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Formed 35 years ago in Washington, the rock band known as The Melvins predates grunge and most indie-rock subgenres. Even if The Melvins have never scored a Top 40, that does not matter on any level, given how The Melvins influenced Nirvana, Soundgarden, Helmet and Faith No More's Mike Patton. EPs, singles and live recordings aside, The Melvins have released more than two dozen studio albums, and the latest full-length in 2018's Pinkus Abortion Technician. Pinkus distinctly features two bass players -- the Butthole Surfers' Jeff Pinkus and Redd Kross' Steven McDonald -- and has a Beatles cover on it.
One thing many people may not realize about The Melvins is that vocalist/guitarist King Buzzo" Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover are both big fans of Major League Baseball. Crover's team of choice is the Los Angeles Dodgers, and I had the pleasure of discussing that with him on behalf of Sportskeeda. More on Crover and The Melvins can be found online at www.themelvins.net.
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I've read that you are a big Dodgers fan. How did you first get into the team?
Dale Crover: I started going to Dodgers games not long after moving to L.A. I went to my first one with Buzz [Osborne] and Adam Jones from Tool. After going to a few more games I fell into following baseball and root, root, rooting for the home team.
Were the Dodgers always your MLB team of choice?
Dale Crover: No. My first MLB games were at the Kingdome in Seattle. There was no Interleague play back then so I only saw AL teams. I saw the Yankees/Mariners a few times and got to see the 1979 All-Star game there.
As I write this, the Dodgers' squad is currently around the .500 mark in the standings. How do you think this season is going?
Dale Crover: And now they’ve dipped below .500. They usually start slow and then kick into gear. Seems like they’re starting to hit now. [Justin] Turner will be back soon too.
Do you have a favorite player on the Dodgers?
Dale Crover: Probably [Yasiel] Puig because he’s so fun to watch and a total kook! Biting the ball, licking the bat... What a freak! Eventually, he’s going to start pounding the ball and do a lot of damage.
What about an all-time favorite Dodger?
Dale Crover: I’d have to say Jackie Robinson. I can’t think of another player who’s had an impact on the game like he has.
How often do you get to go to Dodgers games?
Dale Crover: Between 5 and 10 a year. We tour during the season and miss out on seeing it live. I have MLB.TV and watch when we’re on the road.
Are you friends with other musicians that are very into the Dodgers?
Dale Crover: Our engineer and good friend Toshi Kasai is a huge Dodgers fan. We text back and forth during games all the time, unless we’re at one together.
Do any other sports come close for you?
Dale Crover: Nope! I’ve always liked baseball best.
Sports talk aside, you've just released the album Pinkus Abortion Technician, what's next for the Melvins?
Dale Crover: We just started a five-week tour of the U.S. We have another in mid-summer and then Europe in the fall.
Finally, Dale, any last words for the kids?
Dale Crover: Go Dodgers!
