10-6-22 After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

This is your operating system talking.

Not your computers or your phones, but your internal, human operating system. I'm feeling a little overloaded. Here's how you can ease my stress. Close your eyes or softly gaze at something in front of you. Now inhale for four counts. Exhale for six. Keep repeating. Much better. Longer term, there's BetterHelp Online Therapy. They'll match us with the licensed therapist we can connect with via video, phone, or chat.

Visit BetterHelp.com slash positive and save 10% on our first month. We are getting ready to rock into October postseason baseball. So excited. The season ended a few days later than was originally planned, of course, because of the lockout, which seems like a distant memory. And we've got four wildcard series.

So different format. Back to the best of three and it's Friday, Saturday, Sunday. There are no days off. It's Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and they just continue. Until there are only four teams remaining that move on to the division series. So coming up on Friday, it's Tampa Bay at Cleveland. That's the first game it starts. It starts at 907 a.m. Pacific time. But both these teams, of course, are in the eastern time zone.

1207 eastern time. That's followed by Philadelphia at St. Louis, which begins at 107 local time. Seattle at Toronto is the third game of that quadruple header. And then the nightcap is San Diego at New York.

I'm sure many people will be having nightcaps. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We're live from the Rocket Mortgage Studios.

Do you need to know what it takes for a home to fit your budget and your family? Rocket can. A quick first hour, peppering in your responses to our show question tonight. With the 2022 season behind us, what are the best and brightest memories and moments? And we'll be retweeting your responses from our show account after hours CBS. Also on our Facebook page. After hours with Amy Lawrence and our phone number. We'd love to sprinkle in some more calls. Toll free 855-212-4227.

855-212-4CBS. The Mariners make the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. Remember it was back to back walk offs actually to be able to trim their magic number to one and then to finally clinch a wild card spot in the American League. Because of the fact that such a critical and monumental week for Seattle and the fans are fired up. Seems like a great time to welcome another former Seattle professional athlete. His name is Jesse Bradley. First time on the show was a goalie for the Sounders.

But also played professional soccer in other parts of the world and has a passion and a drive and an energy that will get you hooked in and engaged right away. Just had a couple of conversations with him. I can't wait to hear how he does as a radio star. So Jesse welcome to the show in Seattle. This is obviously a huge week with the Mariners back into the postseason. Fans are going crazy.

You're there. What's it been like in the midst of this Mariners fever? We are celebrating. There's some euphoria going on.

When you wait for something for decades and then it finally happens. I mean people are going crazy. And I know season ticket holders who didn't celebrate even though the magic number was down to like 4, 3, 2, 1. They would not celebrate until they clinched.

Because sometimes there's a little trauma when your team hasn't made the playoffs. We've gone to a lot of games. You know my kids, they're always having fun. Kettle corn, summer, relaxing, retractable roof.

There's a lot of things. But now there's actually a lot of fun. There's actually a team that's winning, going into the playoffs with momentum.

And I like to use sports as a platform metaphor for life. And I like to say looking back at the Mariners, 2001 they won 116 games. The most ever. And that was the high point. People still talk about the glory days. And then there's the dirge of all the years without playoffs. And the Mariners needed a new song.

And sometimes in our lives we can't live in the past, in the glory days of the past, or even in the disappointing days. But we need a new song. There's been fresh hope to the city. And there's a buzz right now.

And hopefully we get some success. Love to see them make a deep run in the playoffs. There's some great players on the team. But everyone's enjoying it.

It's been a long time. Well does that hope then extend to fans believing that they can be a contender for the World Series? Or are they satisfied with being nominated, quote unquote, satisfied with making the playoffs?

That's right. They are so thrilled. Sometimes when you meet a goal and you feel like, you know, they didn't set the goal to win the World Series this year. And so there's less pressure on them.

In sports, pressure's huge in how you manage pressure. And I think they're playing freely. They're enjoying it.

You see the bond they have. You know, great teams have an awesome culture in the locker room. And with the Mariners, they built that up.

And so it's really a both and. I think they've built it with the foundation that's going to last. Julio Rodriguez, 28 home runs, right?

