This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:08] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to the Break a Bat Podcast where baseball meets Broadway, an attempt to show that my two favorite mediums don't have to live in such separate worlds and maybe even break some stigmas.

[0:20] Al Malafronte: We're happy to have you with us. Now let's play ball.

[0:32] Al Malafronte: I'd like to think almost 50 episodes into Break a Bat, our main audience listening at home has a good pulse of the roots of my baseball fandom. If you're new here, my dad brought me into the world of this beautiful sport as a young kid in Long Island. I was around eight years old at the time, wanted to get better as a player. And in his eyes, that had to go beyond practice. It was time for me to start watching Yankee games with him every night on TV. And um, because not only was I gonna learn from the high caliber of performers the Yankees are putting in the lineup every night, I was also gonna learn from a high character man in the broadcast booth who epitomizes great perspective on the game and does so while making it entertaining for everyone watching at home.

Uh prior to his time in the booth, he was a three-time All-Star player and World Series champion, one of the greatest switch hitters of all time, with more than 2,000 hits and a thousand RBIs to his name. He also retired with a phenomenal .388 lifetime on-base percentage. He's been the TV voice of the Yankees since 1997, and even all these years later, he's still calling games on the YES Network and doing so as well as anyone in television. I've described myself as a student of the game, and tonight I'm joined by one of my greatest teachers. So if you'll please turn your attention to home plate, just beyond the marquee, now batting Ken Singleton.

[1:48] Ken Singleton: Well, thank you very much, Al. That's quite an introduction. Uh, you know, I well, 1997. Uh I've been there a long time with the Yankees. I'm glad I was able to. You're kind of able to grow up with me.

[2:03] Al Malafronte: Absolutely. And you know, we're having a you have a shortened season right now. And I know that you like to toy around with, you know, retiring every year. Do you think that you're gonna stick it out a little bit longer, Ken, because of uh the 60-game schedule?

[2:15] Ken Singleton: Yeah, I Al, it kind of reminds me of uh you would remember when Mariano tore his ACL a couple of years ago. That was supposed to be his final season, but he said he didn't want to leave like that, and uh he wanted to come back for one more year and he did. Uh I kind of feel the same way. A 60-game season, I'm not gonna do that many games this year. Uh so I I feel as though there are a couple of cities I'd like to visit one more time because they're special to me. And so if we are doing everything on the up and up next year with a 162-game schedule, I would come back and do my 25 or 30 games.

[2:51] Al Malafronte: I would love that, Ken. And you know, I know you're a New York kid. You grew up in Westchester. You know, we're on the Broadway Podcast Network. So I do have to ask, did you catch much theater growing up and in subsequent years broadcasting for the Yankees? Do you try catching many shows while you're in New York City?

[3:06] Ken Singleton: Well, I I've been to a few, but uh, you know, mostly the Christmas shows like to see the Rockettes, you know, and things like that, took the family. Um I can't remember, I remember going to um, I think it was a Shakespearean play when I was a kid, which uh totally uh it didn't rock my world, let's put it that way. But uh, you know, now with everything being shut down, and these are things that I'd like to do after I'm finished with my broadcast career. Then I could do more things, uh, not be uh actually reliant on a schedule every single day or jumping on airplanes or trains or whatever. These are the things that I would like to do, and uh uh as well as uh things that like playing golf, which I love to do. And so I'd like to get to Broadway one day and check out some shows, no doubt.

[4:00] Al Malafronte: Now, Ken, I know you do love your uh your time on the golf course. Are you a better golfer or are you a better hitter?

[4:07] Ken Singleton: Oh, uh I would say I was a better hitter, you know, but uh I can't do that anymore. So uh uh so now with me and my buddies, uh my former teammates, we turned to playing golf. And uh uh I play with guys like Ross Grimsley, left-handed pitcher, Al Bumpury, who uh played next to me in the outfield in Baltimore, uh Tim Nordbrook, who was with us briefly with the Orioles, Scott McGregor, 20-game winner with the Orioles. They all live in the Maryland area here, and we get to go together at least once or twice a week and play.

