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NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS v DIAMONDBACKS


October 13, 2001


Fernando Vina


ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI: Game Four

Q. When you stole the base in the first inning, did you think they might call you out?

FERNANDO VINA: I was hoping he didn't. I mean, I knew my hand got in there and the umpire stayed with me and he made a great call.

Q. In the pick-off, Brenly said he thought you might have stepped on Womack's hand, is that true, to keep him from getting to the bag?

FERNANDO VINA: The throw was up the line a little bit towards Womack and I had to jump out to go get it, I don't even know if I got him. I was trying to tag him out and the throw took me that way, if you see it. I play like that. You can't try to do anything like that.

Q. But you didn't try to do that?

FERNANDO VINA: No.

Q. How do you determine a perfect time for that pick-off play? When is the precise time to call that play?

FERNANDO VINA: You have to watch Tony. He can run fast. He is a great base-stealer, and Bud is real quick at that throw for me. We've done it before in the season, and I figured if we had a chance I was going to go for it and it worked out for us.

Q. Could he have made a better throw? It looked like it was right on the money.

FERNANDO VINA: Yes, it was good. It was up the line a little bit. I had to go out and get it, but that was where Tony was going, so it worked out for me to tag him a little quicker because I had to get it up towards Tony, so it worked out perfect.

Q. How does Smith know when to go to you? What's the trigger?

FERNANDO VINA: It's kind of an open-glove, open-hand type of thing. Once he sees me diving that way, running that way, it's something we've worked on in the past and the pitchers know that when I do that I'm going to get them out when we have a chance, and when we have an opportunity to get an out, it's something special.

Q. Is the catcher involved in any way in relaying a signal in that?

FERNANDO VINA: Not at all. It's just me and the pitcher and pretty much he watches us and I've got an eye on the runner and I try to do my best there.

Q. Fernando, can you just talk about tomorrow night? You've got two 20-game winners on the mound. Can you talk about tomorrow's game, the last game of the series?

FERNANDO VINA: It couldn't be any more exciting. Two 20-game winners, it's going to be awesome. I'm excited for the challenge. We had our backs to the wall today. We had to win this game to make this game come true in Phoenix. We're confident in Matt, and Schilling is a great pitcher so it's going to be fun.

Q. You had four home runs in the last 10 games and now another one. Any explanation for this power surge?

FERNANDO VINA: I'm eating good, I guess. (Laughs) I just try to work real hard with my hitting coach Mitchell Page, whether it's a left-hander or right-hander, I really try to stay inside the ball. And sometimes when they throw you inside, I like to attack it and hit line drives. And fortunately when you hit it good, they go out of the park. It's a lot of hard work. I try to be a complete player.

Q. Do you give any kind of a signal to try to guide the ball the way the Red Sox's Carlton Fisk did in the '75 World Series?

FERNANDO VINA: Not really. In my head I was. I was trying to talk myself into hoping it would stay fair. I kept watching it and it kept cutting and finally it went out, and I saw the umpire call it a home run and it's very exciting.

Q. With the good pitching you faced, they don't have a good look at you as a lead-off hitter.

FERNANDO VINA: I mean, they've got scouting reports and tendencies and that type of stuff. When you get games like this, you also ourselves as hitters, you watch what the pitchers throw and their tendencies and you hope they make a mistake. These tough pitchers, when you're facing them, if they're right on target and they're hitting their spots and changing speeds like they want to, it's going to be a tough, tough day. Everybody knows that. That's why it's so hard to hit. I go up there and try to see a pitch I can hit and they try to fool you, or whatever it might be, and you try to take advantage or make adjustments. That's the bottom line.

End of FastScripts....

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