One more day of quotage coming for the League Division Series, then we’ll receive TBS’ notes and quotes from the American League Championship Series which begins Friday. Looking forward to it. So we have the quotes from last night’s Game 4 of Giants-Braves which finished the National League Division Series for this year.
Notes from MLB Postseason on TBS – October 11, 2010The MLB Postseason on TBS continues on Tue., October 12 beginning at 7:30 p.m. (ET) with TBS MLB on Deck followed by the Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays (Game #5) at 8 p.m. (ET). The night will conclude with the post-game show Inside MLB.
CLIP OF THE DAY***** ***** ***** ***** *****TBS MLB On-DeckMatt Winer (host), Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells (analysts)Wells on how he felt as a pitcher in an elimination game: “I was just happy to get there and when I got there, I was like, ‘oh boy.’ I didn’t know what to do. It snuck up on me big time and my nerves were rattling. There were no words to describe (how nervous I was). When you get the ball to go in (to the game), you think, ‘Am I going to be the hero or the goat.’ I better be the hero and have some positive thoughts. I was a wreck.”Eckersley on Atlanta Braves Game #4 starting pitcher Derek Lowe: “(Lowe is a guy) who has done it all. He’s been in a World Series with the Red Sox. He’s done everything in his career. He’s saved 40 games (in 2000) in a season. He’s thrown a no-hitter (in 2002). This guy wants it and he’s the guy you want on the mound.”Ripken on who the Phillies would rather play in the NLCS: “I don’t think (the Phillies) care (who they play in the NLCS). If I was them, I don’t think I’d want to face the Giants’ pitching staff.”Eckersley on which team is best equipped to face the Philadelphia Phillies starting pitching: “I think the Yankees are (best equipped) and they aren’t even there yet. I don’t think (the Phillies) have faced anyone offensively like (the Yankees) all year. Now that their pitching is in order in New York, I think New York would give them a better show. Meanwhile, New York has to get there.”***** ***** ***** ***** *****Game 1: San Francisco Giants (3) @ Atlanta Braves (2) – Giants win series 3-1, Advance to NLCSAnnouncers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Bob Brenly (analyst) with Tom Verducci reportingBrenly on Giants players talking to Braves infielder Brooks Conrad prior to Game #4 following his three errors in the previous game: “Players have all been there before. Maybe not on this stage, maybe not to the extent that Brooks Conrad has gone through in this Postseason but every player has had similar struggles at some point in their career and they all understand how much it means for even an opponent to come over, give them a pat on the back and tell them to hang in there.”TBS’ Stockton and Brenly interviewed Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens during the gameMuelins on how he has the Giants hitters approach Braves starting pitcher Derek Lowe: “Last time we faced (Lowe), we chased a lot of balls out of the (strike) zone. He has pitches that have a lot of movement late in the strike zone. We have to make sure we don’t commit too quick. Make sure the ball is up in the zone before we get a good swing at it.”Brenly on building up a pitchers pitch count: “Anytime a pitcher steps into the batter’s box and can force the opposing pitcher to throw six, seven, eight pitches…it’s been a good at bat.”Brenly on Braves rookie outfielder Jason Heyward’s speed: “Among many of his talents, (Jason) Heyward is a lot quicker than you realize for a big man.”Braves starting pitcher Derek Lowe on manager Bobby Cox: “Everyone says (Bobby Cox) is a player’s manager but he has your back more than any manager in the game. I know from a starting pitcher’s standpoint, he will do anything possible to get you that win and you have to respect that. He’ll try to let you get that at bat maybe when he should pull you. He’ll leave you in (the game) maybe longer than he should but he believes in the starting pitching and he’ll find a way to get out of it.”Brenly on Giant reliever Santiago Casilla: “When he’s commanding his curveball, it’s a really good pitch for him. When he’s not getting the curveball over, it’s all fastballs.”Brenly on the Braves giving the Giants a fight in the LDS: “The Atlanta Braves were one of the most undermanned teams going into the Postseason in years and yet they took the Giants right to the brink every night. What an exciting series.”SI.com and TBS reporter Tom Verducci interviewed Giants outfielder Cody Ross following the gameRoss on the Giants winning Game #4 in Atlanta: “I can’t say enough about our pitching. They keep us in it the whole time. We just have to score a few and we did tonight. It was a big win. To come in here and take two (games), it’s huge.”