WEBVTT - Eric Lauer (7-30-26) 

0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:04.720
<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.

0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:09.680
<v Speaker 2>We're in the Dodger clubhouse, and not too many guys

0:00:09.680 --> 0:00:13.320
<v Speaker 2>that do radio interviews with us comb their hair shower

0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:17.160
<v Speaker 2>and are imperfect groom status. But Eric Lower, who's nine

0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:20.320
<v Speaker 2>to zero with the Dodgers, has certainly come prepared. Thanks

0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:21.160
<v Speaker 2>a lot for the time.

0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:22.840
<v Speaker 3>You're welcome every time.

0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:25.720
<v Speaker 2>How about Andy Pa has He doesn't really smile that often,

0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:28.320
<v Speaker 2>but when I mentioned your name, Andy Pa has had

0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:30.360
<v Speaker 2>a smile from ear to ear that says a lot

0:00:30.400 --> 0:00:30.800
<v Speaker 2>about you.

0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:33.320
<v Speaker 3>It might just be you, because I see him smiling

0:00:33.360 --> 0:00:33.840
<v Speaker 3>all the time.

0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:36.879
<v Speaker 2>That could be it. Maybe he just doesn't smile at me.

0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.160
<v Speaker 3>I think that might be it. He's a pretty happy guy.

0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:42.960
<v Speaker 2>You've played with a few center fielders in your time.

0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:46.480
<v Speaker 2>Where would you rank Paz as far as defensive center fielders?

0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:51.159
<v Speaker 1>Shoot, he's definitely at the top. He's one guy, and

0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:53.760
<v Speaker 1>that's one thing that I definitely appreciate. When an outfielder

0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:56.240
<v Speaker 1>has a really good arm, that's something that you know,

0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.960
<v Speaker 1>just gets me going. And especially when a guy's fat,

0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.080
<v Speaker 1>some tracks things down and you can tell that he's

0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:04.360
<v Speaker 1>out there trying to make every single play. And throw

0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:07.600
<v Speaker 1>guys out every time, Like that's something as a pitcher

0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:09.360
<v Speaker 1>you just really appreciate.

0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:10.040
<v Speaker 3>And you loved it.

0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:12.000
<v Speaker 1>Like anytime a ball goes out there and you know

0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:13.960
<v Speaker 1>a guy might be going home, You're like, just throw

0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:16.280
<v Speaker 1>them out and throw them out paes, Come on, you.

0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:16.680
<v Speaker 3>Can do it.

0:01:16.720 --> 0:01:18.800
<v Speaker 2>Why do they still run on Paz I'm not sure

0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:21.400
<v Speaker 2>if they're getting the scouting reports with all this data.

0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:21.680
<v Speaker 3>I don't know.

0:01:21.880 --> 0:01:24.720
<v Speaker 1>There should be a hard red light anytime a ball

0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:25.679
<v Speaker 1>goes to center field.

0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:27.959
<v Speaker 2>Do you think you could score from second base on

0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:28.759
<v Speaker 2>poes lower?

0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:31.520
<v Speaker 3>No chance, No way.

0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:32.960
<v Speaker 2>How about just third?

0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:36.679
<v Speaker 1>Maybe third may I'm not I'm not that slow, but

0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:38.959
<v Speaker 1>I don't know. It'd probably be a close play.

0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:40.919
<v Speaker 2>I mean, you've been in the league for a while.

0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.720
<v Speaker 2>Did you ever have ad bats in the major leagues?

0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:46.360
<v Speaker 3>Oh? Yeah, I got, I got a show homer. Oh yeah,

0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:49.520
<v Speaker 3>who did you hit off of? Chris Paddock guy a

0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:50.960
<v Speaker 3>guy that I came up with.

0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:54.120
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's wild. So you were with the Brewers. He

0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:55.280
<v Speaker 2>was pitching for the Padres.

0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:57.720
<v Speaker 1>I assume yep, he was with the Padres. Still as

0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:02.880
<v Speaker 1>with the Brewers. That's actually that's my future jeopardy question,

0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:05.960
<v Speaker 1>is I was the last Brewers pitcher.

0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:08.079
<v Speaker 3>To hit a home run. There we go before they

0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:09.960
<v Speaker 3>took away the picture's hitting rule.

0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:12.840
<v Speaker 2>How about that we just learned something new about Eric Lauer,

0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:14.480
<v Speaker 2>who's a very private person.

0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:18.120
<v Speaker 1>I'm not as private, but I mean I keep some

0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:19.280
<v Speaker 1>cards close to my chest.

0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:23.240
<v Speaker 2>Hey, I I uh full disclosure on Dodger Talk last

0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:26.080
<v Speaker 2>night after the game. I did mention our interaction in

0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.679
<v Speaker 2>Philly when I asked you what have the Dodgers done

0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:31.920
<v Speaker 2>to make a click for you? And you gave me

0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:35.600
<v Speaker 2>some answer that was from the moon because you didn't

0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.560
<v Speaker 2>want to tell me. Are you willing to tell me now?

