1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,669 (female announcer)   Production funding   for "Sports Files" is 2 00:00:02,669 --> 00:00:04,404 made possible in part by.. 3 00:00:04,404 --> 00:00:07,474 (male narrator)   Infiniti of Memphis has   moved to Germantown road 4 00:00:07,474 --> 00:00:10,077 just half mile north of   Wolfchase Galleria and is proud 5 00:00:10,077 --> 00:00:13,280 to support W-K-N-O for its   quality broadcasting and service 6 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:14,214 to our community. 7 00:00:14,214 --> 00:00:16,550 Quality and service --   No wonder Infiniti of Memphis 8 00:00:16,550 --> 00:00:19,553 feels at   home on W-K-N-O. 9 00:00:27,694 --> 00:00:30,664 My guest today on "Sports Files" is Major League Baseball Umpire 10 00:00:30,664 --> 00:00:31,665 Andy Fletcher. 11 00:00:31,665 --> 00:00:48,882 [theme music] 12 00:00:48,882 --> 00:00:51,685 The ultimate goal of any professional baseball player is 13 00:00:51,685 --> 00:00:53,053 to make it to the show. 14 00:00:53,053 --> 00:00:56,089 The show being the big leagues, Major League Baseball. 15 00:00:56,089 --> 00:00:58,091 Of course for every one that does, 16 00:00:58,091 --> 00:01:00,761 thousands never get that far, often toiling in the minor 17 00:01:00,761 --> 00:01:04,498 leagues for years before deciding on another profession. 18 00:01:04,498 --> 00:01:05,666 The same goes for umpires. 19 00:01:05,666 --> 00:01:08,268 There are thousands who never get the chance to umpire 20 00:01:08,268 --> 00:01:09,703 a Major League Baseball game. 21 00:01:09,703 --> 00:01:12,506 And many of them are terrific in what they do. 22 00:01:12,506 --> 00:01:14,508 Bottom line is the major leagues are reserved 23 00:01:14,508 --> 00:01:16,009 for the best of the best. 24 00:01:16,009 --> 00:01:19,046 Players, managers, coaches and umpires. 25 00:01:19,046 --> 00:01:21,648 Memphian Andy Fletcher, a graduate of Harding Academy and 26 00:01:21,648 --> 00:01:24,952 Ole Miss, has been a major league umpire since 1999. 27 00:01:24,952 --> 00:01:27,754 But if you think his road to the show was easy, 28 00:01:27,754 --> 00:01:28,789 think again. 29 00:01:28,789 --> 00:01:30,891 He attended the Harry Wendlestedt umpiring school 30 00:01:30,891 --> 00:01:32,025 in 1989. 31 00:01:32,025 --> 00:01:34,127 He spent ten years in the minors, 32 00:01:34,127 --> 00:01:36,129 working in leagues such as the Appalachian, 33 00:01:36,129 --> 00:01:38,932 Florida, Instructional, Midwest, Carolina, 34 00:01:38,932 --> 00:01:41,969 Southern and Pacific Coast League. 35 00:01:41,969 --> 00:01:45,205 He honed his craft for a decade before getting his opportunity. 36 00:01:45,205 --> 00:01:47,507 And he has made the most of it, becoming one of the most 37 00:01:47,507 --> 00:01:50,377 respected umpires in all of baseball. 38 00:01:50,377 --> 00:01:52,813 Today Andy Fletcher joins me to talk about his experiences 39 00:01:52,813 --> 00:01:56,516 behind the plate and on the bag, minor and major. 40 00:01:56,516 --> 00:01:58,585 And it's next on "Sports Files." 41 00:01:58,585 --> 00:02:10,564 [theme music] 42 00:02:10,564 --> 00:02:11,498 Andy, great to see you. 43 00:02:11,498 --> 00:02:12,733 Thanks so much for being on the show. 44 00:02:12,733 --> 00:02:13,567 It's great to be here. 45 00:02:13,567 --> 00:02:17,437 Alright, with all the snow, more snow today as we tape, 46 00:02:17,437 --> 00:02:19,439 you're pretty excited to get the Florida right next week. 47 00:02:19,439 --> 00:02:20,640 Absolutely. 48 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:21,608 Couldn't come fast enough. 49 00:02:21,608 --> 00:02:23,343 No, I love being at home. 50 00:02:23,343 --> 00:02:25,512 I enjoy the season a lot but I also like being with my family. 51 00:02:25,512 --> 00:02:26,246 (Greg)   Absolutely. 52 00:02:26,246 --> 00:02:28,615 You don't get a lot of time off if it's a long baseball season. 53 00:02:28,615 --> 00:02:30,617 So, you got to take advantage of that. 54 00:02:30,617 --> 00:02:34,721 Spring training is for players to get back in to shape, 55 00:02:34,721 --> 00:02:36,523 to get ready for the season. 56 00:02:36,523 --> 00:02:37,891 Is that the same for umpires? 57 00:02:37,891 --> 00:02:40,494 Are you actually rusty not having done a game in a long 58 00:02:40,494 --> 00:02:42,496 time and you really need that to get ready 59 00:02:42,496 --> 00:02:43,664 for the regular season? 60 00:02:43,664 --> 00:02:44,831 Absolutely. 61 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:45,966 Players have asked me before. 62 00:02:45,966 --> 00:02:47,968 I remember Derek Jeter coming over once spring training and 63 00:02:47,968 --> 00:02:51,571 asked me how many plate jobs that I felt like that we needed 64 00:02:51,571 --> 00:02:53,907 to get back in to the mid-season form, 65 00:02:53,907 --> 00:02:54,908 if you will. 66 00:02:54,908 --> 00:02:57,010 And I think after three or four plate jobs, 67 00:02:57,010 --> 00:02:58,011 you're ready to go. 68 00:02:58,011 --> 00:03:00,714 But the first couple are kind of hit and miss sometimes 69 00:03:00,714 --> 00:03:01,715 in spring training. 70 00:03:01,715 --> 00:03:03,717 But they don't give you any lead way, 71 00:03:03,717 --> 00:03:04,718 do they? 72 00:03:04,718 --> 00:03:06,720 If it's a tough call or do they in spring training? 73 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,722 No, in spring training, it's pretty relaxed. 74 00:03:08,722 --> 00:03:10,724 Everybody is pretty easy because they're doing the same things. 75 00:03:10,724 --> 00:03:12,726 They're trying to get their feet wet again, as well. 76 00:03:12,726 --> 00:03:13,727 And they know we are, too. 77 00:03:13,727 --> 00:03:15,729 I want to talk about some of your years in the minors. 78 00:03:15,729 --> 00:03:18,565 But you started out in 1999 in major league baseball 79 00:03:18,565 --> 00:03:19,566 in the National League. 80 00:03:19,566 --> 00:03:20,700 Of course, now you cross over. 81 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:23,036 You do games in American League, National League. 82 00:03:23,036 --> 00:03:26,039 What was your welcome to the big leagues moment? 83 00:03:26,039 --> 00:03:29,876 Um, I think my second plate job in the big leagues 84 00:03:29,876 --> 00:03:32,145 really opened my eyes. 85 00:03:32,145 --> 00:03:33,747 It was in Atlanta. 86 00:03:33,747 --> 00:03:35,782 And it was Tom Glavine was pitching against Randy Johnson. 87 00:03:35,782 --> 00:03:39,920 And that year, the Diamondbacks and the Braves were fighting 88 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:40,921 for play-off spots. 