WEBVTT - Freddie Freeman (2-21-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey or Dodger

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<v Speaker 1>talk well, at this stage of his career, I can

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<v Speaker 1>only get to so many accolades. A National League MVP,

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<v Speaker 1>a World Series MVP, but more importantly a winner, three

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<v Speaker 1>time World Series champion. Freddie Freeman thanks a lot for

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<v Speaker 1>the time. And spring training has arrived. When I see

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<v Speaker 1>that Freddie Freeman smile light up the entire camp.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's it's awesome. It's good to be back, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>you get to see all the guys again, go through

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<v Speaker 2>the grind to start the road to three peats. It's fun.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a beautiful day today and guys are getting to

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<v Speaker 2>work in and we're getting ready to go.

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<v Speaker 1>A year ago, at this time, you were trying to

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<v Speaker 1>come back from ankle surgery. How much happy are you

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<v Speaker 1>now just having a normal off season.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, this is nice. I'm not having to tape bankles,

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<v Speaker 2>get here at five forty five in the morning to

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<v Speaker 2>start treatment, to try and make it out here for practice.

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<v Speaker 2>This is nice. It's nice to have a normal off season,

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<v Speaker 2>get my work in restrictions. It's definitely nice. I like

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<v Speaker 2>these kind off seasons and spring trainings.

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<v Speaker 1>So how much preparation. Do you have to do still

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<v Speaker 1>with the maintenance of your ankle.

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<v Speaker 2>I haven't been in the training room yet. Oh yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>so I feel good. I really do feel good. Everything

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<v Speaker 2>feels good, so I don't need the trainers yet.

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<v Speaker 1>Freddy, I know one of the staples of you working

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<v Speaker 1>out during the off season is never having somebody in

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<v Speaker 1>right field shagging for you. What's the what's the game

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<v Speaker 1>plan for you at this stage of your career in

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<v Speaker 1>spring training?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah? Same, like what you just said. So the last

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<v Speaker 2>the first few days have been really good. Swings in

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<v Speaker 2>a good spot based swings, kind of getting into place.

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<v Speaker 2>Balls are going to left center, live p li VP's

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<v Speaker 2>have been going well. Ltting balls, travel tracks, he pitches,

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<v Speaker 2>trying to slow everything down. Everything it's exciting, so you

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<v Speaker 2>get a little jumpy here, so you got to make

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<v Speaker 2>sure you slow the slow the game down a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit of the same thing. But VP's been going good,

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<v Speaker 2>hitting balls the left center. If I hit all the

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<v Speaker 2>right field, you'll probably see you see you see myself,

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<v Speaker 2>yell at me myself in the cages. But things are

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<v Speaker 2>going well. It's a good start so far.

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<v Speaker 1>Everybody always wants to know what makes Freddy Freeman great

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<v Speaker 1>when the season starts. So how do you approach spring training?

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<v Speaker 2>I like to play, so I'm a guy that will

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<v Speaker 2>get I think we just mapped it out yesterday. I'll

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<v Speaker 2>get forty seven played appearances going into the season. So

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<v Speaker 2>that's the game plan. I like to play. Get the

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<v Speaker 2>feet under me, get the legs under me, shock the

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<v Speaker 2>body when playing back to back to back sometimes in spring,

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<v Speaker 2>but right now, it's just getting the work in, grinding.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, you're timing, trying to get your timing as

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<v Speaker 2>quick as you can. I mean, I was facing my

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<v Speaker 2>seventy one year old dad five days ago, so trying

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<v Speaker 2>to face Roki and Edwin and all those guys and livps.

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<v Speaker 2>So you're just trying to get your working, get your

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<v Speaker 2>timing going, and then get into the games and start

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<v Speaker 2>getting some feel good swings and hits and build your

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<v Speaker 2>confidence going in the season.

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<v Speaker 1>You always come into camp ready. Yeah, but when you

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<v Speaker 1>looked around the clubhouse that first day of full squad,

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<v Speaker 1>how impressed were you by your teammates that seem to

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<v Speaker 1>be ready day one and the work they put in

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<v Speaker 1>as well.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think that's kind of how it is in

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<v Speaker 2>today's game. Everyone's coming in ready to go. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think if you if you started games today, you'd see

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<v Speaker 2>all of us be ready to go and ready to

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<v Speaker 2>go right now. So I think that's huge.

