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00:00:00How does an owner's meeting stop more than others, et cetera?
00:00:04But this is New York, man.
00:00:06Come sit.
00:00:07And like, if you don't like what the way things are, come and talk about it on Wednesday or
00:00:12Thursday or whatever day you're doing it this week.
00:00:14Right.
00:00:15That accountability goes for everybody, including the top guy, right?
00:00:20I'm with you 100%.
00:00:22Well, John, we got some news.
00:00:24Aaron Boone is indeed going to be back for his 10th year as manager of the New York Yankees.
00:00:30Yeah, I mean, certainly that is a big news.
00:00:33It is the expected news.
00:00:35It can't shock anybody, even those of us who thought maybe it's time to move on.
00:00:40We all understand Hal Steinbrenner, and we know he doesn't like to take chances.
00:00:46We know he doesn't like change, and we do know he does love Aaron Boone.
00:00:50And there are a lot of positive things to say about Aaron Boone, and we're going to debate
00:00:53the whole situation.
00:00:55Yeah, we'll talk about his positives.
00:00:56We'll talk about his negatives.
00:00:57We'll talk about it.
00:00:58Should they be doing something else to help him?
00:01:00We'll talk about the responsibility of the owner with this, the players, the general manager.
00:01:05We'll have the owner of the National League champion Brewers, Mark Adonazio, join us.
00:01:10We'll play hit or error at the end.
00:01:12If you stick with us on the show with Joel Sherman and John Hammond.
00:01:20John, I can't say we're surprised by the news of this, but it came out late Monday afternoon
00:01:30that indeed Aaron Boone will be returning for his 10th season, the final one on his current
00:01:35contract.
00:01:36I don't think any surprise there either.
00:01:38I think the Yankees almost always let the contracts of guys like Cashman and Boone expire
00:01:43before they pick up the next guy.
00:01:46And you and I, we talk almost every day in some way, text, et cetera.
00:01:50And we were very much, I think, in alignment.
00:01:53We were reaching out to people.
00:01:55We hadn't heard that they had reached out to any of the agencies that represent a lot
00:01:59of managers.
00:01:59They hadn't talked to people who were obvious managers, and it just became clear Brian Cashman
00:02:05is almost certainly going to be back.
00:02:07Hal Steinbrenner is still the owner.
00:02:09As mad as Hal might be about things, they both like Aaron Boone.
00:02:13They didn't probably like a lot of what was in the potential field to replace him.
00:02:17And so Aaron Boone will be coming back for his 10th season.
00:02:20What do you think, John?
00:02:22Yeah, they weren't looking around.
00:02:23They weren't listening.
00:02:24There was no sense that they were going to seriously think about replacing Aaron Boone.
00:02:28Yeah, I'm sure that they didn't love the finish, but we know that Cashman loves Boone.
00:02:34We know that Cashman presumably will get his own contract done soon.
00:02:39He certainly still holds sway.
00:02:42That's more indication that he also will be coming back.
00:02:44And I think Cashman deserves a 24 out of 29 years in the playoffs, four world championships,
00:02:5029 winning seasons.
00:02:51So, I mean, I don't get the fan upset there.
00:02:55Obviously, I suggested maybe it's time to move on with the manager situation, but I get it.
00:03:01And I think you had a good point with the lockout.
00:03:04I didn't really, for me, that doesn't bother me.
00:03:08But of course, I don't own the team.
00:03:09I don't have to pay the $5 million.
00:03:10I don't have to introduce a new guy.
00:03:13And it doesn't seem like there is an obvious guy out there.
00:03:18Cora is not coming.
00:03:20He's taking the year off.
00:03:22So who is an obvious guy?
00:03:24I mean, I think in our other conversations, you mentioned that somebody had said to you,
00:03:29Bruce Bochy, you know, I might have given that one a shot or Dusty Baker.
00:03:34I, you know, I don't mind old as I'm not that young myself.
00:03:39And they are great managers.
00:03:41The other guys out there are good managers.
00:03:43But do we know any of them are better than Aaron Boone?
00:03:46I don't really see that.
00:03:48So it was a combination of a lot of factors.
00:03:51Even if there was somebody out there, I'm still not sure Hal would have done it.
00:03:55Hal and Cash, they love Boone.
00:03:58He's a great front man for the team.
00:04:00He takes most of the bullets.
00:04:01He's gotten the team in the playoffs eight out of nine years.
00:04:04He's got a 583 winning percentage.
00:04:07So, I mean, nobody's surprised that he's coming back.
00:04:11Yeah, no surprise here.
00:04:14I do think, you know, John, I talked to an executive today and I asked,
00:04:19am I making too much of the idea that if you hired a manager this offseason,
00:04:25they would have very little time to kind of acclimate themselves to a new players,
00:04:31then very short time.
00:04:32And the person said, this is so the wrong time to hire a manager or a GM.
00:04:37It's just so wrong.
00:04:39Well, Houston's hiring both, by the way, and Seattle's hiring a manager.
00:04:44And I think like Houston in particular, they have neither right now, six weeks until a lockout.
00:04:53So I'm not sure.
00:04:55Again, it was my sense initially that this would be a tough offseason.
00:04:58And everybody who I talk to now, it's also probably a little bit of self-preservation.
00:05:02It's people in the business saying this would be a tough time to do it.
00:05:05But I do think that communicating with players is an important thing.
00:05:09Spring training, the full six weeks, if you're a new manager, is important.
00:05:13Let me just say, you know, I think you're right.
00:05:16I think you were right that the Yankees did care about that.
00:05:18And I think a lot of people care about it.
00:05:20I just didn't think it was particularly interesting to me.
00:05:23And I'm not paying the $5 million-plus salary of Aaron Boone.
00:05:28And, you know, I've said what I said.
00:05:31I mean, I think he's a good manager.
00:05:33You know, he communicates well.
00:05:34He does well with us.
00:05:36He's a good guy.
00:05:39But, you know, I would have given a one-year shot with, who knows, maybe Bochy and Dusty,
00:05:45they're over 70.
00:05:45They may not have come back.
00:05:47And maybe Showalter wouldn't come back.
00:05:49And maybe Joe Maddon wouldn't come back.
00:05:50I mean, there are older guys that I would have looked at for one year.
00:05:53And I think, you know, maybe one of them would have taken the shot at it.
00:05:57But I get it.
00:05:58It's the safe play.
00:06:00He's a good manager.
00:06:01He's gotten them in there eight out of nine years.
00:06:03And I really can't kill them for it.
00:06:06So I get it.
00:06:08Yeah.
00:06:08So the eight out of nine years is the one that's interesting for me, John,
00:06:12because I think the people who run every team, but the Yankees included,
00:06:17feel like their job is to get in.
00:06:19Like, you know, and then you decide how much of a crapshoot it is,
00:06:24like how healthy you are playing at the same time.
00:06:26I do think when you've mainly made the playoffs every year for 35 years,
00:06:30including eight of the nine for Boone,
00:06:32you do have to think about what kind of people you put on the roster.
00:06:36If you really, are those the guys you want taking at bats, fielding the ball,
00:06:40making big decisions in the postseason?
00:06:43I think it's a place where the Yankees have failed,
00:06:45which means where Brian Cashman has failed and his group by not having a greater
00:06:50appreciation of that.
00:06:51And I also think it's a place where Aaron Boone has failed by not getting the
00:06:54full attention of some of these players, if that is actually possible.
00:06:58And so my thought the entire time, and you know,
00:07:00we've talked about this both on this show and off the air, John,
00:07:04is I think they need to put, for better terms, a bad cop, an enforcer,
00:07:09somebody next to him in the bench coach role,
00:07:12who is more somebody who cares about the brand and cares about good baseball
00:07:19and is willing to do what Boone hasn't been willing to do,
00:07:21which is call out publicly, to some degree, guys who are not playing the right way,
00:07:27who are not valuing the scoreboard,
00:07:29who are doing their thing over what's good for the group.
00:07:32And I keep using the term, I've used it a few times,
00:07:36it's they have this toxic positivity.
00:07:38Nobody ever wants to say anything bad.
