Danny Jones Podcast - #122 - How Pro Athletes Are Hedging Their Careers With NFT's | Brett Phillips

Episode Date: January 21, 2022

Brett Phillips is a Major League Baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2021 he broke the Hall of Fame legend Babe Ruth’s record to become the first player in history with three grand slams and an inside-the-parker in a span of 30 days or less. On this episode we talk about diet & fitness, social media, what it was like hitting his INSANE walk-off to win game 4 of the World Series, NFT’s and much more.  Follow Brett:  https://twitter.com/Brett_Phillips8  https://baseballisfun35.com help us make more money: https://bit.ly/koncretepatreon  sponsors  https://liquiddeath.com -  Use code KONCRETE at checkout to get a free koozie 2-pack with a 12-pack purchase.   danny  https://www.instagram.com/jonesdanny  https://twitter.com/jonesdanny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, world. Brett Phillips is a major league baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays, who just recently broke the Hall of Fame legend Bay Ruth's world record to become the first player in history with three grand slams and an inside the parker in a span of 30 days or less. On this episode, we talk about diet and fitness, what it was like hitting his insane walkoff to win game four of the World Series. We also talked about NFTs and crypto and much, much more. Brett is easily the nicest, most likable guy in sports, and this episode proves it. Without further ado, please welcome Brett Maverick Phillips. Thanks for doing this, man.

No, thanks for having me. This is awesome. Any chance I can talk about things I'm passionate about and do it with people who've been successful from my hometown. Hell yeah, man. It's awesome. Thanks for having me. We both went to high school like literally five minutes away from here. How crazy is that?

Insane, the Seminole Warhocks. Did you play any sports over there? No, I didn't. I skipped school at least three days a week to go surfing on the East Coast. I didn't do anything but surf. Love that. You made it through. And I hated all the baseball players.

They were all such dicks. That's what I hear. I told that to Lexi, and she's like, Brett is not like those guys. You know what? I don't know what it is, especially even past the high school level, college level, into professional baseball, the egos. and the entitlement, I mean, it's, they associate how good they are at something with how cool they are. Yeah.

And I think society, you know, is wrong about that, how we value people. But to my point, I mean, yeah, athletes, they got to set their egos aside, you know, they're good people at the heart. Well, they're kids, too. I mean, they're just kids, you know what I mean? They're the most popular kids in school. They get all the girls and they're like the biggest, strongest guy. so of course everybody hates them. Yeah, yeah.

I guess that wasn't me in high school, I guess. Oh, man. Here, pull that thing, so it's like a couple inches from your, from your mouth when you're talking. You can move it like side to side. There you go. So that wasn't you in high school. No, not at all. I loved everyone.

I fit in with everyone, you know, every friend group. It didn't matter. I wanted to learn, educate, you know, associate. It didn't matter. I saw value in everyone and that's just who I've been. But there's like, there's like a, you obviously played baseball in high school. And there's got to be like an obvious pecking order, right? Were you like the most like top dog in high school baseball?

As a senior, you know, committed to Division I school. I had all the scouts at every high school game looking at me. Really? Yeah. So I knew that I was good at baseball because of, you know, what was happening around me. But how I treated my teammates, you would never. know and I hope they could say that without me being around that you would never know

Brett was the best at what he did in high school and I think that's just a testament to how my parents raised me growing up just loving and respecting everyone regardless of who they are and it's it's a trait that I'm very thankful for has been instilled since a young age now that I have a platform and a big one and I can pour into people and actually you know, have confidence and, you know, what I'm saying, knowing that, you know, they're going to listen because they think I'm a good person. So did you always know you're going to play baseball? Like, did you, is that all you ever wanted to do? You just knew that was the path. I was always good at it. So growing up, I was always the best at baseball. And it just came easy.

And as I went through the ages, I was always the best on the team. And then I was the best in the city and then best in the state. So I just knew that. this is what I want to be doing because of how much joy and happiness I left because I performed. But did you have like, I guess what I was getting nice, like, did you have a plan B if it didn't work out or did you just know unequivocally it was going to happen? That's so funny you asked that. A few years ago, I'm sitting in line to vote and there was a dude who I played with in high school. His mom comes up to me, recognizes me in the line before voting. and she goes, I just want to thank you.

I'm like what? She goes, I know you turned into a professional baseball player, but when I asked you in high school when you were a junior, I asked you if you had a plan B, if baseball didn't work out, you said no. And she at the time, and she's saying like, at the time, I thought you were crazy. But now you have paved away.

You have showed that if you commit so much time and energy and passion into something, and you be a good person through it all, it's going to work out. And my younger children, one wants to become, she's aspiring to be a professional singer. And like, if you didn't pave the way for her to, you know, have that conversation with me, I would have never let her pursue this the way she's doing it. Like, not going to college, pursuing it. Like, these are things that I didn't do because I believed I wanted to do this so bad. And there was never a plan B.

And she thanked me for that. It was wild. That's really cool, man. That's fucking awesome. That's got to feel so good to have somebody come up to you like that. Just out of nowhere. I'd line to vote. So humbling and like the autographs.

You know, people asking for my picture is just, it's so cool and so humbling. And seriously, yeah. Does it happen everywhere around here? Not everywhere. No. But me and my wife will be out to dinner. And fans around here are so cool. Sorry.

Yeah, my bad. You can go like this. Oh, there we go. My bad. Yeah, you're good. You got me there? Yeah. Yeah, so, like, when I was with Kansas City and Milwaukee, you know, fans are super passionate in the Midwest about their sports and how they go about treating their players, it's more of a big deal.

Well, around here, everyone's just pretty chill. Fans, like, they'll recognize me and they'll maybe just, like, fly past but not say anything or just, like, give me a head nod. but not interrupt me during dinner with my wife for a picture, which has happened in the past. So it's really cool to obviously play for my hometown team, but to see the fans kind of rally behind that as well. One of the most eye-opening things for me is when I first went to Pittsburgh and realizing, like, I thought, you know, St. Pete was kind of like a little sports town for the race, but Pittsburgh is like a whole different beast. It's those people live, eat, live, eat, sleep, breathe, fucking sports, dude.

It's crazy. I know. And getting a taste of that playing for Milwaukee and Kansas City, I loved it, right? Because win or lose, they're showing up for your game. But, you know, they're so passionate, too. They're going to let you know when you're sucking it up. And I got absolutely roasted on Twitter on a weekly basis because I sucked in Kansas City. The fans, they're so passionate.

They're ruthless if you don't play well. Do you let that get to you? It does. Really? Yes. I had to delete. You check every little comment and everything. I had to delete Twitter, man.

No. Yeah, because it's, you know, it's really cool to see when someone is, you know, you have a good game. And it's not like I'm looking for the affirmation, but I want to be on social media and I want to wind down and, you know, see what's going on. It's in my face. right like it's it's my but anyways and it just got so toxic every night where I wanted to just get on there and see what other my other teammates were doing and all I see is you suck like I'm talking like I hope your wife never has kids like just I death threats I'm going to kill you and your firstborn and it's sad but this is what this is what's going on and I was like I'm done

with it. I don't have to see this. I don't have to, you know, I don't, what's this worth to me? And it started weighing on me a little bit. So I just deleted it. Yeah. And, but it's, it's all good. I haven't gotten that kind of hate in Tampa Bay. So shout out to you fans. Shout out Tampa Bay. Yeah. You got, I just don't look at the comments anymore. I used to really fuck me up. When I read it, I'd get like, oh, fuck, why am I doing this? Like, this is terrible. No one likes it. But then, you know, you realize people that leave the comments, someone that are just like miserable people. Sitting behind, yeah, sitting behind their screens and not having much going. for them or the other way I look at it is they've lost so much money on the game.

Oh, they're better. So, like, these people have thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on games a night. Social media has given these same people who've been doing, it's probably been generation after generation. Well, in instant time, they can roast the dude who just made them lose that kind of money. Right. And so with me being on the other end of it, like, I saw a different side of people. that most people don't know, but like,

they're, who knows what they have, their house mortgage, their house on these games. And I'm just going to catch the brunt end of it because I went 0 for four with two strikeouts and we lost. Oh, man, that's so funny. Yeah, I mean, it's like super important for athletes, not just baseball players,

but also football players. They, like, it seems like now in the last five years, more than ever, they've focused so much on, like, building their social media brands. So, like, when they do leave sports or if they get injured and they can't compete anymore, that they have, you know what I mean?

Like they built their brand up to where they can parlay that into, you know, other business or like a future beyond, you know, being on the field. Yeah, no, I'm glad you brought that up. And it's something that I'm super passionate about and actually advocate for is that transition outside of professionals baseball. There's a statistic that says 80% of professional baseball players will be broker divorced by the age of 40 now, which is unacceptable, right? And it's something I recognize as I am going through my career, whether it's how much

money they're spending, what they're spending their money on. If they're not being loyal, like, I recognize that. And I'm like, I can't be that statistic, right? Like, I have to get ahead of this. So how am I doing it? Well, first, just like, educating myself on things I may find that I will be passionate about. We talked about having a plan B earlier. This isn't necessarily a plan B. More so you're bettering yourself, you know, in other areas that you have a passion for. So for instance, coaching, I see how my favorite coaches in my career analyzing how they're going about their business. What do they do that I enjoy most and then I grab that from them and I keep in my pocket just in case if I have

to transition into being a coach I can be the best coach that I can be. How about broadcasting? Something I'm passionate about as well. When someone is interviewing me, I'm analyzing, I'm seeing what not to do, like what I find annoying or, you know, because I'm going to put that in my pocket. And, you know, if I have a passion for it and I can transition, make that transition easier after my career, then I'm bettering myself. And so, yeah, that's, to your question or to your, what your statement about the Bucks players and athletes, I love it. And that's something I'm going to continue to do because I can't be that statistic.

Right, right. Well, you are, you're definitely the most popular player on the raise, I think. You're the one that everybody talks about. A popular, I wouldn't say popular. I just care. Well, you're fun, man. You're like, you're freaking fly around the field. You do goofy stuff.

Even when you, like, came out of the bullpen. You were pitching. Like, everyone just like, you can't help but smile and laugh at this time. Yeah, you know, I, there's a time in place for everything. And what I mean by when I say, I just care. I grew up being a fan of the race. I went to those games as an eight, nine, ten year old. I knew what was important to me at that time when I went to those games,

trying to get an autograph. is one of those, I don't care who it is. Are one of those players going to take the time to come say hi to Brett Phillips, who is a kid? Okay, how about how they play the game? You know, are they hustling? Like, what's cool? Are they throwing their helmet?

I don't think that's, like, just recognizing this from an early age now. Now that I am a major league baseball player, it would be stupid of me if I didn't remember what it was like, you know, growing up down the road and going to a race game. So I take 15 minutes. every game to sign. Like right before I go out to stretch, 15 minutes. I'm the only player who does that.

It's because I care. Like I want the next generation to go about their business the right way. And that's just how I live my life. And that's why I can show so much joy on a baseball field because this doesn't define who I am. I just love it. That's awesome, dude. You really are.

Lexi was right. You really are the most genuine, nice guy in sports. Thank you. Thank you. The thing about baseball, too, is, like, you mentioned signing autographs for people that are in the stands, right? I think baseball is one of the only sports, if not one of few, where the fans can actually interfere with a play. Yeah. And you play outfield, right?

