MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 21, 1997

Gary Sheffield

GARY SHEFFIELD: I think so. I've been waiting 9 years for this, and it finally happened and I was able to come through for my teammates. Under the circumstances we were in tonight we was playing a tough team and we pulled out.

GARY SHEFFIELD: I get a lot of bad publicity as far as my defense, but I think I'm a good outfielder and I make the plays that I can get to. I give my coaches a lot of credit for putting me in the right position. I just want to show up in both ends of the field in this series.

GARY SHEFFIELD: Well, I'm just thrilled to death that I'm here, just to be in the World Series and perform for the Florida Marlins. I'm from Florida and to be able to do it at home, and bring the World Championship here, is more gratifying than anything.

GARY SHEFFIELD: Not at all. We were in Chicago when it was real cold and we were motivated to keep that blocked out of your mind and do the job. Jim Leyland is a great motivator and manager, he has a lot to do it. We don't think about the cold, because both teams are out there playing.

GARY SHEFFIELD: Yeah, I went up there thinking they were going to pitch to me today, and try to surprise me, because a lot of things have been going on. I just came in ready today and tried to capitalize on them when they came in.

GARY SHEFFIELD: It takes a lot of discipline. I've had help with being patient, when they come in the strike zone capitalizing on them when they do. When you get the opportunity to hit you've got to hit.

GARY SHEFFIELD: We gave away our bats. That's something Jim Leyland kept stressing, don't give away the bats. I think Eisenreich's homerun was the biggest hit of the night. In the American League you've got nine guys hitting, as far as the regular line-up, and we felt we had a chance, when the guys down the order produce.

GARY SHEFFIELD: I think so. I know what kind of player I am. I think I look too far ahead to get to this point. During the season I wasn't as focused as I usually am. I'm used to carrying a team, and I've been carrying the Marlins 4 or 5 years. Now we have players on the team capable of doing things I'm capable of doing. I think I look too far ahead at a time.

GARY SHEFFIELD: I looked in the dugout and they were telling me to move back, they told me to move in the gap a little bit. I know he's a pull hitter, he moved me over a little bit, and I was able to get back to the wall and make the catch. When I looked back I found the wall, and it stayed in my glove.

GARY SHEFFIELD: Well, I think this was the biggest game of the Series. It was a tie series, whoever loses this game is going to be down one. I think it was bigger for us to win because this is the loudest crowd I've ever played in front of. I couldn't even hear myself think. To pull out the first victory here is a big win.

GARY SHEFFIELD: I don't know how to explain it. When we got within two we felt we had hope again. In the World Series you don't feel about things like that, you just think about winning the ballgame.

GARY SHEFFIELD: I've never been involved in a game like this. I've never been in a 14-11 game. Just to do it in the World Series, you never think you're going to score that many runs in the World Series. I can't explain it. The first game he pitched well, but things happen and hopefully we can go forward from here.