Rookie of the Year candidate. They've got talent. They've got some starting pitching that I think they're going to be around for a while. And they know it. So they're not complacent. But they're also not nervous.

And they don't look up tight. So I think they're set up well. And whatever experience they get this year, it's going to be valuable in the years to come.

So fans are shifting. And next year, I don't think making the playoffs is going to bring the same excitement because it'll be a little more expected. And I think they've got a chance this year. They're going to face the Blue Jays. It's going to be a great matchup. That series starting off on Friday, actually at 107 Seattle time.

As you mentioned, it's in Toronto. So I can imagine there'll be a lot of people who are either ducking out of work early or if they have to work, will be listening or following the Mariners kind of on the down low. Jesse, you were a former pro athlete and we'll talk about your career. What are the secrets to building chemistry in a locker room or a clubhouse? As you point out, it can be an intangible and it can take time to build it.

Absolutely. Winning builds a bond and winning builds friendships and everyone's happy when you're winning. But the key is to have those relationships before the winning comes. I've always felt like the best teams I've played on the most successful teams. It's felt like family and we just like spending time together in whether it's cards on the back of the bus, it's getting a meal together, it's talking about life together. You get to know everyone's personalities and when you can, you know who to joke with, you know who to jab and you know how to bring out the best in one another.

On the great teams, you're thinking we more than me. And you look around and you start to know where someone likes the ball. You know the run they're going to make and you set them up for success. And when you bring out the best in each other, it gets contagious. And suddenly, people are using their gifts and they've never been playing at such a high level, and then someone else starts to do that.

And pretty soon, again, it becomes contagious. So the best teams have the best cultures. It starts with leadership, it's the coaches, then it's the captain of the team. And truly, you drop the selfishness, you're not thinking about stats and awards, and you're not thinking about money or your next contract.

You're focused on this group, and you're willing to sacrifice, make some personal sacrifices, go the extra mile. I mean, there's just a culture on winning teams that you show up early and you stay late, because you're doing the small things well. My Scottish coach used to say, ah, it's the wee things, meaning it's the little things. And he'd say, you know, the way you do the little things is the way you do everything. And if you do the little things right, you're going to get the big results. And championship teams, they understand that, they do the little things well, and everyone's committed to it.

You can't have silos, you can't have division, you've got to be on the same page, you got to have buy-in, and it always starts with great leadership. Oh my goodness, that works in every locker room. Jesse Bradley is a former professional goalkeeper in the US, in Scotland, in Zimbabwe.

We're so pleased to connect with him here on After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. So Jesse, we know that Seattle sports fans are excited about the Mariners, they're also extremely passionate about their Sounders, and you spent time there, you've got a big event coming up that brings people together for faith and family. What about that culture with the Sounders?

Why do people buy into it, and why is it so successful there? Seattle's a soccer city, and you see that at all ages. I have four kids, they're all playing soccer. University of Washington, they're ranked number one in the nation, and I'm good friends with the coach. It's great to see players developed at every level, and then the Sounders have been so strong. The Sounders won the CONCACAF title this year, and for those of you who don't follow soccer as closely, that's the champions of the MLS, the League of America, and the champions in Mexico. And they come together in a tournament, and American teams have never won that. This is the first time they ever won the championship, and so the Sounders are celebrating that this year, but really it's representative of American professional soccer, now so much better than it's ever been.

The quality of the players just keeps raising. The fans, there's 33,000 fans on average that come to a game for the Sounders, and it's electric, they're singing. But it's an incredible atmosphere, even if you don't understand the intricacies of the game, when you're in that stadium, you just don't forget it. And the Sounders have been consistent. They've won, again, MLS titles, two MLS titles, they've won other cups. They have a tradition of excellence, and the city, anytime someone does something with excellence, like let's say you don't enjoy the symphony that much, but if you go and you see the dedication and the excellence, you can appreciate that. And people who come to the game see that.

