MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 18, 1997

Mike Hargrove

MIKE HARGROVE: It was not an easy decision. I'm not going to say it was very difficult. I had some things I wanted to weigh and look at and think about, and decided that I wanted -- would like to see Bip bat in the line-up and keep Tony ready to come in if we needed him. It wasn't an easy decision, but it wasn't that difficult. It came down to the fact that I wanted Bip's bat and speed in the line-up.

MIKE HARGROVE: I don't remember, it's too long ago. Bip's the lead-off hitter, Tony is not. If Bip's not in the line-up we don't have a lead-off hitter.

MIKE HARGROVE: They have a few guys in there that I'd just as soon not have any of them beat us. But there are people that we have targeted in their line-up we want to be extra careful against, and Gary Sheffield is obviously one of those, sure.

MIKE HARGROVE: Bip is not a defensive liability. Let's not make this like we've got to have three people to make up for Bip if we put him in the line-up. Bip is a very good Major League player. He played well once he settled in, he played well defensively for us at second base. And we do have Tony ready to come in in the later innings if we have a lead and it's a tight ballgame, to come in at second base for defense. We have been strong up the middle with Vizquel and a combination of Branson and Roberts and Fernandez. And with Sandy Alomar behind the plate. So it's one of those things that I've got Bip in the line-up because of Bip's offensive capabilities. If I don't have Bip in the line-up we don't have a true lead-off hitter. And Bip gives us that. That's the reason we acquired Bip in the first place. Bip plays well enough on second base to allow us to do that.

MIKE HARGROVE: I don't think the manager is very secure, anyway. But I understand what you're saying, yes, I think that it obviously does, when you have people that can catch the ball the way we have people that can catch the ball, sure, it makes the decision easier. Is that what you meant? Yeah.

MIKE HARGROVE: You know, I don't know that he's really changed since he was in the American League. He still throws the ball as hard as he ever did. Still has that nasty sinker and I don't know if he's changed in any regard.

MIKE HARGROVE: Chad Ogea, no matter where he's pitched or where he's been, Little League, high school baseball or college or the professional ranks, has been a winner. There are a lot of people that tried to pigeon hole Chad to be a middle reliever, but Chad keeps coming back and proving everybody wrong. He's got three pitches, two different types of fast balls, if he can locate his fastball and have command of his curve ball and change up, Chad can be very good, and that's what he's done in the playoffs for us. I think we've seen what a healthy Chad Ogea can do. And you'd like to see people like that on the mound.

MIKE HARGROVE: He's had more experience playing the left field than Ramirez has. David is a very good athlete, and has made the adjustment to left field about as well as one could expect. I will not argue with David or anybody else that says he's a better right field than left fielder, I think he probably is, but he's also a good left fielder for us. And it's been my experience if you take people that are good athletes they're able to better adjust to new positions than other people. So we moved him to left field and not Ramirez.

MIKE HARGROVE: It probably is. He started the last couple of games -- started swinging the bat better. Maybe the last 8 to 10 at-bats his swings have been more exact, more sure, more firm, I guess, is the word I'm looking for.

MIKE HARGROVE: He's been trying to hit the ball too far and too hard. That causes a lot of bad habits. And it's taken us a long time to get him out of those habits. But this is as long as I've seen Jimmy go in this manner.

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