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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v GIANTS

October 9, 2010

Bobby Cox

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Bobby Cox.

Q. First of all, I know you had mentioned last night after the game that Billy, you thought he was out. Any update on his condition or what his problem is?
BOBBY COX: No. When I got home this morning, the trainers called. They're going to have the doctors look at him tomorrow and do what we can. I'm not so sure this round he's going to be available. Maybe next round. We've got our fingers crossed. But right now, no change.

Q. Also, can I just ask you, this team with all the adversity you've been through and now Billy going down, just the latest of that, you've sort of talked about the course of the season, the resilience of this team. What's it say about all the guys that you've got out that you find yourself here in the first round of the playoffs, tied after the first two games?
BOBBY COX: I would say that's why we're so proud of this team. They do bounce back. We had a deep bullpen, and we had a deep bench. I keep talking about that at the press conferences in Francisco, but it's true.
It's allowed us to insert those guys in the lineup and get them out of the bullpen. We've got position guys that were regulars now, and they were bench guys. And we've got bullpen guys who were at the tail end of it -- the opposite end of a closer, and now closing or will be closing and setting up.
So we're lucky. Frank Wren and the guys did a great job of making sure we had a good bench and a good bullpen. In the National League, you better have both.

Q. You said before that Eric Hinske's much more than just a lucky charm or whatever, a good luck charm. What has he done to aid the personality of this team or influence the personality of this team?
BOBBY COX: He's a really fiery spirit. He doesn't like to fail. He'll let you know it. You know, he's done a pretty darn good job of pinch hitting and playing left field. He played some first base and some left field.
So he really helped us get going early in the year when nobody was hitting, and we put him out there and he did a darn good job. Tailed off a little bit, but he's been there for us in the clutch, and he's an important part of this team.

Q. Last night Wags was saying this team's going to be fine without me. But if Kimbrel had that confidence that he can do whatever, whether it's the set-up, the closing role, everything he's done, is that correct, that he's given you that kind of confidence?
BOBBY COX: Yeah, yeah, we do. We'll mix and match the 7th, 8th, and 9th inning. Whoever matches up those particular innings, that is who is going to be out there. We'll close with whomever. But I've always thought Moylan could close, and Farnsworth has closed in the Major Leagues, and Venters, there's no reason he can't, as well as Kimbrel.

Q. From what you said about Wagner and maybe next round, are you guys going to kind of hold out hope with the doctors and don't go ahead and make that roster move until you know for sure with that?
BOBBY COX: Yeah, we could go short. We have to make -- Saito pitched yesterday and pitched well. He pitched an inning, struck out two, faced six batters, 18 pitches, said his arm felt fine. So we have a back-up there, and we have a back-up with J.J. and Proctor as well.

Q. So just kind of wait and see what the doctors say tomorrow before you make that call?
BOBBY COX: Yeah, they'll look at him in the morning, and we'll try to make some type of determination. If we take him off, naturally he's not able to pitch in the next series.

Q. I just want to check on Saito. Is he a possibility; that if you do take Billy off the roster tomorrow, that Saito could be activated and would he close?
BOBBY COX: He could be activated. We've got a tough decision to make. We'll do a lot of talking before we make it. He could. He felt fine after the outing, and we'll have to see.
Could he close before he had to go on the disable list? Absolutely. Any time during the season he could have closed. Right now, he's only pitched that one inning, and that, you know, I don't know if we want to take those chances or not. We may be forced into it, we'll see. But to answer your question, could he close prior to this injury, absolutely?

Q. Just on the young guys, Venters and Kimbrel, what has shown you that they're ready for this responsibility beyond just the stuff they have?
BOBBY COX: Well, they better be ready for it. They've been doing it for months now. They've done it down the stretch and in important games. Nobody's perfect, but these guys have almost been absolutely perfect.

Q. I'm curious what time you guys got home this morning, and how important it was to give them a day off today.
BOBBY COX: Yeah, we got to our house at 9:15. It was nice and sunny when we landed. But we haven't made a trip like that in a while, so it's part of the game. You know, we'll get a lot of rest today and tonight, and should be in great shape for tomorrow.

Q. What kind of scene are you expecting tomorrow? Do you think it's going to be a little more raucous or energized than it's been the last couple years you all were in the postseason?
BOBBY COX: Yes, I think it really -- we're sold out, as far as I know. I don't think there are any walk-ins or anything right now getting tickets. We're sold out. It should be as exciting as heck, just like it was in San Francisco.
Actually, the last three days, the Philadelphia series of the regular season was as good a playoff atmosphere as you'd ever want to see. But I think it will top that, probably.

Q. I know you've been asked a ton of retirement questions over the course of the year, so forgive me for asking another one. But has it been different so far in the playoffs knowing that this is the last go around for you?
BOBBY COX: No, it hasn't. It honestly, you would think it would, but it's not. I often said during the spring and of course of the season when I was asked that, that I didn't really know. It may be on the very last pitch of whatever game it is.
I felt the same way Sunday against the Phillies when we won and clinched a spot in the playoff, the Wild Card. It never dawned on me that this could be my last one. I felt that way ever since.
So I don't know. We'll wait and see. The last pitch, probably.

Q. Has it been nice kind of seeing how it seemed like a lot of people in baseball have come out and said a lot of nice things about you over the course of the year? How gratifying has that been?
BOBBY COX: It's very gratifying. It's humbled me a good deal. It's nice to have people say good things about you. We get a lot of bad things said about us during the course of the season. So I do appreciate it, and am humbled by it.
When you end up, all you have is your friends, and I'd like to think that I made a few on my go-around.

Q. One of the guys was talking about how they talk the confidence, and Troy showed it when he walked away from the mound in the 10th, and pointed to second, saying, hey, this is where the play's going. What was your reaction when he went there?
BOBBY COX: Hey, Mark, start over, please.

Q. When Troy walked away from the mound last night and he pointed to second, the guys said, hey, look. He might not have played there a lot, but he showed a lot of confidence. Said, hey, look, I know how to play, this is where we're going. What was your reaction when he went to second with that? Do you share that feeling?
BOBBY COX: I'm not sure. I thought he might go home with it. I was listening on the radio, so I didn't see it. But I've seen it several times. He made a real quick throw to second, and Infante really turned it. And Troy was the happiest guy on that plane last night getting in the ballgame, getting the bat, and being a part of a huge double-play. We don't turn it, we lose, but we did.
We had the infield in double-play depth. Lot of times I'll play it in on those situations. But we thought if Posey did hit a ground ball, we could turn it.

Q. Did you go to the radio superstition trying to change things up? Did you stop watching TV and just go to the radio instead?
BOBBY COX: I always get a radio when I get thrown out.

Q. Yeah, I got you.
BOBBY COX: Anyway, it was entertaining. Nerve-racking. It was fun, too.

End of FastScripts

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