October 22, 2025 • 49 mins
Stece Sax and Tim Cates talk about the sustained success of the Dodgers and the culture of the clubhouse. Hear from manager Dave Roberts. A certain MLB Analyst playing into the narrative about the Dodgers runining baseball. Dodgers fans call in to the show.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
They say. The hardest thing in sports isn't winning a title.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
It's hard to repeat seasons.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
It's winning it again.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
This year.
Speaker 4 (00:08):
Is not trying to win a championship, They're trying to repeat.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's October baseball for your world champion in LA Dodger.
Speaker 4 (00:15):
The twenty twenty five Dodgers are the National League's Western
Division champions.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And you know what that means.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Saxon Kates and AM is back.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
This is Saxon Kates in the morning with Tim Kates
and former world champion Dodger Steve Sacks.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Reacting, taking your phone calls, talking Dodgers playoff baseball all
postseason long.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Now here they are on AM five to seventy LA
Sports and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Steve Sacks, Tim Kaits, Tim.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Kates and World Champion Dodger Steve Sacks.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Oh, we're off and running on a Wednesday morning here
in southern California. Thanks for being with us on this Wednesday,
October twenty second, two thousand and twenty five. It's sax
and Kate to the AM with you as you make
your drive to work, to school, your commute, keep us
(01:12):
with you for the next three hours, Locked and loaded,
as we got a champack show to get to here
on a five to seventy LA Sports, I am Tim Kates,
joined by two time World Series champion, Rookie of the
Year and everybody's favorite numb the one and only Steve
Sacks Saxy. Good morning, How you doing?
Speaker 5 (01:31):
Good morning, Tim? How you doing?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I'm fired up? Another day closer, I can hear it.
Getting towards Game one of this World Series. We got
baseball news here in southern California. The Angels have hired
a new manager. We got Game one on Friday. We
got media day tomorrow in Toronto for both the Dodgers
and Blue Jays. Dodgers flying out later on this afternoon
(01:54):
north of the border to Toronto, Canada. We got a
baseball analyst popping off about the Dodgers and being bad
for baseball, which we're gonna get into. We had Mookie Betch,
Freddie Freeman, Dave Roberts all addressed the media last night
at the team workout at Dodgers Stadium. So you'll hear
from all three of those Dodgers coming up throughout the show.
(02:14):
We got a little bit of a flashback for you
coming up in the seven o'clock hour as showy Otani
was almost a Toronto Blue Jay. We're gonna go back
to that December day in which we all thought he
was on an airplane going to Toronto. It turns out
it wasn't him. So we got a lot to get
to over the next three hours. But we know now,
Saxy who the Game one starter will be. Dave Roberts
(02:36):
announced it yesterday and no surprise it snalls right, Yeah, no.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Surprise there, Tim. We know that Blake Snell was gonna
be the guy. I know David Vasse is just absolutely
thrilled that his buddy, his buddy, I guess, is going
to be the opening day starter for the World Series. Now,
what is that they flew out? They're flying out today?
Are they working out today?
Speaker 6 (03:03):
Then?
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Going No, they.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Fly out about two or three o'clock in the afternoon,
so they'll get into Toronto later on tonight. Tomorrow. They
will have media day at Rogers Center, which is not
like Super Bowl Media Day, but you know, sort of
in a lesser extent, not as much media, but they
still set up stations if you will, right, we had
dollars to go to Yeah, and so they'll have that
(03:27):
tomorrow for both teams, and then both teams will go
through workouts later on tomorrow afternoon anticipation for Game one.
But tomorrow's gonna be fun with media day you went through.
What was that like back in nineteen eighty eight.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I mean, it's just it's the same questions and you
just go from spot to spot to spot to spot,
and it's okay. You know, you get to you get
kind of tired of it, you know, pretty quick, but
it's not bad. You got a nice workout afterwards. You
can blow off some steam and you know, this is
a time tim right now where if there's any jitter
(04:00):
going on and whatnot, and there's certainly there is, this
is a time where it happens when the game starts.
All that leaves when the game starts. After the first
half inning, it's I always felt like the game part
of it was when you really had some some sanctuary.
You know, you know, everybody wants tickets, you know, the jitters,
(04:21):
you got all the press, press you have to worry about.
When the game starts, you're almost protected from all that,
and then it's just to me, the World Series was
almost like another game because all the pomp and circumstance
was done, and then you can get after it and
it's it's it's really just another game to me.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It may feel like that for you. But when you
got sixty thousand people cheering and the world watching game
one of what is the ultimate apex of a season,
the World Series, the fans feel the pressure. The fans
are nervous. The fans are on pins and needles, whether
they're listening, they're watching, or they're standing inside the stadium.
(05:01):
It's amazing how you guys can get locked in. I mean,
it's your job, you're playing out there, it's what you do.
But it's amazing that you guys can just get locked
in and once you're between those lines, it's just another game.
That's crazy.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Yeah, well, there's a heightened to wear and there's no question.
You know, this is the World Series. You know, you
understand that. But the the machinations of going through the game,
you know, you know, you've got to get ready to hit.
You're studying what the pictures throwing, and you just kind
of get immersed into, you know, the professional part of
(05:34):
being a baseball player, and you kind of kind of
forget about everything else, all that other stuff That's a
great thing about it is all the other stuff that's
on the periphery, it just kind of, you know, it's
just kind of goes away and you can just think
about the game.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
It's it's important, I guess, then, to have good leadership
in a clubhouse, whether it's veteran players, good assistant coaches,
guys who can can patrol the locker room if you
will calm some nerves. Maybe how much does it fall
on the I mean, was Tommy Lesora walking around there
making you guys even more nervous by the yelling and
screaming and trying to get you guys motivation or you know,
(06:07):
was the joy of Mofatano and you know the assistant
coaches walking around just like all right, sexually we're good.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
You know, well, you know what, if Tommy's not screaming
and yelling, then then there is uh time to be nervous.
I guess you'd say you wanted to see him at
his norm and you know he was uh everywhere. You know,
he was eating all the time, and he was uh,
you know, patrolling the clubhouse like you said. But when
he was doing all that, you know that things were
pretty normal. We had the we had the instance. So
(06:34):
when Bob Costas you know, told our told the media
that this team was like the most lackluster and talent
that he's ever seen a World Series team, be Tommy
actually posted that uh in the clubhouse and we we
got a you know, a kind of a good chance
to ride that that negative stuff that he was saying,
(06:54):
and you can actually turn that into a positive. And
that's what the team did.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah. I mean, sometimes you need something to rally a team.
I don't know how much this team needs to be pushed, Steve.
I don't know how much Dave Roberts needs to go
in there and say anything. I know, during the regular
season a couple of times he had to do it.
It's now finding out about an instance which David Vassa
was really the one to tell us about this the
last month that when they were on the road and
(07:19):
in Baltimore and they the almost perfect or an almost
no hitter for Yoshinobo Yamamoto, there was a team you know,
sit down and there was a powwow that Dave Roberts,
you know, told this team this is where we need
to be. You guys needed to get dialed in. You
guys are gonna get a focused here down the stretch.
And he did the same thing almost about a year
to the day when they were in Atlanta on a
road trip last year and Tyler Glasnow went down with
(07:40):
a bicep tendonitis and he was their best pitcher at
that point, and Klayton Kershaw's getting hurt, and he did
the same thing. He'd sat the team down and he
talked to them and got them ready. At this point,
I don't know how much Dave Roberts's gonna have to
set this team down. One because they're such a veteran group,
and two they kind of lead them so at this
point of this season, because these guys have all been
(08:02):
here before, I mean for them, I mean even Tyler
glass Now has pitched in a World Series back in
twenty twenty. This is a group that's been in October
and knows what the pressure is of the biggest stage.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Yeah. A couple things about that. You know, you're in
the World Series, you're a professional baseball player, you're a
grown up man. I don't know that you really need
somebody to, you know, to push you. This is a
time where you know, you really don't need that No,
there's teams that can get into ruts during the season,
and the effect the effectiveness of a manager to have
(08:35):
a talk during the season, that might be it. You know,
halfway through the season you do that. If a manager
has a bunch of talks throughout the year and has
these closed door meetings, you know, every other week, they
lose their their luster. They don't have the same type
of effect on the team. But if you have these
once in a great while, maybe once a year, because
(08:57):
because most of the conversation are had one on one,
either in the office or at the locker, those things
are effective. They go a little deeper because they're one
on one. But you can have a team meeting with
the manager once in a while. Those things are effective.
But if they're all the time, they lose their efficacy.
They're just not as good anymore.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, it's interesting you bring that up because that was
one of the questions. In fact, I think I might
have been the first question from our own David Vassi
yesterday on the Zoom Call with Dave Roberts asked him about,
you know, your voice ten years now as the manager
of the Dodgers, how has it not just become white
noise for some of these players, which you were just
(09:38):
kind of alluding to. Than the course of a season,
a manager constantly doing something, it just becomes background noise.
Here's the manager, Dave Roberts yesterday talking with the media,
and this is one of the first questions was just
exactly what we were talking about.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You've had a veteran group all year long, You've been
with them for a while now, how have you been
able to not allow your voice to just become white
noise and even when things were not going their best
this year, to find a way to get the best
out of those guys.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
You know, I think we're going to run the same
rotation back I think for sure for the first two
Smell and then and then Yamamoto and we'll see kind
of from game three in game four. Yeah, you know what,
I think it's one of those things that they know
(10:29):
me pretty well. I've learned to know them pretty well.
We have a lot of the same people that have
been together for quite some time, and with that you
learned kind of how to, you know, ultimately get the
best out of them at certain points, and when to
push them and challenge them and when to give them
some latitude and some grace. I think there's a there's
(10:53):
a complete trust with me and the players, and our
goal of winning a championship has never been in question.
But yeah, you know, I think for me as you
can see, you see it firsthand. You know, there's times
I give guys freedom and like I said, grace because
the game's hard, it's a long season. But there's other
(11:16):
times where I kind of I get to be a
little bit more stern in my messaging and expectations, you know,
when I feel the times right.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, Dave, how much more comfortable are you with the
six day break this year compared to the breaks the
last two years?
Speaker 6 (11:34):
I think actually much more comfortable, you know, even after
you know, the game four, when we're flying out tomorrow,
which sort of breaks up the monotony of not playing.
We took the one day off, but the guys are active,
the guys feel good. I do think that there are
(11:55):
some guys that were nursing some things so to get
us back to full health. But actually we got to
simulate a game another one tonight, so I feel good
about kind of the guy who's focus and playing, and yeah,
we'll be ready to go on Friday. Feel good about it.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
All Right, there's the manager, Dave Roberts, and again he
alluded to what you were talking about. And you can
be a voice in the clubhouse, you can be that
leader that he is, but you got to kind of
know when to pick your spots and to jump in
and not jump in. And I think sometimes Steve that's
been questioned by Dodger fans and been one of the
knocks on Dave Roberts from the fan base is that
(12:32):
he doesn't react quicker to things, and he doesn't go
out and pull a guy maybe necessarily let him work
through it during the regular season. And that's where I
look back and I think a different perspective, and I
like that he lets players figure things out good and bad,
lets him work through things and try to maneuver them
and figure out how to, you know, get out of
a situation that you've dug a hole yourself, how to
(12:55):
go out there and get out of a slump. And
he's got, always, always, he's got the confidence of his players.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Yes, And it goes back the other way too. The
players have, you know, the trust and the manager that's
laid down at an early uh at an early time,
and it gets you through some of those pitfalls and whatnot.
