CJ Wilson / @Str8edgeracer AMA \ stacker news ~AMA

25.3k sats \ 103 comments \ @CJWracing 16 Apr AMA

Hi stackers-

My name is CJ Wilson and I'm an ex-MLB player. After I retired, I went full time into the car business and run a few dealerships in California. I have been active in a bunch of different investments and hobbies over the years, and actively shitpost against government tyranny here in California, and have been an early investor into bitcoin companies.

I'm busy balancing 4 kids, 100+ employees, and investing on the side. It's been a wild ride over the last 20+ years between baseball and now bitcoin.

I'm here to answer any questions you might have!

-CJ

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1086 sats \ 18 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Hey CJ. Thanks for doing this.

Most people probably want to talk to you about Bitcoin but I have a baseball question for you. What are your thoughts on how analytics has taken over the game? Were you very analytics driven or more old school when you played?

2439 sats \ 17 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

great question. In the last 15 years the game has changed a TON because of the data they can get off the baseball itself- sophisticated radar (trakman etc) has allowed front offices and scouts to get spin rate, launch angle, bat speed, foot speed and various acceleration and deceleration parameters for years...but when I would ask for my own performance data in 2009-2012 I was told "you don't need it, just throw your best stuff to the glove"

I thought that was bullshit and had to use 3rd party data to try and help myself.

One thing I did, which was relatively innovative is I would use the analytics on pitch selection, spin, movement etc and move around the pitching mound, change styles etc to try and obfuscate the data. I figured out if I threw 10-15 pitches a game from different grips, arm angles etc then the opposing scouts would not be able to effectively communicate exactly how much my stuff moved because it would throw off all the averages.

This allowed me to pitch certain games against frequent opponents with a totally sharp advantage- for instance against Oakland- who I threw against really frequently. I completely ditched my changeup and cutter against them one game and instead threw 20 split fingered pitches which move totally differently. it screwed them up for 3-4 innings and gave me a huge tactical advantage.

too many players are just throwers and don't understand that nuance. I was NOT as talented as Scherzer or Greinke but this was the type of thing all of the 'nerd' pitchers can do to give themselves an edge. Not everyone throws hard enough to ride 4 seamers at the letters and punch people out.

My goal was to lead the league in called strike 3's...zero chance they can hit a homer if they're confused and taking pitches!

381 sats \ 4 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Thanks for the in depth response. This remind me a lot of the way Chris Bassitt approaches hitters. It seems nearly impossible to game plan against a guy who can throw 7 pitches to any quadrant of the strike zone.

150 sats \ 3 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Man I didnt even think about Chris Basitt! The guy was a nightmare when he was dialed in making the best hitters look like kids!

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

He made the Yankees look silly last night. They didn't have a clue what he was going to throw and where.

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Somehow the Astros got to him early in the season but he seems to have only had that one hiccup

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Everything works off his sinker. If he can't locate it he can't set up his other pitches. He wasn't locating well that game.

357 sats \ 8 replies \ @Undisciplined 16 Apr

That's fascinating.

I'm a data analyst and what you're describing is such a smart approach to defending against being the subject of analysis.

These analytic techniques really stretch the available data to its limits, so increasing the noise is extremely disruptive.

439 sats \ 7 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

exactly.

I threw the following pitches, and variants: 4 seam / carry 4 seam / cut 2 seam sink 2 seam sideways run 2 seam sail 4 seam changeup 2 seam changeup split finger cutter slider curveball spike curveball sidearm 4 seam carry sidearm 2 seam sink/run sidearm slider

I was the first person I know of to actively increase the 'noise' and try to deceive the scouts in this manner. I even threw a few knuckleballs as a starter just to confuse hitters if I was totally in the zone.

I was very analytical but it pushed me to be 'creative' as opposed to robotic.

I would do things like Nestor Cortes and Cueto with the leg kicks etc and my coaches would LOSE THEIR SHIT- especially when I would drop down for different angles.

But I can 100% say with confidence that dropping down and throwing 93-95mph was one of the wackiest things I could show a lefthanded hitter and contributed to my extreme success against some lefties over the years.

50 sats \ 5 replies \ @Undisciplined 16 Apr

That's great.

