Ben Maller (Transcript)

Robby Incmikoski:
Here we are with my guy Ben Maller, Fox Sports Radio. Hey, Ben, I want to talk to you about Dodger Stadium. I guess the first thing to ask is: What is it like just walking through the third-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball? What’s the experience from the time you step in to the time you leave that place?

Ben Maller:
Yeah, the first thing, Robby, is when you go in, it’s how massive it is. It’s humongous. Most of the time, you enter Dodger Stadium from behind the downtown part of Los Angeles, so you’re in this massive parking lot. As far as you can see are parking spaces, and then you have to find the entrance—it’s changed over the years. But you walk in, and you see this beautiful field below you and then the mountain range. It’s just awesome—it’s awe-inspiring when you see it.
You’re in the middle of a city, and it’s like all these ballparks that are in a city. People think of LA, they think of a lot of traffic and whatnot, but you get to Dodger Stadium, and it’s just like you’re in this little bubble that’s over downtown Los Angeles. It’s pretty crazy.

Robby Incmikoski:
Ben, when you walk in the media entrance, you’re at the top of the mountain right there—top of Dodger Stadium—and it is honestly one of the most beautiful viewpoints in all of Major League Baseball. Do you remember the first time you saw it from that high? What was your reaction?

Ben Maller:
Yeah, when I was a kid, I grew up in Southern California, so I went a few times. I didn’t go that much; I didn’t live near Dodger Stadium. But when I started in the media, I had imposter syndrome—like I didn’t really belong: “What am I doing here?”
It was something I had watched a lot on TV, and just the palatial nature of the whole experience when you go to Dodger Stadium. Now, over the years, since so many of the old ballparks have gone away, there are only a few left that are older than Dodger Stadium—it’s kind of crazy.
You think about the legends that played there in the early days. When they first moved, they played at the Coliseum for a couple of years, but they still had guys from the Brooklyn Dodgers when they came to LA. Guys that go all the way back to Brooklyn still played at Dodger Stadium.

And just the fact that they’ve kept it up over the years—it’s held up. A lot of other ballparks have gone away because they haven’t been maintained. But they’ve done a great job. They’ve renovated it a bunch; it’s much different than when I first went.
They used to have tons of space behind home plate—foul territory. There was that great moment when Kirk Gibson scored from second—or maybe first—on a passed ball because there was so much room. But now they’ve filled that in with all the “Hollywood seats,” where all the celebrities sit behind home plate. There’s a crazy restaurant there now.

When I first walked around the bowels of Dodger Stadium, it still looked like it did when they built it. They had the old Angels clubhouse down from where the Dodgers clubhouse was—when the Angels played there—and just a tunnel. You’d take the elevator down, walk through that tunnel, and a few seats would wrap around home plate. That was it. The umpires would walk through, and there was just a back walkway.
Now there’s a massive five-star restaurant, but you can’t tell any of that just by looking at the park. On the outside, it looks almost the same—just a few slight changes. The renovation cost millions and millions of dollars, and underneath, it’s just so fancy-schmancy. I keep coming back to the word “impressive,” but it’s magnificent to walk around.

Robby Incmikoski:
Ben, as a media member, I’ve done this, but I’m curious about your experience as a guy who does it way more frequently than I do. I only do it for three days at a time once a year when I’m out there with the Pirates—or when I was with the Twins. What is it like trying to make your way from either the press box at the top all the way down to the clubhouse level? How would you describe that journey?

Ben Maller:
It’s like being on a roller coaster, especially at the end of the games. During the game, it’s okay, but you’ve got two options. You can either take the elevator—which is the same elevator they had in the early days of Dodger Stadium. It’s a very slow elevator.
There are only three elevators behind the press box for media to use—and really only two that go all the way down to the field. One goes up to the upper level and down to the press-box level. So you’re pretty much at the mercy of the elevator operator.
Sometimes after the game, they’ll have the elevator waiting for you, but typically you have to take the escalator. Multiple escalators down. Then a staircase. You have to walk by a couple of security guards, and the crowd’s leaving—everyone’s trying to get out, and you’re going against the grain. People look at you like, “What are you doing?”

Then you’ve got to get down to the very bottom of Dodger Stadium. If you’re going to the visitors’ clubhouse, you head to the right—past where all the rich people sit and the nice restaurant—then past the gift shop.
If you’re going to the Dodgers’ clubhouse, you turn left, pass a guard, and then there’s a renovated media workroom. You walk down another hallway, and that’s where the clubhouse is.
It’s a maze—it’s like being in a corn maze at Dodger Stadium. If you’ve never been there or have only been a few times, it’s impossible not to get lost. I’m lucky; I’ve been there a lot. It’s changed over the years, but it still feels like a corn maze underneath because of how it was designed.

Robby Incmikoski:
Right. That’s what I’m saying—it’s wild. I have photos, and Kyle, just for the record, I’m going to have everything Ben’s describing. I’ve taken photos of it, because it’s such an insane trip to make. I have pictures to back up what Ben said—where they have all the Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers as soon as you step off the elevator. I’ve got pictures of all that.