[4:37] Al Malafronte: Now, Ken, you mentioned your time with the Orioles here on Broadway, you have some directors who certainly have earned a lot of respect around the industry. Some, however, have the reputation of being meticulous, sometimes explosive as far as their process goes in order to drive team results. And quite often those directors are the ones at the helm of more successful shows. You certainly played on some winning teams during your days with the Orioles. On the air, you've mentioned someone you played with, uh excuse me, we played for who I think fits that bill and Earl Weaver.

[5:05] Ken Singleton: No, there's no doubt about it. He was quite feisty. He was uh if it Al, if you made mistakes on the field, it wasn't like we're not gonna talk about it, or we're not gonna we're gonna talk about it tomorrow, or we're gonna sweep it on the rug. It was when you walked off the field, he would embarrass you in front of everybody on the team. And um you you trying to, he got me a few times, you know, and I guess I deserved it. Uh, there's one time I really didn't think I did though. Um, and I think I've mentioned this on the air. You might remember, uh, I dropped a fly ball in Chicago, and uh there was no consequence, the White Sox didn't score. But when I came back to the dugout, he asked me, What the hell are you doing out there?

I said, Earl, I got no excuse. I just dropped the ball, they didn't even score. He said, That's not the problem. You're supposed to catch the ball. I said, I don't want to look bad in front of 30, 35,000 fans. He said, But you did. And I said, Well, you know, you better leave me alone. I I I gotta go up here and hit this in it. And he said, Well, oh, okay, go ahead. He knew what was really important, me trying to score some runs for him to win a game. So uh that was kind of dropped quickly, but I didn't drop many fly balls, let's put it that way.

[6:18] Al Malafronte: Now, when you're playing for someone like that, is it ever difficult to maintain your focus when you have someone who's kind of like looking over your shoulder like that, who could be, you know, he could be kind of hostile?

[6:28] Ken Singleton: I think we all know that about Earl. Now to be honest with you, he was more hostile with some of the other players on the team. And uh I I just I could look for situations that I I could almost see them coming when he was gonna go off, especially with umpires, or he was very uh impatient with the with our catcher Rick Dempsey. Uh whenever somebody got a hit on the other team, it was always Dempsey's fault uh for the pitch that he called. And Dempsey's all comeback was always he didn't throw the ball where I wanted him to throw it. He threw it right down the middle. So it's not my fault. And they would go back and forth. Earl is really into he he didn't like umpires and the umpires did not like him. Uh, I don't know if you remember the umpire Ron Luciano.

[7:14] Al Malafronte: Sure.

[7:14] Ken Singleton: Yeah, Ron was uh he was a good umpire, but he and Earl were like oil and water, they didn't like each other. And Luciano passed away a few years before Earl did, and they asked Earl about Luciano, and this is Earl said he was a clown then and he's a clown now. And this guy just died, you know. So I'm thinking, you know, you know what would you say that Earl said when he when Earl would pass away, and eventually he did, he wanted on his tombstone, here lies the sorest loser ever. And this guy did not like to lose. He didn't. If we had a two-game losing streak, uh, he he would just be in a foul mood. If we got off on one of our good winning streaks, he'd be okay, you know. But as soon as we lost the game, it was like flipping a switch.

He was going in the other direction, and we tried to stop it as soon as possible. Uh I I can recall we lost three or four in a row once, and he had a team meeting, and um he he was gone off on us at the beginning. You guys are terrible, you're playing terrible baseball, you know. You guys got your you're just not doing it right. And then he said, at the end, he said, Well, I guess this is all my fault. And we all looked around like his fault. And he said, Yeah, I picked you guys. I thought you could win. So, and of course, we went off in the other direction. We started winning again. You know, every year I was in Baltimore, we had a winning record. We're in the race every year. And uh I'd be I had become a free agent a couple of times, and uh both times I stayed. And it was because I was already on a great team with great players, great to good players, and we won a lot of games.

