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MLB WORLD SERIES: METS v YANKEES


October 25, 2000


Bobby Valentine


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Game Four

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Bobby Valentine.

Q. Do you think your loyalty to or belief in a player has ever, in hindsight, gotten in the way of what's best for the team?

BOBBY VALENTINE: I certainly hope not, but there's been a lot of players that I've been loyal to. It's most every one of them that have had the same uniform that I've had on. I don't know, maybe. I don't think so. I don't think it ever clouds my judgment of what I think is best for the team.

Q. Was the topic addressed by the players or spoken about how many Yankee fans were here last night and how vocal they were in your own home park?

BOBBY VALENTINE: I did not hear that. But I didn't hear how vocal they were. No, I didn't hear that. They're better at getting tickets than our fans, huh? (Laughter.)

Q. Could you give us a read on how the Series has gone down 2-1, what's surprised you, kind of an evaluation of it so far?

BOBBY VALENTINE: I'm not real good at the evaluation thing. I think it's been my opinion it's been good for baseball. It's been rather exciting, the games. Paul O'Neill's hit better than he was coming into the Series. That's surprised me a little -- not necessarily surprised me, because he's been a great hitter his whole career. According to our reports, he wasn't swinging the bat that well early.

Q. As well as Al's pitched in the post-season and not had a win as a starter, do you think that eventually as he keeps piling up more and more no-decisions, do you think that bothers him? And does it ultimately work against you guys?

BOBBY VALENTINE: I don't know. It seems like it worked in our favor. The odds will be with us for him to get a win.

Q. Do you think there's been a legitimate shift in momentum here?

BOBBY VALENTINE: I think we feel better today coming to the park than we did yesterday. I don't know how that's going to translate in how we play the game.

Q. How has Bordick done in Ordonez' absence, and what's the club's future plans for Ordonez?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Rey Ordonez is in our future. I think we have him for at least another three years. I think the team's performed well with Bordick in Rey's absence.

Q. How do you think the team is handling the concentration of media around the Subway Series after three games? How would you evaluate it?

BOBBY VALENTINE: I think there's a lot of media, but there's one break that you have here in that the clubhouse is closed before the game. And I think for our guys that's less media as opposed to more media. It's usually right up until whatever it is, 40 minutes before the game, that they're rather barraged by questions. So it's probably been more out on the field and more mini press conferences, but probably less media contact before the game.

Q. Do all those little mini press conferences make you nervous at all as far as the amount of what everybody's saying, what all the players are saying?

BOBBY VALENTINE: No, I'm never nervous with this group. They seem to know what to say and do. I trust that.

Q. Is it something that players and manager, when they come to New York, not even necessarily in a World Series, but in general, they have to account for the kind of scrutiny they're going to get here more than anywhere else? It certainly is heightened in the Series, but in general?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Yeah, there's more of it. I think it's a factor when you put on a New York uniform. I know our organization does everything they can to help the players be prepared as they can be. But, again, there's no substitute for experience. And when guys experience it, they either figure out how to cope with it or try to bail out.

Q. Speaking of experience, is it because Leiter has so much experience in these kinds of situations that he has performed so well under such intense scrutiny? And can you just talk about your comfort level with him in a big game?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Well, I'll tell you, I'm very comfortable with Bobby Jones pitching. Tomorrow, I'll be very comfortable with Al Leiter pitching. I think that Al has been here. He understands the situation and the preparation. I just got through talking to him out on the field. I think he's mentally and physically ready. That's all that you hope for. I think his experience has gotten him to this day prepared, and I think it will get him one more day also.

Q. Understanding that you get second-guessed on everything that you decide, are you a little surprised that people were second-guessing your decision not to pinch-hit for Payton last night? I heard that on the radio today.

BOBBY VALENTINE: Again, I just consider the source on all that stuff. Sometimes people know what they're talking about; sometimes they don't. So I don't get bothered by it.

Q. Could you just explain why you stayed with him, just for the record?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Payton? In the sixth inning?

Q. Yeah.

BOBBY VALENTINE: I just thought he'd get a hit in the eighth inning to help us win the game? No.

Q. Just for the record.

BOBBY VALENTINE: For the record, I thought he'd have a good chance of getting a hit. He's been our best defensive player all year. I thought that with the score tied 2-2, defense was as important as a hit. There were no outs. I felt if he didn't do it, somebody else could. Didn't turn out that way. And he didn't. But I think it's a nice thing to say, "What an idiot." The guy has a, you know, whatever, record with the bases loaded. I think the last -- I go in the recent past. His record with bases loaded in the recent past was very good. Last night wasn't that good. He was on a roll.

Q. This came up when Joe was in here, I figured I'd ask you the same thing. Is this fun?

BOBBY VALENTINE: For me, it's been absolute fun. I know that a lot of people have enjoyed it with me. I like that a lot. I appreciate that there haven't been many people who have tried to keep it from being fun who aren't wearing the "Yankee pinstripes." "The Yankee pinstripes" I understand, they're trying to make it as little fun as possible.

Q. Off-beat a little bit. How is business at the restaurant? Have you gotten any reports of --?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Lunch was good today. I had the Torre Pasta at my place. It was really good. (Laughter.) And business was okay, too. Yeah.

Q. What have the Yankee pitchers been doing to keep Edgardo from having a bigger impact on the Series so far, and what do you expect from him in the last four games?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Well, they're quality pitchers who have thrown quality pitches every at-bat. I expect big things of them thus far, because he's an outstanding baseball player. I think he's missed his pitch almost once an at-bat, and possibly he's gotten a little frustrated with the fact that he didn't cash in when he had the opportunity, and I think he's expanded his zone just a little.

Q. You described these games as having been good for baseball. Last night was a nine-inning game that ended after midnight. Is that good for baseball?

BOBBY VALENTINE: Well, it was 9:00 on the West Coast, right when everybody's tuning in to their television, and a lot of places around the world it was right in prime time. In New York it was 12:00. Maybe that tarnishes a little for some of the people here who have a 6:00 wake-up call every morning like I do. But I think it's been great for baseball. Maybe there will be a conscientious, streamlined effort to speed the game, the process up a little. Not the game. I don't think the game needs to be sped up at all. But I think the process could definitely be worked on.

End of FastScripts....

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