Cookie

We dedicate the show to Cookie and share why she meant so much to our baseball family, then we shift into the realities of coaching, competing, and growing through a long spring. We break down tournament lessons, the playing time conversations parents get wrong, and the base running details that quietly decide close games. 
• remembering Cookie’s impact and the standard she set 
• tournament recap from Super Select to championship runs 
• how age groups and roster makeup change results year to year 
• why parents should coach the kid not attack the coach 
• what to do instead of complaining about playing time 
• teaching moments from real base running mistakes and weird rules 
• pitcher patterns, tells, dirt ball reads, and sharing info in the dugout 
• why the best base runner is usually not the fastest 
Go see Don at Caliburn Bat, man. Get your bat. Coaches, you need your fungos, get a fungo. Head over to Newman’s Corner Pub. Tell him The Good Man Show sent you. Say hi to Jeff.

Transcript

Dedication And Getting Back Together

SPEAKER_01 0:00

This episode is dedicated to Cookie. One of the hardest working respectable admirable people ever come through the doors at the dome. You will be sorely missed. And we'll never forget you.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Welcome to the good man show with Bruce Soss and Lord Puck. Hello, hello. Hello. Hey, good to see ya. Long time no see where. And we've had we've had a little down stretch here, and I apologize. I was out for a little while. And then you know, unfortunately, we couldn't get together the other night. Guy had a big date. Did he have to go on?

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

New little girlfriend. We can we can kind of start talking about, put a smile on the old man's face. But good to see you. Good to sit down. Here, here

Basement Setup And Tennis Talk

SPEAKER_00 1:01

in the second ever episode in the basement at the old brewer establishment.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

I prefer the basement. So do I.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

It's nice and cool. Sounds great. Got our tennis wallpaper. You just came back from your tennis match with your brother. Lost a tough one in a tiebreaker. I know you don't want to talk about it, but I will say this the video you sent me of the off-the-wall game you got going on is pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Thank you. Caleb's a pusher. And for all you people that don't know tennis, pushing kind of like with baseball, um, they're just trying to slap the ball back at you. They have no intent of winning the point, and they're just depending on you to make mistakes.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

They're waiting for the unforced errors.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

And I racked up the four unforced errors when it mattered.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

It's a matter of who can wait it out the longer. Who can who can just rally? It's kind of like it's like kind of like on the clay courts.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Sometimes you just gotta you just gotta wait them out.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Caleb loves the clay courts.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Well, I've always wanted to go play on a clay court. Been watching the Rome open.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Watching the clay courts. I love the clay courts. You get a lot of upsets.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

You get some randoms who come out of nowhere, a lot of a lot of Spaniards, a lot of Argentinans.

unknown 2:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

You gotta watch out for them on the clay.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

They grew up in that, they have more experience in it. And yeah, I mean, there's a clay court out in Oak Park.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Is there really?

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Yeah, it's open to the public.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Interesting. I actually heard something kind of really off topic, but speaking of Oak Park, so the guy I hit with, and I need to reach out to him. I have not reached out to him in a long time, but Steve Hayward grew up hitting with him my whole life. I shouldn't say my whole life. I started hitting him with when I was a sophomore in high school. Hit with him until literally the last day I played baseball. I was at my at Ethan's Little League game last night, and a parent I was talking to who knows him was like, Do you hear about what happened to Steve? And I was like, No, he's like, apparently his house burnt down. And I'm like, Well, okay, like how bad up weekman. I was like, how bad? And he's like, it's not ruined, completely burnt down, but like I guess he had a fire on his upper floor. Now, if you've ever been to this man's house, like you walk in and he it looks like my house during Christmas, only inside his house every single day. So, like, I've been there multiple times. I've always told him, I'm like, I think you're flirting with the electricity and watts and how much you're pulling all over this place. So I really hope it wasn't like an electrophone fire. But like I said, I gotta reach out to him to just one check on him, but also make sure like everything's okay. But it was kind of random, it was it was a crazy story. Like, to your point, it's been a very messed up week. You know,

Remembering Cookie And Team Loss

SPEAKER_00 3:47

obviously very tough within the Sparks family and the Dome family, just losing an individual way too young. She was a special individual. I was telling something or someone earlier today just about the tryout story and and sitting in the office, and uh, you know, as we go through our tryouts, and tryouts are coming up here in a couple months, and we'll talk that when we get closer to it. But after our trial process, we always go sit in the meeting room and you know, we call it the war room, and we you know cover each player, and you know, I remember bringing her up and kind of looked at the whole room and was like, I mean, she was better than 75-80% of the boys here. Like, anybody have any objections? And I remember everybody being like, Nope. And it was like, it was a slam dunk for sure, no-brainer. And I have to say, man, like thinking back to that now with with everything that has happened, like I'm really happy that we all kind of put egos aside and welcomed her into the organization. She was a breath of fresh air, she she competed every day. She she did what you ask of every single player. And you know, I just want to kind of get that out there and with everything going on, just let her let her let her know from up above, like you'll never be forgotten. You always have a special place in this organization and and just rest in peace.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Yeah, I'm I told the trout story a couple to a couple people today that asked me about it. She was the first female to put on the sparks uniform at our place, I think even at the Lockport place as well as well. So yeah, and I I really I I you can't really sum up a person's life in a certain amount of time and all the people they impacted. And she worked hard, she was quiet, kept to her kept to herself into her own business, listened, and was very easy to work with.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yeah, she she just wanted to get better. Yeah, I think that's what we ask of every player that ever puts on her jersey is have the want to get better, right? The TWTW. Right. And it's it doesn't matter where you are at certain ages, it doesn't matter your skill set. It's if you have a burning desire inside of you to compete, grow, learn, adjust, all those things. Like it's just she had qualities and characteristics that just spoke volume of her of herself and her upbringing and and just who she was. And I think that's like you said, like she was very young, and age does not always dictate what a person is. Like sometimes people are wise beyond their years and and they mature faster. And it was just one of those situations that it'll it'll it'll always have place in our heart in this organization. I know we'll have stories and that for many years to come. But it it's it's it's a tough one inside our family right now, and I think we just band together and stick together, and it's gonna be hard to move forward, and I know there's gonna be it's gonna affect a lot of people. I saw a couple boys from Schaumburg who came in who played baseball today, and I was asking them now, mind you, they're older kids, but just seeing how they were doing and checking in and just making sure the community's doing well.

