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Episode 75: Chandler Rose, When Baseball Is Canceled (blog post)
Chandler Rose 0:00
So we went out to the field had a had a hard heart. That was one of the artists conversations I’ve ever had maybe probably the hardest day I’ve ever had with a team because at that point everybody kind of knew and I was very honest seniors to ask like, what are your thoughts and I was up front and i i don’t think it looks good guys.
Curt Carstensen 0:30
This is People I Know Show. I’m Curt Carstensen. It’s Episode 75. My guest is Chandler rose. I being a lifelong sports fan. And having worked in baseball for over a decade, have occasionally welcomed on guests that I’ve gotten to know through my years as a sports broadcaster or sports administrator in this time in our life with sports, extraordinary effected. It and seemingly coming to a halt. I wanted to reach out to one of the people in my baseball circle and see what his perspective was. Chandler was in the middle of his 10th year as head coach of the University of montevallo Falcons when his team season was canceled. Chandler and I first met back in 2006 when I was a broadcaster, and he was an assistant coach in Alexandria, Minnesota with the Beetles. I am disappointed to say, and I must warn you, then I had to edit this podcast more than typical because during the live recording on April 30, we had some internet issues and Chandler’s audio didn’t come through that well at times. So I’ve cut the worst parts out of the conversation. And some that remains still perhaps falls below my standard. But much of the conversation did come through pretty well. And Chandler had a very important perspective to add. So I decided to move forward releasing this as a podcast episode. But I did want to warn that perhaps it’ll be hard to listen to at times. I’ll use this as a learning opportunity and do what I can. So audio quality is much better from this point forward. This was live to Facebook originally. And for the next two weeks, may 5 and may 12. I have live podcasts scheduled for 2pm Central Time two on Tuesday, please, if you’re on Facebook, Follow People I Know Show also on Instagram, and People I Know Show on YouTube and this week I decided to try something new. I’ve been editing several clips from some of the recent episodes, and I created a new YouTube channel People I Know Show clips. A few people have found their way over there already. We’d love to see you. Subscribe to both People I Know Show channels on YouTube. People I Know Show has full episodes. And People I Know Show clips will be a place to go if you don’t want to invest the time it takes to listen to or watch a full episode but want to hear what I think are some of the highlights. I look forward to your feedback on this as always, People I Know [email protected] or reach out on any of the social platforms. Now to my conversation with Chandler rose. People I Know Show Episode Number 75 Curt Carstensen, joined today by Chandler rose Hello Chandler,
Chandler Rose 3:46
Curt How are you, buddy?
Curt Carstensen 3:47
I am doing well. You know, we chatted briefly yesterday. And I was thinking about how long it’s been since I’ve seen you in person and the memory that I’m drawn to and special probably correct was I think 2013 a mutual friend, someone that you’ve grown to be much closer with because of your, your positions together working together. Erik Maas got married. I think that was 2013. So I don’t think I’ve seen you in person since then.
Chandler Rose 4:15
Yeah, I think that’s right. I think we saw each other convention at one point in Nashville, maybe for that. And then and then the wedding, Moss’s wedding. So I think you’re right.
Curt Carstensen 4:25
And as I’m thinking back through my baseball life, I’ve been a broadcaster in baseball years ago, and then I worked in baseball, trying to think of, Okay, I want to have a conversation with someone in baseball, about what’s going on. And I’ve had a lot of people I could have chosen from, and one of the things that tipped me towards talking to you is, I think your wife has been posting some of the activities for like, science fair at home or something during the distance learning time and I thought, you know, the last time I saw Chandler I don’t think he had any kids. And now you have three of them. So I’m sure spending a lot more time at home with your wife and kids has been something quite different for you.
Chandler Rose 5:09
No doubt. It’s definitely been different. I leave all the schoolwork to my wife. I’m no teacher by no means that she’s done a phenomenal job with those guys and trying to get work done. And she’s working full time from the house right now. So it is it’s quite the balance. And we do have three kids seven, and my oldest son Levi seven, my daughter, Elena six, and then our youngest son Dalton is three. So it’s definitely a lot going on and trying to keep them entertained. Well, I’m making calls or she’s working and trying to do schoolwork and all that stuff, but she’s found some fun experiments for them to do I think they’ve all enjoyed
Curt Carstensen 5:46
and have you been taking part in the experiments? Are you like the camera guy or how that how’s that play?
Chandler Rose 5:51
Yeah, I don’t I’m not taking any credit for any of the schoolwork or the experiment that’s all her man. She’s She’s done it and I watch her catch up on what they’re doing and They’ve had some fun with some of those things. And we certainly only post the the good things and experiments. The other times trying to get them do some of their other schoolwork is like pulling teeth. But they enjoy those fun experiments and science stuff and, you know, try and do our best crazy times. And certainly trying to work and teach all at the same time is wild.
