Episode 312
Mets Memories with Dave Magadan; Remembering Tommy John
Hosted by Mike Guidone and Chris Caputo, the show first welcomed former New York Mets infielder and member of the 1986 World Series championship team Dave Magadan, who talked about his time with the Mets, the relationships he built with teammates, and memories from his career. Later, the show turned to remembering baseball great Tommy John, who recently passed away. John’s agent, Mike Maguire, joined Mike and Chris to share personal stories about John and discuss his character, determination, and lasting legacy. They also discussed the groundbreaking surgery that bears John’s name and how it has helped extend the careers of countless pitchers.
Takeaways:
- Dave Magadan reminisced about his time with the 1986 Mets, highlighting the camaraderie and shared experiences that defined the team's spirit.
- The show explored Tommy John's legacy, emphasizing his impact not only as a player but also through the revolutionary surgery that bears his name.
- Mike McGuire shared heartfelt stories about Tommy John's final days, illustrating the deep bond and mutual respect they cultivated over the years.
- The discussion around the recent reunion of the 1986 Mets underscored the significance of nostalgia in sports, evoking emotions tied to both victory and community.
- Magadan shared his thoughts on the Mets' current state, reflecting on their recent performance while staying hopeful for future success.
- The episode concluded with a poignant reminder of Tommy John's philosophy on life and baseball: the importance of making someone smile every day.
Transcript
The views expressed in the following program do not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
Speaker A:Live from the WGBB studios in Merrick, New York, this is Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:Good evening and welcome to WGBB Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B: : Speaker B:If you'd like to join us tonight, have two wonderful guests.
Speaker B:First, we're going to be leading off with Dave Magonen, former New York Met player, talking a little bit about the 86 Mets reunion and some things going on with the team.
Speaker B:And then later on we'll have Mike McGuire, who was the agent for Tommy John, who recently passed away after a long battle, famous New York Yankee, Louisiana.
Speaker B:Dodger.
Speaker B:But before we get to any of that, let's welcome in once again the man we call Cappy, Chris Caputo.
Speaker B:Cap, how you doing?
Speaker C:I'm doing well, Mike.
Speaker C:Good to be back in the studio.
Speaker C:How's everything with you?
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker B:Wonderful.
Speaker B:You know, as we're wrapping up here, you know, towards the end of summer, got some interesting things.
Speaker B:Mets are starting to play better.
Speaker B:You know, baseball playoffs are starting to round into form a little bit.
Speaker B:Many teams in the race.
Speaker B:You know, football's kicking off, but we're going to keep it with the boys of summer and talk a little 86 Mets.
Speaker B: to: Speaker B:Dave, welcome back to the program.
Speaker B:It's great to have you.
Speaker D:It's great to be on.
Speaker D:Thanks for having me.
Speaker B:Oh, really, it's our pleasure.
Speaker B:You know, once we, as you probably remember, you know, you have two big Met fans here and with the reunion that was taking place a couple weeks ago, just, you know, wonderful time.
Speaker B:It's amazing how the team's kind of turned itself around since then.
Speaker B:Maybe you guys were the impetus, but, you know, we know that you had a short stint with them in 86 and then went on and played, you know, a couple more years.
Speaker B:But just kind of off the bat, what was it like to see your old teammates once again and, you know, just tell us a little bit about the experience of getting together.
Speaker D:Yeah, it's a great experience.
Speaker D:We see each other fairly regularly.
Speaker D:We usually get together once every two or three years.
Speaker D:We'll do a card show or an event up in the New York area.
Speaker D:So a lot of the guys I see pretty regularly, what was great was seeing everybody.
Speaker D:I think everybody showed up.
Speaker D:I think Rick Acuilera was the only guy that didn't show up.
Speaker D:But it's always good to stay in touch with those guys who went through something great together.
Speaker D:I had very little to do with upstairs series that year, but still a lot of those guys I continue to play with throughout my career with the Mets.
Speaker D:It's always good seeing them.
Speaker B:Well, you know, you were in that short stint, you were a fan favorite because you had a big game for the division clincher, if I remember correctly.
Speaker D:Yeah, you know, I always joke around that we would have never won the division if it wasn't for me, you know, getting those hits in that game, even though we had a 14 game lead at the time.
Speaker E:But, you know, I have fond memories.
Speaker D:Obviously of my career there in New York.
Speaker D:I can't tell you how many times somebody's come up to me and said they were at that game against the Cubs that we clinched or they watched it on tv.
Speaker D:It's a great memory.
Speaker D:It was my first career major league start.
Speaker D:What a way to bang into the my career doing something like that and getting a curtain call and.
Speaker D:But it's certainly a special memory and that's really all I have of my time with the Mets.
Speaker D:You know, we didn't play that well my last couple years there in New York.
Speaker D:But certainly I look back with a lot of fond memories.
Speaker B:Well, I'll tell you quickly, you know that for that game I was a senior in high school here on Long island and huge Met fan and my English teacher, this is the God's honest Truth, told us that on the clinching night, the next day we would have no homework and a.
Speaker B:We were very excited about that.
Speaker B:But I think she had a little crush on you because she could not keep, you know, she couldn't stop talking about you and the future and what a great team it was and how amazing you were.
Speaker B:So you were always fond in my memories.
Speaker B:And I'll tell you, you made one huge English teaching fan from Locust Valley High School here in New York.
Speaker D:Well, that's great to hear.
Speaker D:I was able to do something positive there and get you guys a night off without homework.
Speaker D:And, you know, it was a special time.
Speaker D:You know, I got to spend some time in Queens when I was up there for the reunion, driving around and I was with a buddy of mine, Rob Drummerhouser.
Speaker D:He was A bullpen catcher the next year with the Mets.
Speaker D:And we went through some areas where I hadn't seen those areas in a long time.
Speaker D:So it always brings back great memories.
Speaker C: ack, when you HEAR the phrase: Speaker D:Well, that's a great question.
Speaker D:You know, one thing I will always remember, and somebody asked me about this at the event that we did, the dinner that we did prior to the reunion celebration there at Citi Field.
Speaker D:And I always think back to two guys, Mookie Wilson and Gary Carter, because that spring training, you know, it was my first year in big league camp and, you know, scared to death and not knowing what to expect, knowing we were going to have a great team, knowing I wasn't going to make the team in 86, just trying to, you know, get my feet wet and being around big league players in a big league locker room.
Speaker D:And the two guys that made me feel so relaxed and so welcome were Mookie and Gary.
Speaker D:You know, they came up to me, they said they'd heard a lot about me and were, you know, looking forward to seeing me play.
Speaker D:And right away they made me feel at ease and relaxed.
