Welcome to Dodger Talk. David Vasse with you until eight o'clock tonight here on a five to seventy LA Sports We are live from the Sportsnet LA Studios. Just wrapped up Access Sportsnet Dodgers with John hart Tongue and Jerry Harriston Junior. And actually, one of my favorite segments we have done here during the off season was having John, Jerry and myself name our Dodgers All half Century team, so that means any player from two thousand to twenty
twenty five. And we had a couple of discrepancies. Jerry did not have Freddy Freeman as his first basement. I did. I did not have Mookie Ah here he is. Here he is. I admitted that I was wrong.
I was on the golf course.
Agan Beltray kind of hypnotized me a little bit. I was wrong. I corrected my Freddy Freeman is my first base. And how about third base? Jerry? I kept Adrian Belcher because he's a Hall of Famer, but Justin Turner is also there too, and Jerry had himself as the super utility Yeah, with Keik. Jerry had a great first half of twenty twelve. He was awesome. He kept the Dodgers above water that first half of twenty twelve his first year with the Dodgers. But yes, those were the two
biggest discrepancies. And all out myself, I did not have Mookie Bets in my all half century team. I had Matt Kemp, Cody Bellinger and Andre Ethier in my outfield. My contention was, you put prime Matt Kemp on these Dodger teams and you would have a future Hall of Famer like Mookie Betts is going to be. One of my standards were, if you're gonna watch the replay was longevity. Gary Sheffield, great player, should be in the Hall of Fame. But from two thousand and between two thousand and twenty
twenty five, Gary Sheffield only played two years. So that's how I went about it. Anyway. That's what we did tonight on Access Sportsnet Dodgers. We'll be back on there tomorrow night at six o'clock. This is our only Dodger talk on a five to seventy LA sports this week. We will talk to you again not only on sports Net LA all this week, but also right here on Dodgers Radio next week when I report to Camel Backranch
in Glendale, Arizona. Tomorrow is the first official day that pitchers and catchers report guys were there today, but as far as the Major League Baseball Transaction calendar goes. The reason why I bring that up is because Keik Hernandez announced yesterday two hours before kickoff of the Super Bowl that he is returning, but the Dodgers have not officially announced it. Because tomorrow is the first day the Dodgers can start transferring players to the sixty DAYIL and Fred Rogan.
The first text of the day I get is from Fred Rogan, and he doesn't even say hello, good morning. The way he prefaced his text question was Hey, how did the Dodgers make room for Key k Hernandez? So I just copy and pasted the sixty day IL roles and he explained it so poorly on his show. So I'll explain it for you and then maybe you can share it with Fred Rogan or he may be listening
to this in Rancho mirage somewhere on the iHeartRadio app. Anyway, these are the guys that I presume will be moved to the sixty day IL tomorrow, which will open up at least five spots on the Dodger forty man roster for Key K a Hernandez and anybody else the Dodgers want to add to their forty man roster. Gavin Stone, he's out for the year. He's going to the sixty day IL Emmitt Shechan is not going to pitch until
the second half of this year. Sixty day IL Kyle Hurt who had shoulder surgery last year, sixty day IL River Ryan Tommy John surgery last year, sixty day IL Bruce Star Graderol shoulder surgery, sixty day IL Bazooka probably not ready until June at the earliest, probably after the All Star break. And that means the Dodgers can officially sign Key K a Hernandez. They can officially sign Clayton Kershaw and then immediately move him to the sixty day IL.
So that's how all that works now. As far as the twenty six man roster works, how does key K a Hernandez fit into it? Well, he fits into it the same way he did last year. He can play second base, he can play centerfield, which is probably his best position now, and he can be insurance for Max Mounsey. Max Munsey missed a few months last year. You know he may get injured again, and the Dodgers really didn't
have a backup third baseman outside of Miguel Rojas. So you got Key a Hernandez who could play a lot of third base like he did last year when Munsey was out. And of course we all know Key K's real value October player. The Dodgers' fortunes in the postseason last year changed when KEYK a Hernandez got into the starting lineup during the NLDS after the first two games. Incredibly, I can't believe it took a Miguel Rojas injury to enlighten the Dodgers to put Key a Hernandez in the
starting lineup or no injury. Key k Hernandez needed to be in the starting lineup and he was. The rest of the way. Tommy Edmund had shortstop Key k Hernandez in center field. So those are the ways Macro micro how Key K a Hernandez fits into the Dodgers' twenty six man roster, forty man roster, and very happy to have him back. And in case you're wondering what took so long, my understanding talking to sources that are directly connected to the knowledge of the Dodgers and key K's negotiations.
