Athletes in Motion

Athletes in Motion Podcast - EP 027 Ben Potenziano

September 13, 2022 Tom Regal and Kenny Bailey Season 2 Episode 27
Athletes in Motion
Athletes in Motion Podcast - EP 027 Ben Potenziano
Show Notes Transcript

As the Assistant Athletic Trainer for a Major League Baseball team, the Florida Marlins, Ben Potenziano has seen a lot in his career. Between hot shot new rookies to older players looking to extend their career, Ben gets them game ready.  Sometimes it’s taping an ankle while other times it’s an empathetic ear.  In this podcast Ben shares with us the highs and lows of what it takes to make it in the majors.

A great conversation from behind the scenes!

This episode is sponsored by Oofos Recovery Footware - Click on this link to shop and order your pair!  https://www.oofos.com/#therecoverylounge

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On the Web:
www.athletesinmotionpodcast.com

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https://www.youtube.com/@AthletesinMotionPodcast

Episodes Sponsored by:
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Tom Regal:

Kenny, this episode of athletes in motion is brought to you by OOFOS recovery shoes.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, the demand we put on our feet and ankles is tremendous, especially after a long day or an intense workout. This translates into fatigue, muscle tightness, pain and soreness.

Tom Regal:

And this is where OOFOS shines. I mean made with proprietary Ooh foam technology. OOFOS absorbs 37% more impact than traditional foam footwear materials for the perfect blend of cushioning and stability. And

Kenny Bailey<br>:

OOFOS reduces energy exertion in the ankles by up to 47% compared to the competitors footwear, so walking is easier. Recovery is faster, and you actually feel better.

Tom Regal:

Yeah, athletes like pro triathlete Matt Russell, and NFL comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith rely on OOFOS for their daily recovery. Simply put, OOFOS are the go to shoe for your recovery needs.

Narrator:

Welcome to the athletes in motion podcast from race to recovery. With your hosts Tom regal and Kenny Bailey.

Tom Regal:

Hey, Kenny, how you doing today?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

I'm doing fantastic, Tom, how are you?

Tom Regal:

I'm fantastic as well. Thank you. We want to welcome Ben Potenziano to the show today, who's the assistant athletic trainer with the Marlins and Major League Baseball. So Ben, welcome to the show. Welcome. Thank you. It's great to have you on. We haven't talked with we've talked with other trainers, some personal trainers, strength and conditioning stuff, but to touch into major league baseball for us is is a stretch because we're both not major baseball fans. We love sport of all kind. And this kind of opens a bunch of doors and questions for us. So first, let's get started. Tell us about you. Ben, Where'd you grow up? What do you do? What was your sporting background? What got you into strengthing auditioning or what led you to Major League Baseball of all places?

Ben Potenziano:

And then nutshell, I mean, I grew up after leaving New York, as you know, your your wife is Mike. related. So that's how I get on the show. Really. It's a family. Wanted you but it's a family thing. I was told I had to get it right. I once we I grew up in Maine, and obviously made a very big deal. I think probably in his state. You have your three seasons. You know, I played all three sports because there wasn't a lot. Obviously up in up in Maine this year, you're living in the rural area. So it was fun. I was able to play all three sports, I was average, but it kept us busy. Once I went to college, I did play soccer and then got injured. And I was on the table getting worked on by the trainer. And that just started the conversation. And it just kind of struck me how cool this was to work, you know, didn't have to go to med school, you can learn about the body, how it works and all this. And then it kind of gravitated to that. And I and then I at that time, it was a quite a while ago, they had a few programs just for athletic training. Now, they are curriculum programs at universities across the country. And then you'd come out with a degree with that. Basically, mine was a hybrid and I kind of created it, where you the na ta national Athletic Trainers Association said you had to have a certain amount of courses, these specific things. So that's what I did. And then when I finished my undergrad, I went on it became a graduate graduate assistant at the University of Maine in Orono. And the head trainer was good friends with one of his former students, who was the head athletic trainer with the San Francisco Giants, started his career with the Yankees. And then was an assistant that became the head in San Francisco, made a phone call one day and said they were looking for a student or someone who'd be interesting in baseball and starting at a lower level and we're looking in and hiring so I happened to be in the right place at the right time. Perfect. I interviewed over the phone. They hired me. I packed up just before spring training started. So I remember thinking, I flew out on March 2 And we started like the sixth in Arizona. And I finished my my degree like this. Yeah, just did it through paper, sent it all in. And I started in rookie ball, which is the lowest level where you go through spring training and then you will break from Arizona like around June 12 13th And you go to wherever and I was in Northwest League. So I was in Bellingham Washington. And that's how the career started. And then it just, it moved on from there, and then it kept moving up in the minor leagues, and then lo and behold, 2004 is when I started in a Major League Baseball.

Tom Regal:

Wow. And I don't think I've, I'm aware of all the different layers, sure of minor league ball, all right, we know triple A, and then majors, right? But there's layers underneath that. And terrible a,

Ben Potenziano:

high a low A, it runs through just like that. And it's amazing. It's it's step process, obviously, right? Because it's like, as you know, not, not all of them make it and there's a small percentage that make it. And it's difficult. It's a difficult jump at every level. I mean, the lower you've got the the college kids high school kids, and then they're jumped from double A to triple A and then triple A to the majors is when you really see the level or how good a player is, can they adjust, because major league players can't just you quickly, they can see, you know, your weaknesses and your flaws. And then, but you to adjust to them. It's difficult, and you can see the kids that can and the ones that can't, well, they're gonna bounce back and forth. And then eventually they figure it out or just, you know, slowly go away. Yeah, it's a tough it's a tough gig.

Tom Regal:

Yeah, I can't. So Ben.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So Ben, help you. So for the lay people like me, right? There's, we hear strength and getting strength and conditioning coaches, we hear, you know, batting coaches, we hear athletic trainers, can you give me kind of a layman's definition and sort of how your job comparison contrast with with other people on the staff, what is your responsibility versus are their responsibility?

Ben Potenziano:

When you look at now, in the major league level, you have a head athletic trainer, Assistant, athletic trainer, I'm considered this second assistant. Some teams, some teams, medical staffs are seven people deep, like the Dodgers travel like seven or eight, we traveled with four. And we have a massage therapist who's also an athletic trainer. So my job really is. Let's start back to like, I'll take you through it. Like, if we're going to start the day at home, we'll come in, you change, get into uniforms, and you get the training room ready. Supplies is out. It's already set, the training was already set, if you walked in our training, it doesn't change the powders, tapes, everything is out that anybody would need for our job is there. We're just make sure we're set and ready to go. And then if we're going to travel, I'm responsible for making sure the trucks have full stocked, we'll make sure we have everything ready to go that way. And basically, we're there to take care of the players we're in some are the rehab guys are different than the ones that are going to play every day. Because that's just like a maintenance, like you have your maintenance program or training or we're going to get them ready, whether it's laser treatments, some myofascial release, some scraping, some cupping, you know, those are the things that we'll do we'll stretch, prepare, and then prior to the game, it depends on what they need, again, shoulder stretch, leg stretch, taping, and then we'll get out to the game and we're there to take care of that. The care and prevention of the athlete. We're there to take care.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Okay, so when. So when they're coming off a rehab, for example. So let's say they had an ACL tear, or, you know, an elbow surgery, they're coming off a rehab, at what point do you work? how closely do you work with that with a physician staff and with, with those folks on that transition, what what is that handoff look like?

Ben Potenziano:

Now, it's a perfect example. It's like, what I told you how many injuries that we've had this year, and we will go to our facility in Jupiter, we have a physical therapist there, which we would really like to have a physical therapist with us here that hopefully will come to fruition next year. So he is overseeing all the rehab there with a line of communication with the front office with the head athletic trainer so he can let the manager know Hey, this is where we're at plus they get the reports and what they're doing daily for the sole purpose that we can take care of those 26 players that are with us Yeah, that's why those players go to Jupyter got it frees us up to really take care of you more of a one on one basis. So when they transition from rehab to us that's when the athletic training staff and the strength and conditioning staff will work together to make sure they stay on their maintenance program to keep them got to heal from the injury. So that's very little for the from the rehab from the initial but when they come up then we're more hands on with it got it.

