Speaker 1: Welcome to Dodger Talk. David Vasse with you until eight
Speaker 1: o'clock tonight here on a five to seventy LA Sports
Speaker 1: We are live from the Sportsnet LA Studios. Just wrapped
Speaker 1: up Access Sportsnet Dodgers with John hart Tongue and Jerry
Speaker 1: Harriston Junior. And actually, one of my favorite segments we
Speaker 1: have done here during the off season was having John,
Speaker 1: Jerry and myself name our Dodgers All half Century team,
Speaker 1: so that means any player from two thousand to twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five. And we had a couple of discrepancies. Jerry
Speaker 1: did not have Freddy Freeman as his first basement. I did.
Speaker 1: I did not have Mookie Ah here he is. Here
Speaker 1: he is. I admitted that I was wrong.
Speaker 2: I was on the golf course.
Speaker 1: Agan Beltray kind of hypnotized me a little bit. I
Speaker 1: was wrong. I corrected my Freddy Freeman is my first base.
Speaker 1: And how about third base? Jerry? I kept Adrian Belcher
Speaker 1: because he's a Hall of Famer, but Justin Turner is
Speaker 1: also there too, and Jerry had himself as the super
Speaker 1: utility Yeah, with Keik. Jerry had a great first half
Speaker 1: of twenty twelve. He was awesome. He kept the Dodgers
Speaker 1: above water that first half of twenty twelve his first
Speaker 1: year with the Dodgers. But yes, those were the two
Speaker 1: biggest discrepancies. And all out myself, I did not have
Speaker 1: Mookie Bets in my all half century team. I had
Speaker 1: Matt Kemp, Cody Bellinger and Andre Ethier in my outfield.
Speaker 1: My contention was, you put prime Matt Kemp on these
Speaker 1: Dodger teams and you would have a future Hall of
Speaker 1: Famer like Mookie Betts is going to be. One of
Speaker 1: my standards were, if you're gonna watch the replay was longevity.
Speaker 1: Gary Sheffield, great player, should be in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1: But from two thousand and between two thousand and twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five, Gary Sheffield only played two years. So that's
Speaker 1: how I went about it. Anyway. That's what we did
Speaker 1: tonight on Access Sportsnet Dodgers. We'll be back on there
Speaker 1: tomorrow night at six o'clock. This is our only Dodger
Speaker 1: talk on a five to seventy LA sports this week.
Speaker 1: We will talk to you again not only on sports
Speaker 1: Net LA all this week, but also right here on
Speaker 1: Dodgers Radio next week when I report to Camel Backranch
Speaker 1: in Glendale, Arizona. Tomorrow is the first official day that
Speaker 1: pitchers and catchers report guys were there today, but as
Speaker 1: far as the Major League Baseball Transaction calendar goes. The
Speaker 1: reason why I bring that up is because Keik Hernandez
Speaker 1: announced yesterday two hours before kickoff of the Super Bowl
Speaker 1: that he is returning, but the Dodgers have not officially
Speaker 1: announced it. Because tomorrow is the first day the Dodgers
Speaker 1: can start transferring players to the sixty DAYIL and Fred Rogan.
Speaker 1: The first text of the day I get is from
Speaker 1: Fred Rogan, and he doesn't even say hello, good morning.
Speaker 1: The way he prefaced his text question was Hey, how
Speaker 1: did the Dodgers make room for Key k Hernandez? So
Speaker 1: I just copy and pasted the sixty day IL roles
Speaker 1: and he explained it so poorly on his show. So
Speaker 1: I'll explain it for you and then maybe you can
Speaker 1: share it with Fred Rogan or he may be listening
Speaker 1: to this in Rancho mirage somewhere on the iHeartRadio app. Anyway,
Speaker 1: these are the guys that I presume will be moved
Speaker 1: to the sixty day IL tomorrow, which will open up
Speaker 1: at least five spots on the Dodger forty man roster
Speaker 1: for Key K a Hernandez and anybody else the Dodgers
Speaker 1: want to add to their forty man roster. Gavin Stone,
Speaker 1: he's out for the year. He's going to the sixty
Speaker 1: day IL Emmitt Shechan is not going to pitch until
Speaker 1: the second half of this year. Sixty day IL Kyle
Speaker 1: Hurt who had shoulder surgery last year, sixty day IL
Speaker 1: River Ryan Tommy John surgery last year, sixty day IL
Speaker 1: Bruce Star Graderol shoulder surgery, sixty day IL Bazooka probably
Speaker 1: not ready until June at the earliest, probably after the
Speaker 1: All Star break. And that means the Dodgers can officially
Speaker 1: sign Key K a Hernandez. They can officially sign Clayton
Speaker 1: Kershaw and then immediately move him to the sixty day IL.
Speaker 1: So that's how all that works now. As far as
Speaker 1: the twenty six man roster works, how does key K
Speaker 1: a Hernandez fit into it? Well, he fits into it
Speaker 1: the same way he did last year. He can play
Speaker 1: second base, he can play centerfield, which is probably his
Speaker 1: best position now, and he can be insurance for Max Mounsey.
Speaker 1: Max Munsey missed a few months last year. You know
Speaker 1: he may get injured again, and the Dodgers really didn't
Speaker 1: have a backup third baseman outside of Miguel Rojas. So
Speaker 1: you got Key a Hernandez who could play a lot
Speaker 1: of third base like he did last year when Munsey
Speaker 1: was out. And of course we all know Key K's
Speaker 1: real value October player. The Dodgers' fortunes in the postseason
Speaker 1: last year changed when KEYK a Hernandez got into the
Speaker 1: starting lineup during the NLDS after the first two games. Incredibly,
Speaker 1: I can't believe it took a Miguel Rojas injury to
Speaker 1: enlighten the Dodgers to put Key a Hernandez in the
Speaker 1: starting lineup or no injury. Key k Hernandez needed to
Speaker 1: be in the starting lineup and he was. The rest
Speaker 1: of the way. Tommy Edmund had shortstop Key k Hernandez
Speaker 1: in center field. So those are the ways Macro micro
Speaker 1: how Key K a Hernandez fits into the Dodgers' twenty
Speaker 1: six man roster, forty man roster, and very happy to
Speaker 1: have him back. And in case you're wondering what took
Speaker 1: so long, my understanding talking to sources that are directly
Speaker 1: connected to the knowledge of the Dodgers and key K's negotiations.
