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Ep. 10 - John Brazer
Aug 02, 2020
John Brazer may have the coolest job in the world. He’s the Director of “Fun & Games“ for the Philadelphia Phillies. What’s that like during a pandemic, and, for that matter, is playing baseball all that important at this point? John’s with us on the Corner to answer our questions. The Behavioral Corner. Come hang.
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John joined the Philadelphia Phillies Marketing Department in February of 1994, several months after the Phillies played the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. From 1994- 1996, John served as the team’s Promotions Director. His responsibilities included generating publicity with the local and national media, creating and organizing promotional events on an annual basis, as well as negotiating barter deals for advertising and sponsorship purposes.
In 1996, John became the Phillies Publicist, acting as the marketing spokesperson for the media. He can be heard on virtually every major radio station in the Philadelphia market and can be seen regularly on many local, regional and national television programs. He is known throughout the region as the "Director of Fun & Games."
John currently serves on the Board of the Liberty USO, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, the Claddagh Fund committee, the Camden City School Foundation, the PAL auction committee and the Power Shift.
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Phillies Phestival
Thousands of fans attended the Phillies Phestival on June 13 at Citizens Bank Park, raising a total of $768,020 for much-needed research, patient care and services for ALS patients.
Since the Phillies' relationship began with the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia 35 years ago, more than $19 million has gone back to #StrikeOutALS. Learn more.
"Feelin' Alright" Joe Cocker & John Belushi
Episode 10 - John Brazer Interview Transcript
The BehavioralCorner BehavioralCorner
Hi, and welcome. I'm Steve Martorano and this is the Behavioral Corner. You're invited to hang with us because we've discussed the ways we live today. The choices we make to things we do and how they affect our health and well being. So, you're on the corner, the Behavioral Corner, please hang around a while.
Steve Martorano
Oh, it's great to be back on the corner. You know, I love it here. You meet in all kinds of great people. Take the fella that is with us this time around, John Brazer. When I first met John, I will tell you in the context it'll give it away when I first met John and realized what he not only did for a living but what the job description was. I thought damn exciting the coolest job I ever heard of my life. John Brazer has spent the better part of his entire adult life as the director of what they mystically called, but actually mean, the "Director of Fun & Games" for a major league sports franchise -- our beloved Philadelphia Phillies here in this area, that's what John did for a living he's doing for a living. Now, of course, both of those things fun and games aren't very, very short supply. So John's with us to talk about what that job is how he got it. What he does is director of funding games and centrally why baseball matters if it still matters in the middle of a pandemic. John Brazer welcome to the Behavioral Corner. How are you doing, bud?
John Brazer
I'm doing great, Steve, how you doing?
Steve Martorano
Well, you know what? I'm doing the best I can like everybody, like everybody else. The damnedest thing any of us have never, ever seen, you know this thing -- and we'll get deeper into it -- he pandemic has affected everybody's life in ways small and huge, and I don't think anybody's born any greater burden than anybody else. I mean, certainly, frontline workers and all those but your job is been particularly impacted? And we'll find out in what ways straight ahead. So, you know, how do you become the "Director of Fun & Games" for a baseball team? How did that start?
