This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports
fourteen fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeart Radio while just Surgeon
I on the Ball and Welcome back toWin the Volcano, Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
I'm Steve, He's Jay. Now we have Jason with breaking news.
This is I on the Ball. Breaking news. Okay, Arizona Baseball is
hiring a Boston College Kevin Vans, to be the new pitching coach. You
know, I mean, he's apparently done a great job over Boston College.
I don't know if he's somebody that uh that Chip Hall has known in the
past. That's the first thing I thought right away that you know, that's
the question. Um uh, you know, you know it's fine. How
do you get a job like that? Right word of mouth? People refer
you. Obviously you have to have the numbers, uh, you know,
to show you know what you've done. Um Jo was under the depression.
Maybe this is old news and I don't know the news anymore. It takes
a while for them to hire. Isn't like a two week, ten day
I don't know how it doesn't work where they let go somebody. They have
to wait a while to post, to post the job, wait a while
and then hire because this just happened. Yeah, well they well they had
to have posted the job right when probably when you know that next day the
jobs. That's why they haven't made it official because a certain amount of time
has past. I think it's two weeks. I think it's fourteen days or
fifteen business days or whatever it is. There's a because they're a gut because
you know, you have as the government, so that's still old. Yeah,
so that's why that's why there hasn't been an announcement. Everybody' found out
he's getting the job, and that that's not any different from anywhere else that
you work, right, you know, the job gets posted and two before
before it gets announced, everybody knows who's getting the job. Um, the
time obviously ran out for what it's probably your next breaking news item is that
softball is hired a pitching coach. Uh um what what what's his name again?
Christian Conrad? Christian Conrad at Loyal and merrymount. Um. You know
that time has elapsed so they can make the announcement. But that's that's just
the case. That's just what you always have to do. That's why I
wasn't sure that was still holy Okay, so go ahead and announce that.
Yeah, so I'm Arizona's off ball as hired Christian Conrad as their assistant pitching
coach. We've kind of determined that both teams had very good talent, they
just didn't have very good pitching, right and not to say that that would
have helped them get to the to the tournament, both the women now the
women because uh, because it was it would it would have been tough.
But but that's what they're definitely lacking. Yeah, yeah, no, I
it both teams, you know, struggled with that and it was it was
the story all year long. Um, so you know it started, you
know, start with the clean slate and see what happens. Arizona Soccer lands
a commitment from Utah transfer a hearn Ford, who played in eighteen games last
season as a freshman. Okay, okay, um some news for the basketball
team perdue in Arizona are finalizing an agreement to play on de Sceumber sixteen at
gain Bridge and Gainbridge Field House and in in indepulous. Yeah yeah, yeah,
that's gonna be good they played there. Uh, they played Perdue twenty
some years ago, twenty one years ago when Arizona's headed to the Final four
and two thousand and one, I think it was two thousand. Um No,
look, fantastic schedule, man, schedule final Finally, I mean playing
some games, playing some This is I'm here at home, this is we
all talked about this. Uh, go back to what Loot used to do.
This is better than what I was. I was just gonna say,
Lute never had this many of these teams on his schedule. I mean,
you know, they go playing the you know ninety or Classic whatever, wind
up playing some good team, but just you know, one off games like
this. We're just one at a time that I can't remember schedule has had
that many of the you know, the Sean definitely didn't do it. And
now here's a good, good time, a good time, a great time
to be a fan, especially because they're gonna be some of them some of
those. Yeah, some of those are here. And when in Phoenix you
can get to Alabama's and Phoenix. Yeah, one of the other Michigan state
I think maybe here in Vegas. Yeah, so November tenth, is that
Duke November twenty thirty versus Michigan, UM stayed at in California. UM.
The December ninth vers Wisconsin he is here, Yeah, the sixteenth or December
UM in Innapulas. And then the twentyth versus Obama is in Okay. So
one of them is gonna be one here. But then Duke comes here next
year, right right. I wonder what louts thinking right now? Cool,
it is finally win some of these and you know, and again, I
know, my thought on this is always in why don't they play more in
these games? Because when when the ncable A, they're worried about having too
many losses when the NC doable A tournament comes around. Yeah, let's take
this. Hi, you're on the air and on the ball. Hey this
is I thought. I jumped in with you guys, talked about softball and
UVa's basketball schedule. Go all right, Doug, let's go. Oh are
we on? Yeah? Yeah, you're on the air. Oh my bad,
I thought I was being screen take. Yeah, we just screened you
there. You're good. How nice. It's good to talk to you guys
again. Um. Yeah, As far as softball goes, I think college
softball does have an Oklahoma problem you talked about like Yukon women's basketball, but
imagine if Yukon women's basketball also got to play the championship every year in Hartford.
That's that's the That's the problem right now with softball is that Oklahoma not
only are they getting all the talent, but they're also playing in there,
basically in the suburbs of Oklahoma, you know, right near Norman. So
um that that's gonna be I think it's gonna be a stranglehold that's gonna be
hard for other programs to break. What do you guys think? I definitely
an advantage, you think so definitely? How much do you think of an
advantage? You see the crowd last night? One, yeah, and only
that way. You still have to get there and perform. But I don't
I agree with Doug in terms of it's right around because it's like everyone playing
softball and in Phoenix they're gonna have the fans in there. Yeah, I
get. I mean, certainly there's some advantage, I just but it's always
just want to help, yeah, and it's always been there, right.
