NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 15, 2023

Zac Gallen

Citizens Bank Park

Arizona Diamondbacks

Workout Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We will get started with Zac Gallen.

Q. I think the Eagles game is kicking off now, so could you describe your emotions about -- that's still your football team, but obviously you don't hope their baseball team does well tomorrow.

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, I'll be tuning in as soon as I get off the podium here to see what's going on. Yeah, it's still my team, but we're here to take care of business, so yeah.

Q. Is it Gibbsboro, you grew up in?

ZAC GALLEN: Somerdale I was born. We moved to Gibbsboro when I was 11. So sixth, seventh grade, something like that, but I claim Somerdale.

Q. What will the emotions be beyond starting obviously Game 1 of the LCS considering that it is basically your hometown?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah. I think it's interesting for sure to start Game 1 in the NLCS at the field, stadium you grew up coming to as a kid, you know, coming to see teams play.

But, I mean, this is about the NLCS. That's really where my emotions are. Still going to go through my routine. I'm playing for free here with all the tickets compared to anywhere else, but yeah, it's about the NLCS. The external factors, I'll block them out as best I can.

Q. How many people are you expecting?

ZAC GALLEN: A lot. Yeah, a lot. I'm sure there's people that have tickets that I'm not even responsible for. But I have a big side of the family on my mom's side, so it comes with the territory, I guess.

Q. When you say block out the external factors, what does that actually mean? Does that mean turning off your phone? Does that mean pretending you're in a place that you're not from? What does it mean actually to block those out?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, I will say everyone has been pretty solid for the most part and not necessarily asking me to do things and see them and what not. But for me it's more so we're here to handle business, so it's not a vacation. It's not a time to come home and see everyone you know, until obviously my job is done Monday night. Then I'll be able to let down a little bit and see some family.

Even last night and today just obviously at the hotel kind of doing my thing really. Yeah, it's just treating it like a business trip.

Q. Zac, just your thoughts and the confidence you guys have right now and feels like you guys are on quite a roll right now and everyone is really buying in.

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah. I've kind of said this numerous times in the last couple of weeks that I think a lot of people counted us out even from the start of the season. But 26 guys in that clubhouse or however many guys put on the uniform this year and helped us get to where we're at, I don't think are surprised.

I think we all expect to kind of be in this position, expect to succeed. We're just glad we're doing it at the right time really.

We played a good opponent in the Dodgers, and we we're going to play another really good opponent in the Phillies. Yeah, we're playing with some confidence now for sure, but yeah, like I said, I don't think anyone is necessarily surprised in that clubhouse that we're here.

Q. Even after some of your best starts, you find ways to kind of nitpick and find areas to improve. So kind of going into this LCS, what are the expectations of yourself?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, I mean, I still threw a bullpen the other day. I think it was 37 pitches. I'm trying to get better every day that I touch the baseball. You only get so many throws when you are out there. So for me I don't think it's -- yeah, you have to kind of balance the fatigue and the long season and workload and stuff like that.

But for me I'm still trying to be better than I was the last time I was out there. Especially now on this stage and at this point of the season really.

For me as cliche as it is, and I say it after every start, is I just try to give us a chance to win. Trying to do too much is where you can get into trouble. So we have a good offense. We have a good bullpen. So my job is just to throw up as many zeros as possible and give us a chance to win.

Q. You and Zack Wheeler had very similar seasons statistically. How do you view this matchup against him in Game 1?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, for sure. Zack is one of the best in the league, one of the best in the National League. It will be fun.

I admire what he does. I think he goes about attacking hitters in an awesome way. I think his stuff is really good. I remember when I hit as a pitcher, he was probably the toughest at-bat that I had faced.

Yeah, he has great stuff. That's a good team over there. It's a good lineup, good bullpen. I think we match up for the most part pretty close to identical. So it will be a fun series.

Q. What specifically about this Phillies lineup makes them so good?

ZAC GALLEN: I think the first thing that jumps off the page is that everybody in the lineup can leave the ballpark. That's for sure.

They have the speed dynamic in Trea and Stott, Rojas and even Marsh. Those guys can run a little bit.

They're an experienced lineup. They take their walks. I think they have a lot of things going for them for sure. It's not one-dimensional by any means, and I think that poses a challenge for any pitcher.

Q. You've been around this kind of ball club for a minute now, but what's it like to finally see them get to this point and see this team grow up with all these young guys?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, for sure. Getting to moments like this is why you suit up, and this is where you envisioned yourself in February when Spring Training starts.

