MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 25, 1997

Mike Hargrove

MIKE HARGROVE: I think you saw as much as anything, a guy that knew he needed to put the ball in play, and didn't try to do too much with the ball and just hit it right where -- the soft line-drive to the right of Conine for the double RBI hit, and the lead off double down the line that he hit to Conine's left, he hit pretty hard, for a guy that was not trying to do too much with the pitch, I was certainly glad to see it.

MIKE HARGROVE: We will start Jaret Wright tomorrow night.

MIKE HARGROVE: The reason we didn't, as I've said all along -- the reason I decided to go with Jaret in Game 4 was because I didn't really know -- I wasn't willing to take the risk of starting him in Game 2 and coming back in Game 6 and not being able to do that because of all the innings that he's pitched. The outing performance we got out of him in Game 4 led me to believe that he still is effective and so we will go with Jaret on three days. Last time he had thrown three days was against the Yankees in the Divisional Series, and he threw the ball well. We've got everybody available as will the Marlins, too.

MIKE HARGROVE: Both, I semi-made it and it solidified it at the end of the game. I probably came to the decision some time yesterday.

MIKE HARGROVE: I sure hope we don't spot anybody anything, we need all the help we can get. We've got a club that a lot of people would have liked to have written off a number of times, and in certain cases rightfully so. But these guys are -- they're good people, they've got talent, they believe in themselves and each other, and have got a lot of heart. So I'm very proud to be associated with this group of guys, they're good people.

MIKE HARGROVE: I was getting a drink of water when the ball was hit and I saw Omar dive and make the play, and I almost choked. Nothing that Omar does with his glove surprises me. Nothing he does with his bare hands surprises me. This guy has got the guts of a burglar. And he's very, very good at what he does and is very cool and collected. He's a player.

MIKE HARGROVE: If Ogea doesn't get on track, we're not sitting here today, you'll probably be calling me on the phone in Cleveland and asking me this question. Chad Ogea has been nothing but a winner, everywhere he's been. I can remember sitting in meetings when he was a spot starter, and probably a long reliever, but the thing about Chad is that Chad has been a winner everywhere he's been. Chad has came up with a curve ball to supplement his 2-seam fastball and 4-seam fastball and the change up. He's been a winner in Little League, high school and college and now in the Major Leagues. I feel comfortable with Chad on the mound. I feel very comfortable because I know he's going to give it everything he's got and isn't going to be distracted.

MIKE HARGROVE: I mentioned to Jaret Wright the other day that he may start this game and his reaction to me was okay. And that's -- he doesn't get very excited -- he doesn't see let you see him get very excited. He has a tremendous will to win. I don't want to get all philosophic, but he handles things real well. I was concerned when I asked him to start Game 2 against the Yankees, that was my big concern. He has since proven to me that he really can pitch in any situation, or has pitched in any situation to us, and has done well, kept us in the ballgame and won some big games for us in the last couple of months.

MIKE HARGROVE: Bip is fine. He's been kind of battling a flu bug all week. I thought he was over it, fact of the matter I asked today if I had anybody sick, and my answer was no. And I meant it when I said it because I talked to the trainers and they gave me no indication that anybody was ill. Bip was a little sick, but Tony was coming in the game defensively at any way at that point, we had a four-run lead and I felt it was time to make the move and put our defensive ball club on the field, and the best one we could. And I think Bip will be okay. It's not anything serious.