This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. You want to take part in the show called up Steam now went five to two oh four seventy.
Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Vera, You're Blake Deiger. You got O guy Henry, Ye're working in the controls, and you got breaking news.
Well, this is I on the Ball breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
The NBA Playing Tournament happened yesterday. The Heat defeated the Bulls and will now take on the Hawks. And the Mavericks defeated the Kings and will now take on the Grizzlies tomorrow.
Yeah, have you watched any of it? I watched the first half a little, the first half of last night's MAVs game with Sacramental they got rid of the GM.
GM.
Yeah, yeah, that that the organization's tough.
That's a dumpster fire. You can't make that trade and then fire the GAM like you can't. You can't fire the coach. We week in or two, you fire the coach, make the trade, the fire the GM from an ownership standpoint, like, you know what, that's a dog chasing its tail at this point. Can't allow the GM to make a trade yourself, That's.
What I mean.
Yeah, what what are we doing?
Yeah.
Aaron Rodgers went on the Pat mcafview show earlier today and he ripped the Jets for his exit from the team.
That was today. I think he said that was I listened to. He's a tough watch. He just is. I mean, he's a tough watch only because he's just kind of back and forth. And I don't know, I'm not a big fan like ever or you're not a big fan of him now ever, he's the guy. He's the guy, and I'm sure people think of me the same way. But he's he watched in the room. He's the smartest student room. Yeah, and and not that he is or isn't, but he acts like he is the smartest student room.
And I'm okay with that. Okay, but there's gonna be different opinions that you are you aren't. What does he get out of that by saying that the public? By saying that public, I don't that's a good question. I don't know.
That's more my question, like, I don't care who you think you are. I mean, he from accolades and from what he's done on the field. Absolutely, Like if you keep that, But what do you get by going out in the media When I think as a fan base the Jets, I mean, my best friend's a Jets fan, and God bless his soul, I think, Yeah, sorry, Henry, I apologize. I don't know how you guys do it.
It doesn't make any sense to me. And you every year you buy into it like we got a chance this here, and I'm like, come on, man, like the last Juts fan, I'm just as bad, but at least we want a World Series.
I don't know what he gets from it. He gets paid a million dollars to go on that show.
Yeah, but to say those things as a little SoundBite that he's just trying to get traction now and stay relevant, I don't know.
I don't know. But he's just one of those guys. I wouldn't want him on my team. As good as he is, I wouldn't want him on my team.
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, you know those guys. Hell, you play with him, you may be one of those guys. I've never ever I'll be the never thought I was the smartest person in the room, but been I don't care what real momim and I've never you gotta have you got to have.
His chip on your shoulder. You gotta have that.
Yeah, No, you do when you're in your twenties and you're fighting for something, or maybe in your thirties and you're trying to recreate your career. But at this point, he's what forty one? Yeah, he's my age. Just I mean, like, what do you get out of that? Yeah, you're already going down as a Hall of Famer, Right, You've already won a Super Bowl, you have MVP. Like, what is the point of going in the I mean the organization that literally took a shot on you after they just
drift drafted a first round quarterback the year before? Like, what do you get out of that?
Right?
Okay, Lee Corso will be retiring from college game day.
Yeah, it's great. He's one hundred and forty five.
Yeah, I was gonna say he's like seventy eighty nine.
He's near ninety.
You're nice, So I think it's I saw this morning. I'm thinking that's nice. But he's only gonna do one game. The first game. Yeah, and it's a good sidof you've watched it a few times. I'm sure. I'm sure, of course, and you're thinking, God, they gotta get him off, they got to get him off.
That I think we were saying that in the nineties.
Maybe no, no, no, but you know, even like if my mom went doing it or somebody, I'm thinking, you got it, you.
Know, but it's all yeah, I know, but it's all I mean, what are you gonna call in? You don't, I mean, when is you I mean, yeah, when is the end game?
Well, you know, you know, especially if you're related to the person that's up there and you say, Dad, I think I think you know you better just stop.
Yeah, I know, you love it. My dad's listening right now. I tell him that all the time we shopped, we go shop and look at homes all the time. I'm trying to find a warm bit for him at.
One day, one time, my son, my sons are gonna tak death enough yeah, I mean yeah, maybe on the regular after that happens, right yeah.
No, but I mean leek orse. So yeah, you're you're you're you're in the same boat as like I tell right, yeah, yeah, yeah, you knew. But for those guys that's all they know.
Like, but you know, and okay, he set eighty nine whatever, Dick Bartells whatever. At some point, how much money do you need to do this? What is I don't think it's the money thing. I think it's just that's even that's all he knows. Even more so, a lot of people just go off into the sunset.
So what do you want him to do? You want him go fishing at eighty nine years old? It's gonna fall and drown. Well, you put him in bubble. I mean, like what you're past. The retiring n eighty nine.
