1
00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,800
Speaker 1: An exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker.

2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,559
Speaker 2: It's the Dodgers and Angels getting set for first pitch

3
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,560
Speaker 2: in Tempe, Arizona, and we're joined right now by a

4
00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,720
Speaker 2: man in his first major league or second major league

5
00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,040
Speaker 2: camp with the Dodgers. Had an incredible season at Triple A,

6
00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,880
Speaker 2: won the PCL Player of the Year, and that's Ryan Ward.

7
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,200
Speaker 2: Did I get all that right, Ryan Ward? Uh?

8
00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, pretty close? Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, excited for it.

9
00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,720
Speaker 2: What's it like this camp for you after having the

10
00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,160
Speaker 2: season that you did and being put on the forty

11
00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,280
Speaker 2: man roster and now certainly on everybody's radar.

12
00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I'm just coming in and continuing to

13
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,959
Speaker 1: do what I do, get better at little things, work

14
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,919
Speaker 1: hard every day and then and try to take full

15
00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,720
Speaker 1: advantage of the opportunities and have fun with it.

16
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,600
Speaker 2: In this area of the Dodger Clubhouse in spring training,

17
00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:52,960
Speaker 2: a little bit different real estate than what you're used to.

18
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,320
Speaker 2: What's it like having two catchers as your lockermates, Stalton

19
00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:57,400
Speaker 2: Rushing and Will Smith.

20
00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, I got both of them around me,

21
00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:00,560
Speaker 1: so I try to take up his little space as

22
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,680
Speaker 1: I can. You know, they both got a ton of

23
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,960
Speaker 1: gear over here and all that catcher stuff, So try

24
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,640
Speaker 1: to try to just come in when when there's an

25
00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:08,600
Speaker 1: opening and take up a little space. But it's awesome.

26
00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:10,360
Speaker 1: I mean, having a good relationship with a lot of

27
00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,720
Speaker 1: these guys and building more as we keep going is

28
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,640
Speaker 1: important to me and and just trying.

29
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,960
Speaker 2: To build on that. What's it like for you being

30
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,000
Speaker 2: at Triple A last year, having the season that you

31
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,880
Speaker 2: had last year and the Dodgers recognizing it.

32
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it's cool. You know, I'm really proud of

33
00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:27,680
Speaker 1: of the year I was able to put together. And

34
00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,120
Speaker 1: it's honestly it's because of them, the staff here, the

35
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,800
Speaker 1: developmental strength, everybody, you know, putting putting the plans in

36
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:36,800
Speaker 1: front of me and helping me get to the spot

37
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,920
Speaker 1: that I got to. So, like I said, just kind

38
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,479
Speaker 1: of continuing to build on that and make and grow

39
00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,199
Speaker 1: as a player and keep going.

40
00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,960
Speaker 2: What was the biggest leap you took last year? What

41
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,760
Speaker 2: was it that made Ryan Ward the PCL Player of

42
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:50,160
Speaker 2: the Year.

43
00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,280
Speaker 1: You know, I think it was a lot of approach

44
00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,920
Speaker 1: based stuff. I used to be kind of a free

45
00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,920
Speaker 1: swinger and really trying to hone in on on certain

46
00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,000
Speaker 1: pitches and certain spots as I was going at back

47
00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,600
Speaker 1: to a bat, pitcher to pitcher and ended up putting

48
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,120
Speaker 1: myself into better counts chase less and ended up getting

49
00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,160
Speaker 1: into more hitter counts where it just put me in

50
00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,000
Speaker 1: a better spot to do some damage.

51
00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,160
Speaker 2: How did you recognize that, did you go to the

52
00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,680
Speaker 2: video more or what was the balance that you you

53
00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,600
Speaker 2: changed to be a more discipline hitter.

54
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I used to kind of go in

55
00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,480
Speaker 1: the box. I always made the joke when when I

56
00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,200
Speaker 1: get in the batter's box, I'm called a hitter, not

57
00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,239
Speaker 1: a walker. So like I would go up there and

58
00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,320
Speaker 1: just swing it, swing it everything, and you know, just

59
00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,360
Speaker 1: just trying to hone in on one one area, Like

60
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,120
Speaker 1: I'm going to dominate this area if you if you

61
00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,560
Speaker 1: throw sam looking in that day, if you throw three

62
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,919
Speaker 1: heaters away, like okay, like I gotta tip my cap.

63
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,359
Speaker 1: But like when you if you come in here, I'm

64
00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,120
Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna do some damage on it because that's

65
00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,560
Speaker 1: the one spot I'm hunting for. So staying committed to

66
00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,080
Speaker 1: that was was something that was very helpful for me

67
00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,080
Speaker 1: and led to the year I had.

68
00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,440
Speaker 2: Ryan Ward is our guest in front of first pitch

69
00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:56,360
Speaker 2: between the Dodgers and Angels starting the Cactus League schedule. Ryan,

70
00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,360
Speaker 2: hitting is so hard these days. I've heard Freddy Freeman

71
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,040
Speaker 2: talk about what it was like when he broke in

72
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,280
Speaker 2: to hit compared to what you guys are facing these days.

73
00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,320
Speaker 2: So does it come down to with how nasty guys

74
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,160
Speaker 2: are to really key in on your zone?

75
00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,280
Speaker 1: Yeah? Absolutely, you know, and I think that that was

76
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,519
Speaker 1: a huge jump for me last year. I mean because

77
00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,720
Speaker 1: like you said, everything pictures are getting better and better.

78
00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,520
Speaker 1: Stuff's getting better and better, so so really going up

79
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,280
Speaker 1: with a plan and trying to dominate your plan. The

80
00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,440
Speaker 1: big thing for me last year was was get out

81
00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,120
Speaker 1: the way that I want to get out. I'm not

82
00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:31,280
Speaker 1: gonna get out on the pictures terms, and with the

83
00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,800
Speaker 1: better stuff and better stuff that's coming, you really got

84
00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,680
Speaker 1: to stay committed to that. You know, if I'm gonna

85
00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:37,880
Speaker 1: get out, I wanted to be on my terms. I

86
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:39,520
Speaker 1: don't want you to be the one who gets me out.

87
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,800
Speaker 2: Do you feel like this spring you have more confidence

88
00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,440
Speaker 2: about yourself and not trying to prove every single swing

89
00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:48,360
Speaker 2: that you belong.

90
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I'm gonna I mean, I'm not gonna

91
00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,000
Speaker 1: take it easy. I'm gonna get my a swings off.

92
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,560
Speaker 1: But yeah, I think that this year coming in is

93
00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,520
Speaker 1: all more comfortable. Like I said, I have relationships with

94
00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,400
Speaker 1: a lot of the guys now over the past couple

95
00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,120
Speaker 1: of years, been able to get to know them and

96
00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,280
Speaker 1: them get to know me, and just put you in

97
00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,120
Speaker 1: a lot more comfortable spot. Starting to know all the

98
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,960
Speaker 1: staff around. Everyone knows who I am, so it's really cool.

99
00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,480
Speaker 2: That's great, Ryan, thanks a lot for the time. Congratulations

100
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,120
Speaker 2: on putting in the work and reaping the benefits of that,

101
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,200
Speaker 2: and we look forward to seeing you at Dodger Stadium

102
00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:19,599
Speaker 2: this year.

103
00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:20,960
Speaker 1: Thank you. I'm excited for it too,