American Roots Outdoors w/ Alex Rutledge
Join Alex Rutledge along with Co-Host Wayne Lach & Mike "Redbone" Crase as we cover a variety of topics from Deer Hunting, Turkey Hunting, Fishing and today's top headlines...... all while Sharing our Faith! We will also have Special Guest appearances from some of the Hunting Industry's biggest names and Country Music Stars you all love!
American Roots Outdoors w/ Alex Rutledge
Jake Eddington - Local kid gets drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies!
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Alex, Mike and Wayne welcome Jake Eddington, a local boy right here from Donophin Missouri, who just got drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies! Jake reflects on how his childhood upbringing helped to shape him into an All-Star Pitcher! He also shares his love for the outdoors and what he hopes the future holds....
To follow Jake Eddington:
https://www.facebook.com/jake.eddington.3
To follow American Roots Outdoors Podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/448812356525413
To learn more about American Roots Outdoors:
https://americanrootsoutdoors.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRootsOutdoors/
To learn more about "80 Below":
https://www.facebook.com/80below
To follow Alex Rutledge:
https://www.facebook.com/americanrootsalex/
To follow Wayne Lach:
https://www.facebook.com/wayne.lach.5
To follow Mike Crase:
https://www.facebook.com/mike.crase
To learn more about TideWe:
https://www.tidewe.com/
Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation:
https://www.mhhf.us/
To follow American Roots Outdoors Podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/448812356525413
To learn more about American Roots Outdoors:
https://americanrootsoutdoors.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRootsOutdoors/
To follow Alex Rutledge:
https://www.facebook.com/americanrootsalex/
To follow Wayne Lach:
https://www.facebook.com/wayne.lach.5
To follow Mike Crase:
https://www.facebook.com/mike.crase
It's always been a dream of mine to go to Canada and two uh Canadians up there.
SPEAKER_03So Well, I've got to take you when you're ready to go. He goes everywhere. He takes about uh six or eight guys with him, and they've got the camp and everything, and they absolutely wear them out and get you hooked up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Alex, let's let's please clarify here if we can. Um because I know we kind of used some playing there, but just so we don't get in trouble. Uh he wants to go up there too. Canadian right, not too Canadian.
SPEAKER_10Use your make your easier.
SPEAKER_03Use YZ presents. Welcome to America Week Outdoors. Man, do we have some guests today, Redbone Wayne?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we do. We got we're gonna do a wide range of topics today.
SPEAKER_03Yes, we are. And our guest today, Wayne, you know, is Jake Eddington and his dad, Brad Eddington, from Donovan, Missouri. Let me tell you, they got a story, the American Dream Story, to share with us today. These guys are outdoors men, uh, Christians, men of faith, and father's son. And you're gonna get to hear the American root story of Jake Eddington and his dad. And we're gonna break the news right now. It's been in social media everywhere, but we're gonna announce it right here for those of you that do not know. Jake Eddington just signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. That is huge news for the Ozarks and for the Eddington family. And they are on the line right now. Welcome to the show, Jake and Brad. Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER_02Going on, happy to be on.
SPEAKER_03Yes, sir. So we're gonna kick this off, Red Bone. Who is Jake Eddington? Who is Brad Eddington? Jake, you go first.
SPEAKER_02Well, um boy from Donovan, Missouri. Um grew up hunting fishing and uh playing a lot of baseball and um getting beat a lot when I was a little kid because my dad let me uh let the girls beat me all the time, but made me tough and made me into the man I am today. So um very thankful for that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and and Brad, you're his father. Let's talk about Eddington roots. You were born and raised there in Donovan, talk about your parents. Yeah, so I've I've lived here my whole life. Um my daddy was from Naddo, Arkansas, and my mom, I know you know her family, the roots are on deep there with uh Tommy Dalton. Uh I know he does a lot of a lot of advertisement for American Roots Outdoors. Uh that's that's her brother. Um it's just one of those things, man, that this little town here, you know, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Um it's it's really family driven, really Christian driven. And as you know, you've been here many times. Uh it's all about hunting in this town. And and you boys are turkey killers too. You boys, I've seen photos on social media, and and you guys love the smallmouth fish, you kill big bucks, and also you're a taxidermist, aren't you, Brad? Well, I was for 23 years, Alex, and then uh I got lucky and got a got a position with uh BSN Sports. So I I actually sell sporting goods to uh a lot of different schools in the area. Uh kind of over there in your your home term. Mountain View Birch Tree Livery is one of my schools I take care of there. Um I kind of I kind of got to expand my roots a little bit and I get to impact a lot more children and and a lot more, you know, coaches and things like that. So very, very blessed with the position I got now just, you know, besides being a tax nervous. God has truly blessed you guys. And what we want to do is reveal the story of a father's son, and and you know, there's a good mother behind that son we know, and her name is Jessica. Jessica. I wish she was there with you. We'd have her on here too, but she's probably shy, I'm sure. But uh, so we're we're gonna do eight-minute segments here. We got a few minutes left here in this first segment. Uh you boys are from Dalton, Missouri. Your roots run deep and strong down there. The Dalton family is part of your family. Uh and again, I want to reiterate Tommy Dalton is like my family. Yeah, he's my uncle. Um, you know, Tommy. I know you fish with him a lot, Tommy Wayne and Oh, he's my cousin. Um good family. They're hard working people. So so when did Jake get involved in baseball? How old was he when he started? Tell the story about the first time you remember the first time you and him ever played catch. Man, Alec. I've got I I can remember the first time I ever took all of them out in the yard and playing and he uh he he probably he probably developed a lot of his competitiveness from, you know, just being out in the yard with his sisters because I used to teach him how to catch fly balls and hit them ground balls and things like that. And he would he would get so mad because I throw balls up in the air and we'd play little games and his sisters would always beat him and he would Yeah, 'cause he wasn't throwing the high. Oh yeah, he he he would get so mad and he'd throw his glove down, throw his hat down, and run and jump and climb the apple tree for a little bit and sew up, and then wouldn't be long, he'd be right back out there in the middle of it. So it was it was a good time. Redbone, you got a question, Wayne?
