AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RED SOX v YANKEES

October 12, 1999

Jimy Williams

JIMY WILLIAMS: We are going to starts Kent Mercker tomorrow.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Mercker then Ramon Martinez, Pedro Martinez, Bret Saberhagen.

JIMY WILLIAMS: How long?

JIMY WILLIAMS: Well, you savor the moment certainly when you accomplish something like that. We felt our team did. We know we have a hard task ahead of us here with this ballclub. We are trying our best to prepare for it. We have a workout today. But it is like I said before, you play 162 games and it is a marathon. You get into a sprint mode and things happen very quickly. You just have to keep going and hope you keep flying to different cities.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Managerial decision.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Yeah, two roster changes. We have added Pat Rapp and Bryce Florie and taken off John Wasdin and Tim Wakefield. Tough, really tough. But it is our decision.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Well, I just got through talking to those players a few moments ago. We had a meeting this morning. We didn't have a lot of time because we just got here -- talked about it on the plane. Tough decisions, but have to make them.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Managerial decision.

JIMY WILLIAMS: No we are still 11.

JIMY WILLIAMS: I haven't seen him. But I think he feels pretty good. He did a fantastic job. I haven't seen him to talk to, but I haven't heard anything about him, so I would think that would be a good sign.

JIMY WILLIAMS: We will show up. We are going to be here tomorrow. We have a team. It is like somebody asked me yesterday: Seemed to me you guys pitched this game in reverse, you started with relievers and finished with your starter. Do our best to win one game. We can only play one game tomorrow. We are going to do our best to win it. We know we are going against a tough club.

JIMY WILLIAMS: I haven't been here long enough to really understand it to be honest with you. But we are a club that is fine in our clubhouse. I think the rivalry -- you people know a lot more about it than I do. I was in another city, the American League several years ago. I thought the rivalry between both Boston and New York was pretty good there too. It just seems like the east, you know, the east they play hard against each other year in and year out.

JIMY WILLIAMS: I don't know. Let's get through it and then ask me the question. But -- I haven't really thought about that. The emotion of this past series, I mean, it is behind us. So we have to move on. We have to focus our attention on another baseball team and another game tomorrow. Today we have the day off basically with the workout, so enjoy the day off. We got to enjoy this day off too.

JIMY WILLIAMS: We are not tired. We are not tired. We are going to go play.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Got six outs for us, gave up two runs. We ended up winning that game. We just felt he was the right one to start this particular game. Maybe it was more like a side session throwing two innings, have a couple days off and put him right back out there. Certainly he had that rib cage problem where he hadn't pitched like for 11 days, then he pitched against Cleveland. So his command maybe wasn't what it liked to have been in that game, maybe it will hopefully be better, get out in front of hitters better. I think that would help him a lot.

JIMY WILLIAMS: It certainly was gratifying, come back from down 2-0, and be able to win three in a row against Cleveland, I guess maybe the way it happened, you know, you think about O'Leary basically hadn't really gotten a hit much in any of the other four games and he drives in seven runs; Daubach had one hit, which was a big hit, three-run homer. He busted out three hits. We didn't even know if Pedro could pitch; he pitched six innings and did not give up a hit. Tells you what those kids are made of in that locker room.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Well, left-handed right-handed they are all good, so I don't think that really came into play. We just felt he was the right man to start.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Who is pitching for the Yankees tomorrow? El Duque?

JIMY WILLIAMS: El Duque and Mercker, that is what I will talk about today. When we get there -- I'd rather talk about what is -- these games that are right now. I don't mean to take away from your question, but I am not that smart to get that far ahead, I am really not.

JIMY WILLIAMS: I am damn tired right now from the standpoint we didn't get much sleep. I will tell you that it is a gratifying tiredness that I have. I think I answered a question yesterday about the M.V.P. maybe in this past series that we just had, I think it was the whole team, all of them. With that in mind, maybe that exemplifies how I feel about our season and every kid in that locker room, whether he is on this active roster or not, and maybe some of them are home, had their day in the sun with this club this summer to help us win a game or games, and they all had a chance to play.

JIMY WILLIAMS: Is gambling legal in this state? (Laughter.) I don't know if I should answer that. I don't know. We just kind of make it simple, play one game, see what we can do here. "Boys, go out between the lines, express yourself out there, if you are not starting, be ready, good work ethic, good practice ethic, practice like you are going to utilize that skill in a game. Don't try to do too much, you will know your strengths, stay with them." I don't know if I am answering your question, but I think this club, they are out there to play baseball, they are baseball players. What the hell is a baseball player, you know? Does he hit .270 or does he drive in a lot of runs or does he have 20 victories? Not necessarily. But they believe in each other. They really pull for each other. And back each other.

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