AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v WHITE SOX

October 3, 2005

Matt Clement

MATT CLEMENT: I'm motivated just because I'm pitching in a big game. The Chicago factor, with all due respect, doesn't faze me other than I know where I'm at, I'm in a comfortable spot as far as getting something to eat tonight. I seem to have two home medias here right now, being in Chicago. Maybe if I was on the other side of town, it would be different. But this is the playoffs and this is where you want to be. Getting to pitch right now, at this time of year, is more important than worrying about where I am at.

MATT CLEMENT: I really haven't. They are a classy organization. Ken Williams was great when I talked to him. He treated me with a lot of respect and I was the same with him. I try to do the same with them. It just came down to a situation where I talked to six great teams, six great teams that were interested. I was blessed to have that situation where it turns out I had to make a decision. Boston was the one I chose. They've done all right for themselves.

MATT CLEMENT: Maybe not. Maybe a little bit. But not as much as anyone else, now that I've pitched in both leagues. I feel like I have a bit of familiarity with everybody. I guess I've faced Podsednik probably more than anybody else there, but the White Sox I faced when I was here was a little different than when I was with the Cubs. The lineup has changed. You don't have the best record in the league without playing good baseball.

MATT CLEMENT: We're the wildcard. I mean, we're the wildcard. It's always nice to be the underdog, it's always nice to be the favorite, but all that stuff can be thrown out the window. I have a lot of respect - I think we all have a lot of respect - for what the White Sox have accomplished. It's not easy to go wire to wire in first place, especially when you know it's hard not to hit a slump. It's hard not to hit a slump. When they hit that slump, the media is triple on them and acting like it's all over. They have to have a lot of respect for what Ozzie and the whole team has done. I don't think we're worried about who's the underdog or the favorite, we just get to the postseason and now you have the opportunity. Hopefully, we can seize it.

MATT CLEMENT: Obviously, with the number of bases Podsednik has been able to steal and the way he has changed, he's a difference-maker. He can make things happen. It's not just him. They have a group of guys that can run the bases and wreak havoc on the bases. Obviously, it's a little cliche, but it's as simple as keeping guys off the base. Whether they're stealing bases or batting or anything else, you're better off without guys on base. It's just being aggressive and battling and don't give up base hits and keep guys off base.

MATT CLEMENT: It's been a strange season from the get-go. For the first time in my career I got to decide where to play. Switching teams from a place where I was really comfortable and going to a place where I didn't know much about and, you know, having a pretty good run at it early, it took a little time to get back on my feet. I was pretty lucky to ever throw another pitch after getting hit in the head. I was really lucky that the Lord was with me throughout the season, and I was pretty fortunate with how things turned out.

MATT CLEMENT: (Inaudible) I had probably one of the - if not the - worst starts of the year. That's going to put you statistically behind 8-ball. However, I think in the other games I competed really well, especially the last two games. I felt probably as well as I did earlier in the season... You go through games where you make 15 mistakes and they're okay, and other games where you make 3 mistakes and they all get hit. Unfortunately, and it's the truth, you get judged by what your statistics are at the end of the day, and in September I didn't have great statistics. But I thought I threw the ball well. Of all those games, I think I had a 3-0 loss to Anaheim early, and then in the last game I thought I threw pretty well. But stats are stats; I have to step it up and be ready to go tomorrow.