NL WILD CARD SERIES: BRAVES VS PADRES

October 1, 2024

Fernando Tatis Jr.

Petco Park

San Diego Padres

Postgame Press Conference

Padres - 4, Braves - 0

Q. When you hit your first playoff home run, there was nobody in the stands here in 2020. Can you compare that scene to what played out today?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: Totally different. But, man, this crowd is unbelievable. I mentioned earlier, that's what I was waiting for, just the energy that people was going to bring. And San Diego definitely showed up. And just the feedback from the energy that they brought.

Q. How did that make you feel, especially running out to right field the way you've been doing all season but in the playoffs?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: It's very rewarding. It's one of the most beautiful sights that the game can bring to a baseball player. Just making your crowd going crazy is what we dream of as a kid. Hitting a home run in a clutch spot in a postseason meaning something is definitely what you work for. And those are definitely memories you're going to take forever.

Q. When you hit that home run, you kind of fell off balance a little bit then you kind of stared at it. Were you surprised by how hard you hit it and how far it went?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: I know it was going to go out. I didn't know it was going to land in the second deck just because how high it was.

But, yeah, slipped a little bit on the plate, just my back foot came out. But I was fortunate enough to get my bat path where I wanted. And next thing we know the ball was in the stands.

Q. How exciting is it for you to be back in the playoffs?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: It's beautiful. It's beautiful energy. I love this type of situation. It definitely brings the best out of me. And just looking forward to way more experiences like this.

Q. What did you think about Michael King's performance tonight?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: It was amazing. It was amazing. He definitely set the tone for us. He gave us the confidence we needed as a group, as an offense. Him going out there, shutting the door for seven innings, that's all you can ask for from a starter and just the great work from what he's been doing all year.

Q. Fernando, obviously last time the Padres were in the playoffs, you couldn't play. How long have you been waiting for the moment like your first at-bat tonight and that home run? And how much of those emotions went into that first at-bat?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: Yeah, since 2020. I got a small taste of what is postseason baseball in the big leagues. And I was looking forward to playing again in those situations especially with fans in it.

Before the game, all those memories came back, everything that I went through, how I bounced back, just the type of player that I am. Just doing that is just an amazing feeling of all the hard work and just all the training that I put out there with my body.

Q. How aware are you of Padres history, the fact that they haven't been to the World Series in 26 years? They've won one World Series in their history. If you take it to the end you're doing something historic?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: Yeah, of course. Definitely paying attention to that. Man, it would mean the world for us to carry this team all the way to the World Series and win it out there.

But before that, I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves. We definitely know the special group that we have over here. But it's about taking care of the next day. We won today but it's already over at midnight.

And it's about coming in here tomorrow and doing it again and after that the next series, the next series.

But I'm definitely confident of the group that we have, the talent, the pitching. And just looking forward to definitely going to the World Series.

Q. For you, how much of a memory of Peter Seidler hangs over all this?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: He's in the front of it. Me and Pete definitely had a relationship, like, stuff that probably nobody knew. It's, like, when I had my surgeries and I got my suspension, Peter was sitting in my house with me in the afternoon.

After all my surgeries, he came couple times to my house and had beautiful conversation with him of how some day was going to look the next three years, the next five years, the next 10 years.

And what he asked for the city and the love he had for all of us, it was just unconditional. We're definitely doing this for him and we're definitely pushing harder for him, especially myself.

And every step that I go from here in my career here in San Diego, he's definitely going to be on my right shoulder popping in every single special moment.

Q. You've had some big home runs. Have you hit a ball harder than you did tonight?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: That's a great question. Probably need to look at numbers, but definitely felt like one of the best. I don't know if that was one of the hardest or farthest, but definitely in the top lists of my favorite home runs of all time.

Q. What's the feeling in the clubhouse when you guys have Joe Musgrove going tomorrow?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: All the confidence in the world. We know what Joe is capable of and the defense is going to be all behind him, especially the offense is going to be there. When Joe takes the ball, it's special, especially in the postseason. Everybody has seen what he's capable of and how he's shown himself in those moments. Yeah, can't wait for tomorrow, what's going to happen.

Q. Not to belabor the home run. That was a first-pitch fastball. Were you going to ambush that no matter what with your first swing back here?

FERNANDO TATIS JR.: Definitely, I was going for it probably before he released the pitch. But looking for my fastball, he left it over the plate, and had definitely great results.