MLB WORLD SERIES: GIANTS v ANGELS

October 20, 2002

Mike Scioscia

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Eckstein, shortstop; Erstad, centerfield; Salmon, rightfield; Anderson, leftfield; Glaus, third base; Fullmer, DH; Spiezio, first base; Molina catching, Bengie Molina catching; and Kennedy second base.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I really didn't know much of the situation because I didn't experience it. I think unless you're really here and you experience it, it's tough to really understand what the dynamics were, what was happening. I knew coming in there was only one way to do it, and that was with our own philosophies and what we thought was important. So, I think that as we assembled a staff, there were things we were looking for and certainly trying to create an atmosphere that would, I think, be almost like a catalyst to get the kind of attitude and kind of confidence level we needed to be championship caliber. These guys have really taken the rest, and run with it.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think in a perfect world, the perfect blueprint is scout your own players, sign your own players, develop your own players, have your own players be championship caliber and bring you championships. That's, I think, what the goal of every organization is. Obviously, that's not going to happen all the time. You're obviously going to have to go outside and fill some holes and some voids that maybe you can't fill through your own player development and your own players in your organization. But I think the core unit here is a special core. It reminds me of a lot of clubs that I played on where the core units were together for maybe three, four years in the Minor Leagues, and came up into the Major Leagues and played together for five, six, seven years and were championship caliber. I think if you accomplish that as an organization, that really bodes well for your long-term success. We certainly have a lot of things in place to hopefully be able to continue that trend, as this core unit obviously was put together long before we got here. I think they were championship caliber before we got here. With some of the holes Bill's filled and some of the experience level of the core unit, they've gotten to this level. I think it's a great statement as to the scouting, the signing and development of the guys that are on this club, starting probably ten years ago.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think it is becoming more prevalent and it will become more prevalent that players will take that route that maybe Donnelly and Weber have taken - not maybe stop for stop, but, I mean, the guy that spends a long time either in the Minor Leagues or bouncing around organizations. I think now with so many teams out there and such a shortage of pitching, I think players will still be motivated to give it that last little extra effort and maybe do more than players maybe 30 years ago that couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel because they were just buried under prospect among prospect and couldn't find a place to pitch, maybe, couldn't get an opportunity. So, I think, first of all, I don't know what it does to guys like that. I think that it's almost, I think, their make-up allowed them to do that. It's obviously the perseverance that a player has to have to do things like Brendan Donnelly and Ben Weber and Shawn Wooten for that matter of fact also. What they have to endure is incredible. Just to make it through a normal Minor League system and organization in the Major Leagues is an incredible journey. For those guys to do it, all their stops and all the Independent Leagues, some guys pitching out of the country, I think it's an incredible statement about their character.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We haven't had any instances where guys have slipped on it. I don't like the synthetic surface, any part of a ballpark, whether it's on the playing surface or warning track or anywhere. It hasn't been an issue so far. But I think you do have to be aware of it because, obviously, as you approach it, you have to be ready for the change in surface. If you're not, you're going to have some issues with it, as J.T. did.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: The only time I ever heard of Moose Jaw, I was a hockey fan growing up in Philadelphia. Some of those players I think came through Moose Jaw. So I was actually aware of the name Moose Jaw, I've never been through Moose Jaw. But, if this doesn't pan out here, you never know (laughter). I've been, obviously, to Canada, a lot of areas. I know the way Shawn speaks about it, too, I think he enjoyed that because the passion that that city had for their team was evident. I think that he enjoyed his stay up there. Obviously, anywhere you can play baseball, to have an opportunity to be seen, you have to play. And if it's Moose Jaw or it's Walla Walla or wherever it is, you take that opportunity.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Don't confuse an even keel with maybe a moderate or mediocre-level intensity. That's not what we're talking about. When we're talking about an even keel, we're talking about a consistent approach day in and day out. For some guys it's a very, very high level of intensity that maybe some guys aren't going to be productive at. I think as a group, our intent is to bring that level of play that's going to generate wins and going to give you the best chance to win every day. It's certainly not a passive approach, it's certainly not a kickback, "Hey, let's just go out there and be even-keeled." These guys played a very, very high level of focus and intensity and it manifests itself differently in a lot of players. If you look at Erstad or Anderson, those two guys come to play every night. I think it's more obvious in Darin than it might be in G.A., but there's nobody on our club that has more passion to play this game than Garret. Those people that see him day in and day out realize that. Just don't confuse, when we talk about even keel, with a low-level intensity because it's two different things. These guys bring a very, very high level of intensity, and they're consistent on their ability to bring it every night. I think that's made a difference - not a difference - I think it's the reason for our success this year.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think after the season Bill Stoneman, our GM, got tons of input from our opinion at our level, from opinions of everyone in the organization. I think that the patience he showed is key to why we're here. I think going into the winter meetings, there were a lot of things obviously that were discussed. I think if you look at just the three years that we've been here, because that's really the only thing I know about this organization firsthand, is the time I spent here, we were knocked out of the playoffs with four days to go in the year 2000. In 2001, making the turn in September, we were eight games over .500 and we were right in the playoff hunt until a dismal September. So, I think our being 41 games out was probably more along the lines that Seattle and Oakland raised the bar in our division more so than what was a total collapse on our part. Forty-one games is a lot to make up, we know that. Fortunately, Seattle came back to the pack a little bit, Oakland maintained their level. They won about as much as they did. But we were able to get the solid pitching we needed to give ourselves an opportunity to get to this spot. So, I think the 41-game deficit is a little misleading from last year. I think if you separate out maybe the last month of last year and the first three weeks of this season, this club's played at a very high level in every other area, every other game outside of that.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Yeah, I'd like to get them into the game because it probably means we have a lead in the seventh or eighth. We're going to try to get definitely Percy in there to keep him sharp, and if we can get Francisco in there, we'll use him. I think those guys, they need to get out on the mound. I think they will be sharp, but you certainly want to let them keep an edge, and they need to pitch.