 Deezus Mero, great to see both of you. I feel like we're in the showtime world, because you both have the exact same background that you use on your show. I appreciate that. And I'm starting this interview with a Garrett Cole type fastball. So I'm coming in with the high heat on you guys. Let's go, let's go. Which one of you is funnier? Which one of us? True question. True question, it depends on who you ask. I've mastered the art of the dad joke, you know what I'm saying? As I have for progeny project, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, it's apples and oranges. Like we have very simple humor, but there's certain sections where we kind of deviate. Deezus is really good with like deep, deep references that like, it takes me like a beat and I'm just like, oh yes, K and Ali, this had come from 1986. That ran for two seasons. That's what we're talking, you know what I mean? So there's, you know, there's, we're not congruent. We're similar for all my math nerds out there. You know what? I'll take it a step further. Let's use some Wash Yankee references. We're not different. It's just different, it's different types of humor, but at the end of the day, it's the same situation. It's like, let's go back. It's like the difference between bringing in Jabba Chamberlain versus bringing in David Robertson. You know what I mean? There's different uses. There's different depending on who's the batter, but it's not a matter of who's funnier. I think it's the chemistry when you get the two of us together. That's what people really like. That's when you get, you get a little bit of both. You get a little sugar and soul at the same time, like peanut butter on pretzels. Oh yeah. I'm glad you said that because that's one of my next questions. And I'm going to ask you guys to compliment yourselves, but why does this collaboration work? Why when you two guys sit down together, does the hilarity just ensue? Because it's natural. It's natural. It's from the Bronx. If literally we did not have this show and we were hanging out at the McDonald's across the street from Yankee Stadium, the jokes would be a little darker, but they'd be about the same. You know, it's just, it's not, it wasn't brought together in a corporate boardroom. It's two guys who love the same stuff, got a similar background and just enjoy, just enthusiastic about life. And we're taking the viewers on a ride with us because everything we experience, we're experienced pretty much for the first time. So the viewers are experienced for the first time as well. Cause we meet people, for example, we'll go to award shows and we'll meet other celebrities. Like the whole time we're like, yo, look at that celebrity. Look at that celebrity. And then someone come over and be like, yeah, you guys are celebrities too. Like this is a work event. I need you to calm down. And then you talk to other celebrities are like, I hate going to award shows cause it's just more business. And we're just like, sign us up for as many. We're like, we're going to this and we get a free swag bag. Let's go. I get a free iPhone and a free food and like I get to hang out with Tay Diggs. Like sign me up. You just refer to yourselves as celebrities, which you are. But when you started the bodega boys podcast, what's the goal? What's the aspiration? Where are you guys thinking you're going to be able to take that? Just have fun. It was funny. Yeah. In the beginning, when we, when we first went to complex, it was just kind of like, you know, a little side, a little side money, you know what I mean? Which was nice, which was great. Cause, you know, we are working class dudes. You know what I mean? So in that time, it was that little 250 bucks extra a week really made a difference. You know what I mean? Wait, wait, you got 250? I mean, 50 bucks a week was. No, you know what? We just went in blind. We didn't even know really what a podcast was. And then we did it and people just loved it. And it wasn't like, okay, TV show next. We were just like, all right, I guess, we were a little happy. We were like, I guess we could just do this podcast for the rest of our lives. And next thing you know, shout out to DJ A-Track, our homeboy. He had us host Fool's Gold Day Off in Brooklyn. So now we're hosting an eight hour mega concert with all these rap stars. We have no stage experience. We go up there, we kill it. And after that, people were just like, yo, the world is kind of your oyster. And after that, we just ran with it. I've asked numerous baseball players this question. And I'm gonna ask it to you guys from a comedy perspective. When did you know you were a lot funnier than the average person? Ooh. I had a feeling when I was like around seven or eight just because I could make my uncles and my dad laugh. Like