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<v Speaker 1>Guys.

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<v Speaker 2>The mentality has changed in the game in baseball in

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<v Speaker 2>the last twenty years of how you come into spring training.

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<v Speaker 2>Most of us are ready to go by day one,

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<v Speaker 2>So I think that's good. We got a hungry group.

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<v Speaker 2>We know what we're looking forward to, and they grind

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<v Speaker 2>the chances of three feet everyone coming for us. So

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<v Speaker 2>we came in ready. The hunger's here. Everyone's doing a

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<v Speaker 2>great job in the first few days of camp and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, getting ready to start this spring training season

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<v Speaker 2>so far.

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<v Speaker 1>Last year, you guys took everybody's best shot during the

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<v Speaker 1>regular season, but you never waivered. You never overemphasized one

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<v Speaker 1>win or one loss. Do you feel like that serves

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<v Speaker 1>you guys well going into this season.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I think we have a bunch of veteran guys,

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<v Speaker 2>so we know we're going to go through the ups

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<v Speaker 2>and down and you know, obviously there's worse ways to

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<v Speaker 2>lose during the course of a season, but we're not

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<v Speaker 2>gonna win every game. That's just kind of how it goes,

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<v Speaker 2>So you take the hits when you take the hits.

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<v Speaker 2>Like last August, we weren't playing that good of baseball,

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<v Speaker 2>and then we got some guys back off the il

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<v Speaker 2>and we started playing good, and we played good in

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<v Speaker 2>the postseason. So I know when fans are watching, they're

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<v Speaker 2>hanging on in episode or we believe me, we are

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<v Speaker 2>not happy if we lose a game. But and you

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<v Speaker 2>just got to know, it's a one sixty two grind.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, some days, Doc there's not relievers available, and

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<v Speaker 2>most fans and people don't know who's available and who's

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<v Speaker 2>not available. So we do a great job of trying

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<v Speaker 2>to keep everyone healthy as through the course of the

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<v Speaker 2>year as best as we can while we're trying to

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<v Speaker 2>win baseball games. And I think the fans that watch

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<v Speaker 2>us play know that, you know, we give out our

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<v Speaker 2>all every day. You guys are out there seeing us

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<v Speaker 2>work at two o'clock in the afternoon getting ready for

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<v Speaker 2>seven o'clock games. We love it. We grind, but you

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<v Speaker 2>can take things from wins and then you can also

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<v Speaker 2>just move on from wins and losses a bit differently

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<v Speaker 2>during the course of season. So but the thing is

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<v Speaker 2>is I've always tried to harp on you got to

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<v Speaker 2>win that game that night because you can sell it.

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<v Speaker 2>Last year we had one less win than the Blue

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<v Speaker 2>Jays during the course of the World Series regular season,

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<v Speaker 2>so we didn't have home field advantage. So there is

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<v Speaker 2>those things that you got to be mindful of. And

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<v Speaker 2>you know, don't ever take a pitch off. We don't.

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<v Speaker 2>But if you do lose a game, sometimes you just

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<v Speaker 2>push it this side and worry about.

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<v Speaker 1>The next one. Freddy Freeman coming off back to back

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<v Speaker 1>World Series championships, two consecutive World Series with walk off

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<v Speaker 1>home runs. I'm curious. I know you're a big baseball fan,

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<v Speaker 1>your boys are big baseball fans. How much did you

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<v Speaker 1>replay Game six in Game seven? Or did you kind

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<v Speaker 1>of stay away from it? Oh?

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I don't know how many times someone has

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<v Speaker 2>come up to me and said, what a great series.

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<v Speaker 2>That was such a fun series to watch, And I'm like,

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<v Speaker 2>it wasn't a fun series to play. Okay, there was

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<v Speaker 2>about eighty different times we could have lost Games six

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<v Speaker 2>and seven. But that's what's so beautiful about this game

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<v Speaker 2>and about the season and that run was we got

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<v Speaker 2>out of so many situations. We found different ways to win.

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<v Speaker 2>We won differently than we did in twenty twenty four

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<v Speaker 2>as well. You sold Glass coming out of the bullpen

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<v Speaker 2>that he's never done. You have Yoshinoba doing superhero things.