Curt Carstensen 6:24
And I’m wondering if things were typical normal, the old normal, which we’ll certainly talk about here shortly. How many hours a day would you be home during a typical college baseball season during the season? Like home and awake?
Chandler Rose 6:43
Ooh yeah has it this is is is obviously stating that this is much different, but I mean, usually I’m gone in the morning, depending on if we have weights or time or different things going on throughout the year. Then practice one We don’t typically practice too long during the season but we travel in games in practice. I would say I’d be home three to four hours in the evening, maybe get home at seven or so and you know, hang out the kids a little bit and grab something to eat and they go to bed and then you go to sleep and you’re back up at it again. And then you know, that certainly doesn’t include the travel the midweek games, the weekend travel being gone all weekend. So the springtime is, you know, you’re hardly ever around. That’s that’s, if I’m not recruiting. We’re not at high school game or junior college game. We’re on the road doing that as well. So it’s hard to estimate but certainly certainly not home very much in the springtime. We’ve tried to do a good job of that in the in the summer in the fall board. But yeah, in the spring, I would hardly be home at all. So probably an adjustment for my family to have me around as much as I am. But definitely, definitely would not be home like I am in and stuff.
Curt Carstensen 7:57
So in those previously, maybe Three to four hours an evening on non game days. I’m assuming you’d get to spend time with the family. But of course, you’re all home. Basically all the time now, I assume. And one of the other posts that I saw from your wife was like little league would have been starting, but you didn’t have that opportunity. So did you get like a family Little League game together? One day?
Chandler Rose 8:22
So yeah, that’s a good point. I mean, typically, even if we weren’t playing a midweek game, and we’re on the road, and I was home, I mean, all three were playing sports leave, I was in baseball Lane was in softball and Dolan was in T ball. So literally six days, seven days of the week, we have some practice or game. Thankfully, we have great friends that can help us because Sara cannot get them all to where they need to be at the same time. And I’m certainly not as helpful in the spring. So yeah, you throw that in the mix and I might not be home much at all. I mean, I got a lot of times I go straight from practice and even tell the guys watch this. We in practice, and I’m like, hey, great job. So you I’m taking off running, trying to get to a game and kids catch one of them playing so we would be going crazy right now with all those games and when you’re doing that you wish you would slow down and now you would, you would love to have that going on and be able to go watch them play but we did Dalton Dalton was going to play his first year t ball this spring. And so when everything got canceled, we were able to get his uniform and we had a little mo fn idea of having a little game in the backyard and the kids wanted me to put the uniform on so we all had a little t ball game in the backyard for him as a kind of ceremonial he was fired up he slept he sleeps in his t ball hat just about every night right now. So it’d be nice when he can get out there they can all get back out there all the kids get back out and play but the spring is to say it’s crazy is an understatement.
Curt Carstensen 9:48
Let’s go back to that day, if remember precisely or about when that was when you got news that there would be no more games for the rest of this video. Did you did you learn that right away? Or is it like a few games might not be played? How did that first come about and, and just describe what it was for for you and the coaching staff and all the student athletes on your team?
Chandler Rose 10:12
Yeah, thats something i’ll Obviously never forget. And it was a culmination of a few days, I think that we all saw come in. And I remember having a couple meetings, but it all just at the end of that week when everything stopped happened really, really fast. And we’ve had we’ve had some conversations as a department, a little bit of what was happening, you could follow Twitter and a lot of things going on. She didn’t know the seasons get cancelled. I think I really knew it was getting to that point when conferences started canceling their seasons. I think the Patriot League or Ivy League, or one of those was the first ones that you saw on Twitter said, Hey, we’re canceling the rest of the spring sports and that’s when it really hits you. Remember, we had a staff meeting on Friday morning. I think it was And we were talking through a lot of scenarios and things are going on. We were actually posted by Florida Southern that weekend non conference and they were We were trying to decide if they should come up or not come up. And it all happened so fast that they got on the bus and headed up. We had a staff meeting. Like they’re about four hours down the road. And after the staff meeting, sec started canceling their sports. I mean, it just started happening so fast to where I actually called Lance at Florida Southern on the bus. It was like man there. I don’t want to drive all the way up here. I think this was a Thursday Actually, this was a Thursday, Friday and and I was like, I don’t see us playing tomorrow. I think by tomorrow, everything’s gonna be stopped. So I kind of got a feel it hadn’t been shut down at that point completely yet. And our league hadn’t done anything or split and completely shut down. But I had a feeling so he turned around about four hours down the road and went back home. things really start to escalate and we held a meeting with our team right after that out the field. I wanted to get him out there before things got out on Twitter. So we went out to the field had a had a courtyard that was one of the artists conversations I’ve ever had maybe probably the hardest day I’ve ever had with a team because at that point, everybody kind of knew. And I was very honest seniors asked, like, what are your thoughts? And I was up front and said, I don’t think it looks good guys. I mean, I would be shocked if we end up playing again. And you know, no final decisions had been made. But you could kind of see that come in, and man, it was heartbreak and a lot of tears. And things ramped up during that meeting, to the point where it got to where we found out school was gonna close and guys need to be off campus if possible by Monday, and it all just happened so fast. And guys were having questions about Hey, what’s next? And, you know, I’m a senior Am I going to get my year back? Am I not Can I play What’s happened? What does this mean for me? What does this mean? There were just so many things on we had answers to so it was a very difficult process to tread through and I was just very honest and upfront, like always in with our guys and just and just told him Hey, when I get it from I’m gonna pass it to you guys. And well, we’re all in this together and work to get through this together but uncharted waters, that was a, that was a brutal day to sit down with the team, we thought they’re gonna play a game halfway through their season not even really halfway but until then basically their season was probably over and for some guys that never play again, there’s no good way to tell the team that or guys that especially senior so heartbreaking day I really struggle with it. I still struggle days with that for some of our guys.
