MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES v BRAVES

October 23, 1999

Bobby Cox

BOBBY COX: No. Tommy called me last night -- in fact, Ned Yost called me, Tommy called Ned who was at the airport on the cell phone because he didn't have my number. Ned called me and told me Tommy was sick, you need to call him right away. I talked to Tommy, he told me he couldn't pitch at all tonight. I said I've got to get a hold of Maddux, he said no, I've called him and he's ready to go. I didn't have to call Greg. Saw Greg this afternoon, he's fine, ready to go. It's unfortunate, but, you know, things like this do happen. Tommy has pitched at times with a bad arm through his career, shoulder, elbow, two broken ribs, two bad knees, a bad ankle, an infected toe and never missed a start that I can remember. He's really sick, dehydrated, they've got some fluids in him I guess. He won't be here at all tonight. I think he'll be able to pitch the first game in New York. We'll give that one a go. If not, Smoltz will pitch that one.

BOBBY COX: A little concerned actually. Tommy's family has been sick since we were in New York. His wife had to leave the game in New York. I understand that she was really, really sick. His children had it, his mother and dad, they're staying there, had it. It ran through his family. There's nothing we can do about it. You worry about it. I talked to Dr. Watson, there's absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it except keep Tommy home for a day or two and hope nobody else gets it. It's the type, I guess, you just can't go out and perform. You start vomiting and that type of thing.

BOBBY COX: No. I was going to. I didn't have a lot of numbers up where I was either, but I told Tommy I've got to call Greg right away. That's when he said I've already talked to him, he's ready to go; he knows the situation, so...

BOBBY COX: Well, he was sick. (Laughter.) He wasn't feeling good when I was talking to him. I mean I'm sure that he feels badly that he can't start for the opening game of a World Series, but yet he can still get -- if he goes Tuesday, he can still get two ball games.

BOBBY COX: Tonight I might, because I'm not sure, you know, if John pitched an inning tonight, he'd have to go on two days' rest before he started. That may -- I don't think it would hurt him, but it might. I don't know. I'd have to be more careful about that. That would be the only reason. All the starters are ready.

BOBBY COX: I don't think. I never had a flu shot in my life. I always get a little bit of a cold or something in spring training. That's the only time I come down with it. But I think there's certain strains you just can't help but get.

BOBBY COX: Yeah, I called John Schuerholz right away, and told him, you know, if Tommy, if this thing would carry over to his next start, we'd have to. I talked to the doctors early this morning, and they felt that he would be fine by, you know, even tomorrow maybe. But I didn't want to send a pitcher out there tomorrow that, you know, has gone through what he's gone through for two days. So Tuesday, they more or less assured me he would be absolutely fine. So, yeah, I thought about it a lot, real quick.

BOBBY COX: Dr. Watson was the doctor handling it by phone. He wanted Tommy to go into the hospital, get some IVs, get some liquids. He didn't do that, to my knowledge. And I'm not sure if Dr. Watson actually went to his house or not; he may have.

BOBBY COX: He was prepared to pitch tomorrow night. And he did not throw yesterday, except in the outfield, a little catch. He threw a lot the day before, but he will be absolutely fine. There's no problem with that.

BOBBY COX: No, not a lot. Really. It was surprising, you know, I didn't ever expect anything like that because we've been healthy the last month or so here, pretty good. But the good thing is nobody's pitching on short rest, you know, in replace of Tommy or anything like that. So it doesn't really hurt.

BOBBY COX: No. I had the trainers come in and talk to me about other players, and so far nobody's come down with it. Tommy called me about 11:15 last night.

BOBBY COX: Good. (Laughter.)

BOBBY COX: I agree with you a lot. It's very true, our games are ending extremely late and starting late as a team, we're used to playing to either 1 o'clock -- 7:40, 7:05, we started a lot of games at 4 o'clock. It's very difficult to see at all with the backgrounds at those times. We never play at those times. And the 8 o'clock starts, you know, it's fine if -- it doesn't bother us. It's dark. But I agree, the fans, the young kids, obviously they're going to fall asleep. I myself fell asleep when Boston was rallying in the eighth inning in Boston against the Yankees. I woke up, they were wrapping up the ball game, and it's hard to stay up. But I understand the other side of that coin, too. The television rights to it, they pay a lot of money to broadcast these, and, you know, huge sums of that money goes to players' salaries, so it's kind of a catch 22 there.

BOBBY COX: He's fine. I talked to him as soon as he came in. It's not a problem with him. The only problem he had, he was selling two of his tickets to one of the other players thinking he wasn't pitching tomorrow because of his family members, now he had to get the two tickets back. That's the only problem he had.

BOBBY COX: No. Kevin's kind of the same all the time, and, you know, Kevin's the type of kid, whatever you say, you know, he's all for it. So he's got the right make-up and attitude for this game.

BOBBY COX: Honestly, I just think he'd be a little weak tomorrow after what he's been through. He's got to get his stamina back a little bit. I'm just hoping he's good for Game 1 in New York, you know.