Speaker 1: Well, it's time to go back down on the farm,
Speaker 1: and we're joined by a man that you may not know,
Speaker 1: but you will very soon, because he has impressed here
Speaker 1: during spring training his first big league camp, and that
Speaker 1: is young Jose Rodriguez, a proud Mexican from Wahaca, Mexico.
Speaker 2: Jose, thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.
Speaker 3: Thank you, David, thanks for a time.
Speaker 1: You've really made an impression so far in this big
Speaker 1: league camp. What's it been like for you.
Speaker 3: It's been a great experience being free here, first time
Speaker 3: in big league camp, it's been it's been awesome getting
Speaker 3: to know all these guys and then how they work.
Speaker 3: It's been a great, great experience.
Speaker 1: How did the Dodgers find a young right hander from Wahaca, Mexico.
Speaker 3: Well, back in twenty nineteen, I used to play with
Speaker 3: the Diabolos. There was showcase when I was seventeen, so
Speaker 3: I've played that showcase and they this ads timing.
Speaker 1: Considering how close Los Angeles is to Wahaka and the lineage,
Speaker 1: the connect the Dodgers have to Mexico because of the
Speaker 1: great Fernando Valenzuela.
Speaker 2: What was it like for you to be signed by
Speaker 2: the Dodgers.
Speaker 3: Uh, it was it was an honner since I since
Speaker 3: I found out I was gonna sign with the with
Speaker 3: the Dodgers. Uh, it was some great news. And it's
Speaker 3: it's a nunner too. It's reps in Mexico and my
Speaker 3: country and in this organization.
Speaker 1: Growing up in Wahaka, did you watch a lot of
Speaker 1: Major League Baseball?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 3: Well, yeah, I mean I've since I was born. I've
Speaker 3: been always surrounded by by this sport and with my family,
Speaker 3: and yeah, a pretty big fan of the Dodgers since
Speaker 3: since kid.
Speaker 1: Usually when you're as good as you are baseball and
Speaker 1: you have a passion for baseball, your dad or your
Speaker 1: uncle had a big influence on you. Who was the
Speaker 1: big influence on Jose Rodriguez?
Speaker 2: My dad.
Speaker 3: My dad played in Mexican League for fourteen years. He
Speaker 3: was a right handed hitter. He used to hit a
Speaker 3: lot of homers.
Speaker 2: Yeah what's his name?
Speaker 1: Yeah, but you're a pitcher and you're six six.
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, Well hitting wasn't one of my qualities back
Speaker 3: then when I was a kid, but yeah, I was
Speaker 3: like more bitching and he has taught me a lot
Speaker 3: also from from from this sport.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 3: He was Also when I was born, he was already
Speaker 3: a GM for for for Tea in Mexico. So I
Speaker 3: grew up going in the road trips to the team
Speaker 3: training and having a VP. It's cool experience since I
Speaker 3: was a kid, the obvious rounded by.
Speaker 1: This Jose Rodriguez from Wajaca, Mexico, twenty three year old
Speaker 1: right hander and the Dodger organization in his first major
Speaker 1: league camp.
Speaker 2: And I'm sure you've been able to enjoy all this.
Speaker 1: Have you been able to tap into some of these
Speaker 1: other pitchers that have experienced major League baseball?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've talked to most of the guys and get
Speaker 3: get soaked in in their experience. So it's been it's
Speaker 3: been pretty pretty cool.
Speaker 1: So I've looked at what you did last year as
Speaker 1: a starting pitcher. Is that the future for Jose Rodriguez?
Speaker 1: What of the Dodgers kind of led you to believe, Well.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we've been we've been talking about it. We're gonna
Speaker 3: keep working in the starting role. But one's uh, one's uh.
Speaker 3: I'll get here to the to the team, We'll see
Speaker 3: what in what role I'll be. But I'm trying to
Speaker 3: do the best for the team. And what's the best.
Speaker 3: I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 1: So I mentioned Fernando, And when you mentioned Fernando, you
Speaker 1: mentioned a screwball.
Speaker 2: Does Rodriguez have a screwball? Not a screwball.
Speaker 3: I've been working on my my change up, my change
Speaker 3: I feel like it's it's been a pretty good pitch.
Speaker 2: But no, not a screwble six six. When you release
Speaker 2: the ball, you're very close to home plate.
Speaker 1: Uh. I'm sure that's a big advantage for you.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it makes my delivery deceptive, so it helps me
Speaker 3: a lot.
Speaker 2: What you got fastball slidder? What do you got? Four?
Speaker 3: Seemed to seem slidder, change up in curble?
Speaker 2: Wow, that's a lot.
Speaker 1: Can you name your top three three pitches?
Speaker 3: Top three would be a fastballs up two and my
Speaker 3: changeup and my best pitch, my slider.
Speaker 2: Let's go. Thank you for the time.
Speaker 1: It's great to introduce you to Dodger fans because they're
Speaker 1: gonna know your name soon. I've been very impressed by
Speaker 1: what you've been able to do in big league camp,
Speaker 1: and I know the Dodgers obviously you think a lot
Speaker 1: of you to be here.
Speaker 3: No, thank you, thank you David for the for the
Speaker 3: ptada to Chad and I hope it'll be there soon.
Speaker 1: I'm a great guy from Wahaca, Mexico.
Speaker 2: Thanks a lot for the time, No, thank you, David