MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 25, 2021

Michael Brantley

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. How would you describe what Gary Pettis does for you guys as a team, and what does it mean to everybody that he's able to be here after a couple of tough health issues?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: It's phenomenal. What he went through, we had his back. We supported him throughout the whole thing. I know I sent him multiple texts and phone calls, and we were talking throughout his entire treatment.

To have him back in the dugout, moving the outfielders around, because obviously he works with the outfield a lot, has been phenomenal for us and just put us in the right position to succeed. He's been a big help.

Q. Have you been, I don't know if surprised is the word, but what have you thought about how Yordan has handled the outfield this year especially coming off both knee surgeries?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: If you would have saw how hard he worked in Spring Training just to get back, and on top of that, how hard he was working in the outfield as well. That was his whole goal. He was building his body up and getting back to where he needed to be to play the outfield. He's been doing a phenomenal job, and he's going to do well this series as well.

Q. Michael, one of the things that Dusty said is he talked about the identity of this team is that you guys approach it like business. He called it the cleanest living team he's ever covered. Can you talk about kind of your identity as a team?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: Well, our identity as a team is we go out and play hard and we have fun. We play with a lot of emotion, a lot of joy. There's a lot of smiles, and we always have each other's back. I think that's the most important thing is we're a really tight-knit unit. Good, bad, or indifferent, we're going to do it together.

So when you're going every day with a group of guys that all have your back, it makes it fun to come to work. It makes it fun to play this game, and we enjoy each other. It makes it easy to come to work every single day.

Q. Michael, Jose has eight hits and seven walks in the postseason, and he scored 15 times. So he's essentially scoring every time he gets on base. How important is he as the catalyst for the offense?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: I think all our guys are important. I think we have a really deep lineup that does a great job of getting on base, doing the little things to score runs. Obviously, he's our lead-off hitter, and we all know how special Joséy is. Ever since I got here, he never seems to do something that doesn't amaze me more and more.

It's unbelievable what he does for this team. I got to see it for three years now, and I look forward to see what he does this series as well.

Q. I know we'll get Jake's official status tomorrow, but what have you said to him as obviously this is his first playoff experience but then also now kind of going through an injury. What kind of conversations have you two had?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: I've been talking to him every day. He's in there working hard and doing treatment and just trying to get that shoulder right to get back. We'll see how that all plays out tomorrow, but at the same time, he's a great kid that has done phenomenal things since he's been up here. He works his tail off day in and day out. He's a great asset to this team, and I appreciate everything he's done for this team.

Q. Also, what have you thought of the poise of someone like him and Chaz and Jose kind of getting their first playoff experience? They've looked very calm and under control when sometimes a rookie might be a little frazzled in these moments.

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: They've been doing a great job. We talked about it before the first playoff game. It's the same game just on a bigger stage. We're going to play the same way. We're going to go all out. I think we've done a great job of communicating, understanding where we need to play and positioning. I think that's been the key.

We've made some phenomenal plays out there as a unit, and we've got to continue to do that this series as well.

Q. Just kind of curious what your sort of notions of Dusty Baker were coming into being managed by him, and what about him has been a really good fit for you guys and enabled you guys to keep this run going the last couple years.

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: I played against him a lot coming last few seasons before he was my manager, and he was always having fun. He always had the toothpick and the wristband. So I always smiled at that. But at the same time, you always hear he's a players' manager who lets us go out and play. He asks us to play hard, and that's it, and we compete at a high level.

I think we have a great group of guys in that locker room that come to work every day, ready to play together, ready to compete. He lets us do our thing. He expects a lot of us, and we expect a lot out of ourselves as well.

Q. One, were you pretty close in '19 to signing with the Braves? The other one is you lose a couple of key bats and don't even have Soroka for the season. How much respect do you guys have for them being able to navigate all that and get here?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: '19 was a long time ago (laughter). I'll just say that. Yeah, we have a lot of respect for the Braves. Obviously, they're playing really hot baseball right now. They're playing really well as a team, and they're having a lot of fun doing that.

From the pitching staff all the way to the lineup, we know it's going to be a tough series. It's going to be a battle. It's going to be a grind.

But we look forward to that. We have a lot of faith and trust in everyone in the locker room that we're going to get it done and we're going to compete at a high level. It's one game at a time. We have a great mentality as a team, a team first always approach, and I think that's what makes this team special.

Q. Michael, what does it mean for you guys to have back in the clubhouse Marwin Gonzalez? Has he said anything about being back with the team that's in the room for the World Series?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: I faced him a lot as well. Phenomenal player that can play everywhere. We've all seen the big hits he got in the postseason as well. Just his positive energy. He's always talking about pitchers and positioning.

And he's been a great asset ever since he's been here. Just feeding off information, especially to younger players as well and to myself as well when you ask questions. So he's been a phenomenal resource for us.

Q. What has impressed you the most about Yordan's approach at the plate? Yuli said that he's just so impressed with his maturity, just kind of embracing that cleanup hitter spot, which is not easy for a young guy to do. What about his approach on a daily basis makes him so successful from your view?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: He can hit the ball to all fields, and he doesn't mind doing it. Especially in this game, for a big power hitter, as he is, it's just not all pull side for him or all op or however you want to look at it. He drives the ball to all fields.

I got to see him in '19 when I first signed here. He was hitting in my BP group. Didn't know too many people. Who's this guy? This guy can hit. He's got a phenomenal swing.

To go along with that maturity, as you're talking about, and approach, it's a special player. I'm glad he's on our team. I love watching it every single day.

Q. I know you don't try to win it for one person, but what would it mean for you guys to be able to give Dusty Baker something he's never had before? He's come close. He's brought so many teams to division, the playoffs, and he's just fell short of winning the World Series.

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: I think it would be very special. This is what we work so hard for as a team and as a unit. He's our manager. To let him lift that trophy, something that he's been chasing for a long time, would be very special and something that I think we all as a group would never forget.

Q. Let me ask you another question, which is a bit of a touchy question. Goes back to a few years ago obviously. You've seen the reaction when you go to opposing parks, the Astros have become sort of like the team that other fans want to dislike. Do you guys accept that, I gather? Does it affect you at all on the field, or is that just sort of goes with the territory?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: Sure does. We get it everywhere we go. What makes this team so special is we've been here, done that. We've been through all of it. There's no stage that's big enough. There's nothing that a crowd is going to do to us that's going to get us off our game. We believe in one another, and we trust in one another.

We're a tight-knit group, and you always have somebody that has your back, and we have a whole bunch of guys where it just makes it easy to go out there and compete.