NL DIVISION SERIES: ASTROS v BRAVES

October 11, 2004

Bobby Cox

BOBBY COX: Yeah, we did juggle a little bit just to see if we can keep, you know, gather a little luck with the lineup and jiggle it around a little bit. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't; we're hoping it does tonight.

BOBBY COX: No, I don't think so at all. I like our pitcher a lot, Jaret Wright, he's been a horse all year. They have a guy, Oswalt, that is one of the top pitchers in all of baseball; won 20 games. If the adrenaline doesn't get you going on three days' rest in this situation, nothing will.

BOBBY COX: It's not a big deal, but we're leading off with Furcal; J.D. Drew second; Chipper Jones in the third slot; Johnny Estrada, who's very good getting runs in, one of the top guys in the league, in the four slot; Andruw Jones has been extremely hot in this series, he's hitting fifth; and LaRoche, sixth; Gilly, seventh, he's a good RBI guy, can hit them in from there; and Thomas eighth and right.

BOBBY COX: Yeah, he has.

BOBBY COX: We've been running polls all day long on how each guy is. We'll know a little bit more after batting practice. They're all going to say they're ready. Either win or go home, so everybody's going to be ready, and hopefully their arms will hang on for a little bit longer.

BOBBY COX: That, I don't know. I don't know. He did a wonderful job yesterday, and that was a lot to ask of him, I think, even one inning. But he did it, and I think that was a big turning point in the game, him giving us that one good inning against the middle of their lineup. I'm not so sure he'll be ready tonight.

BOBBY COX: He's jumping around. He's bouncing off the walls. He's ready to go - at least one.

BOBBY COX: Yeah, we don't have any turnaround time hardly. Tomorrow would consist of leaving here about two o'clock, meeting the scouts and trying to get a workout in at the same time and play Wednesday. Right now, I won't announce who's pitching Wednesday yet. I won't announce until tomorrow some time who's going to take Thomson's spot.

BOBBY COX: I think it's a great thing for the city to pack it in tonight. I was very pleased with the crowds the first two games and the way they were energized in the stands and cheering for us. We felt it in the dugout, there's no doubt about that. I thought they did great the first two. And tonight even is a complete sellout, so our players are thrilled with that.

BOBBY COX: The last three days he's been taking a lot of extra hitting, and with a lot of different groups on the field and in the tunnels within the confines of the stadium, and he feels good. I think Chipper's energized. He had two hits yesterday and lined a shot on the double-play that he hit to the shortstop. I just got a hunch he's going to come through big tonight.