Year olds all over the world get through this will too, Yeah, I guess.
But I mean if you had the chance to still do this at eighty nine, you're telling me you wouldn't. Hell No, I'm just now smarter than Okay, So now you think about Vin Scully, And I thought Vin Scully was still like sure, it's still worth listening. He didn't travel with the team. He did it smart, right, there's an end game, Yeah, there's an own game, and he I think he knew and he was able to kind of write. Sure, that's where I would get worried in
my career if I ever get to that point. Is I want to still be able to control that narrative. But the end, I don't want to have to like we're the kinving this conversation right now. It's it's long past due for for these guys. But I would still want to be able to control that narrative.
Right.
Sources say Carter Brian will test the waters in the NBA draft, but if he returns to college it will be at Arizona.
Yes, I think that's the smartest move. Well, I mean we had this conversation off air. Why wouldn't you. I wouldn't to get used to going through that process. It's, you know, sure to understand the meat market is what we call it, and what people are looking for, and then to get a realization of where I'm at. Sure, No, no, of course. Yeah. There's nothing to lose, everything to gain, nothing to lose. Yeah.
Sun's owner Matt Ishbia called the Sun's season a failure in his end of season press conference today.
Again, like, duh, stop the presses for those who do that used to be a newspaper term. Yeah, what are newspapers?
I don't know, Okay, box Scar Damian Lillard has been cleared of deep vein thrombosses and will ramp up basketball activity with the gold of return in this year's playoffs.
It gives them hope. I've never deep.
That's deep. Vein thumb process is the son of a What is that? What can somebody explain that to me? I know, No, don't just take it too much. Sorry, Henry is like, I got this, That's all I got.
You got What else was going on the women women's golf? Did we talk about that? The beginning of Yeah, we try to get her, right, you should and anything else I think with you of a baseball softball tonight or tonight.
I think tonight verse text here.
That should be a fantastic it should be And if you haven't been out, that's a phenomenal environment.
I need to go. I need to go out together. Yeah we should.
Yeah, you'll bring your glove, Yeah, I'll get your helb all buddy. Yeah, maybe an ice cream cone. Who's the geek out there? That Steve?
I will make us that old dude, he should call it quits on his show. He's too old.
I'll tell you so. I So this is my I'm so grumpy. So I walk in the neighborhood in the morning. Right, So there's two shirts like I'm in active. I get my ankle weights on, I go out there and I kick butt man. So uh so I'm walking the neighborhood and in our neighborhood. Like I get upset when people. There's three things I get upset. It one when they drive by and they don't wave back infuriates me. I get so angry. Yeah, they get a thumbs down immediately.
The second thing is when people walk on the wrong side of the street with dogs. So like I walk my dog in the morning, they're coming towards. You have to walk against traffic, against a width against Why that's a law?
Now do you not know cycling? Cycling?
Cycling is opposite, right, you want you have wheels, legs, You walk against traffic so you can visually seek, so you walk with traffic.
I don't watch in the streets like you. For God's sake.
Oh, I lived in the streets for a while, so I know these streets help me.
Uh.
I'm sorry if I spilled you. That was kind of funny. But really, that's what I don't know. Is that a lot.
It's absolutely a lot.
So I want to here's what I'm saying.
I want to get a shirt that says, and the front says pedestrians walk against traffic. And I want to get the law on the back of the shirt so I don't have to say anything to these people.
I just go like this. If anybody knows that to look at your breasts, yeah, sure so no, no, no, you're glorious e even he knows this to be long, I didn't know this. Give me a call. Yeah, I have to plead.
And the third thing is I've been known to take because I still have a pocket radar from the times I've coached to watch how fast kids throw and spin right and everything. So I'll take it out and all you are, I just listen. It's a neighbor. There's kids all over the place. I don't think you need to drive forty five miles hour through. So I am sixty two. Man, listen. If I don't have a chance to just complain in life, then I don't have a purpose.
I have a friend who I went to school with, obviously in high school. All the side, he's he's a good friend. He might be listening. Now he's turned into an old white guy. He's sixty sixty years old. I think, when did this happen? You've turned into that guy to you wear those pets, go, I'm gonna get your son. I would I just go straight move. But when I walk in the morning, two dudes on the Sesame street, Yeah yeah, we got to get you and I on that thing.
That'd be perfect. They should make puppets oft. I've turned into a character show of myself anyway, So walking against I did not know this. Oh my god, how do you not know this?
Just from a safety standpoint, I'm talking bicycly because you're trusting.
We just talked about how terrible Arizona drivers are. You're trusting drivers to get get out of the way of you. You don't want to sidewalk, I want to I guess if you Yeah, you're on a sidewalk.