And the constant singing and in the movement, the dancing, it's like it's a place you just want to be. And the Sounders have carried that. Faith and Family, we had one before COVID, and then we had to wait a while for groups to gather, but this year it's back on. And so this next game that's coming up, Freddie Montero is the all-time leading scorer for the Sounders. He's also, in addition to MLS All-Star, won humanitarian awards. And so he and I, long conversation, talk about our life, our journey, our challenges, our faith, and that's part of the day. Faith and Family, I love it that so many pro sports teams really see that for their athletes, it's holistic. And a lot of teams have chaplains.

Sometimes you see prayer before a game and when someone gets injured. And all of us, we have intellectual, we have social, relational, we have physical, we also have spiritual. And I think Faith and Family is a celebration that we are spiritual beings. That's an important part of our lives. And I'm so grateful that the Sounders partner with us and we get to encourage people in this part of their lives. Except that it's more recent as a development with pro sports teams that they are paying attention to not just physical health, but mental health, emotional health.

As you point out, spiritual health is so important. Athletes, just like any other human being in any walk of life, they tend to thrive when all of those various parts of us are healthy and working together. It's not just about having a physical body that is talented. It's about having a mind and a heart and your emotions that are also locked in. And you can see how teams are starting to understand that because they're spending millions and millions of dollars to make sure that their athletes are cared for in other ways.

Yes, that's so well said. Cared for is the key that it's not just someone who performs well on a field, but you're caring about the whole person. I played college in the Ivy League at Dartmouth and I couldn't figure out my own life since I was doing so well. Our team won the Ivy League championship by personal awards. And then I was at a great school and I couldn't figure out what was missing on the inside. And then I took a class introduction to world religions and I never even thought God existed. I come from a family kind of like Baskin Robbins, 31 flavors and listeners. You know, that was spiritually listeners.

CBS Sports Radio is probably a wide range and we want to respect each other. So for me and my journey, it was something I discovered later in life. And the professor assigned the Bible and I learned about Jesus and I was blown away.

I was like, wow, I've never heard this. And I started a relationship with God. But what happened is from the inside out is that I'm not performance based identity. There's not much pressure on me.

I'm loved. And there's a security there in similar sports psychology. Why do teams bring them in? Because mental health is so important. And when you care for people, you're going to bring out the best in people. And that's true in every work environment is true in sports. And when you can provide when an employer can provide the resources someone wants to develop and grow in different areas of their life, like that person is going to thrive. And when you're healthy on the inside, there's going to be an overflow on the outside.

And that that's so valuable. There's so much pressure on kids right now. They should be enjoying sports. But instead, sometimes the parents I joke that if you because my kids, you know, they play in soccer teams and sometimes there's parents that are really over the top.

And sometimes I'm tempted to be that way. If you had, you know, a camera, call it the parents cam. If you could show the sidelines and what they're yelling at this ref who's 14 years old and like just got a rough license and they're just like cursing them out.

If they had to show that on social media the next day on your page, it would be embarrassing. Like what other position you get yelled at like that. But sometimes in sports, we just go we get out of control. And if the parents are to control the pressure for the kids at home is intense and then suddenly they're not enjoying it as much. And so, again, we're talking about culture in this interview, but changing the culture where it's it's different. And it isn't the pressure performance based, but it's about developing people.

It's about relationships. And when it's healthy at a young age, you know, so often the kids then are going to excel. They're going to play the sport longer.

They're not going to get burned out. And really, sports in our culture, sometimes sports dominates and it becomes the number one. And I don't think sports has ever been designed to be the number one in life. And when you elevate that high and I know because as a goalkeeper, I put that pressure on myself. You start to lose the joy of the sport. But when it's in its right spot and you've got other things that are above it, then you actually you're at your best because, you know, we saw this with the men's national team, I think, against Japan recently is that they just the World Cup's coming. They look stiff. And in sports, if you get too much pressure on you, you wait, knuckle it.

