I feel good. Right now I feel as ready as any other season. |
I felt a little nervous. I had never seen so many flags. Not just Dominican flags, but also from Venezuela. To me that was very, very beautiful. |
I felt really bad when I got traded because I was switching to a team I hadn't played before in a new league. But I want to thank all the people of Montreal, when I was there they really embraced me and made me feel very welcome. |
I felt today like I was pitching, not just in front of my country, but in front of all my family. This tournament is big for us. It's like a World Cup. It's like a Super Bowl. It's a great idea. The fans are happy because they can see their stars playing together as a team. That means a lot to them and the players. |
I grew up working in the hills, and it allowed me to be strong, ... It goes back to the way I was raised in the village. |
I had good stuff, ... I was staying on top of the ball because I could not bend down. It was a blessing in disguise, because I could stay on top of my changeup and my fastball. |
I have a lot of respect for Mariano Rivera, ... I learned a lot of things from him. More than anything, I learned how to hold a cut fastball. Mariano has taught me how to be a complete pitcher. That respect goes a long way. I have the same thing to say about Pedro Martinez. I love them a lot. |
I have to be careful with Alex, obviously, but I think that whatever happened in the past with Alex is in the past, and I look forward to tomorrow. It's a brand new start. All of them are dangerous. To me, they're all cleanup hitters. That's the way I see the Yankee lineup. |
I hung pitches and threw fastballs right down the middle of the plate. I give them credit for not missing. I cannot make those mistakes against any lineup, it doesn't matter who it is, because they're hungry against our ballclub. |
I just felt a twitch in my groin because I tried to change direction so quickly. The groin didn't affect me. |
I knew (Friday) around BP time that I was going to be able to throw, |
I knew I could pitch and get the team through five innings. I feel like I had good stuff. |
I knew yesterday around BP time that I was going to be able to throw today. We're fighting for something here. I saw the effort yesterday by the guys in the bullpen, and I knew I needed to push myself a little more. |
I pitched from the heart. I felt I was carrying the whole country on my shoulders and that I couldn't let my people down. |
I really can't pinpoint any one thing or pick anything out. Body-wise and stuff-wise, I feel fine. My rhythm is off. I do feel sometimes I'm gripping the ball a little too hard. |