WEBVTT - Miguel Rojas (2-5-26)

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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>Miguel Rojas will forever live in Dodger and baseball history

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<v Speaker 2>for his improbable home run with the Dodgers down to

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<v Speaker 2>their final two outs in Game seven of last year's

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<v Speaker 2>World Series. Rojas hasn't been embracing the celebration ever since

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers clinched the World Series in Toronto. The celebration

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<v Speaker 2>continued at Dodger Fest on Saturday. Here is the Great Miguel,

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<v Speaker 2>Here is World Series Hero Miguel Rojas. It's hard for

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<v Speaker 2>me to get time with you, Miguel. Everybody wants a

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<v Speaker 2>piece of you.

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<v Speaker 3>It's being overwhelming, but uh, in a good way. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>when you prepare for moments like that, and you what

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<v Speaker 3>your your entire career and your entire life to get, uh,

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<v Speaker 3>to get to the highest point that you're saying, you

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<v Speaker 3>never think about realizing that moment twenty years after you start.

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<v Speaker 4>Your professional career.

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<v Speaker 3>But that's what happened to me in Game seven. But

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<v Speaker 3>obviously there's no Game seven without Game six.

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<v Speaker 4>And that's why I'm so proud the way that I play.

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<v Speaker 3>Game six, because I got in there because of my defense.

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<v Speaker 4>I got in there because.

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<v Speaker 3>Of my energy and the things that I can bring

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<v Speaker 3>to the thing other than the hitting a home run.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's crazy to believe that now everybody's going to

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<v Speaker 3>remember me for hitting a home run in the game

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<v Speaker 3>sevens all wards ears for me.

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<v Speaker 4>Not being a home run hitting my whole career.

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<v Speaker 3>But I mean, things happen for a reason, and I'm

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<v Speaker 3>not gonna walk away from it happened to me because

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<v Speaker 3>I prepare and I got ready for the opportunity. And

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<v Speaker 3>I'm glad that the Dodgers got the chance to win

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<v Speaker 3>the Ward Series again.

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<v Speaker 1>Everywhere you go around Los Angeles, kids of all ages

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<v Speaker 1>are wearing Dodger jerseys the championship hats. How does it

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<v Speaker 1>feel to be a role model for all these kids

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<v Speaker 1>by example to never give up on yourself and never

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<v Speaker 1>not be ready for the opportunity whenever it comes.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, it's it's really cool to uh to be able.

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<v Speaker 3>Through the the experience that you get in life and

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<v Speaker 3>and in this sport, you can teach a lesson to

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of people, not just the kids, but the

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<v Speaker 3>partners as well.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, not everybody is going to be shown and not.

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody's going to be a Hall of Fame like Freddie

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<v Speaker 3>Freeman and Mookie Bets.

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<v Speaker 4>But teams are our bible.

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<v Speaker 3>To kind of have a lot of different characters on

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<v Speaker 3>a team.

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<v Speaker 4>And I feel like if you're willing to work.

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<v Speaker 3>Every single day and sacrifice a lot of things, uh

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<v Speaker 3>to do what you want to do, uh, You're going

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<v Speaker 3>to have good results. So I feel like a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of people can actually look theirselves in the mirror and say,

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<v Speaker 3>I got an opportunity to be a Miguel.

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<v Speaker 4>Row has in whatever I do, Uh, come in uh.

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<v Speaker 3>When the people needs me, and when the opportunity is

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<v Speaker 3>given to me, and and don't make sure you're ready

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<v Speaker 3>and make sure you are you're taking everything into consideration

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<v Speaker 3>to be ready for that chance.

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<v Speaker 1>All your teammates have always told me nobody has hands

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<v Speaker 1>like Miguel Rojas. But in game six, when you took

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<v Speaker 1>the short hot from Key k Hernandez, that looked more

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<v Speaker 1>difficult than it appeared. Then you made it look And

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<v Speaker 1>then the play that you made with the infield in

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<v Speaker 1>to be able game of inches to throw a strike

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<v Speaker 1>to Will Smith, what was the more challenging play to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to pull off?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, definitely Game seven play because it's a do or

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<v Speaker 3>that plays a backsack and said, well, you know you're

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<v Speaker 3>playing in field in right there, wishing for something that

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<v Speaker 3>they hit right at you, and it wasn't definitely was

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<v Speaker 3>hitting a right at me.

