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Dave Winfield. My name is Anthony Joseph Paul Reali and I am pleasure it is my pleasure to meet you. Tony, how you doing? There's some boys. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, Dave Winfield, 12 time uh Major League Baseball all-star, Hall of Famer, 3,000 hits, 465 home runs, author of a book, which I want to talk about and see if I can uh ask you if it hasn't been done yet, please. You have to do the audio reading of your book, okay? Cuz your voice your you did. There we go. Thank you, Dave.
I did. Your voice is actually important to me in the origin story of me. Anthony Reality. I loved you as a player. You were big, strong, and everything. Athletic. I was little, small, and I didn't grow until I was 19 years old. D. I had a squeaky voice and glasses and I was Anthony Reali talking about the Yankees and that's what I would do with a FisherPrice microphone in front of the game every day as Phil Ruda was calling the game and Bill White were calling the game and you were there. You were the opposite of me. You were big, strong. I heard your voice for the first time in a postgame interview and I said that's what a man sounds like. And I say that and I had my dad and my grandparents in my life and they
have beautiful voices too. But thank you. Sometimes with heroes, of course, they never know the impact that they have on people, but now I have a chance to tell you that. I wanted to tell you that. You showed me the opposite side of it, and that helps me grow up to the man I am today. That there's Tony, I appreciate hearing that really. Um, you know, I've been fortunate in life, blessed that I was able to do something for a career and a life that I always dreamed about doing. And you know, not only just as a player, but I guess maybe it was where I'm where I come from, my hometown, my family upbringing. The career was about doing things for other folks, too.
Service to others. It wasn't just about me. I mean, I wanted to reach my potential, and I always knew that, you know, if I hit 210 or 220, ain't nobody going to listen. Well, maybe now, Dave. Dave, that would be enough to get you through an all-star appearance now at 220. Yeah. But I did have the career even more than I ever dreamed of. And um as you say, as you see, we're we're talking here today where we do mention my book. Man, I it I have an interesting life and I never really shared all of the like intimate stories and things that make up my life. People think they know it. people in New York because that was in the headlines all the time and there
was conflicts with George Stein Brener and that type. But I cover those kinds of things and I'm gonna take you behind the curtain, you know, into the rooms where those intimate discussions were had and uh where we'd square off in the squared circle and do what we had to do. I was always with you, Dave. I was on your side no matter what. Appreciate it. The book is touching all the bases, a story of power, purpose, and surviving the Bronx by Dave Winfield. And released September 15th wherever you get books. You said something Dave that is my code in life. It we are sympoticical in this. Um you want to feel better about yourself, do something for other people. um and how you have had an opportunity through
your skill as a baseball player, through your literal voice as a man now who has been through things in life and wants to share and make the road easier for other people. That's so admirable and I adore that in anybody now that know that my hero does that makes my life feel even more full circle. Can you take me back to the 80s with the I didn't know you in the 70s with the pods and at that point you had already proved yourself to be one of the great athletes in the game but the 80s in New York for me the coverage around you and I was firmly on your side but I never understood why it was so conflicted as a young man. What was that?
Um, the guy I worked for who owned the team, the Yankees, was just a uh a mcurial type of guy who was used to running the show and bullying people. And you know when I do I mentioned this look there's some tough things that I topics that I cover here but I but it's also it's not about me ripping somebody a new backside because there's a lot of uh things about redemption in here and you know discussions that we've had beyond what you saw in the newspapers. Um, but George Stein time, he just uh he told me early on basically, I'm not going to uh respect the contract that we have, and if you don't like it, sue me. Yeah. I can't I'm going to give it to you just straight up. And that's a month into it. And so I had to live with the consequences and the things for almost
10 years after that. So it was a kind of a toxic, very toxic workplace. every day I went to work. Hard to believe really putting up those numbers. And people always ask me, Dave, how did you survive? How did you thrive? Why did you stay? What enabled you to stay and uh ultimately become the player that you were, you know, you set out to be. So, I cover a lot of ground in this, but overall, I'll just say this, my book will cover sports, business, uh, philanthropy, family, and community. So, I'm touching all the bases, and I think it's going to be inspiring, motivational, um, celebratory, and I look forward to it being on the market.
