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June 25, 2012 The Week in QuotesJune 18-24
THE GREAT PINE TAR WAR OF 2012
“I didn't just make it up or dream it up. But I mean, there were conversations before the game. He was out there, and I was talking to some of the guys and I said, 'How'd we let this guy get away?' I thought he pitched pretty good for us, and I saw he's been a kind of invaluable set-up man for Tampa Bay. One thing led to another and I got probably more information than I really needed. I don't know.”
“That's my BP glove, I'm out there every day playing catch with it; it's hot here. That's what I've got to say about it.”
“To single out Joel Peralta tonight, that is my concern. That Joel does not get vilified, that's my concern. Because this guy has done a great job. He's been an excellent relief pitcher. And to in any way tarnish what he's done to this point because there's going to be suggestions made based on what happened tonight, and I think that's wrong and inappropriate. Because it's been a common practice for many, many years for anybody to try to get an edge in many, many ways.”
“I promise you one thing: You're going to see brand new gloves throughout the major leagues starting (today).”
“He looks like a cheater. He looks like a jerk. And he's not. He's not at all. And that's just too bad.”
“Insider trading, man. It's bush. It's bogus. That's way too easy, right there.”
“I didn't know him that well, but I thought he was a weird wuss anyway. He has a tweeter. He can get to more people than I can. I'm not going to get in a shouting match with him. I understand where he's coming from. His job as manager is sticking up for his players. He doesn't know me from a hole in the hill, or me him. I didn't take them personally. He's a good manager. He protects his players like I would, too.”
DICKEY DOES IT AGAIN
“Personally I think he is the best pitcher in the game right now. I don't know if there is a question about it, especially based on the scoreless inning streak that he has going. … It's really incredible.”
“It's surreal. You almost get emotional out there, especially that last hitter. You hear everybody, like one big heartbeat beating. That's the best way I could explain it.”
“It’s been ridiculous. Just the comments I get at first base. ‘It’s unfair.’ That’s what they say, ‘It’s unfair.’ ”
“This is the best I’ve ever seen it. I’ve caught him now for parts of three years. This is the best knuckleball, personally, that I’ve been back behind the plate for.”
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHICKEN IN THE CLUBHOUSE
“Frank [Francisco] thought it was funny. At first, I told him the Yankees sent it over for him. He had a look of concern on his face. And then he said, 'You bought it.' And I said, 'Yeah, I bought it.' Everyone got a good chuckle out of it. He ran around here for a little bit. And we played the game.”
“We originally called him ‘Little Derek Jeter.’ ”
“As much as I enjoy the Byrdak humor, he should be aware Little Jerry Seinfeld is no chicken.”
PEAVY AIN’T PLEASED
“We’re just not playing good, fundamental baseball. When you’re going bad, the little things will get you.”
“I [messed] it up. I lost the game for the man, that’s it. The man threw a hell of a game, I lost it for him. Point blank. Case closed. We lost. My bad. That’s it.”
“I think if you ask anybody in the clubhouse, they’ll tell you we have to play better than we have the last week and a half. It’s just the fact of the matter. And I’m speaking of myself, too, of the games I’m losing. I have to find a way to win those.”
WE’RE GOING STREAKING!
“We don’t think about it when we’re out there, but we don’t want to be that guy. You’re watching everybody have their starts, we all pull for each other and we all push each other.”
“Usually, you’re glad with one, two or three guys throwing well. We’ve got four and five dominating like an ace right now. They’re all five aces, so you can’t ask for anything better.”
TALKING PARK EFFECTS, AGAIN
“I had such consistency with my command last year. That's what I noticed. I wasn't consistently trying to find it. However it affects your stuff (in Denver)—because it is real—it's the idea that you are always adjusting. If you were pitching here for 30 starts a year, I think you would figure it out. But I wouldn't say you couldn't throw a curveball here, because you can. People do it. You have to do it a little differently. It's challenging.”
“You can tell by the stadiums that are closer to the beach, with the marine layer, how the ball doesn't carry as well. The cold weather at night knocks balls down.”
