Introduction to the Episode

Speaker 1 0:05

yeah, that's, that's wild, because we were just talking about how that uh we oh, we're on. So yeah, welcome uh again. Our episode here with.

Speaker 2 0:12

I see what you did there. I don't know what you're talking about. What do?

Speaker 1 0:14

you mean hold my cutter is what I mean and we're enjoying we're enjoying the fat bottom. Yeah, they're still fat, they are, and uh brownie during the.

Speaker 3 0:22

During the break, you're showing us a dance the the Fat Bottom Daddy, we'll get out there, don't you worry about that?

Speaker 1 0:27

For those of you, watching on YouTube, stick with it, or whatever platform.

Speaker 3 0:31

You'll never believe what Brownie can do with those hips.

Speaker 1 0:34

Oh, you have no idea. Like and subscribe, and we subscribe to the Josh Wilson idea that you don't necessarily want Deadwood on the field, but you definitely want it.

Speaker 2 0:48

Yeah, when you're smoking Stogies In the humidor, yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 0:50

And we talked in a previous episode about your baseball life, which is amazing Eight years of the big leagues, nine major league teams, 12 organizations and how many years total.

Speaker 2 1:01

I played 19 seasons of pro ball.

Speaker 3 1:02

Yeah.

Speaker 2 1:04

So, one of those in the independent.

Speaker 1 1:05

In the independent, we're gonna get to york pa york, pa york, pennsylvania I'm a central pennsylvania guy, but we didn't have a professional baseball team. Then the york what revolution? What are the york revolution?

Speaker 2 1:17

the revs. Man, how did you get onto the revs and what year would that have been? Uh with that? Uh, yeah, that was uh 2016, okay, 2016.

Speaker 2 1:26

Um, yeah, I was working out, uh, in the winter time. Um, our manager there in york is mark mason, uh, another local guy, um, and uh, yeah, I was out there at uh seaside sports down in kansasburg it it was a great facility run by Chris Seidig, and so I was just in the off season looking for a job and there were no takers in the affiliated front and Chris had played for Mace with the Wild Things and I don't know if he had invited him out to work out, but we get together with some of the guys I think Neil Walker and DK Donnie would come down every once in a while and work out there. So, uh, mace came to to one of the workouts one time down there and uh just got to know him, um, and he said you know, yeah, uh, you know, we'd love to have you in York. He said, if he can't get a job, um, you know we'd love to have you there.

Speaker 2 2:31

Uh, then you know, that was that um one of the best experiences playing baseball I've ever had. Why is that, josh? It's pure, there's just, it's just baseball. You, it's win or go home there, um, you know, if you're not performing, if you're not doing the job, they just get rid of you. There's, no, there's very limited politics in that league. Um, um, you know everybody's basically, uh, you know, making making the same amount of money or close to it. You know, there there's, there's not much salary there, so guys are just playing to play. You know guys are playing there to get better, hopefully get a chance at at affiliated ball again. Um, and you have a lot, of, a lot of young guys that you know they're there, you know, because they love to play the game and that's it.

Speaker 2 3:08

And what was the age difference for you? So I was in my 30s. I was probably 33. I mean, I was done. I think I was 36, my last year, in 2017. So, yeah, that was a couple years before that. So, yeah, I was 34, 35. Yeah, so yeah, it was 34, 35.

Speaker 1 3:25

Yeah, so it's April of 16. You signed with York right April of 2016.

Speaker 2 3:29

Yes, and then the next year you go back and sign a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in April of 17. Played that whole year in 2016. Went to the playoffs, had a great run there, absolutely loved it. Had a great host family there that took really good care of me. My roommate was Micah Owings, another big leaguer, so Mike and I had an absolutely fantastic setup there with Tracy and Jim Board Got to give them a shout out. They are absolutely wonderful people. Took wonderful care of us.

Speaker 3 4:01

Those families are the best, aren't they? Absolutely the best. What town were you living in um so?

Speaker 2 4:05

this was. This was in york. Uh, it was. The town that they lived in was called spring garden okay, I believe was uh, was the little town right, right outside of a york country club. Um, so I mean, yeah, we were.

Speaker 1 4:17

We were very well set up. Yeah, I mean, I'd say so that's great I

Speaker 2 4:21

I got a couple rounds of golf in there. It was unbelievable. It was really unbelievable. That made it all the better, having a great place to go home to and good people to be around off the field. Going into 2017, it was the same thing. I was working out, I still wanted to play um and haven't had such a good experience in York. I was fully prepared to go back again. Um. I went to spring training, uh, with York, um, which is not very long, it's. You know you get about three or four days and then they say all right you know, throw it out there.

Speaker 1 5:00

And that's. That's not like you're not going down to Florida, Nope this is right there in york, get a couple of scrimmages in against uh, you know lancaster, or uh you know somerset, new jersey head over

Speaker 2 5:12

there, play, play a little scrimmage game, old school, old school. Hey, just you know, go get ready and go play. Um, but so it was. It was still we hadn't even started the regular season yet and, uh, I get a call from the Rangers. I think it was actually maybe the first guy that had called me was Jason Wood, who was managing in Round Rock. Jeez, another Woody and I were teammates in Albuquerque with the Marlins and they had had a whole slew of injuries Elvis Andrews was hurt, rugna Nodor was hurt, I think Will Middlebrooks was in Round Rock that year, doug Bernier, some other guys, uh, and they just had this whole rash of injuries. So they were really shorthanded. Um, you know, and, and I get a phone call and I said, yeah, I've been working out all winter, I'm in spring training with York, I've been playing, I'm ready to go. Just, uh, give me there. So, um, yeah, they needed some help.

Speaker 2 6:01

I went down to Round Rock and had a good run down there. I was there for a little over a month or so probably, and played really well. But then the health started returning for those guys and good for them. They gave me a great opportunity to get back into affiliated ball. But those Texas Rangers organizations I thought were really well run as well, um, really good people, and they did right by their, by their guys, by sending me packing, you know, despite how well I was playing at the time and and the guys they had already committed to they, they kept would be traded to cleveland so I ended up yeah, I got traded to cleveland and and that was where it all uhated there Spent the rest of the season in Columbus.

Speaker 2 6:49

Another great group of guys played for Chris Tremmey there, ruglis Odor who's Rugnit Odor's uncle, I believe and Steve Carse were on the staff there. Great people, all great guys you know, had a really good experience in Columbus. That's a fantastic town, was this in 17? 17.? So we played against each other.

Speaker 3 7:07

Probably Randy there I was in Durham. Okay, we had the best pitching staff in all of baseball you probably played against them in 17.

