August 8, 2024 • 29 mins
We're celebrating Episode 100 of 'The Book of Joe' Podcast and what better way than to welcome a special guest to the show! Jerry Seinfeld joins Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci to explain why he loves baseball so much and how it compares to his day job. Jerry airs some grievances bringing up the new rules and why one doesn't fit his traditionalist background! Interesting and hilarious...it's Part One of Jerry Seinfeld on 'The Book of Joe'
The Book of Joe Podcast is a production of iHeart Radio.
#fsr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hey Daron, welcome back. You have found the most interesting
podcast on baseball on the planet. It's The Book of
Joe with Me, Tom Berducci and Joe Madden and Joe.
(00:24):
This is a special day. This is episode number one
hundred of the Book of Joe. And they said it
would never last. Joe.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Congratulations Tommy. It's all happening because of you. You'd put
this thing together on a weekly basis. You do a
great job with it.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
You permit me to.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Just show up and respond to your preparation, which is excellent.
So for me to you what you differ our book
and what you're doing for this podcast, I just sing,
I really appreciate you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
He's always coaching, this guy. He's always coaching I am.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I can't help it.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
You always keeping the team spirits up.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Waity a second, we got somebody on the line here.
I was thinking, Joe, where can I find a special
guest for a one hundredth episode? Who I'm not gonna
ask for much here? Born within two months of you,
loves coffee, loves diners, collects classic cars. The best I
could come up with is mister Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry, welcome
(01:23):
to the Book of Joe.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Thank you, Tom, Thank you Joe. Great to be on
with you.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And listen. You've done everything in the entertainment business. Movies,
you've written books. There was a little comedy show you
had on for a few years for a while. Yeah,
you've got an honorary doctorate of Humane letters, which I'm
sure is just amazing. Cocktail chatter, did substand up too?
A little bit of stand up? Yeah, but dopeing nervous.
(01:48):
You're on the Book of Joe, so really welcome, We're on.
We're just thrilled to have you on here.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Thank you, guys. I'm thrilled too.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I don't get to talk baseball with such high end
individuals such as yourselves.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I love what I like about the reason I agreed
to do this.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
What I like about you two guys is you're so
clearly overqualified for what you focus your attention on, and
that's kind of people I like. You could have had
such productive, sophisticated careers, but instead you went down the
ladder downstream to this ridiculous game that we're obsessed with
and gave your life to it.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I love that Thank you so much for that.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Right it started early, man, absolutely, but you're you're pretty
much on the same page. You've been kind of married
to this game for a long time yourself, haven't you baseball?
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yes? Yes, yes, very long time, very long time.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It's a funny thing when you think back to your
childhood and you think, what was I doing sitting there
late at night, falling asleep watching these games? You know,
for me it was the Mets in the mid sixties. Well,
that's a whole conversation. What is it about baseball that
causes obsession? I think it's geometry, and well, all sports
(03:01):
are physics, but I think there's a geometry to baseball
that is so exceptional, so unique, and it's unaffected by time.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
That's what I love about it that I still can't believe.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Sometimes when you see a third basement or a shortstop
go deep into a hole and make a throw, and
the closeness of the runner and the ball and the replay,
it's just so amazing. People don't stop and think about
how could this still be so or steal a second,
(03:35):
how could this still be so close? You know, within
a second, a split second.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I love that you brought that up, Jerry, because ninety
feet between bases, that's as perfect as man has come to,
really perfection. And if the game was ninety one feet
between the basis, somehow I don't know, wouldn't seem the same.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I think inches would change it.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You're absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It also speaks to the fact that in the athletes
since whatever nineteen hundred and nineteen ten, nineteen twenty, kind
of and equally the same, right maybe armsprnts have been
somewhat equally the same in order to throw people out.
A lot of times we used to as a scout
you would time runners. The first space for the right
hand to hit her out of the box would be
four point three, for the lefty be four point two,
(04:18):
and that would come from the moment you would anticipate
contact as a scout, and part of that would be
like how long does it take to turn of double play?
So all these things have kind of remained constant. Pop
time the second base on a steel pretty much right
around two flat, and if you get a picture that
dumps you the ball in like one to three, you're
there at three three, three, be four, you have a
chance to throw somebody out. But it's always been that
(04:39):
way when I came up in the seventies, in the eighties,
that's pretty much what you're trying to do, and you're
still trying to do that today. So regardless of how
much bigger guys have gotten and apparently stronger, when it
comes down to movement and how will you move and
how well you can throw and how your body moves
and works, there's a lot of similarities for the last
one hundred years.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
That's why you know, we're in the middle of I
don't know when this show drops, but we're in the
middle of the Olympics now and we're coming into the
track and field, which I'll bet anything both of you
guys are fascinated by as I am, because it's such
a pure sport, watching sprinters and runners against each other,
against the clock. And nothing has changed obviously about the
(05:20):
one hundred meters since Athens, Greece and you know, centuries ago.
So it's those kind of things, anything that can escape
the deterioration of chronology. You know, there's a lot of games.
I don't want to dump on other games that we know.
It's kind of ridiculous. Now, go ahead, they're dumb. You're
(05:41):
just watching me and go, this is dumb. This basket
that's ten foot off the ground.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
This is dumb. This game is dumb. Now, no argument.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yeah, because guys were getting to what six foot eight,
six foot nine? Now there's seven foot four in the basket.
Still ten feet Yeah, the courts too darn small too.
But you can't say that about baseball. Somehow they got
it right. Yeah, like the original version.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
They nailed it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
How often does that happen?
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Let me ask you this question. Let's get right into
the things that we really hate. Please, my two top things.
The thing I hate the most, but there's nothing even
close is on field interviews during games.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
That's so good.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
You want to talk about stupid, You want to talk
about insulting a person's focus. I remember Tom. You might
remember this guy's name. He was a reliever for the Mets.
He was in the bullpen. He was kind of a
funny guy. So they like to get him on camera.
He's no longer. Do you know what I'm thinking of?
I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You're not going back to Turk Windell, are you?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Oh? No, no, I'm going back to like last year.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Oh, he was kind of funny anyway, So they talking
to him in the bullpen, you know, doing on camera.
And as a comedian, I'm not an athlete, but there's
a lot more similarities to sport in the stand up
comedy than any of the other arts because of it's live,
it's in person, and the score is obvious to everyone watching.
(07:13):
That's that's what makes stand up comedy very similar to athletics.
And so I know a lot about focus and routine
and preparation and flow and how you prepare.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
You don't prepare when you get to the mound.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
The game starts way before that and they're talking to
this guy, Trevor something.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
May, Trevor May. Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
So they had this interview with him, and so the
guy is trying to be funny, and he's a funny guy.
And then he goes into the game and I'm thinking, myself,
this guy is screwed because he's been using the part
of his brain that is about speech and language and thinking,
and that is not the part you want to be
in when you're pitching. You want to be in flow,
(08:02):
which is not left brain, it's right brain. And he
went out and just got shelled, and I thought, oh,
but that's not even nearly as bad as when they
talk to these guys while they're playing. Wasn't there a
pop up recently on the left side between a shortstop
and a third baseman and they dropped it because they
were talking to the booth.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well, I know, yeah, Key k Hernanz and the Dodgers.
They were talking to him and he made an error
at third base.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yes, I thought, okay, maybe this will end this stupidity.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Jerry, I guess you're not digging my pregame interviews or
in game interviews in the dugout for Fox. Thanks for that.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Uh, No, they're great.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Well, I say, it's as a manager in a dugout,
and we've done I was doing that for years when
that came on board.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I was always uncomfortable with that.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Just like kind of like Jerry's kind of indicating like
you have your mindset on one thing, all of a
sudden you unplugged, right, and you know it's in between innings.
It's in between innings, okay, But nevertheless, I mean, how
do you respond to these things? And again, uh, the
pertinency of them, even like football, like when football coaches
run off the field or basketball coaches sometimes they just
want to take a swat at the reporter base. You know,
(09:07):
especially if things aren't going that well baseball, it's a
little bit a little bit less emotionally. You could step
aside a little bit take a breath because the game's
not actually happening at that point. But it's always difficult
whenever you have to unplug from whatever your like, your
method of concentration, your flow, whatever you want to call
it is, it's weird. And then you got to you
got to put yourself back in there. And part of
(09:28):
it is just okay, so my time is at my turn,
somebody patch you on the back with the headset, all
that kind of stuff, and it's it's even the moment's
leading up to it that you know it's going to happen. Tommy,
I mean, I listen. I asked Tommy before we started,
what's it like doing those interviews at second base before
the game, and he said, like, you get to answer
for yourself, Tommy. But I always wondered, how awkward is
(09:49):
that for you, let alone the person you're interviewing.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Well, Jerry, you're one hundred percent right, because I told
Joe this story. I prepped Charlie Blackman before an All
Star game I was going to talk to him before
he stepped in against Chris Sale, which is so sort
of like, you know, trying to cross the New Jersey
Turnpike of rush hour and you're facing Chris Sale as
a left handed hitter, and he's like, oh cool, I'll
definitely do it. But when the moment actually happened and
(10:15):
he's getting ready to step in the box against Chris Sale,
he had his game face on and I felt very
awkward asking him like, what's your approach going to be?
And his answer was probably like just stay alive, but
he kind of blacked out. He was so much into
game modes. So you're absolutely right, it's a different part
of the brain that's being used.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Yeah, I just find it very disrespectful and it's just
too I'm all for promotion. I love gigantic billboards in
the outfield. I love any dumb, I love the Savannah bananas.
I love promoting the game. It's show business. You got
to promote, promote. You're promoting people something they don't really need,
(10:53):
but you are trying to convince them that they do.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But this this thing, I can't.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Stand straight ahead. You can tell Jerry is a baseball
purist and he loves the fun metals, But what does
he think of one of my biggest complaints about baseball.
(11:20):
Welcome back to the Book of Joe. We are speaking
with noted Mets fan and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry, as
long as were Aaron Grievance is here. You're the perfect
guy to bring this one up to. When we walked
into the office of Bruce Bochie for the All Star
Game and saw Bruce Bouchie wearing those All Star uniforms,
Bruce Bochie in beij and Daglo Orange. I mean, that
(11:45):
was a sight to see.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I was a fan of the uniforms. I know they
weren't that popular. I thought they were cool. Whoever you
know did those graphics. I just thought I thought it
was cool. But I know it wasn't a hit.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
So you did like the uniforms, That's that's interesting.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I did. I liked him. I thought they looked I
thought they were great.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I thought they if you're playing softball, they're outstanding. I mean,
I've saying when I played for the YNPA, the Young
Men's Polish Association, we would have really dug those things.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
But when you're.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Out there on the field and you walk out there
with your own uniform under. I said, there's a sense
of pride when I was there with the Rays, so
it's like eight or nine of us with the Rays
and then with the Cubs, same thing. They stand out there,
you know, you're pretty hot. You guys have done a
good job and you get to wear your uniform and
you like to count how many guys were in that uniform. Yeah,
I don't know, And there's there's certain there's certain components
of it. I mean, I'm kind of a traditionalist, I think,
(12:33):
kind of like you are too. But there's certain parts
of it I'm willing to bend with. But other parts
I don't know. And this is just a uniform.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
It's very superficial. But as having been on the field
with it, I like going out there with my my
regular clothes on and I like seeing my my teammates
with the same uniform on.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Two. Yeah, definitely, it's definitely cool.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I agree well as a Mets fan, Jerry, do you
want to see Pete Alonzo in a Mets uniform with
the All Star Game or just it's a different kind
of game, so you should be wearing a different kind
of fit.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
I don't think it matters that much. That's where superficially
it is.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Speaking of uniforms, Jerry, I mean, I got to ask you.
One of your great of many contributions to the game
of baseball is the bit you have about rooting for
the laundry. I mean, that's just absolutely brilliant, which definitely
nails fandom in one line. I know that bit you had.
I'm first aware of it anyway. I think it was
(13:31):
season six around the mid nineties. Tell me about like
the genesis of a bit like that and that one
in specific, Where did it come from? How long does
it kind of percolate before you actually nail it.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
They're all different, you know, some of them that just
come out of your mouth perfect, some of them. I'm
doing a bit on poker now that it just doesn't
want to work and I will not give up. And
I've been at it at least eighteen months, at least
seventy five or one hundred different versions of it. But
that's the fun of stand up. You can take as
long as you want. Nobody cares, nobody even knows you're
(14:06):
doing it and redoing it and rewriting it, and it's
just it fits an obsessive, compulsive type energy that I have,
and I just do it for myself and for people
that appreciate these things. But that bit with the laundry,
I remember being in a car coming from Newark Airport
(14:28):
and hearing it a sports radio guy talk about it.
