MLB WORLD SERIES: PADRES v YANKEES

October 16, 1998

Bruce Bochy

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think we have the best owner in baseball -- that is what I think about John Moores. When he acquired our ballclub he allowed us to acquire the type of players that would not just make us competitive but contenders and I think all the credit goes to him, and I think we are pretty lucky to have an owner like John Moores.

BRUCE BOCHY: Sure, I think it is similar. San Diego had a tremendous year in 1984 and we had to battle to get there and go against a team that just had an incredible year and what -- what the Yankees have done this year, it has been remarkable. We are going against a team that is going down in to history as having one of the best years ever, so, yes, I'd say it is similar. But I think the Yankees have even had a better year than San Diego did in '84.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, right now it is Kevin Brown, we have Ashby going second game and Hitchcock going to the third. That is where we are going to leave it right now.

BRUCE BOCHY: '84 was such a long time ago, that was the first time that San Diego had ever been to the World Series and we had our backs to the wall being down two games to the Cubs and we had to win three to get there. I think it is different in this way, I think it is tougher to get to the World Series now especially when you have to go against two clubs like Houston and Atlanta. But this year I think players are thinking more, hey, let's win the World Series. I mean, your goal is to get here. I think '84 and most of the guys and Tony Gwynn had said this, a lot of the players on the team said that looking back we wish we would have had a little different attitude instead of just saying, hey, we are in the World Series. And this year, I think you will see the players out there playing to win.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, being a utility player I think you have a lot of time to think and you never know when it is going -- but I knew I wanted to stay in the game. I mean even as a player and I have always had a passion for this game and I knew I wanted to manage. I didn't know how much I would love managing until I started doing it in the Minor Leagues. A lot of people influenced me. I think all my managers did. I hate to leave any names out. A couple I would like to mention Bill Virden, my first manager in Houston. I just thought he was an outstanding manager, very fair, but firm. He let you play. Dick Williams, he was a big influence on me. Really how demanding on the little things the fundamentals and just the way he -- when he managed, he managed to win and he did -- he went all out to try to win that ballgame. But I think even in the Minor Leagues all the managers you played for you learn something from.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I don't think there is any secret. You have to scrap for runs. We know what a good pitcher he is. We have to get good pitching. We have to play the kind of ball that we have been playing to get to this point. It is going to be a tough series because we know how good their pitching is. We need to step up on our side too. And to beat somebody like David Wells, you have to play your best baseball.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think it is similar. Again, that was a long time ago, but in '84, they really became our 10th man. They helped us win three in a row there and when we came back from Chicago, we had thousands of fans there waiting for us and really, you know, just boosted the whole team's morale. Again they have done the same thing this year. I can't say enough about the fan support we have had. Even last year we came in last and they were still behind us, but this year, the support that we have got and the rallies that have been there for us coming back from the playoffs, the noise that they are making, it is nice to see people talking baseball in San Diego and they are having a lot of fun.

BRUCE BOCHY: It is hard for him to get on my nerves when he is hitting home runs and driving in runs. He is doing a great job. He has got that certain personality. He loves being up there with the game on the line in postseason play and he is valuable on the ballclub. There are so many things you can do with him, pinch hit, double switch, put him behind the plate, first base, I even played him at third and leftfield a little bit. So it is nice to have a right-handed batter like that.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, it very special to be here. I mean, so much tradition. This is what I think when you think about baseball, you think about Yankee Stadium. I grew up a big Mickey Mantle fan and Yankee fan, so this is a special moment for me. But I haven't had a chance to walk around. My son did. He went out and looked at the monument. He was in awe of it. So I look forward to it during our workout. You can tell I am going to walk around the stadium and check it out.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think the best thing I can say about Tony Gwynn is I don't think he has changed as a person since I played with him in 1983. He still has that infectious laugh, that passion for the game. As a hitter I think he has grown. This year he didn't have the kind of year we are all used to, but there were a couple of reasons, really the main one was some nagging injuries. I think he has gotten smarter as a hitter. He is even hitting with more power. But as a person he hasn't changed a bit. He is great in that clubhouse. We have said that he is like fine wine, he just keeps getting better with age here.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I have said earlier I knew he'd make a difference in our ballclub. I didn't know he would make this big an impact on our club. Kevin, he has made a huge difference in our year. Coming from our struggles last year, coming in last place to coming in first place, he is a big reason because of it. He sets the tone. He did it in Houston that first game we won. He just gave the team a sense of confidence, that, hey, we can do this. And that is what a pitcher of the caliber of Kevin Brown will do for a ballclub. I can't say enough about what he has done for us.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I don't know David Wells personally. I know how competitive he is. I would say they are similar in that respect, that -- I don't know a tougher competitor than Kevin Brown and when somebody takes the mound like Kevin does, I have never seen anybody take more fire and intensity out and he pitches all-out to win. It is just not when he pitches or if he is hitting, he is going to do whatever it takes to win that ballgame. Every game is important to him even when he is not pitching you hear him in the dugout. He just has that fire for winning. Again, I think the other pitchers that have -- have fed

