Dave Veres

“I think I’ll join the Air Force just like my dad.” That was Dave Veres’ plan after high school when he didn’t have a single offer from a college and figured his baseball career was done. Then a phone call came from a junior college coach and his path was completely altered. Dave went on to pitch for Mount Hood Community College, got drafted and spent 17 years in Major League Baseball between the minors and the majors. There were numerous trades, injuries and a couple releases. There were also lifelong relationships, heartache when his best friend and teammate passed away and figuring out how to be the best husband and father to four kids who were usually in another city. Dave persevered.

In retirement, Dave works as a gas and electric utility broker for Last Mile Advisors, co-owns Bandit Energy Solutions and is the pitching coach at Cherry Creek High School in Denver. He’s also added “Grandpa” to his list of family titles.

Hosted by Susie Wargin

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I had zero offers. I literallywas done playing baseball. I think I'll
join the Air Force like my dad. And then the first of August,
our local junior college coach called itwas crazy. I was a week for
never playing baseball ever again. Getdrafted two years later and I played for
seventeen years. Welcome to cut,traded, fired, retired. If this
is your first time, Welcome.If you're a season veteran, Welcome back.

(00:21):
This podcast features conversations with professional athletesand coaches who have faced challenges just
like you and I. We alsohear about how they moved forward from those
challenges. I'm your host, SusieWargon. Speaking of seasoned veterans. This
episode's guest is all that and thensome. I'm in the game of baseball.
Dave Veers didn't have a single collegeoffer out of high school. He

(00:42):
figured he'd joined the Air Force likehis dad and be a lifer until a
phone call came that changed everything.Dave ended up pitching seven years in the
minors and was pretty much the oldguy by the time he made it to
the majors, where he stayed foranother ten years. There were a lot
of teams and a lot of travelingduring those years, and Dave state a
family man as a husband and fatherto four. In retirement, he works

(01:04):
as a gas and electric utility brokerand is also a high school pitching coach.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dave Veers GotTraded Fired, Rick Tired Podcast with
Susie Wargin. Dave Veers, Ihaven't seen you in a long time.
Last time you were on a spike. I think at the way the Wacky

(01:25):
w an event that my brother andI used to put on for Douglas County
schools. You and your son,my son, he was like, and
he's twenty four now, so he'sprobably twelve or fourteen when we did it.
Yeah, the first time we didthe half one, I think it's
like sixty five miles. Yeah,of the century. The next time we
put on this event, and Iremember I'd see everybody's name that would come
through that was signed up, andI was like, is that the same
day Veers I used to cover whenI was with the Rockies, And sure

(01:49):
enough, there you are. Soyou're still here in Colorado, which is
great. Have you been here forever since? Ever since we had our
second kid, Ty, who theson I'm talking about when I late here
in between my first and second year, so two kids, you know,
baseball life or any athletic life,we needed a home base. Of course,
the kiss of death is to buya house where you're playing. Yes,
So I bought in two houses inmy life, one in Houston.

(02:13):
After my second year at the Astros, when I had two pretty good years,
buy my house in September. Gottraded in November to Montreal. Course,
and so I come to the Rockies. First year, had a pretty
good year, like at two somthanyRa Cours pre Humor door, which was
pretty good, right, And thenext year I had like thirty one saves
at the time I think was ateam record. And I'm thinking my two
pretty good years. I sent athree year extension halfway through my first year,

(02:38):
and like, I'll be here awhile. I got two good years,
bought a house in house in September. By October I was traded to
Saint Louis. So but we knewthat coming in obviously, that option of
okay, it's baseball, it's ohman, it's a business. Where can
we settled down. We're from theNorthwest originally, so that wasn't even an
option. I'm not a fan ofthe rain. So here Zona, where

(03:00):
are two choices? And it's amazingto me how many athletes come here and
then they stayed here. Believable.We'll look at this. I mean,
it's well sleep t shirt and yeah, I'm awesome. All right. Well,
so Dave, this is fun becauseI did cover you when I was
working to Koway when those two yearsthat you were with the Rockies, which
was fun, and so we're goingto get into that. But we got
to go way way back in thehot tib time machine. You were born

(03:22):
in Alabama, did not stay therevery long, six eight months maybe my
dad was in the Air Force.Okay, he retired when I was fourteen.
We moved to Oregon. So inbetween how many places it went Alabama,
Kansas, North Dakota, Washington,Spain, Florida, then Oregon.
Wow, so about eight nine movesin fourteen years. And it's kind of
weird. I never played I wasthe youngest of five kids, so basically

(03:45):
had to wait my turn to dosports or do anything. So luckily I
had an older brother, so Igot to play catch with him. You
know. I played baseball, butjust not organized until I was eleven.
Wow. Really Yeah, Nowadays it'slike kids are five or six years in
by then. Yeah, they're youknow, I got a call from my
dad. Hey, you know,I got your name from a friend.
You're in the big leagues. Myson's kind of hit a wall. He's
had two pitching coaches, already gotthe best arm in the league. So

(04:08):
I'm thinking it's a high school kid. He was eleven and I was his
third pitching coach. Oh gee,that's red flags. Yeah, like,
how about some time off? Youknow, how about a break expecting a
wal because hes runn out of gas? Yeah? You so so definite.
Obviously times have changed since our youth, they have. Did you play anything
else besides baseball? Then, asyou're going around to all these other schools
and places, I tried. Basketballis my favorite sport. But a slow

(04:30):
white guy that can't jump, notmuch of a future. To a couple
of baseball guys like that, They'relike, yeah, I love basketball,
just wasn't in the cards. Yeah. I'm kind of like Michael Jordan.
I got cut my sophomore year frombasketball. I took a different route than
he didn't. Stops right there.Yeah, so you are fourteen, you
get to Oregon, you have somestability, I guess I mean so yeah,

(04:51):
yeah, now a home base outand now we're retired. Now you
know that moving part's over. SoI thought, right, so then where
does the baseball your ability start tokind of come in? That crazy because
people that know me now find ithard to believe I was really shy at
one time. Yeah yeah, Iwas. Literally I started really bad when
I was growing up, so Ithink that kind of just held me back

(05:12):
from the social aspect. But hSo, as four team moved to Oregon,
I didn't play baseball, and afreshman year, I was too afraid
to try out, so I didthe old I stat at the high school
for about two or three hours duringtryouts, so my dad thought I was
trying out. But then i'd walkhome and oh, Prouse was great.
Then I said, well, Ididn't make the team, you know,
so I just I didn't tell meI was afraid to try out. I
just gave yeah. So I wasone of those new kids shy. So

