Speaker 1: And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.
Speaker 1: All right, we're joined right now by the Dodgers backup catcher,
Speaker 1: who obviously has had a whirlwind of a season back
Speaker 1: with the Dodgers, getting his first hit in a Dodger
Speaker 1: uniform on this road trip, and that's the one and
Speaker 1: only Chucky Robinson. Chucky, thanks a lot for the time appreciated.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate being here. Man.
Speaker 1: I feel like we barely know you. That's part of
Speaker 1: like this whole process of getting to know who you
Speaker 1: are and what you're about, what makes you tick. What's
Speaker 1: the experience been like for you?
Speaker 3: I mean it's been awesome, you know, being able to,
Speaker 3: you know, get back up and help the squad out.
Speaker 2: You know that this is why you play the game.
Speaker 2: So I'm having a lot of fun.
Speaker 1: What's it like being on this team, in this clubhouse
Speaker 1: with these players.
Speaker 3: I mean, it's awesome. You know, first and foremost, everybody's
Speaker 3: really cool. You know, everybody's good people, and then you
Speaker 3: add the talent behind it. You know, it has been
Speaker 3: a fun experience as.
Speaker 1: Far being a Dodger catcher is not being like a
Speaker 1: catcher on another team from what I understand, next level
Speaker 1: game planning, knowing that picture catcher relationship. What's that process
Speaker 1: been like for you?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean they definitely have all the resources you
Speaker 3: could imagine. You know, they'll be prepared for the game,
Speaker 3: and then the relationship part of it.
Speaker 2: I mean that's what I value the most.
Speaker 3: So I try to go out early and you know,
Speaker 3: catch bullpens, play catch with a lot of guys and
Speaker 3: just have conversations because I think the most important thing
Speaker 3: for me is building those relationships, maintaining them and just
Speaker 3: learning from each outing.
Speaker 1: Being around you more than I've ever been around you
Speaker 1: in your career. When you catch those bullpens, you are
Speaker 1: doing it with a purpose. You got that gear on,
Speaker 1: you are ready to go.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah you have protection first I need I
Speaker 2: need to have my gear on.
Speaker 3: But but but yeah, and it goes deeper than you know,
Speaker 3: just just catching the bullpens, you know, kind of getting
Speaker 3: the mind of the pictures and know what they want
Speaker 3: to do, know what they like, understand what they're working on.
Speaker 3: And then sometimes you know, you end up, you know,
Speaker 3: talking about the last last outing and how we can
Speaker 3: adjust and things like that.
Speaker 1: How much do you talk baseball with these guys, is
Speaker 1: in the dugout even when you're not catching.
Speaker 3: I mean, I think that's a huge part too, you know,
Speaker 3: watching the game. You know, when you're not playing every day,
Speaker 3: watching the game is huge because that's where all the
Speaker 3: information is at.
Speaker 2: So paying attention to the game.
Speaker 3: And then if I know who I'm catching in advance,
Speaker 3: then I'll get with him and we'll kind of game plan,
Speaker 3: you know, throughout the.
Speaker 1: Series, Chuckie Robinson is our guest in front of first pitch.
Speaker 1: The Dodgers are not going to have Will Smith for
Speaker 1: a little bit longer, Chucky. That gives you a lot
Speaker 1: more runway to be here with Dalton Rushing when you
Speaker 1: realize the dangers I guess, or part of the hazards
Speaker 1: of being a catcher. What is it about this position
Speaker 1: that drew you to it?
Speaker 3: I mean you're in I mean originally because you're in
Speaker 3: every play. You know, when you're a little kid, you
Speaker 3: don't want to be an outfield. But yeah, I'm in
Speaker 3: every play. I'm engaged and I love this position.
Speaker 1: Now with the abs and the pitch framing. You are
Speaker 1: one of those catchers, like a lot of them, that
Speaker 1: go down on your on your knees when you receive pitches.
Speaker 1: What is the thought process with that and your generation
Speaker 1: of catchers, especially now that you know, maybe pitch framing
Speaker 1: is not as emphasized as it was before.
Speaker 3: I mean, I think from the catcher's perspective, framing is
Speaker 3: still like a pretty pretty big part of it, you know,
Speaker 3: And it's still a pretty big measurable uh in the position.
Speaker 3: And when I first started out, I was on two feet,
Speaker 3: so I had to kind of transition into the into
Speaker 3: the one knee style. But uh, I definitely think to
Speaker 3: give you a leverage you're at the bottom of the zone. Yeah,
Speaker 3: and uh, I think guys like the target too.
Speaker 1: So I guess with only two challenges, the framing is
Speaker 1: still a big part of it now that you mention it,
Speaker 1: because you don't want to waste your challenges and you
Speaker 1: want to be able to present pitches and strikes the
Speaker 1: same way.
Speaker 3: No, yeah, exactly, I want to. I want to present
Speaker 3: the the pitches the best I can to the empire
Speaker 3: and use the challenges as strategic strategic as possible.
Speaker 1: Is the bottom of the zone still the biggest point
Speaker 1: of emphasis?
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, you just the lever starts from the
Speaker 3: ground and you work from the so it all starts
Speaker 3: there and then kind of just shot to funnel everything
Speaker 3: back to the middle.
Speaker 1: All right, CHECKI Robinson. Before I let you go, some
Speaker 1: rapid fire questions growing up? Who is your favorite.
Speaker 2: Player Benito Santiago?
Speaker 1: You ever throw runners out from your knees like Santiago?
Speaker 2: I have? Yeah? Yeah, nice? Nice? All right? Favorite food
Speaker 2: Italian food? Oh yeah, pasta pizza, pizza. Okay.
Speaker 1: Who's been your favorite teammate over the course of your
Speaker 1: professional career?
Speaker 2: Favorite teammate, I would say.
Speaker 1: Ryan Ward's over there, so don't be nervous.
Speaker 2: I would say Ronnie Dawson. Ronni, Yeah, who's that?
Speaker 3: We were drafting the same draft class back in twenty
Speaker 3: sixteen with.
Speaker 2: The Houston Nastros. Still friends, Yeah, friends? So this day
Speaker 2: I talked to him this morning.
Speaker 1: Do you still return text messages now you're a catcher
Speaker 1: with the Dodgers or do you go more people now?
Speaker 3: I mean, I've never been good at texting, but I'll
Speaker 3: call everybody. I'm so the same dude, I've had the
Speaker 3: same numb vers stinks to sixth grade.
Speaker 1: So wow, yeah, all right, Wow, the Robinson's led Chuck,
Speaker 1: you have a phone in sixth grade. How about that
Speaker 1: responsible guy. Thanks a lot for the time, great sharing
Speaker 1: you with Dodger fans, and stay healthy, keep it going.
Speaker 2: Thank you.