Speaker 1: Well, since the Dodgers are in Saint Louis, I thought
Speaker 1: it would be a great time to revisit with our
Speaker 1: man that is the king of the Inland Empire, the
Speaker 1: man that has won two World Series Championships with the
Speaker 1: Dodgers and is still a cult hero, the one and
Speaker 1: Only Mariachi. Joe Kelly is on Dodger Talk. Joe Man,
Speaker 1: I'm glad to spice up your life because I've seen
Speaker 1: what you're doing and you need me back in your.
Speaker 2: Life, spice on my life. I appreciate it. It's a
Speaker 2: pleasure talking to you. Are you only calling me because
Speaker 2: the team is in Saint Louis and that's where I
Speaker 2: started my career.
Speaker 1: Yes, exactly. A depressing start to your career. Thank god
Speaker 1: you got out of there and you got to two
Speaker 1: real teams.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate it. I did get to some real teams.
Speaker 2: How you been, buddy.
Speaker 1: Everything's great, everything's great. You know. You know what bugs me,
Speaker 1: Joe about Saint Louis and the Cardinals. They always say
Speaker 1: it's the Cardinals way to play baseball. It feels like
Speaker 1: the Dodgers are doing a pretty good job of doing
Speaker 1: Dodger baseball.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it was. I think it's like, you know,
Speaker 2: when you get one of those cool nicknames and they're like, oh,
Speaker 2: how did you get that nickname? And it was like,
Speaker 2: you know, self proclaimed, and it's like you don't want
Speaker 2: to tell anybody like how you got that cool nickname?
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: I think the Dodgers if they would start saying the
Speaker 2: Dodger way, and they'd be like, who said that? And
Speaker 2: you can just make something up, be like, oh, the
Speaker 2: Cardinal fans told us it's a Dodger way, and then
Speaker 2: then you can write a whole book or a movie
Speaker 2: what everyone do about it.
Speaker 1: I don't feel like Joe Kelly would fit into that
Speaker 1: box the Cardinals try to say everybody fit into.
Speaker 2: I think that's why I got traded bro. I was
Speaker 2: only there for two and a half years because I don't.
Speaker 2: I don't necessarily think I was the Cardinal's way. Now,
Speaker 2: looking back.
Speaker 1: At it, you are not very Saint Louis.
Speaker 2: That's true. But I do love Saint Louis food, so
Speaker 2: I tried. You know, that's one thing I do miss
Speaker 2: if I was doing a job like yours, what do
Speaker 2: you what do you? What do you call yours? You know,
Speaker 2: on field talent. What is that even called?
Speaker 1: How about just you? Right now?
Speaker 2: I'd be right now with the boys. I'd be taking
Speaker 2: them out. I mean, you don't hang out with the boys.
Speaker 2: The boys don't like you. But I'd be taking them
Speaker 2: out to Pappy's in Saint Louis, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2: Get the boys some ribs, some good barbecue.
Speaker 1: You know, nap, take a nap after that.
Speaker 2: To watch the freaking huh. There's no that's for old
Speaker 2: men like you. That's for old men like you.
Speaker 1: Isn't that what you're doing now that you're retired. During
Speaker 1: the day, you're out there somewhere in the Inland Empire.
Speaker 1: You do your thing until eleven am. Then you take
Speaker 1: a nap, and then you take Knox to baseball practice,
Speaker 1: and then you show up at a hockey game or
Speaker 1: a single a baseball game.
Speaker 2: You know what, I just go for the best teams around,
Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. It's just they call me
Speaker 2: the they call me the Inland Empire. Drake, dude, just
Speaker 2: a front runner nine.
Speaker 1: Drake, You're the biggest celebrity in the Inland Empire. I
Speaker 1: actually told the Ontario Tower Buzzers Blake Snell's rehab start
Speaker 1: the other night was the biggest thing since Joe Kelly's
Speaker 1: rehab starts out there.
Speaker 2: Hey, let's be serious, dude, I know that Blake Snell
Speaker 2: doesn't listen. Who got more people to show up at
Speaker 2: the game, Blake Snell or Joe Kelly.
Speaker 1: It was a toss up.
Speaker 2: No, don't throw the toss up, dude. You know this
Speaker 2: clip's gonna air. Just just you're not gonna hurt his feelings. Dude,
Speaker 2: you are.
Speaker 1: You are a legend in the Inlampire. You have more
Speaker 1: street cred in the nine oh nine than Blake Snell.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true, Blake. Blake Snell's a lot better pictures
Speaker 2: though he's pretty I was. I was just there for
Speaker 2: good times, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: No, you were more. You were there for more than that.
