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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: TIGERS v RANGERSOctober 12, 2011Jose ValverdeDETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Four THE MODERATOR: Jose Valverde was good enough to come in to take a few questions. Q. Jose, you have such energy. I'm wondering how you spend three hours in the game leading to the ninth inning. What sort of things do you do? And how do you take your mind off it or put it on it? JOSE VALVERDE: You know, I think what I'm doing all the time, you know what I mean, show the confidence I have for my team and for my manager. All these guys know what I'm doing. I'm taking the baseball to do the last three outs. I don't care how many pitches I throw. What I want is to strike them out or do a groundball like I do this year. I think everybody want to win the last couple of games and go to the World Series. I think that's what we really want to. And I want to. You know what I mean? I never go to the World Series before, and I think I have a lot of chance this year. Q. Papa, what's your prediction on this series? JOSE VALVERDE: I feel like everybody. The last three games, I want to win these three games. No matter how. All my guys have to do the most they can on the field and myself too. And like the Texas, they want to win the last two games. But I think my thing right now, I have a lot of chance what I said last night, that's two point, Detroit had one point. But today I think everybody will be the same, two point each thing. Q. After the last two games, how do you feel, and I assume you're good to go? JOSE VALVERDE: I feel great. You know what I mean? All the time when everybody is playing in the postseason, there's nobody tired. Nobody's sore. Except me, I don't know the other guys. I feel awesome. I sleep great last night. I eat good today. I'm ready to go. Q. Jose, did you by any chance see what Adrian Beltre did last night when he fouled the ball off his knee? And if so, are you surprised to see him in the lineup today after that? JOSE VALVERDE: You know, I'm surprised all the time when I see Victor Martinez and Beltre play the game how these guys play. Play so hard. All the time these guys hurt, everybody knows Beltre is hurt. Played for L.A., Seattle and Boston. This is the guy you want to be on the same team. He's a great player. THE MODERATOR: Tiger clubhouse is not open today. JOSE VALVERDE: It's closed today. Q. When you were growing up, who was your favorite player and which team did you follow closest? And why your favorite team was your favorite player? JOSE VALVERDE: Always my first team was Montreal and Boston when Clemens was playing in Boston when Martinez was playing in Montreal. I followed those two guys always, because these are the guys all the time doing the most they can for their teammates. Throwing, throwing away, hit a guy sometimes. I always wanted to be like these two guys. And so far I do it a little bit. Not too much, you know what I mean? These two guys passed the line already. Q. Is the team able to enjoy this every step in the way? Are they enjoying what's happening out there? Are you guys so focused on playing the game that you're not enjoying the experience as you go on? JOSE VALVERDE: Everybody is family right here. Everybody play together. Everybody enjoy every moment, because this is what you have to do. So if you have to be so serious in the game, it's not working. You have to go over there and take those routine ground balls and enjoy striking out somebody. Everybody. It's normal for everybody for different teams. Q. Jose, we talked a couple of weeks ago about your fun and also your business. I want to ask you when you're in the bullpen about to go in and you spit the water and all that kind of stuff, is that fun at that point? Or is that business? And what is the mindset when you're going through that routine to come out on the mound? JOSE VALVERDE: I have a new contract for throwing the water. I don't know what yet. You know what I mean? This is the routine I do for a long time when I played for Arizona and Houston. So far it's working. Thank God it's working because everybody know all the time we taking the field the nine inning for one run, it's hard. I don't know how Mariano do it too many saves. He got to the postseason a lot of time for the Yankees. I respect this guy because sometimes it's too much pressure. I think taking my water to the left, right, in the middle, the pressure go away a little bit. Never go away 100%. I have a little bit, but it goes a couple. Q. Back in 2007, you guys went to the playoffs, won the first round, you saved 47 -- JOSE VALVERDE: Lose the second round. Q. Yes, lose the second round. Swept. But you saved 47 games and the Diamondbacks traded you saying that they didn't think you would ever do it again. What do you -- JOSE VALVERDE: Thank you. Maybe because I do it 49. I do it 47, it's over. 49, it's over right now. And I take care of my job like every year I do it and do it the most again for win every single game here for the Tigers and for the other friends over there. I'm surprised Diamondbacks say that because I'm not too old at that moment. Maybe now, you know what I mean? But I have all my pitches working. I throw better sinker this year than the last couple of years and my split-finger I think is the best split-finger than everybody. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much for coming in. JOSE VALVERDE: Thank you, Mama. Time to go sleeping now? FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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