Bret Saberhagen has a storied career including 2 Cy Young Awards and a complete game shutout to win the 1985 World Series MVP. But it's his life after baseball where he finds the most purpose. In this episode, the Try That guys sit down with Bret to hear stories of old pranks, playing with Bo Jackson, and his charity to fight cancer, SabesWings. To help support SabesWings, go to www.sabeswings.org.
Bret Saberhagen has a storied career including 2 Cy Young Awards and a complete game shutout to win the 1985 World Series MVP. But it's his life after baseball where he finds the most purpose. In this episode, the Try That guys sit down with Bret to hear stories of old pranks, playing with Bo Jackson, and his charity to fight cancer, SabesWings. To help support SabesWings, go to www.sabeswings.org.
I just found out after 58 years that I'm not an only child. I have a brother and a sister. Yeah, I was a prankster. I did quite a few hot foots in the day.
Speaker 3:I had no idea. You got drafted as a shortstop.
Speaker 4:Well, big night on the Try that podcast. We have our first World Series champion.
Speaker 2:Woo yeah.
Speaker 4:World Series MVP. Right yeah, mr Brett Saberhagen, let's go Big night. Thank you so much, brett, for coming on.
Speaker 1:Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to be on Anytime. We should do this more often. I'm sure we'll have some good stories to tell.
Speaker 3:And some we can't tell.
Speaker 4:Just real quick, you'll read about it in my book have some good stories to tell and some we can't tell. This is true.
Speaker 1:Just real quick, you'll read about it in my book that's coming out next year.
Speaker 5:There we go. What's the name of the book? What's the name of the book?
Speaker 2:Up in the attic.
Speaker 1:It is. Who Am I Actually Really? Yeah, this is a story for probably another time. I know we want to talk a lot about music and some baseball and that, but I was a spooler actually, which I did not know, and so my actually last name should have been spooler, but it's Saberhagen, and I just found out after 58 years that I'm not an only child. I have a brother and a sister, and actually my sister's, here from chicago with her husband scott, so that's so crazy dude we were just.
Speaker 3:You know, it's funny, we were talking about this right before we started this and I was saying, you know, we've known brett for a little while and I was reading up on this. I was like, oh my god, I didn't know this story. Do you want to tell the story real quick?
Speaker 1:Sure, my mom was sleeping with a lot of people in Chicago, illinois.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God.
Speaker 1:Really so, yeah, so I truly believe that it came down to she after I did a DNA test a few years back and it came out German and Saber Hagen doesn't have any German in it. I went to her while she was still alive she passed away in 2021, but said well, there's a guy named David Keeter that I was sleeping with because your dad was sleeping around with somebody else, so I was getting even with him. Well, come to find out, I did a DNA test with his son. Nothing came about, kind of dropped it and then and his deathbed.
Speaker 1:After I talked to him, he said you know, I never slept with your mom, but on when he was just before he passed, he came back and said I did sleep with your mom. He told uh, oh, my somebody to get back to me about this. So I did another dna test with a different company and it comes back, and I matched with somebody out of ohio which was my sister, 94. She was looking for an older brother that was given up at birth, which she thought was me. It isn't, so there's another brother out there.
Speaker 1:Needless to say, it wasn't Saberhagen and it wasn't Keeter, it was actually Spooler. They all went to high school together. My bonus mom, my brother's, sister's mom, is still around, amazing woman living in Chicago Heights, still where I was born and kind of grew up a little bit before I, is Robert Spooler and my birthday is April 11th. Oh, wow, so identical birthdays. Both of them were Robert Spooler, robert Saberhagen.
Speaker 1:But my dad, who I really never knew very much of until just a couple years ago but my brother and sister really didn't know a whole lot because at 28 years old he was playing golf on the golf course got struck by lightning and passed away. Wow, so yeah, um, yeah, I always thought that the lightning stories about you know, getting off the golf course was just a myth, but it's, it's true stuff, um, but uh, it's, uh, yeah, it's, it's an. There's a lot more to go behind. Go on with this. But uh, I I truly believe my mom came home after finding out she was pregnant and I know she was sleeping with at least three guys it could be more, who knows at 16 years old, got pregnant, had to come home and tell my grandfather, who said you're going to marry this guy and uh went to him and said you're going to marry my daughter. Um, I truly believe, instead of her going I'm not sure which one it is, and let's try to figure it out.
Speaker 3:The easier way out was saying that the one she was dating was the father. So wow, okay, I say so. Did you take the original dna test, just as like a random, like people do, to see their heritage, or did you know that there was something that you were trying to find?
Speaker 1:yeah, great question. I was doing it because Candace, my wife got it for me and I wanted to find out some lineage. You know fan art, history and stuff, and so, yeah, I found out a lot more than what I thought. She truly loves her dad and her dad passed away when she was 13. This is Candace and she doesn't want to do a DNA test because she's concerned that that might not be her dad, doesn't want that to ruin her. You know memories of you know a kid and growing up with him. So it's crazy on, really, on all the DNA people that people are doing nowadays and finding a lot out about themselves and brothers and sisters and moms and dads and a lot out about themselves and brothers and sisters and moms and dads.
Speaker 1:But so you really are writing a book and this is part of the subject matter and this is yeah, it's part of it.
Speaker 5:Yeah that's incredible, that's amazing.
Speaker 4:What a crazy I'm out from the mountains and that's a mountain story. I am from the mountains and that is a mountain story. My friend, welcome to the club. Wow, uh, yes, yes, you know, great, it's uh so great to have you on and and just to to tell the our listeners, you know, three-time all-star world series champ, two-time al cy young award winner, golden glove winner, which I didn't know, that's, that's amazing. Um, I mean what I got.
