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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v GIANTSOctober 6, 2010Bobby CoxSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Workout Day THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Bobby, how did J.J. feel last night? Does that affect any of your roster decisions? BOBBY COX: Yeah, he didn't feel anything in his knee, believe it or not, it didn't bother him once. He went four innings, 55 pitches, no runs and threw 21 in the first inning. He was erratic and rusty and, as you know, he hadn't been out there in a long time. But I don't think we can afford to put him on this round, but I think if he keeps going down there and starting, there is a good chance he could go in the second round. Q. Talk about Lowe and what he's meant to the ball club over the last month and what you anticipate with his experience in the postseason. BOBBY COX: He has been lights out the last month, and I brought some notes with me. He's given up four runs in his last five starts and walked three guys and accumulated strikeouts in some of those games. A game-high of 12 once. He's a lot different pitcher right now than he was in the first half of the season. He was good in the first half; he's even better now. He's throwing more accurately and his break and stuff is really good and his change-up is really, really good right now. He's just been phenomenal. He was our opening-day pitcher two years ago, and he was our opening-day pitcher this year, and he's going to open in the playoffs. Q. How about the experience factor, what he did with the Red Sox and the Dodgers? BOBBY COX: I think that does figure in, it's good to have experienced guys that have been through the playoffs and he's been through a bunch of 'em so -- and he's all fired up. Q. How different does this playoffs feel to you? You're about to retire and it's been a few years since you've been here. BOBBY COX: Quite honestly, it's no different, and it really hasn't -- even we played last Sunday and won, and if that had been our last game, it wouldn't have hit me. Maybe until after we showered or something, but it wouldn't have hit me in the dugout because we've been through these playoffs. The last three weeks, every game is a must-win game and the Giants went through exactly the same thing, as well as San Diego. So we're pretty used to this right now, and it doesn't feel like, you know, it's going to be it. Q. Bobby, it's a pretty short list of guys who get to go out on top or even near the top, and it looks like you're at least going to be close to that opportunity. Given that, given what this club is sort of building, maybe moving forward, does that make this sweeter? Does it make it harder to take? Secondarily, is it odd at all the number of questions you're getting about yourself at this time of the year? BOBBY COX: Certainly have been getting a lot of questions throughout the season but I would say it's a sweetener, you know? To having -- we won 91 games, that's a lot, I think. Our ball club, I can't say enough about 'em, we've had two different teams basically this year and all for the good. They've hung in there tough, and they've clutched it in many, many times. I think we led baseball, or close to it, in late-inning wins. And that's how we got here to be honest with you. We've had good pitching, although we lost Medlen and Jurrjens out of the rotation, Beachy has stepped it up, and Hudson and Lowe, they sort of got us here a week or so ago, they went on three days' rest and pitched two brilliant ballgames, back-to-back. And all we had to do is lose one of those, and we wouldn't be here, and they pitched great. The make-up of the team is similar to those two guys, even the young guys, they're all in, no matter what it takes or how injured they are. We lost Prado, maybe our top ballplayer. He won't make the series. He's out for at least two months just rehabbing. You know, Chipper Jones went down well before that, too. So anyway, the guys -- our bench, we broke with a great bench in spring training. We thought that was going to be one of our big strength for a national league ball club, and our bench is now in the lineup. So they've done a good job. Q. You touched on this just now, how your roster has turned over in the last six months, particularly your everyday guys, can you talk about Omar, what impact he has had in stepping into a role for you? BOBBY COX: When he was in Detroit, he was going to be an all-star. When he signed as a kid, went through their system, got to the big leagues, and it didn't happen. And we were able to get him in a three-way trade. He was one of our bench guys and knowing that he was a good ballplayer, real good ballplayer, and he's meant everything to this team. He had slumped a little bit recently. He didn't have a lot of luck with his hitting, but he had a big 3-run triple the other day. And Omar can play second, center, left, right, shortstop, and third base, and play 'em in all-star fashion. Charlie Manuel made the greatest pick in the history of the all-star selections when he named him to the all-star team. Q. What is Saito's status, do you hold out hope that he can make it? BOBBY COX: Yes, he is. Where I should be right now in the bullpen throwing, and we're going to let him throw, air it out today as much as he can and see. We had planned for him to go to the instructional league and pitch today, and he wanted to give it one last chance. He's a real team guy. He doesn't care what happens in the future with his arm. And his arm did not hurt the other day when he pitched. He got in one inning the other day, and his pitch count went way up, and I had to get him out, thinking he might make this team and be available to pitch. We have that decision to make before 10:00 tomorrow morning. Q. Look at your offense, can you tell me who are the people that are carrying this offense right now? BOBBY COX: Prado was until he went down. And it's a combination. There is no one particular guy. We have won all year long with different guys getting base hits. We didn't rely naturally on one guy. It never has been that way on this team. Of course, Infante has played big for us. And Derrek Lee has been hitting the ball