WEBVTT - Reggie Smith (8-15-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 2>Well, of course the miss is on the mound for

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<v Speaker 2>the Brewers today, but it's a special day at Dodgers

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<v Speaker 2>Stadium because one of the all time great Dodgers, one

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<v Speaker 2>of the all time great players, one of the all

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<v Speaker 2>time great teammates, one of the all time great coaches

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be honored and enshrined forever in the

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<v Speaker 2>legends of Dodger Baseball. And that's the one and only

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<v Speaker 2>Reggie Smith who joins us. And it's a beautiful day

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<v Speaker 2>to be celebrated. Reggie, thanks a lot for the time

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<v Speaker 2>and congratulations.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh David, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>This is quite an exciting time for me, especially me

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<v Speaker 1>and my family, and we're really looking forward to it.

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<v Speaker 2>Are you aware of how many lives you have touched

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<v Speaker 2>over the course of your life, your baseball life and

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<v Speaker 2>your coaching life.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, David, I don't count.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just the love that I've received in the call

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<v Speaker 1>and the emails and everything.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I stop and think about it and it's like,

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<v Speaker 3>oh wow.

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<v Speaker 1>But I'm glad to have been there, and it's been

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<v Speaker 1>my purpose in life and it's given me the opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>to serve it.

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<v Speaker 2>Your Dodger career started with you getting to know not

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<v Speaker 2>only your manager, Tommy Lasorda, your teammates, but also you

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<v Speaker 2>had a very close relationship with not only Peter O'Malley,

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<v Speaker 2>but his father, Walter O'Malley. How did that all come together?

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<v Speaker 3>Well?

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<v Speaker 1>I met Walter in spring training and it was the

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<v Speaker 1>first time in We were taking batting practice and we

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<v Speaker 1>were hitting a lot of balls into the golf course

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<v Speaker 1>behind the Holman Stadium there, and all of a sudden,

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<v Speaker 1>I hear this voice say, you guys are losing a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of baseballs. And I didn't know who it was

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<v Speaker 1>and at the time, so I just turned around and said, Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>if you can't afford the baseball, then then then why

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<v Speaker 1>are you on the team and the guys all over

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<v Speaker 1>do you know? That was mister O'Malley. I go, okay,

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<v Speaker 1>but still the shame. Uh, we're here trying to get

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<v Speaker 1>ready to win a World Series. So now that evening,

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<v Speaker 1>there's a knock in my door.

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<v Speaker 3>Davy Lopes in my roommate.

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<v Speaker 1>We were we were watching the final four in the

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<v Speaker 1>basketball our Sweet sixteen. I'm sorry, and Ben Greer, who

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<v Speaker 1>was mister O'Malley's uh personal handler in Chover came to doing,

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<v Speaker 1>said Regim, mister O'Malley would like to see.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, everyone knows how the last four minutes are of

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<v Speaker 3>a basketball game. There there. It took a little longer,

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<v Speaker 3>and I said, okay, I'll be right there.

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<v Speaker 1>Well Ben wound up coming back and said REGI, mister O'Malley,

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<v Speaker 1>he said, and he says, he's right there.

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<v Speaker 3>So he was outside my door in the golf cart.

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<v Speaker 1>And he took me down to his his suite and

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<v Speaker 1>he said, you know to me, he said, ask me

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<v Speaker 1>how come I wasn't afraid of him like everyone else.

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<v Speaker 1>And I told him, well, you put your parents on

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<v Speaker 1>one leg at a time like any other man, and

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<v Speaker 1>when you die, they're going to stick your butt to

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<v Speaker 1>the ground and you're gonna stink it. And I heard

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<v Speaker 1>this laugh in the back room and it was missus O'Malley.

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<v Speaker 1>And from that time on, mister O'Malley asked me you know,

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<v Speaker 1>and told me why I was there, and I thanked

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<v Speaker 1>him for bringing me home to play in front of

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<v Speaker 1>my parents and family at a.

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<v Speaker 3>Time when I was at the best of my.

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<v Speaker 1>Career, and I developed that same relationship with Peter O'Malley,

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<v Speaker 1>and he's a good friend and I understand he's going

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<v Speaker 1>to be here today too, So I'm really excited.

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<v Speaker 2>That special seventeen years of Major League Baseball, six glorious

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<v Speaker 2>years back in LA after playing high school at Centennial

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<v Speaker 2>High School? Was that always your dream, Reggie, to play

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<v Speaker 2>for the Dodgers or was football in your future or

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<v Speaker 2>how did this turn into a life?

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<v Speaker 3>Actually?

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<v Speaker 1>I thought football was going to be in my future

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<v Speaker 1>because I really loved the game and it had hoped

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<v Speaker 1>and go to college to play football. But now you

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<v Speaker 1>should life intervene. My dad got sick and it was

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<v Speaker 1>an opportunity for me to help the family from that

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<v Speaker 1>standpoint with a signing bonus with baseball, And my dad

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<v Speaker 1>was a little bit upset with me at the time

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<v Speaker 1>for choosing that route, but my mom said, hey, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's what he wants to do, let him do it.

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<v Speaker 1>And fortunately it turned out it was the right decision

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<v Speaker 1>because I was able to play for twenty two years.

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<v Speaker 2>Reggie Smith is surrounded by his family, his blood family,

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<v Speaker 2>but also your Dodger family.

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<v Speaker 4>Like you mentioned Peter O'Malley.

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<v Speaker 2>Dusty Baker's behind us Kenny landru Darryl Thomas. We saw

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<v Speaker 2>earlier how much of a family were you guys.

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<v Speaker 1>Just that that was fostered by not only the O'Malley family,

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<v Speaker 1>but Tommy Lasorda. You know, that's how we treated each other.

