Jody Jackson | DBacks TV Host & Reporter

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That's betterhelp.com slash positive. We're pleased to welcome Jody Jackson who is a TV host and reporter with the Diamondbacks going back several years now. Jody, man, they fight, they scratch, they claw just to get into October and now one, two, three, four games on the road.

All of them wins. They haven't lost since October began. What's gotten into these Diamondbacks?

It is crazy, Amy. I mean, they, we wondered if they could flip a switch during that last home stand, that last three games against the Astros at Chase Field where they really just couldn't seem to win a game. They couldn't get it. They couldn't hit. They weren't really pitching all that well. They actually pitched well in the first two and he just, Mark Grace and I who do the, we do the post game and we did that, that final regular season post game.

And I asked him, can they flip a switch? And we really wondered and they have completely flipped the switch back to a team that we saw early in the year, the team that was actually leading the NL West for the first couple of months of the season. So really, if you think back to that, which, you know, I cover over a hundred games, so I lived all of that.

So to me, this isn't, it is still shocking. It is, but I saw the potential for this team. They are just rising to the occasion in every possible way. And when you look at the Brewer series, you definitely see a path where they, where they could have done what they did and they did, but they swept them. And then, but now I think with Dodgers, just the track record over the last nine or 10 years has not been great. And since the Dodgers have the crazy payroll this last decade or so, and people don't remember when the Dodgers used to be, you know, not very good.

I do. I mean, 0-7, 0-8, 0-9, 10-11. These are years that the D-Backs were winning, but the last 10 years, it's been really tough in the last couple of years in particular. So for them to really dominate the Dodgers in that first game and then really stay in control tonight in that game is very impressive. They out pitched them. I say that rather than out hit, they did out hit them 8-6, but I really feel like they out pitched them in certain moments and, and held that lineup down. That first game against the Dodgers, they blow up Clayton Kershaw and he's out before he even gets two outs.

And that happening there at Chavez Ravine. There's a lot that's stunning. Where does the resiliency come from, Jody? Considering, as you point out, they lost their last four games in the regular season, they lost five of their last seven, then they get into the playoffs and boom, they're like a buzzsaw. Yeah.

I mean, it is, it is amazing. I think it comes from some individuals on, on that team. Um, and some of them are, are really young, like Corbin Carroll.

He is unflappable. There's nothing that he really can't do on a baseball field and that kind of feeds into that feeling in the dugout, um, that they can, they can make things happen. And then the coaching staff, I mean, this coaching staff is so incredibly good at what they do. Let me take a moment to just give some kudos to the hitting coaches and the players for executing the game plan, both against Kershaw and Bobby Miller tonight in that they just controlled the zone. They were very disciplined at the plate. Um, they didn't, I mean, Carroll's first at bat tonight was, was like that. And he had a couple at bats where he went to 0-2 to 3-2.

He walked a couple of times early on in that game and that can change the game. And it did really prove to be the difference tonight in getting that three to nothing lead. And, you know, going on to win four to two, um, past that first inning, LA outscored Arizona two to one, but you get that first inning cushion and everything is just, everything just works in a much better fashion. Um, especially when you can get their starter out after one and two thirds, but the resiliency, yeah, back to your question, it, it comes from some very young sources where you wouldn't think they would have that kind of maturity. It comes from some veteran leadership that's on in that dugout, like Evan Longoria, for example, and Tommy Pham actually as well, you know, Pham had a great game, um, the other night.

And so, and then the coaches coaching again, Tori Lovello, Jeff Bannister, Brent Strom, they've been coaching these guys up all year long and you really see it with this young group. Corbin Carroll is a young superstar. He seems to be in the middle of everything the Diamondbacks do, that Brewers series, he sparks their rallies both times. What do fans across the country need to know about Corbin Carroll?

Gosh, there's, there's a lot to know. He's an interesting guy. He is very process oriented. It goes back to, at least for me, because I, I've done a couple of shows with him or, and one in particular that was really a biography with him and some really spent some time with him talking about, you know, how he fell in love with baseball, what his process is, who's influenced him. And Itro Suzuki is the guy that he, growing up in Seattle, loved him, loved the way that he approached the game. He got a chance to meet him in the process of kind of that pre-draft in 2019.

You know, of course Seattle was looking at him on the Diamondbacks. They were very grateful by the way that they were able to get him at number 16 overall. We heard from day one how they loved him and they were so glad to get him, but he's just, there's, there's a lot to know.

He's a great kid. The family is wonderful. You know, his mom and dad were on the field after they clinched and I'm getting all my, I'm getting a little bit of my celebrations mixed up. Did I see them in Milwaukee too?

I probably, I saw them in Milwaukee as well. Got to see a lot of the families. It's just a wonderful group.

