All right, joining us on episode twelve of the Extra Innings podcast. Is one of my favorite people and I miss him every single day at Dodgers Stadium and have ever since he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies by the Dodgers. He has been definitely one of the has gone from being a work friend to a real friend. And that is former Dodger catcher aj Ellis Hi. Aj Yeah, And that is amazing to hear Dave that I've passed over the rubicon
from professional friend to personal friend. I am, I am, I'm shaking right now. I'm so excited to hear that we've we've crossed over in that relationship. And I don't know, do we get like matching T shirts now, or do we get like hats or like, what's the next step for us? I think we should. We should get a T shirt pointing at you and one pointing at me. Best friends. Let's let's do it. I feel like I know that's how I feel. I'm not sure if that's how you feel. No, I mean, I do I really do miss
our time. I miss being out in l A. I miss I missed coming to Dodger Stadium. Like I said, I said the day I was created. It's it is the greatest home office in the world. And uh, you know I did. I did enjoying my time there, I mentally, and uh it was not just people on the field or people in the in the stands or teammates that I had. It was people, you know, doing a variety of jobs. And uh that doesn't include the media at all, who had just an important role in uh providing a great lens for
our fans into the game, and yourself included. And uh, now as we joke about it, but you know, you have been an amazing advocate and amazing voice, uh for the Dodgers, and you're not afraid to tell it as it is and you give the Dodger fans a great perspective of what it's like on a daily basis for the team. So uh, congratulations to
you. Gradulations to this podcast, another great avenue for you to connect with fans, and uh fans are out in LA and and Dodger fans around the world are fortunate to be able to have access to a little bit even more of a behind the scene look to the ball club. Well, thank you so much for that. And I know everybody kept asking me after the Dodgers won the World Series whether or not I got a ring or not, and honestly, the ring meant nothing to me. After I got two texts from
guys that I really respect and have accomplished so much in their careers. One was from you and the other was from David Freese that really sent a nice note and honestly to me, that meant more than any material thing that they could have given me. So your thoughtfulness really meant a lot to me. And full disclosure. AJ. Last week on the podcast, I did share
one of my favorite memories being in Pittsburgh. I may have been overserved one night before a game and I walk into the clubhouse and you out of nowhere throw a caterade bottle at me and say, hey, drink, this'll help. So that's one of my PNC Park memories. Yeah, I do remember that, remember that you were Hey, it's it's lessons we learned on the road. It says to hydrate and uh, you know, if we got to make sure that you're you're you're able to perform at at your peak level.
So it's my job there at two o'clock in the afternoon to uh, you know, maybe put a little life back into the body, put a little color back into the flush space that you had, and give you the ability to uh to work a good game that night. Unfortunately, unfortunately that's maybe from too much experience on my own end of understanding how to do bounce back after that, and especially in Pittsburgh when there's some good places to go and uh, some places to hang out with the boys after a game.
