WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:09.080 Hudson River Radio dot com. It beats listening to nothing. Being Frank. 2 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:15.519 We're the only way to be is Frank Hillo. And welcome to Being Frank. 3 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:19.120 We're the only way to be, is Frank. I'm your host, 4 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:23.160 Frank LaVona. We'd like to thank you for joining us here on the Intelligent 5 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:28.120 Conversation podcast. We know that your time is valuable. Let's face it, 6 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:33.159 competition is fierce. Lots of podcasts out there, but we like to think 7 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:37.960 of ourselves as an alternative to all that noise, So we appreciate you sharing 8 00:00:38.119 --> 00:00:41.640 some of your day with Being Frank. You know, we stream from Hudson 9 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:45.759 River Radio dot com with a mailman. Mister Neil Richter is our engineer. 10 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:50.520 You know he always delivers, and that's our so called homebase. But remember 11 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:56.719 you can download us wherever and whenever you listen to your favorite podcasts. That 12 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:02.719 includes iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Speaker and all the others. You can find 13 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.359 the links on our Being Frank Facebook page, and and please think about becoming 14 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:12.680 a subscriber and leaving us a comment. As I mentioned, we have our 15 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:18.319 own Facebook page Being Frank. It's public, so check it out and follow 16 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:22.920 the page. More information about the podcast. We bring our audience a new 17 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:27.640 topical program every week, beginning late on Thursdays, let's say Friday's for sure. 18 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:33.519 Listen at your convenience. In every program is archives, so you can 19 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:38.519 listen to any Being Frank virtually any time that you want. It's certainly the 20 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:42.719 intelligent thing to do. Tonight, we're taping on the When is it it's 21 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:48.239 the twenty ninth, Yeah, I think it's the twenty ninth March. I 22 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:52.560 always catch up eventually. Well, due to a family emergency, our original 23 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:57.000 guest, mister Paul Adler, was forced to cancel his appearance. We send 24 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.799 our concerns and best wishes to Paul and his family. Don't worry, He'll 25 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:05.280 be rescheduled when the opportunity comes through again. But thanks to the efforts of 26 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.319 two of my favorite people and some of the best baseball minds that I know, 27 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:15.159 we will be having some intelligent conversation on Being Frank about baseball. Of 28 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:20.319 course, today was opening day for all thirty Major League Baseball teams, the 29 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.960 first time that's happened since nineteen sixty eight, and radical new rules have been 30 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:30.960 put in place an attempt to make the game move faster, with more exciting 31 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:35.319 play. But will they work. We're going to talk about that this evening 32 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.319 or whatever. You're listening to us, I should say, join us now, 33 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:43.360 joining us now, excuse me. A filmmaker, philanthropist, and a 34 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.840 whole bunch of other things too much to read, and a man who counts 35 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:51.520 the days from the end of one baseball season to the beginning of another. 36 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:54.000 And it's finally here, Joe Allen. Joe has been a frequent guest, 37 00:02:54.000 --> 00:03:00.319 and we welcome him back in this capacity as a baseball aficionado. Let's call 38 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.680 him that at least, Hello, Joe, welcome back again. Thank you 39 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.360 very much. Frank. It's it's New Year's Day, and it's one hundred 40 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:13.680 and fifty days since uh, since baseball ended. Ye maybe one or two 41 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:19.800 more than that. And we're back into the freedom zone again us. No, 42 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:23.080 we're not. We don't have to rely on if we don't want to 43 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:30.439 hockey, basketball, football, or or anything else. We have baseball back. 44 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:31.599 Now, you have the game, and we're going to talk about that. 45 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:37.159 Joining us, Joining Joe and myself and Neil and you guys who are 46 00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:40.080 listening. Remember I remember not to say viewers. We're not viewing anymore. 47 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:44.560 We're listening. It only took me a year, a month or two to 48 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:47.919 get that right. But anyway, we're there, and we have sports producer 49 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:53.360 again. And this is a very truncated version of these guys, very accomplished 50 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:59.560 men. He's a sports producer at CBS CBS and the creator and host of 51 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:04.199 The Blow Metstra Damas and John Coppinger. John, welcome once again, always 52 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:09.120 a pleasure. Thank you, thank you for having me into all that are 53 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:14.680 listening to uh and to you guys, to to John and Neil, thank 54 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.160 you very much. And happy Opening Day to all of you. To those 55 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:21.120 who celebrate, yes, and there are people who do celebrate. And I 56 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:26.000 remember, and I'm probably still get in trouble and my mother's ninety nine and 57 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:30.800 might be listening. But one day that we got to play hooky from school 58 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:35.279 and kind of got excused was for Opening Day. For me, in particular, 59 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:39.319 as a Yankee fan, I went to Yankee Stadium. I know you 60 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:43.959 guys are generally Mets fans, although New York fans, but certainly preferably the 61 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:47.879 Mets. But my experience with the Yankees was on Opening Day to kind of 62 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:54.720 disappear from school and sit in the bleachers and watch and watch Opening Day today 63 00:04:54.920 --> 00:05:00.120 a unique experience with all thirty thirty teams playing on the same day. As 64 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:03.720 you mentioned, it been five decades since then, nineteen sixty eight. What 65 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:09.199 are your feelings on that it's Is it worth mentioning, commemorating at all, 66 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:13.519 Joe, you want to Yeah, I do think it's worth mentioning. I 67 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:17.160 think it's an important, a big thing that along with a balanced schedule that 68 00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:25.439 is out there now. But I remember just Opening Day has been a miracle 69 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:29.319 to me. After going through the winter. When I was thirteen years old, 70 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.920 they put a Major League baseball stadium in my neighborhood in Queens, and 71 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:40.439 I suddenly had what I never thought I would have before, and that my 72 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:44.920 friends in the Bronx, my friends in Upper Manhattan seemed to have that was 73 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:47.160 a baseball stadium. And not only that, I could see it from my 74 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:51.160 house and my parents would allow me to take my bike there. I went 75 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:57.480 to sche Stadium the day before it opened in nineteen sixty four, and I 76 00:05:57.560 --> 00:06:00.920 just stood outside and I had aeen year old version of a holy you know 77 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.279 what moment? And I must have said that twenty times and I looked at 78 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:10.120 the several Zipper sign out in the outfield, and I watched the trains go 79 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:13.800 by, and it never, it never, it never went away. And 80 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.319 in all this time, I'm a little older than that, and there's no 81 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:21.439 more sche Stadium. But uh, it's been. It's a wonderful and miraculous 82 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:27.160 thing. John. You're you're a Queen's boy as well, and people can't 83 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:30.839 see you, but I can as we heard this to tape. You're wearing 84 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:34.160 your Mets jersey and Mets Mets hat. What does it mean to you to 85 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:40.759 have the the uh the the professional baseball team in your home borough. It's 86 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:43.680 well, first off, I can't believe that you could have had anybody on 87 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:46.959 your show, and you found somebody that actually lived closer to schae Stadium than 88 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:49.680 me or which is amazing. Uh, you know, I grew up on 89 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:57.040 I grew up on Roosevelt Avenue between eighty second and eighty third. So I've 90 00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:00.360 since moved to another neighborhood in Queens, but I'm still within walking to instance 91 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:06.839 of the area over there before Shay Stadium and now City Field. Opening day 92 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:14.480 through today is a holiday. You know, everybody, everybody zero and zero 93 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:17.120 and everybody notices you in your jersey and your hat and else give you a 94 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:21.240 let's go mets, or they'll they'll give you a happy Opening Day. I 95 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:25.639 heard you share stories about Opening Day, and I want to share two quick 96 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:29.160 ones with you if I can. When I was in fourth grade, it 97 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:34.160 was nineteen eighty and uh, you know, my mother would always be sure 98 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:39.720 to write notes for me if I had to skip half a day of school, 99 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:42.360 like I would go in the morning, I'd come home for lunch. 