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MLB WORLD SERIES: CARDINALS v RED SOXOctober 30, 2013John FarrellBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Six Q. Please let us in on your lineup. And is John on any kind of a pitch count today? JOHN FARRELL:  No, not on pitch count. We'll see how the game unfolds. As far as the lineup goes, it will be Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Napoli, Gomes, Victorino, Bogaerts, Drew and Ross. Q. Apparently the Cardinals didn't get in until about 11 p.m. yesterday. They were delayed for about seven hours on the plane. Besides the home crowd, what advantage, if any, do you think that gives you guys tonight? JOHN FARRELL:  We don't factor that in. We've had our own issues mechanically on travel before and it doesn't take away from your preparation. So nothing takes away from our respect and know that we're going up against a very good team tonight. Q. Could you just kind of go over your lineup a little bit from the sense of Shane coming back, but going down to the 6 hole? JOHN FARRELL:  Yeah, like I said wanted to keep the top three guys in order there. With Mike coming back into us at first base. Obviously he's been in the middle of the order for us the entire year. And much with the approach of trying to lengthen out the lineup behind David from Game 5, I feel like that might be in need here tonight. In talking with Vic yesterday and the thoughts, he's completely comfortable with it. Most importantly we've got him back in right field. He's unrestricted. Moving him down the lineup was not with the intent that one or two less at‑bats because of a volume‑related issue, because of a physical thing he's dealing with; that's not it at all. It's just how we feel the lineup matches up the best. Q. Would you talk a little bit about in your pitching career, you missed a couple of years because of Tommy John surgery, and then you went into coaching in college and your career path that got you here. JOHN FARRELL:  Well, having suffered an injury, much like John Lackey is dealing with and coming back from, I think it just gives you a greater understanding of ‑‑ coming into a post‑playing career, it gives you a little more understanding of what guys are going through or compassion toward their situations. And I'm sure as John has experienced this year. Once that game is taken away from you because of an injury, you begin to appreciate it much more when you come back. And I think you're much more in tune with your body because of the work and rehab that you've gone through. I look at John's path is a little bit similar, in that he's dealt with a major event in the middle of his career. I think it just gives greater insights as you move forward. And in my eyes, I've looked back on those times of rehab and dealing with certain challenges along the way that you find a way to overcome them. And more than anything you respect the game with a greater level of appreciation. Q. I wonder if you could share with us anything as you were coming into the ballpark this morning that you may have saw on television, saw on the street, heard on the street, that let you know that maybe there's a greater sense of anticipation today. Something wearing something, something you heard somebody say, anything along those lines? JOHN FARRELL:  No, not to try to sound boring, but at the same time just trying to maintain a consistent approach. Stopped at a normal place for a cup of coffee. Chance to kind of collect your thoughts. But not to try to make anything out of the ordinary as far as your daily routine. Understanding fully where we are, but to change things up or to change our approach with our players or team, probably be doing a disservice of what has been a constant and a strength for us all year. Q. I mean people you interacted with or people you saw on the street? JOHN FARRELL:  If we weren't aware of what is going on tonight, we're probably under a rock. Yeah, when you turn the TV on or whether you listen to a radio station on the way in, yeah, there's reminders all around us. Q. Getting to the specifics of free agency, things like that, just the culture thing you had this year, the success you had, how does that set you up going forward? JOHN FARRELL:  Well, we have personnel changes, and we certainly know who's going to remain here. But I would think that externally, if there are roster needs that emerge, and we have time to get into all that. But I think maybe what's gone on around the game or what's happened here probably is taken note around the league. And I think in the eyes of some Boston might present some specific challenges that might be intimidating for certain players. But I would hope what they're witnessing would certainly become a place of destination for a number of guys that might have a choice. Q. How do you deal with having four pretty high profile guys lined up for free agency? JOHN FARRELL:  To be as consistent and honest with them as possible. And I could tell you this, that conversation about what's pending for them this offseason has never come before their work and what our goal is on a given night. And that's to their credit. They've been great team players. The system will take care of itself, and they're all well aware of that. Some guys for the first time, they're going to approach free agency. But the overriding priority and the ultimate goal is where we stand today. And that's been living here all season. Q. You've received some significant contributions from Bogaerts and Workman's helped you, you had a snippet with Bradley. How