Braves 2B Ozzie Albies Talks NL East, Dog Rescue & Exotic Fish with Rich Eisen | Full Interview

0:00 We kick off hour number two in studio with a bonafide

0:03 big time Major League baseball player from the Atlanta Braves,

0:06 the best record in baseball, 26 and 12,

0:09 taking on the Dodgers in a monster early May three game set.

0:14 Uh and the man who leads the Atlanta Braves in hitting with a 322 average,

0:17 ladies and gentlemen, second baseman Ozzie Albies is here on the program.

0:21 Good to see you, man.

0:21 How are you?

0:22 see you.

0:22 I'm doing great.

0:23 I appreciate you spending an off day in Southern California

0:27 inside and in the and in El Segundo television and radio.

0:30 I mean, let me let me start with that.

0:32 Yeah, it's off day, but you know,

0:34 you still do fun stuff on the off day and enjoy the moment.

0:37 appreciate that.

0:38 Um I appreciate all that.

0:40 So, what is clicking for your team right

0:43 now for the first six weeks of the season?

0:45 playing, you know, tremendously great baseball and we just enjoying the moment.

0:50 As a team, we're all together and, you know,

0:52 have each other's back and enjoy the game and have fun with it.

0:54 I think that's what's clicking and going great for us.

0:57 Well, obviously winning helps having fun,

0:59 but what do you think is leading to the winning?

1:01 What would you What would you point to?

1:03 I'll say the preparation.

1:04 You know, it starts with the preparation since we wake up in the morning,

1:07 we get together, you know,

1:08 we have our breakfast, we talk baseball, then we get to the field,

1:11 we do our, you know, preparation of meetings, etc.

1:14 So, I think that's what, you know,

1:16 leads you and prepares you for a for a good ball game.

1:19 That comes from Walt Weiss, would you say?

1:21 It comes from definitely Walt Weiss and the whole

1:23 staff and all the great uh coaches

1:26 we have and all what we put together to be to be good at, you know,

1:30 competing against the other teams.

1:31 Other than great form tackling,

1:33 what has Walt Weiss brought to the equation this year?

1:36 No, he's he's a leader and uh I know Walt for more than

1:39 eight years now and he always has been the same person, same guy.

1:43 He's one of the greatest human being I've been around.

1:46 Mhm.

1:46 And uh you know, if you mess around with him, you will find out.

1:51 Well, I I I just saw that.

1:53 Well, or if you mess around with any of you, we'll see what happens.

1:57 Did you did you guys have fun with uh your manager about about that moment where

2:01 he he was out there making sure brawl doesn't take place by by by going low?

2:07 Yes, definitely.

2:08 Yeah, definitely we had fun about it and we even made like a shirt

2:12 about him in the fight and I mean you have fun with moments like that.

2:16 You will never forget those and you know,

2:19 he did the right thing by putting a you know, so there's a big man.

2:22 So

2:23 Yes.

2:23 You have to put him down before things escalate even more.

2:26 Exactly.

2:26 So who's in charge of making those shirts up?

2:29 I did not I don't don't know who made the shirt.

2:32 I just got mine and I wore it.

2:34 So But somebody whoever was knew what your size was.

2:38 You know what I mean?

2:39 Yeah, they made they made a couple of them and I definitely enjoyed the shirt.

2:43 I have it at home.

2:45 I think we have to get one of our What

2:47 are you large or what are you what are we at?

2:49 Yeah, I'm a large.

2:50 Yeah.

2:51 Well, TJ would you wear one of those shirts cuz you're a Mets fan.

2:54 Would you where where do we where do we go on that front?

2:56 Yeah, I don't know, man.

2:57 Maybe I'll just stay step aside for this.

2:59 Okay.

2:59 No.

3:01 Which team do you like to beat the most?

3:06 Um I'll definitely say the Phillies.

3:09 Okay.

3:09 And you know, it's our it's our rivalry

3:12 in the in the East definitely and you know,

3:15 every time you go play there you want to beat those guys.

3:17 They they have beat us in the couple years back.

3:21 So I'll say that's one of the series that every

3:25 time we go there the guys are amped up because

3:28 Is that right?

3:29 That is that's right, huh?

