Infield Dreams: Jack Wilson (Part 2)

We sat down with Jack Wilson, the former Pittsburgh Pirates all-star, and what unfolded was more than just a trip down memory lane; it was an examination of the heart and soul of America's pastime. Jack regaled us with tales of the electric partnership he shared with Pokey Reese, a duo that epitomized infield magic. As we cozied up to the tales of turning two, Jack also peeled back the layers on his defensive philosophy. It's about developing a backbone of confidence on the field and turning mistakes into masterclasses—a philosophy he's ingrained in his son, Jacob, now a first-round pick for the Oakland Athletics. The synergy of a team, the pride of a father, and the evolution of a career all intertwine in this heartfelt discussion.

Remember Freddie Sanchez? That name takes on new depth as Jack recounts the strategic decisions and serendipitous high school friendship that set the stage for Freddie's rise to a batting title. It's a powerful reminder of the bonds that form the backbone of baseball, where the chemistry of teammates can spark personal triumphs. There's an element of nostalgia, certainly, as we revisit the moments—like Rob Mackowiak's unforgettable day—that remind us why we fall in love with the game. But beyond the nostalgia, we delve into the complicated emotions surrounding trades, career paths, and the remarkable ways personal and professional lives intersect, echoing the timeless adage: baseball is life.

Our conversation takes a turn towards the poignant and profound as we reflect on facing legends like Greg Maddux and the collective journey through the tragedy of September 11th. The baseball diamond becomes more than just a playing field; it emerges as a space of healing and humanity. As we wrapped up, we couldn't help but tip our hats to broadcasting greats "Brownie" and "Mikey," whose narrative prowess has elevated the game for us all. And as we look to the horizon, the pulse of excitement is undeniable for the future of the Wilson legacy in baseball. These stories are a testament to the resilience, greatness, and deep connections that define the sport—and remind us why we always come back for one more inning.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

And welcome to another episode of Hold my Cutter. This is with Jack Wilson and we are enjoying the standard Connecticut rap Ashton a really good smoke Michael McHenry and I and with our special guest, former pirate all-star Jack Wilson, who in one episode told us all about getting to the big leagues, about struggles along the way, which happens with a lot of players, but what we didn't get to, jack, in the previous episode was the great relationship you would end up having with Freddie Sanchez. I want to get to that. Before I do, I want to ask you about. It was almost like a comet quickly extinguished, unfortunately, but the double play combination Jack Wilson and Pokey Reese yeah, it was one of the most exciting times extinguished, unfortunately, but the double play combination jack wilson and pokey reese, it was one more exciting times and again it flamed out rather quickly because pokey got hurt. But what was that like for you when he came? The former red it was.

Speaker 2: 0:54

It was flashy, yeah you know what a great name pokey was, the man. He was such a. I mean, he got lucky too, because to start my career I got pat mears and then po Reeves, both former shortstops. So not only was I getting a great double play partner, but I was also getting someone to lean on more about playing the shortstop position. And Pokey from the get-go. Like first time I met I was excited because we played against each other in Cincinnati and he was such an amazing fielder and I was surprised we got him because we thought that at some point Barry Larkin would be gone and he would be the next coming. But he was playing second base but he came up as a stud shortstop and when we got him I was like so pumped. I remember the first time he came to camp and he just came up and he always called me Jackson. He'd be like Jackson.

Speaker 2: 1:43

I was like we're going to run.

Speaker 1: 1:45

This is gonna be. It was a show. Yeah, it was a show, there'll be. You guys will have double play. You do the pinky thing? Yes, yes, oh, yeah, no, I remember you guys called yourself chocolate vanilla.

Speaker 2: 1:54

Yes, yeah, we had that that one against the cubs that day game, that to end the game was bases loaded. I think gonzalez hit the ball, I think so, and I never tried that flip before in my entire life. And I I was just wanting to get to the ball because I think the tying run was at third but the winning run was at second. So my thought process was just to get to the ball. And then when I reached out and got it, I'm like it just and just instinctually I just went into the gloves.

Speaker 2: 2:22

I just didn't think, but it it was a tough flip because it came out hot and luckily it like came out like pokey was standing there and it came out right to his glove, cause it was almost blind where I was just like, ah, and it just so, to pokey's credit, he had to have amazing hands, cause it came out really hard, not like we're like kind of why I wanted it to and not like we're like kind of why I wanted it to, yeah, and it came out hard and it like hit his glove and like rattled just for a second, but his hands were so amazing that he was able to grab it and spin it right away. And that was that that was in april. So that was that like oh, we're here, oh this is what we're gonna do the entire year.

Speaker 2: 3:01

So you just had this belief. If you had a second baseman, and you guys just had the belief that you could do things that nobody else could do, you knew that whenever there's a guy at first, you guys are both just thinking the same exact thing, like we always felt like, no matter what ball was hit, we can turn a double play and like, no matter where it was, because he knew where I was gonna be, how I liked it, I knew where he was going to be on, what he liked it, and there was not going to be a ground ball where we didn't believe that we could not spin it, which was it's hard to find. It's hard to find two guys that have that same thought process, like you were the same page, we were the same page and we were. We were completely. I think the key was we were completely fearless. We were completely fearless in making plays that maybe someone else wouldn't try.

Speaker 1: 3:44

You've said that before to us off mic and you've said it to other people, of course and then you're in camp during spring training this is a 2024 spring training in Bradenton, here at Leacom Park, and you've worked with middle infielders, the minor leagues and the big leagues and you said before, you said to your son Jacob, who was a first round pick for the Oakland Athletics in 2023, you were never afraid to make a mistake on the field.

Speaker 2: 4:09

I think if you, if you're afraid and you think about it, it's that thought process is just going to be hesitant and you can't hesitate in this game. You have to be ready and you have to believe completely in your ability. And you have to believe completely in your ability and I just felt, like any ball that I can get to, I knew I had trained myself to make every play that I could. If a ball touches my glove, I should be able to make, give the effort to make the play. Regardless. If I come to throw and it comes out a little bit too early and the guy doesn't pick it, it bounces off the gloves and goes in the dugout, I'm still going to try to make that play. If the next ball is hit the exact same way, I'm going to do the exact same thing.

Speaker 2: 4:47

So I didn't. I got upset. I hated errors but at the same time, I always learned from them. So I felt like all right, I know I went this way for the ball and that was the wrong read. So, me being me, you guys are getting this. Now, if I made a mistake from a certain point, say, I came a little two steps to my right and I picked up and threw the ball. And I threw it down, didn't get picked. E6. If you saw me the next inning, every one of my throws from floor from that same exact area, I would literally walk over to that same thing, have the third baseman roll the ball to me and I would replicate the same play and make the throw. And then it was gone.

