|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ANGELS v YANKEESOctober 18, 2009Derek JeterMariano RiveraLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Workout Day Q. What does it mean just to have a closer like Mariano who you can rely on so much in October, last night being a great example where he was able to go and get you guys seven on outs And in that game last night? DEREK JETER: Well, I've got to say good things about Mo, because he's sitting right next to me. But, no, Mo's been, you know, you really can't compare Mo to anyone. Because he's doing things that have never been done before. For him to come outpost season and be as successful as he's been year in and year out, you know, I've been with him since I've been 19 years old, so it's really nothing if you new for me to see. He's definitely a weapon that not too many teams have had the luxury to have now or at any point in the history of the game. Q. You talked about Mariano being there. You've seen some guys with some sick numbers in your career there in New York. But when you look at what Alex Rodriguez has done over his career at Angels Stadium, and I know you've only seen just a few years of that, but it's pretty unbelievable. Have you ever seen a guy locked in like that at one park? And what do you think contributes to that? DEREK JETER: Well, I'll say we're not trying to jinx anybody, but, you know, I don't know. I don't know how you explain it. Some guys I think just are comfortable in certain stadiums. Evidently Alex is pretty comfortable here in Anaheim. You hope it continues. But it's kind of hard to believe, because they have a great pitching staff. For him to have that much success over the years, depends on how great of a player he is. Q. How do you guys keep up the same sense of urgency that you guys have had all season long, even though you're up 2-0 in the series, and maybe the Angels would, on the surface be looking at this game with more urgency than you guys might? DEREK JETER: Every game's important. You know, I don't think you ever sit back and say, well, we won two games so we can relax. Our whole mindset this entire year is to try to win every single game we play. You know, that mindset doesn't change. Therefore, when you're in big games you have the same approach. So we aren't looking at what happened the first two games. In our opinion Game 3 is just as important as the first two. Q. Everybody's been asking lots of questions about Alex and where he is mentally. But when you look at what he's doing just baseball-wise and from a physical sense in these playoffs, what are you seeing? DEREK JETER: He's playing well. That's bottom line. We've played five games so far. He's been swinging the bat well. He's had a great end of the regular season. He seems like he's carried it into the postseason. That's the thing. In the playoffs these series are short, and you hope that you're swinging the the bat well and playing your best when you get into these series. He seems like he's playing as good now as he has all year. Q. I realize this doesn't have quite the charm of the rally monkeys, but do you remember from any of the previous playoff games in Anaheim anything about the thunder sticks that seem to come out? DEREK JETER: Thunder sticks? I don't know if they had those when we played here. Did they? I forget. Nothing really stands out. Q. Okay. That's fine. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mr. Rivera. Q. Mariano, how much do you love pitching these games in October, and how do you approach these games say compared to a game starting the regular season? MARIANO RIVERA: Well, definitely, definitely I saw the different stage here in October. I'm seeing it where everybody, every player wants to be. I'm just seeing it the way it is. Taking it game by game and do my best. You know, thank God that everything that we've accomplished has been great. What I have to say is there is no tomorrow. Q. Whether it was Joe Torre before or Joe Girardi now, you almost expect that they're going to have you go two innings at a time when they need to this time of the year. And how much you enjoy that challenge getting six even seven outs when they need you to get them? MARIANO RIVERA: Definitely, it's special. Because to me the game's on the line. And when you're there, just you don't think about tomorrow. You just want to win that game, especially tomorrow. Whatever happens tomorrow is about to come. But I'd definitely love to be in the situation and try to do the best I can. Q. For Mo and Derek, the feeling around this team compared to the championship teams you guys have had. Does it feel similar in terms of you're at this point in your playoff run? DEREK JETER: What I have to say is those teams that we had before, those teams are approved already, you know improving. We have done a tremendous job so far. And we have to forget what we did yesterday and the day before. It's important. Tomorrow is a new challenge, and we have to be up for it. Q. Did you give any advice to David Robertson coming into the series and just curious what your impressions of how he stood up to the pressure as a young player in this situation? MARIANO RIVERA: Actually I haven't done that. We are during the regular season. But lately we haven't talked about playoff or teams like that. But he has done tremendous, you know. He's pitched previous great. Also that night, he did a tremendous job. The important thing about these guys is that they don't have too much experience, so they go there and try to do the best they can. And thank God they have done it. Q. Now you've got going in Game 3, Andy, how good did he look to you in the Division Series and what is the confidence level with him going in such a big game out here? DEREK JETER: Well, Andy, you know, he's another one. Me and Mo have played with for 16 years. We're used to seeing him in all different kinds of situations. There isn't a situation that he hasn't been in. He's had a lot of success. He has a lot of confidence in his ability. He seems to always bare down in big games. He's one guy that we like to see on the mound in those big games. Doesn't mean he's always going to be successful, but you know he's not going to be overwhelmed in a situation. We have a lot of confidence in him when he's on the mound. Q. Just wondering how you feel physically after going two and a third last night. You haven't done that in a long time. Definitely the longest this year, and going forward, do you think you can give that to them again if they needed it? MARIANO RIVERA: I'm beat up right now, man (laughing). DEREK JETER: He's old, man. He's getting coffee today. Coffee on the streets. MARIANO RIVERA: You know what, it's wonderful, man. Like I said, you play for the organization that has given you everything, and why not. It doesn't matter how long you go, as long as you do it right. Like I said, yesterday was one of those games that you just have to do whatever it takes to win the game. If it takes for me to pitch two innings or two plus innings, I mean, I'll be there. Like I said, I'm okay. Tomorrow I'll be fine. Q. Were you surprised they sent you back out there for that third inning? MARIANO RIVERA: Not at all, not at all. They told me and I told them I'm ready. I'm ready for it. And that's what happened. Q. Oftentimes players have been very successful did not succeed -- I wonder if they play the last game and won the World Series, and whether he sees it in terms of whether he could do anything different or he could go back to change anything? MARIANO RIVERA: He can't do nothing about that, but one team that's learned about our situation and move on. I wish that we could have won the World Series, but it wasn't. I did my best, and my best wasn't enough that day. So, like I said, that's behind us. And we have to move forward. Now in the ALCS playoffs, and hopefully we'll go all the way. Q. You were just saying that you're feeling pretty good and that you're ready to go however many innings they need you to go. Like how much did it help during the regular season that Joe was pretty mindful about making sure you didn't get past four outs? MARIANO RIVERA: I think Joe did a tremendous job during the playoffs and during the regular season with all of the bullpen guys. Especially with me. He kept me in a good -- actually in a good groove when I didn't pitch more than an inning plus. So Doug kept me fresh for the whole part of the year, and going into the playoffs. THE MODERATOR: Derek, Mariano, thank you for your time. We appreciate it. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|