89 00:03:40,921 --> 00:03:41,922 And we were late in the year. 90 00:03:41,922 --> 00:03:42,923 We were in September. 91 00:03:42,923 --> 00:03:44,658 It was a Sunday afternoon game. 92 00:03:44,658 --> 00:03:47,260 I think it was a nationally televised game. 93 00:03:47,260 --> 00:03:48,528 And it was.. 94 00:03:48,528 --> 00:03:50,097 I remember after the game. 95 00:03:50,097 --> 00:03:52,099 I don't remember a lot about that game. 96 00:03:52,099 --> 00:03:54,034 But I flew that night to Miami. 97 00:03:54,034 --> 00:03:56,036 I got to Miami and I want to get a bite to eat. 98 00:03:56,036 --> 00:03:58,038 And I walked in to this place and there's a replay 99 00:03:58,038 --> 00:03:59,039 of the game on. 100 00:03:59,039 --> 00:04:01,775 And everybody was kind of glued to the T-V's watching it. 101 00:04:01,775 --> 00:04:03,777 And I thought to myself, oh my gosh, 102 00:04:03,777 --> 00:04:05,112 that's me right there. 103 00:04:05,112 --> 00:04:08,715 And that's when I realized really almost what happened. 104 00:04:08,715 --> 00:04:11,418 I know you get in to a zone like a player gets in to a zone, 105 00:04:11,418 --> 00:04:13,153 an athlete gets in to a zone. 106 00:04:13,153 --> 00:04:18,792 But are you ever out there in a moment kind of star struck like 107 00:04:18,792 --> 00:04:24,197 when it's a hall-of-fame type player or manager or a game 108 00:04:24,197 --> 00:04:26,600 that's bigger than a regular season game, 109 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,903 like an all-star game that you've umpired in or last year 110 00:04:29,903 --> 00:04:32,172 doing the national league wildcard game. 111 00:04:32,172 --> 00:04:33,173 Are you ever in that? 112 00:04:33,173 --> 00:04:34,808 Wow, look what's going on here. 113 00:04:34,808 --> 00:04:36,343 Um, not really. 114 00:04:36,343 --> 00:04:38,345 Maybe for a second just at the beginning. 115 00:04:38,345 --> 00:04:40,747 But then it quickly becomes just another game. 116 00:04:40,747 --> 00:04:43,917 You can't get caught up in that kind of thing 117 00:04:43,917 --> 00:04:45,485 and do your job properly. 118 00:04:45,485 --> 00:04:47,154 You just can't do it. 119 00:04:47,154 --> 00:04:50,023 Alright, baseball has been pretty much the same game from 120 00:04:50,023 --> 00:04:52,292 when we were kids except -- and we were talking about this 121 00:04:52,292 --> 00:04:54,294 before we started taping -- replay. 122 00:04:54,294 --> 00:04:55,962 Replay has changed everything. 123 00:04:55,962 --> 00:05:00,967 They are talking about new rules that will be implemented for the 124 00:05:00,967 --> 00:05:02,969 speeding up of the game this year. 125 00:05:02,969 --> 00:05:04,971 And we'll talk about that in a second. 126 00:05:04,971 --> 00:05:07,674 But I know that you spend a number of weeks with your crew 127 00:05:07,674 --> 00:05:11,378 in New York City overseeing replay. 128 00:05:11,378 --> 00:05:14,247 How has it worked so far in your opinion? 129 00:05:14,247 --> 00:05:16,550 And then I want you to tell me about what a typical game is 130 00:05:16,550 --> 00:05:19,686 when you're in New York City or a typical day is looking 131 00:05:19,686 --> 00:05:20,687 at all these games. 132 00:05:20,687 --> 00:05:21,688 Okay. 133 00:05:21,688 --> 00:05:24,558 First of all, I think it's worked beyond expectations. 134 00:05:24,558 --> 00:05:26,560 I think it's just been fantastic. 135 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,795 The little mistakes that were made were easily corrected now. 136 00:05:28,795 --> 00:05:31,431 And we just move on as if they were never made. 137 00:05:31,431 --> 00:05:33,433 I think it's worked out very well. 138 00:05:33,433 --> 00:05:35,502 There are a few tweaks that are to be made. 139 00:05:35,502 --> 00:05:37,504 And we're going to make some of those, 140 00:05:37,504 --> 00:05:38,505 I think, going forward. 141 00:05:38,505 --> 00:05:40,507 But there are really few compared to what we thought 142 00:05:40,507 --> 00:05:41,908 we would have. 143 00:05:41,908 --> 00:05:44,311 A typical day in New York, you're only in that room 144 00:05:44,311 --> 00:05:45,312 for four hours. 145 00:05:45,312 --> 00:05:49,216 And it's like kind of almost like sitting in a control room 146 00:05:49,216 --> 00:05:50,383 back here at the station. 147 00:05:50,383 --> 00:05:52,652 There's the technician sitting beside you. 148 00:05:52,652 --> 00:05:54,921 Each umpire has two games if there's a bunch of games going 149 00:05:54,921 --> 00:05:55,922 on at one time. 150 00:05:55,922 --> 00:05:57,991 Generally speaking, two games a piece. 151 00:05:57,991 --> 00:05:59,993 If something were to happen in one of the games where you 152 00:05:59,993 --> 00:06:02,462 thought you were going to go to replay because we kind of can 153 00:06:02,462 --> 00:06:05,098 see in advance what's happening because you can see 154 00:06:05,098 --> 00:06:06,099 the entire field. 155 00:06:06,099 --> 00:06:08,101 If they feel like they may go to replay, 156 00:06:08,101 --> 00:06:10,103 then one of the games slides off to another umpire that's 157 00:06:10,103 --> 00:06:11,104 in the room. 158 00:06:11,104 --> 00:06:13,873 And you and your technician have one game and he starts racking 159 00:06:13,873 --> 00:06:18,144 and re-racking video so I can start looking at it. 160 00:06:18,144 --> 00:06:20,146 I can ask him to see different angles, 161 00:06:20,146 --> 00:06:24,517 different -- whether to rewind it or not. 162 00:06:24,517 --> 00:06:26,953 How many times to rewind it, how slow to play the video. 163 00:06:26,953 --> 00:06:30,190 The one thing they don't do is to zoom in on things. 164 00:06:30,190 --> 00:06:33,393 That can distort the actual picture. 165 00:06:33,393 --> 00:06:34,694 So, we don't zoom in at all. 166 00:06:34,694 --> 00:06:37,831 How is the communication back to the particular location of the 167 00:06:37,831 --> 00:06:40,066 game and your conversation? 168 00:06:40,066 --> 00:06:41,968 Has it been pretty precise? 169 00:06:41,968 --> 00:06:42,969 It has been. 170 00:06:42,969 --> 00:06:44,037 We don't have a lot.. 171 00:06:44,037 --> 00:06:46,039 The decisions are made in the room. 172 00:06:46,039 --> 00:06:48,608 The umpires in the field come to the headsets and say we're going 173 00:06:48,608 --> 00:06:51,912 to review a play and this is what we're going to review. 174 00:06:51,912 --> 00:06:53,913 In the room I'll say, okay, I got it. 175 00:06:53,913 --> 00:06:55,915 Give me a second and I'll get right back to you. 176 00:06:55,915 --> 00:06:57,917 The technician and I look it over. 177 00:06:57,917 --> 00:06:59,920 If there's any other umpires in the room, 178 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:01,855 sometimes they come over and will point things out and say, 179 00:07:01,855 --> 00:07:03,857 hey, did you see the base move there. 