So, have you ever had in a fan, like screw up a play? Yeah, that's funny. So we're in Houston this year, last year. I'm sorry, we're in 2022 now. And it's the eighth inning. we're blowing them out. We're up by like eight or nine runs. And I'm playing right field. Now, granted, my head is facing towards home plate. The whole right field section, as soon as the pitcher is about to throw a pitch, there's just an uproar. And I'm like,

that's not normal for being down run, like nine runs. Like the fans don't get into it. And I look behind me as the, luckily it didn't get hit. And there's just two dudes like with their shirt off, just running on the field. Yeah, like just acting fools. Right behind you? Right behind me. And I'm like ninja like going like this, like keeping them in front, like making sure I wouldn't have known what to do. I'm not a fighter.

Like I would have judy chopped him in the neck or something. But no, it took about like 10 minutes to get these dudes off the field. Don't do that, please. If you're listening, do not interfere with you're going to go to jail. It's like a felony now. But yeah, it's not funny either. I'm sure you're familiar with the, I think it was 2006 Chicago Cubs game. It was like games five or six.

And they were about to break their like a hundred year streak of curse, right? And the kid, like, it was coming out and the kid kind of grabbed it. You're familiar with that story? He's got the headset on. He got the headset on, yeah. Yeah. And he, yeah, it was a huge play. and you know for me that's wrong place at the wrong time right because you have to protect yourself

and yeah i do remember the play you leaned over a little bit but you were a fan you're not a professional athlete in that moment you're just trying to like say well that man got trashed like that dude death threats they had to have like uh security lookout for that dude but he still like lives in his life in privacy no well what happened was they invited him back back, thank God. Oh, when they won? When they won. And it was a huge story.

So I think they let them off the hook as a city, hopefully. Dude, I was watching, I forget what documentary it was, but I was watching a documentary on that. And it was like the most crazy mob scene I've ever seen of people just trying to literally murder this kid. Okay. So with that being said, that was back and when? 2006, I, 2000. Maybe before. No, I think it was 2000.

No, that's when they won. Anyways, it was probably 2000. was before social media, right? And think about the hate he got then now times it by a thousand because what's that clip going to and how many people are going to in live time? So all those people who could care less about the play just want to join in on the toxicity and that dude could like potentially, you know, do something stupid because of that. And so I don't know, it's why it's crazy.

Yeah, it was like a like a real life Twitter post really when it happened. Yeah. I mean, all those people throwing beers at him and like trying to fill it. Exactly. That's a good way to put it. We should turn that, that clip into an NFT. Oh, yes. And he should sell it whatever that kid's name is. He should like, he should like mint it or whatever.

The video of him doing it, give people that digital asset to own. Yeah, that'd be wild. That would be so sick. Oh, my God. So you've never had to deal with any of that, like people stealing the ball from you jumping up. You know, I haven't crossed that yet in my career. I think I would throw my glove up there or something if take away and out. What do you think about it, though?

Do you think like that kid was in the wrong? Or do you think? That's the thing. I don't. I mean, I can't blame him. It was so, it was like right on the border of the ball was there. He reached for it. But it looked like he was going to catch that with his glove.

Yeah. And again, he's not a professional athlete. Like, he's, this is. moment, right? Like, the ball is coming right towards him. And to have that amount of pressure in that time, who thinks to just, like, put my glove down and not catch it? Right. Come on. Any, even of anyone would try and catch that ball. It was right next to him. So I don't, I don't blame him for trying to catch him. Well, it's good that they finally broke the curse a couple years later. Yes. Because now he can, I'm sure he can live his life. And I'm peacefully. And if you're a Chicago

fan and you still hate this man, please let him move on. For his sake. Oh, my God. Baseball fans are like super superstitious, right? They're like one of the most superstitious. There was the other one that curse the band, you know? The players. Oh, yeah.

Oh, the players are also superstitious. Oh, yeah. I'm talking like to the point where if they take the same, like, way to the field, they're going to put their, if they had a good game, they're going to try to mimic the day before to the blend. to the blinker and when they got over toward at the like when when they're headed to the field really yeah like i'm talking this dude's your age oh yeah oh what do you mean older with like families the the superstitious is wild that's i don't have any i don't have any you don't have any

superstitions no i don't i i'm i'm just so like today's the day it's already been mapped out for me Like, whatever I do, it's already been decided. So, I mean, I can't put that much time and energy to think about what I did the day before because I had a good game. Right. It's just too much for me. Too much. What? So, like, you got out of high school finally and you said you had scouts at every single game you went to.

What was your life like between the end of high school and, or did you go to college after that? No, so I straight to. Yeah. So what was that process? Is it like just like it's at like in the movies when they come to your house and freaking write it checked? Yeah, literally. So yeah, a little backstory for people listening.

I'm baseball player. You guys have, you know, learned that. But for the Tampa Bay raise and I got drafted out of high school by Houston Astros in 2012. And I had to grow up super quick. Like I turned 18. My mom was, you know, doing laundry for me. And next thing I know, I'm a professional athlete. I'm looking up day one when I get in.

And these dudes are just towering over me from like the Dominican, Venezuela. I think there was four American guys on a team of 30. Wow. Yeah. So no one spoke English. And I'm watching these dudes. And I'm telling you, like, I'm 100. 70 pounds, 5-11, you know, soaking wet. These dudes are 225 grown men at 18, no, like 17, 18 years

old. They're hitting a ball a mile during batting practice. I'm just like spraying the field. And I'm like, there's no way. Like, did I make the right decision here? Like, I should have gone to college for three years, put on some, like my mind was going crazy. And, no, I, I, we go into the first game. and I'm like, oh man, this is not going to be good. I think I struck out like three times. I'm just getting blown away. I'm like, oh, this is tough. But I stuck to it.

I was like, you know, this is what I chose to do. And my mom, she gave me permission during that process that, hey, if you want to go pursue your dreams, like she encouraged me. But if you get hurt or you're not good enough, you're going to be going back to college. So that was kind of the process. of getting drafted and choosing to play professionally over college. It was me wanting to go pursue my dreams and aspirations. So fast forward.

How old were you? When you went to Houston? I was 18 when I got drafted. Yeah. You just went to Houston. So I went to rookie ball, which was in, yeah, which was in Kissimmee, Florida. And that's when there was like 30 or 40 dudes that were just way better than me. baseball and you know what i i i was told hey you have the the proper mechanics like you are going to

change so much from the ages of 18 to 21 as a man physically uh and mentally and emotionally that like you have the foundation just keep your head down and so when i was not good enough at that time when i just was 18 um i had something to kind of lean on and And no, hey, I've been encouraged just to keep my head down, work hard, do my thing. And sure enough, each year I just got better and better. And next thing you know, like how I was in Little League, I was the best, how I was the best in travel ball, and then I was the best in high school. Now as professional baseball, I was in high A.

I won minor league player of the year. And in a span of three years, I went from looking around me to thinking I wasn't going to make it because of how big dudes were to being where I was. And so I just always encourage those scouts know what they're doing. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No doubt. Don't sleep on the scouts.

There was a lot of scouts that, you asked about the movie and scouts coming to your house. Yeah, I had about 10. And most of them I had to do by myself because my mom was working. So super, super nervous. I'm a 17-year-old boy. This New York Yankee Scout comes in just drilling me with questions. By yourself? By myself.

By myself. I had to grow up real quick in that sense. And luckily, I tricked the Houston Astro Scout. Right? I must have been on my game that night. I must have been saying all the right answers. What are your questions they ask you? Just site questions.

I had a couple scouts tell me. that I was faking an injury. And I was like, what are you talking about? They're like, well, you know, we know all the good players in this area. Like you wouldn't just become this good your senior year if you've been hiding like an injury. Like what I'm saying? They're basically saying that my growth from my junior to senior year because I only had one college scholarship.

So most guys who are getting looked at to get drafted, they could pick whatever. college they want to go to, right? Like, you're going professional. College is nothing. For me, I had one offer and I took it. And so I jumped from being a good baseball player to a great baseball player in my senior year. And that's when one of the scouts came in was like, no, like guys don't get good that fast. Like, where have you? And I'm like, sir, like, with all due respect, like, I'm a God-fearing man. Like, I give you the credit to God for giving me the ability. this fast. I don't know what else to tell you. Wow. Yeah. So.

That's freaking nuts, man. That's so great. And then so, okay, so you played in Kissimmee for a while. Okay. Before you went to Houston. Yeah, so I played in Kissimme. I'll give you the path real quick. The next year, I started an extended spring training, and then I went to Quad Cities in Iowa for three weeks, and then I got sent down to advance rookie ball in Greenville, Tennessee, which was a dump, by the way. We stayed in a Shiree motel.

My mom came and visited. She walked inside the hotel, went right back out and said, Mav, that's my middle name. That is disgusting. Like, hey, for the love of the game, Mom, you do not get treated like people think in the minor leagues. So then the following year,

finished up in Greenville. The next year, I started in Quad Cities, which was low A. Quad Cities, River Bandits. and that's when I started to really blossom. I went from having zero home runs my first two years to hitting 17 that year. And so something just got into me. I kept my head down, stayed true to who I was, and I just blew up, just like I did my senior year.

And that's when I won minor league player of the year. And things started really just taken off for my career. I had an advisor, my first agent, Lauren Pinkis, who I'm still close with. I had to go into a different direction. And he respected that. Just with my career, I was having offers come in, like, Top Steels. And Lauren was so early in his career that we didn't match on a professional career level. So I had 15 meetings with 15 different agents.

Like I was, after winning player of the year, I was in control now. So I could choose which agent I wanted to go with. And I went with Tom O'Connell out of Tampa, who's my guy. So like I said, career started taking off, Under Armour Deal, Top Steel. Following year, I start out in High A, out in Lancaster, California. And great place to play. Tore it up halfway through the year, made the All-Star game. go up to double A, Corpus Christi, Texas.

Get traded a month later. At first time, it was bittersweet. I was like, we were about to play. Manager calls me in, hey, we just traded you. What do you mean? You just traded me. That's the first thing you said. We traded you.

You know, we appreciate everything you've done for this organization, but you're heading to Milwaukee. Okay. So I end up going to Milwaukee. It was me, Josh Hader. Domingo Santana and myself for, oh, Adrian Houser, for Carlos Gomez and Mike Fires from Milwaukee. So I finished the year in AA thinking, all right, I'm getting one step closer to the big leagues. Following year, start out in double A again.

I'm like, I'm just, man, all right, and they're telling me, you know, you're still young. You've got time. And played the whole year in double A. That was in Biloxi, Mississippi. Following year, Colorado Springs, Sky Sox. I'm in AAA. I'm balling out. And in May, or June, June 5th, right after my birthday, I get the call.

Hey, you're going to the big leagues. Oh, shit. And I'm five years in now. Like, this is everything I've dreamed of. This is my moment. And call my mom. Mom's freaking out. One of the best phone calls.

I'll remember it till the day. I die, just the joy, the happiness. And went through all that. I was up for three days, Danny. Three. I thought, you know, I was going to. And this is where athletes go wrong. They think, you know, when you make it, like, all right, now it's time to go spend

my money. My mama house. Yep. I'm taking care of my family. I've made it. But it's not like that. Like, if you think it's. It's hard to make it to the top level as a professional athlete.

Times it by 100. That's how hard it is to stay because there is a guy that's right behind you who's ready to take your position. Like you take one night off, you're going back down to AAA. And I played that game most of my career for parts of four years. I went back and forth from the major leagues to the minor leagues. Really? grinding. So three days you were signed. By who? Milwaukee. I get called up. And then I got sent back down. And I played that for four years where I would get called up and get sent down back and forth. Like, hey, you're not good enough yet or we don't have room for you. I mean, for a number of reasons. You would think it would be one reason. You weren't good enough. But, you know, just like anything, baseball is political. But anyways, yeah, just. I wouldn't trade it for the world just from what I've learned through each one of those times I got sent down.

