MLB WORLD SERIES: GIANTS v ANGELS

October 23, 2002

Mike Scioscia

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We'll have David Eckstein, shortstop; Darin Erstad in centerfield; Tim Salmon, rightfield; Garret Anderson, leftfield; Troy Glaus, third base; Scott Spiezio at first base; Benji Gil at second base, and Bengie Molina catching, with John Lackey pitching.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Either way we go, we felt very comfortable about it. One determining factor was without a DH, one, you get another right-handed bat in there, and Benji Gil being available. But I know Adam has looked very strong hitting against lefties. But we want to try to get another right-handed bat in there with Benji Gil.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think Brendan -- I think they're both available. I think Brendan Donnelly is available on a very, very limited basis. He threw over 30 pitches, close to 30 pitches. Right, about 30 pitches yesterday. So, we will definitely monitor how Brendan will be used. Schoeneweis can come back, he'll be fine. So we'll see how the game progresses, if there's a role for those guys.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I never officially interviewed with Ron. He had requested permission to talk to me when I was coaching in the Dodger organization. I declined the interview, really, because I wanted to make sure I had a chance to manage and coach in the Major Leagues. I believe it was 1990 -- it was after the '97 season, I believe. You never know when or where your opportunity is going to come to manage. I wasn't thinking, "I want to wait for this or that," I wanted to make sure I was ready and prepare for what I know is a great challenge. At that time, it wasn't the right time for myself to go out and try to start interviewing for positions.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, a couple things. Mo had -- his first year in Anaheim was tough. He rebounded and had a very, very good year in 2000. We were really going to a line-up that was going to have Mo DH a little more than he had in previous seasons. Mo was very candid in his desire to play first base every day, and his desire really to move back to the East Coast where he wanted to -- where he's from and he wanted to play ball. Our need at the time was absolutely starting pitching. When that deal came around, it absolutely made us a more balanced club, because Kevin Appier had a terrific season for us. I think the way Scott Spiezio had the opportunity and stepped up to first base, particularly on the defensive side, is a big reason why we're here. So, it had an impact by giving those two guys, bringing in Kevin Appier and giving Scott Spiezio really a chance to blossom as a premier first baseman in our league.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Schmidt had excellent stuff. First of all, he's throwing the ball very hard, he was throwing strikes. I think at one point he had a handful of pitches that weren't strikes after the first time around the order. So, he made pitches. We had some opportunities. He made some tough pitches with guys in scoring position against us. I think when it's all said and done, we weren't able to put enough pressure on him from anyone, until he was out, to really have an impact on that game. Coming back in the last couple games, we've been, every inning, been able to pressure a team in a subtle way or maybe it's been an obvious way, we may have been able to put pressure on the Giants and been able to bust through. But I think basically, Schmidt has a great arm. He pitched a terrific game.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I don't really think it's an issue now. After the game, it was a little tender. Pitchers are going to be nicked up at certain points in the season; no one is 100 percent. It doesn't seem like it's an issue now. He'll get looked at again today.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think it's been an incredible experience for us also, to see some of the guys that have been -- in every playoff level. When we went to Minnesota, guys like Tony Oliva, the great Hall of Famers who played in the Twins organization, to Yankee Stadium with Yogi Berra. Coming here and seeing those guys last night, it's incredible. Our own ballpark, we've had guys that have been part of our championship seasons with the Angels. So, I think it's what baseball is about, what the World Series is about. To experience being able to see those guys and meet those guys and have the fans experience it too, on a stage like the World Series, I think is great. We're enjoying it as much as I'm sure the fans are, seeing those great players.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We haven't handled every single guy. Game 1, their bullpen did a terrific job, Worrell and Nen. It's about -- this game is about really making pitches. They have some fine arms in the bullpen. If you get into a bullpen more with the Giants, you've got your hands full. Couple of their starters, Russ Ortiz and Livan Hernandez yesterday, or last night, have had -- hit some bumps in the road. But they've got a terrific pitching staff. We certainly don't look at it as, "Okay, we're handling some of their good pitchers, we're okay." There's a challenge every time you step on that field. Like I said, whatever team is going to win this has to earn it. We certainly are going to have to continue to put pressure on every pitcher that goes out there, no matter who you might perceive as more of a challenge or not. Talk about the media, we look at everybody as a challenge. They wouldn't be pitching in the Major Leagues at this level if they weren't able to go out there and shut you down.