SCRAMBLE: That magical time of the year where we celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day!!!!!

Summary

Garage Logic | Weekly Scramble: Bobby Bonilla Day & Unbeatable Sports Deals

Podcast: Garage Logic
Episode: SCRAMBLE: That magical time of the year where we celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day!!!!!
Host(s): Chris Reivers & Mike Fratelloni
Date: July 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively holiday-week episode, Chris Reivers and Mike Fratelloni discuss legendary sports contracts—focusing on "Bobby Bonilla Day," the NBA/ABA's greatest deal, and recent sports blunders and scandals. They weave in personal anecdotes, humor, pop culture references, and genuine moments around family, sharing both laughter and heart. The episode’s tone is casual and good-natured, mixing nostalgia, sports trivia, and candid personal stories.

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Main Topics & Key Segments

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1. The Magic of Bobby Bonilla Day (00:54 – 07:21)

The Bonilla Contract Breakdown

• Every July 1, former MLB star Bobby Bonilla receives a payment from the New York Mets—over a decade after his last game.
• Reivers explains:
  • The Mets owed Bonilla $5.9 million in 2000.
  • Instead of a lump sum, they agreed to defer payment: 25 years at 8% interest, starting in 2011.
  • Total payout: About $29.8 million.

The Bernie Madoff Connection

• Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon parked Bonilla’s money with Madoff, expecting 12% returns to cover the obligation “for free”—except Madoff’s fund was a Ponzi scheme.
• When it collapsed, the Mets lost hundreds of millions; the “free” contract became a huge real expense.

Quote:
"Pay 30 million to escape a $6 million bill. Except Fred Wilpon...parked it with Bernie Madoff."
— Reivers (04:41)

• The contract became a running internet holiday and a symbol of infamous sports deals.
• Current Mets owner Steve Cohen simply absorbed the payments and even turned it into a fan engagement opportunity.

Quote:
"Bobby's payout was only ever as smart as the investor standing behind it. For the years that decided everything, that investor was Bernie Madoff."
— Reivers (07:19)

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2. Sports Contracts: The Greatest Deals Ever (07:37 – 10:21)

• NBA/ABA Merger Lesson:
  • Owners of the defunct Spirit of St. Louis secured a share of future TV earnings in perpetuity during the NBA-ABA merger, earning ~$800 million on a $2.2 million "sale."
• Fascination with how some negotiators gamed the long game, like Bobby Bonilla and the Silna brothers.

Quote:
"I think if I'm not mistaken, it's the most successful sports franchise in the history of sports—and they haven't been a thing since 1976."
— Fratelloni (08:35)

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3. Iconic Merch & Athletes: From NBA to WNBA (10:21 – 16:41)

Best-Selling Jerseys

• Steph Curry leads NBA jersey sales, Caitlin Clark (WNBA) is second.
• The hosts discuss the social and cultural impact of Clark and WNBA stars.

Sophie Cunningham: A New Fan Favorite

• Reivers comedically confesses his infatuation with WNBA’s Sophie Cunningham, referencing her tough on-court persona and viral “pointing” meme.
• Candid discussion on fandom, athletes' appeal, and “exceptions” to the no-jersey rule.

Quote:
"When I first saw Sophie Cunningham, I felt a little part of fear, a little part of attraction, and a whole lot of love. To copyright Led Zeppelin."
— Reivers (12:11)

Quote:
"She’s the Marty McSorley of the WNBA... Is she the best player in the league? Of course not. But guess what? She still serves a purpose."
— Reivers (14:31/14:34)

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4. Recent Sports Gaffes & the Impact of Gambling (19:45 – 29:52)

The Guardians’ Rookie Mistake (19:45 – 27:33)

• Chris and Mike discuss rookie Cooper Engel of the Cleveland Guardians, who mistakenly threw a live ball into the stands after a catch, thinking the inning was over, allowing a run and marking a career-threatening blunder.
• Discussion about how small mistakes can end a professional sports career, especially for fringe players.

Quote:
"That's just it. Like a little mistake like that, that is the difference between you having a major league career and you ended up playing left field for me."
— Reivers (28:37)

Gambling Scandals

• Emmanuel Clase, an MLB reliever, implicated in prop-bet fixing. Comparison with NBA's Malik Beasley.
• How legal gambling offers temptation and increases risk for both athletes and the integrity of sports.
• The hosts marvel at how even highly paid athletes risk careers and freedom for what seems like easy money.

Quote:
"The house always wins. You're not gonna win. And I love the fact that they just think that they're gonna just be able to get by."
— Reivers (24:57)

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5. Personal Reflections: Family & Milestone Moments (31:40 – 41:28)

Chris Reivers’ Parents’ 50th Anniversary

• Heartfelt homage: Chris celebrates his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, reflecting on family resilience and the value of reconnecting.
• Stories of family gatherings, generational sacrifice, "old people and technology," and classic Minnesota wedding tales (e.g., sweltering, un-airconditioned gym receptions).

Quote:
"They are a true testament to enduring struggle, whether it's financial, enduring pain, and everything else. ...I can't tell you how awesome it is to be able to celebrate with them 50 years."
— Reivers (33:03)

Mike’s Family Story

• Mike shares about his own parents’ humble wedding and their brush with church bureaucracy for their 50th.
• Laughter over family quirks and traditions, e.g., phone mishaps and grandparent kitchen heroics.

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6. Notable Quotes & Fun Moments

• "Did you see the Guardians rookie? ...What a doofus. The pitcher could have killed him."
  — Fratelloni (20:03/20:17)
• "If guys have the same feeling while buying an Adrian Peterson jersey as I contemplating buying a Sophie Cunningham jersey, I get why guys would buy that jersey."
  — Reivers (15:22)
• "That's a little condescending." (Pun, regarding a dwarf climbing down the Stillwater prison wall)
  — Fratelloni (41:28)
• "Happy Bobby Bonilla Day, by the way, to all of those who do, in fact, celebrate."
  — Reivers (02:16)

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7. Laugh-Out-Loud & Memorable Moments

• Reivers' romantic banter about WNBA star Sophie Cunningham (12:11 – 13:27)
• The hot and humid 1976 gym wedding memory (38:41 – 39:04)
• Mike’s joke about a "little condescending" prison escapee (41:28)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:54 – 07:21: Deep dive into Bobby Bonilla Day, the Mets, and Bernie Madoff’s impact.
• 07:37 – 10:21: ABA/NBA merger’s “greatest sports contract.”
• 10:21 – 16:41: Jersey sales, WNBA, and Sophie Cunningham fandom.
• 19:45 – 29:52: Guardians rookie’s blunder and modern gambling scandals.
• 31:40 – 41:28: Celebrating family milestones; heartfelt and humorous family tales.

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Conclusion

This Scramble episode hits a perfect Garage Logic note: sports history meets cultural reflection, all with irreverence, warmth, and a dash of Minnesota nice. It’s equally fun for trivia buffs, sports cynics, and listeners who just enjoy sharp banter and Everyman storytelling.

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For further listening: This episode is especially fun for baseball fans, deal-lovers, and anyone needing a laugh (or a heartwarming reminder about the power of family).

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

It is the weekly scramble podcast. My name is Chris Reivers. With me as always, his name is Mike Fratelloni. Hello, Michael.

[C]

How you doing, Reivers?

[B]

I'm doing great. It's my favorite weekend of the entire year. We're just a couple hours away from embarking on the fourth of July weekend. And I know you hate this. I know you hate when I spring stuff on you on the show, but this I think you'll thank me for because I don't know how much you know about this particular story, but yesterday was an incredible anniversary. July 1, 2026. And it's one of the single greatest sports stories of all time, really. It was a national. And again, social media exploded because it was. Okay, I'm gonna pull this up. I'm a big baseball fan.

[C]

Would I know this? Would I be able to get this?

[B]

I have a feeling that we may have talked about this before.

[C]

Is it any team outside of a localized team, like a Minnesota team?

[B]

It has nothing to do with Minnesota.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But yesterday, Michael, was the annual tradition for all of us sports fans that grew up in the 90s, yesterday was simply known as Bobby Bonilla Day.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Why?

[B]

Are you familiar with Bobby Bonilla?

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So Bobby Bonilla, a borderline hall of Fame baseball player, the single greatest negotiator as an athlete in the history of professional sports.

[C]

I think we have talked about this.

[B]

So here's the deal, ladies and gentlemen. Happy Bobby Bonilla Day, by the way, to all of those who do, in fact, celebrate. I have the breakdown for you. And I don't know if you know this or not, but Bernie Madoff played a role in this.

[C]

Did he? Because he had all of Bobby Bonilla's money invested.

[B]

So Bobby came up with the Pirates, signed a contract with, I believe, Baltimore but signed a big contract with the New York Mets. So here's the reason. Every single July 1st.

[C]

Oh, I know this.

[B]

Don't. Bobby Bonilla gets a payment of 1 point. I think it's 1.8 million directly to his bank account, which, by the way, he makes more money annually than Paul Skeens does of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who just so happens to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.

[C]

And has a hot girlfriend. Right.

[B]

Doesn't smoke. Show girlfriend. Olivia Dunn.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Why do you distract me?

[C]

I don't know, but I knew it. Because I was like, I know that guy.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

He has a hot chick girlfriend.

[B]

So Bobby Bonilla gets a check every single year from the New York Mets for $1.8 million. And there's a couple of tentacles that I want to address with. So here's the breakdown. Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Ebania. For a quick refresher on exactly how the infamous contract and the annual. Sorry, I need to rephrase that. Not 1.9. $1.19 million payout works.

[C]

Oh, well, that's nothing.

[B]

The original deal in the year 2000.

[C]

In the year 2000.

[B]

Okay, so the original deal in the year 2000, the Mets owed Bobby Bonilla a five. I love it. I love when you give me money.

[C]

She got me. I was like, okay, let's hear what we got.

[B]

Numbers. We got money. We got everything.

[C]

Tax rates.

[B]

Oh, God, I love you. All right, so the original deal in 2000, the Mets owed Bobby Bonilla a $5.9 million buyout. Okay, okay. On the remaining amount of money he was owed in his contract, let's call it 6 mil. Instead of paying it outright, they agreed to a deferred payment plan with 8% interest. Mm.

