The Lovable Reunion - Dexter Fowler’s AWESOME stories on Cubs World Series run, Bill Murray, SNL cameo | Lovable Reunion

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: "The Lovable Reunion – Dexter Fowler’s AWESOME stories on Cubs World Series run, Bill Murray, SNL cameo"

The Herd with Colin Cowherd — May 20, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Guests: Dexter Fowler, David Ross, Anthony Rizzo

---

Episode Overview

This special “Lovable Reunion” episode commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Chicago Cubs' historic World Series championship. Dexter Fowler rejoins teammates David Ross and Anthony Rizzo to relive iconic moments from their magical 2016 season, dig into the clubhouse chemistry that drove their success, and share hilarious and heartfelt behind-the-scenes stories—from Bill Murray’s “speedballs” to a surprise SNL appearance. The conversation is candid, irreverent, and packed with wisdom about team culture, leadership, and what it truly means to be part of something legendary.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Bond of the 2016 Cubs (02:02 – 07:00)

• 10-Year Anniversary Reflections: The crew marvels at a decade since their victory, sharing how the sense of brotherhood and “magic” in the clubhouse was unlike any other team they’d played on.
• Clubhouse Ringleaders: Ross credits himself, Fowler, and Rizzo as the primary "ringleaders" who set the tone, brought daily energy, and protected the locker room culture.

“We would just come in every day with some bullshit that we were going to do. Nobody was safe, whether that's the owners, Joe [Maddon], everybody.” — David Ross (03:13)

• Mutual Accountability: Stories of tough love, support, and celebrating each other’s contributions—like Fowler’s center field catches or Rizzo’s intense work ethic—highlight the team's camaraderie and leadership.

2. Dexter Fowler’s Journey to Chicago (07:00 – 13:15)

• Becoming the Leadoff Guy: Fowler recalls getting traded to the Cubs, how Houston’s hitting coach “Males” helped engineer the move, and his instant impression of the Cubs’ prospects (Bryant, Soler, Báez).
• Joe Maddon’s Faith: A difficult start at the plate led to a transformative, confidence-building meeting with manager Joe Maddon.

“Joe put me in the office. He said, ‘Dex, all I need you to do is be Dex. Every day you come in here, you’re gonna be leading off. I don’t care how good you do...’ That was the first time somebody’s ever told me that.” — Dexter Fowler (11:56)

• Impact of Team Changes: Rizzo and Ross emphasize Fowler’s irreplaceable spark at the top of the lineup and how his absence made a noticeable difference in later years.

3. The Surprise Return and Spring Training Reveal (19:40 – 28:51)

• Fowler's Free Agency Saga: Fowler details the dramatic back-and-forth negotiations with the Orioles and Cubs’ Theo Epstein, the media’s mistaken reports, and the ultra-secret physical leading to his Chicago return.
• Clubhouse Reaction: His surprise spring training entrance remains a career-best moment, reuniting the band for a championship push.

“When you came back, it was just like, it almost all felt right in the world, right?... It was the final piece of the puzzle that we needed.” — David Ross (28:07)

4. Building the Brotherhood—On and Off-Field (28:51 – 47:42)

• Playing Shallow/Defense Criticism: Fowler addresses outfield positioning debates, his Coors Field habits, and the impact of adjusting for pitchers’ preferences.
• Wild Card Game Prep: Hilarious pre-game rituals, including IVs for everyone and Fowler’s meticulous pitcher studies, set the stage for key moments like the 2015 Wild Card victory in Pittsburgh.
• Celebrating Cubbie Culture: Karaoke nights, relentless encouragement, inside jokes (like “Brute”), team dinners, and Miami trips fostered incredible unity.

“But we were all hanging out…whether we were sitting there having some drinks, talking shop…We were all hanging out—all.” — Dexter Fowler (74:49)

• Accountability Moments: From Crown & Sprite dugout remedies to emotional playoff shares meetings, authentic care for teammates runs through every story.

5. Game 7 and World Series Memories (56:28 – 70:13)

• Bill Murray’s “Speedball” Ritual (57:01 – 59:13): The team’s comedic and superstitious Five Hour Energy and whiskey shots, courtesy of Bill Murray, became a central pregame ritual during the World Series.

“He takes out a little airplane bottle of Woodford Reserve. He goes, Woodford Reserve and a Five Hour Energy. He goes, I call it a speedball. Brings you up and brings you down.” — David Ross (57:54)

• Iconic Leadoff Home Run (60:44 – 61:26): Fowler breaks down his legendary Game 7 homer, including pitch-by-pitch mindset, the celebratory moment, and the emotional charge it gave the team.

“Right over the plate. I said, yes. Got him, bro.” — Dexter Fowler (60:44)

• Rain Delay and the Reset: The infamous rain delay after Rajai Davis' home run set up Jason Heyward's passionate players-only speech, credited with emotionally resetting the club in extra innings.

“And that was what we…everybody needed to get it off their chest. Like, say what you fucking need to say. Let's get it done. It's zero. Zero. Let's go back…We're the best team in the world.” — Dexter Fowler (70:11)

• Post-Game Celebrations: The wild run included a mobbed SNL appearance with Bill Murray and star-studded after-parties—emphasizing the truly once-in-a-lifetime nature of their championship joy.

6. Championship Culture & Lasting Lessons (52:27 – end)

• The Importance of Off-Field Bonds: Both on and off the field, the collective trust, daily accountability, and shared laughter are described as the real sources of the Cubs’ success—more than any stat or single game.

“Good teams can be good teams. You can be good on paper, but…the teams that have that…they’re telling things off the field. It's in the locker room. We were this, we were that...” — Dexter Fowler (52:50)

• Leadership Growth: Stories recount tough conversations—Rossi’s locker room fire-ups, Rizzo calling out teammates for not being on the top step—underscoring humility and earned respect through candor.

“You taught me…these guys are out here every day for you. Every day they’re on the top step cheering for your ass…the one day you have off, you can’t be out here showing them that appreciation.” — David Ross (78:31)

• A Championship Mindset: Constant theme of "playing for each other," gratitude for being part of history, and the knowledge that the journey and connections are what lasts far beyond the final out.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Joe Maddon’s Loyalty:
  “All I need you to do is be Dex...every day you come in here, you’re gonna be leading off.”
  — Dexter Fowler (11:56)

• On the Team’s Pre-game "Speedball" Ritual:
  “He takes out a little airplane bottle of Woodford Reserve. He goes, ‘I call it a speedball. Brings you up and brings you down.’”
  — David Ross (57:54)

• Game 7 Leadoff Homer Mindset:
  “Right over the plate. I said, yes. Got him, bro.”
  — Dexter Fowler (60:44)

• Impact of Brotherhood:
  “You got to know who’s next to you. You got to know who’s like your brother. Like, I could talk to this dude...nobody else outside this locker room can get on this guy.”
  — Dexter Fowler (75:18)

• Rain Delay Reset:
  “We let it all out right there...say what you fucking need to say. Let's get it done. It's zero. Zero. Let's go back.”
  — Dexter Fowler (70:25)

• The True Legacy:
  “I’m thankful for my rings for both you guys, and I’m glad we’re brothers for life.”
  — Anthony Rizzo (80:08)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:02 – 07:00: Reflections on team chemistry and leadership roles
• 07:00 – 13:15: Fowler’s trade to Chicago and Joe Maddon’s management style
• 19:40 – 28:51: Fowler’s dramatic free agency and surprise spring training return
• 28:51 – 47:42: Building team bonds, accountability, and wild off-field stories
• 56:28 – 61:26: World Series rituals, Fowler’s Game 7 leadoff home run breakdown
• 70:25 – 71:07: The emotional rain delay, Heyward’s speech, and the “reset”
• 74:16 – End: Post-victory celebrations, SNL, and reflecting on legacy and lifelong bonds

---

Episode Takeaways

For both diehard Cubs fans and anyone interested in the anatomy of champion teams, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and warmth—showing how culture, belief, leadership, and laughter, not just talent, build the foundation for lasting greatness. The banter, the love, and the humility of these 2016 Cubs shine through as they look back on their greatest moments—and the lifelong friendship forged in pursuit of their shared dream.

Transcript

[Dexter Fowler]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[David Ross]

Guaranteed Human.

[Dexter Fowler]

Want to be a star? No problem. Anyone can shine on TikTok. Post your first video today. Real life, real story, real you. Download TikTok and get started. Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it, we just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen.

[David Ross]

We don't care where you hear it.

[Dexter Fowler]

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group?

[David Ross]

The worst?

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Me.

[Dexter Fowler]

Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation to the group? The Yardbirds. Right? That's the name. The Harvard Yardbird. They're open. Do you have a name suggestion?

[Anthony Rizzo]

We're open.

[Dexter Fowler]

Since you guys are middle age 1 erection. Listen to humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Humor me.

[David Ross]

I need some jokes to make me seem funny. Wanna keep up with everything trendy from

[Dexter Fowler]

breaking news to shareable jokes, pop culture bites to viral food spots.

[David Ross]

It's all on TikTok.

[Dexter Fowler]

Download TikTok now to explore

[David Ross]

Anthony Rizzo. David Ross. Dexter Fowler. Welcome back to another episode of Lovable Reunion. Today is what I've been looking forward to as my favorite episode. We have Dexter Fowler here. We're talking 10 year anniversary of our World Series championship. Crazy Dexter was one of the the most if not important piece of the whole formula that we had to win in the World Series. And Dexter, can you believe it's been 10 years?

[Dexter Fowler]

I cannot believe it's 10 years. We, we celebrate our 10 year. A little bit of the 10 year like the, the precursor of it.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Little appetizer.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah. A little appetizer. And it got wild. It was. I can't even imagine, like, during the year when we really do it, how

[David Ross]

it's going to be, bro. And what I like, and I'm going to say it earlier here, is these three were the three main circus ringleaders of the clubhouse at all times. And when I look back at this team in our time together, the. You two are the two that I think about, because we would just come in every day with some bullshit that we were going to do.

[Dexter Fowler]

Nobody is safe.

[David Ross]

No one was safe at anything.

[Dexter Fowler]

Whether that's the owners, Joe, everybody.

[David Ross]

We brag on each other. And, like, thing I look back at most is if I was tired one day, I knew Dexter would bring it. If Dexter was tired one day, Rossi would bring it. Like, if. If for some reason us three were off, we'd have Stropey or Travis Woodbringing it. Like. But us three were this main stalwarts. And that's like, I can't wait to get into these stories now.

[Dexter Fowler]

Y' all two are some of my favorite teammates, honestly, like, because just for that, like, that fact that, I mean, you're great players, but good in the locker room. Like, some teams, you just go in and you just see, like, the magic, and you see that you have the right people in line to be there. And I call Rossi, the judge, the jury, everything. Like, Rossi, what is it? And he's like, this is what he says. And that's what goes.

