WEBVTT - Spring Training Dodger Talk (3-5-26) 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:02.800 The quest for the threepeat has begun. 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:06.880 Only four teams in Major League Baseball history have won 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:11.400 three consecutive titles. The Dodgers are the favorites to become 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:12.240 the fifth. 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:14.800 Fi a Spring Training Dodger. 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:16.959 Talk, here we go again, riga running. 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:20.680 Back hosted by Dodgers aint sider David Basset. How three 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:23.040 peat in the Mexican in on the show called eight 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.040 six six nine eighty seven two five seven, And be 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:29.600 sure to follow Dodger Talk wherever you catch your podcasts. 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:32.240 Here's your host, David bas Sing. 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:37.240 Welcome the Dodger Talk. David Masey with you until eight 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:40.880 o'clock tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:43.400 We got a great show for you tonight. We have 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:46.720 phone lines open at eight six six nine, eight seven 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:50.120 two five seventy. Also, there's been a lot of talk 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:53.760 about some of the young Dodgers that have been playing 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:56.960 in spring training games this year, so we're going to 0:00:57.000 --> 0:01:01.240 revisit our conversations with James T. Bibbs third, who has 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:05.720 had a very impressive Cactus League season. He was traded 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:09.920 twice last year, once from the Giants to the Red 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:12.840 Sox and then the Red Sox to the Dodgers, So 0:01:13.360 --> 0:01:18.000 he is looking for stability, consistency, and it seems like 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:22.120 the Dodgers organization is bringing out the best in James 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:25.640 Tibbs the Third, who is a first round pick out 0:01:25.680 --> 0:01:29.160 of Florida State. He has had a tremendous spring training, 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.280 not just with the home runs or the batting average, 0:01:32.400 --> 0:01:35.360 it's the way he's getting those hits. He's going the 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:39.080 other way with power, and he's a really good outfielder 0:01:39.120 --> 0:01:42.559 that could play all three outfield positions. So you will 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:46.720 hear from James Tibbs the Third and also a forgotten 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:52.040 guy in in some capacities, Jackson Ferris is going to 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:55.280 join us at the bottom of the hour. Remember Jackson 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:58.279 Ferris was part of the Michael Bush trade a couple 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:03.520 of years ago that rock Zayiir Hope and Jackson Ferris 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:07.080 to the Dodgers, and there was a lot of hype 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:10.440 around Jackson Ferris. But you know, he may not turn 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:13.880 out to be that number one or number two elite starter. 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:16.880 He might turn out to be that way, but there's 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.760 nothing wrong with saying you're a number three starter in 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:22.800 the big leagues, especially when you look at the Dodgers 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:28.440 starting rotation this year and for years to come with Yamamoto, Otani, Glass, 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:31.840 Noew and Snell, along with guys like Emma Shean and 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:35.880 River Ryan, there's something to be said about being part 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:38.560 of the rotation. It's gonna be a little hard to 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:43.160 supplant Yamamoto or Otani or Snell as a number one 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:46.680 when those guys are on the mound. But nonetheless, Jackson 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:50.160 Ferris could be making his major league debut this year, 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:53.600 and with the way the Dodgers starting rotation is starting 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.040 out the season, it may come sooner rather than later. 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.560 So we'll get into all that later in the show. 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:02.240 But in case you missed it, since we did not 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.880 have the game on and five to seventy LA Sports today, 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:10.080 the Dodgers in a slugfest in Goodyear against the Reds 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:15.280 lost to Cincinnati fourteen to thirteen, and it was impressive 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:18.560 the Dodgers were able to put up fourteen runs considering 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:22.400 Max Munsey was the only Dodger in the lineup that 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.560 was in the starting lineup in Game seven of last 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:29.480 year's World Series. The only other player that was on 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:32.360 the roster last year that was in the starting lineup 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:37.280 was Alex call and Alex Freeland. The hero today was 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:39.560 a guy that you're starting to hear more and more from, 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:42.960 and I mentioned him to you after the second week 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:46.160 of spring training that he had a viable option or 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:50.680 a viable chance