May 4, 2025 • 5 mins
DV talks to the 5x World Series Champion and 1994 AL CY Young Award Winner before the Dodgers play the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball. The former Yankee talks about repeating as a World Series Champion, and gives his opinion on Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey or Dodger Talker.
All right, we are in Atlanta, and I'm honored to
be joined right now by a man that does a
great job on Sunday Night Baseball. It helps that he's
a Cy Young Award winner, a five time World Series champion,
and that's the one and only David Cone. David, thanks
(00:21):
a lot for the time. Appreciated my pleasure any time
to be on with you. Your Yankees twenty five years
ago was the last major League team to repeat as champions.
What does it take for this Dodger team to be
able to even consider attempting that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well, obviously, you know, the people talk about health, the
overall health of a team. That's a big key, you
know that everybody knows. But really, to me, it comes
down to the emotional part. How bad you want it,
you know, how how aggressively you pursue that as a team,
and you know, sometimes it really just comes down to
that how relentless you are, and the Dodgers are relentless.
(00:57):
So yeah, I don't think that's going to be a problem,
but you'd be surprised that some players sort of you know,
once you reach the mountain, you scale the mountain, and
then yeah, the off season is a little shorter. Maybe
you're not quite as motivated. Maybe you're a little too satisfied.
I don't see those signs from the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's funny you said that, because I spoke to your
former manager Joe Torre a couple of days ago, and
he said, the one thing you have to fight off
is admiring what you did the year before.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's that's key, you know, Joe Torre is you know
it says it better than me, But yes, that's really
you know, the sentiment in a nutshell is just the
motivation factors. How motivated are you to be great? How
motivated are you to have a legacy? How motivated are
you to sort of be remembered as a dynasty? And
that's what you got going on here. Historically speaking, you're
going to be ten twenty years from now, you're going
(01:45):
to look back on this air and said that was
the dynasty? And did we do all we could to
make sure that it happened?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
How did David Cone and the Yankees twenty five years
ago stay motivated not when it got to October, but
during the marathon of the season.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
It was the same thing. It was a relentless professionalism.
It was just a never too high, never too low
kind of a mentality of you know, you forget the losses,
you forget the tough games. You're ready for today, You're
ready for the next game, and you really do just
stay in the present. That's that's where that mentality comes through,
is when you just think about we play today, we
win today today's game. That is all that matters. I'm
not worried about tomorrow. I'm not worried about yesterday.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
David Cone is our guest five time World Series champion,
and for a period of time there in the late
eighties and the early nineties, whenever a team wanted to
get over the hump, they seem to acquire David Cohne,
whether it was the Yankees, the Blue Jays, obviously you
had that type of championship. DNA. What makes a player
(02:43):
be able to be that type of guy that you.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Were, Yeah, I was just kind of I was just
kind of forced into it. You know, Initially I didn't.
Maybe I wore out my welcome a little bit here
and there. Maybe it was because I was going to
be a free agent and I was known as a
guy who's going to push the system a little bit
and test the mark it. So sometimes I put you
in a position to be traded as well. But yeah,
I just remember being, uh, you know, sort of you know,
(03:08):
just this this fear, this fear of failure in the
big moments that really kind of drives you. You didn't
want to let your teammates down. You knew they were
counting on you, You knew the fan base was counting
on you when you.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Got traded, So that that was that was motivation in.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And of itself, because you didn't want to let him down,
and you you knew that was that was your calling
card that you had to come through in those kind
of moments.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I know he's not here right now, but he will
be in Clayton Kershawn. I just been around him his
entire career. There there seemed to be that intensity and
dedication that raised everybody's focus and level of play. You
were intense. I remember watching you pitch very intense. Did
you accept anything less from your guys?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
No, Actually, that that collectively, it's a great question. Collectively,
that's how the players police themselves in the clubhouse. You
hold each other accountable. And uh, there's certainly a lot
of things that happened in a major league clubhouse that
you never hear about in the media, but I guarantee
you are. Those are conversations that happen. Those are confrontations
that happen. We certainly had our share in the nineties
where you challenge each other and if you don't step up,
(04:10):
or if you're not showing up ready, or you're not prepared,
or you're not taking it seriously enough, you get called
out in clubhouses like the Dodgers, like the Yankees back
in the day. Yeah, that's called policing yourselves, and that's
called accountability.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
That makes sense. David Cohene is our guest before I
let you go. Everybody from Barry Bonds to David Bassey
has shared their opinion on whether or not Shoho Tani
should pitch again. Where do you fall on that.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I let him do what he wants to do. He's
earned it. Yes, he should pitch again. You absolutely should
pitch again, especially when you think that the Dodgers and
the type of games are going to play in September
and down the stretch run and potential postseason. Absolutely, he
should pitch again. Everybody wants to see that is their
risk involved. Of course, there's always risk involved, but you
(04:59):
know that's what he wants and that's why he signed
here because he was guaranteed that he would be able
to do both. So if he's game, I'm game. Let
the show.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Hey, do what he wants, all right, love it, David,
Thanks a lot for the time and appreciate you always
being so kind. A five time world champion being able
to be as normal as you.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Are not my pleasure, David, any time for you.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Hey, the man my favorite Royal, not Mark Goobaza.
