March 14, 2024 • 34 mins
Step onto the field with us as we explore the life and lessons of Laz Diaz, a seasoned umpire with 25 years calling the shots in Major League Baseball. Diaz’s tapestry of experiences weaves together a narrative of his Cuban American heritage, his disciplined years in the Marine Corps, and the unwavering influence of his father. Join us for a heartwarming recollection of his professional milestones, from World Series stints to All-Star games, and his Cuban Hall of Fame induction. But it's not just about the accolades; it's about the man behind the mask, the poignant moments like bestowing his father with an All-Star game ring, which truly capture the essence of his journey.
Umpiring is more than just balls and strikes; it's about leadership, integrity, and the kind of grit that's polished in the Marine Corps. Diaz opens up about the rigors of umpire training, the no-nonsense approach to personal conduct, and the critical 'up or out' reality that shapes the destiny of those in the profession. We uncover the parallels between the discipline of sports officiating and life's broader challenges. Whether you're an aspiring umpire or striving for success in your own field, Laz's wisdom underscores the value of truthfulness and the relentless pursuit for excellence.
Finally, we're taking you behind home plate to discuss the evolution of umpire training and the diversification of the community. Laz reminisces about witnessing baseball history being made and shares insightful perspectives on the sobering topic of fan violence, recounting personal experiences that led to significant policy changes within MLB. His advice to chase dreams with unwavering passion is the rallying cry for anyone on the precipice of chasing their own. So, put on your cleats, and let's play ball through stories of resilience and dedication with the remarkable Laz Diaz.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, good afternoon folks.
Once again, this is CharlieShaw, host of the Little Mill
Podcasts on Filter Show.
We're back with another specialguest and a topic that may
inspire and motivate each andevery one of you.
As always, I appreciate youstaying engaged with the show
and spending time with us eachweek.
So let's get it started.
(00:23):
Well, I'm impressed with beingable to interview this gentleman
that we have coming up LastDiaz.
Last Diaz is a major leagueumpire, has been for 25 years.
Last.
He's Cuban American, out ofMiami, born and raised down
(00:45):
there, and while he was in highschool down there he played
baseball, a lot of baseball, andthen, when he graduated, he
also went into, went to collegeat one of the historical black
colleges, which is now auniversity, Florida Memorial
College at the time, Played ayear there and then joined the
Marine Corps and spent 12 years,if I'm not mistaken, in the
(01:11):
Marine Reserves and after thathe worked his way up.
Well, he actually went to wentto umpire in school in 91 and
worked his way up to theinternational league and in 99,
he was one of 22 umpires thatwas promoted to the major
(01:32):
leagues, Becoming one of threeCuban Americans who were
selected to umpire major leaguebaseball and in 2010, Laz was
also inducted into the CubanHall of Fame down in Miami,
which is huge.
And also, as of now since 2022,he's been a crew chief for
(02:00):
major league umpire and teams goout and umpire all the baseball
games.
Hey, Laz, thank you and welcometo the show.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well, thanks for having me.
I appreciate you having me onyour show, right.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, people probably wonder how we know each other.
We got both of us share a goodfriend, angel Isla.
He's a deputy marshal with meand first time I met Laz was I
whooped him in a whole bunch ofother people in dominoes over at
Angel's house and from there wegot a little friendship going
(02:34):
on and he was kind enough to doit do the show with me.
So, let's tell me about.
Tell me about what you do asumpire.
I know the people withoutprobably wonder.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Like you said, I went to college.
I further more of college atthat time, played some baseball
there and 84 I had a chance toplay in a minor league with the
Minnesota Twins.
At the end of the year I gotreleased and tried to fall in
year 85 with the Cardinals.
Got hurt during spring trainingso that ended my short career
(03:10):
with the Cardinals, sat out in86 87.
I said, well, let me give youone more shot and I was down
there and I fell out of therewith the Yankees in the minor
leagues and that didn't work out.
So after that I hung up myspikes in my glove and just hung
around for one year and then Istarted up on down in Miami.
(03:33):
You know Sunday leagues,softball leagues, so pitch
leagues and then I did a bit ofa high school and and I got into
college.
And then I did all this while Iwas in the in Marico because I
did a reserve.
I work in reserves in 81 and 91golf.
(03:54):
What was going on?
That's when I decided to go toumpire school, went to umpire
school down in Daytona Beach andwas lucky, was blessed and came
out of there with a job.
And here it is, 33 years laterof a career that three World
(04:16):
Series under my belt, two WorldStar games in Australia, been to
Japan, then Dominican been toCuba.
So I've been Venezuelan,dominican.
So I've had a great career andhopefully a couple more years
and I could call it a day.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, man, that's a blessing right there.
You know, I was reading up onyour reading up on you, and you
credit a lot of your, yoursuccess, to your father, and I
think that that's huge.
How did your old man have animpact on you?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Well, he kind of pushed me along and anytime I
needed financial help he wasthere and support.
He was a.
You know he always, like likeevery father, you want your son
to follow your footsteps or yourdreams, and he always loved
baseball.
He wanted me to be a big leaguebaseball player but you know it
(05:09):
didn't happen and I rewardedhim, or rewarded our ourselves,
with becoming a big leagueumpire.
So if I didn't make it as aplayer, I said you know what I'm
gonna make it somehow and theavenue of getting up or opened
up.
And thank God you know I gotlucky.
Blessing, here I am.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Right, right, that was.
Um, that was pretty cool.
You, he was able to see a fewof your games before he left us,
right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah, he, uh, he saw a World Series with the that I
did, no-transcript he did.
He saw all star game, which, inAnaheim, I gave him my ring,
you're right.
And I said I already had one.
I gave him a ring and he waswhat's this?
I go, uh, you don't have one,so I Already have all star ring.
You have that one.
(06:01):
And he was so proud every timewe take a picture he would get
on the side with the rain so youcould put his hands up and and
it was, uh, you know it was, itwas sweet, it was sweet to have
him with me there and sharingthat.
And he got his dream to Uh, Ididn't see a stadium built in
Miami, right, he got to see.
He got to see one of hisfavorite teams in Yankees go in
(06:23):
there and Opened up the stadium.
And then the St Louis was thefirst game, so, and that's the
year he passed away 2012 afterthat, so, but he got just so,
see the new stadium and walkaround and all that man.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
That's crazy how he was able to see both teams that
you're on the farm team wouldplay in the new stadium before.
Yes, yeah, I like that.
I like that.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, he was a big, big, huge fan, a big supporter,
and he would call me and mybiggest critic too, because he
wouldn't sugarcoat anything.
You know, if I, he would watchall my, all my play games.
Every time I had to play hewould watch and he could take me
in and after the game, they,you did this, you did this, you
did that, but you knoweverything.
(07:09):
You were thinking there was alot of help and you know, you,
you, you want somebody aroundyou that's gonna right, not
sugarcoat anything, it's gonnatake you the truth.