You're not going to play your best. So having sports in its proper place, caring for the whole individual, that's really going to develop the kind of athletes that are going to be long term. And then they can pour back into younger athletes. And now you've got a consistency where it's healthy. And we need that in sports. We really do. And the more athletes, high profile athletes who are willing to speak out about their challenges in mental health or that they needed time to recover from something that happened in their families or personally to them away from the field, the court, the ice, the more people will be willing to speak out and recognize that it's OK. It's a very real part of being a human. Forget being an athlete. We're spending time with Jesse Bradley, who's a former professional soccer goalkeeper, and he played for the Sounders but also played in other parts of the world where soccer is king, Jesse.

Why do you think it is that in the United States we lag behind when it comes to our passion for what people call the beautiful game? You know, such a good question. Amy, you do a great job. And CBS Sports Radio, I mean, I get that jingle.

I was just sharing with our media director that jingle is in my head. And it's exciting to be with you today and talk about this stuff. The topics you're bringing up are so rich, like you were just talking about mental health and for athletes to be able to be transparent. I played in Africa. My career ended tragically. I took a prescribed medication to prevent malaria and it was the end of my career. I was fighting for my life for one year, 10 years to fully recover. And part of the side effects, of course, there was a physical side effects.

But, you know, it caused panic attacks and waves of depression. And as an athlete, I never knew how to deal with those things. I never knew how to let people in. And overcoming that and restoring, kind of rebuilding my life and my mental health, there was a lot there in the recovery. And I won't get into all that, but again, that transparency, that letting people in, learning those skills. I was excelling on the field, but I didn't know in between my ears kind of how to work through things. And so I appreciate that reminder that we can be vulnerable and that a lot of times there's no healing until the revealing.

And so when there's that transparency, then we can learn in some new coping skills like that I never had before. And, you know, my experience overseas in Zimbabwe, in Scotland, soccer is clearly number one sport, you know, tying into your question. Around the world, the World Cup's coming up, there's an estimated audience of five billion people. There is no sporting event that comes close.

And so in America, we have great options. I mean, there's five, six, seven sports kids are choosing from. Soccer is one of many. But in other countries, soccer is number one. There's no close second.

It's not close at all. And America is making some great steps forward. I've thought in our country soccer will really take off when the professional league is outstanding. And like I said earlier, the MLS is developed so much further than when it used to be, because young kids need to see that picture and they need to go to the stadium and see the excitement and the high caliber of play.

So that's happening. Soccer takes off in a country where the kids are playing in the streets. Now, there's a lot of youth soccer in our country, but when kids are playing in their backyard, when they're playing in the streets, when they're playing in the grass, at the parks, and they're just doing it because they love the game, that's a hint that it's taken off. Another one is great coaching.

You can't have a top sport in the nation without phenomenal coaches. And that's something that we're seeing continually improve in the U.S. And, you know, one bit of evidence that I would say is that when I go to soccer games now, people clap and they appreciate the intricacies and the details of the game, like their soccer intelligence, and they're picking up on it. And I think for Americans who are used to a lot of physical contact and sometimes violent and love the collisions, soccer doesn't have as many as some other sports. Or Americans who love goals, and it's like soccer, there's not as much scoring.

So I think, you know, that's a stumbling block in terms of embracing the sport. But I'll tell you, once you know the sport and you see the beauty of it and you see it around the world, that's why if you have a chance, watch the World Cup. You know, tune into an MLS game and talk to some people who know the sport. Because once you pick up on that, then I've just seen so many people say, soccer's not for me. And now they're like, I love watching the game.

I get up early Saturday morning, I'm watching English Premier League. And it's a phenomenal sport. It's one that you don't need a lot of money.

You don't need a lot of equipment. That's why it's so popular in many countries as well. And then there's a lot of running.

It's great for kids. And obviously, I mean, it's been a huge part of my life, so it's a passion. But I really think that America is appreciating it. The World Cup's coming in four years. It's going to be amazing, and we're building up to it. So if the U.S. team does well this year, no pressure.

But I'm telling you, that's going to be a game changer in America. There definitely should be pressure. There should be pressure on Team USA in the World Cup that comes up later this year, especially after missing the last round. I was devastated, Jesse. I couldn't watch soccer, Team USA, for over a year.

