May 29, 2026 • 47 mins
What should be the priority for Ohtani: Chasing the Cy Young award or ensuring he's as healthy as possible heading into the playoffs? What is Lebron looking for from the Lakers if he's going to re-sign with them this offseason?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, here we go Fred Rogan today for Rodney
Dave Damashek. Dave, how are.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You better for hearing your voice and talking with you,
Fred Rogan, what a thrill it is to be here.
If it makes it easier for you these next three hours,
just pretend I'm Rodney.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
No, that won't make it easier. I gotta be very
honest with you that I'll make it far more difficult.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
We have to have the same life resume.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
So yeah, absolutely listen when you played, Hey, all bets
were off when you played. There were leather helmets when
you played back in the day, and maybe not as
accomplish as Rodney, but you made an impact.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, thank you. That means a lot and you're absolutely right,
all bets were off. In other words, I'm the anti
Brendan Soresby, no wagering, no Pete Rose in here for Damashek.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You know you and I have worked together I think
twice twice, and I think we worked together over at ESPN.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Is that when it was I do? I mean, we've
certainly sat in the same room together on a couple
of occasions. I certainly remember getting to bounce off you
a career highlight for anybody in Los Angeles who flaps
their gums about sports or otherwise. So, yes, that was man.
That must be twenty years ago, at the fifteen. Twenty
years ago at least.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
And you know what surprises me, it's been that many years.
We're both still alive.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That is that is we're really beating the odds, aren't we.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, we're killing it. So we're doing well, all right.
So we got a three hour show today, Bob Nightingale,
Beyond the Program at one o'clock, Dodgers and Phillies tonight.
Nice to have Don Mattingley back in the building. It
took over early on this season. Phillies have been playing
much better. Love Donnie Baseball. Hope he gets that job
full time. But let's get into show. Hey, o'tani all right, Dave,
(01:45):
And there is a thought here that the missing piece
of hardware for Otani is the cy Young That's what
he really wants this year, that's what he wants. Here's
the concern. Aj Prisinski brought it up. Maybe he won't
even throw enough innings, Dave. Maybe you know he'll pitch
five here, six here, but they're not going to burn
(02:05):
them out. And when it's all said and done, the
voters will say, this guy just has not thrown enough innings.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
What do you think, Well, first thing is, practically before
we dive into all the different levels of this conversation,
I think we should take a pause. I said this
to the aforementioned Rodney pet two or three weeks ago
on this very show, when you were out. I think,
of course, it's an old story that sports fans have
(02:32):
turned cynical. You know, they can't really allow themselves to
fully appreciate just about anything. And never is that truer
than with Shoeyatani. This is the greatest baseball player of
all time. That's not saying the same thing as this
guy is the best flag football player, some new fangled sport.
This is the sport with the richest tradition, at least
(02:55):
in North America. And right now within these city limits,
you are looking at the greatest to ever do it.
And the conversation way too quickly, in my opinion. And
I don't want to be the pie Ey'd optimist about
anything or the sunny side of the conversation, but I
do think we should spend more time as baseball fans
(03:15):
and la baseball fans at that appreciating what is going
on right now. Showy Atani the last time we saw
him on the hump through six innings, allowed one run,
struck out I think seven guys, and hit a home
run in the eighth. This is wild stuff we're looking at.
But please, let's now jump into the conversation about the
cy Young and what I will say is practically speaking,
(03:37):
Paul Skins, who I imagine most people probably thought was
getting the award before Opening Day, has not really been
great the last three games, so that's kind of opened
the door to some possibilities to Atani and other guys.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Well, let me back up a second. When you were
talking about baseball fans and LA fans, were you in
the slightest bit suggesting that LA fans don't appreciate a time.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I think I'm not gonna put that stink on Angelino's
I am putting that on the sports loving community at large.
This should be This should be for you know, I
guess Sports Center as I grew up watching no longer
really is the thing. But wherever you consume your sports,
among the headlines on a daily basis should be what
did o'tani do? What did can you when Babe Ruth
(04:24):
was at the height of his powers, when Willie Mays
was doing his thing, I'm sure that was the That
was the vibe that we now jump into. What does
this mean for the larger collective of the Dodgers, what
Otani's doing. I understand day to day and all of that,
but I just think we should spend a little time
swooning Fred Rogan. We should swoon a little bit for
our good fortune. Remember the great ad campaign around Lebron
(04:46):
James twenty years ago. I thought it was one of
those smarter ones. Witness in Cleveland. You were witness to it.
That's what we want, is sports fans. We want to
pay witness. It's why everybody digs in and defends their
generation's best players and best team because we want to
claim that we were there, that we were relevant, we
were a part of it. Guess what We're in it
right now, everybody, if you're in Los Angeles, this is
(05:08):
a great time to be rooting for the Dodgers and
the greatest baseball player of all time.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
See.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So here's the difference. I believe that people do witness,
and I believe they appreciate it. That I do, but
I think if you live in this market, it comes
with expectations. So I don't care. If you're the greatest
of all time, then you better be the greatest in
the history of the planet. And I think that's where
Otani has put himself. The expectation is every time he
(05:37):
steps up to the plate, something will happen. Every time
he's on the hill, he'll win the game. So I
don't think people are missing that they're witnessing something great,
but I do think that comes with expectations. I think
it's very different if you're around the country, if you're
around the country as a fan and you watch Otani,
you're mesmerized, you're amazed because you're not going to see
(05:58):
him every game. I just don't. I don't care what
kind of fan you are. You don't see him every night.
In this market, you do see him every night, and
you do always keep in the back of your mind
what he means to the Dodgers, what the Dodgers paid him,
what the expectations are, how much money they've made because
he's on the roster. So I think, yeah, they're witnessing,
(06:19):
but I think they also have expectations, and I think
that kind of leads to the cy Young conversation, because
then you start to wonder what's more important to the
people in La. What's more important to show Heyo Tani?
All right, to the people in La, I'm guessing winning
a third straight World Series means more than anything. I
(06:44):
think that's what matters here now.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Nationally, I think you're absolutely right, and I am not
going to quibble with you about that, but I do
think there is some nuance within that.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
All right, But wait, nationally, I think show Heyotani winning
the cy Young would be more impressive. I think nationally,
as they witness this with zero expectation, they're just along
for the ride and capturing the show. I think locally
you witness it, but I think you witness it differently. So, Dave,
(07:17):
that comes down to this, if he wants to win
the cy Young, what do you do. Do you let
him go out there and pitch maybe at the detriment
of what happens long term, or do you focus on
it and say, look, show Hey, we know the deal.
We want you to win. Of course we do, but
we got to win a third title. I think that's
(07:38):
the question.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, you know, as far as expectations go. It's not
just the individual in the box or on the hump,
it's the entire organization. Obviously, they've announced over the last
many years that they are the new Yankees. In fact,
they are exponentially spendier than the Yankees ever were, or
any other two teams combined.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
They are just.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Openly playing a different game than the bottom feeders of
Major League Baseball are. And maybe at some point in
the next three hours we'll have a time to we'll
have a chance to get your insights on that. The
potential lockout and striking, all of that kind of thing.
I think that the Dodgers have achieved already. It's it's
not the comp for me in baseball terms, is dominant team.
(08:24):
You know they're going to be in the postseason every October.
I think most people roughly our age think of the
nineties Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers have washed that stink off.
I was cynical. I was a curmudgeon about the COVID
title the day one that any team's won during COVID,
I only count that for half. But now they've gone
back to back, I think they can take their foot
(08:46):
off the game.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, So the COVID
titles only count half.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That's right, ok, that's right. I think we all understand that.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Okay, I'll tell you something. I kind of believe that
for the Dodgers, now it's a title, they got a ring.
But I get that if you said that to somebody
that was a fan of the Lakers, they would say
it is one hundred percent, no question. That was a
full season title. They played it and did what they
(09:17):
had to do. I agree with you, but I think
looking at the Dodgers, maybe because of the success they've
had over the years, Okay, I get that still counts.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Okay, well, but also just keep in mind this. I'm
not necessarily insulting that COVID title, although I kind of am.
But you can categorize it in a glass half full way,
which is that you know, when you go to the
soup page on the menu and among the soups, chili
is listed. But chili's not a soup. It's its own thing.
It counts. It's in the list, same thing as World
(09:51):
Series Championships. That COVID title's in there, but it should
have an asterisk or a picture of chili. So you
know what we're talking.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
About going on like spicy chili.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Brother way, Okay, that's fine with some beans, if you please,
some cheese beans meat. I didn't say anything about meat, right,
I'm happy to have some meat. Whatever you're choosing. You
want beef, you want some swine in there? How about both?
I'm down for it.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Swine's that culture. I'll just go beef.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Okay, all right, you do you, you do you? But listen.
Otani is trying to do him and it is important
to him to chase a cy Young and I think
I don't think you're expressing, you know, some cynicism here,
but I do think it's worth mentioning that you are
very quickly. It's a fair question. Is a diehard Dodgers
(10:37):
guy do you if you get the cy Young but
you lose? But in the NLCS, let's say, was that
worth it to you? The three peet is such a challenge.
I think in the here and now it's easy to say, well,
I'll take the three peat, but you know the difficulty
in doing that. We were talking two or three weeks
(10:59):
ago here Rodney and I again about the Andy pie.
Has thy can talk about cynicism? How have we not
spent the last six months just talking about that in
Los Angeles, that Andy Pie has made that catch in
extra innings he collided with keyk and he still made
the catch and saved the season. They did get all
they did get those titles. So I can kind of
talk myself into the idea of witnessing Otani win a
(11:22):
cy Young, the multiple MVP, also winning a cy Young,
and then being able to say, yes, Los Angeles, this
is the guy. This is the all timer. You know,
all the talk about, all the movies and books and
otherwise references in pop culture to Babe Ruth. We got
the guy who's better than him.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, that's nice. I have to disagree, but that was said.
