MLB WORLD SERIES: METS v YANKEES

October 24, 2000

Denny Neagle

DENNY NEAGLE: No, I feel like I'm right where I need to be. Physically, I feel as fit as I've been all season. That hasn't been a question whatsoever. I feel like any mechanical flaws, anything I had towards the end of the season, I ironed out in those two starts in the ALCS. Physically and mechanically, I feel like I'm right where I need to be and just need to go from there.

DENNY NEAGLE: No, none whatsoever. Fortunately, I've never been charged or anything like that, haven't had an incident like that. But I don't care which league you pitch in, you have to control both sides of the plate -- more importantly, the inside part of the plate. That's always been a part of baseball; that always should be a part of baseball. No matter if a guy owns you or if it's just like a certain team has hit you well that night, you have to be able to brush some guys back, or at least control or establish the inside part of the plate. If you don't, the hitters are going to take advantage of covering both sides of the plate with ease.

DENNY NEAGLE: Yeah.

DENNY NEAGLE: You know, honestly, I couldn't even begin to imagine or explain why Chuck has gone through that. It's just one of those things. I mean, why all of a sudden did Rick Ankiel lose his control in the NLCS? Who knows. Why did that happen to Steve Blass? Who knows? Only Chuck Knoblauch can answer that. I wish I could give you some more insight, it's just not my field.

DENNY NEAGLE: Well, the best thing I can do is approach it like any other game -- at least any other post-season game I've been in. I've had the fortune to have many different scenarios. I've pitched with my teams up 3-0, down 0-3, up 3-1. I'm sure the emotions will be flying a little bit extra tomorrow, obviously, if we are 3-0, knowing I can close out a World Series. As a kid, you dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Once you're here, the ultimate dream is to be out there pitching the ultimate, deciding game of a World Series. I'd love to be out there for a last out. But if I was to be able to be a winning pitcher in a World Series, that's a dream come true. I look forward to being up 3-0. If I do get that chance, there's nothing more special than to be able to jump on that pile after the last out of the World Series.

DENNY NEAGLE: Well, I felt like I at least warranted the Game 4 start. I feel like I did do my job well enough that I thought Joe would name me fourth-game starter. That being said, I totally understand why David was being considered for the Game 4 start also. Cone, the one thing I do want to say, is a lot was being said of the loyalty factor and different things of why Cone might have started. But I think that was also an insult to Cone in the fact that he's 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in the World Series. That alone, I think, would want you to start David Cone for Game 4. Plus the fact the Mets have a predominantly right-handed line-up, and Cone, his sliders and dropping down from different angles, I think all those things factored into Joe's decision making. I'm just thankful I was able to get the nod.

DENNY NEAGLE: I really feel like it's not even my area to even comment too much on the situation. They hired Frank Robinson for a reason. That reason is to be the man to levy fines and to look at bench-clearing brawls and all the things that might tarnish the game of baseball. Him and his people decided to levy a fine in this situation because they didn't like the way Roger handled the situation. I have not, in all honesty, even asked Roger what exactly happened, was it even remotely intentional whatsoever. So I don't think it would be fair for me to comment one way or the other whether the fine was fair or whether the whole incident was what some people might have thought it seemed like.

DENNY NEAGLE: It was here. I'd like to think that was part of the decision process. I mean, obviously Joe is -- one of the things they were talking about with Cone was the fact that he obviously played here six years and is familiar with Shea Stadium, the surroundings. I think, obviously, on the flip side of that, I think that would be part of the reason why I got the nod, because I have had success here against the Mets, especially in Shea Stadium. I've liked pitching here. I've always said this is one of the better National League pitcher's ballparks. That would definitely play into me at least remembering how I face these guys; it's familiar. I'm not that far removed from pitching against these guys. I can look back at the game, watch some tapes, feel good about going out with a game plan against these guys.

DENNY NEAGLE: I really feel like to win in the World Series, more importantly to win it all -- to win the World Series, or I should say winning the post-season but especially the World Series, it all comes down to doing little things: The guy coming in and making the pitch; the guy getting a clutch hit. You have a man on second base, nobody out, you have to get that runner over. Every year, at least when I was with Atlanta, we'd make base-running mistakes. We ran ourselves out of the NLCS with the Marlins. Every time we'd get the guys on base, nobody would come up with a hit. When we needed to make that one big pitch, somebody else would get a hit against us. That's really what it comes down to. Obviously, you can't be afraid to fail in those situations, and you can't build it up so you're so nervous that you can't come through. These guys in this clubhouse, you can see, obviously, with the guys like El Duque, with Jeter, with Bernie, now Justice over here, it's a different guy every year it seems like. That's the key. Somebody has to be able to come through for you, and it always happens every year on this team.

DENNY NEAGLE: I really feel that in the post-season, I don't think there's an advantage one way or another. There's so much that's said about 'the Mets only hit this against lefties,' or 'the Mets do hit this against this particular guy,' or 'this guy hits well against this guy in the post-season,' I think you can almost throw out the numbers, the regular season numbers, the career numbers against anybody, because that's what post-seasons are all about. You never know what's going to happen. There's always an unlikely hero, a guy that comes in and throws a great game. There's always that reliever nobody heard about, three scoreless innings, and is the surprise victor as the winner of the game. One way or another, I don't think anybody has the advantage.

DENNY NEAGLE: As far as I know, El Duque, he's still a little bit under the weather. He's got a little cold, flu bug right now. I was told about it yesterday. Before Joe had even told me I was going to be starting Game 4, I was going down to throw in the bullpen with Billy Connors, the pitching coach. He said: "Make this a light one, because..." I thought he was going to say 'because we don't know what's going on.' He said: "Because you might have to go tomorrow." I was taken aback by it. I'm sure El Duque was feeling worse yesterday. From what I understand, he's feeling better today, but he still has some of the symptoms from the cold. Knowing El Duque, once you get out there and break a sweat, he's out there in the heat of the battle. I don't think he's going to be thinking about any of the cold or flu symptoms he has.