February 10, 2025 • 45 mins
Dodger Talk with David Vassegh on the day when pitchers and catchers report to Camelback Ranch.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Dodger Talk. David Vasse with you until eight
o'clock tonight here on a five to seventy LA Sports
We are live from the Sportsnet LA Studios. Just wrapped
up Access Sportsnet Dodgers with John hart Tongue and Jerry
Harriston Junior. And actually, one of my favorite segments we
(00:20):
have done here during the off season was having John,
Jerry and myself name our Dodgers All half Century team,
so that means any player from two thousand to twenty
twenty five. And we had a couple of discrepancies. Jerry
did not have Freddy Freeman as his first basement. I did.
(00:45):
I did not have Mookie Ah here he is. Here
he is. I admitted that I was wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I was on the golf course.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Agan Beltray kind of hypnotized me a little bit. I
was wrong. I corrected my Freddy Freeman is my first base.
And how about third base? Jerry? I kept Adrian Belcher
because he's a Hall of Famer, but Justin Turner is
also there too, and Jerry had himself as the super
utility Yeah, with Keik. Jerry had a great first half
of twenty twelve. He was awesome. He kept the Dodgers
(01:15):
above water that first half of twenty twelve his first
year with the Dodgers. But yes, those were the two
biggest discrepancies. And all out myself, I did not have
Mookie Bets in my all half century team. I had
Matt Kemp, Cody Bellinger and Andre Ethier in my outfield.
(01:36):
My contention was, you put prime Matt Kemp on these
Dodger teams and you would have a future Hall of
Famer like Mookie Betts is going to be. One of
my standards were, if you're gonna watch the replay was longevity.
Gary Sheffield, great player, should be in the Hall of Fame.
(01:58):
But from two thousand and between two thousand and twenty
twenty five, Gary Sheffield only played two years. So that's
how I went about it. Anyway. That's what we did
tonight on Access Sportsnet Dodgers. We'll be back on there
tomorrow night at six o'clock. This is our only Dodger
talk on a five to seventy LA sports this week.
(02:22):
We will talk to you again not only on sports
Net LA all this week, but also right here on
Dodgers Radio next week when I report to Camel Backranch
in Glendale, Arizona. Tomorrow is the first official day that
pitchers and catchers report guys were there today, but as
(02:44):
far as the Major League Baseball Transaction calendar goes. The
reason why I bring that up is because Keik Hernandez
announced yesterday two hours before kickoff of the Super Bowl
that he is returning, but the Dodgers have not officially
announced it. Because tomorrow is the first day the Dodgers
(03:09):
can start transferring players to the sixty DAYIL and Fred Rogan.
The first text of the day I get is from
Fred Rogan, and he doesn't even say hello, good morning.
The way he prefaced his text question was Hey, how
did the Dodgers make room for Key k Hernandez? So
(03:29):
I just copy and pasted the sixty day IL roles
and he explained it so poorly on his show. So
I'll explain it for you and then maybe you can
share it with Fred Rogan or he may be listening
to this in Rancho mirage somewhere on the iHeartRadio app. Anyway,
(03:49):
these are the guys that I presume will be moved
to the sixty day IL tomorrow, which will open up
at least five spots on the Dodger forty man roster
for Key K a Hernandez and anybody else the Dodgers
want to add to their forty man roster. Gavin Stone,
(04:10):
he's out for the year. He's going to the sixty
day IL Emmitt Shechan is not going to pitch until
the second half of this year. Sixty day IL Kyle
Hurt who had shoulder surgery last year, sixty day IL
River Ryan Tommy John surgery last year, sixty day IL
Bruce Star Graderol shoulder surgery, sixty day IL Bazooka probably
(04:36):
not ready until June at the earliest, probably after the
All Star break. And that means the Dodgers can officially
sign Key K a Hernandez. They can officially sign Clayton
Kershaw and then immediately move him to the sixty day IL.
So that's how all that works now. As far as
the twenty six man roster works, how does key K
(04:58):
a Hernandez fit into it? Well, he fits into it
the same way he did last year. He can play
second base, he can play centerfield, which is probably his
best position now, and he can be insurance for Max Mounsey.
Max Munsey missed a few months last year. You know
(05:19):
he may get injured again, and the Dodgers really didn't
have a backup third baseman outside of Miguel Rojas. So
you got Key a Hernandez who could play a lot
of third base like he did last year when Munsey
was out. And of course we all know Key K's
real value October player. The Dodgers' fortunes in the postseason
(05:42):
last year changed when KEYK a Hernandez got into the
starting lineup during the NLDS after the first two games. Incredibly,
I can't believe it took a Miguel Rojas injury to
enlighten the Dodgers to put Key a Hernandez in the
starting lineup or no injury. Key k Hernandez needed to
(06:03):
be in the starting lineup and he was. The rest
of the way. Tommy Edmund had shortstop Key k Hernandez
in center field. So those are the ways Macro micro
how Key K a Hernandez fits into the Dodgers' twenty
six man roster, forty man roster, and very happy to
(06:24):
have him back. And in case you're wondering what took
so long, my understanding talking to sources that are directly
connected to the knowledge of the Dodgers and key K's negotiations.
The Dodgers had this offer out to Kik for a month.
They said, here it is, this is what it is.
We want you back. Key K, obviously, year to year
(06:49):
at this stage of his career, did his due diligence
to see what else may be out there that may
be lucrative with a winning team. He wasn't going to
a team that wasn't going to the playoffs or had
a real chance to go to the playoffs. And from
what I understand, the two teams had had interest in
Keyk a Hernandez were the Yankees and were the Texas Rangers.
(07:14):
The Yankees no first hand the value of Keyk a Hernandez,
not only last year, but also playing against him when
he was doing his thing in Boston. The Rangers, I'm sure,
got endorsements about Keyk a Hernandez from his former teammates
Jock Peterson and Corey Seeger. The Dodgers have never really
(07:34):
duplicated the platoon of Jock Peterson and Keyk Hernandez going
back to the twenty twenty World Series. Well, the Rangers
were trying to duplicate that replicated in Texas, but key
K wanted.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
To be here.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
He's a Dodger. This made sense and eventually Keyk, after
looking around for the pot of gold, realized the Dodgers
were his team and I'm happy it finally came together.
When we continue here on Dodger Talk, we will open
up the phone lines eight six, six, nine eighty seven,
(08:09):
two five seventy will dive deeper into the Dodger opening
day pitching staff. It's not as obvious as you think,
and coming up at the bottom of the hour, we
will share our conversation with World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
(08:30):
So a lot to get to between now and the
time Luca takes the court as a Laker for the
first time. Right here on Dodger Talk on your home
for the World champion Dodgers, AM five seventy LA Sports
full squad workout as not until later this week. Pitchers
and catchers are arriving at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
(08:53):
Tomorrow is the first official day for pitchers and catchers
to come together and Dave Roberts to have one of
his soft opening speeches. He'll do that when the pitchers
and catchers are in the room tomorrow, and then once
the full squad is officially reported, he will do it again.
(09:13):
And Dave Roberts, coming off his best year as manager
for the Dodgers, winning a second World Series championship, things
are looking good. Everybody seems to be happy. And I
love the fact that Andrew Friedman has brought in guys
like Tanner, Scott and Blake Snell to really bring the
edge and hunger that any defending champion needs. And the
(09:38):
Dodgers have a great team on paper, but they all
know how fragile health can be, and how fragile an
entire one hundred and sixty two, one hundred and sixty
two game season can be. Coming up at the bottom
of the hour, you will hear from Freddie Freeman. But
(09:58):
looking at this pitching staff in honor of pitchers and
catchers reporting officially tomorrow, I know by the end of
the year, middle of the year, it will be you know,
at least four guys that are cy young either have
won it or have the potential to win it. But
on opening day it's not as deep as you think.
(10:20):
You look at Tyler Glass, Now, who is going to
be behind other starters? Andrew Friedman told us that at
Dodger Fest, Otani is probably not facing hitters in spring
training according to Andrew as well. And then you have
Roki Sazaki, who is learning a new game in some ways,
(10:42):
a new language of pitching in some ways with the
Dodgers looking to get better, cleaning up his delivery as
a twenty three year old, he hasn't even grown into
his body. So with all those factors, you are going
to need guys like Tony Gonsolin. You are going to
need guys like Landon Nack and possibly even Dustin May.
(11:03):
I'm looking for Bobby Miller to have a big bounce
back year. The way Blake Snell explained it to me
is that he sees Bobby Miller a lot, a lot
of Bobby Miller in himself and really wants to help
Bobby get better, to get on track mentally more than physically,
(11:25):
maybe even consolidate some pitches. Bobby's in great shape, So
I'm looking for Bobby Miller this spring. He's really got
to show something after a disappointing sophomore year, and Blake
Snell has taken Bobby under his wing. Yama Moto. Those
are my top three right now coming out of spring
(11:45):
training on opening day, Blake Snell, Yama Moto, Bobby Miller,
and you hope Tyler glass Now can be ready for
the Dodgers by the time they return from Tokyo, Japan.
