WEBVTT - Freddie Freeman (3-26-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 2>It's Opening Day at Dodgers Stadium, and I'm joined by

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<v Speaker 2>a guy that embodies everything it means to be a

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<v Speaker 2>professional baseball player, a man that is a three time

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<v Speaker 2>World Series champion, back to back champion with the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 2>That is the one and only Freddie Freeman. Freddie, thanks

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<v Speaker 2>a lot for the time. And you made it to

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<v Speaker 2>another Opening Day.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you, David, thank you for those kind words. It's

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<v Speaker 1>good to be back and get this year going.

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<v Speaker 2>How does it feel after all these seasons, sixteen seasons

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<v Speaker 2>entering your seventeenth, does Opening Day still mean the same

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<v Speaker 2>to you?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it does, just because of all the hard work

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<v Speaker 1>that you put in the offseason in spring training. You're

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<v Speaker 1>excited to finally get the games to mean something and

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<v Speaker 1>you start your goal of winning another championship. And all

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<v Speaker 1>the fans are excited. They've been missing baseball for five months,

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<v Speaker 1>so everyone's excited just liking the Game's gonna say, angels.

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<v Speaker 1>All the fans are there during those spring training games.

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<v Speaker 3>Too, so it's it's a blast. Open Day is always fun.

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<v Speaker 1>That means it to start of a new year, and

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully I start of a really championship seller year.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey Freddie, it's one thing to be hungry, but after

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<v Speaker 2>you went back to back championships, how impressive is it

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<v Speaker 2>that not only yourself, but everybody else on the team

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<v Speaker 2>came day one to spring training hungry as ever.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the group that we have here, the environment

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<v Speaker 1>we've created, the chemistry, the desire, the want, all of it.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a special place we.

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<v Speaker 1>Have going on around here, and we want to win

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<v Speaker 1>every single year. That's I think that's every professional athlete's

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<v Speaker 1>goal is to win the championship for a year, And

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<v Speaker 1>obviously when you win two in a row, you want

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<v Speaker 1>to be those people that win three in a row.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, you just want to keep doing it. We

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<v Speaker 3>had the same narrative last year it be the first.

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<v Speaker 1>Team since the Yankees went back to back, and now

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<v Speaker 1>we get to be the same narrative going into this

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<v Speaker 1>year to be the first first team since the Yankees

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<v Speaker 1>to win three in a row.

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<v Speaker 3>So we got a good group. We're really itching.

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<v Speaker 1>To get going here and we're excited about this year.

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<v Speaker 2>Freddie Freeman is our guest on opening Day. For you,

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<v Speaker 2>this was a more normal offseason and spring training. Do

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<v Speaker 2>you feel like Freddy again?

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<v Speaker 3>I do. I feel good.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't have to get to the field three hours

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<v Speaker 1>or four games and stretches and to just get myself

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to go out there and play defense,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, during stretch and VP. It's been nice to

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<v Speaker 1>just show up and do my routine and get ready

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<v Speaker 1>for the year. It's definitely nice not having surgery and

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<v Speaker 1>rehab all offseason.

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<v Speaker 3>So I feel good.

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<v Speaker 1>I feel ready to go, so hopefully we can stay

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<v Speaker 1>healthy all year and have.

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<v Speaker 3>A great year.

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<v Speaker 2>You're a great guy to ask this question too, because

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<v Speaker 2>you understand the game itself. You're hitting in a different

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<v Speaker 2>spot in the lineup this year, and you've got different

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<v Speaker 2>guys hitting in front of you. Are you a believer

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<v Speaker 2>every spot in the order has a responsibility.

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<v Speaker 1>I think in a typical lineup, yes, our lineup, I

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<v Speaker 1>feel like every guy can hit third. It's it's a

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<v Speaker 1>bunch of three hole hitters going up and down our lineup.

