And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.
We're join right now by the athletics manager and certainly a legend here in southern California. Him and Phil Nevin really put Cal State Fullerton back on the map in the mid nineties. And he was a Golden Spikes Award winner. And he was not only a great center fielder, a great hitter at cal State Fullerton, but also did some pitching of his own. He was their closer on the way to the College World Series. And that is the one and only Mark Cottsee Mark, thanks a lot for the time.
Appreciate it, no problem, David.
That's a that's a very kind and elaborate introduction right there.
I appreciate it.
Hey, you deserve it. I mean, I know it feels like a long time ago when you wake up in the morning, but does it feel do you feel the same as you did back then?
No, not at all.
Actually, yeah, it's always it's always nice to talk about the glory days, right and and feeling like we're young again and and you know, create those memories or reliving those memories of our youth.
What is it about guys that go to Cal State Fullerton, because yourself, Phil Nevin, Tim Wallack, Justin Turner, just to name a few, not only just played the game at a high level, but also think the game at a high level.
Well, you know, I think it comes from our mentor, and that was our head coach, Augi Gurrito. You know, I think if you ask every player that got the opportunity to play for Aggie or be around Augi. Justin Turner was my bat boy for my Cal State Fullerton nineteen ninety five teams. So you know, he was remarkable in the way he taught the game and life lessons through the game and how much more you can learn
from failure than success. And you know, you want to say he's semi philosopher, but an incredible baseball coach.
How much of Aggie Garrito is in Mark Tottsey the manager, Now.
I'd say there's quite a bit.
The value of relationships really was something that we talked a lot about out, you know, and not just because of the game of baseball, but in life, right, and that the relationships that you can build and you know the value of that relationship. You can extract more from players when you know who they are, when you have that personal connection and that we build that trust with them, and I think that's key for me in my role right now as a manager here with this young ball club.
Obviously it's a testament to who you are because you're young, but you have a lot of talent. And it seems like they're not shying away from any challenge.
No, they're not.
And I think this ball club it started last year towards the end of the year. We played really good baseball in the second half, so they built some confidence as young players. And the mentality that we've always taken, you know, the word grit. We use that word a lot.
You know, we're an Oakland Athletic baseball team. Now we're the A's, but you know, for the past fifty two years, that was that mentality when you showed up at the coliseum, the legendary as teams of the late early seventies in the late eighties, and you know that characteristic of man.
These guys just play the game hard and then grind out every out.
That sounds like the way you played it is.
You know, I got every ounce of talent out of this body, I'd say, you know, for my career and being blessed to be able to do it for seventeen years and now be in the game as a teacher post career, a total of twenty eight years in the big leagues. I feel like I've never worked a day in my life, no doubt.
Markcotsey is our guest. He's the athletics manager doing a great job no matter where they play or what city they're in. Your career spans so many generations and even overlapped with Clayton Kershaw. You finished playing around twenty thirteen, he started in eight. What do you remember and what stands out to you still to this day about Kershaw?
You talk about an ultra competitor. That man is the epitome of a competitor. And and you know, I'm, like you said, I'm I'm really impressed that he's still going, that he's still able to go compete at that level. There's a justin Verlander's another comp There's another guy that has been around since two thousand and six.
You know.
So it's a testament to their work ethic and their drive really and and I mean for me, you know, Clayton is on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
Is it amazing to you that he still wants to pitch.
No, because I think that's in him. I think you saw that as a young, you know player coming up. He's a student of the game. You know he loves baseball. And when you have those combinations, you have that two combinations for yourself, You're gonna stay in as long as you can.
All right, Markott say, I got two cal State fullertin questions for you before I let you go. Number One, Pete's Breakfast Burritos as legendary as Nevin and Kotse in Fullerton. How often when you come to so Cal do you hit up pet Be Still?
If I had time, I would be there right now. But yeah, Pepez.
I grew up next to the Pepez that was right there in Pica Rivera, So you know that was my home. I grew up in Santa Fe Springs. My parents still live there after fifty four years, and you know, it's a great city. I love coming back here. Dodger James had a special place in my heart.
How often did you come to Dodger games growing up in Santa Fe Springs?
Whenever my dad was able to get some comp ticks up in the Orange reserve way up top.
Yeah, all right, last one for you. This might be the toughest question. Name your Mount Rushmore of cal State fuller ten players Augi Gurrito separate category. Do you have a Mount Rushmore?
I'll put JT. Justin Turner. He's a legend now he's taken over for us. The career that he's had pretty remarkable. You know, he started out with the Mets and wasn't an everyday player, changed his swing and now he's still impacting games. I know he's just he had a walk off, you know, just the other day with the Cubs and could be more proud of JT.
Your beard's not as good as JT's.
No, it doesn't grow as long, and it's definitely a lot more white. Mark.
Thanks a lot for the time. Great to share you with Dodger fans.
I appreciate it. Thanks for having me on