well equipped is this franchise for the future? JOHN FARRELL: I think we're in a very healthy place when you consider players that you just mentioned there's been a number of guys that have come up, Drake Britton, a left‑handed pitcher that came up, we have some power arms that are closing in on their debut, as well. But I think that's where Ben has put this organization in such a healthy place. And it was fortified by the trade last year when you acquire a Webster and De la Rosa, together with other young pitchers that are on their way. We're in a good place. Q. You've had a chance to see Michael Wacha once. Having seen him once, does your approach to him change from when you didn't see him the first time? JOHN FARRELL:  I don't know that our approach will change. The one thing that will clearly be different is at least some familiarity. You can watch all the video you want, read all the scouting reports that you want, but until a guy stands in the box and sees the flight of the baseball and feels the velocity and feels the action to that change‑up, that's the best information they can have as they step in there. Familiarity is the one thing. And ultimately we're going to have to adjust to what he establishes. But that doesn't mean we're going in with a complete different approach than we did in Game 2. Q. What's the mood in the clubhouse right now? Do you sense anybody being uptight or are they loose? JOHN FARRELL:  No, I think we're pretty loose. The feel that's down there is a good one. And I think what really stood out is following Game 5 in St. Louis, there was nothing out of the ordinary. And what I mean by that it was almost reminiscent of when we secured a spot to advance into the postseason. There was no celebration. There was no getting ahead of ourselves. That was the case again after Game 5, and that's carried over to today. Our guys know where we are. We know what's in front of us here tonight and possibly tomorrow. But the mood coming in, the early work that's taken place, very consistent. Q. Do you have a favorite thing about Fenway Park? And how does the Fenway Park experience kind of inform being a part of the Red Sox here? How big is that? JOHN FARRELL:  It's the atmosphere that's created in here. You could say it's the wall, it's the triangle, it's any number of things, but it's what comes to life here every night is the thing that stands out for me. Our fans, much like we came from in St. Louis, when you're in a ballpark that people know the game, they anticipate situations that are building, and to see it explode when something positive happens, that's the thing that stands out to me. And the electricity that it generates is awesome. Q. I think you mentioned yesterday that you had spoken to Tito at some point. I forget what it was in reference to. I wonder if you talked to him much during this whole process, having been through that as manager. Obviously you were with him as a year. But did he give you any insight in being a manager through these situations? JOHN FARRELL:  In his own way, Tito, he can send some messages that might be a little bit different to others, but having been around him so much and when he says certain things, you take it to heart. But we talked more probably in the Division and the Championship Series rather than this series. We always reach out to one another, either in a brief text or an occasional phone call where you have a chance to ask him some questions. But I can't say that it's really been anything outside the norm between he and I, as we've gone through the postseason here. Q. How have you gone about possibly planning for a Game 7 with your pitching? Is there anything you've determined? And what about Lester for either tonight or tomorrow? JOHN FARRELL:  Lester will be available tomorrow. Right now Jake Peavy will start tomorrow. And everybody else is available in the bullpen. Q. Given how well Felix Doubront pitched in Game4 and the World Series struggles of Craig Breslow, have you considered flipping their roles? JOHN FARRELL:  Well, like I said, they're all available here tonight. And depending where we are in the lineup, score, inning, all that will determine the selection at the time. What Felix has done has been a huge lift for us. And the fact he hasn't pitched a whole lot out of the bullpen and to throw consecutive days as he did, it's been a lift. Q. As you make decisions with pitching during the game, how do you balance the fact that a guy might be rolling with some of the data that shows up for most guys, even if they are doing well, they tend to get worse that third time through the order and beyond? JOHN FARRELL:  Well, you're using a number of different things. And probably the most important is the game situation, itself. How stressful the pitches leading up to that point have been for that pitcher, whether it's a starter or reliever that's gone multiple innings. You're looking at matchups. In our case, in this series, there's limited history. You don't have a whole lot of history from a one‑on‑one data point to use. So that's under normal circumstances. Unfortunately these aren't normal circumstances. So you go with guys that have been throwing well and guys that are most rested. Q. Just point of reference here, for a couple of guys you've prefaced Peavy, with "right now it's Peavy." What would change for it not to be Peavy, or is it just the way you're prefacing it? JOHN FARRELL:  It's probably more the way it's prefaced. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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