SPEAKER_01 7:21

Yeah, and and also just I know it's cliche ish, but you just can't you can't you you don't know when. And so people try to put you on timelines and operate on their own your own timeline or their own timeline, you know, just you gotta seize the day and and you operate on your own timeline.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Amen to that. I I you know having three little kids of my own and just thinking about it, it's like it's it's a parent nightmare. It's something you don't wish upon anybody. But you know, I have to say that last night I walked into all three kids all three of my kids' rooms and they were asleep and just gave them a big hug, big kiss, and you know, told them I loved them. And you know, I think that's what we can do and all you can do, and you just cherish every moment you can. But we do gotta get to some stuff here. Yeah,

Tournament Results And Player Growth

SPEAKER_00 8:15

it's been it's been a while since we sat down, and to our listeners, we apologize. We haven't been here for a while. We've had a lot happen over the last couple weeks. A lot of baseball have been played. Yeah, right? We got to talk a little bit about the Broncos, see how it's going. IHSA playoffs coming up. You know, super select. We did we didn't get to talk super select, we went out to Super Select. 14-year-old blacks had a great showing, went two and one in their pool or in their pod, and then end up making the championship and playing the same team they lost to in their pod, the Canes Midwest national team. And I actually went to their their pod game against them, and I mean it it came down to them having one big hit in the bottom of the seventh inning that scored two to take the lead and win the game. And I know in the championship game they had to come back late and beat them. And you know what's crazy? And I see you wearing that Black Sox baseball shirt, and it makes me think of the BJES brand down in Ohio. The shortstop who was playing for the Cains Midwest team is a Bo Jackson elite sports kid who just isn't playing because he plays on the 15-year-old team. He plays up in age because he's an eighth grader, but plays up, and he's worked with Neil since he was like seven years old, and that kid absolutely torched us. And when we found out he was a Bo Jackson kid, we're like, You gotta be kidding us. But I'll say what the 14-year-olds last year, 13-year-old went out to that same tournament and went 0-3, lost both games in their pod, got bounced, you know, got smoked in their consolation. One year later, they go out to the same tournament and they compete to play in the championship for it. And I I said it to the 13-year-olds this year because they kind of struggled as well. And I told the coach who manages their team. I'm like, what you got to understand is at 13 years old out here, a lot of these teams are loaded with a bunch of eighth graders. Like our 13-year-old team is all seventh graders, right? So what happens is a lot of times the 13-year-old teams go out there and they they aren't as successful because they play a lot of play downs. And then next year they go out, you put an even playing field out there of all 14-year-olds and all eighth graders, and we end up competing. And it's exactly what happened with our 14-year-olds this year. So I try to just kind of put that in perspective for the 13-year-olds because I know they struggle a little bit, but like they're gonna be all right, they're playing well. My loving you team, we made it to the quarterfinals. Always good to make it in the bracket. We went two and over our pod, got to the quarterfinals, won our first game in bracket play on a walk-off. We were down one going to the bottom six, and then Big Jake, new guy in the team, had a big walk-off hit, which was huge for him. And then quarterfinal game, you know, had a tough first inning, gave up a couple unruns, and then just kind of couldn't recover. We didn't really get blown out, but you know, the score was a little lopsided more than what the game really showed, but just didn't play our best baseball in the quarterfinals, which was a shame because if we we win that game, we would have got another crack at that beaver valley team out of out of Pennsylvania that we really wanted to take another shot at. Because I explained to my boys, I'm like, in four years of coaching you guys, I don't know if I've ever, and I'd have to go back and double check this, but I don't believe we've ever lost to the same team twice in a row.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

It's hard to do that.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

It is. Well, and I think that they when they lose to a team the next time they play them, they they get kind of that that edge and it to them that's like we're not losing to this team again. So I that's why I was more so curious. I wanted to get another crack at them because I knew the boys would be jacked up ready to go. Not saying they weren't jacked up ready to go for the game of four, but it's just you know, that's that's baseball. And I told him after the game, I said, listen, anytime you can come out to this tournament, you're the final eight teams playing, like you did a good job. It is a very competitive tournament. There's there's eight teams left standing out of 32 teams. Like, you did a good job. Like, and that's we we just gotta keep building, and it's not what we wanted, and it's not the goal we were out to achieve. But listen, that's why you just go back to work. That's what as athletes, as as individuals, you're gonna fail. You learn from it, you adjust, and you see if you can go win the next one.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

So you bounce back, because last time we spoke, you're a bit hit a little rough patch a little bit, and so you're able to bounce back and look at the is it a new day?

SPEAKER_00 12:40

It's always a new day.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

So it's always it was a little dark though.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

Well, well, you know a little night, an old night.

SPEAKER_01 12:47

I saw the owls coming out.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Well, here I'll I'll say this. We played a tournament this past weekend.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

And once again, I would not say that we have played our best baseball, and we made it to the championship game, and we ended up losing to a a Sparks team out of Lockport. And once again, the score was lopsided. It ended up being 10-2. We lost in five innings, but we gave up seven runs in the third inning. On I don't know, I think six of them are unearned because we just made a crucial error at the wrong time that ended up costing, and then some hits broke out, then some bloopers. You know, that's that's baseball. It's it's something will happen in the game, and I always say this when a ball starts rolling down the hill, you've got to find a way to stop it. Because if you don't, and that ball starts rolling, it can get moving quick, right? But you think about pushing up a ball up a hill, it's hard to push a ball up a hill, right? It takes a lot of work, it's hard to climb up, it's easy to roll down. So, but uh listen, quarterfinals the week before, championship this past week. Like, you can't you can't complain about that stuff. Anytime you're competing to win a tournament, like that's always good. And they're they're good, man. They're gonna find their stride. They they gotta loosen up a little bit, in my opinion, at times. How about you? I'm listening because this is new territory for you. No, I mean, we're still having a successful year. It's just you're not gonna you're not gonna go 50, 50 and 9 every year. Sure. That's what I'm saying. Sure. So how are you? But I haven't. I've coached for many years. I've had seasons where I've only won 19 games. I disagree. It's a little different. I don't agree with that. Every team I've ever coached, I've always treated the exact same. I get what you're getting at. All I gotta do is go play that mud cat team with yard. 13 new Mudcats. What a team. What a team. Connor Lash. Would you post work? 100 hits or Collin Lash.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Torian Domenico is at U of I with Mazacano.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Let him over at JUCO. He's in what's that Juco with that? He's a nice lad, too. Spanish guy coaches it. It's down downstate. They're red.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

Oh, Lincoln Land?

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Yeah, he's over at Lincolnland. With uh Godinas? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's over there. Noah, obviously. Drew Kennon's at Virginia, pitching. You had a team. Yeah. And the my first team ever. My little guys, two of them are going to U of I play. Actually, Nate Ramirez, I coach still at Montini. Broncos. The Broncos. Anthony, I still hit with, he's going to U of I. Addison, who's at the Paul, he's going to U of I. And U of I guys. I don't know. Break that in the line on U of I. And then a couple others are either playing uh division two or division three ball. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

You know what that says?

