Is it the timing at the plate? What is it that is struggling right now at the plate for Will Smith?

Well, it's a guy that didn't get a lot of reps this year.

It's a guy that is now facing pitching that is elite pitching.

One of the things that the Dodgers, a lot of people got excited about was this month of September and the offense is really coming along.

And yes, it did.

It performed.

It was good.

like, what the Dodgers did last night I thought was

Yeah.

Just kinda wear down this Dodger pitching staff.

I mean, that's, that's really the MO that they're gonna have to create offensively.

You know, from a, from a pitching standpoint, they've got Mizuaroki, who, who's as good as anybody.

And actually, if you look at his splits, he dominates left-handers.

Much better against left-handed hitting than he is against right-handers.

The Dodgers, again, are top-heavy on the left side.

Right.

What of the new things that Kyle's used do you think would have helped you 30, 40 years ago?

I, I mean, I, I, I think probably just the technology and the advancements would, would give me a better chance.

But on the flip side, those pitchers have the same technology and advancement.

So it's, you know, it's really hard to say.

I, I think more than anything is I believe that, you know, players, you know, your star players back, you know, then, or 30, 40, 50 years ago, would be able to, to adapt to, to what's going on now.

But I, I do...

You know, look it, I'll acknowledge all day long that, you know, the, the guys are, are, are more physical, they're stronger, they're faster, you know, they throw harder, they hit the ball farther, all those sorts of things.

You had the season of your life, and you finished fifth, which is great, but do you ever think about that year, by the way, and how good you were and how good everything must have felt?

was something like you have a month and a half to figure out whether or not this guy can help you in the postseason, and that's why you don't yank him after the first hit.

Yeah, and that is – yeah, I did say that.

So here's the thing.

One of the luxuries the Dodgers have is time.

And yes, there is an urgency, and there always is.

You want to win that night's ballgame.

But I think the greatest example, if we're looking at the end of the game, go ahead and take a look at the first six innings.

that

... level team?

Well, they are.

It, it, it's...

Gausman and Holmes, they, they went and addressed an, uh, an area that they needed to obviously improve.

And, and remember, with all of these teams, i- it's, you know, who is the best team? Well, it's, it's going to be who is the hottest team come October.

That's what it is.

It's not who is the best over 162 games.

... looming?

Yeah.

Uh, Tayar Oscar's coming back.

It, it's, it, it sounds crazy, but yes, the depth.

And yes, we keep winning, and yes, we've won two world championships.

But also remember, you go back two years ago to that San Diego series in the playoffs, game four, we're down two games to one.

The Padres only have to win one game.

Yeah.

Don't get...

Yeah

... what, what are we, what are we doing, you know? This is just an exercise of getting ready for the postseason.

It's basically, uh, you know, the season is to, to go out, get yourself ready, find out what guys are gonna be most productive in what spots, get things right, make it through the season, and then get ready to roll in October.

But I don't think, you know, throughout the league everybody is fully aware of how deep the Dodgers are and, as you just mentioned, you know, the most wins in all of baseball, and doing it With a roster that has been relatively hard hit for most of the season.

Uh, when Shohei Ohtani takes the mound on Friday at Dodger Stadium, do you feel like, uh, everything that went on in Minnesota is behind him and rushing?

Well, I...

So, so remember, that didn't just emanate in Minnesota.

There, you know, if you go back to the Pittsburgh game, it, all it is is really it's a miscommunication.

Yeah

... as well.

And so it was ironic you bring that up.

One of the first days I had gone, uh, over to spring training, uh, Steve Vucinich, the longtime clubby there, he was back there, you know, with the swinging A's in, in the early '70s.

And his first, uh, introduction to me, he comes up and he goes, "Hey, K, pleasure to meet you.

Just wanna let you know this is where longtime Dodgers go to die."

Uh, when Shohei Ohtani takes the mound on Friday at Dodger Stadium, do you feel like, uh, everything that went on in Minnesota is behind him and rushing?

Well, I...

Yeah.

Uh, Tayar Oscar's coming back.

You know, it's, it, it sounds crazy, but yes, the depth.

And yes, we keep winning, and yes, we've won two world championships.

But also remember, you go back two years ago to that San Diego series in the playoffs, game four, we're down two games to one.

The Padres only have to win one game.

Yeah.

Don't get...

Like, are you at all concerned about the age that these guys are a little bit long in the tooth?

So here's the thing about the age deal for me.

Like, you're never going to know until it's too late.

That's just facts.

You know, you won't recognize it until after, you know, the season and you didn't accomplish something.

But up until that point, it's going to be, oh, no, well, if this just happens, then we'll get going.

If this happens, like, there's nothing for me that says age is going to be enough of an impact to not have them be the favorite to win the World Series.

What are your thoughts on that?

Is there a best place to put like a Kyle Tucker in that lineup? Is there a place you think he belongs?

Well, I think he belongs in the second spot, assuming that he plays like he's played, you know, the last few years, right.

Just because of the patience, his ability to make things happen, to elongate the lineup, you know, hitting ahead of when guys are healthy, Mookie and Freddie, you know, all those sorts of things.

Um, You know, look, this team is as deep as anybody, probably the deepest Dodger team that I've ever seen.

And I've been watching, you know, these guys have been in the organization since 88 and probably one of the deepest baseball teams I've ever seen put together.

And, you know, real credit to the front office.

And they're doing things right now that, you know, there's no Blake Snell.

What is it like to watch your son play Major League Baseball?

Yep

... take bullets for, for the players.

You know, I, I don't think-- He doesn't get enough credit, because the, the lazy, the lazy way to describe things are, "Well, what a great team," and the resources.

But there have been a lot of great teams, there have been a lot of high-priced teams that, that don't win World Series.

And, you know, he's won three of them, and he's cemented himself in the Hall of Fame, and he does need to be recognized a-as, you know, one of the great managers of our time.

And look at-- when you talk about LA history, he's got two Hall of Famers in, in Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda, and he's gonna be a third and, and arguably he is going to be the most successful o-of the three.

Is there a best place to put, like a Kyle Tucker in that lineup? Is there a place y- you think he belongs?

Well, I, I think he belongs in the second spot, assuming that he plays like he's played, you know, the last few years, right? Just because of the patience, his ability to make things happen, to elongate the lineup, you know, hitting ahead of y- when guys are healthy, Mookie and Freddie, you know, all those sorts of things.

Do you think that's just, you know, something that happened last night or two nights ago, or is that something we're going to see for the rest of this playoff series?

Well, I think the starter will tell you that by how he's throwing.

Look at Glass now go out and do the same thing as Snell and Yamamoto.

I think one of the things, if you look at this year, The way that they were used, the way that, you know, look at the Dodgers, you know, they used the Landon Nacks, they used the Robleskis, they used guys to keep these guys fresh.

Snell had, what, 60 or 70 innings? I mean, that's crazy, right? Glass, like the only one that really threw a lot, Yamamoto and Kirsch, right? Like, who would have ever, if you would have told me before the season that Kirsch is going to be top two in innings pitch, I would have said...

We got problems.

Wow.

What's the support for Otani? What are you seeing? It doesn't make any sense that a guy that good is hitting 147 right now with all those strikeouts.