The 6-1-1 Podcast: Joe Torre | Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre!

all right welcome back to the 611 podcast with your co-host Jimmy Rollins my boy Ryan Howard and we're here today with one of the great managers of the most stored franchise in MLB the New York Yankees can't talk about those guys without of course mentioning the great Joe Tori Joe thank you for being here today you know it's nice being with you guys when you're not wearing your uniform and got that grumpy look on your face is this I think this is going to be fun oh man absolute it's nice being here though I I have to say it's an absolute pleasure um having you here the accolades that you were able to accomplish over your career nine time Allstar nine nine time allstar MVP in 1971 we all have that in common I at least can say that yes so today today is the 611 MVP podcast YouTube more comment cuz I did it with a little speed you know I'm just throwing it out there what you saying about me I think we all had a burst at my speed or what it's not that I'm ignoring it Joe oh I'm just saying it didn't really you know factor into the to you winning the MVP like Ryan hit and triples would not have gotten an MVP you hitting triples would not have gotten you MVP I need triples wait a minute do you have any idea how many triples I hit in my career how many this is fun somebody sent this to me I didn't know it at the time okay guess what you guess right just give me a guess okay okay I will say I'm going to go 18 years I know I know I know 17 I I was going to say 25 that's pretty that's a pretty reasonable guess right that's pretty reasonable I think a little yeah he threw me off I'm throw 18 18 years I mean I'm I'm g go higher I'm gon go higher because I because I myself had what two three triples in one week there was like two I had two at least two triples in one week and it wasn't the triple Joe it it was the face that he made when he because I had to look over at at Jimmy and Kenny Lofton and see the disbelief that I had hit two triples in the same week so I'm giving I'm giving good graces here I'm going to go a little higher I'm going to say at least 75 75 755 in 18 I mean I I'll go high I'll go high microphone wasn't here I'd go over and give you a hug uh 59 59 okay so we split the difference that's solid the difference yeah I didn't know that either until some fan wrote in referenced it uh comparing to somebody else but you know that's why I love the fans cuz it remind us of how good we were at time and we're letting them know that we do read that stuff yes we do yes we do we may not talk about it but we we we definitely recognize when it's happening oh no absolutely absolutely absolutely you you got to love [Music] it now Joe I want to ask you what was your so what was your rookie year what what was the first year which team well I started professionally in in 1960 okay uh I signed with the Braves um and in in 59 they sent me the the instruction League 1960 they sent me at that time which no longer exists class SE ball cuz it you know you have AA a double a a and at that time each Club had two B Teams two c teams and you know a couple of D teams and then one of those D teams were the the short season when guys got of school okay so so I I played yeah I played no Clair Wisconsin in 1960 it was the Braves SE ball which Hank Aaron had played there and U and I led the league in hitting came up actually went down to Milwaukee because my brother was living in Milwaukee at the time he was with the brave organization and when I got down there I went over to the ballpark and they're informing me they're going to keep me you know as they expand their roster in September they're going to keep me on the um on the on the team you know toh be the third catcher so I was nervous as a cat needless to say for sure but I didn't think I was going to get any playing time so I just hang out with the guys you know it would be pretty good until one Saturday afternoon my manager Chuck Dron said get a bat and you know hit and it was a ninth inning I pinched it for Warren spawn and Harvey Harvey hadex was the pitcher threw me the first I main legs were shaking and Harvey hadex threw the first p bch and I took it and I said I can hit that mhm and he threw me an identical fast ball in the same place I hadit a single up the middle and thank God they pinched ran for me at first I'm not sure I could have gone beyond that oh man I remember my first B it reminds me cuz you you actually able to swing your first B which is great you saw a lot of my career and you saw all of it I wasn't there to take pictures at all my very first bat I don't know if I should the story before and if I have forgive me for repeating the bat did not come off my shoulder and it wasn't with the intent I was trying to take I just could not pull the bat off my shoulder who was who was your first at bat against the Florida Marlins Chuck Smith okay and he was throwing some beautiful fast balls and same thing like yeah okay it's a little crisper you know it's a hot day Sunday it's same like you got caught up did not expect to play just hang out I just enjoy you know being here getting this free check that's what I thought and I walked in the clubhouse and my name's on the lineup and it was just immed mediately just just like what what what what is happening what do you mean I'm starting I just got here why am I all these thoughts going through my head and they continued so my first bat fortunately I walked uh but the next bat I finally swung the bat the one swing I took ended up being a triple no and so that same I I I couldn't do it so congrats for being able to swing your first bat so so you started your career off triples so that I mean that was pretty much yeah I mean In fairness it was part for as part for the course it was but since we have uh the great Yankee manager Joe Tori I think we'd be remiss yes if we didn't get we we'll give you the table to tell as many as you want but a Derek Jeter story oh well first off recently I went to his um his 50th birthday party okay and I didn't feel real good and it was a surprise party okay that's why I think I was wondering okay makes sense surpris surprised everybody that's okay that's what that's what really drew me in to be honest with you and and when he did show up at the party I said I I didn't know if I was going to come tonight but I just wanted to see what surprise looked like on your face I haven't seen it in 12 years um but the Derek Jeter story U I had I guess two of them we opened the season in uh in Toronto and this is when Giambi was on our club and you know they played Giambi around three guys on the right side of the infield at that time and he was at first and you know uh gii hadit a ground ball and he was going to take third because there was nobody there but the catcher man managed to get down to Third Base they threw over there he slides in head first and dislocates his shoulder o all right for opening day of the season I go out obviously I didn't know it at the time I went out but I knew he was hurt cuz he didn't get up mhm so he's laying there and I look down at him and he says I'll be in there tomorrow Mr T I said yeah okay no problem you know that that that's the one story and then the other one we in Baltimore um and man at second base two out and he's like 0 for 30 he's gone through this dry spell badly and man had second two out and he tries to drop a bunt down the third Baseline oh that went over well oh boy not only didn't it go over well he was thrown out at first base so he wasn't even safe he come into the Dugout when he come into the Dugout I said what the hell are you doing he says I need a hit Mr T and I couldn't help but laugh but he did you know it's the first little desperation I saw in his face so so he was human because I mean two two things I picked up from the first story did he know how injured he was yes oh yeah okay yeah he didn't get up and when he didn't get up there was reasoning there yeah oh definitely knew he had and was was he back out there the next day no he no he was probably getting it corrected the next day and he went on to DL at that time okay but I mean it it's mean you don't think when you think of Derek Jeter you don't think about a slump he seemingly never was