[David Ross]

Yeah, you were. You were the boss. Yeah, you literally were. Like, I get a lot of credit

[Anthony Rizzo]

for being a career.220 hitter on that team, but I, I, I look back, I did get a lot of credit, and I think, like, from leadership perspective and, like, I'm glad that I had my piece. But the cool thing to me is I never told the media what I did or who I was. Like, that was all you guys giving me that love. And I say that in such a positive way because the special humans that we had on that team took my hard love sometimes and, like, actually listen to the message rather than sometimes I think I can be a little more aggressive, and you guys listen to the message and still gave me love back. I tell a story all the time when I speak. Is that about knowing everybody, watching everybody, and rooting guys on? Like, it's stuck in my mind about, like, I sat at the top step, and you would make a diving play in center field for the first out, and then the pitcher would give up four more run. Four runs in that inning and everybody's pissed off coming back. And, like, I think part of the. Part of being a good teammate is, like, remembering that freaking catch that Dex made when he comes off. So then if Dex dogs it down the first baseline, he knows I'm watching it all. And I'm giving love where love's deserved. And you're giving criticism where it's like, hey, this is how we want it.

[David Ross]

You know, I always take that after. Yeah, because you would always do that.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You're good at that, man.

[David Ross]

And as I got older in my career, I would always make sure to go over to someone good batter and different. Hey, man, nice. Like, hey, keep grinding or, nice play, bro. Like, giving them their love, because that means a lot. It means it's important, and that's how

[Anthony Rizzo]

you are able to criticize, I think, or sometimes give tough love is because, like, wait a minute. This dude's always giving me love. Let me at just least listen to this.

[David Ross]

Yeah. When you come at him with. With the tough love, it's like, okay, well, at least it's not out of the blue.

[Dexter Fowler]

And that's the thing about it is, like, you have different pieces. Like, you wrote a piece on the field. Like, hey, look, like, we looked at Riz, like, picking shit. Like, yeah, like, we looked at this platinum glover. Like, we looked at this dude, like, and we saw his work ethic. We saw him out there grinding with his back hurt. But you see stuff like that, and, you know, like, I can go talk to him, and he's gonna. It's gonna be received well. Like, for me, like, being in a locker room with a bunch of different. And this is every locker room, but a bunch of different characters.

[David Ross]

Young, old, all over the world.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, that's why I said I'm. I was like, the middleman. Like, so everybody. You would come to me or Lester or Lackey would come to me. Hey, can you talk. You should talk to. What's the name. But I would also bounce stuff off of him. Just. He was like, my sounding board. Like, hey, bro, this dude's coming to me. I don't have all the answers, and I would be remiss if I didn't reach out to him, because he's been on teams. He knows how it's done. Look, like you said, I had seven years in the big leagues at the time, and I was like, there's the younger guys, the older guys, but there was a big gap, right?

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

In that. In that locker room. And I was kind of just trying to fill the gap.

[David Ross]

You Got.

[Dexter Fowler]

You got.

[David Ross]

I mean, this is like, super underrated. We haven't talked about this. We talk about the pieces. We brought in 15 and everyone instantly thinks Joe Madden, John Lester, David Ross. You got traded in 15. To us, that was years.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Miguel Montero came traded and Biggie.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

But we have a bona fide leadoff hitter coming in that the game. Like, you're like, almost like the last guy to be a leadoff hitter. Like, that's actually what a leadoff hitter stereotypically looked like.

[Dexter Fowler]

No, I appreciate. And it was funny because, you know, males kind of facilitated that whole thing. So. Males. Yeah.

[David Ross]

So John, me's our. Our hitting coach. Yes.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We interviewed Males and ski.

[Dexter Fowler]

So Males was my coach and my hitting coach in Houston. When I was in Houston. And I remember going against. I was rehabbing. I messed up my intercostal. So I was rehabbing. I was playing for Oklahoma City, and we were playing against the Iowa Cubs, kb. I played against kb Solaire, Javier just got called up. Manny was down there. And we're playing a. We played like rehab three or four games, and we played a double hitter against them. And they are launching balls. Like, KB is going oppo. Like, we know KB does. Solaire hit me a ball. I'm playing center field, and I'm like. I'm like this, you know, minor league baseball. Like, dudes hit balls, and it's not like the big leagues, like, when dudes hit balls and they do one of these. So he hits like, the one I

[Anthony Rizzo]

hit you in Atlanta. That took a left turn. We need to talk about that.

[Dexter Fowler]

We'll talk about that. We'll talk about that. So he hits the ball, and I'm running for the ball, and I'm like, I got this. And I'm like, whoa. And the ball hits off the wall. I feel it off the wall. I throw it in, and I'm like, this is a grown man. Like, these dudes are going to be really good, too. Males gets the job over there. And I text Mels, and I was like, mels. Like, no. When I came back, I told him, I said, mels, the Cubs, they're gonna be nasty in about a year or two, bro. These dudes coming up are nasty, like, ready. Like, bigly ready. And he goes, that's, you know, that's my city. Like, he gets the job over there. And I text him. I was like, bro, I need to be with you.

[David Ross]

I need to be there.

[Dexter Fowler]

I need to be with you. And he's like, you really want to. I was like, bro, like, yes, I'm gonna be a free agent, bro. I want to play with y'. All. Like. Like, this team is going to be crazy. And so he ended up talking to the people, and we. They. But he started that conversation.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Who did you get traded for? Do you remember?

[Dexter Fowler]

Luis Val Buena.

[David Ross]

That's right.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah. Was Dan Shrayle.

[David Ross]

Yeah. Dan Shaley, bro.

[Dexter Fowler]

I remember.

[David Ross]

Well, like, you getting traded. The only. We played you in the Rockies, right? Like, the Rockies are smaller markets. Like, but you guys always raked.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

You DJ to, like, just Nolan.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Like, Cargo, everybody.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Oh, cargo was a beast.

[David Ross]

Matt Holiday, dire. Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, Elton was there.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You can't. I was going to say that earlier. Kd, like, you came up.

[Dexter Fowler]

I was Holiday Hop. Yeah, that was. Those are my.

[David Ross]

Yeah. Brad Hop was the first baseman, too, when I was.

[Dexter Fowler]

And then Cargo came up. Like, Cargo that traded over there.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Spilly still on the team. He was there.

[David Ross]

What I knew about you was like, your pregame, your pre at bat routine where you, like, do your little stretch, your groin stretch left to right.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Because I'm everybody else's. Bullshit.

[David Ross]

Yeah. And. But to come over and instantly, year one, like, how it's not easy getting traded. You just got traded to Houston the year before. How are you able to come over and ingrain yourself so fast? And a team that, like, in 15 were like, yeah, we thought we could be good, but, like, we had to build that confidence.

[Dexter Fowler]

Honestly. Like, for me, which made me feel the most comfortable was Joe Madden.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Because I played on teams. Like, Joe was my favorite manager. Cause Joe let me be me.

[David Ross]

Yes.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, everybody else would be like, hey, Dex, we're gonna need you to do this. I was like, bro, can I just go? Would you just let me go play? Like, I understand the game. I know how to play the game. Let me go play. And the best managers for me were like, hands off debts. Just go do you every day. Right. So when I first got to. I don't know if you remember this. When I first got to Chicago, I Like, the first month, like, first bad. Bad of the game, I was punching out. Like, if I got punched out, and I. I got the first half. I got punched out 19 times on balls.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Remember when we went in, we had the meeting with the. But this is a whole nother thing. So we're sitting there and

[Anthony Rizzo]

you had a meeting with the umpires or mlb.

[Dexter Fowler]

No, but first Joe called me up in the office because I'm like, I'm leading off. This dude's gonna move me down. I know. I Already know, like, just from PTSD of the years that I've started psych

[David Ross]

battle, that no one realizes that.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Right.

[David Ross]

When you grind and you don't have your man.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right? So now I'm looking over every day.

[David Ross]

I'm like, am I gonna be in the lineup in my.

[Dexter Fowler]

What is it that me down? Exactly.

[David Ross]

Yeah. Joe probably pulled you in and said, you're our guy.

[Dexter Fowler]

Joe put me in the office. And I never forget this. He put me in the office. He said, dex. Cause he used to ask me. He goes, hey, what are you gonna do first at back? And you know me, I'm like, strike out. Like. And he started laughing. He goes, no, no, you can't think. Like, I was like, I'm just. But I'm saying, like. And I would sit there and he told me, he goes, dex, all I need you to do is be dex. He goes, look, every day you come in here, you're gonna be leading off. I don't care how good you do. And I said, look, the hair standing up on my eye. And I said, this is the first time somebody's ever told me that, like, I'm coming in every day. I don't have to look at the lineup. I know I'm leading off, but, you know, if we're not playing, they tell us the day before, hey, we're gonna give you a day. Like, all right, cool. Like, whatever. I understand that. But every day that I was playing, I was leading off, and I took that mindset, I was like, but you want to do well for guys like that, right? Right, Right, right. Because he believes in you. So I'm a play. I'm going to run through this fucking wall for this dude.

[Anthony Rizzo]

It's confidence. And you're also relaxed.

[Dexter Fowler]

Exactly.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm not looking over my shoulder. And if I have an over five game, I'm in there tomorrow. And then he proves that track record. It's like, oh, okay, I get to go have my say. I'm a free. I'm going to go have my year, right? I'm going to have my year. And especially earlier about the.

[Dexter Fowler]

You on a paper chase.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You on the paper.

[Dexter Fowler]

Get that paper.

[David Ross]

Yeah, yeah, you got it. Well, everyone was at different points in their career. Joe, Another thing, the five levels of a big leaguer, right? Like, right. Happy to be there when make money, whatever. And Dexter 16, we're getting a little ahead, but was on his paper chase. We knew he's gonna be a free agent. And it's like, as a responsibility, as a teammate, let's get this dude paid, right? Like, that's what it's all about at the is winning and like setting up your life forever.

[Dexter Fowler]

Sure. No, for sure.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And I say this as not really knowing, but because I left. But after 16, the questions I got a lot in 17, 18 and 19 were what? Like what. What is it missing? What is it missing? I think why, why weren't they as successful? You know, it's like every piece matters, you know what I mean? Like, you being gone in that staple in the top of lineup is a big freaking deal, you know, and not that the people that took your place aren't good players. It's just like there's a bigger dynamic that kind of comes in with that. And you were such a. Such a. The personality outside of your performance and who you were and coming back, man. I think my favorite, one of my favorite moments as a player and so confused is watching you walk out to the field in 16 and spring training and he's back, bro. Hey, I'm telling you, you can't get your head out of that phone.

[Dexter Fowler]

Get on that phone.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Let's get some seat geek seats for Chesney at the Sphere. Unbelievable show.

[David Ross]

Chesney at the Sphere, Rufus at Wrigley. Are you kidding me?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Rufus de Soul.

[David Ross]

Oh, yeah. Let's go if you want me. Protein packed meals in 10 minutes. TikTok's got millions of them. Could you whip one up in under eight?

[Dexter Fowler]

Probably, but hey, it's not a race. Grab the recipes on TikTok and start cooking. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast. Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We.

[Dexter Fowler]

We just contributed to it. First people to do podcasts. Pretty. Yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts, but this one's extra special. So how did we. How do we actually come up with the name hey Jonas? Guys, I honestly don't remember.

[David Ross]

I think it was on a call

[Dexter Fowler]

about what we should call it and, well, we were thinking, I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes, I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, hey Jonas. And offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that. Guys, listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen.

