And we continue on Fred Rugg and Rodney Pete on a five to seventy LA
sports housekeeping off the top. We will see you Thursday in Englewood and Hollywood
Park Casino. Key Hernandez and the Dodgers will be our special guests. We
are giving stuff away. I'm not exactly sure what I'm thinking. There'll be
some sweet tickets involved. There better be some tickets. I think there will
be, but we'll get that information by tomorrow. In any event, we
want to see a Thursday, come on down. We're gonna have a great
time, a good crowd. Last time, we expect a bigger one this
time. Seating is available, but you could make the limited limit. You
can make that argument. Yeah, yeah, So come on down. See
you Thursday at Hollywood Park. And also, do you have the app because
if you have that app, no matter where you go, you can take
the show. And that's what we ask you to do. You can stream
the show live each and every day. And if you miss any part of
the show, and sometimes you do, we're not gonna hold it against you.
Oh we won't. Matter of fact, we'll give you a chance to
go back and listen to it. Because we put the podcast up the minute
we get off the air, get the app be a part of the family.
All right, Dodgers back in Arizona tonight. Did not last night strike
out one time? Remarkable. Let's bring on our man, David Vassa and
Dave. Thanks for jumping on. Hey, my pleasure, guys and doing
Dodger talk. Last night for me was therapy. I go down to interview
Andy po has, I come back up and I see the final score of
the Laker game. So we had a great Dodger talk for a full hour,
and it distracted all of us from the reality that the Nuggets are the
Lakers. Daddy. Yeah, yeah, there are a lot of folks,
Daddy, but definitely the Lakers eleven of twelve or whatever it is, they
definitely are. Oh, say Rodney, but take a break from that.
Let's get back to the good stuff. Paz Man he is. He has
been, as advertised, coming up here. Maybe a little slow star,
but he has been coming on like gang Bucks. As David doesn't look like
he's leaving the lineup anytime soon. I don't believe he's leaving the lineup the
rest of the season. Rodney. That's how much I've been impressed by Andy
po Has since the beginning of spring training and talking to Landon Knack, who
was teammates with him last year in Oklahoma City. He just said he saw
a maturation from pa Has when the season started last year, and it's just
all coming together for him at the right time. Not only for him,
but for the Dodgers. They needed a guy like this because of Jason Hayward's
injury, James Autman, and Chris Taylor's slow start, and Andy pa Has
certainly has filled that void. And you know, he plays with such confidence.
Dave, it looks like he's been up here for a while. You
know. I told him that after the game. I said, You've only
played what twelve fourteen major league games, but it feels like you've been here
for two year years. And it's just remarkable how he's so prepared. I
think that's part of the reason why it looks that way, Fred, just
the preparation. And landonak also told me that he's a baseball rat. He
just continually consumes baseball. There are no other distractions in his life, and
it's just all coming together at the right time for him and his career.
Yeah, I mean it really feel. I mean, Fred and I were
talking about this a couple of weeks ago about you know, who's going to
merge on the dodge, especially the bottom half of that lineup, and who's
going to have or be that guy they may need a guy with some attitude.
It feels like he hasn't vocally said it, but it feels in Fred's
a confidence, but it feels like he plays with such a little bit of
an edge. And maybe he will never get vocalized that way from him because
that's not who he is, but he it feels that when you watch him
play, there's a level of borderline cocking. Is confidence from him? Am
I off? Well? I would say confidence. Definitely confident. And part
of the reason why is because he's playing the game for the right reasons.
He's not playing it for fame or social media branding. And he has not
gotten too big of a head even after having a great spring training, so
that's part of all of this. He's still keeping his head down. He
knows that he still has a lot to prove, and that's part of the
reason why you see him play with that edge. Dave, have you ever
Well, I'm probably not, but I'm going to say, have you ever
in your years of covering the Dodgers seeing a game where nobody's struck out?