So it's been awesome, honestly. We've been through some ups and downs for sure over the last five years, you know, the guys that have been here for a while. Yeah, it's just been kind of gratifying to see it turn around kind of as fast as it did after '21 and '22. It was a little bit of a struggle there in the beginning.

Just to kind of get out of the dark times, I think, has been awesome to be a part of.

Q. Having been here before, when you guys piped in that fake crowd noise for workouts, do you think it will help, or was it almost comical that it wasn't coming close to the crowd noise to expect the next two nights?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, the crowd noise at Chase was a little more treble than bass. It was a little more on the annoying side, which I think honestly was -- might have been beneficial. I think just to kind of simulate outfielders being able to communicate and things like that, just something super loud.

I haven't been to an environment here like with the Phillies. I've been to an Eagles game when they play Dallas, and that gets pretty loud too, so I imagine it's very similar. But, yeah, I think we tried to do the best we could to prepare for it. Like I said, I would echo this after -- I don't know when it was when we were talking. I was like, if you're scared, stay home.

So worrying about the crowd noise, worrying about all that stuff, you just have to go about your process, go about what you do well, execute the fundamentals, and you'll be fine.

Q. Just going back to you being the local guy, was it your childhood dream to pitch for the Phillies in a situation like this, and if not, is this at least the second-best thing?

ZAC GALLEN: I dreamed of pitching for the Cardinals. I was a Cardinals fan. Yeah, I don't know. I wasn't a Phillies fan as a kid growing up. McGwire was my guy. But I think, yeah, the kid in me wanted to pitch for the Cardinals in the playoffs. But at the same time I wanted to pitch for anybody in the playoffs and be on that stage.

But, yeah, of course.

Q. I just wondered, have you had any friends or family attend or go to the postseason games last year or this year and kind of say to you, Hey, it would be great for you to pitch in this atmosphere or just kind of give you a heads-up about just how great it would be to pitch here?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah. Did you read the article where my mom said that? That was funny. That's verbatim what she said.

My mom -- I got my mom some tickets for the World Series last year. Her boss wanted to go. As a stipulation to getting the tickets, she got to go.

The energy here, she said was unmatched, and that's exactly what you said. It was like, one day I hope you get to be in an environment like this, you know, pitching in the playoffs and just the energy.

Yeah, honestly, it's kind of wild, the fact that here we are a year later, and it's in the same spot where she had kind of mentioned the environment, the energy, so I'm excited.

Q. I respect that you are honoring a Tar Heel with your shirt today and one of the all-time greats, and I know a favorite athlete of yours. What have you learned about the big moment by studying Michael Jordan's career and drawing inspiration from him?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, it's funny you say that because Casey and I were just talking about -- we couldn't remember which documentary, but talking about when they drew up the play for Michael to take the shot in the national championship as a freshman. They knew he would be open. I forget who he was talking about, if it was Dean Smith or Roy Williams, whoever. And they said you could just see the look on his face in the huddle. He was prepared for it and that he wasn't scared to take the shot.

For me I think it comes down to preparation. I was thankful enough to get to pick Clayton Kershaw's brain a little bit this past series and just kind of asked him -- I'm infatuated with how guys have done it for so long, and I mean, I think the key with him is preparation. You prepare for four out of the five days. That way the fifth day your talent takes over, and your mind isn't wandering.

I think that seems to be the common theme with a lot of the greats in any field really.

Q. Just back to the noise real quick, I was just curious, with the PitchCom, was there any impacts as far as being able to hear that back and forth, for example, in L.A. when it was at its loudest?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, I didn't have it turned up all the way in L.A. I'm still just -- I just feel like if it's on the max volume, I feel like everyone can hear it, so I would rather just not have that, but I did have it pretty close to the top, and it was getting tough to hear. I think if I maxed it out, it might have been fine.

I know that PitchCom was coming up with kind of something that was a tube that got closer to your ear, so I don't know if we have those this series. But, yeah, I mean, it's going to be loud here for sure, and I imagine it's going to be on -- my PitchCom will be on max volume from pitch one.

Yeah, for the most part I'm calling the pitches anyway, so I kind of know, so we'll see what happens.

Q. As the year has gone by using the PitchCom, what's your comfort level with it overall? Do you like it? Is it a good innovation for you?

ZAC GALLEN: I think it's awesome really, especially with the clock. I think without the clock, it was kind of whatever. Finger signs are the same thing, but with the clock and being able to call your own pitches, for me just kind of hit it right on the keypad. I think it's huge, and I think it seems different, but I'm kind of glad we have it.