WEBVTT - Blake Snell (9-5-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 1>This guy is on everybody's radar now, but he has

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<v Speaker 1>not forgotten the little people, the guys that were there

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<v Speaker 1>since day one. And that is my guy, Snellzilla, who

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<v Speaker 1>is in disguise with a hoodie over his head because

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<v Speaker 1>everybody wants a piece of the two times. two-time Cy

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<v Speaker 1>Young Award winner, a guy that's thrown a no-hitter in

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<v Speaker 1>his career, and a World Series champion. That's the one

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<v Speaker 1>and only Blake Snell. Thanks a lot for the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think everybody now knows.

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<v Speaker 2>That you're joining us. You're a wild boy, man. Smelling

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<v Speaker 2>the best.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks to you, Snellzilla.

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<v Speaker 2>I got you with the cologne. Thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that was the condition, right? You said, I

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<v Speaker 1>need a good-smelling... interview, so I'm going to spray you

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<v Speaker 1>with some of my top shelf stuff.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, you got some Baccarat on, so yeah, you'll be

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<v Speaker 3>smelling nice all day.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much. And you were smelling nice last

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<v Speaker 1>night after the game, six shutty against one of the

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<v Speaker 1>best offenses in baseball. When you look at a game

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<v Speaker 1>like last night, how much do you dissect or do

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<v Speaker 1>you move on?

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<v Speaker 3>No, like I'll think about the next couple of days

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<v Speaker 3>of what I could have done better and where.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought that I did really good.

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<v Speaker 3>And then, you know, you create a plan of, okay,

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<v Speaker 3>what are the areas that need to get better and

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<v Speaker 3>what are the areas that need to stay consistent and

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<v Speaker 3>continue to improve that gradually. And it's kind of what

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<v Speaker 3>I do. So a lot of today is just really thinking,

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<v Speaker 3>going over, really like understanding the way I felt in

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<v Speaker 3>situations and then how to build and grow on them.

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<v Speaker 1>I never asked you this before. I know you do

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<v Speaker 1>your homework we see the snailzilla binder and the way

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<v Speaker 1>you dissect a lineup before you go into a start

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<v Speaker 1>but how much do you visualize success before a start.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh yeah it's a good amount um.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah i just i don't know i just think of

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<v Speaker 3>myself as the best in the world and that's what

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<v Speaker 3>i want to be and that's what i'm chasing on

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<v Speaker 3>being and that's all i really care about yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you feel that there are still doubts after everything

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<v Speaker 1>you've accomplished in your career? People still doubt what you

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<v Speaker 1>can do?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, but they don't know me, so it don't matter.

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<v Speaker 1>Hunter Fadusha told me in Detroit, he said, having a

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<v Speaker 1>pregame meeting with you is one of the most enlightening,

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<v Speaker 1>greatest pregame meetings with a pitcher he's ever been part

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<v Speaker 1>of because you have a plan when you walk into

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<v Speaker 1>that room and you go down the lineup. And I

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<v Speaker 1>asked him whether it's like, a rap cadence like what's

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<v Speaker 1>the cadence of the whole meeting and he said yeah

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<v Speaker 1>there's a little there's a rhythm to the whole thing.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah there's definitely a rhythm um but yeah I like

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<v Speaker 3>to go into it knowing you know where I'm going

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<v Speaker 3>to attack where my success is going to be where

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<v Speaker 3>I'm going to need to challenge them and their strengths

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<v Speaker 3>and and then you the game will tell you you

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<v Speaker 3>know you feel the game out and you go through

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<v Speaker 3>it it'll tell you what you need to do when

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<v Speaker 3>you need to you know get on the accelerator versus

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<v Speaker 3>be more passive and Yeah, it's pitching.

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<v Speaker 1>And you call your own pitches with the Pitchcom. How

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<v Speaker 1>much has that helped you in just getting everybody on

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<v Speaker 1>the same page?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I love it because if I go up a

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<v Speaker 3>hit or if anything bad happens, you know, it's on me.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not on the catcher. It's on me.

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<v Speaker 3>I can't be here like, why didn't you call it?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I'm the one calling it. So I love it.

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<v Speaker 3>Lake Snell is our guest.

