WEBVTT - Mike Scioscia and Mickey Hatcher (12-16-25) 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:04.840 And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker. 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:10.640 We are starting off leading off the show with two 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:15.360 of my favorite players from my favorite Dodger team, and 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:19.759 that was the miracle nineteen eighty eight World champion Dodgers. 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.640 Will you talk about these days the Dodgers being perceived 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:27.200 as Goliath, Well, back in nineteen eighty eight, they were. 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:31.440 David and these two men were drafted a year apart 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:33.960 by the Dodgers in the late seventies. I won't give 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:36.479 away which year for both these guys out of respect 0:00:36.520 --> 0:00:40.839 to one of them, but these two guys have been 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:43.440 linked for a long time in their baseball lives and 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:47.839 have a never dying friendship to this day. They were 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:51.560 huge parts of the Dodgers winning the nineteen eighty eight 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:55.160 World Series and still keep tabs on the team and 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:58.520 you can be up close and personal with them wearing 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:02.600 their number nine and number four fourteen respectively. In January 0:01:02.680 --> 0:01:06.080 at the Dodger Adult Fantasy Camp. There are still a 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:09.920 few spots open. It's almost sold out, but you can 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:14.120 be there with our guests Mike Sooshia and Mickey Hatcher. 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:18.000 If you go to Dodgers dot com slash fantasy camps 0:01:18.040 --> 0:01:21.720 and they join us right now. Mike and Mickey, thank 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:23.839 you so much for taking the time out. It's great 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:25.120 to have you guys together. 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:31.639 All right, David Gregor, are you going first, Mike or what? Well? Mickey? 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:36.560 You they called you first, evidently, Mickey, so you go first. 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:39.440 Hey, Uh no, you're the manager. Go ahead. 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:43.840 So guys, maybe you could fill us in here. I 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:47.600 mean this, this friendship did not end in nineteen ninety 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:50.160 or nineteen ninety one or even you know, when you 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.760 guys were done being together on the Angels. How close 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.480 are you to this day? And where does that come from? 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:00.280 Mike? Well, we're yeah, we're close, except when he's my 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.520 butt in the golf course and we're not that close. 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:06.360 But you know what, David, it was a great time. 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:09.480 I mean we still keep in touch with guys that 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.639 we played with in the minor leagues, coming up through 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.040 the Dodge organization, and then that eighty eight team was 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:16.160 so special. There's a bond there, and you know, whether 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:21.480 it was Oral or Kirk Gibson or or t Bone Shelby, everybody, 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:24.120 I mean, we all keep in touch and I think 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:26.680 that's that's the bond that you get from playing on 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:30.600 a championship team. And I've known Mickey, you know, you know, 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:34.240 since nineteen seventy seven when he signed, So you know 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:36.840 we've been we've been together, Ron, Renicky, all of us, 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:40.280 we're we're just we're good friends and we enjoy each 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:40.960 other's company. 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:43.400 Do you feel that way about Mike Mickey? 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:46.720 Oh yeah, I mean we came up. We have many 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:51.280 stories that you know, we developed over the years and 0:02:52.280 --> 0:02:55.120 the bond. But you know what the greatest thing was 0:02:55.200 --> 0:02:58.960 not only the players that we had an opportunity to 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:02.240 be part of, It was Peter O'Malley and uh, you 0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:06.240 know that friendship has still been really close from an 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:10.880 owners to his players, and we still keep in touch 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:13.839 a lot and do lunches together. And I think that's 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:17.120 that's a special part about being a Dodger. 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:20.239 I know Mickey comes out to Dodger Stadium a lot. 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:23.640 His wife, Patty is a big time Dodger fan. I 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:26.240 think Dodger fans would love to know from two great 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:31.520 champions themselves, what you thought about this year's World Series hatch? 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:34.320 Do you want to start since you you really follow 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:37.000 it and your wife has a great passion for it. 