WEBVTT - James Tibbs III (2-22-26) 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:06.840 And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talkers, 0:00:06.920 --> 0:00:10.400 the Dodgers and Padres from Piero, Arizona. And we're joined 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:12.840 right now by a man that joined the Dodger organization 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:15.840 at the trade deadline last year. He was with the 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.440 Red Sox. The Dodgers acquired him from Boston in exchange 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:22.840 for Dustin May. And here he is James Tibbs the Third, 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:26.000 a proud Florida State seminole and camp with the Dodgers 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:29.840 Number one. Congratulations on all the success you've had and 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:31.880 welcome to this organization. 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:33.960 Thank you so much. I mean, it is an honor 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:36.000 to be here. This place is surreal. 0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:38.520 I mean, the guys walking around, you know, the locker room, 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:42.000 the staff, it's first class and I'm so happy to 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:42.559 be a part of it. 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:46.120 What's it been like for you? Three different organizations in 0:00:46.159 --> 0:00:48.519 a matter of months. How have you been able to 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:49.199 handle all that? 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:52.199 Yeah, forty seven days, I think to be exact, it's 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:55.360 been a lot, you know, the uh it was it 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:58.840 was a hard transition both times, and I think just 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.040 finding ways to get comfortable, find ways to be you know, 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:05.920 comfortable being uncomfortable, you know, learning new people and just 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:07.440 relying on the Lord. I mean, at the end of 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:09.120 the day, you know, God has gotten me through this, 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:11.640 and so I'm so thankful to be here, and I'm 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:13.320 so thankful to be a part of this organization and 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:15.399 for them to want me, for them to want me 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:18.640 to be here, I mean, it's it's a dream come true. 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:21.399 As a minor league player, everybody wants to try to 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.680 put their fingerprints on you guys and maybe tweak something. 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:27.920 Being with three different organizations, how have you been able 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:30.440 to stay true to yourself as a hitter. 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:31.160 Yeah, it's been hard. 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.240 It's been a learning curve, you know, first two years 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:34.840 in pro or first year, just my second year in 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.000 pro ball, and so for me to come in here 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:40.440 and expect, you know, to try to do everything myself 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:43.560 and and and you know, there was always places and 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:45.479 avenues that we could get better at, and so being 0:01:45.520 --> 0:01:47.680 open minded to those things and still sticking true to 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:49.560 myself was a huge deal for me. 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:51.400 You know, I was so blessed. 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:53.880 You know, Bill Rhymes and I had a conversation early 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:55.080 on and it was just like, hey man, we just 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:55.680 want you to be you. 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:57.680 And so it was such a beautiful thing to hear 0:01:57.720 --> 0:01:58.560 that in the way to the world. 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:00.760 I felt like I came off my shoulders, just allowing 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:02.280 me the freedom to go out here and compete and 0:02:02.320 --> 0:02:04.840 do what I do well, and them to be okay 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:07.760 with that and to help me, you know, maximize what 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:10.040 I do well and the best avenues for me. 0:02:10.160 --> 0:02:12.200 It was it was a dream come true, you know. 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:14.000 And so for them to do those things, it. 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:16.960 Really helped me understand a what I do well and 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:19.960 be how we can you know, work and maybe tweak 0:02:20.000 --> 0:02:21.520 and make those things even better. 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:24.639 That's refreshing it here because you hear big leaguers when 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:27.880 they're signed by the Dodgers or traded. The one thing 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:30.840 that Andrew Freeman always talks about is be yourself. 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.200 Yeah, exactly. I mean that was literally the name of 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:33.519 the game. 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:36.399 You know. We felt like we had a good foundation, 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:39.840 you know, coming into pro ball, and so for them 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:41.440 to come in there and say, hey. 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:42.920 We love what you do, we want you to do 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:45.160 what you do and and help me to you know. 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:49.160 Maximize those things, it literally was is you know, an 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:49.919 answer to prayer. 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:51.320 I mean, it was such a beautiful thing. 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:53.400 And from the top down, they've been nothing but welcoming 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:55.080 and helpful and helping me. 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:57.240 From the players, the staff, you know, the front office. 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:00.320 Everybody's been so welcoming and it's really made my life 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:02.240 a lot easier on the field and makes me feel 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:03.720 I can play with freedom, you know, do what I 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:05.360 want to do and do it to the best of 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:05.840 my ability. 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:09.040 Go into a school like Florida State, not only are 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:11.040 you teammates with some of the best in the country, 0:03:11.040 --> 0:03:13.760 but you're playing some of the best and facing pitchers 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:17.000 that are the best. What is the biggest jump from 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:21.280 playing at a powerhouse college program compared to coming to 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:22.359 professional baseball. 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:24.920 Yeah, I think it's just the level execution, the attention 0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:28.520 to detail the things that they do well here at 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:30.359 the big league or in the big league, in big 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:32.640 league camp, in the minor leagues, they try to continue 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:35.200 to work on those and and and use those pitches 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:37.840 and locate, you know, if they can locate. You know, 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.240 they're trying to play to their strengths. And so for 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:42.560 me in college, it was a little more broad in 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:45.080 terms of how they were trying to approach me, and 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:46.880 so now as getting into pro ball, it's a lot 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:49.120 more specific. They're trying to, you know, figure out what 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:51.880 works well for them against me, you know, and so 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:55.360 being able to just you know, figure what those things are, 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:57.760 you know, and and and work around them and try 0:03:57.760 --> 0:03:59.760 to maximize my ability in those situations. 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:01.400 I think that's probably been the biggest you know. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.160 Jump for me, is the level execution, the mind games, 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.840 you know, figuring out how to play along with the pitcher, 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:08.040 all those things. 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:09.160 You know, you have to do at a higher level. 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:10.960 And so it's been my favorite part of the game, 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:12.840 but it's definitely been the most frustrating at the same time. 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:15.040 Yeah, for a young guy, it sounds like you have 0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:17.919 an approach a plan before you even start in the 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:18.680 batter's box. 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:19.039 Yeah. 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:19.560 Absolutely. 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:22.040 I mean it goes without saying like if you don't 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:23.480 have a plan, you're going up there. 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:25.279 You know, in a very tough spot. 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:27.680 And so for me, you know, it started a long 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:29.840 time ago and even in high school and just really 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:32.440 trying to figure out what it means to have an approach, 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:34.960 figure out what approach works best for me, and and 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:36.920 really just go out and use it, stick to it, 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:40.039 you know, the you know, basically you know, whatever it is, 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:42.200 go down, you know, swing it, go down with that approach, 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:44.800 and if it works it works, and if not, we 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:47.159 stick to it for the next next at bats. 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:49.279 Before I let you go. And James Tibbs, the third 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:51.480 is our guest. You're gonna know his name and you're 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:54.560 gonna see him at Dodger Stadium soon. You're right in 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:57.240 the middle of the clubhouse. That's where your locker is. 0:04:57.760 --> 0:04:59.520 When you look to the other side of the room 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:02.280 and you see guys like Freddie Freeman, you work next 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:06.159 to guys like taoscar Hernandez. What's it like to be 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:09.560 in this clubhouse with so many guys that have reached 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:11.120 the mountain top year after year? 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:13.200 You have a lot of people to ask a lot 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:15.520 of good questions too, would be the main thing. You know, 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.520 My whole goal coming into spring training was just soak 0:05:18.600 --> 0:05:21.360 everything in, be a sponge, you know, write it all down, 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.239 figure out ways. You know, maybe people do things differently. 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:26.080 How does that work for me? You know, maybe they 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:28.880 do things in ways I haven't thought before, maybe approaches they. 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:31.240 Haven't thought, you know, I haven't thought before, and. 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.320 So it's really just trying to learn as much as 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:35.920 I can figure out, you know, almost add another tool 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.599 to the toolbox of what you know can allow me 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:40.599 to take the next steps and be, you know, an 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:43.320 even better player. And you know, you couldn't ask for 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.719 a better locker room. You've got Hall of famers all 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:47.480 over this locker room, and so to be able to 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:49.640 just you know, be around them and listen to what 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:51.920 their conversations and ask questions, I. 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:52.760 Mean, credit to them. 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:54.760 They've been nothing but welcoming in those areas, you know, 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:56.719 absolutely answering every question. 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:58.800 It's just been a dream come true. I'm so thankful 0:05:58.800 --> 0:05:59.240 to be here. 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:02.200 James, thanks a lot for the time. It's great to 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:05.920 introduce you to Dodger fans because certainly you are very 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.400 close to helping this team in the Big League. So 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:10.520 thank you for the time and we look forward to 0:06:10.520 --> 0:06:11.520 seeing you all spring long. 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:12.520 Peah, thank you so much.