Shopify has already taken the cash register online, helping millions sell billions around the world. But did you know that Shopify can do the same thing at your retail store? Give your point of sale system a serious upgrade with Shopify. That's right, Shopify is the sound of selling everywhere, online, in-store, on social media, and beyond. With Shopify, you get a powerhouse selling partner that effortlessly unites your in-person and online sales into one source of truth. Pack every sale across your business in one place and know exactly what's in stock. With Shopify POS, you can accept credit cards, mobile payments, and every other major payment method all with low fees and transparent pricing. Starting on day one. Plus, Shopify's award-winning help is there to support your success every step of the way. Do retail right with Shopify. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com/MLB podcast. All lowercase. Go to Shopify.com/MLB podcast to take your retail business to the next level today. Shopify.com/MLB podcast. This episode is brought to you by Nickelobultra. Nickelobultra is perfect for more than just the summer heat this year. Because not only is it refreshing and crisp with only 95 calories, but ultra is also the official beer sponsor of Team USA at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. At every point, race, and moment with Team USA and Nickelobultra for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Stock up on Nickelobultra and cheer on Team USA. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2024, and Kaiser Bush, Nickelobultra, light beer St. Louis, Missouri. It's time for another edition of the Brett Bonne podcast. This isn't just any former Jocks podcast. It's a change outcome, you've got to change the income, you've got to change what goes in. And that changes what goes out often duplicated, but never replicated just like his backflip. Okay, now the party starts. The responsibility starts now. Now in its fourth year, this is the one and only Brett Bonne podcast. Welcome to the Brett Bonne podcast. I am Brett Bonne, and today on the program fresh off Yankee Met series where he got the best of his old ball club. Before the New York Mets, ladies and gentlemen, Carlos Mendoza, Carlos, I appreciate you coming on the show. Welcome. Brett, good seeing you. Thanks for having me, man. You got it. Are we still calling it the subway series? Is that an accurate term? Is that what they're calling it in New York? Yeah. Subway series. Of course. Of course. You know, I mentioned at the top, you spent a lot of time with that Yankees organization. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears. And how weird was it coming to home plate with the lineup card, your old stomping graduate, looking in the dugout, all, you know, I'm sure there's a ton of guys that you just left a year ago, was it was it kind of surreal for you? Yeah, it was, it was, it was different, man. Just coming to the ballpark, you know, driving in and then seeing so many familiar faces and a lot of people that have a lot of respect for, you know, you spend so many years with one organization and, you know, the pre-games and, you know, shaking hands and catching up with a lot of people and then, you know, getting closer to game time, like you said, you got a home plate and, you know, I knew booty wasn't like, because he never comes off. So, you know, yeah, like you said, you look across the dugout and, man, there's so many people that, like I said, you develop relationship throughout the years and, you know, but here we are getting close to game time, right? And then, you know, our job is trying to win a ball game just like they're doing it, right? So, one first pitch is gone, you know, he's game on and go get him. So, but it was good to see, obviously, booty and a lot of people from the Yankees organization. You make a great point and it's, you know, you think about, yeah, you're just coming back and, obviously, you've been there for the last seven years at the big league level. And you just think of the players and the staff, obviously, guys, you were close with, but it goes, it goes beyond that. It goes when you walk in the tunnel and that, those guys that work in the tunnel and the security guards, those are the relationships, even me, I'm getting old, but I remember a few years ago, I came, I was in New York and I came to see you guys play. I never played a game at New Yankee Stadium in all mind, we're at Old Yankee Stadium, but I walked into the tunnel and it's 10 years later and I'm running into guys that worked Old Yankee Stadium and that's the cool part of it. It's like, oh, man, how you doing, we haven't seen you for a long time and I'm sitting there and I'm talking to him. And the question I ask them all the time was, all right, what do you like better, Old Yankee or New? "Boney, you don't got to ask us that, Old Yankee Stadium is where it's at." So, you mentioned the relationships beyond just the guys in uniform, it goes really deep. Yeah, 100% and you're right, clubhouse attendance, people that work so hard behind the scenes and support staff, you name it, the cooks, the bad boys, because they brought their bad boy here and those are some of the kids that, you know, you watched them grow and now they're becoming a man, I saw one of them, it was like 12 years at the time or something like that and now, you know, it's just everybody, the traveling party as a whole, you know, and it was different, you know, even though we faced them in spring training, but now when you get to do it here in New York, you know, well, yeah, it was good to do good day for the Mets, obviously, they