Speaker 1: All right, the Dodgers are getting set for the final
Speaker 1: game here in Miami, and how could we be in
Speaker 1: Miami and not talk to a man that made his
Speaker 1: name in Miami high school baseball? And that is the
Speaker 1: legend himself, nineteen year veteran for Major League Baseball and
Speaker 1: now part of the Dodgers front office staff, the great
Speaker 1: Raoula banya Is. Raoul, thanks a lot for the time,
Speaker 1: appreciate it, Thank.
Speaker 2: You so much. Pleasure always a pleasure of saying hi
Speaker 2: to you. Thanks for the warm intro.
Speaker 1: Hey man, I thought Miguel Rojas was popular in Miami,
Speaker 1: Raoula Banyas has his roots here in Miami.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Miguel Rojas is definitely popular Miami, as he
Speaker 2: should be, and he's had a tremendous year for us.
Speaker 2: This year brings so much value as a winner in
Speaker 2: every aspect and every facet of the game and every
Speaker 2: aspect of the word. So really, yeah, I don't want
Speaker 2: to be in the compared to the legendary Miguel Rojas,
Speaker 2: but I did grow up here and I do love
Speaker 2: being here.
Speaker 1: What was it like playing high school baseball here in
Speaker 1: this city?
Speaker 2: Friday night lights is what it feels. It still feels
Speaker 2: that way. Now it's Friday Night Lights. It's baseball is
Speaker 2: the main sport here in Miami. People have soccer football
Speaker 2: it's Friday Night Lights as well. But yeah, it's highly competitive.
Speaker 2: I mean, at age eight and nine, you have parents
Speaker 2: yelling at at kids on the field of the opposing team,
Speaker 2: and you just kind of get hard into the environment.
Speaker 2: So it's very passionate community that loves baseball.
Speaker 1: You also played college baseball here in Miami. Was that
Speaker 1: part of your vision when you were in high school?
Speaker 1: Did you ever think you were leaving Florida?
Speaker 2: Yeah. All I wanted to do was get an opportunity
Speaker 2: to play professional baseball. That was my entire goal. I
Speaker 2: wanted to be a big leaguer, but I knew that
Speaker 2: the first step was to get the professional baseball So
Speaker 2: I was fortunate that the legendary, late great Coach Green
Speaker 2: decided to take a shot on me at Miami Dade College,
Speaker 2: and he taught us more about not just how to
Speaker 2: be professionals, but also how to be men.
Speaker 1: I know you obviously have a lot going on in
Speaker 1: that baseball head of yours. Do you see the game
Speaker 1: the same way you saw it? As a player, or
Speaker 1: do you feel like you have a better perspective on
Speaker 1: it now time.
Speaker 2: You always gain a little bit better perspective when you're
Speaker 2: in it and you're in the trenches daily. You just
Speaker 2: have to focus on what you need to do that
Speaker 2: day to get better, to you know, try to master
Speaker 2: your craft every day, getting a one percent better, maybe
Speaker 2: it's point zero zero one percent better, And however, you
Speaker 2: can impact the game for your team and try to
Speaker 2: help your team win. As you get older, you hopefully
Speaker 2: get wiser. I've been fortunate and a blessed to be around,
Speaker 2: you know, guys like Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes and
Speaker 2: Josh Burns and Dave Roberts and all of these guys
Speaker 2: who are not just mentors but just brilliant baseball minds.
Speaker 2: So I think you gain a little bit better perspective
Speaker 2: when you can step outside of yourself and see how
Speaker 2: actions on the field or actions that you take off
Speaker 2: the field could impact the greater good and the future
Speaker 2: of your franchise.
Speaker 1: Raoul Labanyaz is our guest here in Miami. I know
Speaker 1: we always talk about your knowledge or a coaches knowledge
Speaker 1: helping a player, but how rewarding is it for you
Speaker 1: to teach the teachers in this capacity.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's actually just I view it more as a
Speaker 2: part partnership. You know, we're all in it together. We
Speaker 2: all want to help our players become the best version
Speaker 2: of themselves, which ultimately will help the Los Angeles Dodgers
Speaker 2: win multiple World Series titles, which is what we're all
Speaker 2: here for. And so I view it as a as
Speaker 2: a very as a partnership that we're all in this together.
Speaker 2: It's a collaborative effort. Andrew is big on collaboration and
Speaker 2: everybody pulling together, pulling their resources together. And if I'm
Speaker 2: week in one area, then I will ask for help
Speaker 2: and vice versa hopefully, So I view everything as a
Speaker 2: collaborative effort and everybody working together towards a common goal.
Speaker 1: What do you see with this Dodger team as we
Speaker 1: get closer to the end of the regular season in
Speaker 1: preparation for the postseason.