in a slump he'd always find a way to get hits and obviously there's always a time to attempt a bunt and there are plenty more times when they're they you shouldn't be attempting to bun I I've been there so to hear that he's done the same thing like look I'm just trying to get a hit to get something going if I if it works out it's still like what the hell are you doing yeah but you understand it's like okay it worked out but you still have that conversation but get thrown out at front right trust me I've done it and it's just you just you just drop your head and you feel even worse and it's always the best pitch that you bunt and get thrown out on it's the fast ball down the middle one one too late always one you committed but it you know he was like you two guys as far as you know when the game was going on and there are players and we know that would rather not be up in that key situation he thri I mean he just you know craved to do that and you know if it didn't work it didn't work you know just like you know you go out there and do the best you can but the one thing you know is that your heartbeat's the same yeah yeah and uh that that's something you can't teach well speaking of heartbeat being the same I want to kind of talk about like your transition from player to manager right so as a player I'm sure there was some intensity that was that was taking place out there on the field but how did you kind of temper that that that that competitive nature from what you had between the lines as a player to that as a manager because when we would look over when we're playing against you you didn't show at all any real emotion Ball's getting hit in the third deck just Stone Face same face same face just same face so if you would taking an x-ray of me at the time you you would see you would see a big difference no the one thing I I think and and even when I was a player you know if if I struck out I you know I would show no emotion then go back in the Dugout and tear a nail off the wall or something like that I I don't know I just didn't want to give the opposition or the opposing picture the satisfaction of you know seeing that he ruined my day basically and as a manager uh especially I started in New York as a manager manag the Mets first you know see you know that if anything bad happens on the field yeah they want to see the reaction right and and having understood that I I never wanted to show that kind of emotion because I I didn't want the players to see later on on on T or something if he made an error that you know here I am you know shaking my head or something like that because I've played the game right and I know you know it's not always great you know and you you make errors and that's all part of the game the only time they may have seen me react if if it's a mental error of some kind and let me go back and give you another Jeter here we go here we go let's get it going see they're all coming out rookie year uh in '96 we're in Chicago playing the white socks he's at second basee and and he's either the tying run or the go-ahead run it's two out and cesal fielder is the hitter and you know he had shown me enough up to this point that I really turned him like you know you're on your own you're on the base you're not on your own okay and just catching a straight catch stra and so he's at second base and I you know I don't say don't try to steal third because he's not going to do that okay all all of a sudden he takes off for third base and he's out now you know he's third out of the inning he's staying out there somebody takes him his glove you know and I'm I'm pissed because you know and now I'm blaming myself I should have put the hold on you know I you know I gave him more credit than he deserved and all that stuff so all these I said to Zim uh Don Zimmer my bench coach I said I'm not going to talk to him I'm not going to say anything to him cuz you know we got to try to win this game and I'm not going to try to disturb him or get him off you know off point here so bottom of the inning is over with and a lot of times when someone screws up you know they go toward the end of The Dugout or get some water or whatever he came walking in and squeezed between Zimmer and me they he just sat down mhm what do you say I hit him in the back of the head I said get out of here right you know because he knew he knew he screwed up and but uh that was him better take that was him he never hid from anything that's when you know you got somebody different yeah that's I mean as a as a rookie you said that was his rookie year like you don't see that very very often and that's where you know he was Cut From a Different Cloth yeah just just greatness yeah I I didn't like what he did but I certainly likeed the way he reacted to it mhm Ryan you've never been thrown out at third base trying to steal for the third out of many have you um not that I can recall actually wait no don't even actually no not that I can recall I want you anything I had I had a good story I had a good story is it the truth is it a truth it is the truth it's the 611 we need the truth bro that's all we give so I did not get thrown out it was I was not the third out but my story it was it was interesting okay it was the same year I feeling good you know I had my I think my nine stolen bases in a season feeling good I'm on second M Jason worth is on First and somewhere Jason's gonna be out there listening to the story and he's gonna start cracking up he's on first jdub needs like one more base or something like that to get like 20 or 30 stolen bases I forget which it was he's on first I'm on second jdub's at first base he's looking at me he's like bro go like go go I'm like bro like what are you like we're having a conversation and the game is going on he's like does he realize who he's speaking with at that moment um I don't think he did okay but I ultimately wind up going get thrown out at third go back Charlie looks at me and he's like the hell are you doing son I was like hey man like J J told me to go I thought I had a shot it was so yeah it did then and then JB's at second base just dying laughing just cracking up at me getting tossed at so he got so he got his 20 got well yeah he got it he got it he got it well did it count if I got yeah I got thrown out so it didn't even count but he standing in that second base laughing at me got got and he didn't even get the I was like man I'm never going again for you bro never going again for you can't do it can't do it can't do it but it was fun though it was funny all right Joe you've had some some of the greatest players um to play the game definitely in my opinion the greatest closer in Mariano mhm but you and him didn't always see eye to eye on certain things maybe in his mind it made more sense to be a position player go track some balls down in the pastures I don't know I I hear there's a story out there that exists yeah he wanted to play center field i i i cringed when I watched him even go out there and uh you know during batting practice you know chasing fly balls down because I had you know by the time I got to the Yankees I had this memory well actually I didn't it was after I left the Yankees went to the the Dodgers but I I told them no chance you're not going to go play center field you know I'm not going to get in trouble Yip I'm you know I'm it's going to be fine there's no question he was you know he's a great athlete oh no doubt but you know when you got a boss upstairs and I see him stumble around in center field and uh when they asked me the question I really couldn't come up with a good answer if that was the case right you know and then when I went to the Dodgers it it brought back a memory of of Mo asking me about playing uh position you know could have been shortstop or center field he didn't care but he he wanted to play the man's busy that's it that's important that's it you should pick it up and tell them you're on you're on the 611 and you can call that was H CH I knew of of course of course it's Dan one of our bosses called in our show right right we're silent we're silent back Marana I went to um when I went to the Dodgers I wind up uh losing Kershaw ah for exactly that it that you know s situation he went out and jumped the wall and catching a Fly ball and