WEBVTT - Dave Roberts (7-8-26) 

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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>He's the man in demand. That's the manager of the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 1>the managers of the National League, and it all presented

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<v Speaker 1>by Downy Hundai. That's the one and only Dave Roberts. Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks a lot for the time and officially at the

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<v Speaker 1>halfway point.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes we're here.

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<v Speaker 3>You know it certainly goes doesn't go without a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of mishaps and injuries, as it always does with Dodger Baseball,

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<v Speaker 3>but you know what, we've got the best recking ol

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<v Speaker 3>of baseball. I'm excited for our players to be a

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<v Speaker 3>part of the Midsummer Classic. For me to be able

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<v Speaker 3>to address the superstars again in the Citizens Big Clubhouse

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<v Speaker 3>is an honor for me, and just to be around

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<v Speaker 3>the game's best. So yeah, you'd like to be on

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<v Speaker 3>a beach for four days. But you know, knowing that

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<v Speaker 3>you went to the World Series the year prior to

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<v Speaker 3>then have the opportunity to manage you also our team

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<v Speaker 3>something special.

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<v Speaker 1>What is the message you give the All Stars?

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<v Speaker 2>You know what?

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<v Speaker 3>Every year it's different. I remember one year I had

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<v Speaker 3>Reggie Smith speak, another year I had Albert Poohle speak.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not sure. I obviously speak myself, and then I

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<v Speaker 3>kind of pull a player to give them some relatability

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<v Speaker 3>for the room. But I think for me it's gratitude.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that you know, some guys like Freddie, for example,

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<v Speaker 3>this is his tenth, it might be his last, you

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<v Speaker 3>never know. And there's some guys that it's their first

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<v Speaker 3>and so and it can be fleeting. So I think

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<v Speaker 3>for me is for players to sort of be in

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<v Speaker 3>the grind and what they do and try to perform

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<v Speaker 3>every day, You've still got to take a step back

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<v Speaker 3>to enjoy some of the fruits. And so that's part

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<v Speaker 3>of the message, and just the respect for the game.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, there's a lot of people that come

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<v Speaker 3>a long way that support all of us and watch

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<v Speaker 3>us every single night, and just be mindful of stuff

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<v Speaker 3>like that.

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<v Speaker 1>Manager Dave Roberts is our guest. He'll be there in

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<v Speaker 1>Philadelphia leading the National League.

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<v Speaker 2>Again.

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<v Speaker 1>There's been a lot of talk about Justin Roeblae. He's

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<v Speaker 1>become somewhat of a sympathetic figure for not being named

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<v Speaker 1>to the All Star team. Yet, do you still believe

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<v Speaker 1>the doors open for that possibility?

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<v Speaker 3>I hope so you know, Major League Baseball has a

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<v Speaker 3>committee to kind of go through certainly the backfill of

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<v Speaker 3>players on the position player side, the pitching, and there's

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of pitchers that will pitch on Saturday Sunday

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<v Speaker 3>that are not available, and Justin would be available.

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<v Speaker 2>So that's kind of my plea to them.

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<v Speaker 3>And also with Tanner Scott, so I think he's had

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<v Speaker 3>a tremendous first half. So obviously there's a little bias

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<v Speaker 3>lens from me, but I also think that both those

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<v Speaker 3>guys are deserving. So my fingers are crossed. And you know,

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<v Speaker 3>Justin's had a tremendous first half and so won ten games,

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<v Speaker 3>and ere is stellar and he's just such a good guy,

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<v Speaker 3>So I really want it for him.

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<v Speaker 1>When you talk about confidence and swagger, you usually talk

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<v Speaker 1>about the guys that have won cy Young's won championships.

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<v Speaker 1>He was such a big part of what you did

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<v Speaker 1>in Toronto last year. What is it about him that

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<v Speaker 1>he has so much confidence in himself?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, that's a great question.

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<v Speaker 3>I think as I think through that question, I think

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<v Speaker 3>real confidence comes from people that know who they are,

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<v Speaker 3>they really do, and they're comfortable being who they are.

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<v Speaker 3>So I think that Justin knows who he is as

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<v Speaker 3>a person. He knows who he is as a pitcher,

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<v Speaker 3>and I think that's where the confidence comes from, because

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<v Speaker 3>I think that people that are indecisive, unsure, not confident

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<v Speaker 3>in who they are, don't know who they are. That's

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<v Speaker 3>hard to find confidence. Then it's more manufactured. But I

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<v Speaker 3>think Robo really knows who he is.

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<v Speaker 1>That's interesting because even in life, when you're trying to

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<v Speaker 1>be somebody that you're not, it really comes through.

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<v Speaker 2>It does.

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<v Speaker 3>It does, and so I think that the people that

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<v Speaker 3>know and also in sports, it manifests itself when it

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<v Speaker 3>gets hot, when moments get pressurized and you don't have

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<v Speaker 3>that confidence, then you panic, the games beats up, you fold,

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<v Speaker 3>you run from it. Whereas you know, the people that

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<v Speaker 3>know that they're not afraid to fail, they know what

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<v Speaker 3>their strengths are, their weaknesses. Those are the people that

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<v Speaker 3>I try to identify because when the postseason goes around,

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<v Speaker 3>I've said it to you many times, the postseason when

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<v Speaker 3>you've been on people all.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, so speaking to people and guys that you bet

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<v Speaker 1>on and guys that believe in themselves. Where does Dalton

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<v Speaker 1>Rushing fall on that spectrum of being himself.

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<v Speaker 3>So Dalton, So he's a different in a different category

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<v Speaker 3>in the sense that he is a fiery guy. He's

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<v Speaker 3>a tough competitor. He expects a lot of himself. There's

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<v Speaker 3>really no soft edges with him. But in the catching position,

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<v Speaker 3>he's got to evolve and you've got to have that

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<v Speaker 3>serve and mentality, and that's something that for me, I'm

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<v Speaker 3>trying to get him to understand that your job number

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<v Speaker 3>one is not to get hits. It's tough because you

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<v Speaker 3>expect to get hits and you are a hitting catcher,

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<v Speaker 3>but your job is to serve the pitchers. And you've

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<v Speaker 3>got to be able to separate the catching game calling

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<v Speaker 3>from the hitting, and you know, the emotional part of it.

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<v Speaker 3>You've got to sometimes temper because you don't want your

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<v Speaker 3>pitchers thinking you care more about your bat than the fingers.

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<v Speaker 2>So Dalton is growing.

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<v Speaker 3>He definitely is a confident player, knows he's talented. But

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<v Speaker 3>I think for him, there still needs to be a

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<v Speaker 3>finishing school that has to happen.

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<v Speaker 1>Where is the learning curve. Do you feel like the

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<v Speaker 1>talks that you've had with him, his teammates have had

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<v Speaker 1>with him, do you feel like there's a breakthrough in

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<v Speaker 1>some ways.

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<v Speaker 2>I do. I do.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that, you know, even in the last few weeks,

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<v Speaker 3>you haven't seen as many outbursts that are caught on

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<v Speaker 3>the broadcast and in the dugout, And I think that

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<v Speaker 3>you know myself, Brent Walker a mental performance guy. The

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<v Speaker 3>players and other coaches are pouring in in Bob Garren

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<v Speaker 3>and so I think, you know, with this opportunity, with

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<v Speaker 3>Will being down, this is a crash course for Dalton,

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<v Speaker 3>which he's embraced and I think with that he's gotten

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<v Speaker 3>better every game and offensively he's been fantastic.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of Will Smith, obviously he's been down now for

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<v Speaker 1>over a month with the neck issue. Where is that at?

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<v Speaker 1>And are you confident that at some point in the

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<v Speaker 1>near future after the All Star break you could have

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<v Speaker 1>him back?

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<v Speaker 2>Where is he at?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, you know what, he's kind of he's moving around,

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<v Speaker 3>playing catch, he's swinging the bat, but it just really

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<v Speaker 3>hasn't got over the hump as far as being able

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<v Speaker 3>to move forward. So it's certainly obviously going to be

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<v Speaker 3>after the break, and for me, I just don't see

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<v Speaker 3>it happening anytime before August, and it could be further along.

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<v Speaker 3>I think the main thing for us is we've missed

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of time. We just need to get Will

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<v Speaker 3>back healthy, feeling good, get the at bats under room,

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<v Speaker 3>and then whenever that day is, it is without any expectation.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of managing players, not only Will Smith, but Show

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<v Speaker 1>Hail Tani, you guys did such a great job last

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<v Speaker 1>year ramping him up, managing his innings in that respect,

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<v Speaker 1>Do you feel like there's a chance to find some

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<v Speaker 1>middle ground in the second half where you manage the

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<v Speaker 1>innings in each individual start.

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<v Speaker 3>I think so, And I think with Show Hey, it's

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<v Speaker 3>got to be fluid. You can't just be emboldened too,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, one way of beholden to, one way of

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<v Speaker 3>doing something. You know, it's a two way player, very physical,

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<v Speaker 3>very taxing. So when he's going six innings, seven innings

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<v Speaker 3>and then hitting, I do think that we've given him

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<v Speaker 3>a lot more off days on the D eight side,

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<v Speaker 3>which I'll continue to do, and then at that point

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<v Speaker 3>in time, you know, we'll see how it goes. And

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<v Speaker 3>then you still got to manage a game when he's

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<v Speaker 3>pitching for the game itself, and so I can't tell

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<v Speaker 3>you if it's going to be five innings. I don't

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<v Speaker 3>want to say it's going to be six every time,

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<v Speaker 3>because if he's efficient and he feels good, then we're

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<v Speaker 3>going to keep running him out there. But he is

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<v Speaker 3>definitely front of mine as far as his health.

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<v Speaker 1>Is it fair to say you can't fluctuate when he

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<v Speaker 1>starts because that affects the rest of your pitch and

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<v Speaker 1>the rotation. It can't be once every week and then

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<v Speaker 1>once every ten days. Is that accurate as far as

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<v Speaker 1>the ripple effect it may have on other guys, You.

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<v Speaker 2>Know what, It's somewhat accurate.

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<v Speaker 3>But I do think that because he's such a unique

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<v Speaker 3>player that we've got to be able to read and react.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's not a day before situation, But I do

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<v Speaker 3>think if there's a few days before it doesn't feel good,

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<v Speaker 3>we can plug someone in there.

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<v Speaker 2>And we've done that.

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<v Speaker 3>We did that in Sacramento to give him an extra

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<v Speaker 3>extra couple days, and so whatever is best for him,

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<v Speaker 3>we're willing to do. And the great thing about our

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<v Speaker 3>guys is that they're on board with it, and so

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<v Speaker 3>we have the depth, we have the lead in the

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<v Speaker 3>in the in the division that we can kind of

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<v Speaker 3>do things for the best interest of Showy and all

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<v Speaker 3>of our players.

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<v Speaker 1>Before I let Dave Roberts go leading the National League

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<v Speaker 1>this year, three time World Series winning manager. You have

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<v Speaker 1>a big lead, Like you said, do you feel like

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<v Speaker 1>this team understanding how to win helps manage this big

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<v Speaker 1>lead and not allow them to exhale before the postseason starts.

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<v Speaker 3>I do you know, we lost a game earlier this week,

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<v Speaker 3>you know where we sort of gave it away.

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<v Speaker 2>We don't do that very often. We catch the ball.

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<v Speaker 3>We're pretty good fundamentally, and a lot of teams that

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<v Speaker 3>we play find ways to lose, and conversely, we do

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<v Speaker 3>a good job of finding ways to win, and we

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<v Speaker 3>know how to stack wins regardless of who's healthy, who's not,

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<v Speaker 3>playing on the road, playing at home, day game after

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<v Speaker 3>night game, it doesn't matter. So I think that that's

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<v Speaker 3>probably our biggest superpowers. We just know how to win,

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<v Speaker 3>and that comes with winning, and that also comes with

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<v Speaker 3>feeling the pain of losing with there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>guys in this clubhouse that lost in you know, twenty two,

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<v Speaker 3>twenty three and don't want to revisit that feeling.

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<v Speaker 1>That's a great point because we always just talk about

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<v Speaker 1>experienced teams. There's a lot of experienced teams but teams

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<v Speaker 1>that don't know how to win and you guys know

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<v Speaker 1>how to win.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there's there's a there's.

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<v Speaker 3>A you know, a DNA, a pedigree that is real.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not tangible, it's not quantifiable, but you know, you

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<v Speaker 3>can see players out there that you don't want them

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<v Speaker 3>in a big spot. As far as other opposition, there's

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<v Speaker 3>players that you want to the ball to hit to

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<v Speaker 3>them or don't or you want it bad or pitching

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<v Speaker 3>in So I think for me, as we kind of

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<v Speaker 3>get through the second half, just identifying, as I said earlier,

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<v Speaker 3>those guys that can handle the smoke and can have

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<v Speaker 3>that confidence and know because in the postseason, as we

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<v Speaker 3>all know, you just never know where that game is

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<v Speaker 3>going to land, on who it's going to land, on

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<v Speaker 3>what big moment, And to get as many guys ready

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<v Speaker 3>for that unpredictable moment is everything.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, a guy like Miguel Rojas last year, Dave, thanks

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<v Speaker 1>a lot for the time, Enjoy the All Star Game.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't forget the little people in the second half day.

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<v Speaker 2>They've all tried. I'll try to remember you man,