February 4, 2025 • 28 mins
Charlie Blackmon had no illusions of grandeur once he realized his days as a left-handed pitcher were numbered. He’d been a pitcher in high school and junior college and figured when he transferred to Georgia Tech he’d ride his time out on the bench, get a degree and find a job. Life worked out a bit differently.
It all changed when Charlie spent a summer in the Texas Collegiate League and got some advice from Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Rusty Greer. Charlie went into the TCL with a bit of a fib: he told them he could pitch, hit and play defense. Truth be told, he hadn’t hit or played in the field since high school. Regardless, he picked up a wood bat and began to make contact, a lot. He also started to play positions outside of pitcher and Rusty told him he should consider giving up pitching and heading to the outfield. The self-admitted hardheaded Charlie eventually agreed.
He had fairly quick success with his newfound skills at Georgia Tech and got drafted by the Rockies. He worked his way up every level of the minors and finally made his MLB debut in June of 2011. Within a month Charlie had his first hit, RBI, home run and broke his foot, ending his season.
He used his rehab time to finish his degree in finance and found a new appreciation for baseball and the grind. He’d be up and down from the minors to the Rockies for another couple years and then became a staple at Coors Field until his retirement in 2024. Which didn’t last long: in 2025, the Rockies named Charlie a Special Assistant to the General Manager.
Listen to Charlie’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
It all changed when Charlie spent a summer in the Texas Collegiate League and got some advice from Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Rusty Greer. Charlie went into the TCL with a bit of a fib: he told them he could pitch, hit and play defense. Truth be told, he hadn’t hit or played in the field since high school. Regardless, he picked up a wood bat and began to make contact, a lot. He also started to play positions outside of pitcher and Rusty told him he should consider giving up pitching and heading to the outfield. The self-admitted hardheaded Charlie eventually agreed.
He had fairly quick success with his newfound skills at Georgia Tech and got drafted by the Rockies. He worked his way up every level of the minors and finally made his MLB debut in June of 2011. Within a month Charlie had his first hit, RBI, home run and broke his foot, ending his season.
He used his rehab time to finish his degree in finance and found a new appreciation for baseball and the grind. He’d be up and down from the minors to the Rockies for another couple years and then became a staple at Coors Field until his retirement in 2024. Which didn’t last long: in 2025, the Rockies named Charlie a Special Assistant to the General Manager.
Listen to Charlie’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I could feel it slipping away, and I just really
loved the game wanted to play. And that's when I
went to Texas to play in the Texas Collegiate League.
I went out there and told him I was a
two way player, outfielder, pitcher, hitter, you know, like I
just wanted to play Paul.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
And of course none of that was true.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
You know, I hadn't played a position, hadn't played any
defense since high school.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
That's the wood Bat League.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
And it turns out I still like, wasn't a very
good picture, but I started to hit a little.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Bit with a wood back kind of out of nowhere.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Rush de Gear came to me and he said, hey,
I know you you're pretty hard headed. I don't like
to listen to other people, but I you know, I've
played the game for a long time, and I think
you can play in the outfield.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I think you can do it.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Welcome to Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired, a podcast featuring conversations
with professional athletes and coaches in a variety of sports
to chat about their experiences with being cut, traded, fired,
and or retired. I'm your host, Susie Wargen. This episode's
guest stayed with the same team his entire career, so
he doesn't have any cuts or trades to talk about,
(01:04):
and he just recently retired. Well kind of more on
that later. Charlie Blackman does have plenty of experience in
trying to rise to the top, and it took him
a while. Chuck Nasty was actually a left handed pitcher
in high school and junior college, where by the way,
he never hit, just pitched and had no illusions of
playing professional baseball because he could tell pitching wasn't going
(01:24):
to be in his future. Then one summer in Texas,
he stopped pitching, started hitting and playing in the outfield,
and a future star was born. But it took a
while to shine, including a couple of more years in
college at Georgia Tech and working his way up level
by level in the Colorado Rockies minor league system. When
he made it to the bigs for the first time
in twenty eleven, Charlie had his first major league appearance,
(01:47):
hit RBI and home run, and then soon after broke
his foot which ended his season, so he's had the
ups and downs. Eventually, he did make the big league
roster on a permanent basis and stayed a while. The
four time All Star, two times Silver Slugger, and one
time NL batting Champion retired in twenty twenty four from playing.
(02:07):
As you'll hear, he just got a new job as
the special assistant to the general manager and is back
with the Rockies organization. I had very limited time with him,
so we made the best of it with a fun
episode Ladies and Gentlemen Charlie Blackman.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Cut Traded, Fired, Retired podcast with Susie Wargen.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Chuck freaking nasty. How are you, Susie.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
I'm doing amazing. I'm so glad to be here with you.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Well, you know what I was thinking about it. It's
probably been over a decade since we've sat down. I mean,
and then you were like a very young, clean shaven
boy when you were coming up in the majors. Yeah,
that was Jack when I was at nine News and
going down to spring training.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
It's just like old times, except except different. You know,
we're both a little older.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Yeah, and retirement didn't last very long. We're recording this
on January twenty fifth, and you get announced as a
special assistant to the general manager, so now you're not
really retired.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
They couldn't keep me away, you know it was I
think it was mutual. You know.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I like to think that they want me around even
though I'm not playing. Apparently the powers that be, I
think that I still have some input that is worth hearing.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Well, Tod's done the same thing. It's it's good you
guys should be around.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And I'm excited about it.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
The cool thing is Bill Schmidt's given me a lot
of freedom to pursue the things that I think I
would be good at. Her be able to help us with. Yeah,
and so it's not just hang out with the big
league club. There will be some amateur scouting, there will
be some speaking to new draftees, there will be some instructional.
(03:41):
League Spring training, of course, is one of my favorite
times of the year, and I'm planning to be around
for the spring. There's a lot that I'll be doing
kind of all over the map, and it's fine, and
it won't be so laser focused on, you know, just scouting,
opposing relief pictures.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
You know, it won't be.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Right anything like that, looking at hours of cut ups
that you really that's not your stronghold. Work to your
strengths and he help others with those right.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And it's not a full time position either.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
You know, I'm not gonna be in the dugout every
game or anything like that. And it's going to at
least early on, be a little bit open ended, kind
of up for interpretation, flexible, and you know, hopefully I'm
good at something.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I think you will be figure to be. Okay, yeah, okay.
So the podcast this is kind of a this is
your Life, Charlie Blackman. So we're gonna go through kind
of your you know, upbringing and ups and downs, and
I think it's very interesting. I mean, you're one of
the few that have stayed with the same organization for
a long time, so you don't have the cuts and
the trades and things like that, but you've had the
injuries and you've had those ups and downs throughout and
(04:48):
just the grind of baseball I think is so taxing sometimes.
