Speaker 1: The quest for the three peat has begune.
Speaker 2: Only four teams in Major League Baseball history have won
Speaker 2: three consecutive titles. The Dodgers are the favorites to become
Speaker 2: the fifth.
Speaker 1: This is World Champion Dodger Talk.
Speaker 3: Here we go again, Rhea running.
Speaker 4: Back, hosted by Dodgers in signer David vas yea three
Speaker 4: peat in the mix. To get in on the show
Speaker 4: called eight six six eighty seven two five seven, and
Speaker 4: be sure to follow Dodger Talk wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4: Here's your host, David Vase.
Speaker 3: Welcome the Dodger Talk.
Speaker 2: David Vasse with you until nine o'clock right here.
Speaker 3: On a five to seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 2: We are live at Dodgers Stadium, Blue Heaven on Earth,
Speaker 2: as the great Timy Lessorda used to call it, and
Speaker 2: the Dodgers have wrapped up the exhibition season with three
Speaker 2: games against the Angels, and tonight Anaheim beat the Dodgers
Speaker 2: three to nothing. But the story of the game tonight
Speaker 2: was how good sho he Otani looked as a pitcher
Speaker 2: in his final tune up for a full season of
Speaker 2: being a two way player, and he was phenomenal doing
Speaker 2: something that you don't see often dominating the first four
Speaker 2: innings with eleven strikeouts, And like I mentioned during the
Speaker 2: Clubhouse show, the one thing that O'tani said he was
Speaker 2: striving for this year was more consistency with his fastball command,
Speaker 2: and we saw that tonight and that is going to
Speaker 2: be for him something that he is looking to have
Speaker 2: more of than he had a year ago, which is understandable.
Speaker 2: Every pitcher, to a man that has had that elbow surgery, says,
Speaker 2: when you're pitching in major league games, after you're through
Speaker 2: with all the rehab, yeah you're considered healthy, but a
Speaker 2: lot of times the last thing to come is the
Speaker 2: command of your fastball and your other pitches. And Otani said,
Speaker 2: part of the reason why you saw one hundred and
Speaker 2: one miles an hour at times last year when he
Speaker 2: needed a strikeout was because he didn't have confidence that
Speaker 2: he could pinpoint his fastball with the command that he wanted.
Speaker 2: And so far we have seen that at times during
Speaker 2: spring training more than we saw it at times last year,
Speaker 2: and tonight it was on full display with the fastball
Speaker 2: command to be able to use his secondary pitches off
Speaker 2: of that, and you know he was averaging ninety six
Speaker 2: and a half miles an hour tonight, so it's not
Speaker 2: like he was averaging ninety eight and you don't have
Speaker 2: to throw one hundred when you have command that Otani
Speaker 2: had tonight, so that was really impressive. Also impressive was
Speaker 2: Justin Robleski, who was very valuable for the Dodgers last
Speaker 2: year coming out of the bullpen as a long man.
Speaker 2: The Dodgers value him and he has such a spectacular
Speaker 2: role with the Dodgers in the bullpen that you know,
Speaker 2: I understand every pitcher wants to be a starter, but
Speaker 2: sometimes you're calling and your value is in the bullpen.
Speaker 2: And that goes for anybody in any job. You may
Speaker 2: want a certain job and you may be okay at
Speaker 2: that job, but another role probably fits you better and
Speaker 2: you're elite at that role. And that's what Justin Robleski
Speaker 2: has embraced and certainly understands. He wants to be part
Speaker 2: of this team. He wants to try to go for
Speaker 2: a three peat. He was so valuable coming out of
Speaker 2: the bullpen for Otani starts last year, rescuing Roki Sasaki
Speaker 2: at times last year, and he and Ben Casparius are
Speaker 2: probably going to be in that role again for the
Speaker 2: first half of the season. But Robleski tonight, four scoreless
Speaker 2: innings with five strikeouts and no walks eight six, six nine, eight, seven,
Speaker 2: two five seventy is the phone number, you know. My
Speaker 2: only question about this team. To me, it's a better
Speaker 2: team than it was a year ago. It's a better
Speaker 2: offensive team. It's a better defensive team from a year
Speaker 2: ago for a number of reasons, not just the guys
Speaker 2: they brought in, but the guys that came to camp
Speaker 2: in incredible condition and focused to be better defensively. Defense
Speaker 2: has got to be a focus. There's got to be
Speaker 2: an effort level. Max Munsey wants to be just as good,
Speaker 2: if not better, at third base. Ta Oscar Hernandez wants
Speaker 2: to be a better outfielder this year. He worked his
Speaker 2: butt off all off season to be able to be
Speaker 2: healthier and also more mobile out there, and left field's
Speaker 2: a better spot for him. Kyle Tucker Dave Roberts challenged
Speaker 2: him the first day that he signed with the Dodgers
Speaker 2: to be a better outfielder. He was a great outfielder
Speaker 2: in Houston, but at times there was lapses in Chicago
Speaker 2: last year. So the Dodgers are going to put pressure
Speaker 2: on him to be as good of an outfielder as
Speaker 2: he was in Houston. And Andy Popps, who had a
Speaker 2: rocky first two weeks of the season last year, the
Speaker 2: first two weeks of the season last year, put in
Speaker 2: a ton of work, and by the end of the
Speaker 2: year he's making a World Series saving catch in Game seven.
