Notice: Trying to get property 'display_name' of non-object in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-seo/src/generators/schema/article.php on line 52
keyboard_arrow_uptop

ALL-STAR GAME


“I was having fun. I love doing these things. Earlier in my career,
when I didn’t accept myself as a home-run hitter, I didn’t like doing
these things. But now I enjoy them. I think sometimes it’s better than
the game because I haven’t really had a great All-Star Game.”

Mark McGwire, Cardinals infielder, on the Home Run Derby


“After 18 years, this is the last park I really wanted to see. I got
to see Tiger Stadium and Yankee Stadium in the World Series. This
might be my only chance to see Fenway.”

Tony Gwynn, Padres outfielder


“I can’t say this was a goal, but it was a dream. Any kid growing up
playing baseball dreams about being in an All-Star Game and a World
Series. And I’m finally in an All-Star Game.”

Kent Bottenfield, Cardinals pitcher


“I play with an All-Star team every day. We’re not caught up in
personal accolades. We care about one thing — a world championship.
The personal things are secondary.”

Derek Jeter, Yankees infielder


“I hope the grounds crew doesn’t get too mad, because I tore this
piece of grass out of right field. I’m taking it home, and I’m going
to have it forever.”

Larry Walker, Rockies outfielder


“I think it makes it a little more special, being here in Boston.
Representing the decade, the last one of the century. Being there with
all those players around us, I never, never expected it.”

Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher, on winning the game’s MVP
award


SECOND HALF


“Hopefully we’ll come back and win a lot of ballgames. Hopefully
we’ll pitch better in the second half. We made some strides the past
two days.”

Ray Miller, Orioles manager


“We’re back in it. We’re not trying to stay at .500. This is a club
that we think can contend, and hopefully if we keep playing this type
of ball, hey, we will.”

Bruce Bochy, Padres manager


“It was important to get started big in the second half. It shows the
true colors of the team. It shows they’re intent on continuing what
they started in the first half.”

Jack McKeon, Reds manager


“I want to completely forget about the first half, to tell you the
truth.”

Todd Hundley, Dodgers catcher


“We need help, there’s no question. I think there are three choices
here. Go get some help; make a run at this division. Go with what
you’ve got and hope it gets better. Or start dealing veterans. That
last one scares me. I hope we don’t go in that direction.”

Jay Buhner, Mariners outfielder


“We still have a way to go right now and I can’t get too excited on
the first day of the second half. We’ve got to try and get back over
.500. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Sammy Sosa, Cubs outfielder


MANTEI TO THE D-BACKS


“[Mantei] can throw up to 100 mph. That’s pretty good for starters.
He’s a legitimate closer, and he has something we don’t have, so I
think it’s going to be a big addition to this team.”

Jerry Colangelo, Diamondbacks owner


“He was somebody that a lot of clubs were trying to acquire, and we
were lucky enough to put something together. It’s a real tribute to
our minor league system to develop two players like Vlade [Nunez] and
Brad [Penny] to the point that we were able to make this deal.”

Buck Showalter, Diamondbacks manager


“This is a hard decision for us. Matt has done a good job. We’ve
watched his growth as a player and a person but it has been hard for
us to get to the closer. We believe we’ve received a quality guy in
Nunez.”

Dave Dombrowski, Marlins GM


“I couldn’t wait to get here. I felt like a little kid coming into
the stadium. It was like playing in a Little League World Series or
something. I’m just excited to be here.”

Matt Mantei, Diamondbacks pitcher


UMPIRES TO RESIGN


“The umpires have a labor contract that runs through this season and
bars strikes, so the resignations are an attempt to get around that.”

Richie Phillips, umpires union head


“When push comes to shove, the fans know the umpires are the real
people of baseball. They are not phonies; they go out and work hard.
They are blue-collar workers, like the fans. The fans understand
there’s a certain amount of grime and grit that’s associated with the
job.”

