Dodgers C Will Smith on Ohtani, Kershaw, and His Clutch World Series Game 7 HR | The Rich Eisen Show

Dodgers C Will Smith on Ohtani, Kershaw, and His Clutch World Series Game 7 HR | The Rich Eisen Show

The most impressive thing you’ve ever seen show Otani do on a field off it? Oh my gosh. I don’t know. I mean, he started taking BP when was it like before the World Series or before the NLCS. Um, we made him hit in the last group by himself just cuz no one wanted to hit with him and just be completely, you know, embarrassed cuz he’s hitting balls out of the stadium and, you know, we’re getting it giving it our all and getting it five rows deep, six rows deep and he’s putting another 100 feet. It’s just it’s incredible, you know, how strong he is. Um, you know, throws 100 miles an hour. Just just the the power behind everything he does um is incredible. But, you know, you guys don’t get to see it, but we get to see, you know, the work he puts in, you know, in the weight room. His just his dedication to his craft is, you know, second to none. And, you know, he’s been doing that for since he was a kid. You know, you can just see that’s his work ethic. And that’s just who he is. And, you know, we’re just lucky to have him. And, you know, have have a guy as special and as talented as him, but also a guy that works hard, too. He He makes it all look easy, Will. He really does. Yeah, he really does. It’s like Does he sweat? It’s annoying at times, but you know, year two now with him. You’re just kind of like, “All right, he’s with us. Let him go do his thing.” And you can’t get too annoyed about that. Have you ever seen him sweat? Does he sweat? Does he have sweat glands? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Just want to make sure, you know, because again, the only the equivalent I I I make is, you know, a couple times I covered the US Open in tennis, it’s Roger Federer where he never sweat or didn’t look like it. He made everything the most difficult look simple. Mhm. And um had an air of invincibility, you know, and and being a teammate of his must be glorious. It just must be. Yeah. You know, at the end of the day, pretty much we’re glad he’s with us for sure. I’m sure. Um and and then, you know, Kershaw, my goodness, I haven’t even brought up a first ballot hall of famer. What was that moment like in game three? Game on the line. He’s never pitched relief like this before, right? Yeah. And what what do you say to Clayton Kershaw on the mound as he’s getting ready to pitch? What what is what is the exchange with somebody like him in a moment like I don’t even I don’t even remember. Um you know, he’s such a competitor and such like a he’s not emotional, but he’s he’s fiery out there. Um you know, when he’s when he’s in game mode and pitching, it’s he’s a little bit hard to talk to. Uh especially on the mound. You know, he doesn’t want to be talking on the mound very much. In between innings is great. But yeah, that’s that’s just he comes out, hey, we got to get an out. Like, do your thing, compete, just make pitches, one pitch at a time, do your thing, you know, trust it. That’s basically what you say. I don’t remember what I said exactly, but that’s that’s what you say. Um, but yeah, he got that big out, you know, bases loaded. Um, I feel like it was like a nine or 10 pitch at bat. I don’t even remember, but guy rolls over and yeah, hu huge out there in the 12th, 13th inning, whatever it was. Yeah. And then I didn’t even bring up Justin Dean with the ball that hits in the crack of the fence line down in the warning track. This is the wildest baseball series I’ve ever seen. Will. Yeah, it had everything this year. It was It was special. It was fun to be a part of, including a walk-off. Well, not walk-off, a game-winning World Series. Is hitting the a game-winning game seven extra inning home run. Again, I know it wasn’t home and it wasn’t walk-off. Is that the stuff you dreamt about in Kentucky growing up? Oh, yeah. For sure. I think every kid, you know, dreams of that. You know, getting the last strike out on the mound or, you know, hitting a walk-off homer or, you know, a base hit or whatever. You know, that’s that’s what you you know, you play in the backyard with your friends, you’re constantly playing those situations and, you know, just having fun with it. And it’s kind of what I did. Uh, you know, just got a pitch to hit, you got a good swing off and yeah, I got over the wall and put us up and then got to go three more outs the next inning. All right. So, you’re sitting in your car. Why? Explain why you’re sitting in your car, Will. Go ahead. Oh, I’m in the car. I got I got two little girls and they’re they’re playing inside. So, I was I was just stepping out a little peace and quiet, you know, or else they’d be jumping in this screen for sure. How old are they? What are their names? Uh, three and one. Charlotte’s three and Leighton’s one. Okay. So, one day, uh, Charlotte and Lincoln, is is that the names you mentioned? Uh, Leighton. Leighton. Okay. Charlotte and Leighton. Okay. one day. Um, you’ll be able to look at them and say, “Uh, dad’s got all these rings right now. You got three. Um, and I caught Showe Otani and and Clayton Kershaw and World Series MVP and Yamamoto. He’s only just getting started. Do you sit back and think again? I know you’re just 30. Do you sit back and think about what’s going on? What’s happening to you, Will?” Yeah, it’s it’s definitely crazy, you know, take a step back, reflect um you know, kind of reflect on my whole career so far and and also it’s, you know, it’s exciting to see, you know, I’ve got eight more years with the Dodgers where what we can do. You know, it’s it’s a special organization. Just grateful for, you know, their trust in me to to have you back there for eight more years. Um is just amazing. But yeah, I think, you know, when it’s all said and done, who knows? But just being able to, you know, remember remember hanging out the guys um in a clubhouse just just working through things um grinding together, traveling together, um you know, getting close to their families. Like it’s just it’s just a special, you know, special group each and every year. And uh you know, we we we just really enjoy it. I I couldn’t be more happy for you, man. So, is there is there a retirement coordinator on the Dodgers to talk about about about the 401k plans and stuff like that or is that just all deferred money and everything, you know? I mean, just sock it away. Is that Do they have an actual IRA executive in Chavez to I don’t know. I don’t know yet. I I still got a while till then. Take that like Kersh or whoever else. Okay. Hey, you made it all the way to the end. Thanks for that. Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney Plus and the ESPN app 12 to 3 Eastern.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith and Rich Eisen discuss Shohei Ohtani’s singular greatness and Clayton Kershaw’s legendary competitiveness.

Tune in to the Emmy-nominated Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from Noon to 3PM ET on Disney+, ESPN+, ESPN Radio, and streaming on SiriusXM channel 80.

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