Speaker 3: 5:25

It's called using your time. Then it was gone.

Speaker 2: 5:27

Then it was gone. So every time I made a throwing error in a certain spot the next inning I'm throwing three or four throws from that spot to erase it. Intentional To erase it, yep.

Speaker 1: 5:37

Man, that was my mental. It's so funny, so that's something I don't pay any attention to. It just be a bit of fan a lot of years, but I did. I didn't pay attention to that.

Speaker 3: 5:49

I don't know now, or generally, guys just looks like just to get their arm loose. But there you have yeah, it's an old school approach. I mean bob walk talked about like he didn't have he didn't have his banger that day, that curveball, so he'd throw it five, six times of warm-ups. You just don't see that anymore. Guys fall in love and really just tie themselves to a routine right instead of hey, what can I do to make sure that I'm ready for that next opportunity? And I love he just shared that with me recently and I absolutely love it. So it's such a good mentality he's like made a mistake. I need to do this for my psyche.

Speaker 2: 6:15

And two, it's gonna just build that confidence when it comes back again, so good, because if I don't, it's safe. For some reason they hit the ball in the same spot. I'm literally going to be going to that ball thinking what just happened. But since I've just made three or four throws and they were good good, go ahead and hit the ball there. I've already fixed it.

Speaker 2: 6:32

I've already learned from it man, you know it was the same footwork too. I would like feel it like, whatever the shuffle was, whatever it was, and it was a way for me to to literally erase what happened and knowing that if that ball is there again, I'm fine.

Speaker 1: 6:45

I'm good, jack, if you looked back at your career now and this was before Metrics, we I certainly did believe that you were one of the best shortstops I'd ever seen and I don't think that you got the credit at the time. You played for the Pirates then because, frankly, there were people who thought that you know Jack Flash. I threw that at you because that's what you were. You're Jack Flash Wilson, but it was more than that, I mean. And now the metrics back that up. You're right. Yeah, have you looked back at that? What did you think back then and what do you think about that now?

Speaker 2: 7:20

I love that we have defensive metrics, because now you can. Now it's not about how gold glove for a long time.

Speaker 1: 7:28

My next question is going to be do you look back? Didn't you think you should have won a gold glove?

Speaker 2: 7:33

I can actually quantify, that, I can find out, I think if there were the metrics that they had today, that were back then, I think I probably got a pretty good chance.

Speaker 3: 7:41

I got second place five times.

Speaker 2: 7:43

I think you won one and all five times. I think I probably got a pretty good chance. I got second place five times. I think you won one and all five times. I think I was higher in fielding percentage, higher in attempts, higher in double plays turn. Fortunately we had a lot of guys on pace, so that was part of it. But I loved when they started doing that now with these metrics the Bible Award that came out when they started doing that, when they started using metrics to that the Fielding Bible Award. I won that in 2009 because I really felt like looking back, I thought 2009 was by far my best defensive year because I had Perry Hill and he changed my footwork around just a little bit and it was awesome. Like everything worked. I was making all the routine plans, I was making the great plays. It was awesome, like everything worked. I was making all the routine plans, I was making the great plays.

Speaker 3: 8:26

It was awesome. I didn't realize that that was that far into your career. So 2009,. I got traded wasn't it.

Speaker 2: 8:32

I had it and I was ineligible because I got traded to the other league and I swear I had this thing. I'm like this is the year. This is the year I'm going to get it. I've gotten five plays. Year, I'm gonna get it. I've gotten five places. I've gotten fifth place, but this year I'm so much better than I had in the past. I'm sitting at like eight or nine errors and I was like a 14 to 15 to 16 guy. I'm like this is it. Everything is going well. Freddie and I are up the middle. We're killing it. This is it trade.

Speaker 2: 8:55

The miracle league didn't even think about it. Then, after the end of the year, I'm like I still I had a good year. I think this could still be. And my agent had to tell me he's like they're not going to give it to you because they can't vote for you, because you only played so many games in the National League of Southern Maine and the American League and I was crushed. I'm like, oh, because, not only that, this, I mean Perry Hill had 20. He still has 20-something. I mean you might have to do the 30 guys underneath his wing that want to go glove. So that was going to be another testament to him, like taking a guy that never got over that hump to get that and it was just like ah, so oh, that's unbelievable.

Speaker 2: 9:28

So I have five silver gloves, so that's five silver gloves.

Speaker 1: 9:36

Yeah, speaking of freddie sanchez, you guys, how did you become so close and why?

Speaker 2: 9:40

well, we played together in high school. We played travel ball in high school together and he played short and I played second and we played on a travel team.

Speaker 1: 9:47

Our last short you played yeah he was phenomenal, so much so.

Speaker 2: 9:50

I remember when we did the tryout for the team I think we were both sophomores in high school we were trying out. I remember like it's yesterday and all the best players in the area are trying out for this team and they say go out to your position. So naturally there's five short stops. I'm gonna line it short. Freddie's the first one up. I'm right behind him. Freddie takes the first ground ball and absolutely lets go of this hoverball laser just hovers into first.

Speaker 2: 10:16

I'm a short, I go all right. I'm going to say and I literally accepted it, I'm like I don't have that. I don't know if he can hit, I don't know who he is, but I don't have that. I don't know if he can hit I don't know who he is, but I don't have that, but I'm pretty good over here, so I literally, as soon as the ball is on the air, almost simultaneously just turn and walk to second base.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Good for you. That's so good.

Speaker 2: 10:37

I think I might be better than those three guys over there, but this dude right here.

Speaker 1: 10:39

That's so good and.

Speaker 2: 10:41

I literally walked over there and we both made the team. He was the starting shortstop, I was starting second, he hit second, I hit third and it was awesome. It was awesome. And then, years later, you're playing together. So we make this trade right. We make this trade with Boston.

Speaker 2: 10:54

I'm in the cage. Nothing, anything of it. It's trade deadline. We're used to it in Pittsburgh. Good guys, they want them. We're not competing at that time.

