Orioles manager Buck Showalter speaks with the media before ALDS Game 2

SHOWALTER:  No, they would look at me and say, no, and call me Captain Obvious.  We've had tough losses a lot this year.  That's the peaks and valleys.  I've said it a few times to our guys:  I've been on clubs that have been around -- been around a club that won 100 games and.  There were periods where I didn't know if we would win another game. And I have gone through, you lose five or six and been on expansion clubs that lost 90 something and we went through periods where we didn't think we'd lose another, playing really well.  So that's trying to keep a grip on reality.  But obviously the sense of urgency changes a little bit because of the math of the series.

Our guys know that, and they don't -- it's not something that you dwell on.  The David and Goliath or whatever you're talking about, that's not something that's a mentality for us in there.  There's not flukes in baseball.  There's no Cinderellas.  You play too many games.  You play 162 games.  And that mentality might go for a short span, but it don't play for very long, believe me.  People don't care about your problems and they're real happy you got them.  They feel that way about us and we feel that way about them.  You don't hear us complaining about injuries and this, that and whatever.  It's just another opportunity to show your mettle.

I was just curious to see what you think of all the "BUCKle Up" billboards and tee shirts that you see around.  Do you kind of embrace that, or does it feel a little odd as a manager being the focal point?

SHOWALTER:  Odd.

Why?

SHOWALTER:  Because it's the players.  I don't even like talking about it.  It makes me uncomfortable.  But it's -- you know, believe me, it won't, the focus after this year -- and it is on the players here, trust me, and I've got it.  But there's some things I've learned here that they don't ask me about because they know the answer.  They know more about it than I do, so I try to stay out of it.

I'll tell you one thing:  If Monica was right, it's the last time I'm going to mention a story about being on a roller coaster in a post game meeting, I can tell you that.  I think maybe that's where it came from.  I'm not ad-libbing any more because there are cameras everywhere and microphones.

You've known Andy Pettitte obviously a very long time.  He wasn't supposed to even be pitching this year, and now he's here and he's pitching against you guys.  First of all, were you surprised that he came back ans second, what has made him so effective all these years?

SHOWALTER:  I'm not surprised at all.  I wish he would have stayed retired, but that's why they approached him, I am not sure how it was.  Y'all know more about it than I do.  In the offseason.  They were prepared for this moment.  It seems to be happening some in baseball where they know guys physically have some issues and they're willing to do half a year.  It doesn't surprise me anything Andy is doing.  And he's pitching for the right reasons.  Obviously he has a real affection and love for the organization and the fans, and he's been there his whole career, and he's one of those holdovers from all the good things.  They like their chances, and rightfully so, when he goes out there.  He's got great presence, and he brings a real competitive been there, done that, and then doesn't get flustered, a lot like the guy last night.

You've talked for years about this team playing in a big game atmosphere.  Has the atmosphere at Camden Yards, at least last night, is it what you expected it to be?

SHOWALTER:  Oh, yeah.  The only regret, other than losing the game last night, was that our fans had to sit around in the weather that long.  It was a topic, and our three or four players mentioned, gosh, I wish -- to wait so long for a moment like that, and they're sitting around underneath -- but it sure didn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm and it didn't seem like anyone went away.  I thought it took a little -- I don't want to say maybe some butterflies or whatever you want to call it, I think it kind of with the players was actually good, kind of got everybody -- I hope it doesn't happen tonight.