John_Lackey's Blog

02
Jul
Great Honor

What's happenin' Yard? Walked into the clubhouse today and the PR guys told me that I was named Pitcher of the Month. Pretty cool news to get when you first roll in. Then the rest of the guys congratulated me. Honestly, it means a lot because it shows we are winning as a team. For me to go 5-0 in a month, we must be playing pretty well. I know we haven't been scoring as many runs as we'd like, but we are still winning with our pitching. One major contributor to the success is that I have command of my pitches. I have been spotting the ball well in critical pitch counts and that usually leads to success. Getting ahead early in the strike zone and not allowing walks has been key as well. The guys behind the plate have been key too. Mathis or Nap, both of those guys are a great asset for this team. I did receive the same award in July of 2006 but I think this five-game win streak matches a career-high. There have been some stretches that were similar. This one is special because I just came back from the DL and I was chomping at the bit to help out the team while I was out. It feels great to come out and contribute.
30 Comments
25
Jun
Big Joe Saunders

How big has Joe Saunders been? 11 wins, tops in the Majors. I remember last year when he was sent down and I told him he'd be back soon and he'd be back for good. Well, he's here and he's been huge. He has more experience under his belt and has really settled into his role. He was up and down from the minors in the past because of our pitching depth, not for a lack of talent by any means. With Escobar and myself our early this year, he knew he could relax and go out every fifth day and do his job. He has learned how to be a professional and he's got ice water in his veins, never gets rattled. He prepares well for each start and his command has been spot on. He watches video, studies hitters and asks a lot of questions. Mostly, he has learned what is takes to be successful at this level. He keeps us in every game and has figured out how to be efficient with his pitches to last deeper into the game. He's been amazing and so has Santana. They have both stepped up big time. It's no secret that pitching has been the foundation for the Angels' success. In order for this team to get where we want, the pitching has to be up to par. Guys definitely feed off each other when there is success. Its been cool to see these guys match each other start after start. Santana goes again tonight - let's keep it rollin'
31 Comments
23
Jun
W in Washington

First of all, this ballpark is awesome?I enjoyed coming into the ballpark on the team bus today and seeing the monuments on our way in and then getting to the beautiful new Nationals Ballpark. The clubhouse here has all the bells and whistles from flat screens all over to a full kitchen. It is top of the line for sure. I also like the ballpark because it is pitcher-friendly and plays to the pitcher's advantage. About tonight's game, I almost ruined it for us with the dumb throw I made to allow the go-ahead run to score in the 7th inning. But you know what, just like always, our guys got my back and made up for it by responding with two runs in the 8th. These guys picked me up big time tonight. We don't care how we win, just as long as we get it done. We just need to keep these thing going and stay healthy and the Halos will be where we should when it's all said and done. Looking forward to my next start which will come against the Dodgers on Sunday in LA. Thanks for visiting "The Yard" and I will talk at you guys soon.
29 Comments
15
Jun
Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's day to everyone in the Yard. Cool thing for me is that my dad's out here staying with me right now so I got to see him today and wish him a happy fathers day in person. He's had such an impact on my life, in baseball and beyond. He was my baseball coach growing up in Abilene so I learned right away how to play the game from him. Most of what I know in this game, I learned from him. I just fined tuned a lot of things when I became a professional. He always challenged me, made me realize the cerebral side of the game. He wanted me to play other sports as well to learn about competition in other aspects of athletics. He always emphasized competition. He also showed me what it means to work hard and work towards a goal. He inspired me when I was young and it has stayed with me today. I'm grateful for that. He was and is an intense dude. I think I get my intensity from him. He was never afraid to get on me or my teammates if we messed up. He was always trying to make us better and I respect that. Most of all he taught me how to be a man and go about my business as a professional. How to be a good teammate and a friend to others. We talk about once a start or once a week. Really don't get into detail about baseball or pitching, he is there for encouragement. Hope you all enjoyed your father's day today
21 Comments
11
Jun
Izzy Comes Up Big

In the Yard with an Angel update. Our offense did a great job today and helped us finish the series against Tampa with a W. Kazmir has been hot and he threw a great game today. To get four runs off a guy pitching that well is a pretty good job and we needed all of them today. Izzy came up with the big hit in the 8th to get us in front. He's been on fire and his hit today was exactly what we needed. He really goes about his business like a pro. Never complains about a thing and no matter where he is in the lineup or what position he plays, he shows up each day. He is a key component to our club. When you're going against a guy who's as hot as Kazmir has been and going as good as he's been you definitely don't want to give in to those guys. They got a run early and there were some spots I could have given in and thrown a fastball, but threw breaking balls instead just because one run may be the difference. I think the way I pitch, velocity doesn't mean a whole lot. I've learned to move the ball both ways these days and throw breaking pitches for strikes, so it doesn't mean as much as it would for some guys. I've been going pretty good. I've been keeping us in games and we've been able to win some of them. It's too early to get too excited, just got to keep it going.
26 Comments

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Great Honor

Big Joe Saunders

W in Washington

Happy Father's Day

Izzy Comes Up Big

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