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April 19, 2004 The Week in QuotesApril 12-18A MAN'S GAME
"These are grown men playing this game and it's about time he realizes
that. He has a little man's complex that constantly has players hating
him and talking behind his back."
"Until they get rid of this sideshow, the Phillies will not reach their
full potential. That's a shame for the people in Philadelphia and their
new stadium."
"The only thing I'll say is, you see he's not playing baseball.
Everybody can't be wrong."
THE MASTER TACTICIAN
"When people describe Lou as a major-league manager, the first thing
that they talk about is his competitiveness, his will to win, his fiery
personality, his on-the-field tirades at times with umpires... And
something they fail to see is that he's one of the best strategists in
the game."
"You give him enough matchups, righty-lefty situations, he can keep us
in a ballgame. That's how we're going to try to win more of those close
one- and two-run games we lost last year. We couldn't do it with a big
payroll, so we're going to try to do it with interchangeable parts
offensively and on the bench and in the bullpen."
"Stats don't lie, but I still think Lou's strength is that he takes the
stats, but when the final decision comes, it comes from the gut, and I
think that's why he's been so successful."
"Statistical data works... My hunches are how a guy's swinging the bat,
what kind of pitchers they have on the other side, knowing the hitter
and knowing the pitchers."
"If a guy's 0-for-11 or 12 or 13 off a particular pitcher, I'm not
going to get a hunch that he can hit him. Conversely, if a guy is
6-for-7 off a particular pitcher, I'm not going to get the hunch that
this is the time he gets him out."
"We'll see a pitcher warming up and it's just a natural instinct for
him or I or (hitting coach) Lee Elia and we pick up what this guy has
done against our guys, and we see who is coming up, and sometimes it's
just, Boom! It just bites you that there's a big matchup that you've
got."
CHICKS DIG THE GROUNDOUT
"He's done a nice job getting on base and moving runners up... I'm
certainly not averse to using him to get down a bunt to move up
runners. It's part of his game, one of his assets. He feels good about
himself, and that's important."
"Everett's been another real positive. He's really developed an offense
game."
BACK AND FORTH
"They both know how I feel. I've earned my way here, they're not giving
me nothing. After the year I had last year, it's a little disappointing
come the 1st and 15th this year (pay day), but I'm going to keep on
ticking. It's not a challenge to me, because I'm used to proving
myself."
"I look at it a little different from everybody else... I think a lot
of guys got their job to do, but I've earned my way here. It's one of
those things that I really hope management will take a long look at
what I've done over such a long period of time and try and keep me
here. I don't want to go anywhere else.
"On the other hand, I don't want to sit here and outperform 80 percent
of the league and be paid like the bottom third of the league, either.
It's one of those things where money isn't everything, but I would like
to be happy, be treated fairly and be here for the rest of my career."
"I remember what I've done... It's easy to forget because I think
people just really go year to year, but it's been a long grind for me
and I take it serious."
"Money is not an issue right now, but I think I've made this
organization a lot of money over the years. So show the respect that
I've shown them. I've always been a company guy and stuck up for them.
I'm going to continue to bust my (butt) and do things so that I can
find a way to stay here."
"My job is to pull these guys together, keep a happy face and keep this
thing going for us, because I have a feeling it's going to be a special
year. All I'm looking for now is a ring. All the individual stuff, I
could care less about now, and for the first time it comes from my
heart when I say that. I could care less when it comes to my numbers."
THE REST
"If I'm below market with what I'm being paid, then I'm below market...
If somebody gets mad and says I'm underpaid, well, that's debatable
anyway."
"I'm tired of hearing [hitters] complain about the fences at Chicago
and Detroit and then seeing them moved in... Maybe they want smaller
parks because they are not juiced."
"Don't talk about changing it. Stop complaining and play the game.
Hitters should count their blessings. This ballpark has a lot of
opportunities if you play the game. My opinion-the Dead Ball Era
was a beautiful thing. The home run is getting away from the game
itself."
"It's scary to think where I'd be now if I'd stayed in San Diego all
year with my 8 ERA... No way you could connect me with this locker
right here. If I'd stayed there, where would I be. I wouldn't be here.
I know that."
"I have a problem investing a lot of payroll in a closer... Of course,
I said that in Texas and went out and signed John Wetteland."
"Baseball is like the NFL now. You don't know who is going to be
standing on the mountain at the end of the year. No one saw Anaheim
coming, no one saw Florida coming. You don't know who will be there
when the smoke clears. That's good for the game, because every team
feels like they have a chance."
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