Jason Heyward (3-6-23)

David Vassegh talks to veteran MLB player Jason Heyward on Spring Training Dodger Talk.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Earlier today, I had a chanceto catch up with Jason Hayward, who
is having a phenomenal spring training withthe Dodgers. Remember, he is not
guaranteed a spot on the opening dayroster, but it's looking more and more
like he is going to have aspot on this opening day roster. And
here is our full conversation with JayHey, Jason Hayward in spring training,

(00:24):
the new guys. Everybody is soanxious to talk to them, but you
gotta let people breathe. And Ihave a feel for people, and that's
why I knew I had to letmy guy, Jason Hayward breathe a little
bit, get his feet underneath himin spring training. And here we are,
that beautiful beard, beautiful bald headstaring at me right now, Jay
Hey, thanks a lot for thetime. No, absolutely, I appreciate

(00:46):
you having me. Thank you forthe breathing room. Coming into camp.
A lot of new faces on thesquad, but it's fun to be here.
I hope Freddie did not ruin myreputation with you. No, not
at all, Freddie. Freddie speakshighly. He speaks highly. Then I
see here George talking to you.I know that that comes sometimes shoot and
far between if it's not talking aboutbaseball for free. So uh no,
thank you again for for having meon. What's it like being back with

(01:10):
him? You've guys known each othersince you were teenagers. Does it feel
like this is made you feel morecomfortable being on a new team. Yeah,
it's nice. This is no fourthteam now when you're in transition.
It's nice to see familiar faces whenyou come to the clubhouse. Obviously,
like you said, we've known eachother since we were sixteen, so it's
cool nine years later h to joinback up and you know, have the

(01:33):
baseball vibes at the field and competingand getting ready for a season there.
But off the field, no,obviously as as friends as family, that's
that's also really cool to see.You know. Obviously we know I was
there for when he got married intwo the other fourteen here and Chelsea,
but now seeing him have three kids, you know, me having a child
on my own, which it's prettycool. Jason. I know you spent

(01:53):
some time with Freddy and his dad, Fred Freeman at their high school in
Orange County. When you talk aboutfamily, it seems like he really cares
not only about you, as aperson, but wants to see you succeed
in baseball. No, definitely,that's one thing that you know, my
wife v you know, she didn'tget a chance with me Freddie until here
of late last couple of years,and you know she picked up on right

(02:15):
away that Freddie, you know,which is nothing for the best but me
for me, you know, onthe field obviously as a as a family
member and having a family. Buthe loves to see me have an opportunity
here with the Dodgers, h youknow, them investing time and me,
and he knows who I am asfar as work ethic goes. He knows
how I'm going to show up andput the work in and have fun doing

(02:35):
that. But he's really happy forme. How much did Freddie help you?
How much did his dad help youwhen you guys were trying to put
this all together to make the adjustmentsthat you've made. Well, that day,
honestly, we just hit one timeon his high school field. We
just did some soft toss. Uh. You know, I don't think any
of us as as baseball players puttoo much stock into offseason stuff. But

(02:58):
uh, but no, it wasit was a good day. It was
it was a great workout. Wehad already had a tough work out of
the gym and we went to thehigh school and we we had a good
job of just starting our process rightof getting ready for camp and a lot
of good swings that day. Butwe know that's just you know, setting
a foundation for what's to come.That's why I want to let you breathe
a little bit to see how allof this is coming together. You've had

(03:19):
a few games under your belt.How do you feel? I will say
it feels like spring training as itshould. Pit pictures, you know,
our ahead because one because they're nastyand they have big arms these days.
But you know, they just havegood stuff. But as far as timing,
you know, that's that's what hasto come next and being able to
repeat that day to day. Youknow, love to see results obviously,

(03:43):
especially a team like this one withan exigning lineup, a lot of guys
they can beat in a lot ofdifferent ways. You want to contribute to
that, but also on a dayto day basis just managing what I need
to manage, and that's continuing tobuild on a foundation of being able to
be consistent and uh, you know, manage the loads like on your worst
days, you know we're you're ableto be productive, were you were able
to help this team win. Andon the best days, obviously it's nice.

(04:06):
It's nice to hit home runs,it's nice to drive runs, and
no doubt, but uh, youknow, just being respective of the process,
well, you're a champion, that'sfor sure, a champion on the
field and off the field. JasonHayward is our guest, and Jason one
of my Jimminy Crickets of baseball.I'm not going to pretend that I could
talk baseball with you. But MarkMcGuire used to be a hitting coach with

(04:27):
the Dodgers. Still keep in contact, and I sent him a picture of
the way you look, and hesaid the number one thing he recognized was
your lower half was stronger. Everybodyseems to be obsessed with the hands,
but how do you feel about thelower half? Do you feel it's a
stronger base than would it's been?Man, I feel like there are so
many pieces of hitting. It canbe simple when we when we don't think

(04:48):
and we locked things in right.But no. Lower half was a starting
point where Robert and Aaron Bates,where we started working this offseason and the
hitting career. I don't want toleave anyone out. You know, we
put a lot of time in andyou know, enjoying the process, but
the lower half of where we didstart actually just having something repeatable, manageable.

