The Week in Quotes: September 17-23

CARL EVERETT

"All that counts is performance, and Carl Everett is a big reason we’re in
the wild-card race."

— Dan Duquette, Red Sox GM

"If I was the general manager, I would back the manager, and if you can’t,
you probably need to get rid of me."

— Jimy Williams, Red Sox manager

"You hope it doesn’t snowball to the point where there’s no rules at all."

— Derek Lowe, Red Sox pitcher

THE RACES

"I don’t understand the decision-making process. I don’t know why we didn’t
play a second game. I was told it would be clear from 2:50 p.m. on today.
It will probably snow tomorrow."

— Art Howe, Athletics manager, on the decision to postpone the second game
of a doubleheader in Baltimore, preventing him from starting Barry Zito
against the Mariners over the weekend

"I’ve still got good stuff."

— Tim Hudson, Athletics pitcher, after Howe came to remove him
after six innings

"Yeah, take your good stuff to the dugout."

— Howe

"We still have control of the lead. They’re still chasing us. I wouldn’t
stress about it right now. We’ll be all right."

— Mike Cameron, Mariners outfielder, after losing to Oakland 5-2 in the
first game of a four-game series

"We know we’re a good team. There’s no reason for us not to have confidence."

— Ben Grieve, Athletics outfielder, after winning the second game

"Everyone knows how important this series is."

— Lou Piniella, Mariners manager, after losing the second game

"We’re only going to get better."

— Grieve, after hitting a grand slam as part of the 8-2 win in the third
game

"Those guys are relentless."

— Alex Rodriguez, Mariners infielder, on the third-straight loss to the
Athletics

400 HOME RUNS

"It’s nice but I’m looking to do more. Honestly, it felt like any other
home run. I keep saying that to me right now 399, 400 and 401, it’s all the
same. If I’m lucky enough to get close to 500, then I’ll feel a little bit
different about it. That’s more of an exclusive club."

— Rafael Palmiero, Rangers infielder, on his 400th career home run in a
15-4 loss to the Angels

"It was Raffy’s show. I’m really happy that he was able to do it in front
of the home fans and his family. That makes it worthwhile to me."

— Johnny Oates, Rangers manager

"A guy like Raffy who’s been such a tremendous player for so many years,
you like to see that. I’m not really happy that it put them back in the
game though."

— Mike Scioscia, Angels manager, on the home run that put the Rangers
within five runs

CALLING IT

"I told him, ‘After I hit this homer, I’ll give you my bat.’ "

— Barry Bonds, Giants outfielder, on what he told spectator
John McEnroe before Bonds’s at-bat

"I was like, ‘Holy cow!’ Something like that happens maybe once in your
lifetime."

— Bonds, on his reaction after hitting a home run and giving his bat to
McEnroe

MORE HOME RUNS

"You get the grand slam to start the game going and you just hope everybody
else can follow. You don’t want it to be close. You want to get it over and
relax."

— Jim Edmonds, Cardinals outfielder, on his third-inning grand slam to
clinch the NL Central title for the Cardinals

"To be the only guy in the majors to do it this year is quite a feat. It’s
impressive because you have to want to do it. The home runs are one thing,
but to steal 30 bases, that’s work."

— John Boles, Marlins manager, on Preston Wilson becoming a 30/30 player

"Vlady is a guy who doesn’t say much. He’s like a machine–machines don’t
talk, they just go out and destroy."

— Felipe Alou, Expos manager, on Vladimir Guerrero‘s refusal to talk to
reporters after hitting two home runs in an 11-4 victory

"I had to get the home run the hard way, right there at the end. It counts
as a home run in the book. You have to exert a little more energy on the
bases but whenever you do something like an inside-the-park home run, it
doesn’t happen very often, it’s something exciting."

— Peter Bergeron, Expos outfielder, on his three-run inside-the-park home
run in the same game

Not Having Fun

"It was really ugly. You’re sorry that you play nine innings when you play
a game like that."

— Joe Torre, Yankees manager, on losing to the Blue Jays 16-3

"That says a lot about our season. We set the home run record and lose the
game by giving up home runs."

— Larry Dierker, Astros manager, after his team lost to Cincinnati 12-5
but set the NL single-season home run record

"We had been playing like the ‘Bad News Bears’ for a while, so this type of
win is big for us."

— Derek Jeter, Yankees infielder, on the end of the Yankees’ six-game
losing streak

"This was not a fun ballgame, for either team. You don’t play ball on days
like today, you work it. It was ‘workball’. Boy, was it hard work."

— Tony LaRussa, Cardinals manager, on a 6-5 win over the Cubs in which he
used 15 position players

THE REST

"I couldn’t stop giving up home runs, but every time I gave up one, we
scored two. I figured we were better off, so I was trying to get us to 12-6."

— Pete Harnisch, Reds pitcher, on giving up three home runs in an 8-4 win
over the Brewers

"I wanted to pitch this game for the boys back in Sydney at the Olympics.
I’m kind of disappointed I’m not there with them, but at least I gave them
a thrill back there."

— Luke Prokopec, Dodgers pitcher, on getting his first major-league win
instead of being on the Australian Olympic team

"When I am at the plate here, it’s like I don’t see anything but the ball.
I don’t know if it’s the background here or what, but I always feel like I
can see the ball well."

— John Mabry, Padres outfielder, on hitting at Coors field

"I’m just a stubborn old mule. I want to go out there and get everybody
out. No free passes."

— David Wells, Blue Jays pitcher, on his eight-strikeout, one-run,
complete-game win over the Yankees

"He’s a good competitor. He loves the challenge and I’m sure he took great
delight in beating our club. He’s earned everything he’s got because he
goes out there and answers the bell."

— Joe Torre, Yankees manager, on being beaten by Wells

"Barry Bonds is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I’d vote for him every day of
the week and twice on Sundays, but when he retires, he’s still going to be
the biggest ass who ever lived."

— Curt Schilling, Diamondbacks pitcher

"It means something. You work hard to establish yourself and become a
complete player. One hundred RBI is a sign of a productive hitter. The guys
in front of me gave me the opportunity. Of course, I have to drive them in,
but I give credit to those guys."

— Joe Randa, Royals infielder, on reaching 100 RBI for the season

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