Latest / Chasing Baseball Dreams / 19: Niko Goodrum | What Baseball Parents Rush...Travel Ball, Development & MLB Lessons
Transcript
- Niko Goodrum: I wouldn't rush the chasing the numbers. I wouldn't rush chasing power, chasing how to exit V Lo. how hard did I throw the ball. Like it's all about getting older. Like I was one sixty eight when I got drafted and then I played at two twenty. Bobby Minor: And welcome to Chasing Baseball Dreams. Today I'm joined by former Major League Nico Goodrum. Nico was a second-round pick by the Twins out of high school, went on to play seven seasons in the big leagues with the Twins, the Tigers, the Astros, the Rays, and the Angels. Even spent a little time playing in Korea, so we're gonna talk about that too. And one of the things to me that stands out about Nico's career is his versatility. Played seven different positions in the big leagues and really experienced just about every role. that you could along the way. So Nico, man, I'm so glad to have you. Niko Goodrum: yeah, thank thank you for having me. Bobby Minor: So all right. So one of the things I wanna say, you were drafted out of high school. had you committed to a college anywhere in your journey before getting drafted? Niko Goodrum: Yeah, I committed to Kennesaw State University. that's in Georgia and Kennesaw, Georgia. So it's Bobby Minor: Okay. Yeah. Niko Goodrum: yeah. One of the programs that you know, D one program that I could play against, you know, UGA and Georgia Tech, I'd much rather play against them than with them. Bobby Minor: And why is that? Niko Goodrum: just the competitive nature and they gave me a better offer than you know, I had some from Auburn, Florida State. I had some big programs I could have went to, but they offered me to play as a freshman. And so the thing that me and my my parents were talking about was just going there and being able to play. It didn't make sense to go sign somewhere with, you know, a a a a bigger name school and you gotta sit the bench for two years because you got this guy, you know, playing in the position you played in. So, This made me a good offer, you know, as far as tuition and you know, room and board and going in and playing as a freshman. So it was it just made sense to do that and I was home probably like forty minutes from the house. So if I w if I got hungry, you know, I can go on back home and and get some food. So it just made sense. Bobby Minor: No, that that's a that's a good thing. And parents, I hope you're listening out there, parents and players, don't get s don't don't get caught up in the name on the front of the jersey. You know, like I I get it. Most kids, you know, I think, you know, when they're younger, they're they're dreaming of playing at these big schools with these big names and but it's not gonna do you any good if you're not if you're if you're not playing. You wanna go somewhere where you can play. To me, you wanna go somewhere where you can play from day one and I think, you know, so I totally understand that. So I how how hard was the decision Then when you got drafted in the second round, how hard was it then to decide that hey, I'm gonna go ahead and sign and begin my professional career versus going the college route? Niko Goodrum: extremely easy. It it just w it wasn't something that, Bobby Minor: Mm. Niko Goodrum: you know, when you're talking about playing baseball, you set these goals and to be honest, my dream wasn't to to be a professional baseball player or MLB player. It was to actually go to college. Like I just wanted to get a scholarship to college so my schooling could be paid for. my family was paying for well, I saw my parents pay for my brother go to Auburn. And so I saw that strain and stress on my parents that I said, Well, I'm gonna go do it. You know, I'm gonna go get the scholarships where I I can just take care of that. So as far as my thinking went, you know, as a eighteen year old, I just wanted to get a scholarship to go to school. And so I didn't really I growing up I never had those and you know, dreams of being a major league baseball player. I probably asked or said, I wanted to be an architect. I don't know what I told my parents, but I knew it wasn't it wasn't that. So You know, I just always kept shifting goals and so I got drafted seventy first pick and I'm like, Well I guess I'll you know, I guess I'll go. You know, they're paying me some good money to to go do this. Let's go ahead and, you know, switch the goal and and see how far I can take this. Bobby Minor: That's good. That's good. So you were a second round pick out of high school, but it still took seven years for you to reach the big leagues. What do you wish parents understood about how long development can really take, even for a high-level player? Niko Goodrum: Yeah, it's a it's a grind for sure. when you're going into to that because you know, you you used to be the best player on your team, you know, in high school or in your state or in one of the best in the nation. Then you're talking about the entire world now. You're just playing against the you know, the best at that time. And so it's never easy really doing it. I knew I could always play. I was always very super extremely talented. I just had to continue to develop and I would say the separator is when you're seeing players develop, it is a development of those systems. And so you may have a guy that goes to a team that has a great development program within that organization, and then you may go to one that just is not, you know, up to par. And so it's just a slower development process. so it's all about who your, you know, child gets with that can continue to develop them at a at a faster rate. and then you'll see that, you know, that turnover. like I said, for me, you know, I viewed it it sounds funny now, I actually viewed it as travel ball, even though I didn't I didn't even play travel ball growing up, but I've I viewed it as that. I'm like, well, I've always made it. Why not now? And when I was talking about locking in, you have to lock in from day one. And I probably locked in I probably locked in when I got the double A. So when they're talking about how long it took me to get there, I locked in with when I went shh, I got hurt, went to double A, then went to Venezuela. And I balled that year and that's why I'm like, okay, wait a minute. Let me just figure out how to do this thing real quick. And then from there it was just, you know, went to triple A then got caught up. Bobby Minor: Man. Okay. You said you said something that just that kind of caught me off guard. You didn't play travel ball? Niko Goodrum: No. I play I play Rick Ball and like your local you know, county summerly, you know. I I didn't play travel Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: though. Bobby Minor: Not even in high school? Niko Goodrum: No. I did I did I did I know I did a East Cobb, you know, like one of those perfect game showcases. So I did probably three Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: showcases. I just did, you know, I did a showcase and then from there you did the MLB, you know, where you go to the different cities and do all your MLB workouts. But as far as travel ball, I play like local, Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: you know, your local county summer ball. Bobby Minor: That's wild, man. That that that's wild. But again, that's what parents need to understand. Like and too everybody's path is different. Now did you play other sports, like growing up? Did you play other sports at all? Niko Goodrum: Yeah, I played basketball and and football when I was younger, but then I played basketball all the way through eleventh grade. Bobby Minor: Okay. how much if any how much do you think playing basketball helps you in baseball? Niko Goodrum: Definitely conditioning. I was always conditioned because we had Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: to run cross tr we had to do cross country practice. We didn't have to run cross country, but for basketball we had to do the practice. So I was definitely in shape as far as you know my win capacity. but it just it gave you different it just gave you different things like going cutting left and right. you Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: always in a defensive position. Like it brought different things to baseball that you're not really thinking of anymore. So your development, you know, it's like playing playing, you know, tag. You know, you're you just you don't know what you're gonna develop, but you know you're developing something that can translate into this sport because you're cutting, you're stopping, you're backpelling, you're running forward, you're jumping. So you're developing always, you know, just by playing tag, right? And so basketball, you know, definitely brought something to baseball for sure. Bobby Minor: Yeah, I can see that. I can see that. and it seems like it's it's crazy, like almost everybody that I've that I've interviewed that I've had on my podcast, former major leaguers, everybody's an advocate for playing multiple sports. For for that re like you gain skills like Dustin Pedroya. He was saying like, you know, basketball helped him develop a certain skill set. Tennis, you know, football, they all brought different things to baseball that ultimately made him the baseball player that he is. So I mentioned in the intro, you played seven positions in the major leagues, pretty much everywhere but pitcher and catcher. And if you're playing today, I'm sure you probably would have pitched in a blowout game. Niko Goodrum: Mm. Bobby Minor: you could have knocked another another position off your list, but you played all over the field in your career. For a young player, when does versatility create opportunity and when, if ever, does he need to start owning a like owning a particular position? Niko Goodrum: Yeah. I would say towards like right when I got to double A is when I started the twins started moving me around to different positions. Before that I played shortstop only. and then they wanted Jorge Polanco to play short. And so at that point, once he did that, I started playing second. I started kind of playing first a little bit once they wanted him to play short full time. And So I started moving around and I was always against it. I'm like, no, I can do this. I can do this really good. Look. Right? Look like y'all look what I can do. And but it ended up being a gift. You know, and that's the way I got into the big lead was I could play every position. And you can do it at a high level. And being able to do that, you know, you may have a guy that is their shortstop, is their third baseman, is their second baseman, but they don't have a first baseman. Right? So do you want to play or do you want to you know, cry about, well this is my position. It's like, no, go play first. Right? You made you made the team, but you have to play first. You have to play left, right? And I think that if we look at it that way on saying, I can do all these things well, and I'm not saying you're gonna do at the same level, right? you're not but if you're able to do it, it can op open up opportunities for you. that's what happened with me where It was my way in and it's the way I, you know, stayed up there was to be able to do those at a high level. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. And I think for again, for the parents listening and watching If your son's a freshman in high school, in my opinion, outside of for a position player, the fastest path to varsity is a being able to hit, but being able to play multiple positions for the very reason that that Nico said, because like maybe your son's a third baseman, but they might have a senior, you know, a senior at third base right now, but they coach needs somebody that can play right field. And are you gonna have your son tell the coach, well, no coach, I don't play outfield. I don't play right field, Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: you know. So I mean that's the fastest path of varsity. And it's kind of crazy. My son, my youngest, he's 21, he's in his fourth. year playing college baseball he was but he had one of those was a red shirt year but so his first year he played shortstop second year he played second base last year he played third base and so far this year in the fall he's at a D2 school here in Texas he's played center field you know and so you got I mean I think there's a lot of money in being able to play you know being able to play all over so Like you went through different organizations, obviously played, you know, multiple multiple teams, different roles, and you eventually played in Korea. What did you learn about handling the game when your role and your future weren't guaranteed? Niko Goodrum: Yeah, it it's you know, it's tough. you can't you can't go out there as comfortable as someone that has a a contract where they know they're going out there and they're the you know, second baseman for the Atlanta Braves every day, no matter how good or bad they play, they're gonna go out there and you know, be on their field and their you know, I guess future is kinda secure. You know, for the other guys like me, like myself, I I have to really go out there every year and and show that I could I'm I'm supposed to be there. And it's not an easy task. You try to not put your focus on there, but you know, it's your livelihood that you're you know, really fighting for because that's how you're making your money and you put all this time in to really to really do it. So it's like let's let's try to go after this thing and and and and figure it out. but it's not easy, especially when you're going from team to team and organization to organization and it's just a a difficult thing and then, you know, me going to Korea wasn't a huge adjustment. It's like a culture shift. And you know, you kinda deal with things on y you can't speak the language, but you can kinda read the you know, you can kind of see what the temperature really is. You