Bob Melvin, Giants discuss mindset after thrilling win over Colorado Rockies | NBC Sports BA

Bob Melvin, Giants discuss mindset after thrilling win over Colorado Rockies | NBC Sports BA

Just given what Justin Verlander’s gone through this year, did it feel nice to get him a win on the last try? It did. You know, typically when he’s come out of some close games, we haven’t been able to hold it and you know, we barely did today, but it’s nice to get him a win. I mean, look, you look up, it’s 385 RA. Um, again, only walks one guy and that’s pretty much by design. I think in that point, he just didn’t want Goodman to beat him. So, knows where it’s going. Pitch consistently every time out. We don’t give him a ton of run support, just enough today. Obviously, things got a little dicey for Walker. And I think What can you say about the way that Bivvens came in and shut the door there? Yeah, you know, Bib’s got a real good ground ball rate. That’s kind of what we were looking for when it first and third right there. Um, but ends up getting a couple outs, hits a guy, now the bases are loaded and nowhere to go. Uh, makes a pitch just good enough to get a popup. But um look, Bib’s done any any number of roles that we’ve asked him to do, whether it’s length, whether it’s in this case closing a game over two years here. He’s been pretty versatile for us and uh came up big for us today. We talked to Justin on Monday about what would happen if you guys got eliminated and he was kind of like, “Of course, I’m going to start on Saturday.” Was there any conversation for you guys about what the end of his season would look like? No. I You look up it’s 29 starts. Um, that’s pretty good. And I think the the IIL was more kind of a it wasn’t even an arm thing. So, he keeps himself in in great condition. He’s conditioned to pitch. He’s a horse. And, you know, ends up with with 29 starts and and to bring his ERA down to, you know, a sub4 RA is pretty remarkable from where he started. Casey hits the three-run home run to put you guys up today. What have you seen from him in just his versatility and power? He’s played more games this season than he has before in his growth this season. Yeah, this is a big year for Casey and then, you know, had to he’s got some power obviously. Um it’s the consistency and learning a position and and still, you know, keeping the bat and play. So, you know, you go from third to second, it’s not easy. And, you know, there’s times offensively he can impact a game like he did today. um once he gets settled in a a particular p position, I think this year goes a long way in in letting him know that that he can succeed here and succeed at a different position. So, a lot of uncomfortable things he had to deal with this year, but I think he’s come through with it nicely. Bob, getting back to Verlander, you talk about how like you just don’t see pitchers like him anymore. I mean, he kind of reminds me in some ways of Nolan Ryan because of his ability to make all the starts like you mentioned and the stats that he accumulated. just what was it like for you to manage him this year? He’s easy to manage. You know, he’s going to be prepared. You know, he’s going to be ready. You know, he’s going to want to throw be out there for for a good length of time. I mean, he’s thrown upwards of 120 some pitches this year. He He’s honest with you when when he’s a little beat up or tired during the course of a game. Um it’s it’s pretty much an easy day when he starts. Uh Bob Rafie had a really good snag in the first inning uh at first base. I recall back in July you said, you know, when you work him into first base, there might be some tough days there. Um just curious overall like your thoughts on how he handled first base defensively. This year, you know, from when you guys start introducing him back. Yeah, it’s not easy in this ballpark. Day games, pop-ups are tough here, too. I mean that that that can be difficult to deal with. Other side of the diamond, ball always comes back to to the field. Um, just as impressive was, you know, he gets that squibbber down the line which is is going to spin weird near glove, comes out of his glove, stayed calm, flipped it to Verlander, all those type of plays that he’s never really had to deal with at third base. I think he’s done a great job. How do you sum up this year for you? Um, honestly haven’t really had time to think about it. You know, just came off the mouth. So, um obviously kind of a um topsyturvy season. Um first half quite difficult. Um happy I was able to find some mechanical fixes to to kind of get back in the right direction and and pitch well in the second half. We talked about this a little bit in Phoenix, but you given some of the ups and downs you navigated, especially in the first half, how much more validating is a season like this, knowing you had to navigate that you had the season with the sub three already? Yeah. 13. Um Oh, yeah. Um, you know, I think obviously you’d always rather it go well. Um, but um, you know, it’s uh, it’s nice to to be able to turn it around. Um, especially after, you know, a few months, you know, it gets really