AL DIVISION SERIES: ROYALS VS YANKEES

October 6, 2024

Oswaldo Cabrera

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. What have you thought of just the way Gleyber has turned his season around, especially in these past couple of months?

OSWALDO CABRERA: I'm so happy for him. Obviously he's kind of the biggest teammate in the team. We are from the same country, and we've got that special friendship relation. Overall see how he turned around all the season in the last couple months was so special, see the Gleyber that we know. That's the Gleyber that we know. That's the Gleyber that every time came to the plate, and we know that he's going to do something, and the way that he showed the last couple months, like same for himself that he's not done. Everything is not done yet. He shows every time, every plate appearance the things that he can do that was so special for all the time.

Q. How have you seen him handle everything mentally from not performing well in the first half to getting benched a couple times. How have you seen him handle it. Honestly, it was not easy. It wasn't the position that he was in the first couple months, but the way that he handled it was really good because every time he came to the field with the same energy, with the same way that used to be a good teammate every time, he never complained any, he never think anything negative things in your head. He didn't show that in any time. For that reason for all the teammates was so good seeing him every time he come to the plate with the same type of guy that we know.

Q. Just curious how much of a help has Anthony Rizzo been over at first base in general but especially over this last week?

OSWALDO CABRERA: I was talking that yesterday reason for us, and not just for me but for Ben, for JP, for Berti. We are like the students and he's like our Mr. Miyagi. That was funny because he's the guy who is over there. We know that he can't play right now, so he is over there just teaching us, trying to give advice, to try to give the different situations that can happen during the game, and for that reason for us, we are glad to have him here in the team.

Q. Just out of curiosity, are you using your own mitt over at first base yet or is it still DJ's?

OSWALDO CABRERA: It's still DJ's glove, yeah. Very comfortable with that one.

Q. Understanding that you play every position basically and need to be ready at any time, how do you go about staying ready, and what has it meant to you to get this opportunity here in the playoffs?

OSWALDO CABRERA: I try to take advantage of my coaches here. They are here for us. They are every time trying to help us, and obviously Chappy is one of those guys who is back there trying to help us a lot.

That's the thing that I try every time coming here, just trying to work smart, not obviously hard but the most smart possible, try to work in the situation that can happen in the game and just try to be ready for that.

But yeah, I have to say that he's one of the biggest keys in my defense side.

Q. Now that you're able to focus maybe a little bit more on one position in the short term, how does that help you, and what's your excitement level now that you're getting to play a little bit more regularly in the playoffs?

OSWALDO CABRERA: Yeah. I've been working for be ready in any situation, so now they give me the opportunity to play first for the resource situation. I'm used to trying to do my best to help the team. That's the key all the time. That's my mental -- like that's what I'm thinking every time. You just try to be ready and just try to do my best to help the team to win.

Q. What has the process been like getting comfortable and learning how to pick up all the short hops at first base?

OSWALDO CABRERA: That's funny because one of the things that I really enjoy when I'm practicing is practice the pickup, the picks on first. So every time we're over there every day just trying to get picks, and one thing that I really enjoy after everything that I do is getting that reps over there. I really practice a lot because it's not just because I know that that can happen in the game. We're going to have those situations. But more than that, it's because I really enjoy that time that I'm working in that special drill.

Q. How much time a day have you spent on that?

OSWALDO CABRERA: Maybe not too much. Obviously we've got a lot of things to do. We have to cover a lot of things during the practice. But definitely that's one of my favorite drills, and that's one of my favorite parts of my practice.

Q. When you're at first base and there are base runners for the Royals over at first, how much does the speed thing pose a challenge to you?

OSWALDO CABRERA: You mean for the speed that the Royals have, all the team overall?

Q. Yes.

OSWALDO CABRERA: So we know those guys got really nice speed. They've got a lot of fast runners. Young team, obviously. They've got a lot of fast runners.

When I'm first, obviously they're a team that can give me something in my mind that maybe he's stealing, I probably going to try to tell or let the pitchers know in my way because I don't want them to put too many things in the head, too. But my position there is try to learn -- like I'm trying to learn maybe his body language, how he leads, how he changes leads and how he's trying to do something, and for that reason, it's something that I can see, I'll tell the pitcher.

Q. You've got a good amount of games in in the playoffs two years ago. How much did that experience help you this time around, kind of help settle some nerves last night?

OSWALDO CABRERA: So much, so much. I think one of the things that I really appreciate for all the life, for God and for everything, is having me in a position in my first year because I learned so much from that. Especially yesterday, we know that was a big day. It was a special day for us. First game of the postseason is so special. But I know how to control my emotions. I know how to control all my body language. I know how to control all the situation. Obviously not all the situation, but you know what I mean, like try to calm down and everything putting in the way that I can go for it, and for that reason, they're taking that experience from the 2022 from now is something that I really like because it's something that I really feel good for it.

Q. I'm curious as you were speaking about learning to pick and just learning the position overall, what realistically, how good of a first baseman do you think you can be? Is it your goal to be a fill-in replacement or to be a replacement as good as you are at any other position?

OSWALDO CABRERA: What a question. I think, like I always say, I just try to be ready in any position. I just try to be ready for the moment that they need me, and we try to cover, like I say, in every practice, like the different situations that can happen in the game.

Obviously right now I can be on first, but in any moment I can go to play second, shortstop, third, left field, right field, whatever. I just want to be ready, so we are practicing all those positions, too.

Right now I know my team. Right now it is just being a team leader and be ready, and don't make any excuse when something happens in the game. I have to be ready for all those situations.

Q. What have you seen this season between Juan Soto and the fans in right field? How do you feel like they've embraced him, and what do you think he's thought of the interaction?

OSWALDO CABRERA: I think he loves it. I think he loves it because everybody enjoy the roll call, all the love they show for Juan Soto. Obviously he deserves it because he works so hard for it and he's been doing so great this season, and see how the fans like appreciate that, how the fans show those type of emotion, the love, all those things, it feels so good for us because we know that he loves that, too, and we know that they put that energy inside of him too with all those things that they made for him.