CC Sabathia: "Yankees retiring 52 means more than Hall of Fame"

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Man, I put the whole fit on. Man, I see you doing it. With the package, I just put the whole shit on. Exactly. We need to get all of it. Exactly. Let's get to... You're coming off some surgeries, some knees. And when he was rehabbing, I seen him walk down this hallway on IG. And I hit him like, Bro, don't get the old nigga walk with your chest out and your ass sticking out. He's like, nah, I'm raw. I can't. So what's going on? What'd you just have done? I had knee replacement about eight weeks ago. OK. As we sit near now. Yeah, it's just something I knew I needed to do. Like in retirement, playing a lot of golf every day, walking up and down golf courses. Was it wear and tear from your career? Or was it an injury? It was wear and tear from my career. OK, so during my career, I had nine scopes. Damn. And that knee? Yeah, and that one knee, just meniscus and cleaning it up and going back. I mean, I was in a different body. You know what I'm saying? I was 330 pounds, landing on my leg. Like I knew I was going to have to have something done at retirement. So last summer, I went to the doctor and I thought, like maybe I can go get a partial or whatever. Went in there and he was like, nah, you need a full knee replacement. And I'm like, it ain't never a time that I'm like, I got three months to just sit around. So I kind of pushed it back, pushed it back. And I had to get it this January just to wasn't no time for golf. You know what I'm saying? Just just just try to get myself straight. That's tough, though, because every time I see you on the golf course. Yeah, so this is a real down time for you. How long is it? So you've been out eight weeks. How much down how much longer you got? I got probably two more months. OK, I probably got two more months before I can play golf and I ain't played golf since December. I'm itching like crazy. But but it's good, though. Like I wasn't so much pain day to day and just complaining. My kids, my wife got tired of hearing me complain. So I feel like this is this is the right decision. So what actions do they do? Your mom is asking. They take the take the whole thing like the whole. I watched five surgeries on YouTube before I went and got it. Like they take everything out, break the femur, break the the fibula and then kind of like we put everything in there. Yes, like a whole metal. It's metal. OK. It's a metal cap and all of that stuff. Like it's pretty crazy. Yeah. So it'll return to normal, though, they say the walk and everything will always be a little lamp or like 12 months. Yeah, like 12 months. I should be like fully recovered. OK, yeah. Yeah. And back to golf in four months. That's all I cared about back there. That's all I gave a shit about. Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame. Congratulations, bro. Appreciate it. Did you ever think growing up with an hour hour from here that you would be a Hall of Fame pitcher? No, hell no. I mean, I wasn't I was never even pitching to I was never pitching to get into the hall. I was pitching to survive. Like when it first started, I was pitching to get to make it out of the layoff, be out of the crest. And then it was just like to stay in the big leagues and like survive and just make sure that I'm making enough money and, you know, to take care of my family, provide for my family. But it was never like that foreshadowing thought of like going to the Hall of Fame. It was always just one day at a time, just trying to figure out how to, you know, stand in big leagues and be the best I could be every day to try to win a game, like just kind of stacking days. You know what I'm saying? And when I looked up, it was like, oh, shit, people consider my career be a Hall of Fame career. And having 3000 strikeouts, the same number of wins as Bob Gibson. Like it's weird when I hear people talk about, you know what I'm saying? I mean, I'm just a kid from the crest. So it's weird to hear people talk about me in the same light as these real legendary baseball players, you know what I'm saying? But to have a chance to go there, Cooper's Town this year, with my family, being ducted and like sit amongst the guys, it's a crazy feeling. Congratulations, bro. That's dope. You getting your drudgery retired by the Yankees? Yes. It's a big year, man. You got a lot of shit going on. I mean, that's the franchise in baseball. And to consider one of the obviously a Hall of Famer, but an all time Yankee grade on top of that, what does that mean to you? That mean, I feel like that's a little more than the Hall of Fame. You know, especially me coming as a free agent, because it's so hard to come there as a free agent and make it or be even considered as a fan. But the words like she a lot of people here. Just to be considered as a true Yankee, you know what I mean? And like, I feel like I accomplished that. If they would have never called and retired my jersey and none of that, it would have been fine. Like no problem. It's the greatest franchise in sports, probably. So when they called, I mean, I was super surprised and super humble, but like felt more accomplished about that than I did about getting to all fame because I feel like you put up all the fame numbers anywhere. Yeah, I could have stayed in Cleveland, probably would have had the same numbers. Right. The walkie same thing. But to be able to come to Broadway, New York and like do it in the Bronx by like meant a lot. What's it going to mean to see that 52 out there, though? And Yankee? Yeah, no, it's crazy because I go to a lot of games. Like I'm at the stadium 30, 40 times a year and like to be able to see my numbers sitting out there and in my unit park. I mean, this is the ultimate feeling. Yeah, this is going to think about my pops. You know what I'm saying? Like my last time when this is going in the frame, frame it up. You already signed it. You already signed this. It was going to the front. But I just think about my pops and how much he wanted me to play in New York and everything that we went through, you know, coming, you know, growing up in the Bay Area and just how much he played a role in, you know, me being a baseball player. And I feel like it's like the ultimate compliment to him. I have my number retired Yankees. Hell, yeah. Opening day is right out in the corner. Oh, shit, it's tomorrow. Tomorrow. Manana. That's true. Tomorrow. And you're calling the game for Netflix. It seems after WBC, which we'll get into, it seems like there's a different type of energy coming into this season. Am I wrong? No, I mean, and I think even last year, like the playoffs, the playoffs from last year, picked up, watching the Dodgers and then that World Series. It kind of made it international. Being in Toronto, going seven games and the Dodgers needed every ounce of their roster to beat the Blue Jays, you know what I'm saying? So I just think it made for so much drama. And then we come back three months later, the next baseball we see is one of baseball classic and everybody plans so much passion and everybody playing for their country. Team mates they shaking hands. Team mates they shaking hands. Like we taking this serious. So I feel like baseball is just in a great spot. Like the momentum is going, the pitch clock has been good. Hopefully, ABS