulls like every
Illinois kid. But then I realized my senior year,
you know, I was getting recruited my junior year
to play baseball. And then my senior year, I
averaged four points playing basketball. So I'm
like, all right, maybe baseball. But I always
had this like love for baseball, playing in the
backyard, playing with a ball, you know, all
that kind of stuff. And yeah, and then I went
to junior college, had some division one offers.
small division ones, I just felt like I wasn't
ready for that. I always tell kids nowadays,
you know, for me, it was kind of like that ladder,
like that stepping ladder. And junior college
was a great transition for me from a small, small
high school. We had 60 kids in my graduating
class. So we're playing other small schools.
And then it was good for me to just go to Parkland,
my junior college. We had four other big leaguers
from my junior college, so it wasn't like the
talent wasn't there. And then, yeah, and then
I transferred to UCF. And I got drafted by the
Cubs, actually, my sophomore year in the 43rd
round, so they don't even have that round anymore.
That's how late it was. So it was an obvious
kind of thing for me to just, again, I wasn't
ready. I felt like I needed to go another ladder,
another step, and Division I going down to UCF
was Great. You know, is that a tough call when
you realize, uh, and you, you know, who lets
you know that, Hey man, the cubs have drafted
you and you got to sit and think about it for
a minute. Was that a tough decision or were you
pretty much set that? Yeah, it was tough. Um,
you know, I was, I was in the Northwoods league,
so I was in Minnesota and I remember I was on
the bus and I got a call from the scout, Dan
Zelinski who passed away, unfortunately recently,
Stan Zelinski, sorry. He called me and he was
like, hey, we just took you. We just drafted
you. And I was like, what? And he goes, yeah,
we just drafted you. And I didn't even know what
to say. I was like, thanks. I'm like, awesome.
I was really excited. So I called my parents.
We had some phone calls. And then that realization
was like, am I ready for this? Am I ready to
get on a bus and get paid? play baseball like
my dream is to play in the big leagues. But am
I truly ready to take that next step and compete
and show that I belong the big leagues? And for
me, you know, I maybe it was I was pretty mature
for being 20, but I was like, I don't think I'm
ready, you know. And so we had that like that
back and forth. And, you know, you always have
a number. It's the draft. So I had a number and,
you know, the clubs were like, we're not going
to meet that. And my college coach, she was really
good about that too. Just kind of talking me
through things like, hey, I think there's some
seasoning that you probably need to do. So I
kind of leaned on a lot of people as I did throughout
my career. And honestly, my new career, like
just lean on other people, their experiences,
some wisdom, and really what feels right. So
that's kind of, it was a hard decision, but it
was obviously the right one. Yeah, I like how
you say that lean on other people I had a quote
here if I could find it where I think even as
a college athlete at Central Florida You're saying
look. I try to learn from my coaches. I try to
learn from people in general and just draw from
other people's experiences and Sometimes you
you agree with what they're saying. Sometimes
you feel inclined to challenge what they're saying
Yeah, that's probably a good good advice for
young athletes Well to yeah get those second
and third opinions and I realized that I think
I mispronounced your hometown F I may have said
effington at Effingham Yeah, it's a funny name.
Let's just leave it at that Get it a lot you're
from I think where that's what I hear a lot yeah,
I Didn't want to go there, but I figured you
know if you if you wanted to mention it that
would that be fun. Yeah Yeah, it's yeah, it's
great. It's a great town. It is So Dan at playing
for the Golden Knights a special season there
probably a lot of personal growth and growth
as an athlete and You probably made some some
people some friends with people that you still
keep in contact with today I grew up in the Birmingham
area. So I'm a UAB graduate Okay, I'm gonna pull
something just out of obscurity here for you.
See if you remember this game May 14th 2011 This
is at UAB, I believe. And you guys are scoreless
into the 10th inning. And the bats explode for
nine runs capped off by a grand slam, Eric Kempi.
And I believe you and Nick Sissio combined for...
Don't let me say this wrong. Is this a no -hitter?
No, I don't believe so. I think it was a combined
shout out. I would have remembered a no -hater,
but it was probably one of my better games. Maybe
my best game in college. Yeah. I had a roller
coaster season at UCF for sure. But yeah, that
was one of my better ones for sure. I definitely
remember. So Eric Hempe was my roommate and I
definitely remember him hitting the grand slam
because he's let everybody know he hit a grand
slam. He's just one of those guys. Now you did
have an 11 strikeout game because at this time
you're starting pitcher for the Golden Knights
so against Is it Houston? Yep Yep, I did a little
bit of research here I wouldn't say I did it
as cleanly as I would like but I did want to
draw some attention to your career and before
You decide to sign with the Colorado Rockies.
So at this at this point You're ready for that
call. Do you have an idea of which round you
might be selected in at this point? Yeah, so
you know, going back to my UCF season, it was
a I was a Friday night guy and you know college
baseball. That's like a big deal. I was our season.
I was our opener opening day starter and I had
some ebbs and flows. I started out well and then
I just hit like this rough patch and actually
I gave up eight runs. in the second inning against
Southern Miss, my worst, maybe one of my worst
games of my career. And I remember walking off
and being like, I'm never getting drafted. I'm
not playing professional baseball. I'm coming
back my senior year, because at this point, you
know, I've been talking to scouts and things
like that. And my parents are at the game. And
I remember just telling them afterwards, like,
just plan on me coming back next year, you know.
And it was something in that, like, the peace
of being like, down the dumps and just just kind
of brought me back and you know I got I got moved
to the bullpen and then you know I came out of
the bullpen pitch five innings the next two weeks
and scoreless and it was kind of like that like
redemption and I came back and that's when I
pitched against Houston I pitched against UAB
I think I pitched against UAB twice I pitched
against Florida State Memphis was another one,
another good games that I had, and I just kind
of like built this momentum and I was getting
the scouts were telling me, you know, like we
really like you. We see you in like the third,
the fifth round no later than the 7th or 8th.
I was like great, you know, like that's where
I felt like, you know, obvious, maybe a little
conceited of me, but I felt like that's where
I should go. And I remember draft day sitting
so we were cleaning up my apartment. And my girlfriend
is my wife at the time. She was coming down because
her grandma had just passed away. So we were,
I was going to fly home for the funeral. But
I remember with my laptop up and just listening
to all the picks and getting the third and the
fourth and the fifth. She's like, all right,
you know, like maybe the eighth and the sixth
and the seventh. Here's some familiar names like,
oh, you know, like guys I played against. I thought,
you know, I'd be around them. Then the eighth
and the ninth and the tenth. And then it just
kept going and kept going and kept going and
kept going. And I was like, you know, all right,
like I just shut my computer off and like I'm
done. Like, we'll see what happens. And then
the Rockies called me in like the 18th round.
And I hadn't even talked to the Rockies. I think
I had like one or two conversations with John
Cederberg, who's their scout at the time. And
he calls me, he's like, hey, we want to take
you. I was like, yeah. He goes, what's your number?
And I was like, just draft me. And so like 10
minutes later, he's like, hey, we just drafted
you. And I was like, great. I'm ready to go.
At that point, I felt like I had went through
it. I felt like I was so mature. I felt like
I was ready to go. And then I was like, I'm signing.
And honestly, there was very little negotiation.
we negotiate they are like here we're offering
you this I'm like they're like there's not much
it was $25 ,000 I mean it was like nothing you
know and actually I spent most of it on a ring
for my wife so that's all I needed the money
for but yeah so it was uh it was the best thing
that happened to me because going into pro ball
I was like I'm making the big leagues I'm going
to prove to everybody that I belong to be in
the big leagues. And I had this like chip on
my shoulder. And I remember this probably getting
into a little bit, but I remember my first full
season, or my first season, went to Casper, Wyoming,
pitched well, and then I went to Instructional
Leagues. And it was kind of like, Instructional
League was a big deal. It was like where all
the prospects went. And I remember the seventh
and eighth and ninth rounders were all there.
And I was like, they were all talking about how
much, how they're going to spend their signing
bonus. And that just rubbed me even, you know,
so much wrong. Like I was like, I'm spending
my money on a ring for my wife, my, my girlfriend
at the time. And I was like, I'm, I'm going to
make it. I distinctly remember being on the bus
and them talking about their signing bonus. And
I'm just like, I'm going to be better than them.
