Baseball fights - are they a good thing?; LIV golfers speaking honestly

This is the best of the Adam Gold Show Podcast brought to you by Coach Pete at Capital Financial Advisory Group.

Visit us at capitalfinancialusa.com. This is the Adam Gold Show. Dennis chose to play the 147th best Billy Joel song coming out of the break and I appreciate that. He's got a lot of great songs. You can take that for what it's worth. The last time we spoke with Elliott Johnson we were lauding his success against now former Angels manager Joe Madden after he was fired.

Madden was at that point with the Tampa Bay Rays. One of the many teams that Elliott Johnson starred for and he joins us to talk about another Angels manager. How are you Elliott?

Everything's good. Watching a little baseball today. Looking forward to hearing what we got on the docket today Adam. I'm sure it's going to be a good show.

Oh sure. Alright, let's talk about the angels and mariners got into a legitimate fight over the weekend. There was a pitch that buzzed the tower of Mike Trout the night before. Everybody was angry, justifiably so.

One of the best players in the game. Nearly getting hit in the head is certainly going to raise a few eyebrows among other things. And then the next day the Angels threw twice at Mariners batters early in the game. There was a pitch that I forget who got hit in the back of the leg which is frankly okay if you're going to hit somebody. But right but so then we had a real fight. In fact, one of the Angels got hurt.

Frat, frat right there. One of their, I think they're closer fractured an elbow and a fracture of a bone in his elbow so that's bad. Have you ever been in a brawl like that. No, usually it's just pushing shoving and barking, you know, right, because the most embarrassing thing that could happen is you get hurt from the scrum. Yeah, so I feel bad for Bradley, you know, because you want to go out there and you want to support your guys but you don't want to get hurt, you know, and every doctor will tell you.

After you get into a scrum like that next time throw it use your off throwing hand if you throw a punch. But he got hurt off falling off the railing on his way into the scrum Adam so that's going to be he's going to have a tough, you know, he's gonna be looking at his shoes walking through the clubhouse here for the next three to four weeks, they didn't even get hurt in the fight, he got hurt on the way on the way to the fight, but it's still it speaks to the issue that what baseball is the only sport where, in a way that's condoned yeah guys got suspended. For the most part suspensions are with 162 games, you're not going to make a suspension really stick. I mean really matter, unless you suspend somebody for 20 games which maybe that would be a smarter thing. But how did these things start now yes it started the night before with Mike trout, a day, how much, how much weight do you give to the managers involved here Phil never doesn't an interim manager for the angels, he got a 10 game suspension maybe that's not even enough.

How much weight do you put on Phil Nevins part in this. Well, it actually comes even above him. Oh, think about this isn't. This is inside the division. Okay, none of neither team is meeting expectation right. So, I mean it's just like every other organization the owner start putting pressure on their right hand person man or woman, and then they put pressure and there's that trickle down. Okay, so neither man, neither owner is happy with things at this point they invest a lot of money and they have high expectations and those expectations aren't getting met. Both the teams aren't playing well. Both the teams aren't going to be in the playoffs.

And, and I can just speak as, let's just say that the Mariners started I hate to do a, a childhood playground thing they started it right here we are. If you throw at your best player. Anyone's best player. I can promise you that Nevin whomever is in charge, if he doesn't retaliate. He actually loses way more respect than when he does. And this is just the way the game works. Okay, so, you know, we're not we're not playing this game in the big leagues where, oh, it was just an accident, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter the fans need to understand it doesn't matter if it was an accident or on her right, you can throw it Mike trout or our best player or, you know, really anyone if you have a really good team with a good culture, if they throw at you for any reason there is retaliation it's just the way the things work.

Okay, now we may not like it but an eye for an eye exists. Okay, so maybe the after that the Mariners take it too far or the angles take it too far by, you know, hey you buzz our guys power after we buzz yours we should be even. And this is always where the scrums begin, because the Mariners feel like you guys took it too far. The message was received we got it, but now you can't drill us, however, I'll give the angels credit for hitting them in the butt because getting hit in the butt cheek is by far the best place to get drilled.

