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MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 21, 1997

Mike Hargrove

CLEVELAND, OHIO: Game Three

Q. Mike, are you concerned at all -- this is the game or event of baseball, the World Series, that the first two games weren't very exciting, and tonight's game was so poorly played? The perception around the country?

MIKE HARGROVE: The only thing that concerns me is we didn't win tonight. I don't think either team has to apologize to anybody for being in the World Series. We beat some very good teams to get here. And the first night they beat us, the second night we won, and tonight both teams out to beat each other, and I don't think either team has to apologize or needs to apologize to anybody for being here.

Q. Mike, when you consider that both teams combined for six errors, 17 walks and by the 9th inning, the wind chill factor was 23. How much of that do you attribute to the weather?

MIKE HARGROVE: I don't attribute it to the weather, it was just poor play. Those things happen in this game. We haven't had a game like that in a long time. And I bet you a dollar that the Marlins haven't, either. Those things happen, and they're not pretty when it happens, but there's no excusing the fact that we just played poorly.

Q. As well as your bullpen has gone for a 10, 12 period now, were you surprised?

MIKE HARGROVE: Yeah, our bullpen has been good for us more than 10 or 12 games. Yeah, I was surprised that we didn't pitch better. We didn't pitch well tonight. We didn't get good starting pitching, we didn't get good middle relief, didn't get good short relief, and didn't pitch well. The one thing we have done in postseason is we've kept our ball club in the game, and that didn't happen tonight.

Q. Mike, earlier tonight when the question directed to you about Eric Plunk you had some concerns about the fact that he hadn't pitched a lot, was that where the game got away from you?

MIKE HARGROVE: I wasn't concerned that he hadn't pitched a lot. I think I was asked about him, and I was asked what his role would be, and I said that we'd try to get him in there for one or two hitters, ideally, but then if we had to I wasn't afraid to extend him beyond that, and that's what happened tonight. We felt we had to extend him beyond what it is. He came in and got Sheffield out in a bases loaded situation, and we had to extend him. We didn't have anybody else out there, really. Our pitching was pretty thin at that time -- people we had used to try to choke the runs off at the time. So we wanted to extend him one more inning, and it just didn't work.

Q. Mike, I just want to find out what feel you had for the game, after five innings you're up 7-3, considering the kind of pitching you'd been getting up to this point, how did you feel about it after five?

MIKE HARGROVE: After five we were up 7-3, and anytime we've had a four-run lead throughout the season it's been fairly safe. There have been times we haven't been able to maintain that lead and tonight was one of those. It was disappointing, especially since it was the World Series. But I've learned in this game a long time ago you don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched. And especially playing a team like the Marlins, who have a good ball club, you can't count on anything, you have to go out and close the door and get the job done.

Q. How do you turn the page on a game like this, is it easier on a game like this compared to an excruciating loss?

MIKE HARGROVE: Yeah, I don't know if it's any easier, you just learn to do it. Really it's over, you take away from it what can help you be better tomorrow and you let it go. There are some games it's very difficult to let go. Tonight is not going to be one of those. We just played so poorly, and the game was such an ugly game that it won't be hard to let this one go. Tomorrow is a new day and you go out and try to redeem yourself.

Q. Did Sheffield's catch change the momentum of your game?

MIKE HARGROVE: I don't think so, it was an outstanding catch. When Jimmy hit it I didn't think it was out, anyway, I was surprised it got as close as it did. When Sheffield caught the ball, no, it was just a very good play.

Q. Mike, you stayed away from your closer in the 9th inning at home, tie game, is that because you thought at that point you were a little short in your bullpen?

MIKE HARGROVE: Exactly. We had a tie ballgame. Normally we go to Mesa in the 9th. We would have gone to him later.

Q. You guys were very careful pitching to Sheffield in the first two games?

MIKE HARGROVE: I think it was a combination of him and our mistakes.

Q. Charlie Nagy pitched so well in the game against Baltimore, tonight what were his major problems?

MIKE HARGROVE: Well, tonight he didn't throw strikes, I don't know that I've ever seen Charlie Nagy walk a run in like he did tonight, and that's just very unNagy like. But those things happen. The biggest thing was Charlie was not throwing strikes, not pitching ahead of the hitters. Good Major League hitters, if you are behind them all the time in the count they're going to lay on the pitchers throat and it's going to hurt you.

Q. Jaret Wright always seems to be such a loose pitcher going into his game, is that a benefit tomorrow?

MIKE HARGROVE: Oh, I think it's a benefit anytime, but Jaret's pitched big games in big situations for us really the last two months of the season. So we need to Jaret to come up and hit more.

End of FastScripts....

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