NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARLINS v CUBS

October 8, 2003

Alex Gonzalez

ALEX GONZALEZ: I tried separating the two, defense and offense are equally important throughout the season, so if things weren't going right for me offensively, then I focused all my attention out on the field, to help the team defensively. But I thought I contributed a lot of different ways to the team winning this year, and getting some clutch hits. So I felt that that's what you ought to do. If it's not working in one area, you go about your ways to the other side.

ALEX GONZALEZ: I hope all the people I know are going for the Cubs. So if they're not, they've got to make sure they let me know, and I'll deal with that later on. But I think there are a lot of people that I know down there that are probably pulling for the Marlins, knowing that it's their home team. And I can understand that. But if they're following the games they'll know that I am from, but I am playing for the Cubs, and I think there's probably a lot of people that are kind of split between the two. They're probably going for both at the same time.

ALEX GONZALEZ: At that point I was finished with my season, so I did go to the World Series in '97, and was kind of pulling for them, yeah, at that point.

ALEX GONZALEZ: No, my swing is the same. I haven't changed anything, I just am trying to get a good pitch to hit. And I think in the playoffs your surroundings and the situation kind of intensifies your concentration, and you take things to another level. I've been put in some good situations to be able to come through and help the ballclub.

ALEX GONZALEZ: When he's on, you can sit back and kind of enjoy what he's doing out there. He's a pitcher that can control the game when he's pitching to his best ability. So it kind of makes the game quick. And as a defender that's what you look forward to, is being in and out quickly and getting quick outs, which he can do. Before the game he's as relaxed but as intense as they come. You can tell that he's already been focused on the game well before it starts, and knowing what he wants to do out there on the mound. So it's a pregame focus that he has, I think, that helps him maintain that out on the field.

ALEX GONZALEZ: I think we have a lot of confidence when he's pitching and throughout the season he's been able to control games. When you're out on the field watching him you really know where to position yourself as a defender and it makes it a lot easier for us, our job, when he's on and he's hitting his spots. He's a guy that likes to work fast. When you're out there with his control you kind of know what to expect and what to get out of him.

ALEX GONZALEZ: Well, you know his emotional status out there on the field is part of what Zambrano is, and you really don't want to take too much of that away from him. I think he needs to be able to relax, but at the same time have that same intensity and same fire. I think sometimes it can work for him and sometimes it can work against him. He just needs to know when to let certain things out, let the fire out in certain parts of the ballgame. Last night you could tell that he was really trying to control his emotions at certain times, especially in that one inning where they were able to score some runs. And you don't always know if that's going toward his benefit or not, but I don't try to interfere too much with that. As a shortstop going in there I feel like pitchers know what will help them the best and I'm sure that the pitching coach and him have spoken what is the best situation to deal with that.

ALEX GONZALEZ: It really doesn't get irritating, it does happen, though. It happens in the mail, where fans send you baseball cards of the wrong guy. I don't know how confusing it gets to the media or to television, but I would imagine it could get confused every once in a while, same position, same name, not to mention I'm from Miami and he's playing for the Miami team.

ALEX GONZALEZ: Well, I would go about facing them knowing that I'm going to get a lot of fastballs, and knowing that I've got to be ready for the fastball, because their other pitches are pitches that don't get hit very often. You can tell that a lot of their strikeouts come on that curveball and they're power pitchers. So I think seeing it from a shortstop's point of view you want to be ready early in the count. You want to try getting on top of them early. And it's tough to do when they're in control, when they have a 96 to 98 mile per hour fastball hitting corners, it makes it difficult for any hitter up there.

ALEX GONZALEZ: The one thing I've learned is nothing's predictable in Chicago. I wasn't expecting it to be 80 degrees today and you come off having a cold spell and now it's hot. It's nice to have a year experience here, to be able to make the adjustments. And I think for an opposing team to come in, where it can get hot and then cold can make it difficult.

ALEX GONZALEZ: I think the fans were put in a difficult situation with what happened after '97 and I think the organization was in a difficult situation, too, with their ownership issues and not knowing exactly where they were going. So for four or five years there they were in limbo on developing their players and not being able to bring over free agents. So now they've had that time, and it takes a certain amount of time to be able to build a team together to get to where they are right now. And I think the fans, which is similar to what happened over in Toronto when I was there after the World Series, the fans, I think, had a question mark on what exactly was going to happen with the organization. So they were probably waiting to see and now they're probably proud about what's happening out in the field and going out and supporting them this year.

ALEX GONZALEZ: We know the importance of it for the Chicago fans. We're not taking anything lightly toward any chance of a championship and bringing it here in Chicago, which would be I think one of most unbelievable feats in all of sports to finally get a World Series in Chicago. We've had the support all year round from the fans and they've, I think, in the past few months have really started to believe in this team and really been backing us to get to that point.