Brett, how are you? How you doing? I'm good.
I know it's been a difficult 24 hours. I really appreciate the time. You got it.
You got it. And I understand. And I know and I've shared this with the audience for anyone who is not familiar. We all know about your family lineage when it comes down to Major League Baseball and also your dad having played and been on those Phillies that won a World Series with Pete Rose and actually won in 81. What was the presence of Pete Rose and even being around the clubhouse, his house?
Fill us in. Yeah, it was, you know, that was my relationship with Pete. I had him on my podcast a couple months ago. It was the last time I talked to him. We had a chance to catch up. But our relationship was, you know, when I was a little kid running around the clubhouse, brave snotty-nosed kid that had his Philly uniform on, just wanted to shag and be around the guys. But, you know, those Phillies peeped in the 70s and early 80s. He had a big red machine.
He brought a presence that I think that Philly peeped. And they had some great teams back then and finally got him over the hump and they won that World Series in 1980. But I just remember, you know, I was friendly with his son, Pete Junior, who were similar ages. So we'd be at the ballpark every day when we could and running around. And I had a relationship with Pete, but I had a relationship with all the players. Back then, that's what I did. I went to the ballpark with my dad.
Just like other kids go to work with their dad. Mine just happened to be Veterans Stadium. And Pete was different. You know, there's two guys that you run in through your journey and my journey through this life of baseball, that you kind of step back and go, they broke the mold when they made that man. There's been a couple guys in my life, the Lou Piniella being one, Pete being another one.
There'll never be another guy like him. He loved baseball more than life itself. Everything was baseball with Pete. It wasn't about getting three hits, it was about getting five hits, if you had three.
I've never seen somebody that aggressive, you know. Most of us, when we go three for four, maybe hit a two-run homer and win the game, we're fine with going three for four. Not Pete. He had to be four for four. If he was four for four, he had to be five for five. That's just the way he was. He, you know, and just talking, I was a kid at the time who was in Philly. But talking to the players now, as an adult, as peers, especially my dad, he said what a big difference he made when he came over there, just changing the complexity of the clubhouse and bringing that. You know, he had won a couple World Series in the Big Red Machine.
They said he turned Mike Schmidt from an MVP to the best player in baseball, just having his presence there. I have nothing but fond memories of Pete. He was a character of all characters. I used to stay at his house.
You know, we'd have sleepovers. And he was just a lot of fun. He was a big kid. And you know, I know sometimes, you know, off the field since then, he hasn't made the best choices. But as far as a player between the lines, when it comes down to it, all the people I've run into, my teammates, my peers, ex-players, players I grew up watching, if you just want, what embodies the game of baseball, once the national anthem ends and we get between the lines, I think Pete Rose is the epitome of how you should play the game at the Big Red level.
Mariner's legend Brett Boone is joining us here on the JR Sportbreeze show Coast to Coast. 24 years, 17 All-Star Games, three-time World Series champ. He's the hits king. We saw what he did in between the lines. And you referenced some of his actions outside of that. But forget that for a minute. What doesn't the public know or understand about the man, Pete Rose?
What didn't we see? Well, he was a kind man. He was a off-the-cuff.
I mean, he had a joke for you. It didn't matter if it was five in the morning, didn't matter if it was one in the morning after a game. He was always, I never saw Pete in a bad mood. He always would go out of his way to, and at the time, you got to realize Pete Rose in the 70s. I mean, he was as big a figure as there was back then. This is way before internet, so there were just certain superstars from each sport that transcended the game, and Pete was one of those. And I was out in public with him all the time, and he would interact. I mean, if he took us miniature golf as kids, and there was a batting cage, I don't care if it's the fourth game of the World Series that night, and there's kids around and they want to see Pete hit, he'd jump in the cage and hit, and kind of show him something and then have some quip and move on. That's just the type of guy he was.
He engaged everybody. He loved life. And he liked to gamble, obviously. And he had his niches that he liked to go to, but the guy I saw, he was the fun dad.
You know when you were a kid and you went down the street and go, we're going to go to the fun dad's house? That was Pete. Pete was cool.
You could push the envelope with him. I mean, if you went over the top as a young kid and you weren't doing something you're supposed to do, he'd shut you down. But for the most part, he was just like a big kid hanging out with you. I have nothing but great memories. I have one story that kind of sums up Pete, and my dad tells this story.