Speaker 1: And uh, I was wondering how much how much fomo
Speaker 1: do you still have? Do you have any fomo?
Speaker 2: No? Oh fear of missing out?
Speaker 1: Yeah with the Dodgers.
Speaker 2: No, I'm I like watching dude. It's fun. It's it's
Speaker 2: it's it's cool to see it from the outside, you know.
Speaker 2: Obviously I'd like to get some more games, but I mean,
Speaker 2: there's only so many times that I could walk past
Speaker 2: my face, you know, on the upper concourse level and
Speaker 2: have to say hi to the guy named David Besse.
Speaker 2: So I like watching at home. It's been interesting, you know.
Speaker 2: It's the thing that I that come I with, you know,
Speaker 2: the day that I don't follow any metia or nothing right,
Speaker 2: but the day the day that the two days go well,
Speaker 2: then yeah twoars ago and show he started pitch great,
Speaker 2: but the day that he doesn't full blown hit, we
Speaker 2: scores a o run. So that was very interesting.
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm glad you brought that up because we we
Speaker 1: can't figure out whether or not he's all in with
Speaker 1: this plan, but it makes sense. Do you believe that
Speaker 1: you know he Do you think he understands why the
Speaker 1: Dodgers are doing this? And do you feel like he's
Speaker 1: bought in?
Speaker 2: Ooh? I can't answer for show, hey, but taking my
Speaker 2: own personal experiences, you know, they called me the showhy
Speaker 2: of of UC Riverside, even though I never actually played,
Speaker 2: even though I never actually took at an official at
Speaker 2: bat in college baseball, but I went in as an
Speaker 2: outfielder obviously right, and then I got turned into a picture.
Speaker 2: So originally thought I was in a two way right.
Speaker 2: I was like, oh cool, I'll just throw ninety seven
Speaker 2: or whatever that I got clocked out as a young freshman,
Speaker 2: and then I'll and then I'll play the outfield. Quickly
Speaker 2: that I learned that I would be a po A
Speaker 2: picture only, which which which? Which? Really? Which? Really? Uh
Speaker 2: kind of pissed me off, obviously because I was a
Speaker 2: I never pissed and I wanted to be an alfielder.
Speaker 2: So knowing my own personal experiences, I wasn't happy and
Speaker 2: I was not bought in. I wasn't bought in even
Speaker 2: until the end of my whole first season closing at UCR.
Speaker 2: You know, not to too my own horn, but I
Speaker 2: was Big West Pitcher of the year. I was an
Speaker 2: All American. Uh, I had the most saves in one season.
Speaker 2: I made TMSA. And even though I made TSA, I
Speaker 2: was like, oh, maybe I could come back and learn
Speaker 2: to let me hit my sophomore year, you know what
Speaker 2: I mean. So even though I was a picture only,
Speaker 2: I still I was bought in that I was a
Speaker 2: good pitcher, yes, but I wasn't bought in. I was
Speaker 2: leaving out hope like maybe I will hit. So that's
Speaker 2: my own personal experience. So now if I'm put myself
Speaker 2: in show, he's mine where you know, I'm what two
Speaker 2: seasons removed from hitting fifty homers. You know, even though
Speaker 2: my batting average says I'm struggling at the plate, you
Speaker 2: know when I pitch, but when we could score zero
Speaker 2: runs and once being in the back, I could maybe
Speaker 2: create free runs. Uh, there's a possibility that, you know,
Speaker 2: it's in the back of his mind. But he's so
Speaker 2: respectful and he's just gonna do what the organization tells him.
Speaker 2: So you know, it's hard to tell what what what
Speaker 2: he thinks or what he says. But from my own experience,
Speaker 2: you know, I still thought I'd be a two way
Speaker 2: player after a season of you know, pitching really really
Speaker 2: well and college baseball.
Speaker 1: Joe Kelly comparing his uh Division three UC Riverside experience, too,
Speaker 1: whats the respect on hers?
Speaker 2: I did? It's a Division one program? Oh? Is it?
Speaker 1: Is it Division one? Now?
Speaker 2: It's still Division one? You clown?
Speaker 1: All right, all seriousness? Since o'tani is wearing your number
Speaker 1: number seventeen, what do you believe is the solution to
Speaker 1: be able to get him through a full season at
Speaker 1: thirty one years old? Now, Joe, he's not twenty eight
Speaker 1: or twenty seven. What would you do? Let him hit
Speaker 1: on the same days that he pitches and maybe give
Speaker 1: him the next day off. Would you not lead him off?
Speaker 1: How would you manage it?
