NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PADRES v BRAVES

October 8, 1998

Andruw Jones

ANDRUW JONES: Well, I think that that's a compliment, me being the best center fielder in the League right now. I've been working out hard. I had a hard time in the beginning, but I've worked out of that, and I'm happy with the success I'm having right now.

ANDRUW JONES: Well, starting the season 0 for 20, 0 for 40, I think is hard, to come back from that point to put those type of numbers that I put on the board. I think I'm really happy with myself.

ANDRUW JONES: I think he was trying to be aggressive on the bases, and trying to impress them to stay in the line-up to help his team. But I think that ball was in right center, and I think he did a good job. And I tried to throw him out, but I didn't. I got short. If it was myself, I'd probably do it myself, too.

ANDRUW JONES: Well, I don't know. I think God gave me a talent to play baseball. And playing in the Minor League, people like you all just put it in the paper that the way I was playing my baseball in the Minor League was to become the greatest. And I came to the Major League and I started out slow, but I think I'm working out of that.

ANDRUW JONES: Well, yeah, I would love for him to do that all the time. I like people to tell me what to do and stuff like that. I'm young, and my dad did that with me all the time when I was younger. So I think that's good. I like it. For him to do -- for him to tell me to do something better, I'll try it.

ANDRUW JONES: I feel bad. Nobody really likes to get pulled out of the game. I think in front of the whole crowd of the Atlanta Braves, I think I feel bad about it. I think I'm the kind of guy that I work on my own feet. I don't care that much. I lost my focus. I went out there and apologized for what I did. And if you don't believe me -- he did believe me. If he didn't believe me, I can't do nothing. I have to go out and do the best I can. Everybody loses focus. Big players lose focus. I've seen that before. And I think he just overreacted a little bit, but still I agree with him.

ANDRUW JONES: Well, I'm not disappointed. I thought I could have helped the team. They thought I could help the team as a lead-off hitter, but I didn't start in Spring Training as a lead-off hitter, and they moved me to the A spot. He put us in this spot where we are right now, and I'm happy for him. I'm a little disappointed I didn't do it, but I'm all right hitting 8 or 7.

ANDRUW JONES: Well, I think -- I don't call myself a home run hitter. I call myself an all-around player. I do whatever I need to do to help the team win the game. If I need to hit a home run, I hit a home run. If somebody make a mistake, you hit the homeruns. I'm not like McGwire, or Sosa or Galarraga; I can't hit them every day. I can, but I don't look to do that. I just go out and do my game.

ANDRUW JONES: Yeah, it was a breaking pitch inside, and he made a mistake and I had to swing on it.

ANDRUW JONES: Well, I went home. I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about the game. I was sad. I was ready for playing the game at 8:15, but unfortunately, it rained, and it didn't give us a chance to play the game until 10:15. I was a little impatient. I wanted to start the game right away. I was ready for 8:15, and they just backed everything off, and maybe God didn't want us to play at 8:15.

ANDRUW JONES: Yeah, Findley is one of the good outfielders; I gave him credit. He go out there and you do the job that you have to do. And a lot of guys in the Major League Baseball, because they're good as center fielders.

ANDRUW JONES: In my mind, I think that it's just one game lost. It's the best of seven. We've still got six more games. Whatever game we win, we might start from today, and sweep all the games. I don't have no doubt in this team, just because it's Kevin Brown pitching. He's great. He's got good stuff, but he's beatable. He's lost games. I don't know what his record is, but he won more games than he lost. But he lost games. So I think that he can lose.

ANDRUW JONES: Unfortunately, I didn't face him; I was on the bench. I didn't face him. But the guys, they did their best to win the game, and I think we came out short.

ANDRUW JONES: Probably 2:45, I think.

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