WEBVTT - Dave Roberts (1-31-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 2>Anyway, Thank you to everybody that stopped by. Wait a minute,

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<v Speaker 2>kill the music. We're going over.

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<v Speaker 3>We're going overtime. Kill the music. Kill the music.

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<v Speaker 2>When you've got a three time World Series manager with

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers and a man that is synonymous with winning

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<v Speaker 2>who just is fresh off coming from Augusta, you have

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<v Speaker 2>got to end the show with him and that is

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<v Speaker 2>the one and only Dave Roberts. Dave, great to see you,

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<v Speaker 2>and men, we're going overtime with you now.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, no, this is good. Thanks for going overtime with me, Dave.

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<v Speaker 1>Great turnout today and I'm sure you've got to catch it.

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<v Speaker 1>With a lot of our players. It's been a crazy,

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<v Speaker 1>fun short offseason. But you know, just seeing the guys

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<v Speaker 1>now today, everyone's got a smile on their face, ready

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<v Speaker 1>to get back to work, and it's good to see

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<v Speaker 1>that energy today with our fans.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you got the sense from your players that they

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<v Speaker 2>are now addicted to winning?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah? I have absolutely.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know what's interesting is that we've had two

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<v Speaker 1>very short and off seasons and no one is really

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<v Speaker 1>complaining or saying I need more time, everyone is chomping

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<v Speaker 1>at the bit to get back to work to then

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<v Speaker 1>win another championship. So we got that addiction absolutely.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll give you a sneak peek on a meeting with

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<v Speaker 2>Freddie Freeman that you will have. He says that he's

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<v Speaker 2>going to kick and scream when you ask him for

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<v Speaker 2>a day off. He just said, be ready, I am

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<v Speaker 2>going to be upset in the moment, but obviously do

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<v Speaker 2>whatever Dave Roberts wants.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's what he's saying.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, you know what, And I think that we have

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<v Speaker 1>that relationship where you always want.

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<v Speaker 3>Players to be in there every single day.

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<v Speaker 1>But I do think that, you know, there's a point

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<v Speaker 1>of diminishing returns, and so I don't know Dave as

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<v Speaker 1>we talk right now, how many games he is going

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<v Speaker 1>to play, but I do think that, yeah, there's going

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<v Speaker 1>to be times in this season where I do got

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<v Speaker 1>to kind of get him off his feet, let him

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<v Speaker 1>rest his mind. But yes, he's going to be kicking

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<v Speaker 1>and screaming, but I'm prepared for that.

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<v Speaker 2>This is not the first time you have managed teams

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<v Speaker 2>that went to back to back World Series. You're now

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<v Speaker 2>the back to back champions. What is the early part

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<v Speaker 2>of the season looking for you when you come out

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<v Speaker 2>of spring training, because you have been able to have

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<v Speaker 2>the approach of winning today but still not compromising October.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think that's a great question. It's very nuanced.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that you know some of it. Most of

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<v Speaker 1>it is certainly getting the guys, your core guys the rest,

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<v Speaker 1>getting them, keeping them healthy, getting keeping them as I

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<v Speaker 1>like to say, interested for the whole season, to get

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<v Speaker 1>them ready for the run late.

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<v Speaker 3>But the other part I think that we've seen.

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<v Speaker 1>In our playoff runs, our World Series runs, is there's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people that you don't know are going

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<v Speaker 1>to make impacts early, but then they end up making

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<v Speaker 1>big impacts late. So making sure that the river Ryans,

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<v Speaker 1>the Gavin Stones, you know, the Free Lens, the different

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<v Speaker 1>guys that might make an impact later, because you know,

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<v Speaker 1>this year we saw Emmett Shehan, you know, you saw

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<v Speaker 1>Robleski and a lot of guys at pitch.

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<v Speaker 3>Huge innings for us this year.

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<v Speaker 1>So getting those guys prepared for big spots as well.

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<v Speaker 2>Last spring training, you are obviously you have the finger

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<v Speaker 2>on the pulse of your team more than anybody. You

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<v Speaker 2>said it, Emmitt Sheen was going to be the sleeper

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<v Speaker 2>of the second half. Is River Ryan that version this season?

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<v Speaker 1>You know what, he's right there. I want to see

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<v Speaker 1>him in spring training. I know he's physical right now.

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<v Speaker 1>He's had a great spring offseason. Gavin Stone is a

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<v Speaker 1>guy I really have a lot of respect for us,

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<v Speaker 1>so I want to see him as well. I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>gonna it's a little too early for me to have

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<v Speaker 1>my pick to click. Yeah, but yeah, Dave, let's revisit

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<v Speaker 1>that one when we get into spring training.

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<v Speaker 2>I know, speaking of spring training, Dave Roberts is our guest.

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<v Speaker 2>You get the group the pitchers first, and then the

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<v Speaker 2>entire you know, guys in camp position players, and you

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<v Speaker 2>preach always be ready that each one of them will contribute.