dislocated and you know but you know dislocated the the left I mean the right side you know cuz he had the glove over trying to catch a ball during batting practice oh wow yeah pitch when that happened I thought of Mariana and and the reason why CU they really think they're some are athletic right you know but you know athletes they're they're good at what they do they they have a special talent they probably couldn't hit they probably couldn't feel it that well but they made one hell of a living on the mound but Joe we got your story Bob Gibson was another one he yes he took he took ground balls at third base all during batting practice M how those hands look oh hands were good oh hands were good he thinks he could and any time you want he could go oneon-one on you and he did a lot of that cuz he wanted to work he really he he didn't run much because he just had the bad knees but he he was Dripping by the time he batting practice was over playing Third Base all right do do we do we have a clip of of Mo's version of of the story oh man my favorite your thory is just I mean um uh 96 I came in in Spring and I want to introduce myself and uh you know I start I start speaking to men to the men in Spanish and when he look at me like I'm crazy and I'm like you don't speak Spanish huh man says man no man I mean I was so embarrass I'm like oh man you know and the other one guys the other one I always thought Joe put me in Cant field man put me in coach you know put me in coach man put me in Centerfield put me in the eighth inning two out inning if they hit the ball to Centerfield I will catch it and then put me in the put in the game tonight and I will do I fulfill my dream and that's it so Joe never did Joe never put you in in center field never did never did so he was trying to be the sh before sh right yeah you know so he was trying to make but he was already specialized at this point right he's mariana rivera at this point he was yeah but can can I interrupt of course I'm not sure about the bat part of it you know you give you show I think we the defense okay we'll take the we'll take the defensive side not sure about Mo so he was one he wanted to go make the play in center field and then come back in little and then shut it down get the save get the save so he wanted to rob somebody in Centerfield out there and come back and get the BM and get the the save on the bum but you got to admire that you got you got to admire the intensity of him wanting to do it all like yes Joe let me just let me be moriano and he was he was again like you guys they he he there was nothing he he didn't feel he could do you know that he couldn't do I mean and he he was special obviously and he did did you ever ask him how he came upon that that cutter of his I didn't how did he he was doing bad in practice to you and you kept shooting him not quite not quite he was in the pen one day and all of a sudden it started doing that he had just wasn't trying to do just started doing I noticed something too with his cutter as well is that and maybe it was later on either when I when I got up there maybe earlier on in his career he was more he might have been more in the middle but I noticed like when I look back my few at bats that I had against him he was on the third base side of the rubber which created more angle for his cutter because with lefties he creates that angle to where as soon as it's out of hand it looks like it's right down the middle of the plate but it's always coming across the place and it's bearing in cuz he broke my my good bat in the allstar game in 06 yeah the one I won the Home Run Derby with in ' 06 he broke it so thanks for that um Mariano um but but it it served its purpose but I always I always noticed that early on was that oh man he's creating that angle and I wonder like kind of more so in today's game you start seeing more guys kind of standing on different sides of the the rubber um trying to create more angles how many guys really kind of did that back then because you see it a lot more today I think than you did back then right there's the science to it for sure and that brought that broken bad step that was your your gamer that was that was a gamer all the allar game who brings their gamer to an All-Star Game to begin with first of all they they weren't making Scooby-Doo bats and all the kind of bats that they're making today but you had to use what you had to use maruchi made you a whole bunch of you could have asked for a special edition allstar game you could have left see that was a problem you could have left that one for us and took the All-Star Game to the allar that that's what I did when I went to the allar I had an Allstar back because I didn't want my baby down at the allstar game Joe thank you I'm I'm going to interject in 2006 young James yes how many years had you been in the league that was my six season okay in 2006 how many years was I in the league 45 game pretty much yeah you think I had the wherewithal of having that type of back Carriage you could have asked you could have asked I I had some I had a couple extra B I feel like the manager now when you let je on his own that was my fault okay yeah I I should have went to him and and gave him you see my teacher you see my teacher I'm supposed to be taught these things I don't know I'm ran I'm sorry yeah I had a bad story I had a bad when I was a player I had this bat was like Iron Man it just you know it had dents in it it was was it was it tart up and Nails just a tart up you know but how many grains cuz people don't how many grains it was wi and it it was um you know I I started using I had bat with uh no knob on it you know and how I started using that is when I was catching one time against the Pirates and and clementy got a base hit and I went to pick the bat up throw it out of the way and I this feels pretty good you know and you know I started using that bat but this was Iron Man it it was great we're in San Francisco now and I didn't use this bat because we're facing Gaylord Perry and he got in my kitchen all the time cuz that thing would go you know he'd throw that that thing that was accused of being a wet one this way so I I didn't I didn't use it we wind up knocking him out of the game and I went to get my bat it was broken Jose Cardell Jose Cardell for the same reason didn't want to use his b he picked up mine my good and if I could have caught him I'd have killed him I could not outrun him what size what was the spec on your bat what size bat it was 35 in 36 Oz oh heavy right yeah no he got me Jesus I was 3534 I know so yeah those were big bats cuz I know you know the big bats and and the thicker handle it's a better balance but but it was a better balance it's still a log though it's still a log but you would swing it you would swing my bat so but you know it it it it took me about a month and a half to actually take it into the game cuz I was I was afraid he was he would talk to me all the time he called my bat the little sports car and I need to upgrade to the SUV you got to take the family for a ride you know take for but I but I learned that yeah using a bigger bat the benefits of it not necessarily for for the flight for me yes I'll get that but it was those one two Hoppers that were getting past guys in the infield exactly that's that was what I saw as the biggest benefit and uh Ryan I appreciate that man and um my pleasure my pleasure it was fun watching it watching you guys like hit with my bat and I got to see what it looked like would come off and it would hit a different trory I can guarantee you that the ball off my bat never ever look like the ball off your bed I can guarantee that okay but that's probably true but I did see some stuff with I did see it where it it hit and then I could see your ball kind of take another gear we got to be real here we got to be 100% here but but that's what we were talking about like with bigger bats because you know guys in your area of ball all used bigger bats and so it and it looked like from from my point of view it's like you couldn't swing them hard you just got them going and let the momentum of the bat do the majority of the work I would say yeah I had like like Hank Aaron I he was my teammate for eight years you know he had a real thin handle bat