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NL DIVISION SERIES: METS v GIANTSOctober 8, 2000Bobby ValentineNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Game Four Q. Even though you're up 2-1, do you feel a certain amount of urgency to win today and not have to go back to San Francisco? BOBBY VALENTINE: Every day we've ever played, we start the game with an urgency to win it. And today is a game that we'd like to win. Q. In general, what is your thinking today in terms of your pitching? Is everybody available as if this were a fifth game or how do you go about it? BOBBY VALENTINE: Well, Rick Reed is not available. I'm not sure. I haven't checked with Dave on who is available, but I think we'll play it pretty standard actually. We've a long man and we have a few guys who will pitch relief late in the game. Q. How about Armando? BOBBY VALENTINE: I think Armando might be a little questionable. I think Rick White might be a little questionable. Q. Is this one of those days where you might tell John Franco that he is your closer? BOBBY VALENTINE: John knows the situation. John will talk with Armando, I'm sure in the outfield today and find out how Armando feels as he's throwing and if Armando says that he's probably going to need a day, then Johnny knows. Q. Even though the fans really liked to see St. Louis to sweep Atlanta, was there a part of you that was rooting for Atlanta to maybe extend that series the distance so it would not give whatever team, St. Louis, a chance to rest in case you do meet them? BOBBY VALENTINE: I don't think I've ever rooted for Atlanta. (Laughter.) No, reason to start now. Q. Can you talk about what it is like to have been a part of all of these dramatic memorable post-season games; have you had a chance to step back and realize what you've been a part of the last few years? BOBBY VALENTINE: It's real hard for me to look back. I'm really busy looking forward. There are bonds and there are memories that this game creates. And I think there have been games in the last couple of years that have created incredible bonds and fascinating memories. Q. Are you making preparations to send a pitcher out to San Francisco just in case, send him out ahead of time? BOBBY VALENTINE: Well, we talked with Mike last night and he chose to stay and fly with the team if, in fact, that's with we're going to do. Wherever we go, he's going to go with us. Q. When you win as many playoff games in your last at-bat as you've won in the last five, what does that do for a team to believe in itself? BOBBY VALENTINE: Everyone always says that success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success. But you have to have the success, you have to feel that last-inning win to continue to play every inning and every out of a game the way we play it. I think the reason that we keep playing these games, and I think that I've said it many times, that we just play it right down to the last out, is because so many good things have happened to us prior to our last out, after about 25, or last night there were 35. Q. In the 10th inning yesterday, when you pinch-ran McEwing for Piazza -- BOBBY VALENTINE: Maybe it was the 11th. Q. The initial thought for you if you did not get to Todd Zeile's spot with McEwing, was it to take out Agbayani? BOBBY VALENTINE: I'm trying to remember exactly how that worked out. I remember there was an option that we talked about of McEwing was already in the third spot. If we had not gotten to Zeile -- and Zeile made the last out, right? We would have gone back to Payton, had the pitcher hit in Agbayani's spot, because Payton would have made the last out. Yeah, it was discussed. Q. Off the beaten path, but from your time in Japan, what do you remember about Sasaki? BOBBY VALENTINE: Nothing. Pitched in the other league. You know, I knew his name. Q. Didn't see him? BOBBY VALENTINE: You know, there's a lot of Sasakis that play there, really, probably five or six pitchers. The Giants are on TV there; he didn't play for the Giants. So there's no way of me ever really seeing him unless it was by coincidence. He was in the other league. Q. When you guys were out in San Francisco, was there a lot of feeling about a Bay Area World Series the way there is Subway Series back here, and is there any feeling between the two, The Bay and in New York? As players, do you ever feel any of that, two Bay Area teams versus two New York teams? BOBBY VALENTINE: I had not heard the guys mention it at all. It was kind of odd. I had some recollections of -- I was in the field for the earthquake for the last one, the last Bay Area thing, so I was kind of cognizant of it. I'm not sure the guys were really. A BART series. Q. I don't know if you got to any of the games in Oakland or watched them on TV, but the drumming that I heard on TV that they have there now, did that remind you at all of Japan? BOBBY VALENTINE: I've watched the games without the sound, so, sorry. (Laughter.) Q. Who do you like tonight, Yankees or Oakland? BOBBY VALENTINE: I hope I just can enjoy watching it. Q. Do you always watch games without the sound, seriously? BOBBY VALENTINE: Almost always, yeah. A lot of times I'm at a restaurant or something. Q. If you're home, do you? BOBBY VALENTINE: Often. Yeah. (Smiles). Q. You just can concentrate on it more? BOBBY VALENTINE: Or concentrate on other things. Q. You just have it on sometimes? BOBBY VALENTINE: Yeah. It's there to see what's going on. Q. Monitor it more or less? BOBBY VALENTINE: Exactly. End of FastScripts.... |
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