Nick Castellanos emulated Gregg Popovich’s style after clinching a walk-off hit for the Philadelphia Phillies in extended play on Sunday. The outfielder was featured in the postgame interview on ESPN with Nicole Briscoe and responded minimally to several inquiries.
In the pivotal series for the NL East race, Castellanos secured all three runs in the team’s 3-2 triumph over the Atlanta Braves. Just shortly post his game-winning single up the middle, he was greeted with the ESPN headset for an interview.
In a fitting manner, the opening question was, “What was your observation on that pitch?” Castellanos, with a seemingly puzzled expression, hesitated before stating, “Well, it was a four-seam fastball.” Following an awkward pause that seemed prolonged but was actually brief, the subsequent question emerged, asking, “How did you feel about that?”
Once again appearing puzzled by the simplistic query, Castellanos chuckled before replying, “I suppose you were watching the game, weren’t you?”
There isn’t a definitive approach when it comes to postgame interviews. Ideally, we would prefer athletes to be candid, open, and exhibit emotions. However, athletes are frequently bombarded with questions and sometimes cannot spare time for those that provide minimal value.
Nevertheless, later on, Castellanos meticulously crafted his responses during discussions with local reporters in the clubhouse. When asked about the influence of the crowd in the sold-out game, Castellanos mentioned to NBC Sports that “It feels like we’re approaching October.”
The Phillies now hold a seven-game advantage over the Braves as the final month of the season commences. The team is closely following the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the top seed in the National League. In contrast, the Braves are currently just one game ahead of the New York Mets for the third and last wild card position.
Image Source: Nick Castellanos @ Instagram
