AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES v MARINERS

October 20, 2001

Lou Piniella

LOU PINIELLA: I am. He went through a lot physically this year, and I feel he's a very good manager. He led his team into the playoffs, and I'm real pleased that he's coming back to manage Cleveland next year. He's a good man.

LOU PINIELLA: We need a good-pitched game from Jamie Moyer. It starts with that. We need to play our usually good defense and we need to get some timely hitting into the mix.

LOU PINIELLA: We have to take advantage of scoring opportunities better than we have. Two good, close ballgames, and they got the big hit and we didn't. But that can change.

LOU PINIELLA: Yeah, I didn't think I would create that much of a stir. (Laughter.) I mean that sincerely. I guess when you are a New Yorker, you can say those things. You know, this city has got that feistiness about it, and it is good. But, boy, when somebody else says it, it creates a commotion. (Laughs).

LOU PINIELLA: Well, I think it's entertaining, in a way, isn't it? So let's view it that way. (Laughter.)

LOU PINIELLA: Well, they watched us all September. They had hordes of them. (Laughter.) Following our team. They would come in waves. But they are well prepared and they have got good pitching over there, we know that. But we have hit them during the season and hopefully one game, we start swinging the bats the way we are fully capable we'll carry on for a while.

LOU PINIELLA: I think probably he's trying to do too much. Just take what they give him and not try to hit four home runs in one at-bat. Just relax, and do what he's done all year. He's been a really good left-center, right-centerfield hitter and that's what he's got to go back to.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, he's more experienced. He's older, but he had injuries early in his career. He's pitched now at this level with us the past three or four years and he's come into his own as a good Major League starter. He's got a real good changeup and when he's commanding his fastball, he can be awfully, awfully tough. For the most part this year, he's pitched very well. I've got all the confidence he'll go out there tomorrow and give us a chance to win.

LOU PINIELLA: I had a little talk with them at two o'clock. I don't really like meetings, per se, and I told them that. I don't think players like meetings either, but I just had a few things to say. It took a couple minutes.

LOU PINIELLA: He reminded me a lot of myself when I was a player. (Laughter.)

LOU PINIELLA: I don't think I have to answer that. But I tell you what, he's had a great career. He won a world championship over there with us in Cincinnati, and he's come over here and put some marvelous years together for the Yankees and helped them win four world championships. I'm proud of him. I really am. Paul at times probably thinks I don't like him, but I have a tremendous amount of like for him, and also respect. He competes. But he does remind me of myself a little bit when I played. (Smiles). He had more ability. (Laughter.)

LOU PINIELLA: Well, let me tell you, when you get into the playoffs, the season starts anew. And you've got eight teams in a Round Robin, they are all capable of winning, they all have their strengths, and usually, pitching among them and you are only going to be facing the better pitchers on the staff; the games are competitive, so it makes it much harder. When you look at a team like the Yankees, they have got four guys over there that you can classify at legit 1 or 2 starters, and then they have got a bonafide closer in Rivera. So you are not going to score as many runs, so when you do get opportunities, you have got to take advantage, of them, and that's what we have to do in this series in New York.

LOU PINIELLA: Not really. Not really. But it was not lot long in juncture. I don't really believe in meetings all that much. This is the first one I've had since Opening Day, but I just wanted to say a couple of things.

LOU PINIELLA: One game can turn it around, very quickly. You go out and you swing the bats the way you are fully capable of and all of a sudden it becomes a contagious thing and it can carry through the rest of the playoffs, and that's what we are certainly hoping to do. But pitching and hitting, they are contagious. You get one really good pitched game and all of the sudden slugging with your pitching and start falling in a place with it. Same thing with your hitting.

LOU PINIELLA: Yeah, I was part of one -- I was part of two of them here in New York.

LOU PINIELLA: Yeah, I think probably the 78 series we lost two in a row and won four. And then in 19 eight or eight one, we won the first two and lost four in a row, so believe me, it can happen.