October 20, 2025 • 39 mins
After his dominant 2-way performance we discuss whether Ohtani is already the greatest player in MLB history - or is that hyperbole? Also, Rodney took the trip to South Bend to watch USC as they lost a tough one (with some questionable play calling) to Notre Dame.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, here we going on Monday, fred Rug and
(00:01):
Rodney Pete on a five seventy LA Sports. Here's the
question we're going to ponder an hour one show. Hey o,
Tony Game four performance? Was that the best performance ever
in Major League Baseball? Rodney, good afternoon to you. Good afternoon, Freddy.
How are you, buddy doing well? We don't know who
(00:22):
the Dodgers will play. We'll find out tonight. The game's
at four. Toronto put it on the Mariners pretty good
last night. Remember, if Toronto wins, the Dodgers will start
on the road. If the Mariners win the Dodgers, we'll
start at home. As you sit here right now, Rodney,
how do you think it plays out?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
It feels like the Blue Jays got the momentum getting
back home, actually sending that game back home, because they
very well after losing two the first two games at home.
Could have went to Seattle and folded up the tent
and never gave never got back to Toronto. But they
they want a game to get back there now they
send it to game seven. I think all the momentum
(01:04):
is in Toronto's favor, and they got their guy Bieber
going on the Mounta tonight. So I just I'm feeling Toronto.
Although the way this series is going, the way these
playoffs are going, oftentimes the favorite of who you think
might win doesn't except for the Dodgers, but it usually
goes the other way. And I could see the Mariners
(01:27):
just go off because they're a home run hitting team,
that they could just go off and be up seven
to nothing after two winnings. Because Naylor and Raleigh and
Rose Arena and all those guys hit home runs, they
can score points in a hurry, So it'll be it'll
be very, very interesting. But my heart and gut tells
me that Toronto's gonna win this one. How about you, Well,
I feel the same way. I'd like to see Seattle
(01:49):
win it, because I don't think either one is gonna
be a real problem for the Dodgers. But I think
Seattle will just got annihilated. Wit Wait, wait, you don't
think either one of them will be a problem. Either
one will be a real problem. No, I don't think
so at all.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Don't. But I think Seattle will get just destroyed. I
think Seattle the Dodgers or tonight, Oh, I mean about
the Dodgers. By the Dodgers. Yeah, I mean if Toronto wins,
I think it'll be more of a series. The Dodgers
will win. If Seattle wins, will just crush them and
that'll be the end of it. If Toronto wins Games
(02:24):
one and two of the World Series Friday Saturday in
Toronto Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, if next week at Dodgers Stadium
if necessary, back to Toronto. If Seattle wins tonight Games
one and two of the World Series Friday Saturday at
Dodgers Stadium Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday in Seattle, and then back
(02:47):
here if necessary for Game six and seven. But Friday
Night show, heyo, Tony. Now, of course I was the
one that said he was a liability in the leadoff spot.
Well he was until Friday night. Oh my god. And
I just want to say when he met the home
run off the top of the roof, I could not
believe what I saw. He hit it off the top
(03:09):
of the roof. That was further than Kyle Schwarber's home run.
That was lot. I was just like, oh my god,
is he going to hit it out of the stadium.
It was unbelievable. It really was a performance for the
ages and Ronnie. Look at it like this, because everybody's
a prisoner of the moment. So what happened yesterday is
(03:30):
the greatest thing ever always. That's how we work, that's
how this world is. Now like this like this, look
at it like this. How good was that performance? So
go back a game. Let's say Yamamoto struck out ten guys.
Blake Snell, let's say strikes out ten guys. We can
both agree that's a pretty damn good game. You strike
(03:52):
out ten guys in a game, that's a pretty good game.
But what if Blake Snell also hit three home runs
or Yamamoto also hit three home runs? Because that's what
o'dani did. He was Blake Snell or Yamamoto plus Otani
struck out ten three home runs and one of them
(04:15):
was launched.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
What did he go six? He went six?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Right?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, he finished sixth? How many hits totally? He hit two?
I said, But he didn't give up a run. I mean,
what was his stats?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I don't know if something my head I forgot him
because I.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Was still in awe.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But yeah, regardless of what it, how many hits he gat
him up and how many runs, it doesn't matter because
he did strike out ten, and he did hit three
home runs. And when you go back and say, yeah,
he's a liability, that's why he's not number one, number two.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
That's why you don't. You don't walk him. I mean
you walk him.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
In a certain situations, people were saying, well, he's slumpy,
Why are they walking him to get the mookie? Why
are they want because of that? Because he can erupt
at any time and do that to you. That's why
in a situation where it's a tight ball game, it's
runners at second and third with an open base at first,
that's why you walk them. And he may go, oh
(05:13):
for twenty two or one for twenty eight and be
struggling and swinging and looking ugly. But there's those moments
where he can do with just what he did that
Friday night, and you're looking up, going why do we
even pitch to him?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
All right, he gave up two hits, walk three, struck
out ten, He threw one hundred pitches, that's what he did.
Did not give up an earned run. That was his
performance on the hill. Then, of course you couple it
with what happened at the plate. Uh, I know, we're
prisoners of the moment. I gonna tell you, I don't
(05:49):
think I've ever seen a better performance at a baseball
game than that what people are suggesting. It was the
greatest all time and anytime. You know what, guys do this.
Guys do this all the time. You know what, that's
the greatest of all time. That's the best ever ever
noticed that. That's how guys talk that that'll never be topped.
Oh my god, that was the all time greatest. That's
(06:14):
how guys are. But really, I don't know if you're
overstating in this situation, striking out ten guys and hitting
three home runs in one game and it just happens
to be in the playoffs. On top of that, he
gets the MVP award and before that game he wasn't
getting any award all. In one game he was the MVP,
(06:38):
set the tone, stunned baseball, and put more money.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
In the Dodgers pockets. Yeah, yeah, think about it.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Was even was even remotely thought about as the MVP
of the NLCS. No, if anything like you said, most
people felt, God, Tony, he's we talked about. They need
to take him out of the leadoff spot. He's a liability.
He's not doing anything. They're winning in spite the fact
that Otani has done nothing in this series and in
(07:10):
one game he becomes the MVP. I'm trying to think,
who's the MVP if because the Dodgers swept them, there
wasn't like there were seven games that you know, Snell
or Yamamoto had multiple games and multiple outings where they
were fantastic, So you couldn't give it to really one
of them. And if you got to pick one guy
and one game and one performance, that one tops at all.
(07:31):
So the fact that it was a sweep in four games,
you had to give it to a tany who else
you given it to.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
There was nobody else after that, not even anybody close.
Think of great moments that you've seen at Dodger Stadium
as a fan, Let's think about him. My son saw
Clayton Kershaw's no hitter. I did not, but my son did,
so I'll count that as one. I was there for
Kirk Gibson's home run. That moment has always ranked as
a number one moment in LA sports history. I was
(08:00):
there when Freddy Freeman hit the Grand Slam against the Yankees.
I was there for the Laker championships. Showtime and the
Kobe Shack, the Ducks, Dodger World Series, Angel World Series, Raiders,
Super Bowl. I saw all of that. I don't think
(08:22):
there was one individual performance that topped what O TODDI
did across the board. One individual performance the top that
across in LA in LA one just one. I'm not
saying he's the greatest player ever. I'm not saying that
(08:45):
there are different moments like that.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
There was. It was a performance wasn't necessarily moments.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Right right, And that's the That's the key, Rodney.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
There's a difference as Kirk Gibson was certainly a better
moment a moment. The only thing that popped in my mind,
and I did go back to watch us he played
on a Notre Dame game. The thing that popped in
my mind as we were talking about Otani's performance is
(09:14):
someone brought it up. It was Anthony Davis and I
was young, but I still remember it. It is one
of the reasons I fell in love with USC is
Anthony Davis's performance against Notre Dame. And I believe it
was nineteen seventy four or SC was down twenty four
to nothing and Anthony Davis scored five touchdowns, including running
(09:36):
back a kick and single handedly brought USC back and
they won fifty five twenty four after being down twenty
four to nothing. And that year USC went on to
win a national title. So that was the game that
actually made him win a national title. That was fifty
(09:58):
years ago, I mean almost fifty years ago. Over fifty
years ago. I just don't know. And that one, to
me was only just something that was close, not surpassing Otani,
that was close, and that was a college game. Obviously
it was a big game because it was one and
two playing each other at the coliseum. But a full performance,
(10:25):
I don't know, you said it right. Imagine Blake Snell
and how lights out he was on the mount in
game one, and then Yamamoto in game two going a
complete game, and then those two guys get at the
plate and hit three home runs.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
I mean, if they just get.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Three hits, If Otani just got three hits, you would
go that might have been the greatest performance. If he
went three for four, right, if he struck out ten,
went three for four, you might have said that was
probably the single greatest performance. But not only struck out ten,
he hit three home runs in one game, you know
(11:04):
how hard that is. It's first of all, and it's
not a game in July. It's a playoff game in
the NLCS against the best team in baseball all year.
