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So going to.
Yukes, petrosen Money AM five seventy LA Sports Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app in studio full four hour show. After being snipped considerably yesterday, we get you four hours of Petros in Money the podcast available on that iHeartRadio app. Describe to it and remember anywhere in the world. As long as you have that app the A five seventy LA Sports tile pressed and a signal, you can stream the show live.
Yeah, there's stuff from yesterday that we didn't get on air. It did not play on the dead and a live guy from yesterday is now that made.
It mcloning and Dead and Alive, and there.
Is there's a how is Your Weekend? And Before the Show podcast that did not air terrestrially but is.
Online story about local news b one Wild Animal.
Yeah, so that's on. That's the that's the before the show podcast. So that's all there on the iHeartRadio app from yesterday where we only were on for less than an hour, but there's a couple more segments for you to enjoy floating as Matt would say, in the ether. And that's that. It's a Saint Patrick's Day, Happy Saint Patrick's Day. I know Ronnie's excited with his Irish playlist. Happy two ed Mono two to two and Tuesday on the Petros and Money Show.
Shane McGowan too.
It's a full four hour show today, so four hours of great sports talk today, great sports talk, and we will have James Worthy on as the Lakers are hot.
Why are we having Worthy on today? He always comes on Thursdays.
Tomorrow usually comes on Wednesdays and tomorrow exactly right, and tomorrow. You know, Matt, it's not being right. It's the confidence in which you speak that really gets people to love you. But James Worthy usually joins us on Wednesday, occasionally on Thursday. Today is on Tuesday with James Worthy.
They really messed me up, man, it really messed me up buying.
It feels like you've been thrown off, Jill. Not since Kim Novak and Vertigo has a man been disconfused on the West Coast. But we will have James Worthy on today because tomorrow there's not much of a show. We'll try to get something up like we did yesterday, but with the Clippers on the road and a Dodger game before us, there is a very small sliver of an opportunity for us to be on between three and four that we might not make.
Some shows would look at that as a blessing, as a gift. Is maybe we'll get on for fifteen minutes. We see it occurs. Yes, how can we possibly plan for what could be an hour show?
How can we do a show of substance.
A five minute show? So point being subscribed to the podcast, because we'll make sure a sup your show. There'll be something there for you.
We will have something which is a scheduled talk for tomorrow and then even more scheduled talk as far as Thursday.
Goes no time. There's never any time. I don't have time to study. I'm never.
Schedule talk. We have a very very special So tomorrow we might not be on because the early Clipper game and the late Dodger game.
Yeah, Dodger Giants, Clippers, pels. Not a lot of room for Petro's Money.
To be fair. If the Dodger game goes too late like it did yesterday, I don't even know if the Clippers will get on.
Oh that'd be sweet.
But we have an event on That is also why we can't talk to worthy on Thursday. We have an event on Thursday that's two to four on a flex alert and a place we've never been before.
A regular lament from the Petros and Money audience is why don't you spread yourself out?
Why don't you go to Montabello. That's what they say.
There are so many BJ's restaurant in brew house locations in the Greater LA area, and we always say it's not up too odd, not up to us. We go where they tell us to go. And tomorrow we will have such a short show that will celebrate on Thursday a flex Alert two to four in Montabello, pe On to sixty.
Mannabello a Mexican American town. BJS anywhere is Pj's everywhere, but there will be a cultural flavor brought to you by Petrosen Money. Mannabello matt A Pizza. It's Italian for beautiful mountain.
Mana Bello bello.
It is a Mexican American town despite the Italian name, Mannabello High, home of the Oilers. The most famous alum from Mannabello High. You guessed it, Edward James. Almost come on coming out today, Essa. Edward James almost a huge Dodger fan. Also in the area of Manabello. Beat Peninsula highsootball team in the very first year of its existence in the first round of the playoffs, pull of the Spartans.
Sure High. Sure High, who went to Sure High? One of the microphones, one of the most contributing factors in the petrol Some money show in the last few years. One of the Los Mi La Mortes. Okay, not the inventor of the Sure microphone. No man.
By the way, Village Christian played Sure in football in the fall, so I went out to that game. It is a beautiful campus, great.
