AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES v MARINERS

October 16, 2001

Derek Jeter

DEREK JETER: No, I'm all right.

DEREK JETER: Well, I mean, with what we've done four out of the last five years has no bearing on this year. So I really don't think people take that into consideration. I know we don't take that into consideration. Just like what you've done in the regular season has no bearing on the post-season. If that was the case, then we would have gone home after the first round. I don't think it's disrespectful for we feel as though people are counting us out, just because they are picking the other team to win. Seattle, obviously, has had a great season, the best record ever in the history of the American League. So I'm sure most people would pick them to win, but we have a lot of confidence. It's baseball -- both teams are 0-0 right now, so you never know what's going to happen.

DEREK JETER: You hope so. We anticipate it being a tough series. Hopefully it will be a good series for both teams. But I think a lot of people may be wanting to see this, especially since Seattle broke our record that we set in 1998 and now we stand in the way of them trying to win a championship. They stand in the way of us trying to win another one. So I think a lot of people going into the post-season maybe wanted to see this.

DEREK JETER: I've played a lot of games in the post-season ever since my first year. You have to enjoy playing in this type of atmosphere. Obviously, you're under the microscope; everything you do is going to be magnified. Just because you enjoy it doesn't mean you're going to go out there and be successful but you can't shy away from it; I've said that before. But even if I go out and make four or five errors in the game, I'm still going to tell you the same thing. Everyone is going to make mistakes, but I just enjoy being in these types of situations.

DEREK JETER: It's tough to do. I don't think people realize how difficult it is. To win that many games, you basically have to go an entire year without going through a bad stretch. We had a bad stretch there in September in '98. We won 114 games, but Seattle went the entire year; they lost three games in a row maybe once. That's something that's very, very difficult to do, especially you look at -- they played Oakland a lot there during the end of the season and they were still able to win 116 games and Oakland played better baseball than anybody the second half of the season. It's pretty remarkable what they were able to accomplish. After we set the record in 1998, I didn't think anyone else would be able to break it. But them winning 116 games, I think that's safe for a while.

DEREK JETER: Well, every year is a little bit different. Last night, the game in New York, that's as loud as I've heard it in Yankee Stadium. You compare it a little bit to '96 when we were in the World Series; New York had not seen -- or the Yankees had not seen the post-season or a World Series I think in 18 years and it was pretty loud. But last night I think by far was the best atmosphere I've seen at Yankee Stadium and it says a lot about the people of New York, the fans coming out. They wanted to see us win. That's what we have heard all along and they came out and supported us. Thus far this post-season has been pretty special.

DEREK JETER: I don't think the nation is rooting for us. I don't think the people in Seattle are rooting for us. People are going to still love to hate the Yankees. I think people in the past hated New Yorkers or said New Yorkers had some huge attitude, and I think now when you see how New York has come together, I think that the attitude or the impression that people have of New York has changed a little bit, but I don't think that the attitude towards the Yankees is going to change. I think you either love us or hate us.

DEREK JETER: First game back. We played Chicago I think was the first time since little league I can remember people not booing us or booing you or getting on you or telling you how bad you are. But it only lasted one night. So I think everything is back to normal. (Laughs).

DEREK JETER: Well, you know, runs are hard to come by in the post-season because good pitching -- especially when you get to this point, the last four teams in baseball all have great pitching staffs. They have good starters, they have good bullpens, and more often than not, they have good closers. So, you know, you try to score early. It's very difficult to do. You don't want to fall behind in a post-season game, especially in the late innings, especially facing a team like Seattle with the bullpen they have. You anticipate low-scoring games, but then again, you never know what's going to happen.

DEREK JETER: Well, I don't know if you really learn to play well in big situations. You know, I came up in '95 and I was around for the post-season. I wasn't on the roster, but Buck Showalter kept me around and gave me the opportunity to see what it was like. I think I learned a lot and it helped going into '96, being in the post-season atmosphere that I was able to see. So I think I've sort of grown into it. And you know what it's like to play in big games. But I've been fortunate, as well.