I'll give you that. That was very well said, but
I I just have to disagree with that. I have
to tell you, to me, there is not nationally. I'm
with you, but that's the difference nationally and locally.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Now, if your season ticket holder and Chavez Ravine, you're
absolutely right, and I'm not going to argue with you
about that. Obviously, your goal is to win the World
Series Trophy. It's also inarguable that Asai Young for Otani
would solidify his case as the best of all time.
And I do think that matters for something. I do
(12:19):
think that being a Dodgers fan. I grew up in Pittsburgh.
I love Mary o Lemieux to this day. I'll engage
anybody in an argument that I witnessed the greatest hockey
player in the history of people. That counts for something. Now,
he had to win titles as well, which he did,
and so has Otani. So now I can move on
with that conversation about his place in history, which in
(12:40):
which basically is a conversation about my place in history.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Fred, Yes, yes, and you have a storied place in history.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I my dad, thank you, thank you again for that.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
The thing is this, if the Dodgers this year were
not the favorites to win it, if they had not
constructed this roster, and by the way, there will come
a time where they're not going to be the favorites
win it, and maybe not even next year. But down
the road there's gonna be a time where there's gonna
be a bit of a transition. They'll still be good,
They'll still be in the conversation. They could still have
a shot, Dave. They may not win it in a
(13:13):
year like that, go for it, get that cy young,
do it, because that's what people will remember. But in
a situation where you're alive and you've got a shot
and you've got the bullseye on your back and everybody's
trying to shoot you because you're that good, I don't
think you can ever put someone's personal accomplishment over what
(13:37):
the team is.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
I'm thinking about it this way, Fred. I think they
call them in radio p ones, the hardcore listeners, the
people that are tuning in three or four days a
week to Rogan and Rodney type of people. These people
obviously want the Dodgers to win the World Series above
everything else. Just below that, though, there is the people
(13:59):
who study demographics and all of that sort of thing.
People who study this will tell you young sports fans,
younger demographic roots for individuals, not teams as much they
vibe to play, And especially in Los Angeles where it's
obviously so transient, I think there is a decent size
percentage and outsize percentage even of people who love baseball.
(14:22):
And because they're on every day, the Dodgers have caught
their eye and would probably say, you know, I grew
up in a Dodger's house. I'd love to see Otani
when the cy young. I've seen a lot of championships.
This would be something different.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
At least, it's too early to be drinking.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I know, listen, I don't even know if I believe
the case I'm making here, Fred, I don't know that
I buy it. I'm just I'm just throwing it out
there because, as I say, here's the other thing to
help my case a little bit. It would be naive
to say that Dodgers ownership and otherwise doesn't understand the
importance of Otani and the other guys that they've brought
(15:00):
over from Asia. They are the most global baseball team,
so that would certainly mean a great deal to the Dodgers.
If to the people that are waking up to watch
Otani pitch every fifth game, those people would be wild
to see Otani and maybe would prefer to see that
over the World Series, and that would be meaningful in
the competition. Lebron won't denounce China because of its potential economically, right,
(15:26):
So obviously the Dodgers understand that as well, and I
think that would be a pretty powerful chapter to list
on the resume. Yeah, Otani signed over here, and he
won the cy Young and MVPs in World Series and
all the rest of it. I think that would resonate globally,
not Los Angeles as much.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
So you already said, you already said, and I believe
this would be true. He is the greatest baseball player
of all time. Right, you said that, and you believe that.
I do not even a question.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I don't think so, right, No, I agree.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
So winning a cy Young it's like a cherry on
top of the sun day. He's already the greatest, so
we know that, right, So if he wins the cy
Young in two years, he's still the greatest, and then
we got the cherry.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
We need that.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Though, when I think that, people again, the advantage that
old greats have over current grates is we only see
the highlights of their greatness. The thing that creates a
certain cynicism around any player, whether it's Tom Brady or Otani,
(16:32):
or Connor McDavid or Sidney krat otherwise, is that you
see them fail within games, and you never do what
was the last strikeout of Willie Mayse you watched. You
only see their successes. You don't see them slip. You
don't see the Hall of Fame running back slip after
two yards with nobody hitting him and his legs going
out from under him, and getting back to the huddle
(16:55):
for the next play. You only see the best of
those guys. But that said, I think a lot of
people have come around on the whole Babe Ruth thing
as the greatest player of all time, never faced a
man of color, never faced a breaking ball. So how
much are we supposed to How much praise are we
supposed to keep on him?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Anyway, faced a lot of Manhattan's at the bar. I'll
tell you that that wasn't a problem. Faced a lot
of late.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Nights my kind of guy. Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
All right, let me ask you something because you mentioned
a name. It's one of the all time greats, Connor McDavid.
You like Connor McDavid.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
No, I'm a Pittsburgh guy. He's no better than the
fourth greatest forward of all time because it goes Lemieux, Crosby, Gretzky,
and then McDavid.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Oh so, Gordia, how wouldn't be in that list?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I mean, I come, what did I just say?
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Fred?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
What are we talking about? We're talking about fifties hockey.
He was one of the best players in a sixteen league.
Come on, that's outmoded stuff.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Don't do not do not dismiss Gordi Howe. We won't
get into it now, but do not dismiss a great
like Cordi Howe.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I don't know if that if that's a winning play
on Los Angeles radio to debate old school hockey players,
but I'm down for that anytime you want. Rogan.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Here's the thing about Connor McDavid. I just have to
say it because it kind of it pushed one of
my buttons. I don't like that guy. I think he's dirty.
I think he's a dirty superstar. I don't think you
can root for that guy, and every time he steps
on the ice, I root against him every time. A
great player always plays in a gentlemanly way, and if
(18:29):
there's dirty work to be done, somebody takes care.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
Of it for him.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
That's a great player.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
That Sga needs one of those guys on the Thunder
to take care of business for him, or the Spurs
need somebody to do that for Wemby, they need Goon.
Somebody needs to dig up Marty McSorley or and or
Dave Simenko and make this thing right. Yeah, I'm with
you on that part.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Good pull, Dave Smenko. But Connor McDavid, he's a dirty player.
He doesn't play like a superstar. I root against that
guy every time he steps on the ice.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You know, it's funny. I have my list of the
greatest pair of stars on one team to underachieve. And
if the answer to the greatest underachieving pair isn't McDavid
and Leon Dryside all up in Edmonton all those years together,
they've never won a Stanley Cup, the correct answer is
Shoey Atania and Mike Trout down in Orange County. Oh yeah, well,
(19:19):
and the number three close, number three, Ben Roethlisberger, Levy
and Bell and Antonio Brown never playing in a Super
Bowl together.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
That Pittsburgh blood runs deep, It runs deep. Dave. Yes,
all right, here's the deal. So we cannot figure this out.
And I think I know how Todd your fans are
going to feel about this, Dave, to be quite honest
with you, So why don't we just set it up?
But I'll let you set this up because I don't
want to misspeak. What is the question here?
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Maybe this is the way so that I have at
least I understand it's a long shot that I would
win this debate, but I think maybe the way to
say it, which is more special, is that fair? Does
that put the ball in my court too much? Does
that lean too hard my direction to say it that way?
Speaker 6 (20:01):
No?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Keep going?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Or which would you rather have as a baseball lover
in Los Angeles? How about that?
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Do that all right? Which would you rather have as
a baseball lover in Los Angeles? Otani goes all out.
It doesn't matter how many innings he pitches. It doesn't
matter he's gonna win the Cy Young or so it's
about Otani or his innings are limited. Maybe he doesn't
throw enough innings to gain enough votes to win the
(20:32):
Cy Young. But the Dodgers win the championship for the
third straight year. Is that a fair way to put it?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
That is a fair way to put it, But you
know where you began to be fair? I think we
should note what's a fascinating element of this conversation is
how much should the organization be in on that? I mean,
Otani the individual can want that. A lot of individuals
want to do great things because you get paid more money.
Otani is already in good shape in that regard. But
you know, ask a running back, what's the difference if
(20:59):
you're running, if you're quarterback, sneaks it in from the
half yard liner, you get it. What do you care
who gets the touchdown? They say, Oh, ownership doesn't care
until it's contract time and then how many touchdowns did
you score on you on your last thing?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
That?
Speaker 2 (21:11):
So it does matter to the individual player. I guess
how much should the Dodgers be assisting him in this
pursuit is the question?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Okay? And know this, if it is a pursuit and
it's all out, the Dodgers are going to be assisting right.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
That we can't.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
And I guess what I'm ultimately advocating for is that
it is wise for the way. The fans will be
split on this, they will lean in your direction. But
I do think that ownership has proven that they have
more in mind than a championship this year. They are
looking to the long term and also to being the
Globes baseball team. That is obviously what they pursue with
(21:48):
their with their winning ways across the Pacific, continuing to
do that, they are it is a strategy to win
over Asia, and they are doing it, and so I
think this would go a long way to helping them
that way.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
It's like six nine eight seven seventy. Okay, there's the question, Oh,
Tony wins the cy Young above everything else. Let's just
put it like that, or the Dodgers win the World
Series for the third straight year. What would you rather see?
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Here?
Speaker 1 (22:21):
In Los Angeles? It's like six nine eight seven.
Speaker 7 (22:26):
Hello Rogan and Rodney listener, did you know Am five
seventy LA Sports has a wide range of LA Sports podcasts,
shows like petros in Money. We are streaming Matt Dodger
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Speaker 3 (22:39):
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Speaker 7 (22:41):
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Just go to AM five to seventy LA Sports on
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Speaker 1 (22:50):
Okay, check in today for Rodney. Oh, I see Kevin
bopping around back there? All good, fund all good eight six, six,
nine eighty seven two five seventy. So here we go.
We kicked this around. In the first segment, Shoeotani wants
to win a cy Young and by the way, his
(23:12):
numbers would indicate at this point, Dave he could, but
the question becomes for him to win a cy Young.
How often does he need to pitch? And if he
had to pitch more than they wanted him to, what
might that do to their chances? So then it becomes
what would you rather see Shoe Aotani win the cy
(23:33):
Young this year? No matter what everything else, be damned,
He's gonna win it or the Dodgers win a third title.
