Hi everyone, it's Brian Kilmead here. Are you tired of those uncomfortable dress shirts, especially when they bunch up under a sweater? If so, then you must check out Collars Co., makers of the dress collar polo. Listen up. These shirts are four-way stretch, buttery soft polos with firm dress collars on them, so they give you the dress shirt look, but extremely comfortable polo feel.
You can wear them with anything under a sweater, with a blazer, or by themselves as an elevated polo. They work for any occasion. These polos are perfect, whether it's in the office, on a golf course, or a night out. Collars Co. is exploding and have gone viral on social media thanks to the 1 million investment they received on Shark Tank from Mark Cuban and Peter Jones.
You don't have to worry about collars that flop down and spread out. They stay firm and sharp all day. It's an amazing array of sweaters, quarter zips, pants, and outerwear. If you're looking for the performance dress shirt or polo that looks great all day, check out collarsandco.com. Use promo code Brian for 15% off.
of any purchase of $100 or more. That's promo code BRIAN. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month.
Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird.
Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only. Then full price plan options available.
Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. And it's Deep collection. Andrew Jones on the run. This one has a chance.
Throw around by Piazza and the mixed lead. Three to two. As soon as he hit the ball, I knew it was a home run. I knew it was done. I've really never heard a crowd unload like that.
It was like a firecracker going off. And it lit up everyone's face and their hearts. There were hugs and high fives like I had never seen before. People were, you know, all of a sudden that moment, the Mets fan, whoever, New York fan, it was like, yeah, you know, we just start crying. Everybody in the box is crying.
Sounded like the whole stadium took a deep breath. Guys, everybody was up clapping. I mean, when I talk about it now, the hair stands up in my arms.
So that was Harry Rose, Steve Carsay, the Atlanta Braves, Bobby Valentine, the manager, Al Leiter, the former great Mets pitcher, Steve Phillips, the GM at the time. And then John Franco was the last name. And with me right now is John Franco, the best lefty stopper ever. Great to see you, John. Thanks.
Thanks, Brian. Set the scene again. When Mike Piazza gets up to the plate, what kind of year were you guys having in 9-11, 2001? Uh 2001 was social year. In 99 we made the playoffs, 2000 with the World Series.
So we're still in the the The thicker things a little bit, making a playoff picture, but then we kind of fell out of it. But you know, get into that game, particular game that The first seven innings were like very calm. Like it was just like Fans were just talking to each other. It wasn't as loud as a week after 9-11? Is this two weeks or two?
That was the 21st.
Okay. That the first game.
So the. It was very quiet and then, you know, Our superstar comes up with a guy on base, and everybody's saying, Well, this would be great if Mike hits a home run. And he hit the home run, the whole stadium just erupted. I mean Soda, beer, everything being thrown in the air, people hugging each other, people crying. I was in a dugout.
You look back at the crowd and It was just how everybody just erupted. Like they just needed that for that moment. Right. And we were very happy that we won the game. Uh obviously because of what happened at nine eleven, but we're home and Just to make the fans who were in the stadium and whoever was watching on T V Just to forget just for a minute or two of what happened.
I mean, you'll never forget what happened, but just to take their minds off of it. And we put a little band-aid on a big wound. And to play that game. And I remember Chipper Jones saying if there was one game that they wanted to lose, that was the game that they wanted to lose. He haunted you guys.
Oh, he killed us. He killed us, man. Third baseman for the Atlanta Braves.
So, yeah, I mean, that was just one of the moments, part of the special, and you're part of it. Yeah.
So, your thought, I actually think it's misnamed. It's not really New York. I think it's the country. Yeah.
I mean, it was, you know, Yankees and Mets, people like to hate you guys. Yeah.
But not then. Uh everybody it's love the New York teams. You know, when we went after that series Back the first game back in New York was the 21st, but prior to that we went back to Pittsburgh to play before the first game in New York. And when we got to Pittsburgh, there were signs we're with you, New York, you know, USA, blah, blah, blah. And the fans gave us standing ovations.
