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I'm your host Eric Profit, coming to you from Wichita, Kansas, and with me as always, I have Johnny Boland from the New Orleans Baby Cakes Memorial Museum and Podcast Communication Center. Well, Johnny, it's hard to believe that the baseball season's kind of winding down. As of the time of this recording and when this comes out, the season for the regular season for Wichita, will be over. There's only one home stand left, sitting in first place right now. We got 2, 2 weeks left.
We got the away series in Corpus Christi that starts tonight and then we're back home against Midland next week. But hard to believe. Only one week, uh, minor league baseball left for the wind surge at home. You know, it's, I get this time of year is kind of a mixed bag. I. The postseason, but then I'm also in, in college football. But then I'm also kind of sad cause I love minor league baseball and you know, you're gonna be in the bleakness of winter, no minor league baseball.
And if one of your major league teams is not into the playoffs, you're kind of, you know, lackadaisical, Gosh, I sure up those Braves win. Yeah. I'm sure that sentiment holds true for you. Yeah. I'm just, you know, it's, it's like, you know, it, it, it's great 'cause you've had such great experience watching this year, but then you realize when that calendar flips over to September, that something you love, your hobby. Some might say obsession, is over.
And uh, like I said, you go into those bleak months. I feel like you remember that scene from Field of Dreams where it's Christmas and Kevin Costner's looking outside, where everybody's in his house celebrating Christmas. He's just looking out that field, you know? Yeah, no, like wanting baseball to be there. That's the way I, uh, I'm just like, uh, that scene from Field of Dreams with, uh, with Ray, I'm just staring out into the, uh, the winter time. Wishing baseball, uh, was being played.
Yeah. You had mentioned, uh, maybe your, uh, favorite baseball team is in contention to make the playoffs. I think the Royals are there. They're only about 70 games under 500. So, we do have a special guest who is a team is right there, going for a playoff push. We have Clay Morgan with us. How are you, clay? Hey, I'm doing good guys. Appreciate you having me. Yeah. Appreciate you coming on. Clay, one of the first segments we do is we like to talk about what hats we have on.
Can you tell everybody what hat you're wearing today? Yeah. I'm wearing, uh, high A for the reds, uh, Dayton Dragons. Yeah. I've got the, I've got the traditional white. With the green D on it. I know they've got a couple different logos and variations. They've had the orange every once in a while. That was kind of older. But yeah, I've got the traditional new green and white, so I like that really cool hat. I haven't been to Dayton yet.
My brother and I, and then my wife and boys and I like to travel. Haven't been to that part of the country yet, but hope to get there one day. 'cause I hear a lot of great things and I'm big into collecting the little ice cream helmets. And I hear that Dayton has quite a few different styles of the ice cream helmets, so I can't wait to get there and get some of those. And Mr. Bullen, what hat do you have today? Well, uh, coming from a recent trip we'll talk about on a future episode.
Finally, uh, checked off the bucket list. This is the Copa hat for the Rocket City trash Pandas. In fact, I'm in full trash panda gear. cause listen, when Johnny Bowling shows up, the trash is coming with him. Okay, so, full. T-shirt hat. This is the, uh, make sure I'm saying this correctly, the Los lunatics. And I looked up the translation of that for the c E o and I said, look, it means moody or lunatic. And she said, well, I. We'll have to have, ed Revera try to pronounce it for us.
And I think they say Luko, but I don't know if I'm saying that correct. Yeah, I, if I'm, yeah. I don't know if I'm saying that correctly. So, Mr. Revera, if you're listening to this, hop on and let us know how to pronounce that. 'cause I know he'll know how to say it. Yeah, it um, I know it's a, uh, crazy goat with a, uh, baseball in its mouth. And so this was my hat purchased from our trip to Rocket City about a week and a half ago from when we're recording tonight.
And, that was a really cool logo. I, I had seen this hat in person, uh, with our friend friend Virgil Brooks in April. We visited Nashville. He was wearing the fitted version of this hat and happened to find this in the nine 20 New Era Dad hat. Saturday week ago, didn't have just one or two of 'em, so I, I snagged it and, my wife says this is her favorite of the Copa hats that I own. So she, uh, really liked the logo, actually picked up a penant. It's here in the museum as well.
