Cone tries to close out Indians

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Monday October 12, 1998 08:06 PM

Been there before: David Cone has more big-game experience than any other Yankees pitcher, starting 14 postseason games in his career AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- This was the game David Cone was supposed to pitch for the Yankees last October.

Instead of starting the potential clinching game of a playoff series last year against Cleveland, Cone was sidelined by an injured right shoulder and was forced to watch his teammates get eliminated by the Indians in the AL division series.

Cone gets an opportunity to redeem himself Tuesday night when the Yankees face Charles Nagy and the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 of the AL championship series, with New York leading 3-2.

"I kind of felt like I let our team down last year when I told Joe Torre I was ready to go and in reality I probably fooled myself," Cone said Monday of last year's Game 1. "It is very gratifying for me to be back in this position."

And the sight of Cone on the mound will put manager Joe Torre at ease. Torre has called upon Cone to pitch the biggest games in his three years at the helm in New York.

Cone pitched Game 3 of the 1996 World Series in Atlanta with New York down 2-0. He started the first game against Cleveland last season before leaving with the injured shoulder. And Torre used him in the potential momentum-shifting Game 3 against Texas in this year's division series.

"I probably put more trust in David than any other pitcher," Torre said. "So all my eggs are in one basket as far as I am concerned."

Cone has more big-game experience than any other Yankees pitcher, starting 14 postseason games in his career. He has pitched series clinching, series extending and series losing games.

Twice he has been on the mound in Game 6 -- once with his team down 3-2, the other with his team leading. His team won both games, beating Los Angeles in 1988, when he was with the Mets, to extend the NLCS to seven games, and getting a no-decision against Atlanta in Toronto's World Series clinching game in 1992.

Cone said he will draw on the experiences from those games, especially the game against the Dodgers, when he takes the mound Tuesday. Cone pitched a complete game that day, allowing one run and five hits as the Mets forced a Game 7 they would eventually lose.

"That was the first really big game of my career," he said. "There was enormous pressure. It was the first time I felt physically nervous. My legs felt like cement blocks as I walked to the mound. I have never felt that way again."

Now Cone knows how to channel his nerves better and the pressure of the postseason doesn't affect him as strongly. Sure, there will be butterflies when he walks out to the mound, but he doesn't expect it to hinder his performance.

"I always feel a little nervous, but it is more determination than fear," said Cone, who allowed one run in eight innings in Game 2 against Cleveland. "That comes with experience. I don't want a Game 7. I want to close this out."

Cone's counterpart on Tuesday has a lengthy postseason resume as well. Nagy has made 11 starts in the playoffs, pitching 7 1-3 shutout innings against Baltimore in Game 6 of the ALCS last year to put the Indians in the World Series.

Nagy was bypassed for the start in Game 7 of the World Series last year and ended up losing it in relief. But he is not worried about the past, focusing only on how to get his team to Game 7.

"All we can do right now is just think about tomorrow's game, go out there and worry about winning that game," he said. "I am just going to approach it like I did last week."

Nagy plans to do nothing different that he has done recently. He has allowed one run in three of his last four starts, including two appearances at Yankee Stadium -- Game 2 last week and in the regular season three weeks ago.

"There is no secret to what I do," he said. "I am going to go out and throw my sinker, slider, changeup and split. They know that. And if I keep the ball down and if I can get my breaking balls over for strikes, hopefully I will have some success."

Related information
Stories
Wells, Davis help Yanks take control of ALCS Strawberry stays in hospital Wells gives Indians -- and their fans -- the business SI's Mark Bechtel on the ALCS: Rockin' and rollin' in Cleveland
Stats
CNN/SI Player Page: David Cone
Multimedia
Click here for the latest audio and video
Message Boards
Cone or Nagy? Who do you like in Game 6 and why? Talk about it on the CNN/SI Baseball Message Board! Join the discussion
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.