 What's up, everybody? Welcome back to Sequence. I'm your host, Trevor Plouffe. Today we have a very special guest back for a bat number two, Yonder Alonzo, Mr. 305. Thank you for joining us. Yeah, absolutely. We saw in the first video with Yonder, he made a huge adjustment to his swing. It paid off almost immediately. And one of the coolest things about this is the All-Star game that year you made and it was played in your home state of Florida and your home city of Miami. What was that like for you? Man, it was four days of no sleep. It was an incredible, incredible time. My dad enjoyed it so much. I mean, everybody enjoyed it, of course. But I remember going into the off season and saying, you know, I know the All-Star game is in Miami and, you know, I can't like let people down. Like I can't be home in Miami like watching the All-Star game at my house. Like I got to be a part of it. And, you know, that was another another thing that I had in my head, right? Like I can't pass up on this opportunity. Like I got to be there. There's there's no way I'm going to be at home watching the All-Star game while it's in Miami. You know, like, no, that's just not that that is a no for me. I got to be home. I got to be home for this. And yeah, then next thing you know, I'll never forget Bob Melvin told me I made the All-Star game and I just literally started crying right there. And, you know, it was an accomplishment for sure. I was just very ecstatic and very happy for for everybody, you know, everybody around me and, you know, my teammates and everybody that had to put a lot of effort into this and the grinds. And there's so many things that go in your head, right? And like my parents and everybody. So it was great. It was awesome. I can't even imagine, you know, like the sense of pride that you had because if anyone doesn't know, I mean, Miami is a hotbed for baseball and you guys have your own culture out there. All you guys growing up, baseball is it's it, man. That's, you know, obviously there's some football down in Florida, but baseball, especially in in Miami, that's a huge community. And for you to be able to, you know, make this adjustment, make the All-Star team, represent your city. It's just like it's just such a cool story. Like I'm so happy we're here sharing it right now. Right. Yeah. I lived half a mile from the stadium. You know, back then that stadium was the Orange Bowl, so I used to sneak my ways into watching a lot of Miami hurricane games in that in that actual place. So, you know, that little Havana area for me was really my home and where I grew up and where, you know, I did a lot of fun things with friends and, you know, got into football stadiums and got into, you know, the games, the big games against the Florida State, the Gators, all these great, great games. Right. And here we are in the All-Star game in Miami. Yeah. The you represent who else was in the game from Miami? I don't. Nobody, just me. It was just you. I was the only guy from from the Miami guys. I was the only guy. Yeah. You got to you had to have someone represent the crew and you did it. I did it. I remember, you know, I remember like a bunch of the guys Gio Gonzalez and his money went down and, you know, a lot of Miami guys, John Jay, they were so happy for me, man. Like they were just so super pumped and all the text messages and got so many guys texting me from Miami and just how happy they were for me. And yeah, man, it was it was super, super cool. And, you know, definitely four days I would never forget. I didn't even want to sleep. You know, they say you don't sleep during those days. And I was like, I don't want to sleep. You want to take it all in. I want to really take it all in. You know, I just want to take it all in. So it was a lot of fun. So that, yeah, you get to the All-Star Game, you got to a bat. So first at bat, you work a knock against that grinky. So you got that out of the way, you get the hit. Like that's got to be like kind of like a side relief. Were you nervous like playing or was it I'm home? It was crazy because, you know, I was thinking like, yeah, I'll probably play like the seventh, seven, eight, nine, you know, whatever. I'll get one at bat. Cool. That's good with me. Next thing you know, smoke plays like three innings, gets two at bats, three innings, and they say, hey, you're going in. And I'm like, oh, shit, it's the fourth inning. Like, are you kidding me? I'm going to have four innings to play. Like this is the fourth inning I'm going in right now. Like I was pumped, right? Like five innings for myself. I can really enjoy myself and have fun and see what it's about. And I'm facing grinky, who had faced with the Dodgers forever. And I'm like, dude, I'm like one for 20 off grinky. And I got to face grinky on my first time in the All-Star game. Sure enough, I get a, you know, bloop hit to right, you know, just straight leg kick. And it would have probably been without the leg kick, a roll over the first. I was able to fight it off and get a base hit. And I'm like, that's it. I got a base hit now in the All-Star game, bro. Yeah, this is my time now. Like, you know, I feel I'm feeling good right now. So yeah. And then who was the manager? It was Tito Francona. He couldn't make it. So the bench coach was the guy and Sandy Elomar was one of the other guys. And yeah, it was great. It was it was it was awesome. So they knew it was up. Like we got to get Yonder in the game and have him play because this is it. I mean, like, like we said, it's like a once in a lifetime thing. And like a lot of shit has to line up for you to be able to be in this game. Like it has to be