Klapisch: Q-and-A with David Cone
Most everyone knows David Cone as the YES Network analyst whose work is nothing short of spot-on. Slightly older Yankees fans remember Cone for his days on the mound, his role in the late '90s golden era and the perfect game he threw in 1999.
You have to dig a little deeper to recall Cone’s run with the Mets, not just as one of the National League’s hardest throwers but for the chaotic social life of that era. As buttoned-down as Cone is on YES today, Cone was a Met in every sense of the word in the '80s. It’s why he’s still slightly larger than life today.
Here are Cone’s recollections of his wilder days in Flushing, life in the YES booth, his critique of former teammates Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez on SNY and a revolutionary idea about how to speed up baseball.
Q: First off, how will Yankees do this year?
You can reasonably expect an improvement because the middle of the order, A-Rod and (Mark) Teixeira, bottomed out. Matt Holliday is going to be an upgrade from the right side, so from that standpoint alone it’s going to be a better year. I also expect to see some of the young guys step up now that they’re finally getting a chance.
Q: You mentioned A-Rod, how do you think he handled the transition from the field to the broadcast booth? How would you evaluate his work on Fox during the World Series?
A: I think the content is off the charts, he’s always been one of the smartest guys to talk to about baseball. Alex is a student of the game, so the fact that he’s shown a willingness to admit to his mistakes has put him back in good standing with most fans who are watching him.
I also think Alex could’ve come back and played for another team this year, but he proved his love for baseball by taking the Yankees’ (instructor) job and developing in the broadcasting role. That decision said a lot about what he thinks is important to him now.
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Q: You’ve evolved in your own right on TV. Can you explain how you’ve grown into your role with YES?
A: Every year it’s become a little easier, knowing what the job entails, when to use sabremetrics and when not to. I try to be an easy listen. I try to tell you something you don’t know.
Q: Your use of advanced analytics is unusual considering you’re a former player. Obviously you’re doing more than just telling old war stories.
A: I was actually introduced to sabremetrics early on, during the arbitration processes in the '90s. My agent (Steve Fehr) got me to understand the different layers of statistics and how they can tell a pitcher’s inside story beyond wins and losses. I was always into the luck factor – variables like offensive support, defense, that supports a won-loss record. So I bought in early.
Q: So would you say you’ve made the complete transition from former player to the media?
A: I don’t know if I’ll ever make a total transition. I’ve always been a players’ advocate. I understand the life, especially as a pitcher. I never forgot how difficult it is to play the game, and today’s players have it much harder in terms of travel. The most important thing is to not be so hyper-critical of every little mistake. Even so, there are times I might say something on the air that a player disagrees with. That’s when you feel you’re on the other side of the line between player and media. But emotionally, I’ll always feel the connection to the players; it helps me do my job better and it helps me explain what’s going on down on the field. At the same time, I know my place in terms of credibility. I have to be honest about what I see.
Q: How would you characterize your connection to the Yankees as opposed to the Mets?
A: It’s hard not to feel an affiliation with the Yankees. I have four (world championship) rings, I threw a perfect game as a Yankee. It’s an era I’m proud of and loyal to. I was Met at a different time in my life. That’s when I fell in love with New York City, which is why I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for them.
Q: Do you ever watch video of yourself from your Mets days?
A: Actually I do. I had my best years as a Met. I was young, I threw a lot harder, I was more of a power pitcher than I was as a Yankee. One thing that I notice is the difference in the strike zone of the '80s and how much wider it was off the outside corner, especially in the National League. That wasn’t true for the high pitch, and the inside corner strike had to be on the plate.. But the outside corner could be exploited, which is why guys like (Tom) Glavine and (Greg) Maddux were so successful out there.
Q: Do you miss those days, as a player?
A: Yes and no. I was much more naïve back then in my sequencing and pitch selection. And as a hard thrower I’m definitely dealing with repetitive motion issues today. Believe it or not, my shoulder is actually OK, good enough to throw once a year in the Old Timers' Game. But I’m developing arthritis in my left hip from all those years landing on it. I had a long stride for a guy who wasn’t six feet tall. I tried to lengthen my stride to really get out there, really deliver the ball. This is the result.
Q: How about the off the field life in the '80s? How do you view those years in retrospect?
A: I miss the camaraderie with the guys. I miss the ability to get together and hang out. It was easier for players to do that in public. Today, if A-Rod and (Derek) Jeter were to go to a restaurant together it would be a media show. There’s nowhere to hide. Back in the day, the entire team could hang out on the road. It made us closer. You don't see that nowadays.
In terms of the lifestyle, I regret some of the recklessness of the time. I look back with embarrassment at some of the decisions I made. I can’t speak for the other guys, but there were hard lessons learned. (Laugh). I got traded to the ’86 Mets (in 1987) and did my best to fit in as a rookie.
Q: So what’s it like to watch Keith (Hernandez) and Ron (Darling) now on SNY?
A: Their fearlessness is refreshing. Obviously it’s great content, but Keith has no filter. Ronnie has more of a filter but he’s not afraid to talk about anything.
Q: Inevitably any conversation with a former athlete comes down to comparing eras. So here goes: are today’s ballplayers better?
A: I don’t know if I’ve ever seen better athletes than Bo Jackson or Dave Winfield, so I can’t say the modern-day player is necessarily better. In terms of mechanics, there are more hard throwers now. The kids train all year round, build up arm strength and dedicate themselves to one sport at an early age. It develops more arm speed but also leads to more injuries. From a hitting standpoint we’ve seem a radical change in philosophy – it’s all about hitting the ball in the air now. Keith (Hernandez’s) theory of a level swing isn’t taught anymore.
Obviously weight training is a big part of baseball now. Guys like Clint Frazier and Mike Trout – the way they work out wouldn’t have been allowed in the '80s. We didn’t even have weight rooms back then. I just don’t know if that training makes (today’s players) any more skilled. It makes them stronger, but some of the nuances have been lost.
Q: What about some of the speed-up rules being floated? Are you in favor?
A: It’s hard to change the way the game has evolved; there are so many fewer balls being put in play. It’s all about home runs, strikeouts and walks. So all these (proposed) rule changes are just a drop in the bucket unless you can get in between innings and cut back on commercials. I realize that’s not a solution because it would mean a reduction in revenue and that’s what helps pay the high salaries. But that’s the one place you can add or subtract the time it takes to play a game – TV coverage and advertising.