October 5, 1998

The Week in Quotes

September 28-October 4

by Andres Phippard

Steven Carter is taking a break from quotes. Andres Phippard will be filling in until he returns.

ADVANCING

"They said we couldn't beat Johnson twice in a five-game series. Well, we beat him twice in a four-game series."

--Sterling Hitchcock, Padres pitcher, after beating Astros pitcher Randy Johnson to advance to the NLCS

"I believe good pitching beats good hitting."

--Greg Maddux, Braves pitcher, after the Braves swept the Cubs in the division series

"It's hard to forget they beat us last year."

--Paul O'Neill, Yankees outfielder, on advancing to face the Indians in the ALCS

"We knew that the way the Yankees were playing all year that we would have to go through them if we wanted to get back to the World Series. And now they've got to go through us."

--Mike Jackson, Indians pitcher, on the rematch

"Everyone knew coming into the playoffs that all roads lead to Atlanta."

--Tony Gwynn, Padres outfielder, on baseball's latest dynasty

AND NOT

"I didn't have my best stuff, but you give up three earned runs in 14 innings (in two starts), you don't feel like you're going to lose too many ballgames."

--Johnson, after losing his second game of the Division Series and the fifth consecutive of his post-season career

"Not that I didn't expect low-scoring ballgames, but I expected more than 13 hits. We've had that many in one inning before."

--Johnny Oates, Rangers manager, after the Yankees stifled the Rangers offense in a sweep

"I feel like if I could give my life to make it to the World Series, I would do that."

--Sammy Sosa, Cubs outfielder, on the Cubs' quick exit from the playoffs

"We had a great season. Nobody is hanging their head."

--Mo Vaughn, Red Sox infielder, after losing to the Indians in round one of the playoffs

"They're a damned good team. So are we. That's what's incredibly difficult. We had a flat-out awesome team. And we're going home."

--Craig Biggio, Astros infielder, after getting knocked out of the playoffs

DARRYL

"I have a really strong feeling inside that this is just another hill that I have to climb."

--Darryl Strawberry, Yankees outfielder, on being diagnosed with colon cancer

"We know Darryl would want us to go out and wear his heart and determination on our sleeves."

--Joe Girardi, Yankees infielder

"Baseball is very, very, very important to all of us, but the bottom line is sometimes we have to step aside and think about human beings."

--Johnny Oates, Rangers manager

THE JOB MARKET

"I had to determine whether I was willing to go at the pace that new ownership's going to set. I decided that I don't want to do that."

--Former Marlins manager Jim Leyland, on on excercising a $500,000 contract buyout to end his tenure with the team

"Any time you have an opening and someone with Jim Leyland's credentials becomes available, you owe it to yourself as an organization to see if there's a fit there."

--Randy Smith, Tigers general manager, on wooing Leyland

"There comes a time in a man's life when he wants to find out what he's worth."

--Felipe Alou, Expos manager, on talking to other teams

"If I'm a free agent and Mo Vaughn leaves, then why do I want to go to a team that's going to lose?"

--John Valentin, Red Sox infielder, on the possibility that free agent Vaughn will not be re-signed

"To me, it's all been good times. Even the bad times have been good times."

--Vaughn, after what may have been his last game in a Red Sox uniform.

THE REST

"It was better than I could ever possibly imagine."

--Kerry Wood, Cubs pitcher, on being in the major leagues in 1998