September 7, 2025 • 37 mins
DV takes your calls after the Dodgers defeat the Orioles, 5-2 to break their 5-game losing streak. Clayton Kershaw talks to the media after winning his 10th game of the season. DV shares his conversation with Buster Olney.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
One thing about this team is the invisible and tangibles
that they have.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This team is really becoming a family. Let's not play
one on two.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Let's I love listening to these guys out to the
show and just thank you, give me are.
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Your attention, your fire a piss. This is world champion, Dodger,
world champion for a.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Small soft time.
Speaker 5 (00:22):
They get a people what they want to.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Die too in a row two is special. I'm like, yeah,
it's not a headache, one of a con.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
This ball's gone. You ready to show he to grab
your phone to get in on the show called eight
six six nine eighty seven two five seven, I'll go
to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
And now your host of Dodger Talk, David Basse.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
The Dodgers snap their five game losing streak with a
five to two win over the Orioles in Baltimore. Welcome
the Dodger Talk. David Vassay with you until three o'clock
this afternoon. You'll hear our full conversation with Sunday Night
Baseball Zone buster Olney. And also we'll head back to
Baltimore to hear from Clayton Kershaw and I firmly believe
(01:14):
Kershaw and O'tani had enough. They willed the Dodgers to
this win today. They saw enough in that ninth inning yesterday.
They both came out on a mission. You could see it.
In the first at bat of the game. Otani was
not smiling. He wasn't doing any of his showmanship stuff.
All he was doing was trying to win the game
(01:36):
and carry that Dodger offense as he did. He was
on base all five times today, including hitting his forty
seventh and forty eighth home runs of the year. He
now is tied with Mookie Bets for the most leadoff
home runs in a single Dodger season, twelve leadoff home
runs for Otani, who now has an ops of over
(01:59):
one thousand again and hitting two seventy nine with forty
eight home runs. How can anybody question how good O'tani
is or what he means to the Dodgers. Could you
imagine taking Otani out of this reeling offense. You gotta
be insane if you're trying to poke holes in show Heyotani.
(02:21):
Muki Betts also continues to be a factor offensively for
the Dodgers. Muki and Otani hit back to back home
runs in the third inning today and since the end
of that long road trip on the East Coast that
ended in Tampa where Sho Heo tar or where Muki
Betts was saying it was in God's hands. Well, Muki
(02:41):
has taken it into his own hands because since then
Muki is hitting three sixteen with five home runs and
fifteen RBIs. Not to mention, he has scored twenty two runs,
so that's a good sign as well. And oh, by
the way, Michael Confordo, who was hitting cleanup the Dodgers today,
was two for four and on base three times, so
(03:04):
a good day all around for the Dodgers. But the
tone was set by Otani and then Kershaw putting up
a zero in the first inning as well set the tone.
Those two guys headed to Cooperstown certainly set the tone
for the Dodgers. And how about Jack Dryer I mentioned yesterday.
Jack Dryer is the one reliever in that bullpen that
(03:25):
I trust the most. And yes he's a rookie, but
by this time of the season, he's not a rookie anymore.
Strikes out the first two batters he faces and left
no drama, no doubt he was gonna close that game.
Picks up his third save of the season, and I
would imagine, you know, forget about contract, forget about salary,
(03:47):
forget about service time for me, Jack Dryer and Alex
Vesia are the two guys that I trust the most
right now with the ball in a critical situation for
the Dodgers. And give just to Robleski some credit today
as well. Came in, followed Kershaw, followed Enriquez, who was
a little shaky and was able to uh pitch the
(04:08):
Dodgers into the ninth inning. So a good job by
the lefties today, Kershaw, Robleski, and Dryer. Speaking of South pause,
let's head back to Baltimore. From here to here from
the best Clayton Kershaw on sports Net l A.
Speaker 6 (04:23):
Look, when when you struggle, it's it's not fun, you know,
and it just seems like any anything that can happen happens.
And it's the same thing when you're winning. It feels
like you can't do anything wrong and you're gonna win
every game you play. So it's hard to break those cycles,
one way or the other. So obviously, Yama's performance last
night was incredible, tough obviously tough one last night, but
(04:46):
everybody came in here with a good, good mindset. Everybody
came in here ready to win a game today, and
that's really all you can do. Just keep showing up,
keep going on the field, keep playing, and we're too
good for it not to turn around. And just kind
of a complete performance today by everybody and got the win, eat.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Strikeouts and quite a few just looking what does that
say to you? Just kind of asked how your stuff
is playing in this one? Yeah, you know, I wanted
to get through Stix there.
Speaker 6 (05:14):
I made two bad pitches there, the last two sliders,
So frustrated not to get out of there that, But yeah,
I thought overall it was it was a decent day
stuff wise, and you know, guys in the back of
the pen picks me up and Driekue's getting the last
out of that ending, and then Robo pitched awesome today,
so that was awesome to see. Those were a huge
(05:34):
two innings for us, and then you know, Jack closing
it out was great, So a good momentum for us
going back home.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
You guys haven't had a ton of stretches like this,
you know Montion in the last however many years, and
then especially coming off the game like last night, like,
how tough is it to navigate and to be able
to kind of bounce back from something like last night
and be together a complete game.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah, we don't. We don't lose a whole lot around here, so.
Speaker 6 (06:00):
Something to get used to, obviously, but when it does happen,
you know, baseball is not as much fun. So you
got to you gotta get to come to the field
ready to work or ready to get going, and then
you know you can't, can't dwell on it, and you
just got to get here start a new day. It's
a great thing about baseball, and the hardest thing about
baseball is that you play every day. You know, so
(06:20):
new opportunity every day, and sometimes it's hard, but that's
why not everybody plays it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
You gotta put on your big boy pants, go play.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
There you go. Clayton Kershaw put on his big boy
pants and has had him on for the last eighteen seasons.
He set the tone. As I said last night, he
is the right guy to have on the mound today
because he is not going to accept anything less than
having your full focus and intensity for a game. He
(06:50):
just has that knack since he started pitching, and especially
since he started to come into his own in O
nine and ten, especially when he's on the mound, he
is so intense. His preparation is so detailed and he
pours everything into it that if you're playing behind him,
you have to have that accountability to be able to
(07:13):
bring it as well. And I think you know Otani,
for all we talk about, is a very observant guy.
He understood what was at stake today. He too, like
I mentioned, probably this side of Yamamoto, the most disappointed
and frustrated player in that Dodger clubhouse that he did
(07:33):
not get the win and he did not get the
no hitter. So those two guys willed the Dodgers today
to a five to two win and snapped their five
game losing streak. Eight six six nine, eight seven two
five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to
the phones for the first time today. Let's go out
to Walton in Los Felis. You're on Dodger Talk with
(07:55):
David vasse Hi Walton.
Speaker 7 (07:58):
Try Dave, thanks for taking my call, my pleasure. Well,
I was calling up because I had a story for
you about where I was for the Game one World
Series win last year.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Oh, Freddy's walk off Grand Slam. All right, let's keep
the good vibes rolling.
Speaker 7 (08:14):
Yep, yeah, I think it's worth doing. On a Sunday afternoon,
we had made plans about two months before the World
Series to be in New York City, not knowing if
the Dodgers. Well, yeah, we had a friend who's daughter's
putting on a stage play there and so we wanted
to go there and support her. And actually she does
(08:35):
really good work too, So we went ahead and made
the plans, bought the plane tickets. That's right, New York City,
And so then when the Dodgers were going to go
to the World Series, it seemed kind of like a
bitter irony because we flew out there on the day
of Game one. But my wife, being the genius that
she is, marrying her was one of the best things
(08:57):
they ever did. Please don't tell her that, keep it
between us. But she found us a hotel or was
she Actually she found a Dodger bar in the section
of the city that we were staying and like walking
distance away. So we landed, checked in, walked to the bar,
got there about an hour and a half before game time,
(09:20):
so we got a seat. But it was a giant
place on Saint Mark's that was covered in Dodger and memorabilia.
