October 22, 2025 • 43 mins
Steve and Tim talk about some of the storylines in this World Series. Hear from Freddie Freeman about his Canadian roots. Remember when Shohei was almost a Blue Jay? Dodgers Insider David Vassegh before the team gets ready to fly to Toronto.
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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 this year.
Speaker 2 (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 3 (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 4 (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 4 (00:32):
Reacting, taking your phone calls, talking Dodgers playoff baseball all
postseason long.
Speaker 5 (00:38):
Now here.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
They are on AM five to seventy LA Sports and
the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Steve Sacks, Tim Kaits.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Tim Kates and World champion Dodger Steve Sacks.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Uh Saxon Kates in the Am live in Local and
it feels so good on this Wednesday morning with you
and thanks for being with us Southern California.
Speaker 6 (00:59):
Wherever you may.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Be driving around getting ready to go out and about
make that commute, take us with you, and we're thankful
for that, whether it's in the car or on the
iHeartRadio app We appreciate that Dodgers getting ready for Game
one of the World Series. They will head out to
Toronto later on this afternoon. Media Day tomorrow at Rogers Center,
(01:23):
and then the Dodgers and Blue Jays will have a
workout and then Friday night it's Game one of the
World Series. First pitch in the Gallping Motors broadcast booth
is coming up at five oh eights. And what a
world series it is gonna be. We cannot wait. We're
anticipating a great series. Will it be a sweep? Most
likely not. It's gonna be a competitive series, a series
(01:45):
in which the Toronto Blue Jays come in equally good
with an offense. The Dodgers probably got a tip of
the cap to your starting pitching the bullpen. Will it
continue to be really good for the Dodgers like it
has been so far? Here in October we will find out,
says the Dodgers and Blue Jays get ready to go
at it on Friday night. Hope Here from Buck Martinez
(02:05):
at the bottom of the hour and tany flashback later
on this hour, Sex.
Speaker 7 (02:08):
And Tim got a question for you if I could,
I never could figure out who this uh we know
who the Dodger pitchers are going to be, for sure,
they're already posted. But I don't know who this TBD
dude is. I've never figured out who he was for
the other side. I mean, Toronto's got some guy named TBD.
Is that like?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, he's a veteran, he's been around a while.
He's bounced from team to team. I think he's pitched
in both leagues over the years. Okay, you know, he's
actually an ambidextrious guy, so I can throw from both sides.
He's a righty and a lefty. He's served as a starter,
he has served as an opener. He's been a bulgeting guy.
So yeah, TBD does it all. He's been one of
(02:45):
these versatile guys that you know, no matter where, it
doesn't matter the market either. He get pitch in l A,
he get pitching in Sacramento. He cant pitching Seattle. He
can pitch anywhere. He's he's versatile.
Speaker 7 (02:55):
This is kind of a good thing. I mean, flat out,
you know who the Dodgers are pitching, right, we still
don't know who's pitcher for Toronto. That's that kind of
speaks volumes to me.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, and you wonder why after a few days they
still haven't made a decision. I mean, it shouldn't be
a secret at this point who they're going with. It's
not like it's a quick turnaround and you're kind of
scrambling to put together a starting staff. And is it
a bullpen game? How rested are our guys?
Speaker 5 (03:21):
You know?
Speaker 4 (03:22):
How beat up are we after that seven game Alcs
against the Seattle Manners. I mean they're gonna have three
plus days to rest and get ready. They've had a
bit of a rest, right you shouldn't You should know
by now who that story is going to be going
to be?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Savage?
Speaker 7 (03:35):
Maybe?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Is it going to be Max Schurzer? Who do you
think is the best picture on that team? This ye
savage kid? Yeah, this twenty one year old who started
the year in a ball.
Speaker 7 (03:47):
Yeah, it's just it is it.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
It's a splitter, right yeah, and he's gonna and he's
just he's so good and he's really good.
Speaker 7 (03:56):
I mean, it just never gets there. That's probably that's
probably the best I think difference between fastball and that pitch,
which is I don't know what the speed is on
that thing, it's but it's it just never gets there.
It works like a change up.
Speaker 6 (04:12):
Yeah, he is so good.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
He was a first round pick a year ago out
of East Carolina and just skyrocketed up to the big
league level. And he's got that electric fastball. He's got
that split finger that you alluded to. I mean he
could throw upper nineties. Then he's got a slider and
a splitter that he throws mid eighties. And he's got
this spike curveball that he throws as well, but it's
(04:35):
the splitter that is so so nasty and just dives
and so it's it'll be fun to see him go
toe to toe with these Dodger pitchers. I mean, he
has been the talk of the Blue Jays here since
he got called up and again start of the year
in low A ball and in dun Edon with the
Blue Jays minor league team and just rose through the
(04:56):
ranks so quick and got called up to the forty
man roster mids September. I mean, this is a guy
who a month ago gets called up from from the
minor leagues and now is going to be pitching and
probably gave one or Game two of this World Series.
Speaker 7 (05:12):
It just only three stars this year, No.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
It's a fun story and it's good for baseball right
to see an unknown come up and take over the
spotlight for the Toronto Blue Jays. I mean, they got
these great starting pitchers, they got this future Hall of
Famer in Max Schurzer. And here comes this young Trey
Ya Savage kid, twenty two years old out of Pottstown, Pennsylvania,
and he catches the Toronto Blue Jays by storm here
(05:37):
with this electric pitching that he has done.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
So I love it.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
This is what baseball is all about, seeing young guys
rise to the occasion and seeing superstars do their thing
and see young guys become future superstars like this.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
Yes, because heat story. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
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Speaker 6 (05:59):
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Speaker 4 (06:00):
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Speaker 6 (06:21):
All right.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yesterday Freddie Freeman talked to the media Saxy And for
those who don't know, Freddie Freeman's late mother and his
dad both Canadians, both from Toronto, both born and raised
up there. They moved to southern California. Freddie was born
here in southern California, raised here in southern California. But
(06:42):
let's not forget the last two World Baseball Classics he
played for Team Canada, as he's got a dual citizenship
with the US and Canada. And here's Freddie Freeman yesterday
talking to the media about how special going north of
the border is again for him.
Speaker 8 (06:58):
A lot of us have faced like Kevin gonz Sures
and we haven't faced Beaver in a couple of years
because he was hurt. So, I mean, there's just and
then obviously they're they're they're young rookie that we've never
faced before. So there's just some things that you would
wish you're going to face them a little bit more,
but you don't have that luxury, so I think it's
just kind of a whole different thing. And but again
(07:19):
it's it's the World Series and it's exciting and we're
looking forward to it. But I don't know if you
can take much from something that was two months ago.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I know you're playing for the visiting team, of course,
but is this something that's going to be special for
you and your family?
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Do you think?
Speaker 8 (07:34):
Yeah, my dad is is obviously gonna head out there
tomorrow as well, so it's it's going to be pretty special.
Speaker 9 (07:42):
And I'm not so sure.
Speaker 8 (07:45):
The Canadian fans Blue Days fans will be cheering for
me this time around like it was in the WVC
the last couple of times.
Speaker 9 (07:50):
But it is special.
Speaker 8 (07:53):
Both my parents are born and raised in Canada, especially
in the providence of Ontario. My mom from the Toronto area.
Speaker 9 (08:00):
From Windsor, so it is special.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
You know.
Speaker 8 (08:04):
Every time I go there, it just kind of you
just have this like feeling inside that you feel just
a little bit closer.
Speaker 9 (08:09):
To my mom.
Speaker 8 (08:11):
So I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited every time
I go there. It's you always. I always get this
little envelope in my locker and it's always like pictures
of like a third cousin has found photos in their
garage and they and they and they bring them to me.
So I love going back to Toronto. It's a special
place for obviously my family and I and every time I.
Speaker 9 (08:32):
Go back there, I feel a little bit closer to
my mom. So I'm looking forward to getting there.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
What was your filling last night just watching that whole
country go crazy with the Springer home run and seeing
black Rero, you know, crying after the game.
Speaker 9 (08:44):
Yeah, I mean that's special.
Speaker 8 (08:45):
I mean, when you have a whole country that's, you know,
behind one team, it's it's pretty amazing. And then obviously
what they've done, They've they've been invested in their team,
into that stadium, the busy and clubhouse they've done so
they've put a lot in to the Toronto Blue Jays,
and to just see the city come together and I
get to experience so much jubilation that they had yesterday
(09:07):
going to the World Series for the first time I
think it was thirty plus years, So you know, it's
an exciting time.
Speaker 9 (09:13):
And obviously, you know my family.
Speaker 8 (09:16):
Being from Canada, it's pretty cool. But it's bodies had
an amazing postseason, so far and you know everyone Springers
Home Run.
Speaker 9 (09:26):
It's just stuff that they won't forget. And I think
it's just gonna be a really good, real series. Looking
forward to it. Thanks Vernie, Thanks everybody.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
All Right, there's Freddy Freeman talking about going back to Canada,
and just another storyline that's going to play out here
over this world series is Freddie Freeman going back north
of the border playing for the Canadian team in the
World Baseball Classic. What Canada means to him. He lost
his mother to cancer when he was ten years old,
and this has got to be a special moment for
(09:55):
him to go play in the country where she was
born and raised and was a citizen, and his dad's
going back up there as well. I mean, you got
you talk about going back and playing in northern California
when you were a player, Saxy. I can't imagine going
back to the different country where your family is from
and you still got a ton of family there, yes.
Speaker 7 (10:15):
And especially how impactful it was that he lost his mother, Yeah,
when he was only ten. That's it's a heart wrenching
thing to think about a little boy, you know, growing
up and losing your mom like that. So to go
back there. You totally get it how he feels closer
to his mom and and that's that's what makes Freddy
Freeman special.