It was so crushing. So I agree with you. Winning, as you point out, tends to attract a lot of attention.

It's the bright and shiny object. But it also breeds a culture where more young people and young adults want to play because they've seen success on the grandest stage. All right, we're going to have you hang on for just a second there in Seattle. Love hearing you talk about the passion for the Mariners as well as the soccer in Seattle. But I know that you also have passion and drive personally, and you've had to transition in your own life as you share part of your story and your abrupt end to your professional soccer career. So we'll get right back to you.

So excited to spend a few more minutes with Jesse Bradley, former pro soccer goalie in Seattle and other parts of the world, but has found a new passion in life. And you can hear it. It's after hours. This is your operating system talking.

Not your computers or your phones, but your internal human operating system. I'm feeling a little overloaded. Here's how you can ease my stress. Close your eyes or softly gaze at something in front of you.

Now inhale for four counts, exhale for six. Keep repeating. Much better. Longer term, there's BetterHelp online therapy. They'll match us with the licensed therapist we can connect with via video, phone, or chat.

Visit betterhelp.com slash positive and save 10% on our first month. This is with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. Here's the stretch. The 3-2 pitch, swinging to drive deep the right field.

Stay fair. Holy smokes, he did it. Off the hidden air cafe. Cal rally with a walk-off home run. How sweet it is. The Mariners end the 20-year drought.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. A lot of buzz, a lot of electricity coming out of Seattle where the Mariners have, yes, ended their drought as you hear with Rick Riz on Mariners Radio. But it's a passionate sports town even when the Seattle Mariners aren't making the playoffs so just a lot more excitement now with the Major League Baseball postseason on the horizon.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We're spending a few minutes with former Seattle Sounders goalie and professional goalie all over the world Jesse Bradley. And Jesse, we were just talking about the World Cup and how important it is for Team USA to do well to continue to grow the sport here in the United States. It's already the beautiful game. It's already the most popular sport by far around the rest of the world and for some reason we lag behind.

So yes, very important for the Americans to succeed in November and I'm hoping, I'm rooting because I feel like it's a team that we can all get behind. Now, one of the things that I have recognized about former athletes and you shared a little bit of your story with us that your career ended abruptly and that you had it taken away from you when you still thought you had many years to give. One thing that I hear over and over from former pro athletes is how difficult the transition to go from playing a sport and being in that world and that culture to then finding a new purpose for their lives. You sound like a very passionate guy, a lot of energy, a lot of drive. So at this point, what drives you? You're done playing soccer. You've recovered physically. What do you pour your energy into?

Thank you so much. You know, the women have been phenomenal in the U.S. They set the bar high. Now the men, let's go guys. Let's get there.

Let's get there. You know, what I discovered in my recovery is that there's a hope greater than our challenges. I learned that my identity can't be performance based.

What I do is not who I am. And then my faith grew. Now I'm a pastor and speaker.

Now it's my joy to spread hope to really hundreds of millions of people around the world. And it's something I never saw coming. Ending sports is brutal. I miss the locker room, miss the guys, miss the competition, the stadium.

You're never going to have that exact same thing. And for a lot of athletes, it takes time. It took me time to discover what's next. But I love giving back to the community. I love connecting a wide range of people.

I love that in our church there's people from all nations and cultures and ethnicities. And I love a place like Seattle where people ask the hard questions about faith. Because that was me. I had hundreds of questions. And I want to kick the tires and find out what's going on.

So I love those conversations. And, you know, we continue to provide content. Hopehabits.org is a new website where we're bringing that content for people who might be struggling in their marriage or struggling to find hope.

It's all free. And we just want to be there for people. People on their phones, that's where they are, meeting where they're at. And we want to provide the content, answer the questions, or at least have the discussions that are relevant for people today. I know that you have your faith and family night coming up. You mentioned your website.

And also you've told me previously that you're attempting to bring awareness and resources for clean water in Africa. So I guess my last question would be how do you have time to juggle all of these things, Jesse, with four kids? No kidding. You know, passion drives me.

I think fire is more important than form. Like our family, we have four kids. One is adopted. I'd love to see no foster care system in America.