But, yeah, tough. People think, like, what they see on TV, it's glimmer. He's got it, right. He's got it. He's got the bag. Like, my man, you know, but the reality is it's 2%. It's a very small percent who get 10 years in the big leagues, let alone get to ride off into the sunset with millions of dollars. And, you know, they don't have to worry about, like, that's such a small percentage.

but everyone has a perception that that's what's going on. And don't get me wrong, athletes do not do a good job pleading their case with what they drive around, like what they've got around their necks. They're not pleading their case, right? Like they got money in the moment. But it does, yeah. So for me, I'm constantly educating myself about things

because I have to. I think it was the other day I saw Shannon Sharp, said that when he was playing for the Denver Broncos, he was making $350,000 a year, and he bought a $250,000 Ferrari. Wild. Like, that's what's going on. And I'm witnessing it in person. And I'm just like, man.

And obviously, as a teammate, you're not going to say anything. Like, that's a grown man. Like, I respect his whatever he's got going on. Personally, I wouldn't do it. But you see it. And you're just like, man, I know what direction you're headed in. Yeah. And it's tough.

It's hard, too. I mean, you think a lot of these guys are so young. They're really good at whatever the sport is, right? But then you have to learn how to navigate all these people, like agents, financial advisors. And I'm sure not all of them are the greatest. I'm sure it's kind of like it gets dicey with people that don't have their morals in check. And if you don't have the right people in your corner, you know, or you don't have the right foundation, you're going to be, you know, you're only as good as the environment you put yourself in.

Like you're going to make decisions on what your friends, your homies, like your family is telling you you because you don't take the time to surround yourself or educate and network yourself with people who are getting, like doing, they're successful, they're doing the right thing. Right. So you can't necessarily blame the assets. athlete, but at the same time, you have to, as an athlete, you have to set your ego aside and be like, you know what? Maybe these, this isn't right. Like, like, I don't know. What, what do you got on that? I don't, I feel like it's hard to tell a 21 year old, you know, that he's a dumbass piece of

shit because he's, you know, for whatever decision that he makes, you know, these are like, These are, I think it does something to your brain that's not good when you are so young, like in your 20s or even 18, 19, 20, and you get millions of dollars. Like, I don't think you're, you're supposed to have that kind of money. Yeah. Just because your brain's not even close to being fully developed at that point. You're, you're, you're so immature, impulsive or whatever. And when you had that money, it just gives you this crazy amount of confidence and ego. And they say money is like a magnifying glass.

It just makes you more of what you are. but if you're not a well-rounded, educated, you don't know, you haven't experienced anything. You've experienced just getting to where you are right now to be a rookie in the NFL or the MLB or whatever it is. And, you know, I feel like a lot of the sports fans, they don't think about it from that perspective. They'll be like, oh, this fucking kneeling for the flag,

or he did this and got a DUI or whatever. But he's a 21-year-old kid that just got handed millions of dollars. Yeah, and, you know, quick people are real quick to uh form their their opinion and make assumptions yeah and that's just the reality of it but if you take a step back and you dissect it um from a logical standpoint like you you have you can kind of have some sympathy like it doesn't necessarily have to you know agree with it like but just to have a different opinion or different view and i think if if we start valuing people more on how they treat others or how you've heard that they treat

people, do they take the time to do this or that? Like, that's the people we should be valuing as opposed to how much money someone's making. You know, like, what do they drive? Like, what's their profession? And then when those are the people that are doing stuff wrong, then people are just like quick to tear them off the pedestal, right? because they valued them so high in the first place. Yeah.

It's like the fame and the money, it automatically, they should be the Dalai Lama. You know what I mean? Like that's what you expected them. You can't make one wrong move. Exactly. Just because, okay, I was really good at baseball. I made millions of dollars and I'm young.

Now you expect me to be the Dalai Lama. I have to know everything. And I'm sorry, but like athletes who, you know, are so strong, like in their opinion, I'm like, man, just because you made all this money, it doesn't give you the right to think that you're the most educated person. Like your opinion matters most. Like I just, but and people value it as so.

And I'm like, stop, guys. Just because, like, I know this man personally, he's not a good person. And you guys value him so high because he has so much money and he puts out really cool content. And people worship. people, man. It's crazy. It's crazy if you really talk to somebody, like a, like a hardcore fan of a Pittsburgh team or one of those teams with the crazy hardcore sports fans. They idolize those people, man. And that's what I recognize. So I have to, you know, and this is obviously who I am to my

court, but I have to show love and respect on a daily basis. I have to go out of my way for the fans because I am an advocate for telling people, hey, value people on how they go about their business, not what they have. So, like, I would be a hypocrite if I didn't. You know what I'm saying? Right, for sure. For sure, 100%. What do you think about Antonio Brown?

I'm sorry, man. He needs to check himself. Dude. He needs to check himself. And this is another case of the game defines who he is as a human, meaning he, his, worth is in playing football and football is all he has and you know with the decisions he's made and how he goes about his business it's it's going to come with some serious um just backlash in any any type of way mentally emotionally because this is what he's put his his his identity in

Yeah. And, man, I feel, I don't want to say I feel bad for him, but yeah, I can't respect him for how he's gone about his business. And I hope he checks himself and surrounds himself with good people. Yeah. He's like, like for me in sports, I've always been a fan of specific players. And I'm not, never been like a team fanatic. You know what I mean?

But like, I've always been a huge fan of his, like, from when he got drafted and played for the Steelers. And like, he was falling. Which is sad. But he, and then you, you see, like, a team. like some of those crazy hits he took. Yeah. And you think, you know, how much of this is CTE or how much is this really wrecked his brain? Yeah.

To where he's not thinking, you can't think, they say one of the, you know, symptoms of CTE is you, it gives you like the inability to think multiple steps ahead of your actions. You know what I mean? For sure. You retaliate instantaneously. And, man, that, again, I can't imagine going to war every night. for my career. And so, man, I have a lot of respect for those guys.

And, you know, with the CTE, I would encourage, and I hope they do. I'm sure they do, to if you've been diagnosed, like if A.B.'s been seriously diagnosed. I don't know. Can you be diagnosed? Yeah, with a brain scan. I'm sure they can see it light up. Can they? I heard that they could only do it. Well, Antonio Brown did that podcast with those full send podcast. podcast.

Okay. Yeah. I mean, he was, all he said, they asked him the same question. Okay. He was like, they can't diagnose CTE until after you're dead. Okay. So, that's what he said. Can you find that, Austin?

He would know better, obviously, he would know better than I do. But if he felt like he did have it, how can he get ahead of it? Like, if, if you make rash decisions or comments, don't have a, don't have a Twitter. Delete your Twitter. delete your Instagram. If you're going to do something stupid and you know you are because, you know, you have circumstances from football, then put yourself in a position where you're not going to make yourself look worse and then have it as a crutch, so to say.

And again, I respect and I have sympathy and empathy because I will never know. But here we go. What do we got here? This says there's currently no test to diagnose CTE. The diagnosis is based on a history of participating in common. or a history of participating in contact sports, plus the symptoms and clinical features. What does that say, Austin?

So is there a way? Your GP will talk to talk to you about the problems you're experiencing and you may ask some simple mental physical tasks, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay, CTE, the changes in the brain do not always show up in routine brain scans. Okay. So A.B was right. Yeah, after you die, they got to like cut your brain open.

And that's the thing. Does he blame, like, I haven't dove into the Antonio Brown situation too much, but does he blame having CTE for, like, taking his shirt off and disrespecting the game of football on live television? Right. I don't think he does. I mean, he's just like, I don't think he said, oh, it's CTE. They asked him if he had CTE, and he's like, probably. He's like, you can't tell until I'm dead.

Yeah. So, again, if I'm Antonio Brown and I've had a history of. doing the things that he's done, I would change everything I've done. Like, what's the definition of insanity? So change something. Surround yourself with better people. You know, delete your social media.

Like, this is not working. You're throwing away everything. Yeah. I mean, I heard Tom Brady even hooked him up with Tony Robbins. When he first brought him to the Bucks, and then he was like doing all these Tony Robbins affirmations and doing stuff with him and stuff and trying to get him better and he won a super ball and he won a super bowl bro it's so crazy yeah it's wild

fuck man yeah i don't think he'll ever play football it's going to be it's going to be tough for any team to want to take that on what are some of the i don't think there's any head injuries in baseball but like what are what are some of the what's the most common Tommy john what is that okay so Tommy john you have a a nerve that runs in between your elbow. And it's the easiest, or I would just say it's the number one injury in baseball players because of the throwing motion.

Over the head throat is not a normal movement for a human being. It's the underhand throw, which is a more natural. So this ligament right here gets too much stress, tears. And what the doctors do, they'll either take the bigger, ligament right on your hand or your wrist or the one behind your knee and they'll replace it and it's like a 12 to 18 month recovery you can't yeah you can't play for so how's your how's yours doing feel good yeah you know what I'm not a pitcher oh it's only for pitchers okay uh not only for pitchers but mostly for pitchers who are you know throwing a hundred pitches a night you did pitch

you were a pitch at one point right I yeah so I came into at one point, which was the greatest moment of my career. What's the story of that? So the story is we're getting blown out. We're in Buffalo because Toronto was closed down. So Toronto Blue Jays big league team was playing in Buffalo, New York. We're getting blown out. It's like 10 to 1.

And Kevin Cash, the manager, I'm sitting on the bench, right, where I mostly am, warming it. It's a nice chilly night. Kevin Cash, the manager, comes up to me and he goes, hey, can you pitch? And I look up at this man's face and I said, what kind of question is that? I'm the best option you got right now. He started laughing. So obviously best option, meaning off the bench, in a game like that,

you don't want to burn any of your pitchers, actual pitchers. So I get my glove and I head down to the bullpen. out in right field. Now, how the bullpins are, you have the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen guys right in front with their turf mound, and then right behind, you've got Tampa Bay Rays.

And so when I was warming up, you had both teams kind of laughing. I don't know if you saw the video, but I was like, I was dicking around. And I just, I didn't think there was a camera on me. I was just, my mind was on, okay, I'm making them laugh. I'm making my team laugh. Right? So I kept going.

What else can you do in that situation? Exactly. Like the game is already out of reach. Baseball, 162 games, you're going to go through periods like that. So it's fine. No disrespect. So I come out of the bullpen. It's my time to shine.

I come out American Ninja Warrior style. Like full speed ahead, right? Like you could look at you see me on the video. Pull it up. Yeah, yeah, pull it up. And so, no, just do Brett Phil's pitching. So I come out, right? And the first pitch, I wanted to see how hard I could throw.

Because I had the bullpen coach call down to the manager and say, hey, Phillips wanted me to tell you he's going to throw one ball as hard as he can, and then he'll lob the rest. I don't know if you ever called down or not. So I go out, and the first one, I'm telling the hitter, Anthony Davis, I'm like, yo, back up, back up. Because if I would have hit him, a position player hitting another position player is just not a good look. But he didn't hear what I was saying.

So I kind of had to let some off. Well, 94 miles an hour. And everyone's just like, what the heck's going on? And the next pitch I throw was at 47. And everyone's like, why didn't you go back to the 94? Oh, there it is. You can play. Turn the volume off, though, so we can't, like, bombarded by the sound.

He's like, why didn't you go back to the 94? The pitching coach would have absolutely came out there and tore me a new one on live television if I would have thrown one hard again. Really? Yeah, yeah. Why didn't you want you to throw them hard? Because they didn't want me to get hurt. I'm an outfielder. You know, there's no, look, here I am.