(05:35):
finally as a sophomore, I triedout because I played Little League that summer,
so I got to know kids andwhatever. It felt more comfortable.
I told I was the last kidspick for the JB team, So I'm
sitting the bench the first half ofthe year. My parents like, you
know, you're wasting your time.Try something new, you know, just
go back to basketball anything. Butyou know, baseball is I'm first to
admit, you know, youth baseballis not the most exciting. You know,

(05:58):
be a little boring sometimes, especialwhen your son's not playing correct,
you know, so they're like,you know, find something new. I
stuck it out, start playing halfwith Dough my sophomore year. I actually
did pretty well. I was moreof a third baseman than I was a
pitcher back then, so it wasa junior sent back to the JV team.
But I got to start pitching alittle bit because now, you know,
I was a junior on the JVsquad. On the j squad and

(06:18):
most of the kids back then didn'thave I coach at Cherry Crew. Right
now, we have four or fiveprograms, you know, two freshman sophomore
jvar so we have four or fiveyou know, yeah programs. So back
then you had you know, freshmanJV varsity and I was young for my
grade, so I went back andplayed jv it start to pitch a little
bit. Finally as a senior,obviously there's no place to put me but
var varsity, so they could.But yeah, so I was like second

(06:44):
third string as a senior. Imostly played third pitched every now and then.
We had one guy was pretty goodback then through like eighty two eighty
three in high school, which inthe eighties was good. Oh yeah,
I was like twelve year olds.But uh, I mean another guy kind
of shared the other game. Youknow. We'd play like three times a
week. The best guy pitched Mondaysand Fridays and we'd pitch on a Wednesday
type thing. So I did well. I I think I made the All
league team. I'm playing Summer leaguenow and Portland State called and say,

(07:06):
hey, we want to come watcha pitch. And Todd was the good
guy on our team. He's like, come to Portland State for a visit
and bring Todd with you. Couldyou bring your teammates better than you?
Yeah, So we went and visitedand then they came watching pitch the next
day and basically thanks, but nothanks, you know, don't call us,
we'll call you. So I wasdone playing after high school, I

(07:28):
had zero offers. Well, andthis is different back then, there's you
know, not like it is committingat twelve years old and fourteen, right,
So I literally was done playing baseball. I think I'll joined the Air
Force like my dad. Oh,had no college aspirations either, not no,
not really, I was. Iwas a straight sea student. You
know. I sat in the backof the class, like I said,
pretty anonymous, just because I wasnervous and scared and you know, shy.

(07:48):
And then um the first of August, our local junior college coach called
I played lid league in high schoolwith his son. He's like, hey,
we need some pitch and come tryout. I'm like, well,
I can't really afford it. I'llget a job maybe next year. You
know. My dad's like, ifyou sit down now, you'll never go
back because you know it wasn't mystrong suit anyway. And so the coach's
coach Stepens, is like, he'lljust try out. If you make the

(08:09):
team, we'll pay for your school. It's junior college. So it was
at seven hundred dollars a semester,right, yes, so we'll pay for
your school if you don't make it. Obviously, do whatever you want.
So I ended up obviously trying outmade the team. I got to start.
We had two sophomore starters. Onewas drafted previously, so scouts would
come watch him pitch, and thenwe had another sophomore pitcher that would start

(08:31):
doubleheaders. Organ you play as muchas you can in the days you get
a chance. So the game wasdoubleheaders because there's some rain. Yeah,
so every game was a doubleheader.So the two sophomores would start the doubleheaders,
and then you know, the freshmanor whoever would pitch when you get
a chance. So luckily our otherguy didn't do very well. I got
to come in and throw like fouror five innings, so I become a
starter. Now I'm following the guythat was drafted. That was young.

(08:52):
I was seventeen in college. Ishould been a senior in high school.
So I went from throwing seventy eighteighty as a senior in high school to
a year later. I probably graduatedfive eleven one seventy five. Two years
alter, I'm six two, twohundred thing ninety plus. Oh you had
your little gross had a grossberg,so none you know my age, I
get drafted. My sophomore year bythe age. Yeah, so it's crazy.

(09:13):
I was a week for never playingbaseball ever again, get drafted two
years later, and I played forseventeen years. So tell me about that
phone call. And I think itwas August of nineteen eighty four, and
it was Dale Stebbins, right fromMount Hood Community College, like just randomly
calls you. There's no cell phonesback then, so culture house. I
assume, yep, you have nocaller ID. I had to answer it,

(09:33):
hoping it was a lopo as agirl y and it wasn't, and
of course not back then, butwhat a life changing moment. Seriously,
it was like, yeah, Isaw him about a month ago. I'm
back to Oregon, so I wentand visited the college. You know he
was there still there. Yeah,he's un coached anymore, but he kind
of just helps out and hangs outand he came because I was coming type
things. So we got to we'vemet up and stuff, and literally it
was crazy. It's like, youknow, I basically my career to him

(09:56):
on that phone call. What ifyou had answered the fall, Yeah,
I know, if there had beencolorad Seriously, I don't know. Yeah,
seriously, we've never played again.Completely changed your dregery. Crazy.
Yeah, so then you end upgetting drafted, you play for two years
there, and you guys went tothe NWAC attorney both years. How do
you become a better pitcher? Like, if you weren't even pitching that much

(10:16):
in high school, who helps youwith that skill? I think obviously Dell
Stebens. Back then you didn't haveI mean, you know the guys you
have now. There was no pitchingcoach instructures, no speeding agilities, there's
no none of that stuff. Sohe basically did everything, and a lot
of it was maturing, lifting weights, growing and pitching and throwing. Know
because I was a third baseman parttime pitcher in high school, so I
didn't have the throwing programs. Ididn't throw. Actually, our good guy

(10:39):
got hurt that summer, prove fromoverwork, so I started pitching more.
So I think just a combination ofarms strains, getting the opportunity, Yeah,
growing stronger, maturing. Obviously,like I said, I was younger
at the time, but yeah,I think so. I think just that
opportunity. And then the next yearI was young enough. After my freshman
year in college, I was eightbarely eighteen to go back and play American

(11:00):
Legion. You can play till yournineteen I think American Legion. So being
that I was a freshman in collegebut I was still only eighteen years old,
I could go. And that's whenI started pitching a ton. You
know our team, actually, Ithink we won the state championship. I
was like the man that year.You go from playing in college, even
though it was JUCO, but you'restill playing against better players. Now you're
playing high school. And that's kindof when I got on the map.
You know, I think I wasI'm not sure my career, my record
that year, but we were reallygood, and so you start a lot

(11:24):
then. I was always a starter, always a starter. Okay, actually
I do both. It's funny Iposted something I can't remember what I was
talking about, but one of mycoaches say is this is this the day
of years that through sevent things oneday and relieved the next day. You
know a type of thing. Yeah, that's that's what you do. But
that's how you were groom back then. I had a guy last year he
threw eight pitches one day and couldn'tpitch the next day. He's like well,

