August 8, 2026 • 8 mins
Miggy Ro talks to DV after receiving the 2026 Dodgers Heart and Hustle Award. Miggy also talks about playing thru adversity and enjoying every moment of his final season.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. Well, yesterday,
our very own Miguel Rojas was awarded and honored by
former players current players from the Players Association for the
Dodgers Heart and Hustle Award. It's the third time Miguel
Rojas has won that award, and I don't know anybody
(00:21):
else in Major League Baseball that exemplifies hard and hustle
more than our guest, Miguel Rojas. Congratulations Migey, and I
mean every word that you exemplify hard and hustle.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
No, and it means a lot to me because this
award is given by players, people who who knows what
it takes to be on the field day in they
out the grind of playing one hundred and sixty two games,
and especially doing with this organization is a little bit
(00:55):
extra special for me. I know, I want too over
there in Miami, and I really appreciate she ate the
time that I spend there with my with my teammates
and my my colleagues and and all the people that
voted for me on that occasion.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
But for this one, uh we will we all.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Know the talent and uh the track record that we
have in this organization, and and knowing that we have
so many players who play every single day that I
have ultimate respect for, like Freddie Freeman.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
He's a guy who's always out there, you.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Know, uh, put everything on the line, his body, his
body is his family, everything that that you can even
think about. And for me to receive this a world
coming off the bench and playing limited time.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
It doesn't feel it doesn't feel real.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
But at the same time, every time I step on
that field, I give everything that I have for the organization.
And sometimes even when I'm not in there, I'm I'm
I'm doing everything and everything that I can to make
my teammates better. And I'm really grateful for the opportunity owner,
for all the people that took me into consideration to
represent the Dodgers, And this is a great opportunity for
(02:06):
me to say thank you to them and to my
teammates because they allowed me to be myself and they
allowed me to kind of like express my opinion, have
a boys in the clubhouse.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And obviously every.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Time I step on the field, I want to do
everything that I can to help the team win. But
this is a special one for me, for my family,
we are really happy and honor honor, and we're looking
forward for the on field celebration.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And when I received the plaque.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Miguel Koby Bryant used to talk about, it's not the destination,
it's the journey. Do you feel like you appreciate all
of this more because of your journey?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I feel like my path to the big leagus was hard,
and I didn't know that to be able to stay
here for this long it was going to be extra
harder and continue to work every single day towards the
same goals every single day that is a staying here
one more day that haven't changed since the day that
I got to the big league. So I'm I'm I'm
really proud of myself and the way that I kind
(03:06):
of like I kept myself in the big leagues and
uh in the in the highest level. And I can
say if this is my last year and my last
time playing baseball for a full season, I think I
give everything that I had on on an everyday basis.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
So I'm excited that.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I mean, when I'm thirty seven years old and and
kind of like at the back end of my career,
I can still produce on the field and and kind
of be respected off the field as well. So that's
that's the legacy that I wanted to leave in this
game whenever it was my last day. So I'm really
I'm really proud that my journey took me to a
place where I can be proud to say that I'm
(03:47):
going to be a motivation for.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
The neat generation.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
The legacy has been cemented already for Miguel Rojas. He
has a contract with the Dodgers to influence the heart
and hustle he exemplified when it's playing days or over. So,
Miguel Rojas, one of the most important voices in that clubhouse.
How are you and the team handling something that we're
all not used to yourselves included a seven game losing streak.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, I mean this, this, these moments right now kind
of like take you back to your last question.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It's not it's not a destination.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I know, the destination feels really good when you get
there and when you when you have the opportunity to
celebrate and win the last game of the season, because
we we done that and a lot of these guys
in this clubhouse have that feeling. But this journey is
what's gonna make it even more special. You know, if
everything goes smooth for us and and we're just winning
the division with no with nothing else to kind of
(04:45):
prove during the regular season, it wouldn't be as excited
to get to the point, you know, and to get
to the destination. And I'm I'm one hundred percent believer
that this club have everything that it takes to overcome
situations and moments like this. We're playing against really good
teams over the past couple of weeks and one of
(05:07):
the hardest team in baseball, and that's not an excuse.
We need to continue to find ways to win baseball games.
But I feel like this is our moment to kind
of like seek back and and think about this as
a as a moment to prepare us for what is coming.
You know, we're not always going to have, you know,
all the luck. It's not everything is going to be
(05:28):
our way. So we've gotta be able to come at
at these moments too, and we've gotta be able to
find ways to win games like we did last year.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
You know, we went against the wall, and that's that's
a good thing.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
This team is not the first time we've been in
this situation and we gotta find a way to get
out of it. So as of now in the clubhouse,
everybody is confident. We just need to continue to go
one pitch at a time from now on. And that's
really hard to do because you have to do it
for one hundred and sixty two games plus the playoffs.