of making the roster, and that is 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:56.080 Santiago Espinal. Santiago Espinal today hit a pair of home 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:59.960 runs and drove in six runs. He certainly has been 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:03.320 and swinging the bat really well in spring training. That's 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:06.480 not what the Dodgers were looking for. They were looking 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:09.080 for his defense to get back to the Gold Glove 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:11.560 level that it was when he made the All Star 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:14.480 team with the Blue Jays a few years back. So 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:18.200 it looks like the defense is there and the bats 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:22.920 certainly is there. And look, with the injuries to Key 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:26.800 K Hernandez and tom Yedman or off season surgeries, I 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:30.240 should say to Key k, a Hernandez and tom Y Edman, 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:34.360 Santiago Espinal is going to be on this roster. Didn't 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:37.440 really need Dave Roberts to confirm that all signs were 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:41.919 porting that way. I got some indications from Andrew Friedman 0:04:41.960 --> 0:04:44.760 a couple of weeks ago that yeah, he definitely was 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:48.720 in the mix and certainly, with those two players starting 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:51.960 the year on the injured list, the Dodgers needed some 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:56.320 right handed bat off the bench. Miguel Rojas and Alex 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:59.680 call are the only two right handed bats off the 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:02.679 bench right now and on the infield. Off the bench, 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:06.880 Rojas is the only one. So Santiago Espinal, I know 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:08.960 he could play second like he did today. I know 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.680 he could play third. But the way it's been explained 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.719 to me is that the Dodgers to begin the year 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:19.520 are looking for Espinal to spell Max Munsey when needed 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.960 and play the high level defense at third base and 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:27.080 give the Dodgers a right handed hitting option at third base, 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:31.920 considering Munsey's the lefty not to mention at second base, 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:35.880 They're looking for either Hay Song Kim or Alex Freeland 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:40.559 to go with Miguel Rojas. Freeland he's a switch hitter, yes, 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:43.400 but he's a better hitter from the left side. Hay 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:46.719 Song Kim a left handed hitter, and he and Shoho 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:51.360 Tani are in the same World Baseball Classic Poll poll 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:55.000 c out there in Tokyo, and Hay Song Kim before 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:58.400 he left for Tokyo, left a big time impression on 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:03.080 Dave robertson the Dodgers that he has gotten better as 0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:07.280 a hitter, all around hitter, so that's good news. And 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:11.799 also the fact that Kim can play some outfield gives 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:16.279 him the edge to be part of the opening day roster, 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:20.320 but nothing has been cemented, so the competition is still 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:26.159 open for the last roster spot essentially between Santi excuse me, 0:06:26.200 --> 0:06:30.080 Alex Freeland and Hayesan Kim Espinal all but on the 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:33.679 opening day roster. For the reasons I explained, eight sixty 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:36.840 six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.599 number in case you've been missing Dodger Baseball on your 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:43.080 home for the back to back champions and five to 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:46.640 seventy LA Sports. Our next broadcast is going to be 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:51.159 this Saturday, and it's an evening affair at Talking Stick 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:55.479 Salt River Fields. It's against the Rockies. Our coverage begins 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.680 on Saturday at four point thirty with first pitch at 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.400 five oh five, and Emma Shean and Kyle Hurt are 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:05.560 going to join us on the pregame show this Saturday, 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:09.840 so looking forward to that. Before that all happens, there's 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:13.040 going to be more World Baseball Classic games taking place 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.800 overnight in Tokyo at the Tokyo Dome. But here's something 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.480 for you. And I start to ask some people that 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:26.200 are avid baseball fans, big time Dodger fans, how into 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.880 the World Baseball Classic are you? Look, It's no secret 0:07:29.880 --> 0:07:32.280 that I'm not making this the end all be all, 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:36.000 like other media types that obviously want to get in 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:40.240 the good graces of Major League Baseball. This is all 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:45.000 to me set up kind of like the Harlem Globetrotters 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:48.240 and the Washington Generals or the Savannah Bananas against you 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:52.640 know who or anybody. Look at who is in Pool 0:07:52.760 --> 0:07:55.840 C with Team Japan, the team that Major League Baseball 0:07:55.920 --> 0:08:02.640 obviously wants to advance, Australia, Chinese time, I pay Chechia 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:07.640 and Korea. Korea is probably the only team that could 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:11.800 give Japan a loss in that pool. You look at 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:15.280 Pool D in Miami. The Dominican republics in the same 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:21.280 in the same pool with Israel, the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Venezuela. 