100 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:44.600 I lived the block away from school, and then I would go back for 101 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:47.319 the end of my day. And there were a few times where I didn't 102 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:49.639 go back for the end of my day, but my mom would always bail 103 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:54.160 me out with a note, please excuse my son he his stomach hurt, 104 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:58.000 or if it wasn't that he had a cold, and it went back and 105 00:07:58.040 --> 00:08:03.839 forth, back and forth. So nineteen eighty Opening Day, I was my 106 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:07.879 father had taken me to Opening Day, so I didn't go back for the 107 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.240 second half of school, and I came back. And then so the next 108 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:13.920 day I went to school and I got the note from my mom, the 109 00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:18.720 bailout note. I didn't even read it, thinking okay, what's it gonna 110 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:22.639 be, Uh, you know, stomach flu or flu flu. And right 111 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:26.160 before I handed the note in to Miss Lick, who was the strictest and 112 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:31.720 meanest teacher in the in the whole school, and of PS eighty nine, 113 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:33.639 I looked at it and I said, I wonder what. I wonder what 114 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.799 mom said? So I read the note and it said, dear Miss Lick, 115 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:41.919 please excuse my son for not going to the not attending the second half 116 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:48.200 of school. Uh he was at opening day. So and then she signed 117 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:50.759 it, and then she said PS. The Mets one five to two. 118 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.879 So now I am nervous as anything when I got to go up and hand 119 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:58.799 the teacher this note that says I skipped school to go see a baseball game. 120 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.200 So I handed to her. I walk away, hoping she doesn't say 121 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:05.960 anything, and but then I got the I got the wait a minute, 122 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.000 and I stopped, and she said to me, in front of the whole 123 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:15.679 class, do you mean to tell me that you skipped school to go to 124 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:18.039 a Mets game? And I said to I said to her, I said 125 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:22.919 yes, but it was opening day and she said in front of the class, 126 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:28.120 well, as long as the Mets one. So that was. That 127 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.919 was story number one, and story number two was three years later, was 128 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:37.360 Tom Sever's return to uh to Shay Stadium when he returned to the Mets. 129 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:39.159 So my and I was at a different school, but my mom still gave 130 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:43.720 me the bailout note my son had to go to the dentist. So I 131 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:46.960 snuck off and I and I went to see Tom Sever come back. And 132 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:50.399 it was still one of the seminal moments opening day moments. As far as 133 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:52.200 opening day moments go, that that's right up there for me. So those 134 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:56.200 are my two quick opening day Opening Day stories. You know, guys, 135 00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:01.679 you both big sports fans. John, as a profes producer of sports, 136 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:05.039 you know you have to give kind of equal time to football, baseball, 137 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:09.679 Hockey, etc. Etc. Joe, I know you are also a sports 138 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:15.279 fan, in particular New York sports fan Nick's Rangers, Giants, Jets, 139 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:20.799 etc. But baseball seems to shine rightist for both of you. Joe, 140 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:26.960 why don't you take it first? Why why baseball over all others? Because 141 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:31.600 you get to do something in baseball that you don't get to do in the 142 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:35.919 other sports, and that is whatever your team is, you get to walk 143 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:45.039 through that tunnel and walk out and be exposed to that incredible green and that 144 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:50.200 luscious dirt that's that's that's around the infield, and you get to see all 145 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:54.679 the other people, and you get to see the signs, and you see 146 00:10:54.759 --> 00:11:01.240 who who's who's advertising, and even though it might be cold on opening day, 147 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:05.399 you've gotten that feeling of walking out there. I've always debated what's better 148 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:09.120 to walk out in the in the in the when it's dark or walk out 149 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:11.840 there when it's when it's daylight. But there's no other feeling like that. 150 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.919 And I've I've I've covered sports. I've covered all sports. I was a 151 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:20.159 radio reporter in a in an earlier life, so I've covered covered all the 152 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:28.000 sports. There's just no feeling like walking out in a in a baseball stadium. 153 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.320 And I grew up and I had we were kind of all screwed up 154 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:35.159 because my father took my brother and I to see a Yankee game. They're 155 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:41.320 playing, They're playing at the Tigers and um Al kay Line made an incredible 156 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:46.240 catch in the alfield, as he did of the league every time he played 157 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.559 the Yankees. And from that moment on, I might have been eight, 158 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:54.519 my brother five, but from that moment on he was al Kay Line and 159 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:58.440 I was Mickey Mantle in every game of single double triple we ever had, 160 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:03.879 in every stickball game we ever had, and we were both on opposite sides. 161 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:07.759 And then when the Mets, when Shay was what came in, we 162 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:11.639 both kind of dropped that allegiance a little bit and now we were we were 163 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:18.639 met fans, and we had everything from to Chu Coleman and Jay Hook winning 164 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:22.399 the first game ever and and it was it was an incredible run to have 165 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:28.240 Shay and then and then working for both teams in later years. Um, 166 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:33.759 it's been amazing. But there's just nothing like walking out into a baseball stadium. 167 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:37.279 John, your feelings again, as is said, you cook covering all 168 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:43.879 sports with equal enthusiasm. But but I get the feeling that that baseball's the 169 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.600 special one for you. Why I think baseball will always be the special one. 170 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:50.159 I mean, I'm a big New York Rangers fan as well as a 171 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:52.879 Mets fan, so I love I love my hockey in the winter, I 172 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:58.240 love the Stanley Cup playoffs. But I think what endears me to baseball it's 173 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:03.559 just that it's when it's in season, it's every day you know where you're 174 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:07.519 gonna be at seven ten every night, you're gonna be in front of your 175 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.519 TV watching your team play. And it's just the and and I think and 176 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:16.399 it's funny because fans of sports now and fair were fans of anything now. 177 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:22.320 Um, they're not really into the routine of anything now. Somebody put it 178 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:28.639 great, Um the the other day said, you can't binge watch a season. 