[8:53] Ken Singleton: Now I have found out over the years, Al, that uh the Yankees had actually traded for me, tried to trade for me a couple of times. And the Orioles said no both times. Also, when we came to New York, like he mentioned before, I'm a New Yorker, a proud New Yorker. And uh when we came to New York, uh George Steinbrenner would leave my parents the tickets right next to the visiting dugout. So I'd come out of the dugout. There's my mom and dad, my aunt and uncle sitting right next to the dugout. Now he didn't have to do that. And uh, but he knew I was from New York, and he knew my mom and dad with and my aunt and uncle came to a lot of games. Uh they they would drive down to Baltimore to see me. When I got traded to Montreal before I got to Baltimore, they would drive up to Montreal to see me.

So they they were really invested in my career. And when my parents retired, uh they moved down here to the Maryland area so they could be near their grandkids. And and uh the payoff was at the end. They got to go to all the games the last uh few years that I was playing.

[9:54] Al Malafronte: And Ken, you know, you mentioned all the success that you had in Baltimore. And what I admire so much about you is that you had some of your best performances on baseball's biggest stages, which of course were the playoffs in World Series. You're facing the best competition that the game has to offer. You hit .333 over 17 playoff games. How are you able to raise your game under the pressure of such bright lights, especially during a time when baseball was probably the most popular sport in the country?

[10:21] Ken Singleton: Yeah, and it I think Al, it had something to do with um if people were gonna watch baseball during the playoffs, you're probably the only game going in the World Series. They had no choice but to watch you. So I felt as though you have to put your best foot forward, of course. We're trying to win. Uh, I played in two World Series, we won one, we lost one. Uh, but I I I don't know. When you face your the best competition, you have a way of raising your own game, and they bring you up to their level. Uh, some of the greatest pitchers uh that I faced over the years, I had pretty good success against. There were others that were really good ones too that I didn't. Um that I I mentioned many times I didn't hit well against Ron Gidry.

Uh I had problems with Steve Carlton, I had problems with Tom Seaver, but I did hit a home run off Seaver in the All-Star game. Uh and some of the other Hall of Fame pitchers like Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins and Catfish Hunter. I I hit pretty well against those guys. Um, I can recall uh running into Gibson. The Yankees were interleague series in St. Louis a few years back, and I happened to uh see Bob in the lobby of the hotel, and he was still you know intimidating. And uh he looked at me right in the eye and he says, I used to have problems with you. And I I thought right away, I said, Well, he can't get me now. He was known to throw tight to hitters, and uh I when I got home, I looked it up.

I hit .343 against Bob Gibson, which uh you know I I don't think many people can say that. I mean, he he was he was throwing hard, had a great slider, and he was intimidating, he worked fast, he never let you feel comfortable in the box. He wasn't afraid to throw up and in if he had to, but for some reason never did that to me. Uh, I hit well against Juan Marichal too, who was probably my favorite pitcher of all time because I grew up a Giants fan. And um, I hit two home runs off him, and he told me a story too. It he said that uh uh he wanted to throw at me, but he knew that he'd get in trouble at home because his wife thought I was cute. So he so he never threw at me, even though I hit him pretty well as a young player.

[12:36] Al Malafronte: That's incredible, Ken. And you know, some of those names that you had mentioned that you had some success against, a lot of them were right-handed pitchers. You know, being a switch hitter, did you prefer hitting from the left side of the plate? Was that your more comfortable natural side? Or, you know, growing, I know your dad taught quite a few things about baseball. Did you start as a lefty, then transition to switch hitting? How did that kind of work in your development?

