The Week in Quotes: July 5-10

HE’S LIKED, BUT HE’S NOT WELL-LIKED

“It certainly hasn’t changed our thinking in terms of acknowledging the record should he return and eventually surpass the record. But any additional promotional sponsorships regarding that record chase would involve the player, the club, Major League Baseball and our corporate sponsors. And those would not go into the discussion phase until he was closer to the record.”

–MLB director of marketing communications Kathleen Fineout, on how MLB will market Bonds should he resume the chase for the home run record (Washington Post)

“Baseball is going to have to promote him [while] holding their noses. Unless . . . they lead him away in handcuffs, they’re going to have to fete him as if he really hit all those home runs — which, of course, he did.”

–San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto, on how MLB will market Bonds when he returns

“If you promote the breaking of the record under the guise of innocent until proven guilty, but then 10 years down the road it’s proven definitively that he used steroids, you can’t un-ring the bell.”

—Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd

“He comes off as huggable as a cactus. I think that’s more of a detriment than the steroid allegations. And I’m not sure Barry cares about [corporate sponsorships] anyway.”

–former marketing director for the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays Jim Bloom, on Bonds

“People are beginning to say, ‘What’s going on with this guy? How long can a knee rehab take? Is there something else going on?’ They’re growing more and more sour on him, because his worst qualities are exacerbated by the off-field stuff, and his best quality — turning on an inside fastball and blasting it out of the park — we’re not getting to see.”

–KNBR radio host Brian Murphy, on the public’s perceived waning support of Bonds

WHATEVER HE FEELS LIKE…GOSH!!!

“I think he should have been elected to the team and I don’t think he should pitch in the game. I think it would embarrass Kenny. I think it would embarrass baseball. And I don’t think Kenny Rogers will make the decision to show up next Tuesday night or Monday, just as importantly, at the press conference he’ll almost have to attend.”

–Fox analyst Tim McCarver, on how Kenny Rogers should handle his All-Star selection (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

“Should he pitch in the game and participate? My answer would be no. You try to find highlights for guys. Now here’s Kenny Rogers. What highlight do you think we are going to run? You’re almost bound to tell the story and back it up with video. It would seem to me to have to run that would be embarrassing incident not only for Kenny Rogers, but for baseball and the Texas Rangers on a night like that.”

–McCarver’s broadcast partner, announcer Joe Buck, on Rogers

“I can totally understand why he was selected, but it would seem to me for a guy who hasn’t talked to the media all year long, to go there and be surrounded, it would just be a swarm of people following him around. God only knows what else could happen. If somebody says the wrong thing to him; I’m not going to try and be like Dr. Phil and try and figure it out from a distance, but take a time out, just collect things, take the suspension and move on.”

–Buck

“People are going to do whatever they are going to do. I’m going because I was voted in by the players and I earned it. I want the players to know their vote means a lot to me. I know how the players feel and if I thought it would benefit them if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t go.”

–Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers, on why he’ll attend the game (Dallas Morning News)

DEAR BERNIE; WELCOME TO DUMPSVILLE. POPULATION: YOU

“I ain’t got nothing to say. I’m going home.”

–Yankees utilityman Tony Womack, after losing his most recent center field job to prospect Melky Cabrera (New York Post)

“That’s me 14 years ago. If he can handle it and has the talent, he can have a great career. He can be here 14 years.”

–Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams, on Cabrera (New York Times)

“Don’t do what I’ve done out there.”

–Williams, jokingly relaying the advice he was going to give Cabrera

“He’s here because there’s a belief he might be better than what we have right now up top. That’s why we’re trying it.”

–Yankees GM Brian Cashman, on Cabrera

“Starting the season, there was no chance any of this was going to happen.”

–Yankees manager Joe Torre, referring to the injection of young players into the lineup this season

“I’m old news, man. I’m old news.”

–Williams, on the 30 reporters talking to Cabrera when only one was talking to him

TEAMWORK IS A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING WHAT I SAY

“You’ve got a lot of upset people in here.”

–Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon, on the news that Curt Schilling would pitch from the bullpen (Boston Globe)

“He’s never done it. He throws 60 pitches to get loose for a game. He needs to get loose. Two outs in the eighth, a home run is hit. Get ready, 10 pitches. He can’t do it. Timlin could, Bronson could. I don’t think it’s a good move for us. We’ve always talked about all year he’d come back and be a starter, and be a good starter. He can’t just walk in and be a good closer. He’s not ready yet. He’s not ready.”

–Damon, on why Schilling wouldn’t make a good closer

“We tried that in Kansas City. We tried that here. It didn’t work. In Kansas City we blew 30 games, saved 28. It doesn’t work.”

–Damon, on using Schilling as part of a closer-by-committee while Keith Foulke is on the DL

“They’re panicking. We’re [four] games up and it feels like we’re 10 down. They’re panicking. They’ve been trying to get rid of [Kevin] Millar since the beginning of the season. Well, guess what? His numbers are the same as last year. Then he caught fire. Now he’s definitely looking over his shoulder a little more because we’ve got a very good backup first baseman in [John] Olerud. [Mark] Bellhorn’s helped us out winning. He has bad games here and there, but guess what? We’re together, we’re a team. What hid Bellhorn’s mistakes earlier was I was coming up, picking him up. If I’m not doing it, it makes what he’s doing look bad.”

