All About Change - Striking Out Global Warming

Episode Date: July 6, 2021

Brent Suter is best known as “The Raptor”, a successful baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. When he isn’t pitching or doing celebrity impressions for his teammates, Brent has his hands full trying to make baseball a more environmentally sustainable sport. Driven by his concern for a deteriorating climate, he founded Sidelining Carbon, which helps professional sports teams offset their carbon footprint. Listen to this latest episode of All-Inclusive to learn more about Brent’s passion for environmental activism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Inclusive, a podcast on inclusion, innovation, and social justice with Jay Ruderman. Hi, I'm Jay Ruderman, and this is All Inclusive, a podcast focused on inclusion, innovation, and social justice. Brent Michael Souter is a professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. He studied at Harvard University and was drafted into the MLB in 2012. Yet today, he is here to talk with us about a subject pretty far removed from baseball, environmental activism. Brent, welcome to All Inclusive. Hey, Jay. Thanks for having me on. Really appreciate it. So many topics require attention and activism. For example, racism, sexism, the list is so long.

How did you become involved in environmental activism and why focus on global warming? Yeah, it's something that started sophomore year high school for me. I watched An Inconvenient Truth the year it came out with my mom, actually, and just didn't know the extent of the problems that were going on. And it just really blew me away. And from that moment on, it was on my heart to try to do something about it. So I knew I wanted to study it in college, study environmental science, public policy in college, and then knew whatever path I took after college college i wanted to have this be part of my you know kind of my mission and so entering professional baseball

which was always a dream of mine i've just tried to integrate environmental activism into my day-to-day living and into some programs i get involved with and have helped start so uh yeah it's been it's been quite a journey um can always do more. I mean, the problem is so immense and so alarming that, you know, every second we waste is kind of just precious time. But just trying to do my best to use the platform of baseball and trying to reach people that might not otherwise hear about the problems or solutions and just try to be part of the solution. Well, I really appreciate it.

I think that, you know, you've taken a leading role in Major League Baseball in terms of your activism and have actually found some receptivity within the league and within your team. Maybe generally, what can you say is the biggest issue facing our environment today? Maybe generally, what can you say is the biggest issue facing our environment today? I would say just big, big picture. The threshold that you hear about in the news, the two degrees Celsius warming being kind of the runaway where climate starts breaking down and there's no chance or point of return. And unfortunately, we're heading there quickly so I think the just the temperature rise and the kind of the fear the potential of just runaway

basically climate breakdown would be the biggest concern obviously there's a lot in there with pollution toxic chemicals being dumped in the environment with deforestation both in the ocean and on land and with plastics and there's all kinds of problems that unfortunately we create with our linear society you know and you know nature works in that cycle you know the circular cyclical pattern and unfortunately our society's kind of just use the resources in and then dump them out and that linear pattern, we just gotta, we gotta get back into balance with nature and getting more cyclical about our

society. So, um, I think, you know, the, the solutions, there's going to be multiple solutions cause there's multiple huge problems,

but, um, we gotta, we gotta put this at the forefront of our policymaking at the forefront of our day-to-day behavior, day-to-day life. And, uh,

we gotta be, we gotta be the generation and the people that help this problem rather than continue to do the problem. Do you think there's still hope? Are we already beyond where this is all downhill and we're just living a situation that we can't control? Or do you believe that there's still things that we can do to turn the situation around? I think there's still, I think there's still time. I think there's still hope. Unfortunately, like I said before, the time is just running short and shorter and shorter every day. And it

just seems like the projections are kind of getting worse and worse every day so we're not we're not exactly helping the problem yet on the large scale there there are some signs of hope I I really take a lot of hope in the younger generation and their involvement in their activism for sure I take I take a lot of hope in the you know the some policies that are being put in especially when I cut, especially environmental justice policies that have really been put in this year. I think once we help other human beings that have been put at the hands of environmental injustice, I think that will help change the whole course of our thinking and say, hey, when we help people that have been environmentally

suffering injustice it helps everything so all these wrongs that have been existing for generations generations if we write them other things start benefiting nature starts benefiting our resources start benefiting so i think there's hope in that um in our in our new policies but we got a long way to go a long way to go, a long way to go and a short time to do it. So I'm hopeful, but I'm still, I'll be honest, I'm a little worried for sure. So let me talk a little bit about your background. I know you went to Mueller High School outside of Cincinnati, and you've had some very famous alumni come out of that school, including, I believe, the former speaker of the house, John Boehner, as well as some very talented baseball players and other athletes. But it is a school where I think, you know, the focus is on spirituality and religion.