Speaker 1: The Dodgers had this offer out to Kik for a month.
Speaker 1: They said, here it is, this is what it is.
Speaker 1: We want you back. Key K, obviously, year to year
Speaker 1: at this stage of his career, did his due diligence
Speaker 1: to see what else may be out there that may
Speaker 1: be lucrative with a winning team. He wasn't going to
Speaker 1: a team that wasn't going to the playoffs or had
Speaker 1: a real chance to go to the playoffs. And from
Speaker 1: what I understand, the two teams had had interest in
Speaker 1: Keyk a Hernandez were the Yankees and were the Texas Rangers.
Speaker 1: The Yankees no first hand the value of Keyk a Hernandez,
Speaker 1: not only last year, but also playing against him when
Speaker 1: he was doing his thing in Boston. The Rangers, I'm sure,
Speaker 1: got endorsements about Keyk a Hernandez from his former teammates
Speaker 1: Jock Peterson and Corey Seeger. The Dodgers have never really
Speaker 1: duplicated the platoon of Jock Peterson and Keyk Hernandez going
Speaker 1: back to the twenty twenty World Series. Well, the Rangers
Speaker 1: were trying to duplicate that replicated in Texas, but key
Speaker 1: K wanted.
Speaker 2: To be here.
Speaker 1: He's a Dodger. This made sense and eventually Keyk, after
Speaker 1: looking around for the pot of gold, realized the Dodgers
Speaker 1: were his team and I'm happy it finally came together.
Speaker 1: When we continue here on Dodger Talk, we will open
Speaker 1: up the phone lines eight six, six, nine eighty seven,
Speaker 1: two five seventy will dive deeper into the Dodger opening
Speaker 1: day pitching staff. It's not as obvious as you think,
Speaker 1: and coming up at the bottom of the hour, we
Speaker 1: will share our conversation with World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
Speaker 1: So a lot to get to between now and the
Speaker 1: time Luca takes the court as a Laker for the
Speaker 1: first time. Right here on Dodger Talk on your home
Speaker 1: for the World champion Dodgers, AM five seventy LA Sports
Speaker 1: full squad workout as not until later this week. Pitchers
Speaker 1: and catchers are arriving at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
Speaker 1: Tomorrow is the first official day for pitchers and catchers
Speaker 1: to come together and Dave Roberts to have one of
Speaker 1: his soft opening speeches. He'll do that when the pitchers
Speaker 1: and catchers are in the room tomorrow, and then once
Speaker 1: the full squad is officially reported, he will do it again.
Speaker 1: And Dave Roberts, coming off his best year as manager
Speaker 1: for the Dodgers, winning a second World Series championship, things
Speaker 1: are looking good. Everybody seems to be happy. And I
Speaker 1: love the fact that Andrew Friedman has brought in guys
Speaker 1: like Tanner, Scott and Blake Snell to really bring the
Speaker 1: edge and hunger that any defending champion needs. And the
Speaker 1: Dodgers have a great team on paper, but they all
Speaker 1: know how fragile health can be, and how fragile an
Speaker 1: entire one hundred and sixty two, one hundred and sixty
Speaker 1: two game season can be. Coming up at the bottom
Speaker 1: of the hour, you will hear from Freddie Freeman. But
Speaker 1: looking at this pitching staff in honor of pitchers and
Speaker 1: catchers reporting officially tomorrow, I know by the end of
Speaker 1: the year, middle of the year, it will be you know,
Speaker 1: at least four guys that are cy young either have
Speaker 1: won it or have the potential to win it. But
Speaker 1: on opening day it's not as deep as you think.
Speaker 1: You look at Tyler Glass, Now, who is going to
Speaker 1: be behind other starters? Andrew Friedman told us that at
Speaker 1: Dodger Fest, Otani is probably not facing hitters in spring
Speaker 1: training according to Andrew as well. And then you have
Speaker 1: Roki Sazaki, who is learning a new game in some ways,
Speaker 1: a new language of pitching in some ways with the
Speaker 1: Dodgers looking to get better, cleaning up his delivery as
Speaker 1: a twenty three year old, he hasn't even grown into
Speaker 1: his body. So with all those factors, you are going
Speaker 1: to need guys like Tony Gonsolin. You are going to
Speaker 1: need guys like Landon Nack and possibly even Dustin May.
Speaker 1: I'm looking for Bobby Miller to have a big bounce
Speaker 1: back year. The way Blake Snell explained it to me
Speaker 1: is that he sees Bobby Miller a lot, a lot
Speaker 1: of Bobby Miller in himself and really wants to help
Speaker 1: Bobby get better, to get on track mentally more than physically,
Speaker 1: maybe even consolidate some pitches. Bobby's in great shape, So
Speaker 1: I'm looking for Bobby Miller this spring. He's really got
Speaker 1: to show something after a disappointing sophomore year, and Blake
Speaker 1: Snell has taken Bobby under his wing. Yama Moto. Those
Speaker 1: are my top three right now coming out of spring
Speaker 1: training on opening day, Blake Snell, Yama Moto, Bobby Miller,
Speaker 1: and you hope Tyler glass Now can be ready for
Speaker 1: the Dodgers by the time they return from Tokyo, Japan.
Speaker 1: It would be phenomenal if Blake's excuse me, if Yamamoto
Speaker 1: and Roki Sazaki are starting the first two games of
Speaker 1: the season against the Cubs in their home country in
Speaker 1: Tokyo and having Otani be the dh that would be spectacular.
Speaker 1: I'm hoping for Yama Moto versus Shota Imanaga on opening
Speaker 1: night there in the Tokyo Dome. It doesn't feel like
Speaker 1: that's too big of a long shot, but look, the
Speaker 1: Dodgers have to be careful with yama Moto as well.