And it's really a little bit more easier to do
(06:00):
it when when the playoff starts, you know, because you
know it's a it's a sprint. But I challenge the guys,
I send a little quick message on the group last
night to start our sprint right now. You know why
not to start when it's forty four games left. So
we prepare for what is coming. And I feel like
if we put the little intensity on every pitch and
(06:21):
forget about the past and forget about what's the future
is gonna look like. I think we're gonna be on
the moment more and we're gonna give everything that we
have in that moment. So I think it's important to
remember those those little things when you go in the
middle of the summer and you know, like you're approaching
the end of the season and you kind of wanted
to get over it with so you.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Can go to October.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
But I mean, no one is gonna give you anything
for free, so we're gonna have to earn it. And
this is our time to kind of start our sprint.
I believe we can do it. I know we've been
playing a lot of games the last two years and
this year, but if we have an opportunity to do
something really special, so if we have in our hands,
let's do it.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
You know, we're in it to win it.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
We're not in it just to say, oh no, we
won the last two, were okay, not winning this one
or let's see what happened.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
No, we're in it to win this one.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And now that we have the opportunity that all we
have to play is fifty some more games in this
year is a good It's a good time for us
to kind of like do the sprint and finish the season.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Nikki Row. You know what that screams to me. You
gotta play like there is no tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
There's there's no tomorrow for I mean for us.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I mean right now it might be a tomorrow, but
I feel like that the mentality of maybe having to
win every single day and kind of have a little
bit more of.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Sense or agency for winning those games.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I'm not saying that we're not having it right now,
but it feels like we can be a little bit
more present and instead of like think about what happened
yesterday or what's gonna happen tomorrow. So I feel like
that's that's what we're gonna put you in a situation
where we were last year.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You know, we were last.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Year in a situation where not tomorrow in game six,
no tomorrow in game seven. And we've been there before
like Game five, in Game four and five and twenty
twenty four against the Padres, and and I mean, can
you can count the moments that we needed to win
a game, And it feels like today it's one of
those days. You know, we have the right guy on
the mound with Yamamoto, and we know we have a
(08:20):
lot of depth behind him. We're really excited about having
Blake back and having school pitching at home, and at
some point in glasnow, I'm pretty sure he's gonna be
in our rotation and we're looking forward to have those
guys back and having a complete roaster.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I don't need anything else from anybody else after listening
to a man that has overcome a lot of adversity,
saved the Dodgers season in Game seven of the World
Series last year, and this year's honoree for the Heart
and Hustle Award. Thanks a lot for the time, MIGGI
and I think he've inspired everybody back in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Thank you, guys, very much, appreciate it.
And an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk. Well, yesterday,
our very own Miguel Rojas was awarded and honored by
former players current players from the Players Association for the
Dodgers Heart and Hustle Award. It's the third time Miguel
Rojas has won that award, and I don't know anybody
(00:21):
else in Major League Baseball that exemplifies hard and hustle
more than our guest, Miguel Rojas. Congratulations Migey, and I
mean every word that you exemplify hard and hustle.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
No, and it means a lot to me because this
award is given by players, people who who knows what
it takes to be on the field day in they
out the grind of playing one hundred and sixty two games,
and especially doing with this organization is a little bit
(00:55):
extra special for me. I know, I want too over
there in Miami, and I really appreciate she ate the
time that I spend there with my with my teammates
and my my colleagues and and all the people that
voted for me on that occasion.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
But for this one, uh we will we all.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Know the talent and uh the track record that we
have in this organization, and and knowing that we have
so many players who play every single day that I
have ultimate respect for, like Freddie Freeman.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
He's a guy who's always out there, you.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Know, uh, put everything on the line, his body, his
body is his family, everything that that you can even
think about. And for me to receive this a world
coming off the bench and playing limited time.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
It doesn't feel it doesn't feel real.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
But at the same time, every time I step on
that field, I give everything that I have for the organization.
And sometimes even when I'm not in there, I'm I'm
I'm doing everything and everything that I can to make
my teammates better. And I'm really grateful for the opportunity owner,
for all the people that took me into consideration to
represent the Dodgers, And this is a great opportunity for
(02:06):
me to say thank you to them and to my
teammates because they allowed me to be myself and they
allowed me to kind of like express my opinion, have
a boys in the clubhouse.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And obviously every.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Time I step on the field, I want to do
everything that I can to help the team win. But
this is a special one for me, for my family,
we are really happy and honor honor, and we're looking
forward for the on field celebration.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And when I received the plaque.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Miguel Koby Bryant used to talk about, it's not the destination,
it's the journey. Do you feel like you appreciate all
of this more because of your journey?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I feel like my path to the big leagus was hard,
and I didn't know that to be able to stay
here for this long it was going to be extra
harder and continue to work every single day towards the
same goals every single day that is a staying here
one more day that haven't changed since the day that
I got to the big league. So I'm I'm I'm
really proud of myself and the way that I kind
(03:06):
of like I kept myself in the big leagues and
uh in the in the highest level. And I can
say if this is my last year and my last
time playing baseball for a full season, I think I
give everything that I had on on an everyday basis.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
So I'm excited that.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I mean, when I'm thirty seven years old and and
kind of like at the back end of my career,
I can still produce on the field and and kind
of be respected off the field as well. So that's
that's the legacy that I wanted to leave in this
game whenever it was my last day. So I'm really
I'm really proud that my journey took me to a
place where I can be proud to say that I'm
(03:47):
going to be a motivation for.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
The neat generation.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
The legacy has been cemented already for Miguel Rojas. He
has a contract with the Dodgers to influence the heart
and hustle he exemplified when it's playing days or over. So,
Miguel Rojas, one of the most important voices in that clubhouse.
