Escaping the Drift with John Gafford - From the Mound to the Mob: David Riske's Journey of Perseverance

Episode Date: January 7, 2025

Former Major League Baseball relief pitcher Dave Riske joins us to share his incredible journey from the fields near Seattle to the bright lights of professional baseball. Without the advantage of early specialized training and facing skepticism from his own father, Dave's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and multifaceted athleticism. Against the odds, he turned disbelief into determination, reaching the major leagues at just 22. We explore how his upbringing and diverse sporting background shaped not only his career but also his approach to parenting two Division 1 athletes today.   Listeners will find themselves on the edge of their seats as Dave recounts an unexpected encounter with the mob while working at Hooters, highlighting life's unpredictability and the necessity of staying calm under pressure. His narrative doesn't stop at thrilling tales; it extends into the often-overlooked financial side of a sports career. Dave shares candid insights into the challenges of navigating newfound wealth and the importance of wise financial management, offering lessons that go beyond the baseball diamond.   As a father and coach, Dave offers invaluable advice on raising young athletes in today's competitive sports environment. He advocates for the benefits of playing multiple sports and emphasizes the importance of letting children enjoy their athletic journey at their own pace. From the intricacies of club sports and scholarship opportunities to the pressures of college selection, this episode covers a breadth of topics essential for aspiring athletes and their parents. Join us for an episode filled with wisdom, humor, and life lessons that resonate far beyond the world of sports.   CHAPTERS    (00:00) - Junior College Pitcher to Major Leaguer (10:00) - Road to the Majors (20:03) - Mafia Encounter and Baseball Stories (27:43) - Learning Financial Responsibility in Professional Sports (34:30) - Parenting Athletes (42:28) - Navigating Club Sports and Scholarships (50:19) - Teaching Kids Resilience and Financial Responsibility (54:30) - College Selection and Athletic Scholarships   💬 Did you enjoy this podcast episode? Tell us all about it in the comment section below!    ☑️  If you liked this video, consider subscribing to Escaping The Drift with John Gafford  ************* 💯 About John Gafford: After appearing on NBC's "The Apprentice", John relocated to the Las Vegas Valley and founded several successful companies in the real estate space.   ➡️ The Gafford Group at Simply Vegas, top 1% of all REALTORS nationwide in terms of production. Simply Vegas, a 500 agent brokerage with billions in annual sales Clear Title, a 7-figure full-service title and escrow company.   ➡️ Streamline Home Loans - An independent mortgage bank with more than 100 loan officers. The Simply Group, A national expansion vehicle partnering with large brokers across the country to vertically integrate their real estate brokerages.   *************   ✅ Follow John Gafford on social media:   Instagram ▶️ / thejohngafford   Facebook ▶️ / gafford2   🎧 Stream The Escaping The Drift Podcast with John Gafford Episode here: Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cWN80gtZ4m4wl3DqQoJmK?si=2d60fd72329d44a9 Listen On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/escaping-the-drift-with-john-gafford/id1582927283    *************   #escapingthedrift #majorleaguebaseball #davidriske #seattle #professionalbaseball #perseverance #multifacetedathletes #specializedtraining #division1athletes #parenting #financialmanagement #lifelessons #mobencounter #financialresponsibility #clubsports #scholarshipopportunities #collegeselection #athleticscholarships #resilience #generationaldifferences #prestigiousschools #hustleculture #networking

What number player were you? I was a 16th hundred and thirty fourth pick. Oh my god. In the 1996 draft. Okay, so here's you may not even know this, but is there anybody that was picked after you that had any type of a career? And now Escaping the Drift, the show designed to get you from where you are to where you want to be. I'm John Gafford and I have a knack for getting extraordinary achievers to drop their secrets to help you on a path to greatness. So stop drifting along, escape the drift and it's time to start right now. Back again, back again for another episode. Like it says in the opening, man, the podcast gets you from where you are to where you want

to be. And today, man, it's not just about getting you where you want to be. Because I got a baller in the studio today. Literal terms, baller. This is a dude. This is a cat that spent 11 years in the major leagues. One of the best relief pitchers that was ever to do it had probably the best soul patch easily in the game from back in the day.

And more importantly, I think the interesting part of a story now, and what I would want to hear as a parent, what I'm interested in, is this dude now has two kids that are playing D1 level sports. And I want to talk about how you raise a champion man today, cause this dude's got it cold.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the studio. This is Dave Risky. Dave. How's it going? What's up dude? How are you man? I don't know about one of the best relievers, but I was up there.

Hey man, no, no, but the soul patch was for sure. You had the best soul patch in baseball. I'm gonna give you that one. You know, my teammates called it the stinger. The stinger, that's what they call it. It was a magical, you know when you can pull off a soul patch, it was such a magical time. It really was just in life in general, looking back on it. Now it looks awful when you could roll down the street with literally

like a caterpillar crawling across the bottom of your lip. People thought this was stylish. It was, it was a look. It was a look for sure, man. So let's talk about you growing up, dude. Cause obviously man, you know, to reach the heights that you did play in for sure, man. So let's talk about you growing up, dude. Cause obviously, man, you know, to reach the heights that you did playing pro sports, man, or playing sports in general, there has to be a lot of going into that. So where did you grow up?

I grew up outside of Seattle, Washington. And my biggest thing was, I didn't let anybody tell me I couldn't do anything. I wasn't the biggest, strongest athlete. I was a good athlete, but I didn't have all the best tools. But I just, I always believe that if anybody says I couldn't do something, I would 100% do it. No matter if I couldn't do it, I would believe that I could do it. Where did that internal belief come from? I actually don't know. What did your folks do? My dad's worked at Boeing for like 40 years. He's a machinist or works on airplane parts or whatever.

My mom was a waitress slash restaurant manager for a whole life. See, I find that interesting because like, probably very similar to like Detroit, right? Cause I lived in Detroit for a while. And it seems like in that part of the world, it's like dad works at Ford, you go to high school, you marry your high school girlfriend,

and then you get a job right next to dad on the line. Right? Was there a similar, was that kind of with Boeing? Was that kind of the plan? No, I wanted to be nothing like my dad, to be honest. But was that, but a lot of your friends, I'm sure, is that what happened to them? Oh yeah, for sure, yeah.

So they fell into that same thing. Yes, exactly. So was it happened to them? Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah. So they fell into that same thing. Yes, exactly. So was it rebelling against that life or is it just something you just wanted more as a kid? Like what was? Kind of both. So my dad, and I always tell the story when I talk and I, and I'm obviously very humble person. I don't like to brag or do anything, but I think my story is pretty cool. My dad told me when I was 18 years old to stop playing baseball,

go get a regular job. You're not good enough, you'll never make it. Now, when that comes from your dad as a kid, that hits hard. And I usually always get emotional when I talk about this, but that made me wanna do it more than anything I've ever believed in.

It was crazy. Wow. So dad told you to hang it up at 18? Yes, 100%. When you were growing, now, because baseball is so crazy, especially here in Las Vegas. Were you one you to hang it up at 18. Yes. 100%. When you were growing now, cause baseball is so crazy, especially here in Las Vegas, were you one of those kids growing up that was like, yeah, the hitting coach when you were four, any of that shit? No, I had, I mean,

you're right. It is crazy. No, I actually give lessons too in here in town. And I had nothing. I mean, I maybe went to a couple of baseball camps, but I was always football, basketball, baseball. So I didn't have time to specialize in one sport and one thing. And I think that's the key to kids. Everyone specializes in one sport now. And I think they could become better athletes if they played multiple sports because it's different muscles sets and different all of that stuff.

When you play a different sport. So dad tells you, hang it up. It makes you want to do more. So in that moment, what was the decision making like for, for you? Like what dad said that, um, I was just, I was kind of like cocky kid. So I said, are you, are you crazy? No, I'll go fun. Cause I, I don't think he wanted to pay my junior college money, you know, pay for my tuition. So I was like, I'll find it. I'll get it paid for it. Don't worry about that. I'll figure it out. Yeah. And then I actually had division one colleges tell me I wasn't good enough to play D one baseball.

