The Week in Quotes

March 7-13

by Alex Carnevale

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ONE FEWER OUTLAW ON THE PRAIRIE

"It shouldn't have an impact. It's not going to change how we operate. We have an organizational structure and a budget. All of that remains the same. Ownership change is not that unusual. They happen in the game, or in any business. Going forward, I think we're set up for stability."
–Rangers general manager Jon Daniels on the exodus of CEO Chuck Greenberg.

"It's like a marriage. You think things are going to work out in business, but until you get in there, you never know how things are really going to work."
–Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan on conflicts with the former CEO.

"Chuck did an excellent job of going out and being in the community and working with the fan base and working with the media. We liked having Chuck out there. We liked what he brought to the fan base and the interviews he gave. This wasn't about one person being too visible over another person."
–Rangers co-chairman Ray Davis on the reason for Greenberg's termination.

"I don't really see, with the people that we have in place, it really much different than the role that I've played as president in the three years that I've been here. I really don't see that changing."
–Ryan.

"I'm not a micromanager. I really believe in hiring good people and letting them do their jobs, so it really will be a joint effort, not only in the front office but as it's been in the baseball department with Jon Daniels and Thad Levine and Ron and our coaches and scouts. I don't see the business side of it being run any differently than my approach to the baseball side."
–Ryan.

"Texas probably finished second to be honest with you. Just as far as the quality of the team and the chance to win a World Series ring, I think they're a better team. That's just my opinion. The Yankees can do anything at any moment to improve and they're not afraid to go do things. That was part of the decision-making process too, but I felt like with what the Red Sox had done and it seems like some of the Yankee guys are getting older, but I liked the Rangers."
–Phillies starter Cliff Lee on the race for his services this offseason. (Dallas Morning News)

EARTHQUAKE TSUNAMI

"The monitor was shaking. Then this morning I checked the Internet again and I saw the video. It was horrible so I called them again. They're fine. So I'm fortunate. I'm happy. Of course I worry about what happened in Japan. But I cannot do anything about it. So I'm just trying to focus on baseball."
–Angels reliever Hisanori Takahashi on chatting with family in Japan during the earthquake on Skype.

"It was definitely shocking waking up and hearing the news. Just receiving an e-mail and reading it, I wasn't able to take in exactly what it was. But once I turned on the television and saw what was going on, it was quite shocking and very scary to see that."
–Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka.

"He doesn't need to be at the ballpark right now. He needs to take care of his family, make sure he's OK upstairs. He's getting 2-3 hours of sleep a night, and that's not good. We'll make sure he stays in shape enough, but he needs to take care of his family."
–Brewers manager Ron Roenicke on Takashi Saito.

"This has been shocking. I watched the news this morning for quite a while. When you see something like that it's hard to fathom. We have a lot of people over there and players making contact, making sure their families are all right. There's one village where 9,500 people are missing. It's just really something."
–MLB commissioner Bud Selig. (MLB.com)

THE MCCOURTS FEATURED A VARIETY OF GLASS CEILINGS IN THEIR HOME

"Obviously I have a job to do and I'm fully committed to that. This is a chance for me to contribute in a very meaningful way to the game. As far as long-term aspirations, they're still there. If anything, this makes me a more fully qualified candidate."
–newly hired MLB senior vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng on leaving the Dodgers.

"Kim and Peter and Joe will be working under me. Of course, I still have a sense that they're going to be doing the heavy lifting. When it comes to decision-making, they're going to simplify it for me. Peter and Kim are two energetic people. I just met Peter a week ago—I was pretty impressed and, of course, his resume is also impressive for a young man. Kim I've known and have no hesitation about her doing what we're going to ask her to do."
–MLB vice president Joe Torre on his new lieutenants Ng and Peter Woodfork.

"I'm excited for Kim because this is a huge step in her career but I'm disappointed that we are losing such a tremendous talent. She has been a dedicated member of our organization for the last decade and has set herself apart with her integrity, her work ethic, and her dedication to winning and always doing what is best for the Dodgers. I wish her all the best in her new role and I will always consider her part of the Dodger family."
–Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. (Barry M. Bloom, MLB.com)

TWO CRUCIAL MEMBERS OF THE 2011 METS

"I talked to Ollie today and told him we had decided we think the place where he would probably help us the most is being a situational lefty. He said he understood. He's in a completely new role. I told him I think it's a great, fresh start for him, and we'll see what comes out of it."
–Mets manager Terry Collins on Oliver Perez' future with the team.

"This is different than anything I've had to do before. I've never had to compete with other guys for a spot. I can still swing the bat, I can still field. I'm trying to help them, but my job is to make the team. It's hard to do when you don't play much."
–Mets second baseman Luis Castillo on competing with Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner for the second base job.

"We're in a competition with a lot of guys. I could absolutely understand if he was less helpful. He's chosen to be a professional."
–Mets infielder Daniel Murphy.

"I know there's a lot of pressure on me for me to stay here, and I want to. I feel healthy. I know I can help this team, and I think they're being fair. I just want one more chance."
–Castillo. (Dan Martin, New York Post)

THE REST

"That doesn't sound like the Giants I know. We're not looking to have a legal battle. We're looking to do what's best for baseball."
–Athletics owner Lew Wolff on how the Giants would react if his team attempted to move to San Jose. (MurrayChass.com)

"I don't know if it's good news or not good news. It's just news. It's not a lot of news. The main thrust of this discussion is that we've made some consultations, we've done some research."
–Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. on the health of Chase Utley. (Todd Zolecki, MLB.com)

"I don't think they were playing H-O-R-S-E."
–Brewers manager Ron Roenicke on the game of basketball that forced Zack Greinke to miss his Opening Day start. (Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune)

"I think sometimes, when you create a new metric—or, actually, not even a metric. As soon as there is something you can measure, sometimes you tend to overvalue that thing. I'll bet you when, however many years ago, they introduced the radar gun, my guess is that we started overemphasizing fastball velocity. So I think maybe some of that has gone on with the defensive side. That being said, we've definitely made a lot of progress. But we're not all the way there yet."
–Mets assistant general manager Paul DePodesta. (Patrick Flood, SNY)

"How can I be behind if there's no timetable?"
–Mets starter Johan Santana on reports questioning his recovery from off-season surgery. (Sunil Joshi, MLB.com)

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Alex Carnevale is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus.