MLB WORLD SERIES: PADRES v YANKEES

October 20, 1998

David Cone

DAVID CONE: Not a whole lot, to tell you the truth. We didn't really know what to expect. But from day one he seemed to fit in in Spring Training this year. Got along real well with the rest of the guys, seemed to move around real well, and played great defense, and started swinging the bat from day one, and we said we're onto something here, and it was just a perfect fit.

DAVID CONE: I thought the 6th inning was a huge turning point. We had a chance to score in the top of the 6th, we didn't get it done. Hitchcock did a great job of pitching out of that jam. And I turned around and went out there and gave up three runs, and I thought it was a huge turnaround. And Scottie picked us up, got the first run on the board with his first home run. That gave us a lift, and we broke the ice. And we thought we could get Hitchcock out of the game and do some damage.

DAVID CONE: I was up -- I tried to run up to the clubhouse to change my shirt, and didn't realize I was that close to being up to the plate, and I had to run back down and get out there in a hurry.

DAVID CONE: I would agree with that. I made just enough good pitches the right time to get through the first five innings, a couple of walks here and there. It wasn't a dominating performance, for the first five. And to go out in the 6th, gave up the hit to the pitcher, and I thought the key to the inning was walking Veras, and then I threw a really good spliter to Tony Gwynn, he's an amazing hitter, he did a great job of putting his bat on that ball. And I think Girardi's glove was on the ground

for that pitch.

DAVID CONE: Two words, Kevin Brown tomorrow. We're not by any means over confident at this point. Obviously we're ecstatic to be up 3-0. Obviously we're 3-0, but Kevin Brown probably has some other thoughts tonight.

DAVID CONE: I was up in the clubhouse with ice on my arm. And everybody just jumped through the roof. It was just incredible. It was almost disbelief when the ball went off the bat, that's dead center, is that going to make it? And he just crushed the ball. There was nothing cheap about that shot. When you go straight center field off a great closer, that's legitimate.

DAVID CONE: It feels exactly like you said, we're on the brink of something really special. There's going to be a lot of arguments historically about where this team fits in. But we've got one more game to go. It's the most professional team, it's the best team in baseball. We've worked very hard to play professionally, to come out every night. We won 114 games in the regular season, and you don't do that without being an unbelievably professional team, and I'm very proud to be a part of it.

DAVID CONE: Well, I had six years in the National League, and by no means did I think I was going to get a hit tonight because of that. It's not as if I'd never been out there or swung the bat or been in a position. I think Hitchcock was treating me like I treated him, I didn't want to walk him. When he got the hit off me to return the favor, I thought go right down the middle, and I'm sure he was thinking the same thing about me, go after him and make him hit the ball.

DAVID CONE: Well, action all year long. We just have great confidence in the depth of our line-up. The bottom of our line-up has started many rallies all year long. National League games are different because you have the pitcher batting. With Scott Brosius, we have extreme confidence, regardless of what I think it is or where we are in the batting order.

End of FastScripts�.