(11:45):
I'm used to being a starter.I'm not a reliever, and so
we're kind of getting on my littlebase like, well, like, what
did you do? Like, well, I walked up hill both ways.
Yeah, I'm like I pitched Sundayagainst the Oakland A's, pitched Monday against
the Dodgers, which Tuesday afternoon againstthe Dodgers, and Tuesday night against the
Dodgers. I mean I through fourgames in three days. I had three
saves in twenty four hours. I'mlike, but that's where your program,

(12:07):
that's where you I conditioned myself.You know. My biggest thing is even
with my kids, and like thekids I coach now at Cherry Creek,
is yet to bring something different tothe table. Every level you go,
that skill gets closer and closer.That talent level get closer and closer at
every level you go up. Absolutely, so little things is going to separate.
And it wasn't my cousin of mystuff. Every team I played on,

(12:28):
I've had the worst stuff on theteam I through eighty nine to ninety
two. I think at ninety fiveonce that I ever saw, but I
was more of a control. Theyknew they could count on it. That's
funny you mentioned that because my lastyear in Triple A, our pitching coach
and manager was talking in the dugoutone day and he's like, it's nice
when you came in the game.I can sit back and relax. I
know what I'm going to get,you know, versus young guys throwing ninety

(12:48):
five some crazy wild pitch that goesand hit somebody off the space line.
Yeah, those guy with a mascotor you know. But that's why I
brought to the table was I couldpitch every day. I could multiple innings,
I could throw back to back toback days, and you were nearly
always an available army. So thatwas kind of like my my strength was
just the availability of being there.And because it wasn't my stuff that made

(13:09):
me successful, it was being ableto do it every day. They knew
what they got from you. Yeah. So you go through, you have
your community college years, you getdrafted. Tell me about the grind of
like all these years in between untilyou finally make your big league debut,
which is in nineteen ninety four four. Yeah, I got drafted in eighty
six. By the A's nineteen yearsold. I wasted a few years,

(13:31):
you know, enjoying the lifestyle andof the mind I'm a professional. It's
kind of funny because when I metmy wife, I always say, the
more you make, the worst youcan dress. I think it's in double
A. That year when I metmy wife, she running track at the
college I went to. So Iwent back to work out and she was
running track. Actually saw her inthe weight room, asked if she needed
a spot at the Classic. Yeah. Yeah, that's way too happy for

(13:52):
you can spot point and I couldback then she probably still could guarantee it's
a great shape. Yeah. Yeah. So it's fun because I had two
outfits. It was a polo shirtand guest Jeanes each and you know,
so I was like, okay,you had to look the part, you
know. But uh, it waslong. I mean it took me seven
years. You get to the bigleagues. Um, I got triple A

(14:13):
with the with the A's to tripleA pretty quickly. I moved up to
a ball double triple A pretty fast. But I was with the A's in
the late eighties where they went tothree straight World Series. You know,
they had a pretty good pitching.You have Dave Stewart, Bob Welch,
Mike Moore, Dennis Eckers. Imean they had a pretty good pitching staff.
You know, I've basically stuck atTriple A for three years. Oh
yeah, you had no where todon't want to go. Yeah, so
I got traded to the Dodgers ninetyone. I go to Albuquerque and had

(14:37):
a pretty good year. So thenext spring, April first, they called
me in. They're like, well, we have some guys in Double A
we want to bring up. Willeither give you your release or you can
go to Mexico and play for RescoCity. The Dodge hadn't affiliate a deal
with them, so I'm like,we'll just take my release and they're like,
well, just you know, makesome phone calls. I didn't have
an agent at the time because Ididn't really need one. Well, yeah,

(14:58):
you in the miners and there wasn'ta bonus, baby, I didn't.
You know, I signed for eightthousand dollars, right, So it
wasn't like I was, you know, agents were knocking down my door to
represent me, and you don't wantto give any that away. That's mine
was gone. Yeah. Ad themister T starter kit at like six chains,
and you know, Yeah, didyou really? I looked real pretty
cool guy. You were an eightiesguy. How yeah, if I had

(15:20):
a bullet back then to capture I'mlike, well, I'll take my release.
They're like, well, give ita day or two, fly back
with the team and just decide whatyou're gonna do about do the same thing.
Sure. So I'm making phone callsto teams myself. Hey, this
is Dave Veers. Can't talk toyou, my league director. I'm looking
for a job. I got prettymuch the same answer, like, well,
we're making cuts ourselves, we're full. Give us a month. So

(15:43):
I'm like, we'll just go toMexican pitch just to stay pitching. So
I go to Mexico City for thefirst time ever, and it's pretty overwhelming.
Four million people in that city.It's crazy. I'm pitching terrible.
I'm like three and eight, pitchinglike crap robins in Oregan, I'm in
Mexico City. I'm just miserable.Do you have any kids at this point?

(16:03):
Yeah? But so I get acall from the owner called me to
his officer. Hey, the Dodgerscalled. They said, come back to
the States. I'm like, sweetand going back to Albuquerque. I get
back to the States, I callthe Dodgers. They're like, we didn't
call you back. So in Mexicojust said that to get rid of me.
Oh no, yeah. So nowI'm like, now what do I
do. He's like, well,we don't need you either, so we'll
just release you, all right.That's yeah. So I just need to

(16:26):
pitch, you know, because i'dbe a minor league free agent the next
year type thing. And like now, no, you know, we're good
things, but no, you knowthings, but no thanks. So I
get released now by the Mexico Cityteam inadvertently, you know. So then
I get released by the Dodgers.So now I'm going down. I sit
at home for about a week andpout. You know. My wife's finally
like okay something. Yes. Atthe time, a guy named Don Wakamatsu

(16:49):
was a catcher for the Dodgers.Gave me a card of a guy that
just starting out in the agent world. Like, this guy's looking for clients.
I told them about you that youhad to chance to, you know,
at least keep pitching. Meantime,going to the Portland Beaver's games,
trying to talk to scouts, anybodyI'll throw for you. I'll do whatever
it takes, just being your ownYeah, pretty much. So I called

(17:10):
this guy and he's like, well, who should we call first? We'll
call the Padres, then call theAstros. That's kind of always did well
against those to the minor leagues.This is uh, probably June or so
Midsummer and two yes, Padres like, yeah, we're interested. We have
some guys we're not sure about.Give us a couple of weeks because the
draft was coming up, so like, we'll wait till the draft and see

(17:32):
what we got. I'm like,we'll call the Astros and they're like,
how fast can you get to Tucson? So I signed with the Astros and
do okay, still your minor leaguestarting or in relief a little of everything?
Okay? Yeah, because I coulddo both, not that I was
good. And it's kind of funnybecause I had way better big league numbers
than minor league numbers, you know, really, yeah, I look at
my numbers. I'm like, howdo I ever get out? You know?

