July 31, 2000

The Week in Quotes

July 23-30

by Derek Zumsteg

A WEEK OF TRADES

"I will leave here with nothing but the best memories on and off the field. I was booed so much less than I probably deserve to be booed here, which I don't think too many people leaving Philly can say."

-- Curt Schilling, Diamondbacks pitcher, on leaving Philadelphia

"If I could have acquired Curt Schilling for a rosin bag and a cracked fungo, that would have been the deal I would have made. Unfortunately, real life doesn't work that way."

-- Joe Garagiola, Diamondbacks GM

"Koufax and Drysdale come to mind. I'll take these two guys."

-- Garagiola, on adding Schilling to a rotation that includes Randy Johnson

"We feel that we have improved our ballclub, improved the future of our ballclub. I wish we could have done it without losing Curt Schilling, but obviously we couldn't. If these guys come in and do what they're capable of doing, we're not very far from being where we want to be."

-- Ed Wade, Phillies GM

"To be able in one trade to replenish 30 percent of your pitching staff is a good deal for us--not only for the 2000 season but with pieces that are going to be able to play for us beyond 2000."

-- John Hart, Indians GM, on picking up Steve Woodard, Jason Bere and Bob Wickman from the Brewers

"We're ecstatic to acquire a player of Bordick's ability. We look to him to add tremendous stability to the left side of our infield. His offensive production will be a boost as well."

-- Steve Phillips, Mets GM, on trading for Mike Bordick

"I'm very excited with the opportunity to be in a playoff race. The Orioles are struggling this year and to be thrust into a playoff race is great."

-- Bordick, Mets infielder

"Bubba Trammell is a professional hitter, he's a productive hitter. But we felt we needed to get more athletic. We get that in Jason Tyner."

-- Chuck LaMar, Devil Rays GM, on trading Bubba Trammell and Rick White for Jason Tyner and Paul Wilson

"Trammell is a right-handed power hitter. We were able to do a deal that helps us in the short term."

-- Phillips

"B.J. Surhoff is a major leaguer. If they think we would give him up for minor leaguers, they're dreaming."

-- Syd Thrift, Orioles VP of Player Development, on a proposed Yankee deal

SHOCKS AND BETRAYALS

"This has all really come as a shock to me. Today I fielded questions about possibly being a Met. Now Mr. Lindner and the organization have stepped up and signed me for three more years as a Red."

-- Barry Larkin, Reds infielder, on being signed to a contract extension

"I announce that right now: There's going to be a ticket price increase and possibly before the end of this season. We're going to review that over the next few days and we may do something that nobody else has ever done and raise ticket prices during a season. We've got to generate the revenues to pay for this."

-- John Allen, Reds Chief Operating Officer, at the press conference announcing Larkin's extension

"I called Jim and said, 'Where is Barry on this?' Jim told me, 'Oh, don't worry, he'll accept the deal.' Jim said he might be talking a little bit, but he was convinced he would want to get out of the negativity in Cincinnati. It seems there was a misunderstanding."

-- Phillips, on agreeing to the Larkin trade with Jim Bowden

"I guess we helped Barry Larkin get a new contract. I need to call Goldschmidt [Larkin's agent] back and see what kind of fee I get."

-- Phillips

''I think it's horrible for our ballclub. He's been such a great leader. You shouldn't get rid of a guy who is such an integral part of this clubhouse. It's going to hurt our team more than it's going to help us. I'm sure he's going to be picked up somewhere and come back and kick our ass.''

-- Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox infielder, on the decision to designate Mike Stanley for assignment

''I think it's an injustice when a veteran player like Mike Stanley is just thrown out on the woodpile and not treated with the respect he's earned. He's been in the league 14 years, he's the leader on this team, the classiest guy I've ever played with. He comes to the ballpark ready to play every day, but you're going to get rid of him and you have the assistant general manager come down here and tell him? Then Mike asked if he should even bother coming in today and he gets a phone call in the clubhouse from the assistant general manager saying, 'Don't bother to come.'"

-- Jeff Frye, Red Sox (now Rockies) infielder

"I think it's a good time to remind everyone, players and staff together, that why we're together is to try to win the pennant. A lot of times you have to make some tough choices to pursue your goal, and that is to have a championship team.''

-- Dan Duquette, Red Sox GM

THE REST

"I always try to hit the fence. My target is the fence. If I don't hit in the fence, I want to hit it over the fence."

-- Tony Batista, Blue Jays infielder, on his hitting approach

"I have no interest in coming back to L.A. I do expect to be back with the Giants next year."

-- Dusty Baker, Giants manager

"That's what happens when the team isn't going good. What can I do? But I have a strong mind and I'll be ready for spring training."

-- Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers catcher, on his season-ending thumb injury

"Every one was a splitter. He probably felt that I would throw another one. I threw the last one down the middle. I knew that I was having trouble with my control, so if I aimed for the middle it would go someplace else."

-- Kazuhiro Sasaki, Mariners pitcher, on striking out Jason Giambi on nine pitches for the last out of a 6-4 win over Oakland

"We'll probably grab some positive momentum at the In-N-Out Burger on the way to San Diego.''

-- Jeff Kent, Giants infielder, after a loss to the Dodgers

"We're going to buy some champagne and pop it. A major-league pitcher has thrown two consecutive good games. What are you supposed to do, jump up and down because someone pitches well two games in a row? I don't think so. Maybe he should call his agent. Let's see if he can string some together."

-- Tom Kelly, Twins manager, berating Joe Mays after Mays allowed two runs in seven innings for a win against the Red Sox

"You're talking to a manager whose team stole 10 bases and still lost the game. That's part of our charm--our unpredictability."

-- John Boles, Marlins manager, on losing a game after getting 11 hits, referring to the May 18 loss to the Padres

If you would like to submit a quote, please email Derek and be sure to include both the quote itself and a URL pointing to the quote.