July 30, 2025 • 5 mins
Michael talks about the improvements he's made at the plate to start the 2nd half, and the 10-pitch walk he took to help the Dodgers comeback against the Reds on Tuesday night.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. Well,
I'm here with the man that has benefitted from a
new bat and also a new dead fish handshake, the
one and only Michael CONFORDO. Thanks a lot for the time.
Great to see you smile again.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yep, a lot more smiles lately. It's been a lot
of fun. You know, we're playing well, so just trying
to keep it rolling.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Last night was a great come from behind win, and
you started both rallies in the seventh and ninth innings.
Just to be able to contribute the way you are
to team wins. How gratifying is that?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's especially gratifying just given the first half, you know
how hard it was, you know, just for me personally,
I mean, you know, to to be able to to
come in, especially off the bench and have meaningful of
bats has been great. You know, I'm feeling a lot better,
feeling a lot more like myself, and you know, just
(00:55):
trying to keep it rolling.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
How much do we not appreciate the fact that you're
with a new team, new hitting coaches, just knew everything
and it took you a little longer to adjust.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
You know, I definitely don't want to, you know, use
anything as as an excuse. I mean, it is it
is a little bit hard to switch cities, to switch teams,
hitting coaches, all that. But you know, I I think
I think there was just some things going on with
my approach of my swing and it took a little
bit more time to figure it out. But and I
(01:30):
think there's still some things that I need I need
to work on, but I definitely, you know, I definitely
feel a lot more like myself and I'm definitely feeling
more settled, you know, uncomfortable around here, and I'm just
excited to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Confidence too, I'm sure. I mean, even at this stage
of your career, getting the results, helping the team win
means a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Absolutely. You know, you try, you try not to focus
on the results. You try to focus on your process
and and you know, because in baseball you can do
everything right and not get the result, but there comes
a time where you need to start seeing results. And
you know, over time, I mean, we play so many games,
you know it's coming. You just have to, you know,
(02:14):
stay the course. And it's been good to see some
of those results coming now. You know, here as we
get towards the you know, the last third of the season.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
How much were you open to changing a bat, even
if it's the weight of it, the size of it.
How do you come to that determination?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Ah? Well, I wasn't very open to it early on.
I mean I've used the same bat for you know,
my entire career for ten years. And then having as
rough of a start as I as I did. You know,
you start, you start opening your mind a little bit,
and you know, the Dodgers have all the resources. You know,
we have some bat fitting companies that come in, and
(02:56):
you know, my numbers going through the process of the
bat were much better with a more evenly weighted bat,
you know, through the testing, and you know, things were
not working with my you know, my tried and true
model that I'd used for ten years. So we decided
to switch that, switch some other things, open my stance
a little bit, get a little bit more movement, and
(03:21):
you know things things have definitely turned.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I know we always look at hits and home runs,
but last night, that ten pitch walk to really get
the table set for Will in the ninth inning. Can
you take us through that at bat and would you
have had that at bat two months ago.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Uh, it's hard to say, you know that I battle
through a ten pitch at bat two months ago. I mean,
just given where I was at with my timing and everything,
and in that situation, I mean, it's just important to
get on base facing their closer. You know, I swung
through a fastball that he you know, he's got some
(04:00):
really good rides. So I got down oh two and
and my you know, my mind just shifted to just battle,
you know, any anyway you can get on base, get
on base, and you know, towards the seventh or eighth pitch,
you know, two two, three two, I knew I could
fight off enough pitches just to work a walk, and
(04:21):
that's that just ended up being the result.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
And you know.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
So that that was definitely a big one for us.
And that's kind of that's that's more like who I
am as a hitter. I've I've always been able to
to fight through tough pitches, you know, find a way
to get on base a little bit more often than
I was in the first half and still be able
to drive the ball. But you know, drive the ball
and get on base is kind of who I am.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
How sweet was it to watch outman, run the bases
for you.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
He he got home a lot faster than I would have,
so it was awesome to see him do his thing,
you know, running aggressively. Being ready off the bench to
to go full speed is huge. He's you know, for
him to be ready in that moment was was huge
for us. So it was good to see.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Hey, all Italian Americans are fighters, and Michael Conforto is
a fighter. Keep punching. Thanks a lot for the time.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
There he is, Tim the man, one of the great
guys you'll ever meet. Oh oh, that was a little
too hard.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
A little handshake firm, Yeah, loosen it up
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Take it easy on the wrist.
