WEBVTT -  Adam Wainwright (5-23-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 1>It's the Dodgers and Brewers getting said for first pitch,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's on a national stage. Joe Davis will be

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<v Speaker 1>joined by aj Prazinski and Adam Wainwright, who spent his

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<v Speaker 1>entire career with the Saint Louis Cardinals. Thanks a lot

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<v Speaker 1>for the time, appreciated Adam.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, thanks for having me on.

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<v Speaker 3>All right, let's lead it off right here.

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<v Speaker 1>I tap into Freddie Freeman as my baseball compass, so

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<v Speaker 1>I said, hey, I'm talking to Adam Wainwright today.

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<v Speaker 3>What's the first thing that comes to mind?

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<v Speaker 1>And he said, it's not anything baseball related, it's all

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<v Speaker 1>the work that.

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<v Speaker 3>You've done off the field. Oh. I appreciate that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's we've we've uh, you know, we've been given

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<v Speaker 2>cool platforms and uh, it's just just it would be

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<v Speaker 2>a shame to not use it for good, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we've been able to have a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>great opportunities to help a lot of people in the

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<v Speaker 2>eat and that's uh, I'm glad you recognize that.

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<v Speaker 3>That's cool.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the one thing that he said, everything that you've

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<v Speaker 1>done off the field seems to be your legacy just

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<v Speaker 1>as much as anything you did on the mound.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, that's the legacy that.

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<v Speaker 2>I would prefer to have almost you know, it's the

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<v Speaker 2>opportunity to go out and make a difference in the world.

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<v Speaker 2>We just don't have very long to do that, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>this very finite world. Do we live in a very finite,

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<v Speaker 2>very finite profession, especially where we only get three or

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<v Speaker 2>four years to actually do something that matters maybe and

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<v Speaker 2>for most of the people, and then you know, we.

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<v Speaker 3>Might get ten or twelve. I was lucky to have more.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we have to use our time wisely and

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<v Speaker 2>to the most of to the best of our ability

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<v Speaker 2>to get cool things done for.

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<v Speaker 1>People to need some of the fun stuff that you've

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<v Speaker 1>done to generate money for people overseas. And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>less fortunate is the fantasy football charity event that you

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<v Speaker 1>had when you played, And Freddie said that is that

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<v Speaker 1>still going?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, still doing, still still chugging along. Well, it's a

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<v Speaker 2>lot harder when you get outside the game to generate

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<v Speaker 2>the same kind of interest. You know, even if you

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<v Speaker 2>have great career doesn't really matter. I mean, you got

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<v Speaker 2>to be there and be you know, with the people

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<v Speaker 2>a lot, and and we're still we're still chugging a

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<v Speaker 2>long though. We're still doing a lot of great things.

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<v Speaker 2>I think big league impact through fantasy football events, karaoke events,

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<v Speaker 2>top golf, sporting plays. You know, we've raised thirteen million

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<v Speaker 2>dollars so for people in need food, feeding people and

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<v Speaker 2>giving them clean water and basic essential needs. And that's

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<v Speaker 2>all really rewarding at the end of the day.

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<v Speaker 1>Adam Wainwright is our guest before first pitch between the

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers and Brewers. Clayton Kershaw is dealing with some of

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<v Speaker 1>the stuff that I'm sure you dealt with after you retired.

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<v Speaker 1>You went through so much to continue to pitch into

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<v Speaker 1>your forties. He found a way to come back from

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of different injuries to continue to go out

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<v Speaker 1>his own way. How important do you believe it was

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<v Speaker 1>for him, like you, to go out on your own terms.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, so, I mean, just you still want to

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<v Speaker 2>have regrets, you know, you don't want to look back

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<v Speaker 2>and and say I wish I would have played one

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<v Speaker 2>more year. You know, you give it everything you have

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<v Speaker 2>and and players I remember, uh, Jeff Soupond told me

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<v Speaker 2>one time play as long as you can, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>because you can't come back into this game ten years

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<v Speaker 2>after you get done and go back in and play

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<v Speaker 2>in Major League Baseball.

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<v Speaker 3>Just not how it works.

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<v Speaker 2>So our bodies are are are a lot of a

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<v Speaker 2>certain amount of time, you know, and you got to

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<v Speaker 2>you got to grind through some injuries, and you gotta

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<v Speaker 2>play through hurt, and you got to learn how to

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<v Speaker 2>get the job done sometimes when you feel like crap,

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<v Speaker 2>And that's just part of it. That's part of being

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<v Speaker 2>a pro. And I always love that part of it.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, Like if I could, if I could get

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<v Speaker 2>my team to believe that no matter what, I was

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<v Speaker 2>gonna go out there and fight, no matter how I felt,

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<v Speaker 2>they knew I was gonna compete my butt off.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, that was a win for me right there.

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<v Speaker 3>How much mutual respect do you and Clinton have for

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<v Speaker 3>each other?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I don't know about from his side. I have

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<v Speaker 2>lots of respect for him. From my side, I think

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<v Speaker 2>we're you know, he's a he's a good friend of mine,

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<v Speaker 2>and uh, he was one of the guys I told

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<v Speaker 2>him this.

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<v Speaker 3>He hated.

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<v Speaker 2>He always hated went out because I'm a hugger and

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<v Speaker 2>I'm a words of affirmation guy.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and he's he's not so much.

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<v Speaker 2>And so he would be like, gosh, I hate when

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<v Speaker 2>you do this, but you know, I always love to

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<v Speaker 2>tell him, like, listen, man, you're one of the guys

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<v Speaker 2>that pushes me to be better.

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<v Speaker 3>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>They're one of the guys that when I go into

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<v Speaker 2>the gym, I know I got to.

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<v Speaker 3>Get that third fourth set when I don't want to.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, you're one of the guys that I get

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<v Speaker 2>up early to do this stuff for and and and

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<v Speaker 2>put those extra sweat you know, beads on your forehead

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<v Speaker 2>because I know guys like him were doing it, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>And so I always was chasing him. I wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>be the cy young guy every year. He just never

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<v Speaker 2>would let me because he kept having a one ady

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<v Speaker 2>r a you know. And and uh, and I see

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<v Speaker 2>guys when the cy young now, I'm like, man's because

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<v Speaker 2>they don't have Clayton Kershaw and his prime to go

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<v Speaker 2>up against. You know, Max Schurz are in his prime,

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<v Speaker 2>royality and his prime like a bunch of my years.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm like that could have won, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>And today, but uh, it was always so fun competing

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<v Speaker 2>against Clayton. He's just as as great a competitor as

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<v Speaker 2>there's ever been in our game. He he made me

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<v Speaker 2>go to bed early and wake up earlier, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>just to try to compete with him. So I'll always

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<v Speaker 2>be appreciative of him that.

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<v Speaker 1>You both were for Uncle Charlie. Did you ever look

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<v Speaker 1>at the curveballs and the similarities. I know you're a

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<v Speaker 1>right hander, he was a left hander. But was there

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<v Speaker 1>any parallels.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think we used uh, we used them similarly.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean his uh, his curveball was such a contrast

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<v Speaker 2>to his fastball though. You know, he's he's coming hard

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<v Speaker 2>in the fastball, hard end with that nasty slider, and

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<v Speaker 2>and that was probably like ninety percent of the time

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<v Speaker 2>you were going to see fastball slider.

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<v Speaker 3>And then all of a.

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<v Speaker 2>Sudden, you know, he'd pop that that straight over the

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<v Speaker 2>top like he's throwing a washer into a five gallon

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<v Speaker 2>bucket curveball, and you just can't even it looked so

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<v Speaker 2>different out of his hand. You can't look for that

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<v Speaker 2>because you had to be ready for ninety four ninety

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<v Speaker 2>five in heavy and so it just was such a surprise.

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<v Speaker 2>Everybody was always out front of it. Mine, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>they kind of knew it was coming. Eventually you faced me,

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<v Speaker 2>You're gonna see a curveball most likely, and uh and

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<v Speaker 2>I never had Colayton's great fastball really, so we used them.

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<v Speaker 2>We used them similarly to get them off our fast

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<v Speaker 2>you know.

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<v Speaker 3>He he.

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<v Speaker 2>He did it as more of like a like a

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<v Speaker 2>there's no way you can look for this. I did

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<v Speaker 2>it as a I need to get you out with

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<v Speaker 2>my heater, so I want you to try to hit

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<v Speaker 2>this curveball. And if you try to hit this curveball,

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<v Speaker 2>most likely you're gonna get out. So that so then,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it kind of played in my favor that way.

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<v Speaker 2>But as I got older and I lost my heater, U,

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<v Speaker 2>the curveball wasn't that much of a contrast anymore.