John Brazer
I'll tell you the the I'll try to make it a quick story. I grew up in Philadelphia in the suburbs. And I and just like a lot of people in the Delaware Valley, a huge sports fan. My dad had season tickets to the Eagles. So I sit up in the I think we were up in the 500 level. And I went, I'm 55 years old. So when I started going, my dad, it was when Mike Boryla was the quarterback and the team was awful. And so I feel like I suffered and basically grew until they, you know, grew with affiliate or with the Eagles until you know, Superbowl 1980. And then obviously, you know, through throughout everything, so Sixers are the same thing. Flyers. I went to the parade for the Flyers. Even though probably nine years old at the time I went to the parade. I went to the parade of the Sixers. Until I'm a die-hard sports fan. Now, if you had told me I was going to work in sports back way back when I didn't even know there were jobs in sports didn't even think that would be possible. I went to the University of Virginia, and that was a liberal art major. I assumed I was going to be a salesperson because my dad has been sales, a brother was in sales. mom was in marketing. So, I wanted to not do anything specific in school as far as being a business major. I wanted to be liberal arts and then knowing I was getting into sales, learn how to communicate, you know, via liberal arts, So, I was, believe it or not, Steve, I was a religious study major in history minor. And everyone kept saying what do you become a priest, Rabbi, what are you doing over here? and next thing you know, I started interviewing companies but I played club lacrosse and at school and I did a lot of coaching. And I got a job offer to out of the blue to play lacrosse and coach lacrosse in Manchester, England. right out of college. I'd never been to Europe before that point. So I said, what a great opportunity. You get to live in Europe basically for free and get paid to actually get paid. So I did that. So I basically prolonged or put off my maturity for a year, came back started interviewing companies got a job with Aetna selling employee benefits. Basically corporate health insurance. Did that for three years in Baltimore, then did a job in two years as a consultant for a company in DC. And then this is where the life you never know where life's gonna change on a dime. I met a guy at a wedding up in Philadelphia and I had been away from Philadelphia for now, you know, 10 years or so. And next thing you know, this guy, I hit it off this guy had no idea he was looking to hire somebody. I just found it fascinating that this guy worked in the Phillies to get a job in sports. He asked me what I did for a living. And as I was about to explain, the band starts playing Joe Cocker's "Feeling Alright". Well, in college, I used to do a Joe Cocker impression actually, it was John Belushi imitating Joe Cocker and impression and so all my college buddies, are like, "Brazer, get up there!" So next, you know, as I said, Dennis, I'll be right back. I went up on the stage belting out Joe Cocker. And I said, you know, that guy asked me a question, I better go back. So I went back next, you know, he's looking me like I have 10 heads and said, "Man, what do you do for a living?"
So I told him what I did for a living. He said, Do you have any sports marketing experience? I said, Yes. I played lacrosse in a country of England. So what does that mean? When I say, Well, I did a lot of marketing PR, isn't it? So what does that mean? I said, Well, Dennis, it's got to come clean. I went to a radio station one time. So that was branding, PR marketing, all that. And he's like, Oh, my God. And he basically wanted to BSer in certain terms, to basically go out not to be as are but yeah, someone who can. Who likes sports. You're familiar with sports, someone that can go on the front lines and be the lack of a better term sports marketing spokesperson for the team and 27 years later, here I am.
Steve Martorano
Yeah, you know what? It's the damnedest thing I've ever heard. By the way, the BS is you had it backward. Your job wasn't to BS. Your job was to go and talk to the BSers I used to be among that that's how I met John when I was pretending to do sports radio and you know what? I didn't know about the religious thing in college so you know you go and studying religions and whatever greater power there is. Blessed you because that's the damn the story ever heard getting drunk and singing in a wedding is a dream job.
John Brazer
Well, you never know again, as I said, you never know who's gonna turn your life around. Not that my life even really turning around, but that you want to pass? No, never. I never realized that. Yes, that would happen. So, I guess the moral of the story and I do a lot of speaking engagements to colleges and high schools and I just I say, you know, try to come up with your dream and pursue your dream if you have a dream, and you never know who you're gonna meet. So just meet as many people as possible network network network. And again, you know what you want to do for a living if you're following a dream, try to find that the people that will help you achieve that dream.
Steve Martorano
Yeah, yeah, you know what? You get as old I am and yet a lot of young people that won't because they love, you know, communications and broadcasting and all of that. How do you do it? How do you do it? And you're absolutely right. You just, you just have to keep your options open. meet as many people as you can and be at the right place at the right time. And have your story together.
John Brazer
Yeah, exactly. Right. Be ready to pounce when the time is right.
Steve Martorano
The other thing is, and I tell people, this a lot of young guys, this a lot of women too. Whatever you can do, because the lines are long do you know I mean, the lines for some of these jobs are long. And anything you can do first to get in the line and get further up in the line. Somebody you know, who knows somebody just gets a little further up the line that can really help so okay, so now you know, then somebody says at some point, well, we might call the guy director of marketing or something. This is baseball. So who came up with "Director of Fun & Games?"
