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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROSOctober 16, 2017Todd FrazierAaron JudgeNew York, New York- postgame 3 New York - 8, Houston - 1 Q. Todd, did you think the ball was going out when you swung it? TODD FRAZIER: No, I knew I hit it hard, but the wind was going a little crazy so I didn't really know. I knew I was over his head for sure. But luckily it just got me home. Q. Todd, when you hit the home run tonight, talk about how you felt when all your fans were there, what did it mean to you? TODD FRAZIER: It meant everything. It was nice kind of pointing to a couple of them up in the stands as I ran the base. Felt pretty good. I got a lot of text messages and emails and phone calls right now. It's very exciting. We knew we needed this one, and I'm glad I can kick-start us in the second inning and get us up 3-0. It's a big lead for CC and he cruised from there. Q. It looks like you came in here immediately and blended right in. Why was it so easy? TODD FRAZIER: It's a good question. One, close to home, it's one of those things I felt comfortable right away. An hour away from where I stay in the offseason. Guys like Judge, makes you feel comfortable. I feel like this guy has been here ten years-plus. He's humble as all heck. We've got a good group of guys, starting with CC, all the way to Brett Gardner, and the young guys. We hang out all the time. And for me, I just came in being myself. And that's how I got comfortable with the team. Q. Todd, you played some guys with the Reds in the playoffs, that was four years ago. What's this run been like for you, how fun, how different is it? TODD FRAZIER: It's ten times different. Different for me because I was a bench guy coming in with Cincinnati. Atmosphere is great, but there's nothing like here in New York. And I knew we try to get that one win and it would have been great if we did. But playing at home, it's kind of like an advantage as it is. The fans are great. And this is where you want to be. If you don't want to play in this kind of situation, you don't play this sport. Every baseball player's dream. You saw the Bernie Williams coming in and throwing the first pitch. You see the memories he did. It's time to step up. And that's basically what you play this game for is to play in games like this and see what you're made of. And we're ready for it. Q. Todd, did you think back at all either today or during the playoffs of coming here as a fan in '95 and watching it? TODD FRAZIER: All the time. I was telling -- I forget, I think it was Tony, man, I'm going to have goosebumps this whole game, because it was cold and you see the old stuff and the nostalgia here. It's unbelievable, to be honest with you. It's such a cool feeling, I wish everybody could feel basically what I'm going through. And it's something we don't want it to end. We said last time when we're playing down 2-0, we don't want this to end. We've got to get the momentum going. Getting the home run was huge. Q. The first swing, what was your mindset on the big cut? AARON JUDGE: With him he's got a good cutter and curveball. I was trying to see a cutter up in the zone. I think the bases were loaded before that and then wild pitch and we scored. But, yeah, just try to get a pitch up and do some damage. Q. Was there any similarity for you to the home run that you hit with the Reds when you had the bat fly out of your hands? TODD FRAZIER: No, because the bat was still in my hands. I was out in front of that one, too, as well. But, no, this is the first one I had, and I've been thinking about it a lot, trying not to necessarily get out of the way, but get it going a little bit. I know I have the power to do that. And it was just one of those things where it hit, and you don't think it's going, just because how unorthodox the swing was. Throwing that hard, guys throw really hard now. All you have to do is square it up in the right fashion and that's what I did. Q. Aaron, just what your impression is of CC, what he's able to do. They're constantly swinging over his slider, just give us your perspective. AARON JUDGE: Of CC? He attacks hitters. He attacks the zone. Puts it where he wants to. He's not the same he was years ago. He's working the corners well, working speeds, keeping guys off balance. When you have a guy out there doing that, it's fun to play behind. He keeps you in the game, he has a lot of energy. You want to make a play for him. Q. (INAUDIBLE)? AARON JUDGE: I don't know. I haven't faced CC before, I have no idea what they're trying to do. So I've got no idea. TODD FRAZIER: I got a couple of hits off him. When he does make a mistake, which is rare, you've got to take care of it. And he's a bulldog. It's one of those things. Look at the size of him. And he looks like a bear out there just on the mound, just ready to pounce on somebody. He has that going for him. And he hits his spots. One situation with the bases loaded and he didn't miss a spot for the next batter, for whoever it was up. And kept going in and didn't leave anything over it. We got out of a big situation. He's made for this, for sure. Q. Aaron, in your short Major League career you've had some significant dips, like last season, the second half of this year, the beginning of postseason. Why have you been able to not let it defeat you, to still have a moment like you did tonight? AARON JUDGE: To be honest, I get a chance to play baseball every day. I get to live my dream. So you've got to take the ups with the downs. You can't have all the good, come out here and hit a thousand, even though I want to. It's baseball, I've got to enjoy the good times and the bad times. That's what I picked up and learned from my teammates. They've supported me through the good times and the bad times. Like I said, I get a chance to play in the ALCS with the New York Yankees, it's a dream come true. Q. Todd, after you rounded first you pointed to the stands. After you rounded second it looked like you were looking down at your left arm, what did that signify? TODD FRAZIER: It's funny, they just saw this now, pretty much every home run I've done that with my hand. I put my arm out and say, what time is it. Just a little thing I do. I've been doing it forever. I guess TV just finally caught on to it. But it's something I've done. And I pointed to a couple of family members. They were scattered, but most of them were in the outfield. I got yelled at today. It was a big controversy, they weren't in the family section. So now they're going to have to sit there for the rest of the series after what happened today. Basically that's what, I'm pointing to them and saying what time is it, it's my time. Q. Aaron, what, if anything, have you changed as far as preparation or getting ready for the game when you're in a slump like this, and if you don't change anything, what gives you the confidence to continue knowing you're doing the same thing and that you have been struggling doing that? AARON JUDGE: I haven't changed anything since day one. It was a big change I wanted to make this year was just prepare the right way, prepare the same way, and see how it works. It works during the regular season, and why would I come in the postseason and try to change something, even though I'm struggling for three or four games, five, six games. It's six games, I've got to get ready to play for the game today and that's what I'm focused on. Q. What do you think when you see him go flying into the wall and make the catch. What does that do for the team? TODD FRAZIER: That's what we want. That's what every teammate wants to see. As a pitcher you dream of that kind of stuff. He's been doing it all year, even before I've watched -- or I played with the Yankees, I've watched all the stuff he's done. And he'll go to the wall for you. That's all you can ask for as a teammate, as a player, as a friend. You see a guy put his head basically through the wall and then dive -- he's a big guy, so the ground is going to shake when he hits the ground. So he's got to be careful. But at the same time we love it, enjoy it. And that's what we have. We have guys on this team that will basically go through walls for everybody. Those are big plays that really go unnoticed after an 8-1 game. Could have changed the outcome of the game, for sure. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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