Speaker 1 7:16

Yeah, I told you, we were like this who was the guy? Was Archer You're doing?

Speaker 2 7:19

the weave Was Archer before that, or was he?

Speaker 3 7:21

probably already in the big leagues. At that time, we had Blake Snell. Okay, so it was Snell. Yeah, we had a really good staff. Yeah, torino.

Speaker 2 7:26

I can remember J Pierre and Seabia talking up Blake Snell saying he was going to be the real deal, really.

Speaker 3 7:34

Yeah, he came down. He made the team out of camp, came down. He was like a science project for us.

Speaker 1 7:44

We had to be pretty decent too.

Meeting Josh Wilson: The Paper Boy

Speaker 2 7:46

Columbus team was yeah, a lot of fun. Tyler Naquin. Um Richie Schaefer Uh, you know we had, we had some, uh, some good pictures there. Um, eric Kratz was, uh was behind the dish there. Uh, yandy Diaz boy, yandy Diaz was that guy. He took the most unbelievable BPs and I mean that guy is all biceps.

Speaker 3 8:08

I don't know if you've ever seen Yandy up close. I mean, he is all biceps.

Speaker 2 8:12

He'd get in the gym after a game and it's just, I mean it was triceps and biceps, I mean his arms were absolutely massive and my goodness, he could absolutely hit the snot out of a baseball. And then he'd get in the game and it was all low liners and I know he did something there and started lifting it and boy, he's had a really good run. But yeah, I mean Yandy was great. Eric Stamets was a shortstop, a young guy coming up, and another really good defender, another guy who was a lot like me, could pick it. You could move him around. Yeah, I had a great time. I mean, columbus is such a good—the ballpark's great, great.

Speaker 3 8:51

Another good hitting ballpark. Too Great place to hit. It's a short porch. He just nailed the hitting ballparks, yeah.

Speaker 2 8:56

I was very fortunate. Awesome, not just good ballparks but good towns too. I mean I really love playing there. The ownership there was great. They treated players really really well, took care of the players. I can't say enough good things about Columbus. That's maybe one of the most fun places I've ever played A lot of cities.

Speaker 1 9:17

This guy you too, Ford, I know you've played in a lot of cities, not as many as him. I mean what Kane? County, utica, portland We've mentioned a lot of them Portland, jupiter, of course, wherever the Charlotte club, is it? Wilson or Zebulon, North Carolina.

Speaker 2 9:30

Oh Zebulon, yeah, Carolina, there's Zebulon, yeah, right outside Raleigh.

Speaker 1 9:34

Albuquerque, colorado Springs. You mentioned Pawtucket, reno, tacoma, gwinnett, round Rock, columbus, Toledo, indianapolis, of course. What an amazing run.

Speaker 3 9:44

Did you have a favorite?

Speaker 1 9:45

Yeah, did you have a favorite town, you know?

Speaker 2 9:48

probably.

Speaker 3 9:48

Minor leagues and big leagues. Let's go both.

Speaker 2 9:51

The two places I had the most fun, probably throughout my career, both on and off the field more on the field, but with the teammates too. But Carolina, raleigh is just boy, an unbelievable town for a young 20-ish guy, with all the college and the nightlife. And then we just had unbelievable players. We had Miguel and Dontrell Willis I mean our team. We won the championship there in 03, and we lost Miguel Cabrera, dontrell Willis and Adrian Gonzalez off of that. Those three guys were all on that team. They all, they all got called up and Adrian got traded and we still, we still won the Southern league that year.

Speaker 2 10:33

So I mean that was. I mean we just had, we had really, really good players there. Um, so I mean that those years in Carolina, you know probably about as as much fun as I've ever had as a player. Um, and then Tampa, I mean there's no, there's no better place to play than St Pete. Um, I lived on the beach. Uh, I mean just this absolutely phenomenal place could walk over you know, jump in the golf. Um, the Boca Ciega Bay was right out the back window. I could see right across over to Tropicana Field from over there. I mean you're on the beach and you're in Florida and then you go to the ballpark and there is no lower stress environment to play in the big leagues than Tampa Bay. There's just the media presence there, almost none existent.

Speaker 2 11:23

If you're the guy that has a bad day there, you don't have to answer questions after the game. There's nobody coming to hound you, you know, going hey, what happened there? You know why'd you do this? Um, they go and talk to the players that had a good game there. Um, you know, at least for a guy like me, you know some of the. You know the James Shields and the Casmeers and bj optin, and you know those guys the carlos pena. You know those guys had to answer the tough questions.

Speaker 2 11:46

But you know, when you were somebody like me that was a role player. Um, you know, they talked to you when you did well and if you had a tough game, you just, you never, you never got any of that real negative energy. Um, the fans there, you know they love you, no matter what. Um, I mean, you know they. You know Tampa is just, it's just an easy place to play. You don't have these big crowds. They're never going to boo you. Now, that was 07. Were they any good, you guys? Well, you know we were young. That team was really young. We didn't win a lot of games.

Speaker 3 12:19

But you could see the talent coming.

Speaker 2 12:21

I mean, they went to the World Series the following year. They made some moves and got some more guys in there, but yeah, it was James Shields and Kazmir, david Price and Longoria were coming. They weren't there yet in 07, but they were on the way. Carlos Pena had broken out and just had an absolute monster year. You know, bj, delman Young, some good names, some, some really really good players, really really good.

Speaker 1 12:48

So how do they do it, josh? Here's a. Here's a former big leaguer, former ray, and a former scout. How do the tampa bay rays continue to put out that talent? Do you think what's this formula?

Speaker 2 12:59

well. You know they, they draft really, they draft and develop really well. I mean, I don't think there's any mistaking that they get good players. They had gotten a ton of good players through the draft and they developed them. You know exactly how they did it. The inner workings I don't really know. They definitely you know the analytics and those type of the new school things. They definitely have their things that they like. They've got their models or whatever that help them compete and acquire players that maybe other clubs don't want. I have no idea what those are.

Speaker 3 13:48

Prior podcast we talked about risk. A lot of teams aren't willing to take that risk. I feel like they're willing to take risks that most teams aren't. I feel like smaller markets have to do that. Do you feel that way?

Speaker 2 13:59

Well, I mean, I think it makes sense. I mean I think, just like from the player's standpoint saying it's an easy place to play, I think it probably goes for them too. You're not going to get the backlash you would get in Boston or New York if things go wrong.

Speaker 1 14:13

All right, easy place to play. Does that mean it's a good place to play?

