Dodger Talk is sponsored by LA Care Health Plan, providing affordable healthcare insurance to millions of Angelinos for over twenty five years. And now your voice for Dodger Talker like back, David Basse.
We are live at lone Depot Park in Miami after the Dodgers defeat the Marlins by a final score.
Of eight to four.
Welcome the Dodger Talk David Vasse with you until eight o'clock tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. We have phone lines open at eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy. I already see the sixth of you on the board. We will get to you.
We have two more lines open at eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy.
You will get the latest update on Clayton Kershaw after we spoke to him at his locker yesterday. Also, I wanted to share with you the story Rick Monday had regarding Toma and players playing practical jokes on Tommy at
Dodgertown here in Vero Beach, Florida. And certainly we have a lot to get to between now and eight o'clock, especially after the Dodgers get a much needed win I know it's against the Marlins, but the Dodgers need every win they can get, and their magic number now to clinch the NL West is at seven.
They have a.
Three and a half game lead over the Padres as the Padres lost to the Astros yesterday and build the Dodgers out after a disappointing loss year in Miami. And also tonight, the Padres shut out the Astros fort to nothing behind Dylan Cees. So if the Dodgers did not win this game, it might have been a really nervous time in the NL West race. But the Dodgers take care of business against the Marlins. They get a really good bounce back start from Landon when five scoreless innings
only through eighty seven pitches. It felt like after that first inning, Nack really settled in. I felt like he could even go one more inning. And when you're talking about a weary Dodger bullpen, you gotta start considering that down the stretch. If you're getting a good start from a starter and they're at eighty seven ninety pitches, why not let them go out there for one more inning. I know the Dodgers have done that with certain starters.
They must have seen something that told them Nack was done after five scoreless, but I felt like he could have gone one more inning and really shortened this game for the Dodger bullpen. Nonetheless, they were able to get out of what could have been a dicey bottom of the seventh inning when the Marlin scored three runs and
Will Smith airmailed another throw to center field. He had two of those tonight, and this time Andy pa Haz was there for the backup as he should be anticipating that happening and made a great throw to key A Hernandez to end the seventh inning, nailing Xavier.
Edwards at third base.
That was a huge play in this game, and I really believe in the top of the eighth inning it was even big for Chris Taylor to come up with two outs and the bases loaded and drive in two more runs. Early in this game, they got home runs from Will Smith, who is starting to look a little bit more like Will Smith in the last three or four games. Tommy Edmund and key k Hernandez also homer.
Key K's home run and Edmund's home run came in the very same inning when it was a five run fourth inning, and by the way, I know there's a lot of critics out there when you're at the top and you're the Dodgers and you're Andrew Friedman.
I know we're hearing a lot.
Of criticism about the trade and the signing of an extension.
For Tyler Glass.
Now we're hearing a lot about the pitching injuries the Dodgers have had. That is all fair, But you're not hearing enough about the Dodgers and what they did at the trade deadline, which has been a huge difference maker for them the second half.
Of the year.
Number one, Tomorrow's starter, Jack Flaherty, has been outstanding for the Dodgers, not only considering how thin their rotation is right now, but how well he has pitched outside of the last game in Atlanta. And how about the two guys that were in the game tonight, Tommy Edmund and Michael Kopek. Who the Dodgers got in that three way trade with the White Sox and Cardinals. Do you know what question on being asked the most by scouts when we go around Atlanta and now Miami. Why did the
Cardinals trade Tommy Edmund? That's the biggest question these day days. I get asked by other members of other organizations, and they continue to say the Dodgers won that trade in a landslide Tommy Edmund and Michael Kopek, and all they
basically gave up was Miguel Vargas. I mean, when you see what Tommy Edmund has done for the Dodgers so far in twenty seven games, Tommy Edman is playing a lot of center field, is spelling Miguel Rojas on nights like tonight at shortstop, hitting two eighty four and with an ops of eight thirty five, a switch hitter. Not it's so great from the left side, but from the right side he's hitting over four hundred.
And how about Michael Kopek.