John Brazer
Well, it ties back to your old profession. So when I first started, my boss said, here's your deal. We just created the position. You're not replacing anybody. But we want you to basically go around to radio stations, TV stations, meet with weather people meet with SEPTA, meet with the zoo, you know, basically build relationships and basically as much as you can get free publicity for the team. So, I figured my first way I could really make an immediate impact would be radio stations. I think we had people going around to radio stations, but I think they were really sending some of the giveaways and leaving a note saying, you know, here's our giveaway for next Sunday -- Phanatic's birthday. I figured I'd build a relationship with the on-air talent, then and get them immersed into the Phillies season and get them involved in Phillies promotions, then they'll naturally talk about it on the air. And, you know, obviously give promotion to the team. So I would go around to these radio stations. And as you know, I'd be there in a suit. I'm coming from corporate America for five years in corporate America. So I'm in a suit, and I show up and they're looking at me in the suit and they're like, why is this guy you know, just got one of our sponsors like, why, why is this guy in here and he works in the Phillies wearing a suit and the whole time spent, I feel like I spent half the interview talking about my job my title as opposed to what I was trying to promote at the time. So I went back to my boss and said, you know what, hey, these guys wearing Hawaiian shirts and flip flops, I'm in, they're coming in with a suit, we got to get rid of that because they're, it's just leading to them just ask me about my job. And I feel very corporate. So I'm going to get dressed more relaxed, but I also think I gotta change my title because they keep asking me about my title. And I don't even know my title was at the time anyways, manager of promotions. So they kept asking promotions, promotions, promotions, which was a big part of my job, but I was there to really promote all the different things that around the Phillies, not just the giveaways we were doing. So we sat at a game and we're like, let's come up with a good title that we can use just for radio. And so we're like, Alright, how about Vice President Shenanigans? I said, nope, it's a little too much responsibility on the one maybe too cute on the other side. I said it's got to be right kind of right in the middle. It's got to be maybe director directors kind of a good one. And we came up with fun and games. Director of Fun & Games. So,I ran out of cards and I remember the lady and I'd been there for what, three months. and the lady said I understand you need new business cards. I said, Yes, I do. So is your title the same? I said, No, actually, my title changed. She said, all right and she's typing. I said, Director, she's like, okay, I said, comma, fun & games. I said with an ampersand. she just, she typed it out. She looked at me said, Really? I go, yep, yep. So she ordered them. It comes in next, you know, it's official because I have the card. So I still have this card.
Steve Martorano
John, when you left the office, I'm sure she picked up the phone and said who did somebody okay, this is um before I got before I go out and spend $14 for 4000 cards who the hell...somebody...really? I thought the guy was kidding. No, it's you know, it, you know, it's one of those things where the description and the and the job lined up perfectly. The only guy who wears a suit that we knew was associated with the Phillies was of course the Phanatic and so you're right, you show up better dressed than the guys in the studio and it's like, oh my god, another guy with a tie.
John Brazer
Well, and it kind of Steve, it kind of fits for. You know, I was rush chairman for my---I was in a fraternity I was rush chairman to the fraternity. I was our secretary, which means we basically would get up and tell stories about the brothers. You know, I did a lot of public speaking in insurance. And so they actually this is another of the guys that time Dennis Mannion who hired me said, do you have any public speaking experience? And I said I do actually. Because whenever we had to sell a corporate health policy to a company, you know, basically I had to get up there and explain all the different nuances of the new plan. And he said, Well just know that you're going to be going into the sports station, and they're going to be attacking the Phillies and you've got to defend it so it can get pretty nasty. I said, Dennis, you don't know what nasty is when you're up there telling 100 person trucking company that's our wife has to go to new gynecologist a kid has to get a pediatrician there. They might have to go to a hospital now not 10 miles away, about 50 miles away, and their benefits gonna be slashed and they're just appraisers made more. Believe me, they had rotten fruit or knives they would throw it at me. I said I think I can defend the Phillies even if they're on a 30 game losing streak.
Steve Martorano
Yeah rather to that rather argue balls and strikes than that. It just lines up perfectly. Now as John and I hang here on the corner. He has this free time because as we all know, we're in a weekend when the Phillies schedule has been wiped out the weekend schedule they'd hoped to play against who it was Toronto, right?
John Brazer
Yes, we are supposed to be Toronto. We are going to be the away team against Toronto right now we are playing at Citizens Bank Park, because they're basically playing other games on the road in Canada through a menu they wouldn't allow you back and forth across the board.
Steve Martorano
Baseball is struggling now they're holding their breath are hoping that this so this little mini outbreak of positive test does not spread beyond two teams now. But as we're sitting here, we don't know you know, it could all change on a dime. But John, John's free to hang a little bit because he's you know, not going to the ballpark every day to work. What that is the situation with who goes to the park and who doesn't? How's that work?