is good. Like fans are back at the ballpark. So it's exciting tomorrow to be a part of, you know, what we got going forward. You know, hopefully we can get the CBA figured out. We don't miss no games next year. Because we do have so much momentum in the game and we're in this place now. We can market it back to our people. That's always been something that we talked about, how we got lost in the game and how can we get, you know, players from our community back into the game. This is how. By having a shit pop and by having the judges and Otonies and whoever else on TV every single day playing these big games. This is how we started watching baseball. So I feel like we're in a spot now where we can start, you know, gearing towards, you know, getting the numbers back up. I feel like you're a man of many hats when it comes to what you're kind of doing behind the scenes. What exactly is the title of your role? And for all those that don't know, what are you doing with the game still? Man, I mean, you kind of hit the nail on the head. I mean, I'm I'm an assistant to the commissioner. But I mean, I just I just work at the office, you know what I'm saying? I'm kind of like in everything, whether it's youth development, you know, stuff that we got going on the All-Star game, WBC stuff, you know, anything kind of that comes across Rob's, you know, Des is kind of, you know, I'm, you know, in there with him. So it's been it's been a lot of fun to be able to have that type of impact on the game. I thought when I retired, I'll be done. I'll go sit on the couch, chill, never be around baseball, but I love the game. Like, and I'm a we're a baseball family. My wife's an agent. Yeah. My kids play the game. Like, we're in it. I live in New York. So it just made sense for me to go and work for the league. And, you know, having a chance to have that cat program is so many. You guys have seen so many guys that we're able to bring back into the game, whether it's Kenny Lofton or Gary Sheffield, all of that came through the league office and it started with, you know, me working there. So it's been fun. This is me talking and kind of giving you your flowers. I feel like the turnaround has happened because part having people like you with the fresh look, the culture, where you're from, what you're about, what you still represent, how you move, Kavanaugh kind of like corporations don't normally have that type of energy inside of them and then allow you to kind of really spread your wings within that. And you're starting to see the league is starting to see. And I think everyone is starting to see the benefits of kind of having your type of energy and insight behind the scenes. Now, I appreciate that. And, you know, I always say this, like, I got a I got an office at the league office and it just represents to me baseball player. It don't have to be me, right? But it just represents players like there's never been players in that space. Like you said, there's never been players in a space to let people know. Hey, don't make that hat. Don't do this. Don't you know what I'm saying? From a market standpoint, and I just feel like I like I represent with the next generation, whether it's Jason Hayward coming behind me or Freddie Freeman or Mookie Betts or whoever else is going to take on that role and kind of like grow the game in that spot. I feel like, you know, my office is is that for them. And by the way, you got a nice ass corner office with glass windows. And there's not just that's what I'm saying. Oh, got a real nice glass. It's glass. All his windows are all the walls are glass. Like it's not. Yeah. From Vallejo to the commissioners office. So that's congratulations, man. As we kind of enter this space and again, thank you. Obviously, you've opened some doors and there's some ongoing conversation now about potentially doing more work. We've we've got a chance to sit down with some of the guys like Eric Davis and Kenny Loft and the like and just the energy around their episodes. Chef, we already did and guys, we already did. But there's a different energy around their episodes. And I kind of felt like talking to them like they didn't have these type of platforms to talk about. Like what was written about them was the gospel because there was no outlets for them. When you see that type of stuff and obviously this has kind of been your vision from the beginning with like, what do you think about it? I think it's great. And I think what you guys do. I mean, can only add to what we're trying to build, you know what I'm saying? Having the conversations with the Eric Davis is the Daryl strawberries, Gary Sheffield's like, yeah, there are a lot of it is a lot of energy around those episodes because those everybody's favorite players. Right. And nobody has heard from those guys in a long time. And like you said, back when they played whatever you read about them, whether it was in the magazine or the paper, that was the gospel. Like, so they hear all these stories now. Eric Davis talking about how he had to move his hands down. You know what I mean? Changes bad and stands because of Nolan Ryan, all these different things. You learn about a player from your platform. And I saw that right away. I saw what you guys are doing. And I was just like, I feel like it could grow what we're trying to do and amp what we're trying to do, whether it's retired players, current players. You know, people in the league office, I mean, it's good to be able to tell these stories and hear the stories. And I just think auto smoke is a great way to be able to partner with and a great way to be able to tell a story. On behalf of the company, man, we appreciate you for being that doing. We definitely going to make you look good, bro. Won't let you down. World Baseball ranked over 10 million views on Fox. Dominican's event is one of the other games was really exciting. The energy was crazy. It doubled the views than to a 2023. What what can the major league learn from that? You know, I just I just feel like we can just keep building on it. Ride the wave. I think so. I think I think we did define the perfect time to play that tournament. I think, you know, everybody's talked about playing in preliminaries, maybe. And then, you know, at the beginning of the year and then having the semifinals and the finals be during the All-Star break, like a 10 day break every three years. But I think we should play it after March Madness, have a shortened season, started the Tuesday after March Madness and just have a three week tournament like we do. I mean, it's such a big thing is grown is grown globally. It's turned into our World Cup now. Yeah. Like you said, I mean, the Venezuelan DR game, the DR US game, the US Venezuelan game at the end. I mean, those are all huge games and like just being in that stadium, the energy, the city. It was incredible. So I think if we if we're able to get it right and take the pitching restrictions off, I think you'll see even better tournament. But like it's a different tournament. It's been 20 years we've been doing this start in 2006. And if you just look at the videos from then to now, it's completely different. It's completely different pride that the guys are playing with. The crowd's different. The energy's different. And I just liken it to like you look at that Dominican team, you just think about you're getting a chance to play with all your homeboys. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like just think about if you was in the league and you got a chance to pick all your homeboys. And you all play an All-Star game for three weeks. You know what I'm saying? Like that shit would be so much fun. That shit dope. That shit. And that's why you see people coming out the dugout every home run. You see a jacket or doing whatever because they playing with they. This is my family. You know what I'm saying? So in a lot of ways it's getting bigger than the world's here. Top of question because obviously, that's a big statement you just made. Baseball is filled with and respectfully white tradition and the unspoken rule. And I think the WBC showed obviously a whole nother side of that. Ken, that energy, do you ever see that energy being adopted in the major leagues? Just that type of energy and celebration around stuff? Yeah. I mean, I think you see it a little bit now where I mean, when I first came up, you got guys couldn't, if you had a home run, you had to put your head down and run. Now you see a guy hit a home run, he bat flipping and doing all these different things. You see a guy like Jazz Chisholm being able to come up and wear whatever kind of cleats, gloves, batten gloves, whatever. So the flare has changed. It's starting to. I don't ever think it'll get to what you see in the WBC because of what I just said, like you're playing for what's on the front of your jersey. A lot of the times when you're playing in WBC, a lot of the times when you're playing in MLB, you want to say you play what's on the front of your jersey? When you're playing in that jersey, you play what's on the front of your jersey? But a lot of times you're not. You know what I'm saying? And the reality is you can have another one on in a couple months. Anytime. You know what I'm saying? So when you playing that three weeks with the Dominican or Venezuela or Puerto Rico, that's for your country. That's for everything. So I don't think you ever it is a different. Different pride. It's a different pride. And that's why I say it's different. It's bigger than the World Series in that way because you're playing for your country. Yeah. The weather's warmer, the days are longer, and the savings are even better in the Hillary's spring sale. 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But no, I mean, I think we do a good job of, you know, I mean, I think we're trying to do whatever we can to get interpreters in there so you can hear actually what these guys are trying to tell and try to, you know, relay. I think we do a good job of accepting the Latin culture. Two Black dudes on a USA team out of 30. Are you hopeful you can see more brothers on the team? For sure. But for sure. But I think, like I said earlier, is getting back to us having the stars. You know what I'm saying? I think if you just look around, I mean, the only person we probably missing was Mookie. And because Mookie had a baby. But it's, you know, we got to get the stars. We got to have the stars. We got to, you know, produce them. So like I said, I think we're getting back to a spot where MLB develops and all the stuff that they're doing in the youth space. I see us in the next few years having a lot more. Because I can kind of see like, just like with basketball, like, that was our way out. That's the only thing we had. Like a lot of those Latin kids, it's baseball. That's how you get out the island. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? That's how you get in. And they playing like that. They taking it serious. Like you see them with the little paper bags on their hands, his gloves and shit like that. And they playing with the battlecats. Yeah, in the broomsticks. And I mean, not for nothing. Like I got a 22 year old now. That's a senior in college. And when he was 15, I took him to DR. Like you want to go play. You want to play with the best. You got to go play with the best. Experience that. You know what I'm saying? So I'll do the same thing with my 15 year old now. Like I'll take him down to DR and like, that's where they at. That's where the best players is at. So you got to go down there. That's just what it is. Yeah, I figured it out. Gina said, anyone who says that the WBC is more important than the World Series hasn't been to the World Series before. Do you agree? Yeah, well, he played in eight fucking World Series. You know what I'm saying? Like most people ain't gonna play nothing. That's like every year you go to the World Series. Yeah, most people ain't gonna play nothing. So he can make that statement. You know what I'm saying? He can. He can. Yeah, like, of course he feels like that. Most people ain't playing nothing. No, not no eight times. Not even one. Yeah, yeah. That is they World Series. And they're getting it again. They're getting to play for their country. So, you know, a lot of, you know, some kids, you know, playing for Kansas City, Cleveland, whatever, that ain't gonna play in as many World Series as G-Play. So I understand what he's saying, but you got to understand. You can't ask Derek G to that. No. You know what I mean? You can't ask Derek G. When you entered the league in the early 2000s, what are some of the unwritten rules that you had to deal with that aren't necessarily standard anymore? I just think the way that Rookies was treated when I first came up, whether it was like the Hazen, you know, I mean, I remember like my first year, I couldn't even sit on the couch. Like in the clubhouse for like the first two years I was in the big leagues. Like I had to sit in my locker, watch it. You know what I'm saying? Like it was just, you're not really a part of the team when you're a young guy. When I was coming out. You were a part, you know what I'm saying? Every fifth day when you pitch him. But other than that, like you're not getting treated the best. And I feel like now you see guys come up right away and they're a part of the team. And that's, I mean, if you want guys to perform well, you want them to feel comfortable. And I feel like that's a big thing. As I got older and kind of in charge of clubhouses, I was like, whoever comes up, they're part of the team right away. We're not Hazen. We're not doing that. And I feel like that's a big thing now. What does baseball Hazen look like? Like throwing the ball, baseball in the center field, making them go run again or something like that? It could be that. It could be the way people talk to you, the way like you make a sandwich, people put, you know, like crazy, crazy shit. Disrespectful shit. Disrespectful shit. Because eSport got Hazen is different. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Baseball is like disrespectful shit where like, I remember one time I made a sandwich and one of the vets came through and like put his fingers like, you know what I'm saying? Like I had on some white, some white, uh, I had on some white Jays one time, warming the club in the dugout and one of the vets spent like a big chew, like right on my, you know what I'm saying? Just like shit like that, you know what I'm saying? That's certain type of shit though. Normally. Yeah, normally. Right. That's how you get a bus leave in 10 minutes and they kick all the balls to the top of the arena. You gotta go get them by the time you get two balls, bus go. Speaking of you coming up, I mean, you came in 98, you came to a loaded Indians team. Manny, David Justice, King Lofton, Omar Viscale, Jim Tom, made a name of few. What was that like for you? It was cool to be able to get drafted by them. 18? I was 18. I got drafted by Cleveland and to have a relationship with David Justice so young, I mean, I had grown up watching them, you know, those Braves years. Growing up out here, you become a great Braves fan because they own TBS every day right after school at 430. So every day I'm watching the Braves. So every day I'm watching David Justice. Kenny Lofton was on one of those teams. And just to be able to be around them and then the way they treated me, Jim Tomy, Robbie Alomar, like all those dudes, like they really taught me how to be a big leader. They taught me how to be a professional and I'm super grateful that I got a chance to be around so many Hall of Famers right away. Manny, you know what I'm saying? I had a relationship with Manny when I was 17 years old. So it was just incredible organization to get drafted by. I think no way am I sitting here with the accolades that I have, I get drafted by anybody else besides Indian. What's Manny like just off the field? Coolest dude ever. Is he? Coolest dude ever. I mean, and he'll do anything for you though. I mean, still to this day, you know, I see him, he's like, man, send a little seat down, hit with him and all this different stuff. But the funniest story I got about Manny, I don't know if I told you all this, but he was the first round there, I think in 93, maybe 92. So he always had this tradition where the guys that he picked in the first round, he would like come around, spring training, take him out to eat, hang out with him and stuff like that. So my first spring training, he came, picked me up, we would go eat, eat oxtails, hang out, do whatever, driving back off the hotel. Second year comes around, he picks me up, we go eat one time, we coming back, and we driving back to the hotel, he go, and he looked at me. We had been hanging out maybe like five, six times at the field, whatever, going to dinner. He looked at me, he'd go, Poppy, why you never speak Spanish? I was like, bro, I'm blind. You thought I was fucking Spanish as well? He thought I was Spanish as well? Yeah, that's funny. Two years of Manny thinking I'm Spanish. Hey, you know what's funny is I wasn't young when I came to Lagos, they thought I was the tallest in the first Mexican on the team, so just how it be sometimes. Because they wanted to kill me because of the Kobe shit, and then I came there, they said, we got one of ours home, one of our models, not enough. Do you think, obviously, basketball had it for a while, where you can go straight to the pros? Do you feel like we're going to get to a point where we can see a kid fresh out of high school or fresh out of college jump right to the big league team, or they just won't, it's just not that type of sport? I think you'll see it. I definitely think you'll see some kids out of college. I mean, we've seen some kids go get drafted in June and then make it to the big leagues by September. I think the college game now, because the way they shrunk up the minor leagues, and the draft is only 20 rounds, it used to be 50, 70 rounds. Now it's only 20 rounds and the minor leagues are shrunk up a little bit. College is where most kids develop. The kids that need to go and get bigger and stronger, and then they come out and they're ready, basically ready to go. There's a kid that's played shortstop at Alabama right now, Justin LeBron. I don't know if anybody's seen him play, but he can probably come up and play shortstop right now. So, you know, Christian Moore did the same thing a couple years ago, went to Tennessee, and he was in the big leagues in September. So, it's here. High school, it would probably have to be a pitcher. But I think it could be done for sure. I mean, Junior was almost, Junior almost did it. You know, he got drafted in the next year, he was in the big leagues. Let's talk about your run with the Brewers. Harper's season, he was 11-2. You have seven completed games. First playoff, Burton, 26 years. What is that rank in your career that run you had with the Brewers? That was the best I've ever pitched in my life, that two and a half, three months. And I don't know. I mean, obviously both of y'all, you guys have been in a zone where you just know every Lock everything out. I've never in my life drove to the field knowing I was going to baseball games. Every time I drove to the field when I was in Milwaukee, I felt like I knew I was going to win that game. Or I knew I was going to give my team a chance to win. You know what I'm saying? I never had that. You drive, when I drive to the field in Yankee Stadium, drive through the Bronx, you're just uncertainty. You don't know what's going to happen. In Milwaukee, I knew I was going to go dominate and I never felt like that before. What is, again, like you said, it's all mental. All that shit is mental. Where does that, do you remember what you were doing during that time? Where did that mental confidence and strength come from during that period? I just felt like everything just physically, I was there. I felt good physically, my delivery. I knew what I needed to do to throw strikes, you know what I'm saying? And it just all came together. And like you said, it is all mental. A thousand percent because I tried to get myself back there and I had short spans like that in Cleveland and in New York, but never a prolonged two months period. Where I'm like, oh yeah, I'm about to go dominate. You know what I'm saying? It's crazy. This is about to get crazy tonight. And I never, ever, ever felt like that. Even when I was having good games and back to back nights in Milwaukee, I mean in New York, I never, there was still that uncertainty. In Milwaukee, there was never, never, never a doubt. Who recruited you, Yankee for agency, 160 million out of deal. Who recruited you to the Yankee? The first person that recruited me was Hayrod. In the spring training, in spring of 08, before I got traded, I pitched a game. When I was still in Cleveland, I pitched a game against the Yankees and I was running the outfield and he was like, man, we would love to have you here next year. And I was like, hell no, I ain't never coming to New York. I'm going to the Dodgers. That's what I was thinking in my head. And then Johnny Damon throughout that season was hitting me up. And then it was really Brian Cashman. Cash was the one that really sold me. I had a meeting with him in Vegas during the winter meetings in their free agency. And then I still wasn't, after that meeting, I still wasn't a hundred percent. And he, I flew home to Cali. He flew from Vegas to California in my house that night. And still the deal. There's always could of what it should have been and what would have happened. Are there any behind the scenes story? Could you just mention you thought you would go to the Dodgers? Did you ever at any point want to come back to the Bay on either team or the Dodgers with a Cali team you wanted to play for in your mind? Yeah, I mean, I just knew that the Giants weren't going to pay me because they had just paid Barry Zito. We know the A's. The A's are the A's. They don't pay. So I just figured the Dodgers, you know what