I had never heard anybody talk about anything I was saying.
I think that was like a seventy nine or eighty
I wrote that bit, and I was just getting on
TV a little bit, and I was so I still
remember that moment of hearing them on sports talk radio
talk about it, and that was such a gigantic thrill
(14:50):
for me that anybody would even talk about anything I
had said. So that yeah, and it is funny how
they still talk about it. Well, here's the thing, Joe,
maybe you can answer and help me with this one.
Show me a guy's batting average against another team.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
What the hell difference does it? What does that mean?
Speaker 4 (15:12):
I don't understand why I would care about that.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
That team is again, it's not a team.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
It's only a team for that year, right, And then
they say, oh, he's always hit the twins.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Well what are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Well, you know what, some weirdly I mean, I agree
with you, but then I'd say, Weirdly, sometimes some guys
just play against well against a different uniform, a certain uniform.
I've seen it happen from a pitcher's perspective. Really, they
just shove on a particular uniform and vice versa. I
don't put a lot of stock into it, but I've
seen it happen. It's just weirdly. You go to a
(15:48):
certain ballpark, maybe you like the background, maybe your confidence
level feels different, you breathe more comfortably. Whatever it might be,
it happens. It really does have I again, I'm not
putting any weight behind it, and it just happens. It frequently,
doesn't happen very often, but I've seen it happened where
pitchers might pitch well against a certain group, hitters might
hit well against a certain group. But overall, I don't
(16:10):
think it really has a whole lot of substance.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I totally agree with you on that.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
What do you think, Tom, I think as a junk
stat I agree with Joe that for whatever reason, there's
you know somebody you saw Chipper Jones as a Mets fan, right, Yeah,
I mean he was killing the Mets every year yeah,
you know, different pictures. It wasn't the same pictures. There
was something weird to it, But in general I agree
these things are You're not going to play better just
(16:33):
because of that. So if I can, Jerry, I want
to get back to uniforms for a second, because you
presaged this whole Nike nonsense where we had see through
pants this year from Major League Baseball and sweat stains
that showed up on these new uniforms which they're gonna
have to fix next year. And obviously we're going back
to George Costanza, the assistant to the traveling secretary for
(16:54):
the Yankees, and the cotton uniform shrinking. I don't know
if you saw that this year, Jerry, but you talk
about hearing about the laundry on the radio this you're
at Yankee Stadium. They had a a Seinfeld Night and
a Castanza bobblehead giveaway.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I saw that, and they're giving.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Away eighteen thousand dollars in a forty five thousand seat
ballpark and people were lined up only in the afternoon
for that.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
How does that make you feel pretty damn good?
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I mean, you know, we're talking about chronology and baseball.
You know, to overcome time is the greatest victory I
think of any person. We throw the word classic around
or why does the Hall of Fame matter, It's just
that means you overcame the greatest disadvantage we all have,
(17:44):
which is time, and you can't. To be popular in
a moment is one thing, but to be popular out
of your moment, you know, that's kind of it.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I think. You know. My kid said to me the
other day. He's eighteen.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
He says, Dad, I know I'm late on this, and
I know this sounds crazy, but I just realized the
Beatles are really fantastic.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
You know, that's the ultimate.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
So when I saw the Yankees were doing that day,
I really I mean, I sometimes I want to drop
down to a knee.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
And go, good God, how the hell did that happen?
Pretty cool?
Speaker 4 (18:17):
But I love that they wrote on the bibble Head
assistance to the Traveling Second.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Yeah, we checked at the time that there was no
such job, you know, and that's made us.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
That's what we loved about. It's so funny. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
The one thing that stands out about you to me, Jared,
is that you're kind of a traditionalist when it comes
to the game and you love the game, and you've
been a Mets man and utilize both the Mets and
the Yankees and your show. And I'm here to tell you,
I mean, listen, I watch. This is not an exaggeration.
I watch your replays almost nightly on Netflix. That's how
I go to bed. Quite frankly, I do. That's That's
(18:51):
not when I'm on the road. I put my pad
right in front of my face and I go to sleep.
And I do it here at home too, and I'm
in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
But anyway, but you've seen them all. You've seen them all.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
I've seen them all. I've seen them all. Then then
I quote you and I and I tell it you.
You compare and contrast the real, real world stuff to
what you guys had done. It was genius.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Wait wait a second, Jerry, I gotta back him up here.
I gotta tell you a great story about that. This
is a true story. It's the eighteen I think the
eighteen World Series. The Dodgers are playing the Red Sox.
Close play at first base with Cody Bellinger. Is he
out of the base line in the baseline gets hit
by a throw? Nobody really knows. I'm trying to find
out what the heck the rule is. I'm down the
field level as a sideline reporter. I'm texting people to
(19:33):
try to figure this thing out. Theo Epstein gets back
to me and he gives me this complicated answer about, yeah,
I saw the play, but the last step before the
guy hits the base, he's allowed to be in the lane.
All right, that's that's the answer I wanted. Joe gets
back to me and he says, I didn't see it.
I'm watching Seinfeld. It's the World Series and he's watching
(19:55):
the Seinfeld rerun. I swear to God.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
It is true.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
No, I'm listen. I mean, there's nothing else really worth watching.
Everything else is too complicated, and you go and you
go to bed all upset.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Coming up, we are going to ask Jerry about the
new rules of baseball and what is his nightly baseball routine.
Does Jerry actually watch more baseball than we do? Welcome
(20:30):
back to the Book of Joe Podcasts. We are talking
with Jerry Seinfeld and Jerry, you're obviously a huge fan
of the game traditions. You watch us as you are
a kid. So among all the new rules, what rules
would you keep and what rules would you get rid of.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
I have to say, I think we're all good with
the time clock. I think we all feel that that
has improved the experience. Bigger bases, those kinds of things
make me more uncomfortable. Although I'll say this, and I
hope you guys don't get upset, but I'm starting to
(21:09):
really think about robo umps and you know, you watch
tennis and you go, that's the way it should be,
you know, just like that that was a strike, that
was not a strike.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Let's have the umpire there. But it seems like it's
time to do certain things. So I guess I'm not
in favor of the bigger bass. I do like the clock.
What are other new rules we're talking about? Shift? I
like the anti shift change. I'm in favor of that.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
See, and I was one of the first guys to
do that, So I mean, that's neither here nor there.
