The Good Man Show
Dan Brewer and Josh Caceres of Bo Jackson Elite Sports talk weekly content within travel baseball and professional sports on every Monday night. They cover a variety of topics ranging from youth sports all the way up to pro sports in an informative yet casual way.
The Good Man Show
Spam, Pops, And The Secret To Beating The Packers
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Holiday cheer meets hard coaching truth as we invite two coaches back into the room to trade stories, laugh at our own mishaps (yes, including the missing cookie tin and a Fogo lunch without lemonade), and get serious about how players actually get better. We talk culture without buzzwords: why championships are built on routine plays, how to allow a little razzle dazzle without letting ego take the wheel, and where we draw the line on celebrations so the team stays connected and ready for the next pitch.
We drill into youth coaching that works. The simplest edge is the most overlooked: playing catch well, on purpose, under pressure. We show how to sneak high-quality reps into live moments—like throwing around the horn after strikeouts—to build accuracy, footwork, and calm with an audience. Then we outline a clean hitting progression: tee to flips to BP to machines, with machines used for spin and decision training, not empty velocity that forces panic swings. Feel comes first; metrics confirm, not dictate.
On tech, we keep it honest. iPads and sensors can help when they inform approach—pitch shapes, sequences, tells—not when they become a crutch after every bad swing. We share pro-level habits like keeping a personal hitting book that outperforms a cookie-cutter scouting report. And we celebrate the late bloomers: players who weren’t the “it” kid at 15 but stayed consistent, loved the weight room, and earned real opportunities, including a fresh Division I commitment to Creighton. It all ties back to accountability, buy-in, and the freedom to be yourself inside shared standards.
There’s plenty of color—alumni lunches, good man shirts flying off the rack, scrimmage chirps that turn competitive, and a cathartic Bears win—but the through line never wavers: make the routine play, let the player shine. If that resonates, hit follow, share with a coaching friend, and drop a review with your favorite development tip so we can feature it next time.
Holiday Cold Open And Introductions
SPEAKER_04It's the holiday season, the holiday season, and Santa Claus is coming. No, I'm just gonna stop it right there. I was gonna keep singing for you, but I'm not gonna keep singing for you because you don't want to hear me singing. You know what you want to hear? You want to hear four good dudes talking about whatever the holiday season, baseball, uh the bears, pop culture. I don't even know what else we're talking about. Maybe Frosty the Snowman coming down your chimney and delivering the kids some awesomeness on this Christmas season. So look over to your kids, look over to your wife and say, hey, or to your husband, and say, hey, it's time for the good man show. Are you ready? I'm ready. Here we go.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the good man show with Bruce Sauce and Lord Puck.
SPEAKER_04It's the holiday season, the holiday season.
SPEAKER_01Lord Puck, you are in a great mood tonight. I love it.
Gifts, Pranks, And Sonic Debates
SPEAKER_04I am ready to rock and roll. It's my favorite holiday. It's my favorite time of the year. There's no snow on the ground, but there's snow in our hearts.
SPEAKER_01There's there is. And you know what? The people have been talking. Yeah. And we gotta listen and answer. We have both Jake Brewer and Marco D'Angelo in the house. Welcome in, guys.
SPEAKER_00How's it going, fellas?
SPEAKER_01Great to be back. Oh, it's time. All four of us in the house gonna have some fun three days until Christmas. Okay. Uh it's the holiday season. Josh is gonna be singing all night long. Uh, don't be surprised if you get a couple special uh special guest conversations and and songs from the other two sitting to my left over here. They are big singers, but a lot of presents on the way. Uh, what are you guys most looking forward to with Christmas around the corner?
SPEAKER_02Uh, I love giving the kids presents. That's my favorite about which kids? Uh, his kids and then uh Marcos? Oh damn. My nephews and nieces.
SPEAKER_01You should hey you should the ones I don't know about. You should see these presents this guy gives out. Like what? I mean, we have giant.
SPEAKER_02When I say that, they might listen, man. Oh, I'm saying in the previous game.
SPEAKER_04They gotta know what okay. What did you give last year?
SPEAKER_02Toy soldiers? No, always uh always some kind of stuffed animal, because I like stuffed animals. Pranks. What's your favorite? Pranks. What's your favorite stuff?
SPEAKER_01I will say though you give pranks for Christmas? Jake, Jake gave my youngest a bag of pranks last year.
SPEAKER_04It's pranks, it's pranks, it's pranks, it's pranks, it's pranks. Sound like Frankenstein on the spam commercial.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and then they get that song, and then he gets to prank people.
SPEAKER_04You give spam to kids. Basically. Wow.
SPEAKER_00Spam and Reese's.
SPEAKER_04Whoa, is that is that what you give your kids?
SPEAKER_00No.
SPEAKER_04Oh. Man, uh, because I was looking over there, I'm like, man, Marco gives spam to kids with hot dogs, and then Chicago style diet right there. Growing up Chicago, tough.
SPEAKER_00Babe Ruth diet. Babe Ruth died.
SPEAKER_04Babe Ruth died?
SPEAKER_00No, Babe Ruth diet.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I was like, man.
SPEAKER_00Hot dogs and brewski's or pops for you young kids out there.
SPEAKER_04And that's how he hit Jacob deGrom, 99. Eating all that. What else do you give, Jake?
SPEAKER_02Uh, usually, you know, I'll pay attention and find out what they're into that year. His youngest is usually into like Sonic stuff. Um the red one or the blue one?
SPEAKER_01He's a big Knuckles fan.
SPEAKER_04Oh, the red one?
SPEAKER_01Uh listen, and I'll go to Sonic. When the new Sonic comes out, me and him will be there by ourselves.
SPEAKER_04Is that the red one?
SPEAKER_01I mean, yeah, Knuckles is the red one. He likes Shadow too, but he's still a big one. Yep, Shadow's the black one.
SPEAKER_04What's the yellow one?
SPEAKER_01Tails.
SPEAKER_04Ooh.
SPEAKER_00Dude, I'm a big Sonic fan. He's not yellow, he's orange.
SPEAKER_04Who's orange?
SPEAKER_00Tails.
SPEAKER_04Who's yellow?
SPEAKER_00I don't think. I gotta disagree with you.
SPEAKER_01I think you're colorblind. He's definitely yellow.
SPEAKER_00He doesn't look yellow to me in the video game.
SPEAKER_01How much spam are you eating?
SPEAKER_00Maybe too much. But maybe the video game's in the 2000s.
SPEAKER_01I don't think it's the spam. I think he's joining Babe Ruth on the other side.
SPEAKER_00Hey. Hot dogs are catching up to me. Brewski's are catching up.
SPEAKER_01The pops are coming in.
SPEAKER_00Pops.
Cookies, Caffeine, And Chicago Diet Jokes
SPEAKER_01Alright, so listen. I gotta confess to you guys, I do apologize because I texted all of you earlier and I said I was gonna have my Christmas cookies, and I made a tin and I had it ready to go, and I walked out the door because I was gonna make you guys all try my cookies. I made some fudge. I made some fluffer nutters. Uh I made some uh Italian Christmas cookies. They got the ricotta in it with the frost. I do apologize because I wanted you guys to consume them for our listeners. And they are good this year. They're very good. They might be the best batch of fudge I've ever made. And the fluffer nutters are new. That's that's like not something you tell people after you tell them.