[12:57] Ken Singleton: Yeah, it's kind of a strange story, Al, because when I first started when I was introduced to the game by my dad, I hit left-handed. I even threw left-handed. But I noticed all the other kids in the playground, they were throwing right-handed, hitting right-handed. So I said, let me try that. Okay, so I tried it, I could do it. When I got to little league, I was a right-handed pitcher and I hit right-handed. When I got to, um, I'd say when I was playing in Bronx Federation League, you know, one day I was swinging around before the game and I was hitting left hand, I was hitting the ball pretty well. So the coach of the team looked at me and says, they're pitching a right-hander today. Why don't you hit left-handed in the game?

I said, okay, and I hit two home runs. I was about 15 years old, and he said, you're a switch hitter from now on. There's scouts at these games watching, and they're looking for guys who can do unusual things on the field. And from that point on, I was a switch hitter. When I got to the big leagues, I hit well from both sides. My power stats were about the same. You know, you get up about two and a half more times left-handed than you do right-handed over a season. And if you break down my home run stats, they were about two and a half to one. But my batting average was better left-handed, I think because I hit many more times left-handed, and I was a little bit more comfortable. Of course, if you can go four or five days and you don't hit right hand, all of a sudden you're facing Ron Gidry. I don't care who you are. It's going to be a little bit more difficult.

[14:23] Al Malafronte: Ken, it's amazing just because you know, when you played, you know, the game was so different. You didn't have all these analytics, which listen, I think are a blessing and a curse, but your ability to get on base is just incredible to me. You know, you look at your walk numbers over the years. I mentioned your on-base percentage over the years. Do you think it's kind of a lost art nowadays, you know, to find switch hitters like yourself?

[14:45] Ken Singleton: I actually someone asked me not long ago, you know, who do you think reminds you most of Ken Singleton? And I thought about Bernie for a moment because you know he used to draw his walks, but the other guy I was thinking about as far as like the high batting average, equal splits from both sides of the plate was Chipper Jones. And I think about how rare guys like that are.

[15:03] Al Malafronte: You're absolutely right.

[15:05] Ken Singleton: Uh, you know, Chipper Jones is Hall of Famer, but one thing he has that all the other switch hitters in baseball do not have. All the I'm talking Mickey Mantle, uh, I'm talking some of the great, you know, Lance Berkman guys like that. Chipper Pete Rose, Chipper Jones is the only switch hitter with, you know, that has the quality of at-bats, the number of at-bats that hits 300 from both sides of the plate. He's the only one, and that includes Mickey Mantle. And so, and Eddie Murray. I mean, guys like that. And I think that I was really impressed by Chipper's ability. He could go a few days without facing a left-hander and get in there, and it was like he had faced one the whole game. He was just that good.

I really appreciate it. And over the years I got to talk to him a few times, and he was always a pleasure to talk to. And he knew the history of switch hitting, he knew all he was talking to me about playing with Eddie Murray and what we were like in third and fourth in the Oreo lineup. And I would venture to say that Eddie and I were the best switch hitting tandem in baseball history. Between the two of us, we drove in 430 runs, 215 for him and 215 for me. So I just felt that those two years in particular, you know, we were kind of the platinum standard, if you will, for switch hitting.

[16:35] Al Malafronte: What you guys accomplished was incredible. You and Steady Eddie. And it's amazing, Ken. You know, after you retired, I know that you decided to lend your voice to the game as a broadcaster. And I know you did expose games for quite some time, but you mentioned George Steinbrenner earlier. When you signed on board with the Yankees to broadcast for MSG, to my understanding, you had a rather humorous job interview with Steinbrenner. Why don't you tell us about that?

[17:01] Ken Singleton: Yeah, I had, um, well, actually it started before that, before the interview. I went up for an audition, uh, drove up to Madison Square Garden where the studios were, and Jim Cotton and I were supposed to voice over three innings of the previous World Series. Well, after doing one inning of it, the executive producer Mike McCarthy and the president Joe Cohen said, that's enough. You're good. You know, we want you to take the job. The job is yours, but you got to meet George. And so a couple of days later, we flew down to Tampa. And we went into at that time Legends Field, now Steinbrenner Field, and we walked into this long, this big office with a long conference room and big table. And George was sitting at the far end.

