NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 24, 2023

Corbin Carroll

Citizens Bank Park

Arizona Diamondbacks

Postgame 7 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Corbin Carroll.

Q. Just if you could take me through what you are feeling as that ball is coming to you as the series is about to come to an end, just your thoughts in that moment?

CORBIN CARROLL: Better squeeze it. You know, just they fought us hard all series, and so to be able to finally put it away and run towards that dog pile, man, just hell of a feeling.

Q. I don't know if you have had a chance to reflect on this yet, but obviously the year begins with the organization putting their faith in you with the type of long-term deal you had. I'm sure you envisioned getting here eventually. Did you view it as something that was this soon?

CORBIN CARROLL: I didn't. I won't speak for other people, but I thought it would take a little more time. So to be able to do it in this first year just makes it all the more special.

Q. When you walked in, it sounds like you're in three inches of champagne in your feet. Is that about right?

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah. I'm kind of cold right now. I stayed dry for a little longer than most, but they got me eventually.

Q. Can you talk about Ketel a little bit and the series MVP. Everybody is going to focus about your numbers tonight. You had a terrific game obviously, but your teammate.

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah. I mean, they shouldn't focus on my numbers. This has been so much more than just one person. I will speak about Ketel, but I think, first, I have to speak about this team and what an unbelievable team performance it's been this entire postseason.

But, yeah, Ketel, just special player. There was times this year where it was, like, how do you even pitch this guy? He is kind of back in that mode right now. It's special to watch.

Q. I was just wondering, the familiarity of coming back here and playing two more games here after having been here the first two games of the series, did that help you guys at all, just whether it's sight lines or dealing with crowds and fans or anything like that? Was that any factor for you or anybody that you know?

CORBIN CARROLL: Those weren't really conversations that we had. I don't think anyone spoke up saying, hey, this is hostile and terrible. Most of the conversations were, like, hey, this is really cool. They're into it the whole game.

So it was more of just a coolness that we got to play in an atmosphere like this. Just the people here care about baseball. I got heckled probably five times going down the street today. I walked a block. So just it's cool.

Q. You were a little bit down earlier in the series. Finished off great. What were your teammates saying to you, and did that help your confidence coming into Game 7?

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah. I mean, I talked about this with someone earlier just after the game. It's, like, six games ago you would have said that I was the hottest hitter on the planet, right?

I think it's easy to get caught up in the day and get caught up in just the minute. But just realizing that that's all it is, right? It's just a little hitch of things not going your way. That was kind of my mindset. It's like that's kind of just true in general of me too. In the end I think everything evens out eventually.

Q. When you think about making the Majors just a little over a year ago, an then All-Star, the contract, the whole thing, and now being where you are and being as young as you are, and then to come up so big tonight, is there something about how you've over the years just been able to carry yourself? People you've learned from how to be steady and not be overwhelmed by the amount of things happening, as good as they are?

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah, for sure. I think some of it is natural, and some of it is learned for sure. Yeah, it is cool reflecting back on that. I had a photo on my phone two years ago that popped up on my phone yesterday, and it was me on my couch in Seattle watching the 2021 NLCS. It's a picture of the screen saying that, and then my dog.

So I shared that with some of the guys before the game today. How cool is this that I was sitting on the couch probably still rehabbing at that point, and now I get to play in the games. Just very fortunate.