Speaker 2: So I just feel like signing Tucker just puts everybody
Speaker 2: in a better spot and in a more advantageous spot
Speaker 2: to be able to be a better outfield defense. Mookie
Speaker 2: Betts has put in a ton of work the last
Speaker 2: two years to transition from right field to shortstop. He's
Speaker 2: going to be better. We saw that on display tonight
Speaker 2: in the first inning. That was probably the best play
Speaker 2: I've ever seen Mookie Betts make at shortstop.
Speaker 3: I mean it was.
Speaker 2: Like he was Omarvis Skelle right there. I mean, it
Speaker 2: was Jeter viscale a Rod type of play that you
Speaker 2: see a guy that played shortstop his whole life make.
Speaker 2: And it was a great play, robbing Nolan shan Well
Speaker 2: in the first inning where he was going to his
Speaker 2: left and on his glove side was able to go
Speaker 2: towards the grass and right field and make a spectacular
Speaker 2: throat to Freddie Freeman, So Mookie's gonna be better defensively
Speaker 2: at shortstop. Freddie Freeman is the best you know guy
Speaker 2: to reach anything within ten feet of first base, and
Speaker 2: Will Smith is one of the best catchers at throwing
Speaker 2: out runners. So I just feel like the Dodgers defense
Speaker 2: is going to be better than it was a year ago.
Speaker 2: Their offense was the best in spring training this year
Speaker 2: and they didn't even have their full lineup at times.
Speaker 2: Two hundred and ten runs scored in spring training. That
Speaker 2: was the most of any team in the Greape Fruit
Speaker 2: League or Cactus League. They hit forty three home runs,
Speaker 2: and you know, off'm Zach Gallen on Thursday, where are
Speaker 2: you turning to? Who are you pitching around? There's nowhere
Speaker 2: to pitch around. And Alex Freeland, hitting ninth, has been
Speaker 2: taking his walks, so that's gonna be his goal to
Speaker 2: get on base, to turn that lineup over.
Speaker 3: Now, my only question is.
Speaker 2: Who is going to get a key right handed hitter
Speaker 2: out in the sixth or seventh inning not named Alex Vesia,
Speaker 2: because like I said last night, Alex Vessia can't get
Speaker 2: everybody out. The Dodgers are going to need thirty seven
Speaker 2: year old Blake tryning to try to find something left
Speaker 2: in the tank. It looked better the last couple of outings.
Speaker 2: And I know Blake has a lot of professional pride.
Speaker 2: He's a three time World Series champion, so you know
Speaker 2: he has that type of heart not to just say,
Speaker 2: you know what, this is my thirty this is my
Speaker 2: year thirty seven on this planet, and I've done a
Speaker 2: lot and you know what, we'll see what we got now.
Speaker 2: He's going to try to empty the tank again this season.
Speaker 2: Will Klein, who became a household name in LA after
Speaker 2: Game three of the World Series, he probably has had
Speaker 2: the best spring of any right handed reliever not named
Speaker 2: Edwin Diaz in that Dodger bullpen. So, uh, Brock Stewart's
Speaker 2: on the il probably the first month of the year.
Speaker 2: So who is going to be that high leverage right
Speaker 2: handed reliever? Uh, before it even gets to you know,
Speaker 2: Edwin Diaz, how are they going to get the ball
Speaker 2: to Edwin Diaz? And Tanner Scott returning to form from
Speaker 2: a couple of years ago would certainly help that situation.
Speaker 2: So that's my only question. Eight six, six, nine, eight
Speaker 2: seven two five seventy is the phone number. The Dodgers
Speaker 2: and Angel split this three game freeway series. An opening
Speaker 2: day is coming up on Thursday afternoon, as you know,
Speaker 2: or Thursday evening five point thirty first pitch.
Speaker 3: Our coverage begins at four o'clock.
Speaker 2: Auto gates are going to open at two thirty on Thursday,
Speaker 2: so if you have tickets to thirty is when the
Speaker 2: parking gates are going to open. Keith Williams Junior is
Speaker 2: singing the national anthem, Irvin Magic Johnson is throwing out
Speaker 2: the first pitch, and I did get confirmation from Kershaw
Speaker 2: suit and tie will be worn for Peacock television debut
Speaker 2: on Thursday. So looking forward to having Kershaw back out
Speaker 2: here at Dodgers Stadium. And at some point right if
Speaker 2: Krushaw's in the house Monday and excuse me, Thursday and Friday,
Speaker 2: doesn't he have to be involved in a little bit
Speaker 2: more than the ring ceremony. I mean, come on, let's
Speaker 2: maximize Krushaw while he's in town. Eight six six nine
Speaker 2: eighty seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Let's
Speaker 2: go out to Bob in Malibu. You're on Dodger Talk.
