We have the quotes and notes from TBS’ coverage of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series between the Phillies and Dodgers. All “FISTED” references by Chip Caray have been washed out by Turner Sports.
Notes from the MLB Postseason on TBS – Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009TBS’s exclusive coverage of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) continues on Friday Oct. 16 beginning at 3:30 p.m. (ET) with TBS MLB on Deck followed by Game #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers at 4 p.m. (ET)
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TBS MLB on Deck
Ernie Johnson, Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells
Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw on the importance of his outings the last few weeks: “Every pitch the past couple of times has been increasingly more important…getting into the playoffs, against the Cardinals and obviously this game against the Phillies. So (I) just take it one game at a time and try to learn something from it and have fun with it.”
Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels on his approach to Game #1 of the NLCS: “It’s just being able to be able to go out there and relaxing and knowing you’ve done enough hard work and preparation that when you go out on the field all you have to do is execute. (It’s) not putting extra pressure knowing that the pitch has to be in a certain location at a certain time out there. Know the game plan and trust yourself.”
Eckersley on Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels’ first postseason outing against the Rockies: “(Hamels) hasn’t been himself this year and he’s got a chance to make up for it. He had a bad game against Colorado, but when you look back at that game, it was just really a hanging breaking ball against (Rockies’ Yorvit) Torrealba. (Otherwise), he pitched alright. He’s got two pitches, a fastball and a changeup, and he’s got to get his curveball over, he can’t just have two pitches. That’s what I saw in that game against Colorado, when he’s throwing the ball well he dominates. But we all know what he’s capable of doing from last year and the kind of postseason that he had. Can he duplicate it?”
Wells on Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels: “(Hamels) had a lot on his plate that day too, he had a newborn son. That plays in the back of your mind when your wife’s in labor and you don’t know if you’re going to get there. That could have a tendency to do it. But he’s a big game pitcher. If he shows up like he did last year, I think Cole Hamels has nothing to worry about. He can’t put added pressure on himself, that’s key for anybody who goes out there and pitches. If you don’t put that added pressure, you’re as loose as a goose. Go out and have some fun, dude.”
Wells on Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez getting back to good hitting form during the postseason: “Manny (Ramirez) had a rough time this year, suspended for 50 games. He’s come back, he hasn’t been the Manny of late, but now he’s starting to warm up a little bit. I was wondering if he was going to show up and be a part of that team. He has shown signs of greatness his last couple games, He’s had good at-bats..if they come after him and he hits his pitch, look out Philadelphia.”
Eckersley on Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez in last year’s postseason compared to this year: “The kind of Manny (Ramirez) that Manny was last year was ridiculous, everyone was scared of him. You saw the film, they threw behind him. No one is going to be throwing balls behind Manny, but the last game out against St. Louis he had three hits and you’re saying, ‘uh oh, is Manny coming?.’ This team could be a totally different offensive team if Manny shows up.”
Wells on the impression that Phillies pitcher Chad Billingsley threw at Dodgers hitter Manny Ramirez during the 2008 postseason: “Manny (Ramirez) can’t worry about that. In this situation right now no one is going to be throwing at him this time. He’s got some back-up behind him, his guys are starting to hit around him. When you have a (pitcher) with the mentality who likes to go out and drill guys, you want him on your team to be honest. But are you going to go out and have a brawl? Then that can make confusion for everybody.”
Ripken: “I don’t think anybody is going to go buzzing at anyone else. No one is going to go at (Ramirez). But you certainly have to pitch inside, you can’t let the hitters lay out over the plate. You’ve got to use both side of the plate. Sometimes it gets blown out of proportion when the ball goes behind. I don’t think (Billingsley) did it on purpose, but it does send a message.”
Ripken on Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and pitcher CC Sabathia needing to forget their previous postseason shortcomings: “In order to put the postseason blues behind you, you have to focus on what you did in the last game. A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) seems to have put that behind him and I think CC (Sabathia) will do the same thing. Down the stretch if you’re worn down like (Sabathia) was last year in Milwaukee and you’re on fumes going into the playoffs….he’s not going on fumes right now. It’s a no brainer to bring him back three times in my opinion.”
Wells on the strategy for the Yankees and Angels in the ALCS: “That’s what you have to worry about, that big hit (from the Yankees). If you make a mistake up in the zone, if you get the ball up, the ball flies. (The Yankees) have some great hitters and they are very patient up at the plate and they know how to handle the bat. For a pitcher of (Angels pitcher John) Lackey’s stature, he’s a number one starter, no question about it. He’s got to go out there and make sure he’s ready and he’s prepared. Keep the ball down, especially in that new Yankees Stadium. It can put a damper on anybody. (In) cold weather, make sure you get a feel for it, blow on your hands, get some good friction on the ball, and just make your pitches down and that’s your bottom line for anything.”