And if guys don't know how to bounce off that
that wall of failure and come back to the middle
and and fix it, you know, they're not gonna have
a lot of confidence when when they find themselves in
(13:23):
a bit of a tough, tough position and they don't
know how to fix it, you know, all of a sudden,
it's crept up on them. And these are things that
are that are figured out young in a player's career,
and it's it's established, you know, layered on year after year.
Players understand the manager, manager knows the player, but the
manager is going to let these guys go out and
(13:44):
and fix it themselves. That adds confidence. It also is
a quiet way of asking players to raise the bar
of expectancy when they raise the bar. And if you
don't raise the bar, if you don't raise the bar,
tim you're you're gonna if you don't if you raise
put this way, if you're gonna raise the bar, you're
gonna lose the losers. But if you I mean you're gonna, yeah,
(14:05):
you'll lose the losers. But if you don't raise the
bar up, you're gonna lose the winners. That's the worst part.
So you got to constantly let that kind of raise
up on its own by letting the players fix things
and get out of them. That adds confidence.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I don't want you to have to name anybody in
particular or hint to where it maybe had been. But
was there a manager that you're like, my gosh, this
is this isn't Tommy, this isn't what I'm used to.
I can't buy into this, did you ever? And not
that you didn't have the respect of the manager for
maybe teams you played for, guys you played for in
your professional career, but you know, not everybody's tommylus Order
(14:40):
right right, you know exactly.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
And there was there was a you know, a time
or two where I, I mean I kind of just
within my own you know, within the confines of my
own self, would go, what is this? You know, this
isn't what I'm used to? Of course, and that's okay,
because you know, managers have different styles and and that's okay.
But we did have the most SUCCESSFU when I was
(15:03):
with the Dodgers, and that kind of speaks for itself.
But it's all it's all about, you know, having having
the respect and having the trust. The trust is the
main thing. When you know you can come in that
locker room, the door's open, you can be yourself and
there's no whispering campaigns going on. That's that's a good
locker room. You know, that's a good locker room. And
(15:24):
and all the players. And I don't say this lightly
because these are long, long lasting relationships. Tim, I've been
out of the game a long time and I still
have the same relationships that I had when I played,
the same guys. You love your teammates. You're with these
guys more than you're with your family during the season,
and and you have a bond with them. I don't
(15:45):
care where they're from, it doesn't matter. You still have
that bond with them. And it never leaves, which is
which is an amazing thing. And it's I don't know
where else you could ever get this, really think about it.
I mean, you play with guys, you were with guys.
You know, you have other people that don't play baseball.
Of course they're in the workforce. But how many people
in the workforce can have these long standing relationships for
(16:09):
the rest of their life. It just it doesn't happen
anywhere else?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
How is that culture, though, Bill, because we're talking about
this Dodgers team here in twenty twenty five and the
culture that has been built over the last you know,
decade or so, Dave Roberts, Is it the leadership is
a guy like Clayton Kershaw being the glue and the
mainstay through it all with guys like Justin Turner coming
and going, with guys like Corey Seeger coming and going,
with rich Hill coming and going, and now the constant
(16:36):
Ben Clayton Kershaw. Is it a guy who sets the culture?
Is it the manager who sets the culture? How did
you guys have that? And how does this current Dodgers
team have that?
Speaker 5 (16:45):
The answer to that is very simple, Tim, and that
is you've got that because you've got number one, You've
got respect for each other. You all know how hard
it was to get where you are. Those players that
are on your team were the best player in their
city in their respective city when they were in little league,
and so were you and so on, and so you
(17:07):
all come together, you get weeded out in the minor leagues,
and then you have it after you've been through the SIEV,
you have the guys left standing in the major leagues,
and you all know how hard it was to get there.
You all paid the price. So there's this common respect
and this bond that is so strong, and it's like
nothing I've ever seen, and we'll never see anywhere else.
(17:30):
But you'd have it in sports. I'm sure they have
it in football. You could see after the game the
guys are, you know, talking after the game, if they
try to rip each other in half, and after the game,
they've got a brotherhood going on. That's the same thing
we have in baseball. They you have such a bond
with players, it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I think currently it has to be harder to have that.
And it's just reality. Guys are making a ton of money,
Guys are superstars. There's egos. You're only human, and of course,
you know, egos are part of everything, especially when you
start making money and you start getting the fame. It's
just part of it, that's what it is. But through
all of that and guys making record numbers of money
(18:08):
and guys being superstars, and there's guys who aren't superstars
on the team, through even all that, on this roster, Steve,
it is amazing to see you don't have a division
You don't have half of a clubhouse over here, half
of a clubhouse over here. You don't even have the
Latin guys over here and the other guys over here,
pitchers over here, position players over here. I don't know
(18:29):
five hundred million dollar guys over here, major league minimum
guys over here. It is amazing that in this era
where you hear about it all the time, divisions in
locker rooms. Guy wants more money, so he's gonna pout.
Guy wants more money, doesn't feel respected, he wants out.
You got guys who are making tons of money but
don't put in the work. The culture of this team
(18:51):
is just like you talked about with your eighty eight team.
The culture, I honestly believe, is why this has worked
for a decade now.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
Yes, it's so important. I mean, giving an example, Tim,
A quick example is I remember when you know guys
would just come up on the team and how immediately
you just took them in. You know, you remember the
unfortunate passing of Tim Cruise. When Tim came up, I
(19:19):
really liked Tim. We had a lot of good conversation
and he was such a good man. And I remember
when we actually went to Montreal. There was a place
where we would go there to get our clothes made,
and it was I remember it was on Saint Laurentz Street.
Giovanni's was the name of it. And I took there.
I took Tim there to with me because I wanted
(19:41):
to introduce him to the place. And I got him
a couple of things, and he really liked this one
blazer that I had, so I got him that blazer
and I gave it to him, and his wife told
me that he loved that blazer and she she buried
him in that blazer when he passed away. And it
was such a it was such a a humbling experience,
(20:02):
you know, to to hear her say that when we
lost Tim, and you know, these things go pretty deep
when when you're with guys a long time, Tim, you
spend a lot of time there, and you know, you
get to know families and you know that person in
and out, and that's that's a that's a pretty great thing.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
By the way, Giovanni's still there in Montreal, A touch
of Europe, handmade in Montreal.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
Yeah, Giovanni's great place.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
They're still making custom suits for Steve Sachs to this day.
Not for me, A forty two long for Steve Sacks.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Well, a little larger than that general stop stop. Well,
the deal is, you don't want to lose any of
your shreditity, but you want to, you want to, you know,
pack it on a little muscle.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
There you go. Coming up between now at nine o'clock,
we got a jam packed show. You're gonna hear from
Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Buck Martinez scheduled to join as
longtime baseball man now part.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Of that prom TV. Is he really Sacramento guh, my gosh,
why did you tell me that?
Speaker 3 (21:04):
I'm texting him yesterday? I wish I would have known
he was a Sacramento guy. Sacramento guy for sure. Oh well,
Buck's flying right now, and he said as soon as
he lands, if he's in the clear, he's gonna join us.
In the seven o'clock hour, we're gonna have a little
flashback show. Ay Otani almost a blue Jay, you remember
that third hour of the show. Jose Mota is gonna
join us. He's got a really special relationship with Vlad
(21:24):
Guerrero Junior. Jose Mota, before rejoining the Dodgers, was down
in Anaheim working for the Angels for a long time
on their TV and radio broadcast and travel with the team.
He's known Vlad Guerrero since he was a young kid
and Vlad Senior was playing for the Angels, so we'll
get his perspective on this series. David vast will join
us as well. Dodgers fly out today to Toronto. Your
(21:47):
phone calls coming up, and an MLB analyst backtracking from
some of his comments he made on social media. We'll
get into it all. Steve Sacks, Tim Katon you on
this Wednesday morning. Good morning, so I think California at
the same if IYLA Sports SAX and Kate's in the
(22:08):
am on this Wednesday morning. Thanks for being with us
bright and early. Here with you until nine o'clock this morning.
David Vatsay will join us later on. Jose Mota will
join us also in the eight o'clock hour. Hope to
hear from Buck Martinez, Blue Jays TV analysts and from
the nine to one six Sacramento as well. We'll hear
from Freddy Freeman coming up next hour. Your phone calls
(22:28):
as well. Eight six six, nine eighty seven, two five
seventy is the number who want you to be a
part of the show, as we always do every single
day here on SCAM. But something caught my eye yesterday
on social media, Saxy, And I know you're not on
there a lot, so I do the perusing for us
to kind of see the what the pulse is out there,
what some of the pundits are saying that that I
(22:49):
follow and are are are constantly, you know, giving their
opinions and writing things on social media. And something caught
my eye and it started getting a lot of traction yesterday.
And it's from esp Karl Ravitch, who calls the games
on Sunday Night Baseball, longtime Baseball Tonight hosts and now
calling him the college baseball games and Little League Rules series.
He's a play by play guy on ESPN TV and
(23:12):
been around forever. Everybody kind of if you see Carl Ravitch,
you know the name, you see, you see the face,
you recognize him. Yesterday he tweeted this out and I'm
reading exactly what he wrote at Karl Ravitch ESPN on
X The Blue Jays don't beat themselves. They have lad Springer,
Yasevich and Gosman, they hit good pitching. They will have
(23:32):
home field advantage they might say baseball from being ruined.
It got a lot of pushback from people, baseball folks,
baseball fans, so much so he had over a million
people view and comment on the tweet. So a few
hours after that initial tweet, he wrote, Dave Roberts, after
(23:54):
sweeping the Brewers, quote, let's get four more wins and
really ruin baseball? Those were docs were words. If the
Dodgers win, is baseball ruined?
Speaker 6 (24:02):
No?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
If the Jay's win is it ruined? No, Let's have
a long competitive series. Those are my words. He backtracked
from what his initial tweet was, and even Today's Saxy
more about an hour ago, one million views Tuesday, what
if it said the Blue Jays don't beat themselves. They
have blad Springer, Y Savage and Gosman, they hit good pitching,
(24:26):
they'll have home field advantage. And if the Jays win
is Dodgers remager Dave Roberts suggested the Dodgers might not
actually quote ruin baseball. Stop backtracking, dude. Yeah, put out
the tweet yesterday and you mentioned they might say baseball
from being ruined. Now you have to go back and clarifyed.
Not my words. That's what Dave Roberts said, please, please, Dave.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Dave Roberts was quoting what others were saying exactly. That's
exactly what happened. We all were there. You're not going
to fool anybody. And yeah, that's the he's walking that
thing back because of all of the at he got
social media and he's trying to walk it back. He's
not fooling anybody, Kim especially, you know, he probably doesn't
(25:09):
know anything about scam.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
No, and we're getting after him right now. I'll yes,
I am, because I'm fired up about the fact that
you put this out there and you make a comment
about that they might have saved baseball from being ruined
if you were trying to be funny and use that narrative. Again,
it didn't come across that way, and it wasn't funny.
(25:32):
You can tell because of the reaction it got from people,
and you know, good or bad. That's why you have
to be careful of what you put out on social
media because people can read it in one tone, and
another group of people can read it in a certain tone,
and then another group of people can read it in
a completely different way. And you write one thing and
it's viewed three different ways. That's the problem. He may
(25:54):
have meant it one way. He may have meant it
tongue in cheek. I don't know. He's backtracking in my opinion,
but the initial tweet was about the fact that that
might say baseball.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
From being ruined.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
You know, this is a narrative being spun that a
lot of people aren't happy about Carl Ravage. And here's
the problem. You aren't just a blogger. You aren't just
a beat rider. You aren't just some guy covering the
team on a fringe outlet. You're the voice of Sunday
Night Baseball. You were for ESPN. You're a voice that's
been around the game a long time. You have meetings
(26:27):
with managers and hitting coaches and pitching coaches. When they
do these broadcasts, they don't just show up and turn
a mic on. They have meetings beforehand and kind of
get some insight that way. When they're giving you an
analysis on a game, it's like, well, you always hear this, Oh, well,
we met with the manager earlier, Dave Roberts, you had
to say this, or we met with the manager of
Have Murphy. He told this is yeah. In football, they
(26:49):
have meetings during the week leading up to games, you
get a little bit insight. You kind of get the
feel what's happening with the team, you get the pulse
from the manager or what's happening.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
For that It's not just well, you know, I accidentally
said this, right, and there's you meet with these guys,
So how do you then put this out there and
and think.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Well, I just was I was just saying what Dave
Roberts said. No, No, you're you're a bigger voice than that.
You have to be more responsible for what you say. Yes,
and and and then you can't backtrack. While I was
just try I was just quote what Dave Roberts said
on Friday night at the podium. No, no, that doesn't happen.
Speaker 5 (27:26):
And then and then when you try to walk it
back and and and put out that that jam right there,
that's people aren't gonna buy it, you kind of lose credibility.
Just say, you know, maybe I shouldn't have said that,
or just be flat out don't say that I was
quoting Roberts. Really, we know Dave Roberts. What did Dave
Roberts invent that?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
No?
Speaker 5 (27:45):
He no, he was reacting. He said, Now let's go
win four more games and really ruined baseball. They was
kind of saying it, and j just he was just
kind of highlighting what people say exactly. That's what he
was doing. He didn't invent that. Come on.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
I mean, if if you're gonna write something on social
media and claim that you were just saying what Dave
Roberts was saying, then you should have put it in quotes.
You should have put you know, quote being ruined meaning
you're taking it from somebody else when you type it out,
and you don't do that. It's your words, it's what
you had to say your second tweet. When you put
quotes around things, now you're trying to clarify what you meant.
(28:21):
And it's a bad look. And it's a bad look
for a guy who's well respected and from all beings
is a nice guy.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Yeah, and is this, uh, do you think this has legs?
Speaker 3 (28:30):
I mean, for today, an off day leading up to
the World Series, it does? I don't know. I mean,
I think if if you're cal Rabbits, you know, you
make these comments and it goes viral like it did,
because it's not just me nitpicking it. It's not like
I just found this and trying to bring it up.
I mean, he commented this morning one million views on Tuesday. Wow,
exclamation point. So this thing has legs the last twenty
(28:51):
four hours. And if somebody pought in the comments below.
Do you say this to Dave Roberts when you meet
with him before a game? Do you do you bring
up that fact that the Dodgers are running baseball? Do
you say it to their face? He might have just
lost a very important interview.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Yeah, you know, Dave Roberts might just say, you know what,
I don't really trust that what I say that you're
gonna put out there because I saw you say this
other thing that you know, you tried to blame it
on me, So I'm going to pass on you. Yeah,
you never know.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Dave Roberts is too classy the guy to do that.
Dave Roberts.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
You may not say it, but he just may. He
may just yea, he may walk on by.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, Dave Roberts, he might.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
He might be on Warwick this guy, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Oh, yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
He might be on Warwick this guy and walk on by.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah, just choose your words carefully. Carl Ravich when you
put him out on social media and not having to clarify.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I mean, I got you, Tim, he might he might
give him the heisman.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
He's too classy, Dave Roberts being around him, good and bad.
He's still very you know you.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
Know what the heisman is, right? Yeah? You never seen
that before.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Yeah, the old post. They'll stiff arm. He'll it's like
he'll get away from me, stiff arm.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
First time I heard that, I was like, oh, I
get it. Now I get the trophy. Right, yeah, man,
the dude gave me the heisman. Oh okay, I get it.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
You've given me the heisman a couple of time sacks.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Now, wait a minute, I've never given you the heisman.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I said you were a text over the week and
you gave me the heisman as a kid, say you
ghosted me?
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Wait?
Speaker 5 (30:16):
What?
Speaker 4 (30:17):
What? Why? When?
Speaker 5 (30:18):
What? What was the text? I don't remember, but oh,
come on, it was something would never give you the hesman.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
It was something great. I know that because it was
always profound our text back and forth.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
So yeah, well, I guarantee you on Friday, I'll be
texting you. It's like my brother and I would forty
nine er game. We live, right, down the street. But
we're texting each other the whole game, and I'll be
texting you on Friday, Tim, Can you believe that.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I love it? I love it. I'm fired up for
my Friday night. It's gonna be so great. And I
know we're gonna get into it the next couple of days.
But my just initial first thoughts about Game one, the
Dodgers are going to have to overcomes the initial exactly
that the crowd really loud there. I mean, Philly crowd
was one thing, and it feels like they were right
(31:00):
on top of.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
The lid on it. Yeah, they call it the lid
there in Canada. Do you know that I didn't know that. No, yes,
they call it the lid.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Well they got They gotta bust the lid off that
place in a good way by quieting it and making
sure that they can't get into this game because watching
the Alcs. Not that I watch a lot of Toronto
Blue Jays baseball during the season, but I watched the
Alcs more than you know I probably should have. And
that crowd can get into it. They know how to
get their guys back into it. They can smell when
(31:26):
the momentum is there. And it's it's flips a little
bit in favor of their team, whether it's a lead
off walk or base it to lead off an inning,
they get it. They know how to then get into
a game.
Speaker 5 (31:37):
Yeah. I mean a nice show hey bomb at the
beginning might might put a little dowsing on that crowd,
and that that might be what they need, you know,
to get off to a good start. I think ta
Oscar is going to be very important in this series.
I mean that's one of the guys I think is
gonna really there's gonna be somebody besides show Hey and Mookie,
(32:00):
you know, like maybe it's ta Oscar like last year,
Maybe it's a maybe it's Monsie. Maybe somebody is else,
you know, kind of like a supporting player. Yeah, and
maybe not one of the big stars. One of the
supporting players I think is gonna be actually maybe the
star of the world series.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Max Munsey is that sexy, trendy pick right now. Could
be watching the MLB Network yesterday, I saw three or
four of their guys all like, oh Max Munsey, yep,
Munsey Monsey, that was their pick for as you were
talking about the non show, Hey, MVP, who's the guy
that can rise to the occasion. Max Mounsey got got
a lot of votes for that. Tommy Edmond did it
(32:35):
in the NLCS last year precisely. I mean he had
he had a really good NLCS for the Dodgers, you know,
had a home run, got on bass, played really good.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
Defense he did. I love Tommy Edmond.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
He's clicking at the right time as well. And then
matter's Max Munsey. You feel like Max is just ready
to burst through. It just feels like you talk about
to think.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
He's like kind of pissed off. Yes, like I mean
he's like, I'm so much better than this. I mean,
I've go through the seasons and I produce. But I
mean he hasn't ripped the chickens head off yet, no,
you know, but I think he's about ready to do it.
How about that play at third base that still runs
in That is not an easy play?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yeah, both of them. You get the wheel player than
the one he's spun on his knees and the wheel play. Yeah,
and the wheel play.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
He's had two really good plays at at third base.
And you notice when they when they hit the ball
down there, you know, when you're towards the line, that's
a pretty long throw, right, yeah, mun see every single
time his throws are right on the button, then they're
on a line. He's he's got a good arm at
third base.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
Yeah, it's gonna be fun to see him hopefully, you know,
get going here offensively for the Dodgers, and again show
he was gonna lead off the game on Friday, Game
one of this World Series. It is gonna be raining
booze when he goes to the play, just like it
did the last time the Dodgers went to Rogers Center,
and that was last Yes, yes, so close, so closed.
(33:58):
They thought he was on a plane heading to Toronto.
We're gonna go a little bit of a flashback next
hour on what happened on that December eighth of Friday,
which was a crazy day. Saxy from six A. Yes, yes,
Well here's the other thing, this whole narrative about the
Blue Jays and well, you know they're they're they're they're
(34:19):
Canada's team, and you know they're just they're winning here
and haven't been here in thirty.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Twos are on that team?
Speaker 3 (34:25):
None, none, thank you? And how much money have they spent?
How much money have they tried to spend? Last time
I looked, they were pretty close to getting show Aotani.
Last time I looked, they were really close to getting
Juan Soto as well. I mean they threw a ton
of money at their own guy, vlad garow Or rightfully
so five hundred million dollars.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
So that's a good deal for them, I think, absolutely,
And and this team is top five to tim and
spending money. Absolutely top five.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
But that doesn't get talked about. That doesn't get that's
doesn't fit the narrative of big bad evil Dodgers and
all their money come flying in with their their their
their their airplane full of coins, you know, to Canada
to play this game. It doesn't fit that narrative because
you know, to say that we have two top five
money spending teams here and doesn't work.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
I want to see the players play, if they play hard,
if you earn the money, if you you know, play
for a lot of money. But you're putting it out
there all the time, you know what. That's that's all
people can ask, right.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Yeah, let's go out to the phones. Got some people
waiting patiently coming up next hour. Hope to hear from
Buck Martinez, Blue Jays analyst also a flashback to Otawi
almost becoming a blue Jay. We go to Matthew in Arkansas,
who's been waiting patiently. Andrew, thank you for Matthew, Thank
you so much. Welcome to SCAM.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Thanks guys. I love listening to your show. I can't
always hear it live since I'm over here in Arkansas.
Who it's great to be able to call in. I
love hearing Steve Sachs and and Jerry Royce. I love
when you guys interview mem I enjoyed it last year
and this year I can listen to a whole hour
of Jerry talking to you guys here on the radio.
I wanted to just go back a little to Tanner Scott.
(36:05):
I was listening to the stuff from yesterday, and I
mostly agree that obviously we don't want him in some
kind of a high leverage situation, but I do think
it would be good to still have him on the roster.
We've got, you know, Rableski on there and Kershaw, and
I think like Ben Caspiraus is still on there, and
those are the guys that will kind of suck up
dings if we, you know, are getting blown out or
(36:26):
if we are blowing out the other side. So I
think because we have Tanner Scott for I think three
more years, and he is a good player, and it
would be nice to be able to include him. And
I think Dodger fans, you know, his name is kind
of poisoned to us right now, Yeah, just because of
how his season went. But we want him to be good,
like I want him to be good. I wanted him
(36:47):
to be good next year. And I think having him
on the World Series roster and you know, not not
putting him in in a high liverage situation would be good.
So that way we can get his you know, arm going,
and it would you know, give him like a boost
for next year as well. So thanks for having me
on the Showy.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Matthew, appreciate. Thanks for listening in Arkansas and listen to
the podcast. If you want to listen on the iHeartRadio app,
just click on Clippers Clippers and you can listen on
the Clippers feed. There's no Dan Patrick there and you
can listen to us nice and crystal clear. So go
to the iHeartRadio app and you can search and just
type in Clippers and there's a whole channel there for
the Clipper games. But it's also you can available to
hear scam, so we appreciate the phone call. Yeah, the
(37:25):
whole Tanner Scott thing is really grown. Got some legs
going here in the last twenty four hours, I think
since we brought it up Steve Sax yesterday and heard
the audio that David Vassa was able to get from
Tanner Scott at the workout two days ago. Sure, Tanner
Scott wants to pitch. Tanner Scott says he's healthy, he
throws some bullpen games in this week off, and he
(37:46):
wants and is eager to be on this World Series roster.