So we have a double shot of, the Copa hat. For the rockets in trash pan. There we go. You don't have a tumba vodkas hat, do you? I do. Do you? And she doesn't like that. She doesn't like the cow tippers. You know, it's funny, when we talked about that last week, I said, how do you not like the upside down cow? It's fun. It's whimsical. It's, and by the way that rolls off the tongue. Yeah. To va.
I sound like I actually can speak Umpo Ko Spanish there, you know, it's easy to say, easy pronounce fun logo, great colors. The jerseys are fire. but I have the solid navy blue 47 hat. Okay. she bought that I think Father's Day last year. So, I know I've worn it previous episodes sometime last year, I'm sure. But yeah, I do have two Mabas. this one I have the, uh, tri-City Dust Devils, hat, and then the, I cannot pronounce, uh, the hat for Cedar Rapids that our friend Lynn Smith mailed to me.
Their former Copa hat. Yeah, the Five Seasons. Is what I call it. It stands for the Five Seasons. I can't pronounce. Yeah. You know, I, I took Spanish in college, uh, ago cause I was communications major guys, back in 19 90, 91. Uh, Eric was in elementary school, clay. So, uh, when I was in college, which you had to have four credits of a foreign language, and because I'd had Spanish in high school, I took. College Spanish. So 40 straight weeks of Spanish.
Now, I still couldn't speak it, but in written form, you know, I was pretty good I'm sure Ed and anybody else that speaks fluent Spanish has probably turned this off by now since we're pretty bad with our, our Spanish speaking. clay, I'm not sure if you have seen, so where I'm at here in Wichita, we have the AA of the Minnesota Twins, the Wichita Wind Surge, and our COPA identity is the tomb of vodkas. It's the cow tippers. So it's an upside down cow. It's on a bright.
Green kind of lime, green hat with a pink brimm. and so it's kind of a funny little, Copa identity that Wichita, uh, has. But yeah, if you haven't seen it before, if you look up Wichita's Copa brand, it's, you know, that's kind of what we've been talking about. It's pretty funny. A little logo we have. Yeah. I'll have to check that out. That sounds pretty cool. I love the, how minor leagues have like, alternate identities. I think it's fun. Yeah, for sure.
Then myself, I am wearing a brand new hat. I got out of the box that came in the mail, probably about an hour ago. so one of our friends online mentioned the Staten Island Pizza Rats. It was an alternate identity that the Staten Island Yankees did. I. I don't know how many years back they did that. basically, the New York Yankees told them that they couldn't play as the pizza rat. So that kind of alternate identity folded pretty quickly.
but somebody in, nobody's really sure who it is, but somebody keeps coming online through like pizza rats.com or something and sells the old, and I ordered kind of the main logo with a, a big pizza. With a rat kind of on top of it. Um, but they threw in this alternate hat and it's a OC brand. it's kind of got Velcro on the back, but it's, uh, says pizza rats. It's like a Navy hat says pizza rats and, wordmark and red cursive. So I threw that on.
A brand new hat I got today is the Staten Island Pizzas hat. Very sharp. that's on. Purchase. I know, uh, as of the other night, the 47 website still had a pizza rat available. Did, did they? Okay. In the minor league section. I did see that, just two or three nights ago. So there is one we were talking before recording about this is a little sketchy, maybe this, this, this same person will call Mr. John Southie that provided the information.
I also shared a couple weeks ago about a Albuquerque, Duke's website. I always loved that Albuquerque Duke's logo as well. Had Yeah, all kind of merchandise and some deeds of pricess. I haven't ordered anything yet, but it looked pretty legitimate. But there again, that stuff kind of makes me a little nervous, right? that's what I, there's some other people, including my brother that ordered and got the pizza ratts hats, and they came in, so, I mean, I got the hats. So they're here.
So I mean, that went well. Now I don't know what's gonna happen to my credit card here, what charges may show up later on, but I got the hats at least. So, Your family needs a timeshare, you know, do we? Maybe a timeshare say, in Tennessee, you know, there's no beachfront property there, but you know, it'd be, you know, Hey, as long as it's close to Nashville or Chattanooga, maybe. Right. Maybe see the Smokies, one of the minor league teams in Tennessee.