in Miami. Like in your career, like that doesn't happen. Like, you know, teams get All-Star games once every 20 years. Right. Everything really lined up and I was just ecstatic. And I think, you know, Justin, I think Smoke was very happy for me as well. He didn't even like he wasn't like, you know, maybe another guy could have been like, oh, man, I'm the star of the All-Star game at first base. Like, I want to play four or five innings, you know? And he kind of just let it be. And he's like, hey, enjoy it, man. Have fun. And I was like, I really took that like, man, thank you, man. I really appreciate that. Yeah, this is something that you have forever, which is amazing. Right. So here we are on the second and bat with Ken Lee and I had good numbers in my career against them. But I'm here thinking like, man, all right, I got one out of the way with Frankie. So now I got this guy who's vicious cutters and he's having a great year. He's under one in his yard. Yeah. Wow. I mean, he was nasty that year. Dude, look at those numbers on the board right now. Yeah, it's disgusting. It's 57 to 2 his K to walk ratio. That's a joke. Right. Yeah, it's just filthy. So I'm thinking one thing and one thing only. I already got a hit on the board. The score is one, one is the ninth. Like, I'm not thinking about getting a base hit to left field. I'll tell you that much. I'm thinking about going big. That's all I'm thinking about. So you said you had faced him with you were the Padres and you faced him when he was in L.A. What's like your approach against Ken Lee with his cutters? Well, I tend to think that his my approach against them is a little bit different than most left-hand hitters. Why do I say that? Because it has to do with my mind and my eyes with understanding of my swing, right? What I'm trying to do at the moment, what he's trying to do at the moment, what is he showing me that day? And I was the first hitter of the at bat of the inning. So I really didn't know what he was what he had that day. All I knew is that he was going to throw me his cutter. So for me, I'm always thinking about when I face him, he's a big guy. So it feels like his cutters just on you. So I never I never try to swing at his cutter in, you know, anything middle, middle and I just don't swing at it. You know, my thought is to see his cutter like on the outside corner or, you know, or a ball away. But here's the funny part about it is I try to pull him that. So I'm trying to pull the pitch that's away, right? And I'm trying to pull that now. The pitch has to be on a good location. It's got to be up in the zone, something that I could do damage with. And anything else, you know, I fight off or I try to get my hits middle of the field. So my sights are completely like on the opposite side of home plate. But here I'm trying to pull this guy, which most guys would be like, why would you try to pull a pitch away? Well, he throws that cutter, right? That cutter is coming in. It's a heavy cut. It's a late cut. So it's like a bowling ball when you hit it pretty much. But if my my my years of facing him, my best approach has been like that. And I've had success against it. And now are you, you said, obviously, you're the first batter of the inning. You know, he's throwing a cutter. You know, you throw strikes, look at his 57 to 2 ratio there. Right. You're ambushing. I'm ambushing 100 percent because I'm trying to go big fly. I'm going big fly. But with the approach of I know the ball is going to be like away. He's just going to get that quick strike just to feel himself, you know, where he's at. So I was it's funny, I have a leg kick. I'm trying to remember the leg kick. And it was like, I felt like my leg kick went straight to like home plate. Like it went like out there and then I scissor kicked my swing. My backside just completely like falls because I'm trying to pull the ball. So it's like I'm doing two different things at the same time. But, you know, I'm trying to do one thing and one thing only. So it was maybe a little bit of a vicious swing that I wanted to take. But yeah, it was it was awesome, man, because he he he always comes after me. He attacks me all the time, which is awesome. You know, a competitor like that just I faced him like last year. And it was completely different. He was throwing me more two seamers. You were throwing me curveballs. I think he makes the change up in there. And I was like, all right, now he knows that obviously, you know, I pass success against them with his cutter. So he's finding different ways to get me out and he's got me out. Yeah, he's definitely got me out. We've actually featured him on the show before. Nice. David Dahl came on and was talking about him. So we discussed this and as a right hander, I approached him the same exact way where I think a lot of guys will try to take that cutter that's going away from you and drive it to the right center. I think you have to look to pull him from the right side as well, because he has like that little up shoot to his cutter, too. Right, it up shoots. It goes up and it cuts. So it's like it's going in your hands and it's going in your eyes. Yeah. So if you're trying to like kind of go with that pitch, it just hits the top of your barrel and just gets you to kind of fillet the ball or pop it up. So I always thought, man, I got to get like almost get on top of it and try to right and try to pull it. That's like my mindset. And then that's kind of I had some success against him thinking that way, too. It's just really interesting to hear you say I got to pull the same. I got to pull it as well from the left side. Right. I got to pull it