SPEAKER_09Well, say it sounded like he had a you would you say he climbed up an apple tree to me, he'd probably just go into the bullpen to relax, get his thoughts back together, and come back in. So he was in training already back then.
SPEAKER_02That's right. I was I was just going up there to take a little breather and I was ready to go again.
SPEAKER_01So I I I would I would assume, Jake, that you played little league all the way through I mean, up until you got into high school and kind of give us a little bit of uh uh the background on your you know, your baseball career to this point.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like you said, I played I mean, I've been playing since I was five years old. Uh I remember like it was yesterday. You know, I played with my sisters in coach pitch and P ball and um all the way up until you know fast pitch and um played together until I got to you know, middle school and stuff and played on my high middle school team and my high school team and then um I played I played on a local travel ball team until my sophomore year, junior year of uh high school, and then I had to, you know, kind of expand it a little bit and I got with this team out of Georgia and it was uh organization called Perfect Game where it was um they have tournaments in Georgia, Florida, all across the world pretty much. It was just an avenue of having uh a better chance of getting recognized by colleges and um scouts and whatnot. So um took that route and um you know just went to went to Alabama my first two years of of college um and had a good freshman year. Then my sophomore year I had uh Tom and John surgery on my elbow. Um so and then uh and backstory and COVID year, my senior year, so I didn't get to pitch my senior year of high school, then then I pitched freshman year, Tommy John, sophomore year. So it's been up it's up and up and down the last few years. Um adversity, but you know, you know, all that kind of shapes into who you are and shows your true character of yourself. So the world and it's uh been pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_01So did you know, uh, and you mentioned uh up to your sophomore year in high school, did you know at that point that you wanted to pursue a career in baseball? And we just got uh just like 60 seconds here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh yeah. I mean, I knew when I was a little kid that, you know, I always looked up to my dad and he was always he's always been my true hero and um uh you know pursuing the game. I knew I had the the work that the commit and the talent to uh pursue that was always my dream.
SPEAKER_03Well, we're gonna go to a break, everybody. Don't go away. We've got Jake Eddington, Brad Eddington. Jake Eddington just signed and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, a local southern Missouri boy. We'll be right back with more right after this.
SPEAKER_12Hey everybody, this is Michael Wadding with Bone Collector, and you're listening to my buddy Alex Rutledge on American Roots Outdoors, man.
SPEAKER_07I've been on a big boy for a while. I can load him in the back of my throat.
SPEAKER_10We can take it to a red bone, you hear about that new deer feet? What new deer feet?
SPEAKER_05Hey, buck grits, boys. You ain't heard of that yet? But grits, buck grits.com.
SPEAKER_10What makes it better than any other deer feet?
SPEAKER_05Well, buck grits, it's got the protein that you need, it's got the fat that you need, it's got the amino acids, it's got the energy, it's got it all brothers. So we're going back after the rest of the records. Buck grits.com. You can get a sample, you can order it directly from the website or someone to a retailer near you.
SPEAKER_10If you want to help it, use butt grit.
SPEAKER_07Come on.
SPEAKER_03The ammunition presents. Welcome back to segment two of the show, man. What a great show. I'm sitting here in my lodge, and a good friend of mine from Springfield area that done Mallory's bathroom. He is a professionist, professional, and master at laying tile. He's done a lot of stuff for the celebrities in Branson, Missouri, in there. And this guy came and done Mallory's shower for her Redbone Wayne. You've seen it on social media. You've probably seen it too, Brad and Jake. It's beautiful. And he brought crappie filets to the house. He's gonna fry crappie, and we're going to drink some refreshments here with our crappie, and we're going smallmouth fishing in the morning. Brad Eddington, Jake's son, Jake will be getting on the airplane, flying to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the morning to go to camp. And again, if you just join us, we got Brad and Jake Eddington talking about their roots, talking about the history and love they have of the outdoors, of hunting and fishing, and for baseball. Jake, Philadelphia Phillies is not one of Redbone's biggest. He's not one of their big fans. Let's just talk about that. Redbone, why don't you like the Phillies?
