Episode 235
2024 NY Sports Highlights; Remembering Ricky Henderson
Hosts Mike Guidone and Chris Caputo begin with a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Ricky Henderson, who recently passed away. Pat Mahomes, a former New York Mets pitcher and father of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shares personal anecdotes about playing alongside Henderson and the profound impact he had on his teammates and the game itself. The discussion highlights Henderson's incredible achievements, including his record-breaking stolen bases and his larger-than-life personality that made him a beloved figure in baseball. The hosts also reflect on the New York sports scene, sharing their top moments from the past year, including the Mets' signing of Juan Soto and the Liberty's WNBA championship victory. With insights from various guests and lively conversations, this episode captures the spirit of sports nostalgia and the importance of mentorship in athletics.
Show Notes
Hosts Mike Guidone and Chris Caputo embark on a reflective journey through the world of New York sports, capturing the essence of the past year while celebrating the holiday spirit. Hosts Mike and Chris seamlessly blend personal anecdotes with professional insights, fostering a vibrant discussion that resonates deeply with fans of all ages. Opening with a cheerful greeting, the hosts extend warm holiday wishes and dive into the sports stories that shaped 2024. Their excitement is palpable as they analyze the Mets' blockbuster signing of Juan Soto, a pivotal moment that reverberated throughout the league and sparked discussions about the future trajectory of the team. The conversation highlights the strategic implications of such trades, showing how they can redefine a franchise’s identity and elevate team morale.
As the episode progresses, the hosts delve into their top five memorable moments from the year, each sharing unique perspectives that reflect their individual connections to the teams. From thrilling games to unexpected player performances, the highlights they discuss offer a tapestry of emotions that fans can relate to. A central theme emerges around the impact of legendary players, particularly Rickey Henderson, whose recent passing is poignantly remembered by Pat Mahomes. His heartfelt stories from their time together in the Mets' clubhouse convey the warmth and wisdom Henderson brought, making it evident that he was not just an extraordinary athlete but also a beloved mentor and friend. The hosts share laughter and admiration for Henderson’s quirks, illuminating his larger-than-life personality that left a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to know him.
The show also addresses the ongoing challenges faced by the New York Jets, examining the reasons behind their struggles and the potential for a brighter future. The hosts emphasize the importance of resilience, teamwork, and the influence of experienced players in fostering a winning culture. As they draw the episode to a close, a sense of hope and anticipation lingers in the air, with the hosts encouraging listeners to embrace the new year with optimism. This episode encapsulates the spirit of sports, blending personal stories, heartfelt tributes, and insightful analysis, ultimately celebrating the joy and camaraderie that sports bring to our lives.
Transcript
The views expressed in the following program.
Chris Caputo:Do not necessarily represent those of the.
John Santa Maria:Staff, management or owners of wgbb.
Pat Mahomes:Live from the WGPB studios in Merrick.
Mike Winon:New York, this is SPORTS Talk New York.
Chris Caputo: ong Island, New York, this is: Chris Caputo:I'm your host Mike Winon, joined as always by my co host, the man we call Cappy, Chris Caputo.
Chris Caputo:It's an amazing Sunday night.
Chris Caputo:We got a lot to get to on a chilly, frigid holiday weekend.
Chris Caputo:Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Hanukkah coming up as well.
Chris Caputo:The day after Christmas this year, Cap, as they used to say in the in the 70s, reunited and it feels so good.
Chris Caputo:It's been a while.
Pat Mahomes:It has.
Pat Mahomes:A couple weeks ago didn't have you here and I felt a little bit so called naked as I was trying to determine where Juan Soto would go.
Pat Mahomes:And on the air, you know, we kind of thought it wasn't going to go that way.
Pat Mahomes:And two hours later you and I are texting about the way that things run down and the three quarters of a billion dollars that get sent somebody's way.
Pat Mahomes:So I'm excited.
Pat Mahomes:Tonight we have pretty big show.
Pat Mahomes:We got Brian Graves on the other side of the glass leading us and getting ready for a year in review.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Chris Caputo:Year in review.
Chris Caputo:But since you are the one that has basically broken our star guests later on tonight, why don't you tell everybody what we got going on.
Pat Mahomes:All right.
Pat Mahomes:So first we'll have John Santa Maria talking some islanders.
Pat Mahomes: s, early: Pat Mahomes:He's going to come on to talk about the death of Rickey Henderson and some of the stories that they had in the Mets clubhouse.
Pat Mahomes:So Pat Mahomes, yes, the name is the father Kansas City Chiefs quarterback.
Chris Caputo:He has some famous offspring.
Chris Caputo:Yes.
Pat Mahomes:He could talk super bowl with us and he could talk World Series.
Pat Mahomes:So he'll be joining us around 8:30.
Pat Mahomes:So stay tuned.
Pat Mahomes:Kick your feet up, have a drink, put the fire on.
Pat Mahomes:And and we're going to talk if you guys want to call in a little bit later before the break.
Pat Mahomes: -: Chris Caputo:Yeah, as you mentioned, Cap, you know, the top sports stories we were talking off the air trying to come up with our top five really not stories, but Moments.
Chris Caputo:And we wanted to keep it very positive because, I mean, listen, we could go right now and talk about both the jets and the Giants and the disasters, unfortunately, that they've been for so long.
Chris Caputo:And you know, some of the other, I think you mentioned the Freddie Freeman grand slam against the Yankees, you know, those moments or those, those stories stick out, but really, really about moments.
Chris Caputo:So, I mean, obviously you and I are both very excited about Juan Soto to the Mets, would you say right now, you know, as we close out 24, that's the top story, top moment.
Pat Mahomes:That's my number one.
Pat Mahomes:If you want me to start with number one.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, start with number one.
Pat Mahomes:I got Mets signing Juan Soto, which was two weeks ago today, 765, which could go up to 8 million.
Chris Caputo:Now, not to say that it's not going to go up to that, but the opt out is after how many years?
Pat Mahomes:Five years.
Pat Mahomes:Which the Mets I believe, given 70 something as a signing bonus.
Pat Mahomes:So you're still looking at 70 plus 40 something a year.
Pat Mahomes:So the Mets would have paid close to $300 million after five years of that 765 to 805.
Chris Caputo:Well, listen, if he delivers a World Series championship, then it's worth every single.
Pat Mahomes:I mean, but the thing is, Mike, if he tries to opt out after five years, the Met and then put that clause in to make him give him an extra $4 million.
Pat Mahomes:But if he's playing well enough, where's he going?
Pat Mahomes:He's going to try to get out.
Pat Mahomes:The Mets will pay, pay him the extra $4 million a year.
Pat Mahomes:And if he's not playing well enough, okay, like the Mets could get out and he's going to go get the money elsewhere.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Pat Mahomes:I think he's staying.
Chris Caputo:I, it's amazing.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, well, listen, he's got a, got a lot of reasons to stay for the long term.
Chris Caputo:You know, neither of us are Yankee fans.
Chris Caputo:You know, we're not Yankee haters.
Chris Caputo:But I think it's funny at this time how you hear, you know, all the Yankee fans, oh, you know, he was such a bad teammate and we, no one should pay that much for a player.
Chris Caputo:I mean, had he signed with the Yankees, how much less would he have taken?
Chris Caputo:$5 million.
Pat Mahomes:That's what it sounds like, 5 million.
Pat Mahomes:But it would have been an extra year.
Pat Mahomes:You know, I don't know.
Pat Mahomes:People can kind of go back and forth.
Pat Mahomes:Was it something where the Yankees wouldn't allow him to have a sweep because Aaron Judge didn't get a suite and the security didn't allow Soto's family to walk in certain parts of Yankee Stadium.
Pat Mahomes:And the Mets are giving him a suite and the Mets are giving him stuff.
Pat Mahomes:And I don't know how much that had to do with it, but I know that when it came, push came to shove, that Uncle Stevie stepped up and said, whatever you need, I'll give it to you.
Chris Caputo:And I don't think he's done yet.
Pat Mahomes:Well, we'll see because there's a big push that has gone on for first baseman and a lot of them have left, you know, Goldschmidt.
Pat Mahomes:You gotta give the Yankees some credit after that.
Pat Mahomes:They've kind of pushed themselves to the side and said, okay, we're going to go after in a trade, get themselves Bellinger, get themselves a first baseman at Goldschmidt.
Pat Mahomes:He is 37 years old.
Pat Mahomes:Okay, one year deal.
