Turner Sports has sent quotage from its MLB on Deck preame show today. Host Matt Winer, along with analysts Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells all took part.
Notes from TBS MLB on Deck – September 26, 2010“Sunday MLB on TBS” concludes on Sunday, Oct. 3, with a game to be announced proceeded by a special 30-minute edition of MLB on Deck. The network’s exclusive coverage of MLB’s Division Series will get underway on Wednesday, Oct. 6.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****TBS MLB on DeckMatt Winer, Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David WellsRipken on competing in a pennant race: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year when you’re playing for (a pennant). If you’re in the pennant race and you’re one of the teams that are vying for a championship, there’s no better time to play. In fact, in some ways, I think it might be more exciting down the stretch than actually getting into the playoffs.”Wells on how playing in a pennant race helps young players in the Postseason: “It helps the young guys out because they get ‘pennant fever’ before ‘pennant fever.’ I think that when you get the opportunity to play in tight races down the stretch and you do make it in there, then it gives them a little more encouragement and they know what the vibe is like and they aren’t going to crack under pressure.”The TBS MLB studio crew discussed who they think is going to win the National League WestWells (San Diego Padres): “I’m picking San Diego just for the fact that they’ve got an unbelievable bullpen. I’ve been watching these guys all year and I never would have thought they would be in this situation. When they were in this position after the All-Star Break, I thought they would grind it out and win the division easily. But obviously, they didn’t. They got tight booties really quick over there and now they are starting to figure it out and their bullpen is fantastic.”Ripken (San Francisco Giants): “I like the Rockies magic and it’s almost unexplainable at times. But (the NL West is) between the Padres and the Giants right now. Although the Phillies get credit for their ‘Big Three’ with (Roy) Halladay, (Roy) Oswalt and (Cole) Hamels, the Giants have (Tim) Lincecum, (Matt) Cain and (Jonathan) Sanchez. I think they are ultimately going to be the difference.”Eckersley (San Francisco Giants): “(Tim) Lincecum has really got it going on. He had a little hiccup in August but he’s back to being the same guy (he was before). They’ve got (Matt) Cain, (Jonathan) Sanchez and (closer Brian) Wilson. Hopefully (Wilson) got that out of his system with a blown save (on September 25) because there’s no time to blow a save in the final week of the season. If they don’t win it, it’ll be their own fault because they’ll be playing right in front of the team they are trying to beat (Padres in the final series of the year).”Eckersley on if it’s more important to the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League East: “(Winning the division is probably more important to) the Rays because they’ve been around a long time and for them to win the division would say a lot. But for the Yankees, I know they’d like to win this thing because they are so used to it and they play so well at home. But they’ve got a lot of problems with the pitching staff because they don’t know who is going to follow (CC) Sabathia (in the rotation). They are hoping that (Andy) Pettitte can come around in the next couple of starts and be ready. They are in trouble if they win (the AL East) or not or if they have home field (advantage) or not.”Wells on the Cincinnati Reds: “In order for (the Reds) to get into the next round, they have to start hitting good pitching. They haven’t done anything against (good pitching) and they have a losing record against all the teams they could be playing in the playoffs. They have to figure out a way to beat these guys. Joey Votto has carried the team all season long. They’ve got a good, young core that finds a way to win. They’ve got a whole team that gels and that’s what you need.”Ripken on pitcher Cliff Lee’s affect on the Rangers “I don’t think the Rangers are going to be the favorite but they have the Cliff Lee factor. He can have a big impact on two of the games (in the LDS).”Eckersley on the Phillies being the team to beat in the National League: “How can you not pick the Phillies? That’s the scary part about this thing is when people think that there’s no doubt that you’re going to get there. They’ve been to the World Series the last two seasons and this should be the third time.”
Thanks to the fine people at Turner Sports for the quotage today.
