Speaker 1: We are joined right now by one of my favorite people.
Speaker 1: He is now known as Dodger Killer, but that is
Speaker 1: former Dodger Michael Bush and the friendly confines a wriggly field.
Speaker 1: Thanks a lot for the time and great to see
Speaker 1: that beard up close and personal.
Speaker 2: Again. I appreciate that been growing up for a little
Speaker 2: bit now, So thanks for having me.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I thought it was the Justin Turner influence, but
Speaker 1: he said, you're a hockey guy, so that's what you're
Speaker 1: trying to go for.
Speaker 2: We go with a little bit of both, for sure.
Speaker 1: What's it been like being teammates with him again?
Speaker 2: It's been amazing. Yeah, just just spending a little bit
Speaker 2: of time with him in spring training in the clubhouse mainly,
Speaker 2: it's been you know, it's been a joy. He's obviously
Speaker 2: knows so much about the game. He's a great player,
Speaker 2: he's been around for a long time, knows how to win,
Speaker 2: knows what it takes, all those things. But he's, you know,
Speaker 2: great in the clubhouse too. Just all around great player,
Speaker 2: great human. Yeah. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Speaker 1: So at Dodger Stadium, I saw the same group of
Speaker 1: hitters that included yourself with Justin Turner and Pie row
Speaker 1: Armstrong out here at Wrigley Field, same group of guys.
Speaker 1: What is that group about.
Speaker 2: I'll here early. Yeah, it's it's good. I think there's
Speaker 2: just you know, guys, you know, know what they need
Speaker 2: and know what they like to do. And you know
Speaker 2: Pete myself, and it seems like JT just you know,
Speaker 2: like getting out on the field. There's a lot of
Speaker 2: guys who just you know, are out there whenever it's hard.
Speaker 2: You're playing every day, six seven games a week. Just
Speaker 2: try and get outside whenever you can see a little velocity.
Speaker 2: You know, VP's usually armed, So I like to do
Speaker 2: a little bit of velocity. And I think you know,
Speaker 2: guys here and there like to pick and choose what
Speaker 2: they want to do. But it's fun coming out there
Speaker 2: and you know, getting a little bit of work, having
Speaker 2: some fun and enjoying the weather.
Speaker 1: So it's not an organized thing with you three. It's
Speaker 1: just that you all three like to hit early. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think it's I think we just kind of established
Speaker 2: that group a little bit, but you know, we might
Speaker 2: have to make it an organized thing for for the season.
Speaker 1: Hey, there's not too many times when two teams make
Speaker 1: a trade that it's a win win for both. But
Speaker 1: I know you loved your time with the Dodgers and
Speaker 1: wanted to stay. But how grateful are you for this
Speaker 1: opportunity to play every day?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Super grateful. I think you know, it's the it's
Speaker 2: the business part of sports that just you know, it's
Speaker 2: a little different, you know, coming over there and you know,
Speaker 2: being a Dodger for a little bit and then getting traded,
Speaker 2: mixed of emotions. But at the same time, all I
Speaker 2: can ask for is an opportunity and and to kind
Speaker 2: of go out there and you know, showcase my skills
Speaker 2: and showcase my work and no matter where I'm at,
Speaker 2: no matter who I'm playing for. But at the same time,
Speaker 2: I've been, you know, super grateful for just the Cubs
Speaker 2: and what they've done and what they've you know, given me.
Speaker 2: And you know, I honestly, you know, I love my
Speaker 2: time with the Dodgers, but I'm happy to be a Cub.
Speaker 1: What is uh, what is the thing that's clicked for
Speaker 1: you going back to last year?
Speaker 2: I think you know, it's just it's just learning, learning
Speaker 2: a lot from you know, older players and what it takes,
Speaker 2: you know, to stay consistent through one sixty two. I think,
Speaker 2: you know, in the minor leagues, that was you know,
Speaker 2: kind of one of the things that I wanted to do.
Speaker 2: I knew I could do it, and just you know,
Speaker 2: there's a lot of games, a lot of season, and
Speaker 2: just trying to be consistent was always something that I've
Speaker 2: tried to do and tried to learn. And I think
Speaker 2: last year it was the same thing. I know there's
Speaker 2: gonna be ups and downs, but you know, just trying
Speaker 2: to be consistent and you know, you know, try to
Speaker 2: just you know, improve continuously each and every year, each
Speaker 2: and every month. I think it's still a growing process,
Speaker 2: but enjoy doing it.
Speaker 1: When you talk about consistency, aren't you describing the preparation
Speaker 1: as well? Being consistent with your preparation?
