MLB Postseason Stuff

This is the last post of the night. I’m going to sleep after this. Three releases. All deal with the MLB Postseason.

First, MLB Network has hired Aaron Boone to be a guest analyst for the LCS.

2003 ALCS HERO AARON BOONE TO SERVE AS GUEST ANALYST DURING MLB NETWORK’S LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES COVERAGE

MLB Network to Air Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS on Saturday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 20

Secaucus, N.J., Thursday, October 15, 2009 – To complement the ALCS between the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels , 2003 ALCS hero Aaron Boone, will serve as a guest analyst for MLB Network from October 19-21. Tomorrow, October 16, marks the six year anniversary of Boone’s walk-off homerun for the Yankees against the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS and MLB Network will air this All-Time Game in its entirety on Saturday, October 17 at 10:30 a.m. and Tuesday, October 20 at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Aaron Boone played for Houston this year, just five months after undergoing open heart surgery to replace a bicuspid aortic valve. Boone has enjoyed a 12 year Major League career with the Reds, Yankees, Indians, Marlins, Nationals and Astros highlighted by an appearance in the 2003 MLB All-Star Game.

To Fox Sports and its preview of the American League Championship Series starting on Friday, weather permitting of course.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

FOX Sports Launches 2009 MLB Postseason Coverage with

Angels/Yankees ALCS Game 1: Friday at 7:30 PM ET

McCarver: No Surprise Winning Catchers Are Winning Managers

ALCS Game Coverage Broadcasters: Play-by-Play – Joe Buck, Analyst – Tim McCarver

Field Reporters – Ken Rosenthal & Chris Myers

Pregame Show: Host – Chris Rose, Analysts – Eric Karros & Mark Grace

MCCARVER: NO SURPRISE LCS MANAGERS WERE WINNING CATCHERS – Three of the four LCS –bound teams have managers who were catchers on successful clubs.MLB on FOX analyst Tim McCarver sees it as no surprise that men who were winners at baseball’s most-selfless position are managing their team to great success. “Joe Torre has a National League MVP title under his belt. Mike Scioscia had a reputation for blocking the plate and being a winning catcher as did Joe Girardi. It’s more of a natural transition, catcher to manager because his job is all-inclusive. It’s also easier to think about the big picture because offensive statistics aren’t as important for a catcher. They only care about how many winners they caught. “

KARROS: LACKEY, WEAVER & FIGGINS KEY TO ANGELS IN ALCS — While the Yankees have become the popular choice to reach the World Series, ALCS and World Series on FOX pregame analyst Eric Karros isn’t looking past the Angels and outlines what Anaheim has to do to knock the New York out of the postseason. “In order for the Angels to take the ALCS, John Lackey and Jered Weaver are going to have to throw like they did against the Red Sox but more importantly, Chone Figgins has to get going. It’s more important for Figgins to get going than for Bobby Abreu. The Angels can’t let the Yankees overwhelm them offensively.”

And Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal sits down with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez about the upcoming LCS and what it means to him this year.

ROSENTHAL: A-ROD EXCLUSIVE

FOXSports.com’s MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal sits down with Alex Rodriguez to talk about steroids, hip surgery, his postseason performance and much more.

To view Rosenthal’s exclusive sit down with Alex Rodriguez click on FOXSports.com.

EXCERPTS:

A-Rod on what’s different this postseason: “I came in and I’ve been having a lot of fun. I knew one thing. I knew I couldn’t change all the 0-4’s and 0-5’s that I’ve had in the past so for me this year the key has been to simplify things and let baseball do all the talking and just have fun and enjoy it. I also knew that we have a very good team, we have 25 guys that are very capable and that one guy doesn’t have to do more than anyone else, so I just came out and enjoyed it.”

A-Rod on the steroid report during spring training being his low point: “There was no question it was the bottom, no question. I think my life and my career were at the crossroads and I knew I couldn’t change a lot of the mistakes that I’ve made off the field and I looked at it as an opportunity. I knew that I was 34 and not 44 and I had a lot of baseball and a lot of life ahead of me and I had an opportunity to re-write or basically write the last four or five chapters of the book, of my book. I looked at it as an opportunity; I could have gone one of two ways. I could have folded and just given up or make the best out of it and realize that there was light at the end of the tunnel and for me to start doing things right on and off the field is something that I focused on.”

