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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v GIANTSOctober 11, 2010Mike FontenotATLANTA, GEORGIA: Game Four THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike. Q. You kind of joked around when I kidded you about pop one of these days. But you for a guy your size you generate quite a bit of it. I know you're not a home run hitter. But do you think of yourself as a guy who could pop one or do what you did yesterday? MIKE FONTENOT: I think occasionally I can. Like you said, I think of myself as a guy that gets up there to try to get on base. Hit line drives, get some doubles and occasionally can hit one out of the yard. That's the way I think of myself. Hopefully every once in a while when I get a pitch I can handle I can drive the ball. Q. As an infielder, can you take off your team colors and look at what happened to Brooks Conrad and feel any empathy for something like that? MIKE FONTENOT: That's a tough night. We've all been there as infielders, as athletes. You have a rough night and it just feels like nothing will go your way. I read something in the paper that -- some things that you feel like you're on an island. I've been there where I've made a couple errors in the game, and it feels like everyone's just staring at you the whole time. It's tough. It's one of those things that you've got to try to get over, and I think he will. As a player, that's something you really have to try to do. Q. In the short time you've been teammates with Madison Bumgarner, can you describe your impressions of him and what you expect to see from him tonight? MIKE FONTENOT: As long as with him and all the pitchers since I've been here, they've all been great. Madison's been one that's really competitive. Gets out there and goes after the hitters. So I know as a fielder, playing behind him, that's a good thing. He doesn't waste any time and goes right after the hitters. We like to play behind guys like that, so he's really been throwing the ball well this year. Really showed that he's a mature guy and knows how to pitch. Q. Seeing what happened to Conrad and you being mostly middle infielder, kind of not a new position, but a position. But is there a door where you could be exposed on this big stage? Make a couple of bad plays and the spotlight's on you. In the back of your mind -- MIKE FONTENOT: It's something going into the game you can't think of negative things like that. You just try to get in there and think positively and just try to react when you get balls hit to you. I try not to think about -- you try to think of situations before they come about, if guys are on first or anything like that. You kind of are taught to be aware of what you need to do before it happens. That is kind of the approach I try to take when I go on the field and try not to think of anything negative. Q. One more thing about Madison. In your experience, how unusual is it to play with somebody who is that young yet that mature? MIKE FONTENOT: Well, it's been fun. We've got a few guys on this team that are, I guess you could say, young in age. They've been really doing well this year. Madison and Posey and there's a lot of guys on this team. It's really fun to watch him, I guess, grow as a player and get better. So I think he's going to get better with age, and he's doing a very good job with us right now. Q. What is your background with third base? You've played some over the last few years, but basically you were a middle infielder and started getting some time at third base? Just what was that transition like? MIKE FONTENOT: Well, I came up as a second baseman when I was originally drafted with the Orioles. Traded over to the Cubs in 2005 and started playing a little bit of third base. Moving around the infield just being with a National League team, you know, moving around I felt like helped me. They wanted me to do that also, so I started playing a little bit of third and moving around the infield then in the Minor Leagues. Last year was the first time I got any action at third base in the big leagues. I can't remember exactly how many games that I've played, about 40 or so games at third base last year, and this year I had a chance to get in there too. I always said as long as I get in there and take grounders everywhere, move around, make sure you're moving your feet, I felt pretty comfortable. Q. I'm wondering if you have any good family friendly stories about Brian Wilson from his time in college? Was his personality anything similar to what it's like now? MIKE FONTENOT: He was always an outgoing guy. He was a fun guy. I know when he came into LSU, he might have walked in one day with not his color of hair, I guess you could say, but we thought that was pretty funny. But he's always been an outgoing guy. Hard worker. Fun guy to have in the clubhouse, so he's stayed the same in that aspect, definitely. Q. In the last couple days since you took over third base, have you had any conversations with Pablo about it? Has he been supportive? Has there been any back ask forth on that? MIKE FONTENOT: Everything's been good, you know. We get out there and take our ground balls. We haven't really -- I wouldn't say we've talked about it, but he's an energizing guy. Any time I come in the dugout or we're hitting in the cage or anything like that, he's always happy to be here. Happy to be playing baseball. Just like the rest of us are. So everything's been good. Q. Were you a little surprised to get these back-to-back starts at all? And was there a little bit of an extra vote of confidence that they didn't pinch hit for you against a left-hander in your last at-bat last night? MIKE FONTENOT: I don't know. I just try to -- every day I come to the field, I try to be ready. You never know what's going to happen. I'm always easily prepared, especially when the game's already started. Just trying to stay ready, so that's my mental aspect of it every day I come to the field. I don't know if I would say I was surprised, but I always try to say that I'm ready. Q. With the opportunity to clinch this thing tonight, what is kind of the mood like in the clubhouse? Is it the same that it's always been? Are guys excited, nervous, or anything like that? MIKE FONTENOT: I feel like the clubhouse is excited. We came in, we've got the music going, and everybody's doing their same routine, which is a good thing. We're having fun, and hopefully go out and have fun tonight and see what happens. Q. What has your impression been of this clubhouse since you've gotten here and just kind of the group of guys that's in and some of the leaders in it or really just some of the personalities in it? MIKE FONTENOT: Well, it's been a lot of fun. Since the first day I walked in, everybody had open arms. Everybody was really cool. I feel like from the top to the bottom, the more veteran guys to the young guys, everybody has been awesome. We've got some good leaders by example. We've got the guys that keep it light in the clubhouse, keep things fun. Little bit of everything. So I think that's really helped us along the way. End of FastScripts |
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