And he was always Telling methe truth, right?
I?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
mean, you know, you know we were talking about
inspiring and motivatingmotivating people, man.
And that's a good, good, goodsegue into what I was gonna talk
about.
And that is how can you, howcan you help a person grow if
they're just telling youeverything that you need to know
?
Sometimes you got to hear thebad with the good so that you
can you know, correct, correctwhat's wrong, to make yourself
(07:46):
better.
So I appreciate you taking thatup.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Exactly.
You know if they don't youdoing good, then you know
there's no such thing going onbecause you're doing everything
right, right.
But you know I was so being abit Coming up my crew chiefs of
old city, when I fast, if I askyou the question, don't
sugarcoat, let me know You're init for more, let me know I'm
(08:10):
wrong.
I didn't call you in theconversation to tell me how good
I am, to tell me how right I am.
Yeah, and I want, I want tohear the truth and I've inspired
that.
And when it's time I work Withthe young guys and I say if I
ask you a question, tell me thetruth, don't give me if I messed
it up, I messed it up and tellme, baby, mess that up so we
could correct it Right.
So you know that's one of my,my big cases.
(08:32):
Tell me the truth.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, that's, that's part of leadership, right there,
yeah, um, so what is as far ason part, as far as going on part
of school?
How long did you have to gothrough that?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
A month.
We, I remember, leaving myhouse, we used to go up to a
date owner and started on thesecond I think we have.
We have orientation, that thatnight, okay, with all the
Instructors who are minority gunpowers and I come up with maybe
go powers and we had a hundredand forty four students and you
(09:15):
know, being wise to, I guess thesituation of being when I stood
there I always had a mustacheright and when I looked up all
the instructors Everybody that'swhen charge had no facial hair.
Mm-hmm, so that was it.
That was a hand in the half.
If you want to do something, youneed to shave everything off.
(09:37):
Yeah, so I did.
And people were asking me ready, why'd you shave it off?
I was tired of it.
I was tired of it.
There you go.
Yeah, at the end of the year,at the end of the month, when
the big bosses came in and saw alot of guys with long sideburns
and go tees and mustaches and Icame we don't mind you having a
mustache and go tees, we likethe nice and trim, right, but we
(10:00):
prefer, you prefer that youdidn't have any right.
And you know now they all kindof looked at me like, oh, you
know what that's like?
Hey, you know, everybody onstage didn't have any facial
hair.
That's, that's simple math,right there.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, you gotta be aware what's going on around you
.
Yeah, you got to but you knowthat was, that was easy
transformation for you becausehe was in a Marine Corps.
You know Exactly, yeah, so hewas already disciplined and you
know, knew, knew how to carryyourself in, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, that was and being I would be in the mirror.
And Marine Corps going tobootcamp has helped me
Throughout my career, um,throughout my my being
disciplined and being able toHandle situations.
You know, because in bootcampthey called you everything from
(10:53):
A to Z.
A to Z you had, you had that.
It's it that you had to sitthere and take it.
You know you couldn't Rebuild,you can be rebellious again
drill instructors you couldn'tgo back out and you couldn't
tell.
You know, just, it was a stickthere, there left foot, and
nothing like that.
You just had to go take it.
So, in and in the marines comingup in the big leagues.
(11:13):
You know there was arguments.
We argued back and you know thegood thing that I could argue
back.
But once the argument was overwith I took a deep breath and
said, okay, it's done, it's overwith it.
Whether I threw him out where Ikept him in a game, well, he
called me with a book and Icalled him everything in a book.
Okay, it's time to move on.
And that's helped me.
Going to book have helped me alot Because I was able to step
(11:36):
back and start fresh.
And that's what happens Some ofsometimes guys coming up to the
Marleagues, they're gettingthese arguments and they're so
fired up that they do everythingthat goes against that team
that you just had a big argumentwith and they throw out a
couple guys.
So I was able to the goodumpires are able to put in the
(12:01):
backseat, put in the trunk andgo on about the business and
keep it moving, man.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So you know, with that being said, you know we
talked, we talked before and Iwas asking you.
I said what type of motivationdo you give, not only your crew,
but what about players?
Do you interact much with theball players?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Not much.
But the young guys that youknow, once they cause, they're
all nervous when they get up tothe big leagues and stuff like
that.
And I said, hey, you're here,keep working hard, but be the
first one here, be the last oneto leave, cause, once you know,
once they get up there, theywant to hang with the superstars
, and the superstars get therelate.
The superstars wear whateverthey want.
(12:45):
You know they sit there and Itell them, like you're not a
superstar yet you just get here.
You know.
Now I tell them, if you go youhear, now you go back to the
Marleagues you might not evenever come to come.
So you know, are you alreadyhere?
Make the best of it, cause younever know what's going to
happen.
The best thing for them, theplayers, there's 30 teams so
(13:09):
they can bounce from team toteam.
Plus, as umpires, we only haveone team and it's either up or
out.
Either move up or you're out,it's just like that.
So talk about just like that.
Just like that I tell you whatwe I think the might for my year
91, um, we had 66 guys thatwent to the expanded umpire
(13:35):
school.
But there was three umpireschools when I went One in
Daytona, one in Cocoa and theother one in Arizona.
After a month of everybodygoing to school, we went to a 10
day um advanced class in whatthey call that, what they.
It was called baseball cityback then Cause where the Royals
(13:58):
used to practice off of a highfour, say row 27.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Right, that's all that's in Lakeland area or
Plants.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
No, it's before that, it's on 27th, so say row 27.
It was called baseball city atDavenport, now Davenport there
you go there, you go.
Yeah, so they had a big statein the other world.
Spring training was there, sothat's where we went for our
advanced class and we had 66guys and those 66 guys, um, six
(14:27):
of us made it to the big leagues.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Damn they great on hard curve, doesn't it?
They ain't no curve, they'regrim.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
They yeah.
So, and I mean the plate workyou gotta.
You gotta have a good platework, have good base work, good
physique and all that.
But the big thing they look foris when you're able to handle
situations.
And I've also, you know, beingin the Marine Corps help.
And then I worked in Dominicanand I worked in Venezuela as a
(14:56):
young umpire, and all you do ishandle situations because those
Latin countries they love theirbaseball yes, sir, they love
their baseball and they argue oneverything, on everything.
So I was able to go there andhandle my business in Dominican
and having my business inVenezuela and learn how to
handle people, how to handlemanagers, how to handle players
(15:19):
and be able to argue with them,throw them out and then step out
and go, bob, my business, go onand keep the game going.
That's pretty much.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
That helped hold out.
It's pretty much where you hadto cut your teeth man, and maybe
that was good yeah yeah, I meanit's.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
And you know, in the Marine Corps when you go through
boot camp, they call youeverything in the book, like I
said.
But you gotta dig deep insideand say you know what.
I'm not that person.
So you could call me anythingyou want, and that's what I
think is wrong with the youngfolks nowadays.
