NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS v CARDINALS

October 14, 2005

Tony La Russa

TONY LaRUSSA: He's doing better than we expected. He's up, he's moving around, I think we've got a chance for him to be in tomorrow. He's getting treatment and he's going to go out there and do a little bit, I think he's going to hit. But it's better than a lot of us expected.

TONY LaRUSSA: That's another question. (Pauses). Well, he's sore. What we're trying to do is figure out how sore. It's good for him to have a day off. You know, in the past, sometimes a day off, it eases, sometimes it doesn't back off. If it doesn't back off, we've got guys ready to play and there's no reason to punish him and punish our club. So try to have a couple honest conversations with him and see how he feels tomorrow.

TONY LaRUSSA: I don't think we're trying to sort it out because our attitude is Al wasn't available 162 games. Other games he wasn't available in and there's still games that had needs in the sixth, seventh, eighth inning, so just different guys get the assignments and what do we do, we played two games, Chris went eight, yesterday you had Mark and then you had Tav and then you saw Jason in the ninth. I think we feel good about our bullpen and the reason we feel good is Marquis can be a force out there.

TONY LaRUSSA: Well, I read a comment in the paper which was -- I think I appreciate and I think our hitters, I'm not sure how they appreciate it, but he complements our hitters and he always feels like he has to bring his best game, which is like good news, bad news. I wish he would think we were not as good so he would back off a little bit. No, he's really good. We feel like we have good hitters and I think it's a great challenge. Obviously if you've got an upper echelon closer the way you try to beat the club is not to have them ahead. I don't think it's as much mental as it is that he's really good and he makes good pitches and I think if there was a game out there if he's got the lead, if he makes a mistake or two, we're liable to get him.

TONY LaRUSSA: I always thought he had above-average control. Even in his young, real power days. Now I see that he's got a lot of power. I think his control is better than ever. I think he's got Greg Maddux-like control. You look at him he rarely throws the ball on the middle of the plate; it's usually on the edges or down or wherever he wants to throw it. I just think his control and the command of his pitches and his stuff is still way above average, got all the experience working for him. He's a handful.

TONY LaRUSSA: First I was told if we don't get to the World Series and win it, somebody else will have that problem, so maybe he should answer that question. Our fans used to love Sportsman's Park. I think when the idea of Busch Stadium was presented 40 years ago, people were scratching our heads, why we need this, why we need that, got some great memories here. Pretty soon you have, well, I'm glad for this ballpark and look what it's done for the downtown area. Fans that I talk to, most of them understand that there's been a lot of money spent where they watch the game, it's a good-looking ballpark but underneath it's crumbling and they are ready for a change.

TONY LaRUSSA: Well, that's one of those great questions to ask; terrible questions to answer. I mean, I've spent quite a bit of time with Bob Gibson. I'd hate to answer that question and have Bob not like the answer. To me, I remember, I think it was Reggie one time answered about -- and I have to stop ask really this about whether we're talking about a pitcher or a player, the greatest. And his answer, which I thought really, that's the appropriate way to answer and that's the way I'd answer this. To even be considered one of the greatest is plenty compliment. So to have Roger in the conversation with Bob Gibson and the Koufax's, Seavers, Cy Young, whoever you want to move to, that's enough right there without having to say that one is better than anybody else.

TONY LaRUSSA: Well, here again, not that he is the very best, but there's nobody better. I think that you would not be able to find one big or little characteristic that you would mark him down at less than a-plus. I mean, every category of what a hitter has to do, he does it, smart, courageous, works hard, uses the whole field, everything. And I think what brings is all together is that he has a burning desire to win. He just plays the game to win. At the end of the day he looks, oh, I had two hits and an RBI, he's out there trying to drive in runs. It's old-time baseball. He wants to have the ring some day. So I think that's why he goes to work, like right now he's in there working getting ready for this practice and he does this just to win the game. I think he's got every category covered. The only thing that you could change in him, somehow be different, if somehow he got comfortable or started sitting on his laurels or had too much money, and there's no indication of that.

TONY LaRUSSA: Well, I just think with the opportunity to look at somebody else, you want to do the coach or the manager thing, we talk about it. But of the guys that have been the first call and have had the greatest year, I think So is the first guy on that list. So my guess is -- I mean, we may need two guys, if Reggie and Larry don't play. But I think there will be a definite leaning towards So because of how he's stepped into that very same assignment all year long, whether it's left, right or center.