WEBVTT - Max Muncy (5-14-26) 

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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>All right, he is public enemy number one in San Francisco,

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<v Speaker 1>but beloved in Los Angeles. Three times World Series Champion,

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<v Speaker 1>the one and only Max Munsey. Max, thanks a lot

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<v Speaker 1>for the time. Appreciate it, of course. I know you

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<v Speaker 1>were looking forward to this all series.

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<v Speaker 2>Sure, whatever you say, Dave.

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<v Speaker 1>What is it about the rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants?

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<v Speaker 1>You've been part of this now since twenty eighteen, you've

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<v Speaker 1>hit more home runs against them, not outside of Nolan

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<v Speaker 1>Aronado and Paul Goldschmid. It just seems like you've you've

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<v Speaker 1>really embraced this rivalry since you became a Dodger.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean it's fun. The games are fun, the atmospheres

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<v Speaker 3>are fun. This is a rivalry that dates all the

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<v Speaker 3>way back to New York. And then you know, it's

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<v Speaker 3>just it's a you know, as a as a baseball fan,

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<v Speaker 3>it's just fun to be a part of these types

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<v Speaker 3>of games, and you know it's fun.

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<v Speaker 2>To play it them.

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<v Speaker 1>I know you're comfortable between the lines, but how comfortable

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<v Speaker 1>are you when you go to San Francisco? Do you

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<v Speaker 1>have to stay quarantined in your room before you get

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<v Speaker 1>to the ballpark.

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<v Speaker 2>No, no, it's nothing like that. You know, as heated.

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<v Speaker 2>It as a rivalry as it is, and.

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<v Speaker 3>You know that the fans may hate, you know, each other,

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<v Speaker 3>every time we play them, it's always been civil, and

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<v Speaker 3>you know, they when you go to San fran they

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<v Speaker 3>you know, those fans will say it, they say, but

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<v Speaker 3>it's it's more in fun and just of the rivalry,

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<v Speaker 3>and it's never it's never.

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<v Speaker 2>Really anything personal, and you don't take it personal.

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<v Speaker 3>It's just, you know, like I said, it's fun to

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<v Speaker 3>be a part of it, and you enjoy it, and

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<v Speaker 3>you know it's it's makes baseball fun.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you take it.

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<v Speaker 1>As a compliment When you're in San Francisco and fans

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<v Speaker 1>are really coming after Max Muncy, that means you did

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<v Speaker 1>something well?

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<v Speaker 3>They say, if you're booing you, then you know you've

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<v Speaker 3>done something good. You know, I don't know if that's

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<v Speaker 3>the case. You know, going back to what they're saying,

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<v Speaker 3>it's just fun to be a part of that. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's it's something you look forward to or you know,

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<v Speaker 3>you just you really enjoy playing in those games.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the great images of this rivalry of the

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<v Speaker 1>last fifteen years of worres was the home run you

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<v Speaker 1>hit against Mattison Bumgardner. We're now that he's retired, Where

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<v Speaker 1>did you guys leave your relationship, your competitive relationship. Did

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<v Speaker 1>you guys ever talk about that moment?

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<v Speaker 3>No, you know, we never talked about it, but there

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<v Speaker 3>was never any hard feelings between us. And you know,

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<v Speaker 3>and I've always understood that. I think he understands that

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<v Speaker 3>when he's on the mound, he's he's a competitor.

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<v Speaker 2>He's a fiery competitor.

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<v Speaker 3>That was something I always respected about him was he

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<v Speaker 3>was always doing his best out there and he wasn't

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<v Speaker 3>gonna let anything get in his way. And you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I like to play the same way. And that's really

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<v Speaker 3>all it was. It was just a heated moment on

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<v Speaker 3>the field. And you know, again, nothing personal. It's just

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<v Speaker 3>something that happened. And you know, I've never talked to

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<v Speaker 3>him about it, but you know, I've never heard anything said,

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<v Speaker 3>so you know, as far as I know, it was

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<v Speaker 3>just he probably feels the same way.

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<v Speaker 2>It's just one of those moments that was on the field.

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<v Speaker 1>Has the rivalry since you've been part of it evolved,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean we see a lot of guys hugging out

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<v Speaker 1>there on the basis. It seems like there's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of crossover these days. Is there still that tension when

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<v Speaker 1>first pa just thrown?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think that's just the game of baseball, you know.

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<v Speaker 3>I think baseball has evolved to there's not so many

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<v Speaker 3>of those moments where it's, hey, you can't talk to

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<v Speaker 3>this team, you can't talk to this guy, And yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I think that's good for the sport. I think, uh,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, just everyone's trying to grow the game, or

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<v Speaker 3>one's trying to have fun out there, and everyone's trying

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<v Speaker 3>to compete, and.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I just I think it's just baseball evolving.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let's fast forward to twenty twenty six. I

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<v Speaker 1>mentioned to you that I heard Blue Jays manager John

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<v Speaker 1>Schneider say the other day that teams are pitching the

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<v Speaker 1>Blue Jays a lot differently than a year ago. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you feel like teams are pitching the Dodgers differently this

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<v Speaker 1>year than they did a year ago.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, it's been that way for several years, several

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<v Speaker 3>years for us. I don't know if that's just a

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<v Speaker 3>report that's gotten out about us about how we prepare

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<v Speaker 3>how we game plan, and you know, guys changed teams,

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<v Speaker 3>and so I don't know if that's gotten out there,

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<v Speaker 3>but uh, we started noticing that years ago. Teams have

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<v Speaker 3>always pitched us differently. They go off game plan, they

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<v Speaker 3>go off scotting important. It's tough because you try to

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<v Speaker 3>prepare a certain way and when teams flip the script

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<v Speaker 3>on you, it makes it really tough.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, these are big league players. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>the guy is saying that.