The other brilliant element of this strategy is that you weren't just increasing the noise. Because you were doing something systematic, you were also biasing any results that could be estimated.

Are most athletes trying to do stuff like this now? We're so deep into the analytics age, I imagine a lot of thought and energy goes into countering it.

150 sats \ 4 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I don't think guys have that much self awareness right now, they're just focused on 'how sharp' they can make their pitches...which is fine for power pitchers and relievers.

But conceptually if you look at my ERA and my HR/9 stats they were way way lower than I should have been as a Texas Ranger, in that crazy stadium.

73 sats \ 3 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

What is your favourite stadium?

200 sats \ 2 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I enjoyed pitching in Seattle and Yankee Stadium, and had pretty good success in both places. I really disliked pitching in Detroit, KC and Oakland. Pitching in SF seemed like it was WAY easier to keep the scoring down vs somewhere like Boston- so as you move around you start to understand how ERA+ and FIP make winners and losers more value averaged across the league.

I got to pitch against Halladay in Philly, and batted against him. It was truly a high water mark of my career.

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Insightful. Thanks.

326 sats \ 2 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Fantastic insight! I remember when spin first seemed to burst on the scene with Ryan Pressly being the example I can think of. He was solid on the Twins but it seemed like the Astros really were able to leverage the spin rate and make him even better! I feel that was a Jeff Luhnow move with his NASA background

260 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

At one of the winter meetings for the players union, I went to dinner with Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer. Max and I were convincing GC to stop throwing sinkers and forcing contact and instead telling him to try and strike people out with bigger velocity differences and 4 seam spinning stuff. He was like 'guys I don't think that would work' and Max and I were laughing at him going DUDE NOBODY WANTS 99 CHEST HIGH JUST TRY IT.

I had come off a year where I had struck out 200 guys and remember saying - dude there is no universe that exists in which I should have more strikeouts than you!

GC got traded to the astros a few years later and ended up getting into the spin rate/ carry thing and has been at another level since.

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

I truly dont know what it is with our farm system because it hasn't been ranked great in years now but somehow we keep producing solid players like McCormick and Meyers. Even Yander Diaz one of my favorite young guys to watch right now was never ranked by the scouts that high.

284 sats \ 6 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Hey CJ! As a huge baseball fan (sorry I am from Houston so I grew up an Astros fan) what are your thoughts on flat arm syndrome that seems to be striking down pitchers across baseball? Is there something there or is it being overhyped as the cause?

671 sats \ 5 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

right now guys are getting hurt because of a few things:

pitch clock (I have tweeted about this a lot)
emphasis on throwing 100 instead of 0.00 ERA (velo vs pitching)
taking away grip substances, which forces players to 'squeeze' the ball harder and damages the entire kinetic chain in the forearm/elbow/shoulder

when you promote dumb throwers with 5.00 ERA because they throw 99mph, you're not rewarding good behavior. MLB scouts are not the brightest, and can hide behind radar gun readings "hey this guy throws hard at least" whereas the nuance of pitchers who can actually pitch is harder to spot.

My ability to make the ball move and therefore NOT give up homeruns was way more valuable than my raw velocity. That's what allowed me to be creative and try different tactics, different pitches etc. I was not just a one trick pony...that's why I lasted as long as I did with 'average' velocity.

150 sats \ 1 reply \ @Cje95 16 Apr

That makes a ton of sense! I don't know if you ever messed with it but I think its Japan that they pre-tac their baseballs is that something MLB should look into to address the 3rd point?

120 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

100% if MLB baseballs had a more uniform coating/ process it would reduce arm issues a ton. Baseball slipperiness varies day to day and has to do with the work ethic of the clubhouse team and the umpires. Slick baseballs = problems

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

who is your favourite pitcher to watch now?

110 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I really like watching Scherzer when he is healthy, along with Cole and Kershaw. Strider is a beast, sad to see him get hurt. I really like seeing Alcantara from Miami throw 200+ IP. Glasnow is a total beast when he is on, I really hope he stays healthy.

I have to say the guys who only go 4 2/3s and 5IP are NOT my favorites to watch. I'm absolutely baffled that managers and front offices are emphasizing that type of pitcher to be in their starting rotation.

