An. We continue on Fred Rogan Rodney Peach on AM five to seventy LA
Sports. We are counting down to the show. Hey, Otani news conference,
and let's get right out to Dodger Stadium. David Vasse is there and
he is standing by to set the scene. Hi Dave, Good afternoon.
Hey guys. Yeah. Here at Dodgers Stadium. We're on both Dodger vision
boards and left and right field. They have a welcome to Shohei Otani in
English and Japanese and the media was allowed into the Dodger Stadium parking lots.
At one thirty this afternoon, as I drove by to go to my favorite
taco spot, Mexicali Tacos on Figaroa, I saw a long line of media
lined up outside of one thousand Vin Scully Avenue right there, stadium Way and
that side street right there sunset and there were hordes of media. And then
we've seen on Twitter a long line hundreds at least two to three hundred members
of the media in attendance today for the introductory press conference that will be televised
live in Japan as well as heard right here on AM five to seventy LA
Sports. At three o'clock. Yeah, Day, we saw those lines that
you mentioned on Twitter and social media, and so they were the folks taking
over your taco stand, Dave? Were they eating in your at your spot
and you couldn't get your favorite tackle. I just gave it away right now,
but you know, I let Metros know about it. And now he's
uh, he's turned the masses onto my spot. Oh no, Day,
Yeah, I know. Can't keep a secret. Can't keep a secret,
Dave. Have you ever seen anything like this like this, this kind of
attention for any any player, any announcement, anything like this. I think
the closest that we can come to is Lebron James, right because he was
is a global icon. But show hey, Otani is the biggest thing in
Japan. Nobody is bigger than Otani in Japan. And that's why this is
such a big event. And that's why the Dodgers pursued them as aggressively as
they did, and the reason why they gave themselves the roster of flexibility to
be able to put themselves in this position, not only for the baseball fact.
I feel like that gets a little bit too much of the attention right
now. Once the game start. Baseball will be the focal point, but
for all intensive purposes, this is not just about baseball, guys. This
is a global brand that the Dodgers have acquired and can use to their advantage
and the benefit of the organization. Dave, that line of media, I
mean, You've been with the Dodgers for years, and I've worked in the
city forever. I don't think I've ever seen a line that long. Well,
you've been around longer than me, Fred, so you would know.
I think the closest things, closest press conferences in my lifetime would be Wayne
Gretzki coming to the Kings, Shaquille O'Neal coming to the Lakers, and Lebron
James coming to the Lakers. Those are the three biggest I can remember.
So I have never seen a line like that, not even for the World
Series. Hey, Davis, we've kind of learned that the opt out involving
what we've heard, the opt out involving Mark Walter and Andrew Friedman. Your
thoughts on that, and if you're Andrew Freeman, if it all is true
that those are two guys that have to be here, I mean, what
kind of job security does that give? Andrew Friedman, huge, huge job
security, and it kind of tells us that Andrew does not have any plans
to go anywhere else because the one thing Otani values right up there at the
top of the list is stability. So he's a routine oriented guy and obviously
wanted to go to a franchise that had great stability, and by putting that
in the content, it guarantees him stability. And if one of those two
guys are not in their positions according to the AP, then he can choose
another place if it's not going the direction that it was going with the stability
of Mark Walter and Andrew Friedman. Dave, have you heard anything else about
other things that they may pull the trigger on. I mean, I know
we've talked about the rumors, anything more concrete. Today it feels like it's
coming down to the Dodgers and Yankees for Japanese pitching sensation. Yamamoto and the
Dodgers continue to have conversations with tyler Glass. Now excuse me with the rays
about tyler Glass. Now, So all those things are in the works,
and we'll see how they augment the margins of this roster as we get deeper
into the winter. All right, Dave. Thanks, It's going to be
a busy afternoon for you. You are going to be out there for the
news conference and then you're co hosting with Petros this afternoon on PMS, so
you got a big day ahead of you. I'm live at Dodgers Stadium,
Tetris is where he should be caged in the studio and show. Hey,
Otani will join us after the press conference is over. Oh, he's going
to join you. He is love it. That is breaking news. That's
huge. Good get absolutely well. It comes to fruition. But yes,
he is scheduled to join us after the press conference. All right, Dave,
thanks for doing this. Okay, guys, thanks all right, it's
uh, you know, uh Shack. You know, we talked about it
the other day, Shack. When Wayne Gretzky came to town, when David
Beckham came to town. Yeah, yeah, I mean it wasn't like the
media wasn't like it is today. But I would imagine Kareem coming here,
uh you know, back in the day. Yeah, it h nothing like
it, though, nothing like it because of where we are, the times
that we're in, the amount of media exposure, the amount of social media,
the various outlets, and then the fact that you've got a global icon
like Otani, and we talk a lot about Japan Fred and yes, he
is a god in Japan. I do know that firsthand. I keep saying
it, but I know that firsthand because my son, who lives it and
is it's a reality every single day for him. But all of Asia,
all of Asia is caught up into Otani and what he's able to do and
his brand. So this is a huge, huge get for the Dodgers.
