The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - AJ Hinch on Game 6 - Controlling Excitement Will Be Key

Episode Date: October 29, 2019

Astros Manager AJ Hinch joins Matt ahead of Game 6 of the World Series

This is 790 baseball direct. Direct from the ballpark. To your radio. Driven by Texas Direct Auto, powered by Vroom. 1232 on the Matt Thomas show here from Hobby Airport. We're in a couple of hours. I'll be going up with the Rockets to our nation's capital. And A.J. Hanchard just want to tell you that I'm going to DC A.

to C.A. to call a Rockets basketball game, but also to serve as a therapist for thousands of thousands of national fans tonight. Are you okay with that assignment? Well, you would leave at the most, you know, important games of the year. So, you know, the fact, you're going to D.C. is sort of an odd, I guess an odd thing, but hang in there with your tough travel schedule. I know. Hey, I'm going to let you, I told the audience earlier, I'm doing two hours of overnight radio tonight when you guys win the World Series. So just when you get in your car and after you celebrate, again, when it happens, know that you can put on 7-9 and hear your bestie doing some radio. First of all, congratulations.

It's an amazing season. Tell me the swagger of the team when you landed in D.C. And then when you took off again, I've kind of been telling the audience it hasn't changed much. You haven't said the same thing. But you've noticed anything different from your squad besides obviously the thrill of victory. Yeah, I don't think there was a big difference in sort of our vibe or swagger. It was our reality that we lost the first two games. we needed to kind of stand up for ourselves and for our season and win a game and you win

the first game when we were there and then you kind of build off that and you win three in a row and, you know, again, it's all for not unless you finish it out and win a fourth game at the seven game series. Hopefully that we can end in six tonight. But our, you know, our vibe and our kind of mood are obviously grows as the wind come. There's an excitement and an energy, but we weren't, we weren't flat here. We weren't overwhelmed. we weren't overly emotional. We just kind of showed up for work. But I know that today is going to be an excitable day for our team

because everybody knows at the end of this game, 27 outs, you have the lead and you get a win. It's a completely different feeling at the end of the next win. So it'll be controlling some excitement today will be key. You know, Alex isn't afraid to show his emotions one way or the other and the stern looks and disappointment because he was hitting some balls hard. they were just reaching the wrong spots. What did you sense from him after the Grand Slam?

Was it, you know what, I should have done this five or six more times? Or was there a little bit of the way of the world off of his shoulders after he hit it? Yeah, I just think, you know, he's part of our team that wants to contribute. And I know he's taking it personal. They've walked Brantley a couple times to get to him. And then they've gotten away with it. And maybe they won't get away with it if he does it tonight. But I think it's a good, you know, it's,

It's a good feeling to know that no one person on our team has to do everything. I mean, he carries the weight of the world and the weight of expectations on his shoulders all the time. It's part of what drives them. It's something I'll never take away from him. I think he should set his standards higher than anybody has for him, and that's pretty lofty. But, you know, there was an exhale for him to be able to deliver the final blow in a game to separate us with the grand slam. And he's always a part of something. I mean, he's played pretty good defense outside of the one.

game when he had a couple of mishandled balls, but I think the realities is we're all in for each other and we have a chance to do something really special. And the one thing I love about this team is they don't really care who gets the big hit or who gets the big punch out or what roles they have or where they hit in the order.

We don't have a lot of that drama and that makes me very proud. I'm going to assume that your conversations on game days with J.B. and Garrett and some of your veteran pitchers are minimal. What went through your mind? What did you want to tell Jose before he went out there and pitched an absolute masterpiece for you? You know, I try to be very consistent no matter who it is.

And, you know, I have a routine with all of them. They're all different. You know, some guys are days before. Some guys are the day of and even during their outings. But I don't really change. I mean, I know everybody wants the dramatic, you know, talk to him before a big outing. And I try to act the same way with her, Kiti, when he started here before. I mean, obviously I wanted him to attack the strike zone.

We wanted them to use his pitches in a certain way. We went over that and, you know, try our best. If we act normal and we act like at the June start or July start, then maybe he can settle in because it's what he's used to. And the same goes for today. I met with JV yesterday. We started talking a little bit of baseball, a little bit of the first five games, the different areas of the strike zone that we've gone,

some places that we've avoided, the positives and negative to that. But, you know, I'm not going to change the way I talk these guys are the way I look at these guys just because of the ramifications of the game. I think that's the model of consistency is what they need at the time where everyone around them is going to make it a bigger deal. AJ Hinch with us here on the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. Skip, why hasn't a home team won a game in this series? Well, because we haven't had a chance to play back at home again.

I hope. I hope that's just kind of a weird part. But I don't know. I think two really good teams. that, I mean, we outplayed them in Washington, and we didn't care what venue were in, and they came in and beat two of our big boys and got off to a good start in the series. So I don't, you know, there's no guaranteeing victory no matter where you're playing. And this is two of the best teams in baseball, and we've got to, you know, got to play better at home.

But, you know, mostly we fell apart in game two. And, you know, they delivered a tough entry into the series by scoring five off of Garrett. but they beat us, which is why we didn't win the first two games. Skip, what is the managerial protocol on starting pitching? And more importantly, when will you think it's appropriate? You'll find out if Max Scherzer can go if indeed there is a game seven, hopefully not. Well, they'll have to announce it today or they'll be asked, and they'll probably push it off to tomorrow.