And I noticed right away he didn't get up when we came in. So I thought, well, this is off to a good start. And I sat down next to him. And he looked at me and he said, our fans aren't going to like you. And I said, wow. I said, well, Mr. Steinbrenner, with all due respect, how come? And he said, I can't recall all the bad things you did to us. And I said, well, I was just doing my job. And he said, well, you did your job too well. You and that Eddie Murray guy. So I, uh, but then he started to mellow a little bit. He asked me if I knew some people. I said, no, I didn't. And he said, well, when you get to know them, you know, they'll, they'll, you know, you'll be fine. And as the years went by, um, I became more and more in his favor, of course.

And I don't, I think one thing, you know, George ruled a little bit by intimidation, but he couldn't intimidate me because I didn't play for him. You know, and I played for one of the greatest intimidators of all time, Earl Weaver. So I, you know, I, whatever he said, I was just gonna take with a grain of salt. I was gonna be polite and all this. And, you know, once I got the job, and, you know, like I said, I found out over the years that the Yankees had tried to trade for me, and, you know, the Orioles said no both times. And it was kind of interesting because towards the end of my career, uh, I signed my last contract with the Orioles, and the general manager was Hank Peters. And Hank, uh, I said, Hank, you know, when I sign this contract, it's gonna make me 10 and five, you know, 10 years in the league and five years consecutive or more with the Orioles. That means you can't trade me. And he looked me right in the eye and he said, I wouldn't trade you anyway.

[19:27] Al Malafronte: So that kind of, you know, verified what I was told by Hank Steinbrenner at the time.

[19:36] Ken Singleton: And Ken, you know, since you've been a part of the Yankee family, you've been, you know, you've seen so many great moments in the booth that we've, you know, gotten to enjoy at home or at the stadium. Are there a couple of highlights or moments you've had, you know, during your time with the Yankees specifically that really stand out more than the others?

[19:52] Ken Singleton: Well, uh, when I first got there, the Yankees were really on a roll. And I think the 98 season in particular was, uh, you know, just just fantastic. It was a broadcaster's dream. You know, every broadcaster likes bringing good news to the fans. And I believe I worked a hundred games on TV that year, and the Yankees won 72 of them. Yeah, I felt like the weatherman in San Diego. I mean, I had good news just about every day for Yankee fans. Yeah, and it was one of those magical years. And of course, they went on to win the next year too. And then they won the next year after that. So I just, uh, you know, four out of five, they won. They won. So it was great. Of course, the 2009 season was fun too when they won the World Series first year in the new stadium.

The on the field highlights, I think one of the things that really thrilled me over the years, and it wasn't something that happened during a game. It was Derek Jeter's speech on the last day of the old Yankee Stadium as the captain of the team with all the players around him, and the speech he made about, you know, taking the ghost of the old ballpark across the street to the new one. I thought that he played the role of the captain to the hilt that day. And you would appreciate that with Broadway connections. I mean, he was great. I mean, he was the captain that night. And of course, they took the ghosts with them and they won the World Series the next year. And it was, uh, I'm looking forward to the day.

I want them to win at least one more before I stop. So I, uh, and if it's this year, that's fine. But of course, I'd like to see it over, you know, the length of a full season and the grind of a full season too. But I will say this, Al, the team that wins this year, with all the circumstances involved, they would have really earned it because, uh, it's not so much what you do on the field this year, it's almost as much as what you do off the field, protect yourself and the rest of your teammates and the rest of the people who are involved in your organization. And this is a serious year to just to try and get through. We've already had some problems with a couple of teams with Miami and St. Louis, and you know, I applaud the Cleveland Indians for what they did the other day with, uh, Mike Clevinger and Zach Pleasak was saying, no, you guys aren't hanging around us. We're sending you back and we're testing you right away. Because this is, that shouldn't be done.

[22:21] Al Malafronte: It's um, now I heard that there was a star player on a team. Now, I don't know who this player was, but he told his team in a meeting, says, we are all in this together, and we're gonna have to, uh, you know, abide by the rules and the protocols this year just to get through as a team. And he said, if any of you do not do this or are not willing to do this, I can get you traded. And believe me, I can do it. And there are guys on certain teams who have that power. They can go to the front office and say, this guy is not doing what he should be doing, and we don't want him on our team. And, uh, we had those back in the day when I was playing. We had those type of guys on teams. I'd like to think that I was one of those guys on the Orioles that could go to the GM and say this guy shouldn't be on our team. But even this year, it's even more important for everybody to follow the rules and do what you're supposed to be doing.

[23:18] Ken Singleton: Ken, I'm so happy that you brought up the, uh, the Cleveland Indians situation as well as what it would have been like when you were playing. I mean, to, I don't, it's one thing if you're going to harm yourself, but when you put your teammates and your families at risk like that, there's simply no place for that during times like this.

[23:34] Al Malafronte: That would really bother me.

[23:35] Ken Singleton: Yeah, well, they have a manager who's had health problems and, uh, Tito Francona, you know, and they've also got, uh, uh, Carlos Carrasco on that team who went through leukemia last year. You know, if they get these guys, they could kill these guys, you know. So I'm just thinking, what are you guys doing? You know, I applaud the Cleveland Indian front office and management for just saying they put these guys in a car and sent them back to Cleveland. They wouldn't let them go back with the team. They definitely handled it the right way.

[24:08] Al Malafronte: And you know, Ken, so much about baseball's changed, not just on the field, but you know, the way guys handle themselves off of it. And you and I are purists. We love baseball. We love the game that we learned from our dads. And I know that because of the way you played and how you broadcast. I'm very much in your camp in that sense. Does anything about the way it's changed make your job in the booth more difficult?

[24:33] Ken Singleton: Uh, it's still baseball. Uh, I think that, uh, the way the game is played is different. I mean, the bullpens are more in vogue now. I think the pitching staffs are built more from the back to the front as opposed from front to the back. And that's one reason why the Yankees are so successful. They've got a great bullpen. And they've had it for a number of years, and that's a big priority on their team. I think Brian Cashman knows how games are played nowadays.

[25:04] Ken Singleton: No, if anything else, if anything, I think in a way it's a little easier because of all the statistics that are involved now, the way they break down players. It gives you a better insight as to what players can do. It's just not home runs, RBIs, and batting average like it used to be. I led the league in on-base percentage in the National League one year. It wasn't even a negotiating point. I mean, if we had, if I had done that today, that's a few more million dollars in your bank account. I just think that you can break down players a little bit more. If you have somebody who's really good at the analytical department with your team, and the Yankees do have a good one, they can pick up guys like Mike Tochman, who other organizations do not see what this guy can do besides what scouts see with their eyes; they look a bit more into the numbers.

They see somebody like Gio Urshela, who they know is a good fielder, but maybe they feel they can bring something out in his bat. Maybe there's a number there that says there's something to build on here that years ago they wouldn't even bother to look at. And all of a sudden, you got yourself maybe an all-star third baseman, and you know, maybe an all-star in the future, and you got Tochman who can help your team in various ways. He can play all three outfield positions, he can steal bases, he can throw, he can hit, he's got some power. I mean, those are the things that nowadays maybe the casual fan would make it more difficult to follow because there's just so many more numbers. But for somebody like me, who's kind of into the numbers when I was a kid, watching Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays and all these guys, I think it makes it a little easier. But in a way, it makes it more difficult because they got to study longer before games.

[27:01] Al Malafronte: That's the truth, Ken. And you know, you've seen a lot over the years. I do have to ask. We have the Yankees all-star closer Aroldis Chapman on his way back. First of all, have you ever seen anything like the Cuban missile before? And how much are you looking forward to his return?

