July 22, 2025 • 6 mins
Tommy talks about adjusting to the hot corner, baseball's marathon season, and the challenges of hitting against multiple pitchers a game.
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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 Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, we're joined by one of my favorite guys,
maybe one of the most polite Major league players you
will ever meet, and that is Dodger Everything, Tommy Edmund. Tommy,
thanks a lot for the time. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I appreciate it. Good chatting with you as always.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey, see already you have such great manners, the way
you speak to me. I mean, your light years way
more mature than I am.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
No, I don't know about that. I got I got
some immature size as well. But you know, just trying
to trying to be a good guy, and you know,
you know, you know you're I know you're doing your
job and trying to make things easy on you.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you. I appreciate it. Tommy. Hey, you made things
easier on Tanner Scott last night in the eighth inning.
Your old teammate Harrison Baders sent you a hot shot
at the hot corner last night. I mean, that is
one of the biggest differences between playing up the middle.
I would imagine how quick the ball gets on you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, it's it is a different perspective for sure. Few
of those yesterday there were a couple in the early
innings and then the one that Bader hitted me. So
you know, you really got to stay in your toes
over there, just be expecting every ball to come your
way because you can't be surprised. So fortunately I was
able to react well to that one last night.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
You always hear about third baseman talk about having quick
light reflexes, But how much is it also the footwork
that you use at other positions.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, for sure, you know, the prep step is still
kind of the same. I think at third base, I
might I try to get a little bit lower, just
in you know, expecting those balls that come at you
a little bit quicker. So I think from that standpoint,
it's a little bit different. But you know, you really
catch the ball with your feet. You know, you got
to make sure your feet are in the right position
to go get the ball, and you're just gonna have
(01:45):
a little bit less time to set up and get
in a position to throw than you would at shorter
second for example. But you know, you're always just trying
to use your feet as best you can to get
in a good position.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
You're a ballplayer, so you're gonna do and play wherever
they ask you to. But how much more comfortable are you, say,
today than you were even last week?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, you know, gotten about a week, maybe a little
bit more than a week's worth of reps at third base,
So you know, kind of just seeing a lot more
different balls that have been hit to me. There was
there's a couple of balls that I've had that I
haven't been able to make the plays on that I've
kind of looked back at and be like, Okay, here's
here's what I need to do differently. So, you know,
having those under my belt, you know, I feel like
(02:26):
I have a better understanding of how to attack you know,
a few more different kinds of ground balls.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
You understand the seasons of marathon, you're gonna have highs,
you're gonna have lows. As a team, how do you
guys find your way out of the lows that you've
had recently?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, I mean kind of like what you're saying, you know,
just understanding it's a really long season and it's inevitable
that you're gonna go through some lulls, some some stretches
where you're not playing quite as well. But you know,
we got so much talent on our team that we
know it's only a matter of time before we get
back to the dominant ways that we're used to. So,
you know, just kind of continue with our prep routine,
(03:02):
but identifying the areas that maybe we've been struggling at
and just attacking those and as long as we do
that in our and our prep work, knowing that it'll
pay off and that we'll get back to our winning ways.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Tommy, some of the outside voices have suggested these group
of players are a little bored with the regular season.
What do you say and how do you respond to
people that perceive that you guys are bored with the
regular season? No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I don't think you can ever get bored with playing
Major League Baseball games. You know, every game has a
ton of challenges, and you know you got to get
ready each and every day. You know, you're playing against
major League Baseball teams, and every team you play against
has some really good talent, especially you know, the pitching side. Now,
every single guy you face, every guy that gets called
up for the miners, has nasty stuff. So you gotta
(03:47):
be prepared regardless of who you're facing.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Is that the biggest change in the game, just even
since you broke in just how many nasty pitchers there
are once you get the starter out of the game.
What is the evolution of the game since you first started?
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, I mean the fastball VI though, has definitely gone up,
even in the since twenty nineteen when I first got
called up. So I think I think you just generally
have more guys that throw harder and uh, just better
stuff in general. I think maybe even like what was
that six years ago, you had guys who would kind
of hang around the league who didn't have that great stuff,
(04:24):
but you know, they were kind of just proven veterans.
