AL DIVISION SERIES: TWINS v ATHLETICS

October 2, 2002

Rick Reed

RICK REED: I have only been there for eight months now; that's including last year, and I have talked to Kirby Puckett yesterday and he was telling me about the '87 and '91 World Series, how loud it gets in there. You know, I know we haven't had many sell-outs, but the crowds that we have had, it's pretty wild in there. So I am kind of looking forward to game 3 to see what it's like.

RICK REED: Yeah, I can say that now. That was my right, I was traded in the middle of a multi-year contract, and, you know, I chose to go that route, and I am glad I stayed. I am glad things worked out the way they did. I guess I got used to the New York lifestyle. I mean, I am not the kind of guy that goes out and lays out in bars all the time. My wife and I, we got used to it, we loved New York, and right now we are getting to love Minnesota.

RICK REED: I would rather be here having a fabulous year.

RICK REED: Really, not much. I mean, there hasn't been many questions headed my way. I got a question today, I think we got something from the Oakland A's wives in our locker, someone asked me if that was something that happens, and I said oh, yeah, I mean, it happens. That might have been the only question that's been thrown to me.

RICK REED: Yeah, I did, but this is a game of adjustments, regardless when you are playing on carpet or grass or whatever, you have to make adjustments, and knock on wood, I have done that so far.

RICK REED: Pretty much keeping the ball down. On grass, the ball sort of slows up. Not this grass here, though, but most parks, we have got thick grass in the infield. I am a ground ball pitcher, at least I consider myself a ground ball pitcher. On turf, that ball flies. And, you know, there is games when you get a ground ball, but it finds a home, and I was letting that get to me a little bit, but I guess that just comes with the territory.

RICK REED: I have been asked that a million times. I didn't change anything. You know, I struggled for the most part the first half. I couldn't -- it seemed like I couldn't get past the fifth inning, but, you know, after the All Star break, something clicked. I mean, I don't know. I just, I guess, started making better pitches.

RICK REED: I guess it can, but games like this, you step it up another level, at least you try to. We start these playoffs, we are all at zero. ERA's are at zero, batting averages are at zero, so, you know, this is what you work out for in January and early February, go to spring training and work on things, to get to this point. When you get to this point, sort of, I guess you can say, block out all the other stuff and, you know, we are all playing for one thing and that's the ring.

RICK REED: I would be lying to you if you didn't say I was excited. Like I said earlier, I was talking to Dan Gladden, Kirby Puckett, and they were telling me how crazy it gets in there, and we are expecting 55,000, so it will be pretty exciting.

RICK REED: Right now I know that we are up 1-nothing. I guess when you go on the road, I mean, this is the thing, you would like to believe your worst case scenario was a split. Right now we have a chance to win two. You know, I am sure we will go out there today and do everything we can to go up 2-0. I mean, we are not facing a mediocre team. That's a great ball club over there and we have got our hands full.

RICK REED: No, I am just -- I am going to approach it -- I got a game plan together and go out there and see what happens.

RICK REED: No. I mean, it's been like that for us all year. We are a ball club that really, we don't have a superstar. You know, we -- we are a team that plays together and we try to pick each other up, so I think we kind of like it like this. You know, let them get all the attention and we just go out and play baseball.

RICK REED: No, we are pretty lose. You have been around us. We are a loose bunch of guys. I think our attitude is, we are either going to get you, or you are going to get us." We are going to go out there and play nine innings, and I know Gardy said this a million times, we are going to play nine innings as hard as we can and, hopefully, it works out for us.

RICK REED: I mean, that was a big win. I mean, we gave away five runs, and to come back and win that ball game and beat not a good team but a great team, I think, and, just -- you know, Brad slammed the door, after I think the third inning, he shut the door and our bullpen came in, and did a great job, and I think if it wasn't for our bullpen in the first half, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today. I would be at home watching them.

RICK REED: It got a little crazy the first two or three innings, but yeah, I think, you know, once the butterflies and the jitters left, I mean, everybody settled in and we played the game, we played the game like it was supposed to be played.