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<v Speaker 1>The Dodgers made it back from Tokyo, returned home to

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers Stadium, and are just two days away from embarking

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<v Speaker 1>on their first road trip in North America. The man

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<v Speaker 1>that puts it all together is the director of travel

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<v Speaker 1>for the Dodgers, Scott Akasaki. Scott, thanks a lot for

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<v Speaker 1>the time, and what a whirlwind of a time it's been.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's been absolutely awesome, Dave. Going back to last year,

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<v Speaker 2>what a great year obviously October. You can't ever duplicate that.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe we can. I don't know, but you know, it's

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<v Speaker 2>been It's been a lot of fun, certainly to go

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<v Speaker 2>back to Japan, come back to La have these great

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<v Speaker 2>couple of days here to start the season. So looking

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<v Speaker 2>forward to what this year has for us.

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<v Speaker 1>You have Japanese blood in that Akasaki name. What was

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<v Speaker 1>it like for you to go back to Tokyo with

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<v Speaker 1>Shohyotani and the Dodgers, Dave.

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<v Speaker 2>I appreciate you asking that question, and I don't want

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<v Speaker 2>to get too deep here, but there was a time

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<v Speaker 2>when in our nation's history when Japanese Americans weren't really

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<v Speaker 2>viewed in the same level, especially during World War Two.

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<v Speaker 2>So my parents My grandparents were involved in that, my

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<v Speaker 2>aunts and uncles, so certainly that's never been lost upon

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<v Speaker 2>me and my family's history. So to be able to

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<v Speaker 2>go back to Japan and with the Dodgers and having

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<v Speaker 2>the collection of stars that we have Japanese and otherwise

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<v Speaker 2>was absolutely amazing. And to go from like the World

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<v Speaker 2>War two experience to the modern day has been for

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<v Speaker 2>me personally tremendously moving.

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<v Speaker 1>How did you get a group of two hundred people

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<v Speaker 1>traveling players, coaches, front office from Arizona to Tokyo, get

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<v Speaker 1>them seamlessly as acclimated, and then also find a way

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<v Speaker 1>to get them back after a game was played in Tokyo, Japan.

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<v Speaker 1>Take us through what an undertaking that was?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, I think Dave a lot of the

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<v Speaker 2>folks who went to Tokyo went to Seoul last year,

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<v Speaker 2>so they knew the schedule, how to adjust to sleep,

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<v Speaker 2>what they were going to feel like, the visa process,

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<v Speaker 2>sort of the different nature of everything, the food, the

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<v Speaker 2>gaps in time. So I think having the Soul experience

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<v Speaker 2>was really great as an orientation for the Tokyo experience.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think everyone who went to Soeoul was very

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<v Speaker 2>well prepared for Tokyo, and they knew exactly what they

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<v Speaker 2>wanted to do. And I hope everybody who went on

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<v Speaker 2>the trip maximized their time and had a great experience

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<v Speaker 2>over there.

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<v Speaker 1>But for Scott Akasaki, who's organizing this trip to get

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<v Speaker 1>the world champion Dodgers to Tokyo seamlessly through customs and

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<v Speaker 1>a foreign airport, there is the variable of the unknown

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<v Speaker 1>for you. How did you make it so smooth for everybody?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Dave, you asked that question, and you're giving me

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of credit, but I certainly can't take that credit. Certainly,

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<v Speaker 2>the folks at Major League Baseball who organize the trip

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<v Speaker 2>for the Dodgers and Cubs, played a huge role. The

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<v Speaker 2>team that we have here, al garciaan Security, Alex Torres

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<v Speaker 2>the equipment side, and Markazai and Baseball operations really were

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<v Speaker 2>instrumental in getting this trip off the ground. Patricia Romero

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<v Speaker 2>and family programs, everybody was all synced up. Of course,

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<v Speaker 2>our front office is aligned, so Andrew Brandon, their leadership.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, the coaching staff, everybody is. When we needed

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<v Speaker 2>information to get all the stuff we needed to get like,

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<v Speaker 2>it came very quickly because everyone wanted to have a

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<v Speaker 2>great time in Japan.

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<v Speaker 1>You've been part of the Dodger organization for over twenty

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<v Speaker 1>years now, You've seen a lot. What's it like in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty five for you to be where you're at

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<v Speaker 1>right now and not just being with a baseball team,

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<v Speaker 1>but basically being with a rock band going around the

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<v Speaker 1>country and the world. Was sho Heo Tani?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, Dave, not only it's at the time with

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers, but you know, I was born and raised

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<v Speaker 2>in Los Angeles, so to see the city and how

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<v Speaker 2>energized the city is and how energy, how people are

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<v Speaker 2>excited about the Dodgers is absolutely fantastic. And so yes,

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<v Speaker 2>sho Heo Tani, the best player on the planet. To

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<v Speaker 2>be able to travel the United States and internationally with

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<v Speaker 2>him is certainly amazing. But what a great group of guys,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, show Hey, everybody is absolutely awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Scott, thanks a lot for the time. Congratulations

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<v Speaker 1>on being able to get the Dodgers to and from Tokyo,

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<v Speaker 1>Japan with a lot of help, and congratulations on being

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<v Speaker 1>the Dodgers director of travel for a second World Series championship.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you very much to appreciate the opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>There he goes. Dodgers Director of Travel Scott Akasaki has

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