Speaker 2: How you doing, Bob?
Speaker 5: Dave great to be with you today, man, Thanks for
Speaker 5: having me on my pleasure.
Speaker 6: Gray Great.
Speaker 5: Now that the exhibition season's over, in all the games
Speaker 5: in spring training behind us, I wanted to ask you
Speaker 5: who were your standouts of spring training, not just on
Speaker 5: the main twenty six man roster, but some of the
Speaker 5: younger guys we're coming up. We heard a lot of
Speaker 5: names in the offseason, like Ryan Ward obviously, James Tibbs.
Speaker 6: Who were your standouts among the bunch?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say James Tibbs, the third really made
Speaker 2: a name for himself in a lasting impression. I could
Speaker 2: see him being the first outfielder called up if necessary
Speaker 2: this season. I thought Hayesng Kim had a really nice
Speaker 2: spring training as well. You could tell that he put
Speaker 2: in a lot of work this offseason to improve as
Speaker 2: a hitter. So even though he's started the year in
Speaker 2: Triple A. You know, there's been other Dodgers named Cody Ballinger,
Speaker 2: Chris Taylor among them that didn't make the opening day roster,
Speaker 2: but by the end of the year had huge impacts
Speaker 2: on the season. And Chris Woodward, the Dodgers' first base coach,
Speaker 2: reminded me of that because he was on the coaching
Speaker 2: staff back then as well.
Speaker 5: Right, that's awesome, man. And to go back to your
Speaker 5: point about right handed reliever, I'd like to see Rokie
Speaker 5: take that role on I really would. I mean, I
Speaker 5: know he wants to be a starter, and I know
Speaker 5: a lot of fans want to see him as a
Speaker 5: dominant starter, but he could be so helpful in that position,
Speaker 5: setting up our closer. Just my opinion. I don't know
Speaker 5: what your thoughts are, day.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, obviously he was much better as reliever
Speaker 2: than a starter last year or this spring training, but
Speaker 2: the Dodgers made him a promise that they would give
Speaker 2: him every opportunity to stick in the rotation. But Bob,
Speaker 2: it's hard to argue that that. You know, his future
Speaker 2: might be in the bullpen, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2: But you know, he had great aspirations to be a starter,
Speaker 2: and that's what the Dodgers saw on him as well.
Speaker 2: So I don't believe they're giving up on that just yet.
Speaker 2: Thanks for the phone call, appreciate it. Eight six six
Speaker 2: nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Hey,
Speaker 2: this Saturday afternoon, you can meet and take your photo
Speaker 2: with World Series hero Miguel Roja said w SS Boyle
Speaker 2: Heights from noon to one o'clock, and I'll be there
Speaker 2: as well for a live broadcast of Dodger Talk starting
Speaker 2: at eleven am WSS location in Boyle Heights. The address
Speaker 2: is twenty seven to eleven East Olympic Boulevard. You, me
Speaker 2: and Miguel Rojas. He'll be taking pictures from noon to
Speaker 2: one o'clock and we'll have Dodger Talk from eleven to
Speaker 2: one from WSS and Boyle Heights. And speaking of Miguel Rojas,
Speaker 2: I had a chance to talk to him and Mookie
Speaker 2: Bets and Dave Roberts, among others, about the fact that
Speaker 2: the Dodgers have an opportunity to double down on history.
Speaker 2: They made history last year by becoming the first ever
Speaker 2: Dodger team to win back to back championships and the
Speaker 2: first team in baseball to win back to back championships
Speaker 2: in twenty six years twenty five years when the Yankees
Speaker 2: won three in a row, and the Dodgers now have
Speaker 2: a chance to make history even more by three peating
Speaker 2: the last two teams that I.
Speaker 3: Can remember three peating.
Speaker 2: I know we're going to talk about the Yankees from
Speaker 2: the olden days, but in modern baseball history or since
Speaker 2: the Dodgers moved to LA I guess I would probably
Speaker 2: say better. The A's in the mid seventies won three
Speaker 2: in a row, and the Yankees from ninety eight to
Speaker 2: two thousand did a three peat and they actually went
Speaker 2: to four straight World Series. If you remember the one
Speaker 2: World Series they lost. In Game seven, Luis Gonzalez hit
Speaker 2: that got the walk off win against Mariano Rivera, and
Speaker 2: the Diamondbacks won their one and only World Series championship.