John Brazer
Major League Baseball obviously got together in the offseason, when they're trying to plan this out. And they came up with a whole huge litany of protocols that they're going to put in place, all the different teams are gonna put in place. And affiliates. We have three tiers. And I'm sure it's like this for a lot of teams across Major League Baseball. There are three tiers, the tier one is the people that that have to be there, that'd be the players and the coaches, and the trainer's the interpreters and traveling secretary, tier two would be those that would need to be at the ballpark for the game to put on a game. So that's cameraman, maybe one social media person, one PR person, that could be the people up and fan division, the guy running the music or the PA announcer it's all the different people that would be again, crucial to putting together a game. Tier three is everyone else. So that's, you know, a lot of our vice presidents, accounting, marketing, human relations, all that. So I'm in tier three, which means that I can go to the ballpark but if you go into the ballpark, temperature checked at your home, you get your temperature checked when you get to the ballpark, you know, you have to fill out any kind of symptomatic, basically a survey to make sure you're not showing any symptoms. And then for me, I'm there's certain levels of the ballpark, I'm really not allowed to go. So I've just there's no need for me to go into the office, I can, I can do my job from home. So I've been to the office a couple of times, that's really only to pick up a credential to then go volunteer at FDR Park, where a lot of our workouts were located.
Steve Martorano
It's just a remarkable circumstance we all find ourselves in. I was thinking about, you know, you who gets out, you know, when you say you go to the office, you're talking about a baseball stadium, but people can't believe that. That's even an actual job. This must be a tough time. It must be a tough time for you, for you for sure. What do you think? I mean, I know you're not in contact with them on a regular basis. But what are the priorities of the players? What do you hear about them? How are they adjusting to this? They just are they able to focus and compartmentalize and say, Look, we got games to play and the rest of it sort of goes away. What are you hearing?
John Brazer
I think these guys obviously are bred to be so competitive reasons how they got to that, you know, right now there's not that many jobs Major League Baseball, these guys have risen to the top of their profession. So they're very competitive. They want to get these games going on. They want to compete what's what loves what they do best. But I think there's also a lot of players, especially the older players who have families. Or I know there's a lot of players Zack Wheeler just had a baby Bryce Harper's got a young one and another one on the way. And I know Mike Trout, I think his wife's either pregnant or just had a baby. I think those are the ones that are a little nervous about coming back and some have opted out. But I think the other ones as long as it's in a safe environment, they really do want to compete and they know I believe that they know how it's important for American's because right now we are, we're going through this and you know, I'm going through this where all you're seeing even when you're going on ESPN or going on different sports sites. Everything is COVID related. Yep. And so between you know, but in the political situation and just, it's just it's a, I think people are looking for distraction after they're looking for a good distraction. Yeah, I think sports is that a good distraction where you can get your mind off everything that's going on in your home and around the country and your city or state. And you can actually just take your mind and watch the greatest reality show, which is a sporting event.
Steve Martorano
Yeah, you know that you know, that's why I'm so glad we steered you to the corner because, in addition, to be able to catch up with you, that's the central issue we want to explore here. Now, this program is about behavioral health, which is a very broad term that has to do with a field of service. Wherein the way we behave has a profound impact on our physical and psychological and emotional well being. And that's what we like to look at from different angles. And so, baseball and sports and diversions and getting your mind all of this stuff may seem a luxury in one sense, because after all, things are much more important, in fact, but on the other hand, we really want to take a look at why baseball matters. And that's one of the that's the reason. In fact,, we asked John to come by and hang with us on the behavioral corner. We're talking to John Brazer who has for 27 years now worked for the Philadelphia Phillies and major league sports team. Of course, you know about that. He is their Director of Fun & Games, and he's making his way through this pandemic as the rest of us are hanging on the Behavioral Corner.
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Steve Martorano
So John, let's pick up on this notion of, you know why baseball matters. And let me set it up by saying that, you know, baseball has always been a national pastime and all the cliches apply. We now live, of course, in the golden age of information, information information, it leads to often leads to cynical views of things. And that's certainly sports as an escape that we now are privy to everything about these athletes, from their marital status to their drug use to their contract negotiations. It the whole effect of that is to I think, diminish the innocence that used to attend itself to being a fan. You just, you didn't have to defend being a fan. You were a fan because of the pure delight in sitting back, listening to, or watching a sporting event and baseball. Baseball has this long, leisurely pace, it unfolds over the summer, it turns into autumn. It's just a wonderful, relaxing pastime. That's been momentarily shattered. Some people are saying why bother? Why is baseball important enough to go through all this?