have a really good team, the record says it, you know, and we have a good team too here as well, so it was fun and now here we are getting ready for another series. Well, I've talked to Aaron, you know, in the past years about you, Aaron, my brother, he loves you to death and he thinks the world of you, I remember when you got the job, how happy he was. I think the scene. Yeah, I talked to him shortly after he goes, man, he deserves it, you know, he just has nothing but kind words. How well do you know Aaron? I think I got to know him pretty good the past six, seven years because we went through a lot together, you know, even when people thought it was easier because of the record, it's never easy, you know, you're always dealing with something, you're always going to go and face adversity, and I just remember those nights, you know, when it was hard and, you know, we're going over, how can we get better, you know, talking about lineups and, you know, how can we fix, you know, whatever we're dealing with right now, how can we continue to help people in those were some late nights conversation, you know, with a couple of all their coaches and, but that's what makes this game a beautiful game, right, especially when you have to grind and go through it, and I learned so much from Aaron because of who he is not only as a manager, but as a human, you know, he cares so much about each individual. He cares what's going on with people's life. He's got just a different perspective, you know, and that's what makes him such a great manager, such a great human. And obviously, I consider him a friend, but yeah, I got to know him pretty well, you know, for the past few years, you know, and I laugh because Aaron and myself, we have, you know, we're similar in some ways, but in some ways, we're very different. We've always had a great relationship to this day. I'm a proud big brother of what he's been able to accomplish, how he conducts himself and you talk about not only as a manager, but as a man, he's a high integrity person. He's a high integrity man and I don't say that just because he's my brother. He's very similar to my father and he gets a lot of his attributes, I think, passed down from my dad and he's so much alike. If you talk about Karen too much, sometimes I've got to tell Aaron, Arnie, you know, sometimes you just got to get to the yard late with your hair not combed and pop into the dugout at seven o'clock and go, boys, let's go because as you know, and as you're learning now as a manager, there's only so much you can do behind the scenes. What's that national anthem ends? You put it in the hands of your guys. Yeah, you're going to make the calls on the pitching changes and whatnot, but the bottom line is players are going to win games and unfortunately, managers get blamed when you lose games. You were a player for a long time and you know, it's about the relationships you have with those players in that clubhouse. It's about kicking one guy in the butt and giving another guy a hug to get the same result from that personalities however, they may be. And I think the great managers, at least in my experience, the great managers were the ones that could read the room and knew who needed a hug and who needed to get their butt kicked to get the same result. Your first half of managing officially, you've been, you know, I know it's your first half of managing in the big leagues for real, but you've been around it. You have so much experience now. How's the first half been so far? I think you thought it would be 100%, especially here in New York, you know, like I feel like being here, obviously with the Yankees for so many years, kind of prepared me for this because you know, at some point you're going to, like I said, you're going to face some adversity and he's going to, he's going to get loud, you know, there's going to be a lot of noise and again, learning from Boonig when we went through those times and how consistent he was helped me, you know, got off to a rough start, then played better and then we had a tough month of May where man, he wasn't easy for us and he was loud, you know, but I go back to what we just mentioned, you know, the relationship, getting to know you guys, get, how can you get better every day, you know, like block the noise, let's stay the course, understanding there is a 162, so yeah, it wasn't easy, man, but I'm glad the guys continue to work, the guys continue to push each other, the guys continue to trust the process, the preparation, and then just go out there, compete, take one game at a time, the mentality of one pitch, you know, I know it sounds easy, you know, but now as of late, the past three, four weeks is being fun, it's been exciting and at the end of the day, you know, we got good people here, we got great people, we got really good players, we got a good mix there in that locker room, so yeah, it's the first two and a half, whatever that is, you know, the ups and downs, but this, that's the beautiful, the beauty of this game, you know, that you just got to go through it and don't get too high, don't get too low, keep going, continue to push guys, continue to trust them, continue to build relationships, be there for them, understanding that the game's hard, man, you know, you know, you're playing and you just have to understand that he's going to be hard at times and people are going to struggle and that's when you, you know, you've got to be there for them and you've got to push them and trust them and hold people accountable, but, you know, again, ups and downs, but here we are in a better position, understanding that we got long ways to go too. Take your business further with a smart and flexible American Express business gold card. You can earn four times points on your top two eligible spending categories every month, like transit, U.S. restaurants, and gas stations. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Four times points on up to $150,000 in purchases per year, terms apply, learn more at American Express.com/businessgoldcard. Hey, fantasy football owners, the road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Co as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter, giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Go and listen to Perception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. This episode is brought to you by our good friends at NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. I'm sure by now you've all gotten back into your Sunday routines, but they could be even better. With NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV, you get the most live NFL games all in one place every game every Sunday, and you can even watch up to four different games at once with Multi-View, one of my favorite inventions of this decade. It's exactly what you need to catch all the action. Make your Sundays more magical, and also, YouTube TV is great. I got it this year. It's awesome. Sign up now at youtube.com/BS, Device and Content Restrictions Apply. Local and national games on YouTube TV and a FL Sunday Ticket for Out-of-Market Games excludes digital-only games. I got to see you guys early in the season. I was back in Cincinnati for some events, and I got to see you rolling through town early in the season. It was a little bit of a rough start. You went 0 and 3 in March. Ended up, though, by the end of April, you had a pretty good April. May is where it went sideways. You know, I look at your roster, and I look at the talent of the roster when I really break it down. There's a lot of talented guys on that roster of the New York Mets. You've been banged up, you've had a lot of injuries. Diaz has been in and out, but in June so far, you're 15 and 9. So it's been the tale of two seasons for you guys. I attribute a lot of people, especially in New York with the Mets and the Yankees. It's so big, it's different than, you know, I'm sitting here in San Diego, and yeah, the San Diego Padres are a big deal to the city of San Diego, but there's nothing like going in New York. You know, as a player, there was nothing like going in New York, and the passion of those players. I guess you could extend it to a Boston or a Philadelphia, but it's a different animal. You know, it's something I loved. I wouldn't like anything, but I love the passion. Good, bad. Sometimes I was on the negative end of it. Sometimes I was on the positive end of it, but the excitement, there's nothing like it. And to watch you guys go through that and do it in New York, you know, the Yankees. For you guys, you're always compared to the. It's always back and forth. So when the Yankees are killing it, you're going to get, you're, they're going to pile on double all the Mets, you know, when they're down now, all of a sudden, Yankees are struggling. Mets are on the rise, but yeah, they're struggling. They're still like 20 games over 500. Yeah, that's, that's the, that's the beauty. And Carlos, you've been in this game a long time and I look at it, you know, I've got to look at it from an analytical standpoint now when I'm assessing these teams and it's a different world than it was, you know, 10, 15, 20 years ago, it's, and I think modern history has shown us in the playoffs, it's, you just need to get a seat at that table. In the past, it was, man, you got to win that division, that the division's everything because it gives you a home field event. And there were less, I like to call them hand grenades in the postseason, unless you had to go through to get to that, to that world series. It's the easiest it's ever been in the history of our game to get to the postseason. And I would argue that it's the toughest to win at all because you've got to win so many series. And I think the last few years have proven that man sometimes getting that wild card spot and on fire and kind of been in that playoff mode down the stretch, give some of these teams an advantage. I think the most glaring one is a year ago, the Arizona Diamondback kind of snuck in last minute. We're two games away from one in the world series. Yeah, 100%. You know, it's a different bulging nowadays when, you know, you've got to get in, you know, and you've seen it last year with the Diamondbacks, the field is a couple of years ago. And we can, we can go back to when the Nationals got in as a wild card too and ended up winning the whole thing. But yeah, you're right because at times, you know, you go on and run and you know, you win 100 plus games and win the division EC and then, you know, you have to wait. And then before you know it, you've got to play a team that just got done, barely got in, you know, goes out there for a wild card around and ends it up winning and then they're hot, you know, and then there's momentum and, you know, it's baseball, I mean, is so unpredictable that you've got to go in between the lines, go out compete and see what happens. So yeah, I mean, right now we got a great opportunity in front of us. We got ways to go. But I like where we at as a team. As far as the New York, the New York thing goes, being with the Yankees for so long, not in the manager's capacity, but, but, but on the front lines every day. That makes that managerial seat in the Mets clubhouse unique and different from the other clubhouse in New