AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS v YANKEES

October 14, 2000

Denny Neagle

DENNY NEAGLE: Well, as I said, the one thing that I was not concerned about is I had not lost too much confidence in me. I really wasn't worried going into the start about myself at all; but obviously, when you have a good outing like that in the post-season under the circumstances, it is definitely a lift. Especially considering the fact, you know, I was kind of the emergency Game 1 starter. And to go out there and give us a chance to win, I definitely felt good about it; and hopefully, I can feed off that one for this next one.

DENNY NEAGLE: I felt like I had a good fastball the other night. I felt like especially early in the game I got a lot of late swings on the fastball, and that is something that, if I can get my fastball working, it is usually a bonus for me, because usually guys are looking for offspeed sinkers, changeups. And early in the game I got a lot of late swings and misses and a lot of lazy fly balls on a good fastball.

DENNY NEAGLE: Definitely. I think that is one thing I've talked about since I've come over here is that I was fortunate, obviously, like you said, to play with those guys in Atlanta, and I did learn a lot from them. And you come over here, and I think you can always pick a little bit from each guy that you watch prepare before they start and as they pitch also. I think I steal a little bit from Andy Pettitte, as far as watching him, like pitching last night against these guys -- what he had success with, what he didn't have success with. And I think I can take that into my start against them. And you watch somebody like Clemens, who is one of the hardest-working pitchers, the way he prepares himself for starts. I've tried to follow his workout program, but I don't think anybody can do that. And El Duque, too, just watching his intensity and the way he goes out there and doesn't let anything bother him; that's why I think he has been one of the best big-game pitchers because he has no fear of the situation. If I can just kind of maybe even take a little bit of that, also. If you can take a little from each guy, I think it can definitely help you out.

DENNY NEAGLE: I don't know if there is that urgency to really feel like you have to go out there and do something really spectacular or anything. But I think just for myself, doing what I did the other night and just going out there; and as I said giving us the chance to win the ballgame. Unfortunately, Freddy Garcia just outpitched me that night. But to go out there and pitch like I did, keep us in the ballgame and I did keep us in the ballgame, that was good enough for me, and that was my sole intention, and that will be my sole intention tomorrow. I think as a starting pitcher that's all you can do is to go out there and try to give your team a chance to win. That's all a manager can ask -- as long as your starter goes out there and gives you a chance, that's all any manager can ask for. Because it's nice to be able to go out and do it in the post-season, I think, even more so when I came over to Atlanta in '96 because I came over to help Atlanta at the end of August and they were 13 1/2 games up; so with that particular team it was like, "Oh, what the heck have I done? These guys already have a 13-game lead." Since I came over at the All-Star break this year, I don't think there was so much urgency to feel like I needed to do something spectacular to be a part of this team.

DENNY NEAGLE: I think I would approach it the same either way. I think that's the best you can do. Whether you are down 3-1 or up -- I've pitched a few of these post-season games and some where I was down 0-3, in '98 when we were in San Diego; down two games to one against the Marlins one year; up two games to win the World Series. So I've had a bunch of different scenarios, and I think in each of those different starts, just like tomorrow I'll treat it the same way. My attitude when you get to the post-season is this is a bonus time of the year, so you really just have to take the attitude of: I've got nothing to lose. Some guys might say that, and maybe they might show something different, but I think I do. I have that attitude when I have -- a lot of guys never even get the opportunity. I feel like it is all bonus and you have to just go out there make the most of it, have a good time with it, enjoy it because the last thing you want to do during the off-season is say you didn't go out there and have your best stuff or do the best of your ability because you pressed too much or you worried about the fact that it was such a heightened situation because of the post-season. So just go out there and have fun.

DENNY NEAGLE: For one, since I joined the team, now I'm with the Yankees who have won, with this team obviously who has won the last three out of four World Series; that's one big difference, obviously. And I think maybe in Atlanta, as the years went on there, there was probably maybe a little more urgency to feel like we really needed to to win that big one again, because they were -- the Braves were the so-called "Team of the '90s" for a while there, until the Yankees took that title from them. And I really feel like maybe nobody really wanted to admit it, we probably started pressing a little bit too much to try to win the big one; again, because we had so much expectation to live up to if we were going to be the Team of the '90s. Like everybody said, you have to win the big one, too, and it seemed like we could not get over that big hump, where over here, you don't feel that urgency or feel everybody pressing or saying: "Oh, gosh, now we've got to 3-Peat or we've got to keep the dynasty alive." You don't have that feeling whatsoever with this team. There are a lot of professionals going about their business in the right way. And I always say that is a reflection of your manager and the guys in the clubhouse, and that's why they have been able to overcome the tough five-game series in Oakland, right out of the chute, being down, and come back to win these games. It's a combination of the personalities that we have in the clubhouse.

DENNY NEAGLE: Physically, I feel just as strong as I felt. And again, that's saying something about the program that I started over there in Cincinnati with my physical therapist. And I've said it many times; that it was a blessing in disguise going through what I went through and having those guys get me onto this program. It has kept me strong all year, knock-on-wood. I have not had to worry about it. And as a pitcher, that's the last thing you want to worry about because that tends to throw off everything else, especially like the big games and into the post-season, down the stretch. I felt pretty comfortable out there. I didn't feel like I was doing anything out of the ordinary that was throwing me off. So that's the best thing. Like I said, physically, or mechanically, you don't want to be worrying about it out there when you're out there on your start, because if you're worrying about your mechanisms and "am I doing this" or "am I doing that," that's going to cause a problem, also.

DENNY NEAGLE: Joe officially told me after the game yesterday. There was a little bit of concern, yes, that maybe I might not get the nod again, just because of the fact of, again, I didn't finish strong down the stretch. I was bypassed for the first round. So I knew there was a possibility that they might want to bring El Duque back on three days' rest if we were down in the series, but I can't worry about that. All I can think is that I did a good enough job the other night in Game 1 to warrant another start. I felt like I did and I was hoping I would get that opportunity, and, you know no matter how it comes about, I've got the opportunity again, and that's all that matters to me now. And I'll try and make the most of it, put another good thought in their head; and hopefully, if we can win this round, leave it on a positive note going into the World Series.

DENNY NEAGLE: Not really that I can put my finger on, to be honest with you. Like even the other night, the Game 4 in the first round, he had great stuff. I mean, he was throwing hard. It looked like he was making his pitches; wasn't doing anything that I have not seen Roger Clemens do, especially the last couple months of the season where he was just dynamite. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball the second half of the season there, and he really didn't change anything up from my point of view. I think maybe, if anything, I don't care who you are, whether you're a five-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens or a rookie in the post-season, maybe one of these things where he felt some sort of urgency or pressure. Also, because he's -- people have given him that label and he hasn't been that big-game pitcher that people thought he would be in the post-season. Maybe it's that. Who knows? But he's still going out there with great stuff and going out there as hard as he ever did. And it's just unfortunate he's come up on the losing side. And like everyone, I know like last year, he gets matched up against Pedro, too; you run up against a guy that's on their game better than you that night.