Speaker 3:Comeback player of the year too. Is that right? Comeback player of the year?
Speaker 4:wow, I was I was hurt a lot, you got you got a no hitter, which I want to talk about, that, because that that's, that's, that's amazing. But thank you so much and this is a thrill for us. Um, man, you know, me and curb were talking. We met you probably six or seven years ago, maybe maybe more. Um, you came out to a show, an aldine show, in denver. Um, and we and we've always just kind of hit it off, you know, we felt a connection with you right away and Candice, your lovely wife, just what a great career. I mean, if you could pick a highlight, and I wanted to ask I've never asked you this, but is it the World Series? Is it the MVP? What is that? When you look back and your career, you know, sitting here today, what sticks out to you, you know.
Speaker 1:Um, it went by really fast, that's, that's for sure. Um, a funny little tidbit on, uh the all-stars. So, uh, before I get into that, that question, um, I don't want to forget about this, but uh, I was a three-time all-stars. So, uh, before I get into that, that question, um, I don't want to forget about this, but uh, I was a three-time all-star, but, um, I won the Cy Young twice and in those years in 1985 and 89, I did not make the all-star, what?
Speaker 1:Uh wow, uh, no, uh, um, quick story with that. Yeah, so in 1985, I was in my second year Sparky Anderson was the manager for the American League team and the manager picks some of the pitchers that come in. The players are all kind of voted on and then they pick some of those as well. But I was young, I was 21 at the time and you know I think I pitched well. I guess I mean, maybe he was pissed that I actually pitched with the women's tigers, um, but he didn't take me. I was had 10 wins at the all-star break and didn't take me um, which we became friends after. He came out to many of my golf events in uh in california. He lived in thousand oaks and just a sweet man. I loved him and a great manager for two great teams, the Reds and the Tigers. But that was one year.
Speaker 1:And then the second time I had a slow start in 1989, but we went to a four-man rotation. It was because we didn't really have a good fifth starter and we were right in the thick of playoffs and trying to get there in August. So in August we went to our manager and said, hey, listen, let's go on a four man rotation, let's not go five starters and we did that and I won eight games in August, so I ended up with 23 wins overall. But it wasn't picked that year either. So kind of kind of crazy little little stuff there.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, my most memorable moment and it's definitely a world series the, the individual stuff is fabulous. It's great, uh, you know that's how you get you know good salaries and that but it doesn't win you championships and that's what the team's sports are all about is winning championships. So, um, I was fortunate to have been in one world series and we won it, um, but uh, I'll always treasure that. Um, all the other stuff is is great and I look back on that with fond memories as well, but, uh, that, uh, that was, that was highlight well, maybe, maybe one day, brett, you can afford to uh drywall your wall behind you.
Speaker 5:I know, times are tough buddy maybe you have you.
Speaker 1:You have families in the house, people in Chicago, all over the place, california, and if we wanted to have people walking behind me left and right and asking me questions, I got to go up in the attic.
Speaker 4:I like your style.
Speaker 3:I wish I had an attic. That's very mountain of you as well.
Speaker 4:You know what I saw? Your style. Yeah, I'll be honest, I wish I had an attic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, that's very mountain of you as well. You know what? I saw the flag. I saw the flag in the backdrop. I go, I need to get me a nice big flag.
Speaker 2:Big time.
Speaker 1:I'm going to do anything else up here, I'll just drop that flag behind me, and yeah, that would be perfect. So you guys gave me a good idea.
Speaker 2:This you'll see a flag in the back well, brett, I know, uh, we're going to talk about a lot of the highlights and accomplishments and even in high school, as a sophomore, I know you came out of the gate and were a superstar. I'm just kind of curious, even because you're talking about your family and growing up like um who, who worked with you as a kid, you know what I mean like for you to be that great when you're getting to be a sophomore. You're having to do a lot of a lot of reps. Were you going to camps and things like that? Did you have somebody daily or weekly to to throw with or anything like that?
Speaker 1:well. Fortunately, I grew up in California and we could play baseball year-round and I learned. I tell this story to a lot of kids that I talk with, whether it be youth, high school or even pro guys, and it's not just a baseball kind of story, it's a life story. If you want to be successful at whatever you do and I'm sure you guys do the same thing I was the best kid on my team. My first organized year that I played in California at eight years old Walked away after that season and we moved. So I had to go to tryouts again and not know. Nobody knew who I was and how good I did the year before.
Speaker 1:So when I went to the tryouts, before I went to the trials, my mom kept saying you're going to pick up a ball, you're going to throw, you're going to go do this. And it's like mom, I don't need to, you saw how good I was and don't need to practice and all that stuff. Needless to say, I go to tryouts. I think I got 10 pitches. I followed one pitch off. I shortstopped ground balls by the time I knocked them down. I couldn't throw them accurately over to first base, caught the balls in the outfield but wasn't really tracking them all that great Went home crying and my mom said hey, I told you that if you want to be good at whatever you're going to do, you got to practice and you got to work hard at it. And the reason why you embarrass yourself is because you, you didn't go out and practice before stuff happened.
Speaker 1:So I learned a valuable lesson at an early age and I always had that mentality within myself where, if you knock me down, I was going to get back up and practice and come after you.
Speaker 1:Um, I, I've never been in a fight and I always said that if I was on the playground and the biggest guy wanted to fight with me, um, I would lose, but I promise you he would never want to fight me again because I would never give up.
Speaker 1:You know, that's, that's my mentality. So, um, and it was easy for me, when I was pitching like crap in the big leagues and struggle a little bit, to work my ass off because I didn't want to embarrass myself my teammates, you know, family and friends and all that. So I worked harder when I was pitching crappy, but when I was pitching well and I was styling, as I would say, you know, win three, four games in a row and completing them and just really dealing out there. It was tougher for me to motivate myself to get my butt to do the extra laps, to do the extra runnings, to get in the bullpen and still work on pitches and that. So that's uh, that's something that I always had to push myself when I was doing well, to keep going and be successful yeah, what a great.
