(General manager Kevin Towers) told me that I would start unless something fell into his lap, and Piazza will help this team. I'm just surprised that he couldn't find work in the American League (where he could be used as a designated hitter). Getting a hitter like Piazza for what? - $1.25 million a year (plus incentives)? You can't turn that down. |
After it got so close, you knew it was going to come down to the end. Would I rather be a half-game up at this point? There's no doubt about it. If we can't make up a half-game deficit over the last 10 games, it wasn't meant to be anyway. |
As a player, it feels great to hear how the fans appreciate you and your hard work. |
Coming down, 20 left, they have to play pretty darn good, we have to play pretty mediocre [to lose the division]. We still have head to head three games left. |
He strikes out people with his movement. Obviously, the ball was dancing. He mixed in some other pitches when he needed to. |
He's been solid for us all year, and we need him now more than ever. |
His ball was darting in, it was darting away. It was effectively wild in the strike zone. I had a tough time today catching the ball. I hadn't had a game like that where I felt like I was going to have a hard time catching the ball. |
I didn't embarrass myself and that was something I was worried about the whole [flight from San Diego]. You make a trade like that for certain reasons and for me to come here and start boxing balls too would not have been good. |
I don't know if he gets the concept of a teammate or if he grasps that. People have tried to help him out. You've got to give him some leeway for language but at some point (you realize) he does speak more than he lets on. So at that point, you start to think he's making that choice. |
I don't think I've ever been so nervous in a game. Even in warm-ups, the first time I saw the knuckleball I dropped a couple. I thought, 'Oh, oh. Here we go. |
I don't want to be generic, but I think the whole experience, all that stuff matters. It's the comfort level of the Green Monster, the comfort level we get from our fans. All that plays into a confidence for us, for myself, especially. |
I think I can still play a big role. In my mind, I'm going to catch a lot of games and we'll both get our at-bats. |
I thought it was a really good pitch, |
I understand their point of view. (Piazza is) a great player that they got at a discount price. How do you pass up on that? |
I've never been a Palmeiro fan. |