WEBVTT - Bob Nightengale (6-11-26) 

0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:04.680
<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bass saying for Dodger.

0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:09.039
<v Speaker 2>Talk, we're getting set for first pitch between the Dodgers

0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.200
<v Speaker 2>and Pirates, and we're joined right now by one of

0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:14.520
<v Speaker 2>the best national rioters in the country, that is USA

0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:16.120
<v Speaker 2>Today's own Bob Nightingale.

0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:18.880
<v Speaker 3>Bob, thanks a lot for the time, appreciate.

0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:20.680
<v Speaker 4>It, my pleasure. Thanks, thanks as always, David.

0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:24.640
<v Speaker 2>A little known fact, Bob Nightingale covered the Dodgers once

0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:27.400
<v Speaker 2>upon a time for the La Times. What do you

0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:31.080
<v Speaker 2>remember the most about your experience covering the Dodgers on

0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:34.040
<v Speaker 2>a daily basis in the eighties and nineties.

0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:37.519
<v Speaker 1>You know, I was actually living in northern San Diego

0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:40.320
<v Speaker 1>and so traffic wasn't that bad. I went rigally with

0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:42.680
<v Speaker 1>the La Times to cover the Potterres and the Angels

0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:43.400
<v Speaker 1>and the Dodgers.

0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:45.080
<v Speaker 4>So yeah, great time.

0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:48.280
<v Speaker 1>It was a fun thing and there was nothing like

0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:49.000
<v Speaker 1>Vero Beach.

0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:51.680
<v Speaker 4>I still remember. It was a guy no one want

0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:53.520
<v Speaker 4>to call his name. Out was suburban paper.

0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.200
<v Speaker 1>So it was the lockout year, so it was actually

0:00:56.200 --> 0:00:59.400
<v Speaker 1>a long spring evemember that the food was unbelievable.

0:00:59.480 --> 0:00:59.960
<v Speaker 4>Vero Beach.

0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.360
<v Speaker 1>You know, you're drinking every night and stuff. This guy

0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:04.360
<v Speaker 1>gained forty pounds in spring training?

0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:06.160
<v Speaker 3>Was that eighty one?

0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:08.760
<v Speaker 4>No? No, this is a lockout for ninety four ninety five.

0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:11.840
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, so you were you were stuck in the

0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:13.600
<v Speaker 2>lockout at Vero Beach, Florida.

0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:15.640
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, it was unbelievable.

0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:18.080
<v Speaker 1>So, you know, had all the replacement players, Tommy holding

0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:20.840
<v Speaker 1>court every day, and I just thought that was so cool.

0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:23.880
<v Speaker 1>You know, you're doing your stories or someone asking for

0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:26.959
<v Speaker 1>your what cocktail you want your dining. You know, there's

0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:29.360
<v Speaker 1>Colfax in one chair, there's Drysdale. But you know, it

0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:30.520
<v Speaker 1>was just a great time.

0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:34.440
<v Speaker 2>The new generation only knows Eric Carrows as the broadcaster,

0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:38.800
<v Speaker 2>but ninety four ninety three, when you were covering the Dodgers,

0:01:38.840 --> 0:01:41.959
<v Speaker 2>Mike Piazza and Eric Carrows were the two biggest stars

0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:44.440
<v Speaker 2>in LA at that time. What do you remember the

0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:47.880
<v Speaker 2>most about covering Mike Piazza and Eric Carross the players

0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:48.920
<v Speaker 2>with the Dodgers.

0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:51.120
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, just had how much fun they used to have.

0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:53.560
<v Speaker 1>I mean, they were the Golden Boys and Memra Boys.

0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:57.160
<v Speaker 1>I think they lived together at that point in Manhattan Beach.

0:01:57.440 --> 0:01:59.480
<v Speaker 4>And so yeah, it was fun.