My dad being the polar opposite, he's the valedictorian, straight arrow guy is my dad. And he said he went up to Pete. It was 1979 and he just got traded over. He said he was going through a real messy divorce with his first wife, Carolyn, who's Pete Junior's mom. And it was headlines in Philadelphia every day on the sports page.
And the Phillies were in a pennant race and Pete was having a great year. And my dad said, I couldn't believe that with everything, every question, every day, everybody was about Pete's divorce and his personal life. And he said he just went up to him casually and eradicated. He said, hey, Pete, how do you do it?
What are you talking about? And he called him Bobby. He goes, what are you talking about, Bobby? And he said, probably the only guy I know besides my mom, my dad's mother, my grandmother, is the only other person I do that called my dad Bobby. He said, Bobby, I'll tell you what. He goes, well, no, back to my dad's story. He says, Pete, how are you doing with everything going on?
Like, how can you handle it? And he said, Bobby, I'll tell you what, it's a hell of a lot easier to go through than 0 for 4. And he just kind of said it, jumped in the cage and went on with his dad. That was Pete Rose.
He had the uncanny ability when he entered that locker room. It was all baseball until the time he left and then we'll get ready to do it again tomorrow. But I have nothing but great memories of him.
It's a huge part of my childhood. And like I said, you talk about how do you play the game correctly? Look no further than Pete Rose. Multiple time All-Star and Gold Glove winner.
Brett Boone is joining us here on the JR Sport Brief Show. You mentioned the gambling. We know that's what's kept him out of full recognition in Cooperstown. Do you think, and he said this is probably not going to happen, unfortunately, until he's gone. Do you think he'll ultimately get in now?
Well, here's what I think. You've got to get down a couple barriers because as of right now, what's in place is he's banned from the game of baseball. So even if, say, a veterans committee wanted to induct Pete, they can't because he's not allowed on the ballot. So I think there has to be several steps taken to get him off that ban list to even come up for a vote. What I hear around baseball in the baseball world from players, ex-players, people in the organization, it's about a 60, 40, 70, 30 split I'm hearing, and 60 and 70 percent being to the affirmative, that they think it's time for Pete to be back in.
I think eventually one day it will happen. The sad thing for me, and I mentioned a couple months ago I had him on my show, the one thing that I really heard from him when he was talking to me was he said, you know what, Brett? He said, the sad part is, I've kind of gotten over that I'm not going to go into the Hall of Fame.
I had hope for a long time. He said, but what good does it do if I'm buried and gone? And he said, the whole reason for the Hall of Fame was for my family and the loved ones and the people that love me and the people I love to be around me.
And our take in getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, if I'm dead and gone, is it really worth it? And it was weird because I don't see Pete too much in that sentimental or somber mode. He's always funny and never a negative word. And that was kind of the human side of, you know, he's getting older, he's 83 when he passed away. And he just had that, for the first time in my life, you know, I've never seen Pete like that. There was kind of a sadness in his eyes, like, you know, kind of a realization like, I don't think it's going to happen, at least why, while I have time left on this earth.
And that was kind of a sad moment because I'd never seen that side of Pete. But I think that's what he, I think he was very remorseful. I think as we all move on from our career, from young kids to our heyday, when our egos are a bit out there, but then life takes over and you retire and you move on, and the older you get and the wiser you get. It seems, life seems to humble you a little bit. I think life has really humbled Pete. And I think he's genuinely, when he looks back on his life, he's genuinely remorseful of the decisions he's made. And he also said, hey, I can't do anything about it now. I've come clean with everybody.
I've got a clean conscience. I wish I'd go back and change it. But it was just sad when I heard him talking about, you know, I don't think I'm going to be here if I ever am put in a hall of fame to enjoy it with people that I care about. MLB insider, former All-Star Brett Boone is joining us here on the JR Sport Brief Show. But thank you for sharing so much on Pete Rose and your experiences and conversations and what may happen. I think ultimately, I don't know if it's 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, what have you.
I ultimately think he's going to get in. When you take a look at the game today and how it's changed, we know that they've changed so many rules and implemented pitch clocks and ghost runners. Thank God they're not here in the postseason. What are your thoughts on the current format of let's get 12 in and then we had a whole disaster kind of sort of yesterday with the Braves and the Mets. What are your thoughts on the current format? The current format of the postseason?
Yes. The current format, I'll tell you, as a player, I hate it because it doesn't reward you for that 162 day grind. I think that's what really needs to be rewarded. Because those are the true great teams every year. The teams that are standing at the top of the mountain on 162 are over.
So as a player, I don't like it. I think it waters down past generations and postseason accolades. Now anybody can get to the postseason.