Everyone there is in gear, and you know, when that
extra innings Grant walk off home run happened, the place
just absolutely exploded. And we left about an hour afterwards,
(09:42):
and it was still raging because we had we need
to get to bed.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Yeah, that's great that you were in New York when
that happened. And I'm sure the rest of the city
was pretty quiet after after that first game.
Speaker 7 (09:57):
You know, I gotta say we walked around a little
bit more that night and then all the next day,
and I was wearing my Dodger hat and I got
maybe two at the Dodgers, but I got like about
five Go Dodgers from random strangers. You know, most of
them were wearing met hats.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I think.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Okay, all right, Walton, that's a great story. Thank you
for sharing where you were when Freddie Freeman hit his
walk off Grand Slam, and hopefully more uh more good
times in October for the Dodgers. Eight six six, nine
eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers
beat the Orioles today five to two in Baltimore. Let's
go out to the OC Dominic. You're on Dodger Talk.
(10:37):
How you doing, Dominic?
Speaker 8 (10:40):
Oh my god, I have so much adrenaline right now.
I am so happy that.
Speaker 7 (10:43):
The Dodgers won.
Speaker 8 (10:46):
I wasn't able to call in yesterday, but I was listening,
and I just want to say, this was a complete
turnaround of emotions this week after what happened yesterday, and
we could have sealed the deal yesterday with Yamamoto. I
felt so bad for him. But I will say that
I did overhear you yesterday saying that yesterday was not
(11:06):
the worst game. It was that Pittsburgh game, and I
do agree to an extent.
Speaker 9 (11:13):
I will say, look, look, I don't.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Want to get into what was the worst loss in
Dodger regular season history. I'm not going to go down
that road. I'm not going to debate it. I mean,
that's a loser mentality to debate what is the worst loss.
I understand there's been home runs hit against the Dodgers
by the Giants on the final day of the regular season.
I understand all of that, But when we're talking about
(11:37):
a no hitter in the ninth inning or the tenth inning,
there are parallels between what happened last night and what
happened with Rich Hill in the tenth inning in Pittsburgh.
So if you're calling in to debate what you believe
is the worst loss in regular season Dodger history, I'm
not up for that. I'm sorry. I'm not going to
do that. Yeah, I'm not going to do it.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Though.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
I wasn't debating on you. I didn't want you to
get I was. I was not looking for a debate here.
I just I just wanted to say I agreed with you.
Speaker 10 (12:11):
It was well, all right, now.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
You can stand a little longer if you agree with me.
Speaker 9 (12:15):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
I'm just kidding, because I was getting messages on Uh
on Twitter like oh, that wasn't the worst loss in
Dodger his It's like, okay, we get it. It was
a bad one, all right, it was a really bad one.
I'm not going to debate which is the worst, but okay, yeah,
But honestly, Dominic, everybody has such a short memory, and
you're so much into the moment. I did live something
(12:42):
similar to what we lived last night. Obviously not as
traumatic as that, but almost Rich Hill had it in
his hands. That's the biggest difference. Yamamoto, UH did not,
but I mean very very similar endings and uh so, yeah,
it's happened in the last ten years since we've all
been alive.
Speaker 8 (13:02):
No, I agree. And the thing is is, I felt
like yesterday we were all in that in that moment.
And the thing is is, yeah we did, you know,
we were just short tempered with it, and I feel
like we were all embracing the Tommula Sorda mind, all
short minded and just oh my god, it's just oh.
But the thing is is, uh yeah, That's that's why
I didn't even I didn't even bother looking at Twitter
(13:23):
yesterday because I just I just was, I was I
wasn't gonna go there. I just was not going to
go there.
Speaker 9 (13:27):
I just was like, you know what, just shut all
the social.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
Media off and I and you know, and I also
have some Padre Padres fans in my family until they
were just messaging me and going nuthing like.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
You know what, dominated man, you got a lot of
people around you that know how to set you off.
I'm glad we're here for you. Call in any time.
Speaker 10 (13:45):
No, yeah, absolutely, And that's why you know, I I
you know, and that's why I'm nicknamed Tommula sorta in
my family because I you know, they know how to
do that, and so I had to shut this phone
off yesterday and I just wasn't going to deal with that.
So uh but yeah, no, I'm just happy that we
won to day, honestly because what you know, it was
from what happened yesterday, and you know, we won today.
(14:08):
And so the thing is is we didn't get a sweep.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
They didn't sweep us.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
And that's the thing is that they did not sweep us.
And I was, oh man, I was, I was.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
I was.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
The Dodgers needed to win Dominic for sure, thank you
for the phone call. And they come home now to
face the Rockies for three games. They got to keep
this going and not get too far ahead of themselves
because they need to beat the Rockies, not twice. They
need to beat them three times and go into San
Francisco with some confidence again about themselves. Because the Dodgers,
(14:40):
these group of guys are not used to losing these
many games in a row, not losing this many times.
I mean, if you look at what's taken place since
the All Star Break, they've lost more games than they've won.
These group of players are not used to it. You
heard what Kershaw had to say. There's not a lot
of losing around here, so they they've got to put
on as he said as well, they're big boy pants,
(15:03):
pull themselves up, find a way out of adversity. And
how about this for an idea, how about work your
way out of it. How about have the focus and
not just think you could show up or think you
hit a home run and stand there and watch it.
How about that? How about that have a different way
of going about playing the game. Nobody's doubting how much
(15:25):
effort they put in before the game as far as
taking ground balls, batting practice. How about when the bell
rings don't be out of gas and still go as
hard as you did your first year in the major leagues,
when you weren't just standing there admiring home runs and
you know, Mookie Betts standing there and watching that single
(15:46):
off the wall in left field inexcusable. How can you
have the credibility to go to Dalton rushing when you're
doing the same thing. And what was Otani doing? Otani
should have been at third, if not scoring. Those are
the things that have led to the Dodgers being in
this situation. Yes, they won the game, but those are
(16:09):
the things that cause you to lose games. Eight six, six, nine,
eighty seven, two, five seventy is the phone number Jack Dryer.
Like I mentioned earlier, I trust him more than any
other Dodger reliever right now. And if you had to
rank your four Dodger relievers that you trust right now,
(16:29):
my list would start with Jack Dryer. Alex Vesia is
going to be activated for tomorrow night's game, he would
be one B. And then I would say Michael Kopek.
He hasn't pitched a lot this year, and from what
we saw one outing, I'm gonna put him in the four,
especially after what he did last year. I'm still gonna
have Blake Trining in my four. And you know who
(16:52):
I'm gonna have as my fifth number seventeen. In the postseason,
Shoe a Otani, I guarantee you will close out one
of the Dodger postseason games and a postseason series before
it's all said and done. Let's go out to San Diego. Owen,
you're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi.
Speaker 9 (17:12):
Owen, Hi, David, So, I want to say I think
Tander Scott should only be a mop up guy. Until
further notice, until he can prove that he can pitch
and high leverage again.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Well, he has been three straight saves. He has blown
three straight saves. Will Smith saved the Dodgers with a
walk off home run before they left for the road trips.
So he has blown three straight saves, and I would
bring him in exclusively the face lefties right now.
Speaker 9 (17:42):
Okay, And my other point is so twenty twenty was
the first time I saw World Series in my lifetime,
and then twenty twenty four was the first time I
saw a full season World Series, So I always felt
like the Dodgers had something to prove. Now it's been
a long time since the Dodgers have been losers, but
I just feel like the intensity is not one hundred
percent there. So maybe the Dodgers need to be losers
(18:05):
in twenty twenty five so they can be fired up coming.
It's a twenty five.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
How can you be a loser? You're seventy nine and
sixty four. Do you want to know what a loser is?
It's the Orioles sixty six and seventy seven. How about
the Pirates sixty four and eighty those are losers? How
about the White socks fifty five and eighty nine. I
think you need to redefine what you believe is a
(18:29):
winner and what is a loser. You sound like a
spoiled Dodger fan that everybody resents. You're the type of
fan everybody resents.
