MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES v DIAMONDBACKS

November 3, 2001

Bob Brenly

BOB BRENLY: Well, all of the lineup changes involve inserting another right-handed bat into the lineup, Colbrunn at first base, Bautista in centerfield and Jay Bell at second base. We feel that Andy Pettitte is tough on everybody, but he is especially tough on left-handed hitters. We watched some videotape from Game 2 and we thought our left-handed hitters had very few good swings against him, a guy like Grace or Counsell who have hit lefties very well their whole careers struggled against Pettitte in Game 2. So we felt we were better served getting as many righties on him as we could.

BOB BRENLY: Danny is very capable of bunting, if we choose to go that direction. He is also very good at hit-and-run. He can move the ball to the right side of the field. He's also a guy with tremendous power, that should Tony get on base and we get their attention diverted over there towards the baserunner or looking ahead to Gonzo in the three hole, Danny is a guy who can blow the game open with one swing of the bat. So he can do a lot of things well in the 2 hole.

BOB BRENLY: Well, that happened a few days ago and it's of no bearing on the game tonight, so I would prefer to just let that go.

BOB BRENLY: I don't understand.

BOB BRENLY: He said he felt much better. For those of you who were here yesterday, he said he would be able to pitch Game 7, if necessary, and if he goes down to warm up tomorrow and there's no problems, then he's going to start the ballgame. I mean, if he tells me that physically he's able to go out there and pitch, he'll start the game.

BOB BRENLY: Once again, it's past history, and regardless of what was said or what was done or how it was interpreted, it has no effect on the ball game tonight or no effect on the ball game tomorrow. I think it is just continuing a line of questioning in trying to figure out something that happened a few days ago, and as far as I'm concerned, it's done. I mean, there's no repair that's necessary. Let's just move on.

BOB BRENLY: Well, I'm not sure. I mean, I know that at this time of year on this stage and with this amount of coverage, that kind of goes with the territory. It doesn't make it right or wrong but it's a part of it. I knew going into this job that I was going to have my critics whether things went right or went wrong and as I said before, no matter what move you make, half of the people are going to think it was the right move and half of the people are going to think that it is the wrong move. Those are things that are completely out of my control now and all I can do is try to get my team prepared to play a ballgame and make the moves during the course of the game that I feel give us the best chance to win. If you people choose to view those moves and question my sanity because of those moves, that is entirely out of my control.

BOB BRENLY: It's tough to sit anybody down. Grace has done some amazing things for us this year as well. Steve Finley has been a tremendous ballplayer for us the second half of the season, throughout the post-season. But these are things we did throughout the regular season, and like I said, after reviewing the Game 2 videotape and talking to some other coaches and managers around baseball and how they attack Pettitte, the consensus is, you have to put as many righties on him as you can. Personally that makes it sufficient to take out a guy like Counsell or Finley, but in a perfect world we are thinking because we are putting an offensive juggernaut of a right-handed lineup, we'll be able to get that guy out early and bring these guys in for defense later.

BOB BRENLY: Well, pretty much everybody, except for Curt Schilling, is available tonight. Miguel Batista has informed me that he can pitch tonight if necessary, definitely tomorrow he would be available if necessary. Brian Anderson is available in the bullpen tonight. Depending on how things go this evening, all hands on deck tomorrow.

BOB BRENLY: Not at this point.

BOB BRENLY: He's good to go. I don't know if I can put a percentage of what he's playing at, but he says it feels a lot better than it did a couple of days ago. He said it felt better yesterday, and he went through the pregame workout today, passed all of the tests necessary in the training room, and he's in the lineup.

BOB BRENLY: I said earlier, we just felt we needed to get as many right-handed bats in the lineup as possible. He has struggled somewhat against left-handed pitching this year, although the way he's swinging the bat lately it really doesn't make much difference. But we just felt against Andy Pettitte we needed to get as many right-handers in the lineup as we could. Colbrunn is a strong right-handed bat and he's played some great defense for this year so that's the way we are going to go.

BOB BRENLY: I would hope not. I mean, ballplayers have an amazing ability to reach back when you think they have hit empty, and they always seem to find a little extra, a little more, especially when you are playing in a World Series. This is not like your routine regular-season game late in the year. This is the World Series. The adrenaline is pumping higher than it does during the course of the season. Everybody knows what is at stake and everybody personally wants to go out there and do well for themselves and do well for the team. If it is a fact that guys are tired, they are tired on both sides of the field and I guess if that is a point, then it's whoever can mentally overcome that and go out there and continue to grind away, has a better chance of winning.

BOB BRENLY: Well, he's the closer, but, you know, should they have a couple of lefties leading off an inning, we may go to Swindell who has done a nice job on their left-handed hitters in the series, but if they have some right-handers stacked up in there and we need somebody to close out the ballgame, then BK would be the guy.