Oh, okay, okay. I'm razzing, razzing the right field right now. Are you roasting him? Yeah, roasted him. I'm like, you have no chance. It's my friend, Teoscar Hernandez. I'm like talking to him. You've got no chance.

Oh, he placed me the other team. Other team, Toronto Blue Jays. Oh, shoot, this is the extended version. You probably got to fast forward to find it, right? No, there's a version out there that has the highlight. He'll find it. Okay. But anyways, so I come into the clubhouse after the game,

and I look at my phone, and I kid you not, Danny. I had 20,000 new Instagram followers. And I'm like trying to scroll through, like, why everyone is following me, right? Like, that is probably the scariest thing on social media is why you're trending. Oh, you don't know if it's for a bad thing. Yeah, exactly. And so I click on the video.

Yeah. Yeah. That's the one you just, oh, no. Yeah, right. That's a highlight. Oh, you're sprinting. Oh, yeah. American Ninja Warrior style.

Here I am in the bullpen, right? How about that off advertisement? That's incredible. Yeah, they got some good love right there. Do they hit you up after this? No, they were already an MLB sponsor, so they just were milking that. The stutter step.

No one throws like that, by the way. That pitching motion, no one, it has an open stance. So you were just kind of like winging it, or what? Yeah, I was throwing like that because I wanted to be prepared if a guy smoked one right back at me. I was already facing towards the plate. Dude, that's got to be one of the, the most terrifying things.

And being a pitcher and having that thing coming right back. Yeah, a pitcher. I mean, guys hit the ball 115 miles an hour off the bat. So I accidentally dropped the ball there. But, yeah, guys are hitting the ball so hard. And me not being used to pitching, I didn't want to get smoked or not be prepared for something. So, yeah, I don't know why I keep showing that. that's great after uh after the podcast i can show you what oh yeah everyone's like after i threw 94

everyone was like yo what was it an accurate 94 yeah it was really yeah yeah yeah even the announcers couldn't believe it there's a strike no it's a little above the zone but even the announcers were like that can't be real i was like oh yeah believe it believe that's sick dude yeah but yeah no that's got to be one of the most terrifying things in baseball right that is being is pitching the ball and then having that 100 mile an hour ball come right back at you. Right back at you. It's scary and some of the worst injuries are from that. Oh, really?

Unfortunately. Yeah, I saw something where some guy got hit right in the temple with it and he was just like convulsing afterwards. Yeah, that actually ruined his career. Really? Which is, yeah, super sad story. So I'm always, that's why I don't like pitchers throwing at hitters. Just because, like, I understand what you're doing if you feel disres.

And you got shown up. But when you're propelling an object over 90 miles an hour at someone because they pimped a home run off you or you felt disrespected, I don't understand what that warrants throwing at someone like you could ruin someone's career. But it's not thought about that like that. It's just like a, it's crazy that's like a play. It's an unwritten rule. Like you have to hit someone.

And luckily, we're heading in a direction. where it's not as relevant like it was in the past. Old school baseball people will say that's the play. That's how it should be played. But at the same time, as a human being, like, okay, that's the play. And you see someone's career get ruined because of it. Are you okay with that? Like, to me, you're a bad person because you just took something that was minor.

and you know you agreed with how it went about there's old school baseball like minds that think this is okay oh for sure and for me it doesn't warrant getting hit you know maybe if you want to chirp in in the interview after the game or on social media like throw some shade that if that's gonna grow the game anyway yeah i saw a clip of you i saw actually that reminds me i saw the clip of you like you started like charge a guy that was pitching at you and they like they came to grab you They thought I was serious. So I got hit by my buddy, who I got traded with from Milwaukee to Kansas City, Jorge Lopez. And he, it wasn't, it wasn't on purpose.

Like, this is one of my best friends in the game smokes me right in the back, 95, right? Like, right in the soft spot. And I, like, gave it a grimace. And then I threw my bat down. And I said, you want to fight with me? Like my best Puerto Rican accent. You want, because he's Puerto Rican, you want to fight with me? Just like that.

Like in the umpire and the catcher, no, no, no, no, no. Like start to try to hold me back. And I started laughing. And I was like, no, no, no, that's my boy. That's my boy. And that blew up and went viral. But small things like that, people love. And it's not that I'm sitting at my house saying,

okay, when I get the opportunity to pitch, I'm going to do it like this. Or if I get hit with 95, I'm going to react like this. It's just because it's my joy, like my passion. like my passion that my happiness like this is genuine organic and uh yeah so love it's pretty dope man that's super cool to see somebody like make the sport so much more entertaining by adding that whole element to it you know what i mean the whole comedy value of it is baseball is fun that's so sick thank you man and i want to go back to my point uh when i was looking at instagram i had 20,000 followers. And so I get to the video and it's of me messing around, goofing around. And I'm

like putting my hand on my head. I'm just like, you are such a nerd. Like this was the reason everyone was following me. Like you're a dork. That's why everybody loves you. If I knew cameras were rolling, I wouldn't have been doing that. You know what I'm saying? I didn't know there were cameras. So, you know, it's just put it in the book for things I've been exposed for. like my crazy laugh. Just like everyone knew me for the longest time before the walk off in the World Series is, yo, that's like the MLB clown. Like,

he's got a funny laugh. And you know, it's cool, right? Like it's better to be known for something than nothing. But up until that hit in the World Series, I want to, like,

I want to be taken serious in my career. You know, I want to be known for something cool. Like, this is my livelihood, you know. So when I had that walk-off hit, it was really cool that I could finally start colliding the two worlds, and I would be respected for both. Right?

Like now I'm the clown of MLB. He like legitimized you. But it legitimized me. Thank you. And, man, it's just been, it's given me some newfound confidence, which has helped me tremendously. I had the best year of my career last season, feeling no pressure. because of that one play. And it's crazy how one little moment in anyone's career

can change the course for either which direction. Walk me through that play. Like that scenario. That was your first time being in the World Series? First time being in the World Series. It's game four was my first and only at bat. Let that sing in. Wait, wait, during that game?

No, the whole series. Oh, really? I had one at bat. I was never supposed to even get that at bat. That's fucking wild. So let me give you the backstory. It's COVID year 2020. We go into 8 team or it was like 8 or 12 team.

The playoffs were expanded because we didn't have fans that year. And we beat New York. Oh no, we beat Toronto in a best two out of three. I was on the roster. I played the outfield. And then we beat New York in five games. And I was on the roster. I pinched ran and played.

the outfield. And then we played Houston. I wasn't on the roster for Houston because during the COVID year, we played each game back to back to back to back to back. In the normal year, you have off days in between every two games. So you can rest your pitching. So they came up to me, Kevin Cash, and says, hey, Philly, like, we're going to have, I know it sucks, but we're going to have to leave you off the roster for this series because we need the pitching. You know what, Kevin? I understand that. I respect it.

Like, let's go win the ALCS. I was the best teammate that I could be showed up every day, regardless that I wasn't on the roster. I wanted to win, right? Like, it didn't matter. So I know there's funny videos of me, like, holding up a sign like Randy, rakes all day, night year, like I made up. And I'm like, just Randy, best player ever.

This is when Randy a Rosarino was going off. And everyone loved it. And I was just like, this is who I am. Like, I want the best. for everyone around me. So Danny, fast forward to the World Series. I don't know if I'm on the roster, right? This is the freaking World Series.

Not only do you have a dream of being a Major League Baseball player when you decide this is the sport you want to play, but playing in the World Series is a dream inside a dream. Like your 12-year-old self can't even really get to that point. That's how big it is. So I'm like, please, Lord, like let me be on this. roster, right? Because it's all his plan. Like I said, I'm a God-fearing man, a man of faith, and everything in my life that has happened is because of him. So I get a call from Kevin Cash.

He goes, listen, you're on the roster. And my heart starts pumping. All right? Like, I'm in my hotel room. Like, let's go. He goes, but you're probably not going to get in at bat. And I'm like, that's okay. He said, you're going to play the outfield and you're going to, you're going to pinch run. Oh, that's you holding up the sign for Randy. Yeah, right. So that's me out of, yeah. Play it. So this was at what point?

Okay, so this was during Houston. Randy was, looked like Bay Ruth, just absolutely going off. He was tearing it up. And, wow. And I'm just, it's probably going to, at the end, you'll see me holding up the sign. Randy rakes all night day year. They made shirts out of that. That's sick, dude.

So back to my story, Kevin Cash tells me I'm on the roster. I'm not going to hit. I'm just going to play the field and pinch run. That's okay. Thank you. Let's go win this thing. So this was right before you went into the World Series? Right before we went into the World Series.

So Game 1 of the World Series, we lost. I think I got to play the outfield. Game two. we had one and I think I got to play game three I have to look back I don't know if I played

but it was two to one in the series game four rolls around okay long game I'm watching this play out we go up one they get two we get one we tie it up

they go up one it's a great game yeah like if you get a chance you got to watch that game all the way through okay so I'm sitting on the bench and I'm watching this play out

and we're using a bunch of position players. They're getting subbed in to hit, to play defense. And it's coming down to the eighth inning. G-man-Choys on second base. There's two outs. Phillips, go-pinch run. Obviously, I'm faster than G-man-cho.

If there's a ball hit to the outfield, I'm going to score, he would be a question mark. So someone strikes out, it ends the inning. I go out into right field. Now, during my time in right field, I think it was one, two, three. I was not thinking about hitting because usually when you get pinched, you get subbed in. You go in for the last person who hit.

And there's nine people that hit. So you have to do a full rotation before you're going to hit. So I didn't think anything of it. We're down by one run. Like it's not going to get to me. Right. Okay. So I come in the dugout, which is good, which was good for my mental state.

Right. I didn't get it performing anxiety, right? Thinking about, wow, it's going to come down to me. So I go in the dugout in Hoover, one of the coaches comes out to me. He goes, bro, you're up fifth. You're going to win this game for us. Just like, I swear to God, just like that. He said you're going to win this game.

You're going to win this game for us. And on the outside, it was a reaction everyone would have said, yeah, heck yeah, I'm going to win this game for us. But on the inside, it was, yo, is this man crazy? Like, I haven't had it at bat for two weeks. I haven't had a hit for a month. I wasn't even supposed to get an at bat. And you're telling me, Brett Phillips, because out of nowhere, whether you're encouraging me

or you felt compelled to say that, I'm going to win this game. Okay. So I go in down. We're just questioning yourself as soon as you said that. Yeah. Okay. So I go down into the, in pinch hitting, by the way, is not easy. It's the hardest thing.

What does that mean? When you sit cold on the bench the whole game and they say, hey, Danny, you're in. you got to go hit. And at that time, you're facing 95 to 100 miles an hour. Okay. All baseball hitting is is rhythm and timing. And when you get put in a position for one at bat to have to perform, it's really tough. Okay.

So I'm down in the tunnel where we've got our batting cage. And I'm taking deep breaths and I'm just, I'm feeling locked in. I'm feeling nice. I'm hitting, I take a swing and we've got the game on. So I'm watching kind of things on. fold. We had a base hit. There's a man on first. Next guy got out. I know I'm up third. So I start walking to on deck. Randy or Rosarina is in front of me. The guy who was hitting, I think he might have popped out. So now there's two outs, man on first base. Okay? I'm on deck. Randy or Rosarina,

you just saw this man was going off. You know, he was getting in my mind, he's getting on base. Like, this is coming down to me. And now at the, like I've pinch hit before and being on deck right in that moment, I'm personally am feeling performance anxiety in any other moment where I'm a little out of breath. My heart rate is fast. You know, I'm letting the environment kind of control my heartbeat, which is loud. Well, I'm sitting on deck. I say my favorite Bible verse.

