Dodger Talk is sponsored by La Care Health Plan, providing affordable healthcare insurance to millions of Angelinos for over twenty five years.
This is world Champion Dodger World Champions for the.
Small soft time to get a people what they want to die too in a row two is special. I'm like, yeah, it's not a headache, O hoss.
This ball's gone.
You ready to go show?
Grab your phone to get in on the show called eight six six nine eighty seven two five seven Coach Show and now your host of Dodger Talk, David Vasse.
Welcome to off day Dodger Talk. David Vasse back in Los Angeles after driving up from San Diego last night after a great dinner in Little Italy with Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris. Enjoyed that and then my wife sent me a request to share my location. I mean, what kind of trust do we have if I have to share my location with my wife? And I'm saying this because she doesn't track me. I know a lot of guys out there are tracked by their wives and their girlfriends,
which I strongly object to. But I feel like my wife was sending me a message like hey, it's eight thirty time for you to drive back home. So I was on my way back after getting a little canoli there in Little Italy after some dinner. But what am I gonna do? What kind of trouble am I going to get into with two guys like Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris. I mean, I could get into a lot of trouble with a lot of other guys I know out there, but those two guys, all they want to
do is eat. Anyway, that was my night last night. You heard Petro some money, and I talked about the rental car logistics and being able to take my life in my own hands and drive back to LA after Yesterday's Dodger Talk, and I wanted to host Yesterday's Dodger Talk despite it being a getaway day. When I have those opportunities, especially in San Diego, I take them, and
I'm glad I did. The Dodgers won two out of three in San Diego, as they return home for a long homestand a ten game homestand starting tomorrow night against the San Francisco Giants, and then they'll welcome the Padres to Dodgers Stadium for the first time this season a four game series, and then the Washington Nationals will come to town. I should mention this at the beginning of the show, that we have a lot to get to. Ken Rosenthal is going to join us at seven point fifteen.
We also have a pair of tickets to give away to next Tuesday Night's game against the Padres, which also happens to be World Series Replica Trophy Night at Dodgers Stadium. The first forty thousand fans in attendance will receive a replica World Series Championship Trophy. So we do have a pair of tickets to go give away the next Tuesday Night's game. Between now and eight o'clock, I'll also give you an update on show. Hey Otani, you'll hear part of my conversation with Mookie Betts. So a lot to
get to between now and then. But looking back at that Padres series, the Dodgers really needed to win that series, not because it was the Padres, but they've been basically
five hundred now for the last thirty games. Winning the first game of that series, obviously the second game not going the way they would like and Matt Sower having to wear it knowing it was going to be a bullpen game yesterday, but the Dodgers certainly were able to have that plan come to fruition, especially after Michael Confordo tied the game with a home run in the fifth inning and Taoscar Hernandez hitting a go ahead three run
home run in the sixth inning. The Dodgers used eight different pitchers yesterday, including Ben Casparius, who was a starting pitch or yesterday not just an opener for a group of hitters or just one inning. Ben Casparius was efficient and he got through four innings for Dave Roberts, and from there they deployed Tanner Scott in the eighth inning against the leverage part of the Padres lineup, the teeth of their lineup, and then Alex Vesia came in for
his third save of the season. But in case you missed what Dave Roberts had to say before the game yesterday, the Dodgers are going to have Ben Casparius stretch out and be a starting pitcher with the injury to Tony Gonsolin. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glassnell out until the All Star break, it seems like and my prediction for Blake Snell is that he returns the first game right after the All Star Break at home against the Milwaukee Brewers, and if it's not the very first game, it's gonna
be in that series. And Shoeo Tani is going to come back right after the All Star break as well. I mean, that's what Dave Roberts said, has said, He's maintained it that Otani is going to pitch the second half of the season to get ready for October and help the Dodgers through the stretch run. But this is more than just injuries. It's a big part of it. It's a big part of why the Dodgers have to now take one of their best relief pitchers and make
him a starting pitcher for the time being. It's about injuries, and it's about Landon Knack and Bobby Miller not seizing their opportunity. If they were good enough, the Dodgers would have Bobby Miller and Landon Nack in this starting rotation.