Hey, here’s a rarity in baseball. You have Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium, the Coliseum for a couple more weeks. Wait—Fenway, Dodger... what am I missing? Wrigley, yeah. So you’ve got Wrigley.
Really, you’re only going to have Fenway, Wrigley, and Dodger Stadium left. These are the only three ballparks, Ben—and I don’t count Tampa Bay—where the all-time greats, the Hall of Famers, the legends from thirty, forty, fifty, sixty years ago played in the same park that Shohei Ohtani’s playing in right now.

So there’s a kid saying, “Man, I saw Shohei Ohtani.” And there’s someone else saying, “I saw Don Newcombe, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale.” All of them, right, played in that same stadium. How cool is it that Dodger Stadium is one of the last three standing—and that it’s a place where you’ve seen the all-time greats?

Ben Maller:
Yeah, it’s wonderful. It’s one of the endearing qualities of baseball—more than any other sport, baseball is about the history.
And it’s not just the Dodger players—Koufax, Drysdale, some of the Brooklyn guys who came over in the early days—but the visiting players too.
When I first started in the early ’90s, I heard stories about “Pops” Willie Stargell hitting balls out of Dodger Stadium. You think about Hank Aaron and so many others who’ve played against the Dodgers.

For me, growing up in Southern California, it was surreal being around Tommy Lasorda. He was this larger-than-life cartoon character. I started out when I was nineteen, and just being around Lasorda blew my mind. That was his domain—he’d been there forever. He was also a terrible pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he had pitched for them.
You’d see him, and Koufax, and other legends who worked for the Dodgers over the years. They’ve always done a great job—and still do—bringing back old players, welcoming them with open arms. That bond is something unique to places like Dodger Stadium... Fenway... Wrigley.
Even the new Yankee Stadium—which is beautiful—is across the street from where Babe Ruth played. It’s not the same field. It’s not the same experience.

When you go to Dodger Stadium, you can imagine: “Hey, this is the road my favorite player from the ’60s or ’70s took to get here.” The view, the mountains, the skyline—it’s all still there. It’s an experience you can share across generations.

Robby Incmikoski:
That’s a great point, and that segues into something else I want to ask you. You’re a funny dude. I’m happy to ask you this question because it would sound great on radio. But if you stayed for a Dodger game until the final out, what is it like getting from the parking lot to the nearest street or highway?

Ben Maller:
It depends what day of the week it is, right? If it’s a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and it’s not a giveaway night, it’s bad—on a scale of one to ten, it’s like a six.
But if they’ve got fireworks or they’re giving away a bobblehead at Dodger Stadium, you could spend the same amount of time getting out of there as you would flying from LA to Chicago. It’s insanity.
There’s no easy way to get out. It’s gridlock. It’s a nightmare. That’s why people take shots at Dodger fans for leaving early—but the choice is either leave in the seventh or eighth inning and listen to the game on the radio, or stay till the end and be stuck until midnight.

As you know, I do the late-night show...

Robby Incmikoski:
Yeah.

Ben Maller:
It’s great for me, because when they have a sellout crowd and fireworks—on a Friday or holiday—I’ve got a built-in audience. People are still stuck in their cars long after the game. Even after the postgame show and Dodger Talk is over, they’re still in traffic.
I haven’t been to every ballpark like you, Robby, but I’ve been to a lot. And there’s nothing quite like trying to get out of Dodger Stadium.
And you know—with the Pirates on getaway day, trying to get to the airport with a charter waiting? What a nightmare. It’s ridiculous.

Robby Incmikoski:
It is a sight to behold for people who haven’t done it over the years. Okay—can you just talk about the Dodger Dog? What made it so famous, in your experience? From what you know, what made the Dodger Dog legendary?

Ben Maller:
The original Dodger Dog—the grilled one—I’m biased. I’m old-school on this. The boiled dog? Not a fan. The did 📝 They did bring it back for a while.
But the grilled one was amazing. It was long—you’re getting your money’s worth. And it’s just part of the ballpark experience. It’s one of those boxes you check when you go to Dodger Stadium.
You soak everything in, and part of that is the Dodger Dog. It’s built into the experience. Even if you’re a vegan—they’ve got vegan Dodger Dogs now. There’s something for everybody.
Honestly, it’s not the greatest hot dog on its own, but when you combine it with the ballpark, the sounds, the smells—that’s what puts it over the top.

Robby Incmikoski:
What is it like—and I’ve been fortunate in small pockets—but seeing Vin Scully roaming around the press box, what’s that like?

Ben Maller:
That was the coolest thing. I grew up wanting to be Vin Scully. I thought I was going to be Vin Scully—then he just kept working my entire life until I was middle-aged!
But I got to know him a little bit, and it was the coolest. He just owned the press box—but he didn’t act like a big shot. That’s the thing. A lot of famous people are miserable—they’ve got this elitist attitude. Vin was the opposite. He walked in like he was just happy to be there.

He’d seen more games than anyone, and even in the twilight of his career, he just loved being around the crew. He’d visit the scouts’ table in the press box—that’s where he’d get a lot of stories he used during the broadcast.