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<v Speaker 4>Was a couple of steps to my right. You know,

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<v Speaker 4>I have to go there.

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<v Speaker 3>I have to get on my knees, glove the ball,

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<v Speaker 3>get back on my feet and make a good throw

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<v Speaker 3>home play.

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<v Speaker 4>I think if I don't make that play.

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<v Speaker 3>Doesn't matter what else you know, like what else you

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<v Speaker 3>can do to help the team until that point, it's

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<v Speaker 3>all it's all kind of like battling through all the

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<v Speaker 3>indies that we have to play during that series. There's

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<v Speaker 3>no Joshioyamamoto MVP. I mean a lot of peop but will

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<v Speaker 3>remember him still for what he did. But uh, I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>if I don't make the play, he's getting over and

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<v Speaker 3>and we're not.

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<v Speaker 4>Celebrating, and we're not back to back champions.

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<v Speaker 1>If you don't make those plays, if you don't hit

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<v Speaker 1>that home run, the Dodgers would be going home all right,

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<v Speaker 1>back to back champions. Now, Miguel, how do you guys

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<v Speaker 1>stay hungry for that three.

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<v Speaker 3>P Yeah, for for this moments like this, seeing the

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<v Speaker 3>fans excitement around this building like always you know.

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<v Speaker 4>Uh, these people know.

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<v Speaker 3>How to pack this place every single night for six

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<v Speaker 3>three months, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh.

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<v Speaker 4>And then when you have.

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<v Speaker 3>The key of the chain on top, make him move

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<v Speaker 3>to make your team better and compete again for for

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<v Speaker 3>another championship and not being okay.

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<v Speaker 4>Just because we won the last two. Uh.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that's that give you the motivation to go

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<v Speaker 3>to the sprint training, to fight for the spot and

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<v Speaker 3>to fight for for.

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<v Speaker 4>Something that that is bigger than.

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<v Speaker 3>Jose yourself, is a is for the whole city, for

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<v Speaker 3>the whole community, and for the organization.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh.

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<v Speaker 3>We deserve the opportunity to go back together to that

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<v Speaker 3>sprint training plus guys that wants to be here and

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<v Speaker 3>wants to be part of this uh.

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<v Speaker 4>And I think we're gonna.

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<v Speaker 3>Have a chance to have a real chat to threepeat

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<v Speaker 3>something that not everybody can say that got the opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>To the run it back for that three peat. Miguel

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<v Speaker 1>Rojas is such a big part of this Dodger team,

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<v Speaker 1>not only last year, but the last three years. All Right, Miguel,

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<v Speaker 1>I had to explain some backstory. Miguel Rojas is our

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<v Speaker 1>guest because I was asked about Team Venezuela and you

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<v Speaker 1>not being able to get the insurance to play in

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<v Speaker 1>this year's World Baseball Classic. I was asked this past week,

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<v Speaker 1>and I had to give some context. I'm not sure

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<v Speaker 1>all these reporters that were asking you about that remember

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<v Speaker 1>the fact that you sacrificed not playing for Team Venezuela

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<v Speaker 1>and the World Baseball Classic because of your responsibility to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to stay with the Dodgers, because of just

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<v Speaker 1>how your body was feeling and the opportunity. Does that

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<v Speaker 1>make it even more frustrating that you have this opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>and for some reason they won't allow you to play.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, the whole situation is frustrating to me.

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<v Speaker 3>And going back to twenty twenty three, I was in

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<v Speaker 3>a totally different position. You know. I was kind of

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<v Speaker 3>on the prime of my career and even though I

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<v Speaker 3>got to the Dodgers, I wasn't supposed to be the

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<v Speaker 3>every day short stup until something happened to Gavin Locks

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<v Speaker 3>and they decided to kind of like gave me the

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<v Speaker 3>opportunity to play every day.

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<v Speaker 4>And I feel like playing every day in the big leagues.

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<v Speaker 3>Requires a really little a little stream preparation when it

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<v Speaker 3>comes to at bats in spring training and getting ready

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<v Speaker 3>for that.

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<v Speaker 4>At that moment, my opportunity to represent.

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<v Speaker 3>Venezuela wasn't going to be to play every day as sure.

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<v Speaker 3>My at bats and my opportunity were going to be

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<v Speaker 3>limited if I go to the WBC. And that's why

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<v Speaker 3>I make the decision that I needed to get at

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<v Speaker 3>bats because I was coming out of the surgery from

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<v Speaker 3>my wrist and I needed to get the bats.