That's who he did it against. He didn't do it
(11:25):
against the low league whoever that has been out of
the playoffs in May. This was against the Milwaukee Brewers,
who who did have the best record. So yeah, best
performance in baseball.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Look at it like this. So let's flip it around
a little bit. Who could hit three home runs in
a game? Could Aaron Judge hit three home runs in
a game? That would be possible?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Easy?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Okay, He's done it all right, So let's use Aaron
Judges example. It would be like Aaron Judge hitting three
home runs, pitching and striking out ten. Think about that.
Because Aaron Judge can hit, Oh he can really hit.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Aaron Judge is a better hitter than Otani.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Okay, So if Aaron Judge hits three home runs in
a game, you say that was a hell of a game.
That was one of the best performances of the season.
And if it happened in the playoffs, you would say
that is one of the best playoff performances ever three
home runs in a game. But imagine if he hit
three home runs in a game and then struck out
(12:28):
ten pitching. Yeah, that's how difficult this is. Blake Snell's
striking out ten and hitting three home runs or Aaron
Judge hitting three home runs and striking out ten. When
you look at it like that, you realize how incredible
what he did was because no one else can do that.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah, and nobody else has. First of all, no one
else has the opportunity to do that in baseball. He's
the only one. He's the only one that could do that,
because no one is a talented as him doing that.
And just think about how how much we recall and
think about and celebrate Reggie Jackson for hitting the three
(13:12):
home runs in the World Series right.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
To this day. Reggie, Reggie, Reggie, He'll go down.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Mister October gave him the nickname, and everybody still every
time this time of year rolls around and the Yankees'
name come up, they always bring up Reggie Jackson hitting
their three home runs in the World Series against the Dodgers. Again,
to your point, imagine if Reggie also struck out ten.
I mean, that was what nineteen seventy eight. That was
(13:41):
nineteen seventy eight, and we still talk about him. Imagine
if Reggie hit those three home runs and struck out ten.
I mean, this is people will never stop talking about this.
This is it is almost like Reggie's got to come
to Dodger Stadium with a big necklace and diamonds and
(14:03):
gold and say you are the new mister October. I mean,
I don't know what else to say. There is nothing
that could surpass that.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Nothing, So Dodger fans, the question becomes, do you think
on Chhani is the best player ever?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
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Speaker 2 (14:46):
It wasn't like an obscure Game two of the series.
It was the close out game for the Dodgers. It
was a shut the door game for the Dodgers, and
and he went out and left no doubt out on
the Brewers.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
You have no shot. Not only from the first inning
on the mound, but the first home run. They knew
they were in trouble, and they knew they had no
shot to send this game back to Milwaukee or even
go back to Milwaukee. Even a remote chance to go
back to Milwaukee was not happening. Show.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Hey, shut the door on that. Let me leave no
doubt who the best team in baseball is. Don't forget
the Brewers came in with the best record in baseball.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, remember what we said before the bright lights in
the big stage, they looked like the Reds quite frankly,
they got You think.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
That was it.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
You think the Dodgers just been hitting on the right
I think it's more the Dodgers are the better team,
and now they're all healthy, and now they're showing and
imposing their will. I don't think the bright lights had
much to do with it. I think it was just
they ran up against the Dodger team that everybody thought
they were going to be before the season started, and
now that the Dodgers are healthy and hitting on all cylinders.
(15:57):
This is what you get when you play the Dodgers
at full strength. I don't because I don't think I
don't think that the because they had already beat the Cubs,
they had already been in the bright lights. So to me,
it was just more of Dodger powered, Dodger dominance than
it was of their collapse. They made him look like
the Reds. Quite frankly, they made a lot of people
(16:18):
look like the Reds, though, thank you. They made the
Phillies look like the Reds.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, well, at least there was a bit of a
battle there. But I mean, watching this Brewers series, Phillies
won one game. They won one more game than the
than the Brewers. True, but they had a chance to
win that other one until mister Kirkering did his magic
and ended that.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
No.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I just gotta be honest with you. When you look
at this, Yeah, they are heads and tails far away
above everybody in baseball, above it. And we'll talk more
about that coming up later ESPN. I checked give me
the top ten baseball greatest baseball players in history.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Number one, Bay Bruce, number two, Willie Mays, number three,
Hank Aaron, number four, Ty Cob five was Ted Williams six,
Lugerigg seven, Mickey Mantle eight, Barry Bonds, Walter Johnson nine,
and stam Usual ten. So ESPN says that's it. They
come up with their big top ten lists. That was
their big top ten list of the greatest baseball player
(17:19):
of all time. So, after what you saw on Friday
night and then thinking about what the future could be
and taking into account what Otani has done in the past,
could he at this point in time, while still playing,
be the best baseball player ever? Okay, let's go to
Greg in Sunland. To Greg, thanks for holding Is he
(17:40):
or is he not?
Speaker 7 (17:43):
Hands down? He is. This is unprecedented, This is incomparable.
It would be like Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdown passes
and then kicking three field goals or throwing four touchdown
passes and getting three sacks. There's nobody to compare him to.
What he did has never even been close to being
(18:06):
duplicated or replicated by anybody else, so he stands alone.
This was the single greatest thanks individual performance.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Thanks appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Greg.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Good analogy, Patrick Mahomes throws four touchdown passes. I guess
a quarterback could kick, but Patrick Mahomes thows four touchdown
passes and then records three sacks. It would be like that.
In hockey, it would be Wayne Gretzky not only scores
a hat trick in a game, but also as the
(18:38):
goalie and records a shutout. It would be that, Vince
and Whittier. All right, Vince, what do you think greatest ever?
Speaker 8 (18:49):
Fred?
Speaker 6 (18:50):
I'm back with you, checking in, Rogan Rodney, I check
in every postseason. We're checking in once again, not only
was this the greatest performance by individual player, but I
think I think we also got to tip our cap
to the Dodgers organization because forgive me for not really
knowing too much about Otani before he came.
Speaker 9 (19:07):
Over to the Dodgers. We all heard a lot about.
Speaker 10 (19:10):
Him, but who would have who would have set the stage.
Speaker 9 (19:13):
For this guy?
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Like the Dodgers organization, they've invested in players.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Like question, Vince, Vince, there's one question. Do you think
he's the greatest ever?
Speaker 11 (19:22):
I think this this is the greatest performance ever.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Yes, he is appreciate it, thank you. Uh yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
And if you want to talk about the past and
the performance, we're asking or is it he's the greatest player?
What do we what do we ask?
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Well, we asked, is it the is he the best
player ever? That's what we asked. Vince said, greatest performance.
I don't think anybody will disagree with that. But you know,
Vince said he didn't he wasn't really aware of Atani
because he was in the witness protection program at Anahei.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
He would not have the stage to do what he
did right in Anahei. So yeah, which is unfortunate because
a lot of folks have felt certain players in throughout
history in all sports never really got that stage to
be on a different level because their teams were not
that great or they never played in a Super Bowl
(20:10):
or World Series or NBA Finals or anything like that.
So yeah, yeah, it's a different thing and the reason
why he's a Dodger and not still an Angel.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
All Right, Kenny and Sarzana, what do you think is
he the best player ever?
Speaker 8 (20:27):
No, that's George Sherman, Ruth aka Babe Ruth. And as
far as that game, you guys are presiders at the moment. Yes,
I'm for the big stage in the postseason, that probably
is the greatest game. But Rick Wise in nineteen seventy
one not only pitched a no hitter, he allowed only
(20:49):
one base runner peel walk. He hit two home runs
in the game, he drove in three. There is a total.
