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MLB WORLD SERIES: PHILLIES v YANKEESOctober 31, 2009C.C. SabathiaPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Three Q. Is the three days' rest any factor? You've done it a lot of times before. Could you talk about that? CC SABATHIA: No, I mean, I said it all post-season, I've had enough rest the past two months to be able to feel comfortable enough to go out there and pitch on three days' rest. I told Joe that at the beginning of the playoffs, I'm here and available whenever you need me. Q. Two things: Physically is there a difference when you have long rest before the previous start and then going three days as opposed to going on three days like you did all year last year? And second, what tells you that you might be getting a little bit tired towards the end of a game? CC SABATHIA: As far as the three days' rest, I mean, it really doesn't matter if you wait eight days and then you're going three days. It's all the same. Your delivery is almost a little better just because, you know, you have to stay together and make sure that everything is right to be able to throw strikes. As far as knowing and feeling like you're getting tired, when I'm out there, I don't feel anything. I have said it all the time, I could throw 100 pitches, I could throw 140 pitches and feel the same. You start to lose your command and the ball gets up and arm side, and that's usually when guys are getting tired. Q. Does your approach vary at all depending on who's starting pitching for the other team? CC SABATHIA: As far as my pitching? Q. Yeah. David Cone used to talk about when he went against Pedro Martinez he would be mindful of that and try to -- CC SABATHIA: I'm always the same, no matter who's on the mound. You still have to face that lineup. It's a really good lineup, and I'll attack them the same. Q. Tell us a little bit how Game 1 really contributed to you getting yourself ready. Do you feel like getting out there on short rest is probably like -- because of some of the things that happened in Game 1 and you know you didn't get your flow, but you feel like right now you're ready to go and stuff? CC SABATHIA: Yeah, I feel pretty good. My arm feels fine. I feel healthy. I just didn't have the command in Game 1. Fastball command was off, and usually when that's off, I'm not very good. I try to look to go out there and pound the strike zone and get ahead early and make them get some swings early in the count. Q. At this point do you also proceed on the assumption you'd come back on three days for Game 7 if there is one? And since you did it so much with Milwaukee, I assume back to back on short rest isn't an issue, either? CC SABATHIA: No, that's really not an issue, back to back on short rest. Like I said, we'll take it one game at a time. All I'm going to focus on is tomorrow. After that, it's up to them. Q. When you're operating on three days' rest as much as you have, are you almost kind of used to the routine changing from the four-day rest, the throw day, everything that kind of changes for you? Has it almost become second nature to you by this point? CC SABATHIA: It kind of has. I kind of like it because I hate to throw bullpens. So I don't have to throw a bullpen when I pitch on three days' rest. I take the next day off and I throw two flat grounds. I started doing that in Milwaukee last year and did it the time before in the ALCS. Q. Was this less of a mystery for you than it was for us? Would you have been shocked if you weren't starting Game 4 and then potentially Game 7? CC SABATHIA: I didn't know. I didn't know what their feeling was. We didn't have the extra day off that we had in the ALCS, so I didn't know how they felt about what they were going to do with the rotation. I'm definitely excited to be able to get the ball, and we'll see what happens tomorrow night. Q. What about the mental aspect of having the team rely on you? Does that pump you up a little bit more knowing that you're going out on three days' rest? CC SABATHIA: Yeah, I mean, it feels good for them to have confidence in you, especially in these situations. You know, it gives you confidence when your team has confidence and the guys want you out there and everybody is, asking "Are you pitching today?" And "Are you pitching tomorrow?" That definitely feels good. Q. Do you have any feeling left over from last year, I mean, pitching the playoff game with Milwaukee? CC SABATHIA: I don't think you need any extra motivation at this point. This is the World Series, so the motivation is go out and win a ring. I had a tough start here last time, but hopefully I can have a better one tomorrow. Q. After a couple of days to think about it, what have you thought about the at-bats with Utley? And are there adjustments to make? Do you just need to make those two pitches better? CC SABATHIA: I mean, I feel the same. The first at-bat he grinded it out, and it was a great job by him. The second one was a mistake, an 0-2 fastball right down the middle. I just need to make better pitches. I thought we battled there his second at-bat, the first homer, and it was just one of those things. I left a ball out over the plate and he's a good hitter. The 0-2 pitch was just a mistake. Just make better pitches in those situations and might have had a different outcome. Q. How locked in do you feel at the plate? CC SABATHIA: (Laughing) I'm excited. I took a good round of BP today, so I'll try to start hitting the ball the other way tomorrow and see what happens. End of FastScripts |
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