The Week in Quotes: February 16-March 1

DEATH OF HARRY CARAY

"It’s really been a heck of run for Harry
— just an amazing human being. He squeezed every drop
out of about four lifetimes. He really lived life to
the fullest."

— Ed Lynch, Cubs GM

"He was beyond an icon. He was beyond an
ambassador for the game. He was the most popular
figure, I think, in baseball, beyond a doubt."

— Mark Grace, Cubs infielder

"I’m sad, of course, and I’ll miss him dearly.
Every minute I’ll miss him. We were best friends. But
I’m not upset. He had a great night and I knew it had
to happen sometime."

— Dutchie Caray, Harry’s wife

WEIGHTY MATTERS

"I hit the weights hard and I’ve never been
stronger."

— Dante Bichette, Rockies outfielder, on gaining
44 pounds

"You have to remember that Dante has a method to
almost everything he does."

— Don Baylor, Rockies manager

"For Bichette, the real action is at the
plate. Yeah, including the one at the ballpark."

— Mike Littwin, columnist

ARBITRATION

"The main reason I went to arbitration is because
I felt the Marlins treated me unfair the first three
years."

— Charles Johnson, Marlins catcher

"The arbitration system is ludicrous. It’s one of
the worst things that’s ever happened to baseball. The
sooner it can go, the better."

— Jerry Colangelo, Diamondbacks owner

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

"I just want to get the ball and get back to
having some fun, playing the game, and being able to
focus on competing against the hitters and get all that
other stuff out of my head."

— Kenny Rogers, A’s pitcher

"This is the most excited I’ve been about spring
training since my rookie year, because I’m on a team
that wants to win."

— Mike Lansing, Rockies infielder

"I love the way people are there about baseball.
That’s the way it should be in every city. I’ll take
the challenge to go out there and do the best I can for
the fans and myself."

— Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher

"I don’t know why I wasn’t playing every day in
New York. You’ll have to ask [manager] Joe Torre.
Healthiest I’d ever been in my career, and I’m sitting
on the bench. Go figure. It’s not going to be like that
this year."

— Wade Boggs, Devil Rays infielder

"At this point in my career the only thing that’s
important is to get a World Series ring."

— Shawon Dunston, Indians infielder

"I figure I can still hit at least 35 [home runs]
here. And not having to face Atlanta pitchers should
add 20 points to my batting average."

— Andres Galarraga, Braves infielder

THE REST

"You can’t insult people’s intelligence and say we
have a chance to be as good as we were last year."

— Jim Leyland, Marlins manager

"As a baserunner, you ought to be tired mentally
when you get off the bases."

— Tim Flannery, Padres coach

"If you have a guy that has a .200 batting average
but a .500 OBP, you should pay that guy $10 million.
I’ll take that guy every time. You can go 0 for the
month, but if you get on base four times a night, you
make things happen for your team."

— Phil Garner, Brewers manager

"The one thing I can control are the pitches I
make. I can’t necessarily control the results or the
outcome of the game. I know if I make a lot of good
pitches that’s going to increase my chances of winning.
Everybody says they’d rather be lucky than good. I’d
rather be good than lucky. I’m the other way around."

— Greg Maddux, Braves pitcher

"Everybody talks about on-base percentage and
things like that, but I like to look at production.
What are the results?"

— Marquis Grissom, Brewers outfielder

"We’ve got a lot of special players on this club
and in my opinion you can never have to many of those.
It certainly makes my job a little bit easier."

— Larry Dierker, Astros manager

"Managers who use the bench best are those with
the best benches."

— Lou Piniella, Mariners manager

"When you’re trying to get drafted, that’s when
you want to light up the [radar] guns. But once you
get in pro ball, you want to get guys out. That’s how
you move up. Changing speeds makes it that much
easier to get guys out."

— Steve Woodard, Brewers pitcher

"We’re in an age where, year-in, year-out, the
postseason teams are the teams that spend the most
money. And then there’s Houston, which knocks at the
door virtually every year. We’ve gotten more out of our
dollars than anybody in baseball."

— Gerry Hunsicker, Astros GM

"Whether I’m innocent or guilty doesn’t really
matter. When you put yourself near a situation like
that, that’s where the problem starts and you can never
be vindicated from it."

— Mo Vaughn, Red Sox infielder, on DUI charges

"I always approach spring training like I have to
make the team because that’s the way it works for me. I
have to have that edge. Every spring training is a new
season. If you don’t have that edge your mind wanders.
I like to start from zero."

— Stan Javier, Giants outfielder

"I like to run and like being in the game, getting
dirty. I don’t like getting out of a game with my
uniform clean."

— Andruw Jones, Braves outfielder

"If I get the chance to pitch in the major
leagues, I could care less when I get the ball."

— Rob Dibble, invited to Padres camp