And an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. Happy Father's Day. Tell all the dad's out there, and I couldn't have found a better dad to talk to today on this special day for the dads out there. Yeah, he threw seven scoreless innings yesterday, but he's dad to his four kids and one more on the way. That's our very own Clayton Kershaw, Happy Father's Day, Clayton.
Well you too, Dave, Thanks for having me.
Hey, today was a great father's Day because you were on the beach and you did the gender reveal because Ellen's pregnant with another baby.
Yes, she's doing December, and we found out today that we're having another girl. So Bookend Girls is pretty awesome girl. Three boys and then another girl. So my daughter was super excited and the boys aren't going to know what to do with her. But it's a great father's day, great start to the day.
What is Father's Day to you now compared to maybe your first one?
That's a good question.
I mean I think, well, it's special because the kids make it special, you know.
I think that's what's cool. They really enjoy.
You know, they like to make cards, they like to draw stuff they like to They like to go pick out, you know, random funny stuff that they think that I'll like. So I just seeing it through their eyes, are getting to like celebrate. They do a great job of, you know, making me feel special, which is really cool. And you know, I don't think you really understand that until you see it through your kid's eyes. So that's that's pretty cool.
Who has more of your personality out of the four so far?
Oh man?
You know, I think Charlie is like a mini me my oldest, my eight year old. I think he uh, he's he looks probably the most like me, and then he's got the same like personality traits. I think he drives my wife crazy sometimes with how much he like he wants to be on time. He's so like, oh man, it's good until like you can't drive and you got to wait on your mom to drive you. That's how I was and that's he's learning that too.
Clayton Kershaw is our guest on Father's Day. Okay, seven scoreless innings, but you wake up today you have a great family moment with Ellen and finding out you're having another baby. Girl, do the kids even care what dad did?
Yesterday, you know, they got to So my my daughter got home from camp yesterday, Ellen went and picked her up. She was at overnight camp, so she came straight here to the game. And so they got to watch ill' and let him stay up for the whole game. And I uh to be. I don't know if they care not, but Charlie, Charlie likes to dissect the whole game and he's a big baseball fan now, so it's it's awesome.
And yeah, you know, I don't think they cared this morning, but last night they seemed like they cared, so that was cool.
Do you think Dad surpassed Aaron Judge and Charlie's rankings?
That's a good question. Yeah, he wears ninety nine.
I thought it was I thought it was for hyunjin Ryu, but uh, turns out it's for Aaron Judge. But you know that's a I'll let him do that one, I think, and Judge is a great role model, so I'll take that one for sure.
Everybody keeps asking me, why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep pitching? Is family a big reason why you keep going to have your kids? Have Charlie see you? Is how much of the equation is family.
Yeah, I mean I think it starts with Ellen. You know, I think she really enjoys I think she really enjoys me doing what I am good at, and so I think that that means a lot to me that she doesn't. You know, she's not the wife that's like, all right, I'm done traveling, let's go let's go home, let's.
Do all that.
Like she she's on board for anything. And you know, traveling around the country with four kids isn't easy obviously, but she does it all summer with all of them, and she like embraces it, and the kids seem to love it too. So that's been awesome that to have that support. And then I think for me personally, just just as simple as I wanted to you know, I don't really have another answer. I just like it didn't
feel felt like I wanted to keep going. And I think I think that's as good enough as the answer as I can have.
We always hear the athletes talk about enjoying the journey or enjoying the process. Today, day one of the five day routine, how much do you relish this just as much as going out and competing every fifth day?
Ah, I mean it's hard, it's it's harder to wake up and things like that. But there's nothing better as a as a starter than the day after when you get to just basking it, and especially when you pitch good. That's the worst part when you pitch bad, but the best part when you pitch good. So the day after it start is an awesome feeling, for sure.
Do you feel like you're sending a message to everybody on your team? You know, hey, I may not feel my best and maybe a little harder to get this routine going again, but you've got to find a way.
I don't know, I don't know what type of message I'm sending other than you know, when it's your turn to pitch, go pitch, and thankful to have that opportunity right now.
And you know, we're in a hard stretch.
We're playing a lot of good teams, playing a lot of like above one hundred ball clubs, and doesn't get any easier with the padres coming in for four after this one today. So and you know, obviously we've got some guys hurting things like that. So guys are stepping up, Guys are making you know, their starts count and obviously we're just gonna have to keep grinding through it. But it seems like we've got some guys on the mind, which is good. And you know, Benny c coming into
the starting rotation. He's fun to watch. He's got a lot of good stuff and good mindset. And you know a lot of young guys. Jack Dryer has been awesome our bullpen, you know, stepping up, throwing a lot of innings. Obviously, so all those guys, everybody's kind of stepping up. D May taking the ball every fifth day, all these things. So it's a it's definitely collective effort.
Right now, Over the years, you've been around other pictures where maybe rich Hill drops down, then Clayton Kershaw may experiment with dropping down. Is the split fingered fastball the product of you being around these Japanese pictures that throw it a lot, or are you still kind of seeing whether or not you want it? Uh?
I mean, I don't think it hurts, you know, watching Yama have so much success, you know, I think I think with what's so easy about Yamas is it's just like he just throws it. And so that's what appealed to me, is like when you throw these other change ups. You have to manipulate it and pronate, and I've never been able to do that. So you know, the split in theory makes a lot of sense for me. You just spread your fingers and you throw it, and I just am not consistent at it yet.
I'm not.
I'm not good at it, but I threw one good one last night. I got one swinging miss last night on it, So.
I don't know. I just I just keep throwing it. It's never gonna be something that I highlight.
But maybe you know, long at bats or a guy that really hammers slider or something like that. I can throw it, and it's always good to have another weapon.
All right.
Before I let you go. Father's Day, I feel like the only really reward we get other than having our kids every day is the meal that they may let us pick out. Is the family allow you to pick out dinner tonight? Or did they allow you to pick out breakfast? If it's Father's Day? If it's really Father's Day? For Clayton Kerusha, what do you want?
Oh man, that's a great question. I mean, I think honestly, you know, the pizza is pretty tough to be you know.
I could hammer out. I could hammer out of pizza at any seconds.
So you know, the steak is great, and I you know I love steak or burgers or all that. But at the end of the day, a nice pie sounds pretty good.
Thanks a lot for the time, and happy Father's Day. Obviously, we see how much work you put in on the field, but getting to see you with your kids is really special. And you're a better dad than you are a pitcher, which is hard to imagine, but it's true.
All right, I appreciate that, man. Thank you.
Leave it right there.
I'by Father's Day, guys,