I just thought that a change should occur organically with
the defense and the offense. That just teach your minor
league geterers to use the other side of the field. Yeah,
a little bit. I mean that That's how I looked
at it, But right that doesn't bother. What I do like, too,
is the anything that makes the game a little bit
more expeditious. The signs between the pitchers and the catchers.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I do like that. I don't like the runner on
second and extra innings.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I don't like any of that. I don't like.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I thought that if we just did the pitch clock,
and then of course here came the science situation. The
biggest problem we've had with the game was the fact
that it moved too slowly. Yeah, these and the three
you can't throw more than twice over the first or
it's a back if you don't get them out. I mean,
those are the kind of things that anything that impacts
strategy I did not really That's what I don't like.
The other stuff I didn't think really impacted strategy. You
(22:28):
have to pitch the ball or or they signed guests
to the catcher to the pitcher more easily. That doesn't
impact strategy. The moment you start impacting strategy, then it
really limits the capacity of your manager or your coaching staff.
Somehow you're creating, you're creating a level or an equal
playing field that particular juncture literally, and so there's there
could be some advantages lost by just creating those kind
(22:51):
of rules.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
Tom, What do you think about that little machine that
they have in their hat and the little keyboard on
their thigh.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Yeah, I'm with Joe and that anything to help speed
up the game is great. And actually I hadn't learned
this until later on that technology they actually and I
hope I'm not giving much away here, actually stole that
from the world of magic.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
You know where you actually communicate that it's the vibrations
of these bones in your temple of your head that
can communicate and you can hear through the vibration of
those bones. So I like it, and I'm with you
Jerry on the on the maybe not a full on,
all on robo ump yeah, come, but getting calls right
(23:33):
Like in tennis the Hawkeye system, you get fan engagement
involved in that. It's very quick. So they have this
challenge system in the minor leagues where you get three
challenges a game. Yeah, the batter, catcher and pitcher. You say, hey,
wait a second, let's go to the robo ump on
that one. I wouldn't do it every pitch, but limited
usage of that, yeah, bring it on.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Let's talk about some smaller behaviors that we find irritating.
I'll start with pictures applauding with their glove when a
defensive player makes a nice play. You're the cool guys.
We do the applauding. You expect him to make that
play behind you. There's no applauding on the field.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Well, how about when they applaud the guy on the
other team for making a good catch.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
That's the greatest moment.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
The hat off for the stolen homer is one of
the greatest moments in sport.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
It almost makes me well up. I think it's so nice.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Another worm fuzzy.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yeah, I've never been into that stuff. I've never which stuff.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Well, first of all, if it occurs on your team,
I don't remember specifically. Listen, I don't want to be
the seven year old here because there's things that have
changed a little bit. I don't know if it's for
good or for bad. But if a guy made a
good play, you might give him a naughter by the
time he came back in the dugga. You absolutely acknowledged it. Yeah,
But when you acknowledge somebody on the other team for
doing something, well, I can't deal with that.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
I don't agree with that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
I can't I can't handle that. I don't understand that.
I mean, you know, even like for the game. I
mean before the game, you are not permitted to even
talk with guys on the other team. And that's the
fraternization policies were very severe back in the day, and
I guess they're not They're not considered. It's not considered
a bad thing to go out there and be kumbayau
(25:20):
with somebody behind second base before the game, right yeah.
I don't even like to go by the batting cage
before the game to talk to people that I know
for years, I'll stay away from that, and I don't
I don't take the lineup card up because I don't
want to like the umpires because I want to be
able to argue if I need to argue. I want
to not like you when I'm playing against you. So
these are the things that I find. I don't know
(25:41):
if the right word is offensive, but not. They they're
they're just they're fabrications. It's pandering to the other side
for whatever reason. And I just don't I don't dig
on it.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
This conversation has been so amazing. We're actually going to
need to bring Jerry back for episode one. Oh one,
because one hundred hopefully you agree with this, Joe is
not enough. We want to bring him back.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah, absolutely, as as I had expected.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I mean, the guy is you know, he is who
he is, brilliant comedian. And then just from the conversations
during this first part of the two part series here
you could see how thoughtful he is, how introspective he
puts a lot of time. I'm just like into his
comedy and even talking about baseball absolutely has it broken
down and has strong opinions, which I love. So never
(26:26):
having met him before, I thought about this too. Listening
to him talking to him, it was comfortable and it's
and I thought, it's because I watch him every night
on TV. It's like it's like the voice of the
saying is the guy I watch every night. I listened
to him almost nightly, so it was very familiar and
it was very easy. And then seeing him in Mets
hats Keith and Nanis on the show George Costanz and
(26:48):
giving hated lessons to Bernie Williams and Derek Cheater, it
was just comfortable because I felt like I've known this guy.
And I think it's a product of two things. Number One,
watching the show and his love for the game, and
he's just he's got an easy way about him, very
like calm, comfortable, open. There's a lot of things that
I really enjoyed just about having all that stuff validated
(27:10):
by actually speaking to him through our interview.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Yeah, he's a naturally funny, curious guy. I think he's
got a future in comedy.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
He should try it out.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
You've always come up with the perfect quotes of the
dead and their episodes. You got a tough task today
finishing episode one hundred with our guests Jerry Seinfeld.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
What do you got?
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Yeah, I was thinking about this for a bit and
there's several I mean, I came up with several things
that I really like, and once from George Monard Shaw,
once from Dennis weight Lee, and it really one's about
taking the way for opportunities, the other ones about taking risks.
But the thing that I really love is great things
never come from a comfort zone. From your comfort zones,
(27:48):
and you know when you talk to him, like you
and I have had this conversation, I don't know how
many times. To stay within your comfort zone, you will
never grow the warm, fuzzy stuff. You know, we're all
about routine and I love routine. I love my routine,
but you got to step outside of that routine.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
And if you want to be great.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Talked about this, they have to be a little bit
crazy to be great. So that's it. I could go
so many different ways with this one, risk taking, whatever,
but it's all in there. I mean, you have to
be able to be firm enough in your conviction in
what you believe in the say it, even at the
concern that things think somebody may fire me, or like
they're gonna say you can't do this anymore, whatever it
might be. But you have to say what you think
(28:27):
and not necessarily what you've heard.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
That's awesome and with all due respect, I want to
stay in our comfort zone. For episode one oh one,
we're going to bring Jerry back. There's so many more
questions we want to ask him. One of our favorite
topics on this show is talking about glue guys part
of a team, mostly baseball teams, but any kind of
band or show. I want to talk to Jerry about
the glue guys in Seinfeld. How cool will that be? Well,
(28:51):
we'll ask him about that and you'll have to listen
and look for the book of Joe Episode one on
one coming up next week. More with Jerry Sneinfeld. That
was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Joe, Let's do it again please, new brother, nice job.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hey Daron, welcome back. You have found the most interesting
podcast on baseball on the planet. It's The Book of
Joe with Me, Tom Berducci and Joe Madden and Joe.
