April 24, 2000

The Week in Quotes

April 10-23

by Dennis Cleary

HOME OPENERS

``I don't think I've ever had an opening day with snow. It was fun.''

-- Shane Andrews, Cubs infielder

``A guy hits three homers to initiate the park. I don't think I've ever seen that. That's a lot of home runs in one day. Maybe we ought to look for somebody that's been out of the game.''

-- Dusty Baker, Giants manager, on Kevin Elster's three home runs to open Pac Bell Park

``I tell you, it was great. All the fans were freezing, and they were out there. We said, `If they can be out there, we can be out there, too.' ''

-- Greg Jefferies, Tigers outfielder, on opening Comerica Park

``We're opening dayed out.''

-- Richie Sexson, Indians outfielder, after playing in three home openers

SLOW STARTS

``We don't feel like we're in a slump. Our time is going to come. Just like they say, it's the darkest before the dawn.''

-- Dusty Baker, Giants manager

``Don't be misled by what this team did the first week. This team will win a lot of games.''

-- Phil Garner, Tigers manager

``We had an opportunity to make a statement and we didn't. It's a good indication of where we are and where we have to be. Not performing well here tells me we have a lot of work to do.''

-- Tony Muser, Royals manager, on being swept by the Yankees

``We were playing Mission Impossible out there. We self-destructed.''

-- Art Howe, A's manager

``It wasn't a game. It was a terrible event.''

-- Tom Kelly, Twins manager, on losing 13-4 to the Red Sox

LET'S GET READY TO...

``The brawl was nothing fun, especially with people like the jerk behind me. We'll take care of [him] in our own way.''

-- Keith Foulke, White Sox pitcher

``It was a good one. It was what you'd expect from two competing ballclubs who were protecting their territories. You wish it doesn't happen but it does.''

-- Jerry Crawford, umpire

``Bottom line is, we won the game and we killed them. I hope they have enough guys so we can beat them again.''

-- Jim Parque, White Sox pitcher

``This was a good loss for the Detroit Tigers. Guys went to battle for each other. This is what brings teams together. We're not a split clubhouse anymore, I can tell you that.''

-- Doug Brocail, Tigers pitcher

THE REST

``We call it Home Run Field, not Enron Field. Last year, we couldn't wait to get home. This year, we don't want to come home. It's scary.''

-- Jose Lima, Astros pitcher, on Enron Field

``If the average ERA at Coors Field for a starting pitcher is over 6.50 and you don't know that, it's unfair to the pitchers that you have because the guy who's got a 6.00 ERA at Coors Field is a darn good pitcher. The guy who's got a 6.50 ERA is still a darn good pitcher. But if you're measuring him against the rest of the league and the starters' ERA is maybe 4.00 or 4.50, that's a totally unfair measurement of your own staff.''

-- Dan O'Dowd, Rockies GM

``Don't give me all that sabermetric crap.... It gives me a headache.''

-- Brian Sabean, Giants GM

``Who knows? There are so many theories: The ball is juiced, the mound's not high enough, the batters are juiced, the pitchers are juiced. I've hit about the same amount of home runs I usually do, so if they're juiced, they're full of prune juice for me.''

-- Mark Grace, Cubs infielder

``It was a phenomenal experience, one I'm really glad is over.''

-- Cal Ripken Jr., Orioles infielder, on getting his 3,000th hit

``Pitching doesn't change. I heard so much about how different the American League is. But pitching is pitching.''

-- Kent Bottenfield, Angels pitcher

``That's not the first time he's thrown at this team. Larry Walker got hit by him four times last year. He's thrown at me a lot of times. Going in we know he likes to work fast, and we're trying to slow up his rhythm. He doesn't like that. I know that's why he throws at me.''

-- Jeff Cirillo, Rockies infielder, on pitcher Omar Daal

``Everybody says we're not that good. I think we're real good.''

-- Brad Penny, Marlins pitcher

``Last year was just one of those years. Some people wanted to talk about age or say I was in decline, but I never bought into it.... I felt good in spring training and this is just a continuation of that.''

-- Tom Glavine, Braves pitcher

``There's been a lot of instances over the last three or four months when the media has been completely oblivious of my privacy and my family's privacy. They've overstepped their bounds in a lot of areas. It's time for a little payback.''

-- John Rocker, Braves pitcher, on refusing to talk to the media

``It used to be that you couldn't compete well without a ballpark. In the year 2000, you can't even afford to go to arbitration in the situation we're in, much less try to build a competitive team or look for free agents.''

-- John Henry, Marlins owner

``It was one of the greatest thrills I've ever had in my life. I've spent a number of years in the minor leagues -- eight, to be exact -- just trying to get this opportunity, and it came through for me tonight.''

-- Everett Stull, Brewers pitcher, on his first major league win

``I hope I can see them. You've got to see your opponent in order to beat them. I'll throw them that stealth pitch.''

-- Brian Anderson, Diamondbacks pitcher, on the Padres' camouflage uniforms

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