Milwaukee Brewers’ Yovani Gallardo looking to start in the National League Division Series
Although the Milwaukee Brewers barely know who they are to confront in the National League Division Series, Yovani Gallardo has been formally named to be the starter for Saturday’s much-anticipated game.
Nonetheless, it is pretty reliably known that whoever the Brewers are going to play, with Gallardo at their side, he will be an imposing player to face. Adept and skilful, Gallardo is disposed and equipped to take the charge of the mound for the upcoming
Division Series.
"He wants the ball, and he doesn't care who it's against or what the circumstances are; he wants the ball in his hand," pitching coach Rick Kranitz said.
Interestingly, if the recent history of baseball could be rewound, a lot would have come of how Gallardo managed to pitch the post-season game. In 2008, having just returned after having undergone knee surgery, he was more of a marvel with his pitching.
But as he stands fit today, the rivals need to be careful of the havoc this starter can inflict with his tremendous pitching.
"In '08, after missing the whole year and getting that opportunity to start Game 1, it was good, but it was a lot going on," Gallardo said. "This year, I've battled with the team the whole year. That makes a lot of difference."
While there is huge excitement in playing the eagerly anticipated National League Division Series, there is hardly even a tinge of overconfidence or pomp that the player has displayed. His is an excitement that invariably comes with playing such big games.
All eyes will be on the player during this crucial time of the year.
Gallardo wants to focus on the game without getting distracted by anything else. "I'm going to just focus on the game," he said. "That's the goal. Obviously, it's going to be exciting for all of us, but I just need to do what I've been doing all year."
Yovani signed a contract for roughly 30-million-dollars with the Milwaukee Brewers in April of last year. In 2008, when he made his appearance in a couple of post-season games, the player did not allow even a single earned run in the seven innings that he
pitched. Back then, despite his amazing performance, the Brewers could not somehow stop the Phillies from winning the title.
Nonetheless, as he combines talent and experience now, with the memories of 2008 still afresh, he is looking forward not with apprehension or regret of the past, to do something different for the team. The kind of performance the Brewers have displayed this
time, a lot is expected of the team and Gallardo in the upcoming Series. It will be interesting to see what impact if any Gallardo will have in the National League Division Series.
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