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Interview With Kevin Paul Dupont

Aired October 13, 2003 - 15:35   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.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON ZIMMER, YANKEES' BENCH COACH: I'm embarrassed for the Yankees, the Red Sox, the fans, the umpires, and my family. That's all I have to say. I'm sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That was Yankees coach Don Zimmer. Pretty emotional stuff. And you thought it was just baseball. Now both the Red Sox and the Yankees have been put on notice: no more free for alls. Game four, just hours away. What's the atmosphere like at Fenway?

Kevin Paul Dupont, long-time sportswriter for "The Boston Globe" joins us from there. They call it "Friendly Fenway," Kevin. It didn't look that way on Saturday, did it?

KEVIN PAUL DUPONT, SPORTSWRITER, "THE BOSTON GLOBE": It certainly wasn't for Zim when he went after Pedro Martinez. So it's always something more than baseball here in Boston, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad.

O'BRIEN: All right, for those in the audience who are not baseball fans, it's worth pointing out a little back story on Don Zimmer. In the late '70s -- there you see him charging after Pedro Martinez. In the late '70s he was the manager of the Red Sox. So all kinds of emotions must have been going on here.

And then early in his career, of course, he was hit by a pitch, beaned. So I guess that's some of the back story that might have led to that charge.

DUPONT: Don Zimmer, of course, had his playing career ended by being beaned not once but twice. He was a manager here in the late '70s when they thought they were going to win the World Series. Of course, it's been a long time here in Boston, since 1918 it hasn't happened. And Zimmer had a great team in '78. They went to a one- game playoff against the Yankees.

So I don't think that frustration was on his mind then. But I'm positive that some of that frustration was on the fans here at Fenway. It was an unfortunate incident for Zim.

O'BRIEN: No apology from Pedro Martinez. And as is his custom, not a lot of conversation with reporters, either. And you don't see his teammates lining up to support him. What's going on with that?

DUPONT: I think many of his teammates have grown tired of virtually having to answer for Pedro. Pedro doesn't talk much with the media. He's certainly not going to apologize for trying to bean someone. But there's no question that's what he's doing. No pitcher ever does that.

So he's going to hold to his case, he's not going to apologize. I don't think that's forthcoming. And I think some of the players here have grown tired of the act.

O'BRIEN: And what about the fans? Do they grow tired of this? Or do they think this is just all part of the Yankees rivalry?

DUPONT: Well I think some of the fans enjoy it. I think some of the fans have a more realistic view. But by and large here I think it just gets swept in, Miles, to all the frustration going back to 1918. You know the last time they won a World Series here, the inning by any updates went to Fort Devens, the military instillation, by carrier pigeon, long before CNN. So people here have waited a very long time.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I should say so. And of course it's worth reminding folks it was against the Cubs in 1918, laying the possibility, at least depending how they do, of a repeat of that series, 85 years later.

Let's talk about the general atmosphere. Is there a sense that there's a quick tipping point tonight, and it could lead to more mayhem? Or have people decided they better just scale back from what we saw Saturday?

DUPONT: I'd like to think the fans would behave themselves. It's not a decisive game tonight. It's a beautiful evening here in the back bay. I think people will have it together that much. Are they excited? Sure they are. There are lines at bars now. Lines outside the ticket office of at least 200, 300 deep, hoping some tickets get turned back in. It's a special time.

That said, it's expensive time too. Parking is $75 around the corner.

O'BRIEN: $75 to park your car? You might as well take the Green Line, huh?

DUPONT: That's right. Take the Green Line, or go home and buy a big screen TV. Tickets are going for $2,500 a pair, $3,000 a pair.

O'BRIEN: $3,000? That would get you a decent TV.

DUPONT: Sure would.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense -- a lot of rain there yesterday. Is the field in good shape? Is the weather good tonight? What's your take on how this game's going to play out?

DUPONT: Weather's gorgeous. One of the problems here at Fenway is the field doesn't drain well. So yesterday with the soaking mid to late afternoon, the outfield was just drenched. Wouldn't go down the drains. Now it's clear since morning. Nice light breeze here. A gorgeous night for baseball.

O'BRIEN: Is it a Red Sox night, you think?

DUPONT: Well, we're well versed here in saying, wait until next year. So I'll say at least the weather's with them.

O'BRIEN: All right. They will always disappoint. Kevin Paul Dupont, thank you very much. Enjoy the game tonight. Appreciate it.