Or people nowadays they callyour name and you take it
(15:55):
personal.
I'm not that guy, I don't carewhat you call me.
You call me whatever you want.
I'm not that guy, so it doesn'tbother me.
Right, you know you call me abig head.
I don't have a big head, so itdoesn't matter.
Rabbit ears, I don't care, youknow, it doesn't bother me
(16:17):
because deep down inside I knowwho I am and what I am.
So you could, like I said, youcall me everything in the book
and I'm good with it.
Scan got his hands.
I just laugh at him.
Yeah, you gotta have a thickskin and some of these young
folks nowadays they don't, andthe first thing they wanna do,
they wanna fight you, they wannashoot that shoot.
It's like you know what it'slike.
(16:39):
That's as short as it is now.
Too damn short.
Too damn short For you to gainthe argument over something
stupid and get shot, just dabbedand get jumped or whatever it's
like you know what.
Okay, you won.
Yeah, you know, I'd rather be alive chicken than a dead hero.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
There you go, there you go.
Well, listen, I hear you andeverything you're saying, but I
know that some of those coachesor players have gotten
underneath the nerve.
Just give me one.
Which one has ever gottenunderneath the nerve?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Well, most arguments I had was with Joe Girardi from
the Yankees.
They seem like every time, youknow, there's always one player
or one manager, one coach that,no matter what they're arguing
everything.
Yeah, you can't do nothing,right, you just can't do nothing
, right.
So I mean, he was the one thatfor me and it probably not just
(17:39):
me, because I've seen them arguewith a whole lot of other guys,
so I don't know if it was me orhim, because he argued with a
whole lot of other guys too, butyou know, with him it just
seemed like I could never doanything, right.
Right, but you know, and like Isaid, that's all the baseball
field, that's just how I grew up.
Yeah, I've seen him in thehallway after the game or before
(17:59):
and I said hello.
He said hello and he's goneabout to do his job and I'm
gonna do my job.
Yeah, I was gonna, but justwhen we stepped between the line
, this is something that clicks.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I guess.
Yeah, I kind of figured.
That's what it is, man, it'sbusiness, it's work.
You know he's in ball games andtried to disrupt a little bit,
but you know it's fortunate thatyou didn't let that get up
underneath your skin and you didyour job.
You know, yeah, but that isgreat advice for anybody that's
coming up.
I'll often do the whole onpower schools.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Um, every, every year , every year, every year, from
January 1st to dollars on twoschools.
They still get the one inDaytona and that's the what's
the name of that school?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
again, the.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Harry, harry, winters , that school, okay, and then
now the major leagues took overthe Myronings school, so they
have a school in Vera Beach thatstarts the same time, january
2nd, and goes all the waythrough January 31st, and the
same thing.
They picked the cream and crop.
(19:08):
But now these guys that go tothe Marley umpire school, they
got to go to a one day campwhere it's held, I have my
heaven, in Atlanta, cincinnati,charlotte, where it's at out
west.
So they have to go to this oneday camp and you got some vices
(19:32):
there, there from the money,from the big leagues, and they
watch them.
And then they get selected oneor two or three, whatever they
think is good enough, and it nowthey get a scholarship and they
go to the Vera Beach, which isthe money school.
(19:53):
The people that go to everywindows, that school, they still
have to pay to go to thatschool and I think they give
them 10 guys to go to this, tothe advanced camp which starts
this week, I think the advancedgap and very be such this week,
(20:13):
and the guys from from windows,that school, I think, sent the
seven to 10 people becausethere's the women in there too.
So, as a matter of fact, thewindows.
That school sent a, the firstfemale Puerto Rican student, and
(20:34):
she made it through school andnow she's going to the advanced
course to be to hopefully be thefirst female Puerto Rican
umpire in the Marley.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
So um, that was that that stadium is.
I think it was Washington.
Washington team.
Major league team no it was theDodgers.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
The Dodgers.
Okay, they still call it Dodgertime.
Okay, over there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're inthere For a long time, like when
Jackie Robinson was in the days.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Yeah, Well, speaking of notable ball players, you
were able to umpire.
You were second base umpire forum when Barry bonds broke Hank
Aaron's record.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Yes, yes.
And then that was that firstweek broke it again when he
broke his own record and I got,I got behind the paid.
I'm like, well, hopefully heonly had one at bat.
I said, well, hopefully he hasone home run here, right, he'll
break it again, break his ownrecord, but he took one at bat.
I don't know, I'm going toforget, walk to whatever, but I
was like, top, why he shouldn'tyou should have swung it home
(21:39):
run to break his own record,because every time he had a home
run he broke his own record.
Yeah, but yeah, I was at secondbase.
I've been blessed.
I have had a lot of.
I've been on the field for a lotof great events.
When Wade Balls got his 3000hit, I didn't have it, yeah, I
didn't have a juice with Tampaand I didn't have a job then but
(22:01):
I worked the plate and he gotthat three hits to get his 3000.
He was bad.
There was such a yeah, it wassuch a thrill and he's such a
great guy too.
Because the following day theyput his, his hit, up in the
newspaper to Tampa Tribune andsort of from center field and I
(22:22):
was buying a plate.
So I bought the newspaper and Isaw the clubhouse guy Can you
see if you might make my signthis?
And he did.
And then when I went back hereof 8 by 10 picture and at a ball
anyway, I mean what a, what agreat individual.
He is most definitely a greatball player too.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Well, folks, if you want to see what last look like
man, some great pictures onlinethat they got, they caught.
They caught you good side.
Last they caught you good side.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Yeah, but it caught me a little argue over time.
Yeah, yeah, now now springtraining for me starts on
Saturday.
Oh, saturday In the late in thelate in Tampa, pretty intense
Arizona area.
So right yeah, my vacation isover.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
You know it all comes to an end, but you know you
spend it well down there, yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, yeah, that's what's good about this job.
You work till the end ofSeptember, beginning of October,
and then you're done all theway till to now, to the
beginning of March.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
So you know you know you've talked about on the
training.
You talked about how youmotivate the other umpires to.
You know, take, takeaccountability for what they you
know, for their calls, and youknow, teaching them along the
way.
But I just have one other court, one other question for you.
Well, I may have one other one,but this one is always you know
(23:55):
, this is one that was on thefence about, but I'm going to
ask you, and I think you, Ithink that you, you're okay with
it what about when that fancame out on the field on young
and Chicago at the White Soxgame?
What?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
What Um?
The year before he came out,there was Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Rick Lee.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Rick White Sox and I was in the White Sox with the
White Sox and so the what theKansas City was playing the
White Sox and and one of theinnings, as a father's son, they
jumped on the field and beat upthe first base coach for the
Kansas City rules.
As a matter of fact, I thinkhis name was Gamboa or is Gamboa
(24:36):
, and I think he still has like60% hearing loss.
Are you serious?
It is right here.
Yes, from that beating that hetook.