SPEAKER_02I forgot your cookies, and by the way, they're the best I've ever made.
SPEAKER_04He was on the phone with me bragging about them, saying, I'm bringing you guys in a tin of cookies. And then fast forward 20 minutes, no cookies. And he says, sorry guys, I forgot the cookies.
SPEAKER_01I gotta listen. I don't know if I leave the dome without having to walk back in because I forgot something. All right, it happens. How much are you sleeping? Not much. I don't ever I don't sleep.
SPEAKER_00Maybe eat some spam. A couple pops.
SPEAKER_01Reese's for dessert. This I mean, this is the same guy who tells me he can pound a Celsius and go to bed.
SPEAKER_00I can. I should be drinking. I'm not drinking one right now, but I was thinking about it.
SPEAKER_04How is the how do you develop the stomach and heart fortitude? Is it the spam?
SPEAKER_00Uh maybe, maybe somewhere along the spam.
SPEAKER_04Uh this Chicago diet. You know, they always talk about hey, I'm Chicago tough. I'm figuring out why. Guys like you, the boys from Cicero.
SPEAKER_00That's right, baby. That's right.
SPEAKER_04Eating hot dogs and spam.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Damn.
Alumni Fogo Lunch And Budget Gripes
SPEAKER_04Sorry that we're talking about so much hot dogs and spam.
SPEAKER_01Well, listen, if we're gonna talk food, I think there's something we need to talk about.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Last Friday, okay, Jake, we missed you. You know, you had your times mixed up. I I actually saw Jake Thursday at practice. I was like, hey, I'll see you at lunch tomorrow. I was like, what do you mean? Oh. And he's like, I got work tomorrow. I was like, we have Fogo at noon, and you said you were in.
SPEAKER_00Didn't he reply in the group chat too?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he he thought he thought it was Saturday or Friday night.
SPEAKER_02I thought, you know, you go to Fogo for dinner, and then I forgot Josh goes there for lunch.
SPEAKER_00I guess I'm if it was open at nine.
SPEAKER_02I would never go there for lunch. I would only go there for dinner.
SPEAKER_01So for those that don't know, we went to Fogo. We had what, 19 alumni? Yeah. I think so. Well, 18 alum, one current. Correct. And four coaches there. Isn't he an alum? No, Luca's not alum yet. We don't have an ATU team. But he hasn't graduated. So he's still doing the training. I mean, that is true. Yes, our college kids come back, but he's still out here on the regular basis. Current. Current. One current. But went to Fogo.
SPEAKER_00Good, good food.
SPEAKER_01Uh, it was fantastic to see all the boys seeing some of them since they were 13 and now 21 years old and grown up, all getting along, hanging out, the stories you heard. Uh, I do have to ask though, um, I heard from a little birdie that I missed my birthday.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you know, that current guy that we were talking about. Uh, you know, I'm just gonna name the name because we're gonna talk about him later in the show. This guy, my favorite Serbian of all time, Lukas Toyakovich, he looks at me, he goes, Hey Josh, hey Josh, maybe we should tell the staff that it's Dan Brewer's birthday, get him some cake, yeah. I'm like, Luca, oh, that's not actually a bad idea. He goes, Yeah, I think he deserves it, working so hard and so much.
SPEAKER_00And I'm like, Oh, yeah, I didn't know Luca. You know.
SPEAKER_04I didn't know Luca. And so they all came out. Carlos was like, Oh, senor, senor, what do you want? And I said, Carlos, we're just here to celebrate some things. He goes, What is he? And he just walked out the door.
SPEAKER_00No, you know what upset me? What the lunch? No creme dinner, no creme brule. Yeah, no creme brulee. Josh tells me, oh, 60 bucks, all included food, drink, dessert. And what is dessert? Creme brulee's dessert, right? Creme brulee's dessert? No lemonade.
SPEAKER_04I would guess it was dinner. I agree. I agree. The lemonade part was really angering. It angered me. I was very mad at that.
SPEAKER_01Josh told us all we get a drink. You do get a drink. And uh, who was sitting next to me? Chase. Chase. Chase Peterson. Chase Peterson goes, Can I get a lemonade? He goes, Yeah, it's extra. And Chase goes, never mind. Just shoot him to the next one.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Pass.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that was it was fun, though. We appreciate you putting that together, Josh. Yeah, thanks for uh putting that together. Listen, I hope that next year when we do it, it only grows. It's gonna be bigger next year. All right, we're gonna have to make sure we can Jake a personal day.
SPEAKER_04Uh I know it's tough, but you know, maybe Well, Christmas will be on a Friday next year. So I'm how does the scholastics you're the guy that works the contracts. So actually, I have you to blame for not getting yourself the day off. You should have worked that contractually. I'm the union manager right here, and I need my day off. Dude, eat Fogo.
SPEAKER_02I'm actually not in the union anymore. What happened? Well, I'm in the union, but not the president, so I don't have any swing. What happened? Hey, hey, ho, ho. Jake Poor has got the go. Hey, hey, yes. Oh, yes. That's what happened.
SPEAKER_00Uh ousted. Ousted. No, we should have the whole fogo to ourselves next time if we get enough people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I thought we were gonna be in the party room and then there was a comed thing going on. We walked back and just shoved in the corner.
Team Culture, Shirts, And Origins Of “Good Man”
SPEAKER_04I asked for a private room. No plate.
SPEAKER_01No, we had to go get our own plate.
SPEAKER_00We should go to Rosemont water in my cup.
SPEAKER_01Okay. But I do have to say, Connor Lash and Chase Peterson put on a heck of a I was gonna ask, did anybody beat Lash?
SPEAKER_02I knew that. No, Connor. Connor's a one is an eating machine. The accountant killed it.
SPEAKER_00I don't think Connor Lash turned it said no. No. First of all, he never flipped his card over for green. But he just yeah, I'll try it. I'll try it. Sure, why not? Yep, I'll try it. Sure. Yes. I'll try it. Yeah, sure. I've seen it. Last week's Dead Duck. Yeah, I'll try it. Sure.
SPEAKER_01Although I I did bring up the uh Ruth Chris dinner with him. And Connor was like, yeah, that was a that was an interesting, uh interesting time. He's like, I didn't even think I was gonna be able to eat when we went there.
SPEAKER_04Much different experience than Fogo, Ruth Chris.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, totally. No, Fogo is just it's fantastic.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it's it's great. But Ruth Chris, I mean, seeing Jake walk in on his gym shorts, his t-shirt, and high, high white socks, I mean, definitely business casual for Jake.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. Is that why you got Austin from the union? It was a nice t-shirt. Oh, the high socks? They heard about Ruth Chris.
SPEAKER_01They're like, you're gone. It had a pocket, you know.
SPEAKER_04Oh, you see, I actually, this is a debate here. I'm actually looking at shirts at the other day. I'm like, what makes a shirt a dress shirt? Is it the pocket or the buttons?
SPEAKER_00That's a good one.
SPEAKER_04Either one.
SPEAKER_00I agree. I'd say either one. Either one.
SPEAKER_02I mean, you can put a V on the neck and it's a dress shirt. True. Again, I agree. True.
SPEAKER_00But I don't know about you, you gotta wear a blazer if you're wearing a V-neck. You can't just wear a V-neck shirt and be like, this is my dress shirt.
SPEAKER_04I saw a guy in here wearing um just a zip-up with no shirt on.
