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MLB WORLD SERIES: RANGERS v GIANTS

October 30, 2010

Bruce Bochy

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game Three

Q. I know nothing is hard and set, but the way you're approaching the DH situation are you assuming there's going to be multiple guys in these games or maybe do you stay with Pablo if he's hitting well?
BRUCE BOCHY: I guess I can answer that better after the game, after I see how it goes, how he's swinging the bat. It would be nice to just leave him in there, but if we have to adjust, we'll do that. We have a couple other options I mentioned, you know, Huff DHing, Ishikawa going out there or even Pat Burrell, but the first game we're going with Pablo.

Q. What's the difference between the Bumgarner you saw in the spring and the guy that's going to pitch Game 4 of the World Series?
BRUCE BOCHY: I'd say more than anything he's in much better condition. You know, he came into the spring, I think, with the idea he'll get in shape there. He was a guy that we were strongly considering being our fifth pitcher in the rotation. We didn't think he was quite ready.
And so to his credit, he went down, worked hard in Fresno, and he got himself in better pitching shape, and I think that's the biggest difference.

Q. What have you observed in Pablo Sandoval as his playing time diminished, behind the scenes in terms of work ethic and attitude? What have you seen from him?
BRUCE BOCHY: Man, I can't say enough about how his attitude has been through all this. He's used to going out there every day, and it's a humbling game sometimes when things don't go well. But what's important is how you deal with it, and this guy has been working hard to get it back. He's been a good teammate. He's been here early working on his hitting, comes out early and takes a lot of ground balls with Ron Wotus and has kept himself ready and is waiting for his chance out there. And tonight he gets to DH.
He's been good through all this. I know he's been frustrated at times because it hasn't quite happened like he would like. But I think there's no question he's worked even harder to get back to what he is.

Q. I know you've probably seen enough from Madison in his other post-season starts to feel pretty good about him throwing for you in the World Series, but in retrospect, did you wonder about him at all heading into his first playoff start?
BRUCE BOCHY: No, I've seen enough from Madison to know that he's not going to beat himself. I mean, for 21 years old, it's impressive how he's carried himself. Really it started last year when we brought him up in September when Randy Johnson got hurt and he had a spot start there. I thought he handled that well, pitching out of the pen last September. That had to be a nice experience for him to draw on. But since we brought him up here, he's handled everything so well. I didn't have any concerns with him pitching in the playoffs.

Q. I understand you addressed this a little bit, but can you talk about the decision to go with Cody Ross versus JosÃ© Guillen and whether that had anything to do with any other stuff that was going on with Guillen? Or was it just a baseball thing?
BRUCE BOCHY: It was a baseball decision, that's what it was. Cody was swinging the bat very well. He was getting some spot starts there, even though he was struggling earlier. You could see him coming on. I think more than anything it was evident that Guillen, who had some neck issues, he admitted it, he was trying to be a warrior, go out there, but wasn't performing quite like he could because of the neck issue.
That decision was made as we were setting up the roster that we didn't feel that JosÃ© was 100 percent with the treatment he had been getting. He admitted his neck was bothering him. So no, Cody Ross was going to be on the roster and start in right field.

Q. Going back through history, looking for other teams that went on improbable runs, go back to like the '88 Dodgers with Gibson being hurt and Hershiser dominating and then playing pretty much a no-name team going into the World Series, what do you remember most about them?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, just how probably well they worked together as a team. When you look at those clubs, that Dodger club you're talking about, how they didn't really have a guy that led them all the way, although Orel did a great job on the pitching side. But they were underdogs, and I think they showed what can be done if you play as a group and work well together, and that's what that team did. They got the confidence as the playoffs went and played very well. But I didn't know the club a lot, but I do remember how they surprised some people with how they played in the World Series.

Q. With Buster Posey, do you kind of get in his ear a little bit about how to handle Sanchez, who can sometimes let his body language and emotions get the best of him? We've seen it on and off although he's been very good. Does Posey have a job of getting out there and trying to calm him down a little bit?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, that's part of the responsibility on the catching side is to handle that part of the pitching. It's just not calling the game but also trying to work him through the game. If things do go a little awry, try to help straighten him out. Buster does a great job at it. He's got a good feel out there, when to go out to the mound, but he's got some things that he knows what to look for as far as Jonathan when he starts struggling a little bit, just like every pitcher. You know, there's a sign there for him that, hey, it's time to talk to him, or if he sees something -- and that goes with myself or Dave Righetti. With any pitcher, not just Jonathan, if we see something, we'll try to help straighten him out.

Q. Does it say anything at all that both scheduled starting pitchers tomorrow had so-so springs, opened the year in the minors, and yet here they are looking at the fourth game of the World Series?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think it says more than anything it's a long year, and it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Both pitchers ended up having nice years and helped their clubs win. That's pretty much what we told Madison. Hey, you're starting down in Fresno, but be ready, you'll be back up here. Now it's up to the player to figure it out, which he did.

End of FastScripts

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