April 11, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode of Behind Kentucky Baseball Podcast, our host Darren Headrick sits down with special guest Doug Flynn, former UK standout and Cincinnati Reds World Series champion. They break down Kentucky Baseball’s recent games and take a trip down memory lane as Doug shares stories from his time in Lexington and his big league days with the Reds. A must-listen for Wildcat and baseball fans alike
Presented by: American Trust Wealth
Presented by: American Trust Wealth
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
To be a part of two teams that brought home
a championship in Major League Baseball had to be I
can't imagine how special that is.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Did we do that? It's been a while back that
you did.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Actually, fifty year anniversary of our first World Series, and.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
We're going to celebrate in Gin. Perfect timing to bring
it up.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yep, we're going to celebrate. Hopefully Johnny Bench is sort
of taken control of this. We think we got twenty
six players coming back. We've lost twelve from those two
teams over the years.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So it's going to be really really special.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
And I look, and you know when I look, how
I happened to get to that spot.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And even to where I am now, it is really amazing.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
The only thing I can think of it had to
be divine intervention, because there were too many things that
had to happen for me to get that opportunity. No
scholarships out of high school, got a chance to go
play basketball at the University of Kentucky, what was on
the baseball team but didn't play and for a good
reason there were guys better than me, And then three
years later to be on one of the best baseball
(01:00):
teams ever.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Hello, everybody, Welcome into another edition of Behind Kentucky Baseball.
We are brought to you by American Trust Wealth and
I am Darren Hendrick. Normally I have a co host
with me, Darren Williams, but he is on assignment for
spring break this year as we record, and he'll be
back with us on the next episode. But today I
have the pleasure of sitting alongside Doug Flynn. He was
the glue of the Big Red Machine, a legend here
(01:38):
in the Bluegrass, a great baseball player and a great
baseball mind. I have learned so much from just sitting
and talking with you, and we're gonna podcast. We're gonna
chat here over the next few minutes about Kentucky and
about your career in Major League Baseball and broadcasting. But first,
as you and I record this, I'm not sure when
(01:58):
fans might listen, But as you and I record, Kentucky
just suffered another heartbreaking losing to Louisville and extra.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Innings four to three.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And that's where you really you can imagine, Doug, how
frustrated the team is because of these one run losses.
I was telling coach Benji on and his radio show
that you're not looking back on meltdowns. You're looking back
on a pitch here, a play there, or a hit.
It's almost like playing a shell game right now.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Well, you know it's frustrating for them because it's killing us. Yeah,
I mean we're sitting here watching them broadcasting, not playing,
and just.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Sometimes it just seems to go like that.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, the last couple of years, we've been so
spoiled because if you've got runner and scoring position with
less than two outs, he was going to score. Yeah,
and not only him, but maybe two or three behind him.
This year, it hasn't been that way. They've had a
lot of opportunities to put themselves in position where they should.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
They could have been winning more games.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
But you don't want to tip your hat too much
to the defense and say, well, they continuously make good
plays or they're making great pitches. What I'm hoping for
in this season. Still got plenty of time to go. Obviously,
somebody's going to step up when they really need it.
They're going to get that big hit, they're going to
make that big play, and then everything is going to
(03:20):
turn and start going the other way.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I do like the competitiveness of this team. And they're
not like we talked about, they're not getting blown out.
These games are all close and they're fighting, and we've
seen them come back, we've seen them take early leads.
But it's almost just like it's one of those things
where they start great, or the middle innings are great,
or the end of the game is great. It's all
about putting it together for twenty seven outs right now.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You know, I'd use this analogy the other day with Gabriel,
I said, if you and I'm a fisherman, So if
you go to a fishing tournament and you fish clean,
that means every bite you get, you catch the fish,
you don't lose any of the boat, you don't break
off any lines. You have a clean, clean event. This
(04:04):
Kentucky team right now, because this league is so strong, yeah,
has to play clean.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
That means you.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Don't get picked off bases, you don't get thrown out
at basis, you take advantage with men on third and
less than two outs. When you butt, you get the
butt down, you make the routine play. And right now,
there's been that one as you say, d there's been
that one time in the game where something happens and
it's cost them a lot of close ball games.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Like we've talked about, I think it's five sec losses
by combined seven runs. You want to throw in Louisville
at six losses by eight runs.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So they're close.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
But I know it's got to be frustrating because, like
we've talked about, it's a play here there. But when
you look at the defensive alignment. I always love to
ask you about the infielders, and it has been so
much fun over my eight years covering Kentucky baseball. Nickmagiona
always has a strong infield. They've had great shortstops, Ryan Ritter,
(05:01):
Trey Dawson, Grant Smith. Last year they had a pro
second basement and a million Petrie and I believe in
my heart that young man's going to play in the
major leagues. Mitchell Day was fantastic at third. I think
Patrick Carrera has played a great third this year. What
do you see though out of this season's Kentucky infield,
including a young man that's already been drafted, that's the
(05:21):
rookie at shortstop, Tyler Bell.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
I think they've been very solid. I've been very impressed
with them. Fortunately, got a chance to talk to him
the other day about a couple of things. There's a
few little secrets you learned along the way. Because of
their youth, they don't know them yet, and so they
continually seem to be getting better, feeling more comfortable with
each other. The defense has not been the problem this
year at all. They've played very well. And you know,
(05:49):
one of the things that we're not forcing other themes
to do right now is to make really good plays,
because we had a lot of balls in the year,
and that seems to be the trend because quite for
after watching our team for the first couple of games
on you asked me one day, what do you think
of Tyler Bell.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I haven't seen body hit one to him yet, but
from everything I've seen, I mean, boys, they got talent,
they're playing hard.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
This team is never maybe one game I.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Saw where it was this whole year where it looked
like they were just totally frustrated and might not have
had their whole heart in it. Other than that, every
game they're battling, they're in the game, they're playing hard,
they're making the routine play. We're not sending to me
silly stuff. Although there is one thing I would like
to see a better job of when the ball pop up,
it goes up, that's somewhere around the pitcher's bound or
(06:37):
home plate first base for the third basement. Come take it,
it's your ball. Don't let the pitcher take it. Don't
let the catcher because it's a tough.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Play for him.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
But you know, you got a freshman at first base.
You got Hendles now playing third and doing a good job.
Forerere did a really good job at third.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
So I don't think the defense has been an issue.
It's just been that.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
One big hint, yeah, that has seemed to eluded this
club so far.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
I want to go back to Tyler Bell and Luke
Lawrence for a minute. And you saw a million p
tree last year. First of all, when you watched a
million pe tree, and you think about the bigger picture
for him now that he's in pro ball, what stood
out and what areas does he still need to kind
of develop now that he's going through the minor leagues
trying to get to the bigs.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Well, his is going to be with his footwork. He's
got a great arm, he's got a shortstop arm playing
second base. Yeah, I assume that's where they're going to
play in pro ball. He came here as a shortstop
and then he put on some extra weight. He's solid
at the plate. He always seemed to have a good
advat so I think he can hit as he keeps
going up. Defensively, there's a couple of things we worked on.
(07:43):
One as he has a tendency to rely on his
arm so much on a double play that he didn't
have to use his lower part. Well, you'll find out
when you get to the big leagues you're gonna have
to use that lower part a little bit more because
they got some guys up there. We got guys in
colleagues that can run. Big Leau's got some guys that
can run too. Also, there's going to be a little
more intact, not much, but there'll be a little bit
of more distraction around that bag a second, and he's
(08:05):
gonna have to learn to throw off of that left
foot instead of off his right foot. But God, Lee,
he was so fun to watch for a couple leayers.
What a great kid too. And we've been very blessed
here at the university over the last few years to
have some quality people as well as quality ball players.
And you know, I looked at the outfield this year. Well,
now you got a youngster in there who last year
(08:25):
started off opening day I think at center fielder. Yeah,
sat down. Now he's come back and got the job
again due to an injury, but also due to the
fact that he's playing pretty good baseball.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yes, so I'm really proud of him.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
And and then you got a coach on the bench
that was one of the best center fielders we've ever
had here at the school in Austin Kuznos. So you know,
there's some they got some good stuff going on. It's
just you know, they But here's what I hope doesn't happen,
and I don't think Nick will allow this at all,
is don't start saying, well, woe was us. When we
get to these games, everything's against us, We're gonna lose.