Hey, speaking about the boys, how are my favorite people that you know, not your family, but your Kentucky friends. Oh? Nice, Yeah, they're doing it awesome. Yeah, it was fun. We actually all turned forty this year and all of us have gotten together. Well, we got together once we went down to Kentucky and support and surprise a couple of the guys and got to hang out with them, which is an awesome weekend. And then later in this in this fall, the four of us are
going to get together and experienced the Ryder Cup up here in Wisconsin. I Wisconsin out but in Milwaukee suburb there and the Ryder Cup is coming to Whistling Straights. And we decided for a fortieth birthday celebration for us to kind of commemorate our relationship. Our friendship and turning forty, we're going to spend some time at the Ryder Cup, so looking forward to that for sure. That is awesome. Maybe you'll spend a night at the Iron Horse, you know,
with the friends. I'll open up, I'll open up the mansion. Who man not the manson I shouldn't say. I'll leave that to Andre. Andre is the one with the multiple mansions all over the place. He actually claims that he owns my autia in Milwaukee before. But yeah, that's a
funny story. At Me and Dre were on the bench one day and I was watching and one of our hitters stepped up, who was notorious for swinging at the very first pitch of the bat wildly, didn't matter where the pitch was, And I said, I will bet my house that he swings at the first pitch right here, and of course, as you would have it, he doesn't swing at the pitch, and Dre goes you in your house, Now that's my house, and never since ever since that point, he's
always referred to me as being the caretaker for his Wisconsin home. Since I bet and lost my home that day on the bench in Dodger Stadium that is awesome. You've had some very interesting conversations. Zach Granky said he would trade you, and now Andre Ethier told you that he owns your house. Oh
my gosh. Yeah, it's uh, you know, I've been on the receiving end of some some fun relationships and some some serious, uh, some serious characters in our sport, and uh, it just made it maybe the years even that much more enjoyable when you're around some some fun people and guys who can keep you on your toes at all time. Hey, you know, I know the Dodgers finally won the World Series, but you were with the Dodgers when they were at their lowest point, and you were there for
the renaissance and the first year of this string of division championships. It's got to be a lot more rewarding to be at the bottom and find your way to the top the way you did and some of the other guys on the team did. Yeah, I mean it was an interesting stretch for sure. You know. Two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, you know, that's when I got called up to the Major League for the first time, and as a as a a role player at third catcher. But those
were. Those are some fun teams that I got to experience, some some deep playoff funds both times losing in the NLCS to the Phillies, and with Joe Joe Torrey as our manager and some amazing superstar talent, the players that I was able to know call teammates like many Ramirez and Greg Maddox and Jeff Kent, no more Garciapara and uh, you know, the list can go on and on with the guys that I got to play with there in those
those couple of seasons. But as you mentioned, you know, the team went through the bankruptcy and you know, the unfortunate divorce of mister and missus McCourt and uh, you know, the team was kind of in in in transition for a couple of years. You know, Donnie came in and took over the team, but we didn't really know what was going to happen in the coming years. But you know, you got to give credit where credits due, and net Colletti kind of kept the team together and found a way
to bring some players back in the fold. And obviously the big the biggest change was was a you know, the Googenheim group coming in and investing so much into the club, and not just into the team, but into the
stadium, into the experience. I'll never forget being in the clubhouse the very first day that they bought the club, and they came into the locker room and they said, Hey, the very first thing we're gonna do is you guys are going on a road trip and we're going to invest a bunch of money and redoing the wives in the family room upstairs, because we understand that happy families make happy ballplayers, and that was something that was long overdue.
Our wives and families needed an upgrade up there. And we sure enough, we came back from that road trip and they just created a brand new, beautiful space that we knew that this was going to be a different environment and that that was going to be all about everything they could do to make give the players the best opportunity to perform on the field. I remember that,
and you guys were so excited over it. And at that time I did not have any kids, and I couldn't understand why you guys were so excited over it. And now you understand clearly what yes I do, happy wife, happy life. Amen. Hey, aj I called you because June eighteenth is the anniversary of Clayton Kershaw's one and only career no hitter. It's the seven year anniversary of you catching that no hitter. And I know when I
text you you didn't even know it was the anniversary of it. But where do you rank that being on the field, being there with Kershaw and being the catcher the night that he threw that no hitter in your career? Oh, I mean, it's without a doubt a top three, top five moment of my professional career, you know, especially I look at regular season events and regular season you know games that I got to play in, and if
that's the case, it's definitely probably number one. Yeah. I felt like I still feel like one of the greatest privileges of my career was being able to work sixty feet away from the future Hall of Famer that Clayton is and got to see his his his work ethic, and his determination and his character up close for I don't know, eight or nine years when the count count.
Some of the minor league time we got to spend together as well, and for our professional relationship to transcend into the close personal friendship that we have now. You know, He's still a guy that I in regular contact with. Our families are in close contact with each other, and you know, to be there and be able to share that day with him, you know, it's crazy. I think it's been seven years now and just you know,
it was just a special, special time. I think if I look think back over the course of my career, you know, outside of some of those fun clinching games, I think it maybe the people asking me a lot, that's your favorite game you ever played in. There was a we clinched in twenty fifteen in San Francisco, which was which is really special to clinch up there against the Giants and Clayton through a complete game one hitter.
