David Vassegh

Robby Incmikoski: Dave, I appreciate you doing this. First of all, you’ve been traveling with the Dodgers thirteen years now. It’s almost like your bus is on the road or like public transportation, as Tim Neverett describes it. How do you describe the experience, and what is it like traveling with a team like the LA Dodgers, who are as star-studded as they are and as they have been over the decades?

David Vassegh: Yeah, it’s really incredible. Specifically, this past year, Robby, it’s like traveling with the Beatles—you know, the attention Ohtani brought to the team, and the attention they get. It really is like traveling with the Beatles when he is there—not only him, but Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. He’s not the only superstar. So it is very unique.

I have the perspective of traveling with the Dodgers since 2012, and when I first started, the traveling party was not as big as it is now, and the personalities on the team were not as big as they are now. I had an opportunity to travel with the Dodgers when this Guggenheim ownership group really took over and flexed their muscle, starting with the Adrian Gonzalez trade. He was a personality—he was the centerpiece of the team at that time, to go along with Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier. Then they traded for Hanley Ramirez after the deadline, halfway through the 2012 season. He was a huge alpha ego as well.

And then in ’13, you start to incorporate guys like Yasiel Puig. That was an adventure in itself, with Puig and Juan Uribe and those guys—it was a very lively flight. But fast-forward over the years: Baseball front offices and coaching staffs have expanded, so the traveling party has expanded. I would say, safe to say, the Dodgers—the players they bring in are good-character people, so nothing crazy is going on, on that flight from anywhere, from point A to point B. They’re all professionals; they all enjoy being around each other. It’s a very subdued flight cross-country or wherever we’re going. They’ve all got families. I know people think it’s like, you know, the Bulls of the ’90s or the ’86 Mets—it couldn’t be further from the ’86 Mets. These guys should be in a convent compared to those guys, really.

Robby Incmikoski: Yeah, that’s interesting you say that, because what I always wonder—and look, I’ve traveled sixteen years with teams myself, so I have an idea. People think it’s some big circus act. Really, sometimes they just want to chill, they want to eat, maybe play some cards. It’s nothing that crazy that goes on with these flights. I mean, guys drink a few beers, whatever, but it’s not like a big party by any stretch. At least none of the teams I’ve been a part of, at least it hasn’t been.

David Vassegh: Yeah, in those early years, where they had some, you know, lively personalities, you could hear the music coming from the back of the plane, but nothing out of bounds.

Robby Incmikoski: Right. Shohei Ohtani—what is it like walking in and out of hotels with him? What is it like walking in and out of buses with him? What do you see?

David Vassegh: Yeah. Well, my first experience traveling with Shohei Ohtani was when we landed in South Korea to start the year. I was on the team flight with Ohtani, and at that time, on the way there at least, when we landed in South Korea. And we all had to go through customs. So once we got through customs in the South Korean airport in Seoul, they allowed fans to be behind barriers, but they were there at the airport as the entire Dodgers walked through the airport, including Shohei Ohtani. At that point—talk about traveling with the Beatles—that was the epitome of it.

In the team hotel in South Korea in Seoul, fans knew where the Dodgers were staying, and they did have had barriers as well in the hotel lobby because I guess there was nothing that said the hotel could stop the fans from being in the lobby; they just could not get in the way. So they also had barriers between the hotel elevators and the public. Being with Ohtani on one of the buses to the stadium—it was incredible, Robby. It was like people were fainting. They were going crazy. It’s like what you see with Taylor Swift when she walks through a football stadium—that’s what it’s like.

And quite honestly, every city we went to, it wasn’t to that degree, but certainly all eyes were on him. All the cameras were on him. Even on the field, there’s fifty to a hundred Japanese reporters and photographers just waiting for him to come out, just to play catch—all attention on him. It was more attention, more media than I’ve ever seen cover a Dodger team in the last thirteen years.

Robby Incmikoski: That’s unbelievable—it really is. So, as a member of the media . . . Like, I had that in Pittsburgh with Andrew McCutchen, obviously to 20 percent of what Ohtani is, but that was still a lot—especially when he came back for his second stint with the Pirates. I mean, everybody wanted a piece of Cutch because he’s so beloved in the city of Pittsburgh. With Shohei, when he comes up to bat, what is that like every time? It’s almost like a can’t-miss moment. But it’s every time he steps up to bat. Would that be kind of accurate to say that?

David Vassegh: One hundred percent. Being in Los Angeles, going to Laker games—cell phones were not like they are now when Shaq and Kobe were playing, but if you go to a Laker game now, when LeBron James has the ball, it’s the same thing. Everybody has their phone up. They’re videotaping LeBron. In fact, I’m not trying to humble-brag here, Robby, but my brother-in-law somehow went halves or quarters with somebody else for Laker tickets, and they’re like six rows behind the Laker bench. It’s got like, seven games a year. And he invited me to go, and it wasn’t enjoyable, because nobody’s watching the game—they’re just there to videotape it with their phone, get pictures with LeBron, take selfies, you know, like that.

That’s what it’s like, to a certain extent, at Dodger Stadium now, when Shohei Ohtani comes to the plate—especially for the fans that are sitting in the field level, behind home plate. You can see it on TV; everybody’s got their cell phone up, videotaping his at-bat because something special can happen. He hit a walk-off grand slam last year. If you look at the replay, many people behind home plate have their cell phone up, and maybe not even watching it with their own eyes—watching it through their video. So that’s what it’s like when Ohtani comes to the plate.

Robby Incmikoski: Have you ever seen anything like this in your whole career—this kind of attention to anybody?

David Vassegh: Never. Never. The closest I’ve ever seen is Puig, because Puig was such a personality. That’s the only thing I’ve ever seen, but not to this extent. It’s unprecedented. Dodger games—whether it’s in LA or Pittsburgh—it’s no longer a “game,” Robby. It’s an event. It’s an event. It’s not a game anymore.

Robby Incmikoski: It honestly is incredible. And you were at his 50–50 game in Miami, right?

David Vassegh: I was, and I interviewed him after the game. There’s a photo of me interviewing Ohtani with a hundred photographers basically snapping us doing the interview.

Robby Incmikoski: Do you have a photo of that?

David Vassegh: I do. Want me to send it to you right now?

Robby Incmikoski: Whenever you get a chance. That would be incredible. I’m trying to see if I could . . . Miami. Let’s see if I have it here . . . images . . . let’s see if I have a photo of you interviewing him. It doesn’t pop up on a basic Google search, you and him, at least in Miami, it doesn’t, but yeah, I would love to see it if you ever get a chance, because I would love to use something like that.

All right, that’s cool. So I wanted to ask about that. Let me ask, let’s talk about Milwaukee on a lighter note. One of the funnier things I’ve ever seen happened, and the guys bust your chops all the time. Oh, here we go. Oh my God.

David Vassegh That’s what I’m talking about.

Robby Incmikoski Oh my God. Kyle, this is incredible when you see this. Look at this, Kyle. See if you can see it.

David Vassegh That’s me interviewing him for the radio, Robby, for the radio postgame show.

Robby Incmikoski I’ve never done an interview with that many cameras around me for TV with anybody. Can we put this on the website?

David Vassegh Yeah, I just don’t know who to credit. I’ll try to get—

Robby Incmikoski We’re months away from that. I’ll come to you when it’s close.

David Vassegh Okay.

Robby Incmikoski That day, last thing on Shohei by the way. Because we’ve talked to Neverett, we’ve talked to a few other people—Jamie Bane was a scout, was there that day. On the day he hit that 50–50, in thirteen years of doing games—162 a year—thirteen years of that, where would that game stand out in your career out of all the games you’ve worked?

David Vassegh: Oh, it’s the greatest regular-season game I’ve ever seen.

Robby Incmikoski That’s what I mean. In terms of regular season, yep.

