WEBVTT - Buster Olney (8-20-26)

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<v Speaker 1>A man that has seen many great closers, a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of great players, has a Hall of Fame vote, and

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<v Speaker 1>is one of the most respected voices in Major League Baseball.

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<v Speaker 1>Has a great podcast, Baseball Tonight, every day on the

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<v Speaker 1>iHeartRadio app. You can find it as well. And a

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<v Speaker 1>guy that knows all about covering a team going for

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<v Speaker 1>a three peat. He covered the last team to three peat,

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<v Speaker 1>the Yankees from ninety eight to two thousand. This close

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<v Speaker 1>to a four peat. Buster only wrote a book about it,

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<v Speaker 1>The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty. And Buster joins

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<v Speaker 1>us right now from Lake George, not Vermont, but Lake George. Buster,

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

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<v Speaker 2>Misjaviza, How are you doing working hard? As a ways,

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<v Speaker 2>you are a workhorse.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you and I really appreciate you taking the time

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<v Speaker 1>out from your vacation on Lake George. And look, it's

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers twenty four to seven in LA. Nothing else matters,

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<v Speaker 1>And just curious from your standpoint, you know where this

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<v Speaker 1>team is that compared to the team that you covered,

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<v Speaker 1>the last team to three peat, the Yankees, who only

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<v Speaker 1>won eighty seven games in the regular season of two thousand.

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<v Speaker 2>That's exactly right, and then that's you know there there

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<v Speaker 2>have been a number of instances in recent years where

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you see what the Dodgers are going through

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<v Speaker 2>in the defense of their titles, and it does totally

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<v Speaker 2>remind me of those teams, because you know, when when

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<v Speaker 2>that team is spoken of, it's like, yeah, they you know,

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<v Speaker 2>they they won four championships in five years, they won

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<v Speaker 2>three straight, and it sounds as if, you know, it

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<v Speaker 2>was just it was something that was just meant to

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<v Speaker 2>be and it was no problem. There were times when

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<v Speaker 2>that team was incredibly vulnerable, when they were in real trouble,

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<v Speaker 2>and they would find a way to prevail. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>by the time you got to their you know, third

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<v Speaker 2>and four championships ninety nine and two thousand, the experience

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<v Speaker 2>that they had from previous postseasons became a real weapon

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<v Speaker 2>once October started. So, you know, knowing that journey that

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<v Speaker 2>they had and seeing what the Dodgers are going through,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm like, uh huh, I've seen that before. For example,

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<v Speaker 2>last weekend when Dave Roberts lamented the offense talked about

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<v Speaker 2>the need to play clean games. Look, I heard Joe

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<v Speaker 2>Tory make those speeches in two thousand and two thousand.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, nineteen nine, nine, ninety nine.

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<v Speaker 2>And two thousand and one where he felt like that

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<v Speaker 2>the team either lost its focus, or maybe they were

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<v Speaker 2>a little board at times, or maybe the you know,

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<v Speaker 2>the regular season was just too long. And then he

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<v Speaker 2>would say things like that, and the subtext was enough

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<v Speaker 2>is enough, let's go we backt up. So I wasn't

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<v Speaker 2>surprised that Dave said that, and I wasn't surprised that

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers responded.

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<v Speaker 1>Did those Yankees treat the regular season as a formality?

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<v Speaker 1>And do you believe the Dodgers are treating this like

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<v Speaker 1>a formality.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's interesting because I look in ninety nine and

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<v Speaker 2>two thousand, the regular season got harder for those Yankee

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<v Speaker 2>teams because they played in really important games, and so

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<v Speaker 2>it was a slog for them when you got you know,

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<v Speaker 2>in mid August and they would get swept by a

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<v Speaker 2>you know, a bad team, for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>It's interesting because I thought last.

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<v Speaker 2>Year was more of a slog for the Dodgers. It

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<v Speaker 2>felt at times like they got bored this year. I

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<v Speaker 2>don't think that's as much of an issue as they

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<v Speaker 2>have real concerns. You know, Will Smith to me is

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<v Speaker 2>the number one, you know, not having him a catcher

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<v Speaker 2>on a regular basis. I think he's one of the

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<v Speaker 2>most underrated players in baseball, and his absence I think hurts,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, Kyle Tucker, the amount of money they invested

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<v Speaker 2>in him. They need some return that certainly has not

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<v Speaker 2>gone well. Mookie Batt's slow offensively, you know, in addition

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<v Speaker 2>to the fact that they've had, you know, guys like

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<v Speaker 2>Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnew get hurt. I don't know

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<v Speaker 2>if you agree with me, but I felt like last

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<v Speaker 2>year at times they got bored. I feel that less.

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<v Speaker 3>This year, and I think it's more about.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, they actually have some problems they have to sort through.

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<v Speaker 2>And again, I know the Yankee teams I covered they

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<v Speaker 2>went through similar patterns.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I agree with you, Buster. It did feel that

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<v Speaker 1>way last year and this year they're just trying to

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<v Speaker 1>find a way to get certain key players back on track.

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<v Speaker 1>And as much as Kyle Tucker and the Dodgers insisted

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<v Speaker 1>that he would be able to go under the radar, here,

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<v Speaker 1>when it's August and we see the season that he's

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<v Speaker 1>had and you have that price tag next to you,

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<v Speaker 1>it's hard to go under the radar Buster. You've covered

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<v Speaker 1>Kyle Tucker going back to his rookie days with the Astros.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you believe Do you believe he felt the

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<v Speaker 1>pressure of having that price tag next to his name.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know how you can't feel that pressure. And

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<v Speaker 2>it was so interesting last weekend when he got booed,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, misplaying the fly ball on right field, because

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<v Speaker 2>you know, for the Yankee players, if you were a

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<v Speaker 2>star coming in from the outside and you struggled, I

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<v Speaker 2>mean you were going to hear it on the first

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<v Speaker 2>day of the regular season in Dodger Stadium. It's just different.

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<v Speaker 2>And so to hear those booze for him, Bradwin Diaz,

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<v Speaker 2>these are guys who are stars elsewhere coming in and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, expected to be important pieces for their effort

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<v Speaker 2>to go back to back to back, and it just

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<v Speaker 2>hasn't worked out. I was actually a little surprised that

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers invested that kind of money in him, because

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<v Speaker 2>he really struggled the last three and a half months

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<v Speaker 2>last year. So it certainly was injury. But there were

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<v Speaker 2>other teams that I spoke with who said, look, the

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<v Speaker 2>Cubs knew him better than anybody. They made zero effort

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<v Speaker 2>to sign him, and so there were clearly signs of,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the questions about his performance coming into this year.

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<v Speaker 2>But the you know, the Mets and then the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 2>they were all in and they believe that this guy's

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<v Speaker 2>really talented player, and it's very possible that he's going

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<v Speaker 2>to come back. But man, that is a hard thing

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<v Speaker 2>to do to resurrect yourself late in the season, in

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<v Speaker 2>in October.

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<v Speaker 3>Especially now, because you're.

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<v Speaker 2>Right when he initially signed with the Dodgers, we thought

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<v Speaker 2>he could slide under the radar. There's a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>focus on him now because of what they're paying him

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<v Speaker 2>and how poorly this season has gone for him.

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<v Speaker 1>Buster Only as our guest from ESPN. He's got a

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<v Speaker 1>great podcast, Baseball Tonight, to keep up with everything around

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<v Speaker 1>Major League Baseball. You've also covered Mookie Beds since he

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<v Speaker 1>was a rookie with the Red Sox. He's got six

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<v Speaker 1>more years on his contract. He has a lot more

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<v Speaker 1>credit in the city of Los Angeles winning three World

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<v Speaker 1>Series championships, but it's been a struggle and a grind

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<v Speaker 1>for him again this year. He's hitting for the majority

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<v Speaker 1>of the year about two thirty is on base, has

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<v Speaker 1>been below three hundred. What do you see for Mookie

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<v Speaker 1>the rest of the season. And I guess, I guess

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<v Speaker 1>my point is busted. Or is that Tucker is not

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<v Speaker 1>the only guy that's been struggling. The Dodgers need they

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<v Speaker 1>name Mooki, they need Tale, and they need Tucker to

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<v Speaker 1>start to come alive.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and I think that My instinct is is that

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<v Speaker 2>Muki and Tao, once you get into more meaningful games,

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<v Speaker 2>it feels inevitable that they will raise their game as well. Now, look,

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<v Speaker 2>Father Time is undefeated, Moky's getting older, Uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Tao's getting older, and we'll see if that actually happens.

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<v Speaker 2>But that's where the experience can be a weapon. That's

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<v Speaker 2>where once you get, you know, into postseason games, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>these are two players who played in the in the

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<v Speaker 2>biggest games, and their heart rate will be under control,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think they'll respond. You know, the fact that

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<v Speaker 2>he's shortstop, you know, has has been again. It's been

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<v Speaker 2>good as it was last year, So that gives you hope.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not just a physical issue that he's in regression,

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<v Speaker 2>But certainly some of the underlying metrics on Mooki have

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<v Speaker 2>not been as good. I just I just think that,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, there's some players when push comes to shove

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<v Speaker 2>in big moments, they're going to respond. I think he's

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<v Speaker 2>one of them.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, Tao has done that as well. Buster only is

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<v Speaker 1>our guest from ESPN before I let you go, Buster,

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<v Speaker 1>and again appreciate you taking time out of your vacation

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<v Speaker 1>on Lake George. The MVP race it's a real thing now,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a subplot to the season. Pete crow Armstrong and

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<v Speaker 1>show Heyo Tani, where do you land? Right now? As

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<v Speaker 1>far as who's the front runner.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Pa separated himself to some degree. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>at the beginning of the year, it seemed almost unthinkable

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<v Speaker 2>that somebody would beat sho Hey for the award. But

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<v Speaker 2>once he stopped pitching, you know, and was shut down

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<v Speaker 2>because the injury, I think that opened the door. And

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<v Speaker 2>Pete Crow Armstrong is just taken off as an offensive player.

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<v Speaker 2>You know. Early in the year he told me that

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<v Speaker 2>Alex Bregman, his teammate, said to him because he was

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<v Speaker 2>notoriously aggressive at the plate. And what Bregman said to

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<v Speaker 2>him was, look, do me first pitch of each played appearance.

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<v Speaker 2>Just look for one pitch in one spot and you

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<v Speaker 2>know that's typically fastball in the inter half. If you

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<v Speaker 2>don't get it, just take it. And he started doing that,

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<v Speaker 2>and incredibly now he has more walks this year than

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<v Speaker 2>his first two seasons combined. He's doing a ton more damage,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, especially in Wrigley Field where left handed hitters

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<v Speaker 2>typically struggle. And we talk rightly so about the impact

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<v Speaker 2>of show Hey as a two way player, well PCA,

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<v Speaker 2>because he's so good defensively, and his manager of Great

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<v Speaker 2>Council makes the case that he's the best defensive player

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<v Speaker 2>in baseball. He's a two way player in his own right.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think he you know, he's been on such

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<v Speaker 2>a heater offensively that I think now he's number one,

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<v Speaker 2>show Hey, number two, Matt Olson number three for National

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<v Speaker 2>League MVP.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, I'll ask you this, are we are we getting

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<v Speaker 1>bored of having show a Otani win the MVP? If

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<v Speaker 1>everything's equal here.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that without a doubt.

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<v Speaker 2>For some voters will come into it, who is the

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<v Speaker 2>player who beat out Michael Jordans, like out of the

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<v Speaker 2>blue one Garrold Spark, Yeah, somebody like stepped in and

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<v Speaker 2>it did feel like that at times. But I actually

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<v Speaker 2>think pick incredible player you know, I just saw the

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<v Speaker 2>Cups the other day and talked to their coaches about

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<v Speaker 2>the way they can position their outfields because he's so

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<v Speaker 2>good defensively and he covers so much ground. But I

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<v Speaker 2>think your point is well taken. There might be some

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<v Speaker 2>of that too with the voters.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Buster, thank you so much for coming on.

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<v Speaker 1>You know how much I respect your baseball acumen and

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<v Speaker 1>just how you see the landscape from a wider lens.

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<v Speaker 1>So thank you for the time and can't wait to

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<v Speaker 1>see you back at Dodger Stadium.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, likewise, David, always fun talking with you.

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<v Speaker 1>All Right, There he goes, a proud man from Vermont,

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<v Speaker 1>vacationing in Lake George. The one and only, Buster, Only,