and he had this kind of you know Hitting Zone you know I needed something a little a little larger MH but it was always right there all the noise was right here you know he was he was something to watch and Joe looked like he was going to come out and get to Mike Ma did he say Joe stay there no stay there don't take me out yeah I thought that's what he said looking for one more out and he's going to get it he finishes g off with a strikeout here in the ninth inning and Mike msen has won his seventh game after after seeing that clip did you get the game ball for for leaving him in the in the in the game like it's what's what's going on ninth inning what you're you're the manager you protect your play I I don't know why I was going out but evidently I was going out so I was going to take him out right but uh when he yell he said okay you know he never opened his mouth man never said much all of a sudden he's you know talking at me in a distance you know and okay I do not remember why I was going out but it had to be to take him out for some reason but uh you know obviously I didn't do it maybe the pinch give you an idea who run that team obviously it wasn't you in that moment but yes it's it's and and and I'm glad that came up because this is something that you've seen in all stages from guys throwing 180 pitches it didn't matter to your arm fell off to basically you have you were given seven Innings and about 110 pitches to now it's 80 pitches or five innings whichever one comes first can we talk about the evolution of the game from where it was to what is now what it is now and obviously lot a lot of pictures and things have happened I understand the speed up rules but just how analytics has come into that part of the game which I think is the most important as pictures yeah it it bothers me um you know it analytics you know information's important there's no question about it uh but knowing how to apply them the stats and stuff is something that I think should be left to to you know someone who's in charge and who who has some experience I hate to have managers have all this experience and not be able to use it yes and the thing that bothers me uh about the the pitching changes um is we're trying to change pictures before they get in trouble right and right you know to me you don't know if you have a pcture until you find out if you can get out of trouble right and yeah I just think that that's part of it out there Del um Mel stomy used to go to the mound we have Bases Loaded nobody out he'd go out to the mound and again he he' just try to get send the message to the pitcher he says just keep that guy at second base from scor M you know just keep it simple and just don't put the pressure on yourself that you can't you know give up anything and I I think just watching a a pitcher mature in in fighting his way through tough times is is where you make a picture for me and um and that's where C you know that's where trust is created yeah I think it's a very different animal I mean because with us Jim it was you had to pry the ball out of the starting pitcher's hand yes um every the year we had Roy uh olwal doc Cole Cliff Lee like all those guys wanted to go from anyone Mo even Jamie Moyer all of them wanted to they wanted to pitch a complete game they did not want to come out of the game and I think it's now it's you know you see a lot of the younger pitchers today and I'd also be very interested too Joe to get your your thoughts on picturers from back in the day and their longevity in comparison to pitchers today right with the amount of pitches that they used to throw back then and they didn't really get injured and to where we have so many different um guys having Tommy John or different kind of arm issues but finishing up the first point where you have all these guys to where our guys wanted to finish the game and these guys you know they're not telling the manager no I got it like leave me in like what's kind of your take on that with these guys saying basically like all right man hey you want to take me out in five innings and I'm still feeling good basically I got a no hitter in five innings they hav touched me and you're going to take me out all right cool I'm go shower up I'll see you guys on the bus yeah you like what you see you know the pitcher is comfortable and and to me pitch count I mean let's admit it you know when I was uh ma you know manager in my early early years and then you know before that as a player you know they had somebody on the bench keeping track of how many pitches you know you have you call it charting but they just kept them M number of pitches uh and you know it used to be the average game was like 130 pitches right you know and everybody has the red light go on now when you get close to 100 you know it's like automatic well this will be his last inning you know and stuff like that right um Andy petett is a good example I mean he never wanted to come out of a game you know and you could see you watching somebody he's comfortable and and pitch count is deceiving uh a lot of it depends on you pitching with men on base every inning stressful pitches exactly right you know and then all of a sudden there's more pressure with each pitch you throw but you know if you're going through Innings and you know you're not in trouble well then you're really not stressing yourself and I think you can go a little a little bit further but uh yeah I you know I I I just don't like the fact that uh you know to me I used to pick up the news newspaper when they had newspapers back in those days and we we're going we're going to we're going to La oh damn here comes kofax and Dale you couldn't miss them you know mile pitchers for for this day or that day and of course that's when they were pitching every fourth day yeah three days and pitch on the fourth day um you never thought about it you just you knew the starting pitcher was someone you were interested in and you know managers would you know against certain pitchers you wouldn't pay play certain guys because you know Dale was very unfriendly to right-hand hitters because he not only you know wheel from here but he throw here too you know so but uh yeah it's changed a great deal and I I I just don't like putting our game in a test tube you know and you know we've got just athletes now and and I I admire watching them I mean I for for years I I admired watching Greg Maddox pitch masterful because he it seemed every time you took a pitch it was a strike every time you swung at it it was in the dirt right you know he he was a master yes he was um he you know it it was just it's a great part of the game that you know we see very you know few pitches go you know into the seventh eighth and Ninth do you think we'll ever see another Greg maddox's type with what they desire pictures and spin rates and all that in v i I think we the problem I have is you know we're so we're so caught up in in the velocity yeah that I think we're getting um a lot more throwing than pitching because everybody's trying to light the scoreboard up and you know to me and and you know you guys are hitters uh this the velocity didn't bother you as much as the movement the movement the late movement you know get the ball off the fat of the bat and um you know but now it just seems to while he threw that one 102 you know and stuff and it's impressive it is there's no question impressive you know you're gonna see at least one of them but it's like okay yeah you throw 102 with a four and a half yeah I mean I faced Bob Gibson you know before I was traded to the Cardinals and you know I I always prided myself that I could put the ball in play so that was a go I'm going to face I'm going to face Gibson with the bases loaded nobody out it's I canit a Fly ball you know whatever right swung a Miss swung and Miss swung and missed three pitches went back to the Dugout you know come to find out later you know he's throwing like 95 94 95 but when he needed that strikeout he was thrown 98 but he saved that yeah right not saving it you know we're throwing it right from the get-go we're trying to strike out Hitters from the first pitch uh but that that that was the Artistry I I thought of the picturers back in the day and that's one thing I get to talk to Pedro every Tuesday