WEBVTT - Eric Lauer (8-26-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 2>All right, we're joined right now by one of my

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<v Speaker 2>favorite lefties. Too many lefties to count on the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 2>but he's a good guy, and all he has done

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<v Speaker 2>since joining the Dodgers is win, and that is the

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<v Speaker 2>one and only Eric Lauer. Thanks a lot for the time.

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<v Speaker 2>Appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, we like to have fun around here, Lauer. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>your trainers like to have fun with you. It seems

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<v Speaker 2>like you're really one of the guys now.

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<v Speaker 1>It feels like it. It's nice when you can start

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<v Speaker 1>having inside jokes with people.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and you were in the weight room earlier today,

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<v Speaker 2>and then you went out and you joined the bullpen today.

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<v Speaker 2>Was that weird?

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<v Speaker 1>A little bit, but not really. I tend to throw

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<v Speaker 1>with those guys quite often.

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<v Speaker 2>So you were already keeping one foot in with the

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<v Speaker 2>relievers and one foot in with your own starting routine?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah. I like to, you know, be a jack

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<v Speaker 1>of all trades, a little Swiss Army knife. So I

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<v Speaker 1>got to stay close to all the guys.

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<v Speaker 2>Was that always the case when you first got here,

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<v Speaker 2>or is that something that you felt?

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's just kind of part of my routine.

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<v Speaker 1>It just kind of lines up the same way, so

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<v Speaker 1>I was like, why change it now? Just let it ride.

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<v Speaker 2>Who is your guy that you play catch with?

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<v Speaker 1>It's usually one of the bullpen catchers. I'm not to

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<v Speaker 1>the point where I have a designated bullpen guy that

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<v Speaker 1>throws with me. They're pretty stocked up already.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, good to know. It always says a lot about somebody.

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<v Speaker 2>who their catch partner is, don't you think?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think so. It's all based on who you choose.

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<v Speaker 1>I feel like a lot of times lefties will throw

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<v Speaker 1>with lefties, and, you know, we got a few of them,

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<v Speaker 1>but they seem to want to either throw with each

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<v Speaker 1>other or throw with a bullpen catcher, so I'll do

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<v Speaker 1>the same.

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<v Speaker 2>Are you a big believer that lefties are a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit different?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, it's a completely different brain.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure it is. All right, another lefty was in

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<v Speaker 2>the broadcast booth yesterday. I'm going to run something by

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<v Speaker 2>you that Clayton Kershaw said in his analysis role. He

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<v Speaker 2>said he learned from Greg Maddox when he was a rookie.

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<v Speaker 2>Greg Maddox, who obviously had a lot of success here

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<v Speaker 2>with the Braves, told him whatever pitch that you're thinking

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<v Speaker 2>about throwing 2-2, you better have the conviction to want

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<v Speaker 2>to throw it in a full count. Do you live

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<v Speaker 2>by that?

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<v Speaker 1>That's actually kind of funny because that was the exact

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<v Speaker 1>quote that my college pitching coach would use all the time. Wow.

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<v Speaker 1>It was like, Once you get to 2-2, you throw

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<v Speaker 1>your best pitch, whatever you're comfortable throwing 2-2, you better

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<v Speaker 1>be comfortable throwing 3-2.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you feel like he got that from Maddox?

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<v Speaker 1>There's a good possibility. He actually might have played around

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<v Speaker 1>the same time as Maddox. He probably got it either

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<v Speaker 1>from him or Maddox got it from Berkey. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know which way it went.

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<v Speaker 2>In your mind's eye, can you think of that situation

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<v Speaker 2>on the mound, maybe as recently as your last start,

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<v Speaker 2>where you're 2-2 against a hitter and you're thinking, should

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<v Speaker 2>I throw this pitch? And then does that ever click

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<v Speaker 2>in the back of your mind?