Beautiful old East La Campus. Brother, it is it is really nice. Fail High is in Montabello. That is the Vikings which is the continuation school where they let you smoke and you work. They do, and that they'd let us smoke, and they let the kids smoke I day they rancho the continuation school in Palace Vernes, and then the one of course in Chatsworth, Stony Point, all of them smoking schools.
Waterey High School here in Burma, the Extended Uh.
And they let you smoke, You work on your you work on your work book, and they let Now it's they let you vape, sure, but you work your work book.
That's what it is. Now they let you vathe.
Also in that area Bell Gardens High School, home of the Lancers, who were a tough Hispanic option team in the nineties. The guy who sang the Summertime Blues Eddie Cochran, Ain't no cure. That's the guy feels like summertime out there today. Let me tell you he is from Bell Garden. So that is where we're going.
And it is easily accessible off the sixty. It is in the shadow of the sixties right after you exit Paramount Boulevard and you basically turn right into the Montabella Town Center and the BJ's restaurant in brew House.
You know who we should talk to this about. But we're parking because he leads immediately, so we don't insult him about Fred Kevin Fingers who went to cal State LA. Let's go eagles right there, which is not far from that area. He might have picked up a few pelts over the years, if you know what I'm saying, Matt, Now, I don't know what you mean. What do you mean in Montabella? What do you mean not following you shared
life experience in Montabello? In Monnabelo, the number anybody the number one attraction other than us at the bjys in the Montapello Bellow Town Center. The number one attraction in Montabello, from what I can tell, is grant Reya Park, the jewel of Montapello. Uh. It is a closed landfill dedicated to you sports. Grant Rea was a World War II local hero. I think a pilot now. The grant Raa Park's got it all, Matt. What's it got? Pools? Okay,
picnic areas. I like a picnic fields. I like an open field, well not just open field softball, baseball.
Oh, I got your playing fields?
A senior banquet hall. Let's say you're old and you want to have.
A party inside temperature controlled maybe some bingo pickleball that can get a little sport can get.
Well, that's not that's obviously not for the elderly unless they want to play.
Uh no, I may gets hot on the court.
Well yeah, yeah, I got kicked and it's and it's hot figuratively out there literally too. Skate park Okay, should I bring a skateboard? Sure, it's got a shore high school. Yeah that too. It's got a splash pad, Matt, you can bring your trunks, okay. And uh a barnyard zoo at grant Raa Park. I mean this is no punk park. This is a big ass landfill, a barnyard zoo. Those landfills, you know, they know how to fertilize that ground amphitheater. They got a lot. And then it has that big arch thing.
What's the big arch thing.
It's right in the middle of grant Raa Park. It's kind of like the symbol of Montebello. It's like a tall climate or like no, no, okay, no, you don't climbate. You don't climb to Saint Louis RG either have some respect.
They got a elevator, I think they should top of that.
Monto Montapello is an East Los Angeles paradise and I cannot wait to be there. We're gonna get a taste of it, and we're gonna have the time of our least of DJ's that we're gonna did well. We've certainly had plenty of dates of that over the years.
Do they have a unique Monapella menu.
I don't believe so, man. I don't think it's like Baha Thursday at the Montabello BJ's or anything like that. But it should be a great time.
And we got giveaways, great giveaways. By the way, well that but that's not what people really want. U. Yes, it's exactly what they want. And so it's worth pointing out, we've got tickets to opening day. Why what's that? What's that look like? I don't care tickets to opening day. We're going to be set out there early. That's how big of a deal it is. We've got to shift our time slot so the early morning hours for opening day.
Everybody knows. And this is what Hartman said. Okay, that's why I gave that look because I've been indoctrinated into the new Steve Hartman way of thinking. This is what Hartman said on Friday On Friday, did you guys do cross talk on Friday?
Oh?
For like, if Ronnie didn't play us off, it would still be.
Going wait wait win during their time slot or the PMA.
Asked, They asked. They sent a formal invitation to Jonas Knox and I not since a duke or something was invited to the met Opera has such a formal invitation gone out as like the Gilded Age. They sent us an invitation everywhere down the hall. Calligraphy, Yeah, beautifully done. Guy with a big powdered wig gave it. They sent us an invitation to do the cross talk, to do fusion, which has not been done in these parts, for it feels like a thousand years. And we said, okay, we
accepted the invitation. We came down. Now there were a few things working in our favor for fusion and against us. One an extremely bitter David Vassey was at Camelback.