Speaker D:And, you know, that's, you know, that means a lot to me because, you know, at the time I was a 23 year old kid, scared to death.
Speaker D:And to have some those guys, especially those guys with such a track record of being great players, to be able to, you know, take the time out of their day to introduce themselves and make me feel relaxed was pretty special.
Speaker C:When I think of spring training, I think of Mookie Wilson getting hit in the eye and it broke the glass eye that he had.
Speaker C:Do you remember that time, too?
Speaker C:These are good guys.
Speaker C:Gary, Mookie.
Speaker E:Yeah, I do remember that.
Speaker D:It happened right at the beginning of spring training.
Speaker D:I think he ended up missing four to five weeks because of that.
Speaker D:And he was lucky because, you know, he could have very easily damaged his eye to the point where he couldn't see out of it.
Speaker D:He was wearing glasses, so the glass broke and thank goodness it didn't get into his eye and cut up his eye, but it was a scary moment.
Speaker D:But, you know, he was able to make it back and obviously be a big part of that team.
Speaker B:Dave, just curious, you know, it was a wonderful weekend.
Speaker B:You, as a player who was not on the post season roster but did play for the team, you weren't on the field for the ceremony.
Speaker B:Any, any issues with that or was it completely understandable?
Speaker D:I wouldn't say there were issues with it.
Speaker E:There were five of us that weren't.
Speaker D:Allowed to go out on the field.
Speaker D:So it would have been nice to go out on the field.
Speaker D:But I understand, you know, I totally understand.
Speaker D:They wanted just the guys that were on the roster.
Speaker D:And, you know, it was nice the way they did it.
Speaker D:They had the guys go out two at a time.
Speaker D:It kind of sped it up a little bit.
Speaker D:But it also, you know, you got to see guys walking out together.
Speaker D:It would have been nice.
Speaker D:I'm not going to lie.
Speaker D:It would have been nice to be, you know, get a uniform, you know, jersey top, and be out there celebrating.
Speaker D:But, you know, it was enough to just be a small part of it.
Speaker D:And, you know, maybe for myself, it wasn't a big deal because I was a September call up and, you know, I wasn't even eligible to play in the post season that year.
Speaker D:But, you know, my teammates like Terry Leach and Randy Myers and Barry Line, Barry Lyons made a team out of spring training.
Speaker D:Terry Leach and Randy Myers are both up and down that whole year.
Speaker D:So they, they could have feasibly been a part of the World Series roster.
Speaker D:But, you know, it would have been nice to be out there.
Speaker D:But, you know, I understand.
Speaker D:I'm not, certainly not going to hold a grudge.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, listen, I. I can certainly understand.
Speaker B:I think Chris agrees with me that really anybody that put on the uniform that year and was there should have been a part of it.
Speaker B:But, you know, it certainly appreciated your humility with the situation.
Speaker B:But, you know, it would have been great to see you out there.
Speaker B:You did eventually get a World Series ring, is that correct?
Speaker E:I did.
Speaker D:I have Randy Myers to thank for that or to thank for that.
Speaker D:You know, there were five of us that didn't get rings initially and he was really upset about it.
Speaker D:And he persisted for years trying to get them to release the design of the rings so they could make rings for us.
Speaker D:And 10 years later, with persistence and with some help from Joe McElveen, releasing the design, the Mets made us small rings, that group of five guys.
Speaker D:And what was great about Randy was not only that, he persisted and kind of was dogged in his pursuit of us getting rings.
Speaker D: g of what they paid for it in: Speaker D: So now we are in: Speaker D:So Randy made up the difference for everybody.
Speaker B:That's very nice.
Speaker C:Pretty cool, Dave.
Speaker C:Obviously, a lot of personalities on this team and, you know, some of the stories obviously we've heard in the past and some of the guys, you know, went off of a path.
Speaker C:You had guys that maybe in previous years, let's say in the last 10 to 15 years have been off on a beaten path.
Speaker C:And this year, you know, Daryl Strawberry walked in with Lenny Dykstra.
Speaker C:Can you talk a little bit about the path that Darryl Strawberry has taken and maybe bringing in guys back like Lenny Dykstra?
Speaker C:It's good to see them.
Speaker C:I'm glad they' Citi Field.
Speaker C:Can you talk a little bit about, you know, his transition?
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:You know, Lenny's been through a lot, as many guys have from that team.
Speaker D:You know, it's, it's, it's something that was great to see because I've seen Lenny throughout the years, over the last 30 years where he looked great and then other times he didn't.
Speaker D:You could tell he was on a bad path.
Speaker D:He needed to make some changes in his life.
Speaker D:You know, not only with, you know, what he was going through with drug and alcohol abuse and you know, he was estranged from his family.
Speaker D:He didn't, he wasn't talking to his kids, his grandkids, his ex wife.
Speaker D:You know, it was not a great situation for him.
Speaker D:And to Strauss credit, which is why straw is who he is.
Speaker D:He's another guy that turned his life around and, and he saw something in Lenny that he thought was salvageable like most of us did and he pursued it and he was consistent with, you know, trying to turn Lenny's life around.
Speaker D:And obviously Lenny right now is on a great path.
Speaker D:I think he's been sober for, you know, almost a year now.
Speaker D:And he had straw to thank for that.
Speaker D:And obviously Lenny had a lot to do with that too.
Speaker D:He was willing and able to make that change in his life.
Speaker D:And you know, he's born again now and it's the best I've seen him look in 20 years when I saw him that weekend.
Speaker D:So it's great to see.
Speaker D:And you know, he's speaking to his kids again, his grandkids, his daughter in law, so it was great to see.
Speaker B: Dave Magenin, member of the: Speaker B:Dave, you stayed with the Mets until 92, had some successful teams throughout that time.
Speaker B:It comes up from time to time that, you know, some of those teams later on might have been as good, if not better than the 86 Mets.
Speaker B:Did you feel that any of the subsequent teams were on par with that team?
Speaker B: t in the championship series,: Speaker B:You played 144 games, just missed out on the playoffs.
Speaker B:How'd you feel as the years went on that those teams you played on kind of compared with 86?
Speaker D:Yeah, I think we fell short of our expectations, especially that 88th team.
Speaker D:We had the best record in the league.
Speaker D:We were playing against the team in the Dodgers that we handled pretty easily throughout the season.
Speaker D:I think they only beat us one time that whole year.
Speaker D:So we went in with a lot of confidence playing against them, and obviously they, you know, you got to prove it on the field and they may prove that they wanted it more.
Speaker D: That: Speaker D:You know, Davey ended up getting fired and we started playing good baseball with Buddy at the helm and fell a little short.
Speaker D:You know, it's too bad there wasn't a wild card.