Speaker 2: I asked Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas and Dave Roberts
Speaker 2: about whether or not the Dodgers are embracing the fact
Speaker 2: that they have a chance to do something that only
Speaker 2: a handful of teams in baseball history have been able
Speaker 2: to do.
Speaker 7: Being able that we were ready to come through twice
Speaker 7: just to have this type of opportunity. I mean, people
Speaker 7: don't even get this opportunity, whether we do it or not.
Speaker 7: And so obviously we obviously we're embracing it, and we
Speaker 7: know what's here, and it's not like it's, you know, anything,
Speaker 7: it's a huge thing.
Speaker 3: It's the history.
Speaker 7: And so the only way to kind of get through
Speaker 7: that is just embrace and understand the battle and then
Speaker 7: figure out how to attack it.
Speaker 3: That was Mookie.
Speaker 2: Here was what Miguel Rowa sad to say, who is
Speaker 2: going to play his final major league season. He's thirty
Speaker 2: seven years old, coming off an iconic moment in Game
Speaker 2: seven of last year's World Series.
Speaker 8: I don't think we have to tie away from from
Speaker 8: anything that is out there.
Speaker 3: I think the narrative and the way.
Speaker 8: That people are kind of like putting it into existence
Speaker 8: is real. You know, we had a really good chance
Speaker 8: right here to compete and win another championship. And I
Speaker 8: think that's nothing new for us because that's the expectation
Speaker 8: of this team every single year. You know, we're getting
Speaker 8: We're getting better and better and better every every single
Speaker 8: time that we come to spring training. So I feel
Speaker 8: like for this group, it's like it's not an expectation anymore.
Speaker 3: It's like kind of a.
Speaker 8: Necessity, you know, because we're giving their resources, they're doing
Speaker 8: anything that we ask, you know, like we we have
Speaker 8: everything that we need, so there's no reason for us
Speaker 8: not to go out there and perform the way that
Speaker 8: we should. You know, I think if this team is
Speaker 8: healthy and everybody's kind of like having their ordinary regular season,
Speaker 8: we're going to be in a good position to go
Speaker 8: to the playoffs. Then in the playoff, anything can happen,
Speaker 8: you know, like you have to get there and you
Speaker 8: have to kind of like hang your heart on the
Speaker 8: experience that we have on all the time. But we
Speaker 8: all know, man, I mean, anything can happen in Game seven.
Speaker 8: Anything could happen in Game six. But at the end
Speaker 8: of the day, we got there, we find a way
Speaker 8: to do it, and it's on us to do it again.
Speaker 2: Hey, that's a great point by Miguel Rojas. I really
Speaker 2: do believe experience was the difference in Game six. In
Speaker 2: Game seven of last year's World Series, it felt like
Speaker 2: the Blue Jays in the middle of Game six realized
Speaker 2: where they were and the game started to speed up
Speaker 2: on all of them. And you saw how that game ended,
Speaker 2: not only Addison Barger being doubled off to end the game,
Speaker 2: but how about Ernie Clement, who was seeing more pitches,
Speaker 2: had more hits than any other player in the World
Speaker 2: Series in the postseason for the Blue Jays, swings at
Speaker 2: the first pitch from Tyler Glass now for the first
Speaker 2: out of that inning. So I just felt like experience
Speaker 2: served the Dodgers in the World Series similar to the
Speaker 2: way it served them in the NLDS. I mean the
Speaker 2: wheel play. We forget about the moments that led up
Speaker 2: to the World Series, the wheel play against the Phillies,
Speaker 2: Ryan Keckering feeling the pressure, throwing the ball away. The
Speaker 2: Dodgers win the NLDS. The Brewers, I mean, Game one
Speaker 2: could have gone either way. The Dodgers experience allowed them
Speaker 2: to keep their blood pressure at a certain level, and
Speaker 2: you kind of saw the young Brewers same thing. Games
Speaker 2: start to speed up snowball effect after winning or losing
Speaker 2: the first two games to the Dodgers on their home field,
Speaker 2: and then in the World Series Game six and Game seven,
Speaker 2: experience played a big part in all of that. So
Speaker 2: that was huge and that's gonna be a huge advantage
Speaker 2: for the Dodgers when they get to the postseason again. Finally,
Speaker 2: I just want you to hear from Dave Roberts, who
Speaker 2: I guess needed to win back to back championships to
Speaker 2: get your validation, which is ridiculous. But here's what Dave,
Speaker 2: the leader of that team in that dugout, had to
Speaker 2: say about the expectations and the talk and the opportunity
Speaker 2: of history to three pete is around this team and
Speaker 2: is circulating this team, and it seems like everybody's embracing it.
Speaker 9: I guess when you are secure in your team t
Speaker 9: who you are individually, you're not afraid to run from
Speaker 9: expectations because our own expectations should be higher than what
Speaker 9: anyone else could expect. So yeah, but I think Dave
Speaker 9: is that we do a good job of understanding what
Speaker 9: is at stake, but also the most important part of
Speaker 9: it is to kind of focus on the work each day.
