WEBVTT - Kenley Jansen (8-28-26)

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

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<v Speaker 2>Well, there's a lot of storylines with the Dodgers being

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<v Speaker 2>back in Detroit. Obviously, tonight, Tarek Skubal starting for the

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<v Speaker 2>Dodgers back against the Tigers. But the guy that, number one,

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<v Speaker 2>is in my heart is a guy that is the

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<v Speaker 2>all-time saves leader in Dodger franchise history. 350 saves in

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<v Speaker 2>his Dodger career. 493 and counting in his future hall

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<v Speaker 2>of fame career and that's the one and only bright

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<v Speaker 2>lights california love turn on them lights kenley jansen great

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<v Speaker 2>to see you and i don't usually make trips to

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<v Speaker 2>detroit kenley but for you i said i'll come to

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<v Speaker 2>detroit this time.

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<v Speaker 1>Well i told everybody i love you man right on

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<v Speaker 1>there you know thanks for coming thanks for having me

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<v Speaker 1>you know great to see old faces man that's.

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<v Speaker 2>Awesome It was great to see Mookie Betts and Quique

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<v Speaker 2>Hernandez and Travis Smith and Dino Ebel. They all wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to come say hi and give you a big hug.

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<v Speaker 2>How much did that make you feel like old times?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, like that's, those are the people that I'll

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<v Speaker 1>be the longest in my life, in my career with,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, so it's always feel family. You know, this

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<v Speaker 1>organization always will feel.

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<v Speaker 3>Family to me.

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<v Speaker 1>No matter where I end, you know, and how many

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<v Speaker 1>more years I play, you know, the Dodgers will always be,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, my number one team. That's where I spend

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<v Speaker 1>the most time. That's a team who signed me as

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<v Speaker 1>a free agent as a kid, you know, and, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>that's where my whole, most of my legacy is. So,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I will never take that for granted. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>I always have a special place in my heart.

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<v Speaker 2>Kenley Jansen saved more Clayton Kershaw wins than anybody in

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<v Speaker 2>his 18 year career. Is it hard to believe that

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<v Speaker 2>you're still going and Kershaw now is retired?

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<v Speaker 1>That's crazy, man, because my second year in the Gulf Coast,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I catch Kershaw's first game ever, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>as a professional baseball player, you know, and now he's doing,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, interviews and being broadcast, you know, so it's

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<v Speaker 1>good for him, man, good for him that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>he have such a legacy career, three rings for the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable seeing that and being

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<v Speaker 1>a part of that with him.

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<v Speaker 3>And now he's.

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<v Speaker 1>Enjoying his, you know, his time with his family, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>raising his kids.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's awesome. That's what it is about.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, on social media, they show that when you

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<v Speaker 2>were catching him. Do you remember that moment that day?

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<v Speaker 1>Of course I remember him because he crushed me up.

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<v Speaker 1>I met him first. I met him first. I asked

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<v Speaker 1>for a curveball. He threw a fastball and it smoked

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<v Speaker 1>me in my leg. So of course I remember that.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. You can ask him that, too.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you still got the scar.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, probably, yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I still remember how bad it hurt. So

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<v Speaker 1>that's a 97, 98 curse.

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<v Speaker 3>Wow. Yeah, yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, number one, when you say Kenley Jansen, you think

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<v Speaker 2>about the big heart that you have, but you also

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<v Speaker 2>think about your signature pitch, the cut fastball. We still

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<v Speaker 2>got the cut fastball?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's still in the working. It's still, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>helped me do my job and, you know, do great things.

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<v Speaker 1>So for sure.

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<v Speaker 2>When you get this close to 500 saves, I know

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<v Speaker 2>we've talked about this, how important is it to just

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<v Speaker 2>stay in the moment and not get too far ahead

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<v Speaker 2>of yourself?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's definitely tough, you know, because it's such

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<v Speaker 1>a milestone, but, you know, you just don't think about it, man.

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<v Speaker 1>I never think about trying to get a lot of saves.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I always was in a good position, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>Luckily for me, I was with the Dodgers that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we always, you know, have an unbelievable season and, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>happened for me to get a lot of saves so

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just having the same mindset to go out there

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<v Speaker 1>help my team win.

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<v Speaker 2>How have you been able to keep the love for

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<v Speaker 2>the game even after leaving the Dodgers pitching for a

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<v Speaker 2>few different teams how have you kept that love for

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<v Speaker 2>the game?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean you know this is what I love you

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<v Speaker 1>know I grown up as a kid loving baseball and

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<v Speaker 1>I understand it's a game of business and you know

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes you know you don't be with one teams you

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<v Speaker 1>know it's hard for You don't see that a lot

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<v Speaker 1>no more. It's very rarely you see one player be

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<v Speaker 1>with one team. So, you know, I have a great

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<v Speaker 1>time with the Dodgers, and I can remember all the

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<v Speaker 1>great memories. But, you know, of course I still want to,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, be in that competitive side and compete and

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<v Speaker 1>be out there, help my team win. So, yeah, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going to try to do it as long as I

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<v Speaker 1>can because once I stop, you know, I don't want

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<v Speaker 1>to be the guy that regrets that, oh, I've got

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<v Speaker 1>to go.