Speaker 1: Yamamoto missed time with a shoulder issue for about three months.
Speaker 1: There were some questions about whether or not he was
Speaker 1: going to be ready for the postseasons. So that's how
Speaker 1: the starting rotation looks right now. It's gonna look great
Speaker 1: when Otani, Sazaki, Yamamoto and Snell are in there in
Speaker 1: Glass now at the same time. Not to mention Clayton Kershaw,
Speaker 1: but at the beginning of the year, it's gonna be
Speaker 1: some of these role guys like Landon Knack, like Tony Gonslin,
Speaker 1: like Dustin May and Bobby Miller that are going to
Speaker 1: have to step up early in the year. Now, when
Speaker 1: you look at the Dodger bullpen, I know Dave Roberts
Speaker 1: said over the weekend on XM Radio that Tanner Scott
Speaker 1: is going to get the line's share of save opportunities
Speaker 1: to start the year. Yeah, no, kidding. That's the reason
Speaker 1: why he was so definitive was because Evan Phillips is
Speaker 1: well behind where he usually is at this time of
Speaker 1: the year throwing the baseball because he missed the World
Speaker 1: Series with a shoulder issue. And we got reports from
Speaker 1: USA today that Michael Kopek has had some sort of
Speaker 1: shoulder issue. So those two guys that may get save
Speaker 1: opportunities during the year when healthy are not going to
Speaker 1: be ready on opening Day more than likely. So yeah,
Speaker 1: Tanner Scott's gonna get a lot of that. He's going
Speaker 1: to be set up by Alex Vesia, Kirby Yates, and
Speaker 1: Blake Trining, to name a few. So that's where the
Speaker 1: Dodger bullpen stands on opening Day as well. Eight six, six,
Speaker 1: nine to eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number.
Speaker 1: In case you're not sure when the first spring training
Speaker 1: game is going to be. It's going to be a
Speaker 1: week from Thursday. The Dodgers are going to play their
Speaker 1: first two games of the Cactus League schedule against those
Speaker 1: same cubs that they will open up against in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaker 1: Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is
Speaker 1: the phone number. David Vase with you until eight o'clock
Speaker 1: tonight on AM five to seventy LA Sports Dodger Baseball
Speaker 1: is back officially. Gotta take some water here after an
Speaker 1: Access sports Net Dodgers show and some Dodger talk. You
Speaker 1: know what else I was really happy about hearing over
Speaker 1: the weekend, Rob Manfred. Yeah that Rob Manfred, the Commissioner
Speaker 1: of Baseball, coming out of the owners meetings in Florida
Speaker 1: last week, defending and defusing that the Dodgers are ruining
Speaker 1: baseball by trying to win. Any one of these other
Speaker 1: twenty nine teams could have signed Tanner Scott, any one
Speaker 1: of these twenty nine teams could have signed Blake Snell
Speaker 1: to a long term contract last year, let alone this year.
Speaker 1: So you know, Rob Manfred, say what you will about him.
Speaker 1: I love that he's actually being the voice of reason
Speaker 1: as the leader of the sport, not only saying the
Speaker 1: Dodgers aren't ruining baseball by trying to win, but also
Speaker 1: saying a salary cap isn't necessarily a road to competitive balance. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I agree with him. The only way a salary cap
Speaker 1: would make sense is if there was a salary floor,
Speaker 1: so teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates would actually spend some money.
Speaker 1: Can you believe this? I just found this out this
Speaker 1: morning after doing some research on some of these teams
Speaker 1: that aren't spending this offseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who actually
Speaker 1: had a grievance filed against them a couple of years
Speaker 1: ago by the Players Union for not reinvesting the revenue
Speaker 1: sharing that teams like the Dodgers and Yankees are giving them,
Speaker 1: for going over the luxury tax, not reinvesting it into
Speaker 1: their baseball roster instead just probably putting it somewhere else
Speaker 1: outside of baseball operations. That's what was alleged, and that's
Speaker 1: the reason why the Players Union filed that grievance against
Speaker 1: the Pirates. But here's a fact, no speculation, This is
Speaker 1: a cold hard fact. The Pittsburgh Pirates have nothing to
Speaker 1: complain about because the Pirates have not signed a free
Speaker 1: agent to a multi year deal in over ten years.
Speaker 1: Francisco Leriano, remember him, the former twin, is the last
Speaker 1: free agent the Pittsburgh Pirates had ever signed to a
Speaker 1: multi year free agent contract. That was for three years
Speaker 1: and thirty nine million dollars. And you're telling me the
Speaker 1: Pirates are going to complain about what the Dodgers are doing.
Speaker 1: The Dodgers should be complaining about teams like the Pirates
Speaker 1: not doing much of anything. I mean, the whole point
Speaker 1: of the luxury tax is to be a deterrent to
Speaker 1: go to not go over a certain team payroll, and
Speaker 1: if you do, it gets put into this revenue sharing
Speaker 1: pot that is going to be re reallocated to teams
Speaker 1: small market teams like the Pirates, like the Reds, the Rays.
Speaker 1: But none of these teams are really doing much of anything.
Speaker 1: I'll say that again, the Pirates have not signed a
Speaker 1: free agent to a multi year deal in ten years.
Speaker 1: Francisco Leriana was the last one in twenty fifteen, and
Speaker 1: it was for a mere three years, thirty nine million dollars.
Speaker 1: If anybody has a complaint. It's the Yankees and Dodgers
Speaker 1: against teams like the Pirates. Eight six six, nine eighty seven,
Speaker 1: two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out
Speaker 1: to Sherman Oaks. Ash, you're on Dodger Talk with David
Speaker 1: vasse Hi. Ash.