That'll work I don't think it's coastal Mississippi, but you'll never know. But, uh, you started getting stuff from Biloxi, that part of the world. You know, you've invested, uh, indirectly invested on timeshare. Well, clay, so you alluded to the Dayton Dragons hat that you have on. So, do you live in Ohio or you kind of near the Cincinnati area or the Dayton area? Yeah, so I live right in between Dayton and Cincinnati. It's Middletown. Uh, yeah.
So it's like smack dab in between both, which is nice 'cause I can just catch a game either way. So there we go. so kind of going back to when you were growing up, did you play sports growing up or kind of what drew you to, you know, not only baseball, but maybe if you had, a big fan of other sports, like football or anything else? Kind of how'd you get into sports? Yeah. So, I was kind of raised, like raised in a sports family, you know, my dad and grandpa's, they all loved sports.
I played football, baseball, and basketball up until I got to high school. and then I kind of, I. Probably right before my freshman year of high school is when I really started realizing that I really loved baseball way more than I did the other sports. So I gave them up. I had been tra like on traveling teams, so you know, most of my time was spent on baseball anyway. but then I really decided to just focus on that. and I mean, plus just my dad taking me over the years to. Tons of games.
I mean, you just, it, it's like you either love baseball or you don't. And I just fell in love with it being, you know, being at the park, playing it. Awesome. Love to hear that story. I was just kind of curious. Uh, there's always seems like some type of a backstory that everybody has kind of, when they were growing up, how they got into sports and you know, my parents, from my story, they liked sports, but then I think it was more along the lines of my brothers.
I had two older brothers and they played baseball growing up and then they played football in high school. So of course I'd played baseball since I was about five all the way through high school. And then I played, uh, football one. I was in high school as well. So yeah, for me it was my, I think more my brothers and just kind of, now I'm six and eight years younger than them, so they're a little bit older than I was and they're, you know, just the two years apart.
So they went to school together. but just kind of growing up all their friends, you know, we're big into sports and everything, so that's kind of, so really cool to hear that just kind of the background of getting to go with, you know, your, your parents, your dad or whatever, going to some games. Yeah. it's a blast being there for sure. you know, my, brother kind of did the same thing your brothers did.
He, played multiple sports during high school, but me, I just stuck with baseball, so, and what position did you play? shockingly, I was actually a second baseman, uh, in high school. and then I ended up going to Ohio Christian University. And, uh, the coach was kinda shocked that I was a second baseman because I was, I was always a, you know, a thick bone kid, but I could move.
Well, I. when I got to college, I was moved to first base and I, I actually loved it, so Yeah, I played quite a bit of second base growing up. I think a little bit older. I pitched quite a bit as well when I kind of got older and didn't pitch as much. I played second and played some outfield. So just kind of curious to what you played, so that's really cool to hear. yeah. I always wanted to pitch, but I was horrible at pitching, so they just kept me off the mound.
I have a 14 year old son who just started high school, and so he reached out to the varsity baseball coach and asked him when tryouts were, and the coach said, Hey, come over tomorrow to my classroom to meet me and so we can, you know, introduce ourselves. And then he was telling him, my son's a lefty, and he is a pitcher.
So he was telling him that he pitches and the coach says, well, We don't have too many lefty pitchers, so I don't know that necessarily he would make the varsity team, but maybe junior varsity. But as a lefty, if they don't have too many, you know, even if he's not the best out there, if they need some lefty arms, who knows what'll happen. Maybe he'll be able to make the team here. He said they're gonna do some like pitcher. Workouts and stuff. Usually I think in January.
And then just overall baseball workouts in February and then tryouts like the end of February, so that'll be coming up soon. so kind of curious to see. But yeah, I thankfully have a son that's a lefty and he's a pitcher, so hopefully that'll work out for him now that he's in high school. Heck yeah. That's, that's awesome. yeah. Being a lefty already having up on a lot of people. I mean, that's especially high school ball.
Yeah. You know, it's, it's very rare to see that it's kind of more spread out, but that's, that's pretty awesome, man. Yeah. And then I, hopefully, uh, everything goes good. For sure. Yeah. And then I have a two year old and I'm trying my hardest to get him to be a lefty as well. So, yeah. I think he's favoring more being a righty. But, I don't know. Sometimes he'll kind of favor his left hand, so I'm trying all I can to get him to be a lefty as well. So we'll see. That's awesome.
