July 16, 2025 • 49 mins
Bob Nightengale from USA Today joins us to recap the MLB All-Star festivities and preview the 2nd half of the season for the Dodgers. The Shemar Stewart situation with the Bengals further shows why the Dodgers' franchise is the gold standard in pro sports
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh yes, And we continue on on this hump day
this Wednesday. Jonas Knox in with me for Fred. It's
it's a good day. It's a good day. We talked
a lot earlier in the show about the All Star
Game and the format and and what it means. Let's
(00:23):
continue that discussion and talk about the Dodgers in the
second half with our man Bob Nightingale from USA Today. Bob,
how are you, man?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah? Doing great? How about you guys?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
We are good, We are good.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
So you were down there in Atlanta in one hundred
thousand degrees in a thousand degrees humidity down there in Atlanta.
How was it for you?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah? You know, I I live in Phoenix. I'll take
one hundred and fifteen in Phoenix for nineion degrees.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Well, yeah, you walk outside and you just start sweating.
You to bring three or four shirts with you wherever
you go. But what did you What did you think, Bob,
overall of the the last couple of days and what
they did in Atlanta, what Major League Baseball has done.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, it was good. I mean the All Star Game
at first looked like another typical All Star game. Just
time made that by the pitchers look boring, and then
you know, Alonzo gets that three run homer, then you
kind of get excited. And then of course the biggest
come back in you know, All Star history when that
nationally was up six to so you know, blew it.
(01:34):
And then you know it was a gimmick, but you know,
kind of little many home runnder me. So, yeah, it
provided entertainment, and it's by the first All Star Game. Yes,
provide that kind of entertainment and quite a while.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Is this something that you could see major League Baseball?
Obviously it went to a tie, so they had the
swing off, which was awesome and I can't find anybody
who wasn't a fan of it. But could you see
major League Baseball maybe trying to work that in to
an All Star Game moving forward? Maybe well listen, if
it's not a tie, maybe uh, you know, midway through
the fifth we we put a wrinkle onto things. It
(02:08):
just it felt like they stumbled across something that everybody
was a big fan of last night.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, I mean the only downside of it, you know,
you you had to get guys that were still there.
You know, it's like a single someone says, hey, why
not Aaron judge, why is you know Tani in there?
All those guys are long gone. You know, it's like
those guys weren't sticking around for all nine innings, So
it'd be really something if you had you know, the
biggest starts in there. You know, one question that came
(02:38):
up and Aaron Boone talked about it, you know, could
he ever see it in regular season games? You know,
instead going a tenth inning you have something like that,
you know, and the guys are time. You know, maybe
one day, you know, it's uh, you know, it's such
a gimmick. You know, things going to happen. But we
didn't think we'd see a pitch clock or runner on
second base either, so you never know.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Bob, what did you uh, well, first of all, what
are your thoughts on on the A B S system
and and then secondly how it was used last night?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah? No, I mean, uh, I like the challenge part.
I don't like just a few full uh computer system.
And I love the fact the umpires are in the game,
and uh, you know you have the umpire player, you know,
manager interaction. I'm already with replay. They don't have those
same confresations we used to have you know with lou Panella,
(03:31):
you know, kicking bases and throwing stuff and earl Weaver
and all that. So at least you know, if you uh,
if you do wave completely, you know, there's no reason
you're not gonna what you do, argue with the computer
and then pull you know, pull out the power chord
something like that. It's not it's not the same. So
(03:52):
a challenge system, I'm fine with that as long as
you you know, limit to like you know, maybe just
two per game or so. Then you have friend it's like, okay,
are you really gonna let your number eight or nine
hitters use it? Or just you know, all of the
big boys can use it in key situations, Bob.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
So obviously we're in the weeds here. You know, when
it comes to the Dodgers, and it's, you know, daily
there's a new issue that pops up or you know,
a new idea. But from a national standpoint, people you
talk to around Major League Baseball, even though they're the
overwhelming favorite to still win the World Series, what are
the issues that people on the outside of LA see
(04:28):
what the Dodgers moving forward?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Well, just said that they're not that super team. I mean,
they're a good team obviously, like you said, it's still
the favorite to get to the World Series and win it,
but not like nobody would be shocked if if they didn't,
you'd be shocked. And they make a playoffs, but just
with with the all the pitching increes you have, uh
you know who's gonna be there almost a little bit
(04:52):
like last year. And you've had some trouble with that
offense too. I'm going to see you know, Mokie Bett's
struggle this year, Fredie Freeman. It's been erratic monthsay you
know it is now hurt. You know, he's been erratic.
You know, Tommy Emmen, you know, on and on. So
uh yeah, just the you know, we'll see David versus
clients that thing. But just Glias not nearly as as
(05:14):
strong as we thought. There's some flaws there, and uh,
we'll see what happens. And I really think they need
show Tommy to pitch like the Otani of old where
you know, you know, need him in August, in September,
they'll come playoff time if I need him to pitch,
you know, six innings in playoff games.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah. Bob Nightingale joins US from USA today Bob. You know,
speaking of of injuries and where the Dodgers are, what
do you see them doing at the uh at the
trade deadline? If anything? I know they're gonna get a
lot of guys back from injury, but uh, do they
make some major moves? Do they get another left handed bat?
(05:56):
Do they bring another pitcher on board? I mean, what
what do you think the Dodgers do at the deadline?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
You know, I can't see him bringing another reliever aboard,
just because they've been banged up in a bullpen and
they haven't had that lights out guy. And you know,
they thought they had it with you know, with Kirby
and Scott and both of had injuries and there's been
some struggles there. So you know, they're not going to
be desperate for a leever, so I'd be surprised and
they don't scour the market and bring another arm in there.
(06:25):
Then go from there, you know, and then you get
someone from the bench that sort of thing that's not
can be a high price tag or anything like that.
But I do think they need a reliever. I think
if they go into the going to a final two
months without getting one. In a Milla word, come playoff.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Time, Bob, what have you heard about the potential of
Paul Skeens getting dealt? I don't know if this year
makes any sense. I don't know if any year makes
any sense. But with where the Pirates are at, I
think you might have made the point last night on
social media that last night was the second time in
Paul Skeen's career he's gotten more than one run support
(07:00):
in the first inning from his team. So I just
it feels like not that he's wasting away there, but
that there's a lot of potential there being wasted potentially
on a franchise. It's not going to be in consideration
for the playoffs or the World Series. So have you
heard anything about the likelihood of him maybe getting traded
this year?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Next? Now?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
You know, maybe one day before he's a free agent.
But he just means so much to the to the franchise,
the community, everything like that. I mean, kind of a
roll model in baseball. Uh you know, so he's like
trading away at young Kershaw. You almost see what kind
of career he has and if he can stay healthy.
But it's say they just can't do that. I mean,
(07:42):
they're playing a beautiful ballpark too. They just need ownership
to start to spend some money. And I think if
they they try to trade awayh a skime, a guy
like Paul's schemes, and then you get you got real trouble.
I mean, I can see the people just boycotting and
burning down the stadium or what have you. Just just
do viable.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
They stopped showing up like the Dodgers did when Frank
McCourt owned the team. Here up, Hey, Bob, you mentioned
you mentioned Otani and you know the Dodgers is gonna
need him in October. How do you how do you
utilize him leading up to that? I mean, I know
they he went to last outing in San Francisco, he
(08:21):
went three innings. Do you keep building him up so
he can get to a point where he's throwing six, seven,
eight innings.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I don't. I think they're you know, I really believe
that they wanted to. He could have started the season
on time. I think he just slow played it. Say
you know what, We're gonna save our bullets for the postseason.
We're not going to uh take any chances of him
having a tired arm. It's been a while since he pitched,
so I'd be surprised if he ever pishes more than
(08:51):
five innings before before the playoffs. I think they want
to be cautious with him. You know, you know they're
gonna win the division anyone like they leave him to
get into the playoffs. So I think they'll be extremely
cautious and just like you know some of the other
guys too and say, okay, now come playoff time. You know,
now we'll take off the leash. You can, you can
(09:12):
do whatever you want.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Now you mentioned obviously they're going to win the division.
What do you see as a threat in the NL,
whether it is a division, whether it's somebody else in
the league that you look at and go that could
be a problem matchup wise for the Dodgers if they
were to meet in the postseason. With the injuries and
the pitching stuff that's gone on with the team this year.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I think the team that can be scary to the
Dodgers that are the Phillies. On the Phillies have Zach
Wheeler right now, win the Cy Young Awards. So if
you're the Phillies, you'll take You'll take willdover any any
Dodger pitcher. And then they get other great ones too
with the Rangers, Forrest Christopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola. That rotation
(09:54):
very tough. They need to get a reliever. Just a
lot of things down, and I think it'd be a
very GRISTI the deadline, and this team is built to
win right now. They've been very disappointing there just the
fact they haven't won a World Series in uh, you know,
a lot of stars. The windows closing. So I think
that would be the National League that the biggest threat
(10:16):
to the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And narrowing that down into the Division, Bob. I mean
a lot of people believe that the Giants, even though
they got off to a hot start, believed that they
would fade. They weren't quite ready and maybe were a
year or two away. But they've maintained their status and
it looks like they're going to be right there to
the end. Do you see it being a three team
race going forward with the with the Dodgers and the
(10:39):
Giants and the Padres, because Arizona seems like they're falling
off a cliff.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, and I think Arizona's done. I can't see the
Potters or Giants staying with them. And the Giants, Chad,
they made the big tray of rockiel endeavors. But then
you know it's sound like you made them, you know,
really done anything for those guys. You know, they're they've
been fine the pod range. You take me the first
two weeks, they're a blow five hundred team. So I
don't see anybody challenging Dodgers. I really don't. I know,
(11:07):
last year we got you know, interesting, you know, down
down the stretch, But I don't see anybody pushing them.