Speaker 3: Hey, Dave, I called you about a year ago, and
Speaker 3: I was wondering about if Dodgers were given up this
Speaker 3: season to sign shoy Atani. I don't know if you
Speaker 3: remember me anyways, Sure I remember Doughters birthday today? Yeah,
Speaker 3: it's my daughter's birthday, so I want to talk about
Speaker 3: the icing on the cake. Any updates about one of
Speaker 3: my favorite players, h Arnado, Well, number one.
Speaker 1: It didn't have to say it that way. Happy birthday
Speaker 1: to your daughter either way. I feel like the Dodgers
Speaker 1: have already given you and your daughter and the rest
Speaker 1: of the city a lot of birthday presents.
Speaker 3: You have no idea. I've been a true Dodger fan
Speaker 3: since I've been in California since nineteen eighty eight. That's
Speaker 3: a great I'm so excited about it. I'm so excited
Speaker 3: about the season. What the Dodgers have done for their
Speaker 3: fan base. No one should be complaining. I don't want
Speaker 3: to hear nobody talking about smack a boy the Dodgers,
Speaker 3: or what the Dodgers haven't done or done, but just
Speaker 3: the icing on the cake if we get this guy.
Speaker 1: Let me answer your question. Let me answer your question, Ash,
Speaker 1: And you may or may not like my answer. But
Speaker 1: Nolan Aeronado had two or three chances already in his
Speaker 1: career to force the hand of the Rockies to get
Speaker 1: him to LA and he did not do it. I
Speaker 1: know Nolan Aernada wants to be a Dodger, but I
Speaker 1: just feel like that ship has sailed on and it
Speaker 1: feels like every three weeks there's rumors that the Dodgers
Speaker 1: and Cardinals has started talking again about Nolan Aernado. Ash,
Speaker 1: if there was a demand for Nolan Aernado and teams
Speaker 1: regarded him the way they did even two years ago,
Speaker 1: he would have been traded by now.
Speaker 2: Agree market.
Speaker 1: There is no market for Nolan Aernado, and the Cardinals
Speaker 1: are floating out these rumors to different writers to try
Speaker 1: to generate a market that's just not there. My prediction
Speaker 1: is Nolan Aernado will be wearing a Red Sox uniform,
Speaker 1: not a Dodger uniform on opening Day. That's my prediction.
Speaker 3: My prediction. My prediction is, Man, I'm gonna be listening
Speaker 3: to you a lot more often because I'm a happy fan.
Speaker 3: I can't believe what we have cooled. We I'm a
Speaker 3: nobody what the Dodgers have tools for their fan base.
Speaker 3: And it's amazing what you just said about Pittsburgh Pirates
Speaker 3: that they haven't signed a player for a multi year
Speaker 3: contract in over ten years. I don't want to hear
Speaker 3: people complaining and being about Dodgers this and that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're right, we're very spoiled out here. Ash. Ever
Speaker 1: since Mark Walter, Magic, Johnson, Stankasten and the rest of
Speaker 1: Todd Bowley, the rest of the guggenheind group has taken over,
Speaker 1: we have been very spoiled here. Frank McCort, seems like
Speaker 1: another lifetime ago. Remember how things look for the Dodger franchise.
Speaker 1: Just merely what in twenty eleven, twenty twelve. In twenty
Speaker 1: eleven they were in bankruptcy. Look at the way this
Speaker 1: ownership group delivered on their promises to bring the Dodgers
Speaker 1: and Dodger Stadium back to where it rightfully belongs and
Speaker 1: even exceeded the heights of previous success in the franchise's history.
Speaker 1: This is the golden age of Dodger Baseball. I hope
Speaker 1: it lasts the rest of my life. I hope it does.
Speaker 1: But I think we all need to appreciate this period
Speaker 1: of time of Dodger history when we continue on Dodger Talk.
Speaker 1: A big part and maybe the moment that will signify
Speaker 1: this period of time in Dodger history. Freddie Freeman's Grand
Speaker 1: Slam in Game one of last year's World Series. Freddie,
Speaker 1: the World Series MVP. Join us at Dodger Fest. I'll
Speaker 1: share that conversation with you again right here on your
Speaker 1: home for the World champion Dodgers a five to seventy
Speaker 1: LA Sports official. Tomorrow, pitchers and catchers report, and the
Speaker 1: Dodgers can now start moving some roster pieces around, and
Speaker 1: certainly an exciting time to be a Dodger fan.
Speaker 2: And you will hear.
Speaker 1: Every pitch, every inning of every game right here on
Speaker 1: your home for the World Champion Dodgers and five to
Speaker 1: seventy LA Sports. You can also stream the games on
Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app. That's also where you can find all
Speaker 1: of our interviews and Dodger Talk shows. Dodgers on deck,
Speaker 1: all of it a one stop shop on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1: And I'm looking forward to this season. It should be fun.
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to going to Tokyo, Japan and witnessing
Speaker 1: what it's going to be like to see the hysteria
Speaker 1: over show Heyo Tani and a Dodger uniform playing in
Speaker 1: the Tokyo Dome. It's going to be incredible. I don't
Speaker 1: even I feel like I have a vision in my
Speaker 1: head after we win to South Korea with Otani. I
Speaker 1: feel like that was somewhat of an appetizer of the
Speaker 1: way things are going to be this year. And I
Speaker 1: know so many of you want to find your way
Speaker 1: to get to Tokyo, Japan and already have to be
Speaker 1: there for the first two games of the season, so
Speaker 1: a lot of anticipation. It's one thing as a Dodger
Speaker 1: fan to travel to San Francisco or San Diego or
Speaker 1: even New York to see the Yankees, to see the
Speaker 1: Dodgers play a Yankee stadium, but man, it is so
Speaker 1: impressive by so many fans that I've already encountered that
Speaker 1: have said I've got my tickets, I've got my plane, tickets.
Speaker 1: I'm going to Tokyo, Japan for the first time to
Speaker 1: see Otani and the Dodgers play there. That's very impressive.
