June 13, 2025 • 10 mins
Samad Taylor from the Tacoma Rainiers sits down with Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about his successes at the AAA level, his work at the plate, the difference from the bigs to minors, lessons at MLB level, his next career step, and Chone Figgins.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
On casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist
Broadcast Studio. Now back to Saftie and Dick powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest
on Sports Radio nineties three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
You know, I was just thinking to myself, Dick, as
we sit here in Chaney Stadium at Tacoma for the
Rainiers game tonight. Chuck Powell's got the call tonight with
Riley pay Over on AM at nine fifty. Andy, are
you in the broadcast too? You're part of that tonight?
You're getting bumped?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
How about that?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Man?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You kidding me? Kicking my guy?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Andy grow wakes up every day and just lives for
the radio broadcast that has got nothing else going on,
and Chuck Powell, who does our morning show, is coming
down and kicking him off the air and then make
him watch him work. So Chuck does just second times
people some time tonight over on nine to fifty AM.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
But some odd Taylor.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
It's kind of becoming a tradition that when we come
down here to a Chaney Stadium at Tacoma, at least
once a year, we get to talk to our favorite Rainier,
Sam Odd Taylor.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Who's with us? Now? How are you?
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Man?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I'm doing good? How are we doing it good?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I you know, I think I'm gonna try to do
an impression of you if I can. So I can
then call Jerry Depoto on the phone and say, Jerry, it's.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Some odd call my eyes up. Man. What do I
gotta do? And you gotta come on to the major leagues?
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Ever?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Look at these numbers, nine ten ops, ten bombs, thirty
seven ripies, nineteen for twenty two stolen bases in fifty
six games. You just mentioned it off the year. You
gotta just control the control of the balls. But you
got to be pretty happy with the way you're performing
down here.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Man, oh one hundred percent. To go back to last year,
I kind of was riding the road closer a little.
It made some adjustments in the offseason, and then they're
showing up on the field now, so I can't complain
about it. I'm blessed and happy to still be able
to put a uniform on and be a part of
the organization.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
What were the adjustments you made, what'd your work on?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Just from the mental side, and just clear my mind
and big thing is just be present where you're at,
Like you just said that I should be in the
big League, but I'm here in Triple A, I'm in Tacoma,
I'm president where I'm at. I'm happy with what I'm
doing and just keep doing what I do and see
where the ball rolls at the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Love it.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
You mentioned the last month, consistency in the box has
been the key. What does consistency in the box mean
to samat Taylor?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Consistency is it just goes back to trusting with trusting
what you work on. We work, We work our butt
off every off season, off seasons five six months or
a couple of months, whatever it may be, and you grind,
you grind, you grind, and as soon as you get
the season, something happens and you're quick to veer away
(02:36):
from what you worked on. And consistency to me and
my own my own game is just trusting everything I
worked on and just keep doing it, keep chucking through it,
and know there's a lot at the end of the tunnel.
And like right now, I think two weeks ago, I
started the week off at like three forty two or
something like that, and I've cooled down a little, but
(02:57):
it hasn't really been a cool down. It's just been
swinging out of what my plan is and getting away
from my plan.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So I want to get back to my plan.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
We'll see those those numbers climb back up.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Gotcha.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, some odd Taylor again is with us. And you've
obviously had the experience of being a Major leaguer thirty
eight beautiful, wonderful games.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Right so far at the big league level.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
And you're you're probably too young to know the movie
Bull Durham with Kevin Costner and those guys from back
in the day, but there's a scene when they're on
the bus and Kevin Costner looks at the guys and
says they throw ungodly breaking stuff and exploding sliders in
the Major So you've now had a taste of it.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Is the accurate?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
What's the difference and how filthy are the pictures up
there versus the ones that you're singing down here?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Oh, I mean it's the big leagues, baby, It's a
big difference. I think just consistency around the zone. Here
you get a no count folcol pitches off by yourself,
a good pitch to hit up there. It's battle, battle, battle,
and then you gotta see some nasty, some nasty sliders
(04:02):
or splitters or whatever the secondary pitches. But I would
just say, like, just consistency around the zone and the
other stuff may move a little different or whatnot. But
for the most part, the game is really games the same.