And honestly, I don't really care what they say today or tomorrow. We're pretty locked in on game six. So, you know, after the game, you know, I'm, I'm expecting to know a little bit more if they win, if they don't. I don't care. I'll be celebrating. Right. I think what I would expect is sometime early tomorrow afternoon.

If we have a game, then they would let us know. And by the way, they've handled that perfectly fine by me. I was joking about Bregman being the one telling me, but that wasn't a shot at the mat. That was, you know, it came about the same time. Joe Espada and Chip Hill, the two bench coaches communicated that they had a lineup issue. They don't have to disclose to us that it was a pitching issue. I don't blame them, but they handled the game five communication perfectly fine.

All right. I want to talk about a couple of other guys that I think you've really, and again, I'm only going off of the pictures I see on Fox. Will Harris, every time you've called on him. I mean, this is a guy last year to frankly, I wouldn't say it was public enemy number one, but he didn't have the season that he probably wanted nor the Jew. What a bounce back for him and then seeing Joe Smith with the storyline of he's been in all these games and all these years for able to come in and help you out. Tell us a little bit about both of them and some of the things you've been able to discuss and kind of celebrate with these two guys giving them most of their opportunities. No, I'm glad you asked me because I love these two guys. You know, on the field, they've been very good for us, obviously, but in the clubhouse off the field,

two guys that I expect to stay in touch with for the remainder of our careers and well into retirement. These are two really, really awesome individuals. And Will, in particular, has been kind of my go-to guy for five years. I've used them in the most critical times. You know, I don't have the stat, but I bet he's inherited more runners than any pitcher that I've ever pitched in my managerial career. I trust them. I know he's going to throw strikes. He's got a wipeout pitch in his curveball.

He's got some resiliency. He's got some toughness. We've seen all of that, you know, in the, in the, most critical parts of our wins in the series. So I love the fact that he's getting to do some interviews. He's getting some exposure. He's been an All-Star before. And ironically, I think he struck out Diaz at the All-Star game in San Diego when he got

to get a little bit of attention. But relievers in general only get talked about when they blow a lead for the most part. It's kind of they do their job when they get out and they something's wrong with them what they don't. And the fact that I had to tell Will last year in the ALCS that he wasn't on the playoff roster was very, very tough. for me because I've trusted him and utilized him the most.

Joe Smith, you know, coming back from injury and just being active again at his age and in his mid 30s, he's coming up in Achilles, he's got the funky delivery. And just getting him back active again, we had a lot of questions on how, you know, was the velocity going to come down? How is

his mobility going to be? He does have, you know, kind of the funky delivery that needs his health in order for him to be effective. And he's just taking the opportunity and run with it. He got active and then he got a little bit better and he got a little bit better and a little bit stronger. And as the season

trended at the end, I started using him a little bit more high leverage and back of the bullpen type stuff. And that's, you know, he's done that before. He's been a primary reliever for a really long time, but I was so proud of him to get him into the into the World Series game

for the first time in his career and then watching him not just get to play, but actually get to contribute to win. and has been really fun. I had a nice moment with him in the dugout the other day where we were joking about some pitch calling, and his demeanor is so easy to root for,

and I can't say high enough praise for these two. One more braggadoches' point. You got about 100 of them here, but when Yuleiguriel first played first base, as it was learning the position, I think we were deemed down in spring training. You're like, it's going to be a work in progress. He needs to figure out the angles,

and needs to figure out how the ball comes off the bat, position himself. He saved this team's bacon on multiple occasions with his work at first base. Is that one of those proud? pop a moment seeing his development there? Oh, for sure. Because he's, you know, he's worked a ton at getting comfortable at first base.

And most people think, you know, it's funny, I hear him talk about, you know, when Jordan got here, where are we going to play and play him at first base or when, you know, we've had a number of guys come up. And everybody always seems to default the first base. Josh Reddy, grab a first baseman, go to first base. Michael Brantley should play first baseman. By the way, Yule's our first baseman, and he's really, really good. And he's getting the recognition now as a gold glove finalist.

that's been on display this entire postseason. And what's interesting about Yuley is he's had three different infield coaches in our time together. He had Rich Dauer as his first infield coach and then Alex Cora who went on to manage and then Joe Espada. And each of them, I've watched them grab a little something different from those guys in a routine that's made them really, really good at first base around the bag. But more importantly, we can play them aggressively, you know, in all sorts of areas. And those plays he made against Turner back-to-back nights in Washington were game changers. And we don't think of that, whether it's a defensive play by George Springer and center, cutting a ball off and keeping a guy to a single or Yuley finishing innings by fielding those awkward ground ball to the right side.

Those plays matter as much as the Springer Homer and the Correa Homer and some of the more easily recognizable big plays. Last question for you. If I was doing an over-under on the amount of seconds that you will speak to the team as a group before they take the field, would it be 60 seconds or less or more? Less. Less. Yeah, I do more individually. I'll wander the outfit like I always do. I will hit the food room.

I'll be in the training room a little bit. But our team routine and my routine with the players getting them ready to play is rare. rarely has to do with like a team meeting or a team address. But I'd like to address them after a win, the next win. I would like that. I think this is our 30th, probably last visit of the year, at least on the weekly Tuesday visits. Thank you so much for your being so forthcoming and open with us and our audience. Congratulations of what's already been accomplished and the very best of luck tonight.

Thanks, Skip very much for that. I appreciate it. Yep. One more win. One more win. We'll be happy. You got it. Thank you, AJ.

AJ Hinch with us here on the Matt Thomas show.