0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:02.440
<v Speaker 1>You know, remember going on the road with those guys

0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:05.800
<v Speaker 1>and just it's like one big family. But yeah, tremendous guys.

0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:09.400
<v Speaker 1>And then both guys were a blasphy around and it

0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:10.799
<v Speaker 1>was it was it was a fun time. I mean

0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:13.200
<v Speaker 1>they uh, you know, will never see those times again.

0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:14.480
<v Speaker 1>Those a blast back then.

0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:15.320
<v Speaker 3>Bob Night.

0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:18.200
<v Speaker 2>Gail is our guest from USA today. You were with

0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:21.160
<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers when they were in Arizona last week. What

0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:24.320
<v Speaker 2>do you take away from your time being around the

0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:27.399
<v Speaker 2>team and just the perception of the Dodgers around Major

0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:28.200
<v Speaker 2>League Baseball?

0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:30.880
<v Speaker 4>Just how deep they are. I mean, they've had all

0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:31.720
<v Speaker 4>these injuries.

0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:34.359
<v Speaker 1>You know, Lookie Betts has come back, you'll struggle a

0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:34.720
<v Speaker 1>little bit.

0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:35.639
<v Speaker 4>Obviously.

0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:38.040
<v Speaker 1>Some guys haven't performed like they hoped. You know, they

0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:41.800
<v Speaker 1>lose their snell and glass now and they don't blink. Uh,

0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:45.040
<v Speaker 1>that's amazing, you know, like we talked about David, I mean,

0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:48.960
<v Speaker 1>having you know, eleven twelve homegrown players is amazing and

0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.640
<v Speaker 1>they haven't they haven't blinked. And uh, you know how

0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:55.280
<v Speaker 1>many teams could survive losing this many players and you know,

0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:58.680
<v Speaker 1>two fists or a starting rotation and say hey we're fine.

0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:01.639
<v Speaker 4>And you know they given credit. I mean a lot

0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:02.200
<v Speaker 4>of patients.

0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:04.640
<v Speaker 1>I mean everbody one in Soasaki back in the minor leagues,

0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:06.880
<v Speaker 1>at least in the bulletpin. They said, no, he'll be fine,

0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:09.280
<v Speaker 1>He'll be fine, And sure enough, you know, he's pitching

0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:10.720
<v Speaker 1>better than ever, Bob.

0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:14.520
<v Speaker 2>We are witnessing maybe the greatest player of all time

0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:17.960
<v Speaker 2>and maybe the greatest season of all time in show

0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:21.239
<v Speaker 2>heo Tani. Is there anything more that can be added

0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:25.639
<v Speaker 2>to what he's doing? Are are we failing to appreciate

0:03:25.800 --> 0:03:28.320
<v Speaker 2>fully what we are watching in real time?

0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:31.680
<v Speaker 1>I think we are. I mean, now we're thanking for granted,

0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:34.160
<v Speaker 1>I mess them are. When he came over his first

0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.360
<v Speaker 1>spring training, people said, oh, he's a bust, he's never

0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:38.920
<v Speaker 1>going to do this, and uh, I remember covering the

0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:40.760
<v Speaker 1>Dodgers with the Hideo Nomo and they said the same

0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:43.120
<v Speaker 1>thing about Nomo. But just you know, uh, you know,

0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:45.000
<v Speaker 1>each row a lot of times when the guy's come

0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:48.720
<v Speaker 1>from Japan, it's just the first spring, it's filling out process,

0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:50.360
<v Speaker 1>and the ones's lights come on, they turn it on

0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:53.280
<v Speaker 1>and sure enough, I mean I was looking to fit

0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.680
<v Speaker 1>way too much time looking up Babe Ruce best years

0:03:56.680 --> 0:03:59.480
<v Speaker 1>in uh, you know, pitching and hitting, you know, and

0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:01.760
<v Speaker 1>never did he win over you know, ten games and

0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:04.480
<v Speaker 1>hit over twenty home runs. So we always say, oh,

0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:06.880
<v Speaker 1>best player, says s Babe Ruth. Well maybe he's the

0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:09.400
<v Speaker 1>best player ever, you know, and going past Babe.