I think the bigger problem with with Oklahoma is not so much that they're getting
to play the national championship in their city. It's that they've got somebody out
there that's piling money on top of the program and they're able to suck all
the good players out of all the other schools. Ask you, Yeah,
I'm not I'm not saying that the home home field advantage is why they're winning
championships. I'm saying that it's what draws the top players to play there,
or at least it's a it's a factor. I'm sure that money would be
another factor, but there's I mean, there are other programs out there,
you know, Florida, Alabama. I mean, some of these programs that
have huge pockets, deep pockets that could also attract players um and draw them
away from the West Coast. It's just kind of sad to see because man,
I missed those old you know, you have a UCLA rivalries. Yeah,
it's good for the sport to have different different champions here and there,
But I just don't want to see Oklahoma win it every year. It's could
be dug in your deep pockets. I'm assuming you have deep pockets. How
much are you contributing through you Yeah? Let's well here, Well, let
me ask you this Doug, But what's done. Let me ask you this
though, you know, was it was was there an Arizona problem when Arizona
was Winny national championships every year? Or was there a UCLA prop You know,
it's just I think that it's just where we are with you know that
Oklahoma has is doing this and the question is how long will they keep doing
it? And well the Arizonas and UCLA's ever catch up. Again, well,
the sport was younger, and so I mean, actually it probably was
a problem for all those other programs that we're trying to start up because u
A won eight of them and UCLA won like twelve of them. So that's
like twenty out of maybe twenty three twenty five years that two teams dominated.
So it is probably healthier for the sport that then other teams started getting involved.
Kennessee, Michigan, you know, some other teams. I won't mention,
but but yeah, I just think. I just think because they're also
playing in Oklahoma City, that just it's something you haven't really seen in any
other sport where the most dominant program is also playing right in their backyard every
year. You know, at least that they could wrote if they could rotate
the event, that would feel a little bit more balanced. But I wanted
to talk about you have a basketball a little bit. Um. That's pretty
cool that we added Perdue. Perdue has been like a sneaky nemesis to Arizona
Sports. I don't know if you guys have noticed that, but it's not
a program We've got and done all that well against Um. You mentioned you
mentioned that game. I don't remember if it was two thousand and one or
what. I think we were like really high coming off of Maui, like
winning the championship in Mauie. I think we were number one in the country.
Maybe it was the n I T And then we go to Purdue and
they, you know, they upset us. No, you your your recollection
is spot on right. They left Maui, they went directly to Purdue.
It was kind of a big deal. Wooden was still around uh something,
you know, he was back from that area, and yeah, they gotta
beat that was just in gardener time too, right, Yeah, I know,
you're right, right, And we also, yeah, we also lost
to them a ball game that a bowl game in football. That was kind
of a real disappointment. And then there was that sixty something. Another couple
of times we ran into these guys and Zach Edy just announced he's coming back.
That that would be interesting to see Umar Ballo going up against you know,
the seven six guy or whatever he is. Um, that'll be that
would be a fun matchup that that will be fun. You know, I'm
glad you mentioned that because you know Umar is gonna be There's gonna be a
lot of attention on him both you know, when teams played them, but
just the attention he's going to get from a media standpoint nationally. You know,
he's a you know, he really stepped up last year. If he
can, if he takes a big step like he did last year, he's
going to be one of the top, you know, top big men in
the in the country. And that'll be a matchup that the media will jump
on and pay attention to. Zach Edy against against Ballo. That should be
fun. But if you if you think back to what what b perdue in
the tournament as a sixteen against a one I think it was Florida Atlantic they
or is it Harley Dickinson. I guess they were just you know, they
had little little guards running circles around him. And you know, so I
think you have a has bulked up its backcourt enough that that you know that
that might actually be the bigger storyline if you really are next as the those
guys as opposed to the big man matchup. But um, but I agree
with you. It's just it's really fun to see so many cool non conference
matchups this year. Um, it would be the one, the one.
The one big difference I'll this point out is, uh, Lou always used
to squeeze one in during the Pac twelve season, a Pac ten season,
you know, as another game the same week as we play a su And
uh, that's one element we don't really see anymore. But you know,
yeah, we'll keep play real quickly with just a few seconds. Doug,
Um, were you on Sean Miller negatively in April? What were you hoping?
And then all of a sudden he's come through with the recruit Sean Miller?
Well, you know, I know, Doug, so yeah, he's
got gun. Oh well, oh well, first of all, was Sean
I was happy to see him succeeding in Zavier. I'm sure that's not what
you're asking, but Tommy, Um, I wasn't on Tommy's case, I
had faith that he would recruit. I was just really upset with some of
the guys that left and the decisions they made. Although sometimes it might feel
like addition by subtraction because maybe we're improving our defense with some of the guys
that left, but um no, I was willing to reserve judgment. I
was kind of laughing at all the trolls that were just freaking out with Tommy.
Yeah, I was. I was waiting. Yeah, okay, cool,
good, good for you, Thank you, Doug, thanks for listening,
Thanks for calling. Yeah, okay, cool, okay. Yesterday,
at the NCA Double A Outdoor Championships Track and Field, Tayley Bonds advanced to
the Saturday's one hundred meter hurdle finals. Um, so she'll be moving on.
We've had her on the show, right, That's why she's in the
finals because she was on our show. Him and Guy Story Guys, and
then Alexa Parpara keizy I won the NCA Double A Elite ninety award as well.
So okay, I wait, what's the Elite ninety. I don't know.
I don't know what that is. It sounds like a very very prestigious
it is. I'm not sure that exact details about to see that she went
out a war. Yeah, okay, congrats to both of them. Um.
