MLB WORLD SERIES: MARLINS v YANKEES

October 23, 2003

Jack McKeon

JACK MCKEON: Well, it's a heck of a lot better than being 3-1. But we feel like we can play with these guys. I think it was a big game for us, really, when you look at it. We would have been down 3-1 if we lost this thing. Now being 2-2, I think it's really helped our confidence. Now we're going back to New York for sure and playing at least one game up there. Hopefully, it's gonna springboard us.

JACK MCKEON: No, we don't have a Game 6 starter at the present time. We're worrying about Game 5 tonight and then we got tomorrow off. So we can figure that we can make that decision later on tomorrow or the next day, for that matter. Is Willis available in the bullpen, sure.

JACK MCKEON: You'd like to have a little better conditions, but I don't think when you look at what that means to be in the World Series, I don't think the weather is going to be that much of a factor. I think in the games in New York when it was cold, I think the pitching had more to do with it than the weather. Certainly, if you had your choice, you'd rather play here.

JACK MCKEON: I think you have all those options pretty much in line there (laughter). Pretty close to what we were thinking, you know. We still haven't made the decision which way we're gonna go yet.

JACK MCKEON: No, I don't think it's taken any pressure off them. I don't think we're putting any pressure on them. It's just the situation. This thing, we're thinking one game at a time. We got to win one. We're not worried about what's gonna happen tomorrow; it might rain, we might get frozen out. But, really, depends on how we use Willis, probably, is the key. Whether we have to use him tonight. I mean, he would be an option, probably. But we're not trying to hide anything from anybody, we just don't know.

JACK MCKEON: He's not out of the picture.

JACK MCKEON: We got an option, we got Redman, Beckett, Willis and that's about -- Helling, I guess. That would be your four choices to go in the sixth game. Now we may need some of those guys tonight.

JACK MCKEON: Well, he's a pretty remarkable kid. Like I said, the first time he showed up here he was playing against the Tampa Bay club. I think he went 0-4, 0-5, 0-4, I believe. He came up, he held his own all right. He looked all right. All of a sudden, bottom of the 11th, I believe it was, he hits a two-run homer into the centerfield seats to win the ball game. After that, he's nothing but sensational, really. He's a kid that's very strong mentally. He's a tough player. Doesn't get intimidated by any of the top pitchers in the game. Has some good at-bats against Randy Johnson and Wood and Schmidt and all those guys. He's gotten better and better each day, really. It shows when you have that much confidence to have him hitting fourth in the World Series, guy came out of Double A mid season. So kind of shows you what kind of confidence you have in this young man. He's one of those guys something happens when he's at the plate, something good happens most of the time. I like to find a way we can get him up every inning (laughter).

JACK MCKEON: Well, I've always been impressed with Jeter, there's no question about that. But this is the first time I really had a chance to see him upfront. He certainly impressed me as a big-game player. He, to me, him and Williams, they lead that ballclub. You hate to see those two guys come up in the clutch because you know something's gonna happen. They know how to go about playing in the big games and getting things started or delivering a clutch blow. I'm very impressed with the way he goes about his work, despite the fact that he stays out all night, you know... I don't care (laughter).

JACK MCKEON: Well, there's no question, the World Series is something special. Everybody enjoys being here. I'm certainly delighted. I did have the fortune to be a general manager in '84, so I did get a chance to see some of the hype that goes on in the World Series. But being a manager, something special being out there on the field with these guys and knowing that you're gonna have a chance to be the best team in baseball.

JACK MCKEON: I don't know. I don't know how you can get tired in this kind of circumstances, really. I know I was -- I think I got home last night around 3:30 and then got up 7:30, went to church and then came out to the ballpark. So I get three or four hours a day, but that doesn't stop you from all the excitement and keeping your energy level high to participate in this great series. I got plenty -- I'm just like some of these pitchers that need to work on three days' rest. I'll have plenty of time this winter to rest up.

JACK MCKEON: You guys are beautiful (laughing). If you were around here three weeks ago, you'd been asking the same question about Looper. Both of those guys are good relief pitchers. They've both done an outstanding job for us. As I said many times, relief pitchers, they have their bad outings once in a while. You guys from New York have seen Rivera a couple months ago, you didn't think he was the same guy you saw in the past. All of a sudden, things started to turn for him and he's back now to where everybody expected him to be. But relievers do have a tough time once in a while. I mean, I had Goose Gossage over there in San Diego. Goose would be fantastic for three weeks. All of a sudden, for the next 10 days, what happened to him? Did he lose it all and what? Then he'd rebound and come right back. Relievers do have off nights, maybe one or two nights in a row. You got to keep putting them back in there because they're the best you got. In the case of Urbina or Looper, I'm not afraid to go with either one of them.

JACK MCKEON: I didn't -- no, I didn't do no dancing last night. First of all, it was too packed. You couldn't move around. So I got out of there; smoked my cigar and got out of there. But the previous series there wasn't as many people out there so we had more room and we got the games over a little quicker. I thought when I saw the score 3-1 in the ninth inning and I looked at the clock and it was 11:21, I said, "Boy, this is great. We get out of here early. More time to spend at the tent." Next thing I knew, it was 12:45. I said, "Oh, there goes -- wasted an hour right there." We got to tell our guys to get it over quicker so we can have more time to, you know, dance and play the drums (laughter).

JACK MCKEON: I really did. I really did. You know, I would be lying to say that we knew we'd be here, because nobody knows you're gonna be here with the way the playoffs are set up today. You could be the best team and knocked out when three pretty good pitchers pitch against you right quick. I saw this club starting to make a real turn upward. It was because of the attitude and determination of our players and our coaches. I could see that this club was something special. We just stayed on the right track and stayed focused and worked hard, we could be in the playoffs in October. Then of course, when you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. We were very fortunate to get some good work out of our pitchers and some key hits and was able to sneak through two rounds and get to the World Series.

JACK MCKEON: I think it will (laughter). No, I was talking about, I did go to church over in Chicago and I went on an off day when we arrived in Chicago. I went on the off day. Next day, we were playing the Cubs in the Game 6. I was sitting in the pew before church had began. The priest came up to me, the pastor of the church, and said, "I want to wish you good luck." When I went to the ballpark that night, I knew we were gonna win. I just had that feeling we're gonna win and we did. So I went back the next day. Didn't see the guy. Then we won it, we won the pennant. So I went back the following day because we had to hang around Chicago to find out where we were gonna play. I went back to church the next day. He came by again. He shook my hand and congratulated me. He said, "Hate to tell you, but I'm a Cub fan." But he said, "I kind of wish you guys luck and hope you beat whoever you have to play." At that time, we didn't know.

JACK MCKEON: Well, I think we covered this story many a time. Pudge has been one of our leaders all year long. He's been a tremendous offensive force and, of course, I think everybody in this room knows what kind of defensive catcher he is. He's one of the best in the game. Probably got a chance to be a future Hall of Famer with the numbers he's put up year after year. But he's still a strong defensive catcher. He's done a remarkable job with our pitchers, bringing our young pitchers along. They have supreme confidence in him. I think in the playoffs you really saw the true Pudge Rodriguez. He's come through with so many clutch hits, he's been the leader vocally on that club and keeping these guys focused and really staying on our pitchers. I can't say anything, but I got to say this guy is definitely an All-Star and a future Hall of Famer. We wouldn't be here without the work of Pudge Rodriguez.