180 00:07:03,857 --> 00:07:05,859 Did you see the ball skip there? 181 00:07:05,859 --> 00:07:06,860 (Greg)   So, you confer with each other? 182 00:07:06,860 --> 00:07:07,861 Absolutely. 183 00:07:07,861 --> 00:07:09,863 And generally speaking, if there's other umpires in the 184 00:07:09,863 --> 00:07:11,865 room, I'll ask for their input before I make a final decision. 185 00:07:11,865 --> 00:07:13,867 I'll say does anybody see anything different. 186 00:07:13,867 --> 00:07:17,037 But the final decision is the umpire's game it is. 187 00:07:17,037 --> 00:07:18,038 The replay is going on him. 188 00:07:18,038 --> 00:07:21,708 I just touched on this upcoming 2014 season. 189 00:07:21,708 --> 00:07:23,977 There's a couple of things that you're going to implement -- I 190 00:07:23,977 --> 00:07:26,946 don't know if it's official yet -- to speed up the game. 191 00:07:26,946 --> 00:07:29,582 Have you had a chance to look it over and what do you think? 192 00:07:29,582 --> 00:07:30,583 A little bit. 193 00:07:30,583 --> 00:07:32,585 I think hey, if we're going to speed the game up, 194 00:07:32,585 --> 00:07:33,586 I'm all for it. 195 00:07:33,586 --> 00:07:35,855 If we can take a three hour game and make it a two-and-a-half 196 00:07:35,855 --> 00:07:36,856 hour game, absolutely. 197 00:07:36,856 --> 00:07:38,858 It's only a two-and-a-half hour work day. 198 00:07:38,858 --> 00:07:39,859 Who wouldn't like that? 199 00:07:39,859 --> 00:07:40,860 Exactly. 200 00:07:40,860 --> 00:07:42,862 And back in the day, games used to be shorter for some reason. 201 00:07:42,862 --> 00:07:44,864 Oh, there's a lot of reasons for that. 202 00:07:44,864 --> 00:07:45,865 T-V plays a big part of it. 203 00:07:45,865 --> 00:07:48,635 But T-V pays a lot of money to be a part of the game, too. 204 00:07:48,635 --> 00:07:50,770 I think some of it will work well. 205 00:07:50,770 --> 00:07:53,540 I think it's going to take a little getting used to. 206 00:07:53,540 --> 00:07:55,542 Several of these things they're already doing 207 00:07:55,542 --> 00:07:56,543 in the minor leagues. 208 00:07:56,543 --> 00:07:58,545 So, it's not like the first time it's been done. 209 00:07:58,545 --> 00:08:00,480 The batter keeping one foot in the batter's box, 210 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:02,482 they've been doing that in the minor leagues 211 00:08:02,482 --> 00:08:03,783 for the last several years. 212 00:08:03,783 --> 00:08:06,453 And they've had an opportunity to kind of tweak that rule. 213 00:08:06,453 --> 00:08:08,722 And they've got it down pretty good now. 214 00:08:08,722 --> 00:08:10,557 The one I'm worried about is.. 215 00:08:10,557 --> 00:08:12,559 And again, in minor leagues, you're not worried 216 00:08:12,559 --> 00:08:13,560 about television coverage. 217 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,162 The television coming back from the commercial and boom, 218 00:08:16,162 --> 00:08:17,731 there's the first pitch. 219 00:08:17,731 --> 00:08:19,833 It's going to take a little bit of adjustment but we've been 220 00:08:19,833 --> 00:08:21,501 doing that to a certain extent. 221 00:08:21,501 --> 00:08:24,304 In the years past, the second base umpire would have a stop 222 00:08:24,304 --> 00:08:25,939 watch in his pocket. 223 00:08:25,939 --> 00:08:28,541 And he would signal the plate umpire at a certain time in the 224 00:08:28,541 --> 00:08:31,978 break to say, hey, it's time to start moving along. 225 00:08:31,978 --> 00:08:34,347 The difference is now that everybody is going to be able to 226 00:08:34,347 --> 00:08:37,217 see that clock instead of the umpire saying hey, 227 00:08:37,217 --> 00:08:39,285 you know, the second base umpire is telling me let's go. 228 00:08:39,285 --> 00:08:41,287 You can point to the clock and say hey, 229 00:08:41,287 --> 00:08:42,288 it's 20 seconds. 230 00:08:42,288 --> 00:08:43,289 We have to go now. 231 00:08:43,289 --> 00:08:44,691 And everybody knows it. 232 00:08:44,691 --> 00:08:48,928 I want to talk to you about some of your run-ins in all these 233 00:08:48,928 --> 00:08:52,632 years of umpiring and starting with the major leagues. 234 00:08:52,632 --> 00:08:54,968 Has there ever been an instant where you had to toss somebody 235 00:08:54,968 --> 00:09:00,840 or had a good run-in, nice argument with somebody 236 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,477 where it's lingered? 237 00:09:04,477 --> 00:09:06,479 In other words, somebody has held it against you 238 00:09:06,479 --> 00:09:07,480 down the road. 239 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,317 Or does eventually a player or a manager get over that? 240 00:09:11,317 --> 00:09:13,319 I think for the most part you get over it. 241 00:09:13,319 --> 00:09:16,556 I think in the minor leagues sometimes those things 242 00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:17,857 kind of lingered sometimes. 243 00:09:17,857 --> 00:09:21,361 You would see teams for longer periods of time 244 00:09:21,361 --> 00:09:22,362 in the minor leagues. 245 00:09:22,362 --> 00:09:26,032 You might see a team for a week to nine days because it was cost 246 00:09:26,032 --> 00:09:28,201 prohibitive for you to travel as much. 247 00:09:28,201 --> 00:09:30,203 Nowadays I'll see a team for three days. 248 00:09:30,203 --> 00:09:32,472 I may not see him again for a month. 249 00:09:32,472 --> 00:09:34,741 And by then, you forgot we even saw each other. 250 00:09:34,741 --> 00:09:37,777 Exactly, when you're playing eight or nine games in a row 251 00:09:37,777 --> 00:09:40,113 then you can grade on each other's nerves. 252 00:09:40,113 --> 00:09:41,114 Absolutely. 253 00:09:41,114 --> 00:09:43,116 And that was part of the reason they merged the staffs, 254 00:09:43,116 --> 00:09:45,118 the American League and the National League -- they merged 255 00:09:45,118 --> 00:09:47,120 those staffs in 2000 -- was to do that, 256 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,390 was to allow for more umpires to go to more places and to 257 00:09:50,390 --> 00:09:52,459 alleviate some of those situations. 258 00:09:52,459 --> 00:09:53,460 Days off. 259 00:09:53,460 --> 00:09:55,728 How many games will you do in a week and when do you get off? 260 00:09:55,728 --> 00:09:57,931 Six to seven games in a week. 261 00:09:57,931 --> 00:10:00,867 Baseball is traditional off days are Mondays and Thursday. 262 00:10:00,867 --> 00:10:02,869 So, occasionally we're in the schedule. 