spirituality and religion. How much does spirituality play in your life, and how do you see it connected to the issue of environmentalism? It's big. I was raised in a Catholic household my whole life. Went to church, Sunday school, and went to a Catholic high school, obviously. And it's been a big part of my life. And I really look at environmentalism as a care for God's creation. And, you know, the gifts he's bestowed on our world and our species really have been just enormous. But I look at kind of the ways we've been treating it as probably, you know, offensive to his creation. And just, you know, dominion doesn't mean we have to dominate and deplete our resources. Dominion means we have responsibility over uh his creation so yeah it's it's absolutely a huge huge component of my

environmentalism i i look at it as trying to be a steward of his blessing and trying to pass it on to my son all other um all other future generations and honestly our our later lives um this is this is a problem that we're talking about is going to affect us uh is already affecting us but will affect us in our lifetimes and and tell me um you know you went to harvard um and and i think what not everyone knows is not only you're a great great athlete and a great pitcher um but you're also an excellent student. And maybe you can talk about the cultural difference between growing up in the Cincinnati area and then spending four years at Harvard. And what did Harvard do for you in terms of educating you? Because I know you focused on environmentalism while you were there. Yeah. I tell people all the time, look, the best thing about Harvard was the people.

The professors were incredible. The TAs and everybody were incredible. But the other students that I came into contact with, I just looked at it as a blessing to be being able to meet so many people from different backgrounds, different belief systems who are just incredibly smart, bright, talented. You can just see their path is set for helping this world, but they're also incredible people too, humble down to earth. And I think Harvard really had that effect of everyone kind of humbled each other with accomplishments. It didn't take long for me to get humbled at all there. But I mean some just like that gradual humbling of like wow this person does this like i i can't be walking around with my chest puffed out too much because you know i'm surrounded by people

who are doing incredible things so and then it was cool to see it in like sophomore junior year everyone kind of rallied around that and uh really started it was just a really cool experience of seeing people you know kind of that humbling process and then build each other up after that and uh work together and really really pick each other up during the tough times well i know that um you spent a number of years in in the minor league system um and you know i i read a story about when you were told, with only a few hours to go, that you were being moved from a minor league team in Colorado to pitch for the Brewers against the Mariners in Seattle.

And I think your comment was, you know, oh, my Lanta. You know, this is comment was, you know, oh, my Lanta, you know, this, but, you know, maybe you can talk a little bit about, I mean, baseball, you're pitching, you're on a team with players from all over the world, all over the country. And, you know, they come from different backgrounds, different, you know, political views. Do you see the environmental movement as labeled as a political movement? And what type of feedback have you gotten from your teammates regarding what you obviously are very passionate about improving the environment? Yeah, I think early on, maybe minor leagues early in my big league days it was kind of seen as kind of

like a maybe a liberal thing or like labeled it a little bit on the political spectrum but i honestly the this last couple years it's been just a i've seen guys from all over the spectrums really be in tune with it um starting changing their behavior starting changing their uh kind of the thought process uh uh, with environment with respect to environmental activities. And, uh, I, I see it less and less as a political issue and just more of like a humanitarian issue now. So that's been really hopeful. There's still some, uh, I would, I would say there's still some people who, uh, want to keep it labeled as a political issue or whatever, but I mean, that, that But I'd say just in general, the trend has been way less politicized lately and more of a humanitarian and just like a global

concern issue, which is, it's good to see. You want to see that kind of just that point of rallying behind it and get the stigma away from it and just let's get together and help this thing out. Right. And you're a very positive person. I mean, I think your spirituality plays into that. And I think generally your personality, um, how's, how's the atmosphere in the clubhouse, uh, in Milwaukee these days? I mean, you know, are people getting along? Um, you know, how, how do you see the situation this year? Yeah. Um, our clubhouse really from the time I got to the big leagues, has been really, really great.