The score was sport in nothing. So that is the
greatest game. And of course rick Wise was created for
Steve Carlton the following year. He was a good pitcher,
not the player that o'tammy is, but just for that game,
(21:14):
look at that game. Look at Tony Collinger the pitcher.
He pitched a complete game, Fellas, he hit two Grand
Slams in the game, drove in nine RBIs nineteen sixty
six for the Braves against the Giants. And let's not forget,
(21:34):
of course, what Sean Green did, what o' tommy did
last year. So fantastic playoff game. But I still go
back and go back to the performance of nineteen seventy
one that I talked about.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Okay, but it's got a historian Colline or whatever his
name was, clowngs. You're going to hit every game like that.
It's not that he asked performance, right about what I'm
saying for a single game performance? Yeah, okay, Well he
had two Grand Slams. But Otani hits three home runs.
I'm going with that. But he pitched a no hitter.
(22:08):
What Are you gonna split hairs? What are you gonna do, Rodney?
You split hair?
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I mean, you really gotta because there's been some great
performances in history and is he just pointed out if
you go back and historians will tell you there's been
performances that are great. But the question I think we
got to really go to narrow it down. Is it
too early to say he's the best player ever? And
is he the best player ever? Given this is his
(22:36):
only second year with the Dodgers, he's been first year
really pitching with the Dodgers and hitting. Can you call
him the best player ever? Right now?
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Could you call him the best player ever? When he
was in Anaheim, just because he wasn't in the playoffs
didn't mean he didn't perform. He was doing things there
that he's doing here. He's just nobody saw him there.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
You guys have a retort to Babe Ruth is the
best of all time.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
I can't go with Babe Ruth.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I can't no, I can't no that that was just
you know, he can't play just to me. Just can't
go with guys that were you know, it was not
a full time gig for most of the league.
Speaker 5 (23:15):
You also didn't playing against any black players too.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
No black players, no Hispanic players. You know, it was
you know, it was a time where yeah, you know,
half the team was had a second job at the
steel mill or you know, worked you know, on the
railroads and then played baseball. So it's it's just different
eras it's it's difficult to really say that.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Eight six six nine, that is a question. Sure, go
back to the fall lines, Kevin Head.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
We got a full board.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Fred, All right, let's go to Frank and Whittier. Is
he there? Sure?
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Us?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
All right, Frank, what do you think?
Speaker 12 (23:54):
Yeah, I'm here.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Guys.
Speaker 12 (23:55):
You know what, greatness only gets written after the career
is over. I will say this much so. I mean,
it's if we're looking at the entire career, where there's
no I haven't heard anyone discuss the fact that he
struck out Mike Trout in the WBC. You know what,
that was a huge moment for baseball, huge moment for
him also, that performance. You know, I know we're focused
(24:17):
on the hitting, but put his name up there with
Tom sever Rowley, Fingers, Andy Pettitt, that discussion about pitching.
He went up against the best lineup hitting wise in
MLB this year, and he killed it. And yet the
focus is on the hitting. You give the man credits.
His pitching performance is won for the ages as well.
(24:37):
Right now, he's earning his way up there right next
to Ruth. If we see another fifty to fifty season,
I don't ever expect to seOne to hear someone say,
you know, there's a controversy there. He is the greatest
if he gets there again.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Thanks appreciate it. Frank good point. Let's got a Baldwin
park Oscar. Now what do you think?
Speaker 8 (24:57):
His story is still being written.
Speaker 10 (24:59):
He's on the cusp doors opening.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
He's ready to step two.
Speaker 13 (25:01):
But he's gotta he's gotta dominate the World Series. All
the great players and all the other sports they dominated
the playoffs. They usually get m VP's at the end
of the Championship series, so he can't come out and
have a subpart World Series. After this performance, he's ready
to set the bar for him. He set the bar
for himself now, so now you know, Tyking he'll match it.
But the story is still being written. But he's got
to dominate the World Series.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
He's got to.
Speaker 13 (25:22):
He's got to come out and really dominate, win the
MVP and all that, and then now the session really
begins to be the greatest, greatest ever.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
All right, appreciate it, Thank you, Oscar. H Let's see
what time is that on the East coast? Three thirty.
I don't know if he's drinking Gino in Virginia, Gino
on the app, if he's drinking. Everybody's great.
Speaker 14 (25:40):
Hey, gentlemen, I love talking to you. Sorry, Rodney, Right,
they had that game and they didn't make mistakes anyways. Hey,
show hey, he surpassed Ruth and my baseball sixty six years. Okay,
I want to go through all the stats. I really
look at all the stats. All the callers are really good.
(26:00):
But show hey, if you can do this in the
road series, then he surpasses everybody this year because he's
already had a World Series last year and done pretty good.
But to go seven or eight for thirty eight and
thirty nine, the last four hits were tremendous. I hope
he keeps it going. He's on a rod, you know
(26:20):
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
All Right, we.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Hear you, Geno. Thanks, Let's do Chris Chris in La.
Do you think this he is the greatest ever.
Speaker 15 (26:32):
In my opinion, it's not even a question, guys, Shohey,
as the pitching experts, including Orro, has said, if he
only concentrated on pitching, he could be the best pitcher
in baseball. We already know he could be the best
hitter in baseball. You know, Dion and Bo they were
(26:52):
great in one sport and you know, pretty good, very
good in another sport. Neither one of them was the
greatest in either sport. This isn't even a question.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
To me.
Speaker 15 (27:03):
He is literally he's a unicorn.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Best cornerback ever play.
Speaker 15 (27:11):
But he wasn't the best player in football. So I mean, okay,
I'll give you he's the best at his position. But
my point is he show Hey is the best. He
could be the best pitcher of everybody everyone playing, and
the best hitter. So I think, to me, he's a unicorn.
It's not even close. And I'm glad you guys dismissed
the Babe Ruth comparison, not even in the universe. But
(27:36):
I just think he's you know, it's not even like
Mahomes kicking or sacking and throwing touchdowns. He's like the
best of what he does on each side. I mean,
that's just never seen before. To me, that's the greatest athlete.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I mean, wow, appreciated.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Shit. He makes a good point. Are we gonna see?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
When I was saying that, I just I wonder is
he going to get Is he going to get the
opportunity longevity wise, to be considered one of the best
pictures of all time?
Speaker 1 (28:07):
What do you mean logevity?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Meaning?
Speaker 2 (28:09):
How how long is he going to be able to pitch?
And how long does he have to pitch and be
a dominant pitcher for him to be considered one of
the best pictures of all time? That is a great question.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Because the two sports, I mean the two position thing.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yes, there's nobody doing that, right, But if you same
thing we talk about with hitting, there's a debate whether
he's the best hitter of all No one would say
he's the best hitter of all time, would you?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
No?
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Right, I don't think would got it was the greatest
hitter of all time.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
No.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
And he's not the best pitcher of all time right now,
that's fair as well, right, But when you put him together,
obviously it's it's incredible. So I just I'm wondering from
a pitching standpoint, are there is he going to get
the years in to be able to be considered the
best at pitching as well as the best at hitting.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Let's go to natean long beach. Nate, you think he's
the best ever.
Speaker 11 (29:10):
Yeah, he's the best player ever. If you're going to
start a baseball team, who are you gonna pick over him?
That's the way I look at it. Also, you know
what he's doing. He's not rewriting the record book. He's
rewriting the sport. And the only two other people I've
ever seen do that are Gretzky and Tiger Woods.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
You know, this guy.
Speaker 11 (29:26):
Hits the hits a home run to lead off the
game after striking out three, first pitcher ever in history
playoff or otherwise to lead off the game. Second one
goes over the roof, also legendary. Third ones for three,
also legendary. He just doesn't do stuff that we haven't
seen before. He does stuff that we haven't dreamed before.
(29:47):
And I tell you he could go and go hit
for the cycle and throw a no hitter in the
World Series because he's the only guy who's ever going
to have a chance to do it. And I tell
you it's just we are so privileged to be able
to see this guy at work. It's it's really he's
on the next level.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Appreciate it, Ny, thanks for the call.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Yeah, I mean all all valid points, all fair points.
