We're alive at Dodgers Stadium, the Dodgers welcoming in another American League team,
and we're joined by a man that I'm not sure how many teams he pitched
for in the American League, but he's been around the block a few times.
And that is the one and only Daniel Hudson. Thanks a lot for
the time. Yeah, no problem, and I think it was two only
two? Only two? You're a National League guy, White Sox and Blue
Jays. Nice. Yeah, you are a National League guy. I have
been most of my career. Yes, when you were a starting pitcher,
I've never asked you this. Were you a good hitter? I help my
own for sure. I have a silver bat in my in my house,
Yes, I do. Nice, I did not know that. That seems
like a lifetime ago. Actually it was a lot time ago. Yeah.
Are you a big fan of the way the rules have gone where pitchers don't
hit anymore? Yeah? I think it's better for the game. Honestly,
the pitching is just too good. Some of the pitchers that we're hitting now,
it's just it wasn't even a Honestly, it wasn't even a competitive at
beat. It was really bad. So I think you know, a lot
of the especially you know some of the younger guys that came up and they
got spies into pitching early and just didn't hit growing up. It just it
was really, really ugly. So I think it's better for the game that
we have DHM both in both leagues. You're a great guy to ask this,
because pitchers always asked to sacrifice bunt more than any other player on the
field. How difficult is it to bunt when the ball is moving that fast?
It's very difficult back in the day. I can say that because it
was back in the day. A lot of times you usually got a lot
of heaters. You know, if they knew you were going to go up
there and bunty, they kind of wanted the out. So so you got
a lot more heaters back in the day to uh to swing into uh to
bunt at. So I think I think that's another way that's changed. If
you to me up there against you know, some of these guys breaking balls,
I have, I'd have no shot even putting one down, no shout,
Okay, we'll leave it right there. Then as far as the hitting
goes, as far as the Dodger bullpen, goes Dan. It feels like
you guys have really hit your stride as a group, not just individually.
Yeah, you know, everybody's everybody's in a good groove down there right now.
I don't want to jinx it too bad. I think can be so
volatile down there at night to night, week to week. So, uh,
you know, everybody's been been throwing the ball really well for the most
part. I've been pretty healthy, except for you know, early on in
the year, we lost a couple of guys to some injuries. But uh,
you know, everybody that has kind of been filtered through since then has
stayed relatively healthy and thrown the ball really well. It's been a lot of
fun to watch. Speaking of being healthy again, Blake trining, this is
not normal for a guy to miss two years and to be as nasty as
he is, right, Yeah, no, it's not. You're you're watching
something special out therey single time he takes the bump. I know is his
velo is not quite what it was, you know, before his injury.
But it was a pretty pretty major shoulder injury he went through, and to
make it back after two years and be as sharp as he's been since he's
gotten back has been really impressive when you look at his body of work and
the way that you guys have both come back from different injuries the last two
years. Do you feel like you connect in that way that you both continue
to pursue your careers even though you know many other guys maybe would not have.
Yeah, you know, I've got to know Blake really well. Last
couple of years. We spent a lot of time together at CBR in Arizona
rehabing our various surgeries and injuries. You know, I don't know if that's
a good thing or a bad thing. Obviously, getting a no Blake as
a person and as a father, as a husband has been a lot of
fun. And like I said, just to see him have the success he's
had, Uh, since he's been back has been impressive to watch. You
mean a lot to Walker Buehler as well. He's been frustrated with the way
things have gone recently. Has he leaned on you at all? Yeah,
Yeah, we've had a few talks on I actually went in there after his
game the other night. You know, I went in there and you know,
pat him on the back and I told him he's probably sick of me
saying it, but it's gonna come. You know, his stuff's gonna start
clicking again. He's gonna start feeling like himself soon. You know, he
missed pretty much two years as well. You got everybody's got to remember that.
And you know, after you know, I can speak from an experience
after second elbow surgery, just it takes a little while to feel like yourself
again. And you know it's gonna come and it's gonna click, and we're
gonna be better off for it. When you say everybody has to remember that,
maybe he's the one that needs to remember it the most. Definitely.
I know he held himself to a high standard and he should because he's one
of the best pitchers in the game when he's healthy, and uh, you
know, it's it's it's a lot of fun to see him out there and
competing. And I'm telling him, you know, good job grinding through those
five innings. You know, he could have come out and earlier on,
but he wanted to get through five and you know, helped the bullpen out
going into a bullpen game last night. So yeah, it's been Uh,
like I said, it's gonna come. It's gonna click and you know,
we're gonna be better off for it. Your locker is pretty close to Gavin
Stone's locker. He seems to be quietly confident. What have you noticed about
him coming into his own? Yeah, I was just about to say he's
definitely coming into his own. You know. I think last year was a
pretty good learning experience for him. You know, he's pretty much been a
fastball change up throughout his career, especially coming up through the minor and he's
just really all he needed. And then he kind of kind of kind of
got up, got up here and got his teeth kicked in a little bit
and realize he's got to get something that moves left and h you know,
he went really worked this offseason to try to put some weight on, get
stronger so he could go deeper into games. And you know, he really
worked on that break and bone. It's been really good for him. He's
one of those pitchers that you hear has developed this two seam fastball again.
Why is that pitch in vogue again? I just think it's coming back,
just because you have to keep guys as honest on that part of the plate,
especially right Henders. I think it's coming, you know, right on
right, left on left is coming back because guys are leaning out so hard
to go get those breaking balls and try to launch them. I think the
two seemers coming back because it just gives you a little more run. It's
gives you a little more room for air. You don't I don't feel like
you don't really quite have to be as as a perfect with it every single
time. You can kind of just let it eat on that part of the
plate and let it run and take the take the movement, let the movement
do its work, and you know, get guys off that outside part of
the plate. And if you have a good four seamer, hitters are telling
me now there's just too much to cover. When you have a good two
seemer and a good four seamer, Yeah, it's just a different look,
especially if you can get guys in and hitters counts to two to one two
oh that are traditionally four seam counts, and you can run a two seamer
off the barrel either into a ridy or way to a lefty when they're you
know, it's still the same velocity typically as your four seamer, but it's
running a little bit more and it just gets off the barrel. It's get
some we contact in a Hitters count all right, Daniel Hudson. Thanks a
lot for the time. Before I let you go, by the way,
would you be against me finding a way to get a snapshot of you at
City Field coming off the field with your fingers quieting the crowd. I want
to know if that's in bounced, because I do not want to cross Daniel
Hudson. I don't know about that. I mean, you can get whatever
you want. I'm sure it's on the internet somewhere you can print off.
But no, that'll be cool to see if you get it, all right,
I want to know if I have the green light. Like I said,
I am as frightened of you as intimidated of you as I was of
Chase Suttley, So I tread very carefully. I don't know how true that
statement is for you, but it's definitely a compliment if you put me in
the same sentence as Chase. So I'll take it. You're not the silver
Fox yet. It's getting there. Thanks a lot for the time, Daniel.
Unto from there, he goes, Daniel Hudson will work on those T
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