MLB WORLD SERIES: GIANTS v ANGELS

October 24, 2002

Mike Scioscia

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We'll have Eckstein leading off at shortstop; Erstad, centerfield; Salmon, rightfield; Anderson, leftfield; Glaus, third base; Spiezio, first base; Kennedy, second base; Bengie Molina catching and Jarrod Washburn pitching.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think you're never going to rule anything out when you're talking about Barry. As we talked all along, there's going to be times, obviously, you're not going to want to challenge him. There's going to be times to challenge him. We'll deal with the situations as they're presented. Probably the way it would have been, however the coin rolled, when we flipped it in the dugout.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I have a great passion for the game of baseball. People that I come in contact with that enjoy the game definitely share that passion. So, I don't know if it's, looking at it from a perspective of we're trying to sell baseball, I think people that follow baseball for generations have that passion. I don't see anything in this series or anything in the playoffs or anything in this season that has disappointed any baseball fan or anyone that maybe has been turned off from baseball because of some labor strife and some work stoppages and pending work stoppages that were averted. I think that if you really enjoy the game of baseball, there's been something this whole season, and certainly this playoffs, that would captivate you. That's where there are some issues, when you talk about baseball, the lengths of games, obviously, is a hot topic right now. We're doing everything we can to keep the game flowing the way it should. I think especially on our team, some of our pitchers are finding out the quicker you work, the better you get. I know I'm going off on a tangent here. To get back to your original question, I think if people have a passion for the game, it's going to remain there. There's been nothing short of exciting times this whole season for whatever -- I think whatever team you're following.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Absolutely. There's a number of guys on our team that certainly have the head and the make-up to take this challenge of managing a club. I think if you look around our club, we have guys that have a passion for this game. I think that's trait number one, what you have to have if you want to be a Major League manager. We're not short at all for guys that have that passion for the game. Depends if guys want to follow, when their playing career is over, follow that route. We definitely have our share of candidates.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Our philosophy is: There's one way to play the game, whether you're playing a spring training game, an intersquad game, a regular season game, a game in a pennant race or a playoff game, there's one way to go about your business and one way to play. We've been very, very consistent with bringing that type of game on the field for virtually every game that we played this year. It's not always going to translate in a win, but if we're bringing that style of play that's giving us the best opportunity to win a game to the park every night, I think that's the baseline you're looking for. I've seen us do that on -- for the majority of these playoff games. Even games that we've lost, I've seen that intensity be there, that focus be there. Like I said, nothing's easy in this game, but I think the best way to really have peace with giving your best effort is to bring that level of play and your style of play to the game every night. You can win or lose on those merits and be satisfied.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think as you look back in a game, there are always going to be things you can point to that say would win or lose a game. But, actually, there are so many more things that come into play, if you're a good team, you should be able to overcome one mistake that you make or an umpire's call that maybe you don't get a call on a play, little things like this. These teams are very evenly matched. As you play high-caliber teams, it always comes down to execution. You have to do it on a consistent basis. If you're getting a bunt down and the situation's important enough to bunt, you have to get that bunt down four out of four or four out of five times. It can't be one out of five and call it execution. It comes down to that. We've been good at it all year. Couple things last night we didn't get done. But the Giants, too, didn't play a perfect game. I don't think you can expect any club to play a perfect game. But when you're playing high-level clubs and clubs that are proficient and good at what they do, then, obviously, execution on a consistent basis is going to be part of the telling tale of winning or losing.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Wait a minute, counselor. Wait a minute. You're putting words in my mouth! (Laughter). I'll let you finish.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: As we talked about, Barry Bonds doesn't have to hit a home run for me or for us to gain any more respect for his talent. It's there. He's for real. He's the most dangerous hitter in the game today. He's put together -- the last two seasons are the best seasons that, in my opinion, anyone has ever played the game had put together. So, naturally, if we're looking during a game, looking for strategy, looking at what's going to give us the best chance to either minimize damage or hopefully get out of some innings, we are going to take the bat out of Barry's hands. I don't think it's anything we didn't expect coming into this series. I don't think we're either walking him more or less than we would have expected. What it is, is that at times, situations call to say, "If Benito is going to get the hit or J.T. or Reggie, the guys hitting behind Barry, we're going to go with those matchups as opposed to Barry." It might look like yesterday we walk him three times, might come where there's a situation we don't walk him at all in one night. It just depends on the situation. If your question is maybe being presented with is it something bigger than what we had anticipated, I would say no. We've definitely walked him our share of times but I think it's based on the situations we've been presented with and we'll continue to look at it on a case-by-case basis.