(17:52):
I had decent years and a ballI guess make it to the big
yeah, seriously, like in theworld. Yeah, Luckily, my last
journa was good. So finally mythird year in Tucson with the Astros stone
with the ninety three and ninety threeevery time the big league would call down.
Prince Traum was our pitching coach whowas with the Astros for early long
time. Now he's with the Diamondbacks. Unbelievable pitching coach taught me my split

(18:15):
finger, which basically changed my career. He's like, every time they call,
I tell him you're ready. Butwe had Jeff Jude and Bryan William,
Shane wren Ian, we had likesix number one Ryan Bowen, number
one draft pick pittures on our Tucsonteam. Basically, you'll get your chance
when everybody else fails late your turnagain, as the seven years wasn't long
enough, you know, and butI understood that I got it. And

(18:36):
then actually one thing had changed alot was after the ninety three season,
I didn't get called up. Youknow, I'm kind of bummed. We
won the PCL. I got tosave in the championship game. You know,
I don't get called up. AndI remember walking on the club and
I'm I've always been a big guy. I pitched at two, twenty two,
twenty five in the big leagues andI'd run up eight miles a day.
I ran a ton four or fivein the morning, four or five

(18:59):
and nine cheese. Yeah, butthat's kind of why I recovered. I
kind of flushed my system and couldthink, and you know, I wasn't
the going out party type of guy, so I just I'd go to the
gym and just work out and triple. I was a little bit bigger.
I didn't have to work ethic asI quite did when I got to the
big leagues. I walked out ofthe clubhouse ice cream in one hand and
like a big old soda in theother. Robin's waiting for me in the
truck to drive back to Oregon,and Brent Straum's outside like seriously and trash

(19:23):
and start doing something. Yeah,basically, get your button shape. I
knew I wasn't in that greatest shape, but I was two hundred and thirty,
so you know, pipetoon at thirty, Okay, so it was a
little softer and yeah. Yeah,actually, actually I quit dipping. I
dipped for a couple of years,and that kind of kept your weight down.
When I quit dipping, basically Iate instead, so I final,

(19:45):
you know, Brent Strom's like dude, seriously, but the ice cream but
down the site. So then thenext year I get I go back to
Triple A, I go to winterBall. I had a really good year
in Dominican. Actually almost I withthe Rockies from oh because that would have
been three. Yeah. So Iget a call from my agent. It's
like, hey, the Rockers arecoming to watch you. Kind of find
out I was the wrong guy.They weren't coming to watch me, coming

(20:07):
to watch somebody else. Oh yeah, whoops. I know, but I'm
sure they regret it now. Ofcourse they do. Yeah, because the
guy in sign never really did muchinstead of me. They said, I
could have had you a long timeago. I had me a long time
ago, so I could have boughtyour house here years. That's That's probably
one I regret about my career.I went two in Houston, too,
in Montreal too and Colorado, threein Saint Louis, one in Chicago.

(20:30):
I wish I would have had Andevery time I changed it was for the
better. You know. I hadtwo great years in Houston, was stuck
behind two or three other young guys. I went to Montreal and got to
be a set up guy from MelbroeHaas and Orbina. So I got to
establish my name as a setup guy. Came to the Rockies, I set
it up for a year, thenclosed the next. So every every situation
was better. But I still kindof wish I would have spent four or

(20:52):
five years or ten years if Ispent a whole career with the Rockies with
Todd Helton. Yeah, same place, just to have some sort of legacy
at a place. I think acouple years back, I was voted like
the forties something best Rocky. EverI paid two years here, you know,
Grant I had a two something oneyear and thirty one save, so
I had two pretty good years.What if I was here for five or
six years, I could be theall time games you know. It's absolutely
kind of funny. And like Isaid, my claim to fame was my

(21:15):
availability. From ninety five to twothousand and two, I led every reliever
in baseball and and he's pitched,and I was second to Robin in and
National League for games pitched. Really, yeah, I didn't know this.
I did not know that. Thatdid not come up in my research.
I didn't know its until I readour baseball biobooks type thing and that's why
I'm like serious, Yeah, that'spretty good. Yeah, so for eight

(21:36):
years I don't have a great staffall baseball, and he's pitched. I
found out in my baseball card too. It's like, even though he's not
a high profile guy, you know, his durability is admirable type thing or
something like that. Some of thataccent, it was like, you know,
you were always reliable out there,Yeah, reliable. I remember playing
the Mets in one year and theyalways have the comparisons that Beneatz as their

(21:56):
closer during ninety seven miles an hour, I'm the Cardinals closer. Benitza electric
stuff, electric this, you know, Benita, you know, everything's Benitez.
And Tony LaRussa actually says, well, Dave's got electric guts. He's
not he's not afraid of anything.He's got ice and his Vannings type thing.
You know, his stuff's not electric, he's got electricus. His guts
are good. You know. SoI guess that was a compliment. Yeah,
absolutely, But that's kind of likeI was quietly, I guess a

(22:18):
pretty good ballplayer, you know,pretty good player there. And then finally
ninety four back to my call upstory. Yes, so we're playing in
Calgary. I had like a oner a that year in triple A.
Geez, I gave like two runsthe game before. I had like a
zero point something going into the daybefore. So now the seven things rolling
around and I'm not warming up becauseI'm getting pissed. I'm like, seriously,

(22:41):
I have one bad game now,I now I lost. I lost
my job. You're one bad gamein a month and a half. Like
seriously, so I'm getting mad.The bullpen coach is like, just relax,
you know, calm down. Thebatter I'm getting the more. He's
like, okay, I gotta tellyou something, but don't say anything,
you know. The Big Club called. I don't get inmotional. But at

(23:02):
the Big Club called and said ifsomething goes down tonight, we're calling Dave
up. So they're afraid to pitchme in case I got hurt or they
want something to happen. I didn'tknow what is going in so I'm getting
mad, like why why aren't Ipitching? So finally the bullpen coach had
to spill the beans. A littlebit after the game, they call me,
was like, hey listen because they'rein La. So I've wear in

(23:26):
Calgary a couple of hours ahead,and so they're like, hey, don't
leave your room if something happens inLa tonight. You're going up to one
morning. So I'm sitting by myphone, you know, piling one o'clock
in the morning. I think theycall and said, you have a six
am flight to La. So theteam that said I can have no chance.
My debut was in La Dodger Stadiumwith the Astrois against the Dodger team
that said you have a chance.But of course I faced Mike Piazza,