When you talk about the Dodger bullpen being thin and weary, this guy has been huge for the Dodgers. In twenty appearances with the Dodgers, He's four and zero with an ERA under one zero. Ninety hitters are only hitting one thirteen against Michael Kopek. He has twenty four strikeouts in twenty four innings. He came into the game tonight and really was thrown hard again after we saw him in Atlanta, and really coming up big and getting himself out of
a jam. So Michael Kopek tonight a scoreless inning, he had a walk, no strikeouts, but he got the job done. Where would the Dodgers be without those three guys. They certainly wouldn't have ninety wins right now, and they may not even be in first place. So, you know, Andrew Friedman, I know, gets a lot of criticism out there, but how about acknowledging the trade deadline he had where he basically fleeced the Cardinals in white sox for Tommy Edmond
and Michael Kopek. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number before we go out to the phone calls. Let's head downstairs to the Dodger clubhouse to hear from Landon Neck tonight's winning pitcher on sports and at Lah.
Obviously felt really good to kind of get back out. I was happy that it was a five day this time, so kind of get back in there a little quicker, and uh yeah, it felt really good to just kind of get things back on track a little bit, just kind of right from the rip, really just kind of rip it from the beginning and felt really good.
What was the focus for you when it came to whenever there was traffic finding ways to get out of it.
It was it was just making pitches.
So yeah, I mean it's the thought tries not change when there's runners on. It's really just continuing to execute the game plan, especially following what Will's doing back there, Like he's he does very good scanning reports and everything, and so like following him and trusting him back there has been huge.
Unless a fastball mint Like how big was it to have a little extra at least be lo on it.
I mean, yeah, that was that was huge to be able to have that.
It was also just kind of location on that was much better tonight. So just overall the fastball just felt much much better, just being able to kind of put it more so where I once and especially locating bottom of the zone with that opened up a lot of things.
That's just appa like ripping it sort of like you sae like the mentality behind him to sort of how you go about with the conviction a bit.
Absolutely, Yeah, throwing with that conviction really helps kind of fine tunes and things and then kind of take any of the when you try to place things, it kind of gets a little wild, and so yeah, I'm just really trying to have that intent from the very beginning with it.
Yeah, definitely helps location.
All right, there's landon nak and thanks to sports in at a LA, he pitched really well tonight with seven strikeouts in five scoreless innings. The Dodgers, in case you missed it earlier today, sent Bobby Miller down to Triple A. And this is my take on Bobby Miller. It's really easy to kick this guy when he's down. But thenk back to last year and how much promise he showed.
He took a huge step backwards this year. And usually, and I remind you of this through my experience of not only covering Major League Baseball but all sports NBA, college football, and basketball, really good players don't all of a sudden go backwards as much as Bobby Miller went if there wasn't a physical issue.
And he started the.
Year out and spring training trying to pitch through right shoulder inflammation, and his season got started a little bit later because of going on the IL with that, and then we find out about three weeks ago he's been dealing with a left knee issue. So I just feel like physically he has never been right, and it's affected his pitching mechanics and it really has affected his confidence.
I don't think you could shortchange that. So it is a lost season of sorts for Bobby Miller, but I firmly believe he'll be back better, stronger, and healthier next season. Eight six, six, nine, eight seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Lewis and el Sorito. You're on Dodger Talk Live from Miami.
Hi, Lewis, Hey, Dave, you have read my mind. Land and Neck should have been out there for the sixth skinning and my comments. And the reason why I feel so strongly is this is the perfect metaphor for some of the problems the Dodgers pitching has had. And you've got to give the guy a chance. And that was
such a perfect situation sixth to nothing. You've got a big lead, he was stealing afterward after that rocky first inning, sort of because the guy put on a grade at bat, and it then can help the bullpen and the entire pitching staff.
And I just think they can't have it both ways, right, Lewis. You can't tell us the bullpen has been used a lot, which they have. The innings have been, if not more, at least equal to starters in the last couple of weeks, So you can't tell us that.
And we know the bullpen has been used a lot.
And when you have a guy going like Landon Knack was going, why not push him one more inning? And also so you know, if you have a little hesitation about it, go batter to batter, have somebody ready and go batter to batter in that sixth inning.
But he was cruising after that first inning.