Speaker 4:Uh, that's great lesson overall there. Now I want to know I can't the no hit. What is that, like you know, so exciting to watch that as a fan when it's happening. Yeah, what year was that?
Speaker 3:What year Do you know? 91?, 91?, 91?, 91. And who?
Speaker 2:is it?
Speaker 1:against Chicago White Sox. Nice Got a couple little things that were kind of cool in that game. First off, I had been close before I actually had a perfect game against the Brewers it was 7-2, so almost out of the eighth inning and ended up giving up a base hit to Gorman Thomas on a 3-2 fastball. I had been close a couple of times, um, and I got to that point in that game. And then I should say the seventh inning, when the seventh inning came around and I focused on each pitch rather than outs, because when you get into that situation it's like, okay, I need six more outs, you know, okay, now I need five more outs. And instead of focusing on how many outs I needed to come to complete the no hitter I, I focused pitch to pitch and really worked. Uh, worked good with Brent Main, who was a catcher at the time, and, uh, the last out of uh that no hitter was, uh, probably my third best pitch, but it was working.
Speaker 1:That game was a curveball and I threw a curveball to Frank Thomas, who is a Hall of Famer. Wow, ground ball to second base. Terry Schumper Pick it up, threw him out, broken bat on that particular pitch and, what was really cool. Frank signed that bat, sent it over to me, nice, which was amazing in itself to get that sent over. And then also Ozzie Guillen, who was a great shortstop, became a manager for a while. He sent over a bottle of champagne. That was pretty cool. I sent over the scorecard the following day to have them sign it, because they were just gracious about this and Carlton Fisk was on that team. He signed it. Some really, uh, amazing things. There was one guy in particular that said he would not sign it. It was Lance.
Speaker 1:Johnson and Lance, if you ever listen to this thing, because I would have drilled you in the ribs.
Speaker 3:That's funny that's hey, bro, what was your, what was your go-to pitch, like your, what was your strikeout pitch? Or, if you, you know, the money pitch to get somebody out I had.
Speaker 1:I had two pitches that I could rely on in any count in in front or behind. That um, and it really made me a great pitcher was and because it was the, the change of pace, the change up and the fastball, yeah. So I always said that and I tell the tell the story.
Speaker 1:I could hit a gnat's ass from 16 feet or 60 feet six inches, so um uh, the control was really really good and I think one of my coolest uh uh stats that I accomplished was in 1994 with the Mets and um.
Speaker 1:I ended up that season. It was a strike shortened season but I had 170 something innings and I ended up with 14 wins and 13 walks and that hadn't been done since the early 1900s. So I just had really good control and you know like to move the ball in and out as much as possible and keep them off balance with the changeup. And the cool thing about having the curveball which was a really good pitch for me when it was working was when it was on at the beginning of the game and I didn't have to keep throwing it the first, second, third, fourth inning because by the later part of the game you knew you need to go to that pitch. So you keep showing it and keep trying to get that feel for it. But the cool thing was when I had it in the first inning I go okay, this is gonna be a lot see this is.
Speaker 3:This is so fun.
Speaker 5:Oh my god, I was.
Speaker 4:This is so fun, because we've hung out a lot, we've talked a lot, we've never talked baseball. So this is my plan See, get you on here and we can actually talk baseball. You've never talked baseball with this guy. We have rarely. What are you talking about? Tully Kennedy is so damn busy.
Speaker 1:I got to go through his kids now to get ahold of him, Actually you know it's great. It's like hey, babe Candace, um, totally, he's not answering my texts, he hey he does that for her in a heartbeat.
Speaker 5:You're fine. He does that to us too.
Speaker 4:When your wife calls. We talked this morning and I answered that phone right away. Um, yeah, no, seriously. Well, we, we'll get into some other things that are important to you as well, but, um, we've never really talked baseball and we're such huge baseball fans. Who do you think was your toughest out? Is it like a tony gwynn type? Is it? You know, is there anyone that you just didn't?
Speaker 1:you couldn't figure it out well I, I got tony uh a few times when I was in the National League for a small period of time and Tony kept a book on everybody and how he would get pitched and so on and so forth and he was an unbelievable hitter. So I got him out probably his first five, six at-bats against me and then all of a sudden he's just getting hits left and right. So he figured me out how I was going to pitch him.
Speaker 1:So fortunately I didn't have to face him because I was in the American League, more so than the National League, but a guy that wore me out and I was on the Rich Eisen show a few years back. It was during when the Royals were in the World Series, I believe in 2015. And on the Rich Eisen show he goes who was your toughest out? And I said Boggs. Boggs wore me out.
Speaker 1:I can remember a game where the first at-bat, I throw him a change-up base hit. Second at-bat, I throw him a curveball base hit. Third at-bat, a fastball. So he's got's got three at bats off of me and all three hits on three different pitches. And I go, I don't have anything else to throw to you, you know it's, it's all I have. But, um, so rich's guys, while I, we were doing the conversation and talking about boggs, how he wore me out, and uh, uh, he, he comes back from his guys doing the numbers. He goes, yeah, boggs hit 350 or something like that off of you, or I forget the numbers, but he said he was like such and such for such and such against you. And uh, one of my buddies, uh, afterwards, afterwards, after it was all said and done, um, he said, well, save. She should have said to rich that you did get him out 33 times.