draining and it’s tiresome and, um, you just got to, you know, come in every day and have a positive mindset and keep working hard. Um, and, um, you know, that kind of like relentless pursuit of finding something or anything to make it click, uh, paid off. special day for you to tie Bob Feller, the great Bob Feller. And who wins? I tied. Oh. Uh, I met Bob Feller um back in the day at Old Dominion. So, um I was in awe um you know, just a um legend and and um so yeah, that’s actually a pretty full circle moment right there. Interview we did with you in spring training, we probably talked about 300 or around 300. How do you view that pursuit now the way this season went? Yeah, I mean it’s more difficult for sure. Um, you know, don’t think it’s out of the question. I think um, you know, if I can maintain my health and make, you know, uh, how many starts I make this year? 29 starts. you know, if I can go out there and make 29 starts a year and be healthy and pitch decent, um, you know, I don’t think every year I I do think that the beginning of the season some of the pitfalls kind of had to do with still still kind of bouncing back from some of the nerve stuff from last year, some of the neck stuff and and um, ironing that out. So, um, you know, I think more importantly, if I can go out and make 29 30 plus starts and um, give our team a chance to win for a few more years, then it’s possible. Look, I I you know, u not going to say it’s not. It’s definitely harder though. You know, if you make 29 starts, you know, you’d like to win 10 15 games. Didn’t wasn’t in the cards this year, you know, but maybe this year wasn’t meant to be for wins. Maybe this year was meant to be kind of like for health and and kind of like refinding my my myself and and uh getting used to taking the ball every five, six days. And um just kind of going out there and being able to log some innings and um you know, maybe that’ll carry me where I need to go. I don’t know. Uh, back when you signed, you said one of your goals this year was to kind of prove that you still have it at this level. With the the second half that you had this year, do you feel like you accomplished that goal? Yeah, I do. Justin, you’re obviously free agent at the end of the season. Would you reconsider resigning with San Francisco? Yeah, I’ll consider anything. I um you know I really enjoyed the guys here and obviously it was a tough season um um personally but uh as far as like an organization and and and the guys I got to play with here it was just like so class and um really just um off the field and in the locker room one of the more fun seasons I’ve had. So yeah, not under under or overstate it, but is it show show you after the kind of season you’ve had how tough wins are to come by just as far like you know just um yeah you know I I think uh as the game is changing and guys go less deep in the game I think it’s clear that wins are getting harder and harder to come by. Um you know that being said there was plenty of opportunity this year. And Bob said before the game he thinks you pitched well enough that there might even be some multi-year offer out there for you. What What is you headed to? I know you just came off the mound, but I mean what what do you think you’ll be looking for? I don’t know. I I don’t know. I don’t I don’t um haven’t honestly had time to sit down and think about it. I don’t even know if a multi-year offer is something that I would really want at this point in my career. You know, I think um at this point it’s um just take it year by year and um you know, I think this year, like I said, was for me personally making 29 starts, throwing 150. How many did I throw? How many? 152. 152 innings. Um you know, by by my standards, that’s that’s pretty low. But um that’s a different that’s kind of a different age in game. So, um, you know, to be able to especially with the second half and be able to show that I can throw quality innings, um, and, um, and be successful, um, you know, on on a on a for a period of time and not just kind of like a flash in the pan. So, um, that was, like I said, more importantly, I think making close to 30 starts um, taking the ball um, on a regular turn and then and then figuring it out and and doing the same with some quality innings. Um, yeah, that that was a big step forward for me and something that like I view that once your body kind of gets in the routine I of of of doing that, I think you’re able to rinse and repeat more and more year after year and you just learn from each season. So, um, yeah, that’s what I think was the most positive take away from this year. Would pitching closer to home maybe be a factor? It’s the first time you trained in Arizona, right? And your family expanded. I’m going to be really honest with you. I I I haven’t even had time to think about it. You know, I’ve been scratching and clawing and just trying to find any any any anything to to to be successful and and um pitch well for the for the San Francisco Giants. So, um you know, I’m going to enjoy this game tomorrow, watch Webbby go out there and hopefully lock up a couple of uh you know, big things for