Peter Gammons sat down with Stamford Zoots GM/Manager Paul Marazita after
his thrilling comeback victory in the 2001 BDBL World Series.

PG:  First off, congratulations on the victory.  Is there any chance you
could win one of these things without going 7 games and having to make a
dramatic comeback?

PM:  Thanks Peter.  To answer your question...I don't think my teams are
capable of doing anything easily.  They always make me sweat.  But don't
forget that I have played three fantastic teams to win these championships.
My hat is off to Chris Luhning and the Kansas Law Dogs.  As I told him
before Game 7 during warm-ups, "I hate this darn field of yours, but you
have put together one heck of a good team."  After the series he was a
complete gentleman.  Class guy and a class organization.  We'll all here
from him again.

PG:  You shocked the commentators with a few moves in this Series.  Meche in
Game 3?  Johnson on short rest in Game 5 when you could have held him out
and pitched him on regular rest in Game 6?  The pre-game decision to bench
Caminiti and play Nevin against Reed in Game 3?  What was the thinking?

PM:  Well Peter, I think to some extent I just gave Kansas (and that darn
Coors field) too MUCH respect.  I put a lot of thought into the Meche
decision.  I felt he gave us the best chance to win in Game 3.  It is just
so darn difficult to throw lefties against Kansas.  Brian Bo' was my first
choice -- he's just been great all year -- but I just did not like the
match-ups with him and the Kansas lineup.  The other option was Ryan
Dempster.  RD told me he could do it -- an boy did he pitch a heckuva game
in Game 6 -- but I just had to make the call and I did what I thought was
best for my team.  As for Johnson -- this was the "Coors factor."  For some
inexplicable reason, Unit led the BDBL in HR's allowed this past year (tied
with Pedro Martinez of all people).  Putting him in Coors against that
lineup -- I mean Troy Glaus had a slugging % of over 1000 this year against
lefties in the BDBL and that's not OPS...that's SLUGGING ONLY -- just scared
the crap out of me.  Randy had only thrown 88 pitches in Game 1 and with his
EX durability, I just felt that pitching him in Game 5 at my place gave us
the best chance to win.  I guess that was an 0 for 2 for me.  A for Nevin, I
did what I never do before Game 3.  I went against the "Plan" and played a
hunch.  Of course, Nevin comes up with the bases loaded and 1 out in the
bottom of the first and proceeds to ground into an inning ending DP.  What
can you do?

PG:  And Brownie going on short rest...TWICE?  Who did you think he was --
Curt Schilling?

PM:  With all the hitting exploits, Brownie's efforts have been forgotten a
bit.  Bottom line is that Brownie said "give me the ball Skip," and I did
it.  Brownie and I have been through many battles together.  He is not one
to blow smoke up my rear end.  He said he could do it.  I said ok.  In Game
7, I told him to give me 5...that's all I wanted.  He fell one out short,
and it certainly wasn't his finest outing, but he kept us in the game and in
that stadium that's all you can ask.

PG:  After Johnson gets toasted in Game 5, you can't like your chances in
Game 6 with Dempster against a fully-rested Daryl Kile...can you?

PM:  It was not the match-up we wanted, but Ryan was true to his word.
Other than the mistake to Kile -- I nearly fell off my chair when he took
Ryan yard -- Ryan had his A-game going.  It was the biggest, and most
memorable, surprise of the series.  Without that outing, we lose.  Period.
No way to sugarcoat it.  When we went down 2-0, the wheels looked a little
wobbly, but then Fonzie comes up with the 3-run homer in the next inning and
it was a whole new ballgame.

PG:  But then you bring in Pote to get Dye in the 6th and he proceeds to
give up a solo jack...what was going through your mind?

PM:  It was the move to make.  Can't second guess yourself.  If I had to do
it 100 times, that's the move I make 100 times.  Lou didn't get it done.
More time than not he will.  Thankfully, 12 runs in the 8th kind of
overshadowed that mental error.

PG:  I would say so.  Then Game 7.  The big Enchilada, the whole ball of
wax, the ...

PM:  Jeez Peter, could we get on with it already?

PG:  Sorry.  Run us through the highlights of Game 7.

PM:  Well its the middle of the darn morning, I'm tired, I have some
terrible gas -- making my basement smell like a cesspool....

PG:  Maybe we could stick to the actual on-the-field play???

PM:  Oh, sure.  So, as I was saying.  I know Brownie isn't going to be able
to give me much, so I am just hoping head into the 6th with a lead.  Thanks
to dingers by Vizquel and Caminiti, we enter the top of the 5th down only 1.
With Reichert on the mound for Kansas, I thought we had a chance to scratch
together a run or two.  Against my better judgment, but out of necessity, I
let Brown lead off.  He grounds out.  Alfonzo singles and Vizquel grounds
into a fielder's choice with Fonzie moving to second.  This brings up
Salmon.  Tim was having just a horrific series, but, because I am thick I
leave him in the 3-hole.  FINALLY, he comes through with a single to score
the tying run.  This brings up Caminiti.  I remember thinking, hey, with
Caminiti and Palmeiro due up, we have a chance.  So what happens?  Caminiti
hits a 2 run dinger -- a no-doubter -- to put us up 6-4.  And that's the way
it stayed for awhile until Pudge goes yard against Bung-Hole Kim in the 8th
to draw them within one.  I have to tell you, I did not like our chances
with a 1 run lead, in their little bandbox of a stadium, with some big bats
coming up in the 9th.  The only good thing was that Drew and Clark, Kansas'
only two lefty bats, were already used up so I thought I could go back to
Fetters without too much trouble to face Segui and a few righties.
Thankfully, his guy Williams decided to pull a Bung-Hole Kim and put 6 runs
up in the 9th.  I felt a heckuva lot better bringing in Fetters with a 7 run
lead...I can tell you that.