Speaker 9 (18:38):
Yeah, I guys, I'm a young Dodger fan, so I've
only seen winning since Like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Well you're seeing winning right now. They're going to the playoffs. Yeah,
and they're going to win their division. All right, thank
you for the phone call on Wow. Yeah, I guess
they call that a silver spooner fan if that's all
you've seen. And look, that's standard the Dodgers have set
for themselves. They have set these type of expectations and
(19:07):
no apologies for it. I'd rather have these expectations than having,
you know, the underdog expectation. You know, I would rather
be the Dodgers than the Padres. Over the last five years,
how do you think Padres fans feel? Owen in San Diego.
I mean, take a step back and understand what's going
on here. The Dodgers, for the last fourteen seasons have
(19:29):
won more than any other team in Major League Baseball.
They have two World Series titles in the last five years.
They have a chance to do something no team has
done in the last twenty five years, and that's to
win back to back World Series championships. And they still
have that opportunity. It's not like they're on the outside
(19:51):
looking into the playoff picture, but it is a very
precarious playoff spot they're in right now because the Diamondback
and Giants have taken advantage of the Dodgers and Padres slumping,
and the Mets, for that matter, the Mets are barely
holding on right now. The Mets lost again and they
(20:13):
are now holding on to a four game lead over
the Diamondbacks for the last wildcard spot in the National League.
It's really starting to tighten up. Reds, Diamondbacks, Giants all
four games back of the last wildcard spot with nineteen
to go. And speaking of the Giants, the Dodgers have
(20:36):
seven of their last nineteen games remaining against San Francisco
beginning next Friday night up at Oracle Park. So it's
not I mean, this is this race is not over
by a long shot, and I hope the Dodgers realize
that that's why winning those three games against the Rockies
when they return home starting tomorrow night. Are so important
(21:00):
taking two out of three but a sweep. Let's go
out to Eugene, Oregon. Tom, you're on Dodger Talk with
David vasse Hi. Tom.
Speaker 7 (21:09):
Hey, David, how you doing, brother?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
I'm doing great, Tom, David.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
You know, I just wanted to call and just compliment
Clayton Kershaw for showing up again and righting the ship.
I mean, it is truly a blessing to have somebody
in his I believe eighteenth season that goes out there
and competes every pitch and is a model for the
rest of the Dodgers. When we talk about intensity and passion,
(21:35):
it's on full display every time that man steps up
on the mound. Doesn't have what he had fifteen years ago,
but he goes out there he expects to win, and
I think the rest of the team needs to start
thinking about that and looking to him, you know, as
their model for competing the rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I agree they got to take on his personality, what
makes him special, and not take anything for granted. That's Kersher.
He doesn't take anything for granted, and all he cares
about is the next pitch he is going to make.
Thanks for the phone call, Tom, great phone call. We're
gonna take a time out here on Dodger Talk when
we continue more of your calls at eight sixty six
(22:14):
nine eighty seven, two five seventy, and you'll also hear
our full conversation with Sunday Night Baseball Zone Buster. Only
a little context for everybody when it comes to the
Dodgers navigating this one hundred and sixty two game marathon
and putting themselves in position for a back to back
World Series title. Dodgers get the win today in Baltimore
(22:37):
behind Otani and Kershaw, five to two on AM five
to seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
On air at AM five seventy, online at amfive seventy
LA Sports dot com, and available by podcast on the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
This is Dodger Talk with David Bassett. Two Oh pinch
I has swung on and hammered the center failed. As
Paul heading back, it is God, It's gone again. Showtime
in Baltimore for the second time today.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
As Otani has taken Sugano deep twice.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
It is too nothing show Haotani doing show Hao Tani
things in Baltimore today. His best game in quite some
time on base all five times today homers twice to
lead the Dodgers offense to a five to two win
over the Orioles. Daniel Steelers presents the home run Forecast.
(23:37):
Go to AM five seventy lasports dot com keyword home
run for your chance to win a fifty dollar Daniel
Steweler's gift card predicting the number of home runs in
the very next game. Daniel Stewelers own the Dream. All right,
we had a chance to catch up with Sunday Night
Baseball's Buster Only. He covered the Yankees back when they
(23:59):
were winning in their dynasty, Jeter Pisada, Bernie Williams. He
wrote a great book that I still love reading and referencing,
and that is the Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty.
If you have not read that book, I strongly recommend it.
And also he was a beat writer for the Baltimore
(24:20):
Sun in nineteen ninety five when Cal Ripkin Junior broke
Lou Garrig streak. So it was a great Sunday to
catch up with Buster Only.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Mister Bessy, it's great to talk with you, and thank
you for doing the introduction without taking a cheap shot
at my home state Atmont. This is like the first
time ever.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Well, now you let me know you're a Vikings fan,
So now I have more ammunition to torture you over
the coming years.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Yeah, you don't need to torture me being a Vikings fan.
That's inherent. It's redundant to say that if I'm a
Vikings fan, I'm already tortured.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Yeah, that's true. That's true. Buster. I thought about you
this weekend for a number of different reasons. First and foremost,
you covered the Yankees and wrote one of my favorite books,
kind of just chronicling that era of Yankee baseball. The
Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty is one of my
favorite books. And since the Dodgers are trying to do
(25:18):
something that hasn't been done since those Yankees twenty five
years ago, I thought maybe you would have good perspective
on what Dodger fans should be feeling in a regular
season that has left them wanting more. Did the Yankees
leave their fans going into any one of their championships
wanting more and making them a little nervous going into
(25:39):
the postseason?
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Oh my god, Yes, no doubt about it. You know,
the ninety eight team was extraordinary in one one hundred
and twenty five games regular season, postseason combined, and except
for one I think moment of real anxiety during the
playoffs in the American League Champion Series. They rolled through,
(26:02):
but in ninety nine, in two thousand and two thousand
and one, when they were trying to repeat his champions
the regular season became really hard for that team increasingly
year by year. I think in part human nature, they
got a little bored during the course of the year,
you know, to the points that Joe Torre at one
point during a team meeting yelled at him and said, look,
(26:24):
you can't turn it on and off like a light switch.
And so yeah, I mean, there definitely were moments of anxiety,
and I certainly have thought about that, you know, watching
this Dodger team, because pushing that rock up the hill
every year becomes more and more difficult, especially I think
for older players. But I had an executive with another
(26:45):
team say to me earlier this year, at some point
he thinks the Dodger DNA will kick in and they'll
focus when the game's become more meaningful. And so I
think absolutely, if you're a Dodger fan, you can learn
something from the Yankee teams in the late nineties because
they did get hard.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Yeah, it certainly feels like there's been a lot of
talk about the Dodgers have a losing record against losing
teams in their last twenty matchups. Yeah, I don't know
if that's basically the teams bringing their World Series game
while the Dodgers are saying, ho hum, we got the
bigger picture in mind.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I think it absolutely is that. And you know, those
Yankee teams that I covered, you know, if you put
the Red Sox in front of them, if you put
the Cleveland Indians at that time, you know, one of
the best American League teams in front of them, the
Yankees would bring their a game and they would play
so focused. But if you put in ninety nine or
(27:43):
two thousand and one a team like Tampa Bay in
front of them, if you put Kansas City in front
of them, then it became a problem. And as I say,
that's that's where I really learned. That was from watching
that team. And look, I really don't say that as
a criticism. I think anybody who had as a job
can relate to this. That over the course of a
(28:03):
you know, a year, you're gonna have periods where y're
you're not as engaged, you're not as focused, you're not
as uh, you know, as locked in as you are
at other times during the course of the year. And
that's what happens. It's it's absolutely human nature.