Speaker 3:I mean to be fair, boggs wore everybody out.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, and I vaguely remember actually Boggs was like as a kid I loved Wade Boggs, I was a huge Red Sox fan and wanted to be Wade Boggs and I think I might have asked you about Boggs and I think you actually did tell me that story Like he was a tough one to get out for a lot of people, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know and for the most part I love pitching against the big power guys that want to hit the ball out of the ballpark. They had more holes, they were easier to pitch to, they had a swing path that they had. You know, if you're not hitting for average, you're not putting the ball in play, and if you're not putting the ball in play, I can find some spots that you won't touch. So the smaller guys, the little guys, the little pesky guys, just drive me crazy, because no matter where it was pitched.
Speaker 1:You know they were just hitting and putting it in play and getting their knocks.
Speaker 2:Well, hey, to go back to the no-hitter just for a minute. I wanted to see if this was true, that earlier in the game I guess the official scorekeeper had put down that there was a hit which actually later was reversed and it was found to be a player's error, right, and the guy, I think that corrected it and I think you said that. You were on the mound and all of a sudden you heard the fans, you know, cheered everything, and you kind of knew what had happened and I think the guy's name was, uh, dale dale, dale black. I was just curious. If you like bought him a car or anything after that, you know so yeah, no, uh, and I did.
Speaker 1:I don't remember his name, but I remember who was in the left field, who should have caught the ball in his back pocket Kirk Gibson. I am sure you guys heard of Kirk. You've seen a famous home run he hit. That son of a bitch would run like anything to get a base hit, but you get to hit a ball in the outfield to him. He's like, yeah, I got it right off his glove.
Speaker 1:Honestly, it was in the fifth inning. He came in after they called it an error and he goes damn it. They called an error on me and you better get this no-hitter now.
Speaker 4:That's so good. I love these stories. I love that. And how's the golf game? Don't say you're not playing, I know you are. You're playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so for those that don't know, I had a hip replaced a little over. It's been about three months now.
Speaker 5:Don't start making excuses, don't start making no, no, no.
Speaker 1:No excuses, other than I couldn't put my damn sock and shoe on for about two years.
Speaker 1:And Candice was going to. I wore flip flops for the most part because Candice is putting on my damn shoe and sock and finally it's like you're going to have to get that thing fixed because I I'm not bending over every time you put your sock and shoe on your right foot. So, uh, I had to replace. So I hadn't played in in a long time. Uh, it's been, I mean playing 18 holes and I played 18 yesterday for the first time in many years and actually played pretty damn well. Um, but I I am so damn sore today I don't remember ever being this sore I thought it was.
Speaker 5:I thought it was supposed to be your shoulder and your arm and your elbow.
Speaker 1:That's supposed to be out of whack, not your hip remember we were talking about how much time I spent on the dl yeah I'm still on the dl, neil, by the way.
Speaker 3:is neil, by the way? Like if we had a scramble and it was just me, tully and Kayla, we'd probably in a scramble, we'd still be eight over, but with Neil we'd be 12 under. Yeah, so he's our. He's our ace in the hole.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. Yes, yeah, all right, I got it. I got to. I got a ringer then.
Speaker 4:No, I mean you know, like most pitchers. I mean you guys, you guys, you guys don't mess around on the golf course I mean it's that's.
Speaker 3:That's a great point. All pitchers are great golfers like who.
Speaker 1:Which one of the pitchers that you play with is is legit, like legit well, uh, there's, there's two guys that really I I never had any lessons, but there were two guys with the Royals back when I first came up Bud Black and Charlie Liebrandt, both left-handed pitchers but right-handed golfers and right around scratch amazing golfers, and they really took me under their wing and really taught me a lot. To the fact that I was telling this story yesterday with my brother-in-law when we were playing golf. To the fact that I was telling this story yesterday with my brother-in-law when we were playing golf. So when I first started playing, I was terrible and using like the orange and yellow fluorescent balls and stuff out on the course and I get up to one of the tee boxes and I forget who it was that was with us, but I know Blackie was there and somebody said you know, those colored balls don't go as far as the white ones you need to hit a white one.
Speaker 1:They went and teed it up for me and it was like, okay, and I swing and I hit it and it explodes. And it was like, oh my God, did you see that I just broke the?
Speaker 2:ball and they're sitting there dying laughing.
Speaker 1:Needless to say, it was an exploding golf ball but I had no idea and I thought I just crushed it. That's funny. Yeah, yeah. So, uh, yeah, they got me. They get the youngster really good at an early age.
Speaker 5:So well, pitchers should be good at golf. I mean, they know how to tuck the right elbow. If you're right-handed, they know how to tuck the right elbow. They know how to.
Speaker 1:That's exactly the way you hit a golf ball we also had four days off and a lot of time in your hands.
Speaker 4:Yeah, more to the point. And that's my problem. See, I need someone to take me under their wing. That's all it is.
Speaker 5:That's why I can't well, I hear that tully has his attire. You know, under control, I heard he, I heard he looks really good when he steps on the first tee box, is that?
Speaker 1:like a tire on a car. Hey, he looks good on the course. Yes, hey, sabre, he always. You know, that hair I wish I had here I wish I had I don't know what are you guys wearing hats because you look like me underneath those things? Is that what?
Speaker 5:oh no, you got some. You got a good moss.
Speaker 3:I got a few ticks from turkey season up here no, they're wearing hats because we're trying to sell merch somewhere.
Speaker 2:That's right, yeah we're trying to sell merch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we just got these hats in well, I I haven't seen my mailbox lately, so I I call my hair it's ought to been here. So I call my hair, it's ought to have been hair.
Speaker 4:Ought to have been on a horse's ass Well go ahead, kurt.
Speaker 2:No, I was just going to say talking about the prank. You know the guys that pranked you with the ball, everything I was studying up on you, so you were quite the prankster all during the time coming up in the clubhouse, the dugout on the team, you know, and you got in a little bit of trouble here and there for it, right?