Full transcript of the interview below and attached.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

ROSENTHAL: Let’s talk about your health. No one knew if you’d be the same player coming off of hip surgery. How concerned were you? Were you even scared?

RODRIGUEZ: I was very scared. I mean obviously when you think about hip surgery the first thing that pops into your mind is Bo Jackson and career ending potential. Once Marc Philippon operated on me I asked him, ‘Am I going to be able to play at all in ’09?’ And he said yes and my only concern which was fun for me coming into this year was that I really had no expectations. I was thinking in mind, if I can hit 15 home runs and drive in 50 big runs to help us win, that was my only expectation, and how can I help this team win some more games.

ROSENTHAL: Dr. Philippon said you probably will not need another surgery…where are you now physically and which part of your game is most affected?

RODRIGUEZ: I think it’s been a long summer, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I won’t need surgery so I’d rather not talk about that and jinx it. But as far as health…I’m probably somewhere between 85-90% and the rest during the postseason has been good. I think once we applied the “Philippon Rules” back in June, the team adapted it and I took off from there.

ROSENTHAL: You’ve had some difficult postseasons; we all know that, we’ve all talked about it. What is different this year?

RODRIGUEZ: I think what I’ve done all year, I haven’t changed anything. I came in and I’ve been having a lot of fun. I knew one thing, I knew I couldn’t change all the 0-4’s and 0-5’s that I’ve had in the past so for me this year the key has been to simplify things and let baseball do all the talking and just have fun and enjoy it. And I also knew that we have a very good team, we have 25 guys that are very capable and that one guy doesn’t have to do more than anyone else, so I just came out and enjoyed it.

ROSENTHAL: All season Joe Girardi and your teammates have said you’re more relaxed and you’re having more fun….what is it about this team that makes you more comfortable and how much have you changed?

RODRIGUEZ: I think I’ve changed. I think this is the most talented group of guys I’ve played with and we have a great combination of guys who like to have a lot of fun and enjoy themselves and laugh and joke and play music and do the pies…but once they go between the lines, these are 25 guys I want to go to battle with and it’s a very close group, we do a lot of things off the field together which is nice and together as a team we know how to win and it feels good to be on this team.

ROSENTHAL: Start of spring training, you’re coming off surgery, the report comes out that you’ve used steroids….you confirm it. Probably the low point of your career…what did you learn from all of that?

RODRIGUEZ: There was no question it was the bottom, no question. I think my life and my career were at the crossroads and I knew I couldn’t change a lot of the mistakes that I’ve made off the field and I looked at it as an opportunity. I knew that I was 34 and not 44 and I had a lot of baseball and a lot of life ahead of me and I had an opportunity to re-write or basically write the last four or five chapters of the book, of my book. I looked at it as an opportunity, but I could have gone one of two ways…I could have folded and just given up or make the best out of it and realize that there was light at the end of the tunnel and for me to start doing things right on and off the field is something that I focused on.

ROSENTHAL: Not a lot of people know it but you’ve become something of a spokesman in educating young people about the dangers of steroids. What exactly have you done?

RODRIGUEZ: I’d rather not go about that but I will say this – when I came back in Baltimore I told the New York media and basically the fans that I wanted to focus on baseball and let baseball do my talking and give you guys a story without talking, just let my bat do the talking. I knew that they wouldn’t take my word and I don’t blame them so looking back now in six months I’m glad that I’ve been able to at least accomplish that part and focus on the game and simplify things and have a lot more fun.

ROSENTHAL: A fan ran onto the field Sunday night in Minnesota and was heading right towards Mariano Rivera…you bolted towards the mound to protect Rivera…that action seemed to say a lot about your bond with your teammates…how much has that bond grown?

RODRIGUEZ: It’s grown tremendously; this is the most fun that I’ve had in my career. I think, talking about the lows and the highs going back to spring training, as long as I’ve ever felt both personally and in my career and everything. To be able to bounce back and build this bond with 24 guys and my coaching staff it’s just been something that has taught me a lot of lessons.

That’s it. Good night.