3:30 Who's the one that amps the team up the most?

3:33 Like get us going?

3:34 Yes.

3:34 I mean, you know, every time we go to a city like that everybody

3:37 start talking about it right away as soon as we done with our preparations.

3:39 Like hey, let's beat these guys up today because But who rallies that?

3:43 Who who stirs up that in your locker room?

3:45 We used to have we used to have some guys on the team that used to you know,

3:50 be be the one that started like an Ozuna was always there

3:53 because I mean he'd been in the league for a long time.

3:56 You know, they always boo him and stuff like that.

3:58 They It's just his game and they just didn't, you know,

4:02 the way he, I guess, hit the ball hard against them.

4:04 They didn't like that.

4:06 I mean, you always get that when you're doing great.

4:08 But who right now in your

4:09 Right now, I'll say it's a team It's a team thing.

4:12 No kidding.

4:12 Yes, because we have new guys on the team and even then they were like,

4:16 "Hey, we want to we want to beat those guys."

4:20 Okay.

4:18 Um uh I guess what's this the the third alternate uniforms or the city connects

4:25 City connects, yes.

4:26 Does Chris Sale like wearing them?

4:30 I mean I Are you you are you aware of Chris's history with alternate uniforms?

4:36 I heard some stories but uh

4:38 Well, they involve a pair of scissors.

4:40 Yeah, I heard that story before.

4:44 So, but I mean that hasn't that hasn't

4:46 it hasn't No, it hasn't get there with the with the new city connects we got.

4:50 I mean, they're pretty fire.

4:51 I I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure he likes them.

4:53 Well, my my son knows cuz again I I think

4:56 that Major League Baseball's created city connects not for the team

4:59 to connect with the city but for the for the uh

5:03 the league the the league to connect with my wallet.

5:07 You know, like the and I tell that to my 15-year-old

5:10 who's a die-hard baseball fan all the time.

5:12 So, he kind of shows me these city connects to try and trigger me.

5:15 The ones though from the Braves, they they look old school.

5:18 Like they look really old school.

5:20 Dale Murphy

5:21 Yeah, the Dale Murphy.

5:22 Yeah, they they actually really cool and I like wearing them.

5:25 When we had I think we had a week early

5:28 in the season where we wore for like three straight days.

5:31 I enjoyed it.

5:32 It was fun.

5:33 Okay.

5:33 Are you superstitious like that that if you win

5:35 in a uniform you want to keep wearing it or not?

5:37 if something is going right I feel like we should keep rocking it.

5:41 Like especially on the road if we were we were gray and we were we

5:45 doing great I I guess we should keep gray and keep doing great, you know, so

5:49 We'll keep uh I'll just I'll just tell you this right now.

5:52 If you go on a winning streak after this program you know

5:57 Got to keep it going.

5:59 First of many appearances of Ozzie Albies here on Rich Eisen

6:01 Thursdays with Ozzie.

6:02 Give him his own chair.

6:03 Thursdays with Ozzie.

6:05 I kind of like it.

6:06 Yeah, Sarah Tiana of Women Sports Now famous a matter of fact

6:09 Oh, there it is.

6:10 Yeah, we're off camera Yeah, that's a beautiful beautiful jersey.

6:12 And it's yours it's yours which means get ready for a sharpie to be put on it.

6:16 No problem.

6:17 No problem.

6:18 All right, so let's get to the Ozzie Albies Foundation.

6:22 Cuz again my wife Susie Schuster who's also on Women Sports Now with Sarah

6:28 and yours truly we are massive dog rescue people and clearly you are as well.

6:34 Tell me why why is the foundation about dog

6:38 rescue and I'll give you the floor on that.

6:41 Yeah, so we me and my wife we are dog

6:45 name?

6:45 Andrea.

6:47 Okay.

6:46 We are dog lover Okay.

6:49 and we have eight dogs that we adopted ourselves.

6:53 Eight?

6:52 Eight, yes.

6:53 That's at the house.

6:54 Putting you to shame.

6:56 Your two looks weak.

6:59 Careful, don't put anything in Suzy's behind on that.

7:02 He's got three.

7:05 Eight.

7:04 Eight of them, yes.

7:05 They're all adopted.