[C]

All right. 8% is pretty good in today's world.

[B]

Oh, crap. I just lost the remaining part of this thing. No, no, no, don't.

[C]

Because they took the money and invested it with Bernie Madoff, and they knew that their interest was going to pay Bobby the million dollars a year. Something like that.

[B]

I thought I did this correctly. Okay, here's the math. They spread it across 25 years at 8% interest starting in 2011. Total payout ended up becoming 29.8 million. On its face, it reads as lunacy. Pay 30 million to escape a $6 million bill. Except Fred Wilpon, who was the previous owner of the New York Mets, had a plan for that 5.9 million. He parked it with Bernie Madoff.

[C]

Oh, no.

[B]

Whose accounts were printing steady 12% returns like clockwork. This is from A guy by the name of Akash Gupta.

[C]

Oh, I love him. Olukash.

[B]

Borrow at 8%, compound at 12%. Keep the spread. That in their minds was the whole trade. One analyst reverse engineered it and found a second punchline hiding inside the first. At 12%, the 5.9 million grows to roughly 8.5 million before Bobby's opening check clears in the year 2011. From there, the Mets pocket the four point gap, about $236,000 a year. 5.9 million across the life of the deal. That spread lands on the buyout amount almost to the dollar. The structure was built so Madoff's return would make Bonilla functionally free. Then the whole thing turned out to be a Ponzi scheme. The 12% never existed.

[C]

Never existed.

[B]

The compounding never happened. Wilpon and his circle were wired into 4, 8, 3 made off account. 483 made off accounts. And lost hundreds of millions when it came.

[C]

No.

[B]

And the free contract became a real 30 million liability with nothing holding it up. The proof, the math itself was sound. Steve Cohen then bought the team from the Wilpon family. Cohen built one of the highest returning hedge funds ever run. For someone who clears 8% without breaking a sweat, a 1.19 million annual payment is a rounding error. He can fund out of pocket until 2035. So he did the one rational thing left and turned it into a marketing holiday. Bobby's payout was only ever as smart as the investor standing behind it. For the years that decided everything. That investor was Bernie Madoff.

[C]

Wow, what a story. I remember that now that you brought that back. So I'm surprised the hedge fund guy didn't say, hey, Bobby, would you like to cash out now at 6 million bucks? Because we owe you 20, but you can have 6 today, right? Right.

[B]

You know what it reminds me of? Remember the great deal, and I don't know if you remember this, the ABA NBA contract when the leagues merged.

[C]

Best deal ever.

[B]

I don't remember what the team was.

[C]

It might have been Cleveland or St. Louis sun rays or something, whatever it was.

[B]

But they decided that they were going to hang on to 2% of all future television earnings with the ABA NBA merger. And finally the NBA not that long ago, within the last five years, said, okay, what's it gonna take to get you guys off of our payroll? Cause they were making millions upon millions of dollars.

[C]

Spirit of St. Louis.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

Disbanded in 1976. But they said, well, we still own part of the ABA at the time and we're blending into the NBA So we still. We're just not a team anymore, but we still own our percentage. I think if I'm not mistaken, it's the most successful sports franchise in the history of sports. And they haven't been a thing since 1976.

[B]

They didn' a dime from 1976 until

[C]

they were getting like 400 million bucks a year. Some outrageous number.

[B]

And it was based solely upon television rights and television and a current television.

[C]

No one would thought in 76 that the NBA would be that big, right?

[B]

But here's what I love about stories like that. Here was a guy, and again, good player, you know, borderline hall of Fame player, but he knew how to game and work the system right? Where you're thinking, well, he hasn't. I don't think he has played in a game since the year 2000. I don't. I literally think that's the year he retired. So 26 years ago is when he retired.

[C]

What I love is that the ownership was like, I can't believe he's going to take it. I can't believe he's going to take it. You know, spreading those payments out for him, like, what an idiot. We'll make a split of 4% on that money. It's almost guaranteed. The thing they didn't account for, reverses, risk. There's risk when you do stuff like that. It's all good if it's all good, right. But sometimes until it's not. The owners of The Spirit of St. Louis, brothers Ozzie and Daniel Silna, made approximately $800 million from a contract widely considered the greatest sports deal in history. That's not bad, right? And they had a. They got in 76 for their team. They got. How much do you think they sold their team for in 76?

[B]

Oh, did they get 2.2 million bucks? I was gonna guess like 50.

[C]

And then they took from that point on, from that point on, in perpetuity 1/7 of the national TV broadcast revenue.

[B]

Holy.

[C]

That is really, really, really cool. There's some cool stats that I heard from fairly recently. So they had. Do you know who the number one NBA jersey sale is?

[B]

The number one NBA jersey sale. Let me guess. Okay. From this past.

[C]

Yeah, just like.

[B]

Yeah, I'm going to guess it's. Is it still LeBron?

[C]

It's not. He's number three.

[B]

He's number three. The number one jersey sale in the NBA. I'm trying to think of popularity. I'm trying to think of up and coming. Well, you're bringing this up. Is there a Local angle. It's probably not Anthony Edwards, but it's probably somebody like.

