Speaker 1: And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.
Speaker 1: We are joined right now by one of my favorite people,
Speaker 1: a man that made himself known to Major League baseball,
Speaker 1: making his major league debut so many first last year
Speaker 1: for Dalton Rushing. Can't wait for his sophomore season with
Speaker 1: the Dodgers and he will have a new teammate and
Speaker 1: Kyle Tucker. Dalton Rushing, Welcome to Dodger Talk.
Speaker 2: How you doing. I'm doing good.
Speaker 1: Good to hear from you that, Hey, this was great timing.
Speaker 1: We set this up a while ago, and it's the
Speaker 1: night that Kyle Tucker signs with the Dodgers. I wasn't
Speaker 1: expecting that.
Speaker 2: Almost like you knew something.
Speaker 1: Man, how much I don't know. How much do you
Speaker 1: guys talk about these things amongst each other, about whether
Speaker 1: or not a guy like Tucker may sign with you
Speaker 1: or is it just something that you sit back and
Speaker 1: watch and wait and see.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's I think it's kind of cool
Speaker 2: to just watch it unfold. Obviously, free agency for any
Speaker 2: players an exciting time, also hectic, but yeah, I mean
Speaker 2: it pops up tonight and you see it. You want
Speaker 2: to be surprised. But at the same time, it's every
Speaker 2: team tries to win a World Series every year, and
Speaker 2: Dodgers are willing to do whatever.
Speaker 1: What was it like for you last year being part
Speaker 1: of this team that obviously has a World Series on
Speaker 1: their minds when they report to spring training. For you
Speaker 1: to get the call in the middle of the season
Speaker 1: and to have big hits for this team and to
Speaker 1: be there, you know, for and be a big part
Speaker 1: of it. What was it like your first full season?
Speaker 2: It was good. Overall. The main goal with any team
Speaker 2: you ever played for it that level is going to
Speaker 2: win a World Series, and so on that side, very successful.
Speaker 2: It was an unbelievable group, I think, I would say
Speaker 2: obviously from looking in beforehand, you get to play with
Speaker 2: some of the best players in baseball still, and I
Speaker 2: think that itself is a huge privilege for young guys,
Speaker 2: especially your rookie year, to see the things that I saw,
Speaker 2: learn the things that I did with like I said,
Speaker 2: the guys surrounding me.
Speaker 1: Dalton Rushing is joining us tonight on Dodger Talk and Dalton,
Speaker 1: just thinking back to your season, People ask me all
Speaker 1: the time about my favorite moment of the year of
Speaker 1: the World Series. But if somebody were to ask me
Speaker 1: about my favorite Dalton rushing moment of the season last
Speaker 1: year was your game in San Diego where you had
Speaker 1: a huge home run against the Padres on that day
Speaker 1: game to kind of remind the Padres that you guys
Speaker 1: are still here and at that time the race was
Speaker 1: really close. When you think back to your season last year,
Speaker 1: is that one of the games one of the moments
Speaker 1: that sticks out to you?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say that was for sure. I wouldn't
Speaker 2: say the highlight. Obviously, you win the World Series, that's
Speaker 2: your highlight. But for me, it was kind of a
Speaker 2: moment of things weren't going my way for a little bit,
Speaker 2: and so you kind of you fill your team around
Speaker 2: you support you, and you do something like that. But
Speaker 2: like you said, it was a big game for that
Speaker 2: time of the year. But I just I was glad
Speaker 2: that I was able to help the team win on
Speaker 2: that Sunday day game and allow us to do the
Speaker 2: things that we did later in the year.
Speaker 1: Regardless, when did you start to settle into the season
Speaker 1: once you got called up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like the guys did a really good
Speaker 2: job of making you feel pretty at home early on.
Speaker 2: It doesn't really feel as I guess uptied as people
Speaker 2: would think from the outside. As far as being a
Speaker 2: rookie on a team like that, I think it's the
Speaker 2: Dodgers just do a good job of surrounding you with
Speaker 2: good people, good resources, and comes with that as some
Speaker 2: of the best players in the world. So yeah, it's
Speaker 2: it wasn't too bad to kind of like feel like
Speaker 2: I was a part of the guys very soon if
Speaker 2: you guys took me under their wing and just kind
Speaker 2: of allowed me to learn as much as I could
Speaker 2: for being in the position and playing the role that
Speaker 2: I played.
Speaker 1: Dalton Rushing is our guest on Dodger Talk. It's the
Speaker 1: night that the Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker to a four
Speaker 1: year contract, and you know, going back all the way
Speaker 1: back to November, Brandon Gomes was talking about how the
Speaker 1: Dodgers wanted to get you more at bats this upcoming season.
Speaker 1: He even mentioned the possibility of you getting some reps
Speaker 1: in the outfield. I guess that's over with now, Dalton's
Speaker 1: psych Kyle Tucker, did you ever did you ever pick
Speaker 1: up your outfield glove again this offseason?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've just kind of tried to go at this
Speaker 3: offseason with the attack plan of basically being available for
Speaker 3: whatever options that I can play, and playing a little
Speaker 3: bit of left field that I played in twenty four
Speaker 3: gave me the idea that I think I could do
Speaker 3: it at a decent level at least being a catcher.
Speaker 2: So I've kind of prepared my body for any outcome
Speaker 2: or whatever they may need out of me.
Speaker 1: You seem pretty comfortable at first base last year. How
Speaker 1: did that happen so seamlessly?