about and he talks about he calls him baby tendons and you talking about the injuries yeah it's like these guys they throw so hard they're coming out of high school they're coming out of college and they haven't built up the the Innings they haven't built up the strength uh to know how to throttle back it's just full throttle let's get to the big leag as fast as possible and then they're halfway through their first or second year and they're getting TJ surgery and it's happening over and over and over again so there is an Artistry as you talked about Maddox you talked about Gibson um I'm talking about Pedro when when they won it 98 when they needed it they would turn up but other than that it' be they could sit between 9395 put a little movement here change speeds just to keep you off balance it wasn't it wasn't only just a power game it was a game of pitching and not throwing yeah and Joe you brought up athletes which uh all of us position players are sorry pitchers I love you guys you guys have a great job you fights with those guys on that one right oh yeah but there's a guy wearing the pant Stripes right now that I mean he may be well mook's up there too cuz M's an athlete there's I haven't seen do anything he's an athlete there's nothing you can't do but Aaron judge he is a specimen I mean what is he 67 I mean I I saw him 70 or so he moves like me he's your size Ryan with well he's faster than I am because the stride you know my turn my my turnover rate my RPMs are better but you know he got that stride thing on me but he is a specimen what he does at the plate yes what he does at the in the field um there was a guy Dave Winfield that he reminds me of maybe a better athlete I'm not sure Dave you know no shots you know you my guy this just current day I didn't really get to see you I get to see Aaron yeah but those guys are special and he's doing it in New York with obviously um which is a city that another guy who was a fantastic athlete Mr Clutch Mr November uh Derek Jeter you got to manage Derek you get to see Aaron I'm sure he's come up to you to ask questions about New York being named the captain that responsibility are there any similarities uh you between between them and also what is the difference that sets them apart that that gives them their own style as the captain well I mean both of them are leaders from example you know you watch them yeah you know judge was a right fielder you know moved the center field that's not the easiest thing to do you know Hank Aaron was a great right fielder center field he had trouble but judge just took it on I mean he is a leader in that clubhous again I don't spend a lot of time in there I go visit every once in a while but you know again you lead and as you guys know uh because you guys have been in pennant races you know year in and year out it's all about what you do that that's what other young players learn from is watching the guys the guys who've been around go out there and play Aaron judge goes out there and and just plays and as a hitter you know you mentioned Windfield these guys hit the ball in the air it doesn't come down you know and Ryan same way you know gr you pull for ground ball base hits that's fine but you know you hit the ball in the air it just stays in the air but but I watch you know they they have all kinds of camera angles now and he's like this you know now I don't like to teach young kids to hit like this I want to see more of this and but for him it keeps going yeah but and and the fact that he doesn't need to pull the ball you know he can he can hit the ball in any part part of the ballpark and it's you know it's a short field so so envious of that yeah okay en all right those days are over so anyhow uh sorry brought me brought brought back some bad memories of me trying to hit the ball to center field you know know thyself Jimmy down thyself down L now are there any similarities between the way he carries himself as you said it's it's by example you know we didn't get the share of Clubhouse with Jeter we saw what he was on the field but there's always the guy when the door closes and the team needs a meeting somebody needs to to be gotten on um and like said you don't spend a lot of time in there but from what you can tell and obviously you've heard um what are the similarities and uh between those two guys well the similari is that they both need to win M they both need to win uh I I can only tell you from the Jeter side you know he goes three for four and we lose the game he's not a happy camper he he does you know doesn't really matter and if he's hitless he win the game it's a whole different personality I mean he's on the field to win and he he just has no patience with anybody who happens to you know be the opposite in his Clubhouse uh as far as judge I'm assuming he's the same guy yeah because he he just has that that sort of temperament I've gotten to know him over the last couple years just by seeing him spring training sitting and talking to him and uh he he he you know he enjoys talking like you know he'll come in and talk to me and you know and he asked me the one time why you know just come around more I think the guys would appreciate it you know so so he's speaking for the guys and and you know to me he and Jeter are are pretty good match when it comes to trusting somebody to be captain of your of your team that's that that that's a heavyweight in and the history of you know the captain if if you can cuz I don't know I you know I mean I I wish we and Philly would put seeds on guys yes I thought it was just cool to do like yes I'm the captain veritech uh who was in your division you know he was the captain what he said went the way Jeter went about his business everyone followed What does that C in New York it's always different in New York it's it's the big apple what does that c mean what is the weight of that carrying that on your chest well the thing that Derek you know he he he when when George wanted to make him Captain MH uh we were we were stumbling around a little bit he was resistant to it you know there were guys who have been here longer than me you know and right but again when when the guys were been there longer don't resent the fact that you you're going to be named captain it it said tells you something but the Derek didn't want to see he wanted to be may you he'll accept the captaincy but he didn't want to see on his uniform and I think the part of the reason he was a little resistant to being the the captain is means he had to answer more questions me they always go to him right you know now my responsibility he didn't back off from it but it wasn't his favorite thing no cuz he you know when the game was over he he just wanted to come down you know his own way and uh you know talking about a game especially one that you you lose was wasn't something that was his favorite thing to do did not enjoy that all no that's that's definitely understandable I will say I saw Aaron judge at the All-Star Game in Texas and it's not too many people that you know make me look make me feel like how you feel stand to standing next to me and you know he he did that and his his hands and I got big hands bro I have big hands his hands like engulfed mine and I'm I just like look look bro like this is this is insane but see can can we get your hand piece for for for the camera right here right here Aaron Aaron's hand we got this on where where we at right here Aaron's hand was like this right and and you know but in talking to him man he he's got such a great head on his shoulders he's very humble but at the same time you can see he's got some swack about himself and one thing I want to ask you about obviously obviously yes we sit by Mr swag swag over here but you know we'll get there Mr swagalicious over here but um one thing I want to ask you too about Joe is is to play this game you have to have some Swagger about yourself like you had to have some Swagger I like to call it inner conceit you know I like that I mean they don't they you know today we're promoting you know every time somebody gets on base they have to make some kind of gesture y you know but I thought you were paid to do that I thought that was part of what you were supposed to do you know but that's you know that's the progress so