Don in Anaheim Edgar. You think he's the best.
Speaker 11 (30:17):
It's not even a doubt.
Speaker 10 (30:18):
I don't know why people are talking about the path
and the stories about freaking fifty years ago. This guy
he won MVP both leagues. He struged out trouting in
the World Baseball Classic. He can win us all young
if you pully, if he pleas mind to, he can
win us all young. He's not just throwing ninety five
ninety eighty eight. He's throwing freaking gas one hundred and two.
Speaker 9 (30:40):
Dude.
Speaker 10 (30:40):
He's dropping bombs for ninety four eighty four, seventy two
fifty home run seasons. He clinched that he beat the
Brewers by himself the first game against the Phillies. He
set the tone.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
It's not even close.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
All right, right, I guess that's that. That pretty much
sums it up a couple more real quick, Let's go
to line one, Rick and San Pedro. Oh, you don't
think he's the best player ever?
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Right, I'm an know I'm a no.
Speaker 9 (31:09):
I mean, I mean, the performance is incredible, and he
does things, of course that are just unimaginable. But I
think you got to measure a career by the totality
of the impact that a player makes for his team,
for the for the league, for the love of the game.
And I just don't think it's fair that you could say, yeah,
he's the greatest ever and put him on that Mount Rushmore.
(31:29):
I don't think that's uh, it's there yet.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Now I'm a note because you think it's too soon.
Speaker 11 (31:36):
Yeah, hell yeah, Well I could argue that.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
I mean, I can. I can appreciate that argument. But
I gotta tell you.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I can. I can appreciate that too. I I you's
got to he's got to do it. He's got to
do it a couple more years where he's got to
be that kind of dominant guy.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yeah. But do we do we count what he did
with the Angels Rodney?
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Yeah? But was he was he?
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I don't remember his pitching record with the Angels. It
was more up than done, right.
Speaker 16 (32:06):
Yeah, because he had a Tommy John in there, so
he missed part of the season.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
I will say his best year in Anaheim.
Speaker 16 (32:11):
You could have made an argument that he could have
won the MVP and the cy Young Like he played
I think in one hundred and fifty nine games on
the field as a DH, and he pitched.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
I think he had twenty eight starts.
Speaker 16 (32:23):
His era was around three, and obviously he put up
the offensive numbers that he typically puts up. That was
probably his best year overall. And he was in the
race for both of those awards back then and didn't
get it. So he certainly was able to perform at
an extremely high level doing both when he was healthy.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
And I think that might have been four years ago.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, and so he had really one of those great
years pitching and hitting.
Speaker 5 (32:43):
Yeah, one year, Rodney.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Yeah, So I think he got to do He's got
to do it one more time. I mean, obviously, if
Dodgers win the World Series, it goes without question, it
puts him in a different level. But I think he's
got to have it. Just just like the fifty to fifty.
He set the market fifty to fifty, right, nobody's done that.
He has another fifty to fifty. I think it doesn't
(33:05):
even you can't even argue anymore. I don't think you're
gonna be able to argue period. Quite honestly, I actually
don't think it is an argument.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
I think we are so fortunate to see this and
he's playing here in la which makes it even sweeter.
I mean, he's one of a kind. He is a unicorn.
There is one of him that can do that at
that level, and he can do it consistently, and that's
the key, you know, do you know, well, I need
to see more. He did it in Anaheim. Now again
(33:34):
who saw him in Anaheim? But here it becomes magnified
because he's playing for the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Yeah, and I think that, you know, because I think
the question becomes in a little bit pause for people,
is that even this year when he was slated at
the pitch, this year, he didn't have a full season pitching.
He really didn't. It was it was spot performances. It
was the pitch out. They were very careful with them.
We're seeing the dominance in the playoffs now, but it
(34:04):
wasn't like he went through the whole season as a pitcher.
So there's a little pause in that in terms of okay,
he's dominant on basiline because again, he's not the best
hitter in baseball, not certainly not the best hitter ever, right,
And we haven't seen enough of them pitching to say
he's in the top two or three of pitchers either.
(34:27):
He's just doing both is a combination that makes it crazy.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
So I was wrong about ucl life.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I was wrong.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
I should have said as long as Deshn Foster is there,
they won't win more than two games. So he's not
the coach, and now they wont another one. They meant
Maryland light in the game. What a difference, What a
difference a coaching change makes. Deshaun Foster is probably a
great guy, right do you know him? That just wasn't
this cup of tea there. What's baffling to me is
they'd hire the offensive coordinator from Indiana during the offseason,
(34:56):
and the guy came in with great credentials, and now
they got ready him too. So whatever they've done, they
figured out a way to be competitive. And that is
a victory for UCLA. Now, So you won a little
road trip this weekend, correct? I did.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Fred.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
I went back to South Bend, Indiana with a bunch
of folks that are very near and dear and strong
with the university, have ties, and we went back to
check them out, and I thought it was it was
a perfect timing, the third game in a row against
a tough opponent. Went started with Illinois and then Michigan
(35:36):
at home and then going to Notre Dame, and it
was a pivotal time for the Trojans to uh to
set their mark and put their mark down on this
season and being a player in this season, so very exciting.
We did know the forecast was going to be a
little bit not great. It was going to rain, and
(36:00):
you know, raining at a at.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
A football game.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
If you're there, uh, you can't bring umbrellas in, so
you gotta you got to withstand that, or you got
to find someone that's got a box and try to
stay stay dry. But it was all in all, it
was a good trip outside of the game. The game itself,
it was yeah, a little little painful, little frustrating. There
(36:23):
were moments throughout that game Fred that thought we we
had chances to make a difference and we we didn't.
We made some mistakes that Notre Dame, Notre Dame took
advantage of. And Notre Dame is a you know, despite
the fact that they lost those first two games against
what Miami and Texas A and M. They are a
(36:44):
very good football team. They are well rounded, very good
football team. And watch out, seriously watch out for Notre
Dame because I think that this this USC game this
past weekend was really their their last real tough test
going forward for them, so they will be in the
playoff picture.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah, but if Lincoln Riley and he was criticized after
the game for a couple of calls he made, if
he makes different calls, is it a different outcome, Rodney,
I don't know if it's a different outcome, but certainly
those calls hurt. The trick play that ended up in
a fumble and Notre Dame getting the ball was certainly
(37:24):
something that.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Didn't need to happen at that moment.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
We had had momentum, we were moving the ball on
him and I don't think you needed that particular play
at the time.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
So yeah, he got criticized.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
He said it was a dumb call himself, and you
know those kind of mistakes where you give the ball away,
especially when you feel like you've got momentum, and I know,
you know, there's a thought process of let's go for
the juggler right now, but there's also a thought process
where let's do and keep doing what's working for us,
(37:58):
and they didn't do that. They went away from that
and it came back to bite USC. So, yeah, that
was a bad call. He admitted it was a bad
call and it definitely hurt the Trojans.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Yeah, and what really what it really does is it
it hurts their their national title hopes. Now, Actually that's
what it did. I mean, they were playing well, you
could see them in the Big Ten making noise and
even if they don't win the conference, but if they
were playing the way they were, you know, maybe these
guys got a shot here if everything breaks right for them.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
I think this really hurt them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
It was a big status game too, you know obviously,
and they've been at every and you know, the game
was what they lost by ten. It was for a
good portion of that it was pretty close and then
Notre Dame kind of pulled away. But they had a
chance to win the Illinois game as well. You know,
they were in it and Illinois went the length of
the field to drive and score at the end to
(38:52):
win that game. They came back obviously in beat Michigan,
which was a huge game at the Coliseum, A statement game,
and you know they lose this one the Notre Dame.
With two losses, it's uh, yeah, it's gonna be tough
to really get in it. But now with the expanded
playoff situation, there's an opportunity. There's an opportunity for them
to sneak in. They run the table the rest of
the way. And you mentioned it. UCLA has had a
(39:15):
resurgent and we're hoping now that UCLA could keep keeps
winning because if UCLA keeps winning and we see them
at the end of the year, that game could mean
something Fred, But that season not I mean before that,
they've got some tough games. They got to go to
Nebraska and play in link in Nebraska, which is not
an easy place to play.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
They got some other games that they got to face
and Oregon is another one. So it's not gonna be
it's not gonna be an easy task
Speaker 3 (39:41):
For for usc to get into the tournament.