So let's start. You're born in Dallas, you grow up
in Georgia. How's the transition happened there? I know you
played baseball in Georgia as well as basketball and track
and field.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Right. Dad went to college as a track athlete.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I played baseball, basketball football growing up, and we moved
from Texas when I was two, you know, so you know,
it's only convenience with Texas when I'm in Texas.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
But you know Texas, I mean, I've since been back.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Actually played collegiate summer ball in the DFW area where
I was born, and so I claim Atlanta. But growing up,
you know, big time multi sport athlete, wasn't an incredible
talent at any of the big three that I was playing.
I had coordination, right, like, I was talented, but I
(05:38):
wasn't bigger, faster, stronger, you know, I had none of
those tools.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
I guess you would say I was a good student.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
You're a very good student throughout college too.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I knew that statistically, to think that I was going
to have a career in athletics was not likely.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
You're a realist.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I was a realist, A very concrete a realist. And
so I went to college, junior college as a left handed.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Pitcher, Young Harris College.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Young Harrison. That's also the name of the town. It's
in North Georgia. It was incredible place, one of the
greatest two years of my life. A great experience with
a good coach, a great group of guys. I think
it kind of forged my ability to work hard without
being in the spotlight, right, you know, like just because
(06:25):
I wanted to, because I was a competitor.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Were you scholarship or did you just you went to college?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I was.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
It was the first school to offer me a scholarship,
and I said yes before they changed their mind. And
so I went up there with aspirations of academically being
able to transfer to Georgia Tech.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Georgia Tech's a good academic school, like the best academic school.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
You know in my area, pretty well revered in the Southeast,
a lot of name recognition in terms of if I
needed to get a job, right, and Young Harris is
a good At the time, it was a junior college.
Now it's Division three, I believe, okay, And they were
good academic and so I was able to transfer from
there to Georgia Tech, no problem.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Georgia Tech wanted you earlier, though, and you told him
to give him two years in JUCOS.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So I was not good enough player to go straight
to Georgia Tech, right, So I needed junior college.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Went to junior college. Played well my first year as
a left handed pitcher.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You're still pitching, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Right?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And the Georgia Tech staff was aware that I wanted to,
you know, come there, and they actually offered me a
chance to come after my first year in junior college,
and you know, I was, I was having a good time,
and they gave me a scholarship, and I just kind
of felt like I needed to honor the commitment of
two years at the junior college.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
So I did. And I know it's not as.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Big of a deal, but I was able to graduate,
you know, get my associate's degree there.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
That's good.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Yeah, So graduate from Young Harris and then transferred after
my second year to Georgia Tech, still as a left
handed pitcher.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And you didn't start playing in the outfield till you're
senior year at Georgia Tech, is that right?
Speaker 1 (08:01):
So my first year at Georgia Tech, I was actually
pretty terrible at pitching.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Really, my elbow was banged up.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I had pitched in the Cape Cod League after my
fresh freshman year, and so that was you know, that
was probably a lot of pitching, you know for a
young player, because we played a fall schedule, then we
played a spring schedule, and then I went out and
pitched in the summer in the fall league, and you know,
that's just a lot of throwing for a guy who's
still growing.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And my elbow was banged up.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Didn't get to play after my sophomore year in the Cape,
like I had wanted to, but I was still able
to transfer to Georgia Tech and then just never got
my feet under me. My elbow was banged up. When
I came back, I couldn't throw strikes. My arm swing
felt different, really inconsistent, and I just didn't make the
team that year.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I mean I didn't make the team.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I was, I mean I was a part of the team,
but like I didn't make the travel roster. Oh wow,
I think I pitched one may. I think I pitched
two innings that year, you know, in blowout situation when
they you know, didn't want to use another arm, but
at home, because you know, I dressed out at home,
but just wasn't on the track. I mean, for all
intents purposes, I was not a contributor. And I had
(09:10):
I was able to get a medical red shirt because
I had, you know, like so little innings pitch that
I got a metal richhert. And so anyway, that was
my third year of college. So after that season, I
needed a different option.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Well, I just.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Felt like the game was like I could feel it
slipping away, and I just really loved the game, wanted
to play and and that's when I went to Texas
to play in the Texas Collegiate League.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I was placed there, you know, it helped.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Coming from a school like Georgia Tech Ratch like a
big T one program, it was easier for me to
get in the Texas Collegiate League. And I was lucky
enough to play for Rusty Greer, a long time Texas
ranger grade and I went out there and told him
I was a two way player, outfielder, pitcher, hitter, you know,
like I just wanted to play Paul. And of course
none of that was true. You know, I hadn't played
(10:01):
a position, hadn't played any defense since high school. That's
the wood bat League. And it turns out I still
like wasn't a very good picture. But I started to
hit a little bit with a wood back, kind of
out of nowhere. And at this point I was stronger,
a little faster, bigger. I had been able to gain weight,
you know, ten pounds every year since high school. Right, So,
(10:22):
I mean I was a good hitter in high school.
You know for high school ball, but I didn't have
any tools.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
And now that I'm a.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Little bit older, a little more sure, a little bit stronger,
I could still hit a little bit, but I could
run a little better and I could hit the ball
in the gap a little bit. And rush der Gear
came to me and he said, hey, I know you
you're pretty hard headed. I don't like to listen to
other people, but I you know, I've played the game
for a long time, and I think you can play
in the outfield.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
I think you can do it.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And I was still really holding on to the left
handed pitcher Gig, but he expressed that sentiment to me,
and I kind of thought, you know what, maybe this guy.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Knows what he's talking about. Baby, Let's give him a shot.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And by the end of the summer, I played well,
I think, I you know, it was in the tops,
you know, on the team and hitting and I was
able to play center field and you know, got a
little bit comfortable in the outfield.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
And is that when you got drafted the first time?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
No actually got you know, got drafted the Marlins, right, yeah,
out of high school. It was like a super late
draft and follow as a left handed pitcher, but they
you know, there was never any intent to sign. And
same thing after my first year in junior college. It was,
you know, there's fifty rounds in the draft, and you know,
you somebody's got to get picked late.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
You know, you got to pick somebody.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And you know, being like tall, skinny, left handed, projectable picture,
there's always a chance that like I put on a
bunch of weight and throw really really hard, like the
next summer, you know. And so that's kind of where
the draft came from. Okay, but I never really had
an opportunity to play pro ball as a pitcher for yeah,
and you know, I'm thankful for that.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
So when the Rockies select you, then are you done
at Georgia Tech or are you still in school?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So I come back after that Texas Collegiate League at
this point, it's my fourth year of college and rush
To Greer calls Danny Hall, the head coach at Georgia Tech,
and says, hey, look, you know, I know this guy
hasn't done this for you, but I've watched him this
summer and I think you should give him a shot
hitting and and Daniel Hall didn't put up a fight
and said, yeah, we'll see what he can do in
(12:24):
the fall.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
So did you not hit when you were pitching?
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Oh no, no, Oh.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
My gosh, Okay, yeah, wow, Charlie, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
That's the lie.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
When I went out to play, you know, summer college,
you told him you could hit. Yeah, I told him
I was hitter for sure, and came back and it
was the very first fall practice. And Division one is
like a big step where I came from, right, like,
from junior college.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
It's a big step.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
And so you know, most guys don't hit very you know,
like it's just hard. And so to come from a
junior college to have that background around not hitting only pitching,
the odds were against me, and everybody kind of treated
me as such. And I remember like our first fault practice.
So my first practice coming back as a hit you know,
(13:15):
quote unquote later now, and you know I'm left handed.
It just so happened. My first bat was against our
Friday night starter. He's like this six foot eight left
handed pitcher who got Randy Johnson is, yeah, who got
drafted pretty high. And anyway, my first at bat against
was him, and he fell behind two and oho and
he threw a two oz pitch. He threw it right
into my barrel, like I could have closed my eyes
(13:36):
and swung, and I hit it way up in the
trees and it was like way out of here. So
that was the first swing anybody saw me take a
Georgia tack, you know, left on left, up in the trees.
And I didn't really like when you do that, you know,
an inner squad against your buddies. You don't like run
all the bases. You just whatever, like you touch first,
it goes over the fence. You run back to the dugout,
and I'm like, I'm like, okay, that's good.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
That's a good start.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
And I'm like, all my way back to the dugout,
I'm kind of looking around to see like what people thinking,
and I see see Danny Hall like laughing.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I can't really know what to make of.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
It was like like, oh, maybe we got something here,
you know. And then a few months later, I'm I'm
playing well and productive and playing outfield and playing good
in the ACC, and you know, and then next thing,
I know, like we're talking to scouts about the draft
and you know, and you know, twelve months earlier, like
I was throwing bullpens in the indoor facility on Saturday
(14:30):
night because the team was at Virginia Tech playing and
like left.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Me and travel right, yeah, and so it was just.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
An incredible whirlwind of.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And had no thoughts of playing professionally at that point either.
When when that was happening, You're like, Okay, I'm gonna
get my finance degree, right, and I'm going to get
a job.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, I mean, I mean it was baseball was like
all but completely taken away from me. And so I
think just that's given me a great perspective to like
really appreciate all of these opportunities I've.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Had, yeah, no kidding well, and then the grind of
then once you get into baseball, so the Rockies they
select you in the second round in oh wait, you
start with the Tri City Dust Doubles. Then I mean,
year by year though, Charlie, you keep moving up Modesto,
then you go to Tulsa, then the sky Soocks. Then
you get your call up in twenty eleven. What is
that like as a especially for somebody who didn't even
(15:20):
think you were going to be able to play any
kind of big league ball going through that grind of
the miners.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Minor league baseball is just incredible, Like it's just it's
something that not everybody gets to experience it as a player.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
But the beauty of it is.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
If you like baseball, you can go experience it as
you know, as a fan and gets cool. So close
to the players and you're so close to the game
and it's you know.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
It's all and intimate, not glamorous.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
No, these guys are not making a lot of money
and the conditions aren't that good. And for most guys
like me, it was it was a big step backwards
from like a big Division one program where you're flying
around interested on the jets and whatever, and now you're
they're on buses on like eight hour bus rides and
it's a real reality check. And then you also really
(16:06):
you know, you think you're pretty good, and then you
move up to the pro game and it's like it's
another completely different world.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
So was each level a big step up in talent?
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, you know, I think there was a common theme, Like,
looking back on it, there was a common theme for me,
and it was you move to the next level, you're
overwhelmed with the talent, the speed, the polish of that
new level and you get exposed and you make mistakes
and you don't have success, and you fail for a while,
(16:36):
and then you kind of sort of just keep competing,
keep competing, make some adjustments, maybe have a breakthrough here
or there, and then you're kind of keeping your head
above water. And then you become accustomed to that new
level play. And then you continue to push, continue to push,
and now you're having some success, and you yourself become
(16:58):
more polished and your mental game gets better better and
you shore up some of your weaknesses, and then the
season's over and you move.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Up to the next level and you do all over again.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, so you know, so the college game, the metal
back game, to to pro ball with the wood bats
against guys who are doing it all day, every day.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That's a big jump.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
And then it seemed like every minor league stop were
incremental jumps.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
And then twenty eleven had to be huge because you
start in Triple A and then you get called up
a couple months.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Later exactly excuse.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
And then so the biggest jump of all is the
Triple A to the big league gap. There's just no
way to be prepared for the big leagues. There really isn't.
Baseball is so developmental that if you do it enough,
you will get polished and your margin of error will shrink,
and you'll get more.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
And more consistent.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
And it's almost always because you get exposed to the
same thing over and over and over and you get
time to figure it out and make your adjustments. But
you just can't expose yourself to big league pitching and play.
It's just so far and away, so much better the
fastballs are, you know, it's just it's not just a number,
(18:08):
it's not a ninety three million hour fastball. There's like
so many metrics behind it to make it so much
harder to hit than just a regular ninety three million
hour fastball that you just can't find those reps to
make the adjustments and triple A you just can't. So
you're so you're you're jumping.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
You're drinking from a firehoseh You're drinking from a.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Fire hose in the big leagues, and you're just hoping
that you can. You know that you've had enough of
a background in the minor leagues or as an amateur
to where you you've failed and then you've overcome failure
and then learned succeeds. You know, like enough of that
common theme. Hopefully it can repeat itself, but just.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
At a much much bigger jump.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
So right, and so for me, you know, it took
a while, right, I was up for up and down
for eleven, twelve, and thirteen. Or I actually made the
team for the first time in twenty fourteen at the
age of twenty seven, Right.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Pretty old for a guy who's still kind of a rookie. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Well, and then I want to go back to twenty
eleven because it was interesting looking back June sixth to
get called up. Your first hit is June eighth, You
have your first RBI on June eleventh, your first home
run on your birthday in July, and then you end
up getting injured, right, and you're out for the season.
So it's like you have this like this crazy roller
(19:27):
coaster over a couple of months. And I mean, baseball
is a roller coaster, and that's one of the things
they talk about so much. I mean, when you have
one hundred and sixty two games, you always have to
have a short memory because you're back out there again.
