I do believe we are in this position by showing patience and providing opportunities during the season. I don't want to take away from any momentum the team has gained. |
I do want to roll with it. I think there's validation for either guy to hit in that spot. |
I don't believe he's lost a whole lot. |
I don't care who you are, if you get called out publicly, it affects your focus and concentration. You can say it doesn't and you can try your hardest not to let it seep into your work or what you do. But that's something out of his control that also got thrown onto his plate that he needed to deal with. |
I don't know -- that'll all go into the final evaluation. Clean innings would be a big plus. There's something to be said for getting out of them. But when you have men on base, they're going to score sooner or later. He's done a fine job so far. |
I don't know that we want to stretch him out further than that. . . . He doesn't have an old body. He seems to be pretty physically fit. |
I don't need to point him out, they come in looking at him. He has earned their respect. |
I don't think there was any big talk or meeting. It was the culmination of holding on to a perception. When you get to a point where you pitch, play defense and play smart baseball regularly, when the game gets clean, you win on the road. |
I don't think there's any doubt that he believes now that he has arrived, that he can make pitches, that he can win, that he can compete and he can become a force in this league. |
I don't want them to feel they have to pitch their way into the spot and that is what spring training is about. We need to get it out of the way, clear out any distractions and keep focused on the job at hand, getting ready for the season. |
I enjoyed seeing the emotion. I enjoyed seeing that it hasn't become commonplace (for the Braves). They had an infusion of youth this year. |
I had a good angle on it. All I'm gonna say is, we play them 14 more times (this season). |
I had a script but didn't need it. There's no chance for this to work unless his head and heart are in the right place, and they are. He's not a 23-year-old kid pushing the older guy out of the rotation, and he realizes that. |
I have a contract here and I'm big on loyalty. I'm big on my word. |
I haven't managed many games with a score of 7-4 at the end of the first inning on the road, for us. So that was interesting. |