 Tonight would have been the Thurman-Munson dinner in New York City. Always well attended. It's a great dinner. Diana Munson has kept her husband's legacy alive. This is the 41st annual Thurman-Munson Award dinner, but it's being done virtually this year. Now, if you want to watch it, starting at about six o'clock, you go to the ahrcfoundation.org and they're going to stream it live. So some of the winners of awards today, Gio Urchella Bianches, Michael Comforto of the Mets, Padre Rodriguez, Harry Carson, Alyssa Nair, just some that are going to be honored with the Thurman-Munson Award and our next guest is also being honored and coming off just an unbelievable 60 game season where he led the major leagues in home runs, Luke Voight, and he's nice enough to join us now. Luke, it's Michael Don and Peter. How you doing today? What up, boys? How we doing? Good to hear from you. Luke, have you given yourself time to sit back and be proud of what you did last year? I mean, does an athlete think like that? Because I mean, hit 22 home runs in 60 games and lead the majors. It's just phenomenal and a lot of people don't realize it, but you weren't exactly healthy toward the end of it with the foot issue that you had. So have you been able to admire the work that you've done? You know, when you get back home and after I got everything done to my foot at the end of the season, it's nice to sit down for a couple of days, but I got right back in there, man. It was a funny year and obviously I wanted to keep it going and beat the rays and move on to the next round, but there's just a bit of sweet taste in our mouth. It's my third year with the team and third year time losing in the playoffs and it's been frustrating, man. So that's kind of the saltier taste, but it's a lot of fun and I just keep improving every year and that's the goal every year for me and take the positives, but a lot to go on with it too. Now, if you want to have fun with the math, extrapolate your season out to 162 games. You hit over 60 home runs in 150 RBIs. Now, that might be a bit much, but do you think about what this season would have been? Had it been a full year? For sure, but it didn't happen. I did the best I could to stay in shape, be prepared and hope that there was going to be a season and then there being one and I was ready to go and that's all I can really do and I hope another guys are doing the same thing at their houses and I know a lot of guys are limited and the things they could do depending on where they were at. I knew what my job was and I think that's why I benefited from having a really good season. How pumped up were you, Luke, when it was finally announced that the Yankees were keeping DJ and signed him into a six-year deal? He actually called me right before he was about to sign and I was so happy for him. We talked for like 15, 20 minutes on the phone about how I want to be a Yankee so bad and finish out possibly his career here. He wants to win, man. The guy's probably one of the best routines in baseball. He never showed the motion. He wants to win and I think that's what the pinstripes and Yankee Nation want in a player and we're getting the perfect player, man. I mean, there's a reason we call him a machine. On the flip side of that coin, Maseratunaka is no longer with the Yankees. What did he mean to the organization in that locker room and how do you feel about seeing him go back to Japan? You know, it's really sad. The guy was a great guy. Always fun to be around. He could always count on him being out there on the fifth day and, you know, that dude would go out there. You know, it didn't matter if you get up a couple runs or no runs. You know, he was a sound assassin out there and he gave us everything he had, but, you know, I heard that he had 99 wins in Japan and all I needed was one more to get 100 and I know he, I mean, you know, he made really good money over here and he had a great career, you know, could go down, you know, as one of the best Yankee pitchers and, you know, you hope for the best for him and he'll get to go home to his family and stuff. You know, it's crazy times right now with this pandemic and, you know, I wish the best. You know, if this wouldn't have been this year, I think you would have got another chance. And obviously there's problems with his injuries and, you know, his elbow and stuff like that. But, you know, I would love to have that guy on the mound in a playoff game any day, you know, any time of the year. You know, I heard the frustration in your voice when you talked about coming up short again, Luke, and we talk a lot about it on this show about what's, what, why has that been the case here during the offseason? Have you been able to put a finger on exactly while it went wrong? We didn't hit much runners on the playoffs, man. We didn't give up a big hit. You know, I think when we had to make a big out too, we didn't get the big outs. It wasn't a timely hitting, man. It's frustrating because we had plenty of opportunities, you know, me included, you know, I think the only person, you know, that really did a great job was G and the rest of us kind of, you know, struggled to find ways to get on. And when we did, you know, the guys behind us were picking each other up. So it was frustrating. But, you know, it's good to get everyone healthy again. You know, I think injuries cause a lot of problems with our, you know, with our pitching and our hitting too. I think we could have been in a better situation going into the playoffs. We would have been more healthier, but you know, that's an excuse and obviously injuries are going to be a part of the game. But timely hitting, man. That's what, that's what gets you championships. Tom, with Luke Voight, the major leagues home run leader in 2020 as we get ready for 2021 season. When I watch you, Luke, it's just an incredible story because with the Cardinals, you really never got the chance. And then the Yankees make the trade and you get the chance and you've done everything with the chance. And I just wonder, and I wonder if you, you can help us with this. How many Luke voids are there that never, ever get the chance and never get a chance to show how great they could be? Yeah. I mean, even last