I mean? And story franchise, I'm like, I can go down there. I mean, I'm from California. You know, I want to be on the West Coast. And you'll be wearing the blue to say Cuzz. Blue to say Cuzz. Blue to say Cuzz. Here he goes. But it just like, it just didn't work out that way. And were there ever talks at any point? Yeah, I talked to the Dodgers. I talked to Anaheim. I talked to the Cubs. But during that whole time, Amber kept saying, my wife, she kept saying, the Yankees are the team that wants you. They offer you a contract the very first day of free agency. This is the squad that wants you. You got to go somewhere that wants you. You can't keep trying to pick around and pick these different teams that don't want you to be there. They want you in the Bronx. And the thing that convinced me so much was Cashman was like, he was like, I know you're going to love it here so much that I'll give you an opt out after three years. I know after you're going to love it here that you're going to want to stay. But if you don't, I'll let you leave after three years. Damn. And that's why I was like, all right, perfect. We'll try it out and been living the same place 17 years. A lot of people crumbled under the New York spotlight was growing up in the Chris. That's what gave you the guts to thrive under that New York spotlight. I think just growing up in Vallejo period. Yeah. I think especially playing where I played in North Vallejo, I always tell people, I feel like I've been pitching big games since I was 10 years old. You know what I mean? So pitching in Yankee Stadium was the same as pitching at North Vallejo. Y'all want to go see the Russell in the backyard, right? That field that's right there by his house? Yeah. That was our Yankee Stadium. Yeah. And on Saturdays, the whole North Vallejo was out there. Yeah. So if you got a couple of home runs, people are going to laugh at you and shit. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's embarrassing. So I was always like pitching for pride and pitching for myself. And I mean, I always put a lot of pressure on myself even when I was super young. So yeah, I think 1,000% North Vallejo and Vallejo prepared me for whatever was to come and being able to pitch in Yankee Stadium. You and Gardner were kind of the bridges between the Jeter-Arod era to the Judge era. What was being in both those eras like and the transition in and out of both? Yeah. I mean, that was perfectly put. Yeah. Me and Gardner ushered the franchise, I guess, from the Jeter era into the Judge era. It was always the same, right? The standard is the standard. Like, you know what you need to go out there and do. You know what people expect from you. And you know, Jeet was such a great leader that he left just such a great legacy that we did things the way he wants to do them. He left the standard. And I think, you know, as Judge came around and came up, he got a chance to be around Jeet. And I think Gardi had made a big impression on Judge. And it was just the same thing. Like, the standard is the standard with the Yankees. You know what you need to do and be ready to win the baseball game every day and, you know, go out and stand in front of your locker and be accountable. And everything else really doesn't matter, you know what I'm saying? And that was something that Jeet left with us and we were able to usher in. And I feel like the same thing that Judge kind of preaches now. He has a lot of pressure on him, Aaron Judge, that is. What kind of OG conversations do you guys have a chance, if you could share any, just about what it's like and what he's going through, obviously? To be honest, like, I can't really talk to him about the pressure that he's going through or what he's under. I feel like the person that knows closest to what he's going through is Arrod. You know, being such a great player and people perceiving you not to be clutch, right? And when all your teammates know that that's not the case, but out we're looking in, that seems to be the case. So I think he's going to have one of those October's where he goes out and hits 10 homers in October, they can win the World Series and all this talk is going to be over. Just like Arrod. But I think until he does that, then it's just giving people, you know, conversation to talk about, you know, him not being clutch. But I think the person that's closest that knows what he's going through is Alex. You know how it is with the Yankees, though? Yeah, one week they love you, the next week they don't. It don't matter. Yeah, you gotta put up in October. And I feel like he have, but people, you know, other people feel like I thought he had a great October last year. Especially when you've had Mr. October. But to your point, as good as the standards, I said, though, as good as in October he has, it doesn't matter unless. Unless you win. And it's been nearly 20 years since the franchise has brought home a ring. Obviously, there was a situation with the Astros that kind of derailed that momentum. When you look back during that week, what comes to mind? Now, I mean, if you'd asked me this three years ago, I'd be like, we were the one World Series. Now when I look back, who knows what would happen? You know what I'm saying? In the moment, though, like as everything was unfolding, all that stuff, I was pissed off about it, angry about it. I mean, I pitched game seven. You know, I remember, you know, being on the mound and thinking like something was weird, like why are people not looking, you know what I'm saying? Like people were looking all over the place. It was a weird scenario to be in. But now, like, you felt it. I kind of did, you know what I'm saying? But now, nine years later, like who cares? You know what I mean? I mean, it don't matter. But it happened. Yeah, it happened. Who knows what would have happened, right? Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, I mean, we still had chances to win those games. You know what I'm saying? So it kind of is what it is. I hate that Carlos Beltran got the blame for that. And it took him so long to get into the Hall of Fame. Like, yeah. One of my favorite teammates, one of my favorite people on this planet, and he took the whole blame for that. Like he had this match job, took them, taken away from them and all these different things that I just feel like, you know, so many people got past it and were able to go move on with their career. He kind of got stuck with that. But I mean, I would have had a different answer if you'd asked me this three or four years ago. But now today, it is what it is. Because we retired the same 17, right? Yeah. No, I retired in 19. 19, okay. I retired in 19. Yeah, okay. 17 was the year that it happened. And I wanted to retire. I told my wife, I was like, up the head, man. Dang. I ain't got no more runs in me. Like, that was it. Yeah. Like that shit took it out of me. Like, I ain't never cried like I cried before in my life after game seven. Really? 