MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS v WHITE SOX

October 22, 2005

Neal Cotts

Bobby Jenks

NEAL COTTS: I don't think we had a statement. We felt ready and we're prepared for whatever they need us for.

BOBBY JENKS: If you'd seen me warming up, you'd see I didn't throw nothing but a fastball, I couldn't find anything else. Going off the scouting report and 0-2 counts, he chases fastballs up above the zone; sticking to what I was doing best, going against my strengths and his weaknesses.

BOBBY JENKS: It's everything all together. One, pitching in the World Series, Game 1, and just that opportunity alone just will fire anybody up.

BOBBY JENKS: It's a completely different mindset. You need a lot more control, especially over your emotions in a situation like this. And spend enough time in the Minor Leagues you learn how to do those things. And I got a taste of it early on against the Red Sox, so I knew what I was coming up against emotionally and mentally. So I thought I handled it pretty well.

NEAL COTTS: With no outs you're just trying to minimize damage on the first and third. Once I got the first strikeout then I was going for a ground ball, just trying to get out of the inning, and I ended up having a strikeout and Bobby came in and did the rest?

NEAL COTTS: It meant a lot. I faced righties and lefties, I think, probably equally as well this year. And so he stuck with me and I was fortunate enough to get the strikeout.

BOBBY JENKS: I think it's all right. I think it's pretty funny calling the big guy in. I know he does a lot of things out of humor, he doesn't mean anything by it. I'm taking the smile with it.

NEAL COTTS: I don't know, you really don't think about it too much until they call you in, the crowd is going crazy, because Contreras pitched so well. You get a little hyped up there. And then you try just to take it as a normal game. It's a little different situation, but just try to pitch the same and go after the hitters the same way. And another big difference is you've never faced this team at all, so it's a little different facing some of the hitters. You feel accustomed or comfortable with some of the other guys you face all year long.

BOBBY JENKS: We just threw bullpens, simulated games. Played a lot of catch. We stayed mentally ready was the harder thing to do.

NEAL COTTS: Definitely. The games were so tight against Anaheim, both of us were up probably all three games. And you're mentally getting ready to go into the game all three of those games, so that keeps you sharper than sitting around the whole time.