WEBVTT - Kevin Pillar (10-25-25)

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<v Speaker 1>An exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talking. All right,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a reunion at the World Series. We're just in

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<v Speaker 1>front of Game two between the Dodgers and Blue Jays,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm joined right now by a man that made

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<v Speaker 1>his bones in the eight one eight or the Great

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<v Speaker 1>one eight in West Hills. He was with the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 1>for a brief time, but obviously superman here in Toronto,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's the one and only Kevin Pilar. Kevin, great

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<v Speaker 1>to see you and awesome that you have chased your

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<v Speaker 1>dream post playing career to be an established broadcaster.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, yeah, it's pretty exciting. I mean it's something I've

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<v Speaker 2>thought about. I mean, even back when we were together

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<v Speaker 2>with the Dodgers. I picked your brain. You were great

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<v Speaker 2>allowing me to come on and kind of get my

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<v Speaker 2>feet wet in you know, media. But really I'm most

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<v Speaker 2>excited about you know, this is my first World Series.

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<v Speaker 2>I know you're no stranger of the World Series, but

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<v Speaker 2>it's been really exciting to just be on the field.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's what you dream of as a player,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to

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<v Speaker 2>do it as a player, so getting it to kind

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<v Speaker 2>of step into this role with Sportsnet and and kind

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<v Speaker 2>of ride the coattails of the Blue Jays all the way.

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<v Speaker 3>The World Series has been really exciting for me.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, So since you are a broadcaster now, do

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<v Speaker 1>you see the game the same way you did even

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<v Speaker 1>from the dugout when you're with the Dodgers or lad

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<v Speaker 1>in your playing career.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's a little bit different. I think people,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, maybe in your shoes, people that sit in

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<v Speaker 2>the stands or the press box or the audience, they

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<v Speaker 2>always tell you the game slows down and it looks

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<v Speaker 2>less difficult when you're in the you know, the press

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<v Speaker 2>box or where I watch the game from. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I haven't lost kind of that mindset of a player

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<v Speaker 2>from like a competitive aspect, from x's and o's, but

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<v Speaker 2>the game definitely has slown down, you know. It's it's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot easier to be critical of decisions that are

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<v Speaker 2>made throughout the game because you have a lot longer

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<v Speaker 2>time to kind of process the information. You kind of

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<v Speaker 2>lose a sense for how quick things have to be

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<v Speaker 2>done in game.

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<v Speaker 3>But I always promise myself.

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<v Speaker 2>When I got into media that I'd never forget how

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<v Speaker 2>difficult the game is decisions, you know, swinging at pitches,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, just the entirety of the game. And I

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<v Speaker 2>promise myself I would never be too critical. And there's

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<v Speaker 2>certain times throughout this postseason that you know, I've had

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<v Speaker 2>to be honest, but I hope it comes from a

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<v Speaker 2>good place and like it's never going to be pointed at,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, individual, it's it's always going to be coming

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<v Speaker 2>from a maybe a learning aspect because I hated being

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<v Speaker 2>criticized as a player because you know, much like I'm

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<v Speaker 2>experiencing now, the game does seem a lot easier on

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<v Speaker 2>TV or even in the stands.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think that's the beauty of being.

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<v Speaker 2>A former player and and you know, jumping ship to

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<v Speaker 2>the other side is you can offer the perspective of

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<v Speaker 2>what it's like to be in the box, the emotions

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<v Speaker 2>that would probably come with playing a game like this,

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<v Speaker 2>And that's what I'm kind of here to share.

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<v Speaker 1>You understand the method of the Dodgers. You know a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of these players that are in this world series.

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<v Speaker 1>What if anything should we make of a game like

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<v Speaker 1>last night and how much it plays into Game two.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, it's it's kind of crazy to be

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<v Speaker 2>standing here in a World Series with these two teams.

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<v Speaker 3>Obviously, the Blue.

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<v Speaker 2>Jays is, you know, kind of my baby where I

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<v Speaker 2>grew up, and you know who I'm affiliated with. But

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<v Speaker 2>I've also been in that dugout, in that clubhouse with

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of those guys. Obviously there's some new characters here,

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<v Speaker 2>but I know their process, I know what they're about,

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<v Speaker 2>I know the competitiveness, I know the hunger, and honestly,

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<v Speaker 2>I think, you know, what happened yesterday was a wake

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<v Speaker 2>up call to the Dodgers, you know, not that they

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<v Speaker 2>probably you know, took the Blue Jays lightly. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>think any team would ever take in opposing team lightly

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<v Speaker 2>on this stage because you have to earn your way

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<v Speaker 2>to the World Series. But I think it was a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit of a wake up call for him. I

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<v Speaker 2>think reality kind of set in where I don't want

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<v Speaker 2>to say things had been easy for them, but it's

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<v Speaker 2>been a smooth sailing for them, you know, even.