Speaker 1:what's that? Yeah, well, you get those dog days and, yeah, you guys know each, you know each other so well. If you guys go on the road and you're traveling for for months at a time and you're not, uh, you're spending more hours with the band than you are with your family and at times, you know you can have a little aggravation going on. You know you have it out a little bit and then you get back to business. But yeah, I was a prankster.
Speaker 1:I did quite a few hot foots in the day and the old trick with the hot foot you'd have to get under the bench but you would take a cigarette, you would light it and then you would put matches all the way around it. So when the cigarette would burn, it would eventually get to those matches and it would set it on fire. But so you took a book of matches, you took the cigarette Don't do this out there, kids, this is just for professional. All right, you took bubble gum and you wrapped it around the matches in the cigarette and you would get under the bench and you would take that gum. It was nice and sticky and you would put it on somebody's shoe and then when they would be out on, it was more of a coach or maybe somebody that was sitting on the bench that wasn't playing, and sure enough, after that those matches would light up. It would be a hot foot, yeah yeah yeah, so that, uh, and we did.
Speaker 1:I, you know, I used to the the eye black stuff and put it up underneath the the rim of somebody's hat, you know, not, not not right here, but underneath, and that's when they start sweating. They come off and they'd have a big old ring around their head. And yeah, it was. It was always something um with with me and but it got to a point where there was a few guys that we get pissed off on a regular basis at me. It got to a point where there was a few guys that we get pissed off on a regular basis at me and, um, I, bo and I had a Bo Jackson. I had a good relationship. He was my locker mate next to me in that and I would tease him all the time and just give him all kinds of crap.
Speaker 1:A couple of quick stories about Bo Um, so, uh, he had a little bit of a speech impediment and he was awesome with it And's he's gotten so much better it's, it's amazing. But you know, you, you, you and I, who are you calling a? You, you damn it. You know, yes, uh, you know, that was the the jokester with me. But, um, somebody would send in a cake for somebody's birthday periodically. So we'd come down the clubhouse and when bo was a rookie the guys said hey, sabes, get Bo with the cake and it's like okay. So the the old story is that the birthday cake gets sent in, you smell it and you go yeah, I don't, I don't think we should eat this because it's sour. It doesn't smell good. So I got Bo to buy in on this and soon as he gets his face over the cake, you take your hand and you swish their face right in the cake. Well, um, bo, uh, Bo uh, bought in line hood line and sinker to the fishermen.
Speaker 1:He is um had his face out uh, this far from the cake and I get my hand in the back of his head and push it down and it goes like this I take off running and I'm running around our table, that the cake is on and he's chasing after me. And finally he, just he stopped. And I was running for my life and he stopped on the other side without running or doing anything, just from a standstill. He jumped over the table and grabbed me it, just he, just an amazing athlete.
Speaker 3:I'm so glad you brought him up, Like I wanted to to ask about Bo because, like for people my age and our age, he's probably one of the most talented athletes we've ever seen right and the fact that his careers both of his careers got cut short is just a shame. Do you have any?
Speaker 1:I mean, we see the highlights of him throwing somebody out from the warning track or obviously breaking the bat, like, do you have a a crazy freakish athlete, bo jackson story well, yeah, I mean, he broke bats over his knee on a regular basis and um, uh, I think that, well, besides the personal um trying to get his cake, his face in a cake, I would, I would, I would piss him off on a regular basis doing with him, and that. So there was one day that I came into the clubhouse and I'll get to the baseball aspect of this but I, he came and he was already in the clubhouse the day that I. I came in and he, he was, he's big into archery and that. So he had in our clubhouse, shooting through our clubhouse, a target, and I came walking in, I go, what are you doing? And he goes, I'm just taking target practice and the closer I got to the target it was my baseball card on there. That's great. But another quick story before I get to my favorite, bo Jackson on the field. That's great.
Speaker 1:Um, he had some kind of issue going on, I think, with uh at home or something like that, and he was on the phone and he showed up late to to um, his group, to hit in the cage and he went to get in as soon as he got there and Sizer says no, you can't get in Bo. Um, you gotta wait to this. Go around because you're late in that. And he says Kev, I'm not in the mood, kev and um, he gave it to him one more time get in the back of the line, you gotta wait till the next round. Bo picked him up by the throat and Kevin is six foot, probably 190 um at the time picked, picked him up off of his feet by his throat, pinned him up against the cinder block wall. Coaches and players had to run over and pull him down because Bo had, with one hand up against the, off his feet dangling. Yeah, that's how strong that son of a gun was. But my, don't just blow up. That's the bottom line of that one yeah but uh, uh.
Speaker 1:My favorite is Harold Reynolds still tells a story on MLB tonight where he's uh, 3-2 count. So he's running on the pitch with two outs and balls hit over Bo's head in the left field. We're in the Kingdom, in Seattle, and Bob Boone was our catcher at the time. One hopped off the wall in left field. Bo barehanded it as it came down off. The one hop turned and threw on a strike without a bounce to Bob Boone at the plate. It was a strike from deep left field and all Bob had to do was just swipe the tag onto Harold and he was out at the plate. And Harold to this day is still amazed that that throw was made 3-2 running and he got thrown out at the plate from left field. So you just you know what you never wanted to miss in a bat or when he was playing, because you never knew how far he was going to hit it. He hit some moon shots and nowadays it seems like everybody's hitting those moon shots. But back then in the 80s, the mid-80s, it was just ungodly.
Speaker 5:This is probably the only time you'll ever hear of an Auburn graduate talked because we're I'm like no no, no, no. I'm like a huge Alabama fans, but it's like oh, okay. Bo Jackson is like one of the he's probably the most respected Auburn player as far you know, coming from all the Alabama fan base that there is today. What?