If you're if you're you know, team in the National
League West, you said, man, here's the Dodgers had fourteen
fifteen pitchers in the injury list. You've used three six
pitchers and they still get a comfortable lead. And what's
going to happen when these guys get everybody back. So
(11:27):
that that's why I think they just I think these
next two months are just a kind of address rehearsal
for October.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
So we were kind of mentioning that, you know, baseball's
it feels like it's it's hot again, that you know,
they All Star game was fun last night. There's a
lot of buzz obviously in town. Best team in baseball,
the Dodgers going for another World Series and then Bob,
I see on the USA today you're talking about the
potential of the next labor war that could be coming
in the term institutional collusion by Tony Clark, who's the
(11:57):
executive director of the MLB the PA. It just where
do we how likely is that? And what is the
real hang up here? Is it just the salary cap?
Is it is? Is that where we're at? Like, what
is what is the real issue here for simpler terms
for people listening, and what could they expect if this
were to come up in the next couple of years.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yeah, because they're a labor agreement expires at the end
of you know, twenty twenty six. Uh, you know, December
twenty twenty six. But yeah, the owners of stuff want
a salary cap and say, wait a minute, now, we're
the only sport without one. You know, they're looking to
Dodgers payroll, the Mets payroll. It's like five times the
size of teams like Miami and Pittsburgh. You know a
(12:41):
lot of it too. It's just you know, you know,
the NFL, you have everybody making the same amount of money,
you know, TV wise, where in you know, baseball, you
and the Dodgers get about you know, three hundred and
thirty million dollars a year off their you know, local
TV rights for a lot of teams are again about thirty
five million a year. So that's that's when the owners
want to step in and do something thing. You know,
the union is going to say, you know what, we're
(13:02):
still the strongest union and all the sports. We're not
going to allow that to happen. So it's almost like
everybody's already braced themselves for just a lockout, but you know,
at least not until after next season, you know, so
I think baseball is so we get it, you know,
keep that popularity up. You know, at least the NFL
training camp start up in by the week, so they
(13:24):
got they got the next week to themselves until that happened.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, because it would be all NFL after that. But
is it sustainable, Bob, the way it's going and what
you see the spending of teams like you know, the Dodgers,
the Mets, the Phillies and the Yankees and then you
you like you mentioned you throw in Pittsburgh and teams
like that in Tampa Bay. Is that sustainable if they
(13:48):
don't do.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Something, well, I mean, I ken't say the Royals they
won in twenty fifteen. That's the last small market that
won the World Series. But you know, we haven't had
to repeat series champions since ninety eight, you know, two
thousand with the Yankees. You know, there's been nothing like
you know what the Kensee Chiefs had done, anything like that.
(14:11):
You know, there's been no no real dynasty by the
Houston Astros of the closest you know, since twenty sixteen,
seventeen they've won. They have been in the World Series
four times, won two of them. But so that's what
you know. The Union argues and that it's wide open
once come playoff time, and teams will say that too,
but you hate that when the season starts, you're looking
(14:33):
at teams like the Pirates and Athletics and things like that, saying, well,
they have no chance to compete. You look into calad
Rockies and they're going they should set the all time
record for losses. You just hate to see that. You know,
for the fans, it's like, all right, you're ringing for
these teams, and you know you're hoping that they'd be
competitive maybe five years from now.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
The one thing that I always find interesting about the
Dodgers in the way that they're viewed as well. Oh,
you know, they're buying championships, are doing this, it's deferred money,
and of course they go out and get this guy.
But then people forget the success they've had with their
farm system and just how stable the organization is as
a whole. It doesn't strike me as a team that's
just going out there and buying championships like it strikes
(15:17):
me as somebody who from the bottom up have built
a really really successful organization. And I'll be honest with you,
it feels like a lot of that is just excuse
making by other teams in Major League Baseball who just
either don't want to spend the money or are being
outworked and out thought by the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Yeah, no, you're right. I mean they've developed and uh
you know, draft and developed better than anybody. I mean,
for them to come up with these you know guys
like you know, like like you know, Will Smith and
some of these other players, you know, they they draft
him and they draft you know, last or next to
last every year. They're not so of these teams that
have the top five picks, because they're always good. And
(16:00):
I think they developed burning anybody. Now, some rival teams
will say, well, they got some money, so much money
that you know, they're giving the players the best food,
lodging and training anything else, but you know, and that
sort of thing. But no, they they do it right
and uh and they use those prospects to get you know,
to get guys. I mean, maybe they could trade from
(16:20):
Mookie Betts. The Diners are the ones who did it. Uh,
maybe could have signed Freddy Freeman then you know that
termed me a pretty cheap contract. You know, only of
the Dodgers did it. So they're making moves that are
burning bells too. And I agree. I think a lot
of it is just jealousy.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Yeah, and we love every minute of it here in LA.
Bob hey Man, thanks so much for joining us and
taking time to chat with us. Man. We always love
your insight. Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Thanks Bob, sure my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Thank you think our guys thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
There he goes Bob Knight and Gil hey Jonas. I
think there might be some issues in uh Cincinnati with
one of their draft picks. Yeah, let's get into that
next ah Am five seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
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Speaker 3 (17:21):
Road Trip All summer with LA Sports.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
We are back. Rodney Pete Jonas knocked big. Thanks to
Bob Nightingale for joining us. Man is always dialed in
USA Today. MLB staff rider and insider Jonas. I saw
this this morning, man, and I know you're all over it,
but Cincinnati is being Cincinnati. When I say Cincinnati, I'm in.
(17:45):
The Bengals, the Bungles, the whatever you want to call them,
are being Cincinnati with their first round draft draft pick,
Shamar Stewart. And it's not just it doesn't seem like
it's a typical impasse where it's just a you know,
ordinary contract dispute over a few dollars here and there.
(18:06):
It's it's more than that.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Right, Yeah. It's basically Shamar Stewart is asking for the
same contract that the Bengals gave out last year to
their first round pick and before, and the Bengals are
trying to set some new precedent when it comes to
how they can get out of the deal. And how
(18:28):
they you know, offsets and all that, and he's saying, well,
can I just have the one from last year? And
the Bengals are refusing and it's just another nickel and
dime approach by the Cincinnati Bengals, who find themselves and
by the way, for people listening, going, how does this
apply to the Well, it applies to the Dodgers, and
we'll explain, because the Bengals have got this happening while
(18:51):
they've got Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks
last year, who wants a deal and they're not getting
that done.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And he's nowhere to be found. He's not showing up.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
No, and why would he. I mean, to put it
into perspective, Miles Garrett just signed for forty million dollars.
Trey Hendrickson is getting like less than half of that,
and so he's like, can I get a bump please?
Max Crosby got a bump, like everybody got a bump.
And you know, meanwhile, Jerry Jones and is just waiting
around because he loves to wait around as long as
possible to get deals done for Micah Parsons. But it
(19:23):
just it goes to show you that organizations who operate
like that always have this crap pop up all the time.
And it's that's why we bring up the point with
Bob Nightingale about the Dodgers, like, hey, man, like you
could say whatever you want about all they just buy
all their championships and they do all this, and man,
(19:44):
it's more than that. That's such a lazy and ned
Keletti's broken this down multiple times on the show before.
That's such a lazy, cop out, candy ass excuse by
other teams in Major League Baseball who just can't accept
the fact that no, no, you're being outworked, you're being outspent, yes,
but you're being out worked. And the Dodgers have figured
(20:05):
this thing out from the bottom up. And then you
see situations like the Bengals and what they're doing with
their first round pick, who just wants not asking for
anything more, just the same deal you gave the guy
last year. Nah, we're gonna try. And like Ronnie, I
don't need to tell you this. You've you've dealt with
organizations like this. I mean, this is just like it
just seems like the usual suspects again, Yet they're the
(20:26):
ones on the outside complaining what other teams are good.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Yeah, and you wonder, I mean fans wonder, and they
shouldn't wonder anymore. Why the Bengals, I mean they've they've
despite the dysfunction of the management and the ownership and
and and the fact that they got a great quarterback
fall in their lap because they were so horrible and
(20:50):
Joe Burrow that keeps them afloat and keeps them in
it every single year. They are a horrible organizations and
it's the reason why they stay where they are, you know.
And like you said, we just talked to Bob, and
there's you know, there's there's teams out there in Major
League Baseball that will always be there until ownership changes
(21:10):
their philosophy and changes their strategy or sell the team.
Right at the end of the day, sell the team.
If you can't compete to where sports are now, then
you need to sell the team and get out of
the business. Because he's not asking for anything more than
what is standard number one. And they're trying to put
(21:34):
clauses in that. I believe one of them is, you know,
we're only gonna give you half of your signing bonus
or half of your signing bonus that's really in the NFL,
that's really the only guaranteed money you get, especially early,
and we're gonna, you know, peace mail that out over
over time. And if you happen to get in trouble
(21:57):
or you do something that we don't don't like, then
we can hold back your signing bonus.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
It's like, just do the deal you did last year, Like,
why make this so complicated? I don't I don't understand.
And that's why, Like you made the comment kind of
in passing with with Bob when we spoke to him
about Frank McCourt like, well, yeah, listen, they just won't
show up, Like that's a I think people sort of
I don't know, And I know Dodger fans remember this
(22:25):
because that's probably why they love the team as much
as they do now, because they remember what it was
like back then, Like they remember those days where.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
It was Nick Glenn Dimon trying to.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
The constant chaos, and you know, he cares more about,
you know, what he's making in the parking lot than
he does what he's made. It's like all of those
things that they came along with it, and I just
I hope that people in town truly appreciate the unprecedented
run that the organization is on because there are and
(22:56):
you could go to any sport anywhere, and there's a
fan base somewhere that will tell you you have no
idea how good you have it, Like you literally have
no idea. Like there's like, hey, you lost to the
to the to the Padres in the playoffs. You lost
to the Diamondbacks in the playoffs. Totally get it. Disappointing,
not the way anybody wanted, But damn you know how
(23:17):
nice it is to have a shot every year, every
single year for like a decade plus, you've got a
shot to win it all and are either in the
mix close to being in the mix. And I think
sometimes you get you get caught up in the well
how many did they win?