Curt Carstensen 13:31
Thinking back that must have been March 12, March 13. The right right before that, like that was when the NBA and NCAA Tournament all all got canceled. So we’re like for someone like me, I’m hearing about these really big time, like national cancellations. But then like you and the players, you’re really dealing with this emotionally directly and some of those questions that you didn’t have answered At that time it was of course you’re in the 10th season, your 10th season as head coach of Division Two, University of montevallo. And do you have those answers? Now? Can any of the seniors come back? Is there any way that’s going to happen for either your university or elsewhere be heard?
Chandler Rose 14:20
We do. You know, so the NCAA has granted everybody an extra year of eligibility. I’m very thankful to work at a university institution that has agreed to give their seniors the scholarships back. If they’d like to come back. That’s an institutional decision for each school. That’s not something our school had to do. So Dr. Stewart, our administration down made that decision which is unbelievable. So it’s made some it’s it’s, it’s gonna give some guys some opportunities, but I don’t think what a lot of people understand. everybody’s excited to get the year back. But not all seniors are going to come back. I mean, I think right now we have four that aren’t four that are and one that still true. It’s a hard decision. I mean, we had a couple guys that are gonna get married and are engaged and a couple guys had jobs lined up so even though you get that year back doesn’t mean you’re just gonna come back couple a bunch of them are graduating this May so then you start getting into if I come back Am I trying to get a master’s degree, an MBA, we only have two or three post grad opportunities form and then do I just take classes to take classes and try to get a secondary to play again and spend that money extra money cuz we’re not we don’t have guys on full scholarships and they would still cost them a lot of money out of pocket to come back and do that. So it’s very complicated. I mean, it sounds great. But there’s some there’s a lot of decisions that go into that coming back. It was certainly the right thing to do. I was 100% behind that and wanted that for everybody to have that opportunity to come back. But we have some of those answers but it still doesn’t take away me for those guys aren’t coming back. It breaks my heart some of the things I missed out on with the rest of the season in the Travel and hopefully the postseason tournaments and senior day as such, you know, we got guys have been here and we look forward to that senior day and being your family and taking those pictures and doing all those things that they’re all going to miss out on that they won’t get back no matter what. And it kind of takes a don’t take for granted put the jersey on again into a different level because we played a game on Wednesday. And the next day we had this meeting on Thursday, I think it was the 12th he says you’re supposed to play on Friday 13th. And those guys never seen those guys never put a jersey on again and had no idea finish that game, went to sleep got up the next day, and then it was all all coming to an informed so we do have some of those answers. And I’m happy that seniors have that opportunity. But there’s a lot of factors that go into that. I don’t think people realize
Curt Carstensen 16:45
I’m going to take the conversation away from baseball just briefly and obviously this isn’t your main concern, I suppose as a head baseball coach, but I know that universities around the country and probably around the world They’re not quite sure what’s going to happen this fall yet. And at least here in Minnesota, for a lot of universities, I think what’s important is to have students coming from other states and other countries, as they are paying more in tuition, on average, at least in Minnesota. And I fear that a lot of universities, maybe smaller universities are going to really be sent into some financial issues, if not this year, coming up in the future. It’s Do you Are you aware of that with montevallo? I guess, explain how big it is in the area and like, what makes up the enrollment and what concerns you might have in that regard?
