WEBVTT - DBD CLASSICS: "40-40 Vision"

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<v Speaker 1>A quick hello to all of our new listeners. It's

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<v Speaker 1>great to have you here. Yes, it's that moment when

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<v Speaker 1>baseball is getting really interesting, but you need to get

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<v Speaker 1>caught up on all of the storylines that have been

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<v Speaker 1>developing over the course of the entire season. And Dodger

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<v Speaker 1>Blue Dream has your back. Our carefully written, tightly edited

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<v Speaker 1>episodes are evergreen in nature, as fresh and relevant today

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<v Speaker 1>as they were the day they were released. So check

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<v Speaker 1>out our back catalog. Let's get back to this one.

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<v Speaker 1>It was one of those perfect nights at Dodger Stadium.

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<v Speaker 1>Started out with the sun on the San Gabriels, and

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<v Speaker 1>with the darkness came the cool breezes. A familiar setting

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<v Speaker 1>for so many magical moments. And then there was this.

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<v Speaker 1>Two outs, bottom of the ninth inning, bases loaded. Shohei

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<v Speaker 1>Ohtani at the plate. And Joe Davis on the call.

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<v Speaker 2>Any base it'll do. First pitch.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you ready?

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<v Speaker 3>Are you ready?

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<v Speaker 1>Here we go. Here we go.

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<v Speaker 3>Right center field.

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<v Speaker 2>Series going back. He's at the track. He's at the wall. 40-40.

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<v Speaker 1>Walk-off grand slam.

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<v Speaker 4>No way.

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<v Speaker 2>What a moment.

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<v Speaker 1>History. Welcome to Dodger Blue Dream, the title of today's episode,

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<v Speaker 1>40-40 Vision. I'm Richard Parks III. 40 home runs and

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<v Speaker 1>40 stolen bases. Speed and power. History being made in

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<v Speaker 1>front of our very eyes. Shohei Otani has become just

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<v Speaker 1>the sixth player in Major League history to go 40-40.

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<v Speaker 1>He got there quicker than anybody ever has before him,

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<v Speaker 1>by a margin of 21 games. And Shohei did it

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<v Speaker 1>in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, hitting a grand slam

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<v Speaker 1>in the bottom of the ninth inning with two out

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<v Speaker 1>to win the ballgame in front of a sellout crowd

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<v Speaker 1>at Chavez Ravine. Talk about a Dodger blue dream. It's

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<v Speaker 1>literally the moment that you dream about when you're a

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<v Speaker 1>kid falling asleep with your baseball glove underneath your pillow,

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<v Speaker 1>cradling your 27-inch long bat. And a Hollywood ending for

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<v Speaker 1>baseball's biggest star in this, his first season in L.A. Shohei,

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<v Speaker 1>what an incredible achievement to be now a part of B-44.

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<v Speaker 2>Woo-hoo!

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<v Speaker 1>Woo! complete with the ice-cold Gatorade shower on live TV.

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<v Speaker 1>A walk-off win for the Dodgers, 7-3, in the first

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<v Speaker 1>game of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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<v Speaker 1>The best show, wink, in town on Friday night. You

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<v Speaker 1>just can't make this stuff up. Because that is baseball.

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<v Speaker 1>So how did he do it? Let's take you through

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<v Speaker 1>the events that led there.

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<v Speaker 3>Caminero.

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<v Speaker 2>One of the top prospects in baseball.

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<v Speaker 1>Junior Caminero, the raised 21-year-old top prospect, hit an opposite

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<v Speaker 1>field home run off of Bobby Miller in the first inning.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, they say the ball sounds different coming off his bat.

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<v Speaker 2>My eardrums are sore. Two outs and a chance for

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<v Speaker 2>Christopher Murrell.

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<v Speaker 1>And then Christopher Murrell added a two-run shot in the third.

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<v Speaker 1>And goal! So it was 3-0 in the bottom of

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<v Speaker 1>the fourth inning when Shohei came up. And he lagged

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<v Speaker 1>out an infield single. And he starts dancing off of firsts.

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<v Speaker 1>Number 40 for Shohei. That was his 40th steal, 39-40.

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<v Speaker 1>And so he's one swing.

