256: The Iron Shortstop: 20 Years, One Team, No Shortcuts, with Alan Trammel

 It was an absolute honor to host a true baseball legend on the show. Alan Trammell isn't just a Hall of Famer; he is a masterclass in consistency, professional loyalty, and the "blue-collar" work ethic that defines the city of Detroit. We dive deep into his 20-year career with the Tigers, his legendary double-play partnership with Lou Whitaker, and how the lessons learned on the diamond translate perfectly to the fire station 

Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords

The Fire You Carry on YouTube.

Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!
https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs

The Fire Up Progam video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram

The Fire You Carry Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/

Donate to The Fire Up Program.
https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate

The Fire Up Program Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/

Kevin's Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en

MyZone facility code for The Fire You Carry: CALIFUS001

Get $60 off a MZ-Switch Heart Rate Monitor!
https://buy.myzone.org/?lang=enUS&voucher=CALIFUS001-60

Transcript

Kevin (00:00.842)
Well, this is great. Welcome back to the fire. You carry podcast. We have an esteemed guest. I'm very excited about this. Alan Trammel This is a pleasure. Thank you for coming on, sir.

Alan (00:06.539)
simple.

Alan (00:12.567)
Well, it's my pleasure, Kevin, and happy holidays to you and your family. It's amazing, especially when you get older, how time flies. And I'm not mistaken, a couple of days from now, we'll be turning the calendar, and it'll be 2026. So I hope you've had a good holiday season. I know I have. I'm looking forward to watching a few of the bowl games coming up as we do on New Year's and all the different college football.

Kevin (00:37.016)
Yes.

Alan (00:42.185)
NFL all that good stuff, but I'm a sports nut so go ahead ask me whatever you'd like

Kevin (00:46.126)
Well, you have to be. I love it. Well, if, if anyone doesn't know, I would love to have them give you a little bit of background. I can give you a quick synopsis. You're a major league hall of famer, a Detroit legend. And, I think a couple of things that stood out to me is a 20 year career all with Detroit, which is unbelievable. And obviously you won the world series in 84. but I would want to kind of see if you can give a little bit of background of.

who even maybe for some of the younger guys, but I know I brought up your name this morning at the table at the fire station and I had two of the captains going, no way you're talking to tram that's amazing. So I'd love for maybe if you can give a little bit a quick background of.

Alan (01:30.52)
Well, sure. First of all, I'm from San Diego. was born in Orange County, but I moved to San Diego when I was just a little boy. And that's really all I remember. growing up on the West Coast is obviously for sports. Being able to be outside year round was very conducive to somebody that was very had a lot of energy, very active and sports as though he's always been my first love. So whatever sport was in season was my favorite sport.

First and foremost was baseball, but I played everything that was under the sun. Again, just to get outside, get out of the house, be with the buddies. Things were a little different back 50, 60 years ago when I was growing up. again, we just did a lot of things on our own. And obviously we did have some good coaching, but again, I played them all.

And when I got into high school, it was baseball and basketball. Those were the two sports that I played. Most people at that time in high school thought I was I was a better basketball player. And that's a compliment. I was a pretty good high school basketball player. But so are a lot of high school players. I wasn't big enough and I wasn't I wasn't quite good enough. I could have went to a smaller school somewhere. But I did well in high school.

Kevin (02:39.353)
really?

Alan (02:53.427)
The Detroit Tigers came and drafted me and I was going to go to UCLA. I had signed a letter of intent to go to UCLA to play basketball, not basketball, excuse me, baseball, not basketball. Even though at that time, you know, that was John Wooden's era. I might be out dating myself, but UCLA was a dynasty back in those days. But I went to, I was going to go to UCLA to play baseball. And I got drafted by the Tigers and,

Kevin (03:02.894)
Mmm.

Kevin (03:11.18)
the wooden, yeah, that would be the wooden error.

Alan (03:23.115)
things were quite different back in, you know, that's 50 years ago, basically, that the publications, they didn't have all the publications. I knew I was going to get drafted, but I didn't realize I was going to get drafted as high as I did. So I was drafted in the second round. First thing that came to mind was, hey, they must like me. And obviously, I did want to play professional baseball. And so when the Tigers drafted me in the second round, I figured, you know, let's give it a shot.

I didn't have to convince my parents. They knew that I really wanted to play, so I ended up signing and off I went. First stop was Bristol, Virginia, which was quite different than growing up in San Diego on the West Coast. But that's how it all started. again, the things that I guess my point that I was trying to make is that things are a lot different. Everything's kind of you kind of know what you're getting into now. 50 years ago, it was a lot of unknown. I signed a contract.

Kevin (04:20.12)
Well, is wild to me.

Alan (04:21.579)
I went to Bristol, Virginia. They gave me three days to find a place to stay. I'm thinking, I don't have a pillow. I got a few clothes. Who's going to cook? No mom around. But here we go. They just kind of throw you into the fire. But I was able to adapt. Got in with a college guy who did the cooking and kind of started my professional career. And lo and behold, it ended up going very quickly in the minor leagues.

making up to the major leagues at a young age.

Kevin (04:54.926)
Yeah, I gotta ask you that this is wild to me because I think of, you know, you, you had to be 17, 18 years old at the time. And I mean, obviously you had to have.

Alan (05:04.119)
I was 18 years old when I signed.

Kevin (05:08.16)
And when you when you're getting, I mean, it's a different time, but were you getting scouts? Were you getting looks in high school? Was there any inkling that that was? I know you said you had an inkling you might've gotten drafted, but.

Alan (05:17.885)
Yeah. Well, I mean, I did have an inclination, but again, like today, you almost kind of know in in, know, within a four or five round period, whether or not where you're going to go. And you said I didn't know if I was going to be drafted in the 20th round. I saw scouts there. I knew I talked to my high school coach and, you know, had

several conversations about, okay, you're gonna get drafted. But obviously back in those days and even today, going to school is very important. And so I wanted to further my education and what they tell you then like I do now, have something to fall back on, which is what I was going to do. But again, just the fact that drafted as high as I was, and at that time, again, this is going back 50 years, there was only 24 major league teams, now there's 30.

Kevin (05:52.462)
Sure.

Alan (06:13.527)
Okay, so they've added 16 since then. So there was only 24 picks in the first round. There was no compensation pick. So then you just flip the clock and 25 went back at that 76, 1976, the year I was drafted. The Houston Astros had the number one pick and the Tigers had the second pick. So I'm around the second round, 25 went to the Houston, 26. Tigers were on the clock and they selected me. And so.

That's where the point was is that, you know, that's the 26th player taken in the country. You know, they must like me. And so I'm like, okay, I'm in. I'm in. mean, this is again my goal. And so we ended up doing that. But lo and behold, and it was such an eye opener, professional baseball, so different than, you know, high school, obviously. And then even college, be honest with I mean, it's getting thrown into the fire. You're playing with the big boys.

Kevin (06:49.038)
Amazing.

Kevin (07:05.407)
Of course, you're a grown man, yeah.

Alan (07:10.897)
And you're playing as a job basically seven days a week. So it was quite an adjustment, but know, lo and behold, I was able to make enough adjustments along the way and move up fast. And just one other point about, you know, with the Tigers. So again, you know, the first pick in the country means they had the worst record. Tigers, you know, second best or worst record. We weren't very good at that time. The Tigers weren't that good. So

Kevin (07:37.742)
Hmm.

Alan (07:40.056)
You've got your foot in the door, myself and quite a few others. And that was the opportunity that we took advantage of at that particular time. And we were able to do well in a short period of time and they moved a bunch of us up quickly. And I actually got to the major leagues when I was 19 years old.

Kevin (07:59.512)
That's incredible. And I read that you bypassed the triple A. was kind of a quick promotion. What was the feeling like at 19 years old? I mean, you're getting your shot at the big leagues where I'm sure guys have spent a lifetime dreaming of this,

Alan (08:04.651)
Yep. Yep.

Alan (08:12.535)
Nervous? Well, here's where, know, part of this story and it needs to be told because I'm very proud of, you know, 20 years with the Detroit Tigers organization, the only team that I played with. I've done other things with other organizations as far as coaching and stuff, but as a player, was strictly the Tigers. But I played with a gentleman by the name of Lou Whitaker, who was my second baseman. And out of 20, we played together 19 years together.