him and and um I don’t know, I’ll sit down with my family and talk about that in the offseason. How much more confident are you now versus spring training in terms of pitching a few more years because spring training you’re coming off the injury uncharted territory now after what you’ve done get more confidence? Yeah, I think much more so much more so after the second half. I think the first half was I think my stuff my stuff was there which led me to to be confident that I could turn it around and and find myself and ironically some of the mechanical adjustments I made sacrificed a little bit of stuff for deceptiveness. Um um but was able to have success and still maintain my health and recover every 5 6 days and feel good when I took the mound for the most part. So um you know yeah that that kind of showed me everything I need to know um as far as physically being able to to still do what I want to do. I don’t want to go out there and um you know do what I did the whole first half. If I if I to continue to do that the whole rest of the season, then um we might be having a different conversation, but um you know, to be able to to find it and learn from learn from one of the more frustrating first halfs in in my career. Um you know, I’ve kind of always said I look back at um some of the toughest moments in my career. Um core surgery, Tommy John. Um and when I when I look back at those now, I look back at them really fondly. I learned so much through those process um to allow me to sustain the success that I did after those incidences took place and met people that have helped me along the way and um you know I think I hope and look back at this first half is the same type of thing. You know maybe few years from now I get that 300th win and it’s like man that first half that I really grinded through in the in San Francisco really you know really taught me a lot and allowed me to get where I wanted to. You know you got to have that mindset. Obviously, you got a little uncomfortable there in the top of the night. Just what was it like for you to watch that inning play out was on on the line for you and the team? I just try to stay calm, you know. Um I found a different place to sit in the locker room um than I than I had all all season. Um I had a different brand of beer. Um I just was doing whatever I could. So um just was happy to see it get pulled out. Bib did a great job when he came in and um you know got a big punch out and got the last out. What was the beer? I mean, come on. I’ve tried them all this season, so don’t worry. You You think it, I tried it. Well, what will this season do for you going forward? You had a lot of different roles, did a lot of things to contribute. Um just knowing I can, you know, compete and contribute at the big league level. Um there’s always stuff to work on. got a lot to work on, but um you know, obviously this wasn’t the year we had in mind. Um but there’s a lot a lot of positives to build on and a lot of positives for next year. How big was it for you guys to get this win knowing that Justin was trying to obviously get it get? Yeah, I mean I I think just as a team the way we played a little bit, so we’re trying to just win period. Um, but you know, getting a win for JB is always it’s pretty cool, you know, knowing what he’s done in his career. So, just helping him in any way we can, but you know, also as a team, just taking advantage of every opportunity. When you have a guy like that on the on the coaching staff, how much have you guys learned from him given all his experience in the years of Yeah, I mean, he’s been, you know, he’s Hall of Fame Hall of Fame guy. Um, I haven’t really gotten to talk to him a whole lot cuz he’s a starter and I’m, you know, a relief pitcher. So, I know for the starters, he’s been like very, very helpful all throughout their highs and lows and the whole year. So, I know you still got the one game left, but this year for you as you make the NBA roster, you’ve been on the team start to finish again, pitch the variety of like what can this do for you going into the offseason? Uh, I mean, I haven’t played as well as I wanted to, uh, in all honesty. Um, but I’m just excited to have put together a full year in the big leagues. Um, you know, there’s a lot to build on, a lot of positives to take away, but I I kind of hold myself to a high standard. So, I’ll be I’ll be thinking about those things in the offseason, just trying to build on them and be even more of a contributor next year. A different kind of pressure, I guess, when you’re trying to close that game like that. Yeah, I mean that’s that’s kind of what baseball’s all about, like those last innings when it really really matters. Um, so it’s just it’s fun to do that, get the opportunity to do that. So,

Giants’ Bob Melvin, Justin Verlander, and Spencer Bivens speak to reporters following San Francisco’s 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

(0:00) Bob Melvin
(3:51) Justin Verlander
(12:13) Spencer Bivens

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Bob Melvin, Giants discuss mindset after thrilling win over Colorado Rockies | NBC Sports BA