Reflecting on Baseball Life and Experiences

Speaker 2 14:23

For sure. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think for a player, the place where you can perform your best is the place you want to play. You know there's probably plenty of guys that are, you know, brighter lights people and they prefer to be in a New York or Boston. But as far as a low-pressure environment, I don't think there's anywhere. Especially for a player like me that kind of had the introduction to the big leagues that I did, that a place like that really helped me start to feel that I belong there. Ultimately, everybody wants to win, everybody wants to win a World Series.

Speaker 1 14:58

But if you're introduced to the big leagues in that environment. I've really never heard that theory. That's a really good one.

Speaker 3 15:03

I finished my career in Tampa Bay and they called me in the offseason. They really weren't on my radar but they gave me an opportunity I hadn't heard yet and that was to come in. Competing against Ricky Week was was inevitably not a good thing for me because it's ricky weeks, but to be a bat off the bench against left-handers. They wanted to try to pull out my ops, which was always high in the minor leagues and was always high in the big leagues when it came to an average major leaguer. They thought they could give me more bat. So they had this whole grand scheme of plans. So I was like, yeah, and then we signed an incentive-based contract and then I came into spring training. First week dominated and then I sucked. I mean, I don't even know if I got a hit. The rest of the time Played good defensively, but they had already marked me as just a bat. So I didn't get to catch a lot, so I didn't get to do my strength. They sent me to triple a and I had an opt-out every month you know how that goes and they would call every month and ask me what it would take to stay whether it was at bats was a couple more dollars. They even got to guarantee call.

Speaker 3 16:03

They did everything they could to keep me there to mentor their players and I I knew where I was at my career. I didn't know if I wanted to jump ship. All the time we had an rv and I was really, was really happy, just kind of being a part of this squad and mentoring these guys and then was going to regroup. But they did a really good job. They were paying me a small fortune in minor leagues to show up every day, to love on these guys, to be an extension of the coaching staff. That's what I think, brownie. When you think about small market teams you can correct me if I'm wrong they go a little bit above and beyond to make sure, hey, we want you there.

Speaker 3 16:37

This is why yeah and what is it going to take for you to feel comfortable that we're not taking advantage of you? And a lot of teams will do that. One gm loved me, one gm didn't you know. One gm saw it as I'm just a number and I wasn't putting up the numbers I could but I wasn't getting the bats, wouldn't get the opportunity, so, as I was like I don't want to be here, but they kept making me feel like no, you're a part of it. I went through the playoffs, didn't play, got apologized to and it was just a different realm. And I think, because they did that, I'll always speak highly on them because they shot me straight.

Speaker 2 17:14

Yeah, you know, I mean playing there, playing there is great, you know, and there's a lot, of, a lot of factors, but the organization itself probably has to be. You know, really, you know, the more important thing going on there is just the way they treat people. And yeah, I, I, I'd have to say the same that you know, Joe Madden is probably another big reason why it was so easy to play there, because Joe was a guy that just makes you feel good every single day.

Speaker 3 17:39

Every single day, no matter who you are, but you get positive reinforcement all the time. Positive reinforcement. You know where he stood too.

Speaker 2 17:44

Probably you knew where I stood, honest with you Honest, absolutely 100% honest.

Speaker 2 17:48

I mean from the day I got there I showed up as a waiver claim and immediately come in the office and he, flat out, he told me right there, hey, I don't know if I'm going to get you in tomorrow or the next day or when it's going to be, but he's like, be prepared, you're going to get in there, you'll be, you're going to be in the lineup. You know, some point this weekend we're going to, you know, check the matchups or whatever. And yeah, you were, you were always, you were always informed, you were always informed. Joe, always, you know, shot you straight. He told you, you know. He told you. You know, it's kind of like the oracle, you know. He told you what you needed to hear.

Speaker 2 18:20

You know, to get the most out of you yeah, you know he's that, that type of guy, he just you know he was, he was going to do, do right by you, to do right by the organization, to to get the most out of his players.

Speaker 1 18:31

You know, yeah coming your way here. Uh, Burn by Rocky Patel. Hold my Cutter. In case you hadn't noticed, You're joining us in mid-conversation with Josh Wilson. We're enjoying another stogie here. And, of course, some of our guests received gift cards to David Allen Clothing in Mount Lebanon. Check out their showroom, their shop on.

Speaker 2 18:51

Washington Road. David Allen what a story. He's an amazing guy. He's an amazing guy. He has an amazing story.

Speaker 1 19:01

You will love that place. Josh, stopping by their showroom, who gave you the nickname the Paper Boy? Some suggest it was Ken Griffey.

Speaker 2 19:10

Yeah, so I think I could say confidently popularized by a guy named Ken Griffey Jr. But I think actually it was Mike Sweeney. So Mike Sweeney is the one who actually came up with it. For reasons you may be able to guess, it still looks like he's 13.

Speaker 1 19:30

It's unbelievable.

Speaker 3 19:33

Did you play Paperboy when?

Speaker 2 19:33

you were a kid, you know I did. I used to love that game.

Speaker 3 19:35

Yeah, me too, it was an absolutely fantastic game on the old nintendo uh I wish I'd bring paperboys back.

Speaker 2 19:40

But terrible, I'm a terrible video game player, not good um so it was a good game. It's a great game I I love trying I love trying, but yeah it was not good, yeah so so, sweeney, sweeney, another after another. Uh, you know, waiver claim when I show up in seattle, and, and you know, sweeney being after another waiver claim when I show up in Seattle and Sweeney, being the character he is, starts chirping. Who's this guy in the cage? Looks like the doggone paper boy. So yeah, then a legend was born.

Speaker 1 20:08

So how about we've mentioned some of the managers? We haven't all the big league managers, but you just talked a little bit about Joe Mann. We talked about Jack McKeon in another episode. Uh, a little bit of time with manny octa. Uh, was it wakamatsu?

Speaker 2 20:22

in seattle, don wakamatsu, um, you know, in seattle, uh, I love playing for don walk, another just super positive guy, um, you know, I that that second year uh in seattle, so that was 2009 and 10, and, uh, we had a good year in 09, 186 games, uh, and nobody expected that we were not, we were not expected to do very much. It was it was a very much an overachievement, um, but we had good players. I mean, there's the same kind of a similar deal with with tampa. There were some good young players franklin gutierrez and jose lopez, um, you know, and then you had, you had the star players and the vets too, uh, to complement adrian beltre and, uh, you know, and junior, obviously, sweeney, um, so that year, uh, heading into 2010, you know they made those big splash signings and get, uh, milton Bradley, cliff Lee, um, you know we already had Felix Hernandez, obviously, so I mean on paper, you know, sean Fagans also, you know they made some deals and thought they, uh, you know it had made the moves to to get that team over the hump, um, and it just, it just didn't work out and unfortunately, yeah, wok got fired that year, which I don't think was his fault.