Speaker 6 (10:35):
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
And I know he's excited, probably a little bit of
nervous energy for Freddie Freeman. But when the game starts,
as you mentioned, Freddie Freeman is going to be locked
in and being a big part of this offense that
needs to get going early against this Toronto staff and
the crowd at the Rogers Centers we've been talking about
on Game one. On Friday Night eight six, six, nine
(10:57):
eighty seven two five seventy, Joe and Carson joined scam
here on a five seventy l A Sports How you doing?
Speaker 10 (11:03):
Joe, Hey, good morning guys. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Love the show.
Speaker 10 (11:07):
You guys are making my four or five commute a
little less brutal listening to you guys. So my question
is for Saxy, do you like the starting rotation for
the World Series the NLCS formula? Do you think we've
kind of shown our hand a little bit or does
it make the j's just a little bit more nervous
(11:28):
being what they saw what we did in the NLCS.
Speaker 7 (11:33):
Joe, thanks for the call. And no, I don't think
it's a showing the hand too early. I think put
it out there as much as you can, and I
would like to. If I was on the J's, I
would be looking over at the Dodger starting rotation and
people are going to say, good luck with that. This
is a This is one of the best rotations I've
(11:54):
ever seen with the with the tools that this starting
rotation has and the fact that they've refined those tools,
it's not just kind of a toolsy player. And let's
see what happens. These guys can pitch. They've got several
pitches that they can go to, uh and they can
throw them at different parts of the count. They can
even be behind in the count and still throw that
secondary pitch besides the fastball, and they can throw it
(12:17):
for strikes. And that's a very dangerous pitcher when you
can do that. I think a key again is to
go back to the fundamentals and the basics. A key
for the Dodgers pitchers be strike one. Make sure that
your strike one, and then you work from there. And
they work everything off that fastball, and they're absolutely so
special at doing that.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Let's go to Danny and Coasta, Mesa, Danny, Welcome to
Saxon Kates and the Am.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
What's on your mind this morning?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Good morning guys, and Steve, just thank you for eighty one.
Speaker 9 (12:48):
You know I.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Suffered throughty four seven and seventy eighty and Fernando and Sosis.
You guys bought fresh blood. Thank you very.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
Much, thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
I was gonna say I got the pitching rotation. It
was on X and I tried to find it for you, Kim.
But third game one is that Savage to savage. Yeah,
and then they go Gossman Beaver, Suresers going up against
O'tani and then they're going to rotate back through.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
Okay, okay, gotcha, gotcha, I'll take I'll uh, I'll take
my chances on that. Go ahead. I'm sorry, Joe, I
mean yeah, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Oh no, that's fine. And the other item I was
going to bring up, as we're talking about the announcers
who should almost put a sock in it is Rob
Parker Ran. He was saying, uh, and I sent that
to you, Tim. He was saying that Otani did nothing
special last Friday. It was no big deal. He works
for MLB network. You think you want to promote the
(13:47):
game instead of being his typical acting like a tool.
So I got to give you that. Don't put them
on pms next week.
Speaker 7 (13:55):
He's a jerk, all.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
Right, Dand I appreciate it. I got your tweet there.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
And Rob Parker Fox Sports Radio covered baseball for a
long time in Cincinnati, part of the Writers Association said
that Shoeotani didn't do anything special last Friday in that
outing against the Milwaukee Brewers, and it's, well, what is
special if that's not he referenced no hitter in four
home runs. I mean, come on now, now, I mean
(14:23):
the guy hit three home runs in six shoutouting and
striking out ten. I mean, that's that's not enough for you.
That's not impressive enough for you. I mean, guys watched
a lot of baseball. That's not impressive.
Speaker 7 (14:31):
Come on, he's trying to get some attention whatever. I mean, Nobody,
nobody think that's a credible comment and nobody would take
it seriously.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
No, I mean that's to me, that's that's also sounds
like Rob Parker. Just you know, you zig Isaac, say
something different, and now we're talking about him.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
You could use your scam voice and say it's one
of the greatest in in baseball history.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
It's one of the greatest games in baseball fore in history. Yeah,
but he did last Friday night.
Speaker 7 (15:02):
It's not even close. I mean, geez, strike out ten,
strikes out, three runs over, gets a hitting costume on
and hits one out of the stadium.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
That's special in and of itself.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Right, I mean, yes, come on, it's it's it's an
it's asenine. It really is asenine that you would say
something like that, But uh well, you got a free, free,
free rein to see whatever you say, whatever you want
is just not the right thing. Eric and Moreno Valley,
Welcome to Saxon, Kates and the am.
Speaker 9 (15:30):
Eric.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
How you doing today.
Speaker 10 (15:33):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 11 (15:33):
Go Dodgers. Hey, sax, I wanted to ask you about
the incident spring training with Gibson and eye Black on
the hat if you kind of tell us that story.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Thanks guys, All right, thanks a lot.
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Eric.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
What is he talking about, Saxy? The I Black and
Gibby and spring training?
Speaker 7 (15:54):
He will Gibby Gibby coming over from the Tigers. You
know he was he was kind of getting tired of
the lack of intensity. I guess it didn't match his intensity.
In spring training, everybody's kind of getting ready, you know,
you're trying to get in baseball shape, and Jesse Roscoe
pulled a prank. Ghibbey wasn't about pranks. And Jesse Erosco
(16:15):
put iyblack on the inside of Kirk Gibson's hat. So
when Kirk Gibson is little, he was even back then,
he was follically challenged. He put the hat on and
then took the hat off, and he was exposed to
see this big black band on his forehead, and everybody
was laughing at him. He didn't know what it was,
so he actually left the team. Left the team told
(16:39):
called Tommy up and said, I'm not going with this
kid in the round stuff. I'm here to win, so
I'll come back to the team when the culture changes.
Then he left. Fred Claire called him. Tommy left. He
left spring training.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Wait a second, did he just bluff leave like, Okay,
I'm gonna go drive and get somebody income back.
Speaker 7 (16:56):
No, No, he says, I'll come back when when you
guys are serious about winning. And he left the team.
He went back to his his condo or his hotel
whatever at Vero Beach and just gone. He was gone.
He didn't show up. Tommy was pleading for him. Tommy
went over and saw him. Fred Claire called him. YadA YadA,
YadA YadA. Yeah, this is this is inside stuff. People
don't know this.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
This is this is very inside Were you guys freaking
out or what?
Speaker 7 (17:20):
Yeah, We're like, where's Gibby? And he said, and I
think another part of the criteria for him to come
back is I want to know who did it, and
I want him to come and apologize for making a
stool out of me. And and so we had to
basically tie Gibby down when he came into the locker room,
(17:44):
like six guys had to be a barrier. There was
ropes that we were going to tie him up and
then tell him who did it, because he would have
tore Jesse's head off. Oh my gosh, Now this is
inside stuff. Nobody knows this, but you can only get
it where scam. And so we told him what happened,
(18:05):
and Jesse apologized, and Gibby was in the locker room
when he when we told him, and you know, he
you know there were steam coming out, you know, there
were steam coming out of the years. He wanted to
grab him. He wanted to eviscerate Jesse. Oh my gosh,
Jesse was scared for a few days. You never know
when it might pop back into a psyche and just
tear him up on the field. It would be like
(18:26):
a wild dog loose on trash night. Okay, it would
be like that. But eventually he cooled down, and you know,
but we did have to you know, we did have
to have some restraints in there because seriously, because Gibby
would have would have torn him up, we had to
tie him up and then tell him what happened.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Okay, So who ultimately got him to come back? Well,
whose words was it that got him to finally cut
was a Fred Claire saying you need to come back.
Speaker 6 (18:50):
You're under contract. You can't do this.
Speaker 7 (18:52):
He wasn't here. He can care, he says. He says,
I'm also under contract. That says you got to try
your hardest, and I don't see it. So there you go, wow.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (19:02):
And then and then Tommy I think, went over there
and you know, rubbed his belly or something. I don't know,
but he got him to come back. And and but seriously,
we had to restrain Gibby and and Jesse came in
and Jesse told him what happened, and I apologized.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
How was that relationship with Jesse l Roscoe and Kirk
Gibson after that?
Speaker 7 (19:21):
I never saw those guys together very much. I mean,
I'm not sure. I was probably a little frosty, I
would say a little frosty, I bet Jesse. Jesse was
trying to, you know, kind of just have a little
fun and kind of wake Gibby up a little bit,
and Gibby wasn't having it, not having it at all.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
So was that the line was drawn right there? Right
like you guys, even though you guys were pranksters. There
there was no like, Okay, we'll wait a week and
then we're gonna get him. We're gonna wait a month
and then we're gonna get Gibby again, right like?
Speaker 7 (19:51):
That was no, that was it, that was There was
no more. But But what the great thing was, the
whole irony of this whole story is and I don't
want to, I don't want to, you know, usurp the
time here. I'll get over this in a second. But
the great thing about the irony was that we had
a Mantra on the team that year, and it was
like our team mantra that really helped us through the
tough times. And Gibby was copying Tommy thesorda. After one
(20:13):
of the games, Tommy came out of the locker room
and held his head back like he did, he said,
what a blankin I won't say it because it's a
family show. What a blanking team? You know what I mean? Yeah,
So Gibby after one of our games thereafter, came into
the locker room and said, what a blanking team. So
every time we won a game, the whole team would
(20:35):
say it in Unison, what a blanking team. And that
was our mantra throughout the whole year and in the
playoffs and World Series. It brought us all the way through.
So the funny thing was Gibby was the one now
that was joking and having a good time, and we
knew that the team really came full circle because to
(20:56):
get him to smile, I mean, last time I saw
him smile, he saw five car wreck on the freeway. Okay,
So when he started to let go have fun and smile,
the team really shot forward because everybody relaxed. Then he
wasn't gonna kill anybody. He wasn't gonna come in with
a new z. He wasn't gonna tear Jesse's head off.
(21:16):
He was having fun and the team relaxed. I love it.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Nowhere else, Dodger fans, are you getting this inside?
