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<v Speaker 1>Now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker.

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<v Speaker 2>Well on the last home standino Ebol had to be

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<v Speaker 2>at his son, Brady's graduation and that meant a dream

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<v Speaker 2>coming true for a lifelong Dodger fan growing up in

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<v Speaker 2>the San Fernando Valley and a guy that earned that

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<v Speaker 2>opportunity coming up coaching through the Dodgers minor league organization

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<v Speaker 2>since twenty seventeen.

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<v Speaker 3>He also has a.

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<v Speaker 4>Strong connection to one of the all time great Dodgers

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<v Speaker 4>and certainly a big part of Dave Roberts' staff in

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<v Speaker 4>the video room and also working with Mookie Bets and

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<v Speaker 4>the infielders, and that is the one and only Pedro

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<v Speaker 4>montero akapd Thanks a.

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<v Speaker 3>Lot for the time. Hey, thanks for having me, Dave.

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<v Speaker 3>I really appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Have your feet hit the ground since the other night

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<v Speaker 1>coaching first base?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I would say so.

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<v Speaker 5>It definitely, you know, dream come true like you said earlier,

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<v Speaker 5>and yeah, I'm back to after the as soon as

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<v Speaker 5>the game was over, I went right back to what

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<v Speaker 5>I had to do after the game.

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<v Speaker 1>What was it like for you to be out there?

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<v Speaker 1>How did you slow the game down? Considering that was

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<v Speaker 1>a goal of yours.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I think just my experience and you know,

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<v Speaker 5>having been coaching, you know, all these years, and where

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<v Speaker 5>I started with the Regismith Baseball Academy at the time

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<v Speaker 5>was Reddy Smith Baseball Centers, and I think my experiences,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, coaching at the lower levels all the way

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<v Speaker 5>through the minor leagues and then coaching winterball and Puerto Rico,

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<v Speaker 5>I think helped me. And you know, my preparation and

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<v Speaker 5>stuff that I still do to this day, even in

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<v Speaker 5>the video room and the things that I help on

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<v Speaker 5>that and you know, just kind of prepared me and

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<v Speaker 5>helped me when I got out there.

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<v Speaker 3>I was really comfortable being out there.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, John Wood and all as used to say, failing

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<v Speaker 1>to prepare is preparing to fail.

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<v Speaker 3>That's correct.

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<v Speaker 5>And you know it's something that I've been doing, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>my entire life. And then when I came to the

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<v Speaker 5>Dodgers in the minor.

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<v Speaker 3>League is the same thing.

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<v Speaker 5>And then you know, being on the major league staff

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<v Speaker 5>helping out with you know, multiple parts of the game,

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<v Speaker 5>and you know, I just continue to lock it in

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<v Speaker 5>and I have a lot of time.

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<v Speaker 3>To be able to lock it in the video room.

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<v Speaker 1>PDA Montero is our guest. He's one of the Dodgers'

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<v Speaker 1>key coaches. He got to coach first base the other night,

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<v Speaker 1>filling in for Dino Ebel. You mentioned Reggie Smith. He

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<v Speaker 1>obviously has meant a lot to so many that he

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<v Speaker 1>has touched. How much does Reggie Smith mean to you?

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, Reggie's a big part of my life, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>I I tell this to a lot of people, like

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<v Speaker 5>Reggie's like my second father. And you know, he brought

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<v Speaker 5>me up in this game and prepared me to be

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<v Speaker 5>a coach when I didn't know I was gonna do that,

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<v Speaker 5>and you know, spend a lot of time with him

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<v Speaker 5>as a you know, younger athlete high school and uh,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, going through camp and taking lessons and learning

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<v Speaker 5>the game, and then him asking me to come and

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<v Speaker 5>coach after I graduated college in two thousand and seven.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, he told me, you know, I really want

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<v Speaker 3>you to come help.