pretty darn well for us, too, a good pick for us. Q. Bobby, you actually mentioned Derek Lee, that's what my question was, how valuable is Derrek Lee heading into the clubhouse for this postseason? BOBBY COX: He is very valuable, a real gamer. He's been through the playoffs, he's still great at first base, he's had some back problems, and he plays hurt. And I admire the guy tremendously. He's a great leader and fun to have on the team. Q. Bobby, you switched Infante and Conrad for the last game of the season. Are you planning to flip 'em back again to their original spots, and have you decided on the alignment of your outfield? BOBBY COX: Brooks Conrad is going to play second and Infante third. And Brooks was always a second baseman and Infante can play anywhere, as I said, in Gold Glove fashion. And that's the way we're going. Q. Your outfield? BOBBY COX: I haven't given my lineup yet. I'll announce that tomorrow. Q. When you guys beat Tim Lincecum in your place in August, that was the start of a really bad month for him. You went 0-5 -- BOBBY COX: What's a bad month for him? Q. 0-5 would be a bad month for anybody, but was there anybody you saw that night that gave you pause about the way that he was pitching, and at some point did you know, seeing in the paper or on TV, that he was 0-5 and he had that losing streak and what you thought might happen? BOBBY COX: We had a guy, Tommy Hanson, I'm not sure what his ERA was, he didn't win in a month and a half, but his ERA was way low, and just had no luck. I don't know if that was Tim Lincecum problem or not. But he's tough. He's got as good a pitches as you ever want to see with a pitcher. And most of the time he has great location and he's a great competitor. We scored 3 runs off him here opening day. Kawakami had him beat 3-1 in the 6th inning and all of the sudden we were behind 4-3. But he's won back-to-back CY Youngs. And he's the pitcher that everybody thinks is "is." And I can't say enough about the guy. And if he makes mistakes like any pitcher, we have to hit him. Q. Bobby, two outstanding rookies in this series, can you give me observations of Posey and Heyward? BOBBY COX: Yeah, I've seen Pose a lot on video and watcher games and he's dynamite. The kid is going to be a great pinch hitter, he already is. And he's got power, an arm that looks like a laser going to second base, and he stepped right in going down the stretch, catching really a good pitching staff with no problems. That says a lot about a kid that's out of South Georgia. Q. Bobby, who is the -- BOBBY COX: I don't know how we missed him. Q. Who is the rookie of the year in the national league? And if the answer is what I think it might be from you, is it based primarily on six months versus four? BOBBY COX: Well, that's for you guys to vote on. Jason Heyward has played almost every game. He was out for a while with a real bad thumb. His on-base percentage is almost .400. He has a lot of timely hits and he's a great right fielder that throws well and defends very well. He's been there all year, but I can make a case for your guy just as well. Q. Continuing with that a little bit, you've managed a lot of great rookies coming up in Atlanta. What is it about Heyward, beyond the numbers, that impresses you with his rookie year and going forward? BOBBY COX: Well, we made it known during the winter last year that if he showed well in spring training, we were going to give him a chance to make the team. Didn't come in cut and dried that he had to go to Triple-A or anything like that. He played basically the year before all in Double-A. His performance in spring training was as good as you want to see. He hit the ball well. He defended William, and for a 20-year-old, his instincts were off the chart defensively and running the bases and things like that. He's a real bright kid. And, you know, I would like to see every ballplayer on our team with his instincts. They're off the chart. Q. Bobby, the Giants added some important players in the off-season, brought up a couple of rookies, added more players in the middle of the year. From a manager's perspective how hard is it to get guys to mesh quickly as they've done this year? BOBBY COX: Well, Bruce -- Bruce Bochy is as good as there is in baseball. I've always admired Boch. And I remember the first year he came into San Diego, and I liked him then, and I like him now. And he can mesh a team as well as anybody. He has great communication skills, knows how to run a ballgame. And he's a guy that's easy to play for. He has a lot of discipline and he has a lot patience as well. Their team is completely different -- not completely different, but there is a big difference between opening day here against the Atlanta Braves, and as we sit here today with the additions of Burrell, Uribe is now the shortstop, and Posey is the catcher. You got Sanchez and Guillen in right field. It's a big difference, and they play the game differently than they did in April. Q. Bobby, you play on Thursday, can you talk about what this the break, an advance? Do you like? BOBBY COX: I can't speak for Boch, but I can speak for myself, and I like it. Gives our bullpen a chance to rest. As you know, going down the stretch every game is so important, that you use your bullpen quite a bit. And this time of the year, I can't name you one position guy that doesn't have something wrong with him. You play 162 ballgames, you're hurtin' and it's given them a chance to get fixed and get better. Q. Bobby, just like the Giants, your catcher is a major offensive contributor. How valuable is that and can it be a double-edged sword because catchers need rest and you're missing his bat out of the lineup? BOBBY COX: McCann caught the last two weeks almost every ballgame, and Ross caught two, I think. David Ross is an unbelievable back-up catcher. He's got a great arm, catches well, calls a great game, and there is always a threat that he's going to hit one over the wall or off the ball. But we went with Mac quite a bit even against lefties, too, and for a catcher to get a little bit of breathing room is good. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Bobby. End of FastScripts |
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