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<v Speaker 1>It's usually when I get to 2-2, it's usually kind

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<v Speaker 1>of one of the first thoughts that goes through my

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<v Speaker 1>mind is like, all right, what am I going to

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<v Speaker 1>throw here? What do I think is going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the right pitch? For me, it's not always the same pitch,

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<v Speaker 1>which generally it's your out pitch. So you have to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to throw. Basically the saying means you have

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to throw your out pitch for a

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<v Speaker 1>ball and for a strike. So... For me, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>have a definite out pitch, so it's whatever the situation

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<v Speaker 1>kind of calls for for me. So it changes from

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<v Speaker 1>count to count, but generally if I throw it and

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<v Speaker 1>miss and I like it or I see how he

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<v Speaker 1>took it, I'll throw it again or I'll audible off

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<v Speaker 1>of that based on either how they take it, how

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<v Speaker 1>they swing and foul it off, whatever that might happen.

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<v Speaker 1>It kind of changes the next pitch regardless.

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<v Speaker 2>Are you at the point of your career where you

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<v Speaker 2>can read swings and that will tell you what you

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<v Speaker 2>need to do?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Yeah. I think that's kind of, that's always kind

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<v Speaker 1>of been my, what I like to do more than,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, scouting reports and numbers and stuff. Like I'll

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<v Speaker 1>look at them, but for me, it's more, I treat

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<v Speaker 1>the game as a living thing and it's like constantly changing,

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<v Speaker 1>constantly evolving, you know, guys numbers historically could glean one direction,

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<v Speaker 1>but To me, that means if a guy's not good

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<v Speaker 1>at hitting sliders, then what's he probably working on? Because

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<v Speaker 1>if we know it, they probably know it. So I

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<v Speaker 1>look at the numbers, but I don't go too heavily

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<v Speaker 1>off the numbers simply for the fact of guys are

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<v Speaker 1>constantly getting better, changing, working on things. So you never

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<v Speaker 1>know what's going to get them that day. And you

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<v Speaker 1>have to be able to read swings, see where they're

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<v Speaker 1>at in the box, see where they have their hands,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, Think about the situation, what they're trying to do,

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<v Speaker 1>what inning, how many outs, where we're at in the game.

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<v Speaker 1>It all plays into the pitch selection.

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<v Speaker 2>Eric Lauer has been a successful pitcher for a long

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<v Speaker 2>time in Major League Baseball. But what do you believe

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<v Speaker 2>has been the biggest key to you not only being effective,

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<v Speaker 2>but also, I mean, like I said, the Dodgers have

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<v Speaker 2>only lost twice when Eric Lauer's been on the mound

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<v Speaker 2>this year.

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<v Speaker 1>It's true. I actually think it's only once.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, once. I apologize.

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<v Speaker 1>It's fine. No, it's fine. Oh, man.

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<v Speaker 2>Awkward, awkward moment right here.

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<v Speaker 1>No, it's all right. I think for me, a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of it has to do with just being in the zone,

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<v Speaker 1>like making sure that I'm not being too picky on

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<v Speaker 1>the corners, making sure that I'm reaching for lanes but

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<v Speaker 1>not trying to be too fine with things early, and then...

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<v Speaker 1>Just being able to adapt to the game, being able

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<v Speaker 1>to change my rhythm, change what I'm throwing when, and

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<v Speaker 1>find a way to get through things. I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of kind of flying by the seat of

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<v Speaker 1>our pants when I'm out there. Like I said, it's

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<v Speaker 1>a constantly evolving thing, so you have to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to constantly adjust and be able to be mendable.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and the Lauer language, the language of Lauer, you

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<v Speaker 2>told me was a big part of all this too.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It's a lot more comforting when,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, you can have the conversation in your own

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<v Speaker 1>words that you want to have with somebody and have them,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, understand it and, like, level with you and

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<v Speaker 1>say what they understand from what you're saying and based

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<v Speaker 1>off what they want to see or what they think

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<v Speaker 1>they should see or change a thought that you might have.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's all good just to, like, continue to grow, really.

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<v Speaker 2>Eric Lauer is our guest, a proud Dodger. He's still here,

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<v Speaker 2>and he's still winning. And on Sunday, he's going to pitch.