We don't have sidewalk, so you don't obviously because you're afraid someone's gonna.
Hit you from No, I don't cycle because I'm a terrible bicyclist. I crashed you all the time. That's your swimming and bicycling. You never knew this about walking on this. This is crazy to me. This is wild to me that you don't know that.
No.
The good thing is I don't walk or I'll go to a track and walk. You don't walk around the track I.
Used to are used to when I wanted to wait, wait, wait wait ten ten twelve years ago.
That doesn't I mean, that doesn't count.
What do you mean? Why do you mean you you? I wished it all that time, ten twelve years ago? What? How's it? How's it paid off for you? I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back. It was so good to be like quick for twelve years. That's so funny. Henry's like, guys, I'm done. I've checked. Henry's checked out. Wow, I didn't know you are a grumpy old man. Maybe I like it.
I like maybe, I don't know. It's a it's a tough personality deal with I. This is why I have a small circle Swi ferens. That does explain it. But it what else on your wish lish wish list? God wish to shore some uh that you want in this town? From a sports.
Standpoint, but I think it's a great, great starting point where you ask the people what are we missing and how can we get there? Yeah?
I think listen, we have some we have some facilities that I think we could bring in to tie into our like FC two sounds a perfect example, right if we could take and they do this already they have a youth academy, but a full tie in model of a European and Kendey.
Then with the German thing South Southut.
Yeah, but you're looking at FC Barcelona and cost Grande and Francisco Grande. They do that phenomenal. It is unbelievable. I thought RSL was there, No, it was. Now it's FC Barcelona, which people don't know. So literally every almost every United US a player that plays on the Big Five. For people that don't know what Big five is, it's Italy, Germany, uh In, Spain, England and France doing phenomenal like hop went there like yeah, it's great, it's a great academy.
So if we could progress that a little bit and have a big model and you do it's dortmun who you're talking about, BBB.
Yeah.
I think understanding the international connection, I think that's what we have to look at, Like the dreams of us getting a G League or Triple A team and it was it Maybe it does, but we have to answer the questions first of why people aren't going to gain and then understand that maybe we take something, we take a step back, and we go, why aren't we an international hub, right? I mean, look at our culinary piece of it. You know the City of Astronomy, that's an
international piece. Why don't we do that throughout everything? And that way we're not competing against l Paso and Albuquerque. We're changing the whole model and being the first of its kind.
Yeah. No, there's a lot of potential. There's no question about. You're a million and a half people. There's tons of and the funny thing is not putting the good thing is there from all over the world, country, world, blah blah blah, and bring different ideas, different thoughts too.
You've got a great university, you got a great community college. When we're talking here, it's just there could be tons of time. I'm gonna necessary question. They just talked to my head. Do you think that we take care of the or Tucson takes care of the natives enough? And I asked that question because I'm from Santa Fe obviously, and people know that, and it's the it's an expensive town to live in now and a lot of the people who live in there now aren't natives, they've been
forced out. They go to Albuquerque for cheaper rent. No, yeah, I mean so now it's the Texans and the Californians and blah blah blah. It's not Santa Fe like I used to know it. You know what I'm saying.
Do you think that we do enough for the locals here to use you? And you are you?
Yeah? I mean I am A. I don't know, that's a. I think I need more context to that question.
Well, to answer this question, to answer what would you do if you were whatever? What would you do? What's the reason why you're not going? I think they use I don't think they take care of the locals enough.
I could be wrong, and I to throw that out there. I don't know if that's true or no, I hear. I'll answer this really quick, and it's it's just it's probably not a specific enough answer. But I would say that it needs to start at the elementary school level, where you're you're buying into this with those kids, because now it's future generations. Rim So, like when we work with the superintendent's office for like the kids in the park day, that's something that doesn't get done a lot
the road runners do it. We just need a better buy in from that standpoint. But you I mean when we're saying natives, you can also talk about the tribal nations, right. You have to lot of them. You have Pasquayaki, They all should be tied in. It should be inclusive, right because we are here, this is our land. And not to get on the soapbox, but like let's do it together, right, If we're gonna change collectively, let's change collectively.
Right. No, No, I think you know who has the best access to that or chance for that is universitys.
They have to leave the charge.
Yeh.
They're the fabric of the society and they want the economic impact and everything else.
They're the driving force if they want people in that stadium. Yeah, they have the price differently than to attract differently.
That's why you have to have people like Ray Florest. Yeah, yeah, let's go. That's good that. We'll talk more about that later.
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Streamy live on the iHeartRadio WIP. This is Eye on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. You're Blake Eager. We got Henry working the phone. Now in the foe we have Dallas Howell from the Southern Arizona Baseball Academy. Dallas, how you doing.
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me.
