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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ANGELS v WHITE SOX

October 14, 2005

Ervin Santana

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Game Three

Q. I assume last time you pitched, you were told that you might pitch, but this time you know you're going to be pitching. How much easier is it for your mind to get ready, your mindset to get ready to pitch?

ERVIN SANTANA: Well, now I go to my normal schedule, five days, so I have to be ready to pitch.

Q. What in your mind makes a clutch player, if you know what I'm asking? And do you consider yourself a clutch player after what you did against the Yankees?

ERVIN SANTANA: I feel really good about myself because it seems like at the right time I'm able to get the job done, and that makes me feel very happy.

Q. You mentioned you're on your regular schedule. What is today's part of your schedule? What are you doing the day before a start?

ERVIN SANTANA: Ten sprints and a little catch and ready for tomorrow.

Q. The first time you faced the White Sox, the quote was you stuck it up their rear end. What worked for you that day, and have you noticed a change in them trying to attack you, approach you, between the first and second times you faced them?

ERVIN SANTANA: Well, the first time everything was good, change-up, ball speed, off speed, fastball, so tomorrow we're going to see what we're going to do. Regarding the second part of the question, yeah, teams like Boston were able to adjust from one time to the next, and the one thing I recall is they're much more patient the second time they saw me.

Q. Santana, before that first game when you pitched against the White Sox, did you have confidence in yourself that you were going to be able to be a good big league pitcher, and how important was having that success against them to feeling good about yourself? If I can ask a second one, when you look back at a tape of that game and think back to that, is there one or two hitters or at-bats that really stand out in your mind?

ERVIN SANTANA: I was very confident even after the start against the Indians. If the Angels would have put me in the bullpen and I would have come in to pitch against the White Sox from the bullpen, I would have been very confident. I'm very aware of how good the White Sox were at that time when I faced them, which also helped me to become a better pitcher knowing that I beat the White Sox in the game that I'll pitch here to follow up, and that was like a confidence boost for the rest of the season for me.

Q. You obviously have a lot of poise for someone so young. Do you remember the last time you were excitable or didn't have your poise, and what has that been like developing that?

ERVIN SANTANA: That's the way that I've been throughout my career, and I cannot recall any other type of situation in which I was too excited or out of control. That's the way I am.

Q. Just as a young pitcher, I'm curious what your impression is of the post-season atmosphere, having all the media around. Is that pretty much what you expected or is it a little bit mind-blowing?

ERVIN SANTANA: I knew there was going to be a lot of press, a lot of people, a lot of fans, but I never thought it was going to be this big. But the one thing is being around here in the clubhouse all year long, we always have a lot of press, nothing to this degree. But I expected the coverage to be the way it is right now.

Q. Just to follow up on the question before about poise, can you talk about why you are that way? Is that just the kind of person that you are? Is it the way you were brought up? Why are you such a relaxed pitcher?

ERVIN SANTANA: My mom and dad, the upbringing we had was to respect people and to be joyful around people, and they always said, "Be respectful and understand where you're at." Now, when it comes down to competing I can bring it up a level and still concentrate and do my job and still be poised and cool, but at the same time I give a lot of credit to my mom and dad for the upbringing that they gave me.

Q. What pitchers do you look at and say "That's the type of pitcher I want to be," in terms of your pitching style and their success?

ERVIN SANTANA: Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez. That's it.

End of FastScripts...

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