THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jason Schmidt.
Q. Is this a different challenge for you? This is a team that struck out the fewest times during the regular season. They seem to make a lot of contact. Lately, they haven't had any trouble with the long ball either.
JASON SCHMIDT: Change as far as what...?
Q. The approach. I mean, as a power pitcher, is it tougher when they're a team that, aside from Troy Glaus, don't seem like a lot of guys swinging recklessly?
JASON SCHMIDT: Strikeouts are just -- it's not something you try for, it's a bonus of making good pitches at the right times. Just because you don't strike somebody out, doesn't mean you're not going to get them out, force ground outs, popups. Guys are going to make their outs. They're not a team that really strikes out a lot. You really have to make better pitches, no doubt about it.
Q. Can you talk about what it's going to be like for you to have your mom in the stands tomorrow night.
JASON SCHMIDT: She's excited, obviously. This couldn't be a better time for -- family-wise, for myself and my family to get an opportunity to play in the World Series and for all of this to come about. We've been blessed in that manner. I know she's looking forward to coming down. We're going to take this time and enjoy it, just have a lot of fun.
Q. With so much time off in between games pitched, is that good for a fastball pitcher, a hard-throwing pitcher?
JASON SCHMIDT: Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. You never really know until you get out there. Sometimes you feel sharper, sometimes you feel a little bit too strong. That's kind of where, mentally, you just kind of have to overcome whatever emotions you're feeling. If you're feeling too strong, you have to get yourself in the frame of mind to keep the ball down and make the pitches you have to make.
Q. How much did you learn from Maddux and Glavine in Atlanta? Who are some of the other pitchers that also made you who you are?
JASON SCHMIDT: Smoltz was kind of the guy that I tried to pattern myself after a little bit. He had more stuff -- our stuff was more along the same lines. As far as pitching philosophy and things, I definitely learned quite a bit from Maddux and Glavine and they taught that through the Braves organization. It wasn't stuff that clicked when I was there, it was stuff that came in games over the years. You'd be in certain situations, back when you were 22 years old, you're thinking that didn't make sense then. But when you're in that situation, you think about what Maddux or Glavine or Smoltz said, all of a sudden it clicked.
Q. Could you give an example?
JASON SCHMIDT: I couldn't really, no.
Q. Everyone talks about the importance of starting out quick, not only winning Game 1, but also in scoring first. This is a team that's been able to do that so far. Does that change what you do as a pitcher with a lead, as opposed to a tie ball game or even coming from behind?
JASON SCHMIDT: I think any pitcher will tell you when they get the lead early, it's a whole lot nicer. It gives you more room for error. You still have to keep the same mental approach. But when you have a three-run lead, it's easier to throw a fastball down the middle and not worry about it getting hit out of the ballpark and losing a ball game. At the same time, you don't go out there thinking you want to throw the ball down the middle. If we get a big lead, that will take the load off my shoulders. Any pitcher will tell you that.
Q. Can you talk about your velocity, why it waivers? Sometimes you're 95, sometimes 98. It increased quite a bit this year at times?
JASON SCHMIDT: I had shoulder surgery two years ago. Last year, I wasn't really at full strength. I felt healthy, but it takes a good year and a half to two years to really get back to full strength. I came up to spring training this year, I wasn't really sure what I was going to be throwing, if I was going to be throwing 91 or 85 or what. There was just one game, I came out and said, "I'm going to let it go and see what happens," and the velocity was there, to where it was before I had surgery. Now, I just kind of learned how to pitch with it. In the past, you're coming out, throwing 85 the first three innings off of surgery, you've really got to learn how to pitch. In some ways, that was the best thing that ever happened to me because it made me a lot better, well-rounded pitcher.
Q. Would you pitch to Barry Bonds?
JASON SCHMIDT: Depends on the situation. I think in the World Series, yeah, every pitch counts. It's got to be the right situation. But you look at what Matt Morris did, he went right after him and got him out, too. It all depends on the pitcher.
Q. Is there any part of this line-up on the Angels that you see, that you might be able to take advantage of? If not, how do you keep yourself from trying to over-pitch?
JASON SCHMIDT: That's just part of being a pitcher. You don't try to over-pitch. As far as taking advantage of guys, you just go out and -- I just try to simplify everything. I'm not going to go out and try to take advantage of anybody. You go out there, make your pitches. I don't know. I just keep it simple. I don't try to think too much into that stuff.
Q. A couple days ago we asked you about starting Game 1 of the World Series. You seemed to not know what to make of it. Now that you're here, you have the thing on your sleeve, this is actually the World Series, has it sunk in, what this means?
JASON SCHMIDT: It's starting to. Another day to go, until you actually get on that mound and you see all the people out there, it's not really going to sink in completely. I still say it's definitely an honor, probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm just going to enjoy it.
Q. Talking to some of the Angels' hitters, they say they don't know a lot about you except when they see you on TV. Is that something you can use to your advantage?
JASON SCHMIDT: It's the same thing for us as a starting staff as well. We don't know that much about them. That's what makes the World Series so interesting. It's two teams going against each other that don't have a lot of knowledge of one another. You just kind of go out, try to get a read off each other, and that's what we're doing.
Q. With the DH, Dusty's not going to have to worry about when you come up in the order in terms of deciding when you come in and out of the game. Does that help you to know that you can go out there, as long as you pitch well and do your job, that factor isn't going to come in?
JASON SCHMIDT: That would be definitely nice knowing I don't have to hit. I never claim to be the greatest hitter in the world. I never mind not having to get up to bat. At the same time, you've got bases loaded, it's nice having to face the pitcher, too. So it works both ways.
Q. How close were you during the off-season or in the last couple days before you signed with the Giants, to sign with somebody else? Have you given any thought to that now that you're with the Giants, what it would have been like if you weren't here?
JASON SCHMIDT: I've talked in the past about Seattle, having an opportunity to go over there. Being pretty much in my hometown. It's something I thought about in spring training, I thought about it the whole year, "What if Seattle ends up doing what they did last year, making it the whole way?" Instead, here I am. Obviously, it was the right decision and I couldn't be happier. Hopefully, we can just continue this.
End of FastScripts...