SPEAKER_01Well, growing up in the in the 1970s in St. Louis, now my formative years, I was a teenager in the 1970s, and Cardinals and Phillies were huge rivals because they were in the same division back then. And they were they were in the National League.
SPEAKER_03Because they were good is why you don't like them. Tell the truth.
SPEAKER_01Well, they weren't that good either. And Cardinals weren't that good either. But we traded my favorite pitcher at the time, next to Bob Gifts, Steve Carlson. When he was just two traders in the traded him for basically nobody to the Philadelphia Phillies, because number four on the all-time strikeout list, I haven't forgiven the Philly fan. I hate the Philly fanatics. I don't like the Philadelphia Phillies as a team. So here's what I'm going to tell you, Jake. I'll tell you this, Jake. I will root for you, but I won't root for the Phillies. How about that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I've uh I've got that a lot the last uh the last few days. I had several people tell me, I hope you pitch good every game except when you play the Cardinals. I hope it sucks, let me say.
SPEAKER_03I got a feeling that the Cardinals are gonna fear you, buddy. Let's just talk about you, Jake. Uh we've talked about your roots up to going to college and now getting signed with the Phillies. Uh how tall are you and how what do you weigh and how fast? What's your what's your top speed?
SPEAKER_02I'm 6'2, uh 195, and I've been up to 100 this year. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01And that's post-Time John, sir. You got a question?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I do actually. When you were talking about uh, you know, your dad being your hero and that, who, aside from your dad, which you know, that's awesome that he's your hero, but aside from that, who did you enjoy watching pitch that you said, hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna be like him one day, or I'm uh, you know, did you learn from as you were growing up and and watching all the the teams on TV?
SPEAKER_02Well, growing up when I was a when I was a kid and when I was probably in middle school, I I played shortstop in high school and all that, so I I like watching the hitters as much as the pitcher. So um yeah, it'd be it would be a sin if I didn't say I loved watching out with foot holes when I was a kid, but um but here recently I've really I really liked watching uh Justin Verlander and Jacob de Grom, those guys um I really enjoy a lot.
SPEAKER_09Now do you ever get on YouTube and look at some of the I hate to say that use the word vintage pitchers, but you know pitchers from back in the uh the eighties and nineties and that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh Drake Maddox and John Snolt and uh Tom Bob and you know, those are the guys back then. Yep, big unit.
SPEAKER_01No one runs 80s and 90s is not vintage.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, that's what I'm trying to hate to use that word, but kids nowadays, you say something from the 80s, they're like, oh, that's old.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna give you a fashion idea, you ready? Remember what the catfish, what was his name? Catch Hunter?
SPEAKER_04Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. You need to grow your big mustache like he's got. You'll be something different and cool, and you'll stand out again amongst them. All the pictures out there. I think that would be cool. I could see it. Now, instead of catfish, you'd be smallmouth yake.
SPEAKER_02Well, I'll try I'd I'd do that if I could actually grow a mustache, you know. It'd take you six years to do it. I'd have to I'd I'd have to grow it out and then put it just from in on there to make it black.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. We're gonna switch news a little bit here. Uh we'll get away and make it. What is your favorite outdoors thing to do uh when talking about the outdoors other than sports? Would it be hunting or fishing?
SPEAKER_02I love a waterfowl. Uh it's always been a dream of mine to go up to Canada and shoot uh Canadians up there.
SPEAKER_03So Well, I've got to take you when you're ready to go. He goes every he takes about uh six or eight guys with him, and they've got the camp and everything, and they absolutely wear them out and get you hooked up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Alex, let's let's please clarify here if we can, uh, because I know we kind of use some slang there, but just so we don't get in trouble. Uh he wants to go up there and shoot Canadian geese.
SPEAKER_08Right, not shoot Canadians. Shoot Canadians.
SPEAKER_01I'm just like Canadian geese, yeah. Yeah, Canadian geese. Let's just make sure that we're we're we're not getting anybody in trouble. Don't need the FBI checking us out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we've got it correct, yeah. Yeah in this society we're in today. So it's it would be waterfowl. Hi, uh, can you share in memory of a turkey hunt? I know you turkey hunt too, Jake, with you and your dad. You both tell us about it. We got about, I think, three minutes left in this segment. Am I correct, Redbone?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, really about uh about two and a half. No.
SPEAKER_03Two and a half minutes. Tell us what is your first memorable, your your greatest memorable turkey hunt with your dad. Well, I'm just gonna be really honest, I've missed more. He'd called me in more and I've missed more and I've killed. Oh, I've met me. I've been there.