0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:44.320
<v Speaker 2>Don't tell me about your changeup or your cutter or

0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:45.320
<v Speaker 2>your mental skills.

0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:45.640
<v Speaker 3>Coach.

0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:50.520
<v Speaker 1>I think it's more like, was it what I explaining

0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.400
<v Speaker 1>to you the language of lower that one?

0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.440
<v Speaker 3>Was that the comment that I made it was Yeah?

0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:59.760
<v Speaker 1>I think honestly, that's really been the most freeing thing

0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:01.880
<v Speaker 1>for me is that I can I feel like I

0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.280
<v Speaker 1>can speak my mind to the pitching coaches and they'll

0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:07.960
<v Speaker 1>understand it. And that's like the hardest thing for me

0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:11.679
<v Speaker 1>is you know, getting my feel and my point across

0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:14.560
<v Speaker 1>of what I'm feeling versus what I'm doing and then

0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.120
<v Speaker 1>them being able to recognize exactly what I'm trying to

0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:21.399
<v Speaker 1>say and speak to that rather than just going off

0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:24.200
<v Speaker 1>on their own tangent and their own thoughts and feelings

0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:29.680
<v Speaker 1>and like it. It really brings everything full circle so

0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:32.320
<v Speaker 1>that we all truly truly understand each other.

0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:35.640
<v Speaker 2>I remember talking to Mark Pryor before your first start

0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.200
<v Speaker 2>with the Dodgers, and he said, there's no mechanical overhaul.

0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:43.160
<v Speaker 2>It's more about finding pitches that play off your fastball.

0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.880
<v Speaker 2>And it seems like once started to the curveball last night,

0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.120
<v Speaker 2>it was your change up. Has that been part of

0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:49.560
<v Speaker 2>the language of lower Oh?

0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:52.760
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's definitely like moving things around. How are we

0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:58.200
<v Speaker 1>gonna how are we gonna play off the fastball? And

0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:02.360
<v Speaker 1>what can we do to you know, not necessarily confuse

0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.440
<v Speaker 1>the hitters that much, but like just get them off balance.

0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:07.400
<v Speaker 1>And I think that's kind of the biggest point of

0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:10.640
<v Speaker 1>pitching is disrupting timing. So trying to make sure that

0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:14.400
<v Speaker 1>I'm tunneling well and have multiple speed ranges of.

0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:16.240
<v Speaker 3>Pitches is huge for me.

0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:19.120
<v Speaker 1>And it's it's been some days it's the curveball, some

0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:20.159
<v Speaker 1>days it's the change up.

0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:22.080
<v Speaker 3>Now I'm developing more.

0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:26.160
<v Speaker 1>Of a I don't want to call it a sweeper,

0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:28.360
<v Speaker 1>but like a sweepy slider.

0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:33.440
<v Speaker 3>So, you know, just implementing that has gotten me to.

0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:36.640
<v Speaker 1>Every every mile an hour range that I want, so

0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.960
<v Speaker 1>I can kind of, you know, mess with timing a

0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:40.480
<v Speaker 1>little better.

0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:44.839
<v Speaker 2>Is that Connor McGinnis that is teaching you the slightly sweepy.

0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:45.800
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, he came up with it.

0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:49.960
<v Speaker 1>He's the he's the guru, the mind behind everything of

0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:54.040
<v Speaker 1>like pitch design, and one day he was like, he

0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:55.200
<v Speaker 1>was like, here, just try this.

0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:57.840
<v Speaker 3>I know you don't like this kind of grip, and

0:04:57.920 --> 0:04:58.600
<v Speaker 3>I don't.

0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:02.039
<v Speaker 1>I don't love spiking any because my I pushed so

0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:04.320
<v Speaker 1>hard into the ball it just it ends up like

0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:07.600
<v Speaker 1>hurting my finger. But we've found a spot where it

0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:10.640
<v Speaker 1>doesn't hurt and I can throw the crap out of

0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:13.320
<v Speaker 1>it and it works, So I'm gonna keep throwing.

0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:16.480
<v Speaker 2>It, I would say, so. Eric Lawer undefeated with the Dodgers.

0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:19.760
<v Speaker 2>The Dodgers are nine to zero when Eric Lower starts,

0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.920
<v Speaker 2>and I love how you remind everybody from Dave Roberts

0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:25.760
<v Speaker 2>to Mark Pryor to all of us that the Dodgers

0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:29.560
<v Speaker 2>have not lost even with an opener. When Eric Lower pitches.

0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:32.320
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean, it's a it's a it's a good feeling.

0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:34.680
<v Speaker 3>It's nice knowing that, you know, when I.

0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:37.120
<v Speaker 1>Go out there, when anybody goes out.

0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:38.440
<v Speaker 3>There, really we always have a chance to win.

0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:41.520
<v Speaker 1>And I think that's a testament to our offense, to

0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:43.039
<v Speaker 1>our defense, to our pitching.