Speaker 1: And look, I can already tell you being in South
Speaker 1: Korea last year. You know here in the States, the
Speaker 1: media and fans are kept out of the team hotel,
Speaker 1: but the rules are a little different there in South
Speaker 1: Korea because it was connected to a mall, an indoor mall,
Speaker 1: and there were barriers between or clearing a walkway from
Speaker 1: the elevators to the team bus inside the hotel, and
Speaker 1: fans were lining those barriers. Media cameras were those in
Speaker 1: the hotel behind the barriers waiting for a glimpse of
Speaker 1: Otani to walk from the elevator to the team bus
Speaker 1: with security. It is going to be crazy in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaker 1: And it started in the airport at South Korea when
Speaker 1: the Dodgers landed. I wasn't expecting as we went through
Speaker 1: the terminal and got through customs that fans would be
Speaker 1: waiting for the Dodgers to be there and waiting for
Speaker 1: a glimpse of Otani. It was on the South Korean news.
Speaker 1: It was wild. I'm expecting that ten times in Tokyo, Japan,
Speaker 1: and it should be a real experience for not only
Speaker 1: myself but Otani's teammates, and everybody is super excited about it.
Speaker 1: All right, I had a chance to catch up with
Speaker 1: World Series MVP and obviously an iconic figure now not
Speaker 1: only in Dodger history, but in baseball history. Freddie Freeman,
Speaker 1: here was our conversation from Dodger Fest.
Speaker 2: Have you been sitting in this corner all day?
Speaker 1: Yes, I wanted to. I should have brought a lava lamp.
Speaker 2: You know we have some for the kids now. Taking
Speaker 2: it back to when I was a.
Speaker 1: Kid, right right, everything retro is current again, Freddy, I
Speaker 1: like it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I'm retro.
Speaker 1: You're retro retro.
Speaker 2: Thank god you look good.
Speaker 1: Yamamoto said, I need to lose weight. Do you feel
Speaker 1: like I've gained a lot of weight this off season?
Speaker 2: Freddy said that he did.
Speaker 1: He said, ah, you know, a little bit, a little
Speaker 1: bit too much.
Speaker 2: Then why would he say that.
Speaker 1: I feel like I have. I'm projecting and I know
Speaker 1: I have, But I'm not taking any medical or pharmaceutical shortcuts, Freddy.
Speaker 2: No, I am not going to answer those questions about Wait,
Speaker 2: it's just not going to do that. I think you
Speaker 2: look great.
Speaker 1: Did you know Gavin Stone announced to us his birthdays
Speaker 1: on October fifteenth? He's a guy that likes to promote
Speaker 1: his birthday. Would you think Gavin Stone was that type
Speaker 1: of guy?
Speaker 2: No, I know, I didn't know. He talked very much.
Speaker 1: I know exactly. It was depressing when he said there
Speaker 1: were a lot of mosquitoes in Arkansas. I said, who
Speaker 1: would have guessed that?
Speaker 2: October fifteenth? Huh, yeah, all right, it's good to know.
Speaker 1: Great segue. By the way, October fifteenth, nineteen eighty eight,
Speaker 1: was the day Kirk Gibson hit his walk off home run.
Speaker 1: He game one of the world.
Speaker 2: Now I understand why you brought up Gavin Stone's birthday. Well,
Speaker 2: I mean, you're good at this.
Speaker 1: This was lined up perfectly. It was meant to be,
Speaker 1: like Freddie Freeman was meant to be at the plate
Speaker 1: that night, in that moment.
Speaker 2: That was a good one. Yeah, sot me to talk
Speaker 2: about it.
Speaker 1: I'm nervous, so that's why I brought I felt like
Speaker 1: Chris Farley here, just like you know, I feel like
Speaker 1: I'm more emotional about it.
Speaker 2: Was October, I didn't Mine wasn't October.
Speaker 1: No, it wasn't. But that's when Gibson hit it. Yours
Speaker 1: was a different date. You hit it in the same
Speaker 1: same area. I heard it was like the same time. Yeah,
Speaker 1: they might put like a blue seat where you hit it,
Speaker 1: like where they did for Kirk Gibson.
Speaker 2: Oh, that'd be kind of cool. It would.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it will live in infamy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I believe me. I've thought about it every day
Speaker 2: pretty much.
Speaker 1: I mean, when you go to the grocery store, what's
Speaker 1: it like.
Speaker 2: I really can't go anywhere right now, which is which
Speaker 2: is fun because you know that sports in general can
Speaker 2: it just means so much to some two people. And
Speaker 2: obviously as I'm out in the community and I I
Speaker 2: don't think I've made it through one outing without someone
Speaker 2: coming up to me, which is really cool that people
Speaker 2: care so much and care about the Dodgers. And and
Speaker 2: with that home run, I just did a luncheon and
Speaker 2: there's a guy that had a tattoo of me on
Speaker 2: his leg, So.
Speaker 1: Geez, that's when you know it means something.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And then obviously a lot of other people are
Speaker 2: coming up at the lunch and saying how much that
Speaker 2: home run meant in the World Series and telling us
Speaker 2: where it was one guy was there for Kirk Gibson's
Speaker 2: home run. So it's to hear people like like when
Speaker 2: you do it and you're out there and then you
Speaker 2: go home and you got to get ready for the
Speaker 2: next game. But then, like I've told people, like about
Speaker 2: a month ago, Charlie and I went down a rabbit
Speaker 2: hole on YouTube because he wanted and.
Speaker 1: With YouTube, right, yeah.
Speaker 2: And just to see all the reactions and how it
Speaker 2: affected people in such a positive way. It's it does
Speaker 2: bring chills to you. And to be able to be
Speaker 2: a part of that and to deliver because I mean
Speaker 2: just and how like I watched the video later on
Speaker 2: and how they panned out over the stadium Joe Davis
Speaker 2: is talking and how the whole thing was set up.