Pat Mahomes:It's kind of like them getting the Mets last year, going after J.D.
Pat Mahomes:martinez, kind of a one year thing.
Pat Mahomes:And they got themselves another starter.
Pat Mahomes:They got themselves a reliever, a great reliever from the brewers in Williams and.
Pat Mahomes:And you know, I think they did a nice job in kind of regrouping.
Pat Mahomes:They now have four MVPs, former MVPs, wild on their roster with Judge and Stanton and Bellinger, and now, you know, adding Goldschmidt at first base.
Pat Mahomes:So I think they've done a pretty good job there.
Pat Mahomes:What else did you have on your list?
Chris Caputo:Well, before we bring on John, maybe we'll go two and maybe three.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, that's fine.
Chris Caputo:My second one was the Yankees making the World Series.
Chris Caputo:I thought that was, you know, a great moment because really when you're in the championship round, I don't want to give away my.
Chris Caputo:One of my deep ones.
Chris Caputo:But there was a New York team that did win a championship.
Chris Caputo:But yeah, I think the Yankees making the World Series, did they crack your top five?
Pat Mahomes:I had the Soto three run homer against the guardians in the 10th inning against Gaddis as my number three.
Pat Mahomes:I really felt like that was a huge moment, you know, making the World Series, I guess as part of that.
Chris Caputo:Was your number two a Met home run by any chance?
Pat Mahomes:It was a Met home run.
Chris Caputo:I'm dying to know which one.
Pat Mahomes:I'll leave you in suspense.
Chris Caputo:All right.
Chris Caputo:All right.
Chris Caputo:Well, when we come back later.
Chris Caputo:So that was my number three.
Pat Mahomes:I could guess where one of your other ones is.
Pat Mahomes:And that's my number five.
Pat Mahomes:Includes a title as well.
Chris Caputo:That sounds good.
Chris Caputo:But before we get to that, we're going to bring on our old friend John Santa Maria.
Chris Caputo:John's going to be talking about tonight.
Chris Caputo:Our little bit of jets talk quickly.
Chris Caputo: here we're looking going into: Chris Caputo:Johnny Sticks, as we call him.
Chris Caputo:Welcome to the program.
Chris Caputo:How you doing, John?
John Santa Maria:Hey.
John Santa Maria:Just hearing the end of that baseball chatter.
John Santa Maria:It's like you had the Yankees on the top five list as number two going to the World Series.
John Santa Maria:I felt like that was just a must, the way the playoffs were going.
John Santa Maria:So that's a tough sell for me.
John Santa Maria:But I just felt like the way things were drawn up by then, you knew was probably going to happen unless something crazy unfolded.
Chris Caputo:Exactly.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, I would, but I have.
Chris Caputo:I'll tell you, I agree with you in that respect, but I think to be true to my Yankee fan friends, you know, that's big for them, making the World Series, even though it was real.
John Santa Maria:Of course, it's just the American League.
John Santa Maria:I haven't seen the American League this week.
John Santa Maria:Very long time.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Pat Mahomes: ,: Pat Mahomes:Is broken up over kind of two seasons.
Pat Mahomes:So I guess before we, you know, we're going to talk about the jets, but before we go into that, just give like a.
Pat Mahomes:I don't know, a grade or a.
Pat Mahomes: An idea of what: Pat Mahomes:What would you give them for the ending of last year?
John Santa Maria:I could say probably the whole.
John Santa Maria:The whole.
John Santa Maria:Give me.
John Santa Maria:Okay, so let's go back to last year first.
John Santa Maria:I mean, I study.
John Santa Maria:I think Patrick Walk came in.
John Santa Maria:Obviously it was January.
John Santa Maria:It'll be a year in a couple of weeks.
Pat Mahomes:Wow.
John Santa Maria:That's what I'm saying.
John Santa Maria:And that's what's up.
John Santa Maria:Because I know what you're thinking about when everything free fall with Lane Lambert, that was probably only a couple of weeks into the calendar year, so.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:But overall, the whole calendar year, if you want to say, full of inconsistency.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
John Santa Maria: est way to Describe the whole: Pat Mahomes:Yeah, it's up, up and down.
Pat Mahomes:I give them like a BC rating because.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:And the only thing right now is where it's like you get Patrick Wall a little bit of a pass is that they were floundered with injuries last month and now everybody just came back.
John Santa Maria:So the way, the way I'm looking at things now as they go into the Christmas break, after tomorrow you beat Buffalo, you go over 500.
John Santa Maria:It looks for you a few days to regroup.
John Santa Maria:Who knows, maybe Semyon Varlamov will come back.
John Santa Maria:Who knows what's going to happen there.
John Santa Maria:But you get guys a little bit more rest, a little bit more health.
John Santa Maria:2025 could either be on the upswing, they can figure it out, or we're going to talk about how many draft picks we're going to assemble for independent free agents in March.
Pat Mahomes:That's true.
John Santa Maria:It's going to go one of two ways very fast.
Chris Caputo:Well, I thought last night was very important because as you mentioned, pretty much everybody back, you know, a really, really solid game.
Chris Caputo:All the things that lead into the Christmas break, as you just mentioned.
Chris Caputo: his goodwill really goes into: Chris Caputo:You know, I've been to a couple of games in person this year.
Chris Caputo:I have to say that, you know, the crowds decent, you know, the one I went to, it was a little bit disappointing, but that was, that was a midweek game.
Chris Caputo:But I think, you know, like always, the fans are just ready to erupt for this team.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:And I don't think that's changed.
John Santa Maria:I'm sure I'm going tomorrow night.
John Santa Maria:I'm sure there's going to be a good crowd.
John Santa Maria:I've got a couple of games myself too.
John Santa Maria:Crowds were up and down.
John Santa Maria:I mean the only downside I'll give.
Mike Winon:With the crowd is.
John Santa Maria:And this is, this is just a part of everybody's life.
John Santa Maria:You're trying to, especially with the holiday season right now.
John Santa Maria:You're trying to squeeze a lot in.
John Santa Maria:There was only a three week gap from Thanksgiving to Nat.
John Santa Maria:So to be fair, so I'm going to give people a bonus for that.
John Santa Maria:So you're hoping now tomorrow and then after Christmas you start to see the, the crowds pick back up and pretty much get going with business.
John Santa Maria:But again, yeah, same thing.
John Santa Maria:Hoping that this could be a turn of things.
John Santa Maria:We didn't really get to see too much yet of Anthony Duclair because he got hurt so early in the season.
John Santa Maria:So I still feel we don't know what this team is as a whole, but I do know as if we do see a lot of this inconsistency.
John Santa Maria:I think there's going to be some big changes coming, specifically looking at Palmieri, looking at Brock Nelson, two pending free agents you could probably get high draft picks for.
John Santa Maria:And I think either way, whatever folds, even if it's another playoff appearance in a one round and done or one of those situations again, I think ownership's going to have to take a hard look at the front office and maybe time to part Ways with Lou lamarello.
Mike Winon:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:He's certainly been given enough time and has guided the team, you know, admirably, at least to, as you mentioned, these kind of early playoff exits or you know, one round.
Chris Caputo:I thought bringing in Patrick Waugh was a fantastic move on his part back.
Chris Caputo:I think last year when we were talking about this, neither of us were really sure was it going to be past the end of last season and certainly he made it known that he wanted to stay and put his stamp on the team and they're still struggling.
Chris Caputo:Obviously power play is power play and penalty killing seems to be the Achilles heel always for the Islanders.
Chris Caputo:But with the full group back.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Chris Caputo:We'll kind of see where that goes.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:And I think we'll get a better look at some things.
John Santa Maria:But he did the right thing.
John Santa Maria:I think because of the way Kings finished last year, keeping John McLean onto on the power play.
John Santa Maria:I expect to change there regardless.
John Santa Maria:And even if something major does change up at the top, I don't think that's going to impact Patrick Mough.
John Santa Maria:I think they are going to set the front office up the way he wants it because I think they ownership believes in him coaching.
John Santa Maria:They did extend him obviously when he was after last season or whatever, whatever his contract situation was.
John Santa Maria:So I don't think this is going to be a total cleanup.
Chris Caputo:Right.
John Santa Maria:Because I don't think this is.
John Santa Maria:This has to do with his style of coaching.
John Santa Maria:I think it's a matter of aligning things to the way he wants to, especially because more of the big picture than anything.