Which is funny because I'm not, I'm a right-handed, but my brother's a lefty and my aunt's a lefty. So we have some lefties in the family and I'm not one. But, kind of funny that my middle son is a lefty and hopefully I'll get my youngest to be a lefty as well. I'm the oddball in the family, so I Everyone throws right and bat's right in my family, but I throw right bat left, so, okay. I was kind of different. There you go. Compared to all of them.
So so growing up then, what did they just kind of focus or what made you kind of. Know that you did better as a lefty? When did that kind of come about? I would say I was probably 14 around that age. 'cause my, my dad always tried to get us both to switch it. he would practice it and then, you know, it just became where I was just way stronger and weight had a way better average at. Batting left. So he was like, you know what, just focus on that.
You know, there's no need if, if you're gonna, you know, screw your average up. And then, when I got to high school, I just stayed left. I didn't switch it anymore, which I wish I would've been better at it, but I always am amazed by those that can switch hit, but anytime I tried it as a lefty, I was like, whew, that's difficult. So I didn't even bother trying to get my son to do switch hit I because he was a lefty. I just had him hit lefty, which works out, which is really weird.
He always hits almost every time to the left side. So he always goes opposite field when he hits. So now that's awesome. In high school, I don't know if he's just gonna pitch only. I would assume so, 'cause he is not that good of a hitter, but yeah, we'll, we'll see what that, what happens here, coming up here in a few months and see, hopefully he'll make the team and get to play in high school 'cause I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun to go watch play high school baseball. Yeah, that'd be sweet.
Especially if he does, I mean, you know, when he gets to high school, he may just hitting, may just click. So you know, him hitting apo like that, that'd be really nice. 'cause you know, high school, they, it's when they start, start trying to, you know, shift and stuff. Yeah. So that'd be sweet, man. Put it right down the line. Yeah, for sure. Well, you said, I think you said maybe your dad or somebody was taking you to the games growing up.
So was it always Red's games or it was kind of a mix of going different places or what kind of brought you to be a a Cincinnati Reds fan? just being a Reds fan, it was just, I was just raised that way. My grandpa's a Reds fan. My dad's a Reds fan. we would bounce between, reds games and Dayton Dragons games. we went to. Louisville games a few times, but it was mostly, you know, reds or dragons. That's just where we've always bounced. it was more of like, I was raised a Reds fan.
Everyone in my family were Reds fans, so that's kind of what, what got that. Ingrained, I guess. Yeah, and they're starting to get good again. Like I said, I think, I'm not sure, I haven't seen the latest staining and so I'm not sure where they're at.
Maybe in wildcard contention, because I don't, I think they've kind of dropped, and they're not in the lead, in the, central right now, but they have really young core, and so here over the next few years, I think they're probably gonna be pretty good. I would assume. that's kind of what, um, I, I actually talked to him, you know, to Mike A. Little bit about that. And, uh, I told him, he, he had actually asked me a question when I was with him.
Uh, he asked if I thought they were gonna, you know, make it to the playoffs this year. I told him, you know, the fan in me wants to say yes, but the baseball fan in me also seize that. And I think they're a few years away from it. But I do think once they finally figure out, cause they're just kind of young kids having fun right now. But once they really figure it out, I think. They'll be contenders for a few years.
You know, I, I think they have the potential, but I think we're a few good pieces away still, Yeah. So I had mentioned kind of at the top that I'm a Kansas City Royals fan, but being in Wichita, we have the AA of the Minnesota Twinges, which is difficult because they're a L Central rivals. So I'm cheering for the guys here in Wichita, but then when they get called up to Minnesota, I'm like, I want to root for 'em, but I kind of don't.
So you have, A couple of our guys that we had in Wichita, so Spencer Steer and Christian in Cario and Strand both played here in Wichita. Spencer Steer was here for about a good portion of two years, and then Strand was only here for about two weeks. but they, uh, both played here in Wichita and then now they're both with Cincinnati. So I'm kind of.