Okay. That's why I went to junior college route. Yeah. So you went to junior college. Where'd you go? Where'd you go to junior college called a green river baseball or green river community college. Sorry. Okay. Right outside of Seattle. And how long did you spend there? Two years, two years. Was it all about baseball or did you actually make it to class? It was all about, I mean, we had to go to class, but it was all based on baseball. Yeah. Just trying to get to the next level from there. So did you find a mentor there that was like, like, where was the, where's the Merlin in your, in your hero's quest? Where's the OB one Kenobi? Who was that guy?

It was my head coach there at junior college, Dan Spencer. And he's been a, he's been a coach all throughout the country now. Um, but he was for sure my mentor and really changed my life there because I was a shortstop coming out of high school and I thought there's no way I'm going to ever be a pitcher. He converted me to a pitcher there and just kind of helped me through all my parents and all my situations off the field. And I was going to transfer to another college and he was able to talk me out of it to stay there.

To stay there. And then that's where my career took off after that. What did he did he see that make him, made him think that you'd be a better pitcher than a shortstop? I always had a good arm and he always, he just, he was one of those guys that kind of pushed my buttons and I actually liked it because he was like, you're not a good hitter, you can't hit, you're too skinny, you're this, that, you know what I mean? And I just, anybody that tells me I can't do something, I kind of, it just feeds on me.

Yeah. You know what I mean? And I want to be the best I can when someone says that. Yeah. So you switched over to being a pitcher. How long did that transition take? Because that's difficult, yeah. Yes, but I did pitch a little bit in high school,

so it wasn't that big of a deal. But to become a full-time pitcher and not hit anymore, that was tough mentally. Because I was like, wait, I'm not playing a position, I'm not playing short, so I'm not hitting, this is boring. Yeah. Were you always the reliever?

No, I was a starter in college. Okay, you started in college. So that took off and then I had good results and then just stayed with it. With pitching, I imagine the mental part of it is so hard. How much of it's between the ears and how much of it's in the shoulder? With the game of baseball, it's the easiest job

because hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. Yeah. So I realized that, but just when you're a strike thrower, it's you just go up there and you just throw the baseball. And especially at that age and in junior college, I was just going up there and trying to throw strikes. But at the highest level, being a reliever, I think is the hardest job in baseball because you have to be perfect every time you go out.

You can't give up a starter's run. You can't give up your own run. You can't blow leads. Like you have to be absolutely perfect. The whole time. Yeah. Cause starters can give up runs. They can throw seven innings, give up three runs and have a great start. Yeah. A reliever can't throw an inning and give up a run and it's a good outing. It's not a good outing. It's just not that. Yeah.

So when you're in college or a starter, and then how, at what point you decided to go in the draft? After my second year, the scouts started coming around and my velocity was going up and they were starting to give me a lot of feedback. And they're like, we're gonna take you in the draft. So I committed to Texas Tech University after my second year of junior college.

So I was gonna go there. I didn't plan on signing in the draft. But then the scouts, this is another funny story. The scouts told me that I was gonna go the first or second day in the draft. The draft comes around, I don't go till day three, the 56th round. What is that? Okay. So let's talk about that, dude. Cause you see that on TV, right? You see that in the NFL draft where you see those poor bastards that make

the trip to wherever it is. And they're sitting in the green room and the phone don't ring, buddy. So what was that? I mean, and I was in no green room. Like the third day, it's just like maybe draft for favors or kind of fill roster spots. Back then, my story wouldn't even happen this year because there's, nowadays, because there's only 20 rounds. I was drafted the 56th round.

The 56th round. 56th. I mean, at that point, are they just kind of like the interns? Yeah, sometimes they do a draft and follow with the high school kids. It's like a fantasy draft at that point. Right, you're just filling them in. Yeah, we select Gandalf Sometimes they do a draft and follow with the high school kids. It's like a fan. It's like a fantasy draft at that point. Right.

You're just filling them in. Yeah. We, we select a Gandalf. Maybe he can pitch. I don't know. Right. So the fifties, what number player were you? I was a 16th hundred and thirty fourth pick. Oh my God. And the two in the 1996 draft. Okay. So here's a, you may not even know this, but is there anybody that was picked after you that had any type of a career? I don't I don't think so, but there's three of us and all and it could have changed But this is when I was playing when I got called up to big leagues in 99 They always talked about this because it's a big deal

But there's only three of us that were later than the 50th round that had ten years in the big leagues yeah, it was me Mike Piazza and Oh, I could be getting the next Jeff conine. I think I don't know if you remember that for a long time. There was literally only three of us. I mean, that's, that is insane. Yeah. And so the GM that picks you there looks like a genius. Yes. Let me go back to when I got drafted the third day, I was, I was pissed off. I was, I was like, if I don't go on the first and second

day, screw the draft. You know what I mean? I'll go play in Texas. I'll go play at Texas Tech and then hopefully get better there. And then I was sitting there going, the scouts were coming to me and they were like, you know what, we're drafting you as a favor. I think one of the scouts said, he goes, you have no shot at making it. I'm just doing it. It was a dick. And I'm sitting there going, wait, what? I'm 18 years old listening to this. And I'm like, what is going on right now? I keep having these people coming to my life

and like sit there and tell me I can't do something. Well, I ended up signing and went to spring training and I made it to the big leagues in two and a half years at 22 years old. But at 18, it's like, here's the thing, right? Like you see like- I think I just turned 19 then. But like, look, I have no frame of references

because obviously nobody's ever recruited me to too much of anything. But no, but, but you watch like Moneyball, right? When he talks about, you know, in the movie, anyway, you know, Billy Beans experience where he's like, you know, being mind fucked essentially by the scouts when he was a young kid. And that's real. That happens. Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. For sure. I mean, they just, they, I don't think,

I think he was just, the scout was just being a dick. You know what I mean? Like, I don't think, I just think he was just like, well, anyways, I got called to the big leagues and he tried to call me to say congratulations. Cause I think they get a big, uh, bonus or something if one of their players works out. And I answered the phone and he said, Hey, congratulations. This is Steve Avila. I go, don't you ever call me ever again? Click and hung up on them. Hey, congratulations. This is Steve Avila. I go, don't you ever call me ever again. Click and hung up on him. I'm done. Yeah. So dude, taking that, you know, it's funny. One of the things that I love to say is you got two choices

when things, negativity happens to you in your life, man. It can either be fuel or it can be, it can go in the trunk or it can go in the engine. For sure. You're, it's either gonna be baggage you're lugging around or you can use it as gas. Yeah. And when I was younger, it was always gas.

Yeah. Always. Always. Okay. I don't know about now, now I'm older, but. Yeah, it's like, oh, I can't do this. Yes. And when I was younger, it was always gas. Yeah. Always. Okay. I don't know. But now, now I'm older, but. Yeah. It's like, Oh, I can't do this. Okay. That's fine. Screw you. That's it. So you make it to the majors in two years in the minors. Two and a half years. What was that like? It was really hard. It was fun because you're young and you don't know anything else. And I just wanted to play professional baseball.

What was your, what was your first contract? Oh my gosh. I think, uh, Is it 12 bucks in a can of soda? Or was it $820 a month before taxes. Eight 20, eight 20 a month before taxes. Yeah. And to keep in mind, even though the soul patch was popular then this ain't that far, this ain't that long ago.

It's just not, just not a good payment. It was 1997. Holy shit. Okay. So you're making 800 bucks and what, what, what third world city are you playing? I was in Kinston, North Carolina. Okay. All right.

Which is really cool. It's God's country. Oh yeah, it was fun. Yeah. That's cool. So you're playing in Kinston, North Carolina. You stayed there the whole time. I was there for the first two years in minor leagues. And then I just went up to Akron, Ohio and then Buffalo, New York. And those are my minor league stops. Those are minor league stops. So Buffalo. And then what's the day like you get the call?