He was almost there a complete game one and struck out thirteen or fourteen guys and then be able to celebrate there in San fran when we went clubhouse and then afterwards at the hotel. That probably is probably my favorite regular season moment, But after that would definitely be Clayton's, you know, his no hitter and did that game against the Rockies. I went back to watch that entire
game last night. I wanted to point out a couple of different at bats, but before we do I know, Clayton's all on that five day schedule, good or bad. The next day he's on to the next start. But do you remember what it was like the day after the no hitter when he walked into the clubhouse. Did you guys drive to the ballpark together that day? What was it like if you remember now? Yeah, No,
I think it was. I think it was a little bit of business as usual for him, But also I think he was out was really still in that reflection mode of just how special the previous night was. It wasn't just a no hitter. I mean it was it was it was him, you know, on the national stage, you know, really putting a stamp on
you know, who he was a was the dominant pitcher. I think everyone at that point knew, you know, he had kind of, you know, transcended into being the best picture on the planet for that stretch of time that he was, that he was out there competing. But for him to do it in the way that he did it, it wasn't just a no hitter. It was completely utter dominance and it was a talk of baseball for
the week to follow it. And I think that was in the midst of him not mistaken like a thirty eight or thirty nine Indian scoreless streak he had going as well. So he was he was at the at as our friend John Pratt Pratt like to say, he was at the peak of his powers, and he was. He was. He was absolutely dominant over that over
the course of over the course of that month. And yeah, so I think coming in the next day, you know, obviously there's the next name media rush that comes as the national media now wants to be a part of it, and there's interviews and you know, people will famil Be network want to connecting radio interviews, and so there was definitely a flurry of people who really wanted to get a little bit farther behind the curtain of what that game
was all about. June eighteenth, twenty fourteen, the one and only no hitter that Kershaw's pitched so far, and in that game, which was basically a perfect game, despite it not being that in the box score, there was only one three ball count a j and that was in the second inning. To Josh Rutledge, does that ring a bell? I mean the other
a goodlier. I think he threw to get a ground out. If I'm not mistaken, but yeah, it was a day where, uh it was it was one of those days where Clayton would get strike one in a simple pattern or his his his standard pattern, and how we pitched at the time of you know, just an aggressive, fast inside. I think they were loaded up with all writing and hitters on that day, aggressive line up at
Dickerson led off with the lefty. But but then he it was one of those those handful of times I can remember where he had his A plus slider and his A plus curveball working on the exact same day. So really behind the plate, it was honestly just pretty simple for myself of just putting down a pitch, getting strike one and then kind of just mixing and matching between
the two breaking balls that we needed to use. I mean, he was he was efficiently putting guys away and you know, to strike out fourteen guys I believe it was that fifteen so few. Yeah, that's right, fifteen guys and so and so few pitches. This speaks to how just you know, dominant and efficient he was in that game. Hey, the seventh inning was very eventful. Miguel Rojas made a great play on Tulowitzki and Adrian had a nice scoop. But also in that seventh inning was Hanley's throw that Adrian
may or may not have should have been able to get. And Brandon Barnes was the next batter after the Hanley error in the seventh inning. Were you a little concerned that that may frustrate Clayton and things could unravel there in that inning? No, actually I wasn't. I think my only concern at that point was that, you know, he had pitched, you know, six clean innings in a row, so this is his first time being in the
stretch the entire day. So you know, this guy, he just pitched them from the lineup for six trade innings, like maybe trying to find his rhythm, find his timing from the stretch, but it's pretty evident that he was. He was in a good spot right there. But really tough play
for Hanley. I know he came and got that on the run. And I love a lot cheam back the highlights and watching you know, Hanley's hat go flying off, and if you go back and watch, you see Clayton bend over and pick up his pick up Hanley's hat handed to him and say, hey, nice try uh, the handling just like no frustration, no no retision, and Clayton probably you know, probably never even looked at the
