WEBVTT - Eric Lauer (6-17-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 2>All Right, Join right now by Dodger left hander Eric

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<v Speaker 2>Lauer navigating lineups, navigating LA traffic for a day game

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<v Speaker 2>in the middle of the week. Eric, thanks a lot

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<v Speaker 2>for the time appreciated.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, of course.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you been getting used to what it's like to

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<v Speaker 2>navigate the streets of LA.

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<v Speaker 3>A little bit.

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<v Speaker 1>It's still the traffic still kind of sneaks up on

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<v Speaker 1>me sometimes, but I'm getting better at it.

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<v Speaker 2>And he justin Robleski helped you out last night hour

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<v Speaker 2>and fifty two minute game. What have you seen from

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<v Speaker 2>Robleski that impresses you the most?

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<v Speaker 1>I think his ability to throw strikes. I mean, he

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<v Speaker 1>fills the zone up a lot. He's not afraid to

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<v Speaker 1>go after guys, and you know, I think that that

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<v Speaker 1>plays into his hand of you know, I have a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of good stuff. I'm gonna come at you with

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<v Speaker 1>everything I got, And you know, he throws hard, has

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<v Speaker 1>good offsby stuff, and you know, slows him down with

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<v Speaker 1>that curveball now, and I think he just keeps him

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<v Speaker 1>off balanced well, but he stayed in the zones and

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<v Speaker 1>he gets guys out in the zone.

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<v Speaker 3>Which is hard to do.

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<v Speaker 2>Dave Roberts always talks about how the starter sets the

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<v Speaker 2>tone for the game, and I feel like the starter

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<v Speaker 2>not only set the tone for the game the first

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<v Speaker 2>night against the Race, but also for the series. And

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<v Speaker 2>that's you. You could have allowed that game to get

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<v Speaker 2>out of hand after the first couple of innings. How

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<v Speaker 2>did you maintain composure and be able to navigate, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>four or five more innings to go six.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's That's something that I've kind of been

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<v Speaker 1>dealing with a little bit more than I would like

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<v Speaker 1>to have this year. So I'm kind of getting used

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<v Speaker 1>to having the first inning and second inning kind of

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<v Speaker 1>be a little more of a scuffle for me, which,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, moving forward, I plan on that not being.

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<v Speaker 3>The case anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>That's a great plan, I mean, I think that's the

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<v Speaker 1>plan I should go with.

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<v Speaker 3>But I think when you get in that.

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<v Speaker 1>Situation, you know, you know, you're still keeping the team

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<v Speaker 1>in the game, and the goal at that point becomes,

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<v Speaker 1>all right, how long can I go in this game

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<v Speaker 1>to you know, keep us in it? And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>luckily enough, I was able to go the six innings

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<v Speaker 1>that I needed to get to, and you know, keep

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<v Speaker 1>just the big the biggest part is just keeping the

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<v Speaker 1>team in the game. And I know that that big

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<v Speaker 1>three run homer, you know, put us right back within

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<v Speaker 1>striking distance.

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<v Speaker 3>So at that point, it was just a matter of, you.

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<v Speaker 1>Know, making sure that I was going out there and

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<v Speaker 1>executing pitches and making sure that I was staying on

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<v Speaker 1>top of guys and that I wasn't letting my pitch

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<v Speaker 1>count run up too high. But you know, it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>a matter of you know, just really focusing and making

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<v Speaker 1>sure that you're taking care of what you can take

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<v Speaker 1>care of, and you know, executing pitches the best you can.

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<v Speaker 2>How much does the defense behind you playing to the

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<v Speaker 2>trust of your stuff and attacking the strike zone because

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<v Speaker 2>you guys get so much attention for the slug the offense,

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<v Speaker 2>but the defense is the best in baseball.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh yeah, And that's why I think for me, it's

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<v Speaker 1>important to keep the ball in the yard.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I've been struggling with that a little bit.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think, like, I'm more than comfortable letting them

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<v Speaker 1>hit it. It's just I need to make them hit

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<v Speaker 1>my pitch, and I need to, you know, make sure

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<v Speaker 1>that I'm executing pitches to the best of my ability

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<v Speaker 1>because I know that I can be in zone. I

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<v Speaker 1>know that I can you know, attack hitters, especially aggressive

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<v Speaker 1>hitters who are gonna go after pitches in zone and

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<v Speaker 1>you know them, let them put the ball in play,

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<v Speaker 1>because nine times out of ten we're gonna make the

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<v Speaker 1>play and I won't have anything to worry about.

