Joe Torre, Rollie Fingers, & Shawn Green Support Sandy Koufax at the Harold Pump Foundation Gala

Nikki Novac here for Young Hollywood at the 12th annual Harold Pump Foundation Gala. We're here with some memorobilia. Let's go talk to some of the icons. I am here with Joe Tori. I know you're presenting to Sandy Kofax tonight.

It's a thrill, you know, he's he's had the best of me the whole time in our careers and it's nice just for me to pitch to him for a change.

So I heard about a little dinner you guys had many, many, many years ago. You were just starting out as a player and you guys sat and you had a talk all night, you talked about baseball and you've been lifetime friends since. Can you give me a little glimpse into what you guys talked about that faithful night.

Well, it it was interesting because he had asked me to join him. There were two restaurants in this hotel I was living at in Milwaukee. And he had asked me to join him. He had sent the waiter in or to to ask me and I said, you know what, I came to him all day because of the fact that he struck me out three times. I said, have him come to me tonight. So he did come over and and we did, you know, we closed the restaurant down and this was a Saturday night. The only, the only thing and it was a lesson I learned early on is the fact that he didn't have to play the next day and I did. So, uh, I

So how did you play the next day?

Uh, I don't remember but I I didn't feel very good.

How are you doing this evening?

Doing great. Uh, great event. Uh, a lot of, a lot of people here I'd like to see. Uh, you know,

Who are you excited to see?

Well, Sandy, I've seen well, I've seen Sandy Kofax. when I grew up as a kid, he was my idol growing up as a kid when he played for the Dodgers. So, um, uh, you know, I get to have a chance to have dinner with him at the Hall of Fame, but um, you know, knowing Sandy's going in you know, being honored here tonight, uh, you know, that's one of the reasons why I'm here.

Why obviously he was an amazing baseball player, but what was it about him that you say he he was your favorite? What was about him?

Um Oh, you know, he he always won it seemed like. You know, that's And I was a Dodger fan. I was a big Dodger fan as a kid and uh him and Drydale, uh, you know, when they pitched, uh, you know, I was one of those kids that, you know, had the uh, the transistor radio underneath the pillow, listening to Vin Scully. And so, um, you know, I grew up a Dodger fan and Sandy was my hero.

So, being out of the game for a couple of years. I know the Olympics have been on recently. If you were to say like in your career, if you could have given a gold medal to somebody who was sort of like the most naturally gifted that you sort of encountered, who would you give a gold medal to?

You know, I think right now, looking at the game, Matt Kemp is probably um the most talented player. Um, there's so many guys that over the years that you played that are incredibly talented. To me, I you know, the best player I've ever managed, let's put it this way. I played with with great players. I played with Hank Aaron for eight years and of course played against Willie Mays. They these two stood out as the the best players I ever played against.

And gold medal for the hardest worker.

Well, the hardest worker, uh, is the kid that's still playing short stop for the New York Yankees and that's Derek Jeter. I mean he uh for for a guy that maybe isn't as talented as some of the other players that have played his position. Uh, he certainly knows how to win and that means a great deal.

So how do you catch games these days?

I don't catch too many, you know, I live in Las Vegas. There's no, you know, there's a ball team there. It's a AAA team, but it's too hot to really to go out.

So what are you what are you typically doing on any given day in Vegas? Or is there gambling? What's happening on on and now that you're retired and enjoying your life.

Well, you know, you don't you don't live in Vegas and gamble, you won't live there long. So, uh, I don't do a whole lot of gambling. Uh, but uh, you know, I play a lot of golf. They got a lot of great golf courses there and I got a I've got an eight and a nine-year-old uh, kids. And so, uh, they keep me pretty busy.

So besides standing, who are you excited to see here tonight?

Joe Namath. Joe Namath. And uh, you know, Dr. J. I mean, these three guys, uh, you know, really for their sports have have really set the bar very high. And uh, when I found out or I was asked to be a part of it and found out who else aside from Sandy was being honored that uh, you jump at that opportunity.

Have you been to this event before?

I have not. I have not. And uh, I'm I'm just glad that uh, I was able to be here in town. Uh, and to be a part of it.