Speaker 2 21:40

I think Wok did a great job. But when you're on those teams and you're expected to win, that's the nature of the game. Now, it has always been that way, I suppose. But Wok was phenomenal, treated me great Same thing, always shot me great Same thing, always shot me straight. Was a great communicator, you know, and I played pretty well for him for the most part and, you know, really enjoyed my time there, you know, with Seattle. And then Darren Brown took over for him, who was in Tacoma. Brownie came up, who's another, you know, all-time great, loved Brownie. He finished up the season, so he finished up as the big league manager and then Eric Wedge came in and was hired in the offseason.

Speaker 3 22:23

He's the number two Brownie in our hearts. That's right.

Speaker 1 22:27

All right. So you also played for Bob Melvin, didn't you?

Speaker 2 22:30

Played for Bo Mel yep, and so, yeah, I got to play on two teams where I got managers fired. Bo Mel, yep, and so, yeah, I got to play on two teams where I got managers fired.

Speaker 1 22:37

Bo Mel was the other one Sure, it's all your fault, you know, hey, you just don't want to hang around me too long.

Speaker 2 22:43

I can play bad enough to get you fired.

Speaker 3 22:45

No, no, no. If you play long enough, you're going to see enough guys leave yeah.

Speaker 2 22:48

But I mean, you know, bo Mel, he's one of the most respected guys in the game. Beau Mel, he's one of the most respected guys in the game. I'd have to say you know, he's right up there at the very top among the best managers in the game. And you know, I mean geez, he had just won, he'd won a manager of the year.

Speaker 2 23:05

I think the year before, or maybe it was two years before, but you know he had already had his credentials and so, but there was just was some must have been, you know, some sort of falling out. Uh, I, I don't know the details of that, but um yeah, bowmel bowmel was let go and aj hinch uh came on for his first uh managerial experience. So I got to play for bowmel and aj there and in arizona his first season and uh yeah, it's like he's playing crap.

Speaker 1 23:34

I know crap, I know he keeps getting he may be getting these guys fired, but then they keep bringing in better ones. Come on, let's recycle, bring somebody else in. Yeah, yeah so that's real.

Speaker 2 23:43

I mean gosh, they might be the two best guys in the game right now. I mean and they were, you know both the 2009 D-backs manager.

Speaker 1 23:50

Did you play for Ron Washington at all?

Speaker 2 23:52

And I played for Wash. I played for Wash in Texas. Another guy that.

Speaker 3 23:57

Was there anybody you didn't play for? I mean Leland. I never got to play for Leland. Did you play for Bud Black too? A little bit I played for Buddy Black. And Clint Hurdle.

Speaker 2 24:04

And Clint Clint just in spring training.

Speaker 3 24:06

Yeah, but it still counts.

Speaker 2 24:07

Yeah, didn't get called A little bit of Brad Ausmus, maybe too Brad.

Speaker 3 24:19

Ausmus in Detroit. Yeah, you start going bitch coaches too.

Speaker 1 24:21

You get weird. Oh yeah, well, we'll stick to these managers. Josh and you've talked a lot about Madden, a little bit about Melvin. Is there one common thread? These are a lot of successful managers with whom you've played, but is's one thing that stands out about their managerial abilities or their personalities?

Speaker 2 24:40

um or both you know, there's communication, for sure. They, you know, is that number one. You know, I I think it's yes that that's a separator, that that ability to communicate, to play or relate maybe it's to relate to players, individuals, individuals because it's a lot of personalities a lot of personalities.

Speaker 2 25:00

Um, yeah, and I think you know joe joe is maybe the best at that ron washington. Why was he the best in your mind? Because he was. He came out every day. He never, he never was intrusive, he never came off as disingenuous or fake. He took an active interest in guys, not just what happened on the field, but he made the rounds. There's just something about his presence. It didn't seem forced, it didn't seem selfish in any way. It's probably how he treated everybody. Didn't seem, you know, selfish in any way. You know, when you were on.

Speaker 3 25:35

That's probably how he treated everybody.

Speaker 2 25:36

I'd imagine so. I mean, when you were on his club, you know he'd come up, even if it was just like, say how you doing? I mean it felt like he did it because he wanted to, because he knew it was going to help the club, you know, and everything that he did was going to be for the benefit of the team, and everything that that he did was going to be for the benefit of the team. And you know, if you benefit the individual, you benefit the team. I mean, that's, that's just how it's going to be. And and Ron, ron was like that too. Ron told you straight up, you know he didn't mess around. You know I loved Wash because he was brutally honest.

Speaker 2 26:11

I went to Round Rock and got called up there, you know, to the Rangers. Um, you know, and he told me flat out, he said you cannot take anything for granted. He said these guys are going to do the first. You know the the first. They're just waiting for a reason to snatch you up is what he said. He said they are just looking for a reason, so don't give them one. You know, and you know he was encouraging in that way, you know, but he, he shot you straight, but it does.

Speaker 2 26:40

He's just going to be honest and tell you like, hey man, like you know your role on the team, you know where you stand, you know it's going to take everything you got to stick and, and you know, to his credit, he was going to do everything he can to help you. I mean you, you've all seen the legit. I mean he is, boy, one of the hardest working guys. I mean he's out there for early work and spring training every day, down on his knee, hitting those fungos, getting his pad out, getting you through the drills, and he's running through with everybody.

Speaker 2 27:07

It doesn't matter if it's your first big league spring training or your Adrian Beltre, elvis Andrews, elvis Andrews. You, you're Adrian Beltre, elvis Andrews. You know Ozzy Albies now, whoever it is Like, it doesn't matter, you are going to be out there working with him and he's going to get out there to make you better. And you know, as a player, I mean you can't help, but just respect the heck out of that. You know that this guy is going to get out there and get on the dirt with you and try to help.

Speaker 3 27:32

That's where you gain a lot of respect for guys. A hundred percent.

Speaker 2 27:36

And that's that's that's one where where all those guys, um, you know and Wash takes it to a different level, you know, in that regard, as being hands-on, as a manager, you know but all all these guys, in their own way, we're going to communicate. I mean, bo Mel did the same thing. Um, you know what you were good at. He let me know I mean, he'd always let me know that you know, my defense was going to carry me. Um, you know, he said I trust you to go out there and catch the ball. I mean, he was going to let you know the things that you did well and the things that he needed you to do. Um, bud Black was was the same way. Um, you know that that's what these guys really do well. Uh, you know, they relate to players. They communicate with players, you know, and they, they do everything they can to to get the most out of you.