But as Matthew pointed out, we got a lot of
fear and a lot of scar tissue there still from
watching him blow ten games this year. And you know, again,
this is not the time or place, in my opinion,
maybe I'm wrong, This is not the time or place
to stroke a guy's ego, to make him feel good
(38:08):
in hopes that he's good for the next three years.
Worry about that next spring training, get him right for
twenty six in twenty six, not in the World Series
right now.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
Yeah, But but I just want to caution people. We
were having the same discussion about Blake Trinon, and you know,
he's kind of come back to the fray a bit.
He's been a lot better, and there is gonna be
a time, whether it's maybe not this postseason, but there's
gonna be times next year. You got him for you
(38:38):
know next year as well, there's gonna be three more years.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
How many more three years? Signed a four years seventy
sevenion year, That's.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
Right, four years seventy years, So you got a few
more years with him. He's gonna he's gonna be there,
and he's gonna be in high leverage situations and people
are gonna come out of the game when they're walking
home saying, man, wasn't that Tanner Scott just nails today?
It's gonna happen. It's will happen. And the Dodgers weren't
weren't wrong when when they when they signed him. I
don't believe and he's gonna come back, He's gonna find
(39:07):
it and he's gonna be nails. And I really believe
that one hundred percent. So we gotta we got to
kind of temper you know, some of the some of
the conversation that the guy is, you know, the worst
thing since whatever you want to use. But he's gonna
come back and be good.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
I'm with you, and I'm rooting for him because he's
a Dodger for the next three years and I think
he will be big for them moving forward. And he
just doesn't magically lose what it was really good in
the last few years as a left handed closer. He'll
get it back. I just don't think right now is
the time for him to try to get it back.
You know, maybe they can catch lightning in a bottle
like they did with Sasaki. Sure, I don't know, but
(39:45):
I don't know if I want to try it. I
don't know if I want to send him out there
in a game in Toronto on Friday or Saturday. I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
That's that's he is. He is going to be a time.
There is gonna be times where you're gonna look back
to you, man, remember that time in posts.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
I hope so out there I look at him now.
I hope you're right. I hope you're right. We'll even
see if he makes the roster for the World Series.
A lot of left handed pitchers come out of the
bullpen at a point there, You know what I mean.
I mean VESSI a Bonda Dryer, Robleski, Kershaw, A Tanner Scott,
I mean I love Leftanders, but I don't love him
that much. Yeah, A lot of them, he is Steve Sacks,
(40:25):
I'm Tim Kats were here on this Wednesday morning, coming up,
Freddy Friedman, Mookie Bench. You'll hear from both of them
an hour from now. A flashback from when Otani was
almost a Blue Jay. David Vasse, Jose Mota and you
eight six six ninet eighty seven two five seventy Saxon
Kates in the am right here on an FI seventy
il I Sports Saxon Kates in the AM on this
(40:49):
Wednesday morning, AMTI seventy LA Sports live in local all
October long here in the mornings, as the Dodgers make
their World Series run the win back to back championships.
Game one of the World Series in Toronto on Friday,
Dodgers and the Blue Jays. Dave Roberts announcing that Blake
Snell will get the start in Game one, Yoshinoba Yamamota
(41:11):
will go in Game two. So lining up like it
did in the NLCS, just real quickly, sec see last
night the NBA season tipped off. The Lakers lost to
the Golden State Warriors one nineteen to one oh nine.
No Lebron James, he's out with the sciatica in his back,
and uh, it was all about Luka Doncis last night
he had forty three points in a Lakers loss and
(41:33):
is a one man show out there with not a
lot around him. But that's besides the point.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
The NBA and on NBC returned after like thirty years.
You know you remember the old John Tesh No No No,
No Nona song that was, you know, very famous for
the NBA and NBC. Well, NBA and on NBC is back,
and part of it is they have Michael Jordan throughout
the season doing these interviews and kind of sit down
because he's very private.
Speaker 5 (41:56):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
Now you know, you know you see Jordan out in about,
but you don't hear him a lot. Yes, and he
did a sit down with Mike Turrico from NBC and
it was interesting. They said, do you even play basketball anymore?
Do you even I play pickup basketball? And he gave
a great answer. He said no, and he said the
last time I shot a basketball was last month. The
(42:18):
Ryder Cup and he said he rented an airbnb up
in the northeast where the Ryder Cup was at Bethpage
in New York or Black Page, whatever you call it.
And he rented an airbnb and the owner of the
airbnb said, Hey, can you do me a favor? Can
you shoot a basket. The guy's grandkids were there and
Jordan was kind of playing with them and you know,
(42:38):
signing autographs and everything. He was really cool about it.
And Michael said he got really nervous and it was
the first time he had shot a basketball since he
could remember. And he says he was nervous because he
had pressure of these kids around him, and these kids
had heard stories and seen him on YouTube because they're
so young. And here's Michael Jordan, the flesh in front
(43:01):
of him and he's about to shoot a basket. And
he said he got so nervous because he didn't want
to let the kids down. And in their mind they
have Michael Jordan flying through the air the nineties, and
he said, that's thirty years ago. And he goes, I
don't want let these kids down, and he goes, that's
what that was always my mindset is every game I
(43:21):
wanted to be out there playing. I don't want to
load manage every game. I wanted to be out there
because I felt like there was somebody who hadn't seen
me play, and there was a kid out there. This
is maybe the only chance he sees me play in
this city and the one time he can afford to
go to a game, and I want to put on
a show for him. Kobe adopted this philosophy as well,
and the whole mama mentality from this. But to hear
Jordan say that he made a basket and he shot
(43:43):
a free throw and he made it, and he's like,
I made it in front of the kid, and that's
all I was worried about, was the kid in his mind,
having Michael Jordan in the flesh live up to Michael
Jordan that they were watching on YouTube. I thought that
was really cool to hear Michael Jordan says a great story, Yeah,
great story.
Speaker 5 (44:00):
And and you know, for for him, you know, for
the kids, from the kids point of view, you know,
he probably believes that Michael Jordan could never miss a basket.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
Right, exactly, never exactly.
Speaker 5 (44:12):
Yeah, but you know it's see, it's almost like Michael
Jordan is not even a human being. He's he's something
more than that, and that's uh. And Michael was sensitive
to that and didn't want to let him down. It's
a great story, very great story.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, it's it's just what Michael Jordan's about. And you know,
he's just on this pedalstal of the greatest of you know,
all time. He's the goat of his sport. And show
Ayotani's right up there. So it's it's just I thought
it was really cool to see Michael Jordan just, you know,
always worried about the fans and the kids and and
putting on the show and making sure he's always at
(44:44):
his best. And it's in a time and era we
live right now, Steve, where it's load management in the NBA,
it's it's it's let's see how little we can do
to get to the postseason. In professional sports, it's kind
of refreshing to see a guy who you know, didn't
want to sit out and one to play all eighty
two games season.
Speaker 5 (45:03):
And I'll tell you about Michael Jordan, he played with
a lot of heart, and he played his tailoff all
the time because he loved the game.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
No doubt, no doubt. Mario Santa Monica. Thanks for being
pat to your next up on with Sacks and Kids
and the am What's on your mind?
Speaker 7 (45:17):
Mario, Good morning guys. Thanks for having me on Love
the show. I wish he were on all year. R Own, Thanks.
Wanted to talk guys about So the biggest thing for
this series I think for the Dodgers and Blue Jays
is probably one thing in step fastball. No one hits
the fastball better than his playoffs and strikes out less
than the Blue Jays. But at the same time, no
(45:39):
one throws less fastballs and the Dodgers except one team,
So going to look out for that. See what the
Dodgers can throw. Their pitchers can throw off speed stuff
and get him the swing and chase that can think
the biggest key I think in this series for these guys,
and I honestly wanted to talk about really quickly the
Dodgers running baseball theory. It's funny everyone calls for a
salary cutap and saying, you know, the Dodgers are overstanding,
(46:02):
but they don't realize that we have Andrew Friedman, the
guy had to work with the with the budget in
Tampa Bay for so many years. I'm not worried about
him working with a salary cap.
Speaker 3 (46:11):
Honestly, Yeah, I don't think we're gonna get a salary cap.
I appreciate the phone call. So either that's a fight
that's coming down the road, we can see it in
about a year and a half.
Speaker 5 (46:21):
Coming theres he'll die on that hill.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
Yeah, yeah, I mean that's something they were talking about
when you were playing Steven. I know you were very
very active with the players Union.
Speaker 5 (46:30):
Yeah, and you know it's a there's some things, I mean,
if you think about it's too long to explain, but
in a nutshell, they would basically tell you when you
didn't have the rights that you had, guy like Mickey
Mantle would come Ince had a great year and well,
if you don't like it, go back to Oklahoma. But
this is what we're going to give you. Our team
didn't do is great at the at the gate, so
we're going to give you, Actually, we're gonna dock your
(46:51):
pay a little bit, not much, but you know, you're
probably gonna make ninety percent of what you made last year,
even though you had a brilliant year, and you know
those days are gone, are never gonna you know, go
back to that.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
No, and and and they're not gonna put up with
the salary cap. They don't want to have a.
Speaker 5 (47:07):
Live out of free market when you have a salary gap.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
No never, it's it's the only professional sports still remaining
without a salary cap. They have one in football, they've
one guy went in basketball. Baseball is the last one standing.
Corey in Long Beach, Welcome to Saxon Kates and a
What's on your Mind this morning?
Speaker 5 (47:23):
Corey.
Speaker 4 (47:24):
Hey guys, a great show.
Speaker 5 (47:26):
Thanks Corey.
Speaker 4 (47:29):
Steve. I would love to ask you who is the
toughest pitcher you ever faced in your career?
Speaker 5 (47:38):
Well, you know what, Corey, there was a ton of them.
I probably guys that you never heard much from were
the toughest guys for me, But they were all tough.
I would say a guy like John Dobson was really hard.
I don't know if I ever got a hit off
this guy. And guys that threw really hard. I didn't
mind those guys as much as the guys that were
(47:59):
throwing a lot of thiss and offspeed stuff and whatnot,
because I like to hit the fastball, so anybody that
you can throw in that bucket, they were probably a
little bit harder than the rest, But all of them
were hard. These are major league pitchers. None of them
were easy.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
You're talking about the great John Dobson from the Boston
Red Sox.
Speaker 5 (48:15):
Yeah, great John Dobson who was about six four six', five,
tall lanky, guy long arm, delivery great two seamer into
the back foot of all right handed, hitters and, yeah
and then a great. Slider so we had darting one
way and darting the other, way and that was just
a lot to.
Speaker 3 (48:36):
Handle you know what he's most famous for in his,
career and happened in nineteen eighty.
Speaker 5 (48:40):
Nine what is?
Speaker 3 (48:41):
That he is the last pitcher to balk four times
in one Game june, thirteenth nineteen eighty, nine a member
of The Boston Red.
Speaker 5 (48:51):
Sox crazy AND i wanted to take the Second. TIM
i know we got a, break BUT i may have
a surprise guest later in the. Show Love, It Love.
It that's really, big.
Speaker 3 (49:04):
Love it cannot. Wait stay tuned for, that big, Big
stay tuned for. That we're here till nine o'clock this.
