Speaker 1: And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker.
Speaker 1: All Right, this is his first time on the show
Speaker 1: this season. He's starting again at second base. He's been
Speaker 1: in there virtually every night for the Dodgers. That's the
Speaker 1: one and only Alex Freeland and I appreciate you clearing
Speaker 1: the throat getting ready for this interview.
Speaker 2: Thanks for having me on, man.
Speaker 1: Yeah, how's it been to get this opportunity? Everybody needs
Speaker 1: an opportunity. I just needed an opportunity with you. The
Speaker 1: Dodgers have given you an opportunity to play.
Speaker 2: I'm grateful for it. I mean.
Speaker 3: I really wasn't expecting it but to break with the team.
Speaker 3: But They've given me an opportunity, and I'm trying to
Speaker 3: make the most of it, so all I can be
Speaker 3: as grateful for.
Speaker 1: Do you feel like you belonged more than you did
Speaker 1: when you first got called up?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Definitely.
Speaker 3: I mean just having that little taste of it from
Speaker 3: last year like gave me or put my mind at ease,
Speaker 3: like it's nothing that I haven't done.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I'm definitely more comfortable.
Speaker 1: Let's talk about last night's game as a baseball fan,
Speaker 1: that was a really entertaining game to watch, especially when
Speaker 1: Max Munsey's hitting three home runs.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that was a really good game. Shout out
Speaker 2: months he was on one last night.
Speaker 1: Can you feel that type of game? It felt like
Speaker 1: the Rangers are not being intimidated by you, They're not
Speaker 1: conceding anything. That makes the game a little bit more fun.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I mean, I don't think any team's over there just
Speaker 3: conceding to us. I mean everybody's trying to beat us
Speaker 3: and play hard. So those are the games that I
Speaker 3: enjoy the most. When it's higher energy, good baseball, Like
Speaker 3: I really enjoy that. So last night's game was fun
Speaker 3: to play and fun to watch.
Speaker 1: When Rojas is in there at shortstop with you, what
Speaker 1: are some of the nuances and communication he shares with you, just.
Speaker 3: Like positioning, and we just communicate throughout the game, like
Speaker 3: what we want to do if balls hitting this in
Speaker 3: this scenario. So it's just communicating about the game.
Speaker 1: Does he have a better scouting report on some players
Speaker 1: or little tips on how to get a read off
Speaker 1: one hitter?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would say I would say that, so just
Speaker 3: because Maggie's played with a lot of these guys and
Speaker 3: against them, so He's always got something on whether it's
Speaker 3: small or big, He's always got something.
Speaker 1: So does he make you see the game differently? Does
Speaker 1: it open your eyes when you're playing second base, even
Speaker 1: when Kim like tonight, is starting at shortstop.
Speaker 3: Yeah? No, I mean I always really enjoy playing up
Speaker 3: the middle with both of the guys. But Miggy Rose
Speaker 3: just like that veteran player, so like he's seen almost everything.
Speaker 3: So it's like, I really enjoy playing up the middle
Speaker 3: with Meggie.
Speaker 1: Alex Freeland is our guest. I'm not going to pretend
Speaker 1: that I'm some baseball expert, but I have noticed when
Speaker 1: you're hitting from the left side, your hands are elevated
Speaker 1: and they're a little bit farther away from your body
Speaker 1: than I saw last year. Is that an accurate observation.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty accurate.
Speaker 3: It's just to free up my hands, give me space
Speaker 3: to rotate.
Speaker 1: Does it help you eliminate even just like maybe a
Speaker 1: second to try to get your bat into the strike
Speaker 1: zoner to keep it in the strike zone longer?
Speaker 3: I would say so, yeah, But just like the main
Speaker 3: purpose of it to have my hands away from my
Speaker 3: body is to create space.
Speaker 1: How did you find that Robert. Oh, wow, he actually
Speaker 1: does something.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he does.
Speaker 3: But it was when we were playing in the Freeway Series.
Speaker 3: It's like the like, yeah, I didn't. I didn't make
Speaker 3: that adjustment until the Freeway Series and I had like
Speaker 3: one game so like a few at bats with it,
Speaker 3: and I was like, all right, like Bush's run with it,
Speaker 3: and here we are.
Speaker 1: I'm not joking. When you guys came back to Dodger
Speaker 1: Stadium during the Freeway Series and watching you take batting practice,
Speaker 1: that's the first time that it really stood out to me.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, Like I said, we made that adjustment like the
Speaker 3: second second game of the Freeway Series. So it feels
Speaker 3: good and I'm gonna run with it.
Speaker 1: I know you take and being a switch hitter, but
Speaker 1: you're being run out there mostly against righties. Have you
Speaker 1: found some sort of rhythm doing that from one side
Speaker 1: of the plate?
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, most of my focus is on the
Speaker 3: on the left side right now, but I mean there
Speaker 3: are times, like when we were in Toronto, I did
Speaker 3: get a few at bats right handed, so not trying
Speaker 3: to just push the right handed something to the side
Speaker 3: and still get my work in even though like the
Speaker 3: majority of the time I'm not gonna hit right handed
Speaker 3: versus the lefties, which which I'm fine with. Like that is,
Speaker 3: that is okay. Whatever they need me to do, I'll do.
Speaker 1: Having fun very baseball stadiums. Sorry, you're it feels like
Speaker 1: coming to the ballpark for you is your refuge. You
Speaker 1: can get away from everything and and have a good time.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. This is where. This is where I would
Speaker 2: call home. This is where my mind's at. He's love it.
Speaker 1: Hope you find a place to stay in La soon.
Speaker 2: Shoot, I do too.
Speaker 3: If you know anybody that's renting out their home, let
Speaker 3: me know.
Speaker 1: Okay, hey sometimes they might Thanks a lot for the time.
Speaker 1: Great to see a smile. And I love how you
Speaker 1: keep the swamp mullet away from the stadium this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah you like that. Yeah, maybe I'll grow it out
Speaker 2: just for you.