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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GIANTS v CARDINALSOctober 15, 2014Madison BumgarnerSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Game Four THE MODERATOR: Questions for Madison. Q. When we ask you what you're thinking on the mound, you say, I'm thinking about making pitches. And I understand what you mean. So my question is this: When you are thinking about making pitches, are you determined to make your pitch, dead sure you're going to make your pitch or hoping to make your pitch? MADISON BUMGARNER: Well, depends on how you're feeling, really. I mean, some days, some days you're hoping and some days you know you're going to. You don't go out there with the same stuff every time. So, you know, that's the reality of it. But you know, this time of year, it's nice to know that hopefully you go out there and you know you're going to make your pitches. Q. Has that state of mind evolved like when you were in high school where you were hoping and now are you certain more? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, when you're in high school, you know, it don't really matter. You're just trying to throw strikes. It's a completely different game. You know you don't have to make pitches at that level. This is best hitters in the world. So you have to make pitches. Sometimes you're going to make pitches and you're going to get hit. There's no way around it. Q. You guys added Hudson middle of the year, Peavy middle of the year. How well have you gotten to know those guys? Peavy said he's gotten to know you pretty well, maybe it's a southern thing. Is there a bond between you guys and what do you think it is? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, just being teammates, and I feel like we've got a good relationship with everyone in there, not necessarily just those guys, although we do have a good relationship. For whatever reason, we just hit it off. We got a lot in common, think the same ways about a lot of things. That's it, really. Q. What examples can you point to with Ryan Vogelsong and the way he's been able to shine in October, regardless of how his regular season has gone, ups, downs? MADISON BUMGARNER: I think probably his life story has a lot to do with it. Just the roads that he's been down and the adversity that he's faced. He's definitely not scared to go out there and pitch in the big game. You know, he wants to win as bad as anybody I've ever seen. So he's going to make sure that he has his A‑Game when he goes out there. Q. Of course we don't know what's going to happen today, but tomorrow's game, you're going to be pitching in a very special situation, either to clinch for the Giants or either to put them ahead. Can you talk about this range of emotions and looking forward to the start? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, I know it's a boring answer, but I don't really think about any of that. Like I said before, you start thinking about all this other stuff and then pretty soon you forget what you're going out there to do. You know, I just focus on pitching and making pitches, whether it's an elimination game or a game that you can clinch.  You know, for me, I have to take the same mindset out there no matter what it is. Q. The numbers we've seen on the field say that you've been the best pitcher of anybody in the post‑season. Does that register with you? And does it matter at this point, at this juncture? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, that's an awfully big compliment, but no, I don't think about any of that. I'm just here with the guys trying to win games. Q. Some of your teammates say you're really precise about your mechanics. Specifically, what are you looking for? And a lot of pitchers when they prepare, they like to find a comp. Is there a left‑handed pitcher you like to watch to see how hitters react? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, as different as my mechanics are, I still find a lot of stuff that other people do the same. It might look a little different, but in reality, you're doing the same thing. Not really anybody in particular. There's a lot of guys, you know, that pick their delivery really well and you just try to watch them and see if you can pick up on anything. But really, you've got to learn it yourself and learn your keys. Just because‑‑ someone can throw just like me, but we're going to perceive the checkpoints differently just because of the way your mind works. Q. The postseason has a way of spotlighting players who don't get a lot of recognition during the season. Can you share your thoughts from you and your teammates watching the contributions from Ishikawa and Perez and see them get some recognition? MADISON BUMGARNER: Yeah, you know what, everyone in our clubhouse knows how good they are. And we get to see them play a lot. For whatever reason, they don't get a whole lot of recognition, like you said. But they are showing right now why they should. We obviously know how good Ishikawa was. He was here in 2010, and he's really good on defense and takes his job very seriously and he can swing the bat, too. Q. Being part of the