Glad now that, 'cause I can root for the Reds since they have a couple of our guys, and I don't have to worry about rooting for the twins, but I always say that those were, a bad trade that the twins had because they got rid of two of the best hitters in their, minor league system. And then now of course, they're both up in the majors with the reds. I was actually gonna ask if, you had seen them play.
I assumed you had, but Yeah, I, I was actually, you know, when the trade happened and we started, you know, kind of getting rid of some of our core players, I didn't think it was a great idea, but now seeing who we got, I was, I'm pretty impressed and. I like Spencer Steer a lot. I think he's one of our, he's one of the fan favorites and the young guys, I know I like him. Most people love him.
So, and then actually Christian and Cario and Strand played with one of my good friends at Oklahoma State. So, kind of had that ties with him. I haven't met him personally. I don't know him personally, but my buddy had played with him there. So Who is that who played, uh, Brock Mathis. Hmm, okay. His name was, he was a catcher. here in Wichita about two hours north of Stillwater. My wife's actually from Stillwater. Okay. So she's a big pokes Oklahoma State fan.
So I've been down there a few times too. They have a new ballpark that's about. Three years old, maybe four years old, OBRA Stadium. so I can't remember the timeframe of when, in Cario and Strand played there. It might've been in the old stadium, but yeah, I've seen the new stadium a couple times. so yeah, I'm pretty close to Stillwater and so I pay attention. being a big 12 country here, I'm a KU guy, so, but I pick. Pretty close attention to the Big 12. So, um, pretty cool to hear that.
But yeah, when, like I said, so Steer was here in Wichita for a better part of two seasons, so, got to see him quite a bit. And obviously as you know where he is, you know, what he is doing in Cincinnati, he was doing the same thing. He in Wichita, he was just absolutely raking all the time. And, my son likes to get autographs and collect bats and stuff, so anytime somebody breaks a bat, he'll go down to the dugout after the game. So he actually has two.
Spencer steer broken bats from when he played in Wichita, and it has his name, engraved at the end of the bat. So then now, you know, he's had those and like, Hey, I got a a, a Wichita player's bat. And then now that he's with the Reds, it's like, Hey, I got a, a Cincinnati Reds, uh, bat. But unfortunately, we tried at the very beginning, opening day last year when Steer was back with Wichita, we tried to take the bat into the stadium to have him sign. So it's a black bat.
From the brand, I think Victus, and it was gonna have him, Sharpie sign it in silver. And so it'd stand out on the black. But the, security team told him he couldn't bring the bat in. And I'm like, he literally got it inside the stadium. You sell broken bats in the team store, they can break a bat during the game. He can go down and get another one. Why can't, I mean, I guess. I don't know. It's a weapon. I, it just didn't, didn't really make sense.
I was kind of frustrated about it, so he never got it autographed and of course now Steer was traded to the Reds organization. Then of course now he's up with the red, so don't know if he'll ever get it signed. I wish we had a chance to have him get it. At least one of the two bats signed. But yeah, that was kind of weird. I was like, he literally got it inside the stadium. You guys sell broken bats inside the stadium that I can buy or he can go down and get another broken bat.
So I don't, didn't really understand that. But yeah, I was just kind of curious from now on your side that you didn't really get to see him much until I got to Cincinnati. I was just kind of curious on those young players. And then of course everybody likes to talk about Ellie De La Cruz 'cause he's just this freak athlete that's really, really good, really, really fast.
And. I actually saw, Ellie when he played for the Dragons, and this was actually last year, my dad and I had went to a game once we got Noel v Marte, we went to that first game to see how he was, see if he was gonna play. He ended up actually playing, but we could just tell, I mean, I didn't think Ellie was gonna be what he is now that quick. I mean, he just looked bored. I mean, he would smoke the ball and then if, I mean, if he hit his single, the dude was standing on third and two pitches.
I mean, it was just, he just looked bored and we were just laughing. We're like, man, this dude's, this dude's gonna be special, you know, when he gets a little older. And then, Come to find out, we end up calling him, calling him up. And you know, some of our fans are all freaking out. Like, oh, well he doesn't have a great average. He's not what he was.
