Dodgers links: Mitch Poole, Dave Roberts, Double-A Tulsa

Mitch Poole, the longtime Dodgers clubhouse manager, who now manages the visitors’ side at Dodger Stadium, caught up with Bob Nightengale at USA Today about many things, including the 1988 World Series.

Poole was a batboy that year, and was tasked with helping Kirk Gibson get ready in the batting cage during Game 1.

Maybe my favorite part of the interview was Poole recalling an encounter with Tony LaRussa, the A’s manager in 1988, after the 2018 World Series, when LaRussa was a special assistant with the Red Sox. From Nightengale:

“We were walking our way up the ramp and I said to Tony, ‘It’s amazing how many times you beat our rear-ends.’” Poole said.

“Tony turned around, pointed in my face, and yells, ‘Mitch, 1988! 1988! And he walks off.’

“Just when you think people are over it, you experience that.

Links

Dave Roberts stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS was among a handful of steals that made MLB history recognized by Buster Olney at ESPN.

The Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa will join a program called Tulsa Kitchens Unite to feed those in need around Oklahoma. The Drillers food and beverage staff will prepare a minimum of 250 free meals per day in the program.

“These are difficult and unsure times for so many of us, and we hope that the work of our folks to provide quality meals will be a comfort to local families,” Drillers president Mike Melega said in a statement. “It is a just a small part that we can play in a very important program that Hunger Free Oklahoma has developed.”

MLB is producing original content on Mondays for its YouTube channel. Among the new shows is “Quick Questions,” and the first episode was about ballpark dimensions, and featured Dodgers head of planning and development Janet Marie Smith.