And we assume that if he won the cy Young
because they used him so much, that might hurt their
chances to win. Now was that fair? Is that how
we set it up?
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I think it. I think you nailed it there. I
also think because the hyper specific that the Dodgers are in,
which is no there is no other contender in baseball
right now that operates the way the Dodgers do in
the sense that all the Dodgers are doing, even in
May and as we get deeper into the season, is
(24:13):
all about aligning themselves in time for October. So this
would really be a wild card to be allowing an
individual to chase a personal record while everything else we're
trying to structure our rotation and otherwise to get it
ready for the postseason. I also think the depth that
they have in you know, in among their pitchers allows
(24:36):
them to maybe indulge this on a level that no
other team really could.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Okay, it's like six nine eighty seven, two five seventy.
What do you think here, we'll go downtown, La Dennis,
thanks for holding Now what do you think?
Speaker 7 (24:49):
I think?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
You know, it's it's great for him to have the
individual awards. You know, he's a he's a one of
a time player. But at the end of the day,
it all boils down to the team first. And you
know said, we set out to win three in a row,
and you know that's what I'm hoping for this season.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Don us appreciate it. See, Dave, here's the thing. I
think from a national perspective, you nailed it. I do.
I think nationally that would be enormous. But I think
if you live in Los Angeles is a little different.
And we'll see. I mean, we're gonna take a few
more calls. I think here it's about winning the title,
But I think nationally as a baseball fan, sure, as.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
A but it's a funny paradox, right the the smaller
consideration the city is the consideration for you, Fred and
for the people that ticket buy The vast majority of
the ticket buying fans want to the World Series over
the cy Young but not just nationally, globally, As I said,
all of Asia cares more about what Otani does than
(25:48):
what the Dodgers do.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Right, absolutely, all right down to San Diego or Buddy
Felix on the app, Hey Felix, how are you? What
are you thinking?
Speaker 8 (25:57):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (25:57):
I'll keep this.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I'll try to keep this short.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
Great shild By the way, listen before I say anything,
I just want to put it out there. There's no
asterisk in that twenty twenty championship, by the way, so
please correct your language. It's all hafing matter.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
Man.
Speaker 8 (26:15):
I'm at Los Angelino. I live down here in Madre Country.
I hear it from these bastards every single time I
bring up that championship. We hear it nationally. We don't
need blue on blue crime, so period. Bottom line, the
only Astros is the Astros Championship. We all know that.
So as Kobe, as exalted as he is, he is
(26:36):
no bigger than the Lakers, as exalted as Jackie Robinson was, he.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
Is not as exalted as the Dodgers.
Speaker 8 (26:44):
So yes, the Unicorn, I hope he wins CY Young's MVPs.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Blah blah blah.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
We need greens, babe.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
That's it there, it is, Yeah, and I don't want
any more blue on blue crime. We're not having any
more of that today.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
The difference is real. What he just said kind of
threads the needle for the Fred Rogan point of view,
which is Kobe benefited from the Lakers kind of being
bad in his last couple of seasons. It allowed everybody
who is a die hard Lakers fan to focus squarely
on their all time great and ignore the mediocrity or
(27:20):
ineptitude of the rest of the team. That's not where
the Dodgers are. They are in the midst of a dynasty.
So that's a different debate. All right.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Okay, it's uh three point thirty four on the East Coast,
So Gino on the app in Virginia. If he hasn't
started yet, he will start tossing them back soon. Hello, Gino,
what do you think.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
As you as your state fed? I'm going to down
one now, put my grass. Lovely day out here in Virginia.
Lovely day, lovely day. Anyways, I got a real good take.
That last take was really good, you guys. What he
said as far as an Angelino Dodger fan, I'm a
true blue Dodger fan, LA fan. No bandwagoners, I mean
(28:05):
the other teams, you know what I mean? Other than
the show him. He gets the cy Young, that is
awesome because we are a tradition of great players, have
standy players. That makes history for the Dodgers is great.
I see ourselves getting the championship. But even if we don't,
I rather half Young Otani makes sense, gentlemen, guys are
(28:29):
my guys?
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Gino, it makes absolutely no, Gino, it made no sense.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
No sense, Fred, But what happened? The gloves are off?
Now you are trying to be nice to me for
the first half hour.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
No, no, no, The question is not that.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
Because I'm an LA fan. Come on now, Fred, I
love you. Go ahead, I love you, Gino.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Listen, listen. The question is this year, this year, if
going for the cy Young impacted their chance to win
the title, would you rather have that happen and Otani
win the cy Young this year or the Dodgers win
the title. Of course, if they don't win the title,
you want them to win the cy Young. We know that.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
But this year, well that's a hard thing to say,
because I'm an LA Dodger fans who's Dodge fan? He
should win it next year if you don't do it
this year. But yes, who firmed it? Win it this year?
But I'll give and take. I want both. We're greedy,
we're Dodger fans. I want both.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I like where Gino's heads at. And now now I
am talking about Salve Gino is helping to talk me
into my side of things.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
I'm a LA. Fred I pooper LA. And somebody said today,
who's the biggest LA? I rather poop for LA than
New York and any other team. Right now, those are
the biggest two franchises in sports history, along with the
Lakers in Celtics. That's a sure all right, I'm a
(29:57):
good day. Fred.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Back to you, though, Fred, back to you, answer the
question about the organization. How much should they indulge this
quest because the way now we have kind of set
it up in the hypothetical is you get one or
the other. Obviously, pursuing the cy Young doesn't prohibit the
Dodgers from winning the World Series. It could still happen,
(30:18):
as you just said a second ago, though it could
injure those chances. Are you willing to roll the dice
to see if he can get the cy Young. You
don't know what's going to happen. You should assume, as
the Dodgers though, that they're going to be playing in October.
So I think it's worth it. The more I talk
about this, the more I think the how special it
would be for a multiple MVB to then turn around
(30:41):
and win the cy Young. Now that is a narrative
for him, but it doesn't prevent the Dodgers from going
three in a row.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
All right, So you basically now talked yourself into your
own point.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
That's right, that's right. It took me a second there.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Now you got to figure it out. My thing is this, Yes,
you want them, of course you want them to win
a cy Young. It would be incredible. By your own admission,
he's already the greatest player on the planet and we'll
go down as the greatest player in history. He really will,
I mean, because what he can do is is mind boggling.
But the topic again became if it impedes the Dodgers'
(31:19):
chances this year, If it impedes the Dodgers' chances this year,
would you let him go for throw as many innies
as you need, throw as many pitches as necessary, just
go for it. Yeah, I don't think they would do that.
I think if he wins the award within the structure
of what they do, that's fantastic. But I don't think
(31:41):
they're going to sacrifice the opportunity to win again in
October for him to win the cy Young.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Does it break the locker room in your opinion? If
Dave Roberts or otherwise says, listen, we're gonna indulge. We're
on the precipice of something real special for Showy. I
think as his teammates, you should get behind this. Do
you think that that causes some friction in the clubhouse
or do you think as professionals, I think there's a
chance that they say, yes, Wet at the working class
(32:09):
level would love to see this happen, and we are
in full support of our teammate chasing this. I think
that's a plausible situation too. I don't think it's necessarily
every team. Every player on the team not named show
He would be like, how dare he go after personal success?
It in a way helps the organization long term. You know,
(32:32):
these guys who have choices about which place they're going
to land as free agents. That's a chip to point to.
Look how we treat our players. Look look if you're
a Dodger, look how we look out for you. Future
superstar may be signing with us.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
No, I think they would be behind him. Don't get
me wrong. I think everybody would be behind him if
the opportunity arose. I just don't think they'd put them
in a position to damage their chances to win a
third title. Let's go to we appreciate your calling. What
do you think?
Speaker 5 (33:05):
So? Yeah, I mean it's always going to be World
Series over personal, you know, accomplishments. They didn't sign O
Tani thinking oh, well, you know what, let's sin Otani
to win a cy Young. No, it's World Series. But
I think they let him go the first two years
we had him, he was on the bench, he designated
(33:27):
hit her, so he did his job there. Go behind
him and let him go after the cy Young the
same way they let him steal fifty bases. Hey, you
could have got hurt stealing a base. He could have
He could have hurt himself there, he could have broken
an ankle. Anything could have happened. But they were behind
him stealing, so let him go after the Cy Young too.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
I mean they might as well.
Speaker 5 (33:50):
I mean, it's just weird how baseball has changed. Look
at what they used to do to Kershaw. Hey man,
we need to win. Go pitch nine innings, if you
need to go one hundred and twenty pitches. They let
him go all out. So I think you should do
the same with Otani. If he's gonna get hurt, it's
gonna happen, regardless whether he's going after a cy Young
or not. It's just kind of the way things work out.
(34:13):
But I mean Cy Young winner, it'll be a full
full circle. He'll have a batting title, MVP, World Series,
and Cy Young. So the Dodgers should just get behind
them and let him go for it.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Appreciate it, Paul. Let's do one more real quick here,
Dave Patrick and Whittier Patrick go ahead.
Speaker 6 (34:30):
Hey, I just want to get on here and tell
you guys, as a Dodger fan, I would rather have
the Dodgers win that third title only because let's say
the Dodgers fumble this year, they do not win the
third in a row, then the Braves win it, or
the Brewers or their Rays or Yankees, and then all
of a sudden, the narratives from November all the way
through spring training is can the Yankees repeat like the
(34:52):
Dodgers just did? Can the Braves repeat like the Dodgers
just did? And if the Dodger fan we can't have that?
That third title puts us clear new above any other competition.
Can you imagine God forsaken the Padres win the World
Series and then all of a sudden, the Padres fans
are saying, We're gonna be just like the Dodgers. Absolutely
not cannot have that. I love Otani, I love what
(35:13):
he's done, but it would be best case scenario he
wins a CYM on the way to the Dodgers' third
championship in three years.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Patrick appreciate the call. Okay, here's the deal. According to reports,
Lebron wants the Lakers to present him with a detailed
rope map before he commits. What players are they pursuing?
How much money? Where does he fit?