Some national news. Uh, DeAndre Hopkins is going to be visiting the
Patriots, so as another team he's looking to positively sign with. Um any
thoughts on that. Good luck to whoever gets Yeah. Do you think you
know it's DeAndre Aden you mentioned? Yeah? Do you think he's gonna end
up in Phoenix? I think he's gonna be traded. It sounds to me
like they want to get rid of it. Yeah. I think he might
get moved. Um. I know there will be a discussion with them,
but I think he's most likely gonna going to be moved the Sun. The
Suns will be very different if if Deandre's gone and if Chris Paul is gone,
and I know there's still some Chris Paul might be back, might be
back, but they're both gone. Man, that's gonna that's gonna look a
lot different. Yeah, for sure. Um. The Panthers have elevated rookie
Bryce Young to the number one quarterback spot already. Yeah. Um yeah,
Frank Reich said, Um, it's next step. Yeah, makes White way
So it's a lot of you know, potential pressure on him. So we'll
see how he lives up to yea, so go get him. Yep,
he got a little Well, we'll see. Yeah, we'll see because I
had the same reservations you do with the guy. Where are you up in
the north? Um? Some executives around the league league believes that the Timberwolves
will trade Carl Anthony Downs in the next few weeks. UM, so as
a possibility he might be moved to a team up in somewhere in the east.
Um. And he thoughts about that quant any towns. No, I
thought that would be a switch for for DeAndre and him to swap it out.
Would you like that? Would you like ounce? And then yeah,
I think he's better than DeAndre. Yeah, I think that might be interesting.
Yeah. So Um former Chiefs d N Frank Clark, it's um saying
in the AFC West but signing a one year deal up to seven seven point
five million dollars with the Denver Broncos. Um. Frank, as you guys
know, just won the championship with the um Kan City Chiefs. Um.
He had five sacks this past season and made a he was gonna contribution in
the championship. Run about that? Crazy? How these guys just move around
right when a championship and goes somewhere else, Like when Aaron Donald left you
know, you know, uh uh he left the Rams right? No,
who is who am I thinking? No? No? Von Miller, Yeah,
von Miller, you know left. Denver goes to the Rams when the
super and now then he goes off somewhere else. Whoever col pay them the
most money on it? Like still man, Yeah, well this is not
nineteen seventy five women when you're making that much money. Though, championships should
matter. That's what I always think as a fan. But at the end
of the day, I've noticed it's more about the money than it is.
Oh yeah, without question. Question, All right, right a time,
we're gonna have Andy Lopez command. We'll just talk about the current state of
college baseball. But he thinks about stuff going on, and we've he's already
told us he would not want to be coaching right now, but is interesting
to see what he would do to help make it better. Right, he'll
make it work, So we'll be right back with Andy Lopez. For more
than twenty years, the Window Depot has provided the best price and the biggest
inventory on in stock Vital windows and Now. The Window Depot is more than
a window store, offering homeowners and contractors a one stop warehouse offering interior and
exterior doors, granted in courts, countertops, in stock, cabintry, and
skylights to finish your project. Their team of professionals will help with everything from
pre kitchen design to custom orders from leading manufacturers like mill Guard and Gelwyn.
Order online or find a location near you as a window deepot dot com.
Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of
course, to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your
fitness equipment from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona
Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach
your goals. Your health and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health
the leading this and exercise equipment on twenty second, just west of Wilmot.
If you think now is not a good time to buy a refinance at home,
think again. Interest rates are at all time lows on most loan programs,
and Paul Volpi of Nova Home Loans is ready to help you find the
option that best fits your needs. If you're looking for your dream home or
want to get cash out to refinance on a current home, visit Volpe team
dot com. That's Volpe Team dot com all CAI two six Today. It's
a new year and time to give a creative award to your student athletes Winter
and spring awards seasons, as well as for grade school, middle school and
high school athletes. Scholastic awards for those academic students just in time to recognize
all their achievements. Visit Creative Awards online at Creative Awards AZ dot com or
visit their Idea studio at two twenty eight West Drachman Street in Tucson. It's
also time to get your creative promotional products for the upcoming conventions, giveaways to
promote your company and get your employees new apparel to look sharp representing you and
your company. Come see Creative Awards to twenty eight West Drachman Street or online
at Creative Awards AZ dot com. Next Paint back Paint, car Accidents,
Headaches, sports injury, Burnella's Chiropractic's goal is to help our patients achieve a
healthy lifestyle. Combining chiropractic care with physical medicine modalities, therapeutic procedures and massage
therapy not only reduced paints, but helps the body heal itself as well as
provide other health benefits. Or never chiropractic. We use a natural approach to
improve an individual's health and well be don't suffer any longer. Called Ornelli's kiro
Practic Today. Did you know sports cards that memorabilia are setting record sales last
month of nineteen fifty two, Tops Mickey Mantles sold for twelve point six million,
Lebron James Rookie sold for five points six Also, collecting cards is a
family fun hobby that can be very profitable. If you want to start a
collection or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards. They are one of
the leading card shops in the country and I've served our local community for twenty
five years. They are located on e Speedway. That's Showtime Cards, Steve
Rivera and Jacobs Solids. They have their Eye on the Ball on Tucson sports
station Fox Sports fourteen fifty The Welcome Back to Why in the Ball Hero Fox
Sports Fortune fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, he's Jakin's. Also now on the
phone, we have former Jews Bay baseball coach Andy Lopus. Andy Heather Heck,
are I'm doing well? See thanks for having me. Yes, great
to have you. This is that time of the year where you shine.
