NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS v CARDINALS

October 21, 2004

Phil Garner

PHIL GARNER: No, I think it's like all these other things; it doesn't matter what went on during the season. This is altogether a different story tonight. The clock starts again right now. It's one game, the most important game we'll ever play. The only thing we know is what he's thrown at us in the past, and we can go on that information but it really doesn't help us any beyond that.

PHIL GARNER: And I think the hits and innings pitched, the innings are all very close, very similar. The hits and all that's very similar. It's strange. I don't know that I've ever noticed that before in any of these playoffs, that teams have been so closely matched in the stats. It's unusual. I don't know what it tells us. Maybe that's the reason we're tied right now.

PHIL GARNER: Well, yes, Mike has played very good for us. I'm glad that he got in the lineup last night and he produced in the lineup last night. I think that one of the important things for him is to get several at-bats at once, on any one given night. In the stretch, in these playoffs, I haven't had him in the lineup where he could do that. Morgan (Ensberg) has been doing a pretty good job for us. We've been winning with Morgan in the lineup. Morgan is back in the lineup tonight. I think what will be important is after having four at-bats, I think Mike feels a little more comfortable now; a little more stable at the plate. So if it's necessary tonight for him to come through for us, I think he's prepared to do that.

PHIL GARNER: Well, Morgan has played well. I think Mike Lamb has played well defensively, too. I don't think he's gotten the credit he deserves. A lot of people bashed him for his defense a couple of years ago but have not given him any credit for playing some pretty good doggone defense. He made a really nice play yesterday on a line drive. Morgan has played well in all respects of the game, defensively and offensively. But this is not to slight Mike in any way defensively, because I think he's done a pretty good job defensively.

PHIL GARNER: Well, there's no question that we're the game tonight. After watching the other game, that's where the population base is in this country and I guess that's where the lion's share of our history and lore resides, with the Yankees and the Red Sox. I don't quibble with that. I think it's great for baseball. But also I am happy that people are going to get to see what's going on between the Astros and the Cardinals because this has been a fantastic series. The games have been good games. I think the people that have tuned in have really enjoyed them.

PHIL GARNER: Well, it's not been undercovered, that's for sure. We've had plenty of coverage here. I don't think you want to take away anything that's happened to the Red Sox and Yankees. It was a great series that they played. What I would hope is people that have seen this series, I think they would enjoy this National League Championship Series. It's been a good, hard-fought series, too. Either game could have gone either way. There's been well-pitched games, terrific defense, and great offense. It's had everything that you could want in it. So if you're a Houston fan, your nerves are frazzled. If you're a St. Louis fan, your nerves are frazzled. If you're just a baseball fan, you certainly have had to enjoy everything you've seen so far.

PHIL GARNER: I think it's hard to beat any team four times in a row; I don't care who they are. It's just difficult to do. Especially to do it the way they did it, when you've had extra-inning ballgames, you've had extremely cold weather, rainy weather, you've used the entire bullpen over and over and over again. Everybody has to be tired. I tip my hat to the Red Sox. It was a terrific series for them, particularly after coming back from a pretty good lickin' that they took in the third game. So it's a difficult thing that they did. It's quite extraordinary. It kept off a great series.

PHIL GARNER: I don't think the game's ever been in a better state, to be honest with you. I was just discussing with Jimmy Stanton, our media guru, as we walked down, I was talking to a former player and I'm saying, "We tended to grade our paper a little higher when we played in comparison." We always say, "Well, when I played we didn't swing at those pitches and we made those plays." Well, that's baloney. The players today are bigger, faster, stronger. There's plenty of good pitching out there, too. It is not that the pitching was watered down. When you look at baseball, there's what you've seen with the Boston Red Sox series, which is a great rivalry, you've seen terrific playing, you've seen gritty playing, you've seen players play when they're hurt, players play when they're tired, bad circumstances with the weather, and in this series you've seen some tremendous athletes make great defensive plays, do things offensively that a lot of players - not many players, let's say - in the past could have done. We're showcasing some of the best talent that's ever been in our game. They're playing at a level that's been terrific. So our game's in great shape. I think the fans are enjoying this.

PHIL GARNER: Well, as my normal modus operandi, we'll wait until after BP to see how much he's available. I had said yesterday I would expect him to be available at least one inning. Don't know beyond that. But I imagine he'll be available however I want to use him. I have to say that I believe tonight just about everybody will be available.

PHIL GARNER: Well, it makes you feel like nothing's insurmountable. We're in a position that no Houston team has ever been in since divisional play. I think we have a confidence level that talk's cheap. You still play the games for a reason. I don't think anybody has taken anything for granted. But all that we've been through has kind of given us a sense of, "We can do it. We have to do it, obviously." It's a very good ballclub over there. I've said it's a very great ballclub over there, and it is. We still have to do it, but we do have this sense that we can do it.

PHIL GARNER: Yes.

PHIL GARNER: He looks good.

PHIL GARNER: No, other than to say, "Hello, Rocket, you look good. Go out and throw nine innings today and do well." (Laughter).

PHIL GARNER: I have no idea. I do want to say something about that, though, because I got a letter from somebody that chastised professional baseball players for sulking and going to their lockers, I think was the word that he used, when they don't win. I think that's a mischaracterization of what goes on. When a team wins, it's their party. So when the team does not go and out shake hands, it is no disrespect for the other team at all; it is respect for the other team. It's their time. I think that we would look at it that way if we were winning. Nobody decided to come out and shake our hands, I think that's the way we would look at it. The same would be said for the other team if our team doesn't go out there. I take exception to the saying that baseball has had this stodgy old rule where they don't go -- sort of unwritten rule among our players that we don't go out and shake players' hands. We have a great deal of respect for the Cardinals. Shaking hands doesn't mean that we don't have respect for the Cardinals or vice versa. It just means in my viewpoint that it's the winning team's celebration and party and let them enjoy it.

PHIL GARNER: I had not, actually. But I think it's an interesting scenario. I think that we certainly won't get ahead of ourselves and start looking at that. We still have to focus on tonight. But I think all this brings to bear the importance of having this present-day format. There's so many teams that were in this race that would not have been in this race coming down the stretch in the National League, and I think it served to keep the interest in baseball in those cities, whether it's Chicago, Florida, or even Philadelphia down to the last couple of weeks of the season. It kept the interest alive in those cities. I think it really does help the play of baseball in the long run, because players are involved, too. Quite frankly, if you still had divisional races only and the Cardinals are 19 games up, what are you playing for the last month, really, because it's unrealistic that you can think that you can catch them, even though you don't give up. But I think it's so much better for baseball to have the wildcard format. I think it keeps a lot of scenarios open and I think the fans enjoy it as much as the players are enjoying it.