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<v Speaker 1>And I'm really excited to be joined by a player

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted the Dodgers to sign three years ago. But

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<v Speaker 1>he is finally here and Dodger blue, wearing number twenty three.

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<v Speaker 1>He's gonna play left field for the Dodgers. A well

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<v Speaker 1>established Major leaguer and a proud Italian American, the one

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<v Speaker 1>and only Michael CONFORDO. Welcome the Dodger Fest. I'm sure

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<v Speaker 1>this is a very unique experience that you haven't found

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<v Speaker 1>in other places.

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<v Speaker 2>You've been absolutely, I mean just trying to get in

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<v Speaker 2>this place. Yeah, was was was madness. You know, I

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<v Speaker 2>tried three different gates and then you know, as soon

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<v Speaker 2>as I said I was a player, they just waved

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<v Speaker 2>me all the way through. So, you know, I was

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<v Speaker 2>feeling the love with the uh, with the parking attendance

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<v Speaker 2>and and uh you know, some of the fans recognized

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<v Speaker 2>me on the way in as well.

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<v Speaker 3>So it feels good, especially with all.

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<v Speaker 2>This talent we have here on this team, to be

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<v Speaker 2>recognized by you know, some just baseball fans. Man.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, you know, I.

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<v Speaker 2>Have been around for a while, but you know, not

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<v Speaker 2>not for not for long on this side of the

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<v Speaker 2>of the country.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's good to be It's good to be here.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been getting my butt kicked by the Dodgers for

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<v Speaker 2>too long, so I'm I'm excited to be on this

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<v Speaker 2>On this.

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<v Speaker 1>Side, obviously, teams have to step up financially for you

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<v Speaker 1>to want to sign there. But how much have you

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<v Speaker 1>heard about the culture of the Dodgers that really excited

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<v Speaker 1>you to sign here.

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<v Speaker 3>I've heard a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean I've you know, there's there's what you see,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the product on the field that's easy to

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<v Speaker 2>see from the from the fan base and just from

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<v Speaker 2>you know, everybody watches the Dodgers, but there's things you

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<v Speaker 2>hear from from guys who have played for the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 2>a bunch of guys that I've played with, just saying

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<v Speaker 2>that it's a first class organization. There's nothing that you

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<v Speaker 2>don't get that you need. Uh. On the players side,

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<v Speaker 2>the family side, you know, with my wife, my my

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<v Speaker 2>young son, you know, they do everything you need to

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<v Speaker 2>make sure that you're just focused on playing baseball and

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<v Speaker 2>and you don't have to worry about their you know,

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<v Speaker 2>needs being being taken care of. And and then obviously

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<v Speaker 2>you know I want to play with guys like show, Hey, Mookie,

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<v Speaker 2>Freddie will Smith, Chris Taylor, guys that I've played against

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<v Speaker 2>for so long, And like I said before, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, there's there's been a lot of sad nights

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<v Speaker 2>on the visiting side, you know, but it's always an

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<v Speaker 2>experience to come here to Dodger Stadium as a visiting player.

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<v Speaker 2>You feel that energy in the ballpark when you drive

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<v Speaker 2>up to the stadium. It's like you know you're coming

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<v Speaker 2>to the coliseum or something. It's just so historic, the

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<v Speaker 2>speakers in center field. I mean, there's just so many

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<v Speaker 2>reasons to want to come play here, and let alone

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<v Speaker 2>coming off of a World Series championship. I mean, to

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<v Speaker 2>be able to try to be a part of running

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<v Speaker 2>it back for back to back championships is is going

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<v Speaker 2>to be really cool.

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<v Speaker 1>The Dodgers have been so good at home over the

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<v Speaker 1>course of the time that you've been playing against them.

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<v Speaker 1>The way you said it, a lot of sad nights here.

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<v Speaker 1>Isn't the same feeling going into Dodger Stadium as it

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<v Speaker 1>may be going to Finway or Wrigley Field or even

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<v Speaker 1>Yankee Stadium.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's similar.

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<v Speaker 2>There's really nothing like coming to Dodger Stadium, though, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>just the way that it's all set up, the massive

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<v Speaker 2>parking lot, you know, the way that the ballpark is

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<v Speaker 2>set you know, you're kind of sunking down. The stadium

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<v Speaker 2>is just up around, you know, on top of you.

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<v Speaker 2>It's one of the bigger stadiums as far as capacity

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<v Speaker 2>to so, if not the biggest, I don't know if

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<v Speaker 2>it's the biggest or not, but it is. I just

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<v Speaker 2>remember in twenty fifteen, playing as a rookie here in

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<v Speaker 2>the playoffs, I lost the ball in the lights actually,

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<v Speaker 2>and it was justin Turner. He hit a game tying

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<v Speaker 2>double and when I hit the ground, I dove for it,

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<v Speaker 2>couldn't see it. When I hit the ground, the ground

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<v Speaker 2>was shaking because it was a it was a game time,

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<v Speaker 2>playoff hit, and I just wanted to dig a hole and.

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<v Speaker 3>Get away. But we ended up actually winning that game.

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<v Speaker 3>So and the.

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<v Speaker 1>Series we know Daniel where we know Conforido. Yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I actually feel like that was one of the best

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<v Speaker 1>pitch games Kershaw ever pitched in the playoffs to force

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<v Speaker 1>a Game five at City Field that night.

