June 9, 2025 • 8 mins
Mookie talks about returning to Petco for the first time since the NLDS, improving at shortsop and learning the nuances of the position from Miguel Rojas.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger
Talker Padres Dodgers Dodgers Padres an upset and we're joining
right now by one of the heroes of the Dodgers
postseason run last year and obviously one of the best
players of his generation, the one and only Mookie Bets.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Mookie, thanks a lot for the time, of course.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
You know, I always got time for you.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Bro. Oh. I love it.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I love it, and I love that the Dodgers and
Padres are back at it for the first time this season.
When you're out here taking your infield drills or when
you first walked into the stadium, did the memories of
last year flood through or does it feel like just
another regular season game.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, the memories definitely fled through. I mean, obviously they don't.
They're not relative to what's going on right now. But
you know, you just kind of think about, you know,
things that you've done here and how much how much
this this place has been in your happy, happy, happy
thoughts and your sad ones as well, and so you know,
you just grow a weird love for for being here.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, and last year it feels like this was the
site of when your postseason turned around.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah, this is uh, this is it. You know, Like
I said, I have so many memories here, good and
bad that I just, uh, I enjoy I really do
enjoy playing here.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
I covered the Lakers back when Shaq and Kobe were
playing and the Sacramento Kings put together a nice run
for four or five years. Does it kind of feel
like that between the Dodgers and Padres that Lakers Sacramento
Kings feel?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I don't remember that that
what that feel was was, but you know, just just
just uh, it is fun knowing that. You know, every
time you come to Peco or I'm sure every time
they come to the Dodgers, tadum like there's gonna be
a dogfight. You know, it's gonna be a you're gonna
you're gonna have to play some good baseball. I mean,
you're gonna get hit in the mouth and you're gonna
let's see how you how you take it, and so uh,
(01:50):
you know, that's the that's the beauty of you know.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Sports, no doubt, and Mookie Betts is all about competition.
He even called out Brady Ebel here to compete with him.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
At shortstop.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I mean, you're always looking for somebody to compete against.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Uh, I do.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I do love competition. Both both of my parents enjoy
competing and everything, and so my whole family we all
love doing and so I mean, it was it's good
to get to get him out there and show him some, uh,
show him some some tips and tricks that I've kind
of learned along the way, and compete while doing it.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
MOOKI shortstop, You've looked like a natural out there this year.
What about the little different things about shortstop? Do you
feel like you're going next level now at that position?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
It's hard to say, because you know, I just want
to be consistent and being the best I can be
every day, and that's you know, making all the routine
plays and if I can make some some nice plays,
then cool. I just know how hard it is to
play shortstop, and you can't, can't you know it continue
to grow and continue to do to try and be
the best, uh with doing all the fancy tricks and
all type of stuff. But you know, for someone like me,
(02:56):
which is really like my I guess my second year
doing this for you're really actually understanding what I'm doing.
I just want to be a basic vanilla bland shortstop
that makes all the plays and hopefully can can do
something in the box.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You're doing that and more. But there's different levels of
the intangibles of the position, and it feels like you're
really commanding that position. I've seen you have meetings with
pictures where the game's going too fast. I mean, that's
what the leader of the infield does.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, you know, That's all kind of stuff that I've learned.
Miggie Row has really helped me a ton with stuff
like that, and tell me, you know, hey, you know
you're playing every day, You're you're you're the guy. This
is how to handle it. This is this is what
it takes. And you're gonna have to be the guy
that goes in and calls the meeting when the game
needs to slow down. You're gonna have to know what
everybody needs to be doing. You're gonna have to move guys.
(03:49):
You know, you're gonna have to, just like you said,
be the captain of the infield. And I didn't really
know what that means. And I'm not really here to
be the captain of nothing. I'm really just here to
just kind of take care of my job. But I guess,
you know, MIGEI Ro kind of explained that that is
my job, is kind of doing that, and so it's
a it's it's been okay, It's been okay, but definitely
definitely definitely got a lot more learning to do. Sometimes
(04:10):
in the middle of the games, man, I'm out there, like,
I have no idea what to do. I have no idea.
If the ball is hitting me, I don't know. And
like during those situations, miggi ro is right there on
the top step and I can look at him and
we have this little sign language that we can communicate,
and he he like helps me in those tenth inning,
eleventh and twelfth inning moments because I've never been in
those situations before. That's the first time, you know, that's
(04:31):
the first time I've been in the situation.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So I had no idea, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So yeah, I mean, having the having having him here
has definitely help with all that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Hey, we all need somebody to lean on.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Mookie Bets has got Miguel Rojas and all of Los
Angeles to lean on. And those four days while you
were dealing with your toe, it feels like you had
a chance to catch your breath as far as the
offense goes, because since he came back, you've looked like
the mookie bets.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
We all.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, I had a little time, like you said, to
to to really try and get the habits that I
had developed out. And it's hard. It's hard to do
it when you're like playing every day. Like when you're playing,
you have to compete every day. It's hard to really
stack positive days because the game is so negative and.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
It's a game of failure.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
And so you know, whatever moves and whatever you were
working on, you go and do it in the game
and you don't get any hits, well, then you know
that's considered a failure, you know, and so we need
to we want success, we need success now. But really,
you know, having those those days help me stack positive days,
you know, one after the other, one after the other,
(05:41):
and then I think I built enough confidence to take
it into the game.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
I still it blows my mind. As good as you are,
you are such a humble person. Sometimes that bleeds into
where you forget how good you are.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Who's the guy now? That reminds you how good you are?
