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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talking.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, we're in the manager's office with the man

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<v Speaker 1>that has one of the best babbleheads out there this season,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's manager Dave Roberts.

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<v Speaker 2>Dave, thanks a lot for the time. Appreciate it now, Dave,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 3>It's exciting. I've got some family that's coming up that's

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<v Speaker 3>going to be here at the ballpark, and they did

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<v Speaker 3>a nice job with the ball bobblehead, so it'd be good.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it's another day coming off a loss to Schemes,

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<v Speaker 3>and the guys came in today ready to go and

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<v Speaker 3>hopefully get get a major league one tonight.

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<v Speaker 2>What do you want to see from your team?

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<v Speaker 1>Your identity as an offense since you've been the manager

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<v Speaker 1>is to take your walks and pass the baton.

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<v Speaker 2>How does those players get back to that?

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<v Speaker 3>I think a little bit. I just want to see

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<v Speaker 3>our guys starting to impose their will on pictures. I

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<v Speaker 3>think that we're a little bit sort of chasing our

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<v Speaker 3>tails and letting pitchers dictate, dictate at bats, and obviously

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<v Speaker 3>they have the baseball I understand that, but there is

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<v Speaker 3>a way that you as a hitter can dictate at

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<v Speaker 3>bats and I want to be more assertive in the

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<v Speaker 3>batter's box.

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<v Speaker 2>And where does that all start?

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<v Speaker 1>Because I know you as a player always had a

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<v Speaker 1>plan during batting practice, you had a plan in the cage.

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<v Speaker 1>How do players kind of flip that mentality of trying

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<v Speaker 1>to hit a three run home run with nobody on base?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and I think it certainly starts with the mindset

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<v Speaker 3>the work in the cage, which I feel the work

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<v Speaker 3>of the cage has been consistent. I do think that

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<v Speaker 3>the mindset we can sort of change and get kind

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<v Speaker 3>of to that mindset of scaring people out of the zone.

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<v Speaker 3>And certainly there's not a lack of talent with our offense,

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<v Speaker 3>but I do think that collectively, if we get that

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<v Speaker 3>kind of mindset of scaring guys out of the zone,

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<v Speaker 3>that mindset, the preparation will manifest itself in a ballgame.

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<v Speaker 1>David, it's so easy to pick out the guys that

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<v Speaker 1>are not swinging the bat well, but I wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>bring up the guys that I feel have really done

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<v Speaker 1>a great job for your offense this season, in particular

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<v Speaker 1>Tom Yedman, ta Oscar Hernandez, and Will Smith where would

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<v Speaker 1>you be without those three guys?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I have no idea. You know, Tommy has found

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<v Speaker 3>his powerstroke this year and he's just very dependable. I

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<v Speaker 3>can play him at second base, run him out there

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<v Speaker 3>in center field, hit him anywhere in the order, hits left,

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<v Speaker 3>hits right, and he's just so dependable as a ballplayer.

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<v Speaker 3>And he's gotten huge hits for us. And with what

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<v Speaker 3>Tayo has done, he just has a knack for the

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<v Speaker 3>RBI and getting a big hit. And I would say

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<v Speaker 3>he's probably one of the guys that has the best

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<v Speaker 3>heart rate when the game is on the line or

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<v Speaker 3>a big spot, and sure enough, he more times than

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<v Speaker 3>not comes through. And with will Smith, the consistency of

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<v Speaker 3>play defensively offensively, he's a stalwart. And to have a

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<v Speaker 3>defensive catcher that you can plug in against left, first,

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<v Speaker 3>right and be productive. Happy, he's healthy, he's playing really well,

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<v Speaker 3>and let's just keep man. But to your question, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't know where we'd be without the production of those

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<v Speaker 3>three guys.

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<v Speaker 1>Tonight you have Roki Sazaki on the mound. Everybody is

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<v Speaker 1>so focused on velocity. When you see his velocity fluctuate

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<v Speaker 1>the way you did in his last start, Does that

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<v Speaker 1>concern you or is that just a matter of him

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<v Speaker 1>actually commanding the baseball better when he's not trying to.

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<v Speaker 2>Throw one hundred.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I think that it's certainly not concerning, as we've

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<v Speaker 3>seen that when he does throw one hundred and it's

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<v Speaker 3>in the middle of the hitting zone, it gets hit.

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<v Speaker 3>And when he does also try to overthrow, he doesn't

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<v Speaker 3>command it. So I do think that the last couple starts,

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<v Speaker 3>he's found a rhythm of as far as velocity on

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<v Speaker 3>where he can get the velocity but while still having command.

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<v Speaker 3>And the last part of it is I just think

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<v Speaker 3>him throwing his secondary pitch for strikes has been a

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<v Speaker 3>huge game changer for us.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager, two time World Series manager for

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<v Speaker 1>the Dodgers, is joining us.

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<v Speaker 2>Here before pitch.

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<v Speaker 1>When you look at some of your players that are struggling, Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>they're human, even though they've accomplished a lot of things.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you get their confidence back up?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think their individual conversations. I know the hitting

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<v Speaker 3>coaches are grinding with them. I think it's just more

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<v Speaker 3>of trying to get them to be who they are,

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<v Speaker 3>and I think for me, careful is not the way

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<v Speaker 3>to go, especially when you're talking about in the batter's box.

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<v Speaker 3>I just like that aggressive mentality in the hitting zone,

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<v Speaker 3>in your zone, and so with guys like you know,

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<v Speaker 3>Michael Muntz, you know MOOKI right now, I just want

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<v Speaker 3>those guys to be aggressive in their hitting zones and

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<v Speaker 3>then expect it to turn, and which I know it will, all.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, Dave, thanks a lot for the time. Great to

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<v Speaker 2>see you.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm happy for all the celebration that you've deserved, and

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<v Speaker 1>certainly the Dodgers are very fortunate to have you, so

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for the time.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks Dave.

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<v Speaker 3>Good catching up and let's get a w