Speaker 2 (23:33):
The whole?
Speaker 3 (23:33):
Like there there are fluke things that happen in playoff
runs every year. You could go back to any moment
in any playoff run. Man, if if Freddy doesn't win,
it doesn't hit that walk off, who knows, who knows?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
If the game was there, they were two out away
from winning that game.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
And if if you know, the Yankees don't have that
meltdown in Game five, I believe was Game six supposed
to be a bullpen game? Yeah, like who knows? And
then you get to a seventh game and it's anybody's game. Yeah,
anybody's game. And so you could go through. There are
moments that happen throughout the course of the playoffs, especially
in the World Series or stuff like that, to where, man,
(24:11):
you just never know. The Rams winning the Super Bowl,
if you speaking of the Bengals, if you want to
go back and watch that Super Bowl again, Cincinnati probably
should have won that game, Like, if we're being fair
since he but there was there was a couple.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
They were driving to win at the end despite all
the other stuff. They were driving to win the game
and Aaron Donald got the sack right and it was
all over. But they were driving to win.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
And there's there's a couple of moments and plays that
happen in every championship format, every playoff that you look
at and go, man, if one thing happens here, that
changes the course of history potentially, But the whole goal
is at least get there, and then you got a shot.
The Dodgers are there every year and maybe they're not
able to or don't want to outbid somebody at the
(24:54):
deadline and they go into the into the playoffs and
it's like, well, they've got all these issues and there's
there's injuries, and now you're asking Tawny to pitch more
than what you whatever it is, they're going to have
a shot. And that's that to me. That's all you
can ask.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
All you want from a fan. It's got to be
all you want. I know, we're greedy here in LA
and yes, on paper, it's like you should win every
single year. It doesn't work that way. Don't work that way.
There's more than twenty six great baseball players in the
world right and they're spread out over different teams in
Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
You can't have everybody.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
I mean you can't.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
The Dodgers are trying, like we can't. They're really giving
it a really good effort, everybody they are.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
And you know, I don't want to talk about, you know,
the trip so much that I was just done with
with Magic. But we had several conversations about different things.
But one of them was the climate of ownership nowadays
and that you know, to be successful, it's no longer
(25:58):
you can't be the mom and pop anymore. No, you
can't be the mom and pop shop and expect to
win championships. You got to put your money where your
mouth is, and if you can't, you should not own
a team.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
So this is a true story. I heard somebody make
a point or make the statement within the last week.
And I'm not trying to piss off Kevin Figures because
it's the last thing I'm trying to do here, all right,
I want that.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
I'm watching body himself like he's right now.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I don't want to have a knock on the door
from him and his son and they just beat my ass,
Like I don't want that. I don't want those issues.
I'll just say this. I heard somebody make the comment
in the last week or so. Man, you know, like
one of the true surprises in Major League Baseball is
the Angels and the way the Angels have played in
the first half. There are two games under five hundred.
(26:51):
What are we talking about here? But for that organization,
it's so much better than it's been that two games
under five hundred, and there's some optimism. Meanwhile, a generational
player that was in the building went an hour away
and has become a rocket ship like it just like
(27:12):
that that tells you everything you need to know about
like some organizations and they the way they're owned and
operated in sports, and there's nothing you could do about that.
I was doing some research on this just as far
as the NFL goes. So in the last ten years,
nineteen teams in the NFL have a below five hundred record,
(27:37):
which means two thirds of the NFL, for the most part,
has no shot winning a Super Bowl every single year. Like,
imagine that as a fan knowing going into a season, oh, yeah,
I got no shot here. It's just not happening. Like,
you're still gonna root for him, You're still gonna be
a fan, You're s but there's just no shot here.
(27:58):
Every year, the dodg either will come up with a plan,
come up with a plan B, or come up with
some sort of a solution to at least give themselves
a shot. And when you see stories like the Bengals
nickel and diming their first round pick, who is only
asking for the same thing you gave somebody the previous draft,
it just goes to show you really got to appreciate
(28:18):
this run because I don't know that we're ever going
to see it.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
You do, you do, and we can't emphasize that enough.
And yeah, we get calls and people want to they
want to complain, they want to say this and that,
and I can't. Oh my god, over the years, Jonas,
I'm sure you heard it too. Oh, we got to
fire Dave Roberts, fire and fire and fire them and
get rid of this and get rid of this guy.
And Andrew Friedman doesn't know what he's doing. And why
(28:41):
do we say? They will do whatever it takes. And
as a fan, you have to appreciate that, whether it's
you know, signing guys in the offseason or at the
trade deadline. They've done that. Remember they went out and
got Max Suzer and Trey Turner years ago.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Yep, I mean, and ran the risk of not being
able to keep either of those guys.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Exactly, and they didn't. They still try, they didn't. They
went for it, and so you got to appreciate that because,
like you said, I've been there and it's amazing. And
one of those teams that I was on that was
not operated right was the Detroit Lions, and it's amazing
that there was. Well there's change in who's running things,
(29:26):
but the family still owns the team. The Ford family
still owns the team. It's just a different person that's
kind of running the show now. The daughter has taken
over and she is like, no nonsense. But they have
done a one't eighty of what they used to be.
They used to be the Bengals. They used to operate
(29:48):
like that. We would have guys that were having great
years that didn't want much, just pay me on par
with the top twenty linebackers. That it didn't go, well,
we can't do it. We're gonna have to let you go,
and the guy goes The guy goes to Baltimore and
(30:08):
is a five time pro bowler. I mean, it's just
it's just things like that that we used to happen
on a regular basis. And the thing that the scary
part about it, which is what Cincinnati is going through,
is that every three five years or so, they'll make
a nice run, right and they'll get to the playoffs.
They say, see, we don't need it, we don't need
(30:30):
to spend that extra money. This will hold us over
for another five years of doing business a terrible way.
And that's what the Bengals do. They got to the
super Bowl and they like, we're not gonna get Joe
Burrow here help. We're not gonna you know why, We're
not gonna. We're not gonna do anything to help this
team get over the hump because we just went to
(30:50):
the super Bowl, so we're good.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
Carson Palmer was so disenchanted with this time in Cincinnati.
The guy retired, He literally said, I can't be here anymore,
and then he and then he ends up. He ends
up with the Raiders for a cup of coffee with
Hugh Jackson and then goes to Arizona. It's a great run,
Like I had a great run in Arizona, and there
was some some bad injury luck there, but he was
(31:12):
great in Arizona. And that guy just was like, I
can't I can't deal with this crap anymore. I gotta go,
like I gotta go, and I'll retire.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Way to get out, I will retire. I mean, how
bad of an organization do you have to be when
your franchise quarterback says I would rather retire.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I'd rather not play the game I love then.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Play with this organization. I think that's horrible.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I think that's also why there was the excitement, because look,
when when the Lakers are not owned by the Buses.
That's that's a world I don't think anybody thought that
they would ever live in. Like, I don't think you
just assumed. But when when there's such optimism after a
move like that, and the reason why there's optimism is
(31:59):
because is oh, that guy's connected to the Dodgers. That
tells you everything you need to know because you're looking
at it going oh, well, I mean if he could
do that here, let's go like that. That's all you're
asking for is just give us a better opportunity than
what we've had. And it's been a legendary run for
the Bus family. But when you see Mark Walter come
(32:21):
in and you see the success he had with the
Dodgers as being hey, here's my resume, need anything else, No,
that'll do. We're good here, that'll do based on everything
you've done with them, I just yeah, I think there's
so many we can get caught up in the complaints.
You know so and so should have done this last year.
For example, trade deadline comes around, the Dodgers go out
(32:45):
and trade for Tommy Edmund. Yeah, guy hadn't even played
literally off risk surgery, had not even played won the
NLCS MVP like nobody else was making that move. So
like when you hear all these people bitch about Waltz
the money they spend and they're just they're buying players
and all this. Dude, you could have had Tommy Edmund.
(33:06):
But they looked at it and said, even though there's
the medicals, we like the opportunity, we like the upside,
and he ended up being one of the more clutch
players they've had in the playoffs, and he's been a
great Dodger. So I just think there are so many
organizations and so many fan bases out there that make excuses.
Proof is in the pudding, put in the work, and
then if you have to spend a little bit, you
(33:27):
got to spend a little bit. But at least you're
in contention for a World Series every single year.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Absolutely, And on the on the Tommy Edmonds thing, man,
they it wasn't just to spur of the moment. They
had their sights on him, yeah, for years, right, And
that's the difference. It wasn't like, oh, oh, let's just
go get Tommy Edmonds. He's hurt and blah blah blah,
Oh we'll just take a fly. No, they they had
their eyes on him for years and believe that he
(33:55):
would be a great Dodger. Yeah, and they finally the
opportunity presented itself and they they sign him. Before we
bring I want to get your thoughts on on what
Fred suggests, which is if you're an organization and you're
not doing well and you finish in the bottom to
get regulated like the Premier League and over in Europe.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Oh you mean dropping out, drop down.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
And you get regulated if you're if you're in the
bottom tier of Major Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Okay it is. I do like it from the standpoint
that you can't just operate on the cheap and you know, win,
you know, in Major League Baseball, for example, win sixty
seventy games a year and then you know, still be
rewarded with you know, getting to play at that then
get all the revenue shares and all that stuff. So
I I do like that aspect of it. But that's
(34:49):
just not happening. Nice. It's just it's just not happening.
And by the way, for some of those organizations, like
without knowing it, or probably with knowing it, you do
serve as kind of a fear farm, a feeder system
to other teams that are actually serious about winning. So
that's why. You know, like a guy like Paul Skins,
at some point he's.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Like that, no, hay, no very soon, And if they're smart,
they'll do it sooner rather than later. Yeah, like I
all they gotta do is look up at the angels
and go, oh, we better, we better do something before
it gets to the last year of his contract. One
of the biggest how about that you you don't get
anything for show he Otani. You don't get any Kevin.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Kevin, preach it to the choir.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
You're telling me, Rodney, I'll say it. Two years before
he was a free agent.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
So the team ain't winning with Mike's routing his prime
and showy o' tan you playing the way he's playing,
So what the hell are we doing?