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<v Speaker 5>Away at this point from history.

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<v Speaker 2>The way he makes things happen with his legs.

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<v Speaker 1>In the bottom of the fifth, it was still 3-0 Rays.

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<v Speaker 1>Kike came up with two men on. Kike Hernandez lifts it.

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<v Speaker 2>In the air to left center field. Lowell's going back.

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<v Speaker 2>He's on the track. He's at the line. It's to

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<v Speaker 2>the left.

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<v Speaker 3>Keita Hernandez launches a three-run home.

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<v Speaker 2>Run, and it's 3-3 in the fifth.

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<v Speaker 1>Shohei was the next batter up and came to the

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<v Speaker 1>plate with a chance to give the Dodgers a lead.

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<v Speaker 5>He's stolen his 40th bag of the season, sitting on

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<v Speaker 5>39 home runs, one swing away from the first 40-40 season.

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<v Speaker 1>But Shohei grounded out to short.

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<v Speaker 2>It was a rifle off the bat, but fortunately it

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<v Speaker 2>wasn't out.

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<v Speaker 1>I had listened to your 40-40 podcast the night before.

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<v Speaker 1>You said this is something that's going to take a

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<v Speaker 1>day or two, not a week.

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<v Speaker 4>He's going to do it. I was obviously kind of

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<v Speaker 4>keeping my eye on 40-40, knowing that he so often

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<v Speaker 4>will hit a homer and steal a base in the

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<v Speaker 4>same night. Everyone was waiting.

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<v Speaker 3>Everyone knew.

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<v Speaker 1>The game remained tied at 3-3 into the bottom of

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<v Speaker 1>the seventh inning when, with two outs, Quique Hernandez hit

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<v Speaker 1>a single, bringing Shohei to the plate once again with

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to give his team the lead and once

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<v Speaker 1>again with a chance to go 40-40. And the.

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<v Speaker 5>Table is set for Shohei, sitting on 39 home runs

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<v Speaker 5>and 40 stolen bases. Ohtani chops one to second, and

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<v Speaker 5>that'll do it for the Dodgers in the seventh.

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<v Speaker 1>But Shohei grounded out to second. You know, and then

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<v Speaker 1>he got, like, grounded out, and you're like, okay, he

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<v Speaker 1>might not do it, but whatever, it's still a great game.

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<v Speaker 4>I kind of thought that he was done for the

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<v Speaker 4>night after his second to last at bat. I just

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<v Speaker 4>didn't think they were going to go through the order again.

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<v Speaker 1>The game remained tied at 3-3, and Shohei remained one

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<v Speaker 1>home run shy of 40-40 as the game went from

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<v Speaker 1>the 7th to the 8th and the 8th to the 9th, gridlocked.

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<v Speaker 4>It's tied going into the bottom of the 9th.

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<v Speaker 5>Dodgers looking for a walk-off win to open this series

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<v Speaker 5>against Tampa Bay.

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<v Speaker 1>Manuel Rodriguez with a 180 ERA on to pitch for

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<v Speaker 1>the Rays, with 5, 6, and 7 due up for

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<v Speaker 1>the Dodgers. They'd have to get at least two on

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<v Speaker 1>to make it to Shohei in the leadoff spot. And

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<v Speaker 1>Rodriguez has great stuff.

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<v Speaker 2>And very quickly, Rodriguez went 0-2 on Smitty. But then....

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<v Speaker 3>Almost got hit. In fact, he did. What a gift.

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<v Speaker 3>Will Smith is hit on an 0-2 pitch.

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<v Speaker 1>Getting to the thin part of the lineup. Now it's

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<v Speaker 1>Tommy Edmond.

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<v Speaker 2>Slashes the ball into center field.

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<v Speaker 1>Base hit.

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<v Speaker 2>Winning run into scoring position.

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<v Speaker 1>First and second.

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<v Speaker 2>And now Rojas. That is going left side. Well done

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<v Speaker 2>by Rojas. Winning run up to third.

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<v Speaker 1>A sacrifice bunt from Miguel Rojas. Now we've got second

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<v Speaker 1>and third. One out for Gavin Lux.

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<v Speaker 2>A massive hole on the left side of the infield here.

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<v Speaker 3>2-1. That is a diving stop at second base by Lau.

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<v Speaker 1>Two out. Dave Roberts decides to pinch hit for Kike

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<v Speaker 1>with Max Muncy. Rays manager Kevin Cash counters with left-handed

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<v Speaker 1>pitcher Colin Poche.

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<v Speaker 2>The 1-0 pitch. And the dirt for ball two.

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<v Speaker 1>Who's having trouble with his control.

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<v Speaker 2>Now Muncy can dig back in. Looking to be the

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<v Speaker 2>hero tonight.

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<v Speaker 1>And Muncy walks.

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<v Speaker 5>Instead passes the baton to Shohei Otani.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's his turn to try and put on a cape.

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<v Speaker 1>Everybody at Dodger Stadium rises to their feet.

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<v Speaker 2>Is this really it?

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<v Speaker 4>Is he really going to hit 40-40 on a walk-off

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<v Speaker 4>grand slam? And I'm kind of thinking, like, there's just

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<v Speaker 4>no way. It's too good to be true that that's

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<v Speaker 4>how he'd do it.

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<v Speaker 1>And then, I don't know, the bases are loaded.

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<v Speaker 4>It's the ninth inning.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you kidding me?

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<v Speaker 5>But the pressure on here, there's nowhere to put him.

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<v Speaker 5>You've got to come after him.

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<v Speaker 3>And Shohei has to approach it like that, too, knowing that.

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<v Speaker 2>They've got to come over the plate. You don't have

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<v Speaker 2>to be a hero. Shoot the ball the other way.

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<v Speaker 2>Any base, it'll do. First pitch.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to leave the broadcast behind and play audio

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<v Speaker 1>recorded at the game because it tells its own little story.

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<v Speaker 1>when Shohei first connects. you can hear a roar from

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<v Speaker 1>the crowd which then fades as the ball soars up

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<v Speaker 1>into the sky towards right center field But then, another

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<v Speaker 1>eruption of cheers as the ball sails over the fence,

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<v Speaker 1>just beyond the mitt of Jose Siri, who made a

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<v Speaker 1>leaping attempt at it. Listen. Here. And the loudspeakers blast

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<v Speaker 1>I Love L.A. by Randy Newman. Dodgers win. In that

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful moment between the initial roar and the full-blown eruption,

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<v Speaker 1>that moment of uncertainty, 50,000 people anticipating the same thing,

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<v Speaker 1>50,000 hearts skipping a beat, Shohei was striding confidently towards

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<v Speaker 1>first base. his eyes still fixed on the ball that

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<v Speaker 1>had just come off his bat, which he was now

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<v Speaker 1>holding at his side with both hands, like a sword

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<v Speaker 1>that just struck a mighty blow. Or an oversized pen

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<v Speaker 1>he had just used to write the final sentence in

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<v Speaker 1>a breathtaking chapter in the story of the 2024 Los

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<v Speaker 1>Angeles Dodgers baseball season. 40-40. The first Dodger and just

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<v Speaker 1>the sixth player ever. And he's not done yet. Shohei

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<v Speaker 1>is on pace for 50-50. And if he got there,

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<v Speaker 1>he would be the first and only ever to do so.

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<v Speaker 1>And the night after he went 40-40, he took his

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<v Speaker 1>first step in that direction, blasting his 41st homer into

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<v Speaker 1>the right field bleachers. What comes next, Shohei? Show us.

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<v Speaker 2>First pitch.

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<v Speaker 1>Dodger Blue Dream is written and produced by me, Richard

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<v Speaker 1>Parks III. This episode was story edited by Caitlin Esch.

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<v Speaker 1>Original music in this episode by William Ryan Fritch, The

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<v Speaker 1>Blasting Company, and by me. Special thanks to Tyler Hill

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<v Speaker 1>and to Sarah Finnerty. whose voices helped tell this story.

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<v Speaker 1>Please rate and review Dodger Blue Dream however you can.

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<v Speaker 1>I have a modest goal to reach 100 ratings before

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the season, and I can't get there

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<v Speaker 1>without your help. Thanks again for listening. See you next time.