Speaker 10 (28:19):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
And I think that's what the Dodgers have been dealing
with this year, to the point that I almost laugh
at myself, the idea that the even engaging in the
conversation about whether or not the team would win one
hundred and twenty games.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Yeah, I thought that was a little much at the
beginning of the season because that's never been their goal
as an organization.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
No. No, And I think I mean, and you know
this better than I do, because you're around the team.
I think the front of office, I think the coaching staff,
they focus on the big picture. They focus on October,
you know, to the point that I mean people with
other teams that believe that the Dodgers have essentially, you know,
made a habit of giving their starting pitchers periods of
(28:59):
rest during the courses because they know they have to
they're going to be meaningful games in October and they
need to have the guys ready for them.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Buster Olney is joining us from ESPN, and Buster, I
got to ask you, with all that being said, do
you feel like the Dodgers are in a position to
make another run to get to the World Series and
get through the National League, even if they have to
play that Wildcard series. How do you look at the Dodgers?
You know, just being detached from the day to.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Day their experience, the star power on the roster is
going to make them very dangerous. They absolutely could. Here's
the other thing too, It's not as if we're looking at,
you know, a group of teams and saying, boy, those
are great teams that absolutely cut up end the Dodgers.
You know, the Phillies just lost Zach Wheeler, who is
their ace, their aircraft carrier. That's a huge blow for
(29:51):
that team. The Brewers are really good. They've had a
lot of injuries late and as you know that, they've
scuffled a little bit lately because of those In part
because of those injuries, you know, the Mets are dealing
with all kinds of issues with their starting rotation. San
Diego just lost to Jason Adam, who was arguably their
best relief pitcher.
Speaker 9 (30:11):
He's out.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
That's something that they have to overcome. And if you
look at the American League, it feels completely wide open,
with the National League being a better league this year
than the American League. So yeah, they could the Dodgers
DNA kick in and they rolled through October. As the
executive suggested to me, no question about it.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Buster one bringing some calm to the storms in Los Angeles.
And Buster, we know you as the man on Sunday
Night Baseball, one of the best national voices in the game.
But it all started as a beat writer and thirty
years ago you were writing for the Baltimore Sun covering
(30:53):
Cal Ripken and the Orioles as he was getting closer
and eventually broke Lou Garrigs all time game streak. They
are celebrating him tomorrow in Baltimore on the anniversary. What
do you remember most about that game and that season
leading up to.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
It, How important that was for baseball at the time, because,
as you know, you know, the context was that baseball
was coming off the labor strife that cost it the
ninety four World Series and the beginning of the ninety
five season, and there are a lot of fans who
are really angry. Cow was a great figure of credibility
(31:32):
for the sport, and he handled that moment so well.
You know, going everywhere that the Orioles traveled, he met
with reporters, he talked about baseball. He treated it, as
he said, like a celebration of baseball. You know, at
the All Star Game that year it is in Texas,
and he signed autographs for hours after Orioles games and
(31:53):
this is like, you know, he would go and he
didn't do this every night, but he I want to
say he did it four or five times during the
course of the summer. You know, after an Orioles game
was over, he'd go back in, have a vit, come
back out, have a towel over shoulder, and sign autographs
for two hours. I mean, he was phenomenal in how
he represented the sport at that time. You know, people
(32:15):
have said that the ninety eight home run chase between
Mark McGuire and Sammy's Sosis saved baseball. That's wildly overstated.
Cal Ripkin was the one who started the healing for
baseball after the players strike nineteen ninety five, and it's
part of the reason why that year. You know, when
I turned in my MVP ballot, I gave him a
(32:35):
tenth place vote, not because he was one of the
ten best players, but because of how important he was
to baseball at that time.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Isn't it incredible? Buster Thirty years ago, we're celebrating a
guy for doing what he did to play all these
games consecutively and never miss a day. And now we're
in the era of load management. Even in baseball, not
just the NBA, but even in Major League Baseball. Load
management seems to be part of the norm.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
That's exactly right, and you could have even in situations
when players are telling their teams, look, I'm good to go,
most teams will still rest the guy. As you know.
You know, the longest streak right now is Matt Olsen,
who plays the Atlanta Braves. He's not even a third
of the way to Cal's record of twenty six hundred
and thirty two consecutive games.
Speaker 7 (33:21):
And you know this too.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
In some respects, I think Cal contributed to to ending
any chance anybody comes close to that record again, because
there was a perception that as that streak went on
and on and on, that he had more power than
the organization. In twenty twenty five, that would never happen,
(33:45):
and so you know, it's it's part of that when
people talk about unbreakable records. You know Cy Young's five
hundred and eleven wins, you know, it is certainly one
that you look at that'll never happen again. We wonder
if anyone's going to hit four hundred again. No will
come within a billion miles of Cal's record of consecutive
games of two six hundred and thirty two.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Buster, great perspective on both topics, because people are freaking
out in LA.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Well, I appreciate that, and I totally get it. Look,
I mean Yankee fans, you know, they're they they always
believe if they lose, you know, two games in a row,
it's kind of panic. And I think that, you know,
once you start winning championships, the level of expectation grows.
So I totally get where you're coming from.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
Hey, Buster, one more for you. Going back to that
two thousand Yankees World Series. I was told that Joe Tory,
out of loyalty to David Kohane, who was in the
twilight of his career, put him on the World Series
roster to face one right handed hitter, and that was
Mike Piazza. He struck him out. Do you feel like
the Dodgers are at the same juncture with Kershaw? How
(34:56):
do you think Kershaw fits in the postseason?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Think you absolutely would be comfortable giving him the ball. Look,
and you're right. Two thousand and David Cohne was one
of the best teammates that I covered. He really struggled
that year and he limped to the finish line and
he was called on in you know, the last game
of the World Series to face Mike Piazza. He gets
him on a flyout, you know, and Cony knows this,
(35:21):
you know, Joe Torrey has so much trust in him.
With Kershaw, it's different because he's still a really good picture.
You know. The funny thing about Clayton and you know
this better than I do. And I had this conversation
with Dave Roberts. I think he's having more fun now
than at any point in his career, Like he's really
enjoying this. And the other thing, too, is about Clayton.
And I learned this from covering Jamie Moyer. You know
(35:42):
who would beat hitters throwing eighty one while throwing eighty
one miles an hour. Clayton, I think has this great
picture arrogance that he's gonna be Greg Maddox had it
as well, where he believes he's going to use a
hitter's aggressiveness against them, And I still think with his repertoire,
his knowledge and that pitcher arrogance, I still think he
(36:03):
thinks he believes he can find a way to get
hitters out. That was not where David Cohne was for
most of the two thousand season.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
So you believe that Clayton Kershaw will make a start
for the Dodgers in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
I think he will, and I'll tell you why, because
I think they've got other guys in that rotation who
are more pliable and might be better suited for the
bullpen than Clayton is.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
All right, thank you, Buster, I really tapped into you
no Sunday Night Baseball this weekend, but we'll get back
at it next Sunday on ESPN. Great to have Buster
Onney on Dodger Talk. Thanks a lot for the time, Buster,
and can't wait to see you back in La soon.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Yeah, David, all kidding aside, I always love talking with you.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Great perspective from Buster, only awesome stuff, and that's the
reason why we had him on the show because not
only did he witness the dynasty of the Yankees and
how they handled regular seasons after two three championships, but
also work for the Baltimore Sun when Cal Ripkin Junior
broke Lou Garrigs records, so awesome, awesome to have them
(37:03):
on No Sunday Night Baseball. So that was your Buster
flavor for this Sunday. Coming up tomorrow, the Dodgers will
be back home to take on the Rockies a short
three game homestand before the Dodgers head to San Francisco
to take on the streaking Giants Morongo Casino. Dodgers on
Deck begins at six o'clock tomorrow, with first pitch at
(37:24):
seven to ten. Thanks to Dwayne McDonald back in Baltimore,
thanks to Colin Yee here at our burd Banks Studios,
and thanks to you for listening. In case you missed
any of the show, you can find it on the
iHeartRadio app. Once again. The final score in Baltimore, the
Dodgers snap their five game losing streak with a five
to two win. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Have a
(37:45):
great rest of your Sunday. See Yu first time
One thing about this team is the invisible and tangibles
that they have.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This team is really becoming a family. Let's not play
one on two.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Let's I love listening to these guys out to the
show and just thank you, give me are.