As a matter of fact, from whatI understand, the son called the
mom and said hey, check out theTV.
Dad and I are going to jump onthe field and beat up somebody.
So they, it was pre-meditatedfrom the beginning.
(24:57):
So they jumped up, they startedhitting the first base coach.
Everybody jumped in.
They got the butt kicked.
The following year, the firsttime Kansas City goes back in
there, I'm there and security,security comes out and says, hey
, you know, the last time theywere here this happened, but it
(25:19):
might still have 潘 Final Choice,bad thoughts about what's
happened with the fans and allthat, and I said oh, don't worry
about it, I'm at first base.
If any fans come on the field,I'll take care of you.
Being a Marine, I was pumpingup, just talking noise.
(25:41):
Well, during that game therewas like three fans that jumped
on the field and all thesecurity people are police
officers.
They went in there and theygrabbed them and jumped up and
they did what they had to do andapparently that this one guy
the Cubs played during the day.
So he went to the Cubs game,got a little drunk, went over to
(26:06):
the White House game and got inhalf price If you brought in a
Pepsi product.
So he did get in half price andapparently he called his
girlfriend, which after all thatbecame his fiance.
I said, you know what?
The three guys have been on thefield and they got tackled.
But before I get tackled I'mgoing to try to tackle somebody.
(26:29):
But it was the middle of thebottom of the eighth inning when
the Royal Scots, the last outof that inning.
They were supposed to come hereat the top of the ninth and
maybe the game would have beenover with.
But he came out and tried tograb me by my waist and I looked
down and I'm like, oh, that'snot the first place, it doesn't
(26:51):
have a uniform.
So I quickly, you know, did thetwist and when I looked up he
was on the ground and I'll tellyou what all hell broke out on
his behind.
Because the right fielder whowas there in the U before, they
all had the bad taste in theirmouth from what happened and
they really pounded.
They pounded all the rules,they pounded.
This guy took turns poundinghim.
(27:11):
Really did I don't know, so hehad nothing to do with me.
It was just a random fan when Icame out and and and do damage.
But he got damaged that time.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
So yeah, man, well, I'm glad you got your head on
swivel man, you was able to, youknow, getting hurt in that
sense.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
And after that, after that instant, Major League
Baseball came out with a rulewhere if you jump on a field,
it's a before it was amisdemeanor, Right, but now they
made it a thousand dollar fineand it's a felony now.
So if you jump on the field,you go into jail, put the family
fine, which they should havedone a long time ago, but
they're very you know.
They don't do stuff for thissupposedly week to tell later,
(27:59):
Right.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
I'll tell you, man, I don't understand.
I don't understand fanaticsyeah.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
No, I don't.
I mean, I'm a huge yeah, I'm ahuge mommy dolphin fan.
Let me hear you Pan three.
I love my forties, but I'm afan.
Yeah, yeah, I'm not a fanthat's going to go crazy and try
to jump on the field.
I'm a fan of a opposing playeror even a fan.
(28:30):
You know, you go, you go togames and you're going to talk
to the other crap, to the otherfans, and all that.
But that's as far as it gets.
And I've been.
I've got seen things withdolphins and I've been there
where guys from other teams havetalked stuff and then guys
saying some of the dolphins havegone back at them, right, and
(28:52):
you know they're getting readyto throw it out and I'm like, oh
, and I thought a good ball fromfans.
I'm like yo yo yo, it's just agame.
Yeah, they don't talk with away to talk.
You know it's a game andthey're like you know what?
You're right, it's just a game.
We're both fans, we both wantto win.
I'm like and other fans, otherfans understand.
So like, yeah, you know whatyou're right.
(29:12):
I try to be the mediatorbecause you know why pay.
You pay $75, whatever it is fora ticket and then you go fight
and get kicked out and probablygo to jail for the night.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
It ain't, it ain't worth it.
I'm not going to have a goodtime and enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
That was a nonsense, because you want to be a a fan
of a fan, it's like no, justenjoy it.
Doug, I'm getting Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Well as current close it up, man, and I'll just want
you to offer a little advice toanybody that's thinking about
getting in an op iron or oranything that's going to be
challenging, because you have atrack record of um being able to
handle that stress and umpersevering to um accomplish
your goal.
What advice would you give,give, give our audience on that?
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Well, first of all, whatever you want to do in life,
go ahead and do it.
Uh, don't let, don't let nobodytell you that you can't do it,
don't let nobody talk to youinto not doing it.
Um, I grew up in Miami and, andit was, it was in the hood, but
it was uh, it was, it was the,uh, the, the riches of the
(30:21):
neighborhoods, um, so I had the.
I struggled growing up, uh, butwe had food on the table, we
had a roof over our heads and,and I, it was, I didn't, I
wasn't, uh, born with a silverspoon in my mouth and I worked
hard for everything I got.
I, I worked hard and I'm stillworking hard for everything that
I have.
Um, I've never um, I wanted tosay I did it on my own and
(30:50):
that's the way I've been mywhole life, my whole career Work
hard, work hard and then getchores.
I always tell these young folksI said hey, don't worry about
these knuckleheads.
In high school, especially inhigh school, when you get easily
tempted to do whatever otherpopular people are doing, I said
don't get tempted by theseknuckleheads.
(31:10):
We graduated from Miami, carolCity, and we had like 300, maybe
400 people and I'm friends,real good friends, but like four
of them, and there's a lot ofthem that are dead, that are in
jail and you know what, and Inever let that bother me.
So leave those knuckleheadsalone.
(31:31):
Everybody knows right fromwrong, good from bad and stay
with those knuckleheads and dowhat you need to do to get
chores.
I tell the same to guys and thefemales, especially the females
, especially the eight Don'tworry about these knucklehead
guys.
To work, guys and we're idiots.
Just go get chores, go get youreducation, go do what you need
to do.
Be successful in life.
(31:52):
You know, if you want to be alawyer, you want to be a doctor,
you want to be a judge,whatever you want to do, go
ahead and do it.
Don't let nobody bring you down.
You could go down by yourself.
You can be bad by yourself, yes, so you don't need nobody else
to help you bring you down.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Well, you're living proof that dreams do come true,
man, or get close to where youwant, your dreams, yeah, and I
appreciate it.
And I also want to tell youthank you before we came on the
show.
You gave me a little bit ofinspiration, man, to keep going
with podcasts, you know, becauseyou never know what directions
things are going to go for you.
(32:28):
So I appreciate you giving methat, man, and I'm going to take
that yeah most of it.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Most of it, you know.
You started something new andthen you got something good
going here and I wish you a lotof success and just keep going.
Brother, I appreciate youhaving me on and maybe we could
turn this into a live, live showone time, one day when you go
(32:56):
on there and have a TV and anaudience and go live on the TV
channel or something.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
Appreciate it, brother, appreciate that very
much.
Listen, stay safe through theseason.
I'll be catching up with you.
I'm going to get Angel to well.