Speaker 2: Absolutely. I think that's the key is just how do
Speaker 2: you no matter you know, you might you might face
Speaker 2: a guy who's nasty, who's you know, dotting up the
Speaker 2: corners and is a tough, tough picture that day, But
Speaker 2: how can you just kind of move on from that?
Speaker 2: And you know know what it takes to just kind of,
Speaker 2: you know, no matter how well you did or how
Speaker 2: bad you did the day before, just kind of just
Speaker 2: go out the next day and just try and you know,
Speaker 2: keep the same thing, the same thing. It's hard to do.
Speaker 2: But just definitely learning from the older guys like JT
Speaker 2: and Belly last year and Nico and Happ and Dansby
Speaker 2: and you know, I could go down the list of
Speaker 2: some of the guys, but just learning about, you know,
Speaker 2: the consistency of kind of what it takes to just
Speaker 2: not only physically be prepared each day, but but mentally
Speaker 2: as well.
Speaker 1: Michael Bush is our guest, one of the great guys
Speaker 1: out there. When you look at when your time at
Speaker 1: Dodger Stadium with the Cubs on the last road trip
Speaker 1: for Chicago, when you guys came to Dodger Stadium, you
Speaker 1: had a great series, but Andy pie Has robbed you
Speaker 1: of extra bases, maybe a Grand Slam. Did you play
Speaker 1: with pie Has in the minor leagues? How well do
Speaker 1: you guys know each other?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I played with him quite a bit. Yeah it
Speaker 2: was it was, you know, one of that one, right,
Speaker 2: one of that one would have putt four runs on
Speaker 2: the board in a close game. But he's a great player.
Speaker 2: He's a great player, and he's young, and you know,
Speaker 2: it was I don't want to say it was cool
Speaker 2: that he took away a home run for me at all,
Speaker 2: because I really wanted that one. But at the same time,
Speaker 2: you know, just looking back, you know, got the win.
Speaker 2: That was what matters, That's what you know. I was
Speaker 2: kind of a little upset that those were four runs
Speaker 2: that could have mattered, but we ended up winning, and
Speaker 2: you know, looking back, you know the fact that he
Speaker 2: took it away, I was like, dang, but he's a
Speaker 2: great player and something I'll probably remember for a long time.
Speaker 1: So the Dodgers and Cups have played each other a
Speaker 1: lot in the first month of the season. These two
Speaker 1: games are it after Tokyo and La. I haven't talked
Speaker 1: to you about your experience in Tokyo. Did you like
Speaker 1: it or do you feel like now you're starting to
Speaker 1: get into the season.
Speaker 2: Yeah? Absolutely, Tokyo was awesome. Love loved the experience, loved
Speaker 2: the games, loved everything that they did for us. You know,
Speaker 2: it was cool. And then to you know, showcase what
Speaker 2: shoh and Seya and Shota and Susaki kind of just
Speaker 2: where they came from, where they played, and then the
Speaker 2: culture that they have out there. It was it was
Speaker 2: really cool to experience that and I can only imagine
Speaker 2: how cool it was for them. You know. It's it's
Speaker 2: experiences like that that you know, you show up to
Speaker 2: the field trying to win, and you show up to
Speaker 2: the field trying to do your job, but at the
Speaker 2: same time you can kind of reflect on some of
Speaker 2: those experiences, especially for them. I can. I can only
Speaker 2: imagine that it was, you know, a lifelong memory.
Speaker 1: All right before I let Michael Bush go. He has
Speaker 1: the hockey beard. So I would be remiss as the
Speaker 1: Stanley Cup playoffs have started not to ask you who
Speaker 1: your pick to win the Stanley Cup Final? Are the
Speaker 1: Stanley Cup this year?
Speaker 2: I'm a Minnesota Wild fan, yes, so I hope. I
Speaker 2: hope they can pull it off, and I think they will.
Speaker 2: I do. I think they got a good group Caprice
Speaker 2: office back, but I think, you know, just playoff playoff
Speaker 2: hockey has always been one of my favorite to follow.
Speaker 2: And you know, if not the Wild, I hope the
Speaker 2: Chicago Blackhawks can you know, do it sometime soon?
Speaker 1: Okay, there we go, playing it very safe here at
Speaker 1: Wrigley Field. Given the Blackhawks a token. I hope. Thanks
Speaker 1: a lot for the time. You're a great guy. I'm
Speaker 1: glad We've continued to stay in touch and everybody is
Speaker 1: rooting for the best for Michael Bush.
Speaker 2: You're the best. Appreciate you seriously