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<v Speaker 1>The Dodgers are wrapping up their exhibition part of the

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<v Speaker 1>schedule as they get ready for a Thursday's home opener,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're joined by a man that has come back

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<v Speaker 1>to the organization. He returned last year in a freelance

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<v Speaker 1>type of effort where he was roving in the minor

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<v Speaker 1>leagues and helping with the major leaguers. But now he

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<v Speaker 1>has a home. He is the dodgers new first base

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<v Speaker 1>coach after being the old third base coach. That is

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<v Speaker 1>former Rangers manager Chris Woodward. Chris, thanks a lot for

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<v Speaker 1>the time.

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<v Speaker 2>Always good to be here.

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<v Speaker 1>I feel like the resume is longer. I have to

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<v Speaker 1>go through the entire resume.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, that's a good thing.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I've been all over the place now and it's

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<v Speaker 3>obviously great to be back here. I always you know,

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<v Speaker 3>once I got here in twenty sixteen, NFLT like it

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<v Speaker 3>was home. Obviously grew up in LA but just the organization,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, all the values and principles that we hold

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<v Speaker 3>here are true to my heart too. So it's good

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<v Speaker 3>to be back, and it's obviously good to be back

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<v Speaker 3>in a full time role.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it feels like it's seamless because you were so

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<v Speaker 1>entrenched in the fabric of what the Dodgers were building

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<v Speaker 1>back even in twenty fifteen.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, No, it's it's been a phenomenal experience. Obviously for

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<v Speaker 3>my time before getting to know everybody in the organization,

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<v Speaker 3>but the last couple of years, especially last year, really

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<v Speaker 3>digging into a lot of our processes and people and

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<v Speaker 3>I know every single person in the organization top to bottom,

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<v Speaker 3>from you know, our lowest level to our highest level.

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<v Speaker 3>And it just helps, obviously in this role now to

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<v Speaker 3>make sure that we're we're doing things consistent throughout the

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<v Speaker 3>organization and ultimately at this top level, but we're trying

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<v Speaker 3>to build champions, so that we're building champions throughout the organization.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of that, you get to see all those young

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<v Speaker 1>players in one place at Camelback Ranch who stood out

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<v Speaker 1>to you and really embodies everything that you're preaching.

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<v Speaker 2>Shoot, man, we have a bunch of guys.

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<v Speaker 3>We do a really good job in the in the

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<v Speaker 3>draft room, and obviously in the guys that we acquire.

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<v Speaker 3>There's a lot of guys that we've acquired that are

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<v Speaker 3>currently on our major league roster, be a you know,

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<v Speaker 3>designated for assignment or trade or draft, but like just

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<v Speaker 3>seeing all of the younger guys that we have throughout

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<v Speaker 3>the system. We obviously have some guys in Triple A

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<v Speaker 3>that I know we just sent out and down, but

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<v Speaker 3>like you know, guys like Alex Freelan, Dalton Rushing U.

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<v Speaker 3>There's so many guys, uh that are going to contribute

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<v Speaker 3>to our team. And I know that because they have

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<v Speaker 3>that kind of you know, material that that we look

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<v Speaker 3>for not only on the field, but off the field

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<v Speaker 3>as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Woodward, the Dodgers first base coaches back in the organization,

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<v Speaker 1>you worked a lot with Mookie Betts before spring training

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<v Speaker 1>even started. How frustrating is it for him to have

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<v Speaker 1>this stomach virus that has caused him to lose close

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<v Speaker 1>to twenty pounds.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it sucks.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not gonna obviously, I think, you know, Mookie so

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<v Speaker 3>so resilient, so disciplined, and you know, so dedicated to

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<v Speaker 3>his craft that yes, it's gonna hurt him in the

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<v Speaker 3>short term, but long term, I think he'll be fine.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, just watching him work today and all the

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<v Speaker 3>reports are great. We just got to get him feeling healthy.

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<v Speaker 3>But the skill set obviously working on a short stop,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, the second I got the job we were

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<v Speaker 3>he wanted to work in November, you know what I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>we just won the World Series and he's already out

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<v Speaker 3>there working.

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<v Speaker 2>But he didn't.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, he basically worked almost every day in the offseason,

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<v Speaker 3>just trying to figure it out, trying to you know,

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<v Speaker 3>get this thing as tight as possible so he can

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<v Speaker 3>be a championship caliber shortstop. I'm really excited to watch

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<v Speaker 3>him play because he's put so much work into it.