John Santa Maria:And this is where the island has got really exposed.
John Santa Maria:There's no talent in Bridgeport.
John Santa Maria:There's nothing to really talk about.
John Santa Maria:You got to develop some pieces as well too.
John Santa Maria:So it's time to really look at things on a player development side.
Chris Caputo:There's nothing period in Bridgeport other than that nice arena.
Chris Caputo:Don't ever go.
John Santa Maria:No, no, no, no.
Chris Caputo:Kevin and I both spent a lot of time at the University of Bridgeport coaching games.
Chris Caputo:That is a scary town.
John Santa Maria:Yes.
Chris Caputo:To spend time there.
Chris Caputo:I'd want to be as big and tough as a hockey player, I'll tell you that.
Chris Caputo:No offense, Connecticut to those of you listening.
John Santa Maria:No, I know, I know.
John Santa Maria:But seriously, there's players in college hockey, but again, it's not as clear cut people.
John Santa Maria:I was talking about this with some people.
John Santa Maria:I know him.
John Santa Maria:There's no clear cut path to getting drafted and then going to the NHL.
John Santa Maria:There's all these different paths.
John Santa Maria:Some go to college.
John Santa Maria:It's very confusing.
John Santa Maria:I don't even know the Right.
John Santa Maria:Way to explain it.
John Santa Maria:But they have rights to players in college, they have rights to players in junior hockey, but you don't know when they're going to be ready.
John Santa Maria:You don't look how long it took Sorokin to get here from Russia.
Pat Mahomes:Right.
John Santa Maria:So it's not as clear cut and dry as a sport like baseball.
Chris Caputo:Exactly.
Pat Mahomes:Again, we're talking to John Santa Maria here.
Pat Mahomes:We'll talk some.
Pat Mahomes:I'll just switch it over to the jets in a minute.
Pat Mahomes:One more question about the Islanders.
Pat Mahomes:Do you think.
Pat Mahomes:I mean, at this point they're a little bit under.500.
Pat Mahomes:I know we're talking about that.
Pat Mahomes:Do you think that maybe the Islanders haven't heard as much of the negativity because the Rangers really have dipped just even worse than the Islanders in the last 15, 16 games.
Pat Mahomes:So now they're at.500.
Pat Mahomes:Do you think maybe both teams being a little malaise has kind of kept some of the pressure off the Islanders and maybe even Lou lamarillo.
John Santa Maria:I think the Rangers are clearly the most disappointing team in the national this year.
John Santa Maria:And with that roster and the expectations coming off last year's conference finals.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:The spotlight has to be on Madison Square Garden and everything that's been going on there and at least do all this.
John Santa Maria:You're not hearing about that.
John Santa Maria:There's drama in the locker room or whatever.
John Santa Maria:It seems like Patrick Law is riding this through a steady ship with the injuries.
John Santa Maria:It doesn't seem like, and I probably have mentioned this on here, this is not the first, second or third time we've seen a Peter Laviolette team have issues like this.
John Santa Maria:I mean, how quickly as he wore his walking out, even when he was here on the island coaching the Islands.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
Pat Mahomes:One good year, one bad year.
John Santa Maria:And when you say bad now, assistant coach Michael Pekka pretty much pushed him.
Pat Mahomes:Out the door, number 27.
Chris Caputo:So let's, let's change gears.
Chris Caputo:We'll go to the jets, you know, and.
John Santa Maria:Oh, boy.
Pat Mahomes:No.
Chris Caputo:Well, we'll set this.
Pat Mahomes:You want to talk about Brent Sutter's number or making the Islanders hall of Fame?
Chris Caputo:We'll set this.
Chris Caputo:Funny, John, I just was thinking before we came in how you and I, you know, one of the first shows of this kind of football calendar year we were talking, we went through jets record game by game.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:And it's just unbelievable.
Chris Caputo:Here's a pretty interesting stat though.
Chris Caputo:Most losses this year in the NFL when leading in the fourth quarter, the jets have six.
Chris Caputo:They're leading with six.
Chris Caputo:49ers, four Jaguars, Texans.
Chris Caputo:But you Know, I think that's an interesting stat.
Chris Caputo:And rather than go through all the causes of why this season has been such a disaster and whatever else, maybe we can take the tact of looking forward to next year, who stays, who goes, and maybe get your thoughts also on.
Chris Caputo:They have the search committee, whatever you want to call it, the group that's leading up this search for the 33.
John Santa Maria:Team, led by Mike Tanenbaum, which is.
Chris Caputo:Pretty amazing when you think I had to kind of do a little research when I heard about that.
Chris Caputo:But that's a solid group they got in there, so.
John Santa Maria:Oh, yeah.
Chris Caputo:All right.
Chris Caputo:If you had to say today, give it a.
Chris Caputo:Give it a percentage that Aaron Rodgers is back leading this team next year.
Chris Caputo:You confident?
Mike Winon:I didn't.
John Santa Maria:Actually, I did not.
John Santa Maria:I've been thinking about this more and watching the games today.
John Santa Maria:So look at what unfolded as well.
John Santa Maria:The Giants lost again.
John Santa Maria:The Raiders won.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:Okay.
John Santa Maria:Tennessee lost again.
John Santa Maria:So the Giants are in position for the number one pick.
Chris Caputo:Right.
John Santa Maria:They're going to probably take Deion's son, Deion Sanders son.
Mike Winon:Should.
John Santa Maria:Our Sanders.
Chris Caputo:You got me shaking here.
Chris Caputo:That's all right.
Pat Mahomes:Well, okay.
John Santa Maria:So.
Chris Caputo:Only because, boy, talk about high risk.
Chris Caputo:And, you know, the point is, the.
John Santa Maria:Jets do not need that in there.
John Santa Maria:In there.
John Santa Maria:That's what they do not need.
Chris Caputo:Goodness.
John Santa Maria:And really, when you look at it, there's only two quarterbacks projected to go in the first round, right.
John Santa Maria:Sanders and Cam Ward at Miami.
John Santa Maria:So the things went down today.
John Santa Maria:The Raiders slipped all the way down to number six because they won the game.
John Santa Maria:And you know what?
John Santa Maria:I don't.
John Santa Maria:Look at that nonsense.
John Santa Maria:You don't play for that stuff.
John Santa Maria:I ultimately think Sam Donald's going to sign it with Vegas.
John Santa Maria:I think that's where his next stop is going to be.
Chris Caputo:Wow.
John Santa Maria:And because they're going to cut his garden, she won't be back and all those guys won't be back.
John Santa Maria:I think they're going to throw money at him and rightfully, I think he should go back to Minnesota, but that's another story.
John Santa Maria:But I think he's going to get some crazy offer to go to Vegas and especially now with that wing.
Chris Caputo:Gotcha.
John Santa Maria:The other quarterback is Cam Ward from Miami.
John Santa Maria:He will probably end up now in Tennessee because the Titans are projected as of today to pick third.
John Santa Maria:When you look at the mock dress.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:New England lost again.
John Santa Maria:They're up in the two.
John Santa Maria:It's all those strength of schedules, tiebreakers.
John Santa Maria:So that's the work.
John Santa Maria:They will probably get Travis Hunter.
John Santa Maria:So right now the projections are Anders to the Giants, Travis Hunter to New England, Will Levis to.
John Santa Maria:I'm sorry.
John Santa Maria:Tam Ward to Tennessee.
John Santa Maria:Okay, what does that mean for the Jets?
John Santa Maria:It's not going to be another quarterback.
John Santa Maria:And if you're saying, well, why not Dylan Gabriel off his team in Oregon, who's going to potentially win the national championship, or a couple of these other quarterbacks, they're not first round material, the jets could probably get one of those guys later.
John Santa Maria:The point of all this that I'm trying to get to is that the way things are looking right now, it is probably in the jets best interest to have Aaron Rodgers back.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
John Santa Maria:Because first off, he's looked a lot more healthier.
John Santa Maria:What I think hurt them at the beginning of the year he was not healthy.
John Santa Maria:He did not look comfortable.
John Santa Maria:He looked like a 41.
John Santa Maria:But now he looks.
John Santa Maria:But John does looks ready to play now.
Pat Mahomes:But does he want to do this on and under the direction that the jets are going to say?
Pat Mahomes:You're going to have to tutor somebody.
John Santa Maria:Because you have said this week he would.
Pat Mahomes:Okay.