Speaker 1 28:19

The best player that you've ever played with or seen with a uniform on you have played with Miguel Cabrera seems to be the obvious choice for my end, but Beltre was really good.

Speaker 2 28:33

I mean Griffey Ichiro, I'm sorry.

Speaker 1 28:36

I'm sorry, whoopsies, whoopsies, I forgot.

Speaker 2 28:39

Hall of Famers.

Speaker 3 28:40

As far as the, most Baker does in Hall of Fame?

Speaker 2 28:43

Yeah, yeah, there's been quite a lot. I mean even Justin Verlander on the pitching side. I mean there's guys that are just unreal players. I'd say the most dominant guy I ever saw was Miguel, when we were in AA, right before he got called up. I've never seen a player just absolutely control a baseball game the way he did and he was 20 years old. I mean this guy was 20 years old and he's hitting 420-whatever 10 home runs and leading the league in RBI.

Speaker 1 29:16

Did you say 420?

Speaker 2 29:18

He was hitting 429. I think when he got called up on it was June 20th, the day he got called up to the Marlins With power. With power, I mean yeah, he was 429. He was leading the league in doubles homers OPS probably all of it walks. He's playing video games, just literally playing video games, and I mean, the Southern League is not a hitter's league.

Speaker 3 29:37

That's the one place, and it's so hot.

Speaker 2 29:40

It's hot, it's humid, the ball's not carrying, it's big ballparks and it's double A and I mean that's really back then and the game has definitely changed a little in that regard. I mean, the the leaps now are bigger at the higher levels, but you know it used to be to get out of a ball was a much bigger deal. Um, you know, and so back then I mean you had, you had talented guys, you had quality players at double a. Um, you know, and older players, veteran players, and not just veteran players but good players that probably were going to get some big league experience. Um, you know, it wasn't just because you big experience, you know, it wasn't just because you know they needed bodies and the guy got drafted and you know you had to put guys there. I mean, you had to really earn your way to double a and Mickey was 20 years old and just I mean making it, making it look like wiffle ball, like you said, I mean, and that's that's the most dominant performance I've probably ever seen up.

Speaker 3 30:43

But, um, you know, go to go to belt trade, because I had him in texas and, without a doubt, the lead ability he had I don't know a better way to put it, but he could lead- a team and yes, jeff bannister allowed him to lead the team. Yeah, I think that made that team a separator. But like talk about that presence, because I don't know if Miguel had that.

Speaker 2 30:57

No, definitely different personalities. I mean, well, they both love to have fun. I mean, everybody's seen the antics of Elvis and Adrian on the field and having their fun, and Miguel loves to have fun on the baseball field talking to guys when they come to first base and all that. They're both characters. But yeah, adrian was a little more, probably a little more, of that vocal leader when he had to be. He could take on a little bit more of a serious tone, I would say.

Speaker 3 31:30

But both leaders A little scary at times too.

Speaker 2 31:32

Yeah, very, it could be very scary. I mean, he's a monstrous guy, yeah, yeah, and he could have. He could get a look on his face that you knew you didn't want to mess with.

Speaker 3 31:41

Yeah, like he may shift you yeah.

Speaker 2 31:45

Yeah, if Adrian was a little upset about something certainly a guy you didn't want to get on the wrong side. Just by looking at him to get on on the wrong side, uh, you know, just by looking at them. But, um, yeah, there was. Uh, the thing I'll say about Adrian too you know his, his brand of leadership was also, you know, really by example, and especially on the field, um, this is probably the toughest human being I've ever seen. Um, so the reason I had gotten called up uh to seattle in the first place because adrian was still there. He's playing third base and, um, you know, adrian famously or maybe not so famously didn't wear any protective layering you know what I?

Speaker 2 32:27

mean, um and so, uh, he had a little injury and uh, you know, the man parts got got beat up pretty good there and he had to little injury. And you know, the man parts got got beat up pretty good there and he had to, he was out, he had to go on the DL and this guy stayed in the game though that day, I mean, he stayed in the game and he's playing, he had big cojones. Yeah, no pun intended.

Speaker 2 32:47

Yeah, and you know he just played through it and I mean, you can imagine the pain that you know he might be in.

Speaker 2 32:52

Yes, I can and just stayed in there. And then, you know, likewise, when I ended up playing with him again in Texas, you know, I mean, you know it was like he'd get to the second half of the year, you know, and all of a sudden both his quads are, like you know, half torn, and that's when he started turning it on. I mean it was like if his quads weren't torn, you know, he didn't start hitting until you know, until then, and it was like it was just double after double after double, and he'd be playing with these, you know injuries that would, you know, put guys you know out for you know, a month, most guys you know or more, and he would just go out and battle through it. And you're like, this guy's just, he's a, he's a different animal on the field, you know, and that that's another form of leadership that just, I mean that raises your whole team, yeah, and when you see that guy, yeah, what can you can?

Speaker 3 33:40

The kick that cares that much. No, well, yeah, what are you going to do? Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 33:49

You know, it's like just get out there, man up and go play, you know, and that had their run and were, you know, going to World Series. You know, just they took on, they took on that mentality. You know, and that is so huge for a club when you just got guys that are just going to be selfless and give everything they have to the last drop, like, like he would. I mean that's, that's when teams can get really special, when you have the type of talent that they did.

Speaker 3 34:11

No doubt.

Speaker 2 34:13

Did you play with Jack Wilson? Yeah, I played with Jack. Three different organizations. So I played with Jack the spring training I spent with the Pirates and then in Seattle, and then we spent a spring together with Atlanta. At the end so yeah, three different stops Got to play with Jack.

Speaker 1 34:31

So how would you describe your game and his game defensively?

Speaker 2 34:39

Similar yeah, probably a little similar. Jack was more athletic. Jack had a lot more flash. I think I don't know if I was the flashiest guy Jack could do some things athletically that I just couldn't do, and he's probably a little quicker, a little stronger. His body control just some of the playmaking ability Jack had.

Speaker 1 34:58

Yeah, he was a playmaker Was.

Speaker 2 35:00

I mean just unreal. He's probably one of the very best. He and Alex Gonzalez you know the Marlins' Alex Gonzalez are probably the two best playmakers that I ever got to play with or against. You know, obviously Vizquel's probably just overall the best guy that maybe has ever played the position. He almost made it look too easy. He just made it look too easy. But as far as the arm strength and the quickness and then the body control and the ability to just make plays all over the field and play fast, I mean, boy Jack was pretty close to being as good as it gets.