00:07:40Like they think if it escapes out into the ether, they blow up.
00:07:43And maybe we're dealing with a softer group of players than ever before.
00:07:47But to me, we're watching in Milwaukee, Pat Murphy, you know,
00:07:52hold accountable a group.
00:07:54I saw Kevin Cash the other day when Victor Mesa was about to like parade around the bases,
00:07:59just do a, you know, don't do, you know, like don't get,
00:08:02in other words, like you have to be in charge of something.
00:08:06And if Boone, if 90% of Boone is good, but this is the part that isn't,
00:08:12then your job as his boss is to compliment him
00:08:16with somebody who does that, the bad cop, you know,
00:08:19I mentioned Jorge Posada, who I talked to,
00:08:21I'm not sure if he would want to do it, you know,
00:08:23somebody along the line who's willing to be the bad cop.
00:08:26Yeah, that's a possibility.
00:08:28And Brad Ausmus is there now as the bench coach.
00:08:30He may end up with Houston as a manager or the general manager,
00:08:34and maybe they'll have the opportunity to bring in a so-called bad cop.
00:08:37Phil Nevin is a guy that they've had in the past.
00:08:39Now he is a very close personal friend of Aaron Boone.
00:08:42So I'm not sure if that's the right one, or maybe that is.
00:08:45He was let go at one point.
00:08:47He got into the faces of stars.
00:08:49He is willing to do that.
00:08:50That's a guy that could potentially, he's with the White Sox right now,
00:08:53but not in a bench coach role.
00:08:55Maybe he would take to it.
00:08:56Maybe there is somebody else.
00:08:57I mean, I do think that is on Boone though.
00:09:00I think he is the manager.
00:09:02I don't think I'm going to blame a coach for that.
00:09:04Look, Jazz Chisholm was a very talented guy.
00:09:07He's going to go somewhere else and he'll be a star.
00:09:09Or somehow he wasn't either, he wasn't the right guy or they didn't corral him enough.
00:09:14We shouldn't have seen him with a blow pop or wearing somebody else's uniform or whatever.
00:09:19It wasn't very Yankee-like.
00:09:21It was kind of amusing at the time, but ultimately it wasn't a fit for the Yankees.
00:09:27And I don't know whether that's, certainly Cashman did acquire him.
00:09:31He didn't give up much, but it didn't work out.
00:09:33Yeah, there were mistakes made by the front office.
00:09:36I mean, McMahon didn't turn out to be the player they expected him to be.
00:09:41They picked him over.
00:09:42They could have had Arenado, who was much cheaper, right?
00:09:45Arizona only had to pay him $5 million for Arenado.
00:09:48And the Yankees thought that Arenado was over the hill, basically.
00:09:51They thought that he was on the downside and wasn't going to be productive.
00:09:55And so there were misses.
00:09:56There definitely were misses.
00:09:57I will say this on behalf of Cashman.
00:09:59And it is a pretty good record to win every single year and to have a team that has a
00:10:05chance every single year.
00:10:07And I do think there is a crapshoot element to it.
00:10:10But I still look at that 27 and 30, the fact that they've played eight teams that have an equal
00:10:16or better record and beat none of those teams in the postseason.
00:10:19The fact that the Dodgers really had a depleted rotation and still managed to beat the Yankees in five games.
00:10:26So, you know, I think Aaron Boone is a good manager.
00:10:29He might be better than anybody they could have gotten.
00:10:32But I still, for me, I would have tried.
00:10:35I would have looked around a little more.
00:10:37This is a safe move.
00:10:39Not a surprising move for Hal Steinbrenner.
00:10:41He is the opposite of his father, who had, what, 15 managers in 20 years and 19 pitching coaches in
00:10:4719 years.
00:10:49You know, I would have done something different.
00:10:53But I get it.
00:10:54I understand it.
00:10:55I'm not surprised by it.
00:10:57And I do think you have a point, though.
00:10:59I do think that there is a point there that too much what you call toxic positivity and not enough
00:11:05accountability.
00:11:06I do think that is an issue.
00:11:08And whether that needs to be a change in Boone or a change in the staff, I'm not sure.
00:11:12But that needs to be corrected.
00:11:14Or personnel or directive from the owner down to the owner, to the GM, to the manager, to the captain,
00:11:22to the clubhouse.
00:11:25The captain does not like any negativity.
00:11:27Right.
00:11:28But you end up living in unreality then.
00:11:30And I think you have to be hardened for the postseason.
00:11:33And I do not think they're a team that's tough mentally and sharp at this time of year.
00:11:39And I think that is reflected in not the 27 and 30 as much as the 0 and 8 against
00:11:46teams with the same or better record than them.
00:11:48They're never up for the fight.
00:11:50And I never think like, oh, the team on the other side of the field is more talented than them.
00:11:55I just think the team on the other side of the field, 8 for 8 under Boone, has been sharper,
00:12:00ready for the fight.
00:12:01When they get hit, they get up.
00:12:03When the Yankees get hit, they stay down.
00:12:04And, you know, is that the makeup of your team, the makeup of your manager, the makeup of your coaching
00:12:10staff, whatever it is, to me, that's as important.
00:12:13I think the Yankees have to find a third baseman.
00:12:15They have to redo their bullpen.
00:12:16But I think they have to work on, like, being tougher.
00:12:20Yeah, I mean, it's going to be hard to do that through the roster.
00:12:23I mean, their team is pretty well set.
00:12:26And we know who the captain is.
00:12:27And we know who the stars are.
00:12:29And we know who has the pipeline to the owner.
00:12:32I don't think that's going to change.
00:12:34They're not going to bring in someone who's a bigger star than Judge or Cole, right?
00:12:37And so I don't know you're going to be able to change that in the clubhouse.
00:12:42You know, that's why I would have looked to change it either in the manager or, as you said,
00:12:46maybe there will be a coach opening, that they can think about that there.
00:12:51That might do something.
00:12:52But to guess at who's going to be the tough guy, I don't know.
00:12:57I'm just saying, bring in guys who put the ball in play first.
00:13:01That's step number one.
00:13:03You can't have an on-base percentage and a batting average that's below 500, that's below, you know,
00:13:10below average in the major leagues for the New York Yankees with the $300-something million payroll.
00:13:14They need to get on base.
00:13:16So they have that issue too.
00:13:17But I get it.
00:13:19And I agree that accountability is an issue and that ridiculous positivity is an issue too.
00:13:26And look, our frequent guest, Pat Murphy, you know, maybe it's easier to do in Milwaukee,
00:13:31but I think that's just Pat Murphy.
00:13:33I think it's good.
00:13:34Leadership is leadership in all things the state of our union.
00:13:38No, I think it's great.
00:13:39Like, I think that holding people accountable, John, I'm a big one.
00:13:45I think if you talk to people who have played for, and especially played for now or played
00:13:51for the Yankees, they always talk like the Yankees travel first class, you know, airplane,
00:13:56hotel.
00:13:57Hey, this piece of equipment we needed, it shows up.
00:14:01Families are taken care of, et cetera.
00:14:03And it's like, I do think that that's part of what a major league team should do in this
00:14:08day and age.
00:14:09Hey, you got one, you know, like the Yankees had massage guys way before other teams.
00:14:15Like they were chefing it up way, but like, and like before it became like, like they've
00:14:18been ahead of taking care of the player.
00:14:20I think the exchange has to be, Hey, we'll do everything, but you, you've got to play hard,
00:14:26smart and care about the final score.
00:14:28And if not, we're going to do everything we can to get you out of here, including like,
00:14:32like we're trying to get your attention.
00:14:34Like what would get your attention and whatever it is, the, the management melange stew hasn't
00:14:44fully gotten everyone's attention for just toughness at the moment, concentration, sharpness,
00:14:50whatever that thing.
00:14:51It's big for me.
00:14:52I just feel like I watched the same movie over and over again.
00:14:56And I never, like I say, John, I never walk away.
00:14:58Like the Yankees rotation was a championship rotation this year, you know, like their pitching
00:15:03was really good.
00:15:05And so was the Dodgers.
00:15:07So was the Dodgers.
00:15:08Yeah.
