00:00I thought I'd use your expertise at something.
00:02I went and looked at your baseball reference page.
00:04You played everything but center field and catcher on a baseball diamond.
00:07No pitching, but position.
00:09And you started as a shortstop.
00:11You were a good prospect as a shortstop.
00:14Drafted as a shortstop, played it in the minors, came up doing it.
00:17And ultimately, to extend your career, you moved around the diamond quite a bit.
00:22The Mets are trying to turn a shortstop, Bo Bichette into a third baseman,
00:28Jorge Polanco, who's never played first base into a first baseman.
00:32And, I mean, even Brett Beatty is going to move around.
00:34He's never played first base.
00:35He's going to play some right field and first base.
00:38Juan Soto's going back to left field from right field.
00:40Just wonder, the trick of moving positions,
00:44the one that really interests me is Bo Bichette at third.
00:47It's a move you made, right?
00:48Shortstop to third base.
00:50You know, it's funny.
00:51I can only go through my experiences with it.
00:54I never played another position my entire life with shortstop until I got to the big leagues.
00:59And then I just, you have a decision to make.
01:02You're on the backfield.
01:03Raphael, for a call, starts throwing the ball across the diamond,
01:05brings a skill set that I couldn't.
01:08And I kind of knew the writing was on the wall.
01:10And Glenn Hubbard was our infield coach and said,
01:13Hey, dude, I'll see you at 730 tomorrow morning.
01:15We're going to start learning second base and third base in the outfield and all different stuff.
01:19So I got a chance to touch it all.
01:22I come at it from a different point of view.
01:25I think Bo Bichette's transition to third will be easy.
01:29Why?
01:30I felt it was a day off.
01:32I felt like the shortstop, you're the captain of the infield.
01:36Although all the angles are presenting the game the proper way to you,
01:40everything's moving towards first base.
01:42You are constantly involved in everything.
01:46I felt like third base, there's not many guys laying down bunts anymore.
01:52You're really just playing hockey goalie.
01:55And if you've got good hands, it's kind of a day off mentally.
01:59So I don't feel like Bo, and Bo does have good hands.
02:03I mean, for him to do what he did in the World Series,
02:05I didn't know what that was going to look like on a bad leg
02:09and made that play up the middle, hit a couple tanks that kind of set Toronto on fire.
02:14From my point of view, him going to third is way easier
02:19than what Jorge Polanco is going to try and do.
02:22So first of all, you hit two things that I absolutely believe.
02:27I was stunned.
02:29He had never played second base.
02:31And you watch him do it under the greatest pressure with a bad leg,
02:35I thought was one of the most impressive things about an unforgettable World Series
02:39that he did that.
02:40So that gives me confidence.
02:41And I hate to channel Ron Washington from Moneyball,
02:44but I think first base is a lot harder than people make it out to be.
02:49You know, you've got to handle throws from all over in different ways.
02:52You're involved in cutoff plays constantly.
02:55And look, D-Row, you and I both know this.
02:58We grow up.
02:58You mentioned the Northeast thing.
02:59When you watch Keith Hernandez and Don Mattingly do this,
03:03you realize what a difference maker it is when a first baseman can throw
03:07and create an out at second base and maybe two outs on a 3-6-3.
03:11When the line is guarded, I agree with you,
03:14bunts don't come as often as they used to,
03:15but those guys shut down bunting games.
03:18They both had incredible clocks for which base they could throw to when.
03:22I just think that's a – like, I get it.
03:24That's where you hide a slugger.
03:26Yeah.
03:26When you do, the World Series last year was played between Vlad Guerrero Jr.
03:31and Freddie Freeman, two exceptional first basemen.
03:34And I think that was one of the reasons those teams were there.
03:37They had exceptional defensive first basemen.
03:39Yeah, and I think it puts everybody in the infield at ease.
03:42I remember being with the Cubs, with Derek Lee.
03:45I mean, you just had to get it in the vicinity, and he was picking it.
03:50Adam LaRoche.
03:51These guys worked hard at their craft, had amazing hands, could work the bag.
03:55Like, everything's foreign for a middle infielder to go over the first base.
03:59And the thing that I had the most difficult time with was the pitcher picking over.
04:06Why?
04:07I just couldn't – because they're throwing absolute chainsaws.
04:10I can remember being in Colorado, if I'm not mistaken,
04:14and Kerry Wood come and set for the Cubs.
04:16I'm like, please don't pick off.
04:18Please don't pick off.
04:18I don't know.
04:19You know, it's going to handcuff me.
04:21Your infielders are expecting you to scoop.
04:23You've got to work the bag a proper way.
04:26I think that's going to be a way harder transition than Bo going to third.
04:31I think Bo's going to be – honestly, I don't think it's anything, to be honest.
04:36It's just learning positioning.
04:38Vinny Castillo taught me, play as far as your arm will let you.
04:42You know, step in a dive.
04:44Either way, all this different stuff.
04:46I didn't feel like – I love third base.
04:49If I could have hit a little bit more, I would have preferred to play there.
04:54By the way, Mark DeRosa is also very good at self-deprecation.
04:58You don't stick around 16 years as a major leaguer unless you're an exceptional major league baseball player.
05:04Over there, you're very, very strong, and you're not обязательно.
05:04All right.
05:04And we're just working for you.
05:04If we're a part of the core issue, you'll be able to keep this.
05:09Thanks a lot.
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