Seva (1:14)

And we're here to hook you up as well.

Josh Leyva (1:16)

Come on, baby. Use the code. La platica. 10 for 10% off your ticketed purchase.

Seva (1:20)

Just like that.

Josh Leyva (1:21)

You know, the vibe is trying to hook you up, trying to get you to go see Kiki.

Seva (1:24)

Guys, we finally got Kiki on the pod.

Josh Leyva (1:26)

Hey, he saw. He saw the spam that. You guys saw the spam. You're going to see it on this episode.

Seva (1:30)

Thanks to you guys. He came on the pod. Wow. Wow. Hey, enough of us. Let's get into this freaking podcast, dude.

Josh Leyva (1:35)

Oh, baby.

Seva (1:36)

Come on, D. Come on, dad. Come on, Dud. Got you covered, La Platan. Let's go. Come on. End it already.

Josh Leyva (1:45)

12.4 segundos. See what I did there? Twist it up on them. I'm going to use it.

AMPM Advertiser (1:52)

Let me be honest.

Seva (1:53)

Every guest is a privilege.

Josh Leyva (1:54)

Do we want to go there?

Seva (1:55)

Get Jolly.

Kike Hernandez (1:56)

Cuz I'm on a podcast with Josh Labor.

Seva (1:58)

Hell yeah, you have too.

Kike Hernandez (2:01)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me just tell you, this is La Platica episode 208 with Kike Hernandez.

Josh Leyva (2:08)

Oh my God, bro, it's about to go down. You got your headphones on?

Seva (2:12)

Pz Yeah, I got it. I got it.

Josh Leyva (2:14)

It's showtime, baby.

Seva (2:15)

I got it, man. You want to start the intro?

Josh Leyva (2:16)

Come on, man, let me do the damn thing.

Seva (2:18)

Do it. Come on, let's start it.

Josh Leyva (2:19)

La Platica Nation. How we doing? Good morning. Happy Monday. It's a beautiful start of the week. Before we get started into this incredible episode, we got to give a shout out to our friends over at sea. The number one rated ticketing app on the App Store.

Seva (2:32)

On the App Store, guys, it's the.

Josh Leyva (2:35)

Josh Leyva and we got I sevas in the building. But besides ourselves, we got a. We got a superstar in the building. We got a two time World Series champion, an all around vibe. The first saluth athlete.

Kike Hernandez (2:50)

What?

Josh Leyva (2:51)

Guys, please help me give it up for Kike Hernandez.

Kike Hernandez (2:54)

Damn.

Josh Leyva (2:56)

My brother. How we doing, sir?

Kike Hernandez (2:57)

Doing good, man. Doing good. Excited to be here.

Seva (2:59)

Yeah, bro, this is incredible. In real life, your stash is super sick.

Kike Hernandez (3:03)

Thank you.

Seva (3:04)

Sicker than in tv.

Josh Leyva (3:05)

This is new because I feel like. For the photo shoot, did you have it when we met like a month ago? No.

Kike Hernandez (3:10)

When I went on the il, I told the guys I was going to grow the stash till I got back to. I was going to look at myself in the mirror and keep telling myself, you look terrible, you need to recover, and this shit's taking longer than I thought. And it backfired on my ass.

Josh Leyva (3:25)

What does the wifey say about it?

Kike Hernandez (3:26)

She don't mind it. She don't mind it. Last time I had a stash, I got her pregnant. So.

Seva (3:31)

Yeah, I'm telling you right now, we were at game five of the World Series.

Kike Hernandez (3:38)

I was there.

Seva (3:39)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (3:40)

Were you?

Seva (3:40)

Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty. I'm pretty sure you were Mr. October is what they call you. And you know, we, we went to social media and. And everybody was like, bring Kiki on. Bring Kiki on. Bring Kiki.

Kike Hernandez (3:52)

Yeah, I got the spam.

Josh Leyva (3:52)

You did?

Seva (3:53)

Okay, okay.

Josh Leyva (3:53)

You saw it?

Seva (3:54)

Okay, so you saw.

Josh Leyva (3:55)

My God, bro. So you saw it.

Kike Hernandez (3:56)

I mean, it was 300 comments. I was like, I got so much going on. I don't know, bro.

Josh Leyva (4:03)

You're like 90 of our audience is women. So they were like, they wanted you bad, bad. And so did we pause?

Kike Hernandez (4:10)

I don't know.

Seva (4:11)

Yeah, so you saw that.

Kike Hernandez (4:13)

Okay, cool.

Josh Leyva (4:14)

Maybe he didn't see it.

Seva (4:15)

Like, there's no way he saw it, bro.

Kike Hernandez (4:16)

Yeah, yeah, I did, I did. But that makes me feel really happy. You just won. You just win the World Series. There's so much stuff going on and of Course, yeah. Plus all the stuff going on, media and all that stuff. I gotta move out of my rental house and go home. So. Yeah, there was a lot going on, but I'm glad it worked out.

Josh Leyva (4:32)

Yeah, it worked out in perfect timing and everything. Bro, bro, before we get into this like, episode, I got a chance to meet you for the first time a month, two months ago when we announced the partnership with Salud and stuff and, and yourself. And you came in. I was very intimidated to meet you for the first time.

Kike Hernandez (4:47)

Right.

Josh Leyva (4:47)

Because like Seva said, we're huge Dodger fans.

Kike Hernandez (4:49)

Yeah. Really big guy. So.

Josh Leyva (4:54)

And you came in with your daughter and her nanny and bro, it was just like so, like heartwarming and it just felt so, like, just beautiful to see and just to see your relationship with her. And I just felt like it just spoke volumes of your character and I just wanted to give you your flowers for just being such an incredible human outside of the baseball field. And just seeing you interact in such an intimate space with your daughter was just really cool, man. It was really cool to see.

Kike Hernandez (5:18)

Thank you. So, yeah, I work, we leave the house around noon. I don't get back home till like 11pm after games. So I mean I got like a full time job plus extra, extra time over time.

Josh Leyva (5:31)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (5:32)

So I don't get to see my daughter. If I don't wake up early and hang out with her in the morning, I don't get to see her. So the mornings are for her.

Josh Leyva (5:38)

That's right. Wow. Wow.

Seva (5:40)

Being here in Los Angeles, obviously super heavy with the Mexican culture.

Josh Leyva (5:44)

Yeah.

Seva (5:45)

With the U.S. mexican, obviously. Josh and myself were Mexican. The Mexican culture loves you. They absolutely adore you. And somebody being Puerto Rican, like, how does that make you feel? Like, especially like being like so open hearted.

Kike Hernandez (5:58)

Like I don't know if your arms can tell. Can tell you how I feel about it. But yeah, I mean, it's pro. Like the fan base growing up in Puerto Rico, we don't really get to see. We didn't get to watch many Dodger games. It's west coast. Puerto Rico's eastern time. So like, I mean we would only get games if they were on ESPN. And even then, like they wouldn't start till 10, 10pm so it was late games. So I really didn't really like, know much about the Dodgers other than no, you know, like the Jackie Robinson and the Fernando Violence. Well, the big history. Right.

Josh Leyva (6:30)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (6:31)

So I came in and I was, I mean I was. I had two months in the big leagues when I got traded to the Dodgers. And at the time, we were. We still are, but we were the highest payroll, the highest team with the payroll, and like all baseball by a lot. So I was like, oh, shit, I'm never going to play in the big leagues again, whatever. And sure enough, I spent like two weeks in Triple A that my first year. And then I got called up and that was. The rest is history. But to see the way that the fans embraced me. No words, man. No words to describe that I was a fan favorite in the minor leagues. But, yeah, when you're a fine favorite in the minor leagues, you're a fan favorite of like 3. 3,500 people. 5,000 people at best on a good.

Josh Leyva (7:10)

It counts, though.

Kike Hernandez (7:11)

So it was a lot different. But, you know, they embraced me, so I embraced it as well. I was like, you know what? You got to take advantage of the huge Hispanic community that there is in la, because there's not a lot. Not a lot of Latinos on the team. So, you know, for me, it's always felt like a huge responsibility to. To be that Latino voice for sports, because, you know, basketball, there's not many Hispanic players in basketball. And then we got the football team here and we don't play that shit. So, yeah, for me, it just falls in. Like, I have this responsibility that I feel. Yeah, come up and like, show what the Latino culture is all about.

Josh Leyva (7:50)

You wear well, man. And it's not. You're not just the voice of the Latinos. You're also like. The energy, bro. The energy. That dugout and stuff like that. I actually saw like a clip where you were talking about how you wanted to be a stripper or you. That's what you do back at home. And I was like, I get it. I see it.

Kike Hernandez (8:05)

People ask me, what's the plan B, bro? There's never been a plan B. Yeah. People ask me, I'm like, I would have done steroids and gone to Vegas and tried out for the Chippendales. I don't know.

Seva (8:13)

That's it.

Kike Hernandez (8:14)

That's it, bro.

Josh Leyva (8:14)

You know, it's so funny. I started making videos in 2010, and I was like, if this shit doesn't work out for me, I was like, I'm gonna be a stripper, man.

Seva (8:19)

Fuck it.

Josh Leyva (8:20)

Yes, bro.

Seva (8:21)

You guys could ended up in the same spot.