263 00:10:02,869 --> 00:10:05,572 It's built in to have a day off there. 264 00:10:05,572 --> 00:10:08,541 We also have four weeks where we're off during this season. 265 00:10:08,541 --> 00:10:11,744 And that's also built in to the schedule. 266 00:10:11,744 --> 00:10:15,215 There's 19 crews of four and there's 19 schedules and the 267 00:10:15,215 --> 00:10:18,218 crew chief picks a schedule based on his seniority. 268 00:10:18,218 --> 00:10:20,253 And often times when they're choosing a schedule, 269 00:10:20,253 --> 00:10:22,255 it's not where you're going, it's when you're going 270 00:10:22,255 --> 00:10:23,256 to be off. 271 00:10:23,256 --> 00:10:26,192 The ideal schedule, you don't take your first week off until, 272 00:10:26,192 --> 00:10:28,194 you know, four or five weeks in to the season. 273 00:10:28,194 --> 00:10:31,264 And it works down from there. 274 00:10:31,264 --> 00:10:33,266 Somebody is going to have to take the first week of the 275 00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:35,268 season and probably this year, it'll be us because 276 00:10:35,268 --> 00:10:36,369 I'm on the crew chief. 277 00:10:36,369 --> 00:10:38,905 My crew chief has the least seniority in all the league. 278 00:10:38,905 --> 00:10:39,906 (Greg)   There you go. 279 00:10:39,906 --> 00:10:44,544 I mentioned in the open how many years that you honed your craft 280 00:10:44,544 --> 00:10:45,545 in the minor leagues. 281 00:10:45,545 --> 00:10:47,347 A number of different leagues. 282 00:10:47,347 --> 00:10:49,349 One of those leagues being the Southern League. 283 00:10:49,349 --> 00:10:52,552 And if you look up Andy Fletcher Wikipedia, 284 00:10:52,552 --> 00:10:56,055 folks, you'll see a deal with the Birmingham Barons when 285 00:10:56,055 --> 00:10:58,358 Michael Jordan played just one year, 286 00:10:58,358 --> 00:10:59,359 I believe it was. 287 00:10:59,359 --> 00:11:00,293 Right? 288 00:11:00,293 --> 00:11:02,462 You have a good story to tell us about you, 289 00:11:02,462 --> 00:11:05,231 Jordan, Terry Francona, who was the skipper of the Barons. 290 00:11:05,231 --> 00:11:06,299 He was, yeah. 291 00:11:06,299 --> 00:11:09,769 One night in Birmingham, one of the hitters for Birmingham hit a 292 00:11:09,769 --> 00:11:13,506 ground ball, double play ball with Jordan on first and Jordan 293 00:11:13,506 --> 00:11:16,309 tried to slide in to second and take out the second baseman 294 00:11:16,309 --> 00:11:17,310 or short stop. 295 00:11:17,310 --> 00:11:18,311 I forget which. 296 00:11:18,311 --> 00:11:20,313 So, I couldn't turn the double play. 297 00:11:20,313 --> 00:11:21,481 He was way out of the baseline. 298 00:11:21,481 --> 00:11:22,682 And I called interference. 299 00:11:22,682 --> 00:11:24,684 I called him out and the batter runner. 300 00:11:24,684 --> 00:11:26,686 And he jumped up and immediately said, 301 00:11:26,686 --> 00:11:28,087 "Andy, you know how tall I am? 302 00:11:28,087 --> 00:11:30,123 I'm big enough to reach the bag from here." 303 00:11:30,123 --> 00:11:32,125 I said, "Michael, you couldn't reach the bag 304 00:11:32,125 --> 00:11:33,126 with the telephone pole there." 305 00:11:33,126 --> 00:11:35,195 Michael was a good guy to us, he really was. 306 00:11:35,195 --> 00:11:36,195 He knew all of our names. 307 00:11:36,195 --> 00:11:37,196 Yeah, that's pretty cool. 308 00:11:37,196 --> 00:11:38,198 He really was. 309 00:11:38,198 --> 00:11:39,832 He treated us quite well. 310 00:11:39,832 --> 00:11:41,834 Terry Francona, who was the manager of the team, 311 00:11:41,834 --> 00:11:44,304 he came out to make sure that I didn't throw Jordan 312 00:11:44,304 --> 00:11:45,305 out of the game. 313 00:11:45,305 --> 00:11:47,307 Although, he wasn't close to getting out of the game. 314 00:11:47,307 --> 00:11:49,475 But he got thrown out of the game and the hitting coach, 315 00:11:49,475 --> 00:11:50,476 he got thrown out of the game. 316 00:11:50,476 --> 00:11:52,478 A couple of guys get thrown out of the game. 317 00:11:52,478 --> 00:11:53,479 But Jordan stayed in. 318 00:11:53,479 --> 00:11:54,480 But I tell you this. 319 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,482 The next day, Michael made a point to come. 320 00:11:56,482 --> 00:11:58,484 I was working home plate the next day. 321 00:11:58,484 --> 00:12:00,420 Michael made a point to come to the plate his first at bat and 322 00:12:00,420 --> 00:12:03,990 tell me he was wrong and he apologized for kind of getting 323 00:12:03,990 --> 00:12:05,992 all that stirred up the night before. 324 00:12:05,992 --> 00:12:09,195 Yeah, you also told me that you threw out Albert Pujols one time 325 00:12:09,195 --> 00:12:10,897 and he apologized soon after. 326 00:12:10,897 --> 00:12:11,898 Right? 327 00:12:11,898 --> 00:12:12,899 He did. 328 00:12:12,899 --> 00:12:16,336 Last year in Boston I called in a strike he didn't care for. 329 00:12:16,336 --> 00:12:18,338 He lost his cool and got ejected. 330 00:12:18,338 --> 00:12:21,107 And as we were walking back to the locker after the game he was 331 00:12:21,107 --> 00:12:23,876 waiting for me there and was nice enough to apologize 332 00:12:23,876 --> 00:12:24,877 for his actions. 333 00:12:24,877 --> 00:12:25,878 I got two last year. 334 00:12:25,878 --> 00:12:30,483 The Chicago Cubs manager wanted to get thrown out of the game, 335 00:12:30,483 --> 00:12:33,052 I believe, and said somethings that maybe he wished he wouldn't 336 00:12:33,052 --> 00:12:34,654 have when he got thrown out. 337 00:12:34,654 --> 00:12:37,890 He actually wrote me a note apologizing. 338 00:12:37,890 --> 00:12:41,928 So, does that happen a lot where a manager says, 339 00:12:41,928 --> 00:12:43,463 "Hey, Andy, toss me." 340 00:12:43,463 --> 00:12:45,465 It happens every once in a while. 341 00:12:45,465 --> 00:12:47,467 I mean, they want to do that to get their team going. 342 00:12:47,467 --> 00:12:51,471 Like that particular night, the Cubs were in a tough streak. 343 00:12:51,471 --> 00:12:53,473 They lost like six or seven in a row. 344 00:12:53,473 --> 00:12:55,475 I think more than anything he was just trying to get his guys 345 00:12:55,475 --> 00:12:56,476 going a little bit, you know. 346 00:12:56,476 --> 00:12:58,478 A little fire never hurt anybody. 347 00:12:58,478 --> 00:12:59,479 I understand it. 348 00:12:59,479 --> 00:13:00,413 And that's part of the game. 349 00:13:00,413 --> 00:13:01,414 We get that. 350 00:13:01,414 --> 00:13:03,483 Favorite city to work a game at? 351 00:13:03,483 --> 00:13:05,485 And then I'll ask you about the stadium itself. 352 00:13:05,485 --> 00:13:07,553 But favorite city to go to. 353 00:13:07,553 --> 00:13:09,555 My favorite is probably Chicago. 