Speaker D:Yeah, serious playoff team back then.
Speaker D:Certainly we would have, we would have gotten in.
Speaker D: to: Speaker D:But in the end, you got to show it on the field.
Speaker D:If you're not showing it on the field, then somebody that wants some more ends up winning the division or getting passed through the playoffs.
Speaker B:Yeah, the wild card would have been tailor made for you guys at that point.
Speaker D:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker D:When I think back to all those close calls, even, you know, 87, obviously 88, 89, the 90 team, you know, we would have, we would have made it in the playoffs and with the pitching that we had, you know, we would have been, you know, a team that needed to be reckoned with in the postseason.
Speaker C:Dave, after we talked to you last year, since then I've watched the ESPN documentary Summer of 83, Texas vs.
Speaker C:Tide, which you were highlighted in.
Speaker C:And, you know, famously watching you strike out a couple of times to Clemens and then come back and get a double and another hit, those are some great memories.
Speaker C:And you had a great college career.
Speaker C:What's the hardest transition to go from that college level of, you know, doing outstandingly well more than 50% of the time getting a hit to professional baseball.
Speaker D:Well, back then, for me, the biggest adjustment was the bat.
Speaker D:You know, we're using eastern bats that were, you know, 34 inch, 30 ounce.
Speaker D:Some guys use 29 ounce bats.
Speaker D:The sweet spot on an aluminum bat is pretty substantial.
Speaker D:Then, you know, to get drafted.
Speaker D:And I didn't really swing a bat really, that Three week period from the College World Series to when I ended up showing up in Columbia, when I, you know, eventually signed.
Speaker D:And I swung the bat a little bit, tried to find wooden bats.
Speaker D:It was hard to find wooden bats to use.
Speaker D:And so I tried to take some BP a little bit right before I left.
Speaker D:So when I got, when I got to Columbia, you know, now I'm using a 34 inch, 32 ounce bat.
Speaker D:You know, that makes.
Speaker D:It doesn't sound like a lot, 2 ounces.
Speaker D:But now you're talking.
Speaker D:The sweet spot of the wooden bat is maybe, you know, three or four inches on the barrel, where the aluminum bat, you know, you got probably 8 inches to work with.
Speaker D:So tell me that, you know, the, you know, Columbia, you know, even though it was low a bar, you had a lot of good arms in that league.
Speaker D:The travel was brutal.
Speaker D:I was very tired from playing, you know, I really played three years straight of baseball, spring, summer, and then doing the same thing two more years in a row.
Speaker D:I was, I was pretty exhausted.
Speaker D:So the combination of all those things, you know, the pressure of being a high round pick, using a wooden bat for the first time, the travel in that league was terrible.
Speaker D:Columbia was a team right in the middle of the league.
Speaker D:And we commuted to most of the teams.
Speaker D:I think there was only one place that we spent the night.
Speaker D:So we would bus it.
Speaker D:No AC on the bus,.
Speaker E:Dress at.
Speaker D:Home, play two, two and a half hours away, play the game, come back home and shower on a bus with no AC in South Carolina.
Speaker D:You could imagine how awful that was.
Speaker D:So there's a lot of transitions you got to make the pro ball from coming out of college.
Speaker D:But I would say those things that I highlighted were probably the toughest parts.
Speaker B:Dave, you mentioned Mookie Wilson helping you out as you were a young player.
Speaker B:Anybody besides Davey, or if you want to mention from the coaching staff or somebody in the minors who was really at that time instrumental in helping you to make the jump.
Speaker D:Oh, yeah, of course, I had.
Speaker D:Sam Perlazo was my manager in AA and aaa.
Speaker D:John Tamargo was my first manager in pro ball.
Speaker D:And I kind of got off to a rough start for the reasons I mentioned earlier in pro ball.
Speaker D:You know, it was maybe, you know, 10 games in, 15 games in.
Speaker D:I was struggling, I was struggling to get the barrel of the bat on the ball.
Speaker D:And there were some, I guess, naysayers, especially in the press in that local Columbia newspaper.
Speaker D:And he came to my defense, you know, and I'll never forget it.
Speaker D:I'm still Friends with him now, see him occasionally here.
Speaker D:He lives in Tampa.
Speaker D:So that gave me a boost of confidence that I probably needed at that time.
Speaker D:And then one guy I'd like to mention, not too many people have too many good things to say about Steve Shriver, but Steve was our minor league director, the head of our minor leagues when I came up.
Speaker D:And he was a straight shooter, right?
Speaker D:He would tell you what you needed to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.
Speaker D:And I was in Lynchburg and having a really good year offensively, but struggling a little bit defensively.
Speaker D:I was playing first base then, and he came into town, and here I thought he was going to come in and say how great I was and, you know, what a great year I was having.
Speaker D:And he read me the riots act, man, he took me up in the stands and he basically said, you need to get better defensively.
Speaker D:There's no room in the big leagues for a guy that hits a lot of singles and doubles and can't play defense.
Speaker D:So it certainly woke me up, and I started realizing that I was going to have to put as much effort on the defensive side as I was putting on the offensive side.
Speaker C:Dave, I know you were back at Citi Field.
Speaker C:To me, I felt I wasn't at the game where you guys were at, but just felt like it was a little bit down.
Speaker C:What's the feel like at Citi Field?
Speaker D:Well, it's hard to say because we weren't in the, you know, we weren't in the club, or at least I wasn't in the clubhouse.
Speaker D:We were up in the suites upstairs, so we weren't out, you know, on the field.
Speaker D:We thought it'd be a bigger crowd.
Speaker D:I don't know how many ended up going to the game, but it looked like it was kind of.
Speaker D:There were a lot of people there, but it was kind of spread out throughout the stadium.
Speaker D:You know, certainly when your team is not playing as well as you'd like it, the atmosphere can be a little down at the field, and especially in New York, you know, there's no better place to play when you're playing well and you're winning.
Speaker D:But it can be tough when you're not.
Speaker D:You're falling short of expectations.
Speaker D:And certainly I think that's what's happened this year with them.
Speaker D:It's good to see them playing better now.
Speaker D:You know, hopefully us coming in there, seeing those guys on the field gave them some inspiration and they're playing better baseball.
Speaker C:Dave, you were on the staff, I believe, with the Diamondbacks When Andy Green was there, who's now the manager of the Mets, probably just for the rest of the year.
Speaker C:Can you tell us a little bit about Andy?
Speaker C:What, you know, it's like to be on staff with him?
Speaker D:Andy was there.
Speaker D:Was.
Speaker D:Was in Arizona the year before I got there.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker D:He ended up.
Speaker D:He ended up taking the Padres.
