WEBVTT - Dave Roberts (10-1-26)

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to Dodger Talk. David Vasse at Dodger Stadium

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<v Speaker 1>until 7 o'clock tonight. And we're in the manager's office

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<v Speaker 1>like we have been all season long. Presented by Downey Hyundai. Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks a lot for the time and great to be

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<v Speaker 1>with you as we get ready for October.

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<v Speaker 2>Dave, good catching up and much more relaxed in the sense,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it's a workout day. Getting ready to, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>watch this game and see who comes out of that

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<v Speaker 2>wild card series. Philadelphia, Atlanta. Guys are ramping up. We

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<v Speaker 2>had a live simulated game yesterday where guys took at bats,

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<v Speaker 2>pitchers pitched. We're going to do a little bit more today.

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<v Speaker 2>Tyler's going to be pitching, throwing to some hitters. So

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<v Speaker 2>we're in a good spot.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm referencing all week long what you told us Sunday

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<v Speaker 1>in San Francisco when I asked you if you've been

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<v Speaker 1>paying attention to the Phillies or Diamondbacks, and you replied

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<v Speaker 1>with a big grin, said chaos is good. So I

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<v Speaker 1>would imagine game three in a wild card series is

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<v Speaker 1>the kind of chaos the Dodgers like.

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<v Speaker 2>It is. It is. And I can be greedy at times,

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<v Speaker 2>so I wouldn't mind an extra inning game either. But, no,

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<v Speaker 2>we'll be watching closely, and it'll be on while we're

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<v Speaker 2>working out. So, yeah, just kind of seeing. And, again,

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<v Speaker 2>we know both teams. But, yeah, certainly an extra innings

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<v Speaker 2>affair wouldn't hurt either.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave, we obviously have not been here. Has it felt

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<v Speaker 1>the way it felt in 24 when you guys were

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<v Speaker 1>getting ready for the NLDS those five days?

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<v Speaker 2>You know what? It does in some senses. In other senses,

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<v Speaker 2>I think not really recalling exactly how we were as

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<v Speaker 2>a ball club going into that bye week where I

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<v Speaker 2>think this week we knew we needed it. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think that with that and just learning from a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of years ago and how we came out of that

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<v Speaker 2>versus now taking what we learned, really kind of ramping

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<v Speaker 2>up the mindset, the intensity to Saturday and beyond. But yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>I think Freddie's in a good spot. I think Munster's

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<v Speaker 2>in a spot. I think Shohei's gotten into a much

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<v Speaker 2>better spot. And then, you know, getting some other guys, Henrique,

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<v Speaker 2>as we saw yesterday, which was good to see him and,

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<v Speaker 2>You know, if we had a wild card series, he

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<v Speaker 2>might not have been active, which he will be for

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<v Speaker 2>the DS. So those are just a kind of a couple,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, headliners.

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<v Speaker 1>As far as the bullpen goes, you always talk about

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<v Speaker 1>the trust tree. Do you feel like at least four

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<v Speaker 1>or five of these relievers are in the best spot

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<v Speaker 1>they've been in all season long? I'm talking Evan Phillips,

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<v Speaker 1>Alex Vessia. You got Enriquez coming back. Is this Edwin Diaz?

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<v Speaker 1>Are these the guys that you're happy to see hitting

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<v Speaker 1>their stride now?

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<v Speaker 2>I am, and I think that Tanner Scott's been good

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<v Speaker 2>all year, but I do think that the last few

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<v Speaker 2>have been really exceptionally better. So I think the trust

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<v Speaker 2>tree is in a good spot.

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<v Speaker 1>So do you feel like this may resemble 24 more

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<v Speaker 1>than last year, where you leaned so much on starters

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<v Speaker 1>coming out of the bullpen? Do you feel like the

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<v Speaker 1>bullpen itself is in a good spot?