like, do y'all really like me or do y'all really want me here? You know, it's just you go through all these different things that you can't really focus on and you know, you just go out there to play and I would say Korea wasn't a big adjustment for me. in a sense of I became the guy like we're not we're gonna give you one fastball. That's it. You get one fastball a game. And then if I hit that off your hat, I'm definitely not. And the the the story I have about Korea, I I got there, you know, I'm adjusting to the, you know, sleep and it's crazy when you talk about sleep over there. But I'm adjusting to that and my first game over there, they telling me, Nico, this is the You know, this is the best pitcher. This is our best pitcher in Korea. You know, he's this, this young guy. He should be going to the, you know, to the States to play. I'm like, I said, All right. I mean, cool, right. And I get up there first at bat, and he throws me a heat and I hit it. Gone. And I'm running at first and whatever. And I scare him out of the zone. I don't get one more fastball. I don't get anything. He walks me, this that, and I'm looking around like, wow, this is the league. Like you start to see the adjustment of like, In the States, everyone's attacking you. It's just thing Bobby Minor: Mm. Niko Goodrum: like, hey, me hey, it's me versus you, baby. Like I don't care what you do, I'm you gotta do it again and keep doing it again. Over there Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: it's like, Nope, not throwing you this again 'cause I just saw you hit this one past my ear. So it's not easy going from team to team, but you get used to it. You know, you try you just start to get to to get used to it and after the first time it's you know, it becomes kind of a easier transition. Bobby Minor: Yeah. when I was talking to to Lewis Brinson yesterday, you know when he got traded from the Rangers to the Brewers, it was like it literally hurt him. You know, that but you know, he was young, he was saying and he didn't really understand the business side. When he got traded from the Brewers to the Marlins, you know, it's just a di it was a different thing. Like he you know, he his he was in a different headspace. When you were in Korea, did you did you play all over the field in Korea or d or were you playing primarily shortstop or middle infield? Niko Goodrum: No, they actually lied to me and told me I was playing second and then all of a sudden I was playing third every day. And I'm like I said this is probably the the position I have the least amount of games at. And I haven't played third and I like when did I become this third? Like I started like, when did I become how did this happen? And they sold stuff to get me there, which is fine. I mean I'm that's the business, right? But I played short and third and probably a game or two in right field, but they were looking for a third baseman which like, hey, all y'all had to do was tell me that y'all were looking for a third baseman to play. I don't Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: you know, but yeah, I played short third. they were upset with me because I didn't hit any homers, which they didn't know what I was doing. I set out that whole year That my goal that whole year was to hit homers to center field. That's it. I wanted to hit homers center field. So when I left, I was with Boston. I had eight or nine homers and they were the center field. because I was just working approach. I didn't I sit out just approach and then I probably had seventy something walks before all star break. You know, so I was just working my approach the whole time. So then when you go to Korea, you start to realize, okay. These fences are a hundred feet tall. You had to hit the ball over that and you like the ball don't travel. Bobby Minor: Ha ha. Niko Goodrum: So the balls are smaller and the seams are bigger. So the balls don't carry. Like you do you have no carry on, so you have to pull the baseball. And so my approach didn't I'm like I'm not I'm not getting off the approach. And so I hit like I want to say like two ninety something and I hit in home runs. These guys beat me down in the media. They were showing clips of me, like I'm like, so I didn't roll the double play. We got it out, and that's and they're talking to I was like, I don't I didn't understand it. I did I just didn't understand the I didn't get it over there. I didn't understand the baseball. It's different. So it it was just it was a good experience, you know what I mean? But overall the bait it's just not what I'm used to. It's a difficult transition because of playing this way for so long and then playing in the big leagues. You know, for that time, you know, you're talking about seven seasons in the big leagues. Now I'm going over here where you have guys that feel like, you know, it's from rookie ball to triple A on the same team. And it's just a difficult kind of transition Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: of trying to understand the way they play baseball 'cause it's it's it's totally different. Bobby Minor: Yeah, no, I can I can I can see that. So what was your moment like when you knew that like it was over, that you're you're done? Niko Goodrum: I woke up in a hotel by myself and said, What am I doing here? That's exactly how I retired. Got up one morning. Why am I in this random hotel? Bobby Minor: Really? Niko Goodrum: yeah. Random hotel in Worcester. I can't even where's Worcester? Who Massachusetts? What am I doing here? And then Bobby Minor: Yeah, I think Massachusetts yeah. Niko Goodrum: and then on top of that, the game before we play a double header, and everyone knows, like when you become old, I was you become old, I'm thirty three. You're not playing both games. Like we already knew that, like, especially we have time Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: and like you're not play I'm playing one game, I'm done. Right? Preferably I'm preferably I'm gonna play the first one. And I played both games that day. And I started seeing some stuff, I'm like and in both games I swung at a slider that hit me in my thigh. And so Bobby Minor: Wow. Niko Goodrum: I follow that so yeah, I went to sleep on that. Man, I woke up like, bro, if I'm swinging at a slider, that's gonna hit me in my thigh. And I'm asking myself why am I here in this room by my I said, nah, it's it's time to go. So I made the call, said hey, I told my agent. I was like, go ahead and call and tell him to get those papers ready, 'cause I'm I'm ready. And I just I didn't have I no longer had to prepare. Bobby Minor: Yeah. That's all right. We we lost you just for a second but but you're there. That was a quick recovery. Yeah. Niko Goodrum: Okay. That was a okay. That was the thing I said to myself was when I stopped preparing, then I'll be done. And I didn't have to prepare to play in AAA. I could just say, okay, what what is the pitches? Alright. And I'm playing against this twenty two year old and twenty you you started I didn't