Speaker 9: And you know, like I've said many times, you're not
Speaker 9: going to win a World Series in February. You're not
Speaker 9: going to win a three peet in February. Your goal
Speaker 9: is to get better each day. And I think our
Speaker 9: guys do as good a job as anyone as you know,
Speaker 9: putting on those blinders and folks on each day.
Speaker 2: And that's what they've been doing from day one of
Speaker 2: spring training, similar to the last even five years. I mean,
Speaker 2: that's been some of what the Dodgers have done, and
Speaker 2: that's outworking the opponent even though they have the most talent.
Speaker 2: Nobody outworks these Dodgers, even though they have the most
Speaker 2: talent when you look across the field, and that was
Speaker 2: apparent to me more than ever during the twenty four
Speaker 2: World Series when the Yankees, who were not a very
Speaker 2: good defensive team, had the field and the infield was empty,
Speaker 2: no extra work, but you saw Mookie Betts and Freddie
Speaker 2: Freeman and sho Hao Tani nursing that shoulder, ta Oscar
Speaker 2: Hernandez all out there getting their work in even before
Speaker 2: Game four, even before Game five of the World Series
Speaker 2: that year. So that's a difference maker as well. And
Speaker 2: the process and them being able to just be able
Speaker 2: to take one game at a time, one pitch, one
Speaker 2: at bat at a time certainly has served them well
Speaker 2: the last couple of years. All right, when we continue
Speaker 2: on Dodger Talk, we'll check in with Jose Mota and
Speaker 2: also I'll give you my predictions for who is going
Speaker 2: to win each division in Major League Baseball. It means
Speaker 2: absolutely nothing, but it's something fun to do before Opening Day.
Speaker 2: I'm sure you've thought about it as well. I might
Speaker 2: have some surprises for you as well. More Dodger Talk
Speaker 2: from Dodger Stadium right here on five seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 4: Dodger Talk is available on AM five seventy LA sports
Speaker 4: dot Com hand on the iHeartRadio app. Back to more
Speaker 4: Dodger Talk with Dodger insider David Basse.
Speaker 2: We are live at Dodgers Stadium as the Dodgers and
Speaker 2: Angels wrap up the Freeway Series tonight. The dress rehearsals
Speaker 2: are over and the Dodgers will open up the season
Speaker 2: on Thursday evening against the Arizona Diamondbacks and then on
Speaker 2: Friday they will have the ring ceremony before first pitch.
Speaker 2: And in case you missed the starting rotation, it's going
Speaker 2: to be Yamamoto on opening day and Emmett Shean pitching
Speaker 2: Game two of the series against Arizona, and Tyler Glass
Speaker 2: now will pitch on Saturday against Arizona as well. All right,
Speaker 2: let's head out and check in with Jose Mota.
Speaker 1: It's time to go around the horn with Jose Mota.
Speaker 2: Jose Mota, I tried to give the fans some tips
Speaker 2: on when to get to Dodger Stadium when there's not
Speaker 2: so much demand for tickets. I tried to tell him
Speaker 2: show up tonight. You never know what you're gonna see
Speaker 2: when Otani's on the mound. And whoever was here, they
Speaker 2: were smart to show up to see an incredible pitching
Speaker 2: performance for even just four innings tonight.
Speaker 6: Dave, You're always on the ball man, and you were right,
Speaker 6: absolutely right, Shohil Tani on a mission. You had a
Speaker 6: feeling about what this guy was gonna do. You's never
Speaker 6: know his show. It doesn't matter what the scenario is,
Speaker 6: WBC facing Trout, Worttle Series, Milwaukee Brewers. This guy's in
Speaker 6: a mission every day because he's able to just put
Speaker 6: things in the right compartment and have the idea that
Speaker 6: he needs to accomplish something. And I noticed something early today, Dave,
Speaker 6: that when he was warming up out of left field,
Speaker 6: and I noticed his curb ol release and also how
Speaker 6: many times have repeated it. Then I followed that pattern
Speaker 6: into his bullpen in left field and then in between innings,
Speaker 6: and I'm like, it's going to be a day where
Speaker 6: I hope to see a lot of fastballs ault to
Speaker 6: the dimensions of it foreseen sinker and cutter, but the
Speaker 6: curveball is going to play somehow, because as you know
Speaker 6: very well, it is hard to see that pitch when
Speaker 6: there's a lot of sun behind you. And we talk
Speaker 6: about using the elements this guy uses every single piece
Speaker 6: of elements was advantage, and we saw it again on
Speaker 6: displayed today.
Speaker 2: Do you believe this year, now that he's going to
Speaker 2: be pitching a full healthy season, that we may see
Speaker 2: him throw his split fingered fastball more or do you
Speaker 2: believe it's going to be sprinkled in like we saw tonight.