(00:24):
This is a special day. This is episode number one
hundred of the Book of Joe. And they said it
would never last. Joe.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Congratulations Tommy. It's all happening because of you. You'd put
this thing together on a weekly basis. You do a
great job with it.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
You permit me to.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Just show up and respond to your preparation, which is excellent.
So for me to you what you differ our book
and what you're doing for this podcast, I just sing,
I really appreciate you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
He's always coaching, this guy. He's always coaching I am.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I can't help it.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
You always keeping the team spirits up.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Waity a second, we got somebody on the line here.
I was thinking, Joe, where can I find a special
guest for a one hundredth episode? Who I'm not gonna
ask for much here? Born within two months of you,
loves coffee, loves diners, collects classic cars. The best I
could come up with is mister Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry, welcome
(01:23):
to the Book of Joe.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Thank you, Tom, Thank you Joe. Great to be on
with you.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And listen. You've done everything in the entertainment business. Movies,
you've written books. There was a little comedy show you
had on for a few years for a while. Yeah,
you've got an honorary doctorate of Humane letters, which I'm
sure is just amazing. Cocktail chatter, did substand up too?
A little bit of stand up? Yeah, but dopeing nervous.
(01:48):
You're on the Book of Joe, so really welcome, We're on.
We're just thrilled to have you on here.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Thank you, guys. I'm thrilled too.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I don't get to talk baseball with such high end
individuals such as yourselves.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I love what I like about the reason I agreed
to do this.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
What I like about you two guys is you're so
clearly overqualified for what you focus your attention on, and
that's kind of people I like. You could have had
such productive, sophisticated careers, but instead you went down the
ladder downstream to this ridiculous game that we're obsessed with
and gave your life to it.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I love that Thank you so much for that.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Right it started early, man, absolutely, but you're you're pretty
much on the same page. You've been kind of married
to this game for a long time yourself, haven't you baseball?
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yes? Yes, yes, very long time, very long time.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It's a funny thing when you think back to your
childhood and you think, what was I doing sitting there
late at night, falling asleep watching these games? You know,
for me it was the Mets in the mid sixties. Well,
that's a whole conversation. What is it about baseball that
causes obsession? I think it's geometry, and well, all sports
(03:01):
are physics, but I think there's a geometry to baseball
that is so exceptional, so unique, and it's unaffected by time.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
That's what I love about it that I still can't believe.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Sometimes when you see a third basement or a shortstop
go deep into a hole and make a throw, and
the closeness of the runner and the ball and the replay,
it's just so amazing. People don't stop and think about
how could this still be so or steal a second,
(03:35):
how could this still be so close? You know, within
a second, a split second.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I love that you brought that up, Jerry, because ninety
feet between bases, that's as perfect as man has come to,
really perfection. And if the game was ninety one feet
between the basis, somehow I don't know, wouldn't seem the same.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I think inches would change it.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You're absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It also speaks to the fact that in the athletes
since whatever nineteen hundred and nineteen ten, nineteen twenty, kind
of and equally the same, right maybe armsprnts have been
somewhat equally the same in order to throw people out.
A lot of times we used to as a scout
you would time runners. The first space for the right
hand to hit her out of the box would be
four point three, for the lefty be four point two,
(04:18):
and that would come from the moment you would anticipate
contact as a scout, and part of that would be
like how long does it take to turn of double play?
So all these things have kind of remained constant. Pop
time the second base on a steel pretty much right
around two flat, and if you get a picture that
dumps you the ball in like one to three, you're
there at three three, three, be four, you have a
chance to throw somebody out. But it's always been that
(04:39):
way when I came up in the seventies, in the eighties,
that's pretty much what you're trying to do, and you're
still trying to do that today. So regardless of how
much bigger guys have gotten and apparently stronger, when it
comes down to movement and how will you move and
how well you can throw and how your body moves
and works, there's a lot of similarities for the last
one hundred years.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
That's why you know, we're in the middle of I
don't know when this show drops, but we're in the
middle of the Olympics now and we're coming into the
track and field, which I'll bet anything both of you
guys are fascinated by as I am, because it's such
a pure sport, watching sprinters and runners against each other,
against the clock. And nothing has changed obviously about the
(05:20):
one hundred meters since Athens, Greece and you know, centuries ago.
So it's those kind of things, anything that can escape
the deterioration of chronology. You know, there's a lot of games.
I don't want to dump on other games that we know.
It's kind of ridiculous. Now, go ahead, they're dumb. You're
(05:41):
just watching me and go, this is dumb. This basket
that's ten foot off the ground.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
This is dumb. This game is dumb. Now, no argument.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yeah, because guys were getting to what six foot eight,
six foot nine? Now there's seven foot four in the basket.
Still ten feet Yeah, the courts too darn small too.
But you can't say that about baseball. Somehow they got
it right. Yeah, like the original version.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
They nailed it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
How often does that happen?
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Let me ask you this question. Let's get right into
the things that we really hate. Please, my two top things.
The thing I hate the most, but there's nothing even
close is on field interviews during games.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
That's so good.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
You want to talk about stupid, You want to talk
about insulting a person's focus. I remember Tom. You might
remember this guy's name. He was a reliever for the Mets.
He was in the bullpen. He was kind of a
funny guy. So they like to get him on camera.
He's no longer. Do you know what I'm thinking of?
I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You're not going back to Turk Windell, are you?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Oh? No, no, I'm going back to like last year.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Oh, he was kind of funny anyway, So they talking
to him in the bullpen, you know, doing on camera.
And as a comedian, I'm not an athlete, but there's
a lot more similarities to sport in the stand up
comedy than any of the other arts because of it's live,
it's in person, and the score is obvious to everyone watching.
(07:13):
That's that's what makes stand up comedy very similar to athletics.
And so I know a lot about focus and routine
and preparation and flow and how you prepare.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
You don't prepare when you get to the mound.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
The game starts way before that and they're talking to
this guy, Trevor something.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
May, Trevor May. Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
So they had this interview with him, and so the
guy is trying to be funny, and he's a funny guy.
