WEBVTT - Off Season Dodger Talk (12-16-25) 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.280 This is off season Dodger Talk. 0:00:02.320 --> 0:00:04.720 Get in on the show by calling eight six six 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:07.920 non eight seven two five seventy four hashtag. 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:12.640 Dodger Talk and now your host, David Maasse. Welcome to 0:00:12.720 --> 0:00:16.680 Dodger Talk. David Basse with you until eight o'clock tonight 0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:20.200 here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. We got 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.960 a great hour of Dodger Talk for you. Keicky Hernandez 0:00:24.040 --> 0:00:26.319 is going to join us in about forty minutes, but 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:29.800 we are starting off, leading off the show with two 0:00:29.840 --> 0:00:34.479 of my favorite players from my favorite Dodger team, and 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:38.880 that was the miracle nineteen eighty eight World champion Dodgers. 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:42.800 Will you talk about these days the Dodgers being perceived 0:00:42.840 --> 0:00:46.839 as Goliath, Well, back in nineteen eighty eight, they were, David, 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:50.880 and these two men were drafted a year apart by 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:53.360 the Dodgers in the late seventies. I won't give away 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:55.720 which year for both these guys out of respect to 0:00:56.240 --> 0:01:00.400 one of them, but these two guys have been for 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.920 a long time in their baseball lives and have a 0:01:04.080 --> 0:01:08.160 never dying friendship to this day. They were huge parts 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:11.600 of the Dodgers winning the nineteen eighty eight World Series 0:01:11.720 --> 0:01:15.080 and still keep tabs on the team and you can 0:01:15.160 --> 0:01:18.160 be up close and personal with them wearing their number 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:22.520 nine and number fourteen, respectively. In January, at the Dodger 0:01:22.600 --> 0:01:26.480 Adult Fantasy Camp, there are still a few spots open. 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:30.080 It's almost sold out, but you can be there with 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:33.959 our guests Mike Soosha and Mickey Hatcher if you go 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:37.880 to Dodgers dot com slash Fantasy Camps and they join 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.440 us right now. Mike and Mickey, thank you so much 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:43.440 for taking the time out. It's great to have you 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:44.240 guys together. 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:48.800 All right, David greenor are you going first, Mike or what? 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:50.800 Well? Mickey? 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:53.840 You they called you first, evidently, Mickey, so you go first. 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:58.560 Hey, uh no, you're the manager. Go ahead. 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:03.000 So guys, maybe you could fill us in here. I 0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:06.720 mean this, this friendship did not end in nineteen ninety 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.280 or nineteen ninety one or even you know, when you 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.920 guys were done being together on the angels. How close 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:16.320 are you to this day? And where does that come from? Mike? 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:19.400 Well, we're yeah, we're close except when he beats my 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:21.640 butt in the golf course and we're not that close. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:25.480 But you know what, David, it was a great time. 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:28.600 I mean We still keep in touch with guys that 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:30.799 we played with in the minor leagues coming up through 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:33.200 the Dodge organization, and then that eighty eight team was 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:35.320 so special. There's a bond there and you know, whether 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:40.639 it was Oral or Kirk Gibson or or t Bone Shelby, everybody. 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.280 I mean, we all keep in touch. And I think 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:45.880 that's the bond that you get from playing on a 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:49.720 championship team. And I've known Mickey, you know, you know, 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:53.360 since nineteen seventy seven when he signed, so you know, 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:56.040 we've been we've been together, Ron Rennicky, all of us. 0:02:56.320 --> 0:03:00.000 We're just we're good friends and we enjoy each other's company. 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:02.520 Do you feel that way about Mike Mickey? 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:05.839 Oh yeah, I mean we came up. We have many 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:10.280 stories that uh, you know, we developed over the years 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.760 and and the bond. But you know what the greatest 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:16.080 thing was not only the players that we had an 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:20.680 opportunity to be part of, It was Peter O'Malley and uh, 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:24.600 you know, that friendship has still been really close from 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:29.680 an owners to his players, and we still keep in 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:32.480 touch a lot and and do lunches together. And I 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:36.240 think that's that's a special part about being a Dodger. 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:39.360 I know Mickey comes out to Dodger Stadium a lot. 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:42.760 His wife, Patty, is a big time Dodger fan. I 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:45.360 think Dodger fans would love to know from two great 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:50.320 champions themselves, what you thought about this year's World Series. 