Richie Phillips


“They say umpires are arrogant and they talk about the case of Tom
Hallion. Every single umpire believes Tom was wrong. Two years ago I
had a case with Bobby Cox where I snapped. It’s a game of emotion.
We’re not robots. But that’s what they want.”

Ed Montague, umpire


“I think we make a great contribution to baseball. How many times
have you seen a scandal involving umpires? I’ve never worked with a
harder-working bunch of men, a more honest, sincere bunch of men.
We’re the first to know it when we kick one and we’re 10 times madder
at ourselves than anybody could ever be at us.”

Dale Ford, umpire


“This is either a threat to be ignored, or an offer to be accepted.”

Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations


“It’s sad. It’s very, very sad. I will have plenty to say in the
future.”

Bud Selig, commissioner


SAFECO FIELD


“I didn’t like being indoors all day. This is a beautiful part of the
country and you should be able to enjoy the weather. I think the fans
are going to enjoy it a lot more, too.”

Russ Davis, Mariners infielder


“It’s an awesome place. What an amazing place to be a part of. It’s
phenomenal.”

Jamie Moyer, Mariners pitcher


“What a difference from here and where we played. I’ll tell you what,
when this place gets full, there’s going to be excitement here.”

Lou Piniella, Mariners manager


“This can’t compare to the Kingdome. Now we have to adjust to
twilight and the difference between light and dark. We didn’t have
time to work out before the season in this new stadium.”

Butch Huskey, Mariners outfielder


THE REST


“I look at us as one of the better teams in baseball the last few
years. But when we play the good teams like Atlanta and the Yankees
we don’t seem to play that way. We need to show the good teams we can
beat them. And we need to show ourselves that too.”

Matt Franco, Mets outfielder


“I mean, I’ve got a beautiful little girl, I’ve been to four World
Series, I’ve been to the playoffs six times in my career, I’ve won a
world championship, I’m still young and relatively healthy, and, with
everything going on in the world, you just realize it’s not that big
of a deal — it’s a torn ligament.”

Mark Wohlers, Reds pitcher


“When you come off the field in the third inning and it feels like
you’ve been out there for three hours, things probably aren’t going
your way.”

Mike Thurman, Expos pitcher


“It crushes me that I can’t play baseball. It showed me how baseball
isn’t everything. All I’ve ever known is baseball this and baseball
that, and it definitely put a change in my heart. It’s definitely
given me a different perspective.”

Jason Kendall, Pirates catcher


“If we had pitched just half as good as we did last year, this team
would have another 10 wins…. When a guy comes in and gives up a lead
in the late innings, the whole team just sags. You can feel it.”

Scott Service, Royals pitcher


“There’s only one measurement a man cares about. And we both know
what that is.”

Jose Canseco, Devil Rays DH, when asked about the size of
his biceps


“I was in the minor leagues a long time, but I never quit dreaming.
Dreaming is a very important part of baseball. I don’t think there’s
anything wrong with dreaming.”

Olmedo Saenz, A’s infielder


“The fans are saying, `Trade him.’ I hear it when I’m in the outfield
and when I’m at the plate. I try to block it out but it hurt. It’s
like a slap in the face after all I’ve done for this team. The way the
fans treat me, I don’t expect to be here next year.”

Derek Bell, Astros outfielder


“You’ve got to have some things go your way in this game. It’s a game
of inches, it seems we’ve been on the short end of the ruler quite a
bit this year.”

Dustin Hermanson, Expos pitcher


“I feel like myself again, like the real Mondy. I was on 19 [home
runs] for 40 games. That’s too long. That shouldn’t happen to me.”

Raul Mondesi, Dodgers outfielder


“I like the stadium, the way the fans root against you. It pumps
you up. You hit a home run and it shuts them up.”

Andruw Jones, Braves outfielder, on playing the Yankees

Thank you for reading

This is a free article. If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Subscriptions support ongoing public baseball research and analysis in an increasingly proprietary environment.

Subscribe now
You need to be logged in to comment. Login or Subscribe