We probably won't be able toplay until October when you are
well, november when you come offthe road.
But I'm definitely going totell Angel that we're going to
need to get back together, man,do some dominoes or even go to
the Magic game or somethingalong those lines.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Most definitely, most definitely, and you got my
numbers.
At any time you can holler atme and we'll get.
We don't even have to paydominoes.
Just sit around and talk to MBSwith each other.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
That'll work.
Hey, just stand by.
I'm going to close out the show.
Folks, once again, I want tothank last Diaz for coming on
the show and talking about hisstory and I want to thank you
folks for tuning in once again.
And also remember, stayconnected with us on social
media and share your thoughtsand feedback on my website,
(33:56):
which is C Shaw Production.
Also, take care of yourself andtune in to the next week's show
.
Take care.
Hey, good afternoon folks.
Once again, this is CharlieShaw, host of the Little Mill
Podcasts on Filter Show.
We're back with another specialguest and a topic that may
inspire and motivate each andevery one of you.
As always, I appreciate youstaying engaged with the show
and spending time with us eachweek.
So let's get it started.
(00:23):
Well, I'm impressed with beingable to interview this gentleman
that we have coming up LastDiaz.
Last Diaz is a major leagueumpire, has been for 25 years.
Last.
He's Cuban American, out ofMiami, born and raised down
(00:45):
there, and while he was in highschool down there he played
baseball, a lot of baseball, andthen, when he graduated, he
also went into, went to collegeat one of the historical black
colleges, which is now auniversity, Florida Memorial
College at the time, Played ayear there and then joined the
Marine Corps and spent 12 years,if I'm not mistaken, in the
(01:11):
Marine Reserves and after thathe worked his way up.
Well, he actually went to wentto umpire in school in 91 and
worked his way up to theinternational league and in 99,
he was one of 22 umpires thatwas promoted to the major
(01:32):
leagues, Becoming one of threeCuban Americans who were
selected to umpire major leaguebaseball and in 2010, Laz was
also inducted into the CubanHall of Fame down in Miami,
which is huge.
And also, as of now since 2022,he's been a crew chief for
(02:00):
major league umpire and teams goout and umpire all the baseball
games.
Hey, Laz, thank you and welcometo the show.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well, thanks for having me.
I appreciate you having me onyour show, right.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, people probably wonder how we know each other.
We got both of us share a goodfriend, angel Isla.
He's a deputy marshal with meand first time I met Laz was I
whooped him in a whole bunch ofother people in dominoes over at
Angel's house and from there wegot a little friendship going
(02:34):
on and he was kind enough to doit do the show with me.
So, let's tell me about.
Tell me about what you do asumpire.
I know the people withoutprobably wonder.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Like you said, I went to college.
I further more of college atthat time, played some baseball
there and 84 I had a chance toplay in a minor league with the
Minnesota Twins.
At the end of the year I gotreleased and tried to fall in
year 85 with the Cardinals.
Got hurt during spring trainingso that ended my short career
(03:10):
with the Cardinals, sat out in86 87.
I said, well, let me give youone more shot and I was down
there and I fell out of therewith the Yankees in the minor
leagues and that didn't work out.
So after that I hung up myspikes in my glove and just hung
around for one year and then Istarted up on down in Miami.
(03:33):
You know Sunday leagues,softball leagues, so pitch
leagues and then I did a bit ofa high school and and I got into
college.
And then I did all this while Iwas in the in Marico because I
did a reserve.
I work in reserves in 81 and 91golf.
(03:54):
What was going on?
That's when I decided to go toumpire school, went to umpire
school down in Daytona Beach andwas lucky, was blessed and came
out of there with a job.
And here it is, 33 years laterof a career that three World
(04:16):
Series under my belt, two WorldStar games in Australia, been to
Japan, then Dominican been toCuba.
So I've been Venezuelan,dominican.
So I've had a great career andhopefully a couple more years
and I could call it a day.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, man, that's a blessing right there.
You know, I was reading up onyour reading up on you, and you
credit a lot of your, yoursuccess, to your father, and I
think that that's huge.
How did your old man have animpact on you?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Well, he kind of pushed me along and anytime I
needed financial help he wasthere and support.
He was a.
You know he always, like likeevery father, you want your son
to follow your footsteps or yourdreams, and he always loved
baseball.
He wanted me to be a big leaguebaseball player but you know it
(05:09):
didn't happen and I rewardedhim, or rewarded our ourselves,
with becoming a big leagueumpire.
So if I didn't make it as aplayer, I said you know what I'm
gonna make it somehow and theavenue of getting up or opened
up.
And thank God you know I gotlucky.
Blessing, here I am.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Right, right, that was.
Um, that was pretty cool.
You, he was able to see a fewof your games before he left us,
right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah, he, uh, he saw a World Series with the that I
did, no-transcript he did.
He saw all star game, which, inAnaheim, I gave him my ring,
you're right.
And I said I already had one.
I gave him a ring and he waswhat's this?
I go, uh, you don't have one,so I Already have all star ring.
You have that one.
(06:01):
And he was so proud every timewe take a picture he would get
on the side with the rain so youcould put his hands up and and
it was, uh, you know it was, itwas sweet, it was sweet to have
him with me there and sharingthat.
And he got his dream to Uh, Ididn't see a stadium built in
Miami, right, he got to see.
He got to see one of hisfavorite teams in Yankees go in
(06:23):
there and Opened up the stadium.
And then the St Louis was thefirst game, so, and that's the
year he passed away 2012 afterthat, so, but he got just so,
see the new stadium and walkaround and all that man.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
That's crazy how he was able to see both teams that
you're on the farm team wouldplay in the new stadium before.
Yes, yeah, I like that.
I like that.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, he was a big, big, huge fan, a big supporter,
and he would call me and mybiggest critic too, because he
wouldn't sugarcoat anything.
You know, if I, he would watchall my, all my play games.
Every time I had to play hewould watch and he could take me
in and after the game, they,you did this, you did this, you
did that, but you knoweverything.
(07:09):
You were thinking there was alot of help and you know, you,
you, you want somebody aroundyou that's gonna right, not
sugarcoat anything, it's gonnatake you the truth.
And he was always Telling methe truth, right?
I?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
mean, you know, you know we were talking about
inspiring and motivatingmotivating people, man.
And that's a good, good, goodsegue into what I was gonna talk
about.
And that is how can you, howcan you help a person grow if
they're just telling youeverything that you need to know
?
Sometimes you got to hear thebad with the good so that you
can you know, correct, correctwhat's wrong, to make yourself
(07:46):
better.
So I appreciate you taking thatup.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Exactly.
You know if they don't youdoing good, then you know
there's no such thing going onbecause you're doing everything
right, right.
But you know I was so being abit Coming up my crew chiefs of
old city, when I fast, if I askyou the question, don't
sugarcoat, let me know You're init for more, let me know I'm
(08:10):
wrong.
