Latest / The Huddle / Brewers Assistant Hitting Coach Daniel Vogelbach Interview with Hunter Baumgardt

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Brewers Assistant Hitting Coach Daniel Vogelbach Interview with Hunter Baumgardt · The Huddle

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Thanks guys. Joining me now is the assistant hitting coach
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: for the Milwaukee Brewers, Daniel Volgelbach and Daniel really appreciate
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the time. How are you.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: I'm good, how are you? Thanks for having me?
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Absolutely looking forward to the season. Spring training just about
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: to get underway. Of course, we've got the World Baseball
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Classic this spring as well. But excited to have you
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: back in the fold in Milwaukee. You know, you played
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: with the team twenty twenty twenty twenty one, and now
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: we're back in this assistant hitting role here. How has
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  Speaker 1: the transition been from player to coach and coming into Milwaukee, Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: I mean it's definitely it's definitely different.
• 0:39
  Speaker 3: You're learning every day. I mean you learn every day
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  Speaker 3: as a player, no matter how long you do it.
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  Speaker 3: So being something new just it's nice to have something new,
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: but with familiar a couple familiar faces already being here
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: and kind of knowing how some of the stuff you
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: know works from you know, seeing how it was when
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: a player. But for me, it's just continuing to learn
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: every day and leaning on some guys that have done
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  Speaker 3: it for a while and just continuing to follow in
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  Speaker 3: their footsteps and hopefully I can bring some stuff to
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  Speaker 3: the table too, and just continue to help each other
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: because at the end of the day, it's all about
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: trying to get as many wins as possible.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: For sure, And as you mentioned some familiar faces. What
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: do you remember most about your time playing here in Milwaukee.
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  Speaker 3: Winning It's why you play the game, It's why you
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  Speaker 3: want to be a part of teams. Is you want
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: to win. It's a long season and you play a
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  Speaker 3: lot of games, and winning is winning makes everything better
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  Speaker 3: and winning's fun. It's hard to win in the big leagues.
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  Speaker 3: And it was something that I enjoyed every minute of it.
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  Speaker 2: It was a great group of people, the culture.
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  Speaker 3: Everybody came to the ballpark with one thing in mind,
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  Speaker 3: and that was how are we going to score more
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  Speaker 3: one more run than them tonight and win a game.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: And it's really cool when you have a group that
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: starts from top the bottom, that everybody's.
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: In it for the same reason.
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: When it was announced that you were coming back to
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  Speaker 1: Milwaukee in this coaching role, I know a lot of
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  Speaker 1: people were circulating the video of the walk off Grand
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  Speaker 1: Slam against the Cardinals, one of the great memories of
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  Speaker 1: your time in Milwaukee. What do you remember about that
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  Speaker 1: at bad and just that moment in front of the
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  Speaker 1: Burws fans in September and a Pennant race.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think what you just said was the biggest thing.
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  Speaker 3: I just I had been hurt for you know, two months,
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: a month and a half, whatever the time was, and
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: the team was playing really well, and anytime.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: You come back, you just you just want to contribute.
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  Speaker 3: And when you're not able to play, and you're not
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: able to contribute, it's hard to watch from the outside,
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: but you just want to get back as fast as possible,
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: and when you do, you just want to do what
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  Speaker 3: you can to help the team win. And obviously with
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: me being injured, you know, your role changes a little
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: bit coming back, so it kind of went from starting
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: to pin hitting, which was perfectly fine with me because
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: we were winning and you know, when you get your
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: number called, it's you just want to do what you
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: can to you know, help the team win.
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  Speaker 2: And that was just a pretty cool moment that it
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: was able to come through.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, I know, I know Brewers fans absolutely loved it
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  Speaker 1: and excited to have you back in Milwaukee. Last year,
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  Speaker 1: you were a special assistant for hitting with the Pittsburgh pirates.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: What made you want to get into coaching so soon
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: after playing.
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: I don't know that it was like a plan.
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  Speaker 3: I just think that, you know, when I was done playing,
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  Speaker 3: I always said when I was done, I was done.
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: I wasn't gonna linger. I wasn't gonna, you know, just
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  Speaker 3: play to play. Very thankful for the career that I had,
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: wouldn't change it for anything. And just when I was done,
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  Speaker 3: you know, there was opportunities that kind of presented itself,
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: and talking with my wife and kind of seeing know
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  Speaker 3: what path we wanted to go.
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  Speaker 2: I just you know, I love the game. I just
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  Speaker 2: I love the competition.
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  Speaker 3: I love winning in the big leagues, and like I said,
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  Speaker 3: it's really hard to do and it's something that you know,
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: the playoffs is addicting.
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  Speaker 2: And I didn't get to win a World Series when
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: I played.
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  Speaker 3: Obviously got to play in the playoffs, but something that
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  Speaker 3: I definitely and still want to do, and it's uh
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  Speaker 3: so the only way to do that is to get
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  Speaker 3: back in the game. And I love helping people and
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  Speaker 3: I love being a part of good groups, and this
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  Speaker 3: is just something that presented itself, and uh, you know,
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  Speaker 3: I'm just going to dive into it and see where
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  Speaker 3: it takes.
