Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset - Unstoppable Determination: Chris Mazza’s Path to Major League Baseball

Episode Date: July 1, 2024

Summary In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Chris Mazza, a professional Major League Baseball pitcher, to delve into his remarkable journey of determination and perseverance. Chris Mazza, despite being considered undersized for a professional athlete, defied the odds and pursued his dream of playing in the major leagues. Through sheer resilience, he overcame multiple surgeries and numerous setbacks that could have ended his career. Chris highlights the crucial role of never quitting and consistently pushing through adversity to achieve success. He also shares how his wife’s unwavering support and belief in him played a pivotal role in his journey. Chris Mazza’s story is a powerful testament to the fact that with enough determination and resilience, one can achieve their goals, no matter how challenging the path. Takeaways Pursue Your Dreams: Don’t let doubts, setbacks, or the opinions of others deter you from chasing your dreams. Chris Mazza’s journey to the major leagues exemplifies the power of staying true to your aspirations. Embrace Resilience and Determination: Overcoming challenges often requires a strong sense of resilience and determination. Mazza’s story demonstrates how these qualities are essential in navigating the ups and downs of a professional sports career. Value Your Support System: Having a solid support system, such as a supportive spouse or family, can provide the motivation and strength needed to push through tough times. Chris Mazza attributes much of his success to the unwavering belief and support from his wife. Push Through Difficult Moments: Success is often a result of pushing through the most difficult moments and not giving up, even when faced with significant obstacles. Mazza’s ability to persist through surgeries and setbacks underscores this important lesson. Connect with Chris: Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mazzarati10/ Connect with Shawn: LinkMe- https://link.me/theshawnfrench   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sean French, what up? Luck I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in everything I'm doing. Up until it's done, I meet for the entirety. I put it in overtime. I'll be working, just know I'm a go for mine because I earned it. They watch and I know it's time.

I confirmed it. A whole society determined, determine. What if you were made fun of your whole life because you were undersized, five foot seven as a senior, 150 pounds, but wanted to be a Major League Baseball player? How would you feel every single day knowing that that was going to be your reality, but everybody else thought you were full of it and did not think you could do it? Well, I want to take you on a journey of a Major League Baseball player who, in fact, did make it.

His name is Chris Mazza. You're going to really enjoy this story of a young man hitting a growth spurt, becoming an amazing shortstop only to be found on a pitcher's mound in the major leagues. Come on. Chris, what's up, man. Welcome to the show. Thanks for coming in, buddy. Good to see you.

It's good to see you. Hey, man. Like, we're here. You know, we're in sunny Florida and getting to have this amazing conversation. And I cannot wait to share your story, who you are with the audience. I know they're going to get a whole lot about it. So without further ado, man, talk to us a little bit for those that are watching that don't know exactly who you are and what your journey was. Clue him in, man.

Who are you? Yeah. So, like you said, my name's Chris, Mazza. I'm originally from Clayton, California. I play professional baseball. And my journey's been kind of crazy. You know, it's one of those things when I was a kid, it's something that I,

something always drew me to baseball. Like, it's been my first love ever since I picked with baseball. And my dream was literally to do exactly what I'm doing. So that's kind of cool, kind of being able to live out your dream where, you know, not most people aren't. aren't fortunate enough to get to do, but I get to do it every day. Now it's kind of just a grind, getting back with it, like we've talked about with surgery and stuff. But I think, like,

the biggest thing out of it is just, like, still having a love for the game and all that. Yeah, yeah. I want, guys, he did mention Clayton Valley, Clayton, California. I also grew up in Clayton, California and so I know exactly where this guy comes from and you're right man not a lot of people get to do what you have done in your career you know you've you play with many major league organizations and now you're going through you had four surgeries and one pretty much why don't you clue the audience in on the type of surgery you had on your elbow all right so basically I had a complete reconstruction of my elbow so we are do a complete reconstruction of the

UCL they ended up having I take a tendon from my hamstring. They had to graph it. Now that is folded up and nicely put in there. Yeah, it looks fresh. Then I also tore my flexor tendon. Okay. Which both those surgeries separately are 10 to 18 month recovery.