Speaker 6: I believe it'll be sprinkled in because there'll be some
Speaker 6: days when you're not going to see as many curbels
Speaker 6: as he saw tonight. The best pitch to me tonight
Speaker 6: was the sinker. If you watch where Showy was working
Speaker 6: from on the extreme side of first base, that creates
Speaker 6: that diagonal access to the hitter and opens up that
Speaker 6: lane where the hitter sees fastball and he's not coming
Speaker 6: at you straight up. He's got that extra tilt, that
Speaker 6: extra run on you as a right hander and as
Speaker 6: a left ender. Now with the splitter, it is a pitch.
Speaker 6: It when he threw it today, it actually he threw
Speaker 6: it quite hot, I would say, with his finish. But
Speaker 6: with show I think he's so educated on team, the
Speaker 6: team and what they react to, remembering taters from the
Speaker 6: past to make sure he doesn't fall into a pattern.
Speaker 6: Just like Yemma Molta does. So it's a it's the
Speaker 6: same thing we always think about. Showy sometimes going to
Speaker 6: be the stile that plays well. Uh, sometimes gonna be
Speaker 6: the sweeper. My least favorite pitch of Shohial Tommy is
Speaker 6: a sweeper. But when he uses it well like he
Speaker 6: did today because he's got a lot of fastibols and
Speaker 6: a lot of sinker, is a more efficient pitch. Even
Speaker 6: sometimes when he hangs it. You see that day, you've
Speaker 6: seen it.
Speaker 2: He got to face Mike Trout twice to night, and
Speaker 2: he struck him out both times. Mike Trout's zero for
Speaker 2: five against Otani since he's joined the Dodgers. But maybe
Speaker 2: you could share with us a little bit more insight
Speaker 2: between those two guys, being teammates for six years, two
Speaker 2: of the best players in baseball, uh Otani seems to
Speaker 2: outwardly show a little bit more playfulness and competitiveness on
Speaker 2: the mound, you know, smirking, maybe making some noises when
Speaker 2: Trout got hit on the back foot. But Trout, what
Speaker 2: what do you what's the what's the dynamic between those
Speaker 2: two guys?
Speaker 6: They're al pretty close, I mean superstars along without the
Speaker 6: polls in the clubhouse. But these two young stars just
Speaker 6: going at it competing him anyway. It's not just what
Speaker 6: you see on the field now when again stale it,
Speaker 6: but a lot of things that happened on a personal side,
Speaker 6: and you know, hotels and meetings like that, the bus
Speaker 6: they're playing, where they had a lot of fun with
Speaker 6: each other. It's translating to the field now. And also
Speaker 6: for Shure, hey, it's not like he is just going
Speaker 6: out there say you're my friend. Here is hit it.
Speaker 6: It's like, oh no, no, no, I'm gonna try to beat you.
Speaker 6: And I know there's a lot of people in the
Speaker 6: organization with the Angines that we're not happy that Straka
Speaker 6: has shown a lot to finish out Wbseas, but Shore
Speaker 6: he took every pride, every joy to know that with
Speaker 6: all the respects he has against Trout, he's still a
Speaker 6: very dangerous hit if we make mistakes. But one thing
Speaker 6: he does against Strout, go back to the regular season
Speaker 6: last year, he challenges him with so many fast was like,
Speaker 6: you know what, here it is hit it. At the
Speaker 6: same time that has a little bit a bit of fun,
Speaker 6: but the tumpetition between is quad halt and it's fun
Speaker 6: to watch between teammates and mega stars in the game,
Speaker 6: that's for sure.
Speaker 1: Dad.
Speaker 2: I guess at this point a Trout's career, he knows
Speaker 2: when he steps in the batter's box against Otani, he's
Speaker 2: got his hands full. I mean, it's gonna be tough
Speaker 2: for him to be able to catch up to one
Speaker 2: of Otani's fastballs.
Speaker 6: He knows what's coming, uh, And certainly around the league
Speaker 6: has been you know, the talk for many times with
Speaker 6: the metrics analytics and how much Trout just does not
Speaker 6: crush fastballs anymore and hasn't done it for years. And
Speaker 6: I think Shorey is caught obviously that knowing that you
Speaker 6: cannot go out and just keep pumping him and keep
Speaker 6: challenging him is when he catches up but just pitched
Speaker 6: to him. But I think overall is refreshing to see
Speaker 6: he's having a great time. We know what it means
Speaker 6: for them to compete. They know what to represent. And
Speaker 6: I think, also, Dave, something you always bring up and
Speaker 6: they're so good. The audience, the TV audience, the radio listeners,
Speaker 6: but also the spectacle on the field becomes even a
Speaker 6: tighter for the families, for the kids to see star
Speaker 6: players having a good time while they compete. And when
Speaker 6: the players tell you, guys, I trout and guys, I
Speaker 6: have a lot of fun playing the game, you know
Speaker 6: that it's still a kiss game. You believe it more
Speaker 6: as a kid and as a father and as a coach.
