Welcome to Dodger Talk. David vaseay with you until seven o'clock tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. We have a great show for you tonight. We have two big Dodger guests on the show tonight, and that is Mariachi Joe Kelly, who is joining us at seven
point fifteen. I had a chance to catch up with him at Dodger Stadium just he is probably one of the closest teammates to show Hey Otani, and we wanted to hear behind the scenes after Otani became the first Dodger and fastest Major League player in history to achieve forty home runs and forty stolen bases. So Joe Kelly will take us behind the scenes and coming up at
the bottom of the hour. One of the greatest catchers in Dodger history, a man that holds the distinction for catching more games than any other catcher in Dodger franchise history, two time World Series champion with the Dodgers, World Series winning manager with the Angels, and now leading Team USA again in a different type of tournament this November. So we'll talk to Mike Sosha at seven thirty that's right. Mike Soshia will join us at seven point thirty. Looking
forward to that conversation. I know he still keeps tabs on the Dodgers. He watches a lot of baseball, so we'll ask him about that and about whether or not he will manage Team USA in the twenty twenty eight Olympics, which will be here in Los Angeles and likely played at Dodgers Stadium. So looking forward to Joe Kelly coming
up and Mike Soshia. The Dodgers have tonight off obviously tonight, but they will be back in action tomorrow night to close out this nine game homestand at Dodgers Stadium with three games against the Baltimore Orioles, the top one card team in the American League, one of the better teams in baseball, and it will be Jack Flaherty on the
mound for the Dodgers tomorrow. Jack Flaherty, remember, was traded from the Cardinals to the Orioles last trade deadline, this time traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers, and he certainly is enjoying being back home. I could just tell you being around him, he is really happy being back back at home, back in the valley and pitching at Dodgers Stadium. He's going up against a guy that is very human in Cole Irvin, who is six and five
with an ERA of four eighty two. Many people around baseball are saying the Orioles completely blew it at the trade deadline. Instead of making impact moves, they just made moves on the margin that really have not helped take them over the top. So we'll see what the Dodgers have for the Orioles. It is obviously a very important series for both teams because the Orioles are trying to not only hold on to that number one wildcard spot, but also trying to catch the Yankees in the American
League East. For the Dodgers, a very important series because they are trying to hold on to the best record in baseball, the number one seed in the National League, and also trying to hold off the red hot Diamondbacks. The Snakes have won six in a row. They've come back virtually in all these games, although they did blow out the Red Sox in the first game of their series at Fenway, But yesterday they were down four to nothing and came back to beat the Red Sox and
sweep that series at Fenway Park. And the reason why I bring that up is the Dodgers will head to Arizona to start a four game series beginning Friday night at Chase Field after they close out this homestand so a night game on Thursday, Dodgers will get to Arizona around one am and turn around quickly to be ready
for a huge four game series. A split actually is a big win for the Dodgers if they get a split in that four game series because this will be the final four games the Dodgers and Diamondbacks play against each other, and time is running out on Arizona because by the time that series ends, the calendar will have turned with Labor Day weekends. So this is the Diamondbacks last chance to try to gain ground head to head
against the Dodgers. And don't forget, you know, the Padres and Diamondbacks took advantage of a soft schedule recently going to Miami winning those games. The Dodgers have yet to play the Marlins in Miami. That will happen in the middle of September, and the Dodgers nine out of their last twelve games of the season are against the Marlins. And the Rockies. The Rockies put up a fight, but
the Dodgers seem to have their number. But nonetheless, nine of the last twelve twelve games for the Dodgers is against the Rockies and Marlins. So tomorrow night Jack Flaherty against Cole Irvin of the Baltimore Orioles. Yesterday at Dodgers Stadium, my guy Gavin Stone, who was part of our fantasy draft. After he dealt for seven innings and had seven strikeouts. He did not get the win, but certainly deserved it. Gavin Stone. Where would the Dodgers be without Gavin Stone.