A few times. I would have been a million dollars. You don't miss
it, now, you know what I do miss? I do miss postseason
baseball. I really do. It's funny. I was just I was talking
to Mark Wazatkowski yesterday morning because he's in the Superregionals your tech. He's going
to be going about an hour against ORL. Roberts up in Eugene, and
we were talking and Any asked me saying, he said, looks, I
bet you don't miss all this. I said, you know, it was
I don't miss all of it, but I do miss postseason because it's there's
just, uh, there's a different buzz when you're in postseason, I mean
regional, Superregional's, World Series. There's just a different feeling. Though I
really I enjoyed the postseason. I really did. Were there any times Andy
that you we're surprised that you got in and then you kind of because of
that you were able to make the most of it. You know what I'm
saying. Just you know, we talked about the run to Mississippi had last
year. Right, they were last team in then they go in the national
Championship or were you expecting to get in pretty much every time you got in,
Yeah, I was. I was on the I was on the USC
Andy Stinkwood side a few times. And he's an ex player of mine.
He's an ex player of mine. I just think they did a tremendous injustice
too. The UFC now, I mean they were sixteen seventeen games in the
fact twelve conference and they're not in postseason. That's a travesty I had.
That happened to me a couple of times. So we've been in Sara with
you. I thought the year after we won the national championship in twenty thirteen,
we won like, I think ten in a row at the end of
our season. We started off slow. We still up a little bit when
we won ten a row in conference the last part of our season, and
um, and we weren't and we weren't we didn't get in. UM.
So I had a couple of those, but I never had what you just
described. I kind of pretty much. Okay, we're in good shape,
we're going to get in and then you know, let's make a run for
it. And you did. You did have some pretty good runs. So
you've been away for it. I don't want to say, maybe not ten
years, but almost ten years now. I think almost almost ten years now.
You're still young men. In my mind, Um, what's going on?
What's going on with m with the world of sports? And I asked,
I asked, I asked, mister Gonzalez. Here it was there a
time we're calling a kay chaotic. I don't know if you feel the same
way, but money and I l transfer portal blah blah blah. When was
there a time when it was not crazy? You know, this is an
amazing story. This is unbelievable. In nineteen ninety eight, I was at
the University of Florida. We had a really good team effect We went into
Olmaha that years the number one team in the nation and the number one seed
going in the collegural series. Three or four weeks before the postseason. We
played at LSU and the you know, Hall of Famer legendary coach Skip Bertley
was a coach at LSU and we were good friends, and we still aren't
very good friends. But he came over. It was a rain delay and
he came over. He was sitting in our dugout and this is nineteen ninety
eight, and he and Skipper is a great guy. He's got a great
sense of humor. And he asked me how old I was? Right,
he says, uh, he said, And I can't mimic, but he's
got a very distinct way of talking, but I'll try. He says,
hey, Lopez, how old are you? And I said what coaches said?
How old are you? And I gave him my age. You know,
I was pretty younger. I appreciate your kind words. I'm sixty nine
years old. How young can I be? Come out step? So I
appreciate your words of compliments. And so I gave him my age and I
was forty eight forty something like that. And he says, and he went
ooh, ooh, ooh, what's going on? Coach? He says.
He says, oh, you're in a bad spot. You're a basketball And
I said, no, Coach, to be honestly, we got a really
good team here. He goes, Oh, I know that. I know
that, he says, But you're stuck. You can't get out because you're
not old enough like me. I'm about to get out, he said,
I'm about to get out. You're stuck. You can't get out. You
got a wife and what four kids? I said yes. And he says,
and you're too year ago. Make a change because they're probably pays it
so much money now. And I said, uh, well, what are
you talking about? Coach? He says, college. This is nineteen ninety
eight, and we have talked on numerous occasion since then. I said,
coach, how did you know? Now? For those that don't realize this,
Coach Burmer was a spoke coach at LSU, w five national championships in
the nineties, and then he became the athletic director. In fact, he
hired Nick Saban to be the baseball football coach at LSU and then he won
an after championship and saman went to the Miami Dolphins and he went to hell
Bell and anyway, So I said, how do you know, coach?
He says, I can see it coming. I can see it coming.
He said, Uh, it's gonna be different. He says, it's too
bad. You're stuck. You're right in the middle college athletics is going to
be really different. And that's all he said. That's all he said.
And man was the profit. Wow there my opinion. There is no college
athletics anymore. I mean, it doesn't exist. Yeah, it doesn't exist.
It's funny and I understand this. And man, hey, listen,
my mom and dad are both from Mexico. Um. I grew up in
a house with bars on the windows and two bullet holes in the side of
the house from a drive by shooting. I grew up in the projects of
San Pedro. Um. You know, I know. I went to UCLA
and I had I had financial aid money and some other scholarship money and baseball
money. So I understand when people say, oh, you know, the
guy can't go out and buy a pizza on a day. They can't do
this, they can't do that. Man, I understand that. I was
there. I was there. No, you go ahead, no, no,
but you know, I mean I understand the theory and the thought behind
you know, we you know, we got coaches making millions and millions of
dollars and you know, athletic departments and TV contracts and this and that.
And hey, I was in the professor for thirty eight years. So I
understand it. I understand it, But man, I really think I don't
think the powers to be really fought the whole process out, and I think
I don't think they can get it back in the in the drawer anymore.
I think it's out of the drawer and I don't think they can get it
back in. I was gonna, I told you, I'm going to give
you one great title for you. For you, you are the king of
the NCAA. How do you fix it? Or is that too devil of
a question? Oh? Man, it's the greatest monopoly I've ever known in
my lifetime, sixty nine years of age. I don't know another monopoly like
the nc DOUBLEA. They have no competition, so they do whatever they want,
whenever they want, however they want. And a nice job. They
did a really good job, didn't they. It's in real good shape.
