Brandon Backe Quotations

My balls were moving, I had life on the fastball, and I was jamming them pretty much for most of the night. A couple of pitches they took advantage of, and that wasn't even the home runs. Those were just singles.

I guess I'm just on a higher stage out there in the playoffs and more people are recognizing some of the little intangibles I do, and it makes me that much better.

I guess in a way (the layoff could help his arm), but I haven't even made my first start back yet. I had rehab starts just to see if I felt good, and you go out there just to see how it feels. I don't know if that month off is going to hurt me or is going to help me. Hopefully I can finish out the season on my part and do well.

My dad (Harold) moved 20 miles in three hours yesterday. He still has 100 miles to go, ... I have friends out there. I don't know where they are.

Obviously, it would just (stink) if something happened to them. I hope nothing happens to them or to anybody.

I don't feel any sharp pains or anything like that. My back feels good, it just doesn't feel awesome.

The pitch to Cabrera was a first-pitch changeup, and I got him out in front a little bit but not enough. It's just disappointing when you make pitches like that and they hit them out of the ballpark.

I hate being taken out of the game from the mound. It's just a pet peeve of mine. I never want that to happen. I always want to be taken out while I'm in the dugout, but it was definitely time for me to come out.

but 60 percent is not going to get outs.

But it's irritating when you can't get in touch with somebody you have to.

Here comes this guy who had nine or 10 starts in the major leagues and all of a sudden he's throwing 5 2/3 innings of no-hit ball against one of the best lineups in baseball. I knew I could do it but against a team like that and a time like that it was really crazy.

He's been a great help to me, just being so young and pitching and the things that he's taught me each and every day I go out there.

I feel great and I'm ready to get back into action, and feel a part of the team.

He hit good pitches. I can't even say much about it. He didn't even roll over on me. He just got under them. There's really nothing else I can say about it. Fastballs away, right where I wanted to put them.

Just following these guys, watching them all year long, and even last year, it's just been great. I just try to copy the way they go about their business out there on the mound.

Man. I was just ... actually, probably, I don't know, ... I was so wound up. It didn't seem like we probably were going to get it. I thought it would be tied. But Eric and (shortstop) Adam (Everett) turned it, and here we are.

I think (it would be fitting) for the fans especially, ... The fans deserve it; we deserve it. It would be great to go out and win tomorrow.

I think they have a really balanced offense this year as far as guys that can get on, and obviously the power that they have in the middle of the lineup. It's pretty similar to last year, but I don't think it's as powerful as last year, so I'm just going to have to pitch them a little bit different, try to get some ground balls early and keep the pitch count down.

I tested it with throwing it pretty hard, and throwing a lot of pitches. I felt good. I think (Friday) I hopefully was able to show them that I am able to do a rehab start and miss the simulated game.

Just like last year, pretty much every game we play right now from here on out is going to be pretty important. And they're definitely important against the teams we are facing right now. We've just got to take one game at a time and go from there.

Warming up before the game, I felt really good. I was really excited to get out there today finally and have my first start of the season and actually do well. It was awesome for me to get out there because it's something I'd been waiting on for a week.

Everything else is fine. My parents are good, my family's good.

The success that I had alone in the playoffs last year helps me relax. Helps me just basically know that I'm not going to let the playoff atmosphere affect me in any way because I've been through it before and I've also succeeded.

The success that I had in the playoffs last year helps me relax,

The success that I had last year against (the Cardinals) is definitely a big confidence boost, and it just allows me to know inside that I can defeat them and do well against them,

Everything felt pretty good. I'm looking forward to getting that first start under my belt and get the season under way.

To be honest with you, I think last year it maybe was a little bit more potent in the lineup,

I've never been hurt there before. I asked some guys who had Tommy John surgery if that's how it starts and they said it was similar. But only the doctor can tell me for sure. Bottom line is I didn't complete my job. Obviously something is wrong and we'll get it checked. Best case scenario is it's just a tweak, worst case is something serious.

I left some balls in the middle of the plate. I was trying to find it again today. For the most part, I felt pretty good. I got some ground balls when I needed to. I definitely wouldn't say it was a great outing.

I'm very relieved. Any time you wake up and feel pretty good, it's always a positive.

I'm just ready to get out there, ... I feel real good.

If you go to a different ballpark, I know it's 60 feet, 6 inches from the rubber the plate, but the backgrounds are much different. Some plates look like they're closer than others. Some mounds are different than others. I really don't know ... there's no excuse.

I just want to go out there and give my team a good outing and keep us in the ball game as long as possible.

I try to pitch every game like it's a World Series game, ... I try not to give up any runs and, if I do, to give up less runs than we score.

Once I show that I can go five innings, I'd be comfortable to get back with the team and get back in the swing of things, be involved,

Once I get going and try to give it a little oomph, it gives me that shooting pain. It's like someone stabbed me in that area.

Not being there has been pretty tough. But you can't really do anything about it.

I want it to be a good one, ... You never want to go out on a bad note, and certainly now is not the time.

It's been tough. Sitting there in the dugout and watching your team play knowing that I'm not going to have anything to do with the game. Especially in games that we lose, it's really hard. I'm back now and I just can't wait to get my feet wet again.

It's definitely on my mind, ... Who knows what's going to happen? A lot of my friends are not wealthy, and I don't know if they'll be able to get out.

I didn't know what to expect today. I was sore when I got up this morning, and I was really sore after the game last night. But it wasn't pain and that's the important thing.

I didn't expect him to hit it out of the ballpark. That's for sure. I put the ball where I wanted, and he did a good job of putting the bat on it. He's a pretty strong guy to hit it out of the ballpark with one hand.

I don't know if he was telling me the truth or not, but he said he felt pretty good. He actually came up to me and told me I'm going to have a good game to set him up to have a good game on the fifth day.

The home run that Howard got was basically a pitch that he cheated on, ... He just kind of opened up and hit a pitch. It was right where I wanted it.

You couldn't ask for anything more. They totally backed me up. I didn't do what I wanted to do today, but it doesn't matter. The bullpen kept us there where we needed to be, and we got some big hits.

This is our ballpark, and we've had plenty of those this year. Now I feel like all the other pitchers who have given up home runs here in that fashion.

It's just a shame that I had to work so hard to get through the innings and get my pitch count up so I couldn't stay in the game a little longer.

It's a little aggravating. I'll certainly be back in a couple of weeks. I just hope it's back to 100 percent instead of 90 percent.

It was definitely on my mind when I woke up this morning,

It's just nice to have him out there. Let's put it that way. We had a No. 5 out on the field and in the lineup. That was pretty good.

It was really nice for him to go out there and to basically just try to get after it. Just basically he's trying to get out there and be a part of the team and do what he can do. He looks like he's way on his way to, first of all, getting comfortable and, second of all, putting everything behind him. And like I said, getting after it and trying to get back with the team and be a part of it.

This whole game I felt like I did pretty good,

It makes it really tough, especially when (Willis) is on a roll,

It's going to be a little different when the games start rolling around, the electricity of the fans, just getting the season under way.

I certainly don't want surgery, and I certainly don't want to be out for a year. If that's what I have to do, I have to start preparing myself now for it. If I don't, it's just going to feel better for me when someone says I don't need surgery.

I don't think (the lineup) is as powerful as last year, so (I'm) just going to have to pitch them a little bit different, try to get some ground balls early and keep the pitch count down,

I felt the same tonight as I did the first two times back. I just didn't get any breaks those other times.