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:42.360 Still oh yeah, definitely. And of course Mike's social remembers 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:46.360 probably every play that happened from Game one to Game seven, 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:49.000 but I can only remember a couple, and you know, 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:52.920 the game sometimes are won by inches, and uh, you know, 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:55.360 it was just a great game to watch, going back 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:58.680 and forth and just seeing uh, you know, Roberts just 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:01.880 managed a great job in game seven, especially with that 0:04:01.960 --> 0:04:06.600 defensive move and you know, itches a guy leading off 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:09.680 one more foot on third base and World Series goes 0:04:09.720 --> 0:04:13.280 to Toronto. So it was an exciting game going back 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:16.720 and forth, especially for the fans. I mean, you know, 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:20.680 to me, I really think it's going to go down 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:23.440 as one of the Dodgers' best World Series. 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:27.640 Mike, when you were watching Game six and it's the 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:31.080 ninth inning, they're they're going to more starters. Tyler Glass 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:34.120 now gets the first out on the first pitch, and 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:37.320 you see keythk a Hernandez use his own Baseball IQ 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.360 to shade in to be able to pull off that 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:43.599 game ending double play. Just the sequence of events that 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:47.159 took place to end game six in game seven, is 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:50.560 that have you ever seen World Series games in that way? 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:54.960 Well, you know, David, that was one of the most 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:58.839 exciting series I think I've ever witnessed when we're with 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:01.599 the Angels and two. Our seven game series with the 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:05.240 Giants was so back and forth and we managed to 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:08.320 you know, beat him in seven games. But not only 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.800 was this the seventh game, the Dodgers going on the 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:13.920 road and winning every game was back and forth, back 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:16.919 and forth. And what I like about it was, I 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:19.640 really feel the Dodgers stepped up and won the game. 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:22.280 Toronto didn't hand them anything. The Dodgers had to make 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:24.359 plays they did. They had to do things in the 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:28.280 offensive end, and they you know, got some some incredible 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:32.680 hits that that you know, just just got them back 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:35.560 into the game. And the home runs were exciting. So 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:38.719 I think the way Micky already talked about Dave Roberts, 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:43.039 he did a terrific job. I think remolding that bullpen 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.200 with a lot of the starters in game seven was 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:47.920 the only way they were going to get that done, 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:53.000 and they did it. And masasak Yama mode I should say, 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:55.919 did his best impersonation of or A hersheives er an 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:59.040 eighty eight come out of the bullpen and getting you know, 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:03.239 and saving the game, and that was what an exciting series. 0:06:03.680 --> 0:06:06.880 Hey, Mike, since you are and known as being a catcher, 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:10.800 caught more games than anybody else in Dodger franchise history. 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:14.400 In Game seven, you know, one play where the Dodgers 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:17.080 by an inch could have lost the World Series was 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:19.679 with the infield in and the play at the plate 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:24.680 bases loaded Isaiah Connor Falaffa just a hair behind the 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:28.440 throw by Miguel Rojas to Will Smith. Can you explain 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:31.920 you know, that situation for a catcher and how maybe 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:33.720 his foot could have slipped off? 0:06:35.160 --> 0:06:39.960 Well, you know, Will Smith's incredible. I think as a catcher, 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:42.239 you're told to put your foot right on the middle 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:44.880 of the plate so as you do reach for the ball, 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.320 your foot will stay on the plate. And I think 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:50.120 he did, but the timing Rojas had kind of played 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:53.640 and in between hop he lost his balance a little bit, 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:55.919 but he showed his great arm strength and threw a 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.440 bullet home and will stretch forward and just barely got 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:02.560 you know, the runner. And I think Mickey already said it. 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:05.719 They're very passive at third base on their lead because 0:07:05.720 --> 0:07:07.760 they don't want they don't want to get, you know, 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:10.960 get you'll get a line drive double play. But there's 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:13.880 a left handed hitter up and if that line drive 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:16.480 is hit to the right side of the infield, you 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:18.680 can be aggressive at third base and still get back. 