Speaker 2: It it's like giving me kind of goosebumps right now
Speaker 2: when you when you look back at it and think
Speaker 2: about it, and to be able to come through in
Speaker 2: those kind of moments. I mean, that's what you dream about,
Speaker 2: you know, just like how Joe said, it is what
Speaker 2: you think about in backyards. I mean, it's the same
Speaker 2: thing that I was doing with my two brothers when
Speaker 2: we were playing wooflet balls in our front yard. Our
Speaker 2: backyard wasn't pick enough what we did in the front yard,
Speaker 2: and and and for it to happen again, like but
Speaker 2: in a big league game thirty years later when I
Speaker 2: was playing woofotball with my brothers, it's it's incredible and
Speaker 2: like Joe Davis and how he set that whole thing
Speaker 2: up was you know, obviously I didn't know anything about
Speaker 2: it until I watched it and I was like, wow,
Speaker 2: you know, Joe was incredible and to hit it on
Speaker 2: the head and then after he sets the whole thing
Speaker 2: up to do it on the first pitch, it was
Speaker 2: like I think that made it that, you know, like
Speaker 2: how I mean, it would have been awesome if it
Speaker 2: was like the twelfth pick too, but after he set
Speaker 2: that up to happen immediately, that's but the yeah, the
Speaker 2: grocery store things kind of out. Yeah, I don't really
Speaker 2: I try any.
Speaker 1: You're out of going to the grocery store, kin.
Speaker 2: I've been out of a lot of things with the surgery,
Speaker 2: so but uh, yeah, I believe I think I have
Speaker 2: if I when I'm out, there's no lesson at least
Speaker 2: if it's just a like I'll go to Jan's health
Speaker 2: far it's in Orange County and I get a smoothie there,
Speaker 2: and I don't think I've made it out of Jans
Speaker 2: without taking pictures or anything like that. And that's oh, Chris,
Speaker 2: I haven't been there. We did Mastros the other day
Speaker 2: and one of the chefs comes out and he's got
Speaker 2: a Dodger hat on. So yeah, I don't think. I don't.
Speaker 2: I can't go anywhere right now. But that's a good
Speaker 2: thing because that means really good things happened.
Speaker 1: Freddie, you and your wife also had a little vacation together. Yeah,
Speaker 1: deservedly so. And I'll just out myself right now. I
Speaker 1: zoomed in on your right foot, yeah, to see if
Speaker 1: you had a boot on or sandals I've had.
Speaker 2: I had some interesting sandals. I didn't pick any of
Speaker 2: those outfits. I think everyone knows that. Yeah. I just
Speaker 2: whatever is in the bag, and what I'm told to wear,
Speaker 2: I wear. Yeah. So we did that a couple of
Speaker 2: weeks ago. It was it was planned because our ten
Speaker 2: year anniversary was in November, a little busy to have
Speaker 2: much time to plan, uh, So we kind of waited
Speaker 2: through the holidays and we did Mexico for a ten
Speaker 2: year anniversary. So we had a good time. Obviously, our
Speaker 2: family's been through a lot. Max is doing better, so
Speaker 2: we just needed a We just needed a week, you know,
Speaker 2: just to relax because you I mean, you know, you're married,
Speaker 2: and so when when you have kids, you're just trying
Speaker 2: to get you're doing everything with your kids every single day,
Speaker 2: and it's nice to be able to reconnect and you know,
Speaker 2: just sit there and hang out with your wife. And
Speaker 2: you know, we had a great time. It was a
Speaker 2: great week. We came home and it's right back into
Speaker 2: the week. We got home in the door and they
Speaker 2: just started crying. Someone was hitting each other, and I
Speaker 2: was just like, yeah, I'm sure we should have stayed longer,
Speaker 2: but it was a great time. Where but now it's
Speaker 2: back to you know, getting ready for the season again.
Speaker 1: How do you feel physically? I mean, obviously we knew
Speaker 1: about the ankle, but you know, the ribs and all
Speaker 1: that stuff. Yeah, how does is Freddy Freeman like tape
Speaker 1: together right now?
Speaker 2: To be here? I'm two of the injuries or one
Speaker 2: hundred percent. My broken finger is all good, my broken
Speaker 2: ribs all good. I am two months, eight weeks of
Speaker 2: two days ago Thursday out of surgery. And that was
Speaker 2: the first day I hit, so I hit for the
Speaker 2: first time. Two days ago, I felt good. I hit
Speaker 2: again yesterday, felt good again. Still not clear to run.
Speaker 2: But ye two days ago was a big day for
Speaker 2: me because if I wasn't able to respond like I
Speaker 2: did yesterday, I think we would have been in trouble.
Speaker 2: Being able to be ready by Tokyo, it was a
Speaker 2: good sign. I feel good today with back to back
Speaker 2: days of hitting, so I would have been able to
Speaker 2: hit today if but it was you know, scheduled days
Speaker 2: off and Monday I worked. I did four sets of
Speaker 2: seven and tes the last two days, so twenty eight swings,
Speaker 2: and on Monday, I will it goes into flips too.
Speaker 2: So I think I will be full bore hitting by
Speaker 2: by the time probably spring training, when I get the
Speaker 2: spring training, because I'm gonna stay here this whole next
Speaker 2: week and be doing my PTE down in Orange County
Speaker 2: for a whole nother week and then I'll get the
Speaker 2: spring training. So I think hitting wise, I'll be ready
Speaker 2: to roll all, be able to hit, batting practice, do
Speaker 2: all that. But I start doing I think by the
Speaker 2: end of next week, some side to side stuff, you know,
Speaker 2: like movement, and then being able to do uh, you know,
Speaker 2: then it'll be a running progression in spring training. So
Speaker 2: I will probably not be playing the first couple of
Speaker 2: games of spring training, as you guys probably know, I'll
Speaker 2: get antsy and try and force my way into somehow.
Speaker 2: You know, I'll just dhe have one, so I'll just no,
Speaker 2: I'll just DH. We don't have a DH. So right
Speaker 2: and then, but the beauty of spring training is I'll
Speaker 2: be able to even a show he's playing. In the
Speaker 2: real games, I can go into the backfield and get
Speaker 2: at bat, so I will be able to I think,
Speaker 2: be able to hit and see some live abs and
Speaker 2: then hopefully the running progression. I feel good, you know,
Speaker 2: that's it's all about how I feel. So but I'm
Speaker 2: in a good spot going into I was, you know,
Speaker 2: it was a little up and down. I was a
Speaker 2: little nervous how I was going to feel a couple
Speaker 2: of days ago. But ultimately I am feeling pretty good
Speaker 2: right now.
