They wanted to be part of it.

I think they were somewhat cheated in 1994, and they'd been kind of waiting for that moment.

If I'm not mistaken, they clinched on the road last year and didn't get a chance to enjoy that.

So I think it's great for the fans.

I mean, they deserve that.

They come out here all year through some unbelievable weather this year, starting out with the snowball and just a lot of rain and It's great for them.

You're as good a defensive catcher as a player could be, and you hit in the 290s, been driving in runs, and you must feel very, very... happy about

what's happened in new york yeah i really am i've like i said i love it here um we just got a tremendous group of guys and that's what that was that's what really makes it a team when when you love all your teammates and and they're a lot of fun to be around it's easy to come to the ballpark every day joe congrats it's just the first step now that's right we got a long way to go indeed

uh together about the team and we we wonder if the team the issue is the team isn't tough enough is there enough accountability because the talent should be there uh do you have any thoughts i mean you obviously are there a lot what what do you think has gone on with this team that they have not been able you wore that number 28 for you know a while and they'd still be wearing that 28 today uh Why can't they get over the hump? What's going on

there? I think health continues to haunt this team.

I really do.

I mean, you look, you're playing without Aaron Judge for four and a half months.

for four months or whatever it is.

You don't have him in the playoffs.

You don't have Stanton for five months.

I wonder what you think about kind of internal leadership and if you

it

didn't happen, right? Yeah, right, exactly.

After finishing at the University of Miami as a student, I went to the University of Louisiana Monroe as a grad assistant.

And that's kind of where I started my strength and conditioning backing.

I actually started as a basketball strength and conditioning coach for both the men's and women's teams, as well as golf, and then obviously assisted with football at a small Sunbelt school like that.

And after a year and a half, got my master's degree there and worked my way up to becoming a full-time assistant.

Still held the same team, still assisted with football as much as they needed.

So I'm just curious, can you walk us through kind of your day-to-day responsibilities, what that looks like, all that good stuff, just for some insight for people that are interested in this type of role?

And um, you know, during this I just prayed whatever would happen, that I would be able to accept it

itAnd, uh, it's, it's been an unbelievable ride.

And, you know, you, you look at the people that you're happy for, and I'm, uh, I'm probably most happy for Joe Torre.

And, um, getting to the World Series is great, but what, what a story that he can give his ring back to his brother.

He's a bit of a strange guy to stay in check with now

... yeah, but that, that man's heart is right.

I mean, and that man is right on.

And, um, you know, he may have some crazy habits, but I said to John, I said...

What is the right amount?

I think it depends on the players, how beat up they are, how young they are.

Is there a chance that you're going to see a big correction? But I think you always have to work on fundamentals and stress them.

But the one thing about when you watch a team every day, you see all their awards.

Yeah.

And the other teams are thinking, well, they don't have those awards.

Well, you know what? They have a lot of awards, too.

Joe, when you think about your time managing the Phillies, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?

What is the right amount?

I think it depends on the players, how beat up they are, how young they are.

Is there a chance that you're going to see a big correction? But I think you always have to work on fundamentals and stress them.

But the one thing about when you watch a team every day, you see all their awards.

And the other teams, you're thinking, well, they don't have those awards.

Well, you know what? They have a lot of awards too.

You just don't seem to watch that team.

Joe, when you think about your time managing the Phillies, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?

What is the right amount?

I think it depends on the players, how beat up they are, how young they are.

Is there a chance that you're going to see a big correction? But I think you always have to work on fundamentals and stress them.

But the one thing about when you watch a team every day, you see all their awards.

And the other teams, you're thinking, well, they don't have those awards.

Well, you know what? They have a lot of awards too.

You just don't seem to watch that team.

Joe, when you think about your time managing the Phillies, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?

What is the right amount?

I think it depends on the players, how beat up they are, how young they are.

Is there a chance that you're going to see a big correction? But I think you always have to work on fundamentals and stress them.

But the one thing about when you watch a team every day, you see all their awards.

And the other teams, you're thinking, well, they don't have those awards.

Well, you know what? They have a lot of awards too.

You just don't seem to watch that team.

Joe, when you think about your time managing the Phillies, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?

What is the right amount?

I think it depends on the players, how beat up they are, how young they are.

Is there a chance that you're going to see a big correction? But I think you always have to work on fundamentals and stress them.

But the one thing about when you watch a team every day, you see all their awards.

And the other teams, you're thinking, well, they don't have those awards.

Well, you know what? They have a lot of awards too.

You just don't seem to watch that team.

Joe, when you think about your time managing the Phillies, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?

What is the right amount?