have to to be good in triple A I didn't have to prepare. And so at that point I was like, Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: Well what am I doing here? And once I once I told myself, once I stop preparing, I'll be done I stopped preparing and so then I just went on here. I said I might as well go home and, you know, be with the family. So Bobby Minor: Well, I mean and then again, like I know everybody you know, everybody's story's different, everybody's journey's different. So what what are you doing these days? Are you inv are you involved in baseball in any capacity today? Niko Goodrum: Well I'm trying to I'm I had to take a a a while away from it. just because of you did it I did it for so long and I had to get over some emotions and it's still emotional when you when you do leave because it's all you really knew. You know, I've been playing since I was four. and then you just saying life without it and you make this move and I was still playing. You know, I wasn't like I couldn't I was still playing when I retired and we ended up beginning of the season, I just stopped and so It's been one of those things of me figuring out what I want to do. because I didn't really career wise, I didn't have any I didn't go into that season like, this is my last year and I have this thing that I wanna do and it's like learning yourself all over again. And you get to focus on things that you really had no time to focus on because you had to pour so much into baseball. So it's been one of those adjustment periods of me sitting here now, like, okay. Let me slow down. Even talking to Lou, I'm like, let me slow down, figure out what I want to do. and so I started a media company called Untie Potential. me and my dad, my dad's been doing lawn care, so I've been doing that with him. It's been it's been pretty fun being able to share something with my dad because what we shared with baseball, like we, you know, together we did this. He was the guy, you know, that everything together. And so to be able to now spend time with with friends and family that, you know, I never really had time. You know, so once I left at eighteen, I come back for three months. You're trying to fit, you know, everybody in, you know, a three month basically vacation when you come home in the off season. So it's just been good spending time with you know, my family for real. And so baseball though, I created a company called Chaser's Baseball. And so me and Tim Anderson are we got some plans. Yeah, we got some plans to to really build is something that we're working on right now as far as doing a facility. But we're we got some stuff in store as far as baseball and I'm just you know, I'm training some guys. I'm training some some really good talent right now. So I'm just creeping my way back into baseball and I'm realizing that this is a thing that I still wanna, you know, have an impact with you know, in impact the the generations coming behind me because I don't wanna I really just wanna give this knowledge back. and you know, from outfield to infield to switch hit to stealing. Like I did everything. I could do everything on the the baseball field and I would just wanna be able to to give that back to, you know, the the the kids coming, you know, behind me. So where it leaves me, whether it's pro coaching or whether it's, you know, you know how me and Tim are gonna build this this program together. It's just Bobby Minor: Mm. Niko Goodrum: kind of it's gonna be exciting. Bobby Minor: No doubt. I love Tim's story too. I mean he ha he has a a pretty incredible story as well. So so so once you got into Pro Ball, what separated talented players who kept moving forward versus talented players who eventually stalled out? Niko Goodrum: Willingness to adjust and being open minded but also being stubborn, which I know sounds I guess kind of weird. you have to first stand in front of everything you did. You gotta be accountable in baseball. You know, that's your strikeout, that's your error, that's your home run, right? We know that. So but you gotta do that for your career. You gotta take control of your career. Right. And so then you have to pour in to figure out who am I? so the guys that don't figure that out, the guys that are still chasing the I'm a just power hitter, and it's like, no, you're not. So you know, I think that really stalls guys out. and then talent really, you know, talent comes in as well. Like you know, like you got some gifts. When you look at let's take Byron Buxton, that's a when you talking about gifts, that plays all day. Right? You you just see Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: him and it's just right, but You have to just stand in front of it and say, Who am I as a player? And once you can do that, then you can start really growing and you stop fighting against yourself and say, Hey, I'm the guy that's gonna play multiple positions, that's gonna switch it, that's gonna, you know, gap to gap, that can hit some homework, like you start to figure that thing out, then you start pouring into that. So I think it's just the mindset really to say, How can I help a team win? and stop getting off of really your I guess ego when it's like, No, I wanna put up hit twenty, thirty home runs, like not too not too many guys hit thirty homers. so who are you gonna be every day, who's gonna show up every day, and I think that's kind of what helps guys get to the big leagues and then will kind of stall guys out as they're still fighting against themselves and the guys that can hang around like how I did for seven years in the monitor is that's talent. You you know, that's really the separate saying like, no, that guy's really talented. He has to figure some some things out and that's what I had to do. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. How old were you when you started switch hitting? Niko Goodrum: eleventh grade. Bobby Minor: wow. Okay. Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: and so what led you t like so you'd you'd been yeah, so what led you to what made what led you to that decision in the eleventh grade? Niko Goodrum: My favorite player growing up was Chipper Jones. And Bobby Minor: Okay. Niko Goodrum: really really is my dad saying, You're gonna switch it. And I'm like, No get on the left side. And that's you know, really it was my dad just pushing me to to do it. And I caught on pretty quickly and it just from there it just I'm like, wow. that's a home run. That's another home run. And you just start to see this thing and, you know, as a kid you start getting excited about it and you know, I really start pouring in. So I'd say probably in the tenth grade I was kinda playing around, you know, working you know, kinda working behind the scenes on trying to get this thing in eleventh grade was full time. Like, nope, I get on the left side when this right is up there. I get on the right side when this left is up there. So Bobby Minor: That's why my it I was just curious 'cause I know you know there's guys like Ruben