Now I got both in. Yeah. Yeah. Then they had to move my ulnar nerve for the second time. And then they also had to take two bone chips out. Yeah. A lot of these surgeries are all done separately. But when it's all in the same place, you might as well, you're all done at once.

Dude, it's funny because I had the same, not the same, right? When I was at LSU playing, I had a pretty bad injury too. My shoulder was completely blown apart. So I had to do one of those things called a capsular shrinkage, labrum tear, a chromium decompression. And you look at a piece of bacon, right? The moment you throw it on that pan, what happens? It shrinks.

So it's exactly what they did to my shoulder. And so they tell me when I wake up, hey, just so you know, there's like a 70% chance. You won't come back from this. I'm like, oh, cool. Hey, thanks for telling me that up front, man. Like, my career's over. Cool. Thanks, brother.

So that was so hard to come back from. You know, so I can only imagine where you're at because I was at the Division I level. I mean, what I had in front of me was the rest of my career. You know, college ruled series looking to be one of those legends that I don't. LSU because as you know as a baseball guy, if you perform at LSU, it's, it's pretty much a clean cut path to the major leagues in legendary status, right? Yeah, dude, something like, okay, this is going to, this is great. So that's done. But for you, man, you made it. You've pitched in a major league stadium. Yeah. You've pitched in multiple major league stadiums. What was that experience

like? Because as you said, growing up as a child, only wanting to play major league baseball and then you got to freaking do it. Yeah. And you're, and dude, you're a badass. You're determined. you're going to come back and you're going to have another shot. I'm not worried about that. But walk the audience through that journey, man. That's a feel-good journey. When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you know your choices matter.

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It really is because like a lot of times throughout that journey, you're always told like you're too small, like you're never going to make it. Like, why are you even wasting your time? Like I told you earlier, like my freshman year of high school, I was 5192 pounds. Like I was my senior year, I was 5, 7, and then I ended my senior year at 511, 6 foot. And that all happened during baseball season. Not. So, really, like, tripping over your own feet?

Oh, dude, I was like a baby giraffe. Like, I had no idea what I was doing. Was that your nickname, baby giraffe? No. Okay, that's good, then. My dad called me pinhead since I was a kid. Pinhead? Yeah.

Good old Bob. I don't know. Yeah. But, like, so it was like one of those things, like, I was really good at baseball, and then I got really bad at baseball because I didn't know my body. Yeah. So I ended up wanting to just play baseball for four more years, walked on to Menlo College, which is a Division III school.

Yep. And, somehow I walked on the field first day and it's like everything clicked again I like ruined my body I like started at short short stop as a freshman

and I never didn't play a game at short with Minlo in my whole entire career and then ended up getting drafted as a pitcher so did you pitch a lot at Minlo or what was that like? I pitched 15 innings my junior year as a closer what about those 15 innings

what about those 15 endings? What about those 15-day innings, right, that says for a major league baseball organization, he's a shortstop, he's still in 15 innings. Now I want to draft him as a pitcher. So funny, like how you talk about, like, you know, there's guys that have played a position their entire life ended up getting drafted as pitchers. People wonder how the heck that happens. Well, it happens because you just flash a good arm, right? Okay. Because when I first started getting looked at, it was not to pitch. It was, to actually play shortstop. And the only reason I got looked at is because there was a scout at our game to see somebody

else. That's what it always is. And it was to see one of their pictures. And my first two out bats off this guy hit two doubles off the wall. And then all of a sudden you get that first questionnaire letter. Who is this guy? Yeah. It's like, oh, can you fill this out, right?

Yeah. And like at that point, I got that first letter. I'm like, let's go. This is all in. This is what I'm going to do now. Because at first it was like, I'm just going to go play baseball for four more years, get a degree, and then I wanted to go on firefighting. Oh, really?

