Everyone who loves to play gets told it’s over, it’s just a question of when. A few get told it’s over in high school. Most get told it’s over when high school ball ends. If you are a great player, maybe you can play in college. An elite few can get get paid to play, and the rarest of talents can play in the major leagues. But in the end, everyone gets told that it’s over and it’s time to move on to other things. The saddest thing about baseball is that adult recreational play doesn’t really exist. It just ends, and you may not even know it’s your last real game while you are playing in it.
I love this channel, my neighbor growing up was Mike DeJean a reliever for the Rockies in the late 90s and I used to ask him all this stuff as a kid and bless his heart he indulged.
Hey Matt, been watching your videos for a long time now, and just want to pop by and say thank you. I think everyone has their own unique calling, and I for one am grateful that your paths lead you to sharing your knowledge and experiences with us. I know I probably speak for many others when I say that I appreciate the gift you've shared with the world since your active playing career ended; not everyone has the gift in the ways you describe the stories and/or coaching tips. Top notch content as always. Thanks again!
I'm not really a baseball fan but I appreciate your stories. I am sure they apply to most major sports and really shows just how difficult a career it is. I imagine there are a ton of players out there that just couldn't stay healthy and had similar experiences.
I get a lot of joy listening to Bob Uecker's hilarious 2003 Hall of Fame induction speech. He makes several references throughout the video about being traded and released etc. He says, "When the (Milwaukee) Braves were going to release me......It's a tough time for your manager, your family, for the player to be told that you'll never play the game again. And I can remember walking into the clubhouse that day and Lumen Harris who was the Braves manager walked up to me and said, "There's no visitors allowed". "So again, I knew I might be moving on". It took several long seconds for people to register what he said and how funny it was. I'm glad you got the bittersweet, well-earned opportunity to experience something most people can only dream about.
Matt, it seems like a running theme from your time in the minors is how inconvenient it is for players to find housing and have proper nutrition. How beneficial would it be for MLB teams to infuse more money and resources into their systems? I don’t see how an MLB team wouldn’t want to at least provide the option of low-cost housing to players, and I don’t see how expenses would climb too high to accomodate that. You’d think every team would see the benefits of paying up a bit to strengthen their minor league pipeline, ensure players have actual good food to eat and have somewhere to sleep without worry. Are different organizations better at this than others?
The Japanese teams have (or used to have; maybe not anymore) a great setup: they have a dormitory for their minor leaguers to live in. There are only about 70 players under team control, total, and there is one minor-league team where everybody not on the big club roster is. New guy joins the team, there's a room for him, at least until he settles in and maybe wants to live on his own. Corporations used to do this a lot too.
Back in 2018 Commissioner Manfred met with members of Congress pleading with them to not force MLB to pay players the federal minimum wage under The Save America’s Pastime Act. That should give you an example of what most minor leaguers make and Matt has spoken about this before. MLB baseball falls under a century plus of antitrust laws exemption. The argument was made on behalf of “saving” the minor league system and that without it minor league teams would have to be cut from MLB affiliation. The act was first met with intense opposition, much of it from the public and it died. Later in 2018 it got snuck into a 2200 page spending bill, a 1.3 trillion dollar spending bill. This last year 160 minor league affiliates went from 160 to 120. While you do have individual organizations investing in the care and development of their minor league players, like the Dodgers, it does not appear to be a league-wide philosophy.
This is my favorite RUclips channel! The way you tell your stories are funny as hell and also the insight into how pro baseball is it's priceless. Please keep up the great work Matt formerly known as a first round draft pick of the San Diego Padres.
U CAN TELL MATT IS AT PEACE WITH HIS BASEBALL CAREER , U MADE IT TO THE LEAGUE , I WAS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE PLAYING FOOTBALL , I WAS A CENTER WOULD HAVE BEEN A 3 YEAR STARTER AND AT ONE TIME HAD HOPES TO PLAY IN THE NFL . Well I lost my drive to play and walked away from the game . I’m at peace as well
Matt, love your channel. I am sure it still hurts a little bit, but you have done a great job of moving on and keeping yourself in the game. Coaching, teaching, and watching your players be successful is great in itself. Along time ago I was a pretty good high school player and somehow got invited to a tryout by the Royals. Talked to my parents about it, my mother looked me in the eye and told me "play time is over, time to start being an adult". That was the end of baseball for me. Hurt at the time, but I was a catcher with an average at-best arm, I knew deep down I was not going to make it.