my dad would call me and like, I was like the, you know, like Rodney Danger for like, yo, come on, come on, come on. Coming up next on the stage, we got a little Mero and I would go up there and do impressions of my uncles and like my family members and like everybody would just be in stitches. So I'm just like, okay, maybe this is, you know, and my brother and they would, they would call my brother and then come to do it. And he was just like, ah, you know what I mean? And my sister was even worse. So, you know, shout out to you and I love you, but you guys are not as funny as me. I used to do security for nightclubs way back in like the early 2000s. And what that would entail is maybe six or seven hours just standing in front of a building, just alone, no one else is out there. But every now and then someone, because New York had the recently passed smoking laws, people would come outside to smoke. So basically I'd have to do a tight five just to pass the time with this person I don't know. And this is like, you're talking to them, you're finding out, you're like, okay, what brings you to the nightclub? Or like you're joking, like, I was to kill you. And they're like, yeah, I know or whatever. But just interacting with people like that and just their reaction, they're like, wow, you're really funny. And I was like, ah, whatever, whatever, they're like, and they would always be like, you should try standup, you should do something. And I was like, you know what, let's see where this nightclub stuff goes. And well, you see, I made a better decision. You both have roots in the Bronx. Yes. When and where is that Yankee fandom born? Is it from the crib until now that you guys are both Yankee fans? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely, it's from the crib. But I really, like I went from like, not casual, but just like, I'm from the Bronx. I'm a Yankee fan to like, I'm watching, I'm looking at ERAs. I'm looking at base percentages in 96. Derek Jeter's rookie year, World Series, that really like cemented it. That stamped it for me. Like this is my squad forever. Like I'm not gonna be one of those kids that's like, oh, they got this guy, they got that guy. So I'm a fan of like the Angels now because they have Mike Trout. Like no, I will never switch my allegiances. The Yankees can go over 160,000 and I'm still a Yankee fan. Yeah, it's like one of those weird things where people are just like, oh, if you're a Yankee fan, you're a front runner. Cause like you like the Yankees, the Cowboys and the Lakers. And I was like, I'm actually from the Bronx. Like I'm allowed to like the Yankees. And my first experience liking the Yankees was because when my parents came in from Jamaica, my mother loved Don Mattingly and just, she would always just watch back when the games were on. Let's date ourselves here. WPIX, who had the World Trade Center, rest of the piece as a logo. And after Yankee games came on the honeymooners, but my mother will watch that and just, I would just sit there watching over her and then she'd get the, she got me the onesie, the Don Mattingly onesie, which I still have. And it was such a weird time in New York. The Yankees were not the most popular team at the time. People really loved the Mets and I think CBS owned the Yankees and it was just like kind of a mess and they were signing players. But that whole time I always was just like a Yankee fan. I remember my father would come home with Mets tickets to go to Shea Stadium and I'd be upset. And I'm like, Yankee Stadium is literally across the street. Why are we going all the way to see the Mets? So I've just been a Yankee fan like that. And then it got even worse when I moved out on my own in like around 09, my day would start with me logging on to Yankee blogs, then immediately logging on to Red Sock blogs to see what they were up to and then checking the weather and then checking the email. Just living and dying. Just my TV's on Yes Network all day. It's on in the background. They're talking about sports money, no matter what they're talking about. I'm just listening, just taking in the stats. Can't even enjoy the game because I got the ER raise. My girlfriend's making fan graphs. It was a dark time, but 09, listen. Worked it, worked it. Your audio cut out there for a second. Where did you say your TV is on all the time? What station is it on for baseball? On the Yes Network, which is- That's right. Listen, as we said- Home of the Yankees. Home of the Yankees, and one of the most amazing stations ever. If you are a Yankee fan and you hear your name on the Yes Network, you have to take this- You made it. You made it. You stop and you're just like, whoa, whoa. Okay, as I said before, we interviewed Obama. All right, former president, I get