And an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. Well,
I'm here with the man that has benefitted from a
new bat and also a new dead fish handshake, the
one and only Michael CONFORDO. Thanks a lot for the time.
Great to see you smile again.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yep, a lot more smiles lately. It's been a lot
of fun. You know, we're playing well, so just trying
to keep it rolling.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Last night was a great come from behind win, and
you started both rallies in the seventh and ninth innings.
Just to be able to contribute the way you are
to team wins. How gratifying is that?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's especially gratifying just given the first half, you know
how hard it was, you know, just for me personally,
I mean, you know, to to be able to to
come in, especially off the bench and have meaningful of
bats has been great. You know, I'm feeling a lot better,
feeling a lot more like myself, and you know, just
(00:55):
trying to keep it rolling.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
How much do we not appreciate the fact that you're
with a new team, new hitting coaches, just knew everything
and it took you a little longer to adjust.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
You know, I definitely don't want to, you know, use
anything as as an excuse. I mean, it is it
is a little bit hard to switch cities, to switch teams,
hitting coaches, all that. But you know, I I think
I think there was just some things going on with
my approach of my swing and it took a little
bit more time to figure it out. But and I
(01:30):
think there's still some things that I need I need
to work on, but I definitely, you know, I definitely
feel a lot more like myself and I'm definitely feeling
more settled, you know, uncomfortable around here, and I'm just
excited to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Confidence too, I'm sure. I mean, even at this stage
of your career, getting the results, helping the team win
means a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Absolutely. You know, you try, you try not to focus
on the results. You try to focus on your process
and and you know, because in baseball you can do
everything right and not get the result, but there comes
a time where you need to start seeing results. And
you know, over time, I mean, we play so many games,
you know it's coming. You just have to, you know,
(02:14):
stay the course. And it's been good to see some
of those results coming now. You know, here as we
get towards the you know, the last third of the season.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
How much were you open to changing a bat, even
if it's the weight of it, the size of it.
How do you come to that determination?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Ah? Well, I wasn't very open to it early on.
I mean I've used the same bat for you know,
my entire career for ten years. And then having as
rough of a start as I as I did. You know,
you start, you start opening your mind a little bit,
and you know, the Dodgers have all the resources. You know,
we have some bat fitting companies that come in, and
(02:56):
you know, my numbers going through the process of the
bat were much better with a more evenly weighted bat,
you know, through the testing, and you know, things were
not working with my you know, my tried and true
model that I'd used for ten years. So we decided
to switch that, switch some other things, open my stance
a little bit, get a little bit more movement, and
(03:21):
you know things things have definitely turned.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I know we always look at hits and home runs,
but last night, that ten pitch walk to really get
the table set for Will in the ninth inning. Can
you take us through that at bat and would you
have had that at bat two months ago.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Uh, it's hard to say, you know that I battle
through a ten pitch at bat two months ago. I mean,
just given where I was at with my timing and everything,
and in that situation, I mean, it's just important to
get on base facing their closer. You know, I swung
through a fastball that he you know, he's got some
(04:00):
really good rides. So I got down oh two and
and my you know, my mind just shifted to just battle,
you know, any anyway you can get on base, get
on base, and you know, towards the seventh or eighth pitch,
you know, two two, three two, I knew I could
fight off enough pitches just to work a walk, and
(04:21):
that's that just ended up being the result.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
And you know.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
So that that was definitely a big one for us.
And that's kind of that's that's more like who I
am as a hitter. I've I've always been able to
to fight through tough pitches, you know, find a way
to get on base a little bit more often than
I was in the first half and still be able
to drive the ball. But you know, drive the ball
and get on base is kind of who I am.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
How sweet was it to watch outman, run the bases
for you.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
He he got home a lot faster than I would have,
so it was awesome to see him do his thing,
you know, running aggressively. Being ready off the bench to
to go full speed is huge. He's you know, for
him to be ready in that moment was was huge
for us. So it was good to see.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Hey, all Italian Americans are fighters, and Michael Conforto is
a fighter. Keep punching. Thanks a lot for the time.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
There he is, Tim the man, one of the great
guys you'll ever meet. Oh oh, that was a little
too hard.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
A little handshake firm, Yeah, loosen it up
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Take it easy on the wrist.
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