MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 22, 1997

Sandy Alomar

SANDY ALOMAR: Well, ball 1 and ball 2 are getting me crazy. So you have to go out there and try and throw strikes. And when you try to battle the elements and being behind on the count it's very tough, because you try to work your way back into the strike zone and that takes a lot of stress on the catcher.

SANDY ALOMAR: Sanders, he has a pretty good style. He has good change up, good breaking ball. We just happened to rally early and Jaret got out of trouble reducing the fast balls. He was behind the count a lot, but managed to get out of trouble, and that's what it's all about.

SANDY ALOMAR: You don't have to tell me, I know. I never seen anything like this. It's like some kind of pitchers, they pitch like they don't want to get hit. We need to be more aggressive. Brian Anderson was aggressive, he came into the strike zone sometimes. When we pitch against the Marlins, they have good power hitters that can hurt you. If you have guys on base, and Daulton or Alou or Bonilla and you have a guy or two on base, all of a sudden they have a big rally going. And we try to concentrate and try not to walk the guys in front of those guys.

SANDY ALOMAR: Very important. We have to face Livan tomorrow and then Brown, so it's very important for us, because you don't want to face Kevin Brown down two games. And he's going to be tough. It's going to be tough tomorrow, we have to dig it out, we have to do whatever we have to do to manage to win. But it's going to be tough.

SANDY ALOMAR: It's been big. They managed to make big pitches when they needed it. A lot of guys are tired, a lot of guys haven't gone past October in the past. A lot of tired arms. It's very difficult to pitch this time, particularly in this weather. The guys are doing the best they can. It's very tough to go out there and just -- it just blew everybody away, especially for this long. You have to do the best you can, but it's hard to call the game when you're behind 3-1, 2-1, but you have to do the best you can, and make those guys swing the bat early.

SANDY ALOMAR: Well, this is where everybody wants to be, here in the World Series. And you have to be strong mentally, mentally strong. And I come early to the ballpark, prepare myself, jump in the jacuzzi if I have to, ice myself if I have to. I have to prepare myself for the game, that's why I come early. The game is at 8:00 o'clock, 8:15, but I'm here in the ballpark 2:15, 2:30 to prepare for the game. Every single day your body takes a lot of wear and tear.

SANDY ALOMAR: This is what I play for. I've been injured, I've been down, and it's taken a toll in my knees. But I have come back, I have come back, and I've worked very hard off season. I work hard during the season to try to maintain myself. And I'm very happy that I'm here in the World Series, because all the hard work that I've done seems to be paying off so far. And hopefully I can do it for many years. But this is a very important year for us, and very important year for myself.

SANDY ALOMAR: Let it snow, let it snow -- well, yesterday's game was -- I think that yesterday our bodies were getting acclimated to the weather, everybody's. You go from 85 degree weather to 30 degree weather, obviously your body is not going to function the same way it functioned the day before. But it's no excuse. Both teams play in the same type of weather. Today was colder, and I felt better than yesterday, because my body was getting adjusted to it. So both teams play in the same situations. A lot of these guys are living here on the east coast. I'm from Puerto Rico, I'm used to 85 degree and humidity, but I like it.

SANDY ALOMAR: You have to remind me of that. I can't explain it. These guys are -- they battle. We've been down before, and we have come back. They forget about the losses, bad games, they throw it out of the window and come the next day and say forget it, come today and do the best we can. Today is a new day. If you can go back to what happened yesterday, then nobody would lose. But today is a different day, and tomorrow will be a different day. Like I say, everybody is in the same boat, we're back even, and it's the best out of three.