(08:57):
If you start thinking like that, then you're gonna be
out of the game. So I'm hoping that the attitude
will be all right, guys, we're just we're just a
hit away. We're just a full game away. Let's keep
pushing to get to that.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I think that's the biggest battle that they're they're facing,
And it seems like, you know, I never played at
the high level, but talking to coaches and players, the
mental game, it's what is it. Yoga used to say
baseball is ninety percent mental on the other or the
ninety percent physical on the other half is mental.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
So uh, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
That's the big thing is not to hang your heads
because they are. So we're chatting with Doug Flann here
on behind Kentucky Baseball we are presented by American Trust
Wealth and going back to that infield with Petrie, it's
got to be fun as an organization if you're in
player development to get a guy that's polished like Petrie.
(09:46):
So now it's like, okay, you're good, but to be
in the big leagues, let's work on these little fine details.
And then in the you turn around. Now in college
you get this freshman and Tyler Bell all this raw
potential and talent and you got to mold it. It's
got to be fun to be able to do both.
One minute, you're just kind of working on things to
get a guy to the next level, and then you
(10:07):
come back and it'say, like, all right, this guy's got
all the the clay is there balance molded into something
that's special.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
They have to have the attitude of continually getting better though,
because like Tyler came out of high school.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
You know, tremendous work ethic. Yeah, the tremendous work ethic.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
And they were telling the story yesterday about him, you know,
going around doing stuff in the clubhouse and cleaning up
and helping out and just trying to get better.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And that's that's the key. You've got to.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Continue to do that because when I saw Petrie, I
thought that's just raw. I don't think we ever saw
the best of a million p tree because just from
stuff that he'll learn once he gets up to the
pro ball. And it was the same with all of us. Sure,
you think you got it figured out, then you get
the pro ball and you realize whoa, whoa. So you
start learning those and then the game will seem real
(10:56):
fast to you until you finally realize I belong here.
Let's work on what I know. They wouldn't have signed
me if they didn't think I could play. And now
let's start finding little ways. The little ways to get
rid of the ball are certain things to do around
the bag with your feet that will allow you to
get rid of it quicker, you know, he makes the
routine play. He's got a really good arm for a
second basement. And then with Tyler and Luke, I think
(11:20):
they're getting to know each other. When I talk to
him the other day, I said, I gave him this analogy.
Any of your pictures listening to this on your ball club?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Oh, I'm sure there's some that might.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Well, here's the point I made. I said, look, guys,
we're the smartest guys on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Pictures. Can't think it all? Stop cover your ears.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Said, I said, they know all they're they're concentrating on
so many things. They get their little sign and now
it's throwing pictures and that's perfect.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That's right where we want them. Now. While we're out here,
we take charge of this game.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
We're the ones calling most of the defensive signals, we're
positioning the outfielders were helping each other. So if that's
the case, then the two of you ought to be
best friends.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
You ought to talk to each other every day.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Do you want the balls on your feeds and talk
over situations?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
How did you handle this? I was lucky to play
with a lot of guys.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Like Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion and always talk and
couldn't understand Davy all the time, but I figured it
was probably good. And then to play with Chris Fire
and Frank Taveris, and then I learned from guys like
Felix Beyond and Buddy Harrelson, you know, guys that constantly
talked while they were out there, and it keeps you
in the game, but it also makes you want to
be better too. And I don't see that hindering any
(12:28):
of the guys we got here because they seem to
want to get better and their work ethic is outstanding.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
What would be because when you were in the big leagues,
even with those big Red Machine teams, there were probably stretches.
In fact, I think we talked about this last week
as we're recording, where you went like twenty nine innings
without scoring a run or something, and then you went
on to win.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
The World Series. So there's stretches that I know that
to you totally.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
There's stretches at times where even the best teams kind
of go through we'll call them lulls. But for Kentucky
being so close but coming up short of those games,
what would be the message to get them through, to
grind through and turn those.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
One run losses into one run to run wins. One
of them is when you're called upon to do something.
If it is sacrifice, and you sacrifice, you can't be
a good bunner unless you want to be a good bunner.
Check out your defense first. If the first basement is
charging like we've seen lately, but at the third, but
just work on that. If you're called to second, if
(13:28):
you were called up with one out or no outs
and you got men in scoring position, don't think that
the guy behind you. Well, if I don't get at
the guy behind it, you be the guy. Whatever that means.
We've seen a lot of times where we're striking out,
called out on pitches right.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Down the middle.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Would love to see them shorten up because if you
put in play, you just never know what's gonna happen. Yeah,
so I'd love to see guys making better contact. A
lot of strikeouts last night, and we seem to hit
an awful lot of fly balls.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Fly Balls are easy.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
I tell people every pop up on the field, I
want it because there's no bad hops up there. So true,
and basically there's no bad hops on the fields that
we play on, or these kids play on today.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But be that guy.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Make contact. If you get two strikes, spread out, protect
the plate. If not, you be the guy that's gonna
because if you get it started, man, it can be contagious.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
And we've seen that the last few years.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
You know, it's interesting you bring that up because going
back to a Big league comparison, the last time the
Boston Red Sox hoisted the trophy as World champions, they
were the best team in the majors at putting the
ball in play. They hardly struck out compared to everybody else.
They put the ball in play, and they had good
batting averages on balls and play, and that just created
(14:41):
an unstoppable offense and they ended up winning a championship.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Well, I don't know if we're up there guessing or what,
but when you see pitches right down the middle and
you're taking it with two strikes, we were always taught,
you know, And I was not a very good hitter.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I made contact, but I wasn't a good hitter.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
But you see these kids today that you're looking for
the fast ball off speed.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
You adjust.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
But Ben, I'm hoping that I know it's been worn out,
probably talking to him about doing these kind of things.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
But yeah, and they are seeing SEC pitching consistently for
the first time, a lot of them are.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
But you know what, it surprised me this year so far,
we've only seen one guy that throws in the upper nineties.
Pretty much everybody throws about like our staff does. We
got guys that are ninety to ninety three and staying
right in that range.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
But it comes down to location.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I mean when I talk about a clean game, and
I know you don't do it on purpose.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
You get zero two on a hitter, you don't throw
one down the middle.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I mean you look for a corner, look to get
him to go after your pitch. It's just like I say,
we've not played clean yet. If we start playing clean,
we're gonna be able to compete with anybody. And this
as we're going into this weekend, we're about to play
a pretty good Texas team. Yeah, so this would be
a good time to start cleaning everything up.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
And this is kind of where I wish my co
host Darren Williams could have been with us on this episode.
But talking about the pitching staff for Kentucky, I have
been really encouraged, even though they've lost three or four.
I've been really encouraged by the way they have pitched
against Ole Miss and Louisville. Going into the Texas Series,
they're starting to dial it in more. And I think
the key for that, Doug is there. For a little
(16:16):
while when things weren't going well on the mound, they
were getting the two strikes but had difficulty finishing that.
