You still have to pitch the same game, execute your pitches as best you can. If the shadows end up helping you out, then great, but you can't really worry about that stuff.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
You play your surroundings. You pitch accordingly. Not that I drastically try to change my game plan based on the score or the team or stadium, but you have to take everything into consideration.
You're just trying to throw the best pitch you can and make sure you hit your spots. I don't have to force nobody.
If I get two strikes, I'll go to a pitch maybe that will help induce that a little bit.
When I get onto the pitch, I block out everything around it, and I really focus on the pitch.
One game, one pitch can change everything for a hitter. The way I like to approach it is that every at-bat is its own unique opportunity to go out there and do something really good.
It's tougher when you're established. Before, I'd see 13, 14, 15 pitches that I could drive in a game. Now, I see one, two or three, so I have to be better.
When you don't have one that you throw for strikes - they are good hitters - they can cancel out one pitch and go to another. Now I have four pitches. If one's not working, I've got three others. It makes the game totally different.
Bottom line is, you have to pitch. You want timely hits.
I love the game very much, but when you were a certain type of player for a few years, being a front-end starter, that's the way I still think I can pitch. But the body tells you no.
It's not just what you do on the pitch, it's what you do off the pitch.