I mean they're gonna look up and go, we got him at a bargain.
After all the things that we're able to accomplish with him on the field
and off the field, we got him at a bargain. You know,
Luke Robati, if you weren't with us in the first hour, King's President,
Luke Robatar was in the studio today. And by the way, if
you missed it, podcast to show, download the free iHeart radio app.
You can podcast the show every day. Kevin puts it up the minute we
get off the air, and if you have the app, you can take
the show live wherever you go. Just get the free iHeart app and you
can follow Rogan and Rodney on the app. But he said something Rodney,
because the Kings are having a pretty good year, and you know, we
kind of pinned him down a little bit, and he basically agreed they need
to have a good year. They've got to have a good year. Because
he talked about something you and I have discussed four years on the program,
and that is you got to win here. You've got to win. You've
got to be in the conversation. If you don't win it all every year,
you've got to be in the conversation. So how do you get there?
First, you have a winning team and for whatever reason, everything comes
together. You catch lightning in a bottle and often running you go. The
other way is you've got to have stars. You have to have big time
stars in a big time city. And last you have to be exciting.
You've got to be exciting every time out. That combination is the trifective.
But if you don't win, you better be closed and you better have big
stars. And that's what the Dodgers have done here. They signed the biggest
star. They understand what it takes, not just to compete in Major League
Baseball, because if you're in a market like La or New York. You
are competing in your sport, but you're also competing against the market because there's
only so much disposable income and in major markets, there's so much to do.
I think that's another reason why the signing of Attorney is so important and
remarkable for the Dodgers. Yeah, no doubt. You mentioned it's stars and
you got to be exciting. I mean, it's great if you can have
you could have both or all three and when because you look back and why
people are still so fascinated with the eighties and the Lakers in the Showtime era
is because they had it all. They had the trifecta, they had they
had the stars, they were exciting to watch, it was the place to
be in LA and they won. And that's why they still that teams.
Those teams still resonate with people out here. Yes, and Shaq and Kobe
definitely had had all of that as well, but still nothing like the Showtime
that put it everything on the map. And the Dodgers, I think when
you look up that we call the dog days of summer in baseball, there
will be very few dog days at Dodger Stadium, very few, and we
will have complete Coverage of the choo Chiny News Conference begins today at three on
Dodger Radio AM five to seventy LA Sports. It's presented by Morongo Casino Resort
and SPA Good Times all right, when we come back, we'll get to
some spirituality. Come on, bells are ringing, Freddy, Yeah they are.
It's the holiday season. You don't know by now, you know?
I love it? Ready be fred Rogan, They're oh back Thursday. Okay,
the countdown is on to the or Tana news conference. What are we
thirty five minutes away? Now you'll hear it here? You were there,
Fred Do you wish you were there? Uh? No, No, I
don't wish I was mad house? Right, it's a mad house. Yeah.
And here's the thing. You think everybody's narchying for position and jockeying for
egos, and like, I need to be upfront. I need to be
here, I need to be there. I've been here for thirty years.
I'm the I'm ABC, No, I'm in BC, No, I'm CBS
nowhere, ESPN who gets the preferential treatment and all that kind of stuff.