At bad it would be a hit or a walk
off the one, two or two pitch, and we're seeing
the walks go down, and so that's encouraging. I mean, look,
I know they gave up four runs to Louisville and
the walk off, but four runs, that's.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
A chance to win the ball game. If your staff
gives up four runs. Kidding me, Yeah, that's exactly where
you want them to be. Last night, they had every opportunity.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
They played well when they had to, they threw a
guy out or they picked.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Up a hit. Pelty, by the way, was tremendous, but
he did. He played really well last night.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
So there's no excuses really other than the fact and
I even said this to Nick.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
I guess I ain't shared.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
I just said, Nick, you guys have put your team
in a position to win a lot more games that
you've won. Now you're doing your job. It's time for
a player to step up. And it's just you know,
a look how many games. Yeah, I'm ready to walk
home with a walk off win, and yet we go
to extra innings, or we go another eas we get
(17:19):
beat by one. Yeah, it's I know. It's eating at
these guys. Now they're going to show me something over
the next few weeks of how they handle this, and
you can either go right on forward. One year in Cincinnati,
our record was twenty wins, twenty one losses. We had
a little team meeting, we won forty one in the
next fifty and pretty much put the league away.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
It's because when we went to the field, you were
expecting to win as opposed expecting to get beating a
close game. And I'd like to see a little bit
of that, and I think these kids can do that.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Chatting with Doug Flann here on behind Kentucky Baseball, we
are presented by American Trust Wealth. American Trust Wealth is
a Kentucky proud wealth services firm offering financial planning and
investment management for over forty years. You can find out
more at American Trustwealth dot Com. Well, Doug, we've spent
half the show talking about this Kentucky team, and I'm
(18:13):
still excited to see the growth and to see how
it goes over the back half of the SEC slate.
But I wanted to go back and talk to you
a little bit about your career and you know, the
journey you had with the Cincinnati Reds and winning a
World Series. I'm sure you've shared these stories many times,
but to be a part of two teams that brought
home a championship in Major League Baseball had to be
(18:36):
I can't imagine how special that is.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Did we do that? It's been a while back, but
you did.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Actual fifty year anniversary of our first World Series, and
we're going to celebrate in g perfect timing to bring
it up. Yep, we're gonna celebrate. Hopefully Johnny Bench has
sort of taken control of this. We think we got
twenty six players coming back. We've lost twelve from those
two teams over the years, so it's going to be
really really special. And I look, and you know, when
(19:04):
I look, how I happened to get to that spot
and even to where I am now, it is really amazing.
The only thing I can think of that had to
be divine intervention because there were too many things that
had to happen for me to get that opportunity. No
scholarships out of high school, got a chance to come
play basketball at the University of Kentucky. What was on
(19:24):
the baseball team but didn't play and for a good
reason there were guys better than me, And then three
years later to be on one of the best baseball teams.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Ever, how does that work? Well?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
The thing about it is, I know the Good Lord
made it all work. But but and he gave me
the will to want to try to keep improving and
getting better, like finding out defensively.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Since I was small, how was I going to turn
a double play? Quicker? How did I get rid of
the ball? Quicker?
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Where's my position to my arms and gloves on my transfer?
You better be a good bunner, You better be able
to hit behind runners. You better not be afraid to
give yourself up. And Johnny bench after we won in
seventy five, aysk Johnny. This kind of puts, you know,
the icing on the cake for this great creeve had
He said, let me tell you something. My career with
(20:11):
all the individual stuff cannot touch when I look around
this room and see that twenty five guys and thousands
of fans in the front office all get the benefit
from what we have done. And once you get that attitude,
then shoot, after we won in seventy five in a
very close, good World Series seventy six, these guys were
so loose and relaxed. We just went out and rolled
(20:32):
for a year. Then they started making a few changes
in the ball club. And so I played on some
really good teams and played on some really bad teams.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
But I've never not loved just going out there and competing.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
And matter of fact, when I got out of baseball,
played eight years of pro softball and played up till
I was fifty, and I'd probably still be playing if
I hadn't had a couple of surgeries.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Well, you have been so passionate about sharing your knowledge
and love of the game with the next generations, and
you chat with Coach Minzione and the players that have
come through Kentucky Proud Park, and even going back to
the old Cliff, who were some baseball mentors that you
had that would sit down and share lessons or maybe
(21:17):
some secrets on how to become a better player.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Well all of our We had a lot of coaches
along the way. I mean, I was blessed to have
in three sports I played. All of my coaches were
wonderful people, and they taught us how to be better
men than players. Really, so I've remembered all of that.
And then I got to come play when I really
realized that I needed what getting to the next level
(21:41):
was going to be. Like, I played basketball my freshman
year and I'm five eight at the time. I'm guarding
six foot six, two sixty three, and right then was
the best growing up you ever had because it taught
me how to compete at a higher level. So then
after that year, I grew a few inches and started
maturing a little bit. When I got the pro ball,
(22:01):
I had Russ Nixon who was great, and Ron Plaza,
and these guys were just wonderful men who taught me
the game but also taught me to love the game
a little bit more too, because I went to Russ
Nixon after my first year and I said, Russ, I'm
I think I'm gonna go back. I got a three
year scholarship to play basketball somewhere, so I'm gonna go back.
(22:21):
He said, nah, I think I got to stay one more.
So years later I asked him, I said, what made
you say that? Were you just messing with me and
you felt sorry for me?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Why?
Speaker 3 (22:31):
He said no, he said, I just saw something special
in your hands. He said, I thought, you know, if
you could just hit a little bit, you're gonna find
a place to play in this game.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
And so it stayed a couple of years and then
ended up, you know, staying around a while. But along
the way, you better have mentors. I mean, Pete Rose
was great for me, Johnny was great. Our whole team
knew that it was about the team because they hadn't won,
you know, they got beaten seventy seventy two seventy three
in the playoffs and didn't eve get out of the league,
and they had so much pressure on them. They knew
(23:01):
it was going to take all of us. So basically
they put the team together before you made that club.
They'd go to Johnny, Pete, Tony and Joe and say, well,
this guy fit with us, and they'd either say yes
or no. And I didn't know all these things for years.
So they kind of designed the team like this is
what we need. This is what we're going to get.
And it was just fun. But you know, my high
(23:23):
school coaches and little league coaches, those people were so awesome.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah, they just But.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
It's probably the two biggest that had an impact was
my mom and dad.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Sure, Dad was a better player than me, a better
person than me.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
He was great. And Mom was kind of that quiet
rock around the house.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
She's one running us to all the events, a little
practice here, practice there, and so you know, it's really weird.
My dad watched me play more as a pro than
he is an amateur. Really well, he was a basketball official.
He is a baseball umpire. He was a football referee.
So when I was playing, he was working true point
and I didn't want him calling my goal because he
(24:00):
called One time he called my game, I had four
fowls the first quarter, and I went, that ain't happening
no more.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
No, you got to stay off. But great life lest year.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
I get home that night, Mom puts my foot food
down in front of me. She doesn't put dads down.
Dad says, honey, I'm hungry too. She says, some stove.
He sits, gets his food, and he looks at both
of them. And he says, are you all still mad?
Because I called four fouls on him? And my mom
didn't say a word, and I didn't say nothing, and
Dad says.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Son, you anything to say. I said, yeah, he was
holding me the whole night. You never called one foul
on him.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And my dad sort of lowered his head and looked
at me and said, well, son, I wasn't trying to
teach him anything. Oh crap, I got no answer for that.
Oh no, he got me. And that's kind of the
way my dad was the whole time. So yeah, you know,
you're looking at one of the most fortunate, blessed people
(24:54):
in the world. And I am not afraid to tell
him that because there's so many players that were so
much better. I'm just so thankful for how it all happened.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
Well, and we appreciate you so much sharing that knowledge.
That was one of the first things instilled in me
by my mentors on the broadcasting side was as you advance,
don't forget the people that helped you and carry you know,
carry that forward, ye give it back to the next
generation of folks.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
You have to do that. I mean, I miss old
timers games one.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
I got some great autographs, and two I'd sit around
listen to their stories. Riding on the trains or riding
on the buses. Yeah, you know, and I think, gosh,
we had it pretty good. And now I look at
some of these guys today, they got it really good.
You know what the average salary is in Major League Baseball?
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Now the average salary, average salary, well over five million,
it is.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
For the first time it went over five mil. How
about that?
Speaker 3 (25:48):
And when I got out in eighty six, Uh, the
average was to eighty six. There was the average salary.
And and people say, would you like to be playing now?
I mean, what would you be making? I went, well,
I don't know, but what would Bench and Rose and
what would I big Red machine be making? Oh, Willie Mays,
Hank Aaron, what'd all those guys be making so well?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
In the monitoring game? The big Red Machine would probably
be in the dodge. That's exactly right. That's right. Hey,
I like you.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
You taught me something today because now I know when
I missed time from work or something, I can say
I'm on assignment like your partner.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
That's right. Shout out to Darren Williams. We hope to
have him back. On the show soon.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
He was so fun to be around here.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Yes, Oh, I enjoy doing this podcast with him so much.
