Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012

Q&A with Washington Nationals pitcher Edwin Jackson ...

What was it like to face St. Louis, the team you won the World Series with, in the playoffs with Washington? “I’ve faced every team that I’ve played on. I’ve been on seven teams and at some point have had the chance to face them, so it’s just another game. The objective is to go out and win. A former team is a former team.”

What was it like to be a part of the breakout season the Nationals had? “It was fun. We came out of the gates playing good baseball. In the times we didn’t hit, the pitchers stepped up, and in the times we didn’t pitch, the hitters stepped up. We showed a lot of people what we could do.”

What do you think of Stephen Strasburg? “He’s a great guy. He’s a competitor. He’s young but really mature for his age. He’s going to have a crazy career if he can stay healthy.”

What did you think of the decision to bench Strasburg right before the playoffs? “It was a tough situation and a tough decision to make. I guess that’s what they felt they had to do. They thought we had enough pitchers who could go out and get the job done. It was tougher on him than it was on me.”

Did that put more pressure on you and the rest of the rotation? “I don’t think it put more pressure on any one of us. At the end of the day, whether he’s in the rotation or not, we still have to go get the job done?”

You’ve played for seven teams in 10 years. Would it be nice to have some stability and be able to play another year in Washington? “Mark Buehrle got a four-year deal in Miami and then after one season was just traded away. There’s no guarantee, but when you know you’re going to be in a certain place for a few years, it definitely helps as far as adapting to the environment. You know you’re going to be with the team for a while and you know what players you’re going to be with.”

Who’s the toughest out in the National League? “I’m not sure. There are a lot of tough outs. The player you take away a half-second of focus from can be the player that hurts you. You have to treat everyone the same.”

What is it about the Cardinals in the postseason? “They’ve been there. Once you’ve been there and you’ve experienced it, you approach it differently. You don’t really try to do too much under pressure. You just relax and do what you know you’re capable of doing. That’s exactly what they did against us.”