So you know, those guys are kind of not really
in the game quite as much anymore, you know, and
and they, you know, are more often get replaced by
younger guys who have nasty stuff. So you're kind of
seeing those those kinds of arms a little bit earlier.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
How do you prepare for that?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
You know, just make sure watching a lot of video
and and uh knowing how pitchers like to attack certain hitters,
and you know, just being aware of guys tendencies and
what their pitch movement is. And yeah, just you know,
we talk about it in our hitters meetings. We just
we make sure we go over every pitcher and and
have a good understanding of how they're going to attack
us and what that's gonna look like.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Tommy Edman is our guest before I let you go.
I love picking your brain about the game as a hitter,
is it. Are you a believer that maybe sometimes the
best pitch you see could be the first pitch of
an app bat.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Yeah, you know, you gotta be ready form from the
first pitch, and it's definitely a kind of a tough
thing to do, especially if you're seeing a pitcher that
you've never never actually gotten in the box against. So
you know, we try to do a good job of
making sure we're ready from from the first pitch of
the at bat, because, yeah, like you're saying that you
can't just let strike one go right down the middle
and let them get an advantage into count. You know,
(05:40):
there are times to take pitches as well, but you know,
for the most part, you've got to be ready.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, So if the pitcher just walked a guy on
four pitches or five pitches ahead of you, you have
to kind of read and react to see what is
happening in the game.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
I would imagine, Yeah, for sure, it's all situational. You know.
You can't just say black and white, Okay, I'm taking
this pitch, or I'm definitely swinging at this pitch. You
kind of just have to read and jest based on
the situation.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Damn, next level thinking right there by Tommy Edmund, a
Stanford man. Thank you for the time, Tommy. I really
appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Thank you. It's been fun.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Hey, Tommy Edmond's going to enjoy some chicken fahdahs at
Hobvier's new location in downtown. You might see him in
Lo Jolla and coming soon Pasadena, just in time for
the postseason.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
That's right, can't wait to try out the new spot.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
There he is the man, Tommy Edmund. Thank you, Tommy.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, I appreciate you.
And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, we're joined by one of my favorite guys,
maybe one of the most polite Major league players you
will ever meet, and that is Dodger Everything, Tommy Edmund. Tommy,
thanks a lot for the time. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I appreciate it. Good chatting with you as always.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey, see already you have such great manners, the way
you speak to me. I mean, your light years way
more mature than I am.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
No, I don't know about that. I got I got
some immature size as well. But you know, just trying
to trying to be a good guy, and you know,
you know, you know you're I know you're doing your
job and trying to make things easy on you.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you. I appreciate it. Tommy. Hey, you made things
easier on Tanner Scott last night in the eighth inning.
Your old teammate Harrison Baders sent you a hot shot
at the hot corner last night. I mean, that is
one of the biggest differences between playing up the middle.
I would imagine how quick the ball gets on you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, it's it is a different perspective for sure. Few
of those yesterday there were a couple in the early
innings and then the one that Bader hitted me. So
you know, you really got to stay in your toes
over there, just be expecting every ball to come your
way because you can't be surprised. So fortunately I was
able to react well to that one last night.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
You always hear about third baseman talk about having quick
light reflexes, But how much is it also the footwork
that you use at other positions.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, for sure, you know, the prep step is still
kind of the same. I think at third base, I
might I try to get a little bit lower, just
in you know, expecting those balls that come at you
a little bit quicker. So I think from that standpoint,
it's a little bit different. But you know, you really
catch the ball with your feet. You know, you got
to make sure your feet are in the right position
to go get the ball, and you're just gonna have
(01:45):
a little bit less time to set up and get
in a position to throw than you would at shorter
second for example. But you know, you're always just trying
to use your feet as best you can to get
in a good position.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
You're a ballplayer, so you're gonna do and play wherever
they ask you to. But how much more comfortable are you, say,
today than you were even last week?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, you know, gotten about a week, maybe a little
bit more than a week's worth of reps at third base,
So you know, kind of just seeing a lot more
different balls that have been hit to me. There was
there's a couple of balls that I've had that I
haven't been able to make the plays on that I've
kind of looked back at and be like, Okay, here's
here's what I need to do differently. So, you know,
having those under my belt, you know, I feel like
(02:26):
I have a better understanding of how to attack you know,
a few more different kinds of ground balls.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
You understand the seasons of marathon, you're gonna have highs,
you're gonna have lows. As a team, how do you
guys find your way out of the lows that you've
had recently?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, I mean kind of like what you're saying, you know,
just understanding it's a really long season and it's inevitable
that you're gonna go through some lulls, some some stretches
where you're not playing quite as well. But you know,
we got so much talent on our team that we
know it's only a matter of time before we get
back to the dominant ways that we're used to. So,
you know, just kind of continue with our prep routine,
(03:02):
but identifying the areas that maybe we've been struggling at
and just attacking those and as long as we do
that in our and our prep work, knowing that it'll
pay off and that we'll get back to our winning ways.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Tommy, some of the outside voices have suggested these group
of players are a little bored with the regular season.