We would probably get in trouble if he was here
with the two.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Of us today.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
No, no, no, I wanted to ask you too, having
grown up so close to Cincinnati, what did it mean
to you to put on the Reds jersey in the
big leagues.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Well, to be truthful, I always thought that I would.
When I got out of high school. I never thought
i'd ever play much for the because I knew all
of these people, and my dad knew all these coaches
and everybody, and I had no scholarship off or something
here to find something to do. So I watched a
little baseball, and I know the name Frank Robinson loved
to watch Veda Penson.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But I agree, I agree.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
So, But I never really thought or ever expected that
that would ever happen. So when I went away after
I played my year at Kentucky, then I went to
a junior college and I didn't play any ball, just
went to school and I started playing some softball, and
then some friends woke me up to go to a
tryout camp for the Reds. And then I saw this
scout come check. Montgomery had a red uniform and I went,
(27:31):
that looks pretty cool. And I got all these college
kids that are trying out with some a few high
school kids. And then he told me, he said, and
I never and still I'm not thinking playing ball with
the Reds or playing big league baseball. And after the
try out was over, he said, h I'd like to
see you at another another camp, and I went, really
and I was in a pair of shorts and tank
(27:52):
top and he said.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Do you have a baseball uniform? I said, I got
a softball uniform.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
He said that'll do, and I want to see you
in Frankfort And then so I went to that one.
After that was over, I went to another one at
Riverfront Stadium. And when that was over, I'm thinking, all right,
what's going on here? I went to Riverfront because I
didn't think I was going to get a chance to
play pro ball. I just wanted to go play on
Riverfront stand. Yeah, it's over with. Two weeks later, they
come back to Lexington. They tried me out one more
(28:16):
time and he said, you know what, what if I
told you I thought you had a little talent and
I'd said, come on, man, you all been messing with me?
Speaker 2 (28:25):
What's going on? All right? Is this? Am I a camera?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
You know?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
I'm being punked? I guess. He said no.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
He said what would it take for you to be
a pro ball player? And then all of a suddenly
like it hit me and I went cocing a hot dog,
got on what do you want what I have? And
he said, so I signed for twenty five hundred dollars
and I went and that was an opportunity. This man,
(28:52):
chat Montgomery, who was a scalpital of Reds, saw something
gave me an opportunity to go. And then each year
sort of started progressing a little bit, and so I
will always be indebted to him. And when I talked
to him later, I said, what was it? He said, Doug,
you were doing things natural with your hands that we
normally had to teach a lot of the pro.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Holes to do.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
And he said, I don't know where you learned it,
if it was just God giving or what, but he said,
we knew that you were going to be okay from
that standpoint, and so he said, we just took a shot.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Wonder if the fact you played basketball had anything to
do with that.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
You know, I think every sport had a little bit
to do with because in football, it got me to
the point where you didn't mind contact. And then when
I started playing basketball, you know, it got my legs
in really good shape. And then if I got run over,
it's no big deal. I was used to getting hit.
And then when it came to baseball, time turning a
double play. Back in those days, there's a lot of
contact on double PLoP, so you learn how to get it,
(29:52):
and then you started enjoying the contact and finding out
how to absorb it, get to throw off and still
do some damage yourself when you came down on top of.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Somebody, or how to get out of the way of it.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
So every one of them helped me for each and
all my coaches were like Bob Barlow and basketball. His
first year he came to Brian Station, we went from
winning six games to win in twenty three one point
from the state tournament. Football had Dan Haley, just one
that got me involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
and then baseball I had Bob Williams, whose son was
(30:24):
on our team and we're still dear friends. And he
was a president of our class, and you know, It's
just people were there to pick me up along the way.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I guess the last question I've got for is we
wrap up this edition of Behind Kentucky Baseball presented by
American Trust Wealth. We're with Doug Flynn and broadcasting Kentucky
baseball games. You have been jumping into the broadcast side
with the Cincinnati Reds.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
You've done some minor.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
League games with your partner Dick Gabriel, and now you
and Dick are on the SEC plus stream of Kentucky Baseball.
But I have to ask you of all the broadcasting
side of it, you want a World Series As a player,
Where does it rank though, to be a part of
the trip to Omaha last year with Kentucky for the
first time ever.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
That's right up there, because there was There was a
couple of things that made it special. One is when
I got called to say what would you be willing
or interested to go? It's like, yeah, the bad news.
I had the room with Keith Madison.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Shout out to the Hall of Famer.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
That's what made it so special because we were like
two kids in the minor leagues again rooming together, and
it was as irreverent for two Christian guys as you
could ever get probably, but to go out and then
just to see the enthusiasm and the setup there, it
was amazing. Who was asking me that yesterday Marty Brenneman.
(31:46):
I was with Marty yesterday and Marty was we were
talking about and he said, is it as good as
everybody says?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I said, Marty was better. It was better than I
could ever imagine.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I said, it's you got a full house every night.
They treat everybody really good. The accommodations are great, all
the parties that are going on around it are good.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
It's just and I was so excited.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
And then the first game that we play, we do
it on a walk off, which was just amazing that.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
And not only were the Kentucky fans cheering the walk off,
but Omaha adopted Kentucky because it was our first time there,
so all the Omaha people.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
We could have been the Cinderella. We could have been
the Cinderella. And even in the second game we had
a shot.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
But yes, I.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Remember their catcher who's in All America, made a great
play that saved probably the biggest inning. Uh, but it
was you know, it was so cool, just and I
know the kids cherry Stad for the rest of their
life and first time ever going.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Out to the College World Series. Hope it certainly won't
be the last. I don't.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I think with the way Nick and the were putting
the teams together here, it'll be good.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And and we'll leave on this note talking about the
World Series. The moment you got to have knowing that
we've lost Pete Rose, the moment you got to have
with him and Nolan McCarthy will always be special for you, Nolan,
and for everybody that got to be there when that happened.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Well for people that don't know what happened. Nolan McCarty
was on second base. There was a wild pitch. He
scored all the way from second with the Pete Rose
the deciding run, the deciding run head first slide, and
a lot of guys slide, but they sort of leaned
theyd of hit to the ground first and then kind
of let the rest of their body slide. Nolan was
airborne and just like Pete used to do. So I
(33:27):
sent it out to Pete and I said, Pete, you'd
love this guy plays the game the way you played it.
And Pete text back, he said, you tell him blah
blah blah, and we shared that with Nolan. At the
World Series, ESPN picked it up.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
My buddy.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Eduardo Perez was there doing the game. Matter of fact,
I saw him afterwards walking down the road and I
went over to say load and he went, dude, where
are you sitting? I went, I was back up underneath
the thing, and he went, we had six camera guys
trying to find you.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
We should have just put you in the radio booth
with me and coach Mattison.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Well, I know that would have been good. Well, you know, Darren,
I've said it before. Man, you do an awesome job.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Thank you. And even when your.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Partner shows up, of course, the weather's got to be
good for him to come to the ballpark. So we're
hoping we'll keep you around here long enough where we
all go back to Omaha.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Let's do it again. Man, it was a blast, and
let's do this podcast again. I've enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Oh, I got such a busy schedule. But people, you
call your people and then I can go on as signment,
we can get.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
A gone everybody. He is Doug Flynn. He's a Hall
of Famer.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
He's one of the best guys in baseball I know,
and you can catch him alongside Dick Gabriel on the
SEC Plus broadcast of Kentucky Baseball.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
How about my boy Gabe going into the Yeah, another
Hall of Famer, UK Broadcasting Hall of Fame. How about that.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of and
he had to wear a tie.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Oh for Doug Flynn, I'm Darren Hedrick. We want to
thank all of you for listening to Behind Kentucky Baseball again.
We're presented by American Trust Wealth and be on the
lookout for more episodes coming up. Darren Williams will be
back with us the next one and you can find
us on iHeart, Apple, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts.
