Those things happen (1).
I’m not really planning on changing anything. I’m just going to keep doing what I do.
That’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as him (2). He’s one of the guys that I look to as the best ever at what he does. For me, hopefully I’ll have a chance to pitch that long to be compared to him. Obviously, any closer, if you pitch long enough, you’re going to face some failure. He was able to bounce back from that (3) as good as anybody. I hope the same is true for myself. I feel it will be. It’s one of the things you have to do to be successful as a closer–bounce back. So far, in the year and a half I’ve pitched, I’ve been able to do a good job of that.
The next hitter I faced after Pujols, I was able to strike out Reggie Sanders. For me, you’ve got to be able to get over the hitter immediately.
In terms of length, I’ve given up bigger home runs than that. It happens, and you get over it. If you don’t get over it, you’re not going to pitch in baseball very long.
I don’t think anyone ever thought that we weren’t capable of getting to the postseason, which is kind of weird. When you’re sitting 15-30, normally you don’t have those thoughts, but we all still knew that we’d probably get to the postseason. I think it was just a matter of when we were going to start playing better. It was never a question of if. It was just a matter of when.
Anytime you throw starters consistently out on the field like we have, you’re going to win games. It’s just going to happen.
I played outfield for a while (4) and then had to become a pitcher because I probably wouldn’t have made the varsity team as an outfielder. We had all our guys get drafted or go to Division I schools as outfielders. So I had to be a pitcher.
I’ll tell you what, Notre Dame was instrumental for me in getting to where I am today. Going in there, I hadn’t really thrown a whole lot in high school. Our coach, Paul Mainieri, and pitching coach, Brian O’Connor, really helped me develop as a pitcher. I went in there throwing about 90, and when I left I was throwing about 97 through them working with my mechanics, mental approach and weightlifting for the first time. It was huge for me. I wouldn’t have even been drafted probably if it wasn’t what Notre Dame was able to do for me.
Actually, I talked to the White Sox prior to the draft, and the Angels were slotted around where I got picked. I was real happy I went to the Astros because knowing about Biggio and Bagwell and the kind of leaders they were, from Day One when I got to spring training, it was awesome to be around those guys.
The first game I went to was a Cubs game. I grew up a Cubs fan. I was in the neighborhood of 5 or 6. I just remember going to a big-league baseball game and the atmosphere. I remember hot dogs, to be honest. I remember eating a hot dog and thought it was awesome to be at a ballgame and eating a hot dog.
Every time I go there, I still get goose bumps. It’s just one of those fields that every time you step on that field, you look at the ivy and you look at how it’s set up, and it gives you chills.
They can get a little wild (5). I don’t know if they give me chills so much as just a headache.
Andre Dawson and Ryne Sandberg. I just thought they were awesome. Orel Hershiser with the Dodgers too. Those were the guys I followed because of their teams. Dave Winfield was actually my favorite player growing up.
My grandparents have lived here (6) a long time. My dad’s side of the family all grew up here around Barrington. I’ve got four cousins here and my aunt and uncle.
They grew up Cubs fans. They’ve made the switch over to the Astros.
(1) – Allowing mammoth three-run home run to St. Louis’ Albert Pujols in National League Championship Series.
(2) – Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.
(3) – The home run Rivera gave up to Cleveland’s Sandy Alomar in the 1997 American League Division Series.
(4) – In high school.
(5) – Cubs fans near the bullpen area.
(6) – In the Chicago area.