SPEAKER_01Hey, I saw Jake wear a short sleeve button up before they were actually popular at our other brother's fashion show. What? Where my wife proceeded to ask him, What do you wear? And he goes, It's a fashion show. You can wear whatever you want. That's true. So you were ahead of your time.
SPEAKER_02Oh, way ahead of it. Hey, by the way, uh, I knew sweatpants were cool to wear before all these clowns wearing sweatpants all over the place, too. I already knew that was cool.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's great. So I don't know if you guys have seen around the dome lately, but there's some shirts that are hot out there.
SPEAKER_00Good man.
SPEAKER_01The good man shirts are in. They've been flying off. We're out of larges. The people are asking when the youth ones are coming in because I got kids on a couple of our 12-year-old teens, coach. When can I get one? I need I was like, all I got is smalls, and they're like, Can we get some smaller ones? So listen, New Year's gonna hit.
SPEAKER_00Give it to them. Some for them to grow in.
SPEAKER_01We got like 15 left to hand out, and we're gonna get some more ordered. So I suggest you get the orders in. If you come into the dome, walk towards the cafeteria area near the vending machines, check the shirt out. It's posted up in my office. Read the script, man. You'll figure out how to get yourself a shirt. Get the good man shirt. They look good. People are loving it. We appreciate all the listeners out there. I know Josh sent me a little thing the other day. Hit over a thousand. We have over a thousand listeners now. It's fantastic. So we appreciate you guys supporting the supporting the thing. Everything's going, man. It it just be a good man. Do the right thing.
Weekly Warriors And Competitive Scrimmages
SPEAKER_04It's quite easy. I mean, uh, do you hear what I hear? I hear people walking to the desk scurrying around saying, hey, hey, give myself a shirt.
SPEAKER_00And I say it sounds like everybody smokes a pack of heaters.
SPEAKER_03And I say, hey, hey, you want a shirt?
SPEAKER_04Go talk to them brewer. You're gonna give you a shirt, eh? And he's been given the shirts. No, it was what I love about this going back to Fogo. Those kids that were at that table were there when the idea was first manifested. I remember I said good man Charlie Brown to Jack Rosmus one time, and it took off from there.
SPEAKER_01There you go. That's a true statement.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And um That was that was the first fall.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01With all those dudes.
SPEAKER_04Good man Charlie Brown.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. It's like the one line. I said it one time, and then it's took off.
SPEAKER_04We need to make those two.
SPEAKER_01That might be the next thing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, we already got to get parallels.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Hey, you already hey the for the kids out there, players out there, you already know how to get your shirt.
SPEAKER_01Marco tried to make me get parallel.
SPEAKER_00If you need to get if you want to get parallel shirt, you already know how to get it. And if you don't know how to get it, ask around. Figure it out.
SPEAKER_01Figure it out. Another saying that you love. FIO. So Spark's practice this week was great. Okay, we were back to the full slate and we're headed on break, but gotta get out to practice Warriors. Tuesday, outfield 27, Brady Corn, Lions Township, hard worker, been in here, played football this fall, but back to work. Uh, get to Thursday, and I gotta tell you, I'm excited to say this one. But it's our first 26 who gets it. Reese Domino, I already committed in here getting his work in. I have to say, since this kid was 13 years old, all he's done is work. Um, I remember when he committed, he texted me. I mean, a nice heartfelt text that he that you get from the kids and just everything you got. The kid gives you everything he has. Downers Grove North High School. Okay, get this Sunday. We were torn. I had to give it to two in the upper class, but Will Clark, 28 from Fremd High School, like I said, hustle, hustle, and just more hustle. I think he scored three times from second base in the game. And then I got to dish it out to the silent assassin 27, Nate Burch from Downers Grove North High School, hitting the third ever home run in the machine scrimmage. I actually told him, I said, hey, if you you get into this ball, I'll call it a homer. And he hit it, and Eddie Donnelly, who was feeding the machine, his eyeballs went boop, and it was like that ball's gone. Ivan Drago. For a walk-off homer. Okay, and then underclass 28, Jackson Schuster, Glenn Bard West shows up, three stitches on his face. Okay, busted his face up Thursday of practice, ball tipped off his glove, clipped him, comes walking up to me. Coach, I'm bleeding. No kidding, blood's dripping down your face. I see it. You also got a nasty gash. Had to get him to the hospital. Kid got three stitches. Shows up on Sunday. I said, Are you good to practice? He said, I'm good. I'm just gonna make sure I catch the ball. Went off.
SPEAKER_02It's a great plan. That's what I said to him. I said, good plan, man.
SPEAKER_01He went off. He's new to the program this year as a sophomore. I like him, man. He's working hard. He's fitting right in. He's fine his way. But I thought our Warriors this week were were outstanding. Um I think why we all agreed on him, but it's it's a fun thing that's going on. These kids are coming in here working their tails off, man, and just getting better.
SPEAKER_00It's getting competitive, especially with those scrimmages. There's chirping going on when they're not on the field, and then it's like, oh, we're next.
SPEAKER_01This this past week. A lot of chirps. This past week, so teams one and two, it was a second time because this was the second time through the cycle of teams playing each other. Because there's six teams, we're on to week six, so it's back to the top. And team one and two were playing each other. And I gotta tell you, when they came on the field, first off, they asked for a national anthem. I said you only get the anthem when you make the championship. So if you want that, you better get there.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_01But then we had a couple catchers start jawing each other.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I know who you're talking about.
Traditional Vs Nontraditional Player Development
SPEAKER_01It got a little uh interesting at one point. I know what you're talking about, and then the guy who was leading the charge on the trash talk may have played the worst game of the day. I mean, he got picked off, he got thrown out trying to go first and third. Like he had a tough one, and the other guy, you know, just kind of let his game do his talking. But like you said, it's fun. The kids start kind of having some chatter back and forth, which is what it's all about, man. It's all good fun. So um, Josh, I know you want to talk a lot about this tonight tonight about the development of players, yeah. Right? And we talk a lot about what we do in here, but you mentioned to me earlier traditional and non-traditional development of players. Can you kind of elaborate to the fans about what you mean by that?
SPEAKER_04So with the traditional and you it's all in the context, and what I'm I'm just gonna start volleying them across the net here in tennis terms. Especially you two are here, love that you two are here about this. But uh allowing kids to be athletes and think for themselves. You know, Jake and I, you know, we've talked about this a lot, um, especially when we're queuing up things to a particular player. We want them to feel as if they're doing it on their own, but it's really us pushing the buttons, and then they get to a point where they've we've pushed so many buttons where they get out there and they're free thinking and they're flowing, and then everything allows them to be themselves. And now I know there I'm gonna bring up one particular player in his heyday, and I know that a couple of you here don't like him, but Javier Baez, um, yeah, you see, I already got the faces. I wish we were live so you could see the eye rolls that just took place. So, okay, so that guy, one one player in particular, Javier Baez, thought outside the box. Now, don't get me wrong, he did a lot of clown things, but with the clown things, he did some things that you haven't seen before or haven't seen for a while. And you're like, huh. That guy moved at shortstop in ways that were fun to watch. It was whatever you say about him, he was entertaining. I but you're talking about his defense. Yes. Okay, but I'm talking specifically defense.