SPEAKER_02Um I I'd say probably the last one on my kill was pretty memorable. Um we got up early that morning, didn't hear much, and then kind of kind of a little bit later we went back out and there was some on this on this uh red side. And uh we chased them all across the farm and they came down to it and then um didn't get it down. We caught them across the other side and caught them over the called them over the snow, and it was about ten yards in front of me, and I killed one. He was full shruck, shouting full truck, so it was it was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03That was pretty that was pretty memorable. So Brad, do you remember any time you got mad at his permission and you scolded him? I remember it my 16th birthday. That morning there. Um reworked this turkey for a long time, and he came out in this field, and he was about 300 yards from us, no way to get around him whatsoever. Finally, I got this one hand fired up um and just got super aggressive cutting at her, and here she comes on a string. There was actually two hands. He comes strutting in, and I was hunkered down behind him and had my binoculars looking at him, and he got on this little crested point, and all I could see was hooks. And to this day, it's the biggest hooks on the I've ever seen in my entire life. And he comes up over this little point, and I told him I was sitting perfect behind him, I was like, kill him. He shoots, and I actually saw the wadden go about eight inches over the top of his head. And uh he was probably five yards. Yeah, he when he when he came up finally where he could shoot, I mean he was right on top of us. But anyways, long story short, I'm not sure that I found that hat yet after that day. I was I was a little frustrated to say the least. You threw the hat or did you shoot the hat? I bet my hat shot before because I missed. No, I I didn't shoot the hat. I just threw the hat and took off walking towards the house.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I'll come back and get the kid.
SPEAKER_03Hey everybody, we're gonna go to a break. When we come back, we're gonna have more with Jake and Brad Eddie, so don't go away. This is good stuff.
SPEAKER_00This is Brenda Valentine, and you're listening to American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and friends.
SPEAKER_07And my old pair of haunted boots passed on down, planted deep in the ground, around your heart, so you never gotta worry.
SPEAKER_10Hey guys, it's food plot planting time here in the Ozarks and all across the country. What are you planning this year, Wayne?
SPEAKER_09I'm gonna put some smorts board in with a whole lot of clover.
SPEAKER_01Wait, wait, wait, wait, clover. What a mortgage board? What a smortgage board, man.
SPEAKER_09It is a variety of annuals and perennials that'll get you through fall time, wintertime, and all the way into spring.
SPEAKER_10It's awesome. You want to play healthier food plots, like all kinds of games. Go to www.eagleState.com. It's a smortgage board. You know, we all get power starting. The smortgage board has everything. Your deer will love it. EagleSleep.com. American Eagle Seed presents.
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to America Roots Outdoors, segment three of the show. If you just joined us, you've been missing the Eddington family with us. Jake Eddington signed and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. This guy and his dad is sharing some of their hunting stories and their love of outdoors, including baseball, of course, and talked about their first time playing catch and playing little league and college ball and who this guy is from our area in southern Missouri, Hillbilly from Whitley County, as a professional baseball player. And it's an honor to have you and your dad on this show, Jay. Thanks for being with us today.
SPEAKER_02I'm I'm happy to be here. It's uh it's a pleasure and honor for me to be on here with you guys as well.
SPEAKER_03Hey Alex, let me ask are you nervous? Are you nervous? And I'm gonna turn it over to Redbone. Are you nervous about getting on that plane in the morning flying to Philadelphia?
SPEAKER_02No, I've I've I've flown so much the last three to four years. I'm I'm pretty well used to it by now. Okay, Redbone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, I I was I was just gonna say that what we have learned, if you if you have not listened to the rest of the show, you might want to go back on the on the podcast and listen to it. But what we have learned so far today is that uh Philadelphia Phillies, Jake Eddington. That's that's weird to hear, isn't it, Jake? Anyway, uh, is better at hitting the strike zone than he is hitting turkey.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01You know, I was gonna ask earlier, Jake, what about what about your arsenal? I mean, what do you bring to the mouth? Obviously, you know, you mentioned a hundred mile an hour fastball on occasion. Uh what other pitches do you throw and and maybe what's your best pitch, you think?
SPEAKER_02Uh so slider and change up as well. And um back half of the year, my changeup was my best pitch, but um my slide is really effective, and um I think as I go on that'll probably be my best pitch and um rack up this rack out a bit.
SPEAKER_01Cool.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_09Now did you have to change anything up after your surgery? Like you had a different like a curve was your your favorite, and then after the surgery you just couldn't throw it anymore, so you changed it up or no, everything was kind of the same.
SPEAKER_02I I mean everything everything was better after the surgery. Um, through harder stuff was better. Um just gotta keep working on my on my command a little bit better. Because usually guys that come back from Tommy John are command for the the last thing to come back, so um still working on that uh as we go on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you mentioned playing uh school. Uh yeah, and you played at Missouri State, right? This past season.
SPEAKER_02Yes, Missouri State.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and playing for a legend over there. I mean, that's you know, a lot of people don't realize how good a baseball program they have at Missouri State University.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It's um we made history this year, too, the first three uh uh three guys get drafted in the top ten rounds. It's only happened three times, and this this year's the first year from 2015.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, congratulations. That's fantastic.
SPEAKER_03Who's the other two guys?
SPEAKER_02Uh Spencer Nivens, he's from Columbia, Missouri, and uh Hayden Minton, he's from uh Tokyo, Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that Nivens boy, he can hit a little bit, can't he?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he can. You just can't hit him, Jake.
