June 2, 2003

The Week in Quotes

May 19-June 1

by Ryan Wilkins

Printer-friendly

"I said something to one of the umpires about [QuesTec]... and he said 'Do us a favor and break the other one.'"
--Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher, after smashing Bank One Ballpark's QuesTec Umpire Information System (ESPN.com)

"The QuesTec system in this ballpark is a joke... The umpires have admitted it. They hate it. In the last three starts I've made here, multiple times umpires have said to the catcher, 'It's a pitch I want to call a strike but the machine won't let me.'"
--Schilling

"Major league baseball wants to have everyone conform to the strike zone as this machine says it is... Everybody's working to try to do that. Borderline pitches, this machine says they're balls. If I call them a strike and the machine doesn't, I'm getting downgraded. I've got to worry about my own livelihood."
--Mike Winters, major league umpire, on QuesTec (ESPN.com)

"In the old days, we were taught 'Go get them. Call those pitches strikes'...Today it's the exact opposite: 'Hey, if it's off the plate it's a ball. I don't care if it's a quarter-inch or an eighth-inch, it's a ball.' It goes against what we used to be taught, but major league baseball pays my salary, and they're the boss."
--Winters

"If I go to a park and I know it's not there, I'm certainly a little more relaxed."
--Winters

"Like I said, the kid pitched a phenomenal game and he obviously didn't have a problem with it, so I might be crying over spilled milk, but it's frustrating."
--Schilling, on the fact that Brian Lawrence, his opposing pitcher for the day, was tossing a two-hitter

"What this is about is Curt Schilling wanting pitches that are balls, called strikes... If that's what he wants, he should go to the rules committee. Otherwise, he should stop whining and go about his business."
--Sandy Alderson, Executive Vice-President of MLB Operations, on Schilling

AND THE BEAT GOES ON...

"This system is one of the worst things that has happened in baseball. They are going to feel ramifications because of the system. it's a joke."
--Darren Holmes, Braves pitcher, after giving up a three-run homer to Jeromy Burnitz (AP)

"Umpires want to make calls and be themselves, but with this system, they can't... When you have to throw it down the middle, it makes it tougher... Anything that is borderline, a strike or a ball, he's going to call it a ball."
--Holmes

"It was unreal... They threw a bunch of strikes and they weren't called."
--Bobby Cox, Braves manager, on Sunday's game against the Mets (AP)

SUBTRACTION BY ADDITION

"This is a player we think will help us score runs... and that's what we need to do to have any real success the rest of this season."
--Joe Garagiola Jr., Diamondbacks general manager, on acquiring infielder Shea Hillenbrand (AP)

"Pretty clearly, we need the offensive help, and we need it sooner rather than later... We've played what, 53 games, now? You keep saying 'Well, there's a lot of time left,' but every day there's less time left."
--Garagiola Jr.

"He's a run-producer. He drives in runs... He does not hit a lot of home runs, although he hit one last night, but hits a lot of doubles, puts the ball in play, works the whole field."
--Garagiola Jr., on Hillenbrand

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION

"Kim is an impact pitcher as either a starter or a closer... Long-term, we view him as a starter, but based on the makeup of this club, there may be a time we need him to close."
--Theo Epstein, Red Sox general manager, on acquiring reliever Byung-Hyun Kim (AP)

"We're going to use Kim in the role that's going to help us win the most ballgames."
--Epstein

"This trade was about winning the World Series... To put ourselves in that position, we needed more pitching."
--Epstein

THE REST

"Right now, it seems like we're going uphill all the time. But you don't look for sympathy when you wear this uniform, because nobody is going to give you any."
--Joe Torre, Yankees manager, on his team's 11-17 record in May (Arizona Republic)

"I'm old school, I was taught that ice was for bourbon, not for your arm."
--Rod Beck, former closer and current Cubs minor-leaguer (ESPN.com)

"I think Billy will have no problems making trades...because if people will just look around, they'll see he's given up quality players in a lot of his deals. Just look at some of the prospects he's given up--Jeremy Bonderman, Miguel Olivo, Jeff DaVanon, Angel Berroa, Jesus Colome, Franklyn German, Carlos Pena. That's seven guys who are playing in the big leagues right now."
--J.P. Ricciardi, Blue Jays general manager, on A's GM Billy Beane (ESPN.com)

"One of the things that makes the NBA and NFL great is that they are media friendly. Their commissioners lead the way. The difference is Bud is straight honest, and not necessarily a politician or media darling."
--Joe Morgan, Hall of Famer and ESPN baseball analyst, on commissioner Bud Selig (ESPN.com Chat Wrap)

"I just wanted to see what was going on in that mind."
--Adam Dunn, Reds outfielder, on why he approached manager Bob Boone after being benched (Cincinnati Post)

"I don't think it's any secret that our fifth starters have struggled... It's not like we're bumping Smoltz."
--Ricciardi, on the Blue Jays switching to a four-man rotation in the month of June

"I love first place more than any other place."
--Dusty Baker, Cubs manager (AP)