1 Down, 2 To Go: A Quick Interview With Timber Rattlers Catcher Rafael Neda

by Kevin Kimmes

Last night in Game 1 of the best of 5 Midwest League Championship series, Timber Rattlers catcher Rafael Neda scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th to give the team a walk-off win and a 1-0 advantage over the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. This morning I took a few moments to talk with Rafael about last night’s performance and what it means to him to be this far into the playoffs.

CCC: Last night in Game 1 of the Championship series, you had 2 hits and drove in a run. You then scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th to win the game for the Rattlers. What was going through your mind as you watched the pitch go wild?

RN: I was just expecting something out of the catchers reach and I was going to score no matter what.

CCC: With your offense factoring heavily in last night’s win, you drove in Max Walla in the 4th and then started the rally in the 10th, are you approaching your at bats differently in the post season, or are you just looking for good pitches and taking advantage of what you see?

RN: Not at all. I’m just trying to put the ball in play and that’s it. I’m not doing anything different, anything special, I’m just trying to put the ball in play, that’s it.

CCC: Finally, what does it mean to you to have gone this far into the playoffs and what is different about this years squad compared to last years?

RN: It’s been really, really fun so far, and of course, we don’t want this to end. Of course, we still have to win two more games, and we’re just going to keep working hard to win those games. It’s been really, really fun so far, long year, but really, really fun.

The Timber Rattlers are scheduled to play Game 2 today at 12:05 pm. Follow me on Twitter (@kevinkimmes) to get updates as the Timber Rattlers press ever closer to the Midwest League Championship.