354 00:13:09,555 --> 00:13:11,557 I like Chicago, New York, Boston. 355 00:13:11,557 --> 00:13:13,660 I like a city where it's a big city. 356 00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:14,661 We stay Downtown. 357 00:13:14,661 --> 00:13:16,029 A lot of places to eat. 358 00:13:16,029 --> 00:13:18,865 I say Chicago because especially if it's a Cubs series, 359 00:13:18,865 --> 00:13:22,835 you have day games and you have nice restaurants within walking 360 00:13:22,835 --> 00:13:24,837 distance so it's easy to get to. 361 00:13:24,837 --> 00:13:25,838 So, that's always a fun town. 362 00:13:25,838 --> 00:13:27,707 Is there a stadium preference? 363 00:13:27,707 --> 00:13:29,709 I've always liked the ballpark in Arlington. 364 00:13:29,709 --> 00:13:35,315 The Texas Rangers ballpark I think is a beautiful ballpark. 365 00:13:35,315 --> 00:13:38,084 Seattle also has a beautiful ballpark that is 366 00:13:38,084 --> 00:13:39,285 overlooked sometimes. 367 00:13:39,285 --> 00:13:41,888 And I think the most overlooked ballpark is Cleveland. 368 00:13:41,888 --> 00:13:44,424 Stand at second base and look in to the ballpark at Cleveland. 369 00:13:44,424 --> 00:13:46,893 It's a beautiful ballpark, too, that gets overlooked a lot. 370 00:13:46,893 --> 00:13:47,894 I've been there. 371 00:13:47,894 --> 00:13:48,895 It's beautiful. 372 00:13:48,895 --> 00:13:53,433 The manager of managers that maybe you respect the most? 373 00:13:55,668 --> 00:13:57,670 I don't know if there is any one guy I could tell you 374 00:13:57,670 --> 00:13:58,671 in particular. 375 00:13:58,671 --> 00:14:01,374 I think for the most part I've had a pretty good relationship 376 00:14:01,374 --> 00:14:02,675 with most all the managers. 377 00:14:02,675 --> 00:14:07,513 (Greg)   How about a player? 378 00:14:07,513 --> 00:14:09,515 Derek Jeter, I think, was one of the classiest guys 379 00:14:09,515 --> 00:14:10,516 that I ever ran across. 380 00:14:10,516 --> 00:14:12,885 I always thought that he played the game hard but I thought he 381 00:14:12,885 --> 00:14:14,454 was fair for the most part. 382 00:14:14,454 --> 00:14:16,556 And he was always a professional. 383 00:14:16,556 --> 00:14:18,558 Rob Manfred is the new commissioner, 384 00:14:18,558 --> 00:14:19,559 replaces Bud Selig. 385 00:14:19,559 --> 00:14:22,428 We talked earlier about tweaking things, the replay. 386 00:14:22,428 --> 00:14:26,099 He has talked about the possibility of lowering the 387 00:14:26,099 --> 00:14:29,936 amount of games in a regular season for 162 back to 154 where 388 00:14:29,936 --> 00:14:31,471 it once was. 389 00:14:31,471 --> 00:14:34,974 Do you know much about him and what do you expect if you do? 390 00:14:34,974 --> 00:14:36,976 What do you think brought Rob Manfred, 391 00:14:36,976 --> 00:14:38,978 a new blood, brings to baseball? 392 00:14:38,978 --> 00:14:40,980 I think it's an interesting time for baseball. 393 00:14:40,980 --> 00:14:45,618 Anytime there is change, it could be interesting just to see 394 00:14:45,618 --> 00:14:47,653 what a new mindset could bring to the game. 395 00:14:47,653 --> 00:14:50,356 We're already seeing the possibility of putting a clock 396 00:14:50,356 --> 00:14:52,725 up for the first time like we talked about earlier 397 00:14:52,725 --> 00:14:54,393 with the inning breaks. 398 00:14:54,393 --> 00:14:56,396 That's something that's very different. 399 00:14:56,396 --> 00:14:57,397 Baseball has never had a clock. 400 00:14:57,397 --> 00:15:02,435 And that was one of his new things. 401 00:15:02,435 --> 00:15:04,103 I don't know much about him. 402 00:15:04,103 --> 00:15:07,907 He was a labor lawyer in New York for a lot of years for 403 00:15:07,907 --> 00:15:09,208 Major League Baseball. 404 00:15:09,208 --> 00:15:12,111 He negotiated our contracts for baseball. 405 00:15:12,111 --> 00:15:13,112 (Greg)   How about that? 406 00:15:13,112 --> 00:15:17,083 But I think he's well respected and I think he did a great job. 407 00:15:17,083 --> 00:15:19,085 You got your first taste of the post season, 408 00:15:19,085 --> 00:15:21,521 as I mentioned, last season, National League wild card game. 409 00:15:21,521 --> 00:15:25,124 I would assume the ultimate goal for an umpire is not 410 00:15:25,124 --> 00:15:26,125 unlike a player. 411 00:15:26,125 --> 00:15:28,127 You want to reach the World Series. 412 00:15:28,127 --> 00:15:29,128 Right? 413 00:15:29,128 --> 00:15:30,129 Absolutely. 414 00:15:30,129 --> 00:15:32,131 I've been fortunate enough to reach all the goals that I've 415 00:15:32,131 --> 00:15:34,133 set for myself except for that one. 416 00:15:34,133 --> 00:15:38,237 When I first started, it was to work the play-off's championship 417 00:15:38,237 --> 00:15:40,239 series of the Appalachian League. 418 00:15:40,239 --> 00:15:43,176 And Midwest League, Southern League, 419 00:15:43,176 --> 00:15:45,178 Pacific Coast League all the way up. 420 00:15:45,178 --> 00:15:49,248 Now I've gotten play-offs first rounds and my ultimate goal is 421 00:15:49,248 --> 00:15:50,249 to work a World Series. 422 00:15:50,249 --> 00:15:53,820 Is seniority the biggest thing or are you graded out 423 00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:54,821 all the time? 424 00:15:54,821 --> 00:15:55,822 It's some of both. 425 00:15:55,822 --> 00:15:58,891 There's some seniority issues there. 426 00:15:58,891 --> 00:16:01,861 And we're great on everything we do. 427 00:16:01,861 --> 00:16:04,697 In this day and age, there's a camera following us every step 428 00:16:04,697 --> 00:16:05,698 of the way. 429 00:16:05,698 --> 00:16:06,699 And you can't hide from that. 430 00:16:06,699 --> 00:16:07,700 (Greg)   Absolutely. 431 00:16:07,700 --> 00:16:09,702 Andy, we like to end all our interviews with something we 432 00:16:09,702 --> 00:16:10,703 call "Five for the Road." 433 00:16:10,703 --> 00:16:12,705 So, I'm going to give you a question. 434 00:16:12,705 --> 00:16:14,707 Quick answer, first thing that comes to mind. 435 00:16:14,707 --> 00:16:15,708 Don't be nervous. 436 00:16:15,708 --> 00:16:17,777 We're going to learn a little bit more about you. 437 00:16:17,777 --> 00:16:19,779 Favorite professional sports team? 438 00:16:19,779 --> 00:16:20,780 Any league. 439 00:16:20,780 --> 00:16:22,481 I grew up a Packers fan. 440 00:16:22,481 --> 00:16:23,483 (Greg)   Green Bay Packers. 441 00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:24,483 Absolutely. 442 00:16:24,483 --> 00:16:26,419 How about favorite pro athlete? 443 00:16:26,419 --> 00:16:27,420 Oh, wow. 444 00:16:27,420 --> 00:16:29,488 I'm an Ole Miss guy so I'll say Eli Manning. 445 00:16:29,488 --> 00:16:30,489 Eli Manning, good choice. 