I am so shocked the 2013 Royals didn't call you. But those Omaha teams of 13-14 were the forerunners of the Championship team. Glad your after baseball life has been successful. Many players can't handle not making the show.
Great content Matt. Here's an issue I'd like you to tackle sometime: retirement. Whether voluntary or not, how does that work? Do you get a stipend from the union? How much service time do you need to get that? Also, what about those guys who keep trying even after they get released? Do you make calls yourself to try and get back on a roster? Do you still have an agent at that point? What's it like emotionally? Thanks again Matt!
Well, one door closes and another one opens. You're still in the dugout and taking some cuts and having fun on the diamond, so living the baseball after going pro is a beautiful life! 👍🏼
Matt, I can tell by who you are that you occasionally read the RUclips comments to get that little boost of people cheering for you. I know there's a better way I could go about reaching out to you but tbh and quite frank I don't want to take the time because I'm not even a hundred percent sure I could be as great of help to you that I think I could be but on the chance you want to spread your wings and want to make this content kind of blow up and make it a lot more profitable, I think I could do that for you...at the very least improve your standing. A little background on me, I was a pretty good baseball player growing up in this little town in Indiana. I even recieved a couple of college offers but I chose to take the easy road out and just start a career in marketing. I felt like even if I put in all the work and did my best that even if I was lucky I would probably just end up having a career similar to yours. I don't mean to say that it's a bad thing but for the amount of grind and time it takes I just thought it would be completely too mind numbing and repetitive and hard for me to push through. I commend your story telling so that all of us have an idea about what it would have been like to grind it out. If you're interested in my help you cab reach me at damonthomas126@gmail.com Best wishes man!
He recycles videos from time to time. He posts a lot so it makes sense for new viewers to see it. I wish they were a little different tho because it’s like the same video over and over. Like I think the Pawtucket story has been in 10+ videos
@@Dpressplays That’s definitely repetitive but it’s also the moment his career ended so it probably sticks out more than anything else. It’s definitely ironic how suddenly a 25 year career can just end with a quick meeting and maybe a few signatures, and just like that you’re no-longer a pro baseball player. He also gets new viewers who probably don’t know the story.
Love your content! When you have time, can you do a video on what happens when a manager goes to the bullpen in MLB? Does the starter ice his arm right away or wait till the end of the game? Is he pissed? etc. I know it depends on the circumstances but would just be curious how it works. Keep it up, I never played but I love these "behind the scenes" stories.
Hey man I appreciate you keeping the videos short because analytics do show shorter videos get more views.. But damn do I wish your videos were longer. I am living my big league dreams through these stories.
Matt, if you knew for a fact that no one would sign you after you were offered the chance to stay with the team for two weeks, would you have stayed and appreciated those last moments in a AAA dugout?
The reason I have so much respect and admiration even for college athletes, is that the number of players that ever get to even play at the college level let alone single A ball is miniscule.
So you got designated for assignment at AAA? Was that because you were on the 40 man roster? I thought only players on the Major League squad got DFA'd. By the way, although your career never took off for reasons beyond your control I appreciate your honesty and all of your insights and stories on this channel and I am glad that your coaching career is going well.
At 8:40 I'm looking at being released ASAP or in two weeks. I think to wait, you at least have an MLB paycheck for two more weeks. You probably make as much in two weeks as most of us do for a year.
Sounds like normal business to me. Clubs are focused on producing quality players for the top tier, making a winning team at their level and moving forward. Not to be so unemotional about it, but players are just levers being pulled as they are constantly being evaluated and their value determined to not just the club but higher up as well. There is always someone better than you come in the door behind you.
You taught me what a hamate bone is! There's nothing worse than knowing your hurt and having the doctors tell other people you're not really hurt and making you feel like a malingerer
Interested in your view on players from the Dominican Republic. How does this “half an island” produce so many great players? Why does the other half of the island, Haiti, have no MLB players? What was your experience playing with folks from the DR?
