MLB WORLD SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS RANGERS

October 28, 2023

Tommy Pham

Merrill Kelly

Globe Life Field

Arizona Diamondbacks

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Diamondbacks - 9, Rangers - 1

Q. Tommy, you said yesterday was not good enough. You turned it around. Big night. What changed as far as approach and execution?

TOMMY PHAM: Good is the enemy of great. And that's a good book, too. A little bit of luck. The first at-bat, swinging bunt always helps to start your day.

But Montgomery was throwing a really good sinker and change-up today. And I knew after my first at-bat, my approach wasn't going to work against him today. So I kind of had to go to plan B and work the right side to stay on that heavy sinker and that change-up. And it worked.

Q. Merrill, I saw you at Dodgers Stadium, a very successful performance there. Another one today. You've done so well in the postseason. Not that you didn't know you had the ability, but what has come together for you the last few games?

MERRILL KELLY: I think just the execution. If you look at the Philly game, at least Game 2, I think that's where I got beat is I just didn't execute well enough.

So my focus since then -- and even before then -- but my focus since then was just purely pitch execution, trying to take one pitch at a time -- almost the feel of this is the biggest pitch of the game. And then once that pitch is done, have the same mindset going forward as far as the next pitch.

Q. Merrill, during those years in South Korea, could you have ever imagined (indiscernible) at this moment? Did you dream about this stage? And what was it like there? What helped you turn everything around there and who helped?

MERRILL KELLY: Yeah, I definitely had visions and images about me sitting on this podium, for sure. The games, the big league games over there for the time difference are pretty much in the morning, pretty much right when I'm waking up. So that was kind of my routine. I'd wake up, make my coffee and check on big league baseball.

It felt literally and figuratively miles away when I was over there. But that was always the mindset. That was always the focal point was getting back to the big leagues.

I don't think anybody can predict being able to sit here and pitch in the World Series. I think there's a lot of things that need to go right. Gotta be at the right place at the right time and obviously have the right team around you, guys like this (pointing to Pham) and Gabby, and really just everybody who has helped contribute me being in this spot. It's not just me, it's a whole team effort.

But over there, just the coaches that I had, the translation factor, obviously, is a bit of a hindrance. But there were guys that helped out as much as they could. But at the end of the day, I think what helped over there the most is almost being my own voice and my own pitching coach.

Q. I think you said it was a little lost in translation a lot, you had to be on your own.

MERRILL KELLY: Yeah, obviously they speak a completely different language than we do, obviously. And the way they approach pitching and mechanics and that type of stuff, at least at the time wasn't necessarily on the same wavelength of how I looked at things.

So that was part of the issue is even if they were trying to attack the same issue it might not come together in a way that they ultimately wanted to. So I had to kind of filter through and take bits and pieces of what I thought would help and what I needed to kind of leave behind.

Q. Tommy, I'm curious, how often, over the last couple of years, have you dreamt and thought and visualized winning a championship? How often throughout your day to day does that thought pop into your head?

TOMMY PHAM: I would say it's the last couple of years. With San Diego, I thought there was a possibility. When I signed with the Reds, the Reds were going through a transitioning phase where -- or a rebuilding phase, is the right term, which now I really think that team might be scary next year. They have some young guys over there that are pretty good.

So last year kind of really wasn't a thought, but then I got traded. So I thought possibly something could happen. Boston, the players over there and the coaching staff, anything could happen.

Then this year, when I signed with the Mets, that was one of my first thoughts, was, all right, on paper we have a championship-caliber team.

It's something that you dream about as a kid. I would say -- I would definitely think throughout -- if my career would end in, let's say, a few years from now, I would say that I dreamt about playing in the big leagues -- or playing in the big leagues, playing in the World Series. I'm sorry.

I don't think we play this game without the intentions of winning a World Series, especially when you have a team that you feel like you have a special group that could compete for a World Series.

Did I answer your question at all? It was a tough question.

Q. More on the day-to-day. Like how often does that thought infiltrate your head?

TOMMY PHAM: Day to day, I don't think about that. I'm more in the moment, the preparation of what I need to do today to be better to help the team win.

Q. Merrill, all your starts this postseason were on the road, but you obviously had a very personal cheering section tonight. What did it mean to have that type of performance in front of so much family? And have you had a chance to talk to them yet after the game?

MERRILL KELLY: It was definitely special. I touched on it earlier. My grandma is here, and I haven't seen her probably since 2011. I'm looking forward to seeing her. I haven't seen them yet, so if you guys could ask less questions I can get over there and say hi (laughter).

Q. Merrill, the last person to pitch a complete game in the postseason was Justin Verlander. The last Diamondback to go seven innings was Collmenter back in 2011. You just pitched arguably the greatest game of your career. Do you have to pinch yourself to let that sink in for you tonight?

MERRILL KELLY: Honestly, afterward, not as much. I'm confident that I can get people out. I feel like I've shown myself enough over the last five years that if I execute pitches, I can get good hitters out.

I think the pinching moment honestly came before the game, just sitting there thinking about what I was about to do and where I am and the stage that I'm on, I think was more the realization for me -- the fact that I was preparing to pitch Game 2 of the World Series. I think that was probably more of the "oh shit" moment or whatever you want to call it.

Q. In Game 6 against the Phillies, after the first inning where you walked Turner and Harper, you really dialed in your command, it seemed like. Were the things you were thinking through in your mind command-wise the same tonight as the final four innings of that game?

MERRILL KELLY: They're the same thoughts every game. It's just whether that actually happens or not. I go into every game trying to dot every single pitch I throw. I want to throw it right on the edge the best I can to my ability every single time I go out on that mound and every single bat that I have. Just obviously some games it works out better than others.

Q. Is there something that you can identify that made that possible tonight?

MERRILL KELLY: I guess just the process of what we go through, what he kind of touched on, the day-to-day work that we put in, the preparation that we have kind of leading up to the game.

Q. Going back to the greatest game of your career, Moreno just said he's really proud of what you did tonight. What do you have to say about him and your connection with him, such a young guy, but leading you guys up to this point in the World Series?

MERRILL KELLY: I'm proud of what Gabby did tonight as well. The strides I've seen Gabby have from the beginning of the season to where we are now is incredible. I've said it multiple times in the last couple of weeks and the last couple of days that I can't wait until I'm 50 years old and I'm watching Gabby Moreno still playing in the big leagues. I think he's that type of talent, that type of mentality.

For as young as he is he's not scared of the moment. He's not scared of anything that I've really seen. I've got to give a lot of credit for tonight. I've got to give a lot of credit to Gabby, he called the right pitches at the right time.

Q. Merrill, we talked to your brother. He said last year you took him to the World Series for his birthday. He said this tonight was a way better birthday present.

MERRILL KELLY: That makes me happy. His birthday is Halloween. It's coming up. He texted me the other day saying that obviously this is probably the best birthday present I could give him. So that definitely makes me feel good about not only what we're doing, but definitely what I'm doing as well.

Q. Tommy, did you read the book "Good to Great," did it inspire you?

TOMMY PHAM: I actually did read it. I did read it. I felt like a lot of the five points in that book, I was kind of already doing most of them. Did it inspire me? Of course. One of my mentors, who the St. Louis Cardinals hired, he gave it to a group of us to read that were hand chosen from the Cardinals to work with him.

And I actually passed it along to a friend to read. So highly recommend it.

Q. Merrill, I hope I'm not getting too personal, but you said you hadn't seen your grandmother in like 12 years.

MERRILL KELLY: Since 2011.

Q. Why?

MERRILL KELLY: Unfortunately, I feel like just life gets in the way. This baseball thing takes up a lot of our time. That was actually driving to Spring Training, me and my wife drove from Phoenix to Arizona and we stopped and spent the night with her. But obviously I would like to see her more, but stuff happens.

Q. You mentioned Korea, but junior college, signing your first pro contract, your first Major League contract when you were 30, how did the path prepare you to seize that moment that you were talking about in the outfield before the game?

MERRILL KELLY: I would like to think that part of it is, at this point in my career, nothing is going to shock me. I think going over to Korea as a 26-year-old is way scarier than pitching in the big leagues or even in the World Series, to be honest with you. There was just so many unknowns at that age. Obviously with my baseball career, the choice to go over there, the culture, leaving my family. I think that was the biggest pressure.

And I think at this point in my career -- I just turned 35, I'm definitely closer to the end of my career than I am the beginning. So I'm just trying to enjoy it as much as I can and not make anything bigger than it needs to be.