[David Ross]

We don't care where you hear it.

[Dexter Fowler]

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and Hilar, hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group?

[David Ross]

The worst?

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah, Me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard you only got in because your parents made a huge donation to the group? To the group the Yarn Verse, Right. That's the name. The Harvard Yard.

[Anthony Rizzo]

But they're open.

[Dexter Fowler]

Do you have a name suggestion?

[Anthony Rizzo]

We're open.

[Dexter Fowler]

Since you guys are middle aged one erection, listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Humor me.

[David Ross]

I need some jokes to make me seem funny.

[Anthony Rizzo]

What's up fam?

[Dexter Fowler]

It's Isaiah Thomas and I'm CJ Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luc and Austin Reed and finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before and he knows without Luka and Austin Reaves I gotta manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's gonna be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed, he has to guard Julius Randle and then he has to give us everything. He gives us on a night to night basis on offense. And when it's friends stop by like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man hell get the flying he running up the court licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Oh yeah. Get your ass up and down the court and you gon get the ball. So listen to Point game on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Anthony Rizzo]

This is why I want to give a sponsor shout out to seatgeek where we get our tickets. There's nothing better than getting on there and getting really good seats last minute. That's how I roll.

[David Ross]

With 35 million downloads, SeatGeek is a number one rated ticketing app.

[Anthony Rizzo]

There are more than 70,000 events listed on SeatGeek, including concerts, sports festivals, and more. MLB is in full swing. The NBA and NHL playoffs are here. The NFL schedule is coming out soon, and you can now get World cup tickets on SeatGeek. And with SeatGeek being MLB's official ticket marketplace, your tickets are fully guaranteed and instantly fulfilled in your account after purchase. I love using SeatGeek, but I want to go to Chesney. You just get on the app. Go to Kenny Chesney.

[David Ross]

We just saw my Tortuga, too.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We saw him at Tortuga. It was amazing. I want to see him in sphere. It's going to be electric. Go to Las Vegas. Clip on Las Vegas. See all the seats. We got to get me and you tickets, right? So let's pick right here how many. How many seats we need? Two. There we are. We got all the choices.

[David Ross]

You're buying.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'll pay.

[Dexter Fowler]

I'll pay.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Or we can call Kenny. We can call Kenny. Seatgeek has your back. Each ticket is rated from a scale of 1 to 10, so you know if you're getting a good deal or not. Look for the green dot. Green means good, red means bad. Pretty simple. Plus, every ticket is backed by their buyer guarantee. And of course, I have a code for you guys. You can use code LovableReunion10 for 10% off of your next set of tickets at SeatGeek. That's 10% off any tickets with promo code LovableReunion10.

[David Ross]

Make sure you click the link in the description to download the app and have the code automatically added to your account so you can use it later. Thank you, seatgeek.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Thanks, seatgeek, bro.

[David Ross]

I remember talking to you, like, that week.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I said, what are you doing? I'm like, where are you at?

[David Ross]

He goes, dark on me, bro. I was so. I was like, what the fuck, bro? Like, we're talking every day for the

[Dexter Fowler]

most part, and this dude goes, you better. You know what he told me?

[David Ross]

You're gonna sign with the Orioles. No.

[Dexter Fowler]

He goes, you better not come back. This is even before that. He goes, you better not come back and not tell me.

[David Ross]

Yes. Yeah.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Sounds like yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

He goes, dex, you better not do that. And I said, bro, I'm gonna let you know. I'll let you know, bro. You know me.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm like, hey, bro, I like inside scoop. You gotta have the inside scoop.

[David Ross]

And then you come back.

[Dexter Fowler]

Well, the backstory on this.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I want to hear the whole thing.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I want to hear like, yeah, a

[Dexter Fowler]

lot of people don't know the backstory,

[Anthony Rizzo]

like, how all that went down.

[Dexter Fowler]

So I said goodbye to the Cups. I remember we were building our house here in Vegas and like three days, two days before that or three days before that, we're sitting here and Baltimore, us in Baltimore were going back and forth. My agent in Baltimore and Baltimore was trying to make me pay for a. The draft pick. You know, I had the qualifying offer, so they were trying to make me pay for their draft pick. Once they get me, like, they lose a draft pick, they were like, we feel like the draft pick is worth this much. So basically I was going to pay for the draft pick. And I said, okay, if that's the thing. So they offered me a three year deal. Was kind of disrespectful at the time. And I was like, bro, I made more than that AAV before this. And I go, you know, we're having these talks back and forth. And then I said, all right, how about you give me X amount of dollars we can keep the same and give me an opt out after the first year.

[David Ross]

And they said before, like, an opt out even existed.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right, right. And they were like, we don't do opt outs. And I said, and I'm not paying for a draft pick, so we're back at square one. So we're never going to get anywhere. Then I told Theo. Theo's like, hey, look, man, like, I want to offer you this amount. I forgot what the amount was, but we were like 2 million off, right? And I said, bro, I can't look at my family in the eyes and tell them, like, I'm going to take this to come back here. And he goes, I totally get it. I said, so I appreciate everything. Tell Joe I love him. Like, tell. Tell the Ricketts family I appreciate it, like. And I said, thank you for everything you've done, man. Traded me over here, man. It's been the best career, best season of my career. Hung up the phone. I get a call back from Theo the next day. Theo goes, dex, we're a million apart. Like, let's figure this out. Was. I said, if we can figure it out. Then I'm back, like. And he goes, all right, give me a minute. Call me back like, three hours later. It was like, hey, so we're gonna, like, let's. Let's meet at 13 and let's. We'll try to slice it any way we can, like, to better You. And then you'll have a opt out. Whatever. However they did it, however they sliced it, they were like, but. And I was in the design studio. And right when he said, I'm gonna figure it out, Baltimore came and was like, dex is signing with the Orioles. Like, I get a text from Andrew McCutcheon. No, not Andrew McCutcheon. Yeah, Andrew McCutch. And Kutch is like, bro, congrats on the deal. That's awesome. Whatever. And I'm like, I call my agent Casey, And I'm like, casey, what the are they talking about? I'm literally designing in the design studio in my house, looking at furnishes and all that. And he's like, don't answer anybody's calls. Let me figure this out. Let me call. I don't know what. I don't know what's going on. So he's making calls and stuff, and my phone is going like, I can't wait to Baldo Jimenez, who I played with, was in the Orioles with the Rockies. Manny Machado, Adam Jones. They're texting me like, bro, like, hey, you're gonna be sick. Like, you're gonna love Showalter. Whatever. Everybody's texting me. And I'm like, for me, I'm like, you know how honest I am. I'm like, I just wanna tell him that Brett, it's not true. It's not true. It's not true. That's true. But my agents just said, don't say anything. So I said, does Theo know? And he goes, yeah, Theo knows. I'm already talking to Theo. Like, we're good. We're good on this side. He goes, but you can't repeat anything I said. Perfect. End up going. And Theo calls me back. He goes, dex, I'm gonna need to get you down here tonight for a physical. He goes, we can't tell him. We're not telling anybody. He's the only people that know is me, Jed and Tom and Jim.

[Anthony Rizzo]

He's like, PJ Mainville.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah. And pj. Yeah, it was like, only people didn't know. And obviously the docs and vj, because VJ knows everything. So we ended up going down there, kept it quiet, drove. I drove my car down there, took the physical at, like, 11:00pm no way. Yeah, Dr. Adams was. Yeah, he was talking. He came. He came there fresh off, right at dinner. Had to leave dinner early. I was like, I'm so sorry. And he was like, bro, it's good. Got the physical done. And he goes. Theo goes, we're not gonna we gotta. We got a surprise. We're not gonna say anything. I said. I said, I'm not. I haven't said anything. He goes, so I stayed at the Phoenician, came over the next day. He goes, I'll call you in the morning and I'll tell you what's going on. So he gave me the lay of land. We're sitting in my car, and me and Theo were sitting there talking just like. Like, just shoot. Like, this is going to be crazy. Like. He goes, yeah, Joe's going to get everybody together, like a meeting and whatever, and we're going to walk out. He goes, give us five minutes. Walk in there. Walking out. And I. Like. I said, that's. That was the best day. And I said this at the reunion. That was the best day of my career. Honestly. Like, because you sit there and you look at, like, teams, and I mean, mind you, in the off season, you signed J. Hey, you signed Lackey, you signed Zobey, you signed all these guys that we were missing in 15. We went to the National League Championship Series, and if we had those dudes, then we were all back to back, you know, it would have been crazy. Like, but we were just missing those. One of those pieces. And I saw we got Jay. Hey, and I've. Me and Jaehae go way back. Like, I've known Jaehye longer than I've known Atlanta days. Yeah, Atlanta days. Jaehae's four years younger than me. And, like, we used to work out at the same place, hit at the same place, hit together in the off season.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I love Jay.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey. And then we find yo awesome human being. Awesome human being. So I told him when he signed over there, I said, bro, those are my boys, bro. You're gonna have a blast, bro. There's nothing better than, first of all, the fans. Then you're in the locker room with these guys, bro. You're gonna have unbelievable time. And so when I signed back, like, that was the one time that I was like, man, you feel wanted. And it's like, these dudes genuinely want you to be a part of something special. And it's like you sit at the lunch table by yourself, and somebody's like, hey, come sit over here with us. They become your best friends.

[David Ross]

Like, you don't get that. No, no. This. And they not normal in baseball. We are literally bred to not feel good enough as, like, whatever you do in this game, you're not good enough. Like, you can be the MVP and you struck out too much. You can be the player of the week. And there's someone's nitpicking you, right? So that moment of, like, feeling that love and wanted is like, yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

I walked in. I'm giving everybody hugs and stuff.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And Rossi tells me. He goes.

[David Ross]

Everyone starts going crazy. We're in this whole puddle in springtime uniform. He's walking in. I think you're wearing a white shirt and, like, black joggers or something.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Crazy.

[Dexter Fowler]

No, it was black pants, but I had the. The 12, actually.

[David Ross]

And he comes in, and if you want to say what you said.

[Dexter Fowler]

So I. So I get in there, and I give everybody hugs, and everyone's like, what the fuck? Like, what's going on? Yeah. And Joe goes, welcome back. We got Dexter Fowler. And Rossi goes, wait, wait. He goes, are you just coming to say bye to us? He goes, are you going to Baltimore? You sign with Baltimore? I'm confused. Like, are you saying bye? I was. No, I'm here, bro. Like, this is us.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I was so confused. I remember, like, looking at him coming up, like, what. What's happening right now? Like, what are we doing? And mind you, that happens in baseball. Like, you know, that never happens.

[Dexter Fowler]

Never. Everybody. There's always an insider. There's always an insider.

[David Ross]

We're a week into spring training, mind you. We're already talking about the World Series. But there is, like, this little cloud that's, like, what's Dexter doing? Like, we don't have a leadoff guy. Like, what do we got? And when you came back, it was just, like. It was almost, like, all felt right in the world, right? Like, we already, like, were in spring and in camp. Like, we just got swept in the nlcs. Like, we got so close in that playoffs, and we'll get to that 15 wildcard game here right after this. But it's like, then you came back, and it was like, we built this such a brotherhood, and that 15 run to get you back was like, this.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Here we go.

