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NL DIVISION SERIES: REDS v PHILLIES

October 10, 2010

CINCINNATI, OHIO: Game Three

KATY FEENEY: Questions for Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin.

Q. Ryan, where did you get the mask?
RYAN MADSON: I went to a Halloween store a couple of days ago with the kids, so it was fun. And I couldn't pass up that opportunity to get one of those. I've been wearing it every day to the playoffs, so I had to wear it again today.
Is this thing on (smiling)?

Q. Do you guys see any similarities or any comparisons to how the bullpen has thrown the last two months of the season and how you are throwing in '08? Last two months seems like you guys have been doing a solid job.
CHAD DURBIN: Minus the extra lefty in there, Scott Eyre, I think everybody has been filling in those roles and getting outs in a regular routine or a role that you kinda get used to. In the 6th, 7th, it's been the standard guys, and this guy in the 8th. For lefties coming up, J.C. has been doing a good job lately. So, yeah, I think it helps with the momentum that gets carried on in the end of the game, in the bullpen.
RYAN MADSON: Good answer.

Q. The starting pitching has accumulated a lot of innings this year. You guys haven't gotten a ton of work at times. Has that helped or hindered in the long run?
RYAN MADSON: I think it helps, because one of the things that makes our bullpen is our starting pitching. They're going inside, mixing up pitches, and getting the hitters on their heels. And we were talking about this the other day, and our starting pitchers have helped us tremendously by setting the hitters up and getting them off balance, and we take advantage of it at the same time. So we're only as good as our hitters, but as a bullpen, we're only as good as our starting pitchers.

Q. In terms of staying sharp, there's stretches without pitching is that good?
RYAN MADSON: We never complain about that.
CHAD DURBIN: Couple days off, you can throw a bullpen during the game and get a little work in. But when they're throwing 8 and 9, nobody is complaining.

Q. If you guys win -- obviously you want to win as soon as possible, but if you win, you're going to have another five days off. You guys have had a ton of days off lately. Is that good this time of year, to have that much rest in between series?
RYAN MADSON: You do not want to have too much rest because your stuff starts -- as far as pitchers go, our shoulders start to heal and you're breaking that up again. And we like routines, like you said earlier. But we find ways to fill in that downtime. I face him in the cages a couple of times, in between. If I go three or four days, he'll grab a bat, because he's a pretty good hitter. So we find ways to fill time.
CHAD DURBIN: That, and I don't hit very well off him. He's got a good change-up (laughter).
On a serious note, you've got to get some reps in at some point. If your body does need to heal, it's a good thing. But healing too much for us, I don't feel as good with four days off as I do throwing three or four days in a row.
RYAN MADSON: That's true.

Q. Ryan is in a situation a lot where he's expected to protect a slim lead and there is some quantification for that. You're often in the position where you're trying to get it to him or maintain a deficit or stop the bleeding. Do you like that role? How important is it in the grand scheme of things to keep a 4-0 lead at 4-0 and stuff like that?
CHAD DURBIN: I thought about it. Last year, I got to think about it a little more, and this year, it has been reactive. I've got thrown into a lot of games in the 6th or 7th with runners on base, there is a big out or two to get, minimize damage. So the way I look at it now, in the 6th and 7th inning, their 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-hole is going to come up at some point, and if you can get them out, preferably it takes away the chance that they will come up more than one time in that game. They're supposed to produce, and if you don't let 'em hit again, it's a good thing.

Q. Contreras had never done this job in his career for a full season, from the beginning of the season till now. How quickly did he take to it? Did he ask for advise? Bounce ideas off you guys, or was he a natural at being a short reliever?
RYAN MADSON: I would say he was a natural. He went out there and felt comfortable. We have the type of guys out there to go out there and feel comfortable and he has great stuff. And with a little translation, we were off and running from the beginning (chuckles). So he's got great stuff. He filled in Chan Ho Park stuff real well. He has a big arm.
CHAD DURBIN: A lot of credit goes to Baez, as well. He's done it. It's his catch partner. If he has questions, I'm 100% sure he asks Danys first. And if Danys has any questions, he asks us, and to translate back. And he has an incredible arm. It's incredible. I believe at his age to be able to just fire at 95 every day. Loose shoulder, I mean, it's fun to watch him warm-up, to be honest with you.

Q. Bullpens can sometimes be a mythical thing with the nasty boys, and if you guys had to sum up you guys as a group out there, either one, what would you call yours? What's the dynamic like out there?
RYAN MADSON: I'm going to refrain from a couple -- just eclectic, I would say. We have some really smart guys. Like Lidge, we say he's the smartest dumb guy we know.
CHAD DURBIN: Or vice versa, yeah 4.
RYAN MADSON: A lot of dumb smart guys out there, or a lot of smart dumb guys. We keep it relaxed. Our guy Mick Billmeyer sets the tone. He's positive, happy, in good spirits and keeps everybody in a good mood, but focused at the same time. We like to have a good time, but we stay focused. We see every pitch, every out.

Q. Some of you guys have been together for quite a while. And after this season, there has been a lot of talk that it could be a new bullpen next year. And I'm wondering, Chad, considering your situation, are you savoring this run more than others, because things could change for you after this season? And Ryan can you talk about I'm guessing you hope all you guys stay together?
CHAD DURBIN: Fortunately, and unfortunately, I've been on a year-to-year basis my entire career, so I take in those moments with particular guys than maybe players that are on a two- or three-year deal and know they're going to be around.
So last year, and maybe before, it was the first experience in '08. And in '09, you never know what's going to happen in the off-season, and I try to spend as much time with the guys as I can and take it all in.
RYAN MADSON: We've got a great group of guys. The longer you can keep a great group of guys together, the better. I don't want anything to change. I hope we can just stay like this for all the career, because the longer you're together. As a bullpen, because you need to be tight, the game gets rough, has rough spots for everybody. But for us, we got guys we can lean on and we need to keep those guys.
So I would love to keep it the same.

Q. Ryan, you said you would like to keep it that way your whole career. You've talked about wanting to be a closer, and Charlie said you have the stuff for it, and Dubby said it. You may or may not, but you may not get to be a closer; is that okay?
RYAN MADSON: I take it one year at a time or one season at a time, same thing. But, you know, it's an important role, obviously, to close, but I'm having a great time doing what I do. I enjoy being successful at what I do, and if that leads me to do something else, if it leads me to close, then obviously I'll take that opportunity.
But at the same time, I'm enjoying, you know, setting up for Lidge. And it's a blast because he's really fun to watch. I'm proud to be pitching in front of him. It's not like I'm taking a hit for it. I enjoy it and I know everybody else does at the same time.

Q. Ryan, you said you've been wearing this mask during the playoffs, I'm wondering every day, off days, so when do you wear it? In the clubhouse before the game or what's the routine?
CHAD DURBIN: Hot tub.
RYAN MADSON: Hot tub is where it debuted. That was cool. But the first guy that walked in was Charlie Manuel and he shook his head. So I -- but I kept with it. The guys encouraged me, and I guess favorite place to wear it would be probably the shower.

Q. First, what would you call the mask? How would you refer to it? And second, why that one? What was it about that specific one?
RYAN MADSON: If we continue to play on, I'll indulge in more questions about the mask. But we're going to keep it between "us."
Q. Despite your last comment, I heard there is a second mask floating around. True? False? Who's got it?
RYAN MADSON: I'm going to have to go back to the earlier answer to that. We keep moving on, forward from here, then I'm sure there will be more masks, revealed. So it's just another avenue why you want to root for the Phillies, I guess.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen.

End of FastScripts

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