The Dodgers had this offer out to Kik for a month. They said, here it is, this is what it is. We want you back. Key K, obviously, year to year at this stage of his career, did his due diligence to see what else may be out there that may be lucrative with a winning team. He wasn't going to a team that wasn't going to the playoffs or had a real chance to go to the playoffs. And from what I understand, the two teams had had interest in Keyk a Hernandez were the Yankees and were the Texas Rangers.
The Yankees no first hand the value of Keyk a Hernandez, not only last year, but also playing against him when he was doing his thing in Boston. The Rangers, I'm sure, got endorsements about Keyk a Hernandez from his former teammates Jock Peterson and Corey Seeger. The Dodgers have never really duplicated the platoon of Jock Peterson and Keyk Hernandez going back to the twenty twenty World Series. Well, the Rangers were trying to duplicate that replicated in Texas, but key K wanted.
To be here.
He's a Dodger. This made sense and eventually Keyk, after looking around for the pot of gold, realized the Dodgers were his team and I'm happy it finally came together. When we continue here on Dodger Talk, we will open up the phone lines eight six, six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy will dive deeper into the Dodger opening day pitching staff. It's not as obvious as you think, and coming up at the bottom of the hour, we will share our conversation with World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
So a lot to get to between now and the time Luca takes the court as a Laker for the first time. Right here on Dodger Talk on your home for the World champion Dodgers, AM five seventy LA Sports full squad workout as not until later this week. Pitchers and catchers are arriving at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. Tomorrow is the first official day for pitchers and catchers to come together and Dave Roberts to have one of
his soft opening speeches. He'll do that when the pitchers and catchers are in the room tomorrow, and then once the full squad is officially reported, he will do it again. And Dave Roberts, coming off his best year as manager for the Dodgers, winning a second World Series championship, things are looking good. Everybody seems to be happy. And I love the fact that Andrew Friedman has brought in guys like Tanner, Scott and Blake Snell to really bring the
edge and hunger that any defending champion needs. And the Dodgers have a great team on paper, but they all know how fragile health can be, and how fragile an entire one hundred and sixty two, one hundred and sixty two game season can be. Coming up at the bottom
of the hour, you will hear from Freddie Freeman. But looking at this pitching staff in honor of pitchers and catchers reporting officially tomorrow, I know by the end of the year, middle of the year, it will be you know, at least four guys that are cy young either have won it or have the potential to win it. But on opening day it's not as deep as you think. You look at Tyler Glass, Now, who is going to
be behind other starters? Andrew Friedman told us that at Dodger Fest, Otani is probably not facing hitters in spring training according to Andrew as well. And then you have Roki Sazaki, who is learning a new game in some ways, a new language of pitching in some ways with the Dodgers looking to get better, cleaning up his delivery as a twenty three year old, he hasn't even grown into his body. So with all those factors, you are going
to need guys like Tony Gonsolin. You are going to need guys like Landon Nack and possibly even Dustin May. I'm looking for Bobby Miller to have a big bounce back year. The way Blake Snell explained it to me is that he sees Bobby Miller a lot, a lot of Bobby Miller in himself and really wants to help Bobby get better, to get on track mentally more than physically, maybe even consolidate some pitches. Bobby's in great shape, So
I'm looking for Bobby Miller this spring. He's really got to show something after a disappointing sophomore year, and Blake Snell has taken Bobby under his wing. Yama Moto. Those are my top three right now coming out of spring training on opening day, Blake Snell, Yama Moto, Bobby Miller, and you hope Tyler glass Now can be ready for the Dodgers by the time they return from Tokyo, Japan.