Dave Winfield joining us on the Dan Patrick Show. I'm Tony Reali sitting in for Dan for the day. This was a surprise. Dave was my childhood hero and as I'm learning now and I can't wait to read the book. My current hero too as he's talking about self-growth and redemption and doing things for other people. Dave 12 time all-star. Um fun questions. How come you couldn't keep the bat in your hands when you were swinging? Man, I tried to knock the cover off the ball every time. If it was humid out, but pine tar didn't exist for you. You know, I look Tony, I might have the record for heaving that bat pretty far. You know, it could be an Olympically
threw it past the pitcher, it landed into short center field. Yeah. But I, you know, that was my swing, man. I'm trying to, like I say, knock the cover off the ball. Uh, take an extra base in someone's face, slide hard, get dirty out there. That's why I mean, not dirty as a player, but dirty the uniform. Get dirty. Get the uniform dirty. Give them a reason to clean it. That's why. Another reason why I was drawn to you, the athlete that you were, that you had played college basketball and college baseball, that you were drafted. This is a famous story, Dave. How many sports were you drafted into professional
leagues? I was drafted in three professional sports uh that of course the NBA, the ABA, Major League Baseball, and the NFL. The Vikings, my hometown, drafted me. Thought I could be a tight end, catch some passes from Fred Tarkington. And all that would work. I could see that. Yeah. Yeah, I could see that. But I'd probably be like this today, you know? I know. I hear you. You had a doover though. Would you do another one? Would you consider it? today's era could allow for you to play a little bit longer both. Well, no. I would have still played baseball and that was my love when I grew up. My brother Steve and I, you know, he would we would go to bed at night and he would think of making the
greatest catch ever in major league. You know, you'd see that face catch over the show. He could do that at 12, 13 years old. I saw you do that, Dave. You made one of the greatest catches of my life in left field. You were playing left field that day for the Yankees. You know the one I'm talking about. Of course, right? In the wall. I stuck in the wall. Hit the wall. You stuck in the wall. Your head was in somebody's lap. Apparent, you know, is amazing. Your arm, Dave. Now, this is just going to turn into a Chris Farley SNL bed where I'm just like, "Do you have an arm, Dave? Tell me about your arm. You have
one of the best arms. I used to have fights with people." Dave Parker. I love him. Great. Nice. Beautiful eyes. My man is Dave Winfield with the arm. You know, I always had a good arm growing up and um it was probably from throwing all the rocks in the neighborhood. Anything that moved. Oh, there's a squirrel, bam. You know, raccoon, bam. You know, but um I was a pitcher. Most people don't know that I was a pitcher throughout my entire life, all the way through college. And then I don't go to the minor leagues and they say, "Dave, play the outfield. We want you to hit."
Think about that. We've uh so Otani. Yes, Dave. That's where I wanted to go. He's he's doing to the greatest extent what I was doing for a few years all the way through college. Could you have done that in Major League Baseball? Uh I think I could have I know I could have done both. I could have pitched or hit. What he's doing is so phenomenal. It's uh you know who can say I mean it's never been seen before what he's doing. But I did both of those all the way um you know growing up through high school through college and did both I was the MVP of the College World Series. I know it Dave
when we were eliminated all of a sudden they oh go to left field play left field no minor league experience. I understand you have a documentary in the works as well, but the name of the book, Touching All the Bases, a story of power, purpose, and surviving the Bronx, Dave Winfield, the author, the Hall of Famer. Um, September 15th is when it will be available. You got an opportunity to play in the World Series later in your career, and that's of course a wonderful moment. What do you appreciate? Do you appreciate it more maybe that you got it in your later stage? Yeah. Well, listen, Tony, real quick.