Josh Leyva (8:23)

Imagine just in a different universe, somehow we would have got a line.

Kike Hernandez (8:27)

We got to figure out a Chippendales in space. Yeah, I do.

Josh Leyva (8:30)

All three of us.

Seva (8:30)

But just like Josh was saying, like, I feel like if you weren't. You wouldn't have been in the Dodgers even, like, right now or when we won the World Series. We? You guys.

Kike Hernandez (8:38)

Us.

Seva (8:39)

Yeah, us. The Dodgers. Wouldn't. It. It wouldn't be the same, bro. You bring this energy, you bring this diversion to the team that I don't even think any other team really has. I feel like there's no other Kike Hernandez. And honestly, like, for you, like, just like how you said it in the world see you. And we just don't give a fuck. Right. Even when you said that, it just. It just set the tone for who you are and who the team was. Right.

Kike Hernandez (9:06)

It felt good to say it, bro. Like, felt terrible the next day when I was in a lot.

Seva (9:10)

Did they find you for that? Were the rumors true?

Kike Hernandez (9:13)

Dude, they were trying to suspend me for the first game against the Mets. It was a whole show. I had to, like, meet up with the owner.

Seva (9:20)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (9:20)

Andrew Friedman. Like, the reporters downstairs and, like, have to apologize because.

Josh Leyva (9:25)

Oh, my God.

Kike Hernandez (9:25)

And I was like, yeah, I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it at all. You had it, like, really.

Seva (9:31)

Oh, no way.

Kike Hernandez (9:32)

Yeah. But I actually do get.

Seva (9:34)

I don't.

Kike Hernandez (9:35)

It was kind of one of those.

Seva (9:37)

Really?

Kike Hernandez (9:37)

Yeah, it was very stressful. I mean.

Seva (9:39)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (9:40)

I. You know, in the moment, you're like. You get asked a question and you're on live tv, bro. And like, you think for like two seconds, but those two seconds can feel like a minute.

Josh Leyva (9:50)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (9:50)

So he asked me the question. I started looking around the guys and I'm like, I got no, like, I'm thinking in my head.

Seva (9:55)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (9:56)

Like, I'm looking around and I'm like, this is the only thing that I can say. But I'm like, thinking, how can I say it? How can I word it differently? And by the time I was like, let me ask if we're live, because usually there's like a three second delay from, like, what's actually happening in live television.

Josh Leyva (10:11)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (10:11)

But for whatever reason, they were live. Live at that time. And they were like, yeah, he's live. And I was like, oh, fudge. Well, I didn't think about a plan B. All right, fuck it. Well, the fact that we don't give a fuck because it was true.

Josh Leyva (10:22)

Brilliant, bro.

Kike Hernandez (10:23)

In the past, a lot of playoff teams, and we were been. We were so concerned about so many things. And last year's group, we were just like, you know what? They can say whatever they can say.

Seva (10:32)

What did your team.

Kike Hernandez (10:33)

We're going to do? We're going to do it our way. Like.

Seva (10:35)

Yeah. What did your teammate say? Like, when they all saw the video.

Kike Hernandez (10:39)

There wasn't much said. We got hats right away. The next day I was going to.

Josh Leyva (10:43)

Say in the merch and people were.

Kike Hernandez (10:44)

Wearing it around the locker room. And yeah, in like right away we got like. It wasn't like even 30 minutes and we got a mass text from like, upstairs. Yeah, nobody's allowed to wear the hats on the field. Please do not wear the hats on the field. So it, like, that's hilarious. It was a bummer, but whatever. I mean, that's a moment in history though, bro. It's a perfect way to describe the group. And I mean, we accomplished really special things because that was the mentality.

Seva (11:08)

So the Dodgers go to the playoffs, right? Last year and we go to playoffs and you. We play the Padres for. Oh, and I told all my boys here, we all, we all went to play out games. We work with Sea Geek. They hook it up. And I told them, if the Dodgers beat the Padres, we're winning the World Series.

Kike Hernandez (11:29)

Yeah, I told, I told. I got, I got some really good baseball friends outside of the Dodgers that I talked to four times a week, if you know, not even exaggerating. And I told them right before the series started, I was like, the way I see it is like, we, whoever wins this series, wins the World Series. Like, if the Padres beat us, they would have won the World Series.

Seva (11:49)

That gives me chills.

Kike Hernandez (11:50)

So I was like, this is the one that we need to grind out because then the rest, like, there's certain series that are so emotional that you get past that series and like, you look ahead and you're like, there's no, absolutely no way we can lose. What's going, what's. What's happening next. It's almost like similar to 2020 when we were down three to one of the Braves and the in the NLCS, we got together as a group and I'm like, if we can do this, if we can pull this off and win the next three in a row and beat the Braves, we don't care if they bring the. Bring in the Avengers after that, there is no way we're losing. Because as, as a group, when you go through things like that that are so emotional that when things are emotional like that, it only brings the group tighter and tighter and you create a bond that's just like the power of friendship or whatever.

Josh Leyva (12:37)

Brotherhood.

Kike Hernandez (12:38)

That is a, that is an actual thing. And like our group last year matched so well and we were so in it together, and we were all pulling from the same rope. And once, you know, we fall back, we fall down.2 to 1 in the series, and we're playing in Petco. A really, like, crazy atmosphere.

Seva (12:52)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (12:52)

And we got. Freddy went down. Obviously, we don't have a lot of pitching in terms of starting pitching, and, you know, we're relying on the bullpen giving us nine innings, and we're like, all right, well, at this point, we got nothing to lose. They got to lose. They lose. The pressure's on them because we're going home. And sure enough, we got a. We got up to a good start, and we took off, and then the rest was history. But, yeah, it was. It was a crazy.

Seva (13:15)

They beat the Padres.

Josh Leyva (13:17)

You can just feel it, bro. You can just feel it. That was a rap.

Seva (13:19)

Yeah.

Josh Leyva (13:20)

Just moving outside of baseball a little bit. Like I mentioned, bro, 90 of our audience is women. And I know you have a really cool story on, like, how you met your wife, and I would just love for you to share it with the audience. I don't know if you've heard this story.

Seva (13:32)

I have not. I'm excited.

Josh Leyva (13:33)

It's really cool.

Seva (13:34)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (13:35)

I'm going to give a little more summarized story because I told Mariana that, you know, we were talking about this today, and she was like, don't make me look bad. But. So my first spring training with the Dodgers, something that I used to love doing when I was single, was going to the movies by myself. Wow. That was like my Zen. Like, I would just go to the movies and just chill by myself. Enjoy the movie. Whatever. Crush popcorn. Crush an Icee. Coca Cola Icy. And I don't. I don't like the red, I don't like the blue. Only Coke.

Josh Leyva (14:10)

They need to make a Coke 01, by the way. Anyways, I digress.

Kike Hernandez (14:13)

Florida, not trying to get away from the story, but Florida has Sprite Icy. That is the best icy I've ever had in my entire life. And they don't really have it anywhere else. Yeah, Sprite Icy. But anyways, I go to the movies by myself. I go watch Hot tub time machine 2, and I'm just enjoying the movie. And randomly, they're at the club, and then this, like, bottle girl comes in and, like, offers her drink and whatever, and I'm like, oh, who is that? So I spent the rest of the movie.

Seva (14:41)

Wait, you're at. Oh, wait, you're at the movie still.

Kike Hernandez (14:43)

I'm at the movie. I'm watching the movie. Whatever. And I like. I'm like, Ooh, who is that? I want to marry her. And like, I pick out my phone, I go on IMDb and I start scrolling like the cast. Yeah. And I start scrolling on the cat, like the cast. And like, and I look at her, I'm like, what? A girl is Hispanic? She's got four names on here. What? And I click on her. I was like, huh?

Josh Leyva (15:07)

Okay.

Kike Hernandez (15:08)

And I look, I look her up on Instagram and at the time she had like 15,000 Instagram followers. And I was like, oh, she's super famous. I had like a thousand maybe.

Josh Leyva (15:18)

And I was like, she's untouchable.

Kike Hernandez (15:20)

I got no chance. And back then There were no DMs. No DMs yet at that time. And you drop a comment. No, I was like, I don't want to be creepy like that.

Josh Leyva (15:30)

Okay, fair, fair.

Kike Hernandez (15:31)

And I go. And I'm like, all right, you know what? I'm verified on Twitter. And like, at the time, like there was no like silent notifications or anything. So I was like, I only get notifications on my phone and somebody verified follows me on Twitter. So like, I'm looking to look her up on Twitter and I find her and I follow her. I was like, all right, let's see what happens after this.

Josh Leyva (15:51)

Yeah, now we wait.

Kike Hernandez (15:52)

Because if she follows me back, I can DM her.

Josh Leyva (15:54)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (15:55)

But if she doesn't follow me, I can't DM her. That's how Twitter used to work. I don't know how it works now, but whatever. And I go back to her on Instagram and I start scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and I'm like, oh, she used to be Miss Puerto Rico. Miss Universe.

Josh Leyva (16:11)

She is Puerto Rican.

Seva (16:12)

She got even better.

Kike Hernandez (16:13)

I was like, that's my way in.

Seva (16:15)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (16:15)

I was like, I don't know how the to start this conversation.