But you were a New Yorker, too. What does that mean for you? You got traded there, but you grew up here. Yeah.
What it means to me is like uh you know, obviously what happened was a punch in the stomach, you know, just It was just just so mad, so pissed off that what happened. But to see the west of the the country come together and to see the way New Yorkers came together during that time, it was uh it was really uh Really nice to see that. I mean, downtown, you see our Vander Holyfield serving the FDNY and the cops, you know, dinner and lunch, and all the celebrities coming down, but treated like everybody else. Yes. And they were watching you guys.
I've seen this video and over and over again, but people should understand, you guys were actually loading trucks. I mean, it wasn't those symbolic things show up and say hello. No, we didn't. We put you to work. We would work out for an hour and a half, two hours.
And then Me being the team captain, I didn't have to say nothing to any one of the guys. I just said, hey, I'm going out. We're going to go out. and help unload trucks. 25 guys came out.
Coaches Bobby Valentine, who was great. Uh a lot of Sue Lucci, who Stadium Operations. In fact, do you want to hear some of this? She's actually on the special. Yes.
Here's a cut: cut 44. It really started as something just so simple. I took a whiteboard and I just wrote donations here. And the next thing we know, this turned into a 10-day effort. It was surreal.
It was like baseball immediately became secondary. You know, we went from packed parking lots with fans coming to the game. to trailers being pulled in and firefighters that were coming in and staying in the hollows of the stadium and sleeping on cots. It was quite a transformation. We turned the parking lot into like a home depot with aisles of boxes all organized from jeans to underwear to eyewash to things that were brought up from North Carolina on buses.
Track the trailers were lined up. The backs were open, packed with boots and batteries and water and blankets and flashlights, whatever supplies that were needed. It was 24/7, four o'clock in the morning, soon was after people were out there. You know, it was a group effort.
So You and did you, going back listening to this, what are your thoughts, John Franco? I'm very thankful for the help that my teammates and everyone around the country. The way the supplies were coming in from North Carolina, they were driving tractor trails from North Carolina, Florida, Texas. I remember Bobby telling a story that he was there late one night and a motorcycle that I think the Hells Angels came in and they were helping donate stuff and take stuff out of the truck.
So I remember jumping on the back of a tractor trailer and just throwing boxes to my teammates and we had a line going and dropping things. Wasn't your dad a firefighter? My dad was a sanitation worker. I have an uncle, two cousins who were firefighters. Unfortunately, my son's Little League coach is one of the firefighters that passed away in 9-11.
And a friend of mine, Sal Calabro, who was a firefighter that I played football with, was in the building when it collapsed also.
So I have that close-knit with the fire department. And I have some family members who are police. officers too. Um So you don't have to explain to your son the impact. He saw it.
I mean, to lose your coach like that. Yeah, yeah, it was it was terrible. John Bergen was a great guy, loved loved the kids. But they're just doing their job. You know, I said this earlier today.
The police and the firemen are running into burning buildings and people are running out. The police are running after criminals, shooting at them. They're shooting at them. You can't put a dollar sign on what these men and women do day in and day out. And because of them, we're able to sleep comfortable at night.
And so you must have been beside yourself, too, with the whole defund the police thing. Yeah, it's just ridiculous. I mean, we're seeing now the disrespect to cops. We're coming out of it, but now we're seeing defund ice, but that must just drive you as crazy as it does. It drives me crazy, but you know, Saturday night Jim Dolan, the the owner of the the uh the Rangers and MSG is doing a a a a great thing at Madison Square Garden.
We're putting on a show for at the police department. All the police department and and our family members are coming and they're putting on a show where Athletes like myself are going to be presenters. Cindy Lauper is going to be singing. Fat Joe is going to be singing. There's going to be a bunch of talent there.