I recite it. Every time I get myself in a position, I'm like, Isaiah 41, 10. Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismay. For I'm your Lord. I will help you. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Now at that moment, I felt just like a piece of, like sense of peace and comfort come over me. And I'm, and my shoulders are down and I'm taking deep breaths. And I'm like, this is different. Like I've never had this type of confidence before. So Randy walks. He puts together a great at bat. And I'm walking up to the plate. And I'm just like, look, I'm, I'm searching for the performance anxiety now because I cannot,

this is weird to me. I've never had this. Where to go? Right? So, like, I'm looking around at the crowd. It's a World Series. It's loud. It's man off first and second two outs.

This is huge. And I just feel, okay, let's go. Just swing the bat. I'm locked in. During that bat, you can see the umpire, what I think, uh, kind of squeezes me on a two, calls on the inside and on the outside on the K box they were outside of the zone he calls him strikes but I had I had you know I'm down to two strikes I had zero zero like pressure I felt like just all I had to do is swing and next thing you know uh just craziness ensues and if you

watch baseball a play like this just does not happen like you are in the world series this is peak focus for every for nine guys on that field. They are peak focused. They're not worried about what they're going to eat that night. They're not worried about what their family members are up to. During the year, 162 games, yeah, guys are going to space out a little bit. But this is the World Series.

And on the play, the center fielder boots the ball. So, air number one, we score one. Randy or Rose Arena slips and falls rounding third base. Like, theatrical slip and fall. Like, what is that? Yeah. So he gets caught in between third base and home plate. If the catcher catches it, he's out.

We tie the game. We go into the next inning. Brett Phillips doesn't become the hero. But what does the catcher do? Catcher rushes the play because he doesn't know Randy slipped. So he rushes the play and misses the ball, which gives Randy the opportunity to stand up and go score. And next thing you know, like, does it mind-blowing, like, does not happen.

And so next thing you know, I'm running around the outfield, like my kid, the kid reaction in me was to do this. And I'm so glad I did. And I almost passed out. It was the first time in my life that I've ever had to get an IV. Like my resting heart rate was 140 to 160 just sitting there. And they're like, yo, this boy's going to shock. Like, I am such a nerd, like put myself into shock. And I was shivering.

and they put an IV in me, but I love telling that story because... You're going to play the video. Yeah, yeah. Play the video, Austin. So after you got to the dugout, or after you got back to the locker room? Is this one by MLV? Okay, yeah. Turn this out.

Yeah. Yeah, just turn the sound on. Screw it. We'll get a copyright strike, but it's all good. No, no, no, no, don't do that. No, no, it's fine. Okay. Technically, like, this is me, so...

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, right? So you own this, not MLB. Technically, I made this for them. So I'll copyright strike them. Tell them right now on the camera, say MLB, I give you, I gave permission. MLB, let me use this, please. So this is when you're still on deck?

No, I just got in on the plate. I just walked in. It's O-O count, two outs, man on first and second. I haven't done this yet. Give it a little live analysis. I kind of like this. Kenley Jansen being one of the best premier closers in the game, by the way. Okay.

This dude is a stud. Okay, one of the best. So here we go. Man on first and second. First pitch comes. Cut her in for a ball. So that, holy crap. It was close.

It was close, but it's a ball. Okay. The announcer, not too many people sitting down. Like, my helmet is rattling, right? Like, it is loud. Those Dodger fans are loud. Okay. So, okay.

So very close pitch. But that's, I think that's a ball. But they gave you a strike. They gave it a strike. Kenley Jansen, being the all-star closer that he is, he's going to get that pitch. Okay. One-one count. Oh, you see my batting average?

Terrible. Like, what is Brett Phillips doing up right now? Like, that's what people are saying. Like, the people betting on Tampa Bay during this game right now, they've turned their TV off probably. Oh, my God. They saw me coming up to the play. they're like, well, I lost that money. It's a lock.

Yeah. Little did they know. Little did they know. One one count. Here comes the pitch. That's off. That's a ball off. That's a ball off.

Okay. So I gave it a little, it's going to show the replay, but I stayed locked in. As much as I wanted to, I didn't care. I was like, you know what? Good thing, something good's going to happen. But again, that's off the plate. It's close. Yeah.

But Kenley Jansson is going to. get that pitch he's a veteran that's just how it goes so he gave you a strike yeah all right one two count just swing the bat philly that's what i was telling myself swing the bat who in the outfield into the outfield taylor oh my god right missed it insanity right like this does not happen danny like i'm sorry this is the works of god and that's who i give him this credit to and then there i am running the off you like an airplane Oh, man. Dude, that's so wild.

That must have been like peak adrenaline of a lifetime. I explain it to, because where my heart rate was, well over 200, well over. It's if you were to go jump out of an airplane right now or like some type of adrenaline rush to spike, that's the feeling right here. I started seeing stars.

I was like, things were starting to, look, I'm like, I can't breathe, I can't breathe. The walls were. starting to close in on me. People were tackling me. I'm like, look, I'm telling him Austin Meadows there. I can't breathe. KK. Yellen. Wanted to give him some love, but look, they're like, are you all right? I can't breathe. He's like, are you all right? He's like, are you all right? There's Randy. And I hope it shows, look. I'm trying to gasp for air. You got cameras all in my face, which was really cool. First time in my career. Okay, yeah, so watch how

this. Look, I'm locked in. And then once I saw, once I saw we won, helmet, helmet toss. It'll show Randy falling right here. Boom. What a fall. He misses, reads it perfect. He was going back to third base. Just the timing of this, if you dissect this play and the timing and the stack cast and the, oh,

here's a fun fact for you. The probability, this is number two in history of baseball for being the most like non-pro-how-do I say Improbable? Improbable play the second. It's the second in history. Really? Yeah. Like this, a walk-off hasn't happened in the World Series since like the 80s. A walk-off hit, I think. Really? Yeah, so again, like just...

Dude, those guy, to muff both of those kids. It doesn't happen. With Randy falling down, like, I'm sorry. For me, that solidifies everything that I, like, that one play, Danny. What an amazing. Has solidified my relationship with God. It's also solidified how I've gone about my business is the right way. Like, in a crazy story, how I got, I didn't tell you, how I got to Tampa Bay.

was two months earlier from the World Series. I was with Kansas City, and I wasn't playing every day. In August, we had 27 games. I got to play in two of them, start. I got to start in two or three. And so fast forward to August 27th, and I get traded. I'm like, what do you mean I'm getting traded? I'm not even playing for you.

Who wants me? Who am I going to play for if I can't play for y'all? Right. And at the time, Kansas City was one of the worst teams. We were in a just transition, you know. And so Dayton Moore, the GM calls me and he says, hey, we just traded you to Tampa Bay. But I want to let you know that we did right by you.

He's like, what do you mean by that? He goes, you had three other teams that wanted to trade for you, and they had better offers. But we went with your A, because we know, your hometown team. We know you haven't seen your wife in two months because of COVID. We want to send you home to see your wife. And we just know like this is what you would have wanted. And I'm like, but this is business. Like this doesn't happen. Why? Why did you do that for me? Like what do I owe you? And they said, well, we recognize how you went about your business.

Like you showed up each and every day. And regardless of your circumstances, we knew you weren't going to play. But you didn't know that. And you showed up and you were the best teammate. You worked hard. You know, you just made everyone around you better. You were an energy giver. You know, something my mom always told me, you're either an energy giver or an energy taker. Right. And people who take energy, like, it's draining. Don't do that. And so don't do that. So Dayton Moore tells me this. Now, fast forward, I get to play in the World Series and I get to be a part of history because Brett Phillips went about his business two months before the right way. Right?

Like I would have never had that opportunity. I got traded on the basis and foundation of being a good person. Being like just being a good person, giving energy regardless. You show up to your work and things, the circumstances around you suck. Like find a way to pour into someone to be a positive impact through that and knowing, hey, in the future, you're going to get rewarded through that. So it's just to solidify when I say solidify how it just that play solidified all how I go about my business. And again, with my relationship with God, I'm not going to change.

And even if baseball doesn't work out for me, like that's okay. I, you know, I was in a point of my time when I believe God did show up for me. So he's going to do that again type stuff. It's deep. Yeah, you're super fortunate to be able to be playing in the town that you're from. That's really rare. Bless, man. Like, everything that lined up for me to get to Tampa Bay and to be a part of history is just so cool.

And that's why I'm always looking forward to, like, talking to high school kids and, you know, people in general just who feel like, you know, their career or the path to where they want to be is just at a stalemate or they're down on their luck. Yeah, that's super cool. Yeah. Haven't you also broke, like, some crazy Babe Ruth record? Again, another, for me, it's a God thing. This record hadn't, like, been broken in 100 years. Babe Ruth, what is Brett Phillips doing above Babe Ruth in anything? Right.

Like, does not sound right. And Babe Ruth, he hit three, he had three grand slams and 32 days. Okay. Which is crazy. A grand slam. happens because your teammates give you that opportunity. For people that don't understand, bases are loaded. A grand slam is because other guys did their job.

So it doesn't necessarily line up like that all the time just because of how hard hitting is. Well, I got to come up to the plate like three or four times in a matter of 21 days. And I was blessed enough to hit three grand slams in 21 days. or 19 days as opposed to Babe Ruth in 30 days and it broke his record. And I was just like, this is crazy. At the time, I didn't think I was breaking any records.

But then to see that a play has been around for, a record has not been broken for 100 years and they ask me, how does it make me feel? Man, like, I don't know how to feel. Like, I don't, that doesn't feel right. Put Babe Ruth back ahead of me, even though I broke the record. Keep him above. Did it shock you when you learn this?

Did you have any idea when it happened or did they, like, you just saw the article? No, they just, no, they called me. And they're like, did you know you did this? It's like, had no clue. Like, and obviously. This is one of the, this is one of many articles that came up. Yeah. Move over Babe Lou.

Hey, what's it say? Move over Babe Lou. Here's, oh, because it broke Lou Gehrig's record as well. Oh, okay. Because I had it inside the Parker, but. That's wild. You broke one of Babe Ruth's Grand Slam records. And a Grand Slam record.

And a Grand Slam. is like that's the best play in baseball right. This was actually an inside of the Parker. This was to put the cherry on top. So this is what broke Luke Garrick's record. I was fired up. Fired up, baby. Woo! I love this. I love this. Awesome, dude. But can you go back out to the article? Read what it says, what I said. It doesn't even sound right for the name to be in the same sentence as theirs.

That was my name. my quotations. For my name to be in the same sentence as there's, wow. That's how I felt. It doesn't. And that's how I felt at the time. And I still do. I still do.

Every time I do something cool, I'm just like, man, that's awesome. Like, right? People in my, I feel like I look around. I'm one of the only ones. But these guys expect it. Like, they're so good and just so confident that they do something like that. It's just like, oh, yeah. How has that, I don't know.

How has this? It's combined with like the World Series game walk off. How has that like changed your life or your career? Could you say that those, that specific play at the end of that game in the World Series had enough, like a crazy effect on your career? Crazy. Crazy effect in the best way.

Brand deals. Okay. Getting paid to promote things and, you know, be able to play video games and get paid a lot of money, being able to do speaking engagements and get paid a lot like it's changed because it's given me confidence in what I'm speaking about. It's made me happier in a sense of not the plays have made me happy, but just happy that it's solidified how I've lived my life. And I've been, be able to be blessed as something as big as this, which I think is huge, is super cool and

humbling. So when I talk, I'm way more passionate. I'm way more confident in what I'm saying works. It works now. Right. You can't tell me how I can live my life and what doesn't work because I've solidified that. Has it also changed anything like on the team, like team wise, like where they like how often they put you up to bat or how how. Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, I had a career high in at-bats last year. Like I had the best career of my best year of my career because of that hit. It gave me opportunity.