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:21.559 And I think that's you know, that's the little things 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:24.640 that I think maybe get lost under you know, they 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.360 get lost like water under the bridge. But if he 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:31.440 if he had another two foot lead, then Mickey's right 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:36.120 that the series goes to Toronto's favor, and but will 0:07:36.560 --> 0:07:38.960 Will kept this sort of the plate. I think Grohaus 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:41.400 made a great play after he lost his balance, and 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.520 the Dodgers jumped up and won the game, and I 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:47.040 think that's what they can feel good about. 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:50.520 That's the voice of Mike Sooshia and Mickey Hatcher, teammates 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:54.520 World Champions as the Dodgers won it back in nineteen 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:57.920 eighty eight, as David slang Elias slain the Mighty Mets 0:07:57.960 --> 0:08:02.080 and slaying the Oak's in five games, beating the Mets 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:05.480 in seven games, and Mickey, you know, Miguel Rojas sitting 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.840 that home run in Game seven of the World Series 0:08:09.120 --> 0:08:11.880 with the Dodgers down to their final two outs. I'm 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:15.720 not going to say it was exactly the same situation, 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:18.560 but did it remind you of a guy in Shay 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.080 Stadium keeping your season alive against the Mets and Dwight Gooden. 0:08:23.640 --> 0:08:28.360 Oh, definitely. Sosia's home run was just amazing. And I'll 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:32.720 tell you what, Rojas, that pitch was a pretty nasty 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:35.800 pitch for him to pull and hit a home run, 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:38.280 and you know it was just I kind of like 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:42.080 Rojas's day. Man. That play a second base was amazing, 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:45.280 and that home run and you can see it lifted 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:49.040 the Dodgers. I mean it lifted their bench, It lifted 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:52.199 everything for them. So that was That's going to be 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:56.160 one of the most memorable home runs I think in 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:56.880 that series. 0:08:57.360 --> 0:08:59.679 Mickey, you understand this. You were the leader of the 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:03.080 stuff man, a group of bench players in nineteen eighty 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.280 eight that if a guy got hurt all of a sudden, 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:07.320 you had to be ready or coming off the bench 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:10.679 to pinch it. You had an incredible World Series filling 0:09:10.760 --> 0:09:14.160 in for Kirk Gibson. You hit three sixty eight. Arguably, 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:16.880 you know, if it wasn't for fifty five, could have 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:20.680 been named the World Series MVP. But can you appreciate 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.040 how tough it was for Rojas not to play for 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:27.800 the entire World Series get in in Game six and 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:30.360 have such a huge impact in the last two games. 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:31.319 How do you do that? 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:35.959 Yeah, I just think you know, it's like, you know, 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:38.000 even when I was in the World Series, we had 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:40.160 a bunch of guys we knew our career was coming 0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:43.040 to an end, and this was our moment, and you 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:46.960 just stay into the moment and you take every advantage 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:49.400 you can to that moment. I think the same thing 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:52.000 with Rojas. You know, he knows he's coming to the 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:54.439 end of the end of his career, and you know what, 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:56.959 he wanted to be ready, and he wanted that one 0:09:57.040 --> 0:10:00.600 opportunity and he turned in to be about twenty five 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:04.839 year old kid and that those two innings, and it 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.120 was just a great moment for him. So no matter 0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:11.480 how his his life goes on, or whether he's going 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:14.520 to retire or whether he's going to try to keep playing, 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:19.599 this is going to be remembered in his family and 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:23.120 his life, and it's just a great feeling. 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:27.800 Mickey Hatcher, you were on Mike's Socio's coaching staff with 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.880 the two thousand and two Angels that found a way 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.400 to come back so many times in that seven game 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:36.840 win over the Giants, and O two did this World 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:40.360 Series remind you of that seven game World Series win 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:41.200 by the Angels. 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:46.199 Yes, I'm telling you what we just Mike did a 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:49.000 great job with those players and putting them together and 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:51.640 from the start of the season teaching them what it. 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:52.240 Took to win. 