And this also goes back to our conversation on our last off Day show and maybe during the last homestand are the Dodgers considering Bobby Miller turning into a relief pitcher and maybe a really good, high leverage, back end bullpen pitcher with a fastball and a changeup because for whatever reason it hasn't clicked as a star darting pitcher. But nonetheless, those are the circumstances of why now the
Dodgers are considering Ben Casparius becoming a starting pitcher. And Dave Roberts basically said as much yesterday Andrew Friedman on the last homestand jumped on with Petros and Money after Evan Phillips was announced and declared out for the rest of the year and Evan just had Tommy John surgery. Here's what Andrew Freeman had to say as they get closer to the trade deadline on July thirty.
First, if you look ahead to July, I think the most likely area that we'd be looking is that kind of right on right reliever.
You know, Phillips.
Filled it as well as anybody in baseball. Diaz has historically been really really good against right delivering. Got a little out of whack that we're gonna work with him on and feel like he has a chance to really slide into a media role for us and be able to handle some really good right into hitters.
All right, you heard it from Andrew Friedman, and he usually is not that candid, which makes me believe, yes, the Dodgers are looking for relief pitching, but it doesn't rule out the fact they may be looking for starting pitching as well, because a lot can happen between now and July thirty first, and we've already seen how many pitching injuries the Dodgers have sustained this year, so there's no guarantees that the guys that are currently in the
rotation are going to stay healthy the rest of the year. So that makes me believe the Dodgers, yes, are looking for bullpen help. They may consider an outfielder, maybe a guy that can play center field as well, but I wouldn't rule out starting pitching. And if the Red Sox fall out of the race, Walker Buehller will be available. Would the Dodgers consider bringing Bueller back. It's been mixed results so far this season for Bueller with the Red Sox.
But a guy that I believe is really interesting is Chris Sale, who has a club option at the end of this season. The Braves are not going to be in the race unless there's a miracle between now and then. Would the Braves consider trading Chris Saale with a club option for next year, and I'm not sure if that club option carries over if he's traded or not. The Braves probably believe they can make a run at it next year with a healthy Akunya, and they're young pitchers
coming back. But it's an interesting thought and we'll ask Ken Rosenthal about it as he'll join us in about five minutes, whether or not the Braves would consider trading a guy like Chris Sale. But yes, the Dodgers are looking for a high leverage right handed reliever with Evan Phillips out for the year, with no guarantees Blake Trening can come back from a shoulder injury, and the Dodgers taking a flyer on Alexis Diaz, that's not going to
stop them. And as we look forward to the first three game series this year against the Giants, the Giants are just a game back of the Dodgers and the pitching matchup for Tomorrow night is a great one Yama Moto against Logan Web. On Saturday, Kershaw will be pitching, and on Sunday, Dustin May will be pitching against the Giants. We'll get into that at the bottom of the hour, we have a pair of tickets for next Tuesday's game against the Padres, and you'll hear from Mookie Bets as well.
Plus we have lines open for phone calls at eight sixty six, nine, eight seven, two, five seventy. Coming up next, Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports, the best insider out there, will join us live on AM five to seventy LA Sports. You're a home for the world champion Dodgers. Dodgers return home for a big ten game homestand beginning tomorrow night against the San Francisco Giants. Our coverage begins at six o'clock. First pitch at seven ten Yamamoto against Webb. A great
first pitching matchup between the Dodgers and Giants. And don't forget tomorrow is the twelfth annual kickoff to the PMS Summer Tour at Rock and Bruce and El Segundo from three to six o'clock. They got prizes, Dodger Padres tickets, gift cards to living spaces, and barbecues galore. They're giving away a fifty five inch Westinghouse TV. So they got a lot of stuff out there, and of course you
got petros papadekas out there. That's the main attraction. And you never know if you might see the fancy bow tie of our next guest at Rock and Bruce and El Segundo tomorrow. He writes for The Athletic. He does it on television as the number one sideline reporter for Fox Sports Baseball's coverage baseball coverage, and he is the best baseball insider out there. And that's our friend, the great Ken Rosenthal. Ken, thanks a lot for taking the time to call in.
Appreciate it, David, appreciate that build up. You're very kind. However, it's going to be difficult for me to be in El Segundo tomorrow as I am right now in Boston.
Oh okay, okay, yeah, well we'll take a rain check on that.
I wouldn't mind being there though. For Yamamoto Web, that's going to be special.
Yeah, it is. And we're all trying to figure out Ken, how are the Giants just to game back of the Dodgers with that lineup that they have? Have you seen them? Are they for real? Can they stand the test of a marathon season?
