Jim Tracy Great Quotations

We need some starts where we get seven or eight innings, and it would be great if we could even get one at some point in which the guys in the bullpen wouldn't even have to pick up their gloves one day.

It's not the greatest thing in the world to go 4-6 like we did. But it's not the end of the world, either, when you compete like we have.

I thought they both did a great job (Saturday). They did exactly what you wanted to see and what they would have wanted to do.

I thought they both did a great job. I thought they both did exactly what you wanted to see. ... Both guys passed today.

We took great at-bats tonight. We hit four home runs. And the beautiful part of it was the run that we scored to go ahead was something that we worked at very hard in Spring Training.

He makes everyone around him better. It's not going to take him months to resurrect that great hand-eye coordination. It's safe to say he's a weapon depending on where he's at with his rehab situation.

He got out of his game. He got out of what helped to get him off to a great start. I saw a much longer swing in Houston. I saw a very short wall in left field and I saw somebody that was trying to reach it way too often.

This whole weekend shows how great a sports town Pittsburgh is. The people here really care about these teams.

It was a great workout. We got a lot done today and we accomplished a lot of things.

It was a great game. We did everything we could to win the game to avoid being swept.

He's a great athlete and a heck of a baseball player. You've got to like his future.

He's a clubhouse leader, great for young players to be around, knows how to play the game, accepts his role willingly and does it as well as any of the other top flight guys that come off benches and play, that you can think of. What's there not to like about this guy?

Offensively, we did some great things. To get back in the game in the manner in which we did took some great at-bats.

No question in my mind. You are talking about people who have great baseball minds and are tireless workers.

As a two-hole hitter, this guy has the capability for doing great things for us offensively.

He had a tough time today, but that happens. You have to keep in mind that he's only 22 years old. He isn't going to be great every time out. I thought his mechanics were off a little bit.

He has handled the situation very professionally and he's made a big fan out of me because of that. It's great to have a player like him on the bench that you can put into the lineup and the other team knows he's a significant factor to contend with.

The great thing about Roberto Hernandez is he understands the concept of what we're trying to implement here. Stay within the framework of what's being drawn up to create that continuity.

I'm not saying things would have necessarily been different if Sean was in the lineup but I think it would have helped to have a hitter who combined to strike out less 100 times over the last two seasons up in the situation. You need to make contact with a man on second and none out, and I think Sean would have given us a great chance of doing that.

the attention span is a bit greater when he does speak to something.

Webb made great pitches. He was throwing curveballs and changeups for strikes.

It's great to get him back in camp with us. I saw a guy on TV who really liked the arena that he was in.

To summarize for you, both guys passed (Saturday). It doesn't make any decision over the next few days any easier. But that's what you hope for. When you're in a position where you have to make choices like this, they're not easy. It's a great problem to have.

He's done a great job and he's really shown me he has a chance to be a very special player. He's a tremendous talent.

I think everyone knows Ryan has a great arm. I think we owe it to ourselves to find out if he can help us a starting pitcher.

There's no closer in baseball that's perfect, though we lost one (Gagne) who's as close to being one as there is. Brazoban has done a great job.

I think he has a chance be a terrific offensive player. But part of becoming a great offensive player is having a full understanding of the strike zone and understand what pitchers try to do to him in certain situations. The only way you get to that point is you keep carrying the bat to the plate.