And that's probably, like I said, not a good,
a great thing, but I'm just, that's kind of where
it came from. Yeah, some fans may assume that
a guy gets drafted and gets that signing bonus
or they maybe assume that a lot of players get
a large signing bonus and the first thing they're
thinking about is where they can spend it and
Yeah, and maybe not imagining a guy like Dan
Winkler who your your central focus was making
the big leagues and Not so much of you know,
what's the continental breakfast gonna look like
we stand at a two or three star hotel I'm sure
it was Whatever it was or how long is the bus
ride? I think I listened to a podcast that you
That you appeared on several years ago and you
talked about just the contrast from UCF and and
usually having to I guess charter a plane to
away games to You're in Central Florida and now
you're in Casper, Wyoming taking these half day
bus trips What's it like on you're taking those
bus rides and do you? Even if you like the guy
that you're sitting next to and I mean Do you
not off a lot? Are you listening to the music
you like or you how do you pass the times? Cards
yeah Luckily, you know we had iPads and everything
like that if it was you know, ten years before
that all you had was a walk man, I guess Yeah,
first stories about been a little there was a
guy Dan Zlotnik who's a recording artist up in
Westchester County, New York and he played at
Marist and University of Tampa for a season and
some independent league ball and I guess in independent
league on the bus rides, some guys would break
out into song and start singing and that's something
else I do want to talk to you about. I understand
you play guitar just to kind of pique everybody's
interest here and maybe we'll talk about that
in a few minutes. So you made the most of where
you were. It's got to be difficult, I guess,
and your wife sticking with you through all these
changes, not knowing what's going to happen next.
Are you going to get traded? Are you going up
or down in the system? That takes a special person.
It really does. We've been together since we
were 17 and she's like, she's the best. She actually
joked that she was my sugar mama in the minor
leagues because I made $6 ,000 my first full
season before taxes, you know, and it was like
I wouldn't have emotionally, mentally, and then
physically, I wouldn't have made it without her.
So, you know, like everyone talks about, you
see like the glamour and of, you know, all the
guys on the big league field, but there's a family
behind them. There's people that stand by them.
through all the stuff that they go through to
get where they're at and then to stay where they're
at. It is a lot, even in the big leagues, like
the stress level, the travel, you know, and a
lot of people have kids. You're older when you
get to the big leagues and it is just a lot logistically.
So, yeah, I will brag on her all day long because
she deserves it. And now she's a nurse practitioner.
She actually went to during COVID. she went to
back to school. And so she got a master's during
COVID and we had two kids, small kids. So she's,
she's amazing. Wow. That's just, that's just
awesome to hear. And for you guys, I know that
your family is very important to you. Being a
dad is probably the most exciting thing to happen
to you. I can relate there. Everyone that's had
children. I hope all men feel this way, but there's
just nothing better than being a dad. It's a
great responsibility. Best job in the world.
Yeah. It's just the bond that you have with your
kids that you cannot put a price on it. And that's
built over time. Yeah. My wife and I were just
talking about that the other day. Just a little
story was the best part about the Big Links was
getting to share it with my son, my kids. I got
a picture right over here. I'll show it to you
real quick. I'm sure you'll appreciate it. This
is... my son and I and at Wrigley Field in the
clubhouse and uh he's walking down out of the
park with me you know like I didn't think anything
of it at the time but now like I look back and
you know I'm three years removed from that time
and like it was that was this the best part about
it getting to share that with my family for sure
yeah and uh he'll have that he'll have that photograph
to treasure for his whole life and Wow. Just
an amazing dad story, I guess. Yeah. I appreciate
that. He doesn't think it's cool. He's like,
why isn't my baseball game on TV? He's like,
can people watch me on TV? He's like, it wasn't
that cool. So yeah, it's funny now. So Dan, so
some things happen and some casual fans are maybe
not aware of all the procedures in baseball.
There's a lot of transactions that take place
where... You might read it or hear about it.
You're like, I don't know what designated for
assignment means. I don't know what rule five
draft means. So your rule five, I guess, is the
colloquial way to express it. And the brave select
you in the rule five draft. What exactly, for
people who've never heard of that, is a rule
five draft? Yeah, so it's a good thing for the
players. So instead of being in the minor leagues
forever, after a certain period, It's four years
for if you were drafted out of college. If you're
not on the 40 man roster, which is the big league
roster, which is that they can take you from
that roster. If you're not on the 40 man roster,
you go in a pool and there's a draft called the
rule five draft and teams can select you from
that pool and put you on their 40 man roster.
And at the time I had just had Tommy John surgery.
which made sense for the Rockies not to keep
me. But the Braves said, we don't care. We'll
put you on our 40 -man roster, which was the
biggest blessing ever. So, yeah, that's kind
of the procedural thing about it. The rule five,
it's a great thing for guys like me who, so you're
not stuck in the minor leagues making six grand
your entire career. You know, like the Yankees,
the Dodgers, they stockpile kind of that talent.
which is their right, but after certain four
years, if they don't have room on their 40 man
and they can't put them on or they didn't think
anybody would come through, other teams can take
them off of in the rule five draft. So yeah,
it's a great thing for baseball. Wow. And just
a few months before, like you said, you, you
tore your, your, your UCL. Um, how are you feeling
at that point? It was at your first major sports
injury that, that sidelined you. Yeah, that was
the. Yeah, you know, like I rolled my ankles,
sprained my ankle in basketball, but that was
the first major injury. And I remember actually
had a no hitter going in the fourth inning against
the Springfield Cardinals. I remember just feeling
like just funny feeling. And then I threw about
three or four more pitches after that, and I
just felt like a rubber band snapped. And I was
like, I knew what it was immediately. Trainer
came out and he It was like, what happened? I
was like, I think I just tore my UCL. And he's
like, all right, we're going to take you out.
He did tests. And they're like, yeah, it seems
like it's broken. Or it's torn. Got MRIs, stuff
like that. And it got confirmed. But honestly,
I don't know why I felt like this piece. Like,
I had no control over it. And I don't know if
it's just because I was pitching well. And I
felt like I had done everything in my control
and couldn't really. It was in God's hand. um
at that point and uh so they make the decision
this was in june i told my ucl i had july had
surgery i did my rehab you know didn't really
think much of it november came around that's
when they have to make the decision if to put
you on the 40 man or not got the phone call from
the assistant farm director i was close with
he said hey hey wink we're not gonna put you
on the 40 man i was like that's fine he goes
really like yeah i understand um he goes well
you know like Hopefully, you know, you will you
do have the rule five like we'll see what happens
with that He's like hopefully for you that you
get taken. Hopefully for us you don't know great
conversation And then I was working out the rule
five draft and I was like, I'm not gonna get
taken Like I'm not even gonna set myself up for
it. I was just starting to work out I got a phone
call from my agent. It's like hey Braves just
selected you I was like what and you know at
that point I just I was working out of my junior
college and I was like, uh, I'm not even gonna
rack the weights. Like I gotta go home and I
was telling the coach and he's like, yeah, get
out of here. Congrats. Like whatever, like we'll
celebrate. So I drove home, told Camille, I was
like, I just got, the Braves took me and she's
like, what? And then she started crying and you
know, it was like, it was a cool moment. Yeah.
I love it. I, that is just, it's really heartwarming.
It's really exciting. And I can just imagine.
You know your drive back home and you just can't
wait to uh, To just share share the joy with
camille Yeah, so later you're a late september
call -up. Is that right in 2015? Yep. Yep. So
I was uh Yeah, the braves put me on the 60 day.
So yeah, it was a late september call -up. I
jotted down that you Correct me if i'm wrong
here because this is just some chicken scratch,
but the first batter you faced Michael Conforto
You struck him out. That's correct Yep Incredible
basketball. I yeah You don't forget that do you
I will never forget that I will never know the
best advice I want some of the best advice. I've
had a lot of good advice Peter Moorland before
I ran out he's like take this all in you only
get one of these and You know as I was in city
field as I was running out I was just looking
around and that was 2015. So the Mets went to
the World Series that year And I just, like,
man, it was, I can remember everything, almost
everything about it. I can remember the dirt.