from the left side, but with a pitch away. Pitch away, which, you know, most lefties will be like, how can you do that? Well, give it, give it. I think you have to basically understand what his cutter is doing. For you to really trust that you have to pull it. Yeah, you got to see it. You got to see it. And that's the only way, you know, we can sit here and talk to somebody that's never hit a cutter and they'll say, OK, yeah, cool. And or I have no idea what we're talking about. But if you know what that cutter feels like and looks like when it upshoots, you got to really you really understand that you really got to pull this guy. I mean, there's a reason there's a reason why this guy puts up the numbers he does with a seemingly one pitch. I mean, he doesn't though he's probably 90 90 plus percent probably cutter, you know, so it does some funky stuff. It's it's this and he's on he's on you too, because he's a big boy. Yes. So it's just his cutters just heavy. All right. All star game. Top of the ninth tie score. Yonder's leading off. He's trying to put one in the seats. He's ambushing. Maybe everybody in the stands probably knew you were you were trying to hit a home right here. You're trying to be a hero, I would think. Yeah, I think everybody kind of knew I was going to ambush, too. So pretty funny. This is a quick and bad spoiler. But let's let's let's go. Let's check it out. Got him here. Let's see if you notice anything different. Nothing away. And just like you said, I want to point out, I mean, Yachty obviously show gear, my gosh. Gold gear, just filthy. What's he what's he saying to you? Nothing. He's like, hey, man, congratulations on the All Star game. He had talked to me prior to the game. So he I had known we have a good relationship. So he was just really ecstatic for me. And I know Joe West is behind the plate. And, you know, Joe Joe, his my head coach at Miami at University of Miami was his fraternity brother. Oh, cool. So he's like and, you know, he's like, hey, yonder. He's like, I hope Jim Morris is watching this. I'm sure he's very proud. That's cool. I'm sure he's very proud, too. You know, you're behind the plate and I'm about to hit. That's cool. So it was pretty cool that he he gave me that time. Yeah, so it's cool. So we saw the hit already. But I want to show location of the pitch, because you said I set my sights on the outer third of the plate. And I'm trying to pull the ball. Well, you see where Yachty is setting up and you see where it's thrown away. Right. You know, it comes in right at the last second. And, you know, I just pretty much took a whack at it. So you see my front foot there. It's like pretty much uneven because I'm thinking so much away. But then I'm thinking, you know, you better you better go with your a swing here. Like, don't try to hit a fly ball to left field here. Right. You know, try to try to hit this thing to right center. You know, and I think yeah, go ahead. Go ahead, go ahead. I think he elevates that ball a little more. I think he might hit a homer. Yeah, it was a good pitch. It was down on the way. Like, that's a tough pitch. But I'm diving out there so hard that I was able to get to that. Let's watch it again. And a rocket, man. In the All-Star game in front of everybody. Yeah. So I'm like, I'm thinking like, oh, my, like, I just can't believe I went two for two. Yeah. So then Sandy tells me that that he tells me first pitch. I should go. He's like, go steal that. I'm here thinking, all right, I've had enough. All right. And sure enough, I go for it and I get a stolen base out of it. So we got to watch that. Is that this next pitch? Yeah, I think it's. There it is. I left. Oh, my God. Yeah, first I just left for everyone watching. Yonder's not the flitest of foot, you know, very heavy, I must say. I mean, it's awesome. I mean, it's like a fairy tale story. It really is. And I love that you came on to share it with us because. Absolutely, man. Yeah, absolutely, man. It's my pleasure. But yeah, you know, I love talking, hitting and there's a lot of things that go and go on in somebody's head, you know, the preparation and the mindset. And it takes so long, like, right? It takes months and months and months for for somebody to develop a skill set and to be where you really want to be. Like it just doesn't happen overnight, you know? And I think for fans, I know we're like missing baseball a lot. And it's kind of cool that we that there's a lot of podcasts and a lot of people talking about hitting or the game in itself. But there's so much that goes into this of a baseball player the every day of a life of a hitter or the life of a pitcher or the life of just the game in itself that people kind of tend to forget that. And I think now during this time it's kind of to light where it's like, hey, you just don't get to the ballpark at, you know, five o'clock and put on a uniform and go three for four and hit a homer and you're good. You know, like, guys are there every day at 12 o'clock and this is their religion and there's a lot of work that is put into this. You know, and it's awesome to see and awesome to talk about and hopefully people hearing this and watching this can understand that, you know, it can definitely happen. They can have an all star game in their city and really enjoy it. And, you know, fulfill a dream, a long time dream, a kid's dream and really have fun doing something that you love. Oh, I love it, man. Again, I appreciate you coming on here, sharing the story. No doubt we're going to have you on again to talk some of bats from this year. Absolutely. Let's do it. Thanks, John. All right, guys. Thank you, guys.