446 00:16:30,489 --> 00:16:31,958 What's your favorite music? 447 00:16:31,958 --> 00:16:32,992 What do you like to listen to? 448 00:16:32,992 --> 00:16:34,927 I'm a country music fan. 449 00:16:34,927 --> 00:16:36,929 (Greg)   In particular, any   artist that stands out? 450 00:16:36,929 --> 00:16:37,930 George Strait. 451 00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:39,932 George Strait is the one guy that I've never.. 452 00:16:39,932 --> 00:16:41,934 In all the celebrities that I've been fortunate enough to be able 453 00:16:41,934 --> 00:16:43,936 to meet, that's the one person I've never met that I would just 454 00:16:43,936 --> 00:16:44,937 absolutely love to meet. 455 00:16:44,937 --> 00:16:45,938 We're going to make it happen. 456 00:16:45,938 --> 00:16:49,408 Do you ever listen to music before a game, 457 00:16:49,408 --> 00:16:50,643 like a player would do? 458 00:16:50,643 --> 00:16:51,644 Some guys do. 459 00:16:51,644 --> 00:16:52,712 I don't. 460 00:16:52,712 --> 00:16:56,048 Favorite movie of all time? 461 00:16:56,048 --> 00:16:57,550 That's a great question. 462 00:16:57,550 --> 00:17:00,987 Kind of cheesy but "Saint Elmo's Fire" is one 463 00:17:00,987 --> 00:17:01,988 of my favorite movies. 464 00:17:01,988 --> 00:17:02,989 (Greg)   "Saint Elmo's Fire?" 465 00:17:02,989 --> 00:17:05,124 I used to love that movie. 466 00:17:05,124 --> 00:17:07,426 Part of that filmed on the horseshoe of the campus 467 00:17:07,426 --> 00:17:09,428 of the University of Maryland, my alma mater. 468 00:17:09,428 --> 00:17:11,430 That's the only reason I bring that up. 469 00:17:11,430 --> 00:17:13,432 Okay, favorite T-V show? 470 00:17:15,334 --> 00:17:16,335 Probably "Seinfeld." 471 00:17:16,335 --> 00:17:18,905 I could watch that over and over and over again. 472 00:17:18,905 --> 00:17:19,906 (Greg)   Yes. 473 00:17:19,906 --> 00:17:22,041 And you can because it's on like five times a day on T-B-S. 474 00:17:22,041 --> 00:17:24,310 It's also on most major league umpire's locker rooms before the 475 00:17:24,310 --> 00:17:26,312 game because it comes on at that time of day. 476 00:17:26,312 --> 00:17:28,314 We're all in the locker room before the game. 477 00:17:28,314 --> 00:17:29,315 Are you serious? 478 00:17:29,315 --> 00:17:33,185 That is probably the number one show on in every locker room 479 00:17:33,185 --> 00:17:34,253 across the country. 480 00:17:34,253 --> 00:17:35,254 Well, listen. 481 00:17:35,254 --> 00:17:37,256 I know you're getting ready to head down to Florida, 482 00:17:37,256 --> 00:17:39,258 getting ready for the regular season. 483 00:17:39,258 --> 00:17:41,260 You are always great to us on the radio show coming on 484 00:17:41,260 --> 00:17:42,261 when we need you. 485 00:17:42,261 --> 00:17:43,262 Andy, thank you so much. 486 00:17:43,262 --> 00:17:45,264 A pleasure having you on the show. 487 00:17:45,264 --> 00:17:46,265 Enjoyed it. 488 00:17:46,265 --> 00:17:47,266 That's Andy Fletcher. 489 00:17:47,266 --> 00:17:48,267 We'll take a break. 490 00:17:48,267 --> 00:17:49,268 "Overtime" is next. 491 00:17:49,268 --> 00:18:14,593 [theme music] 492 00:18:14,593 --> 00:18:16,762 The Rhodes college men's basketball team has had 493 00:18:16,762 --> 00:18:18,030 a tremendous season. 494 00:18:18,030 --> 00:18:19,999 And they are determined to keep it going. 495 00:18:19,999 --> 00:18:22,568 The Lynx won a share of the Southern Athletic Association 496 00:18:22,568 --> 00:18:25,638 regular season title and will host the conference tournament 497 00:18:25,638 --> 00:18:28,374 this weekend by virtue of their undefeated home 498 00:18:28,374 --> 00:18:29,375 conference record. 499 00:18:29,375 --> 00:18:32,778 Head Coach Mike McGeorge, in his fifth season at Rhodes, 500 00:18:32,778 --> 00:18:35,881 has won over 100 games and is 30 and 15 501 00:18:35,881 --> 00:18:37,750 over the past two seasons. 502 00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:40,886 This year's squad is 18 and 6 and went 11 and 3 503 00:18:40,886 --> 00:18:41,887 in conference play. 504 00:18:41,887 --> 00:18:44,890 And now they get the chance to earn the automatic birth into 505 00:18:44,890 --> 00:18:48,194 the N-C-A-A Division Three tournament if they can win this 506 00:18:48,194 --> 00:18:50,296 weekend on their home court. 507 00:18:50,296 --> 00:18:52,632 Earlier this week I had a chance to speak with Mike about his 508 00:18:52,632 --> 00:18:56,602 team and their chances to win the conference tournament title. 509 00:18:56,602 --> 00:18:58,604 Well, Mike, thanks a lot for being with us. 510 00:18:58,604 --> 00:19:00,539 I know it's a busy week for you getting ready 511 00:19:00,539 --> 00:19:01,540 to host the tournament. 512 00:19:01,540 --> 00:19:02,541 Thanks for your time. 513 00:19:02,541 --> 00:19:03,542 Yeah. 514 00:19:03,542 --> 00:19:04,143 Thanks, Greg. 515 00:19:04,143 --> 00:19:04,910 I appreciate you having me. 516 00:19:04,910 --> 00:19:05,678 Well, let's talk about this team. 517 00:19:05,678 --> 00:19:07,346 What makes it so special? 518 00:19:07,346 --> 00:19:09,582 Well, really interestingly enough about it is that we don't 519 00:19:09,582 --> 00:19:11,550 really have a clear strength. 520 00:19:11,550 --> 00:19:14,253 And so, a lot of teams, when we're preparing in front of the 521 00:19:14,253 --> 00:19:16,288 teams, we're like, "Okay, what does this team do best? 522 00:19:16,288 --> 00:19:18,290 What can we take away from them?" 523 00:19:18,290 --> 00:19:20,426 And when teams look at us, it's hard to find that one thing. 524 00:19:20,426 --> 00:19:22,428 You know, we have five guys basically averaging 525 00:19:22,428 --> 00:19:23,429 double figures. 526 00:19:23,429 --> 00:19:25,998 You know, we're really sound defensively but we're not.. 527 00:19:25,998 --> 00:19:28,000 We don't have a dominate shot blocker. 528 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,236 There's no one position   defensively that we're great at. 529 00:19:30,236 --> 00:19:31,237 We're a solid rebounding team. 530 00:19:31,237 --> 00:19:33,205 We don't dominate the glass. 531 00:19:33,205 --> 00:19:36,042 Offensively, we move the   ball and find the open man. 532 00:19:36,042 --> 00:19:38,044 So, whatever   teams are giving us, 533 00:19:38,044 --> 00:19:40,046 our guys, we have   a veteran group. 534 00:19:40,046 --> 00:19:42,048 And they're just really   comfortable and unselfish with 535 00:19:42,048 --> 00:19:44,083 making reads and finding that open man. 536 00:19:44,083 --> 00:19:47,286 So, you know, our greatest strength is kind of that lack of 537 00:19:47,286 --> 00:19:49,488 a weakness or lack of a clear strength. 