It's as easy as it's ever been. I hate the three game series to start. I think you play a full season, you earn a right in the postseason and per case in point, a guy like Scubel pitching for the Detroit Tigers can have you one game away from elimination in a 24 hour period. I don't think that's right.
But the problem is where do you squeeze in that series of five to start? That's something for major league baseball to check out going forward. I think, now that's the baseball player. Now I take the baseball player hat on and I put the analyst, I put the fan hat on.
I'll tell you what, I love it. I think there's so much excitement. I think it's great for the game of baseball down the stretch having so many spots in the postseason, 12 now more than there's ever been.
Because you get cities and gates longer. When in years past at the All-Star break in Pittsburgh, they'd be talking about the Steelers already. Well, now you have a chance all the way into September. People are still talking about there's a chance in one of those wildcard spots. So I think for the game, for the good of the game, for more eyeballs coming to the game of baseball, I think it's a great format. I think they've gone the way of the NFL, the NBA. And that's just the way it is in 2024. It's not 1990 anymore.
It's not 1985 anymore. And we have to move on with the times. Everybody wants it now.
Everybody wants fast, exciting. As a fan, I love these games because they're unpredictable. Look at the games today. It's like Casey and the Orioles. The Orioles had a great run to get in, but I don't think they have any business beating Burns. They beat them 1-0. They're one game away from moving on. Detroit beats the mighty Houston Astros.
Who thought that was going to happen? They're one game away. And now you have the Mets that are fighting and clawing to get in.
Everybody had them written off in June as dead and buried. They're about to beat the Brewers in Game 1 and be in one game away from going on to the next round. So I think the excitement's at an all-time high. I think the predictability of what's going to happen is the toughest it's ever been.
I can tell you what should happen on paper, but as I've found out since I've been doing this the last three or four years, I've got no clue. I just look when the game's ended and I say, how does that happen? That's the way the game is now. So I really like the excitement of it, the changes they've made. And history will decide on if this was the right choice. But for me, the fan now that loves baseball, I love the unknown and nobody knows what's going to happen. It's a lot of excitement and a lot more cities involved.
Absolutely. Brett Boone is joining us here on the JR Sportbreeze Show Coast to Coast. I mean, the two teams that were representative of the AL and the NL are not even in the postseason this year.
In the Diamondbacks and then also the Rangers. Is there a team that you'd look at this year and say, I think they have what it takes? Or has nobody got that hot yet? You're supposed to be in a spot after that whole spiel. I'm saying, I'm saying, Brett, come on.
I'll tell you my thoughts. My thoughts are Atlanta sneaking in at the last minute. They're always dangerous with that pitching staff, but I don't know. I think they would have had a bigger streak coming down the stretch.
The L.A. Dodgers or the L.A. Dodgers. When you got a T. Oscar Hernandez who's having an MVP season, he's probably fifth best player on the team, your offense is pretty darn good. But pitching, I question it. You got Flaherty at the top of that rotation.
It's not the glass now that you expect it to have. It's not the Walker Bueller of two years ago, that dominant front end, frontline starter. He's not Walker Bueller. Yamamoto, how's he going to be?
You got young kids, Knack. Stone is hurt. He's not coming back. So I think L.A. is going to be really challenged from a starting pitching. The most complete team, I think, in the National League, and it's close, but I'm going to go with the San Diego Padres. San Diego Padres top to bottom. Some kind of aura they got going on. Team chemistry. It's very noticeable.
I live in San Diego. I keep a close eye on those guys and the additions they made at the trade deadline to really bolster that bullpen. And I think they got the best bullpen in game, in the game, with the exception maybe of the Cleveland Indians, who have the classe at the end of that end of the game for them.
I think San Diego Padres have the best bullpen. I think offensive, they've got something special. They genuinely are pulling for one another.
They have that chemistry that's real that you can't fabricate. It just happens. I see that with the Padres. The only team to look out for is the Phillies.
They're complete top to bottom. I question the bullpen a little bit, but that's a grizzled team. They've got a huge home field advantage in Philly. But for me, I'm going to go San Diego Padres and the National League. And if I've got to pick the American League, man, Cleveland's scary with that bullpen.
As of today, before the games were played, I would have picked the Houston Astros. But now them being one down, I've got to go with the Yankees. Yankees are just, they're ready. If the next series is Detroit and Kansas City coming up, I think the Yankees handle that. Yankees have questions as well. With their defense, with the home situation in the bullpen, Nestor Cortez not being in the series probably.
