WEBVTT - 1/8 Ryan Ward

0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.440
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Dodger Talk and great to have you on

0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:06.280
<v Speaker 1>a show that so many were calling and asking about

0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:07.160
<v Speaker 1>you last year.

0:00:08.360 --> 0:00:10.639
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Hi, guys, I'm happy to be here. Thank you

0:00:10.720 --> 0:00:11.799
<v Speaker 2>for having me. I'm excited for this.

0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:15.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I'm excited too. I mean, I feel like I

0:00:15.080 --> 0:00:17.759
<v Speaker 1>know you already with the way everybody's been pumping you

0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:21.360
<v Speaker 1>up to me. What was last year like for you

0:00:21.440 --> 0:00:24.160
<v Speaker 1>to have that type of season at Triple A.

0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:27.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was. I mean, it was a fun year.

0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:30.280
<v Speaker 2>We had a great team too, So it was just

0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:34.559
<v Speaker 2>a lot of swing changes and approach decision decisions that

0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:37.120
<v Speaker 2>I made like during the offseason and really committed to

0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:39.720
<v Speaker 2>during the year. So being able to see it all

0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:43.360
<v Speaker 2>pay off and see the right results was really cool

0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:45.280
<v Speaker 2>for me, and then just just continuing to try and

0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:45.879
<v Speaker 2>build on it.

0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:51.200
<v Speaker 1>Your season actually started with Team USA the Premiere sixteen

0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:54.760
<v Speaker 1>where they were playing in Japan, and your manager was

0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:58.520
<v Speaker 1>Mike Soosha. One of your coaches was Dino Eble, who's

0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:02.640
<v Speaker 1>the Dodgers third base coach. How much did that experience

0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.880
<v Speaker 1>help you get ready for the season and the one

0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:08.600
<v Speaker 1>that you had the big, you know, coming out party

0:01:08.640 --> 0:01:10.199
<v Speaker 1>that you had in Oklahoma City.

0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:14.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, incredibly. I mean those those guys, that whole staff,

0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:18.760
<v Speaker 2>including them, like the baseball knowledge was insane, so so

0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:21.360
<v Speaker 2>being able to pick their brains and talk about things

0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:24.039
<v Speaker 2>whether you're on the field or not, like watching something

0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:26.679
<v Speaker 2>happen and kind of learning from them, seeing the way

0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.039
<v Speaker 2>they see the game was huge and I tried to

0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:31.080
<v Speaker 2>take advantage of it as most as much as I could.

0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:34.480
<v Speaker 1>How much did Rich Hill try to buddy up to

0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:37.520
<v Speaker 1>you being from Massachusetts and try to brow out that

0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:40.480
<v Speaker 1>you guys are boss Bostonians.

0:01:40.640 --> 0:01:44.120
<v Speaker 2>As one of the first things we talked about, and

0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:46.800
<v Speaker 2>then we became We became pretty close throughout that tournament,

0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:49.040
<v Speaker 2>and we've actually been on a couple of flights together,

0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:51.360
<v Speaker 2>whether it's coming home for All Star Break or heading

0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:54.080
<v Speaker 2>back out, so we've been able to kind of stay

0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.400
<v Speaker 2>in touch and it's been awesome.

0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:01.040
<v Speaker 1>Ryan Ward is joining us, Yes that Ryan Ward is

0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:04.440
<v Speaker 1>joining us on Dodger Talk. You can follow him on

0:02:04.480 --> 0:02:09.959
<v Speaker 1>Instagram our Ward oh twelve on Instagram and really get

0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:12.519
<v Speaker 1>to know him through social media. Get to know him

0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:15.680
<v Speaker 1>right here on Dodger Talk, and you will get to

0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:19.160
<v Speaker 1>know him during this upcoming season because he is going

0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:21.320
<v Speaker 1>to be in Big League camp. You are on the

0:02:21.360 --> 0:02:25.480
<v Speaker 1>forty man roster. Did you believe the Dodgers were going

0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:28.560
<v Speaker 1>to add you to the forty man roster or did

0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:32.280
<v Speaker 1>you believe that they were going to you were going

0:02:32.320 --> 0:02:35.360
<v Speaker 1>to move on and get an opportunity with another team.

0:02:35.760 --> 0:02:37.600
<v Speaker 1>What were your feelings after the season.

0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:42.359
<v Speaker 2>You know, I really wasn't sure what was going to happen,

0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:45.200
<v Speaker 2>especially with the Dodgers. I mean, they make so many

0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:47.880
<v Speaker 2>moves you never really know what's going to happen. So,

0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, I was kind of just sitting there on

0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:53.519
<v Speaker 2>that last day of kind of just sweating it out,

0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:56.079
<v Speaker 2>wondering which way it was going to happen, what was

0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:57.440
<v Speaker 2>going to happen, which way it was going to go.

