AL DIVISION SERIES: TWINS v ATHLETICS

October 2, 2002

Art Howe

ART HOWE: Today just gave you a little glimpse of how important he has been to this club. Has come up with a lot of great hits all season long, but he has been a leader for this team, and being in the post-season as much as he has been in, it's great to have him on the field for us.

ART HOWE: No, he was a little tired towards the end of the season and we were able to give him two days off, which I think was vital, and he seems like he is rejuvenated. He got a couple knocks his very last game of the season, he was swinging the bat, we knew he was capable of, and hoping he was going to have a great post-season for us.

ART HOWE: I think to a degree it does, knowing that we have overcome a lot of hurdles throughout the season, especially, like you said, our slow starts. But having a guy like Mulder on the mound helps, too, because we know how accomplished he is as a pitcher, and he is going to give us a chance great to win every time he goes out there, so it was a matter of trying to give him some runs to work with, and they were able to get three in the first set away and finally broke it open in the fourth.

ART HOWE: We were able to put some hits together. I think we had a hit every inning after the second inning yesterday, but that was it, and we never doubled up or tripled up, and today we were able to do that, especially in the fourth inning. Mays did a great job of getting out of trouble in the second and third. We had him in a lot of trouble, but he wriggled off the hook, and sometimes you do that, and you never get another chance, and we kept the pressure on and finally broke it open.

ART HOWE: Haven't really talked much about it yet. I am sure they are going to be excited about it, and it will be an interesting experience for everybody, but maybe I will hand out earplugs for everyone. That's probably the best way to handle it.

ART HOWE: No, I had no concern about it. Like I say, I know their makeup, what they are all about, and that's why I didn't have to sit around and talk to anybody. I just checked out the scene when I came in and just to see demeanor and everybody seemed to be pretty relaxed and confident, and they went out and played that way.

ART HOWE: Actually, I should have said I was teed off, but no, we came in ready to play yesterday. They just -- they outplayed us, they got the job done. But today we were just a little more determined, so to speak, I guess, and found a way to get it done.

ART HOWE: It was a factor because -- but the main factor was we had so many long innings during the day, that was really starting to take a toll on him because he was starting to stiffen up a little bit, and under normal circumstances I would have probably let him go out and pitch the 7th, but since we did have him slated on short rest, I said that was enough.