AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v YANKEES

October 9, 1999

Johny Oates

JOHNNY OATES: It's always good to be home. Wish it was under different circumstances. But we've talked to the guys about focusing on one game, Game 3; you can't win three games in one night. You have to win tonight; one pitch, one bat, whatever your opportunities are. Take care of business tonight, and the other two are down the road.

JOHNNY OATES: They're in pretty good spirits. A lot better spirits today than they were in the workout a couple days ago.

JOHNNY OATES: This year was the first year that I've ever managed that I never called a single meeting to air this ballclub out. We had a couple meetings to remind them of what needed to be done. I never saw a lack of intensity, a lack of hustle, a lack of desire. Sometimes maybe we got a little carried away with our focus, and weren't doing some of the things I thought we could do. We'd sit down and talk about it. In my years of managing this ballclub, I did not have to sit down and chew out guys. They have been very professional all year, and we did not have a team meeting today. We were talking amongst ourselves. I think it's obvious what's at stake and what's ahead.

JOHNNY OATES: I would classify that more as depth that you can take a No. 3 hitter out on a day like today. I don't know what O'Neill's condition is, but I've got a feeling if this is the fifth game, he'd be playing. But again, that's what you have to have to get where all of us are in the playoffs. Throughout the year you had to have depth; you had to have guys step in. We had Roberto Kelly, Luis Alicea step in and give our outfielders a day off. But you get to this point, you like to have your horses out there every inning. It's not to be able to put someone out there -- Curtis has been around a long time. He knows how to play the game. It's part of the depth that's so important for a ballclub.

JOHNNY OATES: Well, first of all, he did have an outstanding four-game series, hitting five home runs, drove in, what, nine of our 16 runs or something like that. If that doesn't answer the question, one guy can't do it by himself. I don't think I could explain it any better. Just look at those numbers. Juan may come up to the bat like he did the other night, still hit the home run, and we only get one home run. We need everyone to produce. If he's not, somebody else will do it.

JOHNNY OATES: Three wins. (Laughs). The Yankees have a good ballclub. That goes without being said. They don't beat themselves. The ballgame the other night, really, I think could have gone either way. I thought we played decent. I thought they played decently. They ended up winning 3-1. The night before, they didn't make any mistakes; we did. It being 2-1, 1-0 ballgame, I firmly believe we made mistakes that could have cost us seven of those eight runs. You can't play those type games, that type baseball and expect to win consistently.

JOHNNY OATES: Well, first of all, at this level, this game, it's not to say, "Have fun." There's only one time you have fun, and that's when you win. I don't know, it just takes a lot of the fun out of it when you lose. It's the thing, what do we have to lose? We have one baseball game to lose. We're trying to win a World Championship here. Let it go, we have nothing to lose; yes, we do. We have one more baseball game to lose. I want them to enjoy playing the game of baseball. I don't want them to be uptight. But I never got used to losing yet.

JOHNNY OATES: No. Everybody has seen all my tricks. They're old and worn out. They're not even feeling well today.

End of FastScripts….