(05:10):
You also seeing how my body worksand what's gonna put me in a
consistent enough position each time to justmanage again, like I said, the
day to day, you know,feeling takes in between you know, pitches
and and what I need to makean adjustment on on the fly. So
I think Mark is I mean,obviously he's he's got the resume as a
hitter as as a baseball rat toto be able to pick up on something

(05:32):
like that right away. And thenyeah, hands do come next? And
I would say hands do come last? Uh, That's that's gonna be something
that I'm that I'm you know,buggling with for for the rest of the
time. I feel like I'm nottrying to name drop on you, Jason,
I'm just trying to just trying togive you some credibility. You don't
think some fly by night radio guysgonna talk baseball with you. No,
that was a great That was agreat name drop. If you're gonna name

(05:55):
drop, you know hit hitting wiseand obviously power hitting wise, and and
competition wise, historic wise, margatWire's a good name drop. Who did
Jason Hayward idolizes growing up in baseball? What drew you to this game and
which still drives you? What drewme to the game when I was younger,
I was fortunate enough to see well. First off, I gotta say

(06:16):
my dad got me into the gamebecause he wanted me to have something to
do in the summertime growing up.Majority who was like, you're not just
gonna sit around the house. Mydad played basketball mainly high school, college,
went to Dartmouth, so he youknow, family time was Thanksgiving and
Christmas all that stuff. But summertimehe's like, no, you gotta have
something that you're gonna work at andget out of the house with. But

(06:39):
mom is from Queen's parents grew upin Brooke. Her parents grew up in
Brooklyn. The Bronx. Wow.My favorite team or favorite player Derek Jeter
growing up, and then other favoriteplayer was Kim Griffey Jr. Yeah,
And Griffy was the first player thatI got to see outside of watching the
Braves growing up in Georgia. Uh, you know, of course, gotta

(07:01):
give credit and pay homage to theteams that the Braves put together in the
nineties. I mean you could runup and down the list of guys and
and and players that they had onthe team. Getting to play for Bobby
Cox after watching him growing up,getting to play with Chipper Jones, you
know, a bunch of guys inthose groups. But I fell in love
with the game at an early age, and I feel, like the nineties

(07:23):
with a very good teacher of baseball. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah,
it's changed so much, right,oh yeah, oh yeah, it's changed.
But it's cool to be around forthat change. Yeah, you know,
it's cool to cool to be ableto watch that stuff. Uh,
you know, come into play.Uh, I know, you remember like
twenty and twelve, I think itwas the first year that they implemented replay.
Yeah, and a couple of yearsbefore that they were like, oh,
there's no chance we'll have replay.This's gonna happen. And I'm sure

(07:45):
enough it's there. And I feellike right now where you know, like
every major sport and and all thesports, it's kind of nice to have
that play coming to play where youwant to make sure you get it right.
Do you wanna replay for a strikeballer strike one day? I'm I
feel like for me, I'm justgonna let them tell us what they're gonna
do and and adapts because, uh, you know, they're gonna continue to
do what they think it's best forthe game. They're gonna listen to the

(08:07):
fans, which I feel like areso important. Uh you know now being
a fourth historic franchise, opportunity tobreak camp with the Dodgers, Like,
fans are super important to our game, and so if they're gonna do anything
to try and make it better forthem and make it exciting, then we
got we adapted on the fly,but keep loving the game. Well,
I can't wait for Dodger fans tosee Jason Hayward play in this uniform at

(08:30):
Dodgers Stadium coming up this season.And uh, you'll have to fight Trace
Thompson for king Griffy Junior. Thatwas his favorite player too. No,
actually, uh you know, Trace, Trace told me a story on he
was able to find some of myGriffy swing Man spikes online. Obviously this
is before I got over to theteam. So I'm gonna have to see
what I got and dig him upand definitely give him some of those,

(08:52):
because it's not often I find someoneelse cooping rock at fourteen. Yeah,
but no, King Griffer Junior.I think an awesome role model, awesome
awesome ball player for a lot ofus young guys, especially alfielders to watch
growing up. Well, you're agreat role model for everybody that wants to
play baseball. You're a great personbecause you not only handle yourself with class
on the field, but certainly offthe field. And I can't wait for

(09:16):
Los Angeles to get to know youmore and more. I will see you
at Dodger Stadium on March thirtieth.Jason Hayward. I appreciate you, man,
Thank you so much. Looking forwardto it. I don't take it
for granted. And you know whata beut a place to start another chapter.
Thanks a lot for the time there. He is Jason Hayward, And
that was our full conversation with him, and just in the small time that

(09:37):
I've been around him and observed himat Camelback Ranch, just a stellar person
and you can see why everybody inChicago loved Jason Hayward He is really a
great guy and easy guy to rootfor. And look, he's put in
the work. It's not like he'sa veteran that just is packing it in

(09:58):
and trying to cash one more paycheck. He's doing this for his own pride.
He does not want to go outthe way he went out the last
few years in Chicago.