Well, I was covering the Dodgers in a limited capacity in two thousand and
six. That was the last time a Dodger lineup never struck out in a
game. August twenty eighth, two thousand and six the Dodger Stadium against the
Cincinnati Reds was the last time that happened. And I really believe that this
should be getting a lot more attention because of the day and age. The
Dodgers did not strike out. A day and age in baseball where strikeouts are
not a scarlet letter for players, a day and age where three true outcomes
has been dominating major League Baseball, and they had to go and change the
rules to try to bring it back more to the center. So what the
Dodgers did last night, especially being a team that only a week ago was
leading all of Major League Baseball with the most strikeouts, does not strike out
in a game. It was remarkable and it was refreshing, and a lot
of the players did not even realize it, and really they shouldn't. That
should be expected not to strike out, But Key k Hernandez was the only
Dodger player that recognized they did not strike out in the game, and that
was in the bottom of the ninth inning while he was playing defense in the
outfield, he turned to look at the K counter they have here at Chase
Field and there were no k's on the board, and that's what got him
thinking, and he shared it with his fellow outfielders. But yeah, really
a great night. And certainly, you know, fans want to complain about
too many strikeouts, Well how about celebrating the fact your team did not strike
out once in the game. Yeah, yeah, no doubt. I mean,
like you said in the day and age, where it's about you know,
lonch agles and home runs and nobody cares about average and strikeouts anymore.
That you have a game like this and it's kind of a whole home Do
players players like that too? Days? They bought in like strikeouts. If
I strike out, you know, four times in back to back games,
and yet I hit two doubles in those back to back games, I don't
really care about the strikeouts. Is it just become that way for players nowadays?
Well, there's no shame in it, right, Rodney, There's no
shame. There's no peer shame. The organizations don't hold that against them.
In the nineties early two thousands, if you struck out one hundred times,
there was a good chance you were going to be sent down to the minor
leagues if you did not have the power numbers to match that. And consider
this, Gary Sheffield, who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame
at over five hundred home runs in his career, never struck out one hundred
times in his career. Not once in a single season. Did Gary Sheffield
strike out one hundred times in a season. But when you talk about the
peer pressure of it now, there isn't that. But Dave Roberts has been
very vocal about the fact the last three or four years he wants to see
more contact. And we've talked about Mookie Betts and this being his season.
Well, he has set the tone in a lot of different ways, and
including in the strikeout department. Rookie Betts going into tonight has not struck out
in his last fifty seven plate appearances. Wow, So if the big boys
are doing that, then obviously there's a little bit higher expectation from the other
guys. On the topic, of strikeouts hitting overall, Gavin Lux does he
seem now slowly to kind of be rounding into where he wants to be?
Well, the good news is fred he's getting on bass. Is he where
he wants to be? The simple answer is no. He told me that
he's still limited with his right knee to kind of explode and really plant when
he's in the batter's box. But the good news is when he does play,
he's not making mistakes at second base and he's making some really nice plays.
He does not have an error at second base. We have seen no
signs of any throwing issues from second base. So that's the good news.
Now that just need him to start hitting. And he's not going to be
in the starting lineup tonight. I don't believe because there's another left hander on
the mound in Jordan Montgomery talk about hitting, Tioscar Hernandez, David Bassey.
Did Dodgers expect him to be this good so soon for them? I mean,
he is being mister steady for this team. I looked up the different
stats and he's he's in the top twenty in a lot of different categories.
How impressive has he been for the Dodgers and are they are really aware of
his contribution? Well, yeah, they are, and he kind of solved
a big problem for them. They needed him. Where would they be without
Taoscar Hernandez with James Outman and Chris Taylor struggling with Hayward's injury, they really
needed a player like Taoscar Hernandez, not to platoon, but to play every
day. And he's he's a guy that sniffs out RBIs and what opposing teams
are doing to him now is throwing a lot of sliders and he's aware of
it, and sometimes he's able to hit him, sometimes he's not. And
he is a two hundred strikeout player. The Dodgers are trying to get him
not to swing and miss as much. But last night he came up with
the Dodgers' first big extra base hit with the bases loaded this season, coming
into that fifth inning, when before ta Oskar hit a two run double with
the bases loaded, the Dodgers only had one extra base hit in that situation,
and he and Pahz both delivered two run doubles in the same inning with
the bases loaded. So he's at the top of RBIs and a week ago
was leading the league in RBIs. So he's definitely a run producer, but
you have to be able to swallow the fact he is going to strike out
close to two hundred times day. Before I let you go, I want
to ask you about Chris Taylor. You know you mentioned a couple of times
obviously he's struggling when you were around him. Can you see he feels that
way? Is what is his attitude on a daily basis, given how badly
he's struggling. He's the most consistent personality. You would not know if he
was on a twenty game hit streak or if he was zero for thirty.
That's just who he is and that's his personality. So yeah, the way
he walks around, it's not like he's keeping his head down and he's depressed.
