Isn’t it amazing that the Tampa Bay Rays are in the playoffs? Sure. Isn’t it great for the game that the Chicago Cubs are legitimate World Series contenders? Absolutely. But what we love even more is that Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz will be in the booth for TBS. The veteran hurler’s cerebral take on the game will actually make you smarter — not only about baseball, but life — and he gave preview of his thinking on a conference call with reporters last week:
On what he brings to TBS » “I think I bring an inside perspective from having been [in the playoffs] 14 different times. I’m not going to play psychologist, I’m going to talk about the magnified situation that most viewers don’t really understand. In the [playoffs], a walk with two outs is a rally. Nobody gives an at-bat away. It’s all magnified. Everything changes, and the team that can slow the game down the most has the best chance of winning. I love to see the guy that wants the ball hit to him, wants to draw that crucial walk or make that crucial pitch.”
On the difference between the regular season and the postseason » “You’d be amazed at how many (players) aren’t prepared for [the postseason]. They’ve heard about it, but don’t understand the degree of pressure that comes with it. It’s just a hiccup when you lose a regular season game. You answer a couple of questions and you move on. When you lose a postseason game, it’s not a few questions and a hiccup. It’s a slump. That’s the biggest part they have to learn how to deal with.”
On who has a better chance to win a World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Tampa Bay Rays » “There are a couple of unknowns about Chicago, [including] the health of [Carlos] Zambrano. [He’s] the horse of that staff. I think they are the most well-balanced National League team that can compete. Kerry Wood is doing an incredible job. Not seeing Tampa play as much, I’m intrigued to see. You pitch a lot on adrenaline when you are young, and it’s all in a sense of that emotion and adrenaline. I’ll be curious to see how their pitchers do. They’ve got a lot of talent. Tampa has proved it in one of the best divisions in baseball … I don’t think they are intimidated by anything.”
