Rusty, first of all, congratulations on that first game

yesterday.

Well, thank you, Dave.

It was, you know, one of the more exciting ones I've had the pleasure of being a part of, and I was real glad that people, you know, in Montreal got to at least see a pretty exciting one.

We didn't want to make it so exciting at the end, but that's the way it worked out.

You told me after the ball game that was the first opening day home run you've hit.

Oh, yeah.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring, or have you just started now to feel

What

did you hit? Well, Alvin Jackson, he hung a curveball is what he did, and that's the pitch I hit.

It was a high curveball.

Were you going for the long ball, or were you just going for that base hitter and trying to get it to the power alley? Well, actually, I was, you know, he's a left-handed pitcher, and he's a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls, and he, you know, the only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I was, you know, I had to play defensively, with the idea in mind of hitting him to, you know, left field or up the middle so I wouldn't, you know, pull out.

And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you travel the home run, the less you have a chance to do it.

And the majority of the home runs you do hit, you're not really trying to hit the home run.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring, or have you just started

Rusty, first of all, congratulations on

that first gig yesterday.

Well, thank you, Dave.

It was, you know, one of the more exciting ones I've had the pleasure of being a part of, and I was real glad that people in Montreal got to at least see a pretty exciting one.

We didn't want to make it so exciting at the end, but that's the way it worked out.

You told me after the ball game that was the first opening day home run you've hit.

Oh, yeah.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring,

Rusty, first of all, congratulations

on that first game yesterday.

Well, thank you, Dave.

It was, you know, one of the more exciting ones I've had the pleasure of being a part of, and I was real glad that people, you know, in Montreal got to at least see a pretty exciting one.

We didn't want to make it so exciting at the end, but that's the way it worked out.

You told me after the ball game that was the first opening day home run you hit.

Oh, yeah.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring, or have you just started now to

Were you going for the long ball, or were you just going for that base hit or try to get it to the power alley?

Well, actually, I was...

You know, he's, um, a left-handed pitcher, and he's, uh, a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls, and he, um, you know, I've...

The only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I was, you know, I had to play with the idea in mind of hitting him to, you know, left field or up the middle and, uh, so I wouldn't, you know, pull out.

And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you try for the home run, the less you have a chance to do it, and the majority of the home runs you, you, you do hit, uh, you, you're not really trying to hit the home run.

And, um, I was trying to hit that ball to left center and, um, you know, ended up hitting the ball to right center and out of the park.

Uh, what was the problem that last week? Had you had it all, uh, all spring, or have you just started now to feel right?

talk about that hit, because I know whether you're a home run hitter

or not, you like to talk about the long balls.

What did you hit? Well, Alvin Jackson, he hung a curveball is what he did, and that's the pitch I hit.

It was a high curveball.

Were you going for the long ball, or were you just going for that base hitter and trying to get it to the power alley? Well, actually, I was, you know, he's a left-handed pitcher, and he's a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls, and he, you know, the only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I was, you know, I had to play defensively, With the idea in mind of hitting him to you know left field or up the middle and so I wouldn't you know pull out and And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you travel the home run, the less you have a chance to do it.

And the majority of the home runs you do hit, you're not really trying to hit the home run.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring, or have you just started now

hit, because I know whether you're a home run hitter or not, you like to

talk about the long balls.

What did you hit? Well, Alvin Jackson, he hung a curveball is what he did, and that's the pitch I hit.

It was a high curveball.

Were you going for the long ball, or were you just going for that base hitter and trying to get it to the power alley? Well, actually, I was, you know, he's a left-handed pitcher, and he's a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls, and he, you know, the only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I was, you know, I had to play defensively, with the idea in mind of hitting him to, you know, left field or up the middle so I wouldn't, you know, pull out.

And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you travel the home run, the less you have a chance to do it.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring, or have you just started

long ball? Or were you just going for that base hit or try to get it to the power alley?

Well, actually, I was, you know, he's a, a left-handed pitcher, and he's a, a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls.

And he, um- You know, I've, the only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I always, you know, had to play with the idea in mind of hitting him to, you know, left field or up the middle and, uh, so I wouldn't, you know, pull out.

And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you try to hit a home run, the less you have a chance to do it, and the majority of the home runs you, you, you do hit, uh, you, you're not really trying to hit the home run.

And, um, I was trying to hit that ball to left center and, um, you know, hit the ball to right center and out of the park.

Uh, what was the problem that last week? Had you had it all, uh, all spring, or have you just started now to feel right?

Well, what actually took place was, um, for a while there, one week, about a week before the season started, uh, I hit the ball tremendously and, uh, but I was spread wider than I've ever been spread before in my life, just like I was yesterday.

long ball? Or were you just going for that base hit or try to get it to the power alley?

Well, actually, I was, you know, he's, um, a left-handed pitcher, and he's, uh, a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls, and he, um You know, I've, the only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I always, you know, I had to play with the idea in mind of hitting him to, you know, left field or up the middle.

And, uh, so I wouldn't, you know, pull out.

And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you try for the home run, the less you have a chance to do it.

And the majority of the home runs you, you, you do hit, uh, you, you're not really trying to hit the home run.

And, um, I was trying to hit that ball to left center and, um, you know, hitting the ball to right center and out of the park.

Uh, what was the problem that last week? Had you had it all, uh, all spring, or have you just started now to feel right?

talk about that hit, because I know whether you're a home run hitter

or not, you like to talk about the long balls.

What did you hit? Well, Alvin Jackson, he hung a curveball is what he did, and that's the pitch I hit.

It was a high curveball.

Were you going for the long ball, or were you just going for that base hitter and trying to get it to the power alley? Well, actually, I was, you know, he's a left-handed pitcher, and he's a junk ball pitcher, throws a lot of breaking balls, and he, you know, the only way I've had any success with him at all is to try to hit him the other way, and I was, you know, I had to play defensively, With the idea in mind of hitting him to you know left field or up the middle and so I wouldn't you know pull out and And, you know, that's what I try to explain to people about hitting.

The more you travel the home run, the less you have a chance to do it.

And the majority of the home runs you do hit, you're not really trying to hit the home run.

What was the problem that last week? Had you had it all spring, or have you just started now