Speaking from experiences, it's easily the best place so that was a professional hit job if you want to call it one. Yeah, so what I don't get is why we have if both sides understand that. Why did what happened, happen. They wanted to exact a little bit more the angles want to exact more than the Mariners felt was do, and they weren't going to feel satisfied until they drilled somebody, and once they drilled Jesse he felt like obviously that it was over the angles didn't, and that's why we have a disagreement where we're going to throw, you know, we're gonna throw hands at each other, and then we are, and then we're going to throw sunflower seeds onto the fear, which was, that was a little, that was a bit much way that it works, and that that's the problem is one side going to feel like we're even the other ones not. And that's why obviously it gets taken to that point because it's not like there's an exchange table where it's like hey you good we good. You're not good until it gets played out on the field and you never know how far it's going to go because even if a manager says to go ahead and hit somebody, the bullpen or whoever has the ball is actually the one that's going to execute on that. And so you never know what kind of conversations are happening in the bullpen but I can tell you, the teams that are really good team are the ones that look out for each other and they don't even need the manager to say anything they just do it on their own, Adam Golden studio with my friend coach Pete the router with the capital financial advisory group we are talking retirement coach How does longevity risk figure into our retirement and income plan. This is the best of times and the worst of times Adam longevity risk means we're going to live too long, but to me, every day I live is not too long.

Right, absolutely. So we want our money to outlive us. And unfortunately many people have seen you out there listening maybe one of them, your money is not designed to outlive you, you might outlive your money and that's not what we want to have happen, because when we get to that day after you run out of money, it's not going to be a fun time. We want to design a plan that guarantees you'll never run out of money we call it the GPI plan growth protection lifetime income for the next 10 people that's the golden ticket Adam thousand dollar value going to do it at no cost obligation and all you have to do is call we make it so easy. Would you like financial independence into your retirement and beyond it, 800-661-7383 that golden ticket is a $1,000 value or you could text Adam to 21000 for coach Peter root. Elliot Johnson is joining us here on the Adam Gold show.

All right to a situation that you and I talked about. Gosh, this is now what three months ago, maybe more Freddy Freeman never wanted to leave the Braves and ultimately left the Braves contract, they couldn't come to an agreement on a contract. The more we read about this, the more we realize what what happened comes back to Atlanta. I have never been moved by a baseball players press conference, as I was listening to Freddy Freeman try to answer questions in front of the Braves media at a press conference. And then the outpouring of love from the fans to Freddy was just incredible dirt, you know, when he received his World Series ring, and now he fired his met his agent Casey close is was his lead agent, I believe Casey close was Derek Jeter's agent forever with the Yankees over over a poor contract negotiation session, I guess the best can can do a poor job.

Is that how you read this that Casey close did a poor job. Now, so I'm going to take it a different direction, I know we're in Braves country and maybe this will create some interest on your end. Okay.

Look, you're in charge. Okay. Your guy is going to give you advice, he is going to broker a deal he's going to survey the market, he is going to tell you what the market is telling him.

Okay. Freddy ultimately isn't is in charge of that decision he is the CEO of his own corporation and you could say that Casey is a CFO if you'd like, right, okay, deal guy, he's going to bring him the deals as they come in, he's going to broker it, but the person that gives the thumb up or thumbs down ultimately is the player. We all know that Freddy wants to be in Atlanta. Okay, don't let anybody tell you otherwise, you know, it's all posturing one way or the other. He clearly wants to be there his emotions speak for itself. He's, he's wearing them on his, on his sleeve. Okay, Clayton Kershaw, who's one of the, you know, best humans best competitors in the game. If he's saying something publicly. It's because what he said privately hasn't materialized out on the field. Yes. Okay, so the fact that we're even here speaks to the fact that Freddy should have taken the deal that the Braves offered him whatever it is five for 130, take the deal.

Okay, and move on with your life. Okay, but he didn't do it. He wanted to test the market and it's like musical chairs, you know, is it when the music stops, you got to have a place to sit. The problem is that he said no to the Braves, the Braves and pop list give them credit he spun went and got Matt Olsen from the A's, and that that he got taken Rizzo got take took the spot with the Yankees. I think the Blue Jays even traded and found somebody that they were looking for. So the only thing left was the Dodgers. Not that it's a bad deal, but a lot of that money is deferred, but ultimately Freddy had to make that decision early on and it's not like the Braves were going to hold the door open for him the entire time, you know, and pop list have to do what's best for the Braves. He moved on gave the deal to Matt Olsen, and we are where we are. So, you know, a lot of times it's a lot of poker, but at the same time, I think Freddy thought they're, you know, they were going to be able to keep everything open and they were going to come down to the deadline and it didn't work that way. And so now he's got to live with it. So this is on Freddy not on Casey close, but Casey close got got as Freddy Freeman moved on the numbers and ultimately from the Braves would have been I believe 140 over five and that would have been a better deal than he ultimately got even though it was for an extra one more year with the Dodgers, which comes out to 162 over six, but 57 million of that money is deferred that wasn't he's still going to get his 5% of that because he brokered the deal, right? He may be operating under a different representation, but he's still going to have to pay the fee to excel and Casey close that's going to be a tough check to write even if he even writes a check.

