253 | How Grady Sizemore went from intern to managing the White Sox | The Chris Rose Rotation

Intro hey everybody and welcome to episode number 253 of the Chris Rose rotation a production of johnboy media and this is a treat for me because I used to root for the guy and I'm still rooting for him even though he's in my beloved Cleveland Guardians division he of course is the interim Skipper of your Chicago white sock Grady seore it's good to see you dude how are you I'm doing great happy to be here I am uh I will give you one guess where I am right now look outside I can't tell city am I H are is that Ohio are you in where you at Columbus Seattle Seattle oh can't yeah Recruited to Washington for football it's green come on man your hometown I don't recognize it yeah well it's gray outside so is that it I should have known yeah that's it so you were you weren't you actually going to go to Washington and be the quarterback there if you hadn't been drafted by the Expos that's right yeah I was going to signed to go to University Washington going to play football and baseball there you so you were going to do both yeah I was going to play both all right since I never saw you throw football give me the scouting report on Grady seore the quarterback coming out of high school uh option left option right didn't throw it we didn't throw much in high school no no I was a running back in high school uh you know I played QB a few times but I was primarily a running back and I played Safety and Corner yeah but they wanted me to play QB so I was I was excited about it all right so when so who was it that recruited you I forget who the head coach was uh it was new Heisel then oh my God Slick Rick was going to take you to how much fun would that have been yeah it would have been fun yeah I felt bad I felt like I let him down by signing but uh it was you know it was one of those things where I wasn't expecting to get drafted where I did and uh you know I was excited to go play football and and I liked new Heisel you Managing never being on the radar know he won me over my recruiting trip so uh you know it was a tough call all right so now you're the boss man in charge if I had told you five years ago you would be the interim Skipper of a Major League team you would have said what uh how drunk are you it was never on your radar huh no no of course not no it was never on my radar uh you know even coming into this year it wasn't on my radar um you know I did want to get back in the game you know make an impact somehow and just work with players but uh you know I never envisioned it like going down like this well so when when you were playing like like Stephen vote is a guy that I talked to during his playing career and he was like yeah I want to be a manager this is while he was playing he's like so I'm sitting next to Bob Melvin on the bench on days that I'm not playing or I'm sitting next to Craig Council in Milwaukee or t uh Tory out in Arizona Brian snitter in Atlanta he was trying to you know drink it all in yeah you never had a thought during your playing career like no what even when I was playing I never had a thought that I would come back and Coach you know I just kind of envisioned you know playing was going to be that was it for me and then I'd just kind of ride off and and be done spend time with the family so uh you know never envisioned being here uh but it's you know it's been a blessing it's been a wild ride it's been fun uh just enjoying every minute of it and trying to just embrace it all so you Taking an internship with the Diamondbacks for $15 an hour know the story is well told that you wanted to get back into it and your buddy J Josh Barfield when you used to play with in Cleveland was in the Arizona front office and you talked to him about it and you ended up taking an internship for $15 an hour yeah under Hazen out there the architect of the Arizona Diamondbacks did you really get paid did you take the 15 bucks an hour uh yeah I I think so you know I I never really like followed up you know it was weird I I actually not only that I had to like clock in so i' come in every day and I had my little computer and I had to time time in and time out my uh a little time stamp uh but it was fun I enjoyed it you know I worked with the young guys um and got to meet a lot of good people and just kind of see kind of just get my foot in the door a little bit just kind of get back into the swing of things gotta be honest with you gr it's been a while since I've been an intern but I know back in those days all the interns we used to go out and we you know we'd party it up together so that's it was not you the intern just got three little kids at home there was no party me soon as I left the field it was straight back to the house um what would you what were you doing during your internship uh you know just kind of coaching you know it was really just being an extra coach um and working with some of the younger players and just talking with the coaches and just you know I sit in on the meetings and just kind of go through the schedule with the guys and then just be an extra body out there during practice that was really it well listen nobody wants to go go through a managerial change unfortunately you guys have had a really tough season there's no way around it you end up they called you into the office I I presume and they were like we Getting the call to be the interim manager want you to be the intern manager how did this whole thing go down uh it was just a phone call yeah it was a phone call um you know they told me I was I was really surprised I wasn't expecting it um and but I was like you know I was like do you want to do it and I was like oh hell yeah know let's let's go um again it was just uh it's a tough season for us you know we we've had a lot of ups and downs and and it's been frustrating so you know I just wanted to uh to do my best to kind of you know try to find a positive way to to kind of end this season and get the guys playing as good as they can what was the first thing you told the team oh gosh I don't even remember um you know I just we we had a