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:53.480 Hatch do you want to start? Since you really follow 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:56.080 it and your wife has a great passion for it. 0:03:56.160 --> 0:04:01.920 Still, Oh yeah, definitely and car Mike Sosher remembers probably 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.480 every play that happened from Game one to Game seven, 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.160 but I can only remember a couple and you know, 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:12.080 the game sometimes are won by inches, and uh, you know, 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:14.480 it was just a great game to watch, going back 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:17.800 and forth and just seeing uh, you know, Roberts just 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:21.000 managed a great job in Game seven, especially with that 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:25.480 defensive move and uh, you know, inches, the guy leading 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:28.120 off one more foot on third base and the World 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:31.600 Series goes to Toronto. So uh, it was an exciting 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:35.040 game going back and forth, especially for the fans. I mean, uh, 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:39.000 you know, uh, to me, I really, I really think 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:41.440 it's going to go down as one of the Dodgers' 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:42.560 best World series. 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.680 Mike, when you were watching Game six and uh, it's 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:49.800 the ninth inning, they're they're going to more starters. Tyler 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:53.000 Glass now gets the first out on the first pitch. Uh, 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:56.240 and you see Keith a Hernandez use his own baseball 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.080 like you to shade in to be able to pull 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:02.200 off that game endo double play. Just the sequence of 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:04.720 events that took place to end game six in game 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:08.960 seven is that? Have you ever seen World series games 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:09.720 end that way? 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:14.080 Well, you know, David, that was one of the most 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:17.880 exciting series I think I've ever witnessed. When we were 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.520 with the Angels, you know too, our seven game series 0:05:20.520 --> 0:05:23.760 with the Giants was so back and forth and we 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:26.400 managed to you know, beat him in seven games. But 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:29.720 not only was this the seventh game, the Dodgers going 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:32.880 on the road and winning every game was back and forth, 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:35.880 back and forth. And what I like about it was, 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:38.800 I really feel the Dodgers stepped up and won the game. 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:41.400 Toronto didn't hand them anything. The Dodgers had to make 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:43.479 plays they did, They had to do things in the 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:47.400 offensive end, and they you know, got some some incredible 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:52.039 hits that you know, just just got them back into 0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:55.480 the game. And the home runs were exciting. So I 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:57.960 think the way Mickey already talked about Dave Roberts. He 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:02.599 did a terrific job. I think remolding that bullpen with 0:06:02.640 --> 0:06:05.480 a lot of the starters in Game seven was the 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:08.240 only way they were could get that done, and they 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:12.080 did it. And masasak or Yama mode I should say, 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:15.680 did his best impersonation of or Horsheiser an Ada come 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:19.040 out of the bullpen and getting you know, and saving 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:22.360 the game. And that was what an exciting series. 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:26.000 Hey, Mike, since you are and known as being a catcher, 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:30.000 caught more games than anybody else in Dodger franchise history. 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:33.520 In game seven, you know, one play where the Dodgers 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:36.240 by an inch could have lost the World Series was 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:38.800 with the infield in and the play at the plate 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:43.880 bases loaded Isaiah Connor falefa just a hair behind the 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:47.599 throw by Miguel Rojas to Will Smith, can you explain 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:51.080 you know, that situation for a catcher and how maybe 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:52.880 his foot could have slipped off? 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:59.080 Well, you know, Will Smith's incredible. I think as a catcher, 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:01.400 you're told to put your foot right on the middle 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:04.000 of the plate so as you do reach for the ball, 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:06.440 your foot will stay on the plate. And I think 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:09.280 he did, but the timing Rojas had kind of played 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.760 in between hop he lost his balance a little bit, 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:15.040 but he showed his great arm strength and threw a 0:07:15.080 --> 0:07:18.600 bullet home and Will stretch forward and just barely got, 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:21.680 you know, the runner. And I think Mickey already said it. 