Speaker 2: 11:07

Uh, so I'm in the cage getting ready for a game. Uh, whoever the sideline reporter is at the time I don't remember, I don't recall who it was is talking before the game on the field about the trade going through, who and there's a player to be named later. I'm still swinging, not even really paying attention, and they go. It's between this player, this player and freddie sanchez and I, like mid swing, stop, drop the bat, run into the, run into the clubhouse, call the gm and say get freddie sanchez. He is insanely good. If they're the player to be laying later, we are going to get a steal. Go get him. You call the pirates general manager. I straight up said listen, you need to get this guy. I promise you. He's a dude. He's stuck in Boston behind. No More Garcia Parra. He's hitting like 360 in AAA. He's hit his entire life. Go get Freddy Sanchez. I don't care whoever else is on the table. Freddy's your guy and he's like all right. Thanks for the info. We pull the trigger.

Speaker 1: 12:08

And now this is what home by cutter is all about. It's breaking stories. Yep, get him. It had not been for jack wilson. There's a chance the pirates don't end up getting freddie sanchez, who, of course, ends up winning a batting title, and one of the most popular players, certainly in his era. That's incredible. So what happens when they you find out.

Speaker 2: 12:20

They do get them. They get him, he said. He said, uh, I think he was in. I'm pumped, I get him. I call him. I'm like dude. Because he actually played against us with Boston. He gets called up. Played at PNC Park Wow. Played third base for them Wow. Not only this, not only did he get called up, I think he has the record for most put outs as a third baseman in American League history.

Speaker 1: 12:41

He did that with Derek Lowe. Remember Derek Lowe? Oh yeah, of course he was playing third.

Speaker 2: 12:45

I think he had 10 or 11 put outs in a game, so much that Boston was chanting Freddie, freddie. I mean, the dude was a stud. You guys end up seeing what he was and what he came to be. But, like I, was so ecstatic for him and then he came up and played with us and he played a little bit of second, a little bit of third, but he was still coming off an injury from when we traded for him and then the next year I'm thinking we've got to give this guy an opportunity.

Speaker 2: 13:11

We go out and sign Joe Randa, which is great. We always love to have these guys that come back. Joe Randa was a great, big leader. He had been with the Pirates previously. By the way, I always acknowledge that was the year we also had jerry burnett's and I loved having those guys because I could. I could learn from them. I love. Jerry burnett's was, you know, the brew crew. He was the guy for the brewers, and so joe randa comes in and you know he takes the third base job. That's what we sign him for, I think gosh, I don't even remember who. He had a second base at the time I don't know if it was was Castillo or not at the time, but second, base wasn't available for him.

Speaker 2: 13:48

So he becomes this bench player, utility guy and in April all he does is pinch hit and he sees one pitch and he gets a hit On a pitch. He gets a hit, give him a spot, start two for four. Joe's back out there, pinch hit, base hit and you're like this guy's insane. So the reason why the history of Freddie Sanchez happens is because Joe Randa hits a ball off his foot and breaks his foot. At the end of April, freddie Sanchez becomes the starting third baseman. At the end of April this dude goes to the All-Star game, wins a batting title, has 200 hits and didn't play in april that's so incredible.

Speaker 1: 14:26

So in a six month season.

Speaker 2: 14:28

This dude did 200 hits in five months and to this day I tell people the most impressive thing I ever saw about freddie sanchez was also a very gifted defender. He doesn't get a lot of that because you saw his body. You say he didn't have any range, but he was very good at second base, turned the ball great at second base. He had very good range. But you just looked at him you didn't think he could. But he did and he was really smart. But that dude never gave up in at bat. If he was three for three, he wanted four for four. You know we get that human nature where we're two, you're going to your last at bat, you're three for four and you're like, worst case scenario, three for five. Yeah, yeah, freddie's like no, no, no, no, it is four for five and that's it. Like that was his thought process and that's what made him such a great hitter.

Speaker 2: 15:17

There was never a bat that he didn't have his unbelievable focus that I am going to get a hit and I'm like, and that's what made him such a great hitter. Like he obviously had amazing hands, very good knowing of the strike zone, could put it wherever you wanted, could control the barrel amazing barrel control.

Speaker 1: 15:30

had a little bit of pop and just a doubles machine, like man, he could hit and heart the size of this ballpark. Yes, I mean drive, I mean he loved baseball.

Speaker 2: 15:39

Man played four years of college Wasn't a draft guy after his junior year. We played against each other in junior colleges for two years and I was at oxnard uh, he was at another junior college. We played against each other. So yeah it was jose castillo great memory okay, tragically passed away.

Speaker 3: 15:53

Yeah, 2018 brownie before we go any further, to put it full circle, I just shared this with jack last year. It was freddie was the guy I looked to when he came to hit him and manny ramirez. They're both literal guys, right, and you were in the organization. No, this is way before I was in the organization way before.

Speaker 1: 16:10

How did you found you? How'd this happen? I?

Speaker 3: 16:12

was. I was watching baseball, watched him swing, watched him play oh, you do nothing about the pirates, oh, wow. Then we went to san fran. I followed him there and he was the guy that I always looked to because I loved his rhythm, I loved how he kind of put everything together. It always looked like he had a dance going on in the box of the pitcher and I really believed that was a missing link for me. So I watched him religiously. I have every single one of his bats on my ipad and mary ramirez, every single one. It's a lot of bats. I actually blew up my ipad when I downloaded all this stuff but like, yeah, it's so cool to know that he's not just great in my mind as a player, the way he played hard and everything else, but I didn't know anything about the Pirates. But I knew about those two. It's just he was a guy I looked at. It's like wow, the doubles, the line drives, it was everything.

Speaker 2: 16:57

I wanted to be as a hitter. Yeah, he could put the ball wherever he wanted. He was a barrel so crazy. What was it like to be on the field as a teammate, with a batting race on the line. It was so much fun for the fans.

Speaker 2: 17:12

There's another question like what's your favorite memory of of? Like your baseball career and like it's a? It's a tie between going the all-star game and watching freddie sanchez win a batting title. That's so cool, just because you like, you, like we sat, we were going in our last series and it's him and Miguel Cabrera back and forth. We go out to dinner. We come home from a road trip and I think it was relatively close because we still have the night and we went out. We went into the city and we got some like hibachi grill, japanese place.

Speaker 2: 17:38

We're sitting down and he's the wheels are starting to spin about this whole batting title thing. It's starting to become real and it's close. Two or three points and he's got it. He's got them so far and he's just like dude. He's starting to get to me. I'm like dude, no, no, no, no. Freddie, no, no, no. You just go out and focus season, right? Miguel Cabrera needs like three hits. If Freddie gets one, he steals. Even if Cabrera goes five for five, he can't touch him. So Miguel starts his game, he goes 0 for 1, and I think he ends up with two at-bats and he pulls himself out because they're not going to the playoffs. We didn't know that because we were playing at the same time. So I'm hitting like eighth. I think he was hitting first to try to give him the most at-bats in case he needed it, I think, if I remember right. I just remember he was one hit away and I remember being on a first base and I was on first. I'm like if this dude hits a ground ball, I am running into it.