7:06 She actually posted a video a couple days about

7:10 a couple days ago about all of them we have.

7:13 Mhm.

7:13 And we even have we baby getting one right now named called Buck.

7:18 Okay.

7:18 Trying to find him

7:18 After Joe Buck?

7:20 I don't think it's after Joe Buck.

7:22 It's a different one.

7:23 Trying to find him a home and We we sat

7:26 together and because we dog lovers we decided to do

7:29 something for the city of Atlanta and we want to we

7:31 wanted to give back in the way of re-homing dogs.

7:34 We we re-homed over we have re-homed over 100 dogs just last year and doing yeah

7:41 doing a great job about it and we just, you know,

7:43 we want to start a a program where we

7:46 can help the community of Atlanta and, you know,

7:48 we don't want to see the dogs on the street and even when there is

7:51 a dog in the shelter for more than 100 days and it never got adopted.

7:55 Euthanized.

7:55 We want to give them a chance again before they get euthanized.

7:58 Exactly.

7:58 So, that's what the idea we had together and we want to, you know,

8:03 we want to keep it going and definitely looking

8:05 to build a facility full-time and all that stuff and When you say a facility,

8:10 you mean where dogs can just roam free and and be rescued and or homed there?

8:15 Be homed there, yes.

8:16 Definitely.

8:17 maybe gives them a forever home.

8:18 Yes, that's the goal that we are trying to get to right now.

8:21 And so, uh, ozzyalbiesfoundation.org to get funds for that?

8:26 Op, you can count on from me and Susan.

8:29 We appreciate that a lot.

8:31 Um, wow, that is so cool.

8:32 It's going to help when way more dogs in the city of Atlanta and, you know,

8:36 even if there is dogs outside of Atlanta,

8:39 we still if we have a opportunity to help them, you know, rehome it,

8:43 whatever the case might be, we we actually pull for it and go for it.

8:46 Yeah, adopt, don't shop.

8:48 Um, and and the um, it's just a beautiful idea and not enough folks, you know,

8:53 obviously there's a lot going on in the world that needs uh,

8:56 help and certainly some funds put towards it.

8:59 Um, this is a beautiful idea and I I think it's pretty cool, man.

9:02 Thank you for doing that.

9:03 ozzyalbiesfoundation.org for that.

9:06 Now, where did your love for exotic fish come from?

9:09 I imagine from Curacao growing up in in Curacao?

9:12 Yeah, so growing up in Curacao, my uh,

9:14 grandfather had six koi that we used to have in the in a koi smaller koi pond

9:21 Yes.

9:20 uh, in the in the neighborhood and at our house,

9:24 he had his six special ones that he always,

9:28 you know, fed every morning drinks his coffee,

9:30 watching them, feed them, change water.

9:33 Yes.

9:32 So, I grew up since I was like 4 years old watching those fishes till

9:37 one day, I don't remember exactly what happened,

9:39 but they all passed at the same time.

9:41 I think a new crew, I don't remember exactly what happened.

9:46 Okay.

9:45 So, I told my wife, "Hey, when there is a chance that I can do a koi pond,

9:49 I will definitely want to do it because of bringing

9:52 back the tradition that how I grew up in Curacao." So,

9:55 Okay.

9:55 that's why I I'm all over fish and I'm all about fish now

9:59 and I have I think it's close to it just in koi in general,

10:03 I have like 100 kois

10:04 at the house now.

10:05 So, did you say, you know, "Hey, growing up in Curacao,

10:08 one day I'm going to be a big-time Major League Baseball

10:10 player so I can have a big koi tank in my garage

10:14 exotic cars and exotic fish in the same garage?"

10:17 I think that was the goal that pushed me to keep playing hard, too.

10:21 I'll check the box, Andruw Jones.

10:22 I mean, looks like you stuck the landing on that.

10:25 And then that video, is this a hot tub you got going on with What is this?

10:29 So, this is my koi pond, actually.

10:31 And so, you're just You swim in your koi pond?

10:33 in my koi pond and you can

10:35 See the fish jumping behind you right there.

10:37 My gosh.

10:38 Yeah, so that's my koi pond.

10:40 Yeah, that's my koi pond and it was snowing that day.

