May 26, 2011

You Can Blog It Up

You Saw the Game... Take What You Need

by Steven Goldman

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Earlier today at BP, Emma Span took a survey of the state of the art in post-game clichés. As I always am when this topic comes up, I was reminded of the efficiency with which Phillies lefthander Don Carman dispatched this issue. In 1990, Carman, who was pitching in middle relief after a few years in the rotation (and leading the National League in losses in 1989), probably didn’t have much call to speak with reporters, but just in case, he posted a sign above his locker:

YOU SAW THE GAME… TAKE WHAT YOU NEED

1.      I’m just glad to be here. I just want to help the club any way I can.
2.      Baseball’s a funny game.
3.      I’d rather be lucky than good.
4.      We’re going to take the season one game at a time.
5.      You’re only as good as your last game (last at-bat).
6.      This game has really changed.
7.      If we stay healthy we should be right there.
8.      It takes 24 (25) players.
9.      We need two more players to take us over the top: Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
10.  We have a different hero every day.
11.  We’ll get ‘em tomorrow.
12.  This team seems ready to get going.
13.  With a couple breaks, we win that game.
14.  That All-Star voting is a joke.
15.  The catcher and I were on the same wavelength.
16.  I just went right at ‘em.
17.  I did my best and that’s all I can do.
18.  You just can’t pitch behind.
19.  That’s the name of the game.
20.  We’ve got to have fun.
21.  I didn’t have my good stuff, but I battled ‘em.
22.  Give the guy some credit; he hit a good pitch.
23.  Hey, we were due to catch a break or two.
24.  Yes.
25.  No.
26.  That’s why they pay him a million dollars.
27.  Even I could have hit that pitch.
28.  I know you are but what am I?
29.  I was getting my off-speed stuff over so they couldn’t sit on the fastball.
30.  I had my at ‘em ball going today.
31.  I had some great plays made behind me tonight.
32.  I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.
33.  You saw it… write it.
34.  I just wanted to go as hard as I could as long as I could.
35.  I’m seeing the ball real good.
36.  I hit that ball good.
37.  I don’t get paid to hit.

Text courtesy of Paul Dickson's Baseball's Greatest Quotations.

Steven Goldman is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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