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<v Speaker 5>And I was by aside for two years learning and

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<v Speaker 5>understanding every part of the game. And you know, I

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<v Speaker 5>think to this day that tension of detail because of

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<v Speaker 5>the things that he asked me to do, and how

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<v Speaker 5>you know, you got to be a well rounded coach

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<v Speaker 5>and I just you know, focus on one thing, but

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<v Speaker 5>know a little bit about everything has kind of helped

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<v Speaker 5>shape me to where I'm at today.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, I owe him a lot.

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<v Speaker 5>And obviously I've had a lot of other coaches in

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<v Speaker 5>my life. You know, my dad helped me, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>introduce me to this game, and you know a lot

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<v Speaker 5>of other coaches that have impacted me, but he's the

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<v Speaker 5>one that, you know, it taught me the details and

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<v Speaker 5>all the ins and outs of the game and sharing,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, the Dodger Way, and you know, being here

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<v Speaker 5>with the Dodgers now my ninth season, it's dream come true.

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<v Speaker 5>And you know I learned the Dodger right when I

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<v Speaker 5>was a young kid, and you know, to be able

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<v Speaker 5>to show that now, it's it's cool. I was talking

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<v Speaker 5>to Reggie about it the other day, and you know,

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<v Speaker 5>being able to see photos of him when he used

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<v Speaker 5>to coach first base and I got a chance to

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<v Speaker 5>be out there was pretty special for the both of us.

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<v Speaker 1>When you got that phone call from Reggie Smith, how

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<v Speaker 1>proud was he and what did he tell you after?

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, for most people that know Reggie, Reggie is

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<v Speaker 5>a real tough guy, and uh, when he said he

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<v Speaker 5>had tears in his eye. Is uh, you know, it

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<v Speaker 5>was pretty special moment for the both of us, and

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<v Speaker 5>he said he was proud of me, and he said,

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<v Speaker 5>you got plenty of work to do and just continue

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<v Speaker 5>to work on your process and continue to grow and

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<v Speaker 5>learn every single day, which is something that I strive

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<v Speaker 5>for every single day when I'm at the ballpark. Pete

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<v Speaker 5>Montero is our guest, and his work did not just

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<v Speaker 5>start when the season started or when spring training started.

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<v Speaker 5>You were a key help to Mookie Bets this offseason.

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<v Speaker 5>Tell us about the connection you made with Mookie Bets

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<v Speaker 5>to help him prepare for shortstop this season. Yeah, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>obviously being a kid from the valley and Mookie and

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<v Speaker 5>I had talked last season, and you know, he said

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<v Speaker 5>he was living in LA and you know, we all,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, talk and I said, hey, you know, if

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<v Speaker 5>you ever need help, let me know. I'm not too

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<v Speaker 5>far from you, about ten minutes from you in Burbank.

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<v Speaker 5>And so it just happened. I saw a picture of

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<v Speaker 5>a kid that I coach and I know his dad,

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<v Speaker 5>that at Crespy and he was at the field and

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<v Speaker 5>Moogie and.

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<v Speaker 3>I started talking. He was, Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?

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<v Speaker 5>And I was like nothing, he goes you want to

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<v Speaker 5>come out? So it's kind of how it started again.

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<v Speaker 5>And then you know we went from three days to

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<v Speaker 5>five days to six days a week, and uh, you

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<v Speaker 5>know that was kind of how it all came came together.

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<v Speaker 5>And you know, one thing that I've always learned from

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<v Speaker 5>Reggie and you know even some other people in this

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<v Speaker 5>game is, uh, you know, you always make yourself available

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<v Speaker 5>for players.

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<v Speaker 3>And and be ready whenever they need help.

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<v Speaker 5>So that's you know, trying to do whatever I can

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<v Speaker 5>to help this DODG your organization, you know, in any.

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<v Speaker 3>Way that I can.

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<v Speaker 1>So you're telling me during the off season, if we

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<v Speaker 1>showed up at Crespy, we not only would see Derek Fishsher.