There have been some lulls here and there where we kind of go on a losing streak and look like we're going to maybe be pulling each other on different sides of the rope, but then we rally together and we come back strong. And this year, honestly, the whole time, it's been incredible. The baseball season, it's crazy. There's some ups and downs. So there have been a couple down parts where we're just you know struggling and we're trying to find our footing and you can tell there's a little bit of frustration here and

there just on the baseball side but in terms of the guys getting along with each other it's been incredible um we have we've had some great additions too well i'm i'm a bostonian lifelong red sox fan, and recording this out of the Boston area. Jackie Bradley Jr. was one of my favorite players. To see him in the outfield, there's very few people in Major League Baseball with his skills. So he's a big plus for you guys right now.

Yeah, absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about the carbon footprint. Maybe you can just, you know, a few words explain, you know, what the significance of the carbon footprint is and how it impacts the environment. Yeah. So just in general, it's how much carbon you're using in your day-to-day lives, whether's through air travel bus travel with your cars with your diet with your household heating and lighting and whatnot so it's basically how much carbon you're putting into the atmosphere just by your single use actions and we started a program last year called sideline and carbon where we're trying to encourage professional sports teams to be part of the solution

and offsetting their carbon footprints, particularly with travel, air travel particularly. So our goal is by 2025 to offset 50% of all sports travel emissions. So it's a lofty goal. We're still working on getting more and more teams here, but I've had a lot of teams reach out here recently. This is a good sign to want to cut, want to offset their carbon emissions. So basically, yeah, it's your individual contribution to global warming in a way. CO2 is a big greenhouse gas. So let's talk a little bit about sidelining carbon and maybe you can talk about how this initiative began, which which teams i know

i know the milwaukee brewers are on board uh dallas uh mavericks and in addition to to some other teams but you know how's it going is that is there reception among professional sports teams to um to join this initiative and and what do they have to do? Because they're obviously, you know, you guys away games, you're going to get on a plane and, and, and get there. There's a lot of travel in major league sports. What do teams have to commit to and how's the process of convincing them to, to be part of this? Yeah. So it started, I was getting in contact with a young man named Benjamin Backer, who is from Wisconsin, big Brewers fan, and he's done some incredible things on the environmental activism front. He's actually conservative along the political spectrum, but wants to help conservatives be environmentally active. So he started American Conservation Coalition, and we worked to partner with them to create the program Sidelining Carbon.

We're working with the Nature Conservancy, Players for the Planet, and The Cool Effect to help get this thing done. And unfortunately, last year, with the financial concerns of COVID, it was tough to get reception once they heard there was a price tag attached. But this year, I'm hearing a lot more as the ball kind of gets rolling back to where we were in 2019 financially. A lot more teams are interested in giving back and offsetting their carbon. So that's a good sign. And it basically, yeah, like you said, the Mavericks, Brewers, we got several other teams on board and some other teams very interested. on board and some other teams very interested and they'll the ideal is once they sign up they offset all their plane and bus co2 emissions into these projects that are going on in pennsylvania and tennessee through the cool effect and uh their carbon will be offset therefore and so that's

that's really what we want to have that done with 50% of the teams in all sports is really the goal because, you know, ideally cutting off 50% of the team's emissions would be 50% of all travel emissions. So we calculate it with, you know, CO2 used per mile of jet fuel used per mile of flying and then with the busing, how many buses are used. So there's some calculations going are used so it's there's some calculations going on but basically just there's a bill at the end of the day put players management um owners are encouraged to help offset that and uh it's it's a tax write-off and everything but uh we we definitely want to see this see this this grow. And the ACA, American Conservation Coalition is doing, or ACC, sorry, is doing a great job with it. So it's, it's really, hopefully takes off here very, very shortly now that we're getting a little bit more back to normal.