David Vassegh Greatest regular-season game I’ve ever covered, without a doubt. Hands down. There’s no other game. The only other game I could say is Kershaw’s no-hitter, which was one Hanley Ramirez throwing error away from a perfect game. Those are the two greatest regular-season games I’ve ever covered.

Robby Incmikoski Really?

David Vassegh: Without a doubt.

Robby Incmikoski: What about—well, I know the obvious, but what makes you say specifically that?

David Vassegh: Well, because everything involved, right? The guy’s going for 50–50; he needs, like, what is it, two or three stolen bases, maybe one home run or whatever. And he’s a triple shy of the cycle as well—I’m not sure people realize that. And in the process of all that, he breaks Shawn Green’s Dodger all-time single-season home run record. So 50 wasn’t just going 50–50—all these things. I mean, he made history on so many different fronts, and he did it in one game. Three home runs, ten RBIs—I know players have done that before, but not with all . . . you saw the photo, not with all the attention and everybody following him around.

He also told me during that interview after the game that he noticed the umpire switching out baseballs when he came to the plate because they were specially marked. So, come on. It’s not—he was very candid that it was at the forefront of his mind that he was on the verge of making history. So all that. The stolen bases—you could see that happening, but he’s got to get on base to be able to do that, and he did. Seventeen total bases, and he was a triple shy of the cycle.

Robby Incmikoski: It’s, it’s, it might be . . .

David Vassegh It’s not just three home runs or ten RBIs. It’s not just him hitting fifty home runs. It’s all of that. It’s everything put together.

Robby Incmikoski: It might be the greatest regular-season baseball game ever played in the history of baseball, ever.

David Vassegh For sure. For sure. I mean, it’s right up there—I’m not going to say it is. Nomar Garciaparra reminded me he had three home runs and ten RBIs in a game, but Nomar, it’s not for 50–50.

Robby Incmikoski: Right, which is still—three homers and ten RBIs in itself is incredible.

David Vassegh Incredible.

Robby Incmikoski And Nomar is incredible.

David Vassegh Yeah, yeah.

Robby Incmikoski It’s unbelievable. Let’s talk a little about Milwaukee.

David Vassegh Why?

Robby Incmikoski How did that come to be? I know you have to get permission to go on Bernie Brewer’s slide. I never attempted it in all my trips to Milwaukee—I’ve probably been there thirty-five times—and I’ve never attempted it because I just never thought it was something that I should do. But I know many people who have done it, so it’s not like you’re the only one. But you ended up with a broken wrist, if I remember correctly. Is that right?

David Vassegh: And six ribs.

Robby Incmikoski: Six ribs too?

David Vassegh Yeah.

Robby Incmikoski Tell me—how did this come about? Not the injury. I know the injury part, but you’re a radio guy and you’re doing some TV.

David Vassegh: Yeah, I do about twenty games on TV. It seems like every sideline reporter takes Milwaukee off, and I’m always doing TV in Milwaukee. So leading up to that, everybody gets excited—the players get excited, Rick Monday (radio legend) gets excited for me that I get the opportunity. So they’re like, “You’ve got to go down the slide.” The players are saying it, Rick Monday is saying it, the television producer is saying it: “Yeah, we’ll set it up, you’ll go down, it’ll be great! It’ll be awesome.” So I said, “Yeah, let’s do it. I’m game for that.”

Steve Ethier is the. . . I don’t know his exact title at Miller Park, but he did the same thing at Dodger Stadium, so we had the connection where it was very easy to set up. So myself, a couple of the TV production people, the Dodgers player-relations rep, Yvonne Dorado—we all go up. They all want to do it as well. So I go up, I do it, and I don’t get hurt. But the cameraman is filming from the top, and he said, “Hey, we’d love to get a shot.” Like the director is there too—It's like, “Hey, can you get a shot of him coming down? Do it again.”