Sierra, you know, became a switch hitter late, played with the Rangers back in the day and and my son, this he's I bat left. I'm I throw right, I bat left. My my son is right, right, you know, righty righty, but he's always wanted to switch hit. He's always taking cuts from the left side and this summer he told me he said, I'm I'm a fully commit. I'm a s in the in his summer collegiate league. I'm s I'm gonna switch hit. Doesn't matter. And he did. And he hit good from the left side. So I'm thinking this fall, I'm thinking he's gonna be a switch hitter. But he's only been taking he's only been taking swings from the right side in their inter squad. So it's funny 'cause I'm like, dude, you hit the ball so well from the right side, like I get it, you know, but I don't know. So anyway, it that that's kinda interesting. So Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Adding adding to it is tough. Yeah, adding to it's tough. You gotta get Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: you gotta work on both sides where other guys can work on one side Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: and try to perfect that. So it's you know, it's it's a tougher, tougher job for sure. Bobby Minor: Yeah. So if you if you were sitting like sitting with the parents of a a really talented twelve or thirteen year old who dreams of playing at the highest level, what would you tell them to focus on right now and what would you tell them not to rush? Niko Goodrum: would focus on development. But getting with a a trainer that knows what he's talking about, not a trainer that isn't living on you know in in theory or doesn't really know. I would get them with a good trainer that can develop them because the thing that they gotta know that they're up against is they're up against the guys that are in the academies. So you have the guys, you know, in in the different countries that, you know, go to school but they they go to school to train. You know what I mean? And it's not it's not It's not just Bobby Minor: Yeah. yeah. Niko Goodrum: like how we go to school. Like we go to school to go to school. And then whatever time we have left we can have for for training. But they're not they're up against a lot. So I think that they have to dedicate this time to to really training and and and developing the skills because that's really what once you get to the pro the pro level, you start to see the guys that I didn't have a lot of skills. I had a lot of talent. But I didn't develop as fast as the guys that were doing it from a younger age where I didn't even know what in and out was. So that that lets you know right there, like I was behind just off of I said, okay, I'm lost and like, hold on, all right, we get the ball, we throw it a fur like I'm like, What is this? And so I had to learn a lot my first Pro Ball year. And so it'll just be, you know, getting them with a good trainer, cause, you know, the more you can do that consistently, like in Pro Ball, we were every day. So the you know, the more the parents can pour into their kids to to really train and develop this skill, I think the the the better they'll be. Bobby Minor: Yeah. So what would you tell them not to rush? Like I wouldn't worry about this right now. Don't rush this. Niko Goodrum: I went rush I wouldn't rush the chasing the numbers. I wouldn't rush chasing power, chasing how to exit V Lo. how hard did I throw the ball. Like it's all about getting older. Like I was one sixty eight when I got drafted and then I played at two twenty. You know, like it it it wasn't so much of let me get in this gym and see how much I can really, you know, bench and how much I could It's it's gonna happen, you know, as you t continue to grow, but the thing you have to focus on is that skill part, you know. because when you lacking that skill, it doesn't matter how strong you are, that ball will blow you up, you know, and you left with your thumbs at home plate. So I think that you know, we guys gotta get away from trying to focus on how hard I hit the ball, how fast I threw the ball, and just focus on the skill of the game because it's very skillful because you see some guys that can't run a they run a seven three in a sixty. But they'll go up there and can you know put the batch the ball, you right. So I think we just gotta focus on what the game is and and you know fine tuning that. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. parents, I hope you're listening out there. That that's that's some good stuff. So in your opinion, because you never played travel ball, in your opinion, what age would you say, hey, this is probably the age, you know, that to a parent, this is probably the age that you should consider travel ball. And I wouldn't this is way too early to play travel ball. Niko Goodrum: Yeah, I would say when you know they're gonna know their kid better than any coach, right? So you'll know if your kid can lock in or not. How long does this the your child you know, his how long is his or her attention span? Right. So at that point you'll be able to know like, okay, I can invest in training, I can invest this couple thousand in some in travel ball or not even a couple, it's so expensive like you have to know your your your kid. And it's not just doing something because you want them to be active. If that was the case, then just go let play, you know, rec ball or or something. But when you're talking about actually pouring in and investing into your child in this sport, you'll be able to see, are they are they locked in? Do you have to tell them to do their push ups and sit ups at night? Do you have like what what are they doing for themselves? Are you seeing them go out and take drive swings? Like as parents, you have to pay attention to what they're doing and then also guide them 'Cause they may wanna, you know, jump out of a plane. But you're gonna say, No, we're not doing that. We're gonna actually focus on, you know, let's go over here. And that's what my parents did. They kinda guided me and said, Well, Nico, there's a lot of six three guys in the NBA. Like you really do this good. Let's let's kind of, you know, pour over here. And that's what I would say, just focus on, you know, kind of what your kid and pay attention to them and just kind of see what they're doing and if if you wanna start you know, investing that money then then go for it. But I just say pay attention to what they're actually the the kid is actually doing. and you'll kinda get your answer from there. Bobby Minor: That's good and and you made me think like the way you the way you just put that, I think a lot of parents need to listen like like parents, your your role to me is to guide and support, not not be the one driving the bus, you know, not being the one that's pushing for everything and and you know, yeah, if you f if you find yourself where you're the one that's always having to push everything, then you there, Nico? Niko Goodrum: I'm trying to see what something happened. Bobby Minor: Okay, no, you're good. I