Nolan Ryan said something to me that made a lot of sense at the time:

The more pitchers you put in a game, the more likely one of them is to have an off day and cost you a win.

The better the starting pitcher, the longer he should be encouraged to go.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

If it's good enough for Nolan, it's good enough for me. Haha.

Thanks for the response.

317 sats \ 6 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Is Trout the best player you ever played with?

235 sats \ 5 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

he might be the best statistical player- but Josh Hamilton was the best physical player with the most raw talent that has ever played baseball other than Ohtani.

I think Josh was the most god given talent ever, by a mile. He was faster, hit the ball farther, could throw more etc. Josh had more power than Ken Griffey Jr. He came back from a crack addiction, broken vertebrae and 5 years away from baseball to set the world on fire in 2008-2011.

Josh was more like Vlad Guerrero and Trout was more like Hank Aaron

10 sats \ 4 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

It's unfortunate his drug problems and injuries took him out for so many years but it was a hell of a comeback story.

235 sats \ 3 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

yep. I think every 5-10 years we see these players with historical comps like Bryce Harper, Acuna, Trout, Spencer Strider, Gerrit Cole, Verlander, Scherzer, Kershaw etc.

These guys are all Hall of Fame level talent and will be measured against Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron etc.

Josh's flame burned out too quickly, which is sad for fans and his family. I really enjoyed my time with him.

Trout was easily the most polished player I have ever seen- his approach was so dialed and so consistent it was hilarious. He absolutely had the best approach to his hitting that I'd ever seen...the only other player I played with who was so disciplined and inspired so much confidence he'd 'show up nightly' was Michael Young.

Playing with Mike Young was amazing. We literally thought he would get 2 hits every night. I think if he would have been able to play a few more years he would have gotten 3000 hits. He was that good.

119 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Young was incredible. You played with some elite players.

Do you know of any other MLB players or former players that stack sats?

235 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

yeah a few but I'm not going to doxx them bro!!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

All good. Don't need names was just curious.

258 sats \ 3 replies \ @Undisciplined 16 Apr

I often wonder how many athletes and other celebrities are secretly into Bitcoin. What's your impression?

673 sats \ 2 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I think a ton of musicians have been sucked into shitcoins and NFTs because they don't understand money.

athletes are WAY more likely to understand scarce resources and hard money as a result of injuries and timing of their career. You know your time is limited. You need to create solid investments ASAP or risk going broke post career.

24 sats \ 0 replies \ @nikotsla 16 Apr

I think a ton of musicians have been sucked into shitcoins and NFTs because they don't understand money.

New fan here :)

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 16 Apr

Thanks

236 sats \ 2 replies \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 16 Apr

Hi, CJ -- really enjoyed watching you back in the day!

Back in 2008, you talked about (and took some heat for saying) how a lot of athletes are so well paid that they can afford to remain ignorant of the economy and politics. Do you think that's changed, and can you think of some athletes today who are showing an awareness about how the economy might impact them?

608 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

What I really was trying to say back then was that baseball is hard enough- and that MLB players are PRIMARILY going to be concerned with economics. Most players are going to fall into the republican / conservative side just because we pay millions in taxes and are paid based on merit not DEI or anything like that.

I think if I added it up I have paid over $40,000,000 in taxes in my lifetime.

I am MUCH more interested in politics now as a 43 year old vs as a 25 year old.

150 sats \ 0 replies \ @gmd 16 Apr

Damn! That's a lot of taxes.

264 sats \ 5 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

I remember you being big into racing during your career and talking about getting into professional racing once you retired. Have you had the chance to do this or has parenting and other priorities taken racing place?

131 sats \ 4 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I got myself all the way into the pro ranks and realistically the cost was too much for me to balance with the business. I have been focusing on growing the business to a point that I can afford to be away from work and go race...it's really expensive but I am dipping my toes back in this summer thanks to being able to hire some better people recently.

I work 6 days a week at my stores and really have a hard time leaving for 5 days at a time.

My kids are old enough now they can go with me which is really exciting!

150 sats \ 3 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Thats awesome that they can be a part of that with you! I had heard that professional racing was a crazy expensive sport to get into as well so thanks for the response!

60 sats \ 2 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

to run the 24 Hours of LeMans is about 800,000 Euros. To put that in perspective...