What do you say and how do you respond to
people that perceive that you guys are bored with the
regular season? No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I don't think you can ever get bored with playing
Major League Baseball games. You know, every game has a
ton of challenges, and you know you got to get
ready each and every day. You know, you're playing against
major League Baseball teams, and every team you play against
has some really good talent, especially you know, the pitching side. Now,
every single guy you face, every guy that gets called
up for the miners, has nasty stuff. So you gotta
(03:47):
be prepared regardless of who you're facing.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Is that the biggest change in the game, just even
since you broke in just how many nasty pitchers there
are once you get the starter out of the game.
What is the evolution of the game since you first started?
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, I mean the fastball VI though, has definitely gone up,
even in the since twenty nineteen when I first got
called up. So I think I think you just generally
have more guys that throw harder and uh, just better
stuff in general. I think maybe even like what was
that six years ago, you had guys who would kind
of hang around the league who didn't have that great stuff,
(04:24):
but you know, they were kind of just proven veterans.
So you know, those guys are kind of not really
in the game quite as much anymore, you know, and
and they, you know, are more often get replaced by
younger guys who have nasty stuff. So you're kind of
seeing those those kinds of arms a little bit earlier.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
How do you prepare for that?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
You know, just make sure watching a lot of video
and and uh knowing how pitchers like to attack certain hitters,
and you know, just being aware of guys tendencies and
what their pitch movement is. And yeah, just you know,
we talk about it in our hitters meetings. We just
we make sure we go over every pitcher and and
have a good understanding of how they're going to attack
us and what that's gonna look like.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Tommy Edman is our guest before I let you go.
I love picking your brain about the game as a hitter,
is it. Are you a believer that maybe sometimes the
best pitch you see could be the first pitch of
an app bat.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Yeah, you know, you gotta be ready form from the
first pitch, and it's definitely a kind of a tough
thing to do, especially if you're seeing a pitcher that
you've never never actually gotten in the box against. So
you know, we try to do a good job of
making sure we're ready from from the first pitch of
the at bat, because, yeah, like you're saying that you
can't just let strike one go right down the middle
and let them get an advantage into count. You know,
(05:40):
there are times to take pitches as well, but you know,
for the most part, you've got to be ready.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, So if the pitcher just walked a guy on
four pitches or five pitches ahead of you, you have
to kind of read and react to see what is
happening in the game.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
I would imagine, Yeah, for sure, it's all situational. You know.
You can't just say black and white, Okay, I'm taking
this pitch, or I'm definitely swinging at this pitch. You
kind of just have to read and jest based on
the situation.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Damn, next level thinking right there by Tommy Edmund, a
Stanford man. Thank you for the time, Tommy. I really
appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Thank you. It's been fun.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Hey, Tommy Edmond's going to enjoy some chicken fahdahs at
Hobvier's new location in downtown. You might see him in
Lo Jolla and coming soon Pasadena, just in time for
the postseason.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
That's right, can't wait to try out the new spot.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
There he is the man, Tommy Edmund. Thank you, Tommy.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, I appreciate you.
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