PAPI SOUNDS OFF ON FORMER SKIPPER “No. 1, never bite the hand that feeds you, because in the end that will come back to bite you. I was one of those players that always showed support for him. In fact, I held a couple of player meetings.”
—Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, responding to comments made by former manager Bobby Valentine that suggested the 36-year-old “decided not to play anymore” after Boston shipped Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in an August blockbuster. (Matt Pepin, Boston Globe)
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MARLINS HIRE MIKE REDMOND “I've been preparing for this day since 1993. Kane County Cougars. Charles Johnson starting catcher, Mike Redmond backup catcher.”
—New Marlins manager Mike Redmond, referring to his first day in the minor leagues, on being the new skipper in Miami. (Joe Frisaro, MLB.com)
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GIANTS SWEEP TIGERS, TAKE SECOND TITLE IN THREE YEARS “I've had some good clubs, but just the way they set aside their own agenda and asked what's best for the club. We put them in different roles. They never said anything, never complained. They just wanted to win. It makes it a lot easier for a manager when you have a group like this. It's amazing what a group of guys that play as a team can accomplish.” —San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, whose Giants trumped the Tigers 4-3 on Sunday night to complete the sweep and take the seventh World Series championship in franchise history. (Chris Haft, MLB.com)
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SAN FRAN’S WIN BRINGS NLCS TO GAME SEVEN “I just tried to do really the same thing [Game Five starter Barry Zito] did—come out here and set the tone early for us. We jumped on [Chris] Carpenter there early and put some runs on the board. We played a great game. These guys played great defense for me. But I just tried to emulate [Zito], and keep them off the board early and get some momentum going our way.”
—Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong, who pitched seven innings and struck out a career-high nine batters in San Francisco's 6-1 win in Game Six of the NLCS. The decisive seventh game will be played tonight. (Chris Haft, MLB.com)
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MONEYBALL: REDUX ENDS JUST THE SAME “There’s so much to be proud of. There’s not a single guy in here who can walk away disappointed in what they did or what we did. It’s been great, it’s been crazy, and there are so many guys in here with the capability to be even better.” —Athletics first baseman Brandon Moss, on the team’s incredible season, ending with a Game Five loss to Justin Verlander in the ALDS. (Susan Slusser, SFGate.com)
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MIGGY TAKES HOME TRIPLE CROWN “All I could think of then was ‘Wow, I really did it.’ It’s just unbelievable. That’s the only thing that I could say. It was great that I could share it with my teammates.”
—Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who won the first triple crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 after hitting .330 with 44 home runs and 139 RBI. (Drew Sharp, DetroitFreePress)
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DOTEL BEMOANS TIGERS’ LACK OF ENTHUSIASM “We believe we have the players and talent, but I think we should be more pumped up. I haven't seen that yet. Maybe I'm wrong. But it's what I see. Like I said, we believe, but I need to see one more little thing. I hope I see that in the next 10 days. There's time.”
—Tigers reliever Octavio Dotel, discontented with the level of energy he’s seeing in the clubhouse as Detroit battles for a playoff spot. (Tom Gage, DetroitNews)
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NATIONALS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT “It was one of those feelings you’ve never had before. I had no idea what to do. I haven’t won anything since friggin’ Little League.”—Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on Washington’s playoff berth. (Amanda Comak, TheWashingtonTimes)
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BOBBY V WITH ANOTHER GEM “This is the weakest roster we've ever had in September in the history of baseball. It could use help everywhere.”
—Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine on the state of his team, which was recently decimated by a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Ian Harrison, ESPNBoston.com)
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IN THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE BOBBY V SAGA... “What an embarrassing thing to say. If I was there, I’d punch you right in the mouth. How’s that sound? Sound like I checked out? What an embarrassing thing. That’s something that a comic strip person would write.”
—Perpetually beleaguered Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, responding to a question from Glenn Ordway of WEEI radio, who suggested that Boston’s skipper may have “checked out.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
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LOS ANGELES DODGERS ACQUIRE BOSTON RED SOX (PLAYERS) “I haven't found [a spending cap] yet, but I'll let you know if we get there. We really do evaluate those things secondarily. We think the most important thing is building a team.” —Dodgers president and part-owner Stan Kasten on opening up the wallets to acquire the Red Sox’ three highest-paid players, in a nine-player deal that saw over $250 million in contracts change hands. (Alex Angert, MLB.com)
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BOBBY CLEARLY NOT THEIR VALENTINE “What Tom, Larry, and I heard in the player meeting was one overriding sentiment. Players felt responsible for the record. They weren't blaming injuries or anyone but themselves. At the same time, they openly spoke about what could improve in addition to their play. They made substantive points. We addressed those points. No one in that meeting, at any time, took the position that Bobby should be or needed to be replaced.”
—Red Sox owner John Henry, responding to a story from Yahoo which alleged that a host of disgruntled Boston players “blasted” manager Bobby Valentine in a secret meeting with team ownership back in July. (Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe)
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