So I wanted to do. Okay. Okay. It was either that or I'm picking up the tools with my dad doing masonry and, you know. Well, you're doing that now because you're building an outdoor kitchen. Yeah, yeah. Well, we got that done. That's good.

Flashbacks of, I'm glad I didn't have to do that. Flashbacks of childhood summer, right? Go to work with dad. That was my off season. That was literally my offseason training, like literally picking up 80 pound bags of mortar and done. being a hot carrier for my dad in the off season until I made into the big leagues and then I was like yeah I'm not doing that anymore. Not doing anymore. So describe to to the audience the big league experience, right? The call. What was that moment like when you got that call you got to share that with your dad?

So well unfortunately my call was not like most other people's call where it's like oh first time hey come into the office You know, they're messing around, like, going to mess with you. And then all of a sudden, like, oh, yeah, your next game is going to be in New York, right? It gets the Yankees. Like, no, that didn't happen. I got, I'm in Syracuse and I'm watching the Mets game. I don't know who they're playing, but all of a sudden, like, they're getting blown out. And they're running through pitchers and pitchers and pitchers.

And I got two of my roommates in there. I'm like, watch. I bet somebody's going to get called up today. Like, we are all talking about it. It's just one of those things. You just know how things go. And all of a sudden, like, 10 minutes, like, my phone rings. And it's my manager, and he's like, hey, so you started out in double A this year, right?

I was like, yeah. And then he came up to AAA. Like, yeah. He goes, well, now you're going to get out of playing. You're going to Philly. Unbelievable, man. I'm like, okay, watching this game. And he's, but then he goes, well, we're not sure, they're not sure if you're going to call you if like they're going to activate you or not.

It's kind of like this taxi squad. You go up there and if they're going to activate you, they're, you'll get activated. If not, you just get back on the plane and just come back down to Syracuse. Like, oh, that's really cool. You know, I'm 29 years old. And this is my first taste of possibly the big leagues. And it's like, well, am I going? Am I going or not?

Is there a chance? Dude, I know way too. many people have had that phone call and they get there and then it's like oh playing back but that's but that's an amazing and it just goes to show and we're going to go to a quick commercial but before we go i just want the audience to understand something the most unassuming moments in your life can turn into something very special and that's what you just heard from chris mazah right there getting called up to the big leagues and we're back with chris mazah major league baseball free agent where he's discussed his journey into the big leagues.

Dude, I'm going to tell you what. It's been an inspiring story so far. Not a lot of people get to live that story. So whatever your call-up story was, you still had a call-up story. I never had one, right? So it's still a really cool story. But what I want to talk to you now is, you know, that whole journey, right? You know, playing Little League, playing high school, and then into Menlo College,

you know, like, there takes a lot of determination. Like, as you said, you weren't the tallest of the bunch. No. You grew later, didn't. understand and know your body and then one day the first practice at minlo college it clicked there's a finite level of determination that kicks in when you have to deal with all the adversity so walk me through what does determination mean to you and how's it played a role in your development i mean it's like one of those things like you get told somebody tell you you can't do something like you either got

two types of people type person that's going to be like oh yeah okay like, yeah, you can't do that. And you're right, I can't. Or you're just, it's, you know, it's the FU mentality. Yeah, I'm going to go do it. And I'm going to prove you wrong. And that's kind of like how I've had to do things, like, when I was younger. So it's kind of like you always have that chip on your shoulder

and you just want to prove to people that, yeah. I feel that, dude. I'm better. Like, just because I'm smaller than you doesn't mean that I can't figure this out. and then all of a sudden I got, somebody came down and touched me and, you know, everything's starting to click. Like, here you go.

Like, you've got that grind that you've had to develop as a kid. So now you actually have the body to do it. And now this is the easy stuff. Dude, when did the chip develop? Because for me, it happened fucking early, dude.

Like, I thrive on this, this crater-sized chip on my shoulder. And sometimes it's a good thing. right? Sometimes it does feed into that determination, that discipline, that fire. A lot of times it could be the root of my demise. Well, I mean, that kind of starts with, I got two brothers. I got an older brother that's six years older than me. I got a younger brother that's three years old.