He's just the same guy. He's working tirelessly to try to figure things
out. Whether or not that comes to fruition, I don't know, but
his demeanor has remained the same. All right, Well, Dave, thank
you for your demeanor today. I thought it was very pleasant. Yeah,
I feel like we're on a good spot here, guys. I think it's
better when I'm in a different state all right, d have a good day
day. You're the man. Thank you, guys. Thanks well there you
Dave and put a smile on our face a little bit. Yeah, uh,
all right. Should we have just like a cathartic segment here, let
people weigh in on what they think the Lakers should do. We'll do it.
Why not? Fright? Why not? We are about the people?
Why not? All right? Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy
Uh. If in fact you have the plan for the Lakers, we'll do
one segment, that's it. But if you have the plan, you know
it needs to be done. The changes you would make eight six six nine
eighty seven two five seventy Buckle up, it's time for trapping on a M.
Five seventy l a sports Hm. Let's keep this spread going, Freddy,
come on now, Rodney, Pat fred Rogan beautiful Tuesday. Yeah it
is all right. Laker fans, Laker fans, what do you think?
What changes should be made? Who do you blame? What do you want
them to do? Let's take a couple of quick calls at eight sixty six
nine eight seven two five seventy uh, Primo in South Central thanks for holding
what do you think, Hi, guys, I think that that first.
Let me just say, I'm a guy with kind of a little edge,
so I but but you gotta be you gotta be tough, but you gotta
be smart, you have to be Really that one thing we lost, and
I'm a homer, so I thought the rest made some more bad calls.
A Primo, Primo, Primo, Primo, just give it to us.
What should they do? What I wanted to say, is the coach,
coach Ham out there gapping and hugging and smiling and talking to players on Denver
team who might be his friends, people he might have lunch with, while
we're in a battle. That does not look good for the Laker team.
That looks bad. That was the worst thing of the whole game for me
last night. All right, thanks, Primo, appreciate the call. Primo
really didn't tell us what he thought should be done. But Primo was just
upset that Darvinham was hugging everybody. Primo didn't like that. Yeah, all
right, let's go to Solomon. Solomon, go ahead, Yeah, I
got four things exactly to handle the Lakers or help them at least maybe get
over the hump of Denver number one, you need a big backup for Anthony
Davis. The man is gassed in the fourth quarter. He has no help
down load. The Lakers are too small. They need a big coming off
the bench. They need a dog coming off the bench from their bench.
That's the second thing. Third thing is you need a consistent third score on
their starting five, not d low mister seesaw. You need a consistent third
score. And fourth, I want to see a shrewd experienced coach that knows
how to you know, in game adjustments can change a game plan definitely and
quickly. All right, Solomon, thanks appreciate the call. Kaya We've had
two callers so far. Rodney, Yeah, I did with the big man
because I think part of that is true. I mean, you see Anthony
Davis, and he's got to do it on both ends. And I don't
think he gets enough credit. Now. Everybody wants to talk about Rudy Gobert
and all those things. He's a defensive player of the Year and Wemby did
it, had a great year and this and that. None of those guys
do what Anthony Davis does on both sides. I mean, Anthony Davis defensively
has been I know it's been overlooked because everybody's been on him over the years
about injuries, but he has been incredible on the defensive side of the ball
and doesn't get enough credit. But I think he's right about having another big
because you remember when they could rotate Javelle McGee and even Dwight Howard for a
quick point. Develle McGee in there for Anthony Davis from time to time to
have some rem protection. It was very helpful. But you know, I
just don't think A d is getting enough credit from him because he's not even
people aren't even talking about him for Defensive Player of the Year. All right,
let's go to Joe real quick. Joe, you're on three things.
One, you here Danny Hurley. He's gonna be in a pro sooner or
later. He's the Nick Saven of college basketball. The guy knows what he's
doing. That would be a tremendous hire for the Lakers. One. Two,
you have to get rid of let Lebron go. You had to pick
up. You need a wing that can score, such as a Devin Booker.
You get. You got Trey Young out there, and as far as
uh, you know, the Lakers are concerned. They I just let Lebron
go and and let him go and he holds the ball to all right,
they let Joe go, all right, Joel, thanks, at least Joe
got to something. I let Lebron go and he gets get get rid of
Lebron and get Devin Booker. Right, Devin Booker replaces Lebron. Right,
that's right. He wants That's what he wants to do. And what it
was the other thing he wanted to do. It was Atlanta said, I
wouldn't there, very simple, right, simple, like Dan Hurley is really
going to translate to to the NBA. Dan Hurley in the NBA, you
know his antics and everything works in college. Fly saban didn't work, and
he mentioned saban. Fly Saban didn't work in the NFL. Can't bring that
college stuff to the professional sports. It just doesn't work. Rick Patino found
that out. Yeah he did, didn't he? Yeah he did, Yeah
he did. Let's have some spirituality, Rodney, let's go. We need
it. We gotta have it. Especially after that. So to provide that,
we welcome on Victor Brick with the Daily Haiku and Vic, good afternoon
to you. Is he ready to blow up this Laker squad as currently constructed.
