AL DIVISION SERIES: INDIANS v YANKEES

October 2, 1997

Mike Hargrove

MIKE HARGROVE: Sounds to me like you've already answered your own question. The Yankees have historically played well at Jacob's Field. It will be an advantage for us? Sure. We'll be playing in front of our fans. And it will be our home, so, yeah.

MIKE HARGROVE: Yes. Consistently, throughout the second half of the season, we've stayed with Jimmy against left-handed pitchers. There have been some times we haven't to give a rest or he doesn't match up well against a left-handed pitcher. He's only had six bats against Andy, that he matches up pretty well against Andy, and what we've done -- or what I've done is move him out of the four-hole down to the seven-hole in the last half of the season, that's what we did today.

MIKE HARGROVE: Knowing Chad Curtis -- if I didn't know Chad Curtis, I would have said it was a good, clean, dirty play. But knowing him, I know he wasn't intentionally trying to hurt anybody. It's very unusual to see a runner not slide at second base when a doubleplay is being turned. And that was my initial reaction, was surprise, so...

MIKE HARGROVE: The difference is obviously they came in and shut us down and allowed them to get to Nelson and Rivera. It was the difference in the ballgame in us not being able to get to the back end of our bullpen. Later, when we got to Jackson, then Mike came and did his job. That was obviously the difference in the game. They kept the game in line and let the offense catch their breath and come back and ours didn't.

MIKE HARGROVE: The easiest thing to say would be no comment. That would be the easiest thing to say. But I don't think -- I don't think anybody needs to assert themselves. We're here to play the game and watch the players play the game. That's what the game is all about, is the players. It's not about the managers or the writers, it's about the players, not the umpires. If everybody goes out and does their jobs, things will take care of themselves. I understand where they're coming from. But it's still the game of baseball, let's play the game.

MIKE HARGROVE: The big uncertainty coming into Spring Training was his health; how healthy would he stay the entire year because of his arm. We expected Tony -- I told Tony in Spring Training that I was going to try to get him between 300 and 400 at-bats. We were trying to find Franco a spot to keep him in the line-up. So I envisioned Tony splitting time between second base and shortstop to give Vizquel a rest. He settled in more on second base, but he still got his 300 to 400 at-bats. He's done a good job for us; especially from the right side of the plate. And Tony has really improved at second base, in turning the double play and positioning himself and the whole nine yards. He's a much better second baseman today than he was at the start of the season. But Tony has been very good for us, been very good for us.

MIKE HARGROVE: Well, the reason being is that the Yankees had never seen Jaret, and there was no reason -- we clinched the division title. We had our pitching set up to where Jaret was going to pitch the second game anyway, and there was no reason to pitch him other than it was his regular turn. We didn't feel it would hurt moving him back a couple of days, and not let the Yankees see what his pitches do. You can sit and watch all the film and video you want, and it's not like firsthand knowledge -- a fastball is very rarely straight, and until you see it firsthand, there is adjustment. And we were hoping that whatever little edge that might give us, we could take advantage of, and that's the reason.

MIKE HARGROVE: He's from Texas (LAUGHTER.) Andy, he has good command of his pitches, he's not afraid to pitch inside. And he's got the dynamite little cutter that he throws in on right-handers. That's the experience I've had in watching Andy. That and the fact he's from Texas.

MIKE HARGROVE: No, they really don't. I think that I've seen him -- you mean worry that he's going to get hurt or not make the play?

MIKE HARGROVE: No to both ways, just for the simple reason I've seen him do it enough in practice and Spring Training and during the season that I've seen him make those plays time and time and time again in tough situations and always come up with the play. I've learned -- the one thing I've learned is that you've got to let people be who they're going to be to take advantage of their talent.

MIKE HARGROVE: I don't think it really makes any difference to Matt where he hits in the line-up. I think early in the season hitting in the 4 hole he put a lot of pressure on himself replacing Albert, and moving him out of that spot I think that put a lot of pressure off. Matt is a professional, he knows how to play, and Matt has settled in the second half of the year and done very, very well for us. And moving him from the 6 hole to the 4 hole I don't think has any effect on him whatsoever. He's still got to swing the bat, and Matt is a good player. So I don't think Tuesday night's game affects him whatsoever.

MIKE HARGROVE: Yes, he is. His ankle -- he had the appendectomy, and he's recovered from that, which is a minor miracle in itself. But the ankle sprain has hobbled him a little bit. In watching him run, Kevin has never been a burner anyway, but in watching him run, he runs fairly well with just a small, slight limp. It really came down -- the question came down to whether him or Thome tonight is the fact that Jimmy has had more success with Andy. But I'm not afraid to use Kevin at all.

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