Like we talked about, and after that strikeout of Jake Berger ninety six, it felt like Landon Nag had that swagger and even Jose Moto was fired up. He texted me after that Burger strikeout in the first inning. He told me that there was a lot of conviction with that fastball. So Landon Nak, who only went two innings, by the way, in his last start, you're telling me he wasn't good enough to go back out there for the sixth inning to face Connor Norby and Jesus Sanchez
and Jake Berger. I know that's the middle of the Marlins order, but like I said, he was pitching really well, and I know there was some traffic in that in that fifth inning, but he struck out Xavier Edwards to end the fifth. So you know, you gotta you're going to pay the tax somewhere. And so for the majority part of this season, that bullpen, those relievers have paid the tax of starters going short in their starts. So when you get a good one like this from Landon Nak,
I feel like, why not go one more? All right, let's go out to La Angelica.
How you doing. You're on Dodger Talk Live from Miami.
Yes, yes, I had two questions. My one question was why don't they put Chris Taylor out more? And then two is does Robert do these changes on his own? And then part of that is do they ask the player for that change? What is the reply of that player?
Okay?
Number one, Chris Taylor has been playing a lot more because the Dodgers are seeing a lot more left handed pitchers lately Angelica and Gavin Lux hasn't seen as much time. He only has about like ten at bats and three starts because of the number of lefties the Dodgers have seen and Dave Roberts wanting to get Key Hernandez and Chris Taylor Moore at bats. But when a player is pinch hit four or double switched out, no, they do not get much of a say if their name's not
Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman. And even when it is, they don't get much of a say. Thanks for the phone call, Angelica, appreciate it. Eight sixty six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number.
Let's go out to Las Vegas, Sergio, home of the Raiders. How you doing, Sergio, Hey.
Dave, thanks for taking my call. I wanted to touch on and you mentioned his name. Well, first of all, a lot of Dodger pads he'd like to criticize Andrew Freeman. But if it wasn't for him and his staff with all the injuries, you know, we wouldn't have ninety, if the Dodgers wouldn't have ninety victory. So we need to give him, him and his staff mark props because the mass unit, that's that's you know, that's going on with all our injured players. He deserves all the credit him
and his staff, so fantastic job on their part. Tommy Edmond Man twenty seventh game today, It's obvious he comes off his injury. He basically has his you know, his spring training. During the season, he's us firing on all cylinders. Now, great pickup and then of course cool pick you mentioned it, Handel Freeman. You know we got to give him more props.
We're spoiled Dodger fans. You know, I'm fifty four years old, Dave, And you know, before, before the Guckenheim regime, there was some there was some you know, pretty pretty long stretches where we weren't in the playoffs year after year. So you know, we should be satisfied and happy with with what the staff is, uh, you know, the freedoman matchman has given us. So thanks for the time, Dave continued, Good job.
Thank you, Sergio, appreciate the phone call.
Look, everybody wants to win the World Series every year, and yeah, yes, do I believe the Dodgers had opportunities to win more than just one over the course of the last twelve years. Of course I do, but unfortunately it did not happen. But now, if you're going to judge how the Dodgers perform in the playoffs, you have to acknowledge the format is a lot more different and challenging than it was even five years ago, with this extra round and extra playoff teams in there and the
five days off. So it's not like it used to be even in the sixties, where you win your division and you go to the NLCS and you play for the Pennant. It's not like it was in nineteen eighty eight where you win your division playing the NLCS and go to the World Series. It's not even as it was five years ago where there's a wildcard team and they play the team with the best record.
No, it's now a best of three series.
There's another round, and there's a lot different different layers to postseason play now than there was before. But with the talent the Dodgers have, there is no reason why they can't run the table. The pitching is thin, no doubt about it. We all have to acknowledge that nobody saw Bobby Miller taking this big of a step backwards.
Nobody did.
Somebody just brought me sugar cookies in here. I'm not I'm not having sugar cookies right now. Man of the PR Dodgers department, Wandrado, came in here trying to butter me up in Miami. It's not gonna work. One it's not gonna work. I'm already saying nice things about the Dodgers. You don't need to bring sugar cookies in here. But anyway, nobody saw Bobby Miller taking this big of a step backwards. Nobody saw Emit she and having Tommy John surgery, or Gavin Stone having shoulder surgery.
