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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ROCKIES v DIAMONDBACKSOctober 14, 2007Matt HollidayTroy TulowitzkiDENVER, COLORADO: Game Three THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Matt, can you talk a little bit about your manager's, I guess, personality, how he's kept on an even keel, not too high, not too low? How much has that contributed to your success? MATT HOLLIDAY: I think Clint has changed quite a bit in the last couple of years. I think when I was a first- or second-year player we had a lot of first- or second-year players. But as we've gotten older and we have a little bit more experience, he's let us go out and play and just kind of set back and made the moves he needs to make but at the same time he's let us go out there and have the free will to go out and play and try to steal bases and move runners, and do things and positioning-wise and just play the game by instinct and not necessarily be coached so much. So I think he's done a great job of kind of transforming as the players have got more experience, he's let us play a little bit more. Q. For Tulowitzki, can you talk about your comments about Eric Byrnes' comments about how the Diamondbacks have outplayed the Rockies and how he seems a little frustrated? What do you think he was trying to get at by making those comments and your response to those, if you would, please? TROY TULOWITZKI: They might have outplayed us and in many ways maybe they have. The way I look at it is we're up 2-0. And we come out every day and we come here to win games and that's our main objective. And they can outplay us all four games. If we end up winning the series, I'll be fine with that. Q. Matt, when you came up in the Minors, spring training and yourself and Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins, crossed path with Larry Walker, is there anything left over with Larry's time here that sticks with you, things you learned from him impact? MATT HOLLIDAY: I think his speakers are still in the weight room. (Laughter) no. I got a chance to play with Larry my rookie year, his last year with the Rockies. He taught me a lot. He was a good teammate and he was sort of at a time in his career where he could not have really shared anything with me. He helped me a lot. He taught me a lot of things about outfield and positioning and throwing and we talked hitting. So Larry had a big impact on my career and to be able to watch him even as his career was on the end of his career, he was still unbelievable talent. Had injuries not taken over, I think he could have kept playing five or ten more years with his talent. He was fun to watch. And somebody that I learned a lot from. Q. Can you guys talk about Franklin Morales, obviously, is another young arm in this organization. He's come up given you some big starts and big wins. Can you talk about what he's meant and obviously him going tomorrow? TROY TULOWITZKI: Franklin is a great pitcher. He's obviously helped us a lot. I think young pitchers have taken a big step forward pitching some playoff games. You kind of gain some years of experience when you pitch in some playoff games and Franklin has handled himself very well, very composed. Goes out there and competes. And with his stuff, every time he takes the mound, I like our chances. MATT HOLLIDAY: He's been impressive for a guy that pitched mostly at AA this year to come up to the Major Leagues and to have the impact that he's had and obviously without he and Ubaldo we probably wouldn't be here. So you have to give them a lot of credit. They came up, gave us a boost. Any time you throw their kind of stuff out on the mound, you have a chance to -- they have a chance to shut somebody out. They can pitch deep in the games. If their command is on, they're very difficult. Q. Matt, your club's been winning in the post-season without asking you to make huge offensive contributions, does that help you relax or does it make you approach it with I've gotta do something too? MATT HOLLIDAY: This series I've pretty much been awful. I did okay the first series, but for whatever reason I haven't got any hits. I'm happy that we've won some games, obviously that's all that matters at this point. I'd like to start getting some hits and making it a little easier on the pitchers if the middle of our order starts producing a little bit more. So hopefully we can get it going. Obviously you have to give credit to Webb and Davis for pitching good games. But hopefully me and myself in the middle of the order can get it going in a little bit and give our pitchers a little bit more room. Q. The 19 out of 20 streak, has there been a signature moment or defining moment during the streak for you guys? MATT HOLLIDAY: I think the one moment that really stands out to me is probably the comeback against Saito when Todd hits the home run. I think that may be, if you want to say there was a signature moment, that might be it. Obviously there had to be a lot of great moments and a lot of big contributions to win 19 out of 20, there has to be countless number of big situations and big plays. But that one really stands out to me. That was a huge win for us. Q. You were both so hot during the end of the regular season, I think it was only natural that you were cooling down a little bit. Now, is that just the wrong way to look at it? TROY TULOWITZKI: It's a mixture of a couple of things. Obviously with Webb and Davis, those guys have been tough and during the regular season you don't always come across pitchers with the stuff that they have. And then there's times in the season when you're cold and you're hot. And, you know, maybe that's a case also where we run into a little bit of a cold streak here. But hopefully soon we'll all get hot together and hopefully that will take us through some games. MATT HOLLIDAY: Yeah, there's going to be times when pitchers make pitches and there's going to be times when hitters are missing their pitch. There's going to be times when most of the times you're taking advantage of mistakes and hitting most of them. There's going to be times when you're fouling them back and you have to deal with pitchers' pitches. And when you're facing guys like these, they don't give you a lot of pitches to hit. When you miss them, it makes for tough at-bats. So for me I feel like I've had some pitches to hit that I just haven't hit them. When I was going really well, you know, I was taking advantage of most of those opportunities. Q. Do you think the elements will play a factor at all tonight? MATT HOLLIDAY: I think it will be a different game obviously than if it was warm and no rain. But we're both dealing with it. We'll have the same elements to deal with. Any time you're playing in 40 degrees and rain it's going to be different than, like I say, sunny and 75. So I think it probably favors the pitchers I would say. I don't know if the wind's going to be blowing or not. But any time it's cold, hitters' hands are cold. It's not a good feeling. TROY TULOWITZKI: Hopefully it doesn't play a factor. Hopefully I think we'll definitely be loose. We'll get loose inside the clubhouse and take our swings in the cage. Obviously there's no BP. So that may play a little factor. But I think both teams will be ready to play unless it rains, I think. It won't be too much of a factor. Q. I'm wondering what's it like, the preparation's like for the first time you've faced a starting pitcher. Is there anything special, anything different? MATT HOLLIDAY: For tomorrow? It will be a little different because obviously you would think in our division, playing them so much in spring training we would have faced him before. But you just try to watch a little more tape maybe more than usual. Maybe look at some tendencies. That's about all you can really do is watch the tape and look for situations where he goes to certain pitches and that's pretty much all we can do. It is kind of funny, though, that we haven't faced him yet. TROY TULOWITZKI: Same thing, obviously watched video on him. I've been lucky enough to face him in the Minor Leagues. So if I can take any of those things and transfer them over to the guys, help them in any way, I'm definitely going to do that. But it is kind of awkward that we've played the Diamondbacks so many times and we haven't faced him once this year. Q. Follow-up on the weather question, Matt talked about how difficult it is to hit in the weather. At your position, the first step is so important. Is it difficult to get that first step in this weather and does it seem ironic to you that you decide the regular season champion in the hot weather and post-season champion in the cold weather? TROY TULOWITZKI: As an infielder you keep your legs loose. I find myself stretching a lot more, jumping up and down whenever it might be to keep my legs loose, make sure the first step is still there. Yeah, it's a little different. Go to Arizona, nice weather and then come here and it's cold. Hopefully they're not used to it and it plays in our favor. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen. End of FastScripts |
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