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<v Speaker 3>Everyone always says it's the guys any other team, Drave

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<v Speaker 3>Mercedes too, you know, and that's that's a true fact.

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<v Speaker 2>These are the best players in the world.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, I know we're a really good team,

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<v Speaker 3>but those everyone in Major League Baseball is good and

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<v Speaker 3>so when they do something that you're not completely prepared for,

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<v Speaker 3>it makes it challenging. And you know, like I said,

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<v Speaker 3>we've noticed that for the last several years.

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<v Speaker 2>That's just how it's been.

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<v Speaker 3>And especially when it gets closed to playoff time. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>if you face a team that you might face in

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<v Speaker 3>the playoffs, they always pitch you a completely different way,

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<v Speaker 3>knowing that they're not going to pitch you that way

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<v Speaker 3>in the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 1>Even though you guys have not hit the way you

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<v Speaker 1>will hit. Pitching in defense has gotten you to the

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<v Speaker 1>top of the NL West this year.

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<v Speaker 2>You went particular.

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<v Speaker 1>If you look at every other high end analytic category,

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<v Speaker 1>you're at the top as far as all the third

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<v Speaker 1>basement out there. Do you feel like the shape that

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<v Speaker 1>you came into this season that's the area that we're

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<v Speaker 1>seeing it the most.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, probably in terms of defense. I think for me,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just.

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<v Speaker 3>The the understanding of all the techniques that I've been

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<v Speaker 3>trying to practice over the years is finally starting to

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<v Speaker 3>click in the game.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm finally able.

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<v Speaker 3>To start moving fluidly out there and freely and just

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<v Speaker 3>having fun. And I'm not getting stressed every time a

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<v Speaker 3>ball is hit. And you know, that's something that it

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<v Speaker 3>just takes time. You know, when I did my work

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<v Speaker 3>over the last several years, I was always perfect, and

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<v Speaker 3>it just it was finding a way to get that

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<v Speaker 3>translate into the game. You know, whether it's my throwing,

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<v Speaker 3>my footwork, you know how I'm approaching certain balls, And

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<v Speaker 3>this year everything's clicked for me and everything. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>there's been no second thoughts on any of the plays,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, there's been one or two plays where

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<v Speaker 3>i haven't done it perfectly, and it's I've still been

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<v Speaker 3>able to make it work because.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just moving freely.

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<v Speaker 3>And for me, that was always the biggest thing over

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<v Speaker 3>the years was trying to get my work to translate

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<v Speaker 3>into the game, and that's something.

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<v Speaker 2>That can only happen with reps and just time.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, even though I've been playing third base

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<v Speaker 3>every day for the last several years, it's still not

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<v Speaker 3>my position.

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<v Speaker 2>It wasn't a position I came up playing.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, I've taken a lot of pride in

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<v Speaker 3>the work that I've put into it, and I've grown

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<v Speaker 3>to love playing third base. I really do love going

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<v Speaker 3>out there every single night and playing third base. I've

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<v Speaker 3>It's just something that I've grown to love over the years.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the reaction time has got to be instantaneous. You

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<v Speaker 1>had one of the biggest plays in Game seven of

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<v Speaker 1>the World Series on a hot shot to the hot corner.

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<v Speaker 1>Have you always had those type of reflexes.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, that's what's funny is you know, my defense the

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<v Speaker 3>last several years, the one thing that always has been

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<v Speaker 3>at the top has been my first step. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>I've always been one of the quickest in baseball and

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<v Speaker 3>getting off the ball. It was just getting getting everything

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<v Speaker 3>else to translate with that, and so at third you

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<v Speaker 3>need the reaction time and that's that's always something that

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<v Speaker 3>I have had, So that's helped.

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<v Speaker 2>Me out, all right.

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<v Speaker 1>So Will Smith is leading off for the first time

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<v Speaker 1>in his major league career. Does that mean Max Munsey

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<v Speaker 1>can go back to second base?

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<v Speaker 2>If needed?

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<v Speaker 3>I can always go back to second base. And it's

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<v Speaker 3>actually almost happened a couple of times this year. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>there there's been a couple of times where Freddie was

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<v Speaker 3>going to go to third base and I was gonna

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<v Speaker 3>go to second base. And you know, second base is

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<v Speaker 3>position that's always been natural to me, and so I

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<v Speaker 3>can go back over there at any time, and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>the coaching staff knows that, so you know they feel

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<v Speaker 3>comfortable doing that.

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<v Speaker 1>Any advice for Will Smith leading off tonight, No.

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<v Speaker 2>No advice.

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<v Speaker 3>I let off a couple of times and I didn't

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<v Speaker 3>know what to do, So I'm not the guy to

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<v Speaker 3>asked for advice. You know, I don't know if you

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<v Speaker 3>take the first pitch, you swing at the first pitch,

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know. But you know, nowadays, the first pitch

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<v Speaker 3>of the game is no longer guaranteed fastball as as

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<v Speaker 3>we've been seeing a bunch of this year, So yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I got no advice for him on that one.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Max, Well, thank you for stopping. Always great

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<v Speaker 1>to catch up with you, and I know uh Dodger fans,

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<v Speaker 1>LA fans appreciate everything that you've given the team and

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<v Speaker 1>how much you want to be here and obviously it's

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<v Speaker 1>translating this season, So thank you of course anytime