The Week in Quotes: March 30-April 5

PITCHING

"It has to be tough for a kid pitcher these days
just to watch ESPN. All they show are guys hitting
balls where no one has hit them before. They show them
bouncing into fountains and stuff. This is not a good
time to be a bad pitcher."

— Chuck Finley, Angels pitcher

"I overcompensated for being overanxious, if that
makes any damn sense. But the results were a little
overbearing for me, as long as we’re on that over
motif."

— Joey Hamilton, Padres pitcher, on his first
start of the season

"The key is the pitching hanging on until we can
score some runs. Give our offense a chance and it will
get the job done."

— Don Baylor, Rockies manager

"Some guys you can intimidate just by your body
language. That’s confidence. Even if you don’t have
anything on that day, you can still be confident, you
can still fool people."

— Heathcliff Slocumb, Mariners pitcher

CRASH DAVIS

"I was just trying to get good wood on the ball.
I got lucky."

— Jose Valentin, Brewers infielder, on hitting
3 home runs in a game against the Marlins

"Of course I’d like to play with the big club. But I
can be patient. I’ll do whatever they tell me. My
chance will come."

— Kerry Wood, Cubs prospect

"I don’t worry about that. That’s furthest from my
mind. I think about winning. I think there’s a lot of
great shortstops in the league right now."

— Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox infielder, on playing
in the All Star Game

JOSH BOOTY

"I can play at this level. I know I can. I’ve
always felt that. I hope to go out and prove it the
next couple of weeks."

— Josh Booty, Marlins infielder

"I have to give Josh Booty a little time out
there. I don’t want to rain on his parade."

— Bobby Bonilla, Marlins infielder

THE REST

"Good hitters hit good pitches, but good hitters
kill bad pitches. That’s the bottom line."

— Dave Stewart, Padres pitching coach

"It’s set up for extra-base hits. It will probably
lead the league in triples and inside-the-park home
runs. When the ball hits off some of those girders in
the outfield you have no idea where the ball is going
to go."

— Don Baylor, Rockies manager, on Bank One
Ballpark

"I’ve learned to come to grips with injuries.
Every injury makes me stronger and makes me want to get
back out and play."

— Gary Sheffield, Marlins outfielder

"I’ve always been a catcher first, then a hitter.
Whatever I can do at the plate is a bonus, but I am
looking to get better offensively."

— Charles Johnson, Marlins catcher

"You want the guys to appreciate the moment
because these types of things don’t come along very
often, and when you’re older, you need a memory."

— Buck Showalter, Diamondbacks manager, on the
team’s first regular season win

"You’re not going to win a lot of games if you
don’t get any hits."

— Tim Johnson, Blue Jays manager

"It’s hard to imagine this season transpiring
in a way that I’d want to play next year."

— Paul Molitor, Twins DH

"It’s going to be a little bit different for me.
The baseball fields don’t change at all — you have the
walls, the lines and three bases and home plate to
throw the ball around. But the hitters, I’ll have to
go to school."

— Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher

"We’re going to play some good baseball. And when
you play good baseball, you win your share of games."

— Felipe Alou, Expos manager

"I know it’s important to make this game fun. I
also know that sometimes I forget that, that I get too
locked in. But that’s the way it’s always been with me.
I mean, I’d like to relax more, but I can’t."

— Brad Fullmer, Expos infielder