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NL DIVISION SERIES: DODGERS v CUBSOctober 1, 2008Chad BillingsleyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game One Q. You got your first taste of Wrigley Field pitching here earlier this year. Was that at all helpful, going into this game and having already pitched here once? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I mean, it's going to be a little bit different, just the playoff atmosphere. I'm not really thinking too much about it. Just go out there and concentrate on my game. Q. How much different does it feel for you this year as opposed to in '06 when you were a rookie in the playoffs, in terms of your approach, in terms of your, I guess, comfort level? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: In '06 it was a little bit different coming out of the bullpen. I mean, I was just kind of there in the moment, didn't really know what to expect. And this year, I mean, it's going to be a little bit different, I mean, being in the starting rotation. But I'm going to approach it as any other start. I don't want to go out there and try to do too much. I'm just really going to concentrate on staying within my game. Q. A lot of pitchers come in here and look at the flags immediately. Will you look at the flags tomorrow? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I'm going to probably glance up there, maybe change the way I pitch if it's blowing in or out. If it's blowing out, you've got to really make sure you keep the ball down in the zone. If it's blowing in, you can have a little bit more room for mistakes. Really, it's going to have a little effect maybe on how I pitch. Q. A lot of players are superstitious. Do you believe in superstitions? And do you believe in the one that has kept the Cubs from winning for over 100 years? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I'm not really superstitious, I'm maybe more routine. As far as me, I try to keep to the same routine every day. If I go with -- if I don't stay within that routine, it's not a big deal. I mean, I don't really try and concentrate on that because if something happens within that routine or superstitious, you maybe get in your own head. I mean, I just kind of just stay focused, and that's pretty much what I do. I'm not superstitious as far as not stepping on the line or putting your shoes on a certain way. I'm not really big into all that kind of superstitious stuff. Q. What about the second part? Do you believe in 100-year superstition? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I've been hearing a lot about this on the news and everything. It's baseball, and I don't really know what to think about it. It's been way before my time. I've just been around here for a couple years now. Chicago, they've got a great ballclub over there. It's the postseason. Maybe anything can happen. Q. Do you look at the potential match-up against Zambrano, a guy who threw a no-hitter a couple weeks ago? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I mean, Carlos, he's having an unbelievable career, not just his pitching. He's hit about .300. I mean, it could be that way. You never know. I mean, he's a great pitcher and he's thrown well against us in the times he's thrown against us this year. I mean, it could be 1-0 or it could be a five, seven-run game. You just never know. It's the postseason. It's whoever has the better day almost. Q. How much has Greg Maddux given you advice on pitching how and how much advice has he given you on this ballpark? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: We haven't really talked about this ballpark specifically. During our workout yesterday, I mean, we were standing out there in BP, talking a little bit when he went through his first starts when he was first coming up in baseball, and kind of how he approached the game and what he learned from it, and towards the end of his career, I mean, just what he did. I just kind of picked his brain about it and helped me out a little bit because I was kind of unsure which way I was going to approach this game. From what guys I've talked to and what they've said, you approach it as any other start. You don't want to try to go out there and do too much. You really want to try to stay within your game. Q. Given all the Cubs' history and everything, is most of the pressure in this series on them? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I wouldn't say that -- Q. You would or would not say that? CHAD BILLINGSLEY: I wouldn't say there's more pressure on them. There's pressure on both of us. Both of us here are for one thing, to advance and keep going. I mean, it's the postseason, it's October. I mean, anything can happen. End of FastScripts |
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