I'm like, the kid's young, he really in, in most organizations, he probably wouldn't be up here right now, but it's a good thing that he's up here, it's experience he's gonna produce. He's gonna figure out what he needs to work on this off season and he'll be fine. But some of our fans were freaking out about it and I'm like, he's a kid, man. Yeah, he's a kid.
that's why I'm curious, like you had mentioned here in a couple years to see this young core group with c e s Steer Daily Cruz, kind of what they're all gonna do here in a few years. I think it'll be really fun to watch them as a team and probably obviously make the playoffs and good to have a very good chance of going pretty far in the playoffs.
So looking forward, hearing the next few years, kinda like you mentioned, it may may be a little, little ways out, but as they kind of start to get older and play together more, how fun that team's gonna be to watch. Yeah. I think, uh, I think baseball's in general is in a really good state right now. I think we've got a lot of good young talent just across the board. It's, really been fun to watch this year, you know, not just the reds, but like, I mean, just turning on any game.
Most games have been really fun to watch this year, which is good. And it's a lot of younger guys, doing it. Plus it is kind of sad to see some of the older guys leaving and or not producing as much, but you know, towards the end of their career. But, I think it's been a fun year for baseball in general. Yeah, for sure. I believe at the time of this recording tonight, Jackson Holiday, who's also from Stillwater, is set to make his AAA debut with the Norfolk Tides.
And he started in, single A this year, went to, high aa. Now he's in aaa. Uh, with the Orioles. So I thought that was pretty crazy that he's already climbed basically four levels and the miners all just this year only. So I, like I said, I think he's making his debut with the Tides tonight and aaa, so curious to how, see how he does. 'cause I think he's only like 19 years old as well, so Yeah. A lot of young talent for sure.
Yeah, I think he's gonna be really good just watching some of his highlights. I mean plus, it kind of runs in the family, but, yeah, I think he's gonna be special. He, he's looking tough. So, yeah. And I went on a, a trip with my wife and boys up to the northeast this summer and we got to go to Camden to see the Orioles play and then they played when we went up to Yankee Stadium. So we gotta see the Orioles twice this summer. And so we got to see like Adley Rutman and Gunner Henderson.
So a couple of the other young stars that have been in the league for a year or two now. So yeah, I agree a lot of, young and uh, really talented players that I think it's gonna be fun to watch here over the next however many years. Yeah, I definitely agree with that. I think it's in a good state right now, so.
Well, I was curious, I obviously there's gonna be a lot of big differences being a high a, affiliated baseball versus a major league team, but can you tell us a little bit what you enjoy when you get to go see the Dayton Dragons as a minor league, team at their stadium and then kind of what you enjoy getting to go to a major league game when the Cincinnati Reds play? Yeah, so I like going to the Dragons games. Because, you know, it's obviously a, it's a smaller stadium.
I feel like they do more giveaways, they do more family friendly stuff, so that makes it fun. But then also, like I was saying earlier, you get this, you know, we watched Ellie and I mean, we were a couple rows back. And then the ticket price to watch him that close then versus now is drastically different.
So it's kind of cool, you know, you can get you know, like your, you were saying your son gets bats and stuff, it's way easier to get autographs and you're watching 'em right there, you know, versus now you gotta pay good money to go sit down there, uh, in a major league park. So I think that's really cool about it. I enjoy it. it's got a good atmosphere. It's a, it's a nice park. It's not, I mean, I've been to a couple other stadiums that were really, probably nicer.
But, just the atmosphere there is really fun. It's really family oriented, so I like that about it. Um, and then Great American. just being from the area, you know, the rich history that was in Cincinnati, hasn't been that way for a little while. But, it is really cool to just go down there and, uh, I feel like we do a really good job of bringing our old guys back, for games or honors or, you know, things like that. I like the atmosphere.
I really started appreciating it more when I started traveling to see some of these other Major League stadiums. cause I used to just think, oh, it's just our stadium, you know? I'm sure they're all better, but Uh, the atmosphere there is pretty cool. it's set up on the river. it's nice. I like it. but yeah, I, I think I appreciate it a lot more now that I've seen a few other ones, for sure.
Yeah, like I said, I haven't been up to that area quite yet, but I can't wait to get up there and see a Red's game and see a dragons game. So I was just kind curious since you get to go to both games, kind of what you like about both of them, well, I wanted to ask. If you could travel to any of the Reds affiliates, time and money are no option, which one would you travel to? I would honestly probably go to, to Daytona. I would go low A, just because I love Daytona area.