Speaker 1: 18:38

I am just running into this thing Because he needs one, he just needs a hit. Yes, because he needs one, he just needs a hit.

Speaker 2: 18:43

That is so good and I'm like dude. If this dude hits a chopper, I'm putting my head down and just boom, I'm just going to run in the same.

Speaker 1: 18:49

That is such a great call.

Speaker 2: 18:50

Sure enough, I think he ends up getting a hit later in the game, shoots to right field and then it's official. Miguel comes out of the game. He gets it. They stop, like they stop stop. No, yeah, I think they stopped the game or had a ceremony after the game. I believe we gave him the watch placards?

Speaker 1: 19:05

yeah, they had a plaque and a watch amazing.

Speaker 2: 19:08

He took all his pictures with the bat like the batting type champs and I think that was so special to see because, remember, he's born with a club foot right, so he wasn't even supposed to be an athlete. I mean, the story just gets better.

Speaker 2: 19:17

Yeah, he had those like forrest gump braces on his feet and stuff and he's a and he's a tremendous competitor. He was a very good basketball player too. This guy wasn't even supposed to be an athlete. He wasn't supposed to play youth sports and he ends up being and winning this batting title, coming from a guy that was traded. You're a bench guy. No, you're an all-star game. Now you're a 200 hit guy and you're a batting champion. You're just like that's not like the history, the storybook baseball right there, and so I always feel like that always has a special place. More hard things like the rob mccovey act double header when his kid was born, like those to me were kind of overlapped anything that I personally had because it was so unbelievable to watch at the time like we kind of transcend. You're just like is this really happening? Just, you just have a kid hit a game-winning homer in the game, tying homing homer, all in the ninth inning, the same day that you gave birth to it, that your wife gave birth to it.

Speaker 1: 20:08

You can't ever forget any of that. You're just like, is this? Players usually don't go to the game. They keep winning. It's steered into your brain. They take off a day or two.

Speaker 2: 20:28

And sure enough, I think, later on had my second uh, our daughter jayden. We had a scheduled double header. We induced, we had jayden and because rob did what he did, they made me play a double header that night because they thought I was gonna do something. Meanwhile I go over seven, I run the wrong bunk play but they say nothing to me because I'm like you. You guys realize what I just watched this morning.

Speaker 1: 20:44

What I just unfolded, oh my gosh and I'm like I don't know how Rob did it. What did the McCovey act effect to Rob?

Speaker 2: 20:50

They're like it's got to work again. If we can get something out of Jack today, let's go.

Speaker 1: 20:55

I'm like you screwed me. I'm 0 for 7 now because you hit two overs.

Speaker 2: 21:00

And I ran the wheel and I called it. I called the wheel and stayed it short. No, kidding your brain is everywhere at this moment. Freddy gets the ball and turns it on third and goes and those are first and he looks at me and he's like he's like what are you doing?

Speaker 1: 21:16

You called the flag.

Speaker 2: 21:18

He's like you called it. Why are you not here? I'm like nah. I just put it in my bracelet.

Speaker 3: 21:27

I'm like, hey, I'm a girl, dad, now I'm dealing with a lot of things.

Speaker 1: 21:34

That's incredible man that is so great. I remember Jack the difficult. I remember vividly two trades since I've been doing this that stand out and I do the Freddie-Jack kind of combination.

Speaker 3: 21:51

I don't know if it was the same day or not. Same day. It was the same day. You guys got traded on the same day or not? The other one was the same day. The other one was the same day, same morning, when.

Speaker 1: 21:56

Niger. Morgan was traded yeah, the Pirates to the Nationals. I walked into that clubhouse. It was like somebody had put a big black grape over there. It was unbelievable. We loved Niger. It was just so quiet. It was like it was like a morgue in there, yeah. But now we're on the road. I think when you were traded in San Francisco on a wife's trip on a wife's trip.

Speaker 2: 22:17

So your wife got traded too in the same moment. So I had to get to Seattle. But Pittsburgh took her home. They let her come on the flight back to Pittsburgh. That's cool. You have to understand. This was 2009. This was the first time we had ever had a wife's trip. It never happened. So everybody was really excited because all the wives were on the plane with us. Sure enough, I get traded the morning of a Sunday game. Freddie gets traded afterwards and I'm like what do I do? I have to go to. They wanted me to play that night in Seattle. So I got to get on a flight. The GM's like hey, we'd love to have you, can you make it? We're facing Toronto and I'm like I mean, when's the flight? They're like in an hour and 15 minutes. So I'm like okay. And then I look up like we're facing Roy Halladay.

Speaker 1: 22:58

I'm like, ah, you're not going to make that flight.

Speaker 2: 23:00

There's no way you're trading for me to play at home against Roy.

Speaker 2: 23:03

Halladay and I'm like ah no, there's a lot of losses there. I can't ask me. I am going, my wife is here, I have other things, so I ended up getting a later flight. I ended up showing up to Seattle on like the 5th or 6th of the evening, but it was so awesome that Pittsburgh the Pirates were amazing with her and was able to take her back and she was really emotional because we really wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. We loved it there and you know, it just ended up not working out and it was tough. It was tough for her and and all the other boys were there like consoling her and helping her throughout the whole flight. That's a long flight of san francisco back to pittsburgh in the real. So yeah, it was a, it was. It was.

Speaker 2: 23:44

It was a tough day for for my kids, but you and freddie talked about it leading up to the trade we did well, unfortunately enough, like it was kind of like a package deal and it was it was I don't know if the world the word regret is is what I would use I had told they had approached me about a two year deal and at the time like I've been so blessed with contracts and financial stuff that it wasn't even about anything like what I was making I just said, listen, I see it coming, I see the talent, because I had rehabbed a couple times down in indianapolis. I saw what mccutchen was, I saw what neil was. We just spent a bunch of money on pedro and we were really getting excited because we were starting to spend money in the draft for the first time and I'm like it's coming, but it's two to three years away. I really believe that. And for me to stay here and be sane, like you guys need to talk to Freddie, like we need to get Freddie in on this too. You need to keep us together. And it was not. It was not something they wanted to do. I don't think they were interested at that point and they were really not happy with the way I said that. But I said I watched what happened to Jason Kendall when Giles left, when Williams left, when KY left, I saw that firsthand. I was going by experience and I love the young guys. When I went down there in spring training I loved being around them. But I'm like I'm going to look around here and it's going to be me and not a lot of guys left. It's hard.