0:02:57.560 --> 0:02:59.920
<v Speaker 2>And I eventually got the call that they added me,

0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:03.480
<v Speaker 2>and I was excited. I mean, forty man Dodger or

0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:06.959
<v Speaker 2>forty man roster for the LA Dodgers is no little thing.

0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:09.880
<v Speaker 2>So I'm excited to get back out there and get

0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.680
<v Speaker 2>on the field and just continue playing and having fun.

0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:16.200
<v Speaker 1>You know, I don't know how you felt, Ryan, but

0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:20.200
<v Speaker 1>I'll let you in on something. You may have heard

0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.040
<v Speaker 1>me say this when you were on hold, but literally

0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.920
<v Speaker 1>every day for the last three months of the season,

0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:30.880
<v Speaker 1>as you were exploding and having your tremendous year. I

0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:34.440
<v Speaker 1>literally got a phone call on this show, or somebody

0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:38.280
<v Speaker 1>would stop me at the stadium, or even some broadcaster

0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:42.160
<v Speaker 1>would ask me. Every single day I had a Ryan

0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:46.080
<v Speaker 1>Ward streak going where somebody would ask me about Ryan

0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:49.560
<v Speaker 1>Ward and why he wasn't called up to the Dodgers.

0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:53.560
<v Speaker 1>I'm sure you got that more than I did. How

0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:54.680
<v Speaker 1>did you handle all that?

0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:58.120
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean I was getting I was getting a

0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:00.960
<v Speaker 2>lot of dms from people, you know, asking why I'm

0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.760
<v Speaker 2>not up there and all this stuff. But you know,

0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:07.440
<v Speaker 2>it's a tough spot because like I can't control any

0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.200
<v Speaker 2>of that stuff, so so me thinking about it and

0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:13.560
<v Speaker 2>pondering it is something I try not to do. Obviously

0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:15.800
<v Speaker 2>I think about it all the time, but I try

0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:17.560
<v Speaker 2>not to like sit there and think about it twenty

0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:20.279
<v Speaker 2>four to seven. You know, just just focus on My

0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:23.080
<v Speaker 2>big saying is control what I can control, and that's

0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:26.039
<v Speaker 2>going out every night and doing my best. You know,

0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:28.839
<v Speaker 2>can can control moves that are being made or decisions

0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:31.280
<v Speaker 2>being made. I can control how I prepare for the game,

0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:33.400
<v Speaker 2>how I play in the game, and that's kind of

0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:35.880
<v Speaker 2>where I direct all my focus.

0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:39.600
<v Speaker 1>Do you use it as fuel for motivation. Do you

0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.599
<v Speaker 1>play with a chip on your shoulder because you still

0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:44.119
<v Speaker 1>haven't got that call yet?

0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:47.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean I feel like I've always played with

0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:50.360
<v Speaker 2>a chip on my shoulder. It's just something that you know,

0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:53.520
<v Speaker 2>gets the fire lit underneath me and just pushes me

0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:56.520
<v Speaker 2>to be better every day. And I just try to

0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:58.560
<v Speaker 2>go out there and carry that ship around and leave

0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:01.240
<v Speaker 2>it all out there every night, whether it the preparation

0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:04.039
<v Speaker 2>before the game, the play during the game, looking at

0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.440
<v Speaker 2>stuff the next day about the game before and trying

0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:09.159
<v Speaker 2>to make changes and you know, just continuing to build.

0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:11.599
<v Speaker 2>So I'm always trying to find ways to be better

0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:13.240
<v Speaker 2>and push myself to be better.

0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:18.679
<v Speaker 1>Since you are from Boston, obviously a crazy sports town,

0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:22.520
<v Speaker 1>especially for the Red Sox. When you were growing up,

0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.040
<v Speaker 1>did you have a favorite player on the Red Sox

0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:29.240
<v Speaker 1>or on another team who who inspired Ryan Ward to

0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:32.000
<v Speaker 1>want to become a professional baseball player.

0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:36.279
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, obviously Red Sox fan. Growing up, I

0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:39.200
<v Speaker 2>was a big, big David Ortis fan, just because I

0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:42.320
<v Speaker 2>was I was a lefty. He was the lefty power guy.

