All right, we're joined by a man that has invested not only his playing career on the field in Los Angeles, but he definitely has invested a lot in this community. I'm talking about two time All Star, two time World Series champion, a man that has hit one hundred and ninety home runs as a Dodger entering his eighth year in Dodger Blue, and that is the Dodgers Opening day third baseman, the one and only Max Munsey.
Max, thanks a lot for coming on. Appreciate it.
Yeah, absolutely, I'll tell you what here in two time World Series champion doesn't get old.
No, it doesn't. And we haven't talked since the parade. What's it been like for you since that day? Has it sunk in that you are a two time World Series Champion? Do you have a little bit more swag in your step? Now? How has Max Munsey's offseason been?
Well, you know, after we won, with the parade and everything, that was obviously a whorldwin and you try to remember as much of it as you can, but you know, it really sank in for me. We we ordered a replica trophy, the World Series Trophy, and when that showed up on the doorstep. That's kind of when it really sank in. I have it sitting next to the one from twenty twenty, so you know, I get to see that every single day and it's a pretty cool reminder.
But you know, I also want to get a third one up there.
Yeah, that would be nice.
And it seems like Andrew Friedman is trying to give you guys everything that you need to make another run.
Well, he does this every year.
You know, we always have, you know, the roster and everything to get the job done, and it's just it falls on us to make sure we do that. And so right now that's what everyone's doing. They're trying to rest up. It's been a you know, a short offseason, and everyone's trying to make sure we're ready to go, you know, going into Japan this year.
Hey Max, speaking of the parade and all that, you didn't get one in twenty twenty, We all know that. But when you were on your parade float with your teammates and once you got to the stadium for the rally, did you realize how much you and that team meant to the city.
You know, I've told this the several people, and you know, when we when we turned onto the street in downtown and you start seeing all the people lined up. When when you see people holding up pictures and images of uh, you know, relatives and people that have passed away that couldn't be there, and you start seeing like how much it actually means to everybody. You know, that really kind of hit a whole lot harder than I think I I I even realized.
I've always known.
That the Dodgers fans and the the city and the organization and everything, it's it's the best in baseball, the best fans, the best people, and but I don't think you you ever realized that it means that much to people, that it's it's it's you know, it's a style for a lot of people. And it felt really special to be able to celebrate that moment with with, you know, the couple million people that were in the city.
Max Munsey is joining us from his home in Texas, and Max, I know you and your wife Kelly have been posting links to where we can help assist those that have lost their homes and need some help, and I know you've been monitoring what's going on in the city closely from your house in Texas.
How hard. Is this hitting you guys out there.
It's tough. It's it's real tough.
We've been you know, we've had the news on pretty much twenty four to seven. We've been trying to follow everything as best we can, and it's just devastating to
see the amount of damage that's been done. And you know, we're obviously praying for everybody and we're hoping that everyone's ever to get out and it sucks that people are losing their houses, but the most important thing is that you know, they're surviving and their living and you know, you can you can replace certain things, but you can't replace lives. And so, you know, where we're obviously trying
to do what we can from out here. It's not much, but as long as we can bring awareness to it, and you know, people from around the country can chip in here and there, and every little bit.
Helps in this scenario.
And you know, so that was something that we'd wanted to do, is we wanted to make sure that there was you know, lots of links and stuff for people to just you know, to go on and just give any little bit that they can, no.
Doubt, any little bit can help a lot of people out there. Max Munsey is joining us here on Dodger Talk.
We're with you until eight o'clock.
And Max, during this postseason run, you were such a big part of it from beginning to end. One thing that sticks out to me the most, and we have not talked about this either, was the consecutive reaching bass streak twelve consecutive plate appearances where you reach base. That's a new playoff record. Reggie Jackson held the record before you.
What is that similar to?
Uh, when an NBA player describes like making ten threes, like Steph Curry just says, Uh, the basket just looked like the ocean. Is that what it felt like during the NLCS? Can you describe it?
It's kind of hard to describe, but it's just is it's that was at that moment in time, that was the best that I had pretty much felt all season long. I was locked in to my mechanics, locked into the game plan, I was seeing everything real well that the game just felt very slow for me in that moment, and you know, it just it just felt like I had a very good understanding of what I was trying
to do. And you know, through throughout the entire season, it's you know, that's one of those things where you're you're very rarely ever in that state. You might be seeing the ball well, but your mechanics are a little off. Your mechanics might be great, but you're not seeing the ball well.
You know, there might you know, you.
Might have a little nagging thing here or there, and so it's very rare that you get into that zone that I was in there and that was definitely the best that I've felt for a very long time.
No doubt.
And You've been a part of a lot of classic playoff teams for the Dodgers. You've come up big yourself. When you look back at how you guys came together. I remember what you told me at the beginning of the playoffs where you just asked everybody to sacrifice their families and whatever interests they had outside of baseball for six weeks. How much did that really play into you guys going all the way to win the World Series?
