AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v INDIANS

October 10, 1999

Richie Sexson

RICHIE SEXSON: Yeah, I'm definitely excited, you know. It's fun to watch and it's fun to win, but I think it's a lot more fun when you're in the line-up. I'm obviously excited, and, you know, I understand my situation with right-handed pitchers and what not. I had a pretty good idea I was going to play today, so, yeah, I'm excited.

RICHIE SEXSON: Yeah, I would say it's something that I'm not totally familiar with. I got to, you know, I had the chance to, I guess, do that a little bit last year in the playoffs. You know, I've realized that you have to hit a lot more and you have to do a lot more things when you're not playing. So, you know, it is tough. And I think you'll find that when I'm not going very well, it has something to do with not playing every day. But, you know, I'm learning and I've been hitting a lot every day and taking as many ground balls as I can. When this time comes, I'll be ready for it.

RICHIE SEXSON: Pretty much the same as heading into last night. You know, we went in there with a lot of confidence, we wanted to win, and, you know, I think it's changed a little more. We definitely want to, you know, take care of Boston now if we can. I don't think in anybody's mind we want to get into 2-2 and head back home. I think we want to try to do it now. Guys are geared up and excited and ready to go today.

RICHIE SEXSON: I understand my situation. I also understand Cleveland's situation. They're kind of, you know, under a little bit of pressure to win the World Series. I can see where they want to get that extra left-handed bat in the line-up. I think if you look in the American League on who we were going to play coming into this thing, it was going to be, you know, New York, Texas or Boston. The majority of the starters on those three teams are right-handed. So I mean to go pick up that left-handed bat was going to help us win, and that was the case. Went out, got Harold, he's a great hitter to play behind; Harold Baines is not such a bad thing. I know my time's coming, I'm still young. I'm gaining a lot of experience just being here and being around it.

RICHIE SEXSON: Well, you know, being in Fenway, Kent throws the ball fairly hard. You know, maybe 87, 88, 89 at times, I would think. I would imagine he's going to try to keep the ball away. I'm not sure what he's done to hitters such as myself. There's not too many hitters 6'8" in the league. I'm not sure how he's going to approach it. I've never faced him. That's also going to be a little test, my first couple at-bats, just figuring out what he's going to do or what his approach is going to be.

RICHIE SEXSON: No, I don't think so. You know, it was unfortunate, I'm sure just as it was unfortunate for Boston to have Pedro go down and Nomar as well. I think that, you know, those are the two main guys. Burba was one of our guys. It wasn't "here we go again" but more or less what are we going to do now with our starting pitching. We got guys that are on the roster right now. We got Jaret, who's solid, and, you know, we got some things to back him up. Losing Dave Burba is definitely, at this point, was tough for us.

RICHIE SEXSON: You know, I don't think so. But I'm sure, I mean being a pitcher on the other team, pitching to Nomar, in the back of your mind, I'm sure is like, "Thank God he's not in the line-up." Because he's sure been a terror on us. I don't think as a competitor, you think one guy goes down, okay, we're going to let it slide and throw to whoever is hitting third or fourth now. I think Nomar for them was a big blow, and it was obviously easier for us in that middle of the line-up having him gone. But by no means were we taking the other guys that were in his place lightly, I don't think.

End of FastScripts….