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<v Speaker 2>I was not in the lineup for that one as

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<v Speaker 2>a rookie left hander. Yeah, I don't you know, when

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<v Speaker 2>Kershaw's on like that. It doesn't matter righty, lefty. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>he's getting everybody out. But but yeah, that was that

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<v Speaker 2>was a really cool experience for me as a young

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<v Speaker 2>young player.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Confordo is our guest at Dodger Fest. You always

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<v Speaker 1>hear pictures like even Blake's now was saying he wants

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<v Speaker 1>to help out the young pitchers on the staff. What's

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<v Speaker 1>the dynamic between hitters? Obviously you've seen a lot, you

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<v Speaker 1>faced a lot of guys. Are you looking forward to

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<v Speaker 1>trying to pick the brains of Freddy Freeman, maximun See

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<v Speaker 1>And what's the dynamic between hitters because you always hear

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<v Speaker 1>pitchers talk about that, but you don't hear hitters talk

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<v Speaker 1>about that as much.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean I definitely.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean I when I was a young player, I was,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, talking to guys like Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Murdy,

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<v Speaker 2>So like I I would like to be that guy

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<v Speaker 2>for for some young guys. I mean, I've I've been

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<v Speaker 2>in Arizona working out with with Outman Love the kid.

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<v Speaker 2>He's he's awesome. We have some like we have some

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<v Speaker 2>connections baseball wise. He grew up in in norc call,

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<v Speaker 2>and I went to Oregon State.

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<v Speaker 3>A lot of NorCal guys state.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, but yeah, I mean, you know, I'm I'm looking

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<v Speaker 2>forward to I mean, I'm still looking to learn stuff

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<v Speaker 2>from Freddie. You know, I love watching him hit. I

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<v Speaker 2>played against him in the same division for for a

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<v Speaker 2>long time, see him at first base all the time,

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<v Speaker 2>and so now to be in the same lineup as him,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I'm definitely gonna pick his brain. I'd love

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<v Speaker 2>to be a guy that you know, is easy for

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<v Speaker 2>the for the young guys to come and and and

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<v Speaker 2>ask questions too.

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<v Speaker 3>I've been in their shoes, you know. I've been the

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<v Speaker 3>first rounder.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been the the prospect come up and have a

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<v Speaker 2>good start to my career, and then I've had some

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<v Speaker 2>struggles along the way. So I've been in a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of different different situations that I think I have some

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<v Speaker 2>some insight for.

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<v Speaker 1>When you would get to first base, Was it awkward

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<v Speaker 1>when Freddy would be so talkative and friendly when you got.

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<v Speaker 2>There when I was when I was a young guy, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>when I was just my head spinning at first base,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't even know what happened at the plate, and

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<v Speaker 2>Freddie's just you know, talking, you know, chatting me up.

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<v Speaker 2>But over the years, of course, you know, I get

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<v Speaker 2>to know him a little bit more, and he's just

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<v Speaker 2>got a great sense of humor. And you know, sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>he'd be sitting there, like you know, the picture, slow

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<v Speaker 2>to the plate, and he's looking at me. He's like, Michael,

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<v Speaker 2>what are you still doing here? Why are you not

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<v Speaker 2>stealing that?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And I'm trying to figure out if he's trying

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<v Speaker 2>to get me to steal so they can stealing out,

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<v Speaker 2>or if I really should be on second base. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>he's like playing mind games with me. But you know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's it's all. It's always been a pleasure to watch

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<v Speaker 2>him play. And you know, again, I'm just I'm just

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<v Speaker 2>excited to be on the same team.

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<v Speaker 3>Man.

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<v Speaker 1>You made a really good World Championship team that much

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<v Speaker 1>better with you in the lineup, and so many great

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<v Speaker 1>left handed hitters to compliment so many great right handed hitters.

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<v Speaker 1>It doesn't feel like there's any place one through nine

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<v Speaker 1>that a pitcher's going to be able to exhale.

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<v Speaker 2>It doesn't, man, I mean, the the whole roster seems

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<v Speaker 2>air tight.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, I know, the pitching st it's it's crazy.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean just my buddies who aren't you know, affiliated

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<v Speaker 2>with the team. I'm still getting to know all the guys,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know, they're they're texting me about rookie signing.

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<v Speaker 2>Then we get Tanner Scott, then we get Kurbyer. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's like all right, the pitching.

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<v Speaker 1>Set, you know, and you're gonna get Kershaw.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, we got Kershaw coming back.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean we have we have guys still coming and

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<v Speaker 2>it's just, uh, it's just a really.

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<v Speaker 3>Cool, really really cool, uh team to be a part of.

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<v Speaker 3>There's no doubt. Awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>That heartbeat, that slow heartbeat. The man that understands there's

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<v Speaker 1>not a linear path to any finish line. Michael Confordo

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<v Speaker 1>in a Dodger blue jersey left field is gonna give him.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a lot of love as they are already right now.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks a lot for stopping by and soak it all

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<v Speaker 1>in and we'll see you out in Arizona.

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<v Speaker 3>I appreciate it, man, I can't wait. I'm excited.

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<v Speaker 1>That's my one fan, whatever you hear right now. You

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<v Speaker 1>see that right there, that's one fan right there.