Escaping the Drift with John Gafford
Major Leaguer to D1 Dad: David Riske's Journey of Success
Tue, 7 Jan 2025
Former Major League Baseball relief pitcher Dave Riske joins us to share his incredible journey from the fields near Seattle to the bright lights of professional baseball. Without the advantage of early specialized training and facing skepticism from his own father, Dave's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and multifaceted athleticism. Against the odds, he turned disbelief into determination, reaching the major leagues at just 22. We explore how his upbringing and diverse sporting background shaped not only his career but also his approach to parenting two Division 1 athletes today. Listeners will find themselves on the edge of their seats as Dave recounts an unexpected encounter with the mob while working at Hooters, highlighting life's unpredictability and the necessity of staying calm under pressure. His narrative doesn't stop at thrilling tales; it extends into the often-overlooked financial side of a sports career. Dave shares candid insights into the challenges of navigating newfound wealth and the importance of wise financial management, offering lessons that go beyond the baseball diamond. As a father and coach, Dave offers invaluable advice on raising young athletes in today's competitive sports environment. He advocates for the benefits of playing multiple sports and emphasizes the importance of letting children enjoy their athletic journey at their own pace. From the intricacies of club sports and scholarship opportunities to the pressures of college selection, this episode covers a breadth of topics essential for aspiring athletes and their parents. Join us for an episode filled with wisdom, humor, and life lessons that resonate far beyond the world of sports. CHAPTERS (00:00) - Junior College Pitcher to Major Leaguer (10:00) - Road to the Majors (20:03) - Mafia Encounter and Baseball Stories (27:43) - Learning Financial Responsibility in Professional Sports (34:30) - Parenting Athletes (42:28) - Navigating Club Sports and Scholarships (50:19) - Teaching Kids Resilience and Financial Responsibility (54:30) - College Selection and Athletic Scholarships 💬 Did you enjoy this podcast episode? Tell us all about it in the comment section below! ☑️ If you liked this video, consider subscribing to Escaping The Drift with John Gafford ************* 💯 About John Gafford: After appearing on NBC's "The Apprentice", John relocated to the Las Vegas Valley and founded several successful companies in the real estate space. ➡️ The Gafford Group at Simply Vegas, top 1% of all REALTORS nationwide in terms of production. Simply Vegas, a 500 agent brokerage with billions in annual sales Clear Title, a 7-figure full-service title and escrow company. ➡️ Streamline Home Loans - An independent mortgage bank with more than 100 loan officers. The Simply Group, A national expansion vehicle partnering with large brokers across the country to vertically integrate their real estate brokerages. ************* ✅ Follow John Gafford on social media: Instagram ▶️ / thejohngafford Facebook ▶️ / gafford2 🎧 Stream The Escaping The Drift Podcast with John Gafford Episode here: Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cWN80gtZ4m4wl3DqQoJmK?si=2d60fd72329d44a9 Listen On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/escaping-the-drift-with-john-gafford/id1582927283 ************* #escapingthedrift #majorleaguebaseball #davidriske #seattle #professionalbaseball #perseverance #multifacetedathletes #specializedtraining #division1athletes #parenting #financialmanagement #lifelessons #mobencounter #financialresponsibility #clubsports #scholarshipopportunities #collegeselection #athleticscholarships #resilience #generationaldifferences #prestigiousschools #hustleculture #networking
Chapter 1: How did Dave Riske transition from junior college to Major League Baseball?
What number player were you? I was a 16th, 134th pick. Oh my God. In the 1996 draft.
Okay. So here's a, you may not even know this, but is there anybody that was picked after you that had any type of a career? And now, Escaping the Drift, the show designed to get you from where you are to where you want to be. I'm John Gafford, and I have a knack for getting extraordinary achievers to drop their secrets to help you on a path to greatness.
So stop drifting along, escape the drift, and it's time to start. Right now, back again, back again for another episode. Like it says in the opening, man, the podcast gets you from where you are to where you want to be. And today, man, it's not just about getting you where you want to be. Because I got a baller in the studio today. Literal terms, baller.