meeting you know I think Chris Chris talked and and we all kind of knew what was going on at that point I I just tried to you know keep it Loose just try to see you know try to let them know where I was coming from and and what I expected out of them and and just uh trying to get their confidence back a little bit and get to the point where we're coming to the ballpark and we're having fun and we're playing loose and just uh you know really just kind of what I expected them over the next you know seven eight weeks and and just trying to motivate them any way I could hey more of the show is coming your way but you know what we all need to get more of off our ass with bold flavors and refreshing Citrus kick Mountain Dew will get you off your ass and have you feeling like you're on an actual Mount amount Mountain where the weather is always perfect your friends are ready to hang and a day of Epic Proportions awaits I mean you love being competitive whether it's with family members or your buddies outside it could be fishing it could be game of pickup football throwing the frisbee around closest to the pin in golf heck you can even take a monitor outside throw on your gamer headsets and go one-on-one in video games you could do tick ball with kickball Dad if you have them in your cell like I do you could play Frisbee golf whiffle ball pickle ball Blitzball whatever it is you want to take your game to the next level so you know what the mountain is calling you should answer grab your friends grab an Ice Cold Mountain Dew wherever refreshing beverages are sold basically I got three words for you do the do it seems like there's a little bit of a breath of kind Guys wearing Sizemore t shirts of fresh air in that Clubhouse and that's not a shot at at Pedro gfal but the guys yesterday wore Grady seism more t-shirts out onto the field not every player is going to do that for their manager you saw that what' you feel uh I started laughing no it was awesome I uh I didn't know it was coming yeah I was a surprised these guys have been great you know they uh they're fun to they're fun to work with uh I've gotten to know them you know since spring training and it's it's been it's been a joy you know I uh I'm proud to represent these guys and I'm proud the way they played you know since I took over it's not easy you know having someone new come in and you know you know they uh they stepped up and they've been playing hard and bringing energy and and making me laugh and and making it fun for me as well do you want the job of course I mean no anyone would would would die for Want to be named full-time manager? this position you know I I said I'm grateful uh you know I'm trying not to focus on the future I'm trying just to to focus on on right now and and our our goals for today and and moving forward for this season but uh you know like you said it's it's a it's a dream job I'm having a lot of fun with it you know these guys will tell you like I said I'm down and you guys are giving me some of the funnest moments of my career uh I'm enjoying it I'm rooting for them I'm I'm just I'm just filled with adrenaline and and excitement so uh it's been a fun ride have the white socks told you you're gonna have a shot at it or are they gonna say that no they haven't said anything and and I think you know when Chris told me at the beginning it's like look this is just you know in the inter room you know we're going to do our our search next year and and don't get caught up and all that and I and I knew I I knew going into it that that was going to be the case um so I I really just trying to focus on on doing the best job I can now and trying to make an impact for these guys and get them in a position where they can succeed and and finish strong but has it wet your appetite for for next year for whether it's here in this organization or elsewhere to do that listen you're guy in your early 40s that's got three young kids I get it if you want to step away but it also sounds like man you're being you're like man this is interesting you know going into it I didn't know what to expect um if it's anything like the last 10 days yeah I I'm going to pursue it and try to learn as much as I can and put myself in a position to uh to to keep you know getting these opportunities and making the most of it yeah it's it's been exciting you know I i' I've latched on to it it's it's uh it's something that the competing aspect of it is is contagious and and I uh it's infectious I just I can't get away from your first managerial win came in a double digit Victory against the New York Yankees of all teams and your old teammate Aaron Boon um the smile on your face after you guys won that game how did it compare to maybe your first moment as a big league player uh you know that it was again I I think as far First big league win as a manager as just you know excitement and joy that was that was probably maybe the top I think when you're playing you know you're happy for yourself but you know you're just thinking about yourself and and you know since I've been taking this role there's so much more that you focus on and and and you're rooting for these guys and you want so much for them to have success and to just to see way they played for that first series in Chicago like just the adrenaline and the energy they brought and the excitement and then to to get that first one it was uh it was a memorable it uh it felt more gratifying than any any uh Personal Achievement I had in my playing career who was the best person you heard from afterward oh gosh I mean I heard from everybody I mean every like you know old People you heard from after win High School coaches and friends and and old teammates and and it was uh it was it was a flood of support and and and know some of them I I couldn't even you the numbers were so old I didn't even know who they were they weren't in my contact list anymore but uh it was great to hear from you know old coaches and old managers and and just you know like even like the High School coaches and stuff it was uh it was nice I hate it when I get that where the number pops up and it's like dude