May 6, 2002

The Week in Quotes

April 29-May 5

by Derek Zumsteg

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THINGS MUST CHANGE

"I'm not ashamed of anything that's happened to create this situation. We've wanted to win. We've worked hard here. We've improved a lot of people but we've got to win baseball games. And I understand that."
--Tony Muser, Royals ex-manager

"Baseball needs a new economic system. There is nothing that exists that gives the Minnesotas of the world a chance to compete. The NFL and the NBA have systems that do work. There are restraints, there are salary caps and there is revenue sharing."
--Jerry Colangelo, Diamondbacks owner, on the first-place Twins

DAVEY, DAVEY JOHNSON

"Hey, I've been fired four times now. I think they're trying to tell me something. I guess I'll take the hint for once in my life.
--Davey Johnson, on rumors he might be the next Kansas City manager

"I think you get tired of being fired after a while, or not knowing when you're going to get fired. It doesn't seem to matter sometimes how well you're doing, because if ownership or management is on a different timetable, you're out. Maybe if they could tell me I'd work for three months and then they'd definitely fire me, I'd do it. Well, no, not really."
--Johnson

OFFENSE

"On one particular night, I was as good as anybody in the game."
--Mike Cameron, Mariners outfielder, on hitting four home runs in a game

"It's calm aggressiveness. Work the hitter as best you can. Get good pitches to hit and don't swing at a breaking pitch until the pitcher has proven he can throw it for a strike. A lot of pitchers don't throw first-pitch strikes and even if they do, you should have enough confidence to give them one."
--Tommy McCraw, Expos hitting coach, on his team's new philosophy

"The bunt is a great offensive weapon. You can't go wrong advancing runners."
--Lou Piniella, Mariners manager

THE REST

"It was so awesome, dude. Fifty billion dollars gets traded there every day. Billion."
--Barry Zito, Athletics pitcher, after getting a tour of the New York Stock Exchange

"And the guy who showed me around, their PR guy, he's got pictures taken with everybody. Reagan, Gorbachev, Heidi Klum, the model. All the hot babes. He's the man."
--Zito

"He made enough money off me to buy a boat; he better be happy for me."
--Jose Rijo, Reds pitcher, after receiving a congratulatory telegram from Dr. James Andrews, who performed five elbow surgeries on Rijo

"I know the time he spent on the bench today he was taking a lot of grief, so he was probably glad to just get in the ballgame and get away from his teammates for awhile. I heard Wally Pipp mentioned at least 100 times on that bench today."
--Bob Brenly, Diamondbacks manager, on outfielder Luis Gonzalez missing a start and pinch-hitting

"I wanted to see him throw a no-hitter worse than you guys. I think he'd rather have a good arm next year rather than a no-hitter."
--Bobby Cox, Braves manager, on pulling pitcher Damian Moss after seven no-hit innings

If you would like to submit a quote, please email Derek and be sure to include both the quote itself and a URL pointing to the quote.