I am continuing the parade for Gavin Stone from yesterday because I did a little bit of a deeper dive on where he ranks among rookie pitchers. Not only has he made more starts than any other Dodger pitcher twenty four, not only has he thrown more innings than any other Dodger pitcher, including Tyler Glass now and Yoshiyamamota, who are
getting paid big bucks. Gavin Stone has been the anchor, the most consistent starter, the guy that has made every single start twenty four starts, one hundred and thirty five and a third innings for the rookie right hander, and as far as where he ranks amongst other Major League Baseball rookies in the pitching department, as far as the innings pitch goes, he's second to only the Cubs Shota Imanaga, who basically is not a rookie, He's a professional from Japan,
and him and Imanaga and Louis Heel of the Yankees have started more games than any other rookie pitcher this season. Gavin Stone's eleven wins are second most to the Yankees Louis Heel, who has twelve wins this year. Now, Gavin Stone is not a strikeout pitcher by any means. He's not a Paul Skens type of guy. But he is fifth and rookie strikeouts this year. He has one hundred and twelve after seven yesterday. And just think about where
Gavin Stone was when he started this season. Many ofview I'm sure, wrote him off after a couple of bumpy starts in his first two games in the big leagues. But the Dodgers saw something in him, and he saw something in himself, and he realized that I have to get better, which he did during the off season. He got bigger, he got stronger, and he got better. He developed other pitches. Now he's a five or six pitch pitcher if he needs to be. Last year he was
a two pitch pitcher. So Gavin Stone went to work, knew he had to get better, got better, and once he got to spring training, all of a sudden forced his name in the conversation to compete with Emmit Shehan for the final spot in the rotation. Emi Sheen went down, Gavin Stone won the job. Started in Korea, or actually was on the Dodgers opening day roster in Korea and
here in North America, and he hasn't looked back. Where would the Dodgers be without Gavin Stone, Because if you look at the rest of their rotation, nobody that they were counting on has been able to be that reliable. Yamamoto has been down for months. Tyler Glass now has been on and off the il two separate times. It's been Gavin Stone the most consistent pitcher and the Dodger rotation. So kudos to Gavin Stone. And by the way, Gavin Stone eh on fantasy drafting. He was talking a lot
of trash, not sure he backed it up last night. Anyway, coming up at seven point fifteen, you will hear from Joe Kelly. At the bottom of the hour, you will hear from Mike Sosha. Right here on a five to seventy LA Sports Off Day Dodger Talk with David Vase, gotta say, as we start to get closer to September first show, Hey, Otani, with forty one home runs and forty stolen bases, is still on pace to become the first Major League player in history to steal fifty bases
and homer fifty times in the same year. No player ever has been a fifty to fifty player, and Shoe Otani is doing it. And it really is remarkable a man of his size to be able to steal fifty bases. I feel like he's more of a machine. And the only other player I thought of that way was Jose Conseco when he became the first forty to forty player in nineteen eighty eight. I thought this guy wasn't human. I mean the size and power, I mean, how does
he steal forty bases? How does Otani steal fifty bases? Well, I could tell you he doesn't just rely on his speed or jumps. He actually does a lot of homework to be able to get those jumps and to know when is the right time to steal. Clayton McCullough, who joined us in Oakland when Otani became a thirty thirty player, told us that Otani picks up little movements from the picture and shows McCullough just as much as McCullough shows him. So he's very much a student of the game in
every facet. He does all his homework. He does a lot of preparation, and you don't just steal fifty bases by accident, and you don't just do it on pure raw talent. Otani certainly is is not just a talented guy. He prepares mentally, physically and obviously now with the technology with the video in that department. Eight six nine eight
seven two five seventy is the phone number. I was visiting with doctor Neil Elatrosh yesterday at Dodger Stadium and he's helping Ronald Acunya Junior come back from his injury. And he was with Akunya when Otani stole his fortieth base and hit his fortieth home run on the same night. No player has done that either by the way, and doctor elatrosh said Acunya sent Otania text that meant that
read welcome to the club. So sho hey. Otani joins Ronald Ducunya, Junior, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Consego among the six players to a steal forty bases and hit forty home runs. But like everything else, Otani is looking to be in a class by himself by becoming the first player in history to be a fifty to fifty player. We're going to take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we come back, Joe Kelly will join us. He'll take us behind the scenes on the night that Otani became
a forty to forty player. Don't go anywhere. Joe Kelly is next, and Mike Soosha coming up at the bottom of the hour on off day Dodger Talk right here on a five to seventy LA Sports.
Welcome back to Dodger Talk.
David Vase with you until seven o'clock tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. On this off day, as the Dodgers get ready for a three game series against one of the best teams in the American.
League, the Baltimore Orio.
And since Monday is a day of rest for the Dodgers, there is no chance Joe Kelly was going to come in studio. And there is even less chance I was going to be able to call Joe Kelly because he is a father of eight or nine kids these days. So here we are at Dodger Stadium with the one and only Mariachi Boston La, Joe Kelly, Rancho Kuka Manga's mayor.
Thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.
That intro David Vassay is something that I never want you to do again.
Please.
You really made me work for this interview.
I had to find a cup of coffee in the Dodger clubhouse to be able to coerce you or bribe you to speak to the people.
Well, rumor has it you're out of Travis Matthews swag, So I decided I needed a cup of Joe to help me get through this interview with you.
Can I ask you a question?
You were just playing like a stationary like game foosball game with your face.
Why are you sweating so much?