I can remember getting on the mound, digging
in for the first time. Actually, my first pitch,
AJ Persinski was catching me, and he completely
whiffed, and it broke the shin guard of the umpire.
So we had about a five to ten minute delay. Yeah,
and and Drelton Simmons comes over and he's like,
what'd you do that for? I was like, this stuff
only happens to me, you know, like I stand, you
know, right? Now, are you are you a ball of nerves
when you're out there on the mound? Are you getting
loose in the pen and you kind of know, all right,
I'm about to go in. This is this is going to
be my first appearance or are you kind of sent
centering yourself? What kind of zone do you
get in in that situation? Yeah, I was so excited.
Obviously nervous, but I was excited. I was confident
in my abilities. I was excited to prove, have
a chance to prove what I can do and that I belong
in the big leagues. This was my time. From now
on, I'm a big leaguer. I can say that forever
in my life. I was just excited. And I kind of
like kept going through my head and uh, I was
like What happened in this game is going to be
on my baseball reference page forever And it's
going to be good. You know, it's kind of like
that I love excitement. So yeah Dan i'm also
looking at so I have to assume that people who
listen to this podcast Not everybody's a baseball
fan, but I want to make sure this is an interesting
conversation Way back on the trailer. Please
don't listen to it. I'm not It's the very first
thing I ever recorded. But I did say that I made
a promise that you're going to learn something.
You're going to laugh. Hopefully, we keep delivering
on that end. But your pitch arsenal at this point,
you're relying on the four seam fastball, a change
up slider sometimes, I guess, in that first year.
You haven't introduced the cut fastball until
a couple of years later. Is that right? Yeah.
Threw it a little bit, but it wasn't as good.
Again, we're probably get into this, but you
know, I changed my mechanics a lot after my second
injury. Yeah, so really I had a much lower release
and my four seed fastball as they would call
it. Now it's the vertical attack angle. Mine
was super low, so I was. I was really low, so
the ball kind of didn't drop as much as hitters
expected, so I. I relied on that four seam pass
ball up in the zone a lot, especially when I
later in my career, I definitely, but early in
my career, especially even when I was a starter,
I tried to sinker slider being that guy because
it was Colorado. Everyone at the time, they're
like, hey, sinkers only work here. But I would
go sinker slider and I'd get the full count.
I throw a four seam right down the middle and
then swing a mess. And it was like almost every
time. So, yeah, I was I threw a lot of forcing
and sliders when I. initially came in. Now, Dan,
I know when you're going up against the other
team's best, and like you said, it's a 3 -2 count.
Are there situations in baseball, this has to
go on all the time, where the batter knows that
that four seamer's coming, you know you're throwing
it, and it's just kind of like, let's see if
you can catch up to this. No better feeling.
Like that, that's the man versus man. Yeah, they
know it's coming. It's a no better feeling when
they swing a miss but it is a terrible feeling
when they hit it like 450 yards 50 feet yards.
I'm in golf mode already But yeah when they smack
that thing and you're like, oh they got me that's
a Bad feeling too. Yeah. I mean a lot sometimes
you'll see a pitcher He just knows it and he
doesn't make that full turn around to watch it
clear the fence He's just doesn't even look depending
on the game. That's kind of a Yeah, you tip your
cap. You're like you got me. All right Yeah gamesmanship
A little oddball question maybe a little bit
here that I want to throw in there It's gonna
happen pitchers who've got good control their
pitches are gonna hit guys sometimes When it
happened Do you just I mean do guys give you
looks do they kind of know all right? That was
he didn't mean to do that. He just he's trying
to take that side of the plate. I know I get
it. Or are there some tense moments where you
hit guys? There's definitely tense moments. There's
one vivid one that sticks out. It was 2018. We
were playing the Nats. Harper was obviously on
a tear, like always. And I think he had two homers
in the game. And I came in to face him. I think
Lee... I don't remember all the details but I
remember I was throwing the cutter at the time
and trying to throw a cutter inside and I hit
him on his back shin and I was like on the mound
I was like he's gonna be pissed like he's he's
gonna be upset yeah he's gonna come at me and
I walked down like pretty close like kind of
ready and I remember flowers kind of walked out
too because we were all kind of you could kind
of feel that And Bryce gets up, and he's like,
looking around like, oh. And then he looks at
Flowers. He goes, is that a cutter? And Flowers
is like, yeah. He goes, that was a good one.
And then he just ran to first. And I was like,
that's it? You know? And then there are times
where you're like, nothing happened. And you
know, you think, and the batter's upset. You
know, there's. especially when it gets up here,
you know, guys obviously start getting upset,
you know, when it's up, the higher it gets, batters
get, obviously they should. But yeah, it's not
comfortable. You don't want to ever hit somebody
on purpose, but you're also not, you're trying
to beat them. You know, like if I'm facing Ronald
Acuna and I know that he can't hit a four seamer
inside, I'm going to throw four semis inside
of him as much as I can because I'm trying to
get him out. He's one of the best in the game.
Like that's just an example, you know, so yeah.
So people who have followed your career and we'll
cover it here. I don't want to go into any more
detail than you're comfortable with, but the
elbow injury that you fracture your elbow 2016
in April 16, the season is just underway. And
I know you've described that as probably one
of the darker times, I guess. Now going back
and we've probably gotten a little deep in the
episode here. I did want to mention Your faith
and how that has sustained you this was in a
really tough time for you Take me through that.
Did you think I know I remember you hearing you
say you're going through the clubhouse and why
is this happening again? Yeah So leading up to
that, you know, uh, spring training, 2016, like
I got to make the team. I'm a rule five. Like
there's some logistics that go into that. Like
I have to be on the roster. Um, so I got to make
the team and about halfway through spring training,
my elbow really starts hurting. And it was like
every time, like I threw a baseball and you know,
trainers, we had an image was fine, but there's
just arthritis from the Tommy John, like it's
residual from Tommy John. So I was like, I'm
fine. I'm just throwing through it. And it was
every single time, but I'm, I got to make this
team. Like I can't go on the DL. Like I'm telling
them, don't put me on the DL. Don't put me on
the DL. And I finally make the team and it was
the best. And I pitch an opening day and I strike
out the side and man, it was like, it was the
last opening day at Turner field. So like, I'm
so glad that I didn't. and then we're playing
the Cardinals and I get out of a bases loaded
jam on Sunday like we're supposed to go to DC
like I show up in my suit. My stuff's already
in DC like and then I come out for the next inning
I get the first two guys out and then I throw
a slider in the dirt and I'm like oh man that
didn't like that was a different pain than I
had been feeling and then next pitch I threw
a cutter. and it just felt like it just ripped
like I felt like I broke my elbow up here and
uh like it just felt like my whole arm kind of
just broke and I remember like walking off and
and I don't remember so much pain like you said
I remember not again please god not again and
not another elbow surgery I'm finally here I'm
finally where I'm supposed to be like like I
finally made it I'm pitching well like I'm pitching
the seventh and eighth inning like I'm supposed
to be here and that all hit me and if you watch
it on YouTube I just like collapsed and like
that that was the realization it wasn't really
so much the pain I was just like adrenaline it
was like when all that realization just hit and
you know I didn't know the severity of the injury
but yeah like I was just praying praying and
praying and you know we thankfully Dr. Anders
did my surgery like two days later and put a
screw in there and he's like you're gonna pitch
again so he kind of put that confidence in in
the back of my mind my wife says she she watched
the surgery he's like puts it in and then he's
like oh he x -rays and he's like it's not perfect
so you like go back and forth and he said he
did that like three or four times and he's just
super meticulous with it and so like like i can't
put in to words how thankful i am for that man
for real Um, so yeah, like back in Florida, rehabbing
again, I'd spent all 2015 on actually 2016. I
didn't watch any baseball to the world series.
Uh, I watched, I watched the Cubbies. I watched
the laugh. I get, watched game six and game seven.
Those are the only two baseball games I watch.
And I'm so glad that I watched game seven because
the best, uh, but yeah. And I'm glad you watched
too. Um, yeah. Going back to your surgery there.