[C]

Guy's incredible. He's cool, can shoot from anywhere.

[B]

Well, okay, two time NBA mvp. Is it the guy I can't stand even though my son loves him? Shea Gilgis Alexander.

[C]

No.

[B]

And also known as sga.

[C]

No.

[B]

Okay. It's not Shay.

[C]

Steph Curry.

[B]

Oh, really?

[C]

But who's number two?

[B]

So it's not Shay Gildersales.

[C]

No.

[B]

Wemby. It's gotta be Wemby.

[C]

Great guess. Okay, it's Caitlin Clark.

[B]

Are you kidding?

[C]

And I know I said NBA, not wnba, but they're all tied together. Think of that. Reverse. Here's another thing. Do you know who's going to be her running mate in Jersey sales? It's going to be Steph Curry. It's going to be Caitlin Clark. Who's number three going to be?

[B]

Can I take a brief moment before I answer this question?

[C]

I guarantee you love this person.

[B]

I have developed a deep and deeply rooted attraction to a woman by the name of Sophie Cunningham.

[C]

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

[B]

And I gotta tell you, when I saw her do the point. First of all, let me backtrack.

[C]

People don't know what the point is. You have to go look it up.

[B]

When I first saw Sophie Cunningham, I felt a little part of fear, a little part of attraction, and a whole lot of love. To copyright Led Zeppelin.

[C]

Did you feel a little tingling?

[B]

And I went, oh, my, she's pretty. Now, Sophie, listen to me. I don't know if you listen to the weekly scramble podcast, probably does the Garage Logic podcast, but I can imagine that this might cross your plate at some point. I'm just here to say I'm here for you. I'm here to take care of you for the end of time.

[C]

All 6 foot 1 inches. Did you know she was 6 foot 1?

[B]

I sure did.

[C]

Yeah. You don't care longer the legs.

[B]

Oh, I. I'm just that. Okay, I don't want to get too creepy, but I want to say this. I have never resonated with a female athlete the way I do. So. Really ham. Because she's just.

[C]

She, She's.

[B]

She's every part.

[C]

She hits what you find attractive.

[B]

Everything. Yeah, she's. She's obviously stunning. She's beautiful. She's. She's extremely competitive. And she ain't taking s from anybody.

[D]

No.

[B]

And it's like, oh, my God.

[C]

You know what you should do reverse Is take a picture of your swimsuit area and maybe text it or send it to her in A dm. Oh. Because what I heard that will be my lasting. Is people like that, gals like.

[B]

Oh, I'm sure they do, right? And I'm sure Sophie Cunningham, I'm sure, has never been propositioned by anybody.

[C]

No one's ever sent her a swimsuit area pick. But I think there is a legitimate day where the first. Actually. I'm actually kind of surprised that Caitlin Clark isn't first because she is the face of the league. But with. With Sophie in a close second, Angel Reese is the. The. The. The tough girl of the league. Right. If you don't know the game.

[B]

But sure, sure.

[C]

Sophie Cunningham, if you didn't see this, she. There was a. There was a foul on Caitlin Clark, and Sophie got pissed. And a little bit, I think, was that before the flat foul on. I can't remember if it was pre or post, but Sophie points to this player and the player says, don't point at me. And Sophie continues girl for like 20

[B]

seconds, and then gives it the head. I'm like, I saw it.

[C]

Yeah, like I'm pointing to you. I'm pointing to you. And the girl that she's pointing to is losing her absolute mind.

[B]

Right?

[C]

And. And Sophie said I could just see her absolutely melting down as I point. So now she's the Marty McSorley.

[B]

She's the Marty McSorley of the WNBA.

[C]

There you go.

[B]

It was Wayne Gretzky's muscle. Okay. Is she the best player in the league? Of course not. But guess what? She still serves a purpose.

[C]

She backs up everybody.

[B]

She knows exactly how to get under the skin.

[C]

And when she pointed for that 20 seconds, now every meme. Every meme is her pointing. When they see something, it's her pointing. And I just love it. It couldn't be a better meme. So I'm looking forward to the day that I go out. Cause here's the thing that I thought about this Caitlin Clark. I don't think I'd buy her Jersey. Sophie Cunningham, 100%. And I think I know what men feel. Let me explain. If guys have the same feeling while buying an Adrian Peterson jersey, as I contemplating buying a Sophie Cunningham jersey, I get why guys would buy that jersey.

[B]

You know, that's interesting, because I was trying to think of the last basketball jersey I purchased, and I believe I was a sophomore in high school. And I don't know if you remember who big country Bryant Reeves was for the Vancouver Grizzlies, and his last name was Reeves, which is what kind of got a name was. And I said, I gotta buy that jersey. And so I bought that jersey for the van. Now Memphis, but Vancouver Grizzlies and I used to rock that thing every now. And I might have to buy a sofa Cunningham jersey.