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Woah.... thats all I got just woah....

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

yeah. So, unless I'm making 10M a year or something that's too much to spend...granted it's shared by a few people, sponsors etc. but WOOOO

212 sats \ 2 replies \ @gmd 16 Apr

Thanks for doing this. Really enjoyed listening to you during the height of the Clubhouse days you were always so informative and patient with the newbies.

Have you had a role in orange pilling a lot of the famous athletes we’ve seen endorse Bitcoin? Okung etc (and most recent Money Moicano).

861 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I am honestly trying to make myself available to anyone and everyone but really only talk to retired players now. I have for years tried to get MLB Players Union to get into BTC and they have been laughing me off for a long time. Oh well!

I am working on growing my bitcoin stack and teaching my kids.

I also invest in bitcoin companies like Swan, Unchained Capital and most recently, Zaprite.

99 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

great Q

340 sats \ 1 reply \ @kr 16 Apr

what do you wish you knew about investing/operating a business back when you were playing baseball?

i suspect most athletes aren’t well prepared for the transition out of sports while they’re still playing, did you see much of this in the MLB? what should athletes be doing to make the transition easier?

545 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I had no idea the 'regular car business' was populated by so many POS crooks, really.

I'd say 80% of the people in the space I'd not want to be associated with at all.

I really wish I would have just accumulated good assets and not listened to 'investment advisors' ever. They're just rent seekers.

I have taught myself everything and learned some VERY hard lessons over the years:

Bad partners can cost you everything
Landlords can be your worst nightmare
Fail small, don't throw good money after bad.
Assets and Businesses you can control yourself are WAY better than absentee ones
You can never have enough bitcoin
Your wife is your best investment

I was very active as an investor as a player, and so the 'go get a job' phase of retirement was easy to transition into. I knew I wanted to take my grit and everyday work ethic and go fight the slobs in the car business.

I really should have gone to work for a successful company to see what it's like from the inside before buying these stores and doing the 'ownership' thing though...I operated completely blind for years and looking back had some terrible employees at very high places who cost me a lot of money back then.

120 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

What do you think of the Stacker News concept?

177 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I am enjoying this, it's really my first time using it but can see how I'd get hooked. There are a lot of cool people like Lyn Alden getting on here

Bitcoiners are going to rule the world in another few years.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Awesome. Glad you are enjoying it.

Everyone loves Lyn. She is the best.

451 sats \ 3 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

Ok everyone, thanks for asking so many questions!

I'd like to round it out by putting together my list of favorite/funniest teammates over the years, just because I really think this is a fun way to address playing in the league for so long. I think about this all the time in terms of building the ultimate team of fun/productive players and the stories they would generate.

26 Man Roster

Colby Lewis
Dan Haren
Zach Greinke
Tyler Skaggs
Cliff Lee

Outfield: RF: Kole Calhoun CF: Josh Hamilton LF: Mike Trout 1B: Mark Trumbo 2B: Michael Young SS: Elvis Andrus 3B: Adrian Beltre DH: Vlad Guerrero UTIL: Mark DeRosa C: Matt Treanor

Bench: Nelson Cruz, Omar Vizquel, Hank Conger, Mitch Moreland

RP: Darren O'Day RP: Darren Oliver RP: Eric Gagne RP: Frank Francisco RP: Joe Smith RP: Kameron Loe RP: Scott Feldman

133 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

Awesome. Thanks for doing this CJ. It was really fun and insightful. Hopefully we will see you around SN in the future.

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

What a lineup! I loved when Houston had the Panda Crusher aka Hank Conger!

Thank you for all the insight it was fantastic to hear from you!!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @gmd 16 Apr

Thanks so much for doing this! Hope we see you again here on SN!!! (gotta spend those sats you stacked :)

268 sats \ 14 replies \ @kr 16 Apr

thanks for doing this AMA!

i’m curious to know more about how you were introduced to the straight edge lifestyle, did it evolve over time or was it an immediate decision?

1393 sats \ 6 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I have never drank or done drugs or used tobacco in my life. This was a result of seeing a lot of bad stuff in my family and at school, as well as on tv as a kid. Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry getting in trouble and falling off their career path for doing coke was a cautionary tale in the late 80's when I was just a little leaguer.