And for a guy like me—no business being in the same orbit as Vin Scully—he treated me like a regular guy. Said hello, asked how I was doing.
I once asked him what he listened to on the drive home—hoping he’d say my show. And he told me, very cool and politely, that he listened to classical music. I was crushed!

But that was Vin. Just totally normal. Despite all the fame, despite being the voice of baseball. He worked World Series games on NBC—I grew up watching him.
He’d show up at 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon, just hanging out in the booth, chatting about the news or whatever was going on that day. It wasn’t just baseball—that was his social circle. He loved it.

Robby Incmikoski:
Dude, you just mentioned—I'm sending Kyle a note. I want to get Boyd for the book. I mean, why not get Vin’s right-hand man?

Ben Maller:
Yeah.

Robby Incmikoski:
I know Boyd Robertson. He’d be great to put in the book. He must have some great Vin stories.
Final thing, I’m going to let you go, Ben.

Ben Maller:
Yeah.

Robby Incmikoski:
We’re playing to fans who want to get to every ballpark but may not necessarily have the chance to get there, okay?

Ben Maller:
Yeah.

Robby Incmikoski:
For whatever reason—travel, family, health, money—there are a lot of baseball fans who want to do it. My best friend here in Pittsburgh is five short of all thirty; he’s been at it for twenty years.
If somebody’s going to Dodger Stadium for the first time, what would you say to them?

Ben Maller:
You gotta have a Dodger Dog. You’ve got to walk all the way around the ballpark so you can fully experience Dodger Stadium.
Don’t just go behind home plate and take in the view—go out to the outfield, to the Pavilion, and look up toward home plate. Look at the levels, the architecture—especially on a packed night. It’s just this mass of humanity.
Soak it all in. It’s like a piece of art—it’s a painting, Dodger Stadium, with all the different colors. And it’s not just visual. You’ve got the smells, the sounds—it hits all your senses.
It’s something you’ve got to do at least once if you’re a baseball fan. It’s one of those boxes you check.

Robby Incmikoski:
Hey—sorry, one last thing I forgot. You mentioned Willie Stargell earlier. How cool is it that they marked the spots where his two home run balls landed—over the right-field pavilion at Dodger Stadium? You don’t see that much for visiting players.

Ben Maller:
Yeah, those were the fish stories. When I started out, I heard all these tales about Stargell home runs—it was like hearing about Bigfoot. But they did mark them.
Only a handful of guys have hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium. In the ’90s, during the steroid era, you’d see guys do it in BP—Mike Piazza, Billy Ashley.
But only a few in actual games. And yeah, last I heard, the markers were still there.
Vin used to tell me stories about that off the air—about seeing Stargell hit those. And Hank Aaron, too. Just crazy.

Robby Incmikoski:
One last thing—how loud is the music there? Those speakers?

Ben Maller:
It’s like being at a rock concert. That’s one of the biggest changes at Dodger Stadium.
When I first started covering the team, the players complained—it was all organ music. That was it. The O’Malley family still owned the Dodgers. Nancy Bea Hefley was the organist. She was the entertainment.
Players would go on the road and hear high-energy music and then come back and feel like, “What are we doing? This is church music!”

Ownership has changed, and now it’s like being at the Hollywood Bowl.
And broadcasters complain about it more than anyone. It’s so overwhelming. You need those airport-style noise-canceling headphones. It’s crazy.

Robby Incmikoski:
Yeah, when I’m doing a pregame hit and they’re blasting music, I can’t hear the studio. It’s so loud in there—it’s crazy.
I’ll tell you one last story—can I tell you my great Vin Scully story?

Ben Maller:
Yeah, go ahead.

Robby Incmikoski:
I once peed next to him in the press-box bathroom.

Ben Maller:
That’s awesome! That is great. Did he talk to you while he was peeing?

Robby Incmikoski:
I said hello. I waited until after, then I asked him about going ice skating with Jackie Robinson—and he told me that story.
So I peed next to him and got the Jackie Robinson story.

Ben Maller:
Dude, that is awesome. That is so good.

Robby Incmikoski:
I don’t know if everyone has a “best pee” of their life, but that was the best pee I’ve ever taken.

Ben Maller:
That’s pretty good.
I remember one time when Vin was still traveling—they were at Shea Stadium. It was a hot getaway day. He was doing radio only, and it was so hot he wore Dodger shorts and a T-shirt.
You always think of Vin in a suit, right? But this one day, a clubhouse guy gave him a T-shirt. I’ll never forget that.

He also told this amazing story—also from New York—about a sanitation strike. It was around Christmas, and the trash was piling up. People had those giant TV boxes, like refrigerator-sized boxes.
So what they’d do to get rid of trash is fill those TV boxes with garbage, wrap them like Christmas gifts, and leave them on the doorstep. People would steal them thinking they got a new TV—but it was just trash.
And Robby, the way Vin told that story—it was like poetry.

Robby Incmikoski:
I would listen to Vin describe paint drying and stop whatever I was doing just to hear it.
All right, brother. I appreciate you, Ben Maller. I’ll be in touch. Kyle, you can stop recording if you hear me.