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.719 And we had to do the little thing just like 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:57.920 the Dodgers had to do to win this game. And 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:02.959 you know, it was just watching those guys go through 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:06.520 get out there in game six. Uh, you know when 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:10.040 we were down and even when Dusty Baker went out 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:14.160 to the mound to take the guy uh can remember 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:16.839 the pitcher's name out, or to see our players say 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:18.920 we're going to win this game. We're going to win 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:22.960 this game. And I think sitting back as a coach 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:27.079 and seeing your players still having that energy to want 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.439 to win that game means a lot to you. 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:34.040 Yeah, that was Ramon Ortiz, right, Mike, Daddy, he took out. 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:37.599 And hello Russ Russ Russe or Teeth Russell, te Rush 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.000 Russell t Yes, yeah, yes, And do. 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:43.280 You remember the feeling that you had before Game seven? 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:46.839 Could you as you're as you're watching Game seven start 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:49.480 in Toronto, do you have some of those same feelings 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:52.800 that you had maybe managing Game seven in two thousand 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:55.280 and two, what Dave Roberts maybe going. 0:11:55.160 --> 0:11:59.079 Through Well, you know, you're you're you're so busy and 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:02.800 good busy because you're getting uh, you know, you're getting 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:06.719 everything together, you're getting your matchups, you're getting uh you know, 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:09.320 you've already done all your scouting and everything and your 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.040 pitcher and catcher should be on the same page. Uh, 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:14.199 So you're ready for this game to start. I think 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:17.320 that little anxiety like you're saying, let's get going, let's 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:20.120 get going. Uh, you just want to You just want 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:22.560 to get going and and and get get some momentum 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:24.040 built and hopefully win a game. 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:24.840 Uh. 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:27.920 But but you know you're you're you're still doing so 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:31.480 much David to prepare up until you know, you take 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.439 the field. And I think it just keeps you saying 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:36.920 so you're not dwelling on things too much. But we uh, 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:39.920 you know, the team. One of the things I really 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.160 liked about the Dodger club. I mean you talked about 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:45.319 key k and being able to just use his experience. 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:49.640 These guys played free, and I mean they they didn't 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:53.240 play with with with with any burden of maybe if 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:55.720 they if they missed a play or or if they 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:58.400 were going to make a play, they played aggressively. Of defense, 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:01.640 they played aggressively run the base and in the batter's box. 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:04.040 And that's the same thing, you know two with our club. 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.240 Our club was very aggressive in every aspect of it. 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.240 They didn't think about making mistakes. They thought about making plays. 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:12.600 And I think that's when it comes down to crunch 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:14.920 time and everyone's going to point to a lot of 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:19.080 the things that happened in that game. The Dodgers made plays, 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.360 and I think what you're alluded to with kick Hernandez 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:25.560 in left field, he knew when he caught that ball 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.160 exactly where he was throwing it. Rohaus made a great pick, 0:13:28.760 --> 0:13:32.319 doubled off the runner, and the games over. So I 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:34.640 think that had a lot to do with why they 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:36.440 you know, why they played so well. 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.520 Mike Soosie and Micky Hatcher are joining us on Dodger Talk, 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:42.520 all right. I want to go back to when you 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:45.320 guys were on the same staff, Mike the manager, Mickey 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:48.400 the hitting coach, because this year when the Dodgers played 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:51.920 the Angels, I was privy to a conversation of Dino 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:56.920 Ebel and Tim Salmon praising Mike Soosha and Micky Hatcher 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:01.000 just about the message you guys sent, the tone, especially 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.960 Mike at the beginning of the season where you needed 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:07.439 team at bats, whether it was Albert Poolhols, Mike Trout, 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:12.360 Tim Salmon, Garan Anderson Mickey, do you remember those type 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:15.160 of meetings that Mike would have and did you see 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:17.800 some of those team at bats from guys like Otani 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:21.160 and Freeman that reminded you of the message you guys had. 