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, I think we've got to get down to playing baseball sometimes. I think mental preparation is important. We all understand that. But at times, it's time to stay in the box, swing the bat, stand on the rubber, get your sign, throw a pitch. I think that sometimes pitchers know their own style, know what makes them successful. Sometimes they get out of their rhythm, maybe -- I've never seen a pitcher work too quickly that -- usually, if they slow down, they start to overanalyze situations. That can lead to some trouble. So, I think the whole pace of the game is something that I know they've been examining for a couple years. I think we can clean some things up that won't affect strategy or a player's ability to perform. This game, when it's played at a pace that is, I think, tolerable, it's an exciting ball game. So, I think there's some things that can be cleaned up. You're not going to all of a sudden go from a 2 hour, 45 minute game or three hour games down to 1 hour 59 games on a routine. But there will be some things cleaned up to keep the pace of the game that will reflect what a great game this is.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Ramon feels a little better today. He'll actually go out, throw a little bit, a little bullpen. We'll get an indication of what his availability will be.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, our job on our side is to win ball games. I think that's -- that takes precedence over anything that you might say anybody wants to see. We're going to use strategy to try to win ball games. I really don't hear -- listen to the criticism. If it's out there, fine. We have a responsibility to go out there and use whatever strategy we can to win ball games. If that's upsetting some people or hurting somebody's feelings out there in the media or fans, I apologize, but our responsibility is for the Anaheim Angels to win ball games. We're going to continue to run our club that way. I think that it's flattering, it should be flattering to Barry Bonds, how much of an influence he can be on the outcome of a single game to attempt to neutralize him as much as possible. We've talked about this before, I have heard Dusty talk about it, their team is more than Barry. If we're going to take an opportunity to take the bat out of Barry's hands, we're setting the table for some other dangerous hitters. So, I don't think it's about us having to challenge the best hitter in baseball. It happens all the time in -- it happens every game of the regular season, when you talk about a hitter, you don't want them to beat you. Maybe we don't do it to the extent of just flat-out walking, but you certainly pitch around hitters. Every game that's ever played in Major League Baseball, there's a hitter being pitched around in a certain line-up. This goes to the extreme, but it's strategy to try to win games. If we're able to do it in baseball, in football, if they're double covering a receiver, or basketball if they're doubling a player and virtually taking him out of the game, at the expense of maybe giving other guys an opportunity, I think it happens in every sport.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I don't see it as luck losing that ball game. The Giants did what they had to do. Rueter hits a ball that he runs hard to first base and the ball takes -- has a little spin on it and goes for an infield hit. Lofton puts down a perfect bunt. To me, that's not luck. We've had some bloop hits fall in games we've won, games we've won during the season and in playoffs. That's baseball. I think if you play the game the right way and attack things the right way, you're going to get some hits to fall in. If you're pressuring defenses, you're going to get a chance for infield hits or a bobble by an infielder, things like that. That's baseball. I don't think the Giants were lucky to win yesterday's game. I think they did what they had to do and they beat us. I think although the rally started with a couple balls that weren't obviously -- you add them up, they might have gone 80 feet, that's baseball, as I said before. If you're a good club, and we had our chances to either put that game away last night or be able to at least stay in the game, you can do it. We didn't get it done last night. I don't consider luck as part of that equation.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think this time of year, any rotation in the game obviously is not going to be as crisp as they were in August or any time during the season. I think we have enough gas in our tank, our starters have enough gas in their tank to do what we need to do. Kevin Appier is going to start Game 6, unforeseeing anything that might happen tonight, if we have some kind of game that would go an incredible amount of innings where we have to use Kevin Appier tonight. But I think for the most part, we've got confidence in what Kevin will be able to do for us. Then we'll move on from there to Game 7 to make a decision. Yeah, starters at this time of year are not going to be as fresh as they were. I think that the same thing can be said for the guys on the other side, for the Giants. That's why the end of the season, to get to this level is such a test. We have enough gas in our tank. I think our guys will be able to do what we need to do.