179 00:13:30.759 --> 00:13:33.240 You can't just go in and pop, Oh, okay, I'm gonna 180 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:35.840 see how this. I'm gonna I'm gonna get this season done in three days. 181 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.559 No it. You gotta let a season breathe over one hundred and sixty 182 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:45.759 two games and the postseason. It's just it's a six month odyssey where you're 183 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:50.279 in there every day and it's an ever evolving animal and there's not really that 184 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:54.240 downtime to worry about what did this guy say at practice? Uh? What 185 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.279 did what did this guy do on his off day? What did he post 186 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:01.879 on his instagram? You know, there's nothing really like that for baseball a 187 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.279 little bit. But it's just the everyday enjoyment of it. And it's just 188 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:11.240 the comfort of it that every night, except for the very rare off day, 189 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:15.639 every night you're going to see your team play at seven ten or one 190 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:18.840 forty or one ten. It's always there for you. And that well, 191 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:24.720 that's what makes summer special, is that baseball is always there for you. 192 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:28.360 You know what strikes me now, Frank, I think of I think of 193 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:35.200 my dad, uh and and long gone, and he passed away before the 194 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:45.960 media explosion of the last thirty years, and I remember he bringing home the 195 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:52.440 New York Post or the Long Island Press or some other paper, the daily 196 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:58.360 News, and me pouring over those box scores because that was the only way 197 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:03.720 that I could I could, I could get it. And god forbid when 198 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:05.600 when my team, when the Yankees or the Mets went out to the West 199 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:09.480 Coast, and then I couldn't get it, couldn't get it for for two 200 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:15.159 days. Now, the immediacy of it, I'm sure, I'm sure my 201 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:20.320 dad would be envious as all heck of of the way that people can access 202 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:24.960 the sport now. I mean, there's there's just nothing that goes by. 203 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:28.279 And it's at the point where where if my team doesn't win, I don't 204 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:31.639 even bother watching the post game. If they win, I watch it because 205 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:33.399 I want to hear the interviews, and I want to hear the manager. 206 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:39.720 But there's just there's just something nothing like being able to open up that paper 207 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:46.600 and going about fifteen pages in after Jerry Donano made his predictions, and after 208 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:50.360 after going through the whole thing, and now I've got the I've got the 209 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.399 box score, and what did Kubec do? And how did Richardson do? 210 00:15:54.919 --> 00:15:58.879 And and and whatnot? And and when? And sixty nine what did clenden 211 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.000 And do when I became a Clendenin devote when he came to the nets. 212 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:07.279 It just it just was incredible. You know what people will never know the 213 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:14.039 stress of waiting of those West Coast road trips and waiting for the late edition 214 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:17.840 of a newspaper. You're right, right, yes, And you know and 215 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:21.679 as kids, little things that you think of in your head. And when 216 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:25.039 I was young, I used to think like, well, I don't understand 217 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:29.120 if somebody went, for example, got one hit in four at bats, 218 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:33.200 it's two fifty average. Okay, so a quarter of the time they're successful. 219 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:37.080 But I never understood, But he homered. Shouldn't that be worth extra 220 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:41.679 points? A home run's got to be worth at least two or three extra 221 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:45.039 average points? Now you kind of have that. You've got, you've got. 222 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:52.320 That's what slugging percentage and ops is eventually get into metrics, but that 223 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:56.399 was something as a kid, we never thought of such things as metrics. 224 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.960 And my father tried to explain, no, it's a matter of percentage. 225 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:03.519 It's that doesn't matter how far you hit it. So that always was something 226 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:07.200 that impressed me, how And they used to coaches used to tease us. 227 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:11.359 You'd hit a dribbler down the third base line and I was really quick and 228 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:14.799 I could leg it out for a base hit, and they said, tomorrow 229 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.279 you could tell everybody was a screaming line drive. They'll never know the difference 230 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:22.599 I hit as a hit as a hit. So that's kind of the little 231 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:26.160 nuances of the game that I always gotta kick at him. Guys. I 232 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:30.119 think before we go any further, too, we've got to talk about not 233 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:36.920 only the unusual fact that all teams played today for the first time in five 234 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:42.240 decades, the rule changes. Some of them are extreme, and in discussions 235 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:47.680 with my steps on Jeremiah, he's not too happy about most of them. 236 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:52.119 He doesn't necessarily think they'll improve the game, they'll just add more confusion, 237 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:56.200 which will add and I should say, detract from the overall game. Let's 238 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:00.279 go over some of the some of the more important rules, John, what 239 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:04.079 do you think there's a bunch of them. What are some of them that 240 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:10.920 stand out to you as the most I can't say egregious because they may work 241 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:14.960 out, but certainly something that definitely will change the pace of the game and 242 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:19.160 therefore the actual perhaps outcomes of the games. Well, I'll lead off by 243 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:25.480 saying this baseball needed to do something. You know, we've always said, 244 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:29.000 well, the game will self correct. That's what we've always said. When 245 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:32.839 there's been a change in the game, the game will self correct. And 246 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:36.119 when it hasn't self corrected, like nineteen sixty eight, the year of the 247 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:40.519 picture, that's when they had to do something drastic which was lower than mound 248 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:45.759 so that guys wouldn't have one the eras of one twelve. So I think 249 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:52.039 this was one of those times where the game wasn't self correcting. And I 250 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:56.599 don't mind spending four hours, four and a half hours in a baseball stadium, 251 00:18:56.680 --> 00:19:02.799 but the games have become boring. It be with the emphasis on the 252 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:06.880 three tour outcomes. It was like watching slow pitch softball, and it just 253 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:11.160 something had to be done. So as much as purists may want to say, 254 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:14.400 well, the pitch clock, you know, the baseball shouldn't have a 255 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:17.680 clock because no, because it was the only sport that didn't have a clock, 256 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:22.839 I would argue that the game needed needed a pitch clock. I think 257 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:29.480 fifteen seconds between pitches with nobody on base is going to drastically make the game, 258 00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:33.559 put the game on a better pace. I mean, how long was 259 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:37.279 The Godfather the movie? Would you say three thirty four hours? Yeah? 260 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:42.319 Right, so you know what a baseball game is. Now. If a 261 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:45.839 baseball game was like The Godfather, then you could sit there for four hours. 