Josh Leyva (16:17)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (16:17)

But now I do and it's a lob. By the end of the movie, whatever. I go, I leave and she hit me with a follow. I was like, oh, no way.

Seva (16:25)

By the end of the movie.

Kike Hernandez (16:26)

No. Like it was like the movie ends. And cuz I put my phone down, I kept watching the movie and movie ends, I get my phone and like I see whatever, I don't know, maybe an hour after the movie, and she followed me back and I was like, oh yeah, all right, don't this up. And I was like, all right, bro.

Josh Leyva (16:41)

That feeling is so real.

Kike Hernandez (16:42)

I was like, puerto Rico's my way in. Whatever. I was like, hey, nice to meet you as a fellow Puerto Rican, you know. I just want to show my support. I know it was a small role, but you crushed it, blah, blah, blah. And she was like, you know, it was very cordial and whatever. And she was like, oh, thank you very much. Nice to meet you as well. At the time she was living in LA and I was, I had a Dodger picture, so I guess she assumed that I was living in LA too. And she's like, I got a lot of friends that are from Puerto Rico and la, if you want to meet them, like, it's a great community. Like, we help each other out all the time. I was like, good. So we, I'm in Arizona spring training, so we text every once in a while. Like, you know, I was like, very respectful. I'm not hitting on her or anything yet. And I, I get to LA for the Freeway Series that we do every year before the season starts. And right before the last game of the Freeway Series, they tell me you're getting sent down to aaa. And the way it works when you get optioned, you get, you get a choice to get three days off to like show up to report to your team. You get three days to report, whatever. So I was like, what am I going to do in Oklahoma City if we don't, we don't have games? I'm like, I'm gonna stay here and I'm gonna shoot my shot. I'm like, hey, I'm leaving. They sent me down, but I would like to know, like, I would like to meet up, whatever. And she's like, oh, cool, let's. Let's meet up at the farmer's market at the Grove. So we went.

Seva (18:07)

I love that place, by the way.

Kike Hernandez (18:08)

I mean, great spot. I don't remember. I don't remember anything because there's nothing happening around me other than her. And I like, whatever. We had a great time. We spent like four hours at the farmers market just chatting it up, whatever. I leave the next day and we stay in touch, blah, blah. And I come back to LA and she comes to my first Dodger game and I wanted to hang out after, but she, I was like, hey, it's going to take me a while to, you know, to do media after the game. And like, I'm rookie. I don't like to, I don't like. No, like, it's the unwritten rule, like rookies, you know, you gotta stay a little bit after the game. You just leave. Game ends, you shower and leave. Because like, yeah, that's.

Seva (18:51)

I didn't know that.

Kike Hernandez (18:52)

Things have changed throughout the Years. But at that time, it was still very old school. And I was like, all right, I gotta stay. I was like, it'll be like an hour. And she just bounced. I was like, are we hanging out? She's like, oh, I'm home already. Like, I was like, oh, okay.

Seva (19:04)

Damn.

Kike Hernandez (19:05)

Well, no, respectable. Yeah, yeah. And eventually she. She got a job. She has to go to New Orleans. She was bouncing around New Orleans and Texas, filming stuff. So I. We didn't really get to spend much time together. A couple months later, she came to la, her friend's birthday party. She invited me. We hung out for a little bit, whatever. And for months, I'm like, trying to, you know, I'm like, I'm not that nice to where I want to be a friend with a beautiful woman. Like, just cordial friends, you know, I'm like. But I'm also not, like, hitting on her. So she never gets the. She never got the hint or she pretended not to.

Seva (19:40)

Yeah, yeah. She's probably waiting for you to hit.

Kike Hernandez (19:41)

On her and then she stays in la. Whatever. We hung out a couple times with friends, like, other group of friends around, blah, blah. And her friends kept telling, like, he likes you. Like, what do you. What are you.

Josh Leyva (19:53)

It's really obvious.

Kike Hernandez (19:53)

Yeah. And I told her, like, I was like, one time I got tired, I was like, hey, like, listen, I wanna. I wanna, like, I wanna hang out with, like, I want to be with you, whatever. And she was like, well, you're a baseball player. You're. You're thriving, like, on the field. Like, it's. You're just starting your career, whatever. I was like, no, I know, but, like, I like you. Like, you. Like, I'm a relationship person. I just. I want to be. Yeah, yeah, I want to be with you. Whatever. And she's like, I don't know, whatever. And like, okay, cool. And I was like, you know what? A couple of weeks later, I was like, you know what? Like, I give up. I'm not going to, like, keep insisting. Whatever. If it happens, it happens, but if not, whatever. I did my best. And we hung out one last time as friends, and then we. We went to a movie and then we go on the road. And then she was like, you know what? I kind of miss you. And I was like, okay, well, thank you. I'm not gonna say I do too, because. Yeah. You know. Yeah. And it was a very long road trip. And by the end of the road trip, she was like, hey, when you get back to la, would you like to go out with Me? I was like, I'm not doing any more date. Like, friend date.

Josh Leyva (21:00)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kike Hernandez (21:01)

Like, I'm tired of the friend dates. And she was like, no, it was a date date. I was like, oh, so you're asking me out?

Seva (21:06)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (21:06)

She's like, yeah. I was like, oh, yeah. And here we are.

Seva (21:09)

Now that's how. Wow.

Kike Hernandez (21:11)

Two dogs, baby.

Seva (21:12)

No way.

Kike Hernandez (21:13)

Two World Series. Yeah.

Josh Leyva (21:15)

That's so sick. The perfect life. How long ago was this?

Kike Hernandez (21:18)

2015. 10 years ago. Yeah. Wow, bro.

Seva (21:20)

How crazy, watching a movie.

Josh Leyva (21:21)

Yeah.

Seva (21:22)

Like, having a crush on one of the actors, looking it up of who the cast is, and then years later, here you. Here you are.

Josh Leyva (21:28)

Hot Tub Time Machine two.

Kike Hernandez (21:30)

The second one. Yeah.

Josh Leyva (21:30)

Okay. I haven't seen that one. The first one's great. I need to watch the second one.

Kike Hernandez (21:34)

I didn't really. I don't remember the movie.

Seva (21:37)

Well, shout out to her, man, What a beautiful story.

Kike Hernandez (21:39)

Yeah.

Josh Leyva (21:40)

Beautiful story. Yeah. You told that story on Coldest Balls, right, With Kevin Hart. I believe you did.

Kike Hernandez (21:44)

Probably.

Josh Leyva (21:44)

Yeah. The story is great. We gotta tell the story.

Seva (21:47)

Did you play well that week? That. When you're on the road and she asked you out?

Kike Hernandez (21:51)

I think so. I had a great year that year, so I played well most of the year. Yeah.

Seva (21:55)

Damn, bro.

Kike Hernandez (21:56)

It was. Yeah, it was good.

Seva (21:58)

So now you're a salute athlete. Can we talk more about that?

Josh Leyva (22:01)

Yeah, we can, but we could dive into it. Do we have. We have some time? Yeah, let's do it.

Seva (22:05)

Do we have time? Yeah. Yeah, right?

Josh Leyva (22:06)

We got 10.

Seva (22:07)

You've tried all the flavors already.

Kike Hernandez (22:09)

I have. I haven't tried the Harritos yet.

Josh Leyva (22:11)

Yeah.

Seva (22:11)

Which is my favorite flavor you've tried?

Josh Leyva (22:13)

I believe you tried the Jamaica and horchata.

Kike Hernandez (22:15)

Yes, I have.

Josh Leyva (22:16)

What is your favorite?

Kike Hernandez (22:17)

The Jamaica? The horchata, like, it's kind of like dessert. And when I'm thinking, like, I'm like, all right, I'll have horchata the house. But, like, when I'm at the field, like, the. The Jamaica one, like, the. I. The first time I was talking to my agency is they're like, hey, they're gonna send you some flavors, whatever. And I hit him up. And I was like, hey, the huckleberry one was amazing. And they were like, huckleberry? I was like, what do you mean? They're like, I'm pretty sure there's no huckleberry. I was like, I just drank that. It tastes amazing. And they're like, read. Read the box. And I was like, oh, my God. Hibiscus. But, yeah, I'VE been crushing at the.

Josh Leyva (22:55)

Field, dude, I love that, bro.

Kike Hernandez (22:56)

Thank you.

Josh Leyva (22:56)

Yeah. Jamaica was the first flavor we ever launched with. It's my personal favorite. That flavor has my heart, man. That flavor is so good. But I know what you're saying about the horchata being more on the sweeter.

Kike Hernandez (23:04)

It feels like it. Dessert. Tastes like a dessert. Yeah. And then tonight, let's hydrate. Let's hydrate. But like have something sweet.

Josh Leyva (23:10)

Enjoy it, Enjoy it. Well, you haven't tried. Can we set up the. We have them ready to go. We did a collaboration with Haritos and I want you to try the Mandarin flavor. Mandarina flavor, cuz it's absolutely delicious, bro. I think you're going to love it. I want to get your thoughts, get your impressions on it. We got some cold waters ready to be that are cold. Ready to be served.

Kike Hernandez (23:29)

Cold waters that are cold.

