October 28, 2002

The Week in Quotes

October 14-27

by Derek Zumsteg

BEFORE THE SERIES

"What we don't want to do is distract from the game coverage. We'll do it judiciously when we can."
--Dan Bell, Fox Sports spokesman, on plans to show stars from Fox shows attending World Series games

"If we can hold Barry to a solo home run every game, we'll be okay."
--Adam Kennedy, Angels infielder

"I don't want to spend the Angels' money, but maybe next year they can change it."
--Dusty Baker, Giants manager, on the Anaheim warning track

"It doesn't seem like the World Series, because I'm not home watching it on TV."
--Jarrod Washburn, Angels pitcher

GAME 1

"I could imagine it in my dreams, but I never thought I'd do it until now. It helped take the tension down a little bit for us, but games aren't won in the first or second inning. They're won in the ninth inning."
--Barry Bonds, Giants outfielder, on homering in his first World Series at-bat

"This obviously isn't a blueprint, to go out and lose Game 1."
--Mike Scioscia, Angels manager, after losing the first game having lost the first game in both AL playoff series

"Luckily, I fell on my backside and was able to keep my concentration."
--J.T. Snow, Giants infielder, after falling chasing a foul-out and still managing to get up and catch it

"I wanted to see how far he could hit it."
--Troy Percival, Angels pitcher, on a 97 MPH fastball hit by Bonds for a HR that, scientists say, may still be in orbit

"That was the farthest ball I've ever seen hit in this ballpark, for sure."
--Tim Salmon, Angels outfielder, on the home run

GAME 3

"I never lose in October."
--Livan Hernandez, Giants pitcher, before Game 3

"When you're from Cuba and you have to pitch to survive and feed your family, then you're going to have a tendency to be good in big games."
--Baker, on big-game pitchers Livan and Orlando Hernandez

"It was a tough night for us. They were hitting. They've been hitting the last two games. I don't know, hopefully they hit themselves out, I hope."
--Baker, after losing 10-4 in Game 3

"I'm not going to say I'm surprised because I think if we can keep pressuring clubs the way we've been doing all year and in the playoffs, you have the potential to do something like we did tonight."
--Scioscia, after his team got 16 hits in Game 3

"He's awfully big, isn't he? He hits 'em a lot further than I did, but I could out-run him and out-throw him."
--Hank Bauer, ex-Yankee, on sharing a record with Bonds for hitting a home run in three straight World Series games

"I hit 'em off (Warren) Spahn, (Lew) Burdette and Don McMahon, and that's pretty good that I even remember. Hell, I'm 80 years old!"
--Bauer

GAME 4

"You're just trying to get to a young pitcher, maybe knock him off his pedestal. He's had a clean playoff slate, and we were hoping to dirty it a little bit."
--Jeff Kent, Giants infielder, on handing Angel Francisco Rodriguez a loss in Game 4

"When I hit into the second double play, I didn't even want to go back to the dugout. I felt like jumping into the stands and sitting with the fans."
--Benito Santiago, Giants catcher, on his performance behind Bonds, who was walked intentionally 3 times in Game 4

"If I hit into a double play, they'll walk the guy. If I hit a home run, they'll still walk the guy."
--Santiago

"When I used to hit seventh, sixth, I got four at-bats a game. But hit behind this man, you get five or six. It's good for my bonuses. "
--Santiago

"I don't need to see Barry hitting any more home runs to gain any more respect for his talent."
--Scioscia

GAME 5

"You look at the final score, and it was a whuppin'--no doubt about that."
--Scioscia, after losing Game 5 16-4

"I have to admit that's probably the first time I've done that."
--Kent, on smiling while rounding first after hitting a home run

"I told him thank you. It didn't scare me at all. (My dad) told me, 'J.T. saved you.'"
--Darren Baker, Giants batboy, on J.T. Snow pulling him away from the plate during a play

"I reached down. Luckily, I grabbed him by the collar. His eyes were huge. I don't think he knew what was going on. He's our good-luck charm. We can't have him going down. We need him as much as we need any of our players."
--Snow, on his grab

"As I saw the play unfold, I was thinking of what my mom told me, 'He shouldn't be out there, he's going to get hurt.' I said, 'Mom, I know what I'm doing.' First call I got in the clubhouse was my mom to tell me, 'I know you listen to me sometimes, just listen to me this time.'"
--Baker

