I don't see anything that can keep us from being very competitive in September. It's a long season, a lot of things are going to happen between now and September, and we've gotta play good more days than we don't. |
I don't think you can just sit there and say yes when you're just talking about one of 30 jobs in the world. I felt like I could. I felt like I'd be ready if the opportunity ever came along again. You can't sit there and say you expect that. |
I don't want to put him in a position that curtails his progress. If he's playing enough for our good, don't be surprised if you see him leave here with us. If he won't get enough playing time, he'll start in the Minor Leagues. |
I have a bad habit of watching things that are working for other people and adopting it myself. |
I haven't heard a projected date now. But everything is not going real smoothly, or at least the way you'd like it to at this point. He is making progress. |
I hope he plays 175 (games) this year, to tell you the truth. You have a player with that type of talent, you want him out there as much as possible. |
I just want to get Ricky in against a right-handed pitcher. We feel it's a good match. |
I kind of liked them all, starting with the one Robles hit. The others didn't take that long to get out of there. But the tone for today was set by the two starting pitchers out there. I thought they did a good job of getting done what they wanted to get done out there. |
I know what to expect from the kid when he goes out there and he's healthy. He always wants the ball. And there's no doubt in my mind that before the season's over, I'll wish he would have been out there more often than every five days. |
I know, I know, it's just like McNamara. Tell me that didn't cross my mind 1,001 times when I was deciding what to do. In the end, I decided to make the textbook move, and now I could strangle myself for it. |
I like the way Billingsley was throwing the ball. |
I like the way he plays defense. Even if it's an adventure, it's being aggressive. He had an outstanding day at the plate. |
I never say, 'He's a No. 1 and he's a No. 2.' They're all one of five, and each has an important role. I feel we've got some people with experience in the rotation. And we have depth with the younger kids. Last year the injuries really hurt. We've been able this winter, we feel, to build some insurance. |
I think (the WBC) affects everybody a little bit. A lot of young kids are going to get a lot more exposure than normal. It helps to see them more. |
I think he'll be a great pitcher. |