Tom Regal:

And then like in the afternoons before game and stuff like that is it as the players need it like they just pop into the room going hey, can you work on that or or do you have a list and you know who has what going hey, you need to come in for taping we need to take your knee or we need to whatever it's just or is it more of a you know, kind of open open forum type where they they come in And then you take care of whatever they like, I gotta hang. Now I need to, you know, take care of this. So

Ben Potenziano:

it works on both it's on there works on both areas there. Because we do have to, like, pull these guys in because they, they're not going to come in most of them won't come in, because they just think they don't need it anymore. But yeah, little deal that standard 62 games, you do need these things. Now, some guys are there everyday because they want, they want to be touched, they want to get the stretch, they want this, they want that. So there's those, those different individuals, like you probably know those individuals that need or need. And that's okay, we're there for that, then you find the balance. And sometimes they're like, hey, it might be a little too much today, you know that you can't get soft tissue every day, every day. Yeah. Well find that balance. But that's where we come in and educate them. And then the ones that you really got to say, Listen, we do need to stay on top of this, because we don't want to go backwards with you. You don't want to go back on the aisle. And that's where you try to get them. You don't scare them. You just Yeah. Hey, let's just let's just make sure we stay on top of this,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

you know? Yeah, I would assume, you know, when you're in the minors, and you're dealing with those folks, but when you hit the majors, I mean, these guys are, you know, their, their salaries are kind of ridiculous. For is there an additional feel of pressure when you're dealing with I mean, now you're dealing with people that are like, I've got to get this person out mute for a couple reasons why the team needs them, the club needs him, his contract needs him to be able to do that is does that come out? Or does that just sort of fall off? And that's not a that's not a thing? Are you conscious and aware of those folks that you know, or are you good hitters? You're like you said you have a I think it was number one base stealers, you know, trying to recover? Yes. You know, those kinds of things? I mean, are you more nervous about that, then you are, you know, the guy at the end of the bench or I know you have a, I don't want to make it sound as if you don't care about those guys. I'm just trying to figure out if there's an additional pressure like, Hey, we got to make sure this person is good?

Ben Potenziano:

That's a great question. Because I think early on in my career, there, it's called an IL now. And before it was the DL. So we were always worried about numbers, right? Because numbers equate to dollar signs. So if you have your $30 million player sitting on the bench for three weeks, think of the I can show you numbers, dollar signs, where we are right now in Major League Baseball, and it's somewhere in the upwards of money loss. It's like$680 million loss so far. So that's a lot of money when you write a lot,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

680 million of anything is big.

Ben Potenziano:

It's like, wow, and then when you look at the base salary being $720,000, and then you think of the guys that are making millions and millions of us. So early on in my career, it was always like, we got to keep DL days down. We have to we have to. So yeah, we were driven on that. Now, it's not even a factor. Because it's manipulated quite a bit. You'll see. And if you if you ever, ever get bored, more look@transactions.com going to transactions, and you'll see the transactions, it's not a concern anymore, because they're just using it as a revolving door because they'll bring players up and fill in and do those things. But in the back of our mind, we want our best players out there because it gives you the best opportunity. Exactly. That's why we're not winning, because we're not doing a couple of things, several things not very well. Yeah, pitch very well, you don't hit very well. And that's usually how we've been running. But if you get your best players out there gives you the best opportunity. So now yeah, in the back of my mind, I look at it going God, I wish we could get this kid out here. And you've got to be patient because the body is the body. I mean, can you how much more can you do things to to get it to heal quickly? Legally, you know, so? Yeah, you know, that's why we look at it going, Okay, do what we can. What can we do in our power? Yeah, to make it work. There's tangibles and intangibles, right, that control the controllables. That's how I've always lived this. And I think as I've matured in this, in this profession, you can only do what you can do in the course of a day. And then really when the day ends, try to shut it off and walk away. Because otherwise it'll consume you. And you can't control it. You know, I'm not the owner. I'm not the GM. You know, if there was if it was that easy. Okay. Yeah. It's a great question. And it's like, do the best you can with you trying to get them out there and be be conscientious of it. You gotten? You're not doing your job?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, this is I'm assuming a couple of different things. You when you approach a rookie that just gets on to the team versus a 35 year old, that's, that's, you know, trying to, you know, keep that magic going. How do you approach is there a different approach that you take for those it's a more of a lesson learned for the rookie, and for the older one, it's more of, let's make sure we get those people there, maintenance is going to be higher. How do you how do you approach those different kinds of people?

Ben Potenziano:

That's great too. I mean, that's great, because when the kids come up, and the best part about them is you don't see them very much, because they've been taught to like, don't go in the training room unless you need something. And we kind of say, Hey, if you're leaking oil, you should come in. So we've got a battle with the veterans that are telling them not to go in there. But we want them to come in here, if you need something. And if you're feeling something, let us know. Because we catch it early. We keep you out there. Yeah, the big thing is, we get the chance to educate and groom these kids, to keep them here, hopefully, or if they do get sent back down, because we're only here for a certain part of time, they're going to know coming up, but the veteran, they've been through the ups and the downs, and the, you know, going back up and down, up and down, and then having an injury. And that I love veterans too, because you can treat them differently, where it's more of like, you build that you build relationships, everybody's different. But the veterans are good, because you can also get them to help you with the younger kids say like, Listen, he's not coming in, we need him to come in. And they're you're a police themselves, right? That's their clubhouse. They police themselves. It's not our job. We're not your father, we're not your mother, but we're there to support you. And that's going to reinforce to them. Because they don't want to be told what to do. They just want, they want help. But then, then when you build that relationship, that's when you go like, when like a kid gets his ass kicked the night before, you know, you get beaten up. And then he's like, Hey, how you feel? You're like, Hey, you did a great job. You know, you coach them. You say coach them up, right? They know they got their ass handed to him. They know that we're told them told him, How do I stop this? How do I stop the bleeding? And that's when you just find what works best. I like humor. And then when you get to know the person throw sarcasm in there because a clubhouse it's the good ol boys right? But you know, that's what you try to do. And then that's where the I think the difference is the younger kids don't know how to act when they get there. But the older guys do. They help them channel and go and this is what you got to do. This is how you respect this, this this and that's, it's like growing, it's like growing your own child. So to teach them the right to the wrong, right. Yeah.

Tom Regal:

guides through it.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, what's interesting is, so when we see kids coming into our place, right, we do Recovery Services, when we see kids come in now what we're trying to do, one of the pillars we're trying to do is teach those kids that recovery is just as important as the as the workout, right? If you don't take care of your body, afterwards, you're gonna sit on the bench, and that's not going to help with any scholarships, it's not going to help with your teams, that kind of thing. And they're starting to get it. Are you seeing, you know, through your many years not seeing your old been? You've seen a couple of days. Have you seen sort of a bigger shift? Is that translating now we're versus three, five years ago? Are you seeing more prepared athletes coming in?

Ben Potenziano:

I Yes. Because I remember when I started out, we didn't have strength coaches at every level, now that is changed. You gotta remember, you know, 2004 hit, right, the missile report, you know, all those things. So that balco then that was that helped us and no offense to any personal trainers, but good. Remember, personal trainers was not sometimes that's how this all happened. And, you know, players couldn't make the right choices to but they all wanted longevity, they all wanted the careers and the contracts. So yes, and then allowing to have strength coaches, at every level at the major league level, and no personal trainers that helped us. So it allowed us to, you know, provide them with the services, they needed NSF approved products, allowing us to get more into the science based and what we can do. So yeah, has it changed dramatically? We have a crowd chambered in in Miami, and we use it sparingly because guys, we have we have the coal tanks, we have the switchbacks you know, we put a sleep room in this year. That was something I told Stan, like listen, we got to get Yeah, I believe in it. I mean, we I've done some research with Chris winters, who's well known in the field is sleep Dr. Chris winters and look him up some time you guys another great individual to talk to. And we put we went out bought three recliners, the blue lights everything so these guys can go in there and you sleep. Interesting. Hope them and I think there's

Kenny Bailey<br>:

like right here. Yes.

