AL DIVISION SERIES: MARINERS VS ASTROS

October 15, 2022

Chas McCormick

T-Mobile Park

Houston Astros

Pregame 3 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Chas McCormick.

Q. You came up in the organization as primarily a corner outfielder. How do you feel like you've evolved as a defender in center field and can you kind of take us through maybe the key things that a center fielder has to that maybe a corner outfielder doesn't?

CHAS MCCORMICK: Yeah, it's been a little difficult getting used to center field. Center field's a really big position. Myself being able to play center field would be huge for my career.

The difference is center field you have so much more space to roam around. You have left center, right center. You have to be a captain out there. It's kind of like the shortstop. It's kind of like the catcher. Corner outfield, you know, left field could be short, right field could be short. You kind of don't have as much room as a corner outfielder. But center field you're running everywhere basically and you got to make sure you're a little more aware out there.

Corner outfield you can kind of put your head down with balls in front of you to lay out and even behind you. Center field you kind of have to look at where your corner outfielders are and make sure that you know who has the fly ball. It just kind of been taking, just taking reps out there constantly, spring training, this year, last year because I knew that that center field spot was open. I think I've made a good jump so far to play center field. But I think I got a lot of work to do and hopefully all that preparation helps myself out today in center field.

Q. I was going to ask you about being out there. This crowd's going to be electric today. How do you juxtapose your adrenaline, oh, everything's going on, but also stay calm and I want to know what your thoughts are heading into that scene.

CHAS MCCORMICK: Yeah, yeah. It's going to be wild out there. It's going to be fun, though. You got to enjoy that pressure. You got to enjoy the crowd. Also you got to block out the crowd noises.

But we've played in some hostile environments so we're ready for it. We're looking forward to it. We're going to have fun with it. But we just can't take the foot off the gas pedal against these guys, especially here in Seattle. The fans are going to be into it. The players are going to be into it. They're a really good team.

The past two games in Houston have been really tough to win. So Seattle it's going to even be harder. But we just got to block out the crowd noise like we always have been doing and play our same game.

Q. How strange is it just to have not played a game in like 10 days? That's probably the longest break you've had. I mean, to be out there for a full game.

CHAS MCCORMICK: Yeah, I mean, in playoffs there's a lot of off days. But every day, that's why we come to the field when we have off days and do lives and prepare and still get our work in. Rest is good for us, obviously. But we still have to stay locked in and keep working every single day.

But at this time of the season I feel like we've played so many games and kind of know our chemistry and know our team really well that we have an idea, even if we have four or five off day, like we have a good idea of who we are and what our roles are, each and every one of us. It's just kind of trusting our preparation and trusting what we've done all year to bring it into the postseason.

Q. Is there anyone inside the Astros organization, whether at the major or minor league level, that you feel like has really helped your transition to center field? And then is there anyone just around the league who you've tried to emulate as a defender?

CHAS MCCORMICK: Yeah, I mean, kind of figuring out my role last year, not just center field, just kind of coming off the bench, knowing my role. Aledmys Díaz has showed me, he hasn't really talked to me as much. It's more of just I've seen him play so much coming off the bench, him contributing, giving him a couple off days, hasn't maybe seen live in three days, and then come off the bench again and put up great at-bats, great defense. I've kind of watched him do that and it's helped me kind of know my role as a player.

Just specifically center field, I think Jason Bell, mostly in spring training work. Gary Pettis has helped a lot. I would say Gary Pettis has been one of the more helpful coaches I've had, just because he used to play really good outfield. And just transitioning from the corner to center field, he's just helped me kind of know the role in center field and how I can help this team the most.

So I would just say the preparation in spring training kind of has been the most help, and Pettis. And just how much we care about defense on this team. It's kind of just, we have each kind of drilled it into our heads how important it is. Playing good defense can win us a World Series.

Q. You guys want to score every inning, but talking about the hostile crowd, does it make a difference maybe putting up some crooked numbers early? Like, is it something where you can kind of take the crowd out of it, take the energy out of the building? Is that a thing in baseball?

CHAS MCCORMICK: Yeah, totally. I mean, if we can even just score one run in the first inning or just get an early lead. With teams being down 2-0 it can, we can kind of, they can kind of lose the momentum. They can kind of give up. Not saying -- Seattle will never give up. But they can kind of, teams will kind of just, Oh, they have the early lead? Okay, it's time to throw it in. We have to win three more games and we're already down the first one.

But, yeah, it would be huge. It would be huge if we can take an early lead. Like I said, not taking the foot off the gas pedal. Even though we're up 2-0, maybe to even thinking like we're playing like we're down 0-2 because, again, Seattle's great team and they will battle until the last out, the last pitch.

But we just got to play our same game we've been playing all year. And, yes, if we get a little early lead or a little early momentum, it will be huge for us.

Q. Obviously you're used to starting, but how special is it for you to get the call in an elimination game where y'all have a chance to advance?

CHAS MCCORMICK: It's amazing. There's nothing better I would rather do today than to win today and celebrate with our guys on field. But we got a long way to go. We got a full game today. This crowd's going to be crazy. Seattle's first playoff game in a while. I want to think about winning and celebrating with the guys. Trust me, like there's nothing better. But it's hard right now because this is a great team. We're a great team, Seattle's a great team, and it's going to be a battle.

In postseason you really got to be in the present moment as much as possible. So there would be nothing more I would rather do than win today and clinch and have a couple off days to just be -- it would be huge. But, again, we got to come out ready to play and we can't take anything for granted.