MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 25, 1997

Omar Vizquel

OMAR VIZQUEL: Yes, I think this is the most important play I ever made in my career. I made that play before, but not in these type of situations.

OMAR VIZQUEL: Yes, I knew if I dove I was going to get a good chance to catch it. But I didn't know if I was going to throw out the guy on first base. Obviously after I dove I caught the ball and I had a clean grab on the ball that made me throw the ball to first base and get the guy out.

OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, we've been in this situation before, falling behind in the Series, and now it's tied up. I think they are the ones that have the pressure, seeing as they're playing in their home right now. We've got a pretty relaxed atmosphere in the clubhouse, even today I walked in and saw a couple of guys playing Ping-Pong and playing cards, that made me think that everybody is relaxed. And even before the game when the guy was singing the National Anthem, everybody was fooling around a little bit, and that's the way that you have to be all the time.

OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, I think anybody can pitch tomorrow, everybody has to be ready, even the manager maybe throw a couple of innings (laughter.)

OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, I just kind of like take a look at the pitcher. He looked at me a couple of times in the first couple of pitches, after that I think he forgot about me. I think he was expecting Manny to move me over with a ground ball to second or something like that. And he kind of took his eye off and I just took off, he was kind of slow to home and I had a good chance to make it, so I did.

OMAR VIZQUEL: Yes, sometimes I do. But I played tonight and it didn't surprise me. There are other plays that I make that I really surprise myself. But I think that play -- I'd done it before. Maybe if I would have made a play that I'd never done before, yes, it surprise me.

OMAR VIZQUEL: Probably about six, seven times.

OMAR VIZQUEL: That was my point, you know. Maybe if I would have had another guy, I would never throw the ball. But I knew that he was running. If I would have been maybe an average runner, maybe the play was going to be really close. But since it was Charles Johnson, you know, he's slow, I had a chance, and I think I still think I threw him out by one step. So it was a tough play.

OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, yeah, a lot of people really count those out. We were the underdog of the Yankee series, and one more time we were the underdogs with the Oriole series. And I think one more time we're the underdogs with the Florida Marlins. But I think these two teams match up pretty good. We've got about the best line-up in the American League, and they do have a pretty good hitting line-up. And even before the Series we knew that there weren't going to be a lot of runs scored. But whoever played the best game, not only pitching or defense or hitting, just the best game was going to be the winner. So tomorrow is going to be wild again, one more time and whoever plays the best baseball is going to win.