(23:49):
Eric Carros and Tim Wallack, twoof my teammates. I played with Piazza
and Caros coming up, and thenobviously Wallack was a pretty good player too.
So I end up getting a losson an air. How about this
debut tenth inning, two to two, Rookie of the Year, Workie of
the Year, and Tim Walker waspretty solid. So welcome to the big
leagues. I get a loss onan air. So I'm bummed. I

(24:10):
sit for a week. I'm thinkingof crap, I'm going back to the
minor leagues. There's my chance.Plant San fran in Houston, bottom of
the eighth bases loaded. They bringme in to face Matt Williams. I
don't like serious, so I strikeout Matt Williams back, what's a two
run homer? I get a winthe next day. So now I have
two games and winning a loss inthe big leagues. And from then on

(24:30):
I cruised luckily for me, Ithink because Art house in Houston forever.
They let him go. They broughtin Terry Collins, and when I got
called up, He's like, Idon't care who's who. I want the
best guy that's available. I don'tcare signing bonus, who they are,
what round. I want the bestguy that who can, which is how
it should be. All the time, Art didn't know who I was.
You know, I was just aminor league free agent. You know,

(24:52):
that was nobody. They had hundredsof back then, hundreds of thousands of
dollars invested in their top picks.I understand that. But Collins is like,
I just want the best guy forthe job. And luckily he gave
me a chance. And I didpretty well my first two years in Houston,
you know, two pre solid years, and you know you get traded
in Houston, they trade you tothe expos. Yes, how did that
happen. Ashrolls needed a third basemanand Sean Barry was available in Montreal.

(25:15):
Montreal's kind of like college. Yougo there for three years, you need
to make money. So Sean Barryis arbitration eligible. Work on pay guy.
You know millions of dollars in Montreal. So they traded me and our
catcher Rold Chavez to Montreal for ShanBarry. At the time, I was
mad and I don't know any better. So of course, when I'm getting
interviewed by the Houston station, Imade a comment like, you know,

(25:37):
Montreal's my least favorite place to play. I hate going across the board.
Yeah. Oh, so they lovedyou when you shut up. So they
always have the preseason like caravans andpreseason media stuff. Right, so I
get to Montreal. Of course that'sthe first question I get. So you
like Montreal? So you like thetwo anthems. You don't like, customs
you don't like, you know,the double taxes, you don't like.
You know, I learned, youknow, watch was a little bit about

(25:59):
where you're going. I edit mythink before I speak sometimes, Yeah,
and sometimes you have to learn thatas a young player. And you were
even I mean, but then you'reyoung in the majors, so you just
don't know yet known better. Yougot you interviewed by the media, a
bunch of yeah minors, and Ithought I was a local guiding thing.
He's gonna get back to Montreal nowwould be even worse. So there's two
years then in Montreal, than theytrade you to the Rockies. Montreal is

(26:22):
always in the business of just givingaway, giving away. So in Houston,
Daryl Kyle, we're best friends.I met Daryl in eighty eight.
We're in double A, playing againsteach other. Ad a mutual friend that
was drafted from my college that playedwith the Astros. So in the minor
leagues, before you start, yousit in the stands and you chart the
game. So you kind of watchedthe other team, watch the batters,
and so you chart. So I'msitting next to Darryl. We're pitching twell

(26:44):
against each other. So I'm like, hey, do you know Brian,
You know guy went to college witha play He's like oh, So we
start talking. We become friends.Three years later, I go to the
Astros, so we played together withthe Astros. He comes here as a
free agent, he signs with theRockies. I mean we talked all the
time. I was miserable in Montrealmy first year. I think just the
fact the first time I really hadfailure in the big leagues, and a

(27:06):
lot of it was just my ownmentality. Yeah, I want to be
in Montreal. I hated it.Did Robin go there with you? Yeah?
But I was I wasn't pitching verygood. Yeah. I get a
call from my dad and he's like, Hey, what's going on with you
in the pitching coach? You know, He's like saying, you know,
Dave's not following our program. Davewas doing you know, kind of like,
you know, kind of bad mouthbeing in the media and not that
I was, you know, attwo good years, but wasn't like two

(27:26):
years in the big leagues. Itwasn't like I was that established. But
I was a sinker slider type ofpitcher. Not that I'm Greg Maddox,
but I threw backdoor sinkers to righthanders or backdoor sliders to lefties. And
the pitching crows like, well,that's not how we pitch here. I'm
like, that's my strength, that'smy game, you know. So we
kind of hit butted heads a littlebit early on, and so then I
talked to these guys like turning aroundor you don't be there long anyway,

(27:49):
sucking's not going to keep you around. So luckily I finished strong and they
had a pretty good second year arbitrationeligible. Yeah, I was making more
than the closer. So I wasmaking almost a million dollars and Montreal,
you know when half the team's makingminimum, you know. So I knew
I was just about our time getnon tendered or traded, you know.
So Daryl comes to the Rockies.He's talking to get Hart and you know,

(28:10):
he's like, what's the Rockies plans. He's like, well, we
need bullpen help, we need this, we need that. He's like,
well, I know Dave Viers onceout of Montreal. So a week later
they trade for me. So Icome to the Rockies. So then you're
happy. That's a happy trade.Yes, that's a great trade, you
know. So I come here whenyou know, with Jerry Depoto and the
Scanic if you know those guys,Oh, character is crazy. Ter I
was looking at the ninety eight ninetynine roster and just the pitching roster,

(28:33):
all those guys with Topoto and thenYou've got Helton, You've got Dante's here,
Ellis is here, Nathanrez Vinny,it's Larry. It's kind of bad.
We couldn't win. I know,it's such a fun team. It's
such a crazy fun teams. Youknow, on paper, we should have
been really good. You look atthat roster like, wait, why why
did the winds not happen? Why? This is both those years great great
rosters. Ninety eight we opened upin Arizona when the Diamonbacks opened and we

(28:57):
swept him, and we're thinking we'regoing to the World Series for the best
team ever. You know, we'vejust beat the Expation team. You know,
you have two really good years here, as you mentioned, you had
the two eight three er A sixtythree games, seventy four strikeout, seventy
six and a half innies. Imean, to me, I asked my

(29:17):
best year of my career. Probablybecause it was a course field for one
yes, so a two eight cursto say that is a lot humid or
you know, which I never pitchedfor the humid or so, but I
guess it affects the flight of theball, So they say, yeah,
that's like a one five anywhere elseyou know, and then you get traded
from the Rockies to the Cardinal Cardinals, where it's baseball heaven. Literally,
I did not realize what baseball was. I went to Saint Louis explain the