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:25.000 So you basically only have two baseball countries. I know 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:28.600 the Netherlands have some people that have played in the 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:31.360 big leagues, but it's been far and few between. At 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:35.319 the same time, sorry, Kennley Jansen. I apologize. And then 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.480 you look at Pool B in Houston. You got Brazil. 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:42.320 Have you ever heard of nine Brazilian players in Major 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:47.840 League Baseball? Great Britain, Italy. My mom's from Italy, and 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:50.520 when I went there when I was sixteen and I 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:53.840 mentioned baseball, they had no clue what I was talking about. 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.080 So that tells you all about baseball in Italy. You 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:00.600 got Mexico has a good lineup but poor pitch, and 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.440 they got a great manager in Benji Gill. And then 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:06.800 you've got Team USA. So you can't tell me this 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:12.319 is made not made for TV. This is made for TV. 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:17.439 They want the USA or Japan or the Dominican Republic 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:21.200 in the finals. There's no ifs ands or buds about it. 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:27.640 Out there in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You got Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, Columbia, Canada. 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:31.080 Come on, they want Puerto Rico coming out of there. 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:35.440 This is so telegraphed it's insulting. And I feel like 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:38.080 that's part of the reason why nobody takes this as 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:42.880 seriously early on as Major League Baseball wants you to 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:46.880 take it, I only start to get engaged, probably in 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:51.080 the quarterfinals when you start to see baseball lineups that 0:09:51.120 --> 0:09:55.440 you recognize playing each other, whether it's Puerto Rico versus 0:09:55.640 --> 0:10:03.040 USA or the Dominican against Korea or Japan. Venezuela has 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:06.640 good players as well, But come on, are you really 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:10.960 excited about the World Baseball Classic before the final matchup 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.720 when you actually recognize who the players are. This is 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:21.400 completely telegraphed to get these baseball countries into the quarterfinals, 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.720 the semi finals, and the finals, of course. And I'm 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:28.560 not blaming Major League Baseball. And it goes back to 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.240 what I have said many times and many others that 0:10:32.600 --> 0:10:37.800 actually are saying agree with, is that the Dodgers and 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:41.319 Yankees in the World Series is better than the Diamondbacks 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:45.200 and Rangers in the World Series for baseball. Same thing 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:48.440 as it applies to the World Baseball Classic, but MLB 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:52.560 has more control over that happening by the way they 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:57.640 put these teams in their desired pools. There's no drawings. 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:01.280 This is Major League Baseball footing these teams where they 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:05.280 want them to put them. So I'm sorry, I can't 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:09.840 get hyped up for any of this. I apologize until 0:11:09.920 --> 0:11:14.640 maybe we see a matchup of Usa versus Puerto Rico 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:21.040 or Japan versus the Dominican Republic. Yeah, if I'm available, 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:26.400 I'll watch it. But outside of that, I'm sorry. And 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.520 I've talked to other people, you know, I actually engage 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.679 with other humans now, dropping my kids off at school, 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:37.680 going to Little League. Nobody has mentioned once about the 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:41.160 World Baseball Classic or how hyped up they are about 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:45.199 the World Baseball Classic? Am I missing something? Eight six 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:47.960 six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the phone 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:50.960 number when we continue on Dodger Talk. I want to 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:54.079 hear from you. Am I missing something about this? Eight 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:57.520 six six nine eight seven two five seventy. And also 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.920 you'll hear from James Tibbs, the third who I predict 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:03.800 we'll make his major league debut at some point this 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:06.720 season for the Dodgers. Coming