The organization's done a great job drafting some of these guys. His sister, he and his sister are really close, so that was cool to see as well. But he's, he's extremely driven. He's, it's, he's not cocky, but he's very confident. You know, he was asked on one of our shows when he hit the stolen base mark, he hit 40 and they were like, are you looking, you know, you think you can get to 50? He's like, well, why not? You know, he didn't say it like that, but you know, he's just, he just is always pushing. There's really no limit for him.

And that's why it's crazy to think about this year. He's going to win NL working of the year. And what can he do? Well, he, who knows? He can do, he can do so much. And I think the other thing, I mean, just with the power that he has, like a lot of people underestimated the power. You know, he had like 20 home runs pretty early on in this season and pretty quickly you realize, you know, he, he's got power along with the speed and all the other skills.

So he's been fantastic. Jody Jackson is a Diamondbacks host and reporter with us here after hours on CBS Sports Radio. What is the atmosphere going to be like there at Chase Field come game three? Oh, I'm excited.

I actually get a little bit of a chill thinking about it. You know, I've been hearing me since 2000. I got here right before the world series.

So great timing on my part. Right. And that was electric.

I, you know, you don't even know what you're stepping into with that. And, you know, they, the team was new, everyone was on board and, you know, here they are again in the playoffs after six years of not only not being in the playoffs since 2017, but really having a couple of horrible years. I mean, we all know the COVID situation was, was terrible and baseball suffered. The team in 2021 was just, everything went wrong. I mean, they had injuries.

They didn't, they didn't have quite as talented a group as, as they wanted to have. And then they started to come around last year near the end of the season and they had 74 wins and you could see Corbin Carroll coming up. Everyone's going to be excited here in the state of Arizona, here in the Valley.

You know, and it's sold that they announced a couple of hours ago, maybe two hours ago, maybe three hours ago that it is sold out, which is not a surprise. I would hope, I would hope it would be sold out of course, when you get to playoff baseball back in town. And in 2017, you know, they had the one home game because it was back when the wildcard was one game and it was an unbelievable game. My, my kids, who are teenagers now, but they were pretty little, they remember it. It was when Archie Bradley, the relief pitcher hit a triple in that game. And people talk about to this day, how loud it was that moment.

So it builds, you think about fans, that's how you build fans, right? For a team that's only 25 years old. And so now it's going to be the same opportunity here against the Dodgers who have been so tough. And, you know, you just get like Alec Thomas said the other day, you feel like baby brother, like they've been tired of being sort of bullied around by the Dodgers and how unbelievable would it be to be able to close them out? You know, whether it's tomorrow or Thursday and, and do it here at home and head to the NLCS, it's really a dream turning into a dream season for these feedbacks. How does the pitching stack up now moving forward? Well, so now you've got, you've got Kelly ready to go for game four and Brandon finally, they haven't announced this, but I think it makes sense.

I don't think it's the big secret. Brandon fought with the other, you know, there's kind of three guys, right? So that gallon Merrill Kelly, and then the rookie Brandon fought who pitched in Milwaukee. They had a pretty quick hook on him. He did get hit, hit around a little bit. He's been really good in some games. And then there's some games where, you know, he's been hit, he's, he's learning, he's, he's got good stuff. He's got a sweeper that he likes to rely on. And he was dominating in the minor leagues for the Diamond backs. And he's just had a little bit of an up and down season, but he's had great potential.

So I think I all all times point to that. Troy Lavelle will probably, I guess, when announced the starter tomorrow, it seems like it'll be Lance Lynn for the Dodgers. I think everybody's got a quick hook, right? Like Dave Roberts. We saw tonight. He probably never thought he would have to go get a Clayton Kershaw after one out and then Bobby Miller after one and two thirds. So things are not going the way the Dodgers wanted to pitching wise so far, so good for the D backs who have not really had to extend anyone crazy usage for anyone.

And that's when they're at their best. This bullpen now that they've added Ryan Thompson, I know these are not household names. So I know your listeners may not know who that they saw him tonight. If they were watching Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saul, Frank has been really good.

He's a young rookie. And then, you know, adding Paul Siewald at the trade deadline. And then Kevin ginkle, who's the eighth inning guy has been really good. That has been the most functional part of the bullpen, the thing that's made the bullpen go and be really dominant this last few weeks of the season and into the postseason. The diamond backs, TV host and reporter, Jody Jackson in the wake of the D backs surprising the Dodgers with two wins in LA. Now heading home with an opportunity to close out and move into the national league championship series.

It's after hours here on CBS sports radio. How did the diamond backs find stability in their front office? Because there were some iterations. There was turnover there for a few years. Hiring Mike Hazen and his group. And of course, Mike brought Tory Lavelle with him from Boston has been a fantastic move.