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<v Speaker 2>So Khrushaw always talked about he could live with solo

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<v Speaker 2>home runs. It's the two three run home runs that

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<v Speaker 2>really hurt. Is that kind of the mentality for you

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<v Speaker 2>as well?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean that's a general overview, that's a very good,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, way of thinking about it. Is like, solo

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<v Speaker 1>homers generally won't hurt you unless there's multiple of them.

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<v Speaker 1>But it's the two three run homers that you want

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<v Speaker 1>to stay away from. And obviously that that makes it

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<v Speaker 1>more important to stay away from, you know, giving up

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<v Speaker 1>free bases, giving up walks, and hit by pitches like

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<v Speaker 1>those are things that you definitely want to stay away

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<v Speaker 1>from because that means that you, you know, you didn't

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<v Speaker 1>execute enough pitches in that at bat to have a

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<v Speaker 1>chance to get the guy out. But I think just

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<v Speaker 1>in general, the comfortability of you know, letting not letting

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<v Speaker 1>guys put the ball in play, but attacking the zone

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<v Speaker 1>to where you know, if a guy's aggressive that they

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<v Speaker 1>probably will get a hit or they will put the

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<v Speaker 1>ball in play.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, just relying on your defense. Yet, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>seven guys.

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<v Speaker 1>Behind you, because there's one in front of you technically,

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<v Speaker 1>so you got seven guys behind you who are elite

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<v Speaker 1>at what they do.

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<v Speaker 3>So you know, like, let them have fun, let them

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<v Speaker 3>play a little bit.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, no doubt. Eric Lawer is our guest before I

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<v Speaker 2>let you go. Here's the million dollar question. Guys that

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<v Speaker 2>come from different organizations and find success with the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 2>You've had success, but you're rediscovering success and again this year,

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<v Speaker 2>everybody wants to know.

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<v Speaker 3>What is it about the Dodgers?

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<v Speaker 2>How do they do it? Have you found out what

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<v Speaker 2>makes guys successful here?

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<v Speaker 1>That's a really tough question that I think that that's

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<v Speaker 1>the million dollar question for a reason because it's not

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<v Speaker 1>it's not one thing that you can particularly point to

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<v Speaker 1>and say, like, this is what the Dodgers do that

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<v Speaker 1>make them better or help guys, you know, get better.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's it's a it's.

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<v Speaker 1>A mixture between you know, constantly being around elite players,

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<v Speaker 1>and elite guys, elite mindsets, the communication, just the way

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<v Speaker 1>that you know, the team, the coaching staff, the support staff,

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<v Speaker 1>how the way everybody interacts.

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<v Speaker 3>Is extremely seamless.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, that's That's one of the things that's

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<v Speaker 1>I think a little bit harder about the game that

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<v Speaker 1>people don't see often is you know, there's so many

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<v Speaker 1>moving parts from the weight room to the training room.

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<v Speaker 3>To the bullpen, to the.

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<v Speaker 1>Manager's office to the food room. It's like there's so

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<v Speaker 1>many different moving parts and moving you know. Piece is

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<v Speaker 1>that sometimes communication can get really hard, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>what what the Dodgers do really well is they stay

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<v Speaker 1>on top of that communication and they make sure that

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<v Speaker 1>everything is as seamless as it possibly can be, so

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<v Speaker 1>that everybody is as comfortable and can trust each other

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<v Speaker 1>the most that they possibly can. So, I mean, among

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<v Speaker 1>many many other things, I think I think that to

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<v Speaker 1>me has stood out the most is just the the

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<v Speaker 1>planning and the execution of that plan and the communication

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<v Speaker 1>of that plan is is far beyond a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>other other places that I've been. It's it's it's a

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<v Speaker 1>it's elite here, and it's it's everything that goes on

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<v Speaker 1>in the clubhouse and around this team, everything is handled

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<v Speaker 1>at an elite level and I think that just makes

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<v Speaker 1>everyone better.

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<v Speaker 3>Wow.

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<v Speaker 2>And when you got a guy like Eric Lawer that

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<v Speaker 2>can express himself, the communication is a lot easier. Thanks

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<v Speaker 2>a lot for the time and the short time we've

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<v Speaker 2>you've been on the Dodgers. It's been great to get

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<v Speaker 2>to know you. And Rich'll better watch out. You might

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<v Speaker 2>be becoming my new favorite crafty lefty.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh boy, all right, I'll tell

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<v Speaker 2>You Eric Lower has been our guest cole brew and

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<v Speaker 2>all ready to go.