Kevin (08:36.216)
Sure.

Alan (08:40.599)
And so when I got into the minor leagues, was drafted the year before. But when we went to the Instruction League in 1976, we hooked up in Florida. And Lou had been the Florida State MVP in 1976, playing for a manager by the name of Jim Leland, who is in Hall of Fame as well. And so Jim had Lou.

Kevin (09:03.736)
Sure, sure, yeah.

Alan (09:08.383)
I hadn't met either one of these, but when we went to the instructional, Jim was one of our coaches. Lou was the Florida State MVP, as I mentioned, as a third baseman. Soon as we got together, I met Lou. go, Lou, you're going to move to second and you're going to team with this guy over here, which is me. And my God, that was the smartest move that the Tigers could have made. And Lou, to his credit, you know, again, I've said three times now he was the Florida State MVP as a third baseman.

He goes to the Instructional League, doesn't say boo, doesn't complain one bit. And that just tells you a little bit about my partner Lou Whitaker. And lo and behold, we get together, we start working together. And we went to AA the very next year after the Instructional League. We went to the big leagues after that in September. We played our first big league game the same day. We both got our hits the first time up on the signature.

Kevin (09:43.064)
Sure.

Kevin (10:02.318)
Wow.

Alan (10:03.895)
And the incredible story about Lou and Tram playing all those years together. And he should be in the Hall of Fame with me. And I'll tell you, it just gives me an uneasy feeling when Lou's name is brought up and he gets credit, but he doesn't get the credit that he deserves. I mean, he's a Hall of Famer. And again, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Kevin (10:29.89)
Well, if anybody's listening out there, let's get Lou in the hall of fame. Let's go. What an, what an amazing thing though. I, I, there's something I don't know if, if you can speak to the fuel of having a partner that pushes you in a great way, but I love that mindset of saying, we're just going to, in the fire service, there's a term we call adapt and overcome. We go in environments and you can train and you can practice all you want, but it's a, it's an unknown environment and you have to adapt on the fly.

Alan (10:32.727)
Absolutely.

Kevin (10:58.464)
And when somebody says, Hey, you got a shot, but you got to move from third to second base or whatever it may be. I just love the dynamic of saying no problem coach or whatever it is and whatever you need. And then being able to adapt. I think so many people are so specific now that it's, harder to adapt, but I love that mindset.

Alan (11:16.673)
Well, I appreciate you saying that. we were loose from Martinsville, Virginia. I'm from San Diego, California. We're from different parts of the country. But he had some very good coaching through his youth baseball, as I did. And then when we got into professional, we kind of just carried on. We had been taught well. we were all about the team and winning. And again, I know it's cliche and all, but we bought into that. And then a few years later, we

We get to play for a gentleman by the name of Sparky Anderson, who's also in the Hall of Fame. And that was the right guy for us and others on our Tiger Ball Club. But Lou and I coming up together, again, it was just all about winning, playing good team baseball. That's again, that's how we were brought up from going back to our little league days and having a partner. So you can look at was there competition between Lou and I? And really, there really wasn't.

Kevin (11:48.793)
the legend, yeah.

Alan (12:14.647)
We were brought up together and we knew that they liked us. But there's two things, people might like you and give you an opportunity, but then you've got to do the job. You got to do the job. You got to put some numbers on the board and got to, we're playing again. We're playing, this is our job. But again, we leaned on each other quite a bit. so I was brought up again, as I said, 19, was 20, so we're one year apart. So we're basically the same.

Kevin (12:26.552)
Yes, right. You gotta perform.

Alan (12:44.119)
And he was learning a new position, but I felt I was kind of the captain as a shortstop. That was just kind of how it was, like a point guard. I took that upon myself as a leader on the ball club. And that's just kind of how I was wired. And not that Lou wasn't the leader, but I was a little more vocal. Lou wasn't, but we learned the game of baseball the same. And again, I'm so proud of playing with the same.

double play combination for 19 years. It's actually by far the longest running double play combination in the history of baseball by about seven years. Yeah.

Kevin (13:15.018)
That's a me. I don't think that will ever.

Kevin (13:21.046)
It has to, and the way that the MLB is set up now with the way the business works, I don't think that might ever be duplicated again.

Alan (13:30.146)
Yeah, I hope not. But you know what, if it doesn't, our names will be brought up. But you know, never say never, I guess, is my point. Highly unlikely, especially as you just mentioned how the game is, really how all sports. And it's not always the players fault nowadays, the way the player would like to stay with the club. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. And you know, in the history of sports, you know, there's only

Kevin (13:36.173)
Yeah.

Alan (13:54.754)
There's only a few in all the sports that get to play for a long period of time, 15 to 20 years with the same club. It just doesn't happen. And it's always been that way. If you look it up in the books, very few athletes get to play with one club their whole career. And Lou and I both did it with the Detroit Tigers.

Kevin (14:03.352)
doesn't have.

Kevin (14:14.478)
That's incredible. And it's incredible. Yeah.

Alan (14:15.977)
It is a great story. That's another reason why he should be in there and his numbers are so good. I'll leave it at that. don't want to get, you know, I don't want to any bad words out there, it's a shame. It's a shame that he should be. He will be, but I just hope it's.

Kevin (14:22.796)
Now did you have, yeah, put Lou in the hall. Yeah.

Kevin (14:32.16)
No, I'm imagining myself as a 19 year old. You know, I barely know anything. was, you know, I think I was a server at a restaurant at the time going through college, but I had no idea about, was there a giant learning curve on the business side of like saying, okay, they want to sign contracts. They want to tell me, mean, was that a hard thing to navigate as a 19 year old? Or did you have to get an agent and get help to say, get advice to say, what do I do now? This is my job now. Yeah.

Alan (14:56.277)
Well...

Yeah, it is. know, again, it was just something that I always wanted to do. But back, you yeah, this is going way back that, you we had the Players Association, but it was still at the early stages of free agency was just starting. So the, you know, the business side was, you know, we basically got what they gave us and I was happy to take it. I was happy to take it. I just wanted to play baseball.

Kevin (15:21.784)
Got it, yeah, there's not a... Yeah, of course. Of course.

Alan (15:26.487)
And I knew that if I played a few years that I would be rewarded, which I was. And the same thing with Ru. But in others. We had four guys as rookies. And again, this is kind of out dating, if you wanted to Google, you look at Lou and myself, Jack Morris, who's in the Hall of Fame, and Lance Parrish, our catcher. That's four guys up the middle. A pitcher, a catcher, and a second baseman and shortstop. We were a big nucleus.

Kevin (15:31.79)
That's great.

Alan (15:54.168)
of our team and that's how the Tigers at that particular time, you they were hoping when they drafted all of us, you know, obviously every team's trying to do the same thing, but up the middle, strong up the middle and you know, we were and so they did a pretty good job of drafting. So Lance was a number one pick in 1974, catcher. Lou was a fourth round pick in 1975. Jack Morris and I were drafted out of the same draft in 1976. Jack was a fifth rounder.

And I was the second rounder. again, that's how teams are doing it today. That's what they're hoping for. But unfortunately, you know, the draft doesn't always work out the way you'd like to, especially in baseball. It's really hard, harder than other sports for them to hit on all those early round.

Kevin (16:35.062)
No, I mean that's like the early, it's.

No, and it sounds like that it's almost early before money ball was a thing or statistics or that, right? Yeah.

Alan (16:46.263)
Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was. And again, those are just kind of the facts. I was I got into my career, you know, obviously I was I was compensated. We actually had a couple of lockouts slash strikes that I was involved with, where, which weren't easy, would miss some time. And, you know, unfortunately, trying to get ahead of ourselves. But the basic agreement for the players expires at the end of the 19 or 2026.

season which is coming up and there's already rumors about things that that possibly could happen. I hope not. mean I've always said and I'll say it again there's enough for everyone but obviously you get into these negotiations it's it's not quite that easy.

Kevin (17:21.951)
Yeah.

Kevin (17:25.815)
Yes.

Kevin (17:31.993)
Well, one of the things I wanted to pick your brain about, which I love, it seemed at the time that you weren't the biggest, the strongest, the fastest. seemed like you were a fundamentals guy, but I wanted to hear about maybe your work ethic or your process of staying in shape and honing your craft. As a guy who wasn't like prototypical, I'm thinking of the Barry Bonds type or that guy who just looks like he can smash the ball. How did you use that?

