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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: CARDINALS v METS

October 11, 2006

Jeff Suppan

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Game One (Postponed)

Q. How was your journey over here today and what's it been like just kind of hanging out waiting?
JEFF SUPPAN: Yeah, I think you're always going to have a little traffic in New York. I didn't think it was going to take us an hour and a half to get here today. So, you know, that's a part of the game. You have things you have to wait on and see what happens. You never know what the weather is going to be like and they said there's a possibility of rain. So we just kind of hang out and do what you normally do during rain delays or when it rains.

Q. You pitched a year with Cory Lidle, wanted to get your reaction to his death.
JEFF SUPPAN: Yeah, I played with Cory in 1998. Yeah, it's really tragic. You know, you just don't hear things like that that often. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and for all his teammates that have played with him. You kind of really don't know really what to say. I mean, this is a very tragic event.

Q. Did you guys find out about Cory on the team bus together or before, and was there any discussion while you were coming over here wondering what was happening with him?
JEFF SUPPAN: The only thing -- actually, I just remember hearing earlier a helicopter or something and there might be some traffic or whatever. I didn't hear about it until I got to the ballpark.
I don't know if it was confirmed or not. I didn't really know. I just kind of heard that and, you know, I was kind of in shock. Then I guess they confirmed it.

Q. Given that this is such an emotional time for teams when you're getting so excited about playing in a big game, how difficult is it to kind of process something like this that happened to Cory Lidle?
JEFF SUPPAN: All I can really say is my thoughts are with him and his family. I don't really know how you process it. So, you know, that being said, you're kind of just in limbo I guess you could say. I just hope that, you know, his family is able to deal with the tragedy.

Q. Not to belabor it, but I know that spiritual things matter to you, how do you put this in context of getting ready for a ballgame and doing what you do, how do you do that?
JEFF SUPPAN: Well, I think you only have control over what you have control over. I just try to really, you know, focus on what I need to do. You do that the best way you can, and that's about how you do it. I mean, I don't think -- there's no right way or wrong way or it's just your way. It's just however you deal with it.

Q. Have they announced anything beyond tonight's starters? Has Tony told you yet?
JEFF SUPPAN: If I'm starting?

Q. Game 2, are you officially the Game 2 starter?
JEFF SUPPAN: Yes, he told me officially that I was the Game 2 starter, yes.

Q. And if tonight is rained out, how does that ultimately affect your normal prep time if it's pushed back a day?
JEFF SUPPAN: Well, you know, it would just -- it would probably be normal. I've been rained out of starts or a start before I've pitched. I don't know what's going to happen. They didn't really saying anything yet. But as far as my preparation, it would be the same as if it wasn't getting rained out.

Q. I just wants to follow up on that. Is it different, though, in playoffs? Obviously you get rained out and you just prepare. But do you have sort of like a mindset that's different in the playoffs with weather and all that kind of stuff?
JEFF SUPPAN: I think you try not to. I think you try to keep it as normal as possible. I think it doesn't matter when you're pitching. As an athlete, as a baseball player, you have to deal with distractions or delays or, you know, you kind of just deal with it and you prepare the best you can.
So if it's in the playoffs or not, I mean, I think you still try to keep that same frame of mind of, you know, you're focused, but you're loose because you don't really know what's going to happen.

Q. How do you feel about your game right now? You kind of struggled the last time out.
JEFF SUPPAN: I gave up three runs and missed with the location of the changeup. But, I mean, that happens. You know, I'm really just focusing on what I have to do to pitch against the Mets right now. You know, that series, that last game, it's over with. The last series is over with, and we're just focusing and I'm just focusing on playing the Mets.

Q. In the past it appears you've had pretty good success with the heart of their lineup but the top two guys have given you some problems. Obviously I guess it's the big focus to keep Reyes off the bases.
JEFF SUPPAN: Yeah, he's a good player. I mean, he does a lot of things well. He's a good leadoff guy. Obviously keeping him off base is key.
But you just really try to make your pitches, make him hit it on the ground, and hopefully add somebody and you go from there.

Q. Just want to ask you, what year did you play with Lidle and what team?
JEFF SUPPAN: I played with him for a short time in 1998 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

End of FastScripts...

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