00:15:08Yeah.
00:15:09Yeah.
00:15:09Yeah.
00:15:09I don't know.
00:15:10You know, but at least the Dodgers, we've seen them kind of go through it and beat teams,
00:15:15you know, along the way.
00:15:16It's just like that record against teams with the same or better record.
00:15:20Like when you're there outside the AL central, it's just really doesn't shine a positive light
00:15:25on the group.
00:15:26And John, I, I think, you know, this, cause we've talked about it is like, I am not here
00:15:31to disagree with you that this might've been the, I actually thought last year was more
00:15:36the year to change the manager than this year.
00:15:38Cause I do worry about the calendar, but I couldn't fight.
00:15:41Like if you came in and how Steinbrenner said, change the manager this year, I'd be like,
00:15:46I got it.
00:15:46Like maybe you need a different voice, a different tenor to deal with whatever.
00:15:53Because I don't think like, cause I think when you're the Yankees, you have to think
00:15:56about more than 162 games.
00:15:57Your arrogance has to be, we're going to get into the tournament.
00:16:01And so like, that's been their thing forever, right?
00:16:03It's a failure unless you win the world series.
00:16:05And they had that group, you know, 25 years ago where they won three in a row and four,
00:16:10was it four out of five?
00:16:11And obviously that was a tough group.
00:16:14They had the pitching that was similar, but it was a little tougher group.
00:16:18I think, you know, I mean, they, they rose to the occasion, whether it be Scott Brocious
00:16:24or whomever who weren't necessarily superstars that came through and had big hits.
00:16:30And this group has not done it.
00:16:32I mean, it's nine years that to me, that's for the Yankees.
00:16:35That's, that's a long time, you know, when you've got to even longer ago to 09, right?
00:16:39Like it includes like the back eight years of Girardi also, it's a long time.
00:16:44And they had the top payroll or the second payroll in the league all those years.
00:16:48And this year on paper, they look like the best team, you know, whatever, whatever that
00:16:53means.
00:16:53Maybe, maybe Tampa's better.
00:16:55I don't know.
00:16:56Tampa certainly looks pretty good right now.
00:16:58Maybe Tampa's a little bit better, but they went out in a sweep.
00:17:02They didn't hit.
00:17:04They made foolish mistakes.
00:17:06They had a all time bad game with three errors in the first inning.
00:17:12It was a brutal, it was a brutal finish.
00:17:14I don't know if we're ever going to hear from Hal and he's ever going to say anything, but
00:17:17you know, he's, he's part of that positivity too, you know?
00:17:21Yeah, no, I'm saying it starts at the top.
00:17:23The only thing he said, does he any, the only thing he's negative about is he doesn't want
00:17:27to spend over $300 million, right?
00:17:29That's, that's his negative, right?
00:17:31Yeah.
00:17:32You know, he doesn't come out.
00:17:33No, I have spent over $300 million.
00:17:35No, he has.
00:17:35He's done it.
00:17:36No, he spent, he has done it.
00:17:38I'm not saying that, but you know, that's his, you know, and he's a businessman.
00:17:44I get it.
00:17:44And he's not his father and I get it.
00:17:46And he's probably reacted to how his father was and he's the opposite.
00:17:50He won't say anything and positive or negative.
00:17:55I mean, we haven't heard from him.
00:17:56I think Tommy said he hadn't been on the show since 2023.
00:17:5823, something like, we've had Steve on probably four times since then.
00:18:02Right.
00:18:02You know, maybe he doesn't like us.
00:18:04That's possible, I guess.
00:18:06But he's basically, he's not around for anybody.
00:18:09It's not just us.
00:18:12Yeah.
00:18:13I mean, there's nothing wrong with being bold.
00:18:15I think being bold goes from top to bottom and, you know, coming out and saying something
00:18:20that's the truth, not just necessarily negative, but to come out and be open.
00:18:28Yep.
00:18:29John, I'll say this as a way to close and please jump in if you agree or disagree.
00:18:34And look, this might happen.
00:18:35I think we're anticipating that sometime this week, Boone and Cashman will do an end of the
00:18:41year wrap.
00:18:43They're the only team that's been eliminated that hasn't done that yet, you know, working
00:18:48on the Yankees over privilege clock.
00:18:51But I think Hal Steinbrenner should sit at the podium that day and answer questions too.
00:18:57Usually they have Boone comes first and Cashman 30 minutes each, whatever.
00:19:02Hey, don't hide, man.
00:19:04Don't hide.
00:19:05We got a big, by the way, don't hide about like what's coming also with a salary cap.
00:19:10You're a big, this is one of your advantages.
00:19:12You seem to be somebody who's aligned with the commissioner's office.
00:19:16Come tell us why this is such a good idea.
00:19:18Because once you give up that, maybe you won't even be a good baseball team anymore.
00:19:22Like you should sit in front of the room.
00:19:25Like I don't like that the owners constantly, like we sit here and talk about like Boone and
00:19:29Cashman's job performance.
00:19:31And look, it's part of the gig.
00:19:32I get it.
00:19:33But like, where is most, by the way, these are most owners.
00:19:38And how does at owners meetings stop more than others, et cetera.
00:19:44But this is New York, man.
00:19:46Come sit.
00:19:47And like, if you don't like what the way things are, come and talk about it on Wednesday or
00:19:52Thursday or whatever day you're doing it this week.
00:19:54Right.
00:19:54That accountability goes for everybody, including the top guy.
00:19:59Right.
00:20:00I'm with you 100%.
00:20:04Yeah, absolutely.
00:20:06And yeah, he doesn't, he doesn't, he's been in hiding all year and we hear that he's not
00:20:12thrilled.
00:20:12Okay.
00:20:13Well, come tell us.
00:20:14I don't think he'd be thrilled.
00:20:16Explain why, why, why, why you're not thrilled and why next year will be different if you're
00:20:20going to run back the same management team and the same manager.
00:20:23Like, like you can't tell me what you want.
00:20:26Like, like, you know, like, they don't like change.
00:20:30They ran back the same players the year before, right?
00:20:33Now they're running back the same management team, which, you know, I'm all bored on Cashman.
00:20:38What are you, what are you really going to change Cashman and start again?
00:20:41Now that doesn't make any sense.
00:20:42Right.
00:20:43So, uh, I get that one, but he doesn't like change.
00:20:48He doesn't take, he doesn't like to take chances and he doesn't like to talk to us or anybody
00:20:53else.
00:20:54I mean, you know, I think there is something to be said for his loyalty in general.
00:20:59Uh, it doesn't make sense to have the same manager manage five different times or 15
00:21:04managers in 20 years or whatever.
00:21:06That doesn't make no sense, but he's, he's really a rebelled.
00:21:10He really, he really has.
00:21:12We have the exact opposite now.
00:21:13And again, I'm not trashing and, and we know Boone's a solid manager, right?
00:21:18I know there's a lot of people agreed that with me that said, you know, it's time to
00:21:22move on.
00:21:23He's not, he's not terrible.
00:21:24You can't say the guy's terrible.
00:21:26I mean, they certainly had their injuries this year and they still made it to October,
00:21:30even with all, you know, no Stanton, basically, uh, half of judge, uh, half season.
00:21:37So, I mean, he had a good regular season and he's a good manager, but, uh, you know, they,
00:21:43they just, we got to realize that they're, they don't believe the season's a failure if
00:21:49they don't win the world series.
00:21:50That, that's the, that saying is gone.
00:21:53Yes.
00:21:53I, I agree.
00:21:54I think that, uh, they should throw all that away.
00:21:58Um, uh, we talked about owners who obviously, uh, a lot of them don't come out, come out
00:22:03at the right time.
00:22:04Uh, it's a very busy time for the Milwaukee Brewers and it's a very good time.
00:22:09And Mark Adonazio, their owner joins us next on the show.
00:22:17I can't tell you how pleased John and I are, uh, to be joined by the owner of the National
00:22:24League champion, uh, Milwaukee Brewers.
00:22:27Uh, Mark Adonazio has owned the team for, uh, for two decades.
00:22:31Uh, this is just the second time the Brewers have made the world series.