John Santa Maria:Because he already said on Pat McAfee show on Tuesday he is willing to come back knowing he's going to have two quarterbacks because Jordan Travis is on the team now as well, that he's going to have guys around him to mentor, which I think is awesome.
John Santa Maria:He came out and said that because remember, he was not on board when.
Pat Mahomes:They Jordan love not one bit.
John Santa Maria:And you remember right now he's 41 years old.
John Santa Maria:He knows he probably only has one more year left.
Chris Caputo:Right.
Pat Mahomes:And he was treated the same way by Brett Favre.
Pat Mahomes:So, you know, I think at some point he has to come to the understanding that he might be on the team next year.
Pat Mahomes:But it's not his team.
Pat Mahomes:It's his role to be a mentor to the next guy.
Pat Mahomes:And the jets have to have like.
John Santa Maria:This is like when Matt LaFleur was hired in Green Bay.
John Santa Maria:What's going to happen is offseason.
John Santa Maria:This is essential.
John Santa Maria:This feels like the transition from Mike McCarthy to Matt LaFleur in Green Bay.
John Santa Maria:What's happening here that you have a bad year.
John Santa Maria:McCarthy got fired mid season, if you remember.
Chris Caputo:Yes.
John Santa Maria:Then they went and changed the front office.
John Santa Maria:They hired Wolf.
John Santa Maria:Laura.
John Santa Maria:Things completely change and this is where I think it's going to lead to.
John Santa Maria:This job for the jets is apparently very appealing to a lot of candidates and they've already interviewed two former general managers, which two people I'm very impressed with.
John Santa Maria:Thomas Dimitrov, who ran the Falcons through the whole time.
John Santa Maria:Matt Ryan was There up until the last year.
John Santa Maria:And then John Robinson, who ran the Titans up until two years ago.
Chris Caputo:That was going to be my next question because you mentioned the Titans.
Chris Caputo:Mike Vrabel, would you consider him, you know, as.
Chris Caputo:As a fantastic fit for the Jets?
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:And I think with Vraple, you could hire him and then hire your gm.
Pat Mahomes:Right.
John Santa Maria:I think you could get away with hiring him and the gym very similar to what the Chargers did with Harbaugh.
John Santa Maria:But anyone else, you got to hire the general manager first.
John Santa Maria:There's a few guys out there with Nick Dolce experience, but not to the reputation of Rabel.
John Santa Maria:If you want Brable.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:He's on the right, I think, to make sure he's picked the gm.
John Santa Maria:And the good thing is if the jets are on board with Robinson for just say.
John Santa Maria:And because remember, he didn't fire Bradle.
Pat Mahomes:Right.
John Santa Maria:Robinson was gone first.
John Santa Maria:So they say we'll on board, both of us.
John Santa Maria:If they both come as a package and Robinson, this will be an easy search.
John Santa Maria:We'll do what we have to do politically through the Rooney rule.
John Santa Maria:But we're going to hire Rabel.
John Santa Maria:Sure.
John Santa Maria:I'm good with that.
John Santa Maria:I think Rabel would bring and even Robinson a different kind of culture.
John Santa Maria:Those guys drafted very well.
John Santa Maria:The only hiccup he had was trading AJ Brown, but I think they had different kinds of cap issues.
Chris Caputo:What'd you make of Rex Ryan Howardly campaigning for the job?
John Santa Maria:I think Rex Ryan is talking like a fan.
John Santa Maria:He loves the Jets.
John Santa Maria:He wants this team to do well.
John Santa Maria:But he's been gone for so long now.
John Santa Maria:Some coaching for so long.
John Santa Maria:This would be no different than when Jon Gruden was pulled out of Monday Night Football to go back to the Raiders.
Chris Caputo:Right.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:I think once they.
John Santa Maria:He's a little out of touch.
John Santa Maria:If Rex really wants the coach, go call the ufl, please.
Chris Caputo:Well, I know he, you know, he had.
Chris Caputo:He had talks with Dallas about being their defensive coordinator before the season started.
Chris Caputo:You know, you can see he's itching to get back into coaching.
Chris Caputo:I think that once, obviously once that the jets employed that search firm, it wasn't.
Chris Caputo:It wasn't.
Chris Caputo:They were never going back to the future, so to speak, to bring him in.
John Santa Maria:No, no, no, no, no.
John Santa Maria:And I think Mike Cannon also.
Chris Caputo:Oh, of course.
John Santa Maria:Well, yes, he has a job to do as a consultant.
Pat Mahomes:Right.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:There's no way he's.
Pat Mahomes:He's doing.
John Santa Maria:He's also doing Woody Favors.
John Santa Maria:Yes, I'm sure with this.
John Santa Maria:But he also wants, I'm sure, quietly too, as much as he has a consult, the consulting firm is doing a job he wants because I don't think he left the jets on bad terms.
John Santa Maria:He wants the best for Woody Johnson.
John Santa Maria:He wants the best for the Jets.
Chris Caputo:Well, if you read the paper this week, what was said about being the best for the jets along with Woody Johnson was the Madden ratings on players.
Chris Caputo:So I'll just say this real quick to people who are not familiar with this.
Chris Caputo:So the story broke, I don't know if it was such a story, but that over the off season they were looking at players and you know, Madden football ranks all the players.
Chris Caputo:And when they were discussing making a move for Jerry Judy, who's a decent wideout, it was said that Woody Johnson's kids told him that his Madden rating wasn't big enough and that's what squelched the deal.
Chris Caputo:I really hope that's not true.
John Santa Maria:I don't believe that.
Chris Caputo:You think somebody really who just had something to throw out there and see if it would stick.
John Santa Maria:Yeah, that's a crazy.
John Santa Maria:Jerry Judy.
John Santa Maria:I mean the reason why I wouldn't have wanted him, he's had a bunch of injuries.
John Santa Maria:Yeah, a bunch of serious injuries.
Chris Caputo:Just, just if an NFL franchise is being run like that or taking, taking those kinds of, that kind of advice, I think, you know, then, then they got bigger problems than who they're going to hire as their next general manager.
John Santa Maria:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:And I think even back to real talk with the general manager search, I think this time, and I think this is what, why where I think the search firm comes in broken handy is they will find them the right candidates.
John Santa Maria:I mean they did a good job with the commanders.
John Santa Maria:Look at where they are.
John Santa Maria:They hired the people.
John Santa Maria:But I think for the jets you got to put experience in both roles.
John Santa Maria:You got to put somebody who's been a general manager already in that role.
John Santa Maria:Yeah, they haven't had that.
John Santa Maria:They haven't had this boss else.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, that's, that's, that's a good point.
Chris Caputo:Well, John, as always, great points on both the jets and the Islanders.
Chris Caputo:We really appreciate it.
Chris Caputo:Both teams are going to be making some news as we get into the new year early and looking forward to having you back on to talk about both and have a great holiday, enjoy a little bit of time off from teaching and we look forward to talking to you again soon.
John Santa Maria:Sounds good.
John Santa Maria:And yes, we'll have more of the groundwork once the regular season comes to an end.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Chris Caputo:John Santa Maria, the man we call Johnny Sticks and also Johnny jets checking in tonight and we'll talk to you soon.
Chris Caputo:Thanks again, John.
Pat Mahomes:It's crazy.
Pat Mahomes:We had six wins so far.
Pat Mahomes:I believe in New York jets and New York Giants, but the big team I think in New York right now is Buffalo.
Pat Mahomes: king about our Top moments of: Pat Mahomes:I know our next guest probably wouldn't like it, but there's a pretty good shot that I could see the Buffalo Bills going to the Super Bowl.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, without a doubt.
Chris Caputo:Because they, they've been, you know, solid.
Chris Caputo:I love the fact, you know, barring any injuries because any, you know, as you see in Detroit now with the amount of injuries they have.
Chris Caputo:But yeah, the Bills have been from start to finish.
Chris Caputo:They haven't been lucky.
Chris Caputo:I think Kansas City's been a little lucky.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, you could say last minute field goals, block field goals, referees, whatever you want to say.
Pat Mahomes:You know, they found ways to win though, and they're winning a lot of games by less than 10 points.
Pat Mahomes:The Bills put up eight games of 30 plus points in a row and today fell one touchdown shy of doing a ninth game.
Pat Mahomes:But they are just phenomenal.
Pat Mahomes:Josh Allen has just been filling up the stat sheet.
Pat Mahomes:Their defense has actually been pretty good and you know, they could play in all types of weather.