Another row of seats, better lights, fans, better food.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Better food. That was gonna say, better food.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
What's the spread inside your clubhouse now versus the one
like that you got to.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Seeattle, Oh, I mean, tell us that's terrible. Ip Aon's
not listening right now.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
But I mean, I'm not a real big eater before
the game, right right, try to keep myself light on
the feet. But today I went and got some shrimp
fried rice, So okay, I'll kind of grab something before
you get to the field, just based off of what
the schedule says. But for the most part, the spread
after the game is it's always pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Gotcha? Gotcha?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
So in those thirty eight games of soft he was
talking about seventy a bs in the big what have
you learned that you will take with you the next
time you go faced all those nasty breaking sliders.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I would say, just get your swing off early if
I can close my eyes and go back to the
seventy at bats I've had. I would like to say
probably more than half of them, or with two strikes
and more than half of them, I'm probably taken the
first pitch that I know I could do something with. Like,
as soon as you get up there, you kind of
(05:29):
as a player, you kind of look into a lot
of different things. You don't want to swing at the
pitch that you would swing at usually in Triple A,
or you don't want to do something this way, you
don't want to do something that way. But as long
as you just keep you keep the same game that
you played in Triple A up in the big leagues. Yeah,
shout out to Dan Wilson. He as soon as I
(05:50):
got up there this year, he was just be the
same player you are. Everybody knows what I do. Get
on base calls, Havoc, play a lot of positions, put
together tough at that. But like like I said, you
get to the big leagues and you always feel that
you need to do something more than what you need
to do.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Well, soamtt Taylor's was us and you mentioned it right there.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I was gonna ask you, how much do you communicate
with those guys, right, Like your coaches are danger with
you every day. But whether Edgar or Dan or positioning
coaches or base running coaches, you know whatever, maybe Holland
or to Poto or whatever, how much conversation is there
on a daily basis with those guys.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Myself slim to none. I talked to Ey about base
running a lot, but other than that, I kinda I
kind of try to stick to the circle that I got,
not necessarily saying I'm opening up my circle, but I
kind of try to just hone into what I'm doing
here and just focus on what I'm doing here, because realistically,
(06:50):
if you're not handling your business here right, there's no
getting back to Seattle. So I feel like just staying
what I'm doing now and just keep working and keep working,
and know the man above has a has a plan
for me, and know that team has a plan for me.
When it's there, just be ready and go out there
and have some fun.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Love it.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
When you're tearing the cover off the ball and those
ops numbers get above nine hundred, is it harder not
to think about Seattle when you're really really playing good
ball up here? How much does that creep into your
mind a little bit.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
I would like to say, not nowhere near as much
as it used to. Being able to have a couple
of coffee in the big leagues in twenty three and
a week or so last year and a week this year,
you kind of you kind of get to a point
where you don't even really worried about the next step, because,
(07:45):
like I said, the next step isn't going to be
accomplished if I don't handle what I have to handle here.
So I just do what I gotta do here. And
like I said, when that, when that call comes, just
be ready and be the same player up there.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah, it says here in a Wikipedia page. By the way,
let me ask you before you go somebody taylor with us,
how much do you read your own Wikipedia page?
Speaker 3 (08:03):
They were checking out crazy you just brought it up.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
I looked at it, uh, about two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Random, Okay? Is it all accurate?
Speaker 2 (08:12):
By the way, married to Alexia Woodley, your first child Asen.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Is that right? We're born in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Congrasts on that hrew growing up, It says he was
a fan of Sean Figgins.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
By the way, Oh my god, well, I will.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Say this that the Angel fans have a much different
vision of Sean Figgins than we do. Right, So what
was it about Sean Figgins as an Angel that drew
you to him?
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I was growing up. I was always the smallest kid
on the team always, I mean I'm still in the
smallest kid on the team, and watching him, like he
always had a baggy uniform always, and he was always
doing stuff the right way. And Dad introduced the game
(09:01):
to me, and I remember sitting at home watching Angel
Dodger series, the Highway Series, and Sean Figgins walked up
to the plate wearing number nine, and I can be
that one day, and I kind of just followed his game,
followed his game, and for the longest I tried to
do exactly what he did. I tried to hit how
(09:22):
he hit, tried to throw, how he threw, field, how
he fielded, like I tried to just do everything just
like him. And then I just kept following him, kept
following him, and like it was just my growing up,
all time favorite player. And then I kind of veered
off into Jose Rays and so I got to Jose Rays.
It took off.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
So basically, any short guy was gonna be on your
favorite list.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
The short guys hit.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Well, there's some short kids somewhere right who's gonna be
in the stands tonight watching you play. It was gonna say,
I want to be like that guy because that guy's short.
So you're speaking your play for all short kids. Forget that, right, man, Hey,
keep kicking ass down here. Congrats on a hell of
a start, and we'll see.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
You back up the chant soon. Man, I appreciate you.
You bet.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Saman Taylor with us on the air, We're going to
break a little textimonials and then our bracket coming up.
The most unforgettable sports moment of the last twenty five years.