Speaker 2: Yeah? It was so. I played a lot of first
Speaker 2: base in college. I actually played majority first base my
Speaker 2: first two years in college before the final season in
Speaker 2: twenty two, so I had a little experience there obviously,
Speaker 2: never at this level. I had played a handful of
Speaker 2: games throughout the miners there, so it wasn't completely foreign,
Speaker 2: but they for sure kind of pushed me on that
Speaker 2: side of the ball, just trying to stay as clean
Speaker 2: as possible.
Speaker 1: Do you feel pretty comfortable at first space.
Speaker 2: Yeah, of course. I mean it's like I said, I've
Speaker 2: played at plenty so I have the I guess you
Speaker 2: could say I have the trust in myself over there
Speaker 2: to go over there whenever they ask and play a
Speaker 2: pretty good first base. But with that being said, I
Speaker 2: think first base is really just a repetition thing. So
Speaker 2: that's something that I kind of have to be ahead
Speaker 2: of myself as far as like keeping myself busy even
Speaker 2: when I'm not over there.
Speaker 1: This spring training is going to be a great opportunity
Speaker 1: with the World Baseball Classic and Will Smith playing for
Speaker 1: Team USA, that means there's a lot of opportunities for
Speaker 1: Dalton Rushing to not have Will Smith, you know, taking
Speaker 1: up the normal Will Smith playing time. Has that entered
Speaker 1: your mind that this spring training you're really going to
Speaker 1: have an opportunity to get into the rhythm of the season.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I honestly just I'm showing up to spring training
Speaker 2: expecting both of us to get what we need to
Speaker 2: be ready, obviously him being pushed at a little quicker pace.
Speaker 2: But at the same time, whenever they ask, that's what
Speaker 2: I want to do. And like I said earlier, that's
Speaker 2: kind of the attack that I've taken into the off season,
Speaker 2: just being able to prepare for any outcome. And with
Speaker 2: that being said, whether they want me to catch a
Speaker 2: ton in spring training, whatever it may be, I want
Speaker 2: to make sure that I'm ready for it. Hey.
Speaker 1: The one thing that I'll always remember about Dalton Rushing
Speaker 1: three years ago. If that was maybe two or three
Speaker 1: years ago, your first big league camp, I was. I
Speaker 1: was so impressed about your understanding and emphasis on the
Speaker 1: picture catcher relationship. You don't hear too many young ca
Speaker 1: ac talk about it the way you did. You had
Speaker 1: such a great understanding about how every picture is different.
Speaker 1: You got to speak to them differently to really connect
Speaker 1: with them. When did you really understand the value of
Speaker 1: the picture catcher relationship.
Speaker 2: I feel like it's kind of It's been important in
Speaker 2: the game obviously forever, but I guess you would say
Speaker 2: pro ball. I kind of get into pro ball obviously.
Speaker 2: You see your college players like a good bit, but
Speaker 2: pro ball, you see these guys every single day, day
Speaker 2: in day out. You know their routines, you know their tendencies,
Speaker 2: things like that, and so the better being their catcher,
Speaker 2: you understand those guys. It just makes it easier for
Speaker 2: you two to click and build the trust within each other.
Speaker 2: I think trust is the biggest word there, and the
Speaker 2: more you trust each other, the better the execution is better.
Speaker 2: The execution is more success you have.
Speaker 1: What was it like having your lockers so close to
Speaker 1: Blake Snell and Clayton Kershaw. Two really good pictures, but
Speaker 1: two really different guys.
Speaker 2: Yeah you liked that corner, didn't You've asked?
Speaker 1: I loved it you Snell and uh and Kershaw and
Speaker 1: Snell's one hundred pair of sneakers and honey Boom boots.
Speaker 1: That was a great corner.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. It was a good corner. But like
Speaker 2: I said earlier that those two being some of the
Speaker 2: guys that kind of helped me settle in I think
Speaker 2: played a big role of just being able to see
Speaker 2: the two different personalities in the two and obviously the
Speaker 2: success that they both had at this level. So yeah,
Speaker 2: it was a huge opportunity. And who knows, maybe you'll
Speaker 2: get that same corner next year.
Speaker 1: Hey, wherever you are is the corner I'm going to
Speaker 1: be in. Rushing you don't forget that.
Speaker 2: I hear you that, I hear.
Speaker 1: About Velcrow dogs. I'm like a velcro reporter. Have you
Speaker 1: have you had any withdrawals not being around me every day?
Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, uh, has it been weird not
Speaker 1: seeing me every days?
Speaker 2: It's weird not pouring beer on your face anymore. We
Speaker 2: had about a month's stretch of being able to do
Speaker 2: that and that was that brought joy to me.
Speaker 1: I can't wait to do it again. Yeah, you guys,
Speaker 1: I mean even before Kyle Tuck. Kyle Tucker's along for
Speaker 1: the ride. You guys are the core is back for
Speaker 1: the three p and Kyle Tucker is along for the ride.
Speaker 1: Don't forget it, man, all right, if you need me
Speaker 1: in Arizona to help you get ready for spring training,
Speaker 1: let me know. I'm always available.
Speaker 2: We'll see if you got good bt that.
Speaker 1: Okay, sounds good. Hey, thanks a lot for doing this
Speaker 1: and look forward to seeing you February thirteenth when pitchers
Speaker 1: and catchers report. And make sure you put in a
Speaker 1: good word with Kyle Tucker with me all right? For me?
Speaker 2: Oh oh well, I'll make sure he knows you are
Speaker 2: all right as I appreciate you.
Speaker 1: I appreciate you. Dalton Rushing, thanks a lot for the time.