According to our sources (granted this isn't the most reliable source, so we can't confirm this yet,) the man in the file photo below, one "Fast Eddie" Felson, approached Jennings during his pregame warm-up in the bullpen.
file photo
The following conversation was purported to take place between them:
Fast Eddie: "So JJ, looking good out there right now, you got to like your chances, tonight, huh?"
Jennings: "Man, I am on fire! There's no way I lose to this Thomson character."
F.E.: "I don't know though, the Braves are a good team, a playoff team, year in, year out."
JJ: "Hey, when I say I've got the win, then I've got the win, it's alrady over."
F.E.: "Wow, kid, you really seem confident. But come on, I bet if the Braves had a five run head start, they'd win."
JJ: "Five runs? No way, our starting third baseman, Desi Relaford hits .367 against this guy, that's why Clint put him in tonight, I bet we could give them a ten run head start and they wouldn't win."
F.E.: ".367, eh, that is impressive. Wow, I never would have figured this Relaford character could hit a can of beans. I'm still not buying, I think you're bluffing. All flash, no cash."
J.J.: "What, I ain't bluffing, I'm telling you, I've got some filthy stuff tonight."
F.E.: "Well, why don't you give them a ten run lead in the top of the first then and we'll just see?"
J.J "Ten... maybe that is a bit much, would you settle for seven?"
F.E. "Seven it is then, wow, you really are confident in this Desi character,"
J.J. ".367, and his defense is brilliant."
Again, I haven't found any corroborating evidence that this exchange actually took place, so I'm a little bit skeptical, but if it is, wow, we actually came pretty close in the end.