Quotes of 2006

[Guest Edgy DC]

If A-Rod had stuck with Texas, he'd be padding his stats (what he's accused of) in a serious hitter's environment, without a killer power alley in left, with fans who don't boo every failure and some successes. He'd still be at short and by now we'd be talking about whether he has yet displaced John Peter Wagner as the greatest shortstop ever.

Criticize him for leaving to join a winning team, rather than bearing the challenge of helping to transform a losing team, but it's hard, in that contxt, to say all he cares about is number padding.

[MFS62]

Minor Leaguer Delmon Young, who was suspended for throwing a bat at an umpire.

]" ... instead of returning a tad more humble, Young returned to the Bulls with a surly demeanor. Repeatedly snapping at reporters and accusing the media of standing too close during an afternoon press conference, Young said he made a colossal mistake in hitting the official but added that the public doesn�t understand the pressures professional athletes are under. �I apologize to everyone out there for my actions back in April,� said Young ... Continuing, Young lumped himself in with a group of stars who receive heavy public scrutiny. �You guys have no clue what Barry Bonds is going through...you�ve got Shaq dealing with stuff just to win a championship. You�ve got coaches dealing with stuff,� Young explained. �Unless you put on a uniform and get to a very competitive level, people will never understand what athletes and entertainers go through on an everyday basis.�

[MFS62]

oops. dupe.

[Elster88]

Yeah, those comparisons to Shaq and Bonds are valid.

Poor Delmon. The media presence at those minor league games must be a killer.

[Elster88]

"Jose's like a young buck, like one of those wild stallions that you want to let him run and be free but, at the same time, you want to harness him a little bit, but not too much," Randolph beamed as he discussed the 23-year-old shortstop. "I want to be able to give him so much of what I know, but I also know I have to hold back and let him play with his natural ability."

[MFS62]

Willie, wouldn't some of "what you know" help him to refine that natural ability even more? Or faster?
Why would it harness him?
Later

[DocTee]

"Young man's mind, old man's legs."

ESPN analyst Orel Hershiser describing Jose Valentin's ill-advised attempt to stretch a single into a double, 21 June.

[Centerfield]

From the Daily News:

Strawberry attended his first Old-Timers' Day and was in a Yankee uniform, but that didn't change where he truly made his mark in baseball. Asked if he's a Yankee or Met, Strawberry didn't hesitate: "A Met," he said.

"I played here for the Yankees, but my real history has been in the Mets organization, and it always will be," Strawberry said. "That's where I stand."

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Good for Darryl!

Here's a quote that I've grown tired of:

"What are you going to do? Come here and fool around?"

[stevejrogers]

Edgy DC wrote: If A-Rod had stuck with Texas, he'd be padding his stats (what he's accused of) in a serious hitter's environment, without a killer power alley in left, with fans who don't boo every failure and some successes. He'd still be at short and by now we'd be talking about whether he has yet displaced John Peter Wagner as the greatest shortstop ever. Criticize him for leaving to join a winning team, rather than bearing the challenge of helping to transform a losing team, but it's hard, in that contxt, to say all he cares about is number padding.

Also, he didn't want to really leave. He was feuding with Buck (notice that Soriano was also jettisoned), and the Ranger finances were such that the only way to help the team WAS to get out from under that contract.

If the money issue wasn't there, there'd be no way ARod would ever be traded, they'd probably fire Buck and the Rangers would have won the World Series in 2004!

[stevejrogers]

Centerfield wrote: From the Daily News: Strawberry attended his first Old-Timers' Day and was in a Yankee uniform, but that didn't change where he truly made his mark in baseball. Asked if he's a Yankee or Met, Strawberry didn't hesitate: "A Met," he said. "I played here for the Yankees, but my real history has been in the Mets organization, and it always will be," Strawberry said. "That's where I stand."

When you're a Met, you're a Met all the way
From your first game in Flushing, till they send you away!

[Elster88]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="Edgy DC"]If A-Rod had stuck with Texas, he'd be padding his stats (what he's accused of) in a serious hitter's environment, without a killer power alley in left, with fans who don't boo every failure and some successes. He'd still be at short and by now we'd be talking about whether he has yet displaced John Peter Wagner as the greatest shortstop ever. Criticize him for leaving to join a winning team, rather than bearing the challenge of helping to transform a losing team, but it's hard, in that contxt, to say all he cares about is number padding. Also, he didn't want to really leave. He was feuding with Buck (notice that Soriano was also jettisoned), and the Ranger finances were such that the only way to help the team WAS to get out from under that contract. If the money issue wasn't there, there'd be no way ARod would ever be traded, they'd probably fire Buck and the Rangers would have won the World Series in 2004!

He did want to leave. He was willing to take less money to go to Boston. Player's association wouldn't let him do it.

Edit: I'm Captain Johnny Franco.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Let's see if Darryl gets a second invitation to Old Timer's Day.

