What would Memorial Day weekend be without the Dodgers All star catcher Will Smith.
Thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it. Yeah, good morning,
good morning. I know you and the yes quick turnaround. Weather is an
issue. That's the reason why we're here that early. What have you guys
heard as far as trying to play this game quickly? Nothing? I don't
know. Apparently just moved it up an hour and a half. So yeah,
I hope we get it in get out of here before the weather.
It's I asked you earlier about this ballpark and being so close to Louisville.
How much did you come here as a kid to watch baseball? A few
times growing up? This is definitely the closest, you know, Big Lee
Ballpark to where I grew up. Come here as a kid maybe once every
year every two years or so. Yeah, and when you're growing up in
Louisville, obviously the bat Factory Louisville Slugger is there. Did you ever go
through there? I mean, Louisville seems to be a hotbed of baseball during
your period of time being in college. Yeah, uh yees had some really
good college you know teammates, good teams won a lot of games there.
Uh yeah, I got the Little Slugger Museum. So you know, baseball
was always kind of around and you know all that. But uh yeah,
do you remember when you fell in love with the game and specifically, uh
this position that is so demanding. Uh yeah. I always, you know,
love baseball as a kid. I love playing throwing in the backyard of
my dad or whatever. Uh yeah. I really transitioned to college to being
a catcher. You know, I enjoyed it just being able to get on
the field, and you know, I probably just grown on me. Uh
you know, being in control every single pitch basically, So you know,
I enjoy catching, enjoy trolling the game, helping the pitchers out, just
being part of the action. When you talk about controlling the game, it's
not just about calling pitches. It's more about the tempo and seeing where your
pitcher's at as well. Right, we've seen you more times the last couple
of years really taking control by giving the picture a breather, by going out
for a mountain visit. How important is that to keep the tempo and when
you see your picture kind of rushing going out there and recognizing it for sure,
Uh Connor McGinnis over there. Yeah, he's bugging honest, you have
a surfer accent. By the way, he's from Virginia Beach. Yeah.
I don't know, I've never noticed that. You're probably right on that one.
Uh yeah, No, you're just you're just reading the picture. You
got to figure out what, you know, what they need, what they
need to be successful and you know, help us win. So whatever may
be. You know, I'm kind of their service and just kind of going
about it that way. Will this year you're throwing out runners twenty percent more
times than you were a year ago. Is that the pictures adapting to these
new rules or what's been the dynamic there for why you've been able to throw
them at such a high rate. Yeah, I think that's definitely more the
pictures being quicker at home plate, mixing times, really sticking ownership in it
and caring about it. I think the last couple of years wasn't an emphasis
and you know we kind of put an emphasis on it to you know,
help us win ballgame. So just give me a chance to throw guys out
as important and the guys with the middle are picking balls getting good tags on
them. So yeah, that's why we're controlling it is that Was that a
point of emphasis in spring training because last year it seemed like at times pitchers
were not able to get you the baseball or delivered the baseball to you in
time. Yeah, for sure, I think you know, really just last
year it kind of you know, punches in the face. How many steels
were given up, how many extra runs were given up? Because of that,
you started working on last year and then yeah, spring training and just
continue to try to get better at it before I let you go. Obviously,
every offense goes through periods of time that the Dodgers are in, but
your offensive identity as a group has been passing the baton. Do you guys
have to get back to that? Uh? Yeah, I think just right
now it's just better at bats with men and his corn position, making sure
you drive him in and stuff. But yeah, I mean that's baseball.
There's gonna be ups and downs. You can get hot. It's just timely
hitting. And right now it's just continue to put up good to bats,
continue to fight and push run's cross. All right, Well, thanks a
lot for the time. Did you get as much of a high being with
me as you did? Cedric the entertainer at your charity event a couple of
weeks ago. No, not the same, huh no, sorry, all
right, well I'll take it. We'll leave it right there. Happy Memorial
Day and thanks to Will Smith for his time