00:22:35They have yet to win, uh, but they've had the best record in baseball the last two years.
00:22:39And under Mark's stewardship, they've been regular contenders.
00:22:42And by the way, this is as close to New York as the world series is going to get.
00:22:46Bronx born, New Jersey raised, uh, Mark Adonazio.
00:22:49Thank you so much for joining us on the show.
00:22:51Thanks, Joe.
00:22:53I'm delighted to be here and, uh, a little out of body that I'm here.
00:22:58Yeah.
00:22:58Well, I wonder if you could go into that.
00:23:00I mean, you've been a very competitive team, uh, on multiple times, right?
00:23:05Like, you know, there's the time you had the CC team with Doug Melvin under David Stearns,
00:23:09you had a lot of success.
00:23:10And now, of course, the last few years, what is it like to, obviously you're a very competitive
00:23:15person.
00:23:16What is it finally like to cross the line?
00:23:19And you're, you're wearing it.
00:23:20You're wearing a world series shirt with the blue.
00:23:22I had to represent, uh, tell, tell us what this experience is like, because you've been
00:23:29chasing that carrot for quite a while.
00:23:32Yeah.
00:23:33And, you know, in the, uh, early, you know, we're, we're good fortune with CC and that
00:23:36OA team to, uh, you know, four years or fourth season to get actually to a point where the
00:23:44team that made, made to the world series.
00:23:46In fact, the Phillies may have won that year, I think.
00:23:48Yeah.
00:23:48And, uh, and, uh, and then an 11.
00:23:52You know, we made it the next step to the championship series.
00:23:56So, uh, I had the mistaken notion that we might be able to do that every three or four
00:24:01years.
00:24:02And then the next time was in a team where we really had it.
00:24:05You know, he was the MVP and we made it to game seven and people in Milwaukee still talk
00:24:12about the catch that Chris Taylor made in left field on a, a ball in the gap that Christian
00:24:17hit.
00:24:17And he doesn't catch that ball.
00:24:21And I think we would have made it then instead.
00:24:23Uh, I'll never forget.
00:24:25I got back to my apartment that night and, uh, and when, I don't even know why this is
00:24:30really, uh, you know, self harm.
00:24:35I turn on MLB network after we lose game seven of the CS and there's Clayton Kershaw in gets
00:24:44off the team plane in Boston and goes to, you know, uh, Fenway and is warming up and in the
00:24:51bullpen at Fenway, you know, uh, in Boston.
00:24:55And I'm like, wow, that, that could have been us.
00:25:00So, uh, you know, and then, and then recognize how hard it was and yeah, we've had a lot of
00:25:06other opportunities, but, um, you know, we got to the CS last year.
00:25:12I think we were somewhat, Ellie told me in the, uh, clubhouse, we celebrated in Pittsburgh
00:25:18after getting the division clinch that this year's team, uh, last year we were worn out
00:25:24this year, not, we're not worn out.
00:25:26We're going to do it this year.
00:25:27Otherwise it was really to the NLCS every seven years for us, 11, 18 and 25.
00:25:34And, you know, the, the competition is level is so great to be realistic.
00:25:40You don't know that you can get there.
00:25:42And, you know, maybe we got there with, uh, some divine intervention or, you know, with
00:25:47the ball hitting off a cable and roof and going to Jackson Churia, which was a live ball,
00:25:52um, and other things.
00:25:54Uh, but here we are in 44 years in the city.
00:25:59I just got stopped in the way I was walking in my office from our apartment.
00:26:02And a guy jumps off one of those big electric trucks.
00:26:05He's working, you know, that you, like a, uh, department of water and power type truck
00:26:09and start Mark, Mark.
00:26:12I thought I heard my voice.
00:26:13It's running across the street.
00:26:15He shakes my hand.
00:26:16You know, that had last happened when I first bought the team, when a guy jumped off a sanitation
00:26:20truck.
00:26:21Now he's, uh, we got somebody jumping off, you know, uh, working on power, but, uh, yeah,
00:26:28I can't describe to you both that a city like this small city.
00:26:33Uh, the excitement, even if you're not a baseball fan, you're, you know, by the way,
00:26:37it's probably similar to New York in its way with the Knicks, right?
00:26:41How that just took over the city.
00:26:44And, uh, certainly we had booze fever here.
00:26:48Um, I can attest, uh, my in-laws are in Mequon.
00:26:52My nephew, very excited up in Cedarburg.
00:26:56Uh, it is really something 44, 44, I mean, 44 years.
00:27:0144 years.
00:27:02Uh, amazing.
00:27:03Uh, I don't think it was divine intervention though.
00:27:06Uh, uh, myself, uh, what, what do you think?
00:27:10What do you, can you pinpoint something on this year's team?
00:27:12Did you, did you feel it?
00:27:13Cause they were saying even before they sweat, you swept the Dodgers that, uh, that this year
00:27:18was different.
00:27:19Uh, was there something psychological, something physical about this team that made it different
00:27:24from, cause you've been in the playoffs for basically every year.
00:27:27Uh, and this year, eight out of nine years.
00:27:30Yeah.
00:27:30Right.
00:27:31That's a lot.
00:27:32You know, uh, everybody said it was different.
00:27:36It felt different.
00:27:37Um, I don't know if it felt different cause we had so many comebacks, you know, uh, Pat
00:27:42Murphy and I would talk to each other where it never really felt real well.
00:27:45Cause we never really went on a run last year.
00:27:48We went on a couple of long winning streets this year.
00:27:51I think the longest winning streak was five games.
00:27:55And I think that's the, I don't know when, whenever they measure these things, but in
00:27:59modern playoff era, they, when teams won the most games, they tended to win more than
00:28:05I think we're the only team that only had a max five game, uh, winning streak.
00:28:10I think it was bracketed five wins and four losses or something like that.
00:28:14Uh, this team never gives up.
00:28:16I know we were, I think second league and comeback wins, but every, there were a number
00:28:20of games we lost where we closed the gap is not only the games that we closed.
00:28:25We won in the ninth inning, but where we were at the ninth inning, where we were down by
00:28:30five runs and we made it like a, you know, winning run at the plate or something.
00:28:35And so that was different.
00:28:36I think this team is the most cohesive team we've had, and we've had cohesive teams, but
00:28:41they do absolutely everything together.
00:28:43You know, uh, we, we have, uh, family breakfast on the road and everybody shows up the other
00:28:50night when we were in Los Angeles, uh, they went to Italian restaurant and not only all
00:28:57the players show up, all the families show up.
00:28:59That's not typical.
00:29:00Usually some guys are tired.
00:29:02Some guys want to go out.
00:29:03Families do different things together.
00:29:06Everybody, we had, had a big bill, like 200 people.
00:29:11But, so I think that there's a cohesive, uh, piece of it and, uh, and it's young team, but
00:29:18they have enough experience.
00:29:19I think the average age is, uh, well, other than Yelly and Woody, I don't know that anybody,
00:29:26I may be missing somebody or is, is Owen Bowers.
00:29:30Those are three guys, 30 or above.
00:29:33So, uh, you know, but you had enough experience to make a difference, but you know, a lot of this
00:29:40is in, uh, John and Joel's in hindsight, because it's like, how did we get here?
00:29:47And I'm just telling you, it didn't, along the way, we didn't feel last year, everybody
00:29:52started the drum beat that we're the best team in baseball.
00:29:54I'm not sure that we felt like we were the best team in baseball this year.
00:29:58And, uh, but we had the most wins and we were on a, we're in a good run right now.
00:30:04And I'll, I'll tap, tap one on that one.
00:30:09You know, Mark, I, I, I was ultimately wrong about this.
00:30:13Uh, but at the trade deadline, I was very much a, come on, man, you haven't won forever.
00:30:18Don't you have to go get Tarek Skubal here?
00:30:20Don't you have to do this?
00:30:21Uh, especially we mentioned CC.
00:30:24It could be a high point of the last, since the, since you went to, uh, the world series
00:30:30in 82 was making exactly this kind of move.
