WEBVTT - Chase Utley (8-21-26) 

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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>The Dodgers are back for a short three game series,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's always great to see a guy that belongs

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<v Speaker 1>in Cooperstown. One day. Right now though, he's helping Andrew

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<v Speaker 1>Freeman and the Dodgers out, and that's the great Chase

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<v Speaker 1>ut Lee, thanks a lot for the time.

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<v Speaker 2>Appreciate it, I say, it's always a pleasure to talk

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<v Speaker 2>with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, I love your Gucci sunglasses. Do you wear those

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<v Speaker 1>in Philly?

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<v Speaker 2>These are my what these are actually my wife's glasses.

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<v Speaker 2>I lost my shades. No way, Yeah, what do you

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<v Speaker 2>think I think?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah? Yeah, those are unisex right there, I feel clearly,

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<v Speaker 1>I hope. So. Hey, uh, I haven't talked to you

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<v Speaker 1>since he came back from Philly and inducted into the

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<v Speaker 1>Phillies Hall of Fame. What was that experience like to

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<v Speaker 1>be back with guys that obviously you respect and they respect.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was. It was a great weekend a few

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<v Speaker 2>weeks ago. Yeah, it was great to see some old teammates,

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<v Speaker 2>some old coaches, just some old friends in general. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I spent the majority of my career in Philly. I

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<v Speaker 2>don't know. Eighty percent of my career I played in

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<v Speaker 2>Philadelphia and love loved every second of it. We won

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<v Speaker 2>a World championship, So yes, it was great to be back.

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<v Speaker 1>I remember the first day you joined the Dodgers. We

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<v Speaker 1>were in Houston when the trade happened and you showed

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<v Speaker 1>up for the first time. How much of that team

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<v Speaker 1>culture did you bring to that Dodger team.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I tried to do I try to do my thing.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know how much. I feel like there were

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<v Speaker 2>some young players on the team that definitely matured over

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<v Speaker 2>the time that I was there. Hopefully I had a

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<v Speaker 2>little little bit to do with it, but I guess

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<v Speaker 2>you'd have to ask them.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you still keep in contact with any of those

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<v Speaker 1>guys a little bit?

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<v Speaker 2>Not as much as I'd like to. I mean, we

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<v Speaker 2>all kind of go in several ways now we all

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<v Speaker 2>have families living all over the country. But definitely when

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<v Speaker 2>I when I see them, there's there's some good conversations

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<v Speaker 2>that we have.

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<v Speaker 1>You obviously are close to the situation or closer to

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<v Speaker 1>the situation with the twenty six Dodgers. Can you describe

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<v Speaker 1>to us what it's like at this stage back to

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<v Speaker 1>back champions, you know, going through August and trying to

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<v Speaker 1>find a way to get that motivation for the stretch.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, this is the time of year where it starts

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<v Speaker 2>to matter a little bit, a little bit more. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers are playing some pretty good baseball, but from

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<v Speaker 2>what I've seen the work that they're putting in, they're

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<v Speaker 2>trying to continue to improve. As long as Possum is

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<v Speaker 2>here massaging people, that's all that really matters.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, how many massages did you get or did you

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<v Speaker 1>stay away from the trainer?

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<v Speaker 2>I stayed away from I try to stay away from

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<v Speaker 2>the trans room as much as possible, but I do

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<v Speaker 2>check in with Possum occasionally.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, is the dog days of August a real thing?

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<v Speaker 2>It is a real thing. I mean, it's hot, it's

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<v Speaker 2>great hitting weather, but the season is a grind and

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<v Speaker 2>it takes some experience to figure out how to maneuver

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<v Speaker 2>during this time of year. Obviously, September you can see

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<v Speaker 2>the light at the end of the tunnel, but this

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<v Speaker 2>is that time you've got to dig down deep and

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<v Speaker 2>figure out a way to win.