SPEAKER_01 15:49

What?

SPEAKER_00 15:50

You know how to coach them up. Well, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

I mean, there's and I'm still in contact with them all.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

You know how to coach them up.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

You build them when they're young and you coach them up, and then look what happens.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

I was told I couldn't coach youth back in the day by somebody.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Here. That's a great segue into my next point I want to talk about.

Playing Time Complaints And Parent Roles

SPEAKER_00 16:07

Because you know what time of year it is? What time? It's time of year where we uh, you know, double A. Double A's phone seems to be buzzing just calling a bit more. Just call them a phone. It's amazing, though. It's it's the same thing we talk about every single year when we talk youth youth sports and travel baseball. It's like we go through our winter training and we don't hear a peep. It's great. The dome's amazing, right? Parents are like, oh, I can't make this practice, but they let us go to these other practices and the coaching staff and the training and the hitting and the lessons you get, and that everything's right, and all of a sudden, boom, we're a month into season, and now what happens? Well, reality says little Billy. Little Billy isn't on the field as much as little Billy wants to be on the field, right? So, what does little Billy start to do? Little Billy starts to complain or ask questions.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Is Billy complaining or is Big Billy complaining?

SPEAKER_00 17:09

Well, and here, I think sometimes there's legit complaint from the kid asking questions, and I think there's certain age kids who know how to approach a coach and ask questions, and then I think there's certain age kids who have no idea how to do that, nor would you expect them to do it, right? I think the job then as the parent is to ta hear your kid, have a conversation with them based on the situation. I think there's certain times that yes, I would say that okay, reach out to a coach, ask the question. Then there's other times I think parents reach out to a coach and ask a question or spin a narrative a certain way. Love narrative. That it just to me, it's like can't always agree with them. And I think Earhart does a great job. AA does a great job of handling things now. And I will say, since he's taken over the youth and had to do this a lot more, my my word I'm looking for, hostility, anger has gone down. Yeah, oh yeah, because you know less stress. Yes, yes, because those phone calls don't come to me as much anymore, or sometimes I'll see an email that comes through to both of us, and you know, it's always hey, go ahead, you can take that one. But I guess my perspective that I want people to hear is baseball is the only coach I coach my son in. Right? I watch him play football, watch him play basketball, right? And football, for example. Last year was the first year playing tackle football. Spring training was going, he's like, I really want to make the best team. I really want to make the best team. I'm like, cool, just go to work, go go train as hard as you can, listen to the coaches, try to make your adjustments. This is your first year playing tackle football. They had kids last year. Like, who knows what's gonna happen? Doesn't make the gold team, makes the silver team, right? They split the two silver teams up evenly. He doesn't get put on the same team as Vinny, his buddy. So now he's kind of on his team on his own. And it's like, whatever, dude. Like, I'm not calling anybody, I'm not talking to anybody about why. Just go work at practice. Like, go go prove you're better than what they they think you are, or maybe that's where you're supposed to be. Like, let's see how it plays out. And when I go to his games, I sit there, I cheer for him, I cheer for the other players, I say hello to the coaches, don't ever question their playing time or what they do with it. Like, that's that's that is their decisions to make. My job is to pick my son up, teach him. If he's got an issue, I have a conversation with him. If he feels like he's being slight on something, my job is to tell him then you need to find a way to prove your worth or find the ball more or find the field more. Or like I remember earlier season he really wasn't playing defense much, and I'm like, well, what my perspective, I said, you aren't making the tackles on the outside, you're getting beat outside, right? You aren't aggressive through the ball, like to push it back to the middle, right? At that age, you don't throw the ball a ton, so like it is what it is, but like I'm just telling you, I'm watching. So, like, if you don't like it, that that's what I'm seeing. So you should probably figure out a way to be better at that. And then by the end of the year, he played cornerback all the time because he started making those adjustments he learned. But I think parents have to understand that like your job is not always to attack the coaches, our coaching staff wants to win, right? No coach goes out there and like, oh man, I'm gonna lose this game. Like they want to win, so they're gonna play who they think is going to give them the best opportunity to win.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

You agree? 100% sorry, I just cracked my knee.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

I that's because the guy had a tough match, but yeah, I it's it's just one of those things that like the coaches are out there, and I think as long as you watch your coach and he's at practice pushing, motivating, still giving kids opportunities, then I don't think there's times to call people to complain about playing time.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

Yeah, but here's what I my thing is do you feel good? Like let's say you really buckle down on the coach and you really showed him what's what, you know, and then your son goes out there and plays. Do you feel good about that? Like, do you feel like you got your kid on there just because you had to raise hell? That's my thing. Do you feel good about that? You feel good going to bed at night.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

I think it's a I think it's a very legit question because I think when I have those conversations, I'm always like, I don't always understand the angle. What's your point? Bob said it to me though, this way, right? He said, I guarantee a lot of those people who pick up those phones to make those calls, like. They they call because they just want to they want to hear you agree with what they have to say. Yeah, they want validation. And then he goes, the problem is is probably most of the time you don't agree with them, so then they don't know what to do. Correct. And I'm like, yeah, that's a fair assessment. He goes, but that's that's gotta be why most people will pick up a call and or or send an email about this stuff, right? And it's just it's like I said, going back to the original start of this, it's just crazy to me that it always becomes like May, May hits, and all of a sudden, like this is what it's all about. But it's like go dissect what really took place all winter and what's the value of your son of his development. Like don't get me wrong, being on the field is going to help them develop. But if they aren't better than somebody or they aren't outworking somebody, they are not just given the opportunity, like you need to earn that. Like everything is earned. So if you aren't earning it, well then go figure out a way to do that.

SPEAKER_01 23:07

Again, how do you feel? What do you want? What do you what's your point? Like, what's the end goal here?

unknown 23:15

Tell me.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

You said it.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

And then I I noticed that some people use their kids as a social currency amongst each other. My son, or even daughter, I'm not gonna discriminate. My son or daughter, they play and they start every game. How about your son and daughter? What do they do? Oh, you know, he's not starting, you know. He's he's trying his best. Oh, we must be better than you. I I kid you not, that's how it is.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

Or or take the parent who sits in the stands and almost roots for failure for kids who play over their son.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Or wishes for them to get hurt.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Totally messed up.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

I know.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

And I know people I know people are listening to us right now, and they're like, some people listen, they're like, oh no, and it's like, trust me.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

I've I've been in the stands, I hear it.

SPEAKER_00 24:06

It's crazy. I hear it. So messed up. How can an individual sit there and be like, Man, I hope little Johnny gets hurt. So coach, aren't, aren't, coach, coach. You see him?

