Streamy Live on the Ihearts Radio, while this is Eye on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports forteen and.
Welcome back to I'm the Ball here at Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. You're Dave Silvert. You've got Kobe Now with breaking news, breaking news from the sports world Arizona State. Sorry, the Arizona Cardinals have reached a four year, seventy six million dollar extension with tight end Trey McBride, making him the highest paid tight end in NFL history. So, I don't know this guy from Adam, but you're saying he's pretty good.
Yeah, he had a great season. He just doesn't score a lot of touchdowns. He gets a lot of receptions.
Yeah, forty three million dollars guaranteed set forty four year extension. Yeah, one hundred and eleven catches last year, eleven hundred and forty six yards. So I mean he was pretty productive for a team that you know is just kind of mediocre, Right, But you know, the NFL contracts and the TV money just continues to roll in and the numbers are just crazy. Gino Smith signed a big extension today with Where was He at.
Two year, seventy five million dollars contract for the Raiders.
Is it all just guaranteed? A lot of it is.
Most of the contracts I believe.
Are Yeah, this one with McBride was forty three million guaranteed.
And.
Auburn forward John Broom announced he will have no limitations from his elbow injury and will be ready to compete in the Final four.
Okay, it's gonna be a heck of a first game. Who's playing first? I think it's I think it's that one. I think it's saying it's Auburn Florida, Florida. Yeah, that should be a good game. I think that have they split the pay three times? I think, well, I'm pulling for Florida, but Auburn's played well. They're very vulnerable too.
Yeah.
I hope somebody was joking when he got hurt the other day. Did you see when he injured his shoulder? Yeah, and then all of a sudden he comes back, Yeah, hurt his leg and shoulder like one play.
Well, I didn't look at it. I kind of I broke my leg a long time ago when I was a kid. When I see those things, I look away because it just looks paying. It's just looked like unbearable. It's like the Joe Thaisman thing terrible, and they played it like a loop. It was like, holy crap, So I don't want to see it.
And then he came back, he came back in, and somebody was joking here maybe our gray, our old people listening understand, but they were.
Talking about Willis Reid.
Yeah. Yeah, because that was a famous moment when you know, he got hurt and he comes walking back in.
Yeah.
The only thing missing from that was a tunnel. That's right.
Yeah, that's what somebody I think. I don't know who the announcer was, but it was true.
And then he hit a shot.
Yeah, and he kept holding the elbow, but it was his other elbow. It wasn't a shooting elbow.
Yeah.
This so no good good for Auburn. They need him obviously. It was like a juju juju Watkins when she wasn't available to play against Yukon and how big that was to usc to get to the final four.
Yeah, and Becker obviously is a heck of a player. Yeah, that's going to be fine. Tomorrow Women's is it Sunday?
South Carolina women's basketball team is eager to face Final four opponents again after losing to all them in the season. Earlier in the season clearing we owe them one. They lost all of them, I believe.
So Okay, so it's uh South Carolina, uh yukon U c l A.
Texas, Texas. Okay is tough. Yeah, well that's bigger. What's your name? But I forgot to sixty seven pretty good from Denver High School. We got anything else but her name?
Okay. See handles business against the Pistons to win their seventh when they're eleven street game.
Oh yeah, they're good.
They moved to a league best sixty four and twelve.
And we were talking about this guy, damn Tuga. Were you here when we're talking about the who's gonna win the West? I was talking to other guys, I think, and I still like Denver. Okay, so he's the best team in the West right now?
Right? Yeah, who's two.
Two record wise? Is Houston?
They've been he's he must be a heck of a coach.
Yeah, very good team.
Backtracking Lauren Betts, that's what we're talking about. Yeah, you're right, she's like six seven. Yeah, I can't teach hy Nope.
The Calves complete the comeback against the Knicks. New York falls to oh and six on the season against the top two teams in the East, Cleveland and Boston.
Cleveland Guy Luke Walton's assistant coach at Cleveland.
It's really been interesting to see like the Cleveland's and Detroit's and teams like that, you know, have been nothing for such a long time.
Is refreshing.
It is kind of refreshing Detroit. You know what a history there is in that, in that franchise. It may have been terrible for I don't know twenty years, and all of a sudden they've kind of popped.
Yeah. Back when we watched them, they were the rugged. Yeah.
I see Thomas and Dumars and and uh gimme some.