00:30:32Can you take us through like how tough a decision is it for, especially a team that builds itself
00:30:39your way, which is, we hate to give away future value because we're trying to be good every
00:30:44year on our thing.
00:30:45And what is the involvement of an owner at that moment when you're making the, should we
00:30:51cross this line or not and go get Skubal when, when ultimately you just eliminated the
00:30:57team that did.
00:31:00Yeah.
00:31:00And, uh, question was especially hard to answer in front of the Dodger series.
00:31:06You know, it was easy to say, well, if you had him now, uh, maybe one or two of the
00:31:12pictures
00:31:12that they saw in that series or pictures they had asked for the type or the Dodgers saw the
00:31:18pictures that the Tigers asked for.
00:31:20Um, but you know, Joel, you put your finger on this team was built, not bought.
00:31:25Uh, and so, uh, it's critical to look at, at how we got here and because I want to have
00:31:33sustained success, you know, we, we had to do that by being very careful about, you know,
00:31:39how many prospects we gave up.
00:31:42And I, and believe me, I asked Matt Arnold, uh, you probably got tired of hearing me call and
00:31:46saying, can we add anything to this package?
00:31:50Uh, but he was in it right to the end, you know, and then they, I think, uh, Detroit gave
00:31:56us a
00:31:56best in final.
00:31:58And I think I might've said, are you sure, Matt?
00:32:00And, you know, and, and to their credit, I think, you know, best in final wasn't best in
00:32:05final.
00:32:05It wasn't like they were gaming teams.
00:32:08Um, I think we were probably the cover bit, but there may have been one other team that
00:32:13was, was in there that was a little bit of a, not mentioned as often, but gave a pretty
00:32:20serious bid.
00:32:21And, um, I thought a lot about it.
00:32:24And by the way, I thought a lot about it, you know, uh, I, I think that, uh, you know,
00:32:32not when, if we had not won that game four, I would have seen Scoville and Yamamoto again,
00:32:37and we could have been looking at, you know, game seven here, uh, tonight.
00:32:47Just to follow up on that a little bit.
00:32:49Uh, I think I've read that Logan Henderson was the guy you didn't want to trade or I don't
00:32:53know if they.
00:32:53And you still was mentioned as one of the guys, uh, you know, there was another, I
00:32:57don't want to, you know, Matt didn't want us to go through, you know, different guys.
00:33:01I guess now that we held on to everybody, uh, it's okay.
00:33:05Yeah.
00:33:06Um, yeah, Logan kept them.
00:33:08It was my day.
00:33:09I mean, you got the top prospect in baseball.
00:33:11Did they try for my day too?
00:33:12Or is that too?
00:33:13No, they didn't.
00:33:14Okay.
00:33:15I'm just curious.
00:33:15I mean, again, you can do that and I'm not trying to duck it.
00:33:18I think it fell down more over, I think more over the pitching.
00:33:24Okay.
00:33:24Let me ask you this question.
00:33:26Cause you have one eight out of nine years.
00:33:28Uh, that's pretty good for the smallest market in baseball.
00:33:33And I give you credit, you're up to, I think 19th or 20th, depending on how you look at
00:33:37it in payroll, which is, you know, pretty good considering the market that you're in,
00:33:42but, uh, it's miraculous.
00:33:45And it's not just you, the Rays as well have been a consistent winners, not quite as consistent
00:33:50as you, but pretty consistent.
00:33:52I don't expect you to give me the secret sauce, but are there one or two keys that have, have
00:33:56enabled you to overcome your revenue and your payroll and win this consistently?
00:34:03I wish we had a pure secret sauce like a McDonald's or Coca-Cola, you know, uh, one
00:34:12of it that was talking about building and, and, you know, uh, being consistent.
00:34:17So we consistently try to maintain our farm system.
00:34:21And, and by the way, that's a question that you have to evaluate, you have to draft, and
00:34:25then you have to develop.
00:34:26So we focused on, on all of those and really haven't strayed, uh, in any, and in any event
00:34:35and always tried to, uh, do better at all of it.
00:34:39And so that, you know, we have the next wave of prospects coming starting with, uh, you
00:34:43know, my day, but there's a group of others also.
00:34:47And I think, um, I can't remember what, it doesn't really, we have the one number one
00:34:54or number two farm system.
00:34:56You know, we think we have the number one, there's probably five teams.
00:34:58I think that, but I think in most writing services were one or two, you know, and so we
00:35:03sort of, uh, we sort of stuck to that and, you know, I think Matt, you know, we built
00:35:09a, we built a culture with Matt Arnold and his group where, and, and then it extends
00:35:16to, to Pat and Murph and, and the field staff where everybody respects each other and there's
00:35:23open dialogue.
00:35:23Um, you know, make no mistake, Pat Murphy fills out the lineup and, uh, I'll just say
00:35:31he made, he made a couple of moves in the, uh, in the last series that were not scripted.
00:35:38We're not, they were maybe more than a couple and that might've defied what, you know, the
00:35:44computer would say.
00:35:46Um, but, you know, we have, we have this true respect among the, between the coaches
00:35:52and, and the, and the, uh, baseball ops group that I think allowed for all this.
00:35:57And, and, you know, look, you have to have some good luck, right.
00:36:02And, and, uh, this year is the first year I could argue we, we, you know, again, all we've
00:36:08been healthy to this point, you know, felt like every year, one of our pitchers went down,
00:36:12you know, with Devin Williams, one year, Brandon Woodruff, one year, um, you go through it.
00:36:19I think every year we, we miss somebody may have missed Woody two years.
00:36:23And, and so this year, everybody's healthy.
00:36:28And, uh, look, it's still, it's, it's very hard to fathom all this.
00:36:37It's, it really is.
00:36:39I just, you know, very hard.
00:36:43Mark, we brought up, uh, the payroll a couple of times.
00:36:46It's forgive me.
00:36:47It's just hard to ignore the elephant in the room, uh, that you're going to play against
00:36:52either Cleveland or Tampa Bay who are bottom third payroll teams.
00:36:56John mentioned you're higher than say past years, but still small market, et cetera.
00:37:02If two teams like this are going to play in the world series, do we need a salary cap?
00:37:07Do we need to head where we're heading?
00:37:09And are you really worried about, like, it feels like baseball's in a good place.
00:37:13You afraid we're going to miss some time here.
00:37:16Baseball's in a great place.
00:37:18Those three teams have all, you know, I think if you were to have either ownership or the,
00:37:25uh, you know, baseball ops heads of those teams, whether it's, you know, Cleveland or,
00:37:30or Tampa or Matt, they've, all three of those teams have followed whatever model they have.
00:37:38And they're somewhat similar to the models for a long time.
00:37:42So, um, you know, it starts with, with that.
00:37:45It's hard to, to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
00:37:49This, this would be a year that, uh, defies the last 10 in terms of look back to the Royals,
00:37:56you know, the, the payroll, uh, level that you need to get to a world series.
00:38:02And I think, you know, you have to ask yourself, uh, you know, what's worked in other leagues?
00:38:12Uh, what's the likelihood, you know, one, one of the reasons, or, you know, we're getting,
00:38:16I'm getting a lot of questions on ticket prices.
00:38:19It's been 44 years.
00:38:21And I think there's a sense of the community, you know, it might be another 44 years.
00:38:26So the question is, you know, if you have a different, uh, revenue system, you know,
00:38:31do you have more hope and what are you hoping for?
00:38:34You're just hoping for teams to get to the playoffs, which I think we, you know,
00:38:37baseball has done a really good job of, or do you hope for something more?
00:38:43Um, and, uh, you know, the fans have, have, uh, wanted this, you know, wanted change,
00:38:51but, you know, we'll, we'll be, uh, we'll see where it goes.
00:38:54I can't, uh, it's, it's hard to know.
00:38:58You mentioned the ticket prices.
00:39:00I know you're not setting this, but, uh, I see on the internet that, uh, the get in price,
00:39:05at least one site that we looked at, it's $2,800 just to get into the game in Milwaukee.
00:39:10And, you know, people in Milwaukee, it's not Los Angeles.
00:39:13No one's very few people are driving a Porsche to the game, right?
00:39:16It's Milwaukee.