2017. Your last pitches as a Yankee, you dislocate your shoulder. And for someone who hasn't done that, it was one of the most painful things that could happen to you. But you dug that out. Take us back to that time and what was going through your mind. Knowing things are coming to an end and you're out there just willing through it. Yeah, man. That whole year, I was hurt. I had like, my neck was messed up. My back was messed up, not knowing the whole time it was my shoulder. And we played those games in London. I was on the IEL. And I just wanted to get back enough to be able to pitch in the playoffs. And I was able to do that. I made my last start and we talked and, you know, it thought it'd be best for me to pitch out of the bullpen. And I was pitching great, I thought. And I'm like, I'm thinking to myself, I'm like, fuck, I shouldn't have did this retirement tour. Like, I could pitch another couple of years out the bullpen, you know what I'm saying? Came out of that game, came into that game in New York against Houston. And I felt fine. Like, I was feeling pretty good. And I just threw, I felt through one pitch and I felt like the back of my shoulder went towards the plate. And I was like, oh, shit, like that didn't feel good. And I tried to like do like a snapback. Yeah. And it was like, oh my, my whole body just like locked up. And I was like, man, let me try to throw. Let me. So they called a trainer. I was like, let me try to, let me try to throw, you know, one more pitch. And Gary went back there. I tried to throw one more and couldn't do it. I was like, oh no, I mean, I'm done. Like, I could, I mean, I could feel it in my feet. My, you know what I'm saying? And when I see, when I see that video and I see myself walking off, the trainer was holding my belt. Like if he wasn't, if he wasn't able to, I would have went down. They would have to get a stretcher. Like that's how much pain I was in. But it was perfect. That's the perfect way for me to go out. That's a cold way to go out, bro. Perfect way for me to go out. That's a cold way to go out. Like it ain't no other way, right? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like at home. I threw my mother fucking arm off for y'all. I threw my mother fucking arm out. Yeah. At home. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like this is it. I gave you everything I got. Whatever arm I fucked up. Everything I got. Goddamn right. This is all I want to ever be remembered by. Yeah. Like just to be a good teammate and give you everything I got. And I gave it to you. It's all I had. In real time. It's all I had. You had a moment in your career where you were pitching for a bonus and you needed one more inning maybe. G shit. I needed one more inning. You needed one more inning, but instead they threw it y'all. You threw, hit the dude, got kicked out and technically had missed your bonus. But they came back around to the right. Explain that. You can do G shit like that. They don't look out for you. Explain that. So I was, they put a bonus in my contract. I think I needed like 140 innings to get 500 grand extra in my bonus. And we go in, I've been pitching well. We, and we go into Tampa and I need six innings to get this bonus. I'm in the fourth inning cruising. Like I'm like, oh, I mean, it's, you know what I mean? Like it's, I'm getting this. Write that check. Yeah. Like we're getting this. And they threw a ball up and in at my catcher, Austin Romain. And I like, I know baseball. So I knew that shit came from the bench. You know what I'm saying? Because I hit, I threw a two-seamer in and hit Jake Bowers in the hand. People who always got mad about me throwing my two-seamer. So they made a big stink. They throw at Austin Romain. I come out of the dugout and I'm like, I'm ready to go. You know what I'm saying? And then everybody calls it back down. We go back down and Gardi comes to me. He's like, bro, don't do it. And I was like, just be ready to fuck a fight. That's all I told them. So they catcher comes up the next inning and I hit him with the first pitch. And but I wasn't so much mad at like him or them. I was mad at the situation. Who called him? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I said what I said at their bench and I walked off and when I was walking off in the moment, I was like, I don't know if I made the right decision. Like I don't know if I did the right thing. So I go up and I call my wife and she was like, that was the dopest shit I've ever seen in my life. And I was like, all right. Yeah. I made the right decision. Then I came then everybody came in after the game and they was all fired up and shit. So that that was something were in the moment. Like it was the right thing to do. But after it, I was like, did I do the right thing? But I was trying to make the decision. It was just a stab. I was just trying to show this is how you take care of your teammates. My team and my family. It was a young Louis Severino in there. Judge was young. All those dudes are young. And this is how you set the standard. This is how you treat your teammates. No matter what, don't matter about the fucking money. You go and you do what you got to do for your teammates and everything else to work out. I was the person who looked at me like that. That's what I was doing. That's what I was doing. That's what I was thinking. I had the same thought. You know what I'm saying? You set the standard. Can I get mine back? But the Yankees came around and made it right, right? They did. So they still. They always do. They still pay you your bonus. They did. Yeah. How call me the next day paid my bonus. But it wasn't even about that. I wouldn't even care if they wouldn't call. It was just more about like. Set the tone. Yeah. This is how you do teammates. We talking 3M, Z-Vac. But one point. Man talking to you five times. They talking 3M's now. I'm just saying I need that. That's you. Can I get that off? Can I get half? Speaking of your beautiful wife, how important is she and how important has she been to your career through all loves and downs and everything? Yeah, nice. Let's give her flowers. Yeah, 1000%. Nah, she's been there 100%. You know, us growing up in Vallejo. She's been there from every contract. You know what I'm saying? Through the minor league. She was out there in the minor league. She came out through the minor league. So she's been with me every step of the way. And I always say like I wouldn't have had the career I had without my family. Yeah. Having some distraction to go to and not think about the game. And I'm a totally completely different person over here with my family. You know what I'm saying? And when I get home after the game, little seating care if I gave up seven runs or I threw in no hitter. It's dad's home. It's time to play and it's time to hang out. And that was always great for me to be able to separate, leaving the ballpark and going home. And I got to give her a lot of credit. You know, being home now the last six years, understanding what it takes to like run a household, be in a household every single day. You're kind of the stay at home dad. Now she's out there. And now she raised four kids on her own. You know what I'm saying? So like now it's a real appreciation for what actually occurred while I wasn't home during my career. I want to give a props because she has another talent. She set a standard for my kids for birthday parties. I want to, my kids living in New York, bro. She throws events for birthday parties, bro. I mean, she really dope. And I was able to attend one of her young kids a while back. Bro, she is dope at that. So fuck. So y'all need somebody to play in y'all parties. Y'all probably die of that, bro. She dope. She dope. She go out. She go all out. She