Ranch and he live from the from the ranch.
So he was inevitably going to feel left out and be bitter. Hartman was very excited. Jonas was excited. It was really like.
Fourth Jonas was excited just.
Just to be part of the fusion, to be out here with Steve Hartman, and I did make the reference that we sounded like four virgins and an orgy. You know, we didn't know how to do the fusion anymore because it's been so long. Ever since Rodney tried to send Matt back to Indianapolis.
That was the end of it, twenty eighteen. I just looked it up.
Yeah, seven years ago ended the fusion. We just we started fighting with Rogan and Rodney and we couldn't do the fusion anymore.
Now.
That same thing as happened with us and a few other shows. They've been on that long. Sadly, they've been on that long. Sadly, time passes quickly. That's all I wanted to say. You cut me off.
He told you go back to be in your twenty. It feels like, yeah, you know, we've been doing this a long time. No one can step to us and.
Year twenty and no one even farts in our direction. Gary and Shannon do ten years and they get like this is your life. Where they're sitting there last six months holding hands on two director's chairs while two people wax poetic on stage about Gary and Shannon. I mean, Gary and Shannon get more fanfare than Robert Duvall at the Oscars, Who's one of the greatest actors of his generation. Why did Gary and Shannon get so much love for
their anniversary? And Matt and I are just sitting here staring at each other's bootzolls for twenty years.
Twenty years, not ten. We got nothing for ten, nothing for five, but yeah, seven years for twenty seven years ago, Matt, when we were only thirteen years in. That is when cross talk went sour. So we did cross talk with Rogan and Rodney, or excuse me, with the Rogan and Rodney Show. And that day it was David Vasse and Steve Hartman and it went swimmingly and it was great to see Steve and geek it up and chop it up with Steve.
That being said, Steve said to everybody, you don't want opening day tickets, that's a sham, you know what them. What you really want is the second DIY. You want rig Knight. Rag Knight's a mess now with the rig Knight lives. Yeah, He's the greatest night of my lives. How comes on the right.
You know, we don't have those tickets.
No, we don't. Man, we do have open But that was the influence that Steve had on me very much.
So I was the editor of the Daily Bruin back in the early eighties. He also worked for the Raiders. Yes, he did at a pr E and L. Davis Thickest Thee.
A lot of people don't know this, but when he was in high school, Steve was quite the heart throb. Played base in a valley band called Dire Need.
He's well traveled, many adventures. The man's lived a million lives. We will have tickets to opening Day on Thursday, from two to four. We'll have tickets to the Freeway Series. I do believe they'll be an announcement about where we're going to be camped out for one of those Freeway Series games. We adjust accordingly when baseball begins to be played. And we'll also have tickets in our suite. So sweet tickets Opening Day. That's a hell of a mascot. That's a hell of a mascot.
So they're smoking over at Snowty Point. Oh, they're welcome if you want them, Matt.
So Sweet tickets Opening Day tickets, Freeway Series tickets. We will be in Montabello Thursday on a flex alert and a short show two to four only two hours off the sixty Paramount in the Montabella Town Center. BJ's rest runner Brewe House. First time ever at this location. Very excited to find our way off the sixty Freeway there East La. You guys know, Opening Day is not an Opening Day game. It's a it's a is it a
standard or is it a little bit earlier? It's a five five thirty start because the NBC is doing their first broadcast, so that's Nashley.
Are we doing the four man show?
No, as it is now, they'll do a couple hours leading into.
You'll do twelve to two and we'll do two to four thirty something like that. Yeah, and there will be no crossing of the streams. No, you guys can wait in the hall. They'll be downstairs while we're upstairs. We'll be up upstairs. Well, yeah, I like that. I like that. That's how it went last year.
What do you mean.
We we're in the suite eating wraps and fruit while they were finishing their show that was shortened because we took an hour from them and then we came on the air. It was not the put the table, put.
The uh put the biscuit in the basket?
Yeah the hell would you call it?
I don't know.
Put the the desk on the field with five chairs, and here's all you guys plus a guest hanging out together doing a four hour RADI.
It makes me want to die. Yeah. Uh, I just got a text from mister.
Yee the secret text does a line brought to you by your sokel Toyota dealers.
We make it easy.