Josh Leyva (23:30)

Cold waters that are cold. Did I say that properly? And yeah, man, I want to get your. We'll get you on a st. Let's do it.

Seva (23:36)

Can I have some too? What the, man?

Josh Leyva (23:38)

Can we. Can we can arrange that? We can arrange that. How are you feeling by the way?

Kike Hernandez (23:42)

I'm feeling?

Seva (23:43)

Yeah, bro, we needed you last night.

Kike Hernandez (23:44)

Look how thick the mustache is. If that, if that answers your question. Cheers.

Seva (23:51)

Yeah, this is my favorite one.

Kike Hernandez (23:52)

Cheers.

Josh Leyva (23:53)

Salute. Here we go.

Seva (23:54)

Salute. Salute.

Kike Hernandez (23:57)

Dude, it tastes just like itos, right? It's crazy.

Josh Leyva (24:02)

Spot on, bro. Is spot on.

Seva (24:04)

Is jitos big in Puerto Rico?

Kike Hernandez (24:06)

No.

Seva (24:06)

Right. Just Mexico in here.

Josh Leyva (24:08)

But I mean like being in la, I'm sure you.

Kike Hernandez (24:10)

I didn't see a haritos or notice a Harito till I got to la.

Seva (24:13)

Yeah, la. Everywhere in la.

Josh Leyva (24:14)

Yeah.

Seva (24:15)

They're iconic.

Josh Leyva (24:18)

What do you like to eat, bro? Like what's your, what's your Latino food? Latino food? Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (24:23)

I mean I eat everything. But if you can offer me the nicest.

Seva (24:27)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (24:28)

Five star restaurant.

Seva (24:29)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (24:30)

Or like a little like hole in the wall. That, like Puerto Rican. Cuban. Dominican place.

Josh Leyva (24:34)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kike Hernandez (24:36)

That place I'm going to go.

Seva (24:38)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (24:38)

Every day of the week.

Seva (24:39)

Do you have your favorite like, like date night spots with you and your.

Kike Hernandez (24:43)

Yeah, I mean, when I go. When we go date night, we. I, I usually go to sushi spots.

Seva (24:48)

Same.

Kike Hernandez (24:49)

I love the. I like something that I like, love about LA that we don't really like. I live in Az and we don't really have hand roll bars and there's hand roll bars everywhere here. So I, I'm a huge hand roll fan. So.

Josh Leyva (25:02)

I love sushi, bro. I started really loving sushi. Maybe, like, I don't know, eight years ago, but recently, I have fallen in love with hand rolls. I love.

Kike Hernandez (25:10)

They're amazing.

Josh Leyva (25:10)

They're amazing, dude.

Seva (25:11)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (25:12)

Easy to eat. You just. I know. You don't need to struggle with the top six. Grab it and eat it. Yeah.

Seva (25:17)

Yeah.

Josh Leyva (25:17)

I think, like, a little taco.

Seva (25:18)

But my favorite thing to do sometimes, too, is, like, go to a sushi bar, know that I'm gonna have, like, maybe a Sapporo or an Asahi or, like, some sake. Is it sake or sake?

Kike Hernandez (25:27)

I think it's sake. I think it's sake. Yeah.

Seva (25:33)

I just like to sit down at the bar. Hey, chef, whatever you want.

Josh Leyva (25:39)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (25:39)

Why sapporo is so good?

Josh Leyva (25:41)

Why especially, dude, you know what's better than.

Seva (25:45)

Than a Sapporo?

Kike Hernandez (25:46)

Two of them with a sake on the side.

Seva (25:53)

Like, so good. And it's, like, the best date night because, like, you can, like, talk to your wife, your girlfriend, whatever.

Josh Leyva (25:58)

Yeah.

Seva (25:58)

You know.

Josh Leyva (25:58)

Yeah.

Seva (25:59)

It's really.

Kike Hernandez (25:59)

You know what? By the end of the day, I'm gonna get back to you guys about sake or sake. I got some Japanese teammates. Might as well.

Josh Leyva (26:05)

Yeah, I feel like you could figure that out pretty fast. Or sake. Yeah, I feel like a sake. I feel like that sounds right.

Kike Hernandez (26:12)

Yeah. Maybe because I wanted to sound like my name. I don't know.

Seva (26:16)

Before we go on break, I wanted to ask you, how was that Tokyo City Series, man?

Kike Hernandez (26:19)

It was like.

Seva (26:20)

Was that one of the most funnest times in baseball you ever had? Because I would. I would. I. I see backstage. Dodgers. I. I follow, obviously. You and a bunch of other Dodge Dodger players, and it just seemed like you guys just had a ball.

Josh Leyva (26:35)

It was like a vacation.

Kike Hernandez (26:35)

It was. Well, it. I wish it was vacation. Yeah.

Seva (26:40)

But you guys had some time.

Kike Hernandez (26:42)

It was so good that I'm planning on going back.

Josh Leyva (26:45)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (26:46)

As a civilian, have you ever been?

Josh Leyva (26:48)

That was your first time?

Kike Hernandez (26:48)

No, that was my second time. And both times I've been as a player, I went in 2018. MLB used to make this series every four years called the All Star Series, where they would, like, grab a selection out of players from the entire league. They try to get a rep from every team, and they play some Japanese teams, and we did that in 2018. Chris Taylor came with us. We played three or four games at the Tokyo Dome. Then we went to Hiroshima, and that's where Kenta Maeda used to play. So Kenta, like, went in and, like, pitched one, like, an inning or whatever with us just so that the Fans could see him.

Josh Leyva (27:21)

Yeah, of course.

Kike Hernandez (27:22)

And then we ended the trip in Nagoya and we loved it more, and I loved it. So we're like. When we heard that we were going to Tokyo, it was like, holy shit. Like, we got to make this trip. And Penelope ended up going and. Oh, that's. She still talks about Japan every single day.

Seva (27:37)

It was one of the best destinations.

Kike Hernandez (27:39)

It was so cool. And like, sushi loving sushi to cap off our trip. It snowed the last day we were there, and they were like, it. You have. You guys have no idea how rare it is to get snow in Tokyo.

Josh Leyva (27:51)

Wow.

Kike Hernandez (27:51)

At this time of the year. And Penelope had never seen snow, so she got snow. Yeah.

Seva (27:56)

That's crazy.

Kike Hernandez (27:57)

It was amazing.

Josh Leyva (27:57)

How old is she?

Kike Hernandez (27:58)

She is four.

Josh Leyva (27:58)

Four. Okay. So she'll remember that.

Kike Hernandez (28:00)

Yeah.

Josh Leyva (28:00)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (28:01)

But it doesn't matter where you are, what part of the world you're in. When your teammates with Shohei Ohtani, you stop becoming a baseball team and you're basically the Beatles. It's like being in a boy band. It is the most mind blowing thing.

Josh Leyva (28:17)

Yeah.

Seva (28:17)

He's everywhere.

Kike Hernandez (28:18)

He is like, we. We started the year last, like two years ago in Korea. He was everywhere in Korea, like, billboards everywhere. Shohei Otani. I'm like, wow, we can't imagine what's gonna happen next year when we go to Japan. And sure enough, man, like, it was crazy from the. From the first couple of days where we just had practice, fans are like, giving us standing ovations during. During batting practice every time somebody hit a homer. So we were all like, all right, let's try it home. And the whole crowd's going nuts.

Seva (28:45)

You're just looking around.

Kike Hernandez (28:46)

Yeah. And I remember Freddy saying, this is gonna ruin my swing. Because Freddy doesn't like to hit homers at all during batting practice. But he's like, how can I not hit homers when I'm getting standing ovations after every swing? It was amazing. Shohi never hits BP Shoehe never hits bp. And he comes out at some point during BP to play cash because he's got. He's also a pitcher. He's a unicorn, you know, and he goes play loose, like, losing his arm up and whatever. And every time this man would touch the field, like, it was chaos. The whole world glory. And it's just like, wow, that's so crazy. And then, like, during games, I got to experience this when I came, when I went in 2018, but when the home team is pitching, it's like dead, dead silence. Just so that the pitcher can focus.

Josh Leyva (29:32)

Wow.

Kike Hernandez (29:32)

But then when the home team is hitting the whole crowd, especially the bleachers. No. They have a song, like a chant song for every batter. And in the whole different song per batter. Yeah. And the song goes on the entire at bat. Like, they have drums. And so it's kind of similar to. To Puerto Rico, to, like, Latin America winter ball vibes, to where at times, like, it can feel like a carnival at the game. Yeah. And that's kind of what it felt like, and it was crazy. So when we got to play the Cubs, because we got to play two exhibition series against the Tokyo Giants, and then when we got to play the Cubs, it was just silence for both teams so that the pitcher can focus. But every time there was a swing or a ball in play, the whole crowd would go, oh, it was the craziest thing. And especially when Shohei would come up to hit. Every time Shohei would take a swing, even if it was a swing, and miss, the crowd. And it was. That was probably the most fun part of playing those games. The cool crowd just so involved into those games. And.

Seva (30:28)

Wow.

Kike Hernandez (30:29)

It was a great time, bro.

Josh Leyva (30:30)

Being able to be so, like, personal with him. How is that? Like, how is he outside of the field? Like, do you guys get a chance to, like, kick it?