Speaker 1:happened to you as a kid. By the way, who did that Right? See, I don't. I don't have to. I can root for whoever I want, because I didn't go to college. So I just pick out the, the the most recent winning team.
Speaker 3:Did you start start which seems like it's alabama way too much. I mean, you started in the major leagues at 19, right, my yeah I mean looking back I mean 19 years old, like you're making your major league debut? Is that something that when you look back on now you're like, wow, I can't believe I was equipped for that, or where did you always have that mentality at that point?
Speaker 1:yeah, oh yeah, I'm ready for this well, I always, yeah, it was what I did and I guess I did it pretty good. Um, but it was. Yeah, I never really was nervous. You get the butterflies before you know the game would get going and that, thinking about what's going to happen and how you're going to pitch certain guys and how they're going to react, and so you always had the butterflies. But once the game got going, you know it's baseball, it's like let's get after it, let's get it on, um, but uh, uh, yeah it.
Speaker 1:At 19 years old, um, I was in spring training with the kansas city royals as a non-roster player and I was just hoping I had finished my first year in the minors and single A and halfway through got called up to double A. So and I got called to play in and big league camp as a non-roster player and I had a pretty good spring training. I was just hoping to make the AAA team. And so when Dick Hauser called me in the office and I was crossing my fingers that he was going to say you're going to Omaha to play in AAA and he said we're taking you to the big leagues, we're not going to use you as a starter, we're going to put you in the bullpen to start off and we'll see what happens. And I was like, uh, better than AAA, I'll take it, but uh, I turned, uh I, but uh, I turned, uh, I turned 20 april 11th.
Speaker 1:So for the first week in the big leagues I was 19 years old and I love telling this story to uh kids, you know, especially high school guys and uh athletes, and that it's like, okay, focus and get your crap together, because you never know when that time is going to be. But uh, at 19 years old, I was pitching in the big leagues and they kind of put things in perspective to these kids that are, you know, 17, 18 years old and trying to go wow, big leagues at 19 years old. That's pretty, pretty cool. So I look back on that and really cherish that. And again, I was at the in the right place at the right time.
Speaker 1:Thank goodness, they drafted me as a shortstop but never used me as a shortstop. That's another story. Um, I never played one one day in professional ball as a shortstop. But, um, they said that if, if, that didn't work out and that's where the gold glove comes in I always took a lot of pride and, um, I think that's probably one of the coolest things that I achieved as a as a pitcher uh, went in a gold glove, but yeah, no, just right place at the right time. The Royals needed some pitching and there was a few veterans that were hurt, and if I was with another team or playing shortstop, I would have been maybe in the minors for a few more years.
Speaker 3:I had no idea. You got drafted as a shortstop.
Speaker 2:And a dang, good hitter, yeah, right.
Speaker 1:I hurt my arm coming out of basketball. My senior year we went and played in the city championship and won that in basketball. So by the time I came out of basketball it was baseball season and so I just got right into it. The scouts were out coming and watching me and I tried to impress them from jump start, where I wasn't ready for that. My arm wasn't ready for that and ended up having some tendonitis. And when I came back I started. I didn't start right away because of that. So I went to first base and by the time I was able to throw the ball a little bit, I went over and moved to shortstop.
Speaker 1:Anyways, uh, the, the, the scouts came back out when I got on the mound again, but I was only, I wasn't even breaking 80 miles an hour at that time and, um, all the scouts kind of disappeared, except for guy hansen uh, for the royals and he stayed with me and slowly but surely I got, I got my arm better and I the velocity came up and uh, so I was drafted in the 19th round by the royals as a short stop. Needless to say, the playoff started shortly after that. Um, it was in June and I pitched three out of the four games and won three out of the four and pitched a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium for our city championship game. And they go.
Speaker 1:Your arm looks like it's better and we're going to use you as a pitcher and if you ever need, if that doesn't work out, we'll give you a shot at shortstop. So that's yeah, that's true story right there. That's how I became a pitcher instead of a shortstop at the ruins.
Speaker 4:What a great story. Hey Brett, I want to get to something I know that's very, very important to you and Candace, your wife and um. Your foundation saves wings. Um, and a few years ago I felt really honored to be asked to be on the board of this foundation, and now could you tell everybody what saves wings does and and I think it's just one of the one of the greatest things um, if you can fill everybody in on saves wings and and what you guys do yeah, absolutely thank you and thank you for your support over all these years too.
Speaker 1:Tully at uh, absolutely Thank you and thank you for your support over all these years too. Tully, you and Alyssa are amazing and there are so many people that have come into our life that have really embraced what we're doing. And again, there's a lot of organizations out there that deal with cancer on one basis or another, but there's nobody really like Sabes Wings where we touch on everything and the reason why we started this, candice. If people don't know out there, candice is a three-time survivor of breast cancer and the third time she was diagnosed it didn't go away. So we had to do some alternative treatments and the alternative treatments were costing $22,000 a month. We were able to take care of that, but doing a deep dive and thinking how people do alternative treatments and where's the money coming from?
Speaker 1:Nobody ever saves for cancer. You save for a car, you save for a house, you save for education, you save for damn a guitar. You know you save for a lot of things, but you don't save for cancer. So come to find out that there are millions of people out there that are making a decision when they have that cancer diagnosis, whether you have insurance or don't have insurance or you're doing alternative. There's so many different variables of why people can't afford their treatments and a big part is a medical, unfortunately in this country. So it's tough enough going through cancer and thinking is my loved one going to make it or not? And if you don't have the means to pay for your treatments it's even more stressful, and no family should have to be that stressful. I mean, cancer enough is already terrible.