Speaker 8 (35:38):
All?
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Right, Well, that's what he wants. Does he deserve that?
That's next?
Speaker 7 (35:44):
Make AM five seventy LA sports a preset before you
plug in your phone. Presets in the iHeartRadio app now
available with Apple CarPlay and Android autom just another easy
way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
The pop star dropped this single last night or She
Gets Ready to Bark on her Eternal Sunshine tour and
includes stops at Crypto dot Com Arena in the form
in Englewood next month. The song is the first single
off of her forthcoming album entitled Pedal that'll drop in
July again. Today's Afternoon Delight is Hate That I Made
You Love Me by Ariana Grande Dave damishek sitting in
(36:18):
today for Rodney? Let's get to the Lakers Dave and Lebron.
By the way, are you a big Are you a
big Lebron guy?
Speaker 2 (36:26):
I am? I think he is, much like Otani, a
little underappreciated given his greatness for how long he has
been great? Yes?
Speaker 1 (36:36):
How is he under appreciate it? I think everybody appreciates
his talent.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
I think everybody wants to jam it into the ultimate
sports debate conversation him versus Michael Jordan. And if you've
enjoyed that one, settle in everybody, because over the next
fifteen years it's going to be Michael Jordan or Lebron
or Wemby.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
That's true.
Speaker 8 (36:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
I think it's the thing about Lebron and I've said
this and it's just me. Some agree on disagree. Is
he an incredible player? Yes? Is he the greatest player
of all time? Why debate it? He's right there, I'm
in on the big list, He's right there.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
I do think I don't like when people do the
thing of what does it matter? What does any of
it matter? Then why are we watching the games at
all if we're not trying to put them into a
certain order of who's the best. That's why they give
a trophy at the end of every season, because it
determines who is the best individually and as a team.
When people try to cut that off, what is this
(37:32):
foolish debate? I mean, it's everything. That's the whole point
of why we watch, why we consume a year after
year and decade after decade.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Obviously, Yeah, but again, Lebron's not done. I saw a
video of the Bulls playing the Jazz in the NBA
Finals and the caption was, look how different the game
is now? And I watched that and they were just
kind of dancing through the lane and setting up on
the side and nobody was up on anybody. There were
(38:00):
no high screens, and compared to today's game, it looked like
they were played in slow motion, So you have to
take that into account as well.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Well. It is wild which sport has changed the most
this millennium. The answer is clearly the NBA. I think
hockey has changed significantly. Everybody can skate. That's more of
a nineteen ninety early nineties kind of thing, when the
sports goes global and suddenly you have skaters all over
(38:31):
the place. Every fourth line mucker is a better skater
than a couple of generations ago of good skating hockey players.
But basketball, because of Stefan Curry primarily has completely altered
the sport. And when people do the swooning over the
eighties and Celtics and Lakers, you do have to kind
(38:53):
of consider what would they You know, Wemby is aptly
nicknamed the Alien for a reason. That's exactly what it
would look like. You say, man, basketball looked different last entry.
Imagine being in nineteen ninety eight and seeing a seven
foot five guy shoot three from thirty. It's insane.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Yeah, a good point. Okay, so you think Lebron is underappreciated. Fine,
a tick, Okay, I'll give you that. Actually I won't,
but that's how you feel, and that's fine, that's good.
Now we have to talk about if he's going to
come back to the Lakers. And there have been all
kinds of reports about this. I've never heard Lebron say anything.
(39:30):
But people close to Lebron are close to the people
that know Lebron, and anytime anything leaks out, it's because
they've leaked something. It's not like there's a guy sitting
in the corner making it up. So the feeling is, hey,
don't embarrass me. Do not embarrass me.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I'm not going to play for an embarrassing amount of money,
whatever the definition of that is. And two, now I
need to sit down with you and find out what
you're doing, where you're going. You're gonna have to convince me.
I gotta be honest with you. I think those days
are gone. I think those days are gone with the Lakers.
(40:08):
We have to convince you. Okay, here's what we'll convince
you about. It's X number of dollars are you playing
or not? And when you look at this, I don't
want to be insulted. He made fifty million dollars. What
if he made ten, Well, that's insulting. Let's get a grip.
Let's get a grip. Ten million dollars is not an insult.
(40:28):
Well he made fifty Well, he makes eighty million a
year off the court. It's not like he lives on
his basketball income. And he's made a ton of money
invested wisely, an incredible businessman. So I think it comes
down to this, Oh, you you're gonna have to convince me. No,
we don't. I don't think we have to convince you
(40:48):
of anything. I think you're in or out at this
price point.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
I mostly agree with what you just said there, and
in fact, it makes me think of Sex in the City.
Are you familiar with the quartette of ladies who would
drink their Manhattan's and talk about fellas and all that
kind of stuff. The one woman she got around and
she was proud of that. So I Samantha, Yes it was.
(41:21):
You could buy it as a as a viewer for
a long stretch in that series, but towards the end,
and I think when they start getting into the movies,
we're supposed to buy her as just the woman. We
would all fall over ourselves to get you know, we'd
be desperate to have a night with Samantha. By the
end of that series that was no longer true, but
they were still trying to sell that to us. I
(41:42):
think Lebron is trying to sell himself as Samantha in
her prime when she no longer is. It's a little
bit of a prize fighter being the last one to
understand that maybe his high end powers have now been lost.
I am a Steelers fan, so Aaron Rodgers at this age.
Now we must judge at forty three, does he know?
Does he know he's lost the step? Does he know
(42:05):
he can't pull off the same tricks he pulled off
a decade ago? And then the other side of that
just the devil's damasheck for you, fred Is we do
live in a different reality now that includes Tom Brady
winning a Super Bowl in his forties and Sidney Crosby
and Alexavechkin still being relevant in hockey laid into their thirties,
(42:27):
and Lebron James still being relevant in the NBA at
his age. It maybe is different now, and maybe we
do have to modify our assumptions that what he's old
so it's over with for him. I don't know, maybe
as a couple of years left. I do, though largely
agree with you. This is now obviously Lucas team is
not Lebron's team, and that reality must be accepted right
(42:48):
out of the gate. And the other one is, if
you're Lebron James, how important it is is it to
you to perpetuate the career of Brownnie, because that's not
happening if he goes to Cleveland or Miami. The only
basketball situation where that's plausible is to stay with the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
That being said, the Lakers gent'm as solid, a real solid, yes,
And I love the thrill to the people around the
league and around the country when Bronnie shows up. Let's
see Bronni. That's like a carnival side show. You know
what I mean, That's like a carnival side show. Oh,
let's see Bronton.
Speaker 7 (43:23):
Now.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
It's great for Bronnie. Good, he got pain, he's getting
better and all that counts. And by all accounts, he's
a good kid.
Speaker 7 (43:30):
Even sweet.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
I think it's nice that his old man was looking
out for him. But again, imagine trying to sell that.
You talk about, Hey, Lebron, you have to talk us
into it. Imagine leaving Los Angeles and trying to get
back to Cleveland or like I say, Miami or New York. Otherwise, Hey,
by the way, oh so you got to you gotta
take my son too. I mean, we understand that he's
on the team too. Hey wait whit whoa but wait,
(43:52):
you're already an old man and we're trying to figure
out where you what you have left in the take.
Now we also have to figure out how this guy
who doesn't really long in the NBA belongs on our roster.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
And the thing is, the Lakers did him a solid, right,
Lakers took him. Okay, Lebron, now we're here. We already
did you a solid. We took care of it. We
took care of something really important for you. So now
it's time to make a decision about what we're going
to do going forward. You're not in the driver's seat anymore.
You don't get to drive the car now. As a
(44:26):
matter of fact, you don't even drive on the court.
Luca drives. You're over here. You're the passenger. Now we'll
put offs the Reeves in the back seat. He's not
graduated to the front seat. Yet, but he's closed. He's
close to getting to move into the front. You have
to go to the back soon, so you don't get
to make those statements. You don't get to determine that anymore.
Here's the deal, and different people are running the Lakers now.
(44:49):
And I know Rob Polinka. Rob Polinka would be buried
with Lebron if you believe what Rob Polenka says. Rob
Polinka right now would move into Lebron's house and become
his butler. That's how much he loves Lebron. Would But
the thing is this, the Dodger people are running it now.
We're gonna look at things differently. We're gonna build this
for sustained success. Lebron, let's have a conversation. We're not
(45:11):
showing you anything. By the way, Well, we'll tell you
what we're gonna do because we're good people. But you're
gonna play for X. You're gonna play for fifteen million dollars,
that's what we're giving you. Well, I'm insulted, don't play.
Go look around, and that's what the Dodgers do. Dave,
you're a free agent. You know we're not on the
(45:33):
same page here. We're gonna do you solid go look around,
talk to everybody, Talk to everybody. After you've talked to them,
you let us know this is what we're willing to do.
That's what they need to do with Lebron. There's no
you give me your plan. My plan is, here's your money.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
It's a Listen. I follow exactly what you're saying. I
don't know that the Union would love that. I think
the Union might get in the way with him, you know,
making a small fraction of what he has made over
the last you know, fifteen years or so. But setting
aside that conversation, you know, and I'm not being political
on any level here except to say, you know, the
Spencer Pratt candidacy for mayor is sort of halfway there,
(46:14):
like this is a problem. Everybody sees that this is
a problem that's happening. Okay, that's half of the conversation.
What's the what's the alternative? What is going to happen otherwise?
And I think that's now, if Lebron is in there,
I can piece together a credible rotation. It's not good
enough to compete with the teams that are in the
(46:35):
finals right now, though, I think everybody understands that, and
I think that's where the Lakers are going to start.
I think they are going to not be as emotional
about Lebron and all of that as the previous regime was.
But what is the answer. What is a Lebron's money
going to be spent on? And I think it then
becomes pretty easy to talk yourself out of Lebron coming back.
