NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS v CARDINALS

October 15, 2000

Pat Hentgen

PAT HENTGEN: It's been tough. I mean, I think that I'm a competitor, I like to pitch, I like to have the ball. But I understand we're in a situation where we've had a lot of good pitchers, and I think we're here because of the fact that we have a good pitching staff, a good defense, a good offense to boot. But it's been all right. I'm anxious; I can't wait.

PAT HENTGEN: I've thrown on the side a couple times and I threw a simulated game in St. Louis during the Atlanta series where I faced some of our extra hitters. But as far as being in the game, it's been a while. It's been since the last regular season start that I had. You're trying to stay sharp. I've been around a while, this is my ninth year. I think I'll be all right.

PAT HENTGEN: No, I think the key is to go out and not change anything. I know that I've pitched in the post-season twice before, and both times I took the approach like it was just a regular season game and I'll continue to do that.

PAT HENTGEN: I think the big thing is even if you pitch every fifth day, the first inning is a telling tale. Most pitchers need to get in a good rhythm. You get that first inning under your belt - you've seen that here in the post-season so far in both leagues, starting pitchers had a tendency to give up runs in the beginning innings. You have to go out there, be aggressive, throw strikes and hopefully you'll get in a rhythm.

PAT HENTGEN: Well, I think Mike caught me every start this year except for the very last one. Carlos (Hernandez) is a good big league catcher and has done a good job for us. I'm looking forward to throwing to him. This isn't going to be the first time I've thrown to him. We've talked a lot during the post-season so far about how he's going to catch me and so forth. To me, I've got to throw the ball, I've got to hit my spots. Carlos is a good receiver, so I'm not worried about it at all.

PAT HENTGEN: Just like any other pitcher, my stuff was probably the same. I think it was location. I struggled with my location. The second-from-last start, actually I was winning 5-2 going into the sixth and gave up four in the sixth, so it wasn't bad through five. Unfortunately, they're nine-inning games, not five.

PAT HENTGEN: Well, I came just shy 200 innings, and I won 15 games for a championship team. We have a good club, and in order to win 15 games you have to be surrounded by good players. But I think the first half I struggled. There's no question. I think in the second half I made some good adjustments with Dave Duncan and Mike Matheny, I think I put together a pretty solid second half. When I look back on it, the first half I'd like to redo, but the second half I'd like to keep.

PAT HENTGEN: Well, I think the Cardinals brought me over here to take the ball and give me innings. I think that I did that. The post-season is always a plus. Like I said earlier, we have a good pitching staff. We have good pitchers, and I'm going to use Kile's line right here; he said it's about 25 guys and four games. I'm just happy to be a part of it. As far as my ego, no, it's no big deal. I want to win.

PAT HENTGEN: I think it's more of a mental thing. Personally, in my case, I know that I have no problems with it. I think Darryl's the same way. But some guys have a problem with it. I don't personally have a problem with that. I don't think Darryl does either, or otherwise he wouldn't be pitching. I think a lot of it is mind over matter. Guys are thinking they have less stuff on that third day as opposed to having the extra fourth day. Bottom line, you can get anybody out no matter what kind of stuff you have if you can locate it.

PAT HENTGEN: Well, I don't know. I really -- it's kind of tough. I think the biggest concern would be having real good life on your fastball and not being able to harness it in the strike zone. You get through that first couple of hitters, you start to get in a groove and good things will happen.

PAT HENTGEN: My approach would be the exact same. I mean, I think that my approach tomorrow is going to be exactly the same as it was during the regular season. Granted, the game's bigger, there's more media, there's less teams involved - you got only the four teams left. But the bottom line is you go out, you pitch, and you do what you did to get here and hopefully it will continue on to the World Series.