Colin's dad, Oh from Collins dad. I thought you met mister Ye Colin Ye, but no, no, Colin's dad. Mister Yee.
That's what it says on my phone. Mister Yee, okay my phone. If Colin text, it says callin Oli. Ye, it's two different guys. And mister Ye writes this Colin used to use the batting cages at the park in Montabella.
At your Grant Ray Park thing. Yes, how about that?
I mean, what what a wonderful connection? Oh dang, surf punk Matt is going to revert back to three sixty Allie Kickflip Matt at the BJ's and Mantabelle.
Hell more likely I'll revert to broken wrist, Matt, most likely, what will happen?
Well, we'll be back and we'll talk to James Worthy, who is Hall of Fame James Worthy. And it's hard to shake.
That Lakers are streaking winners of six in a row. Luka Doncic making a push for First Team All NBA. I'm sure James going to be in a fantastic mood.
Guys that have been a terrible mood. This team is losing. I'm James Worthy, and I live vicariously emotionally through this Laker tease.
Right.
I usually don't get that impression of James. I feel like he's.
Immune to that. Yes, wile the Town Center's got a lot of shops in it, perhaps in a way that the Duke of Sports is not. Ah, Yes, I feel like you're a little late. Mat I expect you.
You to look up the different shops in the town Center and just starts spewing out, oh my soul and all this different stuff. About ten fifteen minutes ago, while I was talking about Grant Ray Park but didn't want to step on Grant record, I sure not, of course not. But they do have an I fix iPhone repair at the Montabella Town Center. Leave review on yep, pick cash, give it to you a price. I'll bring bring your broken electronics to the event. We'll be back with James
Worthy on Petrosen Money. This is Petro Send money.
On demand, on demand, Demand.
Demand, Petro sand Money and James Worthy in this segment brought to you by Ford. It is Ford Truck Month, the best time to buy a Ford truck like the legendary Ford F one fifty, America's best selling truck for forty nine years and running versatil Ford Maverick, the adventurous Ford Ranger, or the tough Ford Super Duty Hurry in Ford Truck Month happens only once a year. Visit your southern California Ford Dealers today.
Matt joining us right now on this find Saint Patrick's Day. We're happy to have him on a little early this week due to some scheduling conflicts that are beyond our control. It is the Hall of Famer. The Lakers are streaking and worthy new and once Reeves and Luca got together that things would be okay. The Hall of Famer is Jersey Hangs and the Rafters, an Emmy Award winner as well a champion in college and the NBA three times. The one and only James Worthy on the Pettersen Money Show.
What's cracking?
James?
How are you all good?
Man?
All good? On a special Tuesday?
Yeah, thank you buy it. Thanks for doing it early because of the Clippers schedule and then we got to go to Montamelo. But that's not your problem, James, and you don't have any problems. The Lakers are streaking right now. What is it about Luca and Austin Reeves playing together in the way that they do that makes them so difficult for very good NBA teams or anybody to guard?
Well, you know, like I hate saying the things that always sound like excuses, but you know the fact that they finally got everybody like healthy and together and play together for a while a few games, and I think the coaching staff was able to figure out how to deal with the trio. Okay, you look at Lebron's role now it's more off ball. I think he's enjoying it, and I think he realizes that he can be most productive in that role, and he allows Austin Reeves to
handle the ball just as much as Luca. To me, they you know, Luca obviously is you know, super talented, but they both are very efficient, and I think having them on the floor together, sometimes with and without Lebron, and allowing Austen to flourish with the ball in his hands. He gets to the free throw line, he didn't look to do the same thing. They get to the line,
they draw files, they both at shoot the three. They're very spontaneous, and when that happens, I think eight and really, you know, Marcus Smart, you know, he reminds me of Michael Cooper so much. He's just a you know, he sticks his nose in there. He's got Lebron diving on the floor. You know, Marcus Smart came in here diving on the floor early in the season. Now he's got forty one year old guy. So I think they're starting to like get more synergy than they've ever had. We've
seen spurts oft it. It's easy to see the talent when you got Luke out there, you know, killing it from three and do what he does. And then when you bring in the consistency of like I thought, Jake Lavia had a good game last night. You know, I think when they start to make that more consistent on the defensive end. They've always had the offense, but now when you when you're throwing the defense and you know, the collective effort, it's nice to see. I don't think it's sustain it.
