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

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<v Speaker 1>It's the Dodgers and Padres Round six, and we're joined

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<v Speaker 1>right now by Dodger third baseman Max Munsey. Max, thanks

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<v Speaker 1>a lot for the time, appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, sure, anytime.

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<v Speaker 1>All right. So, you hadn't seen the Padres all season long,

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<v Speaker 1>and now you're seeing them seven times within a week.

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<v Speaker 1>How much does that contribute to the playoff feel? And

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you know, obviously the intensity we've seen over the

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<v Speaker 1>course of the last week.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, just like the whole last month, it's

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<v Speaker 2>kind of felt like that's been our stretch. We were

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<v Speaker 2>playing these teams back to back a bunch, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>you talk about the Mets and you some of these

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<v Speaker 2>other teams, we're seeing them a lot, and uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>just over the last couple of weeks, we've played a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of teams that are in first place, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>fighting for first place right around there, and so it's

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<v Speaker 2>just been, uh, you know, it's been a tough couple

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<v Speaker 2>of weeks. And then we get these guys, like you said,

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<v Speaker 2>seven times in a week, and you know, it's always

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of energy in these games, and it's a uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it's been a fun atmosphere and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>thankfully here has been what it's been otherwise, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, with where we're at right now, i'd be

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<v Speaker 2>a little tough to get through the games.

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<v Speaker 1>What was playing in last night's game, like it did

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<v Speaker 1>feel like a playoff game, as you pointed out after

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<v Speaker 1>it was three and a half hours.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, we it was a national TV game.

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<v Speaker 2>We seem to be getting quite a lot of those recently.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know when the national TV games they go

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<v Speaker 2>to you know, three minutes in between innings instead of

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<v Speaker 2>just the two minutes, and it's it's crazy how much

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<v Speaker 2>just you know, it's eighteen minutes added on to the

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<v Speaker 2>game right there. And then you know, they just feel

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<v Speaker 2>so much longer. And you know, when you get used

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<v Speaker 2>to having the you know, the new rules with the

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<v Speaker 2>pitch clock and everything, the games just feel to go,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, so much faster, You feel in rhythm, you

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<v Speaker 2>don't feel like you sit around as much. And then

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<v Speaker 2>you get the TV games and you feel like you're

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<v Speaker 2>sitting around all the time all of a sudden, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it just it just it's a it makes

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<v Speaker 2>for a longer game and last night was definitely a

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<v Speaker 2>really long game, and you know, had a little bit

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<v Speaker 2>of everything involved in it.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, including show Heo Tani being hit by Randy Vasquez.

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<v Speaker 1>We're are you as surprised as a lot of us

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<v Speaker 1>were to see him take not just one shot, but

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<v Speaker 1>two shots to try to hit your star player.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know I had last night. I said I

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<v Speaker 2>didn't think it was intentional. I just thought they were

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<v Speaker 2>trying to get fastballs in on them, And going back

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<v Speaker 2>and watching it, I might have a different opinion now,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know, it's over with. It is what it is.

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<v Speaker 2>We got another game today. Last night was last night.

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<v Speaker 2>It doesn't have any effect on today's game at all.

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<v Speaker 2>And so you know that's how we've always approached things,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, all year long. Today's the only day that matters.

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<v Speaker 2>Nothing that happened previously matters at all, and nothing that's

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<v Speaker 2>going to happen tomorrow matters. And you know, we got

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<v Speaker 2>to get through today. We got to prepare for today,

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<v Speaker 2>to do whatever we have to do to make sure

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<v Speaker 2>we're prepared to go out there and win the game tonight.

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<v Speaker 1>Max Munsey is our guest in front of first pitch

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<v Speaker 1>between the Dodgers and Padres You alluded to the stretch

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<v Speaker 1>of the schedule, Max, How aware were you and your

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<v Speaker 1>teammates going into it, going back to the last time

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<v Speaker 1>you played the Diamondbacks, You're about to finish up a

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<v Speaker 1>twenty nine game stretch again playoff contenders.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I don't know. You know, a lot of us

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<v Speaker 2>don't really pay attention to the schedule other than you know,

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<v Speaker 2>where are we going on this upcoming road trip that

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<v Speaker 2>kind of stuff. And you know, I think we were

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<v Speaker 2>sitting there one of the games and on TV they

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<v Speaker 2>showed what our schedule was upcoming, and a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>guys were like, oh, we got a gauntlet coming up,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, that's basically all the comments that were made.

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<v Speaker 2>It was just like, oh, it's gonna be a tough stretch,

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<v Speaker 2>but all right, here we go. We got to get

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<v Speaker 2>through it. And you know, every single game is tough.