I'm not this is this is my hat doesn't fit in my head very well. So for anyone out there who can't see. I have my hat on, and David Best I think I'm sweating. I did my hat and water to get it to fit to the shape of my head a little better when the hats are kind of newer. But by the way, the football game you're talking about is not football. It's finger soccer. It's called bino and I'm the number one rank player in the in the clubhouse, I've probably played over a hundred games.
I've lost once to my wife.
I've lost once to River Ryan by one goal, and I've lost once to Blake by one goal. Other than that, I've beat the hell out of everyone else.
The first time I saw anybody playing this was in the Oakland visiting clubhouse. Had it been going on before or all you guys got hooked after that.
It's been going on before, but we all got hooked from that visiting clubhouse experience, and now we can't stop. It's been fun, you know. Sometimes there's some friendly wagers, sometimes there isn't. But if you're playing Blake, he likes to play for free, it's not It's not fun for me anymore.
In Milwaukee, I saw you going up against Otani with see tough competition or not so much.
I beat him once and then we haven't played again. We played a fake game to three. The game goes to seven, so I beat him in a real game to seven, and then we had to go out for the anthem. So he got me to three. He was like three to two. But obviously that game doesn't count. But I'm waiting to waiting to play him again.
You're super competitive, he's super competitive. How does that go when somebody loses, does he flip the table or does Joe Kelly flip the table?
Well, I've only lost three times in like one hundred games, so there's not very much of the table flipping going on around here. But no, he is super competitive. He it was his first time playing. He's obviously picked it up pretty quick. He's, you know, a man of many.
Talents, that's for sure.
Many talents, but few words, right.
Very few words.
A lot of laughs, a lot of smiles, a lot of headshakes. The words are i'd say, if he's like close to you.
He'll talk to you.
But yes, a lot a lot of headshakes and you know, good to see you and smiles.
Okay, speaking of all that, the emotions or lack thereof from Otani. When he hits that walk off grand Slam, you guys mob him out on the field. Is that the most emotion you've seen from him in a good way?
Yeah, he uh, he doesn't like to you know, it's not like he's.
Oh, quidato, here comes ta Oscar.
It's not like he's you know, bat flapping or pimping every homer or showing something that much emotion. But you know, there was a big spot, you know, obviously, you know, basically loaded twots in the ninth. You know, for him to come through with just a hit would have done. But obviously to hit a grand Slam for his you know, fortieth homer, that was a pretty special and you know, I think he enjoyed it more than what he probably showed.
I mean, he's celebrated, but you know, I.
Think he respects the game so much and respects, you know, his opposition, and he knows that any kind of sport could be humbling. So I think he doesn't ever really want to show up, you know, anybody, because he knows
kids are watching. He's very aware of his surroundings, you know, daily, you know, whether it's in the clubhouse, whether it's on the field, whether it's you know, driving, you know, he's very aware of you know, where he's at and you know who's watching, and you know, trying to be a leader, you know, like I said, day in and day out. And I think that's probably one of the coolest things about him. You know, he's not going around talking about you know, oh, I'm a forty forty guy.
He keeps himself.
You'd never know that it means a lot to him, but I'm sure it does.
So we saw the celebration on the field. What was it like in the clubhouse because I remember when Kurz shot through his no hitter, the team just showered in with a bunch of stuff, baby powder, all that in the shower. Was it similar to that last night in the clubhouse?
So the problem with last night was it's firework night, so we all really spread out. And number two problem is Showy always has his own media. So by the time show he was done with his own media. He we barely saw him in the clubhouse. We saw him walk in. We all congratulated him. We wanted to shots specially, he had to do his media. So it was not the celebration, you would think, but we all obviously congratulated him.
And that's another layer to him being show he Otani the greatest player in the world, is that there's a lot of people that want a piece of him. How is he is that?
Even?
Does it make what he's doing even more remarkable considering how much attention, how much people want a piece of him For him to lock in and have this type of year.
Yeah, I think he's always wanted to be the best at whatever he does, right, you know, whether it was pitching obviously, now he's a dh you know, he knew he was fast, so obviously he put it on his radar where I want to steal you know, forty bags going in the year, he wanted to steal a.
Bunch of bases.
He knew that, you know, he could be the best, one of the best base runners in the game, and he's proved that. So I think, uh, he's a big goal guy. So I think any kind of a goal he puts in his mind, he tries to you know, attains as much as he can without you know, letting people.
Know about it.
Right, Like if you're like, hey, what's your goals, He's not going to tell you exactly what his goals are. But I think he has some in the back of his brain where you know, he wants to go out there and say he wants to hit a hunter urbiys this year he wants won twenty like you might see him lose betting average and go for abi eyes like there's probably you know, little games he plays within the game.
That's what the greats do.