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:24.840 They're very passive at third base on their lead because 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:26.880 they don't want they don't want to get you know, 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:30.120 get you'll get a line drive double play. But there's 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:33.040 a left handed hitter up and if that line drive 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.640 is hit to the right side of the infield, you 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:37.840 could be aggressive at third base and still get back. 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.080 And and I think that's uh, you know, that's the 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.160 little things that I think maybe get lost under you know, 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:46.320 they get lost like water under the bridge. But if 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:50.320 he if he had another two foot lead, then Mickey's 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:54.800 right that the series goes to Toronto's favor, and but 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:57.520 Will Will kept the slot of the plate. I think 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:00.000 Rojas made a great play after he lost his balance, 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:04.560 and the Dodgers jumped up and won the game. And 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:06.160 I think that's what they can feel good about. 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:09.640 That's the voice of Mike's Sooshia and Mickey Hatcher teammates 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:13.160 World champions as the Dodgers, so won it back in 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:16.640 nineteen eighty eight as David slaying Elias, slain the Mighty 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:20.840 Mets and slaying the Oakland A's in five games, beating 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:23.800 the Mets in seven games, and Mickey, you know Miguel 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:27.120 Rojas hitting that home run in Game seven of the 0:08:27.160 --> 0:08:30.600 World Series with the Dodgers down to their final two outs. 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:34.880 I'm not going to say it was exactly the same situation, 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:37.720 but did it remind you of a guy in Shay 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:41.240 Stadium keeping your season alive against the Mets and Dwight Gooden. 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:47.520 Oh, definitely. Sosia's home run was just amazing. And I'll 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:51.920 tell you what, Rojas, that pitch was a pretty nasty 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:55.000 pitch for him to pull and hit a home run, 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:57.440 and you know it was just I kind of like 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:02.120 Rojas's day. Man. That play second base was amazing and 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:05.199 that home run and you can see it lifted the Dodgers. 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:09.319 I mean it lifted their bench, It lifted everything for them. 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:12.040 So that was that's going to be one of the 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:16.040 most memorable home runs I think in that series. 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:19.440 Mickey, you understand this. You were the leader of the Stuntman, 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.600 a group of bench players in nineteen eighty eight. That 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:24.559 if a guy got hurt all of a sudden, you 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:26.600 had to be ready or coming off the bench to 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:30.120 pinch it. You had an incredible World Series filling in 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:33.880 for Kirk Gibson. You hit three sixty eight. Arguably, you know, 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:36.440 if it wasn't for fifty five, could have been named 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:40.640 the World Series MVP. But can you appreciate how tough 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:44.439 it was for Rojas not to play for the entire 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:47.480 World Series, get in in game six and have such 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:50.040 a huge impact in the last two games. How do 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:50.520 you do that? 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:55.160 Yeah? I just think you know, it's like, you know, 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:57.120 even when I was in the World Series, we had 0:09:57.160 --> 0:09:59.319 a bunch of guys we knew our career was coming 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:02.480 to an end. This was our moment, and you just 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:06.120 stay into the moment and you you take every advantage 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:08.559 you can to that moment. I think the same thing 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:11.160 with Rojas. You know, he knows he's coming to the 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:13.640 end of the end of his career, and you know what, 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:16.160 he wanted to be ready, and he wanted that one 0:10:16.200 --> 0:10:19.760 opportunity and he turned into be about a twenty five 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:24.080 year old kid and that those two innings and it 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:26.360 was just a great moment for him. So no matter 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:30.640 how his his life goes on, or whether he's going 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.680 to retire or whether he's going to try to keep playing. 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:38.719 This is going to be remembered in his family and 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:42.280 his life, and it's just a great feeling. 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:47.000 Mickey Hatcher, you were on Mike's social's coaching staff with 0:10:47.080 --> 0:10:50.040 the two thousand and two Angels that found a way 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:52.600 to come back so many times in that seven game 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:56.040 win over the Giants and O two. Did this World 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:59.520 Series remind you of that seven game World Series win 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:00.360 by the Juice? 