Speaker 2: How would I manage it? I would manage it just
Speaker 2: by a personal fill or a healthwise standpoint. Right, we
Speaker 2: don't know what if he's barking from you know, taking
Speaker 2: swings and pitching, Like, what if his arm gets more tired,
Speaker 2: you know, in the past couple of starts while he's hitting.
Speaker 2: What if he's having those conversations behind the scenes. No
Speaker 2: one knows, right, So I would just probably, you know,
Speaker 2: try to be in tune with shohe as much as
Speaker 2: I can leading up to a start. You know, if
Speaker 2: he says he's ready to rock, and I'd let him
Speaker 2: swing if something's bugging him or or maybe the swings
Speaker 2: are messing with his mechanics or you know, I mean
Speaker 2: he's dominating on the mountain right and something you don't
Speaker 2: want to mess up. He's one of the best pitchers
Speaker 2: in all of baseball, you know, American League, National League.
Speaker 2: So when that's happening, you know, as an organization, you're
Speaker 2: like well, shoot, maybe he's more valuable as a pitcher
Speaker 2: and we could just keep him at this high level
Speaker 2: of performance that he's doing now and we'll just skip
Speaker 2: the four at bets. He's gonna get that game, you
Speaker 2: know what I mean. So if that's the case, I would,
Speaker 2: if you know that that's the reason why Show he
Speaker 2: could pitch that, well, I would definitely as a as
Speaker 2: a manager or as an organization, I'd be like, hey, Show,
Speaker 2: you are the best pitcher in baseball right now, Like
Speaker 2: do you want to mess that up? And I just
Speaker 2: asked him personally, and if he says no, they'll be like,
Speaker 2: all right, well you're not going to hit today, you
Speaker 2: know what I mean. So it just be those conversations
Speaker 2: that I have behind the scenes that no one knows.
Speaker 2: No one knows the real reason. Right, We'll never get
Speaker 2: the real reason. You know, you know how baseball goes.
Speaker 2: But you know, if it's working, you know, he dominate
Speaker 2: on the amount like he is. You know, it's whatever
Speaker 2: he feels is he's most comfortable with to keep that
Speaker 2: high level performance.
Speaker 1: Joe Kelly is our guest. No introduction needed for this guy.
Speaker 1: Here's something Joe, you would have to agree though, like
Speaker 1: you said, have a feel for what's happening in the
Speaker 1: here and now on this past homestand it's a night
Speaker 1: game and then there's a twelve o'clock game the very
Speaker 1: next day that he has to pitch the night before.
Speaker 1: You can understand in that situation like, hey, you got
Speaker 1: to pick one day that you're not going to hit, right,
Speaker 1: I mean, that would be one of those feel situations.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's those click turnarounds that are always good times
Speaker 2: to you know, for anybody, you know, an older position player,
Speaker 2: you know, to have it like a miggy road to
Speaker 2: completely take it off where you know you're in turfs,
Speaker 2: or maybe you might pinch it, or maybe an older
Speaker 2: reliever right who's you know is good to go back
Speaker 2: to back, but since it's a quick turnaround's like, hey,
Speaker 2: might as well stay away from back to back to
Speaker 2: keep them, you know, healthy down the stretch. There's always
Speaker 2: those things that go into play that that the fans
Speaker 2: won't see or or realize until you know, conversation like
Speaker 2: me and you're having right now, it has happened. So
Speaker 2: those quick turnarounds are are are obviously tough. There's so
Speaker 2: much research now, there's so much, you know, uh, underlying
Speaker 2: you know effects, you know, whether it's sleep, whether it's
Speaker 2: you know, my body hasn't you know, got rid of
Speaker 2: all the lactic acid yet, and I'm still sore from
Speaker 2: the day before. There's all these little things that go
Speaker 2: into it. So yeah, there there there's times to choose
Speaker 2: where you should completely have it offen and with a
Speaker 2: quick turnaround like that, I think you know, those days
Speaker 2: are obviously, you know, more easy to you know, have
Speaker 2: a conversation with the players saying like hey, this's quick turnaround,
Speaker 2: like why don't you just take the day off? And
Speaker 2: sometimes the player are gonna tell you, like myself, I've
Speaker 2: done my whole career where you're gonna go out there,
Speaker 2: you know, banged up or even actually physically hurt, and
Speaker 2: you're like, I'm still gonna prove point, Like I'm gonna
Speaker 2: do this for my teammates. But that's what the leaders
Speaker 2: are there for, that's the doctor's for, that's what the
Speaker 2: front offices there for. That's what pitching coaches and haity
Speaker 2: coaches there for. It's like, hey, we're taking you know,
Speaker 2: this option off the table because we know what the
Speaker 2: answer you would give us is. You're gonna play, but
Speaker 2: we're just gonna actually just not put you in the
Speaker 2: lineup on purpose, just to you know, kind of keep
Speaker 2: you away from, you know, your own self harm.
