NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PADRES v BRAVES

October 12, 1998

Bobby Cox

BOBBY COX: It may have. I really don't know. The only thing I know is I looked on the board and he was throwing 95 miles an hour, and that's awful hard. I just don't know. I thought he was throwing the ball pretty darn well.

BOBBY COX: You know, I have no idea. I was trying to tangle with myself about bringing Maddux in the ballgame for one hitter. I had him planned all night long for one hitter, maybe two or three, it depended on what he looked like. He touched 91 tonight. I've never seen him throw 91. I thought Kevin was throwing good. They had a great opportunity to bring him in and close this out. And we got lucky and we hit a ball, and it went out of the ballpark.

BOBBY COX: The offense was good from the first inning on. We had three balls the first inning. We came up with nothing with a man on second. And I just thought we really hit the ball good from the first inning on all night long and felt like we were going to score runs tonight. I thought John Smoltz had the best stuff he's had all season, especially against a good hitting left-handed line-up. The ball Caminiti hit was off the plate a little bit. And the one Vander Wal hit, you've got to tip your hats. But both of them preceded or followed a walk and a chopped ball at third. And I thought -- he's not going to get any press tomorrow, for sure, I know, because he gave up four runs. But I thought he was on the awesome side tonight.

BOBBY COX: I didn't have any reaction. I was trying to grab Rocker to get a bat and a helmet on him, so we could get Caminiti and Joyner out the next inning, to have him hit with one out because I had Weiss at the plate. It was big, obviously. You know, it was a game winner at the time, and it was huge. Our guys were really excited.

BOBBY COX: Maybe I messed it up, I'm not sure. It was a safety squeeze, it wasn't a suicide squeeze. We have a fast guy at 3rd, like Andruw Jones. It's more of a sacrifice if he reads it right; at least we get the guy to second. I must have missed it.

BOBBY COX: I don't think Kerry had stuff. Maybe I overused him. I didn't think his stuff was good tonight. I think probably with a good day off, he might be back in true form, again. We're going to need him. I thought he was getting close to the plate, but he was off just enough. The name of the game is picking each other up. And Greg picked him up. Lightenberg's been outstanding all season long. And the bullpen has been good, Seanez and Rocker, I can't say enough about.

BOBBY COX: Well, we had a one-game series tonight. Now we've got a two-game series back in Turner Field, which will be very, very exciting, I think. It's a great ballclub that San Diego has. And we have a great ballclub, too. And I think this might be the most exciting playoff series going on right now. Seems like it.

BOBBY COX: Way before we started batting practice today. I'm sure just like Brown; you know, if they get a chance.

BOBBY COX: Yeah, to me, if you're only missing a few thousand people, you're talking -- again, in Atlanta, we drew almost four million people, and not too many clubs can say that. And I'm sure they'll be back. It will be a great two games there.

BOBBY COX: Well, people are always asking when you start the series who's going to play; who's going to do this; who do you think will be the star. And my answer has always been, somebody that you may not even expect. Tuck had a rough second half of the season, and he put us out the first two runs in Game 1 against the Cubs, in the first round with a two-run homer, and he's hit some balls hard. Tonight he comes back with two base hits and a game-winning home run. It could be anybody. And Tuck had some real good at-bats tonight. He's playing hard as he can. He works as hard as he can. It's just one of those things.

BOBBY COX: He'll be ready for Game 6, probably.

BOBBY COX: I never feel like I'm in the driver's seat. If we have a 15-game lead in the season, and there's 16 left, I don't feel that good, no.

BOBBY COX: If they had swept us four in a row, you couldn't discuss the character or the heart of the club. It would be the same if we had gone down four in a row, as if we can make it back winning four. It's the same guys. They give everything they have every day, and I know all the clubs do. These guys are special, they've been here quite a while, some of them, and they're willing to do quite a lot.

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