WEBVTT - Dave Roberts (7-31-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a big day at Dodgers Stadium. The Red Sox

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<v Speaker 1>are in town. Always fun when La and Boston and

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<v Speaker 1>sports hook up together. And a guy that knows all

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<v Speaker 1>about that is our guy, Dave Roberts, three time World

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<v Speaker 1>Series winning manager, also a big part of the four

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<v Speaker 1>championship for the Red Sox. And it's all presented by

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<v Speaker 1>Downy Hunday. Dave, thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it. Dave.

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<v Speaker 2>Good to be with you always as we sit here

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<v Speaker 2>in my office and you mentioned the Boston Los Angeles

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<v Speaker 2>and it takes me back to my childhood rooting for

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<v Speaker 2>Magic against the Celtics, and obviously my time in Boston.

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<v Speaker 2>But you know, whenever the Red Sox and the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 2>get together, it's always a big ticket. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>the Red Sox quite frankly in the last month or

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<v Speaker 2>playing the best baseball if anyone, so it'll be good

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<v Speaker 2>test for us.

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<v Speaker 1>You played for Jim Tracy when you were with the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 1>Now his son, Chad Tracy, is the interim manager for

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<v Speaker 1>the Red Sox. Do you remember this little kid, Chad

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<v Speaker 1>Tracy running around the clubhouse.

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<v Speaker 2>I do, and he was kind of I think maybe

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<v Speaker 2>round ten, and so yeah, I mean Deb Tracy, his wife,

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<v Speaker 2>and I remember the boys being around, and so yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just something that you know, I never saw myself

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<v Speaker 2>as becoming a major league manager, but now Chad Tracy

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<v Speaker 2>and I are going to be an opposing dugouts, which

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<v Speaker 2>is pretty crazy, no doubt.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Roberts is our guest. It's the Manager's Meeting, presented

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<v Speaker 1>by Downey Hunday. You got a bullpen game today and

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<v Speaker 1>you got a fresh arm from Oklahoma City Cole Irvin.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so we got Cole Irvin certainly pitched in the

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<v Speaker 2>big leagues and it's good to get him up here.

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<v Speaker 2>And he's gonna take the bulk of this game tonight.

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<v Speaker 2>And unfortunately the corresponding move was Brock Stewart, and Brock

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<v Speaker 2>had some shoulder problems and it's one of those things

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<v Speaker 2>that after the updown didn't feel great. Could probably pitch

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<v Speaker 2>to it. But I think for us right now, given

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<v Speaker 2>we've got the calendar on our side, that we're going

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<v Speaker 2>to aisle him, expect to be back on that fifteenth day.

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<v Speaker 2>But yeah, I mean I think I'm excited to see

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<v Speaker 2>what Cole can do.

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<v Speaker 1>You've pitched Edwin Diaz and back to back games. Everybody

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<v Speaker 1>keeps asking me about that. I said, Heck, I've worked

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<v Speaker 1>more nights than Edwin Diaz this year. Why not?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah? Absolutely. I think that the thing is is that

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<v Speaker 2>we took extra time to get him back, and for

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<v Speaker 2>me to be quite honest, I think that giving him

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit of cushion last night and the four

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<v Speaker 2>run ninth I think was good for him. It served

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<v Speaker 2>a couple purposes, and did the back to back, and

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<v Speaker 2>so he'll be down for a couple of days and

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<v Speaker 2>we'll get back to him. But I wanted to kind

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<v Speaker 2>of get that rust off of him. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>the second night actually was better than that first. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I was going to ask you, did you see the

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<v Speaker 1>rust come off last night?

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<v Speaker 2>I did. I thought the fastball command was much better.

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<v Speaker 2>There was that low dart in there, there was the

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<v Speaker 2>upshoot fastball, but also the slide. It was better. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think that so we got accomplished what we

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<v Speaker 2>wanted and Edwin completely understood my thought.

