September 8, 2025 • 4 mins
Ben talks about Yoshinobu Yamamoto's incredible start and catching future Hall of Famer, Clayton Kershaw.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
An exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. All Right,
the Dodgers are back home and we're doing right now
by tonight's starting catcher Ben Roartfitt, who has had a
whirlwind of the last five days. Ben, thanks a lot
for the time and welcome the Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Absolutely, and it's gorgeous here. I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Feels like it's more real when you're back at Dodger Stadium, right.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, yeah, everything feels real, but coming here is definitely
pretty cool. Seeing the clubhouse can see all like the staff.
That doesn't make the road trippers, it makes everything real.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Some catchers can never say that they have done what
you have done in the last three games. You caught
Clayton Kershaw yesterday, future Hall of Famer, and you almost
caught a no hitter by Yamamoto. You caught eight and
two thirds of no hit ball. Has that sunk in
for you?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, Yeah, it's definitely sunk in. I that was a
tough loss. I definitely lost them sleep that night, but
definitely had to turn around pretty quick with Clayton on
the next day. But I think everything's happened so fast
that I haven't really had time to really think about much.
SU's I think helped me a little bit, But yeah, no,
definitely setting in.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
What was that like yesterday? Catching Kershaw?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Super cool? I have, super cool, definitely look forward to it.
Had some, uh, honestly some nerves before the game, a
little more than usual. They're good nerves, but I just
wanted to make sure I was doing doing everything I
could to help him through the start.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So we always see you guys in the battery, you
behind the plate. But what was the pregame preparation meeting
like with Kershaw?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Really simple?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Actually, kind of just talked about how he likes to pitch.
It kind of just went from there, Honestly, more of
that than going into the hitters and just kind of
trying to get on the same pages of them as
quick as possible. Pretty simple and kind of the expectation
was set. Yeah, it was kind of brief.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Honestly, I've heard other catchers that are catching him or
being around him for the first time, they say they
learned so much about out pitching, catching that pitcher catcher relationship.
How much was yesterday just another level of your experience?
I mean, yeah, it was don't ever listen to Danny
Lehman Ben first rule.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It was really cool just getting the experience of prepping
with him, seeing how simple it is, but.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Also how the layers of it.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I'm not going to go into it all of it,
but just throughout the game, just the simplicity of what
he does, the consistency of his pitch palette and where
he wants to do, kind of setting hitters up.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's definitely, definitely pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I'm sure you watched him on TV. You've seen the
curveball on TV. You've seen the slider on TV. What
was it like to be catching those pitches?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
It was cool.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It was really cool at a front row seat, something
I'll remember for a long time.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Ben Rourtvitt is our guest.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Ben.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
You got acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, but your
roots are with the Yankees, and the Yankees have a
great reputation of developing great catchers like yourself. What is
it about that organization that helps catchers be as good
as you?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Actually, I was drifted by the Twins, so drafted by
the Twins and it was there for five six years
before I got traded to the Yankees. The catching coordinator.
There is Tanner Swanson who I met really early on
and it's someone that i'd later met up with in
New York. They just do a really good job in
the in the finer things. They're really detailed in their work,
(03:24):
They're really intentful in their work, and it goes a
long way.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
What is the biggest difference in catching, say today, then
even when you first got drafted.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
You can really complicate it now catching and the fine nuances.
But I think the more simple you make it, the
easier it is. I think people some people can overcomplicate it,
but kind of dumbing things down to catching baseball the
right way, doing what you kind of get your pitching
and strike someone goes a long way. So at the
same time that there's a lot of like little details
(03:56):
to it, I think the simplicity of stuff still is
still outweighs ill.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
It's funny you said that because Clayton Kersha said after
his last start that you can make baseball as complicated
as you want, or you can make it as simple
as you want.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah, No, it's definitely. I've definitely felt that way in
my career too. Kind of coming back to what makes
you get to the point you are kind of it
might take people longer to realize what kind of baseball
player you are. Never in the wrong way, trying to
be a better baseball player and learn that way, but
sometimes coming back to your roots and kind of honing
in that is the perfect match for people.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So hey, Ben, thanks a lot for the time. Great
to meet you in person. It's been a whirlwind, but
you've handled it great and we can't wait to see
behind the plate in your first game as a Dodger
at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
An exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. All Right,
the Dodgers are back home and we're doing right now
by tonight's starting catcher Ben Roartfitt, who has had a
whirlwind of the last five days. Ben, thanks a lot
for the time and welcome the Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Absolutely, and it's gorgeous here. I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Feels like it's more real when you're back at Dodger Stadium, right.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, yeah, everything feels real, but coming here is definitely
pretty cool. Seeing the clubhouse can see all like the staff.