Alan (17:39.509)
Yeah.

Kevin (18:00.856)
to your advantage or how was your preparation or your physicality as you're going through?

Alan (18:03.799)
Yeah, well, that's it's well said. that's the reason why that I played as long as I did. And the reason why I believe that I'm in the Hall of Fame is, looking back on the consistency day in and day out, you know, wasn't flashy. That wasn't my style. I couldn't play that way. But, you know, over a long period of time, you add it all up, go, oh, that guy was pretty good. And that's what I wanted to be. I wanted to be good at everything that I did. Maybe not great, but good.

And so I took a lot of pride as somebody that again had a lot of energy. I wasn't big. So when I signed, I was 165 pounds, six foot, 165 pounds. Well, that's not very big. And to be honest with you, if I was playing in today's game, they wouldn't, same with Lou, because he was actually less. He weighed less than I did. But we were wiry and we did get some strength in a few years, but we were just boys amongst men.

Kevin (18:52.878)
Wow.

Alan (19:01.857)
but we were able to hold our own. But it was the dedication, it's the structure, it's the things that you know all about about being a fireman and somebody that is protecting people, that there's certain things that you need to do. And we bought in, I bought in, even when I was younger, I didn't realize kind of how I went about my business, but I do look back and I was always that way. I was always very structured about not making mistakes, being very diligent about how I went about my business.

And I was always, again, because I was smaller, I was active, I didn't mind running. I didn't mind, I wasn't running miles and miles, but I was always moving. And so in the off season, even before they had all these workouts, I was coming home in the off season, I was running on my own, I was hitting, I was taking my ground balls. We didn't do a lot of weight training yet. That still wasn't really part of major league baseball at that particular time.

But I was fortunate living in San Diego and I got wind of some of the Padres that stayed here in San Diego. They would go down to the stadium and their trainer, they didn't have strength and conditioning guys, but their trainer put them through a program that I heard of and I got wind of it and the Tigers allowed me to go and work out there. And I did that for so many years.

Kevin (20:24.541)
cool.

Alan (20:25.973)
That's where I started doing some weight training in the off season. And I started, know, obviously I was getting a little bit older. I started to put on a few more pounds, start to feel more comfortable about playing in the big leagues, you know, those kinds of things. It just maturing, I'd be starting to become a man. And so it all kind of tied in and I was able to hold my own again in the major leagues, get a little bit stronger. And then after about, you know, two to three years in the major leagues,

I started to feel like I belonged and that's really kind of when things started to kind of take off.

Kevin (20:58.926)
Yeah, it's a fascinating sport to me because you know, I think of it as a game of failure, right? Like you're extremely successful batting 350, right? And extremely successful. And that means you're failing seven out of 10 times, right? Or close to it. And I wanted to see how you keep, because it would seem to me that at that level, you're at risk of always being cut or being put on the bench or being traded.

Alan (21:05.936)
it is.

Kevin (21:28.258)
Maybe keeping your mindset if you had a slump or if you had, how did you keep your mind positive to say, I'm gonna get through this?

Alan (21:34.412)
Well, I had some slumps like everybody in baseball. Baseball is a very humbling game for everybody. Regardless of how good you are, you're going to go through stretches. Obviously the better ones don't go through as many, but you're going to play 162 games. That is so many that it's the game is going to get you at some point. so again, going back to the era that I was in, it was always as a shortstop defense first.

And so when I became a professional, I remember the scout signing me. And he goes, Tram, if you hit 250 and play good defense, you'll play in the major leagues a long time. And I'm going, damn, I just came out of high school, hit like 450. I'm like, you know what? Well, little did I know that when I signed professionally, I started to really quickly realize the competition was

night and day. But to my credit, guess, looking back, I didn't realize that I was just trying to survive basically, but I started to realize like, what's my best chance to succeed? And I use that same line to our players, because I still work with the Tigers. I'm a specialist assistant. I rove around and I do a lot of things with the organization. But mostly is working with our young players. But I tell them the same thing about what's your best chance to succeed.

And at that time, I was like, OK, well, these guys are doing this and they're that. They're going harder. They're throwing better breaking balls. I'm like, how am I going to make this? But I was just so determined that I was going to survive and do whatever. So I made some adjustments. Even though I high school kid, was just, competition isn't quite that good. I was able to make needed adjustments quicker than probably most.

And I think that was the thing that I did a little better than maybe some of the others. They didn't recognize that because again, there's so many kids from not just California, but Texas and Florida and Ohio and Michigan, wherever. There's good players everywhere. And you're teaming up with all different people from all over the United States and other countries. And now you're trying to play a game, whoa, this is pretty good. So again, I started to figure things out again, a little bit quicker, just to be able to survive. I didn't hit for much power.

Kevin (23:29.102)
Mmm.

Kevin (23:48.556)
yeah, now it's worldwide, right.

Alan (23:58.306)
But I was always able to put the bat on the ball. And as I mentioned first and foremost, I was always able to catch the ball and throw it accurately. That was always my calling card. And so as things evolved and I was able to get that bat going a little bit better, I always did okay. But again, I got better. And those are the things that the Tigers were looking at is like in the same thing with Lou. We didn't hit much power, but as we got a few years under our belt, we started to kind of establish ourselves, pop a few more balls.

And we were never really considered power hitters, but we could drive the ball and do the different things that we needed to do to help our ball.

Kevin (24:38.168)
That's amazing. Well, I'd love to fast forward to the 84 World Series where you did hit the ball. I think you had what two home runs. Yeah. So that, that had to be pretty cool. Cause I think it was against your hometown Padres, right? That you guys were going against. And even though you weren't a power hitter, I think you got the.

Alan (24:45.063)
Yeah, good times, good time.

Alan (24:56.001)
Yeah, was. Yep. Going against my hometown team, man. I had won. I'd been a vendor at the stadium. I was a vendor with the Aztecs and the Chargers. I did a few games for the Podries, but, you know, again, back in the day, you know, when I was in junior high school and going into high school, know, pods didn't draw very well. And so I was a little man on the totem pole. So I'd get in with my little vending card and go watch the games. But oftentimes I didn't get a chance because they didn't need me.

Kevin (25:16.952)
Sure.

Alan (25:25.067)
But nevertheless, this was all start of the dream that started with myself. But again, going to the 84, know, most baseball people and being in Detroit, more of a traditional team, know, Padres ended up beating the Cubs, but they were down to two nothing, two games to none to the Padres were down. And most people wanted to see the Cubs and the Tigers, you know, classic.

Kevin (25:52.824)
Sure.

Alan (25:53.32)
older teams, traditional teams. There was one guy that was me that wanted to go to San Diego. I wanted to go home, which ended up being the case. The Cubs had to go to San Diego and Audrey's got him three games in a row. And so we actually opened the World Series in San Diego. And just like that dream year, we started off 35 and five, which is the best 40 games start baseball history.

It's like Nintendo. I'm talking to you Kevin right now about it. And I'm like, we started the season 35 and five. How did we do that? I mean, everything went our way. Everybody has contributed. It was just something you couldn't have scripted any better. But so fast forward it. Obviously we tailed off some after that 35 and five start, but we went wire to wire. We swept the Kansas City Royals and the playoffs, three games, none. We go into the World Series. Again, it wasn't all the playoff rounds, things like that.

Kevin (26:24.898)
Right.

Alan (26:52.119)
And we got a chance to play in a World Series, right? And I got to sleep in my own bed. I didn't even stay with a team in the hotel. I stayed in my own home, which is very comforting. And then we jumped out like we did oftentimes that year. Lou let off the game with a double. He let off, I hit second. First pitch, I got a base hit. We're up one to nothing in the first game of the World Series after three pitches. It was just one of those things. So it was just a dream year.

Kevin (26:57.346)
haha

No kidding.

Kevin (27:14.776)
Go.

Alan (27:20.183)
I was swinging the bat very well in the playoffs and then carrying on in the World Series. And again, it was the highlight of my career of winning the World Series. Yeah, I did. So game four, so we won the first game and then the Ponderis beat us game two. So we go back to Detroit and it's one game apiece. And the way the series were is two.

Kevin (27:30.402)
Well, you had you had two home runs in that series or in one game, right?

