	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v ANGELS

October 6, 2009

John Lackey

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for John Lackey.

Q. How do you view the Red Sox? And what will be the key in overcoming their hex on the Angels?
JOHN LACKEY: Their hex, huh? I don't know how to answer that. They're a great team. I mean, it's a definite challenge, but it's a new year. I mean, we take each year in as of itself. So we've kind of moved on past that and focusing on this year.

Q. I think there's been a pretty wide and long held supposition that this series was going to start Thursday. But not knowing for sure, has that affected your preparations at all?
JOHN LACKEY: No, not at all. We kind of assumed it was Thursday. We've kind of been shooting for that from the git-go. But even if it was Wednesday, I still would have had an extra day. So I'm going to be plenty rested either way. So it will be good.

Q. As you look at the Red Sox lineup top to bottom, what particular challenges does this team bring to you that maybe you don't face with other teams?
JOHN LACKEY: It's deep. It's really a deep lineup. I mean, you've got to make pitches throughout the lineup. I mean, they're strong one through nine. You definitely would like to keep some of those guys off the bases early in the lineup so the guys in the middle can't do quite as much damage.
It's going to be a challenge for sure. They're a good team.

Q. Last year you took a no-hitter into the ninth inning there in Fenway. Has your confidence, your mentality about the match-up with the Red Sox changed at all since then?
JOHN LACKEY: Not really. I mean, you can't -- they're too good to think that, you know -- I mean, if I pitch up to my capabilities I like my chances against anybody.
But you've got to be focused. You've got to take every game as a new challenge. What I did in the past is not going to have anything to do with Thursday, really.

Q. What does it mean to be a Game 1 starter, especially in a five-game series when you may be the one guy who pitches twice in the series?
JOHN LACKEY: It's an honor. I mean, we've got a couple of guys on our team that could do it. They've had some good years. So for Scioscia to have confidence in me for me to go Game 1 is definitely an honor, because we have some other pitchers that are really good as well.

Q. This does seem a little bit like dÃ©jÃ vu. These series against the Red Sox, if you were to put your finger on a common thread as to what didn't go great for you as a squad, offense obviously, you need to score some more runs along the way -- but what would that be? Do you have a sense of that beginning to change now? Is there something more that's going to allow you to compete as a club a little bit better?
JOHN LACKEY: Honestly, I've been looking at the -- I'm one of the few guys that have been here all of them. It was different pretty much every year. You know, first year they were probably just a better team than we were. The second time we were pretty beat up. We weren't quite at full strength, and we would have needed to be and needed to play well. I mean, they're still obviously a great team. But we were kind of a little limited for sure in that series.
Then last year I just thought we didn't quite play up to our capabilities. I thought we had the team that could have gotten it done last year, for sure.

Q. Torii Hunter had said when you guys were in Boston in September that guys didn't play their best when you guys played teams like the Red Sox and the Yankees. Is that something you've noticed, and is that something that you guys have addressed?
JOHN LACKEY: I don't think he's talking to me.

Q. Your team in general.
JOHN LACKEY: Yeah, I can see that for sure. I mean, we had some -- we had some opportunities, for sure. We needed some guys to step up and make some plays or get some hits or make a pitch. It's a team effort. I mean, we've just got to play good as a team. Collectively, we have the people that can do it, we've just got to play up to our capabilities, play our game, and we should be okay.

Q. I know that the catching situation here has sort of varied over the past couple of years. So this season in particular, how have you known who is catching you and when? How does that work?
JOHN LACKEY: Mathis has been catching me for a few months in a row. So Scioscia's here. I'd be surprised if he's not catching on Thursday. But if he doesn't, whatever.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Surprised if I'm not catching?
JOHN LACKEY: No, Mathis. They're both capable catchers. They work hard behind the plate. They're able to put a game plan in place that you talk to them about before the game. So Whichever one is back there, it's not a big deal. They're both good.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297