MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES v DIAMONDBACKS

October 28, 2001

Randy Johnson

RANDY JOHNSON: First, I'd like to say "Hi" to the boys in the locker room, Counsell, Gracie, Gonzo, Jay Bell. (Laughter.)

RANDY JOHNSON: It's important if you want to be out there late in the game. I'm not going to be as effective if I have a lot of pitches late in the game. I put this game right there with Game 1 in the NLCS. I felt like I got ahead of hitters and I got some double-plays when I needed them, and the defense that Matty plays at third base is incredible. You can't really appreciate it as much as sitting up in the stands, but when you are down there on the pitching mound you see the way the ball has taken a bounce, and he just makes them continually. He is just an incredible third baseman.

RANDY JOHNSON: Well, I think if I recall right, it may have been a slider and I think he was cheating a little bit. Part of a pitcher's job is to analyze the approach to a hitter, whether he is cheating, whether he has opened up in the stance, off the plate, makes adjustments as the game goes on; because therefore, I am going to make my adjustments. I just think he was cheating a little bit on a breaking ball, and after that, you know, I just tried to mix it up enough. Later in the game, I threw a slider that hung up a little bit and got the base hit and Soriano hit a good fastball. It's right after that, I think Matty hit the three-run home run. One thing a pitcher does not want to do is go out there and give up a run right after your team has scored some runs. The momentum can surely shift, especially playing in this magnitude of a game. I'm predominantly a fly ball pitcher. I do not get many double-plays, but Matty turned up quite a few of them tonight that were huge.

RANDY JOHNSON: To be honest, I don't know what their approach was against me. I'm sure they had one. It may even have been that, you know, work the pitch count, don't get deep in it, but see if he is throwing strikes and if he is, obviously go up there and swing. I felt that way, that initially they were taking some pitches and I felt that was the approach with the Atlanta Braves as well in Game 1, is that they were going to try and make me throw some pitches every inning and try and get me out of the game. Because Damian did such a good job behind home plate calling the game today, we were able to get ahead of hitters; and therefore, put the hitters in a situation; that now they have to be a little more aggressive and I can do what I want, as opposed to having to throw maybe a fastball right over the middle of the plate and get hurt.

RANDY JOHNSON: I think you saw, they made some adjustments, too. I think early in the game, like I said, they were taking some pitches. The count was in my favor; now I'm being able to throw what I want to throw and they had not seen me. I don't know when the last time I faced the Yankees, it may have been '95, '96; so it has been a while. But because I got ahead of the count early in the game, you know, I was able to throw what I wanted to throw, and then later in the game, when I started getting some ground balls they were swinging earlier in the count, and it was actually efficient for me because I got some double-plays, some double-plays to get me out of the inning.

RANDY JOHNSON: I'm 38. You know, I feel right now like I am about 45. I really do. This is what every player in that clubhouse has waited for. The ones that have not been to a World Series, obviously there's a few, four or five, that have been to a World Series. But this is everybody's dream, to be here; and to be playing the Yankees, you know, it's the biggest stage in sports. I can't wait to go to New York and see the reaction of the fans there. Obviously, reality will set in tomorrow with a trip to Ground Zero. So that's reality there, unfortunately. But hopefully the fans out there are enjoying what they are seeing, football and baseball being back now, just for a brief moment during the course of the day.

RANDY JOHNSON: Reggie got on base. I think it was a hit, if I am not mistaken, early in the game. And then we have a lot of unsung heroes on this team: Counsell is one of them obviously, Bautista, Greg Colbrunn, Erubiel Durazo, all of these people are kind of role players. They get to start occasionally, and that's tough for them to not play for three days, and then all of a sudden, get a pinch-hit at bat and are expected to do what they do so well. They got an opportunity by playing for Finley, and you know he's as good as they come. He's been like that all year. You know, with him, Dave Dellucci, Colbrunn, Durazo, they had 13 home runs this year, which I think was a record. So we have a great bench.

RANDY JOHNSON: We knew that, you know, this is going to be a tough series. By no means, we've got to go to New York now and play three ballgames and it's going to be tough there. It was nice, obviously to take two ballgames, but this is far from over. We have to continue doing the little things, get runners over and score early if we can, if possible. But we faced a real good pitcher tonight in Andy Pettitte. I just want to tip my hat to him; that he pitched outstanding. You know, there was very little room. I thought it would be a 1-0 ballgame, but Matty steps up and hits the three-run home run. That's what a pitcher likes to see, if nothing else, maybe one run scores; so you've got a little more breathing room. But Andy Pettitte was very efficient out there. I don't know how many balls that he threw, but he may have thrown maybe about 95 pitches, 100 pitches, and I would say that 80 of them were probably strikes.

RANDY JOHNSON: Just buckle up. (Laughter.) You're in for a ride. Just a lot of excitement there. All of the great players that have come through there, the monuments out by the bullpen. The fans are incredible, very knowledgeable about the game. If you get booed there, take it as a compliment. It's just going to be incredible to play there. I'm really looking forward to watching -- watching now and enjoying it. You know, I got to enjoy the game last night, watching Curt pitch and I'm really looking forward to going there and enjoy the three games that are in New York.