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<v Speaker 1>He said last night, it feels like he's having to

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<v Speaker 1>start the season uphill. How challenging is it going to

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<v Speaker 1>be for him to play a demanding position and losing

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<v Speaker 1>as much weight as he did.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, he's got to obviously, you know, get some calories

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<v Speaker 3>in him and make sure it's it's He's.

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<v Speaker 2>Kind of reminds me of myself. You know, we were

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<v Speaker 2>both very lean, and I can't relate to that.

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<v Speaker 3>It was really hard to gain weight, and if I

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<v Speaker 3>lost a pound, it was really hard to gain it back.

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<v Speaker 3>So for him to lose out much weight, it's it's

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<v Speaker 3>gonna be tough. But he's just got to take it

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<v Speaker 3>day by day and just you know, if it's six

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<v Speaker 3>ounces a day that he gains that's all he can do.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what he's got to do.

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<v Speaker 3>But you know, if anybody can handle that kind of adversity,

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<v Speaker 3>it's obviously Mookie Betts. He loves a challenge, he loves

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<v Speaker 3>a chip on his shoulder, and he's out there to

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<v Speaker 3>prove to the world that he's he's our guy short stop.

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<v Speaker 1>And he's part of one of the deepest, if not

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<v Speaker 1>the deepest lineup in all a Major League baseball. You're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be pretty busy this year at first base. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>there's gonna be a lot of traffic over there.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know how many selling base threats we got,

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<v Speaker 3>but we got some good base runners, guys that you know,

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<v Speaker 3>play a ton of attention to detail. It's a blast

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<v Speaker 3>obviously getting to coach these guys because they want to

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<v Speaker 3>be coached, they want to they want to learn, they

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<v Speaker 3>want information, even the guys that aren't as fast, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>the Freddie Freeman's of the world, like that guy stole

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<v Speaker 3>twenty bases a few years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's like it's pretty impressive.

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<v Speaker 3>To just just hear the the dedication to how important

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<v Speaker 3>base running is, and yeah, I'm gonna have a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of traffic out there. And a lot of a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of knuckles and guys passing me a lot of left

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<v Speaker 3>turns for our team.

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<v Speaker 1>Show heo Tani last year stole fifty bases. Obviously pitching

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<v Speaker 1>was not in the cards for him.

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<v Speaker 2>Last year.

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<v Speaker 1>Clayton McCullough and him had a pretty good relationship. How

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<v Speaker 1>much is show Hey tapped into you about helping him

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<v Speaker 1>be a better base runner this year?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, you know, I actually got to watch it last year,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, every time I come into town and just

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<v Speaker 3>to see his dedication and the way he prepa He

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<v Speaker 3>went from a pretty marginal based runner and base stealer

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<v Speaker 3>to an elite guy and it was basically based on

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<v Speaker 3>hard work.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, the talent's there, he's.

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<v Speaker 3>Fast, but what he the work that he put in

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<v Speaker 3>on his leads, his first step, you know, getting off

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<v Speaker 3>the pitch, and then also you know, the back end

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<v Speaker 3>learning how to slide better. I know he heard himself,

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<v Speaker 3>but he's he's he's improved in every aspect physically and

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<v Speaker 3>then mentally, like you know the amount of preparation that

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<v Speaker 3>he does on a daily basis that what he wants

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<v Speaker 3>and what he needs.

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<v Speaker 2>It's pretty impressive, and he takes it out there with him.

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<v Speaker 3>He sees little details on pitchers just to give him

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<v Speaker 3>a you know, a tenth of a second advantage, just

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<v Speaker 3>to get it, you know, a better jump.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why he was so successful last year.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Woody, great to have you back, seeing you

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<v Speaker 1>every day. He got the tan going, the glow, the beard.

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<v Speaker 2>Everything.

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<v Speaker 1>Nothing's changed, especially the big heart Chris Woodward has and

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<v Speaker 1>the great intentions he has to help the Dodgers succeed.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks a lot for the time.

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<v Speaker 3>I appreciate it. I just got a few more great

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<v Speaker 3>that's all. But yeah, I'll get them excited to be

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<v Speaker 3>back and win it back to back.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, love it.

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<v Speaker 1>Run it back with Chris Woodward at first base, Dino

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<v Speaker 1>Ebol as the third base coach.