John Brazer
You know, I went to baseball games my dad and there are tons of people listening to the podcast said that went to baseball games their parents or sibling and as you said, it's a three-hour game. When you go to a football game basketball game or hockey and you're going in there and during those periods of quarters or halftime, I mean you're it's intense, intense, intense, intense until there's a little breakage and then intense. Baseball, it lends itself to building relationships with you know your whether it's your family or whether it's taking a client or and a lot of people have great memories. I certainly do and I'm sure you did too. Going to games my father passed away back in 1996. And I just a lot of the memory great memories that I have right now to this day are Eagles games, Phillies game, bonding over watching you know the Flyers win Stanley Cup. So I think it is important I think from a city's pride I think from a local pride from you know building relationships with your family and friends and clients and business I think I think sports are very important just you know not only just as a diversion but just as really kind of a big thread of creating important relationships
Steve Martorano
Yeah, a tie that binds and by the way, you know, when his pure escape been a crime, I mean, right, you know, you just sometimes you just need to turn off all that noise is as important as the noise can be and pandemic just turn it off for a couple of hours and forget that you know, the world is in a little tough spot.
John Brazer
Look at look at the things that are that you know are exploding right now. Netflix and all the different TV platforms and peloton, right? So people are looking for an escape they when they want to escape either whether it's again on a Peloton, or you know working out on their own, taking long walks, whether it's watching Netflix, I mean, people are looking for diversion and sports to me is at least my favorite diversion. And just again with all the apps being built up through you know, fear of this pandemic and just again the political situation and just people are looking for a nice hopefully a nice you know, again I call it a reality show it really is it's a great reality show you don't know what the script is and where we're living it right now. Here we thought we were going to be what a weekend do Phillies baseball, and it gets stopped. And you know what, I gotta tell you when we had hurt, you know, the bad game last Sunday, but it was kind of nice to be yelling, yelling at, you know, why the bullpen collapsed or why Glasgow is can go that long, as opposed to you know, yelling at like the screen help situation or political situation.
Steve Martorano
I know exactly who you mean. Yeah, different people yell at and you don't your blood pressure, you'd be a little lower, under those circumstances, you know, John, you're in a unique position to talk about what you've actually seen as a function of your job. The emotional benefits that can accrue from people who can get close to the game. You got the occasion to bring. Let me guess lots of little kids and certainly families as close to the game as possible. Do you remember a couple that stands out in your mind?
John Brazer
Yes. First of all, just being part. We have a community relationship that does a great job. And we work very closely with Children's Miracle Network. You know, a lot of those great charities. And so when kids come down, or patients come down, we do a big ALS event, and to see the joy on their face, just coming down to meet our manager meet some of the players coming down on the field. It's it, I can't even tell you the joy. It's one of the greatest joys I have in my job is just to see how something as small as baseball, we take it for granted as an employee that you know, retirement and Bryce Harper and Joe Girardi, but yet you have kids or you're a die-hard fan, and you're going through a sickness or going through, you know, somebody lost their spouse. Just the joy and the energy it brings to, again as a diversion, a great diversion to get them away from their life situation. I know one kind of little heartwarming story is when, again, I started 94. I remember Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas were in the radio booth. And we got a letter from some lady who grew up in Tilden, Nebraska. That's where Richie was from. Right. And she was a she was contemporary, Richie but she had never met Richie. She sent us this long letter saying that she's getting older and she big Richie Ashburn fan. She's compiled this big scrapbook of all these memories of Richie Ashburn. And literally her she knows she doesn't have much time on this earth. So she would her biggest life dream would be to meet Richie Ashburn has been everything right so I through, you know, whoever the whoever is going to set that up or maybe I went right to he and said just bring her in during an ending break and I'd be happy to meet her. So, as you know any break is bad when you have an hour or a minute and a half at the most. So we haven't set up top of the fourth I bring her in during a break. Ritchie's going through our scrapbook and you can see she's shaking, shaking. This is, you know, this is the biggest moment in our life. And Richie's going through all these photos. All sudden, the producer and Harry's they're kind of waving Ritchie back as a minute nap is up. And Richie said, Harry, take it to take it for about a minute. I'm gonna say which lady she took this time to, to put together this scrapbook and I'll be right there. And Richie basically very did it for a couple of minutes into the game. And then Richie basically gave her a hug. And I took that lady out and she was visibly crying. It literally was, yeah, again, this is it. That's the moment that you can, you know, that's how you can affect people in such a small manner. just introducing somebody to a hero of their absolute, so it is a great part of the job.
