There are players who approach their first taste of October baseball with the mindset that the baselines still are 90 feet long and the mound 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate — just like during the six-month regular season.
Then there is James Paxton’s outlook while preparing for his first dip in the playoff pool. Paxton’s days with the Mariners never resulted in a trip to the postseason. Now, in his first year with the Yankees, the lefty has been seeking advice on what’s in store.
“I’ve been talking to J.A. [Happ] and CC [Sabathia] about it and it is going to be intense with a lot of energy,’’ said Paxton, who until suffering a tight glute this past Friday night when he left a game against the Rangers after one inning was the heavy favorite to start Game 1 of the ALDS Friday against the Twins at Yankee Stadium.