It would be phenomenal if Blake's excuse me, if Yamamoto and Roki Sazaki are starting the first two games of the season against the Cubs in their home country in Tokyo and having Otani be the dh that would be spectacular. I'm hoping for Yama Moto versus Shota Imanaga on opening night there in the Tokyo Dome. It doesn't feel like that's too big of a long shot, but look, the Dodgers have to be careful with yama Moto as well. Yamamoto missed time with a shoulder issue for about three months.
There were some questions about whether or not he was going to be ready for the postseasons. So that's how the starting rotation looks right now. It's gonna look great when Otani, Sazaki, Yamamoto and Snell are in there in Glass now at the same time. Not to mention Clayton Kershaw, but at the beginning of the year, it's gonna be some of these role guys like Landon Knack, like Tony Gonslin, like Dustin May and Bobby Miller that are going to
have to step up early in the year. Now, when you look at the Dodger bullpen, I know Dave Roberts said over the weekend on XM Radio that Tanner Scott is going to get the line's share of save opportunities to start the year. Yeah, no, kidding. That's the reason why he was so definitive was because Evan Phillips is well behind where he usually is at this time of the year throwing the baseball because he missed the World
Series with a shoulder issue. And we got reports from USA today that Michael Kopek has had some sort of shoulder issue. So those two guys that may get save opportunities during the year when healthy are not going to be ready on opening Day more than likely. So yeah, Tanner Scott's gonna get a lot of that. He's going to be set up by Alex Vesia, Kirby Yates, and Blake Trining, to name a few. So that's where the
Dodger bullpen stands on opening Day as well. Eight six, six, nine to eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number. In case you're not sure when the first spring training game is going to be. It's going to be a week from Thursday. The Dodgers are going to play their first two games of the Cactus League schedule against those same cubs that they will open up against in Tokyo, Japan. Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is
the phone number. David Vase with you until eight o'clock tonight on AM five to seventy LA Sports Dodger Baseball is back officially. Gotta take some water here after an Access sports Net Dodgers show and some Dodger talk. You know what else I was really happy about hearing over the weekend, Rob Manfred. Yeah that Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of Baseball, coming out of the owners meetings in Florida last week, defending and defusing that the Dodgers are ruining
baseball by trying to win. Any one of these other twenty nine teams could have signed Tanner Scott, any one of these twenty nine teams could have signed Blake Snell to a long term contract last year, let alone this year. So you know, Rob Manfred, say what you will about him. I love that he's actually being the voice of reason as the leader of the sport, not only saying the Dodgers aren't ruining baseball by trying to win, but also
saying a salary cap isn't necessarily a road to competitive balance. Yeah, I agree with him. The only way a salary cap would make sense is if there was a salary floor, so teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates would actually spend some money. Can you believe this? I just found this out this morning after doing some research on some of these teams
that aren't spending this offseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who actually had a grievance filed against them a couple of years ago by the Players Union for not reinvesting the revenue sharing that teams like the Dodgers and Yankees are giving them, for going over the luxury tax, not reinvesting it into their baseball roster instead just probably putting it somewhere else
outside of baseball operations. That's what was alleged, and that's the reason why the Players Union filed that grievance against the Pirates. But here's a fact, no speculation, This is a cold hard fact. The Pittsburgh Pirates have nothing to complain about because the Pirates have not signed a free agent to a multi year deal in over ten years. Francisco Leriano, remember him, the former twin, is the last free agent the Pittsburgh Pirates had ever signed to a
multi year free agent contract. That was for three years and thirty nine million dollars. And you're telling me the Pirates are going to complain about what the Dodgers are doing. The Dodgers should be complaining about teams like the Pirates
not doing much of anything. I mean, the whole point of the luxury tax is to be a deterrent to go to not go over a certain team payroll, and if you do, it gets put into this revenue sharing pot that is going to be re reallocated to teams small market teams like the Pirates, like the Reds, the Rays. But none of these teams are really doing much of anything. I'll say that again, the Pirates have not signed a free agent to a multi year deal in ten years.
Francisco Leriana was the last one in twenty fifteen, and it was for a mere three years, thirty nine million dollars. If anybody has a complaint. It's the Yankees and Dodgers against teams like the Pirates. Eight six six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Sherman Oaks. Ash, you're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi. Ash.