school board. It was onto the next hitter, and it was onto the next guy, and uh, you have to get to strike out of barns and then you know, two of whisky. Just a you know, always a tough battle in those n last years that we had, and he and
Clayton had had many epic showdowns over the years. And ground ball down the line they go Rojas who uh, you know, it's really made a name for himself, you know, and I think back then he was kind of an up and down utility infielder, can kind of plug and you know, more for his glove than his bat. And you know, as an aside, really proud of Miguel in the career he's been able to carve out,
carve out and the leader he's become for that marveling team. But they's just a fantastic play down the line and just to get rid of the ball and a and a grace scoop by a goal glover over the at first base. So just a good all around play and then to go and out you have through your mind uplieve his willing. Rosario was next, if that's not mistake, If I'm yeah that he was through it, through it, through and
through a nasty curveball there to freeze them. And at that moment, chatting off, trotting off the field, it's almost like, hey, that's that's the bullet we dodged, you know, let's let's push through the finish line right here. Yeah, And in that eighth inning, it was very easy for you guys to get through that inning. And I noticed when both of you were coming off the field, but especially Clayton, he had a sense. You could tell he had that smirk on his face coming back to the
dugout. He had a sense he was going to get to the finish line. Did you feel that way too? After coming off the field in the eighth inning? It felt good about it, for sure, And you're exactly right. It was. It was very, very evident that the Rockies had figured out, do not let this guy get too strikes because he's got a nasty strike out of stuff. And I toe like their desire to swing at first pitches and be a bat and just try to get the first pitch they
saw in play was definitely what their game plan became from that point. But there's a great moment there for the eighth inning. Uh you know it was uh uh We're sitting over the bench and uh Rick, Honey, Kit and myself are over there, and obviously it's a no hitter and it really want
a matter for to know it or not. Clayton's gonna sit by himself and no one's gonna talk to him, and he's gonna let him say his his tunnel vision and uh, you know, Rick and I are trying to figure out who they're gonna pinch it. I can't remember who all they had I doing the pitch. It end up being Charlie Colberson, who became a Dodger hero with the big home run in his career, but Charlie was with the
Rockies as the bench player. But Rick and I are trying to figure out who they're gonna who they're gonna pinch it, and when you what our game plan is going to be against him, and him and I are kind of Rick and Ire kind of standing there talking and looking. Also we feel this presence come behind us and it's Clayton right there and he was like this he says, Hey, who do you think they're gonna pinch hit? Boy? You don't want to jinx and no hitter, and no one wants to talk
to the pitcher. So Rick and I were just staring at each other like, uh, like, I'm not gonna go first, and uh and Rick, and then Clayton just says that I think it's gonna be Culverson. I'm just gonna pitch my strengths. And I'm like and I was kind of now
in my head like yeah, pitch his strengths. And he went back and sat back Rick, Rick, Rick and I always chuckle and we tell that story just thinking about nobody wanted to be the one to talk to Clayton, and Clayton came over and I wanted to talk about who the pinch hitter was going to be. And yeah, I mean, there wasn't gonna be some
detailed game play. Hey, Charlie Colberson, we got to go curb ball first pitch and you were you were so locked He was so locked in on that day that pitched the strengths, you know, And for ninety nine percent of Clayton's career, especially in that that era that he was the pitch the strengths was usually a pretty easy game plan for him to go out and and be be who he was. Yeah, and Colberson swung at the first pitch
for the second out. It is he had. He had a nice pop up the yachtiel out there in right field, which is probably the only time that yachtiel caught the ball with two hands out there in right field. To go back and watch that highlight, but uh, yeah, he secured the
catch and then set up the final bat with Colberson. I'm sorry with Dickerson, which is also has a great fun moment where Clayton Corey flips the foul ballma into the left field or we had to dugout bleachers and I go running full steam and I end up in Magic Johnson's lap over there in the owner's box, and I'm trying to catch a foul ball. It's probably about twenty five rows deep, but at that point I'm trying to catch everything I can. You had to know I was going to bring that up, so you
