Speaker 1: Two Dodger outfield prospects have been selected to participate in
Speaker 1: the game on Sunday. Hosts Way, Depaula, and our guest
Speaker 1: right now from Double A Tulsa, the Tulsa Drillers, Mike Saroda. Mike,
Speaker 1: thanks a lot for the time. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1: So, Mike, this is a great honor of recognition of
Speaker 1: your season. I know it's not the All Star Game,
Speaker 1: but it's essentially the All Star Game for minor league players.
Speaker 1: What was your reaction when you found out they wanted
Speaker 1: you to play.
Speaker 3: I was just extremely grateful for the opportunity. You know,
Speaker 3: not very many minor leaguers get to do this, So
Speaker 3: when I first heard the news, I was ecstatic. You know,
Speaker 3: obviously it's a huge opportunity and I'm just grateful for it.
Speaker 1: Who broke the news to you? How do you find
Speaker 1: out you're playing in the Futures Game?
Speaker 3: I actually went in my manager, Coach Wedge. I went
Speaker 3: in there and he broke the news to me and
Speaker 3: host Way.
Speaker 1: Eric Wedge is still your manager at Tulsa.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he is.
Speaker 1: And what kind of manager is he? I mean, he's
Speaker 1: been through it, he's managed some real good teams in
Speaker 1: the major league. So what's he like as a minor
Speaker 1: league manager?
Speaker 3: You know, he's just the best. I mean, his baseball
Speaker 3: knowledge is just off the charts. I learned new things
Speaker 3: from him every day, just whether it's about on the base,
Speaker 3: pats with in the batter's box. You know, it's just
Speaker 3: great to have a guy like that teaching you about
Speaker 3: the game and whatnot.
Speaker 1: Does it make a difference to your ears kind of
Speaker 1: focus a little bit more when you have a manager
Speaker 1: that managed some of the best players in the big
Speaker 1: leagues and has the experience of what it takes to
Speaker 1: not only get there, but to stay there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3: I mean, having someone like that sort of mentor me
Speaker 3: this year, it's just awesome to have.
Speaker 1: Mike Saroda is our guest. He is having a phenomenal
Speaker 1: season at Tulsa. Mike, you got to know this about me.
Speaker 1: I know the rules. I'm not bringing up any stats
Speaker 1: or anything like that, so you're safe right here.
Speaker 2: Okay, all right, sounds good, But I know you're.
Speaker 1: Having a great year and it's your first full season
Speaker 1: and the Dodger organization after being acquired from Reds and
Speaker 1: that Gavin lux Trade. What's it been like to be
Speaker 1: part of this organization and how have they brought the
Speaker 1: best out of you?
Speaker 2: This organization is just next level.
Speaker 3: I mean the resources that you have to talk to,
Speaker 3: whether it's the staff at the affiliates or spring training,
Speaker 3: it's just next level. And the amount of information that
Speaker 3: you get and the knowledge that that these these people have,
Speaker 3: it's just next level and it's great to have.
Speaker 1: What are some of the tools that you're talking about.
Speaker 1: Is it the stuff that we hear about in spring
Speaker 1: training and in at Dodger Stadium as far as VR
Speaker 1: and just the information? What is it about the minor
Speaker 1: league system that helps guys develop?
Speaker 3: I think it's more so the kind of like approach
Speaker 3: based things that our hitting coaches have and the information
Speaker 3: that's relayed to us about just breaking down our approach
Speaker 3: and what we're thinking in the box and kind of
Speaker 3: like critical thinking about what we're doing up there, and
Speaker 3: that's kind of the key to I think what's helped
Speaker 3: me the most with the Dodgers.
Speaker 1: You're a great guy to ask this question, too, because
Speaker 1: you hear some of the old school players say that
Speaker 1: guys are striking out way too much. There's an over
Speaker 1: emphasis on slugging, not just putting the ball in play.
Speaker 1: What is being taught in the organization and what's your
Speaker 1: philosophy on all that.
Speaker 3: When I'm in the batter's box, I'm really just trying
Speaker 3: to find a good pitch to hit and I'm okay
Speaker 3: with taking a strike. That's kind of my philosophy. But
Speaker 3: I mean, it varies throughout the organization with each player.
Speaker 3: I mean, the Dodgers are special because each player is
Speaker 3: very different, and not very many organizations are like that.
Speaker 3: A lot of organizations is kind of like the same
Speaker 3: archetype of player, I feel like, so it's pretty unique
Speaker 3: to have an organization that it just varies between the players.
Speaker 3: But for me, I'm just looking for my pitch to
Speaker 3: hit and I'm going to do my best amount.
Speaker 1: Mike Serota is our guest right now. He's in Double
Speaker 1: A Tulsa. On Sunday, he'll be playing in the Futures
Speaker 1: Game in Philadelphia. Mike, I heard that from James Tibbs
Speaker 1: in spring training. Obviously, he's been with a couple of
Speaker 1: different organizations and he has a great perspective on what
Speaker 1: separates the Dodgers. But the one thing that really stood
Speaker 1: out to me is something that you just mentioned. How
Speaker 1: they allow you guys to be yourselves and they don't
Speaker 1: try to put you into this cookie cutter formula that
Speaker 1: doesn't fit everybody.
Speaker 3: They do a really good job with that. I mean, obviously,
Speaker 3: like there are things that some of our developmental like
Speaker 3: coaches will tell us, but for the most part, they
Speaker 3: kind of they kind of let you be your own coach.
Speaker 1: If that makes sense, Yes, that's the best way to go, right.