Hey, Dave, I called you about a year ago, and I was wondering about if Dodgers were given up this season to sign shoy Atani. I don't know if you remember me anyways, Sure I remember Doughters birthday today? Yeah, it's my daughter's birthday, so I want to talk about the icing on the cake. Any updates about one of my favorite players, h Arnado, Well, number one.
It didn't have to say it that way. Happy birthday to your daughter either way. I feel like the Dodgers have already given you and your daughter and the rest of the city a lot of birthday presents.
You have no idea. I've been a true Dodger fan since I've been in California since nineteen eighty eight. That's a great I'm so excited about it. I'm so excited about the season. What the Dodgers have done for their fan base. No one should be complaining. I don't want to hear nobody talking about smack a boy the Dodgers, or what the Dodgers haven't done or done, but just the icing on the cake if we get this guy.
Let me answer your question. Let me answer your question, Ash, And you may or may not like my answer. But Nolan Aeronado had two or three chances already in his career to force the hand of the Rockies to get him to LA and he did not do it. I know Nolan Aernada wants to be a Dodger, but I just feel like that ship has sailed on and it feels like every three weeks there's rumors that the Dodgers
and Cardinals has started talking again about Nolan Aernado. Ash, if there was a demand for Nolan Aernado and teams regarded him the way they did even two years ago, he would have been traded by now.
Agree market.
There is no market for Nolan Aernado, and the Cardinals are floating out these rumors to different writers to try to generate a market that's just not there. My prediction is Nolan Aernado will be wearing a Red Sox uniform, not a Dodger uniform on opening Day. That's my prediction.
My prediction. My prediction is, Man, I'm gonna be listening to you a lot more often because I'm a happy fan. I can't believe what we have cooled. We I'm a nobody what the Dodgers have tools for their fan base. And it's amazing what you just said about Pittsburgh Pirates that they haven't signed a player for a multi year contract in over ten years. I don't want to hear people complaining and being about Dodgers this and that.
Yeah, you're right, we're very spoiled out here. Ash. Ever since Mark Walter, Magic, Johnson, Stankasten and the rest of Todd Bowley, the rest of the guggenheind group has taken over, we have been very spoiled here. Frank McCort, seems like another lifetime ago. Remember how things look for the Dodger franchise. Just merely what in twenty eleven, twenty twelve. In twenty
eleven they were in bankruptcy. Look at the way this ownership group delivered on their promises to bring the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium back to where it rightfully belongs and even exceeded the heights of previous success in the franchise's history. This is the golden age of Dodger Baseball. I hope it lasts the rest of my life. I hope it does. But I think we all need to appreciate this period of time of Dodger history when we continue on Dodger Talk.
A big part and maybe the moment that will signify this period of time in Dodger history. Freddie Freeman's Grand Slam in Game one of last year's World Series. Freddie, the World Series MVP. Join us at Dodger Fest. I'll share that conversation with you again right here on your home for the World champion Dodgers a five to seventy
LA Sports official. Tomorrow, pitchers and catchers report, and the Dodgers can now start moving some roster pieces around, and certainly an exciting time to be a Dodger fan.
And you will hear.
Every pitch, every inning of every game right here on your home for the World Champion Dodgers and five to seventy LA Sports. You can also stream the games on the iHeartRadio app. That's also where you can find all of our interviews and Dodger Talk shows. Dodgers on deck, all of it a one stop shop on the iHeartRadio app. And I'm looking forward to this season. It should be fun.
I'm looking forward to going to Tokyo, Japan and witnessing what it's going to be like to see the hysteria over show Heyo Tani and a Dodger uniform playing in the Tokyo Dome. It's going to be incredible. I don't even I feel like I have a vision in my head after we win to South Korea with Otani. I feel like that was somewhat of an appetizer of the
way things are going to be this year. And I know so many of you want to find your way to get to Tokyo, Japan and already have to be there for the first two games of the season, so a lot of anticipation. It's one thing as a Dodger fan to travel to San Francisco or San Diego or even New York to see the Yankees, to see the Dodgers play a Yankee stadium, but man, it is so impressive by so many fans that I've already encountered that have said I've got my tickets, I've got my plane, tickets.