Speaker 6: When you see those guys out there having a very
Speaker 6: good time while they compete, it it's something that's unproud of.
Speaker 2: Jose Mota is joining us on Dodger Talk as we
Speaker 2: are getting closer to opening Day on Thursday, and Jose,
Speaker 2: I might just be dreaming and maybe a little bit
Speaker 2: too close to the situation, but I do believe this
Speaker 2: Dodger team is better than what it was a year
Speaker 2: ago when they won ninety three games in the regular season.
Speaker 2: Let's not forget the bullpen probably blue ten fifteen late leads.
Speaker 3: I mean, am I am? I? Am I dreaming?
Speaker 2: Or do do you believe that this team is better
Speaker 2: and significantly better than it was a year ago?
Speaker 6: Oh, David, If that is the case, I am dreaming
Speaker 6: about there next to you. I mean, I think about
Speaker 6: this team that started fifty six and thirty two right
Speaker 6: best right in the MLB. Then they were not very
Speaker 6: good from July fourth through September sixth, they went twenty
Speaker 6: two and thirty two, and how many calls did you
Speaker 6: feel about what's going on? Can they do it again?
Speaker 6: The one thing we knew is health was an issue.
Speaker 6: Never did any team or any teammate, any player, any
Speaker 6: executive or the manager of coaches use that as an excuse.
Speaker 6: It was always that there's way more in the tech.
Speaker 6: And I do believe Dave that because of the pitching
Speaker 6: depth now it's deeper, it's better. Having a real closer
Speaker 6: becomes obviously something that you can go out there and say,
Speaker 6: there's a lot of guarantees now where those early leads
Speaker 6: and with their starters and then leaves with your bullpen
Speaker 6: and the defensive side of it too that you mentioned,
Speaker 6: you know, you mentioned the wheel play earlier. Those are
Speaker 6: just little things that really play into he becomes a
Speaker 6: team and talking to Dave Roberts earlier today, he says,
Speaker 6: those are things that you know, we address a lot
Speaker 6: and I take I pay a lot of attention to
Speaker 6: the smaller details, and he says, I get it as
Speaker 6: I get as emotional and as excited as show heil
Speaker 6: Tony and pretty Freeman sacrificing in that bat and rolling
Speaker 6: their hands over to get somebody's second or third base,
Speaker 6: as I do for a whole month. So when your
Speaker 6: manager is sending you that message, there's less pressure. But
Speaker 6: I think this team also is driven by the pride
Speaker 6: of knowing that they have about, I mean, a very
Speaker 6: special window to do something so special in three peating,
Speaker 6: knowing that you got to go through the process. Everybody's
Speaker 6: gunning for you. But nonetheless, I think they're in a
Speaker 6: very good situation. I think overall they're deep in everything.
Speaker 6: The problement, including now the defensive side that was an
Speaker 6: issue in the outfield is not a question market anymore.
Speaker 2: It'll be a fun season. We're very lucky to have
Speaker 2: this team to talk about after every single game of
Speaker 2: the regular season and definitely into the postseason. Jose can't
Speaker 2: wait to see you out here on opening Day. It
Speaker 2: will be special.
Speaker 6: Always a pleasure. Here we go, twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2: All right, there he goes Jose Mota, a part of
Speaker 2: the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcast and Daniels Jewelers presents the
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Speaker 2: All right, before we close things out tonight, here it is.
Speaker 2: Here are my meaningless predictions around Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3: Let's start in the NL West.
Speaker 2: Yes, I've got the Dodgers winning, and yes, I'm going
Speaker 2: to keep them under one hundred wins because during their
Speaker 2: back to back championship runs, they have not won one
Speaker 2: hundred games in the regular season. So I want that
Speaker 2: trend to continue, and I'm going with ninety eight wins.
Speaker 2: That's what I'm going with ninety eight wins for the Dodgers.
Speaker 2: I could have got really greedy and set one hundred
Speaker 2: and ten wins.
Speaker 3: I don't want that.
Speaker 2: I want under one hundred wins and them to be
Speaker 2: ready for the postseason. I do believe the Padres are
Speaker 2: going to be in second place this year, but I
Speaker 2: don't see them being as close finishers. I see them
Speaker 2: being at least six seven games back of the Dodgers
Speaker 2: this year. I just don't believe they have the pitching
Speaker 2: depth to be able to withstand one hundred and sixty
Speaker 2: two games In the n now Central, I'm going with
Speaker 2: the Brewers. Again, they do not get enough credit. Matt Arnold,
Speaker 2: the GM there does not get enough credit for what
Speaker 2: he has put together in Milwaukee. Everybody always talks about
Speaker 2: Tampa Bay, but what they've done in Milwaukee is just
Speaker 2: as impressive. And they made a couple of good trades
Speaker 2: during the offseason to add to their pitching depth. So
Speaker 2: I'm going with the Brewers in the Central. In the East,
Speaker 2: I'm sticking with the Phillies, even though I've been told
Speaker 2: the Mets are for real. But in the regular season,
Speaker 2: I'm going with the Phillies. I just don't see how
Speaker 2: the Mets can change a ten game deficit in one offseason.