It would be phenomenal if Blake's excuse me, if Yamamoto
and Roki Sazaki are starting the first two games of
(12:05):
the season against the Cubs in their home country in
Tokyo and having Otani be the dh that would be spectacular.
I'm hoping for Yama Moto versus Shota Imanaga on opening
night there in the Tokyo Dome. It doesn't feel like
that's too big of a long shot, but look, the
Dodgers have to be careful with yama Moto as well.
(12:28):
Yamamoto missed time with a shoulder issue for about three months.
There were some questions about whether or not he was
going to be ready for the postseasons. So that's how
the starting rotation looks right now. It's gonna look great
when Otani, Sazaki, Yamamoto and Snell are in there in
Glass now at the same time. Not to mention Clayton Kershaw,
(12:50):
but at the beginning of the year, it's gonna be
some of these role guys like Landon Knack, like Tony Gonslin,
like Dustin May and Bobby Miller that are going to
have to step up early in the year. Now, when
you look at the Dodger bullpen, I know Dave Roberts
said over the weekend on XM Radio that Tanner Scott
(13:10):
is going to get the line's share of save opportunities
to start the year. Yeah, no, kidding. That's the reason
why he was so definitive was because Evan Phillips is
well behind where he usually is at this time of
the year throwing the baseball because he missed the World
Series with a shoulder issue. And we got reports from
(13:34):
USA today that Michael Kopek has had some sort of
shoulder issue. So those two guys that may get save
opportunities during the year when healthy are not going to
be ready on opening Day more than likely. So yeah,
Tanner Scott's gonna get a lot of that. He's going
to be set up by Alex Vesia, Kirby Yates, and
(13:57):
Blake Trining, to name a few. So that's where the
Dodger bullpen stands on opening Day as well. Eight six, six,
nine to eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number.
In case you're not sure when the first spring training
game is going to be. It's going to be a
week from Thursday. The Dodgers are going to play their
(14:18):
first two games of the Cactus League schedule against those
same cubs that they will open up against in Tokyo, Japan.
Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is
the phone number. David Vase with you until eight o'clock
tonight on AM five to seventy LA Sports Dodger Baseball
is back officially. Gotta take some water here after an
(14:43):
Access sports Net Dodgers show and some Dodger talk. You
know what else I was really happy about hearing over
the weekend, Rob Manfred. Yeah that Rob Manfred, the Commissioner
of Baseball, coming out of the owners meetings in Florida
last week, defending and defusing that the Dodgers are ruining
(15:05):
baseball by trying to win. Any one of these other
twenty nine teams could have signed Tanner Scott, any one
of these twenty nine teams could have signed Blake Snell
to a long term contract last year, let alone this year.
So you know, Rob Manfred, say what you will about him.
(15:30):
I love that he's actually being the voice of reason
as the leader of the sport, not only saying the
Dodgers aren't ruining baseball by trying to win, but also
saying a salary cap isn't necessarily a road to competitive balance. Yeah,
I agree with him. The only way a salary cap
(15:54):
would make sense is if there was a salary floor,
so teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates would actually spend some money.
Can you believe this? I just found this out this
morning after doing some research on some of these teams
that aren't spending this offseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who actually
(16:14):
had a grievance filed against them a couple of years
ago by the Players Union for not reinvesting the revenue
sharing that teams like the Dodgers and Yankees are giving them,
for going over the luxury tax, not reinvesting it into
their baseball roster instead just probably putting it somewhere else
outside of baseball operations. That's what was alleged, and that's
(16:38):
the reason why the Players Union filed that grievance against
the Pirates. But here's a fact, no speculation, This is
a cold hard fact. The Pittsburgh Pirates have nothing to
complain about because the Pirates have not signed a free
agent to a multi year deal in over ten years.
(17:05):
Francisco Leriano, remember him, the former twin, is the last
free agent the Pittsburgh Pirates had ever signed to a
multi year free agent contract. That was for three years
and thirty nine million dollars. And you're telling me the
(17:26):
Pirates are going to complain about what the Dodgers are doing.
The Dodgers should be complaining about teams like the Pirates
not doing much of anything. I mean, the whole point
of the luxury tax is to be a deterrent to
go to not go over a certain team payroll, and
(17:47):
if you do, it gets put into this revenue sharing
pot that is going to be re reallocated to teams
small market teams like the Pirates, like the Reds, the Rays.
But none of these teams are really doing much of anything.
I'll say that again, the Pirates have not signed a
(18:09):
free agent to a multi year deal in ten years.
Francisco Leriana was the last one in twenty fifteen, and
it was for a mere three years, thirty nine million dollars.
If anybody has a complaint. It's the Yankees and Dodgers
against teams like the Pirates. Eight six six, nine eighty seven,
two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out
(18:31):
to Sherman Oaks. Ash, you're on Dodger Talk with David
vasse Hi. Ash.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Hey, Dave, I called you about a year ago, and
I was wondering about if Dodgers were given up this
season to sign shoy Atani. I don't know if you
remember me anyways, Sure I remember Doughters birthday today? Yeah,
it's my daughter's birthday, so I want to talk about
the icing on the cake. Any updates about one of
(18:58):
my favorite players, h Arnado, Well, number one.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
It didn't have to say it that way. Happy birthday
to your daughter either way. I feel like the Dodgers
have already given you and your daughter and the rest
of the city a lot of birthday presents.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
You have no idea. I've been a true Dodger fan
since I've been in California since nineteen eighty eight. That's
a great I'm so excited about it. I'm so excited
about the season. What the Dodgers have done for their
fan base. No one should be complaining. I don't want
to hear nobody talking about smack a boy the Dodgers,
(19:40):
or what the Dodgers haven't done or done, but just
the icing on the cake if we get this guy.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Let me answer your question. Let me answer your question, Ash,
And you may or may not like my answer. But
Nolan Aeronado had two or three chances already in his
career to force the hand of the Rockies to get
him to LA and he did not do it. I
know Nolan Aernada wants to be a Dodger, but I
(20:12):
just feel like that ship has sailed on and it
feels like every three weeks there's rumors that the Dodgers
and Cardinals has started talking again about Nolan Aernado. Ash,
if there was a demand for Nolan Aernado and teams
regarded him the way they did even two years ago,
he would have been traded by now.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Agree market.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
There is no market for Nolan Aernado, and the Cardinals
are floating out these rumors to different writers to try
to generate a market that's just not there. My prediction
is Nolan Aernado will be wearing a Red Sox uniform,
not a Dodger uniform on opening Day. That's my prediction.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
My prediction. My prediction is, Man, I'm gonna be listening
to you a lot more often because I'm a happy fan.
I can't believe what we have cooled. We I'm a
nobody what the Dodgers have tools for their fan base.
And it's amazing what you just said about Pittsburgh Pirates
(21:19):
that they haven't signed a player for a multi year
contract in over ten years. I don't want to hear
people complaining and being about Dodgers this and that.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Yeah, you're right, we're very spoiled out here. Ash. Ever
since Mark Walter, Magic, Johnson, Stankasten and the rest of
Todd Bowley, the rest of the guggenheind group has taken over,
we have been very spoiled here. Frank McCort, seems like
another lifetime ago. Remember how things look for the Dodger franchise.
(21:51):
Just merely what in twenty eleven, twenty twelve. In twenty
eleven they were in bankruptcy. Look at the way this
ownership group delivered on their promises to bring the Dodgers
and Dodger Stadium back to where it rightfully belongs and
even exceeded the heights of previous success in the franchise's history.
(22:16):
This is the golden age of Dodger Baseball. I hope
it lasts the rest of my life. I hope it does.
But I think we all need to appreciate this period
of time of Dodger history when we continue on Dodger Talk.
A big part and maybe the moment that will signify
(22:37):
this period of time in Dodger history. Freddie Freeman's Grand
Slam in Game one of last year's World Series. Freddie,
the World Series MVP. Join us at Dodger Fest. I'll
share that conversation with you again right here on your
home for the World champion Dodgers a five to seventy
(22:57):
LA Sports official. Tomorrow, pitchers and catchers report, and the
Dodgers can now start moving some roster pieces around, and
certainly an exciting time to be a Dodger fan.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
And you will hear.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Every pitch, every inning of every game right here on
your home for the World Champion Dodgers and five to
seventy LA Sports. You can also stream the games on
the iHeartRadio app. That's also where you can find all
of our interviews and Dodger Talk shows. Dodgers on deck,
all of it a one stop shop on the iHeartRadio app.
(23:36):
And I'm looking forward to this season. It should be fun.
I'm looking forward to going to Tokyo, Japan and witnessing
what it's going to be like to see the hysteria
over show Heyo Tani and a Dodger uniform playing in
the Tokyo Dome. It's going to be incredible. I don't
even I feel like I have a vision in my
(23:58):
head after we win to South Korea with Otani. I
feel like that was somewhat of an appetizer of the
way things are going to be this year. And I
know so many of you want to find your way
to get to Tokyo, Japan and already have to be
there for the first two games of the season, so
(24:19):
a lot of anticipation. It's one thing as a Dodger
fan to travel to San Francisco or San Diego or
even New York to see the Yankees, to see the
Dodgers play a Yankee stadium, but man, it is so
impressive by so many fans that I've already encountered that
have said I've got my tickets, I've got my plane, tickets.