Yeah, yeah. Younger brother was always as big as I was. Okay. So it's like, man. And I always wanted to be like my older brother playing baseball and stuff. Yeah. So it was like, okay, I want to prove that I can play with the older. kids because that's how I got better. I always played up. I never really played with kids my own

age. But when I did, I usually stood out, but like I felt like it was a better learning experience for me to kind of go get my butt kicked a little bit to keep you down to earth. Dude, it's a great point. Because you get too big sometimes. You're like, oh, yeah, I got I got this easy. But that's not the case. Especially when like I try to understand, I try to get my kids. in high school at Benita, like you guys don't realize how hard it is to get where I got.

Yeah. It's not just like, oh, okay, I'm going to roll out of bed and get to the Biggley's. No. It's everything. It's 365. I mean, 24-7, 365.

Like, this is what you got to do because there's always somebody behind you that's ready to take your job at any point. Trust me, I was that guy. I wanted, yes. I think I'm taking that discussion. Or like any of those guys. You're the other thing.

the coaches are looking too. Exactly. The GM's looking. They are always looking to make another choice that's going to bring them to a championship. Right? And that's just the way the world works. And that was one of the things that my coaches,

one of my coach Storm Davis in AA when I was with Jacksonville in Miami's organization. My first year as a starter in 2017 is my first year ever starting. I've always been out of the bullpen. I had a 301. that whole entire season I didn't get moved up at all wow so it makes him frustrated and he's like yeah you're gonna pitch in the big leagues it might not

be for us yeah but one day you're going to so that was like that was like the one like reassurance that I had in my head like if there were a chance because I had already been released at this point once by the twins and then went to Miami and I was with them for three years and the next year I go to AAA send me back down to double A and then I get released. And I still had that in the back of my head. That storm told me he's like, you're going to pitch in the big leagues. So it was like one of those things like, you're right.

I mean, I understand the situation that came in, Jeter came in and recycle, right? Yeah. Standard Miami. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. But you know, it was one of those things like I'm going to prove them. They made a mistake, right? You know, and I think that's a good point because there's always

that one person that believes. Not just believes in you, but they're just, because a belief is something that you just cannot see. But they're actually no. He knew you were going to pitch in the major leagues. And it's important for individuals like you and myself that carry that big chip on her shoulder to have that one person that we know love and trust that has that quality of integrity and has been there.

Right? It has been there to say that, no, you're it, dude. You're it. How important was that to you and just staying in your own mind and just kind of staying even keel? Is that, it can get kind of heck. Well, it's one of those things where, you know, you're on a scale, right? Yeah. One thing that somebody says could tip that scale, right?

Yeah. So it was one of those things that that was just an extra motivation. That was like an extra reinsurance, okay? Like you start, I mean, don't give me around. There's dark days. There's dark days, a lot of them. But it's things like that. If you can keep that in your memory bank, like that helps you get to that next spot.

Mm-hmm. And really elevate you to a new place. to pursue or even like make your dreams of reality. So many people give up. And that's the thing that's why I love. Because it's easy to give up. It's easy to give up. Everybody's doing it.

Everybody's giving up. Screw it. Like if it's not going my way, I can just throw out my hands. I wasn't supposed to be here anyway, right? Right. But the thing that I love about the word determination. And that's why the whole,

hence to show, the determined society is there's always those moments. See, in your career, there's probably a thousand moments where you could have been like, you know what, this isn't for me. One most recently being the surgery.

For surgeries and one, you're a year out, man. And as you mentioned, one day you feel great and the next day you don't feel great. But that's determination to keep going. Man, this has been the most frustrating, complicated thing that I've ever gone through. This is worse than the grind just to get to the big leagues. Oh, talk about that. So, yeah, like I thought that was like mentally. like tough.