Oh my gosh. It was, I can still, it was, it was so shocking. This is a cool story too. So I was in AAA pitching very well. I'm 22 years old. There was two other guys that have been up and down in the big leagues. Oh my gosh. I wish I could remember their names, but they called all three of us in the end of the office, the manager, and he goes, I don't know what's going on, but so-and-so got hurt. One of you three are going to the big leagues tomorrow. I'm sitting there going,

how are you gonna call us in there and say, one of you, I'm 22, these guys have already been to the big leagues. You know what I mean? So I'm like, what the heck? So you guys go home or whatever and I'll just wait for a phone call. Well, at midnight, my manager called me, goes,

risky, you're going to the big leagues tomorrow, congratulations. And I just, I was freaking out. Like it was like a dream come true. And I just think I called my mom and everybody that night and then went to Anaheim the next morning. So Anaheim was who called you? No, I'm sorry. I was with Cleveland Indians and I went to Anaheim the next morning. So Anaheim was who called you? No, I'm sorry, I was with Cleveland Indians

and I went to Anaheim to play that. So that's the first major league baseball field you ever walked up to? First major league stadium I ever been in, Anaheim. So when you were in the minor leagues, just to go back just a little bit, did you have like that salty old like gristled veteran that had been to the majors

that was like, kid, let me tell you what it's like? No. Am I just dreaming this up? No, I had a ton of teammates like that. Okay, no, I was not like that at all. No, because I was so young. Well, no, no, but I'm saying you had the older guys telling you, Oh, sure. Oh, yeah, they were.

Let me take you under the wing. Yes, sure. And then the hookers, you got to look out for the hookers because they're going to try to get you. No, whatever. And some of them were jerks too, because they know that I'm trying to make it up and they're just back and forth and they're miserable.

And a lot of them had kids and were married. I'm like, what's going on here? Yeah. Oh, dude, it must be hard when you're up there and you get sent down. That's not, that's something that never really happened to you. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, didn't really happen. So you get the call, you go to Anaheim,

you're in Anaheim, you walk out on the field that first. Did you play the first night? I did not play, but my very first night in the big leagues, I was just that rookie and young kid that sat in my locker and didn't even look at anybody. I was like, I was with all the big time named name players. Yeah. Um, so I, so there's a, the youngest kid in the bullpen will always, you have to make the candy bag for the bullpen.

You have to make this certain snack bag for the whole bullpen. So I said, I'm going to make the best one. They're going to be so impressed with this day one. I make this huge bag. I didn't double bag it. So I'm walking the anthem. We stand in front of the dugout, the anthem goes off, and then I'm walking across the outfield to get to the bullpen in Anaheim.

Right about center field, the bag falls open, all the candy on the field. And David Justice comes running over because he was a left fielder he comes running over and he goes don't worry Rook I'll help you. Oh that's nice. And he helps me pick it up and I'm sitting there going I'm so embarrassed I'm running it out to the bull pit. It was good. So you literally just littered the entire field with candy your first time out. Oh man so the first night you didn't. But it's nerve-racking. Yeah I'm sure yeah I'm sure. Who was the first other than Dave Justice who was kind enough to help you finish your Halloween I guess and left field who was the first player that kind of took in the big leagues that kind of took you under

Their way there was a couple of them I don't know if you know the names but there's Mike Jackson He was a closer for a long time in the big leagues Paul shoo is another reliever and then Charles Nagy was a starter But there was there I had so many good teammates that helped me out With everything my first year. Cause I was so young. They were all like in their mid thirties. And I was like, I thought these guys were old as my dad. Yeah. Right. Sir. Everybody's hurt. Yes, sir. No, sir. Chuck Finley was so good to me. Oh my God. There were so many,

so many good teammates. Yeah. So when's the first night you get to play? It was three, three days later, I got to pitch in Cleveland because we played two games in Anaheim and then went back home and I played the third or whatever, three days later. And, uh, I came in with like a seven, one lead and my first batter, I, my legs, you could see me on video. We're shaking like, I was nervous wreck and I just couldn't even believe I'm in the major leagues. What? So, okay. I was nervous wreck, and I just couldn't even believe I'm in the major leagues

What so okay? So what does the manager say? What does he even talk to you or just just go? Yeah, they just call down like get riskies in the game and then I get that's it warmed up and I walk out We got this kid. Just here's the ball go. Yeah Yeah, huh? All right. So your legs are shaking my legs are shaking on the first pitch. I throw strike one, which is oh my gosh I'm like, yes, I get the next pitch pop up. It was Mike Bordick was my first hitter. Then my second hitter was BJ Sirhoff. He flies out the left field. And then I kind of calmed down a little bit. Then the next hitter comes walking to the plate and it's Albert Bell. And I'm like, if you remember him, oh my gosh, and I'm like, oh, I'm my legs start shaking again.

And so I ended up working to a full count and then struck him out looking and the whole place in Cleveland went crazy. And so that was my first. That was it. So now you're like, after this, I'm OK. Yeah, I'm OK. Who were the guys throughout your career that would come to the plate that you're like, oh, shit, this guy, Derek Jeter was one. Yeah. Yeah. I can't, you know,

as funny as I kept hitting him, he got to, that's, that's one way to not have a good head on game tying home run off me in New York, but all the other times, I think I walked out him out a couple of times, I think, but he always, he always saw me well. He like, he always got hits off me. And then I would throw an Osby pitch and I would hit him and I like, I hit him back to back at bats. And I'm like, we're on the bus and somebody had was talking to him on the phone or something like, let me talk to him like, Jeter, I'm not meaning to hit you. Yeah, sorry,

dude. It's my bad. But yeah, he was he was impressive. Speaking of hitting people, anybody ever charge at you on the mound? It was close. I had some close ones. Yeah. Yeah. Because I had to hit I had to hit a bunch of people on purpose. Um, I got traded from the red Sox to the white Sox and Ozzy Guion was the manager. My very first outing, one of our players gets hit and they call down and get risky up. And I'm like,

I know it cause I'm kind of seven years in then. So I knew what I was supposed to do. And, um, do they tell you that or is that just an, well it's kind of, yeah, kind of, but not really kind of unspoken. Yeah, right. You just kind of know. Yeah. You know, and the bullpen coach is like, risky, you know what you're doing.

I know exactly what I'm doing. Yeah. I'm going to be in the sky. I went in and first time pitching for the white socks, first time in the uniform, I just get traded and I got to go in and hit this guy and this dude, I forgot his name, but he was not, he was not small. And I first pitch drilled him. I got thrown out of the game and the manager and

the team loved to me. Okay, risky. Welcome to Chicago. You're gonna put in a Southside dress. Fine. It's funny. That was fun. Where was the where was your favorite place you got to play? Where was the best place? St. Louis was great. Do I love dude, I used to live those fans are great. If you know St. Louis at all, if you know the town at all, a little bit. All right. So when I lived in St. Louis,

I lived in a part of town called Soulard, which is right by the stadium. Okay. It's right where the Budweiser plan is. Oh yeah. So like when you say plant, it's not like the smokestacks and like you're talking about a brick like palace is what this place looks like. And the Clydesdales would run in front of my house every, Oh my gosh. Yeah. So I got to walk out of my house and the Clydesdales will be down the street. It was great. And we could walk to Bush stadium and dude, what a great place to watch baseball.

For visiting players. Cause I was obviously never played for them, but those fans are unbelievable. They know the game and it's, it's, it's a lot of fun playing there. I love there was a comedian once it was talking about, if you're an alcoholic, there's no worst place in the world to go to the Bush Stadium. Cause like they don't like, like seventh inning stretch is not taking me

at the ball game. It's the Budweiser theme song. Like everything is just all about the beer, which is nuts. But yeah, that was a great place. Yeah, that whole atmosphere is great. That was a great, that was a great place. I've never heard anybody say anything negative about that place.