And this is his way, our way of saying how we appreciate the New York City police, how we appreciate what they're doing day in and day out. And now since that time, we've come up on 25 years. They've done an unbelievable job aside from the pandemic when they didn't do anything. And I worry about this mayor, you don't have to weigh in, not understanding what 9-11 is. He has not just showed me anything different that he doesn't understand it.
So I'm not counting on him. And I don't think you guys have to either. But every year, stuff done with the beams into the sky and stuff is done to memorize. Went through the longest time to clean it up, number one. Then you had just a Hulk there.
Then we couldn't decide on a design. And then the build happened. And now it looks beautiful down there. What has it been like for you as you go back and watch the building and rebuilding downtown? I live two blocks right now from the Freedom Tower.
So I've seen it from. Bottom up. And what they've done down there is amazing, how they cleaned it up, how the area is beautiful, how the fountains are going 24-7. And the commemoration with the museum. Yes, the museum was unbelievable.
If you never had a chance to go to the museum, you should go to the museum. They still have one of the trees that survived. It's blocked off. That was the only tree in the area that survived the fall of the buildings.
So that area is. Probably probably the safest area in the country right now with all the police and and and sp uh Anti-terrorist police down there.
So I feel pretty safe down there. But they did a fabulous job in cleaning that area up.
So Fox Nation's got this brand new special. It's called Never Forget How Baseball Helped New York heal, and I think it's a country. John Franco's with us. John, I hope you don't mind. I want to play.
It's not just about the Mets, it's about the Yankees, too. And here is, and of course, they got to the World Series that year. They lost Game Seven to the Diamondbacks. Would have been great had they had won, except for if you're a Diamondback fan, here's Brian Cashman and some. Oh, we don't have that one?
Okay, so we don't have that one, but for the for the Yankees, they also rallied after 9-11. Not just the Yankees, the Jets, the Rangers, the Knicks, the Giants, every New York team did something to their part to help out, whether it was something at the Gardens, Yankee Stadium, President Bush throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and Derek Jeter. messing around with him, telling them, Don't bounce it, they'll boo you, you know.
So uh i i every every every New York team, every s professional team here in New York did something, did their part to help out.
So, when we come back, I want to ask John about this upcoming baseball season and talk about some changes that we're going to see. And are we looking at a lockout next year in baseball as they try to reconfigure their salary cap situation, their luxury tax situation, and is technology infiltrating? I think it's welcome, but many traditionalists don't, infiltrating America's pastime. You listen to the Brian Kill Me Show. Again, the special is never forget how baseball helped New York heal another reason to get Fox Nation.
Don't move. Big guests, bold opinions, better information. This is the Brian Kilmead Show. Join Fox in supporting our troops from daily needs to global emergencies. Help us be there for those who serve.
Visit go.fox slash Red Cross to donate to service to the Armed Forces today. This is Ainslie Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52-episode podcast series, The Life of Jesus. A listening experience that will provide hope, comfort, and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow now at FoxNewsPodcasts.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
The talk show that's getting you talking. You're with Brian Kilmead. Hey, welcome back. John Franco with us now. We're the greatest lefty closer in baseball history.
John, we're talking about your special, never forget, but also let's talk a little bit about St. John's where you graduated. Yes, let's talk about it.
So now Rick Petino has brought that team back. There's people that don't know that St. John's was a staple. Chris Mullen and Walter Berry. Lou Conisecar did.
And Mark. Yeah, they were contending every year. They were back in the Suite 16 for the first time since 1999. What about you? Feel it?
I love it. I've gone to seven, eight games this year. You know, every time they play at the garden, I've gone to the games. And what's it like? Is it back?
Is it back like that? It's back when Conniseca and Mulland were at the garden, you know, the old Big East days, you know, the Georgetown would come in, that place would be sold out. It's been a long time. You know, last year, Petino took us to the NCAAs and we lost in the second round. But it's been a long time for the St.
John's fan and alumni to enjoy this ride, and we're having a hell of a time. And hopefully Friday night it'll be better. What do you think against Duke? I think we got a hell of a chance. I mean, Duke really hasn't played great.
