MLB : Dodgers vs Red Sox Sunday, October 28, 2018 Red Sox pregame 5 First of all, the players, they make it happen. Their willingness to do the things that they're doing right now. Q. Just a thought on and also what you I don't know if you guys noticed, Nate, he went to the expect from him tonight? bullpen yesterday. Rick was in the bullpen yesterday. ALEX CORA: It's a full go. He's done it before. He's in Like I said, it doesn't mean that they're going to pitch, a good place, not only mentally but physically. We feel but at least they're showing that they're willing to do he can do this. It's not a case of he's the opener, whatever it takes for us to win a World Series. And whatever they want to call it. It's a full go. Behind the when you see that and you guys don't know the whole whole thing, the thought process, and we know that's a story, obviously, but the medical department, the good team. And they're not going to give up. And pitching , the bullpen coach, Banny (Bannister), obviously we have to get 27 outs and be on top to win the coaching staff, we gathered everything, the the whole thing. information, and then we make decisions. And I feel that with the group we have, why not go all in, because But I think we're covered for the regular season, the we know we're going to be able to bounce back, we're playoff season. And obviously it's not being negative, going to be covered. A lot of people thought that we you have to prepare. He can bounce back, if it doesn't were short pitching-wise yesterday, and we never felt happen today. And he'll be in the bullpen in Game 6 that way. and in Game 7, if needed. It's a cool feel. It's a cool feel. Chris will have extra days' rest, if he has to pitch Game 6. You guys know about him coming from injury and Q. Can you just speak to the availability of your then his infection in the belly button (laughter). It was bullpen, if anybody is absolutely not available tough for his belly button to bounce back and go to the tonight? And then specifically with all the doubts bullpen in games 6 and 7. And that's the reason kind of that group had around it, can you speak to behind it. It's not that we're trying to reinvent this. what in particular has brought this We're just being prepared. postseason, if anything changed for him, if he If it was a tied series, we were going with our starters surprised you at all or how well he's pitched for on full rest. you in the playoffs? ALEX CORA: Everybody is available tonight. Q. But no setback? ALEX CORA: No, no setback. Q. Even Sale? ALEX CORA: Everybody's available. Q. You use the phrase "all in" you will the time. Where did if come from and what does it mean to With the bullpen we felt that we were going to be okay going into October. We had the luxury of resting guys, you? change their usage in September because of our lead ALEX CORA: I don't know. Like I said, my English is in the division. And obviously we felt that we were very limited (laughter). I'm talking to you guys and it going to have the best record in baseball to have came up, and just been running away with it. home-field advantage. And we start Brasier, we didn't abuse him in September. Barnes gets hurt, which at It feels that way. Actually today I was on the way to the the end it really benefitted him. We knew we were ballpark with Carlos Febles and we were talking about going to have an extra arm in every game in October. playoffs and the experience and being a manager, being a bench coach, being a player, being an analyst, And with Joe, he was amazing the first part of the and it's a different feel. When you're sitting here and season, and he struggled. Usage, change, he started when you're sitting in that desk or you're standing in relying a lot on his fastball. He wasn't able to land his that dugout as a manager, you have a feeling different breaking ball early in the count. And he got away from than probably the coaching staff. That's a cool feel. his changeup, which is probably his second-best pitch. He throws 100 which at the end of September when we

