NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES v DIAMONDBACKS

October 21, 2001

Bobby Cox

BOBBY COX: Well, St. Louis, we were 1-3 and came back and won. We have won three games before in a row many times. We still got a crack at it. I don't think they have to be reminded that we've done it before. Morale is still good. We've played two bad innings in the last three months. I know the field is very, very wet during the ball games. The grass is extremely wet just because of the weather, the temperature, not because we've watered it or anything. When you see one of their players throw one away or one of ours, it's because of that. But we made other errors last night and mistakes that didn't have anything to do with the grass. We just played two bad innings. They're aware of that. They also know how well they can play.

BOBBY COX: No. Absolutely nothing. It has everything to do with the temperature being hot during the day and the sudden drop as soon as the sun goes down. That's when the moisture starts rising. We've talked to them today about it. But it's been that way ever since Philly came in here and the Mets and Florida and Houston. But we played some of those games in the day. So we didn't realize it was that big of a problem. But at night -- it didn't come into play until two days ago really.

BOBBY COX: I don't think so. We certainly didn't kick the ball around for two games like we have here.

BOBBY COX: Yeah, Burkett and Maddux. They're both in great shape to go.

BOBBY COX: Well, one of them was the other night. We didn't cover the bag at second. That's because we were playing Womack way up the middle and there should have been some communication there. Other than that, there hadn't been. Chipper couldn't hardly get back to third last night, I don't think, because he went for the ball that Maddux caught. That was the reason for that. But that's the only one.