NL DIVISION SERIES: METS v GIANTS

October 6, 2000

Steve Phillips

STEVE PHILLIPS: Yeah, you know, we do not have any control whatsoever over the scheduling of these games. You know, a year ago as you recall in the Division Series in Arizona, you know, we ended up with 11:00 games being broadcast back here with the 8:00 starts on the Pacific Coast. We had no control then and we have no control this year at all. Certainly, Major League Baseball is aware of the issues with travel, as well as the Jewish holiday. You know, as a club, we have no control whatsoever. My view is when we schedule it we're going to show up and play because we're glad to be here, but we certainly understand the circumstances that are difficult for us, as well as to our fans.

STEVE PHILLIPS: I tell you, I get more and more impressed with John Franco as the days go by. You know, John, when he first came to the Mets was very talented, very successful. Somewhat, not immature, but, you know he was a prankster, and I think that over time from when he first became a Met until now, he has matured and grown into a leader on the team and a real professional. He may still be a prankster at times, but he still is a class act. And the way he has handled this transition, which has not been without pain, it has cost him some sleepless nights the last off-season, considering what to do, and some painful days early this season in trying to make the transition. But the way he has handled him and the shots at him in the dugout when Benitez is on the mound and he has the cheering and yelling, "that's the man," and the way he handled yesterday's game as well, I think not accepting the accolades, but reminding people that Benitez is still the guy. We need Armando. I give John Franco a tremendous amount of credit in coping with everything that has taken place.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Well, being left-handed takes a lot of it into account. I don't know Tug McGraw real well. I know that he was a leader, as well and a vocal leader. Johnny is that for us, probably not quite as vocal, but, you know, really leads by his actions. And I think that his selflessness this year, when you have a leader on the team who is that selfless, and then maybe some of the younger guys or other established players have to look at that and say, "Gee, I might have a gripe or a complaint, but I don't really feel justified to say anything about it, because look at Johnny, he's taking it." And that sort of selflessness is what leads to championship teams. I think the same thing with Leiter saying, "Look, I'll pitch with Game 2, Game 1, tell me what I'm going to pitch, give me the ball and I'll be there." Guys have to put aside their own issues sometimes to be a good team, and certainly John and Al have done that.

STEVE PHILLIPS: You know, I think probably got to see Timo play at AAA. I mean, he did everything there. You know, oftentimes we don't put a timetable on players. They let you know when they are ready for the next level. And when I got to see him play AAA this year, it was clear to me that when the opening presented itself, he was ready to go to the Major Leagues. To me, yesterday, to lay down a bunt base hit with two strikes, I mean, it's confidence, it's fearlessness, it's guts, it's aggressiveness. It was a heck of a play. And I think that sort of approach -- even his first at-bat at the Major League level, this guy comes up swinging. He can take pitches and work the count, but he wants to make a difference in the game and really exudes confidence with the bat in his hand.

STEVE PHILLIPS: I think his emergence is even more important now. I think that he was going to contribute whether Derek was here or not. Bobby was going to have to make decisions with left-handed pitchers and right-handed pitchers and what he was going to do. But certainly now, you know, it's now kind of dropped into Darryl Hamilton's lap and possibly even Bubba Trammell's lap on a given day. But if you stop and you were to consider the situation without having Timo in the mix right now, I would be a little more concerned than I really am with Derek being out. It's going to be a loss for us, because Derek, even with his struggles does offer something with energy and a certain looseness in the clubhouse and in the dugout. So, there will be a loss there, but I think that we will get the needed production from Timo and Darryl and Bubba Trammell.

STEVE PHILLIPS: The Hiroshima Carp had a facility in the Dominican Republic and several league teams used to play their summer league against the Carp in that they play a little in their instructional league program against the Carp. So we knew about him in the Dominican Republic as a player and then our scout in Japan, we followed with our scouting there. We knew of him and his performance. They had moved up-and-down in their Major League and Minor League system there. When he worked his way out of his deal, and became free, his agent started shopping him around and we were patient with our pursuit. Omar had known him from the Dominican, Eddie Toledo, our scout had been more closely aware of Timo. We saw him play in the Caribbean series last year in the playoffs in the Dominican. I just remember back to Spring Training Omar saying, "We're talking to this guy's agent and we've got a chance to get him done." And at that point, he was a scouting report that he was going to be a little guy, left-handed at-bat, left-handed thrower who could offer some excitement. I certainly didn't think he was going to be impacting our Major League season. And, in fact, once we signed him, that was $95,000 that we paid, he had a bad hamstring and came into our Extended Spring Training program and tried to get his hamstring in shape. He went to the Florida State team and then we brought Jason Tyner into the Major Leagues and we said, oh, well we'll run Perez up there until somebody comes back down and we'll move Perez to AA. Just as I said, players tell you when they are ready. He told us there was no reason to send him anywhere but AAA.

STEVE PHILLIPS: I did not. I don't know if Omar or Toledo had, but I had not. We knew enough from our own reports on him that we didn't necessarily need more information. He plays the game hard and he's a baseball player.

STEVE PHILLIPS: It would be nice to be able to have to make that decision. I think that that's one that when the time comes we'll reevaluate just as you can after each series. Reconfigure your roster and reconsider the players that are on it. I'm not sure for the longer series if we'd go with 11 pitchers; and therefore, it would be the slot that a pitcher would go into, or we would reconfigure the position players as well. I think it's open right now for consideration.

STEVE PHILLIPS: I only know it as we have lived it and that's the 2-2-1. I think the 2-2-1 is probably fairer, as well. I've read the other view of that, but the 2-3 used to be two in the wild-card opening series, and I think what they wanted to do was to make it even more difficult for the wild-card team. So not only did you not get the greater number of games, but you also started on the road. So, I'm okay with the 2-2-1. The travel is somewhat of a problem, but we fly charters and we don't carry our bags; so it's not that big of a deal.

STEVE PHILLIPS: I think he could probably come back in Game 4, but I'm not sure that's part of any plan right now.

STEVE PHILLIPS: Since I always tend to go out on a limb with things I say, this time I'll be more reserved and say I don't have any diction predictions. It's nice to come home. Our record at home has been a good one, just as San Francisco's is a good one. You know, one game, anybody can win one game in the other team's park. We just need to go out and play one at a time and focus on the first one tomorrow and then we'll worry about it from there.