NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 18, 2023

Craig Kimbrel

Chase Field

Philadelphia Phillies

Workout Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Craig Kimbrel.

Q. Craig, you obviously played in Philadelphia as a visitor quite a bit. There was a game where they mocked you behind home plate. What has been kind of the difference between playing as a Brave and other team as a visitor and as a Philly at home?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I don't know. The difference is getting cheered for or yelled at. Philly has always been a place -- like you talked about, it's been a long time pitching there, and it's always been a place I've always enjoyed going in just because of the atmosphere, the fans. You never know what you are going to get. It's the fun part about this game.

But, yeah, it definitely feels a lot better this year. Kind of having them behind me cheering me on instead of mocking me or making fun of me.

Q. You've been doing this job now for a long time, and I imagine as you get older physically, it gets more challenging. What I'm curious is at your age now, what are the parts of the game that come easier to you than it did when you were 22, 23, 24?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Yeah. I mean, it's a lot. You're right. As you get older in this game, there are aspects that get easier and some that get harder. Obviously getting up, getting going every day, the older you get, the tougher it gets, but it's just a little bit more work you have to put in.

I think the biggest difference, though, is sometimes not letting the game speed up on me. When I was younger, I pitched on -- I still do at times -- pitch on a lot of emotion, a lot of adrenaline. I would get away from thinking about pitches, and at times just thinking that sometimes that I could just throw a pitch by a guy or throw a carve ball that they couldn't hit instead of really thinking about game plans and things like that.

I would say today I feel more confident about the pitches that I throw just because I've done more homework and have more understanding of certain pitches guys can and can't hit.

Q. How do you control your adrenaline when almost every time you pitch, it's usually like the highest leveraged spot in the game?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Well, it's like you said. I'm usually in a spot where it's the high leverage. Fans are into it. Pivotal moment in the game.

So I wouldn't say I'm used to it, but I'm definitely comfortable in the spot. The big moments, the spots, they're not moments that are overwhelming. They're moments that bring me back every single year because those are the moments that I want to be in. It's the funnest part about this game.

Q. Obviously last year was kind of a tough year for you. You got left off the postseason roster. How tough was that, and does that make you kind of appreciate some of these moments a little bit?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Oh, it definitely makes me appreciate this. That was a tough pill to swallow last year. Having my ups and downs, at time throwing the ball well, and at times looking like I shouldn't even be out there or have a jersey on.

So it definitely -- it stunk. I pitch to be in these moments, to help teams finish games off and finish off meaningful games. And to not get that opportunity last year definitely stung. To be sitting here talking to y'all at this moment this year, it feels pretty good to be here.

Q. I'm sure other closers have talked about this in the past that they want to be the guy who gets the last out of the World Series. How much is that something that you think of that you kind of want to achieve before your career comes to an end?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I mean, it would be awesome. It would be so cool. But at the same time, I have an understanding that my spot to be important and useful might come at a different point during the game, and if it's not the last out and it's in a different point, I'll do my job and be just as happy.

Q. This is 14 years for you. You've won a ring. You've been an All-Star. You've done a lot of things. What motivates you after a season to want to come back again?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Oh, man, I don't know. It's fun. It's fun to be able to compete. I've been blessed and gifted in an ability and being able to use it for a while now. And to still have it and to still be able to go out there and compete at the highest level and have fun doing it, there's no reason not to come back and keep on playing.

Q. You kind of just mentioned it, but how, I guess, have you come to grips with the idea that managers now don't necessarily use a traditional closer. The other day you pitched in the seventh and eighth inning. You've always been a guy who was that traditional closer. How have you adjusted to the idea that that isn't always going to be the case?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I've been getting used to it over the last couple of years. This year isn't the first time I've done it. I wouldn't say I did very great at first. But having a better understanding -- with Topper, the communication that we have with each other is great. He gives me an idea of what he has in his head and then relays it to -- not just to me, but every single one of us.

And just having that and knowing that prepares us to be ready for kind of like just about everything that we see in the game that might come. We're prepared for it.

Q. Back in 2018 there was a vibe around the Red Sox from the beginning of the postseason that this team was different, this team was special, and you guys went out and fulfilled that. I haven't seen you in person yet, but from afar it seems like the Phillies have the same sort of thing going. Have you felt that, and are there any similarities that you've noticed between those two teams?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I mean, yeah. Y'all are watching the same guys I am. Our start pitching has been great. We've banged the ball out of the ballpark. Our bullpen has been great. We've really checked off all the boxes we need to up to this point, so it's real easy to think that you want to compare it to other winners, right?

We still have a lot of work to do. We still have a lot of games to win, but when it comes to vibes, from the moment that I signed with the Phillies, the goal is to get back to the World Series and win the World Series.

So I think we've had that mentality from day one to show up every day. Obviously it's to win every day, but it's to get back to that moment and get back to that chance. And you don't do it unless you expect to do it.

I see a group of guys who show up every day expecting to win, expecting to do their job, and to do it to the best of their ability, and we also have a lot of guys who trust each other.

You can't do it all by yourself, but when you have a team of guys who are willing to lean on each other, there's a lot of good that can come out of that.

Q. Craig, you've prayed with Nick Castellanos in two different places now. Have you ever taken the time to figure him out?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I talk to Nick all the time.

Q. Well, tell us, what's he about?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Nick is a great guy. He really cares about what maybe you might think or how you may be viewing something. Very big perspective guy. I love him to death. I know at times, like in conversations, he might be hard to understand, but I understand everything that man says. He makes a lot of sense to me.

Q. Do you get a kick out of some of the interviews he does on national TV and stuff like that?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Yeah, I like Scooby Doo too.

Q. Craig, has it been difficult as your career has gone on to kind of accept being a mercenary kind of as a reliever? You're on a different team in a different city, sometimes two in one season?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I was reminded at a young age as a reliever, you know, don't get too comfortable. Part of your job is moving around, especially if at times you sign with a team that expectations are high and they don't get there. Well, sometimes that means you're on the move. That's just part of the game.

Q. What's it been like the second time around with Dave Dombrowski? You almost think he shares the same mindset as veteran players, like wants to win it all now, not worrying about rebuilding or resetting, but winning all or nothing.

CRAIG KIMBREL: I mean, when you are on the team, you want a guy that's thinking about winning right now, right? I didn't come here for a rebuild. I came here to win.

Having Dave Dombrowski around, he's always part of organizations that are about win now, and that's what we're doing.

Q. Going back to L.A., when you have kind of an off year, although your numbers are pretty much the same from last year to this year, when it gets shaky and you come back and straighten it out, what's the difference between what happened this year and what happened last year?

CRAIG KIMBREL: Well, I think situationally you have numbers, but then you also have moments in games. Like you said, the numbers aren't that different. But the way I was able to control a larger number of games -- I was able to pitch in a lot more games -- that my usage, I felt like was a lot more consistent. All the things that I felt like helped me stay on a good roll.

I went on a pretty good run in the middle of the summer this year and kind of took off with it. I was able to close out a lot of ball games. Kind of hit a point, I think, because of usage in August where I gave up some runs because this is the most I've thrown in 13 years. And then I was able to kind of step back in September and reset myself and go on a good run for the last part of the year.

I think, like you said, wondering what the biggest difference, is being able to go out and face the first batter and walk them and not let it completely ruin my night. Being able to be a professional and step off the back of the mound in 20 seconds, that's all I got. But take a breath and walk back in and get the job done and not say, hey, where are my mechanics? Why am I doing this? Why am I doing that?

Just stepping back on the mound and competing and knowing that as long as I'm thinking about competing and getting the guy out, that good things are going to happen, and I'm not battling myself. I'm actually competing against the guy in the box. That's the biggest difference.

Q. I imagine a lot of this is confidence?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I would say so. I think at any level at any position --

Q. Doesn't matter what success you've had in the past. It's a constant reaffirmation.

CRAIG KIMBREL: Yeah, when you have been doing it for 13 or 14 years -- you know, I don't still throw 100, right? But I still have the ability to make guys swing and miss and just understanding and being a smarter pitcher and knowing that.

Q. Just one out of left field here. As Hall of Fame voters, it's always hard to judge how to put relievers into the Hall of Fame. In this era to me it's you, Chappie, Kinley. What do you think about the whole realm of putting -- of you going into the Hall of Fame and how the vote is going to go for that?

CRAIG KIMBREL: That's not really something I have control over, right? All I can do is show up and do my job and try to do it great and continue to do that.

The names that you have thrown out there, we've all been in the league for about the same time, and we've all had really good careers. But I think there's also a couple of guys that I think need to get in there before any of us even have a conversation to even be on that list.

Q. Who are they?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I think we can name them.

Q. Wagner, guys like that?

CRAIG KIMBREL: I think you just said it.