It was easy to see that even players who had it all could self destruct, and I just wanted to avoid that. I made a commitment to never let anything get in the way of my progress when I was 10 years old (1990) before I ever knew what straightedge was...I didn't even know about the punk rock angle until I was 15-16.

it was never trendy for me- I really wanted to succeed as a baseball player and that was the ultimate goal for me that led me to what I really wanted in life...as an 8 year old I saw success as:

cool house porsches and ferraris super hot wife

it was pretty simple that baseball was my best chance!

612 sats \ 5 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

This one might be a touchy subject and if you don't feel like answering by all means ignore it! Does baseball have a pill problem? I remember clearly the complete travesty of the Tyler Skaggs situation but baseball seemed to make it appear isolated to just the Angles is it much more widespread?

120 sats \ 4 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

It is probably still a problem. Skaggs was a tragic example of what happens under a 'don't ask don't tell' scenario.

The angels teams I was on were really wild in terms of permissioned alcoholism. The rangers teams were much more hard working in the weight room, and it seemed like a few of the guys were stoners on the rangers over the years...but the angels teams had more dudes that would slam booze.

the angels culture has been very lazy for over a decade...my first spring training we didn't even have a real weight room to use which was FUCKING CRAZY. this was 2012.

150 sats \ 3 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

It seems that Art really does need to sell that team. Skaggs was just a few years older than me and I had just had my third neurosurgery having to deal with the pain pills and was shocked that it could happen to a professional athlete. To me, it really made all athletes much more human than I tended to think.

With the weight rooms, I guess that is one of the many reasons why these crazy teams the Angels have put together over the years with Trout, Ohtani, Pujols, etc. just did not perform.

Do you think Rendon is just misunderstood by the public and baseball beat writers or is he really as arrogant and out of touch as he seems?

60 sats \ 2 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

Rendon is introverted and Arte's attitude is to control the press so the stories always look worse than they are...last year they were hiding that he had a broken leg!

Arte does this to try and protect the trade values of the players...which is really stupid IMO.

Same with contract shape...they will pay the player too much at the end of the contract instead of normalizing it on an average.

I remember telling them it was stupid they wanted to pay me more in the 5th year than I made in the first 2 years combined...but they insured my contract and got it all paid back by insurance when I got hurt and missed time so maybe I was dumb...

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @Cje95 16 Apr

I get protecting your guys 110% but yeah making them look as bad and as toxic as Rendon is just wild. Thats also wild with the contract structure... It is almost like they banked on you getting hurt to which is beyond stupid.

60 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

they did the same with Albert, same with Trout's deal etc.

But in the mean time, they could have signed Sabathia, Cole etc but didn't pony up.

reply on another page

150 sats \ 6 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

This was a question I had as well! Especially dealing with the arm injuries he had in his career!

269 sats \ 5 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

in regards to the arm injuries..

I used to watch all those cheesy marital arts Jean Claude Van Damme movies when I was a kid.

I would go in the backyard and kick the tree, punch stuff, rub a baseball bat on my shins and workout like kickboxer in order to try and 'be tough'

my pain tolerance became super high from that as a 10-14 year old and I never really had an issue with 'pain pills' as a result. I knew that it was a matter of life and death to not get hooked on drugs and I saw oxy or vicadin type stuff as a huge problem.

So, when I got surgery, got my wisdom teeth out, etc I didn't take anything. It became a challenge (like breaking a wood board, but mentally) so I would just get super duper angry and determined, grit my teeth and get through the pain.

When I got older, I started learning how to meditate to calm myself but also to accept that pain is real, it's a process, and it is not in itself an injury- just a somatic response.

an example of this is the chemical burn thing from fight club. I think that movie was from around 2000 so that concept helped me a lot when I was recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2003.

150 sats \ 4 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Thank you for the insight! I have a few medical conditions that are rather... crappy to say the least. Naturally, they don't have a cure and one in particular has resulted in me needing three neurosurgeries. I have watched some of the people I was close with who have these conditions get stuck on the oxy, gabba, and even patch fentanyl and pass so I love your insight into this topic! I tried to get off oxy with the last one before my craniocervical fusion was set and that kinda screwed up my recovery for a bit.

