Dodger Talk is sponsored by La Care Health Plan, providing affordable healthcare insurance to
millions of Angelinos for over twenty five years. Welcome to Dodger Talk. David
Vase with you until eight o'clock tonight here on Dodger Talk, our first show
during the All Star Break. We'll be with you all four days leading you
up to Friday night's resumption of Dodger Baseball and the Dodgers open up the schedule
against Boston. The Red Sox will be in town for a three game weekend
series as part of a seven game homestand to start the post All Star breaks
schedule, and then from there, the San Francisco Giants will be in town
for a four game series before the Dodgers head out on the road. Eight
six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. We'll try
to get to your phone calls during the show tonight. But we have a
big show including Hall of Famer John Small. He will join us coming up
at the bottom of the hour. We will get into my numbing trade talk
not only tonight but all through the All Star Break. One of the one
of the biggest memories I have as far as the trade deadline goes. Was
in twenty eighteen, during the All Star Game, it started to become pretty
certain that Many Machado was going to be traded from the Orioles to the Dodgers.
And I remember Many being at second base after a double, or Matt
kemp Bean at second base after a double or somehow getting there, and Many
Machado's playing shortstop, and Camp and Machado stopped to take a selfie. So
that was one of the more recent All Star memories I have in relation to
the trade deadline. But before we get to all that, let's talk about
the Dodgers and who they have already for the first half of the season.
I thought Jason Hayward put it to me perfectly that the Dodgers have been more
battle tested this first half than they were all of last season. Remember,
last year, the Dodgers really never had any major injuries. Obviously the pitching
staff was a little thin. They had injuries to the staff, but position
player wise, they never had any sort of extended injuries like they're dealing with
right now to Mookie Betts and also Max Munsey and Hayward himself has been out
a couple of different times, first with the back injury for a month,
and then now his left knee has kept him on the shelf. Hopefully he's
back in the second half of the season. But Jason Hayward told me that
basically, whatever the plan has been and whenever it doesn't go to plan,
whether it's just a week or two game plan or a month or two of
game planning, or whether it's just the game itself, if it doesn't go
as planned, the Dodgers have been very good most of the time, being
able in his words to quote freestyle, and I think that's accurate. And
who knows better than Jason Hayward. That's kind of the vibe that the Dodgers
have had all first half for the most part. I mean, look not
only injuries to Hayward and Mookie Bets and Max Munsey, but look at their
bullpen. And it shouldn't come as a surprise considering they have older veterans in
their bullpen, but Ryan Brazier and Joe Kelly have barely pitched the first half
of the season. They were missing Evan Phillips for three or four weeks,
Blake Trinan and Daniel Hudson at least Trynon started the year on the IL,
but those two guys. Without them, I'm not sure where the Dodgers would
be. And that's just been the Dodgers twenty four first half, and it
just shows you how much depth and talent they have on this team to be
able to not only with stand it, but also have such a big lead
for the majority of the first half over the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Giants.
So I feel like that's part of this story. Also, the expectations
on the Dodgers. There were questions upon questions about the attention the Dodgers are
going to get this year with show Heyotani being on the team, the expectations
of spending over a billion dollars in combined contracts during the off season, and
the Dodgers have not allowed that to interfere with them worrying about the here and
now and show Heotani especially, I mean, I feel like we don't appreciate
how much this guy has had to deal with since spring training started. Number
One, the expectations of the big contract number two coming to the Dodgers.
Number three getting married. I mean that came out where he got married and
announced it, had a press conference in spring training about getting married, and
then the Dodgers go to Korea. They start the season in South Korea,
and in South Korea, Otani's interpreter, Epei is all of a sudden out
of the picture because of a gambling scandal, so his world has been turned
upside down, and he has been able to just stay very focused and compartmentalize
things better than most players do, so for me, that's been part of
the story of the first half. Not to mention Mookie Betts being moved to
shortstop just a week before they leave for Korea, and unfortunately for Moki getting
hit on the left hand on Father's Day. Hopefully he's back in a few
weeks. But that's all been part of this story for the Dodgers in the
first half, and they've been able to maintain and do better than that by
leading the NLS by a large margin all first half long. And now they
have injuries to Yoshi Yamamoto, not sure if he's coming back in August or
September. Tyler Glass now ends the first half on the IL with back tightness,
so the Dodgers again have had to lean on the kids. Bobby Miller,
he's been out, he's back now, Gavin Stone, justin Robleski landon
Nack. This seems reminiscent of a year ago where Emmisihan, Bobby Miller,
and Gavin Stone all made their major league debuts, and that's part of the
reason why the Dodgers are in need of more veterans starting pitching at the trade
deadline. It feels like they're in the same spot they were a year ago.