10:43 Why not?

10:43 And I was like, "Why not just jump in a cold uh koi pond and then

10:48 go straight to my hot tub after that?" That's my cold plunge of the day.

10:52 So.

10:52 So, this is That's your koi pond you're in there.

10:55 How many are That's my koi pond in the backyard that I

10:57 just jumped in when it was snowing in Atlanta.

11:00 Why not?

11:01 There's what, like 40, 50?

11:02 How many are in there?

11:03 In that koi pond is 100.

11:05 100.

11:05 That's the one with 100.

11:06 That's the 100 one.

11:08 Yes.

11:07 Chris, it's the 100 koi pond.

11:10 I'll keep up.

11:10 You're so ignorant, Chris.

11:11 Geez.

11:12 Come on.

11:12 Listen to when he talks.

11:14 It's the 100 koi

11:15 It doesn't look It doesn't seem like there's 100,

11:17 but we We did a full deep clean and I count them one by one and I remember

11:24 I had like 92 and I went back and got eight more because I wanted to get to 100.

11:28 Might as well.

11:29 And they're like, "Enough, enough." I'm like, "No,

11:30 I need I want to get 100 kois."

11:33 Yeah, yeah.

11:33 Makes

11:33 sense to me.

11:34 The rare case for a baseball player being happy to hit 100.

11:39 Jeez.

11:40 All right.

11:41 Now, let's put this to the test, Ozzie Albies.

11:44 We have pulled, or Chris did, on behalf of the Rich Eisen Show.

11:48 Uh-oh, here we go.

11:51 Six

11:51 exotic fish photographs of six exotic fish.

11:54 We're going to see if you can

11:56 name them.

11:57 Name Name that fish with Ozzie Albies.

11:59 All right.

11:59 Hey, here we go.

12:00 it.

12:00 Let's do it.

12:01 You don't have fish music, do we?

12:02 I'm not Forget it.

12:03 Don't worry about it.

12:04 Let's do it.

12:05 All right.

12:06 By the way, I've never asked that of Jake before.

12:08 We have fish music?

12:09 That's a I don't worry about it.

12:11 That's a first.

12:12 Um all right, here we go.

12:13 Put up the the photograph.

12:15 What what fish is this, uh Ozzie Albies?

12:18 Do we know what this fish is?

12:20 Yes.

12:20 What is it?

12:21 So, funny story about this fish.

12:23 Oh, wow.

12:24 Oh, he's got a story.

12:25 What a story.

12:26 I didn't expect a fish story.

12:28 It's like, Ozzie, I got a fish story.

12:30 Okay.

12:30 So, I I wanted to uh own this fish before.

12:34 My friend had My friend My good friend Taylor,

12:37 he actually bought some of these fishes.

12:40 Mhm.

12:40 They got to his fish tank, and they were like, oh,

12:42 they took They had delays, and I think they all dead.

12:45 So, he threw them in the tank.

12:47 Just right away, Okay.

12:48 they all lay on the bottom.

12:51 And the next day, he woke up, and they were all swimming.

12:55 Hey.

12:55 So,

12:55 What a

12:56 believe it or not, most people say yeah, most people say they are um sensitive.

13:02 Okay.

13:01 But, most of my fish keepers out there that I chat with and have

13:06 connection with, they keep them with exotic fishes and all that, and they uh

13:11 So, what's the name of this fish?

13:12 They definitely survive.

13:13 What's the name of this fish?

13:14 This fish is the It's not um Oh my god, you put me on the

13:18 No, I know.

13:18 That's what it's about.

13:20 Um I never owned one.

13:21 I wanted to own one, but I forgot the name.

13:24 Um give me 1 second, I'll get it for you.

13:26 it, Ozzie.

13:26 I don't want Ladies and gentlemen, Aussie's just called for time.

13:29 It's the fish clock is starting.

13:31 Hey.

13:31 The fish clock is starting.

13:32 the clock.

13:33 I put the clock on time.

13:34 Yeah, yeah.

13:34 You get one one disengagement allowed.

13:39 Uh

13:39 What do you got?

13:40 I'm trying to get to the name now.

13:42 I'll give you a hint.

13:43 It's It's also the name of something you

13:45 throw in the Olympics in track and field.