262 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:51.000 But you know what baseball games are when they're not The Godfather, They're 263 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:55.559 boring. So they had to do something. I think the pitch clock is 264 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:00.279 going to work. I think they may have to tweak some things with pitch 265 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.319 clock. With runners on base, make it a little make it a little 266 00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:07.440 more. Maybe give him five more seconds instead of twenty, make it twenty 267 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:12.200 five. Uh. And the one thing I think will make it confusing is 268 00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:17.079 the disengagement. You can only throw over twice. Um, you can only 269 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:19.279 call time out once. As a batter you only and you only have two 270 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:23.279 step offs as a pitcher. I think it's gonna be confusing for a lot 271 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.079 of the people involved. But I also think, you know, when we're 272 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:30.440 watching the games today, there was a lot of strategy involved. After Max 273 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:33.640 Scherzer through t twice to try to pick off Jean Sagura, then it was 274 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:37.160 then you're wondering, Okay, is he gonna steal? And then and then 275 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.880 if somebody gets off to a big lead and you throw that third pickoff and 276 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:44.279 you hope to get him because you could throw a third pickoff, but you 277 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:48.759 gotta get him, right, Yeah. So I think there's gonna be some 278 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:52.519 strategy that we haven't seen before, and I think it's gonna be compacted into 279 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:59.319 a shorter period of time, so it's gonna make the game move with more 280 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:03.160 pace. The Mets, I think we're two two hours fifty minutes today the 281 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:07.079 Yankees were two thirty, and the game is gonna move. There's gonna be 282 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:11.200 more action, there's gonna be singles, there's gonna be steals, there's gonna 283 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:15.359 be a variety of things happening in a baseball game. And the long term 284 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:18.559 effect is that you're gonna have a variety of skill sets that are gonna be 285 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:25.440 looked at in baseball players. Right now, they're only drafting for a generation. 286 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:27.880 Baseball teams have drafted only a certain type of player, the big, 287 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:33.160 hairy guys that can hit the ball five thousand miles. Now its speed having 288 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:37.599 more of a making more of a difference in the game. With larger bases, 289 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:41.519 maybe a guy like one per or maybe a guy like Maury Wills will 290 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:45.400 be looked at again in terms of kids coming up playing baseball. So you're 291 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:49.000 gonna have a great variety of people that are gonna be that are gonna be 292 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:52.319 looked at to play this game. And I don't think that's a bad thing. 293 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:56.880 So overall positive you give it overall so far? Yeah, absolutely, 294 00:21:56.920 --> 00:22:00.960 I think there's gonna be some bumps in the road, for sure. Jeff 295 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:03.279 McNeill had a strike called on him today because Pete Alonso didn't get back the 296 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:07.680 first base fast enough, which is as a base runner, which was interesting 297 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:11.440 and I think was a misapplication of the rules. But as long as umpires 298 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:17.240 institute some common sense, which I'm not confident in it at all, because 299 00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:22.079 I don't think umpires have common sense I think it'll be okay, Joe. 300 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:26.559 Yeah. I love the rule changes, and I love it for a variety 301 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:30.000 of reasons. For one, I love the fact that the Yankees were two 302 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:34.960 hours and thirty three minutes today. I love that. I just remember watching 303 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:41.039 the Yankees and Red Sox seemingly all the time, and it was four hours. 304 00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:45.359 The problem with that is, I believe we were losing a generation of 305 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:52.079 baseball fans. Kids were not really I mean, kids are losing their affinity 306 00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:57.799 for baseball. They're finding it so much easier to access basketball, and so 307 00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:06.160 much easier to to to access even football. Baseball has been really, really 308 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:10.319 tough on a on a whole generation, and if we didn't do anything to 309 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:14.319 speed it up and to move it quickly, it would have been a problem. 310 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:18.599 How in the world can you sit down with your seven year old and 311 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:22.000 watch an important game that you know, darn well is going to be over 312 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:26.519 at eleven thirty if you're watching a Fox game, it's you can't do it. 313 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:29.720 You've got to be able to give them a break. And secondly, 314 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:33.480 we're in a we're in an age. We're in in a communication era right 315 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:40.880 now where quickness where speed where one minute TikTok's we're short videos that go on 316 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:45.799 Facebook. That's the way people are accessing it. It is not it's not 317 00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:49.960 that James Earl Jones description of baseball sitting out there in your shirt sleeves on 318 00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:55.680 a on a warm summer day. It's not that way anymore. It's got 319 00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:00.160 to move and we've got to be able to compete. Um I work. 320 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.319 I work at the Boulders. I'm in charge of all the nonprofit activity at 321 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:07.400 the Boulders. If you can explain to people's job, because the Boulders, 322 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:12.920 the Boulders are an independent minor league team in Pomona, New York, and 323 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.319 they've been around for twelve years and I work. I work for them. 324 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.519 And it's the same problem on the minor league level even more because on the 325 00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:26.119 minor league level, they don't know the players. Right If I know, 326 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:32.839 if I know that that Aaron Judge or is batting forth in an inning, 327 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:37.359 I don't mind sitting there and waiting to see if somebody gets on so Judge 328 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:41.079 can get on if I don't. If you don't know the players an independent 329 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:44.839 minor league baseball, then you don't even have that. So you have to 330 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:49.079 be able to move it along. I love I love the the bigger bases. 331 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:55.400 I love being able to figure out how much more speed matters, and 332 00:24:55.519 --> 00:25:02.759 I love getting making having for infielder on the dirt and two on each side. 333 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:07.079 We're just going to say that to me is probably my favorite rule change 334 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:11.559 is to prevent those radical shifts. You want to shade somebody one way or 335 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:15.440 the other. Absolutely, that was always part of the game, These radical 336 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:18.480 shifts of putting the entire team virtually on one side of the field or the 337 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:23.440 other was you know, just consider this, Frank, consider watching a baseball 338 00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:29.640 game and what that takes to watch it, and then consider what it's like 339 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:36.599 watch a basketball game at the garden or in Barclay's and it's pounding, the 340 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:40.960 music is pounding, this action all the time, there's things going back and 341 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:45.839 forth. How does baseball compete with that with a generation that's growing up with 342 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:51.480 that kind of speed and short and short bytes of life. You know, 343 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:53.680 So something had to be done, and I'm glad they did it. Let's 344 00:25:53.799 --> 00:25:57.960 let's talk a little bit and we mentioned some of the great players in the 345 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:02.920 game today, and that has already been mentioned in the American League. Most 346 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:07.240 valuable player and the record setting a home run king in the American League. 