SPEAKER_01 24:16

He's hurt. Like, he does see his leg. He can't play. He has cramps. Like, I don't think it's safe. I don't think it's safe. Crazy.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

It is crazy.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

Yeah. Thing is, it's true. I've I've seen it. I know. I've heard it.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

So advice to the parents. Listen. Let it be. Let majority of it be. If you have to have a conversation, like I had a good conversation not too long ago with a parent that was more like, listen, you're the coach, do your thing. But is there opportunity for like my son to potentially play with somebody else or get time on the field and this and that? And I think that's the job of us as a large organization. Is like, yeah, we always have opportunity for players to fill in for teams that are short-handed or playing a midweek game and and could just use an extra body. And now this kid can go get three, four extra innings defensively and two or three extra at bats. Like, I think that's the whole point of the family we built with this organization is we try to build that culture that like all of our players are around each other. So just in case we get in that situation, like, yes, we can shuffle players to go play other places. I think those conversations of parents reaching out to ask that type of question. I think that is a beautiful way to approach it because I think it gives the light of like, we're not pressing like the now, but is there more opportunity, right, to kind of balance the season out? And it's like, yes, there is. Same way I just went to with the winner training. Kids play basketball, kids play hockey, they miss practices at times, right? Or they can't make their team schedule practice. And then they reach out to double A or myself and they say, Is there another team in their age that we could practice with? We reach out to the coaches and say, Hey, Lil Billy needs a practice. Can he come to your practice? Absolutely, right? That that is just that's the environment we built. So I think that is a very good way for for a parent who may have a question to approach kind of the opportunity to allow their son at a younger age to get more chances.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

There's nothing wrong. Again, I had a talk with a parent a couple weeks ago. It's all about finding a competitive level where your kid could play and get the decent amount of reps at a level where they can compete, where they can succeed and also fail. And and again, trying to get as many reps as possible and to approach it in a way because obviously, if you're approaching it like that, you're acknowledging that there might be a little bit of a deficiency right now. And so now you're just trying to, okay, how can we make up for it by not sacrificing the betterment of the other one team and maybe going down a level or two just to help another team out and help yourself out, you know what I mean? So, and there's nothing wrong with that because and especially at 11, 12, 13, 14, like you're just there to get as many reps. I'd even argue at the high school level as well.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

Well, at the high school level, like what we do at times is like, okay, if a team has a weekend off and a player's struggling, it's like, all right, go fill in and play some extra with this team because you could use some extra bats or some extra innings or time in the field. Like, go get some extra work in. Like, that's the whole point of us having some off weekends in the multiple teams. Is like there's the potential to still allow kids who maybe aren't getting as much on a regular weekend with their team, more opportunity with something else. Same way we do with our 14-year-olds. Like when our 14-year-old season ends, like we take some of those kids and we put them up onto the high school teams because it's like we know they need some help with players, it also gives those kids extra baseball and more opportunity to keep playing and get better. Like it that's that's whether it's the move down, move up, it's just we always look at it to try to get these kids as as good as we physically can and provide them as much as we physically can. So,

Caliburn Bats And A Quick Plug

SPEAKER_00 28:09

but yes, we're gonna segue in to the next topic, but first we're gonna talk about Caliburn bats. Don Erickson, Caliburn Bat. Love you, Don. I just texted Don.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

What'd you text Don? I want I we are actually. We're gonna have a show in Caliburn bats.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

Oh, Doctor, I can't wait.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

We're gonna record it, we're gonna put it in right where he makes the bats.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

I've talked to a couple people, yeah, and they said that one of their favorite episodes was when Don was on it. They said you need that guy on more often. He's coming back. I can't wait. So and listen, boys, if you're listening and you haven't gone and seen Don, you got about a month until season. Less than that. I'm just well, the first couple weekends are metal. I'm saying until you get to the Wood Circuit, you got about a couple of about a month until you get it. Go see Don. Get the Downers. Caliburn bat, man. Get your bat. Coaches, you need your fungos, get a fungo. The good man fungo has been on fire. So we gotta talk.

Mother’s Day Stories And Gratitude

SPEAKER_00 29:13

Mother's Day. Mother's Day was Sunday. Yeah. I wanted to do an episode before Mother's Day. Okay. Mother's Day is it's, you know, I think there's a lot of made-up holidays. Mother's Day is one of those ones that I really embrace and love. My mother, Mama Brew, active listener. She did say you're welcome back to Fogo the Chow, just so you know you got the re-invite back. Is an amazing woman. She provided me so much opportunity to chase my my childhood dream. I am forever grateful to her. I love my mother. I would do anything for her. She still comes out all the time and watches my kids sports and and helps with our kids and comes to Ethan's games. And it's funny seeing her at Little League games because a lot of kids that my kids play Little League with are kids of like parents I played with. So all the grandparents come back. So my mom sits with all the old grandparents that that they used to watch us play, so it's kind of amusing to me. She came out to Ethan's game at 10 in the morning out in Joliet. I just I gotta say, like, Mother's Day is a fun day. It is a special one. I've I I always look at Mother's Day, and it's like baseball is is Mother's Day, and that's how I always played. And when I was playing baseball, I was always off. But I just I I really wanted to say on this show how much I appreciate my mom when I was a kid getting me to my games, right? Always allowing me the extra opportunities to chase the dream I wanted to chase. She never pushed me or or forced me to do things, she just simply guided me and helped me and supported me. And I think that is truly special for moms who do that and and either for their kids. I love my mom. Thank you, mom. I'm sorry that I did not get to spend as much time with you on Mother's Day because I was out in Joliet until about 7:30 at night. But I also know that if there's one person who understands that more than anybody, it would be my mom. So I do want to say or ask you how your mother's day was. I love your mother. She's a fantastic woman. So how was how was her mother's day?