They pitch and that's why they're where they are right now. And I believe lest I checked, they were second in the league, and you're ady to the Mets, and you're right. Their lineup has been I wouldn't say awful, but it hasn't been great, and now they're without Chapman and Balley,
who are two critical players for them. Adama seems like he's finally getting going, but their offense has been a challenge for them, and first dates is a particular challenge, but even beyond that, they need more out of players that they have as well. So it's going to be an interesting test for them against the Dodgers, and obviously they're a team that has hung in there. I expect
them to be aggressive at the deadline. Buster to Posey, in an interview with Tim Kallacami of the San Francisco Standard recently, kind of indicated that he wants to do some things, and David I found this really interesting. He reflected back on the Zach Wheeler for Carlos Beltron trade. I believe that was twenty thirteen, and obviously that trade did not work out great for the Giants in the sense that they did not win that year and Willer became.
Of course, Willer became, But what Posey was saying to Tim Kahalakami was that's the kind of trade you have to make. So it's going to be interesting to see how they handle the deadline under Posey, and I do expect them, because of those comments, to be at least trying really hard to get some players.
All right, since you brought up the trade deadline, as far as the Dodgers are concerned and just around the league, can the Braves obviously have had a disappointing start. If they get towards the end of July and they believe that the Phillies and Mets and the wild card situation is just not going to happen for them this year, do you believe they would consider trading Chris Saale.
They're gonna have to be buried to do that, and I'm not totally convinced yet that they will be. And when I say buried, I mean really out of it and in an expanded playoff format, David, I know the Dodgers don't have to worry about this effort, but it's kind of tough to pull out of it unless you're really bad, like the Rockies or the Marlins some team like that. So obviously they have not played well. They've been a huge, immense disappointment, and in some ways it's
difficult to see them turning it around. But they're gonna give it every opportunity to do that, and they may even add in the coming weeks because they know that the situation has turned urgent, quite frankly, and if they're going to get back in this thing one, they have to play better and maybe they have to find some more offense somewhere. So it's a tough question to answer, and I know there's so much deadline talk already, but it's an eternity away seven weeks.
Yeah, it's a while, a whiles away. But even in Los Angeles, ken people are starting to have dreams of Walker Bueller wearing a Dodger uniform again. Could you see that happening? And he's on a one year contract. If the Red Sox are out of it, could he be one of the more valuable trade ships out there?
He could be. But that's another team that is intent on competing hard this year. After several disappointing seasons in a row, they're coming off back to back series victories now over the Yankees and Race. They've got Roman Anthony up to find top prospect in the game. They're not going to concede easily either. Now, even with all I'm saying here, art creates that are of by sell nature possible, Yes, and maybe that's how a Walker Dower trade comes about.
But right now, their biggest need is starting pitching, so I don't see how they can do that. Ueers he's been inconsistent, but he pitched better the other night. It seems to me they need to add pitching, and their surplus is with the outfield, and really the problem, it's a very interesting problem. They've got too many good position players to fit on an everyday lineup, So I would expect that they're going to look for pitching, and again, I don't expect that they're going to sell easily at all.
Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic and Fox Sports is joining us on off Day Dodger Talk the Dodgers and Giants in Action tomorrow night. All right, Ken, You've been around the Dodgers a lot. You are them throughout their entire
postseason run last year. I'm curious from your standpoint, has Freddie Freeman's legacy become something that we should be talking more about after the heroics of the World Series last year, has he elevated the way people value him because he's always so consistent and those players sometimes get lost in the shuffle.
The World Series definitely elevated Freeman. Now, you're right. He is not a showy type, obviously, and he is someone who just is kind of like a metronome, producing and producing, producing, day after day. There's not much color to him, but it seems to me, and I was talking about this with someone just this week, leaving Atlanta, as painful as it was for him, best thing that ever happened to him.
He got to play for a Dodger team that of course won the World Series, and he got to be the hero of that World Series, the MVP of that World Series. And as much as he loved Atlanta and didn't want to leave, La was home, a different kind of home where he grew up and it worked out great. And if you had Freddy on, I'm sure you've had Freddy on, he would say, this has been tremendous. And of course last year, the outpouring when his son was ill from the fans, all of that plays into it.
So his legacy is going to be quite prominent and vast and something we do talk about for a long time. Even if your point is well taken, David, he is somewhat overlooked in the pantheon stars. Right now, He's still the guy Ken.
I never asked you this before. You were the first one to interview Freddy after his walk off Grand Slam in Game one of last year's World Series. I'm just curious, from your standpoint in that moment, you understand the history of the game, what were your feelings, how did you compose yourself to be able well to capture the moment and calmly interview Freeman.
