Chris Carpenter

Chris Carpenter
Christopher John "Chris" Carpenteris an American retired professional baseball starting pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseballfor the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals from 1997 to 2012. A Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, he was also a three-time All-Star selection. In addition, he was twice named the Sporting News National League Pitcher of the Year, and voted for a number of Comeback Player of the Year awards for surmounting injury...
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth27 April 1975
CityExeter, NH
When you're trying to learn and establish yourself and be consistent in the major leagues, it's hard to do that with the amount of pressure everybody from the outside is putting on you. But obviously all three of us were able to continue to be successful, move on and do the things everybody expected us to be able to do.
I had command of my sinker, command of my cutter, command of my breaking ball, and I was able to throw it where I wanted to throw it, ... I kept them off balance all night. We got some nice defensive plays, a couple nice defensive plays. It was a well-played game all around.
I felt good. I definitely felt better than my last two starts mechanically. My sinker was better. My cutter was better. My command was better. What allowed me to finish the game was taking the ninth like it was the first. If you rush through the ninth trying to get outs, you're not going to complete that game.
You can say whatever you want, ... The results weren't there but ... we've pitched well all year and we've got five veteran guys ready to go out and compete. I don't see any difference when we start the series. I think we've got guys who are going to be prepared to come out and pitch. You get to a certain point in the season with 2 1/2 weeks left. Granted, as a competitor the games mean a lot to you. You want to go out and win and do well. But we clinched and there was nothing on the line anymore.
The addition of Andy is big for them. They've always had a great bullpen. They have a team that knows how to play the game, they take quality at-bats and play the game the right way. It's fun competing against a team like that, knowing that they're a lot like us. They go out and do the little things to win. They're going to pitch, bunt, play defense and do everything it takes to win.
You can say whatever you want. The results weren't there but ... we've pitched well all year and we've got five veteran guys ready to go out and compete. I don't see any difference when we start the series. I think we've got guys who are going to be prepared to come out and pitch. You get to a certain point in the season with 2 1/2 weeks left. Granted, as a competitor the games mean a lot to you. You want to go out and win and do well. But we clinched and there was nothing on the line anymore.
I think guys are ready to go. I think guys are ready to start the games that count, competing for real. We take the field here and we want to win, but making it worth something. I think guys are ready to go.
I hate losing, never mind losing that way, not being able to make an adjustment and get the ball down in the strike zone. It's just an angry, disgusting, embarrassing feeling.
It's huge. We need Jimmy in the lineup every day to come out there and compete every day and be a big part of that offense, never mind his defensive play. It was nice to see him back in there and doing what he did today. Hopefully we can get him on track and he can start feeling better.
A few years ago, I never thought I was going to play again, ... I go from coming back and winning Comeback Player (of the Year in 2004) to winning the Cy Young. It's a crazy feeling.
I was cruising along and I felt like I was throwing the ball well, and got there in the seventh and all of a sudden I started getting some balls up and it got away from me. No matter who you face, you're going to give up hits if you don't execute pitches down in the zone.
My performance (today) was unacceptable and made me want to puke.
I know I got a little careless. I threw him a lot of breaking balls in a row.
I had command of my sinker, command of my cutter, and command of my breaking ball, and I was able to throw it when I wanted to throw it and keep them off balance all night,