(46:55):
I think you can. You can cobble together a couple
of pieces that you plug in around the Lucas as
your Superstar premise, and I think your team is better
next year as a result.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
All Right, as we continue this afternoon up next MLB's
Labor Wars, Bob Nightingale will join us
All right, here we go Fred Rogan today for Rodney
Dave Damashek. Dave, how are.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You better for hearing your voice and talking with you,
Fred Rogan, what a thrill it is to be here.
If it makes it easier for you these next three hours,
just pretend I'm Rodney.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
No, that won't make it easier. I gotta be very
honest with you that I'll make it far more difficult.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
We have to have the same life resume.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
So yeah, absolutely listen when you played, Hey, all bets
were off when you played. There were leather helmets when
you played back in the day, and maybe not as
accomplish as Rodney, but you made an impact.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, thank you. That means a lot and you're absolutely right,
all bets were off. In other words, I'm the anti
Brendan Soresby, no wagering, no Pete Rose in here for Damashek.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You know you and I have worked together I think
twice twice, and I think we worked together over at ESPN.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Is that when it was I do? I mean, we've
certainly sat in the same room together on a couple
of occasions. I certainly remember getting to bounce off you
a career highlight for anybody in Los Angeles who flaps
their gums about sports or otherwise. So, yes, that was man.
That must be twenty years ago, at the fifteen. Twenty
years ago at least.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
And you know what surprises me, it's been that many years.
We're both still alive.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That is that is we're really beating the odds, aren't we.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, we're killing it. So we're doing well, all right.
So we got a three hour show today, Bob Nightingale,
Beyond the Program at one o'clock, Dodgers and Phillies tonight.
Nice to have Don Mattingley back in the building. It
took over early on this season. Phillies have been playing
much better. Love Donnie Baseball. Hope he gets that job
full time. But let's get into show. Hey, o'tani all right, Dave,
(01:45):
And there is a thought here that the missing piece
of hardware for Otani is the cy Young That's what
he really wants this year, that's what he wants. Here's
the concern. Aj Prisinski brought it up. Maybe he won't
even throw enough innings, Dave. Maybe you know he'll pitch
five here, six here, but they're not going to burn
(02:05):
them out. And when it's all said and done, the
voters will say, this guy just has not thrown enough innings.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
What do you think, Well, first thing is, practically before
we dive into all the different levels of this conversation,
I think we should take a pause. I said this
to the aforementioned Rodney pet two or three weeks ago
on this very show, when you were out. I think,
of course, it's an old story that sports fans have
(02:32):
turned cynical. You know, they can't really allow themselves to
fully appreciate just about anything. And never is that truer
than with Shoeyatani. This is the greatest baseball player of
all time. That's not saying the same thing as this
guy is the best flag football player, some new fangled sport.
This is the sport with the richest tradition, at least
(02:55):
in North America. And right now within these city limits,
you are looking at the greatest to ever do it.
And the conversation way too quickly, in my opinion. And
I don't want to be the pie Ey'd optimist about
anything or the sunny side of the conversation, but I
do think we should spend more time as baseball fans
(03:15):
and la baseball fans at that appreciating what is going
on right now. Showy Atani the last time we saw
him on the hump through six innings, allowed one run,
struck out I think seven guys, and hit a home
run in the eighth. This is wild stuff we're looking at.
But please, let's now jump into the conversation about the
cy Young and what I will say is practically speaking,
(03:37):
Paul Skins, who I imagine most people probably thought was
getting the award before Opening Day, has not really been
great the last three games, so that's kind of opened
the door to some possibilities to Atani and other guys.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Well, let me back up a second. When you were
talking about baseball fans and LA fans, were you in
the slightest bit suggesting that LA fans don't appreciate a time.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I think I'm not gonna put that stink on Angelino's
I am putting that on the sports loving community at large.
This should be This should be for you know, I
guess Sports Center as I grew up watching no longer
really is the thing. But wherever you consume your sports,
among the headlines on a daily basis should be what
did o'tani do? What did can you when Babe Ruth
(04:24):
was at the height of his powers, when Willie Mays
was doing his thing, I'm sure that was the That
was the vibe that we now jump into. What does
this mean for the larger collective of the Dodgers, what
Otani's doing. I understand day to day and all of that,
but I just think we should spend a little time
swooning Fred Rogan. We should swoon a little bit for
our good fortune. Remember the great ad campaign around Lebron
(04:46):
James twenty years ago. I thought it was one of
those smarter ones. Witness in Cleveland. You were witness to it.
That's what we want, is sports fans. We want to
pay witness. It's why everybody digs in and defends their
generation's best players and best team because we want to
claim that we were there, that we were relevant, we
were a part of it. Guess what We're in it
right now, everybody, if you're in Los Angeles, this is
(05:08):
a great time to be rooting for the Dodgers and
the greatest baseball player of all time.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
See.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So here's the difference. I believe that people do witness,
and I believe they appreciate it. That I do, but
I think if you live in this market, it comes
with expectations. So I don't care. If you're the greatest
of all time, then you better be the greatest in
the history of the planet. And I think that's where
Otani has put himself. The expectation is every time he
(05:37):
steps up to the plate, something will happen. Every time
he's on the hill, he'll win the game. So I
don't think people are missing that they're witnessing something great,
but I do think that comes with expectations. I think
it's very different if you're around the country, if you're
around the country as a fan and you watch Otani,
you're mesmerized, you're amazed because you're not going to see
(05:58):
him every game. I just don't. I don't care what
kind of fan you are. You don't see him every night.
In this market, you do see him every night, and
you do always keep in the back of your mind
what he means to the Dodgers, what the Dodgers paid him,
what the expectations are, how much money they've made because
he's on the roster. So I think, yeah, they're witnessing,
(06:19):
but I think they also have expectations, and I think
that kind of leads to the cy Young conversation, because
then you start to wonder what's more important to the
people in La. What's more important to show Heyo Tani?
All right, to the people in La, I'm guessing winning
a third straight World Series means more than anything. I
(06:44):
think that's what matters here now.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Nationally, I think you're absolutely right, and I am not
going to quibble with you about that, but I do
think there is some nuance within that.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
All right, But wait, nationally, I think show Heyotani winning
the cy Young would be more impressive. I think nationally,
as they witness this with zero expectation, they're just along
for the ride and capturing the show. I think locally
you witness it, but I think you witness it differently. So, Dave,
(07:17):
that comes down to this, if he wants to win
the cy Young, what do you do. Do you let
him go out there and pitch maybe at the detriment
of what happens long term, or do you focus on
it and say, look, show Hey, we know the deal.
We want you to win. Of course we do, but
we got to win a third title. I think that's
(07:38):
the question.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, you know, as far as expectations go. It's not
just the individual in the box or on the hump,
it's the entire organization. Obviously, they've announced over the last
many years that they are the new Yankees. In fact,
they are exponentially spendier than the Yankees ever were, or
any other two teams combined.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
They are just.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Openly playing a different game than the bottom feeders of
Major League Baseball are. And maybe at some point in
the next three hours we'll have a time to we'll
have a chance to get your insights on that. The
potential lockout and striking, all of that kind of thing.
I think that the Dodgers have achieved already. It's it's
not the comp for me in baseball terms, is dominant team.
(08:24):
You know they're going to be in the postseason every October.
I think most people roughly our age think of the
nineties Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers have washed that stink off.
I was cynical. I was a curmudgeon about the COVID
title the day one that any team's won during COVID,
I only count that for half. But now they've gone
back to back, I think they can take their foot
(08:46):
off the game.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, So the COVID
titles only count half.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That's right, ok, that's right. I think we all understand that.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Okay, I'll tell you something. I kind of believe that
for the Dodgers, now it's a title, they got a ring.
But I get that if you said that to somebody
that was a fan of the Lakers, they would say
it is one hundred percent, no question. That was a
full season title. They played it and did what they
(09:17):
had to do. I agree with you, but I think
looking at the Dodgers, maybe because of the success they've
had over the years, Okay, I get that still counts.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Okay, well, but also just keep in mind this. I'm
not necessarily insulting that COVID title, although I kind of am.
But you can categorize it in a glass half full way,
which is that you know, when you go to the
soup page on the menu and among the soups, chili
is listed. But chili's not a soup. It's its own thing.
It counts. It's in the list, same thing as World
(09:51):
Series Championships. That COVID title's in there, but it should
have an asterisk or a picture of chili. So you
know what we're talking.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
About going on like spicy chili.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Brother way, Okay, that's fine with some beans, if you please,
some cheese beans meat. I didn't say anything about meat, right,
I'm happy to have some meat. Whatever you're choosing. You
want beef, you want some swine in there? How about both?
I'm down for it.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Swine's that culture. I'll just go beef.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Okay, all right, you do you, you do you? But listen.
Otani is trying to do him and it is important
to him to chase a cy Young and I think
I don't think you're expressing, you know, some cynicism here,
but I do think it's worth mentioning that you are
very quickly. It's a fair question. Is a diehard Dodgers
(10:37):
guy do you if you get the cy Young but
you lose? But in the NLCS, let's say, was that
worth it to you? The three peet is such a challenge.
I think in the here and now it's easy to say, well,
I'll take the three peat, but you know the difficulty
in doing that. We were talking two or three weeks
(10:59):
ago here Rodney and I again about the Andy pie.
Has thy can talk about cynicism? How have we not
spent the last six months just talking about that in
Los Angeles, that Andy Pie has made that catch in
extra innings he collided with keyk and he still made
the catch and saved the season. They did get all
they did get those titles. So I can kind of
talk myself into the idea of witnessing Otani win a
(11:22):
cy Young, the multiple MVP, also winning a cy Young,
and then being able to say, yes, Los Angeles, this
is the guy. This is the all timer. You know,
all the talk about, all the movies and books and
otherwise references in pop culture to Babe Ruth. We got
the guy who's better than him.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, that's nice. I have to disagree, but that was said.
I'll give you that. That was very well said, but
I I just have to disagree with that. I have
to tell you, to me, there is not nationally. I'm
with you, but that's the difference nationally and locally.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Now, if your season ticket holder and Chavez Ravine, you're
absolutely right, and I'm not going to argue with you
about that. Obviously, your goal is to win the World
Series Trophy. It's also inarguable that Asai Young for Otani
would solidify his case as the best of all time.
