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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GIANTS v PHILLIESOctober 15, 2010Tim LincecumPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Workout Day THE MODERATOR: Okay. We'll take questions for Tim Lincecum. Q. This might be a little bit of a different direction than most people, but tell me a little bit about your relationship with your manager, a former catcher, and how that's played into your success and possibly him understanding you and your needs. TIM LINCECUM: I think it just kind of goes back to when I first met Bochy back in the day when I first got in the organization. I had Bengie behind the plate for the most part. And just from that perspective, I guess I was kind of new to the whole thing. So I had kind of that under-the-wing feel with Bengie helping me out, saying don't be too fine with certain pitches and this and that. And Buster, when we moved to Buster this year, it was kind of that same transition. Buster had an idea of the way we pitched, just getting them in there and getting him that playing time, too, behind the plate. But as far as the relationship goes, I just constantly try to be on the same page with him, so when we go out between innings we have an idea what we're doing and how we want to attack hitters. I think Bochy he gets involved. He calls the pitches. He has an idea what's going on. He was a catcher. Q. Was it a trust thing? TIM LINCECUM: It's a comfortable situation. I felt that way with me and my catchers. Coming up through the organization, I had Yamid Haad. That was the guy that stuck with me throughout my Minor League stint. I've had these close relationships with these certain individuals. Run into guys like Whiteside will catch me once in a while. My relationship with Buster and Bengie are just a little more emotional. We know what's at stake. We're both invested on each and every given pitch. We understand each other a little better. Q. In your meetings when you go over, or in your own mind, what are you thoughts when you hear, this hitter is not hitting well at the time or this team is not hitting well, when you know they've hit well in the past? Does it raise red flags for you? TIM LINCECUM: Not really. You go by your pitch plan. Don't pitch to their weaknesses but their strengths, too. Obviously getting an idea of how they're handling the bat helps. You don't want to be the guy that makes a mistake on accident and starts his cycle again. Q. Buster talked about your slider down the stretch, your last three, four, five starts it was particularly effective. Talk about what you were doing differently maybe mechanically and talk about how that gives you, if it gives you any extra confidence going in against this type of lineup? TIM LINCECUM: Mechanically, there's no difference. I try to use the same mechanics with all my pitches. But as far as going into the series, just going to be one of those pitches that comes up when I need it. Buster has -- like I said, we have that relationship where I have an idea, and I might even be pre-gripping the pitch beforehand and he puts it down. You run into those situations. But I just have to pick my spots. It's been effective thus far. But hopefully just keep it down in the zone. Nothing hanging, of course. I think I should be just fine with it. Q. Has the blister that developed during your last start, which finger was it on? TIM LINCECUM: It was on my right middle finger. Q. How is it now? TIM LINCECUM: It's fine. It's calloused over. Q. You obviously did well in your first post-season start, having that underneath your belt, any added confidence, any different feel to this one knowing that what you did in your first one? TIM LINCECUM: Yeah, I mean, you get a taste of what it's like to play in post-season ball. I think it can't do anything but help me. I feel like the All-Star Game last year helped me prepare for the post-season scenario, just with the heightened atmosphere and how crazy it gets. But like I said, my approach on this game is the same as any other start. Obviously it's a big game. But I don't want to get too overamped. I want to take it just like any other start. Q. I was wondering, did you watch Halladay's no-hitter last time out? TIM LINCECUM: It was on TV when we were in the clubhouse. So I saw bits and pieces of it. Q. So from your last answer sounds like you're not really taking any more into this game because it's against him than another game? TIM LINCECUM: Repeat that again. Q. Based on what you just said, sounds like you're trying to not put any extra emphasis or attention on this game because it's against Roy Halladay than you did against Derek Lowe? TIM LINCECUM: I get to face Halladay, what, once every nine at-bats. It's not so much him we're worried about. Obviously our hitters are. But I'm worried more about pitch execution to the guys like Howard and the guys like Utley. And that's more in the back of my mind. Q. Three winters ago there were strong rumors about you being traded to Toronto that would have made you a teammate of