[C]

I mean, this isn't a sexual thing. I'm trying to make this straight. Like the feeling that I'd have the excitement of wearing a Sophie Cunningham jersey to show people, like, I think she's great, right? To Caitlin Clark, I think she's great. Is that the same feeling that a guy has when they buy an AP jersey or a Jefferson jersey? Because not in a sexual way. Do they have that same feeling? Because I told you this. If you're over 18 years old, you shouldn't buy a jersey with another man's name on it. Right? You just shouldn't do it. You should be proud of your name. You should be attaining your stuff you don't have to wear. But I would buy a Sophie Cunningham jersey because I can't attain what she does. I can't play in the wnba. One, I'm not good enough. Two, I'm not a girl, right? I mean, people call me girly.

[B]

I'm not a girl. This might be the greatest exception to the rule, though.

[C]

What's that?

[B]

Buying this jersey might be the greatest exception.

[C]

Yeah, it is. It makes a lot of sense to me. I kind of get why people get excited about Vikings players jerseys.

[B]

All right, I'm going to look right into YouTube before I do this ad. Sophie,

[C]

if you don't, he's going to start sending you pics. Swimsuit area.

[B]

I'm sure she doesn't have better options than this douche. Hi, how are you? Let's talk about harmony spirits and harmonyspirits.net right now, ladies and gentlemen, you can purchase Harmony Spirits anywhere and have it sent right to your front door. That's the beauty of this. It's been a wonderful relationship we had. Larry on just the other day, talking about all the great things that are going on down there for the Fourth of July. By the way, I'm not exactly sure how it's going to break down. I will be making an appearance this weekend down in Harmony, Minnesota at Harmony Spirits. Because they have the car show on Sunday, the Fourth of July celebration that's gonna take place on Saturday. And you know what? It's gonna be another glorious weekend. Sure, it's gonna be a little bit hot, but guess what? It's July. So get on down there and say hi to Larry, say hi to Damon, say hi to the entire Harmony Spirits crew. And also, by the way, get those four packs right now. The BlackBerry Lemonade is a perfect summertime drink right now. But like I mentioned, if you're not able to make it there, go into your local liquor store, ask for the Harmony brand by name and also purchase your stuff [e-mail] and have it sent anywhere. And Harmony Spirits has been proudly serving us for a number of years. Please stop in, tell Larry and tell Damon that you heard about them right here on the weekly Scramble podcast and we will be right back.

[A]

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[C]

Reavers. Now. Something about my social media algorithm. It hears my phone. Must hear you talk about baseball a lot. Okay, so I'm picking up baseball centric algorithms.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Have you seen the Guardians rookie?

[B]

Oh my God.

[C]

Cooper Engel.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Who on two outs, catches the ball in left field and then throws it gingerly into the crowd because he's a nice Guy. And he throws the ball in, thus scoring a run.

[B]

I am so glad you are bringing it up.

[C]

What a doofus. The pitcher could have killed him.

[B]

I am so glad you were bringing this up because you did send this to me.

[C]

Did I? Okay.

[B]

And I watched it and I laughed. And you know what? The very first thing I thought about. And then thus social media reacted in the same way. So the Cleveland. I'm calling them the Clevelands. Okay. I refuse to call them the Guardians because we're so precious. Because we can't call them the Cleveland Indians anymore. Because God forbid we have that as a baseball name. Sure. Even though they've been around since the

[C]

early 1900s and Native Americans were excited about it and.

[B]

Exactly. And, oh, by the way, if you're gonna change it, then you should have changed it to the Cleveland Spiders, which is what their name was back in the 1920s.

[C]

But wasn't there at mascot? A little. Kind of.

[B]

But they got rid of the mascot.

[C]

Yeah, there you go.

[B]

They got rid of the mascot. They got rid of the emblem. They got rid of.

[C]

Okay, okay. Both sides of that story. I'm okay with.

[B]

Yeah, I digress. Okay. The first thing I thought of. I want you to look this up. Look up the name. Google search the name. Emmanuel Clase. C L A S E. He was the best relief pitcher in baseball. And he just so happened to be a relief pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians. So he, along with a teammate whose name is escaping me at this present moment.

[C]

Luis Ortiz, maybe. Is that.

[B]

Was that Luis Ortiz? Thank you. That's exactly right. They were both indicted. Was it a year ago. For fixing prop bets. So the first thing I thought of when I saw this was, I wonder if he was in on the thing with Emmanuel Classe.

[C]

That's not bad.

[B]

So what happened was, for those that are unfamiliar with the story, Emmanuel Classe. Again, keep this in mind. He was without question one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. He was set to make millions upon millions upon millions of dollars.

[C]

Right.

[B]

But what he decided to do was get whether it was family, whether it was buddies, whether it was, whoever it was, they decided that they were going to fix games because prop bets are the thing that's going to ruin the integrity of professional sports.

[C]

Everything.

[B]

And so what he was doing was telling people, okay, whatever inning I come in, let's say it's the eighth inning. Let's say it's the ninth inning. Just bet that the very first pitch of that inning is going to be a ball. And this homeboy didn't Even try to hide it. He was spiking the ball into the ground. He was throwing it to the backstop. And it was routine. And I wanted to say, emmanuel, come here to Uncle Reavers, you dumb, dumb, you dipshit. Because whether it's. It doesn't matter who it is, the draft kings of the world, the.

[C]

All these betting platforms, they can do the math.