Pretty safe to say that getting released isn't the sexiest or most glamorous day in professional sports. No shame though. How many never get an opportunity to play with the greatest players in the world?
Hi, Matt! Love your channel a lot) though, your drills with a bat are little bit hard for me, coz I’m a lefty)) I got an honest question: What’s your wife’s or relatives’ reaction to you being send down, released or injured? Could you please elaborate on how they deal with that? Thank you so much!
Matt, you made it to the top of your profession...im not a religious man by any stretch but maybe god gave you these experiences to help you in your coaching career...
@@moonbeamskies3346 well I only had 6 at bats in the previous month when I wasn’t told I was getting released, so don’t think I was going to get 10 at bats in the next 2 weeks after being told I was released lol
Question 1: did you make friendships with guys in the clubhouse that you still talk to today? Question 2: what was your salary in the minor if you’re on the 40 man roster? Is it league minimum or are you still making minor league wage?
Do you think you could have had a successful major league career if you were healthy? If so, how good do you think you could have been? Or do you think you just were not good enough.
@@AntonelliBaseball dang man. I’m sorry to hear that. Hope you’re feeling 100% soon. You think you’re going to make another attempt when you feel healthy?
Why didnt you get any real playing time? Sounds like you wernt giving a chance and they new everytime you would accept being released with no fight back...
Darn that messed up wrist of yours. That OPS you put up that one year in AAA was like 900+. You could have even been an MLB allstar. Oh, well...maybe you will find your calling elsewhere.
Hey you can still say your in the top 1% of all Baseball players Being released in the bigs is like getter a double doctorate in physicis and being told you didn't win the Nobel prize. You didn't stink man you made the show and you don't even get to suite up for a game in the show if you stink.
You know you are an OG subscriber when you can finish half of these stories yourself!
I was about to ask if this was a re-upload😂
Yep
Thats what I was thinking as he was telling the Cleveland story ahahaha
Let's make a documentary about his road to coaching.
There’s only so many original stories you can tell
Everyone who loves to play gets told it’s over, it’s just a question of when. A few get told it’s over in high school. Most get told it’s over when high school ball ends. If you are a great player, maybe you can play in college. An elite few can get get paid to play, and the rarest of talents can play in the major leagues. But in the end, everyone gets told that it’s over and it’s time to move on to other things. The saddest thing about baseball is that adult recreational play doesn’t really exist. It just ends, and you may not even know it’s your last real game while you are playing in it.
That's deep
Love the honesty in the shitty part of your career! Takes balls to be this real!
I love this channel, my neighbor growing up was Mike DeJean a reliever for the Rockies in the late 90s and I used to ask him all this stuff as a kid and bless his heart he indulged.
Trevor Plouffe who works with Jomboy told a story how the A’s ruined his day by releasing him on his birthday.
Hey Matt, been watching your videos for a long time now, and just want to pop by and say thank you. I think everyone has their own unique calling, and I for one am grateful that your paths lead you to sharing your knowledge and experiences with us. I know I probably speak for many others when I say that I appreciate the gift you've shared with the world since your active playing career ended; not everyone has the gift in the ways you describe the stories and/or coaching tips. Top notch content as always. Thanks again!
"Come on Matt you gotta start earnin' that money" --Matt's #1 fan from Lake Elsinore
I'm not really a baseball fan but I appreciate your stories. I am sure they apply to most major sports and really shows just how difficult a career it is. I imagine there are a ton of players out there that just couldn't stay healthy and had similar experiences.
You had a career that most guys would be pretty happy with. Getting to the show even once is something to be proud of.
I get a lot of joy listening to Bob Uecker's hilarious 2003 Hall of Fame induction speech. He makes several references throughout the video about being traded and released etc. He says, "When the (Milwaukee) Braves were going to release me......It's a tough time for your manager, your family, for the player to be told that you'll never play the game again. And I can remember walking into the clubhouse that day and Lumen Harris who was the Braves manager walked up to me and said, "There's no visitors allowed". "So again, I knew I might be moving on".
It took several long seconds for people to register what he said and how funny it was. I'm glad you got the bittersweet, well-earned opportunity to experience something most people can only dream about.
