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Why I Am Feeling a Heavy Reminder of Gratitude at OneLegUpAlex Media 8-17-26 · OneLegUpAlex Media

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Here's your host, Alex Garrett.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: All right, so I was talking about on my YouTube channel.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna say here one like at Alex Media, the
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: loss of Tommy John is more than just any SoundBite
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: I could play. It's a heavy, heavy reminder that my
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: dad was invested in meeting all these players for the
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: last twenty plus years and continually getting me into the
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: game of baseball and finding ways to connect me to
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  Speaker 2: the sport I love so much. And I have not
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: a chance to break down at all or cry it
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  Speaker 2: out or whatever. I'm not planning to, but see the
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  Speaker 2: loss of Tommy John and every loss of those that
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: signed the Book of Witten that we got to meet
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  Speaker 2: every year is going to be a stark reminder that
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  Speaker 2: my Dad's not here. I was trying to make this
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  Speaker 2: about Tommy and the loss of Tommy as much as possible,
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  Speaker 2: but the reality is also reminding me hard about my dad.
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  Speaker 2: Because my dad spent the time and the energy to
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  Speaker 2: get this book we had signed by all these different
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  Speaker 2: major leaguers, Hall of famers, all that, and I can't
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  Speaker 2: forget that.
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  Speaker 1: I can't not think about that, and also and also the.
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  Speaker 2: Time and energy he spent taking me to Yankee games
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  Speaker 2: and met games and every other city.
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  Speaker 1: You know.
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  Speaker 2: Fifteen years ago, we went to Cincinnati, We went to Cleveland, We.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: Went to Chicago.
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  Speaker 2: Many many years ago, we would go to Philly. We
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  Speaker 2: go to Boston, We went to Baltimore. When I was
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  Speaker 2: a little baby, we went to Oakland, we went to
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  Speaker 2: Kansas City. We did all the different ballparks. And that's
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  Speaker 2: because my dad had that devotion, that loved and energy
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  Speaker 2: to keep me involved, to keep me going no matter
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  Speaker 2: how sick I might have been, even as a baby.
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  Speaker 2: So that is what's hitting me with the loss of
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  Speaker 2: Tommy John. In addition to the kindness that Tommy showed us,
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  Speaker 2: it reminded me and reminds me of the constant energy
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  Speaker 2: it took my dad. You know, I've been doing some
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: things on my own that we used to do. I
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  Speaker 2: went to Cooperstown in May. I went and did the
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: day trip and all that and the overnight and then
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  Speaker 2: I went to the Game's physically challenged by myself. And
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  Speaker 2: I've done some things that my dad and I would
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  Speaker 2: do over the years, and it reminded me.
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  Speaker 1: And Saratoga, even for the Belmont, not having him there
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  Speaker 1: reminded me.
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  Speaker 2: That he while he was on this earth in those
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  Speaker 2: thirty one years after I was born, he would put
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  Speaker 2: that energy and love and devotion into getting me places.
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  Speaker 2: And now I think I'm honoring him by doing the
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  Speaker 2: same stuff and honoring those traditions and going different places
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  Speaker 2: and going solo. But it does feel different without him
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  Speaker 2: by my side, it really does. And see, because Tommy's
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  Speaker 2: one of the older guys in the book. We also
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  Speaker 2: have Mickey Rivers, we have Craig Nettle's. I mean, all
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  Speaker 2: these guys, and a lot of them are still around.
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  Speaker 2: But it brings me back to almost every signature in
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  Speaker 2: the book we have. I can remember where we got
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  Speaker 2: that signature and how we got it, and the lengths
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  Speaker 2: we went to get and the energy we spent together
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  Speaker 2: and the time my dad had cataloging it page by
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  Speaker 2: page by page by page. He loved that book and
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  Speaker 2: he passed that book down to me. And I'll never
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  Speaker 2: forget when he handed me the book about ten years ago,
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  Speaker 2: and that's when I kind of knew he was either passing.
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  Speaker 1: On because he was complete getting all the autographs. I
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  Speaker 1: wanted me to keep doing it.
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  Speaker 2: I don't know, but it felt like a passing down
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  Speaker 2: because he was winding down. Of course it would be
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  Speaker 2: with me six years late more, six years more, but
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  Speaker 2: it started to feel like a new stage in life was.
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  Speaker 1: Happening when he gave him this book a wit.
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  Speaker 2: And Dad, I know you hate when I talk about
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  Speaker 2: this stuff, but I had to get off my chest
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  Speaker 2: because Tommy, as I mentioned, Tommy John, one of the
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  Speaker 2: oldest guys assigned that book, is now passed.
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  Speaker 1: And everyone after him. It'll get harder to.
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  Speaker 2: Process because in those pages in this book we have.