I'm so proud of you so how did you play that off was thanks dude yeah I was just like thanks you know I appreciate it you know like love the support and like we got to keep going you know but I'm just like gosh I I wish I knew that was that's did you find out who it was I got everybody yeah but at the time you know it was kind of tough you know I'm sitting there like I got to go through my old old contacts and I like okay that's you know but it was it was a lot it was a lot but it was fun like I said the support from just the players and the organization and just everybody around me has been great did boony say anything to you uh we talked I think uh before that first game maybe or yeah I think before the before that game but yeah he was just we were just kind of catching up I hadn't really talked to him face to face in a while um no he was great yeah it's good to see him and you know he was you know one of my favorite teammates you know everybody gravitated boony playing together so nice to see him CC get you I haven't talked to C yet you know I haven't seen him in a while come on you know you know what his deal is do not return text I just found this out that he he doesn't return I thought it was me for a while and then I was with him last week and his boy was like no it's not you when I played with him yeah it was he was like a ghost you know he'd have a new phone like every every every season keep up so I just gave up you know I'm like he'll call me when he's ready hey um you obviously made some news in that Yankee series by intentionally walking Aaron judge with the bases empty you're like hey I'm the smartest guy in the room because y'all see what he's doing to the rest of the Walking Soto to get to Judge league yeah I don't think I did that though I don't think I well you you intentionally walked him how many times no I didn't walk I don't think I walked I think the the news was I I walked Soto to get to OH Soto to get sorry I'm losing track of of who's walking whom yeah right that's my fault all right so yeah okay you're right and then he ended up hitting the Homer on the inside pitch okay yeah he said he was mad but he should be thanking me so did you think about it when you did walk stto to get to him I mean at that point you know stto already you know I think he had four homers in that series already um he was crushing us you know not that I want to walk anyone to get to judge but uh you know I had an open base uh we were already down the game was getting out of out of hand and I uh I just couldn't let stto hit five against us in that situation but uh got it you know yeah judge judge made me pay you know but it's there's no it's pick your poison there you know I think just had the open base um no one wants to walk anyone to get to judge but uh we were just trying to limit the damage hey get in line on that one yeah you know what you're not alone holy smokes whether you're cheering on your Alma moer or just love the thrill of college football you're going to want to listen to this right now all new customers who betches $5 on anything will get $200 in bonus bets instantly with our partners at draftking Sportsbook staying on the action and use $200 in your bonus bets to bet anytime touchdowns on DraftKings DraftKings is the place to bet touchdowns that's all I bet touchdowns so download draftking Sportsbook app now and new customers use promo code Rose and bet is five bucks on any wager and get $200 in bonus bets instantly that's promo code Rose only at the draftking Sportsbook the crown is yours for people that are kind of our younger generation that are watching this they have no idea how great a ball player you were uh and I'm not just saying that because he played for my favorite team but I remember talking to Azie Gian who at the time was the White Soxs manager in 2006 I think it was he said you know Grady's playing days who's the best player in our division Brady seisman it's not close uh injuries cut you short do you ever look back and say you know what I'm saying like that really cost me a little bit or no yeah I mean it's it's I try not to look back and get caught up in it you know I think things happen for a reason um you know I definitely think that the the injuries forced me you know out of the game before I before I wanted to you know not on my own terms and I I think that's maybe part of the reason why I wanted to get back into it is that I just didn't uh didn't fight quite feel like I i' closed it the way I wanted to um and there was still just that itch to compete so uh you know I wanted to harness that somewh way and uh and so that's why I got my you that's why I wanted to start coaching again but um you know like I love the game I miss it you know the injuries were tough but uh you know like it's just it's one of those things that happens you know you play long enough uh you're gonna you're gonna run into a few and you know I just was unfortunate that they all kind of glided at once I remember talking to CC saath about you and I said Grady plays so damn hard wouldn't you once particularly on defense where you're running into walls and Diving all over the place he's like yeah I tell him myself like we need you out there bro why could you never throttle it down particularly on defense um you know I looking back yeah you'd probably you know say like hey Defense maybe you don't have to dive in a 10-run game or whatever run into the wall but it was just I feel like that's what made me good you know what I mean so if if I were to try to tell myself to save bullets or to go easy in certain situations I probably wouldn't have been the player I was so I just I just tried to pride myself every night to just you know be the same person and play the same way and not take a play off and I feel like that's what made me good you know it might have been what shortened my career too but you know I I wouldn't change it did you like playing defense more than offense um you know I think I liked you know taking hits away more than I liked getting hits um you know I think the the the best feeling was probably like you know taking a taking a big play