York. Yeah, it's, it's different because the way I see it, we have a very good opportunity in front of us, you know, a lot of people, you know, before the year, the projections and things like that had the Mets, you know, with low expectations, but deep inside, we knew going into that, looking at the roster, we got good players here. We got good people and, you know, I think being with the Yankees, expectations are always were serious or boss, you know, I'm not saying that that's not the case here with the Mets because, you know, the fan base is very, very passionate, is very intense. And they are expecting, you know, the New York Mets to win, we're serious. And that's why we're trying to accomplish here, obviously, you know, understanding that there's a process and there's things that, you know, will get better in different areas. And I feel like we're doing a good job top to bottom. But yeah, sitting here in this manager's chair, you know, I think your job is to get the best out of your players, out of people, create something special, build relationships, and put people, put players in position where you feel they're going to have success. So yeah, look, is the greatest city in the world with a passionate fan base that spec the team to win, and it's a great opportunity, it's a great feeling to be sitting here in this chair right now, knowing that we got ways to go here. But, you know, it's pretty similar. What do you see the difference in Mets fans and Yankees fans? Ooh, I mean, they're intense, man. You know, they're going to let you know when you're not playing well, you'll hear it. You know, he gets loud. But they're right here supporting you, you know, and then when you're playing well, they're going to let you know as well, they're intense, they leave and die every pitch. And I feel like, you know, in the other side of town, it's just as intense, you know? So again, that's what makes this a beautiful city. That's what makes this rivalry special rivalry because it's the biggest market. There is in sports, you know, out of all the respect with all the other big market team, but it's different here. So you know, they're intense, and I love it, you know, I love it. And the last question I'll talk, then I want to get on to the current roster you have composed. All right, all of a sudden, you're the number two guy with the Yankees. Now you're the skipper for the Mets. There's a little bit that comes with that. Now all of a sudden, you're going out, people know who Carlos is. And sometimes you probably want to hide. And sometimes you want to kind of puff your chest out like, "Hey, we're doing pretty good, aren't we?" How has that transition been from the guy that gets to have Aaron invite you, "Hey, let's go to dinner tonight, Lo, so we got a lot of work to do," versus, "Now, you're the one taking your staff out." Fine, you know, you go to places and you know, you're going to find Mets fan, Yankee fans and they want to say what they want to say, you know, you have to embrace it, you know. It's part of it. It comes with the territory, you know, and that's what you signed off for when you take these jobs and it's beautiful, man. It's a great feeling whether it's, you know, you're playing bad, you're playing well. At the end of the day, people care, people want to win and people will hold you accountable, you know. And then, like I said, they're going to let you know. But yeah, it's been great. You know, I got great people here, coaches, support staff players and, you know, yeah, you go out and you'll see people and, you know, it's just different. Obviously, the bench coach, you're not the guy making the final call as a manager, you know, as a manager, you know, you're the one that making the final call and you're responsible for it and people are going to hold you accountable for it. A year ago, you'd go out and people would be like, "What's wrong with the egg?" You'd be like, "Talk to that guy. That guy sucks." Yeah, I don't do anything on the day. No, you got to everything to go, you know, as the number two guy, I will be giving suggestions to Boonie and then he's making the final call. He's the one that has to go and answer after the game. Now, I'm like, "Okay, you know, final call, but I also got to go and answer those questions why I'm doing, you know, what I'm doing." So, he's a totally different feeling, 100%, but I love it, man. Yeah, that's awesome. I think, man, that would be a cool situation and I always, you know, people are always talking about the pressures of me. If you grow up and this is your ambition, this is what you want to do and you get into that spot. Where else would you want to be? You know, I remember Aaron through some tough streaks that you guys have had in the last five or six years and when I'd call him and I'd try to have that pep-up call with him and I'd say, Aaron, say at the end of the day, you know, like I mentioned, you can only do so much. I said, "But where else the hell would you want to do it?" I said, "I want to be on that hot seat because I'll tell you, you ever went in that city? You're going to have the key to that city for the rest of your life." And I said, "And I think all the blood, sweat, and tears, the tough times, people telling you you stink. At the end of the day, it's all going to be worth it." And I don't know. I think if you have the opportunity, why would you want to do it in any other place than when the heat's on? Because yeah, it's a lot of sleepless nights. I'm not saying it's easy, you know, it's tough, but just the competitor and me thinks, "Where else would you want to do it if you had the opportunity?" So it's pretty cool and, you