SPEAKER_01 31:46

So we went to church. It was my day off. So my Yeah, so we went to church and we we just spent some time together during the day, and then I got asked to go watch, I got asked to go watch a baseball game. One of our alum Zach Bava, he's redshirting over at ISU, and they were over playing at UIC. So I told my mother, I said, Mother, I'm gonna I'm gonna go watch a baseball game. And like your mother, she understood. So I went over there, I I hung out with the Bavas, and as I'm sitting up, well, actually, as I walk into the stadium, I turn around and I see this guy. I'm like, I know that guy. And it's Curtis Granderson. I go, Curtis, he goes, Yeah, what's up? So I go, nice to meet you. So I meet Curtis Granderson as I walk into the stadium, and then I see my guy Rob Bava and Beth Bava, and I'm sitting up there the entire time with them. But in the first inning, mother and her son come up and they look up, they go, Josh, and it's one of our 23 grads, Owen Rivera, with his mother and Rivera. Owen attends ISU, he plays on the club team, and he just wanted to go watch a game with his mom. And so I was with both mothers that I've been with their sons for a decent amount of time. And I tie that back in. My mother always told me to be a servant to others, and so how I spent my mother's day was you know just being with other people, and she like yours never really like told me I had she with my athletics, she never had any input in that. It was just I it was mostly my dad, and she just supported in whatever way she can support now. Anything that I needed financially, time, anything, she was always there, she continues to be always there, and just my best friend. I call my mom every day to talk, and if she was gone, I would probably throw myself in a river.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

So that that she wouldn't want you to do that, but I know what you mean by the way.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

Yes, but that's that's how much yeah, that's how much in terms of the the that how strong a relationship that is.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

And I think that I knowing her, you know what I'm saying, and you know my mom. Yeah, I don't think there's any surprise, and I think that's also a reflection of of your character and and why you've become the way you are. And you know, I know I know your whole family. I think your sister's really the only one I'd I've only met once.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

That's fine.

SPEAKER_00 34:29

You always say that about her, it's fine. And here, you knock your little brother, but which one? Noah. Oh, he's a good kid, man. I actually I had a good conversation with him on the phone the other day, and he is a respectful young man.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

And jacked up his hand. It's I didn't know that today. They they got in at an at-large bid for the D2 World Series, and supposed to play on Thursday, doing live pitching today.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

Got hit in the hand, but yeah, throw some ice on it, you'll be all right.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Hopefully.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

But yeah, I I just for all the moms out there, we appreciate you. I hope you are pampered and taken care of. I know that I force my little guy team. I tell them if I catch any of you guys having said happy Mother's Day to your mom before I see you on Sunday, you'll be in big trouble. I actually went out of my way this year. I went out and bought 12 roses that I brought to the to the field that morning, and I gave each kid a team on the team of rose to give to their mom when they got to the game. One of our moms went out and custom made some pink arm sleeves for the boys that had mom written on them, the boys' numbers, which is the first time that we've worn pink on Mother's Day. But the mom reached out to me and she's like, I know you are against this, but are you okay if we do this? I said, Listen, I said, listen, there's two days that I will let the kids wear pink Mother's Day and breast cancer awareness day. I said, When I That's a month. I said, Yeah, but when you when we would play, there'd always be one day where they like honored that. And I understand it was a month, but there was always one day that you like it was like breast cancer awareness day. So you would wear pink or whatever, and you'd show up and there'd be pink arms or wristbands, or they'd have the pink eye black that you could wear. So yeah, the boys, the boys loved it. I know the moms loved it. It was a long day for them, but they they were very happy that we were all playing baseball. So I think I think it was a good day in general. And sitting in front of you, yeah, I know the people can't see, but right in front of you is a little homemade. I can't say the crust is homemade because that's not, but I'll get to what else I made. That's a little mini chocolate pie for you that I whipped up for Mother's Day at my mother-in-law's house because I always make all the desserts for the Mother's Day at my at Amy's mom's house. I made my future. I made those. I mean, oh, we're gonna get to that, but real quick, I made those. Yeah, and I also made this little homemade pie. I made the pie crust.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

I took the left lever of that filling, filled it, and then when I finished it, I was like, I only covered half of it.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

So I was like, I gotta find another layer. So I was like, I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna find some graham crackers, layer of graham crackers. Look at you. I'm gonna get some vanilla frosty. I'm gonna put vanilla frosting in top. It was about 9 45 at night. Didn't have graham crackers because the kids ate them the day before because they thought we were outside gonna do s'mores on the fire. We didn't, but they still found a way to eat it. And then I didn't have frosting, so I ran the store really quick, right before Mariano's close at 10. I got my graham crackers, I got my frosting, I came home, I layered the cake with the graham crackers, took the frosting, I put in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it, and then I dumped it on so it kind of covered it all, and then re put in the free the fridge so it like hardened. I'm not kidding. An accidental throw-together pie is a slam dunk. My brother-in-law texted me and goes, It's a 10 out of 10. My sister-in-law said 9 out of 10. I won the people over. I got a new dessert to make. Man, look at you. I was very happy. Amy even tried it. She's like, This is actually really good. Wow. She's like, I don't know where you came up with this. I said, Me neither, but that's what happens sometimes at 10 o'clock at night.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

The best thoughts. So you're gonna have to try, you're gonna have to try my little pie. I will. The best thoughts come right before you go to bed.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Always.

SPEAKER_01 38:29

I was telling that to somebody the other day. Always. Right before.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

That's a lot of my notes I keep happen at about midnight.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

Yeah. You're you're in you're about to close your eyes, and all of a sudden you hit this, you hit this lucid state. I purposely back in school days when I was writing papers, I would force myself into that by taking a lot of melatonin right before, put myself to the near brink of sleep, and then that's when I'd flow. I would flow. So did I hear that you met somebody?

Meeting The Future In-Laws

SPEAKER_01 39:01

Uh yeah, I met my future mother-in-law last weekend, right before Mother's Day. I got her dozen of roses with a card. Good man. I know, right?

SPEAKER_00 39:10

Good man.

SPEAKER_01 39:11

When one door closes, another one opens, and someone's opinion of you doesn't have to become your reality. Someone once told me I had no social skills, and uh it really hit me to heart, and I was questioning if I could ever meet someone's parents again, and I was scared. I was deathly scared walking into this, but then after 30 seconds, I felt at home, I felt respected, I felt appreciated, and I looked up, an hour had passed, and I was making both of them laugh, and I felt so happy. I get to we walked to the car.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

You got a little gloaty right now. She looks at me, she's the people should see you right now.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

She looks at me, says, I haven't seen my dad talk like that to many people like that.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

And I said, It makes you feel better. I I was scared shitless of my father-in-law for many years. But I also was like 14 years old, so I don't think that counts.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

No, no, no. But this one, so I was it went so well. Everything's going so well, it's gonna keep going well. Don't ever, and then here's the thing don't ever let anyone tell you what timeline you need to be on when you know you know. Yeah, just hey, and I know good. I'm happy for you. Thank you. Happy for you, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

I still remember that phone call.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

Which one?

SPEAKER_00 40:32

It's official.

SPEAKER_01 40:33

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm in love. And I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care if you know anyone can. I like I love this woman, and you can all hear it, know about it.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

I'm gonna start calling you Buddy the Elf.

SPEAKER_01 40:49

She's beautiful, she's awesome, she's smart, she's hardworking, and she backs the blue. And for you that don't know that, that means going to Culver's, all right.

SPEAKER_00 40:59

You know what Ethan's been really into now that you speak of back the blue, because we go there frequently. Oh this man loves raising canes, though. What? He I I know.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

Okay, I know Ethan, come on.