up later in the hour, 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:12.000 Jackson Ferris as well David Vassay Dodger Talk. That's who 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:15.079 we care about the Dodgers right here on AM five 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:19.280 to seventy LA Sports. Welcome the Dodger Talk. We are 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:22.320 with you until eight o'clock tonight here on AM five 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:26.600 to seventy LA Sports. We will be with you on 0:12:26.800 --> 0:12:31.000 Saturday as the Dodgers will be at Salt Rivers Field 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:34.960 in Talking Stick as they will go across the Valley 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:38.240 of the Sun and take on the Rockies. It's a 0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:41.880 night game under the lights, four point thirty. Our coverage 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:45.400 begins five to oh five, first pitch between the Dodgers 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:49.360 and Rockies. And this is the week that the Dodgers 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:53.320 start playing night games for the Cactus League. They're going 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:57.119 to play a night game Tomorrow night against the Royals 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:01.959 at Camelback Ranch and then go to Talking Stick on Saturday, 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:06.640 and then next week the Dodgers have two night games 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:11.040 on Thursday and Friday against the Reds and Mariners, respectively. 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:14.360 So yeah, they're starting some night games now. So if 0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:16.760 you're going out there you're looking to see the Dodgers, 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:19.640 don't forget there are night games now, so make sure 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.000 you check the schedule. I'm not sure if you're gonna 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:26.440 be tuning into the World Baseball Classic, but I find 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.079 it hard to believe anybody is going to pass on 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:34.440 Lakers Pacers tomorrow night to watch the first round of 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:38.080 the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles. I just don't 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:42.200 feel like it's appointment watching in LA. I'm not sure 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:46.160 if it's appointment watching anywhere in the United States. Certainly 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.400 the players for the Dominican Republic, all these teams are 0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:52.160 excited to be with each other and play with each other, 0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:57.200 and specifically for Team USA, guys have already said it's 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:02.040 an incredible honor and experience to be playing alongside each other. 0:14:02.320 --> 0:14:05.120 The highest names in the game, the highest level of 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:08.840 players in the game, whether it's Japan, USA, the Dominican, 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.800 They're all going to have their own vibe and electricity 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:15.520 to be with their countrymen and be with the best 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:19.640 of the best for those baseball countries. Not sure you 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:25.040 could say the same for Taipei or Panama or Italy. 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:28.720 I mean net Coletti are guys the GMA team Italy. 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.560 I know he had a hard time trying to find 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:34.760 guys with any sort of Italian blood that played in 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:37.240 the big leagues, and when he did, he certainly ran 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:41.080 into some roadblocks. So, like I said before, this is 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:45.720 such a contrived, choreographed tournament, and I feel like everybody 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.960 can see through that, at least early on, and that's 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:52.920 why it's not what Major League Baseball wants it to be. 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:57.160 Until they start to show us that it's random in 0:14:57.240 --> 0:14:59.840 the early rounds that the US and Japan can be 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:03.800 the same pool. Really, the only time anybody is going 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:08.320 to get excited about baseball internationally as far as international 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:12.560 play goes, is twenty twenty eight, when baseball in the 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:16.440 Olympics are going to be back together and the Olympics 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:19.080 are going to be played at Dodger Stadium, at least 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:21.680 the baseball part of it is going to be played 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:25.400 at Dodger Stadium for the first time since nineteen eighty four. 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:31.520 That's when everybody will have all eyes on the international 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:36.080 game of baseball, especially if you have major league players 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.000 playing in the Olympics during an All Star Breaks situation. 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:44.040 And that's a very real possibility that will generate more 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:47.840 buzz than anything that happens this year in the World 0:15:47.920 --> 0:15:52.320 Baseball Classic. Let's go out to Los Alamitos. Robert, you're 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:56.920 on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi. Robert, Hey, Dave, 0:15:56.960 --> 0:16:00.640 how you doing. I'm doing great? Am I missing something 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:04.080 with this World Baseball Classic? Am I swinging and missing 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:06.840 on the pulse of Dodger fans out there? 