Steve Martorano
Yeah, yeah. And you know, never gets old watching somebody react to their first big sporting event in person. It's just it's can be an overwhelming thing if you're really young. And here's a guy, who for 27 years, that was the job. The job was to get people as close to the game of baseball, as he couldn't, as I said, To begin, John, yeah, we're all we can all get cynical about everything. And yeah, it's big business. And it's all that but I guess there are all kinds of big businesses. I'm not going to sit down for three hours though and no, and watch you know, something about Google? That's big business too. Right.
John Brazer
But you know, Steve, it's, you know, I mentioned this the regular fan, but what I bring a lot of celebrities, we bring a lot of celebrities in the ballpark. And it's amazing how the celebrities who have their own jaded life who have their own life in the spotlight, and they're like little kids when they go down the hill, and then we've had Eddie Vedder. We've had Meat Loaf, we've had Alice Cooper. We've had politicians. We had Supreme Justice Alito, we've had all these different people come down in various aspects of life who are huge in their own respective, you know, world and they come down and they're like a little kid when they get to the ballpark.
Steve Martorano
Yeah, you've worked in lots of athletes who had on a certain level by an interval. All of that is part of the job description. It's not just going out and playing the game. I'm sure some were better at it and took more naturally to it than others. Do you remember what one or two of the guys who just were just the best at that kind of pressing the flesh
John Brazer
Scott Rolen. You remember Scott Rolen, third basemen. Scot and I are fairly close in age and I was young when he was coming up. And this is just a small personal story, but we used to go to dinner and he was a big music fan as am I and we'd go to conscious together. And my as I mentioned earlier, my father passed away in 1997. And it was sudden, Scott was the second year with a Phillies and the team was on the road and my mom went to the church before the funeral to work on logistics, and she came back and said, Who's Scott Rolen? And I said, Scott Rolen is our third basemen and why? He left this huge bouquet of flowers for dad. And I found out later what he didn't go to PR he, he someone told him that my father passed away. He found a florist in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and he found the church and him, he mailed it out on its own. And here's a kid that's, you know, what, 23 years old, second-year Major League Baseball player and that, that touched me more than anything than any player has ever done. But as far as getting it from a business point of view or getting it from a charity point of view, we've had so many I mean, I can't even I know Jim Thome was absolutely phenomenal. Shane Victorino got it. Brad Lidge might be the smartest player we've ever had. On that note, Steve. I used to go to Chad Durbin. I don't know if you remember Chad. I used to give Chad -- I'm a big Jeopardy fan. I'd come down to the clubhouse and I would give Chad Durbin the final Jeopardy question. So I gave him this one question and he didn't get it right. And I said you think anybody would get it? He said, Brad Lidge, you'll get this in a second. So I went over to Brad and I said, Hey, Brad, I got a final Jeopardy question for you, like, shoot. I said, All right, this... I'm gonna put you the question, but it was this 15th-century figure has a statue at the Vatican to this day to commemorate the time he was imprisoned, who is this person? Right. So I asked that to Brad Lidge. Brad Lidge without even thinking doesn't even bat an eye says, Galileo Galilei. I said, Oh, my gosh. Got it right away, but on a humanitarian point of view. But Brad was awesome. I mean, you could, Ryan Howard. I mean, I'm forgetting millions of these, your Chase, Jimmy, like all these guys, we really were blessed to have terrific guys. And it's also the organization that Bill Giles, you know, start with Bill Giles and then got pastor Dave Montgomery, you know, and now it's Andy MacPhail, but it's in our own with the Middletons and the Bucks, but we really do have a family atmosphere and charity is very, very important. We've been doing that as I mentioned the ALS event since I believe 1986 and still goes strong every year. nd it's, I'm proud to be part of that organization where we're able to do that.
Steve Martorano
Well, you should. I mean, without overstating this and blowing a lot of smoke here, the roots of this baseball team in our town here, are very deep and go back very far. And they're real. There's no doubt about that. Now, to wrap up this notion here, the why it matters. You have now been in 27 years with the ballclub so you have seen baseball come through like the rest of us 9/11 for instance, the economic calamity and in 2008, baseball came through that This season is what it is. There's we hope it works its way out to the conclusion and there's some kind of playoffs in the end, but it is what it is. You have no doubt that baseball will, it will endure as we understand it going forward?
