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CNN Live Saturday
Florida Marlins Could Win It All Tonight
Aired October 25, 2003 - 18:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's about 90 minutes before game time at Yankee Stadium and the come from behind kids, the Florida Marlins are hoping to wrap up the Word Series with a victory tonight.
Josie Burke joins us from New York with a preview of game six. Hi Josie.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Carol. The Marlins are up three to heading into game six. But they're probably not the favorites in the minds of many people for a number of reasons. One, you look at history. The last eight teams to take a three-two lead on the road, of those eight teams, only one has actually gone on to win the World Series title.
Then you look at the fact that the Marlins are facing the Yankees toughest post season pitcher in Andy Pettitte. Andy has won three times in the playoffs and each time he's won after a Yankees loss. And then you add in the fact that they're trying to wrap it up tonight in game six here at Yankee Stadium, a place where New York really has an air of invincibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY PETTITTE, NEW YORK YANKEES GAME SIX STARTING PITCHER: I mean this is our home turf and we want to, you know, you don't want to come in here and watch another team celebrate on your field, that's for sure.
JACK MCKEON, FLORIDA MARLINS MANAGER: And when you're coming into Yankee Stadium with a one-game lead, you know, you're confident, but you're not over confident. We know that this is a very, very tough Yankee ball club and they don't go down easy, as we found in the last couple of days, even when we had the lead, they battled. They're professionals and they know how to win.
PETTITTE: We've kind of grown accustom to pulling off a lot of heroics here and really - we really feel like that the game is always ours until that last out has been made and we have to walk off -- or you know, walk into the dugout.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: The Yankees have made a couple of changes for their game six lineup, actually putting guys back in who sat out game five. And that means that Jason Jiandi (ph) will be the designated hitter and that Alfonso Soriano had been benched because of his lack of productivity will be in the lineup, but he normally is the lead-off man, tonight he's batting ninth - Carol.
LIN: All right. We'll see what happens. Thanks Josie.
BURKE: Thanks Carol.
LIN: Will the Marlins reel in a big win tonight or will it all come down to game seven? No matter what, fans of the little wild card team that could - we just love that phrase - well they just want to win.
John Zarrella is hanging out with some Marlin fans at Shuler's Steak House (ph) in Miami Lake. Hi John. How are the fans feeling tonight?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh Carol, this is the place to be tonight. They are crazy here. It is the little team that could. In '97, they were the wild card team and they brought it all home to South Florida and they're hoping to do it again. They're handing out these towels, these Marlin towels and they're really Yankee crying towels, they say, for later this evening. And they've got some other things they'll be giving out to the fans here.
How about this? A blue Marlin drink...
(CHEERING)
ZARRELLA: ... they're going to be giving out. Oh, they like that here. Lamar (ph) is joining us. Lamar (ph), you've been a Marlins fan for a long time, from Jacksonville, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes sir. I'm from Jacksonville. I've been a fan ever since they've been in existence.
ZARRELLA: Are they going to bring it home tonight or game seven? Tonight or tomorrow night?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tonight. Tonight, we're going to bury them tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be tomorrow. Tonight, Josh Beckett on the mound buddy.
ZARRELLA: You can see, Carol, the fans are absolutely ecstatic here...
(CHEERING)
ZARRELLA: ... for the Marlins. And we want to show you one other thing. We've actually got a face painter here painting, oh look at that, painting a blue Marlin on this lady's face. There's the face painter. So, as the evening goes on, I'm sure that if the Marlins are holding onto a lead up in New York, it's going to get quite a bit crazier here even than it is now - Carol.
LIN: All righty. We'll check in with you later, John.
But those Marlin fans have to be thinking the Yankees have won four of the last seven World Series. New York fans hope pitcher Andy Pettitte can give them another shot at victory by fending off the Marlins for one more day.
Michael Okwu joins us from the heart of Yankee territory, Scruffy Duffy's sports bar in midtown Manhattan. Hi Michael.
(CHEERING)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, you know...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) New York City...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(CHEERING)
OKWU: It's impossible...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Tell me, are you a Yankees fan?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes I am (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fan.
OKWU: Are you at all concerned that the Yankees are not going to win tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Well you heard that. Kick butt (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Are you a Yankees fan (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
(CHEERING)
OKWU: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Let me ask him something. The Florida Marlins are not going away any time quickly. They're up...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: ... this is the third time that the Yankees have been down in a World Series with Joe Torre as the manager. Are you nervous?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that the pitching is going to come through.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that we're going to hit a couple of homeruns. All the way.
OKWU: Have you been drinking tonight, by the way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a few beers, that's all.
OKWU: Yes (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... just two beers.
OKWU: And it's not even 7:00 yet. We haven't even gotten to the seventh inning stretch.
(CHEERING)
OKWU: This is a very animated group. I want to talk to these guys.