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.240 Well, you know, we had an opportunity to go in 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:28.640 there and see the players and have you know, a 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:32.360 year under our bell watching these guys play. And I 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:35.520 remember in the offseason, Mike before spring training says, we 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:37.720 got to get these guys together. They don't know how 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:44.440 to win, and and and he proceeded with the game 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:47.720 plan of you know, we've got to move runners. The 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:50.360 worst scenario, we got a runner in second base, we 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:52.400 got to get them to third. We got to score them. 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:56.040 We got to move runners over. You know, we we've 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:59.800 got to play that type of game, knowing to use 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:02.760 the big part of the field in those situations and 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.800 not just to give away in at bat, give yourself 0:15:07.840 --> 0:15:10.240 an attempt to get a hit, but get the job done. 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:13.960 And uh, in spring training, these guys started doing it. 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:17.160 We said, hey, these bats don't count. Uh, you know, 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:20.000 Mike had the meeting and we said I applied it 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:21.920 as a hitting coach and said, hey, we're going in 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:25.040 the spring training these had bats don't count, but this 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:29.640 is what we're going. And and uh, these guys start 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:32.360 doing it. And you know, here guys moving a runner 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:34.520 to third base for the other guy to get an RBI. 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:37.920 You see him start giving knuckles and they got really 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:41.320 into it, and it was amazing. And when we started 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:44.680 the season, we probably had the worst record the starting 0:15:44.760 --> 0:15:47.440 the season. What was our record, Mike when we were 0:15:47.480 --> 0:15:51.160 started the season fourteen? Yeah, we were struggling, yeah, fourteen. 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.520 And then but the guys they kept doing it. Yeah, yeah, 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:58.120 they kept doing it. You know, Mickey remember with Troy Gloss. 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:00.640 It was funny. We're talking about move and runners a 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:04.480 guy on second and Troy saying Troy says, he goes, Mike, 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.120 I can't hit a ground ball a second, I said, 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:09.000 And Mickey goes, Troy, we're not asking. We don't want 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:10.880 you hit a ground ball a second if we're on 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:12.400 the other team. And hit her like you hit the 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:14.320 ground ball to second. With a guy on second, we're saying, 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:17.240 thank you, we want you knock down the centerfield wall. 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:20.320 We want you to hit the ball left center centerfield, 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:22.920 use a big part of the field. And he exhaled. 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.000 He goes, oh, thank you, Okay. 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:25.320 I can do that. 0:16:25.960 --> 0:16:29.200 And U and Tim Sabon, Tim Savon and spring training 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:31.360 and a guy was on second base and uh and 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:34.160 he hit a ball off the batter's eye in center field. 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.640 And he came back and he goes, should I apologize? 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:40.160 And I said, heck no, you shouldn't apologize. I said, 0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:42.320 I said, it's a big part of the field. If 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.440 you hit it out of the ballpark, it's a beautiful thing. 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:45.040 I said that. 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:45.480 You know that. 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:47.960 That's what we're talking about. But you know, the big 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:52.440 thing was these guys. These guys, they they understood it 0:16:52.760 --> 0:16:56.720 and they played great baseball, and they really blended with 0:16:56.840 --> 0:17:01.080 great base running, situational hitting and plug when we look 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:03.280 about you talk about the middle of the lineup, and 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:06.399 you had you know, Ga and and Tim Salmon and 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:09.800 Gloss and our stat up at hitting second and ex 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:13.119 Stein leading off. These guys fed the whole lineup and 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:16.399 and and it was really a It was really a 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:20.320 lineup that was I think very underrated. But these guys 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:22.320 are one of the top lineups in baseball for a 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:24.640 number of years, and they showed it in O two. 0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:27.639 Do you guys still believe if you were on the 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:31.359 same staff, with the way the game has been played 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:35.280 the last ten something years, do you think players would 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:38.520 still be open to Mikesoshi Mickey Hatcher saying, Hey, I 0:17:38.600 --> 0:17:42.000 need twenty five team at bats the entire year. I 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:44.240 need twenty five team at bats. Do you feel like 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:46.919 that would still be in play today? 