Kobe Bryant passing away COVID taking out the NBA season,
David Tyree's helmet catch.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Lebron's decision. Where do these all rank? Will debate them
at five on ninety three three KJRFM
On casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist
Broadcast Studio. Now back to Saftie and Dick powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest
on Sports Radio nineties three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
You know, I was just thinking to myself, Dick, as
we sit here in Chaney Stadium at Tacoma for the
Rainiers game tonight. Chuck Powell's got the call tonight with
Riley pay Over on AM at nine fifty. Andy, are
you in the broadcast too? You're part of that tonight?
You're getting bumped?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
How about that?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Man?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You kidding me? Kicking my guy?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Andy grow wakes up every day and just lives for
the radio broadcast that has got nothing else going on,
and Chuck Powell, who does our morning show, is coming
down and kicking him off the air and then make
him watch him work. So Chuck does just second times
people some time tonight over on nine to fifty AM.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
But some odd Taylor.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
It's kind of becoming a tradition that when we come
down here to a Chaney Stadium at Tacoma, at least
once a year, we get to talk to our favorite Rainier,
Sam Odd Taylor.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Who's with us? Now? How are you?
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Man?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I'm doing good? How are we doing it good?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I you know, I think I'm gonna try to do
an impression of you if I can. So I can
then call Jerry Depoto on the phone and say, Jerry, it's.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Some odd call my eyes up. Man. What do I
gotta do? And you gotta come on to the major leagues?
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Ever?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Look at these numbers, nine ten ops, ten bombs, thirty
seven ripies, nineteen for twenty two stolen bases in fifty
six games. You just mentioned it off the year. You
gotta just control the control of the balls. But you
got to be pretty happy with the way you're performing
down here.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Man, oh one hundred percent. To go back to last year,
I kind of was riding the road closer a little.
It made some adjustments in the offseason, and then they're
showing up on the field now, so I can't complain
about it. I'm blessed and happy to still be able
to put a uniform on and be a part of
the organization.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
What were the adjustments you made, what'd your work on?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Just from the mental side, and just clear my mind
and big thing is just be present where you're at,
Like you just said that I should be in the
big League, but I'm here in Triple A, I'm in Tacoma,
I'm president where I'm at. I'm happy with what I'm
doing and just keep doing what I do and see
where the ball rolls at the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Love it.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
You mentioned the last month, consistency in the box has
been the key. What does consistency in the box mean
to samat Taylor?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Consistency is it just goes back to trusting with trusting
what you work on. We work, We work our butt
off every off season, off seasons five six months or
a couple of months, whatever it may be, and you grind,
you grind, you grind, and as soon as you get
the season, something happens and you're quick to veer away
(02:36):
from what you worked on. And consistency to me and
my own my own game is just trusting everything I
worked on and just keep doing it, keep chucking through it,
and know there's a lot at the end of the tunnel.
And like right now, I think two weeks ago, I
started the week off at like three forty two or
something like that, and I've cooled down a little, but
(02:57):
it hasn't really been a cool down. It's just been
swinging out of what my plan is and getting away
from my plan.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So I want to get back to my plan.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
We'll see those those numbers climb back up.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Gotcha.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, some odd Taylor again is with us. And you've
obviously had the experience of being a Major leaguer thirty
eight beautiful, wonderful games.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Right so far at the big league level.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
And you're you're probably too young to know the movie
Bull Durham with Kevin Costner and those guys from back
in the day, but there's a scene when they're on
the bus and Kevin Costner looks at the guys and
says they throw ungodly breaking stuff and exploding sliders in
the Major So you've now had a taste of it.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Is the accurate?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
What's the difference and how filthy are the pictures up
there versus the ones that you're singing down here?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Oh, I mean it's the big leagues, baby, It's a
big difference. I think just consistency around the zone. Here
you get a no count folcol pitches off by yourself,
a good pitch to hit up there. It's battle, battle, battle,
and then you gotta see some nasty, some nasty sliders
(04:02):
or splitters or whatever the secondary pitches. But I would
just say, like, just consistency around the zone and the
other stuff may move a little different or whatnot. But
for the most part, the game is really games the same.