Yeah, St. Louis? Yeah. I'm just got killed by the mob there. Well, I mean the baseball stadium, but I actually know it's a good, if you want to hear it, I always got killed by the mob in St. Louis. So here's the story, right? So this is when I'm working for Hooters of America as a young strapping 20 something year old person, which there's no better job at those days than running Hooters if you were a young strapping 20 something year old person, which there's no better job at those days than running Hooters. If you were a young strapping 20 something year old male. And, uh, anyway, so I got, I had gotten transferred, uh, from where I was in Manchester to South County, which is another store that I took over. Right. And my girlfriend at the time,

cause you couldn't work in the same store where your girlfriend had been working at South County and South County and in St. Louis is kind of notorious for a little mobbed up. Like that, like the mob is a real thing there. Right. And so, uh, this old guy, we'll just call him Jay, cause that was his name. I'm not gonna say his last name. Cause who knows he might have relatives and somehow the shit, but now this dude, Jay was old guy. It was like sixties.

Oh, we should go in every day and see my, see my girlfriend, right? Loved her. And then when I got transferred down there, she had to go to a different store. He didn't like that. Right. So he started going up to the other store where she went. He's like, God, you got to get rid of this bum, come back down. I'll take care of you, blah, blah, blah, blah. And she's telling me this old mobster, so all this shit. So I'm like, all right. It's like my first week there and I'm sitting there and I see him coming and sit

down like, Oh, okay. All right. I know this dude is, but I'm going to kind of avoid him because that's just, I figure he doesn't want to talk to me. I'm just going to be, we'll do my job. So I'm doing my job and he, uh, he sits down and I walk by him at some point, and he grabs me by the arm, like fucking grabs me. Like not like, excuse me, but like man handles a little bit. And I'm like, whoa.

And I look over and he's like, fuck, I've been here, I've been here for an hour, you don't stop by and say hello to me, you show me no respect, you disrespect me like this, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, whoa. I'm like, Jay, I'm really sorry. I was under the impression you want to talk to me. I was just trying to give you some space and do your thing. Right. I'm just trying to just do my job here. No disrespect. Right. I was just trying to be nice. So I get out of that

and I go in the back and the restaurant was like a V shaped, right. With the kitchen was in the middle and then the restaurant with this way and then with this way and the doors over here. Yeah. So in the kitchen's here in the middle, like kind of baseball field, right. So kitchen was in the middle and then the restaurant with this way and then with this way and the doors over here. Yeah. So in the kitchen's here in the middle, like I got baseball field, right? So I'm in the office and I come out of the office and I walk into the kitchen. I look up and now his sons are in the restaurant, right? Like four of them. And these are dudes that let's just say they don't care about going to jail. And they do. That's like six o'clock on a Tuesday. This is not like midnight. It's like families in the restaurant, like little kids coloring on

eating hamburgers or whatever. And these dudes lose their shit. And they start going, you disrespect our father, disrespect our father, we're gonna stick your fucking head in the fire. And they start coming. Right? And I'm like, Oh my god, so I'm in the middle of the kitchen between two dudes. And luckily that my cooks were there were bouncers are huge dudes or bouncers part time at a bar in the land of the kitchen between two dudes and luckily that my cooks were there were bouncer So huge dudes or bouncers part-time at a bar in the land of boomers. So they were huge So they were kind of protecting I'm standing in the middle of them and these dudes are coming into the kitchen

And I'm like like throwing pictures at me and like we'll just take your fuck I'm like and I'm so I could say was call 9-1-1 call 9-1-1 The cops show up load all of them up and take them away. I call my boss who is from St. Louis and very aware of who these people were. And I said, she goes, I said, this just happened. And she's like, you can't go back to the restaurant. She's like, I'll call you back.

Dude, they moved me to Atlanta the next day. Holy. They're like, no, no, no, no, no. My boss called like our boss and was like, you don't understand no, no, no, no, no. My boss called, like our boss, and was like, you don't understand. Like this is not, this is real. This dude cannot stay in St. Louis. He's gotta go tomorrow.

And I moved to St., I moved to Atlanta the next day. Oh my God. It was wild. So yeah, almost got killed by the mafia in St. Louis. Never heard, never heard anything since then. No, not till now. And somebody says this,

you know that fucking hoot who this guy I heard his podcast I heard the podcast. I know where he's at. No, no. Yeah, that's a part of wilder days, but Segway into nowhere so When you were played in the major leagues Was there anybody that you just I mean they just would come to the plate You're like this dude like like I'm going to stick it right at this dude's crawl. Like, like did well against or just didn't like, so I want to get him out.

You were like this guy, here comes this guy. Yeah, there was probably a, there was probably a few of them. Yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to think of names right now and I'm kind of blanking, but there were some players that just didn't play the game the correct way or the way I liked. So you just, you want to get those players out so bad. Yeah.

So bad. And I just, I can't think of the names right now. Who was the best teammate ever? Ooh, um, probably CC's, the Bathia. Um, I mean, I had so many good ones. Bob Wickman was a good one. What made, what made them a good teammate? I mean, we just get along good, you know what I mean, I had so many good ones. Bob Wickman was a good one. What made him a good teammate? I mean, we just get along good, you know what I mean?

And go out, everything off the field, hang out together, have the same likes or whatever, and it just got along with them good. Just got along. Yeah, one of my best friends still today is Ryan Dries. He was a teammate of mine in Cleveland, and we still talk every day. What was it like when you'd get the,

so like you'd get settled in a place. What's it like to get the call? I mean, look, unless the mafia is killing you you have to go. Was there a time when you got that call and you were like ah man I don't want to do that but you got to do it anyway? Oh to go into the game? No when you get traded. Oh yes yes but from Boston I didn't love Boston when I played for them because I was hurt and I didn't play a lot there the first like three months. So I didn't get to know my teammates very well there. So I didn't mind that trade. So you went from, let's see, you started with the,

no Cleveland, Indians. Got traded to the Red Sox. The Red Sox. Then traded to the White Sox. And then signed as a free agent with the Royals and a free agent with the Brewers. So that was your choice to go there. Yes.

What was it about those two, those teams that you want to play? Um, my wife at the time was born and raised in Kansas City and her whole family lived there. So we got a house there and that was a great year. What'd you think of Kansas City? I loved it. Did you?

I loved it because we, we knew everybody there. Yeah. Okay. You know what I mean? And outside and like blue Springs and Lee summit. It's, it's really nice there. I re especially cause I had young kids at the time. Yeah. It's gotta be tough, you know, cause I did it to a certain extent. Right.

And I'm curious what your experience was with it. It's different cause you're famous and you're a ball player and everybody wants to be close to you and be friends with you and all that shit. But how do you reconcile? Like you constantly move into a new place and then all of a sudden, like all these people are coming at you and you're like, uh, how do you disseminate? How would you disseminate like who's real and who's just hanging out? Cause I play ball.

Right. It's that's a tough, it's a tough question because usually like I want everyone to know that I'm normal and we all, we want people to think that we're normal, but there are fans out there that just kind of just wear you down and just want a picture with you nonstop or whatever it is. But it was really cool in Kansas City because we had so much help around us and we had little kids.

And I just, I was always told, I was always that family man first. So I didn't have a problem with it at all there. Okay, cool. Was there a time when like, cause obviously you go from dads at Boeing on the line, a mom's a waitress too. I mean, you know, you start making some pretty good money

really quickly. So what was the, so what was the mind, what was the mind shift like of you go from no success, like financially, like struggling, probably not struggling, probably medical middle class. Oh, big time struggling. Struggling, okay, struggling. $800 a month.

Okay, $800 a month, right, right. To being a multimillionaire, right? So obviously you've done very well long-term. You're not, you know, you're not hawking, not aggressive and feeling forward. So what was that like and how did you set yourself up to make sure that you were never going to be broke? Um, well, I growing up, we were, I was poor. Yeah. Like my dad, my mom and dad got divorced. So my dad was on his own for awhile. Right.