I didn't call you in theconversation to tell me how good
I am, to tell me how right I am.
Yeah, and I want, I want tohear the truth and I've inspired
that.
And when it's time I work Withthe young guys and I say if I
ask you a question, tell me thetruth, don't give me if I messed
it up, I messed it up and tellme, baby, mess that up so we
could correct it Right.
So you know that's one of my,my big cases.
(08:32):
Tell me the truth.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, that's, that's part of leadership, right there,
yeah, um, so what is as far ason part, as far as going on part
of school?
How long did you have to gothrough that?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
A month.
We, I remember, leaving myhouse, we used to go up to a
date owner and started on thesecond I think we have.
We have orientation, that thatnight, okay, with all the
Instructors who are minority gunpowers and I come up with maybe
go powers and we had a hundredand forty four students and you
(09:15):
know, being wise to, I guess thesituation of being when I stood
there I always had a mustacheright and when I looked up all
the instructors Everybody that'swhen charge had no facial hair.
Mm-hmm, so that was it.
That was a hand in the half.
If you want to do something, youneed to shave everything off.
(09:37):
Yeah, so I did.
And people were asking me ready, why'd you shave it off?
I was tired of it.
I was tired of it.
There you go.
Yeah, at the end of the year,at the end of the month, when
the big bosses came in and saw alot of guys with long sideburns
and go tees and mustaches and Icame we don't mind you having a
mustache and go tees, we likethe nice and trim, right, but we
(10:00):
prefer, you prefer that youdidn't have any right.
And you know now they all kindof looked at me like, oh, you
know what that's like?
Hey, you know, everybody onstage didn't have any facial
hair.
That's, that's simple math,right there.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, you gotta be aware what's going on around you
.
Yeah, you got to but you knowthat was, that was easy
transformation for you becausehe was in a Marine Corps.
You know Exactly, yeah, so hewas already disciplined and you
know, knew, knew how to carryyourself in, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, that was and being I would be in the mirror.
And Marine Corps going tobootcamp has helped me
Throughout my career, um,throughout my my being
disciplined and being able toHandle situations.
You know, because in bootcampthey called you everything from
(10:53):
A to Z.
A to Z you had, you had that.
It's it that you had to sitthere and take it.
You know you couldn't Rebuild,you can be rebellious again
drill instructors you couldn'tgo back out and you couldn't
tell.
You know, just, it was a stickthere, there left foot, and
nothing like that.
You just had to go take it.
So, in and in the marines comingup in the big leagues.
(11:13):
You know there was arguments.
We argued back and you know thegood thing that I could argue
back.
But once the argument was overwith I took a deep breath and
said, okay, it's done, it's overwith it.
Whether I threw him out where Ikept him in a game, well, he
called me with a book and Icalled him everything in a book.
Okay, it's time to move on.
And that's helped me.
Going to book have helped me alot Because I was able to step
(11:36):
back and start fresh.
And that's what happens Some ofsometimes guys coming up to the
Marleagues, they're gettingthese arguments and they're so
fired up that they do everythingthat goes against that team
that you just had a big argumentwith and they throw out a
couple guys.
So I was able to the goodumpires are able to put in the
(12:01):
backseat, put in the trunk andgo on about the business and
keep it moving, man.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So you know, with that being said, you know we
talked, we talked before and Iwas asking you.
I said what type of motivationdo you give, not only your crew,
but what about players?
Do you interact much with theball players?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Not much.
But the young guys that youknow, once they cause, they're
all nervous when they get up tothe big leagues and stuff like
that.
And I said, hey, you're here,keep working hard, but be the
first one here, be the last oneto leave, cause, once you know,
once they get up there, theywant to hang with the superstars
, and the superstars get therelate.
The superstars wear whateverthey want.
(12:45):
You know they sit there and Itell them, like you're not a
superstar yet you just get here.
You know.
Now I tell them, if you go youhear, now you go back to the
Marleagues you might not evenever come to come.
So you know, are you alreadyhere?
Make the best of it, cause younever know what's going to
happen.
The best thing for them, theplayers, there's 30 teams so
(13:09):
they can bounce from team toteam.
Plus, as umpires, we only haveone team and it's either up or
out.
Either move up or you're out,it's just like that.
So talk about just like that.
Just like that I tell you whatwe I think the might for my year
91, um, we had 66 guys thatwent to the expanded umpire
(13:35):
school.
But there was three umpireschools when I went One in
Daytona, one in Cocoa and theother one in Arizona.
After a month of everybodygoing to school, we went to a 10
day um advanced class in whatthey call that, what they.
It was called baseball cityback then Cause where the Royals
(13:58):
used to practice off of a highfour, say row 27.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Right, that's all that's in Lakeland area or
Plants.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
No, it's before that, it's on 27th, so say row 27.
It was called baseball city atDavenport, now Davenport there
you go there, you go.
Yeah, so they had a big statein the other world.
Spring training was there, sothat's where we went for our
advanced class and we had 66guys and those 66 guys, um, six
(14:27):
of us made it to the big leagues.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Damn they great on hard curve, doesn't it?
They ain't no curve, they'regrim.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
They yeah.
So, and I mean the plate workyou gotta.
You gotta have a good platework, have good base work, good
physique and all that.
But the big thing they look foris when you're able to handle
situations.
And I've also, you know, beingin the Marine Corps help.
And then I worked in Dominicanand I worked in Venezuela as a
(14:56):
young umpire, and all you do ishandle situations because those
Latin countries they love theirbaseball yes, sir, they love
their baseball and they argue oneverything, on everything.
So I was able to go there andhandle my business in Dominican
and having my business inVenezuela and learn how to
handle people, how to handlemanagers, how to handle players
(15:19):
and be able to argue with them,throw them out and then step out
and go, bob, my business, go onand keep the game going.
That's pretty much.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
That helped hold out.
It's pretty much where you hadto cut your teeth man, and maybe
that was good yeah yeah, I meanit's.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
And you know, in the Marine Corps when you go through
boot camp, they call youeverything in the book, like I
said.
But you gotta dig deep insideand say you know what.
I'm not that person.
So you could call me anythingyou want, and that's what I
think is wrong with the youngfolks nowadays.
Or people nowadays they callyour name and you take it
(15:55):
personal.
I'm not that guy, I don't carewhat you call me.
You call me whatever you want.
I'm not that guy, so it doesn'tbother me.
Right, you know you call me abig head.
I don't have a big head, so itdoesn't matter.
Rabbit ears, I don't care, youknow, it doesn't bother me
(16:17):
because deep down inside I knowwho I am and what I am.
So you could, like I said, youcall me everything in the book
and I'm good with it.
Scan got his hands.
I just laugh at him.
Yeah, you gotta have a thickskin and some of these young
folks nowadays they don't, andthe first thing they wanna do,
they wanna fight you, they wannashoot that shoot.
It's like you know what it'slike.
(16:39):
That's as short as it is now.