How are you and the team handling something that we're
all not used to yourselves included a seven game losing streak.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, I mean this, this, these moments right now kind
of like take you back to your last question.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It's not it's not a destination.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I know, the destination feels really good when you get
there and when you when you have the opportunity to
celebrate and win the last game of the season, because
we we done that and a lot of these guys
in this clubhouse have that feeling. But this journey is
what's gonna make it even more special. You know, if
everything goes smooth for us and and we're just winning
the division with no with nothing else to kind of
(04:45):
prove during the regular season, it wouldn't be as excited
to get to the point, you know, and to get
to the destination. And I'm I'm one hundred percent believer
that this club have everything that it takes to overcome
situations and moments like this. We're playing against really good
teams over the past couple of weeks and one of
(05:07):
the hardest team in baseball, and that's not an excuse.
We need to continue to find ways to win baseball games.
But I feel like this is our moment to kind
of like seek back and and think about this as
a as a moment to prepare us for what is coming.
You know, we're not always going to have, you know,
all the luck. It's not everything is going to be
(05:28):
our way. So we've gotta be able to come at
at these moments too, and we've gotta be able to
find ways to win games like we did last year.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
You know, we went against the wall, and that's that's
a good thing.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
This team is not the first time we've been in
this situation and we gotta find a way to get
out of it. So as of now in the clubhouse,
everybody is confident. We just need to continue to go
one pitch at a time from now on. And that's
really hard to do because you have to do it
for one hundred and sixty two games plus the playoffs.
And it's really a little bit more easier to do
(06:00):
it when when the playoff starts, you know, because you
know it's a it's a sprint. But I challenge the guys,
I send a little quick message on the group last
night to start our sprint right now. You know why
not to start when it's forty four games left. So
we prepare for what is coming. And I feel like
if we put the little intensity on every pitch and
(06:21):
forget about the past and forget about what's the future
is gonna look like. I think we're gonna be on
the moment more and we're gonna give everything that we
have in that moment. So I think it's important to
remember those those little things when you go in the
middle of the summer and you know, like you're approaching
the end of the season and you kind of wanted
to get over it with so you.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Can go to October.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
But I mean, no one is gonna give you anything
for free, so we're gonna have to earn it. And
this is our time to kind of start our sprint.
I believe we can do it. I know we've been
playing a lot of games the last two years and
this year, but if we have an opportunity to do
something really special, so if we have in our hands,
let's do it.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
You know, we're in it to win it.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
We're not in it just to say, oh no, we
won the last two, were okay, not winning this one
or let's see what happened.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
No, we're in it to win this one.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And now that we have the opportunity that all we
have to play is fifty some more games in this
year is a good It's a good time for us
to kind of like do the sprint and finish the season.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Nikki Row. You know what that screams to me. You
gotta play like there is no tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
There's there's no tomorrow for I mean for us.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I mean right now it might be a tomorrow, but
I feel like that the mentality of maybe having to
win every single day and kind of have a little
bit more of.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Sense or agency for winning those games.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I'm not saying that we're not having it right now,
but it feels like we can be a little bit
more present and instead of like think about what happened
yesterday or what's gonna happen tomorrow. So I feel like
that's that's what we're gonna put you in a situation
where we were last year.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You know, we were last.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Year in a situation where not tomorrow in game six,
no tomorrow in game seven. And we've been there before
like Game five, in Game four and five and twenty
twenty four against the Padres, and and I mean, can
you can count the moments that we needed to win
a game, And it feels like today it's one of
those days. You know, we have the right guy on
the mound with Yamamoto, and we know we have a
(08:20):
lot of depth behind him. We're really excited about having
Blake back and having school pitching at home, and at
some point in glasnow, I'm pretty sure he's gonna be
in our rotation and we're looking forward to have those
guys back and having a complete roaster.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I don't need anything else from anybody else after listening
to a man that has overcome a lot of adversity,
saved the Dodgers season in Game seven of the World
Series last year, and this year's honoree for the Heart
and Hustle Award. Thanks a lot for the time, MIGGI
and I think he've inspired everybody back in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Thank you, guys, very much, appreciate it.
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