So did you learn that early on? And injury is
a totally different animal where you're not a part of
the team and now you're in a training room all
the time, which stinks.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
That was a tough tough time for me.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
You know, you finally make it to the big leagues,
and you know, you're just so excited, and then you realize, man,
these these guys in the big leagues are pretty good,
and so you're you know, you're trying to do all
this adjusting and it's just hard to to have your
baseball skills be where they need to be. And then
all of a sudden, you know, I get hurt. I
break my foot in Atlanta, and I was out for
(20:09):
the season. Yeah, And really it was like not a
it wasn't a cut and dry, like, oh, you're out
for three months and then you're back.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
I mean, it was like a this is.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
A kind of a dicey part of your foot to break,
and sometimes they don't heal exactly like they're supposed to,
you know, Like it was.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I was like very very worried about it, and yeah,
for long term exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
And and the Rockies were good enough to let me
go back after my season was over. They allowed me
to leave the team and go back to Georgia Tech
get my degree.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
I was able to oh that's when you finished your.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Finished my degree.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
While I was hurt, I called, you know, it was
too late, like after the semester sign ups had already happened,
so you know, I called them up and they said,
you know, no, you've missed the window. And so I
flew home and I had my little foot scooter, you know,
like I couldn't. I couldn't, I couldn't puny wait on
my foot.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
So I come, I come scooting into the.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Registrar's office and I'm like, hey, look, here's the deal, Like,
let me tell you my situation.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
It's like I've got a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
But for the next four months, like I'm yours, you know,
like I'm not going anywhere. This is my window, like
please let me into school. And they made like they
made an exception for me. And I got in and
that's take all my classes in that one semester.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
And how many were you short? How many credits did
you take?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
I only needed one semester, but it was like a
pretty full okay, it was. It was a lot of school,
but I couldn't do anything except rehab.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
That probably kept your mind off of being injured, right
and not being around the team, and.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I was busy, and I didn't have four hours or
five hours of baseball practice every.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Day, right, you know, I had one hour of rehab,
and so I ended.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Up what a great time.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah I got I mean I got good grades and
graduated with honors and all that kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Stuff for you, Charlie.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
So I'm, yeah, college graduate now. But I think I
needed that injury. I think that was a real big
turning point in my life kind of you know, sometimes
you get really caught up and what you think is important.
And I think baseball had turned into my idol at
that point, and I think I was blindly following baseball,
and then again to have it taken away from me
(22:09):
put things in perspective from a life standpoint, from a
decision making standpoint, from a priority standpoint, and so I
think I with some divine intervention, I think I got
my priority sorted out. Because I don't think I was
ready for success at the big league level.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I don't. I don't think as a person I was
who I needed to be.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I think I would have faltered had success found me before.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Your career may not have lasted long.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Before that foot entry exactly.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That's fascinating, all right. So as you go through your career,
and I mean there were so many accolades throughout your career,
between you know, getting the n L batting title and
you get a couple of Silver Sluggers and there you're
a four time All Star. Is there anything that kind
of sticks out that you're the most proud of? A
couple of post seasons.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
The team's success in making the playoffs, especially in twenty seventeen,
the first time we made the playoffs, and I had
a really good season and that was a you know,
big part of the success of that team.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Was the time that I'll always remember that was really special,
you know, like just how good it felt to make
the playoffs, you know, and just to have my teammates
around me and to you know, just to help us
get in there and be a part of it, you know,
just be part of that team. I'll never forget it,
you know. Making it to the playoffs for the first
time was probably the It's just you know, we made
(23:32):
it twice over my career, and the first time was
just seemed much.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
More memorable absolutely time, because it seemed like we spent
years and years and years trying to get there, and
then you did and then we did.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yeah, it was from nine to seventeen. Yeah, exactly a
couple of questions because I know that you were short
on time. You've got lots of things to do while
you're here. So your walk up song, I know you've
been asked about it. How did you ever come up
with that?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
I used it in college, and man, you know, I
love college. College is a great time. Learned so much
about myself. And you know, it's a classic song, right,
I don't have to go chase some new hip song whatever.
I don't have to like find some news, and I
think it'll always be a classic song. And it worked well.
And I'm not a big changer of things, right, If
something worked, like if it ain't broke, don't.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Fix it, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And so I you know, I stuck with it. And
then obviously the Denver Faithful embraced it. Oh and it
became so interactive and then I mean then it was
like kind of like the beard, like it's like sticking around,
like like I'm not changing this for nothing.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
So the beard that's not going away. You still have it.
I mean, some guys when they retire, They they lose
a bunch of weight, they shave, they do all kinds
of things, and here you are looking the same.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, you know, I turned it up a little. I think,
you know, my wife's never actually seen me without it.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Which is crazy. You guys have married since twenty eighteen, and.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Like there's people around the organization that like, that's seen
me without it, but not, you know, not my wife.
And so I think I maybe, oh, what to her
to like see my see my my face once with
your kids, Yeah, before I get all like wrinkly and.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
See that little baby face in there.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Yeah, so we might there might be it's too cold
right now, Like I'm not shaving while it's snowing outside.
So maybe over the summer, we'll see. We'll see.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Yeah, when you're when you're scouting somewhere or doing whatever
it is with your special assistant job and it's like
super hot in this some Triple A team, I want
to shave your beard probably.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Yeah, maybe you might have to do in stages, might
have to take off like half of it so my
kids don't freak out.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Well, yeah, you'll look very different. Speaking of kids, Josie
and whyatt is Josie because of the outfield song.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Well, we're not telling people that, Okay, her legal name
is Josette in case she wants.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
To be Okay, we go or something like oh yeah.
I felt like that was very fancy.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah yeah, But but I am big on the you know,
the super short easy to turn into a nickname like
so Josie.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Uh and you know how like nobody in the locker
room gets called by their.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Actually, oh non, thats a nickname.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
So yeah, So anyway, so she's Josie.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Now, all right, one last question for you, and I
ask all my guests this one. You've been through lots
of ups and downs. I know you're going to be
in a position where you're talking to guys that are
trying to do that grind getting up. What do you
tell people on how to kind of keep going the
lessons some of the lessons that you've learned, and to
keep moving forward and reinventing yourself.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Right, I've been able, I've been lucky enough to play
the game for a long time, and it's almost inevitable
that I feel like I've made so many mistakes that
no matter what a young player is dealing with, Like
I've probably experienced some of the same failures that they're experiencing,
and so I can almost always relate to that feeling,
and then you know, hopefully i've I can shed some
(26:40):
light on like what helped me to push past that,
or or how do.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I learn from it?
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Or how do I improve my mental game to get
around that, you know? And so I think also I
think sometimes just like realizing that, like baseball players don't
always have it figured out, right, Yeah, and just like
other people knowing that you know, this game's hard for me.