And that’s where things went sideways, because I was trying to “Shaq the fool,” right? Shaquille O’Neal is my guy—I’m trying to put on a show, I’m not just going down the slide. So I like to say I didn’t respect the slide, but it was going pretty fast, Robby—faster than the first time, for whatever reason. And I was on one of those potato sacks going down, and my suit and tie and all that. So I don’t know what happened, but I was going really fast and I was concerned that if I tried to put the brakes on with my ankles, I might tear my knee or meniscus or something. So in the moment there, I’m trying to do a little bit of everything—showmanship. It was going too fast for that for me to do that. And the wall’s not that far away from the end of the slide and also doesn’t give much give.

So I was trying to get my arm to protect me from underneath to roll, but my right arm got caught behind me, and that’s when I broke my wrist. Then once I got it out, I had put my, I tried to protect myself going into the wall, and that’s where my elbow, my right elbow was pressed against my ribs. And that’s how I got six fractured ribs.

Robby Incmikoski: Holy hell. How long did it take to recover from?

David Vassegh: Well, the cameraman takes me to—well, first, I go to the Dodger clubhouse, and that’s where the trainers looked at me. I’m like, “Please tell me it’s not broken.” They’re like, “Ah, we gotta send you to the hospital. They’re gonna take images.” But basically, they knew it was broken. While I’m waiting for the cameraman to get the truck and it ready to go where he drives me, his name is Mick Larson, and he drives me to the emergency room. But between then Justin Turner comes out, Cody Bellinger comes out, Austin Barnes comes out—they’re like, “What the hell happened to you?” They bring me into the clubhouse, they feed me, they give me a sandwich, give me some water. You know in Milwaukee how there’s that waiting room between the tunnel and the clubhouse? I’m respectful. I’m not going in the clubhouse. So I was just sitting in a chair there. They’re like, “What are you doing out here? Get in here.” And they took care of me. Then I go to the hospital—Mookie Betts FaceTimes me, Orel Hershiser calls me while I’m in the examining room.

I go back—it’s the fifth inning. They tape me up; they can’t give me the soft cast until I’m able to get back to LA. And I couldn’t just go back to the hotel and lie in a fetal position, so I go back to Miller Park. I have the cameraman drive me back to Miller Park after I’m all taken care of for now, and I go back in the camera well and finish out the game.

Robby Incmikoski: I have a similar story. Remember, a Howie Kendrick foul ball caught me in the ribs. I ended up sharing an x-ray room with Justin Turner. 2016. It would have been Vin’s last year, and Tony Watson was pitching to him. It was the foul ball that caught me in the chest. I got sent to the Dodger Stadium x-ray room.

David Vassegh: And Justin Turner was there?

Robby Incmikoski: Yeah, he was walking out as I was walking in, which is crazy. That was at Dodger Stadium, not Miller Park, but yeah, but somewhat similar. I wish Vin would’ve said my name on the air, but unfortunately he did not.

David Vassegh: It was Joe and Nomar in the booth, and it’s famous now—“Hi, guys,” and I show them the cast and all that. I remember them laughing.

Robby Incmikoski: That’s unbelievable. How absurd a life story is that to tell?

David Vassegh: I didn’t want this attention. I didn’t want Robby to be calling me for a book about it. I thought I was going down the slide, and I thought I was going to joke around, pretend like I got hurt, but I didn’t ex—my wife was not happy. She was actually in Milwaukee, because her mom’s from there, and she has family there. Her grandmother had just passed away, and she was in the hotel room with my kids when I got injured. She was not happy. The talk of the funeral was not her grandmother—it was me. She wasn’t happy.

Robby Incmikoski: This is one of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard. It’s unbelievable. I’ve gone down the slide at San Francisco, on the Coke bottle, the Coke-bottle slide. I’ve done that before. That one’s way less risky than Bernie Brewer’s.

David Vassegh I’ll try it.

Robby Incmikoski This is one of the funnier stories we will  tell in the whole book. That’s incredible, Dave. What a hell of a story, man.