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Your attention, your fire a piss. This is world champion, Dodger,
world champion for a.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Small soft time.
Speaker 5 (00:22):
They get a people what they want to.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Die too in a row two is special. I'm like, yeah,
it's not a headache, one of a con.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
This ball's gone. You ready to show he to grab
your phone to get in on the show called eight
six six nine eighty seven two five seven, I'll go
to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
And now your host of Dodger Talk, David Basse.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
The Dodgers snap their five game losing streak with a
five to two win over the Orioles in Baltimore. Welcome
the Dodger Talk. David Vassay with you until three o'clock
this afternoon. You'll hear our full conversation with Sunday Night
Baseball Zone buster Olney. And also we'll head back to
Baltimore to hear from Clayton Kershaw and I firmly believe
(01:14):
Kershaw and O'tani had enough. They willed the Dodgers to
this win today. They saw enough in that ninth inning yesterday.
They both came out on a mission. You could see it.
In the first at bat of the game. Otani was
not smiling. He wasn't doing any of his showmanship stuff.
All he was doing was trying to win the game
(01:36):
and carry that Dodger offense as he did. He was
on base all five times today, including hitting his forty
seventh and forty eighth home runs of the year. He
now is tied with Mookie Bets for the most leadoff
home runs in a single Dodger season, twelve leadoff home
runs for Otani, who now has an ops of over
(01:59):
one thousand again and hitting two seventy nine with forty
eight home runs. How can anybody question how good O'tani
is or what he means to the Dodgers. Could you
imagine taking Otani out of this reeling offense. You gotta
be insane if you're trying to poke holes in show Heyotani.
(02:21):
Muki Betts also continues to be a factor offensively for
the Dodgers. Muki and Otani hit back to back home
runs in the third inning today and since the end
of that long road trip on the East Coast that
ended in Tampa where Sho Heo tar or where Muki
Betts was saying it was in God's hands. Well, Muki
(02:41):
has taken it into his own hands because since then
Muki is hitting three sixteen with five home runs and
fifteen RBIs. Not to mention, he has scored twenty two runs,
so that's a good sign as well. And oh, by
the way, Michael Confordo, who was hitting cleanup the Dodgers today,
was two for four and on base three times, so
(03:04):
a good day all around for the Dodgers. But the
tone was set by Otani and then Kershaw putting up
a zero in the first inning as well set the tone.
Those two guys headed to Cooperstown certainly set the tone
for the Dodgers. And how about Jack Dryer I mentioned yesterday.
Jack Dryer is the one reliever in that bullpen that
(03:25):
I trust the most. And yes he's a rookie, but
by this time of the season, he's not a rookie anymore.
Strikes out the first two batters he faces and left
no drama, no doubt he was gonna close that game.
Picks up his third save of the season, and I
would imagine, you know, forget about contract, forget about salary,
(03:47):
forget about service time for me, Jack Dryer and Alex
Vesia are the two guys that I trust the most
right now with the ball in a critical situation for
the Dodgers. And give just to Robleski some credit today
as well. Came in, followed Kershaw, followed Enriquez, who was
a little shaky and was able to uh pitch the
(04:08):
Dodgers into the ninth inning. So a good job by
the lefties today, Kershaw, Robleski, and Dryer. Speaking of South pause,
let's head back to Baltimore. From here to here from
the best Clayton Kershaw on sports Net l A.
Speaker 6 (04:23):
Look, when when you struggle, it's it's not fun, you know,
and it just seems like any anything that can happen happens.
And it's the same thing when you're winning. It feels
like you can't do anything wrong and you're gonna win
every game you play. So it's hard to break those cycles,
one way or the other. So obviously, Yama's performance last
night was incredible, tough obviously tough one last night, but
(04:46):
everybody came in here with a good, good mindset. Everybody
came in here ready to win a game today, and
that's really all you can do. Just keep showing up,
keep going on the field, keep playing, and we're too
good for it not to turn around. And just kind
of a complete performance today by everybody and got the win, eat.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Strikeouts and quite a few just looking what does that
say to you? Just kind of asked how your stuff
is playing in this one? Yeah, you know, I wanted
to get through Stix there.
Speaker 6 (05:14):
I made two bad pitches there, the last two sliders,
So frustrated not to get out of there that, But yeah,
I thought overall it was it was a decent day
stuff wise, and you know, guys in the back of
the pen picks me up and Driekue's getting the last
out of that ending, and then Robo pitched awesome today,
so that was awesome to see. Those were a huge
(05:34):
two innings for us, and then you know, Jack closing
it out was great, So a good momentum for us
going back home.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
You guys haven't had a ton of stretches like this,
you know Montion in the last however many years, and
then especially coming off the game like last night, like,
how tough is it to navigate and to be able
to kind of bounce back from something like last night
and be together a complete game.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah, we don't. We don't lose a whole lot around here, so.
Speaker 6 (06:00):
Something to get used to, obviously, but when it does happen,
you know, baseball is not as much fun. So you
got to you gotta get to come to the field
ready to work or ready to get going, and then
you know you can't, can't dwell on it, and you
just got to get here start a new day. It's
a great thing about baseball, and the hardest thing about
baseball is that you play every day. You know, so
(06:20):
new opportunity every day, and sometimes it's hard, but that's
why not everybody plays it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
You gotta put on your big boy pants, go play.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
There you go. Clayton Kershaw put on his big boy
pants and has had him on for the last eighteen seasons.
He set the tone. As I said last night, he
is the right guy to have on the mound today
because he is not going to accept anything less than
having your full focus and intensity for a game. He
(06:50):
just has that knack since he started pitching, and especially
since he started to come into his own in O
nine and ten, especially when he's on the mound, he
is so intense. His preparation is so detailed and he
pours everything into it that if you're playing behind him,
you have to have that accountability to be able to
(07:13):
bring it as well. And I think you know Otani,
for all we talk about, is a very observant guy.
He understood what was at stake today. He too, like
I mentioned, probably this side of Yamamoto, the most disappointed
and frustrated player in that Dodger clubhouse that he did
(07:33):
not get the win and he did not get the
no hitter. So those two guys willed the Dodgers today
to a five to two win and snapped their five
game losing streak. Eight six six nine, eight seven two
five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to
the phones for the first time today. Let's go out
to Walton in Los Felis. You're on Dodger Talk with
(07:55):
David vasse Hi Walton.
Speaker 7 (07:58):
Try Dave, thanks for taking my call, my pleasure. Well,
I was calling up because I had a story for
you about where I was for the Game one World
Series win last year.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Oh, Freddy's walk off Grand Slam. All right, let's keep
the good vibes rolling.
Speaker 7 (08:14):
Yep, yeah, I think it's worth doing. On a Sunday afternoon,
we had made plans about two months before the World
Series to be in New York City, not knowing if
the Dodgers. Well, yeah, we had a friend who's daughter's
putting on a stage play there and so we wanted
to go there and support her. And actually she does
(08:35):
really good work too, So we went ahead and made
the plans, bought the plane tickets. That's right, New York City,
And so then when the Dodgers were going to go
to the World Series, it seemed kind of like a
bitter irony because we flew out there on the day
of Game one. But my wife, being the genius that
she is, marrying her was one of the best things
(08:57):
they ever did. Please don't tell her that, keep it
between us. But she found us a hotel or was
she Actually she found a Dodger bar in the section
of the city that we were staying and like walking
distance away. So we landed, checked in, walked to the bar,
got there about an hour and a half before game time,
(09:20):
so we got a seat. But it was a giant
place on Saint Mark's that was covered in Dodger and memorabilia.