***** ***** ***** ***** *****Inside MLBWiner, Eckersley, Ripken and WellsRipken on the dramatic NLDS Giants/Braves series, with all four games decided by a single run: “It was fantastic. I just kept thinking about it. It was a nerve-wracking series because everything seemed so important. I played a series like that in 1997 versus the Indians where it felt like you were on the edge of your feet the entire time. It’s hard to play that way, it is exhausting.”Ripken on how the Braves errors cost them the series: “In a close, close series, all those opportunities matter. The errors really did cost Atlanta the series. You can’t make those mistakes and expect to win in a close series.”Ripken comparing Earl Weaver’s last game to Bobby Cox’s emotional last press conference as the Braves manager: “I don’t know why when you get to these moments you are looking back, they are happy moments in many ways and you are reflecting on them. Just saying he was proud of his guys is what got him. It just shows how much he cares and it shows how much everyone cares about him. It reminds me a little about when Earl (Weaver) said goodbye in 1982. We lost the last game of the season and the same sort of thing happened. Milwaukee was celebrating on the field and was going to the playoffs and everyone was clapping and standing up for Earl and that was a wonderful gesture. What a great gesture by San Francisco to stop their celebration to say “way to go, Bobby.” Again, he was pulling a tear out of me before he even broke.”Eckersley on the emotion of Bobby Cox’s impactful career: “I think there are a lot of delayed reactions to emotions. I think it kicks in way after. He knew he was going to leave but sometimes it doesn’t kick it until much further down the road when you are by yourself or in the car or whatever, a lot of crying kicks in. I know it did for me. I’m sure after that career it will be for him too.”Wells on the legacy Bobby Cox will leave with his players: “What a great mentor to a lot of people, he changed a lot of lives in the game of baseball. Most of all, he passed on a lot of knowledge to these guys. There are going to be some coaches that were players for Bobby that will take a lot of his brains and knowledge to the game. His legacy is going to live on for a long time.”Wells on being on a dominant Yankees team: “We felt like we couldn’t lose…But when you knew that your team was going to score 4 or 5 runs a game, how could you not?”Eckersley on the 2010 MLB playoffs being the year of the pitcher: “You see this year the dominant left-handed pitcher. The game has changed so much this year, it is all about pitching. You think it is going to be boring because it is pitching but look at what we just saw; we were on the edge of our seats for three nights in a row. I’m looking forward to this.”SI.com and TBS reporter Tom Verducci interviewed Braves manager Bobby Cox following the gameCox on the hard season for the Braves: “Coming down to the last ground ball or last at bat, they were off their glove. The guys did a great job. I can’t say enough about this club really. They played awful hard and worked really hard and deserved a little bit better. My hat is off to the Giants and I hope they continue with much success.”Cox on pitcher Derek Lowe running out of gas in the top of 7th inning: He had enough to beat (Pat) Burrell out, he really wanted him. But he thought he could strike him out or get a ground ball. Two pitches were really close. (Mitch) Moreland came in and got the ground ball that was just off (Alex) Gonzales glove. That’s the way we live here in the bullpen. The balls are either at him or just out of reach and that’s what happened tonight. Our bullpen really did a good job. They made the pitches to get the groundballs and they just got through.”Cox on the heartfelt standing ovation by the fans and the San Francisco Giants: “It was very touching. I love Bruce Bochy and I wish him good luck. It was a nice gesture by the fans and the Giants. I can’t say enough about that. The fans have been great here all these years. I’ve been very fortunate to be in the right place in the right time with a lot of great ball players.”Wells on Braves pitcher Derek Lowe pleading with Bobby Cox to stay on the mound: “You don’t see that very much. When a manager comes out you don’t see a guy begging and pleading to stay in the ball game. I know I did. You have to take your hats off to Derek Lowe. He was fighting for that opportunity. That shows pizzazz and veteran leadership on the part of Derek Lowe. Take your hats of to Derek Lowe for trying to stay in the game. You don’t see it anymore; guys don’t fight for the right to stay out there anymore.”
And we complete this post.