I guess where we are who were some of those guys in the 70s that you would say just they had that obviously like Reggie Jackson had that that Swagger the guys that you wanted everybody to know about it other the coffee that's my that's my guy Reggie I mean I you know I I broadcast for the Angels when he was playing there we got to know each other then I broadcast he you know we broadcast together uh our our my last year before I went to the cardinal oh yeah it was interesting it was interesting Reggie he was a kick you know and and I'm I'm glad we did because we got to know each other and and you know I love him he's like a brother to me love it but he's a he's a beauty that's all I can say and you know what I mean you know what I mean you know Reggie you know he wants people to notice him oh yeah I don't think there's any secret to that was there anybody else like that you saw from the 70s that was like that and in today's game who do you think is that kind of there's a lot of yeah I'll take I think there's too much swag going on it's like like say it's now it's it's it's becoming a show where as opposed to it being natural right you know so in the 70s you know we had Naturals we had flow we we we had mustaches the whole nine yeah so so let us know who who those guys VI and and were you were you swaggy fell no I you know I I came no no I was I was a fat kid coming up man I but I got to know the team I played for before I played for them my my brother Frank played for the Milwaukee Braves when they were in the World Series in 5758 I'm a teenager and I got to know Aaron and Matthews and and Adcock and Warren spawn and leret so now all of a sudden it's 1960 61 and I'm their teammate which is pretty cool crazy but I was like the little brother like Brett and spawn they used to take me to the movies during the day you know we had a night game and it it was really cool because it was easier to fit in but you always had a feel that you had to you know obviously pay your du you had to show them that you were worthy of being there and uh but they helped me along the way Eddie Matthews was probably my idol I I loved it you know and I got a chance to you know play playing you know back behind Hank Aaron for eight years which is pretty cool and just watch him you know just watch him up there when Hank Aaron first started he had everything the right feel just about you know I it was remarkable it was Qui learned quick risk you know as you get to know picturers you you take a few more Liberties yeah everything was the left field at first yeah but you know getting deep he didn't you know he wasn't afraid to have the pitcher get deep because he you know he could handle it I I always I always got a kick out of the pitcher that got ahead of him you know strike one strike two thought it was over and now they're going to do the usual stuff throw one inside and then go back away but they never got past the inside cuz he B the ballp he hit the ball out of the ballp it was there was one guy he had trouble hitting and that was Kurt Simmons mhm Kurt Simmons used to throw this ephas ball if you want call it he just threw it up in the air and you know and it was one of these Hank would just swing and Miss at that sucker and just laugh when he swinging messy because he just couldn't even fou tip it right so one night and and this one Simmons was pitching for the Cardinals we played in their original Ballpark and and uh Bush Stadium and he made made up his mind he threw one of those he ran up on it and hit the ball on the right field roof Hank wow he said wow Bob uker was The Catcher And he pointed to the Umpire that he was ated the batter box and he called him out oh my goodness he called him out smartart though he had a home run he called him out and so it should have been 716 yeah there it is y yeah I was never going to get close to those numbers no no no no didn't have any effect with me at all when you sto I was in the I was in Atlanta for the uh celebration the Hank Aaron celebration and they had the Outfield filled with people holding different numbers from his home runs oh I know that was and I was standing next to uh aunia and Andrew Jones and we were just looking we were like damn like seven like 7 to Fathom 700 from one man home runs from one person like it it's it's insane what he was able to do man amaz I I was at will mazes um they had a little memorial for him out in San Francisco MH I and I was first of all I'm a kid 10 years old 11 years old Willie got to the big leagues and I I was a Giants fan because the the Giants were in New York at the time and you know his hat would always come off when he ran the base right cuz he never needed a coach he always have a head on a swivel and and when he got up at the plate you know little did I know that 10 years later I was going to be trying to get him out that's crazy you know and so now you know he he wanted to hit he wanted to get in batter's box and and he didn't mind talking you know just whatever but he wanted to hit now he didn't want him wait you know so you as a catcher you wouldn't get a sign you wouldn't put one down and he'd say I know what you're doing I know what you're doing yeah didn't matter to him yeah so then you talk to him and he'd ask you and he's he's he's in the batter's box not like before theat he's in the batter's box talking to and you're talking to him one time and I I I've mentioned this before I asked him a question as he was answering the question no he didn't stop long ball he had a home run no he did not before before he left the plate he says I'll I'll finish the answer I get true store true store I love that I love that but he loved playing the game you talk about Swagger you know Swag oh he natural started with it was just natural you know he didn't believe in the cut off man you know he air mailed every you know every throw he through had a first baseman like that too yeah what except mine was going to left is that what you're trying to say exactly but he was exciting and I thought Hank Aaron could probably do everything that uh that Willie could do except he didn't you know have the flare that Willie had MH let's see this let's let's check it out Shake can can we get a little little death for the camera chops we got wait we got some chop they're mutton chops not sideburns taco meat coming out make sure we get that right look those chop muton chops but I want you to know one thing when you look at this I want to know the hair grew on my face and not on my head so you had that issue I got a little light yeah little light but yeah that was that was sort of have been style I guess I I laugh at it it was looking good it was looking good well it looks likeo look like a cardinal player looks like there's some flow coming out the back of that hat over there looks like look like some 70 style for like if you were in Hollywood and a convertible what you would had a Cadillac something back no may may Corvette say a Corvette something like that maybe a Mustang you know 68 65 65 and A2 65 and A2 stain down Hollywood I for sure would have actually P an autograph there you go yeah I wouldn't have known who you were but just that style that you showing there with with the mutton chops yeah I'mma throw him in a I'mma throw them in a orange 72 Stingray drop top yeah just you know Stingray convertible did they make him orange in the 70s yeah yeah it was the 70s okay everything was was bright colored yeah right yeah so I mean sorry Joe not we're yeah we're you know it wasn't it wasn't dating you it was just I'm just think no that's okay that's okay I I played at a time where you know it you know you there's always something that you just embrace it you know you you feel the privilege of playing the game I I think the players today should be made should be made to know the history of the game 100% oh man and just understand what happened before them and and uh you know the time it was you know my first salary in the big leagues was $6,500 that was the minimum salary $6,500 wow and um you know I remember when we went on strike in 1972 and uh that picture with the mutton chops I was on the cover of Sports Illustrated I I won the MVP in 71 led the league in hitting and it had me on the cover of Sports Illustrated the top strip over the cover