you're still there. But yeah. But I was just saying, like, parents' role is to guide and support, not not being the one that's pushing, pushing, pushing, because like every kid, I know every kid at some point needs some motivation and and things like that. So yeah, I'm not saying never push, but if you're the one that's continually having to push, continually reminding them what they need to do, at some point that's not going to be enough to carry them through. So Look, I'm gonna go back I wanna go back to to to the MLB. Who's the toughest pitcher you ever faced in the big leagues? Niko Goodrum: The toughest Stuff wise is de Grom. I mean, for sure. I would say, man, Chris Sale is is a difficult one too. I I face some the one thing I can say about the superstar pitchers, the one thing you can kind of count on is they're gonna be around his own. So it's those guys that are kind of sporadic that give you a tough time. But to say tough, that was a tough day for me. I would put DeGrom and Chris Sale in there on like these are some, you know. Tough guys for real. Bobby Minor: Yeah, I can imagine. I'm that's why I'm glad DeGrom's with the Rangers right now. So hopefully Niko Goodrum: Yeah. I know y I know that's right. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Hopefully and they're hanging in, they're hanging in, they're just a game out. So I'm actually going to the game tonight against the Red Sox. So we'll see what happens. what's your favorite stadium Niko Goodrum: That's a nice stadium. Bobby Minor: that you ever played in? Niko Goodrum: Favorite? Ooh, I like Wrigley. I like Wrigley. I got a couple. I like Wrigley because the the fans are right there on top of you and you play day games. And so from Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: the day games then you can then you can enjoy going to dinner, you know, in Chicago. So I like Wrigley. Houston is always Houston is almost like you go into a a baseball game in a lounge. So Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm. Niko Goodrum: Houston and the fans show up so it's it's loud. Gosh, I'm Yankee Stadium, you can't go wrong, you know, just playing there. It's it's a great experience. So I I will put over I I say I I'm gonna say this. I my best game was in Atlanta. So I enjoy hitting in Atlanta. so yeah, I I'll just go to Atlanta because it's I had my best game and I did that Bobby Minor: Okay. Niko Goodrum: in front of my my friends and family, so I'll say truest. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's at home cooking. Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: that's what it that's what it'll do for you. I it's funny, I Truist, I've I've been to Tru but we're actually when we went God, I don't know, my son was fifteen, sixteen, we went to to Georgia for the WWBA and we were going to Truist to watch the Braves and the Padres, so we were all s we in our seats. It's like fifteen minutes before the game and they rained out the game even though it did it didn't rain. There was just Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: rain on the radar. And so they they they they squashed the game. It never even rained. And that was when back when, you know, they would do when they were doing like the seven inning game doubleheaders. And so Niko Goodrum: Okay, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bobby Minor: I my my my theory is I think the braised bullpen was weak back then. So they were kind of pushing for that to give them a little edge. But I would dude I was so pissed off I was sitting there in Niko Goodrum: Hm yeah, you can Yeah. Bobby Minor: my seats and then no game. So but I actually Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: got to go to Wrigley last month. for my birthday, my wife and I it I share a birthday with Dustin Pedroya. I always like to say that, but Niko Goodrum: Okay. Bobby Minor: we we fli flew up to Chicago, bucket list item, got to watch the Cubs and the White Sox, and it's the game where PCA hit a leadoff home run for the Cubs and they hit a walk off home run. So not only was it a game in Wrigley, it was a pretty good game. Yeah. So Yeah. Niko Goodrum: Okay, yeah, I I saw that club. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's a good spa it's a good spot to it's a good spot to see a game. Bobby Minor: Yeah. It it's just in the energy, dude, like I I was it it's I you you really can't even describe like the energy, you know, outside the outside of Wrigley before the game, after the game. It's just it's pretty it's pretty insane. So all right. So now you know what it Niko Goodrum: That's the world we know we we're we're playing against that World Series team. We're playing against that World Series team. So, you know, you had all the guys out there. you know, Rezzo, Hayward, Bobby Minor: wow. Yeah. Niko Goodrum: anybody like that, we were against Bayette. So that's you know, you can imagine that energy, you know. then so they had that team when I was when I was you know playing against Bobby Minor: Man, yeah. Yeah. Niko Goodrum: them. Bobby Minor: And see, and you're too young to remember this, but I remember when I was growing up when Wrigley didn't even have lights. And so all the all the if you wanted to watch baseball, for the most part, you had to watch the Braves on T BS and you could watch the Cubs on WGN and all their games were day games. So, you know, middle ran you know, random, middle of the day game. So that was back in the day. all right. So we're gonna do something now that you know what in and out is, we're gonna do something that I call I call in and out. Just four questions four questions, quick questions, rapid fire answers. I just want to provide the parents with some nuggets out there. So it's time for a little in and out with Nico Goodrum. Nico, first question. What's one thing that a young player can do that earns a coach's trust fast? Niko Goodrum: Beyond time. Bobby Minor: That's a good one. That's a good that's a good one. Yeah. Niko Goodrum: Be where be where you need to be at. When they say when they say be there. Bobby Minor: Yeah. No, that's that's good. So, all right, and listen up that that's something my son has struggled with. He used to be always be like last one to the field, like one minute before the coach says to be there. This year, it's like he's there 45 minutes to an hour before. So he's Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: trying to turn it around. All right, second question. What's one part of player development that you think parents rush too much? Niko Goodrum: strength. Bobby Minor: Just let it let it let it come. Like Niko Goodrum: I think they get I think they get Bobby Minor: you said, like Niko Goodrum: I think they get too involved and and that's their focus and then they don't develop enough skill. Strength is very important, don't get me wrong, you know, it provides the bad speed, Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: but I think too early we get it we get hooked on that thing and you don't even know how to really play for real. So yeah, I would Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: say that's one that you know, strength is a big thing that I think they focus a little too much on. Bobby Minor: Alright, third question. What's one baseball skill young players don't spend enough time developing? Niko Goodrum: Tecnico. Bobby Minor: Tell me a little bit more about that. Technique Hal. Niko Goodrum: I think they I think that they don't learn the ins and outs of how some how something is done. I think they more so see it and just try to replicate it versus being able to break it down and how it actually happens because how it actually happens is totally different. Like mindset, like some people have to think, let's say chopping wood to get them on plane. But it's not necessarily chopping wood. They don't look like they're just coming down on the baseball. Right? So those little things on okay, what are you thinking? Those thoughts kind of you know, make your body move a certain way. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good, that's good. All right, last question. Here's the slow roller. When a player starts pressing and the game starts speeding up on him, what's what's the first thing you tell him to get back to? Niko Goodrum: The basics. Just understand baseball is baseball. It's it's always it's the same game from you know, T ball to the big leagues. They throw a ball in the air over the white. back goes to the ball, it's either hit or not. You catch it in the glove, then you throw it Simplify, you know, that's what I would you know, that's what I would tell just it's the same game. You've you're fine. Bobby Minor: It's like in Bull Durham. It's a simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. So all Niko Goodrum: There it is. Bobby Minor: right, so that would that that that was in and out with Nico Goodrum. all right, Nico, just a couple more questions and we'll we'll wrap everything up. But I wanna go back to something you just said in in In and Out, because you mentioned mindset. How how important do you think mindset is in just in the big scheme of things? And why why do you think that most parents and players don't spend more time working on it? Niko Goodrum: They just don't know. Like we're in an era where, you know, social media is king, right? And so they see something and then they think that's the right way and they go that way. And it may not be the most viral thing, right? But you have to go and say, Okay, well what works? And that's why I kinda feel that they make the I I wanna say I'm kinda the last part of like the older generation of thinking 'cause I'm coming behind you know, those guys. So they kind of view us as dinosaurs in a sense of like, no, this is what works. Like, I'm telling you. And we had to develop that with no social media. We had to develop it with no YouTube, right? Like we're just out there putting in the time and saying, I don't know where this leads me. But I'm going to work hard. I have no choice. Cause I have my dad right here behind me, like looking at me like, hey, let's get it. So I had like the work ethic that's there is like, okay, let's take this thing and let's put the work and time in versus trying to get the best bat, the best glove, the best cleats, the best jersey. I went over here because they look the best, wear the best gear. Just like, okay, no, let me, you know, stay in this cave for a second. You know, let me stay in this basement, this dungeon for a second, however you want to, you know, say it, and let's really hone in on what what you know what it is. And so My dad did a great job of just studying and then we studied and studied and studied and said, Okay, well why did this person do this? And being able to ask the questions on saying, Okay, so why? Like just being able to say, Okay, why? And then get better understanding on this is why we're doing this. This is why you focus on the inside seam of the baseball. This is why you throw a force seam. Right, so things like that, like get a forced grip, you're gonna rip that across a dime, it gives you that back spin spin that's gonna keep the ball straight. Those are things that you just learn, it's not just pick a baseball up and and throw it. And so it's just studying the game and being a student of the game to to continue to grow mentally because you know, if you're really good physically, you can do it, like gifted. But the mental aspect of it is really the separator of saying, you know, let's go to hitting approach. Once you get to a certain level, your it's the mental state. That's why it's like as long as my body can do it, I the thing I'll have over a younger guy is the mental side of it and the the experience and wisdom and that's Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm. Niko Goodrum: the thing that you can bring out and saying, okay, I'm gonna bait this pitcher in here. I'm gonna play, I'm gonna be two moves ahead of him and I already know he's gonna throw this pitch because I know his pitches. So if he gave me a fastball away and then gave a change up away, and I know he has a cutter, he's probably gonna try to come in with this cutter hard to get weak contact. So I'm gonna be already looking inside for this cutter. Bobby Minor: Mm. Niko Goodrum: Well, there it is. Right? Those are things you get mentally on the mental side of it that can really help you. So if I would have had that at a younger age, you know, I might have my career might have, you know, accelerated a little quicker. But yeah, Bobby Minor: Mm. Niko Goodrum: that that's that you know, that mental side of it and and Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: locking in there for sure. Bobby Minor: That's good stuff. what one player would you say that in your career that you learn either learned the learned the most from or had the big biggest impact on you as a professional? Niko Goodrum: Victor Martinez. I had a year with him. that was his last year. And he kind of took me under his wing a little bit. You know, switch that's one of the best switch hitters. you know, that that the game has had. So I just watched him. He DH'd every day. So he had the same routine. I'm like, okay, you gotta have a routine. Right? Okay, he did this, and then he gave he said. He will always he'll get down the game. He may play FIFA. I don't know what he may just sit in his locker. And I can't I said, What I said, why you you know why you just sitting here? He said, Well Nico, I don't get I don't get in the shower until I'm done with the game. Meaning, whether it was good or bad, he released the game. And when he got in that shower, it washed Bobby Minor: Mm. Niko Goodrum: that off of him. And so then he can go home to his family and be, you know, Superman. And and then he'll come back to work right the next day. And You know, he did everything the same exact way, whether it was good or bad. And that's kind of the stuff where it's like when you just pay attention and watch, and I think as we get older, we we lose that