July 6, 1999

The Week in Quotes

June 28-July 4

by Dennis Cleary

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KENDALL OUT FOR THE SEASON

``It was one of the worst things I've seen. I've never seen anything like it. He was probably going to set the record for steals by a catcher, but will that speed come back? I just don't know.''

-- Gene Lamont, Pirates manager

``It's one of the most gruesome things I've ever seen. I'm still shaking from it. I looked over and his ankle was just hanging limp. You could see bone sticking out. It was bad. Something like that puts a dark cloud over the whole game.''

-- Mark Loretta, Brewers infielder

``I don't think a lot of us could look at it. It gave me a sick feeling. It puts the whole game of baseball back into perspective. It was just sad to see.''

-- Brian Giles, Pirates outfielder

``I felt sick to my stomach. You don't replace an All-Star catcher, a player who means so much to this team on the field and in the clubhouse. You just don't know what effect it will have on your ballclub.''

-- Cam Bonifay, Pirates GM

WINNING WAYS

``You have to look at that with some sense of pride. But what does that really tell you? It's taken us that kind of streak to get to .500. We need to be better than that. A 13-game winning streak, you'd think you'd be seven, eight games over .500.''

-- Trevor Hoffman, Padres pitcher

``No one thought we'd go on a streak like this. This is a good way to get started in July. We need to run with this, and if we can get into August, we can make a pennant race of it.''

-- Eric Owens, Padres outfielder

``There's a great aura surrounding them now, like it was with us and hopefully will be again.''

-- Buck Showalter, Diamondbacks manager, on the Reds

``It's like building for the future and then all of a sudden, the future comes a lot quicker than you anticipated. And the key is going to be to stay healthy and consistent.''

-- Jim Bowden, Reds GM

``When I take the mound, I think I'm unbeatable until the last out.''

-- Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher

BOMBING THE CUBS

``This is no fun. It's not a fun game to play in. Obviously, we can't continue to play like this.''

-- Mickey Morandini, Cubs infielder, on losing 19-12

``This is the worst I've been through as a manager at any level.''

-- Jim Riggleman, Cubs manager, on being outscored 54-21 over a three-game period

``I think it's best to leave things unsaid, if you don't mind.''

-- Mark Grace, Cubs infielder

``Their relief pitchers have been out there so much, they're throwing more pitches than the starters.''

-- Mike Lieberthal, Phillies catcher

OLD GUYS

``What I'm most happy about is the fact that I've been able to be out there every day. The manager knows I'll be there. There have been some ups and downs but I've been pretty consistent over the course of more than 1,000 games.''

-- Jesse Orosco, Orioles pitcher, on breaking the major league record for relief appearances

``I probably shouldn't have been in the big leagues in 1978 and 1979. I should have been in rookie ball because I had a tough road early. I've been on some teams, budget-cutting teams that didn't really score a lot of runs. But good things have happened after 21 years.''

-- Mike Morgan, Rangers pitcher

``Kids coming up want to hit the long ball because that's where the money's at, that's where the light shines. I liked it back in the '80s. You had some speed teams, some defensive masters, some teams with power. Now, everybody's got offense. Everybody's the same -- hitting, hitting, hitting. There's no diversity.''

-- Willie McGee, Cardinals outfielder

THE REST

``It's a beautiful place. Aesthetically it's very appealing. I like the way it sets up. There is not a bad seat in the house. It's impressive. I like it.''

-- Lou Piniella, Mariners manager, on Safeco Field

``When you see good plays behind a pitcher, a lot of times it's because the pitcher works quickly. You don't have time to get back and watch the birds fly by.''

-- Jeff Blauser, Cubs infielder

``My control is probably my biggest asset. It's always been there.''

-- Bret Saberhagen, Red Sox pitcher

``I don't like playing on Astroturf. The ball gets by you in a heartbeat.''

-- Russ Davis, Mariners infielder

``What else can happen to the guy? I feel for him. People say you're only given as much as you can handle, but how much can one person handle?''

-- Denny Neagle, Reds pitcher, on Mark Wholers, who will miss 18 months due to elbow surgery

``Let's see if he can throw the ball over the plate and get some people out. That's what you want to see.''

-- Ray Miller, Orioles manager, on the signing of Jim Corsi to a minor league contract

``My mom is happy; I'm happy. I'm keeping the game ball for my first major league win. It's not the only one coming.''

-- Octavio Dotel, Mets pitcher

``It may sound boring, but I try to go out there and take the same approach every at-bat. I just go out there and battle, and see what happens.''

-- Joe McEwing, Cardinals infielder

``It was a real emotional day to come back here and contribute. I can't describe how happy I am to be back with this team.''

-- Tom Candiotti, Indians pitcher

``It is hard here and this is a tough place to pitch, but you have a chance if you pitch your game, throw your pitches and stay aggressive.''

-- Andy Ashby, Padres pitcher, on Coors Field

``He deserved to be there. I was told by the American League office they had been in touch with the Texas Rangers, and they asked that he not be chosen. Instead of being chosen and not going, they asked he not be chosen.''

-- Joe Torre, Yankees manager, on Juan Gonzalez and the All Star game

``You know success breeds success. You get that first hit and you get a little confidence, start feeling good. You start rolling and it turns into a special night.''

-- Jeff Cirillo, Brewers infielder, on going 5-for-5