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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES v DODGERS

October 19, 2009

Jayson Werth

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Four

Q. How good was the news when you acquired Cliff Lee? What did that do for the team morale, confidence, just reenergize it?
JAYSON WERTH: I think it was probably surprising. There was a lot of talk about getting Doc (Halladay) at the time, and you get a guy like Cliff, I think everybody was pretty excited, especially since we didn't lose J.A. He's a big part of this team this year, and I don't think anybody wanted to see him go. To keep J.A. and get Cliff, that was pretty exciting.

Q. Charlie likes to talk about how he doesn't think you can hit too much practicing-wise. We were talking about Ryan Howard when he was in here that he's not of that mindset. I know Matt Stairs is. Where do you fall in your preparation?
JAYSON WERTH: It varies, I'd say, just depends on where I feel I'm at. Some days I don't like to hit at all, other days I hit until my hands bleed. It just depends. Right now I'm probably medium, somewhere in between.

Q. Can you just tell us beyond the benefit of the scoreboard, scoring the first couple runs in a playoff game, is there anything beyond going up 2-0? Does it put extra pressure on the pitchers, the fielders?
JAYSON WERTH: There's probably something to be said about it, yeah. Obviously you want to get out front and have a lead, but that doesn't always necessarily mean you're going to win. We're a pretty level-headed team, and we kind of just take things as they come. You know, obviously we want to get out in front and put the pressure on the other team. But I think we feel comfortable playing from behind, as well.

Q. With Pat (Burrell) leaving in the off-season, you're kind of looked at as the big right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup. How aware were you of that entering the season, Spring Training? Can you talk about that a little bit, being the guy that has filled that void, an important void of splitting up those left-handed hitters?
JAYSON WERTH: Yeah, I've kind of done both. I've kind of hit fifth and sixth most of the year. I don't know how many times. I'm sure you guys have those stats. But there was a time there at the beginning of the year when Raul was hot. We were throwing three lefties 3, 4, 5 and it didn't make a difference.
I've hit fifth a lot and I like hitting behind Howie even though it seems like there's no one on base hitting fifth. But it's exciting, I get to drive in a lot of runs and be a big part of the lineup right in the middle of it. It's a lot of fun, especially with this team.

Q. Cliff was saying yesterday when he was in here that it's a lot easier for him to pitch when he has a lead. Does that work both ways when you have a pitcher out there that's completely shutting down the team? Is it just like easier going through your at-bats knowing that you have somebody out there that's going to pretty much throw zeros out there?
JAYSON WERTH: When we have Cliff on the mound and we're hitting you mean? I mean, really, you're still focused on having good at-bats. They're kind of separate. You know you've got a lead, so you're maybe a little more relaxed or a little more comfortable up there, but really it's still an at-bat. It's not like you're going to throw it away or not try to have a good at-bat. Really not much changes.

Q. The move for Cliff has always been discussed within the context of what he brings you, but there was a very real possibility that he might have been in Los Angeles. Could you help us appreciate just how much you're glad that he didn't wind up on the left coast?
JAYSON WERTH: Or the right coast. Really he's been a big addition to the team in many ways. Obviously what he does on the field, I mean, it goes without saying. He's one of the best pitchers in the game right now. But I think with him in the clubhouse, it was a big addition. I mean, he's a well-spoken guy. He knows the game; he's smart. I'm sure he helps the pitchers out a lot. I see him talking to a lot of the guys as far as that goes. But really just his attitude and his overall presence has been a great addition to the clubhouse.

Q. When you were in LA struggling with your injuries, how did you keep the faith that things could turn out as well as they have for you? And how ironic is it for you now to be playing in your second NLCS against the Dodgers?
JAYSON WERTH: I mean, it's not that ironic, but really there was a time where I didn't know where I was at as far as my injury and what was going to happen. There was probably a couple-month span there where I was sitting at home in Illinois fishing off my boat not having any idea what was going to happen. I had a doctor's visit at Mayo Clinic scheduled in August, and that was like the end of May or so, June, when I got home. So there was a time frame there where pretty much baseball was done unless something got taken care of.
I was really hoping that the guys at Mayo Clinic knew what they were doing, and they did. They diagnosed it and they did the surgery, and really it was not that big a deal, although it was very rare. I saw Dr. Berger was the only doctor at the time diagnosing and repairing my injury.

Q. You talked about hitting behind Howard and everybody has been talking about how he sees the ball, but lately he's seeing it even better than he had for most of the season. What does that look like to you, number one? And number two, is it at all contagious, or is that just kind of a fun thing to say when you're watching a guy have a good at-bat?
JAYSON WERTH: Hitting is contagious for sure. One of the things about Ryan, you get to stand on deck while he's hitting. You get a pretty good seat, and especially when he hits balls really far. You don't usually get to see even when you're on deck and anyone else is hitting -- the ball doesn't come off the bat really like it comes off his. I find myself just kind of watching more as a fan sometimes, standing on deck getting ready to hit.
But it's exciting to hit behind him for sure.

Q. Do you sense there's an expectation that you guys are supposed to get back to the World Series this year after winning last year?
JAYSON WERTH: I think ever since Spring Training we've came in with expectations of doing exactly what we did last year. I think for the last probably two years we've kind of had the same mindset as a club. We're just going out there to win. If you continue to win, you'll be where you need to be at the end of the year.

End of FastScripts

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