–Damon, on why the front office is considering putting Schilling in the bullpen

“We’ll be all right . . . but I don’t think his body is going to be able to bounce back and accomplish that feat. Schilling’s a little too old and it takes too long to get loose to be in that closer role.”

–Damon

“We’re in first place! What the [expletive] is going on in this clubhouse? Damn!”

–Red Sox DH David Ortiz, on the Johnny Damon/Curt Schilling controversy (Hartford Courant)

“[Francona] just pretty much called me a dumbass and told me to keep my mouth zipped. Timlin is going to be a part-time closer and Schilling is going to get his work in. But our team is a much better team if Schilling is that ace pitcher. I’m not going to back down from that.”

–Damon, on his meeting with manager Terry Francona after he made his comments about Schilling

I’VE NEVER HAD A WAY WITH A BAT, BUT THE HILLS OF IOWA MAKE ME WISH THAT I COULD

“It’s frustrating for him. If you think we’re frustrated and the fans are frustrated, how do you think he must feel? Even though he doesn’t show it, he’s very frustrated because he knows he has the skills. When you’re used to starring all your life and then you quit starring, that’s a very humbling and devastating thing. He came through the system very quickly.”

–Cubs manager Dusty Baker, on recently demoted center fielder Corey Patterson (Chicago Tribune)

“We can’t expect everybody to be the same. It would be a boring world if everybody was the same. Look at [Derrek] Lee. I remember there were a couple coaches in San Diego who thought he didn’t care. … When he was in Miami, you couldn’t really tell if he was going good or bad.”

–Baker

“That’s the one bad thing about baseball. We thrust everybody into this fish bowl and we want them all to be the same. That’s not how life is. There are some guys who are rah-rah, whoop-de-doo who are as fake as a counterfeit $100 bill. Other guys are quiet as heck and genuinely care on the inside.”

–Baker

LIFE IS JUST ONE CRUSHING DEFEAT AFTER ANOTHER UNTIL YOU JUST WISH THE GUY IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE DEPTH CHART WOULD DIE

“I was hoping maybe they could make a trade, either trade me or somebody who’s in front of me. It’s not doing anything for my career to sit on the bench.”

–Baltimore infielder/outfielder David Newhan, on his recent demotion to AAA Ottawa (Baltimore Sun)

“They really screwed up my [All-Star] break. I’ll figure out when I can get there. That place is a mess and really doesn’t deserve to be a Triple-A city at all. It’s just a terrible place to be at. Terrible stadium, bad weather, bad fans, bad atmosphere, going through customs. Hopefully I can play in front of some other scouts and somebody will make a move and I’ll get a chance to play again.”

–Newhan, on playing in Ottawa

“I’m at the point right now that I don’t feel like I’m a minor league player. Unfortunately I’ve got an option left, so hopefully I can burn it and see what happens. They say they believe in me and they like me. They say they feel one way and then they act different.”

–Newhan

“All I can do is go out and play. If a ball is coming over the plate at Camden Yards, I’ve got to try to hit it. If it’s coming over the plate in Ottawa, I’ve got to try to hit it. I’ve got to go down and make my money and provide for my family.”

–Newhan

THE REST

“Never in my life have I played the outfield and it surprised me when they took me to the outfield to work out. It was not fun at all.”

–Reds infielder Anderson Machado, on being used in the outfield (Dayton Daily News)

“I have not been told one thing. I haven’t been told that I’ve been traded or they’re trying to trade me. You can’t trade me. Who’s going to take care of Manny?”

–Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar, on trade rumors involving him (Hartford Courant)

“If you’re going to get hit in the head, you’d rather be in the big leagues than anywhere else in the world. I know this is something I’ll never forget.”

–Cubs rookie Adam Greenberg, on getting hit in the head by a pitch in his first major league AB (MLB.com)

“I have voted for myself a couple of times. I’ve thrown a couple in there.”

–White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik, who won the final spot on the AL All-Star roster (MLB.com)

“The bad thing is, whoever hits better wins the Gold Glove. They should start calling it the Bad Glove because it always happens. They don’t go by who makes plays the most. It’s who’s more popular.”

–White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on why Joe Crede won’t win the Gold Glove (Chicago Tribune)

“Starting [tonight]. I’ll bring in whatever reliever I feel like starting the game with, and I’ll bring my starter in in the third inning and we’ll play nine innings of baseball that way. I’m serious.”

–Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella, on his team’s new pitching strategy (St. Petersburg Times)

“Wipe it out. That’s the way I feel about it. No numbers. It’s like they didn’t play.”

–former player and current Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson, on what should happen if players with big numbers are caught using steroids (Philadelphia Inquirer)

John Erhardt is an editor of Baseball Prospectus. You can contact John by clicking here or click here to see John’s other articles.