Now, if it was a couple years ago, I can't remember exactly how many years ago, but Pensacola, we were affiliated with Pensacola for a while, and that would've definitely been the one I would've picked. But I'd have to say Daytona just 'cause I, I like the area down there. I've been to Daytona twice now.
We went last year on a trip and unfortunately the game got rained out, but we're actually at the stadium, so we gotta see a little bit of the stadium and, got to hang out with our friend, the young professor, while he was MCing there. At the time, and then we, my brother and I went this year, we went over Memorial Weekend and from what I was watching online there, it seems like pretty much all their games keep getting rained out. But we were lucky this year and the game did not get rained out.
So I did get to see a game in Daytona Beach this year, and the whole city was fun and the, the stadium was really cool. So that's, yeah, I, I agree with that, that Daytona Beach for sure. Yeah. It's, uh, that would definitely be where I'd pick. I, I love that area. You know, I, I had a, uh, English professor in college who was a Big Reds fan, and he used to love to talk baseball. In fact, one of the books we had to read was the Natural.
That's pretty cool that one of your favorite movies, you're reading the book behind it. He'd always say, I don't count that World Series that the White Sox gave us 1919, like, oh yeah, that's been a while, sir. But, you know. Yeah. but yeah, he's, I, I don't count that they gave us that championship. I don't, I don't even count for the reds, you know? I went to a card show at, at a mall, and your feature, feature guest was, uh, a Cincinnati Reds legend from a long time ago.
The Great Johnny VanderMeer. Have you ever heard of Johnny VanderMeer? Yeah. Yeah. he, uh, Eric, his claim to. He is the only man in Major League baseball history to throw back to back no hitters. And I think that was in 1940. And no Clay, I was not there for those games. But, uh, Phil today, he was your big guest for that card show. so I went and I thought, well, you know, I've actually, you know, because I'm such a history nerd, baseball history nerd, I'd actually heard of this guy.
And so I had a baseball and, and he kind of just kind of snorted at me. Like he wasn't like the friendliest rest in peace, Johnny VanderMeer. But, uh, he, he, he kinda snorted, didn't even say hello, didn't respond. Hey, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you Mr. VanderMeer. You like that, you know, and, and, but he, you know, it was cool to meet him.
Of course, I still have that ball, but, He has kind of a unique place in baseball history that no one has ever duplicated that before or after, in baseball. So that, that's a pretty cool little, uh, footnote to baseball history and, and I wish he'd been friendlier, but that's okay. I, I don't know how old he was in 1990 something. If I, you know, if I make that age, I probably won't be very friendly.
your thoughts on the, uh, new City Connect hats in jerseys that the Reds came out with this year? So when they first released, I was not a fan of 'em at all, just because I think a lot of us had our mindset that since they call us like the Queen city, we thought for sure, you know, it was gonna say Queen City and maybe have like our skyline in the back. We all had these crazy ideas. but I think they've really grown on me, like once I actually found out.
Like, you know what the, basically the curves on the sea mean. Like all once, once I figured out what everything represented, I was definitely way more. Okay. That, that makes sense. Uh, and I think they've grown on me a lot. I've just never been a fan of like all black uniforms. I just, I thought it kind of looked like softball or something at first. But I think they've grown on me. And I wanted to ask you one more question because the Reds know have such a great history, a long history.
What is your favorite Reds throwback logo? I have a dad hat with the, I guess it's the old English C Yeah, that original cap logo that I bought like TJ Maxx a couple years ago in, in Tupelo, Mississippi of all the Red's logos from the past. What's your favorite one? Oh, that's hard. so I really like the, uh, the, I think it's the 1919, the one that they wore at the field of Dreams. Yeah, I have that jersey and hat in in my, uh, Closet.
I'd say that, or I honestly, I liked like the 75 era, how big the Red's logo was. You know how it was, it was huge. Now it's just like, kind of a smaller one. But, uh, I liked those, the throwback, like, Pete Rose, they were real big and it just had a big C in Reds. I, I really liked that one a lot too. But yeah, I don't know. I, it'd be between those two, I think. well, clay, I have a question from our friend Michael, kind of controversial also. How is Skyline Chili? Oh, oh man.