Alan (27:48.248)
So we had the next three games at Detroit. And if we didn't sweep them, we were gonna have to go back to San Diego, at least play a game or possibly two. And so game three, we beat them, know, the Padres, they were hanging on. We beat them, they were, obviously they weren't in the World Series for a reason. you they kept hanging around. We'd jump out to a lead, they would stay right with it. They'd come back. But in game four,

Kevin (27:49.678)
Two, three.

Alan (28:16.375)
And I hit two two run homers and we won four to two. And so those those home runs obviously meant a lot because those were the those are the only runs we got. So Lou let off the bottom of the first with a base hit. I had a two run homer in the third inning. The same thing. Lou gets on base. I hit a two run homer. We end up winning the game four to two. Jack Morris, who had pitched game one, also pitched game four. He threw two complete games. You know.

Game five, Gibby hits two home runs, one off of Goose Gossage. Yeah, the old jumping up and down and old Gibby has that dramatic. He did something like that for the Dodgers off of Eckersley as well. But Gibby was a great player as well. had a really good team. Again, it all just came together. But Jack and Gibby could have easily have been named the MVP of that series. They gave it to me. I'm happy to, but we were just happy.

Kevin (28:49.07)
That's the great Kurt Gibson, you guys don't know.

Well, we're Dodgers guys out here, so.

Alan (29:14.261)
not wearing the ring right now, it's in a safety deposit box, but I'm gonna show you right where it would go, right here. And we wore it proudly and still do when I take it out of the safety deposit box. But that's what you play for, you play to win championships. So, you know?

Kevin (29:25.422)
That's it. That's what every boy dreams of, know, and I don't know if there's anything more special. I mean, I watch the videos of you Jack and two home runs in that game and just watching the Detroit crowd just go ballistic. And I don't know if there's a, I can imagine I've never been close to that, but imagine that there's probably no better feeling in sports than, than hitting one out of the park like that in the world series.

Alan (29:52.824)
Well, it felt pretty darn good, to be honest with you. But just winning, again, that was first and foremost. To be able to contribute, which at that time already, I had like six years under my belt already. So I was a little bit of a seasoned vet like a lot of our guys. A lot of guys came up, I was the youngest at 19, but we had guys, who I mentioned was 20 when he first came to the big leagues, others were in their early 20s.

Kevin (29:56.299)
Yeah

Alan (30:22.903)
And so we got a chance to play together for a few years. And I mentioned Sparky before, but they had brought Sparky in after our first year in the major leagues. he had come over from the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati where they had won a back-to-back world championships in 75 and 76. And some argue that from top to bottom, their offensive lineup was as good as there was in the history of baseball. And so

Kevin (30:38.765)
Yeah.

Alan (30:51.607)
Sparky comes over to the Tigers man and I was a little bit in awe of him knowing what he had accomplished with the Reds. And we thought we were pretty good and we were, but we needed some direction and that's where Sparky came in. And I'll be the first to toot his horn. He was my mentor, number one guy. There's others, but Sparky was at the top of the list that showed us how to do it, not only on the field, but off the field. And I'm proud to have said that I played, and I played together because we were together the whole time.

Kevin (31:15.704)
Hmm.

Alan (31:20.907)
We played for Sparky for 17 years, which again, there's been a couple guys that have played with a manager a little longer, but not many, not many. We played for him for all those years and he taught us how to play. He taught us how to do things and make better players out of ourselves. Again, also as better people, better person, as a better person. And I'm sure you can relate to that because that's what your business, you know, I know that you guys protect and serve.

Kevin (31:24.012)
Wow.

Alan (31:48.44)
that you guys have a lot of structure and that's what we believe in as ourselves. And that's really when you asked me the question a while ago about what made me go, the consistency, the structure that again, it started with my parents and coaches. And then when I got into professional baseball, Sparky and some of the other coaches that I had were basically extensions of my parents. They were tough, there was tough love. That was the era that, it wasn't a...

Kevin (31:49.076)
we're-

Alan (32:16.149)
We got yelled and scolded and stuff, but that was just how it was. was a tough love. And I'm very appreciative of that. I really, I believe in that. think there's a lot to be said and I know that helped me.

Kevin (32:21.58)
Well, I think there's something missing about that.

Kevin (32:29.58)
Yeah, I think we're missing a little bit of that. think very similar in the fire service. There's a lot of tough love. It's either, but it's mandatory because somebody's life is on the line. And if you don't do your

Alan (32:32.7)
I agree.

Alan (32:40.311)
Well, there's a difference. You're saving lives. We're trying to have people that are enjoying, but go ahead. want you to finish with that.

Kevin (32:43.83)
Well, but not only ours. Yeah. No, but we live together. We live together and so I think there's a formal education and mentorship from your parents and your family members when you're young. And then when you get into our career field there, you're again a young man living with grown men and we live there 50 % of the time. So it's not just about performing at your job, but it's like you said was Sparky. It's like are you the first to take the trash out? Did you clean up after yourself? Did?

Alan (33:03.703)
Sure, sure.

Kevin (33:12.566)
And some of that tough love I think is missing a little bit because I think that's what we all need to kind of fuel each other, get you better. You're around great men. And I think there's something too that what you do in the little things, you do in the big things, and that's what they really preach in the fire service. And I'm sure that's got to be the same in baseball.

Alan (33:29.207)
No, it's exactly. And you said, some people would say, you know, it could be listed and say, well, what does that really mean? Or what, how does that matter? It's again, it does matter. Again, if you're willing to take shortcuts, there's sacrifices that are made in every business, every profession. And those are the kinds of things that you're, those are your teammates, your guys that you're staying with and living with and then going out there and,

That means a lot. And if you just, just, let's add Libit today and let's see if that works. That's not gonna work. Well, I know one thing. If I tried to add Libit and just kind of, you know, just, it's okay. You know, we lost today. It doesn't matter. No, somebody else would take my job. And I didn't want somebody to take my job. I wanted to play a long period of time, which is I ended up doing that. But it was basically because of what we were just talking about. It mattered to me each and every year.

Kevin (34:16.312)
Yeah.

Alan (34:28.329)
If I had a good game today, I would try to do it again tomorrow. If I didn't play well and I want to say something, we have to learn how to flush it, turn the page like a closer mentality, learn how to put that behind, even though that's tough sometimes. You care. When somebody beats you or you don't perform up to your standards, it hurts and it should hurt. But that's what kind of fuels the fire. And that's what I did for

a long, long period of time, longer than most. And I know that that does work. And so that's my story and I'm sticking to it even though I'm not playing anymore. I'm still involved in the game, which I'm happy to do. They still include me. And again, some of those messages I'm telling our guys today. And I played it 30 years.

Kevin (35:04.686)
I it.

Kevin (35:16.522)
You'd have to.

Yeah, I love the fact you bring up him as a Sparky as a mentor. Cause I think it's po I think it was post what I was reading, you winning the MVP, having the world series ring. I think it was the following season. he said that you were batting fourth instead of second. Is that right?

Alan (35:38.464)
Yeah, there's a couple years. So we won in 84 and going into our 87, 1987, we came into spring training and this was a time we had lost our catcher, Lance Parrish, and he was our cleanup hitter. And so I hit second Lou, myself, Kirk Gibson, Lance Parrish, Darrell Levin, Chet Lemmon, it would just go on. We had a very good lineup.

could do a lot of things and play the game correctly. So when Lance left, he felt like he wanted me to move from second to fourth. And I went, you're crazy, Sparky, that I'm not a clean up hitter. I loved hitting number two, to be honest with you, because at that time, we hit and ran, we bunted, we did those little things. Those are the little things that I could do. And so I could contribute.

Kevin (36:21.975)
Not a cleanup guy.

Alan (36:36.247)
at the Hill Park ball club. And when he moved me, I'm like, man, I don't see it. But the good thing about this, that he did it from the first day of spring training. So I played a month of spring training, of kind of getting a feel. And he goes, Tram, I don't want you to change anything. I want you to be yourself. I just want you to play the game according to the situation. And so I didn't really, really, really understand what that meant until I started to learn that as the four hitter,

So you're three, four, and five guys. So when Lou and I are first and second, I'm going back and forth, our job was to get on base for the three, four, and five guys. Well, now I was now in that situation where the guys at the top of the lineup were getting on base, and it was my job to drive those guys in. That was the biggest thing. And the other part he had mentioned is that, Tram, you're going to have to learn how to three and And I'm like, because normally when I hit

Kevin (37:15.148)
Yeah.