The biggest difference is the Dodgers are all in this year. They showed
that with what they did during the off season. They're not going to stop
now. So they're all in. They'll do what it takes to get a
frontline starter at the trade deadline. Eight six six nine eight seven two five
seventy is the phone number. We'll get to more mind numbing trade talk coming
up in the next segment, and also John Smoltz will join us at the
bottom of the hour on Dodger Talk. But I wanted to get to my
David Vassay's top ten plays moments of the first half. You may have yours,
but these are mine, and I'm leading off with Mookie Bets making a
great play on April twelfth against the Padres at Dodger Stadium, top of the
seventh inning, Ryan Brasier on the mound against Louis Campasano, and Mookie,
playing his new position at shortstop, makes a great play all of Derek Jeter
and head by three games in the standings. Soft fly ball pulled left side,
Mookie Betts calls off Monzie getting towards the net. Mookie Betts did he
make the play? He did, crashing into the net, secured the ball
for the first out of the seventh in spectacular fashion, and Bets came out
of the netting with a big smile, no doubt. That was like his
hero Derek Jeter going into the stands if there was no netting there, Mookie
Bets goes in and maybe takes some nachos away from some fans. So I
feel like there was so much of a microscope on Mookie Betts, and when
he did not play well at shortstop, we all said, what's going on?
What are the Dodgers doing with Mookie Bets there? Mookie's not a shortstop.
That's the reason why I wanted to shine a light on a play that
he made. Because he played adequate shortstop. I would say he was better
than half of the shortstops in Major League Baseball. Now, is he going
to play there when he comes back? I don't think so. Miguel Rojas
is reminded every everybody that not only is he one of the best defensive shortstops
in baseball, but he can do it, and the Dodgers can manage it.
And I believe Mooki will slide over to second base when he returns.
That was number ten. Here is number nine. Sho Hey O'tani against his
former team, the Angels on June twenty second at Dodgers Stadium, helped the
Dodgers beat his former team seven to two. The stretch by plea sack this,
you'll leads it first. Now the two zero swung on it hammered way
back in God he is how one man showed three nothing Dodgers his second home
run in as many days in his National League leading twenty third bomb. Oh
what a shot. Four one hundred fifty nine feet and one hundred and fifteen
and a half miles per hour off the bat. Tim Neverett on the call
with Rick Monday that night at Dodgers Stadium. That home run went four hundred
and fifty nine feet at Dodger Stadium, so Otani putting it on his former
team. And if you remember, in that short two game series, Otani
homered the night before in a Dodger loss, and then they beat the Angels
the next night seven to two. Who remembers the Dodgers seven run ninth inning
at Coursfield in June June eighteenth, the Dodgers came from behind. They were
down nine to four going into the ninth inning, and they stormed back with
seven runs at Coursfield. And it started with Jason Hayward's Grand Slam by this
much. Twenty six pitches Hi Kenley in this inning in the right handers to
two offer to Jason Hayward swinging in hammer to right field. This bonus back,
this bonus, the off, the foul ball, a grand slam for
Jay Hey, the fourth career grand Slam for Hayward, and the Dodgers are
within a run. It's nine to eight. Oh, can you believe it?
Jason Hayward with a ninth inn in grand slam and the Dodgers just one
run behind and o'tane coming up, no doubt, a big night at chorus
Field. As you can hear the excitement in Tim Nevers's voice, Jason Hayward
with a grand slam to pull the Dodgers within one run. O'tani would walk,
and then, of course, Taoscar Hernandez, who has come up big
for the Dodgers so many times in the first half of the season, delivered
a goal ahead, two run home run, and the Dodgers scored seven runs
to beat the Rockies that night, eleven to nine at Chorus Field, certainly
a Dodgers Corps Field classic. All right, here's another one of the top
ten David Vase first half plays of the game. Ta Oscar Hernandez. He's
in the All Star Game for a reason, and I'm sure everybody on the
East Coast took notice when te Oscar owned the Yankees in the Bronx in June.
June eighth, game two of that three game series against the Yankees,
Taoscar Hernandez came up with two home runs on that Saturday nationally televised game,
including this one, a grand slam off a former Dodger, Tommy Kinley.
Bases loaded only one out the two to two Hernandez with a fly ball left
center field tour the bullpen. Don you Tioscar Hernandez has done it again.
Hey, Grand Slam breaks an open here for the Dodgers in the Bronx.
Oh yeah, the Dodgers put the Yankees on notice that they may not be
as good as everybody thinks. Ta Oscar Hernandez with a big weekend in the
Bronx, and certainly Rick Monday and Steven Nelson were pumped up. Speaking of
New York, one of the bigger turns in momentum for the Dodgers' first half
was when they were losers of five in a row. But things changed at
City Field in Queens, New York, when the Dodgers, who were rained
out the first night there, played a doubleheader against the Mets and came back
late to win an extra inning game. In the first game of that doubleheader,
which they turned out to sweep, Mookie Betts came up with a go
ahead base it in the tenth inning, and then for good measure, Freddie
Freeman poured it on. I was stretching the pitch on the way Freddie swings.
