Notes from Monday’s TBS MLB Postseason Media Conference Call

Martinez on the Kansas City Royals: “I think Kansas City has as good of a chance as anybody….believe it or not, it’s all about momentum, and Kansas City has that right now. If I was Kansas City, I would try to maintain my focus, keep the momentum going and use the energy that those young guys have. That’s what they bring to the table — a lot of energy, nothing to lose and a lot to gain by being there. This is a team you go out there relaxed against, thinking these kids are not going to be a big deal and then, before you know it, they’ve got you in the hole.”

Sheffield on how the Royals organization built a winning team: “When you look at the Kansas City Royals, you have to give props to the organization, the way they’ve built this team. They started with everyday players, moved parts and took their prospects and moved them for veteran players. When they brought over [starting pitcher] James Shields, a move that wasn’t popular [at the time]…when they gave up an everyday player for a pitcher, people thought they needed young players. When you see these guys developing and you have a veteran pitcher on the mound, keeping you in ball games and helping to lead that staff, the guys come behind him and try to go out and do what he does every day. That breathes confidence into young players.”

Sheffield on what makes Kansas City so dangerous: “One thing that makes Kansas City so dangerous is they have a bunch of young players that are riding a high right now. They’re confidence level is going to go sky high. They’re not thinking about the pressure of the playoffs; they’re just thinking about being relevant in Major League Baseball. Now they are a relevant team. When they get into postseason play, they are just going to play free.”

Martinez on the Oakland Athletics: “I think everything they did at the end of the season is erased now. This is a new season. If this is a new season, the way they started the [regular] season tells me they should have a great postseason. They were the best team in the first half. If they are capable of doing what they did in the first part of the season no one can catch them. They have the tools and can outslug anybody. They can go right there with Detroit, or maybe better. It’s just a matter of how they perform from this [Wild Card Game] on. I think they’re going to go with everything they have. Now they’re in and now they’re dangerous.”

Sheffield on the A’s mentality entering the postseason: “[Staring pitcher] Sonny Gray has struggled of late but I think he’s set the tone for this team going into the playoffs. He put on a playoff performance [in their clinching game] and their bats woke up when he got that performance. I think they are prime and ready for the playoffs now. That game was their highest pressured game and they came through. Going into this [Wild Card] game, they are going to be a more relaxed team and will go out there and play phenomenal baseball.”

Sheffield on the strength of Detroit’s lineup: “I think the way Detroit set up their lineup with Torii Hunter, traditionally known as a middle-of-the-order guy, hitting second with the best player in the world Miguel Cabrera hitting behind him, it just sets their lineup up perfectly. These guys are capable of not only getting on base, but hitting it out of the park. It takes the pressure off of the guys in the middle of the order and makes the pitcher work a little harder before he can get to the middle of the lineup. They can do a lot of damage really early with the way they have their lineup set up…it’s going to be a tough time for pitchers.”

Martinez on approaching Detroit’s lineup as an opposing pitcher: “Detroit has a nine-headed monster. Everyone they throw out there is capable of doing damage. When you look at [Nick] Castellanos, he could have been the Rookie of the Year had Jose Abreu not been there with the White Sox. Then you have J.D. Martinez and the best hitter in the world with Miguel Cabrera; that lineup is loaded. When you’re the opposing pitcher you probably have a headache because you don’t know which way you’re going to approach that lineup.”

Martinez on the Tigers: “I think Detroit right now has the advantage, experience and all the tools to become a champion. If they focus and continue to want it I think Detroit is the team to beat.”

Sheffield on how to neutralize the Detroit lineup: “The one thing they’re lacking is speed. When you don’t have speed, you have to hit your way to the World Series. [The Tigers] can’t afford to struggle or think that getting three and four hits an inning is going to be feasible. If the pitchers keep them at bay and stay away from those big innings [they have a chance to beat Detroit]. Detroit is going to make mistakes and play off of atmosphere, because it’s intensified. You want to keep the pressure on them.”

Sheffield on how to beat Detroit: “If I was an opposing team, I would try to keep pressure on Detroit’s defense to steal a couple of runs, because you’re not going to match them [offensively]. That way, hopefully your pitcher can keep you in the ball game. You really want to keep the pressure on this team. You can’t just sit back and think you’re going beat Detroit.”

Martinez on Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw’s postseason struggles in previous seasons: “He has everything you need. We forget about how young he is and he is still growing. He struggled in his first postseason [in 2008] because of dealing with short rest for the first time. I said last year that I was worried about Kershaw because of the way he was used during the postseason [in 2013]. For Kershaw, this is the year where he is going to start realizing what he needs to do. He’s been there, done that and is now a more mature pitcher who will know how to handle this situation better than last year. Last year, he was full of energy and hype – he and [Yasiel] Puig didn’t know how to deal with it effectively. I wouldn’t label him as not having success in the postseason. I don’t think so. I think he’s mature this time.”

Martinez on how pitchers must approach games against the opposition’s ace: “You [mentally] eliminate one. If you are [Clayton] Kershaw, you eliminate [Adam] Wainwright. You have to think about the other players. The offense is my duty. I stay focused on the offense and I will try to limit that offense as much as I can. If I start thinking, ‘Oh, it’s Wainwright on the other side.’ I’m not giving myself enough credit. At that time, I want to believe that I can beat anyone who is coming up [against us]. He’s the last person I’m going to think about in the game. I’ll focus on the hitters and how do I keep men off base.”

Martinez on how pitching manages to step up during the postseason: “This time of year is crunch time. Everybody is a little more tired than usual. Also, hitters are facing the cream of the [crop] pitching out there. Every team is loaded with the best. They are sending up the best [pitchers] possible to try and get you to not hit the ball. If you see a lot of offense, it has to be a team that is loaded or a pitcher that went south.”

Craig Barry on the 6X camera technology TBS will utilize during the postseason: “As technology progresses, we continue to take advantage of it. We’re at a place now where slow motion technology is passing a lot more frame rate at a much higher resolution. So we’re able to leverage that into a better quality picture at slower speeds. The transfer of data has become easier and more efficient. Therefore, it translates to a better looking picture at a slower rate of speed. We will have four on every game for the Wild Card and ALDS and six for the ALCS. This is the first time we’ve gone out and used these cameras in a live scenario. [We’re] looking forward to the idea of access and being able to show the viewer and the fan, get them as close to the field and the players, give them the most unique view of the field and the game [we can provide].”