Well, David, you've done this countless times too, and it is easy to get caught up in the moment and it is hard to collect your thoughts because there's so much happening. You've just witnessed history. You know the importance of a game one walk off Grand Slam in the annals of the sport. So my first question actually wasn't a great question if you asked me looking back, it was, Hey, where did this one ranks for you? But Freddy, dee
and Freddy he gave a good answer. Is obviously the biggest hold of his career, and from there there are things to ask and obviously when he went over to his dad, I saw that and I asked him what was said, and if Freddy is a really good interview And it's funny to me people will sometimes say those are good questions, those are bad questions. The questions are generally the questions. It's the answers that you're looking for.
And Freddy is really good in that moment. And when that interview was over, I thought it was good, but not because I was so brilliant in asking the questions. He just is someone who is really eloquent, frankly, in those moments, and he was that night.
That's a lot different than Kirk Gibson blowing off Bob Costas before he went into the clubhouse to celebrate with his teammates and then came back out.
Well, David, I was at that game. That was my second year as a baseball writer, and in that era, that was the late eighties, and it was just different. Players were different. Gibson was the most course of all of them, but players in general were not as cooperative might not be the right word. They just didn't see media the way players do today. Players today, in many respects see it as a vehicles who promote themselves, not
necessarily Freddy, but they understand media. They've been interviewed from the time they were in high school. It was different back then. And yeah, Kirk Gibson, he did that. I remember one year with the Cardinals, might have been twenty twelve where they were doing a ceremony after the game. Jim Edmonds would run into the clubhouse with all the players. They'd toast themselves after when and then they'd come out for the interviews. That wasn't great and then baseball couldn't
stop them. And it was the same kind of situation. But in general, players today are pretty good and it's kind of a pleasure now where before when I started, I was afraid to walk into the clubhouse, now it's not the case.
Yeah, did you immediately think Kirk Gibson as you see Freddie and that the flight of the ball, I mean it landed almost in the same place that Gibson's home run landed in nineteen eighty eight.
Well, I didn't think it as quickly as Joe Davis did. And that was an amazing moment in my opinion as a broadcaster. Doing that and quickly immediately connecting the two and his call was unbelievable. He just won the Sports Emmy for play by play a couple of weeks ago, and I have to think that call had a lot to do with it. That was just so brilliant, and it reminded me of his predecessor, Joe Buck. Joe Buck
had some amazing calls in his career. I remember one in particular, when the Cardinals fourth Game seven, the David Freeze home run, and Joe's call was we'll see you tomorrow night, and that was an echo of his father in nineteen eighty seven, Kirby Puckett's home running Game six, he said the same thing, and the best play by play people, I don't even know how they do it. They're amazing. And Joe was amazing that night. So he
thought of it even faster than I did. He thought of it in the moment, which was cool, amazing.
Yeah, Yeah, that's the soundtrack. You gotta have the soundtrack to a great moment. And he did. Freddie Freeman Justice. Ken Rosenthal does the players justice on Fox Sports and The Athletic all the time. Before I let you go, Ken, you did cover the last team you were there on the national stage for the last team to win back to back World Series championships, and that was Joe Torrey's Yankees.
Do you believe the Dodgers have what it takes, not only talent wise, but the mentality to give it a run. Do you feel like with the extra round, even with that, they have as good of a chance as you've seen in the past. I don't know. Handful of years.
Is healthy. Yes, My question is are they ever going to get healthy? And I know they're basically slow, playing the entire regular season and trying to set up everything so that they're strongest in October. It's what they should be doing, and it's easy to understand the way they're going about it. It's just David, I wonder if it's all got to come together as easily, not as easily, but the way that they think it's going to come together. That's the concern I have. Who is going to be
pitching at the end. You're going to be Otani, Yamamoto and Snow If so, I give the doctors an excellent chance. I just don't know if that's going to happen. And Glass now, of course, is another wild card, and that to me is the concern position player wise. The lineup good good enough for sure to do what you just describe back to back. It's the pitching that I just wonder about because for whatever reason, they have a hard time getting it right.
Yeah, they have a hard time keeping it healthy, that's for sure. But one thing I'll guarantee, Ken, snail Zella will be there at the finish line.
I don't know all season.
Well, there are little hiccups. Ken, We'll get the hiccups worked out. He'll be there at the finish line.
