MLB Network’s Postgame Interview with Stephen Strasburg

After Stephen Strasburg’s stunning debut with the Washington Nationals tonight, he went on with Bob Costas, John Smoltz and Jim Kaat.

 POSTGAME QUOTES FROM STEPHEN STRASBURG ON MLB NETWORK

Strasburg records his first Major League win in debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates

Secaucus, NJ, June 8, 2010 – Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg spoke to MLB Network’s Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and John Smoltz after recording his first Major League win in his debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Quotes from Strasburg’s postgame interview are available below:

interview with STEPHEN STRASBURG:

On the postgame shaving cream pie:

[It stings] a little bit but it’s the greatest feeling in the world.

On his emotions before first pitch:

I definitely wasn’t nervous. I just remember the adrenaline flowing at two o’clock. I was just really trying to calm down and really take things easy and just soak it all in. I was able to make adjustments and keep the team in the ballgame tonight.

On having command of four pitches:

I definitely know I’ve got it in me. I’ve just gotta focus on what I can control and not try to do too much with each of the pitches and just let it happen. I was able to do that tonight and obviously we scored some runs and it was a great win for the entire team here.

On his teammates:

They just kept telling me to soak it all in, good or bad – you only get one debut. … It was a tremendous experience, especially in front of a packed crowd like this.

On the dynamic with Nationals C Ivan Rodriguez:

We talked about it before the game and he’s got a tremendous understanding of obviously how to face these hitters. I’m new to this scene and I don’t really know what the hitters like and what they don’t like, so I was really trusting what he called. I was just trying to execute and try to pound his glove wherever he put it.

On his four-seam fastball:

More than anything my four-seamer just became more consistent. I was able to locate it a little bit better, I wasn’t falling off it as much so I was able to stay on line with it and really throw more first-pitch strikes later on. It’s a big advantage when you can go out there and throw strike one.

On Nationals manager Jim Riggleman & pitching coach Steve McCatty’s decision to keep Strasburg in the 7^th inning:

They just asked how I was feeling and I was feeling great every single inning. I was very happy that they were able let me go out there one more time. As a pitcher and having this experience now, I wish I could go every single inning of every single game. It’s a blast.

On comparisons to Hall of Famer and former Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson:

I don’t know too much [about him]. I know he’s in the Hall of Fame and, especially playing with greats and future Hall of Famers, you start to learn the history of the game and I’m definitely going to start reading up on all this stuff. … I’ve been really trying to focus on what I can control. I’ll let all the fans think what they want and they can read all that stuff but I’m going to stick with the team here and we’re really going to focus on winning some more ballgames.

Interesting.