So I was just with my mom and I had two other brothers and she was a waitress and she was just bringing home tips for us. And we went from apartment to apartment. And then my dad came back in a picture, like my senior year in high school or whatever. So it was really just my mom raising us off her tips. So we had no money. Um, so I just, I'd always stuck with sports and that's what

helped me through my childhood. But then once I got to the big league, I started making this money. It was like, Oh my gosh, like it's, I remember taking a picture of my first check and I'm like, what is this? This is two week check. Just freaking out. But I had a problem like we all do. Like when she get into money, like you want to buy stuff, shit that you never thought you could get, know, I mean, but I did you how long how long of that period of just buy dumb shit. Did you go through? Probably until I got married. Okay. Yeah, that's when the wife was like, yeah probably For a couple years. Yeah, I probably did I bought a lot of dumb shit. What was the dumbest thing you bought? I mean I'm a big-time shoe collector. So I probably overpaid for some shoes

Like who knows what I paid for shoes. Just something stupid. Yeah. And then cars, I always went through cars and stuff like that. Yeah. Just, just appreciating. I sounds like crazy. Did somebody at some point grab you and say, Hey Risky, like, Hey man,

we got to get a plan for some of this. And yeah, cause you don't want to be broke two years out of the majors. Yeah. So the big thing with baseball players and probably basketball football, professional athletes, there's always agents like I have an, I had an agent, I still have an agent agent and a financial advisor. Those are the two guys that athletes always get. So somebody of them wind up broke. If they did,

they just not listen to these guys. They don't listen to them because they, you know, they'll call their financial guy and be like, this is my money. No, send it to me. I need it. And they're like, you know, and I've always been my, my guy is great. Like I still have him to today. Um, he always drives in a slow lane, which is good for me. You know what I mean? But I, I could make more money if I moved over a lane, but I just stay in the slow lane and just kind of live my life.

Yeah. Um, yeah, but here's the thing you'll want for nothing. Your kids will want for nothing for the rest of their lives. It's, it's fine. Right. For sure. Yeah. But we always have those two guys guys agent and financial guys that always help us players out and you just gotta Hopefully you pick the right ones who was the worst dude you were ever around with money Like you just knew like bro, this guy's gonna be like five seconds from now. Just how they lived. Oh my gosh

You don't have to name names. Just tell me a terrible story. When you were like, bro, what are you doing? I just remember a rug. I remember a rookie just got called up to the big leagues and I had like five or six years in and it was his first time in the big leagues. And like the week, our first road trip, he went out and bought, I think he went to the Gucci Louis Vuitton store and just bought everything. And we're sitting there going, he hasn't even got paid yet. And he gets like, if you don't pitch good,

you're getting set right back down. Like you're not on a multimillion contract that's guaranteed. This guy was just rookie, like just got caught up on nothing. Even though it was like 200,000 a year, but it's all prorated. Like you don't make $200,000 right as soon as you get to the big leagues.

No, it's what you get paid every week you're there. Yeah, and we were just like, what are you doing? That Rolex, but he went out and bought everything. And I'm sure he put it on a credit card. Yeah. Did he stay? I think you stayed about four or five years in a big place. Okay, good. That's fine. At least I don't think he made a ton of money, but he got to pay off the credit card. He said first of all, you know, the biggest problem is, and I hate saying this, the bigger problem is really not the lot of times it's the girlfriends or the wives

that come in and take over. Yeah, I was like, there was something funny. I said it to one of my buddies yesterday. Someone was like, it was a meme on Instagram or whatever. And it was just this chick. And she said, me getting ready to tell my husband that somebody, or me telling my husband that some dude flirted with me at the restaurant

and he just shows a text message for this says, yeah, show him last month's credit card bill. I'll never talk to you again. That's so true. Well, what's worse too, man, is just, you know, the people you came up with, there's this obligation among so many people to financially take care of way too many people. Right. Way too many people with that.

That's just terrible. The entourage, they have. Yeah. Yeah. That's 100%. You see, which is terrible. The entourage, they have. Yeah. Yeah. That's 100%. You see that all the time. All the time. If you could go back and give,

let's call him 22 year old, just up to the big league, Dave Risky, some advice. Now your old grizzled Dave Risky, sans soul patch. What would you say to, what would you tell young Dave Risky? I would tell him 100%, you gotta to be more smarter with your money. Way smarter as far as not buying the dumb shit.

You know what I mean? And going through all the houses and all this. But once you, once you sign a big contract, you're just like, you want to do that one time. Like you want to get the big house. You want to get the cool cars and whatever. You know what I mean? But I don't know.

It's just that we don't really think about the future when you're there. It's so funny. I had a conversation with a buddy of mine was in town this weekend that I was out with all weekend that just sold his company for $128 million. I mean, it's massive clip. Right. And this is a dude that was a dishwasher 11 years ago. Oh my God.

Literally washing dishes in a restaurant 11 years ago. So I was coming from around 20,000. Oh my gosh. Literally washing dishes in a restaurant 11 years ago. So I was coming from around 20, my great story. Yeah. But we're talking about, you know, I'm just like, you're going to go, he's going to go, what are you going to do? Right? Cause like, I just, you know, my big question was cause he came to Vegas and I said, how much you gonna play? You're like, what, what do you play now? Right. I mean, how much, cause you know, gambling is only kind of fun. If it really kind of matters a little bit, right. I mean, how much, cause you know, gambling is only kind of fun if it really kind of matters a

little bit, right? It's kind of, and he's like, no, I'm just going to play 25 bucks a hand. That's it. And that's, and he did dude. And he did, that's all he played. And it was funny, but we were talking about all the stuff, you know, the, the Gucci, the Rolex, all that shit. And he's like, well, who's that for? It's not for me. I don't get a shit. You know, it's funny. Like, like, you know, my buddy, Bradley said, you know, it's, it's, you know, I don't wear a Rolex to tell me what time it said, I don't wear a Rolex to tell me what time it is,

I wear a Rolex to tell you what time it is. Oh my gosh, I love that. I just heard that saying somewhere else. Yeah, and at some point though, when you get enough money, you don't need to tell anybody else what time it is because you just don't give a shit anymore. For sure.

Which is funny. So let's move on, man, because look, you had a great career in the majors and it was a very impressive career to be there that long, especially when you're starting from like, I mean, you were beyond Mr. Relevant. You were literally in the intern draft. Oh, 100%.

Like, what do you guys think? I don't know, ask mom. Mom, risky? I mean, yeah, risky, it's a risk. I like it, okay, yeah, risky, but you know, more with, yeah, it's crazy risk. I like it. Okay. Yeah. Risky. Breaking up more sure with the cats crazy. But you now have taken, I've gone the other way. Cause like going from having dad that, you know,

discouraged you and discourage your dreams. You now have two kids playing D1 baseball at very prestigious schools. Are good spots. Are still D1s? No. Both of them are still there. Both of them still, yeah.

Okay, I can't remember the other one who only went in the draft or not. Okay, so let's talk about that. So you get your sons. Did you always want them to, like, did you always want to play baseball? Did you let them choose that path? Like, how did that work out?

When I retired in, when I retired, 2011, 2012, somewhere in there, I started them, I started a club ball baseball team around town right away. And I feel like I did it at a too early of an age for them, but yes, I wanted them to play baseball. I wanted them to play all sports, which they did. Um, but if I could go back and change something, I wish I could have,

I wasn't so hard on them or some people say that's what made them better. But I was, I was, I was a very competitive, hard dad with them. Or some people say that's what made them better. I was a very competitive, hard dad with them. And to go back, I wanted kids right away when I was young because I wanted my kids to be able to come into the clubhouse and see what I did. So luckily, and I was blessed that my boys got to come in the clubhouse at like five and seven years old. So they got to see what I did, but my daughter didn't get to. But once I had them or whatever, once we were growing up in that, where I thought they were pretty good,

I pushed them a little, I pushed them really hard. So for all of the people, so I guess the question becomes, how do you know? Cause like, again, baseball is crazy here. My son played all sports as well in Vegas and baseball in particular in Vegas was crazy. It's really crazy. It's really like when he's like five people, like who's his hitting coach? I'm like, he's five. Right. Like, like at this point we're on operation. Don't look like a jackass is my main

objective out here. That's, that's about it. But it's that serious out here. So at what point do you think, like if I'm talking to other parents out there, where do you cross the line of lunacy? Like what skillsets are you looking for where you're like, okay, this kid can maybe play. I mean, as somebody that was a coach of a club team, like we all know that everybody thinks their kid's

better than they are. I was just going to mention that. I don't think you need to mention that. I think everybody knows that. So how do you, but how do you really know is a good, is the question. I think the best thing you could do is wait to have an opinion until they're in eighth or ninth grade.