347 00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:12.160 Aaron Judge certainly a superstar, an all tools player for a big guy. 348 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:15.839 He can run, he can hit for average, he can throw, he 349 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:19.359 hits with power. Obviously, who in your mind that John will start with 350 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:23.920 you? Who are some of the great players in the game today? Well, 351 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:30.000 I think yeah, I think you have to start. The conversation begins 352 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.039 and ends with Shoheotani. He's doing things in baseball that no one's done before, 353 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:38.160 not in the same season. I mean, he's he's Babe Ruth. 354 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:45.559 He's Babe Ruth early and late in his career at the same time. And 355 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:49.200 he's doing it on an international stage at the World Baseball Classic. He's performing 356 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:56.000 both both tests pitching and hitting at a high level, something that nobody thought 357 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:02.519 was possible in terms of not having enough hours in a day to prepare as 358 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:07.240 a pitcher and a hitter. And what he's doing is just absolutely incredible. 359 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:15.240 And I don't think it's talked about enough. Is do you think the fact 360 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:18.039 that he plays for a West Coast team and there right now the Angels aren't 361 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:25.079 really contenders, does that hurt him? Because he's really not a household name. 362 00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:29.920 I think outside of people who are real hardcore fans. You mentioned his 363 00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:33.079 name and it's it's obviously Japanese, it's quote unquote foreign to US, etc. 364 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:37.319 Does he really get the credit he should be getting. I think he's 365 00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:44.640 starting to now with his World Baseball Classic performance striking out his team Trout to 366 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:47.799 to end the World Baseball Classic, for sure, and definitely if he had 367 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:51.039 played for the Dodgers, which I think he will do next year, I 368 00:27:51.079 --> 00:27:55.480 think that will help him. I think him making a seismic move from LA 369 00:27:55.480 --> 00:28:00.880 Team to LA Team is going to brighten his star even more because then you 370 00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:04.599 know he'll he'll be in the postseason and he'll he'll be on the grandest stage 371 00:28:04.759 --> 00:28:08.720 in America like he was in the world. At the World Baseball Class. 372 00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:14.799 He gave us a moment that last at bat against Trout. I mean that 373 00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:21.759 was a moment of drama that was as good. I mean that that's up 374 00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:25.759 there with lots of other dramatic moments that I've I've seen. And this was 375 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:29.519 an in an exhibition. It was in it was it didn't even it didn't 376 00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:33.359 it didn't it counted for the World Baseball Classic. But it didn't didn't count. 377 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:36.960 It wasn't it wasn't the World Series. It wasn't. It wasn't for 378 00:28:37.160 --> 00:28:40.960 all the marbles. It was for no marbles or none that I that I 379 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.039 discerned. But it was still about as dramatic a moment as you're going to 380 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:47.960 see. And if you listen to these players, if you listen to these 381 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:49.920 players, the World Baseball Classic does have a lot of marbles for them. 382 00:28:49.960 --> 00:28:56.039 This is the first generation of players that grew up with international play in baseball. 383 00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:00.000 We hadn't had a real international play before and a ball so this is 384 00:29:00.200 --> 00:29:04.319 this meant something to the players, and it meant something to a lot of 385 00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:08.559 fans around the world. And I think even you know, the who it 386 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:12.880 meant to the least was probably American baseball fans. And that's but I think 387 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:18.640 general generationally, I think that's slowly changing as well. So it's so interesting 388 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:22.519 that you bring that up because very practical. I was actually traveling in Europe 389 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:26.799 while the Baseball Classic was going on. I think we were in Italy and 390 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:30.599 I was with my stepson Jeremiah, and the news came out about the great 391 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:34.200 met reliever Edwin Diaz, who suffered a season ending knee injury, and he 392 00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:41.799 was livid, absolutely livid that a frontline player, especially a met who the 393 00:29:41.799 --> 00:29:45.920 team that he happens to root for, would be quote unquote wasted on something 394 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:51.400 that no one cares about. That it seems to be that the owners of 395 00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:56.359 forcing the players to play. He had a very different perspective, and I 396 00:29:56.599 --> 00:29:59.640 dare say, as you was saying, an American perspective, where like, 397 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:03.720 we have our own teams, why do we need to sacrifice our own guys 398 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:10.599 for games that are essentially meaningless to us? You know, it's your thoughts 399 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:12.440 on that, Joe, take Frank. It's like, it's like what happens 400 00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:19.920 or what had happened a number of years ago when when the hockey guys went 401 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:25.920 to the Olympics as in the middle of their season to someplace where they could 402 00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:32.440 get hurt and and and it would be ruined. And they're doing that for 403 00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:37.640 for something that's not professional hockey. And you had that, You also had 404 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:41.640 that with the Dream Team, and and and you know, but the fact 405 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:47.680 is international sports are getting huge. If you don't believe that, ask the 406 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:52.920 NFL why why they're going to London, or ask MLB why why they're traveling 407 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:59.039 in places all over the world. They're exporting this sport now, and what 408 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:04.279 they're finding besides people who never really had access to the sport, they're also 409 00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:10.440 finding people who had who were under served by the sport, like in in 410 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:15.440 countries. And I mean, the Dominican have given has given us so many 411 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:19.279 great players, but there wasn't really an opportunity for them to shine as a 412 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:25.480 as a cohesive unit. Now they can. Now, Cuba can, now, 413 00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:30.319 now Mexico can. So I think I think, I think it's if 414 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:34.920 we're trying to make it an international game and all in pro sports, in 415 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:38.640 every sport, you gotta do this, you gotta do And I'll take it 416 00:31:38.680 --> 00:31:44.400 a step further. How about how about countries like like the aforementioned Italy, 417 00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:48.519 how about Great Britain. How about the check the Czech rep Israel who had 418 00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:52.480 a big run in the last tournament, the Czech Republic? Who was You 419 00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:57.200 know those guys that were playing, they're like dentists and uh and factory workers 420 00:31:57.200 --> 00:32:01.079 in their normal lives and they're playing bass ball in there and they didn't play 421 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:07.279 too bad. I went to um a World Baseball Classic qualifier when it was 422 00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:12.759 in Brooklyn where the Cyclones played, and I saw Brazil play Pakistan and it 423 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:16.599 was just the most interesting thing because you know, because Pakistan, yeah exactly. 