(24:41):
I'm going to Tokyo, Japan for the first time to
see Otani and the Dodgers play there. That's very impressive.
And look, I can already tell you being in South
Korea last year. You know here in the States, the
media and fans are kept out of the team hotel,
but the rules are a little different there in South
(25:03):
Korea because it was connected to a mall, an indoor mall,
and there were barriers between or clearing a walkway from
the elevators to the team bus inside the hotel, and
fans were lining those barriers. Media cameras were those in
the hotel behind the barriers waiting for a glimpse of
(25:25):
Otani to walk from the elevator to the team bus
with security. It is going to be crazy in Tokyo, Japan.
And it started in the airport at South Korea when
the Dodgers landed. I wasn't expecting as we went through
the terminal and got through customs that fans would be
waiting for the Dodgers to be there and waiting for
(25:48):
a glimpse of Otani. It was on the South Korean news.
It was wild. I'm expecting that ten times in Tokyo, Japan,
and it should be a real experience for not only
myself but Otani's teammates, and everybody is super excited about it.
All right, I had a chance to catch up with
(26:08):
World Series MVP and obviously an iconic figure now not
only in Dodger history, but in baseball history. Freddie Freeman,
here was our conversation from Dodger Fest.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Have you been sitting in this corner all day?
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yes, I wanted to. I should have brought a lava lamp.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
You know we have some for the kids now. Taking
it back to when I was a.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Kid, right right, everything retro is current again, Freddy, I
like it.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, yeah, I'm retro.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
You're retro retro.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Thank god you look good.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yamamoto said, I need to lose weight. Do you feel
like I've gained a lot of weight this off season?
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Freddy said that he did.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
He said, ah, you know, a little bit, a little
bit too much.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Then why would he say that.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I feel like I have. I'm projecting and I know
I have, But I'm not taking any medical or pharmaceutical shortcuts, Freddy.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
No, I am not going to answer those questions about Wait,
it's just not going to do that. I think you
look great.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Did you know Gavin Stone announced to us his birthdays
on October fifteenth? He's a guy that likes to promote
his birthday. Would you think Gavin Stone was that type
of guy?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
No, I know, I didn't know. He talked very much.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
I know exactly. It was depressing when he said there
were a lot of mosquitoes in Arkansas. I said, who
would have guessed that?
Speaker 2 (27:23):
October fifteenth? Huh, yeah, all right, it's good to know.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Great segue. By the way, October fifteenth, nineteen eighty eight,
was the day Kirk Gibson hit his walk off home run.
He game one of the world.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Now I understand why you brought up Gavin Stone's birthday. Well,
I mean, you're good at this.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
This was lined up perfectly. It was meant to be,
like Freddie Freeman was meant to be at the plate
that night, in that moment.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
That was a good one. Yeah, sot me to talk
about it.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I'm nervous, so that's why I brought I felt like
Chris Farley here, just like you know, I feel like
I'm more emotional about it.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Was October, I didn't Mine wasn't October.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
No, it wasn't. But that's when Gibson hit it. Yours
was a different date. You hit it in the same
same area. I heard it was like the same time. Yeah,
they might put like a blue seat where you hit it,
like where they did for Kirk Gibson.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Oh, that'd be kind of cool. It would.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, it will live in infamy.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, I believe me. I've thought about it every day
pretty much.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
I mean, when you go to the grocery store, what's
it like.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I really can't go anywhere right now, which is which
is fun because you know that sports in general can
it just means so much to some two people. And
obviously as I'm out in the community and I I
don't think I've made it through one outing without someone
coming up to me, which is really cool that people
care so much and care about the Dodgers. And and
(28:44):
with that home run, I just did a luncheon and
there's a guy that had a tattoo of me on
his leg, So.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Geez, that's when you know it means something.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yeah, And then obviously a lot of other people are
coming up at the lunch and saying how much that
home run meant in the World Series and telling us
where it was one guy was there for Kirk Gibson's
home run. So it's to hear people like like when
you do it and you're out there and then you
go home and you got to get ready for the
next game. But then, like I've told people, like about
(29:13):
a month ago, Charlie and I went down a rabbit
hole on YouTube because he wanted and.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
With YouTube, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
And just to see all the reactions and how it
affected people in such a positive way. It's it does
bring chills to you. And to be able to be
a part of that and to deliver because I mean
just and how like I watched the video later on
and how they panned out over the stadium Joe Davis
(29:40):
is talking and how the whole thing was set up.
It it's like giving me kind of goosebumps right now
when you when you look back at it and think
about it, and to be able to come through in
those kind of moments. I mean, that's what you dream about,
you know, just like how Joe said, it is what
you think about in backyards. I mean, it's the same
thing that I was doing with my two brothers when
(30:01):
we were playing wooflet balls in our front yard. Our
backyard wasn't pick enough what we did in the front yard,
and and and for it to happen again, like but
in a big league game thirty years later when I
was playing woofotball with my brothers, it's it's incredible and
like Joe Davis and how he set that whole thing
up was you know, obviously I didn't know anything about
it until I watched it and I was like, wow,
(30:22):
you know, Joe was incredible and to hit it on
the head and then after he sets the whole thing
up to do it on the first pitch, it was
like I think that made it that, you know, like
how I mean, it would have been awesome if it
was like the twelfth pick too, but after he set
that up to happen immediately, that's but the yeah, the
grocery store things kind of out. Yeah, I don't really
(30:44):
I try any.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
You're out of going to the grocery store, kin.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I've been out of a lot of things with the surgery,
so but uh, yeah, I believe I think I have
if I when I'm out, there's no lesson at least
if it's just a like I'll go to Jan's health
far it's in Orange County and I get a smoothie there,
and I don't think I've made it out of Jans
without taking pictures or anything like that. And that's oh, Chris,
(31:09):
I haven't been there. We did Mastros the other day
and one of the chefs comes out and he's got
a Dodger hat on. So yeah, I don't think. I don't.
I can't go anywhere right now. But that's a good
thing because that means really good things happened.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Freddie, you and your wife also had a little vacation together. Yeah,
deservedly so. And I'll just out myself right now. I
zoomed in on your right foot, yeah, to see if
you had a boot on or sandals I've had.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
I had some interesting sandals. I didn't pick any of
those outfits. I think everyone knows that. Yeah. I just
whatever is in the bag, and what I'm told to wear,
I wear. Yeah. So we did that a couple of
weeks ago. It was it was planned because our ten
year anniversary was in November, a little busy to have
much time to plan, uh, So we kind of waited
(31:55):
through the holidays and we did Mexico for a ten
year anniversary. So we had a good time. Obviously, our
family's been through a lot. Max is doing better, so
we just needed a We just needed a week, you know,
just to relax because you I mean, you know, you're married,
and so when when you have kids, you're just trying
to get you're doing everything with your kids every single day,
(32:17):
and it's nice to be able to reconnect and you know,
just sit there and hang out with your wife. And
you know, we had a great time. It was a
great week. We came home and it's right back into
the week. We got home in the door and they
just started crying. Someone was hitting each other, and I
was just like, yeah, I'm sure we should have stayed longer,
but it was a great time. Where but now it's
(32:37):
back to you know, getting ready for the season again.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
How do you feel physically? I mean, obviously we knew
about the ankle, but you know, the ribs and all
that stuff. Yeah, how does is Freddy Freeman like tape
together right now?
Speaker 2 (32:50):
To be here? I'm two of the injuries or one
hundred percent. My broken finger is all good, my broken
ribs all good. I am two months, eight weeks of
two days ago Thursday out of surgery. And that was
the first day I hit, so I hit for the
first time. Two days ago, I felt good. I hit
again yesterday, felt good again. Still not clear to run.
(33:12):
But ye two days ago was a big day for
me because if I wasn't able to respond like I
did yesterday, I think we would have been in trouble.
Being able to be ready by Tokyo, it was a
good sign. I feel good today with back to back
days of hitting, so I would have been able to
hit today if but it was you know, scheduled days
off and Monday I worked. I did four sets of
(33:34):
seven and tes the last two days, so twenty eight swings,
and on Monday, I will it goes into flips too.
So I think I will be full bore hitting by
by the time probably spring training, when I get the
spring training, because I'm gonna stay here this whole next
week and be doing my PTE down in Orange County
for a whole nother week and then I'll get the
(33:56):
spring training. So I think hitting wise, I'll be ready
to roll all, be able to hit, batting practice, do
all that. But I start doing I think by the
end of next week, some side to side stuff, you know,
like movement, and then being able to do uh, you know,
then it'll be a running progression in spring training. So
I will probably not be playing the first couple of
games of spring training, as you guys probably know, I'll
(34:19):
get antsy and try and force my way into somehow.