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<v Speaker 3>But we would see Mookie Beds and p D. Montero

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<v Speaker 3>working out.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean yeah, I mean we were over at Mid

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<v Speaker 5>Valley and uh, it's kind of cool just even that.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, I remember playing All Stars at Mid Valley,

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<v Speaker 5>so it was I knew exactly where it was when

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<v Speaker 5>he's like, hey, we're going here, like I know where

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<v Speaker 5>that's at. And yeah, it was a really good uh

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<v Speaker 5>work that that he was able to put in and

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<v Speaker 5>focus on and you know I had mentioned before, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>he didn't have to worry about playing at night. It

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<v Speaker 5>was just breaking stuff down and you know that taking

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<v Speaker 5>it one step out of time and moving on as

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<v Speaker 5>the weeks went on.

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<v Speaker 1>Dodger coach P. D. Montero is our guest. All right,

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<v Speaker 1>tell us something about yourself. You grew up in the

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<v Speaker 1>San Fernando Valley, you grew up a Dodger fan. Who

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<v Speaker 1>were your group of players growing up? And where did

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<v Speaker 1>you go to high school?

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<v Speaker 5>Uh So, one of my favorite Dodgers growing up was

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<v Speaker 5>Josevis Guy.

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<v Speaker 3>You know that's a lie. I know, I'm serious.

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<v Speaker 5>I remember, you know, and you know there was a

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<v Speaker 5>couple other guys roll honesty, but I remember, even as

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<v Speaker 5>a kid, I to this day, obviously I still wear Oakley's,

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<v Speaker 5>but Josevis Guy, you know, was one of the first

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<v Speaker 5>guys I saw wearing Oakley's and shin guard and you know,

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<v Speaker 5>switch hitters short stop. So it was kind of kind

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<v Speaker 5>of something that I came across. And you know, there

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<v Speaker 5>was other guys out there with the daughters.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, we talk about you know, Mike Piazza and

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<v Speaker 3>e K. Shout out to E k you know, yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it was, it was great. I think.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, as a kid, one of my special moments

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<v Speaker 5>with my dad is going to opening Day.

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<v Speaker 3>I went to sixteenth straight up many days as a kid.

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<v Speaker 5>And something to this day that I remember, and you

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<v Speaker 5>know now being on the field during Opening Day has

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<v Speaker 5>been awesome experience only for myself, but for my family.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, growing up as a kid, we played so

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<v Speaker 5>many sports. Played at Civil played basketball with the Calves,

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<v Speaker 5>played at Silmar Park for basketball, played for the San

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<v Speaker 5>Fernando Brace for football, and you know there's something that

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<v Speaker 5>you know, sports taught me a lot about discipline but

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<v Speaker 5>also kept me out of trouble. And you know, growing

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<v Speaker 5>up in San Fernando, you know, you just got to

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<v Speaker 5>find a way to make something to yourself. And you know,

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<v Speaker 5>representing my city and my community is really important to me.

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<v Speaker 3>Baseball is discipline.

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<v Speaker 1>You also have a fire fighting background as.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, Yeah, I do.

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<v Speaker 5>After I graduated college, I went to EMT School and

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<v Speaker 5>started to interview process, went to the fire Academy, went

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<v Speaker 5>on a lot of firefighter interviews and you know, until

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<v Speaker 5>I got hired. And again, I think being a firefighter

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<v Speaker 5>has helped me even more to understand indians and outs,

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<v Speaker 5>and pay attention to more detail at work, but also

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<v Speaker 5>now here on the baseball field.

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<v Speaker 2>All right.

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<v Speaker 3>P D.

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<v Speaker 1>Montero, congratulations on living out a dream, not only coaching

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<v Speaker 1>first base the other night, but being part of Dave

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<v Speaker 1>Robert's staff and being such a big part of it.

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<v Speaker 3>And certainly the future is bright. You're not stopping now. Thanks,

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<v Speaker 3>I appreciate it. And yeah, the work's never done.

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<v Speaker 5>And like Reggie always says, when you think you have

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<v Speaker 5>it made and you know it, it's probably time to

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<v Speaker 5>go home.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's a pretty good teacher. Reggie Smith, thanks a

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<v Speaker 1>lot for the time.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks Dee, appreciate it.