These are things that I mean, we have never seen these many pitching injuries.
But the guys that are still standing, including Landon Nack, Jack Flaherty, Yamamoto, and Walker Buehler, give the Dodgers a fighting chance. And future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. If you were listening to the show last night, you heard Kershaw tell me this.
This is making progress.
You know, I think able to throw off the mount a little bit now. It's just trying to keep my arm going as best I can, you know, the endurance part of it. So I'm throwing a lot of throws, just not at you know, max intensity, just because I can't quite push off the way I want to yet.
But there's definitely some improvement.
I think it's getting there, not as fast as I like, but it's definitely getting there. And I think the good news is you know the rehab part should be short since I'm able to keep my arm going pretty good, and I'm hopeful, you know, I know we don't have a lot of time left, but I'm hopeful that, you know, in these next twelve days, there's a chance that I could get back out there. So it's gonna be close. But I'm I'm I'm not I'm remaining optimistic.
I guess, is there any medical quick fix or is it just rest and managing it?
Yeah? I don't think.
Yeah, some things just take time. Unfortunately, you know, I'm not the most patient person ever, so it's not I wish there's just some miracle thing I could do, But ultimately, yeah, it just needs time, and I think we have enough of it.
So we'll see time for a postseason play. Is that what you're talking about As far as.
Time, I don't know.
I think time to obviously the postseason, but you never know. I mean, I keep thinking I'll wake up and be able to pitch, you know, so maybe maybe one of these next twelve days that'll happen, and we'll see.
I'll look at Clayton Kershaw telling us a lot, but not telling us everything yesterday because when I arrived at the ballpark today about thirty minutes after Clayton Kershaw was playing, and then went into the Dodger bullpen here in Miami and proceeded to throw off the mound without that artificial platform that he was using, without a folding chair. He was throwing off the rubber in the Dodger bullpen and
going full throttle. I raced on the concourse to actually look with my own eyes to see what I was hearing, and what I was hearing was the catcher's mitt poppin from the Dodger bullpen. When I was standing in front of the Dodger dugout and Kershaw had his spikes on. He actually had two different pairs of spikes on, and he threw eighty three pitches today in.
That quote bullpen session.
So after he was done with that, I asked him, so, what went on today? And he said it felt better, not perfect, but I am getting closer. And then Dave Roberts was asked about it, and now all of a sudden, Dave Roberts is acknowledging what Kershaw told us last night, that there is a good chance he will make a start before the end of the regular season. What do you think about that You heard it first right here on Dodger Talk last night. Eight six six nine eight
seven two five seventy is the phone number. We have three lines open. We are going to take more of your phone calls. And also we'll share that Timulus soda story that Rick Monday had for us yesterday at Dodgertown and Vero Beach.
A lot to get to between.
Now at eight o'clock live from Miami at lone Depot Park, where the Dodgers lower their magic number to seven with an eight to four win over the Marlins on a five to seventy LA Sports.
Dodger Talk is available on AM five seventy LA sports dot com, hand on the iHeartRadio app. Back to more Dodger Talk with Dodger insider David Basse.
Who lost a one pitch belta toward the right field corner by Edmund.
This bumber deep, This call is gone. Tommy hits another tank and the Dodgers add on it's three to nothing is Tommy. Edmund fits up home run number six, an opposite field shot against Ryan Weathers.
That was the first of two home runs in the fourth inning for the Dodgers.
Tommy Edmund a two run shot, and then later in the inning Keik Hernandez with a three run homer himself part of a five run fourth inning, as the Dodgers would go on to beat the Marlins eight to four tonight here at Lone Depot Park, Daniels Jewelers is the official sponsor of the trip around the Diamond. Stop by any Daniel's location in say home run for your free team bracelet and fifty dollars gift card toward any purchase of ninety nine dollars or more. Daniels Jewelers own the Dream.
Eight six six, seven, two five seventy is the phone number during the break. I broke down and I did have half of that what I thought was a sugar cookie here, But the man that brought him up to me, Wanderrado, the player relations director for the Dodgers, brought a snicker doodle cookie, actually two of them, from the Dodger clubhouse.