know, I've enjoyed watching the Mets recently just because it's such a polarizing thing. I mean, you're going to know what the Mets are doing at all times and it's like, man, it's nice to see when they get off your butt for a minute like, "Hey, starting to play pretty good, guys. You're getting healthy." You know, what you guys have been beat up throughout the course of the year, turn into that national league a little bit. I look at this league and there's a lot of parity, you know, as far as those six positions we're talking about, everybody's kind of bunched. You got Philly who's kind of ran away and hit a little bit. They're a really talented team. You've seen them. You've watched them the last few years with that roster. They have their getting healthy again. That pitch and staff's done a really nice job. The Dodgers I see as a man, they're just so deep, you know, Carlos. Once you get past that initial starting lineup and that initial starting rotation, they've got guys for days. If somebody goes down, they've got somebody to fill in that L.A. Dodger. Milwaukee's been surprisingly really good. Everybody thought with counsel moving on and, you know, what are Milwaukee's days going to be like? Well, they've proven they're a pretty good team. And I think the Braves, you've watched in Yankee uniform the last seven years, how good that Braves team has been year in and year out, kind of a juggernaut today. As we sit here today with all the ups and downs you've had this year, you're a game and a half out of the out of the wild card spot and we've got half a season to go. So I think everybody at this play, it's going to be interesting, especially that national league, I think, because there is so much parity. But let's talk about your team a little bit. Francisco Alvarez is on fire, but I want to talk about that starting lineup and your stars, Alonzo Lindor. I think JD Martinez. I said this when you guys signed him, I said, I don't know how much JD's got left offensively. He's had a great career, but him being in that clubhouse with the knowledge, he's kind of a hitting guru. I think he's going to be able to help a lot of a lot of guys in that lineup. Talk about those four guys as of now. We'll start with how hot Francisco is, Alonzo Lindor and JD Martinez and how important they are to that core. Yeah. Super important. Every single one of those guys bring a unique set of tools or leadership. I saw it from day one when I took this job and my first conversation with Lindor and how detail-oriented he is in his preparation, his routine, how much he cares about the organization, how much he wants to win here in New York and how much he's willing to help. This is a pretty special player. Got off to a rough start, but I think he's been like that throughout his career, you know? So you know at some point he was going to get going, but I've been really, really impressed with his demeanor, with how he goes about his business, how he plays the game with so much joy, whether he's doing well or when he's hard for him, he's the same guy. He shows up, he prepares, he competes, and he pushes guys. The other day, you know, when we're playing the Yankees, we're up 11-2 I think he was or whatever that is, and he's the 19 and he's diving for a ball up the middle, you know, trying to take base hits away. He's always running the balls out, like that's what you want. Special player, I think, once you start hitting from the lead-off spot, the mindset was kind of different, working that bad. When he was hitting the ball hard, he just wasn't getting any luck, but I think something clicked there for him and, you know, setting the table for the big boys behind him. So that's one, JD Martinez, man, special guy. The way he sees the game from the offensive side is very, very unique. He's super smart, but the one thing is his preparation, the attention and details, and how he goes about the information, how is he going to attack, whether it's a starting pitcher, the relievers, certain situations, he's got a really good understanding of what the pitchers run into him in certain situations in every pitch, and he's contagious, you know. He took him a while, obviously, he missed all-screen training, and we didn't happen here for the first month or so, and then even when he got here for the first couple of weeks, he was kind of just feeling for the team, like for the room, getting a read for it, and then something clicked, and he started being vocal on hitters meeting one-on-one conversations, and then guys started going to him, and then, you know, him going and hitting coaches, being on the same page, and putting together some good game plans and, you know, having the ability to make adjustments as well, you know, because, you know, you want to put together a game plan, but you got to go out there and execute and make adjustments, and he's done that. Pete Alonso, you know, is the polar bear, you know, is this a guy that wants to be here in New York, obviously, he's done that, he's had a pretty good career, special power, he cares, he prepares, he keeps things loose as well, you know, you got a guy like that hitting the middle of your order, that's pretty good, Brandon Nemo, another guy that, man, this guy is professional scums, you know, back to the offseason when we had this conversation, hey man, maybe we're going to put you in life, feel like he was all on board the whole time, same thing when I was making those line-up changes, talking to him, taking him from the little spot, now he's hitting fair, now back to second, but always willing to do what's best for the team, the way he prepares, how he holds people's accountable