Ben Potenziano:

I love reclining recliners, the gravity ones for like, the money to do it. We got him to do it. So the biggest part from that is on the rode is finding somewhere for these guys to take a nap. So, you know, we try to educate these guys on the sleep part of it, right? Because it's important to and then getting your sleep, getting the amount of sleep that you need the the the nutrition aspect, we travel with a nutritionist, she sets up our meals, she communicates with each player, we have our supplements, if guys are injured, we're making sure that they get the supplements that they need. We had a concussion earlier, we want to make sure that he gets the supplements that he needs to help with the cognitive training and skills to get back for that. So I'm with you guys on all of that. And you seem to change because players are gravitating to that more. They're listening to more agents are getting them more involved with that. So I think as as it's as the game has evolved, the education has also become better. Science is getting better. And you're seeing it because there's more of a need, or a want. Yeah, that's where I think it's going. Because, you know, steroids had a place in this game. And all sports. Yeah. In cycling. Let me be honest.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

No, I don't think so. No, I

Tom Regal:

missed a little one guy. Caffeine. Coffee and Cigarettes. That's all it was. Cigarettes. What's

Kenny Bailey<br>:

a little blood transfusion between friends? Whatever? Exactly.

Tom Regal:

You got me there, right. Yeah. But I mean, it's, it's, would you consider it sort of like the call with the Tom Brady effect, right, if you know, even even just coming from football over to every other sport is watching someone who took care of his body having longevity? And, you know, yeah, virtually, you know, injury free. But being able to perform at a higher level, I would imagine that your current and you're starting to see, even the younger players looking at that going, hmm, maybe if I start now, how long can I stay in the sport? You know that I love what you mentioned, how many games do you guys play? Now? I always joke and say it's like 1000. But it's like 160 some odd games.

Ben Potenziano:

It's 162 in the season, roughly 25 to 30 during spring training.

Tom Regal:

So how do you deal with sleep? When you're traveling? To play 162? Games? You're you're traveling for what half that time?

Ben Potenziano:

Yeah, exactly. And then you travel for half of those games. And then you can be on the road for 11 days, you know, there's with an off day in between there like this is this one we've had, obviously, we had an off day in Chicago, played three there, then we flew over here at an off day, we'll have three and then go back. And we'll have I think before our next off days, 12 days in a row will play in a row. So the sleep part is really tricky, because, you know, one timezone change is easy, or, but then we're gonna have to go back to the West Coast one more time, we will travel after that game at home. And we'll go to LA, and we'll have an off day in LA. So yes, it gives us a jumpstart with a timezone change. But to get these guests with justice, like Listen, guys try to stay on the same routine asleep later. So you can bet you get up, get to vote, open the shades, get the sunlight and get your body adjusted to that because when we play a seven o'clock game, what your your body's, it's 10 o'clock. So think of the disadvantage. So that's where we try to get these guys to understand that yes, if we can get the naps in, but we can add another ballpark, it's very difficult list, we could find a spot where they can just lay down and rest and do that. It's very difficult. So we're at a disadvantage until we can get that timezone change occur. Well, the good thing is that we're going to play Oakland and LA. So we'll be over there. So we figure it's about an hour, for every time zone changes, it takes a day. So we'll have three days adjust. So then they'll adjust and then we'll have like an even playing field, so to speak. But that's the tough part. Guys, it's like on the road to get that time, try to get these guys understand that get your sleep, get the eight hours that you can, and all the nutrition that we can offer you these guys, their meals are all prepared except for their practice, if it's not a day game, they'll find their own meal. Most of these guys will sleep asleep till 11 or 12 o'clock Sure, buses at 130 They're on it then it comes to eat and then their day starts so unique animals we have out of the 26 you know everyone's different you have to find that balance. It's so it's so interesting and and also difficult at the same time. But we you have to you have to kind of work with science and our Mortis taught us so far.

Tom Regal:

Yeah. So when you say when you're on the road, you're you're obviously staying at decent hotels, not the you know, the little one stars on the side of the road. So you've got what I would imagine would be D some accommodations will just for most people, so they sleep in they need to get to the ballpark by a certain time because the day really starts at the ballpark. So they they get you get up to get your own breakfast, you get bused over to the ballpark. Correct. And that's it, you know. So you're, you're in LA, you're over at Dodger Stadium. And that's where you're spending your day until the game the game's over, then it's back to the hotel, but everyone travels together bussing back and forth. Correct. Okay, so So what's what's what's happening at the ballpark? At that point, you're set up and another stadium, you just, I mean, you probably know all the stadiums and everything that you can you know, what you have what they have to offer you. I mean, obviously, your facilities at home are going to be nicer for the home team than the await. Usually, you don't want to give them the full advantage. If they're coming into your ballpark, what is it? What's What's the day look like? I mean, it's there's a, you know, as a strategy as to what's happening behind the scenes. Basically, when we

Ben Potenziano:

roll into town, now we'll like, like when we get off the plane here in Philly, there's trucks waiting there, there's one that comes to the hotel with all of our luggage, and the other truck will go to the stadium and unload, and then the clubhouse staff there, unload all our gear, you know, wheels our trucks into the training room. Now some training rooms are better than others. Now, there's newer stadiums right? Now, if you saw regularly, you'd be like, how can you work in this small training, which is your tight. Boston's the same way the older ballparks are, they're smaller than that you have not everything like you would at home, obviously. But they're the ballparks are getting better plus players in the collective bargaining agreement. They're saying like things need to change, we need to have these things because you've got to have these for us to be able to do our job. So yes, that has changed over the years from when I started, were you walking on? Wow, we got to work with this. And then you bring all your gear in, we travel with five trunks, you open them up, you take things out, and you try to make it look like you're back in your own training room. Again, everything, everything that we usually have at home with will travel with. So we have all these trunks that are designed the way we want them, we have them we pull them up, you open them up, all over the counter meds. And here we have this and you know, we have case, we carry IV IV quipment, we have sutures in case anything goes wrong, their doctors over there come over and take care of us and vice versa when when players come to us so there's always doctors on hand for us an orthopedic and an internist. So when we get there we set up, make sure we're ready to go, we'll grab a bite to eat ourselves. So we're prepared before the first bus arrives. Then when players come, they'll grab lunch. And that's when they started cycling in cycling. And then we have the schedule for pitches, stretch, hit or stretch to then we have meetings, we have hitters meeting pitches, meaning how they're going to approach every day how they're going to fix it hitters every day, then there's a team stretch VP, they'll come in, they'll have more food, they'll get another snack before the game, then we start prepping for them because on the road, it's a little quicker, you know, because you're you're hitting after the home team for BP. And we get ready, get the guys ready game time. And then as guys come out of the game, like relievers will come out, we'll work with them, we'll like do a maintenance program, shoulder program and a little treatment. And then when the game ends, then we take care of guys, any maintenance programs that we do, will take care of them. Guys will contrast cold tub, they'll eat again, there's food after the games, they'll shower, jump on the bus, come back to the hotel, and then it's wine downtime. And that's where it guys some of the guys I talked to are up till three o'clock in the morning. That's where we have you know, conflicts and things where guys are up till three but then they don't wake up till noon. So that's how the cycle is. It's kind of it's kind of crazy because we're shiftworkers right?

Tom Regal:

Yeah. Yeah, you're there before and after. Like your your the you know, if they're there for eight hours, you're there for 12 because you got to be there before them. You got to be there after to pack everything up and you know, move on

Ben Potenziano:

We had two rain delays last night, too. We had

Kenny Bailey<br>:

one with Oh, great. So then it goes yeah,

Ben Potenziano:

yeah, I've been delay in the start. And then it rained in the seventh thing. And that was actually we thought they project was gonna this is gonna take an hour and a half to come through. The winds changed in 25 minutes later we're back home. We finished the game, but I didn't get back to the hotel. I think it was 1220 1225 Oh, okay, I put Netflix on it. I'm back into watching Stranger Things again. The morning here that I met a friend for a cup But coffee, a buddy of mine, and then I knew I had you guys. So that's what I've done so far.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

wins. So let's throw some stadiums under the bus here. What are the stadiums? You look forward to? Like, okay, great. We're traveling to this stadium, you know, they got a pretty good staff. It's well pointed. And what are the ones you're like, Ah, dammit. Okay. You know, you're just sort of, is it? I know you mentioned the Bosnian ones because they're just older. Is it? Is it usually older or is it what's which ones ADM

Tom Regal:

will fit in all of them? Because you've been? You've been in both leagues right? You've been outside so