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<v Speaker 3>A few more years.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>The time will tell me when to stop, and then

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<v Speaker 1>I go home, enjoy my time with my family.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, one day in Cooperstown for Kenley Jansen, who certainly

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<v Speaker 2>is on his way to the Hall of Fame, nearing

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<v Speaker 2>500 saves in his career. I never asked you this before,

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<v Speaker 2>so you got your glove in your hand. Is that

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<v Speaker 2>the same glove that you used when you pitched for

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers?

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<v Speaker 3>No, no, no, Ma.

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<v Speaker 1>Once I stopped with the Dodgers, I stopped with that glove.

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<v Speaker 1>I started with the new gloves. So that glove is

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<v Speaker 1>in my, um, you know, trophy rooms and all this stuff. So, um, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's definitely a different glove now.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>What about the entrance song from the bullpen in the

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<v Speaker 2>ninth inning in Detroit?

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<v Speaker 1>Um, I'm definitely having in the stones by, um, urban fire,

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<v Speaker 1>but yeah, it's just, it's just different.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>I think whenever we hear California love at Dodger stadium,

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<v Speaker 2>everybody remembers Kenley Jansen coming through those gates.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. I mean, you know, like I said, uh, I

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<v Speaker 1>was lucky enough to do it the longest over there

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<v Speaker 1>and the most consistent.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, man, it's awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>All I can say is it was awesome being there

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<v Speaker 1>and wearing that uniform.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, before I let you go, Tarek Skubal's on the

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<v Speaker 2>mound tonight in Detroit. Do you have any advice for

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<v Speaker 2>him on how to handle pitching for the Dodgers now?

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<v Speaker 3>Nah, he's on a good team.

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<v Speaker 1>Trust me, the Dodgers are best in business overall, so

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<v Speaker 1>he has all the help that he needs.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you been watching the last two Octobers or you

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<v Speaker 2>just stay away?

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<v Speaker 3>Last year I watched. Last year I definitely watched.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it was one of the best World Series

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<v Speaker 1>probably I ever watched in my lifestyle. It was amazing

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<v Speaker 1>watching that game six, going to that game seven. So, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I've been watching.

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<v Speaker 2>You were there when Miggy Rowe first started with the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 2>He was an unknown. How hard is it to believe

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<v Speaker 2>that he was the guy, the hero of that World

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<v Speaker 2>Series season?

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<v Speaker 3>That's how baseball works, man.

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<v Speaker 1>It works in so different ways for him, like I say.

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<v Speaker 1>See him young, like you say, nobody knows about him,

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<v Speaker 1>to him go be the leader with the Marlins and

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<v Speaker 1>bring that leadership to the Dodgers, I think, was amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>That time that he went off with the Marlins helped

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<v Speaker 1>him tremendously to know himself and be the leader and

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<v Speaker 1>help be a leader in that clubhouse, I believe.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, Kenley. You know you were a leader of

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<v Speaker 2>that bullpen for a lot of years since you took

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<v Speaker 2>over the closer role in 2012 full-time. I think a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of Dodger fans are hoping maybe one day Kenley

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<v Speaker 2>Jansen will finish his career with the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, you know, that would be a nice story, right?

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<v Speaker 2>That would be a great story.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so the door is always open for me, and

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<v Speaker 1>if it happens... It would be awesome if it doesn't,

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<v Speaker 1>you know. I will always cherish, you know, the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 1>in my heart because once you wear that hat, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>you always be blue, you know. So I always, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>will have that in my heart.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, you're always an L.A.

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<v Speaker 3>Heart.

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<v Speaker 2>That's the number one thing when so many great players

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<v Speaker 2>have come through, but they started, drafted, developed by the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 2>They're the all-time saves leader. for a franchise like the

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<v Speaker 2>Dodgers nobody can ever take that away from you and

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<v Speaker 2>certainly LA has a lot of love for Kenley Jansen

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<v Speaker 2>so thank you for the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah and I have a lot of love for them

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<v Speaker 1>so you know I'll still be watching man so you

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<v Speaker 1>know I wish them nothing but great things.

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<v Speaker 2>One day I'll be in Cooperstown I've never been there

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<v Speaker 2>before but I'll make two trips for 22 and 74

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<v Speaker 2>thanks a lot Kenley

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you thanks for having me David