MLB WORLD SERIES: INDIANS v MARLINS

October 23, 1997

Jim Leyland

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I think both kids did a remarkable job. Jaret Wright was outstanding last night, even though by their own admission I guess his control wasn't as good as he would have liked. And Hershiser came back tonight and I just thought he was outstanding. I don't think anybody realizes what an outstanding line-up that is. And it's a really tough line-up to manage against because they've got a couple of switch hitters up, top and they've got left, right, left, right. A right hander has to get the lefties out. And the left hander is going to have to get the righties out. I thought he did a remarkable job.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, number one, I really don't have a prototype long reliever. I thought this kid is tough, he's been one of our best, and I think you have to stay with your best. And I stayed with him in the 9th because I felt like the group he was in that he had the best chance of throwing strikes to those two guys at the top of the line-up. And you've got the ground ball that didn't work out. I was hoping I didn't have to make my move, but it worked out that way.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, he hasn't really had a lot of success against Orel in the past, but he got the big one down there, and he got a big one again tonight. I think Mike said it best, they know that he's a good fastball hitter and he got a couple of breaking balls, he stayed on it and got a breaking ball and hit it out of the ballpark. He has been our leading RBI guy for the year, and he's got a lot of big, big hits for us. He drove in four runs in the first game, I believe, of the NLCS. So he had at-bat once in a while, but he's also a threat at any time.

JIM LEYLAND: I think the adjustment was more of a mental adjustment. I knew -- I really didn't want to go to my bullpen early, and the only thing I was a little concerned about was that he's a very tough guy and he usually stays pretty even. There's one time this year where something happened where only one time he got a little frustrated and consequently didn't throw the ball quite as good. I had Rothchild and every Spanish speaking guy I had on the team to talk to him when he came in the dugout, don't lose your cool, settle down, I think we'll score some runs, just keep it right there. I don't know which one of it it was, but one of them hit home.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I still don't think there's any advantage. Yes, is there one game advantage, but one thing's that's really amazing, the postseason is unlike the regular season. If you get 8 or 9 back in the regular season that makes it tough, like with the Braves. But in the Championship Season, they're only one game behind, so if they win a game it's all back even. That's the difference in the post and regular season. If you chase somebody that gets an 8 or 9 run lead, you can't get it back, but they're able to do that when we get back to Florida, and that's the difference.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I think they do have. I think that somehow they work it out where they pick the guys for postseason now. I'm not really sure of that, but I think they do have the best umpires here. I don't really know how they grade it out or what they decide on or how they decide on it, but to my knowledge they do have the best umpires here.

JIM LEYLAND: Well, I think that I was more stunned than anything. I haven't looked at it, nor would I comment on it if I did. But I was stunned because this game, it's such a great game, and I guess that's another perfect example of how you're saying, oh, yeah one minute and oh, -- the next (laughter.) I thought we had one quick out and I was happy with my decision to leave him in there, because I felt like he could throw strikes, and he did. I thought we had a quick out but it didn't work out that way.

JIM LEYLAND: I think he's fine. I think he's probably suspicious of his leg and once in a while there is a slight pull there, and there's a possibility that it cramps up. He said when he came out that he felt like he'd be okay, and we'll just have to wait and see. But the solution is very simple, if he's ready to play he plays, and if he's not I have to play somebody else. So I think he'll be okay.

JIM LEYLAND: You'll never know (laughter.)

JIM LEYLAND: I have no idea. I had told Darren yesterday if you feel comfortable and you feel like you've got one, you go ahead and go. He's obviously had, I don't know, a lot of knee operations, but he's a pretty good base runner, with very good instincts and I trust him with my life. So I said, hey, when you tell somebody like Darren Daulton that he's only going to do something like that if he feels he has an excellent, excellent chance to make it. Consequently -- since we acquired Darren Daulton I would say that he's made between 5 and 10 outstanding base running plays. He's a pleasure to watch and a true professional, it's a honor to be his manager.

JIM LEYLAND: I don't think you're going to get anymore interest there than we've had all along.

JIM LEYLAND: I thought it was a great game, I thought Renteria came off today, I thought he made great plays, I thought it was a good ballgame. You expect there to be some runs scored when two teams like this get together. When you have Marquis Grissom batting 9th, that's a little scary. But I thought it was a well played game, and I thought that both teams gave a lot of reasons tonight why we're both here, and I stand by my comments that I made earlier.