HiT's a drive the right field and date this ball's back. This ball's
gone a home run. Freddie Freeman a two run shot. The Dodgers extend
the lead to five. The two home run number six for Freddie Freeman.
He had a frozen rope over the right field wall and the Dodgers extend their
lead an extra enning. And it's amazing how many Dodger fans immediately go to
their feet and why not Rick Monday and Tim Neverett on the call at City
Field on that day May twenty eighth where the Dodgers kind of got back to
being the Dodgers. Remember that was the Daniel Hudson game where he got himself
into a jam and got himself out of a jam to preserve the tied game.
Remember Jeff McNeil slamming his bad down as he popped up at second base
to end the bottom of the ninth inning. So I'm hoping that me or
somebody else can make up a shirt of that photo of Hudson coming off the
field with two fingers over his lips to shut the crowd up. And after
the game, Hudson told reporters the reason why he did that was for his
teammates in the dugout to remember they are the Dodgers. As we move on
through the top ten first half plays, here, it is Mookie Bets his
fiftieth career leadoff home run on May thirteenth against the Giants. Look you ready
for the one two pitch and Hicks deels. This ball has hit well to
left field. It is heading back. This ball is gone. It's the
fiftieth leadoff home run for number fifty, and the Dodgers, with some instant
offense off the bat of Mookie Bets, lead it one to nothing. Fiftieth
career leadoff home run for Mookie Bets. That's what he does, Mookie Bets
lead off home run. And I can assure you Mookie Bets will be the
leadoff hitter when October rolls around. We are rolling along on David Vasse's top
ten. Now remember these are my moments and hope bringing back great memories of
the Dodgers a dominating first half. Here is another one who loves a walkoff.
We love a walk off, and so did Andy Piez against the Braves.
Going back to May third at Dodgers Stadium, three and two. The
payoff, Andy swings and he looks it in the shadow center that ball is
gonna drop for a hit. Will Smith scars Dodgers win first career walk off
hit for Andy Pies four three Dodgers winning an eleven. They're mobbing Andy Piez
on the infield grass. Andy pie haz with the game winner in the eleventh
inning on May third. Everybody loves a walkoff, and Andy pie has certainly
came to the rescue for the Dodgers. After a rocky start for James Autman
to start the year, Pie has given the opportunity to play every day in
center feet and he certainly has done a great job for the Dodgers. That
was a four hit game for Andy Pajz. All right, here's another walk
off. On July second, bottom of the ninth inning, the Dodgers down
to their last out against Paul Seawald, Freddie Freeman was able to tie the
game with a double to score Will Smith and Taoscar Hernandez was able to drive
in Freddie Freeman with the Dodgers down to their final out that night at Dodgers
Stadium Raymond, on second Seawalld out of the stretch, Hernandez crowns the ball
basement on the field. Freddy's gonna be waking around. The throw in from
Gurriel hits off the play tail the hero again. The Dodgers walk off the
b Backs. He's being mop between second and third, six five the fuddle.
Oh yeah, we all remember that. That wasn't too long ago,
only a couple of weeks ago, where the Dodgers were able to come back
against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only game they won in that series. All
right, we're getting closer to our final two plays of the first half for
the Dodgers. He remembers. This kind of falls into the game because Will
Smith had a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, a three home run game a
couple of weeks ago at Dodgers Stadium. Will Smith two home runs tonight,
two for two of the walk five to four Dodgers trailer. Will swings pits
a drive down the left field line. It has done. It's gone on
three home run night from Will Smith. He ties the game. Oh yeah,
Will Smith with a three homer game. Remember four home runs and four
on bats spanning Friday into Saturday for Will Smith. All right, here we
go. Here is the final call, or the final top play of the
first half. You love Otani, We love Otani. Here is Otani with
his first Dodger walk off basit. It was against the Cincinnati Reds on May
nineteenth. Hey we're looking to get a good jump on contact one two pitch
Otani Swang's base hit right field. Here comes Heyward around third pill score and
the Dodgers win it three to two, the second career walk off hit for
show hell O'tani and the show rolls on at Dodger Stadium. There was show
Hey Otani with his first walk off basit in nearly four years his first as
a Dodger against the Reds. I believe that brought back some good memories for
you. Whether or not you agreed those were the top plays or games of
the first half, those were mine. If you have a problem with it,
you can x me at the Real Underscore DV. When we continue here
on Dodger Talk, we will get to some mind numbing trade talk, trade
rumors surrounding the Dodgers, and coming up at the bottom of the hour you
will hear from Hall of Famer John Smoltz as we roll on until eight o'clock
right here on a five to seventy LA Sports five seventy LA Sports. If
you want to chime in on the show, I'm not sure we'll have time
for phone calls tonight. But you can always reach me on x at the
Real Underscore DV and you can also follow me on Instagram at officially Vassa.