SPEAKER_01I'd say some of those moonshots he'd hit uh on on the KY3 on the review of the game. That boy can hit the ball a long way.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I'm sitting there with Chris Burkhardt again, and he's sitting there like he knows everything about you. I guess he's been following you somewhat, Jake. He's a fan of yours. He wants to say hi to you.
SPEAKER_11Hey, Jake.
SPEAKER_03How are you doing, sir?
SPEAKER_11Hey, sir, I've been following you. Proud of you.
SPEAKER_03Proud of you.
SPEAKER_11Thank you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So when you go to Philadelphia and you arrive there, uh, I guess you you uh meet with the managers, coaches, etc., and and you'll probably hit the road run and practice and uh let's talk about we got a few minutes left here. Let's talk about the ritual that you'll be living daily there at camp. Or or playing ball right now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so uh I'm going to Philadelphia uh for four or five days to get my physical and my master testing done. And then I'm actually heading to Florida to the like an ILA building. And I'll start uh start training there off with other stuff, and then um I'll get built up the test building program, and then start pitching pretty soon the next month or so three so much probably.
SPEAKER_03Wow. That's pretty dang good. So so you'll get up every morning, uh your ritual will be getting up probably at around daylight, and you'll head to the to the camp or whatever. Your training camp. And how long will you practice during the day? How many hours?
SPEAKER_02I'm sure it's gonna be multiple hours for sure. Um hitters and pitchers are different because you just gotta train differently for your body. Um but uh I would say three to four hours a day, probably for sure.
SPEAKER_03Wow. Do they still make you guys run a lot in these camps? Uh lift weights, etc. Talk about that.
SPEAKER_02Uh we don't we don't run a lot, we do a lot of strength strength training. Um if we do run, just um keep us in shape. It's not like long distance or like a long sprint or anything like that.
SPEAKER_01So Jake, what I mean, what I mean from here, what's the most exciting thing? I mean, what are you most looking forward to from from uh this point moving forward in in the immediate in the immediate time frame?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, just uh you know, getting to get to meet more people and you know, just getting better. Um I mean I've just been looking forward to that. And I just um I'm looking forward to not having to go to school all the time, I'll say that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, now let me ask you this for your hey, you got uh do you are you on a strict diet? Do you gotta watch what you eat now? That you're you're a professional baseball player, do your managers make you watch what you eat, etc.
SPEAKER_02Um I don't eat a lot of sugars or anything like that. I uh it's it's pretty uh it's a pretty healthy diet. Wow. I've always I've always been like that though.
SPEAKER_03That's good. That's good. It's all muscle. Everybody, we're gonna go to a break. Again, we got Jake and Brad Eddington on our show.
SPEAKER_06Hi, everybody. This is Brad Harris. You're listening to American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and Friends.
SPEAKER_01Hornity. Each piece is hand inspected to ensure consistency and quality. Ammunition engineered to perform flawlessly, simply put, the best. Hornady ammunition. Find Hornady Ammunition at a retailerdear you and at Hornity.com.
SPEAKER_10How many of you are cars about energy out of hour? Let me tell you about F outdoors. Go to F outdoors if you want to be successful, not run out of power.
SPEAKER_07Bug Griss presents.
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to American Roots Outdoors again. What a great show. We're profiling and learning the American roots of Jake Eddington and his dad's with him over the phone right now. We're talking about his life in the Ozarks as a kid growing up, playing a little league baseball to college ball, and now a professional major league baseball player. And uh this Jake Eddington's throwing a hundred mile an hour, guys. That's his top speed, and his his uh power pitches are sliders and change ups. And uh this guy loves the turkey hunt and waterfowl hunt. If you're not a fan of his and you're an outdoorsman, you better be a fan now because he's a brother, and so is his dad. His dad's a great man, uh man of God, and uh these guys are old sharks hillbillies and they're proud of it. And they believe in working hard, and uh they're great guests today, and we're learning a lot about this family and and how he got to where he's at today. Uh I know you played for uh you played for Mississippi State too, didn't you?
SPEAKER_02I played for Alabama.
SPEAKER_03Alabama, that's Alabama, yeah. Alabama. You guys went to the national championships, am I correct? In football. In football. In the playoffs, weren't you in the playoffs to go to the championship one year?
SPEAKER_02We were in a regional in my first year, yeah.
SPEAKER_03That's what I meant. Yeah, the regional, yeah. So Jay, did you ever really, I know he I sound repetitive, did you ever really, really think you would become a professional major league baseball player? I know it was your dream, but did you ever doubt it?
SPEAKER_02No, I never I never uh think if I ever would have doubted it uh a whole lot of it, I wouldn't have I wouldn't have achieved it. And um you know, if you don't believe in yourself, you really don't get much out of yourself. So um just uh been staying staying positive and believing in myself and I'm uh the greatest I can be every day out there. So um it's always been a passion of mine and I loved it so much. I knew uh never gave up and keep grinding, it happened for me.
SPEAKER_01You know, Jake, I know that most most athletes are are goal driven. Uh do you have a goal of how many years you think it will that you want to put in to make it to the majors? I mean, obviously as quick as possible. I mean that's what everybody's after, but uh uh setting a goal and looking at you know what is there. Do Do you have a number in mind how long it is before you you hit the big show?