[B]

They're all of a sudden saying, hey, we got about $6 million bet on Emmanuel Clase that's gonna throw a ball in the eighth inning of his first relief appearance. And I'm thinking, oh, you idiot. But that's the very first thing I thought of when you said top charges

[C]

against him could carry a potential prison sentence of 20 years. Weirdly, he was in his fourth year of a five year, $20 million contract. So he's trading a $20 million contract for potentially 20 years in prison for fixing games. And then it's, you just call your friend in the Dominican and you say, hey, if you want to earn a few hundred bucks, go bet that I'll throw a ball. And then that guy says, hey, if we want to earn a few hundred bucks, that's what the guy sounds like in the Dominican, let's go and do it. And 9,000 guys go try to earn 300 bucks, and it puts this guy in jail for up to potentially 20 years.

[B]

But the thing that I love the most about this, and this isn't just baseball, we had the Malik Beasley situation with the NBA in which he was involved in gambling, and now he's also facing a significant prison time. I love the fact that these guys who are already making life changing money are gonna say, you know what? But they ain't gonna notice there. No one's gonna see that I'm putting 100 grand down on the over under of the Timberwolves Pistons game, in which, by the way, you gotta watch that viral clip too as well, where the, I believe it was an eight and a half point spread. And Malik Beasley is screaming for the ball with three seconds left. And he sprints down and puts up a layup to cover the spread.

[C]

To cover the spread.

[B]

And I'm just thinking, you don't think that, first of all, Vegas has all these really nice, expensive, beautiful buildings because why they don't lose? The house always wins. The house always wins. You're not gonna win. And I love the fact that they just think that they're gonna just be able to get by.

[C]

But if you're a rookie on the guardians and you in the seventh inning, you catch a pop fly. Well done. And you slowly trot in and you whip it into the stands. And then the pitcher looks at you. The hell are you doing?

[B]

What are you doing?

[C]

And you lose the game. 4:2 to the Texas Rangers. Because they score a run in that inning, right? Maybe not the winning run, but a run. Honest to God. And he did say, I feel terrible. It's like, terrible might not be what you should feel. You should feel like, please don't fire me. I want to play. I'll play for free for the rest of the year. I'm so sorry.

[B]

And unfortunately, you know, I was just having this conversation not that long ago with a young ballplayer who I may or may not be related to. I always say body language and actions speak just as loud as your ability, right? Where this kid. When you get to that level, that's all about paying attention and understanding the circumstances with which you're playing. And I get it. A young player can be like, okay, there's one out there.

[C]

Yeah, man.

[B]

Okay, I get that. So that can interfere. However, if you're an idiot and don't understand what situation that you're in, managers, coaches, front office, they're going to see that.

[C]

They're going to see that. Not to mention you're in a stadium, you know, $500 million, $700 million stadium that shows the amount of outs, right? All over the stadium. You don't have to wait for the second baseman to put two fingers in the air saying, two outs, right? Like we used to do during baseball when we were kids. The game was tied, 2, 2 in the seventh till a third run scored because of him throwing the ball into the stands. You gave up a tie at that point.

[B]

The worst part, too, for that poor kid is, I don't know, did he get sent down? I have no idea. But the worst part in that situation is understanding the seismic mistake that you just made, but then also having to face your teammates.

[C]

Engel, 24, was making just his second major league start as an outfielder. He was called up from the team's AAA affiliate in Columbus last week, and he made his MLB debut on Friday of last week. You've. You've played two games as a pro.

[B]

Oh, no.

[C]

And you throw the ball into the stands. I mean, he could just. Baseball is that kind of sport that just says, good luck, son. Sorry, we're going to make you a story that people will never forget.

[B]

And I can only relate to baseball because it's the farthest I ever advanced in a Sport. The only thing I can say to this poor kid is, and to those listening to our show right now is you don't understand how razor thin the margin is, right? Where it's, of course, when you have your Paul Skeens of the world, your Mike Trouts of the world, your Shohei Ohtanis of the world, they're in a completely different class, right? I'm talking about the back third, right? So the top third is those guys I just mentioned. The second third is your Byron Buxton's of the world, your guys that make a couple of all star teams that are a notch above the fringe player. So I'm talking about the bottom third. The bottom third. The difference between that guy, which we're just talking about right here, that guy, the. And I don't want to indict anybody in the Twins, but the guys that are making the train from St. Paul to Target Field, Right. Though between those guys and the guys that are playing for the Faribault Lakers, you don't realize how close that is.

[C]

Yeah, they're not that far off.

[B]

And that's just it. So it's like. Like a little mistake like that. That is the difference between you having a major league career and you ended up playing left field for me.

[C]

Story gets better. Engle had two opportunities to make up for his error, but he grounded out in the bottom of the inning, then struck out looking for the final. Struck out looking for the final out of the game. So he was the last batter with two outs left and he struck out. Game over. 4, 2 loss. Can you believe that? Can you believe that? Has to be the toughest sports moment I've heard about in a long time. Good luck to him. I don't wish him bad, don't wish him ill. But boy, if. If I own that team, I'd say, you just cost us one, boy. You just cost us one.

[B]

Especially when it's Cleveland. They are routinely known to be the cheapest owners in all of baseball. Are they? No, granted.