424 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:25.000 You wouldn't think the Pakistani and watching them try to adapt to this sport 425 00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:30.720 was so interesting because they could play the game. They didn't have any players 426 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:35.880 that had any plus skills, but you look at some of their little habits 427 00:32:35.880 --> 00:32:37.279 that they have, like when they would take the field for an inning after 428 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:43.319 they batted, they didn't just take the field like like regular ballplayers. They 429 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:46.359 would all line up on the third base saline and then when they all got 430 00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:50.480 there, they all then they ran onto the field to start warming up for 431 00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:52.720 that half inning. It was just it was amazing to see. But this 432 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:58.000 is how baseball grows. This is how this is how you get more people, 433 00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:02.039 more of a poll of players to h to play your game. It's 434 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:07.039 just what I what I went back to what I mentioned before about having different 435 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:09.400 skill sets. You open it up to a bigger pool of people to play 436 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:14.359 the game and to enjoy the game. And I think that's what this World 437 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:17.359 Baseball Classic does. In uh, you know, the Great Britain went crazy 438 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:22.519 when they won those two games in the in the WBC. Israel went crazy 439 00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:25.640 in twenty seventeen. And there's gonna be more countries that are gonna be it's 440 00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:31.079 gonna make such a huge difference. And you'll see generally, generationally they'll be 441 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:37.119 they'll be players in the major leagues from Great Britain and Pakistan and you'll you'll 442 00:33:37.160 --> 00:33:42.400 say, you watch and then and that's when baseball truly grows. It was, 443 00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:45.599 it was great, It was great. I was in Israel number of 444 00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:51.920 years ago, and Israel has great basketball teams, great basketball leagues. They've 445 00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:57.160 got great soccer leagues. They got tremendous tennis players, they're great gymnasts and 446 00:33:57.240 --> 00:34:04.920 throughout the entire the whole country. There's one one park outside of Tel Aviv 447 00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:12.000 that's a baseball park. And after after watching soccer guys for the two weeks 448 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:16.519 I was there, to be able to see baseball being born. It was 449 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:22.239 was amazing, very much like you said, to watch the different the different 450 00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:25.880 cultures begin to adapt to it and to see it become a new thing and 451 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:30.119 a new accepted thing. And I know that there's some kid now who's following 452 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:38.159 MLB from his his his his room in Hurtzelia outside of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, 453 00:34:38.519 --> 00:34:43.760 and and it never was like that before. You both mentioned, you 454 00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:46.480 know, it's a new generation, new generation of players. It's a new 455 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:52.559 game, if you will, um, So, is it fair to compare 456 00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:57.360 today's players to some of the past. I mean we've talked about and you 457 00:34:57.440 --> 00:35:01.320 mentioned al Ka Line, a great player from the fifties and sixties and into 458 00:35:01.320 --> 00:35:07.199 the seventies, Mickey Mantle legendary player, etc. Is it fair to make 459 00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:13.840 comparisons between today's players and those players? Is the game the same? Is 460 00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:16.960 it played the same way? Is it fair to say on an athletic level 461 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:21.519 they could be equal? What are some of your thoughts? Is it fair 462 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:25.199 to compare great players from different eras? And can we even do so? 463 00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:30.880 John? Why don't you take that first? I think it's fair because baseball, 464 00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:34.599 for the most part, is universal. But I will say this because 465 00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:38.320 I've had this thought the last few weeks, because I remember years ago, 466 00:35:39.239 --> 00:35:43.199 or maybe months ago, I was having an argument with somebody about Babe Ruth. 467 00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:46.079 If you put Babe Ruth in today's game, how would he do? 468 00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:51.960 Now? It's an interesting question because I think if you took Babe Ruth from 469 00:35:52.119 --> 00:35:59.320 nineteen twenty seven with his nineteen twenty seven training and nineteen twenty seven diet. 470 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:04.880 Uh, and you dropped him in the major leagues today. I think I 471 00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:09.400 think he'd struggled to hit two hundred. If you take Babe Ruth and you 472 00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:14.079 say, Okay, Babe, you're gonna be born in nineteen ninety nine, 473 00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:17.840 and you're gonna be Babe Ruth, but you're gonna have access to all the 474 00:36:17.880 --> 00:36:24.480 best training and nutrition and load management, then how would he do? Then? 475 00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:27.719 I think he would be Babe Ruth for sure. And I think you 476 00:36:27.719 --> 00:36:31.519 could say that about anybody. I think, for for for the great players, 477 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:36.280 if you could play it today, you could play in nineteen fifty, 478 00:36:36.440 --> 00:36:39.280 And if you could play in nineteen fifty and you had today's training, you 479 00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:44.079 would be you would be what you were then. Baseball's universal. That's the 480 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:49.639 way I see it. You know, I'm not I'm not sure I'm all 481 00:36:49.639 --> 00:36:52.719 the way there with that because I think of Babe Ruth, and I wonder 482 00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:58.559 Babe Ruth never saw one hundred and two mile an hour fastball, and I 483 00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:01.440 don't know how he would how he would do with that, And he probably 484 00:37:01.519 --> 00:37:07.840 never saw a pitcher that had four or five pitches, maybe he maybe one 485 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:13.320 or maybe he did pretty right right. But there there, the game is 486 00:37:14.199 --> 00:37:20.320 really really different. It's like saying, does the greatest does the well great 487 00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:24.599 catchers have as much of a pop time as the great catchers. Now you 488 00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:29.719 know, the guys are going to steal bases on you because someone someone like 489 00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:35.119 Smokey Burgess, uh catcher for the Pirates back in the day, he could 490 00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:37.880 barely get up, you know, and and and before he moved to the 491 00:37:37.880 --> 00:37:42.599 outfield. Same thing with Yoie Berrick barely get up. Now you've got these 492 00:37:42.599 --> 00:37:45.519 guys that are that are up and if you can't get down and you can't 493 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:49.400 get the ball out in one point five seconds, then you know, you're 494 00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:53.719 that's like that's like blowing the combine in football, you know you. So 495 00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:59.679 it's very hard to compare one era from the to the next. In mind 496 00:38:00.199 --> 00:38:04.079 another thing that it may sound tripe, but it's really not. And as 497 00:38:04.119 --> 00:38:07.679 a former player, even the equipment though, some of the equipment that the 498 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:13.000 older players played with, and I'll give you an example. As a kid, 499 00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:19.079 we were playing football, we were assigned our cleats and I just thought 500 00:38:19.079 --> 00:38:23.239 they were they were these high, top heavy leather full cleats. It was 501 00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:28.639 like trying to run in galoshes and boots. At least that's the way I 502 00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:32.360 felt. And then as things improved, Puma came out Nike, which was 503 00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:36.639 a brand new name. When I started to get it later into high school 504 00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:40.159 and college, and you wore those, I felt like I could fly in 505 00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:44.480 them. In the difference, and coach used to say, oh, that's 506 00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:47.360 an excuse. You could run and you could run in an army boots if 507 00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:51.639 you had to, No, you can't. Not the same way with a 508 00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:55.960 pair of kangaroo leather Pumas with nylon bottoms. It was a huge difference, 509 00:38:57.199 --> 00:39:00.000 and it made a difference to me. So well, guess what I'm trying 510 00:39:00.039 --> 00:39:04.039 to say is that things do tend to balance out. As you mentioned, 511 00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:08.840 improved training and improved equipment, etc. Raises your game overall. But as 512 00:39:08.840 --> 00:39:13.960 a level as an athlete, these great athletes would always be you know, 513 00:39:14.039 --> 00:39:20.360 we're we're doing something at the Boulders this year to celebrate and pay and pay 514 00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:25.400 homage to the Negro leagues. And back in the day, the uniforms that 515 00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:31.039 these guys war it was like my grandmother could have knitted that. As a 516 00:39:31.159 --> 00:39:37.119 as a sweater. It was ridiculously hot. You could not you could barely 517 00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:40.960 move in it. And you're playing you're playing ball, and there's no no 518 00:39:42.559 --> 00:39:45.559 in dad stadiums, and there's nowhere to hide from the sun. So how 519 00:39:45.599 --> 00:39:50.960 in the world can you compare that to what to the uniforms that there that 520 00:39:50.960 --> 00:39:55.480 that that people are wearing today, let alone all the other protective gear that 521 00:39:55.519 --> 00:40:00.119 you have in addition to that. Spandex was a revelation to me, Oh 522 00:40:00.199 --> 00:40:02.400 my god, it's stretches. You could wear as tight as you want. 523 00:40:02.440 --> 00:40:07.440 Stretches. We're not You're not going to do the cotton uniforms like George Costanza 524 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:13.239 when I was a kid. This is the honest truth. To get into 525 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:16.119 our cotton football pants, and you wanted them tight as possible. You had 526 00:40:16.119 --> 00:40:21.599 two