pitching fraternity, was there any part of you yesterday, after what happened to you in the Division Series, is there any part of you that felt for Randy Choate after he made that throw past first base? And the second part of the question is: Do you itch to get on the mound more after a loss, especially after something like that? MADISON BUMGARNER: To the first part, you know, that's a heck of a way to win a ballgame on our side. It's a heck of a way to lose a game on their side. I'm not here to feel sorry for the other team. We're here to win games however we can get it done. It's no fun being in his shoes, but everyone knows how good he is and I don't think anyone's going to question that. The second part, you may have to remind me what the question was. Q. Do you itch to get on the mound more when you lose? MADISON BUMGARNER: Yeah. The four days in between, it seems awfully long waiting to get back out there, you know. After you've had a bad one, you do want to get back out there and get it switched around and get going on the right track. Q. Is there a point in your development where you felt maybe a series of starts, a time frame where you felt it all coming together, your mental approach, your ability to make pitches? MADISON BUMGARNER: I feel like I'm still developing. I don't feel like I've hit a plateau. I feel like there's a lot of places to improve and be more consistent. And no, it's not really a four‑ or five‑start span. Things just keep coming and keep getting simpler for you. So, you know, if you just keep working and keep trying to learn, it's going to keep getting better. Q. It happens occasionally in the regular season, but not very often, where you face the same team in consecutive starts. You had a lot of success against them Saturday night. Do you feel you have to change your approach because they have seen you so recently or do you still go out the same way? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, you've just got to go out there and make pitches and make adjustments. If they force you to make adjustments, you have to be able to do it. If they make adjustments and you can't, you're going to be in trouble. So you have to be able to change your game plan up if you need to, and if you don't, then there's no reason to. Q. Particularly when you're pitching in high‑pressure games, how much easier does it make it to have Posey calling the pitches? What is the difference that he makes and how different is he from any other catcher that you might have had? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, it's just nice because we have a good relationship, and we're always on the same page. That's the biggest thing for me, is having a relationship with your guy and knowing what each other wants to do. You know, I mean, from day one, he's been one of the best. He might not have got recognized for it from day one, but it wasn't long after that. You know, certainly it's an honor to get to play with him and get to be a part of these postseason runs. Q. I know it's hard to do, but if you could pick one thing that Buster does that stands above the other ones, what would it be for you? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know, it's just the way he handles the spotlight and the way he handles himself on an everyday basis. He's always the same. He don't let anything, you know, change him. Q. Tim Flannery said last night, This team doesn't necessarily need hits to win games. I know that's sort of a unique quality about this group, to find whacky ways to do it. What are your thoughts on that, and maybe anything you want to elaborate? MADISON BUMGARNER: You know what, the postseason is about winning games. So, you know, it's not about hitting a three‑run homer to win a game or throwing a shutout. It's about how you can win games. So however we can find a way to do it, we'll take it, and that's what we've been doing. Q. Bochy mentioned after the last series that you were bugging him all through Game4, You've got Harper, you've got LaRoche. How much of it is in your mind, just get me out there for a game like that, that it happened yesterday‑‑ if this series keeps going, can you imagine saying, Get me into 6 and 7? MADISON BUMGARNER: No, I was just saying that I was ready. If we used our lefties, we didn't want to have to take it to Game5 in this series. If we needed a lefty, I was available. That was it. Q. After you won Game 1 in the series, somebody asked Buster if he needed to get into your head for something, could he, and he said, "Oh, yeah, I could get into Madison's head if I have to." Can he, and how? MADISON BUMGARNER: Yeah, he could. He's one of the few guys that he can say something and it will just get under my skin. But I try not to let him know that too much, but he sure can (smiling). Q. Following up on Tim, Bruce said that you were driving him batty almost, saying you were available. MADISON BUMGARNER: I mean, if saying it twice is driving him batty, then I drove him batty (Laughter). Q. Twice, okay, it's not like you were jumping around‑‑ MADISON BUMGARNER: No. (Laughter). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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