You know, I'll just dhe have one, so I'll just no,
I'll just DH. We don't have a DH. So right
and then, but the beauty of spring training is I'll
be able to even a show he's playing. In the
real games, I can go into the backfield and get
at bat, so I will be able to I think,
(34:40):
be able to hit and see some live abs and
then hopefully the running progression. I feel good, you know,
that's it's all about how I feel. So but I'm
in a good spot going into I was, you know,
it was a little up and down. I was a
little nervous how I was going to feel a couple
of days ago. But ultimately I am feeling pretty good
right now.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Freddie, I know you have to go, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
The day of.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Game one of the World Series, Yes, when you got
out of bed that day and put your your right
foot down and just started to get yourself going, did
you know, did you feel like, oh wow, I feel
a lot better than I did even five days ago.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
I was feeling pretty good two days going into that,
I had still not run since Game five of the
NLCS because then we had the day off and then
I didn't play game six. Hi Brandon, who are you
Randon going? I go? So I hadn't run, but I
was feeling good walking and and doing all that. But
(35:41):
the first time I ran, like I told you guys,
I ran when we did the introduction was the first
time I took more than a walk and I was
running out there. I was like, oh, I actually feel
pretty good. And as I was coming down the line,
all the trainers like, Freddy, you look great, and I
was like, I know, I feel pretty good. And but
I was feeling good. My swing was like I said,
I have I called my dad like two days before
(36:02):
game one. I said, Dad, I figured it out, and
I mean as as my dad had said yeah. He
was all and he was like, yeah, I didn't think
you figured it out, and he goes, I watched you
play in the Mets series and you were all awful.
So he was like, I was just hoping that you
were being honest. And I did. I felt really good.
I got my foot in a spot where I could
actually have some strength that into the ground, and I
(36:26):
felt like my swing was in a good spot. So
I was feeling good swing wise. I just didn't know
how my ankle was going to hold up. And my
ribs were feeling pretty good by then. My finger was
feeling pretty good by then. But you just didn't know.
And I'm you know, a lot of people go, I
can't believe you had to run out a triple in
the first in your first step bat and actually said, no,
(36:46):
that was actually a good thing because I was able
to do that and get up and I was like, oh,
I'm okay. So it was almost like a weight was
able to come off my shoulders when I knew I
was able to run those bases and get up and
not be like, oh man, my ankle's killing me. I
got a limp. Now. I never limped once in the
World Series. I felt good. We had a great treatment
plan going, and that's why I thought after the World
(37:11):
Series it was like, oh, I'll just rest and you know,
do some PT and I'll be good to go. But
three weeks after the World Series end, I was I'm like,
something's not right, you know, like my ankle still hurts.
And so I was in Atlanta for Thanksgiving doing it
with all our family there, and I texted Thomas, our
head trainer. I was like, I think it's time to
(37:33):
get this thing looked at. It's just not that I
can't get the swelling out. And so when I came
home from Atlanta, that's when we got the MRI. And
I got the MRI, I go up and look in
there like you need surgery school. Wait a second, what?
And so that's the how that hold because I was
feeling great during the World Series. So that's why I
was like, oh, I'll just heal bit some time. That's
(37:54):
why I know. I've been asked the question of why
did you wait so long after the World Series? And
I was like, well, I've just played the World felt
pretty good, so I thought, just some rests. And so
that was the reason of why it was about four
weeks after that I had the surgery because I was like,
I just wasn't getting better. So but luckily we got
it done and it wasn't. I had tore some ligaments
(38:15):
too in my ankle, but that had healed enough in
those weeks after the World Series that I didn't have
to thankfully get those fixed, because if I had to
repair those, I probably wouldn't have been able to make
it to Tokyo, which would have been a more extensive rehab.
So a lot of being good actually happened. So we
cleaned up the ankle and I'm feeling pretty good and
(38:35):
hopefully the running progression like it's going to start next
week and I have no setbacks. I think everyone that
knows me, I'll probably just tell everyone that I have
any setbacks and I feel great. Yeah, I feel great,
but I'm in a good spot, way better. My ankle's
feeling better each day, more work on it every day,
and it's it's responding really well. So I feel like
(38:57):
I'm in a good spot to be able to make
it to Tokyo in six weeks. I can't believe it's
already happening.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
I know, I can't believe it even such a short
off season.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
But a good reason why.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
It's sweet. Definitely, Definitely it'll be great, Freddie, when you're
on that third baseline and you get your ring, and
you'll get to feel everything that the fans deserve to
give you.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
That day, I know, getting here and you know, seeing
all these fans and the excitement. I just can't wait
to get the ring and just to experience spring training
and the excitement. I mean, you saw our ownership group
went out and did it again this offseason, and I
think that's why fans are so excited, because you know,
(39:42):
the hardworking fans, they come and support us, spend the
money here, and to see the organization that you're support
supporting and spending your money on is going right back
into the the product that is awesome to see. And
I think that's why everyone I mean, obviously we have
great players, but to go out there and see the
ownership you're into year out, go out and try and
put the best team on the field. I think that's
(40:04):
why everyone there's such a buzz around here, and I
think we're all hungry to try and be the first
team in twenty five years to do this back to back,
you know, since the Yankees, and it's incredibly hard to
do obviously, but I think we've put ourselves in a
good spot to be able to go out there and
do it. And we got to get us a little
bit healthy, and yeah, some of us didn't need this.
(40:25):
We needed an extra month, but I think we're gonna
be ready to go and try and start this journey again.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
Freddie. It was truly an honor and a privilege to
watch your journey last year and the way it ended.
Like I told you so many times, I think the
game in bigger picture life rewarded you, Freddie, because you're
a champion of a person, even before all of that,
and I mean everything that you and Chelsea went through
(40:53):
and how strong Maximus was and just who you are.
I mean, honestly, what a great journey man. I feel
like I need ankle certainty after everything you just said.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Yeah, but I appreciate those kind words. And my family's
doing good. Maximus is doing well, and we'll get the
spring training and I'm sure Chelsea will share some pictures
and he's he's still not walking completely normal, but he's
so close. And if you would have told us five
months ago that he would have been where he is now,
we would have been ecstatic. And he's doing great. If
(41:26):
you walk into the house and you saw him on
the couch, you would know nothing is wrong. He's still
a joy, he's still fun. He's starting to run more so.
Once we get that strength back into his left it's
his left leg. Once he gets that strengthen his left leg,
he was gonna be flying around the bases. You'll see
him after on Sunday's basis. Yeah, and so we're looking
forward to it. We're looking forward to getting back out
(41:47):
in the spring training getting this thing going.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Ye, thank you, David.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Freddie great to see you. Oh man, it's been awesome.
I truly a privilege, really, Freddy, to be around you
and just to see the way you live your life
and the way you go about things really is awesome.
And World Series MVP, I mean, I mean, thirty years
from now, I'll be hosting let's look back at the
twenty twenty four Walker. I might be in the walk
(42:12):
there there, Freddy Sea. Hopefully we'll lose weight by that, Freddy.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
No, I'm not, Freddy, David.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
I love you to Freddy. There he goes Freddy Freeman,
World Series MVP and one of the most iconic Dodgers forever,
not just for the next five years, not just for
the next ten years, but forever in baseball history will
be remembered for that walk off Grand Slam and also
(42:40):
setting World Series records for homering in six consecutive Fall
Classic games, but hitting that home run, walk off Grand
Slam home run will forever be etched in Major League
Baseball history. Whenever they show Kurt Gibson's walk off home
run in nineteen eighty eight, they will have to show
Freddie Freeman's walk off Grand Slam for this generation of
(43:04):
Dodger fans that never got to experience Kirk Gibson's home run.
Freddie Freeman is there, Kirk Gibson, and all season long,
I will never get tired of asking you or listening
to you where you were when Freddie Freeman hit his
walk off Grand Slam. I run into people all the
(43:25):
time and I just say, where were you when Freddie
hit the Slam? And they just their eyes lied up
and they love telling me where they were. So just
a special moment for a special player that is a
baseball nut. This guy, since he was a kid with
his dad, dove into baseball after the passing of his mother,
(43:47):
and the game rewarded Freddie Freeman, no doubt about it.
I know he has special ties to the Braves and
a long career in Atlanta. But sorry, Braves fans, you
won't see as many Braves highlights with Freddie wearing that
uniform as you will seeing Freddie wearing that Dodger uniform
hitting that walk off Grand Slam in Game one of
(44:09):
the twenty twenty four World Series, first ever player to
do so. And man, I could have spent all day
with Freddie. I was thinking about going Chris Farley on Freddie.
I don't know. There's like this glow now around Freddie Freeman.
And that's a good way to end the show. Thank
you to Ronnie Fascio for all his help. Thank you
for the people here at sportsnet LA ste Mitchell first
(44:32):
and foremost for allowing me to crash the party and
host Dodger Talk after a great Access Sportsnet Dodger Show.