Ben Potenziano:

well, the only the new one I haven't been to is Texas, because now they put a dome in. But their old one that you know old Arlington stadium had a large training room. You can just remember things were just all older. It's like now this new one, which next year everybody's gonna play everybody next year. And if it guys said scene that we're going to play every everyone's gonna play each other, whether you go to their their stadium, or they come to us, so we'll play all the American League teams, and they'll play all the National League teams. So it'll be interesting next year, but I see like Boston, just old. And yeah, I love going to Bach Wrigley. I mean Fenway in Wrigley a really great ballpark to go to atmospheres incredible. They just need to blow up that training room. More room, you walk in, it's like two tables, the two cold tanks, you know, there's silver tanks. Yeah, there are lockers are in there, the ice machines in there. And then you turn on your like banging into someone. It's like

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Charlie Sheen to be there with his

Ben Potenziano:

number 120. Yeah, it's like nuts. But then when you go to like the new, the Atlanta Braves, beautiful, beautiful. The the weight room is right next to the training room. It's space, they have when you walk in, there's your training room, we have our office in the back closed in the wet room, which is the tanks closed in. And then they have a doctor's office, which is attached to that too, we use the massage therapist in there. But if we need a player evaluated, it's private, they go over there. So that's, that's really accommodating. So you look at those ballparks. I mean, I always love going to like San Diego, San Francisco where I started, you know, LA, they redid there's underneath. So that training room and everything is nice. So there's some good and bad like the White Sox needs to do some changes to so every one of them have some good things, but bad things, but the older ones always seem to like, you need to upgrade. So I think in time that they're being pressured ownership, being pressured to spend money to do that. It's always about the money.

Tom Regal:

So yeah, you want to take care of your you want to take care of your investment from from our standpoint? I mean, why? Yeah, the tickets are sciences, as proven itself, that now you can, you know, you need to take care of the players and do a little bit more than you know, then they start to spend a little bit more.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, but like, the travel teams training room versus a new exactly, you know, a new beer, that's gonna make, you know, you can charge their dollars,

Tom Regal:

they still turn in the hot water off in some stadium, visiting teams.

Ben Potenziano:

That's just us in spring training and 120 degrees or it's 48 degrees. So we don't know which day it's gonna be

Tom Regal:

prepared for. You get prepared for it all.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Been just on you, like you said, You've had you started it sort of, you know, the the early legs and you're in the majors, which is kind of cool. There's, I guess there's been an assumption that, you know, being in the majors and working with those guys is pretty awesome. Is there if you had an ideal sort of, like, when did you would it be? Would it be pretty cool to be able to get a younger kid to be able to mold them a little bit more and get them on training? Or? Or do you like the idea of dealing with sort of the, the, the wily veteran that's acting as kind of the player coach, what's your idea of sort of when when you like to start getting a hold these guys in influencing

Ben Potenziano:

I, I really, really liked the veterans because I think that again, they bring more to the table. But I think the education part I've always felt, the younger ones are where you really can make the biggest influence, because the old the older ones have already been through the trenches. And they really just need you to help them get back to stay out there so to speak. And they do have a great idea of standing of their bodies and what they need. The younger kids don't because they're, they're wide eyed. They're looking at like, I'm here. How do I stay here? It's harder to stay here, you know, than it is to get there. So I love to eat

Kenny Bailey<br>:

well, and they're invincible right? You know, you're 23 you know, you break an ankle like two weeks later, you're done. Right?

Ben Potenziano:

Right, a kid just have his 26th birthday yesterday. Yeah, that 26. You know, it's 20 with 20, threes. 20 fours up to 3035 is our eldest or oldest player. So I think influencing those younger kids early on, because you can get them to, if you can get them to buy into what you're actually giving them. That's, that's when you, you can win them over. Again, I've always felt you just got to be direct, honest, and just provide them with everything that you can. And if you can't give them the answers, just tell them that you'll get them the answers and don't try to blow smoke up their ass, because eventually they'll figure it out. But you're not there to do that, you're really there to just give them the best service you can, so to speak. And I like that idea of being able to educate because at the same time, I can learn because I'm going to learn about them. And I'm going to learn about what they had in the past wrong with them, or what they felt worked, or they feel they need more help with. And that's what we can learn together. So I'm with you, the younger kids are the more the types that you can influence and help with the education

Kenny Bailey<br>:

process. Yeah, I mean, there's like football coaches, like there's some football coaches that love doing it the high school level, because that's kind of fun, you get to put the foundation in some coaches love college because it's transactional. And you can watch a kid go in some people just love doing the pros for for obvious reasons. Is there a is there, you know, different stadiums and different organizations and club houses are gonna have different rules, different sort of methodologies? When people get transferred in right, you get a player from from Boston or a player from LA? How much relearning or how much change? Is there a wide variety between clubhouses? Or is it pretty much you don't? You don't need to worry about it? Or do you have to kind of say, Hey, that's not how we do it here. We do a little different. Is that Is that an issue or not?

Ben Potenziano:

I think when when you look at the tuple I'll look at it from like when a player comes in from another organization. That it's like this common theme. It's like your clubhouse is the player's clubhouse they police that right. So that's something that's kind of innate, they've learned that and then they'll also build guilt keep their mouth shut and watch and see. If I know a player or two. Then they'll start asking questions. Who can I go to? Who can I this and there that's it's just like anything, you're gonna kind of see who you can feel the room out. Yeah, feel the room out know your audience. But when they come to us, it's basically what worked for you over now. Like, what did they do with you over there? That worked? It was like, okay, good. We're doing those same things. Yes, we do. BFR over here. Yes, we grasp and we cup we dry needle. We do this? Yeah. Crashing

Kenny Bailey<br>:

is the worst thing in the planet. We've outlawed everything painful a little bit and can't be let's just say it's it can be you're so nice. This may this may introduce some slight discomfort. Oh, my God,

Ben Potenziano:

I have a problem with it. Pain. Job. We just can't keep doing it. Yeah, I get paid to do it, by the way get paid?

Tom Regal:

Yeah, that's right.

Ben Potenziano:

Yeah, I think I think what we do is we get a chance to learn, because it's a small group, there's 30 heads and 30 assistants, and then that trickles into the other people. So we it's a small group, we know a lot of these individuals, we know. Because when we have our meetings in the offseason, there's an education part of that. And that's what we're learning what, what people have worked. What are you guys doing for hamsters? What are you doing for groins? What's the new techniques, then the doctors are telling us about the new docking techniques and new procedures to do a part time job. So it's science, right? So we want to find out what's worked best for them? And how can we add to it?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So are there other teams are looking at your sleep ones going? Gosh, we gotta we gotta do that, or is that something you learned from another club?

Ben Potenziano:

I, I found out about that. Can I really talk quickly about that we were we were in Colorado, I was in San Francisco. And I would, my job was, there's three of us at that time it worked in and the head and I was on the bench, the start of the game, because we had to prep the guys, you know, get him ready for the game, start him out on the field warm up, then I'd go to the bench because I was doing both jobs. I was an athletic trainer, a strength coach. So I'd be on the bench. And then at the top of the fifth, I go back of the training room and then start preparing for after the game and when players came on. So is the seventh inning stretch, and they put something up on in between the inning and they were talking about how MLB was doing a study on sleep. And it was a seven year study or 10 year study excuse me, and we never heard about it. And I was just like, how they're helping us A study on it. Okay, well, this, this is what it showed when you were traveling east to west and this and players that were eating this and mourning this place. I'm like, Dude, what are you going to share this? Yeah. So I, I emailed a buddy of mine that worked in MLB office, and I said, Who would you do this with? Who was this person? He connected me with Chris winters. I actually wrote him an email the next day, he got back in touch with me, we built this friendship from like, 2008 2009. I got him to speak in Las Vegas at a meetings in 2009 about sleep. And no one was really understanding this and understanding it, and seeing what it was like. And then from there, I jumped on with him. And we started to look into doing a couple projects together and we did some research together. And it's still not at the head of the table to be honest with you, because we sleep you guys you know, this, there's there's huge mental health of it to all of this effects you. i It really does. And it's starting to come more to the forefront now. But baseball hasn't gravitated to a lot. There are teams that do have sleep rooms, Colorado, put a nice one in. We have one San Francisco has one other teams are doing it, but you don't hear a lot of talk about it because it's part of just like, Okay, here's a cold tub. Here's your crouching roots, you know what I mean? But the more we talk about it, the more we keep doing it. It's it's right now, I can't worry about what 29 other teams do. But we're gonna push it on our players to help them

Kenny Bailey<br>:

I just wasn't sure to if you looked at other like, oh, god, look at these guys got, you know, it's like, oh, yeah, I mean, we just like, we have equipment envy. Those bastards. Look what they got.