And as always, you can always listen to all the interviews shows that you
missed during the first half on the iHeartRadio app. Just search Dodger Talk and
that's where you'll find all your Dodgers Radio content that you may have missed during
the first half of the season. I hope you enjoyed my top moments of
the first half of the season. Coming up in about ten minutes, you'll
hear from Hall of Famer John Smoltz, love tapping into his knowledge, and
I believe you'll enjoy the conversation just where the Dodgers are at, where the
postseason is headed in the National League. So John Smoltz joining us in about
ten minutes from now. But as promised, we have my numbing trade talk
for you. And look, the Dodgers, there's no secret where they need
help. Number One, it feels like shortstop is not as big of a
priority as it was, say two months ago. With Mookie Bets handling the
position pretty well, the Dodgers have been satisfied with his defense there. But
when you see Miguel Rojas play that position, you remember what it's like to
have a lifelong shortstop and you need that. You can't mess around with defense
up the middle. Mookie Bets belongs at second base, Miguel Rojas belongs at
shortstop in October, and I believe that's what you're going to see. The
Dodgers may revisit Bobishitt during the offseason, but I just don't see that trade
happening right now because of a couple of different reasons. Like I mentioned,
first and foremost, the Dodgers field, between Rojas and Mookie Betts and Keik
Hernandez, they can hold down that position. Number Two, they need some
help in the outfield. Jason Hayward has another injury with his left knee.
Who knows how that's going to affect him when he comes back. He already
has had a back injury, and on top of it, he hasn't performed
the way he performed last year at the plate. Yes, he's played great
right field, but offensively he's not been what he was a year ago.
Taoscar Hernandez has been the guy out there every day. If it wasn't for
him missing some days, with the passing of his grandfather, he and Freddie
Freeman would be the only two Dodgers that have played every game in the first
half of the season. So you got Taoscar Hernandez, who could play left
field or right field. The Dodgers are looking for another everyday outfielder. I
believe they're looking at Randy a Rose Arena. Things may have changed. The
Rays are kind of in the Wildcard. They got one foot in, one
foot out. They're one of those bubble teams. But the Rays have showed
that they are planning for next year because of the injuries to their pitching staff,
namely their number one starter. That's the reason why they traded Glass Now,
who they were not going to be able to keep because of free agency.
A Rose Arena has had a disappointing first half, and the Rays may
be willing to listen on offers for him. Another player that I wouldn't rule
out, especially if it's attached to a Garrett Crochet trade. Even without Crochet,
Luis Robert, who a lot of the people I've spoken to believe if
you get him out of Chicago, he will play with more passion and the
Dodgers can manage him so he doesn't need to play every day. They can
keep him on the field more often than he has been with the White Sox
in his career the last four or five years, He's only played one hundred
games once. The Dodgers more than likely can get him to stay on the
field if he wants to be on the field. It's not just about the
training staff. They need cooperation from the player to put in the effort,
to put in the preventative work to be able to stay out on the field
and play. They don't have a magic wand if the player is not motivated
to put in the work to be able to be on the field each and
every day. So Luis, Robert Randio, Rosearena, and I also wouldn't
rule out Tommy fam Those are the three outfielders I believe the Dodgers are looking
at as we get closer to July thirtieth. Now starting pitching bullpen help seem
throwing out a lot of things here. The Dodgers have some holes to plug.
It's not a perfect roster, and I'm not sure how many teams do
have a perfect roster, but if you look at the Dodger bullpen in October
They're going to have to move some relievers into that bullpen, which makes relief
help maybe not the number one priority or number two priority. They need starting
pitching help. They need a starter that can start Game two or three for
them, especially now with Glassnew's back popping up, flaring up, Yamamoto's uncertainty,
the uncertainty with Clayton Kershaw's come back, even though it feels like he
is on his way back. That would be asking a lot to say Kershaw
carry us through the postseason. That's why the Dodgers are looking at Crochet.