So do you, do you feel hopeful that, that, you know, MLB and other, you know, sports, they're going to join into this effort and they're they're going to look seriously at it and are your discussions with the leagues you know leading someplace yeah um yeah and like I said the ball's been rolling a little um more lately uh last year it was just this is a tough year you know in hindsight might not have been the best year to start this thing but um I'm glad we did it anyways. But, yeah, there's been positive reception, and I think we just need to get a couple good teams or a couple more teams in it,

and then we'll talk about it to other teams or something. We just need to get that ball rolling just a little bit more, and I think it'll take off hopefully. So, yeah, the momentum is building. They're doing a great job, rolling just a little bit more and uh i think it'll it'll take off hopefully so uh yeah it's the momentum is building um they're doing a great job and we just gotta kind of get that final little roll but going to the ball well i think that you've um explained to us that you you know not only talk the talk but walk the walk in terms of your own you know personal life and and trying to influence those around you.

What do you say when some people say, hey, this carbon emissions issue is a global problem and these incremental changes are not really going to change anything? How do you push back against that? Yeah. Honestly, my response is that we are all in this system together and every piece of pollution, every piece of greenhouse gas that I am responsible for putting in the atmosphere is more damage in the present term and in the future to the system. Everything we do matters and has consequences now and for hundreds of years in the future. So everything I can cut down on, I want to because for the future generation's sake, maybe it might not show up on the big global calculations. Yeah, I'll give them that. But maybe it helps down the line of just like that one last degree where otherwise a whole ecosystem would have perished or something. We're entering an era where everything is so stressed environmentally that every little bit we can do to minimize the damage on the system helps.

I think it's kind of one of those things like we're all in this together, that mentality and everything we do matters. And I just, I respond to that. So what are the biggest roadblocks on a macro level that we're facing right now in terms of carbon emissions? And I know that this program doesn't get political in the sense that it focuses on activism. But there's obviously a political element here, you know, where some people are pushing the reduction of carbon emissions and others are like, well, it's not, you know, as big a problem. Where do you see the biggest issues that we're going to face in the future on this? The one thing that stands out in my mind is just fossil fuel dependency and trying to transition away from fossil fuels.

It just needs to happen. And there's going to be some growing pains with it for sure. There's going to be absolutely some technological advances that need to happen uh particularly with battery storage and battery uh power and all that but um this fossil fuel use in general and like the the subsidies that have to go in to make fossil fuels affordable for the for everybody um unfortunately they need to go away at some point and we need to transition into renewable energies, renewable, you know, it's battery powered houses, battery powered cars, and those systems being fed with the renewable power because fossil fuel, it's just, it's just

too much. The excavation of it, the processing of it, and the use of it is just, it takes such an environmental toll. And we've known this for about 40 or 50 years now, that it leads to problems environmentally. And I say that's the biggest one. And what would you say that there are several states in the United States, let's set aside the rest of the world, but there are several states in the United States, let's set aside the rest of the world, but there are several states in the United States that are very heavily dependent on the fossil fuel industry. And, you know, their positions have been, we'll support this industry because it's creating a lot of jobs and there's political pressure. You know, what would you say to,

you know, states like, you know, Texas or Kentucky or Texas or Kentucky or other states that have the fossil fuel industry as major parts of their economy? How did they begin to move away from this without hurting their population? Yeah, and I totally understand that thinking. And honestly, if I was in a position of political power, I would be, feel like I'm, my hands are tied, my back are stuck between a rock and hard place, whatever phrase you want to use, because I want to help my constituents. I want to see them succeed, have jobs, have income, have self-reliance, but I'm seeing this problem kind of just bearing down on the globe at the same time. And it's going to be a, listen, it's going to be a transition period, um, where these skilled workers that have been in fossil fuels, uh,

are going to need to be smoothly transitioned into renewable energy generation, um, and use, you know, some of their skills and acquire some new skills for, uh, renewable energy generation. And, uh, just because like we were talking before, like this fossil fuel industry, it just can't, we can't have, be dependent on fossil fuels in 150 years, in 50 years. We need to be a renewable, a cyclical society, energy society.

