NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS v BRAVES

October 16, 1999

John Olerud

JOHN OLERUD: Yeah, I've tried a bunch of different approaches off him and haven't had a whole lot of success. I just went up there trying to get a good pitch to hit. I was looking for a fastball and trying to adjust to the breaking ball.

JOHN OLERUD: I don't think it really changed the at-bat. He was mainly concentrating on getting me out, and so I don't think that it changed things a whole lot.

JOHN OLERUD: Well, it's a big win for us. To get the lead, to lose it late in the ballgame, and then to come back and get the win and to get a couple of runs off Rocker, who we really haven't done much against, I think it's a big win for us. We just haven't been able to get the runs, or get enough runs to beat these guys. And so it's definitely a good feeling to get the win.

JOHN OLERUD: Yeah, that just seems to be the way it's been working out. It hasn't been our choice to do it that way. It's been a tough road, making it to the playoffs. And we've had some tough stretches, but we've been able to battle and get back in the playoffs, that sort of thing. And hopefully, that will be the situation here. I think going through that tough time helps guys to know that we can get on a good roll; we can get things turned around. Hopefully that will help us in this series.

JOHN OLERUD: Yeah, it was a fastball down and away. And I hit over the top of it a little bit. When I saw it going up the middle, I didn't know if it was going to get through or not. I've hit balls that I thought had a chance to get up the middle, and they didn't. But I was definitely rooting for it, I'll tell you that.

JOHN OLERUD: I don't know. That's a good question. You don't have a whole lot of time to get out of slumps. Each game, you're going as hard as you can, trying to make the most of each game. I don't know, I think you're just playing your best for that particular game. Tomorrow is a new game and you put the last game behind you. So I don't know that you necessarily look at it as slumps so much as each day is a new day, and you go out and hopefully get it turned around.

JOHN OLERUD: I would say probably midway through the first year. I got to know the guys real well, a good group of guys. Really liked the coaching staff; got along with them real well. And then as far as getting to know the city and that sort of thing, that took a while, because it's an intimidating place, or at least it was for me the first time in. So I think the more I got to know the city and the more I got to know my way around, the more comfortable I felt.

JOHN OLERUD: I don't know. I haven't really heard anything in particular. I'm usually out in the field when they're coming up, so I haven't heard. I know that -- it's very obvious that the fans are giving him most of their attention, but I haven't heard guys comment on it too much.

JOHN OLERUD: Well, I take the subway occasionally. I don't take it all the time. Most of the times, I drive into the ballpark. But occasionally, I do take it. And there was a pizza place that I would go to every so often after some day games and get a pizza. I don't know if that makes you a New Yorker or not. (Laughter).

JOHN OLERUD: No. In that situation I'm still looking for a good pitch to hit. If I get a pitch to hit, I'm swinging in that situation.

JOHN OLERUD: It was a breaking ball down.

JOHN OLERUD: You're trying to get a controversial statement right there, aren't you? No, I think everybody has got their opinion, and what anyone wants to say is just fine.

JOHN OLERUD: Yeah, he's real tough. He's got a great fastball, good slider, good breaking pitch. Both of them he can throw for strikes; so you really can't rule out one particular pitch, and so that makes it tough.

JOHN OLERUD: Yeah, I think so. I think a guy that throws hard like that and has a good breaking pitch, you're trying to get a good pitch to hit.

JOHN OLERUD: Yeah, I'm going up there, and I'm just concentrating on getting a good pitch to hit and trying to have a good at-bat. That's what I'm up there thinking.

JOHN OLERUD: I didn't think so. I thought he had good stuff. I thought he threw the ball real well.

JOHN OLERUD: For me, I haven't noticed a real big difference. I know that there are some other responsibilities as far as the No. 2 hitter is concerned, but I'm still going up there trying to have good, quality at-bats and hit the ball hard somewhere. So I think my preparation for the at-bats is the same. I think just sometimes the situation comes up that might require you to do something a little different, as far as moving runners over and that sort of thing.

JOHN OLERUD: I'm thinking about what kind of pitches I'm going to get; how he's going to pitch to me; how he's pitched me in the past; what the best way is to approach him, that sort of thing.

JOHN OLERUD: Well, he hasn't had a whole lot of trouble getting me out. I'm sure that his main focus was throwing strikes to me, as opposed to changing his -- throwing over to first base. I'm sure his main focus was getting me out because he's been very successful getting me out.