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<v Speaker 3>A lot of those games with the Phillies.

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<v Speaker 2>The one game that they lost was still like a

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<v Speaker 2>very competitive close game. But I think it woke them

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<v Speaker 2>up a little bit, and I don't think anyone in

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<v Speaker 2>their right mind, I'm gonna say, right, mind, because I

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<v Speaker 2>think there are some people in the stands here that

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<v Speaker 2>are probably still riding the high off of yesterday and

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<v Speaker 2>maybe thinking that this series is over.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's far from the truth.

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<v Speaker 2>I think once again, the Dodgers, I mean, you just

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<v Speaker 2>talk about their talent, but talent only gets you so far.

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<v Speaker 2>It's the collection of the guys that's in that clubhouse

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<v Speaker 2>that makes this thing go. It's the front office, it's

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<v Speaker 2>the entire operation. And I expect them to come out

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit different than they were last night.

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<v Speaker 1>Styles makes fights, right, Is this a bad matchup for

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<v Speaker 1>the Dodgers? With the way the Blue Jays offense attacks

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<v Speaker 1>pitchers and is one of the best when it's not

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<v Speaker 1>a fastball, and they have a lot of guys that

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<v Speaker 1>like to throw like tonight splitters, sliders.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean I think stylistically, I think they're they're

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<v Speaker 2>very different type of teams.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, if you talk about their offense, I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>the Blue.

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<v Speaker 2>Jays have slugged a lot more than I think a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of people had expected. But they're very aggressive in

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<v Speaker 2>the zone team, very high contact, a lot strike out.

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<v Speaker 3>The Dodgers play a little bit more of that slug game.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, they sit on pitches, they try to do damage.

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<v Speaker 3>They don't fear the strikeout as much as the Blue

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<v Speaker 3>Jays do.

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<v Speaker 2>And then when you talk about from the pitching side,

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers starting pitching is as good as it gets

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<v Speaker 2>and they're really reliant on the strikeout, and the Blue

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<v Speaker 2>Jays pitchers, you know, they have some good starting pitching two,

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<v Speaker 2>but they're a little bit more old school and they

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<v Speaker 2>want to pitch the contact and try to go deep

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<v Speaker 2>into games. It's a very interesting chess match we have here.

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<v Speaker 2>I think from a Dodgers standpoint, they have to understand that,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the reality of maybe striking out ten guys

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<v Speaker 2>a night is probably not going.

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<v Speaker 3>To be there.

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<v Speaker 2>That maybe shouldn't be the barometer of how their stuff is.

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<v Speaker 2>They're maybe gonna have to maybe alter their expectations in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of, you know, expecting swing and miss and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>getting guys o too and being.

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<v Speaker 3>Able to put them away. The Blue Jays do a

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<v Speaker 3>tremendous job.

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<v Speaker 2>Battling, and I think it's gonna go down as one

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<v Speaker 2>of the better world series that you know, from a

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<v Speaker 2>fans perspective and watching, because they are too stylistically different

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<v Speaker 2>teams clashing and every night you're trying to decide, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, which side is gonna win. You know, it's

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<v Speaker 2>not like a world series last year that you sew.

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<v Speaker 2>The Dodgers and the Yankees were very stylistically the same,

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<v Speaker 2>and Old simmlately was going to just come down who

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<v Speaker 2>execute it better. This really is just two different types

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<v Speaker 2>of styles playing on the same field, and it's very unique.

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<v Speaker 3>I can't think of a world series, you know, in

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<v Speaker 3>recent history that was so different in styles.

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<v Speaker 1>Devin, awesome analysis. I think you're a natural. I think

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<v Speaker 1>you're ready to go foul Territory Sportsnet year in Canada.

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<v Speaker 1>Hopefully we see you back in LA when the series

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<v Speaker 1>shifts there. So thank you for the time and great

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<v Speaker 1>to see you again.

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<v Speaker 3>I will be there there.

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<v Speaker 1>He is the man, Kevin polar Watch out Ventura Boulevard.

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<v Speaker 1>He's going to be hitting those streets and Dan super

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<v Speaker 1>Subs very soon