Other will Lamber. Yeah, all these guys.
Alex Ovechkin is now three goals closer to the all time NHL goals.
You follow hockey, right, I mean a little bit just with that thing that's kind of been you know, a story here for the last you know, a month or so. Is he's kind of approaching this mark. Let's see if he can finish it off for the playoffs?
Was it? Did you follow that? I didn't think anybody would get to these records. That was my question.
Those were those were those records like when you see like I don't have in front of me, but the assists that he had were will like never get broken.
Those are kind of like Jerry Rice like records.
That's why I was going to ask you, you know, back would you have thought this impossible?
No?
I mean it was a period of time, you know, you remember this. I mean it was like we had Rice going, Jordan going, Gretzky going, Yeah, you know, and they were like records that probably never going to get broken.
Yeah.
Yukon has added former Georgia Garden Soila's Emery Junior sure their backcourt, bolstering their roster with one of the top players in the transfer portal.
Yeah, there's a few out there. There's a few pretty good ones. I wonder where the Saint John's kids is going to go.
The score there. You would fit.
Perfectly here, you see, not gonna go pro no do well, he's trying the trash the biggest Big East player of the.
Year, The New England Patriots, have traded quarterback Joe Milton the Third to the Dallas Cowboys as they look to solidify their backup quarterback position. I want to say who Yeah, he was a rookie from Tennessee.
Last Okay, okay, what do they have? Drink me? Who they have?
They have?
Drake me? That is it for today's breaking news.
Dave. You you're perusing the I'm peruising.
I'm just looking looking forward to the final fours, both of them coming up.
So who do you have? Do you have?
Like I'm one of the one of my things, I have Florida, Oh yeah, and Duke and the other kind of.
She did too at least, and what were the other ones? Albert?
That was my my I think we talked about this, but I was really high on b Yu and that kind of helped me actually in some of the.
Things I was doing. Yeah, I have all fours still alive. I'm finished.
I'm in number thirty out of four hundred, which I have no chance of winning it even with the even because it's all chocky, right, I missed. I missed a few of your early games where you get a lot of the points for the upsets.
There were very many upsets though.
Now I went, I went, I went kind of upsets because it always happens, and this year it didn't happen.
East State. Maybe one, uh, there may have been another one.
There's been like one overtime game, right, yeah, there been any buzzer beaters.
Yeah it was the one Arkansas? Was it the guy Maryland?
Oh yeah, there's two then that one and the one inside Arkansas wasn't Arkansas.
He had the ball down low uh and and square the basket, was it?
Yeah, to go to overtime?
Right yeah, yeah, I can't remember what game that was now, but yeah, m it wasn't Saint John.
It's a game when they blew the lead.
Oh it was Texas Tech.
Yeah, I think so, Kah was.
How about maybe off track a little bit here, But you know, it's as baseball goes with.
I know we're gonna talk to at Vrosburg in a bit.
But the nationallygue West is often an amazing You start all these teams. The Dodgers are eight, No, the Padres are seven, and oh the Giants are what they got like one loss?
I think I haven't paid any attention, although I do see the Dodgers, because how can you not avoid the Dodgers?
Right?
He did?
He had to walk up last night last night. Oh yeah, the nationally West has has been red hot. So were you going?
We're going baseball trip Kansas City, Saint Louis, Heartland.
Why why those?
I don't know, because we've been traveling the country over the last few years.
Because you haven't been there. Haven't been there, so that's kind of next on the list. I'm sure you've been there before. I've been to, like we've talked.
I've been to k C a couple of times for basketball, but Saint Louis very briefly looking forward to. I mean, you know, it's one of the great baseball towns for sure. And uh, Kansas City, they were they were always my rivals. I was a big A's fan growing up. So Brett at the time that George Brett or even before that, you know, like who's.
The show, Who's the shorts shop? Washington?
Wasn't Washington with the ul Washington with this toothpick in his mouth?
Yeah? I think so how do we?
Oh, I can't remember. I can't remember stuff that's forty and above. But that was twelve thirteen. Willie Wilson, wasn't he the center field?
Yeah?
Yeah, he was to catch the ball, you know, string it would hit like fifteen triples.
He was super fast, right right.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing Kansas City and the stadium has been there a long time. It still looks good on TV, and you know, Bush Stadium will be kind of fun to see that in person as well.