Speaker 2: 25:08

So it was going back and forth and they started dealing with Freddie. I was, it was going back and forth and they started dealing with freddie. I was really happy about that, but the numbers didn't line up for him and it was going to be his first contract. So I did not, I did not say anything. I said, listen, we're good, the years and the number is good for me, let's just get freddie. And I'm on freddie like hey, dude, we gotta stay together, bro, like. And he's like I know, it's like my agent is saying this and I'm like I understand that part too. You gotta do what's right for you too. So and I just kind of let it be.

Speaker 2: 25:35

And then we're saturday night in san francisco, we're out to dinner with a couple of couples, because it's the wise trip, and I'm like I looked at my wife, I'm like you know what? I don't want to leave. I don't want to. I don't want to go, trade deadline's coming up. I'm like I think I think we're just going to end this right now with without freddie. I think it's just going to wait to be I'm just going to. So I call my agent. I say call them, tell them we're good to go. I'm in. They called back and they're like I'm really sorry, the trade's already gone through. Wow. So they said they had made the trade with seattle, it was already done and they're already been sent to the office.

Speaker 2: 26:11

And I was like so I was maybe an hour or two too late for continuing to be a pirate and I like.

Speaker 2: 26:17

So when he called me that morning in the cab and said it ended up going through and it's all done, we appreciate everything you did, and stuff like that, I was just like man, that's on me. I'm more emotional about that when I did the interview, talking about how I was gonna miss it, everything. It was just like I like why did I wait so long? I was just hoping that Freddie could do it with me. But then at the end I was just like I kind of kicked myself into this day because just being not so much that it didn't work out in Seattle and didn't work out very well, but it didn't play very well and that's not really the reason for it. I was just like what would have been to be a chance to be a part of what happened those two or three years later and to be a chance to play with one organization for your entire career, and that's that is just like a day too late. A day too late that that didn't just pop in my head and tough.

Speaker 3: 27:07

What a great story that is a great lesson for many who who, when, when, given the chance to stay and you're you're a little different situation.

Speaker 1: 27:14

But you're fighting for a teammate right given the chance to stay, and you're in a little different situation, but you're fighting for a teammate, right?

Speaker 3: 27:16

I love that.

Speaker 1: 27:17

You're fighting for the teammate and oftentimes it seems like this isn't the case with you, but I think it seems like players oftentimes want to go somewhere. They believe it's greener pastures. It's always greener right.

Speaker 2: 27:29

Yeah, I felt like too. I felt like with us up the middle.

Speaker 1: 27:33

I mean yeah, and if you bring it in with Cutch and it just got he just got called up.

Speaker 2: 27:38

So I played with Cutch and the Bickleys for maybe a month, maybe maybe a month and a half. So he just got called up, so I started to see this guy. I'm like man, if you, I'm like the talent's coming, but you know, and they weren't too far off, but you know, at the end of the day, do I look at it? I'm like gosh dang, I could have done it differently. But then, at the same token, freddie has two world series rings, yeah, yeah, touche.

Speaker 1: 28:06

Yeah, you can't regret it and I'll tell you what I bet you the pirates regret it. No disrespect, but that was a trade that did not work out because I think you went with Ian Snell to Seattle and again, no disrespect to the guys they got, but it just didn't work out.

Speaker 3: 28:23

Ronnie Sedango Jeff.

Speaker 1: 28:24

Clement Nate Adcock, aaron Probanek and Brett Lauren.

Speaker 3: 28:30

At least, we brought a haul in.

Speaker 1: 28:33

You did get a haul.

Speaker 3: 28:34

You brought in a truckload, that's for sure.

Speaker 1: 28:38

I played with two of those guys. You did yeah, did you and Freddie stay in touch.

Speaker 2: 28:44

Yeah, we're pretty close over in Arizona so we golf a lot. He's a big golfer now. He's really into it. It's fun to get on the course with him and catch up His son. He's got, uh, one son that's graduating high school and going off to college, uh, here pretty soon. And then, uh, his other son is playing ball and freddie runs his own travel organization called the fs21 stars and they do an amazing job. I wear him out for for naming it after himself, as you should, and I'm like, bro, the fs21 stars really, and it's the logo of him making that. Oh, that's great. Hey, you got a sick logo too.

Speaker 2: 29:20

Yeah, but I'm not putting it on my travel team.

Speaker 3: 29:22

It's true, that's no, I wasn't even saying like I love it yeah, it's so cool, like when you have something that neat, you can remember it.

Speaker 2: 29:29

But yeah, naming it after well the way and the way. Travel ball is now like. It's so refreshing to see people that do it right for the right reasons, that have the kids in mind. There are some out there that aren't like that. You know, going through that with Jacob and going through the travel scene and baseball. Now then youth baseball is pretty tough, whether it's a money grab or they really don't care about the kids. So he's doing it. Right over there in Arizona they're doing really well, so he's doing it right over there in.

Speaker 2: 29:53

Arizona.

Speaker 1: 29:53

They're doing really well, did you? I know you're into your career, of course, when you're in Seattle, but do you start watching the Pirates then? Yeah, all the time I think they wear me out because I always put the Pirate camp on in the clubhouse, so 2012,. The team was looked like headed to the playoffs and then collapsed in September, then finally break through in 13. You were kind of watching that. Absolutely, yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:12

I was glued, I was. I was trying to get some fly out there and go to the game. I was really, I was really wanting to do that and be a part of it. You know to to be there and because that's something I always dreamed of, like being on the field when this thing turned around after the 20, was it 12 and started to turn around.

Speaker 1: 30:31

13 was the playoffs.

Speaker 2: 30:32

20 some years, 20 years of playoffs and you know, going through nine of those. Yeah, and just be like this place. Because I think that was when, like, people understood like how amazing a sports city pittsburgh was. It was always two of three steelers, penguins, pirates, steelers, penguins. Then it was Steelers, penguins, pirates. Now we're the Kings. We are the Kings. I loved watching the crowd and just the enthusiasm about both. Was it three years in a row between the wild card games and stuff? It was so fun to watch Jack how about?

Speaker 1: 31:07

what's amazing, too, is that not only do you make the club in 2001, after bypassing AAA Bigaguer, 2001, for the first time, they crushed pnc park. Yeah, yeah, do you remember what it was like coming up from florida and the bus goes into pnc park, the new ballpark, oh, even coming out of the tunnel? Well, but I'm saying we, we walked out Everybody. Yes, we did, and I watched you guys, I want to see, because I was amazed by it. I just watched your reactions. Watch, the lights are on and you're looking at this ballpark for the first time. What was that like?