All right, here we going on Monday, fred Rug and
(00:01):
Rodney Pete on a five seventy LA Sports. Here's the
question we're going to ponder an hour one show. Hey o,
Tony Game four performance? Was that the best performance ever
in Major League Baseball? Rodney, good afternoon to you. Good afternoon, Freddy.
How are you, buddy doing well? We don't know who
(00:22):
the Dodgers will play. We'll find out tonight. The game's
at four. Toronto put it on the Mariners pretty good
last night. Remember, if Toronto wins, the Dodgers will start
on the road. If the Mariners win the Dodgers, we'll
start at home. As you sit here right now, Rodney,
how do you think it plays out?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
It feels like the Blue Jays got the momentum getting
back home, actually sending that game back home, because they
very well after losing two the first two games at home.
Could have went to Seattle and folded up the tent
and never gave never got back to Toronto. But they
they want a game to get back there now they
send it to game seven. I think all the momentum
(01:04):
is in Toronto's favor, and they got their guy Bieber
going on the Mounta tonight. So I just I'm feeling Toronto.
Although the way this series is going, the way these
playoffs are going, oftentimes the favorite of who you think
might win doesn't except for the Dodgers, but it usually
goes the other way. And I could see the Mariners
(01:27):
just go off because they're a home run hitting team,
that they could just go off and be up seven
to nothing after two winnings. Because Naylor and Raleigh and
Rose Arena and all those guys hit home runs, they
can score points in a hurry, So it'll be it'll
be very, very interesting. But my heart and gut tells
me that Toronto's gonna win this one. How about you, Well,
I feel the same way. I'd like to see Seattle
(01:49):
win it, because I don't think either one is gonna
be a real problem for the Dodgers. But I think
Seattle will just got annihilated. Wit Wait, wait, you don't
think either one of them will be a problem. Either
one will be a real problem. No, I don't think
so at all.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Don't. But I think Seattle will get just destroyed. I
think Seattle the Dodgers or tonight, Oh, I mean about
the Dodgers. By the Dodgers. Yeah, I mean if Toronto wins,
I think it'll be more of a series. The Dodgers
will win. If Seattle wins, will just crush them and
that'll be the end of it. If Toronto wins Games
(02:24):
one and two of the World Series Friday Saturday in
Toronto Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, if next week at Dodgers Stadium
if necessary, back to Toronto. If Seattle wins tonight Games
one and two of the World Series Friday Saturday at
Dodgers Stadium Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday in Seattle, and then back
(02:47):
here if necessary for Game six and seven. But Friday
Night show, heyo, Tony. Now, of course I was the
one that said he was a liability in the leadoff spot.
Well he was until Friday night. Oh my god. And
I just want to say when he met the home
run off the top of the roof, I could not
believe what I saw. He hit it off the top
(03:09):
of the roof. That was further than Kyle Schwarber's home run.
That was lot. I was just like, oh my god,
is he going to hit it out of the stadium.
It was unbelievable. It really was a performance for the
ages and Ronnie. Look at it like this, because everybody's
a prisoner of the moment. So what happened yesterday is
(03:30):
the greatest thing ever always. That's how we work, that's
how this world is. Now like this like this, look
at it like this. How good was that performance? So
go back a game. Let's say Yamamoto struck out ten guys.
Blake Snell, let's say strikes out ten guys. We can
both agree that's a pretty damn good game. You strike
(03:52):
out ten guys in a game, that's a pretty good game.
But what if Blake Snell also hit three home runs
or Yamamoto also hit three home runs? Because that's what
o'dani did. He was Blake Snell or Yamamoto plus Otani
struck out ten three home runs and one of them
(04:15):
was launched.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
What did he go six? He went six?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Right?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, he finished sixth? How many hits totally? He hit two?
I said, But he didn't give up a run. I mean,
what was his stats?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I don't know if something my head I forgot him
because I.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Was still in awe.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But yeah, regardless of what it, how many hits he gat
him up and how many runs, it doesn't matter because
he did strike out ten, and he did hit three
home runs. And when you go back and say, yeah,
he's a liability, that's why he's not number one, number two.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
That's why you don't. You don't walk him. I mean
you walk him.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
In a certain situations, people were saying, well, he's slumpy,
Why are they walking him to get the mookie? Why
are they want because of that? Because he can erupt
at any time and do that to you. That's why
in a situation where it's a tight ball game, it's
runners at second and third with an open base at first,
that's why you walk them. And he may go, oh
(05:13):
for twenty two or one for twenty eight and be
struggling and swinging and looking ugly. But there's those moments
where he can do with just what he did that
Friday night, and you're looking up, going why do we
even pitch to him?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
All right, he gave up two hits, walk three, struck
out ten, He threw one hundred pitches, that's what he did.
Did not give up an earned run. That was his
performance on the hill. Then, of course you couple it
with what happened at the plate. Uh, I know, we're
prisoners of the moment. I gonna tell you, I don't
(05:49):
think I've ever seen a better performance at a baseball
game than that what people are suggesting. It was the
greatest all time and anytime. You know what, guys do this.
Guys do this all the time. You know what, that's
the greatest of all time. That's the best ever ever
noticed that. That's how guys talk that that'll never be topped.
Oh my god, that was the all time greatest. That's
(06:14):
how guys are. But really, I don't know if you're
overstating in this situation, striking out ten guys and hitting
three home runs in one game and it just happens
to be in the playoffs. On top of that, he
gets the MVP award and before that game he wasn't
getting any award all. In one game he was the MVP,
(06:38):
set the tone, stunned baseball, and put more money.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
In the Dodgers pockets. Yeah, yeah, think about it.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Was even was even remotely thought about as the MVP
of the NLCS. No, if anything like you said, most
people felt, God, Tony, he's we talked about. They need
to take him out of the leadoff spot. He's a liability.
He's not doing anything. They're winning in spite the fact
that Otani has done nothing in this series and in
(07:10):
one game he becomes the MVP. I'm trying to think,
who's the MVP if because the Dodgers swept them, there
wasn't like there were seven games that you know, Snell
or Yamamoto had multiple games and multiple outings where they
were fantastic, So you couldn't give it to really one
of them. And if you got to pick one guy
and one game and one performance, that one tops at all.
(07:31):
So the fact that it was a sweep in four games,
you had to give it to a tany who else
you given it to.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
There was nobody else after that, not even anybody close.
Think of great moments that you've seen at Dodger Stadium
as a fan, Let's think about him. My son saw
Clayton Kershaw's no hitter. I did not, but my son did,
so I'll count that as one. I was there for
Kirk Gibson's home run. That moment has always ranked as
a number one moment in LA sports history. I was
(08:00):
there when Freddy Freeman hit the Grand Slam against the Yankees.
I was there for the Laker championships. Showtime and the
Kobe Shack, the Ducks, Dodger World Series, Angel World Series, Raiders,
Super Bowl. I saw all of that. I don't think
(08:22):
there was one individual performance that topped what O TODDI
did across the board. One individual performance the top that
across in LA in LA one just one. I'm not
saying he's the greatest player ever. I'm not saying that
(08:45):
there are different moments like that.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
There was. It was a performance wasn't necessarily moments.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Right right, And that's the That's the key, Rodney.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
There's a difference as Kirk Gibson was certainly a better
moment a moment. The only thing that popped in my mind,
and I did go back to watch us he played
on a Notre Dame game. The thing that popped in
my mind as we were talking about Otani's performance is
(09:14):
someone brought it up. It was Anthony Davis and I
was young, but I still remember it. It is one
of the reasons I fell in love with USC is
Anthony Davis's performance against Notre Dame. And I believe it
was nineteen seventy four or SC was down twenty four
to nothing and Anthony Davis scored five touchdowns, including running
(09:36):
back a kick and single handedly brought USC back and
they won fifty five twenty four after being down twenty
four to nothing. And that year USC went on to
win a national title. So that was the game that
actually made him win a national title. That was fifty
(09:58):
years ago, I mean almost fifty years ago. Over fifty
years ago. I just don't know. And that one, to
me was only just something that was close, not surpassing Otani,
that was close, and that was a college game. Obviously
it was a big game because it was one and
two playing each other at the coliseum. But a full performance,
(10:25):
I don't know, you said it right. Imagine Blake Snell
and how lights out he was on the mount in
game one, and then Yamamoto in game two going a
complete game, and then those two guys get at the
plate and hit three home runs.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
I mean, if they just get.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Three hits, If Otani just got three hits, you would
go that might have been the greatest performance. If he
went three for four, right, if he struck out ten,
went three for four, you might have said that was
probably the single greatest performance. But not only struck out ten,
he hit three home runs in one game, you know
(11:04):
how hard that is. It's first of all, and it's
not a game in July. It's a playoff game in
the NLCS against the best team in baseball all year.