it. You guys between from the Yes Network social media or even a Yes Network mention or the time they showed the Deez and Mero ad on the Yes Network. You see people on Twitter like, hey, I love those guys. And you're like, hey, thank you for a 1-1. Thank you. Thank you. Joe from Staten Island, yeah. Hey. The feeling is mutual and not that you ever had to prove any of your street cred but the Don Mattingly wants this story. That's a winner. Tell that story every time. Every time. But I wanted to ask you guys about your show and I even see it right now. In terms of your wardrobe, you guys are almost always making sure you're rocking some Yankee gear, whether it's a sweatshirt or the cap or whatever. So you're making sure that you're representing the Yankees even as you're doing your own show. All the time. All right, shout out to Satya San, our stylist and she knows the only teams you could possibly bring us are the Knicks, the Yankees, the Giants. I believe you all right with the Rangers? Yes, the Rangers. Okay. And that, but- No, I moved to Jersey, I'm not a doubles fan. Yeah, but no, we, like Yankee and then Yankees, Yankee has to go with everything. So we, like if you look at our hat collection, we literally have the Yankee hat in every color, every material, I have one with wool flaps for I guess winter games if those ever happen. We're ready. Yeah, Jack, we got Yankee hats that would make old school Yankee fans mad. Like the Yankee hat should not be fuchsia, covered in flowers, it should not exist. I'm like, it's limited edition, it's limited edition. Come on. It's for Key and God was birthday, come on. It's for my dental shrubbery Valentine's Day but throwback Jersey. No, Mero, you mentioned 96 and I gotta imagine that might be the answer to this question. Do you guys have signature moments in your life as a Yankee fan that when you're thinking back, this stands out? The entire 96 series, going against the Braves, you know, glaven, smoltzmatics, you know what I mean? Like that team was a juggernaut and losing the first two at home, thinking like, oh man, this is all over, they're going to Atlanta, if they drop one in Atlanta, this is all over and then they come back. And then Derek Jeter obviously has the infamous, or not infamous, famous spin throw, you know? And then for some reason, I vividly remember Wade Boggs almost getting impaled by a broken bat that like somehow altered the course of that game and I was just like, no! I was like, if that bat doesn't hit him in the thigh, this guy's out and we win this game. And like all these little, and that's what I say, like that stamped me as like a real, like I'm watching the game as opposed to just sitting on the couch with my dad being like, yay! Anytime the Yankee score. How about you, Deesus? What stands out for you when you're Yankee? There's so many, there's so many and they're not all good. Like I was actually there for when Jabba Chamberlain, his first starting pitching start, which didn't go well, but it was cool to be there, you know, just a real Yankee experience. But my favorite would be Derek Jeter in 2011, his 3000th hit, because my girlfriend at the time was like, I'm gonna get good tickets. And I was just like, all right, I guess we're going like Lodge or Mezzanine. She got like five rolls behind home plate. So if you watch the Yankee Yes Network rebroadcast, you can see us on certain camera shots. And then Jeter just did what he did. Like I was expecting, you know, like one, maybe two, come on, Jeter gave you a completely magical day. It was just one of the, it was one of those days where at the end of the game, you're just sitting there, they played New York, New York, you don't wanna leave the stadium and they have to come tell you, you gotta leave. And you got tears in your eyes, like I love this place. I love this place. Wow, I was at that game too, and I was there with my first son. It was like a Father's Day gift. And if you remember, like Derek Jeter was like on the hunt for 3000 and then the game before that game got rained out. So I had tickets to the game that got rained out and the makeup game is where he made the 3000. Hey, and it was a Homer. I was like, you can't write this stuff. You know what I mean? So I got my brand new baby. I'm like, yeah. I was dropping off it like, you know what I mean? Like, yeah. Derek Jeter. Come on, it's muscle memory now. I was in the studio that day for the S network. And I have to say I'm jealous of you guys and anyone else because as much as we can simulate the game from the studio to see what Jeter did. And I had covered him since his rookie year. I had written a book with him. So that was a game where I lament not having the ability to be there. And I remember Michael Kay's call, history with an exclamation