I'd love to see every kid in a forever family. You mentioned our initiative with clean water. We can have clean water for everyone by 2030.

$50 brings clean water for a child for the rest of their lives. I love bigger picture goals where it takes everyone to rally and step up and just to see something happen. And, you know, I wake up every day, Seattle's coffee everywhere, but I'm just feeling fully alive even before or without coffee. Like when you find the pain in my life has forged and fueled a passion and a purpose that I didn't even know before that. I think that if you're going through a setback right now, just listen to what can be redeeming, what you're learning, and then how you can make a difference in someone else's life going through that same thing. And more than laws or more than a politician, more than too much pressure on the government, like we all need to step up and love our neighbors, discover what our talents are, and just come alive. Like live that vibrant life.

It doesn't have to be compartmentalized. We all have struggles. We all need each other. And I'd say like we need God too, we need love from towards ourselves, from other people and from God. And when you receive that love, then you're filled up and then you've got something to give. And that's when life gets exciting. Love God and love people.

It sounds so simple and yet it really isn't. So you can find Jesse on Twitter at Jesse J. Bradley. And you can also check out his website for a lot of these various resources.

It's jessebradley.org. And promise me we'll have you on the show again. Maybe you can be our World Cup correspondent once the U.S. launches forward. Because it's been so great to talk to you and I feel like we could do that for a long time.

I loved it. Yeah, and I would do it any time. Let's talk more soccer. Hopefully you get a lot of emails and comments about, yes, finally some soccer.

Let's dive in more. But Amy, thank you for all you do. You've been consistent. I mean, you keep a lot of people encouraged and inspired at a time of the day when not a lot of people are there. So just keep spreading that hope and thank you for your faithfulness in your role. Because that inspires people in their role and in their work as well. Thank you, Jesse.

So gracious of you. Yeah, sometimes there's just a couple of us in the building and we're trying to hold the whole thing together. But to know that people are out there listening and paying attention and that we can connect with people. That's really the goal. It used to be to talk about sports, to share all my sports knowledge, to drop it on you. Just kidding.

I'm being totally snarky. But it used to be about sports and talking sports or entertainment. Now I tell people my number one goal with the radio show is to connect.

You make a connection and people will return and will continue to hang out and feel like they have a companion as opposed to a radio host who's talking at them, right? Man, Jesse, amazing. We're definitely going to talk more World Cup soccer when we get closer into November. I'm almost afraid to hope with Team USA in the Men's World Cup because I feel like there's disappointment all the time. I see it over and over.

I get excited and then I get crushed. So yeah, I don't know. But I'll be hopeful, I suppose. And it'll be fun to talk about it with Jesse who's got experience around the globe where soccer is humongous. So make sure you find him on Twitter. Find us on Twitter after our CBS in the wake of what has been a season full of moments and memories. One that made us forget all about the lockout. Or I'll speak for me. Not for you. It made me forget all about the lockout.

What is the best and brightest of baseball in 2022? Also on our Facebook page. This is your operating system talking. Not your computers or your phones, but your internal human operating system. I'm feeling a little overloaded. Here's how you can ease my stress. Close your eyes or softly gaze at something in front of you. Now inhale for four counts. Exhale for six. Keep repeating.

Much better. Longer term, there's better help online therapy. They'll match us with the licensed therapist we can connect with via video, phone or chat.

Visit betterhelp.com slash positive and save 10% on our first month. And our phone number 855-212-4227. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. With the widespread stance, arms out over the plate. Bickford from the stretch. The 1-1 pitch. A swing and there it goes. Left field. Way back. That's home run number 700. It's a three run homer and he hit 699 and 700 at Dodger Stadium on September 23rd, 2022.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. I've listened to it dozens of times. I have watched the video. In fact, I watched and listened to the videos and the calls over and over as Albert Pujols was getting closer and closer and closer and what a phenomenal final season at 42 years old and I know he's not done. I know we still have more to look forward to but it's different in the postseason and the home runs are in a different category. I started talking about it in March. In fact, I started talking about it or at least referenced it once when Albert Pujols first returned to St. Louis and said that he would finish out his career with the Cardinals, where it all began, where he won two World Series rings and numerous other individual honors.