You know, it's hard for me, it's hard for this
guy over here, and it's hard for everybody. You're not
(27:05):
any different, So don't feel like you don't belong here, right,
It's just a kind of a matter of perspective. And
so I think just being blessed to play long as
long as I have, I've made so many mistakes and
I've been through so much that inevitably, like I can
relate to whatever you got go.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
You're going to know and guess what you're gonna get
through it, just like I did.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Right, hopefully, Yeah, it's the plan, all right.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
I could chat with you for another thirty minutes, but
I know you've got to figure out what your new
job is, so we're let you go. Hey, thank you.
This is a lot of fun. And then I'm going
to see you too in another month or so at
the Scout America Breakfast, so it'll be fun to chat
with you at that too.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I look forward to it.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, thanks, thanks Charlie, Thank you, Charlie. New episodes of Cut, Traded, Fired,
Retired are released on Tuesdays on nearly every podcast platform.
Get social with the podcast on Twitter and Instagram at
ctfur podcast, and check out the website ctfropodcast dot com.
I'm your host, Susie Worton. To learn more about me,
visit susiworgin dot com. I appreciate you listening, and until
(28:06):
next time, please be careful, be safe and be kind.
Take care
I could feel it slipping away, and I just really
loved the game wanted to play. And that's when I
went to Texas to play in the Texas Collegiate League.
I went out there and told him I was a
two way player, outfielder, pitcher, hitter, you know, like I
just wanted to play Paul.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
And of course none of that was true.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
You know, I hadn't played a position, hadn't played any
defense since high school.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
That's the wood Bat League.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
And it turns out I still like, wasn't a very
good picture, but I started to hit a little.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Bit with a wood back kind of out of nowhere.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Rush de Gear came to me and he said, hey,
I know you you're pretty hard headed. I don't like
to listen to other people, but I you know, I've
played the game for a long time, and I think
you can play in the outfield.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I think you can do it.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Welcome to Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired, a podcast featuring conversations
with professional athletes and coaches in a variety of sports
to chat about their experiences with being cut, traded, fired,
and or retired. I'm your host, Susie Wargen. This episode's
guest stayed with the same team his entire career, so
he doesn't have any cuts or trades to talk about,
(01:04):
and he just recently retired. Well kind of more on
that later. Charlie Blackman does have plenty of experience in
trying to rise to the top, and it took him
a while. Chuck Nasty was actually a left handed pitcher
in high school and junior college, where by the way,
he never hit, just pitched and had no illusions of
playing professional baseball because he could tell pitching wasn't going
(01:24):
to be in his future. Then one summer in Texas,
he stopped pitching, started hitting and playing in the outfield,
and a future star was born. But it took a
while to shine, including a couple of more years in
college at Georgia Tech and working his way up level
by level in the Colorado Rockies minor league system. When
he made it to the bigs for the first time
in twenty eleven, Charlie had his first major league appearance,
(01:47):
hit RBI and home run, and then soon after broke
his foot which ended his season, so he's had the
ups and downs. Eventually, he did make the big league
roster on a permanent basis and stayed a while. The
four time All Star, two times Silver Slugger, and one
time NL batting Champion retired in twenty twenty four from playing.
(02:07):
As you'll hear, he just got a new job as
the special assistant to the general manager and is back
with the Rockies organization. I had very limited time with him,
so we made the best of it with a fun
episode Ladies and Gentlemen Charlie Blackman.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Cut Traded, Fired, Retired podcast with Susie Wargen.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Chuck freaking nasty. How are you, Susie.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
I'm doing amazing. I'm so glad to be here with you.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Well, you know what I was thinking about it. It's
probably been over a decade since we've sat down. I mean,
and then you were like a very young, clean shaven
boy when you were coming up in the majors. Yeah,
that was Jack when I was at nine News and
going down to spring training.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
It's just like old times, except except different. You know,
we're both a little older.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Yeah, and retirement didn't last very long. We're recording this
on January twenty fifth, and you get announced as a
special assistant to the general manager, so now you're not
really retired.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
They couldn't keep me away, you know it was I
think it was mutual. You know.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I like to think that they want me around even
though I'm not playing. Apparently the powers that be, I
think that I still have some input that is worth hearing.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Well, Tod's done the same thing. It's it's good you
guys should be around.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And I'm excited about it.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
The cool thing is Bill Schmidt's given me a lot
of freedom to pursue the things that I think I
would be good at. Her be able to help us with. Yeah,
and so it's not just hang out with the big
league club. There will be some amateur scouting, there will
be some speaking to new draftees, there will be some instructional.
(03:41):
League Spring training, of course, is one of my favorite
times of the year, and I'm planning to be around
for the spring. There's a lot that I'll be doing
kind of all over the map, and it's fine, and
it won't be so laser focused on, you know, just scouting,
opposing relief pictures.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
You know, it won't be.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Right anything like that, looking at hours of cut ups
that you really that's not your stronghold. Work to your
strengths and he help others with those right.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And it's not a full time position either.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
You know, I'm not gonna be in the dugout every
game or anything like that. And it's going to at
least early on, be a little bit open ended, kind
of up for interpretation, flexible, and you know, hopefully I'm
good at something.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I think you will be figure to be. Okay, yeah, okay.
So the podcast this is kind of a this is
your Life, Charlie Blackman. So we're gonna go through kind
of your you know, upbringing and ups and downs, and
I think it's very interesting. I mean, you're one of
the few that have stayed with the same organization for
a long time, so you don't have the cuts and
the trades and things like that, but you've had the
injuries and you've had those ups and downs throughout and
(04:48):
just the grind of baseball I think is so taxing sometimes.
So let's start. You're born in Dallas, you grow up
in Georgia. How's the transition happened there? I know you
played baseball in Georgia as well as basketball and track
and field.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Right. Dad went to college as a track athlete.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I played baseball, basketball football growing up, and we moved
from Texas when I was two, you know, so you know,
it's only convenience with Texas when I'm in Texas.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
But you know Texas, I mean, I've since been back.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Actually played collegiate summer ball in the DFW area where
I was born, and so I claim Atlanta. But growing up,
you know, big time multi sport athlete, wasn't an incredible
talent at any of the big three that I was playing.