[27:15] Ken Singleton: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I mean, he's very intimidating when he pitches and he throws very hard. There's no doubt about it. We had hard throwers back when I was playing, but not as many as they do now. I mean, that's part of the thing with what scouts see; part of it's the radar gun. One of the things they look right away is how hard do you throw the ball? They figured if you can miss bats, you can pitch. Now, if you have the combination of missing bats and being able to pitch as well and be precise with your pitching, sort of like a Gerrit Cole, then you've really got yourself a pitcher. Chapman kind of relies just on power, but even lately, I think he can see into the future in the fact that his fastball isn't always at 102 and 103 like it used to be, you know, five years ago.

So now on the days where he's throwing 98, 97, which is still pretty darn good, he's mixing in the slider a little bit more to make himself even more effective and a little less predictable. So I think that when he comes back, which shouldn't be in the not too distant future, of course, it's going to strengthen the Yankee bullpen and you know, can move Britton back one inning, and he's tough as it is, but you know, he closes on a lot of teams. But you're right. When the missile comes back, Yankee fans should be smiling.

[28:41] Al Malafronte: Can we do one last segment to wrap every show called Fastball Derby? But before we do that, I want to touch on something really quick that I think is so wonderful that you're really involved with. You serve on the board of directors for the Cool Kids Campaign, a foundation that supports children with cancer and their families. Why don't you tell us a little about that?

[29:00] Ken Singleton: The Cool Kids, we help kids who are dealing with cancer. And it's not only kids; we support the whole families. Whatever they need, all our services are free. We have our various fundraisers during the course of the year. One of them is my golf tournament, which we have here in Maryland. And we are gonna have that, we're gonna have it again this year, but with all the protocols that need to be followed through the government here in Maryland, and the governor Larry Hogan, who I think has done a pretty good job with the state of Maryland, as opposed to other places around the country. That's one reason why I had to leave Florida. But the fact is that we're gonna do it again this year. The Cool Kids, you know, both my parents passed away from cancer, but they lived long lives, Al.

They both got into their 80s and they saw a lot of good things. They saw a lot of changes in life and in America during their years. But when you see kids, you know, as young as two and three dealing with cancer issues, it really tugs at your heart. So I got involved with Chris Federico, who's the president; his mom died from cancer, and Robbie Belanger, who was the son of my former teammate Mark Belanger, who passed away from cancer. Mark was a heavy smoker, and that basically would kill him. Unfortunately, Robbie developed cancer too, and he passed away a few years ago. Very young man, he was 37 years old. He was one of the linchpins of the organization and really got it started. So with all those people in mind, and all the kids out there who suffer from this disease, hopefully one day we can stop talking about it and it'll be done, much in the same way polio's kind of done.

That's why I'm into it. This is the 11th year of my tournament. We've raised well over a million dollars, and I just want to keep it going as long as I can. My middle son, Justin's involved now, and one of his good buddies that he went to high school with was Chad Unitis, Johnny Unitis' son. So eventually I can see those two taking over and keeping it going and helping Chris out. But for now, I like playing golf. We also have tournaments. I don't know if Dan Jansen, remember the Olympic speed skater? She has one that benefits the Cool Kids in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mike Eruzione, who scored the winning goal against the Russians way back in 1980, has a tournament in Massachusetts. We're getting one started in Miami now.

We were gonna do it, but I think we're gonna skip it this year because of what's going on with COVID. But Dennis Martinez, my teammate, presidente. Those are four fundraisers for the Cool Kids that revolve around golf. We have a lot of other projects too that we do in the Maryland area. We've got the blessings of the governor Larry Hogan, who supports the Cool Kids. He's a cancer survivor himself. I just think that it's a labor of love, so to speak. We see the same people coming back every year from all over the country. We have actors and singers and entertainers, and you know, my former teammates always had my back years ago, and they still do now, and guys from other teams even show up. That's what it means to me, and I'm looking forward to our outing in mid-September again.

