NL DIVISION SERIES: METS v GIANTS

October 8, 2000

John Franco

JOHN FRANCO: You know, we were surprised that they went so fast. I mean, the Cardinals are a good ballclub and they took care of business pretty easy. But I think just like what Turk was signature saying, there's this thing the last couple of years with the Braves, everything we did, it seemed that we couldn't do the right thing against them. Kind of a shock, but maybe a little bit disappointed. If we do get to the next round, we would have had a chance to play the Braves. And everybody says, "Well, if you're going to get to the World Series, you've got to get through Atlanta" and maybe that would be hanging over our heads, but like Turk said, we've just got to worry about playing the Giants today.

JOHN FRANCO: Lenny is very special. He has been in the game a long time. Lenny and I came up together in the Cincinnati organization, and Lenny is an emotional guy. He is a guy who gives his heart and soul. He is the type of guy that keeps everybody loose and when guys see him getting all jump-happy and whatever it takes to get ready, it trickles down, and it's good to have a veteran guy like that.

JOHN FRANCO: I don't know. For me, I'd rather just go from one series to the next instead of sitting around and waiting for it. It keeps the momentum going. They deserve a couple days off. They took care of business, three straight. But me personally, I'd much rather hopefully win and go right into the next series instead of sitting around for two or three days.

JOHN FRANCO: I have known Sandy a long time since I was with the Dodger organization, and he has come to Spring Training the last two years to work with Al Leiter and myself and a couple other lefties. When Sandy is in the ballpark, it's special for us to see him there, plus knowing that the things that we worked on with Sandy we had better take on to the field because we'll hear about it in Spring Training. It's always nice to see Sandy come out here and support us.

JOHN FRANCO: Well, I think the type of bullpen that we have, anybody could come in and save a game. But knowing Armando, Armando is a big strong kid. I think all of us will be ready today. Rick White, everybody who was in there yesterday, we'll be ready today. Hopefully they won't need as many of us today. But I know Armando will be ready and if he's not, I'll be ready.

JOHN FRANCO: Before last year, the heroics didn't come very much. That's for sure. I didn't make the playoffs until last year. I'm just out there trying to do my job the best I can and it just so happens to be the right place at the right time. I'm out there when the team scores -- if I go out there and give up three line drives and then get somebody out, that's fine with me. Doesn't matter how I get it done, as long as I get it done. Like I said, it's just right place, right time.

JOHN FRANCO: It's been great. You see how enthused he is right now. J.J., He's into it. My brother, everybody. The whole family, friends, they have all come out. It's been great. I mean, this is something when I first got here to the Mets in 1990 that I dreamed of happening a lot. But it hasn't until the last two years. It has been great to do it in front of the home crowd, even on the road occasionally. But more or less the last two years, we have played well at home. And going back to that question before, it just so happens that I've been at the right place at the right time, pitching out there when we score a couple runs.

JOHN FRANCO: This shirt is in memory of my father. My father was a sanitation man for 19 years and died on the job. So I always wear an orange t-shirt with Department of Sanitation underneath my uniform. My father worked so hard and gave me the things that I needed to get to stay in school and go to school, and a glove and a bat. You know, he didn't have a chance to enjoy himself, to watch me in the position that I am now here in New York. He did see me play in Cincinnati. But to wear a T-shirt in memory of him, keep him close to my heart, and Fergie could probably tell you, because he was there with me in Cincinnati, I've been doing it since my father passed away in 1987.

JOHN FRANCO: I tell you what, it has been great. The games that we've played, you know, the last three games against the Pirates to get into the wild-card, Al Leiter's game, the Diamondback series, the Braves series and now this series. Not much more you can take. Gray hair is coming out. Fingernails are short. Stomachs hurt. But this is what you live for as a kid, being in that situation, and hopefully being successful. Last year's series against the Diamondbacks and the Braves prepared us for this year. I think this year we've played quite a few close games during the season. Especially now if you get into the playoffs, they are so magnified that, you know, one little pitch, one little bad play is going to cost you a game. I think it is in preparing us, the guys who were here last year, pretty good.

JOHN FRANCO: I think so. My first couple of years, I enjoyed pulling pranks and stuff, and now that I'm older, the big 40, you're supposed to mature. When you have guys like Turk and Robin Ventura, guys that you don't expect it from, especially Robin, they take care of all of that stuff. And then when something needs to be addressed, a couple guys might whisper in my ear and I'll try to go up to an individual and address it the right way; never show them up or call a team meeting when it's possible. I'm just one of the guys in that locker room who can be a leader, just because I've been here the longest. And 40 years old, right away, you're supposed to be the leader. But I enjoy it. I'll take the burden of it, if everybody else doesn't want it. That's fine with me. But if a guy needs to be kicked in the butt, I'll tell him. If a guy needs to be pampered, you have to pamper him a little bit. And we have the type of guys that are kind of laid back and some of them don't like to do it. So that's fine with me.