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<v Speaker 1>When you look at this whole staff, it feels like

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<v Speaker 1>you guys really feed off each other. What kind of

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<v Speaker 1>competition in a good way is there amongst yourselves, Scooble, Glassnow,

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<v Speaker 1>and Yamamoto?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, it's amazing. You got four, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>ace starters.

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<v Speaker 3>And we're all competing against each other, but we're all

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<v Speaker 3>pushing for each other to be great. You know, set

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<v Speaker 3>the bar high and the next person to set it

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<v Speaker 3>even higher. So... I've loved the staff since I've been

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<v Speaker 3>here with Glass, Yama, Shohei. I've really loved our starting staff.

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<v Speaker 3>I think we all get along. We all support each other.

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<v Speaker 3>We're all pushing in the same direction. We all want

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<v Speaker 3>to be great, and that's an amazing thing. And then

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<v Speaker 3>now adding Scooble to the mix, I mean, he's fitting perfectly,

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<v Speaker 3>and he's only getting better. He's getting more comfortable. He's

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<v Speaker 3>starting to get his understanding of the game. We're starting

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<v Speaker 3>to understand what he likes to do. It takes a

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<v Speaker 3>little bit of time, so... Let that time happen, and then,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, he's been pitching good anyways, but I know

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<v Speaker 3>he's going to pitch even better.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, do you feel like we've seen the best of

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<v Speaker 1>Scooble yet?

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<v Speaker 3>No, I think, I mean, tough first innings has been

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<v Speaker 3>kind of the cadence with him lately, and, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's just him feeling it out. Once he gets going

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<v Speaker 3>and gets that rhythm and, you know, he's comfortable, he's

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<v Speaker 3>going to be, you know, the Scooble everyone talks about.

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<v Speaker 1>He set up a dinner for you guys in Detroit.

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<v Speaker 1>How far does that go with teammates for a guy

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<v Speaker 1>that's new to the team to really want to be

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<v Speaker 1>part of it and invite you guys out and put

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<v Speaker 1>something together in his old city?

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<v Speaker 3>No, it was awesome.

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<v Speaker 2>And the food was amazing.

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<v Speaker 3>And honestly, it was so good for us to get

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<v Speaker 3>out and be a team and just talk and hang

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<v Speaker 3>out and be friends. And no, that was awesome. And

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<v Speaker 3>that was such a big thing for him to think

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<v Speaker 3>of the team and do that.

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<v Speaker 1>And that means a lot for him, for you to

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<v Speaker 1>show up because Blake Snell really doesn't leave his room

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<v Speaker 1>that often.

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<v Speaker 3>I'll be playing 2K. I'll be playing NCAA. You get

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<v Speaker 3>the smoke whenever you want it. Right now, my 2K

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<v Speaker 3>build is trash. I got to fix that. But yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>when it comes to a team event, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 3>be there.

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<v Speaker 1>That's another perception that's not accurate. Just how much you

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<v Speaker 1>want to be part of the team. It's not just

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<v Speaker 1>about you.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I don't know where that comes from. Probably people

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<v Speaker 3>that don't know me, but... I've always been a team player,

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<v Speaker 3>and I've always been all about the team. So the

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<v Speaker 3>people that say that, say differently, they don't know me.

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<v Speaker 2>So why are you listening to them?

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<v Speaker 1>That's right. This is the only place where you can

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<v Speaker 1>find out what the great Snellzilla is all about. I

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<v Speaker 1>think Tarek Skubal's found out some things about you. It

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<v Speaker 1>feels like he has your back as well because he

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<v Speaker 1>said the same thing. People that have this perception of

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<v Speaker 1>you don't really know you. He's found out a lot

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<v Speaker 1>about you.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, no, we've grown a really good friendship thus far.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm excited to see where that goes. I think it's

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<v Speaker 3>only going to make us better and stronger for the

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<v Speaker 3>postseason if all of us starters are really connected and close.

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<v Speaker 2>Is it weird?

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<v Speaker 1>I know you're still a young man, but you've had

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of experience and you've pitched in a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of big games. For a guy like Scooble to really

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<v Speaker 1>value your opinion and scouting reports, what does that mean?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I don't even think necessarily.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, it's cool that he does, but I think

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<v Speaker 3>he has his plan and his philosophy. And I just

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<v Speaker 3>ask questions and see if that sparks anything for him

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<v Speaker 3>to want to change or keep the same. But, no,

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, he's done all of this on his own.