Matt, it seems like a running theme from your time in the minors is how inconvenient it is for players to find housing and have proper nutrition. How beneficial would it be for MLB teams to infuse more money and resources into their systems? I don’t see how an MLB team wouldn’t want to at least provide the option of low-cost housing to players, and I don’t see how expenses would climb too high to accomodate that. You’d think every team would see the benefits of paying up a bit to strengthen their minor league pipeline, ensure players have actual good food to eat and have somewhere to sleep without worry. Are different organizations better at this than others?
great question.. Hoping we get a cool response vid to this!
Dodgers rock at it. Look up "A new day in Dodgertown"
The Japanese teams have (or used to have; maybe not anymore) a great setup: they have a dormitory for their minor leaguers to live in. There are only about 70 players under team control, total, and there is one minor-league team where everybody not on the big club roster is. New guy joins the team, there's a room for him, at least until he settles in and maybe wants to live on his own. Corporations used to do this a lot too.
Back in 2018 Commissioner Manfred met with members of Congress pleading with them to not force MLB to pay players the federal minimum wage under The Save America’s Pastime Act. That should give you an example of what most minor leaguers make and Matt has spoken about this before. MLB baseball falls under a century plus of antitrust laws exemption. The argument was made on behalf of “saving” the minor league system and that without it minor league teams would have to be cut from MLB affiliation. The act was first met with intense opposition, much of it from the public and it died. Later in 2018 it got snuck into a 2200 page spending bill, a 1.3 trillion dollar spending bill. This last year 160 minor league affiliates went from 160 to 120. While you do have individual organizations investing in the care and development of their minor league players, like the Dodgers, it does not appear to be a league-wide philosophy.
I watched a bunch of your older videos and I just found you again. Delivery has livened up a bit you’re really hitting your groove
This is my favorite RUclips channel! The way you tell your stories are funny as hell and also the insight into how pro baseball is it's priceless. Please keep up the great work Matt formerly known as a first round draft pick of the San Diego Padres.
These stories make me understand what Crash Davis meant when he called Nuke, Meat.
U CAN TELL MATT IS AT PEACE WITH HIS BASEBALL CAREER , U MADE IT TO THE LEAGUE , I WAS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE PLAYING FOOTBALL , I WAS A CENTER WOULD HAVE BEEN A 3 YEAR STARTER AND AT ONE TIME HAD HOPES TO PLAY IN THE NFL . Well I lost my drive to play and walked away from the game . I’m at peace as well
Matt, love your channel. I am sure it still hurts a little bit, but you have done a great job of moving on and keeping yourself in the game. Coaching, teaching, and watching your players be successful is great in itself. Along time ago I was a pretty good high school player and somehow got invited to a tryout by the Royals. Talked to my parents about it, my mother looked me in the eye and told me "play time is over, time to start being an adult". That was the end of baseball for me. Hurt at the time, but I was a catcher with an average at-best arm, I knew deep down I was not going to make it.
you're such a good speaker man haha love the stories
Appreciate the realism of your videos. Great content for those like myself that dreamed to play professionally.
So is it time for a comeback, now that the Pawsox have moved to Worcester? Sounds like you'd be safe now.
I am so shocked the 2013 Royals didn't call you. But those Omaha teams of 13-14 were the forerunners of the Championship team. Glad your after baseball life has been successful. Many players can't handle not making the show.
Great content Matt. Here's an issue I'd like you to tackle sometime: retirement. Whether voluntary or not, how does that work? Do you get a stipend from the union? How much service time do you need to get that? Also, what about those guys who keep trying even after they get released? Do you make calls yourself to try and get back on a roster? Do you still have an agent at that point? What's it like emotionally? Thanks again Matt!
"Closing time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" - Semisonic
Good song
You made it to The Show and you coach baseball. You are crushing life!
Your content is so wholesome
Love ur vida Matt keep it up
Then Road to the Show Matt went to Pawtuckett... and got TRADED to a place who's home field was 450 to center!
5:32 😂
Well, one door closes and another one opens. You're still in the dugout and taking some cuts and having fun on the diamond, so living the baseball after going pro is a beautiful life! 👍🏼
Thanks!!