It gave me more chances to be looked at because quite frankly, I may have been on the backside of my career if I don't get traded to the raise. I get traded to another team. I wasn't playing well at the time. You look at my numbers. I was not a good baseball player.

and that one little at bat has just given me way more opportunity. Now, I have to recognize that and be like, hey, it's an opportunity, but you still have to take advantage of it. And I feel like I've done that, and I'm going to continue to do that until they rip the jersey off me. Yeah, that's cool. Another thing I wanted to make a point to talk to you about was, like, what kind of routine do you have as far as like,

taking care of your body and your diet and shit like that. No, I'm glad you brought that up. I'm actually all zend out right now because I just got done doing hot yoga before I came here. It was my third workout out of the day. People think, you know, we have a strict routine during season. Well, the off season, it's just as strict. Monday through Friday, Bree and I, my wife and I, we wake up at like 9, 9.30. She gets up before me.

and we get coffee and we're at the gym 10, 30, 11 for a few hours, and then we come home, we eat, whether she cooks something up or we heat something up, and I go straight to hit. And I've got my baseball workouts for a couple hours. And then I come home and, you know, Bree and I, we talk about things that need to get done for baseball as fun, or, you know, we spend quality time together. And then I go do hot yoga, something that I'm a firm believer in for injury prevention

for just longevity. It's going to help me. It's helped me to this point. So I have a very strict routine even during the offseason. And then when it comes to eating, I'm not so worried about a strict diet. I'm not going to go crazy. It's the number one thing I see guys do when I get back to spring training is gain too much weight. Yeah.

But for me, I just work out. so much that it doesn't really affect. So you don't like restrict any kind of certain things, like sugar carbs or anything like that. No, I do take supplements though. Okay. Yeah, I take a lot of supplements, which are NSF. The team provides that for us. NSF certified for sports.

Yeah, but the team provides that. So I've heard like stories of people, especially NBA players, like when they get to the, like the playoffs and the finals, you'll see, I've heard stories of like, like LeBron's team, they'll go out to dinner and he'll eat just like steaks. All he'll eat is steaks all week. Yeah. You know, and then he spends like, after each game, he spends an hour in his hyperbaric chamber and it's just like cuts out 100% sugar, cuts out 100% carbs and all he eats is freaking steaks and sits in a hyperbaric chamber. And, you know, honestly, if I could afford to do that, I would.

And you look at the best athletes. He just bought one. Oh, really? That's awesome. I'm like, I'm getting in that, baby. I can't wait to try that thing. 100%. But you look at the best athletes,

Russell Wilson, Tom Brady. These guys are spending millions of dollars, LeBron James, on their bodies, because they can. And if I could, I would.

Now I'd take care of myself in a more, on a way smaller scale. Sustainable scale. Sustainable scale. I wouldn't have a, I would be betting at that point if I spent that much money.

But. Andrew Burr de Berger, I would. I'm going to use mics. I just made it. I just stepped a leg up in my career for that. So thank you, Mike. But no, I definitely see value in that.

And as they should, they're trying to milk every last drop out of their career. And stuff like that has been proven to help. Yeah, especially like those hyperbaric chambers. One of the main things that they're good for is healing like any kind of injuries, like physical injuries on your body. And like that's not just good for your brain and for your home. whole nervous system, but like healing actual freaking injuries, which is insane. Yeah, it speeds up the process for sure.

And I know that because in 2017, when I was with Milwaukee, they had their rehab guys with Tommy John or knee injuries. They had two portable hyperbaric chambers they took everywhere on the road, like on the plane and everything. So they'd set it up at the clubhouse and guys would be there who were rehabbing for an hour. So, I mean, big, big major league organizations and definitely sports wouldn't have it if it wasn't backed by some serious science and actually, you know, works. Did you say you do hot yoga every day?

Monday through Friday. Whoa. Love it. That's intense. It is. And, you know, I get locked in. It's funny because it's me and, like, 10 other middle-aged women. like, you know, in the studio.

And they're just loving it. They're enjoying, you know, and I'm just over there struggling. Like, downward dog, my shoulders are shaking, and they're just smiling and enjoying themselves. So, yeah, it's a challenge. I'm competitive. I love it. Do you also, like, just sit in a regular sauna ever? Or is that basically, like, act as a sauna for you?

Same. It's stretching in a sauna, right? It's like 100 degrees. A lot of people don't like it, but it's a challenge. And I get to compete in there against myself and get better. That's fucking hard. I've done like 40, I think 40 sessions this off season. How long, how many years have you been doing that for?

I did it heavy in 2015 and 2016 when I was having my best careers. And I stopped because I was getting injured, not like not from hot yoga. but just other baseball related activities. Hot yoga can only save you from so much. But I started running into other injuries that I had to focus directly on in the offseason, like going to a physical therapist. So I wasn't able to do hot yoga the past two years. I did Pilates last year, which was good.

But hot yoga is my jam. That's one of the hardest things I've ever tried, dude. It kills me. It's tough. What, I wanted to ask you, like, so, like, before, do you eat before a game? Do you wait until after? Do you, like, do you want to go in with a full stomach? Like, how do you do that?

It's changed. It's funny you say that. Definitely changed. In the beginning, I was nervous, so I couldn't eat. And, like, now it doesn't matter. Again, through experience, I can eat a full course, like, not a full course meal, but a nice size entree, whether it's pasta or a burger or steak before the game. And then they have meals after the game as well that I'll crush.

Oh, that's sick. Yeah, yeah. Funny story for you about Major League spread. My first time going on a private flight with the team, I show up and I just had a full-course meal at the clubhouse. They have a steak, chicken, fish every single night. with some type of vegetable and some type of side. So crush it.

And now I'm going on my first flight. I have no clue what to expect. Right. So we get on. Lady greets me, the flight attendant greets me with Chick-fil-A sandwich. Mr. Phillips, would you like the Chick-fil-A sandwich?

Yes, please. Got to get some ranch dressing? Great. Right. So I'm walking down the aisle. And I'm looking in the bends where people put their luggage. their carry-ons is filled with snacks all the way down. I'm talking like fruit, candy, chips.

And I'm, what is Brett Phillips doing as a rookie? I'm shoveling. I'm like, yes. Like, right? Like, I'm looking around. No one's grabbing anything really. And I'm just like, I want this peanut M&Ms, chips, give me it all. So I sit down and I start.

Granted, I've already had a full course meal, Danny. Right? Like, but this is all new to me. That rule, dude. So I'm eating my chick-fil-a crushing some candy. Lady comes by. Hey, would you like an appetizer before we take off? Yes, please.

What do we have? Some shrimp cocktail. I'll take one of those. So I have a shrimp cocktail. We take off. We're in the flight. All right. Well, now we're going to serve our entrees.

Do you want a bison burger, a meatball sub, or, you know, like a chicken entree? Oh, let me try the chicken. Right. So I'm eating chicken. We're about to land. Hey, can I offer you a warm cookie or some ice cream? Please, would you like some milk? Yes. Like, by the time I get to touchdown, I thought they were going to have to roll me out of there because I was so just miserable from eating. And everyone was laughing at me. They're like, hey, everyone who's a rookie, we watch do it. Like, you know, it just happens. It's so, it's so exciting. new chocolate milk can i get chocolate milk with a swirly straw yeah literally that's how i felt i was like what am i doing here dude give me it all that rules what so when you go on those flights is it they do all the way down from like triple a to like the top the top guys no so you're taking

a bus ride up until triple a okay you're taking 16 18 no and then in triple a you're taking southwest so you're waking up at three in the morning uh to get to the airport by four and then you're on a plane with everyone, Southwest plane, and you're in the next city playing a game that night at 7. And so that's just the grind. What is like on a scale of 1 to 10? What's the difference between a guy on the AAA and like the 40 main roster? Same talent.

So what I always tell everyone what differentiates a big leager from a AAA dude or double a dude is a mindset, right? Like you can only be so good talented. And when you get to that level, everyone's the best. But how do they deal with failure on a consistent basis? You see a lot of guys get to the big leagues and they can't handle the crowd. They can't handle the external circumstances that are going on.

They can't handle Twitter. It gets to them. And it's not that they're not athletic enough, but their mind tells them that they're not good enough. And so that's what separates a big leaguer and a guy from AAA. Okay. That makes a lot of sense. That makes a lot of sense. You have to learn to really, if you have a terrible night, you have to just put it behind you. You have to be mentally tough enough to be like, it doesn't matter. I went over four, three strikeouts. Like, I'm going to get them today.

Forget about it. But it compounds. And it weighs on you because you have so much pressure and stress from everyone looking in. Your family, your friends, you don't want to let them down. You know, the fans that you want to perform for. And then you've got the other side of, people who are like, I told you you sucked. Like, I knew you were going to be bad. So you just have so much that you break down. And most guys do and never get to enjoy what being a major league baseball player should be about.

That makes sense. Yeah. You want to talk about NFTs? What's your shirt? Oh, man, that's an expansion punk. Oh, man. So before we go on this top. All right, before we go on this topic, listen, I have empathy for people who are like, really, you just talked about all that and you're going to talk about NFTs.

Like, I understand that we're going to see, you know, we're not going to see eye to eye. And it may just be sound so crazy and new, but like I understand. So please when I talk about it, just know that I enjoy it. You think people are going to hate on you for all people of our NFTs? I've already hated on me hard. What kind of people are hating on NFTs? Yeah, trust me, they're out there. And I think it's just people who haven't taken the time to educate themselves on what it actually is.

A lot of people just say, oh, that's a, that's a JPEG. Like, why are you paying X amount of dollars for a picture when there's way more to it than just people paying for a picture? Yeah, I've heard tons of definitions of it. What is, what is it? Yeah, so an NFT is a non-fungible token. The word is definitely subject to change, just like the internet was called Web 2.0 back in the day, and now it's social media.

So, NFT, it's a non-fungible token, which is a, you own a digital asset, which is super confusing and hard to wrap your mind around. But I think about it from my sense of why I got involved into it, and what attracts me. There's multiple reasons, and we can talk about them. But the metaverse, I've always grown up playing video games. I am a video game nerd.

What video games? Call of Duty, MLB the show, Fortnite when it was popular, Apex, like first person shooters with a little bit of dabble of third person, but I want to compete. And it's an opportunity for me to get on there with my boys who want to compete and have fun too. So I preface it by saying, yes, I am a video game nerd. Now, in the past, parents have told kids like, hey, video games are a waste of time.

You're never going to get anywhere. Well, yeah, to a point. Tell that to Tifu. Yeah, tell that to people who are making a ton of money doing it by streaming. Now, you add in this concept of Metaverse play to earn, which is mind blowing that. Yeah, what is that? So let me break it down. you have a kid who's playing Fortnite, right?

How many parents are giving their kids hundreds of dollars, maybe thousands over the years to buy skins, to buy different, basically that's a digital asset. Like they have like the different skins or outfits. Different skins or outfits to give them, to make them look different. And they can show to their friends like,

hey, I've got this type of skin. Well, that is all fake currency. That is not owed. Like that is going strictly to Fortnite. Now you do have the select people who are streaming like Tifu. And that is a small percentage of people who are making a sustainable income by streaming. But that is for content. But that content is giving Fortnite way more exposure.

And people are going to want to pay for that. Well, now with the Metaverse, okay, I pay $60 for this NFT. that is, let's just say someone paying $60 for a disc to play a video game. And now during the game, I can stake my NFT while I'm playing and earn real currency that can be sold for crypto or Ethereum. Like, if I buy a skin in the metaverse, it is worth money in real life. Like I think about these kids who have been paying hundreds of dollars for the last. years, a couple years on a Fortnite skin, this is allowing that money to be real currency to get back. Right. Like they could they only, let's just say they have a skeleton skin.