I can't control anything that's going on here. Like I can control my work ethic. I can control other things to put me in the right spot to do well or to have success. With this, I'm like, I'm just at the mercy of the passenger man wants to heal. And it's just like, yeah. Oh, it's literally like waking up and it's let's flip a coin and see if it's going to feel. good today or if it's not. It's amazing. It's one of those things like, you know, Dr. Andrews did my surgery up in. Jim's great, dude. Yeah. Great. And I mean, 80 years old still doing it and there's

a reason why people go to him. It gives them another chance. And this was literally, he told me, he goes, if you have another chance to play again, like this, you have it now. This is it. Because we were 30 minutes from not being able to do the surgery because he couldn't find my nerve. That's insane. Couldn't find my nerve. Couldn't find it. Yep. Called the doctors in Minnesota. Of course, the doctor who did my ulnar nerve surgery in 2013,

retired. But grace of God, the hospital had the record still. And he goes, that's insane that they held on to him for 10 years. You're lucky because he can purge him after a certain time. Oh, yeah, I know. And that's what they talked about because he's literally like, oh, we might have to try a PRP shot. I'm like, PRP, you literally just literally,

just told me that at my age and my surgery like PRP is probably not going to help. So now you're telling me that's my option. It's not going to out. Not with that injury. Not with that injury. But look guys, we're going to come back. We're going to take a little bit of a moment for another commercial break. You've heard all the stories of determination in his career and his injury.

So Chris, we're going to take a quick break. We're right back with my boy, Chris Mazda. Dude, this has been amazing. The audience has learned so much about your journey to the big leagues, the things that make you tick, what you think determination is, now this is the fun part. This is the fun part where you get to tell the audience what makes you the special individual that you are. What makes you tick? What's your secret sauce? So, like, I guess, like, it's like how we kind of talk about determination.

and like the way that I got to where I got is because I was like one of those things like it's you never quit. What it gets you? It got me to the big leagues. Talk about what what does it mean not to quit to you? Because some people think it's they've got to go a thousand percent every single day. But for me, my definition is I just don't stop moving forward. And some of the steps may be small day to day.

But at the end of it, I'm just not going to stop. I'm going to keep coming. I'm going to keep coming until we get to a point where can't be denied. So walk me through that for you. If you have a goal and you want to achieve it, obviously you can't give up. Like we were talking about it's so easy to give up like nobody wants to try, you know, whether that's trying to make it to the big leagues, whether it's a marriage. That's a big one. It is a big one, right?

Right. When you talk about marriage and you looked at the United States is what? It's almost 50% divorce. I think it's higher now. I think back in the baby's... Which is insane. I don't know the percentage. My parents have been together since they're 18.

That poor woman, man. Yeah. You don't think they didn't fight. You don't think they didn't have these things, but they didn't quit. You didn't quit. Yeah. You can't just quit on something. You know, it's funny because there's so many amazing things I've been accomplished in this world.

How much would have been taken from not just, the United States, what from the world as a whole. If, if, let's say if, you know, Steve Jobs quit, Bill Gates quit. Eric Thomas quit.

Barry Bond's quit. If it got too hard, we'd have nobody that does anything great. Why do you think people quit when it gets too hard, though? Do you think it's just the easy way out or do they really feel, do they really feel like this isn't for me

or is it a scapego? I think it's a little bit of both. I think, yeah, I think you get. afraid of the moment more than you actually like don't think you can get there. I think it's one of those things like oh I'm so close I'm so close I'm so close and then it's nope I'm I don't think I can handle that. Those moments are hard because there's so many times in life where we're going through something like you said whether it's a career a marriage or just even graduating college there's moments where you feel like you're in a pressure cooker

And those are the moments. That's the moment of growth, right? So you have an opportunity to approach that line and blow past it and grow. Yeah. Or get to that line and back up and say, yo, not for me. And if more people push through it, there'd be so more amazing. This society would be so much greater than it is right now. And like, don't hear me wrong.

