NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES v DIAMONDBACKS

October 17, 2001

John Burkett

JOHN BURKETT: Well, I think he's done a great job, especially this year, with putting pieces together. Our team, we've had a lot of changes this year. I think he's done a great job with switching guys around, moving guys around, putting them in the right spots to be successful. I think overall what makes him so successful is I think he's really good at handling the pitching staff and he seems to stick with his starters a lot, which I believe gives your team a better chance. Although we do have a strong bullpen here, I think he still leans toward having starters out there for six, seven, eight innings sometimes. Also, he's a player's manager. You hear people talking about a player's manager. I think he's the ultimate. He pretty much lets us go out there and play. Not a whole lot of rules. There's a few rules on the team but I think for the most part he lets everybody do what they need to do and everybody does what they need to do to get ready.

JOHN BURKETT: I don't know (laughing). I'm sure there's a few of them, but...

JOHN BURKETT: (Laughing). Be on time I'm sure is one of them. I don't know what other ones would be, but it's not that important, though, is it?

JOHN BURKETT: I really enjoy bowling, so my first 300 game was really exciting because I was only 17 years old. But I think doing things as a member of a team makes it a lot more fun, a lot more enjoyable because you can enjoy it with other people. That's why I enjoy baseball more than bowling, because you have 24 other guys on the team plus coaches and manager and the organization and sometimes a whole city are celebrating your success. It's a lot of fun that way.

JOHN BURKETT: I think I have ten. Nine or ten right now. I've had five in the media guide for a while (laughing). Hopefully this will change it. They just kept it five in there for a while, but I think I have nine or ten right now.

JOHN BURKETT: It's been an amazing ride, definitely. In 2000, I was in spring training with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after being not offered a contract or let go by the Texas Rangers after the '99 season. Didn't make the team out of spring training, but Bobby Cox and Leo Mazzone saw something they liked, grabbed me, and here I am. It's unbelievable. I'm going to be pitching Game 3 now in the NLCS for the Atlanta Braves. Just two years ago I felt like I was ready to retire. So this has always been a (inaudible) for me. I'm really enjoying it. I can't wait to get back out there on Friday night.

JOHN BURKETT: They've helped a lot. Other teams that I've been on, I think I've been able to watch Maddux and Glavine and take something from each of their games and add it to my game. I've done that on every team I've been on. I've been able to watch guys like Rick Reuschel Buddy Black, and Don Robinson. In Texas I learned a lot from watching Rick Helling and Aaron Sele. I never threw a curveball until I saw those guys dominating with their curveball. I decided to add that to my game. I went through a transition period where I struggled a little bit and then after coming here to Atlanta I made a couple changes, that along with watching these guys pitch here has been a big help.

JOHN BURKETT: Absolutely nothing (laughter). He was really impressive yesterday, I thought. Beginning of the game, I thought we put some really good at-bats on him, hit the ball really hard off him, took him to the warning track a couple times. I noticed he made an adjustment going to his off-speed pitches. He threw more off-speed pitches than I've seen in my career watching him pitch. I thought it was impressive he made that adjustment. I'm going to try to see if I can get it up to 85, 86 Friday night.

JOHN BURKETT: Yeah, I do a little scouting on Schilling. And I hope I can get (inaudible) off of him. That's really all I think about. Besides that, I think in the playoffs, it's usually going to be a tight game. I really don't have a lot of problems with my team. So for me, I'll prepare myself. I get ready for the game the same way every time whether it's a regular season game or post-season game. I'll watch the tapes tonight real close. I've been watching the other series, the series they just finished up. And I'll just go in and prepare tonight for tomorrow and I'll be ready to go Friday. I really don't think about the other pitcher though, to tell you the truth. I just really have to execute on my own to get those guys out. That's what's really on my mind.

JOHN BURKETT: I don't know. I doubt it. I think I will do what I really love, I love bowling. But I've been away from my family and my wife. The last couple years has been really tough for me. I enjoy being around my family. When I get done with baseball, I will take advantage of my free time spending it with them for the most part. But around Texas, when they come around Texas, I'll probably hit a couple stops here or there but I'd never do it full-time.