Expectations or not, you just want to get out to a good start. |
He's someone you respect because you know he's a solid professional but he treats us younger players with respect. He doesn't have an attitude. He's trying to get to know us and make us feel comfortable. |
I have to block it out and just keep playing ball. I don't know what's going to happen. |
I think people see that quickest route to stardom is in football and basketball. In basketball, you can come from college and go straight to the pros. Football is the same way. In baseball, it takes longer. You have to go through the minor leagues. There aren't that many kids playing Little League baseball. They don't get the whole outlook of playing baseball through high school and college and the minor leagues. |
I'm feeling good. I've been hitting the ball but I couldn't find a hole. Now I guess the holes are finding me. |
I'm just doing what they tell me to do. But it feels better. |
It doesn't matter to me. It's still the same swing no matter where I'm hitting, right? |
It's always nice to face live pitching. We're trying to get ready. Anytime you hit one out it feels good. |
It's just another game. It's just going to be nice to get the season going. |
It's just sandlot baseball. You have some fun sometimes, just playing around with your boys. This is the first time it's come up all year for me. It was just instinct. |
It's not serious. I felt it running (from second to third) and then I felt it again going for a ball that Prince (Fielder) got. I couldn't shake it. |
The big thing for us is to come out and have fun. We are just going to take one game at a time and try to come out here and win ball games. |
We just have that veteran leadership on this team to help show us the way. It's a pretty loose club house that we got here. Of course, when situations come up in a game, Ned or Robin will pull me aside and tell me this is what to expect the next time. |
When I first got called up last year, J.J. and I were basically the only two guys on the team (that were young and new). So we did everything together - going to the mall, going to eat, just everything we did off the baseball field. |
Why wait until next year? Honestly, some guys get into the playoffs early in their career, and before they know it, they're retired and they've never made it back. I want it now. |