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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, we're joined right now by one of my favorites.

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<v Speaker 1>He was great as a player, he's great as a person,

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<v Speaker 1>and he's a great broadcaster. Number forty seven, Luis Cochito

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<v Speaker 1>Cruz joins us. Thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, thank yous, Dave.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm happy to be with you right here, and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>ready to for all you questions you got.

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<v Speaker 1>From that well number one. The last time we spoke

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<v Speaker 1>was during spring training.

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<v Speaker 4>You are a rookie.

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<v Speaker 1>Then you've got your feet wet in the broadcast booth.

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<v Speaker 1>How are you enjoying being a broadcaster and not a

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<v Speaker 1>player anymore?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, he's been a transition that I'm enjoying a lot.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm learning a lot from Jose Mota and Pepe in Vegas.

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<v Speaker 3>But I really like it because what I'm doing just

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<v Speaker 3>analyzing plays and all this stuff. Basically, I studied my

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<v Speaker 3>whole career baseball, and I love baseball, so I can

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<v Speaker 3>I like it that I can, you know, transmit it

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<v Speaker 3>to the people on the radio, and I like it.

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<v Speaker 1>You know a lot of these players too, you played

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<v Speaker 1>against them, You played with some You also played in

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<v Speaker 1>Japan when show Hey Otani was there. What's the relationship

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<v Speaker 1>you have with show Hey going back to then, Yeah, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Mean we we was we were playing in the same

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<v Speaker 3>division there. He used to play for the nippenham Fighters

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<v Speaker 3>and I was playing for Shivalotta Marins, and uh, we

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<v Speaker 3>face each other like a lot. Like there's only six

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<v Speaker 3>teams in uh in the Pacific League, six teams in

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<v Speaker 3>the Central League, so we get to face each other

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<v Speaker 3>almost every two to three weeks, and uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>we build that relationship. One of my good friends, Louis Mendoza,

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<v Speaker 3>he was playing, uh in that team with show Hey,

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<v Speaker 3>and uh, you know, we always talk and he will

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<v Speaker 3>start the day after show Hey, and we always make fun,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, like and when I faced show How would

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<v Speaker 3>tell him, you know, throw me that fastball, and we

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<v Speaker 3>just he just laughed. He don't say much, but uh,

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<v Speaker 3>getting to talk to him. I tried not to talk

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<v Speaker 3>to him about you know, what's happening right now, but

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<v Speaker 3>like everybody, he's talking to him like.

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<v Speaker 2>How great he is.

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<v Speaker 3>I knew it was going to be good, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it was going to be that good, you know, but

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<v Speaker 3>I think we're still talking because he feel the confidence.

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<v Speaker 2>Of of of me like knowing.

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<v Speaker 3>Him since back in Japan. So we just talked, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I asked him how you feel? How do you I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>how do you rehab going? In Japanese? Because I got

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<v Speaker 3>to practice by Japanese?

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<v Speaker 4>How would that sound? Give us a taste of how

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<v Speaker 4>it would sound.

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<v Speaker 3>I just saybo, that means, how's do you? How's your shoulder?

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<v Speaker 3>How's your arm? And he responds and it's like akachan

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<v Speaker 3>dajaba too, like if.

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<v Speaker 2>Your baby is okay. He's like and then I would.

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<v Speaker 3>Ask him, uh, what does you like you are you

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<v Speaker 3>slippy or something?

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<v Speaker 2>And he's like no, like dau means okay.

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<v Speaker 3>So we kind of like, you know, I give him

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<v Speaker 3>the you know, the confidence so he can you know,

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<v Speaker 3>speak his English and my japan English and stuff. And

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<v Speaker 3>now we just we just have fun, you know, like

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<v Speaker 3>I just want to I just don't want him to,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, to feel like I'm interviewing him, interviewing him.

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<v Speaker 2>Or do something.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think it's something that we have on in

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<v Speaker 3>my side, like I can talk to the guys and

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<v Speaker 3>I never you know, I get information about you know,

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<v Speaker 3>the game and and maybe I can use it. Like

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<v Speaker 3>if I see somebody using or doing something like I

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<v Speaker 3>see Tells car Hernandez practicing something, I would ask him,

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<v Speaker 3>you know what, why.

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<v Speaker 2>Are you doing this with your back leg or why

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<v Speaker 2>you're finishing high? And then he will tell me. And

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<v Speaker 2>I think, I don't know.

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<v Speaker 3>I think I play in the I was playing five

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<v Speaker 3>months ago, so so they know that I was playing.

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<v Speaker 3>And we have the confidence of talking, you know, like

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<v Speaker 3>talking about the game, about the swings, about positioning in

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<v Speaker 3>the infield. And I like it and I'm enjoying every

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<v Speaker 3>second of it.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Well, let's go back to you and Otani

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<v Speaker 1>in Japan. How did Louis Cruz do against Otani?

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<v Speaker 4>The picture?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, the first time, I remember, I was coming from

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<v Speaker 3>from playing in the big leagues and and I faced

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<v Speaker 3>him in a in like a preseason game, and he

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<v Speaker 3>only threw like two innings, and he threw fastball like

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<v Speaker 3>a ninety nine slider cider I pop up or something

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<v Speaker 3>to the right field and I and I remember telling

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<v Speaker 3>my teammates, oh, this is all tiny.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's not that.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, you see a lot of guys on the

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<v Speaker 3>big leagues like him. And once the season started, we

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<v Speaker 3>got to face each other. He was on like like

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<v Speaker 3>he was good, really good. But I got some hits

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<v Speaker 3>off him too, and I get I hate a couple

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<v Speaker 3>of doubles.