PG:  Which brings us to Fetters.  Wow, he almost singlehandedly cost you
this series, no?

PM:  Mike did not have a good series.  He failed to hold leads in Games 1
and 2 -- actually giving up a walk-off 3 run jack in Game 2 -- but you go
with what got you there.  Mike was getting the ball in the 9th.  No ifs,
ands or buts.  I told you...I am stubborn.

PG:  And the rest is history, huh?

PM:  I guess so.

PG:  Something that is lost with all this talk about the WS is the fact that
you are losing a number of the veterans that helped you to these three
championships.  Anything you want to say to them?

PM:  Well, I will be speaking with each of them privately, but I can share a
few thoughts with you generally.  Its an issue of where I start.  Raffy
Palmeiro has been the heart and soul of this team.  Some people snickered
when we took a 30-something 1b in the inaugural draft.  They questioned
whether he could continue to produce.  I think Raffy has answered his
critics...in spades.  He may not have been the best player statistically
each year, but he was the soul of this team.  Omar Vizquel?  Again, he just
did the little things -- offensively and defensively -- and it all
culminated with his unbelievable performance in the World Series.  I
remember speaking with him before Game 1 and he just said:  "Mr. Paul -- me
gonna win you #3."  Simple man.  Simple words.  Quite prophetic.  Brad
Ausmus?   More of the same.  Between  the timely hits and the fantastic
defense -- a pro's pro.  And finally, Randy J.  Unit was pretty upset a few
years ago when we only signed him through 2001.  He told me he had a lot of
gas in the tank.  My baseball people told me that might very well be true
but that we had to pick between him and Brownie on the financial side.  We
hitched our wagon to Brownie.  No regrets.  I mean Brownie has been the
workhorse we knew he would be.  I just wish we had been more creative
financially to keep Unit.  We are going to miss the Big Fella next
year...and how.

PG:  A lot of folks, yourself included, have suggested that the Zoots are
going to have their work cut out for them next year.  Has anything changed?

PM: Well Peter, as you know, we recently traded for Chipper Jones to address
some weaknesses we had at the plate.  Still, I just don't see that this team
has the horses this coming year.  We are at least 2 players short.  The
injuries to Brown and Alfonzo were absolutely devastating.  We simply could
not have injuries to three guys -- Ordonez, Brown and Alfonzo.  We went 1
for 3.  Those are the breaks.  Trust me, we will be looking for ways to
improve this club ASAP.  With a little luck, a little skill and the good
Lord willin' we will give it our best and see what happens.

PG:  And you Paul?  Do you have any gas left in your tank?

PM:  After each season I sit down with my wife and we have the same
discussion -- can I give this team the 100% devotion it deserves?  Twice I
have answered that question affirmatively.  I don't see that changing this
year.  There is a lot of work to do, but I am just so darned excited about
some of the kids coming up through our farm system.  Our scouts have
assembled perhaps the best collection of young arms in the entire league.
From Mark Buehrle to Juan Cruz to Danny Wright to Nate Cornejo to Wascar
Serrano -- even Bung Hole Kim himself -- I just love our young arms.  Its
such a shame Gil Meche has had such terrible injury problems.  He would have
headed that list...and still may someday.  In addition to our arms, I have
become personally involved in finding some young position player talent.  Of
course, we have Nick the Stick and Adrian Gonzalez.  In addition, I was as
excited as a millipede in a toe-counting contest to get Brandon Phillips as
a farm FA at the end of Chapter 5.  He is one of the most exciting middle
infield prospects in baseball.  I just love the natural tools and my scouts
tell me that he is mature well beyond his 20 years and is a tremendous
worker.  That is a Stamford hallmark -- hard work and embracing the mental
part of the game.  Finally, we have been able to scavenge some cheap young
talent in the last couple of drafts.  They will all play roles next year and
in the future.  Mike Young at 2b.  D'Angelo Jimenez at SS.  John Riedling
out of the pen.  We may be a year away from getting back to the big
dance...but it should be fun trying to get back.  Patience has never been my
hallmark.  I guess time will tell.

PG:  Any words for the critics out there?

PM:  You know me better than that Peter.  I don't have the time or the
inclination to get into those silly things.  Sometimes I get so annoyed I
react on emotion, but that will end.  In fact, I issued an organization-wide
memorandum just last week.  There will be NO further responses to the absurd
allegations on internet chat boards and in the media unless it goes through
me first.  I will not engage in this banter.  It is beneath me and this
organization.  So if you are going to take your potshots...knock yourself
out.  We have our work cut out for us and no time will be wasted on idle
chit-chat.

PG:  Well, no one can say you don't lay it on the line Paul.  Thanks for
taking the time.

PM:  Thanks Peter.  Always a pleasure.  Keep hyping those Red Sox
prospects...its always good reading material.