That's why I believe the Dodgers should be looking at Nathan Valdi. Those are
the guy and if they have something or if they need to pivot, Tanner
Scott of the Marlins would also be on my shopping list. But that's I
mean, we're not talking about just signing a guy. We're talking about giving
up minor league prospects. And I know it's about winning the World Series,
but you can't deplete your system. We have seen how much the Dodgers have
relied upon that with injuries and underperformance by certain players. You just can't empty
the entire farm system because there are no guarantees you're going to win the World
Series. So that's where I'm at, and the next few nights we will
continue to talk about the emerging trade rumors that are connecting the Dodgers with certain
teams. Eight six nine, eight seven, two five seventy is the phone
number. We're gonna take a time out, and when we return, we'll
be joined by Hall of Famer John Smoltz and Joe Davis is national TV partner
on Fox. Don't Go Anywhere More. Dodger Talk is next right here on
a F five to seventy LA Sports on this Dodger Talk, leading you up
to eight o'clock tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. The Dodgers
will be back in action on Friday night at Dodgers Stadium against the Boston Red
Sox. It is a big homestand to start the post All Star Break schedule
for the Dodgers. Three against the Red Sox and then four more against the
San Francisco Giants. So we'll see whether or not the Dodgers are up for
the test. I would imagine that we have to all start rethinking how we
view these series. It's not about the Dodgers measuring themselves to these other teams.
It's about these other teams measuring themselves against the Dodgers. The Dodgers are
the bar setters, and that's been the norm for the last what seven eight
years. Red Sox are a surprise team. In the first half of the
year, nobody thought they would even be thinking about the wildcard race, but
here they are. Alex kra has them thinking about the Wildcard and even thinking
about the Red Sox being buyers and not sellers, because going back just a
few weeks, many thought the Red Sox were going to be sellers. But
here they are making a late push and maybe forcing the hand of Craig Breslo
their GM to be buyers, which means they might be on the fence to
trade. Kennley Jansen. Kennley Jansen was a name that we had heard since
spring training that the Red Sox may trade, trying to get more talent for
next year and the year after. But the Red Sox have gotten surprising good
starting pitching from their young pitchers. They have gotten some good offense. They
need more offense. Not sure if that's going to last in the second half,
but it's going to be great to see Kenley Jansen back at Dodgers Stadium.
Whether or not he becomes a Dodger this year still remains to be seen,
because, let's face it, even if he gets traded, are the
Red Sox trading him to the Dodgers And going back to spring training, I
had heard the Red Sox were asking quite a bit in return for the Dodgers'
all time saves leaders, So Kennley Jansen maybe a Red Sox, he might
be a Dodger. I think there's a good chancey if he gets traded,
it could be to the Phillies. So it's all contingent on how the Red
Sox play here in the next week or so, because the trade deadline is
just a couple of weeks away. The Dodgers will be in San Diego on
July thirtieth, the trade deadline day. They'll be on the road with three
in Houston after this upcoming homestand and then two in San Diego and their final
trip to Oakland also on this three city road trip coming up after this seven
game homestand so it's gonna be fun at Dodgers Stadium. We hope to see
you out there Friday, Night is a set. Friday Night is a seven
to ten game, and then on Sunday it is a Sunday Night Baseball game,
so it will be a four to ten start on Sunday and also another
nationally televised game Dodgers Red Sox on Fox at four point fifteen, So a
fun three game series. Dodgers Red Sox, Alex Korra back at Dodgers Stadium,
Kenlee Jansen back at Dodgers Stadium, and John Smoltz and Joe Davis will
be on the call on Saturday's game against the Red Sox. And I had
a chance to catch up with John Smoltz just a few days ago. Well,
it's a pleasure right now to be joined by a Hall of Famer when
men were men on the man, a man that won two hundred and thirteen
games in his career, struck out over three thousand, and also did it
as a reliever, one of the best closers when he was in the bullpen
for a short time. That is the great world champion John Smoltz. John,
thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it. My pleasures always great
to be here in La beautiful day, beautiful weather and great game. Do
you ever have a chance to hit any of the golf courses in La LA's
got some of the finest. Yeah. When I was playing here, this
was guaranteed golf, you know. I think in twenty one years I saw
it rain twice. So whenever we came to the West coast, it was
filled with tea times. At LA Country Club bel Air Sherwood Boris. We
played a lot of golf courround here and it was a lot of fun.
Sherwood's my neck of the woods, so I know it well. Was there
one golf course that was the most challenging for you? Sherwood was the first
golf course I'd ever seen with the golf carts the way that they were.
They were ahead of their time. They had like the trunk in the front
of the hood that you could put things that were selling jewelry and the pro
shop. It was a lot of fun to go to Sherwood. I think
my favorite is LA Country Club, Okay in La North So of course they
just played the Open not too long ago, so, but that's one of
my favorites. Do you have a favorite golfer? We always talk about favorite
baseball players, but is there such a thing to love a golfer that's not
named Tiger Woods. Well, you know what, during the playing days,
Tom Glavin was my most loyal golfer on the road. But I like playing
with anybody who likes to play fast. You know, I would just say,
doesn't matter what your handicap is. If you're going to play like a
US Open Tour player, then we're not going to have a lot of fun.
But if you're going to be able to just get over your ball,
get ready to hit it, and hit it, and we could play as
much golf in the day, that's as possible. I know, you could
talk golf all day. One more question about it. You mentioned Surewood.