I pulled up another article on that time period
and I'm from the Pensacola area. So I was reading
this is Atlanta News Journal the night before
you're sitting in a hotel in Pensacola before
the surgery just Not really sure how to how to
process everything probably a little nervous
pretty emotional wondering if you're gonna pitch
again before It goes as well as it possibly could
have yeah Yeah, I vaguely remember I distinctly
not vaguely distinctly remember that because
and you know I talked about like going back to
Florida and it was just so many ups and downs
and I remember a certain time like I go back
and get an x -ray and it wasn't fully healed
I had like a stress fracture a compound fractures
and it just wasn't healing correctly. and I was
praying I was doing all the stuff like I was
I was getting red light therapy I was going and
doing um dry needling and and all the stuff acupuncture
like I was doing everything I could to try to
get this thing to heal um and and thankfully
there's a great drug that we tried it's called
Forteo that um helped it actually speed up the
healing but I remember my last probably like
the third to last x -ray I got before I was cleared
and I remember going with Camille to get the
x -ray and I'm like come out of the x -ray and
I saw a little glimpse of it and I was like it's
not healed still it didn't work and I remember
falling in the car like just falling like I'm
never gonna pitch again I'm never gonna pitch
again like it's never gonna happen and Camille
was like you're gonna be fine you don't know
what the x -ray said like just calm down and
I you know we went back to the house and I got
the phone call and said, it's healing. Like,
it was stuck at like 75%. He's like, it's about
90 % healed. He's like, it's healed a lot since
then. And I remember bawling again. And then
about a couple of weeks later, he's like, Dr.
Andrew wants to see you. And a couple of weeks
later, I was like getting kind of approved to
throw and get back. And that's when I went back
to that same hotel. And it was like the contrasts.
of, I'm pitching again, I'm coming back versus
a few months earlier and it's like, I'm never
going to pitch ever again. And it was just like
a weird, wild, crazy, just roller coaster, honestly.
Yeah. And I can just, I can see the emotions
as you retell the story and how you must've been
feeling back then, because you're on the upward
trajectory of your career. You've proven yourself.
you're in a great organization. I mean, everybody,
even if they're not an Atlanta Braves fan, everybody
knows this is just a robust operation with a
lot of talented people. And Snitker, I think
that was his first, or when you came in, I guess,
Freddie Gonzalez was, that was his last season
as manager, but the team that eventually won
the World Series was coming into place. I mean,
the new ballpark. Now, so by August of 2020,
17 is that right? Yeah, you're back and another
big moment against Seattle and You come into
face one batter. It's Robbie Cano Another household
name and you get him the ground out Again, how's
it feel just you're back out there again when
you return after the first injury and now here
Or after Tommy John and then here again Yeah,
is there that fear that? this might happen again.
Am I going to go through something like this
again? Am I going to have another season -ending
injury? Does that ever go away, or do you just
kind of stay in the moment, stay in the day kind
of mentality? Yeah, you know, I probably should
have. I don't know. No, I didn't. Yeah, of course,
I thought I could tear my UCL, but I fell. my
elbow felt as strong as it had ever been. And
I don't know, I just was confident. And I tell
people that it's kind of like I had three debuts,
you know, 2015, 2016, the opening day was kind
of one debut, and then 2017 coming back after
I tore my, or after I broke my elbow. Like those
were, I remember the feeling of 2017 and getting
like, I remember Snit saying, like, when he handed
me the ball, he was like, welcome back. It was
Robbie, you know, like, so, yeah, I remember,
like, just feeling so elated again, like I, like
I had just made another debut. And, yeah, it
was, it was special to, after all of that promotion
and roller coaster to finally be back. And like
you said, I'm in this great organization. I got
a great, another chance to come back. I'm feeling
good. I'm feeling healthy. Yeah, it was a, I
forget about the 2016 a lot. The roller coaster
just got to focus on the 2017, but you kind of
forget what you went through to get there. So
2017, you appear in 16 games. You pitched to
a 251 ERA for the season. You got to be feeling
pretty good when that year winds down. I also,
I want to talk, I always like to talk on this
show about relationships. Obviously you got your
teammates. I have to imagine your lifetime friends
with some of these guys. But pitching coaches
like Chuck Hernandez, Rick Cranitz, talk about
some of those guys and the impact that they had
on you. Yeah, lots of names, lots of guys that
had super impact. You know, Chuck was big for
me, especially like 2017, 2018. He was really
helpful when I was coming back. And like I said,
I made some mechanical changes. And Chuck was
really big and helping me make those changes
and kind of seeing where the stress was and and
Again, we didn't that they have technology for
a lot of that now I mean this wasn't that long
ago But at the time like really wasn't all the
technology that you the wearable tack and stuff
And so I leaned on a lot of those people when
I was coming back trying to make sure I could
still be successful in the big leagues, but also
healthy. So yeah, Marty and Chuck and, you know,
even when my club days, Tommy and CY, Chris Young,
like those guys are all, you know, I still talk
to Tommy and Chris Young and Rossi and all those
people were, I always say, and if kids are listening,
everybody has something to say. Everybody. You
might not like everything they say you might
only like a little bit of what they have to say
But something somebody has got something that
you can take and just build on it You know, just
mold it into who you want to be who you think
you should be but don't discount anybody Everybody
has something some wisdom to offer and that was
the I I don't know who told me maybe my grandpa
He was a basketball coach forever Maybe I heard
it from him, but that was the best thing. Every
coach, any mental skills, any front office, I
never discounted anybody. What do you have for
me? What do you think I could do better? So one
of the best advice I've heard. And ask questions
of those old guys, those old gorillas. Yep, absolutely.
Good wisdom from those old guys. So let's shoot
forward a little bit. Man, I'd love to talk for
two... couple hours with you but uh so so at
the trade deadline in 2019 you get the news that
you've been traded to this is an odd one to the
san francisco giants i gotta ask you this is
going back to the some of the terms that people
may not be familiar with being dfa'd when you
got the the information i guess from your agent
that you'd been traded to the giants did you
know that i guess a day later that they would
um designate you for assignment I found on Twitter
that I got traded first of all, so that was great.
Yeah, you know, I was a little surprised. It's
2018. I had a really good year. Really good year.
I felt like in 2019. I had a really good year
as well. I just had two bad games and you know,
I've seen in the future like that. That was a
crypt. My kryptonite was those two or three blow
up games. You know Cubs that was. three bad games
and it just you know it happened so fast and
that's kind of the thing is like it can happen
so fast and never discount where you are and
rest on your laurels especially when you're and
you're playing at the highest level you can never
relax but yeah so straight in got called the
next day hey we're gonna designate your for assignment
so essentially that means I was on the 40 -man,
I wasn't on the 25 -man roster, so I wasn't on
the big, big active roster. I was on what they
would call the reserve list on the 40 -man roster.
And I was taken off that 40 -man roster for,
they had to make a move. They just had an injury.
Obviously I was on the end. They just kind of
wanted to dump money. And so yeah, that I was
designated, nobody picked me up and was in their
minor league system at that point. because they
still own my rights. So yeah, I played for the
Sacramento River Cats and we won a AAA championship
that year. So it was awesome. I loved it. It
was great for me. Yeah. Like I said, a former
UCF Golden Knight Vic Penn, he was telling me
about some of the stops that he made and guys
that he met in certain places he didn't expect
that he'd be, teams that he was playing for.
He said, you're still making friends and And
he said some of my best friends are from a place
that I I was playing for six months or I was
Yeah, that's a great point to have been where
you were with the Braves and then now you're
in Sacramento and It's not the Ritz Carlton's
anymore. You're not flying on a private jet The
first few days first week first few road trips.
