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 The following is commentary and interviews from yesterday's (6/22) Sunday MLB on TBS broadcast between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox with announcers Chip Caray and Buck Martinez, and interviews with Terry Francona of the Red Sox and Rick Ankiel of the Cardinals.
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St. Louis Cardinals (3) @ Boston Red Sox (5) (13 innings)
Game announcers: Chip Caray and Buck Martinez
Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez on the keys to the Red Sox success: “With me and David (Ortiz), (Julio) Lugo, Alex Cora, Mike Lowell and the rest of the guys, we always have fun. And that’s why we’re so good out there. Because we work hard and we also have fun. When you’ve got that combination, that’s kind of dangerous.”
Martinez on the Cardinals overcoming injuries to some of their key players this season: “(The Cardinals’ season) is pretty remarkable. (Cardinals manager) Tony La Russa has always been the master of motivating his ballclub. When you look at the (Cardinals’) disabled list and (see) all the great names they are playing without, (La Russa) never allows the team to think about that. There is no talk whatsoever about losing (injured first baseman) Albert Pujols. They never talk about what they don’t have; they focus on what they do have. Right now, they’ve got a red-hot (outfielder), Ryan Ludwick, who is having an outstanding season. This team believes that they can overcome the loss of some of their star players.”
Manny Ramirez on retiring from MLB as a member of the Red Sox: “I want to finish my career as a (member of the) Boston Red Sox, but that’s (up to) the ownership. They have to come to me at the end of the season, sit down and go over it and we’ll see what happens.”
Martinez on how Terry Francona’s managing style is a great fit for the Red Sox: “I don’t think there is a better manager-fit (in MLB) than the fit of Terry Francona to this Boston Red Sox team. I think what happens with this Red Sox team, when you have as many personalities as they do in their clubhouse, he doesn’t try to change everybody. He does not try to make (outfielder) J.D. Drew like (infielder) Dustin Pedroia. J. D. Drew is going to sit in a corner, read a book and get ready for the game in his own fashion. I think that’s what Terry Francona has allowed this team to do is develop its own personality. By doing that, you don’t create any acrimony, you don’t create any hardships and you don’t create any ill-feelings. This is the personality of this team and (Francona has) done a heck of a job of guiding this team to championships.
St. Louis outfielder Rick Ankiel on the resilience of the Cardinals: “The thing that we’ve done (well) all year is when somebody has to step up and play, they’ve been able to do it. One guy goes down and another guy steps in that role and picks up his piece. It’s a good sign that we’re a good team and hopefully whoever is in the lineup can get to it and get it done.”
Martinez on the versatility of the Red Sox: “(Red Sox manager) Terry Francona knows that (the Red Sox) can do a few different things and that’s really important when you’re thinking about the postseason and playing against some higher quality pitchers on a regular basis.”
TBS’ Chip Caray and Buck Martinez interviewed Red Sox manager Terry Francona during the fourth inning.
Francona on the growth and improvement of Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester: “He’s grown up right before our eyes. He’s a great kid, he’s a hard worker, he’s got a lot of ways to get hitters out and he’s really started to get consistent. (He’s) pounding the strike zone, working a little bit quicker and it’s fun to watch.”
Francona on how important catcher and team captain Jason Varitek is to the Red Sox: “‘Tek (Jason Varitek) is unbelievable and it’s well-documented as it should be. He’s more than a coach out there. He makes adjustments on the fly, he studies and prepares. When he puts a finger down (as a signal), pitchers know there’s a reason (for it).”
Martinez on Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia: “(The Red Sox) have taken on (Dustin Pedroia’s) personality. He never believes he should make an out. He has so much determination and he loves to hit in the top of the (Red Sox batting) order. He’s got some pop in his bat. Don’t be fooled by his diminutive size, he’s got a big heart and a big swing as well.”
Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel on making it to the Major Leagues twice, once as a pitcher and once as an outfielder: “It’s so tough to get to the big leagues and to do it twice, I think I have some bragging rights there. It’s fun, I’m still in the early stages of my second career as a position player. It’s really a neat thing and it fun to be going through.”
Martinez on the Red Sox being so successful playing at home: “(Fenway Park) is a very difficult park for visiting clubs. (Red Sox manager) Terry Francona’s team is so comfortable playing at home. I can speak from experience, the third base (visitor’s) dugout gets very uncomfortable late in the game. (The Red Sox) have the ability to hit home runs and they’ve got a great bullpen so it’s very difficult to sweep a three-game series here (as a visiting team).”
Martinez on the lack of concentration of some of the top teams in MLB: “The teams that should be dominant like the Red Sox and Cubs and Philadelphia (Phillies) to a degree, where they can just pummel you every single night. It seems like they allow (opposing) teams to play with them from time to time. They’ll get in a series, win a game and forget who they are playing and the other team comes back and catches them off-guard. There was a day when you wouldn’t catch great teams off-guard. You wouldn’t catch the ’97-’99 Yankees off-guard. They would come in and just pummel you. The ’86 Mets were like that, if you got matched up against the Mets and you were a second division ballclub…you had no chance. You were not going to win.”
Martinez on the Yankees having a winning record despite their injuries: “It’s remarkable where the Yankees are (record-wise) given where they have come from. They’ve had injuries to their pitching staff and young (pitchers) that they counted on that haven’t had any consistency. Now Joba Chamberlain is in the (pitching) rotation, he’s yet to win a game and they (still have a winning record).”
Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick on his mindset as a hitter with runners in scoring position: “I’ve been very successful at (driving in runs) my whole career, whether it’s in the minor leagues, college or high school. I think it’s just trying to get a good pitch (to hit). I try to get that tunnel vision where everything locks in a little bit more. You’ve got to stay in the middle of the field and if you do that, more often than not, you’re going to have success.”
Martinez on the development of the Red Sox young bullpen: “(The Red Sox) have some big arms (in their bullpen) and they are slowly gaining experience and developing into a very effective bullpen.” Source: TBS
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