Aaron Small
Aaron Small
Aaron James Smallis an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is probably best remembered for his short successful stint as a starter for the New York Yankees in 2005...
eight nice people since spring thinking training
I was thinking about my career, and it's been eight years since I've come back to Spring Training in consecutive years with the same team. It's nice to come in, people know you and you know them. It's a little more relaxed.
against challenge excited good spring start
Sure, I'd like the opportunity. It would be a good challenge for me. I was excited about the start I had against them in spring training. That was neat.
grip helped spring taught
Mel taught me a new grip on my sinker in spring training, and I've used it all year, ... It has really helped me.
ball changed finger grip huge inches instead last middle sink slide spring
He changed the grip on my sinker last spring and got it to sink more consistently. He had me put my middle finger on the seam instead of my first finger, and slide it up on the ball about two inches. Those two inches made a huge difference.
double forgot
I thought it was a double down the line. I forgot who was over there. What a play.
team
The 7-0 thing is nice, but more importantly, it's a team win,
ends fourth game gives momentum run score swings team time
That was huge; that play right there gives them their fourth run if they score it, and it ends an inning, ... Any time you make a play like that, in a game like this, it swings the momentum to the team that makes that play.
coach
You didn't know I could hit, did you coach?
looked people
There's times I looked around, but never in awe, ... In Columbus, we had about 1,200 people and here we had, what, about 50,000, so it's a little different.
bit count felt games hated matter missing nag pitch pop time took
Once I felt good, it was a matter of just getting in games and getting my pitch count up. They were really cautious, which was good. It's something you don't want to nag you or to pop back up later. I hated missing every bit of it up here, but we took our time and got it right.
chance fifth heard maybe middle outside ready whatever work
I've heard I have an outside chance as the fifth starter, and if not maybe as a middle or long reliever. They like my flexibility to work in any situation. I'll be ready for whatever they want me to do.
appreciate defensive good run support team
That's a good thing to hear, and I appreciate it, ... I also think that without the defensive and run support, nothing happens. It's a team game.
leave time
It just wasn't my time to leave the game.
exciting
What an exciting moment, ... That (the ovation) was special.