Is that tough? Or are you just thinking this
is this where I am and I'm just still blessed
to be here Yeah, obviously, yeah, you're just
kind of blessed to have a jersey, you know, like,
mentally, it was good for me to go back. I just
put so much pressure on myself when I was in
the big leagues. I felt like I had to be, you
know, and maybe that was kind of that chip on
my shoulder coming back to bite me at the end
of my career. I felt like I had to be almost
perfect every time. Another story that I'll quickly
tell is 2018. I was pitching really well. our
closer went down and I was our eighth inning,
seventh, eighth inning guy, depending on the
matchups. And I had my first save opportunity
and I blew it. I gave up four runs against the
Orioles. And I remember I felt like I let the
entire city of Atlanta down. And I don't know
why, you know, like it's just how I felt. Like
I had this pit in my stomach. But yeah, so I
put a lot of pressure on myself when I was in
the big leagues. And then going to Sacramento
was... So good for me. And, you know, you're,
yeah, you're not staying on in the Ritz -Carlton
and you're taking five AM flights and commercial
flights and you're playing in the Pacific Coast
League. So the ball flies and it's a lot of travel,
but it was fun again. Like I had fun. I can't,
I can't say it a different way than it was just
fun. And, and we were good. But, uh, we didn't
expect to win it all, but we won it all. And
we, I don't know. Like you said, I've played
with some of those guys for two months and I
still talk to some of them because it was just
fun again and it was awesome. So yeah, it was
exactly what I needed. And then the end of 2019,
I guess, uh, near the winter meetings, December,
2019, you get an offer from the Chicago Cubs.
This comes through your agent. Does he give you
a call and say, this is what's on the table here?
Yeah, the Cubs were the first team to call. They're
like, we want to sign you. They were interested.
The Mets were interested as well. And it was
early in the offseason. I didn't expect much
of it. And the Cubs are like, yeah, we want an
interview. So I talked to Tommy and I talked
to Craig Breslow, who was there at the time.
And they gave me a spiel on why they thought
that they could help me out. Talked about spin
rate and I was like done. I want to sign I was
so again blessed to play for two Amazing franchises
like the the hardest part about getting traded
and even the Giants was a great franchise but
The hardest part about getting traded was I loved
Atlanta. I loved like like you said the organization
was so cool I got to play with like BMAC and
Jeff Frankour and I got to meet Tom Glavine.
I got to meet John Smoltz, I got to meet all
those guys, like Tripper Jones was all around,
like Henry Aaron, like Hank Aaron was around,
like it was so cool. And then to be recruited
by the Cubs was like, what? Like, again, you
know, like I always had this like imposter syndrome
when I was at the Cubs, like I don't belong here
because I'm playing with Tony Rizzo, like Baez,
like KB, like those guys are World Series winners.
You know, and so it was like Jay Hay was, he
was every time I walk in, he goes, what's up,
Wink? And it was like, you're still like, you're
still talking to me. You know, like, yeah, it
was, uh, it was awesome. I was like, please sign
me up at that point. I was trying not to show
my cards, but yeah, I was like, I'm, I'm in.
I want to just mention this because, you know,
the Cubs have not reached the postseason since
that 2020. uh, COVID shortened season. You pitched
in one of the last games against the Marlins
in game one of that wild card series, pitched
the ninth inning, got a couple of strikeouts
and how did you, how did you feel about being
a part of that organization at that time, how
you could contribute and it was an odd season,
I guess for everybody involved, but. Yeah, it
was an odd season, but like you, you're talking
the postseason, it's still the postseason and
it's still the, you know. playing for the Chicago
Cubs at Ridley Field. Man, it was, it was wild.
I tell people like, you know, like the playoffs
just have that buzz. Like I wasn't on the playoff
team in 2018, but I was around. And then 2019
I was on that team, but I was with the Giants
at the time. But there's this buzz about the
postseason. And even though there was no fans
in the stands, you could just feel like this
is the postseason. I don't know how to explain
it, other than like just the buzz about it, like
this is the playoffs. And so to be able to pitch
in a playoff, you know, is a blessing in itself.
Whether it was COVID or not, I don't care. You
know, like it was so cool. It was awesome. I
wish I could have done it more, especially with
the Cubs. But yeah, it was a special team. Kind
of sad that COVID happened because I really think
that that team probably could have made a run.
It was a special bunch. Absolutely. This is just
a Dan time footnote, but I couldn't believe it.
I'm reading the box score for game one against
the Marlins. Dan, a couple of the umpire, the
umpiring crew, the second base umpire, Dan Iasonia.
and the left field umpire, Dan Bellino. So you
got a couple Dan's on the officiating crew that
night. I'm sure that wasn't lost on you. Love
it. Of course. I was trying to, there's probably
some Dan's on the other team as well. Dan's all
over the place. When you think about your time
in Chicago, Wrigley Field, how about just the
first time when the fans are back, 2021, and
you're out there, any great memories? games that
really stick out to you where it was just a thrill?
Yeah. Go Cubs, go across the PA. The best. Again,
I can't reiterate it enough. That is the best.
I got to close out a bunch of games. Obviously,
not a save opportunity. We had Craig Kimbrough,
the best Hall of Famer. And he had one of the
best years he's ever had. But I got to close
out a bunch of games. And it was the best going
through the line here in the Code Cubs, go. And
21 we started out with like a third 20 % and
then kind of grew and I got a pitch opening day
at 21, which is awesome. It's freezing cold,
but there's fans back in the stands like it's
special. And then I remember in June we were
playing the Padres and that was like full capacity
and I got a pitch in that game and I think that's
the hardest I ever throw. I was like 96 .4 or
something, but. One game really sticks out was
when we were playing the Mets and it was this
is the first year we had the ghost runner rule,
which you start with a runner on second and the
extra innings. And so I'm coming in pitching
10th inning and just nervous. I, you know, don't
know why just nervous. This can be facing, you
know, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, Dominic
Smith, like the heart of their lineup. And I.
Struck out the first guy and then walk two guys.
So I basically loaded and one out and then I
got Dominic Smith to ground out in the double
play and I just remember the place just erupted
and it was like Usually when the place erupt
I'm on the visiting side and I just gave up a
big Homer But this was a great erupted and then
we ended up Jay Hay walked it off the first like
it was like a fourth pitch Of the next thing
we walked it off and that was my first couple
win And so that was that will always be special
for me that game will for sure And dan I jotted
this down in the 2020 season nine games at Wrigley
field you pitched to a 164era You must have been
feeling pretty good about your stuff that season
Another thing that I want to point out this is
kids. Unfortunately, we'll never see this again.
Maybe it's a good thing without the pitchers
hitting anymore, but Across your career, Dan,
you got three times up to the plate. I just got
to ask you real quick as you know, starting pitchers
used to get one or two, maybe three at bats.
Very unusual for a relief pitcher, but not completely
impossible, unlikely depending on the game situation.
But as a reliever, like I think there's a game
where you're pitching two innings against the
Padres and you're just going to stay in the game
and grab a bat. What's that? You can't possibly
be going into that, that day thinking I'm going
to put on a helmet and grab a bat and stand in
that batter's box in a few hours. You never think
that you never, you know, like it never goes
through. You're trying to get the best in the
world out. Like that's the last thing. I remember
my first time I was, I was so excited because
we were winning by a lot and I was really excited.
It's just cool. Like my first time I remember.
You see it from the pitchers now. You know, you
see the field from the pitch. But now you get
a stand in the batter's box and see what the
hitter sees and just seeing the field from you're
like, whoa, this is this is so much cooler, you
know, like just little relievers, stuff like
that. We always talk about. But yeah, I never
struck out in a major league game. So in my three
A .B .s, I didn't strike out. So two ground outs.
But I remember the Cubs won. Gosh dang, I can't
believe I'm blanking. I can see our bench coach
at the time. He's like, hey, you're hitting.
I'm like, no, I'm not. And he goes, yeah, you're
up first. You're leading off. And I'm like, what?
I didn't have anything. He's like, here's everything.
And he's like swinging at the, he's like, he's
95 % sliders. He's like, expect a slider. I was
like, okay. So I'm like trying to get out of
there as fast as possible because it's hot, it's
June, you know. first picture sees a stinker
and I like there's a slider no it's not and it's
right off my knuckles like right back I think
it was 60 mile an hour but I'm like get me out
of here and then he bobbled it a couple times
I'm like no just pick it up and throw it get
me out you know like get this over with yeah
exactly I don't want to be on the basis please
was this all right I wrote it down Austin Adams
for the Padres It was, yeah. It sure was. Grounded
back to the pitcher. Yup. In these situations,
whose bat are you grabbing? Whose helmet are
you putting on? I think it was Arietta's. I think
maybe they probably got me the smallest bat and
made sure, you know, they're like, you know,
it used to be American League teams when they'd
play National League teams. If a reliever had
to hit, they'd hand them a broken bat. and say,
you're not swinging. But thankfully, Ross, he
was like, yeah, we want to see what you got.