Speaker 2: 31:47

I don't think I'd ever, at that point, stepped foot on a major league field.

Speaker 3: 31:54

So that foot on a major league field. So that was my first time doing that come on.

Speaker 2: 31:56

No, you stepped into heaven's doors first one. Yes, yes, wow, and I'm like, I'm like, oh man, and first of all too, you gotta think my. From the time they say you made the team to that point, your heartbeat is at an insane rate, let alone stepping on the field for the first time. I just remember seeing it for the first time because we came in at night remember yeah, and seeing it out of the tunnel, oh yeah, yeah, those special blue colored lights yes, and then the lights, and then we were all just so excited.

Speaker 2: 32:18

Really, I was just focused on watching all of the guys that played at three rivers. See it, because then they're going from this almost like old mckinney to leek how I look at it, like what it was and what it is and just the excitement of it, until they saw the North side notch and every right hand here.

Speaker 3: 32:34

I know I hate that.

Speaker 2: 32:38

They don't pay people for triples. That's pretty much what it's for, it's like we can hit triples, yes so, but yeah, I just, I just remember, like, are they all like this? There was, there was only a couple of stadiums that you walked into. You're like, so to this day, walking to pnc park is special, special, special, because that was my first home, yeah, you know, and it was there for so long and then it was always like fenway, chicago, but you know, old yankee stadium that we got to play in before the new yankee stadium.

Speaker 2: 33:08

But what was really special for me was atlanta, because atlanta you grew up watching TBS yep.

Speaker 1: 33:14

So remember only.

Speaker 2: 33:14

It was only it was only them and like so it was only Atlanta and it was WGN Chicago the only nationally televised game.

Speaker 2: 33:22

So when I stepped into the old Turner Field, I think it- was Turner Field, yeah yeah, and I'm like, yeah, facing Greg Maddox, yeah, I was like I bet I love PNC Park, it's new, yeah, but I feel like now I'm here, yeah, like you're standing here. I'm like I was like I love PNC Park, it's new, yeah, but I feel like now I'm here, yeah, like you're standing here. I'm like I feel like I'm playing video games like against, like the, and the first, the first day there first day in. Atlanta. I'm facing Greg Maddox. Come on, I'm like here's the first guy I saw the first pitch.

Speaker 2: 33:48

I saw I'm like so Kevin Young comes up to me in the dugout in the clubhouse in Atlanta. I'm still trying to figure it out. He's like hey, have you ever? This is after I think it was after I came back. Okay, your second thought yeah. So he's like have you ever faced Greg Maddux? I'm like no, I've never faced Greg Maddux. What do you think? What?

Speaker 3: 34:08

do you think?

Speaker 2: 34:11

I'm like no, and I'm already like mined up about it. I'm like I'm on a geeky mode. I'm a fan of the guy and I got to face him and he goes here's the secret about facing Greg Maddux. I'm like there's a secret. Yeah, there's a secret. He's like all right if it comes out and it looks like it's a ball. If it comes out as a ball swing, sure enough. Oh no, come on. First pitch cutter in ball, strike one. What, oh? He's right. Next pitch comes out of his hand. Strike right, don't swing, change up ball, let's go literally. You had to do the exact opposite of what you wanted to do if it looked like a strike are you kidding me?

Speaker 2: 34:57

that's what made him so amazing. Right, he would make a strike, look like a strike, but it was, but it would come out of the zone. And then he would throw a ball out of the zone that would come in to look like they're coming into a strike. I'm like, oh, thank you that advice. Sure enough, sure enough he hit. I ended up hitting a line drive base, hit to left, ran it first. So I'm just like your, first time you faced him. First time I faced him, I had him like 370 something against him.

Speaker 2: 35:18

Wow, yeah, kevin young's advice, yeah, great, first he's the only guy I ever had to approach and be like, hey, if it comes out of the strike, just don't swing. And from there I took that I think I have 50 50 plus at bats off him. That I just approach every time. That's amazing, and if you wanted to butt on him you had to be careful, because he was really good off the mound, like really good, yeah, gold glover yeah, so I was like there was a couple times there I wanted to butt on him, but if you, you did it more in wriggly because their grass was so thick.

Speaker 2: 35:44

So one time I got him and I was like I got, great, I got off the mound.

Speaker 1: 35:48

I was like I got lucky you could. But like you had the first two years, I think you might have led the league and sacrificed months.

Speaker 2: 35:52

Yeah, they didn't want me to swing. They were like just please help us Get the ball down. I'm like there's a one-out. The man on first, just help us. No-transcript. This was the worst and I didn't even think twice. I'm scuffling that first month we talked about in episode one. Yeah, I'm scuffling. We're in Houston, we have a long inning, we score a couple Ends up. I'm hitting eighth. I get up in the first inning, bases loaded, two outs and got pinch hit four. No, so I didn't even get to go play defense and I started the game. He's like. All I feel like is like oh, base loaded.

Speaker 1: 36:32

Two outs.

Speaker 2: 36:32

I take one step, jack you want to talk to me and all of a sudden, noonie comes walking, abraham Nunez comes walking.

Speaker 1: 36:39

Are you kidding me?

Speaker 2: 36:41

Oh, my day's done, all right, I'm going to go get my turfs on and just go sit in front of the Gatorade cooler. And I'm like man, I didn't even get I started today and I didn't get a plate appearance, so do I get to start Because I didn't step on. I officially did not step on the field, I was just in the lineup.

Speaker 1: 36:58

That's an unbelievable. Is that Lloyd? That's Lloyd. I'm going to get on Lloyd for that one. That's okay, I'm just kidding I might have done it too.

Speaker 2: 37:05

How?

Speaker 1: 37:05

about now. So that's opening 2001. Your year 2001 is incredible and you think about it. But you go back down to minor leagues. Then you go, you know the place of AAA ball, then you, just you stick. But then September 11th, it's right. Yeah, we're supposed to play the match that night.

Speaker 2: 37:22

Right, they were in town. They were in town. It was also the very first doctor's appointment for jacob, wow, that morning.

Speaker 2: 37:31

so I watched it happen in the waiting room, uh, on the tv and obviously you know the plane that went down really close to us and you know in shanksville, yeah, yeah so people were calling us to like because they didn't know anything but that that was all just an emotional, because I'm looking at like I'm there to go see the first images of our first kid and then that's happening on the screen and then you're like, then you want to check in with your Mets guys to make sure, like they know that, like are you guys okay, and stuff like that. But I mean, I'm 23 years old, I can't even fathom the situation, you can't even register it and understanding what's happening, you know and the volume and the intensity of it, just like be watching it over and over, like how is this even possible? Like everybody else in the country is just sitting there and just complete under shock.