SPEAKER_00 41:11

I know. Come on, Dad. Can we go to Raising Canes? Dick, can we go to Raising Canes? Dad, can we go to Raising Canes?

SPEAKER_01 41:16

I'm like, we back the blue. We're going to Aldi. Make my own chicken for you. Go to back the blue. Oh, but we're gonna back the blue. We're back in the blue yesterday. It was so good.

SPEAKER_00 41:24

Well, I'm happy for you.

SPEAKER_01 41:25

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

I'm excited to watch you eat this pie too at some point.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

But yes.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

Okay, I want to talk bass running.

SPEAKER_01 41:31

Okay.

Base Running Rules And Umpire Lessons

SPEAKER_00 41:32

Had a situation happen the other day in one of my games.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

Right? And it was great. If I eat this, is this gonna spill out? I got you a napkin. Is it going to spill though?

SPEAKER_00 41:40

Well, what you do is you just take take it, dump it. So it falls, the graham cracker crest falls out. You get out of the tinfoil.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

Continue.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

Get out of there. Come on. It's not stuck. Boom. Got it. Continue. Um so interesting situation happened in the game the other day. Right? The kid was on second base, and he steals. There was one out. So he's stealing third. What part of the game? I don't know, probably third. I think we're like third or fourth. And we were having a good inning. We we had we had kind of retaken the lead in the game. We were up probably like five, six runs at this point.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

So you were just hammering four hands down the line at this point.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

Yeah. And that part of the game. Oh yeah. And kid swings and hits a fly ball. Cam swung and hit a fly ball right down the left field line.

SPEAKER_01 42:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:37

So he's stealing. He thinks it's gonna drop. And it it was Cole running, Cole's fast. So Cole comes around, touches third base. Kid makes a really good catch down the line. And I'm yelling, you gotta go back. You gotta go back. And Cole just beelined it straight to second base. I was like, mmm, you gotta touch third base. And he runs straight back. Third base or the coach, the coach in the third base dugout right next to me sees it. Umpire sees the clearest day. They tag him, he's out. Cole staying at second base, so I go in the dugout with him, and he was he was actually pitching at that point, too. So I in the dugout, I talked to him real quick and he was upset. I'm like, hey, dude, first off, relax. I'm like, do you know that if you touch a base and then somebody catches it, you have to retouch the base to go back? And he goes, No. I said, Okay, well, good. Well, now you know. I said, that is a rule that if I'm running bases and I were to touch a base, but now I have to go back and tag, I have to retouch every base I touch. Like you can't just run straight across the field, you have to retouch bases. He goes, I didn't know that. I said, Well, good, now you do. So it's a learning moment and a teaching moment for you. And it was one of those things that we have not had to happen. I feel like in the game of baseball, until you see that or it happens to you, especially at young ages, like those kids don't know that rule. And I Was like this is great. I love when there's opportunities, especially on the base path, for TG moments. Here's another one for you, right? In my tournament this weekend. New pitcher comes in, right? When does the ball get put in play when a new pitcher comes in?

SPEAKER_01 44:18

When he touches the rubber, nope.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Three things have to happen.

SPEAKER_01 44:22

Umpire has to yes, touch the rubber. One. I know the umpire has to say play. What's the third one?

SPEAKER_00 44:29

That's not that's not that's not one of them. That's two. Batter has to have feet in the box. Okay, and the catcher has to be in a setup.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:36

You cannot put the ball in play until those three things happen, right? So we're playing a game. Team brings in a new pitcher. Guy just hits a double on my team. We're down by two now, right? One out in the game. Later in the game. I think it was. That was good. I think it was it good. You devoured it. Very good, isn't it? That was good. Good. Kid Kid takes his lead off, and I will say this. He was not paying attention. Like you he had his eyes somewhere else. And pitcher, I didn't think he stepped on the rubber, but he stepped on the rubber for a split second because I had the video sent to me. But he stepped on the rubber for a split second. My batter never went in the box, and the umpire never really fully put the ball in play. Pitcher steps off, throws it to second, base umpire calls him out. And I'm like, time out. I'm like, when was the ball put in play? And the home plate operator's like, and I said, I said ball's in play. And I'm like, Yeah, but you never said that. I was like, he never got on the rubber, and he never got in the box. I'm like, you can't put the ball in play. And they wouldn't meet about it, they wouldn't change it. Where was this inward? Yeah. No, I was I was upset with my player, anyways, for taking a lead off and not paying attention because that's something we talk about on the regular that your eyes always have to be on the baseball. So I was upset about that, and I whatever, I just moved on. Here's the kicker, though. After the game, I try to go ask the umpire. Like after the game ends, we lose. I walk up to the umpire, I'm like, hey, can I ask you something? He goes, What? And I was like, you know what, dude? Never mind. Like, I'm not you clearly, you're an unapproachable umpire, right? And it was just one of those situations that's like, you were wrong, know the rules, right? But it was just like there's been a lot of things that have happened in the last couple games. I'm like, good, these are just teaching moments for for kids for us. I actually had something else happen. Kid swings, drop third strike, right? One of my players swings, ball bounces, drop third strike, but as it hits a catcher, it hits him on his back swing. Like it's not like he let the bat go or interfered with the ball, but he basically swing, ball hit, bounce, hits the catcher's chest protector, comes up, hits his bat, and then shoots straight to the backstop. Is he out? No. He is. What? What's the rule? I don't know, but it's it's equipment basically like interference because hit the bat made contact with the ball after hitting the catcher. Now I always thought it was right, if I drop my stuff or I purposely hit it, or or I hit it, then that is interference. I did not think it was on a like if I'm still.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

But it hit the catcher first.

SPEAKER_00 47:20

That was my argument that that was an uncontrollable thing. But the umpire said that it's still the rule that if it touches his bat on his backswing and it makes contact with the ball to interfere with the catcher, then he's out.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

I feel like it should be if the ball doesn't touch anything and it touches the bat after the backswing because he can't because when when it touches the catcher, that's uncontrollable right there. Maybe the catcher should block better.

SPEAKER_00 47:44

I agree. Well, I would say that it was a pretty good block by the catcher. It just kind of kicked up into him. Like he kept it in front, but it was just one of those ones that like we've had a couple of things happen in the last couple games. I was like, great, these are all good teaching moments, these are learning, these are just part of the game. Like I said, that was something that I honestly, in the amount of baseball games I've watched, played in, seen, I've never actually happened or happened to see that happen. I walked in the dog, I was like, I can't say that I fully know what the rule is, but I also think what happened was one of those gray areas that's like all judgment based on the umpires.

