Questions and Answers With Chad Green

By Steve Serby

New York Post

Righty Chad Green, who is expected to be a key and versatile cog in the Yankees bullpen again this season following a stellar performance in last year’s AL wild-card game, fields some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: What has been your best and worst Yankees moment?

A: That one’s kind of easy for me right now. Probably the best one I guess would be the (2017) wild-card game (against the Twins) so far. What was on the line at the time. Just the circumstances of the situation. I think that was the most satisfying moment so far. And then, probably my least favorite, or the hardest point I’ve had to go through the past couple of years was the grand slam to (Francisco) Lindor in the division series. Just to let them back in the game like that, that was a pretty, I guess, low moment for me right there.

Q: What were you thinking on the mound during that hectic time during the (Lonnie) Chisenhall sixth inning at-bat and the immediate aftermath (after Joe Girardi’s non-challenge in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Indians)?

A: It all happened pretty fast at the time. It didn’t register what had happened right there. I didn’t even realize until probably after the game that I would have, I guess, been out of the inning. It didn’t really affect me at that certain moment.

Q: What’s your first impressions of Giancarlo Stanton?

A: Seems like a great guy. I think he’ll do great in New York. I think he’s got a good personality and stuff.

Q: What’s batting practice with him and Aaron Judge like?

A: I don’t think we’ll have to do too much shagging out there in the outfield. I think it’ll be more of a home run derby than anything.

Q: How does Aaron Boone’s style differ from Joe Girardi’s?

A: He seems really laid back. I have nothing bad to say about Girardi, he treated me great for the year-and-a-half I was with him. I think Boone’s maybe a little bit more laid back. I guess he’s a little younger, and that’s the way our team’s headed, and I think he’ll be a great guy to manage us.

Q: The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry?

A: I think it’ll be fun. I think with their addition of (J.D.) Martinez and ours with Stanton, the headlines are going to be great. I think it’s going to be fun for the fans, for us, and those are always big games throughout the year, seems like they’re always Sunday Night Baseball and stuff like that. I think it’s gonna be great for baseball.

Q: What is your mound mentality?

A: I try and take the same mentality in starting and relieving. Just try to be on the attack 24/7. I just try to challenge guys, not trying to nibble on the corners and stuff like that, so just try to go right at guys.

Q: What drives you?

A: Honestly, it’s almost like a fear of failing. I think that’s what I think drives a lot of us every day. Try and be the best we can be every day.

Q: How are you a different or better pitcher in the bullpen than you were a year ago?

A: I think I use my arsenal a little different. Just using my fastball in all four quadrants of the zone, instead of maybe throwing 50-50, fastball-offspeed, or 60-40 or whatever I was as a starter. So I think just attacking guys with the fastball more would really help me if I ever go back to starting. They know what I’m throwing, I know what I’m throwing, and just try to challenge guys.

Q: You’re comfortable in the bullpen now, right?

A: Yeah, a lot more comfortable. It probably took a month or so last year to get really comfortable. I was kinda bouncing around different situations, so I think that helped a lot last year to get put in different situations, so yeah I feel really comfortable whatever role they put me in.

Q: How do you feel when people call you a strikeout machine?

A: Yeah, it’s a little weird. I got that question asked a lot last year as well. They know exactly what I’m throwing and I know what I’m throwing. It’s just something that happens. It’s kinda weird to be, I guess, a high-strikeout guy. I never really became a strikeout pitcher until I got to pro ball. Even in college I was under a strikeout an inning.

Q: If you can pick the brain of any pitcher in history?

A: I’d probably say Nolan Ryan. He pitched for almost 25 years, something like that. Just to see how he pitched and stuff like that, I think it’d be pretty cool.

Q: You could face one hitter in history.

A: Maybe somebody like Tony Gwynn, just because he never struck out. So it would be an accomplishment to try to strike that guy out. And, you might not give up a jack to that guy (laugh).

Q: What do you like best about this Yankees team?

A: I think just the camaraderie. Everybody gets along, and everybody enjoys showing up to the ballpark every day. That really helped us last year, I think it’ll be even better this year.

Q: Brian Cashman calling the Yankees The Little Engine That Could.

A: I think maybe that was something that kind of applied last year. I think we surprised some people last year. Obviously that surprise element is gone. Everybody’s going to give us their best shot, so I think we got to be ready for it. And I think we will be.

Q: What’s it like pitching in October at Yankee Stadium?

A: It was nothing like I’ve ever experienced. It was just amazing. Obviously I was there for the wild-card game with Sevy (Luis Severino) on the mound, I’m just thinking. “I’m just gonna throw this for a couple of innings,” and then try to lock it in. You hear it all the time that anything can happen once you get to October, and shoot, next thing you know I was in the first inning. It was an unreal experience. Yankee Stadium was unbelievable.

Q: Electric is the word?

A: Yeah. I wasn’t out in the bullpen when we were scoring all those runs, but I heard beers are flying everywhere and stuff. I hear it got pretty crazy (laugh).

Q: Your alma mater, Louisville, being stripped of its 2013 NCAA basketball championship.

A: Yeah, that’s a tough one. That one really hit home with me just because I was there in ’13 when we won the national championship. Hopefully the university can move forward and get this all behind them, so I think it’s about time for Louisville get out of the media.

Q: Who are some athletes in other sports you admire?

A: Growing up I was a Grant Hill fan for some reason. I had Grant Hill Pistons jerseys, and I was a Duke fan for a little bit. Maybe I just liked the way he played or something like that.

Q: Ken Griffey Jr. was your idol?

A: Yeah, I was a left-hand hitter growing up, and obviously he was one of the best left-hand hitters of all time. Everybody tried to imitate his batting stance, and everybody did the backwards hat in the home run derby.

Q: Three dinner guests.

A: One of the presidents … not really sure who… but I think it’d be cool just to see their daily life; Mark Zuckerberg; Michael Jordan.

Q: How good of a basketball player were you in high school?

A: I was OK. I was nothing too special. I think I was just more of the guy who didn’t try to screw things up. I guess I could shoot a little bit (chuckle). High school’s probably the highest level I could go, let’s just say that.

Q: What are your favorite New York City things?

A: I think just walking around, exploring the city. Me and my wife rode bikes down one of the highways one day, which I thought was really cool just to see a lot of things in one day. Nothing too crazy. I think we just like to sightsee a little bit.

Q: How did you propose to your wife (Jenna)?

A: I was in a resort Mexico with one of my friends and his now wife. I think it was the last day we were there. I knew I wanted to do it at some point there, and I just so happened to wait until the last day. I was going to do it on the beach, it rained like the whole day, so that kind of messed up that plan, but I just did it in our room. I didn’t get too fancy with it though (chuckle).

Q: You didn’t get down on one knee?

A: I did do that. All the standard stuff. She went crazy, and yeah, that was that.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Harry Potter series.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: I’m always a fan of a good steak. If not that, like a Parmesan-crusted chicken. Big fan of that.

Q: Message to Yankees fans.

A: Enjoy the moment right now. I think we have a great group, and whether we get off to a slow start or have a great April, I think it’s going to be a fun year.

Q: World Series-or-bust?

A: I think so. I think being so close last year, I think that’s the only way to look at it right now.