SPEAKER_01My anger towards that man, and it wasn't because he was with the Cubs, is that his offense was awful to watch. Like it made when he was hitting, I believe around 200, they had a position player come into pitch, and this dude thought it was funny to go hit lefty to fly out. Instead of just getting a hit and maybe actually getting your season started, he said, well, I'll go hit lefty. Oh, watch me. And then throw a slider 30 feet out of the box and watch me swing at this because I I don't have an approach.
SPEAKER_04Like I'm not talking offense here. We'll get to that. I'm talking about defensively he did some things base running wise where it was he also put down tags while pointing at the catcher. It was like flouncy things but things you remember entertaining things. Now I'm like how do we bottle that up and remembering that we're training the kids that we're entertainers at the end of the day. We're all entertainers whether it be coaches or players or entertainers at the end of the day. How do we train them to do that but do it the right way?
SPEAKER_01How you do that, okay, because yes, when we do infield like if you watch there's videos of uh Brandon Crawford out there doing trick plays with his glove and bouncing balls between his legs and that type of things for turning double plays. We practice that stuff. Like I let our 17 year olds when we start going through defense and and getting deep into our double plays being like okay trick plays only and we try to put them in those situations that hey you may end up here in the game figure out a way to get the ball there without a normal flip or throw right that's the same I guarantee the same thing he did. He he used to practice doing those things. Like if you watch the videos on Crawford who I got to play against was arguably one of the best shortstop I ever watched play the game I mean it's ridiculous what he's capable of doing but he just goes out there goofs around practices it and then gets to a game and does it I guarantee Baez was the same way and did that stuff and that's why the flash came out it's more the fact that and here I'll say this it was actually as a baseball fan it was nice to watch him actually be a little bit more humble this past year get kicked to center field be a backup and then made an all-star team and then played short towards the end of the year but he doesn't play like he used to play like he's got older he's got one Manny Machado when he first was in the league and playing he he was I I hated watching him play. It was cocky it was arrogant it was it was all a show it wasn't the game that I think some people traditional guys like to watch right now is there entertainment to it yes as you always say are they entertainers 100% that's what they're getting paid to do and they get paid a lot of money but is Baez going to be a Hall of Fame baseball player that's my question to you should be correct and that's my that's my biggest pet peeve is that man's talent is a Hall of Fame baseball player but instead of attaining his maximum talent and ability he decided to be an ass clown and play a different way for the show and his numbers speak to that. So like I know we go about this all the time but that is my truth behind I I don't think Baez skill wise talent wise game I mean he are like I like I said I personally believe the guy should have been a Hall of Fame baseball player and I don't think he will be because of what he did early in his career.
SPEAKER_04So how do you so off that point how do you then you see that talent let's say a kid in here walks comes in here with that talent. Now mind you that's a Hall of Fame talent we but we have seen some kids in here to walk in with some we we call him division one baseball they walk in and it's like okay that's a division one baseball player in our mind now how now how what what do you guys cue up and how do you think all right how do we get this kid to do all of that on that side and then have him play the right way and some of them come in very cocky.
SPEAKER_02So how do you then you know head coach head coach head coach here again especially you Jake you've dealt with the biggest personalities and you as well that have walked through that door um how do you and we've talked about the last time you're on Jake how do you manage the personality get them to play the right way but also let them be them uh I took one of my practice things I would do um watching I believe it was the Devil Rays not Devil Rays the Rays sorry I'm old the Rays taking infield before uh Rey's Kansas City game when we were on the road we went to a game I went early to watch infield practice um and their dudes it would be perfect it would just be flawless like beautiful you're watching them and like that that's exactly how you do this and then every I don't know 10th 12th 15th play they would do something that was like wow that's some real razzle dazzle you got there and then it would be instantaneously right back to perfect form perfect perfect fundamentals so I try to throw that in there like perfect fun do it the right way right right right whatever all right dazzle me now right back to it so so like that give them that freedom to be who they want to be make a play how they want to be have some dazzle to it have some show to it but then click your brain right back to focus to do it the fundamentally correct way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah how about you Marco no yeah right on the spot Jake it um I tell all my guys all the time my players it's like the best teams the teams that win championships are the teams that make the boring plays the teams that make routine plays every single time yeah there's that there's those flashy plays there's those diving plays that yeah I gotta make and you know there's uh those crazy backhands throwing it all that but the teams that win are the teams that make the routine and are fundamentally sound and like to to Jake's point it's like how do I get my teams to buy in on that it's like well I don't really like using this word but culture I guess you know this is what we're gonna do this is how we're all gonna move this is how we're all gonna act okay but then yeah you can have your little flair you know you could you know wear your your little uh whatever you want to wear maybe on the side or something or do you know your little razzle dazzle play uh during in and outs you know during one of your reps that's totally fine do that you know talk chatter blah you know uh be lively you know but then yeah like uh Jake said it's right back in it you know when you need to be so yeah well and just hearing them both talk like and this just kind of hit my brain and you know my my little 11 year old team gives me a heart more more maybe one of the parents kind of messes with me at times but I'll ask you guys a question when your boys hit doubles during the summer are they out there doing stupid mass celebrations like like I mean big time ones like arrogant ones no no no no do they do something yeah there's a little celebration something simple sure yep right you can connect with your team correct you can't make some kind of ridiculous that takes us away from what we're up to but that is to your point you said the word culture yeah I think all of us especially inside this room have a way about how we see the game yeah and I think you guys also have a lot of respect for myself and you kind of side with me on this and I I promote it a lot where I just think that there's no need for it.
SPEAKER_01Like if you want to do something little like I know I showed up one time and Pete Farron's rolling dice and he's going roll north I was like all right that's one of the first ones that I'm okay with yeah like don't do anything arrogant don't do anything stupid the things you see on social media with some of these kids did or the thing you saw in college baseball with a guy who did it one time like when you let that happen as a coach yeah you lose the culture yeah and then you lose the ability to do what you two are saying of okay we can do these certain things at practice and and it's the bland stuff but it's what wins baseball games.
SPEAKER_05Yep.
Fundamentals First With Room For Flair
SPEAKER_01Right? But we are still going to have fun. Like my 11 year olds I don't let them wear the sliding mitts because they're little and half you guys don't even dive anyways and you just wear it because you see other guys wear it. But it also takes you guys way too long to get it on and I don't have time for that.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Why do the older kids do it well the older kids have all their stuff and they're they're quick enough to get it and they can pay attention to a sign while putting things on little kids can't do it. For example I'll say this it was kind of funny to me. Sunday at practice we did a little game one of the moms did a little game where the kids had oven mitts on and they had little balls wrapped in like saran wrap and stuff and then they had to open it and of course you know my son was the only one who didn't have oven mitts at practice you know why is that uh listen the mom asked me if she could do something I just said yes but I don't really think I paid attention to what she asked I just said do whatever you have to do at practice assuming that it was not that like the cookies. Yeah I see a trend here that's your one shot you get back at the cookies tonight you do it again we're gonna have some problems but they're doing it and my son like I said didn't have it I looked at Jack the one kit my catcher on my team and I said Jack go grab your your you know your slide mitts out of your bag he goes which one I was like well how many do you have and his dad goes like fallball Jack fallball Jack and he comes running out with three of them I'm like how do you have these but it jokingly like it panned out it they actually came into handy at practice because they helped us when we needed them but like I that's that's what I think is the traditional you can call it old school which is what I call it because I I just think that that is the style of baseball that I appreciate. I grew up in involved in uh I think that the game is still a pure beautiful game that is played a certain way that yes is there adapting to the new non-traditional style of play and what goes on and how it I mean the the umpires this year aren't even gonna be calling balls and strike they're gonna have an earpiece in that's gonna tell them and they're just making gestures like the the game's changing it's evolving I thought the bases change was ridiculous at first and now I think it's genius like it has definitely enhanced the stolen base which I think is such a great part of the game I don't think every anybody's ever catching Ricky. Nope no chance but it has enhanced the game to push the action on that type that style um so I think there's positives of it. I just think it's one of those things that you can be on one side but you don't have to be so like dig your foot in the ground and it's one way or or the highway like I think some people get caught up in that in this sport where they they believe everything's one way and they're they're they're closed minded and I don't think you grow in the sport if you do that.