Matt,
I can tell by who you are that you occasionally read the RUclips comments to get that little boost of people cheering for you. I know there's a better way I could go about reaching out to you but tbh and quite frank I don't want to take the time because I'm not even a hundred percent sure I could be as great of help to you that I think I could be but on the chance you want to spread your wings and want to make this content kind of blow up and make it a lot more profitable, I think I could do that for you...at the very least improve your standing. A little background on me, I was a pretty good baseball player growing up in this little town in Indiana. I even recieved a couple of college offers but I chose to take the easy road out and just start a career in marketing. I felt like even if I put in all the work and did my best that even if I was lucky I would probably just end up having a career similar to yours. I don't mean to say that it's a bad thing but for the amount of grind and time it takes I just thought it would be completely too mind numbing and repetitive and hard for me to push through. I commend your story telling so that all of us have an idea about what it would have been like to grind it out. If you're interested in my help you cab reach me at damonthomas126@gmail.com
Best wishes man!
I’m from Rhode Island and I knew you from Massachusetts due to that accent haha. Any memories of McCoy stadium?
Haven’t you already done this video a couple years back?
Maybe he thought of some new stuff to say!
He recycles videos from time to time. He posts a lot so it makes sense for new viewers to see it. I wish they were a little different tho because it’s like the same video over and over. Like I think the Pawtucket story has been in 10+ videos
@@Dpressplays That’s definitely repetitive but it’s also the moment his career ended so it probably sticks out more than anything else. It’s definitely ironic how suddenly a 25 year career can just end with a quick meeting and maybe a few signatures, and just like that you’re no-longer a pro baseball player. He also gets new viewers who probably don’t know the story.
Love your content! When you have time, can you do a video on what happens when a manager goes to the bullpen in MLB? Does the starter ice his arm right away or wait till the end of the game? Is he pissed? etc. I know it depends on the circumstances but would just be curious how it works. Keep it up, I never played but I love these "behind the scenes" stories.
You must have played in Syracuse. Any thoughts about Syracuse?
Hey man I appreciate you keeping the videos short because analytics do show shorter videos get more views..
But damn do I wish your videos were longer. I am living my big league dreams through these stories.
When one door closed, another opens for you!! Good luck Antonelli.
I was just wondering, were you ever with the Astros' orginazation? (Since you're wearing their uniform in the video)
Matt, if you knew for a fact that no one would sign you after you were offered the chance to stay with the team for two weeks, would you have stayed and appreciated those last moments in a AAA dugout?
The reason I have so much respect and admiration even for college athletes, is that the number of players that ever get to even play at the college level let alone single A ball is miniscule.
So you got designated for assignment at AAA? Was that because you were on the 40 man roster? I thought only players on the Major League squad got DFA'd.
By the way, although your career never took off for reasons beyond your control I appreciate your honesty and all of your insights and stories on this channel and I am glad that your coaching career is going well.
Matt,
When did you know that you were going to coach baseball and are you looking to coach for a minor or major league team?
Matt has the biggest desk I’ve ever seen
At 8:40 I'm looking at being released ASAP or in two weeks. I think to wait, you at least have an MLB paycheck for two more weeks. You probably make as much in two weeks as most of us do for a year.
Matt, what was the Nationals' excuse for not calling you up as a 26 yr old former 1st round pick with an OBP of .400 in 2011?
They never gave me one. I was organizational player of the month in August. Told me they would mail me a present for winning. Never did lol
What is the difference between calling a player up from the Minors and, purchasing their contract?
Sounds like normal business to me. Clubs are focused on producing quality players for the top tier, making a winning team at their level and moving forward. Not to be so unemotional about it, but players are just levers being pulled as they are constantly being evaluated and their value determined to not just the club but higher up as well. There is always someone better than you come in the door behind you.
You taught me what a hamate bone is! There's nothing worse than knowing your hurt and having the doctors tell other people you're not really hurt and making you feel like a malingerer
If you went and played in the KBO or NPB you would have been a celebrity in those countries.
Very interesting 🤔
What’s spring training like in the minors?
Interested in your view on players from the Dominican Republic. How does this “half an island” produce so many great players? Why does the other half of the island, Haiti, have no MLB players? What was your experience playing with folks from the DR?
Because Haiti is the definition of hell
It’s like Somalia of Central America
Pretty safe to say that getting released isn't the sexiest or most glamorous day in professional sports. No shame though. How many never get an opportunity to play with the greatest players in the world?