Tom Regal:

They got the money for that.

Ben Potenziano:

They can because they're this huge market team. So we gotta try to take I'll take three recliners over. Like yeah, like Pittsburgh, bought in. I mean, we had three recliners. We had two beds. We had to ISIL pods you know, those were great. You know, the the float tanks we had, we had to float tins. It was

Tom Regal:

awesome. And Pittsburgh that was in Pittsburgh. That was in Pittsburgh. That's a small why

Kenny Bailey<br>:

they still pissed

Tom Regal:

it gets in there. They're still angry.

Ben Potenziano:

Close the book.

Tom Regal:

I think even

Ben Potenziano:

I consider myself the crash of baseball. You remember from Bull Duram I'm crash. I'm here to help you. Right now just do the best they can with everybody.

Tom Regal:

I think the NBA is even started to incorporate you know, the sleep what they were putting in, in the in the planes. They were putting in systems for the guys pods. So the guys to sleep in? Well, they were

Ben Potenziano:

Yeah, they're their travels different too. Because remember, they go in there for a night. And then they pack up and they leave. Hockey's the same way. When on a Friday, you're you're out of there on a Sunday, some fly in on Saturday and leave after the game on Sunday. Us. We have pack I'm in this bin in this room. I'll be in Philly for four days, and then you know, then go back and unpack and

Kenny Bailey<br>:

is that a good thing? Or a bad thing? You think, like being in for a few days? Because you can settle in? Or is it? You'd rather be in and out?

Ben Potenziano:

No, no. I think being being one place like this allows you to adjust. Now when you talk to the NHL and the NBA guys. They're envious of us because they've got a

Tom Regal:

pack. Yeah, during our constant packing and living out of a

Ben Potenziano:

schedule, except that it's 162 games, but they liked the idea of being in a city for three to four days. Yeah, it does make sense because you get acclimated you can then you can get into a regimen right. So it's more of a routine. Yeah. Yeah, the routine is it's, it's quick.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, that's if if you had to so you're an MLB. Now, if you had to pick another sort of sport, where you're like, Okay, I think I want to try that. What would be the sport that you would want to kind of transition to if you want, if you could?

Ben Potenziano:

I've always said this. I think it would be the NFL. For some reason the NFL football. Football intrigues me. I think it's just the nature of the beast, maybe the game. They're like these, you know, they, you know, football. It's just this Yeah. Yeah, I love it. I just, I love it. And then I think I love the build up to Sunday, you know, because when I did college, I did men's basketball and I did football and I used to love game days because remember, it's just build up to build up Yeah, absolutely. Get in there. Then they go their meetings in this taping, and then you run out and then you get this game and then you take care of I loved it. I think I think that's what was really most of the Can somebody

Kenny Bailey<br>:

in your profession move would like that to another? Or is it so specialized at this point? It would be really hard to do.

Ben Potenziano:

I think it might it were I am in my career, I think at this point in time in my age, and I think it'd be more difficult because I think, I think younger, people younger could do that. Because I've had friends jump from, give me an example. My friend was in the NFL when I met with the kid when I met him. And when I was in San Francisco, so he was with the Niners, and we've stayed friends now he went from the NFL, to the NBA. And then again, when management comes in, it changes. He was in the NBA with the bulls for I think, eight to nine years and then went to Major League Soccer. And now is that his career now? He's, he's with Northwestern doing men's basketball. So let's say it didn't happen. So I've only been in baseball. So

Kenny Bailey<br>:

so we never really talked about I mean, there's some obvious things on injuries but when you're what are some obvious and non obvious injuries that most people understand like you get hit by? Like, you know, a Tommy John issue or other issues? I mean, how much is concussions? Is that a bigger deal or not a big deal? What's most of the time that you're seeing? Is it knees and ankles is the shoulders? What do you generally see that that's most prevalent?

Ben Potenziano:

Obviously, majority in baseball is elbows and shoulders. Yeah, concussions are, concussions will happen, obviously, because we had one already this year line drive off our pitches head, Cincinnati, that will happen. catchers are the ones mostly because of the foul tips, right? And it's repetitive, it's repetitive. And really, those things are cumulative. And they can also be so small, and then some can be very traumatic at one time. And then some can build up to where like Mike methane's career ended would when Mike was with us in San Francisco. They were, they were cumulative. And then I remember this happening. We were playing Miami, at the old stadium. He was catching Matt Morris was pitching. And all of a sudden it was one foul tip. And then it happened. And his career ended that day that we might never came back. And Mike ended up, you know, being a manager now manage the Cardinals, and now he's with Kansas City. But that happens. You'll see concussions more of what football, right, yeah, but mostly elbows. And elbows and shoulders, obviously, you're gonna get the finger things, but those are the major ones and you get soft tissues. Now the biggest ones in baseball, the hamstrings.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

And that makes sense, right? You're standing idle, all of a sudden, you're sprinting, sitting idle, and you're sprinting.

Ben Potenziano:

Yeah. And then you can have obscure ones here and there, you know, you're gonna have things that, you know that, you know, that come up stress fractures of a rib, or a scapula, things like that. It's just because it's a repetitive thing that, you know, then those are the things that we've got to, you know, deal with it a little differently than just okay. It's a great to strain of a hamstring. We know what to how we're gonna handle this. And some people come back quicker than others, like you guys.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, I think it's interesting, because I know, you know, in football, like 15 years ago, you get an ACL done. Right. Right. And then and then Alex Smith is, you know, half of his leg is gone. And it's back to playing football. In sing. Right? It seems like the development on muscle. I mean, these guys are getting bigger, right? Players. I mean, obviously, you had that terrible, you know, roid kind of thing that went on, but they're naturally seems like plays are naturally getting bigger, which means the weakness becomes the joints. Right? And that's where the that's where the weak spot is. Are you seeing that happen? I mean, and I'm surprised when I see I again, I don't hang out with baseball a whole lot. But when we see pro baseball players, they're big guys. I mean, these are not they're, they're they're big. I mean, are you seeing, you know, more stress on joints because of that sort of development over time? Or is it? Is that just sort of equal? Or do you see that?

Ben Potenziano:

I think what I think, in my opinion, what what I'm seeing in with this year, it's, this is a repetitive sport, right? It's repeated, how many swings? They take numerous swings in a day. That's what's one thing is like we like to control more of, we've had five back injuries this year. And I don't know if I've ever had five back injuries in a season. But they have one in one. Like this season, we've had five and in a short period of time. I don't know if I'm, like I said, five in one season is so much. I think we've had maybe two and a year that I can remember. So why is that and then we look at and when you finally look at where it was below back here, the repetitive torque the the movements, and then these were cumulative, and then did it start somewhere in the chain from the feet up, did it. Start with hamstrings, obliques, and then remember that that's going to affect the chain Right, and where's from obliques to hamstrings? You have the low back. And then where does that go? And does that also work on the biomechanical side of things? And then does it decrease how they're how they can get their range of motion and how they can keep that range of motion of low back. And then that will build up because there's a great amount of force and torque being applied to a swing. And they're very strong individuals. And everybody wants to hit the long ball. And they are strong individuals. They're we're lifting heavy. We're in the offseason, they are lifting heavy, and then we're lifting during the season to maintain. So there is a breakdown in there. And I think that's where the elbows, everyone wants to throw harder. And then what's gonna go the ligaments gonna go because that's going to take only so much force and, and what's applied to that band. And it breaks down. And we lost the kid on one pitch this year. In Pittsburgh, felt a pop. Okay, you're done. You had surgery yesterday in LA. So 14 months? We'll see you. We'll see you again in 14 months. It sucks to say that. But yeah, you know,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

how much influence you have on the coaches then like when you see like a back like that? And you're like, Okay, this is getting kind of unusual. Can you go to the coaching staff and say, Look, there's these guys need to do x? Or they need to be doing y? How much can you say, and then I can see my expression that it's there. You have some influence, but you would like a lot more. I mean, I think that is that attention? Kind of spot? Do you think