SPEAKER_00And it's not and it's like like I said earlier it's like I want my team my whole team moving together a certain way as one but it's like I want everybody to be their own individual. You know what I mean? It's like hey like you know because that's what that's what makes the team the team.
SPEAKER_01Well and it's what makes the player the player yeah if a if a player cannot be himself you will not maximize your talent yeah when one of the best piece of advice I got in professional baseball was actually from Nick Swisher. When I was in camp with the Yankees I went up to Swisher we were both outfielders and I asked him I said hey I love you as a baseball player I think you're hilarious. I think you're a talented guy I'm a big White Sox fan you were awful with the White Sox. Like why were you so bad with us? And he and I know this is public like him and Ozzy Gean do not like each other. He goes I don't like I didn't like Ozzy and Ozzy would not let me be me. And he goes when I couldn't play my style and be my own personality like my game suffered he goes you have to be you if you are a bounce around kind of talkative guy go do your thing but he's like you will never maximize what you are capable of doing if you are not playing to be yourself. Yeah and I think that's what you're saying like that's what you said you have to let your players all be themselves to pull the best out of them.
SPEAKER_04Yep but there's a fine line then between being a punk and then letting the player then be them because I've we've all dealt with punks in this room where in terms of well me being me coach is not hustling the first base me being me coach is sitting out in center field staring up at the sky not being ready for a pitch that's me coach.
SPEAKER_02Okay but there's some like non sorry there's like non-negotiable that's what I'm saying yes that's what I'm saying. Where like that can't happen because you're sabotaging our team exactly and our ability to be an effective team. So you can't do that sorry.
SPEAKER_01And who cares how talented you are exactly a 15 year old kid who's the most talented 15 year old kid may not be the most talented 18 year old rarely it is rarely is when when recruiting used to be what recruiting was and kids were committing at 14 years old and 15 years old statistics used to show that only 25% of those kids used to end up at that school. So great you were the big fish when nobody hit puberty and then kids hit puberty and you stopped working because you're complacent and you were the same player at 18 years old and then the kid who was 15 years old and hadn't hit puberty grew, worked skill wise was ridiculous and then finally added mass and his game took it to a whole new level and passed you up and that's why when kids come to us at 15 years old and behave like that I'm I am fully aware and capable and happy to have those conversations with the parents and players like listen if you don't want to play here go play somewhere else I do not care. If you don't believe in what we do as a staff and what we do inside this dome go somewhere else. If if you think the grass is greener or somebody else is going to be your best avenue to to reach your potential go do it and cool if it works out for the kid people will look at us be like well you got rid of that kid it's like I don't care I don't I don't need the nine most talented baseball players I need nine kids who have one mission and that is to work and play as a unit and give their very best.
SPEAKER_00And get better.
SPEAKER_04That's it we uh we to that point we teach kids how to win here and again like some people use our avenue for showcase baseball in terms of we're just going to show how hard we can throw it how hard we can hit it and how fast we can run and usually that doesn't well news flash you're facing the same exact kids who are usually better on the other side of the diamond that can do that way better than you usually throw it harder and then you're finding a way okay how can we win and so the one thing and Dan and I talk about this a lot Jake you and I talk about this a decent amount is that the guys that come from here in their freshman year in college are ready to step on the field year one because they know how to contribute to a program off the bat.
SPEAKER_00Yeah they know what it takes.
Tech, Hacks, And When Data Helps
SPEAKER_01Yeah you know so yeah good conversation I think our coaches here do a good job of not letting like even our best players we like we I guess you could say we do a good job humbling them or like we don't let the prisoners run the asylum inmates yeah not the they're not prisoners they're inmates yeah I think I just think the inmates yeah get the same different that definitely a difference to that get the same and we talked about it when you were on the show last week one of our in my opinion one of our potentially best 15 year old kids who I think has a very a lot of skill and talent to be special you held accountable in the fall and there was an appreciation to that it's almost like they got you got to check them when they walk when they walk in the door you know what I mean it's like because it's like the minute they start walking around like you know they're this that the other and then it's like yeah you know they're they're trying to get our respect and we're trying to get their respect. And when you get that you can pull the most out of them. So let's talk another part of development of players. All right let's talk tech tech no tech right and this I think this is an interesting conversation. I don't think we have to get deep into this conversation today because I do know that we want to bring somebody else on at some point that's going to talk a lot more about this um but just briefly Josh all right I think you probably side a little bit more tech than the three of us inside here yes but not by much depends on what context.
SPEAKER_04What is your definition of tech so I would consider the hacks tech yeah well I don't even consider that tech I I consider that a basic there's a cord being plugged in it's tech that's technically machines and wheel spinning I am a dinosaur and there's technology in terms technology in terms of the kids being in this don't so my Jake Jake's like where's the jugs machine with the yellow dimple balls going thump foom so defensively I do not think with a practice of over nine people you can run an effective practice without a hack attack I I'm sorry I we're I'm all about maximizing the reps and the game like speed I cannot be as effective as a coach without a hack attack with defensive reps without a hack attack. I can't a fungo hitting single fungals and I'm all if you have three and four guys all by all means go ahead and whack away. So in terms of the hack attack defensively the best tool you can have if you if you're a college or high school program listening to this right now a head coach your best investment your best investment in your program is to buy a junior hack attack and this is not a sponsorship from the junior hack attack it's just you need one. Yeah hating wise they're good um I've I've changed my views with this um I kids need to have repeatable mechanics amen and it's time and context for when to use the machine it's hard to hit off the machine correct there are two arguments with this there's argument number one you need to put them in a chaotic environment and that will produce the best out of them I understand that argument I I I see that argument argument number two is it blows them up it puts them in a defense position 90% of the time and um they can operate and have consistent mechanics because they've been practicing defense mode the entire time so what I think in terms of with a machine and the hack attack off when hitting if the hitter has shown that he can consistently repeat his mechanics off of front toss um toss what what do you even call yeah flips and tease and off a T consistent launch positions go ahead and use the hack attack. But there I don't think there's a time and place for overloading VLO because it's just like I said you're just blowing your hands up for no reason half the time If anything, I I am more of an advocate for using it off off speed pitches because my arm cannot produce that type of spin.
SPEAKER_01I actually so I'm glad you said that because so far this year for training, we have not touched hacks for the high school kids at all. Oh wait, one gay. Well, correct. I saw it on Sunday. Where's the shoulder? Will Clark, where's your shoulder? We have not used the hacks like we will use within our training. And I did this purposely. I wanted, I sent, I remember when I sent you guys the message to start, I said no hacks.