0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:12.040
<v Speaker 2>Rooth, Yeah, I mean, you can't even compare the talent

0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:16.520
<v Speaker 2>level that Otani is facing each and every night as

0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:19.520
<v Speaker 2>a hitter compared to who Babe Ruth faced as a

0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:20.680
<v Speaker 2>hitter when he was playing.

0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:22.640
<v Speaker 4>Absolutely, and it was stunned.

0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.000
<v Speaker 1>You know, when the game last week when he pitched

0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:28.440
<v Speaker 1>against the Diamondbacks, he was on base five times. I

0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:30.600
<v Speaker 1>think he was on you know, I don't remember him

0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.200
<v Speaker 1>going the dugout maybe once. And I was talking mcguil

0:04:33.560 --> 0:04:35.320
<v Speaker 1>Rojas after that game he says, I don't think he

0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:38.440
<v Speaker 1>sat down the entire time, but just his energy level,

0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:40.719
<v Speaker 1>I thought for sure when he was, you know, hang

0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:42.840
<v Speaker 1>on the bases and having to rush in and you know,

0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:44.760
<v Speaker 1>grab his glove, that wear him out.

0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:45.400
<v Speaker 4>Never did.

0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.880
<v Speaker 2>Have you ever seen a player as focused and determined

0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:52.400
<v Speaker 2>as Otani, not only for himself, but on nights that

0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:55.360
<v Speaker 2>he pitches, it seems like he is going to wield

0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:56.440
<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers.

0:04:56.000 --> 0:04:59.280
<v Speaker 4>To a win. Yeah, he just saw focused. The preparation

0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:00.280
<v Speaker 4>and routine.

0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.320
<v Speaker 1>You know, I remember a couple of times the clubhouse

0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:04.400
<v Speaker 1>will be empty and he's just there by himself, you know,

0:05:04.560 --> 0:05:07.800
<v Speaker 1>looking at video, looking at his phone, studying things like that.

0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:10.160
<v Speaker 4>But I like what Dave Roberts.

0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:12.320
<v Speaker 1>Said when he says, you know, he's just so focused

0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:14.360
<v Speaker 1>about not giving up a run. And I think the

0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:17.800
<v Speaker 1>nationally Cy Young race, it could be the greatest nlcy

0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.719
<v Speaker 1>Young race, or any any race for that matter. And

0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:22.440
<v Speaker 1>for him to say, you know what, I can't have

0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:24.800
<v Speaker 1>one bad game or I may lose this thing shot

0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.279
<v Speaker 1>out to Misrowski or someone else in a uh and

0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:32.000
<v Speaker 1>here he is, or you know Sanchez from Philadelphia, and uh,

0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:35.120
<v Speaker 1>it's amazing how good this cra is. And we thought

0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:37.440
<v Speaker 1>we'll never see anything like this since Bob Gibson. But

0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:39.000
<v Speaker 1>this guy's put up Bob Gibson type.

0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:41.560
<v Speaker 2>He ra, Hey, Bob, what would it take for Otani

0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:45.200
<v Speaker 2>to get the vote over at Christopher Sanchez or Jacob

0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:47.279
<v Speaker 2>Mizerowski to win the Cy Young.

0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:49.960
<v Speaker 3>He's never won that award? What would it take?

0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:54.720
<v Speaker 1>I think it's staggering era certainly below two, maybe below

0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.600
<v Speaker 1>you know one six, something like that. Uh, you know,

0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.479
<v Speaker 1>certainly blow one will do it. So he's not gonna

0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:02.880
<v Speaker 1>have the innings, those two wetter guys. You know, he's,

0:06:02.920 --> 0:06:04.760
<v Speaker 1>you know, gonna be on the edge of qualifying. He's

0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:07.159
<v Speaker 1>got to make sure to qualify to win the ER title.