Ben Potenziano:

right? Wouldn't you like to just say, Listen, don't play him today? I'm telling you don't I don't? I got a bad feeling? Yeah, it's like, what you try to do is like, again, information, right? You're providing information to them. Here it is, here's the workload. This is this is a we keep track of this stats cast keeps they we know how much they're traveling, and how fast they're traveling. And then we see the accumulative from one day, seven days, 14 days to one month. And in some of these guys are traveling a mile in a game, and at rates, different rates. And then we can provide that. So as they listen, alright, you've got them working 10 days in a row. We know he's hitting the ball. But listen, if you give him a blow today, it's Sunday, it's a day game, we have an off day tomorrow, you give them two days off, Wednesday, Tuesday comes back, he'll feel a little better, you give him a little mental break. So that's the information you can provide and kind of sell it on him. Now, injury wise, they all know, when we sign this guy, we do the medical review, right? We look at this, we provide it to the front office, here's the risk reward. You can take this on, you know what's in front of you, it's up to them, we provide the information, this is what we have. This is what the person said, we look at everything, because we're allowed, once you, you know, you have access to the medical records for a short period of time. Once we know that we're looking at a trade or free agency or something like that, we have to review that because then we do our due diligence and have our doctors look at them, we'll get our MRIs will look at and say, Listen, we're going to be dealing with this. Are you willing to take on this risk? And then if so, then you can negotiate whatever whatever from there. But providing them the information, educating them the best way we can to make the best decision, right? It's up to them, ultimately, it's up to them. I'm like when we were dealing with the sleep thing to give you an example. Hey, we were trying to tell these guys this morning, this morning, this and evening. This type of players, right that marks the night owls. We'll see who performs best. And that's why when we did that research on them. We were showing in the numbers show the evening this guy's they're not good at day games. The morning people are good at day games. But am I gonna walk in and say, I wouldn't play this game? Because he's a better at it, he can't do that. But education?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, I think there's it's especially at the pro level, there's this tension, right? You got the coach that needs to figure out what he needs to do to get his team to win his contracts on the line for that. You've got a player who has performance stats that they need to hit probably to hit their bonus numbers, right. So there, because there's contracts like back loaded, right. And then you're sitting there going, I have to worry about the long term health of these people. And it seems like I mean, you've got a balance between sort of looking at the player going, I know you want to get out there looking to coach going. I know it'd be great to be able to get him because we need to get the games up. But I need to make sure he can be there on Wednesday and not just here on the Monday game is that is that kind of a fair assessment on kind of how you balance it.

Ben Potenziano:

You're right, and you're right. And then that's the big thing is like, how do we get everyone to understand and then get the player to buy in to say listen, you know, and they want yeah, they they're playing well. They don't want it they feel like they want to keep it Everything's like superstition. This is what I'm doing. Playing Well, I don't want to stop. But everybody does need a blow, you know, play 162 games. I don't know when the last person that did that I don't think go back and look, you know, Cal Ripken look what he did. Because that is like, Oh

Kenny Bailey<br>:

my God, that's the outlier, right? That's, yeah,

Ben Potenziano:

that's not gonna happen again. Unless they, unless they bring steroids and amphetamines back to the game. It's probably not gonna happen. Yeah. It's you got it? I think I think, guys, I think once you talk to guys, this is what I think. And when you talk to guys and say this, you know what, maybe you could use a blow, you know, just give your body a break and sell them on that. They'll buy in, I think they know it most knowing the younger kids that are up here right now that just came up from AAA. They're running them out there. They're running them out there. And they're gonna run them out there. And then, you know, when the off tape comes out, you break but the older guys, then you start looking at guys, okay, these are the guys that we gotta pay. How much can we push the Ferrari before something happens? Yeah, yeah, that's when you pull back. And then guys will buy into that they do? Because they know when they need a blow to. And then, believe it or not, you know, sometimes they'll look at like, oof, I don't know, if I want to face Scherzer today.

Tom Regal:

They're gonna ruin my stats.

Ben Potenziano:

Or any guys are funny, because I laugh at it too. As I get I don't blame you. I wouldn't want.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

That's funny. So what percentage? You know, we had it when you talk to a sports psychologist on our last podcast, and it was fascinating to talk about sort of the mental aspect of the game. What percentage of your of your work you think is is physical? You know, obviously, you're physically touching people and you're getting ready. What percentage you also think as mental were you like you said, you're talking to certain players? They may we talked about the Yips, right, like some players are just getting into a into a can't seem to get out of this sort of, you know, hitting slump or whatever. How much do you think is kind of mental that you that you're aware of? Or that you know, you have to do? I mean, what responsibility do you feel like you have on that mental aspect?

Ben Potenziano:

That's a great question. Yes, everybody, all all the teams, mostly now mental conditioning coaches, or mental skills. Ours is with us traveling on this road trip to interesting now. You can't push it on them, right? It's like to get you to open up about something. It's not easy. Guys are a little bit more close. But I mean, I think we all need to do that. Now, at this level. We know when people aren't doing well, it shows right now how to get to them. I think it's just that that relationship building thing. Now, what am I qualified to do? You know, I have to stay within my lane so to speak, of course. But there's nothing wrong with just being human. And yes, acting How you doing is you need to check in with, you know, check in. And, you know, it can be any way when you know, your audience and you know, your players. Some like might be the humor part, it might be the sarcasm part, or it just might be like, hey, where do you go to breakfast? You know, like, when you go to the new places, and then you then you start those conversations, and then you see where they're going. And then if we really think now, people are dealing with so many different things, right? Yeah, families, new baby coming to maybe all these different stressors. And then you got to find those things. And then if we can help, then we can maybe gravitated towards the mental coach. And then if it gets even deeper, that's their job to take into another side. Maybe that. But that all depends, right? So you got to do the best you can to understand your own players know your players that we've always said.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, it seems to me like for example, when you've got somebody, they're kind of at a place where, you know, it's a quiet environment that you're talking to, they tend to probably open up to you a little bit more, I'm assuming they have some confidentiality with you. And then of course, you've like you said, you have a, you have a responsibility. However, if you if you see a player getting depressed or whatever, that you talk to their mental coach and say, Look, you know, I think I think this person needs it. But to your point, they're going to open up a little bit more they're going to, and then for you, it's like you said, it could either just be Hey, you just listen or, you know, you may bust their balls a little bit just to kind of, you know, because that's, that's what they do. And the famous one is like, when Tom and I were swimming, he's fine swim coach, and I'm in the water and I'm just struggling, right? And he's, like, I don't know, he's like, Look, dude, you're a fucking Iron Man. Just and I'm like, Yeah, I am. I am. And then I, you know, I just needed that it wasn't, you know, I didn't need to know about my stroke counter. I didn't need to know like, Hey, you probably need to enter the water this or remember about this. It was just like, hey, remember who you are. And I'm like, yeah. And so that's, you know, I appreciate Tom for doing that. I'm assuming that's kind of, again, I know you're trying to stay in your lane, but I assume that that is sort of Part of your, I don't wanna say job description, but that's just sort of what needs to happen. Right.