On the six game win streak, you've seen DeAndre Aiden's minutes go up. Played almost thirty last night, thirty against the Nuggets, nearly forty against the Bulls, you know, and there was a lot of conversation about him not accepting his role. You heard what he said. You know that that kind of took off in a viral moment about him not being Clint Capella just kind of where where
you at with aighton? How responsible is he on this six game you know, win streak, these nine of their last ten, And do you feel like he's done a better job of kind of filling in where he's supposed to fill in?
Well, I think I think Clint Capella had the best response. You know, Clint Coppella said, hey, man, you got you know, three guys that can ball. Just go out and just go out and ball with him, you know, And I think, you know, if he does that, I do think that they're starting to include him early. I think some guys you have to like initiate and get them the ball, whether that's a love or something off a pick and roll. His defense I thought was amazing. Then once he gets
some few touches, they're active, they get involved. I think Marcus Smart started this about a month ago. He intentionally, I remember one game throwing eight in the ball to get him involved. So uh, lately, I like his effort. I like his efficiency. He's got nice you know, and when you get him the ball in the paint, he's very efficient with the little floaters and sometimes he gets a dunk and can hit the eight footer, but it collapses the defense a little bit, and he's a willing
passer out of that. So uh, that's when Luke Canard gets an open three or somebody gets in, you know. Uh, Marcus Smart might get a wide open three. Uh. So they need to inclue when you got a big number one draft pick for a reason. Now he hasn't dominated, uh, but he's he still has talent, and he's still young, and hopefully he'll he'll find it, you know, get a little bit of to kill O'Neill in it, you know what I'm saying.
The Great James Mrthy we could all use a little bit of Shaquille O'Neill in us.
Money.
Yeah, take some of that money. Is that Papa John's money, James? Uh? Last night the Lakers were like double blitzing Kevin Durant late in the game when he had the ball. Now did they do that to Nikola Djokis last year? And is that something that JJ Reddick seems to do a lot or just when it gets to be toward the playoffs and in the playoffs, because it was effective last night, kind of stifling Kevin Durant late.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I think without San Goon, you know that that was one advantage that the Lakers had. You know, he was out last night, and he's kind of like he kind of he's kind of like a Yokic center. He can handle the ball. He does do a lot of handoffs. So I think with with with him out and not really having a really uh a really breakdown primary guard, they were able to take some of Kevin Durant's comfort away. He liked to handle the
ball a lot to get to his spots. So by blitzing him, which by the way, they also do a lot with Luca, they try to get Luca out high with a blitz and get it out of his hands. Uh. Luca's a little bit more evasive. Uh, but I think that was good strategy, blitzing him, double teaming him, getting out of his hands, forcing the issue, which they were successful at, you know early. You know, early in the third second quarter they had a lot of offensive rebounds.
But I think once they figured out the rotations, uh, and a lot of part of the game they were they had much success with, you know, closing down Durant Who's Who's hard to do, by the way, it's very hard, but they did a good job of blitzing and collapse.
James. We remember they had that stretch last year where they were one of the best defensive teams in the league. Kind of right before that Luca trade, they were streaking on that side of the court. You mentioned it that on this win streak they're playing better defense. I mean last night, no Sangoon, but talking about holding them to twenty points below their season average. Kind of did the same thing with the Knicks as well, and that big win.
Do you think this can be a good defensive team with their personnel if Lebron, Austin Reeves and Luca are out there. Is it, Is it possible? And how do they do that? Because they're probably going to need that to win a playoff series.
Yeah, absolutely, you know that. You mentioned the Knicks. They almost had Minnesota on the hundred. They scored a few points late in the fourth. But yeah, the Lakers have shown that and clutch last four minutes, last five minutes, they've been pretty good. You know when you add that for four to forty eight minutes. Yeah, I think I think they have to have that, And I think it starts with you know, Marcus Smart was Defensive Player of
the Year. He's bought this mentality to these guys that's tough, physical, verbal, and uh, that's what you need. And I think you know, when guys like Aydan who's a rem protector, uh you know, uh, Hayes is always pretty active. But then guys like Jake la Rabia, he don't. People don't realize he's a pretty tough defender. He's sneaky, he he gets offensive rebounds, he doesn't spectate. So when you start to bring in those type of uh, you know players on top of you know,
Austin Reeves taking charges. Surprisingly, Luca is a better defensive player this year. Uh, you know, it kind of reminds me of Magic. You know, he's a good team defender, knows the other team's offense and knows how to step in and get steals. Every now and then he's getting back on you know, getting back on defense because you know, he can't complain too much to the referees because he has that he only has that one more technical, so
now he can't complain. He'd get hitting back on defense quicker. But I just think that they know defense is going to win defense they do. They do need to do a better job once they play twenty four seconds of good defense of securing that rebound. They give up too many offensive rebounds. They did against Boston, they did last night. I kind of on one possession where team got like
four extra rebounds, and that just it's demoralizing when that happens. So, uh, those are less shot attempts you're getting up and they need to they need to work on that a little bit.