I'm going to Tokyo, Japan for the first time to see Otani and the Dodgers play there. That's very impressive. And look, I can already tell you being in South Korea last year. You know here in the States, the media and fans are kept out of the team hotel, but the rules are a little different there in South Korea because it was connected to a mall, an indoor mall, and there were barriers between or clearing a walkway from the elevators to the team bus inside the hotel, and
fans were lining those barriers. Media cameras were those in the hotel behind the barriers waiting for a glimpse of Otani to walk from the elevator to the team bus with security. It is going to be crazy in Tokyo, Japan. And it started in the airport at South Korea when the Dodgers landed. I wasn't expecting as we went through the terminal and got through customs that fans would be waiting for the Dodgers to be there and waiting for a glimpse of Otani. It was on the South Korean news.
It was wild. I'm expecting that ten times in Tokyo, Japan, and it should be a real experience for not only myself but Otani's teammates, and everybody is super excited about it. All right, I had a chance to catch up with World Series MVP and obviously an iconic figure now not only in Dodger history, but in baseball history. Freddie Freeman, here was our conversation from Dodger Fest.
Have you been sitting in this corner all day?
Yes, I wanted to. I should have brought a lava lamp.
You know we have some for the kids now. Taking it back to when I was a.
Kid, right right, everything retro is current again, Freddy, I like it.
Yeah, yeah, I'm retro.
You're retro retro.
Thank god you look good.
Yamamoto said, I need to lose weight. Do you feel like I've gained a lot of weight this off season?
Freddy said that he did.
He said, ah, you know, a little bit, a little bit too much.
Then why would he say that.
I feel like I have. I'm projecting and I know I have, But I'm not taking any medical or pharmaceutical shortcuts, Freddy.
No, I am not going to answer those questions about Wait, it's just not going to do that. I think you look great.
Did you know Gavin Stone announced to us his birthdays on October fifteenth? He's a guy that likes to promote his birthday. Would you think Gavin Stone was that type of guy?
No, I know, I didn't know. He talked very much.
I know exactly. It was depressing when he said there were a lot of mosquitoes in Arkansas. I said, who would have guessed that?
October fifteenth? Huh, yeah, all right, it's good to know.
Great segue. By the way, October fifteenth, nineteen eighty eight, was the day Kirk Gibson hit his walk off home run. He game one of the world.
Now I understand why you brought up Gavin Stone's birthday. Well, I mean, you're good at this.
This was lined up perfectly. It was meant to be, like Freddie Freeman was meant to be at the plate that night, in that moment.
That was a good one. Yeah, sot me to talk about it.
I'm nervous, so that's why I brought I felt like Chris Farley here, just like you know, I feel like I'm more emotional about it.
Was October, I didn't Mine wasn't October.
No, it wasn't. But that's when Gibson hit it. Yours was a different date. You hit it in the same same area. I heard it was like the same time. Yeah, they might put like a blue seat where you hit it, like where they did for Kirk Gibson.
Oh, that'd be kind of cool. It would.
Yeah, it will live in infamy.
Yeah, I believe me. I've thought about it every day pretty much.
I mean, when you go to the grocery store, what's it like.
I really can't go anywhere right now, which is which is fun because you know that sports in general can it just means so much to some two people. And obviously as I'm out in the community and I I don't think I've made it through one outing without someone coming up to me, which is really cool that people care so much and care about the Dodgers. And and with that home run, I just did a luncheon and there's a guy that had a tattoo of me on his leg, So.
Geez, that's when you know it means something.
Yeah, And then obviously a lot of other people are coming up at the lunch and saying how much that home run meant in the World Series and telling us where it was one guy was there for Kirk Gibson's home run. So it's to hear people like like when you do it and you're out there and then you go home and you got to get ready for the next game. But then, like I've told people, like about a month ago, Charlie and I went down a rabbit hole on YouTube because he wanted and.
With YouTube, right, yeah.