We'll be back on TV the next three nights at
six o'clock. And the next time you listen to Dodger
Talk right here on a five to seventy LA Sports
I will be at camel Back Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
(44:54):
Have a great rest of your Monday. We'll see you
tomorrow on Sportsnet LA. Jason Smith on Fox Sports Radio
is next. See ya
Welcome to Dodger Talk. David Vasse with you until eight
o'clock tonight here on a five to seventy LA Sports
We are live from the Sportsnet LA Studios. Just wrapped
up Access Sportsnet Dodgers with John hart Tongue and Jerry
Harriston Junior. And actually, one of my favorite segments we
(00:20):
have done here during the off season was having John,
Jerry and myself name our Dodgers All half Century team,
so that means any player from two thousand to twenty
twenty five. And we had a couple of discrepancies. Jerry
did not have Freddy Freeman as his first basement. I did.
(00:45):
I did not have Mookie Ah here he is. Here
he is. I admitted that I was wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I was on the golf course.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Agan Beltray kind of hypnotized me a little bit. I
was wrong. I corrected my Freddy Freeman is my first base.
And how about third base? Jerry? I kept Adrian Belcher
because he's a Hall of Famer, but Justin Turner is
also there too, and Jerry had himself as the super
utility Yeah, with Keik. Jerry had a great first half
of twenty twelve. He was awesome. He kept the Dodgers
(01:15):
above water that first half of twenty twelve his first
year with the Dodgers. But yes, those were the two
biggest discrepancies. And all out myself, I did not have
Mookie Bets in my all half century team. I had
Matt Kemp, Cody Bellinger and Andre Ethier in my outfield.
(01:36):
My contention was, you put prime Matt Kemp on these
Dodger teams and you would have a future Hall of
Famer like Mookie Betts is going to be. One of
my standards were, if you're gonna watch the replay was longevity.
Gary Sheffield, great player, should be in the Hall of Fame.
(01:58):
But from two thousand and between two thousand and twenty
twenty five, Gary Sheffield only played two years. So that's
how I went about it. Anyway. That's what we did
tonight on Access Sportsnet Dodgers. We'll be back on there
tomorrow night at six o'clock. This is our only Dodger
talk on a five to seventy LA sports this week.
(02:22):
We will talk to you again not only on sports
Net LA all this week, but also right here on
Dodgers Radio next week when I report to Camel Backranch
in Glendale, Arizona. Tomorrow is the first official day that
pitchers and catchers report guys were there today, but as
(02:44):
far as the Major League Baseball Transaction calendar goes. The
reason why I bring that up is because Keik Hernandez
announced yesterday two hours before kickoff of the Super Bowl
that he is returning, but the Dodgers have not officially
announced it. Because tomorrow is the first day the Dodgers
(03:09):
can start transferring players to the sixty DAYIL and Fred Rogan.
The first text of the day I get is from
Fred Rogan, and he doesn't even say hello, good morning.
The way he prefaced his text question was Hey, how
did the Dodgers make room for Key k Hernandez? So
(03:29):
I just copy and pasted the sixty day IL roles
and he explained it so poorly on his show. So
I'll explain it for you and then maybe you can
share it with Fred Rogan or he may be listening
to this in Rancho mirage somewhere on the iHeartRadio app. Anyway,
(03:49):
these are the guys that I presume will be moved
to the sixty day IL tomorrow, which will open up
at least five spots on the Dodger forty man roster
for Key K a Hernandez and anybody else the Dodgers
want to add to their forty man roster. Gavin Stone,
(04:10):
he's out for the year. He's going to the sixty
day IL Emmitt Shechan is not going to pitch until
the second half of this year. Sixty day IL Kyle
Hurt who had shoulder surgery last year, sixty day IL
River Ryan Tommy John surgery last year, sixty day IL
Bruce Star Graderol shoulder surgery, sixty day IL Bazooka probably
(04:36):
not ready until June at the earliest, probably after the
All Star break. And that means the Dodgers can officially
sign Key K a Hernandez. They can officially sign Clayton
Kershaw and then immediately move him to the sixty day IL.
So that's how all that works now. As far as
the twenty six man roster works, how does key K
(04:58):
a Hernandez fit into it? Well, he fits into it
the same way he did last year. He can play
second base, he can play centerfield, which is probably his
best position now, and he can be insurance for Max Mounsey.
Max Munsey missed a few months last year. You know
(05:19):
he may get injured again, and the Dodgers really didn't
have a backup third baseman outside of Miguel Rojas. So
you got Key a Hernandez who could play a lot
of third base like he did last year when Munsey
was out. And of course we all know Key K's
real value October player. The Dodgers' fortunes in the postseason
(05:42):
last year changed when KEYK a Hernandez got into the
starting lineup during the NLDS after the first two games. Incredibly,
I can't believe it took a Miguel Rojas injury to
enlighten the Dodgers to put Key a Hernandez in the
starting lineup or no injury. Key k Hernandez needed to
(06:03):
be in the starting lineup and he was. The rest
of the way. Tommy Edmund had shortstop Key k Hernandez
in center field. So those are the ways Macro micro
how Key K a Hernandez fits into the Dodgers' twenty
six man roster, forty man roster, and very happy to
(06:24):
have him back. And in case you're wondering what took
so long, my understanding talking to sources that are directly
connected to the knowledge of the Dodgers and key K's negotiations.
The Dodgers had this offer out to Kik for a month.
They said, here it is, this is what it is.
We want you back. Key K, obviously, year to year
(06:49):
at this stage of his career, did his due diligence
to see what else may be out there that may
be lucrative with a winning team. He wasn't going to
a team that wasn't going to the playoffs or had
a real chance to go to the playoffs. And from
what I understand, the two teams had had interest in
Keyk a Hernandez were the Yankees and were the Texas Rangers.
(07:14):
The Yankees no first hand the value of Keyk a Hernandez,
not only last year, but also playing against him when
he was doing his thing in Boston. The Rangers, I'm sure,
got endorsements about Keyk a Hernandez from his former teammates
Jock Peterson and Corey Seeger. The Dodgers have never really
(07:34):
duplicated the platoon of Jock Peterson and Keyk Hernandez going
back to the twenty twenty World Series. Well, the Rangers
were trying to duplicate that replicated in Texas, but key
K wanted.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
To be here.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
He's a Dodger. This made sense and eventually Keyk, after
looking around for the pot of gold, realized the Dodgers
were his team and I'm happy it finally came together.
When we continue here on Dodger Talk, we will open
up the phone lines eight six, six, nine eighty seven,
(08:09):
two five seventy will dive deeper into the Dodger opening
day pitching staff. It's not as obvious as you think,
and coming up at the bottom of the hour, we
will share our conversation with World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
(08:30):
So a lot to get to between now and the
time Luca takes the court as a Laker for the
first time. Right here on Dodger Talk on your home
for the World champion Dodgers, AM five seventy LA Sports
full squad workout as not until later this week. Pitchers
and catchers are arriving at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
(08:53):
Tomorrow is the first official day for pitchers and catchers
to come together and Dave Roberts to have one of
his soft opening speeches. He'll do that when the pitchers
and catchers are in the room tomorrow, and then once
the full squad is officially reported, he will do it again.
(09:13):
And Dave Roberts, coming off his best year as manager
for the Dodgers, winning a second World Series championship, things
are looking good. Everybody seems to be happy. And I
love the fact that Andrew Friedman has brought in guys
like Tanner, Scott and Blake Snell to really bring the
edge and hunger that any defending champion needs. And the
(09:38):
Dodgers have a great team on paper, but they all
know how fragile health can be, and how fragile an
entire one hundred and sixty two, one hundred and sixty
two game season can be. Coming up at the bottom
of the hour, you will hear from Freddie Freeman. But
(09:58):
looking at this pitching staff in honor of pitchers and
catchers reporting officially tomorrow, I know by the end of
the year, middle of the year, it will be you know,
at least four guys that are cy young either have
won it or have the potential to win it. But
on opening day it's not as deep as you think.
(10:20):
You look at Tyler Glass, Now, who is going to
be behind other starters? Andrew Friedman told us that at
Dodger Fest, Otani is probably not facing hitters in spring
training according to Andrew as well. And then you have
Roki Sazaki, who is learning a new game in some ways,
(10:42):
a new language of pitching in some ways with the
Dodgers looking to get better, cleaning up his delivery as
a twenty three year old, he hasn't even grown into
his body. So with all those factors, you are going
to need guys like Tony Gonsolin. You are going to
need guys like Landon Nack and possibly even Dustin May.
(11:03):
I'm looking for Bobby Miller to have a big bounce
back year. The way Blake Snell explained it to me
is that he sees Bobby Miller a lot, a lot
of Bobby Miller in himself and really wants to help
Bobby get better, to get on track mentally more than physically,
(11:25):
maybe even consolidate some pitches. Bobby's in great shape, So
I'm looking for Bobby Miller this spring. He's really got
to show something after a disappointing sophomore year, and Blake
Snell has taken Bobby under his wing. Yama Moto. Those
are my top three right now coming out of spring
(11:45):
training on opening day, Blake Snell, Yama Moto, Bobby Miller,
and you hope Tyler glass Now can be ready for
the Dodgers by the time they return from Tokyo, Japan.