Pat Mahomes:Cold weather, warm weather.
Pat Mahomes:And I think, you know, the next couple of weeks they're going to give the Chiefs a run for the number one overall seed.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:And it's almost like it's their.
Chris Caputo:They're the team of destiny, I think this year.
Chris Caputo:I mean, the playoffs are always there for.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, it's tough.
Pat Mahomes:Especially if you have to go to Kansas City to try to win that game.
Chris Caputo:Right.
Chris Caputo:I mean, both places though.
Chris Caputo:Kansas City, Buffalo.
Chris Caputo:The weather is in January is never.
Pat Mahomes:Always talking about possibly canceling the game, moving into a Monday.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Pat Mahomes:So we'll see.
Pat Mahomes:There was wind chills last year into Kansas City that were beyond belief.
Chris Caputo:By the way, have you seen the.
Chris Caputo:I don't know if you've.
Chris Caputo:I follow it and I'm sure you probably do too though, the new stadium in Buffalo that all the things that they're going to have.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
John Santa Maria:To.
Chris Caputo:For snow removal, for growing grass.
Chris Caputo:It's really unbelievable.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, it's going to be a big change up there.
Pat Mahomes:You know, my son right now was that he went to the game tonight, drove all the way up there and he loves those games and he's out there today.
Pat Mahomes:I think it was one of the 10th cold, 10 coldest games in NFL history.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
Pat Mahomes:Wow.
Pat Mahomes:Nine degrees.
Pat Mahomes:But you know, that wind chill just.
Chris Caputo:Oh, it's really drops.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, it's crazy.
Pat Mahomes:So before we go to break, I got at least one more mike that I throw on there.
Pat Mahomes:All right.
Pat Mahomes:My Mets number two moment obviously was also a Mets moment.
Pat Mahomes:I went with, he did it, he did it.
Pat Mahomes:Alonzo's home run against Milwaukee.
Pat Mahomes:Did you go the other way?
Chris Caputo:I went Lindor.
Pat Mahomes:So I just felt like the Mets were going to win if they went back to Philadelphia anyway.
Pat Mahomes:But that moment, like P.
Pat Mahomes:Alonso's career with the Mets was about to end and the Mets season was about to end, and then to have that moment I just felt like was bigger than the Lindor moment.
Pat Mahomes:I actually didn't even have the Lindor moment in my top five.
Chris Caputo:Really.
Chris Caputo:Well, you know, they're both.
Chris Caputo:Listen, it's an embarrassment of riches for us to be talking about both of those.
Chris Caputo:I can see.
Chris Caputo:And I could certainly lean towards what you're saying because with Alonso, it was potentially his last at bat as a mess.
Chris Caputo:You know, you couldn't perform any better at that moment.
Chris Caputo:The pressure, you know, I think we could probably get into a lot of things about Pete as well, but we'll handle that.
Chris Caputo:But yeah, I had Lindora, but they're both, you know, wonderful moments and maybe we'll.
Pat Mahomes:I'll save my other two for the end of the show.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Pat Mahomes:Hopefully we'll have some time.
Chris Caputo:So we're going to take a quick break.
Chris Caputo:Hopefully.
Chris Caputo:On the other side, we'll be speaking to Patton Holmes about his time with the Mets and Ricky Henderson as a teammate and maybe his famous son a little bit, too.
Chris Caputo:We'll see how we do.
Chris Caputo:But we'll be right back on wgbb Sports Talk New.
Pat Mahomes:Foreign.
John Santa Maria:You are listening to Sports Talk New York.
Chris Caputo:Tune in every Sunday night at 8pm.
Pat Mahomes:On Long Island's WGB, broadcasting on 95.9.
John Santa Maria: FM at: Mike Winon:At WGB radio.com stay connected to sports.
John Santa Maria:Talk New York on WGBB by following.
Pat Mahomes:Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @WGB sports talk.
Chris Caputo:You're listening to Sports Talk New York.
Pat Mahomes:On Long Island's wgb.
Mike Winon:And now back to the show.
Chris Caputo:Welcome back to the second half hour of WGPB Sports Talk New York.
Chris Caputo:Again, I'm your host, Mike Widone, joined by Cappy Chris Caputo and spent a lot of time in that first half hour talking jets and Islanders.
Chris Caputo:Brought up a couple of our favorite moments from this year on the positive side from New York Sports, and last one is we went to break.
Chris Caputo:We were talking about the Mets and home runs as Well, I got a quick question for you along those lines.
Chris Caputo:What does your gut tell you about Pete Alonso right now?
Pat Mahomes:I'm not going to say it's a definite.
Pat Mahomes:It just leans towards Pete probably coming back to the Mets, I think, you know, with so many different guys signing in different places, I don't know how many options are left for him.
Pat Mahomes:San Francisco Giants, I would think would be one.
Pat Mahomes:And they're always looking for a big name.
Pat Mahomes:I don't understand what's going on with Vladimir Guerrero.
Pat Mahomes:They're trying to give him a contract.
Pat Mahomes:He's saying, you're disrespecting me by giving me that much money.
Pat Mahomes:He's a free agent next year.
Pat Mahomes:So I don't know if the Mets would trade for somebody like that, not knowing if he's going to come back.
Pat Mahomes:But the question is, is he going to get anywhere near what the Mets offered him last year?
Pat Mahomes:And I don't see, like, the market today is not what it was yesterday and it wasn't what it was the day before.
Pat Mahomes:It has drastically changed.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Pat Mahomes:And I think some of it is Boris trying to get other people to try and get in on this.
Pat Mahomes:You know, The Mets at three years, 75, I think sounds good.
Pat Mahomes:You know, maybe an option for a fourth year, but no way for like 5, 120.
Pat Mahomes:I think that that's gone.
Chris Caputo:It is.
Chris Caputo:And that that's the danger of being a.
Chris Caputo:A Scott Boris, you know, player, because he just.
Chris Caputo:He's.
Chris Caputo:He's great for some and then for others, he just.
Chris Caputo:He has this formula and, you know, it breaks down.
Chris Caputo:I mean, you saw it last year, a couple of those pitchers, Blake Snell, I mean, they went well into, I think, almost April before any of those guys signed.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
Pat Mahomes:And, you know, some of that stuff could last a little bit longer.
Pat Mahomes:I think it's going to come to a head probably sometime soon.
Pat Mahomes:The Nationals picked up Nathaniel Lowe from the Rangers in a trade today.
Pat Mahomes:Another guy I liked.
Pat Mahomes:But I don't think the Mets are in the realm to trade for a first baseman right now.
Pat Mahomes:You know, I could see them still going after both Bregman and.
Chris Caputo:That was my next question.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, Alonzo.
Pat Mahomes:But that would mean that Vientos becomes your dh, and I don't know if that's what they want to do or Bregman would have to move over to second base.
Pat Mahomes:I still.
Pat Mahomes:I don't know.
Pat Mahomes:People don't talk about it as much, but I still think that Ronnie Mauricio is going to have a big role on the Mets this year.
Pat Mahomes:I think if he's healthy, he's going to be a big part of the Mets.
Pat Mahomes:And I, I could see them trading Jeff McNeil.
Pat Mahomes:I don't know who really wants them.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Pat Mahomes:But I could see them trading him, possibly getting, you know, maybe a guy like, you know, going after Castillo from the Mariners.
Pat Mahomes:I don't think the Mariners want him.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, but maybe even trading him to the, to the Diamondback.
Pat Mahomes:So I, I think the Mets still need another.
Pat Mahomes:They've gotten some starting pitching.
Pat Mahomes:Yes, but I don't think they have reliable starting pitching.
Pat Mahomes:I think they're just trying to get some depth.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:Very, very reminiscent of what they did last year about just kind of trying to catch lightning in a bottle with some of the guys who've shown in the past that they can win or eat up some innings.
Chris Caputo:You know, if they can do that again and get to a playoff, I'll be.
Chris Caputo:I'd be just amazed because, you know, being able to do that two seasons in a row.
Chris Caputo:But it wouldn't even make sense at this point.
Chris Caputo:Why would you skimp on pitching when you, when you've shown already?
Chris Caputo:You know, I know Sasaki, they've spoken him.
John Santa Maria:I don't know.
Pat Mahomes:I don't think money is an issue with him.
Pat Mahomes:I think it's more just a fit.