point. I subsequently said to him, did you have that in your holster? Were you ready to go with that? And he said, no, it just came out. Wow. I always thought he had that prepared. It was so perfectly timed and it was wonderful. I was like, is this a Disney movie? Because it's like, you know what I mean? Like it's too perfect. You know what I mean? Like, oh man, and I got tinnitus from the arena leaving there. It was so loud. Like the building was shaking. It was nuts. So a couple of years ago, MLB network hired you guys or let you guys be their reporters for the day. You're at Yankee Stadium. I know you interviewed Aaron Judge. You interviewed Cameron Maven for two kids from the Bronx who have that passion that you guys have. What was that experience like? Oh, man. Getting on the field. Just getting on the field. Like walking into like the Vatican. I was just like, oh, oh, oh, oh. I did like a 20 minute selfie video. Like you kind of feel like you tear up a little. Cause when you just realized like you've always been seeing it from the stands and now you're on the actual field. And I remember we played in C.C. Sabatio's charity softball games. We met Mariano Rivera. We met Aaron Judge. Like even to this day, I look at those photos and I'm like, no way this happened. Being interviewed on the field, players know who you are. They're coming up to you like, they're like, we love the show. And even that, that takes you to a next level. And then when we're actually doing the interviews the fans in the stands see us and we're like, you're, and then like the people in the stadium answer back with a, you're these Yankee fans know us and rock with us. That, like I said, you have these moments where you're just like, okay, I'm on TV. I'm a celebrity, quote, unquote. But then you have moments as a New Yorker, as a Bronx resident, where she's like, yo, we are doing something special. Listen, so wild. Like these are saying it was bananas. Everybody who's anybody in the Yankee universe was there. Like I had Brett Gardner. Gardner came up to me. It was just like, hey, don't embarrass yourself out there. I was just like, yes, yes. I was like, yo, Gardner B, I love you. We're yelling at Brian Cashman. We're like, our guy, our cash man, you're, and he's just looking at us like, I don't know who they are. I have no, I have no idea who you are. Thank you for the enthusiasm. So there was one moment where Ken Rosenthal from MLB network was by the batting cage and you guys started calling him Bob Lorenz. Who, who, who, who? Bob Lorenz! So what's always behind that, that joke? It wasn't even a joke. We literally were confused. We literally, it happens all the time. It's usually my fault. I'm mixed up people's names. And it's too, it's too fast for Mero to correct me. Cause sometimes I just get, you get so excited. You're like, oh, it's such and such from the S network. Ken Rosenthal. And he's like, no, no, no, that's not this part. Oh, get it together. Get it together. And I was like, Ken Rosenthal. No, Ken Singleton. I was like, no. I apologize. It's funny cause in my brain, he's Kenny Bowtie. So I was going to be like, hey, Kenny Bowtie. And then when he called Bob Lorenz, I was like, oh no, no, no, Mero, you're wrong. It's Bob Lorenz, it's Bob Lorenz. But see, any time we do that, that's not like, that's not as insulting. So when that's just, that's actually a compliment cause that means we know of the person that we named. We just didn't use it correctly. So I'm explaining that to Bob when I see him tomorrow because we did have some fun with that. We played that clip in his office and we laughed. I wanted to get back to your show though. You mentioned your interview list. You've interviewed a former president in Barack Obama. You interviewed a man who became a president in Joe Biden. You've had Chris Rock, you've had Eddie Murphy. What has been some of your most rewarding interviews? Ooh, good question. That's a good question. I feel like the magnitude of the guest matters with Obama, obviously, with Joe Biden, obviously. But the best thing about it is that we get to kind of humanize them, right? They go around on these press tours and they have these kind of can dancers. And you as a sports journalist, you know. Like, cause athletes do it the most. They're just like, I'm just trying to help the team one day at a time, just trying to find, just trying to wait for the right pitch, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It's all these very canned cliche answers. When we interview them and we get off the cuff stuff, that's so satisfying. And it's just like, you know, I can't name a single person because like doing that with Obama, doing that with Dave Letterman, doing that with Eddie Murphy, you know, just having human conversations