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<v Speaker 2>You have Blake coming out of bullpens. It was just amazing.

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<v Speaker 2>Robleski's stepping up. There's so many different things that happened

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<v Speaker 2>that it took the whole team to win the World

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<v Speaker 2>Series last year, and I think that's what's pretty cool.

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<v Speaker 2>And obviously we're going to try and do it a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit differently this year and you know, put it

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<v Speaker 2>all together, so we're not leaning on starting pitching like

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<v Speaker 2>we did last year or bullpen and offense ye report,

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe I'll just do it all perfectly this year this

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<v Speaker 2>year and everyone contributes perfectly going into another World Series win, well.

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<v Speaker 1>The rest of the offense should take a cue from

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<v Speaker 1>Freddy Freeman. Keep it simple, that's.

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<v Speaker 2>The goal, and sometimes it's hard to keep it simple

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<v Speaker 2>in this game. Your mind, this is the hardest part

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<v Speaker 2>the brain in this game. So keep it simple and

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<v Speaker 2>stick with your plan and approach and your routine, and

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<v Speaker 2>usually the big things will take care of themselves and

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<v Speaker 2>you'd stick to.

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<v Speaker 1>The little things. Before I let you go. Kyle Tucker,

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<v Speaker 1>what are you your first impressions of him and having

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<v Speaker 1>him in the lineup somewhere in the orbit of Freddie Freeman.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's nice. That's gonna be a tough lineup to navigate.

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<v Speaker 2>Was four straight All Stars, superstar player to come onto

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<v Speaker 2>our team. We got a great group of guys here

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<v Speaker 2>and trying to make him feel welcome as soon as

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<v Speaker 2>we can. And I think he's doing a great job

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<v Speaker 2>fitting in. It's gonna be a fun season with him

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<v Speaker 2>for the next few years.

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<v Speaker 1>Were you surprised how people reacted to you saying at

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<v Speaker 1>FanFest that you wanted to play four more years. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>you have not slowed down one bit. I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>why anybody would be surprised.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I don't. I obviously don't really read what's going on.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that a thing everybody's like, Oh, he wants to

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<v Speaker 1>play four more years?

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<v Speaker 2>Want me to stop there sooner?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't. I certainly don't. You're a legacy Dodger at

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<v Speaker 1>this point.

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<v Speaker 2>Appreciate that. Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know when you're

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<v Speaker 2>you got kids, and you know, obviously I love playing

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<v Speaker 2>this game. I love it to death. So but I've

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<v Speaker 2>played a long time, so I have like is for

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<v Speaker 2>the number that like it's a dead stop or do

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<v Speaker 2>I even get there? Who knows, but that's in my mind.

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<v Speaker 2>That's kind of the rough estiment. So if I stay

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<v Speaker 2>healthy and I'm playing, we'll see what the kids want

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<v Speaker 2>me to do. But I'm not sure if Chelsea wants

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<v Speaker 2>me to keep flying and traveling every other week during

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<v Speaker 2>the season. But I love my family. I like to

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<v Speaker 2>be home with them, but I also love this game.

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<v Speaker 2>But I've played a long time, so four is just

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<v Speaker 2>a number that's kind of out there, floated in my head.

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<v Speaker 2>But we'll see how the next few years.

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<v Speaker 1>Ago. I'm a big advocate Freddie Freeman four more years

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<v Speaker 1>and Dodger Blue, so we'll get to that. And also Andrew.

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<v Speaker 1>I think Andrews, I'll trust me, He'll hear the show.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll be saying this often like I already have. And

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<v Speaker 1>since Clayton's no longer with the team, I'll be the

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<v Speaker 1>guy checking off the boxes of Freddie Freeman's career the

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<v Speaker 1>next four years.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, I like that I was doing it for Clayton,

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<v Speaker 2>so I need someone to do it for me.

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<v Speaker 1>Now. Can I be the counter still you can be.

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<v Speaker 2>The counter, all right. Just don't tell me every day though.

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<v Speaker 1>To see you out here, Freddie, thanks a lot for

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<v Speaker 1>the time. You know how much Los Angeles loves you

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<v Speaker 1>and keep it going, mister consistent.

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<v Speaker 2>I appreciate it. Thank you, David very much. See you

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<v Speaker 2>guys soon.

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<v Speaker 1>Fans,