NL DIVISION SERIES: CUBS v BRAVES

October 5, 2003

Bobby Cox

BOBBY COX: I really didn't know, because Chipper's second homerun went, and I really couldn't gauge it. Sammy hit it dead center which is quite a bit further. The guys on the bench didn't think it was going. I thought it had a pretty good chance.

BOBBY COX: John is the same as he's been. He got a ball up to Simon that he hit down the left line. He was trying to throw a lot of fast balls tonight. He'll be ready to go tomorrow.

BOBBY COX: Hampton might go nine tomorrow. He's perfectly well rested and very eager to tow the rubber.

BOBBY COX: I haven't seen that play yet. I think he tried to grab the ball out of Eric's glove, which is a little bit of violation of the rules. I know there wasn't an attempt to hurt Eric, but that's a good way to hurt somebody probably. I think he just got caught up in the moment.

BOBBY COX: Julio the last month of the season really hit the ball well and when we were preparing for the playoffs, I got him quite a few at bats at the end. He really hit the ball hard. Every game he was in seemed to be a great at bat. I thought it was worth trying something. Our bats had been pretty silent. He's a professional hitter. It was a great night that he had.

BOBBY COX: We're going to have to hit the ball a little bit better than we did last time. When you talk stuff, you always hear the term pitcher's stuff, he's got it. We hope he makes a few mistakes, and if we're on our toes, we can hit a few on him.

BOBBY COX: We like playing in Wrigley too, and, you know, we've got great fans. Hometown advantage, I think it's a little bit, but we're glad to be playing there.

BOBBY COX: I haven't talked to him since this morning. They worked on him the entire ballgame inside, and I just can't answer that right now.

BOBBY COX: Well, we came to win, and, you know, we intend to play good tomorrow night too, and get into the NLCS and the World Series. That's our goal and always has been. We finally woke up some of the wood tonight and we're very capable of putting runs on the board.

BOBBY COX: I don't think no more than the Cubs or anybody else in the playoffs. The Giants got knocked out today. Pressure is pressure. You're trying to win. So, what are you going to do about it? All you can do is go out and do your best. That's what every team has tried. There is nobody trying to lose at these things. That's for sure.

BOBBY COX: It's actually a matter of time before they all break out like that. I'm fortunate to have eight guys in the lineup that can hit the ball out of the ballpark. They're all capable of doing something, not just one or two guys. It would be nice if they all got hot at the same time tomorrow night.