Yeah. I mean, I obviously hope so going back to 9/11. I do remember the first game back I believe we played the Braves. This is probably about a week, I guess after -- I can't remember the exact date. But it was a very emotional night. I don't know if you were at the ballpark Dan was really emotional night. And then back in the game, we used to go to the Press Club, and a lot of the writers a lot of the camera guys, some people in Phanavision, some PR people. We go up there and have a beer to wait till traffic dies down and then go home and Harry Coulson always be up there. Well, Hally Kalas was up there and Harry was very patriotic. Harry was very emotional. I remember we all sat down had a beer, nobody said a word. Harry said, Well, I'm gonna lead everyone in the same God Bless America. And everyone got up and literally Harry crying and everyone's hugging each other. And we were thinking God Bless America led by Harry Kalas. So
Well, you know what? I mean? Again, to strip away all of the sophistication and cynicism you can attach itself. When you get down to it. It is a bonding effort is a bonding ritual that baseball represents like like all sports and all fandom does and boy do we ever do we need to be reminded and even this small way we are at the end of the day all in this together you know I don't want to sound like you know Field of Dreams here now but Roosevelt told Major League Baseball during World War II don't stop the games keep playing. We know the way you just described the 911 effective this thing. We really do need baseball right now.
John Brazer
Again, I started 94 and that's when the strike it that August and people you know, my first year I can't the vitriol that people had, you know that baseball again lasted to all those events that you had mentioned. And yet, you know, the World Series gets canceled because of the strike. So I think baseball knows what's important knows its value. If we can make this work, you know, assuming that it's safe, obviously we want to keep the coaches safe. We want to keep the player safe. Players, family coaches, family, I mean, everyone safe that's involved in this, again, the protocols we have. I mean, obviously, there was an outbreak with the Marlins, the story hasn't fully come out. But it sounds like they weren't following certain protocols. And they were taking some liberties that maybe this is a maybe this is good that it happened in the beginning. Yep. This is a warning sign much like NBA when Lou Williams, you know, went out of the bubble caused all kinds of negative attraction for him. And then I think that's basically gonna say to the NBA, hey, you don't want to be a Lou Williams doesn't want to get out of the bubble. We got it. If one person makes that mistake, it's gonna affect the whole league. And I think you're seeing the effect in baseball right now with everything the Marlins going through and how it affected us how it affected the Yankees. You know, again, I just if people can stay safe. I hope we can pull this off. I mean, I think Major League Baseball playing had a good plan as possible, again, working with the states in the city and the CDC and you know, just to just try to do it, keep it as safe as possible. I know we've done as an organization as far as you know, keep scrubbing down the clubhouse and all the testing that takes place at home, or when you get to the ballpark and how we're spreading out the players. You know, as I mentioned, some of the guys were working at FDR, some of the guys working out the ballpark, some guys work out in the morning, some guys work out at night. Players, when we had games would be in the stands would be away from people. You're going to have some -- I saw some guys high fiving. While I'm sure they're you know, they've been told you can't do that even the emotion of this. At the moment, you can't do that. So hopefully, it's a learning process. Hopefully, I can get through this. But I believe strongly that sports are very important. Again, to get us going through this pandemic.
Steve Martorano
I couldn't agree with you more. And you know, it's never made more obvious that you don't have to be a baseball fan to root for baseball. We'd like to see this succeed certainly for all of us and for you as well, John, I'm sure you want to get back to the ballpark. John Brazer. John thanks for hanging with us on the corner and, by the way, thanks for bringing the birds I know you. I know you keep them in a little cage when you travel.
John Brazer
Are they that loud? I went outside to get away from my barking dog. I guess I went from one fire to another.
Steve Martorano
No, we're on the corner anyway, it's great. John Brazer your thanks, pal, you know, see at the ballpark someday soon.
All right, Steve, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker
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On the next Corner, host Steve Martorano welcomes Jim Duffy, a beacon of hope and living proof of the possibility of long-term recovery from substance abuse. As the Business Development Manager at Retreat Behavioral Health, Jim shares his remarkable story of overcoming addiction and achieving an impressive 39 years of sobriety. The conversation highlights the critical importance of reminding those struggling with substance abuse that recovery is not only possible but also achievable.