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  Speaker 2: Me for sure.
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  Speaker 1: And what did you learn, you know, a couple of
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  Speaker 1: things that you learned last year in that first year
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  Speaker 1: as a coach uh in Pittsburgh that you that can
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure help you as you come into Milwaukee this season.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you know, going from playing to coaching,
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  Speaker 3: I think that obviously, when you play, you don't control everything.
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  Speaker 3: You don't control a lot, but you still have some
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  Speaker 3: control of the game. Uh, And when you're on this side,
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  Speaker 3: you really don't have any control because you're not playing anymore.
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  Speaker 3: So I think the biggest thing is just you know,
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  Speaker 3: continuing to you know, prepare like you can and help
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  Speaker 3: as much as you can.
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  Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, it's.
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  Speaker 3: All about them, and it's no longer about you, or
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  Speaker 3: it's no longer about you know what I have to
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  Speaker 3: do tonight to it. It's no longer about yourself, never
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  Speaker 3: never will be. And it's about them and the games
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  Speaker 3: about the players, and it's always been about the players,
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  Speaker 3: and so it's just something that you have to put
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  Speaker 3: everything into them. And you know, when you do that,
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  Speaker 3: that's the fulfilledment that you get back, rather than when
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  Speaker 3: you play. You know, the fulfillment you get back is
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  Speaker 3: you know your performance on what you did to help
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  Speaker 3: the team that night. Well, you don't perform anymore because
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: you don't play anymore. So for me, it's putting everything
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: you can into the players and watching them perform and
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: seeing them performance the fulfillment that you get back.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Do you feel like that adjustment and mindset from player
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: to coach was pretty easy just because of how long
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: you've been around the game. At the major league level, it.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Was definitely an adjustment.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, I like to think that when I played,
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: I like to I always pry to myself and trying
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  Speaker 3: to be a good teammate, and I think that that
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  Speaker 3: comes with helping others and being there for others. So
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  Speaker 3: I think it's a lot of the same thing. I
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  Speaker 3: think that you'd be a good teammate as a player,
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  Speaker 3: and you can be a good teammate as a coach
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  Speaker 3: because at the end of the day, players players need you,
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: and you know they can help them out when you're playing,
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: not necessarily much as the coaching side, but you know,
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  Speaker 3: just being there for them and being a good teammate
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  Speaker 3: because the game is long, the season's long, So I
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  Speaker 3: think that for me as a mindset, I've always tried
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  Speaker 3: to put others first, and coaching is that's what it's about.
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  Speaker 3: Like I said, it's it's about the players, and it's
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  Speaker 3: you got to put them number one, and they are
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  Speaker 3: number one, because without players, there is no baseball.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: Love that assistant hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Daniel
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Vogelac joining us here on the huddle, Hunter Bomber with you.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: So after you get the call from the Brewers that
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  Speaker 1: they want to bring you in, what is your process
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  Speaker 1: for preparing for spring training? I'm sure obviously you had
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: a process that you went through as a player. How
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  Speaker 1: has that changed and have you been kind of trying
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: to watch a lot of tape of the Brewers. Obviously
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: you were in the division, so you're familiar and familiar
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: with some of the guys as you mentioned, But what's
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  Speaker 1: kind of that process been like preparing for spring I.
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  Speaker 3: Mean what you said, you just watching a bunch of
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  Speaker 3: video trying to get familiar with guys, and then you
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  Speaker 3: just want to get to know them. You want to
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  Speaker 3: get to know them personally, you want to get to
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  Speaker 3: know them on what makes them go and this game
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  Speaker 3: is this game's really hard. So it's just as much
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  Speaker 3: as important about getting to know the person and the
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: player as it is you know, getting to know their.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Swing, because the swing comes and goes. There's a lot
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  Speaker 2: of guys.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, the swing's going to change multiple times through
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  Speaker 3: the year, depending on how you're feeling and how your
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: body's moving. But who you are as a person doesn't change,
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  Speaker 3: and what makes you go doesn't change. So just trying
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  Speaker 3: to get to know the guys and you know, just
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  Speaker 3: continuing to learn. For me, like leaning on people that
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  Speaker 3: have been in the organization for a long time. Just
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: because I played there a while back. You know, things
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  Speaker 3: change and it's way different, so being on this side,
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  Speaker 3: So just trying to continue to learn, lean on people that,
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  Speaker 3: like I said, have been there and you know, know
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  Speaker 3: how the process works and know how this side works,
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  Speaker 3: and along that way, just watching video and getting to
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  Speaker 3: know him personally.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: This team has a lot of young talent. Obviously ninety
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: seven wins last year. How excited does that make you
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  Speaker 1: to come into an organization that has, you know, obviously
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  Speaker 1: a lot of promise and promise and expectation coming into
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: this season.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I said it earlier in the interview.
