AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: INDIANS v YANKEES

October 10, 1998

David Wells

DAVID WELLS: I just asked him how he felt and what he was -- you know, what his intentions were and I feel pretty good right now and just when you get in situations, nothing -- not taking away from anybody else -- but I feel pretty good and I want to pitch, so I guess I'm stubborn.

DAVID WELLS: It would be tough, but depending on the -- how many pitches and situation of the ball game, going to score a bunch of runs, get me out after 5, I could probably manage. I can dig deep and find a little extra.

DAVID WELLS: Well, being younger, back in the early days for me, it was something I was just pretty much a thrower. I had a better fastball than I do now. I really didn't think about what I was doing earlier in my career. But now, I've learned the hitters, learned how to pitch, and used my off speed stuff as well, just to try to keep some of these good fastball hitters confused from time to time. It's not going to be like that all the time. I wish it were, but my confidence is -- it just grows every year going out there from being 20-something years old compared to 35.

DAVID WELLS: I don't think I've ever done it two days -- three days, I have. But two days, only just out of the bullpen. I've gone like 3, 4 innings in the bullpen and then came back and threw two days later. But it's a lot different. Less pitches.

DAVID WELLS: Never curious, I know what these guys are capable of doing at any given time. But when you're in this situation, when your back is against the wall, you're going to see what these guys are really made of. See if they're going to go out there and play aggressively, more so than ever before. And I think that with the makeup that we have and the tools that we have, I think we can go out there and put up some solid numbers on offense as well as defense, make the great plays, like Derek over there, he does wonders there at shortstop as well. But I just think -- I hope not. I hope that the guys don't feel the pressure because that's the worst thing you want to do in this situation when you're down 2-1 is start to get nervous out there, just go out there and play and just play as hard as you can and try not to let any little thing upset you. So last night was -- to me, everyone looked flat. They weren't really geared up for the game. But things -- things happen. One day we'll be flat and the next day we'll come out and do some damage. So I think that -- these guys are ready to play.

DAVID WELLS: I don't -- I don't think that just because we won 114 ball games, knock on wood, that's something that you can never take away at all. I mean, if we don't win it, not going to say that doesn't happen, I think the credibility of our team has proved itself, regardless of what we do. It just makes us look that much better if we do win it, but I think overall you just have to go out there and just -- and try to accomplish things that are hard to accomplish. And with that in mind, we've just got to go out there and play the best we can play, regardless of what people say, what you guys write. I think that overall we should be proud of what we've done and what we've accomplished and I think that it would be -- to me, would be disturbing to hear otherwise because that's just unheard of nowadays because the teams are so good out there and to put those kind of statistics up with the ball club that -- not a single guy in the lineup hit 30 homeruns. One guy only went 20 our bullpen was outstanding. It just was a combination of everything. So I think everybody should be proud and if there is any negative feedback on that, they should just laugh, you know.

DAVID WELLS: No, I hope not because that's the worst thing a pitcher can do is think like that. I think that if you do give up runs, you just -- you go out there and you try to limit them to any other runs. I think that you have to -- you know, you have to be aggressive, you have to pitch guys accordingly. There's certain situations. But that can go back to his question about with Tino. He's -- just hasn't found it yet. That happens. Tino has carried us a lot of times this year and guys go into slumps. Pitchers go into slumps as well. But I think that anything can happen. You wake somebody up at any given time, maybe I'll go in and slap him in the back of the head, Tino, wake up. Something like that. But Tino, he's a competitor and he's not going to let something like this bother him or he's at least not going to let us see it. I think I'd put him out there every day. I don't think -- I don't care if it's 0 or 50 because when he erupts, it's going to be heard.

DAVID WELLS: Nothing. Nothing at all. Just chilled out and took it easy and basically what I always do two days before I pitch.

DAVID WELLS: Is this a trick question? (Laughs). Wow, I don't know. You guys know George. He's -- he could be a happy man or an unpleasant man at any given time. But I think, regardless, in my mind and knowing George, I think that he's -- would be upset if we didn't and I think anybody would be upset with what we have done and what we've accomplished this year. But he is a forgiving man and I think that he's proud of what we've done and what we've did to prepare ourselves for the playoffs. You know, he knows -- he's a competitor himself. He knows -- I don't care how good you are, you can get beat. But we're not looking at that this way. He's in there ranting and raving right now, we're going to kick some butt and I think it's great. To me he should come in there and spark a fire under everybody's butt, but don't over bounce, do it in a good way because he can motivate you and piss you off at the same time. So I think that the overall -- the outlook of it all is that he's proud of us and I think that we're proud of him for sticking with us and putting the team out there that he's done.

DAVID WELLS: No, because they kicked some butt the first half and I think that they've had some injuries and they've had their problems, but they're fighters, man. It's like, you know, it's like, you know, you're on a streak and you come across a team that you don't think is going to come out and do what they've done and just start kicking some butt. That's just the way they are. They're street fighters, know what it takes, been in this situation quite a few times and you can't count them out no matter how bad of a second half they've had. I think we felt comfortable coming in because we kicked the crap out of them the last four games of the season we were against them. I think that was a positive for us to come in and try to do some damage, but a couple of situations, it was turned around in their favor and now they're taking this and trying to run with it and we've got to prevent that from happening. But, no, they're a solid ball club. I wouldn't count anybody out at any given time.