Speaker 1: 38:13

And then I don't think we played for three or four days. Then do you remember getting on the bus to go to Chicago? Yeah, we drove all the way to Chicago and then we stopped at a rest area like three hours away and we waited for it seemed like two hours.

Speaker 2: 38:25

Yeah, because they didn't know if we were going to play or not, and then took a U-turn and came back to Pittsburgh. Yeah, came back because they were still not playing yet.

Speaker 1: 38:31

They bagged that weekend and then came back and played the Mets In New York. They flip-flopped the series.

Speaker 2: 38:37

Come on, dude well we're in New York, right? I think they had already opened, they had already played. I think they had already played a series before we got there, or New York.

Speaker 1: 38:48

Yankees did. No, we, we but we. When, when baseball resumed, we were supposed to go to New York on the schedule, right, but we couldn't because Shea Stady was being used as a, you know, for supplies and so on. Okay, so they made the Mets come back to Pittsburgh and then we went back to New York later, toward the end of the season. Do you remember? The game when baseball resumed Was?

Speaker 2: 39:11

it at? Were we on the road? We were at home, the NC Park Against the Mets, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 39:15

I couldn't. I couldn't fathom how you guys went on the field, cause we're just up there in the booth going. This is, this is so hard how you played.

Speaker 2: 39:22

I think it was. I think we understood understood that it was going to be part of the healing process. It was a chance for you, for a couple hours, to not think about what's happening, while also honoring the people, the firemen, the people that passed away. You know, we were wearing the different hats. A lot of us were painting our shoes red, white and blue and stuff like that. I changed my song to Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen, just because you were. I think that's what it was, though, was a chance to start the healing process, for these fans to get something else to focus on for a little bit and, you know, kind of take them away from what's happened. And I remember going to the Mets yeah, that's at Shea, and we're sitting there and they're, they're, they're, they're running the, the video of of kind of some of the images and stuff, not the, just the heroes, the heroes and you're just in the moment and you're with new york people and you're just like, want to love on them and be there.

Speaker 2: 40:23

And you remember shea was so close to that airport and and during the national anthem, one of those planes flew over and I had never I, I couldn't stop shaking. It was the scariest thing I've ever, because you're literally in the moment and you're flashing at what happened. And next thing, you, because you can't hear that plane coming, you're in that stadium and all of a sudden, boom, and everybody just went like this. We were on the line, just like it was the freakiest thing I'd ever been a part of, on a field where I was just like and it shook me it shook me Cause I'm like that.

Speaker 2: 40:55

Then you put together, that plane was that big, that thing just went over us. Now you, now you can imagine what yeah, like hitting that building. You're just like, oh my gosh, like like that, because it was right next to the airport and you could not, because the walls were so high in the stadium, you couldn't hear it coming. Like you can hear a plane coming by us. Now, we would hear it. You could not hear it and it would just right over the top of us. I was like, oh boy yeah, that was you.

Speaker 1: 41:19

Ever. Did you get to that during during that series? Did you walk down? Yeah, we walked down there. I remember seeing the soot and the smell it.

Speaker 2: 41:27

It was unbelievable. Yeah, that was tough. I mean, I remember us, remember when we were flying in and all the lights were on because they were still searching and then like ground zero and everything.

Speaker 1: 41:38

That was tough. It was so bizarre that Shea was being used again as a staging area. The original schedule had the Pirates playing later at Shea, wow, but because of the situation it flip-flopped Anyway. So we were playing the Mets and in 2001,. You think about that year you had and all that you went through, and when was?

Speaker 2: 41:59

Jacob born. So Jacob was born the following March, so I missed opening day 2002. So March 30, 2002, we're at the end of spring training and I and julie hung back because she's ready to pop. And I get a call and I gotta fly across country trying to, trying to get to her because she goes into labor and the good thing is the first kid usually lasts the longest. So I make it back to california in time, wow, uh for for the, for delivery, and see jake and probably one of like coolest moments like ever happened to me on a baseball field. I miss opening day. I come back, um, I end up not starting game two, but I go into pinch hit and I step in the box and this giant figure stands up behind home plate and it's Mike Piazza and he goes hey man, congratulations on Jacob. And I'm like. I'm like what just happened? Mike Piazza just knows my kid's name, like he had read the notes and I stood in there and I'm like how am I supposed to hit now? Jeez, how am I?

Speaker 1: 43:11

supposed to hit right now. Oh my God. On the flip side and a pitch hit too.

Speaker 2: 43:14

Even worse on the flip side. Let's go back nine months prior. This is Julie's fault. I'm in Arizona. Guess who I'm facing that night? Just think of the worst person you could possibly face in Major League Baseball Randy Johnson.

Speaker 1: 43:30

Randy freaking.

Speaker 2: 43:31

Johnson yeah, she calls me and tells me we're pregnant. I said honey.

Speaker 1: 43:36

I'm facing Randy Johnson. Couldn't just wait Because you told me after the game.

Speaker 2: 43:40

I was like I already got enough stuff going, so I'm super excited I'm going to be a dad.

Speaker 3: 43:49

I, I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to face Randy. I'm going to be a dad, but I have to face Randy. Randy's coming for your soul.

Speaker 1: 43:52

And then I'm like I'm going to be a dad.

Speaker 2: 43:56

I'm going to kill you. Yeah he's coming for your soul, what. I'm going to be a dad, oh my gosh, I'm going to kill you. So it just had these two spectrums where I'm like I'm going to be a dad, and then you have this moment where you're facing this Hall of Fame, probably most feared pitcher.

Speaker 3: 44:12

He's a great read for a baseball.

Speaker 1: 44:13

You got Nolan.

Speaker 2: 44:13

Ryan. You got Goose Gossage and you got this dude, One of the scariest people on the planet to face. And then, on the flip side, you got this giant Italian Hall of Fame catcher standing up out of his thing to just say like, hey, congratulations on Jacob. And I'm like, oh, I still blame Julie. I wasn't going to get a hit anyways, but there's one person I can blame for going over, and that was the day to do it, that is unbelievable.

Speaker 1: 44:41

So no hits off the big unit. No, I had a home run off him.

Speaker 2: 44:44

It's not that day you got back. I got back to him. It was 04.