was baseball's troubled season wow because we had gone on strike for the first uh you know couple of weeks of the season and uh it was you know it it you know it was a plus and a minus we did what we thought we had to do as players and uh you know and unfortunately I had trouble recovering from you know getting booed at home MH you know I didn't like getting booed and I put a lot of pressure on myself right we appreciate you guys going through because it's always paid forward and um you know the money in today's game started you know had to start somewhere and I know um being familiar with the story of uh Kurt flood you know not wanted to leave St Louis St Louis for Philadelphia went to pH exactly and you know and that started so there were Wars uh fought and battled for the guys the kids today to make the money they're making so yes they should know it should be a part of it know the history you didn't create this game you didn't create this money it was fought for and you're not entitled to anything because there going to be Wars down the road you're Beni from and you know I I always told my players I i' say you you're you know your career is this long you're going to have to give it back yes and and the last thing I want any of you players to do is when you're home after you retired say wish I had worked harder mhm because this is this is really an honor to to be here and be have the ability to play and the privilege to play in the in especially in the big leagues and um it always felt brand new to me MH that's a beautiful piece of advice right there just puts it all puts it all in perspective to be able to understand as a young as a young player coming up like you're going to have way more time outside of this game than you are with the unifor you believe it or not where you know it now way more time you don't see that when you're in it even if you're playing for 20 24 years you know if you live to be 100 you know for the most part you're going to have you know 60 70 plus years off the field right so understanding what you need to do in between those two white lines and carrying yourself it's amazing yeah very good very I have a question and and it's something I hate answering because you leave so many people out of the equation and it's always who is the r Rushmore of a or b or c I can't stand these questions because you give your answer and then you have a thousand critics well how can't you forget about this look someone's always going to get left out that's just what it is but the fun part is it's your Mount Rushmore it's your Mount Rushmore you have to remind them of that everybody else has their own so this is Joe tor's Mount Rush today's game I I think we want to go current today's today's today's game yeah today's game like with you you choose players from today and there's just there's no wrong answer Joe there there's no media after the game it's tough because today uh they're still playing so there's still more to do right there there there there is but that's that's the beauty of this quiz that's the beauty of a challenge that's a challenge exactly well has to be up there is no question about for sure I would start there yeah I mean how do you you know he could take two spots he really could he could he really could unfortunately only get no I understand um you know and I think Bryce Harper to me call and I I love watching him when he's hitting the ball left center field H because he's such he's such a pure a pure hitter as far as I'm concerned and he's a guy that has lived up to the hype since he was 19 he not he fought his way through it you know did and here he is a superstar but but he you know I I think you I have a sense he loves the game he does you know he loves to play the game and um let me see give me some help here so we got shoh Bryce got sh any Arms any any arms out there I mean Clayton although he he's at the end but he he's still active at the end you can put I had him as a baby I had him as a 19yearold and I sent him to the minor leagues for I think 10 days or something he didn't like me very much but but that that sucker you know once once he started adding the curveball and and then the cutter where I mean adding the slider cuz he was fast ball curveball when I first him was kofax you know it was fast ball curveball which you especially when you go you know over ham 12 to six like that mhm it's really tough to get a strike called yes it is because it starts finishes y that was kofax you know kofax used to he used you could hear the ball you go I mean his fingers were this long and and the breaking ball same thing you know it was remarkable and then he started trying to throw a cutter and a and a splitter and all that but but once uh once Kershaw that third pitch got the slider mhm yeah now he needed he needed something else to throw for a strike mhm and uh and you know then he throws some change ups but he was as good as anybody because I know what his insides were like you know he I know he has a he he gets a bum break when they start talking about postseason and he didn't win you know they said that about Elway too he couldn't win the Super Bowl uh but you know you get a game to win I'd hand them the ball any time for sure yeah other guys out there I'm mook's out there so it's Kershaw in there MH Kershaw okay so we got three we got shohi mhm we got Bryce we got Kershaw and this is where it gets this is where it gets tough who did you leave off I like I like M bets I'm trying to think it's so many choices it's so it's tough mooki has got so many things going for him I mean he he you know he has so much confidence and yet you know he got those leadership qualities I mean you play The Outfield and then play second play short wh you know trying to win a game and that's what we need you he's he's willing to do it I you know he gets high marks for me for being a manager's dream you know for for someone like that um but uh i' I'd have to include him and I know we have other great great talented uh kids out there that uh I I marble I mean I'm I'm happy they took the uh the ships away because all all you saw before that was the ball coming to people you know now it shows you know your ability at shortstop and and and things like that that you you seeing the athleticism yeah I love the fact that it comes back and I remember going to the Dodgers and yes the game was T was starting there but I'm playing short and I look over to my left and I swear this is what it felt like you're Howe Kendrick I'm looking at him like bro like why are you here you know and it wasn't against him it's like why are you here like I can catch that ball I can get a lot of these balls but it was it was the way the game was was was shifting around so but Joe that that's that's a hell of a a rush more Kershaw on the bump and you got mooki Bry and Shi 1 Two Three or two again sh could be on the bump so you got you got a player in half right there you go man that's hard to beat and to answer your other thing or to ask your other thing too while you were looking at how are you like why are you here as that left-handed hitter I'm like why are you here like why are you here so yeah it's uh I'm I'm glad they got rid of the shift too Joe just a little bit a little bit too late but you know what you know better late than never better late than never but it's good it's good it was getting away from being what from what baseball is and was like it was just what what are we doing yeah this is not baseball this isn't this isn't baseball this this is a computer game it was going to stack guys and you hear all the complaints but why don't you hit the ball the other way well pitchers are are trained to make you do certain things with balls and you still want to score runs I don't want Ryan Howard trying to get a single on left field I don't want that no there there was no reason for that and on top of that the game has changed you get paid on exit vo hard hit ball you they want you to swing and Miss just in case you get you get a chance to hit a ball out the ballpark there are too many I was I found out later in my career too many ways to get a single right and I'm afraid I'm not going to go by judge either he's he's going to have to sit up on that so we going give we going give you that bonus pick yeah oh