Cause that's when it all starts. I think the biggest mistake parents make is at, like you said, five, six years old, they think their kids are the next Babe Ruth or whoever you want to say, Bryce Harper. They, they think they're so good. So that, so they get convinced that they need a pitching coach, a hitting coach, an infield coach and all these coaches and nothing against the coaches. Like they're making a living, you know, teaching baseball,

which I think is great. But I wish the parents would settle down just a little bit. My kids had to go through growing up. They had to go through there. Yeah, I was a major leaguer. So these kids better be great. They better be perfect. They walked in with a high bit. My kids had to go through, growing up, they had to go through their, yeah, I was a major leaguer, so these kids better be great, they better be perfect. They walked in with high expectation. Yeah, you know what I mean? And that's another thing.

I didn't like that feeling. I didn't want my kids to feel that way. But these parents, if they just kind of settle down for a minute and just let the kids, because everybody develops at different ages. Everybody gets bigger and stronger at different ages. You know what I mean?

And just because your kid's big at 10 years old and hitting home runs, that doesn't mean he's making it to the big leagues. It's a 1%, maybe less than 1% chance making it to the big leagues. Well, let's be honest. And somebody needs to hear this,

but if your kid is the 10 year old hitting home runs, he's probably gonna be the super fat kid. He's 18. Can we agree with that? Can we agree statistically that's normally where that lands? He's the super fat kid. Yeah, you can't run to first base and just bigger and stronger than

everybody at that age. Right? He just happened to be bigger and fat, bigger, smarter. So step one, don't have an opinion to tell it their ninth grade. I like that. Just enjoy your kids. Enjoy your kids. Be a cheerleader on the side. You know what I mean? Just be a cheerleader of your kids and just enjoy them. And if they love it, I mean, I've got friends that their kids are so good at a sport at 10 years old and that's all they wanna do.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, you're letting the kid guide that too. For sure, yeah. You can't pressure them into playing because you love the sport. Yeah, dude, it's so, I can remember Mike, my son playing sports as a small, small kid. And it was always like, you know,

soccer was always like the vibrating football sets. It was just like a mob of little four-year-olds chasing the ball around, but it was always funny, right? Like I can remember that the beast on our team was this Samoan girl named Chloe, like at four. If Chloe showed up, we were gonna have a good day because she'd just run over everybody. It was great, right?

And then like, that was always good. Football was kind of a little bit of a hodgepodge, but dude, go into like those, the first year of kid pitch baseball, that's long. Oh my gosh. So long. So long. All day. You're like, and even then here in Vegas,

she had kids with $500 bats. It's like, bro, you're going to see three good pitches. It's exhausting watching, especially someone that knows the game too. And're going oh my gosh all 12 all 14 It's a long day So step one wait till there is kind of any type of opinion So let's say now you got a kid that you think is pretty good. What makes a kid pretty good But if you just had to say now granted each positions a little different

I would think that there's some underlying theme amongst all of these kids. What makes a kid look pretty? I would just look at how athletic they are. So no matter what position they're playing or even what sport they're playing, you can see a kid and see, oh, he's athletic. His movements are different than all these other kids. That's how I always tell. And obviously I'm looking for certain things on the baseball field, but just the way he they move and use their hand-eye coordination all this stuff

You can tell when someone's more advanced than other kids Now there are there are a bunch of facilities here in town that teach that literally that's all they specialize in is movement for all sports There I think there's so many in town. Yeah, I think Like how to run better how to jump I think yeah, there's one called my buddy runs it is called game changers Yeah, yeah, I think that's what it how to run better, how to jump. I think, yeah, there's one called my buddy runs it. It's called game changers. Yeah. I think that's what it was. And, uh, and yeah, dude, I mean, so if they, if they move well and you, you can see that they're athletic. I think if, if, like, if there's an athletic kid, no matter what sport it is,

I think you can make them or not make them, you, they could be good at it. If they're athletic, it's just the non-athletes that the kids that are running and falling like you're just like, I don't know. Yeah. Stay in school, buddy. Keep studying. You know, many times I went home and I was coaching club bar, little league or whatever I was in. I was like, man, I just wish they would pick a different sport. Yeah. Maybe this is it for you. And baseball is boring. I'm not going to lie. Baseball is boring. I love the, I love those videos of the guy that walks out to the Little League Mound,

I'm sure you've seen the coach. Oh, it's so good. And he's like, are you sure you're not left-handed? That is, I mean, that video, I have no idea exactly what you're talking about. That is so good. Can you no mas, more? I think you said one time,

why does your parents let you play this game? Exactly. Oh man. So, but doing that, let me ask you this. Cause like the club ball versus traditional literally great. What is the advantage of the club ball versus cause dude, that stuff. And we played club lacrosse and it was all encompassing. Yeah. I mean, it was just, it was every day, every week and every something.

Is that good for a kid? I don't think so. And I, and I had my it was just, it was every day, every week and every something. Is that good for a kid? I don't think so. And I had my kids do it, but we didn't do it all the time. It was like maybe one tournament a month, which is still a lot. But playing club ball and spending all that, we always joke about me and my buddies,

we're like, all the money we spent on club ball and all these parents that spent on club ball could have paid for college. You know what I mean? You could have paid for it. You could have parents that spent on club ball could have paid for college. Yeah. I mean, you could go to college anywhere. You could have paid for it. The thing I find so interesting about so much of those club sports is they're really all star teams and if you're playing a sport and I don't know how much of this baseball plays into, cause a lot of it is really

an individual, you know, being good at your individual position, being able to play in that, but you know, my experience with lacrosse was, it was funny, you know, my son came up on that eighth grade, you know, it was a rec team, but we played club tournaments. And these were kids that played together all the time. It started playing when they were very young coming up. And we would go to these all-star tournaments

and just house these teams of the best kids from Washington state, the best kids from Washington state, the best kids from California. And they're like, this is a rec team? And you're like, yeah, but they just play together all the time, every day. They don't play on eight different teams with nine different guys.

So they know what they're gonna do is that continuity, I think was a lot of it. So club ball, not necessary. I'm not against it, but I'm just a little there's just too much. Like I've heard some parents tell me they play. So I go, why do you play so many games? Those human body, like especially throwing a baseball, you're not supposed to throw a baseball every day.

It's just not how it works. Um, injuries come and play with that or whatever. And they said, well, we're afraid that our kid little Johnny or whatever is going to be behind if we don't play as much. I'm like, what do you mean behind? You know what I mean? So these parents are so worried that they're not playing every single weekend.

So they'll jump to teams and go to not even play with it. If their team's not playing, they'll go to play for another team because they feel like the more they play, the better they'll get. And that's not true. It's not true at all. Well, if you've ever seen me play golf,

you know that that's not true. Same with me. Yeah, which you have. You can be true at all. Well, if you've ever seen me play golf, you know that that's not true. What you have. You can be a 10 day layoff, man. I'm going to smoke it. And baseball and throwing a baseball, there's nothing better than rest. Yeah. The rest and go play, like I say, go play another sport. Yeah. Go play rec basketball just for fun as a kid. And because you're developing a whole other, oh my gosh, you're developing so much more. Well, it's funny. There was that story like when Michael Jordan went from playing a basketball to playing baseball,

his trainer was like, we have to train completely different because we have an entirely different set of muscle groups. We have to, we have to work on that. You just, that are dormant with what you do now. And so yeah, that's probably true. So when you get to high school, right? How important is the selection of the high school team? How important is that? This is as far as getting scholarships. I mean, how important is it to make sure your kid is selection of the high school team? How important is that? This is as far as getting scholarships. I mean, how important is it to make sure your kid is on the right high school

team? Um, so I've been on both sides, parent and a coach in high school. So I'm kind of in the middle of all of it. So I've always tended to want my kids to go to a better team or where there's better players, even elite players. Because I think if my kids are not elite, I think they're good. They could get better. I was always against going to a high school where they're terrible. And then you being the best player on the team. Yeah, I don't, I don't get any better. I don't think you can get better that way.