And my understanding is Freddie Freeman also ate the same type of snicker doodle cookies before the game, and Freddie had three hits tonight, So who am I to say no to a Freddie Freeman snicker doodle cookie.
Appreciate that.
Eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Porter Ranch.
Young. You're on Dodger Talk Live from Miami. How you doing, young, Good Dave, Thank you for taking my call.
Longtime listener, first time caller. You deserve that snicker doodle.
I wanted to shout out. I wanted to shout out Tommy Huntu and you know the other you know Otani and Yamamoto, they get a lot of attention, but he is the other Asian sensation.
He's my Korean brother. We got him. You know, we're gonna We knew he was gonna hit for average, but he's going you know, the extra mile, hitting two eighty four with the Dodgers, hitting for power. Now to I thing four or five home runs in the past seven games, you know, doing it all, playing all all sorts of positions. I know Kirsten Watson and Doug McCain were thinking about some nicknames for him, So I have one of my own. How about tom the Korean American pheno?
Can you run that by him?
How about just uh Man. That's a little bit long of a nickname. They're young. We'll come up with one, but maybe if you shorten it it might work.
I like Tim nevertts he when he made that home run call, and whenever Edmund hits a home run, he says, another tank from Tommy Edmund. I kind of like that one, Tommy.
The tank, Yeah, yes, had a good ring to it.
It's gotta be organic, can't be forced, just like Bobby Ice. Fortunately the ice melted last night. Yeah, unfortunately. Thank you for the phone call, young, but Bobby will be back.
Trust me.
Eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Ontario. Anthony, your aunt Dodger talk live from Miami. Hi Anthony, Hey Dave, what's up man?
Yeah, you can't turn down a snickerdoodle? Those are my favorite.
So I'm glad you you came in a little bit. Me and Fred Yeah, uh, I'm gonna kind of nippick a little bit after this win.
One of the pet peeves that I hate.
That Robert does, and you mentioned a little bit, is taking his guys out too early.
Especially with the help that we need out of our bullpen. But another one is I hate that they do this situational pitching with the bullpen.
It takes a huge.
Mindset to coming in the ninth or to be a setup guy in the eight, and it doesn't do anything. You know, Baseball players are very situational and they're very you know, they like their routine. They're systematic about that. And if Kopek is your closer, he's got to come out in the ninth. If you got to set up guy, keep him out in the eighth. This whole situational thing, I think it just messes everybody.
Up in the long run, all right, Anthony.
The Dodgers have been doing this ever since Dave Roberts took over, and it seems to be working really well. But I do understand when you say that if you don't have a closer, it's kind of like having a quarterback controversy. If you're doing a closer by committee, you really don't have a closer. And we spoke to Nomar Garciapara before we.
Left for the road trip.
He experienced some bullpens that did not have a closer before he got traded from the Red Sox. It usually doesn't work out well, but the Dodgers have ninety wins. They're on their way to closing out this division race without having a dedicated closer, So we have to acknowledge that it has worked the last two years without having that dedicated closer. Now, once you get into the postseason, you're just counting outs. You've got to find a guy that can get the final three outs, and the ninth
inning is not for everybody. Players have told me that, Managers, coaches, relievers have told me that, and especially in the playoffs, the ninth inning.
Is not for everybody.
And I was asked the other day by coaches from other teams, who would be my guy to get the final three outs in a playoff game for the Dodgers, And I say, without hesitation, Blake Trining, that would be my guy. If Michael Kopek is not going to be that guy, Blake Trining would be that guy for me because he's done it before and he has the stuff to do it, even in twenty twenty four. Is it
as nasty as it was before he got injured. No, But I still have a lot of confidence that he has the mound presence and the heartbeat to be able to get the last three outs. Daniel Hudson has the heart beat and the demeanor, but lately the stuff has not been as good.
So if Kopek, who has never pitched in.
A ninth inning, as big as what he's going to see in the postseason with the Dodgers, I'm not sure you want to try that for the first time in the playoffs, especially if.
There's a key moment before the ninth inning.