And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey or Dodger Talker.
All right, we are in Atlanta, and I'm honored to
be joined right now by a man that does a
great job on Sunday Night Baseball. It helps that he's
a Cy Young Award winner, a five time World Series champion,
and that's the one and only David Cone. David, thanks
(00:21):
a lot for the time. Appreciated my pleasure any time
to be on with you. Your Yankees twenty five years
ago was the last major League team to repeat as champions.
What does it take for this Dodger team to be
able to even consider attempting that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well, obviously, you know, the people talk about health, the
overall health of a team. That's a big key, you
know that everybody knows. But really, to me, it comes
down to the emotional part. How bad you want it,
you know, how how aggressively you pursue that as a team,
and you know, sometimes it really just comes down to
that how relentless you are, and the Dodgers are relentless.
(00:57):
So yeah, I don't think that's going to be a problem,
but you'd be surprised that some players sort of you know,
once you reach the mountain, you scale the mountain, and
then yeah, the off season is a little shorter. Maybe
you're not quite as motivated. Maybe you're a little too satisfied.
I don't see those signs from the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's funny you said that, because I spoke to your
former manager Joe Torre a couple of days ago, and
he said, the one thing you have to fight off
is admiring what you did the year before.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's that's key, you know, Joe Torre is you know
it says it better than me, But yes, that's really
you know, the sentiment in a nutshell is just the
motivation factors. How motivated are you to be great? How
motivated are you to have a legacy? How motivated are
you to sort of be remembered as a dynasty? And
that's what you got going on here. Historically speaking, you're
going to be ten twenty years from now, you're going
(01:45):
to look back on this air and said that was
the dynasty? And did we do all we could to
make sure that it happened?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
How did David Cone and the Yankees twenty five years
ago stay motivated not when it got to October, but
during the marathon of the season.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
It was the same thing. It was a relentless professionalism.
It was just a never too high, never too low
kind of a mentality of you know, you forget the losses,
you forget the tough games. You're ready for today, You're
ready for the next game, and you really do just
stay in the present. That's that's where that mentality comes through,
is when you just think about we play today, we
win today today's game. That is all that matters. I'm
not worried about tomorrow. I'm not worried about yesterday.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
David Cone is our guest five time World Series champion,
and for a period of time there in the late
eighties and the early nineties, whenever a team wanted to
get over the hump, they seem to acquire David Cohne,
whether it was the Yankees, the Blue Jays, obviously you
had that type of championship. DNA. What makes a player
(02:43):
be able to be that type of guy that you.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Were, Yeah, I was just kind of I was just
kind of forced into it. You know, Initially I didn't.
Maybe I wore out my welcome a little bit here
and there. Maybe it was because I was going to
be a free agent and I was known as a
guy who's going to push the system a little bit
and test the mark it. So sometimes I put you
in a position to be traded as well. But yeah,
I just remember being, uh, you know, sort of you know,
(03:08):
just this this fear, this fear of failure in the
big moments that really kind of drives you. You didn't
want to let your teammates down. You knew they were
counting on you, You knew the fan base was counting
on you when you.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Got traded, So that that was that was motivation in.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And of itself, because you didn't want to let him down,
and you you knew that was that was your calling
card that you had to come through in those kind
of moments.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I know he's not here right now, but he will
be in Clayton Kershawn. I just been around him his
entire career. There there seemed to be that intensity and
dedication that raised everybody's focus and level of play. You
were intense. I remember watching you pitch very intense. Did
you accept anything less from your guys?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
No, Actually, that that collectively, it's a great question. Collectively,
that's how the players police themselves in the clubhouse. You
hold each other accountable. And uh, there's certainly a lot
of things that happened in a major league clubhouse that
you never hear about in the media, but I guarantee
you are. Those are conversations that happen. Those are confrontations
that happen. We certainly had our share in the nineties
where you challenge each other and if you don't step up,
(04:10):
or if you're not showing up ready, or you're not prepared,
or you're not taking it seriously enough, you get called
out in clubhouses like the Dodgers, like the Yankees back
in the day. Yeah, that's called policing yourselves, and that's
called accountability.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
That makes sense. David Cohene is our guest before I
let you go. Everybody from Barry Bonds to David Bassey
has shared their opinion on whether or not Shoho Tani
should pitch again. Where do you fall on that.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I let him do what he wants to do. He's
earned it. Yes, he should pitch again. You absolutely should
pitch again, especially when you think that the Dodgers and
the type of games are going to play in September
and down the stretch run and potential postseason. Absolutely, he
should pitch again. Everybody wants to see that is their
risk involved. Of course, there's always risk involved, but you
(04:59):
know that's what he wants and that's why he signed
here because he was guaranteed that he would be able
to do both. So if he's game, I'm game. Let
the show.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Hey, do what he wants, all right, love it, David,
Thanks a lot for the time and appreciate you always
being so kind. A five time world champion being able
to be as normal as you.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Are not my pleasure, David, any time for you.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Hey, the man my favorite Royal, not Mark Goobaza.
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