Radio & TV Spots

YANKEES-DODGERS: AN UNCIVIL WAR

I suffered the baseball version of PTSD revisiting the 1977 and 1978 World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees for ESPN Films, especially Reggie's "Hip-and-Run" play at Yankee Stadium that was the turning point of the '78 Series. But I also trot out the actual baseball rule number that he violated. Terrible non-call by the umps!

The 2-hour documentary is viewable on ESPN+/Disney+

SPORTS KNIGHT WITH MICHAEL KNIGHT
KFWB 980 AM - CBS RADIO

Michael Knight hosts a newish two-hour sports show on KFWB, the former Dodgers' affiliate. If you haven't checked out his show, it's worth a listen. No listener call-ins, no cohosts -- just solid, thoughtful points and engaging guests. And then there was me, crashing the party!

FOX 11 NEWS WITH PABLO PEREIRA
KTTV - LOS ANGELES

Fox 11 News promoted my book as the "perfect Christmas gift for the Dodger fan in your life... except those who live in San Francisco." A fun line from Pablo Pereira and the producers, but what was really great was what I learned off-camera about Pablo. His family has deep Dodger roots, going back to the Brooklyn days. His grandmother made a point of expressing her disdain for the hated Giants on her deathbed! Pablo channeled that spirit with that line of his, and also refused to mention the Giants by name (referring to them as "the team from Northern California") when they won the World Series and he had to do the sports report that night. As for this segment, it was cool to be on the same channel that broadcast Dodger games when I was a kid and led to so many seminal moments I talk about in my book!

THE LOOSE CANNONS
KLAC 570 AM - FOX SPORTS RADIO

L.A. native Steve Hartman has much love for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, and Vic "The Brick" loves him some Azul. Dig that disco music from the old KTTV Channel 11 Preshow. Click here for the interview:

THE PETROS AND MONEY SHOW
KLAC 570 AM - FOX SPORTS RADIO

Only on Petros and Money's show could I be asked to imitate Marlon Brando. Something I used to do for kicks with my buddy Rob, who now works as an audio guy at Fox Sports. Rob told Money, who threw me that curve ball, and I'm happy to report my mimicry is just as bad now as always. But P&M are also longtime Angelenos who appreciate their Doyers and Vin. Good fun. Click here for the clip:

AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE
KPCC 89.3 FM

Larry Mantle is the dean among L.A.-based radio broadcasters -- the Vin Scully of Public Radio -- with deep roots in Los Angeles. He's seen and heard it all. It was an honor to sit opposite him at KPCC's Pasadena studios, share some classic Vinny clips, and talk Dodgers. You can hear it through KPCC's website or click below:

SPORTS WITH STEVE GRAD
KNX 1070 AM - CBS RADIO

Steve Grad, who typically has only enough time to race through scores and latest news during his 90-second twice-an-hour sports updates -- the radio equivalent of Speed Dating -- was so taken by the book, he broke protocol and conducted a rare interview. Nice integration of a classic Vin call too.

THE MORNING BREW WITH FRED WALLIN
KCAA 1050 AM - NBC RADIO NETWORK

Longtime Dodger fans will remember Fred Wallin as the host of Dodger Talk in the late '80s along with Al Downing. Nowadays Fred is still manning the mic, this time for KCAA, covering the Inland Empire. Topics included our mutual appreciation for Ross Porter, life lessons I learned from the Dodgers, and, um, Steve Yeager's family jewels.

THE LOCKER ROOM WITH BOB BROWN
101.7 FM - THE TEAM - ESPN RADIO

This was a fun one... a 20-minute interview with the Dodgers' affiliate station in Albuquerque, also home to the team's AAA team, the Isotopes. Albuquerque, of course, has a special connection to the core group of Dodgers I write about, many of them (including Lasorda) first paying their dues as then-Dukes. Bob is a full-fledged fan of the glory era, and dropped some interesting tidbits. Who knew Pedro Guerrero owned some property in the Albuquerque area?

NONSTOP NEWS WITH CHUCK HENRY
NBC4 - LOS ANGELES

Live from beautiful downtown Burbank.... Chuck Henry is an L.A. institution on the airwaves. I was a guest on his NBC Nonstop News program. The real drama came off-set, where my 6-year-old son spilled his hot chocolate in the green room, then had a minor coughing jag during our live interview while on set. Alas, the show went on. This was my first time in the NBC building since I used to stalk Johnny Carson in high school. A buddy and I used to wait for him in the parking lot to see him drive up in his DeLorean DMC-12 (security was a lot more lax then), and we eventually got chummy with an NBC page, who actually took us backstage to meet the talk-show legend ("Don't tell anyone, or I'll totally get fired," he said). Johnny Carson was as big an influence on me as Vin Scully growing up, and made me want to work in television -- which turned out to be a more attainable goal than baseball broadcaster.

LIVE IN THE BOOTH WITH JOHN RAMEY,
RADIO ANNOUNCER FOR UCLA BRUINS BASEBALL

Even though I ended up at USC for Graduate School, I grew up on L.A.'s Westside and am a Bruin fan at heart. Back in high school, my brother and I used to hop the fence at UCLA's pristine Jackie Robinson Stadium, with its Dodger Stadium-type power alleys, to play pick-up baseball with some friends. The games never lasted long. Security always busted them up and ran us out. Almost thirty years later, I found myself taking in a "words-eye" view with John Ramey and his partner Tim Wilhelm, the polished and perfect voices calling Bruins baseball. John interviewed me in the second inning. The only bummer... the Bruins lost to Stanford, 7-2 (and somewhere Jon Weisman is smiling).