538 00:19:49,488 --> 00:19:51,791 And so, it's hard for teams to prepare for us. 539 00:19:51,791 --> 00:19:53,793 And we've just been really consistent all year. 540 00:19:53,793 --> 00:19:55,795 Obviously you have that chemistry. 541 00:19:55,795 --> 00:19:56,796 These guys play off each other. 542 00:19:56,796 --> 00:19:58,798 They like playing with each other. 543 00:19:58,798 --> 00:20:01,400 Was it hard to find and discover that chemistry or was it pretty 544 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:02,635 natural for these guys? 545 00:20:02,635 --> 00:20:03,736 You know, it all takes time. 546 00:20:03,736 --> 00:20:05,738 And each year we've had, you know, 547 00:20:05,738 --> 00:20:07,907 we've had four seniors a year ago and we had three 548 00:20:07,907 --> 00:20:08,908 the year before that. 549 00:20:08,908 --> 00:20:11,777 So, this group has a lot of experience. 550 00:20:11,777 --> 00:20:14,113 But their roles have changed each year and they've had to 551 00:20:14,113 --> 00:20:15,347 adapt and grow in to roles. 552 00:20:15,347 --> 00:20:17,349 And we've had, you know, a couple of injuries over the 553 00:20:17,349 --> 00:20:19,351 years that have changed people's roles mid-stream. 554 00:20:19,351 --> 00:20:22,288 So, it's really about that experience of being in different 555 00:20:22,288 --> 00:20:24,990 roles and having a different dynamic that has helped 556 00:20:24,990 --> 00:20:25,991 this group. 557 00:20:25,991 --> 00:20:27,993 Whatever adversity they   face, it's kind of been, 558 00:20:27,993 --> 00:20:28,994 you know. 559 00:20:28,994 --> 00:20:31,897 We've kind of been through   this road before and we figured 560 00:20:31,897 --> 00:20:32,898 it out before. 561 00:20:32,898 --> 00:20:36,402 And I think that's helped them   the most in terms of finding 562 00:20:36,402 --> 00:20:38,804 that consistency and being   comfortable with each other. 563 00:20:38,804 --> 00:20:41,507 You share the title, second time in three years. 564 00:20:41,507 --> 00:20:44,777 But you get to host because you went undefeated here 565 00:20:44,777 --> 00:20:45,778 on your home court. 566 00:20:45,778 --> 00:20:48,547 Having that advantage this weekend.. 567 00:20:48,547 --> 00:20:50,549 Well, how much of an advantage is it? 568 00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:52,818 Well, I think it's a big advantage if nothing else just 569 00:20:52,818 --> 00:20:53,919 because you're not traveling. 570 00:20:53,919 --> 00:20:56,889 Last year we ended the season with our last four games 571 00:20:56,889 --> 00:20:57,890 on the road. 572 00:20:57,890 --> 00:20:58,958 And we went to.. 573 00:20:58,958 --> 00:21:00,359 And Centre, who we tied with, 574 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,361 won the regular season last year. 575 00:21:02,361 --> 00:21:05,765 And we went to their place and had to play them on their home 576 00:21:05,765 --> 00:21:06,866 floor in the semi-finals. 577 00:21:06,866 --> 00:21:09,835 Lost on a three right at the end of the game. 578 00:21:09,835 --> 00:21:12,838 And just the wear and tear of three consecutive weekends of 579 00:21:12,838 --> 00:21:15,808 that kind of travel with the academic demands our kids are 580 00:21:15,808 --> 00:21:17,810 under, you know, plays a factor. 581 00:21:17,810 --> 00:21:20,679 Now ultimately on game nights, you get 40 minutes and you got 582 00:21:20,679 --> 00:21:22,047 to outplay whoever it is. 583 00:21:22,047 --> 00:21:24,049 But obviously being at home, you know, 584 00:21:24,049 --> 00:21:28,420 we stay on top of the academics, get to rest in your own bed and 585 00:21:28,420 --> 00:21:29,421 all of those things. 586 00:21:29,421 --> 00:21:31,891 And then being on a home floor obviously creates another level 587 00:21:31,891 --> 00:21:33,893 of energy for your group, as well. 588 00:21:33,893 --> 00:21:35,361 As you said, senior laden team. 589 00:21:35,361 --> 00:21:37,730 Guys that have played with each other for a while now. 590 00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:41,233 With that said, is there a player or two that will be key? 591 00:21:41,233 --> 00:21:45,070 That they are in instrumental for playing well or needing to 592 00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:47,072 play well for you guys to be successful? 593 00:21:47,072 --> 00:21:49,375 Yeah, two guys in particular stand out, 594 00:21:49,375 --> 00:21:50,376 two of our seniors. 595 00:21:50,376 --> 00:21:53,279 Drew Miller is a senior from Fort Smith, Arkansas. 596 00:21:53,279 --> 00:21:56,682 And he was first name all conference last year. 597 00:21:56,682 --> 00:21:58,684 And he just, you know, offensively, 598 00:21:58,684 --> 00:21:59,818 he just has the ability. 599 00:21:59,818 --> 00:22:01,587 He's 6'4" with a 6'7" wingspan. 600 00:22:01,587 --> 00:22:03,589 And he just is able to get it in the paint and make reads. 601 00:22:03,589 --> 00:22:05,591 And he just makes other guys better. 602 00:22:05,591 --> 00:22:07,593 And then defensively, in my opinion, 603 00:22:07,593 --> 00:22:09,595 he's the best defensive player in our league. 604 00:22:09,595 --> 00:22:12,798 And his ability to use his length and his understanding of 605 00:22:12,798 --> 00:22:16,302 our defensive concepts and how versatile it is he can guard, 606 00:22:16,302 --> 00:22:18,304 you know, one through four on the floor. 607 00:22:18,304 --> 00:22:21,240 So, he just does so many things for us that people don't notice. 608 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,242 And our point guard, Luke Collins, 609 00:22:23,242 --> 00:22:24,243 is also a senior. 610 00:22:24,243 --> 00:22:25,244 He's from Birmingham, Alabama. 611 00:22:25,244 --> 00:22:29,148 And, you know, when he goes and plays up tempo and gets us out 612 00:22:29,148 --> 00:22:31,383 running, and he's kind of the heart of our team. 613 00:22:31,383 --> 00:22:34,820 And, you know, it just kind of energizes the whole group. 614 00:22:34,820 --> 00:22:37,856 And so, those two are key as are all of our seniors 615 00:22:37,856 --> 00:22:40,092 and the roles they play. 616 00:22:40,092 --> 00:22:44,163 But those two in particular, when they kind of are dialed in, 617 00:22:44,163 --> 00:22:46,232 we're a pretty tough group to deal with. 618 00:22:46,232 --> 00:22:48,234 (Greg)   You're fine for   you here at Rhodes. 619 00:22:48,234 --> 00:22:50,236 You mentioned   some of the players. 620 00:22:50,236 --> 00:22:51,237 Fort Smith, Arkansas. 621 00:22:51,237 --> 00:22:52,271 Alabama. 622 00:22:52,271 --> 00:22:55,040 Recruiting wise, do you   have to go out of the area? 623 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,409 There's obviously   academic responsibilities 624 00:22:57,409 --> 00:22:59,144 here to attend Rhodes. 