yeah we going get that bonus pick for the Championships we get the bonus Pi for the championship you know you know the the thing about about Aaron judge is you know you see him he's big oh he hits home runs but then you see everything else he does he makes center field look easy and uh you know and he can use the whole field that's Joe this has been absolutely amazing just being able to sit here no not yet not yet no we got some important things we got we got we got some some more stuff to talk about but it's been absolutely amazing being able to sit here and just kind of chop it up with you and the next thing I want to talk about is something that myself Jimmy our teammates were were very very big on was the charitable side of things and Foundation side of things and you have the safe at home Foundation um with your wife Ali I believe correct can you tell us a little bit about that what and and the work that you guys do there yeah I uh when I was a kid I'm the youngest of five in the family and uh there's there's a big gap between me and the next oldest it was like almost nine years wow you know my my I'm the youngest of five and the other four had two years between them and then there I am oops and so my dad my my dad my dad was abusive to my mom both physically and verbally and he was a New York City Cop um uh my mom was born in Italy made her ashamed that she was born in Italy he just uh and she never complained about it you know I and I I was a nervous kid because you know he'd be violent with her he was he he wasn't a drinker mhm it was just that he was a bully and I didn't share it with any of my friends I kept it inside and it scared me and I was a nervous kid growing up I had very low self-esteem didn't think I was worth anything played hookie from school a lot and and and you know I play baseball baseball saved my life and I don't know what I have done if I didn't have the ability to play baseball so fast forward now I'm going through my career you know if I didn't perform uh and we lost the game I felt that it was my fault even during my playing career I probably didn't enjoy baseball as much as I should have uh as far as playing the game and but we were uh my wife was pregnant with our daughter uh Andrea we were living in Cincinnati this right after I got fired by St Louis as a manager and Ally says to me you you want to go to this seminar with me it was a 4-day seminar it was a self-help type thing MH and I didn't want to say no to anything she asked me cuz she was 8 months pregnant I'm not about to go that dire so we went over there and it it was um you know when you go in there and I could see I said I'm not going to like this because you're going to make me talk and I'm not really interested in doing that but you know if you're looking to quit smoking or quit drinking or whatever you felt that you needed a change in your life this is what this was for and the first thing they do is they when you go in there they put you in a group and my wife and I weren't in the same group they just split you up and it was it was either a day two or three and I'm I'm sitting you know someone's a speaker and you know I I can't tell you what this guy said but I wind up standing up now now mind you I was just named manager of the Yankees okay and I wind up standing up and I'm crying my eyes out because he struck a nerve with me on you know what my dad was doing in the house um cuz I thought I was born as a nervous kid I thought I was born with the low self-esteem and I didn't realize that you know what he was doing in the house was was causing me to have have those feelings so once we you know when I'd call my sister did Dad do this Dad do that and she you know would would say and and I found out he did more things like U you know my mom after the four children were born she had one more daughter and and she died shortly after birth so my dad told my mom that he didn't want to have any more children and then I you know I came along but while she was pregnant with me when he found out she was pregnant he threw it down the steps and U so so I if it wasn't for going to the seminar I never would have asked these questions of my siblings so now we we go to New York and we've always Ally and I have always had Charities involving children and she said what do you you know what charity should we get involved with I said how about domestic violence which sort of caught her off guard because M I didn't talk about it she knew stuff went on but we you know she had to drag it out of me cuz I I just never wanted to talk about it and you know once I went through that it sounds weird but here I am 550 what 56 years old and this guy you know all of a sudden struck a nerve with me and I'm I want to talk about it now and so we we decided to um to start a foundation and do through education so what we do is we put safe rooms in schools named it after my mom Margaret's place and have a master's level counselor and kids dealing with abuse have you know it's part of the curriculum MH and We Know It Works we've been doing it over 20 years we've uh you know we have uh programs in the New York area and the LA area and one in Cincinnati and we have two believe it or not in Tah wow wow where someone come to see what we were doing and said oh we need that there and um and you know we've had kids come through our program that wanted to join gangs and all of a sudden they're looking at College brochures you know amazing because we just want to it's such a dangerous world out there that if if a kid goes out into the world and not have a feeling about how good they are or you know self-esteem somebody's going to put their arm around them and say come with me down the wrong and it's um you know as I say it's been very satisfying to to know what we do works and that uh you know we try to raise money so we can reach more kids that's that's that's amazing are there ways that people can can try to help and help to contribute sure it just go to j.org okay simple as that and they'll they'll see everything that we do and um and you know that's you know we use the money obviously everything goes toward what we do and U you know we've had a lot of support and uh now we're doing stuff with Major League Baseball where my daughter Andrea uh has tied in the minor league so we had like this coming year we're going to have like 40 something teams have one night where um you know I'll get an autograph ball and they'll auction it off and that money wouldn't necessarily go to us cuz if there's a charity in their town right that's where it would go to but just the raise awareness because it's a tough subject to talk about and so you know when when you start thinking about it everybody's Touched By by this at one time well thanks uh Ally for dragging Joe out to the seminar all those years ago and thank you for you know being brave enough to share the story because it's not easy and we've you know in many ways shapes and forms have been touched by it as you said and um you know what you're doing is a blessing for these children to understand which it took you you know to well into your adulthood adulthood that you weren't born that way it was something you saw it you were surviving and a lot of times that's what you're doing you're just well I just need to survive the situation to make sure I make it out Al alive so thank you for your story and uh not everybody's as lucky as I was had the ability to play baseball where I can go hide somewh mhm you know so I felt very fortunate no absolutely absolutely well Joe again now I think we're about to kick you off cuz we got you we we we we've had you this has been such an absolute pleasure I know I can speak from a man young James here it's so much nicer in this environment it's so much so much nicer in this EnV guys were this nice I wouldn't have been so upset when you beat us okay I'm sure but thank you so much for coming on the 611 I mean this has been an absolute blast an absolute pleasure being able to share your story um man this has been it's been amazing you guys are real and I appreciate that thank you thank you thank you all right so that wraps up this episode of the 611 Jimmy Rollins my co-host Ryan Howard we have the pleasure of speaking to Joe Tori we have more stories like this stay tuned