So I was raised, I was born and raised on it, so I'm pretty sure they used that instead of milk. So, I love it and I think it's great. It's not for everybody, but I love it and I. Skyline's better than Gold Star too. So don't let anybody from Cincinnati tell you that. Okay. Yeah, I haven't, I haven't tried it. we always have a big, uh, debate about that, but since Mike's from the area as well, he enjoys it. So I think maybe if you're from the area, that's something you kind of grew up on.
Maybe you like that a little better, so I just kind of wanna throw that in there for sure. And see what your thoughts were on that. Yeah, I definitely love it. And like I said, skyline is the best. They actually, the Bengals actually just switched to Skyline from Gold Star this year too. So we got Skyline across the board now. So there we go. Well, clay, one of the segments we do is the profit and the loss and the profit's.
Something you've gained or earned by being a fan of baseball, getting to grow up, going to games, seeing the Reds play going. Do you see the Dayton Dragons play, being a father, maybe getting to go take. I believe you have a daughter take her to the games. Any, uh, profit or gain you can think of? Yeah, I would definitely say just like, just the memories I've gained over the years from going with my dad. You know, uh, we actually haven't taken my daughter yet this year.
Every time we were going to, it was stupid hot out and mm-hmm. So we, we just decided not to, but definitely next year. but yeah, I would definitely say the memories and also just like the, some of the, the history, like, um, I was able to take my dad. For Father's Day a couple years ago to like Reds Hall of Fame. they had Pete Rose and Johnny Bench and all them, they were honoring them. So I got to take 'em to that.
But then I think just, just the history of the players that I've got to see play there. Not even just the Reds, but just, you know, visiting teams that I've been able to see there. And, I think that that's always cool to be a part of history. so I, I think that I definitely gained a lifetime full of memories, so That's awesome. Really, really cool to hear.
Now, on the reverse, the, the flip side, the loss, you know, whether that's being a Reds fan or, uh, any, favorite player growing up that maybe got traded away, or a team that was making the playoffs that didn't or lost in the playoffs. Any a loss you can think of. I would definitely say, hearing everybody talk about the nineties and the seventies and me never getting to be a part of any of that, and me having to watch teams that just get thrown together sometimes.
I'd say I definitely lost out on that, probably being born in the wrong time. But, uh, besides that, I would say definitely just watching Griffey at the end of his career. That kind of sucked. I mean, it was, it was awesome, but it just sucked knowing that, you know, we got him towards the end of his career and. I was actually and still pretty upset. Brandon Phillips was like one of my all time favorite reds.
Yeah. And when we, I feel like we did him real dirty when the way we kind of let him go. so I think, I think that kind of hurt me the most out of all the stuff that's happened. That one will always stick with me. I always loved Brandon Phillips. He was a fan favorite. Great dude. Always had a smile. I mean, he was always sticking around after and before games. So that one, I, I would definitely say that was a loss for me because that was, that was my guy growing up.
You know, I, I wanted to be just like him. High school number was number four. I was a second baseman. I mean, I always just tried to copy and mimic him, so Yeah, my, uh, my number's four as well. So really cool to hear that and I appreciate you sharing. So, uh, clay, it's been a lot of fun having you on. We could talk baseball all night, I'm sure, but really enjoyed having you on.
Is there anywhere on Instagram, Twitter, or X or whatever it's called out anywhere that people can follow you online? I have Instagram, actually my Instagram is Jeremiah Clay. 12. Perfect. Well, you get a chance and wanna follow Clay. Go out there and follow him on Instagram and make sure you follow us as well. We earn fun. Average average is a v G. We're both Instagram and Twitter and clay, just one more time. Thank you so much for coming on. We've really had a lot of fun. Appreciate it.
Yeah. I really appreciate you guys offering. Uh, it's been a blast. I talk about it all night. America, lower your standards average is what they do best. This podcast is part of the Curve Brim Media Network. Here are some of the other members of Curved Brim Media. Hi, this is Ed Rivera, the data at Chronicles. Join me as I interview people just like you and players, coaches, GMs on the. Path that led you to become a fan of the sport.
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