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<v Speaker 1>So yeah, this year it's gonna be a little bit different.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think you're you We're gonna see it in

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<v Speaker 1>the you saw it during the Angels series where against

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<v Speaker 1>a left handed starter. I'm gonna hit fifth this year,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, Doc and I talked and we're trying

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<v Speaker 1>to figure out the best way to make the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 1>the best they can possibly be. And obviously, against right

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<v Speaker 1>handed starters, all hit fourth, and then we're gonna start

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<v Speaker 1>with hitting me fifth against left handed starters, just so

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<v Speaker 1>it's a lot harder to match up. And uh, when

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<v Speaker 1>Dark and I had a conversation, I'm good. Just hit

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<v Speaker 1>me wherever you want to hit me. I want I

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<v Speaker 1>want to win a championship. Make it harder for every

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<v Speaker 1>other team to match up against us.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it no matter.

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<v Speaker 1>Where we hit, it's gonna be a hard matchup. But

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<v Speaker 1>that's what we we're gonna go with. And typically one

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<v Speaker 1>through nine you're gonna have different roles. Obviously in our lineup,

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<v Speaker 1>if you're hitting eight and nine, you gotta know show

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<v Speaker 1>how he's coming up, and just sometimes the situation will

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<v Speaker 1>determine what you gotta do. But in our lineup, with

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<v Speaker 1>our guys, it's more of a free ring.

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<v Speaker 3>Go for it.

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<v Speaker 1>You know yourself, you know the player you are, and

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<v Speaker 1>just make sure you're doing the right thing in the

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<v Speaker 1>right situations. And our guys understand that. And in our lineup.

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<v Speaker 1>When you got a bunch of three hole hitters up

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<v Speaker 1>and down, I think and betteran guys they know what

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<v Speaker 1>they need to do in this certain situations of the game.

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<v Speaker 1>The game will tell you how to play the game,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think that we have a good group of

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<v Speaker 1>guys to understand that and go about our business the

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<v Speaker 1>way we need to do. But in our lineup, it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't really matter where you're hit. I think you're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>have guys on a lot more times than not, so

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<v Speaker 1>just make sure you bring those guys in.

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<v Speaker 2>Not too many teams can have a rabbit hitting fifth.

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<v Speaker 1>I kind of like that. Maybe I'll look like a

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<v Speaker 1>rabbit again. Run around the basins this.

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<v Speaker 2>Year before I let you go tomorrow. Ring Day. It's

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<v Speaker 2>your third ring. Where do you keep these rings? How

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<v Speaker 2>much do you enjoy it? Where do you put it?

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<v Speaker 1>I enjoy it when you get a ring. That means

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<v Speaker 1>you want So if you don't enjoy ring Day, then

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know what you're doing. So well, I'm excited.

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<v Speaker 3>I look forward to it.

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<v Speaker 1>I can't wait to see him in first I've only

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<v Speaker 1>seen a picture of them. Oh, so I'm really looking

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<v Speaker 1>forward to seeing it. They usually get put on for

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<v Speaker 1>that day and then it goes into the box and

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<v Speaker 1>goes away, hitting into somewhere to or no one can

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<v Speaker 1>find it.

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<v Speaker 3>So they're usually so big it's hard to wear those things.

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<v Speaker 1>But I heard we got a different one this year

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<v Speaker 1>where we can wear a band. The band comes out

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<v Speaker 1>of the middle, so we can actually wear like almost

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<v Speaker 1>like a band with the ring.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's kind of cool.

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<v Speaker 1>When you win a lot and win a few in

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<v Speaker 1>a row, you gotta kind of come up with some

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<v Speaker 1>new ideas, and they did it this year, so hopefully

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<v Speaker 1>we can make them come up with a new idea

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<v Speaker 1>for this year too.

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<v Speaker 2>Love it, Freddy, thanks a lot for the time. You

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<v Speaker 2>know how much you mean to this city. You are

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<v Speaker 2>a legacy Dodger, and you're gonna keep it going. And

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<v Speaker 2>I'm counting. I'm counting every single hit, every single double

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of the way the next four years.

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<v Speaker 3>Love it, I love it.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm looking forward to it, and you know, hopefully those

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<v Speaker 1>countdowns go quicker, no doubt.