The guy that I know that made Surewood famous was Wayne Gretzky. Did you
ever play against Gretzky or with Gretzky? I have and something a celebri events
back in the past, and also in a member guest out of Shadow Creek.
But Wayne's golf game, I think he's, you know, obviously one
of the greatest all time athletes ever. He likes to talk trash on the
golf course. John Smoltz is our guest John when we're at Dodgers Stadium,
and John Smoltz is here. I remember nineteen ninety one when the Braves came
back from a nine game deficit at the All Star Break to win the division
by a game over the Dodgers. I've been preaching not to be complacent around
the streets of Los Angeles. Some of the players have gotten upset with me
for saying that. But as good as the Dodgers are and as big of
a lead they have, do you feel like complacency can set in? Well,
it can, but Dave Roberts will ever let that. I think a
manager knows when his team is maybe kind of gliding. Look, the roster
is definitely the best roster in the NL West, But injuries are also a
part of our game that you never can foresee, and already they've been They've
had some injuries that have kind of stabled maybe the wind total. Getting north
of one hundred plus wins was what everybody expects. So I think there are
lessons in the game that teach you to not look too far ahead and not
get too far complacent. Because you're mentioning the one that was one of the
greatest for us. It started an incredible streak of fourteen straight years. No
one saw us coming the Dodgers. The Reds had no fear of the Atlanta
Braves in nineteen ninety one, and we ran a historic second half and really
went on our last road trip. We went seven to zero, and to
catch the Dodgers on the final day was pretty well. We actually caught them
on Saturday, I believe Saturday night. I was able to pitch that game
against Houston that clinched our first playoff spot for a long time for the Braves.
I remember being here when the Braves came to town in September of that
season, and that was maybe the biggest series in a long time. It
was loud. I pitched in that series. If I'm not mistaken, I
think this realized kind of what we were doing, you know, and that
we were chugging along, and we picked up I think seven games in the
first ten games of the second half in the standing something like that, six
or seven games, and then it was it was game on. You know,
we were the underdog by no stretch. We understood that, and all
the pressure was kind of on the Dodgers, and that road trip we were
on, they were at home, so they got to see all those miracle
comeback wins. You know, I don't know how true the story is,
but Tommy Lasorda, we were down two runs in the ninth inning against Cincinnati,
nobody out in the ninth We came back and won that game in extra
innings, and I hadn't understand he was eating a play depasta and he threw
it off his desk when we were able to come back and win that game.
Yeah, that sounds like Tommy Lelorda for sure. John Smoltz is our
guest. Obviously the Braves World Series champions, but went there came a little
bit short. The Dodgers. Now the last ten years have been compared to
your Braves teams. Can you relate to the feeling around here when you have
all the pressure on you? There's something to be said about that. Now,
when you have all the pressure on you, it means you're a pretty
good team and you've got a good chance of doing something each year that you
set off to do. Out leave me string training. We had a little
different scenario. We were winning despite having been predicted, you know, to
win. We did that the first five years, but after that our roster
changed quite a bit. It's frustrating as a player to come up short like
we did. We lost our first eight World Series games by one run.
We were in every World Series. It comes down to execution, a little
bit of luck, but you've got to be able to deliver. And I
think for the Dodgers it's been a little bit of a mixed bag. Right
last year, beat up rotation, a couple of years ago beat up Then
they had to go toe to toe with the Giants and exhaust every option they
had to win that series and really had nothing left for the Braves. They
went on to win the World Series that year. I think it's every year.
If it's a healthier team has a chance to win, then they have
the upper hand. Experience is phenomenally great when you use it. But I
think if your roster is a little banged up and people know that you got
to be healthy despite the payroll and despite the roster, you've got to be
healthy at the right time of the year. John, I get tired of
hearing about the postseason being random. I'm not a big believer in that.
I feel like you make your own luck and your fortune. There is another
layer to the postseason rounds now, But how do you feel about that when
you hear randomness and luck well, the one thing that I've noticed over the
last five to seven years is the strategies and the philosophies that work in one
sixty two. The teams that don't dB eight from that, they're not winning.
Yeah, And I just think I know a lot of pushback have been
given by me by making those claims, but analytics is only good as much
as you're able to use a one sixty two model. It doesn't work in
the best of seven. And if you're not able to use your eyes at
that time of the year and use the players having spectacular performances and not utilizing
them like it's a one sixty two, I think that's part of it.
And I know people don't like that, but that's just part of having experience
in the postseason. We got to let players have their moments and we can't
just keep conducing it down to a one sixty two model. I'll grant you
one sixty two analytics has been very successful, yeah, but I don't think
it's proven to be successful in the playoffs. That's where the randomness may be
coming from, because they can't explain that, and that's the difficult part about
understanding it's a totally different set of circumstances that you have to go by.
