When Major League Baseball released the schedule on August 26th for this upcoming season, the “Dodgers at Daikin” became the most anticipated series for many Astros fans, myself included.
The moment is finally here, and to lend the opposing perspective, we catch up with Los Angeles Dodgers Announcer Tim Neverett.
Q: When you hit the road, Is it like traveling with The Beatles? The Dodgers bring an extra sizzle to every series being the reigning champs.
A: When traveling with the Dodgers, it is different from traveling with other teams, especially with Ohtani.
We have not one, but two planes for traveling on the road. The players have their own and we travel separately on another plane, sometimes on a different day.
We have to have a full-time security detail with us as many fans find out which hotels we stay at and try and catch a glimpse of the players or maybe get an autograph. Most players do not sign at the hotels, but most will do it at the ballpark.
Q: I remember thinking, this LA squad might open the season and actually challenge the 1984 Tigers with their 35-5 start, but they’ve faced some adversity. What have been the Dodgers’ toughest challenges so far?
A: The Dodgers are going to lose some games here and there. They are also currently dealing with injuries. Mookie Betts is out, Blake Snell has not returned yet, Tommy Edman is still out for a while and so is Kiké Hernandez, so not quite at full strength yet. Plus, it is baseball, so there is a lot of unpredictability and teams will lose games.
Q: Kyle Tucker was such a fan favorite here. How is he fitting in with the sunshine and palm trees?
A: I think Kyle is adjusting well. Anytime you change teams the culture is different and so are your surroundings. He got his first walk-off hit the other night against Miami and the fans were pretty excited about it. Baseball is a game of the utmost patience sometimes and patience will pay off with him. The back of his baseball card doesn’t lie, so good things are around the corner for Tucker.
Q: What’s the ceiling right now this decade? How many titles do you believe the Dodgers could capture?
A: From the Dodgers fans, you hear a lot about a three-peat. As long as you have players like Ohtani, Betts and Freeman on your team, you will have a chance to play deep into October.
The way the playoffs are now, it is more like a tournament than before they expanded them, so you have to be hot as a team in October.
The Dodgers players that make up this roster have all been there before and that experience can help to carry them a long way and possibly win a couple of more titles in this window of time.
Q: What’s it like being around Ohtani day in and day out?
A: Watching Ohtani go about his business every day from preparing to pitch and hit is nothing short of remarkable. He is one of a kind for sure. Sometimes, in a quiet moment or two away from others, I have been fortunate to have a few conversations with him about things other than baseball.
He is a pretty normal person on that level, but when it comes to his baseball life and all that comes with it he pretty much lives in a fishbowl. He is everywhere with the multitude of commercial endorsements he has.
When he is at the plate, he can change a game in a split second. I have never seen a player hit the ball as consistently hard as he does. As for his pitching, right now he is pitching at the highest level in the game. He is focused on making every start and chasing the Cy Young award. Many would say impossible, but not when it comes to Ohtani. He is unreal to watch play baseball.