Speaker D:Manager of the Padres.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker D:But he had a tremendous impact on all those guys in Arizona, you know, Goldschmidt and Nick Ahmed and Peralta.
Speaker D:And, you know, those guys absolutely loved him.
Speaker D:And they thought that, you know, the reason they were having any kind of success in the big leagues was a lot of it had to do with Andy.
Speaker D:So I don't know Andy very well.
Speaker D:I've never really had a conversation with him, just to say hi and bye.
Speaker D:But certainly the things that I've heard about him have been positive.
Speaker D:And, you know, he's a baseball guy through and through.
Speaker B:Dave, recently the Mets lost a member of the family in Butch Husky.
Speaker B:Just curious.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:I don't believe your paths crossed all that much with the Mets.
Speaker B:I do believe you were on the team together for a little bit.
Speaker B:Can you tell us just a little bit about Butcher?
Speaker D:Yeah, that was devastating to hear.
Speaker D:I think he was only in his early 50s.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:We actually had him on the program recently, and he was wonderful.
Speaker D:Yeah, he.
Speaker D:He's.
Speaker D:He was.
Speaker D:He's a wonderful person.
Speaker D:I mean, I just did a baseball card show in Norfolk and, you know, obviously everybody there, he was a legend there in Tidewater in the tradition, the beach area, the numbers he put up there as a AAA player.
Speaker D:And what a great player, what a great hitter.
Speaker D:It was very sad to see that.
Speaker D:You never like, you know, hearing about that, especially a man so young.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker D:But he was, you know, he was a guy that we all, you know, when I was with the.
Speaker D:With the Mets and then I moved on, he was a guy, obviously, we heard about in the minor leagues putting up big numbers and, you know, obviously a bigger guy.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Not, you know, your prototypical major league player as far as body type, but, man, that guy could hit.
Speaker D:And he certainly had a lot of fun on the baseball field.
Speaker D:And I would, too, if I could hit like that, so.
Speaker D:But it's so sad to hear about him passing.
Speaker D:And my condolences go out to his family and obviously his friends.
Speaker B:Yeah, he seemed like a great guy.
Speaker B:Had done a lot with youth baseball, where he was from, and, you know, again, just a great guy when we had him on the program and certainly a tough loss.
Speaker B:Changing gears To a little more positive news.
Speaker B:You know, obviously you are, I believe, your cousins with Lou Piniella.
Speaker B:He's your godfather.
Speaker B:I saw he made an appearance out in Seattle for their anniversary for their 50 year team.
Speaker B:How's Lou doing these days?
Speaker D:I mean, he's doing great.
Speaker D:He looked great in the video.
Speaker B:Yeah, he looked fantastic.
Speaker D:I mean, he's put on weight.
Speaker D:You know, he's been through a lot.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker D:You know, battling cancer.
Speaker D:He's had a couple strokes and, you know, recently had his gallbladder taken out.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker D:And the last time I'd seen him, he was.
Speaker E:He.
Speaker D:He had looked better.
Speaker D:You know, he was looking better.
Speaker D:He was starting to put on a little bit of weight because when he was going through the cancer treatments and the stroke, he had lost a ton of weight.
Speaker D:So to see him in that video, how.
Speaker D:How good he looked and he.
Speaker D:I mean, he looked like he was probably pretty close to his plane weight, you know, and that was great to see.
Speaker D:I hadn't seen him.
Speaker D:His.
Speaker D:His brother passed away, you know, probably about seven months ago, eight months ago.
Speaker D:So I saw him at the funeral.
Speaker D:I've talked to him since then.
Speaker D:So to see him looking so well and fit and with energy and stuff was.
Speaker D:It was great to see.
Speaker D:And you see what an impact he had on those guys.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker D:How they reacted to him being on the field and how much they love him.
Speaker C:I mean,.
Speaker D:He's something else.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I was actually in Seattle a couple weeks ago.
Speaker B:First time I'd been to that ballpark.
Speaker B:Just a great town.
Speaker B:And they were buzzing then about having everybody back.
Speaker B:You spent some time in Seattle.
Speaker B:Any memories from then?
Speaker D:Well, my memory of being in Seattle was getting to play for Lou.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker D:Obviously when I got traded there, I was in a situation playing for the Marlins where I was so happy.
Speaker D:I was playing close to home, being from Tampa and loved being a Marlin.
Speaker D:And then all of a sudden, within a couple weeks, my baseball world had turned upside down.
Speaker D:But, you know, we traded for Sheffield because San Diego was kind of doing a fire sale and getting rid of everybody.
Speaker D:Obviously, get a chance to get a guy like Sheffield, you do it.
Speaker D:So then I asked for a trade.
Speaker D:So I got traded across the country and, you know, I didn't know.
Speaker D:Never been in the American League, and so it was pretty whirlwind.
Speaker D:And now I'm going to be playing for Lou.
Speaker D:But it was such a positive experience playing for Lou.
Speaker D:I didn't do very well when I was there, which is disappointing.
Speaker D:But I certainly learned a lot from Louis.
Speaker D:Learned how much of a winner he was, how much he hated losing.
Speaker D:And it was so genuine and it permeated throughout that clubhouse and it wasn't surprising to see them play the way they did a few years later because he was going to get them on the right track and certainly he did.
Speaker D:And that's the biggest thing I took from that experience with the Mariners is that I've never seen anybody live and die so much with winning and losing a baseball game.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker D:And he exemplified that more than anybody I've ever seen.
Speaker B:Well, he's still beloved here in New York with all baseball fans from New York, especially the Yankees, because, you know, just for exactly what you mentioned, just a hard nosed player, you know, told it like it was and left it all out on the field.
Speaker B:So it's easy to say that people do that, but he certainly was one of those people who showed it each day and it's great that you got a chance to play for him and we're certainly very happy that he's doing better and he looked great.
Speaker B:Again, Dave, we can't thank you enough for your time.
Speaker B:Great insights on 86 and your career throughout baseball.
Speaker B:We wish you all the best and again would welcome having you on in the future.
Speaker B:And I know you're a huge Tampa Bay Bucks fan, if I remember that correctly, and they came in and played well against the jets, so we're wishing them luck this year, too.
Speaker D:Yeah, they're going to need it.
Speaker D:We've got some issues right now with some guys wanting contracts and yeah, I know the fans want Baker signed and you know, it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
Speaker D:So we'll see, we'll see what happens.
Speaker D:I think they got, they have some talent, so they should be able to hold their own.
Speaker D:But their division is getting better and it's going to be a little tougher this year.
Speaker D:But I have a lot of faith in Baker that him playing out his contract here, he's probably going to put up a big year.
Speaker D:At least I hope he is.
Speaker D:Thanks for having me, guys.
