AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: INDIANS v YANKEES

October 10, 1998

Paul O'Neill

PAUL O'NEILL: I mean, obviously, it's -- it's been a neat story since he's been here and he's had a lot of obstacles to get over even to pitch in the Major Leagues here. To see something like that is a neat thing and this is -- this was the biggest game we've played all year. There is no doubt about it. We're playing for our lives out there tonight and he comes out, pitches out of trouble a couple of times and nothing affects him. He's been a big part of this team since he's been here and it's fun to see the way he goes about his business.

PAUL O'NEILL: I don't know. Obviously, you like to swing the bat. But walking and manufacturing runs, I mean, we've done that a lot this year and that's what we need to get back to, especially as well as our pitching has been. If we can take on a few runs here or there, chances are we've got a good shot. We had an opportunity to have a big inning there and try to break the game open, but, again, their pitching shut us down. It seemed like we just can't get over that hump to have that big inning. You've got to credit their pitching for that. They made some good pitches when they needed to.

PAUL O'NEILL: Obviously the first run in the game in the first inning, that's -- as a player, it's great. It's fun to hit homeruns, fun to get hits and feel like you've helped the team. When you have a one-run lead in the first inning, you just don't shut the door and think it's over with. Obviously, they have an offensive team that can throw up a lot of runs and pitching was the name of the game for us tonight, there is no doubt about it, offensively, we're coming around. I think some people are swinging the bats a little better. Again, we just can't seem to get that big inning. We have won a lot of games this way all year. With great pitching, good defense and a couple of times where we score a run here and there.

PAUL O'NEILL: There are times when you want to do too much and you're a little tight. You swing at pitches you're not used to, you try to force things to happen. Obviously, you can't force the guy to throw the pitch you want. You've got to take what they give you. If they're going to walk you with your offense, up and down, 1 through 9 has driven us all year. If we can get some guys on base and hit here and steal here, get some guys on 3rd, sacrifice fly. If you earn a few runs, get the ball to Mario in the 9th with a 3, 4 run lead, chances are we're going to win the game and that's what happened to us tonight.

PAUL O'NEILL: About the running, I mean most of our team runs. If you feel like you get a good jump, go ahead. That's part of the game. As far as communicating with Duke -- a pitcher, you don't talk that much during the game, emotionally, you can tell he's into the game. He pitched us out of some tough situations tonight and he's a teammate, been around long enough where you're happy for him and it's -- you shake hands after the game. You're glad he did that .

PAUL O'NEILL: Everybody has a different way of dealing with the playoffs. Some people are quiet, some people are laid back, some people laugh it off and I guess he does it that way. To feel he had no pressure, acting like that, he's a pressure pitcher. He's -- he's shown that ever since he's been here. He came up for one start, supposedly, back when somebody got hurt and he never went back down again because you could tell from pitch one he knew how to pitch and he knows how to win and he's got a lot of pride in the way he goes about playing this game, and it's fun to see.

PAUL O'NEILL: We're in the middle of a series here, obviously. I think that this game -- like I said -- is the most important game we've played all year. Last year is -- it's a bad memory, there's no doubt about it. They knocked us out. We were hoping to go to another World Series. It is a different year, different teams. Different things are happening here. It's a different series. Pitching has dominated pretty much in all of baseball in the playoffs. You go on from here, go out tomorrow and another -- somebody gets on top tomorrow, we're back to square one.