NL DIVISION SERIES: GIANTS v BRAVES

October 2, 2002

Kevin Millwood

Jim Schultz

JIM SCHULTZ: Kevin Millwood will pitch tomorrow night. Greg has a blister on the index finger of his right hand. We just felt it would be better if he had a couple extra days' rest. He begged Bobby this morning to be able to pitch, but between the training staff, Bobby and the coaches, they just decided it would be better to push Greg back to the first game in San Francisco. Just a couple quick things about our 25-man roster. We are carrying three catchers. Steve Torrealbu made it. He was not with us on September 1. We recalled him September 3, but you can substitute position players for injured position players. He is technically taking the place of Dave Martinez. Grybowski made it as a pitcher, same thing with him, and he is replacing John Foster. Came down to Tim or Kerry Ligtenberg. We are keeping Kerry Ligtenberg because Tim has got the flu and we just would rather go with ten healthy pitchers.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: It doesn't affect me, really, at all. It's only a couple of days difference. It usually would be my regular turn from the last time I pitched. Mentally, it's not a big deal, and physically, it might even be a little better.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I would have only thrown one more time if I was pitching Saturday, but I had thrown one time in New York and I threw on the side yesterday, which would be my normal days, throwing on the side for a start tomorrow and I probably would just have thrown on the side tomorrow to get ready for Saturday, and it's really no adjustment there.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I wasn't sure when. I knew that I would find out in plenty of time. I knew it would not come down until tomorrow afternoon. I figured I would find out something today, and I did. I found out today. Like I said, everything that I've done in the past four or five days is in order for me to pitch tomorrow. Like I said, I probably would have just thrown once or twice on the side to pitch Saturday.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: It's just on my regular turn again. I don't have a couple extra -- two or three extra days to sit around and wait and try to stay sharp without -- without facing hitters. You know, I think it takes a little less work to stay sharp than it does for a guy like myself. I think in that regard, it will probably help me out a little.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I think it gives me a little edge. I kind of enjoy it. I don't have people picking apart everything I do every day, and I don't think when -- I think when teams come in here, they look at if they are going to face Glavine or Maddux during their series and I think they try to stay away from Smoltz at the end of the game. I think I'm one of the least-thought things they think about when they come in here. Obviously, I think it's a little bit of an advantage.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I faced them this year at their place. I don't know. I don't know if it's an advantage for either of us. I think even from the time I faced them this year, I think I'm a different pitcher than I was then. I feel like I've come a long ways since then. Even though I've been throwing the ball well, with their lineup, if you don't make the pitches, then these guys can hurt you.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I kind of, you know, think everybody has teams, kind of a nemesis, and I think the Marlins are my nemesis. I would just as soon not ever pitch against them again. You know, it's one of those things, I felt like both games I threw the ball okay. It just didn't happen. It seems like it never does against those guys. You know, coming back and pitching well against the Mets after that was a big pick-up for me. I think I would go back and look at those tapes again if we were facing those guys, but not having to face them until next year, I'm not going to put myself through that.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I just feel like I'm a smarter pitcher. I feel like throughout the year, I've learned how to read hitters a little better and how to work different situations and kind of just learning how to pitch. You know, I feel like my location is a little better now and I feel like my breaking stuff is a little better right now. So whether that will -- whether that's true tomorrow or not, we'll have to wait and see.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I didn't know what to expect. I knew there was a chance. So knowing there's a chance, I kind of prepared myself for it a little bit. At the same time, I didn't want to get too high on, hey, I'm pitching Thursday or I'm pitching Saturday. Just try to sit back, and whatever I heard this morning would be fine. I think yesterday I prepared myself physically for whichever spot I was going to pitch in. Like I said before, it really -- it doesn't make a whole lot of difference.