And just to see all the reactions and how it affected people in such a positive way. It's it does bring chills to you. And to be able to be a part of that and to deliver because I mean just and how like I watched the video later on and how they panned out over the stadium Joe Davis is talking and how the whole thing was set up. It it's like giving me kind of goosebumps right now when you when you look back at it and think about it, and to be able to come through in
those kind of moments. I mean, that's what you dream about, you know, just like how Joe said, it is what you think about in backyards. I mean, it's the same thing that I was doing with my two brothers when
we were playing wooflet balls in our front yard. Our backyard wasn't pick enough what we did in the front yard, and and and for it to happen again, like but in a big league game thirty years later when I was playing woofotball with my brothers, it's it's incredible and like Joe Davis and how he set that whole thing up was you know, obviously I didn't know anything about it until I watched it and I was like, wow, you know, Joe was incredible and to hit it on
the head and then after he sets the whole thing up to do it on the first pitch, it was like I think that made it that, you know, like how I mean, it would have been awesome if it was like the twelfth pick too, but after he set that up to happen immediately, that's but the yeah, the grocery store things kind of out. Yeah, I don't really I try any.
You're out of going to the grocery store, kin.
I've been out of a lot of things with the surgery, so but uh, yeah, I believe I think I have if I when I'm out, there's no lesson at least if it's just a like I'll go to Jan's health far it's in Orange County and I get a smoothie there, and I don't think I've made it out of Jans without taking pictures or anything like that. And that's oh, Chris, I haven't been there. We did Mastros the other day and one of the chefs comes out and he's got a Dodger hat on. So yeah, I don't think. I don't.
I can't go anywhere right now. But that's a good thing because that means really good things happened.
Freddie, you and your wife also had a little vacation together. Yeah, deservedly so. And I'll just out myself right now. I zoomed in on your right foot, yeah, to see if you had a boot on or sandals I've had.
I had some interesting sandals. I didn't pick any of those outfits. I think everyone knows that. Yeah. I just whatever is in the bag, and what I'm told to wear, I wear. Yeah. So we did that a couple of weeks ago. It was it was planned because our ten year anniversary was in November, a little busy to have much time to plan, uh, So we kind of waited through the holidays and we did Mexico for a ten year anniversary. So we had a good time. Obviously, our
family's been through a lot. Max is doing better, so we just needed a We just needed a week, you know, just to relax because you I mean, you know, you're married, and so when when you have kids, you're just trying to get you're doing everything with your kids every single day, and it's nice to be able to reconnect and you know, just sit there and hang out with your wife. And you know, we had a great time. It was a great week. We came home and it's right back into
the week. We got home in the door and they just started crying. Someone was hitting each other, and I was just like, yeah, I'm sure we should have stayed longer, but it was a great time. Where but now it's back to you know, getting ready for the season again.
How do you feel physically? I mean, obviously we knew about the ankle, but you know, the ribs and all that stuff. Yeah, how does is Freddy Freeman like tape together right now?
To be here? I'm two of the injuries or one hundred percent. My broken finger is all good, my broken ribs all good. I am two months, eight weeks of two days ago Thursday out of surgery. And that was the first day I hit, so I hit for the first time. Two days ago, I felt good. I hit again yesterday, felt good again. Still not clear to run. But ye two days ago was a big day for me because if I wasn't able to respond like I did yesterday, I think we would have been in trouble.
Being able to be ready by Tokyo, it was a good sign. I feel good today with back to back days of hitting, so I would have been able to hit today if but it was you know, scheduled days off and Monday I worked. I did four sets of seven and tes the last two days, so twenty eight swings, and on Monday, I will it goes into flips too.
So I think I will be full bore hitting by by the time probably spring training, when I get the spring training, because I'm gonna stay here this whole next week and be doing my PTE down in Orange County for a whole nother week and then I'll get the spring training. So I think hitting wise, I'll be ready to roll all, be able to hit, batting practice, do
all that. But I start doing I think by the end of next week, some side to side stuff, you know, like movement, and then being able to do uh, you know, then it'll be a running progression in spring training. So I will probably not be playing the first couple of games of spring training, as you guys probably know, I'll get antsy and try and force my way into somehow. You know, I'll just dhe have one, so I'll just no,
I'll just DH. We don't have a DH. So right and then, but the beauty of spring training is I'll be able to even a show he's playing. In the real games, I can go into the backfield and get at bat, so I will be able to I think, be able to hit and see some live abs and then hopefully the running progression. I feel good, you know, that's it's all about how I feel. So but I'm in a good spot going into I was, you know,
it was a little up and down. I was a little nervous how I was going to feel a couple of days ago. But ultimately I am feeling pretty good right now.