Everyone there is in gear, and you know, when that
extra innings Grant walk off home run happened, the place
just absolutely exploded. And we left about an hour afterwards,
(09:42):
and it was still raging because we had we need
to get to bed.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Yeah, that's great that you were in New York when
that happened. And I'm sure the rest of the city
was pretty quiet after after that first game.
Speaker 7 (09:57):
You know, I gotta say we walked around a little
bit more that night and then all the next day,
and I was wearing my Dodger hat and I got
maybe two at the Dodgers, but I got like about
five Go Dodgers from random strangers. You know, most of
them were wearing met hats.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I think.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Okay, all right, Walton, that's a great story. Thank you
for sharing where you were when Freddie Freeman hit his
walk off Grand Slam, and hopefully more uh more good
times in October for the Dodgers. Eight six six, nine
eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers
beat the Orioles today five to two in Baltimore. Let's
go out to the OC Dominic. You're on Dodger Talk.
(10:37):
How you doing, Dominic?
Speaker 8 (10:40):
Oh my god, I have so much adrenaline right now.
I am so happy that.
Speaker 7 (10:43):
The Dodgers won.
Speaker 8 (10:46):
I wasn't able to call in yesterday, but I was listening,
and I just want to say, this was a complete
turnaround of emotions this week after what happened yesterday, and
we could have sealed the deal yesterday with Yamamoto. I
felt so bad for him. But I will say that
I did overhear you yesterday saying that yesterday was not
(11:06):
the worst game. It was that Pittsburgh game, and I
do agree to an extent.
Speaker 9 (11:13):
I will say, look, look, I don't.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Want to get into what was the worst loss in
Dodger regular season history. I'm not going to go down
that road. I'm not going to debate it. I mean,
that's a loser mentality to debate what is the worst loss.
I understand there's been home runs hit against the Dodgers
by the Giants on the final day of the regular season.
I understand all of that, But when we're talking about
(11:37):
a no hitter in the ninth inning or the tenth inning,
there are parallels between what happened last night and what
happened with Rich Hill in the tenth inning in Pittsburgh.
So if you're calling in to debate what you believe
is the worst loss in regular season Dodger history, I'm
not up for that. I'm sorry. I'm not going to
do that. Yeah, I'm not going to do it.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Though.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
I wasn't debating on you. I didn't want you to
get I was. I was not looking for a debate here.
I just I just wanted to say I agreed with you.
Speaker 10 (12:11):
It was well, all right, now.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
You can stand a little longer if you agree with me.
Speaker 9 (12:15):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
I'm just kidding, because I was getting messages on Uh
on Twitter like oh, that wasn't the worst loss in
Dodger his It's like, okay, we get it. It was
a bad one, all right, it was a really bad one.
I'm not going to debate which is the worst, but okay, yeah,
But honestly, Dominic, everybody has such a short memory, and
you're so much into the moment. I did live something
(12:42):
similar to what we lived last night. Obviously not as
traumatic as that, but almost Rich Hill had it in
his hands. That's the biggest difference. Yamamoto, UH did not,
but I mean very very similar endings and uh so, yeah,
it's happened in the last ten years since we've all
been alive.
Speaker 8 (13:02):
No, I agree. And the thing is is, I felt
like yesterday we were all in that in that moment.
And the thing is is, yeah we did, you know,
we were just short tempered with it, and I feel
like we were all embracing the Tommula Sorda mind, all
short minded and just oh my god, it's just oh.
But the thing is is, uh yeah, That's that's why
I didn't even I didn't even bother looking at Twitter
(13:23):
yesterday because I just I just was, I was I
wasn't gonna go there. I just was not going to
go there.
Speaker 9 (13:27):
I just was like, you know what, just shut all
the social.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
Media off and I and you know, and I also
have some Padre Padres fans in my family until they
were just messaging me and going nuthing like.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
You know what, dominated man, you got a lot of
people around you that know how to set you off.
I'm glad we're here for you. Call in any time.
Speaker 10 (13:45):
No, yeah, absolutely, And that's why you know, I I
you know, and that's why I'm nicknamed Tommula sorta in
my family because I you know, they know how to
do that, and so I had to shut this phone
off yesterday and I just wasn't going to deal with that.
So uh but yeah, no, I'm just happy that we
won to day, honestly because what you know, it was
from what happened yesterday, and you know, we won today.
(14:08):
And so the thing is is we didn't get a sweep.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
They didn't sweep us.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
And that's the thing is that they did not sweep us.
And I was, oh man, I was, I was.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
I was.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
The Dodgers needed to win Dominic for sure, thank you
for the phone call. And they come home now to
face the Rockies for three games. They got to keep
this going and not get too far ahead of themselves
because they need to beat the Rockies, not twice. They
need to beat them three times and go into San
Francisco with some confidence again about themselves. Because the Dodgers,
(14:40):
these group of guys are not used to losing these
many games in a row, not losing this many times.
I mean, if you look at what's taken place since
the All Star Break, they've lost more games than they've won.
These group of players are not used to it. You
heard what Kershaw had to say. There's not a lot
of losing around here, so they they've got to put
on as he said as well, they're big boy pants,
(15:03):
pull themselves up, find a way out of adversity. And
how about this for an idea, how about work your
way out of it. How about have the focus and
not just think you could show up or think you
hit a home run and stand there and watch it.
How about that? How about that have a different way
of going about playing the game. Nobody's doubting how much
(15:25):
effort they put in before the game as far as
taking ground balls, batting practice. How about when the bell
rings don't be out of gas and still go as
hard as you did your first year in the major leagues,
when you weren't just standing there admiring home runs and
you know, Mookie Betts standing there and watching that single
(15:46):
off the wall in left field inexcusable. How can you
have the credibility to go to Dalton rushing when you're
doing the same thing. And what was Otani doing? Otani
should have been at third, if not scoring. Those are
the things that have led to the Dodgers being in
this situation. Yes, they won the game, but those are
(16:09):
the things that cause you to lose games. Eight six, six, nine,
eighty seven, two, five seventy is the phone number Jack Dryer.
Like I mentioned earlier, I trust him more than any
other Dodger reliever right now. And if you had to
rank your four Dodger relievers that you trust right now,
(16:29):
my list would start with Jack Dryer. Alex Vesia is
going to be activated for tomorrow night's game, he would
be one B. And then I would say Michael Kopek.
He hasn't pitched a lot this year, and from what
we saw one outing, I'm gonna put him in the four,
especially after what he did last year. I'm still gonna
have Blake Trining in my four. And you know who
(16:52):
I'm gonna have as my fifth number seventeen. In the postseason,
Shoe a Otani, I guarantee you will close out one
of the Dodger postseason games and a postseason series before
it's all said and done. Let's go out to San Diego. Owen,
you're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi.
Speaker 9 (17:12):
Owen, Hi, David, So, I want to say I think
Tander Scott should only be a mop up guy. Until
further notice, until he can prove that he can pitch
and high leverage again.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Well, he has been three straight saves. He has blown
three straight saves. Will Smith saved the Dodgers with a
walk off home run before they left for the road trips.
So he has blown three straight saves, and I would
bring him in exclusively the face lefties right now.
Speaker 9 (17:42):
Okay, And my other point is so twenty twenty was
the first time I saw World Series in my lifetime,
and then twenty twenty four was the first time I
saw a full season World Series, So I always felt
like the Dodgers had something to prove. Now it's been
a long time since the Dodgers have been losers, but
I just feel like the intensity is not one hundred
percent there. So maybe the Dodgers need to be losers
(18:05):
in twenty twenty five so they can be fired up coming.
It's a twenty five.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
How can you be a loser? You're seventy nine and
sixty four. Do you want to know what a loser is?
It's the Orioles sixty six and seventy seven. How about
the Pirates sixty four and eighty those are losers? How
about the White socks fifty five and eighty nine. I
think you need to redefine what you believe is a
(18:29):
winner and what is a loser. You sound like a
spoiled Dodger fan that everybody resents. You're the type of
fan everybody resents.