0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:46.000
<v Speaker 2>Like it was. David Ortiz was like he was an

0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:49.440
<v Speaker 2>icon around here. So David Ortiz for sure was my

0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:51.400
<v Speaker 2>favorite Red Sox growing up. I mean I watched them

0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:55.560
<v Speaker 2>all the time. And yeah, i'd say David Ortiz for sure.

0:05:57.120 --> 0:05:59.880
<v Speaker 1>Were you old enough to remember Dave Roberts stealing that

0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:01.520
<v Speaker 1>base in two thousand and four.

0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:05.520
<v Speaker 2>Well, yeah, I've watched that thirty for thirty documentary a

0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:11.920
<v Speaker 2>hundred times, you know, d like least four or five

0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:15.719
<v Speaker 2>times in a row and then they shit and the homer,

0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:16.720
<v Speaker 2>all of it.

0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:21.000
<v Speaker 1>Have you have you spoken to Dave Roberts? I know

0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:23.880
<v Speaker 1>you haven't been in big league camp. Have you had

0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:26.520
<v Speaker 1>many interactions with him? Uh?

0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:29.039
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I've been in I've been in big league camp

0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:32.599
<v Speaker 2>for I think the past two years. That's free.

0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:35.400
<v Speaker 1>I apologize. I must have introduced myself to you.

0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:38.880
<v Speaker 2>Yeah yeah, no, no, no, yeah, but.

0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:42.919
<v Speaker 1>Sorry, Alex Friedland and Gavin Stone try to dominate my time.

0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:43.839
<v Speaker 1>I forget, you know.

0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:49.560
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's fair, that's definitely fair. So, yeah, we've had

0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:53.440
<v Speaker 2>a couple of conversations like during spring training for sure,

0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:55.720
<v Speaker 2>here and there, But no that that's never came up.

0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:57.960
<v Speaker 2>So I'm sure I'm sure will at some point, but

0:06:58.080 --> 0:06:58.760
<v Speaker 2>just hasn't yet.

0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:03.480
<v Speaker 1>Ryan is our guest. He was the Pacific Coast League

0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:06.719
<v Speaker 1>player of the year in twenty twenty five, looking to

0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:10.600
<v Speaker 1>make a big impact for the Dodgers in twenty twenty six,

0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.119
<v Speaker 1>and I'm sure this has got to be a huge

0:07:13.120 --> 0:07:17.320
<v Speaker 1>step closer to you realizing your dream. Ryan. With the

0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:22.200
<v Speaker 1>Dodgers outfield situation in flux, especially in left field, you

0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.560
<v Speaker 1>got to feel optimistic that this is going to be

0:07:24.640 --> 0:07:26.840
<v Speaker 1>the year that you get an opportunity.

0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.800
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, I mean especially with kind of like you said,

0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.040
<v Speaker 2>being put on the forty man like gives you a

0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:34.640
<v Speaker 2>real shock or int that they can do it during

0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.720
<v Speaker 2>the year with all those news and everything, but being

0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:39.960
<v Speaker 2>on it already is huge, and you know, like trying

0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.240
<v Speaker 2>to get my body into the best spot it can be,

0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.840
<v Speaker 2>strength wise, getting all my recovery done, get my swing

0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:47.600
<v Speaker 2>right in, you know, just trying to show up with

0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.520
<v Speaker 2>my foot on the pedal all the way to the

0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.680
<v Speaker 2>floor and then just give it everything I got and

0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.320
<v Speaker 2>leave it out there. But trying to have fun with

0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:56.960
<v Speaker 2>it too, you know. I mean, you can't go in

0:07:57.000 --> 0:08:00.400
<v Speaker 2>there and then just play under pressure from myself day

0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:02.680
<v Speaker 2>after day. It's because it's that's gonna hurt me. So

0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:05.200
<v Speaker 2>just trying to have fun with it, enjoy it and

0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:07.760
<v Speaker 2>learn from all those guys and talk to the guys,

0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:09.520
<v Speaker 2>and I kind of like earlier I said, pick their

0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:13.120
<v Speaker 2>brains about certain things, and you know, just improve and

0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:14.720
<v Speaker 2>chase my dream every day.

0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.000
<v Speaker 1>No doubt, you must be doing something right. Ryan Ward

0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:22.000
<v Speaker 1>to hit thirty six home runs for Oklahoma City last year.

0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:24.800
<v Speaker 1>Before I let you go, I got to ask you this,

0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:28.400
<v Speaker 1>since you were part of the organization last year. Where

0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:32.720
<v Speaker 1>were you watching number one, the eighteen inning game when

0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:35.520
<v Speaker 1>Freddy hit the walk off home run? And number two?

0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:39.480
<v Speaker 1>Where were you watching Game seven of the World Series.