So they let me swing. Do you glance over and
Rizzo and KB, are they hanging over the rail?
I mean, they're eating this up. They love it.
They love it. Yeah. I heard it so much, especially
from Tony. He's like, you're never hitting again.
You know that, right? I'm like, good. Bring the
DH please. So a great time in Chicago. Those
fans, I mean, I just can't imagine. I see it
on TV. You see the fans on their feet and then
the excitement when you get that final out of
the inning. Who are some of the guys on that
Cubs team that you really clicked with that,
you know, maybe you still talk to today? Yeah,
our bullpen was really close. Actually, we set
a few records that year in 21. But Craig lives
here in Nashville. He lives not too far outside
of the Nashville. So I see him every now and
then. Rex Brother is another guy who lives in
Nashville. So we had three Nashville country
boys in the bullpen that year. So I still see
those guys all the time. But like Keegan Thompson
and Justin Steele, they were in the bullpen a
lot. So talk to them every now and then. But
it was such a close, like I said, I talked to
Chris Young, the bullpen coach. Chad Noble was
our catching, our bullpen catcher. So that knit
right there, like we stick together. So you make,
it's like a family within a family. you know,
we'd sit on the back of the plane, all eight
of us, just, you know, not hanging out with all
the rich people, you know, we're down, just being
normal guys. But yeah, the bullpen guys are super
close. You know, I'm still close with a lot of
the, like, Javi was great, and Rizzo was, Rizzo
didn't know a stranger. He's, I think he's still
that way. And Arietta would always take us golfing.
So, yeah, it was, Like I said, the 2020 and 2021
teams, those were special teams, especially earlier
in the year. Like before we traded everyone in
21, we were close knit. And we were in first
going into June, June like 15th or something.
And then we lost 11 in a row and just the wheels
fell off. But yeah, it was, those were, I played
with so many special teams, 2018, 2019, Braves,
like 18, we weren't supposed to win anything.
we started the NL East and they've won ever since
then. So it was, I was very blessed to play with
some of the teams that I did. Well, Dan, we're
probably running short on time here. I just want
to wrap up some of the baseball talk. You signed
a deal with the Texas Rangers around the spring
of 2022. Opted out of that deal. by June of 2022
and then signed with a minor league deal with
the White Sox. Dan, you're at a place in your
life now where you've got, you said two kids?
Three kids now. Oh, three kids. Welcome to the
club. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's a zoo here. Yeah,
the gray hairs, they have a way of multiplying
when you start adding an extra child to the house.
I don't know. So fast. And they came on so fast.
Yeah, it was like I had a kid and gray hair.
Where did these come from? So yeah, definitely.
But so you elected free agency November 10th,
2022. At this point, are you wanting to turn
a corner in your life with your family? How are
those decisions made where you got to feel like
I could still play? Maybe we still like to if
the situation was right, but How because you
know guys hit those hit those crossroads a lot
everybody imagines that Major League Baseball
players, you know play an average of 10 or 12
seasons and it's it's not Really typical. I mean
to to even play one or two seasons professionally
You're in an elite group there. But yeah. Yeah,
it was Honestly, you know, I was kind of wearing
me down a little bit. It's just, it's a hard,
it's a hard job. It's, it's hard. You know, 21
ended really bad for me. You know, I was pitching
well. You know, I have a lot more walks than
I wanted to, but like I was limiting the hard
contact and I felt like I was pitching. I was,
I was doing well. I felt like I could have done
better, you know. going back I put a lot of pressure
on myself and we traded everyone away and I was
left there kind of like you know the Will Smith
meme of him just like I felt like that like nobody
else is around me and you know I gave up 12 runs
and only got two outs in a span of a week and
I got DFA as we talked about earlier and nobody
picked me up and didn't expect anybody to and
then we had the lockout that offseason Uh, and
so I didn't sign until late March with the Rangers
and Rangers that pitch well and had an opportunity
to get called up and contractually just, uh,
we had, I was a veteran player. I had to waive
some of my rights and I just wasn't going to
do that and which I don't blame them for, you
know, doing that at all. Uh, and then I opted
out and then they had a few guys kept COVID and
you know and then I went to the white socks and
I was about to get called up and I blew out my
back and it was just like a spiral of and at
this time like I said it was wearing on me I
had family my wife was pregnant with our third
when I was playing in Charlotte and she had just
gotten a job as a nurse practitioner so she wasn't
traveling with me and you know I was like I don't
want to give it up because I love it but it's
just wearing it down like what did I be better
off doing something else and then I tried to
play last year in 23 and you know I was throwing
95 still I went out to tread and Charlotte and
was working out with them and I felt like I still
had all the stuff I just couldn't get any interest
and you know they they slashed some some of the
minor league jobs which hurt some veterans like
me I wasn't getting a big league deal, which
I knew I wouldn't towards the end of my career.
But I felt like I still had a lot to offer. I
felt like I pitched really well in 22. It just
didn't work out for me to pitch in the big leagues.
And then I just I wasn't going to play any ball.
I just was not going to go do that. And it's
not nothing against any ball. I just I had three
kids. I played six years in the big leagues.
I had 12 years of professional experience. I
just didn't have the heart for it. And I think
if you're going to play any ball, you got to
have some of that heart and love for the baseball.
And it just I couldn't be away from my family
for that. And yeah, I was just kind of it didn't
hit me all at once that I was done. And then,
you know, summer last year, I was like, I think
I'm done. And then I got a job offer to work
for ADP and sell 401K, which is is awesome. I
get to meet some cool people, you know. I don't
really love the cold calling. That stinks. That's
the worst part about it. Yeah, so it stinks.
It's the worst part. I didn't think I'd have
to do it, especially going from everybody wanted
to talk to me. Now nobody wants to talk to me,
you know. It's like, come on. But yeah, I get
to work from home. I get to see my kids. I get
to tuck them in every night. So and Dan, you
know, it's hard. Yeah Little and how old is your
oldest son now? He's six. So he just started
kindergarten. Okay, I think I think our oldest
boys are the same age and Okay I don't have to
tell you this but they love having dad around
they love having you at home at night talking
a minute night and You can't put a price on that
No, you know, there's absolutely People you know
mothers fathers There's things that are just
you know clawing at you for you know your ambition
wants to shoot in all these different directions
you've got your talents your interests and all
these things and it you just you know, you're
just Chopping at the bit sometimes that you want
to be doing something other than watching blazing
the monster machines or Whatever that they tie
you up for a couple hours doing this this stuff
this but It dawns on you that you don't get these
moments back and the time that you're spending
with them, just sitting with them or being at
a park somewhere with them. No offense to the
guys that do have kids and they have jobs and
careers that take them around the country, around
the world, and then they're back home. Nothing
against that. But children love having those
parental figures around. It drives us crazy sometimes.
Yeah, I always say being a dad's the best job,
but also the hardest job in the world. But yeah,
it kills you. It gutted me a lot. And my last
year was like, my kids, dad, when are you coming
home? Like, why are you still playing baseball?
Like, what are you? Like why aren't you here
and and now of course, they're like, why don't
you go back to baseball? We'd love to baseball
Well, no kidding because you got to eat ice cream
and play in the jungle gym all the time. And
so right Yeah Well, one other thing uh for people
listening that follow baseball a relief pitcher
like you said if you have 16 Sparkling outings
in a row or close to it and then you have like
three or four horrendous outings Up against those,
you know, your ERA all of a sudden balloons way
out of proportion and it's not really reflective
of your entire season and a starting pitcher
well, depending on you are you probably can't
get away with too many bad starts either but
Just because of the the innings that you're that
you're being called on to handle versus five
or six of the clip Sometimes it's not as reflective
of the season as a whole. So Yeah, well said.