SPEAKER_01 48:21

I hate those. Like balks are sometimes in that in that little gray area, too.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

That's all dependent on what the umpire thinks.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

It's like fouls. I don't like these.

SPEAKER_00 48:33

It's like watching the playoffs in the U.S. Man, dude, there was one SGA got called out there. I was like, that is the softest playoff foul I've ever seen. Yeah. And then the guy goes to the free throw line 17 times, and you're like, you might as well just give him 15 points then. He's gonna go 15 to 17. Yeah, it's ridiculous. No guy should go to the free throw line 17 times in a game. Well, how many did Bam go when he scored 83? Was it 41?

SPEAKER_01 49:01

It was half of the points.

SPEAKER_00 49:02

Like it was like 40 something times of the free throw. Like, that's that's there's no way.

SPEAKER_01 49:06

It's half the points.

SPEAKER_00 49:07

How many fouls is that?

SPEAKER_01 49:08

24 on purpose.

SPEAKER_00 49:11

Yeah, at the end of the game. Yeah, that was that was a joke.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

Ridiculous, you know.

SPEAKER_00 49:15

But yeah, that's that's my that's my the retouch the base.

SPEAKER_01 49:19

The retouch the base.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

Retouch the base.

SPEAKER_01 49:23

That should be taught at all levels.

SPEAKER_00 49:25

It's something to make me think about that. Like, the the we should tell her. I wonder if how many of our youth coaches know that or are teaching that or telling our kids about. I I just I personally I think it's one of those situations that like if you play the game long enough, you've seen it, or you know that rule by now. But like until it happens to you at a young age, I don't think you really know it. It was so funny though, dude. He hit third base, and then I was like, I was like, he caught he caught it, he's just like you can't run straight across the field. And like all the fans were like, oh, I was like, yeah, he didn't really touch that base. We had an interesting double play today.

SPEAKER_01 50:06

Yeah, it was a 7-4-3 double play.

SPEAKER_00 50:12

A seven four three?

SPEAKER_01 50:15

Yes. Base runner was stealing.

SPEAKER_00 50:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:20

Line drive to the left, diving play by our left fielder. Base runner had passed second base already because he thought it was gonna drop. Left fielder catches it, throws it to so it was first and second. They were in motion, both of them. The guy, the base runner at second base, got back to second, but the guy from first, it was weird. So there were you can't see me right now, but the guy from second was running, guy at first was running, they catch the ball. We go to second to try to double him off. He got back by that time, but the guy from first was still running back to first, so it was seven, four, then our second baseman then threw it to first base, and we were able to get him by a hair.

SPEAKER_00 51:09

7-4-3.

SPEAKER_01 51:10

Yeah, that was the only opportunity they had to score when you're going against Blake higher, and that's your one opportunity to score. You jack it up, you're not gonna score the rest of the game, and they didn't.

SPEAKER_00 51:19

Good old Blake been throwing well, huh?

SPEAKER_01 51:20

He has a chance to be the all-time Montini strikeout leader if he can, I think, rack up 40 more strikeouts.

SPEAKER_00 51:27

Really?

SPEAKER_01 51:27

And the thing is, it's not crazy because if we go the way I think it's gonna go, he's gonna start three to four more times. So he's got a shot. And he's been averaging 10 a game.

SPEAKER_00 51:36

Good for him.

SPEAKER_01 51:37

Yeah, good. We just won the conference.

SPEAKER_00 51:39

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 51:40

I got a shirt today. The Broncos. Love the Broncos.

SPEAKER_00 51:43

The Broncos love you.

SPEAKER_01 51:44

And yeah, so we got a regional sectional coming up. I expect a deep playoff run, if not, win the whole thing from the Broncos.

SPEAKER_00 51:51

Well, we're rooting for you.

SPEAKER_01 51:53

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 51:54

Go Broncos.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

Love the I the Broncos have given me so much.

SPEAKER_00 51:57

Good. You drive a Bronco, you are a Broncos.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

The Broncos have given me so much. I was just sitting there at the barbecue today with my guy Eric Scott and uh Greg Spanos, Ryan Kelly, and Jordan, and we're just sitting there. Shout out to my guy Wally. Shout out to my guy Wagon and the Panda and Nick Koys. Love you guys. So that's cool. Shout him out. Yeah. Nick Koyce. He says hi.

SPEAKER_00 52:18

Good kid.

SPEAKER_01 52:19

Yeah. Good kid. Polish. Nick Coyse.

SPEAKER_00 52:21

Oh yeah. Good kid. Nick Coyce. I remember when he was like 11. I think it was like I think he was 11 years old. Yeah, that makes me feel old. Go Broncos.

SPEAKER_01 52:32

You know what it's time for? A

Cup Of Brew Base Running Masterclass

SPEAKER_01 52:34

cup of brew. A cup of brew. Brought to you by Newman's Corner Pub. For all your gambling, drinking, bar, social needs. Just head over to Newman's Corner Pub. Tell him the good man show sent you. Say hi to Jeff. We're going to see you soon, Mr. Mayor.

SPEAKER_00 52:49

Love you, Jeff. Yes. Can't wait to see you. Summer's coming. We're going to get a lot of Jeff back in the film.

unknown 52:54

All right.

SPEAKER_00 52:55

Cup of brew is going to be a little short this year, today, but we're we're going to we're going to kind of build on the base running. Right? Talk a little bit about pitchers and patterns. And and how to become the best base runner. And who tends to be the best base runners on baseball teams, in my opinion. Right? So, first things first, pitchers. Every one of them has a pattern. Everyone has some timing. Every one of them has tells. Right? How do you find their tells? You have to be a student of the game. That means if I'm a leadoff hitter and I get on base, I should probably find a pickoff move, which means I should probably take a big leadoff and entice the guy to throw over. Why? Because if I do that, anybody who's paying attention staying in the dugout can learn information. I remember a lot of times when I played, I one of my favorite guys I played baseball with, Austin Crumb. A lot of times I'd lead off, he'd hit two, or he'd hit one, I'd hit two. We we hit back to back a lot in lineups. And we would talk about all the time about trying to help each other out and find the move and find what pitchers are doing and talk to each other, right? And it's one of those things that if you study the pitcher enough when you're in the dugout, like it's just valuable information for when you get on the field. Or if you're willing to take a big lead off with almost a one-way lead to get the pitcher to pick off, like you learn that information and then you kind of play a cat and mouse game with them, right? So understand this pitchers had patterns. Find their pattern, learn what they do, learn what they're good at. If they have a good pickoff move, bad pickoff move. Why? Because that's valuable for you when you get on base. Now, my favorite thing when I watch teams, coach teams, played on teams, is everybody always assumes who's the best base runner.