year is even worse because there's a lot of guys that were probably on double A, maybe triple A on the cuffs would possibly get the chance. And, you know, they might not ever have a job again. And it's really sad because what happened to me five years ago, you know, you probably would have never heard of me or knew who I was because, you know, I was one of those guys that was, you know, on the cuffs of getting a big league invite and the chance to kind of show what I got, you know, and maybe make the team or whatever. And I feel bad because there's so many guys, you know, I, I saw a stat that I was the first home run or I was like the latest draft pick to win the home run, you know, King. And that's, it's, it's sad, man, because obviously don't get me wrong. There's a reason guys go in the first round and stuff. And, but there's also reasons that guys get a chance to get drafted and, you know, teams never know what a guy's, you know, work ethic's like, what his personality is like, and, you know, how bad, you know, his guys want to make it to the big league and it has success and, you know, prove people wrong. Were there ever players, Luke, were there ever players you played alongside of who were just like, Oh, this guy's awesome. I wish I could play as well as this guy. And then you just saw it never happened for them. They never got the big opportunity. Yeah. I mean, you see these guys just get tagged with, you know, prospects, you know, they, they're this second round kid, you know, 18 years old. And, you know, they, they get to that low at a high and yours, they have all the five tool player had all the time in the world. They just, they've never failed. And when they fail, they, they kind of lose it mentally. And this game is 95% myth, you know, 95% mental and, you know, you just can't get there on tools. And I think you see that a lot. And I think you have to learn and mature and, you know, want to learn and get better, not just mentally, but physically. And, you know, you just don't see guys progress when, you know, they run a six to 60 and they can have, you know, lightning cock, you know, they can, you know, glide and have the best arm baseball and they just fall off the place of the earth. DJ LeMayu, you mentioned just loved it here and wanted to be here through the end of his career. You have spoke glowingly about what it is to be a Yankee. You were both on different teams and different organizations. Luke, can you articulate what it, what, what's different about being a Yankee? Why is it that some players just love it so much and don't want to be anywhere else? The way they take care of us, the leadership in the locker room and obviously the fans are the biggest part. There's nothing like it, you know, especially when we get to play off time and, you know, they love you, man. And especially if you have some success, you know, they want to, you keep making more and more fans. And, you know, it's obviously not just New York. It's all over the country and the world that people are watching every day, you know, rooting for you and wanting to win. And, you know, it's been too long since we've, you know, obviously held up the trophy and we need to get back to where we used to be and, you know, get number 28 back to New York. But there's nothing like it, man. I know I wish a lot of guys got to experience it. And, you know, I had no idea I'd come over here from St. Louis where it was going to be like, you know, it's kind of intimidating with all those guys in the locker room. But it's, they took me in like family and, you know, I love it here. What's the Monson Award mean to you, Luke? Say it again. What's the Monson Award mean to you? You know, it's even more, you know, better this year because, you know, it's CHRC and, you know, they help with disabilities and, you know, helping those kids get to better places. And, you know, my little sister's disabled too. So it means a lot that they're out there helping a lot of, you know, people in all five boroughs, you know, with, you know, getting better with, you know, treatment needs and, you know, living in different resities and workshops in schools. So it's, it means a lot from the heart, you know, because obviously, you know, I've gone through some stuff with my sister too. So it's an awesome award. You know, obviously it's huge honor with the guys like CC, Roger, you know, Dee Dee and hard Gary. And obviously there's a bunch of mess that have won it too. So it's, it's a great honor to be a part of those guys and do company. Well, I'll tell you what, Luke, I don't know the next time I'll actually see you, but I'll be in the booth looking forward to announcing the games. Glad that your foot's okay and congratulations on a great 2020 and hopefully better success even in 2021. I appreciate it. Yeah, it'd probably be nice to get you out of Yankee Stadium and actually get to go somewhere this year. You know what, I wouldn't even have minded to be in Buffalo last year. I just wouldn't have minded. I really wouldn't have. It would have been nice. And Luke, Luke, I got to ask you before you go too. I saw you tweeted the other day, raised the flag, let's go bucks. You a big bucks fan? What's your plan for the weekend? Oh, I'm all in the box. I moved down to Tampa this off season and, you know, it's been a huge roar down here. It was a huge, huge bucks fan going on. And I got some bucks here now and I lost the Rams, man. I'm from St. Louis. I needed a team and I'm all on. So it's hard to bet against Brandy and I'll never, never, never bet against them. But it'll be fun, man. I'm owns the beast and I hope it's just a high scoring shootout, two point game. Now, you got some connections, Luke. I mean, are you going to be able to get into that game? I guess 20,000 people will be allowed, right? Yeah, if I want to spend like 45 grand, I can get into the game. Yeah, you don't need that. You got a nice TV. Exactly. I can spend that money. I can spend a couple hundred bucks on some night stakes and watching on my TV. So good stuff. Congratulations on the award tonight. And I, uh, I'll wave to you from the press box. Thanks, Luke. Yeah, let's just hope we start on time. All right, guys. Yeah, that'd be great. That'd be great. Take care.