I had coordination, right, like, I was talented, but I
(05:38):
wasn't bigger, faster, stronger, you know, I had none of
those tools.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
I guess you would say I was a good student.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
You're a very good student throughout college too.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I knew that statistically, to think that I was going
to have a career in athletics was not likely.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
You're a realist.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I was a realist, A very concrete a realist. And
so I went to college, junior college as a left handed.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Pitcher, Young Harris College.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Young Harrison. That's also the name of the town. It's
in North Georgia. It was incredible place, one of the
greatest two years of my life. A great experience with
a good coach, a great group of guys. I think
it kind of forged my ability to work hard without
being in the spotlight, right, you know, like just because
(06:25):
I wanted to, because I was a competitor.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Were you scholarship or did you just you went to college?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I was.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
It was the first school to offer me a scholarship,
and I said yes before they changed their mind. And
so I went up there with aspirations of academically being
able to transfer to Georgia Tech.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Georgia Tech's a good academic school, like the best academic school.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
You know in my area, pretty well revered in the Southeast,
a lot of name recognition in terms of if I
needed to get a job, right, and Young Harris is
a good At the time, it was a junior college.
Now it's Division three, I believe, okay, And they were
good academic and so I was able to transfer from
there to Georgia Tech, no problem.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Georgia Tech wanted you earlier, though, and you told him
to give him two years in JUCOS.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So I was not good enough player to go straight
to Georgia Tech, right, So I needed junior college.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Went to junior college. Played well my first year as
a left handed pitcher.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You're still pitching, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Right?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And the Georgia Tech staff was aware that I wanted to,
you know, come there, and they actually offered me a
chance to come after my first year in junior college,
and you know, I was, I was having a good time,
and they gave me a scholarship, and I just kind
of felt like I needed to honor the commitment of
two years at the junior college.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
So I did. And I know it's not as.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Big of a deal, but I was able to graduate,
you know, get my associate's degree there.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
That's good.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Yeah, So graduate from Young Harris and then transferred after
my second year to Georgia Tech, still as a left
handed pitcher.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And you didn't start playing in the outfield till you're
senior year at Georgia Tech, is that right?
Speaker 1 (08:01):
So my first year at Georgia Tech, I was actually
pretty terrible at pitching.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Really, my elbow was banged up.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I had pitched in the Cape Cod League after my
fresh freshman year, and so that was you know, that
was probably a lot of pitching, you know for a
young player, because we played a fall schedule, then we
played a spring schedule, and then I went out and
pitched in the summer in the fall league, and you know,
that's just a lot of throwing for a guy who's
still growing.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And my elbow was banged up.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Didn't get to play after my sophomore year in the Cape,
like I had wanted to, but I was still able
to transfer to Georgia Tech and then just never got
my feet under me. My elbow was banged up. When
I came back, I couldn't throw strikes. My arm swing
felt different, really inconsistent, and I just didn't make the
team that year.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I mean I didn't make the team.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I was, I mean I was a part of the team,
but like I didn't make the travel roster. Oh wow,
I think I pitched one may. I think I pitched
two innings that year, you know, in blowout situation when
they you know, didn't want to use another arm, but
at home, because you know, I dressed out at home,
but just wasn't on the track. I mean, for all
intents purposes, I was not a contributor. And I had
(09:10):
I was able to get a medical red shirt because
I had, you know, like so little innings pitch that
I got a metal richhert. And so anyway, that was
my third year of college. So after that season, I
needed a different option.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Well, I just.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Felt like the game was like I could feel it
slipping away, and I just really loved the game, wanted
to play and and that's when I went to Texas
to play in the Texas Collegiate League.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I was placed there, you know, it helped.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Coming from a school like Georgia Tech Ratch like a
big T one program, it was easier for me to
get in the Texas Collegiate League. And I was lucky
enough to play for Rusty Greer, a long time Texas
ranger grade and I went out there and told him
I was a two way player, outfielder, pitcher, hitter, you know,
like I just wanted to play Paul. And of course
none of that was true. You know, I hadn't played
(10:01):
a position, hadn't played any defense since high school. That's
the wood bat League. And it turns out I still
like wasn't a very good picture. But I started to
hit a little bit with a wood back, kind of
out of nowhere. And at this point I was stronger,
a little faster, bigger. I had been able to gain weight,
you know, ten pounds every year since high school. Right, So,
(10:22):
I mean I was a good hitter in high school.
You know for high school ball, but I didn't have
any tools.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
And now that I'm a.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Little bit older, a little more sure, a little bit stronger,
I could still hit a little bit, but I could
run a little better and I could hit the ball
in the gap a little bit. And rush der Gear
came to me and he said, hey, I know you
you're pretty hard headed. I don't like to listen to
other people, but I you know, I've played the game
for a long time, and I think you can play
in the outfield.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
I think you can do it.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And I was still really holding on to the left
handed pitcher Gig, but he expressed that sentiment to me,
and I kind of thought, you know what, maybe this guy.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Knows what he's talking about. Baby, Let's give him a shot.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And by the end of the summer, I played well,
I think, I you know, it was in the tops,
you know, on the team and hitting and I was
able to play center field and you know, got a
little bit comfortable in the outfield.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
And is that when you got drafted the first time?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
No actually got you know, got drafted the Marlins, right, yeah,
out of high school. It was like a super late
draft and follow as a left handed pitcher, but they
you know, there was never any intent to sign. And
same thing after my first year in junior college. It was,
you know, there's fifty rounds in the draft, and you know,
you somebody's got to get picked late.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
You know, you got to pick somebody.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And you know, being like tall, skinny, left handed, projectable picture,
there's always a chance that like I put on a
bunch of weight and throw really really hard, like the
next summer, you know. And so that's kind of where
the draft came from. Okay, but I never really had
an opportunity to play pro ball as a pitcher for yeah,
and you know, I'm thankful for that.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
So when the Rockies select you, then are you done
at Georgia Tech or are you still in school?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So I come back after that Texas Collegiate League at
this point, it's my fourth year of college and rush
To Greer calls Danny Hall, the head coach at Georgia Tech,
and says, hey, look, you know, I know this guy
hasn't done this for you, but I've watched him this
summer and I think you should give him a shot
hitting and and Daniel Hall didn't put up a fight
and said, yeah, we'll see what he can do in
(12:24):
the fall.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
So did you not hit when you were pitching?
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Oh no, no, Oh.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
My gosh, Okay, yeah, wow, Charlie, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
That's the lie.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
When I went out to play, you know, summer college,
you told him you could hit. Yeah, I told him
I was hitter for sure, and came back and it
was the very first fall practice. And Division one is
like a big step where I came from, right, like,
from junior college.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
It's a big step.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
And so you know, most guys don't hit very you know,
like it's just hard. And so to come from a
junior college to have that background around not hitting only pitching,
the odds were against me, and everybody kind of treated
me as such. And I remember like our first fault practice.
So my first practice coming back as a hit you know,
(13:15):
quote unquote later now, and you know I'm left handed.