I think it depends on the players, how beat up they are, how young they are.

Is there a chance that you're going to see a big correction? But I think you always have to work on fundamentals and stress them.

But the one thing about when you watch a team every day, you see all their awards.

And the other teams, you're thinking, well, they don't have those awards.

Well, you know what? They have a lot of awards too.

You just don't seem to watch that team.

Joe, when you think about your time managing the Phillies, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?

hmm.

Yeah, I like that.

I like what I saw.

And I don't think any of us can ever predict that the guy's going to be an all-star in ERA and the twos.

I mean, that's hard to predict.

But then I also saved him for Rafael Devers.

We had a bullpen game one time in Boston, and Rafael Devers had been killing us.

What is the right amount?

They, like, wanted to be part of it

I, I, I think they were, uh, somewhat cheated in 1994, and they've been kinda waiting for that moment.

And if I'm, if I'm not mistaken, they clinched on the road last year and didn't, didn't get a chance to enjoy that.

So I think it's great for the fans.

I mean, they deserve that.

They come out here all year through some unbelievable weather this year, starting out with the snow bowl and, and just a lot of rain, and it's great for them

Great

Well, I, I, I think we respect each other.

Talk about that experience.

Well, it's really interesting how I got there.

I was recruited, um, by other schools.

Northwestern came in very late.

And, and life was so much different back then.

Um, Northwestern head coach, Ron Wellman, who was the longtime AD at Wake Forest, who retired about five years ago from there, came and saw me one-- saw me play one game in the state tournament, which we lost two to one.

I think I had a couple hits.

[chuckles]

Talk about that experience.

Well, it's really interesting how I got there.

I was recruited, um, by other schools.

Northwestern came in very late.

And, and life was so much different back then.

Um, Northwestern head coach, Ron Wellman, who was the longtime AD at Wake Forest, who retired about five years ago from there, came and saw me one-- saw me play one game in the state tournament, which we lost two to one.

I think I had a couple hits.

[laughs]

The major leagues, how did they do this kind of biomechanic measurement in the past?

Well, they create these labs that are expensive to build that have all these high-tech cameras and all these sensors, and they have to put the sensors on the body, right? So you can only get it in a lab.

Our technology allows you to get it anywhere.

You can get it during a game.

You can get it in a backfield in the Dominican Republic if you're scouting a young man.

So we give you a ton of information simply from your phone.

Is it make for a better game, or does it make you maybe you're spending too much time with the stats?

No, I think it allows you to evaluate players and make more educated decisions.

There's nothing else going on there

thereYou know, I would argue a little bit against that, AJ, because they ran a lot.

They pushed the envelope a lot on the bases, more than Yankee teams that I have seen in the past.

Yes, they rely on the home run, and so do a lot of other teams.

You know, I, I, you know, I think LA to a certain extent does.

I think, you know, the Phillies did to a certain extent.

It...

[laughs]

Can you explain it and say, "This is what I'm seeing," or is it just like, "No, no, I see the tilt, I see the angle, everything's good, and I'm watching their swings"?

I, I'm a manager that liked to use everything that was given to me a- as part of the decision, and then I would use my eyes as well.

For example, if you know a guy struggles, maybe pitches 75 through 90, and he starts to lose his stuff, the numbers tell you that, I, I'm gonna have my red flags up.

But that doesn't tell me that he loses it between 75 and 90 every time, because it's an average.

There are times that he might lose it pitch 45 through 60, and there are times he may not lose it till after pitch 110.

So, so it's an average.

So I'm gonna watch with my eyes as well, and when I watch with my eyes, what I'm looking for is how difficult the at-bats become.

[laughs]

Well,

I think the reason they were a... number one, we're able to go deeper is it wasn't max effort.

You know, again, we're in a power game, right? Everything is max effort and, and, They worry about just the out that they're trying to get.

They're not worried about the second time I face a guy and the third time I face him.

And numbers, there are so many more numbers that are given to us.

And you see a lot of times guys are either bad the first time through or a lineup or bad the third time through.

That's where you see it.

I love being involved in every play.

As you watch somebody do what Cal Raleigh has done through the first 90-something games, once again, kind of same thing, how do you process it?

Well, I'm going to tell you what the amazing thing about Cal is for me.

He's a very good catcher as well.

He's just not an offensive player.

He throws well, he, he blocks well.

A- and I was kind of like, as I got to know him more and more, I was like, "Man, this is a complete player." I mean, you get this kind of offense from a catcher and he's played in 91 games, you're going, "Oh my gosh." My biggest concern for him is that he wears down in the second half, um, just because it's such a physical position.

But what he's done is truly special.

(laughs)