WEBVTT - Will Smith (4-29-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>The Dodgers and Marlins are wrapping up this three game series.

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<v Speaker 1>The Dodgers wrapping up thirteen in a row, and we're

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<v Speaker 1>joining right now by three time World Series champion America's

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<v Speaker 1>catcher himself.

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<v Speaker 2>Will Smith.

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<v Speaker 1>Will thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, of course, nice and early this morning.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm so lucky that you actually made it into the

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<v Speaker 1>parking lot. It's a struggle for even the players to

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<v Speaker 1>get in on an early day.

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<v Speaker 3>I know I was stuck behind fifty buses this morning.

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<v Speaker 2>It was crazy. Will.

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<v Speaker 1>You had to miss a couple of games over the

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<v Speaker 1>weekend with a stiffness in your back. How much is

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<v Speaker 1>that just getting back into the normal routine of a season.

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<v Speaker 1>Is it something that you're going to have to manage

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<v Speaker 1>the rest of the season.

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<v Speaker 3>I have no idea. Yeah, just stiffened up that first

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<v Speaker 3>game against Chicago. We were just trying to play it smart,

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<v Speaker 3>not letting it worse, trying to take you a couple

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<v Speaker 3>of days just to get it right. Still feel a

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<v Speaker 3>little bit, but you know, good enough to play last time,

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<v Speaker 3>obviously good enough to play this morning if I needed to.

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<v Speaker 2>But should be back in there in product.

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<v Speaker 1>When you look at the beginning of this season.

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<v Speaker 2>For you.

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<v Speaker 1>You did go play in the World Baseball Classic. There's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of guys that played in that tournament that

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<v Speaker 1>didn't get a lot of at bats. Seems like you're

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<v Speaker 1>starting to get a rhythm at the plate. Did not

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<v Speaker 1>getting as many at bats during that tournament. Do you

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<v Speaker 1>think it affected some guys.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure it could have back to some guys.

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<v Speaker 3>I know some guys were talking about that, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>not not worried about it, but making sure they got

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<v Speaker 3>at bats once they got back to screen training after it.

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<v Speaker 3>For me, I feel like I've got plenty of bats.

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<v Speaker 3>I was ready to go. Yeah, I know, haven't been great,

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<v Speaker 3>say a role, not being bad, but just kind of

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<v Speaker 3>surviving just one of those months for me. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>that's more to some mechanical stuff swing wise, just cleaning

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<v Speaker 3>some things up as opposed to timing or anything like that.

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<v Speaker 3>But that's hard to op continue to work, and you know.

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<v Speaker 1>On hitch Com the Dodgers have preached having this overarching

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<v Speaker 1>big picture while also trying to win each and every day.

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<v Speaker 1>At this stage of your career, it's hard to believe

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<v Speaker 1>that you broke in in twenty nineteen. But how do

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<v Speaker 1>you manage at this stage of your career trying to

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<v Speaker 1>be ready every day but also understanding it's about October two.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's you know.

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<v Speaker 3>I kind of let I let Doc in the front

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<v Speaker 3>office handle more so.

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<v Speaker 1>He invited me to sit down key key hernandez.

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<v Speaker 2>Geez.

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<v Speaker 3>No for me, I let the you know, doc handle

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<v Speaker 3>that big picture stuff. When he approaches me, it comes up.

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<v Speaker 3>I usually have to agree with them, just because you know,

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<v Speaker 3>he's thinking about everything.

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<v Speaker 2>But now I'm going one day at a time. I

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<v Speaker 2>want to be on the every day. I want to

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<v Speaker 2>try to win every game. That's our job, and kind

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<v Speaker 2>of let them handle that part. Have you.

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<v Speaker 1>I know you're a guy that once the season was over,

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<v Speaker 1>you didn't take any victory labs. That's just who you are.

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<v Speaker 1>But I don't feel like people appreciate the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>you caught every single inning of the World Series, including

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<v Speaker 1>eighteen innings. How long did it take you during the

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<v Speaker 1>offseason to recover through all that?