[C]

Is that possible with Poland pocket protection?

[B]

Here's the difference. They've had success, sure. They made a World Series in 2016 and then traded away their best player because they couldn't afford them anymore and said, we got to restock. We got it. We. And so that's the difference between a franchise like that. Because they're gonna say, we got five more guys that are just as good as you that aren't going to be that stupid.

[C]

And that's stupid. I've never made an error like that in a professional baseball game. That I can say, that's good. That's pretty good.

[B]

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[D]

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[B]

I would be remiss if I didn't mention one thing in my personal life.

[C]

Oh, you got something personal as we

[B]

have this last segment here? No, we all have family, right? We all have family. And it's kind of cool because tomorrow, which is Friday, July 3rd for us here at Hubbard Broadcasting, I'm gonna guess a lot of people around the country, basically we're gonna get a free Saturday this weekend, right? Because of the holiday weekend and whatnot. And tomorrow just so happens to be my parents 50th wedding anniversary. 50, 50 straight years that they've been putting up with each other. And lately I've had a front row seat to all of that. But it's been, I'm so proud of both of them. And so it's gonna be kind of cool we get to hang out we get to get together with a bunch of family. And I'm so looking forward to it. Right. It's gonna be spectacular. And I guess what I. The reason I wanted to bring this up was A, just everything that they have done for me in my life, but B, getting a front row seat because I'm the oldest of four. Right. So I've pretty much. So they were married in July 3rd, 1976, and along came Francis Christopher Reivers in November of 1977. Right. So they're just.

[C]

That makes you 49.

[B]

I will be.

[C]

I thought you were in your mid-40s.

[D]

Wow.

[B]

Okay. I'm 48.

[C]

Sorry.

[A]

Yeah, 48.

[B]

Still mid-40s.

[C]

That's good.

[B]

I was wondering.

[C]

Okay, sorry. Keep going.

[B]

No, it's okay. But they are a true testament to enduring struggle, whether it's financial, enduring pain and everything else. And they have been a staple in my life. And I can't tell you how awesome it is to be able to celebrate with them 50 years. And I guess the reason I wanted to bring that up on the show is because everyone right now is dealing with something. Right? Everyone right now is either sacrificing. Everyone right now is dealing with hardship, whether it's financial, whether it's whatever, addiction, whatever is plaguing you in your life right now. I wanted to just take this moment to thank them personally. And I already put together a little something for them tomorrow. And obviously I will express them personally to them. But I wanted to take this moment on this show with whatever limited platform that I have to tell them both. Like, I'm so freaking proud of both of you for what you have done for your family, what you have done for extended family. And it's just really cool, man, because they both have. You know, I've been vocal about this on garagelogic. I have been dealing with my dad and his health related issues these last couple of months. And, you know, there was times where I didn't think he was coming back home. Right. So it's been really cool to be able to kind of reintegrate that because I've lived far away from my family for. Not far away, but a distance from my family, where it hasn't been able to. I haven't been able to be there every single day. So through the times of struggle becomes a time of fortuitous where you can get to reestablish those connections. So I just wanted to spend a minute here to congratulate my parents on 50 years of wedded bliss tomorrow.

[C]

That is really sweet. Reavers I even thought what you did for them as a gift was even nicer when you went to Moellers and bought them matching gold Rolexes. Because gold is the 50th anniversary. Wait, right.

[B]

Stop it, because then Mohler's gonna text me.

[C]

I didn't even know you were here. Why did you talk to me?

[B]

But why? What's that gonna run me? About 200 grand?

[C]

Yeah. Well, maybe at least 100, probably.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Congratulations to them. That's a very cool deal.

[B]

It is a very cool deal. But it. But it also kind of just. You know, it's been kind of neat, too, where I've just reconnected with aunts and uncles and cousins and all the, like, people I haven't talked to in a couple of years, right? Where it's like. It's been kind of neat just to spend five minutes on the phone with one of my aunts. So I gotta tell you a quick, funny story. So my dad is the oldest of six kids, and they grew up on a farm just outside of Cannon City, Minnesota, just north of Faribault, Minnesota, right? And so he was. From the time he was 10. And I tell my boys this all the time. He ran the farm, my grandpa worked, and dad worked the farm when he was 10 years old, no choice, and did everything that was just his job. And he never complained about it.

[C]

He spent a lot of time with his cell phone, probably.

[B]

Yeah, 40 or no, 60 years ago, whatever it was. But what's cool is reconnecting with his siblings in a way where I get to hear kind of these cool sidebar stories, like, well, I never knew that about my dad. I'm 48 years old. I never knew that about my dad. But the best story I gotta tell you deals with old people and technology in this scenario. So I was telling my dad one night, we were watching the twins game together, and I said, hey, I don't have this number, and I don't have that number. So one of them was my Aunt Deb, my dad's little sister, right? And he goes, so my dad is the worst with technology. So he pulls out his cell phone. You know, he's got the big cell phone with the big clown bug, the doodle bug. Oh, my God. And he goes, well, here, let me get that number for you. So he's got to pull the glasses down, right? So he's got to do one of these. He's like, all right, I'm going to send you Aunt Deb's number. Well, he accidentally calls her.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

Instead of Sending the number because of course you did that.