I'm a little handicapped here. I have Blake with me. Sorry to say, but yo, he know bomber that is a bummer. No gun, he got you on the show. I didn't know that you were the son of Jack Jack Cowell one and true law of Lanie opis wow.
True definition of a baby baby right Dallas, You're nowhere near anywhere in your career without your dad and your your father in.
Law, nothing, nothing at all. Yes, that is that is very true, Dallas.
Amberd told me to tell you to keep it clean on the radio to day, and I said, we've got the curse button right here. Dallas will go off use it once yea Ray Floor has let it go. So uh yeah, thanks for joining us. Dallas. One of the things that we were talking about earlier is I just I wanted to get some perspective from your standpoint. I mean, obviously, you're a kid that grew up in professional baseball at
the big league level in Japan, at npon level. What was that like, Like, did you have a semblance of normalcy as a kid or was it just consistently you going to the ballpark and then going to different schools because you guys moved. You guys moved around a lot, right.
Yeah, we did. We did it. Two songs. Always been home based, but always in California. We lived in Texas when when he was with the Astros, and of course Japan from ages like four to seven. So to answer your question, it was, I mean it was it was very chaotic. You know, ballparks all the time. I think I learned how to swim at Angel Stadium, moving summers were all over the place. So very chaotic. But you know, growing up in that it was it was normal to me,
very normal. So as I as I was getting older and kind of sharing my story and how many times we moved and and all that. I mean even in high school, I think at three three homes three different rooms in high school, which is crazy. So yeah, it's not normal, but it's you know, it's it's part of it. I wouldn't trade it. Love growing up, you know, in the ballpark, being around the field. Baseball's been a lot
to me and my family. I've learned so much through it, so very very blessed to be a part of that.
Talking to a kid, talking to a kid me who grew up a loving baseball, playing it all the time as much as I could. What a life I'm thinking you had, because you're at the ballpark and you're seeing all these people and you're probably fielding balls or in the outfield catching flies and all that. Were you that kid?
Yeah, all the time. I loved it. I was always you know, trying to I would shag. I would every now and then jump in and take them vp.
It was.
It was Yeah, it was such a it was. It was insane, It really was. I remember having Randy Johnson when when my dad was at the Astros, Randy Johnson had a stint there and uh, you know through front tops to us in the in the cages down there and his locker mat to his right. I think it was Billy Wagner on one side, and then Jeff Bagwell was on the other and two down was moys A
Salou Craig Vigio was three down. So it's just yeah, the bizarre thinking of it now that you know, growing up with with Hall of Famers sitting next to my my dad's locker was was fun.
Yeah, I mean, this is it's great to get that kind of knowledge. And I mean one of the reasons why I wanted to bring you on today was, uh, your dad's time in the Knee Pon League and what he was able and capable of doing in Japan. But you're seeing the influx of Japanese stars at the major league level. I mean, the best player in the big leagues I think without a doubt, and I argue that he might be the greatest baseball player of all time if he comes back and pitches anywhere near where he
has in the past. Is show hey, Otana, what what was it like while you were over I know you were young, but what was it like while you were over there? Did you get a chance to play baseball or get coached in that in that kind of arena, and what was the difference between that and in your experience in the United States.
Yeah, I don't. I honestly don't remember too much. I was, I was fairly young. I went to ASIJ, which is American school in Japan. I don't even think I don't even think we were in you know what, five six, seven years old. I don't know if there's there's club teams and stuff. I know we did a lot of I do remember the camps and the baseball you know,
just clinics that they put on. And it could be wrong, but I just feel like there was literally a thousand kids out there playing and just so organized, so much better than I was. I just feel like, what where am I?
Like?
What is this? So it's it's it was definitely different in that aspect of it where you know, in the States, I feel like growing up, I was always one of the you know, I was. I was decent at baseball, was one of the better athletes on the field. But I do feel when I was in Japan it was it just felt like a different level. Yeah.
Well, not knowing your past and you played at Pima, right, Uh did you play beyond Peva? No?
I did not, Pima, was it?
Uh?
You know, growing up with my dad and I love him, but he didn't tell me that there's a real world out there. So I grew up thinking that my dad did it, so that's what I'm I'm gonna do. And after seeing the talent at at Pima, I realized, Okay, I got I got to figure out what I need to do. And I didn't grow like he did. I'm I'm you know, I'm gonna say five to eleven on the on the radio if that's okay, but it's probably more like five to nine.
Well you just crushed me because I'm about five to ten. Thank you very much. No, no, but you found your niche. I mean, did you figure out after the real world stuff that you were going to be doing what you're doing now?
You know, I knew I wanted to be in sports. I'm a real estate agent and you I think you know Danny Roth, I'm on.
Damis, Yes, yes, because we've talked about that, right.