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<v Speaker 1>We looked out for each other. We did everything that

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<v Speaker 1>families do. You know, we argued, and but when it

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<v Speaker 1>came time to put that uniform on, we were one.

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<v Speaker 1>And we called ourselves like we were an octopus. If

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<v Speaker 1>one arm didn't get to the other would. And this

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<v Speaker 1>guy's a Dusty and Garby say Bill Russell, and my

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<v Speaker 1>late roomy, Davey Lopes and all of the other guys

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<v Speaker 1>that were there made it a special time for me here,

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<v Speaker 1>and we were a pretty good.

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<v Speaker 4>Ball club, Reggie.

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<v Speaker 2>When you think about your teams, they always talk about

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<v Speaker 2>the infield, and rightfully so. But when the Dodgers acquired yourself,

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<v Speaker 2>Dusty Baker and Rick Monday, you pushed them over the top.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you three have a similar bond in a different

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<v Speaker 2>way than the infield did for all those years?

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<v Speaker 3>We did?

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<v Speaker 1>You know that outfield that played together for as long

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<v Speaker 1>as we did six and a half years, And if

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<v Speaker 1>you the infield played together for nine years, probably the

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<v Speaker 1>longest in baseball history.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh. We took care of one another, and like I said,

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<v Speaker 3>our we.

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<v Speaker 1>Competed against each other because it was always the outfielders

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<v Speaker 1>and the catchers hitting against the infielders and everything. So

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<v Speaker 1>we pushed each other to to excellence.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's another thing that I've always wondered about you, your

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<v Speaker 2>post playing career. You've meant so much to so many players,

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<v Speaker 2>Mike Piazza, Tim Wallack, Eric Carrows as a coach because

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<v Speaker 2>of the cerebral way you look at life and the

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<v Speaker 2>way you look at baseball and hitting.

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<v Speaker 4>Were you that way.

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<v Speaker 2>While you were playing or is that something that experience

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<v Speaker 2>taught you.

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<v Speaker 1>Experience is what gives you knowledge, and knowledge is what

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<v Speaker 1>gives you wisdom. And I played the game how I

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<v Speaker 1>was taught to play it and how he was believed

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<v Speaker 1>that it's supposed to be played. And that's what intensity

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<v Speaker 1>and uh, integrity and honesty.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh That's that's where I played the game.

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<v Speaker 1>And Uh, anything that I do when I'm coaching or

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<v Speaker 1>I'm teaching, I passed that along because I want them

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<v Speaker 1>to not only love the game, but we have to

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<v Speaker 1>kind of respect for it that it deserves and that's

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<v Speaker 1>to be played.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, you seem like the type of person that you

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<v Speaker 2>get more gratification helping others than what you did on

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<v Speaker 2>the field. I mean, the list goes on and on.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, kids that played college or high school baseball

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<v Speaker 2>going all the way to the majors.

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<v Speaker 4>How much do.

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<v Speaker 2>You feel like you've paid forward everything that you've learned?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, a long time ago, I learned what

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<v Speaker 1>my purpose in life was, and that's to help people.

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<v Speaker 1>And more importantly, you know, having my baseball hero being

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<v Speaker 1>Jackie Robinson and living up to his motto that a

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<v Speaker 1>life is only as important as the impact that it

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<v Speaker 1>has on others. And that's what I endeavor to do,

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<v Speaker 1>is whatever I can to help someone.

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<v Speaker 3>And if it's through a gift that was passed along.

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<v Speaker 1>To me of being able to play the game and

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<v Speaker 1>the knowledge that I gained from it, then that that

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<v Speaker 1>was a gift.

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<v Speaker 3>And the only way to keep the gift is you

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<v Speaker 3>have to share it.

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<v Speaker 2>I guess you shared it with not only players, but

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<v Speaker 2>coaches because out at and seen a little league Reggie

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<v Speaker 2>Smith's baseball camp, you have certainly taught the teachers.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that's all part of it, you know, the teaching

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<v Speaker 1>aspect of it. They're the ones you can teach an individual,

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<v Speaker 1>but if you teach a coach, you have an opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>to to have an impact and teach thousands. So I

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<v Speaker 1>do spend that kind of time in making sure that

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<v Speaker 1>the teachers of the kids, the instructors of the kids,

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<v Speaker 1>are knowledgeable and they understand their purpose in life.

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<v Speaker 4>Reggie Smith is our guest.

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<v Speaker 2>He's going to be honored in moments in the legends

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<v Speaker 2>of Dodger Baseball. He'll be wearing that beautiful blue jacket

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of his days. And before I let you go,

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<v Speaker 2>since he's standing behind us there, Dusty Baker, I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>you heard about his book and the interviews he's done.

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<v Speaker 2>He said if he was to pick one guy to

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<v Speaker 2>be in a fight with on his side, it would

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<v Speaker 2>be Reggie Smith. What did you think about him saying

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<v Speaker 2>that multiple times?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that's how I feel about him. I would want

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<v Speaker 1>Dusty in my side. He was always there for me

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<v Speaker 1>and definitely missed the clutch. So yeah, I feel the

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<v Speaker 1>same way about Dusty.

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<v Speaker 2>It seems like it's a brotherhood, right. You mentioned Davey

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<v Speaker 2>Lopes you Dusty. It seemed like a brotherhood.

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<v Speaker 3>It is.

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<v Speaker 1>We became brothers because not only we did the same thing,

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<v Speaker 1>but we shared a lot of the same philosophy in

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<v Speaker 1>attitude about how the game should be played.

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<v Speaker 4>All right, Reggie, thanks a lot for the time.

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<v Speaker 2>Congratulations, and don't be afraid to run into Kyle Tucker

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<v Speaker 2>for us.

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<v Speaker 3>You got it, Okay, thank you, doctor Alardy. Yeah, David