It seems like every season the Dodgers arrive ready to deploy at least one shiny new pitcher who throws hard as hell and looks like a baby. Before you've even had a chance to get used to Dustin May or Julio Urias becoming bonafide stars, you are confronted with the likes of Bobby Miller.
Miller was drafted by the Dodgers with the 29th overall pick of the 2020 draft, and he is set to begin this season in Double-A as the Dodgers' top pitching prospect. But last night he a got a small taste of pitching in the big leagues, when the Dodgers tabbed him to start a spring training game in their home stadium against the Angels. The first batter Miller faced was Shohei Ohtani, and he struck him out with a 100 mph fastball. It was pretty cool!
The first big-league hitter Bobby Miller faced was Shohei Ohtani
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHarrisTBLA) April 6, 2022
He struck him out with a 100 mph fastball pic.twitter.com/5dNqD4Moah
But we are not here to talk about Miller's pitching performance, which was perfectly competent. We are here to marvel at his postgame interview, in which Miller unintentionally executed a note-perfect impression of Nuke LaLoosh.
"Almost blacked out a little bit... probably the highlight of my career right there." @BMilled15 on striking out Shohei Ohtani to start the night and how he felt after his outing. pic.twitter.com/GxeJRU4zvw
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 6, 2022
Miller saying that he almost blacked out after striking out Ohtani is very sweet and charming, but what I'd really like to home in on here is his response to a question about what he was saying to himself when taking the field between innings. "I usually tell myself something as I'm going out there each time," Miller said. "Whether it's, 'better than the last inning let's go,' and them some other stuff I probably shouldn't say in an interview."
Since watching this interview this morning, I have not been able to get the way Miller says, "better than the last inning let's go," out of my head. Has anyone ever quoted themselves with less intonation? With a flatter affect? With such a disregard for verbal cues demarcating the beginning and end of a quote? I love it! It just keeps running through my brain, like an odd incantation.
Better than the last inning let's go.
better than the last inning let's go
betterthanthelastinninglet'sgo.
I hope this guy never gets any real media training, and that he keeps pitching better than the last inning let's go.
