	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MLB WORLD SERIES: CUBS VS INDIANS

October 31, 2016

Josh Tomlin

Cleveland, Ohio - Workout day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Josh.

Q. Josh, I think you've only pitched on three days' rest once before in your career. The fact that you threw less than 60 pitches in your last outing, how does that impact you tomorrow? Also, how has your preparation changed, if at all?
JOSH TOMLIN: The preparation on the field really doesn't change that much. You listen to your body a little bit more on days like today and days like the couple days leading up to it just because you know you don't have that bullpen day or that longer bullpen day. And you probably don't get in two lifts, but I think you just listen to your body. Do what you're capable of doing in the days leading up to this.

But I think that's the most important thing is just kind of -- the 58 pitches is, yeah, it's 58 pitches. So it's obviously a little better than throwing 100 or 110, but in this environment you're still get up and down four or five times and a little more stressful than a regular season start.

But the body's feeling good. Everything's feeling the same as it did last start, so hopefully that bodes well for me.

Q. I know professionally you're conditioned to treat every game the same. This game's not the same. There is a great opportunity here. Is it very difficult to separate the moment and the opportunity from the everyday function that you try to bring to your game?
JOSH TOMLIN: I know the atmosphere of this game is not the same, but it's still the same game. Between the lines it's still 60 foot, 6 inches. It's still 90 feet to first base. It's still baseball. In the grand scheme of things it's still the baseball game whenever the umpire says "Play ball!" So that's how you have to treat it.

I know it's a Game 6 and we have a chance of winning a World Series, but you still can't have that mindset of trying to go out there and win the game in the first inning. You have to go out there and take each pitch as it is and start living in that moment until Tito comes and gets the ball, and then see what happens.

Q. You've prepared to face the Cubs with National League rules in their ballpark. I wonder now that you've prepared to face them in your ballpark with them adding a DH, how different you view their lineup? How different it looks with that added bat?
JOSH TOMLIN: I mean, you're essentially taking out the worst hitter in the lineup and putting in one of the better hitters in the lineup. So it's definitely different. But you've got to know -- we'll figure out who is in the lineup tomorrow and we'll go with the game plan and try to execute pitches to him.

I understand that whenever the pitcher's in there, you probably have a situation where they're going to bunt. You can probably pitch around the guy in the 8th hole to try to get to him, but that's a little bit different now. But I've pitched in the American League all year long, so that's essentially been what we've done all year long.

So you just have to have the same mindset and go over the guys that have been in the lineup, and try to execute pitches and get them out.

Q. What did you take away from the last time you faced this lineup in terms of what you're hoping you can do again tomorrow?
JOSH TOMLIN: I think for me it's just about executing pitches. Kind of understanding the game plan going into it, but making in-game adjustments as the game kind of rolls on. I think the game kind of dictates what you do to certain guys in certain situations. It's about reading swings. If you pound a guy in a full at-bat and you start to see him kind of clear to get to that pitch, then you go away. To me you just play the game. The game will dictate kind of what you do.

So you will definitely have a game plan going into it of what we want to do. But if you start seeing guys make adjustments, then you have to make adjustments as well. So I think the game will dictate how we approach each hitter and each batter.

Q. You're the longest tenured guy on Cleveland's roster. You've seen it all here. What's it mean on a personal level to get the ball tomorrow night with a chance to close this out?
JOSH TOMLIN: I haven't really thought about it on a personal level. I think about it as an organizational level and a team level, and how honored and how hard we've worked to get to this point. It means a lot to not just to 25 guys that are in that locker room but the organization as a whole. There's been a lot of guys that have been here a long time and never got to experience anything like this. So for us to be able to experience this as an organization is very special to us, and it's something that we are humbled to be able to do.

We understand it's not just about getting here, it's about trying to win as well. There's nobody in that clubhouse that's complacent. It's not like we have a 3-2 lead, it's just going to happen. That's not the mindset we take at all. We have a game to play tomorrow, and we're going to try to go out there and try to win that game. If not, we'll come back the next day and try to win that day.

It's a huge privilege and an honor to be here. So we'll take it one step at a time and try to win this thing.

Q. Sort of piggybacking on that question. You have been here a long time and you've seen a lot. Francona just said how the organization's in a very healthy spot going forward. When you look around, what sort of encourages you about not just this year but the future of the organization? And what do you like about how the Indians have built this thing?
JOSH TOMLIN: I think you see it with the guys that come up and how they come up here and the guys that have been here throughout the course of the year and previous years before that, and how they just kind of welcome guys in, whether they've had a day in the Big Leagues or ten years in the Big Leagues. You get here and guys welcome you with open arms. I think it's easier for those young guys to play like that.

Ryan Merritt had a tough task ahead of him in Toronto, and he goes out there and he's himself. He goes out there and does what he's capable of doing and doesn't try to do anything more. I think that just tells you the kind of guys we have in this organization, especially the core group of guys that are going to be here for the years to come.

I think you talk about the younger guys that come up here. They're talented, but they also go well with the clubhouse and they handle their business the right way. I think Tito talked about, we don't have the highest payroll in the MLB, so you kind of have to find talent and develop that talent. And when it gets here, you get a good group of guys that are already here and could lead them along the way. That kind of helps build your future and helps you stay good for a long time.

Q. Going into your start tomorrow, how would you describe the type of bullpen you have behind you when you go into a start like that, that you know that they're back there for you?
JOSH TOMLIN: Good, I guess. I mean, those guys have done an unbelievable job throughout the course of the regular season and in the playoffs. You don't think about, oh, great, I've got four guys behind me that have been light's out. I'm just going to go out there and throw two innings and hopefully they'll come get the ball. You go out there with the mindset of going as deep as you can in the game. And whenever Tito walks out there to hand you the ball, you know you're in good hands whenever those guys come in.

I don't think you ever think about the fact of, you know what, I'm just going to go out there and try to throw two good innings and hopefully they take me out of the game. You go out there with the mindset of, I'm going to execute this pitch. And if the next pitcher comes and gets me, then he comes and gets me. But your mindset is to start the game and go as deep as you can until he comes and gets the ball.

Q. What do you remember from the Cavs' celebration here and how that was received by the city? And did you watch the parade at all?
JOSH TOMLIN: Yeah, I watched a little bit of the parade. We had a game that day, so I remember it was tough to get here. But other than that, the city was in full support of what they just accomplished, and they should be. What they accomplished was huge, and it was cool to watch. The support the city has given us all year long has been huge.

So it would be an honor for us to be able to have another parade here and to see that support that the Cavs got as well. But our main focus right now is to try to win this thing so we can have a parade.

Q. I'm not suggesting for a moment that these aren't the biggest games of your lives and your teammate's lives, but five games in a week deep into your World Series experience, is it a less imposing mountain to climb? I don't want to say routine, but is it less imposing physically and mentally?
JOSH TOMLIN: I don't think it is. I think the group that we have in there just faces every challenge as it is. We've done it all year long, so to be this deep in a World Series and it coming down to a Game 6 and possibly a Game 7, we just kind of take it as, it is what it is. We came to the ballpark today business as usual to get prepared for tomorrow.

Nobody's getting out of their routines because it's going to be November 1st tomorrow. It's just, okay, we have another game tomorrow, let's try to treat it as another game, go out there and play our style of baseball, not overthink it. And not try to do anything more than we're capable of doing. Just go out there and play our style of baseball. We understand it's good enough.

We're here for a reason, and we understand that. We have 25 guys and then a whole coaching staff and front office that's behind us and understand that we are good, and we don't have to do anything more than what we've been doing, and it should be good enough.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297