THE MODERATOR: First question for Scott.
Q. Scott, in a postseason, it's hard to pick one guy out of your line-up. It seems the last game it was Tim Salmon, tonight Erstad and yourself. Is that the key to your club's success?
SCOTT SPIEZIO: Yeah, I think the depth of our hitters is key. But the whole club is key. I mean, the bullpen, the starting pitching. But the thing about this team is we have faith in each other and faith in ourselves. I think that's why we're able to score a lot of runs, because everybody knows that one run isn't enough, two runs aren't enough. No matter how many runs we score, we're going to go up there and act like that's the biggest at-bat we've ever had. I think that's why we're able to put together some big innings.
Q. You batted around six times in this postseason. What is it about your style of play, the make-up of your line-up that allows for so many big innings?
SCOTT SPIEZIO: I think just what I just said. No matter how many runs we score, we feel like the at-bat that we have going up there is a huge at-bat. We're going to give it everything we have to get on base. That's the key to this team, is guys like Eckstein and Erstad getting on base for the guys behind them. We don't hit a lot of home runs. We have in the postseason, but we don't rely on them. We rely on guys like Eckstein and Erstad getting on base and the guys behind them either getting them over or getting them in. Sometimes getting them in means hitting a ground ball to second or hitting a sac fly or squeeze bunt. Every guy on this team can do just about everything, and that's why we're able to score a lot of runs.
Q. You talk about the way Scioscia's style of managing complements what you already do, the hit and runs, just his motion offense.
SCOTT SPIEZIO: Mike Scioscia, he's kind of like a National League manager. He's very aggressive. The great thing about him is he's stayed aggressive in the postseason. That's why we're here. We're aggressive on the base paths. He's stayed aggressive through every series. It's something that a lot of us had to get used to, but we got used to it pretty quickly. It's worked out for us.
Q. Two questions. First of all, do you feel like you guys are wearing down the opponent like you did with the Yankees and Twins? Second of all, if you could talk about how big this is for you, it took you a while to become a player, but to contribute the way you have tonight and throughout the postseason.
SCOTT SPIEZIO: I don't know if we're wearing down those guys. This is the World Series. Everybody on both teams is going to leave everything they have on the field. At the end of this, we have a lot of time to rest. So, they're a great club. We're not wearing them down. They're not wearing us down. We're just going out there and battling each other until this thing's over, the last out's made in the series. Everybody's going to be giving 100 percent. As far as me, personally, it's been great. The opportunity has been awesome. This year, it's been -- something I've been asking for for the last couple years, early in my career with Oakland, I had the opportunity to play every day. Last couple years before this, I wasn't playing every day. It's something that I knew if I got the opportunity, that I'd be -- I think I'd be better offensively with the more consistent at-bats. Coming in to spring training, I didn't know what it was going to be like. I just figured I'd control what I could control, get myself mentally and physically ready to win this job, if the opportunity arose. I didn't know if it would or not, but I was ready. I think Shawn Wooten getting hurt probably opened the door to me to hit off lefties. It was unfortunate for him, but it was probably the reason that I got to hit off the lefties. Opened the door for me to win that everyday job. It's something that has been awesome this year. To be a part of the World Series is something I've dreamed about my whole life.
Q. Scott, could you have placed that triple any better?
SCOTT SPIEZIO: (Smiling). It seemed like my legs weren't moving that fast around there. I didn't know if I was going to make it to third. This is a big park. The ball doesn't carry that well unless you're Barry Bonds. But I knew I was going to try to keep it out of the air. It's a huge park. That's my philosophy, most of the season, is just try to keep the ball out of the air. If I happen to get one up and it carries out, that's a bonus. But I'm looking to keep the ball on the line and drive in runs.
Q. I know your father played in a few World Series. How much did he play? How many hits did he get? What did he tell you about playing in that kind of a game?
SCOTT SPIEZIO: I'm not sure on the stats. I think he was either -- I'm not positive. I think he got one hit and had maybe two or three at-bats. He was in three World Series, won two of them, won in '64, '67, lost in '68. It was a different time. Didn't have that many teams. I think he went right to the World Series. His team was basically an All-Star team. He basically has been preparing me my whole life for this moment. We had drills that we'd do. He'd pitch me batting practice every day, and we'd always end it with a situation where I'd be in the World Series. I think that's probably the reason I feel comfortable here, because I've done that in my head so many times as I grew up, from age three till probably a couple years ago is the last time we did stuff like that. But my whole life I've been working with him for this situation.
End of FastScripts.