And I do think that matters for something. I do
(12:19):
think that being a Dodgers fan. I grew up in Pittsburgh.
I love Mary o Lemieux to this day. I'll engage
anybody in an argument that I witnessed the greatest hockey
player in the history of people. That counts for something. Now,
he had to win titles as well, which he did,
and so has Otani. So now I can move on
with that conversation about his place in history, which in
(12:40):
which basically is a conversation about my place in history.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Fred, Yes, yes, and you have a storied place in history.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I my dad, thank you, thank you again for that.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
The thing is this, if the Dodgers this year were
not the favorites to win it, if they had not
constructed this roster, and by the way, there will come
a time where they're not going to be the favorites
win it, and maybe not even next year. But down
the road there's gonna be a time where there's gonna
be a bit of a transition. They'll still be good,
They'll still be in the conversation. They could still have
a shot, Dave. They may not win it in a
(13:13):
year like that, go for it, get that cy young,
do it, because that's what people will remember. But in
a situation where you're alive and you've got a shot
and you've got the bullseye on your back and everybody's
trying to shoot you because you're that good, I don't
think you can ever put someone's personal accomplishment over what
(13:37):
the team is.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
I'm thinking about it this way, Fred. I think they
call them in radio p ones, the hardcore listeners, the
people that are tuning in three or four days a
week to Rogan and Rodney type of people. These people
obviously want the Dodgers to win the World Series above
everything else. Just below that, though, there is the people
(13:59):
who study demographics and all of that sort of thing.
People who study this will tell you young sports fans,
younger demographic roots for individuals, not teams as much they
vibe to play, And especially in Los Angeles where it's
obviously so transient, I think there is a decent size
percentage and outsize percentage even of people who love baseball.
(14:22):
And because they're on every day, the Dodgers have caught
their eye and would probably say, you know, I grew
up in a Dodger's house. I'd love to see Otani
when the cy young. I've seen a lot of championships.
This would be something different.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
At least, it's too early to be drinking.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I know, listen, I don't even know if I believe
the case I'm making here, Fred, I don't know that
I buy it. I'm just I'm just throwing it out
there because, as I say, here's the other thing to
help my case a little bit. It would be naive
to say that Dodgers ownership and otherwise doesn't understand the
importance of Otani and the other guys that they've brought
(15:00):
over from Asia. They are the most global baseball team,
so that would certainly mean a great deal to the Dodgers.
If to the people that are waking up to watch
Otani pitch every fifth game, those people would be wild
to see Otani and maybe would prefer to see that
over the World Series, and that would be meaningful in
the competition. Lebron won't denounce China because of its potential economically, right,
(15:26):
So obviously the Dodgers understand that as well, and I
think that would be a pretty powerful chapter to list
on the resume. Yeah, Otani signed over here, and he
won the cy Young and MVPs in World Series and
all the rest of it. I think that would resonate globally,
not Los Angeles as much.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
So you already said, you already said, and I believe
this would be true. He is the greatest baseball player
of all time. Right, you said that, and you believe that.
I do not even a question.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I don't think so, right, No, I agree.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
So winning a cy Young it's like a cherry on
top of the sun day. He's already the greatest, so
we know that, right, So if he wins the cy
Young in two years, he's still the greatest, and then
we got the cherry.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
We need that.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Though, when I think that, people again, the advantage that
old greats have over current grates is we only see
the highlights of their greatness. The thing that creates a
certain cynicism around any player, whether it's Tom Brady or Otani,
(16:32):
or Connor McDavid or Sidney krat otherwise, is that you
see them fail within games, and you never do what
was the last strikeout of Willie Mayse you watched. You
only see their successes. You don't see them slip. You
don't see the Hall of Fame running back slip after
two yards with nobody hitting him and his legs going
out from under him, and getting back to the huddle
(16:55):
for the next play. You only see the best of
those guys. But that said, I think a lot of
people have come around on the whole Babe Ruth thing
as the greatest player of all time, never faced a
man of color, never faced a breaking ball. So how
much are we supposed to How much praise are we
supposed to keep on him?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Anyway, faced a lot of Manhattan's at the bar. I'll
tell you that that wasn't a problem. Faced a lot
of late.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Nights my kind of guy. Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
All right, let me ask you something because you mentioned
a name. It's one of the all time greats, Connor McDavid.
You like Connor McDavid.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
No, I'm a Pittsburgh guy. He's no better than the
fourth greatest forward of all time because it goes Lemieux, Crosby, Gretzky,
and then McDavid.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Oh so, Gordia, how wouldn't be in that list?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I mean, I come, what did I just say?
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Fred?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
What are we talking about? We're talking about fifties hockey.
He was one of the best players in a sixteen league.
Come on, that's outmoded stuff.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Don't do not do not dismiss Gordi Howe. We won't
get into it now, but do not dismiss a great
like Cordi Howe.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I don't know if that if that's a winning play
on Los Angeles radio to debate old school hockey players,
but I'm down for that anytime you want. Rogan.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Here's the thing about Connor McDavid. I just have to
say it because it kind of it pushed one of
my buttons. I don't like that guy. I think he's dirty.
I think he's a dirty superstar. I don't think you
can root for that guy, and every time he steps
on the ice, I root against him every time. A
great player always plays in a gentlemanly way, and if
(18:29):
there's dirty work to be done, somebody takes care.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
Of it for him.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
That's a great player.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
That Sga needs one of those guys on the Thunder
to take care of business for him, or the Spurs
need somebody to do that for Wemby, they need Goon.
Somebody needs to dig up Marty McSorley or and or
Dave Simenko and make this thing right. Yeah, I'm with
you on that part.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Good pull, Dave Smenko. But Connor McDavid, he's a dirty player.
He doesn't play like a superstar. I root against that
guy every time he steps on the ice.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You know, it's funny. I have my list of the
greatest pair of stars on one team to underachieve. And
if the answer to the greatest underachieving pair isn't McDavid
and Leon Dryside all up in Edmonton all those years together,
they've never won a Stanley Cup, the correct answer is
Shoey Atania and Mike Trout down in Orange County. Oh yeah, well,
(19:19):
and the number three close, number three, Ben Roethlisberger, Levy
and Bell and Antonio Brown never playing in a Super
Bowl together.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
That Pittsburgh blood runs deep, It runs deep. Dave. Yes,
all right, here's the deal. So we cannot figure this out.
And I think I know how Todd your fans are
going to feel about this, Dave, to be quite honest
with you, So why don't we just set it up?
But I'll let you set this up because I don't
want to misspeak. What is the question here?
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Maybe this is the way so that I have at
least I understand it's a long shot that I would
win this debate, but I think maybe the way to
say it, which is more special, is that fair? Does
that put the ball in my court too much? Does
that lean too hard my direction to say it that way?
Speaker 6 (20:01):
No?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Keep going?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Or which would you rather have as a baseball lover
in Los Angeles? How about that?
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Do that all right? Which would you rather have as
a baseball lover in Los Angeles? Otani goes all out.
It doesn't matter how many innings he pitches. It doesn't
matter he's gonna win the Cy Young or so it's
about Otani or his innings are limited. Maybe he doesn't
throw enough innings to gain enough votes to win the
(20:32):
Cy Young. But the Dodgers win the championship for the
third straight year. Is that a fair way to put it?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
That is a fair way to put it, But you
know where you began to be fair? I think we
should note what's a fascinating element of this conversation is
how much should the organization be in on that? I mean,
Otani the individual can want that. A lot of individuals
want to do great things because you get paid more money.
Otani is already in good shape in that regard. But
you know, ask a running back, what's the difference if
(20:59):
you're running, if you're quarterback, sneaks it in from the
half yard liner, you get it. What do you care
who gets the touchdown? They say, Oh, ownership doesn't care
until it's contract time and then how many touchdowns did
you score on you on your last thing?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
That?
Speaker 2 (21:11):
So it does matter to the individual player. I guess
how much should the Dodgers be assisting him in this
pursuit is the question?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Okay? And know this, if it is a pursuit and
it's all out, the Dodgers are going to be assisting right.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
That we can't.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
And I guess what I'm ultimately advocating for is that
it is wise for the way. The fans will be
split on this, they will lean in your direction. But
I do think that ownership has proven that they have
more in mind than a championship this year. They are
looking to the long term and also to being the
Globes baseball team. That is obviously what they pursue with
(21:48):
their with their winning ways across the Pacific, continuing to
do that, they are it is a strategy to win
over Asia, and they are doing it, and so I
think this would go a long way to helping them
that way.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
It's like six nine eight seven seventy. Okay, there's the question, Oh,
Tony wins the cy Young above everything else. Let's just
put it like that, or the Dodgers win the World
Series for the third straight year. What would you rather see?
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Here?
Speaker 1 (22:21):
In Los Angeles? It's like six nine eight seven.
Speaker 7 (22:26):
Hello Rogan and Rodney listener, did you know Am five
seventy LA Sports has a wide range of LA Sports podcasts,
shows like petros in Money. We are streaming Matt Dodger
Talk with David Vasse.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
The Dodger Podcast of Record.
Speaker 7 (22:41):
Clipper Talk Without a Musk, follow us all and many more.
Just go to AM five to seventy LA Sports on
the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Okay, check in today for Rodney. Oh, I see Kevin
bopping around back there? All good, fund all good eight six, six,
nine eighty seven two five seventy. So here we go.
We kicked this around. In the first segment, Shoeotani wants
to win a cy Young and by the way, his
(23:12):
numbers would indicate at this point, Dave he could, but
the question becomes for him to win a cy Young.
How often does he need to pitch? And if he
had to pitch more than they wanted him to, what
might that do to their chances? So then it becomes
what would you rather see Shoe Aotani win the cy
(23:33):
Young this year? No matter what everything else, be damned,
He's gonna win it or the Dodgers win a third title.
And we assume that if he won the cy Young
because they used him so much, that might hurt their
chances to win. Now was that fair? Is that how
we set it up?