Speaker 7 (21:24):
Getting his stores? This is close to the best stuff.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Absolutely, This is why Saxon Kates in the Am is
the best. But you can find it on Scam Scam
because you're not gonna get these stories anywhere else.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
You're not gonna get this inside.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
You're not gonna get these memories from nineteen eighty eight,
peeling back the curtain that was a world championship team
in eighty eight.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Nowhere else do you need to get this.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
There's no podcast, there's no other station, there's no YouTube channel,
no nobody else is giving you this.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
It's not even in the script.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
That's why you gotta be here every single morning, six
am to nine am during the postseason for Scam Saxon
Kates in the Am. Buck Martinez is gonna join us
at the top of the hour. I just exchanged text
message with him. Flight a little delay, but he's gonna
join us at the top of the hour. David Vassie
is gonna join us at seven forty five. We got
as possible special guests joining us at eight twenty five.
(22:16):
Hose Mota will join us. So we got a jam
packed ninety minutes to go, including your phone calls. And
when we come back, showy Otani almost to Blue Jay.
We're gonna relive that December day next right here on
Saxon Kate's and am Saxon Kates in the am.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
The sun is up.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
We're another day closer to Game one of the World Series,
which is Friday nights at the Rogers Center in Toronto.
David Vassa will join us in about fifteen minutes as
the Dodgers will fly out today. David vass included we'll
get aboard that flight, head north of the border to Toronto,
work out tomorrow media day as well, and then gave
one Friday Night from the Rogers with Blake Snell getting
(23:01):
the Game one starts showing Otani's last time in Toronto
was last year, and that was the first time he
was there since he signed with the Dodgers and spurned
the Toronto Blue Jays. It was thought that maybe he
was going to Toronto Saxy Back on December eighth. It
was a Friday, and it was around this time on
that Friday morning that a tweet got put out from
(23:23):
John Paul Morosi that the Blue Jays and Otani there
could be something there. There started to gain some traction
about Okay, what's happening now?
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Could he be signing there?
Speaker 4 (23:34):
There was a lot of speculation on that Friday, and
there was also a flight that was leaving John Wayne
Airport in Orange County that Friday morning, and there was
speculation that it was headed to Toronto because that's where
the destination was, and so people for four and a
half hours were tracking that flight online and there was
buzz on social media, and then there was a big
(23:55):
surprise who was actually on that flight when it lanted
at the Toronto Inner National Airport. As it turns out,
twenty four hours later, Showyotani signed with the Dodgers and
not the Toronto Blue Jays. But that February December eighth,
twenty twenty three, we all thought he was going to
be a Blue Jay. And now that the Dodgers are
playing the Blue Jays in the World Series, I think
(24:16):
it was fitting to hear this breaking news from Major
League Baseball.
Speaker 7 (24:21):
Breaking news from Major League Baseball show Hey Otani, sho
Tani is.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sports changed forever that
Saturday afternoon. Not only did shoe Heotani sign the largest
contract in Major League Baseball history, but he inked the
richest deal in the history of North American sports.
Speaker 7 (24:41):
Ten year, ten years, ten years, seven hundred, seven hundred.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Seven hundred million dollars.
Speaker 6 (24:48):
The numbers are astronomical.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
It was December ninth, twenty twenty three, the day show
Hey Otani let it be known he was signing with
the Dodgers. But remember the whirldwin. That was the day
before internet rumors falls reports amateur air traffic controllers following
a plane across North America. Baseball fans everywhere that day
wondered where in the world is sho he Otani. Friday,
(25:14):
December eighth, twenty twenty three, five point thirty nine am
Pacific time, John Morosi of the MLB Network tweeted out.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Source Shoeotani decision is imminent, possibly as early as today.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
That one note from a national Baseball insider sent the
sports world into aizm.
Speaker 7 (25:33):
This is getting a bit more real. Toronto is getting
a little bit more momentum than I thought they were
going to.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
If he goes to Toronto, he owns it, and he
owns Canada, he owns the United States, and he owns Japan,
and he becomes an international star.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Less than an hour after the initial news that Otani's
decision was imminent six point thirty one am Pacific, a
Toronto Blue Jays fan posted on a Reddit page that
a private plane was chartered to fly from Orange County
to Toronto. That same plane had flown to Florida five
days earlier with Otani on it, so speculation was swirling
(26:10):
now that sho Heyotani was headed to Toronto to sign
with the Blue Jays. The buzz on social media was
growing as fans tried to connect the dots. Instantly, fans
became amateur air traffic controllers. They were tracking flight in
six one six our age as it made its way
slowly across the country.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
Take a look at the radar right there. It's a
Bombardier Global five thousand. Is this show Hey Otani's airplane?
Speaker 4 (26:39):
The mystery continued ten fifty three am Pacific, five hours
after the report that Otani's signing was imminent. JP Hornstruck,
a writer for a Dodgers blog, posted an article citing
multiple sources that showey Otani was indeed planning on signing
with the Toronto Blue Jays one oh one pm Pacific.
Over two hours later, MLB network insider John Morosi updated
(27:03):
everyone with a tweet sources shoey Otani is en route
to Toronto today. Things were changing quickly to eleven pm Pacific,
the story took a new twist as Bob Nightingale of
The USA Today posted on social media that Shoe Aotani
was not on a flight to Toronto, it was actually
(27:24):
at home here in southern California. Forty three minutes later,
two fifty four pm Pacific, Evan Mitsui, a CBC photographer,
was dispatched to the tarmac at Pearson Airport in Toronto.
When he arrived, he got eyes on the most talked
about plane in North America.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
So what did he discover?
Speaker 4 (27:45):
It was not Shoeotani after all, It was Robert Herkovich,
the Canadian businessman, an entrepreneur, and one of the stars
of the TV show Shark Tank.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I had no idea.
Speaker 9 (27:59):
It was just me and my five and a half
year old twins.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
We Land and there's a bunch of customs guys and
go where's Otani?
Speaker 9 (28:07):
And then my texts start coming in. I put two
or two together. They didn't even ask for my passport.
They were so disappointment.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
It was me.
Speaker 9 (28:15):
I've never been more humbled in my life.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
A wild eight hours of reports, rumors, and speculation. Where
in the world was Shohyotani. Well he was not only
not in Canada, he was never even on a flight
to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays, something that
really upset fans north of the border.
Speaker 7 (28:34):
No, no, no way.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
I don't want to hear on how fans shouldn't believe
things on social This rumor was awful.
Speaker 7 (28:42):
The idea that he would come up and be a
Toronto Blue Jay was going to change everything.
Speaker 6 (28:46):
Turns out nothing was changing.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
As the sun set in in a wild Friday show,
Heyotani remained baseball's most sought after free agent. The next day, Saturday,
December ninth, Otani broke his silence and made it official
he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. There you go,
Steve Sachs. Friday, December eighth, twenty twenty three, a chronological
(29:09):
time chart of where he was or wasn't on that Friday.
Was he going to Toronto? Was he going to be
a blue jay?
Speaker 7 (29:18):
And you heard the.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Disgust in the talk show host there in Toronto once
they found out he was never even on board that
plane and had no plans of signing with them.
Speaker 7 (29:27):
You put that together yourself, I did. I did. That
is an amazing piece. I liked all the you know,
the radar tracking kind of put you in the in
that plane, and ah, you had it to win an
award for that. That is a really good piece right there.
Speaker 6 (29:41):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah, that was a lot of fun putting that together,
and may going back on different outlets and seeing you know,
people online had a live YouTube feed going and they
were tracking it on those radar websites showing the plane
going over Colorado, going northeast through Ohio as they were
going up to Toronto, and they wereculating and talking what
kind of plane it was and how long it takes
(30:03):
to get there, how many passengers could be on the
plane that's like this, Who owns a plane like this?
They were trying to conny number. Yeah, they had the
tail number of the plane and so That's what caught
everybody's attention was these people on YouTube were tracking it,
and it just spread like a wildfire to see everybody
tracking this plane because they had the tail number. And
then they started tracking the tail number, and there was
(30:24):
reports that that plane had been in Florida, in dunnedn Florida,
like two weeks before that, and that was kind of
lining up the timeline to where Otwanni was visiting the
spring training complex. So people were doing like these amateur
like investigations online and it turned out to be completely wrong.
He's sitting in Orange County at his house.
Speaker 7 (30:43):
Wow, plane with Dodger. Maybe he already had the dog
named Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Absolutely, I mean literally twenty four hours later. I mean,
while this is happening, Steve. On that Friday, there was
radio silence. It's not like his people put out a
report like hey, this isn't true. It's not like Otani
puts out anything on social media. This just kept going
and kept riding, and this just whole build up for
hours all day on that Friday, until that plane landed
(31:10):
and they realized and the door open it was the
guy from Shark Tank and it wasn't Otani. And then
it was like, okay, great, what now? And literally twenty
four hours later, Otani put out the Instagram that he
was signing with the Dodgers. It was a wild Friday
here in southern California.
Speaker 7 (31:24):
And what a wham in the face. I mean because
the guy from Shark Tank, you know, he's probably you know,
a probably a pretty famous guy. He goes places, you know,
he gets his people. Wow, you know, probably asked for
his auto rep. And he gets off the plane.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
It's you. You're not Otani. Get out of here, you
can hear.
Speaker 7 (31:43):
He said.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
He was humbled for the first time that they were
so disappointed that it was to see it was him
and not showing Otani. So I hope you enjoyed that
you can podcast it.
Speaker 7 (31:51):
Was amazing as well.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 11 (31:53):
You know.
Speaker 7 (31:53):
The next day, Otani signs with the Dodgers.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
Literally the next day that Saturday, put it out on
Instagram and the guy who's going to join us next,
David Vassa, popped on in the middle of a Saturday
and did a live on this spot Dodger Talk. The
day that showy Otani signed with the Dodgers. I'll never
forget I was listening to it. David did a great
job taking reaction. He was talking to different guests, taking
(32:15):
calls from Dodger fans who were amazed. So yeah, that
was the December ninth, twenty twenty three, and here we
are getting ready for the twenty twenty five World Series
and Otani remember the Dodgers getting ready to take on
the team that everybody thought he was going to Yep,
the Toronto Blue Jays.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
He is Steve Sax, I'm Tim Kates.
