Quotes of 2006

[Elster88]

Honestly, it's good to hear from George again. Snobbish old rich pricks amuse me.

Edit: Why, oh why, does a stupid remark get awarded top of the page status? I guess it's more likely to happen with someone who posts a lot of stupid remarks.

[Guest Rotblatt]

="Edgy DC"]The Yankees may have wanted Johnny Damon more. Lord knows that they needed him more. But the city of Boston and the Red Sox fans wanted him more. That's the part he's fudging.

Good point, although I hardly think the Yankees NEEDED much of anything. They could have signed a cheap, defense first CF and been just peachy. I think Georgie WANTED Damon far more than he needed him.

Anyway, if Damon selflessly wanted to play for a team that truly needed and wanted him, he should've gone to San Diego or Milwaukee.

Unless, of course, there's some other motivation that Damon's talking around. I can't imagine what THAT would be . . .

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

$$$ - Steinbrenner has always known how to show players how much they're wanted in the only manner that most of them truly care about.

[The Big O]

From the "He-coulda-phrased-that-better department":

]After starting each of the Mets first 23 games, Xavier Nady was given the afternoon off. Randolph said Nady was "banged up," but the right fielder said he was fine. "Nady hasn't ever played every day in his career," Randolph said. "We want to make sure that transition is smooth. Mentally, some times it's good to give a guy a blow."

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I remember Ed Coleman using that phrase last year when Mike Piazza got a day off. "Mike said he needed a blow, so Willie gave him a blow."

Call a press conference!

How could you not know how that would sound?

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think that's probably common enough jargon within the game that they're probably long since over the double entendre.

[Gwreck]

"You hear opposing teams or you hear yourself always saying, `Get into the bullpen,' but I don't think guys want to get into our bullpen too often."

-Cliff Floyd, 5/1/06

[Gwreck]

"Jorge Julio, looking a lot better than Anna Benson tonight."

-Steve Somers, 5/5/06

[Guest OlerudOwned]

"He learned a lesson in stool removal"

-Gary Cohen, talking about the bat-boy who failed to move his stool from the path of an approaching ball in today's game.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Cliff Floyd to Marty Noble, on why he's wearing a long face after a two-hit performance in an 803 Met victory:

"That goes away," he said, "the first day the people who love me can call me in the morning and not sound so down. Maybe tomorrow morning."

[Gwreck]

"I got closet wheels, closet wheels! Speed kills!"

-LoDuca, immediately after scoring the winning run against the MFYs on Wright's single over Johnny Damon's head, 5/19

"Put that in your books, the Mets beat Rivera!"

-Howie Rose, same game.

[A Boy Named Seo]

]"This is what you come to spring training for, for games like this. It's electric out there, and you don't need any - what they call 'greenies.' You don't need greenies for a night like this. So it was unbelievable."

-Paul Lo Duca on why the Subway Series is better than anything, including amphetamines

[Guest GYC]

]"I think there is a very good chance it could happen."

Ed Coleman on Mike Pelfrey starting Thursday

[Guest GYC]

David Wells on:

Barry Bonds:

]He's hit a few home runs off me while he was juiced. Look at him, the man is enormous. Still, he's a hell of a ballplayer. He's got to deal with it, not me

David Dellucci:

]Did you see that little bitty guy, Dellucci, hit 29 last year? How many this year? One? I know Dave. I've never suspected him of doing them.

Although, Wells later did say:

]I've known David for a long time. I've been a teammate. The guy busts in the gym, and he works out hard. We were just making conversation. I wasn't accusing him or anything of the sort. I think that he should be cleared, and I feel bad for him. He shouldn't have to go through all that.

ESPN.com also said:

]Wells said he tried calling Dellucci and he plans to stop speaking to reporters from now on.

Craig Biggio:

]Who else? Biggio. To me, the suspicion is on everybody.

On Sosa and Palmeiro:

]Since the steroid scandal, the numbers have dropped. Guys have retired because they couldn't handle the pressure and the flak they were taking. Heard Sammy Sosa's name lately? Rafael Palmeiro? Sammy didn't do [anything] in Baltimore. Obviously, he was guilty as charged, but he didn't get caught. To me, if you've cheated as a player, that's as bad as being a scab.

[DocTee]

Wells also said that Bonds' claim of ignorance was hollow. "Any professional athlete would examine what they ingest and the effect it has on their bodies" (paraphrase)--

well then, David, how do you account for that gut of yours?

[DocTee]

"He had it all going on. Fastball, slider, changeup. Both sides of the plate, up and down."

-- Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon, on Scott Kazmir, who tossed eight shutout innings against the Marlins

sigh

[Guest Rotblatt]

A-Rod on Duaner getting him to GIDP, 5/21/06, the New York Post

]"He got me this time. Next time I may win. Props to Sanchez."

Is it just me, or does everything he say confirm the fact that he's a huge douchebag?

[Guest Rotblatt]

Carlose Beltran, 5/24, > 12:33 a.m. EDT

]�I hit it good,� Beltr�n said. �I hit it real, real good.�

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm OK with A-Rod saying that there. I can't imgaine hoping for any better statement if he was playing for my team.

Juicing is llearly worse than scabbing from where I sit.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Edgy DC wrote: I'm OK with A-Rod saying that there. I can't imgaine hoping for any better statement if he was playing for my team.

Yeah, it's just me, then.

I think it was picturing A-Rod using the word "props." Smacks of poseurdom to my completely biased self.

[Elster88]

I think A-Rod should be allowed to use the word props.

Edit: And of course this would be the first post on a new page.

[Willets Point]

A-Rod thanks you for the permission. He gives you props.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Well, okay, but only if he also makes an awkward "raise the roof" motion when he says "props," then tries to bump fists with the reporter he's talking to.

[metirish]

] "Just this past weekend, Aaron helped us win two games," General Manager Omar Minaya said. "He has more value to the team as a reliever. He gives us an opportunity to win more games during the week as a reliever than he would as a starter."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/sports/baseball/24chass.html

[Guest Edgy DC]

Um, sure. But he potentially gives them a bigger opportunity to win games as a starter, albeit fewer games per week.

That logic is fine, but it doesn't stand alone without further clarification. The obvious, if stupid, response is, "Well, then why don't we put Pedro Martinez in the bullpen?"

[Theoldmole]

Last night's game showed something about the importance of a deep bullpen.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sure, but it works both ways. It also showed the situation a failing starter can put a team in.

What's important is having a deep staff. And those are easiest to construct when your best pitchers get the most innings.

If they believe they have somebody who they think can get them to the seventh in Lima, Gonzalez, Soler, or somebody, then go crazy and run them out there. Show me somebody who they think is close enough to what they expect Heilman would be that it's not worth pulling him from the pen, then fine. But they've got to be honest with themselves.

For my part, I'm excited to finally see Soler. But the minute they run Huckleberry Hound out there, I'm leaving.

[metirish]

Tom Glavine in the same article....

] "I would leave the guy where he is now," Glavine said. "You don't find too many guys with his versatility out of the bullpen, getting lefty and righty hitters out, throwing multiple innings. He's so, so valuable in what he brings to the table out there. I know he probably doesn't want to hear it, but I think, for right now, it makes us a better team to have him do what he's doing."

] "He went from being somebody who was expendable to somebody that was untouchable."

[metirish]

] "He's a winner, a gamer, a warrior," Minaya said. "We're excited to have him."

yikes...Omar on Hernandez.

]"When you bring a guy into New York, it's New York," Minaya said. "I think he's a proven guy."

WTF you saying Omar?

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

I think he means El Duque is a "made man," maybe?