A Quote by David Cone
I've always noticed how the Fenway fans get behind the pitcher, especially late in the game if you're having a good game, or if you have two strikes on a hitter, they really start to chant and anticipate a strikeout. And that's the best part about playing in Boston and at Fenway. There are knowledgeable fans who anticipate the flow of the game and they can really help out the pitcher.
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The game of baseball between pitcher and hitter sets up like a game of chess in that you have to anticipate several moves ahead to set up your opponent.
For me, the most important thing is running a good clubhouse. The X's and the O's - you sit up in the stands and, for the most part, a lot of fans go to the game and they know what's going to happen. You're going to hit and run, steal, put a pitcher in, take a pitcher out.
In 1999, when Ted Williams came out and saluted the fans at the All Star Game at Fenway, I had a huge lump in my throat, and the producer is yelling in my ear to talk, and I couldn't, thankfully, and it was much better.
The single most important thing is to know the game. Study the history of the game, the fine points of the game, and the personalities of the game so you'll be able to recognize what they're doing out there and then you'll be able to anticipate certain things that are going to happen.
It's really impressive when you've got two teams that are really battling it out, low-scoring game, a pitcher's duel. To me, that's so fun to watch.
I really did not think a thing about playing five black players to start the game; they were our best players and deserved to start. But if I knew all the misery it was going to cause me in the weeks following the game, I'd have thought long and hard about it. The players from Kentucky were gracious about it, but many of their fans and people from other parts of the country did not want to see it.
The home games, that's really where you can see everything - every game is packed. No matter if it's like a game we're going to win by a lot or a close game - everybody's here. The fans cheer the same way and it's great. That's really what I can say about Duke.
It's easy to sit there in the dugout when the game's going on and talk, chitchat about this and that. But I think paying attention, watching the pitcher, watching the game develop, putting yourself in situations you're not even in yet, anticipating the game, stuff like that, I think that really helps you take that extra step.
I had a lot of fun playing football and basketball, but deep down, the chess match or cat-and-mouse game between the pitcher and batter in baseball really drew me in. It's a thinking man's game, and for me, nothing can compare to that.
If you want to aspire to be any pitcher in the game right now, it's probably Madison Bumgarner. I really keep a close eye on what he's doing, his preparation, his routine, how he goes about his bullpens and in between so I can incorporate that stuff into my game.
I try to avoid all mistakes. I try to prepare my players and to put them in the best condition to play the game. If you discover a problem during the game, it is too late. You must anticipate and prepare.
I'm always amazed when a pitcher becomes angry at a hitter for hitting a home run off him. When I strike out, I don't get angry at the pitcher, I get angry at myself. I would think that if a pitcher threw up a home run ball, he should be angry at himself.
I've always wanted to see a game at Fenway.
Winning the game is the single most important thing. If you go 0-for-4, but you catch a shutout or a one-run game, and your pitcher goes seven, eight innings, and the closer closes out the game, that's the ultimate satisfaction for a catcher. Much more than going 4-for-4 and losing.
I learned the game on the radio. Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons were the Giants broadcasters when I was growing up in the Bay area, and they taught me about the game. They taught me about the subtleties of the game, but they also gave me the game and let me enjoy it. That's the main thing, whether it's TV or radio. You have to give the fans the game, and if it's a Giants broadcast, the vast majority are Giants fans. In terms of story lines, most would be about the Giants.
Preparation is very important. The pitcher is going to do his job and prepare for you so you as a hitter must do the same. I always watch videotape of pitchers before the game and even sometimes during.
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