[David Ross]

Final piece of the puzzle that we needed to. To figure to. Yeah. To put it on the board.

[Dexter Fowler]

100.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Especially before Chappie. Like, Chappie was like, oh. Oh.

[Dexter Fowler]

Chappie was like, for me. For me. Yeah, for me. Like, I. You know what? Retrospect. And I appreciate y' all saying that, and it means a lot coming from you guys, but, like, for me, I was just like, all right. Like, we got. Like, let's do this. Like, I already knew. For me, I already knew. Like, y' all were like. Like, the Cubs were gonna win. Like, especially how close we were. And we got. Like, I said, we got those pieces. But, like, me, I'm just like, hey, I'm in there with the boys. Like, it was. I never thought of it like that. Like, because I'm like, I know I'm a little bit, like, at the end of the day, like, I didn't think of myself as being the guy.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, the piece, like, the piece that was missing. Like, for me, I was just like, I'm added to the puzzle.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Type.

[Anthony Rizzo]

But that's because you are who you are and, like, how you fit in with everybody and get along and also bring it every day on the field. It's like an on and off the field type thing. The thing that stood out to me, looking back, though, remember, you were getting so much shit about docking for your defense because you played shallow. We talked about that so many. We. And I love, like, a shallow outfield. And then you backed up that next year, you're the number one in the league.

[Dexter Fowler]

Everybody's like, texas changed this game. I was like, same game. I just moved back for a second, move back five steps, whatever, politically.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And now it's great.

[Dexter Fowler]

You know, better.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'll never forget that about that year. It's like how you're docking decks for this and that. I'm like, yeah, move back.

[Dexter Fowler]

You know, I came up at Coors Field. That's what everybody doesn't understand. Like, I came up at Coors Field, so I played naturally, I played shallow. Just because everybody's hit is. Homer is either homer is going to stay up enough for me to run up under. So I. That's. I was accustomed to playing shallow, but the pitchers loved it. Because the pitchers. And you could say this as a catcher, like, if you make a good pitch and they bloop it in, like, they're more pissed off than they make a bad pitch and it gets hit in the gap and they're like, that was a terrible.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's when I managed. I was like, I want to, especially with two strikes, like, push in. Like, it's on the pitcher to execute pitches. I want them to make a good pitch and get rewarded. Not.

[Dexter Fowler]

You know, see, I didn't. I didn't give a. About analytics none of that.

[David Ross]

Well, it wasn't. It wasn't that big of a deal in. It wasn't 16, right.

[Dexter Fowler]

It was.

[David Ross]

It was just getting introduced a little more. And it was like, now everyone is like, every organization has their system of like, you play here. Right?

[Dexter Fowler]

I gave a shit about my teammates.

[David Ross]

Exactly.

[Dexter Fowler]

And I wanted my Guy on the mountain be like, hey, I want decks out there.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's right.

[David Ross]

And that's all I matter. Because that's who really matter at the end of the day.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's who. That's right.

[David Ross]

Is if. If you got burnt over your head for some reason and the pitcher was okay with it, well, then how it goes. But in 15, like, what we built in 15 was so special for me because, I mean, I was there for longer and we stunk. And you weren't on a very many good teams in Colorado either, right?

[Dexter Fowler]

I mean, we were on paper.

[David Ross]

On paper, best April team of all time every year. The Colorado Rockies from 2013-21 was the best April team of all time. But, like, bro, I remember after the turning point in 15, which I'll ask you what you think it is, I'm just going to end up saying it. When we swept the Giants in August in 15 and we went out.

[Dexter Fowler]

Samarja.

[David Ross]

Yeah, we all remember. We all went out and we're singing karaoke.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

At. At the. What? Country Club.

[David Ross]

At Stanley's.

[Dexter Fowler]

Stanley's.

[David Ross]

Stanley's. Stanley's in Lincoln park in Chicago. And we're singing karaoke and we're just, like. It brought us together closer. Right? And then, like, we. We would go out, we would hang out off the field. And then as we're getting to the playoffs, like, we're starting to kick the. Out of the Cardinals in the second half. Like, they hate us. They win the division, but we're the wild card. We have to play the Pirates, who also hate us because they were good and.

[Dexter Fowler]

But we're the three best teams in the major leagues. Were us three.

[David Ross]

Yeah. 97, I think it was. 97, 98 and 100 wins, and we finished in third.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right.

[David Ross]

So we get to this wild card game, and it's our biggest game of our.

[Dexter Fowler]

Our careers.

[David Ross]

Right? Like, 100 blacked out at. PNC.

[Dexter Fowler]

Wow.

[David Ross]

Loud. The Pittsburgh fans were absolutely ruthless area

[Anthony Rizzo]

talking on Twitter before the game started.

[David Ross]

And like, bro, like, that home run was like, one of the monumental home runs in Cubs history to, like, put us up in the wild card game. We won that. If we don't win that game, I don't think we have the.

[Dexter Fowler]

Well, it was funny. It was. You know what's funny is Arietta comes. You know, I brought my hyperbaric.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, you always. And the IV guy. You brought your guy. Doc Adams is like, we don't do it.

[David Ross]

We don't need it.

[Dexter Fowler]

I told him to here. I said, hey, we getting IVs tomorrow. Yeah, I think you don't need that.

[David Ross]

I think. Was it before the wild card game or maybe we clinched. We were all in, I think, Lester's big penthouse. And you got. We had IVs for everyone.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

So before that. So Arietta comes in my room to use the hyper bear. And I remember his wife was there, my wife was there. And we're sitting there, and I say, snake, you ready? He goes, days, just give me one.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I said, give me one.

[Dexter Fowler]

I said, that's how you feel? Look, I said, that's how you feel? I said, we gonna give you more than one. But, like, he goes, I just need one. Just give me one. Run. I said, all right.

[David Ross]

That was Snake.

[Dexter Fowler]

I said, all right, Snake. I said, all right. Well, I'm gonna hold you to that. And I remember I told him, I said. Cause, you know, I used to. Like, what people don't know is, like, I go home and I couldn't go to sleep without a game plan. So I would look at the picture for the night the next day, and I was looking at Garrett Cole.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And I said, all right. Like, this dude's gonna be throwing a hundred, right? He's gonna be amped up, but he throws that two seamer, and that two seamer is gonna go. It's gonna. Cause he's gonna be so amped up, it's gonna be running up and away. I said, so I gotta push him, like, middle end. So let it run back over the plate to be a strike. First pitch of the game. 100, right? And I remember, like, I ended up getting a hit. My first step back. And I remember, right, no center, like, one hopper to catch, throws it in. And I'm like, this dude's fucked. In my head. I'm like, this dude's fucked because he.

[David Ross]

Nothing better than getting a first at knock.

[Dexter Fowler]

But you know.

[David Ross]

But you know how with house money, bro.

[Dexter Fowler]

And it was so loud in there.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, when I went up to bat, it was so loud. I remember I could feel like. I felt like the stadium was shaking. Like, they had that blackout and we got a hit. And I know how Garrett Cole gets. Remember, he used to. You give up a hit and go throwing his hands up so mad, like. So I was like, I got a hit. And I was like, this dude's flustered. And I remember I stole second. Schwarberg gets over one nothing. And I was like, quick. Oh, quick. And then I would have walked by.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'd have walked by Snape. Like, there's your one. Got it. There it is.

[Dexter Fowler]

But you know how Snake is for. Snake was like locked in. You see his pupils like this. I said, this dude is locked. Remember he threw those no hitters. You. You hug him at the end. He's like this.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

I'm like, this dude is.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, he's in. He's on.

[Dexter Fowler]

But that then and there I was, I was, I was like, we're gonna win this game.

[David Ross]

Well, in that moment too, that bond of winning and clinching and then beating the. Out of the Cardinals, right? Yeah. We just beat our two division rounds. We lost the first game. I remember we're in.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Well, that was like the big brother that had always won.

[David Ross]

We lost the game in St. Louis. First game often.

[Dexter Fowler]

Jaime Garcia.

[David Ross]

We all go to. We all go to. I think it was Ruth, Chris. Right. We all go like a big team dinner. We're just like, ah, it. We lost. We already have a beautiful team dinner. Probably Lackey or Lester paid for it. And we were like, we're good, we're good. And it was like, we won the next one. We won the next three, bro.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah, we won the next one. But then when we.

[David Ross]

I remember leaving St. Louis last year. Yeah, I will see you next year. To the. The clubbies in St. Louis, like, that's, that was our, our attitude. Yeah. But building that bond and then going into 16, it's like we're rolling. You come back, right. Like, we get off to this insane start. Crazy, crazy start. I met my wife Emily in spring training that year.

[Dexter Fowler]

Smoothie quiz.

[David Ross]

She went to Arizona State. She was an intern. And how'd you meet her? Dexter. Dexter would always give me shit. Right. And it. This goes back to just like bickering and bickering and me stirring the pot

[Dexter Fowler]

and poking the bear.

[David Ross]

Yeah. So our second series of the year is in Arizona. And I go back and I go out with Emily.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Right.

[David Ross]

I think we had.

[Dexter Fowler]

Oh, my gosh. I still got these pictures.

[David Ross]

It was on a weekend. Yeah, we had. Well, we'll get a picture on here. And she's going to Arizona State. She's a senior at Arizona State. And we go out and I. We go out one night and we just run it and I, I. We're basically.

[Anthony Rizzo]

This is when you're after Anaheim in Arizona.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Anthony Rizzo]

This is like when Schwarber got screwed up.

[David Ross]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think this is when I got screwed up too.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

I think this is when Lackey gave up like those four or five early and we came back and won. Yeah. Well, that night I stayed out till like 5 or 6 in the morning, like, running it. And I come in, I had to like jump this fence in Tempe. There's a train track back, right? And like, the fence was like a little like a opening of the bars and I couldn't fit through it, so I had to jump it. But I had the blisters on my hand because the second game of the season, we were working out in Anaheim and we were doing monkey bars. Monkey bars. So I had two big ass blisters on each hand that I see. So I was trying to ass mug.

[Dexter Fowler]

That's another thing we all used to work out together.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's right. You're taking this morning. This morning trip.

[David Ross]

So I'm. I'm climbing this fence and I. My hands are like killing me, so I slip, I slice my leg open, right? I'm talking like a gash, right? Like, definitely need stitches, right?

[Anthony Rizzo]

We're.

[David Ross]

We're like a mess. Trying to. She's trying to tape it that night with like mermaid band aids, right? Show up to the field the next

[Dexter Fowler]

day, like completely like white tea, white sweats.

[David Ross]

White tea, camo sweats. Yeah. It was brutal. And he's taking pictures. No, no, this is.

[Dexter Fowler]

I gotta show you the next morning, bro.

[David Ross]

And he's taking pictures of me, making fun of me.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, the first thing he does, he walks in and he puts his head down like this. I said, bro, what are you wearing? What is this? What is this you're doing right now?