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:05.400 Yes, I'm telling you what we just Mike did a 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.440 great job with those players and putting them together and 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:10.760 from the start of the season teaching them what it 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:12.920 took to win and and we had to do the 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:15.800 little things just like the Dodgers had to do, uh 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:19.400 to win this game. And uh, you know, it was 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:23.120 just watching those guys go through get out there in 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:27.200 game six. Uh you know when we were down and 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:31.000 even when Dusty Baker went out to the mound to 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:34.360 take the guy. Uh, I remember the pitcher's name out 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:36.400 or te can see our players say we're going to 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.240 win this game. We're going to win this game. And 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:42.640 and I think sitting back as a coach and seeing 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:46.520 your players still having that energy to want to win 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:48.600 that game means a lot to you. 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:53.280 Yeah that was Ramon Ortiz, right, Mike, Daddy, he took out. 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:58.760 And Russ Russ Russe or teeth yeah, Russell t y yeah, yes. 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:01.360 And do you remember the the feeling that you had 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:04.960 before game seven? Could you as you're as you're watching 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:07.680 game seven start in Toronto, do you have some of 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:11.240 those same feelings that you had maybe managing game seven 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:13.839 in two thousand and two, what Dave Roberts may be 0:12:14.000 --> 0:12:14.600 going through. 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:19.160 Well, you know, you're you're you're so busy, and it's 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:21.959 good busy because you're getting uh, you know, you're getting 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:25.920 everything together, you're getting your matchups, you're getting uh you know, 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.480 you've already done all your scouting and everything and your 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.400 pitcher and catcher should be on the same page. So 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:33.600 you're ready for this game to start. I think that 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:38.040 little anxiety like you're saying, let's get going, let's get going. Uh, 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:39.840 you just want to you just want to get going 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:42.680 and and and get get some momentum built and hopefully 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:46.280 win a game. Uh. But but you know, you're you're 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.800 you're still doing so much. David to prepare up until 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:52.640 you know you take the field, and I think it 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:55.000 just keeps you saying so you're not dwelling on things 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:57.800 too much, but we uh, you know, the team. One 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:00.240 of the things I really liked about the Dodger club. 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:02.800 I mean you talked about Key k and being able 0:13:02.800 --> 0:13:06.920 to just use his experience. These guys played free, and 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:11.800 I mean they didn't play with with with any burden 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.240 or maybe if they if they missed a play or 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:15.920 or if they were going to make a play. They 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:19.360 played aggressively. Of defense, they played aggressively run the bases 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.000 and in the batter's box. And that's the same thing, 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:24.800 you know two with our club. Our club was very 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:27.400 aggressive in every aspect of it. They didn't think about 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:30.360 making mistakes. They thought about making plays. And I think 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:33.199 that's when it comes down to crunch time and everyone's 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:34.520 going to point to a lot of the things that 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:38.680 happened in that game. The Dodgers made plays. And I 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:42.960 think what you're alluded to with Kay Hernandez in left field, 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:45.480 he knew when he caught that ball exactly where he 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:48.400 was throwing it. Rowhouse made a great pick, doubled off 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:52.080 the runner, and games over so I think that had 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:54.760 a lot to do with why they you know, why 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:55.600 they played so well. 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:59.680 Mike Soosie and Mickey Hatcher are joining us on Dodger Talk. 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:02.360 I want to go back to when you guys were 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:05.240 on the same staff, Mike the manager, Mickey the hitting coach, 0:14:05.720 --> 0:14:08.840 because this year when the Dodgers played the Angels, I 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:12.000 was privy to a conversation of Dino Ebel and Tim 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:17.079 Salmon praising Mike Soosha and Mickey Hatcher just about the 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:21.120 message you guys sent, the tone, especially Mike at the 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:24.080 beginning of the season where you needed team at bats, 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:29.280 whether it was Albert Pooholz, Mike Trout, Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson, Mickey, 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:32.760 do you remember those type of meetings that Mike would 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:35.400 have and did you see some of those team at 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:38.920 bats from guys like Otani and Freeman that reminded you 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:40.360 of the message you guys had. 