Speaker 1 35:33

Josh, we haven't talked yet about your first big league homework. Who was it?

Speaker 2 35:39

against. My first big league homer was in Camden Yards oh what a great place to enter your first homer. Yeah, first one dead center field, it was on the mound for the Orioles. It was Jeremy Guthrie. It was like a 95, 96-mile-an-hour heater, and velocity was not my thing. That was when I started to struggle is when I started getting the velo. I could hit the sinker ballers and and do okay there, but those guys got three.

Speaker 3 36:06

You know he had that good fastball and the high spin at the time.

Speaker 2 36:08

Yeah, and I don't know what happened. I caught one right man and, uh, cory patterson was playing center field and I think he might have got a piece of his glove.

Speaker 3 36:15

He ended up losing his glove over the center field. Oh really, yeah, he almost. No, no, no, you knocked his glove off. I mean knocked his glove off. I mean, yeah, it was a rod.

Speaker 2 36:23

I mean I hit it pretty good. It's probably about as good as I've ever hit one. To be honest, what was it like, that feeling? I mean I was sprinting, yeah. I mean, yeah, I had no clue it was going to leave the yard. I mean you know the ball was out and you know slowed it down a little bit, but I mean it was.

Speaker 3 36:52

I mean you can't you know, so hard to describe it is so hard to describe.

Speaker 2 36:56

You can't, you know, are there flashpoints.

Speaker 1 36:59

I'm wondering third base coach, who was it? You know, because there's the first guy to greet you.

Speaker 2 37:05

So our third base coach. So when I was with Tampa, so it would have been Tom Foley. Oh my gosh, george Hendrick was our first base coach, so yeah, foley's over there. Yeah, Foley's over there at third Silent George.

Speaker 1 37:18

Hendrick was your hitting coach. Yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 37:20

I mean, who knows? I Silent George Hendrick was your hitting coach.

Speaker 1 37:21

Who knows, I might have been around. Third, I might not even like that. I was running so hard. You got to pick up your speed, right.

Speaker 2 37:26

Yeah, yeah, I don't know, I got in there. Yeah, we had so out there in Baltimore. The bullpens are out there in the outfield, so our bullpen corralled the ball. They come in after the game. Grant Balfour was one of our bullpen guys, so he presents me with the home run ball. You know, I forget he ended up trying to, you know, pull like two pranks the first one, I can't remember what the exact one said, but he like drew a whole diagram of like where it went.

Speaker 2 37:57

It was like wind blown on it or something. Oh, that's great, and I'm like laughing, I'm like okay, you know, it's like funny.

Speaker 1 38:07

So then he writes the next one and the next one he like writes real you know, like real nice handwriting, and the date and he writes Craig Wilson as the name you know first.

Speaker 2 38:12

First first home run and he's like no, he's like, he's like what he's like well, you're not Craig, that's tremendous. Yeah, so they, yeah, so those guys, the bullpen guys, you know, had a little fun with me and yeah, that was awesome. I mean having good teammates like that that are going to, you know, give you a hard time and, you know, bust your chops a little, that's another one of those things that makes a game a lot of fun, you know.

Speaker 1 38:32

When we talked about your first big league hit. There's your first big league home run. Those two obviously stand out.

Speaker 2 38:43

And anything else you recall, so really being one of the top moments. If I have one record in the big leagues, so it might be that I hit a home run in old yankee stadium and I gave up a home run in new yankee stadium.

Speaker 1 38:52

That is so I don't know.

Speaker 2 38:53

I don't know if anybody else has done that that is cool.

Speaker 1 38:56

That may be my one claim to fame that against another former teammate chris young. Chris young hit a home run, that's course it was against a former teammate.

Speaker 3 39:03

That's crazy. Well, you pretty much played with everybody.

Speaker 2 39:06

Yeah, just about yeah. There's like that six degrees of Kevin Bacon. I'm sure it could probably connect to just about anybody. Yes, wild man, you hit one at.

Speaker 1 39:17

Yankee and you gave up one at the new Yankee. Yes, we will be bringing that up the next time we play the Yankees. How about you? Do you have a memorable defensive play? Yeah.

Speaker 2 39:29

I mean, I know there are a lot of them, but one in particular A few.

Speaker 3 39:32

We're a couple. You stole a couple hits from me. I'll tell you that.

Speaker 1 39:35

Yeah, I remember that one.

Speaker 3 39:37

That one. No, I mean the one in particular. Oh yeah, the one in the game winner. Not that one. He robbed you.

Speaker 1 39:43

Yeah, exactly Diving. Stop up the middle behind the bag.

Speaker 2 39:46

Absolutely Line drive bullet there were some of those I tried I wasn't Jack. I tried to put a little of that flair on it when I could. But no, I was no Jack Wilson. But I had a couple triple plays In, involved in two triple plays yeah two Come on, and I butchered a third. My chance at my first one. I butchered. I was playing third in Tampa Bay and former teammate Josh Willingham hits me a chopper.

Speaker 3 40:12

Who also you broke his bat. Broke his bat. Yep, it's signed, absolutely. Blew him up.

Speaker 2 40:17

Absolutely blew him up with like 87.

Speaker 3 40:19

Take that.

Speaker 2 40:20

I mean just cheese hammer, so up with like 87, I mean just cheese hammer. So there's a chopper to third, chopper to third. I mean it's literally right on top of the bag. I mean I'm standing on third base. When I catch it.

Speaker 1 40:30

I mean this is like as tailor-made as it could possibly and willingham is one of the slowest slug players in baseball can't run at all shortest arms and legs in the history of the big leagues.

Speaker 3 40:40

That's for him.

Speaker 2 40:41

Yeah.

Speaker 1 40:42

Yeah, big time pop, though no speed, big power.

Speaker 2 40:44

I'm kidding, yeah, and so make the play. Catch it. Step on third. Ty Wiginton's playing second and I just spiked it. I threw it straight in the ground. Oh, I mean, this would have been. I mean this is Wow. I mean this would have been like the easiest triple play ever. And I just threw it right in the dirt. Did you get two? No, nope, Didn't even get the second out. Yeah, Wiggy couldn't pick it, Short hopped him and yeah, he didn't pick it up, so just a one-out play. So the other two were one in Dodger Stadium.

