NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES v DIAMONDBACKS

October 15, 2001

Bob Brenly

BOB BRENLY: Not -- I don't think so. I still look for the same opportunities to do things. We still have the same preparation that we've had during the regular season as far as anticipating counts to run in, counts to hit and run in. But I don't think so. I mean, it probably would be best for somebody outside to judge that. I feel like we're doing the same things we've done all year long with the possible exception of keeping a little bit closer eye on our starting pitchers.

BOB BRENLY: We're going to have a coaches meeting immediately after the workout today, and there are a couple of options that we may explore. But we won't have a decision until after I meet with the coaches.

BOB BRENLY: Well, I think when Randy takes a ball to go out there and pitch, he shakes it off. Obviously having to deal with it and answer the questions, you know, be available to you folks in here to talk about his past history in the post-season, I'm sure that part of it is a burden. But I don't think when he takes the ball to go out there and start a game that it's in his mind at all.

BOB BRENLY: Well, if I knew what to expect, that would make me a smart manager. I mean, we played well against the Braves during the regular season, but we certainly know what Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and others are capable of doing. They are one of the premiere pitching staffs in baseball. We're just going to try to do the same things we did during the regular season when we had success then. But in the back of our minds we know these guys have been so successful for so long because they're able to make adjustments and counteract the adjustments hitters are making to them. I can't predict if there's going to be a lot of runs scored in this series or if it's going to be more pitchers' duels because I know we'll be ready for them.

BOB BRENLY: Well, my old broadcast Buddy, Tim McCarver, how did he put it? With Randy, you dread the intimidation, and with Maddux, you dread the inevitable. They each go about their business in their own way. Randy is more of an overpowering, challenge-you-with-his-best-stuff kind of a pitcher. Where Greg Maddux will tease you and change speeds and move the ball in and out and up and down. But both have had tremendous success. It is quite a contrast in pitching styles. Generally, they get pretty much the same results.

BOB BRENLY: Yeah, it was a pretty good capsule of our entire season. Unexpected heroes, expected heroes, the emotional roller coaster that started all the way back in Tucson in spring training and carried right through the ninth inning of that ball game last night. You just seem to -- you think at some point in the season we'll all be able to take a deep breath and relax and have a couple of laughs, but it hasn't happened yet. I don't think it's going to happen any time soon.

BOB BRENLY: I don't know if surprised is the right word because we knew they were capable of doing that because of their pitching staff and offensively the Braves are kind of like us. They struggled from time to time this year scoring runs, but when you've got good pitching and good defense, you're going to win ball games even when your offense is struggling. The Braves have been in this position more than any other team over the last decade, and they seem to get more comfortable the deeper they get into the playoffs. So surprised, not really. But the Houston ballclub, we knew what they were capable of doing. They beat us a round terribly this year. To see the way the Braves went through their line-up, that was a little bit surprising.

BOB BRENLY: Well, for us it was huge at the time. Fortunately we caught the Braves when they were very much in a downswing. They weren't swinging the bats particularly well at that time. They had a couple guys dinged up that were playing at less than 100 percent and we came in there and took advantage of that. We were playing our best ball of the year at that particular time. Other than what we can glean from our scouting reports out of that series, it really doesn't have any value going into this series.

BOB BRENLY: I don't even know how to respond to that because I think if people really want to do their homework and look at the numbers, he's certainly pitched well enough to win the overwhelming majority of those ball games. This is a team game. It involves offense, defense, pitching. And no matter how well you pitch, if your teammates don't score runs for you, you get hung with the loss and answering all the questions, when in reality he's probably pitched well enough to win most of those games. So I understand it's all part of it, and some guys get the tag as a great big-game pitcher, and other guys don't get that tag. I like my chances with him out there on the mound; I know that.

BOB BRENLY: Well, as far as the community goes, and some of you guys can correct me if I'm wrong, I think that's the first time that fans here in the valley have had an opportunity to celebrate any kind of a championship or clinching game here at home. I think that will go a long way towards kind of crystallizing the support that we get from the community and kind of winning over some of those fans that might be on the fence. That's certainly a good thing. There's still no way you can say that what we've done over the last month has changed anything that happened on September 11th. That was a terrible tragedy. It certainly puts everything into perspective. We're just going out there, trying to do what we do. There are some people that think we're giving people an outlet and a way to escape those thoughts that they have about that terrible day. If that's so, then we're glad to do it.

BOB BRENLY: As far as your first question, hopefully it would make people stop asking Randy about his problems in the post-season. As far as your second question, I'm leaning towards going with a 10-man staff once again. I think we're set up very well the way we are. With Brian Anderson and Bobby Witt both in the bullpen, we've got a couple guys who we could stretch out, can work a lot of innings for us with Greg Swindell and Mike Morgan down there. We've got guys we can play matchups, you know, BK Kim is our closer and the guy who's able to throw two or more innings if we need him to. Mike Koplove is kind of the guy to clean up the rest of the mess that's left out there. But I think we'll probably stick with ten.

BOB BRENLY: Randy, Game 1. Miguel Batista Game 2. Curt Schilling Game 3. Albie Lopez Game 4.

BOB BRENLY: Well, the pitching is the constant. That seems to never change with this ballclub. The offense is a little different this year in that they don't have those couple of big home-run-guys in the middle of the line-up they've had in the past whether it be going back to the days of Dave Justice and Andres Galarraga, whoever else you want to throw in there, they always seem to have a couple guys in the middle of the order that could hit a two- or three-run home run and turn a ball game in a hurry. This ball game is more hit-and-run, bunt-and-run, move runners into scoring position and try to manufacture runs a little bit more than Braves teams of the past in my estimation. One thing if I could before I leave, Tony Womack has been taking a lot of heat for missing that bunt. In his defense, that was an unbuntable pitch. He did everything he could to possibly get the bat on that ball. It was a slider in the dirt outside, and that's a risk you take when you put a squeeze play on. But I hate to see him taking any heat, because he did not get the sacrifice bunt down. That was an unbuntable pitch. Thank you. (Laughter).