Pelgi Athletics. Pelogi Athletics as we see it to day in twenty twenty three
is just a really good situation. Well, you know, I mean all
the stuff that that's entered into this And we're talking to Jake Fish a little
earlier, I mean back when he was playing at Football Arizona two thousand and
nine to twenty thirteens when he was year and this is this goes back to
then when they were you know, they wanted to get paid for the video
game that was that that, you know, and then it kind of got
this ball rolling. It's taken ten years, but now we're at a point
where, you know, coaches like you, Mike Andrea, Dave Rubio,
and I'm sure gazillion coaches at other schools would just rather not be a part
of this. Oh man, I don't go. I don't go. I
bet I don't go more than a month without talking to guys that have gotten
out and they give me a call, Hey, coach, how you're doing.
These are all baseball coaches for the most part, and they're either on
the cusp of getting out or they're already retired in the last year or two.
I just talked to a guy. I just talked to a guy two
nights ago. And they all have the same They all see the same thing,
they all say the same thing. I mean, I got out because
I couldn't be the coach I was all those years after heart surgery. I
just I just wasn't the same guy. I felt like I was still in
money from the university. I did a horrible job my last year two years
of coaching, and I just I wasn't the right guy anymore and they needed
a new guy, and they made a great decision in Joe, and life
moves on. But but these guys, boy, they all say the same
thing. Man, Hey, I couldn't take it anymore. It's crazy.
It's just absolutely nuts. So I remember your post your retirement press commerce and
one of the things you highlighted was the flipping. You know, I just
can't take the flipping. You know, the guys who committed them decided to
change, and I get that, I totally get that. But now flipping
is the least of the word, because now you have to people getting paid.
Okay, here it is. I was a high school. I was
a high school I got hired in nineteen seventy eight. Nineteen seventy eight,
I was a high school teacher in Manhattan Beach, California, Sonlifornia, and
we had a big special meeting. The district had a big special meeting all
the teachers, all the teachers, and the two biggest agendas in nineteen seventy
eight were there's too much gum underneath the desk, many pieces of you don't
know what this is a true story. Too many pieces of gum underneath the
desk. And too many students are walking across the street at lunch hour to
go to the Humancdonalds. We can't let them do that because of safety purposes.
Those were the two main issues in this hour long meeting, right,
Yeah, yeah. In nineteen and twenty fifteen, when I retired, yeah,
I was. It was. The flipping thing was starting to really wear
me out. I could not believe that kids were saying commit, I'm committing,
and then they would flip, and I'd go like, what in the
world are we doing in this thing? Holy smokes a noo. They're flipping
after they get here, right, some guys are flipping four or five you
know. Oh man. I mean, well, not only that, but
I mean I put on these college baseball games right now, and I know,
I know COVID as a big factor, but I mean, the guy's
got twenty five home runs and he's twenty five years old. You got guys,
they're twenty five years old playing college baseball. Wait a minute, but
you gotta you gotta. You got a nineteen year old software on the mountain.
He's nineteen years old, and you're telling him, Hey, we'll get
this guy out. He's twenty four, twenty five years old. Man,
I mean that's crazy. So let me let me also disappoint you or depress
you with this one. Okay. So Andy Lopez has been coaching for twenty
five years, thirty years, and he has this phenomen He's getting paid X
amount of money half a million dollars, quarter a million dollars to come and
play baseball. How in the world you motivate this kid because someone else in
America is making that play? How do you get this guy to do it?
Hey? And you know there's a lot of voices in their ears now
too. Man, there's a lot of people you know. I said this.
Ever, I just said this the other day because I went out and
I did a Fellowship of Christian Athlete baseball hitting camp out here in Marana at
the Hitting Factor on Monday and Tuesday. And at the end of both sessions
I told the players, I said, now, the most important thing in
your day we're about to end at noon. I said, the most important
thing in your day, and I said, this is my players all time.
Is the drive home, the drive home when you drive home right now,
are you gonna bash your coaches? Are you gonna bash your teammates?
Are you gonna blame someone else? Or are you gonna drive home and say
to your mother and father or you or the buddy you're driving with, and
you know what, I gotta get better tomorrow. I gotta get better tomorrow.
You know what, I gotta get better tomorrow. Or you're gonna say,
oh, that coach said, I'm now he's talking about that guy.
I know he's talking about it. Or are you gonna say, I'm gonna
get better, I'm coming back to practice tomorrow and I'm gonna get better to
ball man, they got so many voices in their ears now, I mean
you got kids, and they got agents, they got advisors, they got
this, they got that. I mean, oh man, it's a money
but it's a money tank, man, it is. It's a it's a
money tank. I mean, you got okay. I watched the young man
last year an Air Force ball scheme my Sons at the University of Mexico.
I watched him in person. University of Mexico Air Force Academy three game series,
and this young man threw on Friday night and he was stick tacking,
and then he caught on Sunday and he hit third the whole weekend earlier.
He transferred to LSU and he's gonna be probably the number one or number two
pick in the nation. Okay. Not many people know this now, this
is from the Air Force Academy, guys, this is the Air Force Academy.
I mean I was always I was always always under an impression that when
he went to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force Academy, you
went for a whole different reason, right, and you were committed afterwards,
right, I mean even after you had to stay in, you had to
commit to the service. Roger, right, that was their best picture went
last year. He's going to pitch Broilsue either the night or more or night
I guess Tom all night, Okay. And he's phenomenal. He is absolutely
phenomenal. Well, not many people know this. I know this only because
my son is in the same conference. My son called me about two weeks
ago. I say, yeah, remember air Forces an Air Force this year,
Air Force Academy this year. You remember their closer there was ninety three
ninety four with that really good breaking bar said yeah, yeah, yeah,
he's just yeah, he's in the transfer portal. So think of that.
