AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 14, 2024

Emmanuel Clase

Yankee Stadium

Cleveland Guardians

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. Emmanuel, you'll be pitching on the same mound where Mariano Rivera made a lot of his postseason memories. I've read that he's somebody you tried to model your game after, your movement, your cutter. What did he mean to you, and what did you learn watching him pitch?

EMMANUEL CLASE: I'm very happy to be here. I'm really proud to be able to be in the same place that he was, and the focus is to keep securing the pitches the way I have been doing it. So that's basically my main goal.

Q. Did you learn anything from watching his cutter, and is it true that, when somebody first compared you to him, you didn't know who he was and had to read about his career?

EMMANUEL CLASE: I knew who he was. It's not like I admired him when I was a starter. Once I became a reliever, I started to look more into what he does and how he handles things.

I think that's what I learned from him, his composure and how he handles all the pressure and how he handles his emotions, especially in a situation where he comes up to pitch.

Q. What are the biggest ways you've improved as a pitcher since you were traded from Texas?

EMMANUEL CLASE: I feel it comes down to time, being able to put in practice everything that you've learned and the experience. I've got a lot of failures and things to learn from while being here. So I think the key is putting in practice all the lessons I've learned through the time and how I know myself a little more as a pitcher.

Q. Was there a moment when you knew that you had an elite cutter? Was there a person that taught it to you or the time where you were like this is going to be a good pitch for me?

EMMANUEL CLASE: I think to start my pitches always have a lot of movement when I was learning to be a pitcher. I feel once I reached the Minor Leagues, I realized the actual effect my cutter had and how to could use it in different situations, up, in and out, down and away, down and in.

I feel like what I mentioned earlier, like the learning myself and how to pitch, here's when I learned how to use that cutter and when to use it, and I think that's what made it be the special pitch it is for me.

Q. When Cleveland traded for you, what were your impressions of the organization? What did you know about the Indians/Guardians at that time?

EMMANUEL CLASE: I always knew they were a very competitive team, and I was really happy since I got here. I felt really welcomed. Throughout the time that I've been here, I feel really always comfortable. So I really feel that it is a good organization since day one.

Q. Do you notice any difference in your pitches and your movement when you're pitching two, three days in a row or three out of four?

EMMANUEL CLASE: I think somehow my body has adjusted to the rhythm of the season. So sometimes when I pitch two, three days in a row, I actually feel more comfortable. I feel like I have more control over my pitches. I know it's kind of counterintuitive, but I feel more comfortable the more I pitch in a short period of time.

Q. With closers, obviously you come in tight situations with adrenaline, are you more pumped up if you come in in a one-run game or a tie game with a three-run lead?

EMMANUEL CLASE: Yeah, I feel the adrenaline is a little higher when the game is closer. You get that sense of comfort when you get those two, three runs. And what I notice, it tends to speeds up a little bit when the game is closer. So my learning has been to control those emotions and stay focused when the game is a little closer.