SPEAKER_05Yep.
SPEAKER_01Come January, we're going to implement hacks. But it's going to be with Marv balls and breaking balls. Because I agree with you. You can simulate with Marv baseballs, you can make those things spin and create very hard, challenging breaking pitches for kids to learn how to stay on balls. And it puts them in that uncomfortable situation and position for them to learn how to adapt and adjust. Hitting is a game of adjustments, it's a consistency. And if you can't consistently, I I do this a lot with my my lessons. They hit on a T, and I'm like, dude, you didn't move, the ball didn't move. But you took three swings, and one ball went there, one ball went here, one ball went there. Like your swing is not consistent. If it's not consistent there, it's not gonna be consistent on flip. If it's not consistent on flip, you are not going to be consistently hitting BP. And when we're throwing BP to you, if you are not consistently squaring up a baseball, what makes you think you're going to consistently square up a guy pitching? Because you know what I'm throwing. Right? Sure, the location changes and maybe speed changes a little bit, but it's not a very inconsistent pitch. So if you can't do those three things and handle the bat and control the barrel and do what you want, like it's not gonna happen at the next point. So master those and learn how to feel those out and then be able to get to the next phase. I think a lot of times that people grab tech and they're like, do this and hit off this machine and use the track man and use the rap soda and blast motion and and get to those men, but it's like cool, dude. But if you can't consistently square a ball up, the kid has no rhythm off a team, you're not hitting.
SPEAKER_04I saw uh Ted Williams had no rap soto. Barry Bonds had no rap soto. Tony Gwynn. Tony, again, I I saw a video of Ted Williams looking at uh teenage Mike Piazza saying, This guy right here, I'm gonna tell you, this guy right here, he's a swinger. This guy's gonna be something. And this is Ted Williams with a beer in his hand in Florida watching Mike, uh, 18-year-old Mike Piazza. He didn't need no machine. And again, not hating on the people, the coaches with the machines, but there are I see a lot of people out there now that are calling themselves bona fide coaches that are just looking at iPad screens and saying, look at this vertical break, look at this degree of attack, and look at this XYZ based upon what my sensor is reading. I'm off for all those things. But if you can't going back to the same thing that goes with coaches, RT is our eyes.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So if I can't consistently see a bad swing with my eyes, what why am I depending on this machine? To go off on that, yeah. Go, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But to go off on that again, yeah. What you're saying is um like the iPads and stuff, right? You see it in the bigs all the time. So many, so many coaches and guys pulling out the iPads all over all the sports really, iPads, iPads, iPads. But in baseball, what we're talking about here, I've heard uh I forgot who was talking about it, but uh MOB players. Before like they even go to the iPad, it's like, did I even feel like I took a good swing or my best swing? And if it was like no, I didn't, then I don't even need to look at the iPad because I know I know it was a bad swing, you know? Now, if I feel like I took a really good swing and maybe I want to see any any sort of change, or what did I did do right there that felt good? Yeah, then I'll look at that.
SPEAKER_04What are faster moving sports? Tennis, basketball, hockey, um, uh football, they have the tape. But those fast moving sports of shooting tennis has the same motions nearly as baseball with a tennis ball flying in at 100 miles per hour, way more than a baseball's flying at 100 miles per hour. I don't see Novak Djokovic going back to the thing and looking. Look at how my forehand is going. He's again, visually has to understand his body. Basketball, I don't see, you know who has a lot of terrible jumpers in the there are a ton of guys with terrible jumpers in the game, but they're not going looking at the iPad. Oh, look at my jumper. Here we gotta go. You just know coming out of the hand, if it's gonna be. This game has uh same thing with golf. This game has allowed people with this machine, and let me see how I can overanalyze and I can be a coach. They didn't have that back in the day. Roberto Clementi was launching balls from right field and and the warning track, launched them a third base and throwing people on at home. He didn't need a rap solo to tell him he was on the island throwing coconuts and rocks at trees, okay? Same thing, and I saw this live. I saw the greatest throw I've ever seen in person this year, Ronald Acunia, flat footed from the warning track, throw a guy. I'm I'm watching like Nikki C, he's gonna throw some oh Ronald Lacuna again, these guys, and you're like, oh, these are world-class athletes. Yes, yes, so the kids, yeah, it might be a beneficial tool, whatnot, and whatnot, but it's just a tool, and you can't we can't rely on it.
SPEAKER_00Hold on. Go ahead.
Feel Over Screens And Scouting Smarts
SPEAKER_01First off, I was watching a hockey game two nights ago, and I actually saw a dude pull out an iPad on the bench, and I was actually intrigued because I was like, I've never seen a hockey player do that because, like you said, a fast-paced sport, they don't do it. Now, it was a the the first line of guys, they were looking at it. I think they were looking at figuring out ways to adjust their plays to whatever defense that I understand. Like I was like, I get that. I played before the match, like in the front end of like the video era when they were turning fields over and you had access to us all. And some guys really did it, some guys kind of did a little bit, and I would watch some. I also wonder if guys in baseball will look at the iPad. I and this is where I think I would have used it, where I would have watched a bat against a pitcher if I would have seen something like a tip or a grip or something a pitcher was doing when he was coming set, or little tells that like you used to be able to see from in the box and in the box only, but if you had that information and then you could go look at a video, you could then use that going into your next bat. So I wonder is there times that these guys are actually doing that? I think that'll be all four. I think majority of the time, yes, guys are watching what their swing was doing, and where was I positioned and did I do this? And overanalyzing the swing aspect instead of just trusting themselves.
SPEAKER_05Yep.
SPEAKER_01But I do think there's times that a lot of them are using it for a different reason to figure things out. Like another thing, if I was playing and and they had all that, I would use that on the regular of watching a guy um when a guy's on first base. Like every pitcher has tells. I would I would literally, if I was a player, I would sit in the dugout and I'd try to study that type of stuff to get an advantage and edge over the the pitcher you are facing, and then watching a pitcher before you go into it. Like sometimes it's nice to see a pitcher video because you can see break on is like okay, two seam, but is he a two-seam guy that rides or is he two seam guys that sinks? Right? Is a slider more a straight slide or is it a vertical tilt or what they call now a slurf, right? The slurve is just a hard slider that the dude gets on top a little bit more and that thing bites, right? That type of stuff and information gathered going into face in a picture is is very important. I used to, to be honest, and Jake's, I I remember, once again, I forgot it, but remember when I texted you and I told you to mail me when we were living together, I told you to mail me my hitting book. I used to keep a hitting book. So after every bat, I'd go into the club, or I'd go back in the uh dugout, and I'd have basically each team sectioned off in this book. And it was it was a legit, like it had a strike zone. And I would mark every pitch off my bat, right? Of what the what's the what the cycle was, how he threw it, or what pitch it was, where it was located, and then I would write something about the bat, whether it was good or bad. I mean, and there's some times where I've, you know, probably wasn't very well written because I was scribbling and not very happy at the time. But after a long time of keeping this book and you'd face the same pictures, I didn't even need a scouting report. I'd just go look at my own book because the things that I wrote down helped me more than anything. I don't want to read what somebody else is writing about this guy. I want my own information. And as I went through the season and would face guys, like, you know, I would have such an advantage going into the bats, or you'd figure out what certain organization organizations were doing to you and how they were pitching you. And you know, then first bits fastballs, or second and bats, they're throwing you a breaking ball. And then you'd go in and it's like your plan was so much easier to execute because you'd be able to be like, cool, second and bat, nine out of ten times these dudes have thrown me a first bit breaking ball. I'm gonna go sit on a breaking ball, and if they hang it, you're gonna tattoo something, right? So I do think there's value to what they do with some of that stuff, but I I agree with you that I think a lot of times these guys are sitting there swing analyzing and breaking things down and then causing them sort of more headaches than good.