You know what's funny, I was never that guy, never cared. I
didn't care about the first question. I didn't care about being in the front.
I never cared. And here's why, because whatever is said is going
to be said to everybody, right, Yeah, somebody's gonna ask the question,
right, or somebody's gonna ask a question, and then everyone's gonna hear
the answer. And in today's world, you know, there are multiple camera
so it made me laugh a Channel four for years, you know there'd be
a news conference and you know, we've got to send out our camera.
And I always say, why just take it from Spectrum or from Bally's and
give them credit. Their camera angle is better than ours. We're off to
the side somewhere. Our audio may not be as good. Why do you
insist on sending a camera there when we can just get the audio in a
clean way and credit to people that provided it. What's the big secret?
There is no everybody shares, right, everybody's shares not course shah. Yeah.
I mean if you get an exclusive interview with show hey Otan, he's
sitting down in an office at Dodger Stadium with his interpreter for twenty minutes.
Okay, now that's something you need, a one on one. Nobody else
around for whatever reason, you've worked that out. Great, But at that
say, getting him on the show, that's a different deal. Yeah,
That'say's a different guy. That's what I'm talking about. Dave can get everybody,
and Dave gets them away from the news conference, and that's what you
want. But if you don't have that access, and trust me not many
people do not in today's world, then what are you running around for?
Like a chicken with your head cut off. You're going to get the exact
same stuff that everybody gets. Then it's up to you to do something with
it. How you want to present it, what's been you want to put
on it, how you want to produce it. The material is the material,
it's just how it's delivered. And that's why it's to me. If
I'm David Bassey, i want to be there. If I'm me, there's
no need because I'm not going to learn anything differently than the other two hundred
and fifty people that are there. We're all going to be in the same
boat. I'd rather take it and bring it back to the studio and then
put something together with it. Take some time to put something creative together rather
than sitting there because he's going to say the same thing to everybody. But
that's just how I look at it. Okay, let's have some spirituality and
to provide that there is one man. It is Victor Brick with the daily
high coup at two, and Vic must be giddy. So Victor afternoon or
for clempt for clemped. Totally you for it, Fred, and I know
you are pumped for the upcoming Otonis on press conference, Fred Rogan, So
I didn't use the word euphoric. I tried everything he would normally say,
but then he threw in eph it. Today, I'll write that one down.
So I got that one to leave. Freddie, please get it right.
A la otani. When he understands one thing, he understands ten thousand
things, Rodney, pete, is that really true? If you understand one
thing, you want to stand ten thousand things. Yes, that is true.
That perfective. It is true. No, it is true. Yes.
Yes. It's like the heartbeat, Fred, that pumps out blood through
the veins. The veins spread out through your body, So one heart beat,
it's like ten thousand. That was a good hikup, Rodney, that
was a good haikup. Ah you healing it. Yeah, yeah, baby
a lah. He never separates himself from the ways of the warrior. Kevin
Sigers come on, nah, yeah, you're a warrior, and he never
strays from the way a boozy coat. Rudni Fassio hold on distance telephone call.
Yeah, well, fellas who are embarking out of historic time and space,
not just Dodger history, but sports history. I am going a little
wild, a little whee loco. I'm trying to stay within myself, as
I know Dodger fans just I'm tins and needles and you'll listen to it all.
Of course. Right here the old Tiny Sun press conference at three and
five seven the La Sports, Your Home and the Dodgers, presented by Morongo
Casino Resorted SPA, Good Times. You think Fred is three hundred mass media
at the stadium right now, I think three hundred is the same number Vic
David Vasse was saying hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. But I look at the
social media and the lines that they showed, and this was roughly forty five
minutes to an hour ago that those lines were long and crazy and wrapped around.
So I would at least say three hundred for Vic and probably more as
we get closer to U to three o'clock. The Otani presser twelve fourteen,
twenty three, Viva Otani, the Moss Monumental press conference in Dodger History,
the Mount Fuji of Masferte Show, Hey Otani, the Old Show. Let's
go. Otani said, you shoot, you won? Number one Ischi Ponchi.
