WEBVTT - James Tibbs III (3-23-26) 

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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>The Freeway series has shifted scenes to Dodgers Stadium and

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<v Speaker 1>a man that made himself feel at home in Anaheim

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<v Speaker 1>like he has all spring long. Is my guy, James Tibbs,

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<v Speaker 1>the third, A proud Florida State seminole.

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<v Speaker 2>La loves him now, thanks a lot for.

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<v Speaker 3>The time, Tibbs absolutely, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, over spring training, you got the greatest compliment from

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<v Speaker 1>a former Dodger. His name was Andre Ethier, and you

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<v Speaker 1>know what he said, James Tibbs has Ethier type of edge.

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<v Speaker 3>Cool. Yeah, that's really cool. That's that means a lot.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a huge compliment come from him. I love it.

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<v Speaker 2>How much does edge play into you performing?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I mean I just I just try to keep

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<v Speaker 4>the chip on my shoulder little bit, just play like

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<v Speaker 4>you know, I don't I haven't.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't deserve anything. I got to earn it all.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean at the end of the day, like every

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<v Speaker 4>day's a new day and trying to, you know, come

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<v Speaker 4>out there and give him my best and see what happens.

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<v Speaker 1>James, we talked at the beginning of spring training. You

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<v Speaker 1>hadn't played a single game, but it seemed like you

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<v Speaker 1>had an awareness of who you were.

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<v Speaker 2>What do you make of the results you got this spring?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I mean it's just you know, a testament to

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<v Speaker 4>the process and continue to put in work and find

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<v Speaker 4>ways to get better each and every day. And you know,

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<v Speaker 4>I didn't have any expectation coming in the spring. Just

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<v Speaker 4>come out here and compete and see what happens. And

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<v Speaker 4>you know, try to get as comfortable as I can

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<v Speaker 4>around the guys and get to know them, get to

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<v Speaker 4>learn from them, and so the success on the field

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<v Speaker 4>is just a plus.

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<v Speaker 1>I know, this is professional sports, it's not little league.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't need somebody to say, hey, great job. But

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<v Speaker 1>have you gotten feedback from Dave Roberts or the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 1>this spring?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah? I just keep doing what you're doing.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, we love what you do and and we

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<v Speaker 4>love how you compete and you play hard, and yeah,

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<v Speaker 4>for me, that's that's all I can control.

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<v Speaker 3>So trying to control the control bills.

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<v Speaker 4>And continuing to show I can do that and progress

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<v Speaker 4>and wait and in places that I need to progress,

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<v Speaker 4>and just continue to do what I do.

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<v Speaker 1>It feels like you and her heart have been together

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<v Speaker 1>since day one. What's it like to be in the

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<v Speaker 1>same lineup every spring game, to have lockers next to

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<v Speaker 1>each other. You always need that guy to push the other.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's it's great.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, he's in a fantastic human being and a

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<v Speaker 4>great guy, and he's been a good friend and a

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<v Speaker 4>good brother to me, as you know, coming over here

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<v Speaker 4>from Boston and just loved it and enjoyed it and

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<v Speaker 4>we kind of helped each other out and push each other.

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<v Speaker 4>So it's been a great process.

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<v Speaker 1>Has that been the specialness of this spring and just

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<v Speaker 1>being with him?

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<v Speaker 2>How much do you guys push each other?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, we pushed the other every day. I mean, I

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<v Speaker 4>think both of us are trying to compete. We're both

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<v Speaker 4>trying to get better, and you know, it's almost like

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<v Speaker 4>we're just trying to out play each other a little

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<v Speaker 4>bit of each and every day.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's it's a lot. It's a fun, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>little rivalry in a great way, and we.

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<v Speaker 4>Just, you know, we both push each other, and I

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<v Speaker 4>think at the end of the day, that's, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>all you can ask for. And so to have him

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<v Speaker 4>and just to watch how he how he does his

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<v Speaker 4>business every day, it's been really cool to watch. So

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<v Speaker 4>I'm so proud of him and proud to be alongside him,

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<v Speaker 4>and you know, I can't wait to see him, you

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<v Speaker 4>know this year.