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<v Speaker 2>I do, but I will say that the starting staff,

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<v Speaker 2>and I know it was really good last year, but

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<v Speaker 2>obviously acquiring Tarek Skubal at the deadline just makes that

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<v Speaker 2>starting staff better. So, yeah, we don't have Shohei this year,

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<v Speaker 2>but you add Tarek, and then you've got Yamamoto, you've

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<v Speaker 2>got Healthy Snell, and then you've got Glass. So I

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<v Speaker 2>think that, yeah, with the starting staff, which has been

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<v Speaker 2>a strength of ours all year, and then you've got

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<v Speaker 2>a bullpen that's in a good spot, I do think

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<v Speaker 2>that we're in a good place to have a combo

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<v Speaker 2>of 24-25.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Roberts told us over the Zoom he would not

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<v Speaker 1>announce his playoff rotation until he knew the opponent and

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<v Speaker 1>knew what time they were going to play on saturday

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<v Speaker 1>we know it's one o'clock saturday game one of the

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<v Speaker 1>nlds the game obviously is still going on right now

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<v Speaker 1>so uh any hints on what we could.

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<v Speaker 2>Expect yeah you know what i'm going to keep that

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<v Speaker 2>close to the vest and i think that we're still

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<v Speaker 2>waiting on the results of today but i internally we

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<v Speaker 2>still we have a good idea Do.

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<v Speaker 1>You feel like the outcome of this game will determine

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<v Speaker 1>which way you go or are you just not ready

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<v Speaker 1>to tip your hand to the other team?

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's more the latter. We know which direction

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to go and I just don't think I

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<v Speaker 2>want to tell you right now.

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<v Speaker 1>Sounds good. Dave Roberts is our guest. Dodger Talk here

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<v Speaker 1>on 570 LA Sports. I got to run something by

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<v Speaker 1>you because obviously playing in October is different than the

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<v Speaker 1>regular season. Managing in October is is different in the

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<v Speaker 1>regular season. You've seen these games where there's been some

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<v Speaker 1>key decisions, and the conversation's been brought up. How much

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<v Speaker 1>leeway does a manager in real time have to go

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<v Speaker 1>off whatever pregame discussions you have with everybody involved? How

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<v Speaker 1>much leeway? I mean, I think back to Game 5

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<v Speaker 1>of the World Series, Blake Trinan, Freddie Freeman, all that.

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<v Speaker 1>How much do these managers that are just getting their

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<v Speaker 1>first taste really have to kind of go off what

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<v Speaker 1>the plan was.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know what? I think it just comes with

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<v Speaker 2>building trust with the front office and knowing your players

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<v Speaker 2>and your coaches. I think for me, speaking for me,

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<v Speaker 2>I have a lot of latitude now. And not that

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't before. It's just more of, I think when

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<v Speaker 2>you're an early manager, you get information and it's easier

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<v Speaker 2>to go off the information versus trusting a gut that

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<v Speaker 2>you don't have the experience yet, right? Trusting your eyes,

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<v Speaker 2>which I think it's an easier place to rest when

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<v Speaker 2>you go on that versus trying to make a big

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<v Speaker 2>decision on just your eyes or your gut as a

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<v Speaker 2>young manager. But as you've kind of learned and you've

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<v Speaker 2>experienced some more where I've been in a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>postseason games where I feel like I have a good

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<v Speaker 2>pulse on the speed of the game and who to

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<v Speaker 2>trust and how long you want to push a starter

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<v Speaker 2>or when you feel you're ready to pull the plug

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<v Speaker 2>and start that carousel going. So every organization is certainly different,

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<v Speaker 2>but it is a collaboration. But I think for me personally,

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<v Speaker 2>I have a lot of support in the sense of,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, our guys and best parts of a lineup

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<v Speaker 2>that we all feel good. And then as a game

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<v Speaker 2>plays out, then you've got to read and react and

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<v Speaker 2>make decisions. And do I ever feel like I want

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<v Speaker 2>to make a decision in the fourth inning? No, with

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<v Speaker 2>a starter, but sometimes I have. And sometimes, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>You're through that third part of the order late, and

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<v Speaker 2>the pitch count's starting to get up, and then you've

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<v Speaker 2>got to make a bet on do you want to

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<v Speaker 2>keep betting on that starter or go to the pen.

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<v Speaker 2>So those are things that it's just there is no

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<v Speaker 2>one script that people that aren't in the room think

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<v Speaker 2>there might be, but every game's different.

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<v Speaker 1>And the continuity that the Dodgers have had between you

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<v Speaker 1>and Andrew Friedman, how much does that lend itself to

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<v Speaker 1>the trust he has in you, you have in him,

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<v Speaker 1>the continuity of being together for over a decade?

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<v Speaker 2>It's everything. I think Andrew is the best in the

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<v Speaker 2>game at what he does. I think that he's got

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<v Speaker 2>a great number one in Brandon Gomes. And, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Alex Slater is another guy that I count on on

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<v Speaker 2>the baseball upside, along with my coaches, my pitching guys

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<v Speaker 2>to kind of help me as I prepare for a

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<v Speaker 2>game and a series. And so but like you said,

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<v Speaker 2>the continuity that we have, it just kind of builds

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<v Speaker 2>and cements that trust.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's different than year one. Let's say one of

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<v Speaker 1>these managers, there's been a lot of managers that are

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<v Speaker 1>in their first year with their respective teams. It's got

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<v Speaker 1>to be a lot different 11 years later.

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<v Speaker 2>It does. And I think that's, you know, for the

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<v Speaker 2>fans listening, I think with anything, it's like when you

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<v Speaker 2>start something, you don't have a track record to go

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<v Speaker 2>on nothing that is substantial as far as information. And

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<v Speaker 2>if it doesn't go well, it doesn't land well. And

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<v Speaker 2>especially when you're under the scrutiny that we're under. But

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<v Speaker 2>when you're around a lot longer, everyone has a lot

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<v Speaker 2>more grace. I have a lot more grace with decision-making

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<v Speaker 2>because I've done it before versus before if you can't

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<v Speaker 2>back up or support a decision, certainly in opposing. So, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>you will see a lot of younger managers probably go

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<v Speaker 2>off the information more than their eyes. And, again, you

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<v Speaker 2>have to be willing to live with whatever decision we make.

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<v Speaker 1>You talk about experience. How much does this team– you

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<v Speaker 1>and the dugout, your coaching staff that's been together so long,

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<v Speaker 1>how much does it not get enough credit that you

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<v Speaker 1>guys have been here before, but more importantly, you've won

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<v Speaker 1>here before.

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<v Speaker 2>It's, it's, it's everything. And I think that, and I

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<v Speaker 2>say that because a lot has, has been said about

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<v Speaker 2>our players as far as aging out. Um, but the

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<v Speaker 2>harder part of that is the regular season. And now

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<v Speaker 2>once you get through that, the post season is all

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<v Speaker 2>about how you manage your, your heart rate and, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>your heartbeat. And so that's where the experience is a benefit.

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<v Speaker 2>And so, yeah, we have a lot of experience. You

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<v Speaker 2>have a lot of good players and that's for me,

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<v Speaker 2>that's what I'm counting on. When you talk about the pitching,

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<v Speaker 2>the bullpen, the guys making plays defensively in the batter's box,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm counting on performance and winning big moments.

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<v Speaker 1>So I imagine you heard what the Padres owner said

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<v Speaker 1>before last night's game regarding your team being dinosaurs.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we've, I guess, I guess from what I heard,

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<v Speaker 2>he said we have some dinosaurs. But I like our dinosaurs,

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<v Speaker 2>and our dinosaurs have come through in the biggest spots.

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<v Speaker 1>Even though they might have short arms, there's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of rings on those fingers.

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<v Speaker 2>A lot of rings on those fingers.

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<v Speaker 1>How much do you think these guys, if you do

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<v Speaker 1>see the Padres, put that in the memory bank? I

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<v Speaker 1>know it's not your style to respond, but how much

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<v Speaker 1>does that go into Freddie Freeman's memory bank?

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<v Speaker 2>You know what?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>It could be billboard, bulletin board material. But I think

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<v Speaker 2>at the end of the day, you're not playing the owner.

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<v Speaker 2>You're playing the 26 players on the other side.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Dave. Classy as always. I love it. Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for the time. We'll do this. We'll see you

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<v Speaker 1>in October. I'm not going to commit you to doing

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<v Speaker 1>this every time.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's do this next week, Dave. All right.

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<v Speaker 1>There we go. Dave Roberts, part of our season all

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<v Speaker 1>year long here on Dodgers Radio. And thanks to Downey Hyundai,

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<v Speaker 1>the number one Hyundai dealership in the world in September.

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<v Speaker 1>And this guy had a lot to do with it.

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<v Speaker 1>So thank you again, Dave.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks, Dave.