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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES v MARINERSOctober 21, 2001Bernie WilliamsNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Game Four Q. Bernie, it seemed like you went back to basics on that swing with the home run, like you just went to meet the ball and it went out; is that what you did? BERNIE WILLIAMS: Yes. I tried to keep it simple. I knew that he was throwing a lot of hard fastballs, so my plan was just -- was just try and relax and get the good part of the bat on the ball and I was just blessed enough that it went out. Q. Is it too soon to start thinking about, now you have a chance to win tomorrow at home and go to the World Series again and eliminate this team, or is that in the team's mind right now? BERNIE WILLIAMS: Of course it's in our minds to go and try to end this thing tomorrow and hopefully go to the World Series, but we've got to take it a day at a time. We're going to sit back and enjoy this moment and worry about tomorrow when it comes. Q. Joe just said that it feels like there's a certain amount of magic when it comes to getting something done in the clutch; do you feel that way yourself? BERNIE WILLIAMS: I'm very flattered by that comment, but I think it has a lot to do with preparation, being blessed with the talent, and just always trying to ask for the situation to come to me and wanting that situation to happen. I feel it has a lot to do with that. Q. As one of the senior guys on this team, do you feel pressure to do what you did, not that specifically, but do you feel it? BERNIE WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel a lot of pressure to do it, but it's good pressure. I think if you don't feel the pressure and you don't feel the adrenaline going, you won't be able to accomplish anything. I think you need a certain amount of pressure, a certain amount of, like, "Let's go and get'em." And undertake that adversity, with a good attitude, and I think that's what it takes. Q. Can you talk about what it's like to face a pitcher who is walking a lot of people but is not giving up any hits? BERNIE WILLIAMS: Yeah, he was changing speeds a lot and, you know, I think he made the pitches when he needed to in certain situations we had them on the ropes so to speak and he was able to make the pitches and get out of the jams. But I think we were not giving up. We were trying to stay disciplined, trying to get on base and maybe try to get his pitch count up there, maybe to try to get him to feel a little tired. Q. Rhodes shook his catcher off a couple of times before he threw you that pitch. Were you looking fastball on the ball you hit out? BERNIE WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was looking for something hard. He throws a hard fastball and a hard slider, too. But I think that the main -- my main plan was not to roll over, so it's kind of ironic. You're looking for a fastball, but at the same time, you don't want to swing too hard, so you don't roll over and hit a ground ball to shortstop. So my plan was to stay inside, keep my hands inside of the ball and hit it way, and he threw me a fastball inside. Q. Just the comment was made by Paul Abbott that he thought maybe it was a pop-up; that it was not going to go out. Did you feel it was out when you hit it? BERNIE WILLIAMS: No. I knew I had enough on the swing, and the way that I felt when I hit the ball, I knew I had enough power on it, but I thought I hit it a little higher. Yankee Stadium, you never know. With our short porch out there in right field, you hit a ball in the air and there's always a good chance that it might go out. End of FastScripts.... |
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