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<v Speaker 2>This is the major leagues. There's not I know, there's

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<v Speaker 2>teams that have bad records, but there's no such thing

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<v Speaker 2>as a bad team in the major leagues. These are

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<v Speaker 2>the best players in the world and on any given night,

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<v Speaker 2>a pitcher can go out there and you know, throw

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<v Speaker 2>seven innings, you know, easy and on any given night

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<v Speaker 2>a pitcher can go out there and not make it

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<v Speaker 2>out of the first It's you know, it's baseball. Things

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<v Speaker 2>are gonna happen, and you just got to find a

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<v Speaker 2>way to get through it all.

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<v Speaker 1>Max. I know everybody always focuses on offense, and you

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<v Speaker 1>guys are the best offense in baseball. But you personally,

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<v Speaker 1>it feels like the defense at third base not only

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<v Speaker 1>has become more consistent, but you're starting to make plays

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<v Speaker 1>that we have seen you make the last couple of years.

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<v Speaker 1>So what do you attribute that to?

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<v Speaker 2>One? Hard work, getting on your every day Me and Mookie,

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<v Speaker 2>me and miggeiy Row, and you know, just continually talking

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<v Speaker 2>about it. Getting knowledge about defense. I think that's a

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<v Speaker 2>huge thing instead of just you know, learning how you're

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<v Speaker 2>going about your work, what you're doing in your work,

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<v Speaker 2>making each rep you take purposeful and not just you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Oh I'm going out there and I took thirty ground balls.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel good. It's you know, how are you taking

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<v Speaker 2>those thirty ground balls? How are you to you know,

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<v Speaker 2>what are you doing to make those better? How are

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<v Speaker 2>you preparing for it? And then the other thing is

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<v Speaker 2>just getting confidence, you know, and That's something I've talked

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<v Speaker 2>about a bunch, whether it's on offense, defense, whether you're

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<v Speaker 2>on the mound. You know, if you don't have any

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<v Speaker 2>confidence in yourself, it's hard to compete in this game.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, sometimes all it takes is one play

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<v Speaker 2>to to swing that pendulum the other way. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>for me, it's just getting the confidence back in the defense.

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<v Speaker 2>One of those things where I've I don't know how

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<v Speaker 2>many times I've told you, I really feel like I

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<v Speaker 2>can be a good defender. I feel like I have

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<v Speaker 2>the actions to be a good defender. But you know,

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<v Speaker 2>when you lose confidence, it's it's hard to really go

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<v Speaker 2>out there and do what you've been practicing. And so

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<v Speaker 2>for me, it's just getting a little confidence back.

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<v Speaker 1>It seems like you do have that confidence. It feels

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<v Speaker 1>like you're kind of not not just writing a swagger,

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<v Speaker 1>but kind of at peace with the way that you're

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<v Speaker 1>happy with your play.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you can always get better, you know, it's baseball.

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<v Speaker 2>You can always you can always play better. But uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you know that's I think that's what makes this game

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<v Speaker 2>so loving and frustrating at the same time, is you

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<v Speaker 2>know you're never gonna be perfect. In this game, even

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<v Speaker 2>though you try to attain it every single day, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, and that's that's the beauty of it, and

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<v Speaker 2>that's the things that's that's some of the things that

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<v Speaker 2>I've learned from my teammates over the years. When you

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<v Speaker 2>talk about the guys that I've played with, whether it's

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<v Speaker 2>Kershaw or Albert or you know, Matt Camp, all these

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<v Speaker 2>guys they play for, you know, all these years, and

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<v Speaker 2>all of them say, there's always things you can learn

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<v Speaker 2>and always things you can get better at. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's the truth. Every single day you can learn something

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<v Speaker 2>new and you can do something better, and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>that's that's the end goal, is to try to get

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<v Speaker 2>as much knowledge as you can and keep getting better

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<v Speaker 2>every single day.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't seem like a guy that chases numbers though.

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<v Speaker 2>No I chase wins, you know, and I've said that

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<v Speaker 2>my entire career at the Dodgers. I don't care what

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<v Speaker 2>I do as long as I can put the team

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<v Speaker 2>in a better position to win that night. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>if I have to sacrifice myself to make sure that

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<v Speaker 2>the team you get to win, that's something I'm gonna do.

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<v Speaker 2>You know. If I haven't a bat, or if I

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<v Speaker 2>have you know, a base running play, or if I

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<v Speaker 2>see something from the dugout that might help a teammate.

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<v Speaker 2>If there's anything I can do that's gonna make the

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<v Speaker 2>ultimately the team be in a better position to win.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what I try to chase. You know, the personal

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<v Speaker 2>numbers are they are what they are. I know a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of guys care about those, and that's ultimately you

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<v Speaker 2>know how you get paid in this game. But for me,

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<v Speaker 2>I've always played this game to win. I've always wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to win. And you know that's the beauty being on

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers. You always have the chance to win.

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<v Speaker 1>No doubt in Max Munsey a two time winner World

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<v Speaker 1>Series Champion and he's looking for another one this year.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks a lot for the time, Max, Always love catching

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<v Speaker 1>up with you and keep it going of course, Thanks David,