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AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES v ATHLETICS


October 4, 2000


Derek Jeter


OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Game Two

Q. Would you describe the mood of the team at this point?

DEREK JETER: The mood of the team, it's upbeat. We understand that this is the series, it's a five-game series for a reason. You really can't put too much emphasis on one game. We lost the first one but we have a chance to split here and go back to New York.

Q. How much do you rely on your experience right now?

DEREK JETER: Well, the only part that experience plays is we know that -- we take every game as if it's Game 5, if it's a five game series, if it's a seven-game series. We never sit around and say that we have a luxury with a one-game lead or a two-game lead, and it's not the end of the world. Everybody talks about the youth of this Oakland team and that's the bottom line. I don't see anything wrong with being young. They have a lot of intensity. They are one of the hottest teams in baseball, now you just go out and play and throw experience out the window.

Q. Does this in any way compare to Game 3 against Atlanta in '96 for Game 4 against Cleveland in '98, with this position, you're a game behind?

DEREK JETER: Definitely. People, you know, the thing everyone was saying yesterday after we lost is we've never lost the first game of a division series. But we've had our backs against the ball where. We've been able to respond so when you're in a short series, I think the first series is always the toughest, a five-game series. It's simple: If you win, you move on and if not, you go home. So we have been in situations where we've had to come up with wins and Andy Pettitte has been on the mound and he has pitched well in those situations and we expect the same from him today.

Q. Is the toughest challenge you've had as a Yankee, to turn this around?

DEREK JETER: No, not really. I don't think so. It's only one game.

Q. But the losing streak, at the end of the regular season?

DEREK JETER: Everyone talks about the end of the regular season. It has no bearing on the post-season. Who cares if you won ten in a row or lost ten in a row. When you start the post-season it's zero-zero. Oakland could care less if we were struggling at the end of the year. If you're a hot team, you have to go out and try to perform well in a short series. Anything can happen and you play every day for a reason.

Q. In any sense do you feel like the A's maybe are patterning themselves after your team? Did what they do last night remind you of yourselves?

DEREK JETER: I don't know if you can necessarily say patterning themselves after us, you know. They have a lot of guys that can hit home runs. They can beat us with home runs. During the regular season, home runs get the highlights. Pitching and defense win in the post-season. They have guys that can hit it out of the park, can move it over and get some big hits. They didn't hit any balls out yesterday, but they came up with some key hits and big opportunities.

Q. You said before that even though they are young, they can play. Is there something about them at all that remind you of four and five years ago and you and Bernie were young guys coming into your prime, sort of like this team?

DEREK JETER: Well, you know, the thing is we had a lot of veterans on that team as well. These guys for the most part of a group of young players. But they are guys that can play. I don't ever see anything wrong with age. I know I'm getting up there. But being young, there's nothing wrong with that. They have a lot of enthusiasm. They go out and they are not afraid to play and I think that's the thing carrying them so far is they are going out and putting it on the line.

Q. Has the last month and yesterday aged you?

DEREK JETER: The last five years have aged me. Not really. You play 162 games for a reason. We had a big lead to win, but that's the reason you get a big lead or develop a big lead. We know we're capable of winning and we've been there before. The thing is if we go out there and play well, we'll win and if not we'll be going home.

Q. As one of the regarded "Big Three" shortstops, what are your impresses of Miguel Tejada?

DEREK JETER: Well, he can do it all. That's the bottom line. He plays great defensively. He can swing the bat. He hits for average. He hits for power. He's an exciting player. He's one of those players that people pay to watch. And I think he's only going to get better.

Q. When you look at the lineup changes, are you glad Joe made them? Do you think they are necessary?

DEREK JETER: I know I'm leading off. I don't know about the rest of the lineup I didn't really look at it.

Q. Posada second, Justice third.

DEREK JETER: Doesn't matter. We played with a bunch of lineups this year. Everyone is going to be ready to play whether they are starting or coming off the bench. You are only in a certain spot of the lineup first of the game, anyway.

Q. Did the shadows here on the West Coast change the game from, you know, shadow baseball, hard to see in the first two or three innings, to a different game in the second half when it goes down?

