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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES v RANGERS

October 15, 2010

Colby Lewis

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game One

Q. Do you think that things came together for you in Japan because of improved health, or because there was something that came together about your game?
COLBY LEWIS: I think just overall, I mean, just being healthy, kind of -- really, health and just kind of confidence, really. The Hiroshima gave me an opportunity to get over there and not worry about getting sent over to the Minor Leagues or anything like that and took a lot of stress off me and I think it just translated really into my game, really.

Q. Will having pitched once in the post-season help you going into this game from an experience standpoint, just knowing what it's like in the post-season?
COLBY LEWIS: Well, absolutely. Like anything, I think the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. So yeah, for sure, I mean, there's definitely nerves last time, but that's to be expected. I think any time you go into post-season. But if you're not nervous, then for me anyway, I feel like there's something wrong.
Yeah, you know, got the first one out of the way and then we're in ALCS and got another opportunity.

Q. What did you learn from that first experience that you can take over into your second start here that will make you better?
COLBY LEWIS: Just kind of knowing just what to expect out of like -- I mean, I wasn't really nervous when I got up there on the field. My biggest thing was once I got the first out. That was it. And then I just kind of felt like I was locked in and went to work. But just to kind of -- not letting the outside stuff getting in so much. I was kind of like really in awe the first time with some of the fans and the rally towels and all that warming up. It was all stuff that you have seen on TV and that you watch in the post-season but never get to experience.
But you know, now, I experienced it for the first time and now I know what to expect my second start.

Q. It's Molina who is catching you tomorrow?
COLBY LEWIS: I'm sure.

Q. Can you describe what you like about Molina as the receiver in that battery?
COLBY LEWIS: Exactly what you said. His receiving skills are unbelievable, and just the way he addresses the ball when every pitch is thrown. I think not only from a pitcher's standpoint, but for umpire, also, the way he presents the ball is awesome.
Yeah, I have complete faith in everything that he throws down there. We get along really well out there, and it's just been a real easy transition since he's been here.

Q. What stands out to you about the Yankee lineup as you try to navigate through that?
COLBY LEWIS: I mean, it's like any lineup really. I mean, you're going to have your hot guys and your guys that are going to be looking to put big swings on balls and guys that are going to want to battle you and get on base.
So, I mean, it's just you're going to have to pick and choose your spots just like any other start to be a little more aggressive at other times and mainly just get ahead of guys and try to get them out.

Q. As you make your way through different levels of baseball, there's always adjustments, culture shock, the whole bit but what was that like going to Japan, trying to learn a new culture and a new game and everything so different and that you had probably not seen much of before?
COLBY LEWIS: For me, it wasn't to bad. I was real nervous going over just not knowing what to expect. I think that's like anybody would be.
But once you got over there, they made it real comfortable. That's their first priority and only priority is to make you as comfortable as possible so all you have to do is focus on baseball over there. They had multiple translators for us, they had two translators for the wives to take them to doctors appointments, anything we needed was always a phone call away.
The food and stuff was just easy. There's websites that we ordered from, certain restaurants that we had favorites of and stuck to that. Once you got used to it, it was just like any other every day life.

Q. Was there any apprehension going there for the first time?
COLBY LEWIS: Yeah, of course, the unknown, not knowing what you're going to expect. But like I said, once you got there and got adapted, I mean, especially the second year going over, it was like no big deal at all. It was just going to be knowing what you're going to expect and eat and your daily life over there.
It really wasn't any different than here except for not having a car to drive. So riding bikes around and taking a lot more public transit.

Q. Most teams send their scouts over to Japan to sign Japanese pitchers, but in the Rangers case, they obviously sent those scouts over and decided they were going to sign you. Having been in the organization before, I'm just wondering, was there any kind of an understanding with the Rangers that they might want you back here after you've kind of worked on whatever you were working on over in Japan?
COLBY LEWIS: Not at all. When I got the opportunity to go over there, I was looking at it to pretty much finish my career over there. It was a situation where it was financially better for me to go at the time, and not really wanting to maybe be put in a situation of going up-and-down between Triple-A and the big leagues again. That was basically it. It was just going over there and then having two good years and kind of opening up eyes here and having teams take interest in me.

Q. It's been a while since the Yankees got a look at you. Is that an advantage for the pitcher or an advantage for hitters when there has not been matchups in quite a while?
COLBY LEWIS: I don't know. I mean, it's all relative to each guy I think. You know, some guys say it's better for the pitcher if they have not seen you in a long time, and sometimes the pitcher says it's better for us if we have seen them a lot of times.
So, I don't know. I mean, it's just one of those things. I guess we just have to see, wait to see how it plays out, you know.

Q. You talked about nerves a little bit in that first home start. This team is still yet to win a playoff game at home. You advanced and you won all three in Tampa; can you talk about what you guys have to do to achieve this one small thing which has not been done in team history?
COLBY LEWIS: Well, I don't know if it was the case or not; maybe some guys felt winning two there, you know, coming back here, maybe we were a little relaxed and not as aggressive as we should have been, as we were in Game 5.
So I just didn't think, maybe we took advantage of mistakes that we should have in Games 3 and 4. It was just one of those things where they beat us. You know, we went back and we had to win Game 5 and we did.
Now we are going to have possibly a chance of having four at home, if it goes that long. Yeah, I think it's definitely better for us. We have played really well here all year. So looking forward to a great series here at home.

Q. Does Hiroshima have a new ballpark they are playing in?
COLBY LEWIS: Yeah, last year.

Q. But the previous year you played in the old park?
COLBY LEWIS: Right.

Q. What were your impressions when you're playing baseball across from the A-Bomb Dome and what were your feelings about that?
COLBY LEWIS: Yeah, definitely, every time one of the family members came in, we always went over and went through the Memorial and everything. Yeah, it was -- it's not anything different. They don't look at you differently when you're over there or anything like that. It wasn't that big of an impact right across the street or anything like that. It was you got a lot more tourists, fans that went to the game and stuff because it was just right across the street.
Yeah, it was great to be, you know, in that city and be a part of, you know, their team and part of their history, too.

End of FastScripts

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