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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: CARDINALS v GIANTSOctober 15, 2012Jason MotteEdward MujicaSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Game Two Q. Jason, I want to ask you about the guy sitting next to you. How much did you know about Edward before you acquired him in July, and how critical has he been for the bullpen this season? JASON MOTTE: I played against him for a couple of years, seen him pitch and stuff like that. When he came over, what he was able to do for us, him coming in the 7th inning, having Boggs on the 8th inning, and getting me the ball in the 9th. It's been fun to watch and he's done a heck of a job. Q. Can you talk about the value of having such a defined role here, where you're pretty much the 7th inning guy, with some exceptions, but how that's enabled you to advance your game since you got here? EDWARD MUJICA: The confidence when I get here, the confidence Matheny gave to me is amazing. Because he told me what was going to be for me, the role. You're going to be ready for the 7th. And I tried to put my mind in that situation. And I did a pretty good job when I get here, during the regular season, and then just got confidence on me to give me the ball in the 7th. I'm so happy right now to be on this team because we just playing pretty good ball right now. Q. Jason, your thoughts on the way things have gone in the postseason generally this year. A lot of games have turned in the 9th inning, happened to Detroit, happened to Baltimore, happened to Washington the other night. What does that say about this postseason? JASON MOTTE: It just shows that the teams that are in are pretty good ball clubs. When it comes down to it, the game is not over until the last out is made. And I've seen that when I've been on the mound before. And you see it with our ballclub. You saw it in Washington for us. Like I said, it's one of those things that when it comes down to it you've got a bunch of teams that go out there and they grind out at‑bats and they don't give up. It doesn't matter if there is two outs, two strikes, they go out there and they grind out at‑bats and try to get good pitches. Like I said, you have four teams left. All four of those teams have been able to do that and take good at‑bats into the later innings. You go out there and do that and give your team a good chance to win. Q. Do you feel for Valverde when you see that happen? JASON MOTTE: I've been out there and I've done the exact same thing. I've gone out, I've given up runs, given up the lead. But it's all about what you do the next time you go out there. All those guys have great stuff. It's one of those things, it's about what you do next time. Today's game is what it's all about, and what we go out and do today. Q. This is kind of for both of you, maybe Edward, because you came from a different place this season. You hear so much talk about St. Louis being a great baseball town. How has that manifested itself? EDWARD MUJICA: The first thing what I heard with my agent was you're going to be in a town that love baseball. Then what I saw last year, these guys in the World Series, I mean, one day I'm thinking about, hey, I want to play for a different team, play in the postseason, play in the World Series. Then they give me the opportunity and then I'm just trying to go out there and do my best. And now I'm on the team. Q. Jason, how has the complexion of this bullpen evolved over the course of the season and how do you compare it now to maybe middle of the year? JASON MOTTE: I think with the addition of Mujica, we've got guys like Kelly and Rosey (Rosenthal) and Zep (Rzepczynski), I think everybody knows their role. And that helps out a ton. That's one of those things that guys know when to get ready. It's a whole lot easier when you know about when you're going to pitch. I know last year there was times I pitched in the third inning and then I pitched in the 12th inning. The entire game if you're worried about getting your mind and body ready, getting everything ready, it starts grinding on you after a while. This year we've had guys with set roles, and I think it helps guys. Like I said, knowing when they're coming in, knowing what they need to prepare themselves mentally, get their arm ready, stretched out, to be able to go in there and do their job. Q. Jason, how much do you think it makes a difference, there's multiple guys here throwing mid to upper 90s. And how much do you think that makes a difference in the playoffs? JASON MOTTE: What it boils down to is making your pitches. It's not how hard you throw. I think when I first came up I thought I was going to come and throw everything by everybody, and I got quickly proven wrong. It's not how hard you throw, it's what you throw and where you throw it. With Shelby (Miller) and Rosey and Joe Kelly and Boggsy (Boggs), those guys that are throwing 97, 98, you know, it's about where you throw the pitches. And that's what it's all about. Like I said, you can go out there and throw 100 miles an hour, that's great. But if you're throwing it down the middle, these guys are good, these guys are going to turn that thing around real quick. It's about executing your pitches, making your pitches and that's the name of the game. Q. How is pitching in this ballpark different than pitching in St. Louis? JASON MOTTE: They don't yell at me in St. Louis when I get loose. EDWARD MUJICA: Me, too. JASON MOTTE: Oh, sometimes. Just kidding. The fans here, they obviously have good fans here. We had our family here at the game last night and I talked to a couple of people and said the fans are in it, from Game 1. We came out and played in the regular season and these people are crazy. They come out and they're into the game, every out, every pitch, everything. But it's a nice ballpark. It's one of those things for me, other than the fans