Okay. They only put out a thousand, right? And you got in early enough to claim that skeleton skin. I think it's like five bucks on Fortnite. But in the metaverse, you got in early enough, you claimed it. Well, a year from now, that skeleton skin, how much is it going to be worth? Because they don't, they didn't make anymore. Right. Right. So that skin can be sold for real money, real currency. If you're going to take the time to play a video game, you might as well earn money back from it. Like that's, to me, that's, that's really cool that we can get to that point that you can own a digital asset. Now, second thing, social status. How many people out there are on Instagram right now going to their fake private jet or

you know a fake they got their fake Lamborghini and they're taking photos with it and and they're gaining social status from fake photos you cannot prove that joe schmo is not take is that's a that's his fake private jet right you can't prove that with nfts it's on the blockchain everything you buy is it can be tracked back it's proven you own it you are not flexing anymore oh yeah you are flexing, but you can prove that you're flexing. That is the other side of like the blockchain that attracts people. For me, not so much, but you see all these rappers who are buying board eight Biot Club for hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions. What is that? What are they paying for? Well, they're paying for utility. What's that utility? Well, they are in a group,

a community of people who are very wealthy, very educated, you know, they are bouncing ideas off each other being in that community because they bought in or they bought in at $5 and like have held for a year because back in May, these were a couple thousand dollars now. The minimum one's going for like $400,000. It's jumped up that much. And it's because of social, social, status they they throw parties together right um that's their invite into if you own one of those

you can go you can go hang out with every athlete rapper um or just billionaire millionaire who has the board apes board ape yacht club it's called which is really cool um but that's another side of having an nft is is the utilities so my question is who made the board who came up the idea with the for the board ape and it's like what gives it value i mean is is it is it true that what gives it value is like more followers, more attention, more fame. No, that's all marketing. And that's why Gary Vee, he talks about 98% of NFT projects coming out right now are going to fail is because they're getting pumped and they're getting dumped.

And these athletes and influencers are literally on a list on the internet that these NFTs, it's a list of their rates. Oh, I'll promote your NFT for $100,000. But what these influencers don't understand is that they're promoting something that's going to flop. And a lot of people are going to lose their money. Yeah, you may make the top 2% some money, but the people who have one or two, like that floor is going to drop. And influencers are not thinking about that right now.

Right. They just have people. They have managers. They have, we're going to, we're going to a million dollars to pump this in FD. Yeah. And it's like, hold on, hold on. take a step back, educate yourself on what you're promoting.

Like, for instance, I got, and I'm an advocate for it now because I don't want people to dive in head first like I did. Let me preface it by saying I used supplemental income that my wife and I agreed on to set aside and be like, hey, this is X amount of dollars. It's not going to affect us either way. You know, you want to try and, you know, get into this. This is all we've got. that I'm going to use.

And I was like, okay, I'm going to get into the metaverse. This is going to be great. You know, and I started on NFT on Instagram. The NFT, Mark Cuban owns it, by the way, which is outrageous because he doesn't know what's going on. He doesn't. He probably does, but he's making so much money because you have to pay that Instagram page to market it on that. Right.

So I'm looking at like, oh, so and so is coming out with his NACs. F-T athlete or rapper and I'm like man that would be awesome if I get one of those yeah you know I think with his social following he's got this is going to take off right this and sure enough I get in the there's so much hype the first day it's being marketed by influencers and then boom flop and people there's two types of things people can run away from the project and since it's Web 3. Cash out. Yeah.

You have no, it's, that's why there's needs to figure out some things with this. They, or they just don't put the time and effort into it. This is a full-time job. If you put out an NFT and I educate people like, someone who's putting out an NFT, make sure they're doxed, meaning make sure there's information out on who they are as a person because people like that will have way more of a mindset. to try and make it work, then not. Because people can put out a project without telling the world who they are.

They can hide behind a profile, which is sketchy. And those are the projects that get marketed, pumped. And then the dude runs away from the project. They call it Rugpole. Literally run away with your Ethereum. And that happened to me on a project. And I was like, this is unacceptable. Like, there is so much cool that can come from this,

but so many people are getting scammed. And I'm like, I got to do something about this. So basically what you just explained is like if you're going to buy an NFT or invest in some NFTs, you want to make sure that the artist that's created it, you know who they are. They have a profile. You can find them or someone who represents them. Articles.

Right. Yeah. You know, go on Twitter, type in their name, see what's been said. Like this is all the research that no one I didn't do because I wasn't educated enough that people aren't doing because it's so new and confusing. that people are like, oh, I have a couple grand and I'm going to make a million dollars in a year. But it's like, well, take a step back.

Like, their projects being pumped out daily. Right. And most of them are going to fail because they're just trying to put something out super quick, take a little money. But, and then they're gone. And you're like, well, Brett, why would I be some of, why would I even go somewhere with that? Well, there's so much good on the other side.

that it outweighs the bat if you know what you're doing. And for me, I've been able to leverage my platform, meet people in the space who are super educated, very well respected, and my platform has given me the ability to make those connections. And it goes back to leveraging and maximizing my career. So when the time comes to transition outside of baseball, I have different avenues that I can pick according to,

what I feel passionate about. Could this be one of them? Maybe I enjoy it so much. I've put in a lot of time. So with what can be good on the other side, joining a community and gaining utilities from it that actually matter. They're talking about a Dow, a decentralized autonomous. You might have to pull it up.

Yeah, DA, it's DAO. It's a Dow. It's a community Dow. I never understood what the hell. That's the community's money. They can, they from the sales of a percentage of the sales. So like a community, I am like expansion pump. So we're talking about a community.

You're talking about basically like a collection, right? Correct. So like the board ape are. There's only 9,999, which makes it super valuable. Okay. It's because it can't be replicated. Right. It's on the blockchain.

So you get into one of these communities like board ape yacht clubs. And they've got a Dow that's already been set up since they've already been around for a long time. And they make decisions. It's decentralized, meaning the whole community votes on what that money goes to with a board of like 16 from different countries inside. So to even get to that point of voting, it's going through a decentralized like recommendations from the community as well. So then like charities. events, staking, meaning like, let's get money back into our pockets, things like that. And a lot of it's gray area right now because it's so new and confusing, the government hasn't

kind of regulated. So I don't know too much information about the Dow aspect, but I know it can do, it's going to do a lot of good. There's like 800 ETH in one of the communities I'm in, which is a lot of money. Wow. Yeah. That's expansion punks? Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry, there's like $900,000 in the community Dow, which is, it's in Ethereum.

So Ethereum could take off and double. Right. That's going to benefit, man, I'm telling you, like, so, and that money cannot be dispersed without the community's voice. Right. Everyone has to vote. Wow, that's insane. So what's the expansion? Expansion punks.

Yeah. So I was on the end of my NFT career. I had been screwed over time after time with marketing schemes. Really? Yeah. How much money did you lose? I haven't necessarily lost it because maybe those projects might be rebound. Oh, you think they could come back?

A couple grand. Okay. Yeah. But no, with expansion punks. I was shopping. I was shopping. I lost a couple grand, but I'm up way more if I were to check out right now. Right.

I found like, again, expansion punks. So it was on a Monday night. And expansion punks, let me give you the background about expansion punks. Punks, Larva Labs put out the punk project back in April of last year. And one of those at the floor goes for, I think, $200,000, just one. and what happened was the one of the um directors of Microsoft he's docs Jeremy Posvar was in that project he had a punk and his daughters I mean he's he's a he's in Microsoft he's on his computer

a lot his daughters recognized what he was doing and they wanted to find themselves in that project and so they're like yeah like he's like yeah let's try and find you one at the time. And one of his daughters was like, I want a girl with a hoodie. And they tried to find a girl with a hoodie. Well, it wasn't in the project, right? Only men wore hoodies. And then one of his daughter was like, I want to wear, I want to have a cowboy hat. And only the men had cowboys. He's like, man, this is such a great project. Like, I give all credit to Larval Labs. But I want to build, I want to expand on it in a way that's more inclusive and diverse. And, And I'm going to put it together.

And with Web 3, you're able to do that. No pixels match up, right? So, like, it's different from, because a lot of NFT projects will just take someone else's project and, like, flip it. And then they can sell it, which is messed up. Yeah. But this, but Jeremy, the director of Microsoft took the time to change everything up, made it more inclusive and diverse. And he put it out. and no one no one wanted it right so it took three months to mint out meaning all nine thousand

nine hundred ninety nine were bought on uh are minted and then i found it the night after it minted for 0.06 eath which is like 200 bucks right now so i bought two and i'm like this is it i'm done after this if this is another one of those scams i'm done but i heard jeremy talking. The dude sounded super educated. He knew what he was talking about. I had been doing a month of research. He was checking all the boxes. And this project started to head in a upward direction. And I'm like, you know what, this is something that I could represent. Like, I can promote because it's safe. Right. Like as a professional athlete, you have to be aware of what you're promoting and who's promoting it. Something like this, I can put on my cleats during the major league year.

have my expansion punk, which is a guy with Purple Hair, he's a little crazy, right? But it promotes diversiveness, inclusiveness, right? Like things that if I'm going to surround myself with people who love and respect people in real life, and I'm going to take the time in the Metaverse as well, like, I want to surround myself with those type of people too. Like, I'm not going to hang out with cool people in real life. And then when I go into the Metaverse, because I'm a nerd, I don't... Do you go into the Metaverse?

Not yet. I will. With Oculus. You don't put the VR on. I don't have them yet, but I want to. Yeah, I'm getting there. Slow steps. I got to educate myself.

So soon you'll be able to do like hangouts and meet and greets and the members. Exactly. And then in that community, in the expansion punk community, like there's already been buys of like $70,000 one got bought for. And for me, I want to know that guy. Like, I want to know his story. He has something to offer. And I have talked to him.

And he writes back in code for his own company. And he does the analytics. His software can do the analytics of your NFT project. And he's made a ton of money from it. And he's just telling me, he's like, yeah, and telling me all about it. And he's awesome. And I'm like, I would have never connected with a guy like that if I didn't get into this, which is really cool to me.

I just wanted to meet everyone. But anyways, it started taking off. I call my buddy Lance McCullors, who is a pitcher with the Houston Astros. Him and I kind of have been tackling the NFT thing together, having fun with it. And I was like, yo, this is a cool project you should look into. He buys 2.07, right? The next day, I get a couple other athletes in. Now, granted, everyone who's bought into this project has been on their own money.

Like the people have, I have close to 30 professional athletes now. Paul George is in there. Is that what Odell Beckham was wearing the other day? He has the actual punk, or the first punk. This is the expansion version. But yeah, he's got, he paid like a million dollars for that, which is insane. But anyways, we have close, like we have hockey players, basketball, baseball. And what makes it cool, it's been organic growth.

Like all the athletes, this hasn't been, we haven't been paid to market. it. We've just all bought in on our own like our own dime. So we want to work hard to make it work. Because I have all the faith and trust in the world and Jeremy who's been at Microsoft for 15 years.

Like he's going to do the best that he can to make this project work. And now I think the floor last time I checked is at like 0.3 which is $1,000 for one of them. That's the cheapest one you can buy. Damn. And in Ethereum. And it's gone up to 0.8.0.0.0.