Morning he Is Steve. Sacks I'm Tim kats one hour,
down two to go right here AT fi. SEVENTY i,
sports
They say. The hardest thing in sports isn't winning a title.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
It's hard to repeat seasons.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
It's winning it again.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
This year.
Speaker 4 (00:08):
Is not trying to win a championship, They're trying to repeat.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's October baseball for your world champion in LA Dodger.
Speaker 4 (00:15):
The twenty twenty five Dodgers are the National League's Western
Division champions.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And you know what that means.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Saxon Kates and AM is back.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
This is Saxon Kates in the morning with Tim Kates
and former world champion Dodger Steve Sacks.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Reacting, taking your phone calls, talking Dodgers playoff baseball all
postseason long.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Now here they are on AM five to seventy LA
Sports and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Steve Sacks, Tim Kaits, Tim.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Kates and World Champion Dodger Steve Sacks.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Oh, we're off and running on a Wednesday morning here
in southern California. Thanks for being with us on this Wednesday,
October twenty second, two thousand and twenty five. It's sax
and Kate to the AM with you as you make
your drive to work, to school, your commute, keep us
(01:12):
with you for the next three hours, Locked and loaded,
as we got a champack show to get to here
on a five to seventy LA Sports, I am Tim Kates,
joined by two time World Series champion, Rookie of the
Year and everybody's favorite numb the one and only Steve
Sacks Saxy. Good morning, How you doing?
Speaker 5 (01:31):
Good morning, Tim? How you doing?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I'm fired up? Another day closer, I can hear it.
Getting towards Game one of this World Series. We got
baseball news here in southern California. The Angels have hired
a new manager. We got Game one on Friday. We
got media day tomorrow in Toronto for both the Dodgers
and Blue Jays. Dodgers flying out later on this afternoon
(01:54):
north of the border to Toronto, Canada. We got a
baseball analyst popping off about the Dodgers and being bad
for baseball, which we're gonna get into. We had Mookie Betch,
Freddie Freeman, Dave Roberts all addressed the media last night
at the team workout at Dodgers Stadium. So you'll hear
from all three of those Dodgers coming up throughout the show.
(02:14):
We got a little bit of a flashback for you
coming up in the seven o'clock hour as showy Otani
was almost a Toronto Blue Jay. We're gonna go back
to that December day in which we all thought he
was on an airplane going to Toronto. It turns out
it wasn't him. So we got a lot to get
to over the next three hours. But we know now,
Saxy who the Game one starter will be. Dave Roberts
(02:36):
announced it yesterday and no surprise it snalls right, Yeah, no.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Surprise there, Tim. We know that Blake Snell was gonna
be the guy. I know David Vasse is just absolutely
thrilled that his buddy, his buddy, I guess, is going
to be the opening day starter for the World Series. Now,
what is that they flew out? They're flying out today?
Are they working out today?
Speaker 6 (03:03):
Then?
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Going No, they.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Fly out about two or three o'clock in the afternoon,
so they'll get into Toronto later on tonight. Tomorrow. They
will have media day at Rogers Center, which is not
like Super Bowl Media Day, but you know, sort of
in a lesser extent, not as much media, but they
still set up stations if you will, right, we had
dollars to go to Yeah, and so they'll have that
(03:27):
tomorrow for both teams, and then both teams will go
through workouts later on tomorrow afternoon anticipation for Game one.
But tomorrow's gonna be fun with media day you went through.
What was that like back in nineteen eighty eight.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I mean, it's just it's the same questions and you
just go from spot to spot to spot to spot,
and it's okay. You know, you get to you get
kind of tired of it, you know, pretty quick, but
it's not bad. You got a nice workout afterwards. You
can blow off some steam and you know, this is
a time tim right now where if there's any jitter
(04:00):
going on and whatnot, and there's certainly there is, this
is a time where it happens when the game starts.
All that leaves when the game starts. After the first
half inning, it's I always felt like the game part
of it was when you really had some some sanctuary.
You know, you know, everybody wants tickets, you know, the jitters,
(04:21):
you got all the press, press you have to worry about.
When the game starts, you're almost protected from all that,
and then it's just to me, the World Series was
almost like another game because all the pomp and circumstance
was done, and then you can get after it and
it's it's it's really just another game to me.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It may feel like that for you. But when you
got sixty thousand people cheering and the world watching game
one of what is the ultimate apex of a season,
the World Series, the fans feel the pressure. The fans
are nervous. The fans are on pins and needles, whether
they're listening, they're watching, or they're standing inside the stadium.
(05:01):
It's amazing how you guys can get locked in. I mean,
it's your job, you're playing out there, it's what you do.
But it's amazing that you guys can just get locked
in and once you're between those lines, it's just another game.
That's crazy.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Yeah, well, there's a heightened to wear and there's no question.
You know, this is the World Series. You know, you
understand that. But the the machinations of going through the game,
you know, you know, you've got to get ready to hit.
You're studying what the pictures throwing, and you just kind
of get immersed into, you know, the professional part of
(05:34):
being a baseball player, and you kind of kind of
forget about everything else, all that other stuff That's a
great thing about it is all the other stuff that's
on the periphery, it just kind of, you know, it's
just kind of goes away and you can just think
about the game.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
It's it's important, I guess, then, to have good leadership
in a clubhouse, whether it's veteran players, good assistant coaches,
guys who can can patrol the locker room if you
will calm some nerves. Maybe how much does it fall
on the I mean, was Tommy Lesora walking around there
making you guys even more nervous by the yelling and
screaming and trying to get you guys motivation or you know,
(06:07):
was the joy of Mofatano and you know the assistant
coaches walking around just like all right, sexually we're good.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
You know, well, you know what, if Tommy's not screaming
and yelling, then then there is uh time to be nervous.
I guess you'd say you wanted to see him at
his norm and you know he was uh everywhere. You know,
he was eating all the time, and he was uh,
you know, patrolling the clubhouse like you said. But when
he was doing all that, you know that things were
pretty normal. We had the we had the instance. So
(06:34):
when Bob Costas you know, told our told the media
that this team was like the most lackluster and talent
that he's ever seen a World Series team, be Tommy
actually posted that uh in the clubhouse and we we
got a you know, a kind of a good chance
to ride that that negative stuff that he was saying,
(06:54):
and you can actually turn that into a positive. And
that's what the team did.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah. I mean, sometimes you need something to rally a team.
I don't know how much this team needs to be pushed, Steve.
I don't know how much Dave Roberts needs to go
in there and say anything. I know, during the regular
season a couple of times he had to do it.
It's now finding out about an instance which David Vassa
was really the one to tell us about this the
last month that when they were on the road and
(07:19):
in Baltimore and they the almost perfect or an almost
no hitter for Yoshinobo Yamamoto, there was a team you know,
sit down and there was a powwow that Dave Roberts,
you know, told this team this is where we need
to be. You guys needed to get dialed in. You
guys are gonna get a focused here down the stretch.
And he did the same thing almost about a year
to the day when they were in Atlanta on a
road trip last year and Tyler Glasnow went down with
(07:40):
a bicep tendonitis and he was their best pitcher at
that point, and Klayton Kershaw's getting hurt, and he did
the same thing. He'd sat the team down and he
talked to them and got them ready. At this point,
I don't know how much Dave Roberts's gonna have to
set this team down. One because they're such a veteran group,
and two they kind of lead them so at this
point of this season, because these guys have all been
(08:02):
here before, I mean for them, I mean even Tyler
glass Now has pitched in a World Series back in
twenty twenty. This is a group that's been in October
and knows what the pressure is of the biggest stage.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Yeah. A couple things about that. You know, you're in
the World Series, you're a professional baseball player, you're a
grown up man. I don't know that you really need
somebody to, you know, to push you. This is a
time where you know, you really don't need that No,
there's teams that can get into ruts during the season,
and the effect the effectiveness of a manager to have
(08:35):
a talk during the season, that might be it. You know,
halfway through the season you do that. If a manager
has a bunch of talks throughout the year and has
these closed door meetings, you know, every other week, they
lose their their luster. They don't have the same type
of effect on the team. But if you have these
once in a great while, maybe once a year, because
(08:57):
because most of the conversation are had one on one,
either in the office or at the locker, those things
are effective. They go a little deeper because they're one
on one. But you can have a team meeting with
the manager once in a while. Those things are effective.
But if they're all the time, they lose their efficacy.
They're just not as good anymore.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, it's interesting you bring that up because that was
one of the questions. In fact, I think I might
have been the first question from our own David Vassi
yesterday on the Zoom Call with Dave Roberts asked him about,
you know, your voice ten years now as the manager
of the Dodgers, how has it not just become white
noise for some of these players, which you were just
(09:38):
kind of alluding to. Than the course of a season,
a manager constantly doing something, it just becomes background noise.
Here's the manager, Dave Roberts yesterday talking with the media,
and this is one of the first questions was just
exactly what we were talking about.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You've had a veteran group all year long, You've been
with them for a while now, how have you been
able to not allow your voice to just become white
noise and even when things were not going their best
this year, to find a way to get the best
out of those guys.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
You know, I think we're going to run the same
rotation back I think for sure for the first two
Smell and then and then Yamamoto and we'll see kind
of from game three in game four. Yeah, you know what,
I think it's one of those things that they know
(10:29):
me pretty well. I've learned to know them pretty well.
We have a lot of the same people that have
been together for quite some time, and with that you
learned kind of how to, you know, ultimately get the
best out of them at certain points, and when to
push them and challenge them and when to give them
some latitude and some grace. I think there's a there's
(10:53):
a complete trust with me and the players, and our
goal of winning a championship has never been in question.
But yeah, you know, I think for me as you
can see, you see it firsthand. You know, there's times
I give guys freedom and like I said, grace because
the game's hard, it's a long season. But there's other
(11:16):
times where I kind of I get to be a
little bit more stern in my messaging and expectations, you know,
when I feel the times right.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, Dave, how much more comfortable are you with the
six day break this year compared to the breaks the
last two years?
Speaker 6 (11:34):
I think actually much more comfortable, you know, even after
you know, the game four, when we're flying out tomorrow,
which sort of breaks up the monotony of not playing.
We took the one day off, but the guys are active,
the guys feel good. I do think that there are
(11:55):
some guys that were nursing some things so to get
us back to full health. But actually we got to
simulate a game another one tonight, so I feel good
about kind of the guy who's focus and playing, and yeah,
we'll be ready to go on Friday. Feel good about it.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
All Right, there's the manager, Dave Roberts, and again he
alluded to what you were talking about. And you can
be a voice in the clubhouse, you can be that
leader that he is, but you got to kind of
know when to pick your spots and to jump in
and not jump in. And I think sometimes Steve that's
been questioned by Dodger fans and been one of the
knocks on Dave Roberts from the fan base is that
(12:32):
he doesn't react quicker to things, and he doesn't go
out and pull a guy maybe necessarily let him work
through it during the regular season. And that's where I
look back and I think a different perspective, and I
like that he lets players figure things out good and bad,
lets him work through things and try to maneuver them
and figure out how to, you know, get out of
a situation that you've dug a hole yourself, how to
(12:55):
go out there and get out of a slump. And
he's got, always, always, he's got the confidence of his players.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Yes, And it goes back the other way too. The
players have, you know, the trust and the manager that's
laid down at an early uh at an early time,
and it gets you through some of those pitfalls and whatnot.