The great James Worthy, our hero. Where do you think this momentum can take them? James? I mean, they're a lot of fun to watch and they have some great players. How far do you think they can go leading into the playoffs here.
You want home corner advantage in the first round. I think if you know, right now, I think they're still in third, I believe, and they have secure I know they secured a tiebreaker with Denver, and so I think the Suns are still floating around. Yeah, you want home court advantage and then you know once you can secure
that in the playoffs. You know kind of began in the second round, but if you do want to kind of stand around third and see if you could secure home court advantage and go from there and continue to get better on the defensive vand particularly as you get deeper into the into the playoffs.
Real quick, James, how worried are you? Six v eleven North Carolina VCU No Caleb Wilson v. Custeen of seventeen. It's like the number one upset that everyone's picking for the tournament. How are you feeling?
Yeah, Look, I keep it real. I want my tar here and I want to be pulling form. Without Caleb, it's gonna be tough in that bracket. That's a tough bracket there in. But I'm pulling for him, you know, I always say, you know we can upset somebody. That's just extradition. But it's it's it's it's not you know, they're not favorite. You know, if I had to really like buckle down and say, Okay, I don't know if they can get through.
This, but I'm a tar heel, well, good luck to the heels. That's right, you got it, Thank you, James. All right, I'm a tar heel. There he goes on a steel Horse. I Ride brought to you by Ford and Ford Truck Month.
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David Masse from Dodger Spring Training joining us. Next. Happy Saint Patrick's Day.
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All the Japanese guys are back in camp and Davids is with us.
Fly from spring training, the Home of the Dodgers is with an inside look at the Dodgers. This is the Vass Report with David Vase.
David Vasse back with us on Patterson Money Happy, Saint Patrick's day to Vass a many years ago. We spent this day at McFadden's.
That was a hell of a day. We had a great time. But Dave till our boss ditched us for an uber to get to the airport and we got stuck.
It happened, but we got there. Uh. Dave is with us at the Real Underscore DV He's got Dodger Talk tonight with Andre Ehier joining him, and the Japanese guys are back, so Dave's got to be happy. Dave is on your Southern California. Tell you to Dealer Celebrity online. Dave, how's it going.
It's going good. The Dodgers are playing under the lights tonight against the Mariners, and the Dodgers made the announcement today that Shoho Tani is going to start tomorrow's game and then start the final game of the Freeway Series against the Angels for his final tune up before the regular season. And as you guys know, yesterday the big
announcement that Yoshi Yamamoto is the opening day starter. So yeah, it's great to have everybody back here since YadA was on Mookie bets shoulder today, so things are back to Dodgers normal now, Dave.
If he is pitching the last game of the Freeway series, where does that slot him in the rotation.
Yeah, that still remains to be seen, but it doesn't slought him for or the first opening series against the Diamondbacks. I could definitely see Otani pitching one of those games against the Guardians, especially with a weird day off on Sunday after they finished the three game series against Arizona. So that would lend itself to believe that Otani probably starts one of the games against the Guardians.
You feel like you got a clear picture of what those first three or four or five starters are going to look like.
I believe, so I believe if you just look at the caliber of starters that Dodgers have, it's got to be Yamamoto opening day obviously, glass now as the season starts, he would be, you know, my number two starter, and then that leads who I mean, Otani not going to start in the Arizona Series.
So is that Emit.