00:39:17No, they're not.
00:39:18No, they're really not.
00:39:19They're really, you and I know this.
00:39:21And you're, you know, you basically live in Milwaukee.
00:39:23Not even me.
00:39:24I don't drive a Porsche either.
00:39:25No.
00:39:25Yeah.
00:39:25You live in Milwaukee now, right?
00:39:27Basically.
00:39:28I do.
00:39:28Here we are.
00:39:28Debbie and I moved here.
00:39:30Yeah.
00:39:30Yeah.
00:39:31So are you concerned?
00:39:32I mean, the fan, you know, the typical Brewer fan is not a billionaire.
00:39:37Is this concerning?
00:39:38Are you going to hear about this?
00:39:41Well, listen, there's this, the secondary market is that the prices we, we didn't set
00:39:49these prices.
00:39:50We don't have, you know, we don't, we don't have, some teams have an ability to share in
00:39:56secondary ticketing prices.
00:39:57We don't have that.
00:39:59And so, you know, I think it, it shows how excited people are, how passionate they are
00:40:06for the team.
00:40:06And, you know, I think, I think there is a question as to whether this is once in a generation
00:40:11and who knows.
00:40:13So, uh, you want to be there.
00:40:17Yeah.
00:40:17I mean, in New York where people, some people drive a Porsche, the, uh, tickets for the
00:40:21Knicks were really quite something last, uh, last spring, uh, to, to, to, to get in
00:40:26there.
00:40:26So in fact, Steve Cohn was complaining to me about how much the price was when I got
00:40:31seen you sitting, see, it's a court side.
00:40:34And he was saying how expensive I'm like, Steve, come on, man.
00:40:38Uh, it's, uh, I, you, you know, his name has come up a couple of times here, uh, Pat
00:40:43Murphy.
00:40:44Uh, and look, it probably wasn't an easy thing to move on from a very, very successful
00:40:49manager, Greg Council to now a guy who's won the past two NL manager of the years.
00:40:54And Pat Murphy might win a third one.
00:40:56The thing I want to ask about him, and I wonder if you have a thought is, well, John and
00:41:01I've
00:41:01been talking about, this is a Yankee thing.
00:41:03Like they need somebody to be tougher on the players and hold the people to a higher standard.
00:41:07And one of the things I always hear from New York people is, oh, that wouldn't work in
00:41:10New York.
00:41:10And I'm like, really?
00:41:11Standards wouldn't work in New York.
00:41:12Like, what are we talking about here?
00:41:14I just wonder what you think about your manager and do you think it works because of your
00:41:19market or do you think Pat Murphy would work in any market?
00:41:24Well, I'll tell you that Pat Murphy does work not only with young players, but for the
00:41:28veterans.
00:41:29In fact, you know, Gary Sanchez, who's played 10 years in a number of cities, including in
00:41:34New York, said that he really respects that the rules are the same for everybody.
00:41:41And now that may be easier to do in a small market where you don't get questionable.
00:41:47It's also easier to do where the team is generally younger.
00:41:49And so even the star players are, you know, William Contreras, I think, is 28.
00:41:56Um, and, and so it's a different, you know, we had a, we had a workout yesterday with live
00:42:02BP and, uh, I was talking about preparing and I was asking that Arnold, well, do you, you
00:42:08know, I guess this is a benefit, you know, that you have.
00:42:12And he said, well, not all teams would do this.
00:42:14You know, some, if you have a more veteran team, they sometimes will object to all coming
00:42:19in and working hard when you have a week to go or several days to go.
00:42:24There's a Sunday, uh, and, uh, you know, Sunday and there's Jackson Churio facing Logan
00:42:30Henderson.
00:42:31So, you know, you have buy-in, it starts with also the team buy-in, but Murph, uh, he's just,
00:42:37he's just a really good communicator and he's very directed.
00:42:42You know where he stands.
00:42:44Um, he's done an exceptional job.
00:42:46I mean, exceptional, you know, if the voters, you guys probably, you probably both vote,
00:42:51probably both already voted.
00:42:53Yeah.
00:42:54I mean, uh, not only is he two-time manager of the year, he might win this year.
00:42:58And even more importantly, he's our most frequent guest, which I'm sure you're probably not
00:43:02surprised about.
00:43:03No, I didn't know.
00:43:04I didn't know.
00:43:04Very entertaining fellow.
00:43:05Uh, let me ask you about being in the world series versus winning the world series.
00:43:10You, it's quite an accomplishment and everybody's thrilled in Milwaukee just to be in the world
00:43:14series.
00:43:15Uh, is it, how important is it to win the world series or you've already accomplished such
00:43:19a big goal and is the rest versus rust issue something that's on your mind?
00:43:25Cause you, you won so convincingly you have now a week off.
00:43:29But the players walking out to the podium, which talk about an out-of-body experience,
00:43:33instead of walking out to a championship podium in Dodger stadium, all the players were talking
00:43:39about four more to go, four more to go.
00:43:42They're, they're locked in on this.
00:43:45And, uh, you know, of course, once you get here, you start to think it's still too, you
00:43:53know, what if, you know?
00:43:54So, um, of course you want to win, but I, I think these guys that that's been, the mission
00:44:00has been to win the world series, not to get to the world series.
00:44:04And they've been, they started this countdown like at 11 or 12, whatever the number was.
00:44:11We, we went, I knew it was a little different when we won game.
00:44:14I think it was 11, right?
00:44:15Yeah.
00:44:16Three, four, four.
00:44:16And then we went to the first game, then they were all saying 10 to go.
00:44:20I'm just telling you, we had all these other playoff.
00:44:23We never, I never heard that.
00:44:26Uh, not in our clubhouse.
00:44:29I wonder if I can ask you another just big picture question here.
00:44:32Uh, Rob Manfred's term is, he said, he's not going by.
00:44:37Your name does come up, uh, for, for, for, for this kind of stuff.
00:44:43Uh, I, I know you've got important things to do over the next 10 days, uh, trying to
00:44:47win a, uh, a world series.
00:44:50Do you think, uh, you're, you're in play for that job?
00:44:54Are you interested in it?
00:44:55I, I have, I have important things to, uh, over the next 10 days and Rob has important
00:45:00things to do over the next several years.
00:45:02I think, you know, he's here, I think for 20, 29 or whatever.
00:45:06So, and, uh, you know, he's executing a tough job really well.
00:45:12So, you know, uh, it, I have a lot, I'm trying to accomplish here and in other places.
00:45:19It's not what I think about.
00:45:21The more I say that, the more the name comes up, you know, if other people say it to you
00:45:25guys, I don't know where it comes out.
00:45:28You know, I'm focused on, on the team and continuing, uh, this run and, uh, you know,
00:45:36as well, you know, we make other sports investments focusing on our sports portfolio.
00:45:42Yeah.
00:45:43I've seen that too.
00:45:44Good question, Joel.
00:45:44I like that.
00:45:46Um, I want to throw the Mets a bone here for a second.
00:45:49Was the Alonzo home run, was that the low light of your, your, I mean, you've had so
00:45:53much, you've done such a great job.
00:45:55I was sitting right there, you know, I'm not, I'm not sitting, I'm not next to the field
00:46:00anymore.
00:46:01Uh, otherwise, or you see me jump, you know, jumping around like an idiot too, but, uh,
00:46:07happy idiot.
00:46:07But, um, and when, when we win, uh, Jeff Levering did a, a sort of a thing like, you know,
00:46:192004
00:46:19first or 2024, 2026.
00:46:22Those are probably, you know, low and high points, you know, um, yeah, that was tough.
00:46:31You know, Mark, when you talk, I, I mean, I, we might've only had a few owners on, but
00:46:36I think we've all talked to plenty of owners.
00:46:38I don't know your intimacy with your players and your understanding of the game is more
00:46:44overt.
00:46:44You clearly have passion for this.
00:46:47It isn't, you're a drive by owner and whatever, whatever.
00:46:50I wonder if you could go into it a little bit, what it means to be the financial front
00:46:56man for it also, but it feels you're very involved and care.
00:47:01And it's not just part of a portfolio.