149 sats \ 3 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I think Gabapentin for example is a great theraputic for nerve conditions. It's especially valuable when combined with anti inflammatory stuff in the bony joints like the knee and elbow...for instance with Diclofenac- it soothes arthritic pain and allows for more normal motion.

I don't know how it would work as a non-topical pill, that could be wild as it then goes into your whole body.

I don't think you're dealing with anything easy if these are your choices and medications.

150 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Yeah lol life through me a Kershaw 12-6 curveball big time! I am learning to adjust even though it's been 8 years since the first neurosurgery. When they went into my head through the base they roughly cut all the nerves across the entire back of my head which really did help with all of the initial healing.

When I tried gabba for the nerve pain it is safe to say I did not have a great reaction so I had to cut it out. Even though what I am saying sounds awful compared to how messed up I was for a couple of years (the condition is rare and not a lot of dr.s know how to look for it or how to treat it) the surgery gave me my life back. It's not perfect but it is so much better than it was before.

140 sats \ 1 reply \ @gmd 16 Apr

This is kind of great to hear... I always try to prescribe gabapentin to avoid opiates so it's nice to hear a the rare success story amidst the complaints.

150 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

I will actually go to the hospital back home and have them give me a pain bolo before I take opioids... I am jealous of the people who didn't have the emotional crazy reaction I had because otherwise, it would have been great for the nerve damage I have from what I hear!

233 sats \ 2 replies \ @Coinsreporter 16 Apr

Hey CJ, today I'm more intrigued in sports so I wanna ask you about sports not bitcoin.

As you mentioned baseball and I'm from India, I've always viewed Cricket being so similar to baseball. Can you please mention which game do you view as much as similar to Baseball?

Also, I've written a post #508053 about Cricket today on ~stackersports and I'm going to cover Cricket World Cup 2024 jointly hosted by The USA in June this year.

Would you like to watch it in person inside stadium?

61 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I went to Lancashire County Cricket Club and practiced with them in 2007. I think batting in both sports is really similar.

My buddy Steven Croft has been someone I follow over the years intently!

In 2010/2011 I watched a lot of cricket in the offseason but to be honest I like watching pitching in baseball because it's something I relate closer to in terms of technique, strategy etc. I think bowling in cricket is really specialized and has so many different styles it's something past where I can relate at the moment.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 17 Apr

Wow! You went to my favourite County team and played with Steven Croft. Great to know!

What about Cricket World Cup happening in USA in June? Would you be interested to watch it?

183 sats \ 2 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

I've asked a ton of baseball questions so now I want to ask you a BTC one. What is your opinion or outlook on these layer 2s for BTC? Do you think it is going to be like Ethereum is where there are several different ones (some much more popular than others) and how do you feel about BTC starting to move in the direction of adding more DeFi to its ecosystem?

112 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I don't really think defi is going to be as necessary until we reach hyperbitcoinization and that is still years away.

I think the risk to your personal bitcoin is too high right now to want to lend it out for yield. I think fiat money is easier to rehypothecate and therefore the defi thing on fiat is really easy.

I think lightning works for stuff like daily purchases and products like the prebuilt nodes from umbrel and vendors like zaprite can bridge the daily use thing...

the big challenge is seeing how we are all going to get PAID in bitcoin...

41 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

Thanks for the insight!

150 sats \ 1 reply \ @03c43494a9 16 Apr

All my experiences going to dealerships to buy a car have been terrible. It always feels like I'm being taken advantage of, from negotiating price to add-ons to financing. Do you any thoughts on the client experience and how do you see the car buying process in the future?

260 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

cars are a direct relationship business. you need someone new to work with...depending on where you are, this is hard- as it's a very big nepotism process to get a car dealership...so they're not that incentivized to improve. I enjoy the higher end stuff because the clients and I can take our time and not rush the transaction.

My sales background is Nordstroms...so I really like the client relationship process.

As a shopper I can relate. Imagine being a relatively wealthy young baseball player that shows up in a 100k + car and not being taken seriously! it happened to me all the time and that's why my stores are better.

direct sales is a scam. it's like a digital slot machine. when you're buying 100% online you really don't know if you're getting a good deal or not because you cannot read the human across the table. DM me on twitter about your location and I can tell you who is best in your area.