SPEAKER_00Like they're having a bad epit already. It's like I I know I just took a bad swing. Now let me go look at my bad swing.
SPEAKER_01You know, and it's like let's see how bad, let's see how bad this one was. Let's see how bad it was. But no, I think that's good, and and that's not a deep tech cough, but one more player development gotta talk is growth early, growth late. And we touched on it a little bit when we were talking about I kind of mentioned the commits. Um you mentioned the kid earlier, and you made him out to be Pepe Le Pew. Um but we just had a kid, okay, Lucas O'Hakovit, who just committed to Creighton University two days ago. Um part-time player on our black team this past summer at 17s, but never played on the black team besides that, and really got thrown on the team because Jack Romsey's shoulder was hurt and he couldn't catch, so we had to have Luca kind of fill in. But was always on our white team, never complained about it, just went to work, was behind dudes, and put a chip on his shoulder and just worked and worked and worked, got in the weight room, fell in love with the weight room, built his body. I mean, he demolishes baseballs now, like his growth late has earned him a Division I scholarship to play at Creighton University, which is a very good baseball school, and has spit out high-end baseball players to the next level. And I sit here and I say, okay, why when you look at a kid like that, one, why is it happening? Right? Like why why is he able to do this? And and why do guys overlook kids when they're 15 years old?
SPEAKER_00I'd say the reason it happened, like why he's in now is just his consistency and work ethic, you know, of him being here in the dome, um, him buying in to the coaches he has here, um, and us just implementing the confidence that he needs to have uh the success for himself, I think. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_04Um people aren't curious. It's Dan, but your at your question is like why don't people see when they're 15 again as coaches, we gotta uh we can't be judgmental of the player that early. We gotta be curious. What what can they do?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And I I will Dan Henry Johnson.
SPEAKER_00That's another good one.
SPEAKER_04Henry Johnson. Um zoom it in there, Henry. Zoom it in there.
SPEAKER_00I had I had Henry when he's when he still thought he was a first baseman. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And so Henry Johnson Sheets, dude.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, he'd say he's Gavin Sheets.
SPEAKER_0115 years old. Henry, who's your favorite player? Gavin Sheets. I hit just like him. I said, well, you might want to stop because Gavin Sheets don't hit so well, bud.
SPEAKER_04So if we kept Henry as a position player, he would have been cut, but Dan thought that he could be a legit left-handed pitcher. Fast forward three years till now, Henry is pitching at the Division I level at the University of Toledo.
SPEAKER_01And I talked to his fall, I talked to his head coach this fall, and the reviews that came back were man, this kid, he doesn't have the greatest stuff, but he works his butt off, he's competitive on the mound, and he gets out, which is what he did for us. Henry though, I hope you're listening, bud. Get a pick-off move. You're killing me. Pick your left-handed pitcher. You are not John Lester. Get a pick-off move, please. Okay? But the growth early growth late, all that stuff is fun, man. It's it's like you said, you can't quit on these kids at 15 years old. So let's move on. It's time for a cup of brew.
SPEAKER_04Brought to you by Newman's Corner Pub out in Huntley. Jeff Noraki, the greatest bar restaurant tour manager out there, comparable to Guy Fiari. If you're in Huntley, tell him Josh sent you and Adam Abrewer sent you, and maybe you might get a discount. But he's running all around. He has like five restaurants. He's almost like Gordon Ramsay on the Las Vegas strip. That's how famous this guy is in the Western suburbs. Get yourself to Hampshire. Yes.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Is he Guy Fair or Gordon Ramsay?
Youth Coaching 101: Care For The Ball
SPEAKER_01He's both we don't know. But Newman's Quarter and Pum's a fantastic place, man. Um, we're gonna be quick on this one. We're gonna talk a little bit about youth coaching and kids. It's not gonna be much of a story, it's gonna be more, you know, youth coaching 101. All right. I've been coaching my little 11-year-old team now for four years. All right, great group of teams, great group of boys, and I've had 10 of the 12 kids for four years. Um, and one other one for three years, and then I have a new kid this year. Um, but I gotta tell you, we go out and play all the time, and people always are like, Man, your team is so good, blah, blah, blah, this and that. And yes, they are a very good team, but to a lot of the things we've been talking about is fundamentally, they are very fundamentally sound at a young age. They take care of the ball. And if you ever came to one of my practices and you asked the boys, what do we got to work on? They'll say, take care of the little white ball. Take care of the little white ball, right? Because that is what you're playing against. You're not playing against a team, you're not playing against another person, you are playing against the little white ball. And the team that takes care of the little white ball will win the game majority of the time. Not every time, you know what I'm saying? But if you take care of that thing on the regular, you're gonna win a lot of games. So people say, Well, what do you do and how do you train these kids to do that? And I use a lot of stuff that we do in high school and some things of the chaotic training that Josh has kind of brought to us, and um, some things that I did with my old man growing up coaching me. But to be honest with you, I think the number one thing we focus on that I think all youth baseball players should focus on is playing catch. Too many kids do not play catch the right way. They're lazy, they play catch like pitchers, they aren't moving their feet, they don't try to catch the ball the right way, right? And then it's like coaches just leave them off by themselves to play catch, and then you watch it, and balls are flying all over the place and they're goofing around. And I'm not saying that catch has to be like drill sergeant, you can't talk, you can't do this, and it's robotic, and okay, put the balls all on one line and say throw, and you know, I'm not saying that, but I think there's a right way to teach kids to play catch. So, how do you get them to maximize doing that within a two-hour practice or a two-hour game? Right. And I remember when my team was eight years old, majority of the practices we did, it was throwing the ball around the horn, right? Like I would pretend I was a pitcher, I'd throw a strike to the catcher, I'd yell strike three, the catcher would throw it to third, the third baseman and fire it is short, shorter to fire a second, second, throw it back to third, and then they have to throw it back to me. And I beat in their brains that when you struck a kid out and there was nobody on base, throw the ball around. And when we were eight you, we'd go to games and I would tell them, I don't care if we win or lose this game. What I want to see is if you guys strike a kid out or you get a guy out with nobody on base, you throw the ball around the horn. It takes three seconds, four seconds. And it's an opportunity for you to work on playing catch. Too many times you show up to youth baseball games and strike three happens, and the catcher just throws the ball back to the pitcher. Uh out happens and nobody's on base, and they throw the ball back to the pitcher. And then the I'll say something to the coach, I'm like, why don't you throw the ball around? Oh, they can't. They're gonna they're gonna throw it away. And it's like, well, do you practice it? No, we got you know, we gotta practice on the fundamentals, or we gotta do our hand drills. It's like practice during the game is playing catch. Make the kids play catch with the most eyes on them physically possible. And if you're in a game and a kid strikes a kid out, you have to play catch with all the parents watching. And an umpire who's gonna sit there, and when you throw the ball away at eight you, you make cut out, throw the ball back to the pitcher. And I he it happened one time when our kids were eight. And I said, if they do it again, we will stop. But they will play catch as much as physically possible in a chaotic, pressured situation, because that is what their job is to is get better. So I would tell you as youth coaches or any coach here coaching our younger teams, practice throwing the ball around the horn, make them do it in game. If they don't do it in game, get on them about doing it in game. It'll help you guys take care of the little white ball. All right. So that's my big cup of brew. As Jake says, cheers up.
SPEAKER_00Cheers up.
SPEAKER_01Cheers up. Okay, bears.
SPEAKER_04Can we talk bears this week? Best game I've ever seen in my lifetime by far. Um, considering the circumstances, we slayed Satan. We slayed the devil, we we killed all that is bad. Truth, good, evil evil lost on Saturday night in Soldier Field on the lake front.
SPEAKER_00Evil is concussed.
SPEAKER_04Evil is well, okay. It's it's our time. It and it's time. And again, Manungai came through. Kyro Santos's been ragging on you the entire time. I thought of you when he was making those feelings. So did I came through. I was like, if this guy misses it, Josh is gonna go and where's Moody? Where's Moody? Kicking earlier at the earlier slot that game, losing to the Eagles. Um, but no, it's our time. We're gonna win these next two games. Again, just the last thoughts for me in that game. I was not again, I was looking at it. It was a rough game before that, but every game. Yeah, every game we've had like that's been like that. And yeah, even though Gwen Carlos Santos was taking a long time to kick that field goal to make it a 10 point or uh a seven point game, um I I'm like, damn, we're gonna do it. And we did it.
SPEAKER_01It was awesome.
SPEAKER_02It was good to see. I did not believe, but we did do it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, six fourth quarter comebacks this year. That's not an accident, and Nashawn Wright is our MVP.
SPEAKER_04Force another fumble.
SPEAKER_01He might be first team home.
SPEAKER_04What about Walker? Number two zero, baby. That's cool and all that. But Nashawn right, if that I'm I'm not kidding. If that guy's not on the team, we are 500?
SPEAKER_01Under 500? Agree. Agree. Again, and I looked this up for you. It is not 30 picks. It's 30 total takeaways, is what we have.
SPEAKER_00I was going to say 30 interceptions is crazy.
SPEAKER_01It's 30 total takeaways. We lead the NFL with takeaways.
SPEAKER_00How many interceptions did we have?
SPEAKER_01I didn't get that high. So we had in two weeks left. Okay. One game back to Seahawks. Okay. If they lose one and we win out, we get it because we will have a better conference record. Yes. So we got Niners this week. I know they're they're Purdy's Purdy's throwing all his touchdowns tonight, which means he's gonna save the picks. Yeah, I know. Phillip Rivers called him. I love you. I do too, but they're they're they're on a downside. Hey, the Chiefs went down again. Yeah, like poor guy Gardner Minshew Tours ACL.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, dude, everyone's hurt. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Minshew tours, I didn't see history in the NFL.
SPEAKER_00The first quarterback of fully African descent, like played back this weekend.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, oh thank you. Well, thank you for that factoid. I feel like we need a sponsor.
SPEAKER_00The guy for the Chiefs. I know who I don't know uh who it was.
SPEAKER_04Caleb was like, man, he's looking like Pat Mahomes in fumbles. And Caleb's like, oh, I just love Pat Mahomes. But it's gonna be an interesting two weeks down the stretch. Jake, where do you foresee this Bears uh future here this year?
SPEAKER_02That's a good question. Um it could be anywhere, man. Um I I I think we're gonna win our next two. I don't I don't think we're getting the one sing uh seed. I think we're gonna sit in the number two seed, and then and then I think we're gonna get lucky enough to bounce the Packers out of the playoffs. I was talking to a guy earlier today saying, I want to play the Packers again. I'm scared.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, play them again. Come on again, come on again, on the first one, m'ning on the second one, and then Caleb Williams gonna drop it in the bucket on the third one, and then Kyro Santos for the win walks it off.
Bears Euphoria And Holiday Send-Off
SPEAKER_01So Saturday I was at a Christmas party, right? And a guy who was there was a big listener, good man, showed up, great outfit, okay? During the game, it's going on, he's going, third and monungai.
SPEAKER_03Third and monungay, fourth and monungai.
SPEAKER_01And everybody's looking at the two of us, and I looked at them, I go, bad men. Not good men.
SPEAKER_00I'm not gonna lie. When the Bears decided not to take kick the field goal, and then they snapped it over Manungai's head. I almost I almost walked out of the bar. I think a lot of people because it's like Ben Johnson. Why? Like, okay, I get it. The Packers, you know, they go for it, whatever. You don't gotta be like, okay, let me show you. I'll do the same as you. I'm tough too. No, take the points, be smart. Like, yes, we won the game, but take the points.
SPEAKER_04Our coach is a thinker, and I respect that.
SPEAKER_00I like a thinker, but he's looking at the iPad a little too much. You know what I'm saying? Oh, eating too much spam. No, not enough spam.
SPEAKER_02Less iPad, more spam. Um more spam and field goals.
SPEAKER_01I agree. It's gonna be a fun street. Take the points. It's gonna be a fun stretch. And listen, I want to say to all three of you guys, Merry Christmas. Jake, I know I will see you on Christmas Eve at mom's house. But I hope all of you guys have a great Christmas. To all our listeners, Merry Christmas. Uh, we will have our show before the New Year's, so we'll get your New Year's wishes out there. But don't know when. Be safe. Okay, be safe.
SPEAKER_05Stay warm.
SPEAKER_01All right. Have a good one. Uh, if you were Jewish, I know that you just finished Hanukkah yesterday. Uh, I had my celebration with my other side of the family because we do celebrate a little part of Hanukkah. So I know Hanukkah just finished up, so happy Hanukkah to those. Happy Hanukkah. But have a great Christmas. Be safe. All right, Jake.
SPEAKER_00Don't forget your cookies. Jake holidays. Shalom.
SPEAKER_01Jake and Marco, thank you for coming. Thanks for having me. All right.
SPEAKER_04Lord Puck, send us off. All right. I'm going to tell you a couple things. You're getting together with the family on the holidays. Avoid politics at the dinner table. That is advice number one. Advice number two, make sure that your driveway is clear and that someone is not parking behind you before you blast into their front end. That is number two. And then number three, make sure if you're going to get a little toasty, make sure you have a little spam to wash it down and make sure it gets absorbed.
SPEAKER_00Make sure your spam and pops ratio is good. Yes. Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04And make sure if you gotta go to work in the morning, make sure you take a shower so no one smells you. And I mean, we don't like those smelling things.
SPEAKER_00You don't want to be the guy that smells bad.
SPEAKER_04No, right, Jake?
SPEAKER_00That's great advice.
SPEAKER_04I know, right?
SPEAKER_00Never want to be the guy that smells bad.
SPEAKER_04Happy holidays.
SPEAKER_00Happy holidays.
SPEAKER_04And to the 1,000 listeners that are listening to the Good Man Show, we love you and thank you so much for getting the show to where it's at. I hope you have it. A thousand more. Woohoo! I hope you have a great night. Good night. Bruce Soss, Lord Puck out. Marco Jake.
SPEAKER_00See ya.
SPEAKER_04Bye.