SPEAKER_02Uh I think it I think it's hard to uh sometimes when you do that you you uh kind of you kind of jump ahead and you don't really focus on the present, you know.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_02But so I just take it one day at a time and try to get better every day when I go to practice and throughout my preparations. You know, like you said, I want to get there as quick as possible, but I'm just trying to focus on now and get better today and uh my work and my preparation will take care of itself.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01Good answer.
SPEAKER_09I'd like that answer too.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, good answer.
SPEAKER_09Now you had said you're happy you're gonna be done with school, but you're getting ready to start a whole nother kind of schooling, aren't you? You know, with film film studies and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_02You definitely gotta be a uh gotta be a student of the game if you want to succeed in this in this uh occupation in this life.
SPEAKER_04Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_03Hey, we've got four and a half left here. I want to ask this question. I know Redbone's gonna have another one, and Wayne. Uh this question is for Brad. Brad, for all of our listeners, and we are in 19 countries now, we are on 8 AMFM networks across southern Missouri, northern Arkansas. Any father that's out there or mother that's listening, what advice do you have for our listeners for their children uh and for the parents and guidance and supporting their children? What have you got? I'll be honest with you, Alex. You know, some parents might not like the answer that I give. Um you know, when when my kids were little, um I never bought them a PlayStation, uh, never bought them a Nintendo and things like that. Um we got outside in the yard and we went to work and you know, I built a little cage out into my barn, uh, built Jake a pitching mound that he could work on and do stuff like that. And, you know, I just feel like that if kids need to learn how to work and they need to learn what work ethic is, um, instead of sitting in on the couch on their phone all the time or sitting behind a remote control playing playing games all the time. Um you know, when Jake when Jake was little, I still got a couple of gloves the other day I looked at and teared up. You know, uh I gave him a Bible verse, Within 413, um, a long time ago, and told him if he would believe in that, even when times got tough. Um if he would just say that verse, he would get through any adversity that he dealt with. He took that to heart and wrote it on his glove. Um you know, I just think people need to get deep in their kids' lives on freaking on top of it. Put push them to be, you know, the best person that they can possibly be. Um and no matter what curveballs they get thrown at them, um, they gotta have the belief and the faith that the good Lord above is gonna get them through it. And I think that's the thing I'm proud of most of my son. He's been dealt a lot of curveballs in the last few years. Um but if you saw my post on Facebook a couple days ago, you know, that's that's the thing I'm proudest of the most. And you know, he looked at me in the yard one day when we were playing ball when he was five, and he looked up at me and told me he was gonna be a professional baseball player one day, and I feel like I gave him 110%, but he gave me 150 in return uh because he he never you know, he never lost sight and focus of his goal and his dream. And and I know without a doubt in his heart and my heart that he prayed all the time that the good Lord was going to get him through every adversity that he was dealt with. And all I can say is, you know, Monday that dream became a reality.
unknownYeah, bro.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you know, we haven't asked we haven't asked Dad what what dad's thought was when when they made the announcement, you know, with with their pick, the Philadelphia Phillies select. I mean, what what's that like when you hear your son's name picked in a major league baseball draft? I mean, that's not many people ever get to experience that.
SPEAKER_03I just think the greatest the the best part for me was was at that point in time, I knew that all the hard work, I mean, nobody nobody knows what this kid has done and how hard he has worked and how hard he has pushed himself, you know, to to become as as good as he as good as he is. You know, I told him a long time ago that you know the good Lord has given given him a gift, and if he will go and utilize the gift that that God has given him, God will provide. And I mean hearing his name on Monday, um, you know, other than the birth of my three kids, I believe is the greatest day of my entire life. Wow just because I know how I just because I know how hard he's worked to get here.
SPEAKER_01Fantastic.
SPEAKER_09No doubt.
SPEAKER_03Wayne, lap it up, buddy.
SPEAKER_09Well, I'll tell you what, though, I I I have a question, but it's gonna take more time to answer than uh what we have, so I'm gonna save it for the bonus segment. And speaking of the bonus segment, just because the radio show is ending doesn't mean that the program is ending, so uh just hop on over to your favorite podcast carrier, uh, type in American Roots Outdoors podcast and uh click on the follow button, and you'll hear the rest of this interview with uh Jake and his dad. And um, like we say here at American Roots, when your roots run deep and strong, there is no reason to fear the wind.
SPEAKER_07So you never gotta worry. What the wind do American.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for joining us for today's American Roots Outdoors Radio with Alex Relage. You can find us on Facebook. Look us up on the world wide web at American Roots Outdoors.com. We'll be back again next week on this great radio stage.