Hey, he's a great second half pitcher, so I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Hey, can't wait to see you back at Dodgers Stadium. Ken, thanks a lot for the time. And you got what Red Sox Yankees at Fenway I would imagine.
Yes, that's exactly right, all right.
Look forward to seeing that. Thanks a lot for the time, Ken, and we'll see you on the West coast soon.
David sounds great. Thanks for having me there.
He is the best, the best in the business, all class. Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports and the Athletic eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. What a great interview, and I had never asked him, even off the air when we're standing on the field about that moment when he interviewed Freddie Freeman. Just all of that coming together, Your thoughts on what Ken Rosenthal had to say about the trade deadline and everything else.
Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. We also have a pair of tickets to give away to Dodgers Padres next Tuesday between now and eight o'clock, so get ready for that as well more Dodger Talk with David Vasse right here on A five seven the LA Sports. Thanks again to Ken Rosenthal for joining us. Really appreciate that he's in Boston getting ready for Yankees Red Sox this Saturday. He is the best out there as far as the insiders go. Love
him and Buster only. They just bring great perspective through their experiences throughout the years. And man, I love asking guys like Ken Rosenthal that I've never spoken to about Freddie Freeman's walk off Grand Slam because we were both there on the field getting ready to interview Freddy. He
interviewed him first. I was able to interview him after that on the field, and certainly a career highlight for me because I remember watching Bob Costas interviewing Kirk Gibson on NBC after he hit his walk off Grand Slam, and years later Gibson told the story that the reason why he blew off the interview initially was because now we know after every Dodger win that season, in that Magical Night teen eighty eight season, they would have a
toast and say, what a bleeping team, the fruits of victory, what a bleeping team, And Kirk Gibson would lead that and he went into the clubhouse, did his thing, did that with his teammates, and then came back out and did the interview with Bob Costas, and that was really special. And Bob did a great job. In nineteen eighty eight. Ken Rosenthal also did a great job. In twenty twenty four, Freddy wasn't so bad either. Eight six, six, nine eighty seven,
two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to riverside, John, you're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi.
John, Hey, David with conforna struggling and reported leader shopping around looking for a left handed bat. Why can they not give Ryan Ward a chance? And then he doesn't have a.
Position to be ready.
He doesn't have a position. Not well, not well, right, Lord. I don't know if for whatever reason, has not gotten an opportunity at the major league level with the Dodgers. I don't know what that's about. I know his tria A numbers are really good and have been over the course of the last three years. But he's got to get better defensively. I mean, baseball is not just hitting. I can't I can't stress that enough. Hitting is just part of it. You've got to be able to play defense.
Okay, when she ain't gonna be ready.
Dave Roberts said he's gonna be ready before the All Star break, So that's a that's a great sign. And look, Caspiras may be filling in temporarily until Shean is able to come into the major leagues and start pitching games. Maybe Caspiraus and Image she and are piggybacking each other in the same spot. But they're gonna need both those guys until the All Star Break when they get Glass now Otani and Blake snail back. Let's go out to
Garden Grove. Frank, You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi, Frank.
Hey David. Love the show, so thank you.
Hey Frank, Let me ask you a question. Let me ask you a question. Since we just were talking about Freddy's Grand Slam with Ken Rosenthal, where were you and Freddie hit his Grand Slam last year?
I was in my living room and I had a bet down with my best man. I was best man at his wedding. He was best man of mine. He grew up basically next to Yankee Stadium, was an usher, lifelong Yankee fan, and we had a bet on the game and the series, and it was pretty magical.
Yeah, you would want you won that bet. What was the winnings?
The winnings was cash the next time we were together in a bar, probably to be paid to the bartender, which it was.
All right, Frank. I like that. That's a way to keep it in a good spirited way. I love it, all right. What's your question?
All right? I have a solution to the seemingly unsolvable problem of dodge pitchers blowing out their arms. So we know the unsolvable problem. You can't tell pitchers not to pitch with max velo or max spin rate because they'll stop getting Major league hitters out. But when they do it, they blow out their arms. So this is an institutional solution.
In a word, it is knuckleballers. And the reason it's institutional is what I suggest the Dodgers do, who are what we're thinking and sharper than every other organization, is every year in spring training at the low levels, they either sign for cheap or convert an infield or other pitcher who's not going to make it to the major leagues, five of them to become knuckleballers, and then let them rise through the ranks as merit dictates, and because you're
adding five every year, really cheap the ones. Eventually you'll get one or more who rise to the level. If the Dodgers had a knuckleballer who could start every fifth day, they replaced the bullpen game logs two hundred and two hundred and fifty innings greatly reduced risk of blowing out
their arms. You keep competitive in those games. You saved the bullpen pitchers for what they're supposed to be used for, and the ripple effect on the rest of the staff is dynamic and helpful, and you're finding gems at low cost because you're doing this year after year. Institutionally to something that's been proven to work at the major league level. Of course, the Dodgers had Candiotti, Tim Wakefield through twenty years in the Bigs, throwing two hundred innings a year.