with people, you know, that are like, that you see as like kind of almost like deities, you know, in a way is super dope. And you take something special away from every interview, but I think one of the, probably one of the most important interviews we did was at the beginning of the pandemic, we had Dr. Fauci on. And it was different because he wasn't able to talk freely on the daily briefings, but he came on, it humanized him, it made him seem like more than just Dr. Fauci, you found out that he's a guy from Brooklyn, he watches baseball and it introduced him to an audience that probably would not even hear about him. Cause like some of our audiences not watched the news whatsoever. So he got on there, he's explaining, you know, just COVID at the time when we knew nothing. And I remember a neighbor of mine said thank you for having him on because he explained the difference between allergies and COVID, which at the time we didn't know. We thought anything could be COVID. So just little things like those little nuggets we took away from every interview, just so much fun. But also the David Letterman was just an amazing interview. The hair on your arms was up the whole time, like you are talking to a legend right now and he's giving you high praise. Well, his respect for you and that interview was at a high level too. And he congratulated you guys for what you were doing. And I could just see the mutual admiration be between both sides of you. I think he even said he was jealous of you guys because I'm a big Letterman fan. And you could see that Letterman would go right to the edge sometimes where he might not, he might want to give a guest a little more grief. And he said, I'm jealous because you guys just are able to tell it like it is. Yeah, and that's high praise because we all grew up with Letterman. I remember, you know, going to a library and taking out the best of the top 10 list or just seeing, watching him and waiting for him to do those jokes or his monologue. So then for him to say, not only is he enjoying what we're doing, but he wishes he had the freedom to do that. Imagine what his version of our show would be like. It's just another mind blowing interview. It's funny because he had an impact on us and then we're retelling stories of stuff. Because I had cable growing up in the Bronx, you know what I mean? Like, David Letterman was at night, you know what I mean? But it just so happened to be great. And I was a graffiti kid in the 90s, you know what I mean? And he did graffiti on the front of his desk one time. And I was like, that legitimized me doing graffiti to me in my brain because David Letterman did it, you know what I mean? And he was just like, I don't remember doing that. I was like, I do. Hey, before I let you go, a couple of quick more questions. I wanted to play a quick game with you. And I played this with Paul O'Neill, but I'm going to pattern it to who you guys are. The warrior, yes. O'Neill and I both love music. So I asked O'Neill, if I gave him a baseball player, tell me who that person would be in the music world. So when I asked him, Derek Cheeter, he went Will Smith and Justin Timberlake. When I asked him, Mariano Rivera, he went Bob Marley. But I want to do this baseball to comedy with you guys. If I said who would C.C. Sabathea, a future Hall of Famer, a leader, a guy who's got diverse talents, who would he be in the comedy world? Who would you guys latch onto? Ooh, I would say, I would say, I would say Eddie Murphy. Because it's a guy who's had longevity, had success, had extreme success, but consistent success, you know what I mean? And no matter, even in the down years, he's still Eddie Murphy, you know what I mean? Put the work in, yeah. That's high praise, but we have high praise. We personally know C.C., but even just watching him, what he did for the Yankees and what he was doing in Cleveland, and just how he used to throw teams on his back and just leave it all out there on the mound, that's what you want from a comedian. You want at the end of a show, your cheeks hurt from laughing so much. And he gave you that every time he got on the mound. Listen, that game against the A's, man. And him literally throwing his arm off his body and his last, you know what I mean? Couple of pitches in there. You could tell, he's a warrior, man. Like he really wanted it all the time. And that's what you want in a guy that's playing for your team. Now, one more. Let's flip it and go in the other direction. Who would Dave Chappelle be in the Major League baseball world? Ooh, who would Dave Chappelle be? That is a good question. Dave Chappelle. OK, so he's talented, longevity. Active or? That's a great question because I'm going to cheat a little here. I already have one. I think Dave Chappelle, I