Yeah, it's hard to paint the picture of a lot
of people's years that way. But yeah, and the
value of release pitchers. I think we're the
best position, obviously. Who wins the World
Series? Who has the best bullpens? That's my
take on it. What's your stance? This is another
kind of baseball question, but the opener. Some
teams will employ an opener for that first, second
inning and then turn it over to the starter to
try to get you to the seventh or eighth. Would
you have been down? Yeah, I would have been down
because I was a start, you know, coming up. I
was a starter. I loved like the best part about
starters. You had your routine. You knew when
you were pitching the worst part about relieving
is sitting down in that bullpen. You'd be like,
oh gosh, oh gosh, like when am I going to pitch?
It's the second inning. Can I pitch this inning?
So yeah, that would have been great. And plus
once you got your 1 -2 -3 scoreless any year
to sit in the clubhouse and hang out the rest
of the game. So being an Oprah would have been
great, but I'm unsure how I feel about it. I
think you don't want to mess with the starter
routine. For some, you got to know the starter.
You got to know the pitcher. Some guys like John
Lester never would have been, you know, he had
his routine, meticulous about it. And that's
why he was as good as he was like you wouldn't
want to mess with him and obviously he was a
veteran He's not a guy you do that with it's
an interesting concept, but it's definitely a
pick and choose who you do it with I think Well
Dan a few questions here. This is just some Let's
kind of see what's on The question used to be
what's on your iPod? I guess everyone's got their
own streaming service now, but it could be Spotify
whatever but any music you're listening to or
other podcasts or stuff that you're kind of into
when you put on the earbuds, the AirPods? I was
just listening to one of your latest guests,
the New Zealand, Dan Sharp. Yes. Man, he's so
good. I was really impressed. I was listening
to a couple of the podcasts and when his music
came on, I was like, wow. Being in Nashville
and playing music, playing the guitar myself.
I love the singer -songwriter, the soul kind
of music. But I listen to everything, honestly,
except rap. When I was younger, I loved that
stuff. But now I'm like, it's not for me. It's
not whatever. But we're always listening to Country,
Christian, podcasts. I'm always listening to
podcasts. I'm big in fantasy football. I love
fantasy football. I actually got my fantasy football
trophy right behind me as well. So a lot of my
podcasts are fantasy football or market related
and trying to keep up with selling more 401ks.
And how about favorite ball players that you
had as a kid? And maybe I know you've met a good
a good many of them, but did you your seven,
eight, nine years old, 10 years old? Who is your
guy? Mark McGuire, I mean, that was, I remember
staying up and watching 62 home run when he broke
the record. I remember watching against the Cubs
too. I remember watching that. And then we were
at 69 and 70 that year too. We went to the game.
We were in like the fourth debt, you know, way
up there. But I told my dad we couldn't. The
big we were behind home plate. So we we were
above Big Mac so But I loved it, you know, like
I said, you know, I was I was a basketball But
I was I was a baseball nut to my dad that wanted
to leave early in that game and I was like no
like we are not leaving like what if we miss
it and He came up like an inning or two later
and he hits 70 and I was like see dad. That's
why we don't that's why we don't leave So yeah,
Mark McGuire was, I never got to meet him. I
guess his son's in the game now. Um, so he's,
I saw him in a Cubs uniform the other day. I
was like, he's so wrong. Those are, you know,
those are some exciting times in baseball at
that time. I mean, it was a blast. It was, it
was great TV. It was, if you're at the games,
you know, a lot of controversy around that time
period, but I think with the passage of time,
If you were there for it and you were a younger
person, I mean I close my eyes and think back
and just I mean Sammy Sosa I had a blast watching
him play, you know, I got to see Wrigley Field
in the mid 90s and One time I was sitting there
with my brother Travis at a game. This was probably
like 96 and I said he's gonna hit a home run
on this next pitch and and it happened so Nobody
recorded that conversation, but I was pretty
proud of it. But, you know, Sammy could have
hit a home run on any given at bat, so. Yeah,
those guys were like they revived baseball. They
really did that, you know, and you can't you
cannot knock them for what they did. Everybody
was doing it. Baseball wouldn't be what it is
without that era. And it was a great era. Yeah,
I don't. Thought those guys are all Yeah, one
of my favorite World Series. I used to watch
the DVD over and over was the 2001 Diamondbacks
Yankees World Series that goes seven years I
was a big cub fan obviously Mark Grace is on
the D backs that year and the way he leads off
the ninth with just this Impossible base hit
against Mariano Rivera. I watched that over and
over and over again. Yeah, that's a I love that.
I just think I remember the Luis Gonzalez hit
as well. I remember watching that game. And then
I don't know if you've read Mariano's book, Closer,
and he talks about the best thing that ever happened
to him was he was able to turn the page. Because
he never blew more than three or more than two
saves in a row. And for him, it was just that.
New midnight hit he flushed away and he talks
about in the World Series like going through
all that and you know It's so cool to hear from
his perspective and the take that he has I won't
ruin the book, but it's it's awesome. Oh, I got
to read it now Yeah, I was it's such a good book.
I was not a Yankee fan in my younger years It's
like they were absolutely the enemy and now I've
got a softer perspective a little bit But I feel
the same way. Yeah. I mean, I watched the Jeter
documentary is those guys are legends of the
game. So yeah, how about do you have a baseball
movie? Do you get into the sports movies? And
if so, is there a favorite? Oh, not. I mean,
all of the baseball movies are great. You know,
I think just Stan Lott is like timeless. I mean,
I can watch it. You can watch it wherever, you
can watch it with your kids. My kids watch Sandlot,
they love it. You know, I also like the, what's
the perfect, what's it, Billy Chappell, what's
he, I like that movie too. It's interesting.
It's a good type. But I don't, you know, again,
the three kids, I don't have to watch movies.
Only movies we watched was that I remember watching
on a bus when I was on the Miami Leagues, you
know. Talk about what we would do. That's what
we would do and watch baseball movies on the
bus in seven hours. So yeah, that's what we do.
Um, okay. I do see the Molina Jersey behind you.
I've seen it the whole episode. Yadi Molina was
another guy. So being a cub fan, Cardinals are
the enemy and they still are to me, but I can
be respectful about it. And, uh, I remember I
watched Yadi's final at bat and I kind of say
it was hard not to root for him to get a hit.
I think that was in the postseason. I've drawn
a blank on who he was up against, but what a
career, I mean, for a catcher. Yeah. Yeah. I
faced Yachty so much. I don't even, maybe he
might've been one of the higher faced players
that I faced personally, but growing up a Cardinal
fan, like Yachty was, like, when he first came
up, like I was in high school, you know, like,
so I was a big Cardinal fan. And then for me,
it's kind of like, When I finally faced him and
pitched against him, it was like, I made it,
you know, like there are some guys along the
way that you're like, I've finally made it. Now,
like you, you strike those guys out or you pitch
against them. So I'm pretty proud of that one
just because I got a Cunha above there too. I
have a bunch of, I got a bunch of Cubs signed
jerseys as well. So those are just cool. I hope
someday my kids think they're cool too. And then
I got my debut jersey behind me as well. So.
Oh, man. Well, Dan, I'm trying to cover everything
here. I guess now being a retirement plan specialist,
this is something that I wish at 22 years old,
I had paid more attention to or even 28 years
old. You must have known a lot of guys in the
minors in the major leagues, even that the money
is coming in and the money is just going out.
But what would you say to young athletes and
young people listening? that maybe have a pretty
lucrative career. They've gone to school and
they've landed a great job. They're a couple
years in, but they're buying everything that
they impulsively want to buy and they're not
really planning for that day where that money
stream stops. Yeah. The best thing that I did
was hire a financial advisor. I remember my first
year Mike Miner was like, hey, you need to talk
to somebody. I was like, I barely made any money.
I'm like, why would I? He's like, no, you need
somebody to help you go through this. So I interviewed
a few financial advisors and hired the guy that
I'm still with today. And that was the best decision
I made. Because not only does he save and help,
but he's like a financial planner. So he kind
of lays things out like, this is what it's going
to look like down the road. This is what you
need to save. If you want to have this lifestyle.