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Now we were talking earlier and you had some very strong opinions about how the Yankees would do tonight. Do you care to repeat that to a national audience, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well I mean the series is at three to two right now. The Yanks, I mean we definitely have our backs against the wall. But New York, we're all about adversity and we can overcome that. I mean especially with Pettitte on the mound. The cold temperature is definitely going to be a little bit of a struggle for Beckett, if he throws hard. I'm just hoping that it's going to take a while for him to warm up, but I mean the Yankees bats are definitely going to have to come through for us and we can't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
OKWU: And of course, you're thinking in reference to Josh Beckett, the 23-year-old right-hander who is going up again for the second time in this World Series. How do you feel about the Yankees chances going up against Beckett? Clearly, they moved him up into game six to take it. They're not satisfied to wait until game seven.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they could definitely pull it off tonight.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If any night, this is definitely the night. We're definitely going to win this game. No doubt about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we're not worried at all. Go Yankees.
OKWU: Carol, I want you to meet our owner here. He's a guy named Jack.
(CHEERING)
OKWU: And Jack...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Jack, come over here for a second.
(APPLAUSE)
OKWU: Jack, the game hasn't even started yet and this crowd is incredibly animated. Is there something in the water?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well there's something in the water. First Yankee homerun, I'm buying the whole house a drink. No problem. Lead off hit Derek Jeter, Alfonso Soriano, I'm buying.
OKWU: All right, let's consider...
(CROSSTALK)
OKWU: ... let's consider the unthinkable just for a moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to think about it.
OKWU: Three-two, Yankees lose the World Series in game six at home. What would the atmosphere be like in this bar?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to come back tomorrow night and they're going to do it all over again and we are going to help the Yankees...
OKWU: Jack, you're evading the question, I'm afraid. What if the Yankees lose tonight...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No...
OKWU: ... what will be the atmosphere in a place like this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're going to come back tomorrow. I don't want to think about that. I don't want to think...
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to bang the drum and we're going to make it happen tonight and if we have to, we'll come back tomorrow and do it all over again.
OKWU: When you talk about banging the drum, is that what happens like when things get heated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When things get heated, we bang the rally drum and we turn it around. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) baseball.
OKWU: Give me a sense of what that's like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, hit it (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
OKWU: Carol, it is absolute (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here and the game hasn't even started...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: I don't even think the pitchers...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: ... are warming up yet. Back to you.
(CHEERING0
LIN: Well now I know how Duffy got Scruffy. Thanks Michael.
Those are fans.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 25, 2003 - 18:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's about 90 minutes before game time at Yankee Stadium and the come from behind kids, the Florida Marlins are hoping to wrap up the Word Series with a victory tonight.
Josie Burke joins us from New York with a preview of game six. Hi Josie.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Carol. The Marlins are up three to heading into game six. But they're probably not the favorites in the minds of many people for a number of reasons. One, you look at history. The last eight teams to take a three-two lead on the road, of those eight teams, only one has actually gone on to win the World Series title.
Then you look at the fact that the Marlins are facing the Yankees toughest post season pitcher in Andy Pettitte. Andy has won three times in the playoffs and each time he's won after a Yankees loss. And then you add in the fact that they're trying to wrap it up tonight in game six here at Yankee Stadium, a place where New York really has an air of invincibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY PETTITTE, NEW YORK YANKEES GAME SIX STARTING PITCHER: I mean this is our home turf and we want to, you know, you don't want to come in here and watch another team celebrate on your field, that's for sure.
JACK MCKEON, FLORIDA MARLINS MANAGER: And when you're coming into Yankee Stadium with a one-game lead, you know, you're confident, but you're not over confident. We know that this is a very, very tough Yankee ball club and they don't go down easy, as we found in the last couple of days, even when we had the lead, they battled. They're professionals and they know how to win.
PETTITTE: We've kind of grown accustom to pulling off a lot of heroics here and really - we really feel like that the game is always ours until that last out has been made and we have to walk off -- or you know, walk into the dugout.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: The Yankees have made a couple of changes for their game six lineup, actually putting guys back in who sat out game five. And that means that Jason Jiandi (ph) will be the designated hitter and that Alfonso Soriano had been benched because of his lack of productivity will be in the lineup, but he normally is the lead-off man, tonight he's batting ninth - Carol.
LIN: All right. We'll see what happens. Thanks Josie.
BURKE: Thanks Carol.
LIN: Will the Marlins reel in a big win tonight or will it all come down to game seven? No matter what, fans of the little wild card team that could - we just love that phrase - well they just want to win.
John Zarrella is hanging out with some Marlin fans at Shuler's Steak House (ph) in Miami Lake. Hi John. How are the fans feeling tonight?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh Carol, this is the place to be tonight. They are crazy here. It is the little team that could. In '97, they were the wild card team and they brought it all home to South Florida and they're hoping to do it again. They're handing out these towels, these Marlin towels and they're really Yankee crying towels, they say, for later this evening. And they've got some other things they'll be giving out to the fans here.
How about this? A blue Marlin drink...
(CHEERING)
ZARRELLA: ... they're going to be giving out. Oh, they like that here. Lamar (ph) is joining us. Lamar (ph), you've been a Marlins fan for a long time, from Jacksonville, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes sir. I'm from Jacksonville. I've been a fan ever since they've been in existence.
ZARRELLA: Are they going to bring it home tonight or game seven? Tonight or tomorrow night?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tonight. Tonight, we're going to bury them tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be tomorrow. Tonight, Josh Beckett on the mound buddy.
ZARRELLA: You can see, Carol, the fans are absolutely ecstatic here...
(CHEERING)
ZARRELLA: ... for the Marlins. And we want to show you one other thing. We've actually got a face painter here painting, oh look at that, painting a blue Marlin on this lady's face. There's the face painter. So, as the evening goes on, I'm sure that if the Marlins are holding onto a lead up in New York, it's going to get quite a bit crazier here even than it is now - Carol.
LIN: All righty. We'll check in with you later, John.
But those Marlin fans have to be thinking the Yankees have won four of the last seven World Series. New York fans hope pitcher Andy Pettitte can give them another shot at victory by fending off the Marlins for one more day.
Michael Okwu joins us from the heart of Yankee territory, Scruffy Duffy's sports bar in midtown Manhattan. Hi Michael.
(CHEERING)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, you know...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) New York City...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(CHEERING)
OKWU: It's impossible...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Tell me, are you a Yankees fan?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes I am (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fan.
OKWU: Are you at all concerned that the Yankees are not going to win tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Well you heard that. Kick butt (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Are you a Yankees fan (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
(CHEERING)
OKWU: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Let me ask him something. The Florida Marlins are not going away any time quickly. They're up...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: ... this is the third time that the Yankees have been down in a World Series with Joe Torre as the manager. Are you nervous?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that the pitching is going to come through.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that we're going to hit a couple of homeruns. All the way.
OKWU: Have you been drinking tonight, by the way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a few beers, that's all.
OKWU: Yes (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... just two beers.
OKWU: And it's not even 7:00 yet. We haven't even gotten to the seventh inning stretch.
(CHEERING)
OKWU: This is a very animated group. I want to talk to these guys.
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Now we were talking earlier and you had some very strong opinions about how the Yankees would do tonight. Do you care to repeat that to a national audience, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well I mean the series is at three to two right now. The Yanks, I mean we definitely have our backs against the wall. But New York, we're all about adversity and we can overcome that. I mean especially with Pettitte on the mound. The cold temperature is definitely going to be a little bit of a struggle for Beckett, if he throws hard. I'm just hoping that it's going to take a while for him to warm up, but I mean the Yankees bats are definitely going to have to come through for us and we can't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
OKWU: And of course, you're thinking in reference to Josh Beckett, the 23-year-old right-hander who is going up again for the second time in this World Series. How do you feel about the Yankees chances going up against Beckett? Clearly, they moved him up into game six to take it. They're not satisfied to wait until game seven.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they could definitely pull it off tonight.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If any night, this is definitely the night. We're definitely going to win this game. No doubt about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we're not worried at all. Go Yankees.
OKWU: Carol, I want you to meet our owner here. He's a guy named Jack.
(CHEERING)
OKWU: And Jack...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: Jack, come over here for a second.
(APPLAUSE)
OKWU: Jack, the game hasn't even started yet and this crowd is incredibly animated. Is there something in the water?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well there's something in the water. First Yankee homerun, I'm buying the whole house a drink. No problem. Lead off hit Derek Jeter, Alfonso Soriano, I'm buying.
OKWU: All right, let's consider...
(CROSSTALK)
OKWU: ... let's consider the unthinkable just for a moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to think about it.
OKWU: Three-two, Yankees lose the World Series in game six at home. What would the atmosphere be like in this bar?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to come back tomorrow night and they're going to do it all over again and we are going to help the Yankees...
OKWU: Jack, you're evading the question, I'm afraid. What if the Yankees lose tonight...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No...
OKWU: ... what will be the atmosphere in a place like this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're going to come back tomorrow. I don't want to think about that. I don't want to think...
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to bang the drum and we're going to make it happen tonight and if we have to, we'll come back tomorrow and do it all over again.
OKWU: When you talk about banging the drum, is that what happens like when things get heated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When things get heated, we bang the rally drum and we turn it around. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) baseball.
OKWU: Give me a sense of what that's like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, hit it (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
(DRUM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Yankees.
OKWU: Carol, it is absolute (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here and the game hasn't even started...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: I don't even think the pitchers...
(CHEERING)
OKWU: ... are warming up yet. Back to you.
(CHEERING0
LIN: Well now I know how Duffy got Scruffy. Thanks Michael.
Those are fans.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