[David Ross]

So I go into the training room, like, get this thing. I don't show the trainers because I'm like, I can't. I'm like. Eventually I showed him, like, a few games later, I'm like, oh, yeah, I hit it on my bed, right? So, but that day, right when I get into the field, I like immediately go to that, like, little auxiliary room in Arizona. And I go on like this big green couch. I think it's still there. And I just pass out to like probably an hour before the game, right? Like, it's a day game. I know my routine.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We're headed home.

[David Ross]

This dude starts this inside joke with us. And I hope I could tell this, like, so it lands. He puts a bottle of Brute on me. Like, brute aftershave. For some reason, I don't know why,

[Anthony Rizzo]

like, dashed it or put the ball.

[Dexter Fowler]

I put the green body.

[David Ross]

And he's like taking pictures of me sleeping on the couch. Just like literally dead, right? Literally gone and gone from that day on. Like, me, him and J. Hey, for Whatever reason, that's where the Brute.

[Anthony Rizzo]

It was like.

[David Ross]

Yes, it was like shoes, you know, you put in there. Like smearing off ice to get ice. Like we would. Oh, got him with the Brute one.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That was the same.

[Dexter Fowler]

Got him with a brute one random

[David Ross]

day you'd find in your bag. We just pack it everywhere in our glove.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, I brought it out, put it in his glove before we brought it first base.

[David Ross]

I was like, I played within my back pocket one inning. But, like, this is the third game in the fourth, fifth game of the season. Like, these are the. The bonds that are starting so early that, like, for you and me, I just felt like it was so good because we got each other and we were able to talk, like, more than baseball.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Well, then the thing I love about you, your memory of, like, how it all went down is so great. Fact. You remember what he was wearing walking

[David Ross]

in, bro, he has pictures of me in Miami. Like, in Miami, I would dress up. I wear like the Tommy Bahamas shirt.

[Dexter Fowler]

What do you call it? I was like, bro, what the fuck is this?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Are you.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah, what is this?

[David Ross]

You have to. You have to switch it up and break up the monotony. And that's what I would try to do. Joe would.

[Dexter Fowler]

But you thought you looked hot.

[David Ross]

I did look fucking hot.

[Dexter Fowler]

I'm taking pictures. I can't wait till he poses.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I can't say that I painted my toenail. My daughter painted my toenails. For that trip when Joe let us

[Dexter Fowler]

go to Miami, me.

[David Ross]

And then like during that year, we build and then we all make the All Star Game. Yeah, that's your first All Star game. And it was like, bro, like, there's seven of us there. Like, we fly on two different private jets. The Cubs got us two different private jets. We flew together. We're on like G5s or something.

[Dexter Fowler]

I mean, like starters. It was our whole.

[David Ross]

The whole team Hove.

[Dexter Fowler]

Infield, infield, Addie, KB and like Bryce Harper. Was it Bryce Harper and somebody else

[Anthony Rizzo]

and would left you and who's the second?

[David Ross]

Zobra said second right.

[Dexter Fowler]

KB at third. And Addie Lester, Arietta, Lester Areata.

[David Ross]

And we roll in there like we had this arrogant. Wasn't arrogant. I would just say this swagger to us of like, we were the best, but, like, we were the best for us. Like we weren't trying to be everyone else. And I remember rolling into to that San Diego clubhouse in the All Star Game, and, like, Lackey and Lester have, like, the cooler of, like, drinks. And it was a dry clubhouse and the League wouldn't let us have drinks in there. Lester and la or Lackey and Arietta?

[Dexter Fowler]

Go ahead.

[David Ross]

I'm sorry, Lester and Lackey or Lester and Arietta have the cooler of drinks. They're like getting beers for everyone, like, and we're just in there, like.

[Dexter Fowler]

But everybody gravitated towards the Cubbies. They were like, bro, y' all have. So we know, like, y' all have. Obviously we had the most guys here, most guys in the locker room, but everybody was literally under us. And whether that. Whether you had five all star games or you had eight all star game, everybody was fucking with us. It was like, hey, we're going. We want to be around the Cubs.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Remember the energy that our dugout had, like, talking about just like that presence in the league, like, I just remember people hating us because of all, like, we're like three, two counts. We're like screaming positivity on a base, on a base, on a base, on a base. Remember that? All that crazy. Like, we were like assault softball team at some time so much. But it was like, for us and you guys, the personalities, though. But you talk about people gravitate to you guys because. And like, Arietta and especially Lester, like, had been to these all star games. And so it's like, yeah, those are the dudes and everybody wants to hang out with because you guys had your own own little. As your own little team there.

[David Ross]

Well, bro, I remember. Was it 16 or was it 15? When Joe famously said, you go, we go. And like, that was our motto.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, literally that was after. That was after I went in office, bro, you went.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You let's. After you went.

[Dexter Fowler]

After I went in the office and I talked to him. He was like, yeah, I don't know if you know this. And he was like, but when you get on base. He told me this. He goes, when you get on base twice, we win. 80%. Like 80. It was something. Something ridiculous. Eddie goes, when you don't, we lose this. I was like, no pressure. Yeah, no pressure. But I was just like, but I'm gonna run through the wall for this guy anyway.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That confidence of what he told you. And also like, okay, here's my plan. I just gotta get on base as much as I possibly can.

[Dexter Fowler]

100%. I just try to get on base.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And then you leave and you lead the team twice.

[Dexter Fowler]

I don't care how it was if I got hit, if I fucking buttoned. I don't, hey, look, I'm just trying to get on base, like. And the rest happened. Cause it was Supposed to happen, but, like, whether I hit a triple or I go, I had a homer or whatever, but it would happen. And I was like, that's one. I got one more.

[David Ross]

Isn't it crazy how we win and we win. How many.

[Anthony Rizzo]

When you change your mindset to when I was a backup backing up bmac, and I didn't want him in Atlanta, and I didn't want to. I didn't want him to have to try to get him in the game. When I had to pinch hit, all I did was say, okay, if I'm winning, he doesn't have to come in and pinch hit. So when you move that to all I want to do is win, then it, like, changes your whole kind of, like, mantra throughout the game.

[Dexter Fowler]

That's why they said baseball. Like, you. If you look, try to do these other stats, focus on the game, and the game will take care of you.

[David Ross]

The game will tell you what to do.

[Dexter Fowler]

It will take care of the. Exactly what you need, what needs to happen.

[David Ross]

I think. I think it's crazy how many mottos we had within our team. Like, we are good. You go, we go. Try not to suck. Embrace the target. Like, all these things that, like, looking

[Anthony Rizzo]

back, do simple, better.

[David Ross]

Joe, Joe, simple, better respect. Where it's like, everyone always asks, like, how do you guys not feel the pressure of 108 years? The goat, the curse, all this. It's like, because we had all this stuff inside where we were themed. Themed road trips, circus magicians, animals. Like, all these things where it was, like, playing was, like, almost the easiest part.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Because there's so much memory in 15

[Dexter Fowler]

was like, it's magic.

[David Ross]

Yeah, it's. Yeah. Oh, it's magic.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah. That's like a triple. I remember, like, he's like, it's magic. Looking at the dog.

[David Ross]

It's like the numbers on the field were what they were.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right?

[David Ross]

And it's the bonds that were created during that for me. And there was a time we were in Cincinnati and I was, like, off the rails, struggle. I was, like, grinding. I stunk. I was never gonna get another hit. I was going through it. You go through it every. A bunch of times a year, and it's hot, and we're in August, and we're playing a bunch of games in a row, and I'm sitting in the dugout. I'm like, oh, for three, right? And I'm sitting there just literally just like.

[Dexter Fowler]

I remember this.

[David Ross]

Staring at, like, nothing. I'm, like, literally staring at nothing. I'm just like, I'm Never gonna get another hit again. And he walks out to me, right out of nowhere, bro, with a double cup of Gatorade. Hands me a cup, and he goes, here, man, drink this. I go, what is it? And he knew exactly what I like to drink. It was a Crown and Sprite mixed up perfectly with, like, their nice little crushed ice. And I took a sip. I go, I needed that. And, like, we just sat there, and, like, I had a few sips. I probably drank most of it, honestly. Sure enough, my next at bat, I hit a missile. And, like, from there, like, I went, like. Because, like, I was so in my own head. And my guy comes up to me randomly out of nowhere, and it's like, guy, you need this. And I take it. I'm just like. I didn't, like, just trust me. And it's like, obviously, you can't do that. You can't do that every day. But it's like, he knew me at the time and, like, our friendship. But so for him to be able to, like, in August, I want to fucking kill everyone. I'm not getting hits. Like, it sucks, right? You're.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You're at the finish line in August, like, trying to push. Yeah.

[David Ross]

You're almost seeing September.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Yeah. So I always look back to that. I'm like, bro, like, just out of nowhere, like, that's. That's my guy.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I love that story because, like, I feel like you're so in tune with other people. The unselfishness about you is what also makes you a great teammate. But my favorite story, and I'm going to get into this week, when you. When you make the playoffs, you're going to make the playoffs. You have a little meeting where you split up the money that you're going to make. How far you go, It's a playoff shift. So the further you go in the postseason, the more money you get. Right? So we're have a team meeting. It's only the guys who have been there all year. We have a team meeting, and you divvy up, like, okay, everybody that's here full time gets a full share. Coaches get a full share. But then you have, like, security and the chef and the clubhouse guys and the wives. Liaison might be an important, important part. And the generous person that we all are, I think we set a record for giving out the most amount of shares that year.

[Dexter Fowler]

And we would have set more of a record.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We wouldn't. But there was one discussion in the meeting that where Anthony is giving full shares, which turned out to be 420,000.

[Dexter Fowler]

Okay. So. So we knew we were going to win the World Series.

[David Ross]

We're having these shares meeting like we're winning the World Series.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Right. That's the only. We didn't think we were making the first round and getting five grand.

[David Ross]

This was the only shares meeting till my. In my career where I can legitimately say that chairs meeting was about the final share.

[Anthony Rizzo]

The final share.

[David Ross]

100.

[Dexter Fowler]

And we had the numbers.

[David Ross]

So we. This was a media. This is like an hour plus meeting. And Dexter and I, who are usually always on the same page, of course we're on the same page on this one. And they wanted to get. So we're giving.

[Dexter Fowler]

Everybody's just throwing out because. Because you kind of get. You kind of get.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You kind of to get like you

[Dexter Fowler]

get like full half. Yeah, full half. And you don't really get the dollar amount on how much that really is. So everybody just throws out. They're like, hey, this guy, full share. Hey, this guy, full.

[David Ross]

Most of them deserve it. Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And I'm like, you realize half is like 200. Like that's a lot of money for anybody.

[David Ross]

Right?

[Dexter Fowler]

Right.

[David Ross]

So we get to the wives liaison who took care of the families. Right. The kids and stuff. And I didn't have kids. Right. Actually you had kids, but you didn't really use her. Right? You didn't know who she was.

[Dexter Fowler]

You know, because everybody has nannies too.

[David Ross]

Great person. I'm trying to give the. Well, I don't want to say that. I'm trying to give like people in the neighborhood shares like, and they're like, dude, do that shit on like, donate that yourself.

[Dexter Fowler]

We're gonna give this guy. I was like, sorry. A fool.

[David Ross]

So we get to the vote on. On the wives liaison and it's like a quarter share. And me and Dex are like, huh? I go, bro, why don't you guys just tip her yourself? Like a quarter share.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I go with kids.

