 It's strange though Willie because we're gonna have on Keith Hernandez after you and Keith said you have to hit a guy It was that hot. I still don't understand that. I mean no other sport Do you look like pun like if LeBron James was scoring 40 in the third quarter? You wouldn't punch him in the face, but but I understand a little bit what keeps talking about because that's that's the Era we played in and and and I'm not I don't know if he really meant to hit the guy I mean that would happen. I mean Willie mays hand Karen Harman killer boo those guys knew that if they were hot They will be plump and they would just walk the first base and maybe the other team would retaliate without the umpire getting involved But we kind of accepted that back in the day I think what Keith meant more than anything he can speak for himself is that you know You almost expect when you playing and hitting the ball that well You almost expect to get dusted and it's almost like a bad badge of honor It's almost like okay, that's respect if you will in a way But but but we understood what was happening at the time and that was the norm and nowadays you don't see it So it's like a player second base you mentioned how McCray you get taken out of second base And it's just a regular slide, but since you don't see good takeouts everyone gets crazy about it Oh my god, what's going on? He's going after him, but that was the norm So if you see it happen over and over and over in the game, then you don't react to it And nowadays you don't see a lot of the stuff that Keith and I experienced when we were playing and it is a different game It's a different world completely and I just wonder what's the proper punishment for this guy How do you stop this thing from going on? You know Buster only made a great point will he you know It always seems like the batters are the ones that are the pinatas because if her pitchers pitching Well does a batter go out there in the eighth inning and like hit him with a bat on the arm? No No, no, no, you're right about that You know everybody's very demonstrative nowadays and with the bats flipping and the guys styling the way they do I like to see more pitchers punch guys out I mean if you you know if you're gonna, you know do it one way do it the other way this way Acceptable no one feels you being shown up They just feel that that's a part of the game because the game is evolving into a lot of it They're showing off and a lot of look at me and all that kind of stuff So if they have a problem with that then just do it on both sides if I punch you out Hey, I'm gonna be the monster on the mound if you want to hit a ball 900 miles and then take your time and walk On the basis that's just the way it is and let it slide like that But you know it's just a different kind of game and you have to control some of it But I think you have to teach pitchers how the pitch inside and players You know it's okay to pimp every once in a while in the field if you're here But just if you common sense sometimes and just not make a mockery out of it and make it to the point where you're showing somebody up I think players get upset when they feel like they're being shown up I think they can kind of monitor that stuff a little bit. All right, so let's get to the 98 team You were the third base coach you have six championship rings at last count to as a player and four as a coach So you've seen a lot of great teams you you played against a lot of great teams Everyone I talked to most of everyone said that's the best team they've ever seen Willie was 98 the best team you've ever seen It's the best team I've ever coached. I believe I don't know I played on some great teams in the 70s and I know I was getting troubled I don't really like you comparing errors because I think that when you go from the 70s to 80s to 90s And then even the 2000 if the game is changing a lot of ways So I think as a player to me the 77 78 team is the best team I've ever played on We didn't have as much talent maybe as a 98 team, but we were very similarities on Michael There was ways that we went about playing the game Fundamentally sound I just if I can use a track and field analogy It was like, you know, we were a great relay team you you passed the baton You've heard that before you know keep the line moving past the baton that 98 team was Unbelievable Michael the way they went about their business. We had great players You know, we had from top to bottom where there was no block or was O'Neill or Jeter Tino Going down the line everyone understood that you know, it's not about egos Not about who gets the most the most stats and who's the best player It's about how we win the game and then how we lean on each other It was a joy to watch these kids play the game the way they did because as a player who's been in the 70s And 80s and watch some great teams It reminded me a lot of the teams I played on with Thurman and nettles and Roy white Mickey Rivers myself going on the line It brought back that kind of Yankee magic where we played for each other and we played as a Yankee team We've had on this week David Wells or hey posada I've spoken numerous times with cone and and O'Neill and the one thing that was tell me about that 98 team is That they really expected to win every single game and when they lost they were shocked. Is that accurate? Yeah, we did. I mean you can see and feel it in the clubhouse. We were so Consumed with with getting back