And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talking. All right, we're join right now by one of the key Dodgers starters in their rotation. It's a big night here with Skeens in Yamamoto, but a big day on Sunday when Tyler Glass now will take the mound. Thanks a lot for the time, appreciate it.
Yeah, thanks for having me, dude.
I know you're a big baseball fan. So on a night like tonight Skiens and Yamamoto, what's it like for you and for guys that really love the game.
Yeah, it's awesome. I'm sure everyone will be watching today. I think if you're a fan of your good baseball, good pitching, especially tonight is the night you tune in and watch.
I feel like guys get asked this all the time, but it's so cliche. What does it mean to go against the other guy? But it seems like you guys don't even view it that way.
Yeah. I think a lot of times pitching is such an individual like you gotta care or like we're kind of worry about what you're doing on the mound, like how to execute pitches and game plan and everything like that. You're not really at least for me anyway, I'm not really concerned with what like the other starter is doing. You know, you kind of like take care of business, do what you gotta do, and then when you go out there and put up some zeros, hopeing your team your team wins.
Is it different now because you spent most of your career in the American League, but when pitchers could hit in the National League, you don't even see each other.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean, like, yeah, you really don't. I think it's a good point. Maybe it was a little bit more of a thing in the end now, like always facing pitchers and kind of having that like not really a free out, but sort of a free out type of thing. So that was always kind of a weird situation. Hitting was always fun too, But yeah, maybe that's that's the difference.
I know, we hear about Paul Schemes a lot. You got to worry about your own business. How much have you seen him pitch?
I haven't. I haven't seen him pitch it all this year, So tonight it'll be cool just to watch him pitch. And yeah I didn't. I haven't really kept up or anything like that.
Yeah, what about Yamamoto, there just seems to be a different swagger confidence about him. Have you noticed that?
Yeah, I mean, he's definitely still the same dude. But I think it's tough for anyone to come into the league, especially being so young, Like the first year you're kind of get a footing and kind of understanding what the league's all about. And I think he just kind of got that footing last year and then came in with the confidence knowing how good he is and he's doing what everyone thought he would do.
Now, do you really believe the Japanese pitchers have a bigger adjustment because of the baseball, because of the mound? Is that a real thing?
Probably takes some time, I think so for sure. I think too probably if you have like Humongo his hands, it's probably a bit easier. But like for Yamamoto's he's got like relatively small hands. I think the grip is probably a lot different, just the ball being bigger and learning kind of leverage. It seems differently, and I'm sure there definitely is some adjustment there. For sure.
Tyler last now's got some meat hooks. What's the challenge of having larger hands and does it feel like sometimes it's hard to get a feel. I know, longer levers as well, all of that. What's it like to be able to control the baseball?
I think it's probably harder to just stay connected. I think when everything lines up, it's a lot better just because you have more leverage and like longer limbs and all that stuff. But I think on the flip side, when things are disconnected, it happens. Maybe it's harder to line up for a tall guy than it is for like a short guy. I guess that's what they tell me anyway. And I think it's just the more you do, like anyone, the more you learn your body and the
more you pitch, the easier just to make adjustments. But I mean, it's easier now for me than it was five years ago, and hopefully five years from now it'll be easier than this today.
So connected means not only just being connected to the ground, but all of these long body parts being connected.
Yeah, right, that's what I mean, kind of like when your foot hits the ground, where your arm is in space, like where everything is, where your glove arm is, And I think it's really a game of inches. And I think, like any small little adjustment you make out front, it really has a huge effect on where the ball ends up. So it's just for any good picture, it's about repeating your mechanics.
And being consistent with where your front foot lands. Is that like the key to timing where everything is coming together when your front foot lands not.
I mean, for the I think that's when you can like kind of look at video and decipher that way. But I think for everyone it's different. Like if you're landing in the same spot, it doesn't necessarily mean that your hands in a good spot, or like there's certain things that you have to line up, but it could be like a ton of reasons. People's adjustments are all different, Like if mine might be at my foot strike, someone
else's might be their balance plat. Like there's a ton of different things you can kind of look at.
We saw your career high in starts and innings last year. Can you give us some sort of tip or key on when Tyler glassnow's going at his best? What kind of outs are you getting besides strikeouts or his strikeouts? How we know things are going good.
I mean, it's a pretty good sign that things are going well. I'd say just quick outs, Like just getting strike one is a huge thing for me, and I haven't really done a great job of that this year, So I think that's probably a big thing, not necessarily strikeouts, but quick outs and first pitch strikes.
I've started to tally pitchers when they're how many pitches they throw behind in counts. That seems to be a real thing. If you're behind in the count, it's a lot tougher to get out.
Yeah, for sure, it's just a hitter's count. I think like the advantage and is on his side. I mean you kind of have to come to him, and I think when you're ahead, they're kind of in defense mode and it's just a lot easier to pitch when you're ahead.
And do you have to remind yourself, even with the career you've had, not to give the hitter too much credit.
Yeah, I don't think I ever tried to. Like a lot of times I'll pitch to my strengths. You want to know someone's like glaring weakness or like what a hitter can't do. But for the most part, like I'm going to go out there and kind of do my game plan and they have to react to it.
Sunday's your next start day. Obviously you got the cramps in the last start. How are you feeling leading up to it?
Good, everything feels good. I'm just gonna do a bunch of hydration stuff and figure all that out and then hopefully all can get out there and pitch hundred pitches or so.
Hey, whatever you do, it's work. So you were an All Star last year for a reason, and certainly it'll get on track for you. So thank you for the time.
Yeah, thank you appreciated it.