AL DIVISION SERIES: MARINERS v WHITE SOX

October 2, 2000

Lou Piniella

LOU PINIELLA: Well, I think playoff experience is important. We've got a lot different team though than '97, last time we've been in the playoffs. But we've got players here who do have that experience. It helps. But truthfully, it's not that big an advantage. We got to go out and play well during these next five games to go forward, and the White Sox have an excellent team; we know that. We look forward to the challenge of playing them.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, they've had the best record in the American League all summer long, and that's not an accident. We recognize that. They still do. They've got a very good offensive team. Frank Thomas has had just a huge year for them. But they've got six or seven hitters in the line-up that can hurt you. Our job basically is not to come in here or back in Seattle and get in the offensive scoring duels with them. We need to play our game, which is good pitching and timely hitting and good defense. That's what we intend on doing.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, Garcia's pitching tomorrow. We don't know who Wednesday's starter is going to be yet, but Friday we'll have Aaron Sele back in Seattle. And we'll know our Game 2 starter probably after our workout. Jamie Moyer is going to throw. It will either be Moyer or Abbott.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, actually we've done pretty well against left-hand pitching, if you look at our record. We have hit left-hand pitching. Sirotka has had good success against us, I think he's beaten us three times this year. I don't think we faced Parque, but we recognize that he's a very capable young pitcher. And the White Sox didn't win 95 games by accident. They have to have pretty good pitching also. It's just not only offense. So our job is basically to stay close with them and to keep a focus and stop the rest of the guys from coming in for a big lead.

LOU PINIELLA: They can start whoever they want. The last time we came in here, they never named a starter for I think the whole time we were here. So it's not gonna bother us one way or another. Whoever they throw out there is fine with us.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, I can't speak for Alex, but I can speak for our organization. We'd love to have him back. He's just a great player. He's such a key component of our ballclub, he plays that demanding position, he swings the bat for power and for average and drives in runs. Alex is going to have to make that decision. But as far as getting it done without Junior, we've had people over the winter that had experience, that know how to play, we had good chemistry here, the guys play hard for nine innings of baseball. We've got confidence. We've got the type of ballclub that doesn't quit. I've mentioned it to my players a few times this year, specifically once in a meeting, that I've enjoyed managing this team as much as or more than any other team, and I mean it. Now it's just a question of hopefully getting eleven more wins in post-season and bringing a World Series to Seattle. That's what we're gonna try to do. But we know that the four teams in this Round Robin including the White Sox are all excellent teams and they pose a tremendous challenge for us.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, you know, we traded Randy. Randy's a great pitcher, but we picked up Garcia and we picked up Halama. I think last year Freddy won 17 games for us and Halama won a dozen. This year Halama won 14, Freddy won 9, although Freddy's missed two months or so of the season. So when you look at it from that perspective, you miss the dominant, dominant pitcher in Randy, but you pick up two good quality starting pitchers that can win for you.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, we've been playing tight all September, especially the last ten days of the season. So basically, our -- we've been playing playoff baseball here for the last ten days. And it's good coming in that way. About the only disadvantage is that you don't really get a chance to play your rotation, and you can't give a couple of your key people some rest. But, you know, sometimes the team goes flat and it's hard to get the momentum going. I'm not saying that's the case with the White Sox or any team in the playoffs, but it's a possibility. But our club has been playing good, solid baseball for this whole month. I think we finished 19-10. We won nine of our last ten road games, which is a pretty good accomplishment, I feel. So we're starting off here in Chicago the first two games on the road and hopefully we can make that 11 out of 12.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, we've got one question mark health-wise, and that's Moyer. Outside of that, the other four starters are ready to go. Now unfortunately we have to pick Sele on Sunday to win and Halama on Saturday. So they're not gonna be ready until at least the Seattle part of this series. But we've got Garcia ready to go tomorrow and we feel very comfortable with him. And then we'll make a determination on Wednesday whether it's Moyer or Halama. Until Moyer throws, which will be here in the next half hour or so, I can't tell you. I'm not trying to be aloof; if I knew, I'd tell you, but we just won't know for another half hour, 45 minutes.

LOU PINIELLA: You know, he's been throwing the ball better and better as the season progressed. In fact, I think his last three saves I pitched him an inning and two thirds, including yesterday. And earlier in the year we weren't doing that at all. It was basically just one-inning saves. But he came to camp and won the closing job. I anticipated when the season started he would be pitching in setup role or setup relief so that he could acclimate himself to the league and the hitters, and the umpires would get a chance to know him. But he pitched so well in the spring that we gave him the closer's job - or he earned the closer's job. As the season has gone forward, he's gotten better and better. I think he saved 37 out of 39. That's an impressive number. The last three saves he's had have been more than an inning, an inning and two thirds, specifically against Oakland, against California yesterday, and I think against Texas. We've been pleased with what he's done here. He's certainly a big part of the reason that we're able to be here in Chicago to play the White Sox tomorrow.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, we have big boppers, we've got Alex with 41 home runs; Edgar, I don't remember how many home runs he has specifically, but he's added a lot of power. Jay's got 26. Cameron has really chipped in here with 17 or 18. We're not the power team we used to be, but I'll tell you this, we don't play in the King Dome. We play in SAFECO. It changes the equation somewhat. We play a little bit of National League type baseball: We bunt, we hit and run, we try to double steal, I'm sure the White Sox are aware of that so I'm not giving them a scouting report. And I love the three-run homer, believe me. But we just don't sit and wait for it like we used to.

LOU PINIELLA: No, he hasn't surprised me. When he was here with the White Sox a few years ago, I specifically asked Woody Woodward, the general manager at the time, to see if we could trade for him because I loved his ability and his athleticism. We were fortunate to get him in the Junior deal from Cincinnati, and he's played excellent baseball for us all year. Defensively, he goes, gets the ball, he plays hard, he plays to win, he's got a wonderful attitude. I'll tell you, he's one of the most pleasant young men I've ever managed. I'll tell you what, he's been exceedingly consistent and he's gotten some huge hits for us all of September. So I'm not surprised one bit. As the season has gone on, he's gotten better and better.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, you know, we lost an excellent -- a great centerfielder in Junior and we had to get a replacement. I'll tell you what, Cameron has proved to be the right guy. And yes, that Cincinnati deal, basically he was the first guy that we wanted in return.