NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS v BRAVES

October 18, 1999

Kevin Millwood

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I was kind of hoping we could end it after 9. I was still in the clubhouse when we scored the run. And I went down there just in case they wanted me to pitch. I didn't know if they wanted me to. It didn't matter to me if I pitched or not. But the reasoning is that we're still ahead, and I've got a game to pitch tomorrow.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I don't know. I don't think I would have had time to get warmed up, to be honest with you. Like I said, by the time I got out to the bullpen, I think he was already out on the mound warming up for the bottom half of the inning, and that didn't give me a whole lot of time to get loose.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: Well, my normal routine, stretching and everything, usually takes me about 20 minutes. But I could do it a lot quicker if I had to. But it's just tough to change those things up.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: We always knew they had a good team. And it wouldn't surprise us whatever happens. But I think the first few games, we made the big pitches and got the big hits. And the last couple, they've made the big pitches and they've got the big hits. We've just got to find a way to turn that back into our favor.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I think if they were back-to-back, without having a day off, it would have an effect. But I think with us having today off and being able to go home and get the game out of our head a little bit, I don't think it will be that big of effect tomorrow.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: Yeah. It's out of mine. I'm not worried about yesterday or the day before. I'm worried about tomorrow and what I've got to do tomorrow to win the ballgame. Knowing that I'm going up against a good pitcher, Al Leiter, it's going to be an extra tough game for me and our team. I'm going to have to be the one to make the big pitches, and somebody is going to have to step up.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I'll try not to. I'm sure I'll be a little more excited than I have been in the last couple starts, but I'm going to have to find some way to stay calm and try not to let my emotions get the best of me, and just really try to do what I've done all year. And if it gets close to the end of the game and we've got a chance to win, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to pitch.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: It was the same old, same old. I'm sure it would have been a little happier if we would have won. It's just like a regular season game. If we had lost the game on a getaway day, it's pretty much the same thing. Nobody is too down; nobody is too up. Everybody is just kind of on an even keel. I think everybody is just preparing for tomorrow.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: This year, I think I've held my own pretty good. But career-wise, I'm not even close. I've said it before; it's tough to make this rotation in the first place. But to be able to come out and pitch alongside these guys is great. Trying to accomplish all the things that they've accomplished up until now is pretty tough duty. I'm not trying to be as good as they are, or even better than they are. I'm trying to be as good as I can be. And however good that is, that's what I'll take.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: Don't say it -- (laughter). My confidence is about as high as it's been for a while. I think the last game I pitched here against New York probably gave me more confidence than the game I pitched against Houston, for the simple fact that I didn't have my best stuff. And I was still able to go out and keep our team in the game, and give us a chance to win. And I think that's the big thing about pitching is being able to go out without having your best stuff and being able to win.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: A lot more fun for me. This is the first year I've been able to pitch and contribute. And being able to go out and start games, and I even got to close one game out, it means a lot more to me, however far we go, to think I had a lot more to do with it. And everybody that comes here wants to play. I'm finally getting that chance.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: We had Neagle still, and that's just another horse to put in the line-up. It's just tough enough to get in here with these three guys, and you throw Neagle in there, and it's that much tougher. Those guys had the experience. I think everybody expected them to start. We went with the guys that had been pitching out of the pen all year.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I don't know if they'll do anything different or not. I'm not going to do anything different until they make me. And I think I've pitched pretty much the same way all year long against these guys. Until they make me do something different I'm not going to change.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: Yeah, it's a big boost. Like I said, I probably gained more confidence from that game than I did in the game against Houston. I think that's where I've gotten a lot better this year from last year is that when I go out there without my best stuff, I can still give our team a chance to win.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: Well, I don't know. We're definitely going to try to end it tomorrow. We want to end it tomorrow. We definitely don't want it to go to a 7th game. But I think on the other hand, if we do, we still like our chances.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: I don't care, to be honest with you. The only person I'm going to be looking at is the catcher and the hitter when they come up there. I think the last game I pitched here it wasn't sold out. And the fans that we did have here were great; made it a lot of fun. They got loud for us, and that's all you can ask. If people don't want to come to the game, they won't come. That's their prerogative. It isn't a big deal to me.

KEVIN MILLWOOD: No, not really. I'd heard a little bit about it; that obviously it was getting slippery and they had to keep putting whatever they were putting on there. Nobody made a big deal out of it or said it was a big factor in how they pitched.