[32:51] Al Malafronte: Well, so the folks listening at home, I want you to check out the short links that we have in the episode descriptions if you want to get involved with the Cool Kids Campaign and all the great stuff that Ken's doing. We know it's certainly a great cause and very dear to Ken and very dear to all of us in the Broadway community.

[33:07] Ken Singleton: Yeah, I should give the website coolkidscampaign.org.

[33:11] Al Malafronte: Perfect, Ken. And you know, like I said, one last quick little segment to wrap the show. If you think of it like this, it's the ninth inning, two hours, all the pressure's on you. I'll ask you a question, you say the first thing that comes to mind. How does that sound?

[33:25] Ken Singleton: Yeah, it sounds good to me.

[33:27] Al Malafronte: Okay, Kenny, I've heard that you really like your pregame music. What's your desert island album?

[33:33] Ken Singleton: Ooh, you know, a lot of it depends on my mood. But if you're talking Desert Island, that sounds like reggae to me. It's kind of upbeat, you know what I mean? It'll keep you going until you're rescued.

[33:46] Al Malafronte: Love that. All-time favorite film.

[33:50] Ken Singleton: Once Upon a Time in the West with Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards. There were a number of stars in that movie. It was a spaghetti western, if you will. Sergio Leone. They had great music. I can't remember the composer of the music, but the music was great, the scenery was wonderful. It was a great premise. Charles Bronson was great in the movie. All the actors, it was sort of like each main character in the movie had their own theme song. So the music would play even before they showed up on screen. It kind of told you who was coming into the next frame. It was really well done. Al, you gotta rent this movie. Once Upon a Time in the West, Charles Bronson and all those great stars, and just look at the visuals, the music, and the acting itself was great.

[34:51] Al Malafronte: I definitely will check that one out, Ken. Go-to New York City meal.

[35:00] Ken Singleton: I guess I should say the NYY Steakhouse. Great food. My family and I have enjoyed it. There's, you know, that's a hard choice in New York. They got great food all over the place, you know, from sushi to Italian food to soul food to everything. That's why I remember when I grew up in New York, everything's right at your doorstep. It's so diverse. You learn to get along with a lot of different people. I remember when I went off to play ball as a 19-year-old. You know, I signed with the Mets. I was a draft pick in the Mets. My dad said, remember, you grew up in New York. You've already seen a lot. You're just trying to get back here. He was right. Although, you know, I've seen a lot of good things throughout the country, but there's no place like New York City in the metropolitan area. It's all at your doorstep, and I think you'd agree with me.

[36:02] Al Malafronte: I certainly do, Ken. And you're one of the great fabrics of New York City sports. I hope that, you know, we'll get to some sense of normalcy soon and we can get you over to Broadway. In the meantime, I can't wait to hear you call a few Yankee games this year. This is such a thrill. So thank you.

[36:17] Ken Singleton: Al, it was my pleasure, and sure, I'd love to get to Broadway. I went to a show with my wife a few years ago. It was impressive. I can't remember the name of it right now that she would know.

[36:31] Al Malafronte: We'll worry about the Broadway knowledge in the offseason, Ken.

[36:34] Ken Singleton: Sounds great.

[36:39] Al Malafronte: All right, folks, thank you so much for joining us on Break a Bat tonight. This is Al Malafronte signing off for the Broadway Podcast Network. We'll see you next time.

[36:49] Ken Singleton: Thanks for listening to Break a Bat. This is produced by the fine folks at the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit and subscribe at BPN.fm slash break a bat. You can find me online at break underscore A underscore bat underscore podcast. And you can also find the Broadway Podcast Network on Instagram at Broadway Podcast Network. It's been so great having you here with us today and we'll see you next time.

[37:14] Ken Singleton: See you next time.