0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:47.320
<v Speaker 3>It's just it gives you that much more.

0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:49.680
<v Speaker 1>Comfortability when you get out on that mound to know

0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:52.040
<v Speaker 1>that you know, our guys are gonna score, they're gonna

0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:54.160
<v Speaker 1>put up runs, they're gonna play a great defense, and

0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:56.960
<v Speaker 1>all I have to do is execute pitches. And if

0:05:57.080 --> 0:06:00.960
<v Speaker 1>somebody does put the ball in play, it's eight out

0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:03.799
<v Speaker 1>of ten times going to be an out. So it's

0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:06.039
<v Speaker 1>a really freeing feeling when you're out on that mountain

0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.520
<v Speaker 1>knowing like I can, I can do what I have

0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:10.479
<v Speaker 1>to do and not worry about what's going on behind

0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:11.680
<v Speaker 1>me because I know they got it.

0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:15.239
<v Speaker 2>That's the voice of the well groomed Eric Lauer, who's

0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:17.040
<v Speaker 2>nine to oh are the Dodgers there?

0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:17.520
<v Speaker 3>Nine and oh?

0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:21.120
<v Speaker 2>When he pitches, I will say this, you probably don't

0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.040
<v Speaker 2>even know what I do, right, You have no idea

0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:23.520
<v Speaker 2>what I do.

0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:26.039
<v Speaker 3>I know you talking to a microphone.

0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:28.039
<v Speaker 2>Exactly, but I host the postgame show and take calls

0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:32.200
<v Speaker 2>from fans. Yeah, big revelation, right, you told me something

0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.040
<v Speaker 2>about yourself. I'm telling you what I do. And fans,

0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.920
<v Speaker 2>Dodger fans in this short period of time, have expressed

0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:43.400
<v Speaker 2>to me the emotional attachment they have to Eric Lawer

0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:44.920
<v Speaker 2>and don't want you to go anywhere.

0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:46.479
<v Speaker 3>I don't want to go anywhere.

0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.520
<v Speaker 2>I know, I know. But what you said after the

0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:52.279
<v Speaker 2>game last night, not a lot of guys would admit

0:06:52.960 --> 0:06:56.240
<v Speaker 2>just how what front the Dodgers were with them. Where

0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:58.760
<v Speaker 2>are you at today as we get closer to Monday,

0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:00.200
<v Speaker 2>How are you handling all that?

0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:06.040
<v Speaker 1>I'm trying to stay off social media as much as possible,

0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.320
<v Speaker 1>because I know my wife's on top of that and

0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:11.880
<v Speaker 1>she's telling me everything that's being said and all the

0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:14.440
<v Speaker 1>thoughts and predictions and whatnot out there.

0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.480
<v Speaker 3>And I mean I knew coming in, like.

0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:21.320
<v Speaker 1>I said, it was, I wasn't doing great to begin

0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:23.200
<v Speaker 1>the year, and I wasn't in a great spot when

0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:27.760
<v Speaker 1>I came over here. So I think if I wasn't

0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:31.080
<v Speaker 1>able to accept that, you know, this might be the situation,

0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.640
<v Speaker 1>they might, you know, be testing me out see something

0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:35.440
<v Speaker 1>that they think that they can help me with and

0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:39.680
<v Speaker 1>they definitely have to just get me back to where

0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:42.360
<v Speaker 1>I should be. And you know, my goal was to

0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.120
<v Speaker 1>come in and you know, make the decision really hard

0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:47.520
<v Speaker 1>for him, if that was their plan all along, it was,

0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:50.480
<v Speaker 1>it was to make the decision really hard and being like,

0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:53.480
<v Speaker 1>are we actually willing to give up this guy? And

0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:55.720
<v Speaker 1>I think I've done a pretty decent job of that

0:07:55.840 --> 0:08:00.280
<v Speaker 1>so far. And you know, I've I've gotten pretty close

0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:03.400
<v Speaker 1>with the entire team, the staff, like everybody around here.

0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:10.920
<v Speaker 1>So I'm I'm more than more than hoping that I

0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:11.760
<v Speaker 1>don't get traded.

0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:15.160
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, same here. The radio guy likes you a lot too,

0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:19.080
<v Speaker 2>So I hope in Chicago on Tuesday, you're still wearing

0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:22.520
<v Speaker 2>Dodger blue. But obviously there's a lot of moving parts.

0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:27.120
<v Speaker 2>And like I said, everybody has grown an emotional attachment

0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:30.640
<v Speaker 2>to Eric Lawer. So thank you, and we'll see you. Uh,

0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:32.720
<v Speaker 2>I'll see you tomorrow at least, right we'll be where

0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:33.280
<v Speaker 2>our feet are.

0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:35.520
<v Speaker 1>I think, so, I hope so at least, but you know,

0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:36.480
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate it.

0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.240
<v Speaker 2>Hey, thanks a lot for the time, lour thank you

0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:40.800
<v Speaker 2>for showering too, for this interview.