Speaker 1: Do you feel like you're I know you're young and
Speaker 1: you're still developing into a big league player, but do
Speaker 1: you feel at this stage of your career you're starting
Speaker 1: to become your best hitting coach? Yeah?
Speaker 2: I think that's definitely true.
Speaker 3: I mean, no one really knows your body, no one
Speaker 3: knows your mind like you do, so it's kind of
Speaker 3: up to you.
Speaker 2: At the end of the day to sort of figure
Speaker 2: that stuff out.
Speaker 1: Mike, We've heard about so many of the great outfielders
Speaker 1: the Dodgers, Saba double A at Triple A. What is
Speaker 1: the relationship between you and Depaula Zay your hope. I mean,
Speaker 1: there's so many great young outfielders that you guys are
Speaker 1: playing together, but in some ways competing against each other.
Speaker 1: What's the dynamic there?
Speaker 3: I don't think we don't really view it much of
Speaker 3: a competition as much as we try and learn from
Speaker 3: each other.
Speaker 2: I think we all do different.
Speaker 3: Things really well, and we're always asking each other questions,
Speaker 3: whether it's in the outfield or in the batter's box.
Speaker 3: And it's just great to be surrounded by people like
Speaker 3: that that you can learn from, whether it's off the
Speaker 3: field stuff, on the field stuff, So it's just great.
Speaker 1: Is Zay your hope still bench pressing like five hundred
Speaker 1: pounds every day?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Probably probably a little more than that.
Speaker 1: Who do you roommate with?
Speaker 2: Tulsa Gutierrez? He's a pitcher from Mexico.
Speaker 1: And how's that going? Is he a good roommate?
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's great. He's awesome. A bit of a language barrier,
Speaker 2: but we're getting we're getting used to it.
Speaker 1: Are you starting to learn some Spanish?
Speaker 2: At least pretty good?
Speaker 1: Your Spanish is pretty good?
Speaker 2: Well, not not amazing, but it's it's pretty good.
Speaker 1: That's great to hear. I know people don't realize. I mean,
Speaker 1: even in this day and age, you guys really have
Speaker 1: to scratch and claw to try to figure out the
Speaker 1: living situation in these minor league cities.
Speaker 3: Yeah, especially when you're moving up levels, you're kind of
Speaker 3: getting different guys and you're getting acclimated to him, So
Speaker 3: it's it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1: I can I ask you about host Wave Depaula. You
Speaker 1: guys are going to be in Philly together. We've heard
Speaker 1: so much about him as well. What's he like as
Speaker 1: a teammate.
Speaker 3: He's very relaxed, very focused, very funny. He's a He's
Speaker 3: a funny guy on the field. He's kind of the
Speaker 3: same guy on the field as he is off the field.
Speaker 3: Just very relaxed, focused guy, you know, knows what he
Speaker 3: needs to do, hard worker, just all the he checks
Speaker 3: all the boxes.
Speaker 1: He's very much into yoga. Have you gotten into hot
Speaker 1: yoga with him?
Speaker 2: I have not.
Speaker 3: He invited me and I declined. Maybe next off season though.
Speaker 1: Okay sounds good. Okay, Before I let you go, Mike
Speaker 1: Sarota is our guest. He's going to be in the
Speaker 1: Futures Game in Philadelphia on Sunday. How much are you
Speaker 1: going to allow yourself to take it all in, Mike,
Speaker 1: because you're going to be there before the All Stars arrive,
Speaker 1: but you're going to feel the atmosphere there in Philly.
Speaker 1: When do you get to Philly? And how long are
Speaker 1: you allowed to stay in Philly? Are they kicking you
Speaker 1: out when guys like Freddie Freeman show up?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they're kicking us out, honestly, but no,
Speaker 3: I'm kidding. But we leave Saturday and then the game
Speaker 3: I believe is Sunday, right, and I think they have
Speaker 3: the hotel booked until Monday. So but in terms of
Speaker 3: the atmosphere, I really don't know what to expect from it.
Speaker 3: I've never done anything like this before, so I don't
Speaker 3: know what to prepare for. But it's definitely going to
Speaker 3: be an experience and I'm excited for it.
Speaker 1: I'm not a big leaguer, Mike, but I've been traveling
Speaker 1: with the Dodgers for the last fifteen years and the
Speaker 1: Philly cheese steaks in the visiting clubhouse is legendary. I
Speaker 1: don't know if the chef is going to be serving
Speaker 1: them up for the Futures game, but if he is,
Speaker 1: you have to try one of those Philly cheese steaks
Speaker 1: in the visiting clubhouse.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm going to try for sure. It's one of
Speaker 3: my favorite foods. So just broke the news to me.
Speaker 1: All right, there you go, you and de Paula. One
Speaker 1: time I was challenged to eat one of them in
Speaker 1: less than a minute, and I wasn't able to accomplish
Speaker 1: that feat. But maybe you can try to challenge one
Speaker 1: of your teammates.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'll try that. Maybe Depot will get
Speaker 2: it to Paula.
Speaker 1: Yeah, let's do it. I could see him being able
Speaker 1: to take it down.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a big guy, so I've seen to meet
Speaker 2: a little bit in the clubhouse.
Speaker 1: All right, my congratulations on a great start to the year. Congratulations.
Speaker 1: I'm being selected to the Futures Game and can't wait
Speaker 1: to see you at Dodger Stadium very soon. And you
Speaker 1: know I did see you hit a home run on
Speaker 1: the backfields this spring training in one of the Double
Speaker 1: A Games. But we never met. We've never met. This
Speaker 1: is our first introduction. So great to have you on
Speaker 1: the show and look forward to meeting you in person
Speaker 1: one day.
Speaker 2: Forward to meeting you too. Thank you for having me