NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v CARDINALS

October 5, 2000

Fernando Vina

FERNANDO VINA: I am having a great time. This is what it is all about. I was with the Brewers for the last five years, have not had a opportunity to do that. It was a great place to play and start off. Coming here has been a dream come true, this is what baseball is all about, playing in the postseason, so I am very excited.

FERNANDO VINA: I am back, I feel real good, the legs feel good, I am running good, I feel strong. I am a hundred percent.

FERNANDO VINA: Definitely. Every inning, ground ball, every at-bat is blown up. This is prime time. You have to take care of business and play the game the way it should be. You cannot give the team any more outs or make too many mistakes because you will get beat. It is the best of the best. You have to keep right on top of things.

FERNANDO VINA: Atlanta has a great club, regardless of where we are at, they are tough. We have to go in, play the game the way we know how, do some things to try to get ahead early and put pressure on. It is tough. We have to use the game plan we had all year, play hard and hopefully do our thing.

FERNANDO VINA: No, actually, I like it, myself. The games are so pressure packed that you get a day to relax after the game, get your mind together, get everything back together, get ready to roll the following day, I think it is good for the Playoffs.

FERNANDO VINA: No, I have not seen anything like that. That has to be embarrassing for him. They made it a lot of fun, they harassed him in the dugout. It did not cost them any runs, I guess, that is embarrassing especially on prime time. That is the way it goes.

FERNANDO VINA: There is much more at stake. You have to stay with the same game plan. You cannot go overboard and get yourself too -- you obviously will be excited, have butterflies, you have to stay the same way, prepared. That is your game plan. You have to stay with what got you here, stay with the grind.

FERNANDO VINA: No, I mean, you are facing the best, it is, with Maddux and Glavine and them type of guys, you have to go up there and go up positive. Do your work, prepare yourself the way you know how, see some video, just go up there and battle, regardless, it will be tough against them, because they are the best. You have to go up with the right frame of mind, go about it the right way, stay positive and work hard and do your thing.

FERNANDO VINA: It does not ever hurt. (Laughing.) I never have gotten a piece of armor, I better start looking into some. It is something that, I don't know if it is stupid to get hit so much, or -- I am trying to get on base any way I can. I do my thing, thank God I have not gotten hit somewhere where it can take me out of the game. I have to be careful, smart and do whatever I can to help get on base to help the Cardinals win.

FERNANDO VINA: No. I mean, we will face quality pitching every game, they are top pitchers, they are all great pitchers, we have to go with that frame of mind. They are tough, we have to go out and be tough ourselves, try to get good at-bats and see what happens.