(29:38):
difference. It's sad to say,unfortunately, because I loved Houston. Obviously,
I love I still love Colorado.I still love this course fields,
one of my favorite stadiums of alltime. I go to Saint Louis and
they're like, don't make plans inOctober, plan on being here through October.
Isn't that amazing? And I've talkedto a lot of guys football players
that compare the Broncos and then theygo elsewhere and they're like, wow,

(29:59):
had no idea because the message fromthe beginning is we're going to the super
Bowl. And you go other placesand they're like, we'd like to try
and win the conference or you know, have competitive, Yeah, be competitive
this year. And they're like,wait, wait, wait, what's this
message we're getting because this is nothow you look forward and try and get
somewhere. Yeah. So I getto Saint Louis and that that was their
mentality, That was the culture inSaint Louis, Wow, plan on plan

(30:22):
through October. Don't make plans forfishing and you know September tip, you
not make your family vacation yet.So I get there and the knock on
me was like, well, he'snot your traditional closer. Yeah, he
closed for the Rockies, but theywere last place team. Can you close
for the Cardinals? I mean Cardinalsis a different animal, absolutely, pitching
Saint Louis pitch in New York,pitching Boston, but you know, it's
it's different. Luckily I did,Okay, three years there, Yeah,
three years, and you know,I think the twenty nine says my first

(30:45):
year and you know, to somethingthe r A and Tony was awesome.
I mean, I love playing forone of my favorite managers of all time,
and I at it was because justthat reinforcement that he would give his
players. And I guarante any playerthat's ever played for him that I know
of, to me, he's he'sa player manager. And I think he
has the credibility and the obviously therecords to prove to do what he wants
to do. I know he's been, you know, done some crazy things

(31:07):
right, you know, on thefield, but he can say I managed
by my gut, and I rememberwe win the Pennant in two thousand.
We had Mark McGuire, Darryll Kyle, jd Drew, Jim Edmans. We
were an unbelievable team. He's like, it wasn't for Dave, we wouldn't
won the pendant. But he carriedour bullpen. He said that, yeah,
kind of like the young you know, kind of what I did.
It's like everyonelse is unnoticed type thing. But he actually kind of really gave

(31:30):
me a lot of boost that way, whether it was you know, my
electric guts or right stuff like thatto where it's you know, it's kind
of when when I first got there, because he was my Oakland my manager,
but he was in Oakland when Igot to Oakland and when they sent
me down from my first big leaguecamp. He's like, he came here,
you opened some eyes. Go tothe minor leagues and you know you
will see you soon. I thought, I'll go my leagues and years later

(31:52):
that that was like eighty eight,Yeah exactly. You know, so when
I when I got to Saint Louislike, hey, we created for you
for a reason. We're we lostyou before. Nice to have you back
type thing, and a lot ofit was they wanted you. It was
Darryl. So it's funny. SoI, you know, buy my house.
In August, me and Darryl ina golf tournament in Houston and I
get a phone call from I thinkit might have been no doubt because basically

(32:15):
he's like, sorry to say,but I had to trade you. And
I was bummed. At the timesI loved it here. He's like,
Dree's making a lot of money,you know, and he had a rough
year the year before, and they'relike, we had to unload his contract.
And Saint was like, we'll takeDarrel's contract, but I give us
Dave. So it was the twoof you together. Yeah, me and
Darrell together. So we're best friends. We put we played three different teams
together. Wow, so it's kindof odd our Why was your best friends?

(32:37):
His twins are born six hours beforemy daughter. Oh my god.
It was crazy. So all theseI mean, we spent more time in
the offseason together we did during theseason, believe it or not. During
the season, we spent you know, maybe once a road trip we would
go to dinner, but usually relievershung out with relievers, starters with starters,
hitters, you know whatever. SoI mean, we see each other,
but we didn't hang out as muchas we did in the wintertime.
And then you go to Saint Louistogether. Saint looked together. And there's

(32:58):
something about something about coors Field.When Darryl wins twenty games before he gets
here and wins twenty games the yearhe leaves, there's something to be said
about cours Field because obviously he tookhe took a lot of heat. Oh
yeah, for the years he hadhere, he did, But there's something
to be said about Corps. He'dbe a certain pitcher to pitch here,
a big curveball, high fastball guys. Not one of them. His pitching
wasn't conducive to cours So, yeah, we went to Saint Louis and you

(33:20):
know, we won the pennant.We lost to the Mets in the Championship
series. Four years in a row. I lost in the Championship Series.
Never got, never got to theWorld Series, because then you did it
with the Cubs too, right,Three Cardinals won with the Cubs. That
was the oh three Cubs with afan reached over the wall and yes,
Steve Department, yep, oh,wow, oh two, we should have
won it. That that's Joe.Darrel passed. Daryl passed during the season,

(33:42):
and so it's crazy how he wonnumber fifty seven. When he passed,
we won fifty seven games the restof the year. His last win
was against Anaheim, and uh soall these things were lining up, like
we're playing Anaheim in the World Series. San Francis didn't go along with the
story Sam Frandon that beating us inthe championship. Yeah, series and they
played Anaheim in the World Series.But how hard was that? To keep

(34:07):
going that year that had to bevery different. That was tough, especially
right after. I mean I rememberthe next day they have was on ESPN
were Sunday Night Baseball and hees beingthe day after, we're like zombies on
the field. It was I mean, ESPN had to do it. I
guess his ratings or something. Idon't know, But but did they I
mean, oh, I know,I'm sure if you asked the players,
we didn't want to. Maybe wehad to eventually get back on the field,

(34:28):
obviously, but I know for mepersonally, I think a week later
we had kind of like an onfield ceremony for Darryl and that was kind
of like the closure actually helped me, really helped me move on after that.
But up until then, it wasbrutal. Like I said, our
family, your best friend, ourfamilies were I didn't know you guys were
that close. Yeah, super close. Yeah, So it was tough.
And then but everything was like fallinginto place where you know it, this

(34:51):
is where it hasked to you know. Yeah, didn't they do something at
Course Field too? I feel likeI remember something here as well. Saint
Louis Houston and Core has had hisnumber on the wall somewhere. I'm not
sure if it's still out there.They kind of remodeled everywhere. I'm sure.
I bet it is somewhere. Ihaven't been out there. I go
like once a year. It's justtough. It's just time. Is it
time or is it hard to goto a Major League Baseball game, like

(35:13):
we'll go once a year type thing, because I have a gold card for
so many years in the big leagues, so I basically a two tickets to
any game I want to go to. You do, Yeah, I didn't
know that was a thing. Yeah, So, so many years in the
big league you get a gold card, so I just make a phone call.
You get vested with your pension anda gold card. How about that?
I know, I know that I'veused it twice and I've been retired
since Zoe seven. Basically, you'veused it twice. We went one time.

(35:36):
We're sitting like behind the third base, dugout decent seats. When you
hear nothing gets the average fan buttalking about the game that they didn't really
know what they're talking about. There'splenty of those. So my wife's like,
hear what this guy is saying.It doesn't really make sense. I
didn't know what he's talking about.Could you hear people when you were out
on the mound or did you wereable to cold block it out? The

(35:59):
most part? Okay, when you'regoing badge, you hear it. It's
crazy. I remember coming in againstthe Marlins an oh three in Florida,
ninety thousand people. They sold outthe whole football stadium. Oh yeah,
it's crazy. Literally all you hearis you don't hear a thing. It's
crazy how you can how you learnto block that out? But when you're
sucking you hear everything. You know? Is there anything that ever stuck in

(36:22):
your head where you're just like,oh my god, not really. You
know, some bullpens were worse thanothers. Like Chicago was right on the
fence, Cincinna was right. Imean, I meet you from the fans
in Chicago went Cincinnati. They're literallyright there, right there in front of
I could touch them and sometimes they'dtake your hat. Sometimes they would you
know, literally reach over and youcould they could touch you. And yeah,

(36:42):
I mean I heard my mom goesharder than you or you know,
all the good stuff. Yeah,yeah, I thought my name was you
suck for so long, guys allI heard it. I was like,
you know, wow, So youhave your year with the Cubs and you
play a huge part in their firsta National League Central title. You were
there for the Clinton. Yeah,I'm not sure. That's probe the worst
year of my career. I wasgoing through injuries my hip. I actually

(37:05):
had my hip replace. Now thatyear I should have took the year off.
I should have room hip replace.Back then, I was trying to
pitch through it. It's almost likeone of those if I don't admit to
it, you know it's not there. But yeah, I went from throwing
you know, low nineties to eightyfour eighty five. You know, it's
almost embarrassing. I couldn't have thatmovie. I'm not sure it was more
embarrassed me throwing eighty four guys.I was striking out like that because like

(37:28):
you know, it was words alittle I would hit, it would like
I mean, it would just lock, it would stop. I kind of
struggle through that. He was inthe deal like three or four times that
year. My shoulder started barking,so I get in coutozone shots at my
shoulder. My hip was going bad, and to me it I was the
worst year Pike because I was injuredand I didn't pitched up to my caliber.
So even though I finished the gamewhen we clinched the division, I

(37:50):
didn't really feel like I was abig contributor to the team. I wasn't
myself. You know, I wasgone a lot just because I was hurt,
you know. So it was tough. But one lucky thing I guess
I can say is I never missedmy kids first day of school. So
all four kids I got, Iwas either playing the Rockies or we had
a day off, or somehow Igot to see every kids first days.
So it's kind of cool. That'scool, but it's really cool, so
so so that ye are so homea lot, just because you know,

(38:13):
I'm in Chicago by myself and nottravel so I just came home and every
chance I got, And so towardsthe end is getting tougher. First of
all, I was almost forty.Ye know, I was twenty six,
twenty seven. I broke into thebig leagues. I wasn't your typical twenty
two year old, you know,after seven years in the mine, I
was. I was an older rookie. So it's funny because you're rookie hazing.
You know, we had dressed uplike girls or something. But I'm

(38:34):
older than half the guys on theteam. It's like my guy first year,
you know, you know, they'relike, okay, we had to
respect our elders. It was like, you're, okay, you don't have
to be hazy. It's funny becauseyou know, I'd like to think I
was a pretty nice guy, agood guy. Or I never burnt bridges,
I should say, or was it, which is very important, jerk
in the clubhouse, Or I justcaused problems. Part of this hazing was
that they had a chair and basicallyit was like you sat in this chair.

(38:57):
You got you abused. It's kindof like, right, musling.
I mean, it's like it wasmy turn. They're like, we have
nothing to say, Dave, getout of the chair. It's like,
so I was older than most.You know, that's really cool. So
now you're retired, you've got fourkids, two grandkids, you're a pitching
coach at Cherry Creek High School.Um, you also have an LED company

(39:20):
and you are a gas and electricutility broker. You've got a lot of
things going on. That's crazy.I got into the LED world and the
utility side to a friend I metthrough baseball. If you ever go to
Houston or Texas, every billboards anenergy company because it's deregulated, so anybody
can sell energy there. That's howI started doing this because a buddy of
mine is like, hey, Iknow you played for the Astros. Let's
go to Houston and start selling someenergy because we can do that, can't

(39:43):
Yeah, yeah, and BA canbuy it. The problem is there's a
thousand people doing it. So everytime we leave a meeting, and luckily
there's more just relationships. You know, most things, it's who you know,
not let's say what you know,but every time we leave a meeting,
there'd be ten of the guys doingthe same exact thing, you know,
and luckily it's all relationship based anyway, or my friends type thing.
So we start doing that. Atthe time, only like four states were

(40:04):
deregulated, so we're like, well, we're kind of limited to where we
can sell it. So through thatwe're introduced to LEDs. This is like
twelve years ago when it was justnow coming to the market, starting to
come out. Yeah, so peoplewasn't quite buying into it yet. But
now ten twelve years later, therebates are great. They're still great incentives,
and it's still my friends. Mycustomers are my friends, that's you
know. So I always joke Ineed more friends with buildings because I'm running

(40:27):
out of buildings to do. Mostof my friends I've done all their buildings
already, So can you either startmarketing more? So that's what you do.
You go put LEDs in buildings,do lds. But now I'm focusing
more. Now there's like twenty somestates that are deregulated. Yeah, whether
gas or electricity. Callarad was gasonly, so we're saving them thirty on
their gas billow and there's been onehundred and twenty thousand a month on gas
because they're four and thousand square footwahouses and they're eight story office buildings.

