AL DIVISION SERIES: INDIANS v MARINERS

October 14, 2001

Ichiro Suzuki

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, the game was already tied, and my at-bat was just like the regular season. I just felt the pitches I could hit, I wanted to hit. And already, the game was tied; you know, we would not go home losing in that situation. I was just as normal as possible.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, it's not my experience with the playoffs. I have had pressure on my shoulders all the time and I went over all the pressures all the time. Even though in a lot of pressure situations, my mental situation is as normal as possible, as I could be. And I went over all the pressures and I have been faced with a tough situation all the time.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, I wasn't surprised at all. I am prepared in case the pitcher was taken out and they changed to another pitcher or Colon stayed. So I prepared for both situations.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Of course, I know any previous result, against Colon, and no matter who is on the mound, the game was on the line, but I have a lot of confidence I could face any pitcher who is on the mound.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, first of all, I prepared for the game for 1:20 and I loosened up, and once I heard that the game would be rain delayed, I took a nap using my pillow. I brought my pillow, so I prepared for a rain delay in the game, and once I woke up, I just prepared again for the game.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: I have played twice in a Japan series which is just like a World Series in the United States, in Japan. Well, the Japan series is a best-of-seven, and this is my first time playing a best-of-five. I feel a lot of pressure to play a best-of-five because I feel like we cannot lose any one of the games, and I feel a totally different feeling in this best-of-five games.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, in Japan, even when we go to away games, the ballpark is divided half for the fans on the home field and the other half is for our fans. But here, almost 100% of the fans are their fans; so that makes a difference.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, because it's such a short series, rather than how we lost or how we won today, just the series is tied 2-2 and we go back to Seattle. So that's just the result,2-2, just go back with us to Seattle.

ICHIRO SUZUKI: Well, you know, I had the image if Colon stayed, how he was going to pitch; that's the preparation I had in case Colon stayed. But if Colon was taken out, I started to think that -- to prepare for who was coming in, and if such and such a pitcher is coming in, how he's going to pitch to me. So that's how we prepared.