AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RED SOX v YANKEES

October 16, 1999

Nomar Garciaparra

John Valentin

JOHN VALENTIN: Being down 0-2 we knew Pedro was going to be on the mound, so we knew we needed to get some runs and with a man on third, I just tried to get a fly ball and you know, he threw me a 2-2 fastball and took a good swing and hit a home run.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA: I don't think anybody is 100% at this stage of the game. But it is good enough to go out there and play and that is all that matters to me. I am healthy enough to play. I am going to keep going on there. I am just glad I am able to do that everyday.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA: That is the type of pitcher he is. I am sure he goes out there and everybody wants to feel 100% or feel like they have their good stuff working. When he has -- the arsenal that he has, the different type of pitches, he knows how to pitch. He is not one of those guys that has great stuff and gets you. Not only does he have great stuff, he thinks out there. He has an idea of what he does with every pitch and every hitter. He did that today. Fortunately for us he went out there and did a tremendous job with what he had. We were lucky enough to go out there and put some runs on there for him.

JOHN VALENTIN: Well, no not really. What happened I went on the DL and got some rest and found out what was wrong with my knee and knew I had to have surgery at the end of the year. But as I was getting rest, I started to feel better, getting therapy, physical therapy; the DL time was up and I told Jimy that I wanted to play.

JOHN VALENTIN: Well, I don't think it is a Roger thing to us. We are down 0-2, so it doesn't really matter who is pitching. We knew we had to score runs for Pedro and that is the way we kind of played it out. We knew we had to try to get some runs. It just so happened I went 2-2 with Jose hitting a triple. I just needed to get him in so I was trying to hit a fly ball.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA: I think -- I don't know, like Val said, I don't think it was a matter of who was out there on the mound. I think it was a matter of what we had to go out there and do. That was the key. We just went out there and just swung the bats. Everybody went out there and did it and that was just the difference right there. It wasn't a matter who we are facing or how is this stuff going today or from other times. It was a question of: We got to go get it done.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA: I think it is nice -- score is irrelevant. It is all about winning. In fact, if we score more runs, it is great, we put the runs up, we want to keep playing, we don't want to be down 0-3. We are still down. We know we have to keep playing and come out there and battle again tomorrow and today is over with. We got another day tomorrow. Get our rest and go get them.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA: I don't think it got into his head. You is such a go-getter, he knows he has got a job to do. He goes out there and does it, but I think it is just nice to be home. It is definitely nice to feel the positive energy on your side. You go out there, you go into Yankee Stadium, you know the energy is for them. We got to battle that and just like when they come in here they got to do the same thing. But I think both teams understand regardless of what the fans are going to do, you have got to go out and play. I think on both sides there are so many great professionals on each side they go out there and do it.

End of FastScripts�.