NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS v DIAMONDBACKS

October 3, 2002

Fernando Vina

FERNANDO VINA: It's fine. It's fine. It was a little sore yesterday, but I woke up yesterday feeling a lot better than what I thought it was. Be ready to roll.

FERNANDO VINA: When I dove up the middle for that ball I think Dellucci hit, the weight of my body flipped me over my wrist and jammed it back. But that's when it took place, in that play.

FERNANDO VINA: Not really. Go up there with the same, you know, attitude, same game plan as you have with Randy. These two are the best pitchers around in the world, in my opinion. You know, they're the best. You go up there with the same idea of going up there, trying to work the count, try to get a good pitch to hopefully put the good part of the bat on it.

FERNANDO VINA: It's a little different with Schilling. I mean, he'll throw that fast ball right at you in the beginning. If he knows you'll swing at it, he'll drop a split or a change-up on you. He's so good, he can do anything to get ahead. He can throw so many pitches for strikes. Makes it difficult. You have to go up there with the game plan of hopefully getting a decent pitch, you see it well enough to take a good hack at it.

FERNANDO VINA: I think last year obviously we were here, the same type of scenario. We split here, then went back, you know, split at home, came back here and they beat us. Obviously, they're the world champs. They have a great team. Their rotation is unbelievable. But this year I think when you went to the well and you didn't come back with any water the first time, you want to come back and try to win and do what you can. It's not a good feeling to lose in the first series and go home. Last year we had a great club, too. I think this year the big difference is, with the addition of Rolen, you add Izzy, the relief pitchers that we have, it just makes this club a little more solid. I think we had a great nucleus last year, but it makes us a lot more competitive.

FERNANDO VINA: You know, you know you won them games, but they really don't mean anything. Once the bell rings for these playoffs, it's a whole new ballgame. These guys, like I said, they're the world champs, they know what it takes, they've been through the pressures of the World Series, winning it all. You really can't gauge too much from them wins last week. Got to go out and do we can today, grind out every at-bat. Hopefully we can scratch, claw and get some runs across.

FERNANDO VINA: It may have been -- Tony and the staff, McKay, Dunk, all of them, they've been through so many wars, these type of playoff type atmospheres. I was watching ESPN Classic, they had Tony with the A's against the Dodgers. They've been through this so many times. They definitely know what it takes to play in these situations. Tony and the staff has kept us together. With all the tragedies and everything that has went wrong, haunted us this year, really crushed us, Tony really has kept us together, kept us positive. That's why he's got so many wins. He knows what to do on the field. Got a ton of respect for him. He keeps us positive, keeps us ready. We're ready to play.

FERNANDO VINA: I don't think it's true at all. I know myself, Randy is the best around. He's so tough to hit, just to score a few runs is incredible to do against a guy of that stature - and Schilling. I mean, I can't really -- I don't know what they're pointing towards of seeing pitches are whatever it might be. You know, they're tough. They're as tough as it gets. Regardless if you know pitches, if you don't, which we didn't know, and I don't know, it's difficult to win games against these guys.

FERNANDO VINA: I don't think so. I mean, to be honest with you, myself, coming from my standpoint, left-hander against left-hander, it's a tough battle. It's a challenge regardless. He's just tough, period. That's just the way it is when I'm hitting against him. I really have my work cut out. It's up to me to make some adjustments and hopefully put the bat on the ball. Like I said, if I don't go up there with a good game plan or battle, it's going to be a long day for me.