And then he goes into the game and I'm thinking, myself,
this guy is screwed because he's been using the part
of his brain that is about speech and language and thinking,
and that is not the part you want to be
in when you're pitching. You want to be in flow,
(08:02):
which is not left brain, it's right brain. And he
went out and just got shelled, and I thought, oh,
but that's not even nearly as bad as when they
talk to these guys while they're playing. Wasn't there a
pop up recently on the left side between a shortstop
and a third baseman and they dropped it because they
were talking to the booth.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well, I know, yeah, Key k Hernanz and the Dodgers.
They were talking to him and he made an error
at third base.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yes, I thought, okay, maybe this will end this stupidity.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Jerry, I guess you're not digging my pregame interviews or
in game interviews in the dugout for Fox. Thanks for that.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Uh, No, they're great.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Well, I say, it's as a manager in a dugout,
and we've done I was doing that for years when
that came on board.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I was always uncomfortable with that.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Just like kind of like Jerry's kind of indicating like
you have your mindset on one thing, all of a
sudden you unplugged, right, and you know it's in between innings.
It's in between innings, okay, But nevertheless, I mean, how
do you respond to these things? And again, uh, the
pertinency of them, even like football, like when football coaches
run off the field or basketball coaches sometimes they just
want to take a swat at the reporter base. You know,
(09:07):
especially if things aren't going that well baseball, it's a
little bit a little bit less emotionally. You could step
aside a little bit take a breath because the game's
not actually happening at that point. But it's always difficult
whenever you have to unplug from whatever your like, your
method of concentration, your flow, whatever you want to call
it is, it's weird. And then you got to you
got to put yourself back in there. And part of
(09:28):
it is just okay, so my time is at my turn,
somebody patch you on the back with the headset, all
that kind of stuff, and it's it's even the moment's
leading up to it that you know it's going to happen. Tommy,
I mean, I listen. I asked Tommy before we started,
what's it like doing those interviews at second base before
the game, and he said, like, you get to answer
for yourself, Tommy. But I always wondered, how awkward is
(09:49):
that for you, let alone the person you're interviewing.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Well, Jerry, you're one hundred percent right, because I told
Joe this story. I prepped Charlie Blackman before an All
Star game I was going to talk to him before
he stepped in against Chris Sale, which is so sort
of like, you know, trying to cross the New Jersey
Turnpike of rush hour and you're facing Chris Sale as
a left handed hitter, and he's like, oh cool, I'll
definitely do it. But when the moment actually happened and
(10:15):
he's getting ready to step in the box against Chris Sale,
he had his game face on and I felt very
awkward asking him like, what's your approach going to be?
And his answer was probably like just stay alive, but
he kind of blacked out. He was so much into
game modes. So you're absolutely right, it's a different part
of the brain that's being used.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Yeah, I just find it very disrespectful and it's just
too I'm all for promotion. I love gigantic billboards in
the outfield. I love any dumb, I love the Savannah bananas.
I love promoting the game. It's show business. You got
to promote, promote. You're promoting people something they don't really need,
(10:53):
but you are trying to convince them that they do.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But this this thing, I can't.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Stand straight ahead. You can tell Jerry is a baseball
purist and he loves the fun metals, But what does
he think of one of my biggest complaints about baseball.
(11:20):
Welcome back to the Book of Joe. We are speaking
with noted Mets fan and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry, as
long as were Aaron Grievance is here. You're the perfect
guy to bring this one up to. When we walked
into the office of Bruce Bochie for the All Star
Game and saw Bruce Bouchie wearing those All Star uniforms,
Bruce Bochie in beij and Daglo Orange. I mean, that
(11:45):
was a sight to see.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I was a fan of the uniforms. I know they
weren't that popular. I thought they were cool. Whoever you
know did those graphics. I just thought I thought it
was cool. But I know it wasn't a hit.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
So you did like the uniforms, That's that's interesting.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I did. I liked him. I thought they looked I
thought they were great.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I thought they if you're playing softball, they're outstanding. I mean,
I've saying when I played for the YNPA, the Young
Men's Polish Association, we would have really dug those things.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
But when you're.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Out there on the field and you walk out there
with your own uniform under. I said, there's a sense
of pride when I was there with the Rays, so
it's like eight or nine of us with the Rays
and then with the Cubs, same thing. They stand out there,
you know, you're pretty hot. You guys have done a
good job and you get to wear your uniform and
you like to count how many guys were in that uniform. Yeah,
I don't know, And there's there's certain there's certain components
of it. I mean, I'm kind of a traditionalist, I think,
(12:33):
kind of like you are too. But there's certain parts
of it I'm willing to bend with. But other parts
I don't know. And this is just a uniform.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
It's very superficial. But as having been on the field
with it, I like going out there with my my
regular clothes on and I like seeing my my teammates
with the same uniform on.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Two. Yeah, definitely, it's definitely cool.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I agree well as a Mets fan, Jerry, do you
want to see Pete Alonzo in a Mets uniform with
the All Star Game or just it's a different kind
of game, so you should be wearing a different kind
of fit.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
I don't think it matters that much. That's where superficially
it is.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Speaking of uniforms, Jerry, I mean, I got to ask you.
One of your great of many contributions to the game
of baseball is the bit you have about rooting for
the laundry. I mean, that's just absolutely brilliant, which definitely
nails fandom in one line. I know that bit you had.
I'm first aware of it anyway. I think it was
(13:31):
season six around the mid nineties. Tell me about like
the genesis of a bit like that and that one
in specific, Where did it come from? How long does
it kind of percolate before you actually nail it.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
They're all different, you know, some of them that just
come out of your mouth perfect, some of them. I'm
doing a bit on poker now that it just doesn't
want to work and I will not give up. And
I've been at it at least eighteen months, at least
seventy five or one hundred different versions of it. But
that's the fun of stand up. You can take as
long as you want. Nobody cares, nobody even knows you're
(14:06):
doing it and redoing it and rewriting it, and it's
just it fits an obsessive, compulsive type energy that I have,
and I just do it for myself and for people
that appreciate these things. But that bit with the laundry,
I remember being in a car coming from Newark Airport
(14:28):
and hearing it a sports radio guy talk about it.
I had never heard anybody talk about anything I was saying.
I think that was like a seventy nine or eighty
I wrote that bit, and I was just getting on
TV a little bit, and I was so I still
remember that moment of hearing them on sports talk radio
talk about it, and that was such a gigantic thrill
(14:50):
for me that anybody would even talk about anything I
had said. So that yeah, and it is funny how
they still talk about it. Well, here's the thing, Joe,
maybe you can answer and help me with this one.