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I would have shit them out two years before he
was a free agent. But Kevin, there is a player. Kevin.
They're they're they're one of the surprises of major League
baseball at forty seven and forty nine.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
You know there, Oh, not to stick the knife in
and twist it, Kevin, but you know, just just had
to brother, had to Oh, all right, we get up. Hey,
second half is coming around the corner for the Dodgers
in Major League Baseball. Let's get into that a little bit.
(36:20):
On the other side.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Make Am five to seventy LA Sports a preset before
you plug in your foote presets in the iHeartRadio app
now available with Apple car Play and Android autom Just
another easy way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
Oh nice and smooth on a hump day. Rodney Pete
Jonas knocks in for Fred Rogan. It's been good. We're
gonna get into some more MLB talking second half of
the season. What the Dodgers is gonna do, should do
all that kind of stuff in the second foot.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
All right, and no.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
From the court to the courtroom with Jacob and Ronnie.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
But right now, yeah, we got to bring up my man.
I haven't talked to him in a minute, and uh, Jacob,
what's going on? Brother? How are you?
Speaker 5 (37:11):
Hello?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Hello? How are you ah doing well?
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Doing well? Yeah? Yeah, Jonas? And for Fred Jacob, so,
how you been man? Hey Jacob. So, not to not
to beat you down around on the first question or
anything like that, but are you you know, in your
discussions at dinner with Lebron how are things going? Brother?
(37:39):
Are you smoothing everything over. Are you are you making
are you making peace with the family.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
You know, it's so interesting that in Laker you know,
Laker Nation, there's never a summer where there's not some
aspect of a drama. Right, you know, there's always going
to be something, Everyone's always going to report something. But
I think, you know, at the end of the day,
(38:06):
we all have to look at the logic. Right, We're
lucky to have Lebron, he's still playing well, We're going
to have them as part of our team this year.
I think the Lakers are going to continue to look
for other traits. I don't think we're done. And you know,
(38:27):
I'm one of the few that's happy that we got Aighton.
I actually think that people come to La to resurrect
their careers, and I think we've seen Lonnie Walker, we
saw Malik Monk, we saw all these people who came
in and then we're able to turn one year playing
for the Lakers into a you know, big contract afterwards.
(38:49):
And I think Ayton comes in Hungary and when you
really look at it, I know that most people are
probably disappointed with what the Lakers did in the summer,
but we really just you know, lost story in Finney Smith,
and we brought on board Ayton and Jake Larebia and
I still think again, as I said, there's some trades
that Rob's working on. So you know, let's stay positive.
(39:12):
Lebron's going to be in training camp based on what
is being reported, and you know, with Lebron, you know,
often into fifty three million dollars. I think I think
he knows that there's no way he's going to go
anywhere else, and I think he's okay with it. Let's
let's see what we do this year.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Do you have any issue, Jacob with the reports that
are out there that you know, the Lakers have been
having conversations about the future of the organization, plans, et cetera,
with Luca and maybe not filling in Lebron and all that.
Speaker 5 (39:45):
You know, I think it's all reports right, you know.
I think at the end of the day, this is
a business being run. The Lakers everything Lebron came over,
have done a great job working with him and his
team in order to make sure that they do things
the way Lebron is happy. And I think now they've
(40:08):
brought us second superstar on and Luca and you need
to make sure Luca is happy, and you know that
Luca is the future. And I don't know why anybody
would feel offended that the Lakers, you know, as reported,
are going to be doing stuff for the future. Any company,
any business, you know, sets themselves up that way, and
(40:31):
they're lucky enough right now to have both Luca and Lebron.
And I don't think anybody is confirmed that they haven't
said anything to Lebron. I think it's all this reporting.
I think anytime anyone talks about Lakers and you know,
the drama as we started talking, it gets a lot
of you know, attention, and I think you've been hearing
reporting on both sides of it. So you know, I'm
(40:54):
just excited for these months to go by so we
can get the NBA because these started. Yeah, you know,
I'm going I'm going to be, you know, in Vegas
for my son's tournament this weekend, and I want to
go see some you know, I want to go see
some Summer League action. And I'm just I'm just dying
for the season to start again.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
No, I hear you, I hear you, man, and and
all of it again, most of it is is just
talk and and just get to the season. I think
that you know, whatever happens, it's not going to be
drastic for for this year. We will see what happens
going forward, but it's not going to be drastic for
this year.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Jacob. I'm sorry, righty, I just have a question for
Jacob on the You know, when you talk about going
to see your son play, if there's any sort of
disagreement between you and the official, do you ever drop
the Do you ever drop the do you know who
I am?
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Or google me?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Like you just wondering do you do you flex that
muscle or how does that work?
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Now?
Speaker 5 (41:54):
You know, I'm a parent and I'm one of those
I'm one of those parents that you know, it's vocal
at the games and if I go to a game,
they're gonna hear me. You know, I've had my back
and forth.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Now, you coach, are you coaching? Are you coaching this tournament?
Or you are you just being a parent this tournament?
Speaker 3 (42:15):
No?
Speaker 5 (42:15):
No, no, I'm being a parent on this one. Okay,
you know I'm being a parent. But you know, even
sitting from the sidelines, you know I'm vocal about it.
I make you know, But you know, having my boys
been playing basketball for so long. A lot of these
refs know me already, so you know, it's it's all good.
They know I'm going to talk and they're going to
give me the look, and you know I'm going to
(42:36):
enjoy it as long as I can. But I'm not
a quiet parent, Let's put it that way.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
Hey, are you and me both? I'm sad to report
that because I was, like you, Jacob, I coached my
younger boys in baseball, and we you know, much like basketball,
there's always a travel tournament, and there's a tournament everywhere.
And there was a tournament where I was just a parent,
but I couldn't just a parent, and I actually got
(43:03):
I actually got ejected from the uh from the field.
I did. I did. It was embarrassing. It was a
tournament in Arizona. This tournament in Arizona, my son and
the umpire was bad. It was you think Angel her
you think Angel Hernandez is bad. This umpire was horrible.
(43:25):
And he couldn't get the balls and strikes right. He
couldn't get anything right. So my son hits a ball
down the left field line and clearly chalk flies up right,
flies up. Everybody sees it. Calls it, calls it foul,
calls it foul, and and this is late in the game.
(43:47):
He calls it foul. So I'm going and like other
people were going crazy, but I was probably I'm the
loudest one. So I was, did you not see the
chalk fly up? What is wrong with you? Blah blah
blah blah blah. And He's like, enough, enough, enough enough,
you guys, I don't want to hear it enough. And
so so the very the very next pitch, the very nextitch,
(44:14):
my son, it's a bomb inside over the fence, inside,
inside the foul pole. And I couldn't help it. I
couldn't help it down the same line, left field line.
But it was fair. It was went over clearly a
home run. And I had to say to him, was
(44:36):
that effing fair?
Speaker 5 (44:43):
I love it? I love you? He wrung me, so
you know, I got to share this. Very similarly, I
use a line very often, you know, when when there's
a there's a foul call that we know was not
a foul and the other team goes to the line
(45:06):
and they miss. I have to always use Rashid Wallace's
line ball don't lie, don't lie, Let me tell you
I get I get those looks. I get those looks.
But you know that just that just fuels me because
that ball don't lie.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
And you know that gets under their skin so bad too.
They hate that lie. They hate that lie, all right, Jacob,
So listen, our listeners always love when you give us advice. Man,
tell us about when you get hit by a business
vehicle or a business truck. Now you know, and is
(45:48):
the person who's driving that fault or do you go
after the company? How does that work?
Speaker 5 (45:53):
Yeah? So that's a that that that's a very you know,
often confused situation because you know, I hear people calling
us and they say I got hit and it was
FedEx or ups or Amazon or this and that, and
they're confused, are we going after the drivers? Are you
going to have enough money? Is it the company? And
(46:14):
it's just important for everybody to know that part of
the reason that it's so important after you're in an
accident to always ask, you know, the driver to not
only give you his driver's license, but you also get
the registration of the vehicle because it's important to know
who the car is registered to. And you know, when
(46:37):
you get hit by a commercial truck, or by a
business even vehicle, then the business and the insurance for
the business is always going to be on the hook.
The driver as an employee of that business, is an
extension of that business, and you know it is going
(46:57):
to be part of the coverage that the business car
truck trailer actually provides. And when it comes to accidents,
even though accidents are not a good thing, but when
the other party is a commercial vehicle, at least there's
some positivity there because most of the time commercial insurances
(47:22):
have a limitation to have a big policy and money
coverage and that helps individuals our clients who are badly
injured to continue to treat what the doctors without being limited.
Remember we've talked in the past that California required a
minimum amount of coverage if anybody is driving, and that
(47:45):
used to be only fifteen thousand dollars, And that may
sound like a lot of money, but when you go
to a chiropractor, a fame management doctor, get an MRI,
all that money is sucked up. Recently, as of January first,
California and all the policies that are renewing in California
are going to have a minimum of thirty thousand dollars,
(48:08):
so it's better, but trust me, it's it's nowhere enough
if somebody's badly injured. And that's why commercial and business
trucks carry a bigger policy, and if you get hit
by one of them, it is important for you to
call us or any attorney that you trust and make
sure that you do things correctly because the bigger the policy,
the stronger and the more the insurance company is going
(48:31):
to fight. And it's important for you to do things
correctly for your health.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
A hundred. Always good stuff, Jacob. We always appreciate you
coming on man and sharing your insight. Always good. Thank
you so much, brother.
Speaker 5 (48:44):
Thanks guys. Miss being on with you guys, but we're
back on. Talk to you too, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
They NFL has said the players can play. What about MLB.