Alan (37:33.698)
you know, when I was three and a lot of times it hit first or second with Lou, sometimes we'd have to take as we were again, we trying to get off base. And that's just, again, how the game was played. It's different now, but that's how it was. So again, going back to the cleanup spot, I started to learn and he goes, you're to have to let it go, especially with two outs, because, you know, the guy, you know, he throws you a cookie. You got to be able to put a good swing on that. You might be able to hit a ball out of the ballpark or drive it. And don't, know, you don't want to do that and have that.

Kevin (37:40.387)
Yeah.

Alan (38:01.911)
count start zero zero oh oh with the next guy. It's to your advantage. I'm like, so I started to have a little success. had to force myself to learn how to do that. But I did have a few few home runs hit three and oh, I'm like, Whoa, okay. So again, what what leads to this is the confidence. So some success leads to confidence. And it was by far the best year statistically that I had by far. And that

Kevin (38:05.345)
Right.

Kevin (38:30.382)
Yeah, it was 350 or so, right? Yeah.

Alan (38:31.351)
Sparky putting me in the cleanup spot. When you look at me, I was still probably 175 to 180. But I had a little pop and I was learning how to head to the count. was learning how to get the head of the bat out and start to drive the ball a little bit more. And lo and behold, that Sparky knew what he was doing, like he did a lot of times. I give him all the credit of the world because I wouldn't have put myself at four, but he did and I-

I hit there for a few years. Again, I wasn't the prototype for a hitter, but I did a pretty good job and I understood how to do what he wanted me to do.

Kevin (39:10.318)
That's pretty amazing. Yeah, I love, there's probably no coincidence that he's in the hall, you know, when he can see something in you that you can't see something in yourself.

Alan (39:15.991)
Yeah, you he managed the big red machine. know, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan and Tony Perez. And, you know, unfortunately with Pete Rose and he's no longer with us, but we all know that Pete Rose statistically was a Hall of Famer, you know, and all that. you know, he had a great team, but people say, oh, you know, manager, you know, he just writes out the lineup card. Believe me, being that I was there for somebody, manager does a lot more than just

Kevin (39:31.317)
he's amazing. Yeah.

Alan (39:45.727)
right out the line of card. He has to handle, put out fires. He's the captain of the ship.

Kevin (39:52.653)
Now, I'd love to see, so obviously you had some success early on and what an amazing thing with Lou and what you guys have developed. When did you meet your wife Barbara along this journey? How did that, or did you always know her?

Alan (40:04.247)
Yeah, well, we're the same year, we're the same grade, we're the same age. We graduated in 1976. And so I met Barb when she, you know, in high school. So Kearney was 10 through 12, not 9 through 12 at that particular time. I'm not sure why, but the city schools in San Diego were only 3 grades.

Kevin (40:19.768)
wow.

Alan (40:32.663)
I didn't know her. went to two different junior highs, but the two junior highs, I went to Kearney and that's where I met her. And we didn't really start dating until really the latter part of my senior year. But we're together still. It's 47 years, almost 48 years coming up. So we've been, she's been through all of this. And again, like.

Kevin (40:47.436)
Wow!

Kevin (40:52.492)
Now, so when did you get married? Or how long into your career did you guys.

Alan (40:57.515)
Well, actually, so I signed in 76, played my first major league game in September of 79 or 77, excuse me. We got married in February of 78. So played my first major league game in September of 77. So just a few months later, her birthday is a couple of weeks behind me. I got married. We got married. We got married on my birthday. And then she turned 20.

Kevin (41:10.798)
Wow.

Kevin (41:21.613)
Wow.

Alan (41:25.833)
It was my 20th birthday, she turned 20 a few weeks later. And again, the rest is history. know, three beautiful kids.

Kevin (41:31.488)
Unbelievable. Now were you able, were you able, were you splitting time? Did she travel with you on the road early on or did you have a house in San Diego and you lived in Detroit? How did that work?

Alan (41:41.664)
We actually bought a home in Michigan before we bought a home in San Diego. But for most of my career, we had homes in both places. And then we had started our family in the early 1980s. And so during the summer, I'm playing baseball and it's not that's when we're busy. So she would take the kids and go to northern Michigan. She would go home to San Diego and spend a few weeks out there.

Kevin (41:50.819)
Gotcha.

Kevin (42:01.75)
Yeah.

Alan (42:10.175)
And she was raising the kids for the most part. mean, dad was around, but not around as much as he would have liked. But obviously, that's the profession you're in. And she was the one that was able to do all of those things and raise those children, even though they're adults now. But she gets all the credit. But again, we've been married for many, many years. And it's not easy, again, in professional sports, really, in any profession. And we know that.

We know what the numbers say about marriages. So we're fortunate that it works for us. And it's still working. We do. Yes, I have two sons, Lance and Kyle. They're in their early 40s. And my daughter, Jade, is 38. So again, they're not young. They're adults. And none of them are married at this particular time.

But no grandkids, but we got plenty of dogs and plenty of relatives and we're proud of them. They're all good kids.

Kevin (43:13.326)
Ha

Kevin (43:17.646)
Well, you know, we are gone for the summer quite a bit as well. And then, uh, gone for work. How did you, what were some of your strategies to stay connected with your wife or to be basically stay connected with the kids? Because I mean, you're living in two different worlds almost. And that's, very similar to us as well.

Alan (43:30.293)
Yeah.

Well, think about this. This is again, this is going back. We didn't have cell phones back in those days. We had calling cards and we called collect and we had phone booths and we did things like that. We learned we're going on the road when you use a hotel operator and you call home and it's like 10 or 15 minutes, it's $100. You're like, wait a second. We got to figure out a better way. So that's where the calling cards came in.

Kevin (43:38.818)
Right.

Alan (44:02.909)
and you used some sort of service and the rates were a lot cheaper. And then, know, whatever, I forget when the cell phones and stuff came in. you know, again, we didn't have the computers. You know, we basically had to just kind of go when we left, you know, we tried to get ahold of each other as much as we can. But that was just how life was back in those days. And believe it or not, know, people are again, are listening like, how did they do that? Well, just think about well before my time.

Kevin (44:26.116)
Right.

Kevin (44:30.243)
Yeah.

Alan (44:32.631)
how they did it and things worked. You make do with what you have. I guess that's the best way to describe it. But again, it's not easy, especially for a woman, you know, your husband on the road, you know, doing that, going to cities, you know, just, you know, again, and I was dedicated. I mean, that was my job and I enjoyed doing what I did and I wanted to be good at it. And so that takes, you know, a toll, but it takes a strong woman.

Kevin (44:33.913)
Right.

Kevin (44:41.016)
It's great.

Alan (45:01.291)
to be able to do what she did to be able to take the kids, not just wait around for me at home, coming home after a ball game. She would take the initiative to take kids and take them on vacations and do different things, travel with three kids, young kids on an airplane. We see kids on the airplane nowadays. You're kind of like, God, how did we do it? Well, goes, you really did very often. It was me. And I go, yeah, you're right. You're right about that.

Kevin (45:01.915)
it has to.

Kevin (45:16.814)
Yeah.

Kevin (45:22.991)
Ha!

You're right about that. Did you make it a point when you were when you were home to say, OK, I'm going to try to maximize the family time knowing that your summers? Yeah.

Alan (45:34.584)
yeah, so the off season, again, when we started a long time ago with this part of the conversation about the workouts, things like that. So in the off season, again, you can coordinate your schedule how you really want it. And my workout schedule would, I would take the kids to school, go work out, do a couple of errands, then be able to come back to pick them up, take them to their ice skating, ice hockey when we were in Michigan, or basketball or football or whatever it was.

Kevin (45:57.656)
Awesome.

Alan (46:04.535)
and be a dad. So those four to four and a half months that I was off working out, always staying in shape, been able to be a father. And that was kind of my time to help out my wife to be able to take care of business at least for a few months. it wasn't really a fair even, Stephen, but I did my best. But that's just unfortunately how it was.

Kevin (46:21.871)
It's a rec...

