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CNN Live At Daybreak
Yankees World Series: Interview of ESPN's Don LaGreca
Aired October 25, 2001 - 06:38 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk baseball. Let's talk World Series. The New York Yankees are heading to the World Series after winning the American League Championship against Seattle. The Yanks getting ready for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Game one of the series takes place Saturday, in Phoenix.
For more on the matchup and what it means to the Big Apple and also to Arizona, we're joined by ESPN radio host Don LaGreca, who is in New York.
So Don, admit it up front. Is there a New York bias to your comments?
DON LAGRECA, ESPN SPORTS RADIO HOST: I think there has to be only because the Yankees are just such a dominant team. They've won three consecutive championships, four in the last five years. They're trying for their 27th championship overall. I mean it's unbelievable what they've been able to do, and this city has really rallied around what they've been able to do.
Remember Mayor Giuliani said after September 11 that New York needs to get back to normal. Back to normal means the Yankees winning the World Series. So they're right on pace to do what everybody expects them to do.
KAGAN: Let's talk about the emotional aspect of the series. Of course, with what happened in September in New York City, pretty obvious what it would mean for New York, but for Arizona, an expansion team only in their fourth season -- the fastest expansion team ever to make it to the World Series. And as someone who lived in Arizona for 5 1/2 years, I can tell you that is a town starved for a world championship in any sport.
LAGRECA: And there are a lot of transplanted of New Yorkers in Arizona, so they better make sure they have a lead, because in the seventh inning, you could probably see a lot of Yankee fans there at the BOB, if the Diamondbacks don't come to play.
But I think the Diamondbacks have an excellent chance. I think it's a fantastic city. It's grown over the last few years, adding teams like the Coyotes, and of course the Suns and the Cardinals have been there. So it's a fabulous sports town. Remember, the Marlins won a championship in just their fifth year, winning in 1997. So it's not impossible for the Diamondbacks to win, but they're just going up against an incredible force, not only with the New York Yankees, but also the city behind it. People are very proud to be New Yorkers right now, and I would not be shocked to see some New Yorkers travel the 2,500 miles to Arizona to see the Yankees play at the BOB.
KAGAN: Let's talk about matchups here, fascinating in that there's really no history to base this on. These two teams have never met, not during interleague play, not even during spring training, because one does it in Florida, and the other one does it in Arizona.
LAGRECA: That's why they've never met in any way, shape, or form. However, you do have certain matchups. Randy Johnson did compete against the Yankees when he was in Seattle. Matt Williams was a member of the Cleveland Indians for a time. He did play the Yankees in the postseason. So there has been a history with the individuals, but these teams have never played before. And I've always felt that when teams have never played before, and met in the World Series, that's the way you want it to be.
I've never been a proponent of interleague play, because I think it takes away from the grand stage of the World Series. And that's what you have here, a situation where you have two teams that have never played each other before, and I think that will be a lot of fun. Interleague kind of squashed that when the Mets and the Yankees played, the Yankees and the Braves played. These are two teams that have never played before, and it's going to be a lot of fun.
KAGAN: And there is going to be no lack of great pitching, certainly, to take place in this series. Let's look ahead at game one. The Yanks say they're going with Mike Mussina, and Arizona says going with Curt Schilling.
LAGRECA: That's right. Curt Schilling is their best pitcher. He has allowed two runs in 27 innings, three complete games in the postseason. You have to go back to 1988, when Orel Hershiser did it with the Los Angeles Dodgers and that team won a championship, by the way, although they had the one less round. Curt Schilling has been a phenomenal pitcher all year.
He's familiar with the Yankees, pitched against them in interleague play with the Philadelphia Phillies. Mike Mussina is a money pitcher. Of all of the pitchers the Yankees have, Andy Pettitte, El Duque, and of course Roger Clemens -- no one got less run support than Mike Mussina, and that's why Joe Torre decided to pitch him in game one, because the Yankees aren't going to figure to score too many runs against Schilling, and Mussina should be able to handle that.
Also, Mike pitched in the biggest game of the playoffs so far, game three of the American League divisional series against Oakland, won that game against Barry Zito. If he doesn't come up with a huge pitching performance, the Yankees aren't playing right now in the World Series. So a credit to Joe Torre to give Mussina the ball in game one. KAGAN: I want to talk about the bets that are taking place, not unusual during a World Series. The leaders of each city make a bet, so I read in "The Arizona Republic" this morning that the mayor of Phoenix, Skip Rimsza, says that if the Yankees win, that Mayor Giuliani will get a free year of golf at a local golf course, a set ...
LAGRECA: Not bad.
KAGAN: ... of King golf clubs, and an invitation to play at the Phoenix pro-am next year if the Yankees win. Now if the Diamondbacks win, Rimsza is going to get a year of free golf at the Van Cortland Park Golf Course. Is that nice? Do you know about that one?
LAGRECA: It's not as nice as what's going to be in Arizona, especially if they're going to cash in that bet in November. But Mayor Giuliani, like I said, has been here. This is the fourth straight year for the World Series, and he was the mayor back in '96, as well. So he knows how to choose his bets correctly, because he wins them every single time.
KAGAN: Apparently, Mayor Giuliani will also throw in a year supply of a junior cheesecake and a case of New York Harbor Ale as well.
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: ... just in case the Yankees win. And of course, the mayor of New York, an unabashed Yankees fan, makes no secret about wearing pinstripes.
LAGRECA: No question. And his son is at every game with him, and we've actually seen him grow. In '96, he was this little tot. Now all of a sudden, he's a teenager. That's how long this run has gone.
KAGAN: And just give me a prediction, seven-game series: Who's going to win? How many games?
LAGRECA: I think it will be six games, because you have to have respect for Schilling and Johnson, at least when one of their starts. I think they'll split. I think Schilling will win game one. I think the Yankees will get the Johnson in game two. I think they will probably be 2-2 going into game five, and the Yankees will win games five and six and hoist another flag, number 27, in their illustrious history.
KAGAN: Don LaGreca from ESPN Sports Radio, thanks for joining us. Enjoy the series.
LAGRECA: No problem. Good morning.
KAGAN: Good morning. Thank you very much.
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