Let's get into it, Jonas, Let's do it
Oh yes, And we continue on on this hump day
this Wednesday. Jonas Knox in with me for Fred. It's
it's a good day. It's a good day. We talked
a lot earlier in the show about the All Star
Game and the format and and what it means. Let's
(00:23):
continue that discussion and talk about the Dodgers in the
second half with our man Bob Nightingale from USA Today. Bob,
how are you, man?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah? Doing great? How about you guys?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
We are good, We are good.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
So you were down there in Atlanta in one hundred
thousand degrees in a thousand degrees humidity down there in Atlanta.
How was it for you?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah? You know, I I live in Phoenix. I'll take
one hundred and fifteen in Phoenix for nineion degrees.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Well, yeah, you walk outside and you just start sweating.
You to bring three or four shirts with you wherever
you go. But what did you What did you think, Bob,
overall of the the last couple of days and what
they did in Atlanta, what Major League Baseball has done.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, it was good. I mean the All Star Game
at first looked like another typical All Star game. Just
time made that by the pitchers look boring, and then
you know, Alonzo gets that three run homer, then you
kind of get excited. And then of course the biggest
come back in you know, All Star history when that
nationally was up six to so you know, blew it.
(01:34):
And then you know it was a gimmick, but you know,
kind of little many home runnder me. So, yeah, it
provided entertainment, and it's by the first All Star Game. Yes,
provide that kind of entertainment and quite a while.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Is this something that you could see major League Baseball?
Obviously it went to a tie, so they had the
swing off, which was awesome and I can't find anybody
who wasn't a fan of it. But could you see
major League Baseball maybe trying to work that in to
an All Star Game moving forward? Maybe well listen, if
it's not a tie, maybe uh, you know, midway through
the fifth we we put a wrinkle onto things. It
(02:08):
just it felt like they stumbled across something that everybody
was a big fan of last night.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, I mean the only downside of it, you know,
you you had to get guys that were still there.
You know, it's like a single someone says, hey, why
not Aaron judge, why is you know Tani in there?
All those guys are long gone. You know, it's like
those guys weren't sticking around for all nine innings, So
it'd be really something if you had you know, the
biggest starts in there. You know, one question that came
(02:38):
up and Aaron Boone talked about it, you know, could
he ever see it in regular season games? You know,
instead going a tenth inning you have something like that,
you know, and the guys are time. You know, maybe
one day, you know, it's uh, you know, it's such
a gimmick. You know, things going to happen. But we
didn't think we'd see a pitch clock or runner on
second base either, so you never know.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Bob, what did you uh, well, first of all, what
are your thoughts on on the A B S system
and and then secondly how it was used last night?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah? No, I mean, uh, I like the challenge part.
I don't like just a few full uh computer system.
And I love the fact the umpires are in the game,
and uh, you know you have the umpire player, you know,
manager interaction. I'm already with replay. They don't have those
same confresations we used to have you know with lou Panella,
(03:31):
you know, kicking bases and throwing stuff and earl Weaver
and all that. So at least you know, if you uh,
if you do wave completely, you know, there's no reason
you're not gonna what you do, argue with the computer
and then pull you know, pull out the power chord
something like that. It's not it's not the same. So
(03:52):
a challenge system, I'm fine with that as long as
you you know, limit to like you know, maybe just
two per game or so. Then you have friend it's like, okay,
are you really gonna let your number eight or nine
hitters use it? Or just you know, all of the
big boys can use it in key situations, Bob.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
So obviously we're in the weeds here. You know, when
it comes to the Dodgers, and it's, you know, daily
there's a new issue that pops up or you know,
a new idea. But from a national standpoint, people you
talk to around Major League Baseball, even though they're the
overwhelming favorite to still win the World Series, what are
the issues that people on the outside of LA see
(04:28):
what the Dodgers moving forward?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Well, just said that they're not that super team. I mean,
they're a good team obviously, like you said, it's still
the favorite to get to the World Series and win it,
but not like nobody would be shocked if if they didn't,
you'd be shocked. And they make a playoffs, but just
with with the all the pitching increes you have, uh
you know who's gonna be there almost a little bit
(04:52):
like last year. And you've had some trouble with that
offense too. I'm going to see you know, Mokie Bett's
struggle this year, Fredie Freeman. It's been erratic monthsay you
know it is now hurt. You know, he's been erratic.
You know, Tommy Emmen, you know, on and on. So
uh yeah, just the you know, we'll see David versus
clients that thing. But just Glias not nearly as as
(05:14):
strong as we thought. There's some flaws there, and uh,
we'll see what happens. And I really think they need
show Tommy to pitch like the Otani of old where
you know, you know, need him in August, in September,
they'll come playoff time if I need him to pitch,
you know, six innings in playoff games.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah. Bob Nightingale joins US from USA today Bob. You know,
speaking of of injuries and where the Dodgers are, what
do you see them doing at the uh at the
trade deadline? If anything? I know they're gonna get a
lot of guys back from injury, but uh, do they
make some major moves? Do they get another left handed bat?
(05:56):
Do they bring another pitcher on board? I mean, what
what do you think the Dodgers do at the deadline?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
You know, I can't see him bringing another reliever aboard,
just because they've been banged up in a bullpen and
they haven't had that lights out guy. And you know,
they thought they had it with you know, with Kirby
and Scott and both of had injuries and there's been
some struggles there. So you know, they're not going to
be desperate for a leever, so I'd be surprised and
they don't scour the market and bring another arm in there.
(06:25):
Then go from there, you know, and then you get
someone from the bench that sort of thing that's not
can be a high price tag or anything like that.
But I do think they need a reliever. I think
if they go into the going to a final two
months without getting one. In a Milla word, come playoff.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Time, Bob, what have you heard about the potential of
Paul Skeens getting dealt? I don't know if this year
makes any sense. I don't know if any year makes
any sense. But with where the Pirates are at, I
think you might have made the point last night on
social media that last night was the second time in
Paul Skeen's career he's gotten more than one run support
(07:00):
in the first inning from his team. So I just
it feels like not that he's wasting away there, but
that there's a lot of potential there being wasted potentially
on a franchise. It's not going to be in consideration
for the playoffs or the World Series. So have you
heard anything about the likelihood of him maybe getting traded
this year?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Next? Now?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
You know, maybe one day before he's a free agent.
But he just means so much to the to the franchise,
the community, everything like that. I mean, kind of a
roll model in baseball. Uh you know, so he's like
trading away at young Kershaw. You almost see what kind
of career he has and if he can stay healthy.
But it's say they just can't do that. I mean,
(07:42):
they're playing a beautiful ballpark too. They just need ownership
to start to spend some money. And I think if
they they try to trade awayh a skime, a guy
like Paul's schemes, and then you get you got real trouble.
I mean, I can see the people just boycotting and
burning down the stadium or what have you. Just just
do viable.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
They stopped showing up like the Dodgers did when Frank
McCourt owned the team. Here up, Hey, Bob, you mentioned
you mentioned Otani and you know the Dodgers is gonna
need him in October. How do you how do you
utilize him leading up to that? I mean, I know
they he went to last outing in San Francisco, he
(08:21):
went three innings. Do you keep building him up so
he can get to a point where he's throwing six, seven,
eight innings.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I don't. I think they're you know, I really believe
that they wanted to. He could have started the season
on time. I think he just slow played it. Say
you know what, We're gonna save our bullets for the postseason.
We're not going to uh take any chances of him
having a tired arm. It's been a while since he pitched,
so I'd be surprised if he ever pishes more than
(08:51):
five innings before before the playoffs. I think they want
to be cautious with him. You know, you know they're
gonna win the division anyone like they leave him to
get into the playoffs. So I think they'll be extremely
cautious and just like you know some of the other
guys too and say, okay, now come playoff time. You know,
now we'll take off the leash. You can, you can
(09:12):
do whatever you want.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Now you mentioned obviously they're going to win the division.
What do you see as a threat in the NL,
whether it is a division, whether it's somebody else in
the league that you look at and go that could
be a problem matchup wise for the Dodgers if they
were to meet in the postseason. With the injuries and
the pitching stuff that's gone on with the team this year.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I think the team that can be scary to the
Dodgers that are the Phillies. On the Phillies have Zach
Wheeler right now, win the Cy Young Awards. So if
you're the Phillies, you'll take You'll take willdover any any
Dodger pitcher. And then they get other great ones too
with the Rangers, Forrest Christopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola. That rotation
(09:54):
very tough. They need to get a reliever. Just a
lot of things down, and I think it'd be a
very GRISTI the deadline, and this team is built to
win right now. They've been very disappointing there just the
fact they haven't won a World Series in uh, you know,
a lot of stars. The windows closing. So I think
that would be the National League that the biggest threat
(10:16):
to the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And narrowing that down into the Division, Bob. I mean
a lot of people believe that the Giants, even though
they got off to a hot start, believed that they
would fade. They weren't quite ready and maybe were a
year or two away. But they've maintained their status and
it looks like they're going to be right there to
the end. Do you see it being a three team
race going forward with the with the Dodgers and the
(10:39):
Giants and the Padres, because Arizona seems like they're falling
off a cliff.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, and I think Arizona's done. I can't see the
Potters or Giants staying with them. And the Giants, Chad,
they made the big tray of rockiel endeavors. But then
you know it's sound like you made them, you know,
really done anything for those guys. You know, they're they've
been fine the pod range. You take me the first
two weeks, they're a blow five hundred team. So I
don't see anybody challenging Dodgers. I really don't. I know,
(11:07):
last year we got you know, interesting, you know, down
down the stretch, But I don't see anybody pushing them.