That's who he did it against. He didn't do it
(11:25):
against the low league whoever that has been out of
the playoffs in May. This was against the Milwaukee Brewers,
who who did have the best record. So yeah, best
performance in baseball.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Look at it like this. So let's flip it around
a little bit. Who could hit three home runs in
a game? Could Aaron Judge hit three home runs in
a game? That would be possible?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Easy?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Okay, He's done it all right, So let's use Aaron
Judges example. It would be like Aaron Judge hitting three
home runs, pitching and striking out ten. Think about that.
Because Aaron Judge can hit, Oh he can really hit.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Aaron Judge is a better hitter than Otani.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Okay, So if Aaron Judge hits three home runs in
a game, you say that was a hell of a game.
That was one of the best performances of the season.
And if it happened in the playoffs, you would say
that is one of the best playoff performances ever three
home runs in a game. But imagine if he hit
three home runs in a game and then struck out
(12:28):
ten pitching. Yeah, that's how difficult this is. Blake Snell's
striking out ten and hitting three home runs or Aaron
Judge hitting three home runs and striking out ten. When
you look at it like that, you realize how incredible
what he did was because no one else can do that.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah, and nobody else has. First of all, no one
else has the opportunity to do that in baseball. He's
the only one. He's the only one that could do that,
because no one is a talented as him doing that.
And just think about how how much we recall and
think about and celebrate Reggie Jackson for hitting the three
(13:12):
home runs in the World Series right.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
To this day. Reggie, Reggie, Reggie, He'll go down.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Mister October gave him the nickname, and everybody still every
time this time of year rolls around and the Yankees'
name come up, they always bring up Reggie Jackson hitting
their three home runs in the World Series against the Dodgers. Again,
to your point, imagine if Reggie also struck out ten.
I mean, that was what nineteen seventy eight. That was
(13:41):
nineteen seventy eight, and we still talk about him. Imagine
if Reggie hit those three home runs and struck out ten.
I mean, this is people will never stop talking about this.
This is it is almost like Reggie's got to come
to Dodger Stadium with a big necklace and diamonds and
(14:03):
gold and say you are the new mister October. I mean,
I don't know what else to say. There is nothing
that could surpass that.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Nothing, So Dodger fans, the question becomes, do you think
on Chhani is the best player ever?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
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Speaker 2 (14:46):
It wasn't like an obscure Game two of the series.
It was the close out game for the Dodgers. It
was a shut the door game for the Dodgers, and
and he went out and left no doubt out on
the Brewers.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
You have no shot. Not only from the first inning
on the mound, but the first home run. They knew
they were in trouble, and they knew they had no
shot to send this game back to Milwaukee or even
go back to Milwaukee. Even a remote chance to go
back to Milwaukee was not happening. Show.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Hey, shut the door on that. Let me leave no
doubt who the best team in baseball is. Don't forget
the Brewers came in with the best record in baseball.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, remember what we said before the bright lights in
the big stage, they looked like the Reds quite frankly,
they got You think.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
That was it.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
You think the Dodgers just been hitting on the right
I think it's more the Dodgers are the better team,
and now they're all healthy, and now they're showing and
imposing their will. I don't think the bright lights had
much to do with it. I think it was just
they ran up against the Dodger team that everybody thought
they were going to be before the season started, and
now that the Dodgers are healthy and hitting on all cylinders.
(15:57):
This is what you get when you play the Dodgers
at full strength. I don't because I don't think I
don't think that the because they had already beat the Cubs,
they had already been in the bright lights. So to me,
it was just more of Dodger powered, Dodger dominance than
it was of their collapse. They made him look like
the Reds. Quite frankly, they made a lot of people
(16:18):
look like the Reds, though, thank you. They made the
Phillies look like the Reds.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, well, at least there was a bit of a
battle there. But I mean, watching this Brewers series, Phillies
won one game. They won one more game than the
than the Brewers. True, but they had a chance to
win that other one until mister Kirkering did his magic
and ended that.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
No.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I just gotta be honest with you. When you look
at this, Yeah, they are heads and tails far away
above everybody in baseball, above it. And we'll talk more
about that coming up later ESPN. I checked give me
the top ten baseball greatest baseball players in history.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Number one, Bay Bruce, number two, Willie Mays, number three,
Hank Aaron, number four, Ty Cob five was Ted Williams six,
Lugerigg seven, Mickey Mantle eight, Barry Bonds, Walter Johnson nine,
and stam Usual ten. So ESPN says that's it. They
come up with their big top ten lists. That was
their big top ten list of the greatest baseball player
(17:19):
of all time. So, after what you saw on Friday
night and then thinking about what the future could be
and taking into account what Otani has done in the past,
could he at this point in time, while still playing,
be the best baseball player ever? Okay, let's go to
Greg in Sunland. To Greg, thanks for holding Is he
(17:40):
or is he not?
Speaker 7 (17:43):
Hands down? He is. This is unprecedented, This is incomparable.
It would be like Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdown passes
and then kicking three field goals or throwing four touchdown
passes and getting three sacks. There's nobody to compare him to.
What he did has never even been close to being
(18:06):
duplicated or replicated by anybody else, so he stands alone.
This was the single greatest thanks individual performance.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Thanks appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Greg.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Good analogy, Patrick Mahomes throws four touchdown passes. I guess
a quarterback could kick, but Patrick Mahomes thows four touchdown
passes and then records three sacks. It would be like that.
In hockey, it would be Wayne Gretzky not only scores
a hat trick in a game, but also as the
(18:38):
goalie and records a shutout. It would be that, Vince
and Whittier. All right, Vince, what do you think greatest ever?
Speaker 8 (18:49):
Fred?
Speaker 6 (18:50):
I'm back with you, checking in, Rogan Rodney, I check
in every postseason. We're checking in once again, not only
was this the greatest performance by individual player, but I
think I think we also got to tip our cap
to the Dodgers organization because forgive me for not really
knowing too much about Otani before he came.
Speaker 9 (19:07):
Over to the Dodgers. We all heard a lot about.
Speaker 10 (19:10):
Him, but who would have who would have set the stage.
Speaker 9 (19:13):
For this guy?
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Like the Dodgers organization, they've invested in players.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Like question, Vince, Vince, there's one question. Do you think
he's the greatest ever?
Speaker 11 (19:22):
I think this this is the greatest performance ever.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Yes, he is appreciate it, thank you. Uh yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
And if you want to talk about the past and
the performance, we're asking or is it he's the greatest player?
What do we what do we ask?
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Well, we asked, is it the is he the best
player ever? That's what we asked. Vince said, greatest performance.
I don't think anybody will disagree with that. But you know,
Vince said he didn't he wasn't really aware of Atani
because he was in the witness protection program at Anahei.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
He would not have the stage to do what he
did right in Anahei. So yeah, which is unfortunate because
a lot of folks have felt certain players in throughout
history in all sports never really got that stage to
be on a different level because their teams were not
that great or they never played in a Super Bowl
(20:10):
or World Series or NBA Finals or anything like that.
So yeah, yeah, it's a different thing and the reason
why he's a Dodger and not still an Angel.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
All Right, Kenny and Sarzana, what do you think is
he the best player ever?
Speaker 8 (20:27):
No, that's George Sherman, Ruth aka Babe Ruth. And as
far as that game, you guys are presiders at the moment. Yes,
I'm for the big stage in the postseason, that probably
is the greatest game. But Rick Wise in nineteen seventy
one not only pitched a no hitter, he allowed only
(20:49):
one base runner peel walk. He hit two home runs
in the game, he drove in three. There is a total.
