NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS v BRAVES

October 19, 1999

Eddie Perez

EDDIE PEREZ: Not really. I know that I'm going to have the chance to have somebody on base every time, because they're not going to pitch to the guys in front of me like Chipper or Brian. I don't think that I hit the ball good in the whole season. And there's another chance to be in the playoff and change everything, and that's what I tried to do, tried to hit the ball better. And that's it.

EDDIE PEREZ: That's the easiest name for them to say. But I like it. I like when our crowd gets into the game, because that's what we need from them. That's what they've been doing the last few weeks.

EDDIE PEREZ: I think this is the biggest thing that happened to me. Winning the World Series in '95, it was nice, but I don't have the chance to play. Now I've got the chance to play and win National League Championship, and that feels good. I think that's the biggest moment. And hopefully, this will be my biggest moment, the next step.

EDDIE PEREZ: Since last year, that was the first time that I played with him together on the same team. And it was unbelievable. He's bigger than the Pope; he's like Michael Jordan over there. And to have him around me and talk to me about hitting is nice. And Javy was with me all the time, helping me what kind of pitch I have to call. A lot of stuff hitting, too. Javy is one of my best friends on the team. They don't stay home and watch the game. They come here every day and try to help me and everybody because that's what we need from those guys.

EDDIE PEREZ: We played them in the interleague this year, and I think we played real good. They've almost got the same starting rotation that we saw in the series. And almost the same one as in '96 when we faced them in the World Series. I don't know if they're pitching different. I think we have to play better than we did the last four games, that's for sure.