And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talking. All right, we're in the manager's office with the man that has one of the best babbleheads out there this season, and that's manager Dave Roberts.
Dave, thanks a lot for the time. Appreciate it now, Dave, thank you so much.
It's exciting. I've got some family that's coming up that's going to be here at the ballpark, and they did a nice job with the ball bobblehead, so it'd be good. You know, it's another day coming off a loss to Schemes, and the guys came in today ready to go and hopefully get get a major league one tonight.
What do you want to see from your team?
Your identity as an offense since you've been the manager is to take your walks and pass the baton.
How does those players get back to that?
I think a little bit. I just want to see our guys starting to impose their will on pictures. I think that we're a little bit sort of chasing our tails and letting pitchers dictate, dictate at bats, and obviously they have the baseball I understand that, but there is a way that you as a hitter can dictate at bats and I want to be more assertive in the batter's box.
And where does that all start?
Because I know you as a player always had a plan during batting practice, you had a plan in the cage. How do players kind of flip that mentality of trying to hit a three run home run with nobody on base?
Yeah, and I think it certainly starts with the mindset the work in the cage, which I feel the work of the cage has been consistent. I do think that the mindset we can sort of change and get kind of to that mindset of scaring people out of the zone. And certainly there's not a lack of talent with our offense, but I do think that collectively, if we get that kind of mindset of scaring guys out of the zone, that mindset, the preparation will manifest itself in a ballgame.
David, it's so easy to pick out the guys that are not swinging the bat well, but I wanted to bring up the guys that I feel have really done a great job for your offense this season, in particular Tom Yedman, ta Oscar Hernandez, and Will Smith where would you be without those three guys?
Well, I have no idea. You know, Tommy has found his powerstroke this year and he's just very dependable. I can play him at second base, run him out there in center field, hit him anywhere in the order, hits left, hits right, and he's just so dependable as a ballplayer. And he's gotten huge hits for us. And with what Tayo has done, he just has a knack for the
RBI and getting a big hit. And I would say he's probably one of the guys that has the best heart rate when the game is on the line or a big spot, and sure enough, he more times than not comes through. And with will Smith, the consistency of play defensively offensively, he's a stalwart. And to have a defensive catcher that you can plug in against left, first, right and be productive. Happy, he's healthy, he's playing really well,
and let's just keep man. But to your question, I don't know where we'd be without the production of those three guys.
Tonight you have Roki Sazaki on the mound. Everybody is so focused on velocity. When you see his velocity fluctuate the way you did in his last start, Does that concern you or is that just a matter of him actually commanding the baseball better when he's not trying to.
Throw one hundred.
Yeah, I think that it's certainly not concerning, as we've seen that when he does throw one hundred and it's in the middle of the hitting zone, it gets hit. And when he does also try to overthrow, he doesn't command it. So I do think that the last couple starts, he's found a rhythm of as far as velocity on where he can get the velocity but while still having command. And the last part of it is I just think him throwing his secondary pitch for strikes has been a huge game changer for us.
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager, two time World Series manager for the Dodgers, is joining us.
Here before pitch.
When you look at some of your players that are struggling, Dave, they're human, even though they've accomplished a lot of things. How do you get their confidence back up?
Well, I think their individual conversations. I know the hitting coaches are grinding with them. I think it's just more of trying to get them to be who they are, and I think for me, careful is not the way to go, especially when you're talking about in the batter's box.
I just like that aggressive mentality in the hitting zone, in your zone, and so with guys like you know, Michael Muntz, you know MOOKI right now, I just want those guys to be aggressive in their hitting zones and then expect it to turn, and which I know it will, all.
Right, Dave, thanks a lot for the time. Great to see you.
I'm happy for all the celebration that you've deserved, and certainly the Dodgers are very fortunate to have you, so thank you for the time.
Thanks Dave.
Good catching up and let's get a w