>> Stephen: I'M GLAD IT'S FRIDAY.
>> Jon: YEAH, IT FEELS GOOD.
>> Stephen: SUMMERTIME, YOU JUST WANT TO GET OUT.
DO YOU GO TO THE BASEBALL GAMES?
>> Jon: YEAH, WE WENT TO A GAME TOGETHER LAST TIME.
>> Stephen: WE WENT TO A METS GAME.
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> Stephen: FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT BECAUSE I'VE
ALWAYS BEEN A BIG BASEBALL FAN.
THE OL' BALL AND STICK.
"ROUNDERS," AS WE CALLED IT WHEN I WAS A LAD.
TO MAKE SURE BASEBALL REMAINS AMERICA'S PAST TIME, THE MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALL HAS INTRODUCED NEW RULES TO
INCREASE THE SPEED OF PLAY AND ATTRACT NEW FANS: THEY'VE
LIMITED THE NUMBER OF MOUND VISITS, REQUIRED BATTERS TO STAY
IN THE BOX, AND THEY FINALLY NEUTERED THE PHILLY PHANATIC.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT THERE ARE STILL MORE
INNOVATIONS I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE GAME, SO I VISITED THE NEW
YORK METS TO TAKE A SWING AT PITCHING THEM SOME IDEA...
BALLS.
JIM?
>> BEING A FAN OF THE GAME, I TREKKED A CITY FIELD TO TALK TO
THE NEW YORK METS ABOUT SOME OF THESISH SHIEWNSD PITCH SOME
IDEAS OF MY OWN.
>> STEPHEN: NOW, M.L.B. WANTS TO INCREASE THE PACE OF PLAY IN THE
GAME, ALL RIGHT?
THEY'VE GOT SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO DO THAT.
HOPE YOU AND I COULD FIGURE OUT SOME IDEAS-- TODAY TO GET THE
MILLENNIALS, THE SNAPCHATS, THE SNAPCHAT GENERATIONS, THE PEOPLE
WHO WANNA GRAM THE GAME AS MUCH AS THEY WANNA WATCH THE GAME.
YOU READY TO DO IT?
>> WITHOUT A DOUBT.
LET'S TRY IT.
>> STEPHEN: OKAY HERE'S AN IDEA.
AT BAT, HAVE A LEFT-HANDED AND A RIGHT-HANDED BATTER AT THE SAME
TIME, SWINGIN' FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE PLATE.
>> WOW.
>> STEPHEN: THAT WAY, THEY GOT THE WHOLE STRIKE ZONE COVERED.
>> SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY BOTH SWING AT THE SAME TIME?
>> STEPHEN: SOMEONE GETS HURT.
>> (LAUGHS) >> STEPHEN: WITH THE NEW PACE OF
PLAY THEY WANT HERE, THEY'RE ONLY ALLOWING SIX VISITS TO THE
MOUND.
YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?
>> CORRECT.
>> WE'RE AWARE.
>> STEPHEN: SO WE'VE GOTTA MAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE MOUND
VISITS COUNT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
>> I AGREE.
>> STEPHEN: IT NEEDS TO COUNT OUT THERE AND IT NEEDS TO COUNT
IN HERE, OKAY, KEVIN?
I WANT YOU TO TELL JERRY HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE WAY HE'S
PITCHING.
>> I THINK YOU'RE- YOU'RE THROWIN' THE BALL GREAT.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
>> STEPHEN: OKAY.
AND JERRY, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
HE JUST SAID YOU'RE NOT GOOD.
>> I LIKE THAT HE STARTED OFF POSITIVE, BUT IT FELT LIKE HE
WENT DEEP WITH WE COULD DO BETTER.
>> STEPHEN: YOU'RE HIDING A LOT OF PAIN RIGHT NOW.
>> (LAUGHS) >> STEPHEN: SHH, SHH, SHH.
DON'T- DON'T COVER YOUR PAIN WITH LAUGHTER.
THE RUNNER CAN CHOOSE TO GO FROM SECOND, STRAIGHT TO HOME, BUT HE
HAS TO FIGHT THE PITCHER-- >> ALL RIGHT, WELL--
>> STEPHEN: --TO GET ALL THE WAY TO HOME-- HOME PLATE.
>> I LIKE THE FIGHTING PART.
I ENJOY THAT.
♪ ♪
>> STEPHEN: DO YOU KNOW WHY THERE'RE NINE INNINGS?
>> NO, I DON'T.
>> STEPHEN: ORIGINALLY, IT WAS FOR THE NINE SUPREME COURT
JUSTICES BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL WAS
KENESAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS, WHO WAS A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.
>> WOW.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE THEN.
>> STEPHEN: EVEN THOUGH I MADE IT UP, IT STILL MAKES SENSE?
>> (LAUGHS) >> STEPHEN: ONE BALL HAS A BLACK
DOT ON IT ALL SEASON LONG.
AND IF SOMEBODY HITS THE BALL THAT HAS THE BLACK DOT ON IT,
EVERYBODY IN THE STANDS GETS TO BEAT HIM TO DEATH 'CAUSE IT'S
BAT NIGHT.
>> THIS ESCALATED VERY QUICKLY.
>> STEPHEN: IT DID-- ALL RIGHT.
SOMEBODY'S DROPPED A CONTACT.
FIND IT.
FIND THE CONTACT.
WHERE IS THE CONTACT?
LOTS OF TEAMS HAVE FIREWORKS THAT GO OFF WHEN THERE'S A
HOMERUN.
HERE'S MY IDEA.
WE STILL HAVE THE FIREWORKS.
BUT THE FIREWORKS CAN IS POINTED AT THE FIELD.
