And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. Taoscar Hernandez is the most in demand Dodger in Atlanta.
Who knows he is worldwide?
Like Pitbull said, the one and only Tail joins us man, everybody loves you La to Atlanta to Miami, everybody loves that smile.
Well, I appreciate everybody love. You know. I'm trying to be nice to every baddy, trying to make everybody feels good and just you know, have a great time.
All right, So the Dodgers are here in Atlanta, first of ten games on this ten day road trip. What's the routine of Taoscar Hernandez. Are you eating as well as you would in La? Are you looking forward to Miami getting some real Dominican food? How are you living?
I mean, I always tried to find the Latin food and it doesn't have to be Dominican. But you know, trying to enjoy every city there I go, I guess some rest and be ready for the game.
Are you a guy that likes to go out to eat or are you like the younger guys that want to just get delivered to the hotel room.
It depends depends how my body is feeling. If I'm really tired, I might stay at the hotel, order some food and have a great time in there. If not, just col Paes and Garcia and then more of the guys and just go out and have a great time.
When I was in the clubhouse at home, I heard you a few times invite Andy pa has to come to dinner with you. Have you opened his horizons as far as showing him the good life?
Yeah, a little bit. I'm trying to you know, used to be to play good the very spot and just you know, trying to take him out, making make him put his mind in something else. You know, this is is a hard game. Sometimes it can get you in a place that you don't want to be in there. But trying to make everything easier for him and for the rest of the guys.
He gives you a lot of credit for turning his season. Do you believe that was part of him playing better?
I think so. I mean everybody needs somebody that is there every time you're going through that moment or to a good moment, giving you the support that you need to get out of the struggles and to keep doing the things that you are doing great, so he knows I'm almost going to be there for him, make him trying to make him feel better and have the better mindset to go into the game and just have tossess.
We see who you are now at this stage of your career. A great teammate and inclusive teammate. Who was the veteran that showed you the way when you were coming up to help you lead now in your career.
Well, that's the thing, and I didn't have anybody playing that role in my career. I had it for a little bit with Kendrick's morales when I was in Toronto, but I think that was it. I didn't have anybody else take me into his winds and just show me the way. I learned that on my own, and I'm trying to make a difference, just trying to be different for the other guys.
That tells me you have a great family and that was a great upbringing by you to have this type of spirit.
Yeah, I mean I always trying to be a nice guy, a family guy, a great teammate, great person, And yes, I learned that from my family. My wife played a good role into that too. She's the one that always is there when the good ones and the moments are obviously my family, my parents, my brother, everybody, but my wife is the one that I was in there.
When the Dodgers go to Miami, how many family and friends will you have there?
Not many? Not many. I don't have a lot of family in Miami. It's more up North New York and all the area over there, not in Miami.
But during the off season, that's where you put in a lot of your preparation right in Miami.
Tampa. Yeah, I live in Tampa. That's where I train, between Tomba and Theminican Republic. That's where I can get ready for the season.
Okay, I never knew that Florida's a big state. Tail I don't know where you are.
It is big, it is big, yeah, but I'm in Tamba.
How long have you had the beard for.
It's been a couple of years now, maybe ten.
That's the magic beard.
Yeah, it's the power. There is the power.
So hey, Tayo, before I let you go, there's always that debate. You know, the game that's being played on the field. You have a heartbeat as a human being. What's it like to be at the plate taking an at bat with a runner at second base or third base compared to nobody on base, Does it change things for you as a hitter.
It's obviously different. They're not going to pitch you the same. But what I do is just go there thinking there's nobody on and just a regular bad I don't think about driving the runner or move the runner to third base, just just just being normal. Uh, just go through your plan and then take your regular swings, not over swinging, not trying to do too much. And that's that's the way I approach it.
It feels like you have situational hitting inside of you. You're not trying to do the home run derby every at that you know you go the other way with two outs. Is that something you've learned recently or was that always in you?
No? I learned that in my career. Obviously, in my last three years, I was trying to get better with two strikes, so implementing my two strike approach. They play me pool, so it's a big space between first and second, and I know if I ship the ball over there with the power that I had, I had a better chance to get a head over there.
All right, Tayo, thanks a lot for the time. Always love catching up with you. Hopefully we have more ice buckets throughout the year.
It's a pleasure. Oh, it's a pleasure to talk. So USA, so thank you.
This guy is one of the best people you'll ever meet. If you see him in La, don't be intimidated. He'll give you a big hug and maybe maybe even let you touch that beautiful beard of his. Maybe maybe, Oh there he is the man, te Oscar Hernandez