Speaker 1: I'd say, yeah, you guys sometimes protect the player from himself,
Speaker 1: especially a guy like you that had a high pain
Speaker 1: tolerance or a guy like Otani who's the greatest player
Speaker 1: on the planet. I mean, guys like you and him
Speaker 1: in different ways. You're built differently, and somebody's got to
Speaker 1: step in.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there, someone has to step in. And it's like,
Speaker 2: you know, you're on a you're on a racehorse, and
Speaker 2: the horse could you know, be physically hurt, but you
Speaker 2: mean you smack him on the butt, he's gonna he's
Speaker 2: gonna run, you know what I mean. They just know
Speaker 2: nothing about competition. And that's like professional athletes. So there's
Speaker 2: there's ways that, you know, the smarter people in the
Speaker 2: room should be able to step in him and just
Speaker 2: you know, kind of put it into their own hands
Speaker 2: and take the player out of a game. And that's
Speaker 2: what those guys get paid the big bucks for.
Speaker 1: All right, Joe Kelly, since you are a great LA
Speaker 1: sports fan, there's no denying your Dodgers have eclipsed the Lakers.
Speaker 1: Has been the greatest show in Los Angeles, right, Otani,
Speaker 1: Freddie Mookie, way bigger than Lebron and Luca at this point, Right,
Speaker 1: even with the Lakers in the playoffs, or do you
Speaker 1: feel like it's still a very close race on if
Speaker 1: you had to choose to watch or go to one
Speaker 1: of these games, it would be a coin flip. Who
Speaker 1: what do you think LA is feeling right now?
Speaker 2: Well, it's a tough question to go and watch in person.
Speaker 2: Obviously myself, I'm going to choose an NBA game just
Speaker 2: because it's so it's so fun for me to watch
Speaker 2: as a non NBA player, right, I just have so
Speaker 2: much respect for those guys. But overall, yes, I think
Speaker 2: southern California, you know, the whole state, or let's just
Speaker 2: put l A. I think the Dodgers have now surpassed
Speaker 2: every organization, not including NBA, not including you know, NFL.
Speaker 2: I think they're the greatest organization in all of sports
Speaker 2: to watch or to be a part of. But yeah,
Speaker 2: the Lakers are obviously, you know, something, something that's close
Speaker 2: to my heart. You know, I'm not not saying that
Speaker 2: the three to zero lead has is gonna is gonna fall, right.
Speaker 2: I sell confidence, but eventually a record like that has
Speaker 2: to break, right. So I'm I'm I'm not very optimistic.
Speaker 2: I'm optimistic that the Lakers are are the better team.
Speaker 2: But when you see those stats of three oh teams
Speaker 2: coming back, it's never been done in the history of NBA,
Speaker 2: and you know, it's something that I like to see
Speaker 2: the Lakers come out the next game, you know, be
Speaker 2: a little bit more physical from the from the start.
Speaker 2: They put look good in the fourth last night. You know,
Speaker 2: they battled, took some errant shots that that were you know,
Speaker 2: they make sense. You know, the pressure of the games,
Speaker 2: it's like everyone wants to be a hero and try
Speaker 2: to win the game. But they played the last like
Speaker 2: five minutes of that fourth quarter last night, for the
Speaker 2: whole entire game. There's no doubt. My mind will move
Speaker 2: on to the next round.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll see if that happens. So you're you're all
Speaker 1: in with the Lakers. But here's the most random thing
Speaker 1: you'll ever see. The Drake of the Inland Empire and
Speaker 1: Joe Kelly sitting rinkside right on the glass at an
Speaker 1: Anaheim Ducks playoff game wearing the orange Jersey. I never
Speaker 1: heard you once talk about the Ducks. Now all of
Speaker 1: a sudden, you're the biggest celebrity in Anaheim at a
Speaker 1: Ducks game.
Speaker 2: Hey, hockey is an amazing sport, right.
Speaker 1: So especially when the tickets are free.
Speaker 2: Yes, that's true. So obviously I was born in Anaheim.
Speaker 2: I lived in Anaheim half my life.
Speaker 1: I never heard you mentioned Anaheim once.