Show me a guy's batting average against another team.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
What the hell difference does it? What does that mean?
Speaker 4 (15:12):
I don't understand why I would care about that.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
That team is again, it's not a team.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
It's only a team for that year, right, And then
they say, oh, he's always hit the twins.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Well what are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Well, you know what, some weirdly I mean, I agree
with you, but then I'd say, Weirdly, sometimes some guys
just play against well against a different uniform, a certain uniform.
I've seen it happen from a pitcher's perspective. Really, they
just shove on a particular uniform and vice versa. I
don't put a lot of stock into it, but I've
seen it happen. It's just weirdly. You go to a
(15:48):
certain ballpark, maybe you like the background, maybe your confidence
level feels different, you breathe more comfortably. Whatever it might be,
it happens. It really does have I again, I'm not
putting any weight behind it, and it just happens. It frequently,
doesn't happen very often, but I've seen it happened where
pitchers might pitch well against a certain group, hitters might
hit well against a certain group. But overall, I don't
(16:10):
think it really has a whole lot of substance.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I totally agree with you on that.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
What do you think, Tom, I think as a junk
stat I agree with Joe that for whatever reason, there's
you know somebody you saw Chipper Jones as a Mets fan, right, Yeah,
I mean he was killing the Mets every year yeah,
you know, different pictures. It wasn't the same pictures. There
was something weird to it, But in general I agree
these things are You're not going to play better just
(16:33):
because of that. So if I can, Jerry, I want
to get back to uniforms for a second, because you
presaged this whole Nike nonsense where we had see through
pants this year from Major League Baseball and sweat stains
that showed up on these new uniforms which they're gonna
have to fix next year. And obviously we're going back
to George Costanza, the assistant to the traveling secretary for
(16:54):
the Yankees, and the cotton uniform shrinking. I don't know
if you saw that this year, Jerry, but you talk
about hearing about the laundry on the radio this you're
at Yankee Stadium. They had a a Seinfeld Night and
a Castanza bobblehead giveaway.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I saw that, and they're giving.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Away eighteen thousand dollars in a forty five thousand seat
ballpark and people were lined up only in the afternoon
for that.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
How does that make you feel pretty damn good?
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I mean, you know, we're talking about chronology and baseball.
You know, to overcome time is the greatest victory I
think of any person. We throw the word classic around
or why does the Hall of Fame matter, It's just
that means you overcame the greatest disadvantage we all have,
(17:44):
which is time, and you can't. To be popular in
a moment is one thing, but to be popular out
of your moment, you know, that's kind of it.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I think. You know. My kid said to me the
other day. He's eighteen.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
He says, Dad, I know I'm late on this, and
I know this sounds crazy, but I just realized the
Beatles are really fantastic.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
You know, that's the ultimate.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
So when I saw the Yankees were doing that day,
I really I mean, I sometimes I want to drop
down to a knee.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
And go, good God, how the hell did that happen?
Pretty cool?
Speaker 4 (18:17):
But I love that they wrote on the bibble Head
assistance to the Traveling Second.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Yeah, we checked at the time that there was no
such job, you know, and that's made us.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
That's what we loved about. It's so funny. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
The one thing that stands out about you to me, Jared,
is that you're kind of a traditionalist when it comes
to the game and you love the game, and you've
been a Mets man and utilize both the Mets and
the Yankees and your show. And I'm here to tell you,
I mean, listen, I watch. This is not an exaggeration.
I watch your replays almost nightly on Netflix. That's how
I go to bed. Quite frankly, I do. That's That's
(18:51):
not when I'm on the road. I put my pad
right in front of my face and I go to sleep.
And I do it here at home too, and I'm
in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
But anyway, but you've seen them all. You've seen them all.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
I've seen them all. I've seen them all. Then then
I quote you and I and I tell it you.
You compare and contrast the real, real world stuff to
what you guys had done. It was genius.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Wait wait a second, Jerry, I gotta back him up here.
I gotta tell you a great story about that. This
is a true story. It's the eighteen I think the
eighteen World Series. The Dodgers are playing the Red Sox.
Close play at first base with Cody Bellinger. Is he
out of the base line in the baseline gets hit
by a throw? Nobody really knows. I'm trying to find
out what the heck the rule is. I'm down the
field level as a sideline reporter. I'm texting people to
(19:33):
try to figure this thing out. Theo Epstein gets back
to me and he gives me this complicated answer about, yeah,
I saw the play, but the last step before the
guy hits the base, he's allowed to be in the lane.
All right, that's that's the answer I wanted. Joe gets
back to me and he says, I didn't see it.
I'm watching Seinfeld. It's the World Series and he's watching
(19:55):
the Seinfeld rerun. I swear to God.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
It is true.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
No, I'm listen. I mean, there's nothing else really worth watching.
Everything else is too complicated, and you go and you
go to bed all upset.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Coming up, we are going to ask Jerry about the
new rules of baseball and what is his nightly baseball routine.
Does Jerry actually watch more baseball than we do? Welcome
(20:30):
back to the Book of Joe Podcasts. We are talking
with Jerry Seinfeld and Jerry, you're obviously a huge fan
of the game traditions. You watch us as you are
a kid. So among all the new rules, what rules
would you keep and what rules would you get rid of.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
I have to say, I think we're all good with
the time clock. I think we all feel that that
has improved the experience. Bigger bases, those kinds of things
make me more uncomfortable. Although I'll say this, and I
hope you guys don't get upset, but I'm starting to
(21:09):
really think about robo umps and you know, you watch
tennis and you go, that's the way it should be,
you know, just like that that was a strike, that
was not a strike.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Let's have the umpire there. But it seems like it's
time to do certain things. So I guess I'm not
in favor of the bigger bass. I do like the clock.
What are other new rules we're talking about? Shift? I
like the anti shift change. I'm in favor of that.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
See, and I was one of the first guys to
do that, So I mean, that's neither here nor there.
I just thought that a change should occur organically with
the defense and the offense. That just teach your minor
league geterers to use the other side of the field. Yeah,
a little bit. I mean that That's how I looked
at it, But right that doesn't bother. What I do like, too,
is the anything that makes the game a little bit
more expeditious. The signs between the pitchers and the catchers.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I do like that. I don't like the runner on
second and extra innings.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I don't like any of that. I don't like.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I thought that if we just did the pitch clock,
and then of course here came the science situation. The
biggest problem we've had with the game was the fact
that it moved too slowly. Yeah, these and the three
you can't throw more than twice over the first or
it's a back if you don't get them out. I mean,
those are the kind of things that anything that impacts
strategy I did not really That's what I don't like.