And I would say, like, if there's programs in place where hey listen we're gonna take away like this fossil fuel job is going to go away but here's a transition here's a training program for you and here's a transition right into this job another good paying job for renewable energy like it's going to be need to be a sophisticated rollout plan to get everybody bottom board on transitioning from fossil fuel to renewable energy. But I think we can get it done. I think we have the manpower and the people in place to do that. But it will be a huge undertaking for sure. Let me talk a little bit about some other environmental initiatives you've been involved in. I know that we, I read about the tremendous amount of plastic that's used in a stadium. And I forget the number, but, you know, in the hundreds of thousands or even millions

plastic cups that are being used during a game. And can you talk a little bit about your initiative to move away from plastic cups and use reusable cups to drink from and also recycling the cups, the plastic cups that are used? Yeah, for sure. So a couple of years ago, probably three or four years ago, I started a social media campaign called Strike Out Waste, where I was encouraging players, teammates, fans, management to use reusable bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles. We were just going through so many at spring training. It was just driving me crazy. So some companies hopped on board and sent us hundreds of bottles that I was able to give away

to teammates, management, and some fans, and then just encouraging fans to fill up at water stations. Unfortunately, you can't bring many types of bottles into the stadium just because projectiles in the upper parts of the stadium would be a concern. But the bottles that they were allowed to bring in, we started getting some reusable filling stations at spring training and in the season. So we end up cutting about half of our plastic bottle use in spring training as a team, which was good. But and and unfortunately, kind of towards the end of the season, only, you know, probably 10 guys were using the reusable bottles in a dedicated way. So it went the momentum faded a little bit.

Unfortunately, I had to rehab that year in Arizona, so I was away from the team. So I couldn't be Mr. Encouragement for reusable bottles the whole time. But some guys were still doing it, and some guys still do it today, which is really encouraging. But then that kind of led to a partnership with SC Johnson and the Milwaukee Brewers where all the plastic cups last year that would have been used by fans were going to get upcycled to scrubbing bubbles bottles. And we had everything in place and there was going to be a donation for Save the Oceans campaign with Players for the Planet as part of this partnership.

For every save that Brewers got, we were going to donate to help clean up beaches in the dominican republic but unfortunately uh covet hit and everything went away about the save the oceans campaign so um but we're going to start it up now that um restrictions are being loose and we're going to do our best to start it up again this year and get those plastic cups i think it was estimated 1.3 million cups would have been upcycled into scrubbing bubbles bottles rather than thrown away or gone to a landfill. So there's still things in the works. COVID hasn't taken away everything, which is good, but really excited about this SC Johnson partnership that the Brewers have.

It's really the first of its kind, kind of a corporate partner with the sports team in the environmental space um and Fisk Johnson the CEO of SC Johnson's his heart is really in this problem um he wants to be part of the solution and he's doing great things so very excited for that and what the future holds there yeah and so smart because um you know the Brewers working with a local Wisconsin company to benefit the environment, the company, the fans, seeing a direct connection to their recycling.

It's not just going off someplace and they don't know what's happening. They actually know what's happening with it. Such a smart way to approach it. And I hope that after we come out of COVID, I hope, you know, it's reinvigorated and that other teams will learn from what you're doing and see examples in their community where they could do the same type of thing. thing. Yeah, I think Fisk told us that he had dozens and dozens of teams in the next couple days after we announced the partnership, reach out to him and say they want something similar for their team. So that was really cool to hear that teams are on board. They want to be part of the solution too and have partners along the way that can help them get to those goals. So very, very exciting stuff. So if you'll indulge me, I'm a huge baseball fan.

And I just want to talk a little bit about baseball. I've read, you know, that you are an infectious player and, and just, just so happy to be involved in baseball as, as your career and just appreciating every day. Maybe you can talk a little bit about how professional baseball as your career and just appreciating every day. Maybe you can talk a little bit about how professional baseball became your career. It was a lifelong dream, but a lot of times dreams don't happen. How did it happen for you? Yeah. Honestly, it's kind of amazing that I'm still playing because I wasn't really highly recruited out of high school. I didn't have many calls going on.

