[While clubhouse staffs vary, most teams have hired more attendants to help players analyze videotape, maintain their workout programs and answer fan mail. The New York Yankees, for example, have eight attendants on call in the home clubhouse; six more help the visiting team. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- all of the extra bodies, today's players are far more] high maintenance ... I laugh at some of the guys who ask for something every single day. |
A good outing, a good day. We also came up against a good pitcher, too, but he had a little trouble controlling the strike zone. He threw a few too many balls and it cost him. |
a lot of times it's not noticeable at all, which is a huge improvement. |
Absolutely, ... It's only the third time I've been to the mound since I had three weeks off. One was good, one was bad. The two extra days (of rest before last night) certainly helped, but I had doubts. I didn't know what I'd get. |
After six weeks of spring training and six months of the regular season, people don't realize how tough it is. It is hard to get to the postseason. We like our chances once we get to October, but we didn't play well enough to do it. |
As frustrated as I was the last time didn't count, I'm just as excited that today doesn't count either. I don't know . . . I feel fine, no issues at all. Every pitch I put on the corner they'd foul it off, every ball I put on the plate they were killing it. It's just a day you hope you don't have too many of and I had one today. |
At the time it was the biggest game that I've probably pitched. It was a tough situation for us coming in down 2-0 and on the road. |
Balls were over the plate and hittable. They used the field, they went with the pitch. It was just a bad inning. |
Because of them, we have a chance, ... Without them, we wouldn't have a chance. |
Both are great players, both have had great years. I think I give our guy the nod simply because he plays defense every day and Ortiz doesn't. |
But I knew if I didn't go out there soon, there'd be no reason to go out at all. Today was a big test and I felt pretty good about it. |
But it wasn't as good as it looked. They hit some balls pretty hard right at people. For the most part, I feel pretty good. I'm not complaining. |
Chacon came in and he had been struggling in Colorado. He got a new chance, got to pitch for a team that's in playoff contention, so it was a good change for him. Then he started throwing the ball great, had some success and felt better about himself. It just kept building. |
Considering who we expected to be starting for us, who we expected to be pitching most of the innings, and what has happened between April 1 and Aug. 1, ... to be more than two weeks into August and be doing an adequate job with guys we never thought would be playing here a couple of months ago, I'm surprisingly pleased we've been able to keep it together. |
Even if we play this game, can we safely get out of here on an airplane? |