[David Ross]

And we're like breaking it down. That's $80,000, bro. Like, that's 80.

[Anthony Rizzo]

The amount of times that Dexter Fowler at a high pitched voice goes 80, 80.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like she's getting. You try to hear. At first they said half. They're like, we'll give her a half. I said, half is crazy, right? A half is ridiculous. Like that's out of the question. And I will stand on everything.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We're changing people's lives. But it was definitely. I don't think any. I had three kids and I didn't even know. Know the wise liaison personally. So it's like, one of those. It was just. Was funny that. But every time, wherever you are, we love you. Just like, yeah, we love you, and we're so thankful. Our wives are thankful. But every time I hear the number 80, all I hear is your voice going 80.

[Dexter Fowler]

So we ended up. We stopped on 80. And throughout the whole rest of the meeting, everybody's like, that's crazy. That's crazy.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We still do it. And we gave her whatever that quarter

[Dexter Fowler]

share we now never saw again.

[David Ross]

Mind you, too, though, what you doing now. Mind you, too. It's easy for people to probably look at. Oh, they're. They're selfish. We gave out the most playoff shares in history.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[David Ross]

We were giving to everyone.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I didn't want to tell that story because of, like, it hit. Like, it was just funny because we gave it. I mean, we had so much security because. Ran in first class, first. Everything was first.

[Dexter Fowler]

Tough.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Tough. Theo took that. The one thing I've experienced, like, playing around the league and going to Boston, everything being first class and going to Chicago, like, it was run the right way. But just that. That story, to me, I had to bring up because, like, that's one of my. One of my. My favorite moments. Just when I hear 80, it's like, it never sticks. I go back to that meeting. When you look back on that season and even postseason, like, you got a favorite game or one you tell everybody about, Or moment.

[Dexter Fowler]

Moment.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I mean, I'm sure the walk.

[Dexter Fowler]

I mean, there's multiple moments, but they're off the field.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Honestly, like, I don't.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's even better.

[Dexter Fowler]

I don't really don't remember the games. I mean, if we look at them, I remember the games. Like, if we go back, you're like, oh, remember in Pittsburgh, this, that, and the third? I'll be like, yeah, Remember in Milwaukee where this, that, the third? I'm like, oh, yeah, Yeah, I remember that.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I think that's crazy about what I tell people all the time. Like, I don't remember. I don't remember what this guy did or that. I remember how a guy affected me.

[Dexter Fowler]

I remember the times together.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

The times well spent together. Like when we were in St. Louis when we went to the country bar, Remember? I remember. I remember the times when Riz and I went out and he told me that it was going to be. It was raining all day, and, like, the Chesney concert. The Chesney concert. Like, I remember stuff like that. Like, it was yesterday. Like, I. And I relived that in my head. All the time. And you kind of get spoiled. Like, I got spoiled. Like, you go to another team. You didn't go to another team after that, but, like, you go to another team and you're trying to recreate that, right?

[David Ross]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

You try to talk to Snake about it. Snake's like, bro, I'm trying to get

[David Ross]

the Phillies to have fun, bro.

[Dexter Fowler]

There to do what? Like, what we had. Because you're trying to match that up for the rest of your career, and you're chasing that.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Wow.

[Dexter Fowler]

You're not even. Because you realized it. That makes you. That makes. That takes you over the top.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Makes you better.

[Dexter Fowler]

It makes you better. Like, it makes you. It takes you over the top because that's what Mitch is like. Good teams can be good teams. You can be good on paper, but the teams that have that. And you talk to every championship team, everybody you talk to, they're telling things off the field. It's off the field. It's in the locker room. We were this. We were that in the.

[David Ross]

Oh, we were singing karaoke with our president of fucking base. Like, field.

[Dexter Fowler]

And it starts at the top.

[David Ross]

Honestly, karaoke would start at the top. You know what I mean?

[Dexter Fowler]

It starts at the top.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Joe Madden is belief.

[David Ross]

Get into the field later and, like, d. Yeah. Oh, you went out. Hey, Joe, I drank wine last night. Oh, nice.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Hey. Hey.

[Dexter Fowler]

You remember.

[Anthony Rizzo]

What is it called? American Legion Week? When he just like, hey, clubhouse locked up. 5.

[Dexter Fowler]

This is a testament to. This is a testament to Tom Ricketts, honestly, like, the Tom and Theo and Joe and everybody that was in the front office that. Because, I mean, if you sit there, you remember before the world. I mean, before the playoffs, where we sat in. He had the Head Bulls meeting.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And we're sitting there, and it was the veteran guys, and we're sitting in the meeting. Theo was there, Tom was there. Joe was there. And I was like, look, the boys need to be the boys. I said, I talked to my wife, remember? You don't remember. I talked to my wife. And I was like, hey, look, I forgot about this. The family trips are our worst trips. Not just because. Not because the boys are so special. Yes. And. But we're. We're creatures of habit, right? So we're on the road. We're on the road, and we, like. I don't care if my wife tells me, hey, go in the back and. And be with the boys. I'm still gonna be up there like, hey, you good? You're good. On a plane.

[Anthony Rizzo]

There's a guilt There's a guilt.

[Dexter Fowler]

There's a guilt. And I said, it's the fact that when we're on the plane and we're hanging out as boys, we want to be boys, right? We want to go get off the plane and go to dinner together. All of us.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, everybody's there is like, oh, my wife with kids. We got the kids here.

[David Ross]

It's easy to. It's easy to say no.

[Dexter Fowler]

So remember, I was like, hey, look, we need a separate plane for the families. We always have an off day when we first get there, we can go to practice and you can fly in somebody else. I said, can we make that happen? Without hesitation. Tom rigging two planes. Done.

[David Ross]

He did three planes, dude. He flew. He flew the whole Cubs, like, staff and everyone to the games in Cleveland. Yeah, for all the games.

[Dexter Fowler]

But that's what I'm saying. So how do you not want to run through a wall for this guy?

[David Ross]

Sure.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right. How do you not. Because when we got off that plane.

[David Ross]

Because it's family.

[Dexter Fowler]

It's. It's. It's family. Like, we're all a family together.

[David Ross]

He took care of the family.

[Dexter Fowler]

Nobody else does that. You try to chase stuff like that, and it's. It's never been done because he didn't care.

[Anthony Rizzo]

He. He realized a special moment. But the thing that that does for you as a player is like, I've got nothing to worry about but focusing on performing the best I can and stay into my regular routine with the boys.

[Dexter Fowler]

100%.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Everybody else has got my family. Right. They got them.

[David Ross]

They know that we know they're taken care of. I don't have to worry about you guys. Okay.

[Dexter Fowler]

You got your tickets. You guys, all them, like, flights delayed.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, I think.

[David Ross]

I think, honestly, that's a very good point. People like that, watching, either if there's players right now or kids coming up, it's like the. The camaraderie is what makes you who you become. Like everyone, when you get to a certain level, is as good as everyone else. How are you going to get that much better? And it's by investing in your teammates. It's by pouring in to the person next to you and making them feel love. You came over, bro. You felt like the guy, right? Because we made you feel like the guy. And by making you feel like the guy, you became the guy.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

You were over there. You came over. You demanded this respect, and you were this instant presence. It was like. Like, we talk about this with everyone. It's like without every single piece and Character. There's no way we win 100.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I gotta jump to lead off. Home run.

[David Ross]

Game seven.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Like, let. Like, how are we starting this? We're going deep. Okay. Is there a better feeling? And you turn around and hit first.

[Dexter Fowler]

Baseball. Bro.

[David Ross]

Oh, bro. Hold, bro.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm sorry. I just got excited about that moment.

[David Ross]

I know you do.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I may be jumping ahead.

[David Ross]

No, no, no.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, this goes right. This gets. Gets right into it. Okay.

[David Ross]

All right. Okay.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Okay.

[David Ross]

So what. What. When did it start? In the NLCS or the World Series?

[Dexter Fowler]

I think it was the nlcs. Bill Murray.

[David Ross]

Okay, so Bill Murray is in our clubhouse. Nlcs. I think it was before game five. Five or six?

[Dexter Fowler]

Five.

[David Ross]

And we're. We're. I think game six, because we were game five.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And it's funny when all the celebrities

[David Ross]

start showing up that he's always.

[Anthony Rizzo]

He's always.

[David Ross]

We. We welcomed in everyone.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's what I mean. Like, Joe was good about Eddie Vedder,

[David Ross]

Bill Murray, you name it. Scottie Pippen.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I just.

[Dexter Fowler]

I just.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I saw Scotty in Tallahassee shout out FSU hoops. Really? Cow. Yeah, I got a. I got a. I got a throwback posted with. He was at the game. We got a picture. And then I've got one from 2016 when he was in the locker room.

[Dexter Fowler]

That's fire.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah. It's not about me.

[David Ross]

Bill Murray's in there, and we're talking to bill. This is 45 minutes before the game, before first pitch, game five, six of the NLCS.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yes.

[David Ross]

He goes, here. He pulls out these four little bottles. He goes, take this to me and Dax. What is it?

[Dexter Fowler]

Five Hour Energies.

[David Ross]

He's like, it's a Five Hour Energy, but here he takes out a little airplane bottle of Woodford Reserve. He goes, woodford Reserve. And a Five Hour Energy. He goes. I call it a speedball. Brings you up and brings you down. My.

[Anthony Rizzo]

It like, right where you need to be. One.

[David Ross]

One little thing's not going to hurt, right? We take it. We go off. Right.

[Dexter Fowler]

Crazy.

[David Ross]

And for the rest. Every game for the. For the World Series, me and him are.

[Dexter Fowler]

I got three hits. It's like. I'm like, yeah, bro.

[David Ross]

I was breaking.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah, we're going at it.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

World Series.

[Dexter Fowler]

And we had forgotten about it because we didn't do it again till game seven.

[David Ross]

Yeah, well, no, I did. Every game, I did it.

[Dexter Fowler]

No, but game seven, remember, it was a good. So we go. He goes, dance speedball.

[David Ross]

Go.

[Dexter Fowler]

Let's go. I'm with it.

[David Ross]

Yeah. Bill Murray.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah. I'm like, all Right. So we take the 500 injury, the shot of crown. We had crown, because I always drink crown. So we had the crown. And I go out there and I remember because, you know, I'm leading off so like LeBron, everybody's there and it's loud and it's like this game.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And so I feel my heart. My heart's. And I'm like, what in these. The Is going on right now?

[David Ross]

Launching.

[Dexter Fowler]

Launching.

[David Ross]

Adrenaline.

[Dexter Fowler]

Adrenaline. But my mind is slow. And like I said, I did. I. I did my game plan. I had my game plan.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And Clover was nasty.

[David Ross]

Game one.

[Anthony Rizzo]

He was nasty, that front hip two seamer.

[Dexter Fowler]

But you know what was crazy is my last at bat against Kluber at home. I don't know if y' all remember this. They played this for me at the 10 year. And they were, you know, the moments thing they had. And they were like, this was your last at bat before your game seven homer. And he threw me a curveball, and I got him at home, but the wind was blowing. And he caught mine at the. You know. You know my hop. Like, I did my hop. I was like, oh, I got it.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And he caught mine at the track. And I was like. And I don't like. I think that would have been my first hit against Kluber. So then fast forward to the game. So they had the umpire's heat track.