Speaker 7 (32:31):
Coming up.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
We'll hear from David Vassa, Buck Martinez will join us.
We got a special guest coming up to eight o'clock
hour as well, hose A Moti will join us. We're
jam packed, Saxon Kates in the am. You're on a
NFI seventy l A Sports. Sax and Kates in the
am here on a f FI seventy LA sports with
you here till nine o'clock this morning, with you tomorrow
(32:54):
as well, six am to nine am.
Speaker 6 (32:55):
Looking forward to.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
A great show tomorrow leading into mediated at the Rogers
Center in Toronto. Game one of the World Series Dodgers
in the Blue Jays is coming up on Friday night.
Blake Snell gets to start in Game one and Saxy
joining us. Now our good buddy, the best Dodger insider
out there. He'll be on a plane later today heading
into Toronto as the Dodgers gear up for this World
(33:19):
Series run against the Toronto Blue Jays. The one and
only David Vasse David, good morning, How you doing, buddy?
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Hey, good morning guys and man. I'm going to go
out on a live here and say the seven o'clock
hour has been the best hour of the entire postseason.
I was listening dropping off the gigs. Yeah, healing, Steve
SAgs tell the story about Kurt Gibson, Tye Black, and
then that phenomenal produce Steves by Tim Gates on the
(33:46):
timeline I'm showing here TONI that never was so I
would say, maybe just replay this the rest of the
World Series.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
I'm with you, David, I wholeheartedly agree. Real quick, I
want to ask you about last or what even last year?
Was December eighth, twenty twenty three, That friday in which
the whole world thought he was going to the Toronto
Blue Jays. That that Friday, December eighth, every thought he
(34:13):
was going to Toronto. And then the next day He
surprised everybody with the announcement. It wasn't a surprise he
was going to the Dodgers, but it was a surprise
that he made the announcement. You jumped on the air
and you did a Dodger talk in the moment. You
were talking to current Dodger players on what it's going
to be like to be his teammate.
Speaker 6 (34:28):
It was great.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
And what about that Friday? Do you remember real quickly
that day was wherever he thought maybe he was going
to Toronto?
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, number one. I just remember it seemed a little suspicious,
right that you got a guy from the MLB network
that's going to break his story about this and hasn't
even put eyes on Otani getting on that plane and
tweeting it. Then he had a guy from a blog,
a fan blog break the news. That also was suspicious,
(35:00):
and it was just a reminder of everybody trying to
be first again and they missed horribly. It was an
embarrassing day for baseball journalism that day. I mean, those
two guys are infamous for saying Gotani was going to
the Blue Jays, So you know that's what I remember
(35:21):
the most.
Speaker 7 (35:22):
Yeah, Dave, good to be with you today, and you know,
I'll tell you what this tray you savage. He's got
some great stuff. We had a small sample size this year,
only three starts in fourteen innings. But what he had
shown us, besides the numbers that he put up, which
were really good, is this kid's tools are really fantastic.
(35:42):
The splitter never gets there, it's got a really sharp
dive to it. And his other stuff, his secondary stuff
besides the splitter in the fastball that's great, really plays well.
And I think the Dodgers are going to have to
really do some studying on this guy, figure him out
and really put the level to him, because this guy's
got some stuff. Could get on a momentum and he
(36:05):
can be very effective.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Yeah, and in some ways he's the Blue Jays version
of Roki Sasaki. Not a lot of teams that seen Rokie. Yeah, right,
So this reminds me a little bit. Obviously, this guy's
not a lefty Jamie Wright. With the Indians in the
ninety five World Series. He was a rookie that really
helped carrying the Indians at that time to the World Series.
(36:28):
They eventually lost. But yeah, this is probably I would say,
just as big of a challenge for the Dodgers as
it was facing the Phillies, and the Dodgers surprised all
of us and dispatched the Phillies in four games. So
again I just warn everybody. You know, again our guy
Jack Harrison the LA Times coming up with nine reasons
(36:52):
why the Dodgers should be concerned. Thank you Number one,
because it hasn't worked the previous three rounds.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Uber two.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
At some point people are going to have to give
the Dodgers credit and realize that the Blue Jays want
nothing to do with the Dodgers. I thought Derek Jeter
said it perfectly that the Blue Jays are a very
deep team, but the Dodgers are a juggernaut and the
reason why is because of their starting pitching and their
starters have not had to pitch twice in any one
(37:22):
of these series. They haven't had to come out of
the bullpen, and you know, in a do or die
type of game like the Blue Jays. So for those
reasons alone, the Dodgers are in a great spot.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
The storylines about this series from the outside, obviously between
the Lions is different, but on the outside, the different
storylines with ta Oscar Hernandez returning back to Toronto, the
whole Tawny thing almost going to the Blue Jays, allegedly
Don Maddingly, the bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays.
I mean this is a fun I guess storylines that
(37:56):
are being built up in the days off leading up
to Game one, including Freddy's. It's David going back to Canada.
He's played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic,
his parents born and raised there. There's a lot of
cool storylines on the outside of this series.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, and here's the one that nobody's talked about. Remember
Buddy Kennedy. Buddy Kennedy, the famous third base fill in
for seven days for the Dodgers. That's right, Well, he
was a journeyman for the Blue Jays as well. He
played for both the Blue Jays and Dodgers this season.
So Buddy Kennedy is going to get not only a
(38:31):
playoff share from these two teams, but he also is
going to get a World Series ring sent to him.
Speaker 6 (38:36):
How about a Jose Rainia too.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Dave two appearances for the Dodgers, pitched for the Blue
Jays this year, pitch for five different teams. The right
hander Jose Rainia, if you remember him in those two
games that he pitched four innings total. He too, another
guy who could get a ring. We'll get a ring here.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah, this day in baseball, a lot of these same
players are recycled just to be stop gaps. But Buddy
Kennedy sticks out to me more than anybody else, and
it's kind of funny that he may he may end
up getting a ring here. Hey, hey, Kate's can I
ask you a question. I know you're a theatrical type
of guy. You got the scam voice. Did you really
(39:14):
not know the eye black story of Kirk Gibson and
Jesse Roscoe or were you being a great teammate to
set up that great story from Steve Sachs.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
I may have heard it before, David, but stop, there's
a lot of people who hadn't heard it before and
a lot of great reaction coming off of the story
and to hear the details.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
I agree. But but for you to act like, oh,
this is the first time you ever even heard about it,
I found that hard.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
I think I knew that Dave that he did really
like just get you know, flushed with this thing all
of a sudden. I think I kind of knew that.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Yeah, right, he just sets you up perfectly.
Speaker 7 (39:51):
Will He did, and we got some we got some
details though that he probably didn't know.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Oh yeah, I know, I'm saying it was great, but
I I wasn't buying the shock in awe of Tim
Kates not knowing that short, David, I'm.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
The unnamed Laker guard who helps out Luka Doncas score
forty three points and I blowout loss to the Golden
State Wars. That is me just setting up Steve Sacks,
like the guards who I don't even know their name
setting up Luca.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yeah, here's a baseball relation. You put the ball on
the tee for Steve Sacks every morning, right.
Speaker 7 (40:23):
Yes, that's a great host. That's what they do, you know,
I mean a great host does that?
Speaker 5 (40:27):
Hey? Great? Right there?
Speaker 7 (40:29):
Yeah, Dave, I got to ask you. I mean, you're
looking at this team overall. They've got some great supporting
cast on this team. You know, they got guys like
Tommy Edmond. When you look at this guy like Ernie Clement,
good player. Nobody talks a lot about Ernie Clement, but
the guys they do talk about. Springer and Guerrero got
to neutralize these two guys, I know they're playing up
the Springer getting hit by the pitch on the kneecap
(40:50):
that Heck's actually registered an exit velocity of fifty five
miles per hour off the knee because it was it
was so hard that the pitch was hit him right
there in the kneecapet registered fifty five miles per hour
off the knee. These are two guys that they got
to take care of. Springer's got a pinch it now
for postseason. He's one of those guys like Kik that
(41:13):
just does it. But he had a big year this
too this year as well. So looking at these two
guys in this team, I think you go after Springer and.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Guerrero, Yeah, without a doubt. And the Dodgers handled Guerrero
pretty well when they came to town earlier this summer. The
one guy for me, if you want to talk about
a guy that's not a household name but may well
become one during this World Series, is Dalton Varshow. Yes,
centerfielder for the Blue Jays. Yes, he talked about coming
(41:44):
into his own. This was his best year at the
Blue Jays and he plays a gold gloves center field
and he came up big a few different times during
that ALCS with home runs and hits. So if you're
talking about an under the radar player for the Blue
Jays that could hurt the Dodgers is Dalton var Show.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
David Save travels to Toronto. Enjoy media day tomorrow and
we'll be looking forward to your coverage the next couple
of days leading up to Game one of this World
series on Friday night. Thanks a lot for doing it.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Hey, looking forward to snell Zilla Day. Send him the
tone again.
Speaker 7 (42:21):
And we know we know Dave, we know Snelly. You
and Snelly. You call him Snelly or just snell Zilla.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
I call him mister snell Zilla.
Speaker 7 (42:31):
Okay, all right, Dave, we'll talk to you. Thanks Dave.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
He was at the Laker game. Everybody's on board now, Sacks.
Speaker 6 (42:39):
I got you.
Speaker 7 (42:40):
I'm on too. I'm on board with it.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (42:43):
Thanks David.
Speaker 7 (42:46):
He's crazy there he goes the one and lead Zilla.
That is some difference showing his way. Yeah about it.
Speaker 6 (42:53):
Appreciate Dave popping on this morning.