This is a dude, this is a cat, that spent 11 years in the major leagues. One of the best relief pitchers that was ever to do it. Had probably the best soul patch easily in the game from back in the day. And more importantly, I think the interesting part of a story now, and what I would want to hear as a parent, what I'm interested in, is this dude now has two kids now.
that are playing D1 level sports. And I want to talk about how you raise a champion, man, today, because this dude's got it cold. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the studio. This is Dave Riske. Dave.
How's it going? What's up, dude? How are you, man? I don't know about one of the best relievers, but I was up there.
Hey, man. No, no, but the soul patch was for sure. You had the best soul patch in baseball. I'm going to give you that one.
You know, my teammates called it the stinger. The stinger.
That's what they called it. It was a magical thing. You know, when you can pull off a soul patch, it was such a magical time, dude. It really was, just in life in general.
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Chapter 2: What challenges did Dave face on his road to the majors?
When you could roll down the street with literally like a caterpillar crawling across the bottom of your lip. People thought this was stylish. It was it was a look. It was a look for sure, man.
So let's talk about you growing up, dude, because obviously, man, you know, to reach the heights that you did play in pro sports, man, or playing sports in general, there has to be a lot of of going into that. So where did you grow up?
I grew up outside of Seattle, Washington. Okay. And my biggest thing was I didn't let anybody tell me I couldn't do anything. I wasn't the biggest, strongest athlete. I was a good athlete, but I didn't have all the best tools. But I always believed that if anybody says I couldn't do something, I would 100% do it. Yeah. No matter if I couldn't do it, I would believe that I could do it.
Where did that internal belief come from?
I actually don't know. What did your folks do? My dad's worked at Boeing for like 40 years. He's a machinist or works on airplane parts or whatever. My mom was a waitress slash restaurant manager her whole life.
See, I find that interesting because like probably very similar to like Detroit, right? Because I lived in Detroit for a while. And it seems like in that part of the world, it's like... dad works at Ford, you go to high school, you marry your high school girlfriend, and then you get a job right next to dad on the line, right? Was there a similar, was that kind of with Boeing?
Was that kind of the plan?
No, I wanted to be nothing like my dad.
No, no, but was that, but a lot of your friends, I'm sure, is that what happened to them?
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Chapter 3: What unexpected encounter did Dave have while working at Hooters?
So they fell into that same thing.
Yes, exactly.
So was it rebelling against that life or is it just something you just wanted more as a kid? Like what was it?
Kind of both. So my dad, and I always tell the story when I talk, and I'm obviously a very humble person. I don't like to brag or do anything, but I think my story is pretty cool. My dad told me when I was 18 years old to stop playing baseball, go get a regular job. You're not good enough, you'll never make it. Now, when that comes from your dad as a kid, that hits hard.
And I usually always get emotional when I talk about this, but... That made me want to do it more than anything I've ever believed in. It was crazy.
Wow. So dad told you to hang it up at 18?
Yes, 100%.
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Chapter 4: How did Dave learn financial responsibility in professional sports?
When you were growing up, because baseball is so crazy, especially here in Las Vegas. Were you one of those kids growing up that was like you had a hitting coach when you were four, any of that shit?
No, I had not. I mean, you're right. It is crazy. I actually give lessons too here in town, and I had nothing. I mean, I maybe went to a couple of baseball camps, but I was always football, basketball, baseball. So I didn't have time to specialize in one sport.
And one thing.
And I think that's the key to kids. Everyone specializes in one sport now. And I think they could become better athletes if they played multiple sports.
Because it's different muscle sets and different all of that stuff when you play a different sport. So dad tells you, hang it up. It makes you want to do more. So in that moment, what was the decision making like for, for you?
Like what dad said that, um, I would just, I was kind of like cocky kid. So I said, are you, are you crazy? No, I'll go find. Cause I, I don't think he wanted to pay my junior college money, you know, pay for my tuition. So I was like, I'll find, I'll get it paid for it. Don't worry about that. I'll figure it out. Yeah.