Chandler Rose 17:42
Yeah, I mean, I think there’s a lot of things we don’t know right now. That’s just institutions across the country as far as enrollment goes, and retention goes and what’s going to happen? I think, personally, and I don’t, I haven’t talked to a ton of people at our school about this yet and gotten a ton of updates We’ve had a few and they’ve all been positive at this point which is which is good. And you know we’ve been told j just continue to keep recruiting and bringing players in and but you know, I think there certainly is questions what what is the fall look like what’s gonna happen and I think a lot of it for me comes down to how quickly does do we get back to normal and can get things people back to work in and get back on track? And how long these lot these these lockdown stay in place. I mean, if they continue throughout the summer, and it starts pushing closer and closer to the fall, or can we get back to normal sooner to where you can get back to more closer to a normal flow. I don’t know if we’ll have anything exactly the same but just getting back something something similar to what we had. I have not had any news of Hey, we’re not gonna have a fall we’re not do anything. Everything’s been the opposite of a continued continue to push forward and continue to keep working and doing the things you need to do to prepare for the fall and prepare to have your, your team here and do those things. Um, so that’s what We’re doing right now. We’ve got 2700 students 2800 in that neighborhood every year I you know, I don’t know where we’re at. I do know they had their first online orientating a few weeks ago a couple weeks ago and and did very well had 200 something freshmen sign up for classes and usually we have between 505 50 so I think that was a really good start. And we have kids from all over the place and in our program i don’t i don’t know for the general student body but from our from our into things we’re we’ve obviously got a lot of Alabama kids, we got kids from all over like you said, we have an international player from Canada and you know, what’s that look like for him coming back and all those kind of things. So the sooner we get back to normal, the better. And the school setup, I guess definitely kind of go into your question about what cost Darnell so if every school sets their scholarships up different how they do things and how they work with students financially. So some schools might have to make some That goes to try to get their enrollment up or try to help. But our got a good both. We got a lot out of state guys and but it’s been it’s been positive news for us so far and hopefully we continue to keep that going.
Curt Carstensen 20:16
I’ve noticed some connection issues here as we’re talking I don’t think there’s anything in particular we can do at this moment to improve it. It’s not it’s not terrible, but I just wanted to make sure that everyone watching is aware that I’m aware and we’ll we’ll do our best of course Chandler you’re using your wife’s phone because we tested this a little bit yesterday and we weren’t so confident that your phone would necessarily get us through this conversation. And I want to put a comment on the screen here from Jennifer Walker. so grateful my son got to finish his baseball career at montevallo. Thank you coach rose. for everything you did for Taylor Walker. Go Falcons.
Chandler Rose 20:50
So awesome. One of the best single seasons in school history Taylor had unbelievable human being and unbelievable family and player transferred in from Southern Miss, heaven and arguably the best season in school history.
Curt Carstensen 21:04
Another somewhat selfish reason I wanted to have a baseball coach on the coach of any athletic sport on is because I have two nephews, my oldest two nephews that are juniors in high school and of course, their school year is not happening at least in person anymore. Their sports have been canceled at least through the summer, or into the summer. My one nephew is a high school football player he’s being recruited things are up in the air for what’s going to happen in the fall. We I guess we don’t really know that yet. And the other one’s favorite sport sport he’s pushing for is baseball. So in Minnesota baseball seasons hadn’t even started yet. He his team was actually in basketball going to the state tournament and that got canceled right after the section championship, but he’s not having a baseball season and he’s in his junior year, which I think is a really important year for like trying to get seen to get recruited for the following year for you then Chandler as a Division Two head baseball coach, what advice do you have for my two nephews and really for any high school athletes that can’t be seen right now at least not in the old conventional ways? How are they going to find a university? That’s going to want them
Chandler Rose 22:23
yeah, so I’ve had this question a lot from a lot of people and friends have reached out to me as well. And some there’s just so much up in the air for coaches right now. You know, I’ll use baseball for an example for us. The roster right now for for coaches across the country. We got seniors coming back, we had a class we had our sign coming in and then all these guys are getting the year back. So you plan a year or two and a head for a lot of things. So for us, for example, the juniors, who we thought would be seniors and then you spend there Scott, the junior class in high school like your nephew, are now juniors again. And then our seniors scholarship come for like us right now on the 21 class 2021 juniors, if all of our guys come back, and nobody else we don’t have any money right now, just in a single 2021 kid. And so I think every school graduation is just so are for coaches that sir and what I’ve been telling you was control what you can and just keep doing, doing training and do your thing videos up, I’ve got more videos than I ever have in my 15 years coaching college video. I mean, this is reaching out. And I hate for the juniors right now because there’s kids looking for places to go and we’re so full, we can’t take anybody else in. I think that’s gonna continue to trickle down into the 21 class. And there’s gonna be as this goes along throughout the year, because we’re gonna know his roster is forward and where the scholarship money is moving forward. So for those kids For the juniors in high school, you still have a ton of time. You need to make decisions on school and needs will happen, things will change. money will come available recruiting has gotten so far itself and kids commit so early and make decisions that are nervous right now even in the 21 class. So what’s going to happen? I need to make a decision and I wouldn’t tell people to do anything right now. I still think there’s a lot of times we don’t even know what’s gonna happen with some people when recruiting gets back to normal and maybe these kids play in only one class and 22 and 23. And my biggest advice is train controllers. do reach out to schools, send emails, get video out right now because that’s it. We’re not in love to be out recruiting and meeting with people so video is become you know, you can tell a lot from video and have your coaches call. But don’t panic. I think there’s still time and you’re in coaches aren’t gonna have answers right now. When you start reaching out coaches are gonna say I don’t I don’t know. I don’t know what that looks like right now.
