MLB WORLD SERIES: PHILLIES VS ASTROS

October 29, 2022

Alec Bohm

Minute Maid Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame 2 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Alec Bohm.

Q. You were on base for Stott's 10-pitch walk last night. What have you thought of the way that he, in his first year in the majors, is able to kind of not let any moment get too big for him this October?

ALEC BOHM: I kind of saw that in him when he came up to Triple-A last year at the end of the year where he would have those same kind of at-bats. It's just kind of a, it seems like a slow game for him sometimes. He just, he's locked in, man.

Q. I know you guys have been asked a lot about Rob Thomson since he took over. I wonder, honestly, if there was any sort of moments where he showed being a first-time rookie kind of manager, at least early on. Did he have to ease into the job or was he as sort of expertise as he has shown during these playoffs?

ALEC BOHM: No, I mean, with him comes a lot of experience, a lot of big games, a lot of, managing a lot of superstar players, just every step that's been. So I think when he took over he was definitely ready. To me, it didn't seem like there was any growing pains or anything with that.

Q. What do you guys kind of make of Ranger Suárez's ability to switch roles and nothing seems to faze him. He had the play yesterday where he threw the ball to first and it seemed like it was a spring training game.

ALEC BOHM: Right. That's Ranger. You know, pretty impressive to be able to go from starting, to come out of the bullpen, to go and start and do all that. I think it just kind of goes to show his, where his heartbeat's at, right? To him he's just grabbing a ball, stepping on the mound, and throwing it.

Q. You guys have done so well in Game 1s this postseason. How does that change the mood in the clubhouse when you have that first win out of the way so early?

ALEC BOHM: It's momentum, right? This is a big momentum sport. Obviously, anytime you can go on the road in a playoff series and win Game 1 and start off on the right foot it's big.

Q. You've improved immensely defensively. How good did it feel to make that play to your right in Game 1 of the World Series?

ALEC BOHM: Yeah, I mean, just this time of year anytime you're getting outs it feels good. So, yeah, it definitely feels good to just help the team get out of an inning there.

Q. On that subject of defense, I'm curious, with the benefit of hindsight and quite a bit of success of course for you personally and for the team, how do you look back on that night against the Mets when you had the several errors in quick succession and the progress you've made since then?

ALEC BOHM: Yeah, I mean, it just kind of, looking back, it's a long time ago and I think a lot of just like fear of failure and all that stuff kind of went out the window after that happened.

Q. How do you think having so many laid-back guys, like Ranger for example, has kind of impacted this team and this playoff run?

ALEC BOHM: I think, yeah, a lot of laid-back personalities. Ranger, guys like Nick, guys that have been here before like Schwarbs. And I think it's just a collective group of guys that don't let the moment get too big. And guys that are just still out here having fun. No matter if it's the 30th game of the season or the first game of the World Series.

Q. You mentioned how fear of failure went out the window. That can be a tough thing though. How did it disappear for you? How did you get over it?

ALEC BOHM: Because I messed up about as bad as you can mess up. So I've done it before. I mean, the ball's going to get hit at me, I'm either going to make the play or I'm not. I'm not going to sit over here and sweat about it and be out in the field worried about, Oh no, am I going to mess this play up? Like, who cares at this point. Like I'm either going to do good or I'm not. And once that kind of just subsided I freed up and was just playing instead of trying.

Q. Was there anything technical that you were doing to make that improvement over the year? Was it mainly just mental?

ALEC BOHM: I mean, any time you're out on the field thinking about mechanics and whatnot you're at a disadvantage. So for me when the ball gets hit at me in a live game and I'm thinking about what step to take and mechanics and all that, like it's not a good recipe. So I think when I got less mechanical and less robotic things turned around a little bit.

Q. I know you probably wish the overall batting average was better in the postseason. But runners in scoring position, you had the two-out hit last night, talk about being able to come through with runners in scoring position and how different it feels.

ALEC BOHM: Yeah, for like the overall batting average, I could go 0-4 with four strikeouts, as long as we're winning, I don't care. But to be able to come through in some of those situations with runners on is big. And I think that's kind of the thing, right, is, you know, any given at-bat it might not be going so good, but when you can lock it in with a guy on second and get a big hit, then none of that other stuff really matters.