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:51.959 Well, you know, there's some different philosophies out like strikeouts 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:54.719 another out, which I don't know what Moron came up 0:17:54.760 --> 0:17:58.200 with that line a strikeouts not just another out. But 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.920 I think what I think, I think what's important is 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:03.880 you know, like like I say, you talk to Darren 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.080 Nurseat who was a great team player. Anyway, he would 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:07.920 do it anyway he's gonna get he's gonna go with 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:10.200 six hundred plate appearances, and we would talk to these guys. 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:12.240 So you guys are gonna get six hundred plate appearances 0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:16.280 if you don't have the twenty five team at bats. 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:19.919 That we're talking about to where you get two strikes, 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:21.240 you know, you got to shorten it up and pull 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:22.840 the ball in the ground if you're er stat or 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:25.160 ga to get a guy from from second to third, 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:28.639 you know, and and two strikes, shorten it up and 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:32.119 maybe hit that sack fly instead of and take the RBI. 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:34.760 But you're not trying to hit home run, then that's 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:37.800 on you. And I think as you communicate with these guys, 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:40.119 and I think you know, there there's a lot of 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:42.359 baseball players understand that part of it. There's a lot 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:44.600 of guys that are not going to strike down those situations. 0:18:45.240 --> 0:18:47.920 And I think that that those are the guys that 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:50.040 stand out, and you just know they're going to help 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:52.879 their team win. And as I said, you're gonna get 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.480 six hundred plate appearances. For most of the player appearances, 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:57.960 you're free to swing and do whatever you want. But 0:18:58.040 --> 0:19:01.920 with that team at bat and it presents itself to you, 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.639 we need it. And and I think I think guys, 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:08.480 you know, I think ball players now would would rally 0:19:08.560 --> 0:19:10.320 around that and would embrace that. Also. 0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:14.680 Do you remember those those talks, Mickey, And do you 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:19.159 believe that in today's game that players would accept that 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:21.320 as well. And did you see it from the Dodgers 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:22.040 in twenty five? 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:27.879 You start seeing it on more teams now, you really do. 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:30.280 You start seeing a little bit more bunning. You start 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.120 seeing it. But you know, it's like Mike says, I mean, 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:36.439 come on, a two strike approach, you know, that's when 0:19:36.480 --> 0:19:38.800 you got to like get up there and battle with 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:42.960 that picture. And it's just a swing and misses that 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:47.520 are are just amazing to me, especially on pitches that 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:52.000 are right there with two strikes. And you know that 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:55.879 was Mike's biggest, biggest thing was, Hey, come on, guys, 0:19:55.960 --> 0:19:59.040 two strikes, you know, maybe come off the knob. We've 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:02.400 we've got a bad up there. We've got to put 0:20:02.480 --> 0:20:06.560 that ball in play. And uh, you know, strikeouts, that's 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:08.840 just an easy out for anything. You put a ball 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:10.840 in play. They can make an air, they can throw 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:13.680 it away, they can there's a lot of scenarios that 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:17.200 could happen. Uh, you know that can't happen if you're 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:18.040 slinging miss. 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:21.280 Dave Roberts is actually one of the managers that are 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:24.240 active today that actually echoes what you guys have said. 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.080 Well, I know, Dave, I know he was that type player, 0:20:28.640 --> 0:20:31.240 and he understands it. And I think you see players, 0:20:31.280 --> 0:20:33.920 I mean you see Will Smith choking up and putting 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:36.080 the bamb play in some of the situations, you know, 0:20:36.200 --> 0:20:39.720 Freddie Freeman, I mean, these guys are professional hitters, even 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:42.800 you know Show hey, he he's got such an a 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:45.119 great idea of what to do in the battle box. Mookie, 0:20:45.960 --> 0:20:48.840 you know, Mookie bets same way. Mickey and I were 0:20:48.920 --> 0:20:50.920 contact hitter. So we had a guy on third base 0:20:50.960 --> 0:20:54.960 and less than two outs, and if we struck out, 0:20:55.040 --> 0:20:57.720 which you know sometimes it happens, sometimes you just get beat. 0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:01.120 We you know, we were we were upset with ourselves. 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:03.040 Well we we were more upset because we knew what 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:06.200 was waiting for us in the dugout from Togo Lasorda 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:09.680 as we're walking back and here I'm walking back on 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:12.240