Speaker 9 (18:38):
Yeah, I guys, I'm a young Dodger fan, so I've
only seen winning since Like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Well you're seeing winning right now. They're going to the playoffs. Yeah,
and they're going to win their division. All right, thank
you for the phone call on Wow. Yeah, I guess
they call that a silver spooner fan if that's all
you've seen. And look, that's standard the Dodgers have set
for themselves. They have set these type of expectations and
(19:07):
no apologies for it. I'd rather have these expectations than having,
you know, the underdog expectation. You know, I would rather
be the Dodgers than the Padres. Over the last five years,
how do you think Padres fans feel? Owen in San Diego.
I mean, take a step back and understand what's going
on here. The Dodgers, for the last fourteen seasons have
(19:29):
won more than any other team in Major League Baseball.
They have two World Series titles in the last five years.
They have a chance to do something no team has
done in the last twenty five years, and that's to
win back to back World Series championships. And they still
have that opportunity. It's not like they're on the outside
(19:51):
looking into the playoff picture, but it is a very
precarious playoff spot they're in right now because the Diamondback
and Giants have taken advantage of the Dodgers and Padres slumping,
and the Mets, for that matter, the Mets are barely
holding on right now. The Mets lost again and they
(20:13):
are now holding on to a four game lead over
the Diamondbacks for the last wildcard spot in the National League.
It's really starting to tighten up. Reds, Diamondbacks, Giants all
four games back of the last wildcard spot with nineteen
to go. And speaking of the Giants, the Dodgers have
(20:36):
seven of their last nineteen games remaining against San Francisco
beginning next Friday night up at Oracle Park. So it's
not I mean, this is this race is not over
by a long shot, and I hope the Dodgers realize
that that's why winning those three games against the Rockies
when they return home starting tomorrow night. Are so important
(21:00):
taking two out of three but a sweep. Let's go
out to Eugene, Oregon. Tom, you're on Dodger Talk with
David vasse Hi. Tom.
Speaker 7 (21:09):
Hey, David, how you doing, brother?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
I'm doing great, Tom, David.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
You know, I just wanted to call and just compliment
Clayton Kershaw for showing up again and righting the ship.
I mean, it is truly a blessing to have somebody
in his I believe eighteenth season that goes out there
and competes every pitch and is a model for the
rest of the Dodgers. When we talk about intensity and passion,
(21:35):
it's on full display every time that man steps up
on the mound. Doesn't have what he had fifteen years ago,
but he goes out there he expects to win, and
I think the rest of the team needs to start
thinking about that and looking to him, you know, as
their model for competing the rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I agree they got to take on his personality, what
makes him special, and not take anything for granted. That's Kersher.
He doesn't take anything for granted, and all he cares
about is the next pitch he is going to make.
Thanks for the phone call, Tom, great phone call. We're
gonna take a time out here on Dodger Talk when
we continue more of your calls at eight sixty six
(22:14):
nine eighty seven, two five seventy, and you'll also hear
our full conversation with Sunday Night Baseball Zone Buster. Only
a little context for everybody when it comes to the
Dodgers navigating this one hundred and sixty two game marathon
and putting themselves in position for a back to back
World Series title. Dodgers get the win today in Baltimore
(22:37):
behind Otani and Kershaw, five to two on AM five
to seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
On air at AM five seventy, online at amfive seventy
LA Sports dot com, and available by podcast on the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
This is Dodger Talk with David Bassett. Two Oh pinch
I has swung on and hammered the center failed. As
Paul heading back, it is God, It's gone again. Showtime
in Baltimore for the second time today.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
As Otani has taken Sugano deep twice.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
It is too nothing show Haotani doing show Hao Tani
things in Baltimore today. His best game in quite some
time on base all five times today homers twice to
lead the Dodgers offense to a five to two win
over the Orioles. Daniel Steelers presents the home run Forecast.
(23:37):
Go to AM five seventy lasports dot com keyword home
run for your chance to win a fifty dollar Daniel
Steweler's gift card predicting the number of home runs in
the very next game. Daniel Stewelers own the Dream. All right,
we had a chance to catch up with Sunday Night
Baseball's Buster Only. He covered the Yankees back when they
(23:59):
were winning in their dynasty, Jeter Pisada, Bernie Williams. He
wrote a great book that I still love reading and referencing,
and that is the Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty.
If you have not read that book, I strongly recommend it.
And also he was a beat writer for the Baltimore
(24:20):
Sun in nineteen ninety five when Cal Ripkin Junior broke
Lou Garrig streak. So it was a great Sunday to
catch up with Buster Only.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Mister Bessy, it's great to talk with you, and thank
you for doing the introduction without taking a cheap shot
at my home state Atmont. This is like the first
time ever.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Well, now you let me know you're a Vikings fan,
So now I have more ammunition to torture you over
the coming years.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Yeah, you don't need to torture me being a Vikings fan.
That's inherent. It's redundant to say that if I'm a
Vikings fan, I'm already tortured.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Yeah, that's true. That's true. Buster. I thought about you
this weekend for a number of different reasons. First and foremost,
you covered the Yankees and wrote one of my favorite books,
kind of just chronicling that era of Yankee baseball. The
Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty is one of my
favorite books. And since the Dodgers are trying to do
(25:18):
something that hasn't been done since those Yankees twenty five
years ago, I thought maybe you would have good perspective
on what Dodger fans should be feeling in a regular
season that has left them wanting more. Did the Yankees
leave their fans going into any one of their championships
wanting more and making them a little nervous going into
(25:39):
the postseason?
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Oh my god, Yes, no doubt about it. You know,
the ninety eight team was extraordinary in one one hundred
and twenty five games regular season, postseason combined, and except
for one I think moment of real anxiety during the
playoffs in the American League Champion Series. They rolled through,
(26:02):
but in ninety nine, in two thousand and two thousand
and one, when they were trying to repeat his champions
the regular season became really hard for that team increasingly
year by year. I think in part human nature, they
got a little bored during the course of the year,
you know, to the points that Joe Torre at one
point during a team meeting yelled at him and said, look,
(26:24):
you can't turn it on and off like a light switch.
And so yeah, I mean, there definitely were moments of anxiety,
and I certainly have thought about that, you know, watching
this Dodger team, because pushing that rock up the hill
every year becomes more and more difficult, especially I think
for older players. But I had an executive with another
(26:45):
team say to me earlier this year, at some point
he thinks the Dodger DNA will kick in and they'll
focus when the game's become more meaningful. And so I
think absolutely, if you're a Dodger fan, you can learn
something from the Yankee teams in the late nineties because
they did get hard.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Yeah, it certainly feels like there's been a lot of
talk about the Dodgers have a losing record against losing
teams in their last twenty matchups. Yeah, I don't know
if that's basically the teams bringing their World Series game
while the Dodgers are saying, ho hum, we got the
bigger picture in mind.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I think it absolutely is that. And you know, those
Yankee teams that I covered, you know, if you put
the Red Sox in front of them, if you put
the Cleveland Indians at that time, you know, one of
the best American League teams in front of them, the
Yankees would bring their a game and they would play
so focused. But if you put in ninety nine or
(27:43):
two thousand and one a team like Tampa Bay in
front of them, if you put Kansas City in front
of them, then it became a problem. And as I say,
that's that's where I really learned. That was from watching
that team. And look, I really don't say that as
a criticism. I think anybody who had as a job
can relate to this. That over the course of a
(28:03):
you know, a year, you're gonna have periods where y're
you're not as engaged, you're not as focused, you're not
as uh, you know, as locked in as you are
at other times during the course of the year. And
that's what happens. It's it's absolutely human nature.
Speaker 10 (28:19):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
And I think that's what the Dodgers have been dealing
with this year, to the point that I almost laugh
at myself, the idea that the even engaging in the
conversation about whether or not the team would win one
hundred and twenty games.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Yeah, I thought that was a little much at the
beginning of the season because that's never been their goal
as an organization.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
No. No, And I think I mean, and you know
this better than I do, because you're around the team.