It is a free download. Like and subscribe and be
(35:12):
with us for the next edition. This has been Behind
Kentucky Baseball here on the UK Sports Network.
To be a part of two teams that brought home
a championship in Major League Baseball had to be I
can't imagine how special that is.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Did we do that? It's been a while back that
you did.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Actually, fifty year anniversary of our first World Series, and.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
We're going to celebrate in Gin. Perfect timing to bring
it up.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yep, we're going to celebrate. Hopefully Johnny Bench is sort
of taken control of this. We think we got twenty
six players coming back. We've lost twelve from those two
teams over the years.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So it's going to be really really special.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
And I look, and you know when I look, how
I happened to get to that spot.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And even to where I am now, it is really amazing.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
The only thing I can think of it had to
be divine intervention, because there were too many things that
had to happen for me to get that opportunity. No
scholarships out of high school, got a chance to go
play basketball at the University of Kentucky, what was on
the baseball team but didn't play and for a good
reason there were guys better than me, And then three
years later to be on one of the best baseball
(01:00):
teams ever.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Hello, everybody, Welcome into another edition of Behind Kentucky Baseball.
We are brought to you by American Trust Wealth and
I am Darren Hendrick. Normally I have a co host
with me, Darren Williams, but he is on assignment for
spring break this year as we record, and he'll be
back with us on the next episode. But today I
have the pleasure of sitting alongside Doug Flynn. He was
the glue of the Big Red Machine, a legend here
(01:38):
in the Bluegrass, a great baseball player and a great
baseball mind. I have learned so much from just sitting
and talking with you, and we're gonna podcast. We're gonna
chat here over the next few minutes about Kentucky and
about your career in Major League Baseball and broadcasting. But first,
as you and I record this, I'm not sure when
(01:58):
fans might listen, But as you and I record, Kentucky
just suffered another heartbreaking losing to Louisville and extra.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Innings four to three.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And that's where you really you can imagine, Doug, how
frustrated the team is because of these one run losses.
I was telling coach Benji on and his radio show
that you're not looking back on meltdowns. You're looking back
on a pitch here, a play there, or a hit.
It's almost like playing a shell game right now.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Well, you know it's frustrating for them because it's killing us. Yeah,
I mean we're sitting here watching them broadcasting, not playing,
and just.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Sometimes it just seems to go like that.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, the last couple of years, we've been so
spoiled because if you've got runner and scoring position with
less than two outs, he was going to score. Yeah,
and not only him, but maybe two or three behind him.
This year, it hasn't been that way. They've had a
lot of opportunities to put themselves in position where they should.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
They could have been winning more games.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
But you don't want to tip your hat too much
to the defense and say, well, they continuously make good
plays or they're making great pitches. What I'm hoping for
in this season. Still got plenty of time to go. Obviously,
somebody's going to step up when they really need it.
They're going to get that big hit, they're going to
make that big play, and then everything is going to
(03:20):
turn and start going the other way.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I do like the competitiveness of this team. And they're
not like we talked about, they're not getting blown out.
These games are all close and they're fighting, and we've
seen them come back, we've seen them take early leads.
But it's almost just like it's one of those things
where they start great, or the middle innings are great,
or the end of the game is great. It's all
about putting it together for twenty seven outs right now.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You know, I'd use this analogy the other day with Gabriel,
I said, if you and I'm a fisherman, So if
you go to a fishing tournament and you fish clean,
that means every bite you get, you catch the fish,
you don't lose any of the boat, you don't break
off any lines. You have a clean, clean event. This
(04:04):
Kentucky team right now, because this league is so strong, yeah,
has to play clean.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
That means you.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Don't get picked off bases, you don't get thrown out
at basis, you take advantage with men on third and
less than two outs. When you butt, you get the
butt down, you make the routine play. And right now,
there's been that one as you say, d there's been
that one time in the game where something happens and
it's cost them a lot of close ball games.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Like we've talked about, I think it's five sec losses
by combined seven runs. You want to throw in Louisville
at six losses by eight runs.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So they're close.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
But I know it's got to be frustrating because, like
we've talked about, it's a play here there. But when
you look at the defensive alignment. I always love to
ask you about the infielders, and it has been so
much fun over my eight years covering Kentucky baseball. Nickmagiona
always has a strong infield. They've had great shortstops, Ryan Ritter,
(05:01):
Trey Dawson, Grant Smith. Last year they had a pro
second basement and a million Petrie and I believe in
my heart that young man's going to play in the
major leagues. Mitchell Day was fantastic at third. I think
Patrick Carrera has played a great third this year. What
do you see though out of this season's Kentucky infield,
including a young man that's already been drafted, that's the
(05:21):
rookie at shortstop, Tyler Bell.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
I think they've been very solid. I've been very impressed
with them. Fortunately, got a chance to talk to him
the other day about a couple of things. There's a
few little secrets you learned along the way. Because of
their youth, they don't know them yet, and so they
continually seem to be getting better, feeling more comfortable with
each other. The defense has not been the problem this
year at all. They've played very well. And you know,
(05:49):
one of the things that we're not forcing other themes
to do right now is to make really good plays,
because we had a lot of balls in the year,
and that seems to be the trend because quite for
after watching our team for the first couple of games
on you asked me one day, what do you think
of Tyler Bell.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I haven't seen body hit one to him yet, but
from everything I've seen, I mean, boys, they got talent,
they're playing hard.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
This team is never maybe one game I.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Saw where it was this whole year where it looked
like they were just totally frustrated and might not have
had their whole heart in it. Other than that, every
game they're battling, they're in the game, they're playing hard,
they're making the routine play. We're not sending to me
silly stuff. Although there is one thing I would like
to see a better job of when the ball pop up,
it goes up, that's somewhere around the pitcher's bound or
(06:37):
home plate first base for the third basement. Come take it,
it's your ball. Don't let the pitcher take it. Don't
let the catcher because it's a tough.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Play for him.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
But you know, you got a freshman at first base.
You got Hendles now playing third and doing a good job.
Forerere did a really good job at third.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
So I don't think the defense has been an issue.
It's just been that.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
One big hint, yeah, that has seemed to eluded this
club so far.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
I want to go back to Tyler Bell and Luke
Lawrence for a minute. And you saw a million p
tree last year. First of all, when you watched a
million pe tree, and you think about the bigger picture
for him now that he's in pro ball, what stood
out and what areas does he still need to kind
of develop now that he's going through the minor leagues
trying to get to the bigs.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Well, his is going to be with his footwork. He's
got a great arm, he's got a shortstop arm playing
second base. Yeah, I assume that's where they're going to
play in pro ball. He came here as a shortstop
and then he put on some extra weight. He's solid
at the plate. He always seemed to have a good
advat so I think he can hit as he keeps
going up. Defensively, there's a couple of things we worked on.
(07:43):
One as he has a tendency to rely on his
arm so much on a double play that he didn't
have to use his lower part. Well, you'll find out
when you get to the big leagues you're gonna have
to use that lower part a little bit more because
they got some guys up there. We got guys in
colleagues that can run. Big Leau's got some guys that
can run too. Also, there's going to be a little
more intact, not much, but there'll be a little bit
of more distraction around that bag a second, and he's
(08:05):
gonna have to learn to throw off of that left
foot instead of off his right foot. But God, Lee,
he was so fun to watch for a couple leayers.
What a great kid too. And we've been very blessed
here at the university over the last few years to
have some quality people as well as quality ball players.
And you know, I looked at the outfield this year. Well,
now you got a youngster in there who last year
(08:25):
started off opening day I think at center fielder. Yeah,
sat down. Now he's come back and got the job
again due to an injury, but also due to the
fact that he's playing pretty good baseball.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yes, so I'm really proud of him.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
And and then you got a coach on the bench
that was one of the best center fielders we've ever
had here at the school in Austin Kuznos. So you know,
there's some they got some good stuff going on. It's
just you know, they But here's what I hope doesn't happen,
and I don't think Nick will allow this at all,
is don't start saying, well, woe was us. When we
get to these games, everything's against us, We're gonna lose.
