NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PADRES v BRAVES

October 10, 1998

Joey Hamilton

JOEY HAMILTON: I think it's a great opportunity. A couple of years ago when we made the playoffs, we took our three losses pretty quick and got out of it. To be able to advance this year and make it to this point and play as well as we have, I think everybody is looking forward to the three games here.

JOEY HAMILTON: I was disappointed. I said that before, but there was no anger. There was no frustration. I was going to try to do whatever I can to help the team win. And if they felt it was out of the bullpen, that was fine with me. But obviously, I'd like to start, but it's just a nice feeling to be here, regardless of which way I'm used.

JOEY HAMILTON: Not really. I threw in a game out of the bullpen in Houston, and I got 3 innings in there, and came in another game and threw in a part of the inning there, and threw in the bullpen session yesterday in Atlanta. So I've thrown three times over the last ten days. So it's worked out pretty well.

JOEY HAMILTON: I've had a little problem in first inning in a lot of years, I guess, not just this year. But it's something that I started off this year pretty poorly in the first innings, but over the last two or three months, I think I've thrown better, not only in the first inning, but over the course of the whole game. It's not anything I can explain. You can look at Tom Glavine. He's had similar problems. The report on him is if you want to get to him, get to him early. And I'm sure that's the same way with me. I can't pinpoint one thing, any explanation as to why that is.

JOEY HAMILTON: I would probably imagine that would be the reason. I get kind of fired up and anticipation sets in pretty good. I've tried to calm down in the bullpen before the game started and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But who knows. I told them that instead of bringing Javie in tonight, maybe he could start the game and let me come in the second inning. And they didn't go for that, but I tried.

JOEY HAMILTON: I think there's no doubt. With the pitching staff that we have here, especially the starters, I think that every starter feeds off the performance of the day before, and with Brownie pitching, if he starts the series, and Ash comes in behind him, Ash is going to want to do better. And if Sterling come in behind him, he wants to do better than Ash. And if I come in behind Sterling, I'm going to want to do better than all of them. It's a friendly competition that we have, and you want to go out and do better than the guy before you. But you don't try to press, and you still try to stay within yourself and your own gameplan.

JOEY HAMILTON: I think the situation has kind of been blown out of proportion because I'm a Georgia native. I've never beat Pittsburg in Pittsburg, but nobody makes a big deal of it because I'm not from Pennsylvania. I've thrown some good games in Atlanta, but the poor games have overcome the good ones and overshadowed the good ones. But this team is no slouch. There's been plenty of guys that go in and got their butt kicked in Atlanta. And they're not from Georgia, so a big deal is probably not made about it.

JOEY HAMILTON: I hadn't thought about that, maybe I can stay awake until three or four tonight and not get much sleep and be really tired tomorrow and maybe that will help out. I'm sure my little boy will help with that situation, because he likes to stay up at night.

End of FastScripts….