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<v Speaker 2>Is that message easier to land this year because of

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<v Speaker 2>the unexpected countrys from so many guys as late as

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<v Speaker 2>Game seven of the World Series?

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<v Speaker 1>It is, But I think it's still dovetails into last

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<v Speaker 1>year two or two years ago in the sense of

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<v Speaker 1>how we used our bullpen. But yeah, I think it

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<v Speaker 1>more cemented. You know, my messaging on every player's got

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<v Speaker 1>to be ready because as it plays out, we've shown

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<v Speaker 1>and prove that you don't know who's going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the guy who has to be the guy, but every

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<v Speaker 1>guy might have a chance to impact a big World

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<v Speaker 1>Series game or playoff game, and that's kind of proven true.

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<v Speaker 1>So my messaging certainly hasn't landed on deaf ears, which

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<v Speaker 1>is great.

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<v Speaker 2>I know you got to worry about twenty twenty six,

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<v Speaker 2>but I did see a report and your quotes that

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<v Speaker 2>you would love to be here at Dodger Stadium for

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<v Speaker 2>the Summer Olympics in twenty twenty eight to manage Team Usay.

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<v Speaker 2>I couldn't think of a better guy than you to

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<v Speaker 2>do that. What inside of you is telling you you

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<v Speaker 2>want that.

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<v Speaker 3>You know what?

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<v Speaker 1>It would be the biggest honor for me. My father

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<v Speaker 1>served our country in the Corps for thirty years. I

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<v Speaker 1>played for the PanAm team in ninety nine to qualify

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<v Speaker 1>the US baseball team for the Olympics in two thousand.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I managed a Dodge in Los Angeles, went

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<v Speaker 1>to college here in LA and it would just be

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<v Speaker 1>a huge honor. So obviously it's a ways out there,

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<v Speaker 1>but I was asked the question and I just said, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it'd be a huge honor, and for me to consider it,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a no brand for me.

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<v Speaker 3>To consider that.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you think there's a chance major league players could

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<v Speaker 2>play in the summer Olympics with a World Series winning

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<v Speaker 2>major league manager?

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<v Speaker 3>I do, I do, you know what?

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<v Speaker 1>I think that and not to kind of, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>put pressure on baseball or but I do think that

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<v Speaker 1>if you're talking about the biggest stage possible to kind

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<v Speaker 1>of promote our game, showcase our game, there's no bigger

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<v Speaker 1>stage than the Olympics. So to have an opportunity to

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<v Speaker 1>have major league players play against their cohorts from different

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<v Speaker 1>countries in the Olympics in the middle of a season,

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<v Speaker 1>butting up against the Allstar Game, there's an opportunity. So

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully the powers that be can make it happen.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, when Dave Robert speaks, we listens before I let

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<v Speaker 2>you go. You just came back from Augusta. You told

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<v Speaker 2>Petro some money you were going to play at Augusta.

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<v Speaker 2>How did you do?

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<v Speaker 3>I did well. I shot eighty three the second day.

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<v Speaker 3>Humble brag. Yeah, that's a humble brag.

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<v Speaker 1>And I took Mookie and Freddie out there, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>our good friend Pat Hayden, you know, the former sc

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<v Speaker 1>Gray was our host and we had a great time

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<v Speaker 1>and it was just a friendly thing and Pat was

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<v Speaker 1>so gracious, so we had.

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<v Speaker 3>A great time. So how did they fare? They much

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<v Speaker 3>better than I did. Dave.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not FanFest without the voice, the guy that really

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<v Speaker 2>makes things go for the Dodgers each and every night.

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<v Speaker 2>Congratulations on managing an incredible World Series last year, managing

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<v Speaker 2>incredibly back to back championships, and just really being the

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<v Speaker 2>guy that we turned to for all things Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 3>So thank you, Thank you, Dave.

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<v Speaker 1>I love the Dodgers and I'm so proud of this

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<v Speaker 1>group and so proud of the fans and happy for

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<v Speaker 1>the fans. So thank you. Thanks for everything you do.

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<v Speaker 1>And here we go again. We getting ready run it back?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh yeah, three?

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<v Speaker 2>Pete in the mix. Dave Roberts is ready to go.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks for stopping by. And I think they want to

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<v Speaker 2>take a picture with us, so we'll do that live

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<v Speaker 2>on the radio. Here Dave Roberts joining us. The World

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<v Speaker 2>Series manager. LA certainly appreciates him. Now if they don't,

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<v Speaker 2>I will remind him. All those people over there didn't

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<v Speaker 2>give this guy a Manager of the Year vote, but

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<v Speaker 2>they all say he's a Hall of Fame manager.

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<v Speaker 3>Explain that to me.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Thanks Dave.

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<v Speaker 3>Appreciate it. Thanks Dave,