MaCay McBride Detroit Tigers (11-4-2004)

What’s your pitching philosophy?  What got you so far?

Just throwing a lot of strikes, trying to get ahead in the counts, and mainly if you can do that you don’t have to have the best stuff in the world to get guys out.

What are your strengths right now as a pitcher?

I think just like I said, throwing strikes, getting ahead, and then mainly believing that you can pitch and get guys out no matter who it is in the box. Going right after guys and not backing down from anybody.

What do you call your out pitch?

I like to think it’s my slider most of the time. Some days it’s not there, but most of the time if I need a big pitch and I’m ahead in the count, I’ll go to it if it’s a big situation.

Do you pitch to your strengths or a batter’s weakness?

My strengths most of the time until he proves that he’s going to do something with that. Of course if I have a report on him and its bases loaded and nobody out, I’ll go to wherever he does the worst. Most of the time I’m going right after him and when he proves to me that he’s going to hit my strengths, then I’ll change my game plan.

Do you approach hitters individually or do you have one approach for everybody?

Well, if I’ve never seen guys, like a new lineup, I’ll approach all lefties the same, and all righties the same. Granted a big guy you don’t want him to get his arms extended; a small guy’s going to drive the ball inside. So obviously you pitch a certain way to bigger and smaller guys but generally the same to everybody until I get a read on them the first time through the lineup.

Now certain times you see these guys, like first round draft picks, they have all the talent in the world but they don’t seem to go as far after a couple of years as guys with lesser talent.  Do you think that’s true?  Do you see that?

The only thing I can say is you see some guys that may get a lot of money and know that they have it. That’s why you got to put it away and just pretend you didn’t even get it.  That way you’re hungry for something. I mean whatever drives you. Some people it’s baseball, some people it’s making the money. Some guys may get content with what they’re doing and that may have a lot to do with it.

Do you think the higher draft picks get more chances?

I don’t believe so because if you’re good it doesn’t matter if you got $1,000 bucks or $10 million. I just don’t see that at all. Most of the time the organization knows what they’re doing, I’d like to believe. If the guy’s got tools, if he can play, then nothing’s going to stop him from getting a chance.

Any time in your career you wanted to give up baseball?

Nah, no chance. Not a chance!

Do you read the scouting reports or the sports page about you?

Sometimes, not all the time. You get the reports and some of them you like, some of them you don’t. You tend not to like the ones that don’t like you. You got to believe that whether it’s bad or good, you got to keep a level head. That’s what I try to do. I do see them sometimes and I try to not let either way phase me.

How much does the chemistry in the clubhouse affect the team?

A ton. It’s probably the biggest thing. Talent, superstars, whatever, I’ll take nine guys who are together versus nine individuals any day of the week.

What’s something you learned about pro sports you had to learn the hard way that nobody told you about?

When I got here I didn’t know how much different it was going to be. It just became a little more of a job.  A world where guys went after you; not after your job but there’s always somebody there that can take your place if you’re not. You don’t have a little comfort zone all the time. That kind of pushes you a little more. The main thing is just day in/day out, the travel and all that is a lot more than anybody that doesn’t do it realizes. Then that’s the big, big jump. Just being tired, and not getting to sleep at home every night, and stuff like that, it’s a big deal.

How do you handle fans, people yelling, and the loudmouths?  Does that affect you when kids want your autograph?

No, I love signing autographs.  The only time it gets on me a little bit is if my family’s in town, I’m outside of the clubhouse, I’m going to my car, and going with my family to eat. That gets on me a little bit but if I’m at the field, or in my uniform, or wherever, I don’t mind signing. Especially because that’s my job. The fans pay our salaries and whatever. I don’t mind signing at all. I used to be one of those kids that wanted autographs too.

And the people yelling and screaming?

No.  You can’t have rabbit ears out there. It kind of gives you more to pitch for actually. If that affects you then you’re in the wrong profession.

How do you handle the umpires?

Each one’s different, but the best thing to do is realize they’re human; they make mistakes, and if you got a question about a call, don’t show him up on the field. Obviously hitters have to say something sometimes. Walking off I’ll just ask him one-on-one, “Where was that pitch?” He’ll tell me in/out, or he’ll say, “I missed it.” That’s all I need to hear. I don’t have to argue with him. I know that he’s doing his best back there. He’s not trying to make anybody look bad, he’s just doing the job as best he can.

What’s your opinion of knockdowns, brush-backs, and retaliation?

Retaliation’s good sometimes but it’s got to be in moderation.  You can’t head hunt. You can’t go for a guy’s upper extremities. If you’re going to do it, do it the lower back legs. Do something that’s not going to affect their career. Most of the time the guy you hit didn’t commit the crime it just had to happen.  Now brush-backs I like pitching in. The guy gets real comfortable and takes a couple good swings, I’ll come up and in on him.  Not intending to hit him because obviously we’re all professionals, we got a good enough control that we don’t have to hit guys. But if the guy’s taking good hacks, you got to come in, or else they’re going to live outside on you.

Do you have any thoughts on being traded?

Yeah, sometimes.  I grew up in Georgia, an Atlanta-based fan. It would be my dreams come true playing for them. Hopefully I could play for Atlanta the rest of my life but I know the reality is it’s not going to happen.  But it’s nice to have grown up in the minor leagues around my hometown, so I can’t complain. If I get traded obviously somebody else wants you just as bad as the Braves did and gives you a new opportunity. It’s baseball; it’s going to happen.

What would you tell kids in high school on down about professional baseball?

If you don’t love it, don’t do it. To us it doesn’t seem like the glamour that everybody else sees. We see the inside out, not the outside in. It’s a job. You have to have a passion for the game in order to play. A lot of guys are miserable doing this and it reflects in how they perform. Guys are going to have bad years/good years but overall the happiness of how you play, and your confidence, and just your enthusiasm about the game is affected by whether you want to be here or not.