standpoint, I don't look at anything any differently. I don't care where I'm pitching, what's going on. Like I said, I'm going out, trying to do my job. EDWARD MUJICA: It's crazy because you have different ballpark, different fans. And the bullpen is next to the fans in the right field line. I played here before, two years with San Diego, and we came a lot of times. But right now during postseason you know it's different because they get louder. They talking to me in Spanish. It's crazy. It's crazy to go out there and just warming up because you're trying to concentrate. You focus to warm up. And those people are yelling at you. It's crazy. Q. Jason, if you look ahead to Game 3 ‑‑ JASON MOTTE: No. Q. Please. With all the turnover and all the stuff that's happened in your guys' rotation, how big a part of that has Lohse been, how important ‑‑ JASON MOTTE: Lohse, you said? Q. Yes. How much have you enjoyed him having a season like this? JASON MOTTE: The first year he was here was unbelievable. And the next year he ended up getting hit in the arm. You can even talk to him about it. When he got hit in the arm from then until last year pretty much when he got it all right, he was going out there just grinding through, trying to do everything he can. That's what you've got to do, he ground it out for us. But to be able to watch that guy do what he does, when he's healthy, that's fun. He's out there, I mean he's got good stuff, spots up really well, keeps guys off balance, and that's the name of the game. Going out there in the bullpen watching him pitch, it's fun. You go out there and like I said, he'll go in, out, up, down, breaking balls, on the plate, front door, back door, changing up. He's got good stuff. He's fun to watch when he's out there. Q. You both talked about the fans a minute ago. Can you think of anything particularly clever you heard last night? JASON MOTTE: Not that I can say. (Laughter.) EDWARD MUJICA: I can't say this on TV. JASON MOTTE: It's good stuff. It's all part of it. They're out there trying to get in your head. But I think it's kind of funny. Even you go out there and they yell at you telling you how bad you are. It's a good time. EDWARD MUJICA: Go back to the minors. Q. The other thing I want to ask, Edward, can you describe the difference between your two managers this year. EDWARD MUJICA: It's crazy. When I was in Miami the beginning of the season, and I don't even know I'm going to trade this year, because I got one more year arbitration. And I think ‑‑ put myself most like, okay, I'm going to be in Miami for one more year, then after that maybe free agency or whatever. When they gave me that news I just ‑‑ I wasn't shocked. But I just thinking about it, I just move forward. Very good team. Just fighting to be in the playoff. I just prove, like my family, my daughter, because she was like ten days, when I got traded. It was crazy for me, but I'm very excited because things happens for the good way, then I take it like that and I'm so happy to be here. Q. Can you talk about the differences between Mike and Ozzie as managers? EDWARD MUJICA: Ozzie is a pretty good guy, he's from Venezuela, he talk to us in Spanish all the time, give good confidence every time. But Matheny is pretty good. His confidence for me is the important thing, and he gave me that. And when I get here that's good for me. Q. Does he speak to you in Spanish? I know he speaks fairly well, Matheny. EDWARD MUJICA: Yeah, sometimes. He try to talk to me in Spanish. Like hey, how are you doing today, I mean in Spanish: "Como estas? Como te sientes?" Just tell him, "Bien," you know. Like some little words. But I'm just trying to speak English to him all the time to work on my English. Q. Jason, this series features two really good catchers. What makes these two guys ahead of the class? JASON MOTTE: Well, these two guys, both of them are really good defensive catchers. They know the game. They know what's going on with hitters. I don't know how much video Buster watches and what he does. But I know with our guy, with Yadi, he knows what's going on in the game. He's one of those guys when I'm out there, I have faith in whatever he calls. And at that point it's up to me just executing. But not only are these guys good behind the plate, both of these guys can hit the ball pretty good. To be able to do that and catch. Catching is tough on your body, especially playing, you're back there nine innings catching, heat, cold, everything. To be able to go out and hit and put up the numbers this year and in years past, those guys are definitely a big asset to their team. Q. Edward, when you look at the Venezuelan players on the Giants side, Blanco and Scutaro and Sandoval, it's a fair representation for Venezuela. Do you know if there's good attention back there for the NLCS? EDWARD MUJICA: Yeah. This series is very important for Venezuela, because, you know, they just show them the game every single night. And they just trying to watch what we doing. Then right now on St. Louis I'm the only Venezuelan guy, and the Giants got like five. Then it's pretty good because they talking about us. They talking good things. And it's very good for us because we represent Venezuela and United States and we just trying to do the best. Q. Is there a difference to the way the Cardinals do their business? When you walk in, when you come from one club to another, is there a feeling that you joined something different than anyone else? EDWARD MUJICA: Yeah, like what I say, last year, you know, they just went to the World Series and I just thinking about it, just trying to be in a good team one day. But I'm so happy to be here, what I say, because I don't thinking about I'm going to trade this year, then they trade me. To be a part of this team it's amazing. It's amazing feeling. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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