Too damn short.
Too damn short For you to gainthe argument over something
stupid and get shot, just dabbedand get jumped or whatever it's
like you know what.
Okay, you won.
Yeah, you know, I'd rather be alive chicken than a dead hero.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
There you go, there you go.
Well, listen, I hear you andeverything you're saying, but I
know that some of those coachesor players have gotten
underneath the nerve.
Just give me one.
Which one has ever gottenunderneath the nerve?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Well, most arguments I had was with Joe Girardi from
the Yankees.
They seem like every time, youknow, there's always one player
or one manager, one coach that,no matter what they're arguing
everything.
Yeah, you can't do nothing,right, you just can't do nothing
, right.
So I mean, he was the one thatfor me and it probably not just
(17:39):
me, because I've seen them arguewith a whole lot of other guys,
so I don't know if it was me orhim, because he argued with a
whole lot of other guys too, butyou know, with him it just
seemed like I could never doanything, right.
Right, but you know, and like Isaid, that's all the baseball
field, that's just how I grew up.
Yeah, I've seen him in thehallway after the game or before
(17:59):
and I said hello.
He said hello and he's goneabout to do his job and I'm
gonna do my job.
Yeah, I was gonna, but justwhen we stepped between the line
, this is something that clicks.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I guess.
Yeah, I kind of figured.
That's what it is, man, it'sbusiness, it's work.
You know he's in ball games andtried to disrupt a little bit,
but you know it's fortunate thatyou didn't let that get up
underneath your skin and you didyour job.
You know, yeah, but that isgreat advice for anybody that's
coming up.
I'll often do the whole onpower schools.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Um, every, every year , every year, every year, from
January 1st to dollars on twoschools.
They still get the one inDaytona and that's the what's
the name of that school?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
again, the.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Harry, harry, winters , that school, okay, and then
now the major leagues took overthe Myronings school, so they
have a school in Vera Beach thatstarts the same time, january
2nd, and goes all the waythrough January 31st, and the
same thing.
They picked the cream and crop.
(19:08):
But now these guys that go tothe Marley umpire school, they
got to go to a one day campwhere it's held, I have my
heaven, in Atlanta, cincinnati,charlotte, where it's at out
west.
So they have to go to this oneday camp and you got some vices
(19:32):
there, there from the money,from the big leagues, and they
watch them.
And then they get selected oneor two or three, whatever they
think is good enough, and it nowthey get a scholarship and they
go to the Vera Beach, which isthe money school.
(19:53):
The people that go to everywindows, that school, they still
have to pay to go to thatschool and I think they give
them 10 guys to go to this, tothe advanced camp which starts
this week, I think the advancedgap and very be such this week,
(20:13):
and the guys from from windows,that school, I think, sent the
seven to 10 people becausethere's the women in there too.
So, as a matter of fact, thewindows.
That school sent a, the firstfemale Puerto Rican student, and
(20:34):
she made it through school andnow she's going to the advanced
course to be to hopefully be thefirst female Puerto Rican
umpire in the Marley.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
So um, that was that that stadium is.
I think it was Washington.
Washington team.
Major league team no it was theDodgers.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
The Dodgers.
Okay, they still call it Dodgertime.
Okay, over there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're inthere For a long time, like when
Jackie Robinson was in the days.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Yeah, Well, speaking of notable ball players, you
were able to umpire.
You were second base umpire forum when Barry bonds broke Hank
Aaron's record.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Yes, yes.
And then that was that firstweek broke it again when he
broke his own record and I got,I got behind the paid.
I'm like, well, hopefully heonly had one at bat.
I said, well, hopefully he hasone home run here, right, he'll
break it again, break his ownrecord, but he took one at bat.
I don't know, I'm going toforget, walk to whatever, but I
was like, top, why he shouldn'tyou should have swung it home
(21:39):
run to break his own record,because every time he had a home
run he broke his own record.
Yeah, but yeah, I was at secondbase.
I've been blessed.
I have had a lot of.
I've been on the field for a lotof great events.
When Wade Balls got his 3000hit, I didn't have it, yeah, I
didn't have a juice with Tampaand I didn't have a job then but
(22:01):
I worked the plate and he gotthat three hits to get his 3000.
He was bad.
There was such a yeah, it wassuch a thrill and he's such a
great guy too.
Because the following day theyput his, his hit, up in the
newspaper to Tampa Tribune andsort of from center field and I
(22:22):
was buying a plate.
So I bought the newspaper and Isaw the clubhouse guy Can you
see if you might make my signthis?
And he did.
And then when I went back hereof 8 by 10 picture and at a ball
anyway, I mean what a, what agreat individual.
He is most definitely a greatball player too.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Well, folks, if you want to see what last look like
man, some great pictures onlinethat they got, they caught.
They caught you good side.
Last they caught you good side.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Yeah, but it caught me a little argue over time.
Yeah, yeah, now now springtraining for me starts on
Saturday.
Oh, saturday In the late in thelate in Tampa, pretty intense
Arizona area.
So right yeah, my vacation isover.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
You know it all comes to an end, but you know you
spend it well down there, yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, yeah, that's what's good about this job.
You work till the end ofSeptember, beginning of October,
and then you're done all theway till to now, to the
beginning of March.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
So you know you know you've talked about on the
training.
You talked about how youmotivate the other umpires to.
You know, take, takeaccountability for what they you
know, for their calls, and youknow, teaching them along the
way.
But I just have one other court, one other question for you.
Well, I may have one other one,but this one is always you know
(23:55):
, this is one that was on thefence about, but I'm going to
ask you, and I think you, Ithink that you, you're okay with
it what about when that fancame out on the field on young
and Chicago at the White Soxgame?
What?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
What Um?
The year before he came out,there was Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Rick Lee.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Rick White Sox and I was in the White Sox with the
White Sox and so the what theKansas City was playing the
White Sox and and one of theinnings, as a father's son, they
jumped on the field and beat upthe first base coach for the
Kansas City rules.
As a matter of fact, I thinkhis name was Gamboa or is Gamboa
(24:36):
, and I think he still has like60% hearing loss.
Are you serious?
It is right here.
Yes, from that beating that hetook.
As a matter of fact, from whatI understand, the son called the
mom and said hey, check out theTV.
Dad and I are going to jump onthe field and beat up somebody.
So they, it was pre-meditatedfrom the beginning.
(24:57):
So they jumped up, they startedhitting the first base coach.
Everybody jumped in.
They got the butt kicked.
The following year, the firsttime Kansas City goes back in
there, I'm there and security,security comes out and says, hey
, you know, the last time theywere here this happened, but it
(25:19):
might still have 潘 Final Choice,bad thoughts about what's
happened with the fans and allthat, and I said oh, don't worry
about it, I'm at first base.
If any fans come on the field,I'll take care of you.
Being a Marine, I was pumpingup, just talking noise.
(25:41):
Well, during that game therewas like three fans that jumped
on the field and all thesecurity people are police
officers.