Speaker 2: I see a resilience and a perseverance. I know that
Speaker 2: that that's maybe not synonymous with the roster that's as
Speaker 2: talented as ours, or people may not view it that way,
Speaker 2: but you know, we've had to overcome a lot of
Speaker 2: adversity and we will continue to do so. It certainly
Speaker 2: helps when you have this type of talent on the
Speaker 2: roster and and you know, in the lineup and also
Speaker 2: on the coaching staff obviously the front office as well.
Speaker 2: But what I see as a resilient team that really
Speaker 2: can compete at a high level, and not only that,
Speaker 2: that's a team that's focused on winning. These guys every
Speaker 2: day are preparing themselves. You have guys that are on
Speaker 2: a quest for mastery self, mastery, masters of their craft,
Speaker 2: but also guys who care about the scoreboard and are
Speaker 2: hitting and playing for the scoreboard and ultimately to win
Speaker 2: baseball games.
Speaker 1: Were you a big believer when you played and still
Speaker 1: now that obviously you have yourself and what you do
Speaker 1: as a hitter can help the team win. But at
Speaker 1: a certain point in time, at this juncture of the season,
Speaker 1: do you have to start thinking more about team at bats?
Speaker 2: I think you always have to think about team at
Speaker 2: bats and being able to recognize it. I just think
Speaker 2: it's part of the overall not just the development of
Speaker 2: the young hitter, but also part of being a cog
Speaker 2: in the wheel of the again for the greater good
Speaker 2: of winning baseball games. I think you build habits of
Speaker 2: excellence from day one, and building habits of excellence is
Speaker 2: building and creating a habit of excellence in your thinking
Speaker 2: that ultimately, your entire objective is to help this team
Speaker 2: win baseball games. And maybe if you're an outfield you
Speaker 2: cut a ball off, you threw the ball to second
Speaker 2: base instead of throwing at the third base. You kept
Speaker 2: the double player, the force out in order. And you
Speaker 2: may not be a productive player that day in the
Speaker 2: batter's box, but you made an impact on your team's
Speaker 2: ability to win that game. And I think you always
Speaker 2: have to view the game through that lens in your
Speaker 2: preparation and ultimately and how you think about the game
Speaker 2: and how you and not only how you prepare, but
Speaker 2: also again creating the habit of excellence and execution.
Speaker 1: That's refreshing, Raoul, because all you hear about is guys
Speaker 1: talking about hitting and pitching. But there's a lot more
Speaker 1: to winning baseball.
Speaker 2: A lot more to winning baseball. And nobody gets this
Speaker 2: better than Andrew Friedman, Brandon Gomes, and again Josh Burns.
Speaker 2: Our organization, it's about you have to be able to
Speaker 2: impact both sides of the ball. As you see our roster,
Speaker 2: you have a bunch of players who not only are versatile,
Speaker 2: you know, there's always positional versatility, but at the same
Speaker 2: time guys who are really above average and exceptional at
Speaker 2: fielding their positions as well. Dave Roberts also emphasizes, you know,
Speaker 2: the impact of base running. Clayton McCullough does a tremendous
Speaker 2: job with base stealing base running. So all of these
Speaker 2: details of the game actually matter. It's gonna be hard
Speaker 2: to outslug number you know, one and two starters and
Speaker 2: back end of the bullpen guys in the postseason. And
Speaker 2: so this team is committed to excellence not just in
Speaker 2: the batter's box, but also in every aspect of the game.
Speaker 1: Before I let you go, speaking of all that, nobody
Speaker 1: seems to talk enough about the acquisitions Andrew Freeman made
Speaker 1: at the trade deadline, specifically Tommy Edmond. How does he
Speaker 1: work into everything you just described.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you have an elite defender. Hits from both sides
Speaker 2: of the play can impact impact the game, as he
Speaker 2: already has in the batter's box, but he plays elite
Speaker 2: defense in multiple spots, and not just multiple spots, premium
Speaker 2: positions at shortstop and center field. He's a gritty player.
Speaker 2: He knows how to compete in the batters box, and
Speaker 2: he's actually been incredibly impactful. And you know, you know,
Speaker 2: kudos to Andrew and Brandon for a job extraordinarily well done.
Speaker 1: Rale, Well, you're so humble, but we love talking baseball
Speaker 1: with you. You have so much to offer this game
Speaker 1: and the Dodgers are lucky to have you back in
Speaker 1: the organization. So thank you for the time. I know
Speaker 1: you got a lot on your plate. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Thank you. I'm humbled and on here by your statements
Speaker 2: and the opportunity, So thank you.
Speaker 1: He is the best and also has some good Miami
Speaker 1: recommendations for food.