Curt Carstensen 24:53
Do you? Do you think there’s whether it’s the players on your team or Or these high schoolers that you think because there’s limited opportunities to like go to gyms or use the school facilities, you get a sense of athletes are kind of taking it more easy than they should be because of that or, or the people you’re around, not skipping a beat and just doing the best I can.
Chandler Rose 25:20
My honest answer to that, I think it comes down to the individual. I think if you’re if you want to work and continue to stuff, you find a way to do it. Call our guys a couple weeks ago, and hopefully 90 to 95% of them had no access to gyms. weights, I met a few things laying around the house. What I’m trying to say too, is I don’t think it matters if we’re shut down or now not if extended the internal drive to do it. He’s gonna find a way to do it. Well, if you can get to a gym or you can’t kid the summer kids leave us and we talked to our guys about this all the time. Like if you want to dress what you’re doing, we’re not around, it’s easy at school and we’re standing there making you do it. But what are you doing when you go back home in the summer? What are you doing you play in the summer league You know, find some useful things, find some videos calling us asking for ideas, there’s things that you can do if you really want to.
Curt Carstensen 26:06
I can hear everything you’re saying, again, it’s coming through less than desirably. So you may be if someone’s watching in the in like your neighborhood, maybe go door to door and tell everybody to stop using their internet for a while. I think, as I think what happens is, a lot of the internet speeds can be somewhat variable. And with so many people at their homes that we can we can have these situations where if your Internet’s not like the best it can, it can do what it’s doing right now. So thank Thanks, everyone, for hanging in there. And I hope that as we continue that it’ll, it’ll get a little bit better here. I have another question. Come in a couple more on baseball, then we’ll switch away from the topic. How do you expect the MLB draft will be affected by all of this with scouts and cross checkers unable to get out and watch players during this time? So I think that’s kind of a similar question to what’s happening with your recruiting. There’s just you can’t be seen right now.
Chandler Rose 26:58
Yeah, so honestly, I think the scouts And even talking to a few scouts I’ve talked to during this time, a lot of them feel like they’ve done their work and they’ve done homework. I don’t think people realize how much works done the years in advance and in the fall, you know, how many how much guys have seen and and I think a lot of staff feel comfortable with things that they’ve seen. I think the bigger effect comes into it, there’s only a five round draft, which they’re talking about. That’s going to cause a huge trickle down. I mean, the transfer portal right now, for people that don’t know, I think there’s over 400, almost 500 baseball players alone in the transfer portal. And if there’s a five to 10 round draft, it’s gonna that transport is gonna take off even more because kids schools that thought high school kids get drafted or leave are not going to get drafted and older kids in the program are going to get drafted and come back and now you’re gonna have more kids from rosters need to get cut because kids need money. I think the bigger effects just going to be the lack of guys taken in the draft now causes a bigger pool of players wanting to go back to school or go to college. And what does that do to rosters And scholarships does it affect some kids that did not get seen this year? Sure. There’s always kids that have a great spring that weren’t on radar or weren’t as high maybe don’t jump in the draft like they were but if they’re only doing a five to 10 round draft I think the kids go in and those rounds in that high have been seen an awful lot between summer ball last summer fall you know the Northwoods league gets scattered all summer by these guys and multiple teams come up there I mean all star game we have four or five scouts from each team sometimes. So think the higher in draft guy be seen it’s gonna hurt kids that we’re trying to improve their stuff or hoping to get on some radars and be laying around in roster.
Curt Carstensen 28:40
I’m gonna put on a hat here quick Chandler. As we transition to the little little summer ball talk this is a hat from the Alexander beetles and if anyone’s noticed my shirt wondered what what this is I I don’t have any classic beetle shirt with the logo on it anymore. I can’t seem to find but here’s one where the Beatles B-e-e-t-l-e-s had a little shirt that they probably probably wasn’t legal at the time. Who knows, but they’re mimicking Abbey Road or Elm Street. Anyhow, that is where we met. It was the summer of 2006. It was my final year as the play by play announcer for that team, and the Beatles don’t even exist anymore. Sadly, that name, and that franchise has been away for that’s coming up on a decade as well. They had a different team there for a couple years, but for several years, no team in Alexandria. And that’s where we met though initially. And perhaps if someone from that team or related that team is is watching right now they can leave a comment so that we know that you’re out there. Chandler I’m wondering then with summer ball as for a Division Two player, I think those are great opportunities to get seen in different parts of the country by some different scouts. That as far as I know, at least with the Northwoods League, They’re they’re planning to play. They’re very aware they might have to adjust some things. But that’s very state specific and league specific. I’m curious what you’re hearing from that direction because summer ball will be starting in less than a month if they’re able to.