Ripken on the Yankees hitters: “Every pitcher has to worry about the big ball (home run) when they face the Yankees. It might just be two guys in the series like A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) and (Derek) Jeter that did most of the damage or it could be two different guys. That big ball can loom all the time. It can take your aggressiveness away from you as a pitcher.”
Eckersley on the Angels and Yankees’ strengths: “Vlad (Vladimir Guerrera), he’s kind of laying in the weeds. He can get to anything, and if you throw him strikes, he can make it happen. He wants to make up for the kind of year he hasn’t had either. Once again it will come down to pitching. Their (the Angels) bullpen scares me; the big difference is the Yankees have a better bullpen and they’ve got ‘Mo Man’ (Mariano Rivera) at the end.”
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NLCS Game #1: Philadelphia Phillies (8) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (6) – The Phillies lead the series (1-0)
Announcers: Chip Caray, Ron Darling and Buck Martinez with Craig Sager reporting
Martinez on Phillies catcher Shane Victorino’s reaction after being picked off at first base in the first inning: “If you don’t think there’s some emotion between these two ball clubs, it starts in the first inning.”
Martinez on Dodgers hitter Manny Ramirez’ recent struggles at the plate: “Manny (Ramirez) is going to have to show the Phillies that he can hit that inside fastball. He’s been late on it the second half of the season. He’s been trying to get comfortable. Don Mattingly has worked long and hard with Manny, throwing him soft toss, hitting him off the tee, but he’s not been comfortable and he’s not using his hands to get to that inside pitch.”
Darling on Dodgers manager Joe Torre’s advice for struggling hitter Manny Ramirez: “We talked to (Dodgers manager) Joe Torre and he was saying Manny (Ramirez) is just trying to get too big, trying to hit homeruns. (Torre’s) key is to always try to hit line drives. If he hits line drives they will turn into homeruns as they go.”
Darling on Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels pitching well in Dodgers Stadium: “Every Southern California kid’s dream is to be out here on this mound in Dodgers stadium. Cole Hamels is from San Diego and has always pitched well here.”
TBS’s Caray, Darling and Martinez spoke to Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee during the game.
Dubee on Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels’ start to the game: “(Hamels) has got pretty good velocity, his arm is fresh, he’s had some extra days off which is always good this time of year. He just missed a bad spot with (James) Loney there (who hit a homerun), but composure-wise and arm-wise he’s doing fine.”
TBS’s Caray, Darling and Martinez spoke to Dodgers manager Joe Torre during the game.
Torre on why he decided to start Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in Game #1 of the NLCS: “You never know what a 21-year-old is going to do, although I had a pretty good idea after what’s happened here the last week. (Kershaw) threw a lot of strikes; to me, I thought that was good indication that he had a good focus on the game, even though there were a lot of distractions around him. It looks like he’s down to business.”
Torre on Dodgers first baseman James Loney: “(Loney) is as cool as ice. I put him in the class with Bernie Williams personality-wise and you know what a favorite he was of mine. James is not bothered by anything. He was a little disturbed by how tough it was for him for about a three week period, but when he gets out and plays the game he’s about as relaxed as anybody.”
Torre on the impact of missing Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez for 50 games during the season: “The night that Manny (Ramirez) missed his first game we scored six runs in the first inning against Washington; unfortunately we lost the game. (The team) had a pretty good sense of who they were from Spring Training because we didn’t know if (Ramirez) was coming. Then at the start of the season we really didn’t play around Manny, we played with Manny. Everybody seemed to be good on their own.”
Darling on Phillies manager Charles Manuel facing adversity this season due to his bullpen: “In some ways I think Charlie Manuel did a better job of managing this season than he did last season, when everything went almost perfectly in the bullpen; certainly it didn’t this season.”
Martinez on Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz three-run homerun: “Charlie Manuel, the manger, thinks like a hitter. He said 2-0, turn him loose, I’ve got a pitcher on deck.”
Darling on Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels not throwing a change-up called for by the catcher: “When you’re out there and you’ve given up a couple of homeruns, you start to doubt yourself and what to throw.”
Martinez: “When you throw a good change-up and it gets knocked out of the park for a two-run homerun you become reluctant to throw it. Often times you hear a pitcher say, ‘I made a mistake on the pitch;’ (Hamels) didn’t make a mistake on it, he made a mistake with the selection. He had been beating Manny (Ramirez) all night long with the fastball.”
Darling on the delay by the Dodgers to send pinch runner Randy Wolf out in place of Jim Thome: “I personally don’t think the umpire should allow this delay. You don’t have players ready, the play has to continue. I’m surprised that Charlie Manuel didn’t come out and have a talk with (crew chief) Randy Marsh to try to quicken up that decision by Joe Torre and the Dodgers.”
