We're joined right now and by one of my favorite people.
He was such a big part of Dave Roberts' staff when the Dodgers we're going to nlcs's and World Series. He went on to manage the Rangers, and thankfully he is back in the Dodger organization with that beautiful bald head and that clean shaven beard. That's the one and only Chris Woodward. What he thinks a lot for the time, I appreciate it absolutely. Always a pledge to brother hey Man. Always great to see you out here. You have so
much to offer. What's the first three games of this series shown you about this team?
You know what, this team that we're playing obviously has a lot of fight. You know, they've played together, they do a lot of things really well, they play the game.
So it's actually been a test for us, obviously with curse going down after that first inning, kind of put our backs against the wall and to pitch his staff, and you know, thankfully we got some horses down to that bullpen that took the ball and honestly pitched when they probably weren't supposed to and didn't you know, weren't really ready to pitch based on how they had pitched so many games before that, So it honestly took a team effort for the first two games, and somehow we
came away with two wins. Offense, put a bunch of runs on the board, and it was really cool to see the fight in this team against a team that's like they're not scared of us at all, which I kind of like, it's good for our team. But yesterday, obviously we'll put that one aside and we have a chance to win three out of four in a huge.
Series for us.
You're a great person to ask this question, obviously, with where the pitching staff was the last two days. How tough is it to swallow a game like yesterday where you're handcuffed on who you can use and live to fight today.
I think the one thing that we're really really good at. Obviously we have really good pitching, and we have good pitchers, but I think our staff, you know, Doc and Mark and Connor and Bartle and the bullpen do a great job of keeping.
Our guys healthy. It's it's a it's a little it's a.
Lot undervalued obviously in the league, where a lot of teams feel like they have to fight to win every game and use their best pitchers no matter what. Where We're not afraid to say, okay, we're we're almost willing to sacrifice the win for the betterment of our team long term. And I think that, you know, come playoff time, everybody's got to, you know, set during this month, it's all hands on deck. You might have to pitch seven
in a row, who knows. But like for the long term of one hundred and sixty two games, it's hard to not buy into or be tempted into using guys, you know, when they pitch three out of four or two out of three and you end up, you know, making that guy obviously not have a great outing and with less stuff, but you potentially get guys hurt. And I see that happen.
A lot throughout the league. We don't do that.
We refuse to do that with our pitchers. And I love that about us because obviously that's why I feel like we maximize we put guys in. Hey, we're using these guys today no matter what, Like we're not using those guys, and I think that that's honestly a great quality of this organization. Like I said, come in the middle of this month. It doesn't matter if you have to pitch five in a row. You have to pitch
five in a row. You need to get into the playoffs, and the playoffs start, it's all hands on deck and everybody knows that. But up to that point, I think we do the best job in baseball out.
Chris Woodward is our guest.
And Chris, like I mentioned, you were coaching third base for some really special players in a special time.
Of Dodger baseball.
Do you feel this group is starting to resemble that attitude of those teams?
Yeah?
You know what, Like I told Shohy the other night, and I know he's the greatest player on the planet, but like for him to square around a bunt, yeah, I thought that that was very indigative of like our team as a team, you know, our best player, who's obviously chasing history, maybe to something that had never been
done before in the history of the game. He took one less opportunity to hit a homer potentially and do something for the sacrifice of a team to say, hey, I'm gonna get on basis for us, it's the top of the eighth enning. We're tight game. It's a huge series and he saw the third basement back and thought,
maybe actually get on base by a bunt. I don't really want him to bunt, and I don't think Doc does either, But at the same time, like for him to actually think about that tells me teams on his mind.
And not personal accolades.
And if everybody kind of adopts that mentality, we will win. And you know, obviously that's probably our biggest task of it, just like everybody coming together for the common goal of just winning a championship, and if we.
Do that, we will win.
Speaking of show, hey o Tani, being on the same side as he is instead of going against him, what's it like from your vantage point watching what he's done this season.
I'm thankful that I'm not. I was in awe of them, you know, watching him from the other side because he you know, we actually hit him pretty good when I was in Texas, but he had some monster games against this and I was just, you know, in awe of what he could.
Do, you know, on the baseball field.
But just getting to know him a little bit and seeing how, you know, how much he prepares, how much he cares about the game, how respectful he is to the game, the way he plays it, how hard he plays it, the way he's really adopted a lot of things, like understanding how to run the bases better, how to bake steel bases. It's just been impressive for me, obviously adopting our offensive kind of philosophy, understanding how important strike
z Owne is. He still obviously swings, but at the same time he is He's improved a lot, in my opinion, and it has a lot to do with just his mindset, his ability to learn.
How much do you believe he is thriving in this competitive environment.
He loves it.
I saw it in the WBC. Listen, We've never seen show hey in the playoffs. It's something that like unfortunately fans have been you know, haven't had a chance to see.
We will see it, obviously. I can't wait.
Because I think that this guy's got the DNA of a champion. Like obviously, but like when I saw him in the WBC in the beginning of a season, hasn't the seedon, hadn't.
Even started yet, and he's firing.
You know, he's going up against Trout and you can tell how much he loved that environment. I just can't wait to see him actually in a playoff environment in the MLB. It you know, obviously it's for going to be for our team, which is great. But I can't wait to see that because I think if the world needs to see.
That, yeah, that will be special, and it will be special to have the Dodgers make a long, deep postseason run like they did in sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen.
And of course winning get in twenty.
Chris Woodward, always great to see you so happier with the Dodgers and always loved tapping into you.
So thank you for the time. Awesome, thanks, Dave, appreciate it.