here, and he just wants what's best for the team, so having those four guys there, you know, you look at the roster, and I could name so many names, you know, I started in March, and, you know, Jeff McNeil, even though he's been threw up, you know, a lot of these first couple of months, you know, he continues to grind, and then you got guys like Jose Glaze, he has now we're getting, you know, Alvarez as our catcher, after he made so many weeks, so yeah, he's a pretty deep roster, guys that've been in this league for a long time, and having success, and then we also have a mix of young players, I mean, Sean Alvarez, we got a guy like Vientos now, getting an opportunity to play third base, so, you know, he makes our line up pretty deep. This episode is brought to you by Experian. Are you paying for subscriptions you don't use, but can't find the timer energy to cancel them? Experian could cancel unwanted subscriptions for you, saving you an average of $270 per year, and plenty of time, download the Experian app, results will vary, not all subscriptions are eligible, savings are not guaranteed, paid membership with connected payment account Quiet. Ryan Reynolds here for I guess my 100th mint commercial. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no. Honestly, when I started this, I thought I only had to do like four of these. I mean, it's unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month. How are there still people paying two or three times that much? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be victim blaming here. Give it a try at midmobile.com/save or whatever you're ready. $45 up from payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only. Taxes and fees extra. It's lower above 40 gigabytes of CD tails. Yeah. And most importantly, and I'm sure you'd agree is, man, you got to keep these guys healthy. You've seen it on the Yankee side. When you go down and you're missing a couple of your big boys, it's a completely different outcome on the field. That's the key for every team, you know, because we felt it. We lost Alvarez. We lost our catching. Man, we felt it, you know. Right. The Yankees are going through it right now. The Braves, you know, lost Ronald Acuna, like everything at some point is going to go through it. And that's going to be the key. Look at your starting rotation. You've been with Severino for a while. Man, I've been at Los. I've been following this Severino guy. You ask Aaron, I said, man, when is he going to be healthy? I've been following him around since 2017 going, get him healthy. And I want to see how good he can be. He's done a really good job for you at the top of that rotation. How important, and I'm reading about this, make a possible rehab stint for Senga next week. How important is that to really solidify that starting rotation? Oh, super important, you know. We haven't been with our number one since first week of spring training, you know. When you go into the season and you, you know, looking at big picture and what are the chances. And, you know, first week, your number one goes down. That's a tough pill to swallow. But, you know, creating that mentality is like next man up, you know. Like we'll be fine. We've got to get through it. We've got to find a way. So that was the messaging from day one. But yeah, he threw a live EP yesterday and then see how he is today and tomorrow. And hopefully the next step is rehab assignment next week, you know, middle of next week. And he's trending on the right direction. If we can get him back and join our rotation with some of the other guys that are throwing the ball really well, you know, it could be pretty scary, you know. I like the depth that we have. Not only here at the big league level, but triple. You know, we've got some guys that are ready to come up and contribute and help this team win baseball games at any time. So, Sabarino, you mentioned it. You know, I know Sabi since he started his professional career with the Yankees, watching develop, get to the big leagues in. He's been to a lot, man. He's the, especially the past couple of years, two or three years where injuries. And he wasn't the same. But now the biggest difference that I've seen from Sabi is his preparation. He's a mature player now. And I go back to the off season. You know, as soon as we sign him, this guy went to drive line and how invest he was with his trainers. And, you know, his routine and the, how much is paying attention to how his body is responding after every outing. He's getting his work in. And, you know, like I said, he's just a guy that got hit on the face, you know, got punched and got down. And now he's getting back up again. And I'm just excited. I'm very proud of what Sabi's doing for us this year. I go to the bullpen and yeah, I'm not going to put this on you. I just laugh at being a hitter, coming from the hitter standpoint. And Diaz, he got suspended the other day. But those pitchers, you know, I'm laughing. I said, yeah, that's why I can't stand pitchers. They're always cheating as hitters. We can't catch them. And Dan, what is the solution now? Is it the, is it the rosin? Is it the lotion? You can't keep it up. We were both hitters for a long time. And we know they're always up to some. But I had guys on my own team up to something. But not to put you on the spot about that on a serious note. How important is Diaz being healthy? And the guy he's been in the past to really solidify that bullpen. And you guys give you guys a chance to go deep into that postseason. Yeah, that's the key. And look, you know, not going to lie. If Diaz is right, we're going to be in a good spot. If Diaz