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I think it. I think you nailed it there. I
also think because the hyper specific that the Dodgers are in,
which is no there is no other contender in baseball
right now that operates the way the Dodgers do in
the sense that all the Dodgers are doing, even in
May and as we get deeper into the season, is
(24:13):
all about aligning themselves in time for October. So this
would really be a wild card to be allowing an
individual to chase a personal record while everything else we're
trying to structure our rotation and otherwise to get it
ready for the postseason. I also think the depth that
they have in you know, in among their pitchers allows
(24:36):
them to maybe indulge this on a level that no
other team really could.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Okay, it's like six nine eighty seven, two five seventy.
What do you think here, we'll go downtown, La Dennis,
thanks for holding Now what do you think?
Speaker 7 (24:49):
I think?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
You know, it's it's great for him to have the
individual awards. You know, he's a he's a one of
a time player. But at the end of the day,
it all boils down to the team first. And you
know said, we set out to win three in a row,
and you know that's what I'm hoping for this season.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Don us appreciate it. See, Dave, here's the thing. I
think from a national perspective, you nailed it. I do.
I think nationally that would be enormous. But I think
if you live in Los Angeles is a little different.
And we'll see. I mean, we're gonna take a few
more calls. I think here it's about winning the title,
But I think nationally as a baseball fan, sure, as.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
A but it's a funny paradox, right the the smaller
consideration the city is the consideration for you, Fred and
for the people that ticket buy The vast majority of
the ticket buying fans want to the World Series over
the cy Young but not just nationally, globally, As I said,
all of Asia cares more about what Otani does than
(25:48):
what the Dodgers do.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Right, absolutely, all right down to San Diego or Buddy
Felix on the app, Hey Felix, how are you? What
are you thinking?
Speaker 8 (25:57):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (25:57):
I'll keep this.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I'll try to keep this short.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
Great shild By the way, listen before I say anything,
I just want to put it out there. There's no
asterisk in that twenty twenty championship, by the way, so
please correct your language. It's all hafing matter.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
Man.
Speaker 8 (26:15):
I'm at Los Angelino. I live down here in Madre Country.
I hear it from these bastards every single time I
bring up that championship. We hear it nationally. We don't
need blue on blue crime, so period. Bottom line, the
only Astros is the Astros Championship. We all know that.
So as Kobe, as exalted as he is, he is
(26:36):
no bigger than the Lakers, as exalted as Jackie Robinson was, he.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
Is not as exalted as the Dodgers.
Speaker 8 (26:44):
So yes, the Unicorn, I hope he wins CY Young's MVPs.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Blah blah blah.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
We need greens, babe.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
That's it there, it is, Yeah, and I don't want
any more blue on blue crime. We're not having any
more of that today.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
The difference is real. What he just said kind of
threads the needle for the Fred Rogan point of view,
which is Kobe benefited from the Lakers kind of being
bad in his last couple of seasons. It allowed everybody
who is a die hard Lakers fan to focus squarely
on their all time great and ignore the mediocrity or
(27:20):
ineptitude of the rest of the team. That's not where
the Dodgers are. They are in the midst of a dynasty.
So that's a different debate. All right.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Okay, it's uh three point thirty four on the East Coast,
So Gino on the app in Virginia. If he hasn't
started yet, he will start tossing them back soon. Hello, Gino,
what do you think.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
As you as your state fed? I'm going to down
one now, put my grass. Lovely day out here in Virginia.
Lovely day, lovely day. Anyways, I got a real good take.
That last take was really good, you guys. What he
said as far as an Angelino Dodger fan, I'm a
true blue Dodger fan, LA fan. No bandwagoners, I mean
(28:05):
the other teams, you know what I mean? Other than
the show him. He gets the cy Young, that is
awesome because we are a tradition of great players, have
standy players. That makes history for the Dodgers is great.
I see ourselves getting the championship. But even if we don't,
I rather half Young Otani makes sense, gentlemen, guys are
(28:29):
my guys?
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Gino, it makes absolutely no, Gino, it made no sense.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
No sense, Fred, But what happened? The gloves are off?
Now you are trying to be nice to me for
the first half hour.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
No, no, no, The question is not that.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
Because I'm an LA fan. Come on now, Fred, I
love you. Go ahead, I love you, Gino.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Listen, listen. The question is this year, this year, if
going for the cy Young impacted their chance to win
the title, would you rather have that happen and Otani
win the cy Young this year or the Dodgers win
the title. Of course, if they don't win the title,
you want them to win the cy Young. We know that.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
But this year, well that's a hard thing to say,
because I'm an LA Dodger fans who's Dodge fan? He
should win it next year if you don't do it
this year. But yes, who firmed it? Win it this year?
But I'll give and take. I want both. We're greedy,
we're Dodger fans. I want both.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I like where Gino's heads at. And now now I
am talking about Salve Gino is helping to talk me
into my side of things.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
I'm a LA. Fred I pooper LA. And somebody said today,
who's the biggest LA? I rather poop for LA than
New York and any other team. Right now, those are
the biggest two franchises in sports history, along with the
Lakers in Celtics. That's a sure all right, I'm a
(29:57):
good day. Fred.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Back to you, though, Fred, back to you, answer the
question about the organization. How much should they indulge this
quest because the way now we have kind of set
it up in the hypothetical is you get one or
the other. Obviously, pursuing the cy Young doesn't prohibit the
Dodgers from winning the World Series. It could still happen,
(30:18):
as you just said a second ago, though it could
injure those chances. Are you willing to roll the dice
to see if he can get the cy Young. You
don't know what's going to happen. You should assume, as
the Dodgers though, that they're going to be playing in October.
So I think it's worth it. The more I talk
about this, the more I think the how special it
would be for a multiple MVB to then turn around
(30:41):
and win the cy Young. Now that is a narrative
for him, but it doesn't prevent the Dodgers from going
three in a row.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
All right, So you basically now talked yourself into your
own point.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
That's right, that's right. It took me a second there.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Now you got to figure it out. My thing is this, Yes,
you want them, of course you want them to win
a cy Young. It would be incredible. By your own admission,
he's already the greatest player on the planet and we'll
go down as the greatest player in history. He really will,
I mean, because what he can do is is mind boggling.
But the topic again became if it impedes the Dodgers'
(31:19):
chances this year, If it impedes the Dodgers' chances this year,
would you let him go for throw as many innies
as you need, throw as many pitches as necessary, just
go for it. Yeah, I don't think they would do that.
I think if he wins the award within the structure
of what they do, that's fantastic. But I don't think
(31:41):
they're going to sacrifice the opportunity to win again in
October for him to win the cy Young.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Does it break the locker room in your opinion? If
Dave Roberts or otherwise says, listen, we're gonna indulge. We're
on the precipice of something real special for Showy. I
think as his teammates, you should get behind this. Do
you think that that causes some friction in the clubhouse
or do you think as professionals, I think there's a
chance that they say, yes, Wet at the working class
(32:09):
level would love to see this happen, and we are
in full support of our teammate chasing this. I think
that's a plausible situation too. I don't think it's necessarily
every team. Every player on the team not named show
He would be like, how dare he go after personal success?
It in a way helps the organization long term. You know,
(32:32):
these guys who have choices about which place they're going
to land as free agents. That's a chip to point to.
Look how we treat our players. Look look if you're
a Dodger, look how we look out for you. Future
superstar may be signing with us.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
No, I think they would be behind him. Don't get
me wrong. I think everybody would be behind him if
the opportunity arose. I just don't think they'd put them
in a position to damage their chances to win a
third title. Let's go to we appreciate your calling. What
do you think?
Speaker 5 (33:05):
So? Yeah, I mean it's always going to be World
Series over personal, you know, accomplishments. They didn't sign O
Tani thinking oh, well, you know what, let's sin Otani
to win a cy Young. No, it's World Series. But
I think they let him go the first two years
we had him, he was on the bench, he designated
(33:27):
hit her, so he did his job there. Go behind
him and let him go after the cy Young the
same way they let him steal fifty bases. Hey, you
could have got hurt stealing a base. He could have
He could have hurt himself there, he could have broken
an ankle. Anything could have happened. But they were behind
him stealing, so let him go after the Cy Young too.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
I mean they might as well.
Speaker 5 (33:50):
I mean, it's just weird how baseball has changed. Look
at what they used to do to Kershaw. Hey man,
we need to win. Go pitch nine innings, if you
need to go one hundred and twenty pitches. They let
him go all out. So I think you should do
the same with Otani. If he's gonna get hurt, it's
gonna happen, regardless whether he's going after a cy Young
or not. It's just kind of the way things work out.
(34:13):
But I mean Cy Young winner, it'll be a full
full circle. He'll have a batting title, MVP, World Series,
and Cy Young. So the Dodgers should just get behind
them and let him go for it.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Appreciate it, Paul. Let's do one more real quick here,
Dave Patrick and Whittier Patrick go ahead.
Speaker 6 (34:30):
Hey, I just want to get on here and tell
you guys, as a Dodger fan, I would rather have
the Dodgers win that third title only because let's say
the Dodgers fumble this year, they do not win the
third in a row, then the Braves win it, or
the Brewers or their Rays or Yankees, and then all
of a sudden, the narratives from November all the way
through spring training is can the Yankees repeat like the
(34:52):
Dodgers just did? Can the Braves repeat like the Dodgers
just did? And if the Dodger fan we can't have that?
That third title puts us clear new above any other competition.
Can you imagine God forsaken the Padres win the World
Series and then all of a sudden, the Padres fans
are saying, We're gonna be just like the Dodgers. Absolutely
not cannot have that. I love Otani, I love what
(35:13):
he's done, but it would be best case scenario he
wins a CYM on the way to the Dodgers' third
championship in three years.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Patrick appreciate the call. Okay, here's the deal. According to reports,
Lebron wants the Lakers to present him with a detailed
rope map before he commits. What players are they pursuing?
How much money? Where does he fit?
Speaker 8 (35:38):
All?
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Right, Well, that's what he wants. Does he deserve that?