It would be phenomenal if Blake's excuse me, if Yamamoto
and Roki Sazaki are starting the first two games of
(12:05):
the season against the Cubs in their home country in
Tokyo and having Otani be the dh that would be spectacular.
I'm hoping for Yama Moto versus Shota Imanaga on opening
night there in the Tokyo Dome. It doesn't feel like
that's too big of a long shot, but look, the
Dodgers have to be careful with yama Moto as well.
(12:28):
Yamamoto missed time with a shoulder issue for about three months.
There were some questions about whether or not he was
going to be ready for the postseasons. So that's how
the starting rotation looks right now. It's gonna look great
when Otani, Sazaki, Yamamoto and Snell are in there in
Glass now at the same time. Not to mention Clayton Kershaw,
(12:50):
but at the beginning of the year, it's gonna be
some of these role guys like Landon Knack, like Tony Gonslin,
like Dustin May and Bobby Miller that are going to
have to step up early in the year. Now, when
you look at the Dodger bullpen, I know Dave Roberts
said over the weekend on XM Radio that Tanner Scott
(13:10):
is going to get the line's share of save opportunities
to start the year. Yeah, no, kidding. That's the reason
why he was so definitive was because Evan Phillips is
well behind where he usually is at this time of
the year throwing the baseball because he missed the World
Series with a shoulder issue. And we got reports from
(13:34):
USA today that Michael Kopek has had some sort of
shoulder issue. So those two guys that may get save
opportunities during the year when healthy are not going to
be ready on opening Day more than likely. So yeah,
Tanner Scott's gonna get a lot of that. He's going
to be set up by Alex Vesia, Kirby Yates, and
(13:57):
Blake Trining, to name a few. So that's where the
Dodger bullpen stands on opening Day as well. Eight six, six,
nine to eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number.
In case you're not sure when the first spring training
game is going to be. It's going to be a
week from Thursday. The Dodgers are going to play their
(14:18):
first two games of the Cactus League schedule against those
same cubs that they will open up against in Tokyo, Japan.
Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is
the phone number. David Vase with you until eight o'clock
tonight on AM five to seventy LA Sports Dodger Baseball
is back officially. Gotta take some water here after an
(14:43):
Access sports Net Dodgers show and some Dodger talk. You
know what else I was really happy about hearing over
the weekend, Rob Manfred. Yeah that Rob Manfred, the Commissioner
of Baseball, coming out of the owners meetings in Florida
last week, defending and defusing that the Dodgers are ruining
(15:05):
baseball by trying to win. Any one of these other
twenty nine teams could have signed Tanner Scott, any one
of these twenty nine teams could have signed Blake Snell
to a long term contract last year, let alone this year.
So you know, Rob Manfred, say what you will about him.
(15:30):
I love that he's actually being the voice of reason
as the leader of the sport, not only saying the
Dodgers aren't ruining baseball by trying to win, but also
saying a salary cap isn't necessarily a road to competitive balance. Yeah,
I agree with him. The only way a salary cap
(15:54):
would make sense is if there was a salary floor,
so teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates would actually spend some money.
Can you believe this? I just found this out this
morning after doing some research on some of these teams
that aren't spending this offseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who actually
(16:14):
had a grievance filed against them a couple of years
ago by the Players Union for not reinvesting the revenue
sharing that teams like the Dodgers and Yankees are giving them,
for going over the luxury tax, not reinvesting it into
their baseball roster instead just probably putting it somewhere else
outside of baseball operations. That's what was alleged, and that's
(16:38):
the reason why the Players Union filed that grievance against
the Pirates. But here's a fact, no speculation, This is
a cold hard fact. The Pittsburgh Pirates have nothing to
complain about because the Pirates have not signed a free
agent to a multi year deal in over ten years.
(17:05):
Francisco Leriano, remember him, the former twin, is the last
free agent the Pittsburgh Pirates had ever signed to a
multi year free agent contract. That was for three years
and thirty nine million dollars. And you're telling me the
(17:26):
Pirates are going to complain about what the Dodgers are doing.
The Dodgers should be complaining about teams like the Pirates
not doing much of anything. I mean, the whole point
of the luxury tax is to be a deterrent to
go to not go over a certain team payroll, and
(17:47):
if you do, it gets put into this revenue sharing
pot that is going to be re reallocated to teams
small market teams like the Pirates, like the Reds, the Rays.
But none of these teams are really doing much of anything.
I'll say that again, the Pirates have not signed a
(18:09):
free agent to a multi year deal in ten years.
Francisco Leriana was the last one in twenty fifteen, and
it was for a mere three years, thirty nine million dollars.
If anybody has a complaint. It's the Yankees and Dodgers
against teams like the Pirates. Eight six six, nine eighty seven,
two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out
(18:31):
to Sherman Oaks. Ash, you're on Dodger Talk with David
vasse Hi. Ash.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Hey, Dave, I called you about a year ago, and
I was wondering about if Dodgers were given up this
season to sign shoy Atani. I don't know if you
remember me anyways, Sure I remember Doughters birthday today? Yeah,
it's my daughter's birthday, so I want to talk about
the icing on the cake. Any updates about one of
(18:58):
my favorite players, h Arnado, Well, number one.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
It didn't have to say it that way. Happy birthday
to your daughter either way. I feel like the Dodgers
have already given you and your daughter and the rest
of the city a lot of birthday presents.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
You have no idea. I've been a true Dodger fan
since I've been in California since nineteen eighty eight. That's
a great I'm so excited about it. I'm so excited
about the season. What the Dodgers have done for their
fan base. No one should be complaining. I don't want
to hear nobody talking about smack a boy the Dodgers,
(19:40):
or what the Dodgers haven't done or done, but just
the icing on the cake if we get this guy.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Let me answer your question. Let me answer your question, Ash,
And you may or may not like my answer. But
Nolan Aeronado had two or three chances already in his
career to force the hand of the Rockies to get
him to LA and he did not do it. I
know Nolan Aernada wants to be a Dodger, but I
(20:12):
just feel like that ship has sailed on and it
feels like every three weeks there's rumors that the Dodgers
and Cardinals has started talking again about Nolan Aernado. Ash,
if there was a demand for Nolan Aernado and teams
regarded him the way they did even two years ago,
he would have been traded by now.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Agree market.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
There is no market for Nolan Aernado, and the Cardinals
are floating out these rumors to different writers to try
to generate a market that's just not there. My prediction
is Nolan Aernado will be wearing a Red Sox uniform,
not a Dodger uniform on opening Day. That's my prediction.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
My prediction. My prediction is, Man, I'm gonna be listening
to you a lot more often because I'm a happy fan.
I can't believe what we have cooled. We I'm a
nobody what the Dodgers have tools for their fan base.
And it's amazing what you just said about Pittsburgh Pirates
(21:19):
that they haven't signed a player for a multi year
contract in over ten years. I don't want to hear
people complaining and being about Dodgers this and that.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Yeah, you're right, we're very spoiled out here. Ash. Ever
since Mark Walter, Magic, Johnson, Stankasten and the rest of
Todd Bowley, the rest of the guggenheind group has taken over,
we have been very spoiled here. Frank McCort, seems like
another lifetime ago. Remember how things look for the Dodger franchise.
(21:51):
Just merely what in twenty eleven, twenty twelve. In twenty
eleven they were in bankruptcy. Look at the way this
ownership group delivered on their promises to bring the Dodgers
and Dodger Stadium back to where it rightfully belongs and
even exceeded the heights of previous success in the franchise's history.
(22:16):
This is the golden age of Dodger Baseball. I hope
it lasts the rest of my life. I hope it does.
But I think we all need to appreciate this period
of time of Dodger history when we continue on Dodger Talk.
A big part and maybe the moment that will signify
(22:37):
this period of time in Dodger history. Freddie Freeman's Grand
Slam in Game one of last year's World Series. Freddie,
the World Series MVP. Join us at Dodger Fest. I'll
share that conversation with you again right here on your
home for the World champion Dodgers a five to seventy
(22:57):
LA Sports official. Tomorrow, pitchers and catchers report, and the
Dodgers can now start moving some roster pieces around, and
certainly an exciting time to be a Dodger fan.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
And you will hear.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Every pitch, every inning of every game right here on
your home for the World Champion Dodgers and five to
seventy LA Sports. You can also stream the games on
the iHeartRadio app. That's also where you can find all
of our interviews and Dodger Talk shows. Dodgers on deck,
all of it a one stop shop on the iHeartRadio app.
(23:36):
And I'm looking forward to this season. It should be fun.
I'm looking forward to going to Tokyo, Japan and witnessing
what it's going to be like to see the hysteria
over show Heyo Tani and a Dodger uniform playing in
the Tokyo Dome. It's going to be incredible. I don't
even I feel like I have a vision in my
(23:58):
head after we win to South Korea with Otani. I
feel like that was somewhat of an appetizer of the
way things are going to be this year. And I
know so many of you want to find your way
to get to Tokyo, Japan and already have to be
there for the first two games of the season, so
(24:19):
a lot of anticipation. It's one thing as a Dodger
fan to travel to San Francisco or San Diego or
even New York to see the Yankees, to see the
Dodgers play a Yankee stadium, but man, it is so
impressive by so many fans that I've already encountered that
have said I've got my tickets, I've got my plane, tickets.
