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<v Speaker 1>An exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker, the

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers and Rockies getting set for first pitch, and our

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<v Speaker 1>guest Michael CONFORDO, how to take batting practice in the rain?

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<v Speaker 1>How did that go? Uh?

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<v Speaker 2>There's a little bit of slippage in the Uh, in

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<v Speaker 2>the cage on the mat. It's a little wet out there.

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<v Speaker 2>But I don't I mean, I don't think the grounds

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<v Speaker 2>crew is concerned.

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<v Speaker 3>They're not.

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<v Speaker 2>They're not pulling the tarp for anything. So I think

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<v Speaker 2>we're in good shape for the game, at least.

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<v Speaker 1>Over your career coming here, it just always seems like

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<v Speaker 1>it's an adventure at Corsefield.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you never know what the weather. I think the

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<v Speaker 2>rain was supposed to come at like four keeps pushing back.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, obviously that lot can happen on the field.

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<v Speaker 2>Ball flies here. There's a lot of grass, hopefully, hopefully

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<v Speaker 2>a good situation.

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<v Speaker 3>For our hitters.

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<v Speaker 1>I was giving Dalton Rushing a skyning report on Corse Field.

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<v Speaker 1>I actually pointed out that left field is one of

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<v Speaker 1>the bigger left fields in baseball.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's I mean, just the outfield. When you go

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<v Speaker 2>out there and stand in the outfield, it's by far

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<v Speaker 2>the biggest, the most space to cover. The thing is

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<v Speaker 2>like the ball kind of hangs up in the air

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit longer here, so it gives you a

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<v Speaker 2>little more time, like if you're playing defense, to get

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<v Speaker 2>under it, and then like line drives will stay up

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit longer. So you definitely have to go

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<v Speaker 2>out there and just kind of see how the balls

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<v Speaker 2>flying kind of on the day, you know, just to

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<v Speaker 2>get a feel for it.

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<v Speaker 1>So you have to played a little bit more safe

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<v Speaker 1>out there because there is so much real estate.

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<v Speaker 2>I've heard so over my career I've played really deep here,

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<v Speaker 2>trying to keep everything in front. I've had teams want

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<v Speaker 2>me to play shallow and actually take away the cheaper

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<v Speaker 2>hits and let this, you know, the balls that are slugged,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, get to the fence and you hopefully hold

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<v Speaker 2>them on second. I've heard multiple different strategies of how

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<v Speaker 2>to how to play defense here, but I think I

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<v Speaker 2>think we're gonna be on the.

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<v Speaker 3>Deeper side today.

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<v Speaker 2>And then you just just be an athlete and and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, go out and make the play.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, that's what Michael Confordo does. Be athlete out there.

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<v Speaker 1>We all know that it's been a little bit of

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<v Speaker 1>a struggle for you to start the year. How have

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<v Speaker 1>you been able to handle it and stay positive?

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<v Speaker 2>Just you know, a lot of help for my family,

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of help for my teammates.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's been it.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, it's been a heck of a grind of

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<v Speaker 2>a year, you know, really not not swinging the bat

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<v Speaker 2>that the way that I you know, wanted to start

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<v Speaker 2>the season. Obviously started pretty well, and then and then

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<v Speaker 2>just kind of, you know, fell out of my routine

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit, and you know, so we're just we're

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<v Speaker 2>kind of we're on our way.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we're hitting the ball hard.

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<v Speaker 2>We're just looking for consistency and and uh, you know

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<v Speaker 2>every day I'm just showing up ready to work and

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<v Speaker 2>and uh, you know, I'm never gonna quit. So, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I think we're on our way and and a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of good things are coming.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you feel like you're starting to get closer to

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<v Speaker 1>yourself because we have seen you hit the ball hard

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<v Speaker 1>in the last week, and we've seen glimpses of it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm it's it's there. It's

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<v Speaker 2>there for sure. It's just a matter of you know,

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<v Speaker 2>doing it time after time, day after day, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>going up there with a with a consistent approach and

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<v Speaker 2>a consistent swing, you know, and you know there's there's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of baseball to be played. You know, we're

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit over halfway through, but yeah, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I think I think the best the best days are

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<v Speaker 2>ahead for sure.

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<v Speaker 1>What's it been like to be part of this lineup?

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<v Speaker 1>Obviously to understanding that, uh, they're not sinking or swimming

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<v Speaker 1>with any one player.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's been a aside from my own struggles,

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<v Speaker 2>has been a really fun lineup to be a part of,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, just to see a different guy every day.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, it seems like every every day, every series,

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<v Speaker 2>there's somebody, somebody different that's that's carrying the team.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it's a relentless lineup.

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<v Speaker 2>Guys get on base, Guys don't chase, and guys come

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<v Speaker 2>through in big situations. And you know that's why we're

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<v Speaker 2>putting up so many runs. You know, it's really the

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<v Speaker 2>situational stuff and just constant traffic on the basis and

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<v Speaker 2>it's a good recipe for for a really good offense.

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<v Speaker 1>And it feels like everybody supports each other.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely, I mean I'm I can tell you firsthand.

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<v Speaker 3>Guys you know, pick each other up.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, everybody is always telling me, you know, we

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<v Speaker 2>know you can hit, just keep going. You know, they

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<v Speaker 2>always have my back and and you know, it helps.

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<v Speaker 2>It really helps to have your teammates have your back

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<v Speaker 2>like that and just constantly remind you that they know

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<v Speaker 2>who you are and you know they've.

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<v Speaker 3>Seen you do it for a long time.

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<v Speaker 2>So that's another great thing about having a veteran group

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<v Speaker 2>of guys is guys who've been around, we played against

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<v Speaker 2>each other for a long time. We all, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>kind of know what what everyone's capable of. So that's

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<v Speaker 2>you know, that's that's a plus as well.

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<v Speaker 1>I've heard guys when they're going through good and bad times,

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<v Speaker 1>they stay with something superstitious. Have you questioned what you're

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<v Speaker 1>eating in the morning? Have you questioned what you're wearing?

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<v Speaker 3>Uh?

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<v Speaker 1>Does it go that far?

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<v Speaker 2>I've questioned everything, absolutely everything. Yeah, I'm I'm going through

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<v Speaker 2>all those things, and uh, you know, we're gonna keep

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<v Speaker 2>finding finding little things to to try to break you know, whatever,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, whatever's going on the ball, not finding the grass.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, we'll get it figured out and we'll write

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<v Speaker 2>the ship by the end the season.

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<v Speaker 1>I got good news for you. A couple of years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>JD.

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<v Speaker 1>Martinez one year deal with the Dodgers, got off to

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<v Speaker 1>a slow start, did this exact same pregame interview and

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<v Speaker 1>went on a heater and drove in one hundred runs

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<v Speaker 1>that season. So I feel like maybe we need to

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<v Speaker 1>recreate the JD. Martinez magic. You got to give me

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<v Speaker 1>a dead fish handschick because because of the broke and.

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<v Speaker 2>Rist Okay, yeah, absolutely mean, I'm up for absolutely everything.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, we got the dead fish handshake going on right now.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, there we go, Michael Conforto, the magic has happened.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks a lot for the time, and you're an easy

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<v Speaker 1>guy to root for and we look forward to seeing

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<v Speaker 1>you crossing home plate a few times tonight.

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<v Speaker 3>I appreciate it. Thank you very much.