away you know defensively for your pitcher you know I mean like the reaction you get from your pitcher when you save a run you make a great play is it was like the best feeling do you like all that video we just put up there I was watching it yeah it was a good little highlight re there it wasn't bad at all you also I think were one of the first players I remember to have a particular fan base and the first time I saw Grady's ladies was I was like what is going on what is going on in my hometown is there one particular story you could share with I know you're a happily married man father of three but is there one that makes you laugh as you Grady's Ladies look back on it I mean it was all kind of funny going going on um I didn't know you know what to make of it or or where it came from or or how it started but um yeah they they just you know showed up one day with with shirts and signs and they were down the they were down the left field line then they were up in center field and and I I was I was like it was hard just for guy to doesn't like a lot of attention it was it was hard to ignore um but it was uh it was it was all fun you know I I was try to have fun with it and uh you know the support I got in Cleveland was great and I still get a lot of like fans coming up to me from that area and uh it was a great time in my life you know the the city was great I led playing for him and uh you know like I said it was I loved all the memories I imagine your teammates busted your balls like no other didn't they oh oh yeah all the time I mean it didn't but it wasn't just because of that it started long before that you know from the first time I walk in the clubhouse what you're wearing I mean as a rookie you get you get hit on pretty hard especially back then then those guys will wear you out but uh yeah they they had a kick out of that one what would they get on you cuz you were the nicest you always walked through there with the smile same dude every day same ad what in the world could they pick on Grady seis more about I I can't remember now I mean it was you know just you know tight shirts clothing you know like interviews you'd do you know like I think one time I had had my coach in like a old high school coach in the in the Dugout in Seattle doing interviews and I was in I mean I I got wor out and Kar for yeah I'm sure I'm sure you had to pay a few fines on that one yeah you you made three all-star teams uh do you remember your first one and what it was like to walk into a clubhouse like that uh vaguely you know they all kind of blend together you know I remember uh I just remember being nervous you know like I was in there and it was like just had everybody you had like Jeter and those guys and Ichiro and and I just I didn't want to say anything I just was like trying to not not offend anybody you know I'm like can I can I ask for an autograph can I can I do this or that and I just uh I just watched I really just watched these guys go about it and you know I I I was just I couldn't believe I was there you know it was uh great experience they were all so fun it was it's crazy it's just you walk into these things there's just cameras and people everywhere it's just a big production and you know like you know coming from Cleveland where it's real small market like you you get thrust into these big events and it was a it was a lot you know you're taking rides down streets with carpets and stuff it was it was crazy so was there like a welcome to the show moment for you I mean I think you got up into the bigs at age 21 or something like that do you remember a particular moment where you walk either into the Batters box or you All-Star games get on base and there's some Legend playing short or second you're like I cannot like I'm here you know I think the one that sticks out is I think we were playing the white socks and my first hit like a double or something it was Freddy Garcia I was all jacked up and I was like I was maybe like nobody welcome to the show moment out or one out and I was like I'm gonna steal third right after my first double and I got picked off and I was like there's my there's my welcome to the show moment sit down rookie man ouch ouch so you must have been the biggest Ken Griffey Jr fan oh yeah I mean just the Mariners in general like I Lov yeah buer griffy all those guys like Omar like it was uh it was awesome yeah I love watching those guys growing up so special moment for me in 95 was the ALCS where the then Indians made the World Series for the first time in my life you were more of a kid back then did you like cry your eyes out when they didn't okay if he did no I wasn't that invested into the uh the Mariners you know I liked watching baseball and and the team but you know the wins and losses didn't didn't didn't sit on me I was the kind of kid that like I couldn't sit through two innings of a game without just going outside and playing my own game so um you know as much as I watched them and I loved it it was more like you know I didn't really hang on the the the loss there were you were you a better football player than baseball player I mean I was good at both you know I I I I don't know I was I think I was equally good at at both Sports you know I I think uh I thought football was going to be my opportunity you know to get to college and to kind of you know you know continue my professional career U you know baseball was baseball's like the summer sport you know you just played for fun in the summer you didn't really think much of it you know football was what you like you know Friday nights it was all the all the hype and everything and that was like that's where I had a lot of my energy and passion but uh baseball was just kind of like my fun thing that I did you know in the Summers so you were one of these guys there's so many dudes that grind at baseball like 12 months a year on the west coast particularly right where the where the weather's great so you're one of these guys that was just a stud athlete you walk out you probably hit 420 steal like 35 40 bags in a 21 Game season or something right I mean not really no I I I had I was