Ben Potenziano:

Right. I think I think you're on the head is like, we're all human. We have our flaws. They're here for a reason, right? Or you all three of us would be playing this game if it was that easy. It's not. It's not. Yeah, I don't know if you've ever stood in to a 95 mile per hour fastball. It's, it's scary as hell. I mean, because all you hear is wits. And there it is. And that's, that's my point. Try to hit that. And then try to hit it when it's doing this. And this Yeah. So. Okay, now you kind of look at that you go. We're all human. It's trying to help them just understand that it's okay to fail. But then you got to get back on. Like, I've had a manageable wash this off, wash it off today, because tomorrow's a new day. And then we got to face it. So it's just like anything. It's like, how do you get guys to motivate themselves to get back out to do it again, like your point to is like, it's hard. But you're because I love to do what you guys are doing. And my goal is to do a sprint one day, I'd love to try that. And I'm not a real good swimmer, I've got to get back into trying and doing better at that. So that's yeah, that's my wall that I gotta get through. And how am I gonna get through that? That's maybe where you guys can help me? Yeah. For them. It's to understand it's a difficult task, and how can we help them get through this every day? And the beatings that they take you go, Oh, eight, you know, it's not easy to swallow. So, men, it's just, it's something that you're there to just we're there to help them and just to be a shoulder to lean on, or just listen, because that's part of our job. We wear many hats. Yes, profession, you know, and we're not, we're not the fixer, you know, but we there, we are there to help you yet. We can fix some things, but we're there to really help you and be a mom or dad, just an ear. And that's what we're there for. That's how I've learned over the years is just be an extension to the other help that we can get you if you need it. And that's, that's how I look at this and you want to help. But you also got to know when to just sit back. Right? Do what we're doing. Yes. And listen.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, it's just it's a weird sport, right? Because if you think about it, you're successful lessons 50% of the time, and you're highly successful, right, the more times you're going to strike out, then you're gonna hit a ball. I mean, it's just It's unfathomable that the amount of mental like, like you said, you can go over aid. And you're still doing well, at least, you know, overall, right? It's just the most insane kind of thing. It's like, imagine going out to a sport where you know, you're gonna fail more times, and you're gonna succeed. Cool, you know, that's a difficult model. They go

Ben Potenziano:

back for more. And that's when I look at it is like, it's amazing that they love this game, right? They're here, because they love the game. They love playing the game. It's a great game. And it's hard as hell. And it's like, the grill good ones understand that, you know, they're gonna fail, but they're gonna come back out to beat your ass the next time. The good ones, you know, look at other pools, look at bonds, bonds knew he was gonna beat, you know, you can say what you want. And we understand that there's a shadow there, but that guy could hit and he was not afraid of anyone. And if you ever watch any of his videos, and just watch his approach, it's like he's looking at you like, I'm gonna kick your ass.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah. Yeah, my one. Yeah. One story about bonds is we went to a game, I used to live in Sacramento. So we went to the San Francisco game cool. And bonds, I think was fine. Third, and he did didn't walk to the base that he strutted. I mean, it was he owned it. I mean, it wasn't, it was a it was right, the cockiest walk I've ever seen ever. And then he just knocked on out of the park. Of course, you know, I think it was tied for fifth at the time. And it was just he owned it. I mean, it was, it was just an amazing sort of thing to watch.

Tom Regal:

That's a mental preparation for sure. We have to you have to have the confidence in yourself to almost to a point of being you know, over the top cocky and, and you see a lot of those guys at the top level of whatever sport that you're like, wow, they're kind of arrogant. It's like well, you know what he's standing against the 94 mile an hour fastball kind of have to be right. You have to you have to feel that you're going to crush it every single time. Yeah,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

watch. There was a YouTube videos. I don't know if he's watched those YouTube videos, but I think it was like a professional pitcher going up against the top five high school hitters in the US. And they got him in a batting cage. And you know, they he was slinging 9193 mile an hour fastball. And these are the best high school kids in the nation. And these kids were like, and he's telling them like, look, this is going to be a fastball like it's going to be and so they know what's coming and they I think one of them hit a base hit and it was like pandemonium, and just this even with good high school players, I mean, just adjusting to that. I guess we asked about the sports psychologist about that as well about adjusting to speed. Right. I think that's, that's something that, you know, as you progress into the majors, it's i You have to think that everything just keeps getting faster step faster, faster. At what point does it slow down? At what point? Do you feel like, like a bonds or somebody, you know, professional player where it kind of slows down, you can kind of anticipate what's going on that that, to me is a fascinating kind of thing.

Ben Potenziano:

I think it's like, it's like, like, you guys, right? It's repetition. And I think it's a matter of, like, I told you that that jump from every level, that's where like, okay, when you're drunk, you're around these kids, when you come to spring training. Okay, you guys were all the best in college in high school. That's, then guess what, then it starts to do this. There's a separation. Yeah. Because then you can't compete with these other guys. Because there's something different about everyone at that different level, right? It's just like when you know, you know, when you're alright, I'm out, man. And there's a point in time where like, do you keep going for it, then please, those guys in the minor leagues know when they, they get pushed out, you know, when you're done. And then those ones, the ones that can keep going up that level than from triple A, to here. Now we have a young man that just came up, he went to Vanderbilt today. And I'm watching him right now. And it's impressive. To see that he was in AAA, he came here. His adjustment to me has been easier, so to speak. Because when I watched his approach, he is like, to me, it's like he's already been here. I'm looking at it going, like you've been here. It's like you've stepped into this, whether you're mining mindfulness to it, or your mindset is like, what your approach is, like an aggressive approach, like, he's gonna get his first hit his first home run already. It's awesome. The way it's out of the way. Right, what 10 games? It's done. So now I'm watching him, and then I watched him defensively. I'm like, this kid could stay here. It's, that's the difference. That's what I look at. And I go, what makes him different? And you know, what makes that different from everyone else? And it's like, where did they learn this? Where did where did you obtain to do this? Again, at the mind, I'm sure the sports psychologist wants to told you things about the mind is, yeah, well,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

I mean, kids coming from Vandy to write and that's a powerhouse program. I'm assuming, like, you look at the Alabama football team, and I know everybody in sec hates when I bring up Alabama, because you know, we're in Tennessee. I get it. I keep doing it. But it's what's impressive, is towards the end of the season, you're not watching eight or 10. You know, people in positions that are college, they're now their NFL players at this point, right? Like the whole line is going to the NFL. So I think you know, like you said on the preparedness, they're already at the NFL level. Now it's just a matter of you know, everything gets a little faster to your point there. They're lining up against an outside linebacker that's 33. It's done this a lot. And we're probably knocked on your ass at least a dozen times during that game before you figure it out. But there that program is already developing Georgia's the same way. You've seen these programs that are Vandy for baseball. I mean, they're, they're, you know, worlds College World Series Baseball teams, that kid is prepared when he comes in, I'm assuming. Right?

Ben Potenziano:

Right. That's, I think you look at why you were thinking this. I was also thinking, you know, we're kids coming from, how are they being trained? How are they now is here's an here's a thing to look at, like, we talked about this, Dominican kids, right? They're not coming from much most of them are not coming from much. It's a good point, that when their development, how many of them have access to a gym now. And then think about this. Now these kids, the way off the island is to throw 100 miles an hour or be able to hit and field. So a lot of those kids and that's why there's academies down in the Dominican for every team has an academy, because they want to develop those kids. And now we realized over the years, that we can train them. So when they come when they come from the Dominican league to here, they're already going to be able to understand what it is to lift to train properly to eat properly. Before it wasn't. And I still think there's a lack because how they develop and how they learn the game. That's key at this level because think about it guys. You probably have to understand you're running you're biking, you're swimming, you have to understand that your technique is important because it can take off seconds right? Oh, absolutely. So this for them to understand the game to understand like, okay, went stealing pathways reading a fly, but all those things that maybe they're not developing quickly enough or under Standing. I'm not saying that they're slower than, you know, people, everyone's different. So I'm just wondering, in the Dominican and in Word in these academies, we've got to develop them more, we got to teach them more gravitate to doing that more. And I know we are. But I think there's, there's still room for that to grow. So that's part of my point here is like, developing these kids. It's sometimes it takes longer, right? And maybe here in the States, I don't know, I'm not saying we have all the answers here. But maybe

Kenny Bailey<br>:

you've got a great point. I mean, Americans producing you know, in conditions that are less than ideal, are conducted, you know, producing some of the best players in the world. So the question is, do you want somebody hungry? Or do you want somebody talented? Right? Interesting.

Ben Potenziano:

Yeah. And you guys tell me sometimes hunger desire can can trump tell you? Way,

Tom Regal:

way, when you're looking at long longevity, yeah, versus short. Like you can, you can have a little bit for short term. But the longevity has to be that hunger has to be that desire to keep pursuing to keep learning to keep pushing, more and more and more so.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

But there's also I think there's a there's a very real aspect of, you know, when we talk to folks, there's a difference between I'm playing baseball, my parents, you know, I can get a CPA job or I can get a job in my dad's law firm versus my family, my family's family, my extended family is relying on me to hit a ball really well, that that will give you a level of hunger. Of I need to get out of this because it's not just me, but it's my extended me that needs to get out of this, which is a lot different than Well, if I fail, I still have my, you know, my I can still get a job at my dad's law firm. Right? Right.