And obviously being here as a Dodger teammate with him, and you know, especially the fans, they get to come out and watch a literal you know experience. You know, it's like going to watch a live concert, like watching show Hey play, It's it's different, you know, area bad as must see. Even my son Knocks, you know, will watch the games on and show showy bats like you know, be like, hey, show it up, and then I'll go watch the game and then I'll go back to do
him playing Fortnite whatever he does. But uh, yeah, he's much must watch baseball and you know, like I said, there's any given night he's going to break history and you know it's very fun and obviously he's a great teammate too, and a great player, but it's very fun, you know, to be a part of it and you know, be able to tell my kids went to Hey, I was at that game where you know where we were at when you hit forty forty, Well, I was in you know, in the bullpen.
We're all celebrating.
So it's gonna be a cool experience, you know when it's all said and done. To be able to play with them.
Could you see where the home run landed?
And did you see the fans?
There were two fans that got in each other's way and clinked it off their hands.
Did you see all that? No, I saw.
I saw it go over the fence. I didn't watch the fans. You know, you just goes over the fence and you start celebrating. You don't really care what the fans are doing. I didn't have that angle. But no, we just made sure it cleared and you know, the game was over. It was a not anything in particular that we were looking for after that.
Have you you've been around baseball a long time, Joe Kelly's played baseball for a very long time. Would you rank that, outside of winning the World Series, as one of the coolest moments you've been part of.
Yeah, it's definitely for a regular season game, it's a there with you know, the coolest experience I've had on a baseball field. Anytime you see someone hit a milestone, you appreciate it. You know, Freddy Freeman playing in two thousand games, you know there's been multiple milestones. You know, Kershaw with wins or you know he's coming up on strikeouts.
So it's it's it's one of those things where you know, just because you didn't play or you're not part of that game, you know, to be on the team and to be able to experience those moments with the guys and watch it through the rise and see how they react. You know, some guys you know, all only live for, you know, moments like that, like oh, I'm gonna check off my scorecard or I'm gonna check my box score to you know, to.
Get to the Hall of Fame.
But the cool thing about being a Dodger is we don't have any of those guys in our clubhouse. Like they get those milestones, but it's never even talked about, like, you know, the next day, like you got three dound strikeouts, He's like, all right, cool and then onto business. So that's a good thing about being in this organization. You get the right type of talents as Hall of Fame players, and you know, good people on and off the field, and you know, makes up for a lot of wins.
Joe Kelly is our guest here on Dodger Talks speaking of the clubhouse. You are, you know, one of the leaders, one of the veterans on this team. A lot of people were making a big deal when all of us were a little surprised when Jason Hayward was designated for assignment. Can you set us all straight on the effects inside that room compared to being professionals and just keep being keep moving forward. How how does that dynamic work?
Well, yeah, I mean it's it's baseball, and it's like you said, it's it's a it's a profession. And you know, obviously we weren't all here when it happened. It was on the off day. But you know, if people talk about it yet, it's sad.
It sucks.
But you know, it's not like we're gonna go out there and you know, not play a game of baseball. You know, he's a great teammate, a great friend. It's not like all of a sudden you don't become friends when someone's off her team. So it's decisions like that happened, you know, throughout the league, throughout everybody's teams, And like I said, it's one of those things that you talk about.
You know, he's not going to be obviously forgotten. He's gonna be missed for sure, but it's doesn't change the way you play the game of baseball as a professional athlete.
Joe Kelly as our guest, it feels like you guys have not played your best baseball all season yet a lot of injuries, a lot of different dynamics, but it feels like now you have your team back together, you're getting healthy and you're going to continue to get healthy. Do you feel like you're starting to hit your stride and this division race? Is that going to be significant with you guys playing meaningful games down the stretch.
Yeah, Injuries, you know, they happen.
We've had a ton. A lot of teams had a ton.
It's kind of just been battling the season, you know, rather than you know, playing good or bad baseball, it's been kind of battling the ups and downs of you know, who's ready to pitch that night, who's not going to be you know, in the lineup. You know, maybe a sore foot, like there's just little things here and there, and obviously major injuries and surgeries. But obviously our lineup is back, you know. Again, our relievers are pretty much
all back starters are making their way back. So it's good to see.
You know.
Obviously the leads a little bit closer than it has been in the past few years. It's not talked about what between guys or players, you know, it's something more for the fan to say. I think that, you know, the division is. It is what it is, you know. But for us, the way we're playing the game of baseball, you know, we just want to play Obviously, solid defense, starters go deep, bullpen does their job, you know, and
then make guys work. And that's what our line has been doing, you know lately, and you know, it's given life to I think at least to speak to the guys down there in the bullpen. It's given life knowing that you know, we're down two runs, you know, going past the six. Other teams have good relievers, but with our lineup being so deep, you know, everyone's pretty much we don't really have I would say, like low leverage
guys in our pen, they're all pretty nasty. So I think that at any given point, you know, every single relievers checked into the game, because at any given point, our name could be called because the game in the blink of I could be tired or we could go ahead.