There's definitely like you get that reality check. Like just saying like, oh, I'm going to keep going until like I make it. Like obviously like not every that's not gonna happen to everybody right there's a cutoff There's there's a cutoff yeah like you know like I could be still 34 years old that I am now and like I say I haven't made it like oh I'm still gonna push still gonna push there's still a day like you got other responsibilities you got other things that okay I didn't make it but I did everything in my power to make it. I just okay now I have a conversation with yourself and like I'm just not there I was I wasn't there you know what what struck me when we were talking is your wife Callie yeah our wives are so instrumental in our growth as professionals and I want to I want to talk about her a little

bit because she flat out said he does not quit anything like well dude for your wife to say that yeah like you realize how impactful that is yeah for your wife to think that about you I mean I see you get emotional I'm getting emotional emotional because the only thing I ever want to do is make my wife proud and make my kids proud. So brother, the fact that your wife is sitting there going through all this with you and two young kids. Yeah. She could be feeling a lot of emotions. But her response was he doesn't quit.

How does it make you feel? No, it's great because it's the only way I can actually do this right now is because of her. Like, I'm not making no money right now. I was playing in Mexico. Like, I had to ask for my release to come do surgery. I haven't collected a paycheck in over a year. Like, she's keeping us going right now. Dude, and I think that is one of those things that I love,

because a marriage is give and take. Give and take, right? Right. It's like there's moments where you're in the lead. Now I'm down here. She's picking up the slack, right? But that's life, right? Yeah.

There's no shame in that. That is a real strong couple. I love to hear that, man. So I just wanted to ask you. Half time. She asked me how I did when I get back from. PT and she looks at my face and then maybe doesn't

even ask anymore because she knows she just leave him alone right now. How did it feel today? He's in his feelings. Oh, it was all right. Yeah. What do you mean? It was all right. It was all right. Yeah. Yeah, well, we'll end up that. We'll end up that. It's not talk about it. We'll end up. But no, dude, it's important because that's what I wanted to bring that up, man. It's just so important, you know, the shadow that we cast to

the public, 100%. But the most important shadow that we cast, I want everybody to understand this, is a shadow at home. Yeah. What are the walls saying about you? What are the kids saying about you? What are your spouse saying about you? Because that's what makes you an individual. That's what makes you a man.

Those are the only things that really matter. It's the end of the day. It's the only thing that matters. Because if the whole career ended today, you would still have that beautiful wife and those beautiful children. And that is what matters, dude. It's so cool, man. Like, that's got to give you that added motivation, that added to turn.

to push through these moments because you know because you know she's holding you down right now she's got you Oh yeah that's amazing man that take a little pressure off a little bit a little bit like It's it's one of those things. It's like oh yeah it takes a little bit of pressure But then it also like yeah okay like Like mom we got to get going we got to get going because it's my turn again right and it's one of those things like For people at home to understand like it's not like I am with a team right now Like I am not getting paid during this rehab process so like you know when you're with a team and going through all this,

it's way more less stressful. At least I think. Like I've only had other surgeries that weren't a year long recovery. Like my surgery when I was with the team was three months. Yeah. Totally relaxed,

own pace. You know, like having Tommy John surgery. Okay, now you've got a year to a year and a half with a team. It's nice. Like, you know, like,

time. I got all the treatment that I can get and I'm I'm still getting a paycheck. I got nothing. You got nothing. Man. It's like man I'm trying to rush like I'm 34 like it's one of those things like dude you don't got a lot of years left. Yeah. I mean I'm 34 and I'm really old for yeah this age of baseball now. Yeah I hear that you may not have a lot of time left in your opinion or in Major League Baseball's opinion of your career yeah but you have your whole. Yeah. But you have your life ahead of you and you're going to be successful at whatever the hell you do because you don't quit you know so I just want to thank you for coming on the show today I appreciate you having me audience I know you guys got a lot out of this man here we learned a ton about you in your

journey and man we were friends before I was a fan before but now I'm an even bigger fan so thank you bro appreciate you appreciate you up sure french what up let the pain inspire me I'm from all and everything I'm doing up until it's done I meet for the entire I put it in overtime. I'll be working. Just know I'm a go for mine because I earned it. They watch and I know it's time. I confirmed it. The whole society determined. Determines.