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  Speaker 3: I mean the game of baseball, it's winning. That's why
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: you play it. And they've done it for a long time.
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  Speaker 3: And I think it's credit to the top to bottom
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  Speaker 3: on how the organization is run and obviously how Murph
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: does things, and you could tell the I mean they
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: play hard every single night. There's not a lot, not
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  Speaker 3: a lot of things you can control in this game
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  Speaker 3: at your effort and mindset is one of them.
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  Speaker 2: And just being on the other side watching.
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  Speaker 3: Him play, they do that really well and you know
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  Speaker 3: they it's it's really cool to watch.
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  Speaker 2: And I'm excited to be in the dugout for it now.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned Murf there. You played when obviously he
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  Speaker 1: was the bench coach. What did you enjoy about him
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  Speaker 1: as a player, and what are you looking forward to
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: when it comes to, you know, working under him on
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: the coaching staff.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: Yeah, your first question, It's very simple for me, and
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  Speaker 3: I say this to everybody. All you can ask for
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  Speaker 3: in this game is honesty, and Murph's going to tell you,
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  Speaker 3: honestly exactly what's on his mind. You never wonder what
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: is what's going on in his mind or what he's
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: thinking about you, because he's going to tell you, and
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  Speaker 3: sometimes it's not what you want to hear.
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  Speaker 2: But all you can ask for as.
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  Speaker 3: A player is honesty and he is that way and
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  Speaker 3: I respect him for that, you know, a ton. And
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  Speaker 3: for your second question, what I I mean, I just
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: want to learn. I mean that he's one of the
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: best baseball minds I've ever been around. The way he
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: thinks about the game, the way he goes about his
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: you know, game planning stuff, and how he thinks about
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: the game, but most of all, how he gets his
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: players to play for him. You see it every night,
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: like they play so hard, and that's credit to the leader.
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  Speaker 3: So I'm just excited to learn and watch, you know,
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: sit back and use my eyes and you know, use
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: my ears and just listen and watch. And it's really
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: cool to see. And I'm anxious to I'm excited to
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  Speaker 3: get up, get there and be a part of it.
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: Daniel Volgelbach, assistant hitting coach for the Brewers, joining us
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: for just a couple of more minutes here on the huddle. So,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: as you mentioned it, it's all about winning three straight
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: division titles for this team. What about this organization that
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: you noticed as a player and just from watching the
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: outside and now now being in it again. That makes
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: this organization so unique about the success that they are
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: able to have and finding the right guys.
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: I mean, I think it's pretty simple. I think it's
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: way they treat people. They being a part of organizations.
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: I mean they treat people. They don't treat people like
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: baseball players. They treat people like human beings. And that's
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: a big difference in this game. They care about you,
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: They they love you. They treat you the way you're
• 11:18
  Speaker 3: supposed to be treated. They care about families, and that
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: goes a long way because people only see the you know,
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: one hundred and sixty two games on the field, But
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: there's a lot more to baseball than that. I mean,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: there's life, and there's families, and there's it's hard.
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  Speaker 2: I mean it's hard.
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  Speaker 3: It's a hard game that we play because of the
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: time frame and the travel and everything you do. And
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: you know, the best, you play the best when you
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: feel the most comfortable. So the way they treat people
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: and the way they go about things, it's something that
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: you know, I think is at the top of the
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: list on why they're so successful with things, and then obviously.
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: The players they get. But it starts for me. It
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: starts with the way they treat people. Yeah.
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. And also Matt Arnold said when you were hired
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: about how just you you played many different roles in
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: your career. You mentioned earlier at bench Start, you know
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: different ways that you could impact the game. How much
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: does that help you when you're coming into a coaching
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: role to prepare players for any circumstances that they may
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: be in as a player.
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure.
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: I mean I think everybody, no matter what role you're in,
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: Like I said earlier, you have to get to know
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: him as a person, So you have to know what
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: makes them go, how they, you know, like to prepare.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: I was a guy that when I.
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: Was dhing or pinshitting like, I wanted to be in
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: the dugout the whole time.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: I wanted to be a part of a game. I
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: wanted to feel like I was a part of it.
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: But I've been with other veteran guys that you know,
• 12:42
  Speaker 3: they want to be in the cage getting ready for
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: their So I think it's just getting to know the
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: guy and how they like to prepare and what.
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: They like to do.
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: But definitely I think that you know, it's a mental
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: part of the game that hopefully I can help guys
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: out with.
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  Speaker 2: But I'm just excited to be a part of it.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: And I'm excited to be a part of a.
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: Group that is hungry and feel like they're you know,
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: maybe some come up just short a couple of years
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: that feel like.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: You know, ready to get over the hump. And I'm
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: just excited to be a part of it.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: And we're excited to have you back in Milwaukee. Daniel
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: volgel Blac. Really appreciate the time today and looking forward
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: to seeing you in Milwaukee throughout the season.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: I appreciate it. Thanks for having me