Speaker 1: And an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.
Speaker 1: The Dodgers and Padre is getting set for game two
Speaker 1: of this three game series, and we're enjoying right now
Speaker 1: by Dodger All Star catcher Will Smith. Will thanks a
Speaker 1: lot for the time, appreciate.
Speaker 2: It, got it. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1: I know you're a guy that keeps everything very steady.
Speaker 1: But how fun was it to play in a game
Speaker 1: like last night?
Speaker 2: Yeah? It was fun. You know games are always fun,
Speaker 2: you know, intense, intense uh in tense atmosphere. You know,
Speaker 2: crowds or their crowds into it. Obviously a really talented team,
Speaker 2: you know, kind of back and forth game last night,
Speaker 2: so you know, if I want to come out on top.
Speaker 1: Yeah, when you look at the way you guys were
Speaker 1: able to navigate the end of that game, did you
Speaker 1: feel like Bonda's two innings and the way kirbyates and
Speaker 1: yourself navigated that tattoo sat bat were key moments?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think so. I think BANDA did a great job,
Speaker 2: you know, give us two really strong innings, you know,
Speaker 2: killed Romentum, then Kirby coming in. I think it was
Speaker 2: the ninth thing at that time, putting up a zero,
Speaker 2: let us get to the top of the ten to
Speaker 2: score a couple of runs. It was huge.
Speaker 1: Kirby was telling me earlier today that with experience has
Speaker 1: come him not only understanding who he has to attack
Speaker 1: at the plate, but also who's on deck and understand
Speaker 1: that whole dynamic. How much do you pay attention to
Speaker 1: those type of things too? Oh?
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's always always going through my head, you know,
Speaker 2: from the first pitch on. You know, it's just part
Speaker 2: of calling a game, is managing the lineup, knowing where
Speaker 2: we're at, no one's too hot, who's not no one,
Speaker 2: you know, kind of the matchups and no one you know,
Speaker 2: just kind of seeing the future what helps us to
Speaker 2: us win. So yeah, I'm always looking at that stuff.
Speaker 1: Will Smith is our guest in front of first pitch
Speaker 1: here in San Diego. Will, it seems like the first
Speaker 1: day of the season, all the way back in Tokyo,
Speaker 1: you've had a feel for whatever's going on in the
Speaker 1: batter's box. Can you describe the feel or is there
Speaker 1: that feel that you felt since the first day?
Speaker 2: Uh No, I just feel like my swing's in a
Speaker 2: really good spot. Keep it in a good spot so far,
Speaker 2: this year, which is always which is always challenged, so
Speaker 2: I'm gonna try to maintain that. But yeah, you know,
Speaker 2: just sticking my approach, moving most forward, driving guys in
Speaker 2: that's you know, what I try to do.
Speaker 1: On a day like today, the Dodgers are making a
Speaker 1: concerted effort to give you more days off behind the plate.
Speaker 1: Do you appreciate them keeping that in mind for the
Speaker 1: long term?
Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, I mean that's just you know, part of it.
Speaker 2: My position. I can't go out there every night. I
Speaker 2: wish I could, so yeah, just trying to be smart
Speaker 2: about it. We've done a really good job the last
Speaker 2: few years, so yeah, just sticking to it.
Speaker 1: What do you think about them making it such a
Speaker 1: concerted effort on nights like tonight to get you off
Speaker 1: your feet?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I called the last three so you know,
Speaker 2: travel I want four in a row. Yeah. Those will
Speaker 2: come probably at some point, maybe not with a travel
Speaker 2: day in between, but yeah, that's just part of it.
Speaker 1: On a day like today, what is the routine for you?
Speaker 2: Ah, just a lot of recovery stuff, you know, get
Speaker 2: in the training room, doing some stuff in the weight room.
Speaker 2: He just give my body right for tomorrow.
Speaker 1: Were you able to watch Otani throw his simulated game today. Nope,
Speaker 1: you were not one of the many of the teammates
Speaker 1: that were fans watching that.
Speaker 2: No, I was not. I heard it went well though.
Speaker 1: It's pretty incredible to think that even though he's not
Speaker 1: pitching in a major league game, he could go out
Speaker 1: there throw forty pitches in three simulated innings and then
Speaker 1: dh for you guys tonight.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, it's it's definitely not a lot for him
Speaker 2: and the training staff and the coaches to you know,
Speaker 2: to manage and watch what he's doing and get him
Speaker 2: back healthy to pitch for us, you know, this year.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's a it's definitely a thing. It's definitely
Speaker 2: you know, a lot of thought and thoughts going into it.
Speaker 2: So it's impressive. But yeah, so hopefully see in the
Speaker 2: night hit a couple of Homer and Trapp, a couple
Speaker 2: guys in and actually count to help, you know, help
Speaker 2: win some games.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that would be very Otani and Otani has a
Speaker 1: sneaky good sense of humor. Do you believe that Otani
Speaker 1: will show up at your charity comedy event on August sixth?
Speaker 1: Will he be on stage?
Speaker 2: I don't know it sounds like you're trying to promote
Speaker 2: the event by saying he'll be there, but no, I
Speaker 2: don't know yet, so we'll see. I love for hiving
Speaker 2: to me out there. You know, all the teammates had
Speaker 2: a really good time last year. I know guys are
Speaker 2: excited for it this year coming back, so it should
Speaker 2: be another good night.
Speaker 1: What is the genesis of this idea for a charity?
Speaker 1: I mean, are you a big comedy guy? You going
Speaker 1: home and watching Got Chappelle? Are you going back to
Speaker 1: the room watching Eddie Murphy Raw? Like, where does this
Speaker 1: come from?
Speaker 2: No? It was honestly, you know, we we know the
Speaker 2: Netflix people pretty well and have a really good relationship
Speaker 2: with them, so they brought the idea to us teaming
Speaker 2: up and doing you know, part of their festival last year.
Speaker 2: And then I know they're not doing the festival this year,
Speaker 2: but you know, wanting to keep the tradition going with
Speaker 2: catching hope. So yeah, we're excited for another good night. Obviously,
Speaker 2: Karen and I avery fans of comedy and you know
Speaker 2: I love watching the shows, so it's more of that,
Speaker 2: not really us being huge comic fans, but we've we've
Speaker 2: definitely got into it, you know, get to know more comedians,
Speaker 2: knowing you know, and knowing their their skills on the stage,
Speaker 2: which is really cool. So it's it's a fun night.
Speaker 2: We're excited.
Speaker 1: Hey, is it tough for you and your wife to
Speaker 1: find a show that you both like? Because my wife
Speaker 1: is so tired of the shows that I pick, either
Speaker 1: they're too violent or too much sports.
Speaker 2: Ah. No, we usually agree on some Sometimes, you know,
Speaker 2: she'll put on her I call it trash TV, and
Speaker 2: I just kind of tune out. But uh, and then
Speaker 2: you know, we're flying on planes, I watch, but she
Speaker 2: doesn't want to watch. So we've got it done pretty good.
Speaker 2: All right.
Speaker 1: Well, thanks a lot for taking the time out. Glad
Speaker 1: you got a day off today, three in a row.
Speaker 1: Of course, I'm counting those days. And we'll see you
Speaker 1: out there tomorrow, got it.
Speaker 2: Thanks Dave,