Speaker 4 (42:55):
We got a jam packed eight o'clock hour coming up,
and it starts with Buck Martinez. Lou Jay's analyst joins
US next right here on Saxon case of the am
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 this year.
Speaker 2 (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 3 (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 4 (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 4 (00:32):
Reacting, taking your phone calls, talking Dodgers playoff baseball all
postseason long.
Speaker 5 (00:38):
Now here.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
They are on AM five to seventy LA Sports and
the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Steve Sacks, Tim Kaits.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Tim Kates and World champion Dodger Steve Sacks.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Uh Saxon Kates in the Am live in Local and
it feels so good on this Wednesday morning with you
and thanks for being with us Southern California.
Speaker 6 (00:59):
Wherever you may.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Be driving around getting ready to go out and about
make that commute, take us with you, and we're thankful
for that, whether it's in the car or on the
iHeartRadio app We appreciate that Dodgers getting ready for Game
one of the World Series. They will head out to
Toronto later on this afternoon. Media Day tomorrow at Rogers Center,
(01:23):
and then the Dodgers and Blue Jays will have a
workout and then Friday night it's Game one of the
World Series. First pitch in the Gallping Motors broadcast booth
is coming up at five oh eights. And what a
world series it is gonna be. We cannot wait. We're
anticipating a great series. Will it be a sweep? Most
likely not. It's gonna be a competitive series, a series
(01:45):
in which the Toronto Blue Jays come in equally good
with an offense. The Dodgers probably got a tip of
the cap to your starting pitching the bullpen. Will it
continue to be really good for the Dodgers like it
has been so far? Here in October we will find out,
says the Dodgers and Blue Jays get ready to go
at it on Friday night. Hope Here from Buck Martinez
(02:05):
at the bottom of the hour and tany flashback later
on this hour, Sex.
Speaker 7 (02:08):
And Tim got a question for you if I could,
I never could figure out who this uh we know
who the Dodger pitchers are going to be, for sure,
they're already posted. But I don't know who this TBD
dude is. I've never figured out who he was for
the other side. I mean, Toronto's got some guy named TBD.
Is that like?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, he's a veteran, he's been around a while.
He's bounced from team to team. I think he's pitched
in both leagues over the years. Okay, you know, he's
actually an ambidextrious guy, so I can throw from both sides.
He's a righty and a lefty. He's served as a starter,
he has served as an opener. He's been a bulgeting guy.
So yeah, TBD does it all. He's been one of
(02:45):
these versatile guys that you know, no matter where, it
doesn't matter the market either. He get pitch in l A,
he get pitching in Sacramento. He cant pitching Seattle. He
can pitch anywhere. He's he's versatile.
Speaker 7 (02:55):
This is kind of a good thing. I mean, flat out,
you know who the Dodgers are pitching, right, we still
don't know who's pitcher for Toronto. That's that kind of
speaks volumes to me.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, and you wonder why after a few days they
still haven't made a decision. I mean, it shouldn't be
a secret at this point who they're going with. It's
not like it's a quick turnaround and you're kind of
scrambling to put together a starting staff. And is it
a bullpen game? How rested are our guys?
Speaker 5 (03:21):
You know?
Speaker 4 (03:22):
How beat up are we after that seven game Alcs
against the Seattle Manners. I mean they're gonna have three
plus days to rest and get ready. They've had a
bit of a rest, right you shouldn't You should know
by now who that story is going to be going
to be?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Savage?
Speaker 7 (03:35):
Maybe?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Is it going to be Max Schurzer? Who do you
think is the best picture on that team? This ye
savage kid? Yeah, this twenty one year old who started
the year in a ball.
Speaker 7 (03:47):
Yeah, it's just it is it.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
It's a splitter, right yeah, and he's gonna and he's
just he's so good and he's really good.
Speaker 7 (03:56):
I mean, it just never gets there. That's probably that's
probably the best I think difference between fastball and that pitch,
which is I don't know what the speed is on
that thing, it's but it's it just never gets there.
It works like a change up.
Speaker 6 (04:12):
Yeah, he is so good.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
He was a first round pick a year ago out
of East Carolina and just skyrocketed up to the big
league level. And he's got that electric fastball. He's got
that split finger that you alluded to. I mean he
could throw upper nineties. Then he's got a slider and
a splitter that he throws mid eighties. And he's got
this spike curveball that he throws as well, but it's
(04:35):
the splitter that is so so nasty and just dives
and so it's it'll be fun to see him go
toe to toe with these Dodger pitchers. I mean, he
has been the talk of the Blue Jays here since
he got called up and again start of the year
in low A ball and in dun Edon with the
Blue Jays minor league team and just rose through the
(04:56):
ranks so quick and got called up to the forty
man roster mids September. I mean, this is a guy
who a month ago gets called up from from the
minor leagues and now is going to be pitching and
probably gave one or Game two of this World Series.
Speaker 7 (05:12):
It just only three stars this year, No.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
It's a fun story and it's good for baseball right
to see an unknown come up and take over the
spotlight for the Toronto Blue Jays. I mean, they got
these great starting pitchers, they got this future Hall of
Famer in Max Schurzer. And here comes this young Trey
Ya Savage kid, twenty two years old out of Pottstown, Pennsylvania,
and he catches the Toronto Blue Jays by storm here
(05:37):
with this electric pitching that he has done.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
So I love it.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
This is what baseball is all about, seeing young guys
rise to the occasion and seeing superstars do their thing
and see young guys become future superstars like this.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
Yes, because heat story. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And we were of course brought to you by our
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official partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (05:59):
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Speaker 4 (06:00):
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Speaker 6 (06:21):
All right.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yesterday Freddie Freeman talked to the media Saxy And for
those who don't know, Freddie Freeman's late mother and his
dad both Canadians, both from Toronto, both born and raised
up there. They moved to southern California. Freddie was born
here in southern California, raised here in southern California. But
(06:42):
let's not forget the last two World Baseball Classics he
played for Team Canada, as he's got a dual citizenship
with the US and Canada. And here's Freddie Freeman yesterday
talking to the media about how special going north of
the border is again for him.
Speaker 8 (06:58):
A lot of us have faced like Kevin gonz Sures
and we haven't faced Beaver in a couple of years
because he was hurt. So, I mean, there's just and
then obviously they're they're they're young rookie that we've never
faced before. So there's just some things that you would
wish you're going to face them a little bit more,
but you don't have that luxury, so I think it's
just kind of a whole different thing. And but again
(07:19):
it's it's the World Series and it's exciting and we're
looking forward to it. But I don't know if you
can take much from something that was two months ago.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I know you're playing for the visiting team, of course,
but is this something that's going to be special for
you and your family?
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Do you think?
Speaker 8 (07:34):
Yeah, my dad is is obviously gonna head out there
tomorrow as well, so it's it's going to be pretty special.
Speaker 9 (07:42):
And I'm not so sure.
Speaker 8 (07:45):
The Canadian fans Blue Days fans will be cheering for
me this time around like it was in the WVC
the last couple of times.
Speaker 9 (07:50):
But it is special.
Speaker 8 (07:53):
Both my parents are born and raised in Canada, especially
in the providence of Ontario. My mom from the Toronto area.
Speaker 9 (08:00):
From Windsor, so it is special.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
You know.
Speaker 8 (08:04):
Every time I go there, it just kind of you
just have this like feeling inside that you feel just
a little bit closer.
Speaker 9 (08:09):
To my mom.
Speaker 8 (08:11):
So I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited every time
I go there. It's you always. I always get this
little envelope in my locker and it's always like pictures
of like a third cousin has found photos in their
garage and they and they and they bring them to me.
So I love going back to Toronto. It's a special
place for obviously my family and I and every time I.
Speaker 9 (08:32):
Go back there, I feel a little bit closer to
my mom. So I'm looking forward to getting there.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
What was your filling last night just watching that whole
country go crazy with the Springer home run and seeing
black Rero, you know, crying after the game.
Speaker 9 (08:44):
Yeah, I mean that's special.
Speaker 8 (08:45):
I mean, when you have a whole country that's, you know,
behind one team, it's it's pretty amazing. And then obviously
what they've done, They've they've been invested in their team,
into that stadium, the busy and clubhouse they've done so
they've put a lot in to the Toronto Blue Jays,
and to just see the city come together and I
get to experience so much jubilation that they had yesterday
(09:07):
going to the World Series for the first time I
think it was thirty plus years, So you know, it's
an exciting time.
Speaker 9 (09:13):
And obviously, you know my family.
Speaker 8 (09:16):
Being from Canada, it's pretty cool. But it's bodies had
an amazing postseason, so far and you know everyone Springers
Home Run.
Speaker 9 (09:26):
It's just stuff that they won't forget. And I think
it's just gonna be a really good, real series. Looking
forward to it. Thanks Vernie, Thanks everybody.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
All Right, there's Freddy Freeman talking about going back to Canada,
and just another storyline that's going to play out here
over this world series is Freddie Freeman going back north
of the border playing for the Canadian team in the
World Baseball Classic. What Canada means to him. He lost
his mother to cancer when he was ten years old,
and this has got to be a special moment for
(09:55):
him to go play in the country where she was
born and raised and was a citizen, and his dad's
going back up there as well. I mean, you got
you talk about going back and playing in northern California
when you were a player, Saxy. I can't imagine going
back to the different country where your family is from
and you still got a ton of family there, yes.
Speaker 7 (10:15):
And especially how impactful it was that he lost his mother, Yeah,
when he was only ten. That's it's a heart wrenching
thing to think about a little boy, you know, growing
up and losing your mom like that. So to go
back there. You totally get it how he feels closer
to his mom and and that's that's what makes Freddy
Freeman special.
Speaker 6 (10:35):
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
And I know he's excited, probably a little bit of
nervous energy for Freddie Freeman. But when the game starts,
as you mentioned, Freddie Freeman is going to be locked
in and being a big part of this offense that
needs to get going early against this Toronto staff and
the crowd at the Rogers Centers we've been talking about
on Game one. On Friday Night eight six, six, nine
(10:57):
eighty seven two five seventy, Joe and Carson joined scam
here on a five seventy l A Sports How you doing?