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:11.760 I don't think I completely agree with you that the 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:15.400 World Baseball Classic is some type of MLB contrived type 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:19.040 of tournament. You know, My only thing with it is 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:21.600 it's a blip on the screen, But it really concerns 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:24.120 me that some of our regular starters could get injured, 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:27.480 and that that's the only thing that really concerns me 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:29.600 about it. I'm not gonna watch a game of it. 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:33.240 I'd rather wait for the Olympics and see Team USA 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:34.200 play that that way. 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:37.840 Yeah. Can you imagine the Olympics, the gold medal, the 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:42.200 real gold medal. You got Team USA against Japan. You 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:46.640 got Yamamoto and Otani playing at Dodger Stadium, but playing 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:50.360 for Team Japan against guys like Roman Anthony and Aaron Judge. 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:54.600 That's what it's all about. That's what is going to 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:56.080 get everybody's attention. 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.760 Yeah, I completely agree with you. Unfortunate. It just seems 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:04.560 like it's just something to kind of try and promote 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.479 the game more internationally when you know more of a 0:17:07.760 --> 0:17:10.560 maybe a tour in the offseason might do more more 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:12.560 benefits for the league. 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:15.920 Yeah, I'm with you. Thanks for the phone call, Robert, 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:19.440 appreciate it. Eight six six nine eight seven two five 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:23.280 seventy is the phone number. Look, the Dodgers went to Sydney, 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:27.320 Australia back in twenty fourteen. Have we seen an influx 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:32.359 of Australian baseball players since then? You haven't. It's great 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:35.679 for the game to go there and give it a 0:17:35.720 --> 0:17:38.880 different venue and to expand and say that, yeah, we're 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:45.840 taking this game internationally, but how many new fan bases 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:50.120 are going to really produce major league players? It may 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:53.800 put more baseball fans, I guess that's more realistic. You 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:58.399 might find new baseball fans that buy your merchandise around 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:02.000 the world. And certainly the Dodgers in Major League Baseball 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:07.479 have Japan certainly covered, and they've got Korea covered. I 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:10.640 saw that firsthand when I was lucky enough to travel 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:13.320 with the Dodgers the last two years to those countries. 0:18:13.400 --> 0:18:17.600 But I just don't see it in Australia. I just 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.760 don't see it in Italy. I've been to those countries. 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:23.840 Like I said, I was with the Dodgers in Sydney. 0:18:24.600 --> 0:18:27.200 A lot of people I encountered had no idea that 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:30.280 baseball was even being played at the cricket ground. It 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.760 was a very niche sort of you had to be 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:37.040 in the know or what is going on. But don't 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.679 get me wrong. It was an incredible experience. It was 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:45.040 so unique to have the Diamondbags and Dodgers play at 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:48.920 the Sydney Cricket Ground, a historical cricket ground, and maybe 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:53.120 you touched new baseball fans there that obviously remember that 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:56.560 they're older now and maybe they're buying the merch and 0:18:56.640 --> 0:19:00.320 maybe they're coming to Dodgers Stadium. But there's no doubt 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:04.000 about it. You've got Korea and Japan on board with 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:07.200 the Dodgers brand in Major League Baseball. Let's go out 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:11.320 to Ted and Wittier. You're on Dodger Talk with David Vassa. 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:16.600 Hi, Ted, what's going on? David down Debbie. 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:19.800 Downer, what's going on? It's baseball, buddy, it's it's baseball 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:23.200 at a high level. You got comtes countries that are 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:28.119 is it high level baseball? Yeah, let me say name. 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:30.480 A player on a great Britain and Brazil for me. 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:33.760 Well, of course you're gonna you're gonna make that kind 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:37.320 of point. But listen, it's spring training right now, of course. Uh, 0:19:37.520 --> 0:19:40.719 you know, we're we're looking we're looking at players that 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:43.920 are gonna probably be at high triple A, high high 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:46.800 double A. This is good for the other countries. They're 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:49.920 building the baseball brand other countries. Yeah, they don't have 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:53.040 the type of players to stack up against Japan, Korea 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:56.840 and the United States, but it's baseball. David, be happy 0:19:56.920 --> 0:19:59.240 for for those players that are getting to play. My friend, 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:02.200 don't be said Debbie Downer, all. 0:20:02.200 --> 0:20:05.600 Right, well are you? I mean, who are you? So 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:08.280 you're telling me you're setting your DVR for the World 0:20:08.359 --> 0:20:11.040 Baseball Classic, Ted, that's how all in you are? 0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:13.560 Well, I'll tell you. 