child in us that knows that bro we we learn by watching. Like you look at any of your kids, they watched you do something and then they did it. They didn't hear what you said because you said it seven times to them and they didn't do it. No, you had to repeat it. 12 times before they did it. And you just keep repeating it. But when they see you do something, they do it. And I think that's the thing where I just watched him and I watched what he did. And he didn't really have to say anything. And then when he started taking me to dinner, like, Nico, come on, we're going to dinner. Okay. Me and me in the lobby at this time. Okay. And I just started learning from him. so he had the early in my career, and I think that's the thing that's missing in the clubhouse, is those veteran guys. to be able to help the the younger guys just develop in a sense of the mental space, not the physical space. The mental space I'm saying, this is how you get things done. This is how you turn to this, because now they're loading teams up with young guys and the young are leading the young. And you got a guy that's been there for two years and he's trying to lead this rookie and he may be really good, but he's still developing and growing you know, as this man and as this, you know, L B player. So I really think, you know, veteran guys are are really needed in that clubhouse too to really develop a team, help develop a team. Bobby Minor: That's good and you made me think about like I remember and and and I it hadn't really been a thing in recent memory, but I remember a time like, you know, right before the trade deadline, there's always talks of teams that were in playoff contention wanting to trade for for you know that veteran player because of his clubhouse presence, you know. Niko Goodrum: Mm-hmm. Bobby Minor: And like that was a real thing that I seem like happened every year. And now you don't hear to me, you don't hear you don't ever hear anybody talking about that now. Like, you know, we want to bring Niko Goodrum: Mm. Bobby Minor: in this guy at the tr at the deadline because he's gonna help you know to help the younger players in the clubhouse. All right, a couple more questions and then we will land the plane and I really appreciate everything. what's your all time favorite baseball memory? Could be as a player, as a fan, just your all time favorite baseball memory. Niko Goodrum: Autumn would be mm. Ooh, all time would be well I have two. They kind of combine though. The first one would be Bobby Minor: Okay. All right. Niko Goodrum: my great grandma was a diehard Braves fan and she would listen to the radio and she kept we have the scorecards that she kept in you know, she had several notebooks that she kept and she would just keep her scorecards on all the plays that happened, listen to all nine innings of the game on the radio, and then she started watching on TV and her last name was Stenchcomb. And so players weekend, I was able to have stench comb on my jersey for my great grandma and she passed in twenty fourteen, but she was just a Dahl fan. I tried to make to the big leagues before she passed, but to have, you know, that nod to her on being able to have her name in the big leagues was was a great memory for me. And then I went five for five in Atlanta with two homers. you know, in front of my family, so that was you know, family and friends, so that was the first time a lot of them got to see me play, since I was a kid. So you know, I got two two major moments. Bobby Minor: Both of those both of those are are amazing. Thanks for sharing that. you ever hit you ever hit homers in the same game from both sides of the plate? Niko Goodrum: no no I Let me see. Nope, I only did it left handed. I did it right handed one time, but I did it twice left handed. Bobby Minor: All right. We had to get you to come out of retirement so that way you can you can knock that off the list. Go go yard from both sides of the plate in the same game. You still got it in you. I think Niko Goodrum: Yeah, right. See like hopefully my my back and all these other things. Bobby Minor: Well that's my thing, man. Like me like, you know, I I still throw BP to my son on the field when he's home from school and everything. And like mentally, I feel like I can get out there and do everything I used to do. Physically, I know that I can't. Like it's just it's it's not happening. so Niko Goodrum: Yep, you're gonna fill it the next day. Bobby Minor: all right, the last question. no, man. I'm actually playing in two weeks, I'm gonna be at the field of dreams playing in a a celebrity baseball influencer softball game. They're having a home run derby, which I'm not I'm not that's not my thing, but I'm playing in this softball game and I'm just I'm gonna try not to get hurt. I'm gonna put me at first, put me at catcher somewhere where I don't have to do a whole lot, and I'm just gonna get there and I'll just I'm gonna slap the ball. I'll probably slap the ball down the third baseline and just do my thing. But I'm gonna try not to pull anything Niko Goodrum: Yeah. Bobby Minor: and try not to break anything. So Niko Goodrum: The money. Bobby Minor: All right, Nico, last question. Huh? Yeah, that's that's that's my thing, man. all right, last question. What's your favorite baseball movie? Niko Goodrum: Ooh favourite I I'll say league of their own. Bobby Minor: okay. That you you're the first person that said that. I think Niko Goodrum: Like I like I like Tom Hanks. He he was good. He Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: was good he was good in that. So yeah, I I'll go with that. Bobby Minor: Yeah. that's a good one. I I say I always say Bull Durham, that's kinda mine, but a League of Their Own, There's No Crying in Baseball, probably one of the most often quoted Yeah. Yeah. Niko Goodrum: There's no crying debate. That's a come on. That's the thing. That's something you tell somebody. 'Cause you struck out? Like what? Bobby Minor: Yeah. Niko Goodrum: Yeah. So I'll go with that. Bobby Minor: No crying in baseball. All right, Nico, I appreciate it, man. So for anybody, A, that just wants to keep up with what you got going on on social media, where can they find you? Niko Goodrum: Instagram NicoGildrum twenty eight. Bobby Minor: All right, easy enough. And then Niko Goodrum: Well I'm I'm pretty active, yep. Bobby Minor: if anybody's interested in what you and Tim Anderson are or in in you know what you guys are putting together, is there anywhere online where they can find out more information about that? Niko Goodrum: Yeah, it'll be it'll be our Instagram. So it'll be our personal you can go to Tim's, Bobby Minor: Okay. Niko Goodrum: we'll end up posting once we get rolling. you know, once we get rolling with that, we'll be, you know, posting our personal profiles and then the company profile too. So it's just staying staying in touch with us, on our personal level and we'll we'll we'll spread that information. Bobby Minor: Aye, man. Nico, I appreciate you, man. Niko Goodrum: Yes, sir.