Halladay's. Can you recall what you were thinking when you heard those rumors and how history has played itself out, how do you feel? TIM LINCECUM: Obviously that did come up, but I didn't really -- as far as me, I didn't think anything of it. Wherever I was going to be is where I was going to be. I really have no say. So just pretty much that was it. Q. I know you've spent much time in the minors with your teammates, is there any significance to the fact that you guys have a home-grown rotation? TIM LINCECUM: I'd say yes, definitely because we've been around each other for so long. Just being around guys like Cain, guys that have been through the organization, had to pay their dues, had to throw innings down there. You saw what it takes. As far as the other guys, like I said, I had that easy trip, the easier trip through the minors. Didn't exactly staple down too many huge relationships with guys, but at the same time I got to meet a bunch of great guys that I'm playing with even today. Guys like Romo and Emmanuel Burriss and Matt Cain, of course, guys who have been here for a long time and they're like the name of the organization, guys that have been here for the longest. Q. Citizens Bank Park has a reputation of being hitter friendly and tomorrow wind is going to be a factor. Do you have to change your game plan knowing that at all? TIM LINCECUM: You want to always keep your pitches down. That's usually the game plan. I'm sure that's how it is for most pitchers. You get hurt if you leave the ball up. I don't think my pitch plan is going to change all too much at all. Q. Bochy said during the NLDS he talked to you thinking possibly about going on three days, and you said that if that's what you wanted, that's fine. Where are you with that with this one? And is that a possibility in your mind? TIM LINCECUM: Doesn't have anything really to do anything in my mind. It's obviously up to Skip. If that's what he wants me to do, I guess I would have to prepare for that. But other than that, I just -- whenever they want me to pitch is when I'm going to pitch. Q. Your whole career you've had to prove people wrong or people made assumptions about you because of your size or mechanics or whatever. This series obviously the team is being cast as an underdog, what do you think you guys have to prove or do you have to prove something? TIM LINCECUM: I don't think it's proving anything to anybody. We all know what we're capable of, what we're going to have to do in this series, score more runs than the other team. But other than that, it's just taking advantage of every run we get, playing small ball, doing all the fundamentals right. We've talked about that throughout the whole year, just playing ball the way it should be played. And everything will take care of itself. Q. Righetti mentioned always being the ace or being the guy growing up is your cross to bear. Do you like being that guy? Is it easier to do over time to be that guy? How do you feel about that? TIM LINCECUM: I don't know. I just deal with what position I'm put in. If I'm the No. 2 or 3 starter I still have the same mentality going into every one of those starts. It's fun getting put in, like, the pressure situations but regardless our third and fourth starters have been put in pressure situations. So it doesn't really make any difference to me. Q. Roy was in here talking about how he described to Charlie Manuel he likes to start what he finishes but wants to win above everything else. What's that conversation with Bruce Bochy like when it comes down to, do you have enough in the tank to get through this? How do you guys work through that? TIM LINCECUM: We've always been pretty honest, our pitchers are pretty honest and open with Skip knowing how far we can go. That bond is as far as verbally goes, it's every inning, he's asking, are you okay? Are you fine? Good to go, especially when you get to the later innings, guys like myself I have to deal with it because I'm slighter frame and they're always wondering. But other than that, you just go out there expecting to go out to the next inning, no matter what. And whatever happens, if he makes a move, he makes a move. Q. Can you talk a little bit about what you have seen from Madison over the past year, especially the job he did in the win against the Braves? TIM LINCECUM: He's just developed a lot of his pitches. When I first heard of him he was primarily a fastball guy that can just locate, and now he's a fastball guy that can locate with breaking stuff and a changeup. He stepped up in a big role at a big time for the organization. Everybody knew what he had, but it's one thing to go show it and he did. I think it's also, I have to say for him, a lot to say for him just because the heightened situation. He pitched his butt off in that game, gave us a chance to come back, gave us a chance to win. So you can't say enough about the guy. Q. Have you ever seen footage of Ron Guidry? TIM LINCECUM: I haven't. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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