The Air Force head coach for the last two years is going to lose his
two best pitchers and he's coaching at the Air Force Academy. Yeah. Wow,
that doesn't make a lot of sense. So basically, great job by
the NCBLEA. You have you have the armed forces being decimated by the portal.
No, no, we talked about that. I'm talked about this a
couple days that schools like Air Force and smaller schools are organ donors to the
bigger schools because hey, we need an arm Well go get him. He's
an air Force. Yeah. I never I never thought a while in my
wildest dreams that I think I'd say this to myself. My son last year
came home and said, you know this and that he's visiting. He's going
on he's on his way to Phoenix to recruit. I said, hey,
what about that one kid from Texas, that freshman you got, what's he
doing? And he said, oh, yeah, he's gonna go out and
pitch to summer. I said why, He said, well, what do
you mean, Dad, Because I said, my players at all the time,
and he was one of my players right play for the four years.
He said, well, Dad, I want him to get more innings.
I said, you're never gonna see him. He's gonna go pitch the summer
and he's gonna be gone, and he'll be gone. A power a power
of five school is going to see that guy and they're gonna offer him money
and you'll never see him a day. And you know what the sad thing
about Steve. He looked at me and he went, oh my god,
you're right. I said, Michael, you're going to tell that guy to
stay home and don't let him out. Here's the downside, do it.
And here's a guy that coached for thirty eight years, you know, all
over the dog gone country in Japan, Korea, Taiwan. I know in
my heart that young guy should go out pitch this year because he gets better
by playing the game. Yeah, but if you send him out to pitch,
you might lose them in summer. Do a power five school. That's
what happens. He comes back this year and guess what, he doesn't pitch
this summer. My son tells him stay home and work on this and do
that and do that. He comes back to summer and gets what's because he
has a horrible year. He has a horrible year. Yeah, to lose
lose man, Right, that's terrible, right? All right? Andy?
So real quick, Um, who do you got in the College World Series?
Wow? I think there's about four or five teams that could win that
thing. I really do the game. I think the ball is a little
bit lively this year. It seems to be a little bit juiced. Um,
so offense is going to be a bigger factor than it's probably ever gonna
be. I still believe the team that's the best pitching is gonna win.
But there's about five or six staffs that could get hot. I mean,
wake Forest has the best numbers overall, but Florida's got really good number pitching
wise. Um, our two teams, you know, Oregan and Stanford.
Uh, they check the boxes. And I'm obviously I'm really good friends with
David Asker and is like a son to me of watching an Oregon um their
little thin on their pitching pitching depth, I should say, but I think
there's five or I think there's four or five club that can win it,
I really do. Real, coach, you like to talk to you all
the time. Somewhere in America, someone's making that play. Somewhere in America.
Somewhere in America, there's an ni LB side executive. Right, coach,
be well man, man take care. So he's right, but he's
right. Don't go play, relax, don't get better because if you get
better, if you get better, somebody's gonna steals. Like having a girlfriend.
Don't you have a cute girlfriend. No, we're not gonna gonna stay
in tonight. We're gonna stay in today. We're not going outside. We're
not put outside this house. That's a tough goal. That's a tough call.
Right, let's take our break. We're to come back. Wrap it
up. Give us a call. Five two zero, four, one,
six, seventy four forty. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you
know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now. Take a look back
at the Ludolson era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot. It
was a labor of love to the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches,
and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them
competed against them and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five years
as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an insight to how he built
the program into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot riveray
five at gmail dot com. Hey Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher here, I
gotta tell you about my winning team. Over at Arizona Health Insider. I
was able to get a customed private health insurance plan with no deductibles, no
co pays, nationwide coverage, and I get to pick my own doctor for
less than two hundred dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting gouged
on the exchange and you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders five
two zero eight five zero six eight six six five two zero eight five zero
six eight six six Far down. What's your goal? A new career or
career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. Pima Community College
can help you make Someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule.
With over one hundred programs to choose from and financial aid available, it's time
to earn the degree or certificate. You need to prepare for the career you
want. Pima offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's
right for you. Learn how at Pima dot etu slash someday. Is it
hot in here or is it just me? Honey? I always think you're
hot, but it's June and we all know it's going to get hot in
Tucson. It doesn't have to be hot in our house, honey. You
should call Picture offs Cooling, eating, and plumbing. They have the solutions
for us or all your air conditioning needs. Call five two zero four four
zero for zero six nine or visit us at picture roscoeen dot com. Just
call up help coming picture rocks, doing, heating and clombing. The holidays
are fast approaching after a difficult year, wor shure everyone could use a little
financial help. Pyramid Federal Credit Union is bringing back to the holiday Helper loan
a low into a short term loan that can help get you through the holidays.
In support of our community, Pyramid is making our donation to the community
Groud Bank of Southern Arizona from each a loan. For more information or apply
online, visit Pyramid su dot Com slash Holiday Helper. All those are on
approved credit. Other restrictions may apply Pyramid, Federal Credit, Union Insured and
CUA. Need more affordable auto and home insurance while making sure your family has
the courage at needs when mayhem happens, They've got you covered. At the
Edmund Marcus All State Agency. Go see Edmund Marcus. He's born and raised
in Tucson and a proud graduate of the University of Arizona. He's been an
All State agent for twenty five years and has an award winning age and see
which takes care of his clients. Home Today at five two zero three two
three nine three three three Coronado and home quote and let him save you money
and make sure you have the courage you need. You're in good hands with
the Edmund Marcus l State Agency. Do you want to be part of a
winning team? A Team Security is looking for friendly, outgoing event security guards
and events staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our
outstanding services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years.