Pat Mahomes:I would say probably the Padres and the Dodgers are one and two, but I think the Mets have an outside chance just based on some of the other guys they brought into the organization.
Chris Caputo:It's always hard to think of a Japanese player coming all the way east.
Chris Caputo:It's just.
Chris Caputo:It just makes more sense, you know, for them, for, for fan base, for travel, because he can only get the.
Pat Mahomes:International signing bonus, which is, you know, upwards of $7 million.
Pat Mahomes:You know, that's not what he's looking for.
Pat Mahomes:Just looking at company.
Chris Caputo:And the team has to do a posting fee as well, though, right?
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:So it's not a.
Chris Caputo:Not a crazy.
Pat Mahomes:No, it's a crazy investment.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:Interesting.
Chris Caputo:All right, so we both had.
Chris Caputo:We both had number three or I, I think you.
Chris Caputo:Was it number two was.
Pat Mahomes:Your number two was Alonzo.
Pat Mahomes:We're still waiting on Pat Mahomes to give a call.
Pat Mahomes:We're going to hopefully get him sometime soon to talk a little bit of Rickey Henderson.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, My number three was Soto hitting a home run, not Soto signing.
Pat Mahomes:I had him twice on there hitting the home run for the Guardians.
Pat Mahomes:My number four was actually the Mets win over the braves in game 161.
Pat Mahomes:I just felt the entire game was just so up and down.
Pat Mahomes:Crazy.
Pat Mahomes:You know, Lindor, Nimmo just getting the final out was just exhaling.
Pat Mahomes:And I just felt like that game was bigger than even the Lindor Grand Slam.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:And the game, the moment.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, it was.
Chris Caputo:It was pretty wild, I have to say.
Chris Caputo:You know, for a doubleheader, it's one of those things.
Chris Caputo:As a Met fan, I remember exactly where I was while that was going on.
Chris Caputo:I was getting ready to coach a tennis match, and I'm listening.
Chris Caputo:I got one thing in my ear, and I'm jumping up and down, and then I'm sad.
Chris Caputo:I mean, it was one of the craziest games you'll ever see.
Chris Caputo:And just, you know, along those lines, though, Cap, you talk about the chemistry for that team, and, you know, hopefully everything with these changes this year, you know, hopefully they're gonna.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, I hope.
Pat Mahomes:I hope that Lindor and Soto hit it off well, and I hope that they get a couple of guys that are good in a clubhouse and, you know, obviously are playing well.
Pat Mahomes:That's the big thing, and they stay healthy.
Pat Mahomes:And I'd be interested to hear what your last thing was.
Chris Caputo:Well, you know, again, I can't.
Chris Caputo:I can't do a Top five Sports moments without a basketball moment.
Chris Caputo:And, you know, listen, the WNBA was always kind of an afterthought for so many years, and then this year, you know, with Caitlin Clark, and just.
Chris Caputo:It just exploded.
Chris Caputo:The Liberty winning a title.
Pat Mahomes:Sure.
Chris Caputo:You know, I had that as five.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:I'm sure probably a lot of people would call in and if you do five.
Chris Caputo: -: Pat Mahomes:You can give your moments.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:Or just to say, oh, there's no way, you know, but listen, the final.
Pat Mahomes:Game came down to even controversial calls.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Pat Mahomes:And I think that that was big, that the game was meaningful.
Pat Mahomes:But to have the first one in New York and allow those women to have their own parade, I think was big.
Chris Caputo:And also, I'll tell you this, you know, having worked a basketball camp this summer, there were young boys wearing Liberty jerseys, which I thought was awesome.
Chris Caputo:You know, it's always the Knicks.
Chris Caputo:You know, it was the Nets back when they had Kyrie and, you know, Kevin Durant and those guys.
Chris Caputo:So you're always going to see that as the type of memorabilia and, you know, jerseys that the kids are going to wear.
Chris Caputo:But WNBA for sure, has exploded.
Chris Caputo:You know, both Cap and I have coached female basketball on the college level.
Chris Caputo:Now I'm, you know, doing it on the high school level.
Chris Caputo:So to see that be exciting once again and to a level that it got to.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, I think you have to, you have to include that, you know, as your five.
Chris Caputo:Some of, some of my.
Pat Mahomes:It'd be nice to have like a Knicks thing in there.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, well, I get, you know, but we can't.
Chris Caputo:No.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, there was.
Pat Mahomes:They got high to a certain extent of like getting in the playoffs, making another run, but then all those injuries just became way too much to overcome.
Chris Caputo:Yeah.
Chris Caputo:So as a, as a moment for the Knicks, you know, it's tough.
Chris Caputo:I think that if you were just going on stories, their run despite it, the Karl Anthony Towns trade, although, you.
Pat Mahomes:Know, it's still tbd, you know, I think you'd have to see him do something in order to get really excited.
Pat Mahomes:And I don't think the Knicks are at that point.
Pat Mahomes:I think they've got a lot of obstacles, including the Celtics and Bucks to overcome.
Pat Mahomes:But it's exciting in New York.
Pat Mahomes:I think for a while things were looking up, but we'll see.
Pat Mahomes: As: Chris Caputo:I'm very interested to see if St.
Chris Caputo:John's goes to where they could possibly go.
Pat Mahomes:I think so at this point they're winning games that maybe they would have lost under another coach.
Pat Mahomes:And I think Patino is trying to change things now.
Pat Mahomes:They are all new players, so I think that there's going to be some games where they're close and they lose, you know, just like they had earlier in season.
Pat Mahomes:But he made some, some, some big time things where he, you know, bench players that weren't doing what they were supposed to do.
Pat Mahomes:Maybe didn't have the body language.
Pat Mahomes:And I think he kind of let the, the team determine what those punishments were going to be, which I think is a big step.
Pat Mahomes:And you know, I think this would be a great year to, to, to do that for St.
Pat Mahomes:John's yeah.
Chris Caputo:The only thing I worry about with them is, you know, like any Rick Patino team, they're.
Chris Caputo:They're rely so heavily on a three point shot and they've just struggled as of late, struggled from the foul line.
Chris Caputo:But you know, on the positive side, they are finding ways to win games and you know, winning up in Providence, they, they have a crazy fan base up there and they, they basically St.
Chris Caputo:John's almost choked that game away and came back to win at the buzzer.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, big.
Pat Mahomes:I mean college basketball has gotten big.
Pat Mahomes:They had a lot of games here in New York and I think if St.
Pat Mahomes:John's could pick themselves up and be good at That I think that would be good.
Pat Mahomes:But they always have those times where they look good.
Pat Mahomes:Then all of a sudden the regular season comes, they start playing games and that's when they fold into that 500 team.
Pat Mahomes:So we'll see what happens.
Pat Mahomes:Hopefully we'll have Pat Mahomes on in a few minutes, but we're going to talk a little bit of Rickey Henderson.
Pat Mahomes:So, you know, before last show, Dave Parker made it into the hall of Fame or announced that he's going to make it into the hall of Fame.
Pat Mahomes:And I want to talk a little bit about that because, you know, here's a guy who's suffering from a debilitating disease and finally he's going to make his way in so many seasons.
Pat Mahomes:Then you have a guy like Rickey Henderson who plays almost 25 years in the major leagues and his stats, Mike, are off the charts.
Pat Mahomes:The amount of things that he did, it's crazy.
Pat Mahomes:He is considered probably one of, if not the greatest baseball players in the history of the game just for the things that he did.
Pat Mahomes:And it's probably a lot of longevity.
Pat Mahomes:But then when you look at it, Mike, he stole 130 bases in a season when they didn't have the, you know, you can only throw over two times in the big bags.
Pat Mahomes:Could you imagine if he had that?
Chris Caputo:Yeah, I mean he revolutionized the game in terms of just what a leadoff guy could be.
Chris Caputo:And then, you know, early in his career was not really known for power.
Chris Caputo:Then he added power to his game.
Chris Caputo:Just a tremendous player outfield.
Chris Caputo:When he came to the Yankees, he was a huge signing as well.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah.
Pat Mahomes:And he played with Oakland to start off, which they then closed their stadium down.
Pat Mahomes:But think of these things for Ricky Henderson, 3,000 hits, but he really at times had many times where he just was walked so many times.
Pat Mahomes: So: Pat Mahomes:He had 468 more stolen bases than the number two guy, Lou Brock.
Pat Mahomes:Lou Brock had 460 more stolen bases than Jimmy Rollins.