(08:57):
If you start thinking like that, then you're gonna be
out of the game. So I'm hoping that the attitude
will be all right, guys, we're just we're just a
hit away. We're just a full game away. Let's keep
pushing to get to that.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I think that's the biggest battle that they're they're facing,
And it seems like, you know, I never played at
the high level, but talking to coaches and players, the
mental game, it's what is it. Yoga used to say
baseball is ninety percent mental on the other or the
ninety percent physical on the other half is mental.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
So uh, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
That's the big thing is not to hang your heads
because they are. So we're chatting with Doug Flann here
on behind Kentucky Baseball we are presented by American Trust
Wealth and going back to that infield with Petrie, it's
got to be fun as an organization if you're in
player development to get a guy that's polished like Petrie.
(09:46):
So now it's like, okay, you're good, but to be
in the big leagues, let's work on these little fine details.
And then in the you turn around. Now in college
you get this freshman and Tyler Bell all this raw
potential and talent and you got to mold it. It's
got to be fun to be able to do both.
One minute, you're just kind of working on things to
get a guy to the next level, and then you
(10:07):
come back and it'say, like, all right, this guy's got
all the the clay is there balance molded into something
that's special.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
They have to have the attitude of continually getting better though,
because like Tyler came out of high school.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
You know, tremendous work ethic. Yeah, the tremendous work ethic.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
And they were telling the story yesterday about him, you know,
going around doing stuff in the clubhouse and cleaning up
and helping out and just trying to get better.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And that's that's the key. You've got to.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Continue to do that because when I saw Petrie, I
thought that's just raw. I don't think we ever saw
the best of a million p tree because just from
stuff that he'll learn once he gets up to the
pro ball. And it was the same with all of us. Sure,
you think you got it figured out, then you get
the pro ball and you realize whoa, whoa. So you
start learning those and then the game will seem real
(10:56):
fast to you until you finally realize I belong here.
Let's work on what I know. They wouldn't have signed
me if they didn't think I could play. And now
let's start finding little ways. The little ways to get
rid of the ball are certain things to do around
the bag with your feet that will allow you to
get rid of it quicker, you know, he makes the
routine play. He's got a really good arm for a
second basement. And then with Tyler and Luke, I think
(11:20):
they're getting to know each other. When I talk to
him the other day, I said, I gave him this analogy.
Any of your pictures listening to this on your ball club?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Oh, I'm sure there's some that might.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Well, here's the point I made. I said, look, guys,
we're the smartest guys on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Pictures. Can't think it all? Stop cover your ears.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Said, I said, they know all they're they're concentrating on
so many things. They get their little sign and now
it's throwing pictures and that's perfect.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That's right where we want them. Now. While we're out here,
we take charge of this game.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
We're the ones calling most of the defensive signals, we're
positioning the outfielders were helping each other. So if that's
the case, then the two of you ought to be
best friends.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
You ought to talk to each other every day.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Do you want the balls on your feeds and talk
over situations?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
How did you handle this? I was lucky to play
with a lot of guys.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Like Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion and always talk and
couldn't understand Davy all the time, but I figured it
was probably good. And then to play with Chris Fire
and Frank Taveris, and then I learned from guys like
Felix Beyond and Buddy Harrelson, you know, guys that constantly
talked while they were out there, and it keeps you
in the game, but it also makes you want to
be better too. And I don't see that hindering any
(12:28):
of the guys we got here because they seem to
want to get better and their work ethic is outstanding.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
What would be because when you were in the big leagues,
even with those big Red Machine teams, there were probably stretches.
In fact, I think we talked about this last week
as we're recording, where you went like twenty nine innings
without scoring a run or something, and then you went
on to win.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
The World Series. So there's stretches that I know that
to you totally.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
There's stretches at times where even the best teams kind
of go through we'll call them lulls. But for Kentucky
being so close but coming up short of those games,
what would be the message to get them through, to
grind through and turn those.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
One run losses into one run to run wins. One
of them is when you're called upon to do something.
If it is sacrifice, and you sacrifice, you can't be
a good bunner unless you want to be a good bunner.
Check out your defense first. If the first basement is
charging like we've seen lately, but at the third, but
just work on that. If you're called to second, if
(13:28):
you were called up with one out or no outs
and you got men in scoring position, don't think that
the guy behind you. Well, if I don't get at
the guy behind it, you be the guy. Whatever that means.
We've seen a lot of times where we're striking out,
called out on pitches right.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Down the middle.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Would love to see them shorten up because if you
put in play, you just never know what's gonna happen. Yeah,
so I'd love to see guys making better contact. A
lot of strikeouts last night, and we seem to hit
an awful lot of fly balls.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Fly Balls are easy.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
I tell people every pop up on the field, I
want it because there's no bad hops up there. So true,
and basically there's no bad hops on the fields that
we play on, or these kids play on today.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But be that guy.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Make contact. If you get two strikes, spread out, protect
the plate. If not, you be the guy that's gonna
because if you get it started, man, it can be contagious.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
And we've seen that the last few years.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
You know, it's interesting you bring that up because going
back to a Big league comparison, the last time the
Boston Red Sox hoisted the trophy as World champions, they
were the best team in the majors at putting the
ball in play. They hardly struck out compared to everybody else.
They put the ball in play, and they had good
batting averages on balls and play, and that just created
(14:41):
an unstoppable offense and they ended up winning a championship.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Well, I don't know if we're up there guessing or what,
but when you see pitches right down the middle and
you're taking it with two strikes, we were always taught,
you know, And I was not a very good hitter.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I made contact, but I wasn't a good hitter.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
But you see these kids today that you're looking for
the fast ball off speed.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
You adjust.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
But Ben, I'm hoping that I know it's been worn out,
probably talking to him about doing these kind of things.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
But yeah, and they are seeing SEC pitching consistently for
the first time, a lot of them are.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
But you know what, it surprised me this year so far,
we've only seen one guy that throws in the upper nineties.
Pretty much everybody throws about like our staff does. We
got guys that are ninety to ninety three and staying
right in that range.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
But it comes down to location.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I mean when I talk about a clean game, and
I know you don't do it on purpose.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
You get zero two on a hitter, you don't throw
one down the middle.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I mean you look for a corner, look to get
him to go after your pitch. It's just like I say,
we've not played clean yet. If we start playing clean,
we're gonna be able to compete with anybody. And this
as we're going into this weekend, we're about to play
a pretty good Texas team. Yeah, so this would be
a good time to start cleaning everything up.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
And this is kind of where I wish my co
host Darren Williams could have been with us on this episode.
But talking about the pitching staff for Kentucky, I have
been really encouraged, even though they've lost three or four.
I've been really encouraged by the way they have pitched
against Ole Miss and Louisville. Going into the Texas Series,
they're starting to dial it in more. And I think
the key for that, Doug is there. For a little
(16:16):
while when things weren't going well on the mound, they
were getting the two strikes but had difficulty finishing that.
At bad it would be a hit or a walk
off the one, two or two pitch, and we're seeing
the walks go down, and so that's encouraging. I mean, look,
I know they gave up four runs to Louisville and
the walk off, but four runs, that's.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
A chance to win the ball game. If your staff
gives up four runs. Kidding me, Yeah, that's exactly where
you want them to be. Last night, they had every opportunity.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
They played well when they had to, they threw a
guy out or they picked.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Up a hit. Pelty, by the way, was tremendous, but
he did. He played really well last night.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
So there's no excuses really other than the fact and
I even said this to Nick.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
I guess I ain't shared.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
I just said, Nick, you guys have put your team
in a position to win a lot more games that
you've won. Now you're doing your job. It's time for
a player to step up. And it's just you know,
a look how many games. Yeah, I'm ready to walk
home with a walk off win, and yet we go
to extra innings, or we go another eas we get
(17:19):
beat by one. Yeah, it's I know. It's eating at
these guys. Now they're going to show me something over
the next few weeks of how they handle this, and
you can either go right on forward. One year in Cincinnati,
our record was twenty wins, twenty one losses. We had
a little team meeting, we won forty one in the
next fifty and pretty much put the league away.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
It's because when we went to the field, you were
expecting to win as opposed expecting to get beating a
close game. And I'd like to see a little bit
of that, and I think these kids can do that.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Chatting with Doug Flann here on behind Kentucky Baseball, we
are presented by American Trust Wealth. American Trust Wealth is
a Kentucky proud wealth services firm offering financial planning and
investment management for over forty years. You can find out
more at American Trustwealth dot Com. Well, Doug, we've spent
half the show talking about this Kentucky team, and I'm
(18:13):
still excited to see the growth and to see how
it goes over the back half of the SEC slate.
