Mike Elias

I'm not scared to have a tough conversation, do it all the time, but when it comes from a place of truth and a place of care and love,

Like you have to have those tough conversations.

And like Joe Maddon said it, you know, years ago that you tell a player truth, he might be mad at you for a day.

If you lie to him, you lost him forever.

So that's something where we have to be truthful and honest, but also, yeah, I'm going to keep it loose.

It's baseball, you know, with each other, 162 games for the season.

We're with each other more than our families and it's baseball and guys play at the best when they're having fun and just playing the kids game.

I am so proud of Blake.

I'm more...

I'm more proud of Blake for getting that job than me sitting here, which is crazy to say.

You know, me and Blake have a close relationship.

When he first got drafted as a player, that was my first year coaching, was on the same team.

My first year managing the minor leagues was his first year coaching.

We were together on the same staff.

I'm just so pumped for him and Caroline.

Yeah, it's...

Don't want to get emotional, but yeah, I'm just proud of him.

Just being so young at 33 and taking that job.

We talk every day.

So we were keeping each other in the loop at every step of the way, and I couldn't be prouder to be his friend.