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<v Speaker 2>No matter Otani opening or not, you're pitching Sunday out

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<v Speaker 2>of the bullpen. How does your week, you know, really translate? Hey,

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<v Speaker 2>there's your guy. There's your piggyback partner right there. There

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<v Speaker 2>he goes, getting ready. How do you prepare for Sunday now?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I don't know. I don't know if that's necessarily

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<v Speaker 1>true anymore. I think there might be a little change

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<v Speaker 1>in plans for me. So I think at this point,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm trying to get ready for today. And then, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>after that, we'll see what happens. So it's kind of

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<v Speaker 1>it's kind of it's a very fluid situation right now.

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<v Speaker 2>So there's a chance you may start that game on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a chance I may throw in that game. There's

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<v Speaker 1>a chance I might not throw in that game. There's

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<v Speaker 1>a chance it might be a different game. There's a

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<v Speaker 1>chance it might be today. There's a lot of different

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<v Speaker 1>things that are moving around just because, you know, with

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<v Speaker 1>the schedule and, you know, the off days we got

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<v Speaker 1>coming up and the off days we had and moving forward,

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<v Speaker 1>the lack of off days we might have, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it all kind of changes. And we have so many opportunities.

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<v Speaker 1>We have so many good rotation arms that there's obviously

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<v Speaker 1>guys who have precedence based on history and contracts and whatnot.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm kind of in a very fluid role right now

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<v Speaker 1>until we kind of settle into what we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>do moving forward.

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<v Speaker 2>I know you talked about how great the Dodgers are

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<v Speaker 2>at communicating what they need from you on any given start, week,

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<v Speaker 2>or day. So how has the line of communication been

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<v Speaker 2>right now? Because you're throwing me for a loop right now, Lauer.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought I had Sunday figured out. I thought I

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<v Speaker 2>had the week figured out. How is it working for

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<v Speaker 2>you if I'm thrown off?

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<v Speaker 1>It's still pretty good. It's still, you know, it's still

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<v Speaker 1>to the point where I have a really good idea

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<v Speaker 1>of what I'm preparing for and, like, what I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to be using and how I'm going to be used. So,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, as long as we continue to have, you know, daily,

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<v Speaker 1>hourly conversations, then I think we can all be as

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<v Speaker 1>prepared as we possibly can whenever we go in there.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, Lauer. So you don't want to give me

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit more clarity to share with the fans.

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<v Speaker 1>I've given you everything that I know.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel weird now talking to you, Lauer. You might

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<v Speaker 2>pitch tonight. Now, you know, I feel like.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, yeah, you're going to get in trouble.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you're going to blame me. You're going to point

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<v Speaker 2>the finger at me, Lauer. But when you go out

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<v Speaker 2>there and shove tonight, Don't forget me either.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, then I'll give you a nice shout-out for helping

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<v Speaker 1>me out. Thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you. You don't even know what I do. I

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<v Speaker 2>had to explain what I do.

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<v Speaker 1>No, you hold a microphone and you talk.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, yes, that's all I do.

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<v Speaker 1>Sometimes in provocative situations.

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<v Speaker 2>Always that way. Always that way. Lauer, thanks a lot

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<v Speaker 2>for the time. Don't reveal all my secrets either. I

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<v Speaker 2>won't give away yours. You don't give away mine.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, all right, deal.

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<v Speaker 2>You ever listen to Dodger Talk on the iHeartRadio app, Lauer?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't have the iHeartRadio app.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, maybe you'll download it right now.

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<v Speaker 1>I will. Maybe I will to hear this. I can't

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<v Speaker 1>see it, but I'll hear it.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay. Thanks a lot for the time. And seriously, it's

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<v Speaker 2>been a real pleasure being around you. Heard so much

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<v Speaker 2>about you, but now being in the orbit of Eric

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<v Speaker 2>Lauer has been fun. I'm trying to learn the language

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<v Speaker 2>of Lauer. I feel like I'm starting to connect.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think you're starting to get there. I like it.

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<v Speaker 1>I appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Eric Lauer, he'll understand this language. He'll receive a gift

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<v Speaker 2>card to Capital Grill in Burbank, an upscale, relaxed spot

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<v Speaker 2>with a great bar, great steaks. Capital Grill in Burbank

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<v Speaker 2>and all over America. Thanks a lot for the time, Lauer. Enjoy.

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<v Speaker 1>You got it. Thank you.