You know? Really?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Uh, Doc does a lot. Doc really does a really
good job and kind of reminded me of that. And
I mean, you know, when it comes from the top
like that, you know, we have my teammates and KK
does a really good job with it. Meggi does a
really good job with it. Freddie Freddy, he has this weird,
weird cell a way of just saying, like, Okay, whenever
(06:21):
you're whenever you're done in your little feelings and your attitude,
then come on, I'm ready to play when you are,
you know. And so that's kind of how he treats me,
which is is awesome. So it's great. I got a
great group of guys. I'm here to kind of all
help me. But uh but you know, Doc, Doc really
does remind me a lot. And it's it's you know,
I don't I try not to think about it, but
(06:41):
sometimes it helps.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Right now you're feeling good, though.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, I feel feel a lot better now. I feel
a lot better now, and I think we just got
to get find a way to get healthy and then
we'll start winning some ball games.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Hey, if you need me to record a video for you,
you could just look at it whenever you're in your
feelings and I'll give you a hype video.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
All right, I'm down.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
For that for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
No, you know I'm here for you. I'll be able
to hype you up whenever you need. I'm like you're
in a boxing corner. I'm there whenever you need to
come back after the round is over, I'll be there
to remind you how great you want.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
All right, thank you, because it starts at home.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
You always got your feet on the ground, and obviously
everybody sees that every day.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So keep it going. Don't forget how great you are.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Don't forget you got one more three homer game in
you to make history.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I want to see it.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Okay, all right, I'm working on We're gonna see what
we can do.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Aggressive early in the count, Mookie. That's what Alex Cora
told me. I'm gonna remind you what Cora used to say,
be aggressive early in the count and pull.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
That's where you hit pull for power.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
That's exactly what ac with Zey's. I gotta keep that
in mind.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
All right, thanks a lot for the time.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
We'll resume the Lakers Sacramento Kings, and I won't tell
you what Shaq used to call the Kings.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Okay, now, well, let's wait till after and then we'll
find out.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Thanks a lot for the time, MOOKI yes, sir, and
you enjoy. Javiers find Mexican Food, new location in downtown.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Okay, all right, Javiers, here I come
And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger
Talker Padres Dodgers Dodgers Padres an upset and we're joining
right now by one of the heroes of the Dodgers
postseason run last year and obviously one of the best
players of his generation, the one and only Mookie Bets.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Mookie, thanks a lot for the time, of course.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
You know, I always got time for you.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Bro. Oh. I love it.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I love it, and I love that the Dodgers and
Padres are back at it for the first time this season.
When you're out here taking your infield drills or when
you first walked into the stadium, did the memories of
last year flood through or does it feel like just
another regular season game.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, the memories definitely fled through. I mean, obviously they don't.
They're not relative to what's going on right now. But
you know, you just kind of think about, you know,
things that you've done here and how much how much
this this place has been in your happy, happy, happy
thoughts and your sad ones as well, and so you know,
you just grow a weird love for for being here.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, and last year it feels like this was the
site of when your postseason turned around.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah, this is uh, this is it. You know, Like
I said, I have so many memories here, good and
bad that I just, uh, I enjoy I really do
enjoy playing here.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
I covered the Lakers back when Shaq and Kobe were
playing and the Sacramento Kings put together a nice run
for four or five years. Does it kind of feel
like that between the Dodgers and Padres that Lakers Sacramento
Kings feel?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I don't remember that that
what that feel was was, but you know, just just
just uh, it is fun knowing that. You know, every
time you come to Peco or I'm sure every time
they come to the Dodgers, tadum like there's gonna be
a dogfight. You know, it's gonna be a you're gonna
you're gonna have to play some good baseball. I mean,
you're gonna get hit in the mouth and you're gonna
let's see how you how you take it, and so uh,
(01:50):
you know, that's the that's the beauty of you know.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Sports, no doubt, and Mookie Betts is all about competition.
He even called out Brady Ebel here to compete with him.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
At shortstop.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I mean, you're always looking for somebody to compete against.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Uh, I do.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I do love competition. Both both of my parents enjoy
competing and everything, and so my whole family we all
love doing and so I mean, it was it's good
to get to get him out there and show him some, uh,
show him some some tips and tricks that I've kind
of learned along the way, and compete while doing it.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
MOOKI shortstop, You've looked like a natural out there this year.
What about the little different things about shortstop? Do you
feel like you're going next level now at that position?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
It's hard to say, because you know, I just want
to be consistent and being the best I can be
every day, and that's you know, making all the routine
plays and if I can make some some nice plays,
then cool. I just know how hard it is to
play shortstop, and you can't, can't you know it continue
to grow and continue to do to try and be
the best, uh with doing all the fancy tricks and
all type of stuff. But you know, for someone like me,
(02:56):
which is really like my I guess my second year
doing this for you're really actually understanding what I'm doing.
