I want to thank the people at Turner Sports for sending the MLB Postseason quotage and it’s been much appreciated. I said it before and I’ll say it again, the Turner Sports PR department is one of the best I’ve dealt with. Requests are met. Questions are answered and releases are sent rather efficiently. Not that the other sports TV PR departments are worse, but I’m lovin’ the Turner Sports people. Maybe it’s because they’re based in the South and they have a different attitude than us in the Northeast, I don’t know, but they’re tremendous.
Ok, let’s give you the final MLB Postseason quotes and notes press release. Coming up next from the Turner people will be the NBA quotage and I’ll be posting that throughout the season.
Here’s the press release.
Notes from MLB Postseason on TBS – ALCS Game #6 – October 22, 2010***** ***** ***** ***** *****TBS MLB On-DeckMatt Winer (host), Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells (analysts) from Yankee StadiumRipken on Texas Rangers Game #6 starting pitcher Colby Lewis: “I like Colby (Lewis). He’s a strikeout guy. He can get out of trouble with the strikeout.”Eckersley on the possibility of New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia appearing in relief during Game #6: “I don’t like it at all. It’s not that easy to do and he’s never done it before and he’s obviously never done it in the Postseason. But for him to go out there, tell me what scenario would take place? Maybe in extra innings, but I can’t see a left-handed match-up in the sixth or seventh inning.”Wells: “I don’t think it matters. You have to go right now, this is a do or die situation. If they are behind and they need a guy in that spot. He’s a guy that’s proven in playoff scenarios. I think it would be great and it doesn’t matter what part of the (game) you put him in.”TBS’ reporter Craig Sager interviewed Yankees first baseman Lance Berkman prior to the gameBerkman on the adjustment of coming to the Yankees mid-season: “It was an adjustment just going to a new team. I had been in Houston for eleven years and didn’t know any other organization. Regardless of where I ended up, it was going to be an adjustment. So it took me a little bit to get comfortable but they made me feel like part of the team. Those guys have been together since spring training and they’ve played four months (together). I came in and felt like an interloper so it took a little bit but I feel comfortable now.”Berkman on the Yankees confidence going into Game #6: “We feel like we have a great team. When you go down 3-1 (in a series), it’s not where you want to be. We won Game #5 and now we’re going to try to win Game #6 and see what happens tomorrow night. I think we feel pretty good. We like our team and feel like we can win two games in a row.”Ripken on Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez trying to turn his game around: “It’s interesting that A-Rod has gone under the radar (in the ALCS). If it wasn’t for last year’s Postseason when he popped out, everyone would be all over him. He’s swinging the bat better, he’s getting some good swings, I like to say that he’s taking some good takes. You can see that he’s tracking the ball better.”***** ***** ***** ***** *****Game #6: New York Yankees (1) @ Texas Rangers (6) – Rangers win the series 4-2 and advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise historyAnnouncers: Ernie Johnson (play-by-play), Ron Darling (analyst) and John Smoltz (analyst) with Craig Sager reportingSmoltz on what pitchers are concerned about when playing in wet conditions: “As long as you know your footing is fine, you just try to get a grip on the baseball. Typically, you’re going to go through a lot of baseballs in a game but you really want to know that your feet are firm on that foundation when you drive (off your back leg).”Darling on Rangers outfielder Mitch Moreland: “This young man really has an idea when he goes up there what he wants to do with his at bat. (He) works the count and can foul off tough pitches.”Smoltz on how managers utilize a short leash with their starting pitchers in the Postseason: “One thing that stinks in this game for a starting pitcher is you’re not going to be given much opportunity at all. If you don’t show your manager or pitching coach that you absolutely have what it takes to pitch five, six, seven innings, he’s only going to go on what he sees.”Darling on how Phil Hughes’ regular season stats don’t matter in the Postseason: “’Used-to-be’s’ don’t count in this game.18 (regular season) wins don’t matter now.”Darling on why lead-off hitters might struggle with sacrifice bunts: “One of the things that happens for lead-off hitters who are very fast (is) they spend all of their time trying to lay down bunts for base hits. Sometimes it’s hard for them to stay in the (batters) box, not move their