Speaker D:I really enjoy doing the show and look forward to doing it again, most definitely.
Speaker B:Again, thank you so much, Dave Magin.
Speaker B:All the best going forward.
Speaker B:Go Bucs.
Speaker B:And enjoy the rest of the baseball season as it comes to an end.
Speaker D:All right, thanks, guys.
Speaker B:All right, Dave, take care.
Speaker B:We're going to take a quick break and we'll be back Shortly with Mike McGuire, who is the agent for Tommy John here in New York.
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Speaker A:And now back to the show.
Speaker D:Okay, southpaw, pitch king on the mound, best arm in the league, the best around.
Speaker D:Then a single pitch, a silent tear and sound.
Speaker D:Felt his whole career come crashing to the ground.
Speaker D:Tommy John, the bionic man with an arm of steel.
Speaker D:A 1% chance but a will that's real.
Speaker D:Two men changed the game, made history's deal.
Speaker D:Tommy John, the bionic man watching wheel and deal.
Speaker D:Dr. Job looked him right.
Speaker C:Welcome back to WGB Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:Chris Caputo, Mike Godone here.
Speaker C:As we come back from the break, we're going to welcome in Mike McGuire, who is the agent and PR man for Tommy John.
Speaker C:Tommy John died, I believe, last night at the age of 83.
Speaker C:And we are very happy to welcome Mike to the show.
Speaker C:Mike, it's Chris and Mike here in New York.
Speaker C:Thanks for a few minutes.
Speaker E:Hey, thanks, guys.
Speaker E:I appreciate you.
Speaker E:Having you on the, having me on the outpour of just warm wishes from all the teams, fans, teammates today, it's been pretty incredible.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm sure it's got to be, you know, for you, a time of just reflection and, you know, for people to understand the man behind the surgery and also, you know, the picture behind the surgery.
Speaker C:So people know Tommy John for the surgery, which was performed by Frank Jobe.
Speaker C:But let's just talk personally, Mike, first of all, sorry for the loss.
Speaker C:And when did you realize that Tommy was nearing the end and what was your last conversation with him like?
Speaker E:Well, I last saw him two and a half weeks ago.
Speaker E:I made a special trip down to Tampa in the vicinity where he lives in Bradenton, with his fan mail because he wanted to sign as many of the pieces that people had sent and read as many of the wonderful letters that we received that he could.
Speaker E:His hands were starting to give up a little bit at that point.
Speaker E:This was around, I don't know, July 18, July 19.
Speaker E:We went through hundreds of letters and had a wonderful time over three days doing that.
Speaker E:And we got to the last letter and his hand just didn't want to work anymore.
Speaker E:And he said, that's all I can do, Mikey.
Speaker E:And then about a week and a half later, he wanted to write a letter to the Yankees, which the world got to see, thankfully on Old Timers Day.
Speaker E:And yesterday evening I received a call from his wonderful wife Cheryl that he passed away peacefully.
Speaker E:And we've had wonderful phone calls from guys such as Jim Cott, Burt Bly, Levin, Bucky Dent, Jim Palmer.
Speaker E:It's just, it's been fantastic.
Speaker E:He genuinely got to do something that he wanted to do from a child all the way on to his entire life and make a living out of it.
Speaker C:We're Talking with Mike McGuire, the agent for Tommy John who passed away at the age of 83.
Speaker C:Did you know that that message might be his final public goodbye?
Speaker C:And did you have any say in kind of, you know, what, what to write down for him?
Speaker E:I did know that that was going to be his last goodbye to everybody.
Speaker E:He was very grateful for that opportunity.
Speaker E:Thank you Yankees organization.
Speaker E:And I let him say whatever he wanted to say.
Speaker E:I mean I.
Speaker E:To tell an 83 year old gentleman what to say.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:How did you and Tommy John first meet and then how did you eventually become his agent, PR guy?
Speaker E:I've been an agent for 26 years now for over 150 players and a lot of them former Yankees Jose Canseco, Tommy John, Jim Cott, Jeff Reardon.
Speaker E: Bibby, the old no hitter from: Speaker E:One thing led to a next and over 150 guys later.
Speaker D:And.
Speaker E:I met Tommy, you know, through Jim Cott and through some other players.
Speaker E:I know that Pete Rose was in there as well.
Speaker E:And you know, it's a small world.
Speaker E:The baseball community knows each other and it's been a privilege.
Speaker B:Mike.
Speaker B: as a teammate of Tommy's from: Speaker B:He said Tommy was always smiling and so pleasant, polite and good natured, but on the field he was a true competitor who never gave in.
Speaker B:Players appreciate consistency in their teammates and Tommy brought that to the clubhouse with his personality, the mound, as a pitcher.
Speaker B:So I think obviously we didn't know Tommy, but that about sums up his personality and just what a great competitor he was and to have the longevity that he had in his career.
Speaker E:Well, I know when I spoke to him a couple of days ago, one of the things that he had mentioned and his wife Cheryl Reiterated one of the things that he's going to miss the most are the fans and his teammates.
Speaker E:I mean, consistency all the time there.
Speaker E:I mean, there was players that he only had a short time with and players that he had longer careers with.
Speaker E:But you know what?
Speaker E:There was butts in the seats, and he felt obligated to do his best in front of them, win or lose.
Speaker E:And he appreciated it when those fans stayed and applauded their efforts because you're not going to win every game.
Speaker E:And you know what?
Speaker E:For a guy to be able to be pitching into his mid to late 40s, he's doing something right.
Speaker E:There's dedication and love for the game.
Speaker C:Go ahead, Mike.
Speaker B:I was just going to say, and to obviously have that surgery that he did, and he really wasn't given, even by the surgeon, he really wasn't given much of a chance of coming back.
Speaker B:And, you know, from everything I've read, he said, no, I'm coming back.
Speaker B:So to have the attitude that he did, the personality that he did, and then to be wanted by these teams, especially the Yankees, the second go round, you know, and to be a major contributor certainly speaks to the man himself.
Speaker E:That's all heart and hard work and determination right there, fellas.
Speaker B:Yeah,.
Speaker E:He talked to me about tangibles and intangibles.
Speaker E:You can't get upset over things you can't control, whether that's being enshrined in the hall of Fame or being on a winning or losing team.
Speaker E:You just got to do the best you can.
Speaker E:And as long as you're giving 100%, what else can you do?
Speaker C:Tommy won more games after the surgery than he did before.
Speaker C:It did.
Speaker C:You get from him a lot of, like that determination, you know, even after his career was over, just to.
Speaker C:To know that he's kind of the guy that we think about as the second chance guy, always having a second chance on a career or life.
Speaker E:What's more romantic in baseball than that?