You know, it's hard to really state how much of an impact that had, you know, but I really feel like that was something that helped us out. And you know, right from the beginning, you have those five days off, you know, getting to buy and you know, everyone was so stressed out about that from years past and just thinking about how that's actually bad luck. And you know, at the end of the day, we had to flip the mindset of you know, it's a reward. You're getting
rewarded for playing well throughout the regular season. We needed to treat it like a reward. And so that was just where the idea came from that we need to get everybody together. We need to be spending a bunch of time together, but it doesn't need to be a boring classroom session. We need to be in there, you know, having fun, be at the stadium, just being with the boys. And then as that happened, it turned into you know, hey,
this is going to be a two to three week adventure. Obviously, our families are going to be there with us, and we want them there with us, but we need to make sure we're focused on the goal because this is going to be a very good opportunity for us, as it is every year, but we need to have everyone focused.
And you know, everyone just kind of bought into it immediately, and that's one of the things where you talk to a couple of guys and you know, you know, Milkie and Will and you're you're never sure if the entire team is going to buy into it, And it was almost immediately that everybody was completely on board and everyone started throwing out ideas, and you know, it's really it's really cool to watch, just from my standpoint, to see the you know, the that entire group come together like
that and realize what we had going on.
Yeah, you had something special going on. And I felt like in the postseason, especially in the NLDS Max, even in a Game three loss, the way you guys came back and were resilient instead of just going down and getting blown out. To me, it felt like that kind of just changed everything. Whether it was Bueller throwing the gatorade bucket in the dugout or Tioscar Hernandez hitting a Grand Slam to bring you within one run and kind of screaming at you who was coming up to the plate,
it felt like that game was a turning point. I know that's easy to say, but you got to hit the ball, you got to execute and do all the other things. But did that kind of just show to each other how resilient you were and you guys were not just gonna go out easy.
Yeah, you know that Game four was very unique and kind of special to look back and think about because coming into the you know, coming into the clubhouse that day, we we kind of find out and get told that Freddie is not gonna be able to go, and you know, you're in an elimination game, and that's.
That's obviously a big blow.
But the bullpen kept coming in all day long say hey, we got you guys, We got you guys. We knew it was going to be a bullpen game for us, and immediately all of those guys just came in and said, hey, we got you guys. Don't worry, We're going to take care of.
This and just get us. Just get us a couple of runs. It's all you need to do.
And you know, the mindset right from the start of the day, even though we got bad news with Freddie not being able to go, you would have thought we were up to nothing in the series, everyone just felt super calm, super relaxed, and everyone knew we were gonna go out there and win that game.
You're a big football fan, and you always hear about teams that are successful they take on an identity. Do you feel like the bullpen identity was contagious to the rest of the team, the way that they just were, like they called themselves dogs out there.
Oh yeah, absolutely, you know they were. They were incredible for us all year long. You know, they had to cover a lot of innings, and when you're when you're covering innings, sometimes the numbers may not look as good.
As what they should.
Uh, But we knew that we had one of the best bullpens in baseball, and you know, going into postseason, we knew that was definitely going to be a strength for us. Everyone wanted to talk about, oh, well, you have starters that are hurt, you have this and that, but we knew that we had a big strength. We just had to get get those guys a lead and
let them do what they do. And you know, they're their Their mindset and attitude definitely carried throughout the clubhouts and uh, you know, from the position players standpoint, you watch that and your your whole goal is just get those guys a lead and the game is going to be.
Over before I should go.
Max Monthcy, how much does it mean to you to know that your teammates Andrew Freeman and Dave Roberts value what you mean to this team. I know there's a lot of noise every off season about different players coming and going, but they have been steadfast that you are their guy and that you mean a lot to this lineup. You are part of the sum being greater than the parts. How much does that mean to you?
I really can't put it into words, you know, it's a yeah. I mean, it means so much to me. And it's one of those things that you know, I've obviously haven't been shy about it. I want to retire wearing a Dodger jersey, and I know that at the end of the day that that ball is going to be in my hands if I just keep performing, They're
going to give me that opportunity. And it's it's something that this place is home to me, the organization, the city, it's it's become it's become home to us, and and you know, I love every single, every single thing about it. And you know, to just so to hear hear guys that, to hear guys say that, it kind of means everything.
And it's really, in my mind, the whole reason you play the game and to leave an impact that you were a guy that always helped the team win and is willing to do anything and whether it's in the clubhouse, on the field, off the field, just do something that can help the team in the organization. And you know that's that's something that means a ton to me.
Well, the city of Los Angeles means a lot to Max Monsey, and Monsey means a lot to the city
of Los Angeles. It doesn't fall, you know, flat on us how much you invest yourself playing for the Dodgers and invest yourself in the city of Los Angeles, Monsey, and I think that's part of the reason why everybody loves you that watches you play and just knows what you're all about the last seven years and can't wait to see you in spring training really appreciate you coming on and I I know here in your voice made a lot of people happy out there.
I certainly hope.
So, you know, it's obviously a very, very tough time right now for a lot of people, but that's why, like I said, me and Kelly wanted to make sure we have a lot of a lot of links out there for people to do any type of good for anyone that's in need. So hopefully, hopefully our little chat brought a smile to some people, and you know that's something that'll do some good.
Thanks as always, Max, you always take care of me. And like I said, this was not just for me. It was for the city of la to put a smile on their face with two times, two time World Series Champion Max Muncy. I'll see you in thirty five days, Max.
It's coming up quick. I felt like I just got home.
Hey, it's always sweeter to get back when you're a.
Champ, right, absolutely absolutely, I'm ready to get back and run it back again.
You know, can't wait.
I can't wait to see you, Monsie.
Thank you, Yeah, thanks for having me on