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:44.440 Well, you know, we had an opportunity to go in 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:47.400 there and see the players that get and have you 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.520 know a year under our bell watching these guys play. 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:54.560 And I remember in the offseason, Mike before spring training says, 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:56.720 we got to get these guys together. They don't know 0:14:56.760 --> 0:15:03.600 how to win, and and he proceeded with the game 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:06.840 plan of you know, we've got to move runners. The 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:09.480 worst scenario, we got a runner on second base, we 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:12.360 got to get him to third. We got to score them. Uh, 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:15.200 we got to move runners over. You know, we've we've 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:18.680 got to play that type of game. Uh, knowing to 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:21.800 use the big part of the field in those situations 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:26.160 and and not just give away in at bat, Uh 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:28.640 give yourself an attempt to get a hit, but get 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:32.320 the job done. And Uh, in spring training, these guys 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:36.000 started doing it. We said, hey, these bats don't count. Uh. 0:15:36.160 --> 0:15:38.640 You know, Mike had the meeting and he said, I 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:40.760 applied it as a hitting coach and said, hey, we're 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:43.200 going in the spring training these have bats don't count. 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:48.200 But this is what we're going and and uh, he's 0:15:48.240 --> 0:15:50.840 got to start doing it. And you know, here guys 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:52.880 moving a runner to third base for the other guy 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.520 to get an RBI. You see him start giving knuckles 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:59.080 and uh, they got really into it. And it was amazing. 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:02.200 And when we started the season, we probably had the 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:05.720 worst record the starting the season. What was our record, Mike. 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:08.720 When we were like this season fourteen, Yeah, we were 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:13.600 struggling like, yeah, fourteen. And then the guys they kept 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:15.520 doing it. Yeah, yeah, they kept doing it. You know, 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:18.720 Mickey remember with Troy Glass, it was funny. We're talking 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:21.280 about moving runners, a guy on second and Troy saying. 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:24.440 Troy says, he goes, Mike, I can't hit a ground 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:26.760 ball a second, I said, And Mickey goes, Troy, we're 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:28.880 not asking. We don't want you hit a ground ball 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:30.840 a second. If we're on the other team and hit 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:32.400 her like you hit the ground ball to second with 0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:34.800 a guy on second, We're saying, thank you. We want 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:37.360 you knock down the centerfield wall. We want you hit 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:40.240 the ball left center. Centerfield us a big part of 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.920 the field. And he exhaled. He goes, oh, thank you, okay, 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:47.240 I can do that. And uh and Tim sabon, Tim 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:49.320 Savon and spring training and the guy was on second 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.960 base and uh, and he hit a ball off the 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:54.800 batter's eye in center field. And he came back and 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:57.760 he goes, should I apologize? I said, heck no, you 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:00.880 shouldn't apologize. I said, it is a big part of 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:02.600 the field. If you had it out of the ballpark, 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:04.719 it's a beautiful thing. I said that. You know that 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:07.120 that's what we're talking about. But you know, the big 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:11.639 thing was these guys. These guys, they they understood it, 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:15.879 and they played great baseball, and they really blended with 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:20.240 great base running, situational hitting, and plus when we look 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:22.480 about you talk about the middle of the lineup, and 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:26.920 you had you know, Ga and Tim Salmon and Gloss 0:17:26.920 --> 0:17:29.200 and her stat up at hitting second and ex Stein 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:32.960 leading off. These guys fed the whole lineup and and 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.000 and it was really a it was really a lineup 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:39.600 that was I think, very underrated. But these guys are 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:41.800 one of the top lineups in baseball for a number 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:43.840 of years, and they showed it in O two. 