Rev #1 by #178 at 2018-10-28 22:16:00 GMT page 1 of 3 start talking about rosters and all that, it's hard to leave game that -- that was the only time we got the card, a 100 out of the 25-man roster in October. He's actually. They sent it, and I saw one of the guys he pitched in the World Series. He has experience. And was red and red, which means that he was very red. he started throwing the ball well towards the end. And I actually stayed away from him at that point, and it Made some adjustments mechanically and you see the almost cost us the game. I don't remember who he results, and he's been amazing. He's been great. was. And the next day I told them, do not send me the card, please, because it's the playoffs, you know? You But all of them, if you think about it, we haven't had too make decisions, you've got to take care of them, many bad innings out of them. When you can obviously, but if you tell them that you're down, I can't remember at-bats, and it's October whatever, and I can even imagine their reaction. go to at-bats that, okay, we got burned there, Voit against Brasier, first pitch, down the line; So we've been doing a good job with that, staying away Marwin, Yuli . That's good, because it's only from the card, and just asking them what they want to like three that I remember that we got burned do. You've got guys showing up here at 11 a.m. getting throughout. But they've been amazing. treatment and trying to get ready to bounce back and perform. Q. (No microphone). ALEX CORA: Every out is big. Every out is huge. Like Q. What do you remember about the '07 I said yesterday, I was kicking myself for extending championship team that you were on? What Eduardo but then that's the beauty of this game. I distinguished that Red Sox group and were there should have gone to Joe at that time, but then they any similarities to this one? picked me up, and then we got Joe, who can go two ALEX CORA: Offensively very similar, two guys that innings. That's the beauty of baseball. It happened for carried the offense and another guy that -- Pedey. We a reason and he was tremendous for us last night. had David and Manny and Pedey was amazing. Youk was good. Surrounding those two guys we had good Q. What is the likelihood that Sale would come in bats. It's the same way here, we got Mookie and J.D., and pitch in relief tonight? but the at-bats around them, they're great. It's a ALEX CORA: Perfect. Perfect like in New York when relentless group that -- we're not as patient as that he came in in Game 4. group, but we grind at-bats and we foul pitches. And obviously we drive the ball out of the ballpark, but we We know where we're at. We know who we're playing can do other stuff, too; we can run. That year I think and we mapped this out to be covered and be almost Pedey stole like 20, we had Coco who had speed and at a hundred percent if the series extends. So we've Jacoby, Youk was a good baserunner. Offensively we got to be very, very careful the way we use him. But it did a lot of good things. And then the bench, it was has to be almost perfect. But he'll be ready. amazing, they had the best utility guy in the bigs in 2007. That guy was great (laughter). Q. If you can think back to the beginning of the World Series, beginning of the ALCS, the beginning Q. What was his name? of the Division Series and the conversations that ALEX CORA: Jose Cora (laughter). you were having with your medical people, did the ability of specific pitchers to bounce back, pitch And then you've got Bobby Kielty off the bench, switch- consecutive days, allow anybody to get on the hitter, that could do damage. Very similar to Mitch roster for each of those series? yesterday. Mitch saw one pitch, it out of the ALEX CORA: Not really. You use the schedule to your ballpark. Bobby saw one pitch in that World Series and advantage. We know that there's off-days. There's just hit it out of the ballpark. going to be an off-day, after the first two games, there's going to be an off-day after the next two days in the Bullpen was great. Rotation carried the load in '07 and Division Series, and then the Championship Series, it it's just like this one. Yeah, and both managers, they're changes, it's an off-day. So you take advantage of that. bold (laughter). We're still looking at pitch usage in high-level situation and stressful innings, but at the same time it's October. Q. Your players have said repeatedly that they feed And those guys, like I've been saying, they're ready to off your even-keeled temperament and it helps go. them. Other than umpires, do you yell at anyone? Do you show temper? And there was one game that -- we got information ALEX CORA: No, no, I don't. I talk to them and I try to from the medical staff and the analytical staff about our stay in tune with them. If I have something to tell them, relievers, red, yellow and green. And there was one I just sit with them. Very casual. Very casual. And, I

Rev #1 by #178 at 2018-10-28 22:16:00 GMT page 2 of 3 don't know, I'm 43 and we have in some aspects the Q. Obviously you're rather familiar with this place same interests. and there's so much history kind of crawling through the tunnels, the walls here. Is there a I try to do it that way. It feels right. It feels right. I piece of memorabilia or trophy that really wowed played for a lot of managers and I learned from them, you the first time you saw it? from all of them, from Davey all the way till the last one, ALEX CORA: Just the stadium itself. You come here Riggleman and Davey again. I learn. And I never had and you walk around and there's 55,000 people and a manager that was like rah, rah, screaming at guys. that uniform is unique. It's beautiful, actually. And then They always had good conversations, and I learned you put it on and you feel it. What they do as an from them and that's what I'm trying to do. organization, too, I know they're in Arizona now, but you go to Vero Beach, Dodgertown, that was Q. (No microphone). awesome. Just staying there and see all the legends ALEX CORA: Away from the ballpark? I don't have walking around and trying to help you out. The Dodger time for that, man. Just be a dad, change diapers and way, too. They teach you not only to be a good enjoy the twins and Camila. baseball player, but a pro off the field, how to dress, how to talk to the media. The way they did it with us Q. A lot has been made of the Dodgers kind of top- when I signed in '96 it was tremendous. down, way of managing and scripting a ballgame, and the place Davey plays in it. How does it work And then you've got Garvey and Cey and Russell and in Boston with an old-school GM like Dombrowski? Jaime and Mr. Scully, just walking around. And you're Do you get a lot of top down? And how much like, wow, this is great. They do an outstanding job as autonomy does that give you in managing a game? an organization keeping those guys involved, which is ALEX CORA: We get information and we use it to our great. We do the same thing. Obviously the Yankees advantage, that's how we operate. do it, too, there's a lot of organizations that there's a lot of history and they keep their guys involved which I Q. You said '07 and some other teams were more think is a plus for everybody. patient, maybe. How were you able to use the aggressiveness of your hitters in a positive way while still knowing they could still could grind out bats and do the right things that way? ALEX CORA: Last year I lived it. When your leadoff guy is 6 '4", 250, and he can put the first pitch out of the game out of the ballpark, it makes the pitcher -- it makes them execute from pitch one. It's not comfortable. You cannot just groove a fastball right down the middle. You never know what that leadoff guy can do. He can hit it the out of the ballpark right away. So you have to execute, and that's why.

We've been telling them from the get-go, sometimes we fall into the bad takes. Bad takes last year is just a predetermined take. Fastball right down the middle and just take it and you're down 0-1. And we're trying to avoid those. And like I said, sometimes they still do it. And we will get better.

But I do feel that from the get-go, last year with George, this year with Mookie, they're threats. And then from the first pitch you have to execute. And that's why we preach aggressiveness, but it has to be in the strike zone. Stay away from the edges of the strike zone, which they've been doing an outstanding job pitching to that, they've been great, actually. But if you do that, your chances of getting on base and doing damage, they're a lot better. And that's what we want from them. If it's not there, just take, take it.

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