[David Ross]

Remember that shit?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

So they had that, and it said, he gives a little bit off the plate. And, you know, my eyes were crazy. So he gave a little bit off the plate to lefties away. But inside, it had to be on the. On the white. It couldn't be on a black. He was balling it. I was like, perfect. First pitch of the game. Hip shot ball. No, no, no. I'm sorry. First pitch of the game was away about this far. And I was like. I looked at him. I was like. It was a little out. And I always, like. He said something. He was like, that's all it is. I was like, I appreciate it. Next pitch, hip shot, black ball. I said, this guy's. I said, he's. Next pitch. Up and away. Next pitch. I said, he's coming right back at it. The hip shot. I said, but it gotta be over the plate. It's gonna be three. You can't give me three. One.

[David Ross]

Right.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right over the plate. I said, yes. Got him, bro.

[Anthony Rizzo]

The way you turned around and looked at your team, like, there's so much.

[Dexter Fowler]

So that wasn't planned either. So the way I did that the way I did that. I hit that ball so high, like. And I was like. And I saw Raj going back like this. I was like, you know, when you hit a homer, you're like, I got him.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And he was going back like this. And I was like, no way. No way. So I'm watching it the whole time,

[David Ross]

and Hyder's very dramatic homer.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yes. And Hyder's here. Hyder's here. And I'm looking. And soon as it went over the wall, I was past Hyder. And I usually like, yeah, we high five him. And so I hit first base, and I look at all the boys, like, yeah. And I'm like. And I'm looking at harder, and I'm turning.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm like, that's one of my favorite pictures, is that I've got a. For my home run is the dugout.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Like, when the boys are home for

[Dexter Fowler]

you and going like that, it's a feeling you can't explain.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Roger was silenced his mind up, too. I'm like, if this dude catches this ball, I'm running right?

[Dexter Fowler]

It was way over, too. I was like. I was like, we're losing this game. He catches it.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Exactly. I'm like, I'm quitting right now. I'm just going right, Because I just let in those two runs that got him back in the game.

[David Ross]

This is game seven of the World Series, right? We're down three one.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We.

[David Ross]

We come back, we win five, win six. We're in the. We're in the clubhouse. We were talking about this with kb, but this will be its own separate episode. We're playing Mario kart.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah.

[David Ross]

Up 45 minutes until the game. This dude's pissed off.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm a mess.

[David Ross]

We have.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We have Mario Kart.

[Dexter Fowler]

What are y' all doing?

[Anthony Rizzo]

What are y' all doing?

[Dexter Fowler]

I said, rossi, we'll take it from here.

[David Ross]

We're playing Mario Kart like he did in these Mario Kart games. And then after Mario Kart, we turn on the rocky theme stuff, and then I strip down and start dancing, right? And that's what locking it was for this team. Like, we knew, like, we were ready. Like, we were prepared, and. And no one was like, look at these guys. Like, you can. You can get like that on teams. Like, you can get like, oh, what is he doing? What is he on this team? If anyone had an issue, they just come and talk. Like, oh, we'll the.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, Rossy, how about. How about. Speaking of homers? Your home, Your last homer.

[David Ross]

Yeah, that was.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, remember, I came to him. And I go, bro, this dude's tipping his pitches like Andrew Miller crazy. He's tipping his pitches like crazy, dog. Like, he hits twice. Hey, what is a slider? I said, he hits once because I had, I taken him deep the other time because I was like another in my head. I'm like, another slider. This. I don't want to trust it because I'm like, he's going to blow it away with this fastball slider. I hit a homer on him. He was untouchable. Well, then I told him, I said,

[Anthony Rizzo]

bro, watch it, watch it.

[David Ross]

When I had done, were you on the tip?

[Anthony Rizzo]

No. Well, I had good numbers against Andrew Miller when he was in Florida. He stuck. And then I caught. He was different in Boston.

[David Ross]

Reliever.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah. Okay. Reliever is nasty. And so I remember doing my homework and him shaking. You had the tip and him shaking. Me and Brian McCann had talks about that too. This is like, this is like post game, right? But so I did my homework. Every time he shook, he shook to heater. Because as a catcher, you're like, I'm calling his slider, like every pitch, right? And I remember trying to look for the tip. The first pitch, I was like, I'm just going to see one and it came out and I, I think I swung at a back foot slider or something. So I was like abandoned that and was like, just fucking see the ball. Just see the ball. So I got two strikes on me and then he, he threw me. I was in my two strike approach. He threw me a two strike heater up and away. I was like, oh, I saw that. Like, I saw that. And he had just come set and then.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah, he only pat.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, he went back, so. And then the, the 12 pitch, he shook and I was like, sell out to here. Sell out to here. And he threw it right in the loop. Right in the loop. And he got him. But it was funny. He's like, my mind was running two things at one time, trying to like, one calm myself down because I just got in the game and also trying to like, okay, remember. And then he shook. And I remembered watching video going, he shakes a lot to fucking heater, man.

[Dexter Fowler]

But, but the thing, you know what a good team does is like whether it was you, whether it was somebody. If you weren't playing, you were watching, you're watching, talking, talking, talking the game like, hey, hey, Dex, how'd it look? Hey, I come in, bro, like, if I took, remember, like, I took like a 15 pitch at bat like to start the game ended up. I forgot what happened. But anyway, I come in, I'm like, hey, bro, he's going to. You were great about that.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You're so good.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, make sure you get this over here. He can't throw this over here. So just.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's got to be up.

[Dexter Fowler]

Singer's got to be up 100%.

[Anthony Rizzo]

You know what?

[Dexter Fowler]

But everybody did that, and I love that.

[Anthony Rizzo]

But trying not to be. That's what I respect about when I watch Freddie Freeman play. He sits in the same seat and watches. It drove me. I was trying not to be the old school guy that hated the iPad. But, like, when I was managing and you look back at the bench and guys are just like this. It's like, man, he'll tell you what he can and can't do if you watch. Oh, bro, I'm trying not to be the old grumpy guy.

[David Ross]

I'm almost positive in my career. It was you who said this to me. You were like, you're hitting third. If you come in and start telling everyone that this dude's got a nasty side. What the Is the guy think hitting seventh gonna think? Yeah, like, you're the best hitter on the team.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right?

[David Ross]

Someone said that to me once. I think it was you.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Imagine playing with my swing.

[David Ross]

Exactly.

[Dexter Fowler]

So for so long in my career,

[David Ross]

for so long in my career, even if he. Even if that pitch looked nasty to me, I would just tell guys, like, no, it wasn't that good. He just hit a spot, right? Because I never wanted to make the guy seem invisible. But, like, even those conversations is like,

[Anthony Rizzo]

well, the worst hitting coaches. Like, you feel like you leave them the meeting, and it's like, I can't hit. I can't hit. This guy's the best pitch on the planet. Rather than. Here's what he does. Well, this is how we're going to attack him. And he's going to leave one here. He's. He misses over middle a lot. Look middle or hitting coaches.

[David Ross]

Because in 2016, the analytics started coming down a little bit more, and I personally hated the, like, the numbers part. Like, he throws this pitch 30 of the time. So Melee would try to run these numbers out, and I would wear him out. I'm like, males, just enough with the numbers. Tell us how he's going to attack us. Yeah. And like, he would try to always creep the numbers. I'm like, stop with the numbers. Like, no one on this team wants if they want the numbers. Because we didn't have a lot of hitters meetings. Go tell Them on their side. But quit throwing out these numbers that are psychologically messing with us.

[Dexter Fowler]

Just give me the vlog.

[David Ross]

That's it.

[Dexter Fowler]

And what it says. Out pitch.

[David Ross]

That's it.

[Dexter Fowler]

That's all I was.

[Anthony Rizzo]

David Ortiz. Dave Ortiz.

[David Ross]

Like, give me the simplicity.

[Dexter Fowler]

I need to see how hard he started. Hey, 93 to 96. He throws this. He throws this 70% of the time. Like, don't give me 70%. Just what's his outbits? If I got two strikes, what am I.

[David Ross]

Where's he going?

[Dexter Fowler]

Where's he going?

[David Ross]

Which was the beauty is, like, they knew our routines.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Center field, you have the best view outside of, like, pitcher, catcher, right? Like, what was it like watching game 7, Rajay go deep and then us getting that last out.

[Dexter Fowler]

So Chappie's on the mound. Chappie was unhittable.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, he's nasty.

[Dexter Fowler]

He got thrown every. Like, if we know Chappie. Chappie's good. Chappie's there in the seventh inning. Chappie knows his job.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Exactly. Finish the game.

[Dexter Fowler]

Choppy knows his job.

[David Ross]

Literally.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, look, I'm. I'm here to close this shit out, period, point blank. And this is what I do. And we had him in early, right? And I remember he. I'm sitting there watching, and Rajay's fouling off shit. And I'm like, just throw him a. You throw 105 miles an hour. He didn't have that then. He had 100.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I kept calling heaters. I'm like, somebody's going to pop it up. Like, surely.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, it's 100, right?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Nobody threw a hundred then.

[Dexter Fowler]

And then he. I was like, what? So before. So before this. So I'm a Jordan guy, obviously. And they told me. I was like, hey, can I wear the elevens in the World Series? Like, I want to wear. Like, everybody wants to wear elevens. So I'm like, can I wear the elevens in the World Series? And they were like, hey, look, if you win the World Series, you can wear any elevens you want. And I said, really? And so we were up. We were up.

[David Ross]

You're in center field.

[Dexter Fowler]

I'm in center field. I'm like, I'm about to get these fucking elevens. This is crazy. I'm about to get. I said, this is gonna be done in shoe game. I was like, this is gonna be crazy. Hey, he hit the homer. I went like this. If you. If there's a vantage point of me. He hit it, and I went like this. And I was like, I didn't even

[David Ross]

you were thinking of.

[Dexter Fowler]

I was like this. I was like this. I was like this. I. You know, I went up and he hit it, and I went like this. And I put my head down and I was like, holy shit. And I was like, this motherfucker just took away my Jordan. He took away everything from us. He right. He got us all this, bro.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I was depressed for a minute. I was still catching going, like, I could shake things pretty quick. And that rattled me.

[Dexter Fowler]

But then. But then we had, like. All those tears came down, bro. All the tears came down, bro. It was crazy.

[Anthony Rizzo]

What do you remember about that? What do you remember about the rain delay speech?

[Dexter Fowler]

Well, I remember what I was doing before the rain delay speech. And we were doing another speedball. I used to know how much we were upstairs like some degenerates in the corner.

[David Ross]

We really weren't degenerates too. I know, like, the stories that we say sound like it, but.

[Dexter Fowler]

But we were literally in the corner like this. We were like this.

