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MLB WORLD SERIES: CARDINALS v RED SOXOctober 28, 2013Xander BogaertsBrandon WorkmanST. LOUIS, MISSOURI: Game Five Q. For both, Brandon first, can you talk about the journey of this year? You both started in Portland, and envisioning being on this stage at this time? BRANDON WORKMAN: Yeah, I think going into the season, it was definitely a goal of mine. I'm sure Bogey as well to be able to make it up here to this stage. But then to realize that dream for us and be playing and being able to contribute on this level, it's been a special year. XANDER BOGAERTS: A long few months of the season for me. Started from Double‑A and now I'm here in the postseason, never even expected to be in the big leagues this year. And I'm in the World Series. We're two games away from winning it. It's pretty special. Q. We've seen a lot of weird stuff in the series, the last two nights the way they ended, the first time ever on an obstruction call and last night on a pickoff, and the first game with ump's calls being reversed. Have you ever been in a playoff series where you've seen these kind of strange events happening? BRANDON WORKMAN: We never made the playoffs in any of my years in the Minor Leagues. XANDER BOGAERTS: Me neither. So I've never seen anything like this before. Q. You always hear from players that the first time you go through the postseason, that the whole issue of tickets and family and getting people around can be challenging. For you two going through this for the first time, how has it been? And what have you done to deal with that? BRANDON WORKMAN: My parents have actually been able to come up and watch a few games. They've been to all of them this World Series. And they caught a few of them in the early rounds. It's exciting for them to be able to share this experience with me. It being my first time doing it makes it even better. XANDER BOGAERTS: For me, most of the time I have my brother around. He always seems to bring me luck. So it's always good to have him around. Probably I have my mom and my uncle and my brother again come up to Boston for Game 6. It definitely is good when you have some family members around. Q. What is it like to be around Jonny Gomes in the clubhouse? And how would you describe him to someone who didn't know about him? XANDER BOGAERTS: Really good guy and really fun to be around. He brings a lot of energy, not just on the field but just in the clubhouse. He keeps it so loose and he just makes everyone happy, just like David Ross, the kind of same guys. BRANDON WORKMAN: I feel like some of his contributions that you all can't see are some of the biggest. He brings an intensity to the clubhouse and a kind of never quit attitude that I think guys feed off of. And especially being a young player it's nice to be ‑‑ I feel it's important to see the attitude he brings to the park every day and to be able to kind of feed off of that. Q. Xander, when David called the guys together in the dugout midway through the game and talked about them being a little looser, can you give me what was your impression as he was calling the guys together, and then what was the effect you think from the words he said throughout the game? XANDER BOGAERTS: I mean, he's definitely one of the leaders on our team, you know. I never had no one do that in the minors. Everyone is probably on themselves. And we're in a World Series, so he did it at a good time and he got us going. Jonny Gomes got the home run in the same inning and things just started off from there. Q. Can you talk about your demeanor. XANDER BOGAERTS: Am I nervous? Definitely. I'm human. I'm definitely nervous before the game. But during the game I try to stay as calm as possible and just enjoy the moment. You don't get here too often, so try to enjoy it and do the best you can. Try to go out there and win games and play good and try to win games. Q. Brandon, when you got to Spring Training, this team is coming off a last‑place finish, it was your first time in Spring Training, did you have any idea at the time this team would accomplish this? BRANDON WORKMAN: I wasn't in the Big League Spring Training, I was on the Minor League side of things. I got to come up and throw one game against Philadelphia in Clearwater. I wasn't able to be around the team that much in Spring Training because I was in the Minor League side. When I got called up, that was my first time interacting or being around this team at all. Q. Just back to Ortiz's effect in a minute. When he talks to the guys or even when he talks to you personally, what's the effect of that? Baseball is not really kind of a rah‑rah, super charged sport like that, does it help you focus more? Does it help you maybe get a little more intent on what you're trying to do? How do you explain the effect a little more of what David helps guys do? XANDER BOGAERTS: As I said, he's one of the leaders on our team. So whenever he talks, everyone listens. And he's respectful to all of us and we give him the same respect that he deserve. When he talks, we all listen. It was a pretty amazing moment. Q. Brandon, since you've started relieving, what have you learned about pitching out of the bullpen? How is it different than starting? And what's it been like to adapt to that over the course of the second half? BRANDON WORKMAN: I think the biggest difference is bringing the same focus and intensity every game because you're out possibly pitching any day, every day. Coming up to the field knowing I might have to get a big out later on in the game, it makes it to where I have to be more locked in and more focused throughout every game and watching hitters and that sort of thing. Q. Dustin Pedroia when he was sitting up there a couple of days ago says he thinks you're going to be one of the team's leaders pretty soon. What does that mean to you and how important is it for you to kind of have leadership qualities? XANDER BOGAERTS: I mean, he's definitely one of the leaders over there, too, on our team right now. For him to say something like that, it's probably a dream come true if it happens. I've just got to keep working hard and make it happen. Q. Have you heard from people back home? Are they watching the game? Are people now wearing Red Sox uniforms? Are they gathering in different places? XANDER BOGAERTS: It's hectic down there. It's something else. So many people wearing my jerseys, I can't even imagine. Everybody, they are watching the game and expecting you to do good. The first two games I got two strikeouts each game. Everyone was like, "Bogaerts, what's going on?" I was like, "Don't panic. Relax." It's baseball. You have ups and downs, you've just got to relax and enjoy the game. Q. I'm curious, obviously there's good reason to have David Ortiz in the lineup, since he's not making any outs. But the fact that come Game 6 you have Mike Napoli not only in the lineup but playing defensively at first base. How much does that affect what you do? XANDER BOGAERTS: Napoli is a big‑time batter and a big‑time glove. Hopefully we get some of those good plays and good home runs with him in Game 6. Q. Brandon, you're out in the bullpen, so obviously you're not aware that David is doing his thing there midway through the game. I'm wondering if during the game you get any sense he's done that? And also when he pulled into second after the double he was very animated, far more animated than usual, are you guys feeling it out there? BRANDON WORKMAN: Yeah, I didn't know he called the guys together in the dugout until two minutes ago when you all started asking questions about it. We definitely did notice out there in the bullpen when he hit that double and was pumped up out there on second base, it looked like he was trying to spark something on the team. From the bullpen watching it looked like the guys kind of fed off that. And it turned out Gomes hit that big home run, and I think that's what kind of got us going and won the game for us yesterday. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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