Chandler Rose 30:16
I think I still have my first shirt when I played there in 2001. Honestly, I should have brought that in showed my St. Patrick’s Day shirt, but I always say this. I think summer ball is one of the most important developmental parts of our guys. baseball career here, hands down. And there’s, you’ve seen a bunch of leagues have already canceled a lot of leagues are announcing July one hopeful start date kind of a half summer. So we were very young this year and had a ton of 20 maybe more and 20 guys going out the place per ball and a lot of the guys who were already placed there leagues have canceled. So from a developmental standpoint, that’s going to really hurt us. Those guys bump play and get at bats and even mature wise and get away I always say guys come back so different for summer ball. You’ve probably seen this your time to beetles, and how much guys grow up over the summer and get away and be on their own in that environment around a bunch of guys they’ve never met before and those first bus rides nobody talks for about two or three days. scouts come in. There’s their stats from the Northwoods league or these other leagues around the country and it is huge with scouts nowadays so guys are not going to have those stats in the summer for scouts to reference to especially with this a smaller school like us. Those are important for scouts for me to put out and say hey, look what he did against the Northwoods league or in the Cape Cod league and scouts are like hey, that’s big time. So a lot of uncertainty. I haven’t heard much from the Northwoods league yet we’ve got like eight to 10 guys go into play there. And last I heard just was I think they’re like everybody else trying to find a later start date but I haven’t heard anything as far as what they’re doing right now. And I just hope so are asking Get out play at some point if everything’s safe and they’re able to do that.
Curt Carstensen 32:04
And I suppose that’s the thing we’ve somewhat ignored so far in this conversation that, you know, the sports have been canceled in a lot of capacities are pretty much everywhere. How is he personally family players? Like is everyone doing okay is hopefully we’ve avoided it as best we can. Being a part of the statistics with the pandemic and COVID-19
Chandler Rose 32:29
Yeah, everyone our circle has done well. We have had a couple players whose family members have been affected. But what none of our player’s parents. My family hasn’t been affected thankfully. So hopefully it continues to be that way for for the people, program and our guys
Curt Carstensen 32:49
thinking back to Alexandria 2006. I tried to come up with some some fun stories or funny stories you have much that comes to mind and thinking about that you’re in court. Were there the next year and I worked for the league office so I did see you quite a bit even that summer. Yeah. What What do you really remember spending
Chandler Rose 33:09
What a fun summer. There’s a lot of characters on that team that was ones from summers I’ve ever had and had and honestly for me to go back, you know, Eric moss and I became best for we had never met except for once that phone we had a we had a small circle there with our coach. You know, I played for rescue monkey who was at Florida, Florida Gulf Coast and was the Beatles coach and I play for him. Maas was with him at Flagler. I was with him at FGCU. So that’s kind of how Maas I got hooked up and I was trying to go back and coach in Northwoods league in Alexandria as a young coach and we met at a Moe’s one day in Tampa one time and next thing you know, the backup and Alexandria the house, we all lived in the Beetles house together in terms coaches everybody in one house, cross street from the field and you know him and I ended up becoming best friends and best men best man in my wedding and all those kind of things. And I don’t know if you remember this there’s a few stories but the first first thing is it was just Boston I that summer I don’t know if you remember that Bryant Ward ended up coming up for like a week. And took a Job and was gone. And I think the funniest part about that him come in was he made the one road Duluth was the only week he was there. I think it was Waterloo Duluth Thunder Bay because I remember we stopped at a JC Penney’s or something in Duluth the by everybody sleeves cuz it was so cold have any and he had just shown up from Cal State Fullerton, California. But the funny part about that is we got the Thunder Bay and was right at the end of the first half. And it’s the only game I got thrown out that whole summer will mark and I both got thrown out on the same play at the plate and Thunder Bay with the with the first one line. You know, we were one out from winning the first half both thrown out on a play we were think Raddy may have got a base hit or so we thought the guy was safe to plate. I don’t even know how he got thrown out but as we’re we both get thrown out with the half on the line in Bryant. As a team and you know guys names with us for like three days, and we’re staying out behind left field and this guy’s running the team and doesn’t even know who the players are. So Maas and I still talked about how crazy that was. He was there a week and that guy was probably what did I get myself into the situation? The other best story is, I believe that was the big brawl with Kellam and Duda and all them and Eau Claire were kind of started Eau Claire and I think that Mostel has that picture of him getting thrown out for this but I think Kellam got hit and charged mound or something one of those or he was on the mound and hit somebody in came and melee happened. Next, you know, vase on the field, please throw in the field. I remember Duda was the biggest dude ever and was standing there and everybody kind of backed away and we were just grabbing people off the pile. But I think guys still talk about that incident when it went down to balls and I still talk about that. That was like the real brawl that we got into that. I don’t think it was like games left in the season at that point either.