Shean, you know, Emmit Shean. Over the weekend he got upset with me, but it was hard to ignore the fact that he was throwing about ninety to ninety two instead of his normal ninety five. He said it was mechanical and there are no red flags that the Dodgers are showing right now. So I would say those would be my first three right now. Roki Sasaki a big start tonight under the lights here against the Royals because
it has looked uneven. He pitched well on the backfields you know last week, but that was against minor leaguers, and the way he was getting outs was, you know, minor leaguers chasing pitches that major leaguers don't usually chase. So tonight's a big one and the Dodgers need Sasaki and his innings as they start the season without Blake Snow and Gavin Stone.
How's Mookie doing, Dave? He hit a home run on Sunday.
Yeah, we had a great talk with Mooki after that game out there a mesa against the Cubs Petros. There's the look of Mookie Bets. The actions on the field resemble the Mookie Bets that we saw in September last year and the Mookie Bets that he's in his entire career. And we asked him what is the biggest difference, and he said it was simple that sickness took a lot out of him. Here's what he said about how being stronger in spring training is translating to him being the hitter that we know.
It's consistent. You know, I'm kind of doing the same thing every day. But I think the most important part is just I have Now that I have, I think I'm one to seventy eight now seventy eight, almost one eighty, so I'm able to just have speed, you know, something that didn't when I lost all the way. I just was down ten miles pour and speed, and so you got guys throwing one hundred miles an hour and with a slow bat. I mean it's going to be hard to do it's not an excuse, but it's a fact.
So now I got my speed back, I don't I don't have to hurry up and make decisions so fast.
So there you go. I mean, I guess it makes sense he has his strengths back and that has allowed him to get them that through the strike zone quicker. And so he basically said that he was playing from behind all last year, which we heard about. But now it makes sense why he looks and resembles the Mookie Bets that we've known in the past.
This may be a stupid question, but I'm known for those Dave. In a spring training game when it gets away from a team like it did yesterday and Dave Roberts was struggling to find pictures that could find the strike zone, can you just say we're good, like, hey, let's just call this off. Would that have too much of a negative effect on the team, Like it was a hot day out there and it seemed like things just kept getting worse and worse in those final two innings.
No, that's not a dumb question. In fact, it's something that we were all talking about. Who is this benefiting? Is it really helping the development of those pictures that just couldn't find the strike zone. I'm not sure who that benefits as far as player development goes. So, yeah, I'm with you. I feel like in that circumstance, you know, for all of the quirks, so the World Baseball Classic, you know, once it gets to that stage, how about
the mercy rule. But at least we got to see Brady Evil hit his first home run as a professional yesterday at camel Back Ranch.
Yeah, and who knows if they would have called the game, it could have never happened. What about Blake trying and rushing? They've had terrible springs, Dave, what is the level of concern?
Oh, truth, you're paying attention. I guess you, guys, we were paying attention yesterday when Blake trying and made you guys sit and wait to do your show because he gave up. He gave up some three run home run in that nine run seventh inning. Look, at this point in time of spring training, it's pretty serious.
You know.
It's not everybody's leaving saying, oh, you know what when they leave the building after a game like that and they don't perform well, that they're feeling great about themselves at this juncture of spring training, just you know, less than ten days away from opening days, it's pretty serious to start getting some results. And I think the biggest concern is that Trynon not only is walking hitters, not only is he not missing bats, but he's only throwing
ninety three and he's thirty seven years old. You have to wonder how much he has left. And he's going to be on the opening day roster, but certainly there's concern. And look, Dalton Rushing for a guy that says that he needs to play every day, has been given the opportunity to play every day and it just hasn't gone well for him this spring training. So again he's going to get the opportunity to be on the opening day roster. But certainly the Dodgers have a pretty good defensive catcher
in Elisia Alfonso that they brought in. He caught yesterday. He definitely could be part of this equation. And you know, the Mets have two really good, two real good catchers. Ben Horffitt may be available by the end of spring training if the Mets decide not to tender him, so he could be back on the Dodgers' radar.
Well, good luck. I know that'll make Tim Kate's very happy, getting Royt vedback. Good luck. Focusing on the Dodgers Royals contest tonight, with the World Baseball Classic getting rolling at five pm and a six o'clock first pitch for the boys in Blue, Dave, we appreciate it. Looking forward to Andre Ethier tonight as well or tomorrow.
Thank you guys, thank you night.
All right, Dave, goodbye, and we'll be back with Mark Petrosen. Money word numbers of the day. Happy Saint Patrick's Day, everybody,