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<v Speaker 1>And you got show Hey Otani back in the starting

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<v Speaker 1>lineup tonight as the DH what's the conversations like between

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<v Speaker 1>you and him on a daily basis to check in

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<v Speaker 1>on how he's feeling.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, it's not daily. I think that I check

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<v Speaker 2>in on him in the sense of how you're doing

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<v Speaker 2>and kind of pleasantries, But as far as like getting

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<v Speaker 2>into hey, how does your nee feel today? Is it

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<v Speaker 2>a one to ten? On a one to ten or tomorrow?

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<v Speaker 2>How does your neefeeld? That's not what I'm trying to do.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that for me, you're watching show, hey, seeing

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<v Speaker 2>how he's uh, you know, carrying himself, how he's running

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<v Speaker 2>the grimaces if there are. He's obviously talking to the

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<v Speaker 2>training stuff, and so that's kind of the extent of it.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't want to kind of every time he sees

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<v Speaker 2>me ask how his needs to do it.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, can you help us understand Obviously we understand the

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<v Speaker 1>pounding and the force of a big man like him pitching,

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<v Speaker 1>but how does it separate being a hitter and running

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<v Speaker 1>the going first to third. It seems like it would

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<v Speaker 1>be really difficult to separate that for all of us.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know what, it is interesting. I think that

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<v Speaker 2>specific to the left leg, the landing, that's what takes

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<v Speaker 2>most of the brunt of the torque on the pitching,

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<v Speaker 2>So that's kind of what causes that problem with the knee,

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<v Speaker 2>and with the hitting, it's his back knee as a

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<v Speaker 2>left handed hitter, and it's a turn and that's more

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<v Speaker 2>of the hips and it's not and actually the front knee,

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<v Speaker 2>the right knee, and the hitting side takes a brunt

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<v Speaker 2>of the torque because you hit off of your front side.

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<v Speaker 2>So it actually in the perfect world because he throws

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<v Speaker 2>right hits, but it doesn't affect the hitting.

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<v Speaker 1>You're starting to get some players back. Obviously. Will Smith

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<v Speaker 1>is a guy that we've all been interested in because

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<v Speaker 1>of how much he has meant to you in October

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<v Speaker 1>for the three World Championships. Where is he at right now?

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<v Speaker 1>And are you even more optimistic than you were the

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<v Speaker 1>last time we spoke?

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<v Speaker 2>I am? I am, because the last time we spoke

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<v Speaker 2>we were on the road, and now the last few

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<v Speaker 2>days I've had a chance to have conversation with Will

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<v Speaker 2>says he's paying free, he's done baseball activities, which I've

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<v Speaker 2>said publicly, and today he's going to start some hitting

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<v Speaker 2>and kind of start that progression. So that's a good thing.

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<v Speaker 2>And yeah, we certainly miss him, and I think the

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<v Speaker 2>world to him. He's been a great Dodger. But I

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<v Speaker 2>am happy with the production that Dalton's given us. But

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<v Speaker 2>you know, there's still nothing like getting your multi year

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<v Speaker 2>All Star catcher back.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, speaking of the production that Dalton Rushing has given you,

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<v Speaker 1>He's played more games than Will has, twenty more games.

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<v Speaker 1>His ops is over eight hundred, he's hit twelve home runs,

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<v Speaker 1>he's hitting two seventy. He got so much attention for

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<v Speaker 1>the emotions boiling over. Has those emotions gotten more under control?

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<v Speaker 1>And should we be focusing on the fact that he

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<v Speaker 1>has given you everything and more that you could have

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<v Speaker 1>hoped for.

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<v Speaker 2>I think so, And some of it was deserved and

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<v Speaker 2>self inflicted as far as the motion, the emotion and

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<v Speaker 2>the antics. But I do think that they've been better.