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<v Speaker 3>A while, I was pretty sore for a good month

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<v Speaker 3>or so, you know, starting to work out or definitely

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<v Speaker 3>didn't have my legs under me.

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<v Speaker 2>But this is part of it, It's part of it.

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<v Speaker 3>It's all worth it. I celebrated a little bit. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I wasn't not taking laughs, but I had a good time.

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<v Speaker 1>Did you just keep it tight circle with the Smith family?

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<v Speaker 3>No, I was saying out the guys. I just don't

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<v Speaker 3>plaster all over social media. I just keep it to myself.

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<v Speaker 1>Nobody's asked you this. So you hit the go ahead,

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<v Speaker 1>eventual winning home run in Game seven last year, What

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<v Speaker 1>did you keep from that moment? Do you have the baseball?

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<v Speaker 1>Do you have the bat that you hit the home

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<v Speaker 1>run with?

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<v Speaker 3>I wish I honestly don't know where the bat went.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm sure it got authenticated, but I don't remember which

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<v Speaker 3>one it was or anything like that. But no, I

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<v Speaker 3>just got just the memories, that's all.

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<v Speaker 1>I've got pretty good memories for Will Smith and the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 1>Here here's something else that I wonder if you ever,

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<v Speaker 1>like have a chance to it back and reflect on

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<v Speaker 1>the fact that you're catching one of, if not the

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<v Speaker 1>greatest player in the history of the game, like last

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<v Speaker 1>night in Otani. What's it like catching him now since

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<v Speaker 1>he's back to being a full time pitcher.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's it's it's fun. Obviously, he's the best player ever.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, he's super talented, goes out there every day, competes,

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<v Speaker 3>gives it everything he's got. You just got a good

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<v Speaker 3>feel for the game, you know, last night we had

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<v Speaker 3>a good feel what they're trying to do or just

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<v Speaker 3>counterating it, and he's out there just executing. But uh no,

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<v Speaker 3>we get along great. That he's fun to work with.

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<v Speaker 1>Has he ever opened your eyes to something now that

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<v Speaker 1>he's pitching to maybe point out some of the nuances

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<v Speaker 1>of attacking hitters or the game itself. As far as

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<v Speaker 1>the dialogue you have with each other, yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>All the time. I think all the pitchers do that.

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<v Speaker 2>You know.

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<v Speaker 3>If I see something, I tell them. If they see something,

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<v Speaker 3>they tell me, And it's just a conversation. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>what we're seeing, how they're trying to attack those rotationally

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<v Speaker 3>aggressive or where they're looking, you know, whatever they're trying

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<v Speaker 3>to do. Are they in a team team approach or

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<v Speaker 3>not a team approach?

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<v Speaker 2>You know?

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<v Speaker 3>So sometimes I'm wrong, sometimes the picture's wrong. Sometimes we're

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<v Speaker 3>both right or both wrong, and then that's when Mark's

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<v Speaker 3>got to.

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<v Speaker 2>Step in or something.

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<v Speaker 3>But no, I think I think it's just a conversation.

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<v Speaker 3>It's good we trust each other. I think all the

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<v Speaker 3>pictures pretty much, trust me. So it's been good.

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<v Speaker 2>All right.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for the time. We'll appreciate it. I'll break the

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<v Speaker 1>news to you now. I'm staying back from this road trip,

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<v Speaker 1>so I hope that you're able to navigate life without me.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we'll be okay.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, thanks a lot, Thanks Will.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks, there he goes.

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<v Speaker 1>Will Smith has been our guest. He'll receive a gift

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<v Speaker 1>card to Capitol Grill. Mother's Day is coming up. You

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<v Speaker 1>want to make your reservation now at one of the

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<v Speaker 1>many Capitol Grill locations, especially Burbank. We'll send it back

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<v Speaker 1>to you in the studio, Tim