It just so happened. My first bat was against our
Friday night starter. He's like this six foot eight left
handed pitcher who got Randy Johnson is, yeah, who got
drafted pretty high. And anyway, my first at bat against
was him, and he fell behind two and oho and
he threw a two oz pitch. He threw it right
into my barrel, like I could have closed my eyes
(13:36):
and swung, and I hit it way up in the
trees and it was like way out of here. So
that was the first swing anybody saw me take a
Georgia tack, you know, left on left, up in the trees.
And I didn't really like when you do that, you know,
an inner squad against your buddies. You don't like run
all the bases. You just whatever, like you touch first,
it goes over the fence. You run back to the dugout,
and I'm like, I'm like, okay, that's good.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
That's a good start.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
And I'm like, all my way back to the dugout,
I'm kind of looking around to see like what people thinking,
and I see see Danny Hall like laughing.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I can't really know what to make of.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
It was like like, oh, maybe we got something here,
you know. And then a few months later, I'm I'm
playing well and productive and playing outfield and playing good
in the ACC, and you know, and then next thing,
I know, like we're talking to scouts about the draft
and you know, and you know, twelve months earlier, like
I was throwing bullpens in the indoor facility on Saturday
(14:30):
night because the team was at Virginia Tech playing and
like left.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Me and travel right, yeah, and so it was just.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
An incredible whirlwind of.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And had no thoughts of playing professionally at that point either.
When when that was happening, You're like, Okay, I'm gonna
get my finance degree, right, and I'm going to get
a job.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, I mean, I mean it was baseball was like
all but completely taken away from me. And so I
think just that's given me a great perspective to like
really appreciate all of these opportunities I've.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Had, yeah, no kidding well, and then the grind of
then once you get into baseball, so the Rockies they
select you in the second round in oh wait, you
start with the Tri City Dust Doubles. Then I mean,
year by year though, Charlie, you keep moving up Modesto,
then you go to Tulsa, then the sky Soocks. Then
you get your call up in twenty eleven. What is
that like as a especially for somebody who didn't even
(15:20):
think you were going to be able to play any
kind of big league ball going through that grind of
the miners.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Minor league baseball is just incredible, Like it's just it's
something that not everybody gets to experience it as a player.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
But the beauty of it is.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
If you like baseball, you can go experience it as
you know, as a fan and gets cool. So close
to the players and you're so close to the game
and it's you know.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
It's all and intimate, not glamorous.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
No, these guys are not making a lot of money
and the conditions aren't that good. And for most guys
like me, it was it was a big step backwards
from like a big Division one program where you're flying
around interested on the jets and whatever, and now you're
they're on buses on like eight hour bus rides and
it's a real reality check. And then you also really
(16:06):
you know, you think you're pretty good, and then you
move up to the pro game and it's like it's
another completely different world.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
So was each level a big step up in talent?
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, you know, I think there was a common theme, Like,
looking back on it, there was a common theme for me,
and it was you move to the next level, you're
overwhelmed with the talent, the speed, the polish of that
new level and you get exposed and you make mistakes
and you don't have success, and you fail for a while,
(16:36):
and then you kind of sort of just keep competing,
keep competing, make some adjustments, maybe have a breakthrough here
or there, and then you're kind of keeping your head
above water. And then you become accustomed to that new
level play. And then you continue to push, continue to push,
and now you're having some success, and you yourself become
(16:58):
more polished and your mental game gets better better and
you shore up some of your weaknesses, and then the
season's over and you move.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Up to the next level and you do all over again.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, so you know, so the college game, the metal
back game, to to pro ball with the wood bats
against guys who are doing it all day, every day.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That's a big jump.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
And then it seemed like every minor league stop were
incremental jumps.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
And then twenty eleven had to be huge because you
start in Triple A and then you get called up
a couple months.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Later exactly excuse.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
And then so the biggest jump of all is the
Triple A to the big league gap. There's just no
way to be prepared for the big leagues. There really isn't.
Baseball is so developmental that if you do it enough,
you will get polished and your margin of error will shrink,
and you'll get more.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
And more consistent.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
And it's almost always because you get exposed to the
same thing over and over and over and you get
time to figure it out and make your adjustments. But
you just can't expose yourself to big league pitching and play.
It's just so far and away, so much better the
fastballs are, you know, it's just it's not just a number,
(18:08):
it's not a ninety three million hour fastball. There's like
so many metrics behind it to make it so much
harder to hit than just a regular ninety three million
hour fastball that you just can't find those reps to
make the adjustments and triple A you just can't. So
you're so you're you're jumping.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
You're drinking from a firehoseh You're drinking from a.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Fire hose in the big leagues, and you're just hoping
that you can. You know that you've had enough of
a background in the minor leagues or as an amateur
to where you you've failed and then you've overcome failure
and then learned succeeds. You know, like enough of that
common theme. Hopefully it can repeat itself, but just.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
At a much much bigger jump.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
So right, and so for me, you know, it took
a while, right, I was up for up and down
for eleven, twelve, and thirteen. Or I actually made the
team for the first time in twenty fourteen at the
age of twenty seven, Right.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Pretty old for a guy who's still kind of a rookie. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Well, and then I want to go back to twenty
eleven because it was interesting looking back June sixth to
get called up. Your first hit is June eighth, You
have your first RBI on June eleventh, your first home
run on your birthday in July, and then you end
up getting injured, right, and you're out for the season.
So it's like you have this like this crazy roller
(19:27):
coaster over a couple of months. And I mean, baseball
is a roller coaster, and that's one of the things
they talk about so much. I mean, when you have
one hundred and sixty two games, you always have to
have a short memory because you're back out there again.
So did you learn that early on? And injury is
a totally different animal where you're not a part of
the team and now you're in a training room all
the time, which stinks.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
That was a tough tough time for me.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
You know, you finally make it to the big leagues,
and you know, you're just so excited, and then you realize, man,
these these guys in the big leagues are pretty good,
and so you're you know, you're trying to do all
this adjusting and it's just hard to to have your
baseball skills be where they need to be. And then
all of a sudden, you know, I get hurt. I
break my foot in Atlanta, and I was out for
(20:09):
the season. Yeah, And really it was like not a
it wasn't a cut and dry, like, oh, you're out
for three months and then you're back.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
I mean, it was like a this is.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
A kind of a dicey part of your foot to break,
and sometimes they don't heal exactly like they're supposed to,
you know, Like it was.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I was like very very worried about it, and yeah,
for long term exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
And and the Rockies were good enough to let me
go back after my season was over. They allowed me
to leave the team and go back to Georgia Tech
get my degree.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
I was able to oh that's when you finished your.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Finished my degree.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
While I was hurt, I called, you know, it was
too late, like after the semester sign ups had already happened,
so you know, I called them up and they said,
you know, no, you've missed the window. And so I
flew home and I had my little foot scooter, you know,
like I couldn't. I couldn't, I couldn't puny wait on
my foot.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
So I come, I come scooting into the.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Registrar's office and I'm like, hey, look, here's the deal, Like,
let me tell you my situation.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
It's like I've got a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
But for the next four months, like I'm yours, you know,
like I'm not going anywhere. This is my window, like
please let me into school. And they made like they
made an exception for me. And I got in and
that's take all my classes in that one semester.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
And how many were you short? How many credits did
you take?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
I only needed one semester, but it was like a
pretty full okay, it was. It was a lot of school,
but I couldn't do anything except rehab.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
That probably kept your mind off of being injured, right
and not being around the team, and.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I was busy, and I didn't have four hours or
five hours of baseball practice every.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Day, right, you know, I had one hour of rehab,
and so I ended.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Up what a great time.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah I got I mean I got good grades and
graduated with honors and all that kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Stuff for you, Charlie.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
So I'm, yeah, college graduate now. But I think I
needed that injury. I think that was a real big
turning point in my life kind of you know, sometimes
you get really caught up and what you think is important.
And I think baseball had turned into my idol at
that point, and I think I was blindly following baseball,
and then again to have it taken away from me
(22:09):
put things in perspective from a life standpoint, from a
decision making standpoint, from a priority standpoint, and so I
think I with some divine intervention, I think I got
my priority sorted out. Because I don't think I was
ready for success at the big league level.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I don't. I don't think as a person I was
who I needed to be.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I think I would have faltered had success found me before.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Your career may not have lasted long.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Before that foot entry exactly.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That's fascinating, all right. So as you go through your career,
and I mean there were so many accolades throughout your career,
between you know, getting the n L batting title and
you get a couple of Silver Sluggers and there you're
a four time All Star. Is there anything that kind
of sticks out that you're the most proud of? A
couple of post seasons.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
The team's success in making the playoffs, especially in twenty seventeen,
the first time we made the playoffs, and I had
a really good season and that was a you know,
big part of the success of that team.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Was the time that I'll always remember that was really special,
you know, like just how good it felt to make
the playoffs, you know, and just to have my teammates
around me and to you know, just to help us
get in there and be a part of it, you know,
just be part of that team. I'll never forget it,
you know. Making it to the playoffs for the first
time was probably the It's just you know, we made
(23:32):
it twice over my career, and the first time was
just seemed much.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
More memorable absolutely time, because it seemed like we spent
years and years and years trying to get there, and
then you did and then we did.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yeah, it was from nine to seventeen. Yeah, exactly a
couple of questions because I know that you were short
on time. You've got lots of things to do while
you're here. So your walk up song, I know you've
been asked about it. How did you ever come up
with that?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
I used it in college, and man, you know, I
love college. College is a great time. Learned so much
about myself. And you know, it's a classic song, right,
I don't have to go chase some new hip song whatever.
I don't have to like find some news, and I
think it'll always be a classic song. And it worked well.
And I'm not a big changer of things, right, If
something worked, like if it ain't broke, don't.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Fix it, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And so I you know, I stuck with it. And
then obviously the Denver Faithful embraced it. Oh and it
became so interactive and then I mean then it was
like kind of like the beard, like it's like sticking around,
like like I'm not changing this for nothing.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
So the beard that's not going away. You still have it.
I mean, some guys when they retire, They they lose
a bunch of weight, they shave, they do all kinds
of things, and here you are looking the same.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, you know, I turned it up a little. I think,
you know, my wife's never actually seen me without it.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Which is crazy. You guys have married since twenty eighteen, and.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Like there's people around the organization that like, that's seen
me without it, but not, you know, not my wife.
And so I think I maybe, oh, what to her
to like see my see my my face once with
your kids, Yeah, before I get all like wrinkly and.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
See that little baby face in there.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Yeah, so we might there might be it's too cold
right now, Like I'm not shaving while it's snowing outside.
So maybe over the summer, we'll see. We'll see.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Yeah, when you're when you're scouting somewhere or doing whatever
it is with your special assistant job and it's like
super hot in this some Triple A team, I want
to shave your beard probably.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Yeah, maybe you might have to do in stages, might
have to take off like half of it so my
kids don't freak out.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Well, yeah, you'll look very different. Speaking of kids, Josie
and whyatt is Josie because of the outfield song.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Well, we're not telling people that, Okay, her legal name
is Josette in case she wants.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
To be Okay, we go or something like oh yeah.
I felt like that was very fancy.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah yeah, But but I am big on the you know,
the super short easy to turn into a nickname like
so Josie.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Uh and you know how like nobody in the locker
room gets called by their.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Actually, oh non, thats a nickname.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
So yeah, So anyway, so she's Josie.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Now, all right, one last question for you, and I
ask all my guests this one. You've been through lots
of ups and downs. I know you're going to be
in a position where you're talking to guys that are
trying to do that grind getting up. What do you
tell people on how to kind of keep going the
lessons some of the lessons that you've learned, and to
keep moving forward and reinventing yourself.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Right, I've been able, I've been lucky enough to play
the game for a long time, and it's almost inevitable
that I feel like I've made so many mistakes that
no matter what a young player is dealing with, Like
I've probably experienced some of the same failures that they're experiencing,
and so I can almost always relate to that feeling,
and then you know, hopefully i've I can shed some
(26:40):
light on like what helped me to push past that,
or or how do.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I learn from it?
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Or how do I improve my mental game to get
around that, you know? And so I think also I
think sometimes just like realizing that, like baseball players don't
always have it figured out, right, Yeah, and just like
other people knowing that you know, this game's hard for me.
You know, it's hard for me, it's hard for this
guy over here, and it's hard for everybody. You're not
(27:05):
any different, So don't feel like you don't belong here, right,
It's just a kind of a matter of perspective. And
so I think just being blessed to play long as
long as I have, I've made so many mistakes and
I've been through so much that inevitably, like I can
relate to whatever you got go.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
You're going to know and guess what you're gonna get
through it, just like I did.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Right, hopefully, Yeah, it's the plan, all right.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
I could chat with you for another thirty minutes, but
I know you've got to figure out what your new
job is, so we're let you go. Hey, thank you.
This is a lot of fun. And then I'm going
to see you too in another month or so at
the Scout America Breakfast, so it'll be fun to chat
with you at that too.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I look forward to it.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, thanks, thanks Charlie, Thank you, Charlie. New episodes of Cut, Traded, Fired,
Retired are released on Tuesdays on nearly every podcast platform.
Get social with the podcast on Twitter and Instagram at
ctfur podcast, and check out the website ctfropodcast dot com.
I'm your host, Susie Worton. To learn more about me,
visit susiworgin dot com. I appreciate you listening, and until
(28:06):
next time, please be careful, be safe and be kind.
Take care
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