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<v Speaker 3>It became very hard. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>And I know Clayton Halls used to talk about change

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<v Speaker 1>up envy, but he never wanted to compromise just his

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<v Speaker 1>other pitches by throwing that pitch. Did you ever have

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<v Speaker 1>anything any change up envy or any other pitch envy?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I always.

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<v Speaker 2>I always wanted a great change up and I had

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<v Speaker 2>an absolute banger of a change up every spring training

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<v Speaker 2>that I got.

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<v Speaker 3>Lots of outs with. I got lots of outs.

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<v Speaker 2>In spring with my change up every year, and it

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<v Speaker 2>was always with a new grip and a new swagger.

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<v Speaker 3>I always I called it my devastator.

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<v Speaker 2>And ever go into every year like really confident to

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<v Speaker 2>throw my Devastator. And I'd come out of the first

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<v Speaker 2>game of the season and I would have thrown one

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<v Speaker 2>or two, you know, and it's like, dang it. I

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<v Speaker 2>thought I was gonna throw twelve or fifteen of them,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, And so I did a little bit. But

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<v Speaker 2>the same thing he said, you know, I knew that

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<v Speaker 2>I could get you out with my sinker and my

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<v Speaker 2>curveball and my cutter. He knew he could get you

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<v Speaker 2>out with his four seamer and his slider and his curveball.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, what you don't ever want to do

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<v Speaker 2>is give up extra base hits or put yourself in

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<v Speaker 2>a bad count throwing your fourth best pitch if you

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<v Speaker 2>don't have confidence in it.

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<v Speaker 3>Hey, before I let you go.

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<v Speaker 1>One thing that Clayton always talked about, especially towards the

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<v Speaker 1>end of his career, is just go out there and

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<v Speaker 1>compete with what you have.

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<v Speaker 3>That's something you did as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Is there anybody or any few guys in the game

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<v Speaker 1>that stand out to you now that have that same type.

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<v Speaker 3>Of compete that you and Clayton had.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, my favorite guy to watch is Zach Wheeler. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I just love I love watching him pitch. And he's

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<v Speaker 2>an actual pitcher, you know, he goes out there and competes.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean guys like Trek Scooble. They're so great because

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<v Speaker 2>he has he has the mindset to go along with

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<v Speaker 2>the stuff. There's tons of guys of our in our

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<v Speaker 2>game that have stuff. There's tons of guys that throw

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<v Speaker 2>upwards one hundred miles an hour now, uh, but they

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<v Speaker 2>don't have that dog inside of them, you know. And

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<v Speaker 2>and Zach Wheeler and uh and Terrek they're they're they're

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<v Speaker 2>my probably my two favorite guys because they're.

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<v Speaker 3>Just out there.

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<v Speaker 2>They're putting their cajonas on the line every pitch. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>they're they're they're out there just fighting like dogs.

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<v Speaker 3>And I love that. You know, as a pitcher, if you're.

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<v Speaker 2>Not competing your tail off of your team, I don't

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<v Speaker 2>really know what you're doing out there.

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<v Speaker 3>I love it. Adam Wayne right is our guest.

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<v Speaker 1>So much reaction from guys that you overlap with, guys

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<v Speaker 1>that you never faced. How much does that make you feel, like, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>some of these guys remember old wayno here.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's always good to come back and see face,

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<v Speaker 2>as you know, and and and and I've started to

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<v Speaker 2>get to the age where where guys are like I

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<v Speaker 2>loved watching you growing up, you know, and that kind

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<v Speaker 2>of stuff, and that that makes me feel special because

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<v Speaker 2>I know I had those guys too. And when I

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<v Speaker 2>played golf with Lavin and Maddox the other day, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I had them sign my scorecard at the end,

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<v Speaker 2>and they were kind of like, what the heck? And

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, Bro, I'm still a huge fan, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Like you know, I've patted my game after y'all, so like,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think you should ever lose that fandom of baseball.

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<v Speaker 3>Adam, thanks a lot for the time.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a little kid right now because watching you do

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<v Speaker 1>your thing so impressive and so much respect. Even though

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<v Speaker 1>you wore that cardinal red and beat the Dodgers in

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<v Speaker 1>thirteen and fourteen, we all remember those days. But what

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<v Speaker 1>you stand for off the field from your peers and

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<v Speaker 1>what they shared with me obviously speaks for itself.

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<v Speaker 3>So thank you so much for your time. Thank you

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<v Speaker 3>very much for saying that