You got to let your horses be horses, and you got to be able
to, like I said, be healthy enough to utilize the best pitching usually
wins. And if you use those guys and use your eyes. I'm not
crazy about taking a guy out in the fourth or fifth inning when he's been
dominating just because the numbers say in a one sixty two, that's what you
do. So I'm a little different there. I'm not anti analytic, I'm
just anti all one bucket. And if you only use one bucket of information
and that's your source for making every decision, I think you run yourself as
a disadvantage at that time of the year. So like, if Tyler Glass
now is going great, why pull them out of the game in a postseason
game. That's exactly right. And I've done a lot of postseason games where
I've seen pitchers come out with no reason to come out other than they just
do because that's the plan that's decided before him. Look the World Series that
the Dodgers won, if people remember the pitcher on the mound was dominating them
in a one to nothing lead for the Rays, and they took them out
because of their analytic model, and they lost the World Series. Now they
were down in the series, but you can't tell me if they don't win
that game, they don't have just as much a chance to win that World
Series. And so there's many examples. Even as last year, teams are
kind of with their mouth open when they see the other pitcher come out.
The opposing teams like thank you, thank you very much, because in today's
game, it takes seven pitchers per game. In a postseason game, five
to seven is what typically you're seeing. Do you know every one of those
guys have to be right on bo It takes one guy to be bad to
tilt the game the wrong way. So I still ascribe to that that philosophy,
and I've seen teams that win, and the teams that have won are
are really the wins taking advantage of that philosophy. Hey, John Smoltz,
I feel like Bobby Cox believed in you, and I'm sure there were times
in those playoff games that the numbers or even yourself you didn't believe you could
reach that type of level of competition. I got a chance to do something
in my era that was so it was like a dream. You know,
finish what you start. You let your pitching determine whether the manager came out
and took you out, nothing else. And I got a chance to pits
three seven games, and two of them, you know, I was able
to go nine innings, and the third one I thought I was going to
go to the nine innings, but I had to come out in the eighth
in a tie game zero zero without giving up a run. It's a little
different story coming back on three days rest, last game of the year of
game seven. But the game that we mentioned, Oar I talk to you
about when we were able to beat the Dodgers in ninety one, I gave
up five runs a bitch nine innings. That'll never happen again, no chance.
So he believed in us. In we were setting the tone. Why
change the narrative, Why give somebody else a different look? When you're doing
what you have to do at the mound and silencing the kind of the balls
are getting rocketed all over the place. Absolutely, you shouldn't stay in the
game even if they're catching them. So I think we've entered a different era
where velocity and spin rate and all that stuff as matters, and the reward
system has changed the way the game is played, and that's just a matter
of fact. All right, John, We'll see back here in October.
We'll see what happens, whether or not the macro or the micro wins out.
Yeah. I'm looking forward this year especially we have the National League,
Joe and I do, and the National League is going to be very compelling
between the current teams if they hold out, obviously Philly Atlanta and the Dodgers
and Brewers, who are surprising the world right now. It feels like it's
a collision course for the Phillies and Dodgers. But I know obviously there can
be upsets. Do you feel like the Phillies are on a mission to redeem
themselves? I am a big believer. I know a lot of people downplay
this. When they asked the feeling that the Phillies had last year to end
the season, I think as a chip on their shoulder. I think every
player went in the offseason, or majority of them did, said that ain't
happening again. Out on my watch, they did whatever they needed to do,
and they've got a complete roster with veteran guys, and I think that
has been their mission. You have it beat up a little bit with some
injuries, but they have a huge lead and I do believe they're the team
to beat along with the Dodgers, because the rosters speak to there's not many
holes and they've been there, done that, and I think last year could
serve them well. If they are to go on and compete for the World
Series, that would be electric La and Philly. Wow. John Smoltz,
thanks a lot for the time. I truly appreciate your analysis. We learn
so much from you every time you're on the air with Joe, and I
really appreciate the time that you take for us. Thanks for having me all
right there. He was John Smolts Hall of Famer, a man that evolved
in his career, not just as a starter obviously that's what he's known for,
three thousand plus strikeouts, two one hundred and thirteen wins, but also
after Tommy John surgery, he went to the bullpen and saved almost two hundred
games for the Braves. So when he talks, we listen and look.