It's probably direct deposited and it's probably already taking care of right final thing. Are the Yankees this good? Clearly they are man about Trevino Aaron Judge betting on himself is fun phenomenal. Good grief. I mean that that's been the best storyline.

Thank you. And you know as much as I was raised properly to hate the Yankees in a lot of ways. You have to respect what they're doing. Clay Holmes is brilliant. You know what cash means done has been pretty good. I hate giving these guys credit because they really don't need it, but they deserve all the respect in the world. Hopefully it ends here pretty soon and we can stop talking about them.

But unfortunately we have to and they are very real. They are very good and you know, I think I think they still they're probably going to even make some acquisitions here. Oh sure that up. Yeah.

I don't think there's any question and the second best team in baseball might be the Houston Astros. That's going to hurt. Yeah, not going to you're not even going to respond to it. You're just going to let you know.

Yeah, fine. Say what you want. I don't want to talk about the Astros Jordan Alvarez is unbelievable. He should not have signed that contract because he's worth way more that guy's unbelievably good and you know paying his back. He's healthy. I don't think he's as good as Korea, but he's he's exciting to watch. So we'll see how they how they come how they end up down the stretch.

But obviously you have to take those guys serious because they are good. Elliot Johnson, you're the best man. I appreciate your time. I'll talk to you very soon. All right, Adam.

We'll see you. You got it Elliot Johnson here on the Adam Gold show. He hates the Astros. I didn't notice I couldn't tell and I'm okay with I'm okay with hate that I'm all right with it hates.

It's all right. I don't think he would like if they were stranded on the side of the road drive past them. He might he might I think you're right. I think you might be right there. June 19, 2006, but it all started May 6, 1997 with the announcement that the Hartford Whalers were coming to North Carolina. It's a story of transition of heartbreak of figuring it out on the fly. The Canes Corner look at the 25th anniversary of the move presented by the Aluminum Company of North Carolina. Listen now find Canes 25th anniversary wherever you get your podcast before we get to the rewind so in the category of we should be tired of talking about this and we are sort of I mean that's an SB category. I am yes, I am not going to get tired of talking about issues that pertain to sports. I care about so that there will always be time where we will talk about it seems the same thing over and over and over again. Like how many times have we talked about Baker Mayfield too many way too many right, but people are interested in football in the Panthers.

So I get it. Most people I should say fewer people are interested in professional golf and I understand that I am wildly interested in it. So live versus the PGA Tour speaks to me because it is an interesting story in a sport that I care a lot about. Like I said, I don't want to spend a lot of time on this because it is something we talked about it seems every day but yesterday truth was spoken and I think it's it's good to point out truth in the first set of press conferences in London. We were making fun of all of the evasiveness from people right. You know, we're just trying to it's not really about this like no man. It's about money.

And that's okay. It's fine for it to be about money. And yesterday, they introduced three new players Brooks Koepka, Pat Perez, Patrick Reed.

We're all on the on the podium at the podium being having their introductory interview. And in the case of Koepka and Perez really spoke truth and I appreciate that because that's what it that's what this should be. Look, we can sit here all day long and talk about whether or not what these players are tacitly doing taking Saudi money is a good thing or not.

That's not really for us that much. I mean to what extent it is, but I'm not interested in having that conversation. I'm interested in having it about the sport. So Koepka was asked essentially. Here's a guy who's had major surgeries. He was asked essentially why he's doing this.

And here was his answer. Just my opinion, man. My opinion changed.

That was it. What I've had to go through the last two years on my knees, the pain, the rehab, all this stuff. You realize, you know, I need a little bit more time off. I'll be the first one to say it.

It's not. It's not been an easy last couple of years. And I think having a little more breaks, a little more time at home to make sure I'm on a percent.

I've just been forced to play right away. That was that was a big thing for me and talking to guys. Everybody that came back that I spoke to.

DJ, my brother, Phil, everybody was very I had nothing but great things to say. So, you know, take take it from their word and the schedule and there's a lot of things that went in my decision. So he's had a bunch of injuries. He's only played three times since in the last three months. It's played three events. They played all three majors, played the Masters, played the PGA and played the U.S. Open and didn't play really all that well in any of them. His body is just its body is breaking down. So, yes, Brooks Koepke is a four time major champion.

But Brooks Koepke also could be a four time major champion whose body will not allow him to play. So I'm not saying that that should change your opinion of what the live tour is or what it's trying to do. I'm just saying that it makes it more understandable that Koepke can make more money for less work, which is frankly should be a goal for all of us. Right. Yeah.