Curt Carstensen 34:08
That was maybe the
Chandler Rose 36:03
may remember that.
Curt Carstensen 36:03
Yeah, there was a second or third to the last game of the season. And I wasn’t even broadcasting that game because Andrew Tichy was going to be my replacement the next year and so maybe I broadcast the part of the game but I was standing and watching at that moment, Drew Saberhagen’s dad, Bret Saberhagen was there so I was standing with him watching this thing unfold. And there was some big dudes on that team. And I think pretty much all of them got into the fight. Some of them were noticed by the umpires and were suspended or rejected and then suspended for the final game of the year and that final game of the season, the roster was very thin, if I recall.
Chandler Rose 36:39
That’s right. You remember that happens we had no player Sabes had to play as a position player that game because we were so thin the last game of the season. He was transferred from Pepperdine to Western Carolina as a pitcher.
Curt Carstensen 36:52
Yeah, I kind of lost you there for a second Chandler the audio got bad but you’re explaining drew Saberhagen in the he batted. So I remember that he won the game with that hit but yeah he injured himself and that messed up his transfer a little bit at least for a while.
Chandler Rose 37:08
you know talented group of kids we had four or five big leaguers maybe more on that team
Curt Carstensen 37:13
yeah there ended up being a few Lucas Duda, Danny Worth. And I guess I’m forgetting some of the other ones
Chandler Rose 37:19
Yeah. Jermaine Curtis was on that team. Yeah, there was a few we’re probably missing a couple more.
Curt Carstensen 37:27
So let’s see if I’m going to talk to you for just a bit and hopefully maybe you not sending up audio will help for a moment get things to calm down. I’m not sure but well, we’ll come near the end of the conversation I I’m I guess I’m obviously for people watching. I’m sorry that the the connection hasn’t been as good as desired because it’s been good for a while. It’s really good. And then suddenly, I don’t know what happens like right now when you’re not talking. I think it’s actually way better. But the whole point of this is to talk to you. So we can’t really do that. But I will I will lead into this. Before we get into the personal growth segment, obviously Big sports people like sports meant everything as a kid for me and my brother wanted to be a broadcaster and that’s why I ended up getting into broadcasting and in meeting you actually he first worked in the Northwoods league with the Brainerd Might Gulls, who I think might have been a team still in 2001 or 2002. Your your first stint into the league as a player but as a lifetime sports fan as a fan, I think the maybe the best two days of Minnesota sports fandom for me. date back to 2009. I looked it up it was October 5 and October 6 2009. The Minnesota Vikings had a Monday Night Football game. with Brett Favre at quarterback in his first game against the Green Bay Packers. And I was flying back from Las Vegas that day, and before I left I pay a place to fly $50 wager that the first touchdown of the game would be a touchdown catch by Vikings tied in Visanthe Shiancoe $50 to win 900 I flew back my friend picked me up at the airport, we went to a sports bar. We got in there and within a minute of walking in the building, the first touchdown of the game was Favre to Shiancoe it was so amazingly exciting and the Vikings won that game and they’re like for real. So this is a very exciting sports moment. And then the next day was game 163 between the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers because they tied for the division lead, but because like the Vikings have Metrodome priority at that time, they had to push the playoff game after Monday Night Football to a Tuesday, and a bunch of us drove to the Metrodome without tickets. And in some of the greatest fortune of knowing the right person. We knew I knew someone that worked with the Vikings who shared a facility and I went to ask them like Do you know anyone with tickets? How can we get tickets? And I’ve never said this publicly, but he there’s Empty. Back in the Metrodome, there was a Viking suites that no one would use during twins games. So he let like 10 or 13 of us into the Metrodome for free into the suite. We didn’t like get any drinks or food or anything from in there. But we watched this game from a suite, a whole bunch of us on game 163, which went to 13 innings. The twins won it on a walk off single, by I think Luis Rivas and Christian Guzman, whatever it was, so as a sports fan, those were like two of the most memorable days of my life. But the thing is Chandler I always remember and connect that back to you. And as we get into the personal growth segment, I know right at that time, you your life was completely the opposite emotionally.
Chandler Rose 40:44
Right. Yeah, I mean, that was, that was a time when I found out that cancer and changed a lot of things for me and my life and kind of directions of where I went, what my thought process and all that kind of got married. So that’s At the time, I remember that I remember to because one of my last chemo treatments goes through that the saints won the Super Bowl that was going through but sitting on the couch and having joy of watching the saints, kind of getting them things and October is when you know things got got really bad for me.