Speaker 1:So what we did? We started Saves Wings and there's a term out there called medical financial toxicity and it is a term where you're going bankrupt or you don't have the means to pay for anything and you're choosing whether you pay your household bills or you pay your medical bills, and it's a it's a combination of everything. So we started saves wings to and it doesn't matter what type of cancer you have, we will. We will help you if you are in debt, and it doesn't matter what age you're, you're at, you're at If you have debt. We do not pay to the individual, we pay directly to the debt and the bills and it varies from people taking care of the. I would say probably there's, and it's weird, it kind of goes in cycles, but it seems like a lot of people are paying more for their medical than and letting that go but and not paying their, their household. And then we come in and we help with. Could be a mortgage, it could be a car payment, it could be utilities Keep the utilities on.
Speaker 1:And I truly believe that I was put on this planet to succeed in baseball, to give us a bigger platform to make a difference in people's lives on a regular basis. It was great playing baseball, but really this is near and dear to Candace and we live it on a daily basis and seeing the people that are affected by this, by these terrible diseases and cancer that are going on out there and uh and again, like with you, tully, you, I know you guys are very passionate about what we do and we appreciate you. And, um, the more we get the word out, the more we have to uh, uh, fundraise to help these families. Right now We've helped um, um in uh families, um in six, 15 different states and it's been an amazing journey so far after three years, and we'll continue to do it as long as we keep getting the funding and that. So I know Candace sent you something talking about 1985, donating $19.85 a month. It comes out to a little over $200 for the year, but that's kind of a household bill for one of our recipients. So and again, you can find out all kinds of stuff on our website, sabes WINGS, my nickname, sabes S-A-B-E-S, and then it's WINGS W-I-N-G-Sorg, and you can follow us on our social medias, our YouTube page.
Speaker 1:We've got a lot of cool things going on. I know you've been to our event in Paso Robles, california, a few years back Um, our first one and um, you guys killed it. Uh, up on stage, you and Kurt, and uh, who had John Morgan, and uh, uh, who am I missing? Uh, uh, ludwig, um, uh, am I missing anybody else? I think it was you four up there and just did an amazing job and saw firsthand and really got a feel for what we're doing. Unfortunately, it seems like all of our events happen when you guys are still touring, but we live it nonstop, each day, and really are passionate about this. So it's really cool to help so many people around the country and it's unfortunately happening. So, until there is some kind of thing, we're trying to get bills passed where anybody going through cancer shouldn't have to file any type of bankruptcy and it should be taken care of, and we're working towards bigger and better things for families.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and it's awesome. Every time I talk to you guys. I don't think people realize it's a full-time job, a few guys all year preparing for these events, and it's it's not easy and your wife around the clock and it's such a. It's such an amazing. Uh, being at the events and and having guests there that that are you're helping, they come in and they talk about what they're going through really is touching. Um, you know what? What I love? We have a tie there. You know Toby Keith was involved in some of that and we talked about Toby on this podcast and you know we just lost Toby and he he's, you know, close to jason and close to us and I know you had, you know, a great, great thing with toby as well.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, he, he was our uh, our lifetime achievement award winner after uh after our second year and we've been friends for for a very long time and it's it's uh. Last time I saw him we were in in in Cabo um, him and Trish and Candace and I, and we just happened to be there at the same time and found out that we were both there and we hung out. We went to Cabo Wabo. When he got up and sang three songs and you know he looked very thin um and and frail Um. This was before he went and did the uh the three nights in in Vegas and that uh.
Speaker 1:But um, his uh corral and and Oklahoma um has been doing amazing things uh for a long period of time and I've been to his uh his events in in Oklahoma um to uh help fundraise and raise money for uh for the corral, and they help out families that um kids are going through cancer and they bring them in and you don't have to pay for anything. You stay right there, the whole entire family and um we. We continue to do stuff um uh with with the corral, but they have given us um a few um of our recipients um that we have helped out and that's uh, he kind of kind of really put us on the map. We did a billboard out in California with him and I and um, he, he was very helpful in how we have jumpstart saves wings to help uh and get the word out.
Speaker 1:So so much, but uh, yeah, just uh, an amazing human being and it's it's funny because he uh, every once in a while I say I need to text him and it's like you know, um, I know he's not here anymore and uh, uh, we had some, some great conversations and some great times and um, yeah, uh, church, uh, the time that, and it's it's weird because he, I feel like it I don't know how to explain it, but I still feel like he's here Uh, uh and um, but you can't reach out and talk to him anymore. So he's definitely missed and his music will uplift people forever. He's iconic and I feel very fortunate to have called him friend.
Speaker 4:Well, it's just amazing how much work guys like you, guys like Toby people don't realize after your careers how much work. And you know, guys like you, guys like toby people don't realize you know after your careers how much you do like it's not. You had a great baseball career. Toby had a great musical career, but you did so much in our doing so much behind the scenes to help people too, which, which that's what I'm really happy about. Talking about, saves wings tonight, because I think it's it's so important for people to realize, um, what a great foundation it is what's really kind of, what's kind of cool for you.
Speaker 1:I know you guys personally took, uh, took on somebody that you really cared about, um, with Stacy and um, and her bills were um, um, ten thousand dollars a week with her, uh, alternative, uh medication and basically they said after the chemo wasn't work, and then they said, you know, we can't do anything for you and there's no help out there for you, so you can just go in home and try to enjoy. You know, you got so many months and she said, uh, there's going to be something out there. And um, she's been a part of uh saves wings for a few years now and she's become a board member, her and her husband Cody. So, um, and I know you, uh, you guys talk and and you do, you guys still do some stuff for them from time to time.