Hi, Matt!
Love your channel a lot) though, your drills with a bat are little bit hard for me, coz I’m a lefty))
I got an honest question:
What’s your wife’s or relatives’ reaction to you being send down, released or injured? Could you please elaborate on how they deal with that?
Thank you so much!
Matt, you made it to the top of your profession...im not a religious man by any stretch but maybe god gave you these experiences to help you in your coaching career...
Should you play Legion baseball?
Great stuff. At 8:05, what would happen if you opt to stick around? Is there any possible sequence of events that could lead back to the majors?
Just come off the 40 man but could still try to make it up. Just makes it tougher
@@AntonelliBaseball Like if you went 10 for 10 in those last two weeks the manager would have to change his mind I would think.
@@moonbeamskies3346 well I only had 6 at bats in the previous month when I wasn’t told I was getting released, so don’t think I was going to get 10 at bats in the next 2 weeks after being told I was released lol
What happened to the baseballs that were on your desk?
That thumbnail hit me in the laugh box.
One time I was released in the mlb, well from the stadium jail
LoL
Can you do a video of who pays for surgeries?
The way I see it matt at least God gave you multiple opportunities......you truly can say you gave it your all....nothing to be ashamed of
Have you watched the film moneyball? How realistic is it?
Learning to cope with rejection is necessary to become successful.
5:25 😳
Wow that’s bogus man, but keep up the hard work man!!! Success will come
Hey Matt, how you doing?
I understand that once you're released, they don't pay you anymore, but, do you get paid when they waive you?
What was it like to win a Championship? Did you get a ring? Did you keep in touch with any of your teammates?
Question 1: did you make friendships with guys in the clubhouse that you still talk to today?
Question 2: what was your salary in the minor if you’re on the 40 man roster? Is it league minimum or are you still making minor league wage?
Housing situation sounds tough.
Livin’ the dream! Haha
Can you refuse to go to the team you are traded to hoping that someone else will pick you up ?
You sick at baseball
👍
@@AntonelliBaseball wow thanks for replying you should of never got cut many your debut was a homerun
Do you think you could have had a successful major league career if you were healthy? If so, how good do you think you could have been? Or do you think you just were not good enough.
I definitely think it would have been easier. I was drafted in the 1st round, so had a decent amount of talent. You never know though
Now Pawtucket is worcester :(
Sad story's Matt
Love the channel Antonelli.... but need to get some new stories. Noticed your recycling old stuff recently 😉
In a game that is set up for failure, the teams don't even consider how difficult it is to be successful!!
I got told 5 times that I was no longer needed or fired five times from the same, shitty job in 3 years.
2nd
Hey how old were you when you hung it up?
I'm in my OOTP mood, no prospect signed over the age of 23!
Just go out and prove them wrong
When you get released can you file for unemployment?
Matt's repeating material now and I don't care at all. I enjoyed listening as always
Stories this good never get old.
👍
20th
This video has been redone multiple times on here 😂
Third
What did your wife think about all playing and then being released all these times?
Road to 400?
I hurt my wrist
@@AntonelliBaseball dang man. I’m sorry to hear that. Hope you’re feeling 100% soon. You think you’re going to make another attempt when you feel healthy?
@@MrDude667 yeah I took two weeks off and feeling much better so should start again soon. Thanks!!!
Why didnt you get any real playing time? Sounds like you wernt giving a chance and they new everytime you would accept being released with no fight back...
Well you can't really fight back. Once they tell you that you are released, you are.
DO U GET A RETIREMENT FROM MLB
wait, would he have gotten paid for the last two weeks? I would have taken the money.
Probably 6-7k
Darn that messed up wrist of yours. That OPS you put up that one year in AAA was like 900+. You could have even been an MLB allstar. Oh, well...maybe you will find your calling elsewhere.
1st
Hey you can still say your in the top 1% of all Baseball players Being released in the bigs is like getter a double doctorate in physicis and being told you didn't win the Nobel prize. You didn't stink man you made the show and you don't even get to suite up for a game in the show if you stink.
Was there ever any crying involved
Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour
Go home and sit on your sofa for the rest of your life.
Bwah ha ha ha! Excellent cruelty.
You don't have to go home.
But you can't stay here.