body and totally sacrifice themselves to move the runner up.”Smoltz on everything going the Rangers way in their four-run 5th inning: “You never know what is going to lead to a big inning. A harmless infield hit (the by Rangers). All the strategy was right (by the Yankees), walk the MVP-type guy (Josh Hamilton), pitching to Vladdy (Vladimir Guerrero) and it came down to one pitch hanging over the middle of the zone and the Rangers took advantage of it (with a Nelson Cruz home run).”Smoltz on what a pitcher’s mentality is when they have the lead in a big game: “You keep telling yourself that you know you’re not going to pitch long into the game. You want to keep getting outs. It’s so important to grind on every pitch because this is where you want to be. This is the position you want to be in.”Darling on the NLCS between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants: “(The NLCS) was exactly what we thought it would be, a real pitching-rich series. (Giants catcher) Buster Posey has been outstanding. (Giants outfielder) Cody Ross has had the series for ages. It’ll be interesting to see (the series) go back to Philadelphia (for Games #6 and #7), they have one of the more unique home field advantages in baseball.”Darling on Rangers catcher Bengie Molina: “We can never forget when the games are this well-pitched in the Postseason; Bengie Molina has to get a lot of the credit also.”Smoltz on what it feels like in the dugout when a team is close to winning a big Postseason game: “It’s indescribable because you want to be in the situation but it’s almost surreal and you can’t believe it. Then you want it to go faster than it does.”TBS reporter Craig Sager interviewed Rangers Game #6 winning pitcher Colby Lewis and second baseman Michael YoungLewis on his Game #6 performance: “I got a little over-amped in the eigtth (inning) when (the crowd) was chanting my name but it was really, really cool and these guys stepped up big for me tonight. It’s just one of those deals where I’m speechless. I never thought I’d be in this position and I’ve very grateful to for the guys out here who put in this situation.”Young on the Rangers going to the World Series: “This is an incredible feeling. These fans have waited longer than we have and I know how badly we wanted it so I can only imagine how they feel. We’re all in. Part three is done…we’re ready for part four.”***** ***** ***** ***** *****Inside MLBWiner, Eckersley, Ripken and Wells from Yankee StadiumRipken on the Rangers outplaying the Yankees in the ALCS: “(The Rangers) absolutely outplayed the Yankees. We can make a big deal whether (the Yankees) were rusty or not, or they weren’t swinging or not. But the Rangers hit better, they pitched better, they made things happen on the bases and they just played better than the Yankees.”TBS reporter Craig Sager interviewed Yankees manager Joe Girardi following the gameGirardi on Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis: “(Lewis) knows how to pitch. He knows how to throw off-speed pitches behind in the count and he can locate his fastball extremely well. He did it to us twice, last weekend and tonight.”Girardi on how the Rangers beat the Yankees in the ALCS: “They shut us down and made pitches when they had to. The opportunities we did have, we didn’t get hits with runners in scoring position. That was probably the difference in the series. They pitched better than we did and they hit better than we did.”TBS reporter Craig Sager interviewed Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz following the gameCruz on winning the ALCS: “It’s amazing. It’s one of those moments when you don’t feel anything. I don’t think I slept last night. I was so happy to be a part of this and come here and play. When I came to the ballpark I said I’d play on one leg.”Eckersley on Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz: “Everytime (Cruz) takes a swing, I think he’s going to go ‘bridge’ (hit a home run).”Eckersley on the Yankees upcoming off-season: “It’s simple to me…all you need is Cliff Lee. That solves all the problems, does it not? They’re going to give (potential free agent Derek) Jeter whatever he wants. They’re going to give (potential free agent Mariano) Riveria what he wants. Does (Andy) Pettitte want to pitch anymore? If they want, they can probably go out and spend some more iron (money) and get (potential free agent Jayson) Werth to play right field or do they want (potential free agent Carl) Crawford? We’ll find out but they’ve got the iron to spend.”Wells on the possibility of the Yankees adding potential free agent pitcher Cliff Lee in the offseason: “(The Yankees) have a good enough team there and yes, Cliff Lee would be a great addition but I think (every team in) Major League Baseball wants Cliff Lee at this point in time.”
That concludes this post.