Kevin (46:30.751)
yeah, and it's a different time, right? I didn't think about that. Now I think even with our firewives right now, it's not even Steven. They have to take the lion's share of things and have to become very self-sufficient because when we are gone and you know, the water heater breaks or something happens, we're not coming back. We can't help. And so I think, I mean, it sounds very similar to, I mean, our hats off to those ladies, right? Yeah.

Alan (46:32.363)
Yep, that it was.

Alan (46:47.296)
Yeah.

Alan (46:53.399)
Well, it is very similar, Kevin. Yeah, it is. And so my hat's off. Again, we know how it is that when we're gone and you go home or you're on the road and you're thinking about, I should be home. But you can't have it both ways. again, bottom line is it takes a strong woman for sure.

Kevin (47:12.579)
Yeah, that's pretty amazing. Well, 47 years is nothing to sneeze at.

Alan (47:17.279)
Yeah, no, it you know, we're bumping up to coming up to 50 here in a couple years. And so, yeah, I mean, my God, life's been good. And I again, I feel like I've lived a dream life. mean, again, I graduated from high school and two days later, I was in Bristol, Virginia, and starting this and I really haven't done anything. So 50 years of professional baseball. It's the only thing I've done. I'm happy that the Tigers still include me.

Kevin (47:22.486)
Unreal.

Kevin (47:34.575)
Let's go.

Alan (47:45.3)
And I still have enough energy to, you know, I feel like I have something to offer. They want me to be around. I'm happy to do it. Really, it keeps me young, to be honest with you, being these young kids. And so I hope I can continue to do this for, you know, a few more years, to be honest with you, until I ride off into the sunset. But I still enjoy, you again, being around the kids.

Kevin (47:54.359)
Yeah, absolutely.

Kevin (48:07.955)
You obviously stay pretty busy and I know you've been involved in team site, but was there a, adjustment period with Barbara where I, you, right. When you kind of officially retired in the beginning where you're like, all of a sudden he's home all the time.

Alan (48:19.38)
Well, I mean, again, she's with me all these years and she kind of knows how, again, I'm wired. And so right after I retired, I mean, it was the time. I mean, we weren't doing very well. I was starting to get nicked up a little bit. I moved on and again, I wanted to play with the Tigers my whole career and I was able to do that. But I had set up, you know, right after the season was over, I had asked them, you I'd like to be a part.

And I want to show you, mean, oftentimes, you know, again, the kind of so-called the, you know, main players that have been with a team for a while, you know, they they're around, but, you know, they're only around here and there. I wanted to work. And so that's just me. And so I think I proved to them early, you know, early on that, you know, I wanted to I was, you know, you wanted me to travel. I was I was able to do that, you know, with the blessing from my wife. And she knew that, you know, I wasn't ready to just be at home.

Kevin (48:47.471)
Nice.

Alan (49:16.951)
You know, yeah, I was, you know, in my late 30s. I wasn't an old man yet. So she know that I needed to I still needed to do this. And so again, blessing and blessing. How many years later? I'm still kind of doing it. But the job that I have, you know, I'm in and out. I'm gone for a couple of weeks. I come home for 10 days or so. And I kind of do that for six or seven months. So it's a pretty good gig. She does travel whenever she wants. Go to some of the cities to be with me.

Kevin (49:20.747)
It's right, right.

Kevin (49:38.159)
Very cool.

Alan (49:46.391)
But still, again, it's a pretty good gig, I'll keep that down. again, being in professional baseball all these years is, again, it's truly a blessing.

Kevin (49:50.537)
Yeah, we'll keep it down. keep it...

Kevin (49:58.35)
I love it. Were you, I was thinking of a Cecil Fielder and I hadn't read that. I mean, he was just smashing the ball 550 feet or something like that. Were you, was there any overlap that.

Alan (50:09.111)
Close. no, played so Sass came. He had won over. his his his career, he had to go to Japan for a year. And so he was with the Toronto Blue Jays and he was kind of a journeyman not getting regular playing time. So the 89 season, he went over to Japan and put a monster year. Tigers took a shot and they gave him, I believe, a three year contract. So the first year he comes over 1990 hits.

51 home runs, which at that time hadn't been done in quite a while. And so I actually was the last series, the last game of the season, the last series, we were in Yankee Stadium and I was on first base when he hit his 50th home run, which was, felt, I felt really good. And earlier that year he had a ball out of Milwaukee County Stadium. I actually happened to be on first base. And then I don't know if it was the same year, but off of Dave Stewart.

Kevin (50:40.159)
Yeah, yeah

Kevin (50:54.276)
Wow.

Alan (51:08.085)
He hit a ball on the Tiger Stadium roof in left field and I actually was on base again. So there's three times. So Cess for three years, man, he was really, really good. He was with us for a few more years and then ended up getting traded, I believe, to the Yankees in 96, the middle of the season. And he ended up winning a World Series ring with the Yankees in 96. Big Daddy, we call him Big Daddy. Big Heart had tremendous power, had a pretty good son too. Prince Fielder had a pretty good.

Kevin (51:11.705)
So it's true, yeah.

Kevin (51:30.093)
Yeah, Big Daddy.

Kevin (51:37.249)
Yeah, of course.

Alan (51:38.579)
Unfortunately, he got cut short by injuries. But Cecil Fielder was an excellent hitter, great power, and as big as he was, he was a really good first baseman as well. So he saved me a few times with some of the low throws every once in a while. make you look good here and there, which good first basemans do.

Kevin (51:52.121)
Yeah.

Kevin (52:00.504)
I love it. Now, when I'm thinking back and when I'm growing up as a kid in the eighties, I think of the Detroit Pistons, I actually got to meet John Sally one time. Yeah. And he was, mean, a complete wild man at the time. I didn't know, obviously there was a different, there was a, era around them about what they were doing. Was there any overlap in that Detroit area where you're like, we got to stay away from those guys.

Alan (52:09.535)
Yeah, bad boys, yeah.

Alan (52:21.783)
Oh, sure, sure. actually was friends with Bill Lambert, Joe Dumores and Isaiah Thomas. I met, you know, basically the whole team because during the offseason, Kurt Gibson and I split some tickets that we were on the floor there at the Palace. And the first two years, it was just, you know, this is how you'd like things to work out. They move from the Silverdome where they were playing in a football stadium to the Palace. And the first two years there at the Palace, went to World

Kevin (52:26.849)
cool.

Alan (52:50.519)
NBA championship too. And, you they paid their dues, you know, they lost to the Celtics, they had lost, you know, to the Bulls. But, you know, they did have a nice little run for a while and they were really good. I mean, they got after you and that was kind of like, you know, this is a blue collar town, Detroit, but you are known for that. And, you know, that's how we tried to play baseball as far as, know, fundamentally, you know, team game, whatever it takes to win. Well, that's exactly what

Kevin (52:51.448)
Yeah, right.

Kevin (53:08.824)
Yes.

Alan (53:19.663)
Chuck Daly, their coach, who was a very good one himself, and the Pistons during that time. And led by Isaiah, but they had a lot of good role players, a lot of good players, and they had a lot of success as well.

Kevin (53:33.808)
That's cool. There's actually a recent documentary. It's called burn about the fire service in Detroit. Currently with maybe maybe it's 10 years ago. They had so many vacancies post the factories leaving and they had somebody just boarded up that that they would. They had more structure fires than most in the country and watching these guys go on one after another after another. It's wild so I didn't know like.

Alan (53:47.667)
Sure, yeah.

Kevin (54:00.581)
I do think that it seemed like you guys kind of took on the personality of that like tougher blue collar Michigan to Detroit town and it's a very cool thing.

Alan (54:08.727)
Yeah, no, it did. And again, from baseball. So a kid, a kid from San Diego who was used to sunshine and warmth. And then I have to go back and play in Detroit where it's cold in April, cold most of May. And then, you know, late in the season, getting cold as well. And did I like it? Absolutely not. Spark used to tell me, man, you're not very good at this. And I'm like, you know, thinking back on my career, it's like, you know, I had a couple of decent, you know, first part of the year.

Kevin (54:21.103)
freeze.

Alan (54:39.015)
But most of the time I didn't. I tried to just survive. But I learned. know, Gibby used to always give us that, you you got to be tough because Gibby grew up in Detroit there and that tough guy saw it happen. Like, OK, well, I got to try to be that way. But it just kind of rubbed off on us. And then again now flipping over to like the bad boys and the way they just got after it, man. You didn't just get a free layup in there if you were going to pay the price. And again, that was just kind of the message that we're going to we're going to come after you.