Yeah. So I'm a real estate agent. But I always knew I was going to be connected to sports and baseball specifically. It's just I love it too much and it's hard to get away from it. And worked with Blake a lot with with Hills and coach a lot of baseball with him. And I got to say, so much knowledge from from my dad, so much knowledge from from Andy, my father in law. But I think I think Blake has them both beat. I mean that you're sitting next to a true baseball a true baseball guy.
So I learned a lot from Blake. And yeah, I always knew I was gonna stay in baseball. I love it. It's a passion of mine. So yeah, being in real estate and baseball, it's really it's a dream come true.
Yeah.
I mean, like your dad always said, yeah, you know, I'm the son he always wanted, but he had to have you. So yeah, no, that's you.
I loved Blake more than me.
That's not true. We were very fortunate we had. I mean, when Dallas and I were very young, we were coaching like eight teams all around the city of Tucson, run around with their heads cut off, and we just I think we bonded that way. But watching Dallas on the field, it's pretty incredible. If you get the chance, if your kid plays baseball and is looking for maybe a longer career path, Dallas, why don't you give us some information on your academy that you have with Andy Lopez and David Lopez.
Yeah, thank you, it's it's it's a lot of fun. First of all, it's so cool to be able to work with family and my brother in law, David, who played on the twenty twelve national championship team at u of A. He's unbelievable on the field works you know, work to Boys and Girls Club is now at Children's Museum, so it just has a passion for youth development. And then Andy, you know, I think he was retired six days and then he's like, hey, can you guys start
something so I could be back on the field. So I think he retired six days, but he, you know, coach Lopez, Andy, my father in law, is it's so bizarre to know that, like he is literally out there on the fields. He does our practice plans, he does bullpens with our pitchers, and these kids are nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen years old. It's it's he has no idea. I'm sorry,
they really don't know that. They don't know him. So it's pretty funny because you know, it could be it could be my wife out there teaching him how to pitch and they wouldn't know the difference, but he is super involved. And we started with one team. We're now at we have two fourteen years to twelve views, and then come August we're going to start probably an eleven U and a twelve you and really just being able to give back and teach these kids the right way
how to play baseball and then done it. From my perspective of life is not all baseball. Most of you will not play college, most of you will not play pro. So teaching them how to be a good person, how to do things the right way, because you know life, life, life is going to get you at some point. So just teaching these these young men how to grow up in the world and be good people.
So so you're the guy who I have to blame because your your father in law blames you for that. Him not being allowed to come to the radio show, he says, coming to be my host again because he's done it a few times. No, Mike Snila has me practicing in baseball blah blah blah. Because let me tell you something, I honestly think the world of him. Coach Lopus to me is just fantastic. I've covered the loot
for twenty five years. I covered some other coaches, you know, to tell me for a few and but to me, Andy Lopez, he's the soothsayer. You know. He comes up with these you know, somewhere in America someone's making that play. He's got all these sayings, just kind of crazy, and I love them because my reminding me of my dad. He always comes up with funny stuff and they're just sticking your head because they're so clever and so good.
The the ones and the twos and the threes. When you're recruiting, right, so do you have do you have something? Because the sun in law, you might take a brunt of some of the things. Any sayings that he has that he's Dallas, let me tell you.
Yeah, well it's it's it's pretty bizarre to know, like every day it's something new, yes, And I'm I just I can't understand how you can have that much knowledge and it, you know, pertain to what we're doing that day. But it's what our kids are running around saying. Now is hot coffee. So he'll stand behind the cage, watch these guys hit VP. And if someone squares up a baseball and and hits it sharp, it's you know, he
yells hot coffee. So you got a bunch of the ten year olds eleven year olds run around the field saying hot coffee, not even knowing why. But he coach Bopez do it, so that's kind of what they do. They go up and give them high five or or shake his hand, and it's just kids run around saying hot coffee. So if you start hearing hot coffee around the town the city of Tucson, you know why, right.
So he does that, and he not that he name drops, but he's a fantastic storyteller and he always brings up names that fit the story. Back in Santa dubingis you know we played and then we didn't I rake my own yard. Blah blah blah. I'm taking this guy. Who is this dude? He's like snatch a pebble from my hand.
Yeah, well it's it's true. And maybe I shouldn't say this on air, but I'm going to he he would he would steal little patches of grass from the soccer field because they had nicer grass over there, and they didn't have a lot of a lot of funding to the baseball. So at night he'd go with a flash flight and cut out grass, and he would go and and spread it, you know, about five or ten feet apart, because if you water it, the roots will start to
gravitate towards each other and grow. So that's that's one thing that that he's known for. He yeah, he grew his own grass on his baseball field and and you know said it, said someone's got to do it. So that's a pretty funny story.