off that and he has helped them.

BRUCE BOCHY: To be honest, I don't have my lineup set right now. I am going to wait until after the workout, see how Tony is doing. I want to see how Greg Vaughn is doing, that would affect the lineup. So if Tony feels fine, he is going to be out there. He'd much rather play right field than D.H.. He has this thing about D.H.ing, but Greg Vaughn -- I know it's a big leftfield here -- I want to see how he is moving out there. After the workout, I can set the lineup.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think it has helped me. I think being a catcher you are so involved in the game, I think first of all, you have to have some understanding of pitching. I think that is a big part of managing. But you are also involved in everything from bunt plays, first and third defense, things like that. Moving infielders, outfielders around, so you are the one guy that sees the whole field. In essence you are the manager on the field. So, sure, I think it gives the catcher an advantage, but I know it is not always the case. There are some outstanding managers out there that weren't catchers.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I don't know how important. I mean, they are all so important. We are not going to put that kind of pressure on us, hey, we have to win Game 1 or -- our backs are to the wall. It a best out of seven. We have got to go out there, be loose and relax, play with intensity and we have a lot of confidence in Kevin, I am sure just like they do in David, so it should be a good ballgame.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, that is an option right now. I really will wait until after tomorrow's game and see how he feels. He is pretty gifted. He can come back on three days, he has shown that. He has thrown well in three day's rest. I think we can answer that better after the first game, but sure, there is no question, I think he could do it. I will see what our situation is then.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I don't think it is something we have to overcome. I think the players enjoy being here. I think at this stage, you have to focus on the New York Yankees, not where you are at so much or the fans. We know what great fans they have here. It is pretty simple. You got to go out and play good ball. I don't think the players are going to be thinking where they are at once they are on the field.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, pretty confident, you know, from what I have heard about David, you know, he is a little loose and he has fun. He is from San Diego, from what I heard he is excited we won because he has a chance to go back home. Those are things we don't really pay a lot of attention to. I mean, we feel like we are going to win too and that is part of the game.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think we should have been underdogs, be honest. We didn't feel like it, but if people are setting odds or making predictions, we struggled in September, you take away September, we were right with the rest of the clubs. But we had our troubles there again with a couple of injuries and we didn't quite play as well either. So I am not making excuses there, but this club never felt like they were underdogs. We feel like we have a very talented ballclub and sometimes it is nice going in as underdogs because people don't quite expect as much of you, but these guys were determined and we played as good a ball as we could. It took that to beat those two teams.

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, we used quite a few. Actually Tony had a good game D.H.ing. Greg Vaughn, he did a nice job. We have some options there. It is obvious that if Jim Leyritz, he would be one. Vander Wal he has been swinging the bat well. Vaughn and Tony, I think they will help me dictate who is going to be D.H.

BRUCE BOCHY: Again '84 was a long time ago, but somebody like Tony Gwynn could at the point out in that area to say hey, let's -- just don't be happy to get to the World Series, but Kevin Brown, he was there last year. We were in the playoffs and we were three and out. That made for a long winter, took four, five months there when you get there and you lose three straight, so, again the hard part is to get here. We know that, but now that we are here, we are the type of guys that are not content with just getting here. We know what a good club we are going against, we have to play well, but we are here to win.

End of FastScripts�.