of your biggest guys each hole the side of the pants lower. You 527 00:40:21.639 --> 00:40:25.599 stood on the bench and you jumped into your football pants so they would slide 528 00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:29.679 on, because that was the only way you were going to get into them. 529 00:40:29.960 --> 00:40:32.280 The difference now to putting on these things and they stretch and they whisk, 530 00:40:32.800 --> 00:40:37.880 they whisk sweat away so they stay light weight and airy through the whole 531 00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:39.360 game. We used to wear cotton. If we played in the rain, 532 00:40:39.719 --> 00:40:44.159 you had an extra forty pounds worth of gear on by the end of the 533 00:40:44.199 --> 00:40:46.400 game. So it made it made a big want to. I want to 534 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:52.119 bring up one aspect of Babe Ruth that would really fit in today's world, 535 00:40:51.639 --> 00:40:55.719 where where the mantras let the kids play and let them have swag. I 536 00:40:55.800 --> 00:41:00.920 think Babe Ruth would have the most swag in today's game. With as gregarious 537 00:41:00.920 --> 00:41:05.760 as he was back in the twenties and and being in all the movies and 538 00:41:06.119 --> 00:41:10.000 just enjoying the spotlight, he would have adapted very well to uh, to 539 00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:13.760 the to the social media world today. He would have loved it. He'd 540 00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:17.519 have he'd have millions of followers, and based based on what we're we're all 541 00:41:17.559 --> 00:41:22.519 exposed to. Did Babe Ruth ever hit a double? Did you ever see 542 00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:27.639 Babe Ruth double anywhere? Babe Ruth. No. The only pictures I've ever 543 00:41:27.679 --> 00:41:30.719 seen of Babe Ruth he's either hitting a home run and he's got those little 544 00:41:30.960 --> 00:41:36.519 those little pop pop around legs, or he's running down at first. I 545 00:41:36.559 --> 00:41:43.679 can't imagine Babe Ruth making the turn and trying to take two interesting guys. 546 00:41:43.719 --> 00:41:45.559 Well, of course we've got to talk about predictions. But we've got to 547 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:50.760 take a quick commercial break. Uh, they're not long, so don't go 548 00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:54.599 anywhere. Joe Allen and John Coppinger my guests this evening, and we're talking 549 00:41:54.679 --> 00:41:59.519 baseball. Who was Opening Day today? We got a six month season ahead, 550 00:41:59.599 --> 00:42:02.559 and you don't have to be a big baseball fan to actually enjoy the 551 00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:07.360 game. There's something and there's something exciting about having two really good teams in 552 00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:10.559 New York at the same time. And I believe this year that will be 553 00:42:10.599 --> 00:42:14.840 the case. So let's have a little fun with it. You're watching Being 554 00:42:14.880 --> 00:42:16.360 Frank. We're the only way to be there. I said it again, 555 00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:21.519 you're listening. I thought you didn't have to get me that time. Meal. 556 00:42:21.559 --> 00:42:25.000 I see you're smiling there, caught myself. You're listening to Being Frank. 557 00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:28.960 We're the only way to be is Frank. I'm your host, Frank 558 00:42:29.039 --> 00:42:35.159 Lebarno. Be back more with John and Joe right after these brief commercial messages. 559 00:42:35.400 --> 00:42:38.360 Hudson Other Radio dot Com bring a dash of green into your life. 560 00:42:38.599 --> 00:42:44.320 Check out the Many Shades of Green with Maxine, Margot Reuben and Malcolm Berman. 561 00:42:44.719 --> 00:42:49.840 Get informed about environmental issues and current events that affect us. All pick 562 00:42:49.880 --> 00:42:53.280 a shade of green and raise your eco consciousness with the many shades of green 563 00:42:53.840 --> 00:43:00.679 available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 564 00:43:04.119 --> 00:43:08.039 Be sure to check out Hudson River Radio's limited series podcast Live from Electric 565 00:43:08.119 --> 00:43:14.360 Lady Studios, featuring bands like Foreigner, George Thurgood and the Destroyers, and 566 00:43:14.639 --> 00:43:19.960 Alice Cooper. Live from Electric Lady Studios was produced in the nineteen nineties by 567 00:43:20.039 --> 00:43:25.079 Electric Lady for WNWFM in New York City and was hosted by legendary DJ Pat 568 00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:30.280 Saint John. It featured a different band each time and was recorded live with 569 00:43:30.360 --> 00:43:36.159 a small in studio audience. Check out Live from Electric Lady Studios on Apple 570 00:43:36.199 --> 00:43:46.480 Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts Hudson River Radio 571 00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:52.679 dot com. Welcome back to Being Frank. We're the only way to be 572 00:43:52.159 --> 00:43:58.280 is Frank. It's the Intelligent Conversation podcast. I'm your host, Frank Lapona. 573 00:43:58.360 --> 00:44:04.280 We're talking baseball tonight with my two guests, filmmaker and philanthropist Joe Allen, 574 00:44:04.840 --> 00:44:09.920 CBS sports producer and creator of the blog Metstradamus, John Coppinger, guys 575 00:44:09.960 --> 00:44:15.400 are having so much fun so far talking baseballs said, it helps to be 576 00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:19.360 a fan, but you don't have to be. It's good conversation, it's 577 00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:23.039 intelligent conversation, and it's fun. We talked about some of the good players 578 00:44:23.039 --> 00:44:29.519 in the game. We mentioned three in particularly Osani, Judge and Mike Trout, 579 00:44:30.440 --> 00:44:32.199 just three of some of the great players. But now it's time to 580 00:44:32.199 --> 00:44:36.360 talk about some of the teams, some of the better teams in the league, 581 00:44:36.840 --> 00:44:40.599 and then ultimately who will win it all? Your predictions, Joe, 582 00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:44.239 let's start with you, if you would, who do you see as some 583 00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:47.199 of the better teams in the league that will fight for the pennant in both 584 00:44:47.239 --> 00:44:52.360 the American League and National League and win it all. I wish the Nets 585 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:57.800 and the Yankees didn't play in the East, because you know, it's one 586 00:44:57.840 --> 00:45:00.679 time where I wish we were in the Central. But I think they're gonna 587 00:45:00.719 --> 00:45:06.519 have both that will have dog fights, but I think they will emerge um 588 00:45:07.320 --> 00:45:10.840 u out of their divisions. I like I like Saint Louis, and I 589 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:15.519 like Cleveland, and you know, of course, I I hate even to 590 00:45:15.599 --> 00:45:21.719 say the word Astros, but I like them, and I think at the 591 00:45:21.800 --> 00:45:27.960 end of the day. Um, I'm gonna have to say that the Phillies 592 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:32.559 could repeat interesting. Yeah, I'm sorry not. Let me take that back, 593 00:45:32.559 --> 00:45:37.599 because I think the the Mets will come out of there. I think 594 00:45:37.880 --> 00:45:42.480 I think the Nets gonna win the World Series. So you're calling for your 595 00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:46.840 home team favorite. The Mets certainly arguably one of the best teams, great 596 00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:53.960 core lineup, fabulous pitching, question mark. Now with their closer being injured, 597 00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:58.360 as we mentioned in the World Baseball Class by the way, Verlanders injured 598 00:45:58.400 --> 00:46:00.880 too, so after doesn't make it any easier. But I think over the 599 00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:05.320 course of time, there'll be a dog fight down at the end. That's 600 00:46:05.440 --> 00:46:09.880 and and you know they've got to They've got to overcome Atlanta, they got 601 00:46:09.880 --> 00:46:14.960 to overcome Phillies. It's gonna be It's gonna be tough. John, you're 602 00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:17.400 up. What do you think I would agree? I think it's gonna be 603 00:46:17.400 --> 00:46:22.800 tough. Um the way I the way I envision it. Uh, And 604 00:46:22.920 --> 00:46:25.719 I try not to be biased in my predictions, but I do think the 605 00:46:25.760 --> 00:46:30.800 Phillies are gonna win the division because for the most part, I do think 606 00:46:30.800 --> 00:46:34.239 the Mets are going to be careful when it comes to this regular season. 607 00:46:34.280 --> 00:46:37.440 I think if they're gonna put a guy like Justin Verlander on the injured list 608 00:46:37.480 --> 00:46:40.480 to start the season, I think it proves that they're going to be really 609 00:46:40.519 --> 00:46:45.360 cautious with their older players and that they're going to try to get through the 610 00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:50.119 season in one piece, and they're gonna I think what they learned from last 611 00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:54.119 year is that you can peak too soon and listen. The Braves went on 612 00:46:54.199 --> 00:47:00.199 an incredible run to win the division, and I don't think there was much 613 00:47:00.239 --> 00:47:02.039 the Mets could have done differently, except maybe, you know, not get 614 00:47:02.079 --> 00:47:06.599 swept by the Cubs but in September, but listen that that kind of stuff 615 00:47:06.639 --> 00:47:08.599 happens. I do think they were a little bit tired at the end. 616 00:47:08.920 --> 00:47:13.079 I think they'll adjust, and I think while they may not win the division, 617 00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:15.519 I do think they're capable on going of going on a run to the 618 00:47:15.559 --> 00:47:23.639 World Series. I don't know if anybody is gonna beat Houston. I do 619 00:47:23.719 --> 00:47:27.440 think they've got better than even odds of repeating, even though I look at 620 00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:30.760 my TV screen now and they're losing little white Sox huts. Still early, 621 00:47:30.159 --> 00:47:34.480 but I do like teams like Toronto. I think the Yankees will make the 622 00:47:34.480 --> 00:47:39.760 playoffs. I think Minnesota's gonna make the playoffs. I like Milwaukee out of 623 00:47:39.760 --> 00:47:45.800 the Central I like San Diego in the West, and with the Dodgers, 624 00:47:45.840 --> 00:47:50.360 you know, I think if there's gonna be one surprise, my surprise is 625 00:47:50.360 --> 00:47:52.320 that I think the Dodgers could miss the playoffs. And I only say that 626 00:47:52.360 --> 00:47:59.480 because they didn't really have too much of an off season in terms of acquisitions. 627 00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:01.480 I think there's saving everything to next year to try to get Otani, 628 00:48:02.280 --> 00:48:07.599 and I do think there's gonna be I think Arizona with their young core, 629 00:48:07.679 --> 00:48:10.920 could sneak up on them for this year only this year only, I think 630 00:48:10.440 --> 00:48:14.599 if so, I think if there's gonna be a big surprise, that's gonna 631 00:48:14.599 --> 00:48:16.920 be it. But I I like the Astros and the Mets in the World 632 00:48:16.920 --> 00:48:22.639 Series, and unfortunately, I think the Astros will probably have the advantage and 633 00:48:22.679 --> 00:48:24.320 win it again. But I in that respect, I hope I'm wrong. 634 00:48:25.119 --> 00:48:30.079 Yeah, I hope you're wrong too. Yeah. One last kind of a 635 00:48:30.159 --> 00:48:36.239 rhetorical question. Being a Yankee fan and you guys being Met fans, who 636 00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:38.519 owns New York? Is it? Is it the Yankees or the Mets? 637 00:48:38.719 --> 00:48:43.760 And I think it probably comes down to where you hail from. I said, 638 00:48:43.800 --> 00:48:45.559 you guys are Queen's boys. I was a fort ly boy, so 639 00:48:45.639 --> 00:48:52.039 I could literally r almost walk to Yankee Stadium almost. So who owns New 640 00:48:52.119 --> 00:48:54.000 York? I think the Yankees owned New York? And I'm a Yankee fan 641 00:48:54.039 --> 00:49:02.440 too, so I think the Yankees own it. But it's whoever is hot 642 00:49:04.079 --> 00:49:07.639 is going to own it. I would tend to agree. I think the 643 00:49:07.679 --> 00:49:14.440 Yankees have consistently outpaced the Mets in terms of playoff appearances and performances, so 644 00:49:14.519 --> 00:49:16.639 I think, right at this very moment, the Yankees own it. But 645 00:49:16.760 --> 00:49:22.519 I think if the Mets, I think this is a Mets town that's I 646 00:49:22.519 --> 00:49:27.239 think this is a Yankee this is a Yankee town that wants to identify as 647 00:49:27.239 --> 00:49:30.480 a Met town. I think I think if the Mets go on a big 648 00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:34.800 run, especially with the team laden with stars the way they have, I 649 00:49:34.840 --> 00:49:38.000 think they could easily take it over with a big time playoff run in a 650 00:49:38.039 --> 00:49:42.280 World Series appearance. Well, you know, being a big Yankee fan though, 651 00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:45.320 I have to admit though, it's sort of like the Mets seem to 652 00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:50.079 be the people's team, if you will, you know the U With the 653 00:49:50.159 --> 00:49:52.920 Yankees, they're more they wear the pin stripes. They're more business like. 654 00:49:52.119 --> 00:49:58.480 They approach things in a business like manager manage, excuse me manner one of 655 00:49:58.559 --> 00:50:00.119 the things that I read it pissed me off last year. I have to 656 00:50:00.199 --> 00:50:05.039 get my pet peeve in. After all, it is my show. I 657 00:50:05.159 --> 00:50:07.440 can be frank. It is being frank, so allow me to be. 658 00:50:08.079 --> 00:50:13.679 But once again, they took twenty premium games that were already paying for. 659 00:50:14.079 --> 00:50:17.480 I pay for the S Network, specifically. My neighbor thinks I'm crazy. 660 00:50:17.679 --> 00:50:21.119 I said, well, I have to watch my Yankees, so I'm willing 661 00:50:21.159 --> 00:50:24.360 to pay something. Now they want you to pay. On top of that, 662 00:50:24.960 --> 00:50:30.920 with exclusive games on what is it? Apple TV and Apple DA Amazon 663 00:50:31.079 --> 00:50:37.880 Prime, so they a seven billion dollar franchise. The Yankees are worth seven 664 00:50:37.960 --> 00:50:44.880 billion dollars. Need to get more money by preventing their fan base from seeing 665 00:50:44.920 --> 00:50:49.360 their games unless they pay even more money to see them. And I got 666 00:50:49.360 --> 00:50:52.559 and they charge their own players for Wi Fi on the team plane. Thank 667 00:50:52.599 --> 00:50:59.039 come on, it's true. Look up good. Don't make me hate my 668 00:50:59.199 --> 00:51:02.639 hands. But I do have to look the other way and say, you're 669 00:51:02.719 --> 00:51:07.760 kidding me, and I'm telling you I'll get I'll refuse to watch watch those 670 00:51:07.800 --> 00:51:10.559 games. I just won't. Maybe i'll catch the score the next day, 671 00:51:10.599 --> 00:51:15.119 but I'm telling you it for me, it tarnishes their appeals somewhat because you 672 00:51:15.199 --> 00:51:20.159 realize that the most important thing to them seems to be the money and not 673 00:51:20.320 --> 00:51:22.599 the fan base. But then again, we had complain. You got to 674 00:51:22.599 --> 00:51:27.239 pay one hundred and forty billion dollars or whatever for judge, You got to 675 00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:30.079 pay another one hundred million for coal. You want the great players. The 676 00:51:30.119 --> 00:51:34.119 money's got to come from somewhere. I guess that. And that's why parking 677 00:51:34.119 --> 00:51:38.239 at City Field it's forty dollars now. Incredible. Last launch, gentlemen. 678 00:51:39.079 --> 00:51:45.119 Now I'm looking forward to a tremendous baseball season. Even though we had a 679 00:51:45.360 --> 00:51:50.239 easy, kind of an easy going of winter. Now the days are long 680 00:51:50.360 --> 00:51:53.559 again, you know, get past this cold snap that we have on. 681 00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:58.599 Give me the spring, let the let the let the flowers come out, 682 00:51:59.000 --> 00:52:01.400 Give me baseball. I'm a happy guy for boys is summer. John. 683 00:52:01.519 --> 00:52:06.199 Last thoughts. I'm just so thankful to be who have been a part of 684 00:52:06.239 --> 00:52:07.719 this with you guys. And yes, I'm so glad baseball is back. 685 00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:12.519 But now we need that baseball weather to go with it. I'm looking forward 686 00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:15.199 to a great season and maybe we'll be maybe we'll do it all star, 687 00:52:15.719 --> 00:52:20.760 an all star break show. Yes, ready for it, Let's do it. 688 00:52:20.960 --> 00:52:23.119 We're great fun, guys, great, just great fun. We'd like 689 00:52:23.159 --> 00:52:28.960 to thank our guests for Being Frank and their intelligent conversation, and of course 690 00:52:28.960 --> 00:52:32.880 a special thanks to our listeners who takes the time to give us a voice 691 00:52:32.960 --> 00:52:37.840 in their lives. Remember, we offer a fresh topic every week and you 692 00:52:37.880 --> 00:52:43.519 can catch us wherever and whenever you get your favorite podcasts remember like Apple, 693 00:52:43.880 --> 00:52:49.079 Spotify, iHeartRadio, Speaker and all the others. You can also check us 694 00:52:49.079 --> 00:52:52.000 out on the Being Frank Facebook page. It's public, so just look it 695 00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:55.599 up. There's lots of little cool nuggets in there. And I'd like to 696 00:52:55.679 --> 00:53:00.719 leave you, of course, with two last things. One and I'll ask 697 00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:04.519 you guys, you have a favorite yogiism? You know, Yogi Barra with 698 00:53:04.559 --> 00:53:07.639 his malaprops. I think you don't even have to be a baseball fan to 699 00:53:07.760 --> 00:53:13.840 know them. U Joe, you have a favorite yogiism? Um you can 700 00:53:13.920 --> 00:53:19.159 think off the top of your head. No, I can't get the vision. 701 00:53:19.840 --> 00:53:23.880 I played golf with Yogi one time, and and uh, I look 702 00:53:23.920 --> 00:53:30.199 over and he's standing by a tree doing you know what. And I can 703 00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:37.719 never get that, Yogi. Okay, you can't it, can't unsee it. 704 00:53:37.159 --> 00:53:44.599 And what did I do, Frank? I took a photo. John. 705 00:53:45.440 --> 00:53:47.159 I don't know if you can top that one. No, I don't 706 00:53:47.159 --> 00:53:52.480 know if I should try to top that. I've always been partial to eighty 707 00:53:52.480 --> 00:53:55.440 percent of the game as half mental. Yeah, and I saw a fork 708 00:53:55.480 --> 00:53:59.519 in the road and I took it. But now now, if if I 709 00:54:00.039 --> 00:54:02.599 vision Yogi Bearra taking a fork in the road, I'm gonna envision and taking 710 00:54:02.639 --> 00:54:09.559 a week at that. Well. I have one that I that I heard 711 00:54:09.599 --> 00:54:14.480 today that I had never heard before, and it's classic. Love is the 712 00:54:14.519 --> 00:54:20.119 most important thing in the world. But baseball is pretty good too. I 713 00:54:20.159 --> 00:54:22.360 think that was kind of our our theme tonight, and we tend to agree. 714 00:54:22.440 --> 00:54:25.639 I'm wanna leave you with some great music from the Scoop. The Scoop 715 00:54:25.719 --> 00:54:31.920 is Rea Vogel, Ray Labella, Mark Valentine and Naomi Hamilietti and they're really 716 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:37.079 rock and tune called rain on Me. It's the Scoop, folks. Thank 717 00:54:37.119 --> 00:54:42.360 you for listening, guests, Thank you for joining us. Neil, thanks 718 00:54:42.360 --> 00:54:45.280 for driving the bus. And we'll see you on the next being. Frank, 719 00:54:45.519 --> 00:55:00.639 I'm your host, Frank Lebono, thanks so much for joining us. 720 00:55:02.039 --> 00:55:07.280 I don't care what to say about me. I'm just having have you. 721 00:55:07.559 --> 00:55:24.280 If I live to one hundred and three, I will always watch you. 722 00:55:24.280 --> 00:55:30.239 Your love like a flowering spring, feels so good around me, on your 723 00:55:30.239 --> 00:55:35.440 hand as a wedding rain. But you're lit seduced me like red white. 724 00:55:36.880 --> 00:55:45.159 Let it rain that on me. I hate to see suffering and supper. 725 00:55:46.880 --> 00:55:54.239 All in all, it's not so bad. Like sharp girl, don't be 726 00:55:54.400 --> 00:56:35.079 sad that that dog. Be sad that one and Channa look small compared to 727 00:56:35.119 --> 00:56:39.519 the one that you've built. But the thing that's worth of all is yours 728 00:56:39.719 --> 00:56:45.400 is made of rugs. It's time to loosen that grip because you can't hold 729 00:56:45.519 --> 00:56:52.880 on forever. Your worlds like a sinking ship in the wicked stormy weather. 730 00:56:53.800 --> 00:57:06.760 Let it rain that. I hate to see suffering summer. All in all, 731 00:57:07.000 --> 00:57:14.320 it's not so great life a short girl. Don't be saying that that 732 00:57:14.639 --> 00:57:30.519 that doll be saying. I don't care what they say about me. I'm 733 00:57:30.559 --> 00:57:35.400 just happy to have you. If I live to one hundred and three, 734 00:57:35.880 --> 00:57:45.760 I will always watch you let it Rain down. All I hate to see 735 00:57:45.559 --> 00:57:57.719 suffering super calling on its night show, So Life a Short Girl. Don't 736 00:57:57.800 --> 00:58:12.280 for saying that that all be saying, don't be saying. Don't be say, 737 00:58:15.320 --> 00:58:32.519 don't be Hudson River Radio dot com. We're so good we don't need 738 00:58:32.559 --> 00:58:34.280 a transmitter.