SPEAKER_09American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and his friends. This is Wayne Locke, and I'm here with uh the wizard behind the uh computer board here, uh Mr. Mike Krace, also known as the Redbone. Uh Alex had to leave. Uh he had some uh company come into town, and uh we have uh Jake and Brad back on the line with us here. Uh we're gonna continue our conversation. If you missed any part of the um the radio show, just you know listen to the podcast, you'll hear it in its entirety. Plus, the only heard part of the uh podcast uh is the bonus segment. Uh so uh Jake, Brad, welcome back to the show.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Yeah, and for those that that didn't hear any of the radio show, uh Jake has recently been drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies this uh past Monday, and uh is as you hear this probably is is headed to Philadelphia and will begin his baseball career. And oh, Wayne, before we left the uh radio show, you had a question you didn't get to. So just kick it off right there.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I always ask this when we have anybody that's you know get makes it big into sports and that, and that is you know, for you, we're gonna pertain to since you're a baseball player, what was your favorite baseball movie?
SPEAKER_02Oh, the Sandlot, for sure.
SPEAKER_09Really? That no, that's I did not expect that answer. Sandlot, I like that. Yeah.
unknownHmm.
SPEAKER_09Well, that's a good one. No doubt. That's one you can watch over and over and over. Over and over and over.
SPEAKER_01A lot of people Durham, too.
SPEAKER_09Now there is more one I can yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, now here's the deal, Jake. Uh, you're getting ready to head to the minor leagues. You may at some point in your career being in the Philadelphia farm system, you may play the Durham Bulls.
SPEAKER_04Yep.
SPEAKER_01How cool will that be?
SPEAKER_02Uh it's all gonna be cool. It's all gonna be all a surreal moment. I mean, I'm just I'm just grateful for the opportunity and uh that a lot of people don't get.
SPEAKER_01So it's gotta be a little bit surreal. Yeah, it's gotta be a little bit surreal at this time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. When you go to when you go to sleep that night after you get drafted, you wake up and you uh you feel yourself and tell yourself you're a professional baseball player, it's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Or you wake up and go, did that really just happen?
SPEAKER_09Right, so you gotta pinch yourself. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That really just happened. All right, so uh uh biggest baseball moment, I mean, other than getting drafted, uh best moment of your baseball career, whether it was Alabama or Missouri State, or uh, you know, to this point, what what's what's the one thing that stands out for you as a memory?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think the last time that I the last time I pitched at Missouri State Conference tournament and it was a do or die game. I pitched well, it's probably the best game I pitched all year, and um it was surviving advance and all that built a great relationship with my teammates all year, so it was it was awesome for me to be able to do that and you know um eventually just keep our team keep our team season going.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, and ended a little bit earlier than y'all wanted.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah, that's just uh how it goes sometimes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's that's that's the beauty of the game. Beauty of the game. All right, so uh did you watch the All-Star game uh last night?
SPEAKER_02I watched some clips of it, yeah. Um it was uh it was it's pretty unique. Uh it kind of changes every year, so yeah. It's kind of cool some of the changes and some of the stuff you don't you uh don't know why they changed, but they always got a purpose behind something.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't know, it always changes for the better. All right, so uh now there's something that and I don't think they use in college that you will have to start learning immediately as a professional baseball pitcher, and that is the pitch clock.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we had that we had that in uh uh college this year, so I'm pretty sure.
SPEAKER_01All right. How did how did you like that? I mean, did uh I haven't had a chance to talk to any major league pitchers about making that adjustment. Was do you think it helped your game, hurt your game, or it didn't make any difference?
SPEAKER_02Um, I think it definitely makes a difference when like, or if you throw two balls in a row or you need a breather, um you don't really get to, you know, uh get your breather, so to speak. So you gotta get back in there. It kind of makes you more mentally tough. So I think it definitely is gonna help the game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I didn't, I I really didn't when they announced that that's what they were going to do along with some of the other changes. But uh as I watched games now every once in a while, I actually kind of like it.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01And same way the same way with the hitters, you know, they gotta get in the box and they gotta be ready. There's no more of this. One of my all time favorite cards was Skip Kumacher. But Skip would, you know, step out of the bag and tighten both both wristbands and uh pull up his socks and adjust this cup. I mean, it's it spent 30 seconds outside the box after every pit. So I mean I I think it's definitely helped from a spectator standpoint speed the game up a little bit.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It's uh I think one of the main things was just for the uh for the viewers, uh you know, I think it it made the games thirty the on average like thirty minutes shorter, so yeah.
SPEAKER_09You can't go wrong there. Some of those some of those games drag out so long.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they did. And and so I mean you talk about some of the legendary pitchers that uh Greg Maddox, for instance, when he get in a groove with catch it, throw it, catch it, throw it. And that's that's what pitchers today need to understand. You don't have to wait 30 seconds before you throw it again. You watch some of those guys, and we were talking about Greg Maddox earlier, uh, before the show. Um catch it, throw it, catch it, throw it. Just get in that rhythm, you know, get in that old rocking chair, so to speak, and just do your thing.