(40:52):
They're building one twenty now it's seventyor eighty thousand, because here anybody can
sell gas. Obviously Excel is huge. Yes, but if you don't any
better, you don't know any better. But now if I can offer you
that same gas for seven cents versusfifteen cents a firm, interesting, Okay,
reach out, he's gas. That'sgood to know. So I do

(41:13):
more that now. I still dolighting stuff, but mostly I'm focusing on
that more because now I can goto almost any state to do gas.
It's such a big topic too forpeople, so that's they're very attentive to
it. On that straight bottom line, no out of money and no out
of pocket costs you, at leastlads. You gotta buy the lad's first,
right, then get the rebates,and then then get your savings because
you're reducing your wattag, you're reducingyou know, your maintenance and all that
stuff. But this is straight.You're just making a better decision to sign

(41:36):
over a contract. Who I'm buyingand Okay, so it's kind of weird,
you know, from you nos glamorousis thrown baseballs. Sure, but
then you get to do the pitchingcoach thing on the side. I love
that. How long have you donethat? Five years at Creek Now I
really enjoy It's kind of funny.I was telling a story the other day.
It's I got a letter from mykids mom. He's at Gonzaga,
and he's like, thanks to you, he's at Gonzaga. You know I

(41:58):
put in a good word for him. I said, I sent the Zaga
scout to go watch and play,and it worked out for him. He's
there and he's doing great. Ithink because I wasn't very good growing up.
I enjoy the coaching side and thekids. I want to put the
time in the work and the effort. You know, the phenoms are easy.
You know, those guys are easyto see. Sure it's the ones
that don't have quite the talent,but they work harder than of the world.
Yeah. Maybe, Yeah, itmakes a big difference. I have

(42:22):
a mom that hates my story.She's like to give kids false hope.
You know, you're one in amillion. But I wasn't that good in
high school. I had to do, even in the big way that to
do the little things that separate myself. Yes, to stay there or to
be successful. It doesn't always comeeasy. If everything's you're a big leaguer,
you're an All American, you're astud your whole life. And there's
very few of those that just geteverything handed to him. There's a lot

(42:43):
more where you've had to do allthe work along the way and then when
the opportunity comes, you're ready forit. Not everybody gets the opportunity.
I think that's where people that hasthat struggle to where maybe they handle the
failure side. Yes, you know, because we have kids Cherry Creek,
there's some privilege and some of it'scrazy and yeah you've never been told no,
they never had to work or dealwith failure or compensation type thing where

(43:07):
it's like it's tough. And nowadaysculture is different. Watch what you said.
I meant you should anyway. Butyeah, I get yelled at all
the time, but you can't yelllike we used to yell. You know.
My dad was not coached my wholelife, and I guarantee it was
harder on me than anybody else.For sure, I wouldna get water during
the brain practice, Like you don'tdeserve a drink, you know, right,

(43:28):
Yeah, if you did that now, yeah, you're getting thrown in
the coach jail. So I lovethe coaching side and working with kids and
seeing their growth. And we havea great group of kids right now.
I've had most of these kids nowcoming through. Yeah. Now you're seeing
your freshman through senior. Yeah.So it's fun to watch, to watch
third growth, and it's it's toughjust because what they have now. Yeah,

(43:49):
we have kids with strength, coachspeeding, a jilly coaches, middle
coaches, swing coaches, I mean, crazy everything, you know, and
just to trust I'm old school someof the stuff. New stuff I buy
into. I get it. Butif it's not broke, don't fix it.
Thinks Nolan Ryan did for a reasoninitially he was forty five. You
had a pretty proven equation the wayyou did it. Yeah, you know.
So it's it's tough, but luAs don't want to put the time

(44:10):
in the work in Yeah, Iwant to get rich quick scheme to where
it's the new gimmick out I canthrow harder, faster and sooner. Versus
more stuff isn't always better. Ithrew harder at thirty three and I did
at twenty three, just because Igot I learned my boy, I learned
mechanics, I learned, you know, how to take care of my arm
better. I you know, Ilearned those things as time went on.
But now it's all about vlo vlovelo. When I was coming up,
you'd learn how to pitch first andthen get to the big leagues. Yeah,

(44:32):
you know. Now it's like you'reninety seven. You're in the big
leagues, which is crazy. Digyou know, more guys are getting hit,
and yes, I don't know whereit's going, and so just where
the game has changed. It's stilltough for me to I watch it,
but it's tough sometimes to watch allthe new rules. And if you're an
old school definitely it happens with everyold school player in every sport. It's
like, oh, today's game can'tdo it. It couldn't do it.

(44:53):
Yeah, it was way better whenI played. All right, we'll wrap
this up. And I always askall of my guests the same question of
as you go back and look atyour career, and you had a long
career, we had, you know, so many years in the minors,
so many years in the majors,and you weren't even drafted out of high
school, weren't even going to dobaseball. When you maybe talk to the

(45:15):
kids on the Cherry Creek team ortalk to people, what do you tell
them how to keep moving forward whenthere are failures or setbacks and you're frustrated.
And not just in sports too,I've learned this with business as well.
I'll be true because it comes outin the long run. Be who
you are, true to yourself,and it's the little things that separate you.
I learned a lot in the businessworld that I didn't know, but

(45:36):
I can still take what I learnedthrough my baseball and how I prepared for
my baseball life. I can stillput that towards my business life to where
it's the little things that separate meand the other thousand lighting companies, the
other thousand gas electricity guys. Youknow, it's the little things that separate
you, and whether it's being whoI am. I like to think I
have a reputation to uphold, youknow, not that I'm that famous by

(45:59):
any means, but my cutch wason my friends. Like I said,
so I want to do what's bestby them and right by them and take
care of them in the long run. And I have to try and even
with my kids, teaching them toseparate yourself, you know, like I
said before, you do something differentthan everybody else does. Yes, you
know that's going to separate you.Whether it's your sports, you're schooling,
your business, your whatever it isin your life, to separate, to

(46:21):
set you apart. Yeah, there'salways that competition as so much going to
make you different. And so it'sit's kind of you know, probably pretty
basic, but you know it's agreat I think that's how I kind of
relate to the kids. It's youknow, I don't try and get too
deep and try and you know,maybe because I'm not that smart. Not
true, but you got to havethe electric guts. Yeah, the electric
guts. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, Dave, this has been
so much fun. I'm glad,thank you for coming in. I really

(46:45):
appreciate it. You've got such agreat story and I know people are going
to enjoy it, So thanks forI know you get emotional about things,
and you're still very emotional and old. I'm getting I'm getting soft. You
look great. It's that grandpa stuff. It's exam by me. Yeah,
you and your wife Robin. Youguys take great care of yourself. You
guys look at me fantastic? Doesshe make you? Yeah? Well,

(47:05):
I've realized I'm not as cool asI used to be. I don't have
I'm a major leaguer to fall backon. So I got, you know,
kinda keep up on everything else.Yeah, no doubt. Yeah,
Dave, thank you appreciate it.Dave Veers. You know, his story
might be one in a million,but somebody has to be the one,
right. It was so great tocatch up with him. New episodes of
Cut, Traded, Fired, RetiredI released every Tuesday. Please follow,
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(47:30):
You can also follow podcast updates andnew releases on Twitter and Instagram, at
CTFR podcast, or check out thewebsite CTFR podcast dot com. Thanks for
taking the time out of your dayto listen to this episode and any of
the others that you might catch.There are so many great stories in these
conversations. I'm Susie Wurgin and untilnext time, please be careful, be

(47:51):
safe, and be kind. Takecare,