Speaker 2: Okay, get out here. But you know, my wife Ashley
Speaker 2: and her parents have been season ticket holders all the
Speaker 2: way up until you know, a few years back, and
Speaker 2: they were always Duck fans, and for me, it was
Speaker 2: something that you know, I started getting a little more
Speaker 2: into since it stop playing. I've been watching pretty much
Speaker 2: all sports, and what do you know, the Ducks are
Speaker 2: are are a great young team to watch, very exciting. Uh.
Speaker 2: What's crazy to me is that they're still rebuilding, right
Speaker 2: and they're they're doing this well. So it's it's been
Speaker 2: one of the things that I've I've became a a
Speaker 2: an Anaheim Ducks fan as of recent and I have
Speaker 2: no problem saying that. You know, I am the the
Speaker 2: the Drake fan of the Inland Empire. But hey, you
Speaker 2: got you gotta you gotta pick a winner, and and
Speaker 2: and the Ducks is what I'm picking. And it doesn't
Speaker 2: hurt that they're a lot closer to my house. It's
Speaker 2: a lot easier drive than than going to l A.
Speaker 1: So here he is the drake of the I e
Speaker 1: at an Anaheim Ducks game right there, front and center,
Speaker 1: and then at an Ontario Tower Buzzers game high a base.
Speaker 1: And then the Lakers now have relocated their G League
Speaker 1: team to the Coachella Valley. So you're gonna see the
Speaker 1: Drake of the Ie Joe Kelly court side at a
Speaker 1: Lakers G League game next year.
Speaker 2: Bro the CV Lakers, Baby. Then I'll then I'll head
Speaker 2: up up to Joshua Tree and you know, spend a
Speaker 2: couple of days out there on my own trying to
Speaker 2: figure out the life's greatest questions.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's true. I mean you are really wandering
Speaker 1: in that Inland Empire desert out there without me and
Speaker 1: the Dodgers. You need you need to. We'll get you
Speaker 1: an uber to come back to the big leagues, Joe
Speaker 1: to Dodgers Stadium. I'll get you some tickets. I could
Speaker 1: get tickets for you, I know the Ducks. Yeah, I
Speaker 1: could pull some strings for you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, are they gonna be like you know, Doug
Speaker 2: out Club.
Speaker 1: They're gonna be where your mural is up there on
Speaker 1: the reserve level. So you could be close to your mural.
Speaker 2: See that se No, see, I don't want any part
Speaker 2: of that.
Speaker 1: Why not you could take it, be like a meet
Speaker 1: and greet on the reserve level with you.
Speaker 2: I'd like to be close enough to see the players,
Speaker 2: you know, have a little bit of sweat on their
Speaker 2: face or or you know, try to try to see
Speaker 2: if the pictures tipping here and there on the other team.
Speaker 2: You can wear your brand too far away from the
Speaker 2: game that away. I spent plenty of years being that
Speaker 2: far away from from the action, sitting out there in
Speaker 2: the bullpen. So you know, now now as a non player,
Speaker 2: I'd like to actually be closer down to the field level,
Speaker 2: if you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: You know, the greatest thing would be if we surprise
Speaker 1: your old teammates with you sitting in one of those
Speaker 1: seats that hangs over the Dodger bullpen, you just being
Speaker 1: there staring at God.
Speaker 2: That would be amazing.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we got to make that happen. We will, all right. Well,
Speaker 1: you know, I know you're still trying to figure out
Speaker 1: to do with your life. So good luck with your life,
Speaker 1: and if you need me, we could do a show
Speaker 1: together twelve to three. You know, I feel like Rogan
Speaker 1: and Rodney might be might be retiring, so so it
Speaker 1: might be time for Mariachi. Joe.
Speaker 2: The twelve to three spot is a good time for me,
Speaker 2: you know what I mean? Does that fiture Rodney? They're great,
Speaker 2: but it's time for some new faces.
Speaker 1: You never know ooh, I know, I know you never
Speaker 1: know where Joe Kelly could be. I mean he has
Speaker 1: connections with the Ontario team, with the Ducks. I mean
Speaker 1: those are the premier franchises in LA.
Speaker 2: I mean I mean in Orange County and Inland Empire.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I know what you mean.
Speaker 1: Hey, Joe, I know everybody loves hearing your voice. Let's
Speaker 1: do this more often and thank you for taking the time.
Speaker 1: I really appreciate it. And we'll see whether or not
Speaker 1: the Lakers hold onto this series and then we could talk.
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's go Lakers. Thanks TV.
Speaker 1: There he goes Joe Kelly. He has put Rogan and
Speaker 1: Rodney on notice. He wants twelve to three. He's coming
Speaker 1: for you.