AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v INDIANS

October 11, 1999

Mike Hargrove

A. Bruce, there's a couple of them that we will have to monitor healthwise; so, other than that, pretty much everybody is available.

A. We've got to go out and beat the Red Sox no matter who is pitching. If Pedro is pitching, if he's healthy, that's a whole different story, but we still have to beat the Red Sox. Tonight we're getting ready to play against them, to hit against Saberhagen and if Pedro is available, then we'll deal with that as it comes; but we've heard the same thing you've heard: He's not available, he won't be able to throw for two weeks, so we're just watching it and taking it as it comes. We prepare for everything.

A. The mood of the team is good. It's determined. We are going out to play, to play well just as we really have done all four previous games. Obviously we haven't done as well in games three and four as we had hoped we would or liked to have, but the players are ready to play, the club is ready to go. Cordero will play left field tonight. Dave Justice has a stiff neck right now and we're working on that as we speak.

A. Dave is day to day. He has a strained ligament I think in his elbow so I don't think there's

been -- and I say day to day. I don't think there's been any official determination as far as three to five days, five to seven, ten to fourteen. I don't know if, what it is. It's day to day as much as I know.

A. Well, it's been my experience with Manny not to worry about his mindset. He shows up to play every time. He's as consistent mentally as I've seen anybody in his approach to hitting. Has he lost confidence? I don't see that. I don't think so. I mean, if I had 44 home runs and 165 RBIs in one season, it would take a little bit more than an 0 for 4 games to hurt my confidence, but I'm sure a hit here or there would help Manny a lot.

A. Well, you get that deep into the season, you obviously are piling up pitches and innings. That's why you try to be careful throughout the season not to overextend people unnecessarily so they'll have something left at the end to get to post-season and then be productive during post-season. How does it impact? I don't know that it impacts it that much as far as the quality, overall quality of it, I mean, everybody has got the same problem.