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:16.440 And you're telling me a kid like Jared Duran who 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:20.280 is not born in Mexico, his dad is Mexican. So 0:20:20.440 --> 0:20:23.119 that's that's what it's resorted to, where you have to 0:20:23.200 --> 0:20:27.679 stretch maybe second third generation of players to play for 0:20:27.800 --> 0:20:31.680 certain countries. Like Trace Thompson is playing for Great Britain 0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:35.399 because we know his dad, Michael Thompson, is from the Bahamas. 0:20:35.440 --> 0:20:39.480 So don't try to tell me that we're building brands 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:43.040 and giving guys opportunities from those countries when we're really not. 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:48.480 Well it's it's I don't see a problem with people 0:20:48.560 --> 0:20:50.800 tracing their heritage back and playing. 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.080 I don't either, But don't tell me that a true 0:20:53.520 --> 0:20:57.679 British player is getting an opportunity to play in the 0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:01.240 World Baseball Classic when you're starting to go that route. 0:21:01.560 --> 0:21:05.359 And same with Italy. You gotta find fifth generation baseball 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:08.560 players to be able to figure it out. Same with 0:21:08.640 --> 0:21:10.560 Jock Peterson when he played for Israel. 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:15.280 Okay, if they had, if those countries had developed the 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:17.679 game more, and they are continuing to develop it, but 0:21:17.720 --> 0:21:18.360 it's not just. 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:20.800 It's not part of their culture. It's just not part 0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:24.320 of their culture. And why aren't we seeing USA? And 0:21:24.400 --> 0:21:27.199 my other point ed is why aren't we seeing USA 0:21:27.400 --> 0:21:30.320 versus Japan in the same pool in the same round 0:21:30.359 --> 0:21:33.760 Because it's scripted. They don't want that to happen in 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:36.200 the first round, so it's not a real tournament. 0:21:37.680 --> 0:21:39.520 No, but that, But that's the same thing in soccer. 0:21:39.600 --> 0:21:42.080 They don't put all the strong teams in the World 0:21:42.119 --> 0:21:45.520 Cup in the same and the same group. Come on, David, and. 0:21:45.520 --> 0:21:47.919 People have problems with that as well. They do have 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:51.960 better groups of teams in certain groups in the pool. 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:55.320 That that's true in the World Cup, they're they're not 0:21:55.400 --> 0:21:57.720 doing it like this. The disparity is not that big. 0:21:58.200 --> 0:22:01.040 So tell me which game are you really excited to watch? 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:03.400 Ted Since you're all in so let me know, give 0:22:03.480 --> 0:22:06.320 us some information on the World Baseball Classic. You could 0:22:06.320 --> 0:22:07.560 be my correspondent. 0:22:07.680 --> 0:22:15.960 Go ahead, well, listen, listen, I don't have a gas obviously. 0:22:16.320 --> 0:22:18.320 You know your Debbie Downer duty. 0:22:18.480 --> 0:22:18.600 Right. 0:22:18.640 --> 0:22:21.760 You keep saying that that's a great Uh we got it, 0:22:22.000 --> 0:22:25.119 Debbie Downer. Yes, we've never heard that phrase before. Thank you, 0:22:25.480 --> 0:22:28.560 thank you, Ted, appreciate it. Look, I'm just trying to 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:33.480 figure it out that guy Ted did not really have 0:22:33.600 --> 0:22:37.280 a passion for the World Baseball Classic. He just wanted 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:40.479 to call in and rip me and call me Debbie Downers. 0:22:40.560 --> 0:22:45.120 So that proved nothing. Let's go out to Moreno Valley, Eric, 0:22:45.440 --> 0:22:48.320 maybe you can give us a better argument about where 0:22:48.359 --> 0:22:50.800 you stand and where we should stand on the World 0:22:50.880 --> 0:22:51.840 Baseball Classic. 0:22:54.160 --> 0:22:56.720 Yeah. Look, David, it's kind of cool to see like 0:22:56.840 --> 0:22:59.879 real competition right now during spring training. A little different. 0:23:01.160 --> 0:23:04.720 I mean, yeah, you got Randio Rosorana, a Cuban guy 0:23:04.760 --> 0:23:10.560 in Mexico, and I'm a Mexican American, and it's it's 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:15.200 just an exhibition. It's it's it's like ice cream before 0:23:15.000 --> 0:23:16.480 the season starts. 0:23:17.160 --> 0:23:20.520 And what was what was more real? Okay, what was 0:23:20.600 --> 0:23:25.680 more real of an exhibition? Apollo versus Drago or uh 0:23:25.920 --> 0:23:29.760 Tokyo Japan versus Taipei. Which one was more real? 0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:33.200 Definitely Apollo. 0:23:33.400 --> 0:23:33.720 Come on. 0:23:35.400 --> 0:23:36.480 Into that big Russian. 0:23:37.160 --> 0:23:38.120 Come on, Dave. 0:23:38.880 --> 0:23:39.679 Here, he died. 0:23:40.119 --> 0:23:41.120 He left it all. 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:42.000 Up in the ring. 0:23:45.800 --> 0:23:49.080 That's right, that's right. Throw the damn towel, Eric, throw 0:23:49.119 --> 0:23:51.720 the damn towel. Thank you, man, Thank you for the 0:23:51.760 --> 0:23:55.280 phone call. Appreciated. Eight sixty six nine eight seven two 0:23:55.359 --> 0:23:58.480 five seventy is the phone number. Look, I'm all in 0:23:58.840 --> 0:24:01.919 with the World Baseball Classic once we see you know, 0:24:02.080 --> 0:24:05.480 true baseball countries go head to head, but this is 0:24:05.520 --> 0:24:09.600 so scripted. Don't call me about it until maybe the 0:24:09.640 --> 0:24:13.000 semi finals. Maybe there's an attractive one in the quarterfinals. 0:24:13.240 --> 0:24:16.920 I actually think if the Dominican plays Japan with Japan's 0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:21.240 thin pitching staff, I got the Dominican beating Japan in 0:24:21.320 --> 0:24:24.920 the quarterfinals. They're not the same team. See see there 0:24:24.960 --> 0:24:27.320