think Roberto Clemente. A guy who is just up there on a mountain. A guy who spoke his mind. A guy who was different than anybody else that you just wanted to laser in on. Now, I know that that might be a little bit before your error, but I think Dave Chappelle, I think Clemente. Listen, my dad was a huge Clemente guy. I got to throw back Clemente in the closet. He was also a big Tony Pena guy. But I would say Suzuki because he rarely misses. He rarely misses, you know what I mean? He's just, Merrill's good at this game. He's good at this. He's good at his answers. I'm trying to like, I don't want to pigeonhole him because I really want to just get the right answer. I don't want to say Derek Jeter. That seems like too simple. You know what, I'm going to say Bernie Williams. Because Bernie Williams, he wasn't the flashiest player, but when he had to, he made it happen. And Dave Chappelle, that's his style. He doesn't come on like, rah, rah, rah, rah. Dave Chappelle has a conversation with you and then he'll point something out and he's not like, hardy, hard, hard, hard, gives you the mic and waits for you to laugh. He just waits and you process a thought and you're like, wow, yeah, you're right. I never thought about that. It's just like that. Also, because I love Bernie Williams because he used to, you know, play the bass. Little jazz guitar? Thank God. Your show is on Showtime, Deezus and Mero. You've had wonderful success. You're still young men. What's left? What's on the list of things you're still want to accomplish? Oh, man. Maybe retire to the Dominican Republic and run the Yankees Academy out there. Your Academy? I would love it. I would love it. Shout out to Brian Cashman. That's your future. That's what you want to do. Brian Cashman, send me out there. Send me back home, baby. You know what I'm saying? I'll find you the next Jason Dominguez. Even better? Watch, watch. Keep your eye out on the Yankees field team. We might be there when they're doing YMCA. You won't know the difference. It's going to be us. I like that. I like that. You're going to sneak in there. Now, before I know I have to finish with the baseball question, I need a prediction from you guys. I want a team prediction for 2021, which is easy. But I also want you to tell me something that you think might happen with the Yankee player the rest of the way. OK. You know the team prediction already. Come on, come on. Yankees all day, 27 rings, bro. But something's going to happen. Ooh. What's I going to think? I believe that the Yankees will make it to the ALCS. They'll pick somebody up, get the pitching in order, and make it happen. Or somebody's going to break out. It's either going to be Domingo, it's going to be Davey. One of them is going to break out. And I predict, I predict this is going to get in the season. And I feel like it hasn't come to fruition yet. Post-All-Star break, Gary Sanchez is going to go on a tear. I love Higgy. Love what he's doing. Love him catching coal. Stay right there. You're doing your thing. But Gary is one of a kind. Don't sleep on him. He's in a bad slump. You know what I mean? A lot of people say he's in a bad couple of seasons. But I still believe in him. I think it's early, but I think this Yankee fan base is going to be introduced to a little thing called a pennant race. I think it's going to be hot and furious. And I think it's going to be one of those weird ones where the Yankees win. But they win it while the game is on. And the Yes network is like, hey, they won the pennant. And they don't really get to celebrate. And all the Yankees fans are all the Yankees afterwards. They're like, you know what? We're not celebrating yet. The job is not done. We're going to continue. And we celebrate when we get a trophy. Yes. That's how you play baseball. Oh, the Orioles beat the Red Sox. So the Yankees are your pennant. You're like, OK. Exactly. You're mathematically limited. You're like, OK. OK, top of the fourth. All right, cool. No doubt. Hey, guys, this has been so much fun. I knew I would laugh my way through this interview. And I love your passion for what you do. I also love your passion for baseball. And maybe down the line, we can all catch a baseball game together. And that would be a lot of fun. Absolutely. So much for Dex from Amazon. Thank you, Jack. And the Yes Network. Oh, it's so much fun. Yo, Jackie and the Yes Network. Yes, we love you guys. It's going to be weird if we actually go to a baseball game in person, though, because I feel like I'm trying to probably touch you. To see if you're real, right? Yeah, like, are you just on my TV? I will not be wearing a tie. So there will be a different outfit. It'll be something like this. All right. Nice. Look casual. Love it. Thanks again, guys. Thank you.