AL WILD CARD SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 7, 2022

J.P. Crawford

Rogers Centre

Seattle Mariners

Pregame Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with J.P. Crawford.

Q. Sitting here where you are today, I think you, amongst other guys on the team that have been around for a while, can kind of appreciate the journey it took to get here, through 2019, which was kind of a transitory year with some guys that weren't going to be here long-term. But what's the satisfaction level of having gone through that rebuild and come out the other end?

J.P. CRAWFORD: It means everything to finally know that our work is being accomplished every day that we put in. It's just the first step. We're not satisfied just being here. We want to move on and win the World Series. That's our ultimate goal.

Q. How would you describe the mood of the team the last couple of days; nervous, excited? What's the vibe?

J.P. CRAWFORD: Oh, we're excited. We have a bunch of young guys that are just really excited to get out there. Not too many of our team has been in this position before, so a lot of us really don't know how to feel.

Yeah, we're just anxious and really excited to get out there.

Q. Is it better just not to know? I mean, not to have that experience on some level, just go out there and play baseball instead of getting caught up in the whole aspect of what is at stake?

J.P. CRAWFORD: Oh, yeah. You have to trick yourself a little bit. Just treat it like another day at the yard, like another day at the office.

You can't get too hyped up. Then your feelings start going everywhere. At least I just try to treat it like another day.

Q. You, of all people on this team, when you guys were going through your tough stretch in May in this very building and into June, always had the confidence that you would turn it around. What about this team gave you that conviction and the character in the clubhouse that you guys would get to this point?

J.P. CRAWFORD: I think the way that we just go about our craft and our work every day. Everyone works their butts off every day, and everyone is prepared for the game, and you can't ask for more than that.

To have a team that's fully committed to one goal at the end of the day says a lot.

Q. Not to have you give away any trade secrets, but what's your success today, the key against Alek Manoah?

J.P. CRAWFORD: Excuse me?

Q. Your success today as a team, what that's going to be against Alek Manoah? What will you have to do?

J.P. CRAWFORD: Just play our game like we've been doing all year. You have to play defense. That's our strong suit. We have to score runs.

I think if we do those two, we'll be all right.

Q. We talked about it before, but when you first came to this organization, you look at yourself as a player and where you are at now, and even Mitch had mentioned all the players along the way that have influenced you guys getting here. Can you talk about some of those guys and what it's meant to you even though they're not here for you guys to be the ones to break that streak?

J.P. CRAWFORD: Oh, yeah. I've got two guys in mind for me. Dee Gordon. He was the first guy when I got over here in 2019. He took me under his wing and really put the love for baseball back in my heart. He taught me how to be a leader and how to go about my craft every day.

Of course, there's Cap, Kyle Seager. I really wish he was here. He molded this team that's here today. He taught us how to lead. He taught us how to go about our work every day. Taking ground balls every day. Doing a cage or gym routine. He was in there every day his last couple of years, and just to see the amount of work he put in every day. I really wish he was here right now because he deserved to be here.