AND THEY GO OFF AT RANDOM TIMES.
>> (LAUGH) I LIKE THAT.
>> STEPHEN: JUST KEEPS EVERYBODY AWARE.
TOTALLY AWARE OF-- >> YOU GOTTA STAY AWAKE.
>> STEPHEN: YEAH, YEAH.
STAY ALERT.
LET'S HUG IT OUT.
LET'S HUG IT OUT, ALL RIGHT?
THAT'S GOOD.
>> THAT FELT GOOD.
THAT FELT RIGHT.
>> STEPHEN: YOU GUYS FEELING OKAY?
>> I FEEL-- I FEEL PRETTY GOOD.
>> STEPHEN: ALL RIGHT.
LET'S DO SOME TRUST FALLS.
SQUAT.
YOU'RE MONKEYS POOPING.
EVERYBODY'S POOPING MONKEYS, OKAY?
NOW I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE GOT AN IDEA.
WHAT IS IT?
>> YEAH, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THIS.
ONE GAME ON HBO EVERY WEEK, SUNDAY NIGHT GAME OR WHATEVER,
HAVE THE COMMENTATORS SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ABOUT THE
PLAYER, YOU KNOW?
F-WORD, F-BOMBS, ALL THE WORLD.
MIC UP EVERYBODY AND-- >> STEPHEN: ANYTHING GOES.
>> ANYTHING GOES, YOU KNOW, NO FIGHTING OR NOTHIN' BUT JUST--
>> STEPHEN: HOW ABOUT THIS?
ONE GAME A WEEK ON HBO... NAKED?
>> (LAUGHS) >> STEPHEN: NAKED PLAYERS--
NAKED PLAYERS FOR ONE INNING.
OKAY.
YOU GET TO WEAR A HELMET AND IF YOU'RE BATTING, A CUP-- THAT'S
IT.
>> BAM.
>> STEPHEN: A LOT OF SUNSCREEN.
>> (LAUGHS) >> STEPHEN: TRUST FALL.
ALL THIS HAD ME THINKING BIGGER.
WHAT IF BASEBALL DIDN'T NEED FIXING.
WHAT IF IT JUST NEEDED TO BE MARKETED TO NEW TELEVISION
AUDIENCES.
FOR EXAMPLE, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LOVE THE CBS SHOW, "YOUNG
SHELDON."
I KNOW TV.
YOU GUYS ARE ON TV.
WHAT DO PEOPLE ON TV LOVE?
YOUNGER VERSIONS OF BELOVED CHARACTERS.
SAY HELLO TO YOUNG TODD FRAZIER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
(LAUGHS) WHAT'S UP, MAN?
>> HELLO.
>> STEPHEN: TODD, YOUNG TODD.
>> TODD, NICE TO MEET YOU, MAN.
>> STEPHEN: YOUNG TODD, TODD.
>> PLEASURE.
>> STEPHEN: HE'S SUPER INTELLIGENT.
NOT GREAT AT BASEBALL, BUT LOVES SCIENCE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, CLOSE ENOUGH.
WE'LL TAKE THAT.
>> STEPHEN: HAVE YOU SEEN "YOUNG SHELDON" ON CBS?
>> I HAVE NOT.
>> STEPHEN: OKAY.
>> (LAUGHS) >> STEPHEN: MY LAST PITCH
INVOLVED MAKING BASEBALL A LITTLE MORE SEXY.
LOOK, I WANT TO KEEP THIS PROFESSIONAL.
AND OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE.
BUT YOU'RE A PRIME, GREASED-UP SLAB OF MAN MEAT.
( LAUGHTER ) ♪
♪ WOMEN WANT A MAN WHO WILL TAKE
OVER HALF OF THE CHORES AT HOME.
PROVE TO THEM YOU CARE.
YOU'VE MADE COOKIES.
OKAY?
SHOW THEM THE COOKIES.
♪ ♪
HERE, YOU READ A BOOK.
WEAR GLASSES.
SEEM SMART.
YOU'RE READING THE BOOK.
AND YOU'RE, LIKE, "OH, HMM, I LOVE GAYLE KING'S NEW BOOK."
>> I LOVE GAYLE KING'S NEW BOOK.
>> STEPHEN: YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT.
JUST ACT IT.
LOOK AT THE CAMERA LIKE YOU'RE USING THE PUPPY FOR DATE BAIT.
♪ ♪
>> STEPHEN: DON'T LOOK AT ME.
I'M NOT HERE.
JUST LOOK AT-- >> HOLD ON.
>> STEPHEN: BLANK.
YOU'RE NOTHING.
YOU'RE DEAD INSIDE.
NOW YOU'RE READING THE BOOK AND IT'S FILLING YOU WITH LIGHT.
AND YOU'RE, LIKE, "I LOVE GAYLE KING'S BOOK.
IF I WERE OPRAH, I'D BE HER FRIEND, TOO.
NOW I'M SAD.
I WAS HURT LIKE THAT, TOO.
BUT NOW A MESSAGE OF HOPE."
♪ ♪
I KNOW YOU HATE CATS.
BUT ACT LIKE YOU LIKE CATS, ALL RIGHT, CLOSER TO THE FACE, TODD.
ALL RIGHT.
BE KIND.
YOU'RE FRIGHTENING THE CAT.
ALL RIGHT.
BE SEXY.
SHOW ME SEXY.
♪ ♪
BEFORE I SAID GOODBYE, THERE WAS ONE THING LEFT FOR ME TO DO.
THANKS, MAN.
THANKS.
>> NICE MEETING YOU.
OH, ( BLEEP ).
>> STEPHEN: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH JANELLE MONAE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )