WEBVTT - Dalton Rushing (4-20-26) 

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

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<v Speaker 1>nothing's fishy today in Colorado as the Dodgers are wrapping

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<v Speaker 1>up this four game series, and I'm joined right now

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<v Speaker 1>by today's starting first baseman, the one and only Dalton Rushing.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'm happy to be on with you, David always.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, I can't believe how much people made a big

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<v Speaker 1>deal about you just pointing something out in observation.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, I'd like to say on air that

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<v Speaker 2>there was there were no cheating scandals. Kind of jump

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<v Speaker 2>into conclusion there, and we know the hitting guys over there,

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<v Speaker 2>like they're just doing whatever they have to do to win,

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<v Speaker 2>and we respect that.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know this better than most. Will Klein told

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<v Speaker 1>me that he was aware that he was tipping, and

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<v Speaker 1>tipping is part of this game.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, correct, Yeah, I mean every team does it, every

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<v Speaker 2>team takes advantage of it. If you don't, you're kind

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<v Speaker 2>of behind the eight ball. And honestly, hots off of them.

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<v Speaker 2>They played the game the right way and I'm sorry

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<v Speaker 2>that it came off the way it did. No hard

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<v Speaker 2>feelings to any of those guys. But I'm glad we

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<v Speaker 2>could create some team morale for them.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, no doubt, no doubt boosting morale from La to Denver. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>speaking of boosting morale, I've never the reality is your

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<v Speaker 1>chances to start at this point are far and few

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<v Speaker 1>between what you did yesterday to allow Ryan Ward to

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<v Speaker 1>have the start at first base is one of the

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<v Speaker 1>most unselfish things I've seen a teammate do. Can you

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<v Speaker 1>take us through two nights ago when Dave Roberts approached

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<v Speaker 1>you and how you knew this was all starting to formulate.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I had caught that night and it was a

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<v Speaker 2>day game turnaround. He had let me know a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of days in advance that I was planning to play

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<v Speaker 2>first base the next two days after I catch, and

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<v Speaker 2>so yeah, I knew that was the plan. But as

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<v Speaker 2>soon as I saw him walking up to me, I

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<v Speaker 2>kind of knew where it was going. There were obviously

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<v Speaker 2>there were no hard feelings whatsoever. That's that's an opportunity

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<v Speaker 2>that guy's been waiting for for over six years now,

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<v Speaker 2>and rightfully so, he deserved every bet of it. He

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<v Speaker 2>deserved to get out there and scrap him to knocks

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<v Speaker 2>and RBI and have a really good debut, honestly, and yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>it was. It was just, honestly, just paying back the

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<v Speaker 2>game that he's played over the last six years and

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<v Speaker 2>deserving the right to be out on the field yesterday.

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<v Speaker 2>I felt as if he's, like I said, he earned

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<v Speaker 2>It wasn't a handout to him more so than anyone else. So, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>it was a cool moment. He had family coming in town.

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<v Speaker 2>There's there's no reason for me to take a day

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<v Speaker 2>like that. It's so special for him take it away

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<v Speaker 2>from him at all.

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<v Speaker 1>Did you really finish Dave Roberts's sentence before he could

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<v Speaker 1>finish his own?

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<v Speaker 2>I did. He was. He came up and approached me

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<v Speaker 2>and said, hey, this is what I'm thinking. And before

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<v Speaker 2>he even told me what he was thinking, I was like,

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<v Speaker 2>I know where your head's at and he deserves it.

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<v Speaker 2>And he was like, I appreciate you being so open

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<v Speaker 2>minded about it and obviously giving him that opportunity, And

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<v Speaker 2>like I said, he he made the most of his opportunity.

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<v Speaker 2>And I was just so happy for him to be

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<v Speaker 2>able to see him get his first one at this level.

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<v Speaker 2>Every single first one at this level was pretty special,

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<v Speaker 2>and just for him to get it after so many

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<v Speaker 2>years of grinding in the minor leagues was pretty special.

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<v Speaker 1>How well do you know Ryan Ward?

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<v Speaker 2>I've played. I played a good hand but of or

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<v Speaker 2>a handful of games with him. He's one of my

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<v Speaker 2>favorite teammates that I've actually got to play with. He's

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<v Speaker 2>such a good dude, same guy on the field off

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<v Speaker 2>the field, always down to have a good time, whether

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<v Speaker 2>we're on the field or off the field. I think

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<v Speaker 2>that's what you love most about players, the openness to

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<v Speaker 2>just be themselves regardless of how the game's going, how

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<v Speaker 2>things are going personally, and that's something I'll never forget

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<v Speaker 2>about him as a teammate.

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<v Speaker 1>So much is made of the Dodgeress payroll, but yesterday

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<v Speaker 1>the right side of the infield was guys that played

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<v Speaker 1>together in Oklahoma City, Ryan Ward and Alex Freeland, and

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<v Speaker 1>then you have Hayesng Kim and yourself who got at

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<v Speaker 1>bats yesterday and playing regularly. Do you feel like you

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<v Speaker 1>guys don't get enough credit for being part of the

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<v Speaker 1>fabric of this team. And it's not just throwing dollars

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<v Speaker 1>at the big name guys.

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<v Speaker 2>No, I wouldn't say that. I would say it's it's

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<v Speaker 2>honestly more for the people on the outside looking in.

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<v Speaker 2>Everyone thinks that we buy our team, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>the beauty of it all is, Yeah, we got some

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<v Speaker 2>big contract guys on this team, but at the same time,

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<v Speaker 2>those big contract guys buy into the youth. They buy

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<v Speaker 2>into teaching the young guys the way it goes, the

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<v Speaker 2>way they came up, the way they taught the game,

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<v Speaker 2>the way they learned the game. I think that's what

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<v Speaker 2>makes this team as good as we are. Obviously, as

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<v Speaker 2>special as we are. Having guys like Freddy Mookie talk

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<v Speaker 2>will all these guys around a clubhouse and just to

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<v Speaker 2>be able to share their experiences, share their ideas with

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<v Speaker 2>us as young players, it's pretty special and it allows

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<v Speaker 2>us to kind of maximize our potential down the road.

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<v Speaker 1>Dalton Rushing is our guest. He's starting at first base

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<v Speaker 1>in the final game of this four game series. I

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<v Speaker 1>watched you actually take more aggressive ground balls at Dodger

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<v Speaker 1>Stadium before you left for this road trip. So how

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<v Speaker 1>comfortable are you ready to go today?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'm ready to go. I've had some time there

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<v Speaker 2>in the past, obviously it's been a couple of years,

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<v Speaker 2>had a handful of games there, last year. But it's

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<v Speaker 2>just a game of baseball. You get one pitch at

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<v Speaker 2>the time. You treat it like fundamentals or everything out

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<v Speaker 2>there and even more so out there of them behind

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<v Speaker 2>the play.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you having more joy and enjoying yourself more this

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<v Speaker 1>year than you did last year?

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<v Speaker 2>David, I think you know the answer to that. Obviously.

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<v Speaker 2>It's been pretty fun here early on, and successes came

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<v Speaker 2>my way. I'm taking better at bats, I'm carrying myself

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<v Speaker 2>with more confidence on the field. But uh, at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of the day, it's we still gotta win baseball games,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's that's the main thing about being a Dodger,

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<v Speaker 2>and the fact that we've done so to a certain

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<v Speaker 2>extent so early is pretty special. But we need to

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<v Speaker 2>get out here and get another one today.

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<v Speaker 1>It's great being around you. You're wise beyond your years.

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<v Speaker 1>You're more mature than I am, and you're double you're

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<v Speaker 1>I'm double your age. You're way more mature than I am,

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<v Speaker 1>and I can learn a lot even from Dalton Rushing.

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<v Speaker 1>So thank you for the time and keep it going

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<v Speaker 1>and keep that smile.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely. Thanks past. It's always good to talk