Yeah, Dallas and I used to run a camp here, a youth camp, pretty large youth camp, and we've had we were very fortunate to have all. I mean, we had a lot of people come through that, you know, Chip Hail, Andy Lopez, Tito Francona, George Shelley, Duncan. I'm gonna miss Jack Howl with Tom Wilhelmson. Who else do
we have? Who am I missing? Coach Stitt, Jerry Stitt. Yeah, So, I mean to listen to all those guys talk, and I don't think I'm speaking ill of anybody, but I think the whole place stopped once Coach Lopez started talking because everybody was so in tune. I mean, the guy is a motivational speed right, every you wouldn't have replace by I would be, and I would be. I would understand that. I wouldn't even argue that.
I call them a lot. Said can you come? And I got to go. I said, I need your stories. I need your stories. Yeah.
He came out through first pitch of the World Baseball Classic and I was like, hey, I want to take you up, and he's like, I can't.
I got to run back.
I've got to give the motivational speech to Pepperdine before the U of a game. But I was like, what He's like, I got to run And I was like, so you drove all the way out here throughout the first pitch and took out I could even introduce him to the president of the World Baseball Classic. So it was. It was pretty incredible. So I do have a question for you, Dallas before you leave. A lot of You've been through a lot in your life. You've been able
to see all kinds of things. You've told me earlier. Your biggest regret in life is not seeing your childhood modeling career go through right when you were living in Japan.
No, I think you mis heard me. You know I did that. You know it's it's yeah, it's just it's a it's another box checked. I really mastered the modeling career in Japan, and I just wanted to move on to different things. So no, it's it's not too many times you see a you see an American running around Japan with the Mohawks, so needy target for some modeling agencies out there.
What were you you were in like a J. C. Penny model or a catalog over there?
Right?
Better.
It was one time I was on the inside cover of Sports Illustrated for Wolf Photography or something like that, and Dan Marino's on the cover, and that was it. I think I cried. I think I y I told my mom and dad I didn't want to do it, and I was wearing leather pants. It was just it was a nightmare, business nightmare. So I retired early.
Still the highlight of your career though, right, see again, Yeah that is so so before you go, you gotta give me, you got to give me one of Andy's favorite sayings that you say, oh God here, yeah, because mine's some someplace in America. Someone's making that play.
Yeah, So we hear that a lot. I think, I think, what what is most important? And it's just true in everybody's life. Whether you're an athlete, whether you you know, have a job, it doesn't matter. It's it's it's if you're going to do something, do it right. And and it's it's just that if our teams to every part of life, and that is big. That's kind of our
model when we're out there. It's like, if you're going to do something right, whether it's whether it's you know, working, whether it's eating, whether it's playing baseball, whether it's tying your shoe, it's it's if you're going to do something, do it the right way. And that that really sticks with a lot of our kids and me personally in my life. Just such a simple phrase has anything I'm doing, uh in life is literally I hear Andy all the time.
So I thank him, but yeah, I'm hearing him too much in my head.
I can imagine. Are you practicing tonight?
Uh? We are not. We have tomorrow off because a good Friday, and then we were We're back next week so and then we have a tournament the following weekend. In our summer summer gets pretty crazy. Where got accepted to the USA Champs Tournament fourteen U and then we'll be at some perfect games and some tbrs.
We'll enjoy your hot coffee when you get back on the field.
Wait, yeah, Dallas, real quick, what's the name of your academy one more time?
Southern Arizona Baseball Academy. We have a website Southern Arizona Baseball Academy dot org. And if you, yes, if you have any any athletes out there wanted to join an elite program, my information is on there. So yeah, thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it.
Yeah. Thanks.
If you just want to go out there and meet a former child model, he's out there all the time.
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Yeah, thanks so much, man, Thanks you much.
Dallas, thanks deep, Thank you guys.
Fun. That's fun. I think the world of Indian now, Dallas, that's cool. Yeah, let's take a break so we can take some calls on the other side. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludelsen era in my new book, Lessons from Loot. It was a labor of love through the eye of twenty five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them,
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Steve Rivera He's got his eye on the Ball on Tucson sports station Fox Sports fourteen fifty eight.
Hey, welcome back to y' about here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera your break eager, got Henry here for the next fifteen minutes. If you guys like to call, we'd love to hear from you. Five two zero four one six seventy four forty Okay, So maybe we'll take some calls after this question to Henry. Henry, you're from New York. You've been here now three almost four years, right, yep? So what and you you live in like the big city? Right, the big city?
Yeah?
Man, you're a Mets? What are you? Yankees? Thanks?
Yeah, hey so easy? Sorry easy. They paid me, wrote a lot of paychecks. So so what do you think.
Think As a guy who saw a few games, what do you think about Tucson sports wise? What would you think needs to happen?
