AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES v MARINERS

October 19, 2001

Lou Piniella

LOU PINIELLA: I don't know exactly what he said, but he talked about the series and he talked about our season. (Lou Piniella responding in Spanish). What I said basically was that our ballclub had a lot of success this year, and that we played together as a team very, very well. We played with a lot of confidence and a lot of heart, and that we are going to come in here, to New York, and win a few ballgames and take this thing back to Seattle. We've got the confidence that we can do that.

LOU PINIELLA: I didn't talk to my players about it. You know, I've got confidence in these guys. They have played awfully well all year and we have come back from adversity, like we did in the Cleveland series. And I just wanted them to know that as a manager, I've got the utmost confidence that we'll take this thing back to Seattle. And that's my job as a manager to do. But I'll have a little meeting with them tomorrow before the ballgame and we'll talk about a few things.

LOU PINIELLA: We're not going to do anything different. We didn't do that many things different in Cleveland. We are going to play the same people we played all year. Against El Duque tomorrow we might put in a little more left-handed hitting into the lineup but outside of that, we'll go with our lineup.

LOU PINIELLA: No, Ichiro will stay in the lead off spot.

LOU PINIELLA: We really didn't have a workout. We've got a few guys that are going to hit in the cages a little bit, but I think rest is more important than anything else. The Yankees have traveled back and forth a few times already. This is our first trip back in a while, except we were in Cleveland last week. So the rest is more important. But we do have a few guys that are getting a little treatment that need it, and at the same time, they want to swing in the cages a little bit.

LOU PINIELLA: We really haven't executed as well in the first two games offensively. We played two good ballgames. We've gotten good pitching. We've played very solid defense. It's just a matter of getting some people in when we get them on base. Outside of that, they were both well played on both sides. Close games. Good, competitive games. Unfortunately, we came out on the short end of both games, but, again, that's why you play a seven-game series, and we've got confidence. One at-bat, one game can turn the lights on and you're on your way again, so that's what we are going to try to accomplish.

LOU PINIELLA: When you play at this level, no, it's not surprising you can be down 2-0. These are good teams. I've said that coming into the final eight, that any team out of that group could go to the World Series. They are all solid baseball teams and they have all this success and they have all played very well all year. For us to be down 2-0, you know, it's amazing, we are 1-4 against New York at home and we are 5-1 against them here. No, I'm not surprised. But at the same time, I've got all the confidence that we can come back and make this a prolonged series and take our shot back in Seattle.

LOU PINIELLA: No. You're facing good pitching in the playoffs and the Yankees have good pitching. You've got to give them credit. I mean, we faced a Pettitte that's a darned good pitcher and Mussina equally. You've got to take advantage of situations and play our game. And those are the things that we'll talk about. But I'm not concerned about anything. Look we are going to come in here and do the best we can and I've said that all along. I said that here and I said that in the Cleveland series. We have nothing to be ashamed of, no matter what happens. The Yankees, you know they have this mystique about them. I played here, I know. I played here for 11 years, and they have got this mystique about them and so forth. You've got to overlook that and you've got to go out and play, and you can beat them if you play, but you've got to play against them and you've got to do the things that you need to do to win baseball games.

LOU PINIELLA: I am really not concerned about anything, I'm really not. But, you know, we've come this far and we want to -- you know, this city here and this organization has had a lot of history and a lot of success. Seattle has been in baseball now 25 years and I'd like to see the City of Seattle, our fans and our organization feel the same thing that this organization has tasted. Last night when I talked, I talked out of my heart, I talked out of pride and passion, but at the same time, of a little frustration. I've been there five times myself so, it's not about me or anything else. It's about the city. They have supported us, the fans, the organization. We need to get to this next level, and this year here, we've got a chance; let's go for it and whatever happens, happens.

LOU PINIELLA: He's a very professional pitcher. He's very, very prepared. You know, his game isn't velocity; it's pitching. He pitches well to both sides of the plate. He's got that really good changeup. He mixes in his curveball and his cutter and he plays with hitters' timing. He's just a professional pitcher and he's gotten better with age. The five years that he's been with us or so, they have been phenomenal years and this year from the All-Star Game on, he's pitched as well as anybody in baseball.

LOU PINIELLA: Well, you need experience at this time, there's no question. And he's got the experience. He pitched two very good ballgames against Cleveland in the playoffs, but I think Sele pitched a good ballgame the first day. Garcia pitched a good ballgame yesterday. So I've got confidence. Our pitching has been there for us all year. Our bullpen has done an excellent job in this series, also. It's just a question that the Yankees have done equally as much, or actually a little more, because they have beaten us, and it's been a pitching series so far from both sides.

LOU PINIELLA: We played in front of full houses in Seattle all year so, 55,000 people here -- this place is loud, believe me, I know; but it's not going to affect Moyer, or Abbott or Sele.

LOU PINIELLA: You go out and beat them. That's how you do them. There's no other way. You can talk about it, but you've got to go out and do it, and it can be done. It really can.

LOU PINIELLA: He's excellent. You just don't want to get in a situation where you have to beat him in the eighth or ninth innings. I mean, the guy is dominant. There is no better closer in baseball.

LOU PINIELLA: He doesn't walk you. You've got to hit him. And he doesn't give up many hits; that's a pretty good combination. The thing is, just don't get in a situation where you need to score a run or two off of him late in the ballgame to beat him. This guy, I mean, look at the success he's had. He's just a first-class, first-rate bona fide closer at the Major League level and he's one of the major reasons that this club here has been able to do what they have been able to do the past four or five years.