This goes back to March 28th. He had been gone over a decade and they brought him back. As he returned, I was musing about the number of home runs he had to hit. Would he be in the lineup enough? Would he see enough at bats? Well, the thing is they had to put him in the lineup because he kept hitting not just home runs but doubles, singles, runs, scoring hits from Albert Pujols. They seemed to be so clutch over the last six weeks.

He's the machine for a reason. This guy lit St. Louis up in the summer and fall of 2022. Definitely one of the best and brightest of baseball this season. The call with John Rooney on Cardinals radio. That was a Friday night because it seemed like all of his big home runs toward the end came on Fridays or Saturdays when we were not on the air.

But it did not take away from it the excitement. I cried whether I was watching in my living room, my bedroom, whether I saw it live or saw it after the fact. What a campaign. He really was a major piece of what the Cardinals did this season.

Not just a sentimental piece but an actual piece that helped them to win the Central Division title and get back to the point at which they're hosting a wild card series starting on Friday with the rest of Major League Baseball. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. I really hope you enjoyed that conversation with Jesse Bradley, former pro soccer goalie who has got an extraordinary journey that took some drastic and tragic turns and yet he is full of energy to the point where he doesn't even need coffee in Seattle.

So if you missed it, it will be on our podcast of course and producer Jay has also said that he will get it up on our YouTube channel pretty quick. But the quote that sticks with me, the pain in my life has forged and fueled a passion and a purpose that I didn't even know before that. That is so, so true of many human beings. It's going through the fire. It's going through the pain. It's coming perilously close to death or coming face to face with our own mortality. It's losing people that are precious to us. It's being reminded that life is precious and fleeting. It's seeing our dreams disappear or dissipate or get destroyed in front of our eyes. It's all of these things and he mentions anxiety and depression which is a major challenge for millions of Americans.

It's documented. It's even worse in the wake of the pandemic and it's every age group. It's young people. It's young adults. It's adults of all ages.

It's obviously older Americans as well. So many of them isolated and cut off during the course of the pandemic. I remember when I first started my blog post, I wrote one particular article about the point of our pain being so that we could share our wisdom, our experiences with other people. A, to let them know they're not alone because there isn't anything new under the sun. And on this planet, regardless of how alone we feel, other people have already gone through what we've gone through, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, all of those things.

And so if we can somehow find that in ourselves as we heal from painful experiences and losses, tragedies, to share those experiences with other people, we'll find that we can inspire and encourage and that we can let people know they aren't alone. So that's one major reason for pain, the human experience that is tough. Life sucks sometimes.

There's just no way around it. And honestly, if you live long enough, you go through cycles where life sucks a lot. It's tough. It's tough to be a human being. It's tough to be an American.

It's tough to be a lot of things. It's tough to be, I can only speak for me personally, but a daughter, a granddaughter, just lost my last grandparent, a member of the corporate world, a sister, an aunt, a friend, all of those things. If you're engaged anywhere and with anyone, eventually you'll experience loss. If the only thing you care about is material possessions, eventually you will experience loss. And so if we can use that pain to let other people know they're not alone, but also I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.

And here's Jesse reminding me of that. The pain that he went through coming out on the other side changed him. It forged and fueled a passion and a purpose he didn't even know. We're not human beings who never change, right? We're certainly affected by our circumstances all the time. That includes the pain and the difficult challenges that we face.

None of us will ever be the same after the pandemic. That changed us in so many ways as a society, as families, as individuals. And if it changes our purpose, it changes our passion, it creates in us a drive to help other people or to find the different focus.

We're human beings that are almost like amoebas. We're just constantly changing. Change is a very real part of our human experience as well. It does definitely hurt to have a heart, right? So a bunch of friends and family members have reminded me over the course of this summer, which was tough.