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  Speaker 1: Is also an energy spent.
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  Speaker 2: A love spend to do all these autographs with me
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  Speaker 2: and get all these autographs with me.
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  Speaker 1: You know, we're about to turn thirty five years in this.
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  Speaker 2: Life, and my dad and mom agreed that.
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  Speaker 1: They were going to keep living life so I could
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  Speaker 1: keep living life.
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  Speaker 2: And now thirty five years later, with this body of
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  Speaker 2: work and body of life I've lived I firsthand by
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  Speaker 2: traveling on my own, see a lot of what they
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  Speaker 2: did together, and then add my Stepdadic together to raise me,
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  Speaker 2: to bring me up, to help me have a life.
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  Speaker 2: And just this past weekend going to see the Irish
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  Speaker 2: American baseball team. I'll put that podcast up as well
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  Speaker 2: as well as the trip to see Matt Oaks.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, that's another game. We went to Jim Abbott's
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  Speaker 1: no hitter nineteen ninety three, feeding tubes.
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  Speaker 2: In all, my dad took me to see Jim Abbott
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  Speaker 2: throw that no hitter and Jeneva won the sp this year.
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  Speaker 2: But the it gets to you when you think about
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  Speaker 2: the devotion your parents give you and give to you,
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  Speaker 2: and give for you and spend on you to make
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  Speaker 2: sure you have a good life. And it's reflected in
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  Speaker 2: every autograph we've gotten, in every picture I've been able
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  Speaker 2: to take, those pictures are because my dad brought me
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  Speaker 2: into that community of baseball, and now, through one leg
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  Speaker 2: a Balox Media, I continue to find my way. My mom,
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  Speaker 2: when I was five years old, said to me, you
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  Speaker 2: know what, I know, you want to play, but why
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  Speaker 2: don't you try and covered the game of baseball on
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  Speaker 2: the reporter side. And look at thirty years later, we're
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  Speaker 2: doing that. When later, Matt, we're doing that thirty years later.
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  Speaker 2: And I knew when I survived that Gallstone in twenty
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  Speaker 2: twenty four, at Pesky Little Gallstone, there was more to come.
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  Speaker 1: And then that month after I then met Edthony Rizzo. Okay,
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  Speaker 1: the Cubs out of a year what fifty.
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  Speaker 2: In a couple of weeks, met Anthony Rizzo thanked him
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  Speaker 2: for winning the World Series while my dad was here
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  Speaker 2: to see it. In twenty sixteen, met Brian Dable, who
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  Speaker 2: was Coach of the Year at the time, and John Merra,
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  Speaker 2: the owner of the Yankees and of the Giants, and
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  Speaker 2: how I met his dad Wellington up at George Simmons.
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  Speaker 1: Sweet.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, there were so many connections, and it goes
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  Speaker 2: right down to this Saturday, and it goes right down
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  Speaker 2: to yesterday. I texted Mac McFarlane, the agent for Tommy John,
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  Speaker 2: because you know, in twenty three I went only went
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  Speaker 2: one day to Pintriy Pride. He happened to be there,
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  Speaker 2: so we formed a connection and Tommy John I had
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  Speaker 2: the privileged row of everyone I'm on my podcast, and
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  Speaker 2: Mac and I formed a connection and a friendship and
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  Speaker 2: I'm forever grateful for that.
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  Speaker 1: But we we hit it off.
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  Speaker 2: But it's because I got to know all these guys
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  Speaker 2: from years prior, from all that time my dad and
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  Speaker 2: I spent outside the press skates that I was able
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  Speaker 2: to go to pintrip Bride and say, oh hey, look
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  Speaker 2: it's Bernie Williams, Mickey Rivers and then of course Reyne
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  Speaker 2: Groen always around bringing me to see these guys.
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  Speaker 1: Then this year, I didn't even really tell you.
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  Speaker 2: About Pinchroy Pride in twenty twenty six. Al Lighter hadn't
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  Speaker 2: seen him about twenty years, maybe more. But during the
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  Speaker 2: Met stage, we were connected with the Mets, and in
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  Speaker 2: nineteen ninety nine, you know when he threw that one
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  Speaker 2: hit shot out against the Reds.
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  Speaker 1: We had seen him around during that era, and he's like,
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  Speaker 1: oh crap, I believed that. How you been.
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  Speaker 2: I haven't seen you in a while, Al Lighter star
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  Speaker 2: picture of the Mets remembers me another star Lefty by
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  Speaker 2: the way, Jason Giambi. Okay, let me tell you about
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  Speaker 2: Jason Giambi. When it was in two thousand and two,
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  Speaker 2: his first year, my aunt got me ain't Ol got
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  Speaker 2: me a Jason Jealme jersey jersey. You know what Jason
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  Speaker 2: Jiamy did. He knelt down and signed that jersey outside
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  Speaker 2: the press gate and I got to say thank you
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  Speaker 2: to him also and tell him that story, and he
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  Speaker 2: was very pretty sure.