I just want to be a basic vanilla bland shortstop
that makes all the plays and hopefully can can do
something in the box.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You're doing that and more. But there's different levels of
the intangibles of the position, and it feels like you're
really commanding that position. I've seen you have meetings with
pictures where the game's going too fast. I mean, that's
what the leader of the infield does.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, you know, That's all kind of stuff that I've learned.
Miggie Row has really helped me a ton with stuff
like that, and tell me, you know, hey, you know
you're playing every day, You're you're you're the guy. This
is how to handle it. This is this is what
it takes. And you're gonna have to be the guy
that goes in and calls the meeting when the game
needs to slow down. You're gonna have to know what
everybody needs to be doing. You're gonna have to move guys.
(03:49):
You know, you're gonna have to, just like you said,
be the captain of the infield. And I didn't really
know what that means. And I'm not really here to
be the captain of nothing. I'm really just here to
just kind of take care of my job. But I guess,
you know, MIGEI Ro kind of explained that that is
my job, is kind of doing that, and so it's
a it's it's been okay, It's been okay, but definitely
definitely definitely got a lot more learning to do. Sometimes
(04:10):
in the middle of the games, man, I'm out there, like,
I have no idea what to do. I have no idea.
If the ball is hitting me, I don't know. And
like during those situations, miggi ro is right there on
the top step and I can look at him and
we have this little sign language that we can communicate,
and he he like helps me in those tenth inning,
eleventh and twelfth inning moments because I've never been in
those situations before. That's the first time, you know, that's
(04:31):
the first time I've been in the situation.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So I had no idea, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So yeah, I mean, having the having having him here
has definitely help with all that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Hey, we all need somebody to lean on.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Mookie Bets has got Miguel Rojas and all of Los
Angeles to lean on. And those four days while you
were dealing with your toe, it feels like you had
a chance to catch your breath as far as the
offense goes, because since he came back, you've looked like
the mookie bets.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
We all.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, I had a little time, like you said, to
to to really try and get the habits that I
had developed out. And it's hard. It's hard to do
it when you're like playing every day. Like when you're playing,
you have to compete every day. It's hard to really
stack positive days because the game is so negative and.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
It's a game of failure.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
And so you know, whatever moves and whatever you were
working on, you go and do it in the game
and you don't get any hits, well, then you know
that's considered a failure, you know, and so we need
to we want success, we need success now. But really,
you know, having those those days help me stack positive days,
you know, one after the other, one after the other,
(05:41):
and then I think I built enough confidence to take
it into the game.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
I still it blows my mind. As good as you are,
you are such a humble person. Sometimes that bleeds into
where you forget how good you are.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Who's the guy now? That reminds you how good you are?
You know? Really?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Uh, Doc does a lot. Doc really does a really
good job and kind of reminded me of that. And
I mean, you know, when it comes from the top
like that, you know, we have my teammates and KK
does a really good job with it. Meggi does a
really good job with it. Freddie Freddy, he has this weird,
weird cell a way of just saying, like, Okay, whenever
(06:21):
you're whenever you're done in your little feelings and your attitude,
then come on, I'm ready to play when you are,
you know. And so that's kind of how he treats me,
which is is awesome. So it's great. I got a
great group of guys. I'm here to kind of all
help me. But uh but you know, Doc, Doc really
does remind me a lot. And it's it's you know,
I don't I try not to think about it, but
(06:41):
sometimes it helps.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Right now you're feeling good, though.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, I feel feel a lot better now. I feel
a lot better now, and I think we just got
to get find a way to get healthy and then
we'll start winning some ball games.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Hey, if you need me to record a video for you,
you could just look at it whenever you're in your
feelings and I'll give you a hype video.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
All right, I'm down.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
For that for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
No, you know I'm here for you. I'll be able
to hype you up whenever you need. I'm like you're
in a boxing corner. I'm there whenever you need to
come back after the round is over, I'll be there
to remind you how great you want.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
All right, thank you, because it starts at home.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
You always got your feet on the ground, and obviously
everybody sees that every day.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So keep it going. Don't forget how great you are.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Don't forget you got one more three homer game in
you to make history.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I want to see it.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Okay, all right, I'm working on We're gonna see what
we can do.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Aggressive early in the count, Mookie. That's what Alex Cora
told me. I'm gonna remind you what Cora used to say,
be aggressive early in the count and pull.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
That's where you hit pull for power.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
That's exactly what ac with Zey's. I gotta keep that
in mind.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
All right, thanks a lot for the time.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
We'll resume the Lakers Sacramento Kings, and I won't tell
you what Shaq used to call the Kings.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Okay, now, well, let's wait till after and then we'll
find out.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Thanks a lot for the time, MOOKI yes, sir, and
you enjoy. Javiers find Mexican Food, new location in downtown.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Okay, all right, Javiers, here I come
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