The score was sport in nothing. So that is the
greatest game. And of course rick Wise was created for
Steve Carlton the following year. He was a good pitcher,
not the player that o'tammy is, but just for that game,
(21:14):
look at that game. Look at Tony Collinger the pitcher.
He pitched a complete game, Fellas, he hit two Grand
Slams in the game, drove in nine RBIs nineteen sixty
six for the Braves against the Giants. And let's not forget,
(21:34):
of course, what Sean Green did, what o' tommy did
last year. So fantastic playoff game. But I still go
back and go back to the performance of nineteen seventy
one that I talked about.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Okay, but it's got a historian Colline or whatever his
name was, clowngs. You're going to hit every game like that.
It's not that he asked performance, right about what I'm
saying for a single game performance? Yeah, okay, Well he
had two Grand Slams. But Otani hits three home runs.
I'm going with that. But he pitched a no hitter.
(22:08):
What Are you gonna split hairs? What are you gonna do, Rodney?
You split hair?
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I mean, you really gotta because there's been some great
performances in history and is he just pointed out if
you go back and historians will tell you there's been
performances that are great. But the question I think we
got to really go to narrow it down. Is it
too early to say he's the best player ever? And
is he the best player ever? Given this is his
(22:36):
only second year with the Dodgers, he's been first year
really pitching with the Dodgers and hitting. Can you call
him the best player ever? Right now?
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Could you call him the best player ever? When he
was in Anaheim, just because he wasn't in the playoffs
didn't mean he didn't perform. He was doing things there
that he's doing here. He's just nobody saw him there.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
You guys have a retort to Babe Ruth is the
best of all time.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
I can't go with Babe Ruth.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I can't no, I can't no that that was just
you know, he can't play just to me. Just can't
go with guys that were you know, it was not
a full time gig for most of the league.
Speaker 5 (23:15):
You also didn't playing against any black players too.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
No black players, no Hispanic players. You know, it was
you know, it was a time where yeah, you know,
half the team was had a second job at the
steel mill or you know, worked you know, on the
railroads and then played baseball. So it's it's just different
eras it's it's difficult to really say that.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Eight six six nine, that is a question. Sure, go
back to the fall lines, Kevin Head.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
We got a full board.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Fred, All right, let's go to Frank and Whittier. Is
he there? Sure?
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Us?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
All right, Frank, what do you think?
Speaker 12 (23:54):
Yeah, I'm here.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Guys.
Speaker 12 (23:55):
You know what, greatness only gets written after the career
is over. I will say this much so. I mean,
it's if we're looking at the entire career, where there's
no I haven't heard anyone discuss the fact that he
struck out Mike Trout in the WBC. You know what,
that was a huge moment for baseball, huge moment for
him also, that performance. You know, I know we're focused
(24:17):
on the hitting, but put his name up there with
Tom sever Rowley, Fingers, Andy Pettitt, that discussion about pitching.
He went up against the best lineup hitting wise in
MLB this year, and he killed it. And yet the
focus is on the hitting. You give the man credits.
His pitching performance is won for the ages as well.
(24:37):
Right now, he's earning his way up there right next
to Ruth. If we see another fifty to fifty season,
I don't ever expect to seOne to hear someone say,
you know, there's a controversy there. He is the greatest
if he gets there again.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Thanks appreciate it. Frank good point. Let's got a Baldwin
park Oscar. Now what do you think?
Speaker 8 (24:57):
His story is still being written.
Speaker 10 (24:59):
He's on the cusp doors opening.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
He's ready to step two.
Speaker 13 (25:01):
But he's gotta he's gotta dominate the World Series. All
the great players and all the other sports they dominated
the playoffs. They usually get m VP's at the end
of the Championship series, so he can't come out and
have a subpart World Series. After this performance, he's ready
to set the bar for him. He set the bar
for himself now, so now you know, Tyking he'll match it.
But the story is still being written. But he's got
to dominate the World Series.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
He's got to.
Speaker 13 (25:22):
He's got to come out and really dominate, win the
MVP and all that, and then now the session really
begins to be the greatest, greatest ever.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
All right, appreciate it, Thank you, Oscar. H Let's see
what time is that on the East coast? Three thirty.
I don't know if he's drinking Gino in Virginia, Gino
on the app, if he's drinking. Everybody's great.
Speaker 14 (25:40):
Hey, gentlemen, I love talking to you. Sorry, Rodney, Right,
they had that game and they didn't make mistakes anyways. Hey,
show hey, he surpassed Ruth and my baseball sixty six years. Okay,
I want to go through all the stats. I really
look at all the stats. All the callers are really good.
(26:00):
But show hey, if you can do this in the
road series, then he surpasses everybody this year because he's
already had a World Series last year and done pretty good.
But to go seven or eight for thirty eight and
thirty nine, the last four hits were tremendous. I hope
he keeps it going. He's on a rod, you know
(26:20):
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
All Right, we.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Hear you, Geno. Thanks, Let's do Chris Chris in La.
Do you think this he is the greatest ever.
Speaker 15 (26:32):
In my opinion, it's not even a question, guys, Shohey,
as the pitching experts, including Orro, has said, if he
only concentrated on pitching, he could be the best pitcher
in baseball. We already know he could be the best
hitter in baseball. You know, Dion and Bo they were
(26:52):
great in one sport and you know, pretty good, very
good in another sport. Neither one of them was the
greatest in either sport. This isn't even a question.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
To me.
Speaker 15 (27:03):
He is literally he's a unicorn.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Best cornerback ever play.
Speaker 15 (27:11):
But he wasn't the best player in football. So I mean, okay,
I'll give you he's the best at his position. But
my point is he show Hey is the best. He
could be the best pitcher of everybody everyone playing, and
the best hitter. So I think, to me, he's a unicorn.
It's not even close. And I'm glad you guys dismissed
the Babe Ruth comparison, not even in the universe. But
(27:36):
I just think he's you know, it's not even like
Mahomes kicking or sacking and throwing touchdowns. He's like the
best of what he does on each side. I mean,
that's just never seen before. To me, that's the greatest athlete.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I mean, wow, appreciated.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Shit. He makes a good point. Are we gonna see?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
When I was saying that, I just I wonder is
he going to get Is he going to get the
opportunity longevity wise, to be considered one of the best
pictures of all time?
Speaker 1 (28:07):
What do you mean logevity?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Meaning?
Speaker 2 (28:09):
How how long is he going to be able to pitch?
And how long does he have to pitch and be
a dominant pitcher for him to be considered one of
the best pictures of all time? That is a great question.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Because the two sports, I mean the two position thing.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yes, there's nobody doing that, right, But if you same
thing we talk about with hitting, there's a debate whether
he's the best hitter of all No one would say
he's the best hitter of all time, would you?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
No?
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Right, I don't think would got it was the greatest
hitter of all time.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
No.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
And he's not the best pitcher of all time right now,
that's fair as well, right, But when you put him together,
obviously it's it's incredible. So I just I'm wondering from
a pitching standpoint, are there is he going to get
the years in to be able to be considered the
best at pitching as well as the best at hitting.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Let's go to natean long beach. Nate, you think he's
the best ever.
Speaker 11 (29:10):
Yeah, he's the best player ever. If you're going to
start a baseball team, who are you gonna pick over him?
That's the way I look at it. Also, you know
what he's doing. He's not rewriting the record book. He's
rewriting the sport. And the only two other people I've
ever seen do that are Gretzky and Tiger Woods.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
You know, this guy.
Speaker 11 (29:26):
Hits the hits a home run to lead off the
game after striking out three, first pitcher ever in history
playoff or otherwise to lead off the game. Second one
goes over the roof, also legendary. Third ones for three,
also legendary. He just doesn't do stuff that we haven't
seen before. He does stuff that we haven't dreamed before.
(29:47):
And I tell you he could go and go hit
for the cycle and throw a no hitter in the
World Series because he's the only guy who's ever going
to have a chance to do it. And I tell
you it's just we are so privileged to be able
to see this guy at work. It's it's really he's
on the next level.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Appreciate it, Ny, thanks for the call.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Yeah, I mean all all valid points, all fair points.
Don in Anaheim Edgar. You think he's the best.
Speaker 11 (30:17):
It's not even a doubt.