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  Speaker 1: We got a selfie and everything.
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  Speaker 2: But I'm only known by these guys because my dad
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  Speaker 2: put me in the right places when.
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  Speaker 1: I was eight or nine years old.
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  Speaker 2: You know, old timers Day just passed, and Bernie Williams,
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  Speaker 2: Paul O'Neill, Tino Mariano.
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  Speaker 1: Swisher, even Swisher.
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  Speaker 2: I got to see him a couple of years ago
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  Speaker 2: at lids Hideki Matsui. We see him in the lobby.
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  Speaker 2: Ikey Sadia Boob get a picture with him. Oh n,
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  Speaker 2: I wants there's MVP all around, a nice guy, another
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  Speaker 2: guy that remembered us.
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  Speaker 1: But that doesn't happen.
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  Speaker 2: If my dad doesn't put us in the right place
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  Speaker 2: at the right time, that doesn't happen.
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  Speaker 1: If my mom's journalistic.
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  Speaker 2: Instincts tells me you should focus on doing broadcasting of
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  Speaker 2: baseball and not try and risk your life playing it.
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  Speaker 2: Because look, I've got one kidney, I've got one leg.
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  Speaker 2: I know I have the whole thing. But twenty five
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  Speaker 2: years later, or actually thirty years later, since she told
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  Speaker 2: me that I'm on the field with the Irish American
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  Speaker 2: Baseball team this best Saturday, I mean, there's something to that.
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  Speaker 1: There's something to.
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  Speaker 2: That, and it's all because I follow my parents' lead
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  Speaker 2: and my stepdad's lead to go to Queen's College, where
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: I became connected with their baseball team and their athletic
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  Speaker 2: program and announced their games. So the loss of Tommy
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  Speaker 2: John isn't just hitting home because he was really nice
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  Speaker 2: to us, and I remember he was joking with me
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  Speaker 2: and at the time Gabby in twenty twenty five or
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  Speaker 2: you know whatever, and.
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  Speaker 1: It was just a good day, Mari. I don't stop
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  Speaker 1: to get a picture of all this other stuff. It
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  Speaker 1: was a very good day.
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  Speaker 2: And then I saw him this year and he wasn't
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  Speaker 2: feeling as well. And then behind the scenes of all
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: the stuff he was going for health wise was traumatic
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  Speaker 2: to him and for him. But it was a stern
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: reminder of how I got to meet all these people,
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  Speaker 2: and it was because of my dad's love, energy and
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  Speaker 2: devotion putting us right in the right spot to meet
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  Speaker 2: George Steinbrenner outside the press gate in August. There's September
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  Speaker 2: of two thousand changed everything. It changed everything. And I
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  Speaker 2: love you, Pops, and I miss you, and sometimes I
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  Speaker 2: can't believe you're not here. But I'm carrying on the
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  Speaker 2: best I can, just like Tommy John the third and
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  Speaker 2: his family will carry on in the loss of their pop.
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  Speaker 2: We also have to keep carrying on, and we carry
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  Speaker 2: on the legacy of those before us, of those before us,
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: And I just want to come on here and say
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  Speaker 2: I'm so thankful to be accepted by the baseball community,
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  Speaker 2: a community I love so much, in a community I've
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  Speaker 2: always wanted to be part of. And I want to
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  Speaker 2: come here and thank my mom and my dad. I'm
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  Speaker 2: vic for always rooting me in the right places at
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  Speaker 2: the right time in this life so that I can
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  Speaker 2: get to interview Tommy John, I can get to say
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  Speaker 2: hi to Mario Rivera again and keep the connections.
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  Speaker 1: Going with the Yankees, and the Yankees connection is still going.
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  Speaker 1: Thankful to that too.
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  Speaker 2: And at a time where I never know where life's
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: going to take me next healthwise, and all that, I
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  Speaker 2: am thankful to be able to accomplish this all at one.
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: Look up alex Media, thanks to your support. Thanks to
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: my buddy lou Terminello, Ryan Pagano, Sam Bellino, Sherry, all
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: my friends, Anna, ray Ja Coosak, Madison Eisen, the Woodbridge people, Lindsay.
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: The list literally goes on and on. Keenan the Viscardi School.
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  Speaker 2: I had to come on here tonight and say I
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  Speaker 2: am very thankful, and the passing of Tommy John just
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: reminds me how thankful. I'm lucky, I'm blessed, and grateful
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  Speaker 2: I am for everything that we've been able to accomplish
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  Speaker 2: as a team in this life.
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: And that's my message at one Linga Ballex Media