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<v Speaker 2>Like I've said many times with a lot of our players,

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<v Speaker 2>he's growing up and I do think that he's managing

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<v Speaker 2>his motions a lot better. And even you know, from

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<v Speaker 2>that San Diego series, I think it was that day game,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe the second game in San Diego. Just yet, bad

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<v Speaker 2>quality has been way more consistent, and he is getting

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<v Speaker 2>big hits, obviously the big homer last night and he'll

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<v Speaker 2>be down today after catching three in a row. But

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<v Speaker 2>you know, to have a backfill like adult and rushing

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<v Speaker 2>who's cutting his teeth in a pennant race, that's a

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<v Speaker 2>win for the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 1>Why has it gotten better?

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<v Speaker 2>Do you believe? Well? I think that you know we've

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<v Speaker 2>talked to him. I've talked to him personally about letting

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<v Speaker 2>his play on the field, you know, say everything. And

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<v Speaker 2>I think that you know, we all know he cares.

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<v Speaker 2>But the challenge is is that to be an everyday guy,

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<v Speaker 2>which he feels he can be and wants to be,

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<v Speaker 2>you just can't ride that emotional roller coaster, regardless of

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<v Speaker 2>how much you care, how emotional you are.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Roberts is our guest. You're not the only guy

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<v Speaker 1>with the Boston connection. Obviously, Mookie Betts played there for

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<v Speaker 1>a while. You guys acquired him. Where is Mookie at

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<v Speaker 1>in his season? And do you believe that it's all

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<v Speaker 1>about him ramping up to be his best in October?

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<v Speaker 2>I do. The defense has been consistent. It's been gold Glover,

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<v Speaker 2>gold glove caliber. I think the last couple of days,

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<v Speaker 2>I've loved the intent with the bat. I think that

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<v Speaker 2>you know, for the Dodger fans that are watching him.

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<v Speaker 2>You can see the aggressiveness in his swings, and so

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<v Speaker 2>I like that try to sort of imposing as well.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Tao's done a lot of that same thing

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<v Speaker 2>the last couple of days. I'm thinking about giving Mooki

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<v Speaker 2>one of the next two days off after we get

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<v Speaker 2>through tonight's game. But he's in a good spot. He's

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<v Speaker 2>in a good spot and you know, excited for what's

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<v Speaker 2>to come the next two months.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, let's end it on this. Since you brought up

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<v Speaker 1>to Oscar Hernandez, it was special to see you get

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<v Speaker 1>out of the dugout and give him an ovation with

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<v Speaker 1>the catch that he made two nights ago. Are you

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<v Speaker 1>starting to see Tao show that life at the right time?

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<v Speaker 2>We are? And I think the thing is with me

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<v Speaker 2>is Tao is a great guy, great teammate, easygoing, But

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<v Speaker 2>for me, I just wanted to see a little bit

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<v Speaker 2>more interest, a little bit more kind of urgency. And

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<v Speaker 2>that play that he made, He's played considerable deep better

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<v Speaker 2>than he did last year defensively, and I just really

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<v Speaker 2>liked him selling out right there. And just that night

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<v Speaker 2>I was talking about certain plays can change the course

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<v Speaker 2>of a game, and the last play of the game

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't win or lose the game. It's the plays that

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<v Speaker 2>lead up to that last play, that last inning, and

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<v Speaker 2>so that play that he made changed the outcome the

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<v Speaker 2>course of that game, and so I just wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>celebrate him right there.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't forget this, Dave. You can't spell October without tao.

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<v Speaker 2>Ha ha. I love it, David.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks a lot for the time and look you got

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<v Speaker 1>out Klean. I never even asked you about the trade deadline.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for that. I'm sure you'll talk to me later.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, David.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, look to see how high the high five with

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<v Speaker 1>you and Otani is before the game tonight.

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<v Speaker 2>Sounds good. It's good to get show Hay back. And

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<v Speaker 2>I still got a bad knee too, so I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know how high we can get