Kevin (55:00.662)
No, not with the beer, no.

Alan (55:06.933)
That's what we felt again in baseball. It's a little different sport, obviously. But again, we're going to keep coming at you. You jump on us. We're not going to quit. We're not going to quit. We're going to play nine innings. And that's just kind of how we were taught by Sparky. And again, I'm very thankful that he taught us the ropes that way. And again, I grew up, I'm obviously great to grow up in San Diego and all that. But I enjoyed playing in Detroit. I really did. And you talked about the fires.

and the downtown area and how it's, I'm happy to say that the rebuild, it's been going on now for quite a while, but people think about Detroit and they kind of go, ooh, know, don't, but hey, it's come a long way and they've got a lot of good things going in there. It's a great state and the city of Detroit is definitely.

Kevin (55:55.194)
That's awesome. Well, if somebody doesn't see you on this and they're they're not watching on the YouTube, you've stayed in great shape. And I want to know, you know, you obviously had. Yeah. So what are you doing as far as like nutrition or fitness or how you how you stay in great shape now? I know obviously you were you did this for an entire career, but I do see some guys in our field. They put in 30 years of hard work and they kind of let themselves go and think that they earned the.

Alan (56:02.551)
I try. I try.

Alan (56:09.462)
Yup.

Whoa.

Kevin (56:22.071)
earn their chair time. And I don't think that's right. I think we got to stay right. mean, keep your healthy mind, healthy body.

Alan (56:27.167)
Yeah, well, I think you just said it right there with the health. think, you know, it's always like if you stay in shape, you know, you possibly could live a little bit longer. And I just kind of my motto is like, well, I'd like to stay around for quite a while longer, to be honest with you. you know, keeping your weight down is obviously at the top of the list on, you know, things that you could do to help. you know, are there some sacrifice? You know, I work out, you know, basically four times a week.

But in between there, I play golf and I'm just, you know, I stay active and I have some energy. I know those days are weaning some, but, you know, I've been able to keep my weight at, you know, almost at my playing weight at the end of my career, which again, again, that's just again, because of the activity that I've done. And I'm going to try to continue. Yeah, no, a mixture. do, you know, I had a hip replacement years ago.

Kevin (57:09.059)
amazing.

Kevin (57:14.637)
Now when you're working out, you doing weights, cardio or kind of a mix of both? What do

Alan (57:23.351)
And so, you know, that limits me to, you know, I used to pound the concrete, you know, running and things like that. I can't do that anymore, but there's so many things that you could do. And so my motto is something's better than nothing. And so, you know, whether it's, you know, upper body, lower body, know, intensity is not quite the same, but I do something and I always do whatever I work out. It's always 30 minutes of some sort of cardio. And that's been my ticket.

Kevin (57:36.719)
Mmm.

Kevin (57:48.24)
That's great. Well, you said it earlier and I think you were talking about consistency. to me, I think that's everything I would. The compliance is the science, right? It's like you've been consistent in everything over years. And I think I would take consistency over intensity every day. It's just that consistency showing up and something is better than nothing. That's exactly it. I know it's like some guys will just say, I'm just going to break a sweat today. That's fantastic.

Alan (58:09.334)
Yeah.

Alan (58:17.131)
Yeah, you know, that's my motto. Again, it's worked for me. get that just I think having the energy I thinking back and I'm switching gears. I'm thinking back to high school when I was in basketball. And one of the things that I was good at is because I had the energy, I was always all over the court. And I look I use that to my advantage. I could see what guys would get tired. And I still have a little bit left of the tank and, you know, able to do things, you know, be disruptive and things like that.

And that's kind of how we played basketball at that time. You we were very disruptive, very active. And so that was right up my alley. And again, I took it over. I mentioned earlier about a point guard playing shortstop. That's kind of how I viewed shortstop is my vision. I wasn't like this. It's a shortstop. I felt like even though I can't see the outfield behind me, kind of knew what was going on. And I guess I did that even when I was like a little boy. It was just something that I guess it was just meant to be, so to speak.

Obviously, I did a few things to try to help myself along with some very good coaching. That's obviously a part of it. But it was just something that I do believe that that was what I was meant to do when I was put on the surface.

Kevin (59:27.867)
Yeah, I think I think back and I'd love to get your opinion on this. I think I was probably one of the last generations that we just played whatever sport was in season. So if it was football in the fall, it was, you know what I mean? Then he was basketball in the winter and then you had spring stuff and you know, in the summer you're playing baseball, right? And so, but now you look at kids and it seemed to be so sports specific by the time they're nine years old. They're only travel ball kids. And I don't know. I think that.

Alan (59:37.141)
Yeah, exactly.

Kevin (59:57.252)
I don't know if that's right or wrong or what your thoughts on our some of that stuff like where you're, you're just a baseball kid at nine years old all of a

Alan (01:00:00.107)
Yeah.

You know, I wish it wasn't, again, this is a different generation and the things that we were able to do as youngsters, you know, we could just take off and be gone all day. You can't do that anymore, unfortunately. That's just not how it works. And so we improvise. So they have a lot more at their fingertips, obviously the information, but we went out there on the street, you know, at the school or whatever, and pick up basketball, street football, you know, that kind of thing.

Kevin (01:00:28.665)
Sure.

Alan (01:00:30.165)
whatever it was to stay active. And that was very important about, and I look back, you know, throwing a tennis ball or a rubber ball against my garage door and ruining my garage door. But thank God my parents, you know, never really said anything. They allowed me to do that. But those are the little skills that helped me as I got, you know, better, got into high school and then professional, that I was already doing at a very young age, that I was more fundamentally sound because of those things that I was doing, just because I was really killing time.

Kevin (01:00:44.217)
Yeah

Kevin (01:00:56.067)
Hmm.

Alan (01:01:00.097)
But I enjoyed it. It was never worked to me. It was something that I wanted to do. so again, being more organized with a uniform and all that, they have that more today. But I do love the catching, the coaching that we had and being able to improvise. We didn't have to have nine guys in the field because oftentimes we didn't. But we were able to play wiffle ball or tennis ball or rubber ball.

Kevin (01:01:26.297)
Sure.

Alan (01:01:27.531)
We probably didn't even get to play that much hardball other than in our leagues, but we were able to play some sort of game that was making our minds work. And I know that that was very beneficial again to me in my career, yes.

Kevin (01:01:39.823)
Yeah, again, it's a different, but I just see these, you know, these kids, got the sliding gloves on, they got a $700 bat, they're like nine years old and they're, you know, we're like, it seems, it's a wild time. I'm like, just go out and play over the line for a while. You know, they're just like, Yeah.

Alan (01:01:46.794)
Yeah.

Alan (01:01:54.296)
Yeah, anything again. All those things are very helpful and we were, think, more creative. we started, you know, right field close if you're a right handed hitter, left field close if you're a left handed hitter. If we didn't have, you know, if we only had three or four guys, you know, on a team, but we still would play and, you know, we were still running the bases. We were still having to catch, throw guys out. You know, again, I look back and go, you know, I didn't play, you know, organized games.

Like you play in these travel games and they're playing, you know, 60, 80, 100 games. But I'm hearing what you just described, that some of these guys, when you look at them playing, it's like they still don't really know how to play the game. And it's like, I think that we learned how to play the game, even though we didn't have all the luxuries that they have. And I know I'm an older guy and, you know, I'm complaining and all that stuff. And every year is the best era. And I'm not going to deny that the

Kevin (01:02:37.817)
Yeah.

Alan (01:02:51.989)
the athletes today are bigger, stronger, faster in all the sports. I give you that. But we had a little, we could play a little bit. again, I enjoyed our era very much.

Kevin (01:02:55.917)
Well, no, I mean, I'm...

Yeah.

Kevin (01:03:04.493)
No, and I think of the influx of the international players that you see now and there's these guys that are coming up from the Dominican Republic. have nothing right in there using a stick and like a broken rock and they're they're working on fundamentals and I mean it just seems like not everybody needs what some of these travel ball kids need now. think I don't.

Alan (01:03:11.179)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Alan (01:03:23.765)
Well, man, if you I've been down to Dominican many times and when you look at those kids and you know, you obviously could see why they want to get out of there. I know that's home and all, but the fields and things like that and just the way that they have to live is is tough. And that's why a lot of them make it because they want to go. They want to come over to the States and get a better way of life, so to speak.

