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NL DIVISION SERIES: ROCKIES v PHILLIES

October 9, 2009

Jason Hammel

DENVER, COLORADO: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jason Hammel.

Q. Given the nature of your trade toward the end of spring training, really the day before the regular season, how disruptive was that for you? I know your name had been out there as far as who was going to win the last job in the Rays' rotation, so maybe you kind of saw it coming. But it's going to a new league, new clubhouse, you missed an entire spring training. What was the residual of that moving forward after the trade?
JASON HAMMEL: You know, Jeff and I were really good friends. We weren't really looking too much at it as a negative thing, which one was going, who was going to get the spot. Obviously he had a great season. I came over here and got a great opportunity. The guys accepted me really well, really quickly, and made my transition about as seamless as it could have been. I'm definitely excited to be here.

Q. Earlier here in the Denver meeting we made a big deal about your split between the road and Coors. Was that an aberration we made too much of? Or did you really have to learn to feel to be more comfortable to pitch here?
JASON HAMMEL: I just think it was new scenery, just getting used to Coors Field and the mound. Obviously you go to different stadiums, mounds are different. Plus learning a new league.
So I don't think you made it too big of a deal of it. But to look at it and really see home as being opposed from away, whether I was a good pitcher at either spot didn't matter to me; I just knew I needed to continue with my game plan. And things balanced out at the end of the season.

Q. When you were told "we're sending to you the Rockies," did you have initial apprehension because of the Coors Field factor?
JASON HAMMEL: I heard a lot of bad things about the place, the balls fly faster. I wasn't here and wasn't performing when they had the humidor. I don't know what it was like with or without the humidor.
Honestly, there's not much change. The slider is maybe the only thing that's changed, maybe a little flatter.
But other than that, it's still a baseball field. It's still got four bags, pitcher's mound, and you play against somebody else. As long as you continue on your game plan, Coors Field is a baseball stadium.

Q. As you may know, the Phillies have recently announced that Pedro Martinez will be starting this game opposite you. Could you just tell us what you know about Pedro and his career and how you feel about pitching against him in the post-season?
JASON HAMMEL: I could probably ask all you guys to answer that question. Cy Young winner. Obviously one of the greatest of all time. It's definitely a pleasure to be on the other side of that. But obviously he's going to go about his work attacking our hitters, so I can't really worry about who the name is on the other mound facing me. I'm going to concentrate what I need to do throwing strikes and keeping my team in the game.
So obviously it's an honor to be pitching in the same game as Pedro Martinez. But I've got a job to do.

Q. How excited are you? Last year obviously Tampa had a great run, but you didn't get to pitch. To get to start the first home game of the first season, how much excitement do you have going into this Game 3 start?
JASON HAMMEL: It's awesome. Like I said, stated earlier, huge opportunity for me. There's five guys we've been throwing out there all year that have been keeping us in the ball game. I'm definitely grateful for the opportunity.
I just -- going to the World Series helped me obviously just seeing how things go along and kind of dealing with the pressure then. Obviously I wanted to pitch, but I was hurt and there's other guys that were doing the job, too. So I'm not going to make too much of a big a deal of this, it's obviously an important game. They're all important games from here on out.
But I can't put too much pressure on myself. So we'll just go out and go to work.

Q. I can't remember exactly at what point in the season you started using somewhat of a two-seamer, did you back off that or do you use that at all anymore, I guess is the question?
JASON HAMMEL: I've actually canned that. It wasn't -- it worked for a little bit then I started mixing around too much emphasis on throwing the two-seamer. And I, honestly, basically at the beginning part of the season I was just throwing it down the middle and letting it react. And I didn't really have too much confidence in it. I was just throwing it because it was working.
And I started running there into a little trouble in the middle of the season I went back to what was working with the four-seam. It's a more accurate pitch. It's so important to get ahead of hitters, when you're using something that you don't know you're going to get ahead with them, it's going to be a different ball game.
I'm not throwing any more two-seamers. We'll stick with the four-seam.

Q. Is that the reason, junking the two-seamer, that basically led to your second-half resurgence?
JASON HAMMEL: I believe it was a big part, definitely. Last year I couldn't really find my curveball, and, as you know, it's been a huge part of my success the second half, being able to throw for strikes. And anytime you can throw a breaking ball for strike along with fastball command, you're going to be successful.
So obviously the four-seamer has definitely helped me out. But not to take away from any of the other pitches, too; they've been very, very helpful.

Q. As you may know, the forecast for tomorrow is for excellent ski conditions down here. Just wondering if you've pitched in that and if that causes you any concern?
JASON HAMMEL: I've had snowball fights before. So I can control those (Laughter). Actually, I've pitched in a quadruple-header in college, totally different stage, but we were expecting blizzard conditions. So we moved the doubleheader from Saturday up to Friday. I pitched in the later games, and it was snowing then.
So I've had experience with it. It doesn't bother me. I'm a cold-weather guy. I enjoy pitching the cold. It doesn't bother me. Humidity hurts me because I sweat like a pig, but honestly I'm excited to get out there. Whatever the weather is. I'm not going to think too much about it. I've got hitters to attack.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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