Speaker 10 (30:18):
I don't know why people are talking about the path
and the stories about freaking fifty years ago. This guy
he won MVP both leagues. He struged out trouting in
the World Baseball Classic. He can win us all young
if you pully, if he pleas mind to, he can
win us all young. He's not just throwing ninety five
ninety eighty eight. He's throwing freaking gas one hundred and two.
Speaker 9 (30:40):
Dude.
Speaker 10 (30:40):
He's dropping bombs for ninety four eighty four, seventy two
fifty home run seasons. He clinched that he beat the
Brewers by himself the first game against the Phillies. He
set the tone.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
It's not even close.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
All right, right, I guess that's that. That pretty much
sums it up a couple more real quick, Let's go
to line one, Rick and San Pedro. Oh, you don't
think he's the best player ever?
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Right, I'm an know I'm a no.
Speaker 9 (31:09):
I mean, I mean, the performance is incredible, and he
does things, of course that are just unimaginable. But I
think you got to measure a career by the totality
of the impact that a player makes for his team,
for the for the league, for the love of the game.
And I just don't think it's fair that you could say, yeah,
he's the greatest ever and put him on that Mount Rushmore.
(31:29):
I don't think that's uh, it's there yet.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Now I'm a note because you think it's too soon.
Speaker 11 (31:36):
Yeah, hell yeah, Well I could argue that.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
I mean, I can. I can appreciate that argument. But
I gotta tell you.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I can. I can appreciate that too. I I you's
got to he's got to do it. He's got to
do it a couple more years where he's got to
be that kind of dominant guy.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yeah. But do we do we count what he did
with the Angels Rodney?
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Yeah? But was he was he?
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I don't remember his pitching record with the Angels. It
was more up than done, right.
Speaker 16 (32:06):
Yeah, because he had a Tommy John in there, so
he missed part of the season.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
I will say his best year in Anaheim.
Speaker 16 (32:11):
You could have made an argument that he could have
won the MVP and the cy Young Like he played
I think in one hundred and fifty nine games on
the field as a DH, and he pitched.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
I think he had twenty eight starts.
Speaker 16 (32:23):
His era was around three, and obviously he put up
the offensive numbers that he typically puts up. That was
probably his best year overall. And he was in the
race for both of those awards back then and didn't
get it. So he certainly was able to perform at
an extremely high level doing both when he was healthy.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
And I think that might have been four years ago.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, and so he had really one of those great
years pitching and hitting.
Speaker 5 (32:43):
Yeah, one year, Rodney.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Yeah, So I think he got to do He's got
to do it one more time. I mean, obviously, if
Dodgers win the World Series, it goes without question, it
puts him in a different level. But I think he's
got to have it. Just just like the fifty to fifty.
He set the market fifty to fifty, right, nobody's done that.
He has another fifty to fifty. I think it doesn't
(33:05):
even you can't even argue anymore. I don't think you're
gonna be able to argue period. Quite honestly, I actually
don't think it is an argument.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
I think we are so fortunate to see this and
he's playing here in la which makes it even sweeter.
I mean, he's one of a kind. He is a unicorn.
There is one of him that can do that at
that level, and he can do it consistently, and that's
the key, you know, do you know, well, I need
to see more. He did it in Anaheim. Now again
(33:34):
who saw him in Anaheim? But here it becomes magnified
because he's playing for the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Yeah, and I think that, you know, because I think
the question becomes in a little bit pause for people,
is that even this year when he was slated at
the pitch, this year, he didn't have a full season pitching.
He really didn't. It was it was spot performances. It
was the pitch out. They were very careful with them.
We're seeing the dominance in the playoffs now, but it
(34:04):
wasn't like he went through the whole season as a pitcher.
So there's a little pause in that in terms of okay,
he's dominant on basiline because again, he's not the best
hitter in baseball, not certainly not the best hitter ever, right,
And we haven't seen enough of them pitching to say
he's in the top two or three of pitchers either.
(34:27):
He's just doing both is a combination that makes it crazy.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
So I was wrong about ucl life.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I was wrong.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
I should have said as long as Deshn Foster is there,
they won't win more than two games. So he's not
the coach, and now they wont another one. They meant
Maryland light in the game. What a difference, What a
difference a coaching change makes. Deshaun Foster is probably a
great guy, right do you know him? That just wasn't
this cup of tea there. What's baffling to me is
they'd hire the offensive coordinator from Indiana during the offseason,
(34:56):
and the guy came in with great credentials, and now
they got ready him too. So whatever they've done, they
figured out a way to be competitive. And that is
a victory for UCLA. Now, So you won a little
road trip this weekend, correct? I did.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Fred.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
I went back to South Bend, Indiana with a bunch
of folks that are very near and dear and strong
with the university, have ties, and we went back to
check them out, and I thought it was it was
a perfect timing, the third game in a row against
a tough opponent. Went started with Illinois and then Michigan
(35:36):
at home and then going to Notre Dame, and it
was a pivotal time for the Trojans to uh to
set their mark and put their mark down on this
season and being a player in this season, so very exciting.
We did know the forecast was going to be a
little bit not great. It was going to rain, and
(36:00):
you know, raining at a at.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
A football game.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
If you're there, uh, you can't bring umbrellas in, so
you gotta you got to withstand that, or you got
to find someone that's got a box and try to
stay stay dry. But it was all in all, it
was a good trip outside of the game. The game itself,
it was yeah, a little little painful, little frustrating. There
(36:23):
were moments throughout that game Fred that thought we we
had chances to make a difference and we we didn't.
We made some mistakes that Notre Dame, Notre Dame took
advantage of. And Notre Dame is a you know, despite
the fact that they lost those first two games against
what Miami and Texas A and M. They are a
(36:44):
very good football team. They are well rounded, very good
football team. And watch out, seriously watch out for Notre
Dame because I think that this this USC game this
past weekend was really their their last real tough test
going forward for them, so they will be in the
playoff picture.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah, but if Lincoln Riley and he was criticized after
the game for a couple of calls he made, if
he makes different calls, is it a different outcome, Rodney,
I don't know if it's a different outcome, but certainly
those calls hurt. The trick play that ended up in
a fumble and Notre Dame getting the ball was certainly
(37:24):
something that.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Didn't need to happen at that moment.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
We had had momentum, we were moving the ball on
him and I don't think you needed that particular play
at the time.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
So yeah, he got criticized.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
He said it was a dumb call himself, and you
know those kind of mistakes where you give the ball away,
especially when you feel like you've got momentum, and I know,
you know, there's a thought process of let's go for
the juggler right now, but there's also a thought process
where let's do and keep doing what's working for us,
(37:58):
and they didn't do that. They went away from that
and it came back to bite USC. So, yeah, that
was a bad call. He admitted it was a bad
call and it definitely hurt the Trojans.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Yeah, and what really what it really does is it
it hurts their their national title hopes. Now, Actually that's
what it did. I mean, they were playing well, you
could see them in the Big Ten making noise and
even if they don't win the conference, but if they
were playing the way they were, you know, maybe these
guys got a shot here if everything breaks right for them.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
I think this really hurt them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
It was a big status game too, you know obviously,
and they've been at every and you know, the game
was what they lost by ten. It was for a
good portion of that it was pretty close and then
Notre Dame kind of pulled away. But they had a
chance to win the Illinois game as well. You know,
they were in it and Illinois went the length of
the field to drive and score at the end to
(38:52):
win that game. They came back obviously in beat Michigan,
which was a huge game at the Coliseum, A statement game,
and you know they lose this one the Notre Dame.
With two losses, it's uh, yeah, it's gonna be tough
to really get in it. But now with the expanded
playoff situation, there's an opportunity. There's an opportunity for them
to sneak in. They run the table the rest of
the way. And you mentioned it. UCLA has had a
(39:15):
resurgent and we're hoping now that UCLA could keep keeps
winning because if UCLA keeps winning and we see them
at the end of the year, that game could mean
something Fred, But that season not I mean before that,
they've got some tough games. They got to go to
Nebraska and play in link in Nebraska, which is not
an easy place to play.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
They got some other games that they got to face
and Oregon is another one. So it's not gonna be
it's not gonna be an easy task
Speaker 3 (39:41):
For for usc to get into the tournament.
Roggin And Rodney News
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