And then I randomly sent a video in government class one day to some Ivy League coaches. And the Harvard guy, Harvard coach got back to me, liked what he saw, sent some scouts down. A couple weeks later, I pitched well in a showcase. And then a couple weeks later, they had a guy decommit. And so they had a spot open and, I mean, was able to sign a likely

letter there a month and a half later it was insane um to get even get to college baseball which was always a dream uh more of a goal of mine um professional baseball was always just that lofty dream and then uh college came and went I was a starter all four years but I really had some ups and downs in college and some really tough years. And senior year, I was looking to get drafted, obviously, and texted every scout I knew probably May, like a month before the draft, and went to a workout in Amherst, Massachusetts, where the guy who invited me actually had an eye infection,

but the two other guys there watched me pitch, and it was the best I've ever thrown in my life, and they were the only two guys that called me on draft day. And Brewer's scout that was there picked me up in the 31st round and so was able to get into pro ball, had a crazy first year of pro ball, was supposed to be in the AZL League, which is kind of like the lower rookie league, and a guy punched a wall in the next level up and broke his knuckle. And they sent me up there just being an older guy, kind of like a sink or swim thing.

Like, hey, go see if you can hang with him. So went up there, had a tough first couple of starts, but then pitched well and got moved up later that year to the next team. And just kind of the ball kept rolling from there. I was just able to get kind of keep my hand or keep my name in the raffle wheel for the promotions as they like to say in the minor leagues just pitching well enough to be a thought at the next level and uh and then come that august day where i was supposed to start that night for triple a and the coach calls me and said hey you, you're not starting for me tonight. You're starting tomorrow in the big leagues against the Mariners. And just, I remember the

look with my, you know, my wife that day, it was like incredible, like shock and sad or like just emotion, pure happiness, um, and tears of joy, just running down our faces. It was incredible. So I'll never forget that. Um, but I just look at it, you know, I'm, I'm my dad and I talk about all the time I'm playing with house money. You know what I mean? I'm, I'm really not a hard thrower. It wasn't really supposed to be here, but just kept, just kept pitching, trying to keep making pitches and grateful for every day I get to play baseball for a living. And it's, it's been an incredible blessing for my family. My son gets to come watch dad play baseball like it's so cool um and he loves it uh he loves the sausage races at milwaukee maybe even more than baseball at this point but

uh he he loves coming to games and it's just it's been an incredible ride i can't um i couldn't ask for anything better well i've been to to milwaukee um and i've seen the sausage races, so it is a highlight of the game. Crowd gets crazy for it. It's hilarious. But even in the minor leagues, you never got down. You're never like, oh, I'm not in the big leagues right now. I think you were just happy to be playing and to be paid for being playing, even though maybe at the minor leagues, it's not, it's not all that much money, but, uh, but I think you, you retained a very positive attitude.

And how much of that is you and who you are as a positive person? How much is that, you know, just your, your spirituality, your religious beliefs about, you know, taking the good things out of life? Yeah. Um, I definitely think it's out of life yeah um i definitely think it's more the spirituality um but it's it's definitely how i was raised too my my parents were raised me uh you know to try to be as grateful as i can all the time to always have kind of my give uh glory and thanks to god at all times so definitely they instilled that spirituality part in me um and just knowing that

you know all these all these gifts uh these blessings are from god and what i do with them are my gift back to god so just trying to take that mentality for sure um but there have been some there have been some low moments too there have been some times where i was uh frustrated or you know let you know let myself get a little down or whatnot, maybe after a bad day or just like a, you know, decision that I didn't agree with, what have you. So it was, it's definitely, I've had, I'm a, I'm a human being too. I'm not just completely positive all the time. I try to be as positive as I can, but we're all, we're all human. We all have those, those low moments. But it's just in those low moments too, just kind of clinging to my faith and clinging to God and Jesus and just saying, hey, I take these selfish thoughts or take these burdens or what have you.