It was challenging. It was very emotional that the price of great love is great grief. Whatever it is that we love, we'll experience loss. And yet that great grief, me, uncovers parts of our soul and our hearts that we might not have dealt with before or didn't even know existed. So, man, I'm inspired listening to Jesse.

And if you did miss that conversation, like I said, we'll share it on our podcast first thing on Thursday morning, After Hours, AmyLawrence.com, and also on our YouTube channel, which has been dormant for a while, but we have not forgotten. It's certainly a part of our After Hours experience that we love sharing with you. It's different. It's goofy. For whatever reason, you all love videos. I mean, I could sit here and make the most incredible and insightful points about sports. And what you most care about is when you get to see us do stupid things on video.

I mean, it's just, that's part of my experience. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio, 855-212-4227. Let's talk to Alan, who's in Toronto. What are the best and brightest moments and memories of 2022, Alan? First off, Toronto and Seattle, they're expansion cousins back in April the 7th, 1977. Your birthday, they both expanded at the same time, and it's the first time they've played each other in the last 45 years. Cool. Looking forward to that.

Yes. The Orioles, 31 wins better than last year. Last year, they were 52-110.

This year, 83-79, much better than I expected. And they got off to a very, very bad start, too. They were 4-16. But then, down the stretch, they were 36-17 from July 3rd till September 3rd.

And they weren't officially eliminated till October 1st with five games remaining. Yeah, that's amazing. I'm mighty encouraged.

Next year, they were 34-42 against their own division, but next year, it's going to be a balanced schedule, so it's going to be looking pretty good. So I'm very encouraged with the Orioles. I've been an Orioles fan for the last 50 years. Wow. A lot of heartbreak over the last 50 years.

Yes. I think that's part of being a sports fan, too. We're talking about the human experience. Well, part of being a sports fan, part of that experience is definitely going through the highest of highs you hope at some point over the course of your lifetime, but the lowest of lows. They seem like they're far more frequent and something that we just have to get used to because sports, man, they can break your heart. And I disagree with what you said, Miguel Cabrera coming back next year.

You said it was good to see. The man is washed up. He hasn't had a good season since 2016. I wish he would retire, but I get it. He's under contract for next year, and he intends to honor it. Not just that, but if someone's paying you to play a baseball game, well, I mean, I think all of us would probably accept that.

It's interesting when those of us who don't play tell other people to retire. Maybe they're intangibles in the clubhouse that they are thankful for. You know, he impacts younger players, can be more of a coach on the field. So I understand his numbers are not what they were, nor are Albert Pujols, but think about the impact that he's had with not just younger Cardinals players, but the number of Dominican players and the number of other Hispanic players that really look up to him. Yeah, I forgot about that. They're in the clubhouse a lot, and they're good leadership qualities, that's for sure.

Good. Well, so then maybe the Tiger, I mean, obviously it's a lot of money, and they're going to pay him regardless unless he retires. But if I'm him and the money's there, I don't think I'd retire either. He's still part of the baseball culture.

He's got a really significant piece in baseball history, and there is a real good chance that a lot of young guys are looking up to him and are thankful that he's around. And I'm going to be at all three games. I got my tickets for all three games coming up Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Looking forward to it. All right, well report back to us. I hope you have fun. Yeah, thanks a lot, Amy. Always a pleasure. You too, sir. Have a great wildcard weekend.

Well, that's fun. I don't know that I'll be going to any games this weekend. I definitely need Sunday to be parked in front of my TV. I did it once where I was at an event on Sunday. That was week two at Lambeau Field, and it is not easy to keep up with everything else that's going on when you're at one game.

I wouldn't trade it. It was the experience of a lifetime, even without the snow. It was amazing to be at Lambeau Field for a Sunday Night Football game against the Bears, especially to be out there on the field for the end of the first half and halftime. But it is difficult to cover everything that's happening in October when I'm not parked in front of my TV with a laptop that's running on other material that's also got my radio next to me so I can go back and forth among other games, my DVR, my notes.

I'm such a nerd. No one wants to watch sports with me. I wonder why that is. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. If you're feeling down and having trouble getting up in the morning, here's a tip. Brush your teeth.

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