I know there's a lot of people out there that say, oh, he's
the type of guy that says get off my lawn. He's not. He
just knows and believes in players and competition, and look, he has the
facts. The facts are when you stick to a script in a postseason game
and you're not letting your eyes dictate what's happening, and you're not checking in
with your pitcher during a game, and you're not taking inventory of your bullpen
during the game, things are going to go sideways. And he brought up
a great point. Yes, the Dodgers have been hurt by their process sticking
to the data and the analytics, but they also benefited by that in twenty
twenty when Kevin Cash took Blake Snell out of the game for no reason because
Blake Snell struck out the next three hitters the top of the Dodgers' order nine
times in that game, and Mookie Betts is on the record as saying,
after Austin Barnes got that base hit, thank you very much, Kevin Cash,
because we had no answers for Blake Snell in Game six of that twenty
twenty World Series. And to a certain extent, the Dodgers bucked the trend
and let Julio Orias be that guy be their horse. And even when there
were times where I'm sure Dave Roberts and years past would have taken him out
of the game and relief, he let him ride. He did not try
to mess with that final six outs, final nine outs at time during that
postseason. So I'm on board with the way the Dodgers process has worked during
one hundred and sixty two games. They have mastered the regular season and it
has been very entertaining. But it just makes sense that what works over one
hundred and sixty two games with depth does not necessarily work in short series best
of seven, best of five, especially that plan does not work. And
when you have a guy like Tyler Glass now, you let Tyler Glass Now
go until the gas tank is empty. And I believe the biggest question is
for the Dodgers going into the postseason, is Tyler Glass now up for the
challenge not only for the challenge of the postseason, but also for the challenge
to be that guy, to be Nathan Valdi, to be Chris Slee,
to be Steven Strasburg. Is Tyler Glass now up for that challenge? That
still is something that remains to be seen because really he's never been counted on
by the Rays to be that guy. This will be the first time in
his career that he will be counted on to be the role of the horse
that leads the Dodgers all the way through the postseason. And yes, that
means even pitching on short rest. Is he up for that challenge? Because
the Dodgers have treated him and a lot of their starters with kid gloves.
Glass now has only pitched once in the first half on four days rest,
and even with that, he comes up with lower back tightness. That's something
to keep an eye on in the second half of the season. The good
news is it's not his arm, it's not his elbow, it's his back.
And when you're six' eight and you're doing what he's doing, that's
going to pop up from time to time. But to me that that's the
biggest challenge for Tyler glass Now. Will he rise to the occasion to be
that horse for the Dodgers? And that's another layer two why the Dodgers went
out and traded for glass Now. They handed over a lot of money to
Yoshi Yamamoto. Is he going to come back in the second half of the
season and be a playoff performer. That's a bigger question. Is Yamamoto going
to come back and be healthy. The Dodgers can say whatever they want,
but until he's on that mound and pitches all the way through the rest of
the regular season, that's still a big question mark. And that's a big
reason why as we get closer to July thirtieth, the Dodgers have just as
many questions about their starting rotation as they did a year ago. It's just
I hate to use what Mooki Betts likes to say, it is what it
is, but that's what it is. The Dodgers big questions in their rotation.
I'm a big believer in Gavin Stone, but he is going into uncharted
territory. He has never pitched these many innings and certainly has been a great
surprise to many in the first half of the season. But in the postseason
you need swing and miss stuff. Pitching to contact does not always work in
the playoffs, and that's the reason why the Dodgers are looking at a guy
like Garrett Crochet. And as I mentioned just a couple of weeks ago,
and as we move through this All Star break, I'll continue to say it.
If the Rangers are selling and Nathan Evaldi is available, and I'm the
Dodgers. I'm going for Nathan Evaldi because I've talked to many of his teammates.
I've talked to many of the players that have faced Avaldi and have been
on the other side. Many of them say, if I need to win
Game seven, Nathan Evaldi is at the top of my list, and he's
you want proven winners, you want proven playoff pitchers. Nathan Evaldi is that
guy. He did it for the Red Sox in twenty eighteen, he did
it with the Rangers last year. And if the Dodgers are looking for a
starting pitcher and they're not looking to give up as much as the White Sox
may want for Garrett Crochet, Nathan Evaldi is that guy. Garrett Crochet is
great, but he hasn't proven it in the playoffs like Nathan Evaldi has.
And look, he may do that, but he's still an unproven commodity in
October, especially at this stage of his career. All Right, that'll do
it for us on Dodger Talk. We'll be back with you tomorrow night as
well for another edition of Dodger Talk. Tomorrow night, we will share our
conversation with aj Ellis on the ten year anniversary of Clayton Kershawn's one and only
no hitter. Also, Jake Peevey from the The MLB Network will join us
as well. So we got Dodger Talk all the way through this All Star
break and leading you up to Friday's resumption of Major League Baseball with the Dodgers
and Red Sox kicking things off on Friday Night from Dodgers Stadium at seven to
ten. Thanks to Ronnie Foscio for all his help. Thanks to you for
listening. In case you want to follow me on social media, you can
do it on Instagram at officially Vassa and on x at the Real Underscore DV
and you can consume all our first half interviews all our first half Dodger Talk
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Have a great rest of your Monday. See you