MLB WORLD SERIES: MARLINS v YANKEES

October 20, 2003

Mike Mussina

MIKE MUSSINA: I'm not really concerned much about the homers. I've given up homers most of my career. I think I've given up five this postseason and four of them are solos. If I'm gonna give up solo home runs, I can live with that. That's not a game breaker to give up a solo home run in most cases in my job. So it doesn't really concern me that much. Got on a couple pitches, obviously the Red Sox, a good home run hitting team. So hopefully I can keep them in the ballpark.

MIKE MUSSINA: That was what happened.

MIKE MUSSINA: Well, the experience itself was unique and a little scary and probably a few other things. He did tell me that, "If we get you in this game, if it's a trouble situation, we'll bring in a reliever to finish the inning and let you start fresh the next inning." Roger gave up a solo home run. The phone rang. They told me to get up. Then he gave up a hit and a hit and run single, I think. And I was the only one that had been throwing for more than about 30 seconds. They got somebody up with me, but he'd only thrown five or six balls when the phone rang again. And so I was the only one that was close enough to be ready to be in. They put me in. I just -- I made a couple good pitches and got a break with a double-play ball from Damon. Just it turned out to be a big spot in the game.

MIKE MUSSINA: Actually, when I pitch, I try to remember that I have more than one or two pitches. Sometimes if you go out and feel your fastball or breaking ball is good that day, then that's the only thing you throw. Especially a fastball can get you in trouble if you think, "I'm feeling the ball great today. It feels great coming out of my hand." You keep throwing it and you get yourself in trouble for forgetting you have other pitches you can use. I'm probably lucky I have other things I can throw if the fastball's not great that day or I don't have a breaking ball, I still have other off-speed pitches I can use. Trying to locate my fastball a little bit better, whatever the case. And try to get my team from the beginning of the game to the sixth or seventh inning instead of me being out early and the bullpen trying to save the day.

MIKE MUSSINA: That's the first five guys, right? (Smiling). You know, obviously, the top of the line-up, you want to keep them off the bases the best you can. A large part of their game is their speed. We're gonna do the best we can to keep them off of there. We know they like to bunt, obviously, to get on. When they do get on, they want to try to run. So we're gonna do the best we can. The guys in the middle, you have to pitch them like any other 3, 4, 5 guy. Go at them with your best stuff. Try to not give them something too good to hit. Pudge has been having a good season. Conine is hitting the ball. There's all kinds of aspects you have to look at and we'll try to take it into account and see if we can hold them down.

MIKE MUSSINA: Well, I think we look forward to it a little bit, I think we dread it a little bit. I think we've been doing it now long enough with the interleague that we've all had a pretty good taste of it. We know what's involved to run the bases. Understanding all that stuff, understanding you have to pay more attention to, obviously, when it's your time to bat as opposed to just worrying about when the inning is over and it's time to go back out there to throw. So we're gonna try to contribute. We're playing in a National League city and we have to try to contribute the best we can. Hopefully, I'll be asked to put the bunt down two or three times and hopefully I can accomplish it.

MIKE MUSSINA: You know, I think when I came here in '01, we made it to the World Series. It was the fourth year in a row for the Yankees, five out of six. We went to the ninth inning with the lead in Game 7. We didn't win it. Then last year we won 103 games, I think, and got taken out in the first round. This year, as with a lot of New York years, we've been through a lot of things even since spring training as a team. We've had some big injuries. Jeter was out for a while. Rivera was out for a while, Bernie was out for a while. Those are important people that weren't there and we were still able to win 101 games and put ourselves in a good position. Just a tough, tough series with the Red Sox. Exciting series. I think at this point now, I think being in my third year and at my age, I do appreciate the fact that even though I play for the Yankees, we're not gonna be in the World Series every year; that it takes a lot more than just having certain personnel to put yourself in the World Series. And this group of guys has been very successful, guys like Jeter and Bernie and Pettitte and Mo, Posada, all these guys that have been in the postseason every year for, I think, eight years in a row now, or nine years in a row. So it's part of what the Yankees are about, but it doesn't automatically mean we're gonna be in the series. There's gonna be some turnover on this club. There's gonna be some guys that won't be back next year. We're all wondering if Roger is gonna be back. He claims he's not. So there's gonna be some changes. We're hoping that we can make this group a winner again.

MIKE MUSSINA: I don't know if it's gonna change what they're trying to do, if they're gonna really try to do it more than they already do. I think for them, bunt base hits are a big part of their offense. Are they gonna try to put some down? I'd guarantee they will. That's gonna be part of the way they attack the Game 3 and 4 and 5. So is it gonna change the way I try to field my position? No. I try to get to everything I can get to anyway. If I can get to it, and make the throw, it keeps the guys in position where they're supposed to be. So I'm gonna get off the mound best I can and try to get the balls and see if I can help out on defense.

MIKE MUSSINA: As far as how I feel, it was a different experience. I was a little cranky for a day or so afterwards (laughter). It's turned out to be, that was like five days ago, I guess, or close to it now. So it was kind of like the day I was supposed to pitch. So it's kind of fit in now okay. It turned out to be a pretty big spot in the game, yeah. I asked him to make sure to remind me next year that I can be in the rotation again because that's what I like to do, and not come out of the pen, first and third, nobody out. They told me it wasn't gonna be that way. So now I kind of make sure I check them out.

MIKE MUSSINA: I think it helps to see a team play, obviously. Experiencing the other team is completely different than reading about it or having someone else tell you about it. Our two starters were left-handed in the first two games. So I have to -- I'm gonna have to approach things differently and maybe watch a couple tapes again, of a right-hander pitching against this club. But it's -- they can tell you the guys are gonna bunt and want to run and all this stuff. Until you experience it, you don't really get the full taste of it. But these guys, that's what they're about. And they're gonna put the ball in play and they're still playing for a reason and we have to try to prevent them from doing what they want to do.

MIKE MUSSINA: Well, I think, you know, I think it just happens to be a factor of I was in the games that we didn't play that well. I was in two out of three Game 1s of the series and we haven't played well in a Game 1 in three series now. So it just so happens that that's the day I was pitching. But to come in in Game 7, you know, we were down 4-0 with Pedro on the mound on the other side, and contribute to a victory like that, not just myself, Giambi, who struggled during the series, Booney who ends up hitting a home run, struggled during the series offensively, guys that hadn't really had their names in the headlines up to that point contributed big parts in Game 7. That's why we're still playing. It's not the same guys every day winning the ball games. It's a core group of players and other guys contributing. I'm just happy that I was able to come in in a spot that I don't usually come in in and do something I don't usually do and contribute and help the team get to the World Series.