by Bryan Cranston is such a big Dodgers fan that he got goosebumps six years ago in a Los Angeles studio while narrating an MLB Network documentary about the team’s 1988 season, which ended with one of the most dramatic home runs in world history Series, Kirk Gibson’s Game, culminating at 1, pinch hit, walk-off shot by Dennis Eckersley.
The 68-year-old “Breaking Bad” and “Your Honor” actor was in Chavez Ravine in late October to witness another stunning World Series home run: Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning that sent the Dodgers to the Victory led to a 6-3 comeback victory over the New York Yankees and propelled them to their eighth World Series title.
“That was the most exciting game I’ve ever been to,” said Cranston, a lifelong fan who was 5 years old in 1961 when his father took him to his first Dodgers game at the Coliseum. “Complete strangers hugged each other. ”
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Cranston was back in a Los Angeles studio on Thursday, this time to conduct a SiriusXM Town Hall interview with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, but before the four-time Emmy Award winner sat down to talk to the two-time World Series skipper to question him, he cleverly evaded a difficult question that was directed at him:
Will Freeman’s insane drive in 2024 replace Gibson’s lightning strike in 1988 as the most dramatic postseason home run in Dodgers history?
“Can’t they live side by side?” said Cranston after a long pause.
“Good answer,” Roberts said, impressed by the actor’s diplomacy.
Cranston and Roberts then spent an hour discussing a season that began and ended with a $1.2 billion jump for two-way star Shohei Ohtani and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow The Dodgers overcame a 5-0 deficit in the fifth inning in a World Series victory in Game 5 over the Yankees.
The interview, which took place in front of a small live audience, will air on MLB Network Radio on Friday (1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. PST) and again on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Among the highlights:
Roberts on the dizzying array of pitching injuries that forced the Dodgers to use 17 different starters and 40 total pitchers: “Our organization does such a good job of scouting, developing, trading players and building depth, but There were a lot of people, to be honest who was on our roster, that I had never heard of. I know you guys here today better than some of these players that pitched for me this year.”
Roberts on the rare team meeting he called before a Sept. 15 game in Atlanta, a day after the Dodgers learned Glasnow had suffered a season-ending elbow injury and a 10-1 loss to the Braves reduced their division lead over San Diego to 3½ games:
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“The gist of the meeting was, ‘I believe in each and every one of you, but if you don’t believe in each other, it doesn’t matter that we have enough talent in this room to win 11 games in October.’ .”
Roberts on the conversation he had that same afternoon with Walker Buehler, who brought a 1-5 record and a 5.95 ERA into a Sept. 15 start in which the right-hander, coming off a second surgery on Tommy John returned, giving up one earned run and three hits in six innings in a season-defining 9-2 win over the Braves.
“Walker scuffled, but I told him, ‘You officiated some of the most meaningful games in Dodgers history and you did it. You’ve got to get up and fire up tonight because if we don’t have you, we’re not going to win the World Series. “It was a challenge to raise the bar for all of us and he answered the bell.”
Roberts reflected on a tough 10-2 loss in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Padres, in which pitcher Jack Flaherty and San Diego slugger Manny Machado pushed each other several times and Machado drew the Dodgers’ ire when he hit a Ball thrown toward Roberts in the third base dugout between innings:
“They wanted a street fight – I think we had to turn into street fighters and play their game, so to speak. We had to do something to even the playing field and I felt like it kind of tipped over after that.”
“It definitely was,” Cranston said. “The last two games [of the NLDS]Their pitching staff allowed zero runs.”
Roberts on Freeman’s World Series Grand Slam: “For me, that was the greatest moment I’ve ever personally experienced in sports. We celebrated after that win like we had just won Game 7. I felt like we won the World Series, and looking back, we might have won the World Series back then.”
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Cranston then turned the interview toward 2025, asking Roberts how the Dodgers could improve next season.
“The biggest thing we’ve done so far is signing Blake Snell,” Roberts said of the veteran left-hander, who signed a five-year, $182 million contract in late November. “Glasnow is coming back to us, Yoshinobu is coming back to us…
“Sasaki,” Cranston interjected, referring to highly sought-after 23-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki, who was signed by the Chiba Lotte Marines in November and is expected to sign with a major league team in January. “Sasaki.”
“Right,” said Roberts, “I can’t say anything about that.”
“Sasaki,” Cranston insisted.
“Don’t get me in trouble, Bryan,” Roberts said, laughing.
Roberts believes the Dodgers, hoping to re-sign free-agent slugger Teoscar Hernández and add another slugger, “should be better” in 2025 than they were in 2024, but acknowledged that “it In the end, it’s hard to be better than winning a World Cup.”
If the Dodgers want to become the first team to repeat as champions since the Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 to 2000, they need the right attitude and motivation – a topic Roberts discussed this week with Magic Johnson, part owner of the Dodgers, the main subject, discussed Guard, who led the Lakers to five NBA titles from 1980 to 1988.
“I really feel like the carrot, the incentive for our club in 2025 is that we’re now moving into past territory,” Roberts said. “I spoke to Magic about Legacy and [former Lakers coach] Pat Riley and what he taught these guys, the mindset. I’ll try that [instill] in our guys because we’re trying to do something now that will last forever.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
