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NL DIVISION SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS v BREWERS

October 2, 2011

Kirk Gibson

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Game Two

Q. You said yesterday that Collmenter and Saunders for Game 4. Could you talk about the decision to have them pitch those games like that?
KIRK GIBSON: Well, Josh, he's had two pretty good games against them. And actually Joe got jammed before his last start in BP. His hand's been a little bruised up. So I think it was -- had a little bit of effect on his last game. So just wanted to give him an extra day as well. That's how we thought that out.
Collie has been good on extra rest this year, fairly decent against the Brewers. A little bit of deception from our first two guys. So that's the way it's going to be.

Q. Is his left hand --
KIRK GIBSON: Yeah.

Q. You went to Goldschmidt today, first base, talk about that a little bit.
KIRK GIBSON: Well, Goldie has been really great for us since he's come up. He had a great year in the Minor Leagues this year. We brought him up. He's had a great impact on our success.
Lyle Overbay has been great for Goldie. They've really bonded together out there. They worked together. Lyle has taught him a lot. And he's just the kind of guy who is a big-time player. He's been that way for us. He's been that way in the Minor Leagues. Has had huge at-bats for us, just huge at-bats to get where we are today. And probably has a little more power than Lyle. Less experience. Also very athletic there at first base. Runs the bases very well.
So I've played him, really, most of the season. Yesterday I gave it to Lyle, went with a little more experience and a little more familiarity with the situation. Today I wanted to just switch it up for Goldie.

Q. How did Ryan Roberts go from having such a rough year last year to having so much success this year, and what was it about him to give you the confidence to give him that opportunity?
KIRK GIBSON: Well, first of all, he kind of got humbled last year. I think he figured that out and went into the off-season with a real good attitude.
And when you have years like that, there's many reasons why it happens, but it always comes back to you. And it's up to you to fix it. So I think he has real good self-reflection. Came in in much better shape. Came in hungry with a great attitude. And I guess kind of the philosophies that we laid out in Spring Training, he really latched on to them and really worked hard in Spring Training.
You know, he can play all over, any position, really, on the field. He actually was our third catcher all year, we didn't have to use him, thank goodness, you know, you don't want to do that. And he got his break because Geoff Blum got injured at the end of Spring Training.
And he's just made the most of his opportunity. Very gritty guy. Very determined guy. He does a lot of things very well. And he's just -- he's just made the most of the opportunity. And this is the most at-bats he's had in the big leagues.
He's not a young guy, just kind of grown into his role. He does whatever we ask, developed great friendships on the team with the guys. Actually a guy we looked at as part of our depth. And we went to him really early and he's been really effective for us.

Q. Miguel Montero was an All-Star. He seemed to kind of have a breakout year. What's your take on his growth over this past year?
KIRK GIBSON: It takes time. It takes time. If you look at Big Leaguers, there's a couple of guys that come quickly, but overall it just takes time. He's a catcher, as well. He's not a position player like a corner outfielder or something like that where you have less responsibility. He's trying to develop his catching, his game calling, making sure he can block balls. You're working on your throws all the time. You have to learn all the pitchers, you have to learn all the opposition hitters. And you also have to learn how to hit and be effective there.
So it's just a very challenging position overall. And I just think that it's taken him time and just to have the experience under his belt coming into this year and getting more opportunity. I played him 140 games this year. It's the most he's played, probably took care of himself a little bit better in the -- prior to the season. He's been working out much better. He's got a better routine. He's just kind of staying healthier, made himself more athletic. With Glenn Sherlock and Henry Blanco working with him on his throws and his footwork.
He's done a great job of helping us handle the running game this year. And the greatest gift that he has is his energy every day. He's just very energetic. Always chirping. Always getting the guys up, doesn't matter how bad things are. He brings energy to us. And a perfect guy for the position he has on this team.

Q. Could you have anticipated going into the season how far and how rapidly this club would advance?
KIRK GIBSON: I hope so. I mean, that's your mindset. You have aspirations and ambitions and you set goals. This is what we set out to do. And then you kind of lay it out and we develop our philosophy together. And then we see how hungry we are together.
And we know that if we commit to each other we have an opportunity to do it, with the type of team we have, okay? And the guys did that, to their credit, they did it. They bought in. And they've pushed hard throughout the year and they've put themselves in this situation. And it's exciting. And we want to be competitive like this year in and year out. And we always want to have this opportunity.

Q. Was it something where the Giants in your division and defending champions, that your guys saw, hey, we can play with these guys, they're the best in the game. And you got to look at them a lot of times during the year?
KIRK GIBSON: Actually, the Giants made us better. We played them last year and you learn from them. Obviously they had a formula. You know it's pitching, anyway. Period. That's no secret. So KT took care of that. That's one of the things he initially went after.
Our starters have been great. The bullpen has been exceptional. When we play the Giants you have to adapt to them, you have to figure out a way to win. Last year for me to be the interim manager and get to start and watch and start to learn and understand how it takes and how to manage situations, and we started out terrible against the Giants this year, and we finished up outstanding.
It's always about adjustments. Yesterday's game, we're going to have to make an adjustment. People keep getting on you a certain way, they're going to keep doing it until you give them a reason not to. That's how the game works. As well as us trying to get them out.
Whether you're playing a game on a daily basis or whether it's the team, throughout the year you always have to analyze what's going on, you have to figure out how to make adjustments and have the outcome be in your favor.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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