NL DIVISION SERIES: METS v DIAMONDBACKS

October 9, 1999

Buck Showalter

BUCK SHOWALTER: My thoughts are on the players. I think as many ebbs and flows of the season there are, that the finality of a situation like this is real tough for them. My hat is off to the Mets. They played real well. Made it tough on us. I don't think I have words to try to describe it. My vocabulary is not that good. It is just a tough situation to have; you won 101 games, next thing you know you are a spectator, but you understand that going in. That is why winning is that much more something that you want to do.

BUCK SHOWALTER: Just like he would to us. There is a certain identification with each other, managers and coaches, the struggles we all go through. I know the pressures that all managers are under and coaches and players. As much as we would like to be feeling what they are feeling what would have been tomorrow you should as a human being be able to step back and realize it is a special day for them. As much as we would like to be a part of it, I am so proud of what our players have established and continue to establish. It's been a great ride. Like I told them, I know the game can survive without players -- I mean without managers and coaches, but it can't survive without players and fans. Their support of me and the coaches and the organization has been the reason why we were able to get this far. I wanted them to -- just told them that the pain would pass, but the burning desire to get back here and get it right won't because that is the type of people they are. Tucson will be here before they know it.

BUCK SHOWALTER: No, I don't think so. Tony I think is one of the top two or three right-fielders in the league. He has played outstanding. He has been, with the exception of some of other guys that have established themselves like him. Gonzalez dropped fly because this year. Jay Bell has. It happens. It is tough. You run a long way under -- a lot of guys wouldn't have got to that ball. He got it to. We have been saying this over and over again seems like everyday here but Tony is one of the reasons one of the big reasons why we are here today. And I think it would be very unfeeling for me or anybody to forget that. I know I won't. I can't make someone feel something, but Tony my gosh, the ball he hit in the first inning. He has been hitting tough luck. We have been hitting line drivers and it seemed meant to be to fall into their gloves.

BUCK SHOWALTER: I don't see how he could have pitched any better than Brian Anderson did, any better than Zeke (Swindell) (ph) pitched well for us. Mantei did a great job. I don't see how we could have gotten any better performance. We all could have. We felt like that that was our best option and we are real comfortable with it to be able to hold this team to this type of runs. We had a real good opportunity to win. B.A. was outstanding; that didn't surprise me.

BUCK SHOWALTER: Well, we become so spoiled by Steve catching everything that stays in the ballpark, we are used to seeing him. He has made so many catches that have saved ball games for us this year - even if he catches that ball there is no given that that saves the game. But certainly it would have prolonged it. Yeah, I thought he had caught it initially, but you know, I thought Ricky had caught Colbrunn's ball, I believe it was earlier in the game. We talk. Jay Bell's hit high up in the air, I didn't see the replay of the play at the plate with Jay on the throw from left field. It is just -- and I don't know if it was Darryl's ball was foul or not. I know everybody enjoyed the game except us but it was a great game.

BUCK SHOWALTER: It is never easy to take out any of our guys, but in Matt Mantei -- he is rested and can pitch you want to make sure -- you know you are going to pinch hit for him; if you go straight up there, Matt is going to pitch to three or four hitters at the most. That way we are able to get two plus innings out of him borderline three. I thought of course Lenny Harris is a good option and Matt never hit again in that situation anyway.

BUCK SHOWALTER: Well, any time anybody left standing this time of year they are a good club. I am sure -- let's see the Braves have the home field advantage, but I think the Mets have certainly showed their ability to play anywhere. They will certainly be a tough task for the Braves. I like the karma and the things that the Mets have going for them right now. But you know, the pitching staff that Atlanta is going to feature and they get some time off now and regroup with their pitching. Rick Reed is real hot for them right now pitching real well. We knew that coming in. Kenny Rogers will be back for them. Of course, Al. I hope I never become so callous that you are not able to step back and realize how much today meant to Al Leiter and what he was able to get done. It is a nice day for a lot of good people over there.

BUCK SHOWALTER: No, not where we were in the lineup. Olie (ph) gotten a big out against Alfonzo where earlier in the series, Zeke has been pitching real well. Matched up well there, and especially where we are in the batting order. If we could have done that we could have potentially not anybody hit in the bottom of that inning an top of the next. Matt would have had to have taken out of the game if they tied the score against him.

BUCK SHOWALTER: It is real tough at a time like this just like I got talking through the players about it. Not many times do I feel you know, it is very callous to say that you feel what they feel. You haven't walked a whole lot of miles in their shoes but today I do. I think it is something we will reflect back on as the offseason wears on and realize how close we were, but I am just so proud to have been associated with these guys. It is so easy to pull for them. I think that is why our fans fell in love with this team because they felt comfortable selling themselves emotionally to them. They weren't going to let them down. Their effort and the way they handled themselves and the way they treated people and I don't know if you can say much better about a group of guys than that. We are going to work hard this offseason to continue what we have started here.

End of FastScripts….