And if guys don't know how to bounce off that
that wall of failure and come back to the middle
and and fix it, you know, they're not gonna have
a lot of confidence when when they find themselves in
(13:23):
a bit of a tough, tough position and they don't
know how to fix it, you know, all of a sudden,
it's crept up on them. And these are things that
are that are figured out young in a player's career,
and it's it's established, you know, layered on year after year.
Players understand the manager, manager knows the player, but the
manager is going to let these guys go out and
(13:44):
and fix it themselves. That adds confidence. It also is
a quiet way of asking players to raise the bar
of expectancy when they raise the bar. And if you
don't raise the bar, if you don't raise the bar,
tim you're you're gonna if you don't if you raise
put this way, if you're gonna raise the bar, you're
gonna lose the losers. But if you I mean you're gonna, yeah,
(14:05):
you'll lose the losers. But if you don't raise the
bar up, you're gonna lose the winners. That's the worst part.
So you got to constantly let that kind of raise
up on its own by letting the players fix things
and get out of them. That adds confidence.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I don't want you to have to name anybody in
particular or hint to where it maybe had been. But
was there a manager that you're like, my gosh, this
is this isn't Tommy, this isn't what I'm used to.
I can't buy into this, did you ever? And not
that you didn't have the respect of the manager for
maybe teams you played for, guys you played for in
your professional career, but you know, not everybody's tommylus Order
(14:40):
right right, you know exactly.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
And there was there was a you know, a time
or two where I, I mean I kind of just
within my own you know, within the confines of my
own self, would go, what is this? You know, this
isn't what I'm used to? Of course, and that's okay,
because you know, managers have different styles and and that's okay.
But we did have the most SUCCESSFU when I was
(15:03):
with the Dodgers, and that kind of speaks for itself.
But it's all it's all about, you know, having having
the respect and having the trust. The trust is the
main thing. When you know you can come in that
locker room, the door's open, you can be yourself and
there's no whispering campaigns going on. That's that's a good
locker room. You know, that's a good locker room. And
(15:24):
and all the players. And I don't say this lightly
because these are long, long lasting relationships. Tim, I've been
out of the game a long time and I still
have the same relationships that I had when I played,
the same guys. You love your teammates. You're with these
guys more than you're with your family during the season,
and and you have a bond with them. I don't
(15:45):
care where they're from, it doesn't matter. You still have
that bond with them. And it never leaves, which is
which is an amazing thing. And it's I don't know
where else you could ever get this, really think about it.
I mean, you play with guys, you were with guys.
You know, you have other people that don't play baseball.
Of course they're in the workforce. But how many people
in the workforce can have these long standing relationships for
(16:09):
the rest of their life. It just it doesn't happen
anywhere else?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
How is that culture, though, Bill, because we're talking about
this Dodgers team here in twenty twenty five and the
culture that has been built over the last you know,
decade or so, Dave Roberts, Is it the leadership is
a guy like Clayton Kershaw being the glue and the
mainstay through it all with guys like Justin Turner coming
and going, with guys like Corey Seeger coming and going,
with rich Hill coming and going, and now the constant
(16:36):
Ben Clayton Kershaw. Is it a guy who sets the culture?
Is it the manager who sets the culture? How did
you guys have that? And how does this current Dodgers
team have that?
Speaker 5 (16:45):
The answer to that is very simple, Tim, and that
is you've got that because you've got number one, You've
got respect for each other. You all know how hard
it was to get where you are. Those players that
are on your team were the best player in their
city in their respective city when they were in little league,
and so were you and so on, and so you
(17:07):
all come together, you get weeded out in the minor leagues,
and then you have it after you've been through the SIEV,
you have the guys left standing in the major leagues,
and you all know how hard it was to get there.
You all paid the price. So there's this common respect
and this bond that is so strong, and it's like
nothing I've ever seen, and we'll never see anywhere else.
(17:30):
But you'd have it in sports. I'm sure they have
it in football. You could see after the game the
guys are, you know, talking after the game, if they
try to rip each other in half, and after the game,
they've got a brotherhood going on. That's the same thing
we have in baseball. They you have such a bond
with players, it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I think currently it has to be harder to have that.
And it's just reality. Guys are making a ton of money,
Guys are superstars. There's egos. You're only human, and of course,
you know, egos are part of everything, especially when you
start making money and you start getting the fame. It's
just part of it, that's what it is. But through
all of that and guys making record numbers of money
(18:08):
and guys being superstars, and there's guys who aren't superstars
on the team, through even all that, on this roster, Steve,
it is amazing to see you don't have a division
You don't have half of a clubhouse over here, half
of a clubhouse over here. You don't even have the
Latin guys over here and the other guys over here,
pitchers over here, position players over here. I don't know
(18:29):
five hundred million dollar guys over here, major league minimum
guys over here. It is amazing that in this era
where you hear about it all the time, divisions in
locker rooms. Guy wants more money, so he's gonna pout.
Guy wants more money, doesn't feel respected, he wants out.
You got guys who are making tons of money but
don't put in the work. The culture of this team
(18:51):
is just like you talked about with your eighty eight team.
The culture, I honestly believe, is why this has worked
for a decade now.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
Yes, it's so important. I mean, giving an example, Tim,
A quick example is I remember when you know guys
would just come up on the team and how immediately
you just took them in. You know, you remember the
unfortunate passing of Tim Cruise. When Tim came up, I
(19:19):
really liked Tim. We had a lot of good conversation
and he was such a good man. And I remember
when we actually went to Montreal. There was a place
where we would go there to get our clothes made,
and it was I remember it was on Saint Laurentz Street.
Giovanni's was the name of it. And I took there.
I took Tim there to with me because I wanted
(19:41):
to introduce him to the place. And I got him
a couple of things, and he really liked this one
blazer that I had, so I got him that blazer
and I gave it to him, and his wife told
me that he loved that blazer and she she buried
him in that blazer when he passed away. And it
was such a it was such a a humbling experience,
(20:02):
you know, to to hear her say that when we
lost Tim, and you know, these things go pretty deep
when when you're with guys a long time, Tim, you
spend a lot of time there, and you know, you
get to know families and you know that person in
and out, and that's that's a that's a pretty great thing.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
By the way, Giovanni's still there in Montreal, A touch
of Europe, handmade in Montreal.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
Yeah, Giovanni's great place.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
They're still making custom suits for Steve Sachs to this day.
Not for me, A forty two long for Steve Sacks.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Well, a little larger than that general stop stop. Well,
the deal is, you don't want to lose any of
your shreditity, but you want to, you want to, you know,
pack it on a little muscle.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
There you go. Coming up between now at nine o'clock,
we got a jam packed show. You're gonna hear from
Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Buck Martinez scheduled to join as
longtime baseball man now part.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Of that prom TV. Is he really Sacramento guh, my gosh,
why did you tell me that?
Speaker 3 (21:04):
I'm texting him yesterday? I wish I would have known
he was a Sacramento guy. Sacramento guy for sure. Oh well,
Buck's flying right now, and he said as soon as
he lands, if he's in the clear, he's gonna join us.
In the seven o'clock hour, we're gonna have a little
flashback show. Ay Otani almost a blue Jay, you remember
that third hour of the show. Jose Mota is gonna
join us. He's got a really special relationship with Vlad
(21:24):
Guerrero Junior. Jose Mota, before rejoining the Dodgers, was down
in Anaheim working for the Angels for a long time
on their TV and radio broadcast and travel with the team.
He's known Vlad Guerrero since he was a young kid
and Vlad Senior was playing for the Angels, so we'll
get his perspective on this series. David vast will join
us as well. Dodgers fly out today to Toronto. Your
(21:47):
phone calls coming up, and an MLB analyst backtracking from
some of his comments he made on social media. We'll
get into it all. Steve Sacks, Tim Katon you on
this Wednesday morning. Good morning, so I think California at
the same if IYLA Sports SAX and Kate's in the
(22:08):
am on this Wednesday morning. Thanks for being with us
bright and early. Here with you until nine o'clock this morning.
David Vatsay will join us later on. Jose Mota will
join us also in the eight o'clock hour. Hope to
hear from Buck Martinez, Blue Jays TV analysts and from
the nine to one six Sacramento as well. We'll hear
from Freddy Freeman coming up next hour. Your phone calls
(22:28):
as well. Eight six six, nine eighty seven, two five
seventy is the number who want you to be a
part of the show, as we always do every single
day here on SCAM. But something caught my eye yesterday
on social media, Saxy, And I know you're not on
there a lot, so I do the perusing for us
to kind of see the what the pulse is out there,
what some of the pundits are saying that that I
(22:49):
follow and are are are constantly, you know, giving their
opinions and writing things on social media. And something caught
my eye and it started getting a lot of traction yesterday.
And it's from esp Karl Ravitch, who calls the games
on Sunday Night Baseball, longtime Baseball Tonight hosts and now
calling him the college baseball games and Little League Rules series.
He's a play by play guy on ESPN TV and
(23:12):
been around forever. Everybody kind of if you see Carl Ravitch,
you know the name, you see, you see the face,
you recognize him. Yesterday he tweeted this out and I'm
reading exactly what he wrote at Karl Ravitch ESPN on
X The Blue Jays don't beat themselves. They have lad Springer,
Yasevich and Gosman, they hit good pitching. They will have
(23:32):
home field advantage they might say baseball from being ruined.
It got a lot of pushback from people, baseball folks,
baseball fans, so much so he had over a million
people view and comment on the tweet. So a few
hours after that initial tweet, he wrote, Dave Roberts, after
(23:54):
sweeping the Brewers, quote, let's get four more wins and
really ruin baseball? Those were docs were words. If the
Dodgers win, is baseball ruined?
Speaker 6 (24:02):
No?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
If the Jay's win is it ruined? No, Let's have
a long competitive series. Those are my words. He backtracked
from what his initial tweet was, and even Today's Saxy
more about an hour ago, one million views Tuesday, what
if it said the Blue Jays don't beat themselves. They
have blad Springer, Y Savage and Gosman, they hit good pitching,
(24:26):
they'll have home field advantage. And if the Jays win
is Dodgers remager Dave Roberts suggested the Dodgers might not
actually quote ruin baseball. Stop backtracking, dude. Yeah, put out
the tweet yesterday and you mentioned they might say baseball
from being ruined. Now you have to go back and clarifyed.
Not my words. That's what Dave Roberts said, please, please, Dave.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Dave Roberts was quoting what others were saying exactly. That's
exactly what happened. We all were there. You're not going
to fool anybody. And yeah, that's the he's walking that
thing back because of all of the at he got
social media and he's trying to walk it back. He's
not fooling anybody, Kim especially, you know, he probably doesn't
(25:09):
know anything about scam.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
No, and we're getting after him right now. I'll yes,
I am, because I'm fired up about the fact that
you put this out there and you make a comment
about that they might have saved baseball from being ruined
if you were trying to be funny and use that narrative. Again,
it didn't come across that way, and it wasn't funny.