0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:09.760
<v Speaker 1>And I think Dave Roberts says to be cognizant of that,

0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:12.160
<v Speaker 1>to make sure he gets a horn sixty two winnings,

0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:13.240
<v Speaker 1>so he qualifies.

0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:15.320
<v Speaker 4>As long as he does that, you know, if he.

0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.279
<v Speaker 1>Wins the ER Towl, particularly a low him ount, I

0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:22.320
<v Speaker 1>like his chances over Misrowski, you know, and Sanchez as well,

0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:24.520
<v Speaker 1>then we'll see about those guys can keep it up,

0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:27.799
<v Speaker 1>you know, mis Roskiet throwing that hard, that many pitches,

0:06:28.160 --> 0:06:30.440
<v Speaker 1>you know, you almost you know, parash your fingers. I

0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:31.920
<v Speaker 1>got to hope this kid never gets hurt.

0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:35.560
<v Speaker 2>Well, it's not out of the realm of possibility. It's

0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:38.120
<v Speaker 2>not out of the question for Otani to win the

0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:42.520
<v Speaker 2>cy Young and MVP, because Clayton Kershaw did that not

0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:44.320
<v Speaker 2>so long ago in twenty fourteen.

0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:47.520
<v Speaker 1>No, absolutely, you know, justin berlinerd did it too, and

0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:51.599
<v Speaker 1>I think right now he's by far the runaway winner

0:06:51.600 --> 0:06:52.200
<v Speaker 1>for the MVP.

0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:53.960
<v Speaker 4>I don't think there's any many close to him.

0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:55.760
<v Speaker 3>MVP wise, not even Matt Olsen.

0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:59.480
<v Speaker 1>I don't, uh, you know, Matt Olson's had a great year,

0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.000
<v Speaker 1>but still there's just a big gap between and of

0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.840
<v Speaker 1>course the catcher ball when it was doing great too

0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:08.400
<v Speaker 1>in Atlanta until he got hurt, and he'll take some

0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:09.119
<v Speaker 1>boats away.

0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.080
<v Speaker 4>But no, I think it's a big, big gap. I

0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:12.520
<v Speaker 4>really do.

0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.720
<v Speaker 3>Well. We got long ways to go between now and then.

0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:18.080
<v Speaker 2>And I know we're all talking about the trade deadline,

0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:20.280
<v Speaker 2>but that's not until August second, either, Bob.

0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:22.200
<v Speaker 4>We'll see what happens.

0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:25.560
<v Speaker 1>I mean, everyone's looking at Ery schooball and everyone's going

0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:28.320
<v Speaker 1>to have to rise in the Dodgers may asking Dave Roberts,

0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:30.720
<v Speaker 1>what would happen if you guys signed or not signed,

0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:32.640
<v Speaker 1>but you guys had traded for school ball, he goes

0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:33.720
<v Speaker 1>this place with go berserk.

0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:36.480
<v Speaker 4>It would baseball fians to go wild.

0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:37.640
<v Speaker 3>Yeah they would.

0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:40.280
<v Speaker 2>And you had a great column, two great columns last

0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:43.760
<v Speaker 2>week about the Dodgers and putting into context what they've

0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:47.320
<v Speaker 2>done and also oral Herscheis are still living good with

0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:51.480
<v Speaker 2>that record of fifty nine consecutive scoreless innings. Bob, thanks

0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:54.000
<v Speaker 2>a lot for the time, and look forward to seeing

0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:55.760
<v Speaker 2>you in the postseason with the Dodgers.

0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:58.160
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think I've covered every postseason game since the

0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.320
<v Speaker 1>COVID year of SO two thousand and one on, so

0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:01.240
<v Speaker 1>look forward to it as always.

0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:01.960
<v Speaker 4>David, thank you,