We want you to join the action. A team offers a fun and
exciting opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry with flexible schedules that are
perfect for those looking for a part time job or a second income. Come
be a part of a winning team. The A Team apply online today at
a team security dot Net. Steve Bravera and Shaken Salez they have their eye
on the ball on two sums Sports Stage. Jeff Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming
live on the iHeart Radio am back. Joining about you on Fox Sports forty
fifty. Steve, He's Jay. Got a guy just sit in with us.
We have about thirteen minutes. We also got a call. Are you
there? Yeah, Hey, you guys, this is Giro calling from California.
I know that a few days afore I call in and voice it in
my opinion about Arizona going into the Big twelve. So I want to talk
more in depth with you too. So I want so, I want to
ask you this question, and I want you to ask me, um,
why didn't Why do you want Arizona to go into the Big twelve? So
let me ask you this question. So stay, stay, So what is
the benefit for Arizona to stay in the Big statement past and in football and
in basketball, you stay in the Pack twelve. Yeah, well I don't.
I don't see it. I think it's well, it's gonna probably be
a better, better um football situation for Arizona in the Pac twelve. Jay's
just back into the room. He go ahead and ask that question again,
because that's Jay's he wants them to stay in the Pack twelve. But your
answer, your question will be answered by Jay because I don't believe it.
Okay, go ahead, Okay, Hey Jay, um So, so a
lot of questions to ask for you, and you asking you can ask me
why do you meet? Why did you Why do you want Arizon to going
to the baseball So here's my question ask for you, buddy, So why
do you want Arizon to stay in the Pact fall or both in football and
men's basketball? Um? I just I just feel like the Pac twelve,
King is It's it's still a good conference. I like, I like the
teams that that you know are in the league. I'm I'm disappointing you CLNUC
has gone, but I'd rather I'd rather have a schedule of you know Oregon,
Washington, Uh, you know Stanford Cal Then you know Texas Tech and
Iowa State and Baylor in Oklahoma State. I just like, I like those
programs better. I like competing against those teams better, and I like the
the you know, the I'm I'm I'm a fan that travels to games,
and I like, I would rather go to those places than to go to
the places that are in the Big Twelve. That's the main reason. From
a basketball standpoint, I think, you know, it would be great fairs
on the basketball to be in the Big twelve because you got you know,
so many great great schools and and there. You know, the basketball programs
in the Pac twelve aren't that great. But overall, I'd just rather stay
in the Pac twelve because that's you know, I just like, I like
playing in the West. I like the teams that we play against in the
West. I don't want to split up from asu UM. And you know,
I think I think if you go get San Diego State, and I
don't know if SMU is the right answer, but you know, certainly San
Diego State would make would also make it fun because like I said, I'm
a fan that travels some so I'd rather play those teams. And then finally,
purely selfish reason, you stay in the Pac twelve, you have a
much better chance in football of getting into the playoffs than if you go to
the Big twelve. I just think you do. Yeah, yeah, not
not even mentioned that. I kind of I kind of agree with you more.
But it's in regards to my point of view. Um, I care
for I care about Arizona overall of both in men and fastball, and definitely
in football. And I think that the Big twelve is if the Big ten
SEC and the Big trave all only going to be in the state conferences and
the pastel the zones, then I'd rather be in the Big twelve because I
want Arizon to survive. I don't want Arizona to be like Residel States where
they were they in the math, the trash mouth of West and plus I
rather, I rather and in the Big swel. They already have their TV
deal and they I think, do they give thirty eight million or around around
that much? And if they give thirty eight thirty million, then death money
one of the football team and for the men's basketball team. But and also,
like I said, like I talked to you guys a few days ago
about Arizona spleeting with if you I kind of see that, Um, like
seventy twenty seventy is Arizona going and going to the Big swelve and and a
sus they eat in the back ass and then the twenty twenty is Arizona in
the Pac twel So I don't know, let's just see more happen exactly.
Yeah, hey, don't let jayway though, stand firm, baby, stand
firm, because I agree with you too. I like the Big twelve,
but I like Jay's thought process on that too. I've never said that life
just it's just what I've grown up with, and I just wanted It's been
fun and I wanted definitely, very definitely. I don't kick, I know,
I know, just don't cuss. But thank you, all right,
thank you, thank you guys. Make two both good points. I don't
really care what happens, um your your your explanation was fine because if you
stay in the West, we stay in the West. It'll be a great
basketball league. And that's all I care about. So you know what the
heck you know again, And the point that that that that Rick made yesterday,
it was that you know, if Arizona's playing football in the Big twelve,
then he said it maybe it's maybe it's more exciting because fans got up
their game, because otherwise they're gonna get left behind by the by the fans
of the Big twelve teams. We'll be careful what you wish. It's gonna
take a while to up the game, right with physicalness, just physicalness?
Yeah, so, I you know, I mean if your Arizona either solution
is okay, I prefer staying in the past. And the only the only
good thing is there'd be more money in the Big twelve. But see,
the thing, one of the things that has to be has to happen tho
they can't. They can't go to the Big twelve for basically the same money
that they might have gotten in the pack. Why would you Why would you
do that? I mean, if they if they come back and say,
well, okay, here's twenty five million dollars that you know, that's not
going to be good enough to keep the league together. It's got to be
in the thirty yeah, right, And if they get into the thirties,
basically, as as the Washington State president alluded, if it's flat, if
it's basically the same as they've been getting, then what's wrong with that?