I think the front of office, I think the coaching staff,
they focus on the big picture. They focus on October,
you know, to the point that I mean people with
other teams that believe that the Dodgers have essentially, you know,
made a habit of giving their starting pitchers periods of
(28:59):
rest during the courses because they know they have to
they're going to be meaningful games in October and they
need to have the guys ready for them.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Buster Olney is joining us from ESPN, and Buster, I
got to ask you, with all that being said, do
you feel like the Dodgers are in a position to
make another run to get to the World Series and
get through the National League, even if they have to
play that Wildcard series. How do you look at the Dodgers?
You know, just being detached from the day to.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Day their experience, the star power on the roster is
going to make them very dangerous. They absolutely could. Here's
the other thing too, It's not as if we're looking at,
you know, a group of teams and saying, boy, those
are great teams that absolutely cut up end the Dodgers.
You know, the Phillies just lost Zach Wheeler, who is
their ace, their aircraft carrier. That's a huge blow for
(29:51):
that team. The Brewers are really good. They've had a
lot of injuries late and as you know that, they've
scuffled a little bit lately because of those In part
because of those injuries, you know, the Mets are dealing
with all kinds of issues with their starting rotation. San
Diego just lost to Jason Adam, who was arguably their
best relief pitcher.
Speaker 9 (30:11):
He's out.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
That's something that they have to overcome. And if you
look at the American League, it feels completely wide open,
with the National League being a better league this year
than the American League. So yeah, they could the Dodgers
DNA kick in and they rolled through October. As the
executive suggested to me, no question about it.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Buster one bringing some calm to the storms in Los Angeles.
And Buster, we know you as the man on Sunday
Night Baseball, one of the best national voices in the game.
But it all started as a beat writer and thirty
years ago you were writing for the Baltimore Sun covering
(30:53):
Cal Ripken and the Orioles as he was getting closer
and eventually broke Lou Garrigs all time game streak. They
are celebrating him tomorrow in Baltimore on the anniversary. What
do you remember most about that game and that season
leading up to.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
It, How important that was for baseball at the time, because,
as you know, you know, the context was that baseball
was coming off the labor strife that cost it the
ninety four World Series and the beginning of the ninety
five season, and there are a lot of fans who
are really angry. Cow was a great figure of credibility
(31:32):
for the sport, and he handled that moment so well.
You know, going everywhere that the Orioles traveled, he met
with reporters, he talked about baseball. He treated it, as
he said, like a celebration of baseball. You know, at
the All Star Game that year it is in Texas,
and he signed autographs for hours after Orioles games and
(31:53):
this is like, you know, he would go and he
didn't do this every night, but he I want to
say he did it four or five times during the
course of the summer. You know, after an Orioles game
was over, he'd go back in, have a vit, come
back out, have a towel over shoulder, and sign autographs
for two hours. I mean, he was phenomenal in how
he represented the sport at that time. You know, people
(32:15):
have said that the ninety eight home run chase between
Mark McGuire and Sammy's Sosis saved baseball. That's wildly overstated.
Cal Ripkin was the one who started the healing for
baseball after the players strike nineteen ninety five, and it's
part of the reason why that year. You know, when
I turned in my MVP ballot, I gave him a
(32:35):
tenth place vote, not because he was one of the
ten best players, but because of how important he was
to baseball at that time.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Isn't it incredible? Buster Thirty years ago, we're celebrating a
guy for doing what he did to play all these
games consecutively and never miss a day. And now we're
in the era of load management. Even in baseball, not
just the NBA, but even in Major League Baseball. Load
management seems to be part of the norm.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
That's exactly right, and you could have even in situations
when players are telling their teams, look, I'm good to go,
most teams will still rest the guy. As you know.
You know, the longest streak right now is Matt Olsen,
who plays the Atlanta Braves. He's not even a third
of the way to Cal's record of twenty six hundred
and thirty two consecutive games.
Speaker 7 (33:21):
And you know this too.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
In some respects, I think Cal contributed to to ending
any chance anybody comes close to that record again, because
there was a perception that as that streak went on
and on and on, that he had more power than
the organization. In twenty twenty five, that would never happen,
(33:45):
and so you know, it's it's part of that when
people talk about unbreakable records. You know Cy Young's five
hundred and eleven wins, you know, it is certainly one
that you look at that'll never happen again. We wonder
if anyone's going to hit four hundred again. No will
come within a billion miles of Cal's record of consecutive
games of two six hundred and thirty two.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Buster, great perspective on both topics, because people are freaking
out in LA.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Well, I appreciate that, and I totally get it. Look,
I mean Yankee fans, you know, they're they they always
believe if they lose, you know, two games in a row,
it's kind of panic. And I think that, you know,
once you start winning championships, the level of expectation grows.
So I totally get where you're coming from.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
Hey, Buster, one more for you. Going back to that
two thousand Yankees World Series. I was told that Joe Tory,
out of loyalty to David Kohane, who was in the
twilight of his career, put him on the World Series
roster to face one right handed hitter, and that was
Mike Piazza. He struck him out. Do you feel like
the Dodgers are at the same juncture with Kershaw? How
(34:56):
do you think Kershaw fits in the postseason?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Think you absolutely would be comfortable giving him the ball. Look,
and you're right. Two thousand and David Cohne was one
of the best teammates that I covered. He really struggled
that year and he limped to the finish line and
he was called on in you know, the last game
of the World Series to face Mike Piazza. He gets
him on a flyout, you know, and Cony knows this,
(35:21):
you know, Joe Torrey has so much trust in him.
With Kershaw, it's different because he's still a really good picture.
You know. The funny thing about Clayton and you know
this better than I do. And I had this conversation
with Dave Roberts. I think he's having more fun now
than at any point in his career, Like he's really
enjoying this. And the other thing, too, is about Clayton.
And I learned this from covering Jamie Moyer. You know
(35:42):
who would beat hitters throwing eighty one while throwing eighty
one miles an hour. Clayton, I think has this great
picture arrogance that he's gonna be Greg Maddox had it
as well, where he believes he's going to use a
hitter's aggressiveness against them, And I still think with his repertoire,
his knowledge and that pitcher arrogance, I still think he
(36:03):
thinks he believes he can find a way to get
hitters out. That was not where David Cohne was for
most of the two thousand season.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
So you believe that Clayton Kershaw will make a start
for the Dodgers in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
I think he will, and I'll tell you why, because
I think they've got other guys in that rotation who
are more pliable and might be better suited for the
bullpen than Clayton is.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
All right, thank you, Buster, I really tapped into you
no Sunday Night Baseball this weekend, but we'll get back
at it next Sunday on ESPN. Great to have Buster
Onney on Dodger Talk. Thanks a lot for the time, Buster,
and can't wait to see you back in La soon.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Yeah, David, all kidding aside, I always love talking with you.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Great perspective from Buster, only awesome stuff, and that's the
reason why we had him on the show because not
only did he witness the dynasty of the Yankees and
how they handled regular seasons after two three championships, but
also work for the Baltimore Sun when Cal Ripkin Junior
broke Lou Garrigs records, so awesome, awesome to have them
(37:03):
on No Sunday Night Baseball. So that was your Buster
flavor for this Sunday. Coming up tomorrow, the Dodgers will
be back home to take on the Rockies a short
three game homestand before the Dodgers head to San Francisco
to take on the streaking Giants Morongo Casino. Dodgers on
Deck begins at six o'clock tomorrow, with first pitch at
(37:24):
seven to ten. Thanks to Dwayne McDonald back in Baltimore,
thanks to Colin Yee here at our burd Banks Studios,
and thanks to you for listening. In case you missed
any of the show, you can find it on the
iHeartRadio app. Once again. The final score in Baltimore, the
Dodgers snap their five game losing streak with a five
to two win. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Have a
(37:45):
great rest of your Sunday. See Yu first time
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