jumped me. No, I didn't know. That's it usually comes up. It's one of the it's one of those funny I ran full steam into that thing like an idiot. You know, it's it's it's it's just trying to make it play, trying to get there, and the adrenal and took over. But uh yeah, I go running in. Clayton's like laughing at me. If I remember Riley, It's like kind of like smile at me, like what are you doing? You're you're you're an idiot. Yeah, and so yeah, but he went back and uh, you know I was able
to you know, uh call a call of pitch. Yeah, he threw a slider and got the punch up. Did you did Magic say anything to you? No? I don't think so. I didn't end up magic. I just know I was like right by. I just know I was right by the owner's box and it was right there. And yeah and then uh yeah, next pitch a slider that they got got to the glove and yeah. I don't know if you're going to you're going to bring this one up or not either, But it's funny if you watch the highlights back and watch
the game three weeks earlier, roughly in Philadelphia. I wasn't going to bring this up. I was not going to bring this up. Josh Beckett threw a no hitter and Drew Butterra. I love Drew. Drew's a great friend, a great another great, great character in our game. Drew is a starting catcher, and Drew enough to celebrate, as he said, and he's out there and the dog pile bounce around his mask. Catcher's mask goes flying into the pile. Well, here comes the athletic Midwest thirty thirty five year
old, you know, lumbering catcher into the dog pile. Jumps up into the pile to celebrate with my teammates, and I land with my right foot right on top of the Drews catcher's mask and pretty severely sprained my ankle. And they put me on the DL for eighteen days. And I always give Drew a hard time about it. And like I said, hey, if I ever catch no hitter, I'm not taking my mask with me. I'm not going to put my teammates in harm way. I'm a better teammate than
you. Like I care about people and just giving them a hard time. But I did the uh he got to strike out, and if you watch back, I leave my mask at home plate and I ran out there. Guys, Like I told you, I care about my teammates more than he does. Yeah, yeah, I remember. I remember the day the next day after we got back from Philadelphia, I walk into the clubhouse and your ankle is all taped up and you're like so bummed out that happened. Oh And I was like, and I was like talking. I think I was
talking to you. I think I was talking to Alana Rizzo at the time. I'm like, please, like get video footage of the story. Like, the last thing I want is like when people like to not believe me, I think that I like was you know, like you like, as you said earlier, over served in Philadelphia on Saturday and like stumbled and stumbled over a curb or or trip somewhere. But like, please let people know this was actually like an idiotic, idiotic, non athletic uh finn athletic move,
but actually did happen on the baseball field. Hey, speaking of the celebration, there's that iconic photo of you and Hershaw embracing on the mound. How big of that photo is hanging in your living room right now? Is it sixteen twenty or larger it is? You know what I think? Uh? Well, which one we got one? We got one on each floor of the house. Uh you know there, I'll be first one to be uh you know, self deprecated. And there are people out there who will
say that I am sitting right now in the house that Kershaw built. I'm not. I'm not. Like there's part of it that can't deny that our relationship was special. And I will be the first admit that my career was probably extended and probably a little bit overinflated because of our relationship and my ability to work with him. But no, I do have a nice I haven't had, you know, honestly, Dave, I have him planting up.
I do haven't been full of no hitter. The memorability from that game was a scorecard and baseball from that game, and a couple of other items were definitely those photos. And we've talked about doing something and putting putting up, putting up maybe a plaque. But at the same time, like it's similar to what you said earlier, it's like, not about like the items, like you mentioned the ring, It's about the relationships. It's about the memories.
And like I I love the memories I have from that day, and even just talking right now, I'm smiling right now, just thinking back just so much that happened on that day and and just just just the moments of that day. And you're talking about celebrating, and you know, there's a great moment there on the field, and you know Ellen, she comes down
and and they get to share it together. But we go into clubhouse and you know, obviously, uh, I don't know if you know as fans know this or not, but there's a Major League rule, and it's a very wise rule that there's not there's not on the alcohol served in the home clubhouse because people have to drive home back to the game. But we we had other items of uh, you know, different types of milk and soap and you know anything you're getting a shaving crave. And Clayton got to go.