threw a party for me. My birthday party went in my back in our backyard and had a red man methaman perform. Oh, that's crazy shit. Yeah. Crazy, crazy birthday party. She's the best of music, representing the professional talent in Facebook. Yeah, right now. Right. Oh, Tani, is he a true unicorn in the sport? Absolutely. Yeah. I think there would be other people that can come along and hit and pitch. I probably think there probably were some other people that could have did it. But I don't think at this guy's level. Like, he's the best baseball player I've ever seen. And I said that. I saw him play one inning of one game. And he hit a ground ball to shortstop the DD and he beat it out at first base. And I was like, this guy's the biggest, the fastest. He hits the ball the furthest. He throws the ball the hardest. You guys remember that guy at Little League when y'all was 12 years old? Whatever his name was, the best player? The beast. That's so Tani. At the highest level. At the highest level. Is it, I mean, and this is just sport, is it too early to say he is or will be the greatest of all time? I said it the first day. He's here. He's the greatest baseball player to ever play. Really? Yes, absolutely. And I'm a huge Barry Bondsman. I grew up out here. Barry's the goat. But Barry can't go out and throw seven fucking innings. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, this guy is basically Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. You know what I'm saying? Like, so that, that to me, you know, sets him apart. But Barry is a close second from me, you know, growing up out here. But, but no, it's so Tani for sure. Japanese influx. Are they just trying to different? No, I mean, I think it's just fundamentals, right? Like if you talk about European basketball, like they do everything right. And even if you watch, you know, at a young age, everything is fundamentally like locked in. So they come over here and it's, you know, they do everything the right way. And it makes the game easier for them. And I think now you're starting to see like power and slug from these guys where at first it was, you know, it was more, you know, the Ichiro's and those type of guys. But now I mean, you got Otani and you got, you know, the guy that came from the white size, I can't think of his name, but you got real, you know, sluggers that are coming from over there that can play this game. So it's fun to watch. How much credit does Mansouli and Ichiro deserve? Oh, 1000. I mean, I think if you asked Otani, he would say Ichiro's. Got that one right. Oh, that's who you think? I think so. I think so. I think if you asked Otani, he would say Ichiro's isn't right. I have no idea. I've never heard him say that. He took the game by storm when Ichiro came over. And he didn't strike out. But I mean, he was a 330 hitter with, you know, all the hits and stuff, but he could have easily hit 280 and hit 40 homers every year. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, so he, I mean, 4000 hits in his career means unbelievable player. So I think he kind of kicked down the door for what we saw as Japanese, you know, hitters. He was really the first one. First one. Five players in the league. You like watching most right now. I'm always watching Aaron Judge if he's on. I'm always watching Bobby with Junior. I don't know if y'all seen him, Bobby with Junior is an animal. Gunnar Henderson, shortstop for Baltimore. I love watching jazz. I like watching like the Yankee games, obviously. And Jackson Cheerio, center fielder for the Brewers. I love watching hitters, man. I don't like watching the one to nothing game. I want to watch eight to nothing like guys flying around the bases hitting balls hard. So I love watching offense. So I'm always name hitters. You like banana baseball? I do. I love it. I think it's fun. Did you see the night when they did with the fluorescent lights? Yeah. They played a game at night and the whole stadium was with fluorescent lights. That shit was fire. You should have had our mushroom coffee and that shit. Man, that shit is fire dog. He there. Yeah. Now I like banana. It's two hours to entertain entertainment the whole time you in the stadium, whether you a fan, a player, anything like it's cool. It's fun to watch. It's cool. It's fun to watch. At what point in your career did you start hearing about analytics? What year? Man, I'll probably say like 2010s, 12s, 11, like 2010, 11, 12. But to me, analytics has always been in the game. They always had a sheet with the hot and cold and who's hitting what and doing all these different things. But it was always baseball players that were giving you the information. I feel like now is so many random people and organizations and some guy from maybe from MIT or from wherever else is coming down to sit down and talk to you now. And it's not a baseball player. So it's so much information, maybe some stuff that you don't need. Where when it was when I was first came up, it was a lot of information and they would cypher through it and tell you what you did and didn't need to listen to. It was still by the time. Now it's just so much stuff that it can overwhelm you for sure. Gone are the 200 innings workhorses now, right? I mean, the analytics say get them out five or six innings and that's it. And you were with someone who was eight times you went 200 innings in your career. Yeah. So now I mean, even just the standard of, you know, yeah, I mean, like you said, six innings being the quality start, you know, or only going 110 pitches, not going over 120 pitches, like all those different things contribute to shortening starters and the reason why guys are getting wins and, you know, that's going to kind of mess with who goes in the hall of fame as far as, you know, stats and like, because they're, you know, Gary Cole may not win 200 games, but you may get 3000 strikeouts. You know what I'm saying? So that, you know, we're changing the standard of who gets in the hall of fame. The second part about analytics to me is like when it was around when we played, but you saw it, but it didn't really affect nothing now. Analytics is everything. They use that to determine who they're going to play in games. You know what I'm saying? Like you said, there's no more eye tests. Like, okay, well, if this says that he's going to be going to average more points with this guy in the game and he could be trashed, they're going to play him anyway. Knowing you got a guy that you've seen with your own eyes, that's better. That's why analytics sucks because it's fucking up the real talent. Yeah. Well, I mean, I just think there's missing components of it because it doesn't read all the, all it takes to be an athlete, to what it takes to be pitching in the eighth inning in Yankee Stadium or be in Oklahoma City when they're calling you nigger. Right. And you have to shoot a free throw. Right. You know what I mean? Like it doesn't read how you react to the character or the person you are. So it gives you numbers, but like you said, sometimes it's shit we don't even need. But it justifies a job though, right? Like if I can come up with a formula and it says this is going to happen and this is blah, blah, blah, then it's not my fault when it fucks up. It's the player's fault. Yeah. So now I never get fired. Yeah. Because my formula is fucking right. Right. It's just these players ain't doing the shit right. They bullshit. So now like it's job security. It's they fault. Yeah. Now my shit is right. Like you see this equation? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So it actually gives them like a fucking show and they work. You know what I'm saying? They don't work in basketball like that. The coach is the first one going now. Shoo. The Yankees do that. They suck their bottom line in LX. Do they? I don't know that. From fans we suck it up. Yeah. Yeah. I hear CC says don't put that shit in my mouth. I'm not. I don't know. I heard Caskey mad about that. That's a thing. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Ah. I don't want to watch that. I ain't. I don't know. I don't know. That shit. I don't know. I think Ben and I ain't in it. I can't confirm. All right. Quick hitters. First scene to cut in mind. Let us know. Best ballpark. Kansas City. That's a real Yankee fan right there though. Kaufman Stadium. Worst ballpark. Fenway. What? Place is fucking disgusting. Is it? Nasty, bro. You just because you're a Yankee or? I'm not going with that. I'm not going with that. Nasty. Water and shit everywhere. It's like the walls be fucking sweating. I can't stand that place. Fenway, Nasty, like that. Bad dog. I can't stand it. Love playing there, but I didn't like it. Smartest batter you faced. Smartest batter. Manny Ramirez. Manny. Manny Ramirez. Best shot. Funnest teammate. Brett Gardner. Bench, clear and brawl. You need three to go with you. Who you want to come with you. That's a good one. I'm taking one. I'm taking Guardi for sure. I'm taking. Jorge Posada to M.A. Russell Martin. Russell Martin. Russell Martin. I'm sure captains have to have them iron hands. Man, I've seen Jorge. And good knees. Beating down with D.R.I.P. We can watch it right up. Oh my God, yeah, I'm taking it. I'll fuck it with D.R.I.P. I'm talking about. What's your favorite baseball movie? Favorite baseball movie? Major League. Major League. You know, Ricky Vaughn took steroids. He told us he would talk about it for the movie. He said, I said that shit average. It gave his fastball 10 miles an hour. Yeah, for real. He told us, bro. One pitcher. Try to say, yeah. Yeah, yeah. One pitcher you admired when you were in the league? When I was in the league. John Lester. John Lester, yep. Lefty, pitch with Boston. Pitch with the Cubs. I always loved facing him. I always loved pitching against him. I just loved the way his, like his bulldog mentality on the mound. Good dude. And just loved, like, locking horns with him. Uh-huh. He did. Yeah. Yeah. You told us we had to get Eric Davis. Matt made it happen. Who else do you think we should have on the show? E.D. was a great one. Y'all got chef. Wow. Let me think of somebody else from Dave Stewart. Ooh, Dave Stewart. Dave Stewart. Good call. Dave Stewart be dope. And Reggie. Reggie's, so I did Reggie's last softball game at the Coliseum. And he said he's in. I think we're, he's in down south, though, right? No, he lives in Monterey. Oh, does he? Yeah. Reggie would be good. Reggie would be good. And uh, I got a line on Big Poppy too. Poppy would be good. Yeah, that's my point. And we had Pedro Martinez lined up for WBC. But whatever that code was that they made for everyone to get and I got, that should lay me down. Man, I ain't been sick and so long. That should have fucked me up. Program cap. I love it. I learned about it. Explain what it is. Yeah. Commissioners and investors program. And it's just getting old players back in the game. Like I said, when I started working at the commissioners' office, first thing I thought about is like, how can I get my friends here? You know what I mean? And call Jimmy Rollins, uh, then Ryan Howard. And then now it's the list of guys that you see it is. And um, it's just been an incredible organization and really just a group of friends that are, that are, that love the game, care about the game. And uh, you don't want to see it getting better. Bringing them back around events and games. Bringing them back around events, bringing them back around, you know, consumer products and all these different things that we have. Like you said, we've never had players in the league office. And now we have 20 guys at their disposal to ask them about whatever they, you know, whatever they feel like they're experts at. And we're all experts at the game. You're an expert in basketball. You know what I'm saying? Like even though like we didn't go to college, like there's no higher degree. You can get in baseball and we can. We can. You know what I'm saying? So like for us to be, you know, integrated, integrated into the league like that, I think is a huge thing. And I think it's just a plus for everybody. And when you said like, you know, you know, giving me flowers for everything that we've done, it's all of us though. You know what I mean? Like it's not just me. It's the whole cap program is everything that we've created. I think I hope other leagues are taking note too, because I feel like you guys are really doing it the right way when it comes to that, because there are guys that just again, that the generation we grew up on didn't have the opportunities we had. And obviously the guys before them didn't. So to be able to reaccommate these guys back in the game, I think the NBA and the NFL need to take notes because I think you guys are doing a great job with that, bro. I want to give you a flower suit because we was able to be involved in soft bar gambit you did for the old, the black players that came before us. And I know y'all had a lot to do with that. Rick Woodfield, the one I won MVP at. I really was defensive MVP just to give me the reward. But yeah, bro, to see what you're doing. Yes, dope. You know what I'm saying? I think that's dope. And I don't think that would be done by the major leagues if y'all wasn't involved. You know what I'm saying? I know a lot of the players appreciate it because we seen Reggie Jackson get a chance to speak on how he was treated back in the day. He wouldn't have had that platform if that game didn't happen. So I want to salute y'all for that too, because I know a lot of those older players appreciate it. No, I appreciate it for sure. And like Matt said, it's just having the opportunity to bring them back around and be integrated in the game. We all love the game. And you lose access once you're done playing. And it shouldn't be that way. It should always be a program through the league where guys, if they want to come to the off-star game, they want to come to open the game, they want to do all these different things, they should be able to. Because they deserve it. Well, again, bro, congratulations. Continue to lead the way. Best of luck with everything, man. And we hear when you need us. Appreciate you. No doubt. CC, Sabathia, you can catch this on all the Smoke G-Tube and the DraftKings Network. See y'all next week. You know what you're getting with a bank holiday weekend? Traffic. Drizzle. Service station snacks. The sea. Look, the sea. Pebbly beach. Aggressive seagulls. Drinks at the local cafe slash nightclub. A late night takeaway. Chili, garlic. Sometimes in life, you just know what you're getting. Like a luxury bed and a great night's sleep. You know what you're getting with Premier Inn. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.