Freight Rogan not exactly sure, Vic, Something's got to happen. He
preaches patience and continuity. Rodney Pete a TB. He's in for Poppa Kevin
figures today his clippers are still bawling. Adam Auslin, Oh, Luca,
give me nightmares, y'all? How about Kyrie? Also? Yeah, I
mean they lost or whatever. What Listen, they're gonna They're gonna get their
points and his musica will take Lakers fans from the Denver devastation into hope.
Oh he's a mighty bench. It's kicking flavor. Yeah, look at me.
I'm still a wreck. The Lakers obviously, in that game last night
in Denver, they played well, but they got Jamal Murray again three point
six seconds left and Murray says, I got your calf muscle right here and
buried yet another last second dagger. He's a Laker killer, y'all. I
mean, the Purple and Gold were this close to forging the game six a
lot of guts in Denver, but missing those free throws and forgetting how to
rebound in the last two minutes. I mean, the Nuggets got second opportunities.
To execute the play of the game. I know everyone's gonna say,
Murray that floating Jay in the paint. I say the play of the game
was the Lakers of three guys underglass ready to pounce on a rebound, and
there's Gordon getting the rebound, shooting it out. I think it was the
porter for the three. That was the dagger before the dagger. It was
the dagger before the dagger, exactly. Okay, how do you forget how
to rebound? The last two minutes? Rebounded again not easy to remember,
of course, losing Anthony Davis heart hurt bad. You know, the the
shoulder sting. How did we take into the locker room? You know it
was early third quarter? When when he when he got when you got stung?
And then, Vig was your phone ringing? Its Lakers fans. They
were up in arms. I want to know what happened. I'm trying to
give some clarity. No, I understand, But then who was really on
the phone. It was probably a phony phone call. What was it?
Big? A phony phone call? Fred, Every time your phone rings,
you say it's a phony phone call. It can't always be a phony phone
call. Vick, who do you think it was really was it, Brother
Bob. Brother Bob lamented with me earlier this morning. Oh okay, so
it wasn't he Lord of deal. Yeah, Brother Bob's okay, ninety three
years fresh, creative and free, go ahead, brother Bob, and Brother
Bob is with me in a lot of Laker fans and trying to get that
viable third option for the next run next year, because again you can't repeat
what's going on. They're gonna lose again to Denver next year if they,
if they, if they don't shake it up a little bit. The last
caller I know he mentioned early, which was which was a little you know,
a little while, but you know, d book from the Phoenix Suns
is getting a lot of love. Last year of his contract makes about forty
four million dollars a year. Devin Booker. All right, more thoughts on
Devin Booker as we continue. Oh yeah, well, let's keep that moving.
Rodney Pete bred Rogan back the break, Jacobs, Yes, sir,
come on, Vic wrapping up the Lakers obviously in flux. I want to
give some mad love to Lebron James. Last night he really had a sensational
game. Thirty points, eleven assists, nine boards, force steals, and
you know he's coming back. There's fifty one point four million reasons Lebron comes
back to the Lakers next year. And again Ad you know, dragged,
dragging his battered body back, you know, despite the stinger, the numbness,
you know, threw out his shoulder in his back to be you know,
to be with the fellas. I thought that was a very noteworthy.
He played through paint a lot this year. So Anthony had a really sensational
season. But again, who's the third scorer? Again? D book?
In my book, who would be an amazing get from the Phoenix Suns contractor
is up this year? He has the option he makes forty four million.
Kobe Disciple. I don't know if he's available, but I would go after
that a lot this year. I don't care. There is no dependable third
scorer in the Lakers. Yes, their Achilles Heel, I mean, Hachi
Morrison, Austin Reeves, you don't know. And in a playoff series against
the world champion Nuggets, you need to know you got to have a dependable
third scorer, and there was no. He's signed for like five more years.
Vic, I don't think he's going anywhere. What the hell are you
talking about getting rid of Lebron for bookers and not having them together? He
was talking about getting rid of Lebron and and bringing in the book. But
yeah, he's he's locked up for a minute. Then you gotta maybe entice
the sons of the trade. I don't you need an explosive third score.