13:49 Okay.

13:50 I don't even know that, but I know the name I You just blind spot me.

13:53 I'm I'm I'm I'm

13:54 Well Can we come back to it?

13:55 Let's put a pin in it.

13:56 Next one.

13:56 Next fish.

13:57 Next fish.

13:58 I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to name it.

13:59 We had a You had a story, but not a name.

14:00 Yeah, that's amazing.

14:01 Because I forgot the name.

14:02 This is the arawana, lucky fish.

14:04 Arawana.

14:05 Okay, hold on a minute.

14:06 Hold on a minute.

14:07 Call is confirmed.

14:09 I didn't tap my helmet.

14:10 I got to tap my helmet first.

14:13 Okay.

14:13 Call is confirmed.

14:15 All right, very good.

14:16 Uh next up.

14:17 Next up.

14:18 Here we go.

14:19 What's this?

14:20 This is salt water for sure.

14:23 Yep.

14:22 I never owned a salt water tank yet.

14:24 I will say ooh.

14:29 Oh my god.

14:31 This looks like uh It's a two-word name.

14:36 Yep.

14:35 It does look like a

14:37 Take a guess.

14:39 It looks like poison net.

14:41 Mhm.

14:41 Let's see.

14:41 Hold on a minute.

14:42 Let's check Let's check to see Yeah.

14:44 uh if we got it or not.

14:45 I just AB after

14:45 I will I will say this is close to a Mhm.

14:53 That's all right.

14:54 Made famous by the movie Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.

14:59 Okay.

14:58 Yeah, it looks like a lionfish.

15:02 Yeah.

15:02 Oh, hold on a minute.

15:03 Let's check.

15:04 Let me tap my helmet.

15:04 look like a lionfish.

15:05 What do we got?

15:06 Is it Yeah.

15:07 Let's go.

15:08 It's a clearfin lionfish.

15:10 Let's go.

15:11 I didn't mean to tap my helmet.

15:12 That's just the only way we can check your answer.

15:14 All right, we got three more fish.

15:16 Pump up the next one.

15:17 Here we go.

15:18 Uh this next fish What is this fish?

15:21 flowerhorn

15:21 flowerhorn Let me Let me Hold on a minute.

15:23 let me

15:23 Yeah, got it already.

15:24 Tap on my helmet.

15:25 Hold on a minute.

15:25 Let's check it let's check it out.

15:27 Yes.

15:28 Yep.

15:29 two To be honest with you, that's

15:31 cichlid I don't know.

15:32 Okay, very good.

15:33 It's flowerhorn and that fish is actually really like it's a really mean fish.

15:38 If you put anything in the tank with him it

15:40 might like it might fight him and try to kill him.

15:43 Hopefully you're not jumping in it.

15:44 Yeah.

15:45 Okay.

15:45 No, not to me but a different fish.

15:46 99 other fish All right, next one next one we got two more.

15:52 Uh oh my god.

15:53 Damn, you put me in a good spot.

15:54 Saltwater.

15:55 This is uh

15:57 Talk it out.

15:58 Talk it out.

15:59 I almost went saltwater just to own one.

16:02 Is it a emperor?

16:03 No.

16:05 No, no, no.

16:07 Oh my god, it's actually a fish that most saltwater hobby people have.

16:12 I'm not big into saltwater.

16:14 I'll give you a quick hint quick hint.

16:15 You look up to the heavens and you see who's up in the

16:19 angelfish That's it.

16:19 That's all it is.

16:20 Tap the helmet.

16:21 Okay, tap the helmet.

16:22 And there it is again.

16:24 Because there is a angelfish in saltwater

16:26 and there is a angelfish in freshwater.

16:28 So, there you go.

16:29 Good to know.

16:30 Chris, write that down.

16:32 Write it down.

16:32 You have it for the next time.

16:34 Last one I think.

16:34 Last one Ozzie Albies.

16:36 Who what what is this fish?

16:38 That's a peacock.

16:38 That's one one of my favorite fish.

16:40 Peacock bass.

16:41 peacock bass Yes.

16:43 Down the middle.

16:44 Call confirmed.

16:46 Do you want to go back to the first one?