But I wanted to go back and talk to you
a little bit about your career and you know, the
journey you had with the Cincinnati Reds and winning a
World Series. I'm sure you've shared these stories many times,
but to be a part of two teams that brought
home a championship in Major League Baseball had to be
(18:36):
I can't imagine how special that is.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Did we do that? It's been a while back, but
you did.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Actual fifty year anniversary of our first World Series, and
we're going to celebrate in g perfect timing to bring
it up. Yep, we're gonna celebrate. Hopefully Johnny Bench has
sort of taken control of this. We think we got
twenty six players coming back. We've lost twelve from those
two teams over the years, so it's going to be
really really special. And I look, and you know, when
(19:04):
I look, how I happened to get to that spot
and even to where I am now, it is really amazing.
The only thing I can think of that had to
be divine intervention because there were too many things that
had to happen for me to get that opportunity. No
scholarships out of high school, got a chance to come
play basketball at the University of Kentucky. What was on
(19:24):
the baseball team but didn't play and for a good
reason there were guys better than me, And then three
years later to be on one of the best baseball teams.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Ever, how does that work? Well?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
The thing about it is, I know the Good Lord
made it all work. But but and he gave me
the will to want to try to keep improving and
getting better, like finding out defensively.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Since I was small, how was I going to turn
a double play? Quicker? How did I get rid of
the ball? Quicker?
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Where's my position to my arms and gloves on my transfer?
You better be a good bunner, You better be able
to hit behind runners. You better not be afraid to
give yourself up. And Johnny bench after we won in
seventy five, aysk Johnny. This kind of puts, you know,
the icing on the cake for this great creeve had
He said, let me tell you something. My career with
(20:11):
all the individual stuff cannot touch when I look around
this room and see that twenty five guys and thousands
of fans in the front office all get the benefit
from what we have done. And once you get that attitude,
then shoot, after we won in seventy five in a
very close, good World Series seventy six, these guys were
so loose and relaxed. We just went out and rolled
(20:32):
for a year. Then they started making a few changes
in the ball club. And so I played on some
really good teams and played on some really bad teams.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
But I've never not loved just going out there and competing.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
And matter of fact, when I got out of baseball,
played eight years of pro softball and played up till
I was fifty, and I'd probably still be playing if
I hadn't had a couple of surgeries.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Well, you have been so passionate about sharing your knowledge
and love of the game with the next generations, and
you chat with Coach Minzione and the players that have
come through Kentucky Proud Park, and even going back to
the old Cliff, who were some baseball mentors that you
had that would sit down and share lessons or maybe
(21:17):
some secrets on how to become a better player.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Well all of our We had a lot of coaches
along the way. I mean, I was blessed to have
in three sports I played. All of my coaches were
wonderful people, and they taught us how to be better
men than players. Really, so I've remembered all of that.
And then I got to come play when I really
realized that I needed what getting to the next level
(21:41):
was going to be. Like, I played basketball my freshman
year and I'm five eight at the time. I'm guarding
six foot six, two sixty three, and right then was
the best growing up you ever had because it taught
me how to compete at a higher level. So then
after that year, I grew a few inches and started
maturing a little bit. When I got the pro ball,
(22:01):
I had Russ Nixon who was great, and Ron Plaza,
and these guys were just wonderful men who taught me
the game but also taught me to love the game
a little bit more too, because I went to Russ
Nixon after my first year and I said, Russ, I'm
I think I'm gonna go back. I got a three
year scholarship to play basketball somewhere, so I'm gonna go back.
(22:21):
He said, nah, I think I got to stay one more.
So years later I asked him, I said, what made
you say that? Were you just messing with me and
you felt sorry for me?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Why?
Speaker 3 (22:31):
He said no, he said, I just saw something special
in your hands. He said, I thought, you know, if
you could just hit a little bit, you're gonna find
a place to play in this game.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
And so it stayed a couple of years and then
ended up, you know, staying around a while. But along
the way, you better have mentors. I mean, Pete Rose
was great for me, Johnny was great. Our whole team
knew that it was about the team because they hadn't won,
you know, they got beaten seventy seventy two seventy three
in the playoffs and didn't eve get out of the league,
and they had so much pressure on them. They knew
(23:01):
it was going to take all of us. So basically
they put the team together before you made that club.
They'd go to Johnny, Pete, Tony and Joe and say, well,
this guy fit with us, and they'd either say yes
or no. And I didn't know all these things for years.
So they kind of designed the team like this is
what we need. This is what we're going to get.
And it was just fun. But you know, my high
(23:23):
school coaches and little league coaches, those people were so awesome.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah, they just But.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
It's probably the two biggest that had an impact was
my mom and dad.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Sure, Dad was a better player than me, a better
person than me.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
He was great. And Mom was kind of that quiet
rock around the house.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
She's one running us to all the events, a little
practice here, practice there, and so you know, it's really weird.
My dad watched me play more as a pro than
he is an amateur. Really well, he was a basketball official.
He is a baseball umpire. He was a football referee.
So when I was playing, he was working true point
and I didn't want him calling my goal because he
(24:00):
called One time he called my game, I had four
fowls the first quarter, and I went, that ain't happening
no more.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
No, you got to stay off. But great life lest year.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
I get home that night, Mom puts my foot food
down in front of me. She doesn't put dads down.
Dad says, honey, I'm hungry too. She says, some stove.
He sits, gets his food, and he looks at both
of them. And he says, are you all still mad?
Because I called four fouls on him? And my mom
didn't say a word, and I didn't say nothing, and
Dad says.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Son, you anything to say. I said, yeah, he was
holding me the whole night. You never called one foul
on him.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And my dad sort of lowered his head and looked
at me and said, well, son, I wasn't trying to
teach him anything. Oh crap, I got no answer for that.
Oh no, he got me. And that's kind of the
way my dad was the whole time. So yeah, you know,
you're looking at one of the most fortunate, blessed people
(24:54):
in the world. And I am not afraid to tell
him that because there's so many players that were so
much better. I'm just so thankful for how it all happened.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
Well, and we appreciate you so much sharing that knowledge.
That was one of the first things instilled in me
by my mentors on the broadcasting side was as you advance,
don't forget the people that helped you and carry you know,
carry that forward, ye give it back to the next
generation of folks.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
You have to do that. I mean, I miss old
timers games one.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
I got some great autographs, and two I'd sit around
listen to their stories. Riding on the trains or riding
on the buses. Yeah, you know, and I think, gosh,
we had it pretty good. And now I look at
some of these guys today, they got it really good.
You know what the average salary is in Major League Baseball?
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Now the average salary, average salary, well over five million,
it is.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
For the first time it went over five mil. How
about that?
Speaker 3 (25:48):
And when I got out in eighty six, Uh, the
average was to eighty six. There was the average salary.
And and people say, would you like to be playing now?
I mean, what would you be making? I went, well,
I don't know, but what would Bench and Rose and
what would I big Red machine be making? Oh, Willie Mays,
Hank Aaron, what'd all those guys be making so well?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
In the monitoring game? The big Red Machine would probably
be in the dodge. That's exactly right. That's right. Hey,
I like you.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
You taught me something today because now I know when
I missed time from work or something, I can say
I'm on assignment like your partner.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
That's right. Shout out to Darren Williams. We hope to
have him back. On the show soon.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
He was so fun to be around here.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Yes, Oh, I enjoy doing this podcast with him so much.