Speaker 1: Freddie, I know you have to go, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 2: The day of.
Speaker 1: Game one of the World Series, Yes, when you got
Speaker 1: out of bed that day and put your your right
Speaker 1: foot down and just started to get yourself going, did
Speaker 1: you know, did you feel like, oh wow, I feel
Speaker 1: a lot better than I did even five days ago.
Speaker 2: I was feeling pretty good two days going into that,
Speaker 2: I had still not run since Game five of the
Speaker 2: NLCS because then we had the day off and then
Speaker 2: I didn't play game six. Hi Brandon, who are you
Speaker 2: Randon going? I go? So I hadn't run, but I
Speaker 2: was feeling good walking and and doing all that. But
Speaker 2: the first time I ran, like I told you guys,
Speaker 2: I ran when we did the introduction was the first
Speaker 2: time I took more than a walk and I was
Speaker 2: running out there. I was like, oh, I actually feel
Speaker 2: pretty good. And as I was coming down the line,
Speaker 2: all the trainers like, Freddy, you look great, and I
Speaker 2: was like, I know, I feel pretty good. And but
Speaker 2: I was feeling good. My swing was like I said,
Speaker 2: I have I called my dad like two days before
Speaker 2: game one. I said, Dad, I figured it out, and
Speaker 2: I mean as as my dad had said yeah. He
Speaker 2: was all and he was like, yeah, I didn't think
Speaker 2: you figured it out, and he goes, I watched you
Speaker 2: play in the Mets series and you were all awful.
Speaker 2: So he was like, I was just hoping that you
Speaker 2: were being honest. And I did. I felt really good.
Speaker 2: I got my foot in a spot where I could
Speaker 2: actually have some strength that into the ground, and I
Speaker 2: felt like my swing was in a good spot. So
Speaker 2: I was feeling good swing wise. I just didn't know
Speaker 2: how my ankle was going to hold up. And my
Speaker 2: ribs were feeling pretty good by then. My finger was
Speaker 2: feeling pretty good by then. But you just didn't know.
Speaker 2: And I'm you know, a lot of people go, I
Speaker 2: can't believe you had to run out a triple in
Speaker 2: the first in your first step bat and actually said, no,
Speaker 2: that was actually a good thing because I was able
Speaker 2: to do that and get up and I was like, oh,
Speaker 2: I'm okay. So it was almost like a weight was
Speaker 2: able to come off my shoulders when I knew I
Speaker 2: was able to run those bases and get up and
Speaker 2: not be like, oh man, my ankle's killing me. I
Speaker 2: got a limp. Now. I never limped once in the
Speaker 2: World Series. I felt good. We had a great treatment
Speaker 2: plan going, and that's why I thought after the World
Speaker 2: Series it was like, oh, I'll just rest and you know,
Speaker 2: do some PT and I'll be good to go. But
Speaker 2: three weeks after the World Series end, I was I'm like,
Speaker 2: something's not right, you know, like my ankle still hurts.
Speaker 2: And so I was in Atlanta for Thanksgiving doing it
Speaker 2: with all our family there, and I texted Thomas, our
Speaker 2: head trainer. I was like, I think it's time to
Speaker 2: get this thing looked at. It's just not that I
Speaker 2: can't get the swelling out. And so when I came
Speaker 2: home from Atlanta, that's when we got the MRI. And
Speaker 2: I got the MRI, I go up and look in
Speaker 2: there like you need surgery school. Wait a second, what?
Speaker 2: And so that's the how that hold because I was
Speaker 2: feeling great during the World Series. So that's why I
Speaker 2: was like, oh, I'll just heal bit some time. That's
Speaker 2: why I know. I've been asked the question of why
Speaker 2: did you wait so long after the World Series? And
Speaker 2: I was like, well, I've just played the World felt
Speaker 2: pretty good, so I thought, just some rests. And so
Speaker 2: that was the reason of why it was about four
Speaker 2: weeks after that I had the surgery because I was like,
Speaker 2: I just wasn't getting better. So but luckily we got
Speaker 2: it done and it wasn't. I had tore some ligaments
Speaker 2: too in my ankle, but that had healed enough in
Speaker 2: those weeks after the World Series that I didn't have
Speaker 2: to thankfully get those fixed, because if I had to
Speaker 2: repair those, I probably wouldn't have been able to make
Speaker 2: it to Tokyo, which would have been a more extensive rehab.
Speaker 2: So a lot of being good actually happened. So we
Speaker 2: cleaned up the ankle and I'm feeling pretty good and
Speaker 2: hopefully the running progression like it's going to start next
Speaker 2: week and I have no setbacks. I think everyone that
Speaker 2: knows me, I'll probably just tell everyone that I have
Speaker 2: any setbacks and I feel great. Yeah, I feel great,
Speaker 2: but I'm in a good spot, way better. My ankle's
Speaker 2: feeling better each day, more work on it every day,
Speaker 2: and it's it's responding really well. So I feel like
Speaker 2: I'm in a good spot to be able to make
Speaker 2: it to Tokyo in six weeks. I can't believe it's
Speaker 2: already happening.
Speaker 1: I know, I can't believe it even such a short
Speaker 1: off season.
Speaker 2: But a good reason why.
Speaker 1: It's sweet. Definitely, Definitely it'll be great, Freddie, when you're
Speaker 1: on that third baseline and you get your ring, and
Speaker 1: you'll get to feel everything that the fans deserve to
Speaker 1: give you.