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 13, 2003 - 15:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON ZIMMER, YANKEES' BENCH COACH: I'm embarrassed for the Yankees, the Red Sox, the fans, the umpires, and my family. That's all I have to say. I'm sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That was Yankees coach Don Zimmer. Pretty emotional stuff. And you thought it was just baseball. Now both the Red Sox and the Yankees have been put on notice: no more free for alls. Game four, just hours away. What's the atmosphere like at Fenway?

Kevin Paul Dupont, long-time sportswriter for "The Boston Globe" joins us from there. They call it "Friendly Fenway," Kevin. It didn't look that way on Saturday, did it?

KEVIN PAUL DUPONT, SPORTSWRITER, "THE BOSTON GLOBE": It certainly wasn't for Zim when he went after Pedro Martinez. So it's always something more than baseball here in Boston, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad.

O'BRIEN: All right, for those in the audience who are not baseball fans, it's worth pointing out a little back story on Don Zimmer. In the late '70s -- there you see him charging after Pedro Martinez. In the late '70s he was the manager of the Red Sox. So all kinds of emotions must have been going on here.

And then early in his career, of course, he was hit by a pitch, beaned. So I guess that's some of the back story that might have led to that charge.

DUPONT: Don Zimmer, of course, had his playing career ended by being beaned not once but twice. He was a manager here in the late '70s when they thought they were going to win the World Series. Of course, it's been a long time here in Boston, since 1918 it hasn't happened. And Zimmer had a great team in '78. They went to a one- game playoff against the Yankees.

So I don't think that frustration was on his mind then. But I'm positive that some of that frustration was on the fans here at Fenway. It was an unfortunate incident for Zim.

O'BRIEN: No apology from Pedro Martinez. And as is his custom, not a lot of conversation with reporters, either. And you don't see his teammates lining up to support him. What's going on with that?

DUPONT: I think many of his teammates have grown tired of virtually having to answer for Pedro. Pedro doesn't talk much with the media. He's certainly not going to apologize for trying to bean someone. But there's no question that's what he's doing. No pitcher ever does that.

So he's going to hold to his case, he's not going to apologize. I don't think that's forthcoming. And I think some of the players here have grown tired of the act.

O'BRIEN: And what about the fans? Do they grow tired of this? Or do they think this is just all part of the Yankees rivalry?

DUPONT: Well I think some of the fans enjoy it. I think some of the fans have a more realistic view. But by and large here I think it just gets swept in, Miles, to all the frustration going back to 1918. You know the last time they won a World Series here, the inning by any updates went to Fort Devens, the military instillation, by carrier pigeon, long before CNN. So people here have waited a very long time.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I should say so. And of course it's worth reminding folks it was against the Cubs in 1918, laying the possibility, at least depending how they do, of a repeat of that series, 85 years later.

Let's talk about the general atmosphere. Is there a sense that there's a quick tipping point tonight, and it could lead to more mayhem? Or have people decided they better just scale back from what we saw Saturday?

DUPONT: I'd like to think the fans would behave themselves. It's not a decisive game tonight. It's a beautiful evening here in the back bay. I think people will have it together that much. Are they excited? Sure they are. There are lines at bars now. Lines outside the ticket office of at least 200, 300 deep, hoping some tickets get turned back in. It's a special time.

That said, it's expensive time too. Parking is $75 around the corner.

O'BRIEN: $75 to park your car? You might as well take the Green Line, huh?

DUPONT: That's right. Take the Green Line, or go home and buy a big screen TV. Tickets are going for $2,500 a pair, $3,000 a pair.

O'BRIEN: $3,000? That would get you a decent TV.

DUPONT: Sure would.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense -- a lot of rain there yesterday. Is the field in good shape? Is the weather good tonight? What's your take on how this game's going to play out?

DUPONT: Weather's gorgeous. One of the problems here at Fenway is the field doesn't drain well. So yesterday with the soaking mid to late afternoon, the outfield was just drenched. Wouldn't go down the drains. Now it's clear since morning. Nice light breeze here. A gorgeous night for baseball.

O'BRIEN: Is it a Red Sox night, you think?

DUPONT: Well, we're well versed here in saying, wait until next year. So I'll say at least the weather's with them.

O'BRIEN: All right. They will always disappoint. Kevin Paul Dupont, thank you very much. Enjoy the game tonight. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com