(25:32):
You can tell because of the reaction it got from people,
and you know, good or bad. That's why you have
to be careful of what you put out on social
media because people can read it in one tone, and
another group of people can read it in a certain tone,
and then another group of people can read it in
a completely different way. And you write one thing and
it's viewed three different ways. That's the problem. He may
(25:54):
have meant it one way. He may have meant it
tongue in cheek. I don't know. He's backtracking in my opinion,
but the initial tweet was about the fact that that
might say baseball.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
From being ruined.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
You know, this is a narrative being spun that a
lot of people aren't happy about Carl Ravage. And here's
the problem. You aren't just a blogger. You aren't just
a beat rider. You aren't just some guy covering the
team on a fringe outlet. You're the voice of Sunday
Night Baseball. You were for ESPN. You're a voice that's
been around the game a long time. You have meetings
(26:27):
with managers and hitting coaches and pitching coaches. When they
do these broadcasts, they don't just show up and turn
a mic on. They have meetings beforehand and kind of
get some insight that way. When they're giving you an
analysis on a game, it's like, well, you always hear this, Oh, well,
we met with the manager earlier, Dave Roberts, you had
to say this, or we met with the manager of
Have Murphy. He told this is yeah. In football, they
(26:49):
have meetings during the week leading up to games, you
get a little bit insight. You kind of get the
feel what's happening with the team, you get the pulse
from the manager or what's happening.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
For that It's not just well, you know, I accidentally
said this, right, and there's you meet with these guys,
So how do you then put this out there and
and think.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Well, I just was I was just saying what Dave
Roberts said. No, No, you're you're a bigger voice than that.
You have to be more responsible for what you say. Yes,
and and and then you can't backtrack. While I was
just try I was just quote what Dave Roberts said
on Friday night at the podium. No, no, that doesn't happen.
Speaker 5 (27:26):
And then and then when you try to walk it
back and and and put out that that jam right there,
that's people aren't gonna buy it, you kind of lose credibility.
Just say, you know, maybe I shouldn't have said that,
or just be flat out don't say that I was
quoting Roberts. Really, we know Dave Roberts. What did Dave
Roberts invent that?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
No?
Speaker 5 (27:45):
He no, he was reacting. He said, Now let's go
win four more games and really ruined baseball. They was
kind of saying it, and j just he was just
kind of highlighting what people say exactly. That's what he
was doing. He didn't invent that. Come on.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
I mean, if if you're gonna write something on social
media and claim that you were just saying what Dave
Roberts was saying, then you should have put it in quotes.
You should have put you know, quote being ruined meaning
you're taking it from somebody else when you type it out,
and you don't do that. It's your words, it's what
you had to say your second tweet. When you put
quotes around things, now you're trying to clarify what you meant.
(28:21):
And it's a bad look. And it's a bad look
for a guy who's well respected and from all beings
is a nice guy.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Yeah, and is this, uh, do you think this has legs?
Speaker 3 (28:30):
I mean, for today, an off day leading up to
the World Series, it does? I don't know. I mean,
I think if if you're cal Rabbits, you know, you
make these comments and it goes viral like it did,
because it's not just me nitpicking it. It's not like
I just found this and trying to bring it up.
I mean, he commented this morning one million views on Tuesday. Wow,
exclamation point. So this thing has legs the last twenty
(28:51):
four hours. And if somebody pought in the comments below.
Do you say this to Dave Roberts when you meet
with him before a game? Do you do you bring
up that fact that the Dodgers are running baseball? Do
you say it to their face? He might have just
lost a very important interview.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Yeah, you know, Dave Roberts might just say, you know what,
I don't really trust that what I say that you're
gonna put out there because I saw you say this
other thing that you know, you tried to blame it
on me, So I'm going to pass on you. Yeah,
you never know.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Dave Roberts is too classy the guy to do that.
Dave Roberts.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
You may not say it, but he just may. He
may just yea, he may walk on by.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, Dave Roberts, he might.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
He might be on Warwick this guy, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Oh, yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
He might be on Warwick this guy and walk on by.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah, just choose your words carefully. Carl Ravich when you
put him out on social media and not having to clarify.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I mean, I got you, Tim, he might he might
give him the heisman.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
He's too classy, Dave Roberts being around him, good and bad.
He's still very you know you.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
Know what the heisman is, right? Yeah? You never seen
that before.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Yeah, the old post. They'll stiff arm. He'll it's like
he'll get away from me, stiff arm.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
First time I heard that, I was like, oh, I
get it. Now I get the trophy. Right, yeah, man,
the dude gave me the heisman. Oh okay, I get it.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
You've given me the heisman a couple of time sacks.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Now, wait a minute, I've never given you the heisman.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I said you were a text over the week and
you gave me the heisman as a kid, say you
ghosted me?
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Wait?
Speaker 5 (30:16):
What?
Speaker 4 (30:17):
What? Why? When?
Speaker 5 (30:18):
What? What was the text? I don't remember, but oh,
come on, it was something would never give you the hesman.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
It was something great. I know that because it was
always profound our text back and forth.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
So yeah, well, I guarantee you on Friday, I'll be
texting you. It's like my brother and I would forty
nine er game. We live, right, down the street. But
we're texting each other the whole game, and I'll be
texting you on Friday, Tim, Can you believe that.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I love it? I love it. I'm fired up for
my Friday night. It's gonna be so great. And I
know we're gonna get into it the next couple of days.
But my just initial first thoughts about Game one, the
Dodgers are going to have to overcomes the initial exactly
that the crowd really loud there. I mean, Philly crowd
was one thing, and it feels like they were right
(31:00):
on top of.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
The lid on it. Yeah, they call it the lid
there in Canada. Do you know that I didn't know that. No, yes,
they call it the lid.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Well they got They gotta bust the lid off that
place in a good way by quieting it and making
sure that they can't get into this game because watching
the Alcs. Not that I watch a lot of Toronto
Blue Jays baseball during the season, but I watched the
Alcs more than you know I probably should have. And
that crowd can get into it. They know how to
get their guys back into it. They can smell when
(31:26):
the momentum is there. And it's it's flips a little
bit in favor of their team, whether it's a lead
off walk or base it to lead off an inning,
they get it. They know how to then get into
a game.
Speaker 5 (31:37):
Yeah. I mean a nice show hey bomb at the
beginning might might put a little dowsing on that crowd,
and that that might be what they need, you know,
to get off to a good start. I think ta
Oscar is going to be very important in this series.
I mean that's one of the guys I think is
gonna really there's gonna be somebody besides show Hey and Mookie,
(32:00):
you know, like maybe it's ta Oscar like last year,
Maybe it's a maybe it's Monsie. Maybe somebody is else,
you know, kind of like a supporting player. Yeah, and
maybe not one of the big stars. One of the
supporting players I think is gonna be actually maybe the
star of the world series.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Max Munsey is that sexy, trendy pick right now. Could
be watching the MLB Network yesterday, I saw three or
four of their guys all like, oh Max Munsey, yep,
Munsey Monsey, that was their pick for as you were
talking about the non show, Hey, MVP, who's the guy
that can rise to the occasion. Max Mounsey got got
a lot of votes for that. Tommy Edmond did it
(32:35):
in the NLCS last year precisely. I mean he had
he had a really good NLCS for the Dodgers, you know,
had a home run, got on bass, played really good.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
Defense he did. I love Tommy Edmond.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
He's clicking at the right time as well. And then
matter's Max Munsey. You feel like Max is just ready
to burst through. It just feels like you talk about
to think.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
He's like kind of pissed off. Yes, like I mean
he's like, I'm so much better than this. I mean,
I've go through the seasons and I produce. But I
mean he hasn't ripped the chickens head off yet, no,
you know, but I think he's about ready to do it.
How about that play at third base that still runs
in That is not an easy play?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yeah, both of them. You get the wheel player than
the one he's spun on his knees and the wheel play. Yeah,
and the wheel play.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
He's had two really good plays at at third base.
And you notice when they when they hit the ball
down there, you know, when you're towards the line, that's
a pretty long throw, right, yeah, mun see every single
time his throws are right on the button, then they're
on a line. He's he's got a good arm at
third base.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
Yeah, it's gonna be fun to see him hopefully, you know,
get going here offensively for the Dodgers, and again show
he was gonna lead off the game on Friday, Game
one of this World Series. It is gonna be raining
booze when he goes to the play, just like it
did the last time the Dodgers went to Rogers Center,
and that was last Yes, yes, so close, so closed.
(33:58):
They thought he was on a plane heading to Toronto.
We're gonna go a little bit of a flashback next
hour on what happened on that December eighth of Friday,
which was a crazy day. Saxy from six A. Yes, yes,
Well here's the other thing, this whole narrative about the
Blue Jays and well, you know they're they're they're they're
(34:19):
Canada's team, and you know they're just they're winning here
and haven't been here in thirty.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Twos are on that team?
Speaker 3 (34:25):
None, none, thank you? And how much money have they spent?
How much money have they tried to spend? Last time
I looked, they were pretty close to getting show Aotani.
Last time I looked, they were really close to getting
Juan Soto as well. I mean they threw a ton
of money at their own guy, vlad garow Or rightfully
so five hundred million dollars.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
So that's a good deal for them, I think, absolutely,
And and this team is top five to tim and
spending money. Absolutely top five.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
But that doesn't get talked about. That doesn't get that's
doesn't fit the narrative of big bad evil Dodgers and
all their money come flying in with their their their
their their airplane full of coins, you know, to Canada
to play this game. It doesn't fit that narrative because
you know, to say that we have two top five
money spending teams here and doesn't work.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
I want to see the players play, if they play hard,
if you earn the money, if you you know, play
for a lot of money. But you're putting it out
there all the time, you know what. That's that's all
people can ask, right.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Yeah, let's go out to the phones. Got some people
waiting patiently coming up next hour. Hope to hear from
Buck Martinez, Blue Jays analyst also a flashback to Otawi
almost becoming a blue Jay. We go to Matthew in Arkansas,
who's been waiting patiently. Andrew, thank you for Matthew, Thank
you so much. Welcome to SCAM.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Thanks guys. I love listening to your show. I can't
always hear it live since I'm over here in Arkansas.
Who it's great to be able to call in. I
love hearing Steve Sachs and and Jerry Royce. I love
when you guys interview mem I enjoyed it last year
and this year I can listen to a whole hour
of Jerry talking to you guys here on the radio.
I wanted to just go back a little to Tanner Scott.
(36:05):
I was listening to the stuff from yesterday, and I
mostly agree that obviously we don't want him in some
kind of a high leverage situation, but I do think
it would be good to still have him on the roster.
We've got, you know, Rableski on there and Kershaw, and
I think like Ben Caspiraus is still on there, and
those are the guys that will kind of suck up
dings if we, you know, are getting blown out or
(36:26):
if we are blowing out the other side. So I
think because we have Tanner Scott for I think three
more years, and he is a good player, and it
would be nice to be able to include him. And
I think Dodger fans, you know, his name is kind
of poisoned to us right now, Yeah, just because of
how his season went. But we want him to be good,
like I want him to be good. I wanted him
(36:47):
to be good next year. And I think having him
on the World Series roster and you know, not not
putting him in in a high liverage situation would be good.
So that way we can get his you know, arm going,
and it would you know, give him like a boost
for next year as well. So thanks for having me
on the Showy.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Matthew, appreciate. Thanks for listening in Arkansas and listen to
the podcast. If you want to listen on the iHeartRadio app,
just click on Clippers Clippers and you can listen on
the Clippers feed. There's no Dan Patrick there and you
can listen to us nice and crystal clear. So go
to the iHeartRadio app and you can search and just
type in Clippers and there's a whole channel there for
the Clipper games. But it's also you can available to
hear scam, so we appreciate the phone call. Yeah, the
(37:25):
whole Tanner Scott thing is really grown. Got some legs
going here in the last twenty four hours, I think
since we brought it up Steve Sax yesterday and heard
the audio that David Vassa was able to get from
Tanner Scott at the workout two days ago. Sure, Tanner
Scott wants to pitch. Tanner Scott says he's healthy, he
throws some bullpen games in this week off, and he
(37:46):
wants and is eager to be on this World Series roster.