Yeah, cool Enjoy is a boys trip, boys trip? Nice? Anything else.
Now that I see?
Okay, okay, I'm not sure anybody want to call please do save us again from this?
Yeah, Gino, did you mention that the eighty five eighty five million? I mean really, he's had an interesting career, Gena Smith with both Raiders.
You're gonna say, Geno R E, M or whatever?
Oh no, he's still around. Yeah, how many final fours? And they made like a bunch of eighteen or something more than that.
Yeah, yeah, a bunch uh on ESPN as Desert Tour. No, so maybe we've heard the last of the transfers from you, of A, because you what you had three or four?
Right? Four with Stefan and Uh and kJ and Henry and Martinez. Did you ever see these guys on campus?
Even though yeah, I saw I saw Carter Bryan at the Union. I saw kleb Love a few times. Yeah, everyone surrounds them.
It's like aig entourage. Yeah yeah, okay, anything people leave them alone or they not.
Really during March it was crazy.
Oh sure, sure the heroes. The heroes, Well, who do you think is gonna stay?
I mean you think Kawaka like they've got here, like Jade and Bradley Carter, they have.
To have I think I think the ones you just said will stay. They have to. It'd be a disaster if they don't stay. They've already signed this.
I don't know how to pronounce it, Aristode and Aristodi he's already signed. Yeah, he's probably Jay on campus, I don't think so. And then Pete and Bryce James and that's it.
And they're waiting for the fourth one if it does happen. But if these guys who you say, Bradley.
Bradley and Waka, Bryant del Orso and previous.
If if if two of those guys leave, it's a disaster. If one of those guys leaves, it's still, you know, a hipped because they can't afford to lose anymore. Even with the guys that you name there, that's a pretty good five. With the guys coming in, I know. But the thing is people people don't know it's a pretty good five. But guess what, there's other schools out there loading up with better fives.
Exactly. Well, we have a weekuld beat that.
I hate this term when they talk about if we played this way, we could beat anybody. Have you watched anybody else play, because if they played the way they could play, they're not going to lose so anymore.
You know.
Plus, they're in the Big twelve now and those schools are's you know, one of them is in the final four. Texas Tech almost made the Final four. So there's you know, the competition is pretty tough and it's not going to be like it was. You know, Oh I gotta get do better than you know, Oregon State or Washington State or Stanford. Now it's like you got, you know, the big boys playing.
Right, And I think that the it all came out in the Wash with the SEC. The best two teams didn't make the final four, the best team from the Big twelve did make the final four, and the best team in the country, Baby of the Duke, is in the final four.
Yeah, the only team out of the ACCR. Do you think Duke is the best team proved me wrong. I mean, they've lost, but she didn't pick it. But she didn't pick them right.
In one of my pools. I don't know.
I think Houston handles them here. I don't think they'll win the tournament because you know what, well not because I just think that Houston is just one of those teams that can get in their way, rough them up, and make them play a game that they haven't played yet or seen yet physically. Arizona kind of had them like that for a moment, and Arizona's not even three quarters of the team that Houston is physically physically, and they had to rely on Caleb to make it happen.
And these guys have better players.
But but I think they're not not so much vulnerable that that. I think that because everybody hasn't seen Duke all the time, that they you're already built in, built in with this bias, and then you see them for the first time and the you see him a second time says, how is this team gonna lose?
Well, you've caught them.
You've caught them at the best moments, not when they haven't been at their best moment.
Well, I mean, they only have to win two more games. Right, They've been gone quite a streak for a long time, so I don't know they're.
So all for the other teams.
I got a call from one of my relatives because I've had Florida since January. Is, I don't know about your fording team. They didn't look good last week? Is what does last week have to do with next week?
True?
Who they play in the matchups exactly? Exactly who's going to be hurt? Yeah, so we'll see, we'll see.
Let's go. We got to go and come back and come back with ed busburn.
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This is I on the ball on Fox Sports fourteenth fifty. I want to take part in the show call up Steve now went five to two oh four one six seventy four forty.
And the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Bavara. In with me today is Dave Silver Now on the phone. We have ed basberg ed. How are you.
That's doing?
We're doing fine? How you doing?
And just just in, Uh, Judge hit another home run.
You must hate.
Hearing that he didn't do too well yesterday.
Get Zack Gallon, No, no one did. What do you think about these beats there?
Ed?
You know, interesting, Steve?
I mean they look they look a little weird.
It's interesting that the Yankees are seemed like the only team that are using them. But I don't know, I think what kind of frustrates me, as the former pitcher, is you know, the game is getting so offensive. I really believe these bats that all these guys are using are so hard, They're made so differently than the old bats. And I also really truly believe the baseball is wound
tighter than it's ever been. So obviously, fans want to see run scored, and you know, nobody gets too excited when they watch a two to one game, so, you know, whatever it takes the game. Sadly, I think there's so many rule changes in the game that it's kind of disappointing to most ex players.
What did you think?
What did you think of the ball strike thing that they were doing in spring training and how that how that played?
You know, I think it's a good idea. Dave I've said this along, you know, a few years ago. I never thought I would say it, but I truly believe they need to get rid of the home played unpart calling the balls and strikes. I know everybody says, you know, it's human element. I get that, but looking like Tennis. Now, Tennis doesn't use the lines people anymore for the major tournaments.
They let the computer call the balls.
In and out.
I don't know, I never thought i'd say that.
I truly believe the pictures are the ones that seem like they get screwed the most. And you know, like like I was just saying, the game has become so offensive, and you.
Know, fans want to see that.
But you know, I think I just think I'm a traditionalist.
I love to see a great pitch game like Zach Allen, you know, punching out thirteen Yankees yesterday.
And six and the third.
That's kind of what's exciting to me is watching a pitcher go out there dominating.
You know.
I went to a handful of spring training games up there in the Phoenix area this winter, and it was interesting how that whole thing played out. Most of the fans had no idea what was going on, but it was handled quickly. Every time, it was over in thirty seconds, So in a way.
I guess, I don't.
Think it's necessarily a bad thing. Some of the I don't. I don't like the rule that where the you know, obviously the pitcher can only throw over the first base a couple of times. I get why they put a runner on second base now an extra innings because they don't want to see a you know, a team have to go nineteen innings and that that really kills your bullpen for the next couple of days. I see why they did that, But some of the rule changes I don't get.
I I don't.
I do think it's makes it interesting.
When the reliever has to face three batters. I think that's not necessarily a bad rule. But I mean, there was many times when I came into a game just to face a guy and then I'd get him out and then I'd be out of game.
But I don't know. I think I love the game the way it was.
And you know, I think I get why.
I think a lot of former players are not happy with all the real changes.
That Manfred has done, But again.
They're trying to keep fans more engaged.
I guess I was talking to We were talking yesterday to Ken Hackemi and one of his players, one of his pitchers was a World Series, Little League World Series champion from Japan, and he's their closer. Now I won't say his name because I can't. Would butcher it like I said before, but he's got He said this amazing spin rate.
He could do these things. Did you did you guys even think about stuff like this?
No?
Heck no.
And I was talking to Brent s Throhm because when he was a pitching coach with the Diamondbacks, we would talk about that kind of stuff and he would say that, you know, once they get to a certain velocity like ninety six ninety seven, and they and that's why these guys are pitching up in the strike zone. When they can throw that hard, it's really hard for a batter to square that ball up. But I mean, I don't know.
I wasn't a hard thrower. I had to rely on keeping the ball down and I was lucky I was able to do that.
I was able to throw.
Strikes, you know, change speeds. Coach Wing at the university taught me how to throw the change up.
It was a great weapon for me.
Now when I see a picture you know that has a really good change up. I mean, look at this kid that left me for the Detroit Tigers, you know, the kid that stinky won the cy Young last year. He's got a great change up and he throws ninety eight miles an hour. Wow, you know, and look at schemes. I love watching him pitch because that guy's a picture. He's got the great slider. His fastball's got great movement, He's got a really good change up, and he pitches
down in the strike zone. He kind of reminds me like of an old Nolan Ryan video, you know, because he just he looks like Nolan Ryan.
Big strong kid.
He just threw seven I think he threw seven shot out. And those are the kind of guys that I really enjoy watching pitch.
Who did you back in the day when you played, who did you look at and say, God, I wish I was him, or just admire?
You know, Nolan was a guy that I always admired. I always loved to watch Steve Carlton pitch. He had the great.
Slider, you know.
I just remember he won twenty seven games. I think got a team that won sixty five games or something. But you know, I I loved watching Vit the Blue pitch and and interestingly enough, my major major League debut when I was pitching for the for the Padres, we played the Giants and guess who I opposed.
It was Vita Blue.
So it was pretty cool to look across the dugout and actually got a chance to face him.
I hit a line drive to shortstop off him.
But it was really kind of cool to see, you know, the Vita Blues and the and the Frank Snanas of the world and the Steve Carltons, and I was a big Giants fan. I loved watching you know, Willie Mays was my idol. I always thought I was going to be a two way player like show Hey, but you know, it's just it's hard to times. I love to watch a game that goes quick. I don't want to see a three and a half four hour game. I love to see the games where the pitcher goes out there.
And like I went to the U of A. I think they were playing Pepperdine and the Kids.
For the U of A.
Pitched really he pitched like six shutout any and I think.
The U of A scored some runs.
But you know, the U of A looks like they got some really really young good pitchers and I think they who knows how they'll do it, seems like they've done pretty well so far this season.
You're talking about Vita Blue. I grew up, like I guess, a few years before then. I was a Giants fan too, watching like one Marischelle pitch. He would throw like, you know, like five pitches from five different angles. You never knew where he was coming, side arm, you know whatever.
Well, you had to be that guy, or you had to be ed Osburg. You had to be crafty, right, if you didn't have the speedball, you had to be crafty.
Yeah, I mean Vita Blue. You know, he came up, he was like nineteen years old. He wins MVP and Cy Young Award as a rookie, I guess, right. So he was a flame thrower right off the bat. But that era, you know, like Kenny Holtzman and people like that Catfish, he wasn't a flame thrower.
He was you know, he was so effecing.
And I always loved the Frank Banana story because he was a guy that threw really hard in his career and then he hurt his arm, and then he became more of like a Tommy John picture where he had to throw, you know, keep the ball down in shage speeds.
You know. I don't know how you.
Guys feel about the Hall of Fame, but I keep thinking, you know, I see the guys that are getting in nowadays, and Tommy John is always a guy that I always thought should have been a Hall of Fame.
Pitcher two hundred and eighty eight wins.
He literally was the first guy that had the surgery on his elbow, had the ligory replacement, and you know, he won. They said he won one more game I think than Sandy Kofax did his whole career after his Tommy John surgery. So, I mean, people like that don't get the respect. You see the the hard throw they get all the respect. But I think Tommy John is a guy that they need to put him in the Hall of Fame. I don't know how you guys feel about Pete Rose. Is he going to get in now
that he passed away? But that's always a touchy one.
Yeah, the stories.
We had a guy I was working with the book Festival that was just Heirian a couple of weeks ago, and there was an author in town who wrote Pete rose biography and his he had a chance to actually talk to Pete Rose and and wasn't paid for it, which he said was pretty rare because everything, you know, everything, or didn't have to pay Pete Rose.
I guess I should say. But he thinks he'll probably get in.
He'll probably get in, and they'll have to just put something on the plaque, you know, just explain kind of what happened.
But he thinks he thinks it'll probably happen.
Yeah, I think it will.
And I think I saw something where Trump is going to try to do something about it, maybe.
Get it overturned.
But you know, and I always felt like little Whittaker, he was the double play guy with Alan Trammel and Alan Trammell's in and they let it. Really had identical careers, I mean, almost the same stats. And Little Whitaker should be in the Hall of Fame. Gary should be. And obviously some of these guys have that steroid thing hanging
over their head. But you know, I always thought, you know, you there's a few guys, we know a few guys that are in there that probably did we know did steroids and you know, the very Bonds of the world and the Roger Clemens and but I always thought Jeff Kent was one of the better hitting basements in baseball.
And look, that guy's not in.
I mean, he won an MVP hit two ninety you know, had you know, fifteen hundred RBIs and way bait better statistics than Ryan Sandberg did. And yet he's not in the Hall of Fame. That guy should be in.
Well, you played with a lot of these guys thrown out these great names. Did were you able to be a fanboy at all when you played? And I asked, because I'm wondering if you have some great signed stuff, memorabilia.
At home somewhere.
Oh my goodness, I started collecting stuff. And there's a couple guys I really I never got Willy made to sign a ball.
I was able to get Ted Williams to sign a ball for my brother.
I was able to get Kirby Puckett before he passed away. I got him, got him to sign a bath for me. You know, I have a bat signed by Tony Gwynn, who was a teammate.
Yeah.
I did collect some stuff, and you know some guys I really I had a chance to meet Joe Damagio one day. We were in the Yankee Stadium and they had an Old Timers game going on in I just remember people saying that Joe was not one of the kindest guys. He was kind of surly, and I let that bother me and I did not go up to him and introduce myself. And then I learned because I went up to Ted Williams and we heard the same things about Ted Williams, and he was so kind.
He was so nice to me and I had a conversation.
With him for a few minutes. So I do have some really great signed stuff. I have a funny story about Eddie Murray. I went up to him one day after they were we had got got done taken batting practice and we were playing I think the Orioles and and or the Dodgers, I think one of the teams and no, no, he was with the Cleveland Indians. And I went up to him one day and I said, hey, Eddie, I was wondering if you could sign a ball for me, and and he kind.
Of surprised me.
He said, why, why would you want a ball signed by me, and I was like, what do I say? And then I said to him, I said, well, you and I both have the name ed Eddie, and my daughter really loves you because of your name.
And so he ended up he goes, okay.
He signed the ball for me, So I do have some really great stuff side.
What were the conditions of that?
Was it right after about you just kind of after about a practice took the ball to him because you're an opposing team, right, You're an opposing player.
Well, a lot of times you'll get you'll get a clubhouse kid that'll go up to, you know, an opposing guy, take it to him and his clubhouse. You know, lou the Great is some of the greatest stuff I have, and who is one of the kind of souls that I was ever lucky enough to play against with Cal Ripkin.
I played with his.
Brother Billy one year and Cal has signed bat for me a jersey, He's signed a half for me. He signed a lot of baseballs. He was one of the kindest souls ever, and you know, just just a great ambassador for the game. Obviously, twenty six hundred games in a row. You don't see guys even nowadays that play one hundred and sixty two games.
Kalv was just one of the kind and really really.
A good guy.
How did you do against him? Did you face something?
You know, I was fortunate I got a chance to face him a few times. You know, I always was asked to come in and get pal Merrow out because Palmarow hit either before or after him, and Bobby Bonia and our manager Johnny Oates wanted always to try to turn the switch hitters around and make.
Him hit right at it because that was usually the week side.
So I was really lucky enough to have pretty good success against me.
I think he was.
I think he was one for twelve off me, and the only hit he got off me, he hit them balls good off me for outs. But he literally had a check swing base hit over first base off me, and that was the only hit he ever got off me. But you know, there was a few guys that owned me. I remember I faced Kirby Puckett when I was in the Cal League and he was in the call League,
and I'll never forget this. I faced him four times in a game and he hit a home run off me, a double in a single and went three for three with a walk, and I said to myself after the game, I go, this guy is going to be really good. And obviously he had a phenomenal career in the big leagues.
Well go ahead, Oh go ahead. I was gonna say.
Was were there times when you were in the bullpen and you're looking like who's coming up next? And you're thinking, oh, man, I don't want to come in. I mean, did it ever get to that?
Oh my, oh my god?
You know, And yeah, when we're facing the Giants and we're facing you know, Barris on the other side, and we're facing you know, the.
Mariners, and they got Ken Griffy Jr.
In there.
You know, there's Yeah, I knew that there was always somebody in that lineup when I was facing we're facing you know, a team like Harold when Harold Baines was still playing, and pal Marrow had such a feat another guy should be in the Hall of Fame.
Five hundred home.
Runs and three thousand hits, and and pal Marrow was the guy that used to he hit really well against left handed pitchers, and so he was the guy that I had to face. But yeah, I mean I remember I remember facing Darryl Strawberry.
I think the first time. I only faced him a few.
Times, but he was such an imposing figure. Darryl like six foot six, just an incredible physical specimen. And I remember facing him in Yankee Stadium and I remember striking him out, but I was thinking.
Man, that is that's the guy that you.
Do not want to make a mistake and throw one over the middle of the place. Because Strawberry put up some incredible numbers, it's just kind of a shame that he had all the issues that he did, because Darryl Strawberry was a Hall of Fame player, if he didn't have those issues with substance abuse.
Was there a time in your career we don't have much sound left, but that you kind of because you had a great career, you know, he started when you were eight, Probably that you doubted yourself.
You know, guys, I'm so glad that you said that because when my father was alive. My dad's been gone twenty years, but my dad always used to say to me, he said, son, you need to write your life story and tell tell it. Tell it to some You have an incredible story. And this was even before you know some of the things that I went through. There was many times in my career guys that I really wanted
to quit. I ended up going to Italy and playing, and I thought I was done and I was able to come back from Italy and play in the World Series with tomorrowlin is common in Lessorda literally told me
to my face that I was not good enough. I was a role five pick by the Dodgers, and he told me the Dodgers did not keep me and they waived me, and so I had to go in his office and hear him tell me I wasn't good enough, and I just told myself, I'm going to use this guy's doubting me as fuel as a chip on my shoulder, and I did, and it really made me feel good because about sinths later, I was in the big leagues with the Rangers and Fred Claire came up to me,
who was their general manager, and he literally apologized and said, Eddie, we were wrong.
You are a really good pitcher.
You were good enough to pitch in the big leagues and we were wrong about you. And that really made me feel good that he came up to him. But Tommy never would have apologized, But I really respect Fred Claire. He apologized to me, and that meant a lot to me.
Sometimes you need that to become to get that chip on your shoulder right to kind of fuel you.
You do, you really do.
And you see a lot of athletes I think Aaron Rodgers when he got didn't get drafted number one, the deck drafted Alex Smith. Aaron Rodgers used that his whole career kind of has a chip on his shoulder. I think I think he still has a chip on his shoulder.
I'm a huge fan.
I hope he plays with the Steelers this year and and.
Brings them back to the problemised plan. We'll see.
He's got a lot of lot left and he's got you know, he's got stuff to prove.
But it's hard for athletes.
Just to kind of give it up at the end. It's hard to say you're done.
Yeah.
No, the end game is one of one of the things real quick because I know you and I you text me all the time. What's going on? Are we going to be okay? Are you okay with what's going on with basketball? How do you feel?
No?
I think Tommy's so great at bringing people in. I got a chance to meet kJ Lewis and and I'm disappointed that he's leaving. I don't know why he leave. I don't know if it's a money thing. You know, obviously he's probably gonna he would have played a lot next year with Caleb Love being gone, I and and and big the big guy Henry leave And I'm disappointed. But that's what bothers me is the I think money has definitely been a negative thing for these college kids.
I think there's you don't see teams that stay together for two or two or three or four years. I mean, look at look at Cooper Cooper with with Duke.
Obviously he's a great player and he's gonna be the NBA. He's gonna be a star.
But you'd like to see the college kids stay. And I thought Arizona had some guys like Jared Baylist who left, and and look at Aaron Gordon was not an NBA player when he left.
I think guys need to stay.
And learn in college. I I loved college. It helped me realize I wanted to be a ballplayer.
And I enjoyed the college life.
It was fun.
Those are the fun days of my life. Was playing for coach Kendall with you.
They Yeah, I.
Agree, Yeah, thanks lunch man.
Be well, Hey, appreciate you guys. You guys, keep up the good work.
Great, thank you, thank you. Let's take a break. We're way over, but that was fun. So we'll come back and maybe take a couple of calls. Welcome back to Eye the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, do Dave Silver. Yep, you got about what seven minutes?
Eight minutes minutes? Okay, cool?
Uh if you want to give us a quick call, that was pretty good with Ed Ed a guest now is good?
Yeah, yeah, And he's.
Got here's the issue. I don't mind a book from him. Here's the issue. He's been out of the game so long, but he does have a story to tell, you know, he's.
He's got a great story itself, from his little league years through his high school and college years at the UFA winning all these championships. I mean, there's only been three players in history who's League World Series, College World Series and Major League.
He is a trivia question.
Yeah, so Jason vera tech who was with the Red Sox eventually, and then Michael Confordo, whose mother was a synchronized swimmer at the year they at Tracy Ruiz right.
And then ed right. You know that's that's a small, small little club.
Sure part of sure no, And what great thrill when you're eleven twelve years old pitching in the World Series and doing that right?
I mean, win's the U of a World Series in nineteen eighty and the Florida Marlins and ninety seven and seventy three Little League World Series, so you always got that little I don't know what you want.
His bio is pretty interesting for getting.
Girl and the bars is uh. I bet you can't answer this quiz. You know, that's a good trivia question. If you do, I'll buy you a beer. That's a nice little opening line. And if you don't, I'll still buy you