If you're if you're you know, team in the National
League West, you said, man, here's the Dodgers had fourteen
fifteen pitchers in the injury list. You've used three six
pitchers and they still get a comfortable lead. And what's
going to happen when these guys get everybody back. So
(11:27):
that that's why I think they just I think these
next two months are just a kind of address rehearsal
for October.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
So we were kind of mentioning that, you know, baseball's
it feels like it's it's hot again, that you know,
they All Star game was fun last night. There's a
lot of buzz obviously in town. Best team in baseball,
the Dodgers going for another World Series and then Bob,
I see on the USA today you're talking about the
potential of the next labor war that could be coming
in the term institutional collusion by Tony Clark, who's the
(11:57):
executive director of the MLB the PA. It just where
do we how likely is that? And what is the
real hang up here? Is it just the salary cap?
Is it is? Is that where we're at? Like, what
is what is the real issue here for simpler terms
for people listening, and what could they expect if this
were to come up in the next couple of years.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yeah, because they're a labor agreement expires at the end
of you know, twenty twenty six. Uh, you know, December
twenty twenty six. But yeah, the owners of stuff want
a salary cap and say, wait a minute, now, we're
the only sport without one. You know, they're looking to
Dodgers payroll, the Mets payroll. It's like five times the
size of teams like Miami and Pittsburgh. You know a
(12:41):
lot of it too. It's just you know, you know,
the NFL, you have everybody making the same amount of money,
you know, TV wise, where in you know, baseball, you
and the Dodgers get about you know, three hundred and
thirty million dollars a year off their you know, local
TV rights for a lot of teams are again about thirty
five million a year. So that's that's when the owners
want to step in and do something thing. You know,
the union is going to say, you know what, we're
(13:02):
still the strongest union and all the sports. We're not
going to allow that to happen. So it's almost like
everybody's already braced themselves for just a lockout, but you know,
at least not until after next season, you know, so
I think baseball is so we get it, you know,
keep that popularity up. You know, at least the NFL
training camp start up in by the week, so they
(13:24):
got they got the next week to themselves until that happened.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, because it would be all NFL after that. But
is it sustainable, Bob, the way it's going and what
you see the spending of teams like you know, the Dodgers,
the Mets, the Phillies and the Yankees and then you
you like you mentioned you throw in Pittsburgh and teams
like that in Tampa Bay. Is that sustainable if they
(13:48):
don't do.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Something, well, I mean, I ken't say the Royals they
won in twenty fifteen. That's the last small market that
won the World Series. But you know, we haven't had
to repeat series champions since ninety eight, you know, two
thousand with the Yankees. You know, there's been nothing like
you know what the Kensee Chiefs had done, anything like that.
(14:11):
You know, there's been no no real dynasty by the
Houston Astros of the closest you know, since twenty sixteen,
seventeen they've won. They have been in the World Series
four times, won two of them. But so that's what
you know. The Union argues and that it's wide open
once come playoff time, and teams will say that too,
but you hate that when the season starts, you're looking
(14:33):
at teams like the Pirates and Athletics and things like that, saying, well,
they have no chance to compete. You look into calad
Rockies and they're going they should set the all time
record for losses. You just hate to see that. You know,
for the fans, it's like, all right, you're ringing for
these teams, and you know you're hoping that they'd be
competitive maybe five years from now.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
The one thing that I always find interesting about the
Dodgers in the way that they're viewed as well. Oh,
you know, they're buying championships, are doing this, it's deferred money,
and of course they go out and get this guy.
But then people forget the success they've had with their
farm system and just how stable the organization is as
a whole. It doesn't strike me as a team that's
just going out there and buying championships like it strikes
(15:17):
me as somebody who from the bottom up have built
a really really successful organization. And I'll be honest with you,
it feels like a lot of that is just excuse
making by other teams in Major League Baseball who just
either don't want to spend the money or are being
outworked and out thought by the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Yeah, no, you're right. I mean they've developed and uh
you know, draft and developed better than anybody. I mean,
for them to come up with these you know guys
like you know, like like you know, Will Smith and
some of these other players, you know, they they draft
him and they draft you know, last or next to
last every year. They're not so of these teams that
have the top five picks, because they're always good. And
(16:00):
I think they developed burning anybody. Now, some rival teams
will say, well, they got some money, so much money
that you know, they're giving the players the best food,
lodging and training anything else, but you know, and that
sort of thing. But no, they they do it right
and uh and they use those prospects to get you know,
to get guys. I mean, maybe they could trade from
(16:20):
Mookie Betts. The Diners are the ones who did it. Uh,
maybe could have signed Freddy Freeman then you know that
termed me a pretty cheap contract. You know, only of
the Dodgers did it. So they're making moves that are
burning bells too. And I agree. I think a lot
of it is just jealousy.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Yeah, and we love every minute of it here in LA.
Bob hey Man, thanks so much for joining us and
taking time to chat with us. Man. We always love
your insight. Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Thanks Bob, sure my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Thank you think our guys thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
There he goes Bob Knight and Gil hey Jonas. I
think there might be some issues in uh Cincinnati with
one of their draft picks. Yeah, let's get into that
next ah Am five seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
We've made it even easier to take LA Sports with
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Speaker 3 (17:21):
Road Trip All summer with LA Sports.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
We are back. Rodney Pete Jonas knocked big. Thanks to
Bob Nightingale for joining us. Man is always dialed in
USA Today. MLB staff rider and insider Jonas. I saw
this this morning, man, and I know you're all over it,
but Cincinnati is being Cincinnati. When I say Cincinnati, I'm in.
(17:45):
The Bengals, the Bungles, the whatever you want to call them,
are being Cincinnati with their first round draft draft pick,
Shamar Stewart. And it's not just it doesn't seem like
it's a typical impasse where it's just a you know,
ordinary contract dispute over a few dollars here and there.
(18:06):
It's it's more than that.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Right, Yeah. It's basically Shamar Stewart is asking for the
same contract that the Bengals gave out last year to
their first round pick and before, and the Bengals are
trying to set some new precedent when it comes to
how they can get out of the deal. And how
(18:28):
they you know, offsets and all that, and he's saying, well,
can I just have the one from last year? And
the Bengals are refusing and it's just another nickel and
dime approach by the Cincinnati Bengals, who find themselves and
by the way, for people listening, going, how does this
apply to the Well, it applies to the Dodgers, and
we'll explain, because the Bengals have got this happening while
(18:51):
they've got Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks
last year, who wants a deal and they're not getting
that done.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And he's nowhere to be found. He's not showing up.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
No, and why would he. I mean, to put it
into perspective, Miles Garrett just signed for forty million dollars.
Trey Hendrickson is getting like less than half of that,
and so he's like, can I get a bump please?
Max Crosby got a bump, like everybody got a bump.
And you know, meanwhile, Jerry Jones and is just waiting
around because he loves to wait around as long as
possible to get deals done for Micah Parsons. But it
(19:23):
just it goes to show you that organizations who operate
like that always have this crap pop up all the time.
And it's that's why we bring up the point with
Bob Nightingale about the Dodgers, like, hey, man, like you
could say whatever you want about all they just buy
all their championships and they do all this, and man,
(19:44):
it's more than that. That's such a lazy and ned
Keletti's broken this down multiple times on the show before.
That's such a lazy, cop out, candy ass excuse by
other teams in Major League Baseball who just can't accept
the fact that no, no, you're being outworked, you're being outspent, yes,
but you're being out worked. And the Dodgers have figured
(20:05):
this thing out from the bottom up. And then you
see situations like the Bengals and what they're doing with
their first round pick, who just wants not asking for
anything more, just the same deal you gave the guy
last year. Nah, we're gonna try. And like Ronnie, I
don't need to tell you this. You've you've dealt with
organizations like this. I mean, this is just like it
just seems like the usual suspects again, Yet they're the
(20:26):
ones on the outside complaining what other teams are good.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Yeah, and you wonder, I mean fans wonder, and they
shouldn't wonder anymore. Why the Bengals, I mean they've they've
despite the dysfunction of the management and the ownership and
and and the fact that they got a great quarterback
fall in their lap because they were so horrible and
(20:50):
Joe Burrow that keeps them afloat and keeps them in
it every single year. They are a horrible organizations and
it's the reason why they stay where they are, you know.
And like you said, we just talked to Bob, and
there's you know, there's there's teams out there in Major
League Baseball that will always be there until ownership changes
(21:10):
their philosophy and changes their strategy or sell the team.
Right at the end of the day, sell the team.
If you can't compete to where sports are now, then
you need to sell the team and get out of
the business. Because he's not asking for anything more than
what is standard number one. And they're trying to put
(21:34):
clauses in that. I believe one of them is, you know,
we're only gonna give you half of your signing bonus
or half of your signing bonus that's really in the NFL,
that's really the only guaranteed money you get, especially early,
and we're gonna, you know, peace mail that out over
over time. And if you happen to get in trouble
(21:57):
or you do something that we don't don't like, then
we can hold back your signing bonus.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
It's like, just do the deal you did last year, Like,
why make this so complicated? I don't I don't understand.
And that's why, Like you made the comment kind of
in passing with with Bob when we spoke to him
about Frank McCourt like, well, yeah, listen, they just won't
show up, Like that's a I think people sort of
I don't know, And I know Dodger fans remember this
(22:25):
because that's probably why they love the team as much
as they do now, because they remember what it was
like back then, Like they remember those days where.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
It was Nick Glenn Dimon trying to.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
The constant chaos, and you know, he cares more about,
you know, what he's making in the parking lot than
he does what he's made. It's like all of those
things that they came along with it, and I just
I hope that people in town truly appreciate the unprecedented
run that the organization is on because there are and
(22:56):
you could go to any sport anywhere, and there's a
fan base somewhere that will tell you you have no
idea how good you have it, Like you literally have
no idea. Like there's like, hey, you lost to the
to the to the Padres in the playoffs. You lost
to the Diamondbacks in the playoffs. Totally get it. Disappointing,
not the way anybody wanted, But damn you know how
(23:17):
nice it is to have a shot every year, every
single year for like a decade plus, you've got a
shot to win it all and are either in the
mix close to being in the mix. And I think
sometimes you get you get caught up in the well
how many did they win?