00:47:04Oh, no, this is, well, this is a generational.
00:47:08Uh, we call it a business, but it's generational passion for our family.
00:47:14Uh, you know, God bless my sons, Dan and Mike will take over after me and then there'll
00:47:21be another steward of baseball here, I assume.
00:47:24Um, and so it's our job to continue to make things the best they can be.
00:47:30You know, I gave, uh, I came up with four cornerstone pledges 22 seasons ago.
00:47:38To have a, you know, sustainably equal to perennially, I have trouble pronouncing that a team that
00:47:44competes on a perennial basis, uh, a great fan experience, a great place to work and a
00:47:49leader in the community.
00:47:50And I always come back to those touchstones and you have to work every day at all of
00:47:53those.
00:47:54You can't take any of those things for granted.
00:47:56Did, I assume both you'll be out for the world series.
00:47:59Yes.
00:47:59We'll both end it.
00:48:00Yeah.
00:48:00John comes out cause of family, but the stadium is absolutely state.
00:48:04This, you know, was it, you know, just fantastic facility that Bud and Wendy Seelig built in
00:48:122001.
00:48:13And, uh, you can go to other ballparks of similar vintage.
00:48:17This looks nothing like it.
00:48:18And I give credit to our ownership for continuing to support us, you know, keeping the ballpark
00:48:24fresh, uh, or state of the art.
00:48:26And of course the stadium district, cause we have a, we have a public private partnership
00:48:30with, uh, originally with five counties now with the state.
00:48:35Um, and everybody sort of locks arms to do the right thing and, you know, keeping the
00:48:40ballpark state of the art for 25 years.
00:48:44Most of the folks who work here have been here, you know, for my whole tenure, both on,
00:48:50you know, on the business side and even, you know, Doug Melvin is still has a relationship
00:48:54with the team.
00:48:55Uh, you know, when, when, uh, when Craig left, we, you know, we hired Pat who had been here
00:49:02since 2016 when, and when, uh, David left Matt and David had hired Matt and Matt Arnold
00:49:08just took over.
00:49:09So we, you know, we try to focus on incentivizing, uh, and, and supporting the folks who really
00:49:19make this all happen.
00:49:21And, uh, it's, and it's a passion every day.
00:49:25And my, my sons are both quite involved now, but, you know, not as team president team, they're
00:49:29sort of, uh, one is on baseball upside in terms of, uh, being integrated and one is on the
00:49:37business side to support the executives in both.
00:49:40So we can make quicker decisions now on things like, uh, you know, some of the trades you made.
00:49:47In fact, last year I was traveling and Matt called Mike to get permission to trade for
00:49:53Andrew Vaughn.
00:49:54Good thing Mike said yes.
00:49:57Good move, good move, good move.
00:49:59You're raising them smart there.
00:50:01Smart guy, smart guy.
00:50:03Yeah.
00:50:03They're in their thirties.
00:50:04So they're, you know, and they, they've accomplished things away from this.
00:50:07And so it's a family it's, and you'll see us, uh, my dad sang the national anthem for 10
00:50:12years, um, until he passed.
00:50:17Then my son sang in honor to their grandpa.
00:50:19And then when COVID hit, you know, they felt they'd been a few years that they did it.
00:50:24And then we turned it over to professionals, uh, and, uh, you know, so it's, it's, and you'll
00:50:32see in any number of games we've got, it doesn't have to be the world series.
00:50:35We have a lot of family members come every year.
00:50:37We have 30 to 40 family members at, uh, opening day.
00:50:41You mentioned the fan experience.
00:50:43It is exceptional at your ballpark, uh, America family field.
00:50:48It's a good name for it.
00:50:49Uh, it's terrific.
00:50:50And you need to draw because you don't have that TV contract that the Dodgers or some other
00:50:55teams have.
00:50:55You're kind of hemmed in there, a small market.
00:50:57So you don't have that fan experience is fantastic.
00:51:01Ours is 30 million.
00:51:03Yeah.
00:51:04There's is in the billions.
00:51:05I think so.
00:51:05I, you mentioned David, uh, you know, obviously he was a good hire.
00:51:09He did a very nice job, uh, with the Brewers.
00:51:12Uh, you know, you look at the Mets, are you surprised?
00:51:16I mean, he did well his first year, the last two years, he struggled.
00:51:19Um, are you surprised that it hasn't gone as smoothly as we, they expected?
00:51:24And, uh, you know, is there a transition to a big market?
00:51:27I don't know.
00:51:28What are your thoughts looking back on the whole, uh, tenure?
00:51:31You had him there as the GM for many years and was generally very much a success for you.
00:51:36You know, Dave, David built, you know,
00:51:39built the foundation here, uh, brought in Matt Arnold, you know, he hired Matt, uh, by the
00:51:46way, and then I'm on the managing coaching side, Greg, the same thing.
00:51:50So we're very fortunate to have the two of them who took us from 2018 to, you know, whatever
00:51:552023.
00:51:57Um, and, you know, actually now have a system and people who we could put trust in and Matt
00:52:05and, and, and, and that is critical because, you know, they had an immediate authority from
00:52:13day one, both each, each of Matt and Pat.
00:52:16And so they should get all the credit for, and, and, and their teams, you know, there's
00:52:20250 people in baseball operations and that includes all the, that, that, that includes
00:52:25development.
00:52:25That's not all analysts.
00:52:27So you've got 250 people all the way, you know, Jackson Truria was developed before he
00:52:32got to the major leagues.
00:52:34He's just my days being developed.
00:52:36Jacob Miserowski, you know, was a lanky kid who could throw hard and now look at him, you
00:52:42know, we wondered if somebody six foot seven with that motion, he'd throw strikes.
00:52:48There was a lot of strikes.
00:52:50Yeah, he does.
00:52:51He's going to win the Cy Young.
00:52:52One quick one for me that I think will interest Brewer fans, Brandon Woodruff, is he working
00:52:58his way back?
00:52:59Can he make it back for the World Series?
00:53:01He's working hard.
00:53:02I'll say that.
00:53:03And he's very committed and, you know, we'll see where he's at.
00:53:09And, and I don't think that Matt and Pat and the group have sat down yet to, you know,
00:53:17some rule, like you don't have to set your roster until two hours before or something like
00:53:21that.
00:53:22So there'll be, I don't know that they'll wait till two hours.
00:53:25They'll probably wait till two hours before to announce it, but they may be working the
00:53:28night before to think through it.
00:53:29They think about every possible scenario that could happen in seven games based on the team
00:53:35we're playing and who can maybe help us win a game.
00:53:39Who can maybe even have just a professional at bat?
00:53:44Marcus, way to wrap this up.
00:53:45And of course, we thank you for joining us is I think we all have baseball in our hearts,
00:53:50the three of us.
00:53:52And I'm going to be excited about this World Series.
00:53:56But I do wonder about the nation, right?
00:53:58Because it's not Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Philly.
00:54:01Do you have as somebody who obviously has an incredible local interest, but also vested
00:54:07interest in the overall product?
00:54:10I think it's a great story.
00:54:11Whoever you play for both franchises and people should get into it if they like sports in general
00:54:17and baseball in specific.
00:54:18Do you have some concerns at all?
00:54:20It's Milwaukee, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Tampa.
00:54:22That'd be low rated and eh kind of thing.
00:54:29You know, I think actually speaking for our club, I think the media has done a good job
00:54:33in latching on, you know, that maybe there's a little lead time because of the number of
00:54:38games we won.
00:54:39And there's so many stories in that clubhouse.
00:54:43The obvious, you know, Jake and Mizorowski being the most obvious, but there's a lot
00:54:48of stories.
00:54:48Jake Bowers winning the MVP.
00:54:53Garrett Mitchell got some notice because his first full season while being a high draft pick.
00:54:58And Churio, you know, the whole nation now sees what a passionate, dynamic presence
00:55:04William Contreras is.
00:55:06Unbelievable.
00:55:08Unbelievable heart.
00:55:09And Aaron Ashby, I mean, who's, I mean, again, I just, he's been dominant now through this
00:55:16playoff and we could go, you know, we could go on.