DEREK JETER: Well, it's tough to see at the plate. It's kind of tough to pick up spin early on in the game, I think as the game processes, you probably see guys having better at-bats. But it is the same way for both teams. So by no means is it an excuse for anything. But it is a little tougher to pick up the ball. I think the pitchers may have the advantage early on.

Q. I know you said that there is a big difference of course between the regular season and playoff games, but you were losing at the end of the regular season, it was stunning, you get behind real quickly and you couldn't catch up. And yesterday you got ahead and then you couldn't catch up. Is there a sinking feeling in some way reminiscent of the end of the season like here we go again or something?

DEREK JETER: Not at all. The thing that bothers us, or at least towards the end of the year, is how we were playing, not whether you win or lose because you're going to win games and you're going to lose games. We were not playing well. Yesterday they just beat us. At the end of the year, we gave some games away. We were out of it early on and played poorly. Yesterday was a great game and they just scored a couple more runs than us. I don't think you look at it as a sinking feeling when we were down it was only by a couple runs. This team is capable of coming back. I think yesterday, we wanted to win, obviously, but no one was really down.

Q. Is there a difference between playing to win and playing not to lose, and is that something that you learn after half a dozen years?

DEREK JETER: Definitely. I think there is definitely a difference between playing to win and not playing to lose. Though, you know, when you're afraid of failure you may play afraid not to lose but I think everyone on this team is playing to win, just like Oakland. They are young. I don't think anyone expected them to be in this position when the season started, but they are definitely out there playing to win and we have been in this position before. So there is a difference, though.

Q. How about for you guys, is it playing to win or --

DEREK JETER: Yeah, we're playing to win.

Q. You've obviously been impressed with the Oakland team, but is there anything about this team that has impressed you more than -- maybe surprised you about this team?

DEREK JETER: I think the headlines of this Oakland team has been their offense. Giambi and all of their home run hitters, and rightly so. But they have a great pitching staff as well. They have their bullpen showed yesterday that's one of the reasons they're here; they are capable of getting a lead and keeping a lead. That's what wins games for you in the post-season is strong bullpens.

Q. Ramon Hernandez and Chavez were saying that they were very nervous, the bat felt different, the gloves felt different, do you remember what you felt in your first post-season game?

DEREK JETER: The thing that helped me out is I was called up in '95 and I was not on the post-season roster, but I was able to stick around and watch the playoffs. I got acclimated to the atmosphere a little bit. My first post-season game was in New York and the atmosphere is different there than anywhere else. Everyone is going to be a little anxious and a little nervous, and I think after you get your first one out of the way, you get a little more relaxed and hopefully didn't get more nervous.

Q. The last couple years the Yankees set the tone for the Division Series against the Rangers. Do you sense a difference in the Oakland team and the way they are approaching this? Is there a fearlessness?

DEREK JETER: I don't think so. Everyone wants to talk about are we vulnerable now and we are not playing as well as we are in the past and we lost the first game. But you play a series, and if we come out and win tonight and win a couple games in New York everyone is saying the Yankees are back to their old ways. The bottom line is you can build up the games and you can write the stories and say they are struggling and they are playing well, but you have to take the field and see what happens. You never know what is going to happen on the field. No one expected Seattle to go into Chicago and win two games; they have done that. You know, when you play baseball, anything is possible, and hopefully we'll be in a position to be playing for a couple more weeks.

Q. Is tonight a must-win for the Yankees?

DEREK JETER: The thing with our team is we take every game as a must-win. Whether you're down one game or down two games or you're up two games we take that approach. That's the reason we have been successful in the past. I'm not comparing past teams but you have to compare the approaches and we take every game like it's a must-win situation.

Q. How do you feel about yourself and your performance yesterday, and what do you hope to do to change about your performance?

DEREK JETER: My job is to get on base and try to score runs. Obviously, you can't get a hit in every game. You'd like to, but, you know, it is one game, you come out today and hopefully I can get on and help the team score some runs.

Q. Looking ahead would you talk about matching up with Tim Hudson since we know that he is going in Game 3?

DEREK JETER: We have not faced him this year. We've missed him every time we've played Oakland. I vaguely remember facing him last year. Obviously, he has good stuff, otherwise he would not have won 20 games and he's the ace of their pitching staff. I have probably thought much about him. We'll probably watch film on him tomorrow in New York.

End of FastScripts....

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