Get this and you touched upon it earlier. Otani San will join Petrols
and David Vasei right after the press conference on A five seven the l A
Sports. So that's going to be some sensational moments. You know. The
Old Show was already vibed yesterday at Dodger Stadium. Otani was hanging out the
Chavas Ravine with Mookie Betts and Joe Kelly and El Mariachi says of Otani that
he's always he was already grinding, he was working out. Did they swap
jerseys already? I believe the operation has been in effect. I mean the
number seventeen is Otani. But according to Joe Kelly, his arm looked good
to him. Well, he looked at Otani's armies. It looked good to
me. So he simply stared at his arm and proclaimed his arm looks good
to me. Good, his arm looks good to me, said Joe Kelly,
man El Mariachily, Hey, Fred, do you think it on every
station locally? No? No, no, you mean every station period or
sports station, every station period. You think they interrupted and to have this
press conference on two four and seven, oh, TV eleven, Yeah,
TV they might, No, they might that on TV they might. Yeah.
Yeah. If I'm running the place I am, Yeah, absolutely right,
yeah, if I'm running the place I am. But nobody's gonna have
the insight of David Vassay. You know, the people sitting there don't really
know about a lot of this. David Vassa will have that insight. So
listen to us on the radio, because that's where you want to be.
You'll have the most, the most insight, the most knowledge, the most
enlightenment. A sports and the exclusive right after the presser, come on.
You know, Tony's already chagoing records. His jersey sales through the first forty
eight hours as a Dodger, broke the record of soccer Titans Messi and Ronaldo
the seventeen already breaking records. Goodlow, Joe Kelly doesn't ask for it back
ha ha. Well, he has a list. He has a list of
stuff, but he will not reveal it that he's asked altonis in exchange for
the episodeeen Yeah, he does or his wife does? I think he and
his wife? Yeah. I think his wife was making the list because I
know if it was me, Holly would be making that list. What would
be in that list? Uh, trips to Japan. Oh, multiple trips
to Japan, and he would have to either be our guide and take us
out around or provide that for us. Yeah, ultiple chips trips to Japan
would be at the top of the list. Do you think he would agree
to that, traveling the Old Tani Way Do you think he would agree to
that? I think so. I think he's a man that's very proud of
his country, proud to show people Japan, and I think he would be
very, very excited and happy that that would be at the top of our
list, is to go see his home country. That he could pick up
the tab to send you in the gang to Japan, Yes, yes,
and show us Japan the Old Tani Way like top notch first class way.
Fred. He'd be honored and humbled it would be an amazing journey. How
about the journey of his Translatoruhara out of Diamond Ball High School and you'll see
riverside what he will be the conduit to the globe today. Yeah, a
star, but he's gonna turn. He's going to go to rockstar status now.
I mean he was already a star being Otani's interpreter, but now he's
on a different level. Every single person in Japan, and I'll bet you
a majority of the folks there will be watching. This guy is going to
be a hero. Absolutely, He's got the one job everybody in Japan wants.
He gets to travel around with Otani and interpret for him. That's his
whole job. All he has to do is get up in the morning and
breathe, Oh man, can you imagine that phone call when he got that
gig? Mama, we made it, baby, we made it to any
on most of the year, you have three hundred and sixty five days a
year this Whara is with Oti. Yeah, and he goes beyond translation.
He warms up Otani on the side a lot. He does a lot of
the baseball stuff with with ay sign as well. He's not just to I
think he did the surgery on his elbow. He's he with the assistant electrog
Yeah. Do you see that piece in the Times on Neil this morning?
I did not. I missed that. I heard it. Oh my god,
you got to check it out. Williams did a piece on Neil.
That's great, but he is the king. If there's one king, one
one surgeon, one one master healer, it's doctor Neil alatrosh. He did
the surgery. Not only on but you name you name a superstar in any
sport, they're going right to doctor Neil. Doctor Neil's the best. And
of course you know where that leads us too, vig right to the source.