Speaker 2: 44:50

you know, it's not that day you got back. I got back it was oh four, everything worked in. Oh four, ready, john, I did, I did. It's actually, you know what the funny thing is with coaching that I really dove into coaching and most of the time 90 of the time I never say anything about what I did. They know I can teach them stuff, but me telling you oh, I hit 300 in 2004 does nothing for you as a player. But there are things that happen, maybe in that year that I can tell you about, that maybe led to success that you can learn from. So this is actually one of the stories other than just like digging myself because I have a homer off of randy johnson, it's more the fact. Okay, I face randy first inning. He goes, it's 2004, so I'm, I'm hitting second now, so this is cool. I get to a one first to bat and he throws me a fastball and I hit a line drive right back by his face. Smoke it Like it's going to hit him.

Speaker 2: 45:37

It goes right by him for a single Second to bat comes up 1-1 count. I'm thinking okay, so Randy's got the two-seamer and he's got the wipeout slider that we all see in the strikeout. But he has a get-me-over slider that he can throw for a strike that's not as sharp. So one-one count, all right. I almost killed this dude. There's no way he's throwing me another heater, so I'm going to sit that get-me-over slider because he's not throwing out of the zone. He's going to come at me because I got Jason Bay behind me. He's, and I'm messing around with Jace Bank. So he throws the gimme over slider and I go, I go second row, north side, notch, come on.

Speaker 1: 46:13

So I hit it and I'm like, yes, oh, no, north side notch and I'm like whack, oh no, no, and it goes it goes.

Speaker 2: 46:24

So as soon as I turn third and you hear the crowd and you realize it got over the notch.

Speaker 1: 46:29

Now I'm floating because I just hit a home run on Randy Johnson.

Speaker 2: 46:34

But I tell that story because I tell people how to understand when to look for pitches, how to look for pitches.

Speaker 2: 46:40

I always say use your past to help your present. I'm like that's a situation where I use my past on what happened to me at bat before to give me an advantage. Hey, I don't think he what happened to you back before to give me the an advantage. Hey, I don't think he's gonna throw this, because if he, if I think fastball, I might probably roll it over that shorts to the shortstop, but I teach that instead. So that story comes up only because I believe that that there was such something, there was something to learn, and teaching hitters on understanding that your past and something happened can be used to help you in the present if you, if you really think about it, break it down also you must love coaching, I do, he loves so good at it.

Speaker 2: 47:18

I mean he makes me love coaching, I love you know, I love just, it's just the lessons man I think.

Speaker 2: 47:24

But it's. I love coaching because I believe that the coaches that I had that made an impact on my life. That's what I want. It's not about baseball but it's about life and it's about explaining and talking about every mistake that I made over the course of my career on and off the field that they can learn from to not make the same mistake. But I really love diving into just these these kids lives and trying to try my best to. So I tell people it's super old school. I was like you have to call me coach jack.

Speaker 2: 47:59

Nobody in college calls anybody coach anymore, so maybe in high school because they're still learning how to but even this day, this generation is a little different now with how they talk to older people and I said whether it's Mr and Mrs, I'm still Mr and Mrs. You know, I'm 46. My parents taught me Mr and Mrs, so I'm still. Yes, sir, yes, ma'am, Mr and Mrs, Until they tell me they can call me something else. So I, every time I meet a kid we did this in USA I say I need you to call me Coach Jack, and this is why it's old school and it's not because I don't want to have a friendly relationship with you.

Speaker 2: 48:33

But every time you call me coach, it reminds me of my job, it reminds me that I have a responsibility to you to be your coach and your mentor. So much so that if I see you 10 years from now and you say, what's up, jack? I didn't have that impact because you are not seeing me as that person that I was trying to be for you. But if you come up, coach jack, what's up? Like to see him tomorrow? The other day, coach jack, what's going on? Like? That's humbling, right. That's good. It makes it so okay.

Speaker 2: 49:04

I knew I did my job and to make sure that that I treat everybody the same and it's and it's about investment into young, young people's lives. So that's what I love about it the most and that's why I really love college baseball, because you have these three to four really crucial years in manhood, from age 18 to 23, that you can make a huge personal impact. But it's both ways too. I mean it's both ways too, and some players, whether they don't want that or not, but I just love everything about it. I'm just teaching.

Speaker 3: 49:39

It's crazy because I still call my high school coach and I don't call him Tommy. I call him coach. My college coach, who just passed away, got a rest of his soul and all those guys. That's all I knew. And when he did that, he made that same speech at USA. I was like this is the way it is, this is the way it should be. This is amazing.

Speaker 2: 49:54

Yeah, he's got to love them.

Speaker 3: 49:55

He sets a really high expectation standards, but he meets it and probably goes beyond it. So the kids just follow that lead.

Speaker 1: 50:10

I've watched a lot of players as a fan and as a broadcaster and it is just an absolute treat to to both you guys and to have jack wilson, just one of my all-time favorites, and uh, I speak for a lot of pirate fans. This has just been an absolute treat and uh, I hope that uh, you'll join us uh at burn uh one of these this summer by rocky patella. You'll be in pitt some point. I'm going to try, yeah.

Speaker 2: 50:28

So I'm managing in the Appalachian League this summer for a couple months the Collegiate Woodbat League, and we have an interesting schedule. We have every Monday off, so I've been talking to Joe Bilodeau with the Pirates.

Speaker 1: 50:39

Oh nice, hey, I can fly out on a.

Speaker 2: 50:40

Sunday. Come to a Pirates game on a Monday and then fly back for and be there for the game on Tuesday. So I'm hoping to. I miss being out there. It's a wonderful place, but, brownie, you're the best.

Speaker 1: 50:52

No, no, I'm not. You're saying a lot of nice things, but I'm telling you what he is.

Speaker 2: 50:55

He's the best, the bottom line is when he, like Mikey too, is the same thing Anytime you guys want. It's so easy because you guys are so amazing at what you do, dude, you're so professional and our relationship throughout the years was was amazing. It's like I don't ever tell brownie, no, you know, because you're so good at what you do. I love listening to when you're on the broadcast. I love listening. We were on the tv. It's amazing.

Speaker 2: 51:18

Um, I'm definitely sneaking up there tomorrow night in the game because I want to talk to you guys and see matt capper too, so you guys do a phenomenal job, so I love it, it, he's the absolute best.

Speaker 1: 51:27

Jack Flash Wilson man, good luck. Wait to see Jacob in the big leagues too. Jack Wilson, yeah, make sure you like and subscribe. Hold my cutter Right for it. That's correct, let's go.