is the guy that we also in 2022 and what we saw after he got hurt. You know, we're going to be right there in the middle of, you know, of the race. The month of May was hard for us. Why Diaz struggled. And rightfully so. This is a guy that missed a whole year, 2023 with a major, major injury. Quick rapping pop, obviously because of what he was dealing with, with his injury and his knee. And he was a struggle for him, you know, not making excuses for him, but never pitched with the clock. You know, because 2023 was the first year where the club was, was implied and he wasn't, he wasn't used to it. So, blue's from safe. And then he went down and we felt it. We felt it because, like I said, that's, it's a totally different ball game, especially for me as a manager. You're managing when you know he's right and ready to go in the ninth. You're managing eight in, you know, like, let's get the ball to him. Game is over. Went down, got him back. And he was a lot better, you know, like we saw some flashes of like, okay, this is the Diaz that we know. And then obviously that incident happened. We're going through it right now when we don't have him because he's serving his suspension. But, you know, for us to get to where we want to get, we need Edwin Diaz to be Edwin Diaz. And I'm pretty confident that we'll get, we'll get the version of, of that guy here when we get him back. It's super important for us. And I'm really looking forward to having back here pretty soon. You come up, they changed the rules a few years ago. And I kind of, I really like it. You know, not only as a player, ex player, now as a, as a fan and doing what I do. I like the way they change that trading deadline. I think it puts the heat on organizations and it really puts you in a box like, what are we going to do? You know, a month ago, people were calling, well, what do you think Peter Lonzo is going to end up, you know, when the Mets were done? Now, all of a sudden you're on the other side and you're looking at, wait a minute, we keep going like this. We're going to be adding that the deadline as a manager in that position. Do you like the new rule where it's two months out? I just think it becomes more strategic, you know, in years past, it's a month out. And it's like, well, a lot of the writings on the wall. It's like you're either a playoff team or you're not. Now it makes you kind of in that position, especially if you're kind of around 500, like, are we buyers? Are we sellers? How much do you look forward to that? And do you think it's good being a month earlier? Yeah, I think so, you know. And again, with so many teams now in the race and, you know, everything feels like, you know, hey, we got a chance to get in, you know. And it makes things, you know, interesting, you know, because you don't know what teams are going to be doing. And like you said, you know, things change quickly, you know, it could be in a week, two weeks. And, you know, you're right in it or like, man, you put yourself in a tough spot. So I think at the end of the day, you got to treat it one game at a time, one series at a time. And just control the things you can control, but I think it's great. The fact that, hey, a lot of teams are right in it. We still got a few weeks before teams going to have to make some difficult decisions. And then, you know, we'll go from there. But, yeah, it's a different blogging now with the new rules. All right, last question. I'll let you get out of here. I know you got a game to go to today. Who would I rather play for Carlos Mendoza or Aaron Boone and why? Oh, that's putting the other spot, baby. Come on. You can say it. I won't show this to Aaron. He won't see it. You know, he's going to be watching. He's excited that I had the audience. And I know him. He'll sneak off and he'll watch this. Look, if I was the player, you know, I will love to play for booty. You know, obviously I would like to play for Carlos Mendoza. Because, you know, at the end of the day, it's about people. It's about being a great human being, about caring for the, you know, all the, all the individuals who come in contact with each and every day. How can you make an impact on a lot of different guys, a lot of different person. And that's what it comes down to. The relationships, the trust, the respect, bringing a joy to the game. And Aaron Boone brings that day in and day out. So lots of player. I mean, I would like to play for him. I would like to play for Carlos Mendoza. So I'll give you a play for both of them. All right, man. Well, good luck tonight. Man, it's two hot teams tonight. You got Houston Mets, two of the hottest teams in baseball. Carlos, I appreciate you coming on, man. That's a lot of fun. I wish you all the best. And like I said, Aaron's a huge fan of yours. And I've become a fan through him and getting to know you the little bit that I have. But I really appreciate it. I want to wish you the best, the rest of the way out. And it's going to be an interesting and a fun race. For those of you watching the Brett Boone Podcast now on YouTube, I appreciate you tuning in for those listening on the Odyssey app or wherever you download your podcast. Until next time, keep it here. Thanks a lot. Well, congrats. Thanks for having me. All-star, closer. Kelly Janssen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? This boy isn't boring, baby. I'm Rob Radford. And every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago. And it's now the most prolific national daily baseball pod. There is another fact. Up aboard the BIB Express, follow and listen to baseball as I'm boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