SPEAKER_01 54:47

Leadoff hitter.

SPEAKER_00 54:48

Or the fastest guy on the team. Do you want to know how many teams I played on that the fastest guy was the best base runner? Probably not a lot. Zero. Most of the time, I believe the fastest base runner teams are usually the worst base runners because they rely solely on speed. You know who tends to be a very sneaky base runner?

SPEAKER_01 55:10

The big men.

SPEAKER_00 55:12

First baseman. One kid you coach in particular. Secret weapon. The man could run the bases. Correct. Lives across the street.

SPEAKER_01 55:24

I have two of them then, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 55:26

Sam Vinyard was a not speed demon in any way, shape, or form.

SPEAKER_01 55:33

No.

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Sam was really smart on the bases. He was really good at dirtball reads. And he was really good at angles running. And he could bunt. And he could bunt. I actually watched him put one down in college the other day. He went like five for six the other day and bunt late in the game, get himself another knock.

SPEAKER_01 55:50

That's what made that team so great.

SPEAKER_00 55:52

Correct. But what I'm saying is you don't have to be the fastest guy on a team to be a good base runner. You have to be a student of the game. Right? So, kids, while you sit in the dugout, if you want to be a good base runner, watch the pitcher, learn what they do, talk to each other. That's what good teams do. They share information with each other so that they can have that as they go out on the field. Any little edge is going to help you. To be a good base runner, it requires good instincts and requires paying attention. That's covered, bro.

SPEAKER_01 56:28

And to force the issue as a coach to have trust with your base runners, to run rampant. If you can do that on demand, you're going to win a lot of games. And it allows you to be free. Free in your shots, free in all your movements. And usually the scared base running teams usually don't go very far. And they usually lose big games because they were too scared to execute on a dirt ball read. And so that in I came up a couple days ago, huge pitch, one 1-1. And if a pitcher's throwing usually one-one breaking balls, I can't tell my secrets here, so I'm not going to say that for anyone. Listen out there. But if you are able to read a dirt ball read on a 1-1 and anticipate the breaking ball, and you're on second base, and then the next pitch is a single, rather than being first to third, you score a run there, and then you tie a game or potentially take the lead. In contrast, you're in first and third. Let's say the nine-hitter comes up right after, pop out, you're looking at yourself like, man, if we were just had one more base before that. So those are little things, the game within the game, and you can't jack that up.

SPEAKER_00 57:40

Here's a little game within the game, right? Which I teach my 11-year-olds a lot. And the fact I've had them for four years, I've been able to build a very good of like IQ and stuff I can teach these kids. But nowadays I teach them like, hey, if you're on second base and catchers aren't going to give them multiple signs, which they're already not. Like, what you guys can start to do is use that as your information. If the guy's throwing around a curveball or changeup, like go ahead and steal. Like, if you know they're throwing off speed pitches, like that's valuable. If you guys want to relay signs to each other, like go ahead. You just have to understand how to do it. You have to have signals to each other, you have to kind of play the game within the game. Championship game on Mother's Day, right? The team we were playing, the leadoff hitter gets on, steals second, first pitch. I see him flash his hands, strike one. I called time. I started walking to the mound. And the coaches from the other team like see me. I didn't say anything bad to him. I didn't give I didn't give him a look. I just called my infield in and I brought him all in. I said, Hey, he's stealing your guys' signs. They're like, What? I was like, the kid at second is relaying signs to the hitter, right? Here's what we're gonna do. Jack, you're gonna have to give multiple signs. So whatever pitch I call or whatever pitch you call, you're gonna give four signs. But then I told the pitcher that this sign is going to be what you actually throw. So, you know, he comes back in the dugout, or sorry, he goes back and we get all set up. I hear the coach yell at the hit a second, he goes, No more, stop. Right?

SPEAKER_01 59:13

Youth baseball.

SPEAKER_00 59:15

Well, I would say this because it was two sparks teams. I think he did it out of respect of like, cut that out. Like, you guys got caught. Like, yeah, we're not doing that to this team, and y'all just got caught.

SPEAKER_01 59:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 59:25

And after the inning, I walked over to third base coaches box, and the coach came up to me. And mind you, this is the first time we're playing this team. And the coach was like, Hey, listen, I'm sorry. Like, I told the kids to cut out. I was like, school, man. Like, that is part of the game. I do not take offense to people. You didn't tell your kid to do it. And to be honest, you kid didn't really do it that blatant. It just so happens that I'm a stickler at that aspect of the game because I watched for that stuff because I know that's part of it. I said, I just happen to catch him and I just use it as a learning point to teach my kids and tell my catcher he has to give multiple signs. He said, I just wanted you to know we're we're I told him to stop. He goes, We were playing a team down south, they were doing it to us, or our kids are starting to. I was like, dude, you don't have to explain it to me. I teach my kids to do the same thing. There's nothing wrong with it. Like, in all honesty, if I actually go back and dissect that game, there's multiple times I saw my kids relay and science are hitters because I know some of them like to do it to each other, so like I just know that they're a little bit sneakier at doing that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:24

There's nothing wrong with it. Again, you just again, I was sometimes, and I your brother can attest to this. There was a game where I was telling the hitter what was coming.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:34

Yeah, so see, in the first inning, there are a kid who was catching, like, I could see all the signs at third base. I walked over to the coach standing against a fence near me. I'm like, hey, tell your catcher, like, I can see every one of the signs. And he's like, Oh man, I can see them from here. I'm like, Yeah, so if you can see them from there, I can see them. I was like, no, they're 11 years old. I will never realize signs into the hitters at at this age.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:57

No, I meant where I was telling the other team what we were throwing. Oh, I was like, stop, like, I don't really care. You gotta stop it. Again, like again, they can know we can. This is what we're throwing. It comes down to execution at that point. Here comes the eethos. Yeah, it comes down to execution. Like again, this game, you can know what's coming. True. And at that level, the talent's really not that good where the fun like the margins are a sign's gonna flip the whole game. Yeah. But

Playoffs Ahead And Closing Thoughts

SPEAKER_01 1:01:24

all right, so next time we're together will probably be next week before the playoffs. Playoffs. Playoffs. I can't wait. When do playoffs start? Two weeks. Yeah. Come primary. Come on. My birthday.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:39

But yeah, we're gonna celebrate your birthday. And I'm gonna make you a big old cake. Thank you. But hey, I'm glad we got back together. To the people listening, we apologize we were a little late on this one. We'll be back in action a little bit more consistently, promise. Yes. We'll get it going. Thanks for tuning in to all the good men out there. Thank you. Mothers that are still listening. We love you. We hope you all had a happy Mother's Day, and we'll be back soon. Bruce Sauce, Lord Puck out.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:08

Good night.