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker E:And also if, you know, everybody likes to look at stats these days and let's throw one of them out there.
Speaker E:I think he had something like 160, no decisions.
Speaker E:I mean, he's pitching into the seventh or eighth inning, and then that happens in baseball, that if even only 12 more of those games go, 10% of those games go his way.
Speaker E:They're talking 300 wins, fellas.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And he has the.
Speaker C:Besides Roger Clemens, he has the most wins of anybody not in the hall of Fame for a pitcher.
Speaker C:Tommy never got elected to the Baseball hall of Fame.
Speaker C:Do you Think that bothered him at all.
Speaker C:And, you know, do you think maybe he belongs in Cooperstown?
Speaker C:Maybe somebody at some point will put him in?
Speaker E:I'm glad you asked that, because I asked him that question on July 19th of this year, right to his face.
Speaker C:Wow.
Speaker E:Before he died, we were.
Speaker E:We were absolutely.
Speaker E:We were eating filet mignon, I'll tell you that, and a nice loaded baked potato.
Speaker E:He was in a great mood.
Speaker E:And I said, tommy, I mean, does it bother you, basically, what you just said?
Speaker E:And he goes, mikey, I can't control what I can't control, so I can't let it bother me.
Speaker E:I've got a lot of things to be, you know, thankful for.
Speaker E:I've had a career in baseball.
Speaker E:I've met some people that, you know, are lifelong friends.
Speaker E:And I'll be forever associated with the game because whether he's in the hall of Fame or not, he said, you can't tell the story of baseball without mentioning Tommy John.
Speaker E:Am I wrong?
Speaker C:That's right.
Speaker C:And I remember many years ago, I worked for a newspaper.
Speaker C:I was able to interview Tommy John.
Speaker C:He was, you know, taking a friend of a family member that had some little kids, and he was, you know, tutoring these kids on the game of baseball.
Speaker C:And I got to, you know, sit down and talk with him and, you know, his first wife at the time and talk to their family about, you know, how he's basically known more for the surgery than he is for baseball.
Speaker C:But he's okay with that.
Speaker C:He was okay with, hey, listen, like, I was able to come back and make a strong comeback, so to speak.
Speaker C:And I think he eventually was like, you know, I'm going to embrace this for what it is.
Speaker E:He was fine with not being in the spotlight.
Speaker E:He just wanted to be one of the guys.
Speaker E:He didn't need the white hot spot spotlight of, you know, and some players need that.
Speaker E:I get it.
Speaker E:Everybody's different.
Speaker E:He was a keep his head down, do his job, complete things.
Speaker E:He wanted to try to complete the game for you.
Speaker E:I mean, that's a concept these days and just, you know, give his best for 26 seasons and then go on beyond that.
Speaker E:Be a broadcaster with the Twins, be a manager in minor league baseball.
Speaker E:I mean, an ambassador for the sport.
Speaker E:I mean, I don't know if you can think of too many more positive opportunities to be an ambassador than Tommy.
Speaker B:That's a good point.
Speaker B:Once again, we're talking with Mike McGuire, who was Tommy John's agent.
Speaker B:Mike, Tommy was selected to the all star team in 78 with the Dodgers, and they lost to the Yankees second consecutive year.
Speaker B:Then he jumps to the Yankees for the 79 season.
Speaker B:That was a pretty bold move at that point.
Speaker B:That kind of shook the baseball world.
Speaker E:He likes that he felt needed and wanted in a rotation.
Speaker E:If that doesn't motivate you or as he would say, put a fire under your tush, I don't know what will.
Speaker E:Yeah, you know what?
Speaker E:The Yankees have released a wonderful, classy statement about him, and I think they nailed a point pretty good that,.
Speaker D:You.
Speaker E:Know what, sometimes that surgery did overshadow what he did on the field.
Speaker E:288 Wins.
Speaker E:I mean, you can make a case for longevity or whatever, but you have to be healthy enough to play to get 288.
Speaker E:And think of the veteran status he had in the clubhouse for younger players that had an impact on that level, too.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:Pitching for 26 years, Mike, what do you think Tommy would want people to know him, Want people talking about tonight, the surgery, the 288 wins, the life he lived after baseball or something else?
Speaker E:He'd want to be known as just a boy from Terre Haute, Indiana.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker E:That got to play ball.
Speaker E:No more, no less.
Speaker E:He did some fun things along the way, from diapers to, you know, to the end, but not one thing will define us.
Speaker E:And if you can make some friends along the way.
Speaker E:And, you know, there's always going to be hurdles, but there's always going to be people that surround you for good and bad.
Speaker E:And I think we saw that today with teams like the Dodgers having a moment of silence, the Yankees having a wonderful broadcast montage, Major League Baseball itself with some wonderful comments and the outpouring that I've seen on social media as well.
Speaker E:He'd want to be remembered as a guy that played the game, but you know what?
Speaker E:He's just another guy from the Midwest.
Speaker E:There's going to be some before him, there's going to be some after him, but this game of baseball unites us all.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:This surgery, obviously so important and so legendary, but without him being the player and person that he was, these tributes that come in would have been very different and not so numerous, as you said, across baseball and just the athletic fields.
Speaker B:One amazing stat here that I just pulled up, Tommy John.
Speaker B: uding an opening day start in: Speaker B:I mean, that.
Speaker B:That's amazing.
Speaker B:I mean, do you ever figure that that's going to happen again with someone with as much, you know, tread that was off the tires as with Tommy, you know what?
Speaker E:Again, that's the romanticism of baseball.
Speaker E:You never know with this game what you're going to see.
Speaker E:You can watch a thousand games, and all of a sudden, 1,100, you see something you haven't seen before.
Speaker E:But I know what else was important to Tommy was children.
Speaker E:He did a lot for St. Jude.
Speaker E:I know in the press release that I sent you guys, there was a link for possible donations in lieu of flowers for some folks to help out, some medical folks as well that I know that you guys could share or make available to some listeners.
Speaker E:But I know that another overwhelming message I received personally today was the personal celebration of life that is going to happen down in Florida here in a couple of weeks.
Speaker E:The amount of ballplayers that have said they're going to pay their respects, it's going to be a who's who.
Speaker E:And that just, you know what that says.
Speaker E:There's a lot of respect for the guy, and it's a really wonderful thing to see.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:It says his wife Cheryl is asking people in lieu of flowers to support the Tommy John Fund at Duke University.
Speaker C:It's Duke is tommyjohn Fund.
Speaker C:You know, I'm sure you've had some conversations with his wife Cheryl.
Speaker C:You know, you know, what's going on?
