Dodgers Broadcaster Takes Unnecessary Shot at Padres During DodgerFest

Maren Angus-Coombs | Feb 6, 2025

Apr 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Spectrum SportsNet LA commentator Orel Hershiser (left) and play-by-play announcer Joe Davis during the game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There wasn't a shortage of shots fired at the San Diego Padres during the Los Angeles Dodgers annual DodgerFest held at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

Legendary Dodgers pitcher and current team broadcaster Orel Hershiser might have taken the loudest when discussing the high payroll and how it could play out in the long run.

"We've seen teams with high payrolls fall flat on their face," he said. "We saw it happen down South."

That was clearly a low blow to the Padres who have yet to win a World Series with their high payroll and have now had to slash payroll while facing an ownership lawsuit.

Los Angeles has also found ways to jab at San Diego with its promotional schedule.

More news: Dodgers Appear to Be Taking Shots at Padres With Giveaway Calendar

During their June series against the Padres, the Dodgers, the defending champions, have planned three giveaways at Dodger Stadium. On June 16, they’re handing out a Blake Snell bobblehead, highlighting his second Cy Young win with San Diego. Fans will receive a replica of the World Series trophy the following night.

For the series finale, the Dodgers will take the field in gold jerseys to celebrate their championship.

San Diego is also searching for a new identity ahead of this season and manager Mike Shildt is confident that his squad will find it quickly

“I firmly expect this group to come back and be ready to go for the consecutive playoff run for two, three, four years,” Shildt told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “That will be historic in San Diego baseball history.”

"It's important, if you don't have an identity you don't stand for anything, just like I mentioned your faith, whatever your faith might be; if you don't have it anything, you're rudderless, right?

"But when you have an identity, you have a clarity in how you're going to compete -- and the staff; this is a good opportunity for me to thank the staff right now. The staff did a great job of creating the identity. The identity is only as strong as its challenges, and we were challenged a lot this year, and our identity only got stronger.

"It's now part of who we are. That's why I can feel good about moving forward, that we stand for something that we believe in, how we play and compete, how we do it together, that will only get stronger and allow us to continue to have these moments in postseason and beyond."

More news: Padres Predicted to Sign Former Dodgers, Braves All-Star Outfielder