Ben Casparius (6-13-25)

Ben talks about moving into the starting rotation, being roommates with Jack Dreyer, and baseball cards. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger, talking.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, this is the stage of a player's career where
everybody wants to own them. He's my guy. No, he's
my guy. I always believed in him. That only is
true right here when it comes to benk Caspirius. Nobody
even spoke to Caspirius until recently. Ben thanks a lot
for the time, and not forgetting your roots.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
That's all. That's all you got for me after that intro. No,
you're my guy.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
You always you always, you always be my guy, and
I appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Do you feel like more and more people want a
piece of you? Now? I wouldn't say so.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
I mean we just got home too, so I haven't
really seen anybody, but maybe a little bit, just in
terms of the role change and just hearing about like
kind of the progression of things.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Don't worry, I'll never You're not in danger or Blake
Snell's not in danger of being bumped on Saturdays at
this stage. It's it still snalls ill a Saturday. You
can't take that from him. That's fine with me, all right,
That's fine with me. All right. So now after making
that start in San Diego four innings. The Dodgers have
kind of relate to us that they're thinking of transitioning

(01:08):
you back to a starting pitcher. Are you treating this
as a five day routine? Now?

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, I think you know, wherever I line up, whether
it's on a five day or a six day routine,
it's something that I'm used to just coming up through
the system and obviously like just tailoring, tailoring my workload
throughout the week, and you know, again just taking the
ball when they need it from me and just go
out there and compete.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
But there's got to be a difference in preparation. You've
been very nimble, You've been very willing to do whatever role.
But if this is going to be the role for
the time being, do you have to kind of flip
that switch and change your preparation for sure?

Speaker 1 (01:46):
You know, I think the biggest thing is just you know,
being able to throw a bullpen, you know, at least
once a week, pretty structured with a little bit more
intent than what I would do, you know, getting ready
for a game or trying to be hot every single
night as a reliever, and obviously like a more structured
plan in the weight room in the training room, and
then just being a little bit more independent in general,
and just you know, listening to my body, knowing what

(02:08):
I need to do in terms of like the throwing,
the workload, you know what I'm working on day to day.
And then you know, just I've got one day a
week to you know, go to work and you know,
do what I can do to help us wind Ben.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Other guys have tried to do this, but they haven't
been successful because obviously it's challenging to go from being
a reliever to being a starter. How have you been
able to be as effective as you have been going
back to last year's World Series?

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah, I think it's just you know, staying present, focusing
on you know, one pitch at a time, you know,
sticking to our game plan, whether it's you.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Know, going out there to get three outs.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
If it's you know, six outs, eighteen, whatever it is,
just being present, you know, trusting will back there or
Dalton whoever it is, and just you know, you know,
being open with the communication with our coaches and what
we're trying to accomplish.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Have they doubled down on the communication that yes, you
are going to be the starter, the next time your
spot in the rotation comes around.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, so I think, you know, sometime early next week,
I'll probably be back out there as a starter. I'm
looking forward to it. It's obviously, you know a new
role for me just in the big leagues, and you know,
still being stretched out and getting to a normal pitch count,
but it's a you know, a different type of challenge
navigating a lineup three times through or whatever it is.
And you know, I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Then Caspiraus is our guest, the super pitcher for the Dodgers.
I mean, I'm not putting a label on you, Caspiraus.
You just you're that outstanding.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
I'll take that.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
I'll take that.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'll take it a run with.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
It, no doubt, no doubt. And he certainly has in
a lot of different ways. So now that you're on
a five day routine, does your catch partner change?

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, So I've been throwing with It's changed a lot
this year, but I think I'll probably continue to.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Throw a Chico. That's a safe way to go.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
Sure, just you know, being able to get off the
mound if I need to. And you know, he's been great.
The feedback is always great from him, and I'm I
think he's like comfortable with my arsenal and what we're
trying to accomplish too.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Man, that is the safest way to go to not
offend anybody. Chico, Yep, exactly.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
That's that's that's my safest bet right there. I can't
can't hurt any feelings with that, all right.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
I'm fair and balanced, So I feel like I have
to give you equal time. Since Jack Dryer was our
guest on the last home stand and he just raved
about the quality of roommate that you were, can you
say the same thing about wacky Jack Dryer?

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Absolutely, we have lived together, I want to say, the
better part of two seasons, so you know, obviously something worked.
He's a he's a great guy. He's you know, clean,
which is a big deal. Obviously cleaner than I am.
So for him to say that was nice to him.
But now he's great into experience. What we have this
year together has been really special and he's, you know,

(04:48):
one of my best friends.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
He also let us know that he is a new
found passion for baseball cards. After you guys went to
the MLB store in New York City, have you found
that same passion have.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
I think I got around five hundred or seven hundred
cards that day, So I'm still kind of shuffling through
and I think it's something i'll get into as time
goes on.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
But yeah, we'll see what happens. All right, breaking news
for you, Ben. I don't know how you let Jack
Dryer know this, but in the New Top Series two,
Ben Caspirius has a baseball card.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Jack Dryer does not. Yeah, we're gonna have to change that. Yeah,
we're gonna we're gonna have to change that. Someone's gonna
have to reach out to somebody.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
But we're gonna. Yeah, he needs it. He needs a card.
He needs a card for sure. All Right. You hear
the strength in that voice. A man that is strong
on the mound, strong in the clubhouse, and you don't
want to mess with him anywhere from Connecticut to LA.
That's the one and only BENK Caspirius. Thanks a lot
for the time, Ben, and keep it going because whatever
you're doing has been so valuable for the Dodgers, almost

(05:52):
as valuable as Andy pa Has. I would say the
two rookies Pie Has and Casparius have been the two
most valuable guys on this team. Forget about that guy Otani.
Thanks for having me, David