And let me be who you want me to be today. But, yeah, being able to play a sport for a living, it's just it's it's hard not to be super grateful. It's it's an incredible opportunity, incredible platform for things like this, for environmental issues. Last year, we were being able to partake in a boycott standing up for social justice and just having a platform where people listen to you. They like watching you pitch, but they'll listen to you too. So it's definitely a responsibility, but a huge blessing at the same time. So how did you decide to become a pitcher? Did you know at some point that you had a natural talent to throw the ball and throw it,

you know, fast and accurate? Or did you develop into a pitcher at some point in your baseball career? Yeah, I want to say once we started doing kids pitch, I was in Atlanta at the time, but then moving to Cincinnati when I was in second grade, being left-handed, you automatically kind of have that little bit of a leg up or just you're kind of a rarity, only 11% of the population or whatever is left-handed. So, um, and then I just knew I could throw decently hard as a, as a young kid, um, and was able to throw it somewhere, you know,

somewhat strikes and, um, all that, and was able to kind of get some confidence going. I was, I was a decent hitter growing up too. So I didn't know. I loved Ken Griffey Jr. growing up, so I wanted to emulate his swing all the time. And I didn't know for sure I wanted to be a pitcher only. And then did a little bit of both in the early part of college and then gave up hitting once I was hitting about $1.70 in college. I was like, okay, let me just focus on pitching.

Once I was hitting about $1.70 in college, I was like, okay, let me just focus on pitching. And then I was able to focus on pitching and just did just enough to get to the next level and was able to ride some good pitching, but just a lot of fortunate circumstances happening from there to the big leagues. Right, but you did get quite an impressive home run off of a very good pitcher, and that must have been a real high for you. Oh, my gosh, yeah. That was one of the funnest moments in my baseball life for sure. It was first pitch of the inning, which pitchers aren't supposed to swing at, but I just kind of saw it up and was able to get the barrel to it,

and it went out. He was off Corey Kluber, who was two or three times Cy Young winner. He was pitching well against us, and I was able to hit that home run and was pitching pretty well that game too. That was definitely one of the more fun memories of my baseball life. So what do you think was your most memorable game in your career so far? I mean, that home run game was definitely up there. I had a game the year before where I was having a pretty good month.

And it was my really first full month of starting. month and it was my really first full month of starting uh starting i was more of a starter back then and uh was able to uh hold our kind of our arch rival cubs scoreless over seven innings it was a big game we're kind of a tight division race and it kind of capped a really cool month for me um and for the team and just a really special night. Uh, so that was, that was really memorable. And then, uh, the stretch run down in 2019, I was coming off of surgery, uh, Tommy John surgery. I'd rehabbed all year and was able to pitch really well for the team and the regular season and then through a school setting in the playoffs. So, uh, that was, that was a lot of fun. Um,

that was just kind of one of those dream years. Um, everything was going right out there and a lot of hard work was really paying off, uh, from, from the rehab process. So that was, that was really memorable as well. Well, I really want to thank you for, for joining us. Um, I mean, you're, you're having a good career and, and it sounds like a lot of fun and your head's in the right place, but you're also, you know,

using your platform to really advance an issue that's critical to all of us. And I think you're going to really, you know, have some success. So I really appreciate you coming. I'll just end by saying, I know you do great imitations and I don't want to put you on the spot, but maybe you want to give us an imitation because I've heard you. I've seen you do a few of them and they're pretty good. Yeah, yeah.

I'll do a couple. My Golem one from Lord of the Rings for anyone who's out there for Lord of the Rings. My precious me rancid. Me rancid. The master says it doesn't rancid but it rancid. And thenids me rancids me rancids me rancids uh

and then I'll do uh I'll do a little Jim Carrey too the you know you can poke somebody eye out with that thing take care now

bye bye then those are a couple I got in there I'm working on uh being from uh playing in Wisconsin working on little Chris Farley uh

you know like the matt foley snl skit where he's like hey kids why you when you take you up put the world around and put it down and put it in your pocket well i'm here to tell you you're probably gonna find out as you go out there that you're not gonna amount to jack squat yeah he was a master he was a master and uh you know i i've become very friendly with with uh peter and bobby farrelly oh yeah dumber and they're just great and and and you know very funny and um you know i'm i'm just you know you're really relaxed and and this has been such a fun interview and I really appreciate you coming on. Thanks for having me.

I really appreciate you, Jay, and I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you so much. All Inclusive is a production of the Ruderman Family Foundation. Our key mission is the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. You can find All Inclusive on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. To view the show notes, transcripts, or to learn more, go to rudermanfoundation.org slash allinclusive. Have an idea for a podcast? Be sure to tweet at Jay Ruderman.