Or if Steinbrenner tries to change his tune by offering a better job (higher paying, no actual responsibilities, that sort of thing) than the Mets have given him.

[stevejrogers]

Elster88 wrote: ="SteveJRogers"] ="Edgy DC"]If A-Rod had stuck with Texas, he'd be padding his stats (what he's accused of) in a serious hitter's environment, without a killer power alley in left, with fans who don't boo every failure and some successes. He'd still be at short and by now we'd be talking about whether he has yet displaced John Peter Wagner as the greatest shortstop ever. Criticize him for leaving to join a winning team, rather than bearing the challenge of helping to transform a losing team, but it's hard, in that contxt, to say all he cares about is number padding. Also, he didn't want to really leave. He was feuding with Buck (notice that Soriano was also jettisoned), and the Ranger finances were such that the only way to help the team WAS to get out from under that contract. If the money issue wasn't there, there'd be no way ARod would ever be traded, they'd probably fire Buck and the Rangers would have won the World Series in 2004! He did want to leave. He was willing to take less money to go to Boston. Player's association wouldn't let him do it. Edit: I'm Captain Johnny Franco.

Yeah, mostly because he was feuding with Buck, and probably also figured (or was told) that the only way the Rangers would get better was without him.

[metirish]

] "That's the best lineup we've faced all year," Blue Jays outfielder Frank Catalanotto

Beltran jumps into the Reyes dabate...

] "I always say to him, 'You have the potential to be one of the best players in the game.' He's a great defensive ballplayer. Good arm. Good speed. He's going to get power. He's a little batter, but to me he will be hitting second or third. That's the way I see Jose Reyes, because he's not a small guy - he's a big guy, and he's getting stronger every year."

[MFS62]

From today's NYDaily News:

Members of "Mets Management" are considering initially using Pelfrey in relief if they bring him up to the majors.

IIRC, every year, the Mets try some of their starters as relievers in the minors in preparation for callup should they be needed. Wouldn't this be standard practice, or have they gone away from doing that? Anyone know for sure?

Later

[Elster88]

A man will be at his highest strength potential in his twenties.

[MFS62]

Maybe not an exact quote, but a pretty close paraphrase.

On Baseball Tonight they were talking about that minor league manager's meltdown. Steve said he should be fired and that it's his responsibility to lead by example and develop; that they should learn to be professional.

John Kruk said something like "Please, and with dummies like you giving them $2 million?"

Imagine, John Kruk calling someone else a dummy.

Later

[metirish]

I like Kruk, it took me a while to like him but IMO he's honest and straight forward.

[MFS62]

metirish wrote: I like Kruk, it took me a while to like him but IMO he's honest and straight forward.

Come to think of it, he's far better/ more interesting than Harold Reynolds, Rick Sutcliffe and Joe Morgan - just to name some other ESPN-ers.

Later

[metirish]

Pedro on Damon's return to Boston..

] "To come back to Boston he went to the wrong uniform.'

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

"I don't care if he's throwing 22 miles per hour, I'd still like to have him on my team."

Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy on SNY 6/28/06

[MFS62]

I was looking at the Baseball Prospectus 2006 book again yesterday. If you haven't seen it before, for each player the authors provide the names of three PECOTA-based comparable players.

For Julio Franco, the three names listed were Methuseleh, Dick Clark, Minnie Minoso.

Later

[metirish]

Lo Duca on yapping at Rodriguez after he crossed home-plate Sunday.

] "Aw, it was nothing against Alex," Lo Duca insisted last night. "It's water under the bridge. I just don't like losing. Especially against the Yankees with the hated rivalry we have. Plus, you know, you want to show everyone that we can't be pushed around."

[Elster88]

]Especially against the Yankees with the hated rivalry we have.

Weird. Many other players and coachs have insisted that there is no rivaly.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Lo Duke grew up a Met fan. He may tend to see it from a fan's point of view.

Sometimes the best anti-Yankee Mets have been the ones who grew up as Sox fans in New England, like Turk Wendell. Mike Bordick didn't help much in 2000, though.

[Guest Edgy DC]

"As far as stuff, he's a No. 1. But mentally he's a No. 4."

--- Billy Wagner on Brett Myers

[Centerfield]

Caught this on the post-game, I don't know if it's printed anywhere:

Reporter: What was Cliff saying to you? (after the HBP)

Willie: "OW OW OW"

[A Boy Named Seo]

Some more great quotes from the Post after Cliff's HBP:

] "I don't want to tell you what I really think. He is very dramatic." - Willie Randolph

] "He's like one of those European soccer players, just falling all over the ground. I thought he was dead at first." - David Wright

And the best...

] "Willie was trying to grab it... I was like, 'Why are you grabbing it for? What's wrong with you?' "- Cliff Floyd when Willie Randolph checked on his forearm after he'd been plunked

[Elster88]

Funny stuff.

In Cliff's defense, I'm sure he was thinking the worst as soon as he got hit.