Freddie, I know you have to go, but I'm just curious.
The day of.
Game one of the World Series, Yes, when you got out of bed that day and put your your right foot down and just started to get yourself going, did you know, did you feel like, oh wow, I feel a lot better than I did even five days ago.
I was feeling pretty good two days going into that, I had still not run since Game five of the NLCS because then we had the day off and then I didn't play game six. Hi Brandon, who are you Randon going? I go? So I hadn't run, but I was feeling good walking and and doing all that. But the first time I ran, like I told you guys, I ran when we did the introduction was the first time I took more than a walk and I was running out there. I was like, oh, I actually feel
pretty good. And as I was coming down the line, all the trainers like, Freddy, you look great, and I was like, I know, I feel pretty good. And but I was feeling good. My swing was like I said, I have I called my dad like two days before game one. I said, Dad, I figured it out, and I mean as as my dad had said yeah. He was all and he was like, yeah, I didn't think you figured it out, and he goes, I watched you play in the Mets series and you were all awful.
So he was like, I was just hoping that you were being honest. And I did. I felt really good. I got my foot in a spot where I could actually have some strength that into the ground, and I felt like my swing was in a good spot. So I was feeling good swing wise. I just didn't know how my ankle was going to hold up. And my ribs were feeling pretty good by then. My finger was feeling pretty good by then. But you just didn't know.
And I'm you know, a lot of people go, I can't believe you had to run out a triple in the first in your first step bat and actually said, no, that was actually a good thing because I was able to do that and get up and I was like, oh, I'm okay. So it was almost like a weight was able to come off my shoulders when I knew I was able to run those bases and get up and not be like, oh man, my ankle's killing me. I got a limp. Now. I never limped once in the
World Series. I felt good. We had a great treatment plan going, and that's why I thought after the World Series it was like, oh, I'll just rest and you know, do some PT and I'll be good to go. But three weeks after the World Series end, I was I'm like, something's not right, you know, like my ankle still hurts. And so I was in Atlanta for Thanksgiving doing it with all our family there, and I texted Thomas, our head trainer. I was like, I think it's time to
get this thing looked at. It's just not that I can't get the swelling out. And so when I came home from Atlanta, that's when we got the MRI. And I got the MRI, I go up and look in there like you need surgery school. Wait a second, what? And so that's the how that hold because I was feeling great during the World Series. So that's why I was like, oh, I'll just heal bit some time. That's why I know. I've been asked the question of why
did you wait so long after the World Series? And I was like, well, I've just played the World felt pretty good, so I thought, just some rests. And so that was the reason of why it was about four weeks after that I had the surgery because I was like, I just wasn't getting better. So but luckily we got
it done and it wasn't. I had tore some ligaments too in my ankle, but that had healed enough in those weeks after the World Series that I didn't have to thankfully get those fixed, because if I had to repair those, I probably wouldn't have been able to make it to Tokyo, which would have been a more extensive rehab. So a lot of being good actually happened. So we cleaned up the ankle and I'm feeling pretty good and hopefully the running progression like it's going to start next
week and I have no setbacks. I think everyone that knows me, I'll probably just tell everyone that I have any setbacks and I feel great. Yeah, I feel great, but I'm in a good spot, way better. My ankle's feeling better each day, more work on it every day, and it's it's responding really well. So I feel like I'm in a good spot to be able to make it to Tokyo in six weeks. I can't believe it's already happening.
I know, I can't believe it even such a short off season.
But a good reason why.
It's sweet. Definitely, Definitely it'll be great, Freddie, when you're on that third baseline and you get your ring, and you'll get to feel everything that the fans deserve to give you.