(24:41):
I'm going to Tokyo, Japan for the first time to
see Otani and the Dodgers play there. That's very impressive.
And look, I can already tell you being in South
Korea last year. You know here in the States, the
media and fans are kept out of the team hotel,
but the rules are a little different there in South
(25:03):
Korea because it was connected to a mall, an indoor mall,
and there were barriers between or clearing a walkway from
the elevators to the team bus inside the hotel, and
fans were lining those barriers. Media cameras were those in
the hotel behind the barriers waiting for a glimpse of
(25:25):
Otani to walk from the elevator to the team bus
with security. It is going to be crazy in Tokyo, Japan.
And it started in the airport at South Korea when
the Dodgers landed. I wasn't expecting as we went through
the terminal and got through customs that fans would be
waiting for the Dodgers to be there and waiting for
(25:48):
a glimpse of Otani. It was on the South Korean news.
It was wild. I'm expecting that ten times in Tokyo, Japan,
and it should be a real experience for not only
myself but Otani's teammates, and everybody is super excited about it.
All right, I had a chance to catch up with
(26:08):
World Series MVP and obviously an iconic figure now not
only in Dodger history, but in baseball history. Freddie Freeman,
here was our conversation from Dodger Fest.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Have you been sitting in this corner all day?
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yes, I wanted to. I should have brought a lava lamp.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
You know we have some for the kids now. Taking
it back to when I was a.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Kid, right right, everything retro is current again, Freddy, I
like it.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, yeah, I'm retro.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
You're retro retro.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Thank god you look good.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yamamoto said, I need to lose weight. Do you feel
like I've gained a lot of weight this off season?
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Freddy said that he did.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
He said, ah, you know, a little bit, a little
bit too much.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Then why would he say that.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I feel like I have. I'm projecting and I know
I have, But I'm not taking any medical or pharmaceutical shortcuts, Freddy.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
No, I am not going to answer those questions about Wait,
it's just not going to do that. I think you
look great.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Did you know Gavin Stone announced to us his birthdays
on October fifteenth? He's a guy that likes to promote
his birthday. Would you think Gavin Stone was that type
of guy?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
No, I know, I didn't know. He talked very much.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
I know exactly. It was depressing when he said there
were a lot of mosquitoes in Arkansas. I said, who
would have guessed that?
Speaker 2 (27:23):
October fifteenth? Huh, yeah, all right, it's good to know.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Great segue. By the way, October fifteenth, nineteen eighty eight,
was the day Kirk Gibson hit his walk off home run.
He game one of the world.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Now I understand why you brought up Gavin Stone's birthday. Well,
I mean, you're good at this.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
This was lined up perfectly. It was meant to be,
like Freddie Freeman was meant to be at the plate
that night, in that moment.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
That was a good one. Yeah, sot me to talk
about it.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I'm nervous, so that's why I brought I felt like
Chris Farley here, just like you know, I feel like
I'm more emotional about it.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Was October, I didn't Mine wasn't October.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
No, it wasn't. But that's when Gibson hit it. Yours
was a different date. You hit it in the same
same area. I heard it was like the same time. Yeah,
they might put like a blue seat where you hit it,
like where they did for Kirk Gibson.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Oh, that'd be kind of cool. It would.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, it will live in infamy.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, I believe me. I've thought about it every day
pretty much.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
I mean, when you go to the grocery store, what's
it like.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I really can't go anywhere right now, which is which
is fun because you know that sports in general can
it just means so much to some two people. And
obviously as I'm out in the community and I I
don't think I've made it through one outing without someone
coming up to me, which is really cool that people
care so much and care about the Dodgers. And and
(28:44):
with that home run, I just did a luncheon and
there's a guy that had a tattoo of me on
his leg, So.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Geez, that's when you know it means something.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yeah, And then obviously a lot of other people are
coming up at the lunch and saying how much that
home run meant in the World Series and telling us
where it was one guy was there for Kirk Gibson's
home run. So it's to hear people like like when
you do it and you're out there and then you
go home and you got to get ready for the
next game. But then, like I've told people, like about
(29:13):
a month ago, Charlie and I went down a rabbit
hole on YouTube because he wanted and.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
With YouTube, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
And just to see all the reactions and how it
affected people in such a positive way. It's it does
bring chills to you. And to be able to be
a part of that and to deliver because I mean
just and how like I watched the video later on
and how they panned out over the stadium Joe Davis
(29:40):
is talking and how the whole thing was set up.
It it's like giving me kind of goosebumps right now
when you when you look back at it and think
about it, and to be able to come through in
those kind of moments. I mean, that's what you dream about,
you know, just like how Joe said, it is what
you think about in backyards. I mean, it's the same
thing that I was doing with my two brothers when
(30:01):
we were playing wooflet balls in our front yard. Our
backyard wasn't pick enough what we did in the front yard,
and and and for it to happen again, like but
in a big league game thirty years later when I
was playing woofotball with my brothers, it's it's incredible and
like Joe Davis and how he set that whole thing
up was you know, obviously I didn't know anything about
it until I watched it and I was like, wow,
(30:22):
you know, Joe was incredible and to hit it on
the head and then after he sets the whole thing
up to do it on the first pitch, it was
like I think that made it that, you know, like
how I mean, it would have been awesome if it
was like the twelfth pick too, but after he set
that up to happen immediately, that's but the yeah, the
grocery store things kind of out. Yeah, I don't really
(30:44):
I try any.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
You're out of going to the grocery store, kin.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I've been out of a lot of things with the surgery,
so but uh, yeah, I believe I think I have
if I when I'm out, there's no lesson at least
if it's just a like I'll go to Jan's health
far it's in Orange County and I get a smoothie there,
and I don't think I've made it out of Jans
without taking pictures or anything like that. And that's oh, Chris,
(31:09):
I haven't been there. We did Mastros the other day
and one of the chefs comes out and he's got
a Dodger hat on. So yeah, I don't think. I don't.
I can't go anywhere right now. But that's a good
thing because that means really good things happened.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Freddie, you and your wife also had a little vacation together. Yeah,
deservedly so. And I'll just out myself right now. I
zoomed in on your right foot, yeah, to see if
you had a boot on or sandals I've had.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
I had some interesting sandals. I didn't pick any of
those outfits. I think everyone knows that. Yeah. I just
whatever is in the bag, and what I'm told to wear,
I wear. Yeah. So we did that a couple of
weeks ago. It was it was planned because our ten
year anniversary was in November, a little busy to have
much time to plan, uh, So we kind of waited
(31:55):
through the holidays and we did Mexico for a ten
year anniversary. So we had a good time. Obviously, our
family's been through a lot. Max is doing better, so
we just needed a We just needed a week, you know,
just to relax because you I mean, you know, you're married,
and so when when you have kids, you're just trying
to get you're doing everything with your kids every single day,
(32:17):
and it's nice to be able to reconnect and you know,
just sit there and hang out with your wife. And
you know, we had a great time. It was a
great week. We came home and it's right back into
the week. We got home in the door and they
just started crying. Someone was hitting each other, and I
was just like, yeah, I'm sure we should have stayed longer,
but it was a great time. Where but now it's
(32:37):
back to you know, getting ready for the season again.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
How do you feel physically? I mean, obviously we knew
about the ankle, but you know, the ribs and all
that stuff. Yeah, how does is Freddy Freeman like tape
together right now?
Speaker 2 (32:50):
To be here? I'm two of the injuries or one
hundred percent. My broken finger is all good, my broken
ribs all good. I am two months, eight weeks of
two days ago Thursday out of surgery. And that was
the first day I hit, so I hit for the
first time. Two days ago, I felt good. I hit
again yesterday, felt good again. Still not clear to run.
(33:12):
But ye two days ago was a big day for
me because if I wasn't able to respond like I
did yesterday, I think we would have been in trouble.
Being able to be ready by Tokyo, it was a
good sign. I feel good today with back to back
days of hitting, so I would have been able to
hit today if but it was you know, scheduled days
off and Monday I worked. I did four sets of
(33:34):
seven and tes the last two days, so twenty eight swings,
and on Monday, I will it goes into flips too.
So I think I will be full bore hitting by
by the time probably spring training, when I get the
spring training, because I'm gonna stay here this whole next
week and be doing my PTE down in Orange County
for a whole nother week and then I'll get the
(33:56):
spring training. So I think hitting wise, I'll be ready
to roll all, be able to hit, batting practice, do
all that. But I start doing I think by the
end of next week, some side to side stuff, you know,
like movement, and then being able to do uh, you know,
then it'll be a running progression in spring training. So
I will probably not be playing the first couple of
games of spring training, as you guys probably know, I'll
(34:19):
get antsy and try and force my way into somehow.
