December 2, 2002

The Week in Quotes

November 19-December 1

by Ryan Wilkins

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THAT WINNING ATTITUDE

"If Bobby Knight can go to Texas Tech and get them to play winning basketball, I could, and should, have an effect on winning here...I think of myself as a winner."
--Dusty Baker, Cubs manager

"His work ethic is second to none...He's always prepared, plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. He's very unselfish, knows how to play and has come from winning teams."
--Larry Bowa, Phillies manager, on newly-acquired infielder David Bell

"They have the basis for a great team. It's a young team, but they have all the pieces in place. I'm looking forward to coming in and doing anything I can to help them win."
--David Bell, Phillies infielder

"He could care less about his numbers...He cares about winning. When you have guys on the same page, that care only about winning, that's how you become a winning team."
--Bowa, on Bell

DISCIPLINE

"[Randall] Simon does kind of fit the profile of the hitters we've had in recent years...But on a team that swings and misses as much as we do, it will be a welcome addition to have a contact hitter."
--Dave Littlefield, Pirates general manager

"I didn't come all the way from Curacao to the States to take pitches. I'm up there to swing."
--Randall Simon, Pirates first baseman

"The lack of walks obviously isn't what you'd ideally like but he somewhat balances that by consistently putting the ball in play. He is also a run producer who doesn't project to have monstrous power but should hit his share of home runs as a left-handed hitter in PNC Park."
--Littlefield

"The fun part was swinging the broomstick, not standing there taking pitches."
--Simon

FRESH BLOOD

"We're aware that as a public relations matter there are safer choices. But Theo is someone who is ready for this job."
--Larry Lucchino, Red Sox president, on the hiring of 28-year-old Theo Epstein as general manager

"I grew up second-guessing Red Sox general managers. I guess now I'll be second-guessing myself."
--Theo Epstein, Red Sox general manager

"(Garner) is overqualified for everything...He's still a big-league manager as far as I'm concerned, but if he felt there was something he'd like to do working with us, we'd love to have him."
--Bob Melvin, Mariners manager

THE TOOLS OF IGNORANCE

"I told you earlier we were going to address our catching, so that's what we're doing."
--Jim Hendry, Cubs general manager, on acquiring catcher Paul Bako

"I'm at a point in my career where I know there are many years ahead of me."
--Charles Johnson, Rockies catcher

LIKE BILL VEECK, ONLY WITHOUT THE SIDESHOW...

"I still think it's wrong. I still think it's one of the worst business scenarios I've ever seen in my life. Where we've got a (highly paid) guy who undergoes surgery and other teams (under the tax threshold) get paid for it. I've never seen anything stupider in my life. A team doesn't do a good job marketing, so they get paid more? It creates disincentives. The less (a team does), the more money you bring in. It's the dumbest thing I've seen in my life."
--Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner, on a luxury tax in professional sports

THE REST

"If someone gives me a chance in the majors, I'll hit more than 40 jacks...If I have a chance to go back to America, I will. If someone calls me, I go."
--Alex Cabrera, 2002 Japanese home run champion and former Arizona Diamondback

"[Tom] Glavine is probably the best pitcher I've ever seen at making a living off the hitters' lack of intelligence."
--Joe Kerrigan, Phillies pitching coach

"It's acceptable (in the majors) to golf and play cards and stay out late and drink (after games). But if you play guitar, some people don't understand it."
--Tim Flannery, former Padre third base coach, on why he was fired

"It was always an issue...People would say, 'Oh, he's out doing his music,' while the other guys on the team were out playing golf. Doing music was definitely an oddity."
--Flannery

[Oops... this is actually a quote from former MLB pitcher Jack McDowell. BP regrets the error.]

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