So that's the cool part about you know, our team getting healthy now and being able to see where you know, you're warming up and all of a sudden you got a leading got to protect and it makes it a lot more fun, you know, as as as a as a player and being part of the team, you want to you know, help your team win games. And so when you see those guys fight in the box, you're like, all right, let's go pick them up out of the
bullpenner started his job, Let's go pick them up. So it's been the past i'd say week and a half two weeks has been a lot I want to say more fun, but it's been you know, definitely more interesting. And the energy has definitely been up all around, you know, from bench guys to role players to bupen guys like I said, to starters to superstars. Everyone's caring kind of a little bit different buzz and and kind of locking in a little bit more.
Everybody's got the same goal World Series, and Joe Kelly wants one for sure. We'll see whether or not he comes back next year if he's got a World Series ring on his finger. I give a salute to that big mural on the reserve level, Mariachi, Joe, and when you come in, well, not that kind of salute, Joe, I give it a different kind of salute. Hey, you want to take us to break? Since you're so confident you could take my job.
I don't really want your job, David. You did a great job.
Why don't you take us to break?
Say?
Hey?
Coming up next, More Dodger Talk on AM five seventy LA Sports.
Coming up next, More Dodger Talk on AM five to seventy LA Sports with Joe Kelly, Cia.
David Welcome back to Dodger Talk. David Vase with you until eight o'clock tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. The Dodgers are back in action tomorrow night against the Baltimore Orioles. The last time the Dodgers and Orioles ever met in the World Series was back in nineteen sixty six, the last season Sandy Cofax ever pitched in Major League Baseball before retiring and joining US right now is a man that learned quite a bit in his catching career from the great Sandy Kofax while he
was in the Dodger organization. A two time World Series champion as a player with the Dodgers in nineteen eighty one. In nineteen eighty eight, he holds the distinction for catching more games than any other Dodger in franchise history. He also holds the distinction of being the only manager to lead an Angels team to the World Series. And now he has taken his talents global with Team USSA. He is back managing for Team USA in the Premiere twelve and that is the one and only Mike Soosha. Mike,
thanks a lot for coming on. Appreciate it.
David, great to be with you, and boy, did I learn a lot from Sandy. You're right about that. It was just a great experience to be around a lot of those great Dodgers, and Sandy was at the top of the list.
Mike, is it true. I've heard stories from past reporter Set told me Sandy Kofax would throw BP to you. Guys in Vero Beach. Is that true?
Yes, he would, and he still got us out. He was throwing BP. Last time I remember was nineteen eighty five. I remember hitting off of him on the lower fields and he still had that curve ball. You could hear. It was unbelievable, and he really enjoyed it. He loved it. And then I think he finally his shoulder gave out, but he loved it. You know, anything he could do to make us a little better, he put his time in and just a tremendous man.
You feel like, who makes you this manager? Now? That team USA once was was kind of built as a catcher, as a young catcher in the Dodger organization with all these guys being around like Sandy.
Oh, there's no way, I mean, excuse me, there's no doubt that. You know. The way that I took through the Dodger organization was special. And to get so many great baseball minds around you at at such a young age and just being smart enough to shut up and
listen was really important to my development. Is not only a player, but getting opportunity to manage and you know the great, the great guys like Roy Campanell, the Sandy Kofax Del Krandle playing for timeerless order for all those years Joel Malfatano Monty basketballin on a whole list you know of of coaches that I had and that just that just had a huge impact on me.
All Right, So all these years of managing and playing and all the knowledge and experience you've gained has brought you to Team USA. You managed in the Olympics and now here you are back again managing this premiere twelve team. Can you explain the type of players that you'll be managing and is this a qualifier necessary to be able to have Team USA here in LA in twenty twenty eight.
Well, since we're the home country, we will get an automatic bid into the twenty eight Olympics. But this is important tournament, Dave. But it's it's really for world seeding and world ranking. We're gonna be playing really tough teams. There's twelve teams around the you know globe that are really that just excel in baseball. You know teams teams
from you know, Mexico and Venezuela and Cuba and Japan, Korea. Uh, these these these these it's gonna be a tough tournament, So we'll play a series of Mexico to get going, hopefully get through that and then head to Tokyo, and the quality of players and the caliber players is going
to be very high. We can't use forty man roster guys, but we can use a lot of guys that have major league experience that aren't attached to a to a team when we play and uh, and then some of the young guys coming up that are in Double A and Triple A that haven't hit forty man rosters yet. So we're excited about the group. We're putting the rosters together as we speak through these last this last month and moving forward getting ready for the tournament, so we're we'll be ready to go.