Speaker 10 (11:03):
Joe, Hey, good morning guys. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Love the show.
Speaker 10 (11:07):
You guys are making my four or five commute a
little less brutal listening to you guys. So my question
is for Saxy, do you like the starting rotation for
the World Series the NLCS formula? Do you think we've
kind of shown our hand a little bit or does
it make the j's just a little bit more nervous
(11:28):
being what they saw what we did in the NLCS.
Speaker 7 (11:33):
Joe, thanks for the call. And no, I don't think
it's a showing the hand too early. I think put
it out there as much as you can, and I
would like to. If I was on the J's, I
would be looking over at the Dodger starting rotation and
people are going to say, good luck with that. This
is a This is one of the best rotations I've
(11:54):
ever seen with the with the tools that this starting
rotation has and the fact that they've refined those tools,
it's not just kind of a toolsy player. And let's
see what happens. These guys can pitch. They've got several
pitches that they can go to, uh and they can
throw them at different parts of the count. They can
even be behind in the count and still throw that
secondary pitch besides the fastball, and they can throw it
(12:17):
for strikes. And that's a very dangerous pitcher when you
can do that. I think a key again is to
go back to the fundamentals and the basics. A key
for the Dodgers pitchers be strike one. Make sure that
your strike one, and then you work from there. And
they work everything off that fastball, and they're absolutely so
special at doing that.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Let's go to Danny and Coasta, Mesa, Danny, Welcome to
Saxon Kates and the Am.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
What's on your mind this morning?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Good morning guys, and Steve, just thank you for eighty one.
Speaker 9 (12:48):
You know I.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Suffered throughty four seven and seventy eighty and Fernando and Sosis.
You guys bought fresh blood. Thank you very.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
Much, thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
I was gonna say I got the pitching rotation. It
was on X and I tried to find it for you, Kim.
But third game one is that Savage to savage. Yeah,
and then they go Gossman Beaver, Suresers going up against
O'tani and then they're going to rotate back through.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
Okay, okay, gotcha, gotcha, I'll take I'll uh, I'll take
my chances on that. Go ahead. I'm sorry, Joe, I
mean yeah, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Oh no, that's fine. And the other item I was
going to bring up, as we're talking about the announcers
who should almost put a sock in it is Rob
Parker Ran. He was saying, uh, and I sent that
to you, Tim. He was saying that Otani did nothing
special last Friday. It was no big deal. He works
for MLB network. You think you want to promote the
(13:47):
game instead of being his typical acting like a tool.
So I got to give you that. Don't put them
on pms next week.
Speaker 7 (13:55):
He's a jerk, all.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
Right, Dand I appreciate it. I got your tweet there.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
And Rob Parker Fox Sports Radio covered baseball for a
long time in Cincinnati, part of the Writers Association said
that Shoeotani didn't do anything special last Friday in that
outing against the Milwaukee Brewers, and it's, well, what is
special if that's not he referenced no hitter in four
home runs. I mean, come on now, now, I mean
(14:23):
the guy hit three home runs in six shoutouting and
striking out ten. I mean, that's that's not enough for you.
That's not impressive enough for you. I mean, guys watched
a lot of baseball. That's not impressive.
Speaker 7 (14:31):
Come on, he's trying to get some attention whatever. I mean, Nobody,
nobody think that's a credible comment and nobody would take
it seriously.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
No, I mean that's to me, that's that's also sounds
like Rob Parker. Just you know, you zig Isaac, say
something different, and now we're talking about him.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
You could use your scam voice and say it's one
of the greatest in in baseball history.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
It's one of the greatest games in baseball fore in history. Yeah,
but he did last Friday night.
Speaker 7 (15:02):
It's not even close. I mean, geez, strike out ten,
strikes out, three runs over, gets a hitting costume on
and hits one out of the stadium.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
That's special in and of itself.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Right, I mean, yes, come on, it's it's it's an
it's asenine. It really is asenine that you would say
something like that, But uh well, you got a free, free,
free rein to see whatever you say, whatever you want
is just not the right thing. Eric and Moreno Valley,
Welcome to Saxon, Kates and the am.
Speaker 9 (15:30):
Eric.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
How you doing today.
Speaker 10 (15:33):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 11 (15:33):
Go Dodgers. Hey, sax, I wanted to ask you about
the incident spring training with Gibson and eye Black on
the hat if you kind of tell us that story.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Thanks guys, All right, thanks a lot.
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Eric.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
What is he talking about, Saxy? The I Black and
Gibby and spring training?
Speaker 7 (15:54):
He will Gibby Gibby coming over from the Tigers. You
know he was he was kind of getting tired of
the lack of intensity. I guess it didn't match his intensity.
In spring training, everybody's kind of getting ready, you know,
you're trying to get in baseball shape, and Jesse Roscoe
pulled a prank. Ghibbey wasn't about pranks. And Jesse Erosco
(16:15):
put iyblack on the inside of Kirk Gibson's hat. So
when Kirk Gibson is little, he was even back then,
he was follically challenged. He put the hat on and
then took the hat off, and he was exposed to
see this big black band on his forehead, and everybody
was laughing at him. He didn't know what it was,
so he actually left the team. Left the team told
(16:39):
called Tommy up and said, I'm not going with this
kid in the round stuff. I'm here to win, so
I'll come back to the team when the culture changes.
Then he left. Fred Claire called him. Tommy left. He
left spring training.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Wait a second, did he just bluff leave like, Okay,
I'm gonna go drive and get somebody income back.
Speaker 7 (16:56):
No, No, he says, I'll come back when when you
guys are serious about winning. And he left the team.
He went back to his his condo or his hotel
whatever at Vero Beach and just gone. He was gone.
He didn't show up. Tommy was pleading for him. Tommy
went over and saw him. Fred Claire called him. YadA YadA,
YadA YadA. Yeah, this is this is inside stuff. People
don't know this.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
This is this is very inside Were you guys freaking
out or what?
Speaker 7 (17:20):
Yeah, We're like, where's Gibby? And he said, and I
think another part of the criteria for him to come
back is I want to know who did it, and
I want him to come and apologize for making a
stool out of me. And and so we had to
basically tie Gibby down when he came into the locker room,
(17:44):
like six guys had to be a barrier. There was
ropes that we were going to tie him up and
then tell him who did it, because he would have
tore Jesse's head off. Oh my gosh, Now this is
inside stuff. Nobody knows this, but you can only get
it where scam. And so we told him what happened,
(18:05):
and Jesse apologized, and Gibby was in the locker room
when he when we told him, and you know, he
you know there were steam coming out, you know, there
were steam coming out of the years. He wanted to
grab him. He wanted to eviscerate Jesse. Oh my gosh,
Jesse was scared for a few days. You never know
when it might pop back into a psyche and just
tear him up on the field. It would be like
(18:26):
a wild dog loose on trash night. Okay, it would
be like that. But eventually he cooled down, and you know,
but we did have to you know, we did have
to have some restraints in there because seriously, because Gibby
would have would have torn him up, we had to
tie him up and then tell him what happened.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Okay, So who ultimately got him to come back? Well,
whose words was it that got him to finally cut
was a Fred Claire saying you need to come back.
Speaker 6 (18:50):
You're under contract. You can't do this.
Speaker 7 (18:52):
He wasn't here. He can care, he says. He says,
I'm also under contract. That says you got to try
your hardest, and I don't see it. So there you go, wow.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (19:02):
And then and then Tommy I think, went over there
and you know, rubbed his belly or something. I don't know,
but he got him to come back. And and but seriously,
we had to restrain Gibby and and Jesse came in
and Jesse told him what happened, and I apologized.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
How was that relationship with Jesse l Roscoe and Kirk
Gibson after that?
Speaker 7 (19:21):
I never saw those guys together very much. I mean,
I'm not sure. I was probably a little frosty, I
would say a little frosty, I bet Jesse. Jesse was
trying to, you know, kind of just have a little
fun and kind of wake Gibby up a little bit,
and Gibby wasn't having it, not having it at all.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
So was that the line was drawn right there? Right
like you guys, even though you guys were pranksters. There
there was no like, Okay, we'll wait a week and
then we're gonna get him. We're gonna wait a month
and then we're gonna get Gibby again, right like?
Speaker 7 (19:51):
That was no, that was it, that was There was
no more. But But what the great thing was, the
whole irony of this whole story is and I don't
want to, I don't want to, you know, usurp the
time here. I'll get over this in a second. But
the great thing about the irony was that we had
a Mantra on the team that year, and it was
like our team mantra that really helped us through the
tough times. And Gibby was copying Tommy thesorda. After one
(20:13):
of the games, Tommy came out of the locker room
and held his head back like he did, he said,
what a blankin I won't say it because it's a
family show. What a blanking team? You know what I mean? Yeah,
So Gibby after one of our games thereafter, came into
the locker room and said, what a blanking team. So
every time we won a game, the whole team would
(20:35):
say it in Unison, what a blanking team. And that
was our mantra throughout the whole year and in the
playoffs and World Series. It brought us all the way through.
So the funny thing was Gibby was the one now
that was joking and having a good time, and we
knew that the team really came full circle because to
(20:56):
get him to smile, I mean, last time I saw
him smile, he saw five car wreck on the freeway. Okay,
So when he started to let go have fun and smile,
the team really shot forward because everybody relaxed. Then he
wasn't gonna kill anybody. He wasn't gonna come in with
a new z. He wasn't gonna tear Jesse's head off.
(21:16):
He was having fun and the team relaxed. I love it.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Nowhere else, Dodger fans, are you getting this inside?