The other stuff I didn't think really impacted strategy. You
(22:28):
have to pitch the ball or or they signed guests
to the catcher to the pitcher more easily. That doesn't
impact strategy. The moment you start impacting strategy, then it
really limits the capacity of your manager or your coaching staff.
Somehow you're creating, you're creating a level or an equal
playing field that particular juncture literally, and so there's there
could be some advantages lost by just creating those kind
(22:51):
of rules.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
Tom, What do you think about that little machine that
they have in their hat and the little keyboard on
their thigh.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Yeah, I'm with Joe and that anything to help speed
up the game is great. And actually I hadn't learned
this until later on that technology they actually and I
hope I'm not giving much away here, actually stole that
from the world of magic.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
You know where you actually communicate that it's the vibrations
of these bones in your temple of your head that
can communicate and you can hear through the vibration of
those bones. So I like it, and I'm with you
Jerry on the on the maybe not a full on,
all on robo ump yeah, come, but getting calls right
(23:33):
Like in tennis the Hawkeye system, you get fan engagement
involved in that. It's very quick. So they have this
challenge system in the minor leagues where you get three
challenges a game. Yeah, the batter, catcher and pitcher. You say, hey,
wait a second, let's go to the robo ump on
that one. I wouldn't do it every pitch, but limited
usage of that, yeah, bring it on.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Let's talk about some smaller behaviors that we find irritating.
I'll start with pictures applauding with their glove when a
defensive player makes a nice play. You're the cool guys.
We do the applauding. You expect him to make that
play behind you. There's no applauding on the field.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Well, how about when they applaud the guy on the
other team for making a good catch.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
That's the greatest moment.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
The hat off for the stolen homer is one of
the greatest moments in sport.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
It almost makes me well up. I think it's so nice.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Another worm fuzzy.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yeah, I've never been into that stuff. I've never which stuff.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Well, first of all, if it occurs on your team,
I don't remember specifically. Listen, I don't want to be
the seven year old here because there's things that have
changed a little bit. I don't know if it's for
good or for bad. But if a guy made a
good play, you might give him a naughter by the
time he came back in the dugga. You absolutely acknowledged it. Yeah,
But when you acknowledge somebody on the other team for
doing something, well, I can't deal with that.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
I don't agree with that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
I can't I can't handle that. I don't understand that.
I mean, you know, even like for the game. I
mean before the game, you are not permitted to even
talk with guys on the other team. And that's the
fraternization policies were very severe back in the day, and
I guess they're not They're not considered. It's not considered
a bad thing to go out there and be kumbayau
(25:20):
with somebody behind second base before the game, right yeah.
I don't even like to go by the batting cage
before the game to talk to people that I know
for years, I'll stay away from that, and I don't
I don't take the lineup card up because I don't
want to like the umpires because I want to be
able to argue if I need to argue. I want
to not like you when I'm playing against you. So
these are the things that I find. I don't know
(25:41):
if the right word is offensive, but not. They they're
they're just they're fabrications. It's pandering to the other side
for whatever reason. And I just don't I don't dig
on it.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
This conversation has been so amazing. We're actually going to
need to bring Jerry back for episode one. Oh one,
because one hundred hopefully you agree with this, Joe is
not enough. We want to bring him back.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah, absolutely, as as I had expected.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I mean, the guy is you know, he is who
he is, brilliant comedian. And then just from the conversations
during this first part of the two part series here
you could see how thoughtful he is, how introspective he
puts a lot of time. I'm just like into his
comedy and even talking about baseball absolutely has it broken
down and has strong opinions, which I love. So never
(26:26):
having met him before, I thought about this too. Listening
to him talking to him, it was comfortable and it's
and I thought, it's because I watch him every night
on TV. It's like it's like the voice of the
saying is the guy I watch every night. I listened
to him almost nightly, so it was very familiar and
it was very easy. And then seeing him in Mets
hats Keith and Nanis on the show George Costanz and
(26:48):
giving hated lessons to Bernie Williams and Derek Cheater, it
was just comfortable because I felt like I've known this guy.
And I think it's a product of two things. Number One,
watching the show and his love for the game, and
he's just he's got an easy way about him, very
like calm, comfortable, open. There's a lot of things that
I really enjoyed just about having all that stuff validated
(27:10):
by actually speaking to him through our interview.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Yeah, he's a naturally funny, curious guy. I think he's
got a future in comedy.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
He should try it out.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
You've always come up with the perfect quotes of the
dead and their episodes. You got a tough task today
finishing episode one hundred with our guests Jerry Seinfeld.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
What do you got?
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Yeah, I was thinking about this for a bit and
there's several I mean, I came up with several things
that I really like, and once from George Monard Shaw,
once from Dennis weight Lee, and it really one's about
taking the way for opportunities, the other ones about taking risks.
But the thing that I really love is great things
never come from a comfort zone. From your comfort zones,
(27:48):
and you know when you talk to him, like you
and I have had this conversation, I don't know how
many times. To stay within your comfort zone, you will
never grow the warm, fuzzy stuff. You know, we're all
about routine and I love routine. I love my routine,
but you got to step outside of that routine.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
And if you want to be great.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Talked about this, they have to be a little bit
crazy to be great. So that's it. I could go
so many different ways with this one, risk taking, whatever,
but it's all in there. I mean, you have to
be able to be firm enough in your conviction in
what you believe in the say it, even at the
concern that things think somebody may fire me, or like
they're gonna say you can't do this anymore, whatever it
might be. But you have to say what you think
(28:27):
and not necessarily what you've heard.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
That's awesome and with all due respect, I want to
stay in our comfort zone. For episode one oh one,
we're going to bring Jerry back. There's so many more
questions we want to ask him. One of our favorite
topics on this show is talking about glue guys part
of a team, mostly baseball teams, but any kind of
band or show. I want to talk to Jerry about
the glue guys in Seinfeld. How cool will that be? Well,
(28:51):
we'll ask him about that and you'll have to listen
and look for the book of Joe Episode one on
one coming up next week. More with Jerry Sneinfeld. That
was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Joe, Let's do it again please, new brother, nice job.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com