0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:43.560
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the eighteen inning game. I was at home, and

0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:46.959
<v Speaker 2>I was having flashbacks too, because the before I got

0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.160
<v Speaker 2>dropped about dollars, they played the Red Sox and had

0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:52.960
<v Speaker 2>like that seventeen eighteen inning playoffs. Yeah, so I was

0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:55.200
<v Speaker 2>having flashbacks to that while I was watching it. But

0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:58.600
<v Speaker 2>a Game seven, I was actually at my buddy's house.

0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:01.520
<v Speaker 2>There's a group of us all sitting there watching the game.

0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:03.640
<v Speaker 2>So it was a really cool environment to be able

0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.960
<v Speaker 2>to watch it. I mean, that was one of the

0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:08.400
<v Speaker 2>craziest Game sevens I think I've ever seen in my

0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:11.280
<v Speaker 2>life any sport. So we able to watch it with

0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.640
<v Speaker 2>some of the guys and have something to celebrate with them.

0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:15.400
<v Speaker 2>Was pretty cool, was.

0:09:15.360 --> 0:09:17.760
<v Speaker 1>That In you're talking about some of the guys that

0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.240
<v Speaker 1>you were teammates with at Oklahoma City.

0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:24.320
<v Speaker 2>Well, we were. I was with friends from home back

0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:27.160
<v Speaker 2>in Massachusetts, but a lot of us from the OKAC

0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.560
<v Speaker 2>team or in a group message and we're all texting

0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:32.240
<v Speaker 2>throughout all the games and everything. So it was cool

0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:35.960
<v Speaker 2>to be able to like integrate my OKAC friends and

0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.040
<v Speaker 2>my friends from home, and everyone's kind of rooting for

0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:39.440
<v Speaker 2>the same thing. So it was pretty cool.

0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:43.600
<v Speaker 1>How invested did you feel watching the Dodgers in the

0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:44.400
<v Speaker 1>World Series.

0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:47.680
<v Speaker 2>I felt pretty invested. I mean a lot of the

0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:50.040
<v Speaker 2>guys I've played with because of they're either down in

0:09:50.120 --> 0:09:54.600
<v Speaker 2>rehab or during spring training or I was down in

0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.920
<v Speaker 2>a stay hot camp for all the series up until

0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:00.719
<v Speaker 2>the World Series, so I was there staying ready in

0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:03.800
<v Speaker 2>case something happened. So I was pretty invested in what

0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:04.960
<v Speaker 2>was going on with them.

0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:08.920
<v Speaker 1>Did you see this coming with Roki Sasaki when he was,

0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:12.280
<v Speaker 1>you know, making his way back at Oklahoma City before

0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:15.319
<v Speaker 1>he came back in September and did what he did

0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:16.960
<v Speaker 1>in the postseason.

0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:21.360
<v Speaker 2>When he really got going and kind of got his

0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:24.320
<v Speaker 2>strength back, and it was in a role down in Okay. See,

0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.400
<v Speaker 2>I mean, nobody was touching him. He was he was

0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:31.480
<v Speaker 2>throwing strikes, he was town his only throwing hard. His

0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:33.840
<v Speaker 2>splitter was unbelievable. And I was just kind of like,

0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:36.640
<v Speaker 2>we're all kind of sitting there like, oh, like I

0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.199
<v Speaker 2>think he's ready. I think he's ready to go back

0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:40.920
<v Speaker 2>up there. It was really fun to watch while he

0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:41.480
<v Speaker 2>was down there.

0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:46.319
<v Speaker 1>That's so great, great perspective from a guy that everybody

0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:49.880
<v Speaker 1>wants to see make his major league debut this year

0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:52.880
<v Speaker 1>with the Dodgers, and that is Ryan Ward. Thanks a

0:10:52.880 --> 0:10:55.280
<v Speaker 1>lot for the time, Ryan, can't wait to see you

0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:57.960
<v Speaker 1>again in big league camp, like I have the last

0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:01.240
<v Speaker 1>couple of years. And uh, i'll i'll, I'll box out

0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.920
<v Speaker 1>Stone and Freedland and say, hey, we need some alone

0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:06.320
<v Speaker 1>time here, all right, let me focus on this guy

0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:07.040
<v Speaker 1>from Boston.

0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:10.280
<v Speaker 2>That sounds good to me. Thank you for having me on.

0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:11.120
<v Speaker 2>I appreciate it.

0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:13.360
<v Speaker 1>No, my pleasure. Thank you for the time. And we'll

0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:14.800
<v Speaker 1>see you in a month.

0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:17.040
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we'll see in a few weeks.