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<v Speaker 1>What about some of the salties of being in the

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<v Speaker 1>same outfield with him? You know each other, so, well,

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<v Speaker 1>what's the communication like between you two?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's pretty good.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, you know, we kind of have an idea

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<v Speaker 4>what we're doing, idea, you know what we can cover

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<v Speaker 4>and what we can't cover, and just continue to work together.

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<v Speaker 4>And you know, we kind of kind of just know

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<v Speaker 4>what each other are trying to do and what we

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<v Speaker 4>want to do, and so it helps for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>It helps chemistry and then the ability to track down.

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<v Speaker 2>Five balls every RBI you love.

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<v Speaker 1>But how sweet has it been this spring where you're

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<v Speaker 1>driving in Zach Gerhart and you see him motoring around

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<v Speaker 1>from first to third, from first to home. How sweet

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<v Speaker 1>is that that he's scoring on some of your extra

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<v Speaker 1>base hits.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's awesome.

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<v Speaker 4>I think the longer I haven't a bat, the more

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<v Speaker 4>more likely he's in scoring positions.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's been fun. I've enjoyed it.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, James, obviously, Cactus League is special. Wearing the Dodger

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<v Speaker 1>uniform special. But to be at a big league stadium

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<v Speaker 1>last night in Anaheim, forty five thousand fans were there.

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<v Speaker 1>What was it like for you to be on that stage?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's cool.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, you know, I remember going to an Angels

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<v Speaker 4>game when I was eight years old, right, and sitting

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<v Speaker 4>with my dad and hanging out and hoping one dad'd be.

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<v Speaker 3>In that place. And so same thing goes for.

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<v Speaker 4>Here being in a Dodger stadium. You know, I was

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<v Speaker 4>here to you know, when I was eight. So it's

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<v Speaker 4>just a surreal experience. And as a guy that you know,

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<v Speaker 4>grew up loving baseball and wanted to be in baseball,

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<v Speaker 4>just to be a part of this is a dream

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<v Speaker 4>come true for me.

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<v Speaker 1>So you're saying a Georgia kid found his way to

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<v Speaker 1>Dodger Stadium eight years old.

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<v Speaker 3>It was a trip.

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<v Speaker 4>My dad and I played a trip and uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>he gave us a couple couple of ages and said, hey,

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<v Speaker 4>come out, you know what trip do you want to

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<v Speaker 4>do for this and this and this? And so did

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<v Speaker 4>a New York trip and did a uh, did an

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<v Speaker 4>LA trip. So I went to San Diego, went to Anaheim,

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<v Speaker 4>and went to LA and it was a fantastic experience

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<v Speaker 4>to be out here.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, age me who was on the Dodgers when

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<v Speaker 1>eight year old TIBs was here.

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<v Speaker 3>Matt Camp, Andre Thier, Clint Kershaw. Oh yeah, you know.

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<v Speaker 4>Actually we saw the Padres play the Giants and Barry

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<v Speaker 4>Zito pitch in his last year. So that's kind of

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<v Speaker 4>a cool memory of mine. But other than that, I

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<v Speaker 4>can't remember too well.

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<v Speaker 1>So that must have been a great experience to have

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<v Speaker 1>Ethier not only compliment you what he said, but actually

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<v Speaker 1>work with you for a week out there and the

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<v Speaker 1>other outfielders.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it was great.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean absolutely, I you know, growing up watching baseball

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<v Speaker 4>and just being a fan of baseball, it was fun

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<v Speaker 4>to watch and at the end of the day, like

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<v Speaker 4>you know, you you hope to be that guy one day, right,

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<v Speaker 4>And so for me to experience that firsthand and get

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<v Speaker 4>to talk to them and you know, pick their brains

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<v Speaker 4>as well as.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, just knowing that, you know, I grew up

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<v Speaker 3>a this cool experience.

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<v Speaker 1>I identify with guys like youtubs. I broadcast with a chip

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<v Speaker 1>on my shoulder. I got edge every night on Dodger Talk.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Yeah, I just try to go about the same

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<v Speaker 3>way every day, all.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, thanks a lot for the time. Congratulations, appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.