That's next?
Speaker 7 (35:44):
Make AM five seventy LA sports a preset before you
plug in your phone. Presets in the iHeartRadio app now
available with Apple CarPlay and Android autom just another easy
way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
The pop star dropped this single last night or She
Gets Ready to Bark on her Eternal Sunshine tour and
includes stops at Crypto dot Com Arena in the form
in Englewood next month. The song is the first single
off of her forthcoming album entitled Pedal that'll drop in
July again. Today's Afternoon Delight is Hate That I Made
You Love Me by Ariana Grande Dave damishek sitting in
(36:18):
today for Rodney? Let's get to the Lakers Dave and Lebron.
By the way, are you a big Are you a
big Lebron guy?
Speaker 2 (36:26):
I am? I think he is, much like Otani, a
little underappreciated given his greatness for how long he has
been great? Yes?
Speaker 1 (36:36):
How is he under appreciate it? I think everybody appreciates
his talent.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
I think everybody wants to jam it into the ultimate
sports debate conversation him versus Michael Jordan. And if you've
enjoyed that one, settle in everybody, because over the next
fifteen years it's going to be Michael Jordan or Lebron
or Wemby.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
That's true.
Speaker 8 (36:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
I think it's the thing about Lebron and I've said
this and it's just me. Some agree on disagree. Is
he an incredible player? Yes? Is he the greatest player
of all time? Why debate it? He's right there, I'm
in on the big list, He's right there.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
I do think I don't like when people do the
thing of what does it matter? What does any of
it matter? Then why are we watching the games at
all if we're not trying to put them into a
certain order of who's the best. That's why they give
a trophy at the end of every season, because it
determines who is the best individually and as a team.
When people try to cut that off, what is this
(37:32):
foolish debate? I mean, it's everything. That's the whole point
of why we watch, why we consume a year after
year and decade after decade.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Obviously, Yeah, but again, Lebron's not done. I saw a
video of the Bulls playing the Jazz in the NBA
Finals and the caption was, look how different the game
is now? And I watched that and they were just
kind of dancing through the lane and setting up on
the side and nobody was up on anybody. There were
(38:00):
no high screens, and compared to today's game, it looked like
they were played in slow motion, So you have to
take that into account as well.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Well. It is wild which sport has changed the most
this millennium. The answer is clearly the NBA. I think
hockey has changed significantly. Everybody can skate. That's more of
a nineteen ninety early nineties kind of thing, when the
sports goes global and suddenly you have skaters all over
(38:31):
the place. Every fourth line mucker is a better skater
than a couple of generations ago of good skating hockey players.
But basketball, because of Stefan Curry primarily has completely altered
the sport. And when people do the swooning over the
eighties and Celtics and Lakers, you do have to kind
(38:53):
of consider what would they You know, Wemby is aptly
nicknamed the Alien for a reason. That's exactly what it
would look like. You say, man, basketball looked different last entry.
Imagine being in nineteen ninety eight and seeing a seven
foot five guy shoot three from thirty. It's insane.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Yeah, a good point. Okay, so you think Lebron is underappreciated. Fine,
a tick, Okay, I'll give you that. Actually I won't,
but that's how you feel, and that's fine, that's good.
Now we have to talk about if he's going to
come back to the Lakers. And there have been all
kinds of reports about this. I've never heard Lebron say anything.
(39:30):
But people close to Lebron are close to the people
that know Lebron, and anytime anything leaks out, it's because
they've leaked something. It's not like there's a guy sitting
in the corner making it up. So the feeling is, hey,
don't embarrass me. Do not embarrass me.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I'm not going to play for an embarrassing amount of money,
whatever the definition of that is. And two, now I
need to sit down with you and find out what
you're doing, where you're going. You're gonna have to convince me.
I gotta be honest with you. I think those days
are gone. I think those days are gone with the Lakers.
(40:08):
We have to convince you. Okay, here's what we'll convince
you about. It's X number of dollars are you playing
or not? And when you look at this, I don't
want to be insulted. He made fifty million dollars. What
if he made ten, Well, that's insulting. Let's get a grip.
Let's get a grip. Ten million dollars is not an insult.
(40:28):
Well he made fifty Well, he makes eighty million a
year off the court. It's not like he lives on
his basketball income. And he's made a ton of money
invested wisely, an incredible businessman. So I think it comes
down to this, Oh, you you're gonna have to convince me. No,
we don't. I don't think we have to convince you
(40:48):
of anything. I think you're in or out at this
price point.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
I mostly agree with what you just said there, and
in fact, it makes me think of Sex in the City.
Are you familiar with the quartette of ladies who would
drink their Manhattan's and talk about fellas and all that
kind of stuff. The one woman she got around and
she was proud of that. So I Samantha, Yes it was.
(41:21):
You could buy it as a as a viewer for
a long stretch in that series, but towards the end,
and I think when they start getting into the movies,
we're supposed to buy her as just the woman. We
would all fall over ourselves to get you know, we'd
be desperate to have a night with Samantha. By the
end of that series that was no longer true, but
they were still trying to sell that to us. I
(41:42):
think Lebron is trying to sell himself as Samantha in
her prime when she no longer is. It's a little
bit of a prize fighter being the last one to
understand that maybe his high end powers have now been lost.
I am a Steelers fan, so Aaron Rodgers at this age.
Now we must judge at forty three, does he know?
Does he know he's lost the step? Does he know
(42:05):
he can't pull off the same tricks he pulled off
a decade ago? And then the other side of that
just the devil's damasheck for you, fred Is we do
live in a different reality now that includes Tom Brady
winning a Super Bowl in his forties and Sidney Crosby
and Alexavechkin still being relevant in hockey laid into their thirties,
(42:27):
and Lebron James still being relevant in the NBA at
his age. It maybe is different now, and maybe we
do have to modify our assumptions that what he's old
so it's over with for him. I don't know, maybe
as a couple of years left. I do, though largely
agree with you. This is now obviously Lucas team is
not Lebron's team, and that reality must be accepted right
(42:48):
out of the gate. And the other one is, if
you're Lebron James, how important it is is it to
you to perpetuate the career of Brownnie, because that's not
happening if he goes to Cleveland or Miami. The only
basketball situation where that's plausible is to stay with the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
That being said, the Lakers gent'm as solid, a real solid, yes,
And I love the thrill to the people around the
league and around the country when Bronnie shows up. Let's
see Bronni. That's like a carnival side show. You know
what I mean, That's like a carnival side show. Oh,
let's see Bronton.
Speaker 7 (43:23):
Now.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
It's great for Bronnie. Good, he got pain, he's getting
better and all that counts. And by all accounts, he's
a good kid.
Speaker 7 (43:30):
Even sweet.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
I think it's nice that his old man was looking
out for him. But again, imagine trying to sell that.
You talk about, Hey, Lebron, you have to talk us
into it. Imagine leaving Los Angeles and trying to get
back to Cleveland or like I say, Miami or New York. Otherwise, Hey,
by the way, oh so you got to you gotta
take my son too. I mean, we understand that he's
on the team too. Hey wait whit whoa but wait,
(43:52):
you're already an old man and we're trying to figure
out where you what you have left in the take.
Now we also have to figure out how this guy
who doesn't really long in the NBA belongs on our roster.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
And the thing is, the Lakers did him a solid, right,
Lakers took him. Okay, Lebron, now we're here. We already
did you a solid. We took care of it. We
took care of something really important for you. So now
it's time to make a decision about what we're going
to do going forward. You're not in the driver's seat anymore.
You don't get to drive the car now. As a
(44:26):
matter of fact, you don't even drive on the court.
Luca drives. You're over here. You're the passenger. Now we'll
put offs the Reeves in the back seat. He's not
graduated to the front seat. Yet, but he's closed. He's
close to getting to move into the front. You have
to go to the back soon, so you don't get
to make those statements. You don't get to determine that anymore.
Here's the deal, and different people are running the Lakers now.
(44:49):
And I know Rob Polinka. Rob Polinka would be buried
with Lebron if you believe what Rob Polenka says. Rob
Polinka right now would move into Lebron's house and become
his butler. That's how much he loves Lebron. Would But
the thing is this, the Dodger people are running it now.
We're gonna look at things differently. We're gonna build this
for sustained success. Lebron, let's have a conversation. We're not
(45:11):
showing you anything. By the way, Well, we'll tell you
what we're gonna do because we're good people. But you're
gonna play for X. You're gonna play for fifteen million dollars,
that's what we're giving you. Well, I'm insulted, don't play.
Go look around, and that's what the Dodgers do. Dave,
you're a free agent. You know we're not on the
(45:33):
same page here. We're gonna do you solid go look around,
talk to everybody, Talk to everybody. After you've talked to them,
you let us know this is what we're willing to do.
That's what they need to do with Lebron. There's no
you give me your plan. My plan is, here's your money.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
It's a Listen. I follow exactly what you're saying. I
don't know that the Union would love that. I think
the Union might get in the way with him, you know,
making a small fraction of what he has made over
the last you know, fifteen years or so. But setting
aside that conversation, you know, and I'm not being political
on any level here except to say, you know, the
Spencer Pratt candidacy for mayor is sort of halfway there,
(46:14):
like this is a problem. Everybody sees that this is
a problem that's happening. Okay, that's half of the conversation.
What's the what's the alternative? What is going to happen otherwise?
And I think that's now, if Lebron is in there,
I can piece together a credible rotation. It's not good
enough to compete with the teams that are in the
(46:35):
finals right now, though, I think everybody understands that, and
I think that's where the Lakers are going to start.
I think they are going to not be as emotional
about Lebron and all of that as the previous regime was.
But what is the answer. What is a Lebron's money
going to be spent on? And I think it then
becomes pretty easy to talk yourself out of Lebron coming back.
(46:55):
I think you can. You can cobble together a couple
of pieces that you plug in around the Lucas as
your Superstar premise, and I think your team is better
next year as a result.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
All Right, as we continue this afternoon up next MLB's
Labor Wars, Bob Nightingale will join us
Roggin And Rodney News
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