NL DIVISION SERIES: MARLINS v GIANTS

October 2, 2003

Mark Redman

MARK REDMAN: No, not yet. It's a good opportunity to be here.

MARK REDMAN: I've been there. That's all I can say. I've been there last year. I went from the lows to the ups. It's nothing I want to look back on.

MARK REDMAN: No pressure. I mean, this is what, you know, you've always dreamed about. This is where you want to be, this is what you worked hard for. You got to take it for the best, be excited about it.

MARK REDMAN: I think it's going to be to our benefit, to be honest. Like you say, we haven't played in front of you too many spectators this year. Recently, in the past few games, a lot more have been coming out. I tell you what, it gets loud out there on that field. It helps to our advantage, especially say when the opposing pitcher's getting in a jam. You know, he has a 3-1 count, when they start getting loud, it's tough to pitch in those circumstances when you're on the opposing team.

MARK REDMAN: Yeah. I mean, it definitely gets loud, you know, like you said with 29,000. You know, I can only imagine what it's going to sound like with near 60. It's going to be outstanding.

MARK REDMAN: I think really home field advantage, I think playing in this heat down here, you know, we train down in it. I think it helps to our advantage. You know, coming from San Francisco, we were freezing there. What it's going to do to the Giants' players when we play in this 85, 90 degree weather tomorrow, definitely on Saturday when it's a 1:00 game, I think it's going to help to our advantage. Especially the crowd, too. You know, the crowd's going to be a part of it. This is an enclosed stadium and it's going to echo, whereas, you know, in San Francisco, it's open, you got the bay right there, it drowns out a lot of the sound.

MARK REDMAN: You know, the stronger man, I guess. You know, you just have to make your pitches. You know, they still have to swing the bat and hit the ball. I can't predict anything.

MARK REDMAN: To have the speed that they have, that's one and two on the team. You're lucky if you only have one of those guys on a team. We're fortunate enough to have two in Juan and Luis. Puts it in the back of a pitcher's mind. You know, you have to watch out. You know, they tend to pitch definitely to Pudge. Might give Pudge a little bit more fast balls, give him something to hit. You know, they could run into mistakes by paying too much attention to the runner.

MARK REDMAN: I just need to go out there and do what I've been doing all season: Just throw strikes.

MARK REDMAN: Is he intimidating to you?

MARK REDMAN: He's just another guy up there with a bat. That's all I see. I don't see who it is, what name it is. It's just another guy up there with a bat.

MARK REDMAN: Why not. He just wants to play just as much as I want to play. I mean, this is not a time to be intimidated by anyone. That's the way I look at it. You know, you worked hard to be here. He worked hard to be here, as well.

MARK REDMAN: Good thing it's not my say. You know, I mean, it's not my call. I do what's told. You know, I'm a guy that's given the ball, supposed to throw strikes when I'm supposed to throw strikes. If I need to walk the guy because I'm told to walk the guy, then I'll walk the guy.

MARK REDMAN: I can't predict that right now.

MARK REDMAN: I can't comment on it. You know, it's nothing in my power to do so. You know, that's up to Jack, if he wants to leave the bat in his hands or take it out of his hands.

MARK REDMAN: I was having too much fun watching the games. I mean, I was excited to be in the position we were in. I was cheering the guys on that were out there playing that day.

MARK REDMAN: Nothing in professional ball. Probably college '94, '95.

MARK REDMAN: I played in Oklahoma, yeah. We played for the championship game, Georgia Tech.

MARK REDMAN: We beat them (laughter). I didn't patch the championship game. I pitched Game 1 and the semifinal game. Things went pretty good.

MARK REDMAN: Our pitching staff? I think, you know, we're young. I think we're growing together. You know, I might be called the old veteran on the team, but I'm only 29 years old. In service time, I'm still young, as well. I'm learning as much as these guys are learning. I had an opportunity to play for two other teams, with different veteran leadership, meaning, you know, I played while Paul Molitor was sitting on the bench or Kirby Puckett was in the clubhouse or Kirk Gibson was hanging around. I got to pick these guys' heads. Why am I naming these great hitters? Because those are the heads I want to pick. I'm a pitcher. I want to know what these hitters are thinking, not another pitcher. I'd rather know what good hitters think, tend to think, go after those weaknesses that they tell me.

MARK REDMAN: I think it's been a benefit to me anyways. We both came from the American League. You know, he's called the same style I've been pitching my career. Bring it over here in the National League, I think it's a benefit. My style of pitching. You know, they say the National League is more of a fast ball, power pitching league, whereas I could throw all three pitches in any part of the count. I think, you know, Pudge doesn't hesitate to call any of these pitches. I also shut down the running game. I do a lot of different looks, not necessarily to keep the guy close, but just give a different look to the hitter, as well. It gives a chance for Pudge to throw the guy out if needed.

MARK REDMAN: I had a lot better opportunity to be in this position. One thing that sticks out in my mind is last year when I pitched against the Florida Marlins, when I was with Detroit, I was shutting them down pretty good for seven innings. My pitch count came up on me. I left the game with a four-run lead. The Marlins never quit. They came back and beat our team. That's a lasting impression when you see a team that gets shut down, never give up. And, you know, I told myself, "That's the kind of team I would like to play for, a team that will never give up, no matter what the circumstances might be." Fortunately, I was traded over here and I got to experience that same never-say-die attitude. This club, this team, is outstanding because they'll never give up no matter the ups or the downs, the injuries, or the three-run, you know, lead that we lost. This team never gives up.