"The commissioner's office has informed the Devil Rays and other clubs that there will be no comments on any subject until the World Series is completed"
--Devil Rays statement, in response to rumors on the hiring of Lou Piniella to manage the team

"We have a memorandum that's four, five years old, maybe, longer, that says during the World Series, the focus is on the World Series."
--Bud Selig, Commissioner of Baseball

GAME 6

"I knew this team--all it needs is a little spark. To have the fans behind you, they never gave up. If it takes the Rally Monkey to get them going a little bit more, we love it."
--Scott Spiezio, Angels infielder

"That thing was showing again, wasn't it? It's crazy, but whatever works for them. I mean, who knows if they believe in it, or whatever? But the fans surely get riled up."
--Tom Goodwin, Giants outfielder

"I saw it. I can understand it. When you're up 5-0 with that bullpen, he was probably thinking that when [Ortiz] wins it, it would be nice to have the ball. But, yeah, some guys talked about that."
--Alfredo Griffin, Angels coach, on seeing Dusty Baker give starter Russ Ortiz the ball when making a pitching change with a 5-0 lead

"I don't care what [the Angels] like. You know what I'm saying? That wasn't intended for them at all. That was intended as a gesture straight to Russ Ortiz, a gesture of appreciation, of 'thank you' to Russ. It had nothing to do with the Angels. Nobody should flatter themselves they were in this situation. If they took it the wrong way, I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry that I gave Russ the ball."
--Baker

GAME 7

"It wasn't long ago I was in the minor leagues and I just wanted to step up and help these guys out."
--John Lackey, Angels pitcher, after his win

"You have to look at what he's all about. This guy is not going to rattle, he's not going to be intimidated. ... He did everything we could have asked of him. What a job."
--Scioscia, on John Lackey's five-inning start on three days rest

"The game I'm probably going to remember most is Game Six when we had a 5-0 lead."
--Baker

"It's going to be very difficult right now to go back to the hotel and hear people hollering and screaming out there for Anaheim."
--Baker

"I'm not going to lie, it was fun. It was great. I can say I was more ready for it than ever."
--Bonds

"One-for-three with a walk was a good night. Am I supposed to go 3-for-3 with three homers? What do you want from me?"
--Bonds

GENERAL SERIES COMMENTARY

"My little boy's been asking me why I'm not playing so much. I told him, `Daddy's not a shortstop anymore. He's not an outfielder. He's a teammate.'"
--Shawon Dunston, Giants outfielder, on his 9-year-old son and batboy Shawon Jr.

"They're a National League team, but they're not like anyone we saw this year. That's pretty weird, when you think about it."
--Rich Aurilia, Giants infielder

"My friends, they say, 'You're a big baseball player, you can do this, you can do that.' I just want to go to the ballpark, do my job like anybody else, go home and be with my family." -
--Bonds

THE REST

"We could sell out the Metrodome every game and not make money."
--Carl Pohlad, Twins owner

"The thing I love is how Scioscia plays the game. He has your defense on its toes because whether they're up or down he's hitting and running, moving runners, bunting. As a defensive player I know the chaos that causes. I hope that shines a light for this organization. To just play 90-foot baseball and then wait for a home run--that's a lot of pressure to put on a young team and young pitchers. Putting pressure on a defense doesn't take ability, it just takes management to make it go forward."
--Randy Velarde, Athletics infielder

"He hit four or five balls over the right-field fence and said, 'What do you think of that?' I said, 'That was good, but now let's see you hit one over the left-field fence, or left-center.' He went out and hit another four or five over the left-field fence. I made up my mind that night I was going to take him to the big leagues."
--Syd Thrift, Orioles general manager, on Barry Bonds in the minor leagues

"It was a very easy decision. I couldn't have sweated less over it. I like the team; we have a home in the city; my family knows the area. We like it there, like the coaches, and the fans have always treated us well."
--Brad Ausmus, Astros catcher, on exercising his option for an additional year at $5.5 million

"I'll go home and break some stuff, whatever is in the way, and get over it... It will haunt me for awhile but I'll get over it. I'm not going to do no Donnie Moore or something because of it."
--Steve Kline, Cardinals pitcher, on giving up the Cardinals' season-ending hit two straight years

"Of course, it's not done yet. But if it happens, I'll be a little sad. At the same time we can't worry about it. We have business to take care of. If Lou shows up across the field some day, we'll just have to kick his butt, too."
--Bret Boone, Mariners infielder, on rumors Lou Piniella would be leaving the Mariners

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