I would first off say, I think it is better than what I expected obviously outside of just Arizona sports like I didn't even realize how much history, like Keno Stadium, all the games that used to take place there. What it would need is probably maybe more commitment, just from I feel like they're like a certain group that's very committed to.
A bunch of st the people he was talking about to.
Exact, but like a more general and that could be mixing up. I don't know how the like the Roadrunners do, but I think I went to one of those games really fun times.
I think, yeah, it's high end hockey, right, but you're I think you're that's a really good question, Steve. By the way, for the Outsider, was somebody coming from the market that he comes, right, he's from the city, man.
I mean, obviously it's really different, but it's.
It's pretty much the same. Uh kids, listen, Yeah, why why would you ever go to Manhattan? I'm sorry, I can't go. Yeah. God, it's went to Golden Tree Remote. Uh No, But Henry's right, like there's going to be drawn. I think we were talking about this with you a basketball especially the men's Uh they created a little bit of an atmosphere. They had a DJ, they had a live band on you. I think if we can take
that model into different areas. So where if I'm an even if I'm not a fan, if I'm just a casual person that wants I don't have to worry so much what's going on either on the ice or on the field. Like, I'm just there for the atmosphere. If I can create an atmosphere, I think that's sustainable. Is that what you go for or did you go for the sport?
I went to the Roadrunners game just to check it out, and I had a really fun time. But the atmosphere was I mean from New York, so the hockey and like atmosphere is very good there. But I thought the atmosphere at the Roadrunners get level.
Yeah, satisfied. Yeah, actually was pretty satisfied.
I mean it's trip a hockey.
Yeah.
I mean most of those guys are seeing the NHL time this year, right NHL time.
I think that's a secret, like just finding out what they need. Yeah, what would be beneficial, you know, get people in a room, Yeah.
Do a little test group, me and you something. Just yelling at people all you take this, you're gonna take We gotta call rivera. We can't understand you. Sorry, Hey, welcome to Eye on the ball.
Who's this a steveds Rick? How you doing?
I don't know. I didn't know if I heard this gentleman correctly, but he was saying that white people don't do this or don't do that. I think you have to understand the historical perspective of events here, and you also have to understand that the political environment in southern Arizona is not conducive to getting people excited about sports because you don't hear anything out of the years ago
when we had spring training here and everything else. All the elected officials people were talking about it all the time, and all of a sudden, these events to leave Southern Arizona and people wonder why, Well, it's because the elected bodies don't care to have these opportunities here in southern Arizona and they don't think about it and people that's how people respond. And I don't want to get political here, but there's a reality that we all have to accept.
If you don't have a political environment that says we want this type of opportunities, we appreciate these athletics, and you hear them talking about it publicly, people respond and just a life.
So Blake, tell them who you're with and how long you've been because you know some people obviously you're in where are.
I mean political? So we're a political subody of the state of Arizona. Right, Southern Arizona Sports Tourism and Film authority, Rick, I'm Blake. I think we've talked before. You've called in the show when I've got one. I only know from a small advantaged point. I can only disagree with you from my standpoint. Because everybody was on board with the World Baseball Classic qualifier. The mayor came out, Adelia Garhova was a huge supporter of it. Senator David Gallen was
a huge supporter of it. Rex Scott was out there. He's the chair of the Board of Supervisor.
So go ahead. So Rick is talking to old school, back in the old school, right right now? Do you think that could Rick? Just a quick answer, do you think that could change? That philosophy can or maybe already has gone this way?
Well, you have to remember it was the ping found in government that basically eliminated spring training by moving everything out. It's the way the city has evolved over the years. And Blake, yeah, we have spoke, But I think when you look at the historical perspective, the one thing that has really stayed with Southern Arizona is the Elk Tour because everybody got on board with it.
But the other.
Opportunities have surpassed us because political or agendas aren't focused on understanding the full dynamic of what it is. You do it team county, sports and tourism. And it doesn't make it right. It's just a reality that we all have to accept and it's disappointed that we have to have this discussion in the first place, or change it.
I mean, you're trying to change it, right, yeah, And I think we're I mean there's I mean, I'm not going to argue with Rick on that there's I mean the history. The history is there, whether you want to look at it as a positive or negative. And I think this is great to have a call just to have this conversation, right, But I do think a lot of people are are trying to come together to change that narrative. You're seeing it happen with El Tour. You're
seeing it happen with the Snoop Dog Arizona Bill. You're happening you just saw it happen with a World Baseball Classic. It it's maneuvering in a different position. There's a lot of things happening behind closed doors, but somebody needs to we need to figure out the voice of Southern Arizona and have that person at the forefront kind of like shouting it from a mountaintop, right And maybe it's guys
like Olli far hanging. Maybe it's guys like Ray Flores who are mnd Marcus that are super connected throughout and they already have that kind of weight to go out there and get visitors on a belief because they're already working. They're working in great directions right now, just continually amplifying that voice. But yeah, Rick, I understand.