I know it again, we talked about those downtimes in 2020 and 2021. And even the trade of Paul Goldschmidt, you know, things didn't not look good there for a bit. You hate to see a guy like Paul Goldschmidt go, but they got to the playoffs in their first year here, which was they were hired at the end of the 16th season and a great move. And they've stuck together and they've back now, you know, Ken Kendrick, Derek Hall, they have stood by Mike and it's been well-documented Mike losing his wife to brain cancer, which was obviously a horrible and tragic situation. And the fact that he, the Hazen family and the Lavelle family stuck very close during that time, really the whole organization and helping Mike through that difficult time. And he continued to work for this franchise as much as he could.

And it is really, you know, I think that's, what's made this whole thing so much sweeter. It's been written about how the celebrations have been so epic. And I think it really is a celebration for this front office and this coaching staff to be able to come through that dark time, both personally and off the field and on the field, really make every, have everything come together. The Diamondbacks have been up and down even prior to, you know, they had some going to the playoffs in 11 with Kevin Towers as the GM there. And, you know, the late great Kevin Towers really put things together quickly after a really bad 10 season. And then they got back to the playoffs in 11. And then they had some rough years and then they come back with what looks to be, you know, a really successful group, a very functional group.

They all pull together on the same rope. When I talk about Mike Hazen and Assistant General Manager Amiel Sade, Mike Fitzgerald, just to name a couple of people in the front office, and then Tori Lavelle, Tori and Mike being so close really helps. And so I think the front office situation and Mike and Amiel and Mike Fitzgerald getting signed to extensions in Milwaukee the other day. Well, I don't know if they actually signed papers in Milwaukee the other day, but the news came out and I think Tori of course will be right behind that will happen next. And it's great news for DBAC fans because that stability, and Derek Hall's talked about this, the president and CEO of the DBACs is that we've made mistakes before with making maybe a rash decision and letting someone go that was going to go off and be successful.

And Bob Melvin comes to mind when he was the manager here and then, you know, after a rough patch was let go. And they know what they have in this group and they want to keep them here. As a group, how confident are they, Jody? I mean, man, you've seen them. You can see it through, you know, I think the nation watching can see it through the cameras, smiles, the joy.

One thing that I laughed the other day, I was like, the cameras have to get the Geraldo Perdomo, Alec Thomas little celebration after every game. And like you said, they're 4-0. They haven't had a postseason loss yet. So you've seen the celebration. They look confident to me. And I, you know, you actually see them, you know, the celebration in Milwaukee, that was kind of a big hurdle. I thought, you know, you could see them all say, hey, this is valid, we can do this. And then up next is the Dodgers.

And now they're saying to themselves, we're doing this. You and I both know any walk of life, whatever walk of life you're in, whatever your job is, your career, when you are able to achieve and you see that validation, it almost tells you that anything's possible. So, you know, again, I don't think it's going to, these next two games, I don't think they're going to be easy. Tonight wasn't easy. I knew, you know, I was on some shows today and I said, look, I think this is going to be a regular game, meaning like there'll be some adversity, but they never trailed in this game.

There wasn't really that much adversity. So they may find that on Wednesday. They may have to play on Thursday and find it. But I think they're equipped to deal with it. And what's crazy is the Dodgers don't look as equipped because, you know, and I know there's a lot of talk about the layoff or whatever, but they just, they don't really have it rolling right now, you know, and the DVAX is like, this is a train that is moving fast.

So you might just not know what hit you, I think is what they're thinking here. I did love that locker room or clubhouse celebration in Milwaukee and Tori Lovello's speech that had to be bleeped out in multiple places. That was fantastic, but yes, oozes confidence.

So you can find Jody on Twitter at Jody underscore Jackson Diamondbacks TV host and reporter was there in Milwaukee will be there Wednesday night for a sold out Chase Field and the Dodgers on the brink of elimination and these Diamondbacks something special. Thank you so much for a couple of minutes. It's great to connect with you.

Yes. Same here, Amy. I appreciate the time and we will see what happens. It's going to be exciting in Phoenix. Facts are facts like how contributing to employees financial security makes them want to work harder for their company. In fact, according to a 2023 study by principle, 87% of employers say that better employee financial security means employees are more engaged and productive at work. The fact of the matter is that employees want to feel financially secure in their future. So consider this principle helps you invest in your employees by providing customized benefits and retirement plans to help keep your employees more engaged and productive. When you take care of your team, they take care of business. That's a fact. Learn how principle can help you find the right benefits and retirement plan for your team at principal.com slash benefits products and services offered by member companies of the principal financial group Des Moines, Iowa.

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