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AL DIVISION SERIES: RAYS v RED SOXOctober 4, 2013David PriceBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game One Q.  Can you tell us about your bike ride back yesterday, and what made you do that? DAVID PRICE: I rode a Hubway yesterday from our work out back to the hotel, because at the library they have ‑‑ I guess a return station or rent station, whatever you want to call it. They have one of those there. And the last time we came here me and Arch went to eat before the makeup game, and on our walk back we saw the Hubway right there. I said, I can't believe I just now saw this for the first time. I would've been riding bikes throughout the city or at least to the field if I knew that. I told Arch since we aren't going to come back here this year, I'll have to do it next year.  But fortunately for us, we were able to make it back here.  I rode it yesterday. I rode it this morning to the field. It's just fun. I enjoy it. Q. No close calls? DAVID PRICE: Only one curb, no cars (laughter). Q. John Farrell called your organization a model for drafting and developing starting pitching. In your experience, what have you seen as the most key role in that? DAVID PRICE: I think the most key role in what we've been able to do with our pitchers is the plan that our front office has for those pitchers throughout their career in the Minor Leagues. They have a process that they want to stick to to these guys. It doesn't matter how well you're throwing the ball. I can't tell you how many times I texted my agent whenever I was in the Minor Leagues telling him, "Let's go. Get me to Double‑A or get me to Triple‑A. I feel like I've been here long enough." That didn't matter. They had a certain process they wanted, whether it's innings limits, just starts at a certain level, they have a process that they think about. It's not something ‑‑ they don't just make it up. It's a lot of thought is put into what they do. They don't just make decisions on a whim. It's because they feel like what they're doing is going to work and it's going to be the best not only for that player but for our organization. Q. Despite this team's fairly low payroll, in fact, the team has had success over a number of years. Why do you think that is? Is it wise spending or like you say, good scouting, so you're able to have young players that don't necessarily have to be paid a lot at the start? DAVID PRICE: I think there's a ton of things that kind of go into that. The guys that we get, whether we sign them as a free agent or however we get guys, especially the free agent guys, they want to be here. They might take a little bit less money to come play for the Rays, to come play for Joe Maddon and be a part of our family. That's something that we all take pride in is caring for one another. I think that's something that both of these teams do extremely well, with the Rays and the Red Sox. With what they have going on over there is extremely special, as well. You see the way that those guys care about each other, the way that they come together. It's pretty special. The Red Sox are probably one of my favorite teams to watch play, to be honest, just because of the fire that they have. And you can have a ton of fire but it's a little bit more, and you can tell. You can tell those players care about each other. And I think that's what both of our teams have. Q. Why have you been so successful against the Sox, especially this year? DAVID PRICE: I can't give you all my secrets, but honestly I don't know, man. It's just pitching against the Red Sox or pitching against a team like the Yankees, you know the history behind those franchises. You know what they're capable of doing. Every single year, year in, year out, they are, they're going to be a postseason team, and you know you're going to have to come with your best. If you come with your "B" game, "B‑plus" game, you have a pretty good chance to lose. So it heightens your awareness. You start feeling butterflies probably a day earlier than what you normally would. Pitching in this ballpark, pitching against that team it makes you want it just a little bit more. Q. On a recent pole at FanGraphs, a number of players were asked the question, "If you had to win one game, who would you want on the mound?" And they could take any current pitcher in baseball. Next to Clayton Kershaw, your name was mentioned most, what does that mean to you you? DAVID PRICE: I didn't know that, that's pretty cool. Thanks for telling me that. I'd like to get a screen shot of that graph. That's pretty cool. It is. I haven't won a lot of big games for this franchise, to be honest. I feel like I've won some big games to stop losing streaks or something like that, but nothing to the magnitude of Game 163. That was very special for me. And thanks, fans, that's pretty cool. I would take Alex Cobb, though (laughter). Q. David, are you a bit leery about what might happen in this off‑season, looking back to what the Rays did with Shields? DAVID PRICE: No. Honestly, this is a time right now for pure excitement, pure joy for our team or organization. And those thoughts have crossed my mind, but they haven't in a couple of weeks. And that's good. I want those thoughts to stay away. I want to enjoy my time here. Whatever happens, I want to completely absorb myself and my team, and my teammates like we have all year. And that's a big part of why we're here right now. Q. You mentioned the game the other night in Texas. What would it take for you to be able to repeat that type of performance? DAVID PRICE: Nine innings (laughter). You've got to do a lot of the same things. I've got to be able to command my fastball on both sides of the plate. Everything with me and everything with a lot of Big League pitchers at this level, you have to be able to command your fastball. If you can do that, you have a good chance to be successful. So whenever you can command your fastball, especially with a two‑seamer and four‑seamer on both sides of the plate, it allows for your secondary pitches, if they're not that good that day, it's just fine. The hitter knows in the back of their mind that you're putting your fastball on both sides of the plate and you're hitting the mitt. Everything stems from me with the fastball location. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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