MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 26, 1997

Jim Leyland

JIM LEYLAND: Like I said, I didn't dedicate the Series to those guys, but I wanted to remind those guys in the Winter Ball and Instructional League, guys like me that weren't very good players, they weren't going anywhere, they're on the Instructional League, they're managing to coach, and think they have no chance to get to the Major Leagues. This win is dedicated to those guys. You're looking at a back up catcher in AA. And I finally arrived at the pinnacle of this sport tonight, so there's hope for all those guys out there, don't give up, and maybe things will work out for them like it did for me.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I don't know, you get crazy when things like this happen. I made an ass of myself more than once in my life, but I probably did it tonight. My wife is with me, I think she'll excuse me tonight.

JIM LEYLAND: There's a whole lot of difference between me and Cal Ripken, Jr. I wouldn't insult Cal Ripken by taking a lap because he did it. Like I said you gentlemen react when you're happy, and obviously other than when I married the lady over here, this is probably the happiest moment of my life.

JIM LEYLAND: I really didn't think about this too much, to be honest with you. I tried to work hard and keep my players zeroed in. We've dedicated this on behalf of the Florida Marlins, we've dedicated in World Series to Mohammed Ali. He was my theme throughout the Series. I'll share that with you tonight. We even had the -- the Champ was going to come to our clubhouse in Cleveland, but at the last minute I decided against it, because he wasn't in good shape. I've been using the Champ as our theme the whole Series, and I was just going to ask him walk through the clubhouse at the end of my speech. But I felt that the media would find out about it, pick up on it, and he's not in the best of shape. Champ, this is dedicated to you, we're not in your class, but I know you're proud of us tonight.

JIM LEYLAND: I wouldn't share that with anybody. That's pretty private.

JIM LEYLAND: I'll tell you exactly why. I felt like, I told the guys going into the World Series, he fought a lot of people, but when it came to the heavyweight fight, which in our case it was the World Series, he trained harder, better, he trained smarter, he trained with more dedication. I read one time where he was the hardest working athlete in the world. I said that I wanted to pattern this World Series after his career, what he had done. And if we were going to be the heavyweight champ that's what we needed to do because we were going to be fighting a Joe Frazier, a Sunny Liston, we were going to be fighting the big guys. In order for us to win, we were going to have to train and think like Mohammed Ali. And thank God for him.

JIM LEYLAND: To be honest with you, I'm remiss a little bit, that's the first time I should have done. I know it's hard for Mike Hargrove and the Indians to accept congratulations tonight. They showed why they were here, I never get hung up on how someone else manages because I have to manage my team, and I try not to worry about the other guy, but I can tell you this, I couldn't help but notice how good Mike Hargrove was this Series. I thought he was brilliant. And we just -- I think he'll be the first one to tell you, we're at the mercy of our players, and we happened to get the big hit when we needed it and we were able to win it. But congratulations to Mike. Dick Jacob's, John Hart, and obviously my counterpart in this Series, Mike Hargrove. They had a tremendous year, and were a tremendous representative of the American League. I congratulate them. I know that's hard for them to swallow tonight but I mean it sincerely.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, our World Series was won by about 35 people, about another 30 or 40 scouts. Our general manager, Dave Dombrowski, our owner, Wayne Huizenga, our president, Don Smiley, our fans in South Florida. This was a team effort. When I came here I said one heartbeat, and we're certainly ticking the same tonight.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, obviously that story doesn't really even need to be repeated what he did for the organization and our club this year is just unbelievable. But, you know, to me this is not a night to single out anybody. This is a night to rejoice as an organization, to thank Lachemann and Bowles who set the table for me and I came in and got to cut the ribbon. This is a night to thank a lot of people. Right now my buddy is waiting in the back to say hello to me and I'd like to go back and talk to him. So if you don't mind I'd like to be excused.