Yeah, I'm sure the son's wanting to do business with the Lakers. I'm
sure that's just on the horizon. But what's on the horizon for the Clippers
double A is Kawhi Lennon is out for tomorrow night's game. Thank god?
Was that was that your shot back of me Vic's the world? Thank god?
I'm just saying for this series, let them go with what they're doing
for this series. I don't listen to that. The beer says they got
the blueprint to beat Dallas. He's got to get thirty three and Paul George's
got to get thirty three. That's all, and the rest of the Clippers
step up. But I'm not concerned about Kawhi not being their Game five.
They've played without Kawhi, They've won without Kawhi. They got the blueprint Meanwhile,
the Dodgers have the blueprint for victory. Talking about not striking out for
the first time in eighteen years in a game which was unbelievable, great production
yesterday. You're not just from you know, the rookie. You know,
you know Andy Pye has been unbelievable, and you know ta Oscar sensational RBI
machine. How about Key Key Hernandez with the double. We'll be seeing ky
K Thursday Hollywood Park Casino. Ki K with a big double and Will Smith
All Star America's catcher. That ball he hit the dead center was like four
hundred and for thirty feet. That was nuts. It was a bomb,
Vic, it was a bomb. So Mookie's hitting three seventy seven, O
Twani three forty one, Freddy at three or four, Will Smith three sixty
three, and Pie has it to ninety eight. The bullpen has been air
tight. Hardy Vessier, the Vessier rebirth. He's pitching beautifully. Joe Kelly
Ellen Marriotchi looked myste last night. Phillips again to save we lost Ryan Brazier.
Yeah, some freaky injury. I'm not even sure what happened pregame,
he strained something, but the bullpen has been unbelievable, and tonight the Knack's
going against Montgomery landon Knack, Morong Goo Casino Dodgers on deck five thirty with
Tim Kates first pitch six forty. Right here, I am five seventy LA
Sports. What a road trip this is. This is a magnificent road trip.
I can't think of a greater road trip so far. Yeah, but
it's been good, right rolling one. Well, they haven't had a lot
of road trips yet, VIC, but where they were before the road trip,
Remember they destroyed the Mets the last game of the homestand got some momentum
and the team just needed to get out of LA and then when they did,
they just exploded. Yeah. A lot of Billy's on tour. Billie
Eilish, she's back on the road. They hit Me Hard and soft tour
triggers September twenty ninth in Quebec and Billy is back home in La December fifteen,
sixteen seventeen at the Kia Forum and another Billy Billy Joel Piano man Ronnie
hit me one hundred and one straight Cellouse at Madison Square Garden and Billy sang
Uptown Girl to his former bride, Christy Brinkley. She was in the audience
at Madison Square Garden rocking it. This was a just a great moment in
rock and roll that he sang to his former wife. Well, their whole
marriage was beautiful. Writing uptown Girl for Christy Brinkley, and there's Christie like
what's forty years later at MSG rocking out to with their daughter Alexa Ray was
also there jamming with their Christy Brinkley is seventy I believe she is. I
mean Billy's seventy four. Still rock and roll to me, man, still
rock and roll, rock and roll. That was one of the coolest videos
really because you know Billy Joel, it's not a great dancer, but there
he is with Christy Brinkley and suddenly here he looked like a great dancer in
the video. Wait over that bring is too big to the source thread.
Yes, and I got a quote bar show one of his most famous high
cools. It's dedicated to the Lakers elimination, which was a tough run.
But again, as Lebron says, I tipped my lid to the Denver Nuggets,
they executed again down the stretch. What else is new deja vu and
a disastrous day javu for the Lakers. And i might be screaming in the
wilderness, but I'm going with Devon Hair another year. I'm not ousting Devin
Ham because of the you know outcries well that no one knows who's actually doing
the way screaming no, no, no, no, You're right. You
can keep Devinham for another year. What about Darvinham coach his brother. I'm
taking all the Hams all right, Damn Samwich everything there it is. This
is from bhow right Hi, cool for you on this Tuesday, April the
thirtieth Summer Grass the only remains of soldiers' dreams. I'm feeling you from there.
It is wrapping it up with Boshow. Well done, Vicke, simple,
Yeah, that's that's what we needed today, Ronnie, thank you,
Adam, thanks for filling in for Kevin Rodney. Another another two hours tomorrow.
Let's get ready, right on, right on,