to the championship after 96 We got a nice taste of it. It felt great in 97 was a rough year for us But we were really hell bent on getting back to being champions again and we got to a little bit of a slow start We weren't big on meetings and things that nature But we had a few meetings where guys really just expressed themselves and and we kind of called each other out about playing Good Yankee baseball being unselfish and then once we got on the nice little roll there You know, we got to some ups and downs during the season which happens But I think I remember Darryl when Darryl took sick when Darryl had the cold and cancer that really brought us together That really kind of galvanized the team. I remember us coming together and really playing for each other and playing to to You know to lift Darryl and up in that situation So there was a lot of things that happened during the course of a season because it's a long grind But I just remember it very very vividly Us me it's really taken off, you know around that time that Darryl got sick and we started to really play good Baseball on that time and and as you know, we just steamrolled right through the playoffs One in four at the start and Posada talked the other day with us about Joturi had a hold of meeting. Were you part of that meeting? Yeah? Yeah, I remember very vividly You know, we didn't have many, you know, we we know We just kind of sat around and just looked at each other and just started very openly Just talking about what we need to do to start getting back to playing good solid baseball I mean, we all knew what we had to do But there are times in the course of season and when you start not the beginning of a season Michael, you know You want to get off to the start and sometimes you get a little selfish, you know You want to make sure you get your hits and in your home runs just to kind of get off to a nice start It's human nature But I thought we got away from our game and then we started to talk about, you know Being unselfish and playing good defense and and really everyone just kind of getting passionate to baton and making sure that as long As we won the game that was the most important part of it. We think we're the most important part We didn't really care. We got the glory So we had a couple little little things during the season where we kind of had to reset a little bit But for the most part, I was always confident this team understood What we had to do to get to the promised land and we knew how to kind of, you know, regroup and and get back On track and and Joe did a great job with the staff. We had a great staff and everyone understood our roles and our jobs And then that's what made that team so special You know, we would look at each other I mean, we would give each other evil eye We felt like a guy wasn't getting after it He wasn't hustling or if he wasn't taking a walk or he wasn't getting the guy over, you know We would call each other out a little bit that reminded me of the 77 78 teams We would get not that get each other's face But we would we were kind of, you know, you know, you know call each other out every once in a while We felt like we weren't playing winning baseball It's so funny Willie because you said you think 77 78's better and we've had Darrell on and he said I think the 86 match would beat the 98 Yankees. So it's almost like Territorial the teams you play for you think are better, right? Yeah, well, yeah, but you try to be realistic about it, too I mean, you know, I just think that it's hard to compare because the talent level is so different And we you play the game differently at times, you know, we were typical, you know National League not not totally nationally, but we played baseball with the little things, you know We we did a little hit and running we ran a little bit. You don't see that as much anymore We had great players, but we had a lot of depth on our team where guys like, you know, Brian Doyle or you know You know, Paul Blair could come in the center field and play center for Mickey Rivers and Jim Spencer would take over for his first Chalmers not household names not great players, but they knew how to play the game and pick each other up Today you have more an abundance of depth than you have guys who who could be starters on most teams So that's why it's hard to compare sometimes because there's more talent. These guys are unbelievable athletes But I don't think anyone played the game as fundamentally sound as we did and knew how to play the game intelligently Now before I let you go, I want to I want to give full disclosure Willie So you're coming on the air my phone lights up and it's a text from your wife And she says she said Willie told me he's coming on your show give him a hard time And I said I can't I like him too much and she writes back. She goes come on. I don't even like him that much I Don't give me a hard time since you figured somebody else would do it. I guess right so I wouldn't do it. I just can't That's okay, Mike. You can bust me anytime. I love you, man. I'll see you Saturday Yes, looking forward to it. I can't wait to get back with my boys You know, it's a special group and we're gonna party a little bit We got nice party Friday and Saturday night. So we're gonna enjoy it man. I'll be the one Saturday. All right And maybe we'll get you out on the dance floor maybe maybe sounds good sounds good don't dare me See you guys. Take care, buddy. See you tonight