00:55:20I think Bryce Terrang is the best second baseman in baseball.
00:55:23Nobody knew.
00:55:23So if people want to get invested in the narrative, it's there.
00:55:26And I'm sure it's, that's true with the other two teams.
00:55:29And I continue to hear everywhere that we play like the right way and exciting baseball
00:55:37and fun to watch baseball.
00:55:39So I'm hoping people watch and I'm hoping we don't disappoint.
00:55:43Yeah, I'm with you because I think whoever plays in the World Series from the American
00:55:47League will probably say the same thing about, and I hope that the World Series lives up to
00:55:52that, that it's, I, if you enjoy watching the game played at a high level in multiple
00:55:58areas and not just specific areas, I think that it is a World Series that will meet that
00:56:03criteria.
00:56:05But Mark, it's an amazing success story for your franchise.
00:56:10What you've done consistently for a long time, especially over the last decade, kind of getting
00:56:15there, getting there, and now finally climbing up this mountain and getting the organization
00:56:19back to the World Series for the first time in the 44 years.
00:56:22I hope it's a great ride for you or has been a great ride for you and continues, Mark.
00:56:28And of course, we thank you at a busy time for you, taking a few minutes to join us on
00:56:33the show.
00:56:34Well, thanks.
00:56:35This was fun.
00:56:36We covered a lot of territory and got me thinking about a few things.
00:56:39So I appreciate that.
00:56:41And I always like to sign off by saying the same two words.
00:56:45Go Brewers!
00:56:46I love it.
00:56:47Best of luck.
00:56:48Best of luck, Mark.
00:56:49Thank you so much.
00:56:56John and I, of course, thank Mark Adonazio for joining us on the show.
00:57:00John, hit or error?
00:57:02I'm going to do mostly a hit with a little error thrown in there, a very small one.
00:57:06They shouldn't even listen to me.
00:57:07But I mean, I've been a raised detractor for a long time.
00:57:10I can't believe that they're doing this.
00:57:12And I give them credit.
00:57:13They've been fantastic.
00:57:15They've got an ace at a very reasonable contract.
00:57:19Rasmussen has been absolutely terrific.
00:57:22Peralta has turned it around.
00:57:23I mean, their pitching coach is a magician.
00:57:26They really know what they are doing.
00:57:28I mean, defensively, they're good.
00:57:31Offensively, look, having those three and a half hitters is enough.
00:57:35It seems to be enough for them, right?
00:57:37Aranda, I love the way he can go the opposite way.
00:57:39The big home run against Cole, not that I love that, but it was impressive.
00:57:44A lot to like about the race.
00:57:46The one I have one negative on the race is that they refuse to challenge.
00:57:51They had 13 opportunities for obvious balls, their hitters, and they didn't challenge any of them.
00:57:57You know, Yande Diaz didn't challenge any all year, including balls that were ending the game.
00:58:03He didn't even challenge those.
00:58:05You know, they're so good with analytics.
00:58:08They're so smart.
00:58:09Maybe they just feel like, oh, it's going to disrupt their flow or something like that.
00:58:13But you've got to challenge if the ball's a foot outside.
00:58:17Not a foot, but three inches outside, obviously outside.
00:58:20You've got to speak up, guys.
00:58:21They're too polite.
00:58:23So that's a small error.
00:58:24Yeah.
00:58:25Can you imagine if the World Series ended on a challengeable ball and you didn't challenge it?
00:58:29That would be really something.
00:58:31John, I have an error for people who saw the Dodgers as the boogeyman that would never stop haunting baseball.
00:58:41I think I've done it on the podcast.
00:58:44I think I've written it.
00:58:46I said, hey, I had a front row seat to the last dynasty, which was the Yankees three-peating and
00:58:53being so good for that five, six-year period.
00:58:55And I said, you know what happened?
00:58:57A couple of guys got older, aged out of it, O'Neal, Martinez, Brocious.
00:59:02And then you start bringing in guys who either aren't as good or don't fit it as well.
00:59:06And you start spending a lot of money and don't get quite what you think you're going to get, whether
00:59:11it's Jason Giambi or Randy Johnson or Alex Rodriguez or Gary Sheffield or Edwin Diaz or Kyle Tucker.
00:59:19And, you know, your guys are getting older.
00:59:21And it's just like it's not going to – they're not going to win all the championships.
00:59:25It's just not.
00:59:26And now they'll be lucky.
00:59:27I know everyone says, oh, their farm system, their farm system.
00:59:30If you go back and look over the last 10 years, their farm system has mainly been them trumpeting it
00:59:37and everyone buying it.
00:59:39Like the best guys from their farm system who are still playing pretty much came from a previous farm –
00:59:46came from a previous administration even than this.
00:59:48And it's Seager and Bellinger.
00:59:50Like, yeah.
00:59:51Did they hit on Will Smith?
00:59:52Good.
00:59:53Who's the second best draft choice they've had?
00:59:55Michael Bush?
00:59:56Okay.
00:59:56He's a good player.
00:59:57Like, you know, there's a – and the idea that they're just like going to – all these farm guys
01:00:02are going to be good.
01:00:03Like, I assume the Dodgers are really well run and really smart and they'll figure out a way no matter
01:00:08what the system is to be good.
01:00:10But the idea that, like – and everyone who certainly wants a salary cap was using them as a, hey,
01:00:16look, nobody can ever compete with them.
01:00:18But, sure, I saw the last dynasty.
01:00:21This is what happens.
01:00:22You get old.
01:00:23You don't replace it as well.
01:00:24Your farm system isn't as good as you're telling everybody it is.
01:00:28And so I just want to say they weren't the boogeyman and everybody shouldn't have done that.
01:00:34Right.
01:00:35Well, people will speak up and say things.
01:00:37But truth be told, if they were in the World Series, the ratings would be greater.
01:00:42Yes.
01:00:43So I think people like following a great team.
01:00:46They like following a dynasty.
01:00:47This was a dynasty.
01:00:50It still is.
01:00:51We'll see how it goes from here.
01:00:52They are getting a little bit older now.
01:00:55They still were the heavy favorite.
01:00:57They had a bad week.
01:00:59I'm not counting them out.
01:01:01And, yeah, I thought it was fun.
01:01:03I mean, to have Otani, who's arguably the greatest player of all time, and then Betts and Freeman, and you've
01:01:09pointed this out many times,
01:01:10they are just not only great players, they are great leaders, by example, for a team.
01:01:15You know, Buck Showalter always used to say that.
01:01:18To have your best players be your hardest workers, it's just such an advantage.
01:01:23And it really is huge.
01:01:25I mean, Freeman has won three World Series, and Betts has won four World Series, and that's no accident.
01:01:32And they're all Hall of Famers.
01:01:34I had a thing on somebody on Twitter I know I shouldn't read.
01:01:37Somebody said that they're not locks for the Hall of Fame.
01:01:41Betts, Freeman, and Otani.
01:01:43I mean, you know, people are saying they're trolls.
01:01:47I just think there are people who just don't follow very closely or so anti-Dodger that they can't see
01:01:53straight.
01:01:54But, yeah, I mean, it's greatness that we're watching.
01:01:58And if they were in the World Series, the ratings certainly would be higher, and there's nothing wrong with high
01:02:02ratings and a team that people are rooting against,
01:02:06whether it be the Yankees or the Dodgers or whomever.
01:02:08So there are people like that.
01:02:10I understand what you're saying.
01:02:11There are people, and I think it's crazy.
01:02:14Yeah, yeah.
01:02:14Look, I liked having them in.
01:02:16And selfishly, I kind of don't mind it this year because I didn't want to fly back and forth to
01:02:21the coast again.
01:02:23But the guy who keeps us winning every week, Tommy Hogan, our producer.
01:02:28Tommy, this was really a quickie this week.
01:02:30We always appreciate you making everything possible.
01:02:33Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts, please download, rate, and review.
01:02:38It does help the show, as does going to the New York Post Sports YouTube page and giving a view.
01:02:43And next time we'll come back, we'll be in the midst of the World Series if you stick with us
01:02:48on the show with Joel Sherman and John Heyman.