Kike Hernandez (30:36)

Yeah. I mean, no. Let's go.

Seva (30:38)

Let's go into that after this break to do that because we got to cut.

Kike Hernandez (30:41)

Let's drink some more jitos.

Seva (30:43)

Let's do it, baby. Yes, please. We'll be right back.

Josh Leyva (30:45)

Let's get it back.

Seva (30:46)

Hernandez is in the building. Ladies and gentlemen, what is.

Kike Hernandez (30:54)

Morning?

Josh Leyva (30:54)

One sausage McMuffin with egg, please.

AMPM Advertiser (30:57)

Okay, your total is.

Josh Leyva (30:58)

Wait.

Kike Hernandez (30:58)

Let's negotiate.

Josh Leyva (31:00)

How's about you throw in hash browns for a dollar?

AMPM Advertiser (31:03)

Well, yes, sir. That price is already a dollar.

Josh Leyva (31:06)

Take it or leave it.

AMPM Advertiser (31:08)

Take it, I guess. Buy one, add one for a dollar on sausage McMuffin with egg, hash browns, and more with McValue. Most locations open 5am or early.

Seva (31:18)

Earlier.

AMPM Advertiser (31:18)

Price and participation may vary. Limited time only. Valid for item of equal or lesser value.

Kike Hernandez (31:26)

You.

Josh Leyva (31:26)

You had said earlier, Kiki, that the Mexicans. Latinos don't play football. I played football, bro.

Kike Hernandez (31:31)

Did you?

Josh Leyva (31:31)

Yeah. Yeah. I was a linebacker. Oh, my gosh.

Kike Hernandez (31:33)

Well, you grew up here. I meant.

Josh Leyva (31:35)

That's true. Oh, you're saying like. Like actual.

Kike Hernandez (31:37)

Do they play football? Football is not football in Mexico.

Josh Leyva (31:40)

I know. It's football.

Kike Hernandez (31:44)

Puerto Rico, we don't. We don't. There's no. If you want to play football, like, American Football.

Josh Leyva (31:48)

Yeah. Doesn't it.

Kike Hernandez (31:49)

You got to go to the United States.

Seva (31:50)

Oh, really?

Kike Hernandez (31:51)

We don't have it.

Seva (31:51)

Yeah. Earlier we. You were talking, and you said something about a. A straw, A chupa. Chupa. Chupa. Is that what you call it?

Kike Hernandez (32:01)

A straw? I. Well, it's not like a straw. It's like a little like in Puerto Rico.

Seva (32:06)

How do you say straw?

Kike Hernandez (32:07)

Sorbeto.

Seva (32:08)

Sorbeto. Do you know how Mexicans say strawberries?

Kike Hernandez (32:12)

Hold on. I know this, but it's not coming up. Tell me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In Puerto Rico can sound a little sexual.

Seva (32:24)

So what is popote? In Puerto Rico, we don't have that word.

Kike Hernandez (32:27)

But.

Seva (32:27)

But what does it mean?

Josh Leyva (32:28)

What could it mean?

Kike Hernandez (32:30)

I can see. I can see people back home calling their. Their reproductive organ. You know, my popote, but we don't have that word.

Seva (32:39)

Isn't it crazy how. And that's why I asked, because isn't it crazy how, like, we call it popote, but in reality it just means a big poop, like babies. Normally when you say, oh, say so popo.

Kike Hernandez (32:52)

No, we say kaka.

Seva (32:53)

Oh, I say.

Kike Hernandez (32:56)

Baby himself. We always say kaka. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Seva (33:02)

Is there some Puerto Rican slang that you can teach us right now, bro?

Kike Hernandez (33:05)

That's the thing about the Spanish language. That's why it's so hard to learn Spanish, because everywhere you go, like, words are. Have crazy meanings. Like. Like something as simple as papaya. In Cuba, papaya is not papaya.

Seva (33:20)

What is it?

Kike Hernandez (33:20)

Papaya is like a vagina.

Seva (33:22)

No way.

Kike Hernandez (33:23)

Like for, like, slang for vagina.

Seva (33:25)

But is it, like, a sexy way.

Josh Leyva (33:26)

To say it, or is it slang?

Kike Hernandez (33:27)

No, like. Yeah, slang. Like, like the. Is that, like, you know.

Seva (33:33)

No. Yeah, but, like, is it, like.

Kike Hernandez (33:34)

Am I allowed to say that? Okay, good. Sorry. You can say, but, bro, you want a world series?

Seva (33:39)

You can see where the.

Kike Hernandez (33:39)

You want.

Josh Leyva (33:40)

Yeah, you want to.

Kike Hernandez (33:43)

I got in trouble with a mic, so I'm trying not to get in trouble or get you guys in trouble.

Seva (33:47)

What I'm trying to say, like. Like pretend Josh is a pretty woman, right? And he likes me.

Kike Hernandez (33:53)

He called me papacito earlier. So he's already playing the role.

Seva (33:56)

He likes me.

Kike Hernandez (33:57)

He's already playing the part I'm in.

Seva (33:58)

Is it. Is it. Can he say, like, oh.

Kike Hernandez (34:04)

No, him? No, in Puerto Rico is that. In Puerto Rico, we say chocha, so that's the same. We have so many words to say vagina in Puerto Rico, so many ways. So la tostonera.

Seva (34:20)

Just kicking, keeps going and going. What the. It sounds like a factory Sounds like.

Kike Hernandez (34:28)

A factory is like, what, six flats is. What? You know what the tostones is? Yeah, that.

Seva (34:34)

Like the thing that smashes the one.

Kike Hernandez (34:36)

The thing that smashes a plantain to make it, like a tostone shape, to fry it. That's what a tostonera is.

Josh Leyva (34:42)

But it just happens to be.

Kike Hernandez (34:43)

Well, we call it the tostonera because el platano is, you know, is the. Your banana.

Josh Leyva (34:48)

It's actually brilliant. It's actually brilliant.

Seva (34:54)

What do we call it? We call it one that's really.

Kike Hernandez (34:58)

Joshua probably say, hey, papi.

Seva (35:06)

That was kind of hot, bro.

Josh Leyva (35:09)

You sounded like such a Puerto Rican.

Seva (35:11)

Like a little chica from Puerto Rico. Is that a talent you have? Is sounding like a sexy Puerto Rican girl?

Kike Hernandez (35:17)

I have a lot of talents, yeah. I mean, part of why I would be a stripper is because I can play a little bit of every role, you know, one.

Seva (35:24)

That's nasty. That Mexican says. I don't like when it says it's pana.

Josh Leyva (35:28)

Pana.

Kike Hernandez (35:29)

I can hear it. I can see it. We don't use that word either, but I can see that.

Josh Leyva (35:32)

How I feel like we don't have that many nicknames.

Seva (35:34)

Well, not as much as what Kik just showed us. Toa. That's crazy.

Kike Hernandez (35:40)

Yeah, that's like. That's like. If you want to refer to it as in a funny way, like, sometimes, like, girl has a camel to. I'm like, girl, hi. Is coming out, you know?

Seva (35:54)

Oh, my God.

Josh Leyva (35:55)

That's insane, bro.

Kike Hernandez (35:56)

But, yeah, what were we talking about? How did that start? Oh, because he was gonna hit. Yeah, he was gonna hit on me as a Puerto Rican chick.

Seva (36:03)

Yeah.

Josh Leyva (36:03)

Yeah. Show you my toastonera.

Seva (36:06)

You kind of look Puerto Rican, I would say.

Josh Leyva (36:07)

You think so?

Seva (36:08)

I think so, yeah.

Josh Leyva (36:09)

I think we're kind of the same kind of complexion. You might be even a little darker than me, bro.

Kike Hernandez (36:13)

A little more pale. I've been on the sun a lot. You know, we get to. When the team's on the road, I get to work out in the mornings. And on the field, they have me running like I'm on fat camp, because that's the only. I can't use, really, my arms that much. So they're like, all right, you can use your legs. You're gonna run a lot.

Seva (36:27)

So being in la, obviously with the Mexican culture, you have to have some Mexican slang that.

Kike Hernandez (36:31)

Yeah, I'm gonna get home tonight, baby. Let me see La panocha. She's gonna be like, what are you talking about?

Josh Leyva (36:39)

What are you talking about?

Seva (36:40)

Is there some words that, like, in Mexican culture that you actually use, like, get on the way.

Kike Hernandez (36:44)

Well, yeah, all our clubbies are Mexican. So like, I, I say gwe so many times. But like, yeah, in la, you, you know, it's easy. Way easier for me to like impersonate an accent in Spanish than anything English. Yeah, yeah. I mean, the Mexican, the Mexican way here, it's. It's very hard not to like, catch on to it.

Seva (37:09)

When did you move from Puerto Rico?

Kike Hernandez (37:11)

How old were you? I born and raised. I used to go back every off season after the season. I would spend my off season there. And it wasn't until 2017 when that big hurricane hit Maria, that my parents are like, don't come. Especially after we went to game seven in the World Series that year. They're like, don't come. Just stay in la. Like, get ready for next season. Here you're gonna get so many distractions. Like, yeah, there's so many things that need to be done. Like, place. It's in a rough spot right now. So I stayed that year. The year after that, we went to the World Series again. Then I had the Japan trip for five days after the last game of the World Series, we were on a plane to Hawaii for workouts and then go to Japan. I came back from Japan straight to LA to pick up my dogs to go to Puerto Rico to get married. We get married.