As we say, combarte, do your best, se and I am
quoting Musashi once again, the greatest in samurai swordsman in history, best motive
in the North Valley. I'll tell you that this haikup is for old tiny
son on this Thursday, momentous day in Dodger history and sports history. And
I'll see your died in around the world. December the fourteenth. The only
reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior
fights is to win. Feeling you solid sick, we love you be.
That was solid. That was a very good hiku to welcome one Otani to
the Dodgers. Thank you so much, and this with so much love,
and we're so humbled and honors to have Otani son as a member of the
Los Angeles Dodgers. All right, who wants to wear win a pair of
tickets to see the Kings play. We played Know your Squad earlier and uh,
Jeff didn't get it, So we have to open the tickets up to
everybody, and we will do it right now. Eight six, six nine,
eight seven two five seventy. You win a pair of tickets to an
upcoming Kings game and listen to all LA Kings games and HD on the iHeartRadio
app. The keyword LA Kings Go, Kings Go. It's like six ninety
seven two five seventy Rodney Wood call a number is going to see the Kings.
I like number seven, fred number seven, good luck. Oh yeah,
come on, come on, Freddy. Countdown is coming, Davy.
The countdown is all Rodney p Fred Rogan I Throw Back Thursday, a big,
monumumental day for LA and Dodger fans everywhere around the world, and I
mean around the world, just like our audience. I mean, I can't
tell you how many people have sent us message from Japan and Japanese yes,
saying they listened to the show. Yes, a lot of those folks have
said, you know what, you are helping us learn English, and you
know what we say our pleasure adigato, That's exactly what we say. Bryant
in rialto where it go, Congratulations, you did it. You won those
Kings tickets. You will go to an upcoming Kings game and listen to all
LA Kings games and HD on the iHeartRadio app. The keyword is LA King's
Go, Kings Go. So as moments go, this is a big one,
but it is just step one in what hopes and promises to be a
series of great moments. And it speaks to the uniqueness of the Dodger brand,
and let's be honest, like a brand as well, I mean the
other global global properties. Shoeyotani played in Anaheim. He was the best player
in baseball. He won two MVP Awards. I don't think there has ever
been this much attention on Shoeyotani Rodney. No, I don't think so either.
Even when he first came over here, even in Japan. I don't
think there's been this. This is crazy. I mean, it's uh,
it's pretty amazing, and it's it feels like the the traction is picked up.
Can you imagine what Arizona's going to be like spring training camel Back Ranch.
But what's funny is he was already in spring training with the Angels.
Yes, he was already place in Arizona, same place and timp mm hmmm,
same exact thing. But the brand will change everything. I used to
have a philosophy when I was at NBC because over the years, you know,
I was fortunate enough to have opportunities to work at the other stations,
and I really thought and it worked out for me. So I'm fortunate the
brand met everything. The brand was what you wanted to be associated with and
it helped build you into what you were. So that's how I thought of
it at NBC. Shohe Otani is a gifted, he's a unicorn, He's
one of a kind. But the brand now associating himself with the right brand
is going to take him to another stratosphere, without a doubt, without a
doubt. I mean, can you think back right now to the guys that
were traded to certain cities and places that changed their whole trajectory of their career
and life. Right again, we go back to Kareem coming here to the
Lakers. For me in my lifetime, that that was a big deal.
Reggie Jackson going from the Oakland A's to the New York Yankees huge impact and
trajectory of his life. We talked in l A about the Gretzky and Beckham's
and those guys. Who else can you think of that? It just they
changed clubs and went to a brand, went to a global brand, and
it made all the difference in the world. Roger Clemens went to the Yankees,
Yes he did from another brand, but he went to the Yankees and
put him into the Yankees. Yeah, special time for us and we're all
fortunate to be here to observe it. Ronnie, thank you, great job
today. Really appreciate it. Kevin, outstanding work. So stay tuned.
We will have the show. Hey Otani News Conference. It's brought to you
by Morongo Casino Resort and SPA Good Times. And then David Vasse, who
was going to co host with Petros this afternoon, is going to have Otani
live, so we look forward to that and Rodney will see it tomorrow.
Let's do it.