We hear about when these players want to play in the World Baseball Classic that are on the forty man roster, Mike, Obviously, the team has a lot of say and how many innings the pitchers can pitch and just the restrictions on them. Will you have the same type of challenges managing this premiere twelve tournament.
If a player is with an affiliated team in an organization, most likely yes, if there's but there's a lot of guys that are are pitching an independent ball, a lot of guys that are pitching you know, overseas right now that aren't really affiliated with with an organization, so they'll be able to you know, we'll be able to use them probably, you know, a little in some of the roles we want, but certainly every organization wants to protect their players, and we'll be looking at the guys that
are in the Fall League. They'll be hopefully ramped up or ready to go, and if they can come, we'll we'll live with wherever restrictions the organization gives us.
I was talking to Dino Ebel, who is going to join your staff for this premiere twelve, and I let them know that team USA put out there with you, Ron Rennicky, Denuebel, Dave Wallace, among the others on your coaching staff. There is eighty four years of coaching experience on the staff, and Dino said, you got eighty of them.
I would expect, you know, to say that, but yeah, I'm excited about our staff. I think we've got guys that are going to set in an environment and it's one of the things I learned from Tommy is just how important that environment is. The player's got to come in feeling he's going to achieve, you're going to win, and we'll certainly do our best to set that environment. I think the players will feed off of that. This
is a tough tournament. I mean in the past, you know, you had Shohe playing for Team Japan in twenty fifteen before he came over here. In this tournament, you know, guys like you know, croner Worth played here, Bond with the guy with Phillies and with Philly, and Rooker with the A's domback with Boston. These guys all played in this tournament. So it's it's going to be a high level tournament and we'll be ready to go.
Mike Soosha is our guest. He is Team USA's manager in the Premiere twelve tournament coming up this November. And as you know, Mike, we just mentioned it. The Olympics are coming back to Los Angeles and Dodgers Stadium for the first time since nineteen eighty four, and there's been some major league players that are trying to encourage Rob Manfred to find a way to have major leaguers participate in the Olympics. How do you feel about that during the summer.
Of twenty eight.
Well, obviously would be welcome. I think, you know, I really think the best based on the world has played here in the United States, although Japan has really done well in the international level over the past five or six years. But it would be great. You know, It'll be welcomed these players if they want to play. I
just don't know about the logistics. I don't see how baseball's going to shut down for the two to three weeks it would have to to get this, you know, to get these Olympics finished, and uh, and then you know, rampant back up. So there's so many hurdles that are going to come into play, and and uh, it might be a little bit difficult.
You still would I mean, if major leaguers can't do it, I would be open to having maybe the top prospects in the minor leagues or even the top college baseball players, Mike, That's how they did it in eighty four. And they turned out to be Will Clark and Mark McGuire.
They did well. They were all collegiate players back in eighty four. And you're right, they had they had a really good team and uh, you know, a lot of these guys were just you know, cutting their teeth into that hadn't even played in pro pro ball. Yet We're
going to have a good team. I would like to the Olympics at least to open it up to forty man roster guys, maybe some guys that are in a minor in major leagues, but are forty man guys, and that would give you a deeper talent pool and you know, a team that you know, you could really go out there and and contend.
I know it's a few years away, but since you are very much involved in USA Baseball, what are the chances that you're managing Team USA in the twenty eight Olympics.
Let's get by this tournament first thought happening, You know, a lot could happen in four years. I just you know, I just know how much what a great experience it was in Tokyo, and even though with COVID, it was still a great experience. And I think that, you know, whoever gets an opportunity to manage in the twenty eight Olympics here in southern California, it's going to be the same incredible experience.
Mike, do you remember your Dodger season in eighty four where you guys had to be away for an extended period of time. What was that summer like for you guys in eighty four while the Olympics were going on at Dodger Stadium.
Yeah, I want to think it was like a thirteen day road trip. I might be mistaken, but you know, you're young, and you go out and you you know, you're always you're always somewhere playing baseball. So we didn't put too much stock in to it. You know. Eighty four was a little bit of a of a you know, a little bit of a mediocre here for us. We'll be bounced back in eighty five. But I honestly, I don't I couldn't tell you a lot about it other than you know, it was a long road trips for sure.
Mike'soshia is our guest, one of the best catchers of his generation. And I've had some hitters these days. Mike tell me the saying, if you reach, I'll teach, meaning catchers these days are reaching for pitches a little bit too early. And there's a lot more catchers interference these days than I can ever remember. What is that all about? With so much catchers interference these days.