Josh Leyva (37:59)

Wow.

Kike Hernandez (37:59)

Two days after we get married, we fly back to LA to drop off our dogs to go to our honeymoon. So, like, that was a very short off season. And then 2019, we're married. We didn't figure out where we want to be. We're in a good team. We're contending late into October every year. So, like, off seasons are shorter and shorter and shorter and yeah, we buy a house in Puerto Rico, we're only going to spend two months out of the year there. We need to buy a house somewhere else. And we decided we liked Arizona. We decided we were like, more than half the teams are in Arizona for spring training. Like, chances are you can spend your 3 month, 3, 4 month off season and then spend spring training as well. You can split the season in half. And yeah, that's what we did in 19. We bought a house. And basically I bought a House in 2019, so I guess I would say that that's the first. I moved to the states in 19.

Josh Leyva (38:43)

Wow.

Seva (38:44)

Hot as Arizona.

Josh Leyva (38:45)

I know, bro.

Kike Hernandez (38:45)

I was 28, so.

Josh Leyva (38:47)

Oh, wow. Yeah. Do you like it? You wouldn't want to. Do you guys. You have a house Here as well. In la?

Kike Hernandez (38:52)

No, I rent here.

Josh Leyva (38:53)

Okay.

Kike Hernandez (38:53)

California taxes are expensive.

Josh Leyva (38:56)

Yeah, bro, you got on the bad bunnies, bro. Those are fire. I got those same ones. What is, what does like Bad Bunny mean?

Kike Hernandez (39:01)

Like Puerto Rico, like a lot right now, man. He's representing us in, in, in huge ways. He's putting us on the map. What he's doing with this residency right now is insane. It's wild. Like, what he's done for the economy there is insane. The moment, the day after he announced his residency, literally the day after, there was like 70,000 hotel rooms booked for the summer.

Josh Leyva (39:27)

70,000, bro.

Kike Hernandez (39:28)

I, I read a, I read a report the other day that he's bringing like 180 million to the economy, to the Puerto Rican economy with his residency. Between, like creating jobs and like, that's people buying tickets, obviously it's bringing in tourists. Tourism is flourishing right now.

Seva (39:43)

Restaurants are.

Kike Hernandez (39:45)

Everything has been huge. Oh yeah, for sure he wants to do it. He. He knows that there's some very weird times going on in the United States right now. And that is why intentionally, he was like, you know what? I need a rest. I've been on, I've been on tour for forever. I went to his concert in Arizona, I want to say it was in March. And I talked to his tour manager. We were, we were talking for a while and he's like, then this, this dude is so dedicated. He's so disciplined. He was working on davitramas photos. He, he was working on that at night after he would perform on the road.

Seva (40:21)

Wow.

Kike Hernandez (40:22)

He. He had like two tour buses. One of them was to sleep and the other bus was a studio. And he would like work like wake up whenever he needed to work, wake up to get enough rest. He would go work out to then go back to like, go back and write. He would write, then he would get ready for the concert. He would do the concert and then right after the concert he would do like a bunch of recovery, go get a, like another small workout in and then go like sing.

Seva (40:46)

That's like he.

Josh Leyva (40:49)

And just the, the work that he put out was also brilliant. Like everything.

Seva (40:55)

It wasn't like some half ass shit.

Kike Hernandez (40:56)

Yeah. It wasn't like half ass, like taking the. He's like letting Puerto Rico come out. Like his whole album, like this whole last album was strictly like Puerto Rican music and it's all about Puerto Rico.

Seva (41:07)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (41:08)

And there's a lot of people that don't really understand the album because you need to like understand what's happened to like.

Seva (41:14)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (41:14)

And it's all like, a lot of. A lot of history going on. Like a lot of old bands are like 70s, 80s, 90s, that he's like saying bar. He's like spitting bars. Yeah. Like they used to like what they used to talk about and like. And he said, I'm gonna do this residency. I'm gonna stay home. I need a rest. Stay home only on weekends. And then he announced his tour. He's going to Europe and he's going to South America. And he's not doing anything. He's doing that intentionally. So I have to go to Puerto.

Josh Leyva (41:41)

Rico to see him.

Seva (41:42)

Bro, you have to, bro, you have to.

Kike Hernandez (41:44)

My sister went a couple weeks ago and she. She like texted me. She's like, dude, it was so good that like, I couldn't stop crying.

Josh Leyva (41:52)

No, that's how during the people feel.

Kike Hernandez (41:53)

Yeah, that's how people feel there.

Seva (41:55)

Bro, we got to go, man.

Kike Hernandez (41:57)

Aren't you going? No, you're going. You're going. You're going.

Seva (42:00)

Yeah, he's going. I want to stay in Dorado though. And that Ritz right there, so beautiful.

Josh Leyva (42:05)

I've never been.

Seva (42:06)

It's the most beautiful hotel I've ever been to.

Kike Hernandez (42:09)

You got. You got to go. You got to be ready to spend some money.

Seva (42:14)

Going in debt for sure. For sure.

Kike Hernandez (42:17)

Good. I'm happy for you.

Josh Leyva (42:19)

Hey, good for you, man.

Seva (42:20)

Favorite album ever. That. But Bad Bunny has ever put out. Put out for me. Favorite album. I know, I know that there's a lot.

Kike Hernandez (42:29)

Oh, it's. It's. It's one of the hardest questions you can ask me, but I'm going to have to say you are going to just for. Because of what it meant to me at the time that shit got me through Covid. Yeah, like it came out. It came out like a week before.

Seva (42:45)

COVID He also came out with the one with the. Came with like seven songs because he got.

Kike Hernandez (42:49)

Cuz he got up on Alive and he leaked a lot of songs that he couldn't.

Seva (42:57)

I love that.

Kike Hernandez (42:57)

And he like, I. I remember that it was like two in the morning in Arizona, like almost like. And he's like 4am, 5am and I. I hear. I hear his. His manager behind like, what do you call it behind the scenes? He's like, dude, you can't. You can't put that song out. That song's not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's like, he's getting in trouble with his manager for putting out songs.

Josh Leyva (43:16)

I remember that. I remember that.

Kike Hernandez (43:18)

So, yeah. I cannot tell you how many times.

Seva (43:21)

I listen and favorite song in that album.

Kike Hernandez (43:25)

Favorite song ever.

Seva (43:26)

I think mine's bch, bro.

Josh Leyva (43:28)

When that album. There were so many club bangers on that album, and we couldn't do because we were in Covid. And I just couldn't wait to, like, be out of co and listen to that album in the, like, out and about, like, in the streets.

Kike Hernandez (43:39)

It's. It's such a hard question. What about yours?

Seva (43:41)

Your favorite?

Josh Leyva (43:42)

Yeah, that's my favorite.

Kike Hernandez (43:43)

That's a. That's a. Yeah. My wife got to go to the concert at Fenway, and she was there.

Josh Leyva (43:50)

It was incredible.

Kike Hernandez (43:51)

I was on the. I was hurt that year, and I got to. I got activated literally two days before the concert in Fenway. And obviously the team's on the road because the concerts in Fenway.

Josh Leyva (44:02)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (44:02)

But I was telling my wife, should I extend this a couple days longer so that I get to go to the concert and then come back next week? And I was like, ah, that might. No, my conscience would not let me live. But she was like, this was amazing. His. That was his stadium tour.

Josh Leyva (44:16)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (44:16)

When he did stadiums, that was amazing. And then, I mean, the. The. What's the one with Mr. October?

Seva (44:24)

Oh, the. One of my favorite ones at n.

Kike Hernandez (44:28)

That album.

Seva (44:29)

That one was.

Kike Hernandez (44:30)

I remember, sick.

Seva (44:31)

That's the one.

Kike Hernandez (44:32)

That album came out. Like, that song is sick within day. Not even a week after we got eliminated that year from the playoffs. And I remember couldn't wait to put my kids to sleep so that me and Mariana could put in, like, share audio, like, with headphones, and just sit on the couch and listen to the album. Because we had no idea what the featurings were, too. Yeah, because he. He did it. He did it on purpose. And I remember, like, the song, first song came out, and it's like, nice.

Josh Leyva (44:59)

Yeah.

Seva (45:00)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (45:00)

It's just, like, a slow song. And I'm, like, looking at my wife. And then I think his first featuring in that album was the third or fourth song. It was Fina with Young Mo.

Josh Leyva (45:09)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (45:10)

And as soon as I was like, whatever. And she's like, miko, I'm like, let's go. I've been on yo for a while. And I was like, I've been waiting for that collab for so long. And they finally did, and I was so pumped. And then that album is great. And then I got. And then it got to Mr. October, and I looked at Mariana. I looked at Mariana and I was like, why did we lose? I need to walk out to that song during the playoffs so bad. And damn, I did it last year. Yeah.

Seva (45:43)

100.

Kike Hernandez (45:44)

I did. I did. Yeah. I did it for the first song, for first at bat. And then after that it was Mr. October the rest of the day.

Seva (45:52)

Obviously you're an amazing player.

