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MLB WORLD SERIES: PADRES v YANKEES

October 18, 1998

Ricky Ledee

NEW YORK CITY: Game Two

Q. When you were watching Game 1 of the Division Series, at that moment did being part of this team seem like a world away?

RICKY LEDEE: It was, I didn't think I was going to be back. I mean, no way that I was going to be back. So I mean it was just a surprise, me being here.

Q. Your success against Kevin Brown last night was incredible. How did you approach your at-bats with him?

RICKY LEDEE: I was watching video tapes before the game. He was just flat out nasty from what I saw. And I was just started myself I just have to be aggressive and I got nothing to lose. We all know that all the people that we have been playing leftfield we haven't done our job hitting I said to myself I am going to be aggressive and try to get a pitch to hit.

Q. You were patient too, you hit two, 3-2 -- you walked for the home run. Then 3-2 double. You worked the count well.

RICKY LEDEE: In the first at-bat I just figured that he didn't want to walk me. It was 3-2 count I thought he was going to be around the plate. The next one I thought was a sinker, a little bit up in the zone that didn't break that much, so, I was just lucky.

Q. Have the Yankees asked you to be more aggressive at times?

RICKY LEDEE: You mean hitting?

Q. Yes.

RICKY LEDEE: Chris told me when he sent me down the first time, he told me go down there and be aggressive. I guess he thought that I was -- I was just taking too many pitches. Like I said, I got nothing to lose. I just have to really be aggressive and if I want to stay here, I have to hit and I have to swing my bat.

Q. When you went down to Columbus you mean?

RICKY LEDEE: Yeah.

Q. How much of a confidence boost was it for you knowing that Joe had confidence in you for the game last night?

RICKY LEDEE: It did give me a lot of confidence. I did have the feeling before, the other season that he had more confidence in me going in the outfield than hitting, I mean, I am not -- I guess pitchers have a lot of advantage in me hitting-wise and pitching-wise, so I feel that -- I mean, if I want to stay here I just have to do something positive. I know I can play defense, so.....

Q. You were a little bit uneasy with the circumstances of why you were called up because of Darryl, did it take a while to get over that and do you still feel guilty sometimes?

RICKY LEDEE: It is a little bit, you know, I really wish that Straw was here. But at the same time I wish that I was here too. So it is kind of mixed emotions.

Q. Do you feel any added pressure knowing that there is three other guys who can play the position, I mean, this is the pinnacle of your career, you are in the biggest games and you feel like you have got to perform at your highest level every night knowing there are other guys behind you waiting to play leftfield?

RICKY LEDEE: Not really. I mean, we all have our chances and I mean, you know, I am glad that he give me the opportunity to be in this big of a game as it was last night and that at the same time told me how much confidence he got in me. So now I am real confident too, so hopefully I get to stay.

Q. There is talk every year about the Columbus shuttle and the pressure players are under at Columbus when you get up here, was it even more pressure, maybe unhappiness maybe this year with the fantastic things that were going on in New York --

RICKY LEDEE: Nobody was happy because the reason that they were having-- we see ourselves playing the whole year in Triple A. As a matter of fact I just came to -- this is my first time because Bernie was late. If Bernie didn't get hurt probably I just play the whole season back in Columbus. I mean, we didn't have too many opportunities. We didn't have too many opportunities the way the Yankees were playing.

End of FastScripts…

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