Speaker 2: That day, I know, getting here and you know, seeing
Speaker 2: all these fans and the excitement. I just can't wait
Speaker 2: to get the ring and just to experience spring training
Speaker 2: and the excitement. I mean, you saw our ownership group
Speaker 2: went out and did it again this offseason, and I
Speaker 2: think that's why fans are so excited, because you know,
Speaker 2: the hardworking fans, they come and support us, spend the
Speaker 2: money here, and to see the organization that you're support
Speaker 2: supporting and spending your money on is going right back
Speaker 2: into the the product that is awesome to see. And
Speaker 2: I think that's why everyone I mean, obviously we have
Speaker 2: great players, but to go out there and see the
Speaker 2: ownership you're into year out, go out and try and
Speaker 2: put the best team on the field. I think that's
Speaker 2: why everyone there's such a buzz around here, and I
Speaker 2: think we're all hungry to try and be the first
Speaker 2: team in twenty five years to do this back to back,
Speaker 2: you know, since the Yankees, and it's incredibly hard to
Speaker 2: do obviously, but I think we've put ourselves in a
Speaker 2: good spot to be able to go out there and
Speaker 2: do it. And we got to get us a little
Speaker 2: bit healthy, and yeah, some of us didn't need this.
Speaker 2: We needed an extra month, but I think we're gonna
Speaker 2: be ready to go and try and start this journey again.
Speaker 1: Freddie. It was truly an honor and a privilege to
Speaker 1: watch your journey last year and the way it ended.
Speaker 1: Like I told you so many times, I think the
Speaker 1: game in bigger picture life rewarded you, Freddie, because you're
Speaker 1: a champion of a person, even before all of that,
Speaker 1: and I mean everything that you and Chelsea went through
Speaker 1: and how strong Maximus was and just who you are.
Speaker 1: I mean, honestly, what a great journey man. I feel
Speaker 1: like I need ankle certainty after everything you just said.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I appreciate those kind words. And my family's
Speaker 2: doing good. Maximus is doing well, and we'll get the
Speaker 2: spring training and I'm sure Chelsea will share some pictures
Speaker 2: and he's he's still not walking completely normal, but he's
Speaker 2: so close. And if you would have told us five
Speaker 2: months ago that he would have been where he is now,
Speaker 2: we would have been ecstatic. And he's doing great. If
Speaker 2: you walk into the house and you saw him on
Speaker 2: the couch, you would know nothing is wrong. He's still
Speaker 2: a joy, he's still fun. He's starting to run more so.
Speaker 2: Once we get that strength back into his left it's
Speaker 2: his left leg. Once he gets that strengthen his left leg,
Speaker 2: he was gonna be flying around the bases. You'll see
Speaker 2: him after on Sunday's basis. Yeah, and so we're looking
Speaker 2: forward to it. We're looking forward to getting back out
Speaker 2: in the spring training getting this thing going.
Speaker 1: That's awesome.
Speaker 2: Ye, thank you, David.
Speaker 1: Freddie great to see you. Oh man, it's been awesome.
Speaker 1: I truly a privilege, really, Freddy, to be around you
Speaker 1: and just to see the way you live your life
Speaker 1: and the way you go about things really is awesome.
Speaker 1: And World Series MVP, I mean, I mean, thirty years
Speaker 1: from now, I'll be hosting let's look back at the
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four Walker. I might be in the walk
Speaker 1: there there, Freddy Sea. Hopefully we'll lose weight by that, Freddy.
Speaker 2: No, I'm not, Freddy, David.
Speaker 1: I love you to Freddy. There he goes Freddy Freeman,
Speaker 1: World Series MVP and one of the most iconic Dodgers forever,
Speaker 1: not just for the next five years, not just for
Speaker 1: the next ten years, but forever in baseball history will
Speaker 1: be remembered for that walk off Grand Slam and also
Speaker 1: setting World Series records for homering in six consecutive Fall
Speaker 1: Classic games, but hitting that home run, walk off Grand
Speaker 1: Slam home run will forever be etched in Major League
Speaker 1: Baseball history. Whenever they show Kurt Gibson's walk off home
Speaker 1: run in nineteen eighty eight, they will have to show
Speaker 1: Freddie Freeman's walk off Grand Slam for this generation of
Speaker 1: Dodger fans that never got to experience Kirk Gibson's home run.
Speaker 1: Freddie Freeman is there, Kirk Gibson, and all season long,
Speaker 1: I will never get tired of asking you or listening
Speaker 1: to you where you were when Freddie Freeman hit his
Speaker 1: walk off Grand Slam. I run into people all the
Speaker 1: time and I just say, where were you when Freddie
Speaker 1: hit the Slam? And they just their eyes lied up
Speaker 1: and they love telling me where they were. So just
Speaker 1: a special moment for a special player that is a
Speaker 1: baseball nut. This guy, since he was a kid with
Speaker 1: his dad, dove into baseball after the passing of his mother,
Speaker 1: and the game rewarded Freddie Freeman, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1: I know he has special ties to the Braves and
Speaker 1: a long career in Atlanta. But sorry, Braves fans, you
Speaker 1: won't see as many Braves highlights with Freddie wearing that
Speaker 1: uniform as you will seeing Freddie wearing that Dodger uniform
Speaker 1: hitting that walk off Grand Slam in Game one of
Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four World Series, first ever player to
Speaker 1: do so. And man, I could have spent all day
Speaker 1: with Freddie. I was thinking about going Chris Farley on Freddie.
Speaker 1: I don't know. There's like this glow now around Freddie Freeman.
Speaker 1: And that's a good way to end the show. Thank
Speaker 1: you to Ronnie Fascio for all his help. Thank you
Speaker 1: for the people here at sportsnet LA ste Mitchell first
Speaker 1: and foremost for allowing me to crash the party and
Speaker 1: host Dodger Talk after a great Access Sportsnet Dodger Show.
Speaker 1: We'll be back on TV the next three nights at
Speaker 1: six o'clock. And the next time you listen to Dodger
Speaker 1: Talk right here on a five to seventy LA Sports
Speaker 1: I will be at camel Back Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
Speaker 1: Have a great rest of your Monday. We'll see you
Speaker 1: tomorrow on Sportsnet LA. Jason Smith on Fox Sports Radio
Speaker 1: is next. See ya