Speaker C:What is she looking to do, you know, as far as some of this, putting stuff into a fund and, you know, how have things been for Cheryl as far as, you know, getting down to this nitty gritty where she was about to lose her husband and now has.
Speaker E:She's a very, very strong woman.
Speaker E:She has a wonderful support system down there at her house now and in the vicinity.
Speaker E:I know that myself and some of the players will be heading down there again.
Speaker E:I was just down there.
Speaker E:I know that she's feeling supported.
Speaker E:Yes, it's tough, but it's also.
Speaker E:It's also touching her heart deeply that so many people have reached out and show that they care, and then to see the impact with teams even announcing it that he didn't even play for.
Speaker E:So there's a lot to be said about the person, the man, the husband, the father, the teammate that he was.
Speaker B:You mentioned the statement that the Yankees put out.
Speaker B:I just want to read just a quick section of it because I think that it really does speak to what everyone thought and learned about Tommy John and the Yankees said.
Speaker B:We paused to remember the totality of his legacy, his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer.
Speaker B:What else can you say.
Speaker D:Now?
Speaker E:There's a lot to be said right there.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean that really when you have someone who, you know, consecutive 20 win seasons with a team like the New York Yankees, who are just a bedrock of any kind of sports leagues in terms of teams that they talked about, you know, his kind and gracious nature and his penchant for conversation, you know, it really is a fantastic job by them summing up what he was all about.
Speaker E:Well, and I like that he was able to humble himself too.
Speaker E:I mean, listeners can look up the fact that, you know, it's kind of humorous, but he takes it tongue in cheek that he made three errors on one play back in the day and you know, he throws his hands up in the air like he did in July and he goes, mikey, that's just baseball.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker C:We're talking with agent Mike McGuire who was working with Tommy John.
Speaker C:Mike, can you tell us a little bit about your job, what it's like on an everyday basis and some of the things that you do right now?
Speaker E:You know, you never know what tomorrow brings, that's for sure.
Speaker E:I handle the fan mail for Jeff Reardon and Shelley Davis and Jose Canseco and Greg Jeffries, Jim Cott, Tommy John, Dave, Steve.
Speaker E:And we get to read these wonderful letters that everybody sends and we get to get their cards signed, which is wonderful.
Speaker E:And then when we make public appearances, whether it's speaking or what have you, we get to meet more of his teammates.
Speaker E:And I always get to hear one new story that I have never heard before or go to one new town.
Speaker D:That I haven't been to before.
Speaker E:And one of these days, hopefully I'll get to be able to see a plaque in Cooperstown.
Speaker E:But as far as being an agent, it's 26 years and couple hundred guys, it's taken me all over the globe.
Speaker E:I've even represented dogs.
Speaker E:I don't know if you remember Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog, but we put some kibble in that bowl too for Apple iPhone.
Speaker E:And you know, so it's kind of fun.
Speaker E:You don't know what you're going to expect.
Speaker E:I mean, next year I'm looking forward to the 87 Twins reunion because I represent most of that team for licensing and endorsements.
Speaker E:And you know what?
Speaker E:I like the creativity of it and I like when there's times where you can remember a guy for what he did on the field like we did with Tommy.
Speaker C:So if there's fans out there that want to maybe get an autograph from A player, somebody that you're with, how can they go about this?
Speaker C:Because I follow some of this stuff online through Facebook and stuff.
Speaker C:You know, you're able to basically take a card, put it in the mail with, you know, sometimes free, sometimes for a couple of bucks and they'll autograph it and send it back to you.
Speaker C:So how do people go about that?
Speaker E:Would you like the mailing address?
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:We could put it out there.
Speaker E:Sure.
Speaker E:And I'll send it to you via email as well.
Speaker E:But it's Mike McGuire.
Speaker E: Blue Diamond, NV: Speaker E:Put your card in there and.
Speaker E:And a return stamped envelope.
Speaker E:And if you feel like putting a donation in there for homeless animals or St. Jude or what have you, I'll make sure the guys get it and I'll make sure we respond.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker B:Just a quick question before we let you go.
Speaker B:Who's the biggest.
Speaker B:Who's the biggest character that you represent?
Speaker B:Like who makes you laugh constantly?
Speaker E:Who makes me laugh?
Speaker E:I tell you, the most interesting has got to be Jose can take them prior to that, Pete Rose.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:Oh, wow.
Speaker E:I could hear the same joke that I knew was coming, the same story a hundred times and I would still.
Speaker D:Laugh because he just.
Speaker E:Pete was Pete.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So does Jose get upset when people ask him about the bulb knocking off his head into the stands or is that something that he.
Speaker E:Are you kidding me?
Speaker E:He loves it.
Speaker B:He does.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker E:He uses the word ouch when he finds that.
Speaker C:That's right.
Speaker B:Well, he's a pretty intimidating guy, you know, just to the naked eye, but he seems like he'd be like, he would have fun with something like that.
Speaker E:But you know what's great about that?
Speaker E:Whenever we go someplace and we check into the hotel, we check in as McGuire and Canseco.
Speaker C:There you go.
Speaker C:Different spelling, same.
Speaker E:Same bash boys, you know, and here's a little secret.
Speaker E:He takes the McGuire room and I take the Canseco.
Speaker C:There you go.
Speaker C:People are coming to your room looking for him.
Speaker E:We're going to have to change that up for you guys.
Speaker B:Listen, that's fantastic.
Speaker B:And before we let you go, just any closing thoughts on Tommy that you'd like?
Speaker B:I mean, I know you said it all and the statements from the Yankees and the Dodgers, really great, but anything else?
Speaker B:Just before we say goodnight to you, that.
Speaker E:Absolutely.
Speaker E:One last thing.
Speaker E:It's going to sound kind of cheesy but it's something that's on par with Tommy and something I know that he's,.
Speaker D:You know, that's dear to his heart.
Speaker E:Make someone smile today.
Speaker E:If that's getting him a coffee, giving him a compliment, whatever that is, make someone smile today because you don't know what they're going to go through tomorrow.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, it is.
Speaker B:It's such a sad time, obviously, with Tommy's passing, but we can hear the joy in your voice just, you know, having spent time with him and being about him.
Speaker B:So I think a celebration of life really makes sense.
Speaker E:And I'm just looking ahead to.
Speaker E:I mean, you're going to have a room full of baseball legends all celebrating, you know, who's who, all celebrating Tommy.
Speaker E:And there's going to be probably some tears, but there's going to be a lot of happy tears, too, and I can't wait to be a part of that.
Speaker E:And I feel very privileged and honored to have been able to work with them all those years and to call them not only a client, but a friend.
Speaker C:That's great.
Speaker C:Well, again, thank you very much, Mike, for giving us some time tonight.
