NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 17, 2023

Trea Turner

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame 2 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: First questions for Trea.

Q. Trea, Rob has often told us about when you get a team down, you can't let them back up. You have to step on their throat. In the context of this series overall, how important is tonight's Game 2?

TREA TURNER: You saw it last night a little bit when we were lucky enough to come out with the win. But when teams fight back and you give them that hope and momentum, then it can kind of speed up on you.

So I think we did a good job kind of counteracting that last night and stopping and getting that win. Same thing tonight. No lead is safe. Just try to take advantage of all opportunities, whether you're up early and just don't quit or you're trying to come from behind trying to get the momentum.

Tonight is a big game, but every game is big.

Q. Last year when this team lost in the World Series, Nick Castellanos said he learned a lot about the postseason and that every single pitch and every moment counts. Have you been impressed about just how focused and locked in the group is in these playoffs?

TREA TURNER: I mean, you get that. I think teams I've been on understand it. I think the good teams in the postseason don't let one moment affect the next, though. I think that's kind of the difference.

With this team we move on really well, whether it's good or bad. I think everyone understands that every pitch is big, getting out of a jam in the first inning is a big deal. Stuff like that is big. But I think with this group the ability to move on is really good, and that's hard to do this time of year.

Q. You guys have executed really well on offense all postseason. Take us inside a hitters' meeting, especially a veterans Phillies hitters' meeting? Is there anything unique about it compared to L.A. or Washington where you've been before?

TREA TURNER: I think here is a little different. It's a little old-school. It's less information in a good way. We have all the information. We have everything we need, but we've got a lineup of guys that just want to hit and play baseball.

I think that's refreshing as well. Sometimes you can get caught up a lot in the video or the numbers and different things, and I think throughout the season, we've kind of learned what we like and what we don't like. We're doing the same thing we've kind of done all year.

So we definitely have our meetings. We talk. If there's something that we want to game plan or a specific thing that we think makes a big difference, we'll do that, but we're keeping it pretty simple.

Q. When you start out with Washington, Bryce was already an established superstar. He still is, but how is he different maybe in the clubhouse or from a leadership standpoint than he was those years in D.C.?

TREA TURNER: I think just the voice to the front office is the one thing that I think sticks out, and that's something you gain as you get older and you get that experience and you can communicate to Dave and John and different people to advocate for things.

You know, early on he was a leader. He was obviously right in the middle of things, but I don't know if he -- maybe he did, but at least when I saw, I didn't think he necessarily talked to the front office as much. And being a younger player, it's not something you really do.

I think that's a big positive for a team and a clubhouse is if that street is open and there's a lot of communication there. And he does a really, really good job of that.

Q. You had the chance to play with Merrill at the World Baseball Classic. Any impressions of him or anything that you picked up being around him?

TREA TURNER: Yeah, he is poised. He is calm. Played against him a lot in the last couple of years when I was over in L.A. and just being in the same division.

He's got good stuff. He competes, and he's a good dude. Enjoyed playing with him in the WBC, and kind of exactly what I expected. Got a chance to hang out with him and his family a little bit in our downtime there too. He's a good person and a good pitcher. We got our hands full tonight, and we've got to take advantage of it.

Q. When you were thinking about signing here, what were your interactions with Dave Dombrowski like, and what does his aggressiveness or willingness to make moves to improve a team mean to the clubhouse?

TREA TURNER: Yeah, I think that says a lot when you're not scared to go after what you want and be decisive. I think that's refreshing for players in the clubhouse and kind of shows us the path forward as well.

He has a game plan and he executes it really well. Met with him a couple of times -- maybe once this offseason for a few hours at my house, and had some conversations with him and Sam. And just heard all the stories from different players that played for him, and it matched right up. And he was straightforward with me, which is all I asked for in the process. He told me how it was.

I thought the relationship got off to a great start early on, and still obviously going well. It's nice having a leader and somebody at the head of this thing just kind of showing you where he wants to go and what he wants to get done and being straightforward.

Q. Just going back to the hitters' meetings that you talked about before, just trying to keep a more simple approach, how much does Kevin Long play into that? He is probably a little bit more of an old-school guy in that regard. Does he help with that? What is his role with that?

TREA TURNER: He's kind of -- like you said, he's an old-school guy. He's done that throughout the times I've had him. Don't overthink it. Keep it simple. Get a good pitch to hit, and put a good swing on it type deal.

Sometimes we forget that, especially with all the mechanics and everything. But especially this time of year, you're out there competing. It doesn't matter if your swing is perfect. It doesn't matter if you struck out in your first at-bat. It's what are you going to do about it, or what's going to happen next?

I think with him leading us offensively, it's really good this time of year. And keeping us simple, keeping us focused on the present and just trying to take good at-bats, make good at-bats. If you get out, get a line out, whatever it may be, you should be proud of that and happy about it and kind of root for the next guy up.

Q. Just one other part of that, when you see the home runs you have stacked up this postseason, I know home runs happen, but is that a byproduct of maybe a more aggressive approach? Is there anything you guys can point to why you've been so --

TREA TURNER: Yeah, I think, like I said, we all want to hit. We're not scared to swing the bat as a team. We chase a little bit, and we do things that maybe doesn't -- maybe is not perfect, but we want to hit.

I think when you are aggressive in a good way and you've got guys that are confident in themselves, you're going to get swings like that. You're going to get homers. You're going to get doubles.

We're not up there to walk. We're up there to hit. If we walk, we walk. We have to pass the baton to the next guy, but I just think it kind of speaks to the guys we have in our lineup.

Q. I know a lot has been made about the electric atmosphere here at the ballpark this postseason. Merrill Kelly said something before yesterday's game and it's getting a little bit of attention today. He had not experienced here yet, but he estimated that it would be hard for this place to trump the WBC when you hit your grand slam against Venezuela. How would you compare the two atmospheres?

TREA TURNER: I mean, both loud. I think domes are a little different. Sometimes they're pretty loud just because of the roof being closed.

But as far as atmospheres, I think this one is just different. It's a little more hostile and a little more engaging. I think he can maybe tell you after tonight what it's like, but I wouldn't put anything past our fans. Our fans have been unbelievable. They've been great. I don't know what decibels mean, but I guess we did something cool or AC/DC concert level decibel the other night.

I would just wait and see and we'll see what he says after.

Q. Kind of a lighter question. As you progress in your career, you go to L.A. and here, do you stop making plans in October, family plans, vacation plans, just knowing -- do you cross that off?

TREA TURNER: Yeah, I wouldn't say I'm superstitious, but I know that if I tried doing anything like that, then the opposite would happen and vice versa. I try not to take anything for granted or plan on anything. You kind of got to earn these situations. I've been fortunate enough to be on really good teams and been in the postseason quite a bit in my career, but I don't take this for granted at all.

I think you've got to earn it, and at the same time you've got to expect it. If you want to get here, you have to have confidence in yourself. Yeah, I haven't made plans in October for a long time, and hopefully that's never the case.

Q. You're such an accomplished defensive player. I wonder when you are already at that level, what are the drill works, what are the things that you work on with Bobby Dickerson or just on your own to keep finding that next little nuance that you can get better at?

TREA TURNER: Well, this year not so much. But, yeah, I think you evolve. I think I can always get better at a lot of things. I'm kind of a little bit of a perfectionist. Where, you know, you make errors, and they're errors for a reason, but you're, like, Ah, I can make that play, I can make this play.

For me it's more taking pride in getting outs for your pitchers. That's where I feel the most responsibility. I don't care if I make an error. It's more that, man, I could have got them out of that inning faster or fewer pitches or get them another batter, whatever it may be.

It's kind of that responsibility of having their back is how I look at it. But just keep evolving, keep trying to make plays that you didn't necessarily know you could or double plays or better feeds to second base. There's a million things.

The game is hard, and every year is different. It's a humbling game, so you have to stay on top of it and keep working.