Speaker 2 41:19

It was Casey Blake hit me a line drive. I think it was. Uh, Casey Blake hit me a line drive. Uh, I think it was a three, two count. You're playing where I was playing short. Um, yeah, three, two count with, I forget if it was the bases were loaded or just first and second, but uh, yeah, the runners were moving on the pitch on a three two pitch and Casey Blake hit a line drive. So it was, uh, yeah, easy, easy triple play. Um, but yeah, the best one, one and this is probably the most memorable play. Uh, not because of the triple play itself, but because the play before. So it was a.

Speaker 2 41:49

We're playing the dodgers in milwaukee. And uh, I was playing second base this time and uh, matt kemp is on first base and I can't remember who the hitter was, but it's a hit and run, it's a base hit to right field or center field and I deked him, Went down, faked the ground ball and Kemp didn't know where the ball was and he stopped at second base. So it should have been a first and third. But stopped Kemp with a deke and got him to stay at second. So we ended up having a chance at a triple play. And then next hitter is a backhand, up the middle Backhanded it gave a little glove flip to Uni Betancourt he turns the double play and then Kemp, who's on second base, is trying to round third and score and Prince Fielder completes the double play play, turns, fires a strike to home plate to get the third out. So, um, there's a cool triple play.

Speaker 2 42:48

But you know, more important to me as a defender and as a teammate, it was the play before getting camp to stay at second base and it really mattered on that play that he should have been on third base and it should have been a run for him and instead it turns into a triple play that's probably somewhere around his mvp. Yeah, oh he was boy, he was another guy that was really dominant at that time. Oh, you couldn't get anything by him could not get anything by him, boy, and he could. He was strong, he could hit the ball out to all parts of the field. No movement that really easy inside out.

Speaker 3 43:20

Yeah, just looked like he was ready to shoot you the other way, but if you made a mistake, I mean he was gonna do a ton of damage I used to watch batting practice and uh, especially when I was younger, and I used to love watching him take batting practice he just it almost like he'd scoop toss balls out the right side, didn't matter what ballpark yeah, that's scoop, that's I described this.

Speaker 2 43:38

That's like how his swing looked. It was like yeah, it was like a little flick and a little short uppercut scoop. It's unreal, it's unreal.

Speaker 3 43:45

You think you could get him up. But if he could take that pitch and you had to come at that belly button below, it was game over, Game over.

Speaker 1 43:53

Josh, when you decided after the 17 season you were going to move on from baseball, that had to be tough. All the traveling you did, all the years of playing professional ball yeah.

Speaker 2 44:05

So yeah, it hit 22.

Speaker 1 44:08

I know that.

Speaker 2 44:08

I mean, yeah, jeez, yeah. So I mean it had, uh, yeah, it had gotten to the point where I had spent at the time. Um, you know, at the time I was done, I had spent more years in the game, you know, than I had out of the game beforehand. So I was 18 when I signed and uh, you know, so, yeah it was 19, 19 years in the game and, uh, you know, 18 years of life prior. So, um, yeah, I mean hard, hard decision. Well, I mean, you know, officially I'm not retired.

Speaker 1 44:36

Oh wait, a second Hold on the paper boy. Yeah, so paper boy, I can still catch it.

Speaker 3 44:41

What a story this is going to be. Read that paper.

Speaker 1 44:43

Josh Wilson goes to spring training in 2025.

Speaker 2 44:47

I'm sure I still can't hit and I can't run. I can still catch it. If I hit it, I think I can still catch it, but no, I have no desire to get back on the field.

Speaker 3 44:56

I always say I didn't retire, I just don't play professionally anymore.

Speaker 1 45:01

That's a good way to put it. If Goldie calls, I'm in.

Speaker 3 45:03

That's it Independent.

Speaker 2 45:05

Leave the door open. Yeah, leave it open, all doors open. You never know, you never know. Hey, like Julio Franco was playing when he was like 50.

Speaker 1 45:11

That's true. Did you ever think about doing that? Playing beyond the states?

Speaker 2 45:16

No no no-transcript.

Speaker 3 45:35

Not really, they were looking for power, the middle guys. You had a hard time. There weren't many of those guys that got jobs down there, If you didn't pitch, catch or play outfield, you probably weren't getting by or hit bombs.

Speaker 2 45:44

You were going to have a tough time in those leagues. But, yeah, I worked out that whole offseason. I mean, I was prepared to go play in 2018. I was looking for a job and, yeah, it just didn't come. So, yeah, I was not ready to hang it up by any means, I wanted to keep playing. It just didn't materialize. So, yeah, that's when I started having to try to figure out what was next.

Speaker 2 46:13

I talked to some of the local scouts the guys that I knew from the area from growing up and my dad being at Duquesne.

Speaker 2 46:19

I had good relationships with a heck of a lot of scouts because you know they were always around to, you know, watch his, his players in the fall and during the season. So you know I'd cross paths with them and you know I knew him from the time I was fairly young and so I started making phone calls and you know, by the time I started doing that, the season was already getting underway. So you know there weren't really opportunities, but you know getting underway. So you know there weren't really opportunities but you know, started throwing those feelers out there to let people know that I was interested in you know, some other aspects of the game if I wasn't able to play anymore. Um and uh, you know the, the, uh, the fine people at it was Fox sports at the time, you know were were nice enough to let me come in and fill in for Fort when, uh, you know when, there was a need on broadcast.

Speaker 3 47:01

That was my first year Yep, did you?

Speaker 1 47:03

like that Did you like doing it.

Speaker 2 47:05

I had a great time doing it. I mean it was a blast. Yeah, getting to like I said, I mean getting to go and watch a baseball game. Yeah, you know.

Speaker 1 47:12

With Rob King.

Speaker 3 47:13

With Kinger Kinger.

Speaker 2 47:23

You know I got to do I think I got um, which was, I mean boy. You know I mean he is an absolute legend. Yeah, um, you know, so that was that was an incredible experience. Uh, just to get to hang around him and you know, uh, do a show with him was was a whole lot of fun. Um, yeah, but just, I mean any, any opportunity to be around the game is amen, is unbeatable. Um, and especially that when, when you get to show up, you know watch, watch a ball game, break it down. You know talk shop with the boys, talk shop with guys who also love the game. There's nothing better than that. That's something that was fun gig if you can get it. Getting to show up to a major league ballpark in any capacity is truly one of the biggest blessings of my life, and to get to be around it for so many years now has been just a complete joy.

Speaker 1 48:13

Did you realize how difficult a job broadcasting is, though of all the things you could do in life, how hard I is hard. I don't think people realize how tough it is. I'll tell you to broadcast. I mean a camera looking at you and trying to talk talking to the camera.