Ri Dicky did the same. This is not something that hasn't been done, but if you embrace it institutionally in a smart way, you can have something that beats these ridiculous lose eleven to one because you're throwing your the dregs of your bullpen out there.
What do you think, Well, you know, I feel like listening to interviews with the knuckleballers, some that you mentioned and others like Charlie Huff, it's not as easy as people think it is to be a knuckleballer, or you would see more. Frank, I think that's the catch.
Why that is the catch, But that's why. What are you losing? If you're taking infielders who are not going to make it to the major leagues and says, hey, we'll guarantee you three league, three year minor league deal. You're learning a knuckleball with trotting you out there, and some of them will make it. The cost is low, the investment is minimal. But because it's targeted and you are making them knuckleballers and not any other kind of pitcher, you start a pipeline that has a decent chance of
paying off. Since there doesn't appear to be any other answer to the issue.
Well there are answers, but it seems like an industry wide obsession with velocity and that's the way pitchers are being compensated these days. But Frank, I will say I would not shoot that idea down. It's an interesting, very creative solution.
So good for you, Thanks David.
Yeah, I like it. Frank, I'm not shooting that down. If I was. Andrew Friedman in one of my guys, came to me and suggested that I wouldn't tell him to get out of my office. How about that? And speaking of knuckleballers, I'm going to give you a hint to the trivia question to win a pair of tickets to next Tuesday's game at Dodger Stadium against the Padres. It's the World Series Replica Trophy night to the first
forty thousand fans. Here's the trivia question, and then I'll share my conversation with Mookie Bets so Ronnie can line up the calls. And this is gonna test whether or not you really do listen to Dodger Talk, or you're just hearing, or you're not listening. I'm gonna give this to a loyal listener. Matt Sour two nights ago through one hundred and eleven pitches in relief for the Dodgers. After that game on postgame Dodger Talk, I told you who was the last Dodger pitcher in relief to throw
that many pitches. If you were listening and you remember the name, you'll have a pair of tickets to next Tuesday's game against the Padres. The first caller that has that answer at eight six six none eight seven two five seventy will win a pair of tickets to next Tuesday night's game against the Padres on World Series Replica Trophy Night. So eight six six nine eight seven two
five seventy is the phone number. And before the first game of the series in San Diego, I had a chance to catch up with Mookie Bets and after he had those four days off after stubbing his toe, his left toe, he has hit close to five hundred in that series against the Padres. He was aggressive early in the count and he seems to be the old Mookie bets Here was part of our conversation. MOOKI shortstop, y'all, you've looked like a natural out there this year. What
about the little different things about shortstop? Do you feel like you're going next level now at that position? I don't know.
It's hard to say, because you know, I just want to be consistent in being the best I can be every day, and that's you know, making all the routine plays and if I can make some some nice plays, then cool. I just know how hard it is to play shortstop, and you can't can't you know it continue to grow and continue to to try and be the best with doing all the fancy tricks and all that
type of stuff. But you know, for someone like me, which is really like my I guess my second year doing this first year, really actually understanding what I'm doing, I just want to be a basic, vanilla bland shortstop that makes all the plays and hopefully can can do something in the box.
You're doing that and more. But there's different levels of the intangibles of the position, and it feels like you're really commanding that position. I've seen you have meetings with pictures where the game's going too fast. I mean, that's what the l leader of the infield does.
Yeah, you know, that's all kind of stuff that I've learned. Miggie Row has really helped me a ton with stuff like that and telling me, you know, hey, you know you're playing every day, You're you're you're the guy. This is how to handle it, this is this is what it takes. And you're gonna have to be the guy that goes in and calls the meeting when the game needs to slow down. You're gonna have to know what everybody needs to be doing. You're gonna have to move guys.
