AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: INDIANS v YANKEES

October 7, 1998

Mike Hargrove

MIKE HARGROVE: I am not trying to dodge your question but I am going to. That is a question that we will answer as we get closer to that. We have got some options. I think that I have in consideration the fact that Jaret's last two postseason starts have not been what I think he expects himself to be or we would like to have seen. But I think we also have to realize that he has got tremendous stuff and we really -- I will make the decision as we get closer to that. But I am looking at other options.

MIKE HARGROVE: I haven't seen what his velocity was last night, Sandy Alomar said he was throwing the ball well. His velocity at the end of the season, yes, was what it has been all year 94 to 97. I have got to assume that it was last night. Looked like he was throwing the ball hard. Didn't throw it in spots he needed to throw it in.

MIKE HARGROVE: If I came up with a solid answer we wouldn't have lost last night. I think that the fact that you look at the pitchers that we do in our rotation who are very good Major League pitchers, but I think if you classified all of them, at this time there is not a number one among them. In Game 1 you are usually facing the other team's No.1. That is the only logical, you know, thought that I can come up with in that regard. I don't know. It is just one of those things. Certainly something we would like to change, but.....

MIKE HARGROVE: Bartolo started off the season as you know and pitched, the first half was outstanding. I think he was either the league leader or second in the league in ERA at the time of the All-Star break. We went through a little period in the last half of the season where he got a little tired, first time he really thrown that many innings or thrown that many pitches in one season. Came through that, his last couple of starts in the regular season, plus his start in Boston the other night, he was outstanding. I fully expect to see the same thing out of him. He was very focused in Boston, very focused and confident. He wasn't arrogant, just very confident in his ability to get the job done and went out there with an intensity that was nice to see. So I fully expect to see the same things out of him whether -- I don't know what will happen, outcome of it all, but a focused Bartolo Colon is a very good pitcher.

MIKE HARGROVE: I think that any time that you get into postseason you have to view every game that you play as a must win. We realize that the Yankees have a very good ballclub and we can't afford to give them anymore advantage than they already have. Yeah, today is a must win. Tomorrow will be too. And I don't mean to make light of your question. I really don't. I understand what you are saying. But is it a do or die, no. But do we feel like we must win it? Sure we do.

MIKE HARGROVE: No, Doc will throw a bullpen today, a side day in preparation for Game 4. So I mean, tentatively yesterday it was Doc, today it is still -- nothing has happened to change that. Again, as we get to that point and look where we are, we will determine who we go with. Right now I am anticipating Doc will start that game.

MIKE HARGROVE: I don't think it is stunning. It is certainly the, you know, makes your work extremely difficult. You have to readjust your thinking and realize that you have eight innings of baseball left and you can't try to get it all back at one time. Stunning, may be too strong a word, but it certainly is daunting.

MIKE HARGROVE: Much the same it was in Cleveland when we got beat in Game 1 as the guys were filing off the bench that day as they passed me by I heard talk of, you know, of letting this game go and getting ready for the next game and heard much the same sort of talk and attitude last night as we came off the bench and in the clubhouse. Everybody -- you go over a game like last night and take from it what will help you the next day and then you let it go. And our ballclub has been very good at being able to do that in the postseason of letting those things go and focusing on the next day. I think we are ready to play.