Speaker 1: And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.
Speaker 1: Yesterday was a big day for Ryan Ward, his first
Speaker 1: major league home run. The entire team was excited. Even
Speaker 1: show Hao Tani posted your home run on his Instagram account. Ryan,
Speaker 1: thanks a lot for the time.
Speaker 2: Yeah, of course, happy to be here, Thank you for
Speaker 2: having me.
Speaker 1: What is it like the day after? Obviously you know
Speaker 1: you belong here, but still there was so much celebration
Speaker 1: for what you did from all of these guys. How
Speaker 1: much did that mean to you?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, a mental world to me. To be
Speaker 2: able to celebrate with them and everyone be happy for
Speaker 2: me was really special, and you know, kind of enjoying
Speaker 2: the moment and then just taking it all in was
Speaker 2: really fun.
Speaker 1: How many messages did you have on your phone quite a.
Speaker 2: Bit after the game. Yeah, it took me some time
Speaker 2: to go through them all, but I tried to apply
Speaker 2: to at least everybody that I could, So that was awesome.
Speaker 1: Well, the day started with you getting your first start,
Speaker 1: first game at Dodger Stadium. Could you describe the feelings
Speaker 1: even before the game started for you?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was kind of like that those debut ones
Speaker 2: the butter Flies were there for sure, just like knowing
Speaker 2: that it was in LA this time, and being able
Speaker 2: to go out into Dodger Stadium and play and getting
Speaker 2: out to left field and kind of just just taking
Speaker 2: it in for a second. I ended my like pregame
Speaker 2: catch pretty early just to just be able to stand
Speaker 2: out there for a second and just kind of look
Speaker 2: around and take it in. So it was a really
Speaker 2: cool moment.
Speaker 1: What's the balance of doing that, taking it in, knowing
Speaker 1: where you're at, enjoying it, but also not letting it
Speaker 1: overwhelm you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think I think that's kind of
Speaker 2: why I did it, is to like give myself like
Speaker 2: that that five second period of like, take this in,
Speaker 2: enjoy it, and Okay, it's not like now now it's
Speaker 2: time to time to play baseball, time to focus in
Speaker 2: and get ready to play.
Speaker 1: Isn't it amazing how the game finds you Because before
Speaker 1: you're a home run, there was a sinking line drive
Speaker 1: in the sun and left field and you made a
Speaker 1: really nice playing left field. I mean it feels like
Speaker 1: the game always finds you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, for sure. I mean I was talking to
Speaker 2: someone for you and forgot who it was and it
Speaker 2: was like, hey, the ball's gonna find you. Like for sure,
Speaker 2: the ball's gonna find you. So so I'll just be
Speaker 2: ready for it and and uh and trust yours And
Speaker 2: that's what I was able to do.
Speaker 1: Ryan Ward is our guest before first pitch between the
Speaker 1: Dodgers and Diamondbacks. And you know, I was mentioning in
Speaker 1: the beginning of this interview about Otani's celebrating you. What's
Speaker 1: it like to have a locker two spots away from
Speaker 1: him here at Chase Field.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's incredible. I mean, everyone in this
Speaker 2: locker room is unbelievable. It's a bunch of superstars in here,
Speaker 2: and they're all great guys, so it's awesome to be
Speaker 2: around them all.
Speaker 1: Does it make it more comfortable when you take a
Speaker 1: game like yesterday, for example, the bottom third of the
Speaker 1: Dodger order was a bunch of OKC Dodgers, yourself, Freeland
Speaker 1: and Rushing.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, guys that I've played with on coming up
Speaker 2: through the organ and have relationships with, and it's really
Speaker 2: cool to be here with them as well.
Speaker 1: How about the fact that you and Freeland were taking
Speaker 1: batting practice together and then you homer in the same
Speaker 1: inning yesterday.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we almost went back to back there, and we
Speaker 2: spent the whole morning game planning together and hitting together
Speaker 2: are like routine together, and then right before the game together,
Speaker 2: So it was really really cool to hit one, be
Speaker 2: in the dugout and then watch him hit one and
Speaker 2: kind of able to celebrate together.
Speaker 1: You are the adult in the rooms, So do you
Speaker 1: feel like you're the adult in that relationship?
Speaker 2: No, we're good friends. I think we're both adults in
Speaker 2: their relationship.
Speaker 1: Ryan Ward is our guest as we get ready for
Speaker 1: Dodgers Diamondbacks the beginning of a four game series. Now, yesterday,
Speaker 1: you mentioned after the game the celebration and also the
Speaker 1: fact that your teammates through everything but the kitchen sink
Speaker 1: on you. Can you remember the ingredients of what was
Speaker 1: thrown on you in the celebration?
Speaker 2: Honestly, I don't even know. I was covering my eyes
Speaker 2: trying not to get it in there. So but it
Speaker 2: was a really cool moment and I'm glad it happened.
Speaker 1: How long did it take you to get all of
Speaker 1: that stink off you?
Speaker 2: Yeah, it took me a while. I took a couple
Speaker 2: quite a few showers after that, quite a few INSes,
Speaker 2: just to get it all off.
Speaker 1: Does it feel different this time around because Freddie went
Speaker 1: on the paternity list. This is going to be a
Speaker 1: longer period of time that you're here because Taoskar's out
Speaker 1: for a month. Does that put you at ease a
Speaker 1: little more?
Speaker 2: You know, yeah, a little bit, but kind of just
Speaker 2: take in the day by day, you know, going through
Speaker 2: my routine, not change anything up, and just get my
Speaker 2: work done and be ready to go every night.
Speaker 1: Here's one thing guys have told me about you. You
Speaker 1: have every reason to be as salty and bitter as
Speaker 1: anybody in the minor leagues, but you have such a
Speaker 1: great spirit about yourself. As Alex Freeland comes into his locker, Freeland,
Speaker 1: I apologize your big brother. Right here, Ryan Ward said,
Speaker 1: I was allowed to sit in your chair. Is that okay?
Speaker 1: If Ryan says it's okay, it's okay. Oh there it
Speaker 1: is Seaward. Second day in the big leagues, and this
Speaker 1: guy's getting me in trouble already right here, yourself in trouble.
Speaker 1: But Ryan, how have you kept such a great spirit
Speaker 1: about yourself through all of it?
Speaker 2: You know, just just keeping your head up and trusting
Speaker 2: in the work that I'm putting in and just continue
Speaker 2: to go forward.
Speaker 1: And do you have to just take it one day
Speaker 1: at a time.
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely take it one day at a time, take
Speaker 2: a one rep out of time, and just have fun
Speaker 2: with it.
Speaker 1: All right. Well, thanks a lot for the time. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Here's looking good today in the desert and I can't
Speaker 1: wait to see you out there again during this four
Speaker 1: game series.
Speaker 2: Thank you, I appreciate it.