Speaker 1:But it's crazy that somebody would be spending ten thousand dollars a week on treatments. It's, it's just mind-blowing, um and uh. We need to. We need to correct that. There's no way that somebody should have to go through something like that and try to figure out how they're going to keep a loved one alive. It's just, it's crazy.
Speaker 3:It's such a great foundation, brett, and we're so proud of you for doing this and you and Candice for being, you know, waving from the flag for this. Because cancer I mean, everybody knows somebody that's affected by cancer and with these treatments, like you said, the uh, the financial toxicity or whatever it is it's like there's it's from what I've understood, it's like a 50 percent rate of people that file bankruptcy. They can't pay these bills right, and so this is where you guys are stepping in, and I think it's important, uh, for you to be raising this awareness and, like you said, you can go to SABES wings, right. I follow you on social media, but we're man, we're just so proud of you and and, uh, thankful to be any kind of part of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you, you brought up a good point. A good point if you have a second diagnosis of cancer, um, as 50 percent of people are filing bankruptcy, um, on a second diagnosis. And you know, my wife has had breast cancer three times and she's gone through treatments four times. And we just had a scan for her, uh, three weeks ago. And blue cross, blue shield wouldn't cover the scam. Jeez, you got to be out of pocket. It's just crap like that.
Speaker 5:Which is a whole other story getting into that. Hey, any time that we need to come out there, if it's the four of us, if it's just two of us, three of us or whatever, we'll do a writer's round, we'll auction off guitars, we'll auction off lyrics, what? Whatever you need, we'll, we will come running.
Speaker 4:Well, we're gonna get a nice long list of stuff. Yeah, okay, and, and gladly so. Like I, you know this, uh. You know how much this means uh me to me and alyssa you, you know how much uh means to me and Alyssa. You know how close we are with this foundation. We feel a connection to it. Like Kurt said, everybody's been affected by cancer. I don't think people realize how hard it really is for people to get through these treatments financially and what that means for the rest of the family as well, which is devastating.
Speaker 1:No, I think, like Kurt said, if, if, if it's not in your family, if somebody in your family doesn't have it, it's, it's definitely somebody that you know, this close to you. It's, it's crazy and it keeps getting worse and worse. It seems like and I mean, it doesn't matter what you do throughout the day. It's like you can watch commercials and you know drugs that they're giving you can cause cancer. It's like the process, stuff that you put in your body. You know nowadays it's like even milk. Well, you know the cows are, you know aren't eating the right stuff, and you know, and now you're going to get cancer from that. It's like it doesn't matter what you do and what you, what you put in your system, now it's it all causes cancer.
Speaker 1:So, um, yeah, it seems like at some point in time, I think we're all going to come down with it some way or shape or form. Um, and it's, it's, it's sad and uh, we need to. And then again there's billions of dollars put into research. And don't get me to going down that road. Um, uh, I find it hard to believe that, as smart and as intelligent as we are, and we come up with a vaccine for COVID in a short period of time, but there's still nothing.
Speaker 5:Uh-oh, we're going down another.
Speaker 4:It's very inspiring. I talked to Candice this morning and again, every time I talk to her, it saves wings, saves wings, saves wings, trying to get the board together, trying to get everyone moving in the right direction. It's so inspiring how much time you guys put in to help others. Thank you, thank you very much and thank you for being here tonight. This has been been great yeah, oh yeah, and it's.
Speaker 2:It's cool that just uh, I'm just getting to know you a little bit. Uh, over the last couple weeks and then even now, um, it was really cool. I had one of my thoughts that I was going to ask you from, from being at the pinnacle of sports for such a long time, like, how do you, how do you replace the high? And it's very heartening for me to hearing how you've done that is, to pour love into other people's lives, which is just amazing.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that and, yeah, it's really a blessing and it keeps, as Tully says, it keeps the brains. I'm not the brains, Candice is the brains, by the way.
Speaker 5:We know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know, yeah it keeps her going 24-7. It seems like it's amazing, but you know it's funny. You talk about the highs that you had and people always ask me it's like you know, was it tough walking away from the game? Do you still watch it? Do you still like it this and that? And what was easy for me to walk away from the game? It wasn't because somebody said that you're not good enough to do it anymore. I just physically couldn't do it.
Speaker 1:I, after my third surgery, I missed all of 2000. I came back in June of 2001. I pitched three games and by the third game I was ready to chew my arm off. It hurt so much and so I just stepped away from the game after 2001. But it made it easy for me to to step away and still really have a love for the game where I think if I got to a point where I wasn't physically able to do it anymore, it was probably been been been a lot tougher on me to walk away from the game.
Speaker 1:But I and again I feel blessed I played in the big leagues for 18 years. Two of them I missed completely, so 16 active. But I feel blessed to have put the uniform on for one day, and I played it one more day than I ever expected. I know I worked very hard for it, but just because you work hard for something doesn't necessarily mean you're going to achieve it. So I feel very, very blessed and honored to be a part of the Major League alumni that donned a professional Major League uniform for at least one day.
Speaker 3:Well, brett, man, we love you, we appreciate you. Part of what we're trying to do on this pod is highlight the good in people, and you know this is something regardless. You know, in a world that's divided by politics and everything, you're just doing something good for your neighbor and at the heart of it, that's what we love, right? We're just trying to do that. We're just trying to do right by our neighbor and we're proud of you. Man, we love you and we're so thankful you came on, thanks thank you so much, and you two guys keep writing those hits.
Speaker 1:We're, yeah, we're doing our job, thank you we're doing our damnedest. Love you brother thank you, guys, love you guys appreciate you hey guys, thanks for listening and watching.
Speaker 3:Please check out Brett's foundation at SabesWingsorg. That is S-A-B-E-S-W-I-N-G-Sorg. You can join the 1985 campaign there, where every donation helps cover medical and household bills during their cancer journey.