625 00:22:59,144 --> 00:23:02,214 How seriously do you   look at the local kids? 626 00:23:02,214 --> 00:23:04,383 Talk about just your   recruiting philosophy. 627 00:23:04,383 --> 00:23:06,418 Well, I think recruiting locally is really important I think to 628 00:23:06,418 --> 00:23:07,419 be able to do that. 629 00:23:07,419 --> 00:23:08,420 Memphis has great basketball. 630 00:23:08,420 --> 00:23:09,421 It has some great schools. 631 00:23:09,421 --> 00:23:12,091 And our starting center, Ryan Van Hoeck is here from town. 632 00:23:12,091 --> 00:23:14,426 So, you know, we're always looking for that local kid. 633 00:23:14,426 --> 00:23:17,229 But when you start talking about our academic standards and the 634 00:23:17,229 --> 00:23:21,267 cost to attend, you know, we have to cast a pretty wide net 635 00:23:21,267 --> 00:23:22,801 to find that right fit. 636 00:23:22,801 --> 00:23:25,571 And somethings, you know, people don't understand about Division 637 00:23:25,571 --> 00:23:28,974 Three basketball is the N-C-A-A has a stat where there's three 638 00:23:28,974 --> 00:23:32,378 percent of high school seniors that play on their varsity high 639 00:23:32,378 --> 00:23:35,447 school basketball team go on to play in Division One, 640 00:23:35,447 --> 00:23:36,682 Two or Three schools. 641 00:23:36,682 --> 00:23:38,984 So, you know, if you take that, then only three percent are 642 00:23:38,984 --> 00:23:39,985 going on to play. 643 00:23:39,985 --> 00:23:42,922 And then our academic standards eliminate at least 85% 644 00:23:42,922 --> 00:23:44,223 of the student population. 645 00:23:44,223 --> 00:23:47,192 It's a pretty elite group of kids that are able to play 646 00:23:47,192 --> 00:23:48,193 at this level. 647 00:23:48,193 --> 00:23:51,130 And so, you know, we got to stretch pretty big net to find 648 00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:52,131 that right fit. 649 00:23:52,131 --> 00:23:54,133 Alright, final thing for you, Mike. 650 00:23:54,133 --> 00:23:56,135 We talked about the philosophy at Cornell. 651 00:23:56,135 --> 00:23:58,137 What is your philosophy, your coaching philosophy, 652 00:23:58,137 --> 00:23:59,138 at Rhodes? 653 00:23:59,138 --> 00:24:01,073 Well, first and foremost, you know, 654 00:24:01,073 --> 00:24:02,074 Rhodes is a great school. 655 00:24:02,074 --> 00:24:04,076 And so, we get to deal with great kids. 656 00:24:04,076 --> 00:24:06,078 And we feel like we're part of the educational process. 657 00:24:06,078 --> 00:24:08,314 And so, everything we do is   about pursuing excellence. 658 00:24:08,314 --> 00:24:10,316 We want our guys to   pursue it in the classroom. 659 00:24:10,316 --> 00:24:12,318 We want them to   pursue it on the floor. 660 00:24:12,318 --> 00:24:14,320 We want them to pursue   excellence in the community, 661 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:15,321 as well. 662 00:24:15,321 --> 00:24:18,090 And so, we really work hard   with whatever we're a part of, 663 00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:19,091 whatever we're doing. 664 00:24:19,091 --> 00:24:21,093 We're doing it right and we're doing it first class 665 00:24:21,093 --> 00:24:22,094 in every aspect. 666 00:24:22,094 --> 00:24:24,096 And then we're also about building trust. 667 00:24:24,096 --> 00:24:26,999 And so, you know, we think that the team dynamic is so important 668 00:24:26,999 --> 00:24:29,001 towards athletic success or success 669 00:24:29,001 --> 00:24:30,002 in anything you're doing. 670 00:24:30,002 --> 00:24:32,604 So, everything we do is about building each other's trust. 671 00:24:32,604 --> 00:24:35,074 And we want them thinking whether it's like showing up for 672 00:24:35,074 --> 00:24:38,344 class late or sitting in the back of a classroom or staying 673 00:24:38,344 --> 00:24:40,980 up late playing video games the night before a game or whatever 674 00:24:40,980 --> 00:24:43,282 it is, how are my teammates going to respond 675 00:24:43,282 --> 00:24:44,283 to this decision. 676 00:24:44,283 --> 00:24:46,418 And so, when we get guys thinking in that way, 677 00:24:46,418 --> 00:24:48,420 then you get a pretty good culture in your program. 678 00:24:48,420 --> 00:24:50,422 And we think that sets them up really well 679 00:24:50,422 --> 00:24:51,423 for their life ahead. 680 00:24:51,423 --> 00:24:53,425 Mike, thank you so much for being with us. 681 00:24:53,425 --> 00:24:56,028 Best of luck to you this weekend and congratulations to get this 682 00:24:56,028 --> 00:24:58,030 far to be able to host the tournament this week. 683 00:24:58,030 --> 00:24:59,031 Thanks a lot, Greg. 684 00:24:59,031 --> 00:24:59,965 Appreciate it. 685 00:24:59,965 --> 00:25:02,368 The tourney action tips off at 1:00 p-m on Friday while the 686 00:25:02,368 --> 00:25:04,870 Lynx hit the hardwood at 6:00 p-m. 687 00:25:04,870 --> 00:25:07,272 It will be a busy weekend in hoop city as the Grizzlies 688 00:25:07,272 --> 00:25:10,609 return home to face the Clippers tomorrow night at FedExForum, 689 00:25:10,609 --> 00:25:13,379 while the Tigers will host Tulsa on Saturday evening. 690 00:25:13,379 --> 00:25:15,748 And don't forget to catch the replay of the Tigers 691 00:25:15,748 --> 00:25:19,318 and 21st ranked S-M-U Saturday at 10:30 p-m 692 00:25:19,318 --> 00:25:20,686 right here on W-K-N-O. 693 00:25:20,686 --> 00:25:22,087 And one other note for ya. 694 00:25:22,087 --> 00:25:25,591 "Sports Files" is changing days and time the next two weeks. 695 00:25:25,591 --> 00:25:27,593 We'll be with you on Friday March 6th 696 00:25:27,593 --> 00:25:29,695 and the 13th at 7:30 p-m. 697 00:25:29,695 --> 00:25:32,898 Until then, have a great week and we'll see you next time. 698 00:25:32,898 --> 00:26:08,600 [theme music] 699 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,202 (female announcer)   Production funding   for "Sports Files" is 700 00:26:10,202 --> 00:26:13,405 made possible in part by.. 701 00:26:13,405 --> 00:26:15,474 (male narrator)   Infiniti of Memphis has   moved to Germantown road 702 00:26:15,474 --> 00:26:18,110 just half mile north of   Wolfchase Galleria and is proud 703 00:26:18,110 --> 00:26:21,346 to support W-K-N-O for its   quality broadcasting and service 704 00:26:21,346 --> 00:26:22,681 to our community. 705 00:26:22,681 --> 00:26:24,550 Quality and service --   No wonder Infiniti of Memphis 706 00:26:24,550 --> 00:26:27,486 feels at   home on W-K-N-O. 707 00:26:27,486 --> 00:26:31,486 CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY W-K-N-O, MEMPHIS.