Joe Saunders, who will make his season debut tonight against the Twins, finally has a set role in the Angels rotation. But to motivate himself this spring, he told himself he still needed to earn a spot. After a couple of mechanical changes in the offseason, the left-hander figures to be better than ever.
Q: You finally had a spot on the team heading out of spring training, but did you motivate yourself by saying that you still need to earn your role?
Joe Saunders: Yeah, at the beginning of camp there wasn’t really a spot. I was battling with Ervin for that fifth spot. From my perspective that’s what drove me to work harder and push myself during the offseason because I knew it would be a battle after the signing of (Jon) Garland. I just told myself, You know what, you just have to go out there and pitch like it’s Game 1 of the regular season. That’s what I’ve tried to do.
Q: Do you have a different mindset knowing there is a spot on the team for you?
JS: Yeah, there is a little comfort but there is still pressure on me to go out there and perform. I still have to prove I can pitch to earn my spot.
Q: Did you do anything new this spring to prepare?
JS: No, I was pretty set with where I was. I made some mechanical changes this offseason, where I was on the rubber and how my leg kick was. That was the only big change I made. The leg kick helps me stay over the rubber a little longer and helps me stay consistent out front. It gives me a little more power too. I did that this offseason and it’s been big for me.
Q: How hard was it to stay patient while being sent up and down last season?
JS: When you look back it seems like a short amount of time but I remember at the time I was pretty devastated. The yo-yo going up and down was tough. But every time I came up I just tried to get a win for the team. Every time I went down I tried to keep my chin up the best as possible but it was hard. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to go through.
Q: Are you better for it in the long run?
JS: It makes you appreciate being here. It makes you appreciate all the things they do for you, not only the pay but the experiences, the fans, the notoriety and all that jazz. It’s just a way different game up here. That’s where you strive to be.
Q: As a Virginia Tech alum, what was it like to see the Yankees play on campus there this spring as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the campus shooting last April 16?
JS: That was awesome. I actually ordered a couple of the Yankees hats that had the VT on the side. I ordered those for my father. I got a couple for myself. I want to see if the Yankees will sign a hat for me, the whole team. That was awesome what they did. That was really special. I know that the players on the Virginia Tech team were really nervous but really enjoyed talking to Jeter and ARod and be one of the guys.
Q: Are you planning on any more tributes to Virginia Tech (Saunders wore a Virginia Tech cap in his first start after last year’s tragedy)?
JS: I’ll recognize it. If I happen to pitch on April 16 of any year I’ll recognize it. I’ll remember what happened and give them a tribute. I think everybody is doing well now. Everybody has gotten through it and I think they have started to move on a little bit.