But so many people play summer ball and summer ball is very important because that's when you get seen by all these College coaches high school is not even that important. It is. I love high school baseball It is but the college coaches cannot go and and see them play in high school because they're working right? So that's the tough part So summer summer ball is you get looked at and you get recruited way harder in the summer So where summer ball how do people get their kids into that? There's there's so many different teams, especially in, in town here. Oh my gosh. There's so many different teams. And then like my kids would travel outside of state and they go play in Arizona for a team. They go play in Ohio for a team,

Utah for a team, and they would just travel that way. So how did you get them connected with those teams? Well, it's almost like these summer ball teams coaches, they like call, they kind of recruit. Okay. So they'll, they'll know if somebody, they'll see video of somebody or seen ball teams coaches, they like call, they kind of recruit. So they'll, they'll know if somebody other see video, somebody or seen them play before and they'll call, they'll call me and like, Hey, can your son play, play for us this summer? And they kind of reach out. Let's say you live in a weird sort of place like a SAS, cash, Chitune, Canada, whatever. Right. Do you just send stuff out to these guys? Yeah. Nowadays there's so much video out there. So now you just send your video or you just make calls

if you wanna come in the States and play or whatever. But my kids played a lot of Canadian teams that would come over and play. Did they? Yeah. Okay, so let's talk about now you got a point. So you're playing summer ball, which is where you really get noticed. That's where stuff starts to happen.

Yes, but I think high school baseball is great and you can still get noticed a lot of pro scouts Go to the high school baseball if there's a kid that they're there looking right looking at word gets out pretty quick It does that exceptional for sure. Yes, like because again, I think I think for most people I think I think that that that dad who was about getting the hitching hitting coach for the five-year-old I think it's not necessarily his goal right away is to get that kid drafted out of high school into the majors. He's trying to get him into college.

I think that's what most of us, his good parents want for our kids is for them to get into a good school. And I would hope that parents would, their first option should be like, let the kid enjoy the sport. You know what I mean? Don't force it on him.

Because that's, it actually happened to me. My oldest son was, and I can say this now because he's in college and he's a pitcher, but shortstop wise and defensively was unbelievable. And I would never say this out loud to him and let him hear this. You know, I mean, this is the kind of dad I was, but coaches from around town, defensively, he was unbelievable. What he didn't hit. He didn't, he didn't like to hit.

He didn't want to get better at hitting. He was just not very good hitter. So he became a pitcher. Can't play shortstop. No, right. So he became it. And now he's pitching in college right now. But I'm just like, I just, you know what I mean?

You just can't. And he actually stopped liking baseball. I think he took baseball off from nine to 12 or nine to, nine to 11. He's like, dad, I don't want to play baseball anymore. So I felt like I almost like got him to hate the sport. Did what was that like? Oh, it was I was crushed. Absolutely crushed.

And that was my biggest fear, like me pushing them too hard in the sport and then them not wanting to play. But after the fact, and even with my younger son, I was just like, you guys can do whatever you want. I'm just saying about what I think is Bill Burr said. It's like you want to push your kids like Michael Jackson. You want to push them just far enough to get the Thriller album, but not so far that they malice.

It's like, you just, there's a line you got to have right there somewhere. If I wanted them to be tough, you know what I mean? And, and competitive and tough. Yeah. And they are, but I just, I did, it was a little overboard with my oldest son. What, what, what it tell me about a

Conversation you would have one of your kids. I mean 1112 that's kid right stuff I'm talking about tell me that conversation at 17 18 when they're like dad. I think I might want to quit What's the conversation like? I well they I didn't get that but okay, that would be awful Like I don't I don't even know how I would respond to that because baseball was my life That's all I it's all I know is baseball. You know what I mean? So, and knowing all the attention they were getting from all these schools and pro scouts and all, they were getting a ton of attention.

So I was just sitting there going, you got, and I tried to push them harder once all that came in. But they never, at that age, I was hoping that didn't happen. At what point did it click for them and they wanted to get a D1 scholarship? Kids, you know, it's funny, as kids at that age, they just, results. If they have good results, they love it.

And then my oldest was like, if he doesn't have results, he hated the sport. He hated baseball if he doesn't have good results. And that basically, if you're playing baseball, it's a game of failure. It's all about, you know what I mean, results. Dude, it, you know, it's so funny. And that's why, that's why sports are so great for kids. You know, if your kids aren't playing sports, even if they have no gift whatsoever, get them in something. Because if, you know, I listened to, you know, I speak a lot. I'm out there to do these things. And, you know, there's other speakers and they have these horrendous, terrible stories, these backstories.

I don't have that shit, right? My kids will never have this horrendous, didn't know where the next meal was coming from story. So as parents, we've got to set them up for life because life is going to present them with some adversity. And I think sports is the best manufactured adversity you can give your kids. And it's so true. And it's like, literally, my son yesterday was talking about something that he does for me here. He works here at the company and something he does that does involve some failure, right? It involves some rejection. You know, people do slam the door in his face a little bit for something at certain task.

Yes. And he said, man, I just don't know if I'm cut out for that. And I said, dude, that's, that's adversity that you need to lean into that. The heart is, is where you need to lean because eventually it will get easier. And I said, how many times have you heard me say this? When I'll, I'll just literally say, I'm not leaving today until I get one win. I just need one win today. That means that literally everything else I touched today did not go my way,

but I'm going to stay. I'm not getting out of this chair until I get a win. Right. Right. Cause that, that that's, that's how you overcome adversity. And I think through sports, I think it's such a good plan for kids to, to learn that. And it's so great that your kids never got to a point as young adults, right. Where they said where it was like the adversity was so great that they wanted to

walk away from it. Right. Yeah. I was, I was, I always thought about that if that happened too, but it didn't happen. Thank God. But I always thought about then how I would react to that. Um, but going back to that, I think I heard this from Michael Jordan one time and he was like, you know, the old saying, there's no I in team, but I think Michael Jordan said something like there's no I in team, but there's an eye and win. it? And there's a me. Yeah. So if he works harder, they're going to win. No, no, no. I just, I just think kids in today and not to stereotype all kids or whatever, but I think kids today are just a little bit softer when it comes to sports. I think they're softer at

everything or maybe everything. Yeah. I understand, dude. Let me look, kids today will never understand the pain of your father saying, you got to go do something in the yard on Saturday morning, when that's the only time you had to watch cartoons. Like, if I miss this, I'm done for a week. I can't pull it up on demand. You know, dude, I walk in yesterday,

my daughter's got door dash. What are you doing? Like, why are you door dashing? Like, go to the store. Why are you door dashing? It's crazy. My boys, too, they won't make food for themselves. It's just insanity. You know, I mean they want it made for them. And I'm like,

you guys are so spoiled. But again, that was partly my fault too. Forgive them. That was another thing to go back. Like I had nothing growing up. So like once I had kids, like I wanted them to get everything I didn't have, you know, and sometimes I can bite you in the butt, dude, for sure. And I think, you know, that's always my biggest concern too, and I tell people everybody comes through here. It's hyper wealthy I'm always like, okay Tell me how to not raise worthless kids because that is my biggest my dude Yes, my biggest fear in life is not dying. It's not anything else

It's raising worthless kid and I think we're doing a really good job man. My kids my kids are awesome But at the same time yeah, dude, you want them to just be like Hey, we're gonna fly to you know You know for yourself sometimes yeah, but like not everybody just be like, Hey, we're going to fly to, you know, you know, for yourself sometimes, like not everybody. It gets to fly on Emirates first class to Paris when they're 14. That doesn't always happen. And so what I do, what I do is when we do shit like that is I always make sure I tell them exactly how much everything costs. You know,

one of my favorite thing conversations we ever had was at some point, you know, my son was like 13 and I guess he was just trying to be grounded or whatever he was trying to be. And he's like, you know, I don't need a big giant house like this. I really, you don't, you don't need a big giant. No, I just, this is a lot of house. I don't like, when I'm, when I'm grown, I just want a house like our old house. I said, really our old house. Okay. So let's pull it up and see what it just sold for.