They've been vulnerable. You know, Sienna had them pretty well, and then their first half of the last game, they didn't play well. They played well the second half. But St. John's a different animal.
They play a defense. They're a good defensive team. Yankees play the Giants tonight. We kick it off. It's going to be on Netflix, right?
And then we're going to start every team 162 games. Are you worried that baseball is becoming the so-called regional sport? That people pull for their team, but they don't have a sense of the league. Where in football, There's more of a sense of a national challenge. Yes, yes, in a way.
Most of the people are regional teams, you know, and I know friends who are Dallas Cowboy fans and stuff like that. But yeah, it's more, you know, Met Yankee, Met Yankee, Met Yankee rather than, you know, Met Dodger of Seattle. You know, so it concerns me a little bit. Are you concerned? People always talk about the best teams.
I'm worried about so many teams have no shot. You know, the Pittsburgh Pirates haven't tried to be contenders since the 80s. Don't you think there should be a bottom threshold in minimum amount paid towards rosters instead of focusing on the salary cap? What about a salary bottom? Yeah, I agree.
For years, you know, I was part of the union when we were negotiating back in the day. And the teams like Pittsburgh and the teams like that don't spend the Baltimore Oreos back in the day, the Marlins, you know, they don't spend it. They're getting money from the owners. They're getting TV money and they're not spending.
So they're doing a disjustice. They get the luxury tax money. Yeah.
So they need to do something. To figure it out, to make them more competitive. The Pirates do have a good young team, good young pitching staff. Until they get paid, then they all gotta go. Right.
So, what happens is, like the Marlins, the Marlins, they won two World Series, they dismantled the team. And it's a shame because they don't draw down in Florida. Which is crazy because they have a passion there. Absolutely.
So it's got to be something more of the owners, the owners have to get together because I know. The owners that do have, and the owners that don't have, and most of the owners do have. They just don't want to spend. Right. How many do you think?
Do you have a sense of how many teams are making money? I think all of them are making money. You know, when a team is up for sale, people are lining up to buy it.
So you're not going to buy something that's not making money.
So technology. Uh coming in. And now we have maybe an electronic A strike zone. And you said there's two timeouts a game to challenge this. How soon till we have a fully electronic strike zone, and are you for that?
I don't think we're going to have that automatic, you know, robot umpire back there. I think there's going to be some type of human element. But you must have been frustrated when you know you threw a strike, right? Yeah, you know, I think this is good because it's going to hold umpires accountable. They know he could be called out.
There are umpires. If you see some old videos of Eric Craig, Angel Hernandez, who weren't very good umpires, and their strike zone was, you know, the home plate's 17 inches, it would be 21 inches outside where guys wouldn't have a chance to hit. As a pitcher, you love that because they're calling that. But to be fair, you hold the umpires accountable. And if they're not, you know, if I'm not doing my job as a baseball player, I get sent to the minor leagues.
That's what the umpires should be held accountable. If you're not doing your job, you've got a young umpire up here who could do that job.
So now they say the next year baseball is going to look to reconfigure and get a salary cap in, and some of the bigger teams want it, like the Yankees. Your thought as a former players' union, you have the strongest union in sports. Your thoughts about where that's heading? I think it's going to be tough to get a salary cap. There is a soft salary cap now, but teams still overspend and they've got to pay on that luxury tax.
It'll be interesting to see. How the owners really stick together with this because usually the owners The ones that have don't want to stay out too long, and the ones that don't have, they really don't care. And that's how it was years ago.
So it'll be interesting to see how this collective bargaining is tackled. And how do you think the Mets and Yankees will do for our listeners on WE? I'm hoping the Mets have a better year than they did last year. We started off great. I think the team is.
I was down in spring training. I saw the team. I think the team is in great shape. I think they're going to do very well this year. And the Yankees are the Yankees.
Yankees always get into the playoffs somehow or another. They find a way to get in. If they don't win at all, they feel it's a failure. Yeah, exactly. John Franco, thanks so much.
You got it.