good you know I think like I didn't play year round you know we didn't have like some big summer ball travel thing back then you know like for me I played free sports I played basketball too so in the summer I'm I'm in football camps I'm in basketball camps for for my team and I'm playing baseball uh you know our season was short you know like 20 some games you know not not not crazy numbers you know like I think I was good you know I think uh I think what put me on the map was the uh the area code games you know before my senior year went down there and played pretty well but um you know I remember when Scouts came back up to scout me that senior year they they weren't really crazy about what they saw uh you know they thought I was probably more of a regression from the are area code games to my senior year so I didn't have a lot of high expectation you know and then I remember before the draft uh you know there were some teams that were interested I think Seattle was going to pick me I think they didn't have a pick till the fourth round and I remember Pat gillick was you know in my in my home talking to me and and my family and trying to ask me what it was going to take to sign and we kind of told everyone I was going to play football like there was no chance I was you know sign pro ball I was going to go to school and play football but and the Expos came in and drafted me in the third round and uh kind of made made an offer I couldn't really refuse so went that route and that was it I got you on a game day so I know your time is short but coup more and I'm I'm Gonna Let You Go go do your thing um so this week was big big moment in the Rose household I'll be honest with you we're dropping off our youngest son at College his name is Brady and he found his roommate online like a lot of kids do the kid's name is Grady Brady and Grady any guess who he's named after can't be me right his mom is from Cleveland so that's Grady there on the left my son is the bearded one on the right the buzz cut that's Brady so Grady's mom is from the same town I'm from Sher Heights Ohio and she loved you Sports Illustrated cover as a player oh that's awesome they have one child his name is Grady no way so congratulations there you go an honor yeah isn't that nice no it's really nice yeah okay cool no it's awesome uh I got one other picture for you the cover of Sports Illustrated okay do you still have that somewhere in your house uh yeah I got I got a couple in there I think for guy who uh as you mentioned earlier doesn't love the Limelight yeah and back then Sports Illustrated wasn't a regional cover like now they got 10 different covers when they you know when Sports illustr was popular in printing a magazine back then this was the [ __ ] so this is what everybody got in their mailbox at home when you saw the cover what did you think uh I was like what is that headline well bro I think we all know what the headline is I don't know if it's Sports Illustrated or uh chicka chicka bowwow but you know was it uh was it a little alarming or was it flattering yeah no it was you know I I said I I I didn't like the attention I didn't really uh I I didn't embrace it as much as I probably should have at at that point in my career I uh I was like the guy that wanted the low profile didn't want the attention but you know it was cool you know even in as a kid grown up I I I wanted to play pro ball I wanted to be like an athlete I wanted to do something with you know with professional sport Sports and I but I never dreamed of like being on cover of Sports Illustrated so it was it was a pretty fun experience um it was wild like uh again yeah but I was probably more uncomfortable with it than anything just because of all the attention and everything I I didn't really embrace it like you think uh finally have you um have you gotten fired up yet as a manager like pissed off where you want to go out and argue yet or anything not really no everyone everything's been pretty smooth so far okay what's the give me the as we leave what is the best part of the job Best/most challenging part of managing and what is the most challenging part of the job that you didn't expect uh the most challenging is probably trying to get everybody enough enough game action you know I mean I think you uh you put your lineups in there and you use your your Bullpen guys as much as you as much as you can for matchups but I think trying to get everybody you know consistent playing time is is definitely the hardest part there's always going to be someone left out that doesn't it's not playing as much and and as a player I feel like that's that hurts because I I know that once I wasn't an everyday guy I was platooning or coming off the bench you know you're frustrated you want to get in there so I know how hard that is for some of these guys who just want to play and want to go out there and compete and they're not getting the play in time um as far as the the good stuff um it's all good I mean like you know being a manager is is is great like you uh you you have your finger on everything you know like the adrenaline rush during the game it's like you feel like you're out there competing so I love every every part of it I love the mat trying to match up the meetings trying to figure out how how we're going to go about this team or that team and uh it's great well it's really exciting we're rooting for you uh and I hope whatever it is that you want in this game that you get it cuz you you deserve it you played your ass off you were a great player and you brought a lot of joy to my hometown so I just want to say thank you for that and I wish you luck appreciate it Chris yeah it's really cool getting to see you live out as part of your dream best to you and your entire family and thanks so much for taking a few minutes best to you and your family as well yeah thanks thank you brother uh we want a big shout out to our our amazing producer out there Robbie Shaco uh I am Chris Rose for Grady seore your interim Skipper of your Chicago White stocks we will see you next time here on the Chris Rose rotation a production of johnboy media