Well, there's no doubt that the catching business position is changing. You know, I'm not going to say it's for the better, but it's changing into and it's evolving into really trying to steal a strike, steal a low strike. You're moving your glove a lot, You're trying to catch the ball out in front to keep it keep that low pitch looking like it's a strike. And at times your glove's going to get out there a little bit early and you're going to get some interference calls, that's for sure.
It's just really the it's a philosophy of you know, a lot of analytically driven teams to say, look, we're going to do everything we can to steal that low pitch, and here's the way you have to do it. So there's a lot of glove movement, the glove is out in front, and you know, my position on this whole thing is you always want to represent a good target for the pitcher. And we were taught to get low
strikes back in nineteen seventy six instructional League. I remember being taught how to get a low pitch from guys like Johnny Roseboro and del Crandall and Roy Campanella, and you were in a conventional stance and you learned how to get up underneath that low pitch and frame it and make it look good. They've taken it to the nth degree. So you're going to see a little lot
more movement. You know, there's certainly a one knee aspect to catching right now, to try to get low that is, that is making some of the other things, not that it's impossible, but some of the other things you catcher has to do a little more difficult. So you know, just like you're talking about catchers, interferences is up for this simple reason. These you know, catchers are reaching a little bit to try to keep that low pitch looking like a strike.
I remember growing up they would always talk about a good catcher is quiet behind the plate. That doesn't sound very quiet when you're moving as much as these guys.
Are, well, you're certainly not quiet. And before even before you're receiving the ball. I think it's important to give and give that picture a definitive target. That's part of the picture catcher communication that are so important. I think pictures need to have that target. They need to understand what their focus is. There's an old adage in almost every spot. I know it's in golf and baseball. We
talk about it, aim small and miss small. So if these pictures can get a good target and really zero in on what part of you glove, there's a better chance they're going to execute a pitch. So you know, that's where I think you looked at Bob Boone. What a tremendous receiver he was, How quiet he was, Johnny Bench, you know, all the all the great receivers that were you know a little before me. But those guys were the class of their own and the league of their own.
And I think it has a lot of merit on the way they received the ball and they they got more strikes called then, uh, you know than anyone else on borderline pitches.
Yeah, you guys were pretty good back in the day without trying to do all these different things.
Uh.
I guess you used to present the strike. That's the term that you used to talk about, right, Mike, Present the strike to the umpire and not try to yank it.
Oh you want to you want to hold that ball there and and and you're right, give the umpire a good luck at where you held that ball. You know, you worked on getting strong hands and being able to control the ball. That was that was all part of the training you went through as a young catcher. And uh, I'm sure it's the same now as far as how important you know, the priory they put on having strong hands and controlling the ball. It's just there's a there's a huge there's a huge gap in the guys that
put the ball on the plate. Put we put the glove on the plate and they come up to catch a pitch and then they keep going. You know, it almost ends up high higher or you know, or waist high on a pitch that was maybe four inches low. So there's a lot of glove movement. I think you're you're you're going to see, uh, some issues and guys on if a guy's running, and some of the transfers that go on. Uh, it's it's just a different philosophy that's really in play right now. David.
All right, Mike, Well, we can't solve the world's problems today, but hopefully with you teaching at these youth academies, you could teach the next generation how to do it the right way.
All right, Well, I appreciate that, and there's a lot of talented catchers out there. It's fun to watch. I just the philosophy is totally different, that's for sure.
Look forward to keeping tabs on Mike Soosha, Denu Ebel, Ron Rennicky and the rest of the Team USA team in the Premiere twelve tournament coming up in November. Mike, thanks a lot for your time. We always learn a lot from you, and despite me hosting the show, I appreciate.
You doing this.
All right, all right, David, thanks a lot.
Thanks Mike, We'll see.
You there, he goes, Mike Soosha. One of the best catchers in Dodger history, and there's been a lot of good ones. And when you think about the Dodgers' identity as an organization, obviously Jackie Robinson in his own category, but there are certain positions when it comes to certain organizations that they develop and find a way to have the best at and for the Dodgers, it's always been pitching and catching, pitchers and catchers. And you think back
to even Roy Campanella. I know he's a Hall of Famer, I still believe he's one of the most underrated players in baseball history. Here's a guy that hit thirty plus home runs one season multiple seasons, won an MVP three different times, and was one of the best catchers and hitters of his generation. I also think you have to look back at the guy that succeeded Roy Campanella, Johnny Roseborough, who was dryas Dale and Cofax's catcher for many of
the years here in Los Angeles. And you had even good backup catchers like Jeff Torborg who caught Cofax's perfect game. And you have a guy like Steve Yeager, one of the best hitting catchers, one of the toughest catchers, one of the guys that had the best throwing arm as a catcher.
He was really good for a lot of years.
