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<v Speaker 1>It is Jackie Robinson Day at Dodgers Stadium, and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>joined right now by one of those bullpen dogs that

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<v Speaker 1>helped the Dodgers win the World Series last year. And

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<v Speaker 1>it was his first experience wearing the forty two in

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<v Speaker 1>a Dodger uniform on Jackie Robinson Day. And that's the

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<v Speaker 1>great Michael Kopek. Michael, thanks a lot for the time, appreciate.

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<v Speaker 2>It, Thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>What was it like for you? I mean, you've been

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<v Speaker 1>in Major League Baseball with a couple of other teams

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<v Speaker 1>on Jackie Robinson Day, But what was it like for

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<v Speaker 1>you to experience what you did at the statue?

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I think Jackie Robinson Day and gen was.

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<v Speaker 3>Just like a really special day to baseball. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>it shows, you know, not only the history of our

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<v Speaker 3>country and the growth of this game all in one,

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<v Speaker 3>but it encapsulates a great player breaking through that. But

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<v Speaker 3>you know, wearing forty two on your back, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>and in a different uniform, it doesn't hit quite as hard

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<v Speaker 3>as wearing it in the Dodger blue. And then it's

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<v Speaker 3>cool we have the Brooklyn hat today. But yeah, being

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<v Speaker 3>out there hearing how close uh kareem story? Is to Jackie,

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<v Speaker 3>not not in similarities, but how close their their relationship

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<v Speaker 3>actually overlapped. And then just to be able to experience,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, the emotions of that and what it felt

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<v Speaker 3>like to have you know, Dodger family and actually Jackie

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<v Speaker 3>Robinson's family here.

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<v Speaker 2>It was just really cool. It's really special. So I

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<v Speaker 2>was happy to be a part of it.

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<v Speaker 1>You have so many different backgrounds in that clubhouse. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you believe what Kareem said and what Jackie Robinson day

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<v Speaker 1>means resonates with everybody, no matter what their background is.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Absolutely, you know, I think that.

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<v Speaker 3>We live in a much different generation than then, but

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<v Speaker 3>in you know, all things considered, that wasn't that long ago. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>So to have, you know, such a diverse clubhouse and

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<v Speaker 3>the talents of this game being of all different nationalities,

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<v Speaker 3>all different colors, and all different backgrounds, I think kind of,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, is a testament to what he did to

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<v Speaker 3>you know, his bravery.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>How much did you know about Kareem Abdul Jabbar before

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<v Speaker 1>today and just his connection to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 3>His connection to to to baseball in general. I didn't

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<v Speaker 3>really know about, but to the Dodgers and too you know,

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<v Speaker 3>to hear that he said that Jackie actually sent him

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<v Speaker 3>a letter. Yeah, it is, you know, that's that's pretty cool.

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<v Speaker 3>And to see the impact that that he made in

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<v Speaker 3>the world through through his platform and what he was

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<v Speaker 3>able to do, and that stemming from from Jackie Robinson.

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<v Speaker 3>When it seems like he had already reached so many people,

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<v Speaker 3>he found a way to reach even more through Kareem

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<v Speaker 3>Abil Jabbar.

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<v Speaker 2>It's just it's it's kind of mind blowing.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Kopek is our guest. Once all the speeches were

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<v Speaker 1>done at the Jackie Robinson statue, Michael got back to

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<v Speaker 1>business of pitching and I saw you throwing. You went

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<v Speaker 1>out to throw a bullpen session. What can you share

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<v Speaker 1>with us about where you're at physically?

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<v Speaker 2>I feel great.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that it's kind of a long road back,

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<v Speaker 3>just you know, you know, building up, you know, whether

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<v Speaker 3>whether you want to call it stamina or what have

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<v Speaker 3>you like, just just building up to be able to

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<v Speaker 3>pitch and pitching games again is kind of a long road.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's only my second bullpen since I had a setback,

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<v Speaker 3>but it felt great and I think there was a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of a lot of promise in what I'm doing

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<v Speaker 3>right now, but hopefully we can build off of that

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<v Speaker 3>and keep going forward.

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<v Speaker 1>When you have a day like today, is there a

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<v Speaker 1>sense of relief that your body is responding.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>I think with a game in general, there's a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of ups and downs. You know, I'm let's say I'm

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<v Speaker 3>healthy right now and I'm pitching. I go out there

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<v Speaker 3>and I can feel great for one game. In the

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<v Speaker 3>next game maybe not so good, and you have to

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<v Speaker 3>find a way. There's a little bit of that when

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<v Speaker 3>you're doing a rehab stent too, but you don't know

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<v Speaker 3>if you're going to bounce back when you have a

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<v Speaker 3>bad day and rehab, so it can be this roller

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<v Speaker 3>coaster of emotions if you if you ride every single

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<v Speaker 3>feeling of every single day, but to have a high

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<v Speaker 3>day mix it that a little bit easier and you

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<v Speaker 3>get to kind of just build off of that.

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<v Speaker 1>Like I said, I have so much respect for you

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<v Speaker 1>and for all those guys in the bullpen last year

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<v Speaker 1>that were pushed to the limits to try to win

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<v Speaker 1>the World Series. You guys were able to do that.

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<v Speaker 1>I haven't talked to you about this, but what you

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<v Speaker 1>guys did as a group is unprecedented to carry a

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<v Speaker 1>pitching staff that far. How proud are you of that?

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<v Speaker 1>And I mean literally left your arm out on the

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<v Speaker 1>mound last year.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>I think the main thing is I'm I'm incredibly grateful

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<v Speaker 3>to be a part of a group that that was

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<v Speaker 3>that was that special. You know, whether one guy did

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<v Speaker 3>the job every single night, or you know, somebody needed

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<v Speaker 3>to get picked up, like, we never shied away from that,

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<v Speaker 3>and we had a group of guys that were willing

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<v Speaker 3>to fight that battle all the way through. And to

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<v Speaker 3>be a part of that group and a part of

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<v Speaker 3>guys that are just so determined to win no matter

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<v Speaker 3>you know, what the feeling is or what the situation is.

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<v Speaker 3>Like the World Series was the end goal and site

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<v Speaker 3>and that was what we were all working towards. So

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<v Speaker 3>to be a part of a group that worked that

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<v Speaker 3>hard for it, I was incredibly proud of.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Kopek's name will forever be part of Dodger history,

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<v Speaker 1>part of those bullpen dogs. And it's scary to think

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<v Speaker 1>that the bullpen's doing so well and you and Evan

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<v Speaker 1>Phillips haven't even thrown one pitch yet.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'm really proud of those guys. I'm hoping Evan's

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<v Speaker 3>back soon and seeming like he's getting close, so to

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<v Speaker 3>add him to that mix, it's gonna.

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<v Speaker 2>Be really cool to see. Right now, I'm just kind

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<v Speaker 2>of watching from a little bit of a.

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<v Speaker 3>Distance, but hopefully I'll start working my way back and

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<v Speaker 3>I'll get to be part of that experience again.

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<v Speaker 2>Can't wait.

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<v Speaker 1>It's been so great getting to know you and just

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<v Speaker 1>who you are, and obviously that comes out in a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of different ways. So thank you for the time

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<v Speaker 1>and can't wait to see you back out there.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you appreciate it.