Curt Carstensen 41:18
Yeah, and and I guess sometimes like peak emotional experiences I’ve learned we we can remember those things well, and I just remember having such a great time at the same time that I heard that you were we’re going through all that. So if you can and and hopefully the the video the audio hold up for us here for this, this final bit here. Just what have you. What have you learned coming out of that experience having cancer recovering and now is it 10 plus years? cancer free? Everything’s been good. Like, tell me about that whole journey?
Chandler Rose 41:48
Yeah. So I mean, no, thank God and you know, I think everything happens for a reason and you put in different places at different times in your life. Different people are putting your life at certain I’m coaching in Colorado, we had just moved there really about a year or two ahead of time and I didn’t have doctors out there I didn’t know a whole lot. I was young. I was 27 years old at the time 28 years old. And I remember man things started to change for me I felt in early like June July, I got misdiagnosed for probably three or four months. And Air Force I had to teach and guide people there could see me to teach the teachers I was with and stuff could see me getting worse, you know, still going to work and doing those things. And some people said, Hey, you need to do this over again and try to sign some other doctors and stuff. So long story short, I ended up going to another doctor, I mean, tons of doctors and I found him to the right doctor who basically one day who everything was going on, set me up biopsies, all kinds of stuff, and then escalated really quick and third, from that point, I’m going to going in on Friday and he told me what I had what was going on by that Monday I was in surgeries and I got four or five surgeries in one week. was going to happen and I look back at that time and the people at Air Force Academy I could not have been better people that really were there for me helped me through that time I was a young kid just married you know, hadn’t built up a lot of time to still get paid and have benefits insurance and those people really came to my aid helped me through all that time. And and I’ve been fortunate being some places that group I grew up quick. I was I was 25 when I got the Air Force Academy doesn’t see everything for sure what the big picture is, and what’s going on around you in the Air Force Academy was the best experience I could have had at that time. The people I met the people I was around, going through the cancer really changed a lot of perspective on life for me that I carry everything going and look at things so much so much more differently. That is baseball important. Yes. What we do for a living and it’s one of the most important things that will ever be part of my life, but that that whole experience changed me as a coach so much and what I felt Like my mission was my job was profession and now we’re going through that crazy part was going through that treatment. And when I interviewed at montevallo I came on in May was like, we slept in our own I was still working every day. I’m lost about 50 pounds I got pictures people won’t believe bald like this My quarantine haircut. So I finally shaved my head last weekend. But I flew we were at Arizona State clean came home today a plane that night flew about one day interviewed and came back in another place that I’m very blessed was putting my life here with the people in Montavallo , and I wanted to be able to impact lives forever and so bigger than just baseball baseball is a vehicle used in these guys lives
Curt Carstensen 44:46
and it lost you again there Chandler I think this probably means we should wrap up the conversation. I thank you for for joining me and actually I’m gonna throw one more comment on the screen. I think a thank you to you From Jamie McHenry Brooks Thank you coach for everything in the last four years the Brooks family is so appreciative for all you did to help Ryan and experience we will never forget. And so a lot of a lot of thanks to go around. Thanks for everyone to Hank for hanging in I know the audio cut bad at times and I’ll clean it up as best I can for the audio only version of this that’ll release here tomorrow and I’m going to be doing more live podcasts and someone that I don’t know that is talking about your cancer recovery. I don’t know if the year is matched up for you but a former Beatles broadcaster Matt Bishop who’s had a lot of challenges with cancer and other medical issues over the past seven or eight years on Tuesday Tuesday at two o’clock Central. I’m going to be talking with him and I guess between now and then I’ll make sure that the video and audio and the internet speed is is as best as best possible as I think the conversation came through pretty good Chandler but a moment it wasn’t great, but I really appreciate you and everyone that took the time.
Chandler Rose 46:01
Yeah, sorry if it’s coming from my end You know, I probably got three kids on all kinds of devices in there my wife’s working from home with two computer so it I’m sure it was on my end But thanks for having me and I’m thankful for baseball that’s brought me all these relationships and relationship with you and you know these families commenting if guys are listening or families I’m so grateful for all the kids that have played for me that are still playing for me, the families that we’ve had, or we’ve had, you know, I look forward to continue and continue to build more relationships and coaching more and doing all those things, but I appreciate you having me and you know, all those Beatle songs where we had a lot of fun on the on those days in 2006 with the Beatles.
Curt Carstensen 46:44
It was a good time good memories. Make sure you say hello to your dad and coach maas for me as Of course I got to know those two people close in your life very well over the years. Thanks again.
Chandler Rose 46:55
Will do thanks Curt appreciate it.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai