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NL DIVISION SERIES: DODGERS v METS

October 3, 2006

Derek Lowe

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You had such a strong performance back in 2004, what can you take from that in the postseason? What can you take from that and say, I've been here before, I've done this before, into this series?
DEREK LOWE: I think, you know, you learn from every single experience. Any time you can continue out there and get success, it just builds confidence. I think that's what this time of the year is all about, is confidence. I believe that to have success in the playoffs, you can't be afraid to fail. I think that's been my motto my whole career, is, you know, believe in yourself, and I think you can get -- if you get a negative mindset and believe that this pitch may be the right pitch to throw but I may get a negative result, I think that's when the playoffs can snowball in a negative way.
So, you know, tomorrow's gonna be a completely different challenge. I've only pitched against this team once in my career, and so, you know, you just try to have to get to know these guys. I believe we have so far.

Q. Are you starting to feed off the excitement here? Tomorrow night, will you feel comfortable?
DEREK LOWE: Yeah, I truly love and have always loved pitching in New York. I haven't always had success, but, you know, the crowds here are fantastic. You know what you're gonna get. So, again, having played in Yankee Stadium all those years, you learn how to deal with it, you learn how to deal with a hostile crowd and tomorrow is gonna be no different.

Q. How different is it for you to come into this postseason? In 2004, you were the 12th pitcher on the staff at the start of the playoffs, here you are pitching Game 1. How different is that for you?
DEREK LOWE: You know, they're almost the same; you're still out to try to prove yourself. In '04, I was out to prove that I was worthy of even getting an opportunity to start. That was kind of my mindset throughout.
This year is totally different. You're out to try to, you know, prove to yourself and your organization that you can go out there and pitch a Game 1 and get your team a win on the road.

Q. For those of us who watched you from 3,000 miles away and didn't see a lot of the games, what happened to your club in August and September? What were the dynamics to your success?
DEREK LOWE: With all due respect to the guys that were on our team before, we made a lot of changes. We started off after the All-Star break, I believe we lost 13 out of 14, and I've said this all along - this is where I give Grady and our organization a lot of credit. They told us from day one they were gonna get this thing right. If they had to make as many changes as need possible, we were gonna get the right 25 guys in here.
You know, with Wilson Betemit and Lugo I think got us a little more athletic, you add a Hall of Famer and I say we got him. I know people are looking at his numbers in Chicago, I said, you give a Hall of Famer a reason to refocus, I think you're gonna see the Greg Maddux of old, and that's what you saw.

Q. Speaking of Maddux, how did he help you?
DEREK LOWE: A lot. A lot of things I can't sit here and tell you right now talking to you guys. But I think being a sinkerball guy, you could learn a lot just by how he goes about pitching and how to read certain guys and what pitches to throw on certain counts. That's probably enough information right there.
But I believe just his preparation, you know. You think a guy that talented just kind of throws out of his glove every five days and says, Here I am, I'm gonna have success, but there couldn't be anything further from the truth. If a 40-year-old guy is out there working his tail off and really preparing for the next start, you should do the same thing.

Q. Having been there in '03 with Grady, how much does it mean to you that he's back on this stage again?
DEREK LOWE: It's well deserved. Players on that team kind of saw what he was going through the last two months. You know, I firmly believe that, you know, we would have won a World Series, I think he still would have gotten fired. It was an unfortunate way for him to go. A lot of guys came to his side this off-season to get him over here. He had one goal in mind, that really wasn't to prove anything to anybody, he just wanted to get back to the playoffs to show that he's a worthy manager.
He showed his true colors when we were really struggling, like I said, 13 in a row. That's when his leadership stepped up and kind of kept us together to get us to where we are today.

Q. Who, if anybody in the organization, did you personally talk to about Grady, number one?
DEREK LOWE: I don't really want to say the name.

Q. They called you?
DEREK LOWE: No, I made the call myself. There was numerous ex-players, some guys that did sign here and a lot of guys that were never gonna sign here just came to his aid because they knew kind of what manager he is and how easy he is to play for. I was very excited when they called and said that they did name the manager.