They went in there and theygrabbed them and jumped up and
they did what they had to do andapparently that this one guy
the Cubs played during the day.
So he went to the Cubs game,got a little drunk, went over to
(26:06):
the White House game and got inhalf price If you brought in a
Pepsi product.
So he did get in half price andapparently he called his
girlfriend, which after all thatbecame his fiance.
I said, you know what?
The three guys have been on thefield and they got tackled.
But before I get tackled I'mgoing to try to tackle somebody.
(26:29):
But it was the middle of thebottom of the eighth inning when
the Royal Scots, the last outof that inning.
They were supposed to come hereat the top of the ninth and
maybe the game would have beenover with.
But he came out and tried tograb me by my waist and I looked
down and I'm like, oh, that'snot the first place, it doesn't
(26:51):
have a uniform.
So I quickly, you know, did thetwist and when I looked up he
was on the ground and I'll tellyou what all hell broke out on
his behind.
Because the right fielder whowas there in the U before, they
all had the bad taste in theirmouth from what happened and
they really pounded.
They pounded all the rules,they pounded.
This guy took turns poundinghim.
(27:11):
Really did I don't know, so hehad nothing to do with me.
It was just a random fan when Icame out and and and do damage.
But he got damaged that time.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
So yeah, man, well, I'm glad you got your head on
swivel man, you was able to, youknow, getting hurt in that
sense.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
And after that, after that instant, Major League
Baseball came out with a rulewhere if you jump on a field,
it's a before it was amisdemeanor, Right, but now they
made it a thousand dollar fineand it's a felony now.
So if you jump on the field,you go into jail, put the family
fine, which they should havedone a long time ago, but
they're very you know.
They don't do stuff for thissupposedly week to tell later,
(27:59):
Right.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
I'll tell you, man, I don't understand.
I don't understand fanaticsyeah.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
No, I don't.
I mean, I'm a huge yeah, I'm ahuge mommy dolphin fan.
Let me hear you Pan three.
I love my forties, but I'm afan.
Yeah, yeah, I'm not a fanthat's going to go crazy and try
to jump on the field.
I'm a fan of a opposing playeror even a fan.
(28:30):
You know, you go, you go togames and you're going to talk
to the other crap, to the otherfans, and all that.
But that's as far as it gets.
And I've been.
I've got seen things withdolphins and I've been there
where guys from other teams havetalked stuff and then guys
saying some of the dolphins havegone back at them, right, and
(28:52):
you know they're getting readyto throw it out and I'm like, oh
, and I thought a good ball fromfans.
I'm like yo yo yo, it's just agame.
Yeah, they don't talk with away to talk.
You know it's a game andthey're like you know what?
You're right, it's just a game.
We're both fans, we both wantto win.
I'm like and other fans, otherfans understand.
So like, yeah, you know whatyou're right.
(29:12):
I try to be the mediatorbecause you know why pay.
You pay $75, whatever it is fora ticket and then you go fight
and get kicked out and probablygo to jail for the night.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
It ain't, it ain't worth it.
I'm not going to have a goodtime and enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
That was a nonsense, because you want to be a a fan
of a fan, it's like no, justenjoy it.
Doug, I'm getting Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Well as current close it up, man, and I'll just want
you to offer a little advice toanybody that's thinking about
getting in an op iron or oranything that's going to be
challenging, because you have atrack record of um being able to
handle that stress and umpersevering to um accomplish
your goal.
What advice would you give,give, give our audience on that?
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Well, first of all, whatever you want to do in life,
go ahead and do it.
Uh, don't let, don't let nobodytell you that you can't do it,
don't let nobody talk to youinto not doing it.
Um, I grew up in Miami and, andit was, it was in the hood, but
it was uh, it was, it was the,uh, the, the riches of the
(30:21):
neighborhoods, um, so I had the.
I struggled growing up, uh, butwe had food on the table, we
had a roof over our heads and,and I, it was, I didn't, I
wasn't, uh, born with a silverspoon in my mouth and I worked
hard for everything I got.
I, I worked hard and I'm stillworking hard for everything that
I have.
Um, I've never um, I wanted tosay I did it on my own and
(30:50):
that's the way I've been mywhole life, my whole career Work
hard, work hard and then getchores.
I always tell these young folksI said hey, don't worry about
these knuckleheads.
In high school, especially inhigh school, when you get easily
tempted to do whatever otherpopular people are doing, I said
don't get tempted by theseknuckleheads.
(31:10):
We graduated from Miami, carolCity, and we had like 300, maybe
400 people and I'm friends,real good friends, but like four
of them, and there's a lot ofthem that are dead, that are in
jail and you know what, and Inever let that bother me.
So leave those knuckleheadsalone.
(31:31):
Everybody knows right fromwrong, good from bad and stay
with those knuckleheads and dowhat you need to do to get
chores.
I tell the same to guys and thefemales, especially the females
, especially the eight Don'tworry about these knucklehead
guys.
To work, guys and we're idiots.
Just go get chores, go get youreducation, go do what you need
to do.
Be successful in life.
(31:52):
You know, if you want to be alawyer, you want to be a doctor,
you want to be a judge,whatever you want to do, go
ahead and do it.
Don't let nobody bring you down.
You could go down by yourself.
You can be bad by yourself, yes, so you don't need nobody else
to help you bring you down.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Well, you're living proof that dreams do come true,
man, or get close to where youwant, your dreams, yeah, and I
appreciate it.
And I also want to tell youthank you before we came on the
show.
You gave me a little bit ofinspiration, man, to keep going
with podcasts, you know, becauseyou never know what directions
things are going to go for you.
(32:28):
So I appreciate you giving methat, man, and I'm going to take
that yeah most of it.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Most of it, you know.
You started something new andthen you got something good
going here and I wish you a lotof success and just keep going.
Brother, I appreciate youhaving me on and maybe we could
turn this into a live, live showone time, one day when you go
(32:56):
on there and have a TV and anaudience and go live on the TV
channel or something.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
Appreciate it, brother, appreciate that very
much.
Listen, stay safe through theseason.
I'll be catching up with you.
I'm going to get Angel to well.
We probably won't be able toplay until October when you are
well, november when you come offthe road.
But I'm definitely going totell Angel that we're going to
need to get back together, man,do some dominoes or even go to
the Magic game or somethingalong those lines.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Most definitely, most definitely, and you got my
numbers.
At any time you can holler atme and we'll get.
We don't even have to paydominoes.
Just sit around and talk to MBSwith each other.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
That'll work.
Hey, just stand by.
I'm going to close out the show.
Folks, once again, I want tothank last Diaz for coming on
the show and talking about hisstory and I want to thank you
folks for tuning in once again.
And also remember, stayconnected with us on social
media and share your thoughtsand feedback on my website,
(33:56):
which is C Shaw Production.
Also, take care of yourself andtune in to the next week's show
.
Take care.
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