SPEAKER_09And I think it threw the batters off when he was doing that because they kind of knew that, oh man, he's getting he's ready to go again. I gotta start. And it just kind of I think it was a mind game. Half his half his pitching was a mind game, I swear. But uh, you know, speaking of mind games, uh Jake, I got a question for you. They say there's a you know, like to be a closer, you have to have a certain mindset. It takes a certain mentality to be a closer, some say crazy or you know, whatever. But you know, what is the difference in the mindset between a starter, a reliever, and a a closer that made you say, hey, this is where I need to be and not in this position over here?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, a starter you got a little bit more time to you know get your body loose and uh prepare for the game. Um But when you're a reliever and you're a closer, you gotta be ready for about anything. Um gotta be may have to be a little crazy, you know, you never know. But um so yeah, you gotta be ready to when your name's called, you gotta be ready to get up and go and get loose and um have your arm ready. I remember I was a reliever in Alabama. I remember my name being called, say you're in the game after this next hitter and throwing eight or nine pitches and being in the game. So um it's uh gotta be ready, you gotta take care of your body too, or it's not gonna hold up for you.
SPEAKER_09Right. Now, do you think there's a difference with the way you're thinking, like as a starter, you know, you're you're basically starting from scratch. You're controlling the game to where a reliever and a a closer, they're getting what's handed to 'em.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Um gotta you gotta have you gotta you gotta have it upstairs or it's uh it's all gonna it's gonna fall apart for you pretty quick. So you never know what you're gonna go in. You know, when you're a starter, you know what when you go in that nothing's gonna be on the on the on the plate. It's you set the tone. So when when you're a reliever, you come in with the bases loaded, no out the game on the line, and you know, suppose you can do the same thing. So um I'm in the ninth inning and well by one run, and so it's it's so unpro this game's so unpredictable and uh a lot of uncertainty, so you gotta be ready for about anything.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, not everybody can be a Yankees reliever.
SPEAKER_01And get all the calls. Um Jake, what I mean, with with that being said, um, I mean, obviously every pitcher wants to be a starter in the major leagues, but if they move you into a different role, will you be satisfied with that or will you always continue to work to be a starter?
SPEAKER_02Um like you said, everybody wants to be a starter, but you know, relievers what I what uh what I'm planning to be. When it happens, you know, I'm gonna make the most of it and take uh take advantage of the opportunity. You know, a lot of a lot of relievers get to the big big leagues quick and sometimes quicker than starters. So um take full advantage of the opportunity and just run with it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, back back in the 60s and 70s when I was a kid, uh, that's what they did. I mean, that's how they rotated the pitchers. You came into the majors and you probably were going to be in a bullpen until you proved that you could be a starter, and then they would move you into the starting rotation. And that's that's just the way that's the way everybody did it. Way back as Wayne says, in the vintage, in the vintage days.
SPEAKER_09The vintage days. Yes, we're aging ourselves now.
SPEAKER_01Jake, have you have you realized yet that I mean, you you are getting ready to embark on a career that that millions of little leaguers dream about. I mean, when they're five and six and seven years old, and I mean, have you stopped and thought about that? That wow, I mean, how blessed am I to to actually get here?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think uh, you know, uh I've had that instilled in me since I was a little boy, you know. You gotta take advantage of um play every game like it's your last and uh be grateful for the opportunity that you're getting to play a a kid's game every day. So I've grew up like that my entire life, uh just enjoying the moment, enjoying the game and having fun. So um yeah, it's definitely sink in and you know I um I definitely wanna when I come back home after season and stuff, I want to be able to get back to um Little League and the kids and all that stuff to be able to offer them something that uh it's able you're able to make it, you're able to make it out of these small towns and um and give back to these communities to uh um show them what they can do if they just believe in themselves.
SPEAKER_01Jake Eddingson from Donovan, Missouri, a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Hey, congratulations, and uh I know everybody in uh this whole area is just as proud as they can be.
SPEAKER_02Thank you guys. I appreciate you guys having me on.
SPEAKER_09No problem. And and I and I know somewhere along the line of after you got drafted and all the thoughts going through your head, has it hit you yet that you're going to a state that has phenomenal turkey hunting? Don't let that uh you know it get out of your head there. You're going to a state that has some of the best turkey hunting you're gonna have. So you're going from uh the Ozarks and and great turkey hunting down here, and you're not missing a beat when you get up there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, I didn't know that, but you filled me in. It's it's gave me a little bit uh more drive to get to the big leagues for sure.
SPEAKER_01That's right. Well well when you're gonna be in Florida for a while, so uh I see all the time. I see all the time. Yeah, you like to you like the you like the water fountain. You like the waterfowl. Don't take the 12 gauge down to the beach and and shoot the seagulls. They tend to frown on that there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I won't be in Florida very long if I do that.
SPEAKER_01That's exactly right. All right, Jake, thank you very much for being on the show. We appreciate it.
SPEAKER_09Hey, and uh again, thanks uh Brad also for joining Jake here, and we appreciate the uh the time you guys spent with us and love hearing the stories, and we can't wait to have you back on again. And uh hopefully with some uh even better stories of you know, hey, I made it to the majors in my first year. That'd be even better.
SPEAKER_03But uh appreciate you guys having us.
SPEAKER_09Yep, thank you very much. Thank you, and like we say here at American Roots When your roots run deep and strong, there is no reason to fear the wind.
SPEAKER_07Still till it's time to shoot American roots. Take it to a holler, take it to a feel, a crown's a creak of a big old hill.
unknownYeah after year got my hunting.