Yeah, well, and I don't want to put a bad spin on this, but we'd have to change the discussion at the head of the table.
Yes, and that is.
Your chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and that's your mayor. Until you get both of these entities talking, and then you're Chuck Huckleberry basically eliminated baseball. And you guys have done a great job of bringing this back. But I'm going to tell you something people just don't appreciate or understand.
And I've been around this town for almost seventy years, so I've watched this evolution, and I've been involved in politics for over forty and it's sad, but it's a reality that we all have to accept until we understand and how do we engage the elected officials to really step up and publicly get behind these events. Then that audiencestead of votes for these people will pay more attention and you'll have a bigger.
Draw thanks to the col ric. I appreciate it. I think two things can be right at the same time. Right, what he's saying from the past, and you're saying what the potential is the future. And we talked about that with Ray, that more people step up like these guys, you guys, it can change. Yeah.
I mean we have huge supporters on the Board of Supervisors on every spectrum, the mayor. I think it's changing, right, And I can't correct for Rick because I don't know the history piece of it.
It's very obvious from the good old days. It's a quarter of a century ago now. Yeah, And I think, listen, we're you. You said it best.
Either we you know, sit on our morals or you change things, right. I just I think we're changing in a positive direction.
That we would be a good get, well, would be a great get, something new, what would be a great get? That's possible, that's possible, not you know, having the Yankees come down here. But you do know, is there a great what do we need?
I listen and I'm this is I honestly think there's still a chance for spring training, right and I think that would be for me Mount Rushmore putting it back on saying like, hey, what can capacity can we do spring training? Because I no matter what you talk about, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Tucson Sports.
You have a basketball and spring training. Yeah, but I've been around a long time.
Yeah, and I mean Henry's new here. I mean most people don't realize this because it hasn't been around since twenty fifteen. But I mean we had we were the first spring training site in the state of Arizona, and I think there's a possibility of doing that while we move forward.
I'm going to go ahead and talk. I'm going to try to find a note that someone sent me a few weeks ago, because we talk about this every now and again, the spring training, and they try to tell me I have to go through the whole thing. Anything. Well, so spring training would be your the number one get And do you think that people would buy in? Yeah?
Absolutely, Henry, what's your what would your be You're you're coming from a one, you mean, arguably the largest market. What would be your outside looking in perspective of something that you'd like to see in Tucson outside of what currently exists.
I know, did they used to do march mauntains a. McHale was, yeah, they did.
I'm not sure why they don't do it, so the probably not. The structure is not big enough anymore.
Yeah.
My cousin was asking why, and I told him I'd get the answer. So that's good. We don't know. We don't have an answer on air. This isn't a hot take that I can now spring out to the world with all my connections.
No, no, I don't think it's big enough anything.
Guys.
Yeah, because they have bigger, bigger venues. Now. It was a great place. But the thing about it too is there was almost always on the road. Well they have it here because yeah, because you know, and it doesn't take away from the audience because there was one. They love college basketball, especially at that level because seed Michigan, Camadia, whoever.
The MLS spring training was great too. I mean, I know they're working hard on that, but I mean to be able to see David. I mean that's that's a core memory for my wife and I. I mean, like David Beckham when he played here, stayed afterwards and went around the whole stadium to take pictures and sign autographs
with every single person that stayed. Like, that's incredible when you see it on that level, right, if you could, if you know, I know, no f C two Sons still does it, but uh, if you could collectively collectively have both those things going on at the same time in some capacity, would would be pretty impressive. I mean sports wise, I mean, we've got some things working that. I mean, we talked about this before, Steve, excuse me. You know we had to beat out Orlando and the
country of Columbia. I mean, the Indoor Football Championship had to beat out Las Vegas. So like we're you know, and we're working with the international stuff that we're competing against other larger cities. We need to take advantage.
So we've got a one let's call hello, you're on the air, and nine and the ball we got about a minute.
Yeah, gentlemen, I think you guys are doing a great job long far hang in moving forward and getting the ball rolling again.
But I would say the holy grail for Tucson would be at another Triple A ball club.
I love the sound, I love.
You of a baseball, but the sound of a what and't bad as opposed to an aluminum bat.
That needs to be heard in Tucson.
Once again, a.
Lot of people loved going to High Corpord, watching the Toros and just taking it all in. And that was that was a touchdown for the community for a long time.
Yeah, Okay, thanks to money. We appreciate you too, call, thanks for listening. Possible, just possible, probably not what triple Yeah, there's the possibilities out there. Okay, with that, we got to go. Thanks for being there. Thank you, Henry. We'll talk you guys tomorrow.