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<v Speaker 3>And for us, we're just having a conversation, learning from

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<v Speaker 3>each other, from what we've seen and the way we

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<v Speaker 3>felt being on the mound, etc.

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<v Speaker 1>Blake, I know you were telling me after you had

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<v Speaker 1>your bone chips removed that all of a sudden you

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<v Speaker 1>had more range of motion and you were really excited

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<v Speaker 1>for how you could execute your pitches again after being

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<v Speaker 1>hurt for so long. Have you seen that come to

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<v Speaker 1>fruition like the way you were describing it before?

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<v Speaker 2>Have you? I have.

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<v Speaker 1>I have seen it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's why I asked that question. Yeah. Yeah, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>I knew the curveball was going to be ten times better.

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<v Speaker 3>The first time I threw it, it was like the

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<v Speaker 3>way I was throwing it in game, and I was

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<v Speaker 3>just lobbing it. So I was like, this is going

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<v Speaker 3>to be a joke. So, yeah, it's nice finally having

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<v Speaker 3>my curveball back. And it still has so much room

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<v Speaker 3>to get better. You know, I got to keep throwing it,

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<v Speaker 3>and it will just continue to maturate and get better,

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<v Speaker 3>and I'm really looking forward to that.

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<v Speaker 1>When do you know you have that feel? And you

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<v Speaker 1>can't give up on that feel, right, if you don't

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<v Speaker 1>have it in the first innings?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's just confidence, you know?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, there's coaches that have told me to bang

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<v Speaker 3>the changeup. It's not a good pitch. When I didn't

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<v Speaker 3>have the curveball, look what I had, the changeup. And

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<v Speaker 3>look what saved me, the changeup. And look what made me,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, being able to go 6-7-8, the changeup. And

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<v Speaker 3>right now the changeup's good, but the curveball's so good,

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<v Speaker 3>it's just I don't even.

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<v Speaker 2>Know when to throw it. It's that good, you don't

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<v Speaker 2>know when to throw it. Yeah, because I like the curveball.

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<v Speaker 3>The contact on it's weak, if it is contact.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, you certainly have showed that early on where your

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<v Speaker 1>secondary pitches are such a weapon to go off your

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<v Speaker 1>command of the fastball, but isn't that where it starts,

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<v Speaker 1>the command of the fastball?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, the command's everything, and really all the pitches, but

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, I'm chasing like the perfect version of myself,

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<v Speaker 3>so I just, yeah, I don't know how to really express,

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<v Speaker 3>I just have so much work to do. I know

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<v Speaker 3>I do, and I know I can be that, as

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<v Speaker 3>good as I want to be, and That's all I

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<v Speaker 3>care about. I just want to be the best version

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<v Speaker 3>of myself. So when it's all said and done, I

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<v Speaker 3>could just know that I did everything I could to

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<v Speaker 3>be the best version of me.

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<v Speaker 1>Blake Snell is our guest. Before I let you go,

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<v Speaker 1>I got to let you in on something you would appreciate.

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<v Speaker 1>My fifth grade son was at his friend's house. They're

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<v Speaker 1>playing MLB The Show. And they said they put you

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<v Speaker 1>to the test on MLB The Show. And I said, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>did Snellzilla pass? And he laughed. He said, of course

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<v Speaker 1>he did.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, of course it's.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, but honestly, my card in the MLB to show

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<v Speaker 3>is trash. You need a sinker and a cutter to

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<v Speaker 3>be good in that game bitching.

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<v Speaker 1>So you say they're shortchanging you on the card even

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<v Speaker 1>though you pass?

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<v Speaker 3>I just know that he loves me, period. So I

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<v Speaker 3>appreciate that, but that card's trash.

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<v Speaker 2>All right.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, the show, clean it up. You got to give

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<v Speaker 1>Snellzilla some love. Now everybody's texting me. Everybody's calling this

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<v Speaker 1>guy a savant. You should have known that before. You

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<v Speaker 1>got to believe before you see.

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<v Speaker 2>Why are you hating?

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<v Speaker 1>That's right. I'm here for you. Thanks a lot for

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<v Speaker 1>the time. Can't wait to do this again on another show.

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<v Speaker 1>Snellzilla Saturday.

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<v Speaker 2>I can't wait either, man. Appreciate it.