119 sats \ 2 replies \ @gmd 16 Apr

As a business owner what's kept you in California? Are you just trapped by the weather and family (my case) and willing to pay the insane sunshine tax?

Any non-BTC investments or industries you're looking to branch into? Sports team ownership etc...

509 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I think I'd always be on the outside looking in on sports team ownership. Nobody in ownership wants me telling the truth about stuff publicly. But, I'd love to be a owner of the Angels. Arte needs to go.

I am in CA because I run a brick and mortar business here, and it's really successful.

Also, living in Fresno is like Dallas- but cheaper cost of living. It's close to Yosemite, no traffic, housing is cheap, I can drive cool cars etc.

I'd retire to Wyoming, Montana or somewhere like that if I had enough money...but I'm still building up my car business, my net worth etc.

I am 43 so have a LOT of energy left.

I just started a coffee roasting biz with a friend of mine locally, and will be going to market and selling beans for bitcoin eventually.

99 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

good Q

119 sats \ 2 replies \ @gmd 16 Apr

How many toddlers do you think you could beat in a fight?

570 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I mean all of them, as long as I am caffeinated.

149 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

A man of the people!

119 sats \ 3 replies \ @TheWildHustle 16 Apr

Was your orange pill moment an "AHAA", or was it a slow burner?

337 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

like a lot of people, I was a gold bug person earlier. that was 2007 or so that I got into Gold/Silver.

I knew the money system was F'd and used to read JSMineset.com all the time about the macro picture and international forces on the economy.

I had been trading stocks as a teenager, aided by my grandfather's formulas he taught me.

I heard about it, but then Mt Gox and Silk Road were around the same time. Because of that, I really thought it was scam money for drug dealers.

It was not until I read the white paper in 2018 that I understood right away that BTC was really the future, and the limited supply, issuance schedule and decentralization made sense right away. Like a lot of people I was trading actively on the shitcoin side to try and stack extra money- but what I realized is that my volume trading was keeping that garbage afloat...so in late 2019 I abandoned all the alts and focused on bitcoin 100%.

I remember being active as a trader during the 'black friday' crash. it was wild. but my conviction never waivered and I have been a hardcore maxi ever since.

119 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheWildHustle 16 Apr

Ha, i’m a 2019 pleb as well. You have my support freak! Here are some satoshi’s.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 16 Apr

good Q

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @0xbitcoiner 16 Apr

Hi CJ! I don't know anything about baseball, but my question is, do you watch the TV series 'Counting Cars'?

441 sats \ 0 replies \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

no not really, too many kids to watch TV much these days but I am more of a 1964 impala fan vs the old caddies, if forced to choose an american classic from that era.

50 sats \ 2 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

As an avid autograph baseball collector (my dad passed me this bug we went to spring training for a few years in a row when I was younger and then in 2018 after we won the world series) is there a way I can get you to sign a ball to add to my collection?

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @CJWracing OP 16 Apr

I am honestly terrible about sending stuff through the mail.

If you cannot get me in person there is no guarantee on my timing.

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 16 Apr

My Committee might have a field hearing from what I have been told in Cali this summer so if I can escape the DC swamp and end up in your neck of the woods I will have to try and swing by for one!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave 17 Apr

What is baseball for?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave 17 Apr

deleted by author

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC 17 Apr

Hello CJ, thanks for doing an AMA!

As an athlete who has made it to the pinnacle of playing, do you think Bitcoin and a Bitcoin Standard will improve the world of sports from both an athlete's perspective (peak performance) as well as from the business side of things (fiat business model vs bitcoin business model)? And how so?

I for one feel Bitcoin has positively impacted my overall life and as a result has allowed me to further improve my athletic performance because I no longer have as much financial stress and uncertainty, thus I can pour more energy, focus, and time into bettering my craft.

Thanks again!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BitcoinIsTheFuture 17 Apr

Any advice on risk taking… like risk reward opportunities?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @falsefaucet 16 Apr

The most important question CJ.

Will the buccos finish over .500

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @thebitcoinbugle 16 Apr

Have you worked with Dennis Porter to ensure Californian's right to self custody?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @_stacktoshi 16 Apr

Are any of your kids following in your footsteps of being a professional athlete and/or entrepreneur?