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<v Speaker 4>I needed to get my timing.

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<v Speaker 3>Down for a full season, and I ended up playing

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<v Speaker 3>one hundred and fifty close games for the Dollyers that

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<v Speaker 3>that year and we went to the playoff, we won

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<v Speaker 3>one hundred games, and I think I made the right

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<v Speaker 3>decision at the moment.

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<v Speaker 4>Definitely was a really tough one because you always want

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<v Speaker 4>to represent your country and that's.

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<v Speaker 3>Gonna be kind of like in the top of the

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<v Speaker 3>priorities for the player.

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<v Speaker 4>But at the end of the day, I thought, I got.

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<v Speaker 3>Another opportunity in twenty twenty six to represent my.

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<v Speaker 4>Country, and it's a it's such.

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<v Speaker 3>A bomber that I'm not gonna be able to do

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<v Speaker 3>it just because I'm I'm thirty seven years old and

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<v Speaker 3>you're thirty seven I guess, I guess thirty seven years

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<v Speaker 3>old and I'm still playing for the best team, and

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<v Speaker 3>you never went to pay a L last year ever

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<v Speaker 3>went on the I L and that we need a

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<v Speaker 3>little bit more of clarification on the on the teams

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<v Speaker 3>that are going on, you know. But I'm really sad,

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<v Speaker 3>not just because of me, but I'm saying the news

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<v Speaker 3>of other players like the hotel too. For our country,

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<v Speaker 3>a guy that has always been there, always being representing

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<v Speaker 3>our country, it's being one of our best representative no

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<v Speaker 3>matter what if it's a WBC, the Big Leagues and

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<v Speaker 3>the World Series and MVPs and all the I think

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<v Speaker 3>everybody who wants to represent the country should have the

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<v Speaker 3>opportunity to do it, especially if you know you're healthy

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<v Speaker 3>and you can contribute to with the whole.

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<v Speaker 1>Thing without a doubt, without a doubt. The World Baseball

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<v Speaker 1>Classic has a lot of holes to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>be taken as seriously as they want to be taken.

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<v Speaker 1>So I'm gonna be happy to see you in spring

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<v Speaker 1>training because your energy, your leadership, you need that and

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<v Speaker 1>there's not gonna be Key k Hernandez at the beginning.

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<v Speaker 1>So you know, you guys, you guys made things go.

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<v Speaker 2>For a lot of guys last year.

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<v Speaker 1>So the Dodgers need you. This is not just a

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<v Speaker 1>victory lap, right, Miguel Rojas means business.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Definitely, we're gonna show up to the sprint training

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<v Speaker 3>this year with the same attitude and the same hunger.

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<v Speaker 3>You know. Definitely we're gonna enjoy The sprint training is

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<v Speaker 3>gonna be a regular one this year. We're gonna We're

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<v Speaker 3>gonna be there for six weeks and we wanna work

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<v Speaker 3>on everything that we need to work on to be

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<v Speaker 3>ready for sprint for for opening Day. Definitely, you mentioned

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<v Speaker 3>a name that it's really valuable for us. Kick he

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<v Speaker 3>Ernandez is part of this and hopefully he can be

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<v Speaker 3>part of a group that wants to compete for three

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<v Speaker 3>times in a row World City Champions And I know

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<v Speaker 3>he will be a great addition to this team and

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<v Speaker 3>everybody in this club out one Kick to be back,

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<v Speaker 3>So first he needs to take care of business and

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<v Speaker 3>and get back to one hundred percent healthy. I know

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<v Speaker 3>his arm and his work Kait is going to take

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<v Speaker 3>him there. But I'm really I'm really hopeful that Kick

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<v Speaker 3>is going to be back with us, no doubt.

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<v Speaker 1>Miguel Rojas world serious hero.

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you, brother, a champion to the people.

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<v Speaker 1>Los Angeles loved him, but now forever his new home

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<v Speaker 1>will always be Los Angeles. Thank you for the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and of course you know you always have a place

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<v Speaker 1>in our hearts, even before that home run.

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<v Speaker 3>Of course, come on, it's been a twelve year relationship,

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<v Speaker 3>yes right here, ever since twenty fourteen.

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<v Speaker 4>Oh yeah, I know him when