And when you talk about that legendary infield of Garvey, Lopes, Russell, and say, well, Steve Yeager has to be part of that as well, because he was right there with them. And I know, technically the catcher is not part of
the infield, but come on, he was there. So you go back all the way to Brooklyn to Roy Campanella, then you have Johnny Roseborow and then you have Steve Jaeger, and then you have Mike Soosha literally succeeding Yaeger and overlapping beginning in nineteen eighty one and was basically the catcher that caught more of Fernando's games than anybody else. He caught Fernando's one and only no hitter. Oral Herscheiser and Mike Soshia always had a great pitcher catcher relationship,
and from there Mike Piazza took over. After Mike Soosha retired. Mike Soosha played maybe one more year with the Rangers and Padres, but after ninety two it was Piazza's team as the catcher from ninety three until he was unceremoniously traded by Fox in nineteen ninety eight. And after Mike Piazza, there was some time in between. He had carlsh Johnson and Todd Hunley. They were basically outsiders holding the position.
But then you had Paul Aduca, who Mike Soosha managed in the minor leagues with the Dodgers and from Laducah and went to Russell Martin and now the Dodgers have Will Smith. So uh, it's a lot. It's an organization that has been known for having great catchers. And there's a great responsibility for all those guys succeeding each other, and also now with Will Smith, who has a long term extension. So Will Smith is the latest in a
long line of great Dodger catchers. And by the way, Will Smith this year leads all catchers by throwing out thirty five percent of the runners trying to steal. That's the best in baseball. He's got a great throwing arm, and he credits the Dodger pitching staff emphasizing holding runners on better than what they did a year ago. Now, we just need Will Smith the hitter, to to do
what he has done since twenty nineteen. For whatever reason, Will Smith is missing a lot of pitches in the strike zone that he has never missed before in his career. Since June first, Will Smith is a two h two hitter. That's certainly not the Will Smith we all know and why he's so popular and why the Dodgers gave him an extension at the beginning of the season. So hopefully he gets back on track. Hopefully these days off will rejuvenate Will Smith, who has got to be just worn down.
I know Dave Roberts continues to resist that notion that Smith is just simply worn down. But he's got to be worn down, there's no other reason. Obviously catchers have their bumps and bruises more than other players. But he's got to be worn down to a certain extent. So hopefully Will Smith gets back on track. This is Dodger Talk Off day addition, taking you to the top of
the hour. Dodgers and Orioles out this nine game homestand starting tomorrow night, Jack Flaherty on the mound against Cole Irvin. So it should be a fun series at Dodger Stadium. And I love what Mike Sosha had to say about catchers today. I know the analytics department can never quantify how good a catcher is, and now they've gone to the extreme of trying to get these guys to come under the baseball to catch, and even go to the extreme of going on one knee. I mean, come on,
that never has set well with me. To me, it's a lazy way to catch. Number two, It's not a great athletic position to catch and receive the baseball and also block baseballs. A lot of times now you see catchers try to short hop pitches in the dirt, and a lot of times they get them, but there's a
lot of other times that they don't get them. So, you know, I understand the value of getting that low strike, but at some point you've got to be able to do it and also be able to do everything else that requires a catcher to be able to get the
best out of their pitcher. You have heard me say many times where I would love to see Will Smith, especially in big moments, hold up a target exactly where he wants, maybe exaggerate where he wants, just to make sure the pitcher knows exactly where to get that ball instead of trying to kind of navigate it and cast it over there. I'm not saying it's on the catchers for not giving a target, but it certainly would help
the pitcher if there was a target there. I know Kershaw loves the targets, and Austin Barnes he's very unique. He's just having a knack his whole catching career to be able to get those low strikes because he is I know, I'm not saying this in a funny way, but he is a smaller stature type of catcher, so he's able to do that naturally. There's other guys like Sal Perez and are much bigger that cannot do it
as naturally as Will Smith. So I just feel like, hopefully guys like Mike Sooshia are teaching the next generation. There is a way to do it, but there also is a way to do it where you're not compromising other things that are required out of a good catcher and also giving a target to your pitcher. In case you missed the full conversation with Mike Soosha, you can
find it on the iHeartRadio app. Also, if you missed our conversation with Joe Kelly, who took us behind the scenes the night that show Hey Otani became a forty to forty player, you can find it all on the iHeartRadio app. Thanks a lot for listening. We'll be back with you tomorrow night at six o'clock from Dodgers Stadium, Morongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins at six o'clock with first Pitch with Rick Monday and Steven Nelson at seven
to ten for Dodgers Orioles. Thanks to Katie Newton for all her help filling in for Annie Fasio, and thanks again for listening. We'll talk to you tomorrow from Dodger Stadium. Have a great rest of your night, Sea Kay