16:47 Yes, 100% but I'm still oh my god.

16:51 You know what you know what's so funny about this?

16:53 Go back to go back to the first one.

16:54 Yeah, it's funny is that you had a full story Yes.

16:57 that started

16:58 can't get the name and I can't and I can't and I

17:02 can't get the name um my good friend Caveman has Caveman Aquatics uh

17:09 You're going to phone a friend?

17:11 He actually owns this he actually used to own

17:14 this fish with the arowanas that actually donated to me.

17:17 That's why I'm trying to get to the name and I can't get to it.

17:20 Um

17:24 Nah.

17:23 It's It's uh It's not angel.

17:25 Definitely not.

17:26 No, it's not.

17:26 The angel has like the big

17:28 word, six letters, starts with a D.

17:33 Nah.

17:34 Starts with a D.

17:36 D.

17:35 Wait.

17:35 Wait.

17:35 Wait.

17:35 Wait.

17:36 Wait.

17:36 Wait.

17:37 Oh my god.

17:38 up.

17:38 This is why Ozzie Albies is a No, I'm not going to give up.

17:41 over 300.

17:42 Do we have a pitch clock?

17:44 He's already got one disengagement.

17:47 Here we go.

17:48 Mound visit.

17:49 All right.

17:50 Do you want me to just tell you what it is?

17:51 Why don't you just tell me then?

17:52 One more letter.

17:53 D I di- dis- Discus fish.

17:56 How can How can I forget that?

17:58 Let's tap the helmet.

17:59 I'm running out of time.

18:00 That's a strike on me.

18:01 That's a strike on me.

18:02 put up the other one since we already had it prepared.

18:04 Smidge, put up the other one.

18:05 Oh, there's another one?

18:06 No, no, no.

18:07 It's just It's the other ABS we had.

18:11 Oh.

18:11 How can I forget the discus fish?

18:13 There.

18:13 There.

18:13 That's it.

18:14 Yeah, actually.

18:15 All over the How How are you with the ABS?

18:17 Do you like it?

18:18 Um I love it.

18:19 I actually love it.

18:19 I had my first uh actually missed out a day, to be honest, 2 days ago.

18:24 I thought I walked, but it was like a little

18:27 bit in the zone, so I I punched out, but I feel I felt like I needed to do

18:31 it because It was like the sixth standing tie game.

18:34 And Olson, one of her best hitter on the team,

18:36 was coming behind me, so I was like, if I get the first Yeah.

18:39 he he can do something special here, either a 4-2 game or a 3-2 game,

18:43 so I tapped it on my helmet, but I was wrong for the first time.

18:46 So, but you've gotten every other one right.

18:48 Yes, I did.

18:49 Yep.

18:50 Ozzie Albies.

18:51 Hey, uh thanks for coming on here.

18:53 Uh congratulations on everything going on so far.

18:56 Obviously, there's a lot more baseball to be played,

18:58 but uh the Braves are crushing it.

19:00 All the Braves fans um love watching what's happening right now.

19:04 Ozzie Albies foundation.org.

19:07 Please, give whatever you can.

19:09 Let's save more more dogs uh in the streets of Atlanta

19:13 and give them a better life and save their lives in certain cases.

19:16 Bless you for doing that and thanks for coming on here.

19:19 100% thank you.

19:19 I got I got a question for you before I go though.

19:21 sure.

19:22 Okay, sure.

19:23 Uh Yeah.

19:23 Can you teach me how to run the 40-yard dash?

19:26 Oh, of course.

19:29 I need it.

19:29 I need it because I need I need

19:31 a couple more more stolen bases right here this year.

19:33 Well, Aussie, I hate to tell you this entire time I'm the guy

19:37 in that full-body suit running on the running running the 40-yard dash, yeah.

19:42 I've been I've been the one running

19:43 on the on the running track this entire time.

19:48 You're the Freeze?

19:49 I'm the Freeze.

19:51 He means he's the Freeze.

19:53 It's been my It's been my secret this entire time.

19:56 No one knew.

19:57 I'm the Freeze.

20:00 Run tell that.

20:02 Thank you.

20:03 You bet.

20:03 Hey, you made it all the way to the end.

20:05 Thanks for that.

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