And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey or Dodger talking. All right, I guess this is a thing last Saturday, rolling into this Saturday, Snell Zillis Saturday with our guy Blake. Snell Blake, how did Connor McGuinness guide you through your catch play today?
You know he was such a help out there. No, it was good.
He's just helping me with, uh, with like my timing and I'm trying to like keep it slow and go back so I don't have any hiccups, and you know, he's helping me with like, hey, just trust your body where you're at vlow wise, like don't try to do less than don't try to like manipulate your body, like let it be natural and just connected. So that's what we're working on talking about. Yeah, I felt good, feeling
better and the pain's finally going away. I haven't played catch without pain and probably since we were in Japan.
That's great.
So yeah, I'm pretty pretty excited about that. And yeah, it just feels good to finally like play catch again and like be able to work on something.
Instead of just being cautious about the pain coming back. I'm sure.
Yeah, thrown with pain sucks. You don't notice it when you're in it.
You know, you're just like it's gonna go away, because that's usually what we go through, and you're like, it's just early or go away. But it's pretty tough when it didn't. And you know, like I probably should have stoped throwing before opening day, but I wanted to pitch so bad that you know, made it worse than then you know it was probably gonna be. But you know, I learned from it, and it's tough.
Man.
We want to compete, we want to play, and yeah, uh you know, new new, new to being a Dodger, and I want to just you know, show everyone how great I am and what I can be and got a little too far ahead of myself, and yeah, learn from it. So excited about that, Excited that you know I'm able to throw the ball paying free for the most part, and yeah, looking forward to getting back.
Like it sounds like the coaches just want you to be honest with them and honest with yourself.
Yeah.
They I mean they tell me like, you know, take your time, go slow, but that's like foreign language to me. I'm just like, you know, it's always been like we need you back. We need you back, and you know I was trying to go. You know, I just I want to pitch her. I love I love being a Dodger.
Hey, there's your manager, Dave Roberts waiting for snail Zilla.
Wait.
Yeah, but yeah, here, take your time, and I'm gonna do that. But I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna. I want to be back. So it's I gotta find like a happy medium and be smart about it. So when I come back, I can, you know, do the best I can to stay on the roster and pitch.
No doubt.
You gotta be honest with yourself. And once snail Zilla's back on that mound, it's gonna be a big deal for the Dodgers when he's healthy. Now where does all this go? I mean, this is kind of tedious when we say you're playing catch. How big of a day was snail Zilla's Saturday today? And where does it go the rest of the week?
Yeah, just a progression build up seventy five feet and then we'll go into like one fifty and get into bullpens after the road trip.
And you need me to stand in for one of those bullpens.
Yeah, I mean we're a diaper, but yeah, I'll be I'll be ready to go. Yeah, so you know, just we'll see how it all goes and the build up and then having Connor out there Mark, Mark's gonna start coming out there as well. It's gonna be exciting and just to you know, be able to throw and work on stuff and and get ready to go to go compete. And you know, it's tough watching all these games, you know, you just want to be a part of. It's so bad and it's really tough to watch him and know
like your day's not coming yet. And it's taught me a lot about you know, being patient, being grateful, and uh, you know it's tough right now, but it's short term. It's how I'm looking at it, and for long term happiness, which I'm excited about.
How different is it to be part of the Dodgers and understand they know the big picture is not about May or June, but it's about a greater goal of October.
Yeah, no, it's awesome.
And I mean also, you know, with me being hurt, you know, you give rookies a lot opportunities to prove themselves and their careers and journeys and you know, you try to help them, but you try.
To sty out of the way.
You know, they got to fail to learn, and they're not gonna come up here and dominate. If they do, it's amazing, but majority won't. And you know, you got to fail to really learn and understand.
And some of them, you know that.
I see, they need to work on some stuff and adjust and they'll they'll be really good big leaguers, you know, down the road.
Speaking of watching and just being in a great space. Clayton Kershaw back today for his eighteenth season. What did you just call them to go, Oh, yeah, you're gonna get to see Kershaw Dawn the same side. What's that like for you? And have you stayed out of his way so far today?
Yeah?
I mean he's pretty chill. You know, I thought it'd be, you know, a lot, a lot worse. But I think with age, you know, what was it eighteen years you said, like you've been around for a long time. I think you know, it changes you. And it's as you get older man again, is not as you know, life or death. It's you know, you get a family, it changes. I think, you know, he's just a lot more grateful for you. Know everything and he's focused for sure, which is excited.
But I can't wait to see him, you know, once the game gets going. He's still a long ways away from the game, but he was here early, and yeah, I'm excited to watch him go.
How many thirty two strikeouts?
Thirty two away from three thousand?
Oh yeah, I'm ready to watch every thirty two each each one I'll be watching and tally enough.
I love it. Get those ks out right here right, Oh yeah, we might as well just get a section, call it thirty two zone.
We're waiting for it.
I love it, all right, Well, thank you for the time. What do you think about the way I'm looking today? You like to fit for Kershaw and snail Zilla day?
I would tell you this is a yeah, this is a dad fit for sure. You're you're doing it man.
Yeah, that's a badhanded compliment.
That's a well that's how you take it. I wasn't back in and I was for you know, straight up compliment. Okay, so I think no, it's it's a good dad fit.
Thank you.
What are you going for a twenty four year old outfit? Yeah, you're failing and that's a good thing.
Keep it, keep it dad, you know, Dad swag.
All right, I'm out of the doghouse in the back home right now, so I'll just keep it rolling.
Yeah, I think you know, you keep pulling up like this. Mama's gonna be happy.
I got the snail Zilla Saturday Indoorsmith. We'll try to keep this going for a third street Saturday next week.
Two two is almost a street. Three is a street, So we'll see what we can do.
I could tell you're feeling better because your mood has gotten better, and that's a good thing.
Yeah, just because I actually do something though, you know, and you can't. You just stay out of the way, stay quiet, think a lot. Yeah, but now you know, Yeah, I'm actually I'm doing something. There's there's progress. I'm moving in a direction which is very exciting for me.
You know.
There there's a little bit I just didn't know, so I didn't I didn't really have much a sai. Idn't know it was going on. So I just stay out of the way. Support the teammates. I mean, I was happy for them, and there's their accomplishments and successes.
So yeah, now you know something.
That you know, I get excited to where I can you know, contribute to the team and get ready for that.
Hey, like we told the media the other day, you'll know it when you see it.
Oh man, Hey, hopefully that's a learning lesson. You know, you ask me every day. I got nothing for you, so yeah, and I told him ask you. You know, you know, you know a lot, so they just got to ask you.
That's right, every Saturday. We know.
Yeah, don't ask me. I don't know. I'm here.
If you need any questions, direct them to me.
Yeah, come fine day, He'll let you know. He'll give you the answers the questions you need. And you know, once I get back to pitching and throwing the ball, throwing both ends, I'll have more answers.
There we go.
Yeah, it's not that hard. No, you know, let the game come to you.
Oh wow, man, this is just unreal advice.
Thanks Nell, appreciate it. You're the man.
No appreciate you. Well see, we can keep it rolling, but today's Kershaw's day.
It is, no doubt. Can't wait for you to see it. You stay out of the way. Oooh there we go. Dropping the mic on us Blake Sneil on snail Villa Saturday. But more importantly Kershaw Day for the first time.
That's the day it is. It's Kershaw Saturday. Baby,