MLB WORLD SERIES: METS v YANKEES

October 22, 2000

Steve Phillips

STEVE PHILLIPS: I don't think it does. I think that this series could easily have been Oakland or Seattle representing the American League, St. Louis or San Francisco representing the National League. I mean, I think that when you get to the post-season, any of those teams have a chance to get to the World Series. So I think that these two teams made the plays, made the pitches they needed to to get here. But there were certainly capable teams with far less payroll that had a chance to get here as well.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Well, I mean, the obvious answer is we wish we had run the bases better. But I think Timo's was a misjudgment, not a lack of hustle. The other two guys, again, were poor judgment thinking the ball was going to be foul. They would have been out either way. So it's one of those things. Hopefully, we learn from it, come out tonight, and we still have a chance to win the game and should have won the game. We just didn't get the job done in the ninth inning.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Sure. I mean, I think we're still trying to get our first World Series win. We came close to it. I think that it says a lot for their consistency and their preparedness for post-season. They're champions; there's no question about it. We're winners trying to be champions, and we're hopeful that we can get on the board today, change that streak that they've -- end that streak, and try to start one for ourselves.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Well, that off season, I guess it was part of the '99 season, we were looking to try to acquire a power arm for our bullpen, and word was out that Baltimore might be willing to talk about Benitez, their major need was a catcher. We had some discussions with Baltimore directly for Todd Hundley in the Benitez deal that ended up falling apart. Then we were able to put together the three-way deal for getting Armando by going through the Dodgers. I think our view of Armando was that he was probably thrown into a closer's role a little earlier than he was prepared for in Baltimore, and that coming here, he would be in the setup position in '99 and lead into John Franco with the hope that with some time and maturity he would develop into our closer. Johnny had the injury, Armando took over the closer's role in '99, and we gave it to him here for the 2000 season. I guess the way I look at Armando's post-season, obviously, he's had some struggles, but those are things that in a game that can be streaky. If he gets a couple of positive outings behind him, then some of this is forgotten. I recall back after the San Francisco series or during the San Francisco series, after Mike Hampton's first start, hearing that Hampton can't pitch in the post-season. Then he's the MVP of the next series. If we're going to be successful this post-season, we're going to need Armando Benitez. He has shown the ability to bounce back from tough games during the regular season and here in the post-season as well, and we expect for him to bounce back when he gets the ball, gets another chance here in the World Series.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Well, I think he's human. So clearly they have -- they're on his mind when he performs, and it's something that it's going to take a strength inside of him to be able to deal with it every time he goes out there. I was very impressed with Armando as well as everybody else yesterday, Armando stands in front of his locker and answers every single question every single time, whenever he's had some struggles on the field or he's come to the plate. He knows it's there. We all do. We all believe in him. I think that that, sometimes he gets these struggles that he has, he gives up a game, it's like a slap in the face. It's what wakes him up. Often times after he's given up the run to tie the game, he really turns it up a notch. What we hope is that the next time out, he goes in with that being notched up a little bit, rather than needing something to get it done.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Yeah, the line-up is Bobby's to fill out. I respect that in him. There are times when I may ask questions or he may ask me my opinion about that; but, yeah, I sit in his office before the game, after every game. We talk through personnel issues and the preceding game and the succeeding game. But I don't throw myself into those decisions. Bobby really needs to be able to make that on his own without pressure from me.

STEVE PHILLIPS: No, they're completely separate issues. I have belief that Armando is not only going to bounce back in the short-term, but also be a productive closer for us in the long term. That doesn't mean that we would or would not go out to John Franco because of that. I think John's been an important contributor to our organization for a long time, and he's been a key contributor this year for us in the setup role that he's been in. So I think that our interest in the future of John Franco will be exclusive to John Franco and not have any relationship to Armando.

STEVE PHILLIPS: From listening to the higher-ups in the game, I think that there is concern about it. I think that the length of the games, particularly our games, which I'm not sure why, other than I think you have two teams that really work the count, take a lot of pitches. And in the post-season, when every pitch means something, everybody takes a little bit of extra time to prepare themselves to engage in each battle or pitch. But it is something that I think we have to be aware of. I mean, extra-inning games, I think you may be able to excuse a little bit. Although 4 hours and 51 minutes is a lifetime. I don't know. It's something that we have to at least come up with what we think are reasonable answers to those questions, because I don't think -- I think it is a very fair question.