Josh Leyva (45:53)

Obviously, obviously.

Seva (45:54)

But what is it about October that.

Kike Hernandez (45:57)

Just lights your up, dude? What is it when you're. When growing up in Puerto Rico, like, we like, we play like, it's so intense, so competitive and like, we play like we. The playoffs are called like regionales, like regional stuff. You play against teams that are close to you and then you advance to like, to like state estate. And those games are like our playoffs. And at the time, like you, you. We get like 40 parents per team and it feels like there's a million people in the stands. So like, for me, like I grew up in an era where like I grew up in the 90s. And at the time the Yankees were the, the Yankees were the team, you know, and they had their dynasty going on. And I remember like everybody talking about Derek Jeter, how Derek Jeter was such a clutch player and things like that. And for me it was just like, oh, I'm going to pretend like I'm playing, I'm 10 years old, whatever, and I'm playing and I'm like, I want to be that guy. I want, I want to show up in big games and.

Seva (46:52)

And you do.

Kike Hernandez (46:52)

And then one time Rich Hill said to me, big time players come out in big time games. And that stuck with me. I was like, oh, that's a sick bar. I wish I was a rapper to talk about that. And then I was like, wouldn't that be a thing to like have that be your reputation, be known for that? And then something switched for me the night before the, the 27, the 2017 NLCS Game 5, when I hit the three homers the night before, like I, I went into psych sicko mode and I, I just started getting cocky. And I'm not like a cocky guy. I don't talk, I don't like to talk about myself or anything like that. And I started talking to my wife. It's like, tomorrow I'm gonna come out and I'm gonna have. I'm gonna put the team on my back and I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. And she was like, oh, who are you? Whatever. And I told my mom like the hurricane had hit a couple weeks before and that morning I was like, hey, mom. They were watching the games at my grandparents house. They were bringing in the generator and they were connecting. They. They didn't care about the power. They were putting the generator on the TV just so they could watch the tv so they could watch the game. And they had like a little. They had a hanger as an antenna on the TV to get the local channel because there was no cable. You had to adjust because of the hurricane. And they were like adjusting that shit. And I told my mom, I was like, make sure you get to my grandparents house early because my first bat, I'm going deep. And she's like, no, don't do that. Don't put that much pressure on yourself, blah, blah, blah. I was like that. The pressure that I'm gonna do that. Just make sure you get that early. And you.

Seva (48:22)

All you gotta do is get there early, Mark.

Kike Hernandez (48:24)

And like right hand is working right before the game. I'll never forget. I. I like Kirsch is done warming up and he's in, he's like intense and sitting in the lock in the dugout and I dap him up and I get to his ear and I'm like, kirsch, let's go baby. I got your back. That's all I said. I kept walking. First pitch, second, second inning, first pitch in my bat, whack, homer. And I'm running the basis just like losing my mind. And I'm like, hope my mom got there early. And then second to bat. Bases loaded, bro. First pitch, grand slam.

Seva (48:56)

Holy.

Kike Hernandez (48:57)

And I was just. I remember Fenway was. It was like a rainy night and it was wet and I could, it was pitch quiet. And all I could hear running the bases is my dugout going nuts. And my feet, that shit was like crazy. And then that's insane. I got a last of that in the ninth inning and I had, I hit another homer. Three homer. And then from there on like my mentality, like it switched. I was like, you know what? I'm gonna be this arrogant in October. Like I'm gonna. It's the only way that it brings out. It bring. It brings that out of me. And it's something that it's so hard for me to do. Like during 162. Cuz at times I feel like I stopped being myself. Like I kind of become a different person that I don't necessarily like. But for a short period of time you can get away with it and like feel fine about it. Especially if it does what I've done, I've done in my career in October.

Josh Leyva (49:42)

That's the rep.

Kike Hernandez (49:43)

But for me like plus in order.

Seva (49:45)

To get to October Right.

Kike Hernandez (49:46)

You'd have to, you have to do.

Seva (49:47)

All the challenges it's deserving for you to act that way.

Kike Hernandez (49:50)

For me, it's like, it's, it's one of two things. It's like embracing that reputation, whatever, and, and that reputation comes up with like, a lot of expectations too. So it adds a little bit more pressure on me. But like, I feel like at times, like, pressure when my back's against the wall is when I bring out the best in me. But yeah, during a long season. Fuck that. No, whatever. If I'm sucking. Well, whatever, I gotta be happy. I gotta be me. Like, I got a family, I got a wife that I gotta attend to. And during the playoffs I'm like, it. I'm just gonna walk around like I'm 10ft tall, you know, and like, and.

Seva (50:23)

Your teammates know that.

Kike Hernandez (50:24)

But it's also like, for me, I've been fortunate enough to be on teams that I keep making the postseason so I can shine. And I've been good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like, it's not just about me. It's also about being at the right, at the right place at the right time as well. Because, I mean, I, I got to, I got to play in Boston for three years and yeah, I got to play in the postseason my first year and I went absolute nuts. Like, my best postseason performance was with the Red Sox. And people might not remember it as much because we didn't, we fell short of winning the World Series. But like, it was, I went, I went ham. I went crazy. And then the next two years we were, we were last place teams. So I'm like, I'm having a bad year and I can't do my thing in October. So, like, it just puts you in a weird spot. And then you get back to the Dodgers and you're like, all right, we got this. And then we 23. I. When we came back, it's just like, ah, yeah, three games and we were out. I was like, can't do anything. And then last year I was, you know, I, I knew that in order for us to win at some point I was going to have to come up big for the team. But I didn't expect injuries to happen to where I became a everyday guy. And I got to show out every single day. I didn't know how many opportunities I was going to get. But luckily for me, I got to play every day after a game for the NLD against the Padres. And I played every game since then and very, very proud because won the world series in 20. But I got to do it at a very different role. So getting to win two World Series on their two completely different roles, it's. It meant that much more for me.

Seva (51:56)

Yeah, it's crazy how every position that you kind of put yourself into it, it almost becomes a character. I mean, like, pitch when. When you start pitching. I don't like it when you start pitching, because that means that we're right.

Kike Hernandez (52:08)

For the most part, we've been winning.

Seva (52:09)

We've been winning, winning. But. But, like, when you start pitching, it's just. Anything that you do, it just becomes a show. It's just like a show. Yeah, dude.

Kike Hernandez (52:19)

Because first time I got to pitch was in 2018, and I got to pitch that one first time in my life, and I didn't get to pitch for six more years. And I got put in a up situation. It was a tie game in the 16th inning or whatever, and I'm like, we're supposed to win this game. And I'm pitching like. And I had so much pressure, and I was so nervous, and I'm like, how do I do? I don't do this. Like, yeah, if we lose, it's because of me. Whatever. And then I got. I. Fast forward six years and I'm like, oh, here I am in a completely different situation. Yeah, we're getting our asses whooped. There's no expectations. You know what? I'm gonna make this fun, because if I make fun of myself and happens. Yeah, whatever, you know, it's supposed to happen. But if it goes well, I'm gonna brag about it like I'm Shohei.

Josh Leyva (53:04)

Oh, time.

Seva (53:04)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (53:05)

And I got really lucky last year. I was great. And this year, I got off to a great start. I got to close two games out.

Seva (53:10)

Yeah, I know. We saw.

Josh Leyva (53:11)

It's the helmet, bro.

Kike Hernandez (53:13)

The helmet was great. That doctor, MLB doctor let me grab that helmet. And he had no idea who he gave it to. He thought for sure I was going to give it away. And I was like, no way. I'm at some point going to pitch this year, and I'm going to wear that kind of swag.

Seva (53:25)

Yeah, it's just all swag.

Kike Hernandez (53:27)

There's a small chance that Hellman ends up in Cooperstown after the year, which is cool, 100%. But, yeah, last two times I got to pitch, it was pretty embarrassing. Second to last, I couldn't get an out. Umpire was squeezing me. I was frustrated, couldn't get it out. And they had to bring in band at a pitch, and I had to Go to the outfield. And that was a pretty embarrassing walk back to the outfield like a little kid that took up on timeout. And then my last time it did not go well again. I was a clown. I was warming up in the bullpen for the first time because I wasn't playing. So I came in from the bullpen, I told the team that I wanted a light show when I came into pitch and they did the light show but it was day game so nobody noticed the light show and it was terrible. I did not do well. I had. They had to bring in Banda again to pitch and this time I didn't go to play defense. They just. They like you're out of the game. And I like just walking in the dugout like oh shit, this is. Now I feel how you guys feel when you guys give it up. I'm like damn dude, this is embarrassing.

Seva (54:23)

Do you and Anthony Banda know that you guys are like the heartthrobs of the Dodgers?

Josh Leyva (54:27)

Oh, 100%.

Seva (54:28)

Like, do you guys ever like kind of like.

Kike Hernandez (54:30)

Yeah, I think, I think having some conversation. I think Band is like.

Seva (54:33)

I think you.

Josh Leyva (54:34)

Both of you guys, I think, I think equally bro.

Seva (54:35)

I think you're equally.

Kike Hernandez (54:36)

Yeah, no, I mean like Band is like embracing that role.

Seva (54:39)

Is he though? Cuz I feel like he's pretty quiet.