That doesn't make the road trippers, it makes everything real.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Some catchers can never say that they have done what
you have done in the last three games. You caught
Clayton Kershaw yesterday, future Hall of Famer, and you almost
caught a no hitter by Yamamoto. You caught eight and
two thirds of no hit ball. Has that sunk in
for you?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, Yeah, it's definitely sunk in. I that was a
tough loss. I definitely lost them sleep that night, but
definitely had to turn around pretty quick with Clayton on
the next day. But I think everything's happened so fast
that I haven't really had time to really think about much.
SU's I think helped me a little bit, But yeah, no,
definitely setting in.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
What was that like yesterday? Catching Kershaw?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Super cool? I have, super cool, definitely look forward to it.
Had some, uh, honestly some nerves before the game, a
little more than usual. They're good nerves, but I just
wanted to make sure I was doing doing everything I
could to help him through the start.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So we always see you guys in the battery, you
behind the plate. But what was the pregame preparation meeting
like with Kershaw?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Really simple?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Actually, kind of just talked about how he likes to pitch.
It kind of just went from there, Honestly, more of
that than going into the hitters and just kind of
trying to get on the same pages of them as
quick as possible. Pretty simple and kind of the expectation
was set. Yeah, it was kind of brief.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Honestly, I've heard other catchers that are catching him or
being around him for the first time, they say they
learned so much about out pitching, catching that pitcher catcher relationship.
How much was yesterday just another level of your experience?
I mean, yeah, it was don't ever listen to Danny
Lehman Ben first rule.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It was really cool just getting the experience of prepping
with him, seeing how simple it is, but.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Also how the layers of it.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I'm not going to go into it all of it,
but just throughout the game, just the simplicity of what
he does, the consistency of his pitch palette and where
he wants to do, kind of setting hitters up.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's definitely, definitely pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I'm sure you watched him on TV. You've seen the
curveball on TV. You've seen the slider on TV. What
was it like to be catching those pitches?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
It was cool.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It was really cool at a front row seat, something
I'll remember for a long time.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Ben Rourtvitt is our guest.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Ben.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
You got acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, but your
roots are with the Yankees, and the Yankees have a
great reputation of developing great catchers like yourself. What is
it about that organization that helps catchers be as good
as you?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Actually, I was drifted by the Twins, so drafted by
the Twins and it was there for five six years
before I got traded to the Yankees. The catching coordinator.
There is Tanner Swanson who I met really early on
and it's someone that i'd later met up with in
New York. They just do a really good job in
the in the finer things. They're really detailed in their work,
(03:24):
They're really intentful in their work, and it goes a
long way.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
What is the biggest difference in catching, say today, then
even when you first got drafted.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
You can really complicate it now catching and the fine nuances.
But I think the more simple you make it, the
easier it is. I think people some people can overcomplicate it,
but kind of dumbing things down to catching baseball the
right way, doing what you kind of get your pitching
and strike someone goes a long way. So at the
same time that there's a lot of like little details
(03:56):
to it, I think the simplicity of stuff still is
still outweighs ill.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
It's funny you said that because Clayton Kersha said after
his last start that you can make baseball as complicated
as you want, or you can make it as simple
as you want.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah, No, it's definitely. I've definitely felt that way in
my career too. Kind of coming back to what makes
you get to the point you are kind of it
might take people longer to realize what kind of baseball
player you are. Never in the wrong way, trying to
be a better baseball player and learn that way, but
sometimes coming back to your roots and kind of honing
in that is the perfect match for people.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So hey, Ben, thanks a lot for the time. Great
to meet you in person. It's been a whirlwind, but
you've handled it great and we can't wait to see
behind the plate in your first game as a Dodger
at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
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