Our old house is just sold for like 1.1 million. I'm like, you're gonna need a minimum salary of $187,000 to afford that house on a 40% DTI. How's that working out for you? Teach? And he's like, what? I'm like, yeah, no. This is how much the world costs.

Oh, I know, yeah. It's how much the world costs. So the offers start coming in for folks. How do you guide your sons through that process? Cause I mean, obviously now it's a whole new thing with NIL and all this other stuff. I mean, how do you guide your sons through that process? How much input did you have on the offers that they got dealing with the coaches? How much input did you have?

I had a lot of input with it. Um, obviously I'm respected more cause I was in the game, right? By this, by these baseball coaches. So I had a lot of input with it. Obviously I'm respected more because I was in the game, right? By this by these baseball coaches. So I had a lot of input with it. My I think the biggest mistake some parents and some kids make picking a college is sometimes they just want to pick that big name.

Oh, I'm going to USC. Oh, I'm going to use it. Whatever, whatever big college. And sometimes I can come back and bite you in the butt because there's all they're getting the best of the best, whatever big college. And sometimes that can come back and bite you in the butt because. There's a, they're getting the best of the best at these big colleges. Um, and then you, you hear about the kid going through three or four years of college and never really played.

Yeah. Um, and they can be released in college now, you know what I mean? And they could be, you're not going to play. So miles of transfer out. And that's why the portal where the portal comes in. But I would say, pick a place where you have the best chance to play. And obviously it's all about results and how you develop and what you do once you get there. Yeah. I mean, not saying you can't play at these

big colleges. Um, but you're also trying to get an education in case, cause I mean, like I said, it doesn't happen for everybody. Right. I even told my boys that you guys are good, but the percentage of you making it is not good. I will never say you can't do it. I want, you know, I don't never. Unless you're going to put it in the field. Yeah, right. But the percentage of making it is not good.

And I was just telling my oldest son, I think I was telling both my sons the other day, I was like, nobody in my family on my side has a college degree. I go, Peyton, my oldest, he's a junior now at University of Utah. I go, you could be the first one to have a college degree. I go, Peyton, my oldest, he's a junior now at University of Utah. I go, you could be the first one to have a college degree. Like, who cares about baseball?

Who cares about baseball? Just like- If that happens, you gotta show up at his commencement like wearing overalls and no shirt, like, you're the first one to get a degree! Daddy's proud of you, boy! Proud of you! Back in the holler.

So anyways, I try to always preach that to them, like get that college degree. Yeah, dude, it's funny, man. I think that's, you gotta have the fall back there. Even though these days, it's- It is different now. Well, there's such the argument, bro, and I hate it because you got all the,

the internet hustle culture, right? Which I'm all about, dude. You don't wanna hustle, that's fine. But I hate these dudes. And there's this whole, this whole tribe of influencers through the hustle culture. They're just colleges stupid, you know, don't go college is a waste of money. You need to get in the hustle, blah, blah, blah.

And none of these assholes have college degrees. No. Yeah. So dude, it's like, like you can tell me something stupid if you've done it. Right. Right. But if you've never done it and you're just trying to justify your existence, right. Because you haven't done it. That's fine. Like I didn't graduate in college. You know, I went to college and I quit cause I felt the institution had nothing further to offer me for what I was studying. And, but, but at the same time, you know, I would never tell anybody that's stupid, right? Right. Cause I,

I don't, I didn't finish it. I don't know. So, and I think college is such a good place to learn how to be an adult, if nothing else. For sure. Great, my son. Four years of growing up. Yeah.

Like you could make a lot of money and not have a college degree, obviously. Oh sure. Of course you can, but to have that college degree, and I always tell my boys too, like you're playing baseball and you're getting it paid for, like why would you not want to go to college? You know what I mean? Like, and you're,

like you said you're developing and growing up for those four years. Well, unlike that, you know, you've got one son at Utah and the other one's at USC. Right? Dude, those connections that he's making at USC. That's what we always talk about. That is worth its weight in gold. That dude, for those of you who listen to us on the East coast, you gotta understand USC is like the financial mafia on the East coast, you gotta understand USC is like the financial mafia on the West coast.

It really is. Those folks all run together and they are, it is a fraternity of sorts. Yes, for sure. So yeah. I mean, like, honestly, like you, your business here, like if you went to USC and my kid, you didn't know him, he came in and did a job interview with you

and said he went to USC, is that not a big deal? Yeah, he's in. Oh yeah, you're in. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, we're going to see, taking Hayden, we're going, we're doing all the California schools in two weeks. We're gonna do UCLA, USC, Stanford in three days.

Oh, that's awesome. Of those schools, because those are the three he's narrowed down to. Those are all great schools. Yeah, he's narrowed down to on California. So obviously not athletic scholarship. We don't have that, we didn't get that gene, but he got the brains, I guess, from his mom. So we'll lean into that.

We'll into that one. What do you think the biggest mistakes our parents make when trying to get their kids scholarship? As far as on scholarships through athletics? I think at times they can want too much. You know what I mean? Like, oh, my Johnny is so good. He has 10 home runs, this, that he needs full ride. You know what I mean? Like, oh, my Johnny is so good. He has 10 home runs, this, that, he needs full ride.

You know what I mean? He needs, we can't pay for anything. And there are certain situations, parents, they can't pay for college, right? So I get those things, but like, I think it just goes back to like, you can't think your kid is, don't think they're so good. I'm not making sense, but like, you know what I mean?

Like, just come back a couple levels but like, you know what I mean? Like just come back a couple levels and just, you know what I mean? Don't, I don't even know how to say it. Like don't think your kid is the best and should get the best. Yeah. I just think you need to be more humble with it. Let your kid just go through it on his own.

Yeah. Well, dude, man, good talk, brother. Yeah, that was fun. If they, if they, dude, if they want to find you more, how do they find you? Where can they? I mean, I'm on Instagram. On the gram.

I really do a bunch. Don't do a lot. Don't do a lot. See, this is where I'm gonna make Dave make a course. I'm gonna make him make a course to help parents get their kids into D1 schools. I think the information that you have in this arena is invaluable, and I think it's just something

people should have, so. Yeah, and I can work on this even more. This is like the first podcast I ever done. So I'm not, but not as smooth. And I'm going to, well, you know, look, I think if we've learned anything from today, like if, if you can take anything away from today, it's even if somebody played, 10 years in the big leagues was an elite level athlete for the majority of their life,

you can host a podcast and still hit a golf ball 40 yards farther than they can because I do it pretty consistently. I'd like to say where you actually accused me of being on steroids last time you played. Yeah, you hit it like 400 yards. I know I'm not on steroids, but thanks for asking. That's all we need to do. Anyway, guys, listen, man, I hope you got a bunch out of this. If you have kids today, man, you know, they can be great, but you gotta give them an opportunity to do so. And so can you, give yourself a chance.

We'll see you next time. What's up everybody. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Escaping the Drift. Hope you got a bunch out of it, or at least as much as I did out of it. Anyway, if you wanna learn more about the show, you can always go over to escapingthedrift.com.

You can join our mailing list, but do me a favor. If you wouldn't mind, throw up that five star review, give us a share, do something, man. We're here for you. Hopefully you'll be here for us. But anyway, in the meantime, we will see you at the next episode.