Kevin (01:03:34.639)
Hmm.

Kevin (01:03:50.916)
Yeah.

Alan (01:03:51.104)
And again, it's a great country, but unfortunately, some of the third world countries, a lot of it, it's the rich, and then there's poor, and there's really not much middle ground, middle class.

Kevin (01:04:05.603)
Now your work now with the teams, there's gotta be this complete, it's a completely international, it's America's pastime, but this is an international game. think of our own Dodgers that I fall, know, how many players from Japan are on there, you know what mean, they're all stars on there. But is it a different, is there a different feel or a different approach if you have to work with a guy who's maybe that didn't grow up like you and I?

Alan (01:04:13.503)
Yeah.

Alan (01:04:31.615)
No, honestly, I've been asked this many times. And so again, the generations are different. I'll tell you what, most of the kids, they want to be coached. They really do. They want to get better. They want to learn. Obviously, there's more of the computers, the phones, and all the more of the style and the showmanship about all the professional sports. That's not going to change. Whether I like it or not, that wasn't what we did. I've moved on well from that. I everybody's doing it. Whatever.

Kevin (01:04:55.747)
Yeah.

Kevin (01:05:00.355)
Yeah, right.

Alan (01:05:01.089)
They're good kids. And when I'm going in there and I'm talking to these kids, again, I haven't played in a long time. Some of our younger kids, whether it's myself or some of the other ex-tigers or ex-professional ballplayers, they don't really know who they are. If they don't know who I am, somebody will tell them and they'll figure it out real quick and go, this guy played a long time. OK, I got it. Maybe they should know a little bit more of the history. But again, I'm standing by.

Kevin (01:05:18.927)
Yeah.

Alan (01:05:29.943)
Most of these kids want to get better and they do. And I love working with them to be honest with you. You see the gleam in their eyes. That's what makes me go. And you can just tell when they're sincere and they have failure. Obviously, the game is we talked about is a game of failure. And I can help get them through some of that. Some of the stories that I can tell them and relate to them. Because again, it doesn't matter what era you were in.

Kevin (01:05:37.922)
Yeah.

Alan (01:05:58.806)
You struggle at one point in time in this beautiful game of baseball.

Kevin (01:06:03.311)
no doubt. All right, what's your thoughts on banana ball? That is, I know some of the kids that were taking kids to this thing and they're having a great.

Alan (01:06:08.398)
Well, I had an opportunity to go. I just had come back into town. They were here in San Diego and I did. But see, this is kind of the new generation of what they like. I mean, they want the quick, you know, it's a quick pace. And I'm a fan. mean, again, you you asked me what baseball, regular baseball, we make some rule changes here in baseball. I'm OK, especially the time clock. You know, I'm fine with that.

But I think that the Savannah Bananas are hit. they're only, if I'm not mistaken, the schedule for next year is even, it's almost sold out already. In multiple towns, they have like two different teams, two different levels. So my hat's off to them because it gives me a big laugh when I watch those guys perform. They're doing good. Yeah, yeah, I give them a lot of credit.

Kevin (01:06:45.465)
Yeah.

Kevin (01:06:56.067)
Yeah, they're incredible. And he's seen this guy do a backflip and while he's catching the ball is like unbelievable.

Alan (01:07:04.759)
I don't know if Sparky would have liked that, know, the old school stuff. But I think, again, I think that the kids nowadays, they like it, and that's really all that matters.

Kevin (01:07:07.095)
No, I don't think so. No.

Kevin (01:07:14.809)
Yeah, there's something really cool. We have the Lake Elstor storm. I'm up in Marietta area. Not far from you, but we have a minor league ball club in Elstor and there's something really cool about going down there. Almost every game when the kids get a ball. I mean, you're just getting the hot dogs. You got the popcorn. You got the Cracker Jackson. It's just it's a very cool small town feel and it's very entertaining. And then obviously there's the big games will go down to a Padres game or will go to a Dodger game.

Alan (01:07:26.368)
Yes.

Kevin (01:07:43.447)
And that's a whole nother level. but it's just, it's one of those things that you just can't, can't help yourself feel American, but feel just very proud of like what, what you've done. And I can only imagine you being on that field, how much different that was.

Alan (01:07:59.074)
Well, it's still where I'm most comfortable, obviously being in my family, but the next place would be on a baseball field. just when I step on one, it just feels like that's me. And that's what I've been doing for so long. And that's where I get I just I feel like that's a second home to me. And so again, it's it's I'm very, very blessed to be able to have done this for so many years. But again, it's a great game, you know, you know, talking that even though

Kevin (01:08:06.425)
Yeah.

Alan (01:08:28.875)
here in the Padres on the West Coast, the Dodgers, back back champs. They've got darn good going. You know, a lot of teams are jealous, including myself and the Tigers. You know, we'd like to get there, but we're knocking on the door. We've got a ball club coming up and we're going to try it again here very soon. And spring training is around the corner right after the first of the year. So look forward to, you know, that challenge and just being a part again. I had my day in the sun, but

Kevin (01:08:40.909)
Yeah.

Alan (01:08:57.589)
I'm still part of that Tiger organization and obviously pulling for those young men to have a successful season.

Kevin (01:09:06.113)
I love it. We're running out of time and we missed Noel today. My partner Noel, he's another fireman that runs the swing with it. He's on vacation, but it's been a real honor. And I think, I don't think people can literally grasp the fact of having a 20 year career at this, at that level with the same team and, having the success you had, it's just really unbelievable to me, but it sounds like what I'm picking up quite a bit is,

saying, stick to the fundamentals and the consistency over time and the camaraderie between you and Lou and some of the other guys and how that almost fueled both of your careers. I think we can take quite a bit away from that because I know there's guys that I work with that I hope to work with for 20 years as well and they make me better. I know for sure that being around them make me better and I think that's very similar to what you were kind of talking about.

Alan (01:09:38.465)
Yeah.

Alan (01:10:01.218)
No question about it, Kevin, it works hand in hand. And again, I'm tipping my hat to, again, all the men and women that have served in the country yourself, the firefighters and the policemen and any other service that does the things that really are more meaningful. mean, again, we live in the greatest country and there's a reason why if people like yourself and that do their job.

Kevin (01:10:22.35)
No doubt.

Alan (01:10:30.155)
We gave fans obviously something to cheer about and get their mind off of really their day-to-day jobs or other things that maybe at a particular time. So we do our thing, never don't mistake it. That's not nearly as important as what you do. So again, it's been a very fun day. I've enjoyed our conversation.

Kevin (01:10:49.711)
Oh, I don't know. think sports get, I hope sports never go away. think about that first pitch after nine 11, uh, you know, I, just, there's so many things that just define an entire community. And to me, it's always revolved around sports. think it it's critical for our culture, for America. It's for, you know, for young men and women. think it's critical.

Alan (01:10:58.559)
Yeah, that was cool.

Alan (01:11:10.399)
Yeah, I'm with you on that. And 9-11, unfortunately, that was horrific. But the way we rebounded, as far as the Boston bombing there and all the other incidents that have happened, how we just seem to rally. And we'll continue. Hopefully, there won't be any. But I'm not going to be naive to think that the way this world works,

Kevin (01:11:27.343)
Ay.

Alan (01:11:40.097)
Fortunately, nevertheless man, this is a great country. Obviously, we're very fortunate that we are living in the best country in the world. And let's continue to do what we do and make it better.

Kevin (01:11:53.519)
Amen. Well, I can't thank you enough. Alan, are you coming on? And it's been a pleasure. I'm going to we go down to San Diego quite often. I bring the girls. We go down surfing and stuff, so I'll have to hit you up for lunch one of these days in the off season. That would be great.

Alan (01:12:04.503)
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. You you've got my number. again, man, all the best. You did a great job. so from the interviewer is actually makes this go because without the questions and just kind of your demeanor, it always makes it you know, I've done many of these over the years, but you did a nice job and happy holidays. And again, happy New Year, Kevin.

Kevin (01:12:26.159)
I'm sure.

Kevin (01:12:32.697)
Thanks so much sir. I talked to you soon. This has been the fire you carry podcast. Hang on for us for just.

Alan (01:12:34.793)
Okay.