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<v Speaker 2>And and we hit him good in the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 3>Like I said, we faced him a lot, and uh,

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<v Speaker 3>you know when you face it somebody a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean you kind of know when he's on, when

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<v Speaker 2>his fastball was on, when his breaking mos are on.

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<v Speaker 3>But we got the confidence of of saying, like he

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<v Speaker 3>would throw me a fastball, and I followed it off

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<v Speaker 3>and I look at him and I say, Masugo, masuga, like,

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<v Speaker 3>throw me a fastball. And when he was nasty, he

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<v Speaker 3>would throw me that fastball. And then he told me

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<v Speaker 3>that slider and he said, kuzsan, today you have no chance.

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<v Speaker 3>So obviously that day, if I walk for me, it

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<v Speaker 3>counts as ahead because he knew he was, he had

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<v Speaker 3>all this stuff, and.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, we build that relationship. You know, you knew

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<v Speaker 2>me as a player.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I like to talk to my teammates or

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<v Speaker 3>or all the other team because at the end of

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<v Speaker 3>the day, baseball is a game and you're supposed to

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<v Speaker 3>have fun with it. And I always have fun, and

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<v Speaker 3>I think I'm having fun now doing what I'm doing

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<v Speaker 3>from the booth, and.

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<v Speaker 2>And I want to keep learning from you guys. You've

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<v Speaker 2>been doing it for a long time.

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<v Speaker 1>You're doing a great job. And appreciate you sharing those

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<v Speaker 1>great stories from Japan. And your Japanese is not Japanese English.

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<v Speaker 1>It's pretty good.

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<v Speaker 4>How you got those time, how I got to Luis Cruise,

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm so happy to see Clayton catch it back.

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<v Speaker 3>And he was one of the best, you know, teammates

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<v Speaker 3>I had. And uh, when I came to the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 3>I remember getting to the clubhouse and I didn't have

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<v Speaker 3>a locker, and uh, Kersha clean up one of his

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<v Speaker 3>lockers and he's like, hey, you just see it run

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<v Speaker 3>next to me. So I was lucky enough to see

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<v Speaker 3>run next to Kersha my year that I spent year

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<v Speaker 3>and a half that I spent with the Dodgers. And

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<v Speaker 3>now you know, like maybe we built this relationship because

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<v Speaker 3>we played ping punk together in spring training. Uh, and

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<v Speaker 3>we we will it was we were the finalists for

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<v Speaker 3>the tournament and he beat me and I got to

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<v Speaker 3>I got to talk to him like a couple of days,

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<v Speaker 3>like two days before he start, and I say, Kershaw,

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<v Speaker 3>whenever you retire, I'm gonna look for you so you

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<v Speaker 3>can give me the rematch. And he's like, okay, we'll

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<v Speaker 3>do so I'm like okay, So I'm just you know,

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<v Speaker 3>like like being a former player, you have like a

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<v Speaker 3>little insight to talk to them, you know, like you

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<v Speaker 3>can talk about something else besides you know, how you feel,

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<v Speaker 3>how you arm, how do you breaking.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, how you lag?

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<v Speaker 3>And we just talk about different stuff and it made

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<v Speaker 3>me feel good and I want them to make to

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<v Speaker 3>feel comfortable with me being there.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, that's an amazing story.

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<v Speaker 1>I never knew that about Shaw cleaning out the empty

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<v Speaker 1>lockers so you could sit there.

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<v Speaker 2>He did, he did.

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<v Speaker 3>I remember I got to the clubhouse each Paul was

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<v Speaker 3>the club and he asked me, what are you doing here?

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<v Speaker 3>Because I got called up and nobody knew, and and

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<v Speaker 3>Kirsha had.

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<v Speaker 2>It was the old stadium.

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<v Speaker 3>It was the the you know, like the three the

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<v Speaker 3>small lockers, like the ones outside, and uh, Kersha had

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<v Speaker 3>one with shoes and then what with his stuff, and

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<v Speaker 3>then he got another one pre renovation. Yeah yeah, pre

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<v Speaker 3>renovation before and uh say crazy, Uh just sit right here,

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<v Speaker 3>and he told one of the club is to clean

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<v Speaker 3>it up, and I got to see it right next

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<v Speaker 3>to him.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, when he pitched.

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<v Speaker 3>He got here like a twelve every day for a

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<v Speaker 3>seven o'clock game, he puts his bags on, and you.

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<v Speaker 2>Know, like it was. It was.

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<v Speaker 3>I was lucky enough to be there and play behind him,

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<v Speaker 3>play there, play short and uh you know, have his

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<v Speaker 3>uh friendship and getting to see him back again. Hopefully

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<v Speaker 3>he get to finish his career with his three thousand

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<v Speaker 3>strikeouts and I would love to see it.

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<v Speaker 1>Man, Luis Cruz, great baseball experiences.

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you for the time. And I know everybody loves Cochito.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody loves you because you're the man, and you dress

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<v Speaker 3>really nice

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<v Speaker 4>Not as good as Cochito Cruiz.