But for me, going into the playoffs, you have to have a certain idea of which reliever or which pitcher period is meant for the ninth inning in a pressure cooker situation. Eight six, six, nine, eight, seven, two, five seventy is the phone number. And I know we've been focusing on the starting pitching a lot, but that is something that is going to have a spotlight on it once you get to the postseason. Who is going to get the last six outs for the Dodgers in the playoffs.
It feels like Kopek, Daniel Hudson, Evan Phillips, and Blake Trenton right now are the four highest highest leverage relievers you have, plus Bruce star graderol Let's not forget about the Bazuka. He could be that guy to close out a ninth inning for you as well. Let's go out to North Hollywood, James you're on Dodger Talk, James, I'll ask you on the fly on the spot, who would you choose to get the last three outs of a Dodger playoff game?
Grattarol, trying In, Kopek. Who would it be?
I like you, Jake.
For me, it would be either Trinan or Kopek based on that hitters track record in tendencies. But your next two guys.
I differ on.
I think Vessi is a guy that can do it. He's got the fire in his belly. And even though the v low on the fastball isn't there, it plays up, it plays up in the zone and he's been fantastic. And just because Phillips has been there and done that, I know he's had a couple of hiccups here and there, but I like his stuff more than Huddy than Hudson.
I would take Greterol over the two names you just mentioned, Vesia and Phillips. I'm not sure I'm all in with Vessia getting the final three outs.
Sorry. I love Alex and I think he has a role and.
A really good role, but I'm not choosing him over trying In or Grattarol or Copek.
What about the low strikeouts for you know, Bazooka. I know that it's like he's throwing a cannonball hitter, say, with that heavy sinker. But don't you want a guy with a slightly higher k rate, you know, to close out games for I do.
But Gretarol just came back.
Let's see a little bit more sample size on whether or not the cutter that Kenley Jansen todd him is going to play more to get that swing a miss.
Well, you know that's a good point. We do have a couple of weeks left. Speaking of stuff, by the way, looking at landon Nak today, his stuff meaning his movement and then.
His great segue there James.
Hey, thank you, thank you very much. But his location meeting his pitching, which is the sign of a mature pitcher, in my opinion, was the best I've seen him in a Dodger uniform on a Big League mound. So my question to you now, and by the way, I heard you say Gavin Stone and shoulder surgery in the same sense, that's the first time I'm hearing of that. Is he officially getting surgery and done for the season.
He is not getting surgery officially and he's not shut down officially, but Dave Roberts said earlier today he doesn't believe Gavin Stone is coming back this year. And if it is a shoulder issue, it just doesn't go away. There's obviously something causing pain. So I would imagine that the Dodgers or Gavin Stone would have to look into that.
Right.
You don't just all of a sudden get your shoulder fixed by not throwing. You could, I guess hypothetically speaking, but there's got to be something else going on in there. Gavin Stone, for what it's worth, James, when I spoke to him today, is not conceding that his season is over. He still has pain in that right shoulder. That's why he hasn't thrown. But you know it's it's a long shot that he's going to come back this year.
So David, my question for you now, I'm gonna flip the script your prediction. Now you need you know two guys, hopefully three front end guys in the postseason. Who are the four starting pitchers gonna be for the Dodgers in the postseason? If you had to look in that magic eight ball today, Oh.
Without a doubt, it's Jack Flaherty, it's Yamamoto, it's Walker Buehler, and it's Clayton Kershaw from what.
I saw today.
So what rolled is landon Nax?
I would say a.
Nax slash Kershaw fourth game if you're if you're in a seven game series, depending on where the series is at, I would say Nack slash Kershaw. I would have Knack in the mix there, but Kershaw starting the game. And Nack has shown that he can piggyback coming out of the bullpen because he did it last year, He's done it this year. I feel like that he would be part of it. And Tony Gonsolin may be part of a Dodger pitching staff in the postseason as well. Thanks for the phone call, appreciated.
James. Eight sixty six nine to eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number.