You know, I'll just dhe have one, so I'll just no,
I'll just DH. We don't have a DH. So right
and then, but the beauty of spring training is I'll
be able to even a show he's playing. In the
real games, I can go into the backfield and get
at bat, so I will be able to I think,
(34:40):
be able to hit and see some live abs and
then hopefully the running progression. I feel good, you know,
that's it's all about how I feel. So but I'm
in a good spot going into I was, you know,
it was a little up and down. I was a
little nervous how I was going to feel a couple
of days ago. But ultimately I am feeling pretty good
right now.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Freddie, I know you have to go, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
The day of.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Game one of the World Series, Yes, when you got
out of bed that day and put your your right
foot down and just started to get yourself going, did
you know, did you feel like, oh wow, I feel
a lot better than I did even five days ago.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
I was feeling pretty good two days going into that,
I had still not run since Game five of the
NLCS because then we had the day off and then
I didn't play game six. Hi Brandon, who are you
Randon going? I go? So I hadn't run, but I
was feeling good walking and and doing all that. But
(35:41):
the first time I ran, like I told you guys,
I ran when we did the introduction was the first
time I took more than a walk and I was
running out there. I was like, oh, I actually feel
pretty good. And as I was coming down the line,
all the trainers like, Freddy, you look great, and I
was like, I know, I feel pretty good. And but
I was feeling good. My swing was like I said,
I have I called my dad like two days before
(36:02):
game one. I said, Dad, I figured it out, and
I mean as as my dad had said yeah. He
was all and he was like, yeah, I didn't think
you figured it out, and he goes, I watched you
play in the Mets series and you were all awful.
So he was like, I was just hoping that you
were being honest. And I did. I felt really good.
I got my foot in a spot where I could
actually have some strength that into the ground, and I
(36:26):
felt like my swing was in a good spot. So
I was feeling good swing wise. I just didn't know
how my ankle was going to hold up. And my
ribs were feeling pretty good by then. My finger was
feeling pretty good by then. But you just didn't know.
And I'm you know, a lot of people go, I
can't believe you had to run out a triple in
the first in your first step bat and actually said, no,
(36:46):
that was actually a good thing because I was able
to do that and get up and I was like, oh,
I'm okay. So it was almost like a weight was
able to come off my shoulders when I knew I
was able to run those bases and get up and
not be like, oh man, my ankle's killing me. I
got a limp. Now. I never limped once in the
World Series. I felt good. We had a great treatment
plan going, and that's why I thought after the World
(37:11):
Series it was like, oh, I'll just rest and you know,
do some PT and I'll be good to go. But
three weeks after the World Series end, I was I'm like,
something's not right, you know, like my ankle still hurts.
And so I was in Atlanta for Thanksgiving doing it
with all our family there, and I texted Thomas, our
head trainer. I was like, I think it's time to
(37:33):
get this thing looked at. It's just not that I
can't get the swelling out. And so when I came
home from Atlanta, that's when we got the MRI. And
I got the MRI, I go up and look in
there like you need surgery school. Wait a second, what?
And so that's the how that hold because I was
feeling great during the World Series. So that's why I
was like, oh, I'll just heal bit some time. That's
(37:54):
why I know. I've been asked the question of why
did you wait so long after the World Series? And
I was like, well, I've just played the World felt
pretty good, so I thought, just some rests. And so
that was the reason of why it was about four
weeks after that I had the surgery because I was like,
I just wasn't getting better. So but luckily we got
it done and it wasn't. I had tore some ligaments
(38:15):
too in my ankle, but that had healed enough in
those weeks after the World Series that I didn't have
to thankfully get those fixed, because if I had to
repair those, I probably wouldn't have been able to make
it to Tokyo, which would have been a more extensive rehab.
So a lot of being good actually happened. So we
cleaned up the ankle and I'm feeling pretty good and
(38:35):
hopefully the running progression like it's going to start next
week and I have no setbacks. I think everyone that
knows me, I'll probably just tell everyone that I have
any setbacks and I feel great. Yeah, I feel great,
but I'm in a good spot, way better. My ankle's
feeling better each day, more work on it every day,
and it's it's responding really well. So I feel like
(38:57):
I'm in a good spot to be able to make
it to Tokyo in six weeks. I can't believe it's
already happening.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
I know, I can't believe it even such a short
off season.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
But a good reason why.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
It's sweet. Definitely, Definitely it'll be great, Freddie, when you're
on that third baseline and you get your ring, and
you'll get to feel everything that the fans deserve to
give you.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
That day, I know, getting here and you know, seeing
all these fans and the excitement. I just can't wait
to get the ring and just to experience spring training
and the excitement. I mean, you saw our ownership group
went out and did it again this offseason, and I
think that's why fans are so excited, because you know,
(39:42):
the hardworking fans, they come and support us, spend the
money here, and to see the organization that you're support
supporting and spending your money on is going right back
into the the product that is awesome to see. And
I think that's why everyone I mean, obviously we have
great players, but to go out there and see the
ownership you're into year out, go out and try and
put the best team on the field. I think that's
(40:04):
why everyone there's such a buzz around here, and I
think we're all hungry to try and be the first
team in twenty five years to do this back to back,
you know, since the Yankees, and it's incredibly hard to
do obviously, but I think we've put ourselves in a
good spot to be able to go out there and
do it. And we got to get us a little
bit healthy, and yeah, some of us didn't need this.
(40:25):
We needed an extra month, but I think we're gonna
be ready to go and try and start this journey again.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
Freddie. It was truly an honor and a privilege to
watch your journey last year and the way it ended.
Like I told you so many times, I think the
game in bigger picture life rewarded you, Freddie, because you're
a champion of a person, even before all of that,
and I mean everything that you and Chelsea went through
(40:53):
and how strong Maximus was and just who you are.
I mean, honestly, what a great journey man. I feel
like I need ankle certainty after everything you just said.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Yeah, but I appreciate those kind words. And my family's
doing good. Maximus is doing well, and we'll get the
spring training and I'm sure Chelsea will share some pictures
and he's he's still not walking completely normal, but he's
so close. And if you would have told us five
months ago that he would have been where he is now,
we would have been ecstatic. And he's doing great. If
(41:26):
you walk into the house and you saw him on
the couch, you would know nothing is wrong. He's still
a joy, he's still fun. He's starting to run more so.
Once we get that strength back into his left it's
his left leg. Once he gets that strengthen his left leg,
he was gonna be flying around the bases. You'll see
him after on Sunday's basis. Yeah, and so we're looking
forward to it. We're looking forward to getting back out
(41:47):
in the spring training getting this thing going.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Ye, thank you, David.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Freddie great to see you. Oh man, it's been awesome.
I truly a privilege, really, Freddy, to be around you
and just to see the way you live your life
and the way you go about things really is awesome.
And World Series MVP, I mean, I mean, thirty years
from now, I'll be hosting let's look back at the
twenty twenty four Walker. I might be in the walk
(42:12):
there there, Freddy Sea. Hopefully we'll lose weight by that, Freddy.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
No, I'm not, Freddy, David.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
I love you to Freddy. There he goes Freddy Freeman,
World Series MVP and one of the most iconic Dodgers forever,
not just for the next five years, not just for
the next ten years, but forever in baseball history will
be remembered for that walk off Grand Slam and also
(42:40):
setting World Series records for homering in six consecutive Fall
Classic games, but hitting that home run, walk off Grand
Slam home run will forever be etched in Major League
Baseball history. Whenever they show Kurt Gibson's walk off home
run in nineteen eighty eight, they will have to show
Freddie Freeman's walk off Grand Slam for this generation of
(43:04):
Dodger fans that never got to experience Kirk Gibson's home run.
Freddie Freeman is there, Kirk Gibson, and all season long,
I will never get tired of asking you or listening
to you where you were when Freddie Freeman hit his
walk off Grand Slam. I run into people all the
(43:25):
time and I just say, where were you when Freddie
hit the Slam? And they just their eyes lied up
and they love telling me where they were. So just
a special moment for a special player that is a
baseball nut. This guy, since he was a kid with
his dad, dove into baseball after the passing of his mother,
(43:47):
and the game rewarded Freddie Freeman, no doubt about it.
I know he has special ties to the Braves and
a long career in Atlanta. But sorry, Braves fans, you
won't see as many Braves highlights with Freddie wearing that
uniform as you will seeing Freddie wearing that Dodger uniform
hitting that walk off Grand Slam in Game one of
(44:09):
the twenty twenty four World Series, first ever player to
do so. And man, I could have spent all day
with Freddie. I was thinking about going Chris Farley on Freddie.
I don't know. There's like this glow now around Freddie Freeman.
And that's a good way to end the show. Thank
you to Ronnie Fascio for all his help. Thank you
for the people here at sportsnet LA ste Mitchell first
(44:32):
and foremost for allowing me to crash the party and
host Dodger Talk after a great Access Sportsnet Dodger Show.
We'll be back on TV the next three nights at
six o'clock. And the next time you listen to Dodger
Talk right here on a five to seventy LA Sports
I will be at camel Back Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
(44:54):
Have a great rest of your Monday. We'll see you
tomorrow on Sportsnet LA. Jason Smith on Fox Sports Radio
is next. See ya
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