Executing Pitches: The Josh Beckett Mantra
Gather round, boys and girls- it’s time for Josh Beckett’s favorite part of the week… the press conference! Lucky Josh– since it’s playoff time, he’ll not only get to do the post-game press conference after Wednesday’s Game 1, he also had the pleasure of doing a pre-game press conference today. And boy was he thrilled!
Just look at how excited he is to answer all the reporter’s questions! He’s so very enthusiastic. I love how he can barely contain his boredom at having to sit through all that- and when he deems a question too moronic to answer, his eyes practically roll out of their sockets, he makes a face like he just ate a lemon, and he gives a cursory two or three word answer. Awesome.
Best part isn’t him talking about the ALDS or the Angels or Vlad Guerrero- or even when he talks about “executing pitches” for the 5 bajillionth time this season- it’s when someone asks him to name some of the people he said helped him behind-the-scenes to get his 20 wins, and he responds with, “You know what, if I got into naming people, then I’d probably forget somebody and I’d feel like an asshole.” Straight faced. Awesome.
Here’s unedited video of the whole conference- hey look! the silver sunglasses! what a shocker!:
video courtesy of WBZ
Your Beckett posts just kill me. Probably because everything you say is true.
That “asshole” line is perfect, even better because there isn’t a hint of inflection or hesistation in his voice. To him, it’s just a statement of cold fact. It’s hard to make out how the reporters reacted to it on the video; I think I heard at least a few chuckles, but there was a lot of silence/static.
Beckett-isms:
Fundamentally sound
Execute your pitches
What they mean:
Throw fuckin strikes Josh
Mouse there was a lot of chuckles. I am guessing all from the Boston media because they are used to it.
It was Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe who asked the question.
My favorite parts:
Josh: -dryly- “We’ve got one mic for all these people?” -disbelieving stare-
—-
Reporter: “What kind of threat does that Angels line-up in particular pose to a pitcher out there?”
Josh: -huge ass eyeroll x4-
—
Josh: -crazy back and forth glance while thinking: Ho now…who the fuck is asking a question first? Can’t do two at a time…”
—
5:53 = tongue of intense concentration
ah beckett, my favorite was at the beginning (nesn)when he’s sitting there rolling his eyes and says “what no questions??” starts to get up to leave and sits back down rolling his eyes…looking to the side like there was some large security guard there to keep him seated so he wouldn’t run off…
oh my god.
oh. my. god.
a thousand thanks for posting this.
God – as a former reporter his press conferences drive me banana-sandwich crazy. Would it kill him to not be surly?
I did like the “asshole” line though and the way he didn’t even crack a smile when the others laughed.
Saving the drama for the mound, is Becky.