“Seattle, it was very hard to hit home runs there. Dodger Stadium was a little easier. Oakland also was very tough. You can hit a ball as hard as you can, just crush it, and then you watch it fall into a guy's glove. Easy play. The air is so thick. It can get to you mentally. I've seen it with a lot of guys, how frustrated they are.”
“It's confidence. I think I got beat down a little bit. I got pretty comfortable [in St. Louis] and it felt like a tornado hit [in San Diego]. [...] Nothing against the Padres or Buddy Black, who's a great manager to play for. I love them all. It was just a tough place for me. Every good ball I hit to right-center, center and left-center just seemed to die. So I started trying to pull, and got into some bad habits. I wasn't myself.”
“In Colorado, I hit a ball to left that I thought at best was going to move the runners up. It was a normal fly ball, and it kept going and turned into a three-run homer. Then we're in Oakland, and I hit one that I know is gone. It's only a matter of how far gone. Then I look out there, and Coco Crisp is catching it one step on the warning track.”
LOOKING FOR LINCECUM
“His whole body changed, and that weight can affect your mechanics as well. I don't give a damn what his weight is, but I know what too big is and I know what too little is. He showed up too little.”
“I used to have a chip on my shoulder. ... I had Napoleon's syndrome just because, you know, I wasn't a big guy. I had that pissed-off feeling of trying to prove people wrong. I think that's kind of the edge I need.”
“Sometimes he gets too excited in a game. He probably tries to do too much. He probably tries to do more than he can.” “He’s my dad. Regardless of what I want to talk about, at some point he’s going to make me talk about something I don’t necessarily want to. With that, you’ve got to understand he’s on my side. He’s not out there trying to make me worse. When he’s critiquing me or what not, not to make me worse, but to make me better. There’s an innate kind of comfort just talking to him. When you get past that 10 minutes of bickering with each other it turns into an actual good conversation and it has a good rhythm to it.” —Lincecum, on finding answers, or at least guidance, from his mentor and father, Chris. (Knapp, San Francisco Chronicle)
—Nationals manager Davey Johnson jokes about Moyer, whose request for release from the Orioles was recently granted. When Johnson took his final hacks in 1978, Moyer was a rising star at Souderton Area High School in eastern Pennsylvania. (Adam Kilgore, @AdamKilgoreWP, Washington Post)
—Orioles’ reliever Darren O’Day thinks Peralta’s suspension (eight games) is too severe, but points to the bigger problem that MLB has with setting standards for suspensions. (Darren O’Day, @DODay56, Baltimore Orioles)
—CBS’ Jon Heyman reported that the Red Sox traded Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox. Boston received right-hander Zach Stewart and utilityman Brent Lillibridge. The Red Sox will also send the White Sox $5.5 million. (Jon Heyman, @jonheymancbs, CBSSports.com)
—That’s right, folks. Kevin Correia is available! Pirates GM Neal Huntington is probably sifting through dozens of offers for Correia, who sported a 5.40 FIP entering Sunday’s start against Detroit. The decision Huntington needs to make: who does he want more, Trout or Harper? (Rob Biertempfel, @biertempfeltrib, Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
THE REST
“Obviously when you don’t have the record that everybody wants after 67 games, it’s crap like that that you have to address.”
“You know what? (The fans) got to see the young Beltran and the old Beltran, so I guess it's good.”
“I voted for him today.”
“There was a little fire there. I wanted to close it out.”
“We are in contention, so we are going to do whatever we can to make the playoffs.”
“When (Miley) came to Double-A (in 2010), he was left-handed, threw hard, four had pitches, was a ground-ball guy and could overpower some guys. He was a ground-ball who was also a strikeout guy. Granted, it’s Double-A, but at the same time you had (Braves pitcher Mike) Minor, and he was more highly touted. I just thought that Wade was a little more polished, had better off-speed and kept the ball on the ground better.”
“I thought about it. And I know what happened to [Kendrys] Morales, so I wasn't going to jump. But no chance. I jumped.”
“Easy. Seven Presidentes (beer) and a sleeping pill and be ready for the job tomorrow.”
Jonah Birenbaum is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 6 comments have been left for this article.
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I live in Chicago, and I miss Ozzie, along with 99.9% of the print and electronic media here. Where is Presidente from? is it any good?