Speaker 2 48:29

Man, it's a little stressful. It does take getting used to. I mean, I'll tell you that it is not uh, you know my nose is already big. Usually talking to a to a person's, you know you're talking to a friend or talking to a teammate. You know you're looking at somebody in the eye. It's easy. But I'll tell you, the camera is a little different story, does take a little getting used to but we're spoiled, I'm, I'm gonna throw you right out there.

Speaker 1 48:52

Your humility will make you crawl into a hole, but you know, having guys like stan and greg brown and rob king and the yeah, because you're literally just talking about baseball.

Speaker 3 49:03

We did that for over a decade if not more. You almost did it for two. After a game you break it down. I mean, it's kind of part of the course it's so much fun.

Speaker 2 49:12

It's so much fun I mean being around the game and especially I mean talking baseball, because there's no pressure in talking baseball.

Speaker 3 49:21

You don't have to make that triple play.

Speaker 2 49:22

No, you don't have to be out there making sure you catch the ball and make a good throw and turn around a good heater. I mean, it's a low-stress environment and you still get to be around the game, which is, for sure, the best part.

Speaker 1 49:34

Hey, Josh, a couple things. First of all, this baseball town. It is a baseball town. It's as good as any in the country. I've said it forever it's a winner's town. This is not blasphemy, it's the truth.

Speaker 3 49:46

It didn't just accidentally become the city champions.

Speaker 1 49:49

When teams win, it's like every city pretty much.

Speaker 3 49:54

When teams win, people support it. Well, you talk about his favorite year.

Speaker 2 49:56

They won.

Speaker 1 49:56

That's exactly right.

Transitioning from Independent to Major Leagues

Speaker 2 49:57

They won. I mean they were good. I mean they were good. I mean so, you know it was kind of really cool. I mean the 2013,. I mean those years, those 2013, when they had the resurgence. You know I went to those playoff games.

Speaker 2 50:15

I came down, was at the Quado game, you know the Cubs game the following year. You'd never seen anything like it. And from the time I signed, you know, to up until that that season, you know I'd come home in the off season and it was just Steeler stuff and Penguin stuff. You didn't see anybody. You didn't see any Jolly Rogers, you didn't see any pirates gear, nobody's flying those flags. And I came home that year, um, let's see 2013,. I would have come home from, uh. Um, let's see 2013. I would have come home from, uh, from reno I guess, and uh, there's pirate stuff everywhere. I mean it was unbelievable. I mean it was the first time really, like as an adult, um, that I came home to a city that was in love with baseball again. Um, and it's absolutely true, the, the people here love a win. I mean they don't just love a winner. I mean they love their teams in general. But when you perform on the field, I mean, you are going to get love unlike any other place.

Speaker 1 51:11

They embrace it so much, so much.

Speaker 2 51:14

And the atmosphere at those games I mean absolutely tells the tale. I mean we went down there a couple hours before those games and I mean it's just a flood of people. I mean the Clemente Bridge is just shoulder to shoulder Outside the stadium. You can't move. Wear it all black. I mean wear it all black. I mean it's just it was. The atmosphere was as cool as anything I've ever really got to witness as a player. At that point I was just a fan.

Speaker 3 51:44

Was that cool for you just being a fan because you're playing? Yeah, yeah, oh, for sure for sure.

Speaker 2 51:49

I mean, you know the season had ended, I didn't, you know I I hadn't gotten called up. So, um, I was a free agent. I had no, uh, no allegiances at that point. So I got to rock, rock some Buccos gear and head down to the ballpark just as a fan again and cheer on the Buccos and that was I'll tell you what man. That Quato game was just something else, I mean it was something else. I mean, it's one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed as a baseball fan.

Speaker 1 52:17

I have people, including John Wainer and others, say Wainer went there as a fan. It was a radio-only game. I think Walkie and I and Tim Neverett did the game so John could go with his family to the game and he said of all the games, he's a real yinzer now.

Speaker 2 52:34

We've argued this. You're not. Don Kelly's not, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 52:37

Mount Lebanon, St Clair. No, no, You're not Yenzer.

Speaker 2 52:40

We're going to have more. We're going to bait what that Yenzer means.

Speaker 1 52:43

That's the Yenzer.

Speaker 2 52:44

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 52:45

But of all the events, all the Super Bowl, Stanley Cups, there was nothing like it. That event was unlike anything they've ever experienced.

Speaker 3 52:51

It was so cool Guys like Weiner it was unreal.

Speaker 1 52:58

Well, it was a treat to have you, your dad, chip off the old block here.

Speaker 2 53:01

Legend. What a baseball man. Super energy yeah, he'll have a heck of a lot of good baseball stories from him. He's been doing it a heck of a long time and boy, he's done a lot, from coaching in college to the Fed League to helping out with Team USA. There's a whole lot of good stories in him too.

Speaker 1 53:17

How about Duquesne not having baseball? That was so sad, isn't it? It's a little bit of a drag.

Speaker 2 53:24

It's a little bit of a drag yeah, used to be resurrected, yeah, that would be great. It was great the run that they had and you know I got to work out up there. They used to put that bubble over the football field. I had a great advantage getting to have a whole college team and an indoor facility to work out with in Pittsburgh all winter, that's amazing.

Speaker 2 53:43

Fortunately there's some of those good spots now around where guys can still get their work in in the wintertime. But yeah, I had it really good with those Duquesne Dukes years.

Speaker 1 53:52

And Josh now has also experienced his greatest podcast ever. He's never been involved with a podcast.

Speaker 2 53:59

My first one.

Speaker 1 54:00

Hold my Cutter.

Speaker 2 54:01

Don't say that, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 54:02

This is your first of this week.

Speaker 3 54:05

You've been doing podcasts for years, but this Hold my Cutter, we're first is what he says. Yes, number one yeah, the best.

Speaker 2 54:17

You get the play on words right, hold my Cutter.

Speaker 1 54:18

You got it.

Speaker 2 54:19

Okay, I do like it, I need to throw it. They didn't.

Speaker 1 54:20

That was what I tried to go to Chris and Hunter.

Speaker 2 54:23

You know, it was that, yeah.

Speaker 3 54:24

Well, it's okay If it makes you feel better. I gave up a grand slam and a three on Homer. Three on Homer is a Pedro Alvarez Trying to throw a cutter. I tried the Quaito. I'm shaking up top.

Speaker 2 54:36

Tried to go 78 at the top. It didn't work. My heat's not quite major league material. What a treat. What an absolute treat.

Speaker 1 54:42

Hold my Cutter with Josh Wilson Enjoying more coffee here at Burned by Rocky Patel. Like and subscribe, please enjoy. Hold my Cutter Pretty, please yeah.