Uh, the first World Series I was all prepared for, but it didn't work out with the Yankees. We, the Dodgers, uh, beat us in 81. It took me to 1992 in Toronto to be able to win at all. And then my very last year in 95, I tore a rotator cuff and I was unable to play in the World Series when Cleveland played Atlanta when Atlanta won their first. So I won one, lost one, and was injured for one. But just to have that experience, that's the way you end a practice every day growing up. Men on base, game on the line, you know, it's for all the money or whatever the case may be, and then you end up with a hit and then you go home and you're happy. You don't go home happy if you, oh, I swung and missed. I
struck out and the bat stuck up your on your backside, you know. So, look at the smile on my hero here, too. I mean, we talked about the voice. You never fix the teeth. I love that about you, too. You see, I mean, that's just the gap between the teeth and everything. Um, there's a thing about meeting your hero or talking to your hero. You get a chance to tell them what they mean to you, you know, and uh I do a thing with my kids, Dave, you know, who helped you today and who did you help? You know, you end the day with like so they you don't ask them how was your day. You asked them who helped you today and who did you help. You helped me today by appearing on a show. You had no business. You were being on and you surprised me and you helped me
like I told you because you showed me what the height of sports was and I was a man who wanted to do sports or at least talk about sports. Who was your hero? Uh it would truly be it would start in my family. My mother uh raised my brother and myself. Um we didn't have much. Parents were divorced when I was young. So I appreciate everything she poured into us. And I of course I had a a great uh couple of coaches as young people as a young man. I will give this guy named Bill Peterson a great uh he's still alive today. He helped me. He helped Paul Moler to another Hall of Famer. Um, but I'm going to I'll tell you this. Uh,
the parks and wreck department in Minnesota was great in St. Paul was great. But as far as who I helped, all the guys you see today that have foundations at subsequent to I was the first in all sports to create a nonprofit operating foundation 501c3. Derek Jeter, who's having his 30th annual dinner on the 10th uh in New York. They're going to honor me. Derek Jeter is one of the guys that I influenced who wanted to be a Yankee and who wanted to have a foundation. So, we're very good friends. You never know who you're going to impact. You never know. And that's the wonderful thing when you lead by example like the way you do or when you share your story. And that's precisely what you did in the
book Touching All the Bases. A story of power, purpose, and surviving the Bronx. I'm going to love it for the baseball. self-growth, I think, is how I would describe. I'm not saying it in your words. And how you talked about um learning and leaning into philanthropy. I'm going to enjoy that part in the business sense. The book comes out September 15th. Dave, it's been outstanding having you here. We have one more thing, Paulie. Mr. Winfield. Just from us guys here, today is the four the anniversary August 14th, 1991 of you hitting home run number 400 when you're with the Angels. That was with California. Yeah. Yeah, I remember. Yeah, it wasn't with the
Yankees. I wanted 400 for you and the Yankees. You had the back issue in ' 89. And then the trade which was just I mean for Mike Wit uh was the pitcher I believe trade for. Yeah. Worst trade in history. For me in my house it was for me. I'm I would read this is back when we read newspapers every day. I was still young to see what you had done with the Angels and most those games weren't in time for the paper. And then I would always try to make sure, you know, like when you hit a home run, you fill out the whole line, you know, four lines. I was looking for those four lines and you hit I think 25 home runs that year with Cal California.
You know, I do have to say it was good that I was able to leave the Yanks. I think so, too. A lot in the tank. And I say this from the standpoint that same year I was traded or accepted a trade, I was comeback player of the year. Yes. When I go to Toronto, I win a world championship. When I go to Minnesota, I get 3,000 hits. And so it enabled me to get out from under this cloud and fulfill my destiny. I had to go to the other place. You needed that. And that is a story I'm living through this right now. Sometimes you have to go through that. And it's a wonderful and I just remember that the hit you had with Toronto. You could hit
any pitch. Your exit philosophy would be John Carlos Stanton right now. But that was a ball that was getting away, but you did anything to put the bat in the ball. Hit that double down the line. Dave Winfield. Thank you. Bucket would say I you put that hockey stick out there and put it down the line. And last thing, Mr. Winfield, uh Tonyy's not going to ask, but do you have an autographed book for Tony coming this way? No, we don't have to do that. I'll go to his house and thank you. We'll hook you up. I'll sign this one and I'll you hook me up. You know a guy. Thank you very much, Dave. You broke my voice here. My voice. Thank you. Did it. Dave
Winfield, everyone. Baseball Hall of Famer, 12-time all-star, author. Book comes out in September. And my surprise for working here for two days, you guys give me. Thanks for coming on, Dave. All right, man. That voice. Can I bottle that voice? Oh, well, I need to be down here, too.