So yeah, that was a, and talking on the 401k
side, I remember specifically that year two,
filling out the 401k and I had hired my financial
advisor before that. I was like, how much should
I put? He goes, max it out, max it out. Like
just, I was like, well, what if I'm in the minor
leagues? You know, like I don't want to give
that. He's like, max it out. He's like, they're
gonna, they're gonna match essentially. So those,
whatever years I was in the big leagues, they
maxed out the highest contributions. So they
essentially gave you a raise. They gave you an
extra, at the time it was $40 ,000 a year and
that was putting my 401k. And so I left the game
with a very... good sized 401k. And I wouldn't
have had that without my financial advisor. You
know, I know a lot of guys are like, I'm not
giving this money, I might need this money. You
know, you come from the minor leagues where you
have nothing, you're like, everything you hold
close. But, you know, those guys missed out on
the max, the contributions. So that was the best
thing for me was hiring a financial advisor because
I didn't know what I was doing. Like, it's complicated.
You know, now that I'm kind of in it, it's not
as complicated, but there are some really smart
and educated people that can help others. And,
you know, I know financial advisors that'll take,
you know, anybody. So I think that, again, I'm
not a finance advisor and I would never be a
finance advisor. I work closely with financial
advisors, but I think it's the best thing that
I did, for sure. I love it. It's like you said,
financial decisions at a young age, if you're
not talking to the right people, it could be
kind of confusing the material if you're trying
to just pour over pages of stuff you don't really
understand. You don't really understand these
allocations. And so you just kind of put it aside
and go on about your life for a few years. And
you don't take any action. You got money coming
in, but you're not investing and letting that
interest compound. getting the max match from
your employer. Um, yeah, you're exactly right.
Um, and real quick, Dan, I know that you're coming
up here on 10 years. I think if I had this correct
Easter Sunday, was it Easter Sunday, 2014 that
you really began, uh, taking that walk in your
faith kind of full on and realize, Hey, I've
I'm in, I've got I've got somebody on my side
and I don't want to put the words in your mouth
here so just I was at dawn I mean I was like
because I listened to this podcast from uh 2018
I'm like well we're right up on 10 years well
that must be a god thing right there because
I didn't know that either so thanks for pointing
that out uh yeah uh you know I grew up Catholic
uh I went to School or I went to church every
Sunday. We didn't miss a church way actually
a Catholic school We'd go during the week, too.
So there's a lot of weeks. I went twice a week
to church, you know, and then like every kid
I went off to college and you know, I was still
would call myself a Christian and Went to baseball
and that's kind of where I was pursued the most
like I felt Jesus pursuing me and, you know,
friends. Why did he line me up with these friends
that I, you know, had so much in common with?
And they're also like these crazy who I would
have called, you know, being the Catholic boy
with like Jesus freaks, you know, like for lack
of a better term. And it just was like they kept
pursuing me and saying, hey, let's go to chapel.
I was like, well, that's not really church, is
it? Like, they're like, no, it's chapel. I was
like, well, do they, you know, how does that
work? And so, like, I kind of learned the non
-denominational other denominations of side.
And then, yeah, we went to church on Easter.
Somehow we had Easter off in the middle of the
year, which was on a Sunday, which is never based.
That's not like baseball at all. Yeah. And then
I just remember being there and just being like,
he was like, that was when I was like surrendered.
Like, my life is yours. And I still struggle
like, especially like in this transition period,
like giving what, you know, like, no, this is
mine, you know, like giving that up to him. But
I wouldn't, he knew that I needed him at that
time. Again, like 2014, that's when I blew out
my elbow. That's when I had Tommy John. And again,
I talk about the piece, like, I know that's where
that piece comes from. I was like, I knew God's
got me. So yeah, I appreciate you bringing that
up. Absolutely. I don't talk about it on the
podcast. And I didn't grow up in a religious
household. It was something that, as my family
has been, as we're complete now, everybody says,
are you going to have a fourth kid? No, we're
not. We're done. I promise you that. Heard that.
Yeah. In a perfect world, I would have four or
five or six children if I could. Yeah. I don't
know. clone myself, but we found a place that
we like to attend and we've been going for the
past year. And I was baptized in October last
year. Nice. Congratulations. I appreciate that.
Thank you. And I just tell people, you know,
for me, it works. And it's something that I feel
like if you open that door, You're not really
gonna understand, you know what you and I are
talking about until you have that experience
Yeah, yeah, I get that You know, we had lots
of bullpen conversations about things and you
know I was thick -headed and thinking that I
can beat it into some people, you know people
that I really care about and I still do and I
pray for them often and I'm just You know at
the point where I'm like, I know God's got them,
you know I don't know, I cannot explain it. And
I understand, you know, I try to lead by example,
and not with words. Words don't work. You're
not going to beat somebody, you know, with words.
And, you know, it's funny, you talk, you hear
a lot of people who have had this surrender.
And even my example, 10 years ago, I remember
where I was. I remember the feeling, but I don't
remember the words of the sermon. I couldn't
even tell you the pastor's name, but I remember
where I was and what I realized at the time.
And so I definitely can relate to how you feel
about it's going to be all right no matter what.
That's right. Dan, this has been fantastic. One
more question. I was gonna ask and this is just
kind of for my brother here Yeah, right. So The
cutter was that I mean how many times out of
ten? Is that gonna be your go -to pitch when
you got it's a pitchers count Oh and two or one
and two. What are you doing? I'm up to bat. Let's
just imagine that I'm Middle of the order hitter
I can I'm a good gap hitter We got runners on
Runners on the corners One out, you think you
can maybe induce a double play here or strike
me out. What are you throwing me? It's one ball,
two strikes, and you've got a one run lead. So
if I hit one in the gap, that runner from first
is scoring, and now you've given up the lead.
What are you going to against a guy like me that
I'm imagining I can play at that level? Yeah.
With everything nowadays, it's more of what's
the scouting report say you left -handed or right
-handed? Because that would matter what how did
I set you up? So let's say Let's say I've fouled
off three straight pitches So it's still one
and two again. This is the beauty of baseball,
you know, like you kind of like you kind of read
When you're in this situation, you're reading
swings, you're reading how you found it off.
If you're late or if you're early, did I throw
inside? Did I move some of your feet? How uncomfortable
are you? It's it's a dance. It really is. And
maybe that'll help you watch like if you watch
baseball, you can see the good pitchers. It's
really like they're like Kyle Hendricks is a
master at this. He. reads hitters and their scouting
report so well. But, yeah, one, two, I'm probably
trying to get you to chase a cutter off if you're
a right -handed or even a left -handed. I'm trying
to get you to swing underneath that. Left -handed,
I'd probably get you a cutter up and in and see
if I can get you to weekly ground ball double
play because I'm trying to stay away from damage.
I have some pitches to play with. So yeah, cutter
on right -handed, I'm probably trying to get
you to chase a cutter off the plate. And then
if you're getting to it, you're not getting any
damage with it. And then it depends on how far
that you are a right -hander and you kind of
get out there a little bit. That's when I come
back either with that cutter inside, kind of
get you to move some feet, that foreseam inside,
depending on the scouting report, foreseam inside
may not be a great thing to throw to certain
hitters. But yeah, that's kind of, again, like
I said, it's, it's such a dance and that's the
fun when you're locked in and you're in, in the
moment, you're not worried about what actually
happens, man, there's no better place to be than
that. And that position and just me versus you
competition. Like I said, at the top of the episode,
always trying to speak to that one guy that's
listening, you're still driving, man, you've
been driving for a while and you're still listening
to this podcast thank you my friend uh dan just
an incredible episode here this has been a blast
thank you for for your time tonight dan anything
else did you want to i feel like we've covered
almost everything but uh did you like to plug
No, I mean, I appreciate your time. This has
been fun. It's always hope it didn't run too
long. I can talk about myself probably too much.
Relive the glory days. But no, I appreciate you
having me on and just being interested in baseball.
So yeah, it's cool. Absolutely. Dan's story is
a story of resilience and preparation and Believing
in himself against all odds It helps to have
some people in your corner and I love the story
Dan Everybody Be good to yourself. This is something
that Dan Slotnick Love his music DZB 2023 one
plug there. That's a great album to listen to
be good to yourself It's hard to do but do it.
Thank you so much, Dan. I have thoroughly enjoyed
this would love to have you back again Love to
be back. This is fun. I appreciate it. All right.
That's it for this episode of the Dan Time podcast.
We'll see you guys next week. Have a wonderful
week. Take care of yourself.