Pat Mahomes:But Jimmy Rollins was not number three on the list.
Pat Mahomes:He was number 47.
Pat Mahomes:So like what Rickey Henderson did for the game in run scored and also with stolen bases was just out of control.
Pat Mahomes:He was just somebody that just gave so much to the game.
Pat Mahomes:And you know, unfortunately we lost Ricky, you know, to a battle with pneumonia.
Pat Mahomes: by one of his teammates from: Pat Mahomes:Pat Mahomes is with us.
Pat Mahomes:So Pat, we really appreciate you joining us.
Pat Mahomes:It's Chris and Mike here in New.
Mike Winon:York hey, how y'all doing?
Pat Mahomes:All right.
Pat Mahomes:Really sorry for your loss, because I know that Ricky meant a lot to you when you were on that team.
Pat Mahomes:Can you talk a little bit about your first impression of Ricky?
Mike Winon:Well, you know, I always idolized him, you know, growing up.
Mike Winon:And actually, the first time I met him, it was my second start in the big leagues.
Mike Winon:And Curry Puckett.
Mike Winon:I told Curry Puckett that I was nervous because I was pitching against Ricky.
Mike Winon:You know, the first time facing him, he said, you don't know Ricky, he said.
Mike Winon:And he brought me over and introduced me to him, and I was telling him all this, and his first bat against me, I struck him out, and I pumped my hands like I'd won the World Series.
Mike Winon:And then after.
Mike Winon:Then after I met him, you know, I was always around him, and he was just always a mentor, you know, to me.
Mike Winon:And then once, you know, I got to play with the Mets, and I got to play with him for, you know, all of 99 and a little bit of 2,000.
Mike Winon:I was with him every day.
Mike Winon:You know, every day we had lunch, we had dinner, and then we went.
Mike Winon:Played dominoes late at night.
Chris Caputo:That's fantastic.
Chris Caputo:Pat, this is Mike again.
Chris Caputo:Thank you for being on with us.
Chris Caputo:And I'm sure there.
Chris Caputo:There are, you know, a million stories and about Ricky and as a teammate, as you mentioned, as a mentor, you know, he was known in so many circles for his personality and referring to himself in the third person.
Chris Caputo:Was he as big and grand and that big a personality as he seemed?
Mike Winon:Oh, yeah, no doubt, man.
Mike Winon:You really hadn't met anybody until you met Ricky Henderson.
Mike Winon:I mean, he's one of a kind, one of the, you know, if not the greatest baseball player to ever play, but, you know, just to be around him every day and listen to him talk.
Mike Winon:And, you know, though he talked in third person, his knowledge of the game was.
Mike Winon:Was so strong.
Mike Winon:So, you know, you were just like a sponge every time you were around him, and wherever he went, you know, he had a smile on his face, and he seemed to make everybody else put a smile on theirs.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, it's pretty interesting that, you know, you got to him when he was in his 40s.
Pat Mahomes:So at that point, he had been a Hall of Famer already.
Pat Mahomes:He did, you know, so much at that point.
Pat Mahomes:You know, there's some stories out there about, you know, he tried to ban the media for one month.
Pat Mahomes:Can you tell a little bit about that story?
Pat Mahomes:About how at the end of the month, you had to remind him that it was a new Month and maybe that he had to speak to the media.
Mike Winon:Well, we were locker mates and you know, our lockers were right beside each other.
Mike Winon:And you know, he had had the hell of a year in 99 and had led the club and everything.
Mike Winon:And you know, of course he assigned a two year deal and you know, he definitely outperformed that contract, you know, the first year.
Mike Winon:And he kind of wanted to go in and get some, some more money and Steve Phillips wouldn't give him any more money.
Mike Winon:And so, you know, everything, you know, he did the first, you know, month or so of the season, you know, they just made it seem bad.
Mike Winon:Like they, I mean, whatever he did, you know, it just made him in a bad light.
Mike Winon:So one day I told him, I said, hey man, I said, you know, everything you're doing, you know, they're turning around and making it look like, you know, you're a bad guy.
Mike Winon:So let's, hey, why don't we not talk to the media for 30 days and, and just see how it goes.
Mike Winon:And so every day the reporters would come by and they said, ricky talking today?
Mike Winon:And I said, no.
Mike Winon:I said, no, he's not talking.
Mike Winon:So it actually, you know, got to the 30th day and they came by and Ricky looked at me, I said, rick, it's been 30 days.
Mike Winon:If you want to talk.
Mike Winon:He said, okay, I will talk.
Mike Winon:And the reporter's first question was, he goes, ricky, do you feel like you're being mistreated?
Mike Winon:And he said, well, to tell you the truth, you know, Ricky does feel mistreated.
Mike Winon:You know, Ricky led the club last year and you know, and Ricky hit 315 and this and that.
Mike Winon:And the reporter said, well, Ricky, don't you care about having a chance to win?
Mike Winon:He said, what?
Mike Winon:He said, shit, you better check the back of Ricky baseball card.
Mike Winon:Wherever Ricky go, Ricky got a shot to win.
Mike Winon:And if not on July 31, they.
John Santa Maria:Gonna come get Ricky.
Mike Winon:It's rental Ricky time.
Pat Mahomes: : Pat Mahomes:And Pat is also the father of Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pat Mahomes:So we appreciate you having you on here.
Pat Mahomes:Can you talk a little bit?
Pat Mahomes:What it was like to have him in the clubhouse?
Pat Mahomes:What was it like to have him around every day?
Pat Mahomes:I know you guys played some dominoes, but some other insights even give us a story about Ricky.
Mike Winon:Well, I mean, you hear a lot of stuff about Ricky, but Ricky was the ultimate teammate, man.
Mike Winon:I mean, he kept everybody light in the clubhouse, always telling jokes, you know, just, just being Ricky, you know, and you know, he's a guy that, like I said, you could, you could get a ton, a ton of knowledge.
Mike Winon:I remember him taking Roger Sedano on his wings and, and because he knew Roger had the ability to steal some bases and he was just trying to give him, you know, little insights on what to look for and from a pitcher and, and exactly how to do it the right way.
Mike Winon:But he was always a guy that kept everything, you know, light hearted.
Mike Winon:But you know, when it was time to be serious, when it was time to win a ball game, he was the guy you knew you could depend on.
Chris Caputo:So Pat, I wanted to ask you this because this is one of my memories from Ricky at that time.
Chris Caputo:I know.
Chris Caputo:I believe it was his last day with the Mets.
Chris Caputo:It was a photo opportunity for fans at Shea Stadium where you could go around and you could take pictures of the players.
Chris Caputo:You guys were all placed around the field and obviously Ricky was unhappy with what was going on, but everybody who spoke to him or took a picture of him, he made you feel really special.
Chris Caputo:And like you said, the smile on his face, you would have never known what was going on.
Chris Caputo:And I think that lends itself to truly what you said.
Chris Caputo:He believed wherever he was going to go, he was going to win.
Chris Caputo:And if it wasn't in New York, somebody was going to pick him up.
Chris Caputo:So, you know, along that.
Chris Caputo:What would Rickey Henderson be worth today as you know, for a contract?
Chris Caputo:Are we talking in the one billion dollar range?
Chris Caputo:I mean, because it's just, it's unbelievable what's going on.
Chris Caputo:He was really worth every single cent.
Mike Winon:Well, whatever the highest contract is, I mean, he's worth more than that because I mean, if you even look at it, he's, you know, back then it wasn't a lot of analytics and stuff like that.
Mike Winon:But if you, if you look at what analytics are, you know, taking walks, getting on base, you know, the stuff that they do, you know, Ricky was doing all that way back then.
Mike Winon:So, you know, baseball is, is still trying, you know, to create another Ricky.
Mike Winon:Man, it was amazing the things he could do, how he could, yeah, he could take over a game sometimes without even swinging his bat, you know, take a walk, next thing you know he's on third base.
Mike Winon:He scored a run and that's the thing that he really prided himself on was scoring runs.
Mike Winon:And that's the name of the game.
Mike Winon:The team with the most Runs win.
Mike Winon:So he was the best at it, and he always will be to me.
Pat Mahomes:So, Pat, you had your time with the Mets and Ricky n.
Pat Mahomes:But you got the news yesterday that Ricky passed away.
Pat Mahomes:What was your relationship like after he left the Mets and kind of.
Pat Mahomes:What was your feeling yesterday when you got the news that Ricky passed away?