[C]

Of course that happened.

[B]

10:05pm, right? Yeah.

[C]

She's thinking, someone died.

[B]

And so he hangs up. Well, she calls back thinking, what happened? You didn't call me at 10:00pm or 10:05pm for no reason. I said, hi, Deb, it's Chris. Whoa. Is everything okay? Everything's fine. Please calm down. I was just having dad send me your number. Well, why didn't you just ask me for it? I go, well, I don't have your number, Deb. And so then of course, it turns into me making. I go, well, your older brother's an idiot with technology. And she starts laughing. But it's like those little moments are things I'm going to remember forever, right? Because that's why we do all of this, right? It's for that reconnection.

[C]

That's a lot of fun.

[B]

Anyway, I just thought I would share that quick story and just once again, shout out, you know, 50 years ago. Get this. So I found this out too. So 50 years ago, picture what would have been. Let's see, my dad would have been 25 at the time, and my mom would have been 21 at the time. Okay, so these two kids from farming families that had no money, right? They were having this beautiful ceremony at what used to be called Immaculate Conception Church in Faribault, Minnesota.

[C]

Yeah, beautiful.

[B]

It's now called Divine Mercy and it has relocated. So they had this ceremony and beautiful ceremony at IC Church. And then they had the reception in the basement of the Bethlehem Academy gymnasium.

[C]

Oh, well, that's how you're gonna do it, right?

[B]

You know what? I asked each one of his siblings and my mom's siblings. Cause they were all in the wedding party together. And I said, what do you remember? They all said the same thing. What do you think it was?

[C]

That they didn't lift the basketball nets out of the way.

[B]

That's not a bad guess.

[C]

No air conditioning.

[B]

They said it was July 3rd.

[C]

Hotter than hell.

[B]

It was so hot, people were taking shirts off because there was no air conditioning in this basement. Oh, that was pretty good. Stuff was melting. My grandmother, God rest her soul, basically did all of the food, right? So she's back there in the kitchen

[C]

running everything, making sandwiches and stuff.

[B]

She was probably sweating her gourds off. But everybody said the same thing. It was so hot in that basement.

[C]

No wonder you weren't born nine months later. They had to, like, cool down. They're like, we're waiting to do it until October. Yeah, it's still pretty Damn hot outside. Let's wait till November.

[B]

Just mentioned my parents having sex.

[C]

My. My parents wedding, they. They got married in my grandmother's foyer, right. The front room of their house. And it was just a really small wedding. And then when they hit their 50th anniversary. My parents are older than yours. They're now been married 64 years or something. Not trying to top yours.

[B]

No, no, no.

[C]

But when they hit their fiftiet, my. And they were very poor, right? They were. My mother was extremely poor. My father's, you know, was a little bit better, you know, but it was. They weren't. They weren't swimming in money by any means. And when they hit their 50th anniversary, my parents were a little bit excited. My mom said, you know what we should do is we should have an event at the cathedral to do a second ceremony thing. And I had had my wedding at the cathedral, so I think they were kind of excited about the concept. So they went to the cathedral and I am not ripping on the cathedral. And I don't know if they do this now, and I don't know if the story is completely accurate, so calm down. But the people at the cathedral said, well, this will be nice because you'll be officially married. My dad's like, excuse me? And he said, well, you never had your wedding in a church, so it's never been an official wedding in the eyes of the Lord. And my dad said, thank you, got up and walked out.

[B]

See you later.

[C]

I've been married to one woman since I was 18 years old for the last 50 years. And you're going to tell me our marriage meant nothing until it was done at a church? And you know, it was like a pay for you type of deal at the church. I love the cathedral. I'm not ripping on him. And I don't know if that was a poor decision by one person in the church where they said it poorly, but now I feel like for my parents, 65th anniversary or whatever's coming up, I should go ahead and rent the cathedral and have a wedding there and then remember that. That ice skating thing that they had? Yeah, I should just bring that back. Crashed ice and so Crash ice. And just do it and say. What are you gonna say about it? Now you can have crashed ice at the cathedral, but you can't have my parents 65th wedding night. Now I'm pissed, actually.

[B]

Guess what? And then if you do that, then I'm gonna bartend and I'm gonna just. It's gonna be awesome.

[C]

We can play that song. Chat shot shot Chat shot shot chats over the loud system there. Did you see me? I just sang a song that I don' I did a lot of driving the last couple days, right? I went out, did some things, and earlier today, I was driving by Stillwater Prison and I saw a dwarf climbing down the prison wall.

[B]

Are you kidding me? No.

[C]

It was weird. I thought to myself, wow, that's a little condescending. A little condescending. Oh, my God. Reavers. Happy fourth of July. You are the best.

[B]

Oh, my God. Thank you, Michael. Please do us a favor. Rate and review the show wherever you happen to be. Listen the weekly Scramble podcast. It helps others find the show. It helps us out as well. And we appreciate each and every lasting, single one of you. His name is Mike Fratelloni. My name is Chris Reivers. Thank you so very much for listening to the Weekly Scramble podcast. We will talk to you again next time. And until then, everybody have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend. Cheers.