We would probably get in trouble if he was here
with the two.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Of us today.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
No, no, no, I wanted to ask you too, having
grown up so close to Cincinnati, what did it mean
to you to put on the Reds jersey in the
big leagues.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Well, to be truthful, I always thought that I would.
When I got out of high school. I never thought
i'd ever play much for the because I knew all
of these people, and my dad knew all these coaches
and everybody, and I had no scholarship off or something
here to find something to do. So I watched a
little baseball, and I know the name Frank Robinson loved
to watch Veda Penson.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But I agree, I agree.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
So, But I never really thought or ever expected that
that would ever happen. So when I went away after
I played my year at Kentucky, then I went to
a junior college and I didn't play any ball, just
went to school and I started playing some softball, and
then some friends woke me up to go to a
tryout camp for the Reds. And then I saw this
scout come check. Montgomery had a red uniform and I went,
(27:31):
that looks pretty cool. And I got all these college
kids that are trying out with some a few high
school kids. And then he told me, he said, and
I never and still I'm not thinking playing ball with
the Reds or playing big league baseball. And after the
try out was over, he said, h I'd like to
see you at another another camp, and I went, really
and I was in a pair of shorts and tank
(27:52):
top and he said.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Do you have a baseball uniform? I said, I got
a softball uniform.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
He said that'll do, and I want to see you
in Frankfort And then so I went to that one.
After that was over, I went to another one at
Riverfront Stadium. And when that was over, I'm thinking, all right,
what's going on here? I went to Riverfront because I
didn't think I was going to get a chance to
play pro ball. I just wanted to go play on
Riverfront stand. Yeah, it's over with. Two weeks later, they
come back to Lexington. They tried me out one more
(28:16):
time and he said, you know what, what if I
told you I thought you had a little talent and
I'd said, come on, man, you all been messing with me?
Speaker 2 (28:25):
What's going on? All right? Is this? Am I a camera?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
You know?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
I'm being punked? I guess. He said no.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
He said what would it take for you to be
a pro ball player? And then all of a suddenly
like it hit me and I went cocing a hot dog,
got on what do you want what I have? And
he said, so I signed for twenty five hundred dollars
and I went and that was an opportunity. This man,
(28:52):
chat Montgomery, who was a scalpital of Reds, saw something
gave me an opportunity to go. And then each year
sort of started progressing a little bit, and so I
will always be indebted to him. And when I talked
to him later, I said, what was it? He said, Doug,
you were doing things natural with your hands that we
normally had to teach a lot of the pro.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Holes to do.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
And he said, I don't know where you learned it,
if it was just God giving or what, but he said,
we knew that you were going to be okay from
that standpoint, and so he said, we just took a shot.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Wonder if the fact you played basketball had anything to
do with that.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
You know, I think every sport had a little bit
to do with because in football, it got me to
the point where you didn't mind contact. And then when
I started playing basketball, you know, it got my legs
in really good shape. And then if I got run over,
it's no big deal. I was used to getting hit.
And then when it came to baseball, time turning a
double play. Back in those days, there's a lot of
contact on double PLoP, so you learn how to get it,
(29:52):
and then you started enjoying the contact and finding out
how to absorb it, get to throw off and still
do some damage yourself when you came down on top of.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Somebody, or how to get out of the way of it.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
So every one of them helped me for each and
all my coaches were like Bob Barlow and basketball. His
first year he came to Brian Station, we went from
winning six games to win in twenty three one point
from the state tournament. Football had Dan Haley, just one
that got me involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
and then baseball I had Bob Williams, whose son was
(30:24):
on our team and we're still dear friends. And he
was a president of our class, and you know, It's
just people were there to pick me up along the way.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I guess the last question I've got for is we
wrap up this edition of Behind Kentucky Baseball presented by
American Trust Wealth. We're with Doug Flynn and broadcasting Kentucky
baseball games. You have been jumping into the broadcast side
with the Cincinnati Reds.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
You've done some minor.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
League games with your partner Dick Gabriel, and now you
and Dick are on the SEC plus stream of Kentucky Baseball.
But I have to ask you of all the broadcasting
side of it, you want a World Series As a player,
Where does it rank though, to be a part of
the trip to Omaha last year with Kentucky for the
first time ever.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
That's right up there, because there was There was a
couple of things that made it special. One is when
I got called to say what would you be willing
or interested to go? It's like, yeah, the bad news.
I had the room with Keith Madison.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Shout out to the Hall of Famer.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
That's what made it so special because we were like
two kids in the minor leagues again rooming together, and
it was as irreverent for two Christian guys as you
could ever get probably, but to go out and then
just to see the enthusiasm and the setup there, it
was amazing. Who was asking me that yesterday Marty Brenneman.
(31:46):
I was with Marty yesterday and Marty was we were
talking about and he said, is it as good as
everybody says?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I said, Marty was better. It was better than I
could ever imagine.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I said, it's you got a full house every night.
They treat everybody really good. The accommodations are great, all
the parties that are going on around it are good.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
It's just and I was so excited.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
And then the first game that we play, we do
it on a walk off, which was just amazing that.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
And not only were the Kentucky fans cheering the walk off,
but Omaha adopted Kentucky because it was our first time there,
so all the Omaha people.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
We could have been the Cinderella. We could have been
the Cinderella. And even in the second game we had
a shot.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
But yes, I.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Remember their catcher who's in All America, made a great
play that saved probably the biggest inning. Uh, but it
was you know, it was so cool, just and I
know the kids cherry Stad for the rest of their
life and first time ever going.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Out to the College World Series. Hope it certainly won't
be the last. I don't.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I think with the way Nick and the were putting
the teams together here, it'll be good.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And and we'll leave on this note talking about the
World Series. The moment you got to have knowing that
we've lost Pete Rose, the moment you got to have
with him and Nolan McCarthy will always be special for you, Nolan,
and for everybody that got to be there when that happened.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Well for people that don't know what happened. Nolan McCarty
was on second base. There was a wild pitch. He
scored all the way from second with the Pete Rose
the deciding run, the deciding run head first slide, and
a lot of guys slide, but they sort of leaned
theyd of hit to the ground first and then kind
of let the rest of their body slide. Nolan was
airborne and just like Pete used to do. So I
(33:27):
sent it out to Pete and I said, Pete, you'd
love this guy plays the game the way you played it.
And Pete text back, he said, you tell him blah
blah blah, and we shared that with Nolan. At the
World Series, ESPN picked it up.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
My buddy.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Eduardo Perez was there doing the game. Matter of fact,
I saw him afterwards walking down the road and I
went over to say load and he went, dude, where
are you sitting? I went, I was back up underneath
the thing, and he went, we had six camera guys
trying to find you.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
We should have just put you in the radio booth
with me and coach Mattison.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Well, I know that would have been good. Well, you know, Darren,
I've said it before. Man, you do an awesome job.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Thank you. And even when your.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Partner shows up, of course, the weather's got to be
good for him to come to the ballpark. So we're
hoping we'll keep you around here long enough where we
all go back to Omaha.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Let's do it again. Man, it was a blast, and
let's do this podcast again. I've enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Oh, I got such a busy schedule. But people, you
call your people and then I can go on as signment,
we can get.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
A gone everybody. He is Doug Flynn. He's a Hall
of Famer.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
He's one of the best guys in baseball I know,
and you can catch him alongside Dick Gabriel on the
SEC Plus broadcast of Kentucky Baseball.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
How about my boy Gabe going into the Yeah, another
Hall of Famer, UK Broadcasting Hall of Fame. How about that.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of and
he had to wear a tie.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Oh for Doug Flynn, I'm Darren Hedrick. We want to
thank all of you for listening to Behind Kentucky Baseball again.
We're presented by American Trust Wealth and be on the
lookout for more episodes coming up. Darren Williams will be
back with us the next one and you can find
us on iHeart, Apple, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts.
It is a free download. Like and subscribe and be
(35:12):
with us for the next edition. This has been Behind
Kentucky Baseball here on the UK Sports Network.
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