Another row of seats, better lights, fans, better food.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Better food. That was gonna say, better food.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
What's the spread inside your clubhouse now versus the one
like that you got to.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Seeattle, Oh, I mean, tell us that's terrible. Ip Aon's
not listening right now.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
But I mean, I'm not a real big eater before
the game, right right, try to keep myself light on
the feet. But today I went and got some shrimp
fried rice, So okay, I'll kind of grab something before
you get to the field, just based off of what
the schedule says. But for the most part, the spread
after the game is it's always pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Gotcha? Gotcha?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
So in those thirty eight games of soft he was
talking about seventy a bs in the big what have
you learned that you will take with you the next
time you go faced all those nasty breaking sliders.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I would say, just get your swing off early if
I can close my eyes and go back to the
seventy at bats I've had. I would like to say
probably more than half of them, or with two strikes
and more than half of them, I'm probably taken the
first pitch that I know I could do something with. Like,
as soon as you get up there, you kind of
(05:29):
as a player, you kind of look into a lot
of different things. You don't want to swing at the
pitch that you would swing at usually in Triple A,
or you don't want to do something this way, you
don't want to do something that way. But as long
as you just keep you keep the same game that
you played in Triple A up in the big leagues. Yeah,
shout out to Dan Wilson. He as soon as I
(05:50):
got up there this year, he was just be the
same player you are. Everybody knows what I do. Get
on base calls, Havoc, play a lot of positions, put
together tough at that. But like like I said, you
get to the big leagues and you always feel that
you need to do something more than what you need
to do.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Well, soamtt Taylor's was us and you mentioned it right there.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I was gonna ask you, how much do you communicate
with those guys, right, Like your coaches are danger with
you every day. But whether Edgar or Dan or positioning
coaches or base running coaches, you know whatever, maybe Holland
or to Poto or whatever, how much conversation is there
on a daily basis with those guys.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Myself slim to none. I talked to Ey about base
running a lot, but other than that, I kinda I
kind of try to stick to the circle that I got,
not necessarily saying I'm opening up my circle, but I
kind of try to just hone into what I'm doing
here and just focus on what I'm doing here, because realistically,
(06:50):
if you're not handling your business here right, there's no
getting back to Seattle. So I feel like just staying
what I'm doing now and just keep working and keep working,
and know the man above has a has a plan
for me, and know that team has a plan for me.
When it's there, just be ready and go out there
and have some fun.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Love it.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
When you're tearing the cover off the ball and those
ops numbers get above nine hundred, is it harder not
to think about Seattle when you're really really playing good
ball up here? How much does that creep into your
mind a little bit.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
I would like to say, not nowhere near as much
as it used to. Being able to have a couple
of coffee in the big leagues in twenty three and
a week or so last year and a week this year,
you kind of you kind of get to a point
where you don't even really worried about the next step, because,
(07:45):
like I said, the next step isn't going to be
accomplished if I don't handle what I have to handle here.
So I just do what I gotta do here. And
like I said, when that, when that call comes, just
be ready and be the same player up there.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah, it says here in a Wikipedia page. By the way,
let me ask you before you go somebody taylor with us,
how much do you read your own Wikipedia page?
Speaker 3 (08:03):
They were checking out crazy you just brought it up.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
I looked at it, uh, about two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Random, Okay? Is it all accurate?
Speaker 2 (08:12):
By the way, married to Alexia Woodley, your first child Asen.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Is that right? We're born in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Congrasts on that hrew growing up, It says he was
a fan of Sean Figgins.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
By the way, Oh my god, well, I will.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Say this that the Angel fans have a much different
vision of Sean Figgins than we do. Right, So what
was it about Sean Figgins as an Angel that drew
you to him?
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I was growing up. I was always the smallest kid
on the team always, I mean I'm still in the
smallest kid on the team, and watching him, like he
always had a baggy uniform always, and he was always
doing stuff the right way. And Dad introduced the game
(09:01):
to me, and I remember sitting at home watching Angel
Dodger series, the Highway Series, and Sean Figgins walked up
to the plate wearing number nine, and I can be
that one day, and I kind of just followed his game,
followed his game, and for the longest I tried to
do exactly what he did. I tried to hit how
(09:22):
he hit, tried to throw, how he threw, field, how
he fielded, like I tried to just do everything just
like him. And then I just kept following him, kept
following him, and like it was just my growing up,
all time favorite player. And then I kind of veered
off into Jose Rays and so I got to Jose Rays.
It took off.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
So basically, any short guy was gonna be on your
favorite list.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
The short guys hit.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Well, there's some short kids somewhere right who's gonna be
in the stands tonight watching you play. It was gonna say,
I want to be like that guy because that guy's short.
So you're speaking your play for all short kids. Forget that, right, man, Hey,
keep kicking ass down here. Congrats on a hell of
a start, and we'll see.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
You back up the chant soon. Man, I appreciate you.
You bet.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Saman Taylor with us on the air, We're going to
break a little textimonials and then our bracket coming up.
The most unforgettable sports moment of the last twenty five years.
Kobe Bryant passing away COVID taking out the NBA season,
David Tyree's helmet catch.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Lebron's decision. Where do these all rank? Will debate them
at five on ninety three three KJRFM
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