He was only a year and half removed out of high school. By midsummer of that first year (2002), we knew we had something special. |
He was playing well. He looked healthy. We were happy with him. I don't know anything else. |
He was very out front that pitching and defense is something he thinks is the best way to build a team, and something he's going to focus on having been a catcher, ... We were looking for fresh ideas, a fresh approach, someone that would be in concert with some of our philosophies. Joe became a primary, primary candidate very quickly. |
He's a great student of the game. He knows how to play the game right. And he's stand-up. There is no gray area. That's appreciated. People will always know where they stand with Joe. |
He's going to have an energetic young team. |
His [Burnett's] timeline is TBA. |
I think that the 72 hours that have passed is more than a reasonable amount of time for him to offer some explanation for his unexcused absence. We still do not have that explanation, and we're moving on. |
I think the at-bats probably help. [They're] against the better veteran pitching that you see in the winter league. |
I think the year, when we looked at the planning and expectations for a lot of the prospects, it played out the way we had hoped it would. A lot of the pitching came along, especially in Double-A with Olsen and [Josh] Johnson and Vargas, when he was there. |
I think there is considerable interest in having him in the lineup and getting the at-bats and seeing what he can do, because he's really been one of the best hitters in the Minor Leagues. |
I think we need guys who can do multiple things. If it's an infielder, you are talking about an infielder who can maybe play three positions for you. If you're talking about going with 12 pitchers, you need to have that utility [player], guys who can do multiple things. |
I would say it's his job to lose. He needs to go out and do what he did in September and what he did in the Minor Leagues throughout the year. It's his job to lose. |
I wouldn't rule anything out. But we've done that a couple of years and it really ties up your roster. That was with a very set team. It didn't hurt us, but it really limits your options on the bench. |
I'd like to think that we're talented but inexperienced. We'll see how that ultimately translates into wins and losses later in the season. |
I'm confident in talking to the new manager. This manager wants to win, and he is going to have an energetic, young team. Joe is going to get this team playing the game right; it's going to be playing it hard, and we're going to try to win every day. |