Mike Winon:Oh, man, it knocked me for a loop.
Mike Winon:You know, I was up there getting ready to go watch my son play, and I got a call from Latroa Hawkins, who, you know, who was my teammate and who's also Patrick's godfather.
Mike Winon:And he told me about it, and everything just kind of stopped, you know, for a minute.
Mike Winon:And, you know, I was hoping that maybe it wasn't true, because at first they were kind of saying it was a hoax, this and that and this.
Mike Winon:And then one of his dear friends called me and told me about it, and it just really tore me up.
Mike Winon:And so after the game last night, I was telling Patrick about it because Patrick remembers the last game that they played in Oakland, Ricky came to see him, and they were able to take a picture together.
Mike Winon:And just what Ricky meant to him, because in 99 was when Patrick first started going to the clubhouse.
Mike Winon:And so Ricky was always one of the guys that was out there working with him.
Pat Mahomes:So great as.
Pat Mahomes:Again, we're talking with Pat Mahomes, whose son, Patrick Mahomes, plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, and he's talking about how his son Patrick would be on the field with guys like Mike Hampton and Rickey Henderson.
Pat Mahomes:I believe his first fly ball that he caught in BP was a Robin Ventura, correct?
Mike Winon:That's correct.
Pat Mahomes:And then you let him play dominoes at Ricky.
Mike Winon:Oh, yeah, he played dominoes.
Mike Winon:He did everything.
Mike Winon:Ricky would also take him down and work with him in the cages, you know, and that's something that, you know, that he has never forgotten.
Mike Winon:So, yeah, Ricky always had a special place in his heart, too.
Pat Mahomes:I just love hearing things like somebody says to him, hey, you know the quote John 3:16.
Pat Mahomes:And he says, you know, John 3:16, I don't want to hear about John 3:16.
Pat Mahomes:Ricky hit.330.
Mike Winon:Yeah, he had a lot of good ones, and a lot of them that I probably couldn't even tell on here.
Mike Winon:But, yeah, Ricky was a great storyteller, but a very, very smart and intelligent baseball player.
Chris Caputo:You know, Pat, I think one of the things is we're going to let you go here in a second.
Chris Caputo:We can't thank you enough because we know it's a tough evening and tough subject to talk about.
Chris Caputo:But when Ricky was a member of the Yankees and, you know, he.
Chris Caputo:Obviously an outspoken guy, but not in a negative way.
Chris Caputo:I think even in that time, I don't know if baseball or even society was really buying into somebody who would talk in the third person, but then still was able to back it up.
Chris Caputo:But to hear how wonderful he was to you and your family and to younger players, he wasn't a big timer with guys.
Chris Caputo:I think that shows another side of Ricky that we didn't necessarily know here in New York.
Chris Caputo:And it's just wonderful to hear.
Chris Caputo:It's a shame that these things come out, you know, after someone passes or whatever else.
Chris Caputo:But if there was one piece of advice that he gave you that stuck with you throughout your career, whether it, you know, professional, personal.
Chris Caputo:Could you just share that as we wrap up here?
Mike Winon:Well, I think I've.
Mike Winon:You've probably seen it several times.
Mike Winon:But he would always say, you know, follow your dreams because, you know, dreams do come true, you know, and that's something that, you know, I took the heart.
Mike Winon:He said, go out there every day, you know, and be better, you know, be better that day than you were the day before.
Mike Winon:And that's something that I always try to do once I was around him.
Pat Mahomes:And so Pat, your.
Pat Mahomes:Your son Patrick in the NFL got to be around these guys, like you're saying, Latroy Hawkins and, you know, Mike, Mike Hampton and even Ricky Henderson.
Pat Mahomes:How do you think that impact.
Pat Mahomes:And even yourself, how do you think that impact on him helped him possibly through his first couple of years in the NFL?
Mike Winon:It was so important, you know, the same thing with him, you know, being around Alex Smith that first year and not playing, these were the guys that he saw.
Mike Winon:He knew that, you know, a Rod and Ricky Henderson, and those guys were at the top of their game.
Mike Winon:And he saw the way they worked every day to get better.
Mike Winon:You know, they weren't satisfied with where they were.
Mike Winon:And that's something that he's done, you know, ever since then, them telling him that when he was young, you know, you got to get out there and put in the work every day.
Mike Winon:And that's been a big reason to his success.
Pat Mahomes:Yep.
Pat Mahomes:Legend we've lost in Rickey Henderson.
Pat Mahomes:So Pat Mahomes here with us talking his time with the Mets.
Pat Mahomes:And also I remember you, Pat, more as a home run hitter than a pitcher at the Mets.
Pat Mahomes:I just remember you in Chicago going yard.
Pat Mahomes:What was it that made you into a great hitter as well as a pitcher?
Mike Winon:Well, I hit all my life, you know, that's what I thought I was going to be an outfielder.
Mike Winon:And it was one team that wanted me to be a pitcher and that just so happened to be the team that drafted me.
Mike Winon:But I always, you know, always hit and always paid attention to what the hitters, you know, do.
Mike Winon:So, you know, as a pitcher, getting the base hitters, you kind of see what they're trying to do and you just take that into your best.
Mike Winon:When you get that battle.
Chris Caputo:Was there any ever thought in your mind and Patrick's mind that he would go the baseball route or was it, was it always football?
Mike Winon:Well, I always thought it was baseball the whole time and it was baseball until, you know, his junior senior year when he got the chance to start playing the quarterback position and getting to learn all the things that that entailed and he just fell in love with it.
Mike Winon:And down at a last minute switch there actually on draft day, he had got drafted and he turned them down and they had called him in between the first, second round and he turned them down and he looked at me and said, dad, you know, I want to try this football thing out.
Mike Winon:And it looked like he made a wise decision.
Chris Caputo:Yeah, I would say, I mean it seems so obviously unbelievably talented, but it really, again, it lends itself to what you were saying before about you can see wanting to get better, following dreams, your influence, what he learned from your teammates and just being around and being a true professional.
Chris Caputo:We can see that in you.
Chris Caputo:And we again can't thank you enough for joining us tonight to give us your insights.
Chris Caputo:And certainly our thoughts are with you and, and Ricky's family and all his teammates.
Chris Caputo:Wishing you all the best going forward, Patrick, certainly the rest of his season.
Chris Caputo:And just thanks for being in Class act and coming on with us tonight.
Mike Winon:No doubt.
Mike Winon:And you know, keep those prayers going for that family as you precious family.
Pat Mahomes:All right, thanks, Pat.
Pat Mahomes:We appreciate it.
Pat Mahomes:I hope you remember those times, you know, not just on the field, but also playing cards in the clubhouse.
Pat Mahomes:Those are the things you'll never forget.
Mike Winon:Yes, sir.
Mike Winon:No doubt.
Mike Winon:Thank you all for having me.
Chris Caputo:It's been our pleasure.
Chris Caputo:Pat Mahomes once again.
Chris Caputo:So I'll tell you, just when I think we've had an amazing guest cap, you go out and you find somebody else and you can see, just like I said, a class act and his son, unbelievable talent.
Chris Caputo:And great to see that Ricky was a nice guy behind the scenes.
Pat Mahomes:Yeah, that's great.
Pat Mahomes:I mean, there's a story out there that Ricky, when he played for the Newark Bears donated his salary to other players because he didn't need him.
Pat Mahomes:You know, he wanted those guys and he was 40 something years old, just promoing.
Pat Mahomes:In a couple weeks, we're going to have three St.
Pat Mahomes:John's guys on to talk Louis Carneseca.
Pat Mahomes:So I.
Pat Mahomes:And it's going to be his birthday, 100th birthday.
Pat Mahomes:So I think that's going to be another great show, Mike.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely.
Chris Caputo:And we'll be in the thick of college basketball.
Chris Caputo: Well, as we wrap up: Chris Caputo:Always doing a great job.
Chris Caputo:Cap, it's a pleasure having you with me, co hosting and doing your magic.
Mike Winon:That's great.
Pat Mahomes:Debbie.
Pat Mahomes:The Johnny Santa Maria Maria and Pat Mahomes.
Chris Caputo:Absolutely, definitely.
Chris Caputo:And we wish everyone a very merry Christmas.
Chris Caputo:Happy New Year, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa.
Chris Caputo: We'll see you in: Chris Caputo:The views expressed in the previous program.
John Santa Maria:Did not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