Because it's gonna be about where you know, um, the big twelve is
so you know, as they say, don't make a lateral move, don't
don't throw everything up in the air to make a lateral move. Financially,
I agree, I agree. And all the talking about the travel and all
that, the misfortune and misfortune, but difficulty for the other teams, yeah,
other schools, you know, these Olympic sports, uh is the issue?
Yeah? Yeah, no, And and that's the thing, you know,
I mean again, you know what, look at Arizona. As much
as okay people say, well who watches those? Well I know, but
maybe those those kids compete as hard as everybody else. And so why why
are you gonna want to put your your your your swimmers, and your tennis
players and your golfers and and all those in a position where they've got to
go to West Virginia and they got to go to Ames, Iowa, and
they got to go to you know, uh, Baylor and Baylor wherever.
Right when they've been going to LA in San Francisco and Seattle, you know,
in Eugene, Oregon, you know, Salt Lake City. The next
time we have one of those the minor sports Olympic sports people, We'll ask
him, are you would you be would you mind doing this going to the
places that you just said or put yourself in the shoes of a UCLA or
u USC swimmer, right boy? And maybe maybe swimming. The swimming is
different because because swimming as is a team swarm where you go to meets where
there's you know, you mean the same as track. But let's say softball,
tennis, tennis, where you're playing a schedule against teams that you've got
to go visit and then they come to your place, you know, where
it's not you know, because like you know, you're like Arizona already goes
like for indoor track, they go Lubbock already because Texas Tech as one as
one of the top indoor facilities in the country, and they hold a bunch
of the bunch of just meet I think all you here it's two old dudes
and the every other radio show you know, like the kid here listens to.
We spend other people's money, right, we kind of because because we're
not spending our own money and we have solved other people's problems. But we
never I guess we do. We ask people, what do you think the
people who actually going through the problems. We don't do the kids care,
I don't. The kids probably don't give a crap. They might s well,
that's ah, that's why we need to ask, you know, did
you want to go to Rutger short or do you want to go to Aimes
Eye? Does it do you matter? Does it mind? You know?
What is it? And what does the freshman think? Versus what does the
senior Thinkright right, a freshman who hasn't done any of the travel, Oh,
I'm all right with it, you know, because they don't know,
versus a senior who says, you know what, I've had to come home
from Seattle at six o'clock in the morning and and then, you know,
gather myself and go to school on Monday. You know, when you've experienced
it and you know what it feels like, you may not want it until
you ask champe over as until you asked. We can kind of speculate.
Now, it's tough, it's going to be, but you know, if
you're going through it, that's one thing. Talking about it as another.
I you know, I yeah, I mean, it's it's it's, it's
it's. It all remains to be see. It's because it's also new.
All this stuff that Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA, USC have all done.
He changed, you know, like Richard called and said, I don't want
to go to play those teams in the South. I like playing the teams
that we were playing around Oklahoma. Right, we got about two forty five,
so I'm not sure we can get a call or not. But we
let's go back to talk to about Lopez. Love talking to him. His
stories are fantastic because he talks about the real world, real world, and
I knew that he would not He's eight years now that he's been done,
and uh no, I said, a landscape is landscape is crazy crazy?
Yeah, yeah, I thought it was a little older, actually, did
you. Yeah, because he's you're five years older than you. He'll be
five yeah, five years yeah. Yeah, he's stilled, relatively young man,
good at what he does. Obviously he loved his job. But we
didn't ask him. Is he still doing some TV comment? Yeah? I
don't think. I don't know he would be. He'd be saying I would
think he'd be, you know, doing some regional stuff, but he didn't
mention it. I guess if you had mentioned he would have know, one
of the great storytellers with a lot of his ex guys still coaching right in
the playoffs, right, and you know when you know, I still think
of that twenty twelve national championship and how out of nowhere that came. We've
talked to him about that, but to me, that still came so out
of nowhere, which made it so much fun. Well to your point two,
asked him about getting in and get it out the year later, d
We're not. They didn't get him, remember, I remember that. I
remember a crappy Florida team got in and flamed out like Arizona did this year,
when a crappy Florida team got in and the defending you know, the
defending champion did not. And I remember being really pissed off about that and
probably went off on social media a little bit on that one, because I
do that sometimes. I do that once in a while. But no,
hey, look, you know the did you real quick? There was did
she the plane? The Duke Virginia Superregional game at Virginia. Guy's batting Duke's
up five, four two outs, two runners on bottom of the ninth.
I hit the ball that the announcers like that's out and the Duke I robs
him of the home run, and the game Duke wins against Virginia at Virginia,
So you can that's that got posted on about eighty thousand Twitter feeds.
But it's it's when you think about the magnitude of a play like that to
win the game. Rob a guy have a home run to win the game
on the road in a superregional. That was pretty cool. Yeah, nice,
one of those things. Just a fun time. You're okay, great,
we got about thirty seconds. A good week, come on the comeback
right. Working on some stuff for next week, so we hope you get
some good some more good guests. But sugar Skulls. Tomorrow night, I'll
be on the on the call with the Pat Paris on on YouTube television,
but it's also on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. If you, if you're in
your car, want to hear the game that's six o'clock. I want to
ask you about that because I just kind of realized YouTube. Tell you we'll
talk about it next week. Because if that's the way the world's going,
how's that going? That's I don't know, that's the question. We'll have
that conversation. Okay, all right, we're right here. Have a great weekend.