August 7, 2000

The Week in Quotes

July 30-August 5

by Derek Zumsteg

ACHIEVEMENTS

"I always get nervous before I pitch. It was more excitement than nervousness, though. It felt like a playoff game."

-- Tom Glavine, Braves pitcher, on becoming the third active pitcher with 200 wins

"Not many players have done that. I saw Niekro win his 200th. I saw Maddux and now Tommy. Hopefully, we'll see John Smoltz get there, too."

-- Bobby Cox, Braves manager

"To be sitting on 999, and then the 1,000th hit is a home run, that's really special."

-- Randy Velarde, Athletics infielder, on his 1,000th career hit

"I said 'Oh geez, please don't swing.' I knew it would be belt high. I might as well have walked up to the plate and put it on the tee for him."

-- Billy Koch, Blue Jays pitcher, on serving up the 1,000th hit

TROUBLE IN KANSAS

"When we get a team down by four runs we should be able to put them away. We lack killer instinct."

-- Tony Muser, Royals manager, on losing to Boston 5-4

"When you walk the first two batters with a one-run lead, that's the kiss of death. He sort of handed himself his fate right there."

-- Muser, on Dan Reichert

"If I make an adjustment for Carlos Beltran, what am I saying to the other 24 players and what am I saying to 150 players in the minor leagues? We have to be all created equal in this."

-- Allard Baird, Royals general manager, suspending outfielder Carlos Beltran for refusing to accept a minor-league assignment

"The best trainers the Royals have are in the big leagues. The Tony Muser Royals have set up a policy that if you are injured, you are prevented from being with your teammates and you're prevented from being with the major league team."

-- Scott Boras, Beltran's agent

TWO GAMES IN ONE

"That may have been the best at-bat I've had all year."

-- Mike Cameron, Mariners outfielder, on hitting a home run in the 19th inning to win

"Both bullpens did a great job. You almost had the feeling that a home run was going to win the game, and that's exactly what happened."

-- Lou Piniella, Mariners manager

"They did an outstanding job again. They are an outstanding hitting baseball team over there and we matched them zero for zero quite a few innings."

-- Jimy Williams, Red Sox manager

INJURY TO INSULT

"It happened so quickly. It was a clean and hard slide. Freak things like that happen in baseball all the time."

-- Craig Biggio, Astros infielder, on being wiped out by Preston Wilson while turning a double play, tearing up his knees and facing season-ending surgery

"Winning isn't much fun on a night like this. You always like to win, but this really takes away from it. Maybe we can salvage something from the season, maybe we can pass somebody, but none of that really matters."

-- Larry Dierker, Astros manager

"It's been that kind of year for us. It seems like there has been one thing after another. It has been a year to forget, and this just adds to it."

-- Gerry Hunsicker, Astros general manager

THE REST

"There's a lot more atmosphere here, a lot more camaraderie -- pulling for each other on the bench, and stuff like that. You can definitely sense that sitting on the bench."

-- Will Clark, Cardinals infielder, on going 3-4 with 2 RBI and HR in his debut as a Cardinal

"I thought all of Robin's swings today were Robin-esque. He's a guy we're going to count on, depend on, lean on and jump on his back a few times before this thing is over."

-- Bobby Valentine, Mets manager, on the return of infielder Robin Ventura

"It's a good feeling after everything that happened to me before. I'm happy now. The only thing I would do differently is the trade rumors. Everyone has to go through tough situations. Thank God he gave me the strength to deal with it. I'm back and relaxed."

-- Sammy Sosa, on hitting his 33rd home run to beat the Rockies

"This team's exciting. I don't know why we don't sell out here every night, because it's a blast. Every single night we have games like this. It's unbelievable. We just don't quit."

-- Scott Schoenweis, Angels pitcher

"The stint in Tampa got me back on the right track. I know what I need to do. I have a blueprint with which to work. Before I was constantly searching for something."

-- David Cone, Yankees pitcher, on giving up seven hits, five walks, three runs, and striking out six in his return from the Yankees' minor-league complex

"I was lucky to get three of them into the outfield," Huson said. "I hit them where they ain't."

-- Jeff Huson, Cubs infielder, on going 4-for-5

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.