You know, you're gonna have to, just like you said, be the captain of the infield. And I didn't really know what that means. And I'm not really here to be the captain of nothing. I'm really just here to just kind of take care of my job. But I guess, you know, Miggi Ro kind of explained that that is my job is kind of doing that, and so it's a it's it's been okay, it's it's it's been okay, but definitely, definitely, definitely I got a lot more learning
to do. Sometimes in the middle of the games. Man, I'm out there, like, I have no idea what to do. I have no idea If the ball is hitting me, I don't know. And like during those situations, Miggi ro is right there on the top step and I can look at him and we have this little sign language that would commune communicate and he he like helps me in those tenth inning, eleventh and twelfth in any moments, because
I've never been in those situations before. That's the first time, you know, that's the first time I've been in the situation. So I had no idea, you know. And so yeah, I mean having the having him here is definitely help.
With all that. Hey, we all need somebody to lean on. Mookie Bets has got Miguel Rojas and all of Los Angeles to lean on. And those four days while you were dealing with your toe, it feels like you had a chance to catch your breath as far as the offense goes, because since you came back, you've looked like the Mookie Bets we all know.
Yeah, I had a little time, like you said to to to really try and get the habits that I had developed out and it's hard. It's hard to do it when you're like playing every day. Like when you're playing and you have to compete every day, it's hard to really stack positive days because the game is so negative and like it's a game of failure, and so you know, whatever move and whatever you were working on, you go and do it in the game and you
don't get any hits. Well, then you know that's the considered a failure, you know, and so we need to we want success, we need success now. But really, you know, having those those days helped me stack positive days, you know, one after the other, one after the other, and then I think I've built enough confidence to take it into the game.
I still it blows my mind. As good as you are, you are such a humble person. Sometimes that bleeds into where you forget how good you are. Who's the guy now that reminds you how good you are?
You know really, Uh, Doc does a lot. Doc really does a really good job, and and kind of reminded me of that. And uh, I mean, you know when it comes from the top like that. You know, we have my teammates and KK does a really good job. Would it Megi does a really good job? Would it Freddie Freddy. He has this weird, weird cell a way of just saying like, Okay, whenever you're whenever you're done in your little feelings and your attitude, then come on,
I'm ready to play when you are, you know. And so that's kind of how he treats me, which is awesome. So it's great. I got a great group of guys I'm here to kind of all help me. But but you know, Doc, Doc really does remind me a lot. And it's it's you know, I try not to think about it, but sometimes it helps.
Right now you're feeling good, though, Yeah.
I feel feel a lot better now. I feel a lot better now, and I think we just got to get find a way to get healthy and then we'll start winning some ball games.
Hey, if you need me to record a video for you, you could just look at it whenever you're in your feelings and I'll give you a hype video.
All right. I'm down for that for sure.
All right. Yeah, I'll be the hype man for Mookie bets. And as incredible as it sounds, this is something that I've heard about since Mookie became a Dodger. He needs to be reminded how good he is, and he gets really down on himself, loses confidence, and that's when things become a pro long slump. But ever since he came back after missing four games, he has been the old
Mookie Bets. So he obviously, as Freddy Freeman told him, got out of his feelings and all of a sudden, now he's aggressive early in the count and trying to pull the ball for power. So that's a great sign for the Dodgers. And you know, you can't there's nothing you could say to poke holes in the way he's played shortstop this year. He's played really good shortstop this year, and now he's starting to make plays that a lot of other shortstops wouldn't make, and he's starting to understand
the subtleties of the position, the cutoffs, the relays. He's taken it to the next level. And that's what you need. It's not just about fielding ground balls. It's about everything else. When the ball's hit, where do you go, how do you make a great play on a relay throw? Where should you be? All those things. It's more than just fielding ground balls. Eight six, six, nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number, and in case you want to listen to the entire conversation, you can find
it on the iHeartRadio app. All right, the trivia question for a pair of Dodger tickets to next Tuesday Night's game against the Padres is who was the last pitcher in relief for the Dodgers to throw one hundred and eleven pitches as Matt Sower did just a couple of nights ago. Let's go out to Costa Mesa. Dan, you're on Dodger Talk Who what's your guests? Were you listening? How closely were you listening?
I listened last time. I put the podcast on all day to day, going back a week love it.
I'm going to go with Clyde King, my man.
I'm sorry, Dan, that's not the right answer. But you were listening because the thirteen hits that Matt Sower gave up in relief are the most by Dodger pitcher since Clyde King back in nineteen forty five. So I'm sorry you were listening, but that was not the most pitches thrown in relief since Matt sours one hundred and eleven the other night, Let's go out to Redondo Beach. James, you're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi, James, what's your guess?