Martinez on the Dodgers going through their batting order quickly: “As a manager you look over at the on-deck circle and say, ‘is he (Manny Ramirez) up again? Are all nine guys hitting because it seems like every time I look over there Manny’s on deck.’”
Darling on the intensity of the eighth inning with the Dodgers rallying: “Charlie Manuel might be the only one whose heart rate hasn’t gone up. He’s been watching this all season long.”
Martinez on the unpredictability of a bullpen from year to year: “It’s the most unpredictable aspect of a team from year to year…Last year the Phillies’ bullpen was nearly perfect, especially the closer. But probably because you have rely on them so much during a championship season, the next year they don’t bounce back.”
Phillies closer Brad Lidge on manger Charlie Manuel continuing to believe in him during the regular season after blown saves: “He (Charlie Manuel) is letting me know every time, ‘hey I still believe in you, you’re still my guy.’ He knew I was battling some injuries and battling some mechanical things, and I think he really believed, as I did, that I was going to get back, so he kept going with me and I’m trying to reward him for his belief in me.”
Darling on the approach of Phillies closer Brad Lidge: “There’s really no secret to Brad Lidge when he’s pitching well. He’s aggressive in the strike zone early in the count and then he has an unhittable pitch late in the count.”
TBS’s Craig Sager interviewed Phillies closer Brad Lidge and outfielder Raul Ibanez after the Phillies defeated the Dodgers in Game #1 of the NLCS.
Lidge on closing out the game in the ninth inning against the Dodgers: “They’re never easy, that’s for sure. The Dodgers have a great team, they’ve come from behind a lot this year, so you’ve got to take every guy serious and give every guy your best.”
Lidge on whether he was nervous coming into Game #1 “You know honestly I’m really not (nervous). For some reason this postseason I’ve felt really locked in, maybe it’s a focus thing, maybe it’s also the fact that I’ve felt really good mechanically and physically. But either way, I feel really comfortable out there, I feel like myself and I know I can make pitches to get the job done.”
Ibanez on getting a win in Game #1: “It’s unbelievable playing with these guys, we’ve got a great team. Of course (the Dodgers are a) tough opponent, but it was unbelievable, a lot of energy in the stands and a lot of fun.”
Ibanez on having closer Brad Lidge close out the game: “We have the utmost confidence in (closer) Brad Lidge. He’s a dominate closer, he’s been throwing the ball really well for us lately and we have the utmost confidence in him and of course we got the big double play there.”
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Inside MLB
Johnson, Ripken, Eckersley and Wells
Wells on the ideal bullpen pitcher to bail out Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw in the top of the fifth inning when he was in trouble: “You know who was key? Jeff Weaver. He was out wit
h flu-like symptoms, but that was the perfect situation for Jeff Weaver to come in.”TBS field reporter Tom Verducci interviewed Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Jeter on playing the Angels in the ALCS: “(The Angels) have a great team. That’s the bottom line – they hit, they pitch, they play defense, they run, they have a great manager, they do all the little things, they don’t strike out. You can’t say enough good things about them.”
Wells on Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia slated for three starts in the ALCS: “When you’ve got a good workhorse you ride that sucker. That’s what you’ve got to do with CC (Sabathia), he’s proven he’s got endurance, he goes out there and he makes things happen, he keeping throwing inning after inning and battling and he’s not afraid to challenge guys. That’s key for a starting pitcher, he’s got a good fastball and good off-speed stuff. When he has to he’ll come in and he’ll be very aggressive inside and that’s key to good starting pitching.”
Eckersley on being in the same situation as Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf who was called into the game to pinch run for Jim Thome and was not prepared: “You know (Jim) Thome’s going to need a pinch runner and (Dodgers manager Joe) Torre’s looking for someone, he’s looking for a pitcher he can waste. Meanwhile (Randy) Wolf doesn’t have his spikes on. I’ve been there before, you’re not waiting to pinch run, are you kidding me? For me it happened a long time ago, I was with the Cubs and I had pitched the day before and I wasn’t feeling all that well because I didn’t win that game and I wasn’t real happy. The next day, it’s a day game and I’m sitting in the dugout hanging out and the next thing you know (Rick) Sutcliffe hits a ground ball and pulls a hammy. The next thing you know, ‘hey, Eck get in there and run.’ I have no spikes on, I get on first base, the first guy up hits a gapper and I’m running around second and third going ‘why am I even here?’ I slide into home like I’m a player. You never know in this game when they might go to the bench.”
Ripken on the shoe wear of the players in Game #2 of the NLCS: “I guarantee one thing, everyone will have their metal cleats on in the dugout.”
That’s it. Megalinks are next.