9 the night that we had announcement, which is also a pump and dump, right? Like, we had a huge announcement that I was going to rock expansion punks on my cleats this year. First MLB player to publicly say that I'm going to rock an NFT on my cleat because I'm a nerd. And we built, it was, it was hyped up to a point where people were just trying to make a buck and then try and get out. But this project isn't, it's a long-term hold. like we have a Dow with already close to a million dollars in it like that that money is going to get dispersed somewhere you want to be around for that and um so we got pumped all the way to point nine you could sell for close to $3,300 for one of them. I have 11 by the way. Um, but it's, but I bought I got in early and put something like this. It all the other successful projects started out like this. Like they were minted for points. or Gary V sold his for like 0.5, which was on the higher end 2000, but now you can't sell one for less than 50,000 of Gary V's NFT.

Back in May, he's put out. And he's doing it right. And you just have to educate yourself to find those people who are doing it right. Because, let's be honest, not a lot of people can afford a $50,000, let alone a $300,000 expansion. You're talking about 0.2% of the population. But again, that's what makes it so exclusive, right? Like the people coming into this, like the, I guess the first project of this,

status. Okay, what am I buying into? How can I maximize a lot of people put it as their profile picture? And they're instantly viewed as status. So when you make that your profile picture on Twitter, you get... This one, not necessarily. But, like, I'm just saying there are projects like the Bored Ape Yacht Club that if he puts a tweet out,

that people are going to automatically, like, think that his words are legit, or like holds weight because he's an owner of a Bored Ape Yacht Club, which is worth X amount of dollars. Bro, you got to get you to buy a BoredApe. We got to get, we got to get Mike. Yeah, yeah. We got even that too, obviously.

Oh, we should. We should get a, like, a group of like 10 people to buy a board ape, because they're only heading up. Right now you get in the floors at like 80-Eath for a board Ate. I'm talking Britney Spears a little bit, like all these rappers, athletes, people of status own one of those. Like, I want to know so bad what they're talking about in those discords. And they have a- Oh, they give you access to a specific discord. Yes.

Oh, so that's part of it. There it is right there. Look at the floor price. So, okay, scroll down. The cheapest one is 83 Ethereum. Go to buy now. Right there on the left, buy now. And then click on the first one that has a buy now.

Right there. 83Eath, click on that. Jesus. $267,000 in ETH right now. You can get that board apiak club. Now, what am I buying? Right. So I am buying something that like a, like a stock, I believe is going to be worth way more in the next five years.

I believe so, 100%. I believe this has a chance of being a million dollars at the floor price because this is one of the very first NF successful NFTs that have came out that a lot of, this is just at the floor. There is a lot of board eight yacht clubs that have already been bought for over a million dollars. So like here, go back. This freaking bunkey is like a Lamborghini. Yeah.

go um yep and then just scroll down a few clicks scroll down scroll down scroll down well that right there right there click on that one this guy right here jumps up 278 so and it's yeah it's insane okay so i go on there i buy now i pay with ethereum yep 278000 dollars what do you do next so i just get to like what happens after that okay so I would think that there is a process of, first of all, you and your company is going to get put on every social media outlet. NFT is going to say Mike Wheeler from Audubel just bought a board ape. He's a hearing aid. Like you will be.

They're going to publish that show? Yeah. You get published. Really? Yeah. So you're going to get all that marketing. So you get crazy clout all of a sudden. sudden crazy cloud whatever because and then the community wants to know okay who is this guy or who is

this girl right that that bought this guy this guy's got money who is this guy if you have any social media you're getting followed by the whole community you're instantly put in the discord which i think what is probably really cool conversations going on who knows what they're brewing up right i i looked at uh part of their roadmap what they've got they've got an event uh three day event three or four day event coming up in New York. First night is a warehouse party. All you have to do is, if you own one of these, you have like exclusive access to parties and shit. Yes. With all these rappers, athletes and billionaire, millionaires. So you have access. You have a plus one. Hey, what's up? Like you show your wallet. You go into this party and you're

just chilling, networking, right? Like, who are you? Everyone in there wants to know each other because you're in like it's like wearing a sports jersey. Someone walking down the street is a fan. They're instantly cool to me. Dude, that's freaking cool. So no one ever explained it to me like that. So now you have a rapper that has one performing that night at the warehouse and you're just whatever you like to do you're doing. Next day they've got like a yacht party. Um, they've got a bunch of speakers that, uh, come in and talk. And then you get to not only do you own the NFT, you own the rights to the image.

So you can create like the board eight bioc clubs. You can put your, you can maximum you can he could have like hearing aids in his board ape and and and that will you own the ricewood meaning you could like print merch and sell it yeah exactly okay you yeah so you can however you want to max him you could put on your side of your jet or your car because i'm telling you this these images will in the next year will be seen by ever by everyone and you you if you owning one, I believe you're like, again. Dude, you got to get a bored, hey, bro. I want to encourage him to get one.

We should buy it right now on the pocket. Oh, man. But, you know, I will say, the people who I've talked to and have been networking with are people who have been around knowing that Ethereum and Bitcoin was going to take off. They're the ones that have had a couple thousand dollars invested in from the beginning and now have just millions of Ethereum. And they don't know really what to do with them. Besides just sitting there and hold it.

And hold it. So they could get a board ape yacht club, right? When you see a lot of these people who, like, they've been around, they can get a board eight yacht club for like 200. It's 200 bucks to them because they're playing with house money. Right. Exactly. You're basically transferring it to another.

But for me, if I'm going to educate myself on something that I'm passionate about, those are the people I would want to pick their brains and be like, how did you get in early on crypto? It's so mind-blowing. Like the last time something this confusing came out was when social, like, 1999 and 2000 when, you know, the internet was a thing and people didn't understand that you could instant. MySpace.

AIM, instant message. and like your parents were scared to put their credit card in in the website right like then now you you if you don't want to educate yourself like i believe that this is as confusing but as popular and you just look at history and you're like man like yeah that that makes sense i so that's why i just have been going down the rabbit hole and educate myself cool do you do you um do you have like a strategy like investing do you do you have a lot of of your money that you put into crypto? Like constantly?

It's funny. I started last offseason, got into heavy. I loved Pokemon growing up. Loved it. And Pokemon started becoming popular last year and the year before during COVID because everyone was sitting at home and collectibles started booming because everyone who had saved money to go on vacation because of COVID, they just had money sitting around. They're just like, you know what? I want to collect.

was me. I wanted to collect, have like a game room of stuff that I enjoyed as a kid, Pokemon cards. So last year I went on a mission to go on like Facebook marketplace and kind of trade and buy and sell Pokemon cards. Like I was trading a Brett Phillips signed baseball for like a Charzard. You know what I mean? Like that's, that's valuable. That's valuable to them. And that Charzard is valuable to me because I want to be. I want to be. You know what I mean? Like that. Oh my God. That's because I want to display it. Well, I just started getting so much Pokemon cards. I was buying them too that I had to start selling them.

And then when I made some profit, I was like, I'm going to take this profit and put it into Ethereum. So some crypto. So last offseason, like in May, I had Ethereum sitting in my Coinbase wallet will come November. When I started educating myself on NFTs, I already had a little bit of Ethereum to work with because of my Pokemon trading.

Right. And that's when I wish I would have took like 10 hours or 50 hours to educate myself before just spending it, getting in hype projects. And yeah, that's kind of, that was the background of why I got in. That's cool,

that's cool. You're straight hustling on Facebook marketplace. Hustling, you know, and I was loving, I was meeting up with kids and like their parents. They're like, we didn't believe it.

Like I would have to FaceTime like a, a 15-year-old kid who wanted, you know, $200 and a signed baseball for me. That's another thing with NFTs, right? Like part of the contract could be like, for example, if you buy this NFT, you get a signed baseball and a FaceTime with that. Yeah, the utility. I'm constantly getting asked to go on podcasts, right? Like, I physically cannot go on everyone's podcast.

But. Well, thanks for coming on mine. Yeah, of course. You know, but that's just the reality of it. I mean, so, but I could be in an, have an NFT that gave it a utility that, hey, if you own one of my NFTs, you get one podcast for me to come on your podcast once a year, no questions asked. Like that's pretty cool. Or you could get a signed jersey. Like if you're number 3,156 in the project, you're getting assigned jersey.

But for me personally, I don't have the time and effort to know to, and to, like, I know I could make an NFT success. but I'm not just going to throw out a project like all these rappers and other athletes are doing without educating themselves and without putting themselves in a position to win. And for me, like during the season, I know the foot's going to come off the gas with me educating myself on NFTs because I have to go play baseball. That's my livelihood. And this is just a hobby. And so if I were to put out an NFT, it's a full-time job. You have to be in the Discord. You have to be talking to your fans.

with me joining a project like expansion punks, I know all the back-in works getting done on behalf of me in a smart way, in a way better way that I, like putting together the Dow and stuff. But I can come in whenever I wanted to Discord and say what's up to everyone, but not feel the pressure of having to entertain my own fans who bought into my project.

Does that make sense? And that's where these athletes and rappers and people who influencers who are putting out their NFTs aren't taking into consideration. because they still have their career going on. And they're abandoning their, who I think are the most loyal fans because they took their hard-earned money and wanted to invest into that.

And next thing you know, they're not thinking about the future. That's what it comes down to. They're not. And it's going to bite them in the butt because takeoff, for instance, Migos, they put out an NFT and they've kind of abandoned. in the project. And it's, they haven't made any announcements or, you know, last time I checked, they hadn't.

But it's like, dude, just show up. Like, I know there's probably a lot of stuff going on, but you did not just sell millions of dollars worth of your NFT to your most loyal fans, not for you to come in their Discord once a day to say what's up. Yeah. Like, that's what they bought. That's a utility that you offered them. And so I know that I can't give, provide that right.

now and that's why I would never but when I do I know it's going to be and if I ever decide to I don't know if I will but it would be done properly just like I do everything else in my life right right that's cool man um bro just in like two hours and about 10 minutes that's crazy holy cow blue pie time flies dude thank you for doing this so much um tell all like the listeners and the viewers where they can find more about expansion punks and then you on social media also yeah I appreciate it. So Brett Phillips, Brett underscore Phillips should pop up on Twitter and Instagram. My wife and I, we own apparel business.

Baseball is Fun. You can find us at Baseball is Fun 35.com. It's a really cool movement that we've got going on. And then Expansion Punks is found on OpenC, which is the secondary market, which is eBay for NFTs. That's all it is. but all I ask is if you're interested in getting into NFTs, please be smart about it. Have money set aside that you do not care to see for the next year.

Because for me, it's if you don't have a ton of money and you aren't treating it like the stock market trading, you're going to screw yourself. So this is a long-term investment. And also do your research on any NFT project you are being influenced or told about. you go to Twitter, you type in what the NFT is, you find the director or the developer, I'm sorry, you put his name in, see what he's all about, and do your research before you invest into that project. I will say all my research checks out for expansion punks. I can't say that it's going to be $500,000 in a year, but I believe it's going to head in a nice direction in an organic way.

This is not financial advice, by the way. That is just strictly what I believe. And again, I have empathy for people who are like shaking their heads saying this is stupid. I don't understand. You have your opinion and I do. And we agree to disagree. And you're going to be wearing the cleats, though. I'm going to be rocking the cleats.

I'm going to be rocking this hoodie showing up to a big league stadium. It's going to get seen. And it's a project that is safe for me to promote and I'm going to stand behind it. Hell yeah, bro. I love it. No, thank you for having me on. It's really cool what you've been able to do with your career and your platform. So keep it up, man.

I appreciate you doing this for me and allowing me to shoot the breeze. Hell yeah, dude. Thank you again. And thanks, Mike for hooking it up. Yeah, Mike Wheeler from Otto Bell, my man. Goodbye, world.