Kike Hernandez (54:41)

I feel like he's quiet. He doesn't have social media but he's aware. He's aware.

Seva (54:44)

He's aware. But like I feel like you, you like, you know he's.

Kike Hernandez (54:47)

But it's different because in the bullpen, I guess the energy in the both bullpen is crazy cuz they're like way more exposed to the fans.

Josh Leyva (54:52)

Yeah, they're right.

Kike Hernandez (54:53)

And they're like bro, you should see how the bullpen, how the girls go and wild when he comes into pitch. Whatever. And now he's got this Selena song that like everybody just about to tell you.

Seva (55:01)

So yesterday I'm at the game, he.

Kike Hernandez (55:03)

Used to have Panda. Panda.

Seva (55:04)

Panda, Panda.

Kike Hernandez (55:05)

But now he's got Selena.

Seva (55:06)

Yeah, Selena. But no, it made sense because it goes bd. Bd. Banda.

Kike Hernandez (55:12)

Ah, yeah.

Seva (55:14)

Cuz it's a Selena song now. I know, but that's what it says.

Kike Hernandez (55:18)

If you want to. If you want to hear Banda. It says Banda.

Josh Leyva (55:21)

Yeah.

Seva (55:21)

And that's why I'm assuming he put it on. Right?

Kike Hernandez (55:23)

Yeah, yeah, you get to choose the song.

Seva (55:24)

Yeah, yeah, no, but I'm assuming he put that song on because if you really think it says that, it will say that.

Kike Hernandez (55:30)

I don't know if that's the reason, I think it was more for the girls, but sure.

Seva (55:35)

Look, if you. If you see Anthony, tell him I noticed that it says BD Banda. Swear to God.

Josh Leyva (55:40)

But you know, it doesn't say that obviously. I just want to make sure you know that obviously.

Seva (55:45)

I know it doesn't say that. Yes. Great. Man.

Josh Leyva (55:49)

That's so funny.

Seva (55:51)

Is your song going to change in October or you're going to keep it the same? Obviously we're going to the play.

Kike Hernandez (55:56)

Haven't played in so long. I have Le Ma. That's always going to be my number one. And then. Oh, okay. From like the new album, of course.

Josh Leyva (56:07)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (56:10)

You know, and then I had AO as my third song.

Josh Leyva (56:14)

Sick.

Kike Hernandez (56:15)

But so many guys had ao. Oh, yeah. So. And I'm like, I can't walk out. I don't like walking out to songs that a lot of guys have.

Josh Leyva (56:21)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (56:21)

So I. That's why I got. I thought was gonna be my walk up song for the rest of my career, but so many guys have it that I was like, I can't, I can't. And when that. When I found out about Leche Materna, I was like, no way.

Seva (56:34)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (56:34)

Because this song is for me, especially with Dodger stadium speakers that blast. And then I found this new song from a girl. I don't even know her name, but the song is like, oh yeah. And it's a great song. It's a banger. But unfortunately doesn't sound great with the speakers. You can't barely hear the Kiki. I don't know if it's because the girl like her voice that her tone of voice is not meant for like a stadium atmosphere like that. So as much as I love like that song slaps in the car and I bang. But I. It didn't work out as a walk up song. But yeah, for sure, once the playoffs come, it has to switch it up.

Josh Leyva (57:12)

Can you switch your song up like every game is it do.

Kike Hernandez (57:14)

Oh, yeah. I've. I've been struggling so bad at times that I've gone seven days, seven game homestead with seven different songs. Yeah. Yeah.

Josh Leyva (57:24)

Damn. Ohtani song is like so Ohtani. Like I just feel like it just suits him.

Kike Hernandez (57:28)

So my favorite song out of anybody just because of the mood it puts me in. Like, I enjoy hearing that song because of what it means is we are young but by fun.

Josh Leyva (57:40)

Oh, okay. Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (57:42)

Because that means Clayton Kershaw's on the Mountain.

Josh Leyva (57:46)

Oh.

Kike Hernandez (57:46)

It's been his walk up song his entire career.

Seva (57:48)

And like that's right.

Kike Hernandez (57:48)

Just being able to, like, listen to. Because I, I, I mean, curse pitching, you know, it's special.

Josh Leyva (57:54)

It's very.

Kike Hernandez (57:54)

And then you go away for a couple years and you don't hear that song.

Josh Leyva (57:58)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (57:58)

And then you come back and you hear that song again. It's like, everything is right in the world. And then last year, he couldn't pitch that much because he was hurt.

Josh Leyva (58:05)

Yeah.

Kike Hernandez (58:05)

And then he came in this year again, and I was like, I can't wait to hear that song. And that song came out. I was playing third base that game, and I was just like.

Josh Leyva (58:15)

Yeah.

Seva (58:16)

What an Amazing feeling. Hitting 3,000, huh?

Kike Hernandez (58:18)

Amazing.

Seva (58:19)

Wow. Incredible. For even us fans to see, that was.

Kike Hernandez (58:22)

That was sick. The amount of pressure that came off his shoulders once he finally got that strikeout was insane.

Seva (58:27)

That was a sick strikeout, too.

Kike Hernandez (58:28)

Yeah. Backdoor slider. He got through the Do I think that was a bowl. I was like, nut it right there.

Seva (58:34)

N. That was in there, bro.

Josh Leyva (58:36)

Oh, yeah.

Seva (58:38)

That'S it, man. I think that's all the time we.

Josh Leyva (58:40)

Have for today, bro. And the mother.

Seva (58:42)

Crazy chat.

Josh Leyva (58:43)

We did it. We got him.

Seva (58:44)

N. Y' all did it. Yeah, we got him, bro. Kk thank you so much, man. Absolute pleasure. Pause. Legend.

Josh Leyva (58:52)

Uhhuh.

Kike Hernandez (58:53)

Thank you.

Seva (58:53)

Super legend, bro. We. We, like, obviously, you're one of our favorites in the Dodgers. Appreciate it. Continue doing what you do, man. You're an amazing player, an amazing father, friend, everything.

Josh Leyva (59:03)

Yeah.

Seva (59:04)

We hope to have you back hopefully one of these days. If not, we'll see you maybe after.

Kike Hernandez (59:10)

We win the World Series.

Seva (59:11)

100.

Kike Hernandez (59:12)

Yeah.

Josh Leyva (59:12)

Pull up with Banda. Ladies will go nuts, bro.

Seva (59:17)

We'll go to PR Man.

Kike Hernandez (59:18)

You have to. You have to. If you can sneak in with them, trust me, it'll be worth it, because I haven't heard one person that has not, but, like, people were like, this concert's 100 out of 10, you know? So, like, I mean, if you don't end up going to the concert, you're still gonna have a blast because Prue goes.

Seva (59:35)

Puerto rico's the bro. 100. Like, anything that you want to do, you want to chill, you want to.

Kike Hernandez (59:40)

Go out, you got a little bit of everything. Yeah.

Seva (59:42)

You want to meet beautiful, amazing, nice people. You go to Puerto Rico, you want.

Kike Hernandez (59:45)

To go on a hike. Even though we don't really go on hikes. You got a biggest rainforest in the Caribbean. You know, like, you guys, you can do whatever you want over there. You got a little bit of everything. If you want to go out till 7am we do that we don't close out bars at 2am like we do. They do in the States.

Josh Leyva (60:01)

Swag, bro.

Kike Hernandez (60:02)

They don't close out till everybody leaves or nobody wants to leave. We'll turn on the lights so everybody leaves. Yeah, but yeah, yeah, you. You gotta go. You gotta make it a. Like put it in the bucket 100.

Seva (60:13)

We're gonna go. Well, thank you so much, Josh.

Josh Leyva (60:16)

No, that was incredible, bro. Thank you so much for everything, bro.

Kike Hernandez (60:18)

Thank you. Honestly, it was fun. It was a blast.

Josh Leyva (60:19)

Hope you had a great your time.

Seva (60:20)

And congrats on being a salute athlete.

Kike Hernandez (60:22)

Oh, thank you. Congrats to you guys for having the first athlete in all day, man.

Seva (60:27)

All day. Let's go. Ladies and gentlemen, obviously you guys already follow Kiki Hernandez. Follow the platica. Follow t. Salute. Subscribe to the channel. Subscribe tast.com 10% off if you use too get hooked up and that's about it. Approxima Pl Kik Hernandez. Kik Hernandez, ladies and gentlemen.

Kike Hernandez (60:47)

Boom.

Josh Leyva (60:48)

Let's get it, baby.

Seva (60:50)

Wow. Like pretend Josh is a pretty woman, right?

AMPM Advertiser (61:15)

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

Seva (61:17)

Hmm.

Josh Leyva (61:18)

It's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

Kike Hernandez (61:21)

Could you be more specific?

Josh Leyva (61:22)

When it's cravinient. Okay, Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the.

Kike Hernandez (61:27)

Street at am, pm.

Josh Leyva (61:28)

Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can.

Kike Hernandez (61:30)

Grab in just a second at am, pm. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Josh Leyva (61:33)

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

AMPM Advertiser (61:34)

Crave, which is anything from am, pm.

Kike Hernandez (61:36)

What more could you want? Want stop by AMPM where the snacks.

Josh Leyva (61:39)

And drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's Cravinience ampm. Too much good stuff.