MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 19, 1997

Jim Leyland

JIM LEYLAND: I think he had some health problems early on. I think he got behind a little bit in Spring Training and I think it took him a while to catch up. His stuff is outstanding, he just hasn't been consistent as he needs to be. But he's capable at anytime of pitching an outstanding ballgame. And it's just a matter -- I think like I said he got behind early in Spring Training, he couldn't run a lot, he had a bad leg. He could ride the bike but that's not getting your resistance like you need to have it. I think he got behind this year, and it set him back a little bit.

JIM LEYLAND: Yeah, I guess it was, if it was accurate for the other guys, I'm sure it was accurate for me. The most amazing thing like that is I think Justice pulled one of them.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, number one, everybody knows that Kevin Brown had like a week's rest between each of those last two or three starts, and then he was sick. He pitched a complete game against Atlanta. Obviously that would have been pitching him on three days, if I was trying to do what I originally wanted to do in the NLCS, I couldn't do that because a lot of situations dictated us doing different things. We've had to make adjustments in Alex's situation and Brown. So it didn't work out that way. So like I said Al's going to pitch two games, everything is not perfect. Basically my thinking was I was not going to pitch Kevin Brown on three days rest. We haven't done that all year, and I'm not going to do it now. I was going to try it in the NLCS, but now the situation is different because of Brown had to throw a lot of pitches against Atlanta and I wanted to give him the four days.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, to be honest with you, normally what it does is it keeps you guys off me, because it's hard -- I said this all along, my mom could bring in Goose Gossage in his heyday, and Dennis Eckersley, and that's no disrespect to Tony or whoever was managing Goose at the time. When you can throw it at 102 miles an hour -- so he's our closer. It becomes an 8 inning game if you've got the lead. It really kind of makes it a no-brainer for you, if you've got the lead in the 9th, normally you're going to have your closer in there. And like I say when you have to mix and match like we did in Pittsburgh, I guess this is selfish, but you leave yourself open for second guessing. Why did you pick this guy, not the other guy. In this particular case when you have a dominant closer that's your choice.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I think Wayne with the Dolphins and the Panthers, and of course us, he's committed a lot to try to bring South Florida a winner. And I think a lot of times people in his situation, like anything else, you can't please everybody, and some people are going to take shots at him. But I think what he's done for this area, I don't think anybody in this room would disagree that last night it was pretty exciting. And I certainly credit most of that to Wayne Huizenga. So I think it speaks for itself what he's done. He's very nice to his players, and I'm talking about in many, many more ways than financial ways. Obviously he pays well. But he's very caring about his players, and he's gotten caught up in this thing. That's one thing I'm very proud of, I think that gradually with what our ball club has done, Wayne is having more fun with the baseball, itself, and I think it took him a while for that because maybe he didn't understand all of it, but now he's gotten into it, and I think it's done a world of good for him. I think it's unbelievable what he's done for South Florida.

JIM LEYLAND: Yeah, I've thought about it, but I think you should add Eisenreich to that mix, I think he's certainly a candidate. And I think there's a possibility he'll be in that spot at some point. You can go different ways with that. So I think obviously Daulton, Conine, Eisenreich, possibly even a Floyd could be involved in that situation.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I know why -- we got what we got. We got four starters. And I feel very comfortable with all of them. You know what the biggest part is, if I didn't, it wouldn't make any difference that's what I've got. You like to always make your pitcher feel comfortable, if he feels better, and you think it helps by pitching him home, you've got your shot, you take it. In this particular case I didn't want to do it, I don't want to disclose the reason why I wanted to pitch two right handers here in the first games, I don't want to get into that, but that was my thinking. It's like I'm talking about our No. 1 pitcher, he's the one that's out there tonight, it's Kevin Brown. For them it's Ogea.

JIM LEYLAND: Without any question, absolutely.

JIM LEYLAND: I don't know, it's going to be cold there, but in the situation we're in and what the stakes are, the heart stays warm. The feet get cold and the hands stay warm, hopefully the heart stays warm.

JIM LEYLAND: I can use him every day now. I believe it was Dave O'Brien -- asked a good question yesterday, it bothered him he hadn't had much work. It did bother me a little bit. I have to do what it takes to win games. I was concerned about that, but like I said yesterday, he's been throwing a lot. He throws a lot. He came in the off days and threw a lot with Larry, that was the day the Dolphins played here, we had him throw in the morning. Like I said, nothing is perfect.

JIM LEYLAND: He's all right.

JIM LEYLAND: Cook's done a great job all year. And I answered a little bit of this last night, we signed Dennis because we really were short on experience in the bullpen, and to get a veteran left-hander was one of the main reasons we signed him. But he's done a great job all year, this didn't happen in postseason play, he's done a fantastic job for us all year. He's a security blanket for some of the guys in the bullpen. Robbie is not seasoned veteran, Alfonseca, Stanifer, we really have a young bullpen. So he's been fantastic.

JIM LEYLAND: No, it doesn't make me wonder, I think I know the answer to that, but I will not comment on it. I will comment on it, probably when you do as good as he does, you have to pay a guy like that. He gets up there, what are you going to pay him? Quite a bit. And most guys are saying, can't we find somebody like that a little cheaper, if you want to know the truth. I think that's what it is.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, yes, I got some sleep. And I think there's 14 bunks right now, and they're all full. And my son stayed with me after the game last night. Of course my wife went to the party in the tent and I took my son home. And on the way home my son fell asleep chewing Big Red gum, and when I woke up this morning he had it in his hair and on his neck, and he's in severe pain, his head might be stuck to the pillow, he might be wearing a pillow, but other than that things are going great.

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