Speaker 7 (21:24):
Getting his stores? This is close to the best stuff.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Absolutely, This is why Saxon Kates in the Am is
the best. But you can find it on Scam Scam
because you're not gonna get these stories anywhere else.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
You're not gonna get this inside.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
You're not gonna get these memories from nineteen eighty eight,
peeling back the curtain that was a world championship team
in eighty eight.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Nowhere else do you need to get this.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
There's no podcast, there's no other station, there's no YouTube channel,
no nobody else is giving you this.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
It's not even in the script.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
That's why you gotta be here every single morning, six
am to nine am during the postseason for Scam Saxon
Kates in the Am. Buck Martinez is gonna join us
at the top of the hour. I just exchanged text
message with him. Flight a little delay, but he's gonna
join us at the top of the hour. David Vassie
is gonna join us at seven forty five. We got
as possible special guests joining us at eight twenty five.
(22:16):
Hose Mota will join us. So we got a jam
packed ninety minutes to go, including your phone calls. And
when we come back, showy Otani almost to Blue Jay.
We're gonna relive that December day next right here on
Saxon Kate's and am Saxon Kates in the am.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
The sun is up.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
We're another day closer to Game one of the World Series,
which is Friday nights at the Rogers Center in Toronto.
David Vassa will join us in about fifteen minutes as
the Dodgers will fly out today. David vass included we'll
get aboard that flight, head north of the border to Toronto,
work out tomorrow media day as well, and then gave
one Friday Night from the Rogers with Blake Snell getting
(23:01):
the Game one starts showing Otani's last time in Toronto
was last year, and that was the first time he
was there since he signed with the Dodgers and spurned
the Toronto Blue Jays. It was thought that maybe he
was going to Toronto Saxy Back on December eighth. It
was a Friday, and it was around this time on
that Friday morning that a tweet got put out from
(23:23):
John Paul Morosi that the Blue Jays and Otani there
could be something there. There started to gain some traction
about Okay, what's happening now?
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Could he be signing there?
Speaker 4 (23:34):
There was a lot of speculation on that Friday, and
there was also a flight that was leaving John Wayne
Airport in Orange County that Friday morning, and there was
speculation that it was headed to Toronto because that's where
the destination was, and so people for four and a
half hours were tracking that flight online and there was
buzz on social media, and then there was a big
(23:55):
surprise who was actually on that flight when it lanted
at the Toronto Inner National Airport. As it turns out,
twenty four hours later, Showyotani signed with the Dodgers and
not the Toronto Blue Jays. But that February December eighth,
twenty twenty three, we all thought he was going to
be a Blue Jay. And now that the Dodgers are
playing the Blue Jays in the World Series, I think
(24:16):
it was fitting to hear this breaking news from Major
League Baseball.
Speaker 7 (24:21):
Breaking news from Major League Baseball show Hey Otani, sho
Tani is.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sports changed forever that
Saturday afternoon. Not only did shoe Heotani sign the largest
contract in Major League Baseball history, but he inked the
richest deal in the history of North American sports.
Speaker 7 (24:41):
Ten year, ten years, ten years, seven hundred, seven hundred.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Seven hundred million dollars.
Speaker 6 (24:48):
The numbers are astronomical.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
It was December ninth, twenty twenty three, the day show
Hey Otani let it be known he was signing with
the Dodgers. But remember the whirldwin. That was the day
before internet rumors falls reports amateur air traffic controllers following
a plane across North America. Baseball fans everywhere that day
wondered where in the world is sho he Otani. Friday,
(25:14):
December eighth, twenty twenty three, five point thirty nine am
Pacific time, John Morosi of the MLB Network tweeted out.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Source Shoeotani decision is imminent, possibly as early as today.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
That one note from a national Baseball insider sent the
sports world into aizm.
Speaker 7 (25:33):
This is getting a bit more real. Toronto is getting
a little bit more momentum than I thought they were
going to.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
If he goes to Toronto, he owns it, and he
owns Canada, he owns the United States, and he owns Japan,
and he becomes an international star.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Less than an hour after the initial news that Otani's
decision was imminent six point thirty one am Pacific, a
Toronto Blue Jays fan posted on a Reddit page that
a private plane was chartered to fly from Orange County
to Toronto. That same plane had flown to Florida five
days earlier with Otani on it, so speculation was swirling
(26:10):
now that sho Heyotani was headed to Toronto to sign
with the Blue Jays. The buzz on social media was
growing as fans tried to connect the dots. Instantly, fans
became amateur air traffic controllers. They were tracking flight in
six one six our age as it made its way
slowly across the country.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
Take a look at the radar right there. It's a
Bombardier Global five thousand. Is this show Hey Otani's airplane?
Speaker 4 (26:39):
The mystery continued ten fifty three am Pacific, five hours
after the report that Otani's signing was imminent. JP Hornstruck,
a writer for a Dodgers blog, posted an article citing
multiple sources that showey Otani was indeed planning on signing
with the Toronto Blue Jays one oh one pm Pacific.
Over two hours later, MLB network insider John Morosi updated
(27:03):
everyone with a tweet sources shoey Otani is en route
to Toronto today. Things were changing quickly to eleven pm Pacific,
the story took a new twist as Bob Nightingale of
The USA Today posted on social media that Shoe Aotani
was not on a flight to Toronto, it was actually
(27:24):
at home here in southern California. Forty three minutes later,
two fifty four pm Pacific, Evan Mitsui, a CBC photographer,
was dispatched to the tarmac at Pearson Airport in Toronto.
When he arrived, he got eyes on the most talked
about plane in North America.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
So what did he discover?
Speaker 4 (27:45):
It was not Shoeotani after all, It was Robert Herkovich,
the Canadian businessman, an entrepreneur, and one of the stars
of the TV show Shark Tank.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I had no idea.
Speaker 9 (27:59):
It was just me and my five and a half
year old twins.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
We Land and there's a bunch of customs guys and
go where's Otani?
Speaker 9 (28:07):
And then my texts start coming in. I put two
or two together. They didn't even ask for my passport.
They were so disappointment.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
It was me.
Speaker 9 (28:15):
I've never been more humbled in my life.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
A wild eight hours of reports, rumors, and speculation. Where
in the world was Shohyotani. Well he was not only
not in Canada, he was never even on a flight
to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays, something that
really upset fans north of the border.
Speaker 7 (28:34):
No, no, no way.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
I don't want to hear on how fans shouldn't believe
things on social This rumor was awful.
Speaker 7 (28:42):
The idea that he would come up and be a
Toronto Blue Jay was going to change everything.
Speaker 6 (28:46):
Turns out nothing was changing.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
As the sun set in in a wild Friday show,
Heyotani remained baseball's most sought after free agent. The next day, Saturday,
December ninth, Otani broke his silence and made it official
he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. There you go,
Steve Sachs. Friday, December eighth, twenty twenty three, a chronological
(29:09):
time chart of where he was or wasn't on that Friday.
Was he going to Toronto? Was he going to be
a blue jay?
Speaker 7 (29:18):
And you heard the.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Disgust in the talk show host there in Toronto once
they found out he was never even on board that
plane and had no plans of signing with them.
Speaker 7 (29:27):
You put that together yourself, I did. I did. That
is an amazing piece. I liked all the you know,
the radar tracking kind of put you in the in
that plane, and ah, you had it to win an
award for that. That is a really good piece right there.
Speaker 6 (29:41):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah, that was a lot of fun putting that together,
and may going back on different outlets and seeing you know,
people online had a live YouTube feed going and they
were tracking it on those radar websites showing the plane
going over Colorado, going northeast through Ohio as they were
going up to Toronto, and they wereculating and talking what
kind of plane it was and how long it takes
(30:03):
to get there, how many passengers could be on the
plane that's like this, Who owns a plane like this?
They were trying to conny number. Yeah, they had the
tail number of the plane and so That's what caught
everybody's attention was these people on YouTube were tracking it,
and it just spread like a wildfire to see everybody
tracking this plane because they had the tail number. And
then they started tracking the tail number, and there was
(30:24):
reports that that plane had been in Florida, in dunnedn Florida,
like two weeks before that, and that was kind of
lining up the timeline to where Otwanni was visiting the
spring training complex. So people were doing like these amateur
like investigations online and it turned out to be completely wrong.
He's sitting in Orange County at his house.
Speaker 7 (30:43):
Wow, plane with Dodger. Maybe he already had the dog
named Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Absolutely, I mean literally twenty four hours later. I mean,
while this is happening, Steve. On that Friday, there was
radio silence. It's not like his people put out a
report like hey, this isn't true. It's not like Otani
puts out anything on social media. This just kept going
and kept riding, and this just whole build up for
hours all day on that Friday, until that plane landed
(31:10):
and they realized and the door open it was the
guy from Shark Tank and it wasn't Otani. And then
it was like, okay, great, what now? And literally twenty
four hours later, Otani put out the Instagram that he
was signing with the Dodgers. It was a wild Friday
here in southern California.
Speaker 7 (31:24):
And what a wham in the face. I mean because
the guy from Shark Tank, you know, he's probably you know,
a probably a pretty famous guy. He goes places, you know,
he gets his people. Wow, you know, probably asked for
his auto rep. And he gets off the plane.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
It's you. You're not Otani. Get out of here, you
can hear.
Speaker 7 (31:43):
He said.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
He was humbled for the first time that they were
so disappointed that it was to see it was him
and not showing Otani. So I hope you enjoyed that
you can podcast it.
Speaker 7 (31:51):
Was amazing as well.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 11 (31:53):
You know.
Speaker 7 (31:53):
The next day, Otani signs with the Dodgers.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
Literally the next day that Saturday, put it out on
Instagram and the guy who's going to join us next,
David Vassa, popped on in the middle of a Saturday
and did a live on this spot Dodger Talk. The
day that showy Otani signed with the Dodgers. I'll never
forget I was listening to it. David did a great
job taking reaction. He was talking to different guests, taking
(32:15):
calls from Dodger fans who were amazed. So yeah, that
was the December ninth, twenty twenty three, and here we
are getting ready for the twenty twenty five World Series
and Otani remember the Dodgers getting ready to take on
the team that everybody thought he was going to Yep,
the Toronto Blue Jays.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
He is Steve Sax, I'm Tim Kates.