That day, I know, getting here and you know, seeing all these fans and the excitement. I just can't wait to get the ring and just to experience spring training and the excitement. I mean, you saw our ownership group went out and did it again this offseason, and I think that's why fans are so excited, because you know, the hardworking fans, they come and support us, spend the money here, and to see the organization that you're support supporting and spending your money on is going right back
into the the product that is awesome to see. And I think that's why everyone I mean, obviously we have great players, but to go out there and see the ownership you're into year out, go out and try and
put the best team on the field. I think that's why everyone there's such a buzz around here, and I think we're all hungry to try and be the first team in twenty five years to do this back to back, you know, since the Yankees, and it's incredibly hard to do obviously, but I think we've put ourselves in a good spot to be able to go out there and do it. And we got to get us a little bit healthy, and yeah, some of us didn't need this.
We needed an extra month, but I think we're gonna be ready to go and try and start this journey again.
Freddie. It was truly an honor and a privilege to watch your journey last year and the way it ended. Like I told you so many times, I think the game in bigger picture life rewarded you, Freddie, because you're a champion of a person, even before all of that, and I mean everything that you and Chelsea went through and how strong Maximus was and just who you are. I mean, honestly, what a great journey man. I feel like I need ankle certainty after everything you just said.
Yeah, but I appreciate those kind words. And my family's doing good. Maximus is doing well, and we'll get the spring training and I'm sure Chelsea will share some pictures and he's he's still not walking completely normal, but he's so close. And if you would have told us five months ago that he would have been where he is now, we would have been ecstatic. And he's doing great. If you walk into the house and you saw him on the couch, you would know nothing is wrong. He's still
a joy, he's still fun. He's starting to run more so. Once we get that strength back into his left it's his left leg. Once he gets that strengthen his left leg, he was gonna be flying around the bases. You'll see him after on Sunday's basis. Yeah, and so we're looking forward to it. We're looking forward to getting back out in the spring training getting this thing going.
That's awesome.
Ye, thank you, David.
Freddie great to see you. Oh man, it's been awesome. I truly a privilege, really, Freddy, to be around you and just to see the way you live your life and the way you go about things really is awesome. And World Series MVP, I mean, I mean, thirty years from now, I'll be hosting let's look back at the twenty twenty four Walker. I might be in the walk there there, Freddy Sea. Hopefully we'll lose weight by that, Freddy.
No, I'm not, Freddy, David.
I love you to Freddy. There he goes Freddy Freeman, World Series MVP and one of the most iconic Dodgers forever, not just for the next five years, not just for the next ten years, but forever in baseball history will be remembered for that walk off Grand Slam and also setting World Series records for homering in six consecutive Fall Classic games, but hitting that home run, walk off Grand Slam home run will forever be etched in Major League
Baseball history. Whenever they show Kurt Gibson's walk off home run in nineteen eighty eight, they will have to show Freddie Freeman's walk off Grand Slam for this generation of Dodger fans that never got to experience Kirk Gibson's home run. Freddie Freeman is there, Kirk Gibson, and all season long, I will never get tired of asking you or listening to you where you were when Freddie Freeman hit his walk off Grand Slam. I run into people all the time and I just say, where were you when Freddie
hit the Slam? And they just their eyes lied up and they love telling me where they were. So just a special moment for a special player that is a baseball nut. This guy, since he was a kid with his dad, dove into baseball after the passing of his mother, and the game rewarded Freddie Freeman, no doubt about it. I know he has special ties to the Braves and
a long career in Atlanta. But sorry, Braves fans, you won't see as many Braves highlights with Freddie wearing that uniform as you will seeing Freddie wearing that Dodger uniform hitting that walk off Grand Slam in Game one of the twenty twenty four World Series, first ever player to do so. And man, I could have spent all day with Freddie. I was thinking about going Chris Farley on Freddie. I don't know. There's like this glow now around Freddie Freeman.
And that's a good way to end the show. Thank you to Ronnie Fascio for all his help. Thank you for the people here at sportsnet LA ste Mitchell first and foremost for allowing me to crash the party and host Dodger Talk after a great Access Sportsnet Dodger Show. We'll be back on TV the next three nights at six o'clock. And the next time you listen to Dodger Talk right here on a five to seventy LA Sports I will be at camel Back Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
Have a great rest of your Monday. We'll see you tomorrow on Sportsnet LA. Jason Smith on Fox Sports Radio is next. See ya