And then I actually had division one colleges tell me I wasn't good enough to play D1 baseball. Okay. So that's why I went the junior college route. Yeah, so you went to junior college. Where'd you go to junior college? It's called Green River Baseball, or Green River Community College, sorry. Okay. Right outside of Seattle.
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Chapter 5: What advice does Dave have for parenting young athletes?
And how long did you spend there? Two years. Two years. Was it all about baseball, or did you actually make it to class?
It was all about, I mean, we had to go to class, but it was all baseball. It was all baseball. Yeah, just trying to get to the next level from there.
So did you find a mentor there that was, like, where was the, where's the Merlin in your hero's quest? Where's the Obi-Wan Kenobi? Who was that guy?
it was my head coach there at junior college, Dan Spencer. And he's been a, he's been a coach all throughout the country now. Um, but he was for sure my mentor and really changed my life there because I was a shortstop coming out of high school. And I thought there's no way I'm going to ever be a pitcher.
He converted me to a pitcher there and just kind of helped me through all my parents and all my situations off the field. And I was going to transfer to another college and he was able to talk me out of it to stay there, to stay there. And then that's where my career took off after that.
What, What did he see that made him think that you'd be a better pitcher than a shortstop?
I always had a good arm, and he was one of those guys that kind of pushed my buttons, and I actually liked it because he was like, you're not a good hitter. You can't hit. You're too skinny. You're this, that. You know what I mean? Anybody that tells me I can't do something, it just feeds on me.
Yeah.
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Chapter 6: How can families navigate club sports and scholarship opportunities?
You know what I mean? And I want to be the best I can when someone says that.
Yeah. So you switched over to being a pitcher. How long did that transition take? Because that's difficult, yeah?
Yes, but I did pitch a little bit in high school, so it wasn't that big of a deal. But to become a full-time pitcher and not hit anymore, that was tough mentally. Because I was like, wait, I'm not playing a position. I'm not playing short, so I'm not hitting. This is boring. Were you always a reliever? No, I was a starter in college.
So that took off, and then I had good results and then just stayed with it.
With pitching, I imagine the mental part of it is so hard. How much of it's between the ears and how much of it's in the shoulder?
With the game of baseball, it's the easiest job because hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. So I realize that. But just when you're a strike thrower, you just go up there and you just throw the baseball. Especially at that age and in junior college, I was just going up there and trying to throw strikes.
But at the highest level, being a reliever, I think, is the hardest job in baseball because you have to be perfect every time you go out. You can't give up a starter's run. You can't give up your own run. You can't blow leads. Like, you have to be absolutely perfect.
The whole time.
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Chapter 7: What lessons on resilience and financial responsibility does Dave offer?
Yeah, because starters can give up runs. They can throw seven innings, give up three runs, and have a great start.
Yeah.
A reliever can't throw an inning and give up a run, and it's a good outing. It's not a good outing.
It's just not that.
Chapter 8: How should athletes approach college selection and scholarships?
Yeah.
So when you're in college, you're a starter. And then at what point do you decide to go in the draft?
after my second year, scouts started coming around and my velocity was going up and they were starting to give me a lot of feedback. And they're like, we're going to take you in the draft. So I committed to Texas Tech University after my second year of junior college. So I was going to go there. I didn't plan on signing in the draft. But then the scouts, this is another funny story.
The scouts told me that I was going to go the first or second day in the draft. The draft comes around. I don't go till day three, the 56th round.
What is that? Okay, so let's talk about that, dude. Because you see that on TV, right? You see that in the NFL draft where you see those poor bastards that make the trip to wherever it is and they're sitting in the green room and the phone don't ring, buddy.
So what was that like? I mean, and I was in no green room. Like the third day is just like maybe draft for favors or kind of fill roster spots.
back then my story wouldn't even happen this year because there's are now nowadays because there's only 20 rounds i was drafted the 56th round the 56th 56th i mean at that point they just kind of let like the interns yeah sometimes they do a draft and follow with the high school kids it's like a fan it's like a fantasy draft at that point right you're just filling them in yeah we we select uh gandalf because
Maybe he can pitch. I don't know.
Right. So the fifties, what number player were you? I was a 16th, 134th pick. Oh my God. In the 1996 draft.
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