WEBVTT - Ryan Ward (6-1-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 1>Yesterday was a big day for Ryan Ward, his first

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<v Speaker 1>major league home run. The entire team was excited. Even

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<v Speaker 1>show Hao Tani posted your home run on his Instagram account. Ryan,

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

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, of course, happy to be here, Thank you for

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<v Speaker 2>having me.

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<v Speaker 1>What is it like the day after? Obviously you know

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<v Speaker 1>you belong here, but still there was so much celebration

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<v Speaker 1>for what you did from all of these guys. How

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<v Speaker 1>much did that mean to you?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, a mental world to me. To be

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<v Speaker 2>able to celebrate with them and everyone be happy for

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<v Speaker 2>me was really special, and you know, kind of enjoying

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<v Speaker 2>the moment and then just taking it all in was

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<v Speaker 2>really fun.

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<v Speaker 1>How many messages did you have on your phone quite a.

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<v Speaker 2>Bit after the game. Yeah, it took me some time

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<v Speaker 2>to go through them all, but I tried to apply

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<v Speaker 2>to at least everybody that I could, So that was awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, the day started with you getting your first start,

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<v Speaker 1>first game at Dodger Stadium. Could you describe the feelings

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<v Speaker 1>even before the game started for you?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I was kind of like that those debut ones

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<v Speaker 2>the butter Flies were there for sure, just like knowing

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<v Speaker 2>that it was in LA this time, and being able

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<v Speaker 2>to go out into Dodger Stadium and play and getting

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<v Speaker 2>out to left field and kind of just just taking

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<v Speaker 2>it in for a second. I ended my like pregame

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<v Speaker 2>catch pretty early just to just be able to stand

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<v Speaker 2>out there for a second and just kind of look

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<v Speaker 2>around and take it in. So it was a really

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<v Speaker 2>cool moment.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the balance of doing that, taking it in, knowing

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<v Speaker 1>where you're at, enjoying it, but also not letting it

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<v Speaker 1>overwhelm you.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, I think I think that's kind of

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<v Speaker 2>why I did it, is to like give myself like

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<v Speaker 2>that that five second period of like, take this in,

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<v Speaker 2>enjoy it, and Okay, it's not like now now it's

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<v Speaker 2>time to time to play baseball, time to focus in

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<v Speaker 2>and get ready to play.

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<v Speaker 1>Isn't it amazing how the game finds you Because before

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<v Speaker 1>you're a home run, there was a sinking line drive

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<v Speaker 1>in the sun and left field and you made a

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<v Speaker 1>really nice playing left field. I mean it feels like

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<v Speaker 1>the game always finds you.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, no, for sure. I mean I was talking to

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<v Speaker 2>someone for you and forgot who it was and it

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<v Speaker 2>was like, hey, the ball's gonna find you. Like for sure,

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<v Speaker 2>the ball's gonna find you. So so I'll just be

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<v Speaker 2>ready for it and and uh and trust yours And

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<v Speaker 2>that's what I was able to do.

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<v Speaker 1>Ryan Ward is our guest before first pitch between the

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers and Diamondbacks. And you know, I was mentioning in

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<v Speaker 1>the beginning of this interview about Otani's celebrating you. What's

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<v Speaker 1>it like to have a locker two spots away from

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<v Speaker 1>him here at Chase Field.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, it's incredible. I mean, everyone in this

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<v Speaker 2>locker room is unbelievable. It's a bunch of superstars in here,

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<v Speaker 2>and they're all great guys, so it's awesome to be

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<v Speaker 2>around them all.

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<v Speaker 1>Does it make it more comfortable when you take a

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<v Speaker 1>game like yesterday, for example, the bottom third of the

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<v Speaker 1>Dodger order was a bunch of OKC Dodgers, yourself, Freeland

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<v Speaker 1>and Rushing.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Absolutely, guys that I've played with on coming up

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<v Speaker 2>through the organ and have relationships with, and it's really

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<v Speaker 2>cool to be here with them as well.

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<v Speaker 1>How about the fact that you and Freeland were taking

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<v Speaker 1>batting practice together and then you homer in the same

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<v Speaker 1>inning yesterday.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we almost went back to back there, and we

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<v Speaker 2>spent the whole morning game planning together and hitting together

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<v Speaker 2>are like routine together, and then right before the game together,

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<v Speaker 2>So it was really really cool to hit one, be

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<v Speaker 2>in the dugout and then watch him hit one and

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<v Speaker 2>kind of able to celebrate together.

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<v Speaker 1>You are the adult in the rooms, So do you

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<v Speaker 1>feel like you're the adult in that relationship?

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<v Speaker 2>No, we're good friends. I think we're both adults in

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<v Speaker 2>their relationship.

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<v Speaker 1>Ryan Ward is our guest as we get ready for

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers Diamondbacks the beginning of a four game series. Now, yesterday,

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<v Speaker 1>you mentioned after the game the celebration and also the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that your teammates through everything but the kitchen sink

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<v Speaker 1>on you. Can you remember the ingredients of what was

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<v Speaker 1>thrown on you in the celebration?

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<v Speaker 2>Honestly, I don't even know. I was covering my eyes

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<v Speaker 2>trying not to get it in there. So but it

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<v Speaker 2>was a really cool moment and I'm glad it happened.

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<v Speaker 1>How long did it take you to get all of

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<v Speaker 1>that stink off you?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it took me a while. I took a couple

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<v Speaker 2>quite a few showers after that, quite a few INSes,

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<v Speaker 2>just to get it all off.

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<v Speaker 1>Does it feel different this time around because Freddie went

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<v Speaker 1>on the paternity list. This is going to be a

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<v Speaker 1>longer period of time that you're here because Taoskar's out

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<v Speaker 1>for a month. Does that put you at ease a

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<v Speaker 1>little more?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, yeah, a little bit, but kind of just

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<v Speaker 2>take in the day by day, you know, going through

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<v Speaker 2>my routine, not change anything up, and just get my

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<v Speaker 2>work done and be ready to go every night.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's one thing guys have told me about you. You

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<v Speaker 1>have every reason to be as salty and bitter as

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<v Speaker 1>anybody in the minor leagues, but you have such a

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<v Speaker 1>great spirit about yourself. As Alex Freeland comes into his locker, Freeland,

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<v Speaker 1>I apologize your big brother. Right here, Ryan Ward said,

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<v Speaker 1>I was allowed to sit in your chair. Is that okay?

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<v Speaker 1>If Ryan says it's okay, it's okay. Oh there it

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<v Speaker 1>is Seaward. Second day in the big leagues, and this

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<v Speaker 1>guy's getting me in trouble already right here, yourself in trouble.

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<v Speaker 1>But Ryan, how have you kept such a great spirit

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<v Speaker 1>about yourself through all of it?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, just just keeping your head up and trusting

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<v Speaker 2>in the work that I'm putting in and just continue

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<v Speaker 2>to go forward.

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<v Speaker 1>And do you have to just take it one day

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<v Speaker 1>at a time.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely take it one day at a time, take

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<v Speaker 2>a one rep out of time, and just have fun

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<v Speaker 2>with it.

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<v Speaker 1>All right. Well, thanks a lot for the time. Appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's looking good today in the desert and I can't

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<v Speaker 1>wait to see you out there again during this four

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<v Speaker 1>game series.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, I appreciate it.