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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOX

October 24, 2018

Ryan Madson

Boston, Massachusetts - pregame 2

Q. Is there anything to the Dodgers being a West Coast team and coming to the cold weather affecting you guys at all? Is there anything to that?
RYAN MADSON: It's definitely an element, yeah. Last night in the bullpen we had a couple of heaters going. It was warm out there, but to get up and move around. I didn't feel as gummy as usual when it's 75, 80 degrees. So I'm going to make that adjustment tonight, move around a little bit more. I'm going to tell the guys who didn't pitch last night, just move around a little bit more than usual, move your knee joints. But maybe they're young and they don't feel it.

So that's all the adjustment I'll make today.

Q. Can you just talk about how the weather kind of affects maybe the depth of a breaking ball or how a breaking ball breaks in this kind of weather.
RYAN MADSON: Yeah, grip is essential obviously in a breaking ball. And a lot of times with the cold weather, I'm not saying anybody uses anything, but if you use anything, a lot of times it's not as effective in cold weather. The normal stuff that every pitcher uses, sunscreen and resin, we're not loading the ball, it's just on it so we can get a better grip on the ball. You need to adjust that, as well.

I didn't use anything last night, but I didn't throw any breaking balls. But tonight I'm going to make sure I've got what everybody uses, the essentials out there again. Because I didn't think it was going to be as difficult as it was last night, the cold and the wet and the mound being -- actually the mound was pretty good. But the wet grass going onto the mound kind of clays up your cleats a little bit. So it was a difficult track, in my opinion, last night.

Q. Seemed like you got up pretty quickly there before your appearance. Was that standard?
RYAN MADSON: Well, I think I pride myself on being able to get ready quickly. So on an 80-degree day, that was probably just fine. But I don't think I was completely ready going in there. My arm was ready but I don't think mechanically I was ready, and it showed that first at-bat. It was a quick up-and-in, but nothing I couldn't handle. I told them I was ready. I felt like I was ready, but it took another hitter to get ready. I think mainly because of the cold weather and also just the environment.

It reminds me a lot of Wrigley Field, oddly enough, where you're kind of exposed out there warming up, and out on the mound looks totally different. Warming up you're in this confined box, and then you get out there on the mound, and it feels like the catcher is far away and there's no backdrop, and it kind of slopes down. It's hard depth perception-wise, here it's difficult, as well as Wrigley, so it reminded me of that.

Q. Can you talk about the bullpen. Did it affect you guys being so close to the bleacher seats and the fans?
RYAN MADSON: No, they're great. The fans are great here, they've always been great. I know they've had some issues in the past. But they've been great out there. Just enough Dodger fans to keep them honest out there. And we also have a cop out there (laughter). And I'm buddy, buddy with them, you know, sunflower seeds, Red Bulls and access to the heater. So he's taking good care of us as well.

Q. The Red Sox have run a lot more than they have in some recent seasons. How much of an emphasis is on controlling that for you guys?
RYAN MADSON: Anytime I try to control the running game, I lose effectiveness on my pitches. I think No. 1 for me is going to be, being aware of them, for sure. And varying times is where I can really hold the running game. But once I lift my leg, I need to do certain things to get the pitch where I want it or have a chance to go where I want it.

So as a relief pitcher late in the game you do want to keep the runners close, but getting outs is essential. No. 1 priority is making the pitch I want to make, and getting the hitter out that's up there.

Q. As the trade deadline kind of approached and then passed, how much were you thinking about which teams might be in the market? And were you identifying, okay, maybe it's like the Dodgers and the Red Sox as potential landing spots for you at that time?
RYAN MADSON: Zero percent chance I was thinking that, and because of the way my season was going. There was I think one percent chance because my stuff was still there, velocity was good, off-speed pitches were good, I just wasn't getting it done.

So I guess I wasn't totally surprised, though, when it did happen, because just the experience I've had in the postseason, the success that I've had, getting outs, big outs in big games, and being able to do that, I think that amplified my service to a team going to the postseason.

Q. Have you changed much as a reliever over 54 postseason appearances or are you still the same guy?
RYAN MADSON: No, totally changed. First couple, yeah, you can't feel your legs and your attention is on everything else but what you need to do. So just going through the first round in 2008 and then going back to the World Series in 2009, back-to-back World Series, 2009 was so much better. It was fun and enjoyable, and I was able to be present and I had a much better World Series.

Then it took a while to get back. We went '10 and '11 and it was fine. It was like normal games, postseason. Then had a little gap in my career. So when I went back in '15 I had feelings again of it being brand new, and it was tough early on in the early rounds against Houston, I wasn't pitching good, and just wasn't comfortable out there.

So going into this postseason, that was '15 and off on '16, back to the postseason in '17, feeling comfortable, okay, it's been -- here we go again, it's normal. And that's how this year has felt, this postseason, that's why the success I've had, it just feels normal to me in these games. I mean, I was out there just really upbeat and kind of laughing about how lucky I am to be here, and just looking at the backdrop of Fenway and being here.

So I'm in that kind of atmosphere now where it's fun and enjoyable and I appreciate the moment, whereas before I was just wanting to do good for other people. And now I just want to do what I'm good at and show everybody how good I am at doing it.

Q. You spoke about adrenaline, I want to get your feel for your adrenaline during the J.D. Martinez at-bat last night, where it was like you were throwing, country hardball?
RYAN MADSON: Yeah, I faced him a couple of times before. Never a comfortable at-bat for sure. You know you're in a pit with a rattlesnake, and one bad move, and you'll get bit if you're not paying attention. So I think I made good enough pitches to him. I can make better pitches to him, for sure. He might have just missed those, I don't know. Looked like he was a little late.

But just the moment of facing the best hitter in the league, possibly, top five, for sure, with bases loaded, no outs, is almost a surreal moment. But again just being able to accept it and just show why I'm here, why I'm the one chosen to do this right now and executing those pitches.

But like I said, I could have been a little bit better with them, and maybe make some adjustments next time I face him.

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