October 26, 1999

The Week in Quotes

October 18-24

by Dennis Cleary

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ALCS

``I didn't make the right call. That's a frustrating thing for an umpire, because we like to call everything properly.''

-- Tim Tschida, umpire, on Game 4

``They made mistakes that umpires make and they're man enough to admit it. They missed a couple calls. It doesn't mean that you're a bad umpire.''

-- Marty Springstead, AL executive director of umpiring

``I think the umpires themselves have made the appropriate comments. I don't want to say anything other than we have some of our finest umpires involved in this series.''

-- Bud Selig, MLB commissioner

``I'm very sure the umpires don't want to play a part in the outcome of the ballgame. It's just too bad it turned out that way.''

-- John Valentin, Red Sox infielder

``The players decide the game -- the pitchers, the hitters, everything. Let them decide the game. Not anybody else.''

-- Jimy Williams, Red Sox manager, on the poor umpiring at second base

``When Georgie Porgie speaks, I don't listen.... The calls on the field incited it, not me.''

-- Jimy Willians, after George Steinbrenner accused him of inciting the fans

``We have to be proud of our season. Not too many people expected us to go this far.''

-- Jose Offerman, Red Sox infielder, after losing Game 5 and the series

``If we play this well this season being the underdogs, next year, hopefully, we'll beat everybody and be dancing.''

-- Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher

``I never thought this beautiful moment would happen to me. I would like to thank my teammates for all their support the last two years.''

-- Orlando Hernandez, Yankees pitcher, on being named ALCS MVP

NLCS

``It's a great feeling to know we've gotten this far. If we can get through tomorrow, who knows? Things could get interesting.''

-- Mike Piazza, Mets catcher, after Game 5

``I would say the majority of Mets fans aren't even human. I've said how brutal the fans were and how disgusting they were. They were worse than I ever suspected.''

-- John Rocker, Braves pitcher

``We had chances to die and we didn't. There's more than one way to win a ballgame.''

-- Bobby Cox, Braves manager, after winning Game 6 and the series

``We're all glad Andruw [Jones] had the patience to wait. Sometimes the best at-bats are walks.''

-- Greg Maddux, Braves pitcher, on the game-winning walk

``I told them they played like champions. We don't have a trophy, but they did everything they had to.''

-- Bobby Valentine, Mets manager

``I'm happy as hell I'm not pitching tomorrow. I'm thankful to be going to the World Series -- especially after that series. It was gut-wrenching.''

-- Tom Glavine, Braves pitcher

WORLD SERIES, BEFORE

``People don't realize how hard it is to get here year after year. They have no clue.''

-- John Schuerholz, Braves GM

``This will be our fifth trip. We'd like to have a couple out of it.''

-- Bobby Cox, Braves manager

``Yankee fans, they're original. I think the Mets fans pull a lot of their harassing ways from the Yankee fans.''

-- John Rocker, Braves pitcher

``Everyone realized with the year 'El Duque' had that he earned the right to make the start. Maybe it will be someone else next year. But they all recognize that he has earned it this year and he's done nothing in the first two rounds to make me change.''

-- Joe Torre, Yankees manager, on starting Orlando Hernandez in Game 1

``Pitching is the key for the Yankees. I don't care what kind of pitching the Braves have, the Yankees are going to score some runs. They're that good offensively.''

-- Art Howe, A's manager

``The Braves must slow down the Yankees, and they are capable. The Braves can't expect to score a lot of runs but know how to win close games.''

-- Bruce Bochy, Padres manager

WORLD SERIES, DURING

``Breaks are part of the game. The ball finds a hole like tonight, and we win. It's a double play, and we still might be playing.''

-- Paul O'Neill, Yankees outfielder, on his go-ahead single in Game 1

``You don't want to come in for defense and make errors. That makes you look stupid.''

-- Brian Hunter, Braves infielder, on his error that led to a Yankees rally

``I had enough respect and confidence in my team that I knew if I kept it close and I kept us in the game, we'd eventually win. With no great disrespect to the great pitcher that is Greg Maddux, I just felt that one run wasn't going to win the game.''

-- Orlando Hernandez, Yankees pitcher

``We played a real bad game.''

-- Bobby Cox, Braves manager, on losing 7-2 in Game 2

``They can get hot in a hurry. This series is far from over.''

-- David Cone, Yankees pitcher

``This year in the postseason, I guess we're picking up where we left off last year.''

-- Bernie Williams, Yankees outfielder

INTERVIEWS

``I think it went well. I came away very impressed with their commitment to winning, and I felt like I answered all their questions honestly and directly.''

-- Mike Hargrove, on interviewing to be Orioles manager

``The guy I hope blows me away is [Chris] Chambliss. He has not managed at the major league level yet, but from what people have been telling me, he has all the credentials.''

-- John Hart, Indians GM, on interviewing potential managers