July 19, 1999

The Week in Quotes

July 10-17

by Dennis Cleary

ALL-STAR GAME

``I was having fun. I love doing these things. Earlier in my career, when I didn't accept myself as a home-run hitter, I didn't like doing these things. But now I enjoy them. I think sometimes it's better than the game because I haven't really had a great All-Star Game.''

-- Mark McGwire, Cardinals infielder, on the Home Run Derby

``After 18 years, this is the last park I really wanted to see. I got to see Tiger Stadium and Yankee Stadium in the World Series. This might be my only chance to see Fenway.''

-- Tony Gwynn, Padres outfielder

``I can't say this was a goal, but it was a dream. Any kid growing up playing baseball dreams about being in an All-Star Game and a World Series. And I'm finally in an All-Star Game.''

-- Kent Bottenfield, Cardinals pitcher

``I play with an All-Star team every day. We're not caught up in personal accolades. We care about one thing -- a world championship. The personal things are secondary.''

-- Derek Jeter, Yankees infielder

``I hope the grounds crew doesn't get too mad, because I tore this piece of grass out of right field. I'm taking it home, and I'm going to have it forever.''

-- Larry Walker, Rockies outfielder

``I think it makes it a little more special, being here in Boston. Representing the decade, the last one of the century. Being there with all those players around us, I never, never expected it.''

-- Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher, on winning the game's MVP award

SECOND HALF

``Hopefully we'll come back and win a lot of ballgames. Hopefully we'll pitch better in the second half. We made some strides the past two days.''

-- Ray Miller, Orioles manager

``We're back in it. We're not trying to stay at .500. This is a club that we think can contend, and hopefully if we keep playing this type of ball, hey, we will.''

-- Bruce Bochy, Padres manager

``It was important to get started big in the second half. It shows the true colors of the team. It shows they're intent on continuing what they started in the first half.''

-- Jack McKeon, Reds manager

``I want to completely forget about the first half, to tell you the truth.''

-- Todd Hundley, Dodgers catcher

``We need help, there's no question. I think there are three choices here. Go get some help; make a run at this division. Go with what you've got and hope it gets better. Or start dealing veterans. That last one scares me. I hope we don't go in that direction.''

-- Jay Buhner, Mariners outfielder

``We still have a way to go right now and I can't get too excited on the first day of the second half. We've got to try and get back over .500. That's what we're looking for.''

-- Sammy Sosa, Cubs outfielder

MANTEI TO THE D-BACKS

``[Mantei] can throw up to 100 mph. That's pretty good for starters. He's a legitimate closer, and he has something we don't have, so I think it's going to be a big addition to this team.''

-- Jerry Colangelo, Diamondbacks owner

``He was somebody that a lot of clubs were trying to acquire, and we were lucky enough to put something together. It's a real tribute to our minor league system to develop two players like Vlade [Nunez] and Brad [Penny] to the point that we were able to make this deal.''

-- Buck Showalter, Diamondbacks manager

``This is a hard decision for us. Matt has done a good job. We've watched his growth as a player and a person but it has been hard for us to get to the closer. We believe we've received a quality guy in Nunez.''

-- Dave Dombrowski, Marlins GM

``I couldn't wait to get here. I felt like a little kid coming into the stadium. It was like playing in a Little League World Series or something. I'm just excited to be here.''

-- Matt Mantei, Diamondbacks pitcher

UMPIRES TO RESIGN

``The umpires have a labor contract that runs through this season and bars strikes, so the resignations are an attempt to get around that.''

-- Richie Phillips, umpires union head

``When push comes to shove, the fans know the umpires are the real people of baseball. They are not phonies; they go out and work hard. They are blue-collar workers, like the fans. The fans understand there's a certain amount of grime and grit that's associated with the job.''

-- Richie Phillips

``They say umpires are arrogant and they talk about the case of Tom Hallion. Every single umpire believes Tom was wrong. Two years ago I had a case with Bobby Cox where I snapped. It's a game of emotion. We're not robots. But that's what they want.''

-- Ed Montague, umpire

``I think we make a great contribution to baseball. How many times have you seen a scandal involving umpires? I've never worked with a harder-working bunch of men, a more honest, sincere bunch of men. We're the first to know it when we kick one and we're 10 times madder at ourselves than anybody could ever be at us.''

-- Dale Ford, umpire

``This is either a threat to be ignored, or an offer to be accepted.''

-- Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations

``It's sad. It's very, very sad. I will have plenty to say in the future.''

-- Bud Selig, commissioner

SAFECO FIELD

``I didn't like being indoors all day. This is a beautiful part of the country and you should be able to enjoy the weather. I think the fans are going to enjoy it a lot more, too.''

-- Russ Davis, Mariners infielder

``It's an awesome place. What an amazing place to be a part of. It's phenomenal.''

-- Jamie Moyer, Mariners pitcher

``What a difference from here and where we played. I'll tell you what, when this place gets full, there's going to be excitement here.''

-- Lou Piniella, Mariners manager

``This can't compare to the Kingdome. Now we have to adjust to twilight and the difference between light and dark. We didn't have time to work out before the season in this new stadium.''

-- Butch Huskey, Mariners outfielder

THE REST

``I look at us as one of the better teams in baseball the last few years. But when we play the good teams like Atlanta and the Yankees we don't seem to play that way. We need to show the good teams we can beat them. And we need to show ourselves that too.''

-- Matt Franco, Mets outfielder

``I mean, I've got a beautiful little girl, I've been to four World Series, I've been to the playoffs six times in my career, I've won a world championship, I'm still young and relatively healthy, and, with everything going on in the world, you just realize it's not that big of a deal -- it's a torn ligament.''

-- Mark Wohlers, Reds pitcher

``When you come off the field in the third inning and it feels like you've been out there for three hours, things probably aren't going your way.''

-- Mike Thurman, Expos pitcher

``It crushes me that I can't play baseball. It showed me how baseball isn't everything. All I've ever known is baseball this and baseball that, and it definitely put a change in my heart. It's definitely given me a different perspective.''

-- Jason Kendall, Pirates catcher

``If we had pitched just half as good as we did last year, this team would have another 10 wins.... When a guy comes in and gives up a lead in the late innings, the whole team just sags. You can feel it.''

-- Scott Service, Royals pitcher

``There's only one measurement a man cares about. And we both know what that is.''

-- Jose Canseco, Devil Rays DH, when asked about the size of his biceps

``I was in the minor leagues a long time, but I never quit dreaming. Dreaming is a very important part of baseball. I don't think there's anything wrong with dreaming.''

-- Olmedo Saenz, A's infielder

``The fans are saying, `Trade him.' I hear it when I'm in the outfield and when I'm at the plate. I try to block it out but it hurt. It's like a slap in the face after all I've done for this team. The way the fans treat me, I don't expect to be here next year.''

-- Derek Bell, Astros outfielder

``You've got to have some things go your way in this game. It's a game of inches, it seems we've been on the short end of the ruler quite a bit this year.''

-- Dustin Hermanson, Expos pitcher

``I feel like myself again, like the real Mondy. I was on 19 [home runs] for 40 games. That's too long. That shouldn't happen to me.''

-- Raul Mondesi, Dodgers outfielder

``I like the stadium, the way the fans root against you. It pumps you up. You hit a home run and it shuts them up.''

-- Andruw Jones, Braves outfielder, on playing the Yankees