Rick Monday, who makes his op season home here in Vero Beach, Florida, is making the commute from Vero Beach to Miami during this series. And of course, Rick was traded from the Cubs to the Dodgers during the off season before the nineteen seventy seven season, and since he does make his home now on Vero Beach. He obviously has a lot of ties to Dodgertown. We all know until the Dodgers moved to Arizona in two thousand and eight, I believe Dodgertown, going back to the Brooklyn Dodger days,
was where the Dodgers held spring training. It was a form I'm Army Barracks base right. And Rick and Tommy Lasorda spent a lot of time there at Dodger Town and Vero Beach, Tommy going back to when he was pitching for the Dodgers. Rick obviously going back to when he was playing and then became a broadcaster.
And Rick shared with us a great story that players used to play practical jokes on the Hall of Fame Skipper Tommy Lasorda.
Well, we knew when Tommy was going to come in at night, and Tommy was he was not a go to bed early guy. He was afraid that he was going to miss something, right, He always got up early in the morning. But we knew that Tommy would never be back before twelve thirty, maybe a quarter one, very rare, so we knew what time he would be back, and then somebody after they knew that he was in here and Tommy had a standard wake up call very early
in the morning. Well, on this particular evening, it was the evening before we were going to take bus ride across the state and play exhibition game against I don't remember who it was, but on the other side of the state. So they knew that Tommy was in the room, and someone had previously gone in the room and unscrewed the mouthpiece on his telephone and took out that little amplifier that's in there right in the old telephones. So when the phone call came in the next morning for
his wake up call, elod Mistressorta, it's you know, seven fifteen. Okay, fine, He hangs up, He showers, he gets dressed, goes to the door, and the door won't open. Someone had tied somebody tied a yellow ski rope to the door handle, and it was attached to a palm tree right outside the door. So he picks up the phone to call, Yes, missterssorta, what can I do for it? Somebody locked me in
the room, yes, Missressorta, because the amplifier didn't remove. Well, Tommy eventually got out of the room and he got on the bus and we were on the bus waiting for Tommy, and Tommy looked at every one of us and he knew that one of or some of us had something to do with the fact that he got tied up into the room that morning.
I'm sure Rick Monday had nothing to do with that, right.
Well, never know, Rick would not give up the goods after he told us that story. But a lot of great times by so many players, broadcasters, coaches at Dodgertown and Vero Beach, Florida. And that's one of the things I never crossed off my bucket list. I always wanted to go to Dodgertown in Vero Beach. I never had the opportunity. Obviously a little bit more challenging to get
from the San Fernando Valley to Vero Beach, Florida. My single mom was not going to be able to make it or even attempt to try to get me to Vero Beach, Florida. So I started broadcasting and never had the opportunity or be sent by the radio stations I was working for to cover the Dodgers in spring training. So that's one place that I wish I could have seen,
because I've seen the videos. I've heard the stories about not only the fields and the string section of the bullpens and Roy Campanella, Sandy kofax Don Drysdale being out there, but also I heard about that large dining room where a rookie, a Dodger rookie could be sitting next to a Dodger All Star, or an All Star could be sitting next to a Hall of Famer. Everybody from all levels of the organization would have their meals in this great, big dining room. And I heard so many great stories
about that. I wish I could have experienced it. But a special place that is still being used for baseball. The RBI programs out there. International teams come to train at Dodgertown and Vero Beach, so it's still alive, and I'm sure a lot of great memories still exist from those that had an opportunity to visit Dodgertown in Vero Beach. That was the place to concentrate only on baseball. All right, that'll do it for us on Dodger Talk tonight from Miami.
Coming up tomorrow, the finale of this three game series and the last game of this road trip for the Dodgers that saw them split the first four in Atlanta and now looking to have a winning road trip by beating the Marlins. It's not going to be easy because the Marlins are throwing one of their best young right handers and Edward Cabrera. Tomorrow, Jack Flaherty is going to be on the mound for the Dodgers. Morongo Casino. Dodgers
on Deck begins at twelve thirty tomorrow. First pitch from Miami is at one forty with Rick Monday and Tim Neverett. Thanks to Colin Ye back at our Burbank Studios. Thanks to Dwayne McDonald out here at Lone Depot Park in Miami. Thanks to you for listening, and case you missed any of the show, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. You can follow me on Instagram at officially Vassa and
on x at the Real Underscore DV. Once again, the final score from Miami, the Dodgers defeat the Marlins eight to four.
Have a great rest of your night. We'll talk to you tomorrow. See them
Away.