Speaker 2 (23:33):
The whole?
Speaker 3 (23:33):
Like there there are fluke things that happen in playoff
runs every year. You could go back to any moment
in any playoff run. Man, if if Freddy doesn't win,
it doesn't hit that walk off, who knows, who knows?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
If the game was there, they were two out away
from winning that game.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
And if if you know, the Yankees don't have that
meltdown in Game five, I believe was Game six supposed
to be a bullpen game? Yeah, like who knows? And
then you get to a seventh game and it's anybody's game. Yeah,
anybody's game. And so you could go through. There are
moments that happen throughout the course of the playoffs, especially
in the World Series or stuff like that, to where, man,
(24:11):
you just never know. The Rams winning the Super Bowl,
if you speaking of the Bengals, if you want to
go back and watch that Super Bowl again, Cincinnati probably
should have won that game, Like, if we're being fair
since he but there was there was a couple.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
They were driving to win at the end despite all
the other stuff. They were driving to win the game
and Aaron Donald got the sack right and it was
all over. But they were driving to win.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
And there's there's a couple of moments and plays that
happen in every championship format, every playoff that you look
at and go, man, if one thing happens here, that
changes the course of history potentially, But the whole goal
is at least get there, and then you got a shot.
The Dodgers are there every year and maybe they're not
able to or don't want to outbid somebody at the
(24:54):
deadline and they go into the into the playoffs and
it's like, well, they've got all these issues and there's
there's injuries, and now you're asking Tawny to pitch more
than what you whatever it is, they're going to have
a shot. And that's that to me. That's all you
can ask.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
All you want from a fan. It's got to be
all you want. I know, we're greedy here in LA
and yes, on paper, it's like you should win every
single year. It doesn't work that way. Don't work that way.
There's more than twenty six great baseball players in the
world right and they're spread out over different teams in
Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
You can't have everybody.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
I mean you can't.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
The Dodgers are trying, like we can't. They're really giving
it a really good effort, everybody they are.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
And you know, I don't want to talk about, you know,
the trip so much that I was just done with
with Magic. But we had several conversations about different things.
But one of them was the climate of ownership nowadays
and that you know, to be successful, it's no longer
(25:58):
you can't be the mom and pop anymore. No, you
can't be the mom and pop shop and expect to
win championships. You got to put your money where your
mouth is, and if you can't, you should not own
a team.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
So this is a true story. I heard somebody make
a point or make the statement within the last week.
And I'm not trying to piss off Kevin Figures because
it's the last thing I'm trying to do here, all right,
I want that.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
I'm watching body himself like he's right now.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I don't want to have a knock on the door
from him and his son and they just beat my ass,
Like I don't want that. I don't want those issues.
I'll just say this. I heard somebody make the comment
in the last week or so. Man, you know, like
one of the true surprises in Major League Baseball is
the Angels and the way the Angels have played in
the first half. There are two games under five hundred.
(26:51):
What are we talking about here? But for that organization,
it's so much better than it's been that two games
under five hundred, and there's some optimism. Meanwhile, a generational
player that was in the building went an hour away
and has become a rocket ship like it just like
(27:12):
that that tells you everything you need to know about
like some organizations and they the way they're owned and
operated in sports, and there's nothing you could do about that.
I was doing some research on this just as far
as the NFL goes. So in the last ten years,
nineteen teams in the NFL have a below five hundred record,
(27:37):
which means two thirds of the NFL, for the most part,
has no shot winning a Super Bowl every single year. Like,
imagine that as a fan knowing going into a season, oh, yeah,
I got no shot here. It's just not happening. Like,
you're still gonna root for him, You're still gonna be
a fan, You're s but there's just no shot here.
(27:58):
Every year, the dodg either will come up with a plan,
come up with a plan B, or come up with
some sort of a solution to at least give themselves
a shot. And when you see stories like the Bengals
nickel and diming their first round pick, who is only
asking for the same thing you gave somebody the previous draft,
it just goes to show you really got to appreciate
(28:18):
this run because I don't know that we're ever going
to see it.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
You do, you do, and we can't emphasize that enough.
And yeah, we get calls and people want to they
want to complain, they want to say this and that,
and I can't. Oh my god, over the years, Jonas,
I'm sure you heard it too. Oh, we got to
fire Dave Roberts, fire and fire and fire them and
get rid of this and get rid of this guy.
And Andrew Friedman doesn't know what he's doing. And why
(28:41):
do we say? They will do whatever it takes. And
as a fan, you have to appreciate that, whether it's
you know, signing guys in the offseason or at the
trade deadline. They've done that. Remember they went out and
got Max Suzer and Trey Turner years ago.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Yep, I mean, and ran the risk of not being
able to keep either of those guys.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Exactly, and they didn't. They still try, they didn't. They
went for it, and so you got to appreciate that because,
like you said, I've been there and it's amazing. And
one of those teams that I was on that was
not operated right was the Detroit Lions, and it's amazing
that there was. Well there's change in who's running things,
(29:26):
but the family still owns the team. The Ford family
still owns the team. It's just a different person that's
kind of running the show now. The daughter has taken
over and she is like, no nonsense. But they have
done a one't eighty of what they used to be.
They used to be the Bengals. They used to operate
(29:48):
like that. We would have guys that were having great
years that didn't want much, just pay me on par
with the top twenty linebackers. That it didn't go, well,
we can't do it. We're gonna have to let you go,
and the guy goes The guy goes to Baltimore and
(30:08):
is a five time pro bowler. I mean, it's just
it's just things like that that we used to happen
on a regular basis. And the thing that the scary
part about it, which is what Cincinnati is going through,
is that every three five years or so, they'll make
a nice run, right and they'll get to the playoffs.
They say, see, we don't need it, we don't need
(30:30):
to spend that extra money. This will hold us over
for another five years of doing business a terrible way.
And that's what the Bengals do. They got to the
super Bowl and they like, we're not gonna get Joe
Burrow here help. We're not gonna you know why, We're
not gonna. We're not gonna do anything to help this
team get over the hump because we just went to
(30:50):
the super Bowl, so we're good.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
Carson Palmer was so disenchanted with this time in Cincinnati.
The guy retired, He literally said, I can't be here anymore,
and then he and then he ends up. He ends
up with the Raiders for a cup of coffee with
Hugh Jackson and then goes to Arizona. It's a great run,
Like I had a great run in Arizona, and there
was some some bad injury luck there, but he was
(31:12):
great in Arizona. And that guy just was like, I
can't I can't deal with this crap anymore. I gotta go,
like I gotta go, and I'll retire.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Way to get out, I will retire. I mean, how
bad of an organization do you have to be when
your franchise quarterback says I would rather retire.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I'd rather not play the game I love then.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Play with this organization. I think that's horrible.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I think that's also why there was the excitement, because look,
when when the Lakers are not owned by the Buses.
That's that's a world I don't think anybody thought that
they would ever live in. Like, I don't think you
just assumed. But when when there's such optimism after a
move like that, and the reason why there's optimism is
(31:59):
because is oh, that guy's connected to the Dodgers. That
tells you everything you need to know because you're looking
at it going oh, well, I mean if he could
do that here, let's go like that. That's all you're
asking for is just give us a better opportunity than
what we've had. And it's been a legendary run for
the Bus family. But when you see Mark Walter come
(32:21):
in and you see the success he had with the
Dodgers as being hey, here's my resume, need anything else, No,
that'll do. We're good here, that'll do based on everything
you've done with them, I just yeah, I think there's
so many we can get caught up in the complaints.
You know so and so should have done this last year.
For example, trade deadline comes around, the Dodgers go out
(32:45):
and trade for Tommy Edmund. Yeah, guy hadn't even played
literally off risk surgery, had not even played won the
NLCS MVP like nobody else was making that move. So
like when you hear all these people bitch about Waltz
the money they spend and they're just they're buying players
and all this. Dude, you could have had Tommy Edmund.
(33:06):
But they looked at it and said, even though there's
the medicals, we like the opportunity, we like the upside,
and he ended up being one of the more clutch
players they've had in the playoffs, and he's been a
great Dodger. So I just think there are so many
organizations and so many fan bases out there that make excuses.
Proof is in the pudding, put in the work, and
then if you have to spend a little bit, you
(33:27):
got to spend a little bit. But at least you're
in contention for a World Series every single year.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Absolutely, And on the on the Tommy Edmonds thing, man,
they it wasn't just to spur of the moment. They
had their sights on him, yeah, for years, right, And
that's the difference. It wasn't like, oh, oh, let's just
go get Tommy Edmonds. He's hurt and blah blah blah,
Oh we'll just take a fly. No, they they had
their eyes on him for years and believe that he
(33:55):
would be a great Dodger. Yeah, and they finally the
opportunity presented itself and they they sign him. Before we
bring I want to get your thoughts on on what
Fred suggests, which is if you're an organization and you're
not doing well and you finish in the bottom to
get regulated like the Premier League and over in Europe.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Oh you mean dropping out, drop down.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
And you get regulated if you're if you're in the
bottom tier of Major Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Okay it is. I do like it from the standpoint
that you can't just operate on the cheap and you know, win,
you know, in Major League Baseball, for example, win sixty
seventy games a year and then you know, still be
rewarded with you know, getting to play at that then
get all the revenue shares and all that stuff. So
I I do like that aspect of it. But that's
(34:49):
just not happening. Nice. It's just it's just not happening.
And by the way, for some of those organizations, like
without knowing it, or probably with knowing it, you do
serve as kind of a fear farm, a feeder system
to other teams that are actually serious about winning. So
that's why. You know, like a guy like Paul Skins,
at some point he's.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Like that, no, hay, no very soon, And if they're smart,
they'll do it sooner rather than later. Yeah, like I
all they gotta do is look up at the angels
and go, oh, we better, we better do something before
it gets to the last year of his contract. One
of the biggest how about that you you don't get
anything for show he Otani. You don't get any Kevin.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Kevin, preach it to the choir.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
You're telling me, Rodney, I'll say it. Two years before
he was a free agent.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
So the team ain't winning with Mike's routing his prime
and showy o' tan you playing the way he's playing,
So what the hell are we doing?