Clayton got to go get in the shower, and we all got to kind of do our best to kind of dirty him up a little bit.
But not after his showers did his media. You were sitting there by the locker, and you know, one of the traditions I had when I was in l A and in my career was if the Dodgers of the team I played with one, my son Luke got to come and spend time in the clubhouse afterwards, because at the clubhouse was was fun and boisterous and you know, it's a good, good place for kids, and you know, he got to come in and have a chocolate milk and just have to have a
good time. But he, uh, there's a I have a great picture of him and Clayton and they're both kind of holding up a zero sign with their fingers and Luke has no idea what he's doing. He's you know, he's five years old at the time and I'm sorry, four years old at time, and he doesn't even know what he's doing. But he's there with Clayton. They're both holding up a zero. And it's like memories like that or what a really much more special than uh, you know, any any
framed photo or uh you know, nostalgic plaque or anything like that. It's the memories. It's the people. It's conversations like this just you know, we get to share. Yeah. I like to call it the a j Ellis no hitter. Now there you go there please, let's let's let's let's get that going. Yes, do the kids do the Ellis kids call Clayton Uncle Clayton or do you just keep it at mister Kershaw or Clayton? What
what's the appropriate addressing for your kids? Well, you know what's funny is uh you know, I got to spend some time with him when they played the Brewers and we gonna hang out together. And my kids aren't the only one. I've been around other people and for some reason, like it always rolls together. It's like Clayton Kershaw. Even like my kids will like my kids will be addressing them and like like Luke would be like, hey,
Clayton Kershall, Like what's your favorite stadium you ever played in. I'm like, I'm like Luke, Luke, just call them Clayton or call them cursed, or call them or call him like all that. But you know, but uh no, it's uh yeah, it's it's funny how and then again, like my kids are not the only one. You'll be out and people be like, hey, Clayton Kershaw. If it's just one of those names that just it rolls, it rolls hand in hand, you know, I
don't I don't hear too many a j elisis. I'm sure you don't hear too many day best age don't. We probably can't repeat the words that we're heard when we're see by my fans or by crowd. But uh, you know, it's uh, it's a. It's definitely h Clayton Kershaw. You hear that one a lot. Well, this was awesome, a J. I wish I could just how about this. You tell the family you're occupied
the rest of the day. I won't go to the game tonight, and we'll just keep talking and then I love, I love connecting with you. Dave loves telling old, old stories and just reflecting and just remembering. And I think we talked about it last time, you know, you know,
I chatted. Is it's really important for me, like it's really important for all of us just to take a time to you know, as Dodger fans, it's as as people who've had the fortunate time to be in that Dodger organization, just as I, you know, have be grateful and uh, you know, just show a lot of gratitude towards just the experience that we had and you know, things for yourself are currently having. There's no voice
like it. It's it's a. It's a like I said, it's a. It's a. It's a great home office to get the call and go to and you know, I'm I'm excited to hear that the fans are getting back into a full capacity and it's gonna be a fun, a fun summer and looking forward to watching you know, n OL West Baseball, which is as it's a really good division and it'll be fun to watch the rest of
the year. Yes, it will. And I look forward to seeing you when Andre Ethier and I come visit in his summer home in Milwaukee one day. So I appreciate that, right, we'll see you out there. You're I'm I'm the caretaker. I'll be the guy out you know, moaning the grass and pulling the weeds. And I'm just glad to Andre allows me. It's just a little me and the family, a little a little nook in the in the base stay in all right, man, this is great.
We'll do this again soon. I hope to see you in person very soon. So thank you so much for taking the time out to share these great stories with us. Awesome Dave. Good to connect with you and enjoy enjoyed the time out there. And uh, you know, tell the boys, I said, hey, when you get in the club offs next