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:46.840 Do you guys still believe if you were on the 0:17:46.880 --> 0:17:50.560 same staff, with the way the game has been played 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:54.400 the last ten something years, do you think players would 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:57.600 still be open to Mike's Oshi and Mickey Hatcher saying, hey, 0:17:57.640 --> 0:18:01.040 I need twenty five team at bats the entire year. 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:03.320 I need twenty five team at bats. Do you feel 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:06.119 like that would still be in play today? 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:11.080 Well, you know, there's some different philosophies out like strikeouts 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.840 another out which I don't know what Moron came up 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:17.119 with that line. A strikeout is not just another out. 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:19.920 But I think what I think, I think what's important 0:18:20.000 --> 0:18:22.480 is you know, like like I say, you talk to 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:24.960 Darren Nurseat, who was a great team player. Anyway, he 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:26.840 would do it anyway he's gonna get he's gonna go 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:29.040 over six hundred plate appearances. And we were talking to 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:30.680 these guys, So you guys are gonna get six hundred 0:18:30.680 --> 0:18:34.840 plate appearances if you don't have the twenty five team 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:38.560 at bats that we're talking about to where you get 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:40.119 two strikes, you know, you got to shorten it up 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:41.560 and pull the ball in the ground if you're a 0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:43.840 stat or ga to get a guy from from second 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:47.560 to third, you know, and and two strikes, shorten it 0:18:47.640 --> 0:18:49.800 up and maybe hit that sack fly instead of and 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:52.800 take the RBI. But you're not trying to hit home run, 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:56.320 then that's on you. And I think as you communicate 0:18:56.359 --> 0:18:58.560 with these guys, and I think you know, there's a 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:01.119 there's a lot of baseball players understand that part of it. 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:02.399 There's a lot of guys that are not going to 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:06.560 strike down those situations. And I think that that those 0:19:06.560 --> 0:19:08.520 are the guys that stand out and you just know 0:19:08.560 --> 0:19:11.200 they're going to help their team win. And as I said, 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:13.800 you're gonna get six hundred plate appearances for most of 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:16.200 the player apparenties. You're free to swing and do whatever 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:19.960 you want, but that team at bat comes and it 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:21.200 presents itself to you. 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:22.359 We need it. 0:19:22.800 --> 0:19:25.960 And I think I think, guys, you know, I think 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:28.520 ball players now would would rally around that and would 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:29.520 embrace that also. 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.879 Do you remember those those talks, Mickey, And do you 0:19:33.920 --> 0:19:38.320 believe that in today's game that players would accept that 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:40.440 as well? And did you see it from the Dodgers 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:41.200 in twenty five? 0:19:43.200 --> 0:19:47.080 You start seeing it on more teams now, you really do. 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:49.440 You start seeing a little bit more bunning. You start 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:52.280 seeing it, But you know, it's like Mike says, I mean, 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:55.600 come on, a two strike approach. You know, that's when 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:58.000 you got to like get up there and battle with 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:02.240 that picture. And it's just a swing and misses that 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:06.679 are are just amazing to me, especially on pitches that 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:11.159 are right there with two strikes. And you know that 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:15.080 was Mike's biggest biggest thing was, Hey, come on, guys, 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:18.200 two strikes, you know, maybe come off the knob. We've 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:21.600 we've got to battle up there. We've got to put 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:25.760 that ball in play. And uh, you know, strikeouts, that's 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:28.000 just an easy out for anything you put a ball 0:20:28.040 --> 0:20:29.960 in play, they can make an air, they can throw 0:20:30.040 --> 0:20:32.879 it away, they can there's a lot of scenarios that 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:37.480 could happen, you know, that can't happen if you're slinging miss. 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:40.440 Dave Roberts is actually one of the managers that are 0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:43.399 active today that actually echoes what you guys have said. 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:47.240 Well, I know Dave, I know he was that type player, 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:50.520 and he understands it. I think you see players, I 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.159 mean you see Will Smith choking up and putting the 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:56.080 ball play in some of the situations. You know, Freddie Freeman, 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.119 I mean, these guys are professional hitters. Even you know 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:02.560 Show Hey, he he's got such an a great idea 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:05.280 of what to do in a batter's box. MOOKI, you know, 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:08.640 MOOKI bet same way. Mickey and I were contact hitter. 0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:10.760 So we had a guy on third base and less 0:21:10.760 --> 0:21:14.480