[David Ross]

Cheers. And somebody was like, we got this, Dex Riz.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, we're having a meeting. And we were like, yeah. And went down to the meeting. But we were in there. We're like, hey, it worked the first time. Let's do it again. And we go down in a meeting. And, you know, you got guys in there like, that are distraught, crying.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Like, I mean, Chappie was on tears. Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

In tears. Like, rightfully so. Like, we sat there and we looked each other in the eyes and, like, we were talking about telling the truth. We let it all out right there.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

And that was what we. That is literally everybody needed to get it off their chest. Like, say what you fucking need to say. Let's get it done. It's zero. Zero. Let's go back.

[David Ross]

We're the best team in the world.

[Dexter Fowler]

We're the best team in the world. And that's. You know, everybody said their. Their. Their spiel. You spoke. You spoke. I spoke. J. Hey. Started off. J. Hey had the best mindset in that, like, because I. Nobody ever thought to, like, bring everybody together. We all knew how we were feeling, but nobody would get us all together at that time. And when he did that, I was like, okay. Like, that's when I honestly, that's when I knew it was a reset, and that was the reset that we needed.

[David Ross]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we. When we win, obviously, the celebration is what it is. The parade. We're on the same float. Like, the party, like, it was just non stop. And then blackout. We go. We go Go to snl. Oh, man, that was. And, like, bro, you're talking about, like, you win the Pinnacle Series, and you get to go be on Saturday night.

[Dexter Fowler]

That's what I said.

[David Ross]

Well, originally. Originally. Okay, my child, like, my adult vision of winning the World Series, like, you celebrate. You party, and then you go to Vegas, right? Like, come and celebrate. So I had a plane all lined up to go to Vegas with all my friends from back home that I grew up with. And, like, all his.

[Dexter Fowler]

We were rolling with buddies.

[David Ross]

All my buddies. Well, no, because the parade happened, and everyone was going home. So I was like, no, I'm. I'm burning this.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm going this. Yeah.

[David Ross]

You know, hard. And Saturday Night Live NBC calls, and it's like, hey, we want you on snl. I'm like, holy. How can you turn down Saturday Night Live, right? And then come to find out, you guys. So we redirect the plane from Chicago to Vegas to Chicago to New York, and I'm like, well, I have all my friend, like, bring them.

[Dexter Fowler]

And we go do the. Remember, we did the rehearsal, and we come back in the green room. The green room. It looked like the world series again. 30 people we couldn't even sit out. I was like, hey, hey, everybody.

[David Ross]

I went back, like, a few years later just to see a show, and the lady that had a talent there saw me. She's like, till this day, you had the most people ever here. I was like, damn.

[Dexter Fowler]

I was like, hey, that guy's just cool about. I was asking about, is it cool if our wives sit down? Like, me and Rossi's wife is cool.

[David Ross]

But we were like, bro, that was. The magnitude of. That was one of the most watched.

[Anthony Rizzo]

No doubt. No doubt. Of all time.

[David Ross]

Right?

[Anthony Rizzo]

We just like to give you about. We wouldn't be good teammates.

[Dexter Fowler]

We're on there. I got the picture at the house.

[David Ross]

We're all in there twerking. Bill. We're singing with Bill Murray.

[Dexter Fowler]

Like, remember, he came in everything. We did the whole. We did the whole thing, and we're nervous, and we're like, okay, cool, cool.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We got the script down.

[Dexter Fowler]

We got the script down. And he comes in. He's like, nah, I scratched that. We're doing it. I'm like, so everything we just rehearsed is now done.

[David Ross]

You want to talk about a rock star? Is when Bill Murray rocked into Saturday night. Everybody's like, OG Cast member. And he basically said, no, no, this is how we're doing it. And everyone there is panicked, but it's Bill Murray. So we Everyone did it. We don't know any better.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, I. It was fun. We end up grinding up on that grandma. That one scene.

[Dexter Fowler]

Hey, how about we were walking out. We were walking out. Y' all remember this? We were walking, walking out, and we hear, oh, yeah. And he was like, they got y' all walking out in this. And it was Jay Z, remember?

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, I remember that.

[David Ross]

Jay Z and Beyonce.

[Anthony Rizzo]

We had that after party.

[David Ross]

Was. Was the musical host. Yeah, yeah, bro. I mean that. But that's what winning does. Yeah, that's what winning. And that's why we get to talk about this. Of these stories, because without all these bonds, with all this, the off the field stuff, there's no way we're performing on the field without you coming over and handing me a drink when I'm grinding, where it's like, that's not what we're doing all the time, but it's such a long grind that you need to break it up.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And that's what your teammates knowing you and how close we were because of all the stuff we went through on that journey. I tell everybody it's like the journey starts in February. Like, this bring training and, you know, we got to play till. Till November 3rd.

[Dexter Fowler]

You know, now that we're sitting here talking about it, like, do you guys, like. Like you said. What do you remember again? I remember the times we had. Because at every. Every road city, we had a suite. Yeah, we had a big suite.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Shout out J.

[David Ross]

Hey.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Gave me one.

[Dexter Fowler]

No, but I'm just saying, like, vj, Remember? We had like the hospitality suite.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Where all. All the team. After the games, we would all go in there. Whether we were sitting there, having some drinks together, talking shop, talking the game. Dudes were playing video games. But we were all hanging out at all.

[David Ross]

Every team dinner, every team dinner, everybody went, yeah, yeah.

[Dexter Fowler]

Full house.

[David Ross]

I always thank Lester Lockey for that because it's like, you knew they were pain and these dudes were old school. So it was like the wa. Everything was like the seafood towers, first class. And it's like that's what built the championship. Brand of the greatest.

[Dexter Fowler]

You got to know who's next to you. You got to know who's like your brother. Like, I could talk to this dude. Like, maybe I can get on, but nobody else can.

[David Ross]

That's right.

[Dexter Fowler]

Right. Nobody else outside this locker room can get on this guy.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I always feel like when you know each other off the field, it helps. Like when I go hang out with the pitchers and we have a night I also know when they're grinding the six trying to finish, I can say what the fuck I want to that guy in that moment that I'm feeling.

[David Ross]

As long as you say, with all due respect.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah, I can say with all respect, say whatever I want.

[Dexter Fowler]

Speaking of this, remember. Do you remember the time you came in the locker room, wore us all out?

[Anthony Rizzo]

No.

[Dexter Fowler]

No. You do. Wait, because he. But so he comes in. That's.

[Anthony Rizzo]

How can we clinch?

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah. So this dude comes in. No, because my hamstring was torn.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Oh, that's right. That's right.

[Dexter Fowler]

That's right. So we're in, and it was a doubleheader. And we come out, and my. I had a torn hamstring. So I go out to the first game, and the second game, that national anthem starts. It's hot out, and I'm getting treatment. But there's guys in the locker room that are literally just at their locker room on their phones. Yeah. A bunch of rookies. And Rossi comes in, and Rossi goes, what an the are y' all doing? And starts killing everybody. Get your ass. How many times do you. How many times. How much time do you have? Get your ass up there. And I'm in the locker room, about to go get some treatment. He goes, dex, get your ass up there, too. And I'm like.

[Anthony Rizzo]

He was happy.

[Dexter Fowler]

I was like, all right, all right. So I get. I go get my treatment. And I'm like, hey, Rossi, I. I was like, hey, Rossi, I pulled it out of tunnel. I was like, hey, bro, I get what you were doing, bro, but don't talk to me like that. I'm g. Be. I'm. Be honest. Like, I know, bro. He goes, I. I. I did it. When he starts seeing red, he goes. He goes, I did it because I did it, but I had to include you because you were like. Like, that's how. Like a good. I said, bro, I understand. I said, I understand, bro.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I did that to Stalin Castro in 15, and, like, had to. I apologize later, because I was just like, same thing, bro.

[David Ross]

He did it when he missed.

[Anthony Rizzo]

When he was.

[Dexter Fowler]

Man.

[David Ross]

When he was managing. He called us in. I think it was in 21.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Oh, my God.

[David Ross]

We were grinding.

[Anthony Rizzo]

This one.

[David Ross]

My favorite. And he goes off right? Like, he's screaming at the whole team. And I'm sitting there, and I'm just like, this is hysterical, right? Like, I know him.

[Anthony Rizzo]

He's about to start laughing, and I

[David Ross]

am screaming, literally, compete.

[Anthony Rizzo]

And I'm doing everything in numbers. All of them are free agents.

[David Ross]

I'm doing Everything in me, like, rossi, chill the out. It's like June. Like, relax, right? It's a long season. And I go into his office, like, before he even gets there after, and I just go home. I go, bro, I go, I love you. I go. That took me everything in me.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Not to video.

[David Ross]

Not to video.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I was pouring my camera.

[David Ross]

Yeah.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I'm like, brody killed you. I would have killed you. I was screaming at the top of my life, bro.

[Dexter Fowler]

I love that. I love when Rossi gets like that because he cares so too much. No, it's never too much, bro, because we all need that. That. But at the end of the day, like, nobody takes offense to it. Everybody's like, bro, like you. We respect you because we realize, like, the skin you have in the game, like, it's. And I'm not. Don't get me wrong. Like, I'm not trying to. Like, you weren't an everyday player, right? But you were there for us every day. So we figured you out as an everyday guy.

[David Ross]

You literally taught me. And I brought this since the day you taught me in 15. I had a day off in 15. I think it was really late in the season, too, and I wasn't out there for the anthem or something. And you got on me in a nice way, but you were like, hey, dude, say, bro. He goes, these guys are out here every day for you. Every day they're on the top step cheering for your ass. He goes, the one day you have off, you can't be out here showing them that. Your appreciation. And like, bro, I took that with me forever. And like any everyday player I've played with, I've told him that, man.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I learned that.

[David Ross]

You know how much that means, like, 100.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I learned that early age, man. I actually, like, Nap tells me I ripped Nap. We're in Boston, and Nap played first. But, like, I started and we had clinched and what I didn't know, he had got a cortisone shot in his foot, which I didn't know. So it's like another one of those. Like, somebody's getting treatment. I'm the. But him and Lackey were up there. I walked in the game because I. I don't know, I feel connection to my teammates.

[Dexter Fowler]

Yeah, you're out there every day.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Every day, bro. I'm ruining you guys on. And then the fact they were up there watching, doing fantasy football or whatever at the time, watching. I. I went up there, get a ribbon. I was shaking. I was so mad. I'm like. And I almost started crying because I was so mad I told him that. I was like, hey, bro, I'm out there every day rooting you on, and the day you have off, we clench and I'm playing. You're not out there. I was like, that's. I just walked off, and he walked down there. I always started crying. It's like, you know, I'm getting emotional, but it was those things. I don't know. It's just like, it matters, bro. It matters. And, like, you're. Yeah, I think it's just.

[Dexter Fowler]

We appreciate that. Yeah. Well, it's thoroughly appreciated.

[Anthony Rizzo]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I love you guys, and I. I. I'm thankful for my rings for both you guys, and I'm glad we're brothers for life. And I consider you guys that. I'm so thankful we get to tell

[David Ross]

these stories that everybody gets a special time, bro.

[Anthony Rizzo]

I love you.

[David Ross]

I'm happy you get to wear those elevens, too.

[Anthony Rizzo]

That's. That's right. That's right. Thanks for your time. Good stuff. That's a wrap.

[David Ross]

That is a wrap on Vegas.

[Dexter Fowler]

This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.