They've got a lot of question marks for that. But I think top to bottom, I think the Yankees have more than the rest of the American League. Maybe Cleveland an exception right now. OK, if you had to talk to me two hours ago, I'd have picked the Houston Astros. But now that I've got the I'm looking, I know that they've got a loss under the belt, I'm going to go with the Yankees. I'm going to go Padres, Yankees. OK, I mean, well, Brent, I know, you know, the last time we had that World Series, it didn't work out for the Padres. It didn't work out for the Padres. And you know what? Probably after all that wasted all that breath going over all those stats, I'll probably be dead wrong.
Those two will get eliminated the first time they play. Hey, this is hey, this is the new world of Major League Baseball. Brett, final question for you. We see that the average time on the games is down. The batting averages continue to fall. And, you know, we have this conversation in offices and barbershops and all over the place.
Is the pitching that damn good or the hitters just not have not caught up? Well, why are we here now? Because, you know, I have this conversation with my brother all the time and I simplify it for him because, you know, I know he's the manager of the Yankees now, but I'm the older brother and I'm always a little bit wiser than him. And he knows it. But it comes down to this. And at the end of the day, in 1950, when my grandfather was playing, it was the best hitters against the best pitchers.
My dad played the same thing when I played, you know, early 2000s. The best pitchers in the world against the best hitters. That's changed.
Best pitchers in the world against best hitters in the world. The culture has changed. The approach has changed. The thought process has changed with all the data and the analytics. And I think they're good in a lot of circumstances, but you can't overdo it.
And I think what we've gotten away from is what's important. These guys are being paid now for OBS. They're being paid for hitting home runs and getting on base.
They're not being paid for average. In my day, it was, how many would you hit? How many homers you hit? How many did you drive in? That's what I got paid on.
And I played my game accordingly. Today, they don't care about average. They don't.
Because that's not what brings them the dollars. It's all about OBS. I think it's a detriment to the game. I think the game isn't played correctly. I don't see people moving runners. The runner on third less than two outs.
I used to lose sleep when I didn't get that runner in third. Today, it seems not like a big deal. The strikeout is just not a big deal. It's throw as hard as you can for as short a time as you can and give it to the next guy.
You see a lot of guys blowing out. No, I think there's a lot of negative things in the game that I'd like to see change. I think the pitch clock, shortening the game, I think that's been great. And all that did is bring us back to where the game used to be. They used to play games in two hours and 45 minutes. We got away from it.
And my generation is partially to blame. We took our time. This was just getting them back on the right track. I think with the two disengagements, you're seeing people steal bases more. Now, I think you're going to have to reel that rule in a little bit because now you've got the real base runners.
They're starting to steal bases again. So you've got to even the playing field for the pitcher and the catcher. I think those are good things that have been implemented, but I'd love to see them get back to the basics of the game, playing the game right. You'd be amazed when you play the game correctly how that just goes down to the next guy and the next guy all the way down to the 26th man on the roster. And now you've got a real team pulling on the same end. I don't see that in today's game too often.
And when I do see it, I think it's a really good formula to win a World Series, but you just don't see it that often. Until they start getting back to the basics, I think this is the game that it is right now. And like I said, it's not my game anymore. It's their game.
Districts will judge each and one of our generations. So I don't want to be that old man on the couch yelling it's better when I play because I still love this game. It's all I've ever known. And it's been a huge part of my life.
So I still love the modern game. Yeah, I wouldn't do some of the things they do, but it's not my time. It's their time. And one day they'll be sitting here, my age, looking at their kids going, I don't like the way you guys play the game.
That's just the way it is. I remember those conversations with my grandfather before he passed. And he'd come to me and say, Brett, what about tonight? Yeah, that Randy Johnson.
He's not that good. He's Bob Feltler. And I said, Gramps, Randy Johnson's pretty good.
And he's like, he ain't nothing compared to Feltler. That was just Gramps being Gramps. That's what makes this game great because it's generational and you can have conversations like that with your dad, with your grandpa, with your son.
I got a son playing in the minor leagues right now. It's a different world for him. He has questions for me and I can give him what I can give him. But you know what's cool about it?
He gives me stuff from his generation to dad. What do you think about this? And I said, that's a great point. I wish I would have had that at my disposal when I was when I was your age coming up in the game. So there is good things to learn. I think what we can do as a culture is learn from these current players because they've got stuff to give. But also current players learn from the X players. That's the best combination.