Speaker C:Again, Mike McGuire, agent for Tommy John.
Speaker C:Have a great night.
Speaker C:And, you know, again, all condolences to the family.
Speaker E:Thanks, fellas.
Speaker E:Have a great night.
Speaker D:All right.
Speaker B:Thanks, Mike.
Speaker C:So a song about the bionic man, Tommy John, who received the surgery done by Dr. Frank Jobe, who's the first to take the UCL and say, hey, your career is not over.
Speaker C:You got a 1% chance.
Speaker C:And, you know, now maybe for the wrong reasons.
Speaker C:People are having Tommy John surgery.
Speaker C:Some kids are going to say, having it when they're not even hurt.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's like preventative in there, coming back, throwing stronger.
Speaker C:But, you know, he put himself in a situation to get back out on the mound and did it for a long period of time.
Speaker C:And Mike, that was a good spot with Mike giving us an insight of what the guy behind the scenes is.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I really meant it when I said to him that you could feel the joy of him talking about Tommy John.
Speaker B:He must have been a fantastic guy.
Speaker B:I know you obviously talked to him and mentioned to everyone that you spent some time with him.
Speaker B:He seemed.
Speaker B:Was he as genuinely nice as it sounds?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Just sit down and have a conversation.
Speaker C:And then you see him working with little kids and throwing the ball, ball and just like, hey, come over here, little guy.
Speaker C:And even showing him hitting tips for a guy that was a pitcher, you know, tough week in the world of sports.
Speaker C:We Talked about Butch Husky, who was a Met and you know, Wore the number 42, was the last Met to wear that before it went up in the rafters for Jackie Robinson.
Speaker C:And he was able to meet Rachel Robinson, obviously last night, this morning, hearing the news about Tommy John passing away.
Speaker C:And Mike, you know, another person that in the sports world that we lost this week was Don Nelson.
Speaker B:Oh, that's right.
Speaker C:He is a Hall of Fame coach.
Speaker C:Just a guy who was able to go out there and do it with multiple different teams, different systems and you know, a guy who drafted Steph Curry, you know, as well.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's a shame he didn't.
Speaker B:He spent, you know, a short time here in New York with the Knicks and it really, it didn't quite work out.
Speaker B:But he was an innovator.
Speaker B:Just.
Speaker B:I believe he also.
Speaker B:I'm not sure if he drafted him, but Serunis Marcelonis, who was one of the first, you know, eastern block players to come over.
Speaker B:Yeah, he was.
Speaker B:He was an innovator.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:I believe he spent his last days in Hawaii.
Speaker B:He was kind of a free spirit.
Speaker B:His son Donnie worked in the NBA, you know, for quite some time.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's been a tough week.
Speaker B:But he had a lasting mark on the game of basketball for sure.
Speaker C:Did you see Donnie Nelson do a tribute to his father?
Speaker C:No, I didn't.
Speaker C:When they had this remembrance for his father, there was a basketball up there and he took it and punted it and he said he was going to try to aim for the upper deck and he wound up kicking it to one of the.
Speaker C:The NBA stars right in the front row.
Speaker C:But you know, if, if you know the scene, Donnie, Don Nelson was so upset with something that he picked up a basketball and booted it across the court.
Speaker B:But kind of like Blue Chips, the movie.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:But there, you know, there's a lot of guys out there, you know, who we've lost in the last year or so that have been big time guys.
Speaker C:And you know, there are guys who also.
Speaker C:Their health isn't so great and it's.
Speaker C:It's nice to be able to sometimes see guys in a different light, spend time with them.
Speaker C:Guys like the Greg Popovich.
Speaker C:To see them, you know, be involved with the NBA finals and then, you know, to know that, hey, maybe this guy had a stroke or maybe this guy is.
Speaker C:Is dealing with a medical condition.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:Because their connection probably to sports is what keeps them going.
Speaker C:You're probably right, Mike.
Speaker C:For most of these guys, like, you.
Speaker B:Know, you gotta have something.
Speaker C:You think Pat Riley like, you don't think of him retiring.
Speaker C:No, you think of him grinding, trying to go out there and get another superstar, bring Giannis and see what happens.
Speaker C:Like, these guys are not people that want to go enjoy retirement.
Speaker C:They're lifelongers.
Speaker B:And I was really touched, you know, by the statement going back to Tommy John had Mike, you know, said that they worked together on it and they sent it out and that he knew it was the end.
Speaker B:And to do that, it wasn't out of ego.
Speaker B:It was literally, you know, just his goodbye to baseball and to the fans.
Speaker B:He just.
Speaker B:That blows me away.
Speaker B:And talking about, you know, the joy in his life and making people smile.
Speaker B:Sports is important.
Speaker B:Wins and losses are important.
Speaker B:But, you know, being a good person and making an impact on the world is even more important.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And, you know, he was able to make that statement on his own, you know, terms and say what he wanted to.
Speaker C:And that's, you know, when we saw that, you know, I know even you and I were talking like, I think this is kind of the end.
Speaker C:And he had been battling a lot of different things.
Speaker C:And, you know, it's nice, it's nice that he had some time with family, was able to enjoy it and still go out on his own terms.
Speaker C:Say something, put this out there and, you know, I'm not able to make it for Old Timers Day.
Speaker C:But, hey, look, you know, I've enjoyed my time.
Speaker C:It was great to be a Yankee and I think that's the way people are going to think about Tommy John as a guy who enjoyed the game so much that he did everything he could to get back out there.
Speaker B:I was really into baseball.
Speaker B:When he made the jump from the Dodgers to the Yankees, you know, I was like 12 years old.
Speaker B:And that was, that was a crazy move.
Speaker B:I mean, that was really.
Speaker B:They had just beaten the Dodgers and for him to switch and go over to the Yankees, it was like, oh, my goodness, you know, this is.
Speaker B:This is like an embarrassment of riches.
Speaker B:The money is ridiculous, what it even was at that time.
Speaker B:But just that move is like the Dodgers now getting everybody on their side.
Speaker B:So interesting how things come full circle over 40 plus years.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:Tonight we talked, Dave Magadan, we Talked about Mike McGuire, the agent for Tommy John.
Speaker C:Brian Graves on the other side of the glass.
Speaker C:Mets are, what, nine and three now since the trading deadline?
Speaker B:You gotta believe, you never know.
Speaker B:But we'll be hopefully, you know, talk a little bit about them next time and probably in two weeks, a little bit more football centric as we get close to kickoff.
Speaker C:We'll be getting there.
Speaker C:All right, everybody.
Speaker B:Have a good night.
Speaker B:And in the words of Tommy John, make somebody smile.
Speaker A:The views expressed in the previous program them did not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