Q. You mentioned a moment ago your suspicion was he might have been fired even had you guys won the World Series. Based on what?
DEREK LOWE: Well...

Q. You're saying had you won that Game 6...
DEREK LOWE: Yeah, I mean, this probably isn't the -- first of all, I'm with the Dodgers, to talk about back then...
He's very open with his players. He really is. I just kind of have seen what he was going through. My belief and a lot of people's belief was he was going to be let go no matter what.

Q. Do you think Grady was underappreciated by the Red Sox organization?
DEREK LOWE: Hmm... you know, I judge a manager not just by wins and losses but by how guys play for him, and I said this this off-season, there's a lot of guys that had career years underneath him and I don't think that was by accident. A guy who wins an average of almost 94, 95 games and gets a team to Game 7, I believe he did a good job.

Q. Are you aware of the whole El Duque situation?
DEREK LOWE: I just read it. I just stretched before I came in here - kiddingly.
No, again, we just read it across the bottom. You know, hopefully, you know, he can pitch because, you know, with an injury to Pedro, you know, he's obviously the guy they're gonna lean on. Having faced him before in the playoffs, he's devastating this time of the year.

Q. As an opposing pitcher, sometimes you look across and see guys who have done it this time of year, an El Duque, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, do you get that?
DEREK LOWE: Absolutely. But plan B, if you went against Tom Glavine, you'd pretty much be in the same boat. This time of year you get so many good matchups, not just saying here because I'm pitching Game 1, but throughout the playoffs, history of the game, you get to face guys you maybe wouldn't ordinarily get to face.
Again, I know how tough he is this time of year. Here's a guy who just got traded over here, two months, and he's pitching Game 1. Shows you how much confidence they do have in him.

Q. Were you expecting to get the call for this game? How did that come about? Did Grady call you in and say, You're my guy?
DEREK LOWE: Pretty much. For those who followed our season, came down to our last three games. When we had our meeting Friday, he said, if this circumstances that we did have come through, you were gonna pitch Game 1. But, you know, you would have been just as happy to pitch on Sunday, but now having to get those days' rest, I'm pitching tomorrow, will be six days off, which is always good this time of year, any time you can get your arm a little break.
But, no, I really look forward to tomorrow having gone through last year and not getting an opportunity. It's such an adrenaline rush this time of year to go out there this time of year and pitch in big games, especially in a city like this.

Q. How much value do you think there is in being the hot team, having to win to get here, versus a team that was able to shut it down a while ago?
DEREK LOWE: Again, you really can't speak for a team that did clinch so early. I like the way we're playing right now. I like the way, like you said, we had to fight our way in; win on the road against two teams that would love nothing to do but to beat us.
People have been saying this for ever, I know we're the underdog here, but the so-called "best" team doesn't always win. It's the team that gets hot. That's what the playoffs are all about. We're gonna go out there tomorrow and hopefully be the hot team.

Q. The last three games you won in the playoffs have all won series, how different is the start of this one? It's a whole different role for you (inaudible)?
DEREK LOWE: Every playoff game has pressure. You know, Game 1 against Anaheim was a freak thing. I came in by default because I was the last guy and Ortiz hit a home run.
But, you know, this is a different type of pressure. Five-game series, Game 1 is very important because you really don't have that much time to make up. But it's gonna be a tough challenge. They obviously have a tremendous offense, really left-handed dominant, which most teams I faced all year will normally give you five or six lefties. There really is no weakness. You've got to go out there and pretty much pitch the best game of the year to have success.

Q. Knowing Pedro like you do, what are your thoughts and feelings for him knowing he just has to sit here and watch this?
DEREK LOWE: Knowing the competitor he is, I know it's killing him inside. He has taught me a lot throughout the years as far as this time of year, and I know how badly he wants to be out there. But, you know, at this point, you wish him health. I mean, he's one of the best that I've ever seen and probably will ever see. I know the New York fans are disappointed that he can't go out there and display what he can do because he can flat-out carry a team through the playoffs if healthy.

End of FastScripts...

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