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I have as much respect for Art Howe as I do anybody in this game. I think that anyone that has followed the A's on a daily basis probably realizes it more than myself, what a steadying influence Art is and what an incredible job he's done with this club in his tenure in Oakland. Certainly, I'm sure if Art would leave, it would be a good deal that would draw him away from Oakland, and it would be a positive for Art, I'm sure, if he does move on. But Art, he's accomplished an incredible amount in a short amount of time with that franchise. Along with Billy Beane, they obviously have a direction that organization is going in and they're doing it the right way to make them not only championship-caliber, but perennial contenders with the pitching staff that they've put together there. Art uses those guys incredibly well and gets the most out of them. I won't say I'll be sorry to see him leave our division. I know how much his teams are prepared and how hard they come to play. I know if he does, it would be a positive step for Art and I would be happy for him.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I don't think size intimidates anybody in this game. I don't think lack of size gives you any feeling of superiority if you're playing against someone smaller. Case and point is David Eckstein plays like he's 6'7. I don't think size comes into it. This game is about focus, about talent. Talent comes in all shapes and forms. You don't have to be 6'5 to be an imposing figure on the baseball field. Certainly, guys that are 5'7 are not looked on as being frail guys that you can run over. That's not the way this game's played. So, to me, size is not an influence at all on anything that happens on that field.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think it's well-chronicled, the position that Pete's in with respect to Major League Baseball. Pete Rose is, if you talk about the guys who are the real warriors of baseball, the guys who not only brought the torch from one generation to the other, but passing it on, Pete Rose is a major part of that. You don't accomplish what he did in baseball and not have it have an impact on anybody that experienced it or anybody that played against him or any fan that was a fan of the time he played. Even moving forward, this next generation of fans and kids certainly know who Pete Rose is and what he accomplished. I think that when you talk about the greats in the game, certainly Pete Rose is right there with them, and you would hope there would be some understanding between Pete and Major League Baseball just to exactly what his status is. It seems like at some points, maybe there's been some things that need to be cleared up or some things that need to be cleared up that are on the record; I don't know. But a guy like Pete Rose, that means so much to baseball and what he's accomplished on the baseball field, I think having him around is important for the game.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We've talked about this a number of times. It's really irrelevant what a manager's style, my style, a manager's style is. You have to look at what your team can do. There are teams in the American League that are as aggressive, if not more aggressive with running the bases, than we are. We haven't seen -- we only got a little -- get a little capsule of the National League as far as when we play interleague or see them in spring training. For me, you might point at National League baseball if you're running a lot, or American League baseball if you're sitting back, waiting for three-run home runs, but I think we're in a whole new era of baseball where -- with interleague play, I think with really looking at the talents of your club and how much I think people understand you have to use the ability of players on the field. I think you see a lot of clubs that run the bases aggressively. I talked about Tony Pena in Kansas City, talk about a lot of clubs who are extremely aggressive running the bases, more aggressive than we are. We managed to be aggressive on that side but matched it with an incredible pitching staff that does a great job. That's why we've gotten this far. I don't really see it as a National League-American League thing as much as I see it as a manager looking at the talents of his club and using it to the best of their ability. There's a lot of clubs, the Yankees are very, very aggressive running the bases, and they have the power, too. It's not just our club that plays that aggressive style of baseball. I think there are other clubs in our league that do. I don't know. Like I said, I don't know if it's so much you're able to label it one league or the other league, I think it's just looking at the talent you have and trying to maximize it. That happens to be what we feel is our best offensive approach.