But as Matthew pointed out, we got a lot of
fear and a lot of scar tissue there still from
watching him blow ten games this year. And you know, again,
this is not the time or place, in my opinion,
maybe I'm wrong, This is not the time or place
to stroke a guy's ego, to make him feel good
(38:08):
in hopes that he's good for the next three years.
Worry about that next spring training, get him right for
twenty six in twenty six, not in the World Series
right now.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
Yeah, But but I just want to caution people. We
were having the same discussion about Blake Trinon, and you know,
he's kind of come back to the fray a bit.
He's been a lot better, and there is gonna be
a time, whether it's maybe not this postseason, but there's
gonna be times next year. You got him for you
(38:38):
know next year as well, there's gonna be three more years.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
How many more three years? Signed a four years seventy
sevenion year, That's.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
Right, four years seventy years, So you got a few
more years with him. He's gonna he's gonna be there,
and he's gonna be in high leverage situations and people
are gonna come out of the game when they're walking
home saying, man, wasn't that Tanner Scott just nails today?
It's gonna happen. It's will happen. And the Dodgers weren't
weren't wrong when when they when they signed him. I
don't believe and he's gonna come back, He's gonna find
(39:07):
it and he's gonna be nails. And I really believe
that one hundred percent. So we gotta we got to
kind of temper you know, some of the some of
the conversation that the guy is, you know, the worst
thing since whatever you want to use. But he's gonna
come back and be good.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
I'm with you, and I'm rooting for him because he's
a Dodger for the next three years and I think
he will be big for them moving forward. And he
just doesn't magically lose what it was really good in
the last few years as a left handed closer. He'll
get it back. I just don't think right now is
the time for him to try to get it back.
You know, maybe they can catch lightning in a bottle
like they did with Sasaki. Sure, I don't know, but
(39:45):
I don't know if I want to try it. I
don't know if I want to send him out there
in a game in Toronto on Friday or Saturday. I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
That's that's he is. He is going to be a time.
There is gonna be times where you're gonna look back
to you, man, remember that time in posts.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
I hope so out there I look at him now.
I hope you're right. I hope you're right. We'll even
see if he makes the roster for the World Series.
A lot of left handed pitchers come out of the
bullpen at a point there, You know what I mean.
I mean VESSI a Bonda Dryer, Robleski, Kershaw, A Tanner Scott,
I mean I love Leftanders, but I don't love him
that much. Yeah, A lot of them, he is Steve Sacks,
(40:25):
I'm Tim Kats were here on this Wednesday morning, coming up,
Freddy Friedman, Mookie Bench. You'll hear from both of them
an hour from now. A flashback from when Otani was
almost a Blue Jay. David Vasse, Jose Mota and you
eight six six ninet eighty seven two five seventy Saxon
Kates in the am right here on an FI seventy
il I Sports Saxon Kates in the AM on this
(40:49):
Wednesday morning, AMTI seventy LA Sports live in local all
October long here in the mornings, as the Dodgers make
their World Series run the win back to back championships.
Game one of the World Series in Toronto on Friday,
Dodgers and the Blue Jays. Dave Roberts announcing that Blake
Snell will get the start in Game one, Yoshinoba Yamamota
(41:11):
will go in Game two. So lining up like it
did in the NLCS, just real quickly, sec see last
night the NBA season tipped off. The Lakers lost to
the Golden State Warriors one nineteen to one oh nine.
No Lebron James, he's out with the sciatica in his back,
and uh, it was all about Luka Doncis last night
he had forty three points in a Lakers loss and
(41:33):
is a one man show out there with not a
lot around him. But that's besides the point.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
The NBA and on NBC returned after like thirty years.
You know you remember the old John Tesh No No No,
No Nona song that was, you know, very famous for
the NBA and NBC. Well, NBA and on NBC is back,
and part of it is they have Michael Jordan throughout
the season doing these interviews and kind of sit down
because he's very private.
Speaker 5 (41:56):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
Now you know, you know you see Jordan out in about,
but you don't hear him a lot. Yes, and he
did a sit down with Mike Turrico from NBC and
it was interesting. They said, do you even play basketball anymore?
Do you even I play pickup basketball? And he gave
a great answer. He said no, and he said the
last time I shot a basketball was last month. The
(42:18):
Ryder Cup and he said he rented an airbnb up
in the northeast where the Ryder Cup was at Bethpage
in New York or Black Page, whatever you call it.
And he rented an airbnb and the owner of the
airbnb said, Hey, can you do me a favor? Can
you shoot a basket. The guy's grandkids were there and
Jordan was kind of playing with them and you know,
(42:38):
signing autographs and everything. He was really cool about it.
And Michael said he got really nervous and it was
the first time he had shot a basketball since he
could remember. And he says he was nervous because he
had pressure of these kids around him, and these kids
had heard stories and seen him on YouTube because they're
so young. And here's Michael Jordan, the flesh in front
(43:01):
of him and he's about to shoot a basket. And
he said he got so nervous because he didn't want
to let the kids down. And in their mind they
have Michael Jordan flying through the air the nineties, and
he said, that's thirty years ago. And he goes, I
don't want let these kids down, and he goes, that's
what that was always my mindset is every game I
(43:21):
wanted to be out there playing. I don't want to
load manage every game. I wanted to be out there
because I felt like there was somebody who hadn't seen
me play, and there was a kid out there. This
is maybe the only chance he sees me play in
this city and the one time he can afford to
go to a game, and I want to put on
a show for him. Kobe adopted this philosophy as well,
and the whole mama mentality from this. But to hear
Jordan say that he made a basket and he shot
(43:43):
a free throw and he made it, and he's like,
I made it in front of the kid, and that's
all I was worried about, was the kid in his mind,
having Michael Jordan in the flesh live up to Michael
Jordan that they were watching on YouTube. I thought that
was really cool to hear Michael Jordan says a great story, Yeah,
great story.
Speaker 5 (44:00):
And and you know, for for him, you know, for
the kids, from the kids point of view, you know,
he probably believes that Michael Jordan could never miss a basket.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
Right, exactly, never exactly.
Speaker 5 (44:12):
Yeah, but you know it's see, it's almost like Michael
Jordan is not even a human being. He's he's something
more than that, and that's uh. And Michael was sensitive
to that and didn't want to let him down. It's
a great story, very great story.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, it's it's just what Michael Jordan's about. And you know,
he's just on this pedalstal of the greatest of you know,
all time. He's the goat of his sport. And show
Ayotani's right up there. So it's it's just I thought
it was really cool to see Michael Jordan just, you know,
always worried about the fans and the kids and and
putting on the show and making sure he's always at
(44:44):
his best. And it's in a time and era we
live right now, Steve, where it's load management in the NBA,
it's it's it's let's see how little we can do
to get to the postseason. In professional sports, it's kind
of refreshing to see a guy who you know, didn't
want to sit out and one to play all eighty
two games season.
Speaker 5 (45:03):
And I'll tell you about Michael Jordan, he played with
a lot of heart, and he played his tailoff all
the time because he loved the game.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
No doubt, no doubt. Mario Santa Monica. Thanks for being
pat to your next up on with Sacks and Kids
and the am What's on your mind?
Speaker 7 (45:17):
Mario, Good morning guys. Thanks for having me on Love
the show. I wish he were on all year. R Own, Thanks.
Wanted to talk guys about So the biggest thing for
this series I think for the Dodgers and Blue Jays
is probably one thing in step fastball. No one hits
the fastball better than his playoffs and strikes out less
than the Blue Jays. But at the same time, no
(45:39):
one throws less fastballs and the Dodgers except one team,
So going to look out for that. See what the
Dodgers can throw. Their pitchers can throw off speed stuff
and get him the swing and chase that can think
the biggest key I think in this series for these guys,
and I honestly wanted to talk about really quickly the
Dodgers running baseball theory. It's funny everyone calls for a
salary cutap and saying, you know, the Dodgers are overstanding,
(46:02):
but they don't realize that we have Andrew Friedman, the
guy had to work with the with the budget in
Tampa Bay for so many years. I'm not worried about
him working with a salary cap.
Speaker 3 (46:11):
Honestly, Yeah, I don't think we're gonna get a salary cap.
I appreciate the phone call. So either that's a fight
that's coming down the road, we can see it in
about a year and a half.
Speaker 5 (46:21):
Coming theres he'll die on that hill.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
Yeah, yeah, I mean that's something they were talking about
when you were playing Steven. I know you were very
very active with the players Union.
Speaker 5 (46:30):
Yeah, and you know it's a there's some things, I mean,
if you think about it's too long to explain, but
in a nutshell, they would basically tell you when you
didn't have the rights that you had, guy like Mickey
Mantle would come Ince had a great year and well,
if you don't like it, go back to Oklahoma. But
this is what we're going to give you. Our team
didn't do is great at the at the gate, so
we're going to give you, Actually, we're gonna dock your
(46:51):
pay a little bit, not much, but you know, you're
probably gonna make ninety percent of what you made last year,
even though you had a brilliant year, and you know
those days are gone, are never gonna you know, go
back to that.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
No, and and and they're not gonna put up with
the salary cap. They don't want to have a.
Speaker 5 (47:07):
Live out of free market when you have a salary gap.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
No never, it's it's the only professional sports still remaining
without a salary cap. They have one in football, they've
one guy went in basketball. Baseball is the last one standing.
Corey in Long Beach, Welcome to Saxon Kates and a
What's on your Mind this morning?
Speaker 5 (47:23):
Corey.
Speaker 4 (47:24):
Hey guys, a great show.
Speaker 5 (47:26):
Thanks Corey.
Speaker 4 (47:29):
Steve. I would love to ask you who is the
toughest pitcher you ever faced in your career?
Speaker 5 (47:38):
Well, you know what, Corey, there was a ton of them.
I probably guys that you never heard much from were
the toughest guys for me, But they were all tough.
I would say a guy like John Dobson was really hard.
I don't know if I ever got a hit off
this guy. And guys that threw really hard. I didn't
mind those guys as much as the guys that were
(47:59):
throwing a lot of thiss and offspeed stuff and whatnot,
because I like to hit the fastball, so anybody that
you can throw in that bucket, they were probably a
little bit harder than the rest, But all of them
were hard. These are major league pitchers. None of them
were easy.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
You're talking about the great John Dobson from the Boston
Red Sox.
Speaker 5 (48:15):
Yeah, great John Dobson who was about six four six', five,
tall lanky, guy long arm, delivery great two seamer into
the back foot of all right handed, hitters and, yeah
and then a great. Slider so we had darting one
way and darting the other, way and that was just
a lot to.
Speaker 3 (48:36):
Handle you know what he's most famous for in his,
career and happened in nineteen eighty.
Speaker 5 (48:40):
Nine what is?
Speaker 3 (48:41):
That he is the last pitcher to balk four times
in one Game june, thirteenth nineteen eighty, nine a member
of The Boston Red.
Speaker 5 (48:51):
Sox crazy AND i wanted to take the Second. TIM
i know we got a, break BUT i may have
a surprise guest later in the. Show Love, It Love.
It that's really, big.
Speaker 3 (49:04):
Love it cannot. Wait stay tuned for, that big, Big
stay tuned for. That we're here till nine o'clock this.
Morning he Is Steve. Sacks I'm Tim kats one hour,
down two to go right here AT fi. SEVENTY i,
sports
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