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I would have shit them out two years before he
was a free agent. But Kevin, there is a player. Kevin.
They're they're they're one of the surprises of major League
baseball at forty seven and forty nine.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
You know there, Oh, not to stick the knife in
and twist it, Kevin, but you know, just just had
to brother, had to Oh, all right, we get up. Hey,
second half is coming around the corner for the Dodgers
in Major League Baseball. Let's get into that a little bit.
(36:20):
On the other side.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Make Am five to seventy LA Sports a preset before
you plug in your foote presets in the iHeartRadio app
now available with Apple car Play and Android autom Just
another easy way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
Oh nice and smooth on a hump day. Rodney Pete
Jonas knocks in for Fred Rogan. It's been good. We're
gonna get into some more MLB talking second half of
the season. What the Dodgers is gonna do, should do
all that kind of stuff in the second foot.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
All right, and no.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
From the court to the courtroom with Jacob and Ronnie.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
But right now, yeah, we got to bring up my man.
I haven't talked to him in a minute, and uh, Jacob,
what's going on? Brother? How are you?
Speaker 5 (37:11):
Hello?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Hello? How are you ah doing well?
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Doing well? Yeah? Yeah, Jonas? And for Fred Jacob, so,
how you been man? Hey Jacob. So, not to not
to beat you down around on the first question or
anything like that, but are you you know, in your
discussions at dinner with Lebron how are things going? Brother?
(37:39):
Are you smoothing everything over. Are you are you making
are you making peace with the family.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
You know, it's so interesting that in Laker you know,
Laker Nation, there's never a summer where there's not some
aspect of a drama. Right, you know, there's always going
to be something, Everyone's always going to report something. But
I think, you know, at the end of the day,
(38:06):
we all have to look at the logic. Right, We're
lucky to have Lebron, he's still playing well, We're going
to have them as part of our team this year.
I think the Lakers are going to continue to look
for other traits. I don't think we're done. And you know,
(38:27):
I'm one of the few that's happy that we got Aighton.
I actually think that people come to La to resurrect
their careers, and I think we've seen Lonnie Walker, we
saw Malik Monk, we saw all these people who came
in and then we're able to turn one year playing
for the Lakers into a you know, big contract afterwards.
(38:49):
And I think Ayton comes in Hungary and when you
really look at it, I know that most people are
probably disappointed with what the Lakers did in the summer,
but we really just you know, lost story in Finney Smith,
and we brought on board Ayton and Jake Larebia and
I still think again, as I said, there's some trades
that Rob's working on. So you know, let's stay positive.
(39:12):
Lebron's going to be in training camp based on what
is being reported, and you know, with Lebron, you know,
often into fifty three million dollars. I think I think
he knows that there's no way he's going to go
anywhere else, and I think he's okay with it. Let's
let's see what we do this year.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Do you have any issue, Jacob with the reports that
are out there that you know, the Lakers have been
having conversations about the future of the organization, plans, et cetera,
with Luca and maybe not filling in Lebron and all that.
Speaker 5 (39:45):
You know, I think it's all reports right, you know.
I think at the end of the day, this is
a business being run. The Lakers everything Lebron came over,
have done a great job working with him and his
team in order to make sure that they do things
the way Lebron is happy. And I think now they've
(40:08):
brought us second superstar on and Luca and you need
to make sure Luca is happy, and you know that
Luca is the future. And I don't know why anybody
would feel offended that the Lakers, you know, as reported,
are going to be doing stuff for the future. Any company,
any business, you know, sets themselves up that way, and
(40:31):
they're lucky enough right now to have both Luca and Lebron.
And I don't think anybody is confirmed that they haven't
said anything to Lebron. I think it's all this reporting.
I think anytime anyone talks about Lakers and you know,
the drama as we started talking, it gets a lot
of you know, attention, and I think you've been hearing
reporting on both sides of it. So you know, I'm
(40:54):
just excited for these months to go by so we
can get the NBA because these started. Yeah, you know,
I'm going I'm going to be, you know, in Vegas
for my son's tournament this weekend, and I want to
go see some you know, I want to go see
some Summer League action. And I'm just I'm just dying
for the season to start again.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
No, I hear you, I hear you, man, and and
all of it again, most of it is is just
talk and and just get to the season. I think
that you know, whatever happens, it's not going to be
drastic for for this year. We will see what happens
going forward, but it's not going to be drastic for
this year.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Jacob. I'm sorry, righty, I just have a question for
Jacob on the You know, when you talk about going
to see your son play, if there's any sort of
disagreement between you and the official, do you ever drop
the Do you ever drop the do you know who
I am?
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Or google me?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Like you just wondering do you do you flex that
muscle or how does that work?
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Now?
Speaker 5 (41:54):
You know, I'm a parent and I'm one of those
I'm one of those parents that you know, it's vocal
at the games and if I go to a game,
they're gonna hear me. You know, I've had my back
and forth.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Now, you coach, are you coaching? Are you coaching this tournament?
Or you are you just being a parent this tournament?
Speaker 3 (42:15):
No?
Speaker 5 (42:15):
No, no, I'm being a parent on this one. Okay,
you know I'm being a parent. But you know, even
sitting from the sidelines, you know I'm vocal about it.
I make you know, But you know, having my boys
been playing basketball for so long. A lot of these
refs know me already, so you know, it's it's all good.
They know I'm going to talk and they're going to
give me the look, and you know I'm going to
(42:36):
enjoy it as long as I can. But I'm not
a quiet parent, Let's put it that way.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
Hey, are you and me both? I'm sad to report
that because I was, like you, Jacob, I coached my
younger boys in baseball, and we you know, much like basketball,
there's always a travel tournament, and there's a tournament everywhere.
And there was a tournament where I was just a parent,
but I couldn't just a parent, and I actually got
(43:03):
I actually got ejected from the uh from the field.
I did. I did. It was embarrassing. It was a
tournament in Arizona. This tournament in Arizona, my son and
the umpire was bad. It was you think Angel her
you think Angel Hernandez is bad. This umpire was horrible.
(43:25):
And he couldn't get the balls and strikes right. He
couldn't get anything right. So my son hits a ball
down the left field line and clearly chalk flies up right,
flies up. Everybody sees it. Calls it, calls it foul,
calls it foul, and and this is late in the game.
(43:47):
He calls it foul. So I'm going and like other
people were going crazy, but I was probably I'm the
loudest one. So I was, did you not see the
chalk fly up? What is wrong with you? Blah blah
blah blah blah. And He's like, enough, enough, enough enough,
you guys, I don't want to hear it enough. And
so so the very the very next pitch, the very nextitch,
(44:14):
my son, it's a bomb inside over the fence, inside,
inside the foul pole. And I couldn't help it. I
couldn't help it down the same line, left field line.
But it was fair. It was went over clearly a
home run. And I had to say to him, was
(44:36):
that effing fair?
Speaker 5 (44:43):
I love it? I love you? He wrung me, so
you know, I got to share this. Very similarly, I
use a line very often, you know, when when there's
a there's a foul call that we know was not
a foul and the other team goes to the line
(45:06):
and they miss. I have to always use Rashid Wallace's
line ball don't lie, don't lie, Let me tell you
I get I get those looks. I get those looks.
But you know that just that just fuels me because
that ball don't lie.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
And you know that gets under their skin so bad too.
They hate that lie. They hate that lie, all right, Jacob,
So listen, our listeners always love when you give us advice. Man,
tell us about when you get hit by a business
vehicle or a business truck. Now you know, and is
(45:48):
the person who's driving that fault or do you go
after the company? How does that work?
Speaker 5 (45:53):
Yeah? So that's a that that that's a very you know,
often confused situation because you know, I hear people calling
us and they say I got hit and it was
FedEx or ups or Amazon or this and that, and
they're confused, are we going after the drivers? Are you
going to have enough money? Is it the company? And
(46:14):
it's just important for everybody to know that part of
the reason that it's so important after you're in an
accident to always ask, you know, the driver to not
only give you his driver's license, but you also get
the registration of the vehicle because it's important to know
who the car is registered to. And you know, when
(46:37):
you get hit by a commercial truck, or by a
business even vehicle, then the business and the insurance for
the business is always going to be on the hook.
The driver as an employee of that business, is an
extension of that business, and you know it is going
(46:57):
to be part of the coverage that the business car
truck trailer actually provides. And when it comes to accidents,
even though accidents are not a good thing, but when
the other party is a commercial vehicle, at least there's
some positivity there because most of the time commercial insurances
(47:22):
have a limitation to have a big policy and money
coverage and that helps individuals our clients who are badly
injured to continue to treat what the doctors without being limited.
Remember we've talked in the past that California required a
minimum amount of coverage if anybody is driving, and that
(47:45):
used to be only fifteen thousand dollars, And that may
sound like a lot of money, but when you go
to a chiropractor, a fame management doctor, get an MRI,
all that money is sucked up. Recently, as of January first,
California and all the policies that are renewing in California
are going to have a minimum of thirty thousand dollars,
(48:08):
so it's better, but trust me, it's it's nowhere enough
if somebody's badly injured. And that's why commercial and business
trucks carry a bigger policy, and if you get hit
by one of them, it is important for you to
call us or any attorney that you trust and make
sure that you do things correctly because the bigger the policy,
the stronger and the more the insurance company is going
(48:31):
to fight. And it's important for you to do things
correctly for your health.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
A hundred. Always good stuff, Jacob. We always appreciate you
coming on man and sharing your insight. Always good. Thank
you so much, brother.
Speaker 5 (48:44):
Thanks guys. Miss being on with you guys, but we're
back on. Talk to you too, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
They NFL has said the players can play. What about MLB.
Let's get into it, Jonas, Let's do it
Roggin And Rodney News
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