Since the conclusion of the BDBL World Series, Stamford Zoots Manager and GM Paul Marazita has gone underground. Speaking through team personnel and "unidentified" sources, Marazita requested that the media give him a little time to spend with his family and that he promised to make himself available to a media member of his choosing in the very near future. True to his word, Marazita recently sat down with Peter Gammons for a chat about the Zoots stirring comeback win against the Chicago Black Sox: PG: Paul, thanks for speaking with us here at ESPN. I wasn't sure if you were going to show. PM: Peter, it has been a draining year. The one thing you can guarantee with my team is that we don't win easy. It is always a struggle. It always comes down to one pitch, one play -- it is truly exhausting. PG: But you can't argue with the results...no? PM: Peter, you have known me for quite some time. The results are the ONLY thing that matter. At the end of the day there is one team standing. If its us, we had a great season. If its not...well...that's simply not acceptable and I have to go and make sure that it doesn't happen again. PG: Without getting into the gory details, what happened to the Zoots in Games 1 through 3? PM: Simple answer...the Chicago Black Sox. PG: But Paul, you throw Smoltz, Brown and Johnson and walk out down 3-0? PM: Don't get me wrong Peter, it surprised the hell out of me. However, the Black Sox just come at you in waves. There are few if any dead spots in their lineup. You are cruising along -- for example Game 2, I am up 4-3 after 5 innings, Brown is pitching pretty well after a rough first inning...and then BOOM...a walk to Delgado, a walk to Hundley, a pinch-hit single from Huskey, a single from Cedeno. Before you know it, you are down 6-4 and wondering what hit you. PG: Seemed pretty hopeless after losing that 2-1 decision in Game 3...no? PM: That was probably the toughest one to swallow. Johnson gave me everything I could ask...and more. The Sox are absolutely unreal against lefties. I wanted 7 innings of 2-3 run ball out of Randy -- he gave me 7IP, 4H, 2R, 3BB's, 8K's. Problem was that I simply could get nothing going against Al Leiter. After trading Mike Cameron earlier in the season, I was never the same against left handed pitching. Omar Vizquel tried to set the table in Game 3 with 3 hits...but the rest of my squad went a combined 1 for 24. Not much you can do about that. So yeah, the word "hopeless" was starting to creep its way into my mind. PG: So what was the turning point? When did you finally think you had a chance. PM: Well, I was very down, as were the rest of the guys, but we hung in there and started playing each game, one at a time. Smoltzie came back on 3 days rest and pitched brilliantly (7.0, 4, 1, 2, 6). After a shaky first inning, he was virtually untouchable. But I would have to say it wasn't until Game 5, when we hammered Todd Ritchie -- a guy who had done a pretty decent job against us in Game 1 -- that I started to think we had a legitimate shot to make this more than just interesting. We hung a 6-spot on TR in the 4th inning including a GIGANTIC Grand Salami from Michael Tucker and, suddenly, the cloud seemed to be lifted. I myself started looking ahead a bit. I was thinking, if I can just get to a Game 7 and be in a position to run Smoltzie out there again, we are in pretty decent shape. The big question was Randy Johnson. Could he get us through 5-6 innings in Game 6, on 3 days rest and after throwing 116 pitches in Game 3. PG: And the Big Unit did his job... PM: And then some. I know people were surprised when I lifted him after 5 innings and 68 pitches, but whenhe came in after the 5th he gave me that look that said "Skip, that's it man. I won't say the words because I'm too damn proud, but the tank is on empty." So I pinch hit Tucker for him in the bottom of the inning with men on first and second and no one out. Of course, Tucker winds up hitting into a double play and I am wondering if I made the biggest mistake of the series, but Vizquel bailed us out with a clutch 2 out hit. PG: Ok, you have now done the improbable -- after being down 3-0 you have come back to tie the series at 3-all. What is going through your mind? PM: Two things really. Score early on Leiter...no matter what it takes to do so...and pray that Smoltzie can take the ball one last time and give me a solid 6 innings. PG: 2 for 2 on the wish list, right? PM: And then some. In the second, Magglio Ordonez leads off with a solid single and Mike Lowell deposits one of Al's first pitches over the LF wall for a gigantic 2-run shot. It was absolutely unbelievable. PG: And Smoltz just kept rolling... PM: Yeah, Smoltzie was the MAN. 6.1 efficient, scoreless innings. PG: But you pull him for Chouinard after only 79 pitches...it certainly raised a few eyebrows in the press box. PM: I can understand why. Chewy had not really been getting it done in the series, but he was very well rested and after Smoltzie hit Delgado to lead off the 7th...well...it was time. PG: Still, a lot of confidence in a guy who carries a shotgun around for fun. PM: Yes. No question. But Chewy got it done for me all year -- 44IP, 26H, 17BB's and 28K's with a 2.05 ERA -- you can't beat that type of production and I had confidence that he would get it done again. PG: Let's skip to the 8th. Still 2-0, man on second, two outs with Manny Ramirez up -- you go to Wall. PM: Donne was warmed up and ready to go. I certainly could not bring a LHP in against Manny and Wall had performed very well all year for me. Chewy was up to 23 pitches...again it was just ime. PG: And he gets a ground out. You scratch out a run in the bottom of the 8th on a balk after almost blowing it with the bases loaded and nobody out. PM: That was absolutely huge. I had Tucker against Wendell with bases loaded and nobody out. When he hit into the 123 double play I was dumbstruck. I really thought I had a problem. PG: Ok, its the 9th -- Delgado, Ripken, AJones up. PM: I bring in Yorkis to face Delgado and he does his job. Then its off to John Johnstone to close it out against the two RH -- simple baseball. PG: So what do you do now? Where do you go from here? PM: Peter, to be honest, I am still just enjoying this one. We are working the trades and doing the little things to make us better next year, but I am trying to "smell the roses" a bit. It still hasn't really sunk in. To do what had never been done before (come back from 3-0 in a best of seven) is just unreal. I still can't believe it. My hat is off to the greatest bunch of guys a manager could ever ask for. Even when I had doubts, they never gave up. It has been an honor managing them...and I told them that. But they know...its all for naught if you don't get the third ring. That's what it is all about. Winning the next one. There are no finish lines and, fortunately, I have a veteran team that isn't concerned with personal achievement -- they just want to win. Like I said, I could not have asked for a better squad. PG: Thanks Paul. PM: No problem Peter. Hope to be sitting down with you again next year.