Speaker 7 (32:31):
Coming up.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
We'll hear from David Vassa, Buck Martinez will join us.
We got a special guest coming up to eight o'clock
hour as well, hose A Moti will join us. We're
jam packed, Saxon Kates in the am. You're on a
NFI seventy l A Sports. Sax and Kates in the
am here on a f FI seventy LA sports with
you here till nine o'clock this morning, with you tomorrow
(32:54):
as well, six am to nine am.
Speaker 6 (32:55):
Looking forward to.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
A great show tomorrow leading into mediated at the Rogers
Center in Toronto. Game one of the World Series Dodgers
in the Blue Jays is coming up on Friday night.
Blake Snell gets to start in Game one and Saxy
joining us. Now our good buddy, the best Dodger insider
out there. He'll be on a plane later today heading
into Toronto as the Dodgers gear up for this World
(33:19):
Series run against the Toronto Blue Jays. The one and
only David Vasse David, good morning, How you doing, buddy?
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Hey, good morning guys and man. I'm going to go
out on a live here and say the seven o'clock
hour has been the best hour of the entire postseason.
I was listening dropping off the gigs. Yeah, healing, Steve
SAgs tell the story about Kurt Gibson, Tye Black, and
then that phenomenal produce Steves by Tim Gates on the
(33:46):
timeline I'm showing here TONI that never was so I
would say, maybe just replay this the rest of the
World Series.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
I'm with you, David, I wholeheartedly agree. Real quick, I
want to ask you about last or what even last year?
Was December eighth, twenty twenty three, That friday in which
the whole world thought he was going to the Toronto
Blue Jays. That that Friday, December eighth, every thought he
(34:13):
was going to Toronto. And then the next day He
surprised everybody with the announcement. It wasn't a surprise he
was going to the Dodgers, but it was a surprise
that he made the announcement. You jumped on the air
and you did a Dodger talk in the moment. You
were talking to current Dodger players on what it's going
to be like to be his teammate.
Speaker 6 (34:28):
It was great.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
And what about that Friday? Do you remember real quickly
that day was wherever he thought maybe he was going
to Toronto?
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, number one. I just remember it seemed a little suspicious,
right that you got a guy from the MLB network
that's going to break his story about this and hasn't
even put eyes on Otani getting on that plane and
tweeting it. Then he had a guy from a blog,
a fan blog break the news. That also was suspicious,
(35:00):
and it was just a reminder of everybody trying to
be first again and they missed horribly. It was an
embarrassing day for baseball journalism that day. I mean, those
two guys are infamous for saying Gotani was going to
the Blue Jays, So you know that's what I remember
(35:21):
the most.
Speaker 7 (35:22):
Yeah, Dave, good to be with you today, and you know,
I'll tell you what this tray you savage. He's got
some great stuff. We had a small sample size this year,
only three starts in fourteen innings. But what he had
shown us, besides the numbers that he put up, which
were really good, is this kid's tools are really fantastic.
(35:42):
The splitter never gets there, it's got a really sharp
dive to it. And his other stuff, his secondary stuff
besides the splitter in the fastball that's great, really plays well.
And I think the Dodgers are going to have to
really do some studying on this guy, figure him out
and really put the level to him, because this guy's
got some stuff. Could get on a momentum and he
(36:05):
can be very effective.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Yeah, and in some ways he's the Blue Jays version
of Roki Sasaki. Not a lot of teams that seen Rokie. Yeah, right,
So this reminds me a little bit. Obviously, this guy's
not a lefty Jamie Wright. With the Indians in the
ninety five World Series. He was a rookie that really
helped carrying the Indians at that time to the World Series.
(36:28):
They eventually lost. But yeah, this is probably I would say,
just as big of a challenge for the Dodgers as
it was facing the Phillies, and the Dodgers surprised all
of us and dispatched the Phillies in four games. So
again I just warn everybody. You know, again our guy
Jack Harrison the LA Times coming up with nine reasons
(36:52):
why the Dodgers should be concerned. Thank you Number one,
because it hasn't worked the previous three rounds.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Uber two.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
At some point people are going to have to give
the Dodgers credit and realize that the Blue Jays want
nothing to do with the Dodgers. I thought Derek Jeter
said it perfectly that the Blue Jays are a very
deep team, but the Dodgers are a juggernaut and the
reason why is because of their starting pitching and their
starters have not had to pitch twice in any one
(37:22):
of these series. They haven't had to come out of
the bullpen, and you know, in a do or die
type of game like the Blue Jays. So for those
reasons alone, the Dodgers are in a great spot.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
The storylines about this series from the outside, obviously between
the Lions is different, but on the outside, the different
storylines with ta Oscar Hernandez returning back to Toronto, the
whole Tawny thing almost going to the Blue Jays, allegedly
Don Maddingly, the bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays.
I mean this is a fun I guess storylines that
(37:56):
are being built up in the days off leading up
to Game one, including Freddy's. It's David going back to Canada.
He's played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic,
his parents born and raised there. There's a lot of
cool storylines on the outside of this series.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, and here's the one that nobody's talked about. Remember
Buddy Kennedy. Buddy Kennedy, the famous third base fill in
for seven days for the Dodgers. That's right, Well, he
was a journeyman for the Blue Jays as well. He
played for both the Blue Jays and Dodgers this season.
So Buddy Kennedy is going to get not only a
(38:31):
playoff share from these two teams, but he also is
going to get a World Series ring sent to him.
Speaker 6 (38:36):
How about a Jose Rainia too.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Dave two appearances for the Dodgers, pitched for the Blue
Jays this year, pitch for five different teams. The right
hander Jose Rainia, if you remember him in those two
games that he pitched four innings total. He too, another
guy who could get a ring. We'll get a ring here.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah, this day in baseball, a lot of these same
players are recycled just to be stop gaps. But Buddy
Kennedy sticks out to me more than anybody else, and
it's kind of funny that he may he may end
up getting a ring here. Hey, hey, Kate's can I
ask you a question. I know you're a theatrical type
of guy. You got the scam voice. Did you really
(39:14):
not know the eye black story of Kirk Gibson and
Jesse Roscoe or were you being a great teammate to
set up that great story from Steve Sachs.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
I may have heard it before, David, but stop, there's
a lot of people who hadn't heard it before and
a lot of great reaction coming off of the story
and to hear the details.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
I agree. But but for you to act like, oh,
this is the first time you ever even heard about it,
I found that hard.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
I think I knew that Dave that he did really
like just get you know, flushed with this thing all
of a sudden. I think I kind of knew that.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Yeah, right, he just sets you up perfectly.
Speaker 7 (39:51):
Will He did, and we got some we got some
details though that he probably didn't know.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Oh yeah, I know, I'm saying it was great, but
I I wasn't buying the shock in awe of Tim
Kates not knowing that short, David, I'm.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
The unnamed Laker guard who helps out Luka Doncas score
forty three points and I blowout loss to the Golden
State Wars. That is me just setting up Steve Sacks,
like the guards who I don't even know their name
setting up Luca.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yeah, here's a baseball relation. You put the ball on
the tee for Steve Sacks every morning, right.
Speaker 7 (40:23):
Yes, that's a great host. That's what they do, you know,
I mean a great host does that?
Speaker 5 (40:27):
Hey? Great? Right there?
Speaker 7 (40:29):
Yeah, Dave, I got to ask you. I mean, you're
looking at this team overall. They've got some great supporting
cast on this team. You know, they got guys like
Tommy Edmond. When you look at this guy like Ernie Clement,
good player. Nobody talks a lot about Ernie Clement, but
the guys they do talk about. Springer and Guerrero got
to neutralize these two guys, I know they're playing up
the Springer getting hit by the pitch on the kneecap
(40:50):
that Heck's actually registered an exit velocity of fifty five
miles per hour off the knee because it was it
was so hard that the pitch was hit him right
there in the kneecapet registered fifty five miles per hour
off the knee. These are two guys that they got
to take care of. Springer's got a pinch it now
for postseason. He's one of those guys like Kik that
(41:13):
just does it. But he had a big year this
too this year as well. So looking at these two
guys in this team, I think you go after Springer and.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Guerrero, Yeah, without a doubt. And the Dodgers handled Guerrero
pretty well when they came to town earlier this summer. The
one guy for me, if you want to talk about
a guy that's not a household name but may well
become one during this World Series, is Dalton Varshow. Yes,
centerfielder for the Blue Jays. Yes, he talked about coming
(41:44):
into his own. This was his best year at the
Blue Jays and he plays a gold gloves center field
and he came up big a few different times during
that ALCS with home runs and hits. So if you're
talking about an under the radar player for the Blue
Jays that could hurt the Dodgers is Dalton var Show.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
David Save travels to Toronto. Enjoy media day tomorrow and
we'll be looking forward to your coverage the next couple
of days leading up to Game one of this World
series on Friday night. Thanks a lot for doing it.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Hey, looking forward to snell Zilla Day. Send him the
tone again.
Speaker 7 (42:21):
And we know we know Dave, we know Snelly. You
and Snelly. You call him Snelly or just snell Zilla.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
I call him mister snell Zilla.
Speaker 7 (42:31):
Okay, all right, Dave, we'll talk to you. Thanks Dave.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
He was at the Laker game. Everybody's on board now, Sacks.
Speaker 6 (42:39):
I got you.
Speaker 7 (42:40):
I'm on too. I'm on board with it.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (42:43):
Thanks David.
Speaker 7 (42:46):
He's crazy there he goes the one and lead Zilla.
That is some difference showing his way. Yeah about it.
Speaker 6 (42:53):
Appreciate Dave popping on this morning.
Speaker 4 (42:55):
We got a jam packed eight o'clock hour coming up,
and it starts with Buck Martinez. Lou Jay's analyst joins
US next right here on Saxon case of the am
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