I'm gonna go with Boostar Gattol.
The Bazooka never threw even close to one hundred and eleven pitches in relief, James, But thank you for trying. All right, let's go out to our guy also in Redondo Beach. A lot of listeners in Redondo Beach. I guess, hey, Bruce, you're on Dodger Talk. What's your guess?
Tom Candiotti?
What's that? Bruce?
Tom Candiotti?
That's right? Can you make it to next Tuesday's game?
Yes? I can?
All right, great, Yeah, Tom Candiotti. Did you look that up? Or were you listening when I was saying that I.
Was listening on touchers and money this afternoon?
Oh, there we go, there we go. All right, I'll take it. I'll take it. I'll even though it's Petro some money, I'll still I'll still accept the answer. Bruce. Okay, thank you, Okay, Bruce, hold on. Ronnie Fossil will get all that information. Yes, Tom Candiadi was the last pitcher to throw one hundred and eleven pitches in relief for the Dodgers. The knuckleballer back in nineteen ninety four in
Cincinnati against the Reds. Bruce and Redondo Beach has won a pair of tickets to see your world champion Dodgers take on the Padres this Tuesday, first pitch at seven to ten. You can listen to all Dodger games on AM five to seventy LA Sports and stream all the games on the iHeartRadio app. Keyword AM five to seventy LA Sports. Asahi Super Dry discover Japan's number one selling beer at your favorite bar or grocer. I love a Sahi beer. How about somebody sends some my way? And
for another chance to win Dodger tickets. Every weekday morning starting at six, listen to our guy Dan Patrick. Tomorrow morning, your home of the Dodgers is, of course right here AM five to seventy LA Sports. All right, before we say goodnight, just want to remind you that sho he Otani threw more pitches and simulated more innings than he has since being in a Dodger uniform. He did that the two days ago before that eleven to one loss,
Otani simulated three innings and through forty four pitches. He even hit ninety six miles an hour, and through his wide array of pitches the splitter. I actually talked to one of the minor leaguers that the Dodgers brought into San Diego to face Otani, and he told me the best pitch he saw Otani throw at him or throw to him was the sweeper. So Otani, you know, I was joking in the press box. If they needed a pitcher after Matt Soer, they could have brought Otani in.
He's ready to go. But Dave Roberts completely shot down any thoughts that Otani would pitch before the All Star Game. The Dodgs are sticking to their plan to have Otani pitch post All Star Break and get ready for the postseason. And here's another layer to all this. On the postseason rosters, there are rules of how many pitchers you can carry. You can only carry thirteen pitchers on your postseason roster
every round. You could change the pictures, but Otani has the two way designation as he does in the regular season. So essentially the Dodgers have not only an extra pitcher, but one of the best pitchers in the world as a fourteenth pitcher on their roster. Could you imagine having to face the Dodgers in a postseason series with Yamamoto, Blake Snell and show Hey Otani to go along with Kershaw and possibly Tyler Glass. Now, that would be tough.
That would be tough, And I loved I forgot who I was talking to in the press box last homestand but David Kohane was kind of at the stage of his career that Kershaw's at right now. And Joe Tory carried David Cone on the two thousand World Series roster to face one hitter and it was Mike Piazza he got him out. So there's a potential relief role for Kershaw to come in and get a tough lefty out. Maybe it's even Brandon Neimo or Juan Soto. So all
that stuff. And by the way, yes, Tim Kates just text me, I got out bid for the Mookie Bets bat for Maxmunsey's online charity. I'm aware of that, Kates. I was tracking yet, but it was a little bit too rich for my blood. But I feel like I did my part to boost the bidding for a good cause. Max Munsey was having a charity event tonight at the Inner Continento Hotel raising funds for the wildfires. So yes, I did my part to get the bidding up, but my wife, my wife would not allow me to go
any So there we have it. That'll do it for off day Dodger Talk. Thanks to Ronnie Focio for his help. Thanks to Ken Rosenthal for calling in from Boston. You can podcast that conversation on the iHeartRadio app. Tim Kates, Will and Tim Kates. We'll be with you tomorrow night at six o'clock with Morongo Casino Dodgers on deck as the Dodgers begin a ten game homestand with a three game series against the Giants. Yamamoto against Logan Webb. That's
a really good pitching matchup. We hope to see you at Dodgers Stadium tomorrow night, first pitch at seven to ten. Coming up next, Jason Smith on Fox Sports Radio. We'll talk to you tomorrow. See you