Ben Potenziano:

Right. So we go, guys, I think you understand this as well as it being content is not something I think we all want. Some people are at this level, you know, that's the thing, guaranteed money, and I'm not going to bash that industry that's helped me but this, this flaws in every industry and everything. I think when you look at it's like, guaranteed money can take take things away sometimes. But I'm not saying all players are like that. Sometimes it can just shadow it enough, sometimes, you know, and then those that are the want to get those big contracts. It takes time to get there. And that's why I said you've got to really prove yourself get to that point.

Tom Regal:

Yeah, you've seen it through its personalities. We've seen it in every single sport, and even in entertainment, you know, with bands that signed a big contract, and all of a sudden, yeah, the desire to put out the music is not there anymore. They're not as angry as they were, you know, making the music that made them popular, and all of a sudden, yeah, I'm a little soft. And now it's like, well, yeah, it's not really what it was. And you get you get all of that I've always said that the the best triathletes are people who have a mindset of operations, right, if you're an operations person, you will love the sport of triathlon, because you have to efficiently get from one sport to the next. And, and, and most people that I know in operations, love to do that. They're like, Oh, it's fantastic. I did my first triathlon and I figured out, okay, here's what I need to tweak to be more efficient to transition and transition to the bike from the swim. And then from here to the run, they start putting the pieces together, and it's all about efficiencies, like, I'm not going to powerhouse this thing, you know, I'm going to, you know, be as mechanically efficient, and, and, you know, and fueling efficiently to get through the whole race. And then I can push a little further, and the distances can be a little bit harder. And I can kind of go through all of this. And you have to have that mindset. I don't know, the mindset for baseball, you have to, it's probably similar to that in certain aspects. But there has to be a different, I don't know, statistical approach or something on it, where you have to be able to pick apart each pitch, you have to be able to, like take the whole game out of it at a moment and know that this pitch in this situation is almost like chess, right? It's a chess match, like, guys, on what basis at what point this hitter does what type of thing, you know, they always tend to hit this way on this type of pitch. So then you're going to throw around that, but then you have to stage the guys to shift over at certain point. It's just it's a strategy type of game. So So, guys, we're the personality that, you know, love strategy will probably be a better baseball player, maybe than they are a triathlete. You know, at least in the long term. I don't know. That's just I love watching the personalities that sit behind it. So they still consider our sport punishment for your sport. So I make you run. You missed up, go run, go run a lap.

Ben Potenziano:

It's funny with a baseball is a game a game of adjustments, right? You have to adjust to everything. You adjust to a fastball changeup, a slider, a curveball. And how do you recognize that at 60 feet two inches away, right. How do you recognize that As a gamer, just as it gets this repetition, it's like you have to recognize, and it's still amazing to me that. Here's the other thing too. hitters can pick up when a pitcher might be tipping, now tipping, meaning, you know that maybe he's moving his hands differently, or he comes here brings the club's closer when he's going to throw this pitch or this. And that happened to us. We were we, we were at home. And one of the teams picked up on one of our pitches doing a crushed him for two innings. And we were, he was being told this as well. And then you had to make the adjustment, and then it settled down a little bit, but the damage was already done. Yeah. But again, it's a game of adjustments. And you make that great point. It's like, how do you make those adjustments and the good ones, find ways they reading pitcher's watching video, all of those things, it's, it's a system, a systematic approach, like you just said, these guys are creatures of habit. They come here, they eat, they change, they go to the training room, they go to the weight room, they go to the batting cage, they go to their meeting, they go look at Phil, and then they go to the bat, and then they go hit BP, then they come in, they grab a snack, they take it or they shower, take a snack, get into uniform, prep, warm up again, play the game. It's it's a regimen. It's a ritual, it's a ritual like this, it's a ritual. So like you guys, it's their mindset is like I do this to get ready for this, and then I will be ready to do my job. And, and it's interesting to even get I wish I had maybe I'd love to get maybe one of our players to talk to you one day, because then you can ask those questions, specifically, what it is to get their mindset to where it needs to be to face Matt Scherzer. Or, or whoever else. One of the great ones that are out here right now or any pitcher, because it's a challenge every day. It's truly a challenge. Yeah, it's amazing.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

And it's baseball is the most interesting because it's it was telling us about my son was playing baseball in his younger it's it's the most selfish team sport you can find, right? Because it's a pitcher with a batter. Right? You're, you're the only one on first, right? So you're you're at a team sport, but the whole stadium is watching one person, you know, pitch against one person, right? It's an interesting kind of thing. But you have to play as a team. And obviously, as a team, it's, it's incredibly important, but it's a one on one match. It's like watching one on one basketball, everybody else's kind of goes up and then if the if the ball gets off the rim, then you go play but it's an interesting kind of dynamic that occurs. It's a team sport, but it's it's the most individualistic team sport you can find it's cracking me up. I love it. I mean, that's what's fun about it, right?

Ben Potenziano:

That's true. It's like that pitcher needs you behind him, right? Because he Oh, absolutely. Right. It's like, it's one on one until the balls hit. Exactly, then

Tom Regal:

then. Count on everybody. It's

Ben Potenziano:

crazy. It's amazing to watch. Watch it all happen. Because then how does everything come to place? You know, the ball being hit. Really cut off all of it. You know, you watch the baseball, you hit

Kenny Bailey<br>:

a double. I mean, when you get a double play and you're just like that was just beautiful, right? It's a hop off a second, you know, in the air throw to first get the other out. You're just like, I'm watching little league baseball right now in our shop. And it's been it's been fun to watch the kids. And the excitement for it's incredible. They got some kid with a mullet I think was like for Oh my god. Do you see he's got the most glorious mullet I've ever seen in my life. So

Ben Potenziano:

it's fun to watch them because they don't they bring up it's because we had it on last night in there. Before the game. We have watched it and these kids are just loving it. Right? Yeah, the joy of everything that comes with it. And that's what makes the game fun. Because these guys are like kids they do. I mean, it's exciting. It's fun when the good things happen. And when the crap happens, well, we all get to eat it, you just deal with it. Let's move on to the next one. You know, there'll be another one tomorrow. There's another one the next day. So it's it's the way the game is it's it's grueling. It's taxing, but you know, it has some great rewards to it and a lot of good things can come from this game. It can. It really does. Like your sport as well. I mean, you're yours is grueling as well.

Tom Regal:

It can be very grueling. But it's yeah, it's all it's all good. It's just like it's being active. It's that's the one thing we try to relate to our our viewers and listeners is being active and inactive lifestyle is getting out there and doing things and we consider everyone an athlete. So we say who's an athlete, everyone's an athlete. We're at different levels, you know, pro right professional ballplayer versus me Yeah, big, big gap, big gap in that sense. But the idea is that you know, just to be active, find something that you love doing. And you know, even if it's a pickup a pickup game of baseball with, you know, local, you know, local friends and something like that, just do something, get out there, keep moving because that's, that's how we're going to age a little more gracefully. A little more. Yeah, we have to have a little bit of dignity as we age up and move on with this. So that's why we keep doing everything by then. Thank you so much for being here. This has been fantastic. Thank you guys looking forward to this for a while. So

Ben Potenziano:

if we can connect another way. Or if you'd like to do something different down the road shout, I know you got.

Tom Regal:

Wow, no, we definitely want to revisit some of the stuff and get into other things. as well. I mean, there's lots of stuff we didn't we didn't talk about the type of strength and conditioning that needs to happen for baseball, I'd love to get into that a little bit down the line. So we'd love to have you back on at some point. And this is where I get to do my my fun taglines for everybody. So thanks for listening everyone and watching on our YouTube channel. I really appreciate all the comments and feedback, give us more. We'd love the thumbs up. You know, the five stars, the ratings are good to help the algorithms. It gets it out some more people can get our wonderful, our wonderful content, and our wonderful guests. So thank you so much, Kenny. Thanks so much, Ben. Really appreciate. Appreciate you, man.

Ben Potenziano:

I appreciate it.

Tom Regal:

It's all good. And we'll catch everybody on the next one.

Ben Potenziano:

Take care guys.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

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Tom Regal:

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Kenny Bailey<br>:

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