Make the most money we can for the least amount of work. It's it's amazing. Yeah. If I were to let's say, Adam, you do a show 15 hours a week. Right. You're on air live.

That doesn't count all the prep stuff. Sure. But you're on 15 hours. OK, we're going to cut that down to six. Yeah. We're going to have you do three two hour shows. Right. And we're going to quadruple your money. Yeah, exactly. We're doing it. OK, we're doing it. I get it.

Sure. I totally understand it. So that's where that's where Koepke is coming from. I will point out that seven days ago Koepke was asked about playing less as a why would you why would I go? Because he said, why would I do that?

And there's like you could play less. He goes, I play as much as I want now. See? So he addressed it then.

Yeah. Seven days ago yesterday, he addressed those questions. And he was indignant about it and said, I play whatever I want now.

I've only played two times since the, you know, since March. What changed? We know what changed. Money changed.

All right. Now to money. Pat Perez is a guy who has been on tour for a long time. Top 50 money winner, by the way, without being great. He's great, but without being great compared to PGA Tour players. He's got to think three career wins. But he's made a ton of money.

And for Perez, it came down to one simple fact. For me, it's real simple. I'm 46. I played five hundred fifteen events. I've been on the road since 1998.

I mean, I've been on the road longer than Matt Wolf has been alive. I have I have almost four year old. I missed my son's birthday birth birth last year, August 18. I get a call. My wife's going to labor. I'm in Jersey. I'm getting ready to start the FedEx playoffs.

You know, I'm 116 on the list. I can't leave. I can't miss it. I can't get back. I can't get there and back without spending 150 grand in private flight.

I'm not doing that. So I had to suck on it. And, you know, I had to miss my son's birth. And, you know, fortunately, I made the cut and I moved up my status by playing all right.

But it still sucked. You know, I have to tell him one day why I wasn't there. And, you know, once again, I'm a 30 to 33 week a guy every year.

I've done it. And now I don't have to. And I get to be with them. I get to be with my family at my age. This is an absolute golden opportunity for me. I get to play. You know, DJ is my captain. I get to play seven this year, you know, and then whatever else in the future.

It's a no brainer for a guy my age. It's been on the road. I just had three weeks off. I feel great. I couldn't be more excited about this. And that's the bottom line. You know, the bottom line is I'm tired of being on the road every day and I'm just I don't have to do it now.

And that's this this this this group. This opportunity has been it's like win the lottery for me. It's incredible. I couldn't be more excited. I mean, thank you.

I just say thank you for the honesty. Right. And it's true. It's it's hard. And by the way, for guys like Pat Perez. It's going to get harder based on the way the PGA Tour is going to evolve because they have to. It's going to get more difficult for players like Pat Perez. To stay.

Fully exempt on the PGA Tour. It's just it's just going to. That's the trade off they make to keep the stars where they are. Giving the stars more money, a bigger slice of the pie.

It's going to squeeze the the rank and file. In every sport, though, that's the case. In every sport, there are stars. Look what quarterback salaries do in the NFL. Quarterback salaries in the NFL squeeze out the middle class. Yeah. It's just it's just the reality of sports.

All sports. But I keep hearing, though, that these guys are independent contractors. They're not really independent contractors. If you are a PGA Tour member, you have to operate under certain rules until the courts tell them otherwise.

I don't know if the courts are going to do that. But you can pick and choose the tournaments you play. But if you play outside of the PGA Tour family.

You need their permission. This is why these players have been banned. And the reason why the PGA Tour did not give them permission is because they recognize that the live series is coming for them. It's coming after their players and their tour.

So let's I want this to be a completely honest conversation. And I'm not going to get into the source of the money other than there's a ton of it and it is endless. And that is tipping the scales in their favor. There will be more players to go. There's no question in my mind the fields will continue to get better on that circuit. They're never going to be awesome, but the fields will continue to get better. That field this week is probably better than the PGA Tour field at the John Deere. It's actually for the first time in a long time. The PGA Tour field will be the second best field among recognized tours. The European tour stop in Ireland actually has a better field this year, this week than the John Deere. It's just it's not a great field.

It just is not. But anyway, I appreciate the honesty from Brooks Koepka and from Pat Perez. This is the Adam Gold Show. Over the crossbar and the Hurricanes have won the Stanley Cup. June 19th, 2006. But it all started May 6, 1997 with the announcement that the Hartford Whalers were coming to North Carolina. It's a story of transition, of heartbreak, of figuring it out on the fly. The Cane's Corner look at the 25th anniversary of the move presented by the Aluminum Company of North Carolina. Listen now. Find Cane's 25th anniversary wherever you get your podcasts.