Speaker 2: I just don't see that happening because the Phillies are
Speaker 2: still really good. But I do have the Mets making
Speaker 2: the Wildcard, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a
Speaker 2: Dodgers Mets n LCS. I wouldn't be surprised to see that,
Speaker 2: even though the Mets may not win the East. My
Speaker 2: other two wildcard teams are the Diamondbacks and the Cubs.
Speaker 2: Remember last year, the Reds made a wildcard by winning
Speaker 2: just eighty three games that's very doable for the Diamondbacks,
Speaker 2: who were basically a five hundred team last year. So
Speaker 2: I got Mets, Diamondbacks, Cubs as the National League wildcards.
Speaker 2: In the American League, I'm going with the Mariners. They
Speaker 2: got the pitching, they added some offense with Brendan Donovan.
Speaker 2: In the AL Central, I'm going with another pitching rich team,
Speaker 2: the Detroit Tigers. I got the Tigers with school ball
Speaker 2: from Bervaldez and Jack Flaherty as their front three and
Speaker 2: ken Lee Jansen as their closer. I'm going with the
Speaker 2: Tigers in a very soft AL Central. In the East,
Speaker 2: I got the Yankees winning again and as the wildcard teams,
Speaker 2: all three from the AL East. I got the Red Sox,
Speaker 2: I got the Orioles, and I got the Jays as
Speaker 2: the three wildcard teams. So the AL East a very
Speaker 2: good division. I know they'll beat up on each other,
Speaker 2: but I got four American League East teams winning it.
Speaker 2: And here's my bullet prediction. It's going to be a
Speaker 2: rematch of the twenty four World Series Dodgers Yankees. And
Speaker 2: by the way, I mentioned this a few times on
Speaker 2: Sports at LA since the Dodgers.
Speaker 3: Went to the World Series in twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2: They have faced every Al East team in the World
Speaker 2: Series except the Baltimore Orioles. So maybe it's the Orioles
Speaker 2: turn to take their shot at the Dodgers. But I
Speaker 2: got Yankees twenty eighteen, Red Sox, twenty twenty Rays, twenty
Speaker 2: twenty four Yankees, and last year, of course the Blue Jays.
Speaker 2: Think about that. The Dodgers have taken down virtually every
Speaker 2: Al East team since or faced every Ale East team
Speaker 2: since twenty eighteen. The Red Sox beat the Dodgers in
Speaker 2: the eighteen World Series. So there you have it. It's
Speaker 2: a podcast. After it's a live show, it turns into
Speaker 2: a podcast, so you can have it forever and bring
Speaker 2: the receipts whenever you want. Then I'll do it for
Speaker 2: us on Dodger Talk tonight. Thanks for hanging around and listening.
Speaker 2: Thanks to Colin Ye who is incredible at what he does.
Speaker 2: Glad to have him back for another season. Also Dwayne McDonald,
Speaker 2: great to have him back for another season. Without those
Speaker 2: two guys, they are the glue we would not be
Speaker 2: able to make it through one hundred and sixty two games.
Speaker 3: And thank you to you.
Speaker 2: Without you, there is no Dodger Baseball, there is no
Speaker 2: Dodger Talk, so thank you for joining us on another
Speaker 2: which should be exciting season all the way to the
Speaker 2: finish line with this incredible Dodger team. In case you
Speaker 2: missed any of the show or any of our interviews
Speaker 2: during spring training, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2: And I got to give a special shout out to
Speaker 2: my guy Sam at Downy Hunday. That is how I'm
Speaker 2: getting to Dodger Stadium every single day with my Downy
Speaker 2: Hundai Tucson. So thank you Downy Hundai. And they're getting
Speaker 2: a Dodger Blue car for me, so I should have
Speaker 2: that in the next couple of weeks. If you see
Speaker 2: me rolling down Ventura Boulevard, all right, that'll do.
Speaker 3: It for us tonight. Can't wait to talk to you
Speaker 3: on Thursday.
Speaker 2: Our coverage begins at four o'clock with Morongo Casino Dodgers
Speaker 2: on deck. First pitch at five point thirty Yamamoto against
Speaker 2: Zach Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Fox Sports Radio is next.
Speaker 2: Have a great rest of your night. We'll talk to
Speaker 2: you Thursday.
Speaker 3: Seal and you will seal the Deel Times h