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<v Speaker 1>You were behind the cage today, Kyle Tucker, only for

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<v Speaker 1>the second time this year, taking batting practice out on

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<v Speaker 1>the field. How much have you paid attention to what's

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<v Speaker 1>going on with him and what is him coming out

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<v Speaker 1>taking BP like and changing his routine?

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<v Speaker 2>Uh?

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<v Speaker 1>Do for him?

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<v Speaker 2>Well? I mean as a hitter, hitting hitt is tough,

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<v Speaker 2>especially at the at the major league level. So uh yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>the fact that he's changing it up a bit, you

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<v Speaker 2>can you get him right back on track. Baseball is

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<v Speaker 2>a funny game. Sometimes you feel like you're doing everything

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<v Speaker 2>in the right way and you don't get any any results.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes you just have to switch it up a bit.

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<v Speaker 1>Did you ever have anything like that where you got

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<v Speaker 1>out of your routine you were so routine oriented, or

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<v Speaker 1>did you feel like just sticking to your process was

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<v Speaker 1>the best way.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, for the most part, I stuck to my process,

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<v Speaker 2>But there are iterations throughout the course of my career

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<v Speaker 2>that I would change a little bit, whether I saw

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<v Speaker 2>someone else doing it or it was just a thought

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<v Speaker 2>process in my mind. And you play with little things

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<v Speaker 2>throughout the course of the ara to try to fine

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<v Speaker 2>tune it all and as you develop, as you get

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<v Speaker 2>older and gain a little bit more experience, and you

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<v Speaker 2>hopefully find a routine that works for you.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you feel like at this stage of the season,

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<v Speaker 1>he's starting to get more comfortable being in new surroundings.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you think it is with his transition third

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<v Speaker 1>team in three years.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I listen, Tuck is a really talented player, and

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<v Speaker 2>he's put He's on a team with other really talented players.

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<v Speaker 2>So for me, it's just a matter of time and

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<v Speaker 2>until he clicks and carries his team.

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<v Speaker 1>Chase Utley is our guest as we get ready for

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<v Speaker 1>first pitch between the Dodgers and Pirates. I mentioned at

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<v Speaker 1>the beginning of this conversation you belong in Cooperstown. When

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<v Speaker 1>you were on the podium back in Philly, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>their pseudo Hall of Fame. How much do you pay

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<v Speaker 1>attention to what people say as far as your place

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<v Speaker 1>in baseball history.

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<v Speaker 2>You can not pay attention at this point. Obviously, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>excited and humbled with the fact that I'm part of

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<v Speaker 2>the conversation, which is great. Now I'm definitely following it

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit closer than I used to follow it

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<v Speaker 2>as a player, but just you know, again, being part

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<v Speaker 2>of that conversation is is excited.

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<v Speaker 1>Did you know how much of an impact you had

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<v Speaker 1>on teammates throughout your career? And how much people appreciated

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<v Speaker 1>the way you played.

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<v Speaker 2>Occasionally you talk to some guys that the express you know,

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<v Speaker 2>how things went while while I while I was around,

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<v Speaker 2>and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed that process. I enjoyed

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<v Speaker 2>trying to leave guys in the right direction. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's important at times to have a guy

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<v Speaker 2>that's been around the block a few times, that's been good,

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<v Speaker 2>it's been bad, that's gonna been all around to kind

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<v Speaker 2>of learn from their experience.

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<v Speaker 1>You're still obviously in good playing shape. I know towards

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<v Speaker 1>the end it took a lot to put the body together.

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<v Speaker 1>As Khrushaw calls his body a carcass. Do you ever

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<v Speaker 1>get the itch to come out? And uh, maybe you

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<v Speaker 1>give it one more run? Or is that gone?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, that is gone. I left it all on

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<v Speaker 2>the field, and I'll keep it, keep it that way.

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<v Speaker 1>Some body parts are out there still right. Probably thanks

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<v Speaker 1>a lot for the time, looking good as always in

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<v Speaker 1>your wife's sunglasses. And nobody can ever compete with the

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<v Speaker 1>silver Fox.

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<v Speaker 2>Love it say thanks for having me on, But